Chapter Text
Nico -
I’m glad to hear Halloween was a hit. Did you manage to get all the skeletons back to their respective graves in time - or were they going to turn back into pumpkins if they didn’t get back before midnight like Cinderella?
Speaking of Cinderella, the whole fifth cohort decided to coordinate and dress up as Disney characters for Halloween. I was Princess Tiana and Frank let me carry him around as a frog (it was his idea :) ). We have this new centurion though, Lavinia,, you’ll never guess who she dressed up as. Mickey’s broom in Fantasia. She spent the day spinning around and wreaking havoc. Honestly, I have no idea what we’re going to do with her.
Jason and Piper made it here safely about a week ago. We didn’t have too much time before they had to get to LA, but I did get to see some of Jason’s temple designs. They’re amazing. Am I correct in recognizing a bit of your writing in the margins?
By the way, we would love for you to visit in December. You can stay with me in the fifth cohort barracks or Frank might have some spare room in those preator quarters he has now. Either way, we’ll have space for you. I’m so excited to have you here for the holiday.
Can’t wait to see you -
Hazel
Hazel -
I’m happy to hear Jason and Piper made it safely. It’s weird with them gone - I’ve been sitting alone in the dining pavilion for two weeks. It sucks. I hadn’t realized how much I’d gotten used to Jason’s company. (Don’t tell him I said that.)
Last week Connor a guy nd Cecil got it in their heads that I needed ‘cheering up’ and the best way to do that was to recruit Lou Ellen to magic my entire mythomagic deck into Apollo cards. Said Will must not be enough so I needed extra “sunshine” in my day. They thought wrong, but their squeals of terror while they were chased by skeletal wolves did wonders for brightening my mood.
Another thing that sucks about Jason and Piper being gone? I have to do the cabin chores on my own now. I used to be able to at least split them with Jason since we were both single occupant cabins, but now it’s just me. I had to scrub the lava wall the other day and usually that takes forever because you have to divert the lava first and let the whole thing cool down - but, did you know that human bones can withstand heat up to 1800 F? And the lava on the climbing wall is only a balmy 1300 degrees… Needless to say, I got it done a lot faster than usual.
I’ll send you more information about my visit when I figure out the details. I’m looking forward to it too.
- Nico
Nico stuffed the letter into his back pocket as he hopped down the steps to Cabin 13. He figured he’d give it to either Connor or Cecil to deliver seeing as they’d learned by now to stay on his good side. However, it was not a child of Hermes that Nico saw crossing the green, coat pulled tightly around him. Nico smiled to himself as he waved at a different familiar figure, jogging over as he called, “Late shift again today?”
“Hey!” Will’s whole demeanor warmed as Nico approached, the annoyed glare he’d been giving the cloud covered sky, easing away, “Yeah. Only two more this week though. Kaleb’s got Friday and Saturday covered.”
“You want company?” Nico asked, falling into step with Will as they headed towards the Big House.
“Depends… Yours or a few of your ‘friends’?”
“Well I was going to offer mine… but if you’re asking -” Nico raised his hand in offering, wisps of shadow already intertwining his fingers.
“No need,” Will knocked his elbow against Nico’s arm, rolling his eyes “Yours will do.”
Nico snorted as he let his hand drop, “I’m so flattered you’ll tolerate me.”
“Gotta make yourself useful though,” Will winked at him, “Can’t have you taking up crucial infirmary resources just cause you’re bored.”
“Using crucial infirmary resources, eh? Is that what you’re calling getting your ass kicked in cards?”
Will glared at him, “I only lost by two points last time, that’s hardly getting my ass kicked.”
“Whatever you say, sunshine.”
Will’s scowl softened at the nickname and Nico bit his lip to keep from laughing at the predictability of it. It was still taking some getting used to - the ease with which he could get Will to look at him like that, full of affection and a touch of amusement. Nico wanted nothing more than to find every way he could inspire Will to make that particular expression.
Nico shivered as they reached the steps to the Big House, the late autumn chill getting the better of him. He chuckled at the pair in front of them in the middle of a half hearted game of pinochle, “Are you winning? Want some pointers?”
From where he sat across from Chiron, a Diet Coke in hand, Mr. D scoffed, “As if you’d have anything to offer.” He glanced across Nico’s bare arms, the scars from Lycaon more obvious as the rest of the skin prickled with goosebumps in the cold, “You’d think it was about time for a jacket there, Nate.”
Nico shrugged, even as he sniffed, “I’m fine. It’s not that cold.”
Will looked at him, curious, his own hands stuffed into the pockets of the ski jacket he’d brought out as soon as they’d woken up to a camp covered in frost instead of dew. Nico brushed him off.
“I just haven’t had time to go get a new one.”
It wasn’t exactly true, but it was simpler to say than the real explanation. It wasn’t lost on Nico that he needed a new jacket - two or three, probably - but he couldn’t get himself to go shopping for one. That old aviator jacket had felt so ingrained into his identity he wasn’t sure how he’d get something new. It didn’t seem right to just replace his old one, but if not that, then what?
“Well I’m not changing weather patterns just because you’re too lazy to be properly attired,” the god grumbled.
“I thought weather was more your dad’s thing.” Nico retorted. Next to him, Will stifled a chuckle and quickly covered his mouth.
Mr. D pursed his lips, glaring at Nico a moment before he dismissed them with a wave. Not eager to linger, the two demigods crossed the porch into the house but not before Nico met Will’s wide eyed stare with a cocky grin.
***
“Hey, can I grab some spare ambrosia?” Nico asked, only feet into the infirmary.
Will sent him a confused look as he shrugged off his coat and draped it on the back of the chair behind the desk, “Uh… sure. What for?”
“My little field trip” Nico said, scanning the cupboards for the supplies he needed, “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Will swallowed, looking around the room, “You should probably take some bandages too then, and some unicorn draught, and-”
“I’ll only be gone a few days” Nico reminded him, “and I’m not even shadow traveling there.”
Will bit his cheek, doubtful. “Do you really have to go down there though?”
“Um, yes?”
“But it’s the Underworld .”
“Yeah, I know. Where else would it be?” Nico said, finally finding the cupboard with what he was looking for, “Besides, my father did specifically ask me to.”
Hades hadn’t so much asked as he had assumed but it all came out the same in the end.
A couple days ago Nico had returned to his cabin to find a note waiting for him on his fireplace’s mantle, next to the offerings he kept for his father. The note had been hand-written, which was a surprise. The begrudging tone it was written in, however, was not.
Nico -
Rogue souls have escaped the field of punishment and are wandering haphazardly through Asphodel. You have experience with these things. I expect them to be taken care of by the end of the week.
Then, hastily scribbled at the bottom as though it was an afterthought;
thank you.
“I’m not eager to blow off the King of the Underworld.” Nico added, pulling out a plastic bag to fill with ambrosia. “Even if he is my dad.”
“Yeah… I get that, I guess.” Will muttered, before letting out a deep breath, “but it’s only a few days right?”
Nico looked over at him, considering, “Yeah. It won’t be long.”
“So… you won’t like… disappear or anything?”
The question was so quiet Nico almost didn’t hear it. There was an undercurrent of anxiety that Will didn’t often let show. It caught Nico off guard.
Nico refocused his attention, realizing there was more here that Will wasn’t saying. He sighed as he finished loading up squares of ambrosia into the small bag. “I’m not going to disappear.”
He stepped closer to the desk, reaching over the surface to catch Will’s hand in his. “I’ll be back before the campfire on Saturday.”
Will looked down at their clasped hands, brow creased, “Okay…”
It was still there - that overlay of concern, of disbelief. As though Will wanted to take his word for it but a history of watching siblings and friends leave for quests and missions with their return uncertain prevented him from finding any comfort in Nico’s words. With a pang of regret, Nico realized that his earlier habits of unpredictably stopping into camp and leaving without notice had definitely not helped the matter.
Nico hesitated only moment before he stepped around the desk and pulled Will closer, wrapping his arms around the other boy’s waist. Will made a small sound of surprise before wrapping his arms over Nico and sighing. He seemed to melt into the hug, the tension flowing from his shoulders to the floor as he pulled Nico in. Nico’s nose nestled into Will’s shoulder and he was surrounded by bergamot and eucalyptus. He could stay here for hours.
“I will be back in only a few days.” He spoke softly into the fabric of Will’s shirt, “I promise.”
Will nodded as he pulled away, a reluctant smile pulling on his lips as he said “Okay.”
This time it sounded like he believed it.
Eager to hide his growing blush, Nico turned his attention to the room at large, shaking his head, “How do you find anything in here anyways?”
Will chuckled as he turned to the filing cabinet behind the desk, pulling out papers that looked like inventory, “I have a system.”
“What is it? Alphabetical? by frequency of use? I can never keep track.” Nico went to the nearest cupboard and opened it up to reveal gauze pads, bottles of rubbing alcohol and tweezers. He raised an eyebrow at his companion.
“It’s by type of injury.” Will waved his hand to the left side of the room, “Abrasions, lacerations, punctures are over there.” Another wave to the right, “Fractures, sprains, bruises are there.”
Nico stared at him. “That’s nuts, Will. No one else thinks like that.”
“Hey, it works!” He straightened his paperwork defensively, “And it’s efficient.”
Nico rolled his eyes, “What would be efficient - would be labels .”
Will shook his head with a smile, focusing back on the papers in his hands, “Be my quest. Make all the labels you want.”
“Maybe I will.”
***
Asphodel was as bleak and barren as usual, the clusters of souls mindlessly drifting between copses of trees without any real direction. It was familiar to Nico, having spent so many months trekking along the boundary between the trees and the fields of punishment. This meant it was easy for him to identify the discrepancies, the souls that were too aware to be destined for an empty afterlife and too haunted to have been judged worthy of Elysium. Most spirits recognized his power for what it was as soon as he identified them. With a command he sent them back to the afterlife they had been assigned. Others tried to put up more of a fight, to argue with him, but Nico’s authority over his father’s realm and the spirits in it made easy work of subduing them.
Nico cleared his throat and coughed as he finished dispatching the most recent one, brushing aside the mild discomfort as par for the course so close to the fires and smoke coming from the fields below. In the two days he’d been down here, he’d covered maybe half of the area he knew to be the most likely source of the breach. Unfortunately, in order to make such good time, he had to be shadow travelling through much of Asphodel and he was starting to feel the consequences of using so much of his power in such a short amount of time. After a good meal and some rest, however, he’d figured be able to be back out here in the morning and with luck would make good on his promise to Will.
The thought comforted him as he made his way back to Erebus, stepping out of the shadow of one of the garden walls that boarded Persphone’s carefully cultivated blooms. He coughed again into his elbow as he walked through the paths, idly wondering if Persphone had planted dandelions somewhere among the flower beds, all of which must be in perpetual bloom if they were causing him to have an allergic reaction when he couldn’t even see them.
When he was thankfully free of the gardens, he made his way toward the dining room noting with a glance to his watch that he should be right on time for dinner. He didn’t know if his father was expecting him, but it would be little effort to talk some of the staff into setting a place for him if he hadn’t.
Nico pushed open the doors as he hacked through another cough, his chest burning with the phlegm rattling through his lungs.
Hades and Persphone startled at the sound, looking up from the table and pausing their conversation.
“Nic-?” Hades started to ask before he was interrupted by his wife.
“No.” Persephone shook her head firmly, “You should not be here.”
“What?” Nico asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Yes, dear. What is the matter?” Hades looked to Persephone in confusion, “You knew he would be making visits down here, handling tasks for me as needed. I thought you approved of that arrangement .”
“Be that as it may, he shouldn’t be here now . ” The queen of the Underworld turned back to Hades and waved her hand toward Nico, “I don’t care if you think the Asphodel issue is urgent, he can’t stay here like that . You know that as well as I do.”
“Why don’t we ask him?” Hades raised an eyebrow as he turned to Nico, “Are you feeling alright, son?”
“Yeah, I’m fin-” Nico had to stifle another cough, “I’m fine. Just the smoke from the fields and then allergies.”
Hades turned to Persphone hopefully, his expression saying See? He says he’s fine. “I don’t see why he can’t stay and finish his task.”
“Nope.” Persephone crossed her arms, “He’s got mortal sickness all over him. He can’t stay here, it will only make it worse. The time down here has probably exacerbated it already.” She turned back to Nico with a scowl, “Back to the surface with you. Now.”
“Bu-” Nico tried to argue, but Persephone waved her hand without another word and his surroundings vanished.
Nico regained his senses back in bed. Not his bed in Erebus, but his bed back in Cabin 13. He was tucked in with the comforter pulled all the way up to his chin, the sheet fitted around him, pinning his arms at his sides.
“Wha…?” Nico tossed the blankets off him as he tried to sit up, “What?”
With a groan, he ran his fingers through his hair, the room swayed around him as his head pounded. “Persephone….”
After another moment or two to get his bearings, at least long enough that Nico was sure more movement wasn’t going to make him nauseous, he got up from the bed.
It was dark in the cabin, but he could see the faint light from the torches beyond the windows. He checked his watch - it was still about dinner time, despite the time zone differences between the Underworld and camp. Maybe if he followed through on that plan of a good meal and some sleep, whatever was messing with his head would pass and he could get back down to finish his father’s request.
Another cough tumbled through him as he pulled on his sweater and shoes - because apparently Persphone had been thorough. Once fully dressed, Nico threw his hood over his head and stumbled out his cabin door.
He was halfway to the dining pavilion when he was spotted.
“Nico? What are you doing here?”
It was Will’s voice that called to him. One would assume being noticed by the head of the camp’s infirmary would be a comfort when one wasn’t feeling well. Nico, however, dreaded the idea of Will seeing him in any state less than fine. His boyf- erm, Will had enough to worry about.
“I thought you were going to be in the Underworld for another day or so…” Will continued as he caught up to Nico, tilting his head as he looked him over, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Nico mumbled, “Persephone sent me back here just because I had a little cough.”
“You’re sick?”
“It’s just a cold, or allergies or something. It wouldn’t stop me from running down rogue souls down there.” Nico tried to stifle a cough as Will reached for wrist. He was too tired and achy to resist.
“Well, it should.” Will said, after a moment’s concentration, “Nico, you have pneumonia.”
“What?”
“I’m surprised you’re up and about at all. Pneumonia usually takes people out for days.”
“After Tartarus I always feel like shit… this- ” More coughing, because Nico couldn’t help it,“-isn’t any different.”
“I don’t believe you for a second.” Will put his hands on his hips, “That’s it, you’re coming to the infirmary.”
“Haven't I spent enough time there already?” Nico grumbled trying to hide the flutter in his chest he felt as Will laced his fingers through his and pulled him toward the big house. By the slight smirk on Will’s face, he failed.
No one could accuse Will of lack of due diligence. Whether he did this for every sick kid to come through the infirmary or if it was just because it was Nico , Nico wasn't sure but Will made sure Nico did not - could not - do anything but rest. And, in order to be resting to Will’s satisfaction, Nico had to be yet again confined to the infirmary.
“I’m going to go grab you something to eat.” Will said once he’d ordered Nico into one to the cots at the end of the room and checked his forehead for a fever. He’d let out a low whistle before announcing that Nico’s temperature was 102.
At that point, Nico elected it wasn’t worth the effort of arguing and though he’d not quickly admit it, he was comfortable. It hadn’t been until they’d made it to the well lit infirmary did he realize that Persephone hadn’t just removed his shoes and tucked him in. She’d put him in a set of black and grey flannel pajama pants and soft black t-shirt, a set of clothes he hadn’t changed out of before wandering out to camp as a whole.
“Do you feel like you can eat something?” Will asked.
In response to the question, he sighed and gave Will a relenting shrug, then winced as he got caught up in another bout of coughs.
Will gave him a sympathetic look, “I can get you some cough drops when I get back too. That sounds pretty uncomfortable.”
Nico swallowed and nodded his thanks, “It is…”
“Good thing Austin and I made a batch with the hyssop the nymphs harvested last week. I’ll be right back.” With a quick wave, Will was out the door, set on his mission.
Despite his now clearly illness-induced exhaustion and very comfortable pajamas, Nico only made it a minute or two before he was pushing the blanket off his legs. The coughs were stirring up all kinds of gunk in his throat, and he really just wanted some way to clear it just a little.
There had to be some kind of glasses around here that he could fill with water… if only he knew where things were. Nico grumbled to himself as he started opening various cupboards and cabinets. This would be so much easier if things were labeled.
He paused after the third one, an idea springing to mind. Will had said he could make labels if he wanted. What if he just got a head start?
Covering another cough with his elbow, Nico padded over to the desk at the back of the room, searching for something to write with and some sticky notes. He rifled through a few miscellaneous papers before pausing on one that caught his eye. He hadn’t meant to be snooping but he couldn’t help looking closer when he’d seen in, Will’s handwriting, the words:
- Confirm Kay’s treatment plan
The words ‘treatment plan’ sounded ominous, but Nico liked to think he would be able to respect the appropriate doctor-patient boundaries. Instead, what made him pause was that he didn’t know anyone at camp named Kay. The closest he knew was Kaleb and it would be odd if Kaleb’s name was misspelled, or at least shortened to a nickname Nico hadn’t ever heard Will use. Nico knew Will wouldn’t write his sibling’s name incorrectly by accident. Against his better judgement, Nico shifted the papers further so he could see more of what was underneath.
It was a to-do list. Most of the items were boring mundane things, but a few stood out.
- Confirm Hermes deliveries
- Check expiration dates on medications
- Wash sheets
- Review GnRH / HRT with Kay
- Check in with Chiron
- Talk to Mr. Knowles
- Confirm Kay’s treatment plan
- Order more granola bars
- Confirm flights to Austin with Mom
“Hey! You lucked out, they had chicken noodle soup tonight.” Will called from the door, “Grabbed a thermos from the kitchen too, so it’s still warm.”
Nico turned away from the desk quickly, then immediately regretted how it made the rest of the room spin. He rubbed his head, squinting back at Will, “That’s cool.”
“You okay?” Will asked as he set the thermos down on the table next to Nico’s cot and watched Nico’s slow progress back to the bed.
“Yeah, I was just looking for a cup so I could have a glass of water.” Nico let out an exasperated sigh as he slid his legs back under the covers, “but, labels , William. There are no labels.” Nico’s admonishment was punctuated with another harsh cough.
Will snorted, and handed the top of the thermos to Nico, already filled with steaming soup, “I’ll get you some water, and those cough drops.”
Nico let the warm liquid soothe his throat and gave Will a small smile, “Thank you.”
Will’s careful observation of his sick patient came in the form of access to a constant supply of cough drops and the promise of a marathon of movies. Despite it being Kaleb’s turn to take the late shift, Will hung out with Nico all evening, even going so far as to send his brother back to their cabin early saying that he’d be around to handle anything if it came up. Without any other patients, Will pulled out an ancient portable dvd player from some dark depth of the Big House and propped it up between their legs, wiggling his way onto a third of the cot, his shoulder pressing against Nico’s as he leaned in.
Will dimmed the infirmary lights, keeping only a small lamp next to them on. It created an excellent atmosphere for a quiet evening watching movies and the small infirmary cot was the perfect excuse for close proximity Nico would otherwise have been too nervous to initiate. He soon found himself wishing he had more energy to properly enjoy it.
The combination of the soup and the movie kept Nico awake for a couple of hours but eventually the exhaustion started to get the better of him.
“I don’t know why I can’t just rest in my cabin.” He mumbled, his cheek against Will’s shoulder, his eyes starting to droop despite the action scene flashing on the small screen in front of them. “I could be in my own bed and it’s not like there’s anyone else there for me to infect.”
“But then I couldn’t monitor you.”
Nico tilted his head slightly so Will could see his raised eyebrow, then eyed the rest of the cot, their legs now pressed together as Nico rolled closer into Will’s warmth, “I think we could manage this in my cabin.”
Will let out a soft huff of air, almost like a laugh he’d tried to catch early. Nico looked back up to see his face had a faint flush of pink.
Nico’s brain was slow to put it together, to fully realize what he’d suggested - the two of them, alone in his cabin, cuddling on his bed. When he finally did, it was a testament to how sick he was that he decided to ignore all propriety and continue with, “I don’t even have to be sick for it either.”
Will did laugh then, soft and warm, “Let’s wait until you’re feeling better, huh?”
“Mmhmm…” Nico hummed into Will’s shoulder, already half asleep.