Chapter Text
The minute Luke Castellan escaped the doors of death, he knew he would do better this time.
It almost felt too good to be true, Thanatos conveniently forgetting about him when he was collecting the rogue souls who had escaped during Gaia's awakening. It reminded him of Buddhism, where one can reincarnate infinitely until eventually reaching a state beyond life and death. Anyway, existential (or non-existential?) crisis aside, he currently had a mission.
As soon as he got out of Asphodel, the first thing he did was find Percy to apologise. It was a little awkward, since he found Percy and Annabeth in a compromising position, but he was just glad that poor dude had finally made a move. He was hoping his suspicious confession to Annabeth (it was brotherly love, because the idea of dating Annabeth is disgusting. She's literally a baby) would have done it. However, if what Percy had told him was to be believed, there were still two pining idiots left in Camp Half-Blood. "There won't be any more pining on my watch!" ghost Luke promised.
"Oh, thank the gods. I was beginning to think we would have to stage a shadow travelling accident to lock them in a room with one bed," Annabeth said.
"That's...oddly specific." Percy looked vaguely terrified. Luke thought he would be used to it by now.
"Shut up, seaweed brain!"
"Maybe I made a mistake by asking my mom to print Wattpad for you."
Luke left the two lovebirds to bicker as he came up with a game plan. It was near Christmas, and even though Camp Half-Blood didn't celebrate, some year-rounders could have decorated to make the place feel like home. That's it! Luke wasn't well-versed in Christian traditions, but he was pretty sure mistletoe could be considered romantic. "DI ANGELO! IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR BROKEN WRIST CHECKED RIGHT NOW, I WILL GET YOU BUBBLE WRAPPED!" Will Solace, or victim no.1, shouted. Luke hid in the strawberry bushes to avoid being spotted.
"I'm fine, doctor." Nico's voice was eerily quiet, a direct contrast to Solace's passionate yelling. Oh, this was an opposites-attract couple.
Will looked a little flushed at being called a doctor. "The angle of your wrist bone tells me otherwise. Now, either you get your stubborn self to my infirmary stat, or you can say goodbye to swordplay forever."
"What?" In the five minutes Luke had known him before, he knew Nico was one of the best swordsmen in Camp Half-Blood. Oh, Will had hit the mark. His father would be proud.
"Yep. That's your dominant hand, as you mentioned in your file, and if your bone heals wrong, you won't be able to use it. I might as well take the sword now." The son of Apollo grinned, and Nico stared. Luke smirked behind the bushes. Of course, Will remembered small details like his crush's dominant hand.
"It's fine. I'll go to the infirmary," Nico grumbled. Will smiled wider.
"I just don't want to bother you," Nico spoke up while they were walking.
"Huh?" Will tilted his head, looking like a confused cat.
"I don't want to bother you. The Apollo cabin is always so busy, and you need to rest, so I'm only adding more stress..."
Luke swallowed his guilt. He knew exactly why the Apollo cabin was always busy.
"Nico! I promise you're not adding any stress. Even if you were, you're right. I'm being a hypocrite again, so let's come to a compromise."
"A compromise?"
"Yeah! You get your wrist fixed and stay in the infirmary, and I'll go back to my cabin to rest."
Nico smiled, and it was so unexpected that Luke jumped with his ghostly body. Hades kids smiled now? If these two didn't kiss soon, he might actually die again.
Surprisingly, it was really easy to arrange everything. He put mistletoe under the infirmary door at 3 am, after making sure no one else was coming in for late-night or early morning check-ups. He narrowly avoided being spotted by Mr D, but the god smirked, so he might know already. After making sure that Will would start his shift at 6:00 am sharp, he moved on to the last phase of his plan.
He floated to Nico's room and knocked him off the bed.
It might sound violent, but sacrifices must be made in the name of love. He hit him in a way that would hurt his wrist, and hid before Nico noticed him and maybe banished him forever. Nico groaned, and after staring at his sword in what could only be described as longing, he begrudgingly got up. Yes!
He trudged to the infirmary just as Apollo's chariot peeked over from the horizon, as if he came to watch. Nico opened the door with his left hand, only to see a flushed Will staring at him. Luke saw him, noticing the noise and going to greet the patient, only to see the surprise by the door. Nico hadn't noticed at first, with his short stature, but when he did, he turned redder than the Long Island strawberries.
"Uh, um..." The smug son of Apollo was lost for words.
"This is stupid, right?" Nico said.
Will looked dejected, but quickly hid it. "Yeah, right."
"So you don't want to kiss me." The son of Hades' face was blank after years of practising it.
"I didn't say that."
"So you do."
"If you do."
"Ugh. I like you, so please be clear already."
"I like you too."
"So can we kiss?"
"Obviously! What do you think I've been trying to say this whole time?"
Finally, two lips connected under the dawn light and fragrant mistletoe, and Luke's mission was finished. He Iris messaged Percy to let him watch. "Whoa."
"Yep. I did it. Pining over." Luke smirked.
Percy gave him a thumbs-up.
"Now, talking payment..." Luke started.
"No way, dude! I'm broke!"
"I take payment in enchiladas, too."
"I'll ask Grover."