The Plan to Help Will Find His Solace

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TW: Self-deprecating talk
         (Please look after yourself)

Something was up with Will. He was spread far too thin at the infirmary, his skin was paler, he felt bonier when Nico hugged him and the bags under his eyes could hold a trolley's worth of shopping carts.

Most of the time Nico was the one with the problems or at least the obvious ones. Will was one to brush his feelings under the carpet and put on a reassuring, chirpy smile that no one really would have believed had it not been a smile for them.  He seemed to think that accepting that he wasn't always this sunny person who could fix everything for everyone was a bad thing and so he didn't. When Nico first met him, he'd assumed he was doing it to be annoying but it was affecting him far worse than it was affecting anyone else and Nico was his boyfriend so he had taken it upon himself to help.

Generally speaking, Nico had never had to worry about getting anyone through a particularly tough time except himself unless you counted immortal beings and his dead sister, which was less of a matter of a tough time and more a matter of... well, death. Even the times he was helping others it was more so that he could feel less terrible but now he was more mature than he was before and he was in more of a stable place. He could cope with lifting someone up other than himself and Nico was not one to give up easily (unless it didn't give him enough dopamine because then he would give up pretty quickly). (A/N *cough cough* me)

Nonetheless, he had made up his mind. He went to Kayla and Austin to get tips on how they cheered Will up when he wasn't feeling good but didn't get far. It turned out that the Apollo kids were great at medical care but absolutely abysmal at self-care. Never mind, he would rely on his own knowledge of his boyfriend. Nico sat down on his bed, pulled out a notebook and got to work.

The Plan to Help Will Find His Solace

The title was easy enough although Will probably wouldn't appreciate the joke.

Plan A: Canoe Ride

Around the time Apollo was Lester and the camp was a dumping ground for unwanted gods, Nico had suggested going on a canoe ride. In his mind it was a typical romantic gesture in Italian films where the couple contedly floated down a peaceful river in the sunlight and fell deeply in love. What actually happened was the canoe tipped over and they got soaked. Still, it was one of Nico’s favourite memories and he hoped it was one of Will’s too.

That afternoon he rushed to the infirmary at the end of Will’s shift and surprised him with a date. Will's weary but loving smile was enough to spur him on. Nico hadn’t expected to be a romantic but the truth was that both of them were sappier than Aphrodite.

He took Will’s hand, marvelling at the way it fitted perfectly in his, and pulled him along to the river with a knowing smirk. They stopped in front of the canoe and Nico squeezed Will’s hand.

"Want a redo?" he asked. Will grinned and nodded.

They spent half an hour together just talking, laughing and splashing each other. Will looked sort of relaxed until one of his siblings came crashing through the forest and yelled that they needed help in the infirmary.

"Sorry, angel," Will apologised. Nico frowned and lifted Will’s hands to his lips.

"Take care of yourself," he said. Will nodded and ran off. Nico sighed. Plan A was a bust.

Plan B: Picnic

A picnic was sure to bring back some memories. Their first official date was a picnic in the middle of the woods finally unbothered by everyone. Nico set everything up just like he did the first time (he was never asking the nymphs for help again) and ended up quite pleased with his work.

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