Hazel Levesque stumbled onto the deck of the Argo II, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It was a cold night, the chilly sea air whipping around her like a large snake. The wind cleared away her seasickness and left her clean, refreshed. Below the Argo the ocean waters swirled, reflecting the pale moonlight back to the pitch-black sky.

She sighed, and wrapped her numb fingertips around the frosty railing. The wind caught at her chocolate curls and tossed them about. Shivering, she turned around to go back inside and stifled a gasp.

There he was, dressed in all black as always, sitting on an overhang facing the water. His aviators jacket was currently serving as a seat, baring his ghostly white arms to the cold. Nico di Angelo sat there, oblivious to the rest of the world, just staring out at the ocean.

Hazel quickly crossed the deck and ascended the rickety ladder to the overhang he was seated on. Silently, she took a seat next to him, and they stared out at the black waters together. Finally he spoke.

"It's cold."

"I know," she said. "But you don't seem to care."

He was silent. The wind ruffled his dark hair, tossing it about into a mess. Just before the quiet became unbearable, he turned to her.

"Why'd you come out?" Nico asked, fixing his obsidian-black eyes on her gold ones.

Hazel sighed and shivered. "Couldn't go to sleep. And I was seasick."

"Ah," he said, understanding immediately. "Same. We're children of Hades and Pluto, sailing across the domain of Poseidon. Or Neptune. Or-whatever."

Hazel laughed. "So, why'd you come out?"

Nico blinked at her. "I told you. I was seasick."

"Don't insult my intelligence," she said, frowning at him. "Something's wrong, So spill."

He was quiet. The night filled up the silence with the sound of small waves breaking against the side of Argo II. Festus, the enormous bronze dragon head, creaked softly in his sleep.

"I feel...apart," Nico admitted finally. "Like, after the Titan War, people sort of accepted me more. But I guess that was mostly Percy's fault. Now, well..." he trailed off with a deep sigh. Hazel counted a seven-second silence before he spoke again.

"I feel like that being a son of Hades is catching up to me. It's like the only way for me to gain respect is through fear, and that isn't even real respect. If I lose hold, if I weaken, if I stop holding my own and being frightening, I don't know how long people will take me seriously.

"I don't think I belong here, Hazel. I don't think I belong anywhere."

The words came from Hazel's mouth automatically. "Of course you do! You belong with us."

He turned his head slightly to look at her, and she was caught up in his fierce gaze. His eyes were obsidian black, like chips of the nighttime sky deep-set into his ivory skin. His black hair was windswept and accented his sharp features. "Do you really believe that, Hazel?" he asked her softly.

Hazel opened her mouth, then closed it. She wanted to say yes, she did believe that Nico belonged to the team. But something inside her knew that Nico would always be apart from the major demigods. He did belong somewhere, but not here.

"That's what I thought," Nico said with a sigh. "Hazel, I think you should go back inside."

"What? No! I-"

He cut her off with a firm glance. "Here," he said, pressing a bottle into her hands. "Take one whenever you feel queasy. It's solidified Styx water: it'll help your seasickness."

"Nico-"

"Go, Hazel."

Hazel nodded reluctantly and took the bottle. Then, shivering, she made her way to the stairwell that led down to the cabins. Before descending, she turned to look at Nico one more time. He sat on the overhang, staring into the murky waters, and she thought to herself that he had never looked more alone.