Solangelo

Chapter Two

Nico looked at Will who had gotten antiseptic and stitches from outside. He had offered to talk to Nico. Most people were either scared of him, forgot him, or hated him.

"Now, Death Boy," Will said, the last stitch complete, "You are going to eat and then sleep." Nico opened his mouth to protest, "Doctor's orders."
"Don't call me Death Boy."

Will ignored him in favour of taking a tray he had kept on the bedside table and putting it in front of Nico. Nico couldn't look at the food. The smell of it alone made him want to throw up. He had nothing in him to throw up but that didn't matter, "Are you okay?" Will asked, from what felt like a million miles away. He nodded, waiting for Will to leave but he didn't. "I'm staying till you go to sleep."

"Don't you have other patients?"
"I have siblings who are taking care of them, you are my number one priority. Besides, it's what any friend would do." Friend. Will considered him a friend. "We're friends whether you like it or not." He said, a hint of a Texan accent making it's way into his voice.
"Why would you want to be my friend."
"Why wouldn't I?" Maybe because you're nice and I'm me?? Nico thought, but he didn't voice it.

Will would never tell him the real reason. He would take it to his grave. When he was twelve years old in the archery range, doing an absolutely horrid job at getting the arrow to even once close to the target, there was a shout and the literal sun chariot crashed into the Canoe Lake. Out of it came Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace and another boy. He looked happy, a light in his eyes. Nico di Angelo.

Will had wanted to know more about him since that day, even though he would never tell anyone. He felt this pull to Nico, even when he saw the light go nearly out he felt as if Nico was a magnet and he was iron. When he saw Nico on the battlefield, savage grin and sword at the ready, he knew that now was his chance to talk to him. To be his friend.

Nico's eyes started to shut, the tray of brisket still in his lap untouched. He couldn't bear the smell and he didn't fall asleep fast enough because two second later, right before his eyes were close to shutting, they flew open and he threw up.

He looked in horror at the floor, covered in his bile but more and more came out of his mouth. Everything he had ever eaten was now on the floor. It was on the floor. Shit shit shit shit. Will wasn't yelling, though. Not yelling at him even though he had a perfectly good reason. instead he rubbed circles in Nico's back, holding him. Bracing him.

"Come on, Nico." he said, after what felt like an eternity of Nico emptying his guts on the floor, "Wash up and I'll get this cleaned up." There were tears in Nico's eyes, "It's okay." And so Nico walked shakily over to the bathroom joined to the room he was in now, spitting out anything that could still be in his mouth and washing his face. What was happening to him? 

The harpy gave Will one last dirty look before disappearing and when Nico came out he looked ashamed of himself, unable to meet eyes with Will. "I'm sorry." He said, the words loaded with fear.
"For what? Nico I'm a doctor. I've seen people shit their pants. You throwing up on the floor was something that's happened, what, the fifth time today, you haven't got anything to be sorry about. You know that, right?" 

Nico couldn't meet his eyes as he fidgeted with his dirty t-shirt, the My Chemical Romance symbol hidden under layers of dirt, almost unrecognisable. "I can't- I can't eat." He looked everywhere but at Will and the realisation dawned on him. 

"That's okay, Nico. You should have told me. There is nothing wrong with that." Nico still couldn't look at him, "Eating can be hard. It's healthy, and it's good for you but it can be hard."

Nico looked at him finally and there was pain in his eyes, clear and sharper than a knife. "You don't understand. I want to eat but . . . okay, so you don't know this but I was locked in a bronze jar by two giants for months. I was only alive because of pomegranate seeds and ever since then I've not been able to eat. The first month I figured I'd get over it, but it's month two of no food and . . . I don't know."

"How have you been living?"
"I eat and then I throw up but some food still remains."
"That must be painful."
"It's fine," Nico said, walls back up, "What's worse is that I lost my favourite jacket." The joke didn't land but Will understood the sign.
"Well, again. Talk to me if you ever feel like it. Day or night. Now you should sleep, though. Doctor's orders. And if you want food, you can tell me and I'll bring you some."