An Extended Visit

Days Lost Count

So I would apologize for taking so long to update but since I'm pretty sure no one reads this, I don't think I have to. This should be the end, but there's a slight possibility all add a stand alone that fits chronologically between the previous chapter and this one.

"So, Nico, ready for your first game of capture the flag of the season?" Jason asked Nico, as they geared up for the upcoming game, the last one of the summer.

"So ready. Will hasn't let me near the game all summer, and now that it's about to end I have finally been deemed healthy enough," Nico responded, thinking back over the summer, and all the time he had spent with Will, full time care followed by constant check ups and eventually just sleeping in there a couple of weeks, in case another shadowfication episode occurred. But he had been set free two weeks ago, and finally, Nico was able to play capture the flag.

From the brief amount of time Nico had spent at camp before he learned that Bianca had died, he always really wanted to win a game, given that Bianca had been on the winning team of his first game. Back then, Nico wanted nothing more than to be as good as her. Since then, he had become a bit more ambitious, and hoped to take the flag in order to prove something to Will. That he didn't need looking after.

After Jason and Nico had their armor on they went to join the rest of their team, which included the Athena cabin and Percy Jackson, as well as some other less participative cabins with a few active members, like Piper from Aphrodite. Annabeth layed out the plan, to which Nico would be playing offensive, though Percy getting the flag was a clear part of Annabeth's plan, and considering that when it wasn't Percy never followed the plan, it was probably good thinking on Annabeth's part. Both teams headed to the woods, screaming affirmations at each other and taunts to their opposition.

"Nico, you know where you're going, right?" Annabeth asked, before Nico got the chance to disappear.

"200 feet west of Zeus' Fist. I got it, Annabeth, don't worry about me."

"Sure you can find it on your own, I mean I can spare someone to send out with you…"Annabeth looked really unsure of Nico.

"Don't you trust me? It's okay. I've been here before, remember?"

"Yeah, okay, yeah. I guess you should get going," Annabeth replied, looking apologetic, and Nico turned in the other direction to head to his spot, and basically attack anyone from the red team that comes across him. He trekked through the woods, until he could hardly see where their flag was, despite knowing the location exactly. It wasn't long after that until he hit Zeus' fist, and from there Nico adjusted to his spot.

"Come on guys, we can do this!" Nico heard someone sounding very familiar right through the bushes.

"Do what? We're just defense. Ares kids always get the good jobs in this game…" The red team! And that was clearly a girl's voice, who Nico was sure he'd heard before…Cecil and Lou Ellen! Nico was sure of it. Although, he didn't really like the idea of fighting them, so Nico just let them be, and waited to see if any bigger threats arrived.

"Hey, guys, where'd you go?" Nico overheard, and this one he knew without thinking. Will. Though Nico was aware that Will was not the best fighter, and neither was Cecil, he started to feel the risk of standing there, and decided to fight before he got captured and taking prisoner by the red team. He slashed through the bush he stood behind, and started fencing with his three opponents at once.

"Nico? What were you doing there? And why don't you have back-up. I specifically asked Annabeth--"

"Seriously Will? It's a game! Can't you just play along. Not to mention, you said I was good to play, that I would be able to do this one. Did you really mean it, or were you planning on me having someone out here the entire time?"

Even as they talked, they fenced--Cecil had already dropped, and Lou Ellen was coming close, and Will was still nowhere near beating Nico.

And, despite everything,  that made Nico smile. It had been a long time since he had been in a traditional sword fighting match, and even though his opponents weren't the best, they outnumbered him and he was still creaming them. Nico was proud of himself.

Will on the other hand, was not. "Just because I said you were ready to play the game, doesn't mean you should go in alone. And that's not just a you thing. Nobody is supposed to come out here alone!"

"Well, I've spent more time alone out here than I've spent with anyone in camp. So I'm not too concerned," And Nico continued sparring, though by now it was just him and Will. It always seemed to end up being just the two of them.

"I know, Nico, I know. But I told you--I don't want you to have to be alone anymore. Ever. I just... I care about you too much," Will said, as he surrendered the fight, for which Nico was grateful. He wouldn't have been able to continue after Will said that.

"I still don't get it Will. You spent all summer making sure I was healthy, even at times dropping other patients, patients that needed you, for me,"

Will cut in there, "If I didn't think one of my siblings could handle it, I wouldn't have."

"Still. You watched over me a lot more than is necessary. Or is typical. Why did you do it? Why do you do it?"

"I told you. Every life is worth saving."

"Yeah, but... did you really need that much time to do that? I mean, really?"

"When you came to camp, you were sick. You were becoming shadow and you were weak and you were significantly underfed. Getting you better from there, honestly,  took about a week and a half, and maybe some meal monitoring. But it wasn't just that. You were still stressed and scared after what you'd been through. Still depressed from everything that's happened. And so I kept you in the infirmary so you wouldn't get too bad. Someone was always there when you had a nightmare. You had someone to talk to when you freaked out. It was really important that you had someone, Nico. And honestly? I liked spending time with you. I liked being there for you. Does that answer your question?"

"Other people have been through worse than me."

"No, you might think that, even hope that so you're not the worst, but out of everyone I've seen come through this camp, you've needed help more than any of them."

"So it was just that?  The idea of helping me, not actually...me?"

"Isn't that what you want? To be alone? Don't you hate it here?"

"No, I...I like it. Especially with you."

"I like it with you," Will responded, and looked around to someone screaming. A flag turned blue, and a trident came on it. Of course, Percy Jackson got the flag.

The two laughed, amused at the fact that they forgot about the capture the flag game going on.

"I win." Nico said, quietly but smiling.

Will looked at Nico, with adoration in his eyes, and chuckled softly and Nico's almost childish remark. "Me too."