Solangelo 2

Part 16

WILL

Nico never intimidated me. At least, not in any way other than me being incredibly attracted to him and getting flustered whenever he was close. My siblings always questioned how I was never afraid of him like everyone else. I just never was.
But his friends terrify me. Percy alone was bad enough; Nico used to have a crush on him, he beat Ares in a fight when he was twelve, he saved the world - multiple times. He looks like a god, putting aside the fact he literally had the chance to become one.
Annabeth was less intimidating, oddly, because she exudes confidence. But she was still a lot for me to handle. Jason and Piper, both kind, but both saved the world. Now Hazel, Nico's sister, who has the potential to change Nico's whole perception of me, and Frank, her quiet and impossible to read boyfriend.
Reyna, I think, is the one I struggle around the most. Nico told me how much time they spent together when transporting the statue of Athena. The things they went through. Nico values her incredibly highly. And she runs the whole Roman camp. And Nico considers her one of his closest friends.
Nico sits a couple seats down, talking to Hazel. He seems so at ease with her. I like seeing him so relaxed, so comfortable. And he has a much softer side when he's around her.
'He's far kinder than anyone initially thinks.' Reyna says, sitting down beside me.
'Nico?' I clarify, 'I know.'
'When He first came to my camp, I didn't trust him. And I guess I was right not to. He was a spy.' She says, thinking it over. Her voice is low and commanding. I can't help but listen to everything she says, 'I didn't truly get to know him until we had to. When we were moving the statue. I assume Nico told you about it.'
'He has. It...the things you guys went through...I can't imagine.' I say, looking to Nico.
'I wouldn't give it up.' She says, 'It allowed me to know Nico.'
'He talks about you a lot.' I say, looking to her. She stills looks to Nico, 'not just about what you guys went through. Just about you. About books you told him to read, and things you said.' She finally meets my eyes, 'he really thinks a lot of you.'
'I'm honoured he does. He's the best of all of us.' She says, 'I think you know that too.'
'I do.' I say, 'you're not going to do another one of those if you hurt Nico I'll kill you threats are you?' She laughs a little, She has a kind laugh.
'Not anymore.' She says, 'I guess you've had it from all of them?' She nods to everyone else, scattered around the room.
'More or less. Hazel kind of just stared me down.' I say, 'it's nice to know so many people care about him though. I don't think anyone's given Nico that talk about me.'
'I don't think anyone could really threaten Nico.' She says, smiling slightly, 'and, truly, I don't think he could hurt anyone.'
'I know.' I say. The way she talks about Nico, so kindly and carefully, is so refreshing. It's so nice to hear someone love Nico as I do. She cares about him so much, 'there's...he'll be okay, won't he?'
'We've survived far more than this.' She says. It's not an answer, by its comforting still.
'What are you two talking about?' Nico asks, having left Hazel and wandered over to us. He rests his arms around my shoulders, and his chin on my head, leaning over me as I sit beside Reyna. I loosely hold his hands, glad he's back.
'Nothing much, just some embarrassing stories about you.' Reyna says, 'standard things.'
'She's joking. Is she joking?' He asks, looking at me. I smile and raise my eyebrows. I grab his waist and pull him round to sit beside me. It's a tight fit, but we both manage to sit on the chair.
'We were just chatting.' I say.
'All good things.' Reyna says, leaning back and smiling.
'Apart from the bad things.'
'Oh yeah, the bad things were pretty bad.' She agrees. Nico is smiling too now. The fear of what will happen to him is pushed aside momentarily. It doesn't exist for now, 'Alright, I need to run some things through with Frank. But first, Nico.' She says, suddenly very serious. She stares at him and I suddenly get a little scared of what she'll say, 'if you hurt Will, I'll kill you.'
Nico looks a little taken aback. He looks to me and smiles slightly, a little bewildered, 'right.' He says, laughing, 'noted. I will not be hurting Will.'
She nods and winks at me, walking away. Nico turns to me and raises his eyebrows, 'so I guess you and Reyna are friends now.'
'I guess so.' I say, 'I like how much she cares about you.'
'We went through a lot.' He says, leaning his head on my shoulder, his legs draped over mine, arms entwined, 'I wouldn't be alive without her.'
'Well then, I'm very grateful to her.' I say, quiet. Nico turns to me, kisses me softly, quickly.
'I won't hurt you.' He says, 'you know I couldn't.'
'I know.' I say, pushing the hair out of his eyes, 'I won't hurt you either.'