As Different as Night and Day

Nico

So I appreciate all of the fantastic ideas that you have come up with for me and I will probably end up using most of them but for this chapter there was one in particular submitted by  @The_sunniest_angels . I'm sorry I didn't get this out earlier but I fell asleep while writing and didn't wake up until noon so...SORRY! Also WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY READS AND VOTES??? AHHH I LOVE YOU GUYS PLATONICALLY!!

I stood up almost as soon as they tried to push me down. Their harsh words were less difficult to ignore than the punches but they still messed with my head. I ducked and grabbed one of their arms and managed to flip them but the other one just attacked with more vigor. My assailants had managed to get me into the fighting arena so it looked like we were practicing. But, If someone were to come close enough, they would hear insults that were not only said out of frustration.

The second person landed a blow on my jaw and then knocked me to the ground. I started to get back up but they scooped me into their arms in such a way that I could do nothing except for wriggle which was almost useless. They laughed as I tried to get out, flailing my legs and struggling to free my arms so I could show them how much I despised them.

His scratchy voice taunted me. "Awww. Is poor Nico hurt? Do you need Will to come and save you?"

In response, I spat in his face. He shouted in disgust and dropped me to wipe the spit off. I took off as soon as I hit the ground. I could hear him shouting after me and his friends moans of pain as he came back to.

I ran past all the cabins and to the start of the strawberry fields. There was a little house next to the infirmary and I rushed inside. I collapsed on the ground breathing hard. I felt a warm tongue on my face and cracked a smile. It was Sunshine. She was now being trained as a therapy dog but today was her day off. She lay down next to me and I curled up with her, petting her fur in contemplation.

Will could not find out about it because he would explode. I had to figure out how to handle it on my own. No one messed with me and got away with it. If only I knew that I could talk to the Stolls without Will hearing about it.

"Sunshine what am I going to do?" I sighed. I got a bark in response and smiled. "That isn't very helpful for the situation at hand."

"What situation?" I looked up and notice Will standing in the doorway crouched down to see inside the dog house. I sat up and he entered. Luckily the house was big enough to accommodate Will's need for space. He sat down next to me, our backs against the farthest wall from the entry. Sunshine greeted Will with a lick on the face and then left to go sit outside. It was almost like she was giving us some privacy

"Nothing much just..." I waved my hands around as if that would help me come up with an answer. "...something."

"Well can I help? You know how good I am at helping people think." He slid even closer to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"I feel like my thoughts are going to be a little distracted right now..." I swung myself up and onto his lap so that I was facing him. His cheeks were turning red and I leaned forward to kiss them but before I could Will yelped something about needing to be somewhere doing some other thing with a thing. He stood so abruptly that I fell to the floor and he hit his head on the ceiling so hard that I'm pretty sure everyone in the infirmary heard it. He then ran out, thumping his head on the door frame. I got up and went after him but he was already leaving. What was going on?

Sunshine came back inside, picked up a toy and dropped it in my lap. I smiled half-heartedly at her and went outside so I could play with her. After a while my arm started to ache and Sunshine seemed like she was getting tired so I said goodbye and went back to the cabins.

Once I got to the Apollo cabin, I went back to the room and lay on the bed. Not long after Will came in looking at me sheepishly. "I can explain but then you have to tell me what the something was okay?"

I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. "I have a feeling that you're going to tell me even if I don't agree to the terms and conditions."

"That is absolutely incorrect."

"I'm sure"

"I hate it when you do that sarcasticy voice thing."

"So eloquently put Will. I applaud you on that."

"Stop it!"

"I can't stop. However, if you explain, I would be willing to negotiate a deal in which I stop doing."

"Ha! WILL-ing. Get it?"

"Dork"

"That's Doctor Dork to you"

"Alright Doctor Dork explain your lack of manners, won't you?"

"I may be gambling again..."

"Will. We've talked about this. What was it this time?"

"Lou Ellen bet me five drachmas that I couldn't go ten minutes without um kissing you?"

"Will if you are stating a fact don't make it sound like a question."

"I'm sorry"

"Also...bad Will!"

As we talked, he had moved to sit at the edge of the bed. I leaned forward and slapped his shoulder lightly. "But you won, right?"

"Yeah! I have the fruits of my labor right here." He produced five gold coins from his pocket and I held my hand out for them. "If I let you keep them, that would be like rewarding bad behavior."

"But it's mine!"

"No sir. They are not yours. They are ill-gotten and therefore do not belong to you."

"Why do you hate me?"

"I'm doing this because I love you. Now hand them over please." I reached for the coins and he gave me the stink eye but he released them into my hand. I put them away while he pouted on the bed. When I came back, He turned around and refused to look at me.

"Oh Will?"

"Hmph"

"Awww are you going to ignore me? Because I could really use a hug right about now." I wasn't just saying that to get him to stop being a baby. I actually needed him to hold me. But alas, he remained with his back to me.

"I had a really bad day and I just want one of your amazing hugs" I had a hard time not smiling when he turned towards me quickly. Immediately he turned from pouty four-year-old to loving concerned boyfriend. He nearly tackled me with a hug and fired questions at me so rapidly they barely had time to register in my mind. His accent thickened so much he was barely understandable. G's were being dropped and grammar was completely thrown out of the window.

"You okay sweetie? What happened? Was it just a bad day or did someone make it bad? Do I need to beat someone up? 'Cause I can do that if anyone needs a beatin' just tell me an' they are beat to a powder. Sweetie y'know you can tell me everythin' that happened an' I can go right on a fix it fur ya okay? Please tell me what I can do to make everythin' all better." I laughed a little and let his warmth envelope me.

"It's nothing I can't handle I just need comfort is all." He pulled back a little so he could look me in the eyes. It was difficult to hold back the truth when he did that.

"Nico, we have been through so much together. It feels like you're lyin' to me if you don't tell me what the Hades happened. I need to know please." He stared directly at me and I felt as if he could see directly into my soul. I shook my head no and rested my forehead on his chest. The dinner bell rang and He looked at me skeptically "You get away with it this time but I will get the truth out of you."