I felt myself being slowly dragged back in consciousness. Years' worth of training had me subconsciously feeling out for monsters. I didn't find any, so that wasn't what woke me up. I could get some more shut-eye before I had to get up to go to work. I worked at a nearby aquarium. The owner isn't a demigod, but he knows I do good work. As long as they take good care of the animals, things mysteriously work very well for them.
I heard the clanging of someone tapping on the radiator to my left.
"Nico?" I muttered, just to check. I received a familiar hum in response.
"Radiator's going out on us." He murmured back. I didn't have to open my eyes to know that he was probably scowling at the heating fixture. Even under all the blankets piled on top of me, I could feel the chill in the air. I felt inside me for the water in the heater, and tugged slightly to get it going again. We really needed to replace that. Sadly, neither of our jobs paid enough. Well, Nico's paid plenty, but only in gold drachmas. Speaking from experience, you got weird looks trying to buy household appliances in Greek money.
I jumped slightly when Nico placed his icy hands on either side of my neck. That was cold. He laughed silently.
"Will you wake me later?" I mumbled. He ran his slightly-warmer hands down to my chest and flopped himself down half on top of me.
"Nope."
I chuckled and tugged my blanket out from under him, then spread it over him. He's too small and thin; it's a miracle he doesn't freeze, like a statue. That would be unfortunate, least of all because I wouldn't have someone to pay the other half of the rent. Or someone to wake me before work, or hold me when I wake up from nightmares of darkness and lost friends. He can have some of my body heat, as long as he's here.
A few feet to our left, the radiator kicks off again.
