"WILL! COME ON! PLEASE TALK TO ME!" Nico knew Will could be anywhere, anywhere possibly in the world-but he was in the forest looking for him.
Nico turned around as he heard a leaf crunch behind him. He found that as he kept turning, steps continued sounding from behind him. So he stopped moving.
"Will?"
"Why would you look for me? I lied, Nico. I know I'm a piece of shit. I can't do anything right even after death. Go on about your life."
"Did you lie when you said you were in love with me?" Nico asked.
"No. But that doesn't... I'm just a bother to you, Nico. Don't worry about that."
"How did you die, Will?"
There's a beat of absolute silence.
"They haven't figured that out yet, huh?"
"How did you die?"
"I bet you figured it out. The lack of outer wound should make it easy."
"How did you die, Will?" Nico repeated, because Will still wasn't answering the question and he wanted to hear it come out of his mouth.
"Overdose suicide."
"Why?"
That wasn't a question Will expected.
"I just... I... I don't know what to tell you, Nico."
"Then why did you lie?"
"Because I didn't want my family to feel bad or blame themselves. And since they've always seen me as a hero, and since everyone's expected to die as one, I did. I didn't think it through."
"So what do you expect to happen now, Will?"
"I disappear and I don't have to see the results. I don't have to see what happens, just like I planned before I got too attached to you. People are pissed at me for a while before forgetting." Will finally made himself visible, standing in front of Nico.
"Come to Hades cabin." Nico decides, "One hour, at least."
"Why?"
"Will, please. Just you and I."
Another beat of silence as Will has to think.
"Fine."
Nico and Will are soon sat in Hades cabin, alone in temporary silence.
"What about me? Us?" Nico finally questions.
"You don't need me, Nico. I'll leave you alone."
"I love you, Will."
"You were forced to be near me for a while, and that was based near entirely on a lie-we wouldn't have even interacted if it wasn't for a lie, Nico."
"That doesn't change the fact we exchanged I-love-yous and then you just left." Nico got closer to Will as he spoke, as they both sat on a bed in the cabin.
"Nico, I do love you, but really, you can get over me. You deserve better than just some liar that you can't even touch. Doesn't even have a heartbeat."
Nico put his hand up against Will's chest. He would feel the texture of his shirt if Will wasn't a ghost.
Nico sat directly next to Will, looking him in the golden eyes. They would be blue if Will wasn't a ghost.
Nico put his hand over Will's. It would be resting on Will's if he wasn't a ghost.
And he leaned forward, expecting to feel nothing more than air against his lips.
Instead, Nico felt someone kissing him.
He felt a hand underneath his.
He opened his eyes and was met with sky blue ones.
"Will," Nico said the name quietly, softly, as though it could shatter, "You have a heartbeat."