So, I finally finished the last Heroes of Olympus book and…well, yeah. My shipping heart was happy even if I actually wasn't. I didn't want the series to end (though I'm excited for the Norse Gods series and there's always the crossover!) and I was, overall, happy with the end of the book. Uncle Rick did a great job, but he can't make everyone happy. Anyways, can you imagine what my new ship is? Enjoy!

Acceptance. This was a new foreign concept that Nico di Angelo was just beginning to learn. It only took about eighty years and two large wars, but it was still happening. That's what counts, right? He finally seemed to be finding his way out of his isolation in the dark cavern he often left himself in.

The point actually was that Nico was beginning to enjoy himself. His attitude was beginning to change tremendously and he was starting to be more open with himself and others. It helped that no one looked at him as a son of Hades, but as the kid who helped bring the two camps together. Nico was another camper. He had never seen a place so alive and Nico was slowly becoming happy. Everyone seemed to forget that he was the only son of the Lord of the Dead. As it was, Nico could barely remember when he despised the place, somewhere he thought he would never call home.

Camp Half-Blood was just that though. The campers went about their daily business, training and spoke of future quests and chariot races. The mess hall was always loud and, through technicalities Nico was supposed to be sitting alone, Percy and Jason hated sitting by themselves and often convened at the Hades table for meals. Nico was happy with the two boys doing this, though he never said it, because it made him feel less lonely, even if they acted like two very protective older brothers. He was also pretty sure that the gods didn't mind because they haven't been struck by lightning, drowned, or sucked into the ground. The campfires were also a huge deal now. It was as if at every single one, they were celebrating the defeat of Gaea and her Giants, even if it had only been weeks ago. Nico wasn't one for singing, but the Apollo cabin always gave him a good distraction…

But besides all the happiness he was beginning to feel, Nico, as the Head Counsellor for the Hades cabin, had some duties he needed to perform. He was currently working on some new designs for his cabin, beginning with the beds. Seriously, who designed these?

He had asked Jason and Piper for some suggestions because, to be honest, Leo and Annabeth would go too far and Percy was no help with this kind of situation. Anyways, Jason and Piper had given him some ideas and Nico finally decided which layout was going to be the best. After the beds, he would tackle the rest of the cabin.

As Nico was going to start his work on the first couple of beds with some of the things he borrowed from Leo and the Hephaestus cabin, someone knocked lightly on the door.

Nico looked up in wonder at who would be knocking and still waiting outside for him to answer. Usually Jason and Percy were the ones to visit and, where Percy usually just barged in, Jason would knock lightly and then walk into the cabin, calling for him. Not to mention it was a Wednesday a few of days before school was starting, so no one was really at Camp at the moment.

Nico walked over to the door and opened it, surprised to see a blonde-haired, blue-eyed son of Apollo grinning down at him.

"Er…"

"Hey!" Will Solace smiled widely and it was as if the sun was right in front of Nico instead of hanging in the middle of the sky. The bony butterflies in his stomach were back in his stomach and Nico grumpily crossed his arms over his chest. "I heard you were going to build some new beds for your cabin for the rest of the day and I was wondering if you wanted some help?" He waved the hammer in his hand that Nico hadn't noticed earlier and offered another blinding smile.

Nico fought down the blush threatening to break out over his cheeks as he nodded and stepped back to let Will in. He and Will had a, uh, complicated relationship. At least, that's what the son of Hades thought it was. Nico, since the war, had grown extremely close to Will. Like Jason and Reyna, he had been able to talk about anything with his fellow Head Counselor. There had also been the occasional hand holding and few kisses in between (only on the forehead!), but Nico didn't let himself delve into that, it was too good to be true. He was sure Lou Ellen was working some magic and just allowing him to see what he wanted to see.

If it was possible, Will's smile grew larger as he walked into the Hades cabin. Nico tried to ignore the way the son of Apollo made him feel, and also tried to ignore the fact that they were alone and scowled. "I've always wanted to see what it looked like in here," Will began cheerily, looking over at the cabin's shrine to Hades, the jewels shining from the sunlight streaming in through the windows since Nico had opened the red curtains. "It's not as dark as I thought it would be."

Nico tugged at his orange Camp-Half Blood shirt nervously, the scowl thinning on his face, and thought of Hazel all the way in California in charge of the Fifth Cohort, "Why? The children of Hades aren't all dark."

Will turned to look over at Nico, a smirk crossing his features, "I know. Aren't you just a ray of sunshine, Death Boy?"

Nico did blush this time and murmured, "I was talking about my sister." He walked over to the supplies near his bed and the beginning of his new bed. He showed Will the new un-coffin-like beds he had in mind, they seemed like regular beds but the designs were obviously fit for a child of Hades. "I got some of the lampades to also bring some of my Father's gems up to use for a few of the beds and I also talked to Leo and there are a some from the Hephaestus cabin that are making some skeletal frame designs. You know, to practice their craftsmanship. And Calypso is going to help make some new bedding that isn't, you know…" So darn depressing and itchy.

Will nodded, grinning the entire time as if skeletons on a bed and Underworld nymphs were not some of the creepiest things someone could have possibly mentioned. He inclined his head to the bed frame leaning against the wall now. The headboard seemed to be a carving of a three-headed dog and each dog was giving him a dog-smile. "That from Leo?" There was a slight strain in his voice.

Nico looked down at the tools and ignored what he thought he heard in Will's voice, trying to busy himself and not seem completely incompetent at being social. He was still trying to get used to it after all. He shook his head, eyes still on the tools, "It's a gift from my Father."

"Cerberus, right?"

Nico nodded again, playing with a hammer.

Will chuckled, "It's alright to talk to me, you know? I'm a son of Apollo not Ares." He grabbed the first piece of bed frame he could and tried with the small talk again. "So where did you get all this then?"

Nico inclined his head behind him, ignoring Will's jibe, to one of the beds that Will hadn't noticed before. It had been dismantled and stripped for parts. "Ah, recycling, nice."

Nico offered a small smile, before turning back to the frame. Will, Nico guessed, finally gave up and helped him work on the first bed, his bed, and it was quiet between them for a bit. They put together the frame, ghosts were etched into the posts and small onyx stones were scattered within the wood. Hades had really gone all out for him, a roundabout way of congratulating him for what he had endured the last few weeks without actually saying it. Nico smiled, he knew where he got his social skills from at least.

Nico tried to focus on the task at hand, but it was difficult. Will wasn't one to just avoid being friendly. Often, their hands brushed as they held the frames together or reached for the same tools. Will had a grin on his face every time Nico sneaked glances at him. And, once or twice, Nico looked up to see Will staring at him with a wide smile. Every time Nico asked if he was okay, Will just nodded and went back to work.

They finally slid Nico's mattress onto the bed frame and looked at their handiwork. Nico glanced outside the window, it hadn't taken very long to do it with Will's help, but he was still waiting for the lampades to bring the gems up and Leo to have a few of the other beds ready having stripped half of the beds in his room. He also had to wait a little longer for Calypso to finish some of the bedding.

Will let out a happy sigh of victory, "What next?"

Nico picked up a carving knife and looked at the few beds intact. "I have to take apart the other coffin lookalikes and then carve some spaces for the gems that should be here in a few hours"

Will looked at the newly put together bed and then to Nico. With a blinding grin on his face, he kicked off his shoes and jumped onto the bed.

Nico looked up at him with wide eyes, and a grimace on his features, "What are you doing?"

Will looked back at him with sparkling blue eyes, his blonde hair bouncing on his head with each jump. "I'm testing the bed, what's it look like?"

Nico crossed his arms, frowning, "It looks like you're trying to break my bed that we just put together."

Will stopped jumping and climbed off the bed, walking over to Nico slowly. He stopped in front of him, a sly grin stretching across his features that caused more butterflies to erupt in Nico's stomach as he looked up at Will. "Well, we could always break it in."

Nico didn't really understand what he was saying, but he didn't say anything when Will took his hand and lead him to the bed. Will climbed in and pulled Nico up with him onto his lap, wrapping his arms around his waist and nuzzling his nose in Nico's messy black hair.

Nico tensed up at the sudden display of affection, focusing on his hands. It wasn't like this for them; it was always hand holding, but only when the other needed it, and they've kissed before, but it was on the forehead and only happened twice. Nico didn't know what to make of them.

But this…this was something couples did, something that you did with someone you wanted a relationship with.

Will moved his mouth to Nico's ear, "Relax, Nico. We have to wait for the lampades to get here to do any carving." He began to play with the hem of Nico's shirt and hummed a soothing melody in his ear.

Nico felt himself beginning to relax, his shoulders falling as he leaned against Will's chest, his head resting on Will's shoulder. The butterflies were still there, but it was a pleasant feeling this time and he wasn't so nervous anymore.

"Feel better?" Will whispered. Nico nodded and tried to keep his blush down at the proximity of the blonde. "See? This is why you should listen to the doctor's orders."

Nico grinned and gently elbowed the guy behind him. "Oh shut it. You always say that, Sunshine. Freaking son of Apollo."

He heard Will chuckle behind him, obviously amused at what Nico had said. "Sunshine?"

Nico nodded slowly, his grin growing into a small smile. "Why not? I think it suits you."

"Alright Death Boy, if that's what you wanna call me," Will trailed off.

They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying each other's company and the rare time of peace they had. It had been weeks since the war and Nico's quest with Reyna and Coach, and it finally seems that he caught a break.

"So, Nico," Will started. Nico hummed in response to let him know that he was listening. "There are a few things I need to talk to you about."

Nico grunted, waiting for Will to start saying something. He began to play with Will's fingers, as his hands were still wrapped around Nico's waist comfortingly.

Will rested his chin on Nico's shoulder, nudging Nico's head with his own. Will shifted the small boy in his lap so that Nico was sitting with his right shoulder against the other's chest. Nico kept Will's right hand in his own, not looking up into the blue eyes he knew would be looking down at him.

"I…we've become good friends, haven't we?" Will asked, the uncertainty clear in his voice.

Nico nodded, still not quite willing to look Will in the eye. Instead, he focused on the other's freckles. He'll admit that his heart sank at the word friend. Was that all he was to Will? A friend who sat in his lap and played with his hand like a partner would do? It wasn't as if Nico had pushed this, Will had always been the initiator between them, not the other way around.

Will cleared his throat a little. "We- I mean, uh…"

Nico looked at Will, was he nervous? Blue eyes returned his gaze, causing his stomach to do a few flips.

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

Whatever Nico had been expecting, it wasn't that. He gaped up at Will, his hands still holding the blonde's. A few moments passed.

Will squeezed Nico's hand and cleared his throat again, giving him a small, nervous grin, "I, uh, please say something Death Boy."

But Nico couldn't, he was still in shock from Will's question. B-boyfriend? Like an official relationship? Nico's heart was racing in his chest. His crush was actually asking him out, so he nodded.

Will let out a huge sigh of relief and smiled his blinding and bright smile again. His arm that had been resting against Nico's back was now around his waist again. He gently pulled his other hand out of Nico's and placed it on Nico's chin, turning Nico's face toward him.

Nico's felt his cheeks heat up at the intensity of Will's gaze as the son of Apollo leaned in, his lips brushing against Nico's.

Nico felt a shock go through his entire body at the light pressure, his eyes fluttering close. Will pulled back a bit from Nico, but he was still close enough to feel his breath brush over him and smell the freshness that came from Will: the smell of laurel wreaths and fresh wood from his bow and arrows and lyre. "I've wanted to do that for a while now," he murmured, leaning his forehead against Nico's.

Nico, unable to take the separation any longer, closed the distance between them again. The kiss was slow and sweet and unlike the other they just had, which had been rushed and brief and slightly unsatisfying. Nico could feel the smile breaking across his features at the utter happiness he felt, he didn't want to move from this spot, but his neck was craning from the odd angle.

Nico pulled away, and shifted in Will's lap so he could face his boyfriend. He straddled Will with a knee at each of his hips, not fully understanding why Will's face suddenly flushed red or why he began to stutter under his breath. Nico decided it would be best to shut him up.

He fisted his hands in the front of Will's Camp T-shirt as he pressed their lips together, this time for a longer kiss. Nico brought himself as close as possible, simply reacting at this point and feeling Will's hands grab his waist to do the same. One of Nico's hands ran up to Will's neck, and Will's moved from Nico's hips. Nico could feel their movement, his entire body sensitive and alert to what Will was doing. One of Will's hands made it to the small of Nico's back and the other up to his head, Will's fingers tangling in his raven hair. Nico shivered at the way it felt.

He couldn't really think, Will was all he could focus on at that moment. His touch. His smell. His taste.

Eventually, the two broke apart, panting as they tried to catch their breath.

Nico's dark eyes met Will's bright blue ones, as he looked down at the blonde he was currently towering over. How did they already get this far?

Nico didn't have much time to think on that because there was a knock at the cabin door. He scrambled off Will's lap and walked on shaky legs to the door. He yanked it open to see one of the furies standing there, a small bag in her hands. "From Lord Hades," she hissed.

Nico quickly took the bag from the fury before Will could see who was there and freak out. He looked over at the other nervously, before grabbing the carving knife and beginning to work.

Will got up, his tanned cheeks still red from their previous activities, but he noticed Nico's uncertainness. "What's up?"

Nico shook his head as he took a jewel from the bag and began carving out a spot for it on one of the intact beds. He still had to take down some of the frames that made it look like a vampire slept there, but it would be easier to do this while there was still daylight out.

Will walked over to Nico and put a hand on his shoulder, "Nico."

Nico looked up at him and sighed at the concern in his eyes, much like the expression he wore when he was in the infirmary for those few days. "I just didn't want her to creep you out," he murmured.

Will knelt beside Nico, a grin stretching across his face. "You're saying that to a guy whose dad had a shriveled, old spirit telling horrible, ridiculous prophesies," Will told him.

Nico looked over at his boyfriend and smiled. Was he always this understanding?

Will's hand went to the back of his neck, obviously nervous about something. "Which leads me to the next thing I wanted to talk to you about…" he trailed off.

Nico watched him, waiting for him to continue. For some reason, the way Will was speaking was making Nico more nervous than before.

"Rachel contacted Chiron. She and Ella have almost finished pulling some of the Syallbine books together and found out where the spirit of Delphi could be…"

Nico dropped his carving knife and gave his full attention to Will. Did this mean…?

Will dropped his hand and looked straight at Nico, "Once they put it together, Chiron has given me the quest. Once I know the prophecy, I'm going to look for the spirit of Delphi and possibly help my dad."

Nico felt a lead in his stomach as it twisted in on itself. Of course, this would only happen to him. Though he couldn't agree with Chiron more, Will had to be the one to go on this quest. Who was better to find this spirit than a son of Apollo? That didn't make it less nerve-wracking.

Nico forced a smile on his face, "Well, that's good Will. You will suc-"

"I want you to come with me."

Nico's mouth snapped shut before falling open again, "Huh?"

Will offered a weak smile, "You're the Ghost King, right? You could help me find a powerful and old spirit." Nico still looked thoroughly unconvinced. Will looked at him, his expression completely serious, "I need you, Nico."

Nico gave him a look, that didn't make sense. Will could ask anyone else. Maybe someone who wasn't so incompetent at times would be better.

Yet, Nico found himself nodding, "Alright. I'll help you."

The smile in Will's expression was worth it for Nico, it filled the other's entire face and made Nico feel a lot better about the entire situation.

He cleared his throat, he needed to get some questions answered first, no need to get caught in the love-haze. "Er…who else did you plan on asking?"

Will, his smile still planted on his face, moved towards Nico, reaching for the smaller boy. "Maybe Lou Ellen, we may need her magic. Prophecy is pretty much magic anyways," he responded. Will grabbed Nico's hand, lacing their fingers together.

Nico tried to ignore the nerves that were threatening to take over his mind. "Wh-when would we leave?"

Will wrapped his other arm around Nico's waist, pulling him close, and nuzzled his face in Nico's wild black hair. "When Rachel tells Chiron, he'll alert me and then we're off. But he warned me it won't be for a few days."

Nico nodded, trying not to stiffen in Will's embrace. He was still not used to the entire open socializing and relationship thing. Thankfully, Will seemed to understand. He chuckled and kissed Nico's temple, "It's alright Angel, we'll move slow." He pulled away and reached down for the carving knife, "I'll carve and you can work the gems."

Nico nodded, his own smile spreading across his face. They worked on placing the jewels in the bed frames and making them look more like actual beds. The pair joked around and shared a few kisses and stared when they thought the other wasn't looking.

Nico may still be getting used to the whole acceptance thing, he may have a difficult quest in front of him after he just put an entire war behind him.

He looked over at Will, who was laughing wildly at Nico's response to an earlier activity planned by Mr. D. The blonde's blue eyes sparkled and his entire face lit up with his large smile, his freckles dancing across his nose.

But there's always a ray of sunshine that leads the way out of a dark cave.

Obviously, this has the potential to be more. I am a bit on the fence about it though. Would anyone be interested in reading it if I were to continue?