Chapter Text
The dining pavilion buzzed with chatter as campers shovelled down breakfast, fighting over bacon and toast while Chiron announced the daily activities. Will Solace sat at the Apollo table with Kayla and Austin, stifling a yawn as he pushed scrambled eggs around his plate.
“Will, you look like you wrestled a satyr and lost,” she said, shoving a piece of toast into her mouth.
“Or like you haven’t slept in a week,-” Austin commented, leaning over. “-Again.”
“I was up late restocking salves,” Will said, waving a hand. “People keep coming in with poison ivy rashes, and apparently, I’m the only one who knows how to identify the plant.”
Kayla snorted. “Or maybe you’re the only one who doesn’t get distracted by shiny rocks and step in it.”
Will grinned at that, but before he could reply, someone slid into the seat across from him. Sandy-blond hair perfectly styled, shirt crisp despite morning humidity, smiling like he’d rehearsed it in the mirror.
Calix.
The son of Aphrodite had a way of appearing like a scene change: hair perfectly styled, smile dazzling, as though the sunlight bent just to highlight him.
“Will,” Calix said warmly, ignoring the way Kayla immediately narrowed her eyes. “Good morning.”
Will blinked, surprised. “Uh—hi, Calix.”
“You shouldn’t look so tired this early,” Calix said, sliding the bowl of strawberries on the table closer to Will. “You should take better care of yourself. Strawberries are good for energy. They’ll keep you glowing.”
Will hesitated. “Thanks, but—I’m fine.”
Calix tilted his head. “Are you sure? I don’t like seeing you overworked. You deserve someone who makes sure you’re taken care of.”
Kayla’s fork clattered loudly against her plate. “Cugh-! Excuse me-?”
Will raised a brow. “I appreciate the thought, but I can manage.”
“Of course you can,” Calix said, voice dripping with charm. “You’re radiant even when you’re tired. I’m just saying you shouldn’t have to manage everything alone.” He smiled again, bright and confident. “Save me a seat at the campfire tonight?”
Before Will could answer, Calix rose gracefully and strolled away.
Will stared after him, bringing a piece of toast to his mouth. “…What was that?”
Kayla smacked her forehead. “Oh my gods, Will. He was flirting with you.”
“What? No.” Will shook his head quickly. “He was just being nice… a bit strange, but still just polite.”
Kayla crossed her arms. “Polite is holding the door open.’ Kayla shot back. “Polite is saying ‘good morning.’ That was him checking you out, Will. That was Aphrodite-level ‘I want your attention.’” She deadpanned.
Austin leaned over from two seats away. “Who’s flirting with him now?”
“Calix,” Kayla muttered.
Austin choked on his juice. “Calix? Oh, Will, you’re doomed.”
Will blinked between them. “What do you mean, doomed? He’s just… friendly, I’m sure he's like that with everyone!”
Austin smirked. “Friendly? He literally called you radiant. No one calls people radiant unless they’re trying to date them, especially not him, for a child of Aphrodite, he sure doesn’t usually act like one. I think that's the first time I’ve heard of him going for someone, like, ever. ”
Will waved a hand dismissively, cheeks pink. “You guys are exaggerating. No one flirts with me. Why would they?”
Kayla and Austin groaned in unison.
“You are so oblivious. You’ve got half the camp crushing on you, and you don’t even see it!” Kayla rolled her eyes.
Will flushed. “That’s ridiculous. No one thinks that, you guys are both delusional.”
“If we’re delusional, then you’re blind as a bat, but whatever floats your boat!” Austin shrugged.
Later, at the archery range
Will crouched to bandage a younger camper’s knee, carefully knotting the cloth with quick, gentle fingers. “There. Good as new. Just—don’t run with arrows, okay?”
The kid nodded sheepishly before running off anyway. Will sighed, brushing dirt from his knees.
“Your skills are wasted on archery practice.”
Will looked up to see Calix leaning against the fence, posture casual, golden hair catching the sunlight like it had been staged.
“I—what?” Will asked, blinking.
Calix’s smile was smooth. “You’re a healer. That’s your real gift. You’ve got hands made for kindness, not weapons.”
Will laughed nervously, ears already turning pink (he doesn't take compliments very well). “That’s… nice of you to say?”
“It’s true,” Calix insisted. He sauntered closer, lowering his voice like they were sharing a secret. “The way you move when you’re helping someone… people notice, Will. You don’t even realize how you shine.”
Will coughed into his hand, embarrassed. “I—I just do my job.”
Calix tilted his head, his smile curving. “Beautifully. Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone could overlook that.”
Will flushed harder, fumbling with the roll of bandages. “Overlook—? No, nobody notices me like that. I’m just… Will.”
Calix chuckled softly, shaking his head. “If you really believe that, you’re more oblivious than I thought.”
Will blinked at him, confused. “Oblivious about what?”
Instead of answering, Calix gave a dramatic sigh and, with a theatrical little flourish, plucked up one of the abandoned bows leaning against the fence. He turned it in his hands, deliberately wrong. “Maybe you could show me how to shoot sometime. I could use a teacher with your… steady hands.”
Will straightened, automatically slipping into instruction mode. “Uh, sure? Well, you’re holding it backwards, first of all—”
Calix stepped closer, offering the bow out like he was surrendering it. “Then guide me.” His smile glinted, his tone lilting. “Please?”
Will hesitated, then reached out to adjust his grip. “Like this. You want to keep your fingers loose so you don’t—”
Calix leaned in, too close, deliberately brushing against his arm. “Mmm. Better already.”
Will stiffened; he pulled back quickly. “O-okay, that’s enough for now, you’ll, uh—get the hang of it.”
Calix smirked, unbothered. And as he turned to leave, he tossed a wink over his shoulder. “Thanks, sunshine. I’ll see you later.”
Will froze, staring after him, face red. “Sunshine..? Huh.” He shook his head hard and started packing up the supplies, muttering under his breath, “He’s just being friendly. Probably. Right?”
Right.
That evening
Will trudged back toward the Apollo cabin, rubbing his eyes. The day had been long—archery practice, a shift in the infirmary, and then Calix showing up like a whirlwind at the range. He wanted nothing more than to collapse on his bunk and maybe sneak in a nap before dinner.
Instead, Kayla was waiting on the steps like a sentinel, arms crossed and expression sharp.
“Don’t even say it,” she said before Will could open his mouth.
Will blinked at her, shoulders slumping. “Say what?”
“That you think Calix was just being nice.” Her tone was as flat as her bowstring.
Will stopped halfway up the steps. “Wait… what?”
Kayla leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Austin told me what happened at the archery range. The hair flip, the comments about your 'healing hands', the whole dramatic ‘teach me how to shoot, oh wise healer’ act.” She waved her hands mockingly. “He’s flirting with you, Will. Aggressively.”
Will made a face and waved her off. “He’s just dramatic. He’s from the Aphrodite cabin; that’s how they talk. Everything’s a performance.”
“Will.” Kayla’s voice dropped an octave into pure disbelief.
“What?” Will asked, genuinely confused.
She stood and jabbed a finger into his chest. “That’s how they talk when they want to kiss someone. Not when they want to borrow sugar or whatever you’re imagining.”
Will flushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t think so. He knows I’m with Nico.”
Kayla groaned loudly, throwing her hands up toward the sky like she was begging their father for patience. “You’re impossible. Seriously. If Hermes' kids can steal wallets under your nose, then Aphrodite's kids can flirt right under it, too. It’s their whole thing. And you’re standing there acting like it’s just… personality quirks.”
Will frowned, trying to make sense of it. “But he asked me to fix his grip. That’s archery, not flirting.”
“That’s flirting disguised as archery,” Kayla corrected. “When you adjust someone’s hands and they lean in too close, that’s textbook.”
Will’s face heated more. “No, he just—”
“Will.” She cut him off, deadly serious. “Austin said he winked at you.”
Will blinked, replaying the scene. “Did he?”
Kayla stared at him like he’d just announced the sky was green. “Oh my gods. You didn’t even notice?”
Will shifted awkwardly, suddenly wishing he could melt into the ground. “I was… focused on his stance?”
Kayla snorted so loudly that a camper walking by glanced over. “Focused on his stance. Right. Okay. You keep telling yourself that.”
Will rubbed his temples. “I’m too tired for this conversation.”
“Tired now,” Kayla said sweetly, “but just wait until Nico finds out you’ve been playing hands-on tutor with an Aphrodite kid who thinks winking is subtle.”
Will’s stomach dropped. “Nico’s not going to care. He knows I’m with him.”
Kayla smirked knowingly. “Oh, he’ll care. Because Calix clearly doesn’t. And when Nico puts two and two together…” She whistled low. “Let’s just say, I am not responsible for the fallout.”
Will glared half-heartedly. “You’re exaggerating.”
“Mm-hm.” Kayla brushed past him to head inside, grinning like she already had front-row tickets to the drama. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. When Nico shadows into this cabin, demanding answers, I’m hiding under my bed.”
Will groaned and followed her in, muttering, “He’s not going to—” but his voice lacked conviction, and Kayla’s chuckle trailed behind her like a victory bell.
By the lake
Will sat on the shore, his sandals abandoned in the sand as he let his feet dangle into the cool water. The lake rippled softly, a thousand sparks of fading sunlight dancing across the surface. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and rubbed the back of his neck.
Calix’s words drifted back, slippery as the breeze: “The way you move when you’re helping someone… people notice, Will. You don’t even realize how you shine.”
Will groaned, pressing his palms against his eyes. “He doesn’t mean it,” he muttered under his breath. “That’s just… him. It has to be. It’s just his personality. He flirts with everyone. It’s what Aphrodite kids do.” Still, the words lingered like a splinter under the skin, impossible to ignore.
The air shifted, a subtle cooling at his side, and the shadows lengthened across the sand. Will didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
“You’re brooding,” Nico’s voice said, low and dry.
Will’s head snapped up, heart jumping before a smile broke across his face. “Gods, you scared me.”
“Good,” Nico replied flatly, though there was the tiniest twitch at the corner of his lips. “Means I’m getting better at sneaking up on you.”
Will chuckled, leaning back on his hands. “You already walk like a cat. What more do you want? Bells to prove how quiet you are?”
Nico raised an eyebrow, deadpan. “I’d throw them at you.”
“Romantic,” Will teased, grinning.
They fell into a comfortable silence, the kind only they seemed to share. The lake shimmered with streaks of pink and gold from the setting sun, the water lapping at Will’s ankles. It was peaceful—until Nico finally said, “You’re distracted.”
Will stiffened slightly but tried to wave it off. “Just tired. Long day in the infirmary. You know how it is.”
Nico tilted his head, studying him with that steady, piercing gaze that always made Will feel both transparent and safe. He reached out and, almost absently, took Will’s hand in his own, his thumb brushing lightly across Will’s knuckles. The shadows around Nico shifted, curling in faint tendrils as if even they leaned in.
“You work too much,” Nico murmured.
“Says the guy who spars with undead soldiers for fun,” Will countered, arching an eyebrow.
“That’s different.”
“Not really,” Will said in a matter-of-fact tone, his lips quivering upward.
Nico didn’t answer, but his hand tightened just slightly, grounding.
Will grinned and squeezed back. “I like taking care of people. It’s who I am.”
Nico’s dark eyes softened, the sharpness in them easing into something warm. He leaned closer, his voice quieter than the lapping waves. “And who takes care of you?”
Will froze, his throat tightening just a little before he forced a small, fond smile. “You do. More than you think.”
Something flickered across Nico’s face—surprise, maybe, or guilt—but before he could reply, Will nudged him with his shoulder. “Don’t look so haunted, Death Boy. I mean it. You’re here, aren’t you? That’s enough.”
Nico glanced away, the faintest pink rising to his cheeks. “…You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you’re still here,” Will teased, leaning his head against Nico’s shoulder. Nico stiffened for a heartbeat, then relaxed, letting him stay.
For a while, that was enough. The two of them sat quietly, the world slowing down until it was just water, shadows, and fading light.
But back at the Aphrodite cabin, Calix leaned against the railing, arms folded. His smile no longer carried its usual lazy charm; it had the almost unnoticeable hint of irritation. His eyes locked on the pair at the lake, his gaze lingering on Will, glowing in the last streaks of sunlight.
“You don’t belong in the dark, Will Solace,” he murmured under his breath, his voice low and certain. “Not when you could be shining in the light… with me.”