Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nico had discovered something new.

Shadow-travel was exhausting, draining, a last resort. Everyone knew that. He knew that. But when he tried it in tiny bursts—a flicker from one side of the room to the other, a blink from one shadow to the next—it didn’t flatten him like usual. It was like stepping sideways, ducking through a crack in the dark.

And it was fun.

So, he used it. To skip chores. To dodge Kayla’s endless questions. To snag the last cookie at dinner before anyone else noticed.

Blink. Gone.

“Di Angelo!” Reyna’s voice rang across the training grounds one afternoon. Nico materialized behind the stables, dusting off his hands as if he hadn’t just abandoned his practice drills.

Reyna’s jaw was tight when she found him. “Stop abusing your powers for nonsense.”

“It’s efficient,” Nico muttered.

“It’s lazy,” Reyna countered, eyes sharp as blades. “And dangerous. One of these times, you won’t come back in one piece.”

Nico shrugged, pretending he didn’t care.

Jason tried next. “It’s reckless,” he said one evening as Nico blinked across the cabin to avoid being hit with a pillow. “You don’t need to do it.”

Nico scowled. “You sound like Reyna.”

“That’s because she’s right.” Jason folded his arms, giving Nico the full “older brother” look. “You’re gonna burn yourself out.”

“Leave me alone,” Nico muttered, slipping into shadow and vanishing before Jason could lecture more.

Kayla, of course, made it worse.

“That was so cool,” she said the first time she saw him blink out of the mess hall with her apple. “Do it again. Do it again!”

“No,” Nico said flatly.

She grinned. “Do it again or I’m telling Will.”

Nico cursed under his breath and blinked behind her, stealing her drink just to shut her up. Kayla whooped.

And that was the problem. The more he did it, the easier it felt. Addictive. Like tugging on a loose thread and watching it unravel.

Will noticed. He always noticed.

He saw the way Nico’s steps wobbled afterward, the pallor in his cheeks, the faint tremor in his hands. Will tried to be patient, tried to hint, tried to coax. But Nico only brushed him off.

Until the day he blinked out of chores one too many times and nearly collapsed in the infirmary.

Will’s temper—usually buried under layers of sunshine—finally snapped.

“Nico di Angelo,” he said, voice shaking. “You are going to kill yourself for a cookie. Do you have any idea how stupid that is?”

Nico bristled. “It was one time—”

“No, it’s been dozens of times. You think I don’t notice? You think I don’t see you swaying, or the way your hands shake?”

Nico’s mouth pressed into a stubborn line. “…I can handle it.”

Will exhaled sharply, blue eyes stormy. “Fine. If you won’t listen to me, maybe you’ll listen to your father.”

Nico blinked. “You wouldn’t—”

But Will’s expression said he already had.

The air in the pavilion chilled the next evening. Shadows deepened, and Hades appeared, robed in darkness, eyes like pits.

Campers froze. Forks clattered.

“Nicholas.” His voice echoed like a crypt door. “I hear you’ve been abusing your abilities.”

Nico’s blood ran cold. He turned, slow and horrified, to glare at Will. “You snitched again?!”

Will lifted his chin, stubborn even with the god of the Underworld looming. “Because you wouldn’t stop!”

“This is ridiculous—” Nico started, but Hades cut him off with a single raised hand.

“Shadow-travel is not a toy. It is not for food, or chores, or your convenience.” His voice reverberated through the marble. “If you continue to squander your strength, I will strip the ability from you entirely.”

The frost in his tone left no room for argument. With a swirl of darkness, Hades vanished.

Silence stretched. All of Camp Half-Blood stared.

Nico wanted to disappear for real.

He didn’t speak to Will the rest of the day. Or the next. He built a cocoon of blankets in Cabin 13 and sulked, fuming. Every knock at the door was ignored. Every attempt at conversation was met with silence.

On the third morning, the smell of fries woke him.

“…What is that,” Nico mumbled, emerging from his blanket fortress.

Will stood in the doorway, hair windswept, balancing two greasy paper bags and a drink tray. “Apology fries,” he said sheepishly. “And a burger. And—uh—maybe a milkshake.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “…You bribed Kayla to cover for you again, didn’t you.”

Will shrugged, grinning. “Worth it.”

He set the food on Nico’s bed and sat beside him, blue eyes soft. “I’m sorry I went behind your back. But I’m not sorry for worrying. You matter more than cookies. More than anything.”

Nico looked at the bag, then at Will. His glare faltered. Slowly, grudgingly, he pulled out the fries. “…You’re still insufferable.”

“Yeah,” Will said, leaning back with a smile. “But at least I’m insufferable with fries.”

Nico’s lips twitched. He stuffed a fry in his mouth so Will wouldn’t see his smile.

Chapter Text

Nico didn’t know how Will had talked him into this.

One minute he’d been perfectly content in Cabin 13, surrounded by blessed silence, and the next Will was tugging him into the sunlit chaos of the dining pavilion with the promise of “it’ll be fun, I swear.”

Fun, Nico quickly discovered, meant Kayla bouncing in her seat and yelling, “Finally! The boyfriends arrive!” loud enough for the Apollo table to howl with laughter.

Nico nearly turned around. Will’s hand on his wrist stopped him.

“You’ll survive,” Will whispered, grin infuriatingly soft.

Nico muttered something in Italian that probably translated to no, I will not.

The real trouble started when Jason plopped down beside them.

“You know,” Jason said, all casual innocence, “I’ve never seen you two argue. Not once.”

“Because we don’t,” Will said brightly.

“Yet,” Jason added. “Everyone argues. I just can’t picture it. What do you even fight about? Laundry? Who hogs the blankets?”

Will tilted his head thoughtfully. “I do hog the blankets.”

“You also leave wet towels everywhere,” Nico said flatly.

Jason choked on his drink. “You—you live together?”

“We do not,” Nico snapped, face hot.

“Basically,” Will corrected cheerfully.

Reyna, who had been quietly sipping her coffee nearby, muttered, “This is exhausting, and I’ve only been listening for thirty seconds.”

By the time dinner ended, half the camp had joined in the interrogation. Kayla wanted to know their “couple song.” Someone from Hermes asked if they’d kissed in the strawberry fields. A younger camper dared Nico to say “I love you” out loud.

Nico fantasized about shadow-travelling under the table and never coming back.

Will, of course, was thriving. He leaned into every question, tossing in embarrassing details just to watch Nico glare.

“I once bribed him with McDonald’s fries after we argued,” Will announced. “Worked like a charm.”

“That was not an argument,” Nico hissed. “That was you being annoying.”

“Same thing,” Will said.

Later, Nico sought refuge in Cabin 13, only to find Jason waiting on the steps like an older brother on guard duty.

“Survived the gauntlet?” Jason asked.

“Barely,” Nico muttered.

Jason smirked. “Admit it, though—you don’t hate it. You like having people tease you. Makes it feel normal.”

Nico stared at him, unimpressed. “…Remind me why I put up with you.”

“Because you love me,” Jason said smugly.

“I tolerate you,” Nico corrected.

“Which, coming from you, is basically love.”

Nico shoved him down the steps.

When Will finally showed up, arms full of pillows, Nico raised an eyebrow.

“…What are you doing.”

“Pillow fight,” Will declared. “Kayla said you’ve never had one. That’s tragic.”

“I don’t—” Nico started, but the pillow smacked him in the face.

Chaos followed. Jason joined in, Reyna got dragged against her will (“This is beneath me,” she growled, still whacking Jason across the head), and within minutes Cabin 13 was a war zone.

Nico should have been furious. Instead, he was laughing—actually laughing—when Will tackled him onto the bed, pinning him down with both pillows.

“You lose,” Will said, grinning.

“You’re insufferable,” Nico gasped between laughter.

“And you love me,” Will shot back instantly.

Nico glared. “…Maybe.”

That was good enough for Will, who leaned down and kissed him amid the feathers.

The next morning, the entire camp knew. Kayla shouted, “PILLOW FIGHT KISSES!” across the training field, and Nico nearly melted into shadows on the spot.

Will only smiled like the sun itself.

And Nico, despite everything, couldn’t quite bring himself to mind.

Chapter Text

Nico di Angelo woke up in a bad mood.

To be fair, he hadn’t slept well the night before—his dreams were a restless swirl of shadows, too much noise from campfires, and half a dozen people laughing outside the Hades cabin when he had been trying to fall asleep. Add in a headache that had been lingering since breakfast, and Nico had declared (silently, because speaking took too much energy) that today was cancelled.

Unfortunately, the rest of Camp Half-Blood had not received that memo.

“Morning, Sunshine!” Will Solace greeted cheerfully, dropping onto the bench beside him at the dining pavilion with a tray stacked high with pancakes. “How’s my favorite brooding son of the Underworld?”

Nico grunted into his plate of scrambled eggs.

“Uh-oh.” Will leaned closer, squinting at him. “That’s the Grumpy Noise. We’re in for it today, aren’t we?”

Across the table, Kayla snickered. “Bet you five drachmas I can get him to smile before lunch.”

“Bet you ten you can’t,” Austin replied, tuning his guitar with deliberate twangs.

“I’m sitting right here,” Nico muttered darkly.

They all ignored him.

The first attempt at cheering Nico up came in the form of Kayla presenting him with a ridiculous flower crown made of buttercups.

“It’ll brighten your mood!” she said brightly, plopping it onto his head before he could duck away.

Nico stared at her. “Take it off me.”

“Aw, you look adorable,” Will cooed.

Nico immediately shadow-travelled back to his cabin, leaving the crown on the bench.

The second attempt was Jason, who (for reasons Nico could not fathom) decided that the solution to Nico’s mood was sparring practice.

“You’ll feel better after hitting something,” Jason insisted, handing him a practice sword.

Nico blinked at him. “You want me to feel better by hitting you?”

Jason shrugged. “I can take it.”

Five minutes later, Jason was flat on his back in the training arena while Nico walked away without a word.

“Okay, maybe not better,” Jason groaned.

The third attempt was Piper, who brought him hot chocolate during archery practice.

“It always makes me feel better,” she offered kindly.

Nico accepted it with a suspicious squint but did not drink. The hot chocolate went cold in his hands as he stared moodily at the ground.

“...Is he just holding it like some kind of comfort mug?” Piper whispered to Will.

“Yes,” Will whispered back. “Shhh. Don’t scare him.”

By mid-afternoon, everyone had failed. Nico’s mood remained somewhere between “storm cloud” and “don’t talk to me unless you want your soul harvested.”

Will finally gave up on schemes.

He found Nico back in Cabin 13, curled up on his bed with shadows practically dripping from the rafters. Will shut the door behind him, sat down without asking, and gently tugged Nico until the son of Hades was leaning against him.

Nico muttered something half-hearted about not needing this.

“Yeah, yeah,” Will said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Shut up and take a nap.”

It took less than five minutes for Nico’s breathing to even out.

Later that evening, when Will finally emerged from the cabin with Nico still groggy but considerably less murderous, their friends pounced.

“What did you do?” Kayla asked in awe.

“Just cuddled him until he rebooted,” Will said cheerfully.

“That’s it?” Jason asked, incredulous.

Will shrugged. “He’s basically a cat. Grumpy all day until you give him food, a nap, and some affection.”

Nico, still clinging stubbornly to Will’s hoodie, glared at the group. “I am not a cat.”

“Uh-huh,” Piper said, smirking. “Tell that to the way you hiss when people wake you up.”

“Or the way you stare at people like they’re beneath you,” Kayla added.

“Or the fact that you literally curled up in a sunbeam yesterday,” Austin chimed in.

“I hate all of you,” Nico muttered.

But he didn’t let go of Will’s hoodie.

That night, the entire Hermes cabin started calling him “Grumpy Cat.” Nico threatened each and every one of them with eternal torment.

But when Will kissed his temple before bed, Nico muttered, “...Fine. Maybe a cat.”

Will just grinned. “My favorite one.”

Chapter Text

The infirmary had been quiet for days, which was a rarity at Camp Half-Blood. Most of the campers were out training or enjoying what passed for normalcy after years of war. Nico di Angelo preferred it that way. Silence meant he could think—or, more accurately, it meant he could avoid thinking.

But of course, silence never lasted long around Will Solace.

“Di Angelo, when was the last time you ate something that wasn’t coffee and bitterness?” Will’s voice floated from the doorway, casual but carrying that doctor’s sternness that Nico had come to dread.

Nico didn’t look up from the book in his lap. “Bitterness isn’t a food group, Solace.”

“It is in your diet,” Will countered, striding into the room with a tray in his hands. The smell of warm bread and fruit followed him like sunlight chasing away shadows. “Eat. Doctor’s orders.”

Nico sighed, his dark eyes flicking toward the tray. He wanted to argue, but his stomach betrayed him with a growl. Will’s smile widened.

“You see? Even your body is on my side.”

Before Nico could form a retort, another voice cut through the moment. “I feel like I’ve walked into an argument you’ve been having for months.”

Nico startled slightly and turned. Jason Grace stood by the doorway, smiling sheepishly, his blond hair tousled from the wind. Behind him, Reyna Ávila Ramírez-Arellano walked in with the kind of quiet dignity Nico had always respected.

Jason’s smile softened when he saw Nico. “Hey, Death Boy.”

Nico groaned. “I told you not to call me that.”

“You didn’t say I had to stop,” Jason teased.

Will chuckled and set the tray down on the table beside Nico. “Perfect timing, you two. Maybe you can help me bully him into eating more than a single grape.”

“Solace.” Nico’s warning tone went ignored.

Reyna arched a brow, her gaze landing on Nico like a commander assessing her troops. “I don’t see what the problem is. He looks like he hasn’t eaten in days.”

Jason came over, plopping into the chair across from Nico with the casual grace of someone who didn’t mind invading personal space. “Reyna’s right. You still look like the Underworld chewed you up and spit you out.”

Nico scowled. “I’m fine.”

Will crossed his arms, golden hair glowing under the afternoon light filtering through the windows. “You are not fine. But that’s okay. You don’t have to be. That’s what we’re here for.”

Nico’s chest tightened at the words. He hated how Will could so easily disarm him, how Jason’s earnestness and Reyna’s unyielding presence kept him grounded when shadows threatened to drag him under.

“Besides,” Jason added, “we’re not going anywhere anytime soon. You’re stuck with us.”

Nico muttered something in Italian that made Reyna smirk. “Don’t worry,” she said smoothly, “I speak enough Latin to know when you’re insulting us.”

Will burst out laughing, and Nico sank lower into his chair. “I hate all of you.”

Jason leaned back, folding his arms. “Yeah, but you also kind of don’t.”

Later, after Will finally coaxed Nico into eating most of the food (with Jason and Reyna acting as backup), the four of them found themselves sitting by the campfire as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Jason stared into the flames, quiet, but his presence was steady like a lighthouse. Reyna sat with perfect posture, her gaze sharp but not unkind. Will hummed under his breath, something cheerful that Nico thought he recognized from Apollo’s children.

It was strange, Nico realized. For so long, he had thought of himself as an outsider, a shadow lurking at the edges of other people’s lives. But here, sitting with them, he didn’t feel like an intruder. He felt… present.

Jason was the first to break the silence. “You ever think about how lucky we are to still be here?”

Reyna’s eyes softened. “Every day.”

Nico’s throat tightened, but Will’s hand brushed against his, just barely. A silent anchor.

Jason’s smile was wistful. “I used to think survival was about being the strongest. About fighting harder than anyone else. But looking at us now… I think it’s about having people who won’t let you fall apart, even when you want to.”

Nico stared at him, caught off guard by the sincerity in Jason’s voice. It wasn’t something he could easily dismiss.

Reyna nodded. “Strength isn’t just power. It’s trust. And it’s knowing when to lean on others.” Her eyes flicked to Nico, sharp but gentle. “Even when it’s hard.”

Nico swallowed. He wanted to protest, to deny that he needed anyone, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, Will spoke for him, his voice quiet but warm.

“Exactly. And we’re not going to let you forget that.”

The fire crackled, filling the silence that followed. Nico’s fingers twitched, and before he could stop himself, he let his hand rest against Will’s. Will’s grip tightened almost imperceptibly, steady and sure.

Jason grinned, catching the movement, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he leaned back with an easy sigh. “Guess that means my work here is done.”

Reyna smirked. “Don’t flatter yourself, Grace. You still owe me sparring practice.”

Jason groaned, and Will laughed again. Nico, despite himself, felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward.

The night wore on, the stars emerging overhead in a quiet sprawl of light. Reyna eventually excused herself, saying duty called, and Jason followed soon after, muttering something about needing sleep before Reyna dragged him into drills at dawn.

That left Nico and Will alone by the fading fire.

Will glanced at him, his blue eyes soft in the glow. “You know… you don’t have to keep pretending you’re okay all the time.”

Nico stiffened. “I’m not pretending.”

“Yes, you are.” Will’s voice was gentle, but firm. “And it’s fine. You don’t have to be strong every second, Nico. You don’t have to carry everything alone.”

Nico looked away, the shadows at the edge of the fire tugging at him like old habits. “It’s not easy.”

“I know.” Will leaned a little closer, his shoulder brushing Nico’s. “But I’m not going anywhere. Neither are Jason or Reyna. You’ve got us now. For however long you’ll let us stay.”

Nico’s heart pounded. For years, he had lived like a ghost, convinced that the world had no place for him. Yet here was Will, bright and stubborn, offering him something he had thought impossible: belonging.

He hesitated, then whispered, “Don’t let go.”

Will’s smile was small but radiant. “Never.”

For the first time in a long time, Nico believed it.

The fire burned low, and shadows curled softly around them, no longer a cage but a comfort. Nico leaned just slightly against Will, and the world didn’t end. If anything, it felt like it was just beginning.

Chapter Text

Nico di Angelo never understood why campfires were supposed to be fun.

The flames popped and sparked, smoke curling into the sky. Laughter rippled through the gathered campers, voices rising in songs Nico didn’t know and didn’t care to learn. The air felt heavy and hot, pressing against him. He wanted to slip back into the shadows and disappear into the woods.

But of course, Will Solace was beside him, eyes alight like the fire itself, grinning as if this night was carved from joy just for him.

“You’re not even trying to enjoy yourself,” Will said, leaning closer so Nico could hear him over the singing.

“I don’t enjoy things like this,” Nico muttered, shifting uncomfortably on the log.

“That’s because you haven’t given it a chance.” Will nudged him gently with his shoulder. “Look, the fire’s warm, the stars are out, and nobody’s throwing spears at us. That’s a win in my book.”

Nico’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re too optimistic.”

“Maybe. Or maybe you’re too pessimistic.”

Before Nico could answer, Jason dropped onto the log next to him with all the grace of a golden retriever. He carried two mugs of cocoa, handing one to Nico without hesitation. “You look like you need this more than me.”

Nico blinked at the steaming mug. “I didn’t ask for—”

Jason shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You still need it.”

On Jason’s other side, Reyna appeared, quiet as always, folding her arms. She gave Nico a small nod, not pitying, not patronizing, just… steady. Like she was telling him without words: you’re seen. You belong here, whether you believe it or not.

Nico took the cocoa reluctantly, the warmth seeping into his fingers. He hated that it helped.

The singing dwindled into quiet chatter as the fire burned lower. Will stretched out on the grass, arms behind his head, gazing up at the night sky. “You know what’s better than campfire songs? Stargazing.”

Jason followed his gaze. “Yeah? You can name them all, right?”

Will grinned. “Of course I can. I’ve got Apollo blood. It’s practically a requirement.”

“Then prove it,” Jason challenged, pointing upward. “That one. The crooked-looking one.”

Will squinted. “That’s Cassiopeia. Queen who thought she was prettier than the sea nymphs. Spoiler alert: the gods didn’t agree.”

Reyna smirked. “Typical.”

Will pointed to another. “And that’s Orion. Hunter, tragic story, lots of death. You’d like him, Nico.”

Nico scowled. “Why?”

“Because he’s broody and dramatic.”

Jason choked on his cocoa, and even Reyna cracked a smile. Nico muttered something sharp in Italian, which only made Will laugh harder.

But when Will’s hand brushed against his under the blanket of night, Nico didn’t pull away.

The group sprawled out on the grass, the fire flickering behind them. Will traced constellations with his finger, connecting stars into shapes Nico could barely see.

“That one there,” Will said softly, pointing to a cluster of faint lights. “That’s Perseus. He’s holding Medusa’s head.”

Nico frowned. “That’s… comforting.”

Will laughed gently. “Not every story is happy. But they all light up the sky. They all mean something.”

For a moment, Nico let himself breathe. The stars stretched endlessly above him, sharp and cold and infinite. He wondered if Bianca was up there somewhere, watching. He wondered if his mother ever looked down. He wondered if the dead had constellations of their own.

Jason’s voice broke the silence. “You know, when I was a kid, I used to think stars were the souls of fallen heroes.”

Nico glanced at him sharply. Jason’s tone was casual, but there was something in his eyes—something heavy.

Reyna’s voice was softer. “Maybe they are. Maybe that’s why we can still see them, even across time.”

Nico didn’t say anything. But Will’s hand slipped into his again, steady and warm, grounding him before the shadows could swallow him whole.

The night deepened. Most of the campers drifted off, leaving only their small circle near the fire’s dying embers. Jason eventually fell asleep where he sat, cocoa mug tipped on its side, his head lolling dangerously close to Reyna’s shoulder. Reyna bore it with quiet dignity, though Nico didn’t miss the faint twitch of amusement in her mouth.

Will, still awake, tilted his head toward Nico. “You’re quieter than usual.”

Nico raised a brow. “That’s impossible.”

Will smiled, but it was softer now. “What are you thinking about?”

Nico hesitated. Shadows tugged at him, old habits whispering: don’t tell, don’t trust, don’t risk it. But he remembered Jason’s words about stars being souls, Reyna’s quiet strength, Will’s hand never letting go.

“Constellations,” Nico admitted. His voice was low, almost a whisper. “How people look at the same sky and see… meaning. Shapes. Stories. I don’t see them.”

Will’s eyes softened. “You don’t have to. You can make your own.”

Nico blinked. “What?”

“Your own constellations,” Will said. He lifted his hand, pointing to a cluster of stars. “See that? That could be a sword. Or… I don’t know, a raccoon. Doesn’t matter. It’s yours if you want it to be.”

Nico stared at him. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Maybe,” Will admitted, grin tugging at his mouth. “But it’s also kind of beautiful. Isn’t that the point?”

Nico wanted to argue. Instead, he looked back at the sky. Slowly, carefully, he traced the stars with his eyes, connecting them into shapes no one else would ever see. A small cluster that looked like a hand reaching upward. Another that resembled wings. A crooked line that reminded him of the river Lethe.

“They’re mine,” Nico whispered, almost to himself.

Will squeezed his hand. “Exactly.”

The fire finally burned down to embers. Jason snored softly. Reyna kept silent watch, though her eyes flicked now and then to Nico with something almost like pride.

Nico sat in the quiet, the sky stretching infinitely above him. And for the first time, he didn’t feel small. He didn’t feel alone. He felt… connected. Like the stars weren’t so far after all.

When Will leaned closer, whispering, “See? Not so bad,” Nico didn’t argue. He just let the warmth seep into him, like sunlight through shadows, like constellations made of people instead of stars.

And it was enough.

Chapter Text

Camp Half-Blood was no stranger to weirdness. Monsters, quests, prophecies—par for the course.

But the morning Nico di Angelo walked into breakfast and said nothing? That was a crisis.

At first, no one noticed. Nico wasn’t exactly a chatterbox on good days. He slipped into the pavilion, grabbed food, and sat down beside Will Solace like usual. Will was mid-rant about something—probably his siblings leaving scalpels in weird places—and didn’t realize until halfway through his plate of eggs that Nico hadn’t said a word back.

“...And then Austin swore he didn’t touch my kit, but obviously he did, because who else—wait.” Will turned, frowning. “Nico? You haven’t said anything. Not even a sarcastic retort.”

Nico stared at him, dark eyes flat, expression unreadable. Then he stabbed a piece of toast with surgical precision and ate it in silence.

Will blinked. “Uh. Okay. Maybe you’re just tired.” He reached out to ruffle Nico’s hair like he always did, but Nico didn’t even react. He just kept eating like Will wasn’t there.

Will froze. His hand hovered awkwardly in the air. “Oh no.”

Across the table, Percy whispered to Annabeth, “Did… did he just ignore Will?”

Annabeth set her fork down slowly. “Yes.”

Percy paled. “We’re all gonna die, aren’t we?”

By training time, the rumors had spread. Nico wasn’t talking. To anyone.

Jason cornered Will near the armory, looking rattled. “Okay, what did you do? Because Nico’s glaring at me like I stole Cerberus' favorite toy.”

Will threw his hands up. “I don’t know! He just—he woke up and decided he hated me, apparently!”

Reyna, who’d appeared out of nowhere as usual, crossed her arms. “What did you say?”

“Nothing!” Will scrubbed his face with his hands. “He’s not mad, right? I mean—if he was mad, he’d yell at me. Or, you know, summon skeletons. But he’s just… quiet.”

Reyna arched a brow. “Which is unusual?”

Jason gawked at her. “Reyna, he’s not talking to Will. That’s like… like the sun not rising. Or the sea drying up. It’s unnatural.”

Will groaned. “Don’t say that, you’re making it worse!”

Reyna smirked faintly. “Then fix it.”

“I’m trying!” Will said, pulling at his hair.

Fixing it turned out to be harder than expected.

At lunch, Will slid Nico’s favorite slice of apple pie in front of him. Nico glanced at it, then ate his salad in stony silence.

At archery practice, Will exaggerated his form, firing arrows with dramatic flair. Nico, standing off to the side, watched expressionlessly and clapped once—slowly, sarcastically—before folding his arms and saying nothing.

By dinner, Will was desperate. He leaned across the table, practically begging. “Please, just tell me what I did. I’ll fix it. I’ll do anything.”

Nico raised a brow, tilted his head slightly, then took a long sip of his drink. Without breaking eye contact.

Will’s siblings were beside themselves. Kayla whispered, “He’s toying with you.”

Austin looked horrified. “The son of Hades is giving you the silent treatment. You’re doomed.”

Will slumped forward with a groan.

Meanwhile, Nico was having the time of his life.

He hadn’t planned this. Not really. He’d woken from a nightmare worse than usual—dark, suffocating. Things he didn’t want to describe—and when Will asked if he was okay, Nico simply… didn’t answer.

And when Will panicked? When Percy whispered about impending doom, and Jason looked like he might have a breakdown, and the Apollo cabin collectively lost their minds?

Nico realized: silence was power.

He could sit back, keep his face blank, and watch the chaos unfold. It was like pulling puppet strings without moving a finger. And gods, it was entertaining.

By campfire time, half the campers were convinced Nico had declared silent war. Nobody dared sing too loudly. Percy sat stiff as a board, muttering prayers under his breath. Even Clarisse looked uneasy.

Will, though. Poor Will was pacing like the world was ending. He crouched in front of Nico, hands fluttering helplessly. “Nico, please. If I said something, I swear I didn’t mean it. Was it the pancakes? Did I take the last one? Do you hate my hair? You don’t hate my hair, right?”

Nico just blinked at him slowly, deadpan, sipping his hot chocolate.

Will clutched his chest. “You’re killing me.”

Jason finally cracked. “Dude, just—just apologize for everything. Blanket apology!”

Annabeth shook her head. “No, no. That’s weakness. He’ll smell blood in the water.”

Reyna, from her seat nearby, smirked knowingly. “He’s fine.”

Will whipped around. “How do you know that?”

Reyna shrugged. “Because if Nico was truly angry with you, you’d already be dead.”

The fire crackled. Will paled.

Nico bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

It wasn’t until curfew, when most of camp had finally given up on “fixing” him, that Nico let the mask slip.

Will sat slumped outside the Hades cabin, hands in his hair, muttering to himself. “I ruined it, I ruined everything, he’s never going to talk to me again—”

Nico stepped out of the shadows, silent as ever, and slid onto the step beside him. Will jumped.

“Oh! Oh gods. You scared me.” He ran a hand over his face, looking wrecked. “Please just tell me what I did.”

Nico tilted his head, studying him. Then, after a full day of silence, he finally spoke. “…You didn’t do anything.”

Will froze. “What?”

“I just didn’t feel like talking today.” Nico shrugged. “That’s all.”

Will stared at him, mouth open. Then he dropped his head into his hands and let out a strangled laugh. “You—Nico, I was going crazy! I thought I broke you!”

“You didn’t,” Nico said simply.

Will groaned. “You enjoyed this, didn’t you?”

Nico’s lips curved into the tiniest smirk. “Maybe.”

Will narrowed his eyes, but relief flooded his features. “You’re evil.”

“Son of Hades,” Nico reminded him.

Will let out a helpless laugh, pulling him into a hug. “Just—next time? Warn me. Or at least text me a skull emoji or something.”

Nico rolled his eyes but didn’t pull away. “Fine.”

And if he secretly looked forward to trying it again someday… well. They didn’t need to know that.

Chapter Text

Morning
~
Nico woke to sunlight streaming through the curtains of Cabin 13, a brightness he immediately resented. Shadows curled at the corners of the room, beckoning him back into the safety of sleep, but the nightmare clung to him like damp fog. Names, faces, whispers of the dead—all the familiar ones, but sharper this time, more insistent.

He groaned, sitting up and pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. His skull throbbed, his stomach felt like a hollow pit, and the noise outside—laughter, footsteps, the clatter of breakfast being served—scraped at him until his nerves buzzed raw.

By the time he shuffled into the pavilion, he was already done with the day.

Will spotted him instantly, waving him over with a grin too bright for this hour. “Sunshine! You’re late. Come on, sit.”

Nico slid into the seat beside him, slumping into the bench. He grabbed a plate, piled food onto it mechanically, and shoved a bite of toast into his mouth.

“You look like death warmed over,” Will said cheerfully. “No offense.”

Nico leveled a glare at him. “Do I look like I want conversation right now?”

Will blinked. “...Point taken.”

Across the table, Percy perked up, smirking. “Whoa, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the grave.”

The campers nearby snorted, amused.

Nico set down his fork with deliberate care. He turned his head slowly toward Percy, dark eyes narrowing. “Say another word, Jackson. Just one. I dare you.”

The pavilion went silent. Percy gulped, throwing his hands up. “Okay, okay, shutting up.”

Annabeth sighed and smacked his arm. “You had that coming.”

Will leaned close, lowering his voice. “Eat, okay? You’ll feel better.”

Nico stabbed his pancake with more force than necessary. “I don’t feel better.”

But he ate anyway, and Will took the tiny victory without comment.

Training
~
Jason was running sparring drills when the Stoll brothers struck.

A firework charm exploded just behind the line of campers, harmless but loud enough to send kids diving for cover. The crack rattled through Nico’s skull like a gunshot. He whirled, shadows rippling at his feet, and zeroed in on the culprits.

“Really?” His voice was sharp enough to cut stone. “Do you ever think before you act, or is your entire brain filled with helium?”

Travis sputtered. “It was a joke!”

“A joke.” Nico stalked closer, eyes flashing. “Congratulations. You’re clowns. Try the circus. At least then your stupidity would have a willing audience.”

Connor opened his mouth, but Jason’s voice cracked across the arena. “Enough! Stolls, stable duty for a week. Nico—cool off.”

Nico spun on his heel, cape of shadows flickering around him, and stalked off toward the shade of the arena wall.

Reyna followed at a measured pace, her presence quiet but deliberate. She stopped beside him without a word.

Nico exhaled sharply. “What? Going to lecture me too?”

Reyna shook her head. “No. Just keeping watch.”

“Don’t need it.”

“I know.” She crossed her arms. “But it doesn’t hurt.”

Nico stared at her, then looked away. Her calm steadiness was irritating. But also… grounding. He let her stay.

Lunch
~
The dining pavilion buzzed with noise. Will tried to lighten the atmosphere, chatting about a prank his siblings had pulled on the Hermes cabin. Nico tuned him out, shoving food around his plate.

Jason dropped into the seat across from them, trying for a grin. “You know, back at Camp Jupiter, whenever someone was in a mood, we’d just stick them in the obstacle course until they screamed it out.”

Nico glared. “Try it, Grace.”

Jason’s grin faltered. “Uh. Or we could not.”

Reyna appeared at his side, setting down her tray. “Ignore him. He’s miserable, not homicidal.”

“Not yet,” Nico muttered.

Jason raised a brow. “You know you’re scaring the younger campers, right?”

“Good,” Nico said flatly. “Keeps them alive.”

Jason and Reyna exchanged looks. Will sighed.

Percy chose that moment to stroll past, balancing a tray. “Hey, Death Boy, cheer up! You’re like a little raincloud—”

“Shut. Up.”

The entire pavilion froze. Percy blinked, stunned. Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose. “Why do you never learn?”

Nico went back to his food, unbothered.

Afternoon
~
Jason tried again during archery, leaning against the fence where Nico was watching. “You know, you could join in. Shooting things might help.”

Nico raised a brow. “So might stabbing you.”

Jason laughed nervously. “Right. Got it. Bad idea.”

Reyna was more subtle. She handed him a water bottle without a word. Nico took it, grudgingly, and took a small sip, barely there. She didn’t push. He appreciated that.

Will, though—Will never stopped. He cracked jokes, made faces, tried to shoulder-bump Nico out of his stormcloud. When none of it worked, worry crept into his expression.

By dinner, Will was desperate. He slid Nico’s favorite slice of apple pie onto his tray. “Here. Eat.”

Nico glared. “I’m not hungry.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not.”

Will crossed his arms. “You get mean when you’re hungry. Meaner than usual, I mean.”

Nico scowled, but his fork dipped into the pie anyway. Will’s relief was palpable.

Evening
~
The campfire was unbearable. Laughter grated, music too loud. Nico sat rigid, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the flames.

Will leaned close, murmuring. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Nico hesitated, then nodded.

Cabin 13 was quiet, cool, shadows curling like familiar blankets. Will guided Nico to the bed, pressing a water bottle into his hands. “Drink.”

Nico obeyed.

“Now eat.” Will returned with a plate—bread, cheese, fruit. “Just a little.”

With a grimace, Nico nibbled at the bread. The food settled slowly, easing the hollow ache in his gut.

“Good.” Will smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from Nico’s face. “Better?”

Nico sighed. “...Maybe.”

Will slid onto the bed beside him, looping an arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay to have bad days. You don’t have to fight everyone to prove it.”

“I wasn’t fighting.”

“You basically traumatized Percy.” Will deadpanned.

“He deserved it.”

Will chuckled, pressing a kiss to Nico’s temple. “Still. Next time, let me help sooner, okay?”

Nico leaned into him, exhaustion dragging at his limbs. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re mine,” Will said lightly.

Nico huffed but didn’t argue. He let Will pull him closer, let the warmth soak in, let the food and water steady him.

By the time sleep tugged him under, the stormclouds had broken, leaving only the steady glow of Will’s sunlight.

Chapter Text

Percy Jackson had been walking on eggshells all day, a fact he noted with growing horror. He’d learned over the years that Nico di Angelo could be unpredictable. He had not learned, however, that Nico could turn a migraine—or a mere annoyance—into a full-blown vendetta.

It started that morning at the lake.

Percy, oblivious as always, had been practicing his water tricks near the shoreline, a little too enthusiastically. One tiny splash—no more than an inch of water hitting the stones—was enough to ruin Nico’s peace. He had been sitting silently on a nearby boulder, attempting to meditate, shadows draped softly around him. And then… splash.

From that moment, Nico had decided that Percy had committed a crime against him so unforgivable, it demanded silent judgment and occasional scathing commentary.

Breakfast was tense.

Percy slid into the pavilion, eyes darting to Nico, who was sitting next to Will as usual, but he was glaring daggers at Percy that were sharp enough to kill, the shadows pooling at his feet sharpened and twitched.

“Uh… morning, Nico,” Percy said carefully, voice quiet as he reached for a plate of eggs.

Nico didn’t even blink. He just tilted his head slightly, expression sharp and unreadable.

Will leaned over and whispered, “Don’t provoke him. He’s… in one of those moods.”

Percy froze. “I—okay. Sure. Totally fine.”

Jason, sitting across the table, frowned. “He’s punishing you for something, isn’t he?”

Percy swallowed nervously. “I… I think so. But I have no idea what it is.”

Reyna, who had been observing quietly, crossed her arms. “We should figure it out. Before he kills him.”

Will smirked faintly. “He’s not killing anyone. But you might wish you weren’t here if you annoy him too much.”

Annabeth, seated beside Percy, leaned close. “Okay. First rule: never try to joke your way out of it. Nico hates jokes that day. Second: offer a sincere apology. Third: be observant. Did you… do anything?”

Percy’s hands went to his head. “I… I didn’t think so? I mean, I didn’t—”

“Just try to remember,” Annabeth said, exasperated. “I’m not walking around in your brain. Think about all the small things you did today.”

Percy’s mind raced. He hadn’t bumped into him. He hadn’t said anything mean. He hadn’t… anything. He was at a loss.

Training did not improve matters.

Nico stationed himself near the edge of the archery field, eyes like daggers. Every missed shot, every stumble, every whispered joke from Percy was met with a cutting remark.

“Your aim is still terrible, Jackson. Did Poseidon forget to give you depth perception?”

Percy flinched. “Hey! I only missed—”

“Twice too many,” Nico said coldly. “I suggest practicing before the next battle or perhaps staying out of combat entirely. You’re… fragile.”

Will tried to defuse the situation. “Ignore him, Percy. He’s cranky because of—”

“Because of what?” Percy muttered under his breath. “I don’t even know!”

Will didn’t answer. He had learned that day that trying to reason with Nico while Percy was nearby was like wrestling a shadow.

Lunch brought no relief.

Percy tiptoed toward the pavilion like a criminal. Nico’s scowl intensified as Percy approached, making a mental note to keep his voice down. He tried complimenting Nico on his cloak, and Nico replied:

“Your social skills are still a disaster. Remarkable.”

Percy’s stomach twisted. Was he going to explode? Did Nico intend to strike him dead at any moment?

Annabeth leaned close. “Remember what I told you. Apologize. But it has to be meaningful.”

Percy swallowed. “Meaningful. Got it. But… what for?”

Annabeth sighed. “I don’t know, Percy. That’s why I’m trying to coach you!”

Reyna, watching from a distance, shook her head. “You’re walking through a minefield and have no map.”

Jason chuckled. “More like the epic quest of figuring out Nico’s petty grudges.”

By mid-afternoon, Nico’s words had reached peak venom.

“Jackson,” he said during sword drills, voice low and deadly, “your footwork is atrocious. A child with flippers could outmaneuver you. I suggest reconsidering being a Demigod entirely.”

Percy’s face turned pale. “I… I don’t understand! What did I do?”

Nico merely tilted his head. “Do you really want me to list everything? Your general existence suffices.”

Will groaned. “Sunshine…”

Nico ignored him. Percy’s attempts to tiptoe through the day, avoiding all errors and speaking only when necessary, barely made a dent in Nico’s scowl.

Finally, the evening came, and Percy could endure no more.

“I—I give up!” he shouted, throwing his hands up. “Tell me what I did! I swear, I haven’t done anything horrible, and I have no idea what’s wrong!”

Nico’s expression remained impassive, but his lips twitched with the tiniest hint of a smirk. “Do you really need me to spell it out?”

Percy’s stomach flipped. “Yes!”

“You… splashed water near me this morning at the lake. One measly inch. You disturbed my peace, and it triggered a migraine that only I had to endure. Your… thoughtlessness was unacceptable.”

Percy stared. “…That’s it? That’s what you’ve been furious about all day?”

“Yes,” Nico said flatly. “I’ve been forced to endure your existence during a time when I required absolute serenity. Honestly, the audacity is atrocious.”

Will, trying not to laugh, muttered, “And somehow that explains all the insults.”

Jason burst out laughing. Reyna shook her head, smirking.

Percy sagged, relief washing over him. “Wow. I… survive. Am I… forgiven?”

Nico gave him a deadpan look. “Barely. Do not let it happen again.”

Percy raised his hands in surrender. “Never. I’ll be as quiet as a ghost next time. No water, no noise, no recklessness.”

Will slid an arm around Nico. “See? He’s learned. You can relax now.”

Nico glanced at Percy, then back at Will. “I suppose this is...satisfactory.”

Percy exhaled, nearly collapsing in relief. Annabeth muttered, “I give up. Some things you just can’t coach.”

Nico, finally appeased, allowed a very faint smirk to curl the corner of his lips.

And with that, the camp resumed its normal chaos, Percy more cautious around Nico with his water control, and Nico smugly satisfied, proving once again that in the world of gods, sometimes the smallest offenses demand the greatest grudges.

Chapter Text

Nico had gotten used to silence.

He knew how to move through the world without drawing attention—how to bury the sharpest edges of himself so no one had to bother with him. At Camp Half-Blood, it was easier to let people think of him as the brooding son of Hades in the corner of the pavilion than risk trying to be something else.

But silence had a way of getting loud, especially at night.

He lay awake in the infirmary cot, his body aching from the latest mission. He had shadow-traveled too far, too fast. The frost still clung to his skin, stubborn and sharp. His breath came out ragged, like his lungs hadn’t forgiven him yet.

Will was there, of course. He was always there. He had one hand pressed to Nico’s wrist, checking his pulse every few minutes like Nico might just vanish if he didn’t keep track.

“You’re pushing yourself too hard again,” Will muttered, not looking up from the notes he was scribbling. “You’re supposed to be taking it slow.”

Nico scowled. “I don’t have time to take it slow.”

“Yes, you do.” Will’s voice sharpened with a heat Nico wasn’t used to. “The world isn’t going to end if you rest for once.”

Before Nico could argue, the infirmary door creaked open. Jason Grace ducked inside, golden hair damp with sweat, like he’d just come from drills. Reyna followed, as sharp and composed as ever, her dark braid swinging over her shoulder.

Nico froze. “What are you doing here?”

Jason smiled sheepishly. “Checking on my little brother?”

Reyna arched an eyebrow. “What else would we be doing?”

“I don’t need checking on,” Nico muttered. He tried to sit up, but the room spun instantly, and Will shoved him back down with a glare.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Jason crossed the room in three strides and crouched beside the cot. “You scared us, Nico. Do you know how fast news travels when you collapse mid-quest?”

“I didn’t collapse,” Nico hissed, embarrassed. “I just… overdid it.”

“That’s collapsing,” Will said flatly, not looking up.

Reyna’s expression softened, though her tone stayed firm. “Nico, you can’t keep acting like you’re indestructible. You’re not alone anymore. Let people help you.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Yes, you do.” Jason’s voice was quiet but firm. He placed a hand on Nico’s shoulder, grounding him. “And that's okay.”

Nico didn’t know what to do with the warmth that bloomed in his chest at those words. He wanted to shove it away, but Jason’s hand was steady, unyielding. Reyna’s gaze was just as strong, but not judging—protective. Almost… familial.

Will, ever oblivious to the weight of the moment, broke the silence. “But thank the gods you two are here. Maybe you can drill it into his head that rest won’t kill him.”

Jason chuckled. “Not sure anyone can do that.”

“Excuse me,” Nico muttered. His face burned.

Reyna smirked faintly. “I think the healer has a point.”

Nico groaned and buried his face in the pillow. “This is humiliating.”

Chapter Text

The shadows were alive again.

Nico sat upright in his cabin bed, breath shallow, hands trembling. He hated the way the nightmares dragged him back—faces of the dead, the sound of his own screaming, the feeling of hands trying to pull him into the earth.

The worst part wasn’t the dream. The worst part was waking up to find himself alone.

He pressed his palms into his eyes, willing the tears back. He wasn’t going to break over this. Not in front of the campers. Not when everyone already thought he was too fragile, too haunted.

A knock at the cabin door startled him.

“Nico?” Will’s voice was soft on the other side of the door. “You awake?”

Nico swallowed. “…Go away.”

The door creaked open anyway. Will slipped inside, golden hair messy, wearing his Camp Half-Blood hoodie. He carried a small lantern, casting a warm glow that pushed back the shadows.

“You’re having nightmares again,” Will said gently. Not a question.

Nico glared at him. “You can’t know that.”

“I can when you look like you haven’t slept in three days.” Will set the lantern down on the desk and sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed. “Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Want me to stay anyway?”

Nico hesitated. His throat burned with the answer he didn’t want to say. “…Yes.”

Will smiled faintly and leaned back against the wall. “Then I’ll stay.”

They sat in silence for a while. Will hummed softly under his breath, something calm and soothing. Nico’s eyelids began to droop despite his efforts to stay awake.

That’s when another knock sounded. This time, it was heavier.

Jason stepped in, carrying a blanket under one arm. Reyna followed, her posture straight as always, but her eyes soft when they landed on Nico.

Nico blinked. “What are you—”

“Will sent Iris-messages,” Jason said simply. “Said you weren’t sleeping again.” He tossed the blanket at Nico, who caught it awkwardly. “So we’re here to help.”

“I don’t need—”

“Yes, you do,” Reyna interrupted. She set a thermos on the desk. “Chamomile. Drink it.”

Will beamed like they’d just passed a test. “See? Reinforcements.”

Nico groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. “You’re all insufferable.”

Jason chuckled. “That’s what siblings are for.”

Reyna smirked. “And meddlers.”

They stayed. Jason stretched out on a chair, Reyna perched like a sentry near the door, Will still humming at Nico’s side. It was ridiculous—three people keeping watch over him like he was some fragile thing.

And yet… the shadows didn’t creep quite as close.

When Nico finally drifted into sleep again, it was with Will’s steady presence at his side, Jason’s quiet breathing nearby, and Reyna’s vigilant calm filling the room.

For the first time in weeks, he didn’t dream of the dead.

He dreamed of a family that had chosen him, and refused to let him face the dark alone.

Chapter Text

The first thunderclap hit like a punch.

Nico jolted upright, his breath catching in his throat. For a heartbeat, he didn’t know where he was — just darkness, pressure, the smell of earth and rain and fear.

Then the lightning flashed through the window of Cabin Thirteen, revealing the pale skulls carved above the door, the flicker of candles, the faint smell of pomegranate incense. Camp Half-Blood. Safe.

Except it didn’t feel safe.

His pulse was a drumbeat in his throat, his shadows stretching and coiling like living things. He clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing, but the darkness pressed back. Thunder cracked again, and his control slipped — the room dimmed as shadows pulled inward, whispering like old ghosts.

Nico flinched when the door banged open.

Will Solace burst in, rain-soaked and panting. “Nico!”

“I’m fine!” Nico said too quickly, even as the floorboards around him darkened like spilled ink.

Will’s expression softened, but his tone was firm. “You’re not. You’re shaking.”

“I said I’m fine, Will.”

Lightning split the sky again. The candles guttered out. The room plunged into pitch-black, and Nico’s heart seized — not because of the dark, but because it was his doing. He could feel it, the power humming under his skin, begging to swallow everything whole.

Will didn’t hesitate. He crossed the room, put both hands on Nico’s shoulders, and said softly, “Hey. Look at me.”

Nico’s gaze darted up, and in the brief flash of lightning through the window, Will’s eyes glowed warm and golden — like sunlight through leaves.

“Breathe with me,” Will said, his voice low and steady. “In. Out.”

The darkness slowed. It didn’t retreat completely — not yet — but it stopped growing. Nico focused on Will’s touch, on the steady warmth of his hands.

Then a knock sounded at the door.

“Solace?” Jason’s voice came through. “You good in there?”

Will sighed in relief. “Yeah, come in! Could use a hand.”

Jason stepped inside, shaking off his hood. Reyna followed, her dark braid plastered against her shoulder from the rain. Both wore concern like armor.

Jason’s eyes flicked to Nico immediately. “Another nightmare?”

“Storm,” Will said quietly. “It’s messing with his control.”

Reyna crossed her arms. “He shouldn’t be alone in this kind of weather.”

“I’m not alone,” Nico muttered.

Jason raised an eyebrow. “You were, until we showed up.”

Will gave Nico a look that said don’t even try arguing. He pulled a dry blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over Nico’s shoulders before sitting beside him.

Jason took up a post by the window, looking out at the storm. “Figures. Zeus and Hades don’t exactly get along, huh?”

Reyna elbowed him lightly. “Don’t start a godly family feud while there’s lightning literally outside.”

Jason grinned faintly, then sobered as he glanced back at Nico. “You okay, Death Boy?”

“I told you not to call me that.”

Jason smirked. “You keep saying that and yet—”

“Jason,” Reyna warned, though her tone was affectionate.

Nico tried not to smile. It wasn’t working.

The thunder rolled again, deeper this time. The shadows flickered around Nico’s feet — not wild, but restless.

Will noticed. “You’re doing better.”

Nico frowned. “You’re still here.”

“Exactly,” Will said, smiling softly. “You’re safe.”

Reyna sat on the edge of the desk, her eyes assessing like a general taking stock. “Do storms always do this to you?”

Nico hesitated. “Sometimes. The… the sound reminds me of the Underworld. When the ground shakes. It’s like everything’s about to collapse.”

Jason’s voice softened. “You were trapped there too long.”

“I got used to it,” Nico said quickly. “It’s just—”

“You shouldn’t have to be used to it,” Will interrupted.

Silence fell. The rain pounded against the roof, a relentless rhythm.

Jason sighed and came to sit on the floor, leaning against Nico's bed, looking up at him. “Alright, I’m calling big-brother time.”

Nico groaned. “Oh gods, not again.”

“Yup,” Jason said cheerfully. “You look like you’re about to collapse, you probably haven’t eaten dinner, and I bet Will’s been begging you to rest for hours.”

Will raised a hand. “Confirmed.”

Reyna smirked. “This should be good.”

Nico crossed his arms. “Jason, I swear—”

“Nope.” Jason leaned forward, pointing a finger at him. “You listen to me for once, di Angelo. You don’t have to handle everything by yourself. You don’t need to run into the shadows every time something hurts.”

“I wasn’t—”

“You were,” Jason said, his voice sharper now. “I’ve seen you do it. You think disappearing fixes things, but it just makes the people who care about you worry more.”

The shadows stirred, and Nico’s pulse jumped. “Don’t— don’t talk to me like I’m some kid you need to protect.”

Jason’s eyes softened. “You are someone I want to protect.”

That broke something. Nico’s control faltered, and the shadows surged outward like a living tide. The candles went out again.

“Nico!” Will’s hand shot out, catching his wrist before he could vanish into the dark. “Don’t— please don’t run.”

Nico froze. His throat felt tight, the air too heavy. “You don’t understand—”

“I do,” Will said, voice trembling now. “I do, Nico. You think running is safer. You think if you disappear, no one else gets hurt. But that’s not how this works.”

Jason’s voice was steady, calm in the storm. “You don’t get to vanish on us. Not again. Not when we’re right here.”

Reyna moved closer, now sitting on the edge of the bed. “You are not a burden, Nico di Angelo. You never were.”

Nico shook his head, tears burning behind his eyes. “I don’t know how to stop.”

Will’s fingers laced through his. “Then let us help you.”

The next thunderclap hit — but this time, the shadows didn’t move.

They hovered at the edges of the room, pulsing faintly, like they were listening. Nico closed his eyes, focusing on the weight of Will’s hand, on Jason’s steady breathing, on Reyna’s quiet presence like stone and steel.

The storm outside began to fade. The rain softened.

Will let out a shaky laugh. “There we go. You did it.”

Nico sagged forward, exhausted. Will steadied him easily, one arm around his shoulders.

“Yeah,” Jason murmured. “That’s my little brother.”

Nico didn’t even protest that title this time. He just leaned against Will's shoulder and let himself breathe.

Will brushed damp hair out of Nico’s face and smiled. “You’re getting better at this, you know.”

“At freaking out?” Nico muttered.

“At letting people in,” Will corrected.

Reyna chuckled softly. “A rare skill for a child of Hades.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Nico mumbled, but there was no bite to it.

Jason grinned. “You kidding? I’m putting this in the sibling records. ‘Nico di Angelo, survived thunderstorm and feelings.’”

Will laughed outright. “Historic moment.”

Reyna raised a brow. “Should we commemorate it with a plaque?”

“Please don’t,” Nico said, but he was smiling now.

Later, when the storm had passed and the others had fallen asleep — Jason on the floor leaning against the wall, Reyna in a chair with her arms crossed — Will stayed awake beside Nico.

The rain had gentled into a steady drizzle. Candlelight flickered softly across the cabin walls.

Nico stared at the ceiling. “You really think I’m getting better?”

Will’s voice was a whisper. “Yeah. I do.”

“I still get scared.”

“Everyone does.”

“I still… miss her.”

Will’s smile faltered, but his eyes were kind. “You’re allowed to. Bianca’s not someone you stop missing.”

Nico nodded, jaw tight. “Sometimes I think she’d hate who I’ve become.”

Jason stirred in his sleep, muttering something unintelligible. Will glanced at him, then back to Nico. “I don’t think she’d hate you. I think she’d be proud that you found people who love you.”

Nico looked away, blinking fast. “You talk too much.”

Will grinned softly. “And you love me anyway.”

“…Maybe.”

“Definitely.”

Nico huffed a laugh. The last of the tension melted from his shoulders.

Will leaned closer, pressing a kiss to Nico’s temple. “Get some sleep, death boy.”

Jason murmured from across the room, half-awake. “He calls you that too, huh?”

Will chuckled. “It’s affectionate when I say it.”

Reyna’s tired voice drifted from her chair. “You’re both ridiculous.”

Nico rolled his eyes, curling under his blanket. “Remind me never to let any of you into my cabin again.”

Jason smirked sleepily. “Too late. We live here now.”

Will laughed quietly, lying down beside Nico. “Guess you’re stuck with us.”

Nico sighed — but this time, it wasn’t heavy. The rain outside whispered against the roof like a lullaby.

He fell asleep with Will’s hand resting lightly over his, Jason and Reyna nearby, and the shadows still and calm around him.

For once, the darkness didn’t feel empty.

It felt full — of light, and laughter, and the kind of love that didn’t vanish when the storm hit.

Chapter Text

The first time anyone saw it, no one actually realized what it was.

It began that morning, when Will Solace was already deep into his usual routine of trying — and failing — to get Nico di Angelo to eat something other than pomegranate seeds and sarcasm.

“Breakfast,” Will said firmly, setting down a plate of scrambled eggs in front of him.

Nico gave the plate a suspicious look. “It’s yellow.”

“It’s eggs.”

“It’s aggressively yellow.”

Will sighed. “You need protein, death boy.”

Nico muttered something under his breath about “food tyranny” and stabbed a fork into the eggs. The shadows around him twitched faintly, like they were reacting to his mood. Normally, that wasn’t weird — Nico’s shadows were always a little alive. But this time, something different happened.

From the darkness under the table, something moved.

Will frowned. “...Nico?”

Nico blinked, looking down. “What?”

Then the shadow rippled — and rose.

A creature unfurled itself from the gloom: all sleek darkness, glowing eyes, and the faint outline of feathers. A raven, built entirely of shadow, cocked its head at Will, let out a hollow caw, and perched on Nico’s shoulder like it had always been there.

Will stared. “...Did you just make a shadow bird?”

Nico blinked at it. “I didn’t mean to.”

The raven turned its head, preened its nonexistent feathers, and stared straight into Will’s soul.

Will exhaled slowly. “Right. Totally normal breakfast behavior.”

By lunchtime, everyone at Camp Half-Blood had met the raven.

Jason and Reyna were the first victims.

They were sitting at one of the tables near the edge of the pavilion, Jason halfway through a story about something dumb Leo had done years ago, when the air went cold.

Jason looked up just in time to see the raven land silently beside him, tilting its head in an eerily human way.

Reyna raised an eyebrow. “You summoned this?”

Jason frowned. “I didn’t summon anything.”

The raven blinked. Its eyes glowed faintly violet.

Jason reached out a cautious hand. “Hey, little guy—”

The raven let out a deafening, echoing CAW, flared its wings like a horror movie prop, and promptly vanished into smoke.

Jason nearly fell off the bench. Reyna, unflinching, sipped her coffee. “Subtle.”

Across the pavilion, Will’s voice carried like an exasperated sunbeam: “NICO DI ANGELO!”

Jason groaned. “Oh gods, he’s at it again.”

By mid-afternoon, it wasn’t just the raven.

Apparently, Nico had decided that if he was going to get yelled at anyway, he might as well have fun with it. The raven had a new friend — a wolf-shaped shadow that followed him like a guardian, its eyes glowing faint silver, paws leaving no prints.

It padded beside him as he walked through camp, utterly silent, its form flickering between mist and darkness. Campers parted instinctively when Nico passed, a mix of awe and mild fear on their faces.

And Nico? Nico pretended he didn’t notice.

He walked calmly through the chaos, muttering to himself about how “maybe being terrifying had its perks.”

Will followed close behind, looking about two seconds away from an aneurysm. “Nico. Come one, you promised no unnecessary use of powers today.”

“It’s not unnecessary,” Nico said innocently. “I’m bonding.”

“With your own shadow?”

The wolf looked at Will, tilted its head, and promptly snapped its jaws — harmlessly, but enough to make Will yelp.

Nico snorted. “He doesn’t like being insulted.”

“Nico di Angelo,” Will said through gritted teeth, “you are so lucky you’re cute.”

Jason appeared then, clearly trying not to laugh. “What’s the name of this one? Fluffy? Cerberus Junior?”

The wolf growled softly. Jason raised his hands. “Okay, okay, no offense, shadow dog.”

Reyna arrived a moment later, calm as ever. “You realize half the younger campers now think you’re possessed, right?”

Nico gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Let them.”

Will threaded a hand through his hair and sighed .“You like this, don’t you?”

Nico smirked. “Maybe a little.”

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on perspective), Percy Jackson saw the wolf next.

He was heading toward the lake with Annabeth when Nico stepped out from behind the cabins, the shadow creature padding beside him.

“Hey, Nico!” Percy called, waving — and then froze.

The wolf’s eyes flared. It growled low, the sound vibrating in the air.

Percy jumped a foot in the air. “WHAT THE—NICO, WHY DO YOU HAVE A DEMON DOG?!”

Annabeth snorted. “It’s literally made of shadows, Seaweed Brain.”

“THAT DOESN’T HELP.”

Nico blinked at them innocently. “He’s friendly.”

The wolf bared its teeth.

Percy stumbled backward. “Friendly my ass! That thing looks like it came straight out of Tartarus!”

Annabeth, unamused, crossed her arms. “You’re being dramatic.”

Percy pointed wildly. “It just hissed at me!”

“It doesn’t even have lungs!”

“WELL IT’S DOING SOMETHING!”

Will jogged up then, already looking frazzled. “Oh, good, you found him. Nico, we talked about this—”

“We didn’t finish talking,” Nico said calmly.

Will looked ready to explode. “Because you shadow-traveled away mid-sentence!”

Percy blinked. “You can do that during arguments?!”

Nico smirked faintly. “Yes.”

Annabeth gave a low whistle. “Noted. I might start learning necromancy.”

By sunset, Camp Half-Blood was in full-blown chaos.

The shadow wolf and raven were everywhere — appearing and disappearing at random, perching on cabins, slipping through training fields, and occasionally scaring the absolute life out of unsuspecting campers.

Will had spent half the afternoon chasing Nico around with the power of sheer frustration.

Jason, meanwhile, had decided that if you couldn’t stop Nico, you might as well enjoy it.

“You know,” Jason said, strolling beside him as the wolf padded at Nico’s heel, “you could probably convince half the camp to clean your cabin for you if you send your ‘pet’ to stare at them.”

Nico smirked. “Tempting, but I've got Will for that."

Reyna, walking behind them, shook her head. “I should fine both of you for this level of chaos.”

“Fine me in drachma?” Nico asked. “Because that’s underworld currency, technically mine.”

Jason laughed. “He’s got you there.”

Will, from behind, grumbled something about “irresponsible use of necromantic energy.”

They reached the campfire pit just as Percy and Annabeth were finishing dinner. Percy spotted Nico and instantly stiffened.

“Oh Hades no—”

The wolf stepped forward, eyes glowing.

Percy flailed, nearly tripping over his bench. “ANNABETH IT’S BACK!”

Annabeth didn’t even look up from her book. “Percy, it’s a shadow. It can’t hurt you.”

“It’s following him! That’s evil behavior!”

Jason chuckled. “You faced Kronos and you’re scared of a goth dog?”

Percy pointed accusingly at him. “That’s not a dog, that’s a death omen!”

“Technically,” Nico said, deadpan, “he’s more of a companion manifestation.”

“THAT’S WORSE!”

Reyna hid her smile behind her cup. Will just groaned. “Nico. Bed. Now.”

“It’s barely eight,” Nico protested.

“You’ve been using your powers all day! You’re pale even for you!”

“That’s racist against underworld demigods,” Nico muttered.

Will pinched the bridge of his nose. “You are going to sit down, drink some water, and stop terrifying the camp for five minutes.”

Jason chuckled. “Will’s right. You’re looking kind of—uh—transparent.”

“I always look like that.”

“More than usual.”

Nico sighed but allowed Will to guide him toward a bench. The raven landed on his shoulder again, ruffling its wings protectively.

“See?” Nico mumbled. “They’re fine.”

Will crossed his arms. “You’re projecting emotional energy into shadow creatures that shouldn’t exist. Of course they’re fine — they’re you.”

Jason frowned. “Wait, so they’re like his emotions?”

“Sort of,” Will said. “And he’s been feeding them all day. He’s going to pass out in, oh, three…”

Nico blinked, eyes drooping.

“Two…”

He swayed.

“One.”

Jason lunged forward just as Nico slumped sideways.

“Got him." Jason mumbled, catching him just before he could faceplant into the dirt.

Will sighed, already pulling a bottle of nectar from his pocket. “Every time.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow. “So much for ‘I’m fine.’”

Percy peeked from behind Annabeth’s chair. “Is the demon dog gone?”

The wolf, still standing nearby, turned its head toward Percy and smiled, well, more like bared it's fangs.

Percy yelped. “It smiled at me! That’s not better!”

Annabeth looked at the wolf thoughtfully. “Actually, I think it likes you.”

“WHY WOULD IT LIKE ME?!”

“Because you’re entertaining,” Jason said dryly.

Later that night, the chaos finally settled.

Nico woke up in the infirmary with Will sitting beside him, reading by lamplight. The raven was perched on the windowsill, the wolf curled at the foot of the bed like a shadow blanket.

“You’re awake,” Will said softly, closing his book.

Nico groaned. “You’re going to yell at me, aren’t you?”

Will smiled faintly. “I already did. While you were asleep.”

“Rude.”

“Necessary.”

Nico rubbed his eyes and sat up. “They didn’t cause any trouble, did they?”

Will glanced at the creatures. “Other than traumatizing Percy? No. They’re… kind of cute, actually. In a creepy way.”

Nico’s lips twitched. “I thought so.”

Will leaned forward, his expression soft. “You know, you don’t have to keep showing everyone how strong you are. They already know. You can rest, too.”

“I wasn’t showing off,” Nico said quietly. “I just… liked not being afraid of my shadows for once.”

Will’s heart softened instantly. “Okay. That’s actually kind of beautiful. And I can’t even be mad at that.”

Nico gave a tired grin. “So I win?”

“Temporarily.”

Jason’s voice came from the doorway. “Temporary truce, huh?”

Reyna stood beside him, arms crossed but smiling. “Camp’s already making bets about what you’ll summon next.”

Nico groaned. “Gods, please don’t.”

Jason smirked. “I put ten drachma on a shadow cat.”

Reyna deadpanned. “I went with a horse. Statistically safer.”

Will rolled his eyes. “You’re encouraging him.”

Jason shrugged. “You have to admit, he pulled it off.”

Nico yawned, laying back down in his side, facing Will. “Worth it.”

Will huffed, brushing hair out of his face. “You’re impossible.”

Jason grinned smugly. “He gets it from his older brother.”

“Jason, I swear—”

“Don’t waste your energy,” Will murmured. “You need rest.”

Nico sighed but leaned back into the pillow. The wolf’s shadowy head rested on the bed beside him, and the raven tucked its wings, both fading gradually as he relaxed.

Will smiled softly. “There. That’s better.”

“Mm,” Nico murmured, eyes half-closed. “Hey, Will?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time… maybe a shadow horse would be cool.”

Will groaned. Jason laughed. Reyna muttered something about “boys and their dramatics.”

But when Nico finally drifted off to sleep, his shadows calm and still, the room felt lighter.

Because even if the shadows followed him everywhere — he was learning that light could, too.

Chapter Text

The first thing Nico noticed when he woke up wasn’t the sunlight spilling through the cabin windows. It wasn’t the faint smell of pomegranate incense or even the soft creak of the bunks as the camp stirred.

It was Will.

Will Solace, sprawled across the small cabin bed in a way that Nico secretly found adorable, hair mussed, a lazy grin on his face as he tugged a blanket closer to himself. Nico blinked, disoriented for a second, because the morning had never felt so… peaceful.

“Morning,” Will said, voice rough with sleep. “You’re up early.”

Nico pulled the covers tighter around himself and muttered, “I don’t… like mornings.”

Will’s grin widened. “I know. But the sun’s out, and I think it’s mad that you won’t look at it.”

“Sun’s… overrated,” Nico mumbled.

“Is that so?” Will teased, rolling toward him. “I think the sun would argue differently.”

Nico didn’t answer. Instead, he shifted just enough to avoid getting smothered by Will’s arm.

Will laughed softly and leaned closer. “You know, you’re warm under there. How do you even fit all that darkness in one person?”

Nico blinked at him. “It’s not… all darkness.”

“Sure,” Will said, brushing a stray strand of hair from Nico’s forehead. “Sure, Mr. Darkness, there’s also a soft, squishy core of… sunshine.”

Nico groaned. “That’s disgusting.”

Will grinned anyway. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

The cabin was quiet except for the soft hum of the camp waking up outside. The cabin doors creaked open, someone groaned nearby outside, and Nico realized for the first time in days that he didn’t have to worry about anything immediately dangerous. No monsters, no quests, no shadows threatening to pull him under. Just him and Will, tangled in blankets and sunlight.

Will pressed a kiss to Nico’s temple, feather-light, and whispered, “You look happier when you’re asleep.”

Nico turned to face him, frowning slightly. “Huh? No I don’t…”

“You do.” Will’s voice was quiet, intimate. “I like it.”

Breakfast was easy because Will insisted on bringing to the cabin while Nico managed to throw himself out of bed. Pancakes, fresh fruit, coffee — all things Nico would normally avoid (except coffee of course), but this morning, the smell was comforting. They sat together at the small table in the cabin, Nico sipping his coffee while Will attempted to butter a pancake.

“I swear, some days, I don’t know how you survive without me,” Will said, eyes twinkling. “You’d starve if it weren’t for me dragging you out of bed.”

Nico huffed, not looking at him. “I can survive. Just fine.”

“Uh-huh,” Will said, smirking, stacking pancakes like a tower that threatened to fall. “You say that now but wait until we get waffles tomorrow.”

“Oh gods—no—” Nico groaned, shaking his head. But a tiny laugh escaped, because Will had that effect on him. Even in the middle of a grumpy morning, he could make Nico forget himself.

After breakfast, they wandered outside. The sun was gentle now, painting Camp Half-Blood in warm golds and soft shadows. Nico didn’t run. He barely flinched when the sunlight hit his skin (or what was left uncovered). He just walked beside Will, hands brushing occasionally, words unnecessary.

Will pulled him into a quiet corner by the lake, the water shimmering like scattered glass. “Race you to the dock?” he asked.

Nico raised an eyebrow. “I don’t race Solace.”

“That’s not running,” Will teased, crouching in a runner’s stance. “It’s more like light jogging.”

Nico scowled but found himself jogging anyway. Shadows stretched behind him, coiling, playful. Will’s laughter rang behind him like music.

They reached the dock, breathless and laughing. Nico collapsed onto the wooden planks, hands digging into the sun-warmed wood. Will flopped down beside him, head resting on Nico’s shoulder.

“You know,” Nico said quietly, watching the sunlight ripple across the lake, “I don’t hate the sun that much when you’re around.”

Will smiled, nuzzling closer. “Good. Because I’m planning on being around a lot.”

Nico let the sunlight warm his face, let Will’s warmth press into him. For the first time in a long while, shadows felt less like chains and more like companions. And maybe, just maybe, sunshine wasn’t so bad when it came with someone who made you feel safe.

When it was time to head back to the cabin, Will grabbed Nico’s hand, weaving their fingers together. “So… breakfast tomorrow?”

Nico smirked faintly. “If you get bring the waffles to the cabin again.”

“Deal.” Will pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, then tugged him along. “Race you to the back?”

Nico groaned, but he didn’t resist. Because even though he hated mornings, he could get used to this—sunlight, warmth, and Will Solace at his side.

For once, the day didn’t start with shadows. It started with him, with Will, and with a quiet kind of happiness Nico hadn’t allowed himself in a long time.

And that was enough.

Chapter Text

“They wanted a God of Halloween,” Nico muttered. “So they’ll get one.”

~

It started, as all of Nico’s worst ideas did, with Percy Jackson running his mouth.

“C’mon, you have to admit it,” Percy said during dinner, waving his fork in Nico’s direction. “If there was, like, a God of Halloween? Totally you, dude.”

Annabeth sighed. Jason chuckled. Will pinched the bridge of his nose, already sensing doom.

Nico, however, didn’t even look up from his plate. His expression was unreadable, but Will caught the faintest spark of mischief flicker in his eyes.

That night, the shadows around Camp Half-Blood began to move.

Percy was the first to notice.

He was brushing his teeth in the Poseidon cabin when the light flickered. When it came back on, his reflection was gone for half a second—then grinned at him from behind the mirror.

Percy shrieked.

Will and Jason rushed in, Jason tripped over a seashell, and immediately blamed Nico. “He’s doing it again, isn’t he? The shadow thing!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Will said—before the window slammed open on its own and a cold breeze whispered through. They all got the shivers. Then something brushed past Jason's legs.

It was him screaming this time.

By midday, camp morale had plummeted.

Everywhere they went, campers caught glimpses of movement: a hand slipping into a shadow, eyes glinting from the dark, faint laughter echoing from nowhere. Reyna, usually unflappable, froze when a ghostly whisper briefly echoed… from the armory shadows. She felt its breath on her neck. Reyna recovered quickly, but her pulse betrayed her.

Jason wasn’t so lucky. A shadow bird flew right into his face during drills, and he nearly impaled himself with his own sword.

“HE’S UNHINGED!” Jason yelled. “HE’S ACTUALLY POSSESSED!”

Will was trying his best to be a supportive boyfriend, but even he flinched when his own shadow waved back at him during infirmary rounds.

“Nico,” he groaned into the empty air, “you’re going to give me a heart attack.”

Somewhere nearby, the shadows chuckled.

By sunset, Percy was jumpy enough to leap three feet whenever someone said “boo.”

He’d taken to carrying a flashlight everywhere, muttering under his breath. “It’s fine. He can’t scare me again. I’m the son of Poseidon. I’ve faced Titans, for gods’ sake—”

The ground beneath him opened up.

A skeletal hand shot out of the dirt, grabbed his ankle, and a whisper breathed. It almost sounded like it said his name.

Percy shrieked like a dying cat and fell backward into the lake.

Nico surfaced a few yards away, soaking wet but grinning like a demon.

“Too much?” he asked innocently.

“Too much?! YOU SUMMONED THE DEAD!” Percy sputtered, splashing water at him, missing pathetically while Nico merely stood still.

Nico shrugged. “You called me the God of Halloween.”

Jason, who was still recovering from his sixth jump scare of the day, pointed accusingly. “He’s not just embracing it. He’s literally become it.”

That night, at curfew, the camp was eerily quiet. No one dared walk alone. Campers huddled in groups, flashlights shaking in their hands.

The mess hall lights flickered. Every candle dimmed.

Then, from the shadows near the fire pit, Nico di Angelo stepped out. Cloaked in darkness, eyes faintly glowing like embers, he looked every bit the part.

His voice carried softly through the night air:

“You wanted a God of Halloween,” he said, lips curving into a smirk. “Congratulations, you just met him.”

Half the campers screamed. Jason dropped his sword again. Percy yelped and fell off his bench.

And then, Nico snapped his fingers. The shadows melted away.

Later, after the chaos died down and Percy had stopped hyperventilating, Nico sat on the steps of the Hades cabin, legs drawn up, quietly laughing to himself.

Will found him there, leaning against the doorway.

“You're going to give gray hair early,” Will said, crossing his arms. “You scared half the camp to death. Percy might never recover”

“Half?” Nico asked, smirking. “I was aiming for everyone.”

Will sighed, but his lips quirked into a smile. He sat beside Nico, brushing a few stray leaves from his hair.

“Next time,” Will murmured, “warn me before you unleash the apocalypse.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Nico replied.

Will bumped their shoulders together. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You love me,” Nico said, voice soft but smug.

Will smiled and sighed softly. "Yeah. Even when you’re a menace.”

The shadows at their feet rippled lazily, harmless now, curling like cats around Nico’s boots.

From somewhere in the distance, Percy screamed again.

Nico snorted. “Worth it.”

Chapter Text

The Big House porch smelled like cinnamon, pumpkin guts, and chaos.

“Will, that’s not how you carve a pumpkin,” Nico said flatly from where he sat cross-legged on the steps. His hands were smudged orange, a streak of pumpkin pulp across his cheek like war paint. He looked both unimpressed and faintly horrified as Will Solace proudly held up his latest creation—something that looked suspiciously like a lopsided smiley face missing half its teeth.

Will wiped his hands on a paper towel, grinning. “You’re just jealous of my artistic vision.”

“It’s staring into my soul,” Nico muttered.

“That’s the idea! Halloween, remember?”

Nico groaned, leaning back on his elbows to glare at the sky like it had personally offended him. He had agreed—somehow—to join in on Camp Half-Blood’s Halloween celebration, though he still wasn’t sure how Will had convinced him. There had been promises of quiet corners, limited sunlight, and maybe—maybe—a horror movie marathon. Instead, there were pumpkins, cider, and campers running around in cheap skeleton masks.

Will crouched beside him, squinting at the array of uncarved pumpkins still waiting their turn. “You’ve only gutted yours, Death Boy. You planning to actually carve it, or are you making pumpkin soup?”

Nico shot him a look. “I’m deciding on the design.”

“That’s code for you don’t know what you’re doing, isn’t it?”

“Shut up, Solace.”

Will laughed, easy and bright. He leaned closer, brushing a bit of pumpkin off Nico’s sleeve. “Fine. Want help?”

“I don’t need—”
Then Will did something truly dangerous. He smiled that infuriating, sunshine-made-human smile.
Nico sighed. “Okay, fine. Help.”

They spent the next half hour carving in companionable silence. Will hummed some country tune under his breath; Nico focused on the careful, precise cuts of his knife. When he finally stepped back, his pumpkin wasn’t smiling like Will’s. It was carved with intricate swirling shadows and a tiny skeletal figure sitting under a crescent moon. Dark, elegant—very Nico.

Will’s grin softened. “That’s… actually amazing.”

“Obviously.”

They set a candle inside, and when it flickered to life, the light danced across the skeletal figure’s face, making it seem alive. Will reached out and nudged Nico’s shoulder gently. “Hey. You having fun?”

Nico hesitated. The word fun wasn’t one he used much. But the night was cool, the stars bright, and Will’s warmth beside him felt steady. “...Yeah,” he admitted quietly. “I guess I am.”

“Good.” Will stood, stretching. “C’mon. Haunted hayride’s starting.”

Nico frowned. “You promised no crowds.”

“I did. But…” Will grinned again. “I bribed the Stolls. We get our own cart.”

Nico blinked. “You bribed—?”

“Do you want to ask questions or do you want hot cider?”

“…Hot cider,” Nico said immediately.

Minutes later, they were bundled under a blanket in the back of a hay-filled wagon that creaked its way around the camp’s woods. The torches flickered, painting the trees gold and black. Somewhere up ahead, a dryad jumped out at a group of screaming campers. Will laughed so hard he almost spilled his cider. Nico rolled his eyes but smiled despite himself.

Halfway through the ride, Will nudged him gently. “You cold?”

“I’m fine.”

“Liar,” Will said, draping the blanket over both of them. “You always get cold.”

Nico’s cheeks warmed—betrayal by blood circulation—but he didn’t move away. Will’s shoulder brushed his; the rhythm of the wagon wheels was steady, hypnotic. Crickets sang. Somewhere in the distance, someone yelled about a ghost.

“Do you miss it?” Will asked softly after a moment. “Halloween. Before all… this.”

Nico’s eyes traced the dark tree line. “Sometimes. My mom used to let me eat all the candy I wanted. Bianca would sneak me her chocolate because she said it was too sweet.” A pause. “I didn’t get to celebrate after that. Not until…”

“Not until me,” Will finished, smiling a little.

Nico huffed, but his voice softened. “Yeah. Not until you.”

They sat in silence for a while longer, the flickering lights reflecting in their eyes. Then, as the wagon bumped along, Will leaned closer and whispered, “Hey, Death Boy.”

“What.”

“Your pumpkin’s still creepier than mine.”

“It’s supposed to be.”

“Uh-huh. Admit it—you liked mine.”

“It was missing half its teeth.”

“Exactly! Character!”

Nico tried not to laugh. He failed.

Will beamed, triumphant. “There it is. The Great Nico di Angelo Smile. Halloween miracle!”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you love me for it.”

Nico’s lips twitched. “Maybe.”

Will chuckled and took another sip of cider, his fingers brushing Nico’s under the blanket. Neither pulled away.

As the wagon rolled on through the flickering woods, the pumpkins at camp glowed like tiny stars—orange, golden, alive.
And for once, surrounded by laughter, autumn air, and the person who made the world a little less heavy, Nico di Angelo thought that maybe, just maybe, Halloween wasn’t so bad after all.

Chapter Text

The Big House porch was chaos.

Pumpkin guts everywhere. Seeds in hair. Paper towels crumpled like fallen leaves. And in the middle of it all sat Nico di Angelo, the literal son of Hades, looking like he wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.

Across from him, Will Solace proudly held up his pumpkin.

“Nico,” he said, eyes sparkling with pride. “I call this masterpiece ‘Smile With Personality.’”

Nico squinted at the orange blob of questionable art. “It looks like it’s melting.”

“That’s part of the charm!”

“It’s staring into my soul.”

Will grinned. “Then it’s working.”

Nico sighed and went back to his own pumpkin—neat, methodical, every cut precise. His black hoodie sleeves were rolled up, his pale hands dotted with orange. Will, predictably, had pumpkin pulp smeared on his cheek like war paint.

“You’ve been glaring at that thing for twenty minutes,” Will teased. “You’re supposed to carve into it, not through it with your mind.”

“I’m planning,” Nico muttered.

“That’s code for ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’”

“Do you ever stop talking?”

“Not when I’m having fun with my boyfriend.”

That earned him a faint pink tint on Nico’s ears.

Will leaned over to peek. “Whoa. Okay, wait—yours is actually amazing.”

Nico’s pumpkin wasn’t goofy like Will’s. It had intricate swirls and shadowy details—tiny skeletal hands reaching toward a carved crescent moon. The light inside flickered through the cuts, painting shapes like dancing ghosts.

“It’s… dark,” Will said softly. “But beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled. “It’s supposed to be.”

Later, when the pumpkins were glowing on the porch and the campfire had dwindled to embers, Will tugged on Nico’s sleeve.

“Haunted hayride?” he asked, too cheerfully.

“You promised no crowds.”

“I bribed the Stolls. We get our own cart.”

Nico blinked. “…You bribed the Stolls?”

“Do you want to ask questions or do you want free cider?”

“…Cider.”

The hayride creaked through the woods, torches flickering gold against the trees. Somewhere in the distance, a satyr dressed as a ghost tripped over a pumpkin and screamed. Will was laughing so hard he nearly spilled his drink.

Nico huffed. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you love me for it.”

“Debatable.”

Will tucked the blanket tighter around them both anyway. “You cold?”

“I’m fine.”

“Liar.”

Nico didn’t argue when Will wrapped an arm around him, warmth radiating through the chilly night. The wagon bumped along the path, the stars flickering through the tree branches.

“Do you miss it?” Will asked quietly. “Halloween, before all this.”

Nico hesitated. “Sometimes. My mom used to let me eat as much candy as I wanted. Bianca would sneak me the chocolate because she didn’t like it too sweet.” His voice softened. “I didn’t really celebrate after that. Not until—”

“Not until me,” Will said gently, smiling.

Nico looked away, embarrassed but smiling faintly. “…Yeah. Not until you.”

The woods whispered around them, all shadows and golden leaves. Somewhere behind them, campers shrieked at another jump scare. Nico leaned against Will’s shoulder, just enough to count.

For the first time in years, he didn’t hate the holiday. He didn’t feel out of place or alone. He felt… grounded.

Whole.

Will’s fingers brushed his. “Happy Halloween, Death Boy.”

“Happy Halloween, Sunshine.”

The hayride rolled on, and behind them, their pumpkins still glowed on the porch—one cheerful and crooked, one elegant and haunting. Together, they flickered like a single heartbeat.

Chapter Text

Operation: Make the Hades Cabin Less Creepy

~~

It started with a council meeting.
(Technically, it was Will and Percy sitting on the dining pavilion steps while Piper handed out candy corn like it was sacred currency.)

“I’m just saying,” Will said, gesturing helplessly with a pumpkin-shaped cookie, “his cabin looks like a haunted dollhouse from a nightmare dimension.”

Percy shrugged. “It’s the Hades cabin. I thought that was the point.”

“But Halloween’s supposed to be fun,” Will groaned. “Ghosts and pumpkins, not… actual ghosts and skeletal demons."

“Maybe he likes it that way,” Annabeth suggested, though she looked intrigued by the concept of reorganizing the Underworld aesthetic.

Will slumped. “He’s been in a mood all week. I just thought maybe if we made it festive…”

“Festive?” Reyna echoed. “You want to decorate the cabin of a death god’s son. With fake ghosts.”

“Exactly.”

There was a collective pause.

Jason muttered, “This is going to end badly.”

Piper grinned. “So… what time do we start?”

Phase One: Jack-O-Lanterns and Regret

They began with the pumpkins.
Annabeth drew architectural sketches for “optimal pumpkin spacing.”
Percy and Jason gutted the gourds, making a mess of pumpkin slime all over the front steps.
Reyna stood guard, muttering, “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

Will worked carefully on carving one with a little sun and skull — it was “symbolic,” he said brightly.

They were mid-setup when the cabin door creaked open.

Nico stood in the doorway, wearing an oversized black hoodie, hair slightly mussed, eyes glowing faintly in the shadows.

“...What are you doing?” he asked flatly.

Will froze mid-carve. “Uh. Surprise?”

Nico stared at the mess of orange guts. At the fake cobwebs Percy was awkwardly draping across the door. At Annabeth balancing a glowing ghost on the roof.

Then his gaze slowly returned to Will.

Will gave him his best “please don’t summon the undead to eat me” smile. “Happy Halloween?”

Nico blinked once. Twice.
Then simply said, “You have ten minutes to clean this up before the ghosts get mad.”

And disappeared back inside.

Jason turned pale. “Wait— was he joking or—?”

A low groan rose from beneath the porch.

Percy yelped and dropped his pumpkin.

“HE WASN’T JOKING,” Piper screamed, bolting.

Phase Two: The Return of the Idiots

They came back the next day.
Because, in Will’s words, “He’s not mad, he’s just misunderstood.”

Annabeth muttered, “You mean hauntingly tolerant.”

This time, they brought fake ghosts. Bedsheets. Glow sticks. A plastic skeleton.

“See?” Will said cheerfully, hanging one from a low branch. “Wholesome fun!”

He turned just in time to see Jason carefully taping a paper bat to the door.

And that’s when the door opened on its own.

Annabeth jumped. “Was that—?”

A shadow flickered behind the threshold.

Then, very distinctly, a whisper.

“Get oooooooooouuuutttttt.”

Piper shrieked. Reyna actually swore in Latin. Percy tripped backward into a bush.

“Okay, that sounded too real!” Jason exclaimed, clutching the bat like a weapon.

Will, face paling, knocked on the door. “Nico? Babe? That was a great— uh— effect! Totally— totally spooky—”

The door creaked open wider.

No one was there.

Then a cold mist rolled out, curling across the porch steps like fingers.

“...Okay, I think we’ve angered something unholy,” Percy said.

From behind them came a voice. “Boo.”

Every single one of them screamed.

Nico was leaning casually against a tree, smirking. “You guys are really bad at this.”

Phase Three: The Counter-Attack

After that, it became a war.

Every time they tried to decorate, Nico countered.
They hung fake ghosts? He replaced them with actual spectral forms that moaned in Greek.
They set up jack-o-lanterns? They mysteriously rearranged themselves into a skull shape overnight.
They tried to hang twinkle lights? The bulbs flickered and spelled “Nice try, Solace.”

By the third day, even Reyna was in on it — not to help, but to bet drachma on who Nico would scare next.

Will tried one last time, alone, under the full moon. He tiptoed to the cabin porch, clutching a single ghost lantern.

He set it down carefully.

“Just a little festive touch,” he whispered.

The lantern flickered.

Then a skeletal hand reached out of the shadow and snuffed it out.

Will yelped, jumping backward.

And Nico’s laughter — soft and genuine — echoed through the mist.

Phase Four: Surrender (and a Little Light)

Later that night, Will found him sitting on the porch steps, the real jack-o-lanterns glowing faintly around them.

“I scared you good,” Nico said, smug.

Will sat beside him, heart still racing. “You terrified me. And everyone else.”

“Good. Maybe now they’ll stop invading my cabin.”

Will smiled despite himself. “You enjoyed it, though.”

Nico smirked. “Maybe a little.”

They sat quietly for a moment. The pumpkins cast warm orange light over Nico’s pale skin, and Will couldn’t help noticing the way his eyes softened in the glow.

“I was just trying to make it feel… less lonely,” Will said quietly.

Nico looked at him for a long moment. Then he nudged his knee lightly against Will’s. “It’s not lonely when you’re here.”

Will’s chest warmed. “So you forgive me?”

“For what? Decorating my cabin with things that can’t compete with my aesthetic?”

Will laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but a tiny smile tugged at his lips. “Next time, let me handle the haunting.”

“Deal,” Will said softly. “But maybe something less likely to traumatize Percy?”

“No promises.”

From the woods, a faint yelp echoed.
Percy’s voice carried through the night: “SOMETHING JUST TOUCH MY SHOULDER!!"

Nico smirked. “See? Halloween’s fun after all.”

Will leaned against him, smiling. “Only with you, death boy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Can’t help it, death boy.”

“Solace---”

“Boo,” Will whispered teasingly.

Nico groaned, burying his face in his hoodie — but Will swore he saw him smiling.