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Nico had not even known there was a basement in the big house. But apparently there was, at least that was what the Stoll brothers had told him, and he was supposed to go and find extra helmets for tonight’s capture the flag down there.
“Is it this one?” Nico asked Connor as they arrived at a little door located in the floor behind the stairs.
“Yeah, at least that’s what Chiron said”, came the reply from Connor, and with the two brothers behind him, Nico opened it. There were a few steps down to the bottom, and just enough light came from the opening for him to see the entire room. Helmets and armors were located around the walls of the small room, and Nico started down the steps.
“Hold the door, will you?” he asked, and Connor and Travis took a corner each to prevent it from slamming shut.
Nico had always been a little claustrophobic, and it had developed to the level of extreme after the incident with the bronze-jar, but he wasn’t going to admit it to the Stoll’s just because he had to go and get some helmets in the basement.
He felt something in his stomach tighten as he was at the bottom of the stairs, surrounded by walls in the too little room. Just breathe, he thought to himself. It was fine as long as the door was still open.
He then took one more step away from the stairs, and the door above him slammed shut.
Nico froze. The darkness was absolute; he couldn’t have made out his hand if it was an inch from his nose. He turned in the direction of the door, trying to stay calm.
“For fuck’s sake, open the door, guys!” he shouted.
Silence.
What were those idiots doing? Nico felt panic starting to grab him. Despite the darkness, he could almost see the walls closing in on him. He felt himself starting to sweat and his hands were shaking.
Oh no.
Nonononono.
Nico’s mind shut down completely. He couldn’t think, couldn’t scream, couldn’t do anything but stand there, feeling the darkness surrounding him and the space shrinking. He needed to get out. He darted for the steps and climbed them, pushing on the door above his head. It didn’t budge, and Nico was panicking for real now. He punched his fist on the hard wood of the ceiling, once, twice… he didn’t stop until his fists were wet with blood.
Terror was tight in his chest, making it hard to breathe. Nico slid down from the stairs to the ground, and wrapped his arms around his knees in an effort to make the panic go away. He knew it wouldn’t help, but he did it anyway.
The darkness was pressing on his eyelids, so he squeezed them shut without any effect. Thoughts were racing through his mind, none of them anything he could use to get out. The only thing he could think about was the bronze jar. The pomegranate seeds. The giants. Tartarus.
The room suddenly morphed around him until walls of bronze were devouring the little space there was left, and the air was slowly disappearing. Panic was clouding Nico’s mind, ice-cold sweat was running down his forehead, and his entire body was shaking beyond his control. He tried to make himself as small as possible, curling up on the floor, and then he just sat there, shaking, in the depths of his own terrorized mind.
-
The Stoll brothers stood in front of Will with an almost surprised look on their faces.
“Wait, you mean he’s not back yet?” Travis asked.
Will just looked at him. Back from where?
“I thought he’d shadow travel out of there in a minute or break the door down or something”, Connor said.
“What are you talking about, where is he?”
Will was getting annoyed, but also worried. Nico had been supposed to help him out in the infirmary an hour ago, but there was no sign of him. Travis and Connor both looked a little guilty standing before Will, and he glared at them while he waited for an answer.
“Uh, I think he’s in the basement of the Big House…”
“What? What the hell is Nico doing in there?” Will exclaimed, and started walking towards the Big House.
“It was just a prank, and we seriously thought he’d be out of there in no time!”
Both the brothers walked after him while Travis tried to explain.
“You locked Nico in the basement? Are you completely stupid?”
Will was getting seriously angry now, and he whirled around to face the brothers.
“What, we do things like that to everyone, you know that Will!”
“He’s claustrophobic for fuck’s sake!” Will yelled. “He was locked up in a bronze jar for days and almost died, and you know this, so how can he not be claustrophobic?”
This seemed to make something click in place in their minds.
“Oh…” they said, almost in unison and Will ran off towards the big house, hoping Nico was okay.
He hurried towards the trapdoor and opened it by twisting the handle around so it would unlock. The room beneath was dark. Too dark, he noticed. The light didn’t reach down further than the first three steps, and the space underneath looked like it had been swallowed by thick shadows.
“Nico?”
The shadows seemed to grow a little thinner, and Will could just make out the boy at the bottom of the stairs, before he had flung himself around Will’s neck. The force almost knocked Will over, but he managed to regain balance and wrapped his arms around Nico protectively. The boy was shaking uncontrollably, and he was saying something Will couldn’t quite make out. Nico was clinging to him as if it was a matter of life or death.
“It’s okay, Sunshine”, Will assured him, stroking his back gently. “I’m here, it’s alright”.
Nico didn’t answer, just continued shaking, burring his face in Will’s shoulder.
He slowly loosened his grip around Will’s neck after a while but stayed next to him, and Will took his blood-covered hands in his own and kissed them softly.
“Are you okay?”
Nico nodded. His eyes were red and puffy, but he had calmed down.
“Yeah, I just… panicked. I guess”. His voice was hoarse when he spoke.
“Why didn’t you shadow travel out? I know I’ve said you shouldn’t do it, but I’d understand in a situation like this…”
Nico frowned. “I didn’t think of it, actually. I didn’t think much at all, it’s not that easy when you’re panicking”.
Will nodded. Nico got up off the floor, and Will followed.
“I need some air”, Nico muttered, and headed for the front door just when Connor Stoll stepped inside. They both stopped and looked at each other for a second.
“Nico, I’m sorry–” He didn’t get further in his apology before he had Nico’s fist planted in his face.
“Tell your brother I said hi if you see him before I do”, Nico grumbled before he walked out, and Will tried not to grin too widely when he followed. He took his boyfriend’s hand when they got outside.
“You’re hella hardcore sometimes, Nico, you know that?”
There was a little smile on Nico’s lips, and Will felt a familiar flutter in his chest.
“Yeah, I’m the Ghost King, right? I can’t not be a hardcore little shit if I’m gonna live to that title”.
Will couldn’t help but laugh at his sassy remarks. He put a hand around Nico’s waist and pulled him closer.
“That’s true, my little flower”.
Will loved the pink color that spread across Nico’s face.
“Shut up, Solace”.