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ordon-pumpkin · 3 months

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Remembering (Alt Title: Apollo Gives The Best Hugs)

A short (2280 word) fanfic set after The Sun and The Star. (Tags: Hurt/Comfort, fluff, Solangelo, Apollo being a good parent)

Note: I read The Sun and The Star and I spent most of it hoping for a scene like this at the end to explain the whole Will forgetting about Apollo returning thing. Since the book seems to have… er forgotten. Quite a disappointing oversight but that’s what fix-it fics are for. So, here’s what I envisioned happening. From Apollo’s POV because I miss it. 💛

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My son and his boyfriend had embarked on a dangerous quest. One that left me worried. I respected their choices, even if their journey was one I wished they wouldn’t take. The life of a demigod was riddled with danger, quests, and things unfathomable to a regular mortal. Yet, it was commonplace for them. It felt as though my relationship will Will as his father had barely begun. Now, he had journeyed far from me. My heart ached at the thought of losing him.

While they were away I continually checked Camp Half-Blood. After several unsuccessful visits the dread started to grow. Until one day I showed up only to see a head full of messy blonde hair running towards the infirmary for supplies.

Will!

My son.

My beautiful son!

Tears welled up in my eyes. He had survived! I could sense pain coming from him and see bandages and scratches across his form. He was drained from being away from the sun for too long. But the injuries were, thankfully, minor. I turned to look where he had come from. I saw Chiron and Dionysus talking with Nico. He too was pretty banged up, but all things considered he looked well. I thought I saw shadows shift near him. Perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me. Though, with a child of Hades who knew for certain?

Will had disappeared into the infirmary. I approached the doorway and leaned against the frame. My son grabbed supplies; fresh bandages and ointments. He paused to look down at a bandage wrapped around himself. It had bled partially though. The bandage needed to be changed, but of course Will would put Nico’s needs first. I shook my head and blinked away the tears in my eyes. He was incredible. My son.

“Don’t neglect your own wounds. What good is a doctor if they are fighting off infections?” I said simply. “You know… I could help with this.”

Will’s back remained turned to me as he filled a bag with anything he might need. He was focused and determined. “Thanks, but I’ve got it. I heal fast anyway.”

I hummed in amusement at the reply. “Oh, I’m sure you do.”

He froze.

Then, slowly, he turned around. The expression on his face was difficult to read, as if a million things were going through his mind. After a moment, he reached his hand up to run his fingers into his curly blonde hair. He sat down hard on one of the infirmary beds. A look of shock on his features.

“Dad?” His eyes were watery. “Oh gods.”

“Will?” I approached him as if he were a frightened animal that might run away at any moment. I didn’t want to scare him away, not when I finally knew he was safe.

“I-I’m sorry.” Will’s voice cracked.

“Sorry?! Whatever for?” I took another step in his direction. “My son! A hero that survived Tartarus! I’ll admit I was worried. But I knew if anyone could succeed it was you and Nico!”

A light blush dusted his cheeks at the praise, but he still appeared to be struggling.

“When I was down there… I forgot.” Will began before stopping himself. His head tilted away from me as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

“What did you forget?” Again, I found myself concerned.

He looked down at his hand and picked at the sheet covering the bed. “I forgot you came back.”

The words left me speechless.

“When I was down there. I-I guess it messed with my head. I thought you went off to fight Python, became a god again and that was it. That you never came back. That I’d be lucky to ever see you again at all. I remember now. You’ve visited. We’ve sat around the fire together. But when I was down there I really thought you never did.”

A gasp escaped my lips. Will turned to look at me. His words felt like a knife to my chest. Because there was a time when I thought that’s how it would be. Finish my trials, become a god again, everything back to how it was before. It wasn’t what I wanted now. My experiences as Lester had changed me. Still, the Underworld had caused Will to forget that I had returned to him.

I couldn’t help but think that such a thing was exactly what I deserved.

“You were…far from the sun.” I felt the heavy weight of shame cover me like a cloak. “The Underworld didn’t even have to do much to make you believe that I left for good. It’s what you rightfully should have expected based on my track record. I hadn’t been there for you like I should have in the past. It only seems fitting that you would think I returned to godhood and abandoned you.

Fists clenched at my sides, not angry with him, but certainly with myself.

“Will…” My eyes met his again and I hoped he could feel the sincerity in my words. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He studied me briefly. His eyes darted from mine to my hands, then my slumped shoulders, the tension in my neck. Will’s eyes were those of a physician looking for signs in the body language of a patient. Then his demeanor shifted, the studious look melting away. Finally, those same eyes rolled at me. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards into a smirk. “Stop that.”

“Excuse me?”

“I feel bad for forgetting. Even if it was temporary.” My son got up and walked towards me. I could see that his eyes were now watery, matching my own. “But you haven’t. You haven’t forgotten what you promised!”

I swallowed and the tears spilled. He was right. Jason’s sacrifice. My promise to remember what it was like to be human. How could I ever forget? The experiences I had as Lester, they changed me. Being around my children reminded me of the person I had become, who I wanted to be. I was determined to remember. Though it didn’t mean I still couldn’t be ashamed of my absence in the past.

“I haven’t forgotten, but I certainly couldn’t blame you or your siblings for being upset with me for being so distant before.”

“Seriously, stop it. You are standing in front of me right now!” Will stepped closer to me as he spoke his hands gesturing freely. “You are here checking up on me. Making sure I made it back safely. I’ve been back for less than 5 minutes! How many times have you checked while I was away?

A sheepish smile crept on my face. I wasn’t intending to go from absent parent to helicopter parent. But you try finding out that your kid is heading to Tartarus of all places! Can you blame me for being worried?

“That’s what I thought.” Will rushed forward and wrapped his arms around me. “It means a lot to me. You being here. Checking up on me. Checking in at Camp Half-Blood. It means everything. Thank you, Dad.”

Great. As if I wasn’t already crying! I returned his embrace and began to glow, pouring healing energy into him. I noticed Will glowing as well and felt him breathe out in relief as all of his remaining injuries and aches faded.

His voice was a bit muffled against my chest. “You give really good hugs. You know that?”

“The best in existence, I assure you.” I smiled.

He laughed at that, but made no move to leave the embrace. Which I certainly had no objections to. Will had been away from the sun for too long. I could feel him regaining strength in my arms. He could take all the time he needed.

“Oh.” Another voice came from the doorway.

I turned towards it to see my son’s boyfriend.

“Apollo.” Nico’s lips were curved in a subtle smile before he caught himself. He tried to hide by rubbing his hand over his mouth. “You’re here.”

It occurred to me that while in the Underworld Nico may have forgotten I ever returned as well. He did seem pleased to see me, which was quite a win in my eyes. It made me feel as though Will was happy for me to be in his life as well.

“Yes. I am.” I said. Nico was tough, as was Will. I didn’t interfere with their quest, but I didn’t see a need for either of them to be in pain any longer. My voice became stern. “And you are hurt.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” He looked away.

Will scoffed in annoyance. “Always the tough guy.”

“Get over here, future son-in-law, and let me heal you.” It was as much me teasing them as it was sincere.

“DAD!” Will groaned.

I laughed in return. To be fair, I wanted to be there for my kids. But maybe the idea of embarrassing them from time to time was an added benefit.

To my surprise, Nico approached. Exhaustion was evident on his face. These two had been through a lot together and apparently the idea of feeling better was more appealing than keeping up a tough guy appearance.

He stopped within arms reach of us, eyes squinting. “Never mind. I can’t say I’m the biggest hugger anyway and you two are a little…bright.”

I dimmed the glow and noticed Will doing the same. I reached out the arm that wasn’t around Will. “Let me help you, Nico. Please? Those injuries can leave you sore and achey for weeks, much longer if I wasn’t sure Will would be healing you. He needs to rest as well. It’s the least I can do.”

The son of Hades reached up his hand to brush along some partially healed gashes on his face. “Okay, but can you leave these?”

“Whatever for? Is there a deep meaning behind them.”

“No Dad, he just likes the look.” Will looked up at me. “And so do I.”

“Ah! It does go with his aesthetic!” I understood. They certainly suited him. “They will remain I assure you.”

Nico blinked at me before shrugging and allowing me to wrap an arm around him. In a moment I could feel him breathing easier. It’s likely that the boy didn’t realize how tense and sore his entire body was outside of the nicks, scrapes, and bruises until that pain subsided.

When I felt that the wounds were healed I loosened my embrace.

I looked into Will’s eyes. “I’m proud of you.”

Then I turned to Nico. “BOTH of you.”

Nico nodded appreciatively and stepped back, while Will wrapped his arms around me again and squeezed quickly. “Thanks Dad. It means a lot.”

He walked over to where he had been gathering supplies.

“I guess I won’t be needing these after all.” He took off his own old soiled bandages, revealing no remaining cuts underneath, and disposed of them.

Nico stretched and rolled his shoulders. No doubt realizing just how banged up he had been before. He tried to be discreet in checking to see if his facial scars were still there, which I found to be amusing. They were fully scars now, and they did compliment his look.

Behind him something caught my eye. Shadows moving in the doorway. Which must have been what I had seen near Nico earlier.

“Uh. Nico, your kids are here.” Will crossed his arms with a smirk.

“Kids?” I raised an eyebrow.

Nico sighed. “Not exactly. They are demons made from my emotions.”

“He calls them Cocoa Puffs.” Will offered like that explained everything.

Considering the many so-called impossible things I’ve seen in my thousands of years, I didn’t bother prying too much. Perhaps one day Will and Nico would recount their adventure to Tartarus but it would be on their terms if they wanted to share the details with me. “And are these ‘Cocoa Puffs’ friendly?”

“Yeah, they’re friendly.” Will replied.

I crouched down and made sure I wasn’t emitting light. If these shadowy creatures were important to my son and Nico then I would not wish to hurt them even if on accident. Our natures were not all that compatible but I wanted to try. Darkness and light didn’t need to be enemies. One approached cautiously and I reached out a hand. The contact reminded me of interacting with other spirits, but these creatures didn’t seem menacing. In their own strange way, they were kind of cute.

“Ah. Hello there little ones.” I suppose what I was doing was petting them, or some variation of the action. They seemed to find this acceptable.

Nico watched the interaction cautiously. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, not in a threatening manner. It was more likely a reflex brought on by his desire to protect them from danger. I was the sun god, they were darkness. I couldn’t blame him for his concern. Will walked to Nico and brushed his hand against his free one. Their fingers intertwined and Will squeezed. Nico turned to him with a soft smile. The other hand fell from the sword. They seemed to be having a silent conversation. About me, I assumed, which made me quite curious. But the fact that the son of Hades was actually smiling was more than enough for me to recognize that it couldn’t have been a bad one.

After a bit of interacting with several of the Cocoa Puffs I stood and tapped my finger to my chin. “So these are Nico’s children?”

Nico huffed in annoyance as he’d already offered an alternate name.

I continued anyway in a sing-song voice. “So I’m sure that Will has adopted them! Which makes them basically myyy grandchildren!”

“Daaaaad!” Will rubbed his free hand down his face. He was blushing. Though Nico and I both noticed something else.

“You’re glowing again.” Nico teased and elbowed his boyfriend lightly.

“I can’t help it! Is it not enough to just blush when I’m embarrassed?!?!” He glared at me.

I laughed. His pout was adorable. “Would it make you feel better to know that I do that too sometimes?”

“What? Really?!” Amusement danced in Will’s bright eyes.

“Yep. Your Aunt Artemis finds it entertaining.” I rolled my eyes. “I adore my sister, truly, but we are indeed siblings and often interact well… as you’d expect for siblings to do. She’s always finding ways to embarrass me to get that reaction.”

Will laughed loudly at the notion and it was like music to my ears. “Actually, that does make me feel better.”

After that we headed to the dining pavilion to meet with Chiron for dinner. The boys trailed behind me, but I heard their hushed conversation.

“I’m not usually much of a hugger, but I feel a million times better. Didn’t even realize how sore I was before.” Nico whispered.

“Well, he is the god of healing.” Will pointed out. “I feel a lot better too. Not surprising that he gives good hugs all things considered.”

“Healing hugs.” Nico teased. “No wonder he has a care bear for a son.”

“Oh shut it!” Will snapped, but it was quickly followed by laughter.

Nico’s voice dropped even lower to barely a whisper. “I’m glad he’s here. You worried me down there. I knew the sun would help, but having your dad here is even better. It seems to be speeding up your recovery a lot. I know how much this means to you.”

There was no audible response from Will, but I could feel the warmth of his smile. Which was more than enough to make me have to wipe away a tear that had yet again escaped my eye. I wasn’t sure I deserved to feel as welcome as I did.

What is it about kindness? It’s a melody that overwhelms me. One I never want to take for granted.

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Now, I don’t speak as the god of prophesy when I call Nico my future son-in-law.

It is for them to decide their future.

I do speak as someone who sees the love Will and Nico have for each other.

I do speak as someone who knows it takes a lot to go through Tartarus together.

I do speak as a dad who wants, more than anything, to see his children happy.

#Apollo #Trials of Apollo #Solangelo #Dadpollo #nico di angelo #Will Solace #Cabin 7 #lester papadopoulos #riordanverse #toa #the sun and the star #the sun and the star spoilers #fanfic #ordonpumpkin writes #tsats

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