Jason heard the door of his cabin creak open and looked over to see a tall, thin figure stood in the door way. It was Nico di Angelo and he had tear tracks running down his cheeks.
'Come here.' Jason said, shuffling up and opening his arms, to the desperate broken boy at his door. This was a regular occurrence now, Jason would go to sleep and Nico would go to sleep in his own cabin, only to have a terrible nightmare and realise it was a terrible idea to try and sleep alone, again. He would show up at Jason's door, tears still running down his face and Jason would shuffle up and give him a hug. They would fall asleep in each other's arms, Nico crying into Jason's shirt and Jason's nose in Nico's hair, even though Nico was just as tall as him now.
Nico was seventeen now, and Jason was almost twenty-one. Jason didn't know what he was going to do with his life so he was still at camp-half-blood, going on the odd quest and training the younger campers. Piper was still there too. Leo had become a god to be with Calypso, and he was ever more distant. Percy and Annabeth had went to college in New Rome, but had both dropped out because Annabeth got pregnant, she was now pregnant with her second child at twenty-two, but they were happy and that's all that mattered. Frank and Reyna were still both praetors at New Rome and Hazel was still in the legion there. Everyone visited each other from time to time.
Nico's hair always smelled of shampoo. He must always have a shower before he goes to bed. It broke Jason's heart to see Nico like this, and he saw him like this far too often. Nico and him had become best friends after the war with Gaea. Jason had convinced him to stay and slowly, Nico had opened up to him, they didn't have any secrets anymore. Jason loved Nico, but in a platonic way, not the same way he loved Piper in, but just as much and Nico loved Jason the same way, they were kind of like brothers.
In the morning Nico and Jason would wake up, and sometimes they would talk about it, sometimes they wouldn't. On a bad day Nico wouldn't say anything at all, and Jason would let him, he would listen if he wanted to talk and he wouldn't push him if he didn't because he knew that around Nico, everything you did or said was like stepping on thin ice, something could go wrong at the slightest word or touch or action, even now, after almost four years.
Jason remembered the first time Nico had appeared at his door after a nightmare. It had been a few months after the war, when Nico and Jason were becoming closer. Jason had always tried to make sure Nico felt like he could be accepted. He had made sure Nico knew that he was always there if he needed him for whatever reason because the moment Jason asked Nico to stay and Nico said yes, Jason had mentally swore on the Styx that he was going to fix this broken little boy. So Jason had told Nico right then and there 'if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, you know I'm here.' And Jason didn't think Nico would ever look for that shoulder but he did, and Jason was so glad he did because Jason knew he cried all alone in the hades cabin, because that boy had issues, but Jason knew not to ask him about it or try to comfort him when he didn't want to be comforted. But when Nico showed up at his door Jason was glad, because he felt as if Nico trusted him, that Nico was his friend and he was Nico's.
That one night so long ago, at about one in the morning, Nico had knocked on his door, waking Jason up. Jason shouted 'come in.' and so Nico did. He walked up to the bed and stood over it, his black bangs hiding his face slightly, but Jason could still see he'd been crying, was still crying. 'What's wrong?' Jason had asked. Nico didn't say anything just stood there shaking. It took Jason a moment to sift things through in his head but eventually he said 'Nightmares?'
Nico nodded solemnly. 'Worst one yet.' He told him, his voice hoarse. 'Can I – can I sleep here tonight?' He'd asked, his voice breaking a little in desperation. 'I don't want to be alone.' He said as he closed his eyes and tears dripped down his cheeks.
'You never have to be alone Nico.' Jason had told him pulling him into his bed with him.
Nico didn't protest, just held onto Jason for dear life, burying his face in his chest. Nico had been a lot shorter back then, when he was only fourteen. He was a massive seventeen year old now, still very skinny but extremely tall. He'd grown so much over the past three years and had finally gotten a haircut. A lot of the girls thought he was hot, but obviously Nico wasn't showing any interest back. He was over Percy though. Nico visited New Rome regularly and he was close to Percy and Annabeth even. It turned out Nico was surprisingly good with babies and kids, but not animals, never animals.
Today, it was a good day because Nico did want to talk about it. He sat on the end of Jason's bed and looked down at the floor, lacing his fingers together between his knees. 'I saw Bianca.' He took a deep breath. 'I saw Bianca fall.' He said so quietly Jason could barely hear him. Then Nico's voice cracked, 'And there was nothing I could do. I just had to watch.'
Jason looked at Nico, and saw the pain in his eyes. 'It's okay now.' He told him.
'sometimes I see Hazel. I used to see Percy. I sometimes see you, but never Bianca.' Nico hung his head so Jason couldn't see his face. 'sometimes I don't see anyone at all. Sometimes the nightmares are different, not in Tartarus.' He continued.
'never Bianca.' Nico whispered. 'not Bianca. not in tartarus' A teardrop landed on his pyjama bottoms. 'They're getting worse.' He whispered to Jason gravely looking him in the eye. His eyes looked like shattered glass again, and Jason worried that maybe Nico couldn't be fixed, maybe all this effort had been for nothing, but no, he couldn't and wouldn't give up now. He had grown to love Nico like a brother and would do anything for him. He went over and sat next to him on the bed and rubbed circles on Nico's back, but today was turning into a bad day because Nico flinched away and wouldn't let Jason comfort him. He didn't some days.
Jason sighed and Nico got up and moved away. Seeing Jason's hurt expression Nico said 'I'm sorry. I just, I can't right now.' Jason nodded, he understood. Nico opened the door and as he did he said 'I'm going to get dressed.' Then a smile creeped onto his face, that didn't quite reach his eyes and he said 'before anyone catches me in your cabin.' The little rebel, Nico was always bending the rules a little.