Chapter 3: The update
It was 7:15 and Nico felt like shit. He had been crying for a full hour and forty-five minutes. Now he had to make himself look decent to give an update to Annabeth. He got ready, but his were still red
and blotchy. Whatever, if anyone asked he'd just say he was thinking about Bianca and they'd leave him alone. He left his cabin at 7:25 to walk to Percy and Annabeths cabin. Their cabin was by the
ocean (of course). It was a cute little log cabin with one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a small sitting room. Percy had the Hepheastus kids adding on a few new rooms and another bathroom,
because Annabeth wanted a big family. Solemly stepping up the log stairs Nico knocked on the front door. Percy answered, looking sick and worn out he let Nico in. "Hey. Nico." He sounded even worse
than he looked. "Hey Perc. How's Anna?" Nico said it as though he was trying to make everything as painless as possible. "Shes…" he sighed "really scared. Although she's been doing a lot better since
Thalia got here." Nicos whole body stiffened. "What? Thalias here?" He said, then remembered that Thalia told him last night, that's when he felt stupid. "Yeah." Percy said confused "Didn't she tell you
last night?" Nico snapped his head up from looking at the floor "How do you know about last night?" Percy let out a little scoff before saying "uhh…Thalia told us you'd probably be here late cause she
found you wondering the woods at 2 AM last night." "Oh." Nico again felt stupid. Percy felt the tension and finally said "But hey! You're here now and right on time. Now lets go see how the girls and my
baby's doing. "Percy led Nico to the bedroom where Annabeth was lying on the bed with Thalia, eating soup and watching Hercules. Annabeth was already seven months pregnant so her soup was
resting carefully on the top of her belly. Annabeth took one concerned look at Nico and calmly paused the movie with the remote. "Hey!" Thalia whined "You paused it right before my favorite song!" She
obviously didn't see Nico standing in the doorway, so he decided to make himself known by casually asking a question. "What's your favorite song?" Thalia started saying it before looking towards the
voice "Won't say I'm in" her eyes locked with his "love." Thalia could feel the tension as soon as their eyes locked. She could barely breathe, she tried so hard to look away from his eyes but she
couldn't. They were pulling her into them with a tantalizing dark brown-almost black-beauty. WHOA! She thought to herself DOWN GIRL! She pulled herself away with a small gasp. Blushing Nico looked
down at his feet. Obviously Percy and Annabeth saw the whole thing cause soon after Percy coughed then said "I've always been a zero to hero fan." "Only because it reminds you of yourself."
Annabeth said giggling a little bit. "Damn right!" Percy said going over to the bed and kissing her softly on the lips. "Oh. Come on you guys get a room." Thalia groaned. Nico decided to be funny by
saying "Thals, we're in their room." "Ugh! Don't remind me. I don't want to know what has happened on this bed." She said as she rapidly hopped off the bed. "That's probably a good idea Thals. I
don't think anyone would want to know." Percy said as he and Annabeth looked at each other and smirked. "Ew." Nico and Thalia said in unison. "Nico, do the update so I can get out of here!" Thalia
whined. "Oki doki…" Nico said while he walked over to Annabeth. "Anna I don't want you to expect anything. It's only been a day since I discovered your baby isn't well." "It's ok Nico. I understand."
Annabeth said putting on a sad smile. Nico kneeled down and put his hands on her stomach. He felt the baby holding on to its life by a single thread. It seemed just a little stronger but still it was very
close to death. Nico took his hands off her stomach and stood up. "Well?" Percy said. "It's a strong baby. It's holding onto its life by a single thread. It has improved a bit from yesterday but it's still very
near death. Anna, keep taking all the medicines and do what Chiron tells you." Nico stated all of this while walking back towards the door. "Now I'm sorry but I have to go and help Butch feed Mrs.
Oleary." Nico started walking out the door when Percy said "Nico. Thank you." Nico didn't respond he just walked out. When he was twenty feet away from the house he heard Thalias voice "Nico! Wait
up!" Shit! He thought to himself but he stopped and waited for her anyway. She caught up with him and they walked silently towards the arena for a while until Thalia spoke. "Why did you do that?"
"What are you talking about?" Nico asked. "You just walked out and left them alone. They need you Nico. They need you to be there for them no matter what happens." Thalia was raising her voice a
little bit. Nico stopped and turned towards her to make a point. "I told you I have to go help Butch feed Mrs. Oleary." He said in a low yell. Thalia stared right back at him and said "Nico, you need to
stop being so depressed at some times and then at other times being normal! MAKE UP YOUR MIND! MAYBE PEOPLE WOULD LIKE YOU MORE IF YOU WERE JUST YOURSELF AND NOT SOME DEPRESSED
SON OF HADES! YOU'RE SO STEREOTYPICAL!" Nico was mad. "OH I'M THE STEREOTYPICAL ONE? TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR!" Thalia couldn't hold back anymore, she had to do it. "OH REALLY? HOW'S
THIS FOR STEREOTYPICAL!" She grabbed his face in her hands and pulled her lips up to his angrily. Nico was stunned, but also ridiculously happy. Her real lips were ten times better than her dream lips
-which were technically Artemis's lips…weird- her lips tasted so much like actual honey that Nicos tongue swiped itself across her upper lip causing Thalia to softly moan and open her mouth. Their
tongues fought as Nico locked his arms around her waist and Thalia fisted her hands in his hair. They continued to make-out for a long time before finally pulling away. They stayed connected staring
into eachothers eyes until Nico spoke "Well that was a little stereotypical Thals." He grinned and she fainted-literally fainted-into his arms.
