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Percy woke up in a sweat, Annabeth was with her siblings so she wasn't with him. He had a nightmare about Tartarus, that hadn't happened in a while. Except… He wasn't the one running through it?
He ran, hordes of enemies right on his tail. His only familiar comfort was his sword and sheath hanging at his waist.
Wait… Riptide didn't have a sheath.
Nyx’s voice was booming behind him as her children chased him through the barren and horrid lands.
Nyx hadn't chased him or Annabeth towards the Doors of Death? Tartarus hadn't been that horrific for them, and that was what gave away who it was. Nico was the only one who could see that much of the Pit, the sword at his waist was Nico's stygian iron weapon.
Breathing hard, he swerved through land after land but they could smell his fear. He came to a stop at the edge of the cliff to Chaos. He turned to see he was surrounded.
A Hellhound was about to finish him off when the crowd parted and 9 familiar figures walked into view. In front of him stood Hazel, Frank, Leo, Jason, Piper, Percy, Annabeth, Reyna, and Will. They came forward as the Hellhound backed away from his trembling body. They reached him and Nico tried to reach for them only to be shoved away.
“You fag. You seriously thought you could get away with these sins?!” Hazel spat at him with a venom he didn't know she had. They all took turns saying what they ‘really thought of him’ but the one that hurt the most was what was said by Will. His boyfriend, his soulmate, his everything.
“Gods you're an idiot. Thinking I could love you? Pathetic!” He sneered. “I only felt bad for you, you believed everything I said, didn't you? How I loved you? How I cared? Fake. It was all a lie. A trap you fell straight into.” With that, Will looked him in the eye and pushed him straight down the cliff, ending with him impaled into the sharp rocks below.
Only after he comprehended what he had witnessed did he realize there was screaming coming from one of the cabins. Cabin 13.
He pulled on a shirt as he ran, only having been in sweatpants as he slept. He had only heard of this happening a few times, someone sharing dreams. He pounded on the doors but they didn't budge, so he took to kicking it in. Dam it hurt like a bitch but he didn't care at this point.
He ran into the cabin and took in the scene before him. There were blankets and sheets strewn everywhere, pillows thrown left, right, and center, and there in the middle of it all was Nico on his bed. Screaming in agony as he rolled around.
Percy lunged for him, waking him in the process. His eyes flew open and he shoved Percy away. Hard. Hard enough to throw him against the opposite wall. Nico started sobbing harder than he already was. Percy stood from where he had landed and hugged the crying figure currently wailing on the ground.
“Get off!” Nico shrieked as he fought back against Percy. He eventually succeeded in getting him within his arms and held him as tears soaked his shirt.
Nico eventually was able to breathe normally again. He wrapped his arms around Percy, nearly breaking his ribs with how hard he was squeezing.
“You doing better?” Percy asked after a while of silence occasionally broken by a sniffle or two.
“...Kinda.” He felt Nico smile into his shoulder.
“Where's Will?” Percy asked with curiosity and worry.
“You know that homophobic brother of his?” Percy had been told of Martin a while ago, Will's 14 year old brother from hell itself. Percy nodded. “He hates that Will and I sleep together, so he's been signing Will up for every graveyard shift he can. Kayla should be taking over soon, though.” Percy’s rage bubbled in his chest.
He was really close to both Will and Nico before and after they got together. Will from when he had healed Annabeth, Percy had basically taken Will under his wing after that. And Nico for obvious reasons.
“Do you want me to go get him?” Percy knew Will had tons of experience calming Nico down after a nightmare.
“Yes, please.” Percy’s heart broke hearing the desperation in Nico's voice and he stood up, leaving the cabin and jogging in the direction of the infirmary.
ו=~-~=•×
Opening the door, he was greeted by Will in his work scrubs and signature flip flops as he was working on reorganizing the filing shelves.
“Hey, Percy! What's going on?” He called over his shoulder.
“It’s Nico.” Percy informed him. Will dropped the stack he was holding and papers scattered everywhere as his head whipped around.
“What-” Will said, beginning to become frantic.
“He's okay!” Percy clarified. “He had a really bad nightmare and somehow shared it with me. I ran to his cabin because he was screaming and eventually got him to calm down and stop crying enough to talk a bit.” Will visibly calmed at this. “He's asking for you.” Percy added with a smile.
Kayla walked in right as they finished picking up the papers. Will hung up his coat and he and Percy started the trudge to Cabin 13.
Percy did a recap of the nightmare and what he could remember was said. Will covered his mouth with his hands when Percy recounted what he had said.
“Good Gods!” Will exclaimed when he finished. “I should have been there. If Martin wasn't such a little brat- ugh!” Will took a few breaths to calm himself down. “Back to what you were saying earlier, dream sharing is often a work of Hecate, her and Hades are pretty close so that might be why you were in his dream?” Will summed up.
“But why me?” Percy asked.
“It happens with the person they feel most safe around who would have currently been asleep.” Will answered before adding: “You know… he talks about you a lot. You mean so much to him.”
They reached the entrance and Percy knocked on the door before entering with Will at his heels.
The cabin was in better shape than when Percy had left. The bed was mostly made, everything was off the ground except for a scattered sketchbook or two. Nico was sitting on the bed with his knees pulled to his chest and his head was resting to the side against the post of the bunk. His head turned when they entered.
He sprung up and started sprinting to them as Will met him halfway. Nico nearly tackled Will in a hug as he started sobbing again. Will lowered them to the ground as he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, whispering sweet nothings in his ear. Percy watched them as he closed the door.
After about 5 minutes, Nico was consolable and able to mostly talk without breaking out into more tears.
“Okay,” Will started. “You have 2 options. Option 1: You tell me what happened and I help you go back to sleep. Option 2: You don't tell me what happened as I try and fail miserably to guess what went wrong and you die of laughter.” Nico giggled at this and smiled, pressing their foreheads together.
“I'll tell you later, okay? I don't trust myself to talk much right now.” Nico answered. Will nodded and kissed his temple as he rubbed his back.
“That's perfectly fine, darlin’.” Percy smiled watching them, seeing how well they worked together. Nico turned his head towards Percy and opened his arm with a small smile playing on his lips. Percy went over and joined in the embrace. Percy and Will sat there for almost an hour just holding Nico until they heard him yawn. Percy backed away and stood.
“I'm gonna head back to my cabin, Annabeth is probably back and wondering where I am.” Will nodded at him as he grabbed Riptide from where he had put it on Nico's desk.
“Thanks, Percy.” Will called after him. He turned around in time to see Will pick Nico up and sling him over his shoulder.
“Come on, let's get you to bed.” He said over Nico's protests and laughter. Percy walked into his cabin to see Annabeth sitting on their bed.
“And where have you been?” She questioned with an eyebrow raised.
“I'll tell you in the morning. I'm exhausted.”
“Were you cheating?” She asked with a small chuckle. Percy sputtered.
“Wha- no- No! Why would you think-” He continued spouting random words until he realized Annabeth was currently rolling on the bed laughing her ass off. Percy sighed. “I am SO getting you for that!”
And thus started the great tickle fight of Cabin 3. Percy did end up explaining when they woke up the next morning, he and Annabeth went to sit with Will and Nico at breakfast.
“And there's the one I thought was getting murdered!” Percy called as they neared the table.
“Yep. Unfortunately for you, I am alive.” Nico responded, getting a laugh out of the remaining three. Will had an arm around Nico's waist and Nico was resting his head on Will's shoulder. Annabeth and Percy shared a look seeing how comfortable they had gotten together. Thinking back to Westover Hall when Nico was such an energetic kid, then after he ran during the Battle of the Labyrinth when he had completely changed, then to when he and Will started dating about a year ago when they were super awkward around each other and couldn't stop blushing, and finally to now where Nico had gotten rid of some of his black clothing and was wearing a CHB shirt and black skinny jeans, whereas Will was in a T-shirt, flannel and regular blue jeans.
“What are you guys staring at?” Will inquired.
“You two. You know Nico, if we were to go back to 12 year old you and say you would be this happy, you would've killed us on the spot.” Annabeth interrupted as Percy was about to answer.
“I wouldn't say happy, more… forcibly kept.” Nico smiled as he lightly elbowed Will in the ribs. Will looked shocked.
“You were the one asking for me last night!” He countered.
“You didn't have to come!” Nico pushed back.
There was a moment of silence before they both answered at the same time. ‘Yes I did.’ and ‘You absolutely did.’ and the two bursted into giggles.
Yep. They were all happy, that was something they could agree on.