(.... Hiii...)

Will's POV

I feel so bad for Nico. He's been so timid lately. So on edge. Everything freaks him out. I don't know how to help. He jumped at every little sound, every little touch, every little fast moving.. Thing. He's become a little less jumpy, especially around me, but it's still sad to see him like this.

He became a little more clingy too. He once climbed onto my back while I was getting something to drink from the fridge and just stayed there. I didn't try to get him off or anything, he seemed content just chilling on my back and he really didn't have any weight to him, but he wouldn't tell me what drove him to do that in the first place.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was afraid of the windows in general. He would almost start crying whenever I or one of my parents opened the curtains. He'd run and hide somewhere, refusing to come out until the windows were closed again.

Right now I was sitting, doing my homework on the desk in my room. The door creaked, alerting me that Nico had came in. I didn't pay him any mind, too busy with the crazy math problem right in front of me. The room went quiet and I felt eyes on me. I turned my head to see Nico.. Sitting on the floor. He was looking at me and jumped when we locked eyes. Why...?

"Whatcha doin' there?" I smiled, placing my pen down. Nico bit his lip, an embarrassed flush covering his cheeks.

"You looked busy," Nico began to play with his fingers.

"You know you can always ask me if you need something," I frowned, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"But I don't need something," he mumbled. "I just..."

I watched him for a minute before sighing, holding an arm out to him. "C'mere..."

I pulled away a bit as Nico visibly flinched. What was he expecting me to do? He then bit his lip, standing up and shuffling within arms reach. I guilded him over and lifted him up, setting him on my lap. He gasped, curling in on himself.

"There. And you're tiny so you're not in my way," I smiled, setting my arms back on the desk and grabbing my pen once more.

Nico didn't say anything this time. He just curled closer to me. I worked on my homework for a little while more, Nico just staring at my pen as I move it, before I finally broke the silence. "Have you been feeling okay lately?"

Nico looked up, those big dark eyes just staring at me. "I'm serious," I sighed, abandoning my pen once more. "Seeing Octavian really freaked you out, huh?"

"I guess so.." Nico looked back down, fiddling with his fingers.

I sighed. Okay. I need to do something. Anything. Later that day I snuck into a different little area by myself, picked up my phone, and dialed. "Hey! Kitty....?"