Solangelo One-Shots

Baby Steps

Baby Steps

a coda fic that takes place right after the events of The Blood of Olympus

or

While Nico spends his time in the infirmary as per doctor's orders, he discovers that there may be a little...something between him and said Doctor Solace.

edit: hey guys! thanks for enjoying this fic and stuff. later on, this fic mentions the sexuality 'pansexual' which has generated some discourse (in which i replied to most recently [timestamp 2018], which are my current thoughts about it). i'd really appreciate it if people don't continue the discourse in the comments, and you are always free to message me in case you have any thoughts about it that you want to discuss with me! thanks!

It was a common rumour amongst the younger demigods at Camp Half-Blood that Hades' offspring could sense each individual's flickering life spark as if it were a flame. It was also a common rumour that they could extinguish it like snuffing out a weak flame if they desired it to be so. Nico could easily prove it false, but it wasn't like he stuck around long enough in social groups for them to reveal this piece of information.

Though it would have been an interesting ability to have, he mused.

Each life flame was said to have their own unique spark. If the rumour was actually true, then Will's life flame was the brightest and warmest thing that Nico's cold fingers has ever touched. Every time the other boy was nearby, the wisps of shadows that clung desperately to Nico's body was cast away and he was warmed by the caring touch of the sunlight.

Not to mention the skeletal butterflies in the stomach that woke up every time Will even glanced his way.

Gods, Nico was completely whipped.

He didn't like human contact meeting against his bare skin or even between clothed material for that matter, but he found himself inching as close as he dared to Will every time the concerned boy checked up on Nico's welfare.

"I'm completely fine," Nico groused, but he was secretly flattered by the attention Will was paying him. He tried to get into a sitting position, grimacing and hoping that his elbow wouldn't chose this exact moment to literally embrace the darkness.

"No, you are most definitely not," the persistent boy said, pushing Nico back down onto the infirmary bed with a firm but gentle palm on his shoulder. The butterflies went wild in his stomach; skeletal wings fluttering and slamming against his rib cage. It was all he could do not to gasp out loud.

A more cynical part of him whispered not to get any closer to Will than he already had. Right now, he didn't need another Big Gay Crush on a Not So Gay demigod. Though Nico had never seen Will express interest in other girls, he couldn't be completely sure. Besides Nico had only ever seen Will in warzone or in the infirmary and neither places called for romance.

Or maybe that was because a part of Nico was still stuck in the 1940's. Nevertheless, he would be playing it safe for now. He fell back onto the bed with a soft oof before looking down at the sheets and refusing to meet Will's eyes. "When you said that I would be spending the next three days in the infirmary, I didn't actually think I was going to lie helplessly in a bed while you mother hen all over me."

Will laughed softly. There was a period of silence before Will spoke again, his words shaky and nervous. "Well, I can't let an adorable son of Hades disappear on me any time soon."

Nico looked up sharply in surprise only to catch Will's panicked expression before the boy scrambled away quickly to tend another patient who had been groaning loudly about his leg for the past ten minutes.