Archive of Our Own ^beta

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His legs were shaking, their throat was sore and painful from screaming - everything hurt. Nico was dully aware of the blood that was dripping, no, gushing from his numerous gashes. He had to escape before they came back, this week had been like living in a real nightmare.

Everything was fine until he was kidnapped, blindfolded, and chained up so he couldn't escape, then heavily drugged until the world span and he could no longer form a coherent thought. It had been a week since he'd been captured, and the tortures had only gotten worse. His captor seemed to enjoy producing the most artistic, sadistic forms of torture, designed to keep Nico on the brink of going insane. Nico's head had been forced under water until he stopped squirming, nearly passing out from lack of oxygen, his captor towing the line between killing Nico, which in hindsight would have been kinder. Eventually, he would be brought up given no time to recover before being forced back under until his captor was satisfied. Knives had been run up and down his scarily skinny form countless times, causing Nico to go delirious from blood loss. He'd been chained up and told his friends hated him, that they weren't coming to save him, he knew these methods of torture but he'd started to believe them. After all, they weren't here were they, maybe they weren't coming, maybe they didn't even notice he was gone in the first place.

Perhaps worst of all he had lived under constant bright light, making it impossible to sleep and use his powers, although his restraints seemed to have some curse that did that job well enough – they were literally sucking his soul and power from his body. Nico was now slumped against the back wall of his black, dirty cell, after round after round of creative tortures, his blood pooled around him, he wretched over and over but had had nothing in his stomach since being captured so had nothing to throw up. He was already painfully skinny before being taken but now he looked almost skeletal, hollowed out, you could see every bone move, they were so close to the surface, it looked as though if Nico moved to quickly his ribs might cut right through his translucent skin.

His head throbbed due to the strong drugs used to keep him still and boneless. Suddenly a wave of electricity passed through his nerves from the collar around his neck and cuffs around his wrists and ankles. Tears stung his eyes and face as he started to convulse from the pain radiating through his body, intensified by his sopping wet frame and clothing. The voltage increased causing Nico to cry out in pain, arching his back to an impossible angle. All his muscles ached and spasmed from the ever-stronger waves of electricity coursing through his broken body, his cries turning to strangled screams. Suddenly, the world went black, whether from the electricity or the blood loss Nico didn’t know but he had passed out, or so he thought, but when he remained conscious, he realised he’d temporarily gone blind from overstimulation to his nerves.

Just as suddenly as the electricity started, it was gone, along with the blindness. This left a painful ache across his body and scorch marks littered his skin where the cuffs and collar touched him. Nico craned his blistered neck to inspect his hands, the small movement caused him to hiss in pain. They seemed normal until on closer inspection, they were shrouded in a black shadow – he was fading, it was too much, even for a son of Hades.

Before panic could really set in Nico heard heavy footfall from outside his cell, the bars were pulled apart. He raised his head, but he quickly regretted it, stars danced in his vision, nausea rearing its ugly head. His vision was so blurred he could hardly make out the fuzzy silhouette of his captor. The chain between his shackles was tugged hard, jerking Nico forward so he was on all fours, weight barely supported. His hands were pulled from beneath him. He was dragged to the opposite wall, the strain on his wrists causing deeper scars to form. The chain was hung from an unseen hook, high enough so Nico had to stand on his tiptoes facing the wall. His legs gave way, so only handcuffs were holding him up, simultaneously dislocating both his shoulders with a gruesome snap, eliciting an agonising scream from Nico’s limp form. All too quickly for Nico’s abused brain to process he felt a cold, jagged object being dragged down his spine, making him shiver in the already drafty cell sending even more shooting pains to his throbbing arms, burning tears retracing the tracks on his sunken face, stinging the open wounds across the fine skin on his cheeks. His mouth opened in a silent scream as he felt the rough blade penetrate his back once more. Nico whimpered and writhed, trying to escape the pain but he only succeeded in sending more pain down his beaten limbs – he was too weak, powerless to do anything to escape the assault. Then he realised that they were words, the man was carving a phrase into his back. The kidnapper moved with practiced ease, each time Nico moved or made a sound, the blade was driven deeper into the already broken, bruised skin. Nico figured out the phrase read: ‘NEVER FORGET, YOU ARE NOTHING!’ and he was inclined to believe him. He felt his abuser twist the blade mercilessly to punctuate the exclamation mark, a heart-wrenching, guttural scream left Nico’s lips but even that intensified the extreme pain radiating from all over his body, stretching the new, deep wounds that would surely scar forever.

Nico thought of Will, his beloved boyfriend, how he would never see his startlingly blue eyes, his fluffy blonde hair. He knew he was going to die here in this cell, he won’t get to say goodbye. Was Will even looking for him though? Maybe not, after all he was worth nothing, was nothing.

Abruptly Nico was brought from his thoughts, icy water was splashed against his blood-red stained back. He was suddenly aware of how much blood was oozing from his spine, dripping onto the polished, stone floor, this thought distracting him from the question of why his captor was suddenly ‘helping him.’ A shiver ran through his body as he fought against the thought of bleeding out, how long did he have? He focused all his energy on keeping his body conscious. Then he became aware if a new stinging pain spreading across his slash marks – salt water – of course the kidnapper wouldn’t help Nico! A cruel chuckle left his abductor’s mouth as Nico tried to cry out, but no sound came out of his scream-abused throat. Nico, trying to move as little as possible to not cause further pain, lay boneless in his shackles, his jaw slack, he felt cool water pour down his throat, the first liquid he’d had since being taken, relief flooded his senses until he realised the burn in his throat had intensified, the salt water was now sucking away any remaining moisture in his body, making Nico cough from the dryness left behind only it was blood that filled his mouth when he coughed, the blood dribbling from his lips, down his chin. He tried to claw at his neck but was still held strongly by the restraints. This movement earned him a hard slap across the face, ultimately Nico failed to keep a hold of his consciousness. The world went black, and this time he did truly black out. The relief was short-lived…

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The next thing Nico was aware of was the encompassing feeling of water, he was at the bottom of a lake. He lay limp, just above the lake-bed, he felt like he was floating, maybe he was. He was barely present in the moment, all sensations reduced to afterthoughts. Nico was drowning and he found that he really didn’t care.

It took his groggy brain a while to come to the conclusion that he had been thrown in by his captor on the assumption that he was dead. He lay still until panic consumed him as he forced his tired, screaming limbs to push him to the surface. His movements were sloppy, but he had enough determination, he was not going to die when his Will was still at camp. But then he thought of the phrase etched into his back, and what his captor had said, he sank back into his thoughts. Maybe Will wasn’t looking for him, maybe he wouldn’t care if Nico was dead, it would be easier for Will that way. The thought of just letting go and succumbing to the surrounding water crossed his mind again, that would make all the pain go away, make everyone else’s lives better. Forcefully pushing those thoughts aside, Nico scrambled his way towards the edge of the lake, he needed to see Will again, even if only to say goodbye.

Eventually, he burst to the surface of the water near the lake’s edge and dragged his bleeding body up the beach. It was the middle of Winter, that much was evident from the thick layer of powdery, white snow that blanketed the beach and surrounding area, everything was shrouded in the stuff.

Nico tried to pull himself to his feet, but his knees buckled the second weight was put on them, he fell to the ground with a loud, agonising crunch. He was shaking violently from the combined chill of the ice-cold lake water still dripping from his frame and the fresh snow clinging to what little clothing he still had and that lay beneath his quivering form. The uncontrollable shaking put a stop to all his other feeble attempts to get up off the frozen ground. The small distance he had travelled up the shore was pitiful. In his wake he had left a trail of crimson, a stark contrast to the blinding white of the snow around, even in the darkness of the night. That very trail was a reminder to Nico that this wasn’t just one of his nightmares, this was real, the torture he had faced, the pain that reigned his body was all real.

Nico was helpless, led in the snow, hypothermia threatening to freeze him to death, while blood loss caused his vision to blur as the scarlet liquid soaked the ground.

Nico saw a cloudy figure, walking slowly to him, beckoning him closer. Desperate for any reprieve Nico attempted to crawl towards the mysterious man, until the world shifted, and the shape disappeared. He was back in his cell, his captor standing menacingly in front of him holding a whip stained with blood, Nico’s blood. Nico cowered before the masked man, his muscles unable to work, paralysed with fear. The man raised his arm to bring the whip down on Nico’s bruised body, he tensed in readiness for the pain that was to come.

He whimpered, blinking hard to rid himself of the view, clutching his head as the sounds of his own screams filled his ears. Opening his eyes Nico saw the lake again, his breathing was still rapid and shallow, it still hurt to take a deep breath due to his broken ribs, his panic induced brain suddenly came up with an idea.

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Pushing past the pain from his broken ribs and his dislocated shoulders, he dragged his fragile, broken body towards the dark expanse of the forest that lay before him. The dark was oddly comforting to his mind as he felt more a part of the shadows than ever before. He thought that this wouldn’t be such a bad way to go out, just fading away into nothing. That was until the nightmares came…

Nico saw flashes of his time in Tartarus, the jar he’d been trapped in for days whilst running out of food and air after his escape, the cell he’d just been in mere hours ago, along with all manner of other traumatic experiences in his short, dismal life.

Sensing his distress, his powers kicked into overdrive, as soon as he reached a strong enough shadow, they shadow travelled him.

When Nico regained his consciousness, he was in a cold sweat, his breaths were coming in and out at to fast a pace to control, each one more painful than the last as it put more and more pressure on his broken ribs. He felt like he was running out of air again, just like when he’d been trapped inside that horrific jar. His chest ached from the exertion and he resigned himself to his inevitable fate
Nico had been too lucky, he’d cheated death one too many times…

He took one last look around at his surroundings, he was still in a forest, maybe he hadn’t shadow travelled after all.

Nico felt his soul slowly leaving his crumpled, broken, shaking, malnourished body to be damned for all eternity in Asphodel if he was lucky, if not, the Fields of Punishment awaited him.

There was a light coming towards him – Thanatos coming to claim his soul and take him to his inescapable, miserable fate.

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A voice called out his name, it sounded familiar, a southern drawl to it that was somewhat comforting to him. The voice seemed to draw closer, still repeating his name, he closed his eyes, ready to succumb to the darkness of his impending death. The light grew brighter, edging ever closer, the voice seemed a final mercy on Thanatos’ victims, to comfort them as he reaps their souls. He was as ready as he could be, he stopped struggling for breath, just accepting that he would die regardless. The light finally touched him...

‘Nico?!’

Nico opened his heavy eyelids to find a person kneeling next to his dishevelled form, not just any person… Will Solace, beloved head medic of Camp Half-Blood, and his boyfriend.

Anytime before this, Nico would have been relieved to see him, but Nico had already come to terms with death, had already prepared for the supposed inevitable, accepted it as fact. Summoning his remaining strength, Nico feebly tried to shove Will away, pathetically trying to push his gentle hand off of Nico’s skinny arms, muttering in between his hurried, laboured breaths,
‘Will, stop.’

Will sighed, sounding both relieved and scared,
‘Nico, you’re alive, I’ve been so worried, just stay still for me, you’re badly hurt.’

‘Just leave me…’
Nico says weakly, struggling to get the breath to speak.

‘Never, Nico, breathe with me ok? In… and out…’
Will whispered, panic starting to creep into his usually calm and stoic tone,
‘I cant help you until you relax a little bit for me, darlin.’

After the gentle reassurance and guidance from his boyfriend, Nico’s rapid breaths started to even out, although each one was still laced with agony from his broken ribs, at least he was breathing and more in control, able to understand what his situation was. He was calmer now, able to think, and now not resigned to death, a little of his fighting spirit restored within him.

‘Well done, keep breathing, just like that, I’m going to pick you up now alright darlin? Just try to relax,’
with that, Will slid one hand underneath Nico’s knees and the other beneath his back. Nico wined at the pressure to the lesions he had on his back, to Will apologised repeatedly, the intense worry no longer contained and etched into his face as he carefully lifted Nico into his strong arms. He cradled Nico against his, holding his chest securely, reassuring Nico of his presence.

As soon as they crossed camp borders, people rushed to help, but Will pushed them away, knowing the fragile state both Nico’s mind and body were in and that a lot of people’s eyes and questions would not be beneficial right now.

Nico’s consciousness was fading in and out, he was so tired and everything was so overwhelming and painful, the noises too loud, the lights too bright. He couldn’t think, he was struggling to even comprehend what was going on, only faintly aware of the situation, only absorbed by the pain radiating across his body that seemed never ending. Sensing Nico’s discomfort from his elevated vitals, Will elected to take him to Hades’ cabin where it would be quieter and darker. Will, with Nico writhing in agony, cradled against his chest, made his way toward cabin 13 where he’d be able to finally help Nico.

As they reached Nico’s cabin, Will pushed the door open, shutting it behind him to maintain their privacy. Quickly he placed Nico on his bed, rushing over to his wardrobe to find the emergency medical supplies he kept in Hades’ cabin for when Nico shadow travelled.

Just as the healer turned to pick up the emergency Ambrosia and Nectar, he heard Nico scream. The poor boy was gripped by a hallucination, he was back in the cell, his captor stood before him wielding a knife. He screamed as the knife was stabbed into his stomach. Will reacted immediately, placing the food of the gods at the end of the bed and gently taking hold of Nico’s shoulders. He could feel his elevated heartbeat as his hands read Nico’s vitals to Will as was his powers. He gently shook the quivering boy’s shoulders, trying to ground him and bring him back from wherever he thought he was.

Nico awoke from his delusion gasping, which only seemed to cause him more pain. Will took the broken boy in his arms, sheltering him against his own mind, his fractured mind and body pillowed and supported by Will’s body, his healing presence.

‘What happened darlin? What did they do to you?’
Will asked softly, although his anger and worry was scarcely contained.

‘H-How long was i… gone for’
Nico’s voice trailed off, struggling to get out words through the haze of pain.

‘Nearly a month. What happened Nico?’

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WHAT!?’
Nico was shocked, he thought he’d only been gone a week or so, it didn’t make any sense. Panic started to seize him as he realised that he hadn’t eaten or slept in a month,
‘Will, I…’
He was hyperventilating again, his frail, skeletal body vibrating from the effort.

‘Nico, take a breath. I’m here to help you darlin, but first you need to calm down for me love, listen to my breaths and try to copy them, ok? In and out, nice and slow,’
Will spoke firmly, his soft Texas accent comforting to Nico in his weak state. After a few tries at breathing slowly Nico picks it up, his shallow, quick-fire breaths relaxing to a slower rhythm, although his breaths remained shallow due to the four broken ribs that Will could sense as his hand brushed Nico’s hair, secretly making his diagnoses using his powers.
‘Keep breathing, I’m going to get you some Nectar, ok? I’m not going anywhere, just keep breathing like that, you’re going to be ok, you’re safe now,’
Will whispered the word comfortingly as he gathered a pitcher of Nectar and several squares of Ambrosia, placing them on the side table next to Nico’s bed. He grabbed a chair and dragged it across the room. The sound made Nico flinch; it reminded him too closely of when his captor would do the same before starting Nico’s torture. Ever observant, Will noticed his reaction and immediately started apologising and comforting Nico profusely for frightening the already scared boy.

After Nico calmed down again, Will handed him a small square of Ambrosia, the food of the gods, praying on every last one that Nico would accept the Ambrosia. Sometimes when people were hurt, it made them feel very sick and any food they ate would be regurgitated, Will had never dreaded that thought so much.

Thankfully, the gods were on his side today and Nico took the square, taking a bite out of it. Instantly, relief flooded through Nico’s hollow body as he felt his muscles finally relax as the ambrosia worked its magic. It tasted of all his happiest moments and memories, ones not filled with shadow and darkness and pain, but ones filled with family and friends. The taste also calmed his down from his distress, his mind slowly easing from the torment it sustained.

He gives Nico a moment to calm down, leaning him forward slightly and settling behind Nico before speaking again
‘I’m going to relocate your shoulders now darlin. It will hurt a lot when I press on it, but it will feel so much better once its back in place. Take a deep breath for me Nico and 3… 2… 1…’

Sending shock waves of pain down Nico’s impinged nerves making Nico grip the sheets, Will presses firmly on his right shoulder. Nico felt his shoulder blade pop back into place, most of the intense pain previously present, dissipating. Will swiftly and carefully repeated the same process for the other shoulder, popping his shoulder back into its proper position, making sure no blood vessels or nerves were caught as he did so.

Then, risking giving him as much as he could, Will handed Nico a glass of Nectar to help soothe his pain further and continue to mend his wounds. Nico was so frail, desperately needing nutrition, having been deprived of it, and Will couldn’t help but ask himself questions like ‘when was the last time Nico had eaten or drank anything?’ knowing full well he wouldn’t like the answer if he asked Nico.

Seeing Nico perk up a little after the Nectar, Will’s nerves surrounding the high dosage calmed, Nico had responded well and was looking a little less like death. Thinking it now safe to set up an IV to give Nico the nutrition his body was so desperately craving and the strength he would need to heal, Will filled up a bag, hooking it onto the wall where he’d often hung one for Nico after he shadow travelled too far or refused to eat.

As soon as Will finished setting up and inserting the IV, Nico started to shiver violently, his exhaustion evident on his face as all his hypothermia from the frozen lake earlier started to catch up to him as he was still in his drenched clothes. Noticing his reaction to the IV, Will made his way over to his boyfriend, climbing into the bed next to him, holding him tightly to his chest, as he wrapped the duvet around the two of them, trying to warm the sick boy up.

At that movement Nico winced, the sound was unmissable in the silence of the cabin, tears fell from the boy’s bloodshot eyes,
‘Nico, darlin? What’s wrong?’
Will withdrew his hand from around his quivering boyfriend, only to find his hand and forearm covered in blood.
‘Nico, what’s bleeding? A-and how long has it been bleeding for?’
Will asked softly, but firmly, needing the answer, worry and concern evident in his tone.

‘My ribs… back…’
Nico croaked out, his voice cracking with each syllable.

‘Ok, ok, darlin, I need to wrap your ribs up, ok? Its going to hurt, I can’t stop that and I’m sorry, but I need to stop you bleeding out, ok, darlin? Just try to relax, it will hurt less if you do, I promise’
Slowly and carefully, after receiving a nod from the shivering boy, the son of Apollo started to wrap his torso. When he reached the back, he stopped and gasped as he saw the engraved words on his back: ‘NEVER FORGET, YOU ARE NOTHING!’
‘Nico, who did this to you?’
Will practically seethed as he continued wrapping his ribs in the bandages.

‘I don’t…
He winced as the bandages tightened around his ribs
‘…know’
He finishes, breathing out the word.

‘We’ll find them Nico, I promise, we’ll find them and make them pay for what they’ve done to you, darlin,’
Will responded a little bit too forcefully, making Nico flinch at the intensity of his words. He softened as he saw Nico’s reaction,
‘Sorry darlin, I’m just mad at what they did to you. I love you so much, and I’ve missed you so much, I never stopped looking for you, and when I found you hurt this badly… I felt so awful, so helpless.’

‘W-Will… it’s ok, I’m ok now, thanks to you’
Exhaustion evident in his tone as he murmurs his response. The tiredness went bone deep, he hadn’t slept in a month, and now he finally had nutrition from the IV, he needed sleep.

‘It’s not ok, darlin, you almost died… right in front of me. I can’t lose you darlin, you’re my everything, I can’t live without you,’
Will exclaimed, anguish in his voice.

‘I’m still here, mi amore, I’m here,’
Nico responds, trying to keep his voice steady as he became the one to reassure his boyfriend. Nico was still trying to suppress shivers as he still felt cold from the IV fluids in his bloodstream, he turned over so he could face his boyfriend. He could sense Nico’s vitals through simple touch, so was aware that although he was calm now, his blood pressure now lowered to a safe level, Will could sense his lingering discomfort and held him tighter to him.
‘You still cold sunshine?’

Nico nodded weakly in response to his gentle question. Without hesitation, Will wrapped him up tighter in both the blanket and his arms, pulling him closer so that Nico’s head could rest on his chest whilst he played with his boyfriend’s hair gently. Softly, Will pressed a kiss to Nico’s temple, speaking softly as he asked,
‘That better darlin? You should try and get some rest now my love, we can talk about everything whenever you’re ready to tell me, ok?’

The smaller boy responded by way of a small nod, finally feeling safe after a month of peril. He felt cherished and loved in his boyfriend’s arms once more. He’d never forget, nor get over his experience, but he had Will, that to Nico, had always been enough. Will would always be there to save him from himself and others, to remind him that the words now permanently scarred into his back were not true, that he was someone, to a lot of people, but mostly to Will.

Will watched with a fond, yet still slightly concerned smile as Nico started to relax into him, the strain on his body finally giving way to sleep. Nico slowly drifted off into a deep sleep, seemingly protected from nightmares and memories by Will’s touch and presence. As Nico fell into his slumber, Will started to weave a healing spell around the boy, relaxing him further and trying to reduce any lingering pain. Nico nuzzled and cuddled up into him as the night went on, seeking Will’s warmth and comfort even in sleep.

‘I love you my sunshine, I swear on the River Styx that we will find your captor and set him straight. I missed this, I’ve never been so worried in my life, but you’re back now, and I won’t let another person hurt you again. You are always safe in my arms, I’m always here, darlin.’
Will whispered into Nico’s hair as he placed tender kisses on the crown of his head, almost worshipping him. He wasn’t sure if with his words he was trying to comfort himself or the traumatised, but incredibly strong boy he held in his worshipping embrace. He knew it was what both of them wanted to hear, even if Nico was asleep, so he let the emotional and loving words spill from his mouth.

They were together again, both of them were safe again, that’s all they ever needed.