I always get emotional when I think about solangelo and how Nico has had a very complicated life. While everyone else was safe at Camp Half-Blood, he was wandering between the realm of the dead and the living, talking to ghosts and facing monsters on his own. The happy, smiling boy who used to collected tcg cards gradually disappeared, taking on a new personality day by day.
It must have been terrifying for him to realize on his own that he was the son of Hades, suddenly seeing all those tormented souls, the dead, the ghosts surrounding him—he was just a child, surely he was scared.
Over time, he grew accustomed to the darkness of the Underworld, made that frightening realm his home, saw things from a different perspective, and understood that death is just another aspect of life. He learned to command the souls, to communicate with them, give them speeches, even though talking to a ghost can sometimes have its limitations. Eventually, that new reality became normal for him. He came to understand death and its secrets, but understanding doesn't mean accepting, and I'm sure Nico often couldn't accept the premature loss of those he cared about most.
He must have wondered many times if this was a curse, that children of Hades are not allowed to be happy. Yet, I'm sure Nico secretly longed for happiness. To one day find someone, just one person, who cared about him, accepted his emerging darkness, and embraced him in a hug he would never leave. I swear, I get incredibly emotional thinking that Will gave him that stability. Will, who must have seen him at his worst, still remembers how Nico was when he arrived at Camp Half-Blood: a happy child with a wide smile. Maybe Will is the only one who remembers this detail, but he knows that beneath that layer of darkness, that cheerful boy still exists, he just needs someone to encourage him to come out. I love how Will understands Nico or really tries to, and it's not always easy to know what he's thinking since Nico often keeps his thoughts to himself. Yet, with great patience, Will always manages, and now Nico has someone who truly cares about him.
