Fire (day 4)

Will was very captivated by one of the torches in Hade’s cabin and Nico was staring at him.

“Is your father trying to communicate with you through fire?”

“No, maybe your father is trying to distract me from you.”

“If so, he’s succeeding and I’m very disappointed in you. Now stop staring at the torch and come on the bed.”

Will walked backwards and sat next to his boyfriend, still looking at the fire. “I miss Valdez.”

“Yeah, me too… That brat vanished into thin air and made us all worry. I hate him.”

“Do you have a crush on him?” Will suddenly turned to Nico, looking straight at his eyes.

“What the fuck?”

Will cracked up laughing at the boy’s shocked face.

“Gods, go fuck yourself.” Nico punched him slowly on the arm.

“Why don’t you do it instead, coward.”

“I would if you weren’t so distracted by the fire.”

Will sighed. “I really should sleep in my cabin tonight, we can’t always sleep together.”

“Then go.” Nico pushed him off.

He pouted. “No need to be so harsh.”

Nico just stuck his tongue out. They kissed goodnight.

Will dreamt about a black fire spreading through the Half-Blood Camp, Nico was in the fire, and Leo Valdez was the reason the fire spread out. When he woke up Hade’s cabin was burnt to the ground and the bonfire was extinct, which was not a good sign. Moreover, there was no sign of Hade’s son. Will sat on the ground, his mind was dull.

Nico, on the other side, had stared at the torch becoming darker and colder. The shadows felt deeper. He was swallowed by the darkness as he fell asleep. He woke up a few hours later, burning. The torches had fell on the floor and the cabin was on fire. But the fire was cold, the flames looked purple. Nico could hear cries. He stood on the bed. Everything around him was burning silently. He stepped down the bed, walking through the fire, following the voice. It was coming from the campfire in the dining area. When Nico got there, he recognized Leo’s voice. He screamed his name, but nothing was coming out. His lungs were on fire. The flame was black as it could be. When Nico tried to reach Leo he felt like he was shadow travelling. Which was indeed what he was doing. When he finally touched the boy, he found himself in one of hell’s pitches.

“What the fuck?”

“Nico, oh thank the Gods, I was trying to get out by firing up everything but it didn’t work so I tried to contact you but I could only get to Will but he couldn’t hear me… Thank Gods, Di Angelo, get me out of here, please?”

“I think you fired up the whole camp.” He sighed. He wasn’t going to get any sleep, was he?

“Oh, thank you Nico!”

“Ugh. Shut up.” Nico grabbed the boy and concentrated into shadow travelling back into the camp.

By the time they got back the sun was already out.

Will recognized the coldness of hell coming from the cabin and run there just in time to see Leo and Nico rising from the shadows. He hugged his boyfriend. “You’re never sleeping alone again.”

Nico chuckled. “Good, cause after I punch that brat I’ll need to sleep.”