Chapter Text
Although Will had expected an Iris Message from the crew, it still startled him when it came.
He was doing his once-a-week cleaning of Cabin Thirteen. The door was wide open to help aerate the cabin while he was dusting and changing out the sheets on the beds. Once he’d finished, Will took out his planner and looked around the room, going through the cleaning checklist. He couldn’t help thinking that the gothic horror part of the decor would probably be something Nico appreciated, but he’d bet real money that the son of Hades would draw the line on the coffin beds. The boy wasn’t a vampire, for goodness’ sake.
A lump formed in his throat. Nico was still hovering between sleep and death, but he woke up once. Alive and terrified, but determined. Will remembered how that woke him up in the middle of the night, and immediately sent the son of Hades his feelings of courage and hope and assurance that help was coming. Nico hadn’t been awake for longer than maybe a few seconds, but the son of Aphrodite hoped that it helped.
He cleared his throat, blinking back his tears, and squinted slightly at his checklist.
“Okay,” Will muttered, “Clean the shrine, leave a fresh offering, and then do the floor, and I think it’ll be done!”
The son of Aphrodite grabbed his cleaning cloth and set to work dusting off the entire shrine. He took a bit more time on it to make sure he didn’t break anything, and to be thorough in cleaning it. Yeah, Will would admit it was a bit morbid with all the bones and stuff, but that just came with the territory of being Lord of the Dead. After a while, you just had to lean into the aesthetic, which was definitely something he respected.
After he was satisfied with the cleanliness of the shrine, Will took a small bouquet of fresh, summer flowers and placed it on the altar. As he did, he closed his eyes and gave a prayer to Hades.
Lord Hades, please accept this offering. Though they won’t compare to having Lady Persephone with you, I hope it helps to ease your loneliness this summer.
Will hesitated for a moment, and decided that it couldn’t hurt to also pray to him for one other thing. One other matter that’d been weighing heavily on his heart.
I also pray to you for your son, Nico di Angelo. I hope help arrives soon.
The blond opened his eyes, and saw that the flowers were gone. He took that as a good sign, especially when he was still very much alone in the cabin. Honestly, Will wasn’t sure what he’d do if Hades took this prayer to talk to him. He’d met the Lord of the Underworld only once, and the god had definitely been an intimidating figure even with Persephone at his side.
He sighed softly. Then, he turned with the intention to grab his broom, but that was when he came face-to-face with Annabeth and Percy’s faces.
“Holy mother of the Erotes, Annabeth!” Will exclaimed, taking a step back in surprise.
“Sorry, Will,” she apologized, and then squinted. “Wait… where are you?”
“Oh, Cabin Thirteen,” he replied with a hand over his rapidly beating heart. His tone was as casual as if he’d been describing the weather outside. He saw both of their eyes widen.
“Why? And how has Hades not blasted you?!” Percy asked him incredulously. The blond raised an eyebrow.
“Jason asked me the same thing,” the son of Aphrodite replied in amusement. “I’m cleaning it. I’ve been cleaning it since… since Nico’s been gone. Considering I haven’t been blasted or turned into a bat or something in the past… year? Almost a year, I think. Anyway, I’m taking it as a sign that he’s fine enough with it.”
“What the heck, and you’re not doing that for me?” the other boy pouted playfully.
“Nah, I play favorites.” Will winked at him. “I don’t do this for Jason, either, so you don’t have to pout.”
Someone cleared their throat. He blinked and realized that there were two other people with his friends that he’d never seen before. One of them was a tall, buff guy with crew cut, black hair and dark eyes. Despite what should be an intimidating stature, the boy reminded Will more of a teddy bear. The girl beside him had brown skin, brown, gravity-defying hair in tight curls, and eyes that looked like molten gold. Both of them wore purple SPQR t-shirts, so he assumed these two were the last Roman demigods to round out the crew.
Will smiled brightly at them.
“Oh! Sorry for ignoring you two,” he apologized. “I’m Will Solace, son of Aphrodite! I think that’s Venus in Roman terms? It’s nice to meet you!”
They both smiled back at him, though the boy seemed shyer.
“Hey, I’m Frank Zhang. Um, son of Vulcan.” Frank wracked his brain a bit, “Uh, I think that’s… Hephaestus in Greek.”
“I’m Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto. Nico’s my brother,” Hazel replied. The blond couldn’t help brightening further.
“You two are as cute as a button!” The pair of Roman demigods blushed cutely. Will squinted slightly and saw that the two of them were in a brand new relationship. He’d have to keep that in mind and dial it back a bit.
“We wanted to introduce ourselves, and to thank you for the bracelets,” the son of Vulcan told him. He seemed a bit bashful. “We weren’t really expecting that, honestly.”
“But it was very thoughtful of you,” Hazel added kindly. “Jason told me you even made one for my brother, too. Are you a friend of his?”
Will saw Percy and Annabeth looking away with slightly guilty looks. Clearly, they hadn’t told anyone of his more-than-platonic feelings toward Nico. Annabeth might not have been able to tell them about what he’d felt from the son of Hades very recently. In a way, he was thankful for that.
“I like to think I am, but Nico’s a bit… stubborn, and I haven’t seen him often enough to think he sees me as a friend himself,” he admitted, attempting to keep the conversation away from what felt like dangerous territory. Hazel didn’t seem surprised by that. Though, judging by her frown, she didn’t approve of her brother’s proclivity for isolating himself.
“Well, I’m glad to know that you’re looking out for him,” she said with a small smile. “I’ll make sure to talk to him and see if I can’t convince him to at least visit you a bit more.”
“You’re officially my favorite Big Three kid,” Will replied with no hesitation or regret.
“Hey!” Percy squawked.
“Sorry, Perce, but Pluto and Hades literally have the best kids. I don’t make the rules.”
It got the four of them to laugh, at least. He saw a blush on Hazel’s face, but she looked really happy by what he’d said. She probably didn’t get comments like that very often, likely for the same reason Nico didn’t.
“I’ll be sure to let Nico know of both our status as Will Solace’s favorite Big Three kids,” Hazel promised with playful solemnity.
“Thank you.” Will grinned at them. “And, now that I’ve met you, I can keep an eye on all seven of you. I haven’t worried myself to death yet, but gods know that I’ve come close a couple times lately.”
“Thanks, Will,” Percy said, his sea-green eyes softening. He had a feeling the son of Poseidon would understand. “We’ll try to let you know when we’re about to head out to Europe.”
“I appreciate it. Once you guys are out there, I’ll likely be keeping as close a watch as I can.” Seeing the confusion on Frank and Hazel’s faces, he added, “I don’t think I have much time on this message to really explain what I can do. Annabeth, Percy, if you two aren’t comfortable with that, Piper and Jason have a really good grasp on it by now.”
“Understood,” Annabeth replied. Then, her grey eyes also softened. “We’re gonna miss you, Will. We all wish you could be our eighth.”
“Hey,” he said, gently, “I’ll be your eighth demigod in spirit. Just know I’m praying to your parents for your safe return. Greek and Roman.”
That seemed to put them all at ease.
“You might want to head to the Big House,” the daughter of Athena warned him. She was back in business mode. “We have a huge problem, and I’d bet that Chiron will be calling all of the Head Counselors for a meeting.”
Will frowned at that.
“Gotcha, I’ll head over after this, then,” he promised. The blond looked at each of them, then smiled warmly. “Seriously, it’s good seeing you okay, Percy. And it’s good to see you in higher spirits, Annabeth. It was lovely meeting you, Frank and Hazel! I hope we can talk more often!”
“Same here,” Frank told him. “And I hope it’s in person that we meet next time!”
“Bye, Will! Take care of yourself!” said Hazel with a wave.
“I demand a Will Hug when I get back!” Will couldn’t help laughing at that.
“You should definitely talk to Jason about my new game when you’ve got the time, but I’ll give you a hug when you’re back!”
“Stay in touch!” Annabeth told him. Then, she swiped through the IM, cutting their connection.
Will sighed a little as he looked around the empty cabin. He ran a hand through his hair, not liking that he’d have to pause his cleaning when he was almost done. On the other hand, perhaps whatever the daughter of Athena had to say would distract him long enough from his worry for Nico.
“I’ll be back to finish up,” the Aphrodite Head Counselor promised, mostly to himself. Still, he had the feeling that Hades was going to hold him to that promise. That’d be motivation enough to finish before the day was through.
He left the cabin, closing the door gently behind him, and made his way to the Big House.
The meeting ended up into a War Council in the Big House, and it ended with Will having a stress headache. It wasn’t a far stretch to believe that Gaea’s minions had in some way coerced Leo into open firing on New Rome, all to instigate a war between the two demigod camps. He’d asked how the son of Apollo was doing after that, and Annabeth replied that he’d been feeling guilty about it, but he just couldn’t explain why he’d done it in the first place. It simply wasn’t like Leo to do that. Still… what was done was done.
At the end of the War Council, the son of Aphrodite broke the news to his siblings and answered their questions as best he could. He also told them that he was requiring all of them to start going to combat training.
“We’ll be on support to help the medics get the injured and dying out of danger,” Will had told them, “But I also want everyone able to defend themselves, just in case.”
“No heroic last stands for you, either, Will!” Lacy had replied, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Yeah, we’re not losing you,” Mitch had backed up.
He’d given them his promise that he wouldn’t do any heroic last stands. Will just hoped he wasn’t forced to break that promise. He didn’t want to leave them behind.
Speaking of promises, Will did go back to finish cleaning Cabin Thirteen. Perhaps that visit influenced his dreams that night.
It started with seeing Nico trapped within a Celestial bronze jar. The air was stale, and he saw what looked like pomegranate seeds next to the boy. A single line was etched into the bronze. He looked so small that it hurt Will’s heart. Then, Nico woke up, and that was also when Will had woken up. He reached out with his empathy and imparted his courage and hope to the boy. Again, it only lasted for a few seconds, but it was all the son of Aphrodite could do.
Unable to go back to sleep, Will got up and began writing a letter. He went through a few pieces of paper before he was satisfied with the final draft. Hopefully, it was adequate in explaining what he’d done for the son of Hades and that he had no idea what his price would be. The Head Counselor read it one more time critically, and finally he folded it into an envelope and addressed it to Nico. He took out one more piece of paper and addressed it to Jason. It was a short note, and he tore off the excess paper so that he could carefully staple it to the envelope.
Taking out his Celestial bronze dove, he gave it the letter and whispered to it, “Jason Grace, the Argo II.” It whirred quietly to life and flew out of an open window faster than he could blink. Will sighed softly, and returned to bed in the hopes of getting more sleep before sunrise.
Instead, he had another demigod nightmare.
Will was outside of the Empire State Building, but the streets were empty. He looked around, feeling tense as he saw not a single soul in sight. On a whim, the blond turned around and almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Vincent standing only a couple of feet away from him. Though it looked like the son of Ares, there was something very wrong with his eyes. They appeared as if to have been made completely of dark soil.
Everything in him screamed at him to run, but he was completely frozen. Glancing down, Will’s breath caught in his throat as he saw the sidewalk seemed to liquefy, and he was being pulled down into the ground. He was already up to his calves. When the son of Aphrodite looked back up at Vincent, he saw a cold smile that didn’t seem quite like what the son of Ares used on him in the past.
“What a fascinating child you are,” Vincent spoke, but not in his voice. It was a cold, cruel, sleepy voice of a woman. Gaea’s voice. “My son and I were unwise to have left you alone for so long, it seems.”
Will sank up to his knees in the cement. Despite his terror at the primordial goddess paying him a visit, he was also angry. Gaea wore Vincent’s corpse like it was her right to inhabit it. Even though it was only a dream, it was still vile.
“No matter,” said Gaea, smile widening. “You’ve now made it so much easier to break your spirit. When the exchange is complete, I will ensure both your friends and your beloved are more ferociously tormented.”
She then hummed as the cement came up to his thighs.
“Unless, of course, you decide to follow your dear sister’s footsteps. Join my cause and I shall ensure that your loved ones don’t suffer needlessly.”
Will growled low in his throat, a sound he’d never made before. The cement was up to his waist, but he didn’t care at the moment.
“Never, in all of the stories I’ve heard from your past and present, have you kept your word, unless it was for purely your own benefit! I won’t fall into your cycle of broken promises and abuse!” His feelings of outrage poured out from him, as he added, “As much as I didn’t like the Titans, they deserved a far better mother than you!”
She kept smiling as the son of Aphrodite sank up to his chest.
“Love is your greatest strength,” Gaea mused heartlessly, “And your greatest weakness. I look forward to seeing how you will destroy yourself in the name of love.”
Will only looked on at her in defiance until the cement closed over his head.
When he woke up for the second time, he was gasping for air, and the dead heart within him felt painful in his chest.
He never told anyone about his visit from Gaea, not even Chiron. It had shaken him, certainly, but everyone else was on edge about the impending Roman invasion. He just couldn’t bring himself to add yet another worry onto their plates, especially one so personal. There was nothing anyone could do about Gaea’s threat to him, either. So, Will kept it to himself under the proverbial lock and key.
Piper IM’d him the afternoon after his dream. She looked a little disheveled, but her multicolored eyes didn’t betray any hint of exhaustion. Judging from the background in the message, his sister seemed to be on the Argo II.
“Hey, Pipes,” greeted Will with a smile. She managed a smile back at him.
“Hey there, Will. What’s it like in New York City?”
The Aphrodite Head Counselor surreptitiously checked to make sure he was alone. This was a code they rarely used to check if there was anyone around. Fortunately, Will was in Cabin Ten at the moment, and their siblings were off training. At least, they should be training.
“Don’t you worry about the distance,” he replied. Piper sighed in relief.
“Thank the gods,” she said. “You have no idea how much I wish you were here. You’d be doing a way better job than me right now.”
His heart clenched at how miserable his sister sounded in that moment.
“That’s not true, Pipes,” Will told her gently. “Tell me what’s happened?”
“I don’t really have time to tell you everything,” his sister replied, looking a little frustrated. “So I’ll try to tell you the important stuff. We’re almost at Charleston, so… this might be my last IM until we get back from the quest.”
The son of Aphrodite closed his eyes and nodded. When he opened them again, it was with renewed determination.
“Okay. I’ll open up my empathy to you guys tonight, then,” the blond promised. “So, what’s the sitch?”
Her eyes glittered with amusement at that.
“Well, Kim Possible, we had a ghost problem, and it turned out Leo got possessed. So… that’s why he opened fire on the Romans,” Piper replied. “I was able to get them to swear on the Styx to leave us alone, at least. Uh, stuff happened in Atlanta, but we’re fine. It’s fine.”
“It’s probably not fine, but I’ll let you off the hook for now.”
He hesitated for a moment before deciding to take a leap of faith. After all, if this was going to be their last IM, it was going to be monumentally important to tell someone. Who better than his own sister?
“Pipes, I… I had a dream last night, and,” he trailed off with a soft sigh as he looked down. “I-I think Nico’s in serious trouble.”
Will described what he’d seen of the son of Hades within that awful, bronze jar. She was quiet as he spoke, and her expression was one of concern. Though, it seemed like that emotion was being directed at both the subject matter and the blond himself.
“Okay… okay, I’ll have to let the others know what you saw,” Piper replied. “I’ll send your dove back once we have him, alright?”
It felt as if there had been a fist gripping his heart tightly, and only now that it was relaxing did he register its presence. He gave her a small smile.
“Thanks, Pipes,” said the blond with great relief. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should tell her about his other dream. “Um… Piper—”
Will was interrupted by what sounded like Frank yelling something. His sister sighed and yelled back, “Got it!” Then, her attention was back on her brother.
“Sorry, Will, we’ll apparently be in Charleston in a few minutes. What were you saying?”
A few minutes and then they’d be off crossing the Atlantic toward Greece. Was Will seriously going to make Piper, and by extension the rest of the Seven, worry about him in addition to their other worries?
You have to tell someone, reminded a voice that sounded suspiciously like Leo.
“Whatever happens, you are the best of us for the job,” Will told her instead, a reassuring smile on his face. “Your Charmspeak is so much stronger than mine, and I know you’ll make all of us proud. When you’re confident, you can do anything.”
Piper looked a little teary-eyed as she gave a small nod.
“Thanks,” she said with a soft sniff. “Love you, Will.”
“Love you, Piper. And give my love to the others.”
His sister smiled, nodded, and then wiped away the mist, cutting their connection.
Will sat there staring at the place where her IM had been for a little longer. He felt so much more alone than he’d ever felt before. It was strange, considering he still had so many friends here in Camp Half-Blood. The son of Aphrodite couldn’t put his finger on why, though his mind traitorously wondered if he wouldn’t be feeling this way if Nico was in camp or at least free from Gaea’s grasp.
For some reason, that thought was enough to break some sort of dam within him. He choked on a sob as tears flowed down his eyes, dripping into his lap. Will tried to keep quiet, not knowing when his siblings would come in for one reason or another.
Eventually, his tears dried up, and his makeup was a disaster as a result. Mechanically, the blond cleaned his face and reapplied the makeup, and then exited the cabin to spend some time walking along the beach. Hopefully, it would clear his head.
In truth, it only made his heart feel so much lonelier.
Will kept his promise and opened his empathy up to the Seven the morning after his conversation with Piper. His nights became much less restful afterwards. Between being woken up by Nico to help him keep his hope alive, and whatever the heck is going on to make the Seven anxious as they sailed further away from the US Eastern time zone? It was a strain. Will had started taking naps throughout the day so that he wouldn’t snap at anyone. As a result, he was spending more time in the infirmary than he usually would.
Kayla didn’t seem to mind. She’d roll her eyes playfully and get his napping cot ready. The Apollo Head Counselor did ask every now and then if everything was okay, but Will waved off her concern whenever he could. It made him feel guilty, but there was nothing the Apollo campers could do for him, really. Will was only going to get a good rest again once the war with Gaea and her children was over.
It was about a week after Piper’s IM that things went from bad to worse.
He was on his morning walk when he sensed Annabeth’s trepidation and Percy’s worry. A worry that grew every passing minute. Will could only guess that meant the two were in different groups or in some way separated. He bit his lip, trying not to let his own worry go out of control.
They’ll be fine, Will thought. As long as they have each other at the end, it’ll all work out.
When he suddenly felt fear from Leo just an hour later, the Aphrodite Head Counselor knew it was going to be a rough day. When Piper, Jason, and Percy were terrified, that was when he went to Chiron to excuse himself for the day. Will practically secluded himself in Cabin Ten, and he did his best to send courage to all of them as well as some confidence to Piper. He could sense that Hazel and Frank were in tremendous pain before the couple fell unconscious, and his heart hurt for them. The blond sat on his bed and hugged his pillow tightly to his chest.
Soon, the fear ended for Leo and it was replaced with determination. However, while Piper, Jason, and Percy’s fears had abated, he could still feel trepidation from them. Annabeth was doing fine, but he could feel that she was in pain. She was determined and courageous, confident in herself. Then, that all abruptly changed to a fear so strong it almost knocked Will to the floor. He could feel his heart fraying at the edges as Annabeth’s terror was joined by Nico regaining confused consciousness, Piper’s concern, and Jason and Percy’s determination tinged with fear.
Will took a deep breath as he reluctantly closed himself off to Annabeth. His heart was still fraying a bit, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as when he was feeling her terror. He sent them all courage, and Nico was given reassurance as well.
They’ve got him, he’s safe. The thought sank in and he choked on a relieved sob, squeezing his eyes shut as he buried his face into his pillow.
After collecting himself, he checked on Annabeth every few minutes to see if her terror had diminished. Eventually, it did, and that made him relieved for a short moment. He felt Percy’s elation and protectiveness, which had to mean the two of them had reunited. The others felt a sense of triumph tempered with concern. Annabeth was feeling tremendous relief, and a sense of security. For a moment, Will thought it was looking up for everyone.
It all abruptly came crashing down. Everyone suddenly became frightened by something. His blood turned to ice and then—
When the exchange is complete, I will ensure both your friends and your beloved are more ferociously tormented.
Annabeth and Percy were falling, feeling further and further away with every passing second.
After that day, Will had to tone down the emotional feedback he got from the Seven, though he didn’t have the heart to do the same for Nico. Something in that poor boy had changed, and not for the better. Truthfully, Will didn’t know what emotion to send the son of Hades that would help him. Nevertheless, he did try to send a feeling of support to the boy, but it had been so vehemently rejected that he pulled back almost immediately. So, instead, Will sent a very brief and gentle feeling of understanding. The son of Aphrodite wouldn’t send anymore emotions, not unless it seemed like Nico really needed them.
It hurt, though, he couldn’t lie about that. Will reasoned that he didn’t have the full story, and Nico wasn’t there to tell him what was wrong. So, he accepted it and tried his best to respect what he could only interpret as the son of Hades’ wishes.
To help himself move on from that feeling of hurt, Will spent some more time with Dolce and offered his support to help prepare the camp for the Romans mustering at their doorstep. There was a War Council meeting to discuss possible avenues of reaching out an olive branch, so to speak, as well as debating ideas of how to delay the Romans for as long as possible for the Seven to complete their quest.
“So, we’re agreed: only two to meet with Ocatvian and his second, right?” Rachel asked, cutting off a debate that was about to get seriously heated between Damien and Chiara. Honestly, Will was really starting to wonder when those two would shut up and kiss already. It’d probably become nothing more than a summer fling, but it’d hopefully mellow them out a bit afterwards.
“Don’t see much choice in it if they’ll just see anything more as a threat,” Clarisse grunted, still looking sour at the idea. The Aphrodite Head Counselor reached out to touch her wrist, and she relaxed somewhat. The look she shot him was one of carefully disguised gratitude.
“And Rachel is still a logical choice,” Kayla pointed out firmly. “Greek or Roman, Dad would turn against them in a heartbeat if they so much as harmed his Oracle.”
With great reluctance, the rest of them murmured agreement in her nomination. Even Chiron had to agree. Will could sense Rachel’s nervousness, but there was nothing but determination in her expression.
“Why not Will as her second?” Connor asked with a slight frown. The Ares Head Counselor tensed beside Will, but he could see she was reigning in her protective instinct for now.
“True,” Malcolm reluctantly agreed with a glance to both Clarisse and the son of Aphrodite, “Will’s one of our best diplomats, and he’s got the skills to defend himself and Rachel if there’s treachery.”
They all looked at him. Looking around, Will could see no small amount of anxiety and tension, but nobody here doubted his ability. A part of him wondered if they’d still have that faith in him if they knew what he’d done to Vincent. Another part wondered if their confidence in him was even deserved in the first place.
The blond took a moment to think about it before giving his reply.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to do any good being there,” Will said carefully. Before anyone could interrupt, he continued with, “They know about Piper’s ability to Charmspeak. If they even suspect that I have that same ability, they’ll never believe my words. Or, worse, they’ll call the whole thing off. We’re a lot safer choosing someone they wouldn’t suspect or would underestimate.”
“And it doesn’t help that you can Charmspeak,” Lou Ellen mused. “So who can we send?”
There was a long pause as they all considered it. They’d gone back and forth about other demigods as options earlier, but it was looking as if a demigod wasn’t going to be the answer.
“Why not a satyr?” Malcolm suggested. All eyes were on the son of Athena, who seemed slightly flustered under the attention, but pushed onward. “I mean, fauns and satyrs are different from one another, right? So they’d naturally underestimate a satry’s capabilities and assume they’re like fauns.”
“That’s a good point,” Will agreed with a smile. “And who better to ask than Grover Underwood, right?”
Fortunately, Grover had agreed to personally accompany Rachel on their attempt at diplomacy with Octavian and his second. The bad news was that the Romans were still set on war. At least it was an attempt. Perhaps that would go a longer way than expected.
It was maybe a couple of days after the failed mission that Will was cleaning the Hades Cabin for the week. The habit was starting to become something of a comfort for the blond. At the very least, it was helping to keep the hope alive that Nico might stay. Will left another offering and prayer to Hades for the boy’s continued health, another habit that was becoming a strange comfort.
He sighed softly as he started to get ready to pack up the cleaning supplies. Abruptly, there was a sharp spike of panic from Nico, and a muted feeling of guardedness from Jason. Will frowned, stopping in his task to turn his mind to what was happening to his friends. It seemed to be only those two, strangely, so what—
The son of Aphrodite’s thoughts were completely derailed when he suddenly felt as if he’d been punched. He flinched, and then flinched again when it felt like something sharp had sliced his arm. Will looked at the spot on his arm. He was much more alarmed to see no wound there.
More anger and anguish came from Nico, and there was confusion from Jason. Will bit his lip before he realized where that anger was being directed. Nico was angry at himself, and there was some guilt mixed with muted self-disgust. Guessing where the source of those emotions was coming from, the blond decided to shut himself off from the son of Hades’ heart for the rest of the day. Nico deserved that privacy.
Yet it didn’t stop Will from feeling like he was being attacked. He staggered as it felt like something else sliced through him, leaning against the wall of the cabin for support. The teen bit his lip and silently bore the assault, squeezing his eyes shut. Eventually, the attacks subsided, leaving him feeling battered and bruised in a very physical way, despite there being no visible marks on his body.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself away from the wall and stumbled only slightly without the support. There was a thrum of dull heartache from Nico. Will wasn’t sure why he could still feel it after closing off his empathy to the other boy.
Then the son of Aphrodite stilled as a thought occurred to him.
The price.
Was this his price for taking Nico’s pain? To feel when the son of Hades was physically and emotionally hurt?
Do you regret it?
Will closed his eyes. The answer was simple and heartfelt.
No. I’d do it again if I had to. I care about him.
Only care?
The blond shook his head and finished packing up the cleaning supplies. He went through the motions for the rest of the day, ignoring the question of whether he only just cared about Nico. Will knew it was more than that.
It wasn’t until he’d called lights out in Cabin Ten and settled into bed that he allowed himself to think the words he longed to say aloud. Words he’d wait to say to the son of Hades until he was ready or even never, if those feelings weren’t reciprocated.
I love Nico.
Not long after that day, another War Council was called, this time by the Hermes Cabin. The beginning part was spent arguing, of course, but Will was able to get them to calm down enough to have a more civil discussion. They discussed fortifications, scouting parties, and patrol schedules. So far, the Romans were still building up their army, which was starting to consist of monsters, of all things.
They decided to hold daily War Council meetings, too. It was entirely possible that any plans would have to change or be discarded once they got more information from their scouts. As for keeping morale up, Will volunteered his cabin to help with some collaboration from the Dionysus and Apollo cabins.
The topic was somewhat derailed when Will suddenly winced in pain. Kayla’s eyes had immediately narrowed, and even Chiron had given the blond a look of concern.
“Are you alright, Will?” asked the centaur. He tried to give them all a reassuring smile, despite another stab of pain trying to make him react otherwise.
“I’m fine. Really,” he replied, somewhat hastily. “It’s nothing.”
Begrudgingly, everyone went back on topic, but Kayla hadn’t stopped staring at him almost accusingly. By the time they’d wrapped up, she grabbed Will by the arm and marched him into the infirmary. The Apollo Head Counselor then whirled on him with both hands on her hips and a sterned, but concerned, expression on her face.
“What in Hades was that, William?”
He couldn’t help automatically cringing at his full name. Will was definitely in trouble if Kayla was playing that card.
“Um,” was his intelligent response. The son of Aphrodite shifted uncomfortably on his feet, feeling guilty for wanting to keep this from someone who might as well be family. Kayla crossed her arms.
“William Andrew Solace.”
Will swore that he would never tell another soul his full name because that was way too much power to hold over him.
“Okay, okay!” he said, holding up both hands placatingly. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and looked at the ground with a frown. “I, uh… I think I’ve been feeling whenever Nico gets wounded. I-I think that’s my price.”
The blond wasn’t ready to tell anyone that he might also be able to feel the son of Hades’ strong emotions no matter what, either. He still wasn’t sure if that was also part of the price or if it was because of something else entirely. Either way, Will didn’t really feel like experimenting with that. He looked back up at Kayla and saw her concern.
“No physical wounds on me, though. It seems like it’s just feeling it, and he’s with the Seven in Europe.”
“So, no matter where he is, you’ll feel his wounds,” Kayla summed up with a frown. She sighed when he nodded. “Do you regret it?”
“Never,” Will told her without hesitation and with a firmness that surprised both of them. Her eyes softened.
“Okay.” She pulled him into a tight hug. Will felt his eyes sting a bit as he hugged her back just as tightly. “We’re here for you no matter what, okay? We love you so much, Will.”
The son of Aphrodite sniffled softly as he felt the truth in her words. He felt her love for him, like he was one of her brothers.
“Thanks, Kay.”
They stood like that for a moment longer before pulling apart, both of them discreetly rubbing their eyes of moisture. In companionable silence, Will and Kayla left the infirmary to return to their respective duties for the rest of the day.
It was around evening that same day when Will’s dove came back. He was a little surprised to see it, but he sure as Hades wasn’t going to complain. The blond took the two letters from its beak and back compartment carefully. One was from Piper, and the other was from… Jason? He opened up his sister’s letter first and read it.
Dear Will,
We saved Nico, but so much happened afterward that I really didn’t have a chance to send a letter telling you so. Percy and Annabeth are also safe with us again since I’m sure you know they’ve been in Tartarus. Just letting you know that Nico is with Praetor Reyna and Coach Hedge to take the Athena Parthenos back to Camp Half-Blood. They’ve promised to arrive on the 1st.
I hope you’re holding up okay. I bet it’s been a huge rollercoaster of emotions for you to handle, so please take care of yourself. We’ve really appreciated your feelings of support and courage for us, but we’re just as worried about you.
Anyway, we’re almost at the end! We’re on our way to Greece now. Soon, we’ll be back with you guys as reinforcements!
Thinking of you always, your sister,
Piper
Will hummed softly to himself as he folded the letter and set it aside. There was certainly some relief in knowing that their journey was going well enough, and that it was nearing its end. He opened up Jason’s letter next.
Will,
I tried to get Nico to write a letter to you, but he refused and so I’m doing it instead. At least, as much as I can.
First, I wanted to apologize for questioning why you felt so strongly about Nico. I get it in more of a friend way, now. And I’m sorry for assuming you were crushing on a straight guy. I think I get it when you said you weren’t nearly as worried about yourself getting hurt.
So far, I’m the only other person who knows he isn’t straight. He hasn’t opened up to anyone else, and the only reason I know is because of an incident that made him come out. It wasn’t ideal, and I’m definitely angry on his behalf, but I can’t talk about it more than that. That’s Nico’s story to tell, if he ever tells it.
Nico knows I’m writing a letter to you and he did want me to pass this along to you. He wanted to say thank you for what you did while he was in Tartarus. He didn’t say what you did, but he’d said that it’d helped. Also, I doubt he’d admit it to me or anyone here, but I think he’s worried about you. He kind of implied that you used to be more present in his heart when he was feeling more negatively, but he did something that he regretted. Again, I hope this makes sense to you because I have no idea what’s going on there. Maybe give him a sign you’re still okay or I guess “listening?”
Stay safe!
-Jason
The son of Aphrodite had to read it a second time before taking in a shaky breath, setting the letter carefully aside. Tartarus… three people he cared so strongly for had been through Tartarus.
Will opened up his empathy to Nico. He felt exhaustion and determination from the son of Hades. The blond hesitated for a moment. Then, he sent Nico reassurance and courage, and a strong, unshakeable faith in the other boy. Will felt the teen’s surprise, then a shy gratitude and a feeling of apology. He couldn’t help smiling softly.
Forgiveness came to him easily, and he sent that on to the son of Hades. A bit of his own tiredness might’ve leaked through, but it was okay. Will simply tucked himself into bed, heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time.
Tomorrow… whatever tomorrow brought, Will would face it with the same courage he showed during the Battle of Manhattan.