Archive of Our Own ^beta

How Nico got roped in to teaching small children how to wield sharp objects? He has no idea.

I mean, yes, he was the most skilled swordsman at camp, but also the least equipped to take care of children and tweens. 

At least, so you would think. He had actually grown to enjoy teaching campers his junior. They were scrappy and enthusiastic, always asking to advance faster and certainly keeping him on his toes. He worried they would find him scary and off-putting, but instead they found him…fascinating. They had even reached the stage of occasionally teasing his brooding exterior, which he couldn’t help but respect. Ten-year-old him would not have poked fun at somebody he had seen raise an army from the ground.

Anyways, Nico likes to think that he has excellent reflexes. You can’t really live a life like Nico has and live to tell the tale if you don’t. But as he said, these kids keep him on his toes. 

Today he held a workshop of sorts to go over the basics of fighting with daggers and knives. It wasn’t a normal part of the camp curriculum, but the students seemed interested and Nico was more than willing to expand their arsenal of knowledge. You never know what will save your life on the battlefield someday. 

While watching Ruby, a daughter of Aphrodite, and Harley volley with the small weapons, his trained combatant's eye was keen to their next movements. He normally could see their interaction three steps in advance, which helped him call out advice as moves were happening. 

What he didn’t see coming, however, was the twelve-year-old daughter of Aphrodite putting on a little bit too much of her cherry blossom hand lotion before her turn to spar. When she went in with a cross-slash, the weapon flew out of her hand and hurdled right toward Nico’s face, giving him a clean gash on the forehead. 

Welp. At least she missed his eyes.

He jumps into action, grabbing a gym towel quickly from the side of the arena and holding it to his wound, while reassuring a distraught Ruby.

“Nico, I am so sorry! It completely slipped out of my hand!’

“It’s fine Ruby, it’s just a scratch.”

The was a lie, a gash would probably be a more accurate description. But in comparison to previous injuries, this felt like a cake walk. Besides, Nico has seen enough evil in this world to know that there are very bad people who do very bad things with equally bad intent. Those people deserve to feel guilt for the pain they cause others. A twelve-year-old who made a mistake during training, and from the looks of it, is near tears over it? Not on that list.

“Are you sure? It’s bleeding a lot. Oh, gods, I can’t believe myself.”

“Really Ruby, it’s fine. Head wounds just bleed a lot, it’s not that deep or anything.” Probably a lie. “It shouldn’t scar.” Probably not a lie, considering the wonders of godly medicine.

“Well, we should get you to Will right away.”

“Oh shit.”

-

Nico hated worrying his boyfriend. For starters, because he loves Will very much and never wants to see him upset. Secondly, Will is absolutely insufferable when he is worried. 

Nico was walking at about seventy five percent of his normal speed towards the infirmary in an attempt to put off the inevitable scolding he would receive, while a guilt-ridden Ruby followed behind, not really sure how to help, but trailing him out of moral obligation. 

As he entered the infirmary, he saw Will kneeling in front of the supply cabinet, restocking first aid materials. Even at the mere sight of the back of his head, Nico felt his chest squeeze.

Every time he visits Will in the infirmary, whether it be with an injury, a delivery of lunch, or just to keep him company on a slow day by playing cards in the back room or reading aloud while Will organizes supplies, he is taken back to his first three days in the homey little office.

Nico had thought Will was attractive from the moment he met him, absurd fashion choices aside, but the moment Nico walked into that Infirmary to start his mandatory three days of recovery, when Will had turned over his shoulder with the brightest smile he had ever seen and said, “Hey Death Boy! Took ya long enough,” Nico knew he was absolutely and irrevocably fucked. 

“Hey, Will.”

“Oh, hey darlin’! I was actually just about to take a break- “, Will started, abruptly cutting himself off after turning around to see Nico, bloody towel still held up to his forehead and blinking away the blood dripping into his eyes. Will just sighed.

“Well, I guess it was wishful thinking that you came just to say hi,” Will said with exaggerated exasperation. “What did you do this time?”

As Nico opened his mouth to explain, Ruby cut him off.

“It was my fault, Will! Nico was just giving tips on my fight but I had to much hand lotion on and my dagger flew right out of my hand! There was nothing he could have done.”

Will looked from Ruby to Nico, seemingly saying ‘this true?’ with his eyebrows. When Nico sheepishly nodded, Will let some of his aggravation seep out of him.

“Well Ruby, now we know not to put slippery substances on our hands before handling weapons, no matter how good they smell. Did you apologize?”

“She did. Profusely.” Nico interjected. Will smiled at him, clearly proud of Nico for taking a slip up from one of his students with such grace.

“Okay then, I got it from here. Just be more careful next time. Run along, kiddo.” Will told the distressed tween.

“I will! Sorry again, Nico!” Ruby said, before scuttering out of the door as quickly as she could.

Will looked over at Nico, the classic ‘distressed boyfriend’ look taking over his features for about .6 seconds, before quickly dissolving into ‘clinical doctor’ mode.

“How long ago was this? Have you been keeping pressure on it?”

“About five minutes ago, and yes, the whole time.”

“Do you feel dizzy?”

“Nope.”

“Do you think you are at risk of a concussion?”

“I don’t think so, the dagger didn’t hit me particularly hard or anything, just directly on the blade. If it had rotated just a bit more it would have just smacked me with the side and I would be completely fine.”

“Well, that sounds like just your luck.” Will said, putting his hand on Nico’s shoulder to lead him to the sink. “I would scold you for being reckless, but it seems like, for once, this injury was completely out of your hands.

“Yeah, just like Ruby’s dagger was completely out of hers.”

Will chuckled, and with the gentlest hands known to mankind, he rinsed his wound with water, then nectar, led him to lay down on a cot, and put some bandages on the now closing wound. He continued to push Nico’s hair back with his warm, sun-kissed hand, and leaned down to place a kiss on Nico’s hairline.

As much as Nico wishes he could reject such an obvious cliché, he couldn’t deny the comfort the tender action brought him. 

He still had to be an asshole about it, though. Obviously.

“Wow, you do that to all your patients, Solace? Should I be jealous? Not to mention the medical malpractice of it all…”

Will laughed in response. Gods, Nico loved that noise more than anything.

“Not every patient, just the hot ones.”

“Oh, so me and Paolo?”

“Exactly.”

“Well, I guess I can live with that.”

They dissolved into laughter, and Nico sat up on the edge of the bed. One of his hands came up to rest on the still-standing medic’s waist, while the other intertwined with Will’s own. Will’s hand which was not currently occupied with Nico’s was still stroking through his dark, unruly hair.

“Thanks for patching me up, doc.”

“Well, I happen to have a vested interest in your well-being.”

Instead of responding with words, Nico just tugged on Will’s hand and tilted his own head up, silently asking for a kiss. Will obliged.

“Well, training is done for the day so I don’t foresee any more spontaneous injuries. If anybody needs me, they can come find me. What do you say we go watch something and relax?” Will asks, head tilting to the side like a goddamn puppy. Nico loves this boy so much.

“Sure, but there is one other thing I want.”

“What?” Will asked, head tilting to an even more adorable degree.

A mischievous grin made its way onto Nico’s face.

“McDonald’s.”

Will continued to look confused for approximately two seconds before understanding dawned upon his face. He opened his mouth to protest, but Nico just laughed, shadow magic already wrapping around them

-

Nico and Will made their way back onto solid ground in the Hades cabin with a twenty-piece McNuggets meal and two large fries in hand.

“You can’t keep doing that, it’s dangerous.”

“I heard you the ten times you said it in line, love.”

Will softened at the nickname, but still had a pout on his face.

Nico put his hand not holding the McDonald’s bag on Will’s chin and made him look him in the
eyes.

“Will, thanks to you I understand my limits and take care of myself. I am much stronger. Besides, the McDonald’s was only ten miles from camp, I just feel like I went for a jog.”

Will didn’t look quite convinced, so Nico added on the line that he knew got Will to calm down.

“I would never let anything happen to me. I wouldn’t put you through that.”

Will exhaled, and looked at Nico with kind, loving eyes. Of course, he still had to quip back.

“Says the guy who came into the infirmary with a bleeding head wound today.”

“Hey, that was completely due to external factors!”

“Yeah, a twelve-year-old and her addiction to Bath & Body Works.”

They dissolved into giggles, and Will felt himself relax. Maybe Nico was starting to learn his limits. And maybe Nico taking better care of himself is really starting to pay off.

They planted themselves on Nico’s bed, eating their chicken nuggets while unpacking the events of their respective weeks. They of course saw each other at every meal, but with their busy schedules, they had barely been able to hang out one-on-one all week. Nico never realizes how much he has been craving it until he is alone with Will, feeling himself become the most joyful, silly, vulnerable, and true version of himself.

After finishing their food, they decided to watch something.

Nico picked up an inconspicuous looking gold box about the size of a rubix cube, as well as a small remote. He pressed a button on top of the cube, and suddenly a projection of a TV menu was being displayed on the marble wall of the Hades Cabin. Using the small remote they browsed some options until landing upon their go-to, Avatar the Last Airbender.

Leo inventing an encrypted, magic device that allowed demigods to access major streaming networks was a serious game changer.

Will shuffled his back against a pillow and opened both his arms and legs for Nico to sit between. Nico scowled to hide his swoon, but knows Will saw right through him. He always did.

Nico settled with his back against Will’s chest as he felt Will’s chin come to rest of the top of his head. He felt Will place a soft kiss to the crown of Nico’s head while giving him a little squeeze around the waist, and then they both just deflated.

Something about this, the easy, comforting physical contact with his most trusted person, made every worry and ache of the day completely ease out of his body. Whether it was comfort from a nightmare or just a movie night, Nico never felt safer than when in Will’s exceptionally freckly arms.

Though he would never admit it, Nico was undeniably a little spoon.

Nico also felt the tension bleed out of Will, and he was happy to know that he could provide Will even a fraction of the comfort Will provided him every day.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Will asked gently over the sounds of the yelling cabbage man on screen.

“I have a free day.”

“Me too! Kayla is taking infirmary duty.”

Now, this caught Nico’s interest. They very rarely had free days at the same time. He pulled away to turn his head back and look at the blonde boy, who also had excitement behind his eyes.

“Does this mean we can spend the day together?” Nico asked with a shy smile. He wasn’t sure why after two years he still got nervous showing Will how much he cares.

Will just chuckled and squeezed him tighter.

“Well, I sure hope so. At least, that was my plan.”

Nico poked the side of his face in retaliation to his sarcasm, but quickly was overcome with another idea.

They were seniors in high school. They were some of the most trusted campers on Half-Blood hill, and Chiron had much more important things to worry about than their whereabouts, as long as they were safe and within the camp’s magical borders.

“Do you maybe, uh, want to, erm… sleepover?”

Will’s eyes widened for a second, making Nico rush to clarify.

“Just to sleep! And... uh, cuddle and stuff. And we can keep watching TV! Wow, that must’ve sounded really weird. Actually, just forget I said anything-“

Suddenly Nico was no longer talking due to the teenage boy on his face. When Will pulled away, his smile was warm and kind, like golden hour.

“I love that idea.”

Nico just blushed, leaned up to steal one more kiss, and settled back into Will’s arms.

“We can sleep innnnn.” Will added with a dreamy sigh.

“For you, sleeping in means waking up at eight.”

“Maybe I will just lay here for hours watching my beautiful boyfriend sleep like I am Edward Cullen.”

“Like who?”

“From Twilight?” Will replied incredulously.

Nico just tilted his head in question, no idea what Will was referring to.

“Oh my gods, hand me that remote right now.”