The Solangelo Collection

Personal Heater

Nico was cold.

He was always cold, if he was being honest. But that didn't change the fact that he was still cold. It wasn't even truthfully fall - most of the campers hadn't left camp yet.

A large piece of fabric smacked Nico in the face. Grunting, Nico pulled it off and examined the object to find that it was Will's jacket. Which happened to be green. Not... quite Nico's style.

"Stop making that face and wear it. I know you're cold," Will said. He hadn't even bothered to look up at him, or at least Nico didn't see it. They were in the infirmary finishing up the last bit of work before the shift change for the day. Will was going through some files, and Nico was standing productively nearby.

"It's green," Nico mumbled, but he still put it on. It was a tad too big for him, but it did provide a little warmth.

He was still cold though.

Nico stood quietly, waiting, when Will huffed almost impatiently. He stood up, turning towards Nico with his eyebrows drawn together. "What's your problem?" Nico asked, though there was no fire behind it, just curiosity. Suddenly, Nico was enveloped into a hug. He let out a shout of injustice before realizing how warm Will was.

"Why are you always cold?" Will asked, resting his chin on the top of Nico's head.

Nico rolled his eyes, even though Will wouldn't be able to see. "I'm the Ghost King," Nico muttered, his face squished against Will's shoulder.

"Mhm. I see. What if we go see if they have any warmer clothes at the gift shop? Our shift is over."

"Fine."

They packed up their stuff, which really was just a backpack for each of them (Nico's bag had a hidden candy pocket which was mostly supplied by Kayla), and headed on their way.

The sun outside provided a hint of warmth, soaking into Nico's black clothes, but it wasn't quite enough. His fingers still ached with the coldness of his bones. Nico fleetingly wondered if he wore black for the aesthetic or for the extra heat that it would provide in sunlight.

He decided it was both.

The gift store, to no one's surprise, did not have warmer clothes. Nico missed his aviator jacket. Sighing slightly, Nico pulled Will's jacket off and handed it back to him. "Thank you for lending me that, but I'm going to go grab a blanket and take a nap somewhere. You woke me up way too early anyways."

Will looked at Nico, his eyes squinted in thought. Suddenly, Will walked in front of Nico, put his hands behind his back like he was gearing to jump, and bent his knees slightly. Nico looked upon this sight, bewildered.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a piggyback ride to your cabin." Will's response was so incredibly nonchalant, Nico had to stifle a laugh. "Come on, let's go Death Boy."

This time Nico really did laugh, trying to keep his balance as Will stood up and wrapped his arms through Nico's arms. Nico leaned forward slightly as Will began to walk to Cabin 13.

Will was warm. Very warm. They seemed to balance each other out perfectly. Nico felt himself dozing off, his face resting on Will's shoulder. His nose and fingers felt warm for the first time in a long time, and Nico found himself smiling.

Nico was woken up by being unceremoniously dropped onto his bed. Pushing away one of the pillows that had flipped onto his face, he blinked drowsily, trying to connect the dots. His dot connecting was stopped short, however, when a blanket hit him in the face.

"You fell asleep, Mr. Ghost King," Will said, humor lacing his words. "You almost fell off of me. Scared Piper a little bit too." Nico grimaced, wondering if he should apologize to her later. "So, I've decided to prescribe you with a nap."

Nico raised an eyebrow quizzically. Will usually advised against naps, saying that it would mess up his sleep schedule. "A nap?"

"Yes, a nap. You get all warm and bundled and I'll go... do an arts and crafts project to give you after your nap," Will said, seemingly proud of his decision.

Nico could already feel the cold seeping back into his bones, the tip of his nose beginning to chill and his fingers starting to creak. Should he ask? Maybe it was dumb but Nico was cold and Will was warm...

Screw it.

"What if you took a nap with me?" Nico suggested quietly. Will's mouth opened for a second, then shut before a small grin took over his features.

"Is it because I'm warm?"

"No."

"It totally is."

"No it's not."

"You love meeee."

"I'll kick you out of the cabin," Nico warned, but he felt himself grinning.

"Are you sure your dad will like that though?" Will asked, crossing his arms. "I don't want to die prematurely."

Nico and Will both jumped as a loud pop could be heard in the cabin. Glancing over the side of the bed, Nico's face broke out into a huge smile.

Seemingly from the ground, an extra pillow had appeared. It was incredibly fluffy looking, encased in black silk with golden thread. Nico grabbed it and held it up for Will to see. "I don't think he minds much."

Will crawled under the covers, opening his arms to allow Nico to choose whether or not he wanted to be held. Nico scooted into Will's arms happily, squishing his face against his chest and wrapping his arms around Will's torso. They laid in silence for a movement, both relaxing into each other's embrace.

Nico realized how at ease he felt there, in Will's arms. He was warm. He was safe.

He was loved.

"Your nose is cold," Will said quietly.

"Shut up, Solace."