Archive of Our Own ^beta

Nico can always tell when Will, his boyfriend, is nearby.

It's not a Son-of-Hades thing. Because his father's domain is subterranean, he can sometimes, if he concentrates, tell if other people are near, as long as they're standing on solid ground. But he can't tell who those people are, and it is definitely not specific to his boyfriend.

It's not that he has some innate "Will sense" imparted by their deep love and closeness, either. That'd be sentimental and silly, and Nico doesn't do sentimental and silly. He loves Will, but that doesn't give him any special powers.

No, this ability to always know when Will is around is something much more... let's say mundane.

Most recently, it happens one afternoon as Nico sits on his cabin's porch steps, back propped against one of the Doric columns that hold up his home in Camp Half-Blood. He's reading a book on the space race that Chiron had miraculously found an Ancient Greek translation of somewhere in the Big House.

He's just starting on Yuri Gagarin's first orbit when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees something pop out of the shadow projected by the column to his right. A fuzzy, roundish, dark blob with one large eye, bouncing at max speed across Nico's field of vision and in the direction of the campfire.

Did he say mundane? Perhaps it is a supernatural ability, after all. It just isn't his.

Just as expected, the first blob is followed not two seconds later by a horde of other similar shadow creatures, teeth and tusks and antlers clacking as they bounce and slither and canter across the green.

Nico groans, cheeks flushing as he notices the cacodemons' sudden stampede is drawing stares from campers walking by or hanging out in front of their cabins. It's not that he's embarrassed, necessarily. But the Cocoa Puffs are, whether he likes it or not, a physical representation of some of his deepest emotions, and for someone who prefers to keep those deep emotions close to the vest, there's a vulnerability in knowing that they're out there for everyone to see... literally.

He's getting used to it, though. Mainly because it keeps happening over and over and over; he can't rein in his cacodemons any more than he can tamp down his own emotions. He doesn't want to, anyway. Not really. There's a certain level of chaos the Cocoa Puffs' unpredictability brings to camp which can be rather entertaining.

But he's also getting used to it because, well, he doesn't mind so much. Not when it's Will.

He closes his book, marking the page with his finger, and leans forward so he can see where the Cocoa Puffs are headed. Of course, there Will stands, halfway between his own cabin and Nico's, surrounded by a dozen chittering and squealing balls of darkness. He's grinning brightly, and though at least half of the creatures have clambered all over him, he kneels down, making sure to greet the rest of them individually.

Normally, Nico tries really hard not to think about why his cacodemons pop out of the shadows and rush to Will the second he is within bouncing distance, Isolation first. It's hardly rocket science, though. Everyone who's ever seen it happen can probably take a decent guess.

Truth is, whenever Nico is struggling with negative emotions, Will's presence helps. His boyfriend can't solve his problems, obviously, nor can he make those feelings go away for good; they're all normal human emotions, after all. But knowing that Will is near, that he can go to Will when he's feeling down and Will is always there for him, makes Nico feel less alone, less overwhelmed. He doesn't have to carry the weight on his own, doesn't have to figure things out by himself. It reminds him that he is worthy of help and support. Worthy of love.

It only makes sense, since his negative emotions have been divinely awarded individual agency, that they're drawn to Will as well. His cacodemons are a part of him, and every single part of him wants Will.

Okay, so maybe he can be a little sentimental and silly sometimes. Whatever. He'll deny it if asked.

Will looks up from the small shadow creatures clamoring for his attention— something Nico himself does not do, for the record— and their gazes meet. Will's grin widens.

He stands up and starts walking toward the Hades cabin, the Cocoa Puffs moving to perch up on different parts of his body like they weigh nothing. (They do weigh nothing— they're made of shadows— but, well, it's a saying. You get the point.)

Isolation remains cradled in Will's arms, nuzzling into the fabric of his camp T-shirt. It is bracketed by Grief on one side and Shame on the other, the former's antlers thankfully just long enough not to stab Will in the chin as he carries them, while the latter's catlike ears are low as it leans back against the son of Apollo, basking in his body heat. Jealousy sits on one of Will's shoulders, turning its tusks toward any movement near them, as if warning off anybody who might get too close. Guilt uses its spider legs to clamber up Will's arm, folding them inward and closing its eyes as it cuddles up to the junction between Will's shoulder and neck. Sadness sits on top of Will's head, curled up among his golden curls like they're a nest. The rest of the Cocoa Puffs cluster on the ground around Will's feet, bouncing forward as he walks. He glances down often to make sure he doesn't accidentally step on any of them.

It's all so damn cute, Nico has to bite his lip to keep from smiling. He's got a reputation to uphold, after all.

"You know, you don't have to indulge them when they do this," Nico says as Will approaches. He shakes his head. "You're going to spoil them."

"Well, maybe I think they could use some spoiling," Will replies with a chuckle. He looks down at the cacodemons in his arms and at his feet. "You're such good Puffs, aren't you guys? Yes, you are!"

The Cocoa Puffs chitter excitedly in response. Nico isn't sure his cacodemons can understand English... or any human language, for that matter... but they seem to be able to read his moods, at the very least, and that extends to Will as well. So they probably don't get what he said, but they understand it's a compliment. Nico rolls his eyes but is secretly charmed.

"Alright, off we go!" Will says, and on cue, the Cocoa Puffs jump out of his arms, bouncing up the porch steps and into the cabin. Nico knows they'll slink back into the shadows, where they live most of the time, only to pop back out to greet him when he gets back to the cabin after activities. Instead, he watches Will watch them as they go, and the softness in his boyfriend's sky-blue eyes melts his insides just a little.

The cacodemons are, technically, Nico's "children"— in a non-consensual, very out-of-the-blue kind of way, but they're his. And while Will did agree to be his boyfriend (Nico's still a little mystified by that, if he's honest), he didn't sign up to take care of his shadow-demon offspring. He didn't have to step up to be their other "parent." If anything, at sixteen, he should've run for the hills at the mere thought.

Yet here he is, spending time with them and giving them affection... even though he doesn't have to. Will is a sweet, warmhearted person, but he isn't just being nice for the sake of being nice; he genuinely cares about the Cocoa Puffs, and Nico loves him all the more for it.

"Thanks for being so patient with them," he says, drawing his boyfriend's gaze toward him.

Will moves closer to where Nico is still sitting. "No need to thank me, darlin'. You know I adore the li'l fellas." He brushes a strand of dark hair away from Nico's face and, like he knows exactly what Nico had just been thinking (which happens annoyingly often), he adds: "They're a part of you. And I love every single part of you."

He leans in to press a kiss on Nico's forehead. Nico may or may not close his eyes at the sensation. (Any similarity to Shame the Puff is purely coincidental.)

Will pulls back with a smile. "Afternoon, King Boo," he quips, as if just realizing he didn't greet him properly. Nico gives him a deadpan stare. Many of the references Will uses for his nicknames may go right over Nico's head, having spent most of the 20th century trapped inside a Vegas casino, but he does know Mario. And thus, he can recognize it for the weak pun it is.

His boyfriend is completely unaffected by the glare. "You ready for lunch? I'm actually starving."

"Yeah, just let me leave the book inside."

He gets up and walks into the cabin, marking the page with a pencil and setting the book down on the trunk at the foot of his bed. The Cocoa Puffs are already nowhere to be found. He's sure they'll pop back up when he least expects it. Or maybe just the next time Will stops by for a visit.

His boyfriend is still waiting on the porch as he walks back out. "Okay, I'm good to go." Will offers his hand, which Nico gladly takes. Fingers intertwined, they walk in the direction of the dining pavilion, chatting, carefree, about their respective mornings.