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Nico is a hugger.
It's just the flat-out truth, the type of person he continues to be despite trying to keep up the facade of being dark and hating touch. It's what he's known for so long, the loneliness, that he doesn't know how to ask for what he knows he loves. Will would give it to him, that much he knows for sure, but Nico doesn't know how to ask.
When he was younger, Bianca and Mama would just give him hugs. It wasn't an ask and receive kind of thing. Hugs were given freely, Nico never had to raise his voice, only his arms. Either of them would understand instantly and wrap him up and just hold him. Protecting him from the world.
He doesn't remember much, but he can perfectly feel the way his mama would wrap her arms around him after a nightmare. The specific instance he remembers with Bianca happened right before they got to the Lotus hotel. The memory of being absolutely terrified floats to the forefront of his mind, unfortunately one he's felt many times and can imagine it in its entirety. Running, Nico recalls so much running. He sees his mama's face, the way she pushed Nico and Bianca forward.
Her face is blurred in his memory. It's been so long he can't remember what his mama looks like and that breaks him a little. Nico hears the way his mama screams, but doesn't see what happens. Instead, all he sees is Bianca as she positions herself in front of him and pushes both of them through the doors of the casino with tears in her eyes.
That's when she swept Nico up in her arms, holding him and crying lightly. Nico had known, somewhere in his heart, that his mama was gone. Somehow, he'd still never felt safer. He remembers feeling guilty for that, even though it's what his mama would've wanted. Nico fell into his sister and willed himself to be strong for her. It worked for a while. Nico tried to hold her back, but he doesn't think that his hugs made Bianca feel as safe as hers made Nico feel.
Later, he'd end up crying for both Bianca and his mama by himself. Knowing that there wasn't a grave that he could visit for either of them.
Nico ends up crying in his cabin, alone. Logically, he's aware that Will's going to either be sending someone for Nico or coming to find Nico himself if Nico doesn't show at breakfast, but Nico can't find it in himself to care. It's the first time in a long time that he's let himself grieve them, so whoever comes to see him is just going to have to deal with it. Becoming a sobbing mess before ten in the morning wasn't what he was expecting for the day.
Fifteen minutes of crying by himself later, there's a knock at the door. Not Will then, as Will had the key and would just come in by himself anyways. Nico makes his way to the door quietly, rubbing under his eyes with his sleeves on his way. He unlocks the door, and it swings open, revealing Jason and Percy behind it.
Jason immediately looks worried, "Nico? Are you okay?"
His reply is to shake his head, already feeling like he wants to cry again. Jason, luckily, doesn't question it at all.
"Alright, okay. What can we do?"
Nico doesn't know, he communicates this with a shrug, all he really wants is a hug. He really doesn't want to ask for it, but he knows in his heart Jason won't tease him. Percy might, but Jason would stop him. Deciding to take a risk, Nico opens his arms.
Jason's eyes soften as he steps into Nico's cabin finally, "You want a hug?"
Percy follows Jason into the cabin, his eyes scrunched up in worry and confusion.
Nico doesn't reply, but it doesn't really matter anyways. Jason quickly engulfs him in a hug and Nico melts. He wants to hold Jason forcefully, to make sure that Jason can't leave, but all he can think about is how much he needed this hug. How much he cares about his friends. Nico rests his head on Jason's shoulder, arms wrapped around Jason's back, and just feels.
After a moment, he feels Percy move next to both of them, throwing one arm around the small of Jason's back and the other over the middle of Nico's. Jason and Nico readjust to fit him, and Nico forces Percy and Jason closer so he can rest his head on both of their shoulders. A solid two or three minutes later, Percy begins to pull away, then Jason.
"Is that what you wanted, Neeks?" Jason asks teasingly.
"Yeah, actually. I was thinking about B and my mama. Realized a couldn't remember the last time I had a hug." Nico mumbles, blushing.
A soft smile, "I'm glad we could help. Now come on, we need to get to breakfast. Your boyfriend sent us and is going to be very confused if we take much longer."
Nico rolls his eyes. Called it. He throws on a hoodie, probably on of Will's but it might be another one of his friends, brushes his hands through his hair, and pulls on his black converse. Jason snorts when he sees him wearing it.
"Your boyfriend's already going to be mad that we got you there late and you're going wearing one of Leo's hoodies? Ballsy." Percy comments with a wide grin.
With a roll of his eyes, Nico shoves Percy's face away with his hand and follows the two of them to breakfast.
Will is upset with Percy and Jason for bringing him back late, but Percy is also right. Will doesn't appreciate Nico not wearing one of his hoodies and choosing Leo's hoodie over his own. In Nico's opinion, he is incredibly dramatic about it.
At the campfire that night, Nico has Will sit in front of him. He usually doesn't give in to his touchier urges, but since the hug this morning, he's been desperate for some more touch. Will looks confused as to why, but obliges nonetheless. He thinks he understands when songs start and Nico's hands are in his hair.
Nico plays with Will's hair for a few minutes, letting the golden curls fall through his fingers. Then he starts braiding, just like he used to do to Bianca's hair. Will's hair isn't long enough for an actual braid, so Nico decides to braid little braids scattered throughout his curls. It's calming for him, he doesn't even have to think about it at this point. It's just instinct to weave Will's hair.
After he finishes to let Will go and sing, a younger Aphrodite camper comes up to him with a nervous smile.
"C-can you braid my hair too? My head is tender and all of my sisters pull too tight, but Will didn't seem hurt."
Nico nods at the request, gesturing down at the space in front of him. The girl grins widely, and Nico thinks he recalls her name to be Lacy.
Quietly, he asks, "What kind of braid do you want?"
She hums, seemingly thinking about it, before replying, "Can you do two French braids?"
Nico hums back at her in lieu of an answer. After he finishes with her hair, another camper comes up and shyly asks him to braid their hair. Nico spends the rest of campfire braiding hair. Strangely, he doesn't find himself minding all too much. He hums in response to their rambling, answers their questions quietly, and just braids.
The campers just keep coming, and Nico actually loves it. He likes hearing their voices, even if he's not focused enough to make out what they're actually saying, and he makes sure to be extra soft when a camper tells him they're tender-headed. At some point, both Annabeth and Jason are in the little line that's formed by Nico.
Nico's extraordinarily caring with Annabeth's hair after all she's gone through. He gives her a small head message first, which she seems to appreciate. Jason, on the other hand, Nico's still soft with because of that morning but Nico doesn't even ask what he wants. He just gives Jason around ten braids all over his head with a smile. Jason doesn't really seem to care. And after him is another camper Nico thinks he recognizes as a Hermes kid.
It's the first time in a long time his head feels truly thoughtless, the only thing he can think about being how happy Bianca would feel. She loves when he braided her hair. Nico feels happy, and he knows Bianca would too, so he lets himself.
That night is one of the night Will stays in the Hades cabin with him. They made a schedule because Will wanted one. After finishing up on the final camper, Nico finds Will waiting for him, staring at him softly.
Nico gives him a smile, walking over to him and grabbing his hand. Will looks surprised for a second, then his signature sunny smile replaces the small, soft one he'd been wearing previously. Hand and hand, they walk back to Nico's cabin, Will ranting about how sweet Nico'd been and his day in general and Nico blushing while listening.
Will changes into a set of pajamas he keeps in the Hades cabin, and Nico also changes into a set of Will's pajamas in the bathroom. After going through the motions of their night routine, Nico lays down in the bed he claimed as his own, and Will goes to the bed across from him as usual.
This time, though, this time is different. Nico protests quietly with a groan. Will looks up at him in concern.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just." Nico stops his sentence and starts again, "Did I tell you about my morning?" Will shakes his head and Nico continues, "I woke up to a memory of B and my mom. I got really sad for a while, dramatic, really, and Jason and Percy came to find me. I broke when I saw Jason and he knew I'd been crying and he hugged me. He's the first person to hug me since Reyna, and she was the first person since Bianca. And I guess I, well, I didn't realize how much I missed it."
That last part is a lie, Nico knew exactly how much he missed being hugged, but he wasn't going to tell Will that. He barely got through his little monologue without dying of embarrassment in the first place. The look on Will's face told him he had nothing to worry about though.
"So, what you're saying is you want cuddles?" Will's smile was wide, and he was right next to Nico at this point.
Nico hit his chest with a groan, "Y'know what? Forget I said anything."
"No, no. Nico," Will said with a laugh, "I'm teasing, come on. I'd love to cuddle with you."
Will was pulled down into Nico's arms, Nico trying desperately to hide his heavy blush. Will saw it anyway and just smiled at him, which made the blushing worse. He positioned Will how he wanted him and put himself on top of Will. His head on Will's chest, right over his heart, and their legs tangled together.
Nico smiled when he realized Will's heart was fast. Will wrapped his arms around Nico's waist and held him too.
"G'night Neeks."
"Night Will."
Nico doesn't think he's ever slept better. He certainly woke up feeling better than he ever had before.
And if Nico was included in camp activities more often, if younger campers were no longer afraid of him because who could be scared of the boy who softly braids their hair? If Nico gets more hugs, and if both him and Will seems happier.
Well, sometimes things just change for the better, and you certainly don't see any campers complaining.