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Will was having an excruciatingly bad winter this year. It was impossible to pinpoint the reason why some winters were worse than others he’d had before. All he knew was that autumn and winter were the bane of his existence. He especially hated it when Christmas and New Year’s rolled around. All the fun from the beginning of the month just got slowly sapped away by the time the holidays got there, which was extremely unfair. It became hard to care about them, let alone get excited for them as he’d been on December 1st. Some years, like this one, it even started to grate against his nerves, and he got short with people as a consequence.
Today, on Christmas Eve, he was having his worst day in the season. For the first time in his life, one of his sisters actually had to wake him up that morning. Will felt sluggish and exhausted, though he’d gone to bed extremely early the night previous. He even debated whether it was worth it to take a shower, which appalled him. Frowning, the Head Counselor for Apollo Cabin ran a hand through his messy, stylized-by-his-pillow hair. Yeah, he was definitely taking that shower, apathy be damned. Heck, it might even revitalize him.
It definitely didn’t, much to Will’s annoyance. If anything, he actually felt reluctant to leave, like it would take too much energy to get out, dry off, and get dressed to greet the day. He should be frustrated with himself, but he found the effort to sustain anything more than mild annoyance harder than anything else. That wasn’t like him. Usually, Will was able to push through the mire of his own mind and try to find ways to deal with the day’s depression. Now, all he wanted to do was lie down in his bunk, maybe listen to his music, and stare at the wall listlessly for a few hours or the whole day.
He couldn’t do that, though. He had responsibilities and they took priority.
When Will got back to Cabin Seven after getting dressed, all of his siblings practically ambushed him at the door. His ‘old self’ resurfaced the moment his younger brothers and sisters started tugging at his hands, saying that he took forever to get ready. The ones who knew him best kept giving him looks of concern, but he brushed them off and grinned.
“Oh my gods, alright, alright! Just don’t take my arms off like you did those Barbie dolls!” They quickly gave him very innocent looks, but Will was hardly fooled. “Okay, if we’re all ready, then let’s storm the Dining Pavillion!”
The kids cheered as Will led them out for breakfast.
Normally, even at breakfast, the table for Apollo’s children was one of the liveliest. However, as the days grew shorter, their chatter became subdued and contained. Even when they led the campfire sing-alongs, it was a little more tired and forced than during the spring and summer months. They still had fun, but their energy levels were not where they could be.
Kayla nudged him gently in the side. When he looked at her, he saw both concern and a dangerous determination in her eyes. Will hated it when she got that look. It usually meant she was going to force him to do something good for his health.
“Honestly, Will, don’t look at me like I’m about to attack you,” she said. Will raised his eyebrows.
“You mean, you don’t ever attack me?” he retorted, which earned him a none-too-gentle smack to his arm. “Ow! You and everyone else I’m friends with need to stop with that terrible habit. I’ll wind up with a bruise the size of Texas before long!”
“Don’t be such a baby, Will, you can always just heal it,” Kayla said with a sniff. Then, she continued in a lowered voice, not wanting anyone to overhear. “Look, we’ve been talking and we think that it’d be a good idea if you took the day off.”
“Kayla--”
“Nope, shush! We know, you’re Head Counselor and Head of the Infirmary, and that means you’ve got a lot of responsibilities and blah blah blah. However, the rest of us can handle your normal tasks for a day or two. It’s not like you’re halfway across the world, so we can come get you when there’s an emergency or you’re needed because you’re Head Counselor.”
The look in his sister’s eyes told Will that she wasn’t going to budge on this. He glanced at his other siblings and saw that they were looking back with that same look she was giving him. Will sighed, but he was grateful to them. He didn’t have the energy to argue with them, either.
“Alright, alright. I’ll be in our cabin, and if I’m not I’ll leave a note.”
After breakfast, Will followed through with his word and went straight back to Cabin Seven. The act most likely hadn’t gone unnoticed, either, since he usually went to the infirmary or the archery range with some of his siblings afterward. As such, he expected a housecall from a certain concerned partner.
Lo and behold, after a couple minutes of being inside his cabin, Nico di Angelo appeared from one of the shadows. He gave his partner a soft, though somewhat tired, smile. No, nowadays, Nico really didn’t miss much when it came to Will not being alright.
“A pack of children ambushed me while I was leaving my table,” Nico said casually, leaning his Stygian iron sword against the wall. He then made his way over to sit down on Will’s bed. “They told me you were sick.”
“They’re good at that,” Will replied with a chuckle, leaning gently against the son of Hades. “I guess their assessment is mostly accurate, too. It’s...not been my best morning.”
Nico didn’t say anything to that. Rather, he just kicked off his shoes, lied down on the bed, and dragged Will with him. The son of Apollo chuckled again, and turned around to rest his forehead against Nico’s chest. For a few moments, Will savored it, especially when Nico started running his hand through his gold hair while the other rested across his waist. Honestly, he wouldn’t mind falling asleep like this, feeling like a contented cat. He just couldn’t enjoy it for long when he remembered that it was Christmas Eve and the two of them had plans to take a walk around New York City that day.
Will immediately felt guilty. They’d been planning it for a while, but here he was, wallowing and unable to think about touring through the city without some reluctance. He should be excited, and he certainly had been when he’d pitched the idea at Nico at the beginning of the month. It was frustrating because he knew he should power through it, suck it up, and go on their after-lunch date. Yet....Will couldn’t find it in him to do that, as much as he loved his partner. That knowledge felt like a glass shard going straight through his heart, and he pressed his face closer to Nico’s chest.
“I’m sorry,” he said, voice muffled by his partner’s shirt. “This...probably isn’t going to be a good Christmas Eve.”
Will felt soft lips press against the top of his head.
“City’s not going anywhere,” Nico said and then paused for a beat. “Well...probably not. The point is, we can reschedule for when you’re better. You’ve done it for me. Why can’t we do it for you, too?”
There was a pause before a soft, breathy laugh escaped the son of Apollo.
“Because I’m an idiot and keep thinking about other people’s expectations of me,” Will replied, a little sadly. He felt Nico gently tug his hair, and he couldn’t help grinning against his partner.
“Yeah, well, I’d never deny that you’re an idiot when it comes to that. Would you be too heartbroken if we skip the traditional caroling at the campfire?”
“And spend 99% of the day cuddling with my favorite grump? I think my heart can take the pain.”