Hi, just really quick. This is my first fan fiction. I apologize for comma errors and any other errors. Grammar and such has never been my strong suit. Please enjoy let me know what you think, positive or negative I really want to know what you think. Thanks a ton! -nicomioangelo

It was many months after his incident in Croatia, but the memory still burned like ice on flesh. Despite having told himself not under any circumstances to think about it, on this particular night it was impossible. Leo has prepared a small party in celebration of Percy and Annabeth's return from Tartarus, with food, music and dancing. Naturally he refused to take part in any such activities. (Especially ones that included Percy and Annabeth slow-dancing and Jason throwing sympathetic glances in his direction, as if his pity would result in a breakup between the two.) Jason's glances bothered him almost as much as the couple's dancing, he thought Jason was being a bit too obvious staring at him like that. (Although he would never admit it, having someone to share such an enormous burden with came with a certain amount of relief, but that relief came with a cost -that the second party may spill the truth. Not like he had had the choice to tell Jason, if he had, he wouldn't have told him in the first place. He was accustomed to solitude ever since his sister Bianca died; opening up and confiding in people went against his deepest nature. ) He had attended the party for the amount of time it took for Jason to drag him there, (insisting he needed to spend time with his crew), to drink a few sodas and leave the very second he spotted Percy and Annabeth in a tight embrace. (Jason couldn't blame him.)

Now he sat in his room, hiding under his covers in complete darkness, wishing he didn't exist and attempting to pretend Annabeth wasn't swaying, tightly surrounded by Percy's taunt arms, to the music. But this was impossible, especially as the music of the party was audible from his room. He felt numbed by his emotions, it was as if son of Poseidon himself sent tidal wave after tidal wave of earth shattering sadness onto him. He rocked back and forth, his arms tightly wrapped around his knees, holding himself, as there was no one else who would hold him. (Something he craved for, although you would never hear him say it.) In a desperate attempt to avoid these feelings, he tried to concentrate on the music seeping through his walls from the party. 'I want to break free, I want to break free from this love'. It was like the gods had chosen the song to taunt him. But it's lyrics preached the truth, he would have sold his soul not to have to feel anymore, not to be...different. But he would never be free, he was doomed to be miserable forever. The fates had chosen his path, a lonely path as the son of Hades, living in the wrong era, with the wrong people and with feelings his friends would never come to accept or understand. 'Its strange but it's true, I can't get over the way I love you like I do' It felt like Freddie Mercury was narrating his life. He was so helplessly in love and he couldn't break free from it, the more he tried to distance himself from him, the more his heart clung to him. 'God knows I want to break free' this part was the most awful, as it had been Eros who forced him to confess his feelings in front of Jason. He couldn't help but think he had been set up, a life full of misery for godly entertainment. 'Oh how I want to break free' but he would never be free. This was his ball on a chain for him to drag along forever. As the song ended, so did all his self restraint. Tears blurred his vision and he found even the crying could not be a source of relief to him, as the taste of salt tears just reminded Nico of him...

Hazel sat giggling in the midst of the party on board the Argo II, she had just witnessed Frank turn into a bright pink flamingo in the middle of their slow-dance. Despite being thoroughly embarrassed, Frank had offered to continue dancing, but she could tell he was exhausted, so she had sent him to bed. She now sat in the corner, holding a cup of kool-aid, chuckling to herself. She surveyed the party. As she observed the absence of her half brother, Nico, she set out to look for him. (Not like Percy and Annabeth or Jason and Piper would be missing her, both couples were thoroughly occupied on their own. ) She stood outside Nico's room, thinking it best to knock, when she heard, what she could have sworn were sobs. Nico crying? There had to be a mistake. She opened the door turning on the light while she was at it. "Nico?" Sudden silence stretched throughout the room as she made her way to the figure on the bed. "Is everything...? Nico spun around, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. They were bright red. He sprung up to make a dash for the he patch of shadow a few feet away. Understanding what his intentions were, she tackled his midsection. But she had been too slow, the two of them were already melting into the shadows. They reappeared in the shallows of a beach. The whiff of salt reached her nostrils, saltwater drenching her clothes. The beach was completely empty and the only lights were lining a dock near by. A sound of utter grief emanated from Nico, who lay on his knees shaking in the water. Hazel waded over to him, desperately trying to think what was going on with her half brother. "Is it Bianca?" He shook his bowed head. She kneeled down beside him, wrapping her arms around him, forcing him to look at her. His eyes were averted. Annabeth. She had heard rumors that he had a crush on her. "Are you going to tell me what's going on, or am I going to have to guess?" Silence was the only response she got. "Is this about a girl?" Nico's muscles seized up. "Annabeth?" Nico's body shook beneath her arm and the ground trembled, cracks spread across the ground and dead hands reached out of the water. Nico tossed her away from him. He was beyond grief, he had crossed the border to extreme rage. Nico was screaming at the top of his lungs, his dead warriors emerging from the water. Hazel knew she had to do something. Maybe she could use the mist to pacify him. So she concentrated and called upon the mist, willing it to bend to her will. She created a cave, with a cherry tree in blossom hanging over them. She created an atmosphere of tranquility. Nico slowly sank to the ground, as if in a stupor. Hazel walked over to his hunched over form and took hold of hands, pulling him up into her arms. After hugging him for what felt like forever, she took his face in her hands. "What's going on, huh?"

He looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. He felt ashamed and impure standing in her arms, he wasn't even worthy of her. He was worthy of no one, he was destined for loneliness. He could not tell her. She was older than he, that she would understand or sympathize was unthinkable. She would leave him and he would really have no one left. He could not tell her. "Nothing, leave before I hurt you." "That was NOT nothing. And I am not going anywhere before I know what in Jupiter's name just happened." "I told you, it's nothing, I - I was being stupid. I'm fine. Really." She took his face in her hands and he finally looked into her eyes. "Its just... I can' wouldn't understand. Please just leave. " "In case you hadn't noticed", Hazel huffed, "You're the one who shadow traveled us here and I haven't the faintest where we are and in order for either of us to leave we will need your cooperation. But we can worry about that later. I want you to tell me what is going on. I am a girl, I do understand feelings you know, if you want to-". At this Nico has grabbed a fist full of his hair, and screamed, "NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND!" "But you won't know that until you've tried! You act like you're all alone, but you're NOT! I'm here for you! And so is the rest of the crew! You shy us away, hiding from anyone who tries to get anywhere near you! Please believe me when I say I care." She had now made it over to his drooping form, taking a hold of his shoulder. "You need to let go." "I can't" he mumbled to the ground. "Fine.- We'll do it slowly.- Is this about a family member?" Head shake. "A girl?" Pause, heavy sigh then a definite head shake, Nico sank to the floor again, with his hands over his eyes. If it wasn't a girl...surely not... Suddenly she was extremely curious. Nico in love was one thing, but in love with...well she would never had come up with it in a million years. "Who is it?" His silence was a deafening as ever. She thought long and hard. The party, the salt water, the rumor about Annabeth. "Ohhhhh" She sighed, sinking to the ground in front of him. "Look at me." He ignored her. "You sulking will not evaporate your feelings for him." At this, silent fresh tears streamed down his face. "Look-at-me." She hugged him and rocked him back and forth, increasing the amount of tears running down his face. After what felt like eons, Nico took in multiple deep breaths and roughly wiped the tears off his face. He turned to his sister. "Why don't you hate me?" "What for?" She replied. "Having a big heart? No. Come on, let's go." They held hands and became one with the shadows.

Thanks again for reading and please review!