It started off like all the other nights on the Argo11 and it was lonely like always. The rest of the seven and Nico were all sleeping in their bunks below deck while I patrolled. The night was cold and breezy even though we were in course over Europe. Stars twinkled in the night sky and the moon shone brightly overhead. It was just me and silence, or so I thought.
On the main deck, moved a shadow so deeply embedded in darkness that it was only a slight glimpse before it disappeared. I was stuck between sounding the alarm or lighting it up myself. I decided that I could handle the situation myself and even if I died it's not like they needed a seventh-wheel anyway.
I crept down from my position at controls and moved towards the mast. I had my three-pound hammer in one hand and a hair brush in the other (Rachel gave me the idea). I used the stealth I had acquired from when I was a runaway, to sneak up on my potential opponent. There were few noises that could be heard from the shadow but the main one was sniffling.
After realizing that the threat was none existent, I lit up a flame in my palm. The shadow I had been ready to attack was truly Nico. He looked about ready to jump overboard when I grabbed his arm. Tightly.
"You probably shouldn't do that," I said stiffly. Nico swirled around to pry my hand away from him but I have a surprisingly strong grip. His expression was frantic while mine was absolutely calm.
"Would you let me go already!? Just let me go," Nico ducked his head down to his chest. Tears glistened in the corner of his eyes and I slowly loosened my grip. "Why do you care anyway? Just make your jokes and laugh at it…at m-me already!" There was fear in his eyes and I knew what he was thinking.
"You must think really lowly of me. I know when and when not to use humor and silly jokes to lighten a situation. I would never laugh at a serious moment like this."
Nico scrunched his nose and gave me a confused look. "Why? HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE? YOU AND ALL THE OTHER SEVEN NEED TO STOP ACTING LIKE YOU HAVE IT SO BAD!"
"Nico, you need to quiet down before the others wake up!" I silenced Nico, who gave me a vicious look. It didn't surprize me that he was erratic because I always could tell that he was self-destructive. Whatever was bothering him had to be huge if Nico was going to send himself straight to Hades. I needed to know what it was. I wanted to talk privately but it was too late, the others had already filed onto the deck with their weapons ready for a fight.
They were all pretty upset to see that it was just Nico and I but that didn't stop them from staying where they were. I just heaved a deep sigh as I pinched the bridge of my nose. It was going to be a long night for all of us because the Annabeth wouldn't stop until she knew what was wrong. I presumed that no one would be happy by the end of the night.
##(*.*)##
We all sat around the lounge table, each person in their respective groups. Piper and Jason, Frank and Hazel, Annabeth and Percy, and Nico split off towards a side couch. I just stood staring at the groups and of course, all the seats had a couple that I couldn't sit next to without ruining their 'together' time. I sat on the cold wooden floor and no one batted an eye.
"Okay so first for this team meeting we're going to start at the situation earlier tonight," Annabeth stated as she leaned back into Percy's arms. I noticed the slight roll of Nico's eyes when she spoke but I didn't blame him. Everyone turned their eyes to look at Nico and he just stared at a wall.
Annabeth coughed trying to usher him on but Nico didn't bat an eye. The obvious tension between the two made Percy speak up.
"Nico, we simply want to know what happened tonight, you don't have to be rude." Percy frowned and I could feel Nico's blood boiling, Nico was about ready to snap at Percy before Jason intervened.
"Nico's not being rude Percy, you're just being ignorant. Anyone with eyes can see it," thunder rumbled in the distance and Jason's eyes shot to Nico. Nico only nodded his permission knowing that it was better to get his confession done with and even greater if Jason did it. Jason started slowly again.
"Nico loves you Percy. All these years he has been by your side and have you ever taken a second glance at him? His sister died and even though he wanted to, he just couldn't hate you. Nico has always had your back and the only time you've ever had his was when people were watching. You're not a hero no matter how strong you are if you don't notice those that are hurting. How can you be so blind?"
Everyone had wide eyes except Nico, his eyes were shut tight. Small tears gathered in his eye lashes and he bowed his head between his legs. He shook with the force of trying to stay together. Annabeth glared daggers seeing that Percy wouldn't take his eyes off of Nico.
"Nico, I-I'm so, so sorry that I didn't ever notice before. I never knew that there was a chance at...well us. I thought you hated me an-" Percy's words were cut off by a sharp clap and they all turned to the origin of the noise.
My palm burned and Jason's cheek probably felt worse but I was mad and it was all his fault. My eyes burned with tears that were yet to shed. My fuse had just been lit.
"You fucking bastard! You want to talk about Percy being ignorant but you can't even see it yourself!" I yelled enraged.
"What are you talking about Leo?" Jason rubbed his cheek and went to grab my wrist but I jerked away.
"For years, YEARs Jason. I loved you, I was infatuated with you but you never gave two fucks about me. It was always and is now, all about Piper. I saw you the first day you arrived at the academy and I never once took my eyes off of you. But you never bothered to notice me."
"Leo, I was never really there those seven months that you guys knew me, that was only the mist. How could I give you a chance if I never even met you?"
"You gave Piper a chance. It was just the mist, remember Jason, that never really happened. How could you give her a chance if you never even met HER?" Jason's eyes widened and his mouth hung slack. I only shook and cried in silence as everybody watched with shame and pity.
"Nico remember when you asked me how I could know what you were going through?" Nico gave a slight nod as tears poured down his face. "I know because when I was 8 years old, I murdered my own mother. I know because when child services brought me to my grandmother's house my family called me the red devil. I know because when I was being raped and m-molested by my foster families they told me to 'look to the sky'. I-I know because when I drank that bottle of bleach my foster sister, Kaela, took the beatings for me.
"I know because Kaela took 23 bullets shielding me, a runaway, from the cops. I know because Nemesis told Hazel and myself on Echo's beach that I would always be a seventh-wheel and that I would never find a place among my friends, my brethren, you guys." I sobbed uncontrollably and so did the others. "Don't ever-ever- tell me that I don't know what it feels like to be at the lowest of lows because I live it everyday."
The room was silent, the only signs were heavy labored breathing and the occasional sniffle. I was still shaking from the excertion and I felt like a burden lifted off my chest. I sat back on the couch next to Nico and he immediately threw his arms around me. His chin was pressed into the nook of my neck and all his weight pushed me back into a laying position.
I knew that there were going to be many unresolved feelings after our whole drama meet but they could be solved another day. But I knew that as long as I had Nico, I would be alright. We would share our sorrows until the end and maybe someday we could both get the boys of our dreams.