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"Did you know you glow?" Nico asked.
Will sighed. Not long-sufferingly, but resigned to answering Nico's questions, which had been incessant since he woke up. "Yes, I did. It's a gift from my dad."
"Apollo."
"That's right." Will nodded firmly.
"No."
"Yes."
"I know your dad's Apollo. But I'm not talking about that glowing." Nico gestured for Will to come closer. Will did so. "You're so bright. Beautiful. Like a planet, or something, that lives almost forever but not quite."
Will smiled. "That was very sweet, except for the reminder about my own mortality."
Nico stroked Will's cheek. His palm was sweaty. "Beautiful. Better than the night sky. Warmer."
"Are you cold?" Will pulled back to get another blanket off a shelf in the room. Nico was stuck in the infirmary for at least another couple days, so he was bundled up in a little room off a hallway, where he could get some undisturbed rest and Will could keep an eye on his boyfriend.
"No. Hot." Nico still had three blankets on, so Will tried to take a couple off, but Nico stopped him. "Leave 'em."
"Sweetheart, you'll overheat," Will said softly.
Nico sighed and looked at the ceiling, as if wondering whatever he had done to deserve a boyfriend who would make sure he didn't die. "Okay... I guess."
Will couldn't help but smile, and folded the blankets on the end of the rather generous bed. "Better?"
"Less hot." Nico squirmed around, wincing when he stretched his side. "Ah."
"Careful..." Will put a hand on his arm, not pinning him down, but applying gentle pressure to get Nico to stop moving. "You'll pull the stitches."
"They itch. Then they hurt."
If Will were to ask Nico the next day, the boy would strongly assure him that he had never pouted, not once in his entire life. However, right now there was an undeniable (and adorable) pout on Nico's face. "Then don't itch them."
"But I want to." Nico glared at Will, squinty-eyed and not in the least bit intimidating.
"I will tie your hands to the headboard, Nico."
"Hot, but not right now."
"Nico!" Will swore he could've had a heart attack. Nico cackled, then devolved into small squeaks as the full laughter hurt him too much. "You have to stop being funny right now. Jesus Christ."
"Nope, just me," Nico said, then burst into giggles again. The giggles turned into heavy breathing as Nico tried to control his laughter and bear the pain from exerting himself.
"Sweetheart..." Will trailed off. Gods, he didn't know what to do with Nico, absolutely loopy on pain medication. "You want a heat pack?"
"I want my heat pack."
"I'm not getting into bed with you right now, you know that. I could move around and hurt you by accident."
"I didn't ask for that?" Nico sounded confused, and Will took on an expression that must have been- mortified, or stunned, but at any rate, very red- and Nico had to press a hand over his mouth to stop himself from screeching again. "You thought I meant cuddling!"
The only thing that kept Will from feeling like he'd completely embarrassed himself was the fact that Nico said cuddling, a word which he had on many occasions stated that he despised. "What do you want, Nico?"
"The heat pack shaped like a puppy." Nico blinked, eyes wide, pupils especially so. "Please?"
"Of course, sweetheart." Will sighed and went to put Nico's heat pack in the microwave.
Once it was done, Will brought it back to Nico and let him shuffle it around until it was comfortably situated over the bruises on his stomach. Will was on a forced healing break after bringing Nico back from the literal edge of death, but he'd already slept off the worst of it, and his siblings hadn't said he couldn't care for Nico without his healing powers. Besides, Will was happy to wait on Nico hand and foot. He deserved it, after defending camp from a monster and taking the worst of the attacks - right through his belly and almost into his major organs.
"Love you, sunshine." Nico grabbed Will's hand and pressed a sloppy kiss to it. "Loooove you. More than you know."
See, if Will had stayed in the Apollo cabin, he would have missed out on this. It wasn't like Nico never said he loved Will, but he was a lot more reserved with his affection when he wasn't high. "I love you too, Nico. I'm so glad you're okay."
"I've never been better!" Nico said brightly.
At this, Will had his own fit of hysterical giggles. "Jesus, Nico. Wait a couple days, I can promise you you'll feel a lot better then."
"Okay. I trust you," Nico said, his voice so open and sweet that Will quieted instantly.
"I love you," he said again.
"I know. And I love you. You know." Nico smiled at him widely.
"I know."