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"Nico."

The teenager clenched his jaw, the ring that he had been playing with stopped moving entirely. His dark eyes stared straight ahead, focusing on the bright full moon that hung among the bluish-black sky, refusing to greet the person that had landed beside him.

The wind died down after the presence settled down beside him, feet dangling in the air as he made himself comfortable on the mast. The heat from the person's bigger body tickled his personal bubble and he tensed up automatically, the way he always did when someone got near him. There was silence, nothing more than the stirred wind in the air.

"I'm sorry."

Not quite expecting his words, Nico glanced at the blond haired, whose scar on his upper lip was being more obvious under the moonlight and from the way he thinned his lips. Nico glanced away when his blue eyes darted to him. "For what?" He monotone.

Jason let out a breath, twisting around the gold coin between his fingers. "For finding out."

He didn't need to say anymore since the both of them knew what he meant, so instead of going berserk like Jason expected him to do, he was pleasantly surprised when Nico chuckled, or rather, heaving out a breath as if his words had amused him. "It's not your fault the cat's out of the bag."

Jason ran his thumb over the little bumps of the words and numbers repeatedly. "I can't help but feel like it is," He murmured.

Nico snorted. "Why? Because I gave you the cold shoulder?" When he didn't get an answer, he smiled bitterly, almost like a grimace. "I thought you'd get used to my cold demeanor, Grace."

Jason frowned. "I'm just worried about you that's all."

Nico only shook his head. "Don't. You'll only waste your time and energy. Worry about the prophecy, worry about the people that would suffer, worry about your friends, but by Gods don't worry about some boy's pathetic feelings," He spat the last word out, like it was poison that threatened to destroy him. But the truth is, it did.

"They're your friends too, Nico, like you are to me, don't think you're unworthy," He paused. "He's hurt, you know, that you won't talk to him. He," He moistened his lips. "He kept asking if something happened to you when he was...underground."

Nico ducked his head. "A shitload of things happened when he was gone," He grounded out the words. "Too many secrets kicked out into the open after being carefully hidden," He stole a look at him before looking down again. "So? What did you tell him? Everything? Including our little meeting with the devil himself?"

The corner of Jason's lips twitched. "Nothing."

Nico snorted, standing up as he shook his head in disgust. "Liar."

Jason shrugged. "It's true, I didn't tell him anything," An eyebrow raised in disbelief. "He and Annabeth were already briefed with everything by Frank and the others, I only sat there the whole time they were discussing."

Nico stared skeptically at the older boy. "Really?"

He was responded with a faint smirk. "Trust me."

He frowned, leaning against the mast. Strange he would do that. Naturally, he imagined Jason giving a full report towards the couple -he winced internally when he felt a stab- telling them everything from A to Z since he too, was once a leader of sorts until he gave the post to Frank. It doesn't matter if he gave the title to Frank because he was Jason, favourite Gold Boy who's fearless and smart and all, the guy who liked to keep things clean, systematic, and in order. And he trusted people too easily, maybe that was why he didn't bother speaking up, because he knew Frank could cover everything that had happened, and maybe he's giving him a chance to feel how it was to be alpha. Whatever was the reason, he respected that. That was why Jason was awed by the Roman campers, they were amazed by his gentle and yet firm attitude, his leadership skills, and basically everything else when he and Reyna were helping each other out.

Speaking of Reyna, Nico mused when he glanced at the older boy, he seemed a little uncomfortable when she first got onboard the Argo II, and she avoided him the whole time she was with them, unless there were something important to be discussed. From what he heard, they were close enough to sprout some sort of feelings towards each other, more Reyna towards him.

"Did you love her?"

Nico closed his eyes and wanted to bash his head repeatedly on the mast the moment the words were blurted out. Idiot. He struggled to keep his face straight when Jason furrowed his brows in confusion. "Piper?"

Nico met his gaze. "Reyna."

Jason blinked, jaw slackened slightly. Before he could answer, Nico spoke up. "You don't have to answer," He mumbled, twisting the ring around his finger. "I'm sorry I even blurted it out."

"No, no," Jason said slowly. "You asked a question, I should answer it," He took a breath. "What bought this up?"

Nico shrugged. "Curiosity."

Jason looked down, where his hands rested on his thighs with his palms facing up, memorising the planes that lined across his skin. "I think I had some sort of feelings for her, some kind of attraction," He curled his fingers in, digging his nails into his flesh. "But I didn't get to fully acknowledge them before Juno decided to wipe my memories off, and so, wiping what I felt before. Then I woke up from the zombie state of myself, meeting Piper and Leo who had apparently known me for a few months that I don't know of with Piper declaring I'm her boyfriend at that moment..." He trailed off. "I don't know about love, but I did like her, Reyna, more than my second in command, a little more than a friend," He then burst out into humourless chuckles, running his fingers through his hair. "The mess we got ourselves into."

Nico shook his head. "It's the mess the Gods got us into, we never did anything in the first place."

Jason just smiled drily as he stood up, not agreeing with him and yet, not denying it either. "But what I said is true about Percy, he's worried about you."

Nico looked away. "Don't raise my hopes up, Grace," He said quietly. "I don't think I can take it much longer."

Jason stared at him, before darting his eyes away, guilt ghosting his expression. "I'm sorry."

Nico sighed.

"Yeah, me too."