It was only a week after the fight with Gaea, and I was lying in my new bed in the Hades Cabin.

My cabin was dark as usual, yet the curtains were open because a certain Son of Apollo had made me saying it was "good for my health" vitamin D, blah blah blah.

The shadows seemed to drift across the room regardless, and my bed was about as far away from the sunlight as I could possibly get it. I didn't want to wake up and first thing in the morning have a blinding sun in my eyes, no thanks.

Throughout the camp there seemed to be an unsettling silence, it was the end of August and most people were heading to school and/or college (Travis Stoll for example), that and all of the deaths in the camp seemed to have a way of humbling everybody to silence. Not that I minded really, just...being used to the energetic, loud, in-your-face type of style that the Greek camp had, and being here now was a bit weird. Morbid in fact. As if it was trying to mimic the dead.

Then again, it could just be the fact I was alone in my dark, musty cabin.

As if on cue, there was a knock on my door.

With a inaudible sigh, I got up from my comfortable bed and pulled on my black shirt with a skull on it. Actually, black shirts with skulls on them included about ninety percent of my clothes now that I thought about it. Ah, whatever.

I walked over to the door and opened it up to find none other than Will Solace standing there with his usual easy-going grin. "Hey Nico, mind if I come in?" "You'll come in regardless of what I say." I muttered, rolling my eyes as I stepped aside to allow room in the doorway for the tall Son of Apollo to step into the Cabin.

"That I would have, but it's polite to ask first." He admitted with a shrug.

Without asking, he walked over to the nearest bed (which happened to be my own) and plopped down onto it before stretching out like a cat. He lay down on his side, facing me, and propped his head up with his left hand. "Is there something you need?" I asked, closing the door to keep out the August heat as I leaned on the wall near to it with my arms folded across my chest.

"Would you believe me if I told you I came just to see a friend?" He asked, and I rolled my eyes.

That question sounded about as ludicrous as leprechauns being real.

"I wouldn't believe anybody if they said that." I replied, with a slight scowl. Was he just messing with me?

He sat up on his bed, swinging his legs over the side as he stared at me quietly for a second. "I think being in this cabin has made you dense again." "Will, I'm fine," I replied stiffly, gesturing to the door.

He stood up, nearly six inches taller than me (curse you height difference) and walked past me opening up the door. "I'm telling you to go on a walk, doctor's orders. I can write a note." I sighed deeply, "Will, I just got out of three days in the infirmary because of 'doctor's orders'."

He shrugged innocently, "And you thought I was joking." Will said, laughing.

I didn't laugh.

"Mhm. Anyhow, how would this be doctor's orders?" I asked, rubbing my eyes and he tapped his chin as if he hadn't thought of that. "Well, the infirmary was for physical health, this is for the improvement of your mental health."

At that I let out a chuckle. Since when have I, Nico di Angelo, had good mental health? I get upset and the grass withers around me, I get angry and skeleton zombies burst forth from the ground. I'm not exactly what therapists would call "stable".

He hadn't moved from the doorway, this stupidly stubborn Son of Apollo wasn't budging. He seriously either wanted to walk with me (doubtful), or thought that that this would help me (again, doubtful). We were at a stalemate, each one of us didn't want to back down, even if it was over something as trivial as a walk. There was an odd determination Will had about him, a bit like Percy, but he didn't doubt his decisions as much.

"Get out of my cabin, Solace, you're letting my cold air out." I replied, rolling my eyes as I stepped outside of the doorway and into the hot August heat and he stared at me surprised for a moment. "I...didn't think it would be that easy." He muttered, before grinning again. Was it that my eyes deceived me or were those tiny dimples on the corners of his mouth? Damn those are adorable.

He stepped out past me, closing the door behind him as he glanced at the green flames in the torches hanging next to my door. "Are you ever going to change them?" "Maybe with the holidays, I was thinking green and red for Christmas." I replied, with a straight face and his lit up like a light bulb.

"Really?"

"No."

We walked in a small silence, me with my hands shoved in my pockets when I realized something. "I forgot my sword at the cabin." Will raised an eyebrow at me, "I don't think you have to worry about your swords. Might I remind you that you have the powers to raise an entire army of zombies. Not that I would recommend you do that, seeing as though you almost faded into darkness a week ago."

"Not going to let me live that down, huh?" I asked looking up at him, again I hated our height difference. The only other guy who was my height was Leo. Was. Now I didn't even have that luxury.

I missed the mechanic, there was something behind his eyes, a loneliness that seemed to consume him. A feeling of never quite being on the same level of the demigods around him. Those were things I understood all too well, I had felt all of those things before. Still did. There was always somebody more chivalrous than me, more heroic, self-sacrificing, a better healer, better at fighting, better at compassion...

"Nico." Will said, tapping my shoulder with his hand, "The grass," he stated, and I shook my head.

When I looked down, sure enough the grass had turned yellow around my feet. "Sorry, just thinking." "Thinking about what?" Will asked and looked down at me as we walked in the direction of the docks.

"Now, I'm not a mind reader," he started, "but I figure you've got a bunch of not-so-pleasant thoughts." "Putting it simply, yes." I replied, the Demeter children were definitely going to yell at me for messing up the grass with my mood.

Another thing in my life to look forward to!

We got to the docks and the sun was low on the horizon, giving red and orange crests to the gentle waves. I glanced around and saw Jason Grace and Piper McLean walking by the pavilion.

Jason caught my gaze and nodded to Will, who (thank Hades) hadn't noticed Jason over his shoulder. Jason raised an eyebrow which meant: What are you doing with him...? And I gave my head a small shake telling him I didn't want to talk about it. He shrugged and Piper noticed me before giving me a wave. I gave her a one handed wave back, not wanting to be rude. Then Will noticed and gave a wave as well.

When he turned around he poked my arm. "And you say you don't have any friends."

I sighed and folded my arms against my chest, "Well, they're part of the Argo II crew, I couldn't get rid of them if I tried."

"What, so you don't consider me a friend either?" He asked, with a dramatic gasp as he put his hand over his heart.

Will, your Apollo is showing.

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the deck, crossing my legs. "I've let them all down at one point. I've disappointed all off my friends at one point, so forgive me but I don't want to do the same to you."

He sat down as well, looking out over the water. His sandy blond hair looked pink and his pale blue eyes looked golden. The splash of freckles across his nose and cheeks seemed slightly more prominent in the sunset.

Stupid attractive boy.

Wait, what?

"You're always so hard on yourself, Nico." He muttered, crossing his legs as he propped his chin up on his hand like he did in my cabin earlier.

Well, I did deserve it.

"Will, you're treating me like a-" "A hero. Because that's what you are." He cut me off, with a surprisingly intense gaze his face half shadowed because he was facing me and not the horizon.

He didn't seem to understand, "I'm not-I killed somebody. Two people. That isn't a hero." I said, my voice dropping and I was glad that we weren't on grass because an entire field would probably be dead and withered by now.

There was a small silence and he let his hand fall, sitting up straighter. "One of those technically wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, well, I could have stopped it. Not saying anything was handing him a death sentence." I muttered, not able to look at him.

Will let out a faint sigh, "And who knows what Bryce would have done if you hadn't have dragged his soul to the Underworld to be rightfully judged?" "Reyna told you, didn't she?" I asked, taking in a deep breath trying to calm down and Will chuckled. "She may have. But that's besides the point, without you-" He waved his hand around at camp, "this wouldn't be here. The Athena Parthenos wouldn't be here protecting the camp. They would never have made it to the House of Hades." He tried to tell me and I shook my head, running my hand through my hair as a rough sigh escaped me. He was trying to make me believe something that I didn't believe myself.

A felt two hands on my shoulders, and I looked at Will surprised. He had that determined look he seemed to wear so well, "You may not believe it, but you may be even more heroic than Percy, just in your own way. You've contributed just as much as any of the seven. You just haven't asked for much recognition. Nico, you've got to believe me." "It's hard to hear a message when you don't believe it yourself." I said, shaking off his hands and I stood up.

Will sighed. "Wait-" "I just need some time alone."

He stood up too and folded his arms across his chest. "You're doing it again." "Doing what?" I asked, surprised he was still arguing.

I stopped moving as he uncrossed his arms and threw his right hand up in aggravation, "You're shutting yourself away from your problems and everybody else along with them." Will stated bluntly.

The Son of Apollo was right, but I wasn't going to admit it. "That may be true. But it's the only thing that keeps me sane."

"You have friends." Will said, "Lean on them, lean on me. Okay?" "The last time I leaned on somebody, I lost a sister." I told him, shaking my head as I turned. "You're talking about Percy, right?" "And if I am?" I asked, anger bubbling in my stomach and Will let out a small sigh trying to figure what to say next. " Never mind Percy. I'm not telling you that you have to tell me what you're thinking all day everyday. Just if something, like earlier with the grass, is on your mind you'll come talk to me."

There was a small breeze that passed over us and I clenched my jaw, "Talking...isn't my strong suit." "Then I'll come and sit with you so at least you aren't keeping it to yourself. Nico, you're trying to hole up a volcano, one day it'll blow and you won't be the only person who suffers because of it."

Yeah, I know. I'm selfish in that way. Keeping it all to myself so that I won't burden others with my demons that scream in my head day in and day out. I try to drown them out in sleep only to find they're eve stronger nightmares. Will, I wish you understood but you don't.

"Well then I recommend you move away from the volcano." I told him turning, Will walked over and caught my arm, stopping me as I started to walk back to my cabin where only silence would welcome me.

"I'm not moving away from that volcano even if there's an earthquake and it explodes. I told you I wanted to be your friend and friends don't abandon each other, got it?

"Wanting to be friends" with "me" just didn't form a cohesive sentence in my mind. "I wanted to get that out there." Will stated, his startling tight grasp lessening, I hadn't realized how tight it had been until he loosened it. "I know." I replied, as Will let go of my arm.

Another silence passed.

As did another breeze.

He rubbed his neck. "Sorry for grabbing you, I just knew you wouldn't listen otherwise...so will you come to me?" "I'll keep it in mind. Thanks Doc." I replied, a faint smile finding its way onto my mouth as I turned around.

Jason and Piper seemed to have disappeared so hopefully they weren't eavesdropping on our conversation.

I didn't run into many people on the way back to my cabin, but when I glanced over my shoulder Will was still standing at the docks with his hands in his jean pockets. He was looking at the setting sun with a far-away look in his eyes, deep in thought. A long shadow fell behind him as his blond hair became messy in the breeze which was picking up. He closed his eyes and something about the silhouette seemed striking to me, he was really handsome but in a way that you didn't quite notice at first glance, until you felt compelled to sit and stare.

Apparently I had been looking for a long time because he suddenly glanced over his shoulder, back at me before giving a lop-sided smile with a one handed wave as if to mimic mine from earlier.

I returned the favor and walked back to my cabin, with the silhouette of him still ironed into my head.

You may be just as much of a puzzle to me as I am to you, Will Solace.