There are few Hazel and Percy friendship fics on here – I thought I would help contribute. Standard disclaimer applies.
Ship Lights
"The sincere friends of this world are as ship lights in the stormiest of nights." Giotto di Bondone
It is sometime well past midnight when Hazel creeps out of her cabin. The port side of the ship is quiet and she is just beginning to trace constellations to distract herself when she feels someone settle beside her.
She doesn't turn to look right away, and the person doesn't say anything. The night sky and the breeze that kicks up are surprisingly soothing, considering how little she likes sailing of any kind. When Hazel feels ready for conversation, she's not really surprised to find that it is Percy beside her.
When he notices her looking, he asks, "Bad dreams?"
"Yeah."
He furrows his brows at this.
"Just regular old nightmares," she reassures him. Her mind is supplying some rather awful and creative things in those nightmares, but anything is better than the black outs and the demigod dreams that aren't dreams at all.
"I think that's a pretty common problem at the moment," Percy says.
Hazel's mind has returned to the dream that brought her out here in the first place. She feels the urge to share, and if there is anyone on board who will understand her concern, it's Percy.
"I dreamed about Nico." The sentence bursts out of her.
Percy runs a hand through his dark, disheveled hair and slumps over the railing. For the first time it really strikes Hazel that Percy is just as worried about Nico as she is – he is just better at suppressing it. Hazel never got the chance to ask Nico how he knew Percy, and now she's more than curious. Asking also seems like a good distraction for them both.
"How did you meet Nico, Percy?"
He looks startled for a moment before he turns to face her.
"Well," he begins. "I was part of the retrieval team sent to bring him and Bianca to camp. Nico was only about ten at the time." Percy frowns a moment. "Can't believe he pretended he didn't know me when I got here," he grumbles.
Hazel smiles as she says, "It was safer for you that way. If you had remembered too soon, that would have been bad."
"Very bad."
Hazel thinks about this.
"So I guess Nico is a son of Hades, then."
Percy nods.
"He said he wandered around a lot," she says. "But I guess it was easier to say that than explain the other camp." Hazel is a little hurt that Nico didn't tell her, but she does understand why.
"Actually," Percy says slowly, "Nico still wandered around a lot. He wasn't at camp much. He only got a cabin last summer."
The furrow between his brows has gotten deeper, and his eyes are far away. Hazel is hesitant to ask, but he seems to be holding something back.
"Is it because of Bianca?" She asks.
"Hmm?"
"When you got here, you thought the cohorts were divided by godly parent. If your camp is like that, Nico would be alone, wouldn't he?"
It's hard to imagine being split up like that for Hazel. Living in the cohort can be difficult, but it's definitely better than being alone.
"Yeah, he is. I am too, mostly," he shrugs. "Bianca is part of the reason, but not all of it."
"Are they as wary of children of Hades there as they are here?"
He thinks about that. "Things changed after the last war. We wouldn't have won without Nico, and I think things will change at Camp Jupiter too."
While that is reassuring, Hazel's mind has returned to Nico's empty cabin, and Bianca. Hazel is curious about her, and she has wanted to ask about her before. But Bianca is Nico's sister, and he is not ready to talk about Bianca yet with the sister he found on accident.
"What can you tell me about her? Bianca?"
Percy looks at her, surprised.
"How much has Nico told you?"
"Not much. I know she was around my age when she died, and that was a few years ago. He said she chose rebirth."
Percy taps his fingers on the rail, and frowns.
"I can't say I knew her that well before she died," he says. "But they were all each other had for a long time. When she died on a quest, he left camp." Percy looks troubled for a moment. "I think you should hear the rest from Nico, when he's ready."
Percy has given her more questions than answers, but it is enough for now. They are going to rescue her brother from Gaia, and one day she can ask him herself.
"And Hazel?"
"What?"
His green eyes are bright as he stares at her. "We're going to get him back," he says, "and until then, stop thinking you're a poor replacement for Bianca. Nico cares about you. No one can replace Bianca, but no one can replace you either."
Hazel gapes at him for a moment. Really, she should stop underestimating him like this.
"Thanks, Percy," she smiles.
"No problem."
They watch the stars for a while, as Hazel's mind floats back to the conversation she had with Nico on the roof of Pluto's temple.
"You know, I think Nico really looks up to you, Percy."
"What?"
"Nico. He looks up to you. And wherever Gaia's keeping him, he knows we're coming for him."
He smiles. "You're right, Hazel."
Suddenly, she stifles a yawn.
"I think I'm beat. Hey Percy? What were you doing up here, anyway?"
"Thought I heard something, so I came up to check it out."
"Oh. Well, thank you. For everything."
"You're welcome. Night, Hazel."
With that, she slips back below deck to her cabin. The Argo II glides on, carrying them towards their destination and, hopefully, her brother.
Review! I'd love to know what you think.