PAIN
"Thalia, no!"
As if in slow motion, Nico saw the arrow hurtling toward Thalia.
Thalia, hearing Nico's shout, turned in time to see as Nico shadow travelled in front of her and took an arrow to the stomach. Nico crumpled to the ground. Thalia fell to the ground beside him.
"No. No. No. No. No. Don't do this to me. No. Nico." Thalia's hands reached for the nectar and ambrosia she always carried with her, but she knew she couldn't help him. The arrow had been poisoned.
"Chiron! Chiron, help! Somebody go get Chiron!" Thalia yelled. She looked back down as someone ran to grab Chiron. "You are not leaving me. Nico, you can't leave me. I love you."
Thalia almost laughed as Chiron cantered up. When she had imagined telling Nico that she loved him, he had been conscious and not an inch from death. Annabeth ran up behind Chiron.
"Annabeth, will you take Thalia back to her cabin and get me some of the Ares campers to help me carry Nico to the Big House," Chiron said, quickly assessing the situation.
"Sure, Chiron," Annabeth said, grabbing Thalia's arm.
"No, Chiron, please. Please. I can't leave him," Thalia cried.
"Thalia, you need to give him and I some space. I promise I'll come and get you as soon as I can."
Thalia looked up at Chiron, then let Annabeth take her by the arm. They quickly went and grabbed some Ares kids to help Chiron. Annabeth started to pull Thalia toward the Zeus cabin. Thalia pulled back from Annabeth.
"I don't want to go back to my cabin," Thalia told Annabeth.
"But Chiron said-"
"i know what he said, but I want to go to Nico's cabin," Thalia said, looking down at her shoes.
Annabeth looked at her friend. Her friend, who was one of the toughest people Annabeth knew, was on the brink of breaking down.
"Ok. We can go there."
Annabeth pulled Thalia toward the Hades cabin.
The second they passed the threshold, Thalia broke down and sobbed. Annabeth dragged her to the bed.
"I...I never told him I loved him," Thalia sobbed into Annabeth's shoulder.
"Shh," Annabeth whispered. "He'll be fixed up in no time. You'll be able to tell him then."
"The arrow wasn't even meant for him. It was meant for me. Why? Why did he take the arrow?" Thalia asked.
"Because he cares about you," Annabeth replied, stroking Thalia's hair until she fell asleep.
5 hours later...
"Chiron says Thalia can come see him now," Percy whispered to Annabeth.
"Thanks. Can you go tell Chiron we'll be there in a minute, please," Annabeth replied. Percy nodded as he walked out the door toward the Big House.
"Thalia, wake up. We need to get you cleaned up before we can go see Nico."
Thalia and Annabeth didn't say a word as Thalia washed her face and hands and changed into one of Nico's shirts. They didn't talk all the way up to the Big House.
"You ready?" Annabeth asked. Thalia nodded. Annabeth walked in first.
"Hey, Annabeth. Hey, Thalia. How are you two?" Nico greeted the two girls in a weak voice.
"We're fine. How are you, Nico?" Annabeth replied, but Nico didn't have time to answer. Thalia stormed over to Nico with thunder in her eyes.
"Don't ever do that again," Thalia yelled, each word punctuated with a hit on his arm. "I was worried out of my mind, but you didn't care. You were off being the hero! Scaring me half to death!" she yelled.
"Don't worry, Tha-" Nico was cut off as Thalia bent down and kissed him. Annabeth smiled and many of Argus's eyes widened.
"Please don't do that again," Thalia whispered.
"If I get kisses like that, I'm going to have to do something like that again," Nico said.
"You'll get kisses like that and more if you want, but only if you don't do stuff like that," Thalia said, pulling up a chair to sit by his bed.
Annabeth laughed as she left the room.