“There are easier ways to kill me, Will.” Nico grumbles, suppressing a yelp when the canoe rocks unsteadily, dipping far too much for his taste or peace of mind.
Canoeing isn't even in his schedule. He would know. He makes his schedule, usually following the Apollo one or the Hermes one when he wants to be entertained by the little thieving hellions.
It's an implicit agreement between the children of the Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades that they are not to enter their dads' domains alone. One never knows how a god might react. Yet, here he is, on a body of water with Percy on the other side of the country.
All because he couldn't say no to Will when he said he needed a rowing buddy. He doesn't even know how to swim.
“Falling in the lake isn’t going to kill you.” The son of Apollo rolls his eyes, at ease on what is to be the less impressive version of the movie he made him watch a few nights ago, Titanic.
There are a few discordances as the waters below him are not freezing and no iceberg is going to cause their doom, however Nico does not feel safe.
“The naiads are just playing with us.” His boyfriend tilts his head towards the clear water, and indeed there they are, laughing girls swimming around their canoe, pushing it sideways.
“They’re going to capsize the canoe.” He hisses, scattering the spirits with his paddle. “And then you'll have to drag me to shore.”
Tricky creatures, the naiads, their mood as elusive and changing as the waters they live in. On a good day, they’ll help campers, chat, be friendly.
Today is not a good day. Today is 'I'm going to torture poor innocent campers' day.
"They know you can't swim, they're not going to make you fall." Will smiles, gently pushing away a naiad with his oar. "They'll grow bored soon enough. It's going to be fine."
"Don't say that." Nico says, gripping the canoe tighter, his useless paddle abandoned on his lap. "You're going to jinx us."
Will huffs, shakes off his warning with a shrug, and he quite literally hears the Fates laugh in their cave, twisting strings.
Giggling, two naiads suddenly jump out of the lake to grab Will, water sloshing in the canoe as his boyfriend is pulled out of the boat, eyes wide and protests unheard, all under his amused eyes.
They don't drag him under, else Nico would drop the gloating face he's sporting and start panicking, let him go at the surface, though not before dunking his head underwater.
Will is sputtering water out of his mouth as he swims towards the canoe to lean on it, making it dip under his weight.
"No, get away, you're too heavy." Nico whacks him, without any strength in his arms, with his paddle. "There's no way you can climb back up without flipping the canoe over."
Their trick accomplished, the naiads have left them alone, so now the only danger to Nico's safety and want to make it back to shore dry is Will himself, hands on the wooden edge of the boat, pensive.
Would he be anyone else, Nico knows Will would already have hoist himself up, even if it meant sending him in the water. But he is him, and he cannot swim.
"Fine." His boyfriend says, floating away. "Throw me the lifeline, please."
It is only when the son of Apollo is settled within the lifeline that Nico realises that he, as the only person on the boat, has to row alone.
Sighing, he takes both paddles and starts oaring, the canoe drifting slowly towards shore, cutting through the gentle current of the lake.
"This is nice !" Will states happily, letting himself be dragged. "We should do this more often."
Of course he would say that. If cats liked water, Nico would picture him as a sunbathing cat, head tilted to soak in as much sunlight as possible, a smile on his lips, serene eyes closed.
Nico, however, is looking like an overworked mule.
"Absolutely not." He retorts, wishing for the water spirits to come back and help him. He'll even apologise for trying to hit them with his paddle. "Find yourself another rowing buddy."
Will doesn't answer, which is a sign that he does not intend to find another person to drag with him on the water and will pester him again soon enough.
He makes the mental note of asking Percy to teach him how to swim, next time he stays at Camp Half-Blood. That way, he can even team up with the naiads to bother his boyfriend. They could also finally join chicken fights together, something Will excels at due to his height.
"Nico, I think something just bit my ankle. Please hurry up." Will says, looking warily at his feet through the clear water. "I'm actually not sure we don't have dangerous fishes in the lake."
He wouldn't put it past Mr.D.
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