I have soldezangelo to iffer in these trying times. I wrote it half asleep, I'm sorry. But I've been thinking about Nico and his thoughts on the soulmate myth and well, here ya go. 1k words.
The sun was beginning to set as Leo bounded into the camp's infirmary. He knew Will would be doing shift change with the other healers and Nico would soon be by with food for the three of them.
"Okay, Will. Have a good night." Kayla bade Will goodbye and left the the two sitting in the peaceful silence as the only two patients slept. The door creaked back open and Nico shuffled in with food enough for the three of them and an extra bit for Will to eat later in the night.
"Hey there, Sunshine. What's on the menu tonight?" Leo gave Nico a wide grin as the other glowered at the name. They worked together doling out food and soon Will had sat down in the rolling chair at the small desk between the two.
"Food for later." Nico nodded to the bundle of aluminum foil next to Will's arm. Will nodded gratefully.
"Thanks, sweets." The three fell into a warm silence and Nico's mind began wandering. Leo noticed his nose scrunched up and a small pout working its way to his lips.
"What's wrong, mi amor?" Leo nudge him with his shoulder. Nico blinked and turned so he could lay in Leo's lap.
"How much myth do you guys know?" He asked, eyes a little unfocused. As if he were drifting off to another world.
"Not a whole lot but enough." Will answered.
"None at all, to be honest." Leo said. Nico pouted at that.
"Okay, fine. There's one about soulmates. It was-" Nico cut himself off as if realizing what he was about to say and sat upright, spine straight as a board and turned to put his weight against the wall.
"Nevermind. It's dumb." He muttered. Leo and Will glanced at each other, both realizing Nico was shutting down.
"Hey, you don't have to tell us, but we'd be honored to hear it." Will covered Nico's hand with his own. Leo felt again, a warm surge in his chest as if nothing could be better than this one moment. Nico glanced up at Will and took a shaky breath.
He relaxed his shoulders and took a breath before starting again.
"The myth goes that mankind was made with two sets of everything. So, four arms, four legs, four eyes, two mouths…" He hesitated, "And two hearts. Fearing their strength Zeus separated them into man and woman. Mankind would be destined to search for their other half their entire lives and when they found each other, they would know."
It was silent in the infirmary, both Leo and Will already guessing what would be next. But neither of them were actually ready for the next sentence.
"When I was younger, I wondered what that meant for me. Because, well," Nico's cheeks dusted pink as they did when he talked about his homosexuality, "I like boys and there's nothing in that myth about, gays getting soulmates."
It was clear he wasn't done speaking, but Leo wanted to do something for him. He wanted to touch him and have him closer.
"Come here." He whispered. He held his arms open and silently prayed Nico would move to sit between his legs so Leo could wrap around him. Nico did.
"I decided, after starting to date Will, that it didn't matter if he was supposed to be my soulmate or not because I loved him and that was enough for me." Nico continued. "I'd forgotten the myth...until we added you, Leo. Then it resurfaced and well, I won't lie and say I was even more confused because three of us? The myth stated two. And you're not...well, you're not a girl."
Will huffed a deep laugh and Leo smiled into Nico's shoulder.
"I've been thinking about the myth, and us, and how it's all supposed to work. And I think I've decided." Nico stopped talking but Will and Leo were still waiting for him to explain.
"Well? What did you decide?" Will asked. Nico smiled to himself.
"While it doesn't matter to me if soulmates exist, I believe the three of us are soulmates. The sense of peace that I have when I'm with you two at the same time, the likes of which I hadn't felt since before the Lotus Casino, is overwhelming. And if it isn't the sign that I've found my soulmate, what is it? I think humanity got the interpretation wrong. It's not two physical bodies. It's metaphysical. In the beginning of time, we were one soul. No matter how many pieces we're broken into, we'll find each other over and over and over again. Because being complete is what's important. And you two, complete me."
The sky could have fallen but none of them would have moved. Will and Leo, struck by the intensity of Nico's words, were rooted to their spots. Nico, for his part, was content to let his words soak in. He'd been thinking this all over for about two years now.
"Nico, that was…" Will trailed off, still searching for words. Leo nodded, trying to hide his tears while simultaneously trying to come up with a response.
"I don't have anything except I love you too. I can't imagine not having you and I know that just one of you wouldn't feel...complete." Leo's voice was muffled by Nico's jacket but he knew the other two heard him.
"I think you're right. I think you've figured out what soulmates are, Neeks. The person, or people, that make you feel whole."
Silence fell again, but not for long. One of the patients awoke, coughing and then groaning in pain. Will shot up out of his chair and pulled the camper's file.
"I love you. Both of you, so very much." Will dropped a kiss onto Leo's head, then gave Nico a peck on the cheek before scurrying off to check in with his patient.
"Nico, your mind is amazing." Leo pressed a kiss to the back of Nico's neck and was not at all suprised to find the brunette had fallen asleep on him. "Goodnight, angel."
