Will Solace almost forgot it was his birthday.

That was the kind of thing that happened when you were the head healer on a busy summer morning—too many campers, too many minor injuries, not enough hands. By the time the sun had fully climbed into the sky, he’d already patched up three sword nicks, one twisted ankle, and a spectacularly bad case of “I thought I could jump that.”

“Next time,” Will said, tying off a bandage with practiced ease, “maybe don’t treat lava rocks like stepping stones.”

The camper gave him a sheepish grin. “Yeah… noted.”

Will smiled back, easy and warm, before moving on to the next patient. It was routine. Familiar. Comfortable.

Still, something felt… off.

Not wrong—just like he was forgetting something small but important, like a word sitting on the tip of his tongue.

He shrugged it off.

There wasn’t much time to think about it anyway.

Across camp, Nico di Angelo was very much not forgetting.

He stood in the middle of the pavilion, arms crossed, dark eyes scanning the chaos he’d helped create. Decorations—slightly uneven but trying their best—hung between the columns. Blue and gold streamers twisted around the beams, Apollo kids arguing over placement while Grover attempted (and failed) to keep things organized.

“It’s crooked,” Annabeth said, squinting critically at a banner.

“It’s fine,” Percy argued. “It adds character.”

“It adds tilt,” she shot back, already moving to fix it.

Nico exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.

This had been his idea.

Which meant, naturally, it had spiraled into something bigger than he’d planned.

Sixteen.

Will was turning sixteen.

And yeah, maybe Will wouldn’t have cared about something big or loud—but Nico did. Not because of the attention, but because Will deserved something that was… good. Something that felt like people cared.

Because Nico did.

More than he was ever going to say out loud.

By the time Will finally stepped out of the infirmary, the sun had shifted just enough to cast everything in a softer, golden glow. He stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders, exhaustion settling in now that the rush had died down.

“Okay,” he muttered to himself, “food. Definitely food.”

“Happy birthday.”

Will blinked.

He turned—and there Nico was.

Standing just a few steps away, hands shoved awkwardly into his pockets like he hadn’t quite decided what to do with them. His expression was softer than usual, something quiet and almost uncertain flickering behind his dark eyes.

For a second, Will just stared.

Then it clicked.

“Oh,” he breathed, a smile breaking across his face. “Right. That’s today.”

Nico huffed, just a little. “Yeah. It is.”

Will laughed softly, stepping closer. “Guess I’ve been a little busy.”

“Shocking,” Nico said dryly.

But there was no real bite to it.

Just… fondness.

Will’s smile didn’t fade as he reached out slightly, brushing his fingers against Nico’s sleeve. “You remembered.”

Nico’s gaze flickered away for a second. “Obviously.”

Then, before Will could say anything else, Nico leaned in—quick, soft, and deliberate—and pressed a kiss to his lips.

It wasn’t long.

It didn’t need to be.

But it was enough to leave warmth lingering in its wake.

“Happy birthday,” Nico said again, quieter this time.

Will blinked once, a little caught off guard, before his smile softened into something gentler.

“Best start to the day so far,” he admitted.

Nico looked like he might say something back—

Then didn’t.

Instead, he pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket.

Will raised an eyebrow. “Should I be concerned?”

“Probably,” Nico said. “But not for this.”

“Reassuring.”

“Turn around.”

Will hesitated for exactly half a second before doing it anyway.

“Wow,” he said. “Trusting. That’s new.”

“Don’t ruin it,” Nico muttered, stepping closer.

The blindfold slid into place, soft but firm as Nico tied it behind his head. Will’s world went dark, but he didn’t tense. Didn’t pull away.

He just smiled.

“Okay,” he said lightly. “What’s the plan?”