Chapter 20: Bad habits are like chains that are too light to feel until they are too heavy to carry

Thanks to ViscountessAberowen for helping beta this chapter on the fly! Hope you guys enjoy the surprise update!

Leo glanced at the clock from his bed. 8:57. Three minutes to go.

He rolled his pen back and forth across his leg, waiting for the clock to read 9:00. Then, already growing bored, he jostled his leg up and down and ran a hand through his hair.

8:58.

Why did time have to move so slowly? He propped a pillow behind him and leaned back, settling in for the long two-minute wait. He counted the slats of wood that made up the underside of the bunk bed.

Nine. There are nine slats. Bwah-ah-ah-ah.

Even in his head, the fake Transylvanian accent sounded hokey.

8:59.

Leo sat back up and looked up toward the shadow of his bunk.

Any day now.

He continued staring for what felt like several minutes. When he finally tore his gaze away to check the clock, it read: 9:01.

Disappointment flooded his stomach. Maybe Nico wasn't able to do whatever it was he meant to do. Or-worry washed over him at the thought- perhaps he wasn't in any condition to communicate. Leo's mind began to race. He went over all of the possibilities and scenarios he could think of that might prevent the son of Hades from getting in touch with him- none of them good.

Panic began to settle in as his mind went to the possibility that he might never hear from Nico again when a flutter of sound alerted him to a falling letter.

He froze for a moment before snatching the letter off his bed and quickly unfolding it. He greedily eyed the words on the page but frowned when he realized how little there was until the meaning sank in.

Leo- hope you have a pen. Try to send this back. We'll leave the tunnel open for two minutes. If I don't hear back from you, I'll assume it didn't work and send a regular letter through.

Leo grabbed his pen and hurriedly wrote:

Ghost Boy! Hopefully, you get this- I'm sure you've missed my witty humor.

Leo folded the note back up and, taking a deep breath and crossing his fingers, tossed the paper back into the shadow from which it had fallen.

He glanced at the clock: 9:03. The clock had just switched to 9:04 when a reply floated down.

Witty humor? I must have the wrong Leo. I'll try a different shadow.

A broad grin broke over the son of Hephaestus' face. Nico's plan had worked.

You're just jealous of my superior intelligence and extraordinary ability to tell a joke. Don't be hatin' now.

So...guessing the shadow work is going alright?

See? My ideas are great- I told you: think happy thoughts!

Leo threw the paper back and waited patiently. It took longer this time.

The shadows...yeah, it's going alright, I guess. Zag is helping with this tunnel. I'm a bit...under the weather at the moment.

You do have great ideas. Don't let it go to your head.

How is everyone? What's everyone been doing? Is Lit back yet? How's Cal? And Stan and Deacon? You're still playing MtG, right? You need the practice...

It took Leo a moment to fully read what Nico had written- despite the lettering being printed neatly across the page. His handwriting seemed to glide across the page in sharp juxtaposition to Leo's own handwriting. Nico's tidy penmanship was easy to decipher whereas Leo's scrawl raced across the page, skewing downwards and to the right as he wrote. Most of the lettering was uneven. It was a surprise Nico was even able to read Leo's handwriting.

Leo shook his head and fully read what Nico had written, scoffing as he processed the son of Hades' words. Need the practice? Please. Who did Nico think he was?

Really dude?! Be prepared for a brutal takedown when you come back- you're going to wish you had never played me.

Brat.

You basically asked about EVERYONE. Lit's supposed to be home in a couple of days. Cal's good-she's debating joining the debate team (see what I did there?). Stan and Deacon are good if super high and mighty about Magic.

So...when are YOU coming home? Soon?

Leo crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it back into the shadow. Several minutes passed until he got an answer.

Well, I wanted to know about EVERYONE. Cal joining the debate team? (And yes, I see what you did there.) Sounds like a possible headache. Although, I think it would be pretty entertaining to see her go up against Annabeth.

And there's no way you're going to beat me at Magic- I have over 80 years of experience playing these types of games. You'll lose every time.

I don't know when I'll be back. I miss

Another couple of words were written and scribbled out. Leo could just vaguely make out the words 'you' and 'home.'

I miss getting to sleep in a bed every night.

Leo grinned. Even if Nico couldn't admit it, he did miss the son of Hephaestus. Leo picked his pen back up to write his reply.

Listen, dude. You better be taking care of yourself. What was with the last letter? From yesterday? It came through all weird. Did it get burned or something when you sent it? Are you okay? I didn't think the Underworld was all "Hell" -ish with pits of fire and lava and stuff.

He squashed the letter up again and volleyed it through the tunnel. A minute stretched into two and then five. Leo frowned, waiting for the letter to come back. Finally, it fell through.

It's not. Zag said it might have come through like that because I wasn't in the best of shape.

A blot of ink and several jagged lines of indecipherable writing marred the page- as if someone had tried to grab the pen from Nico. After that, it read:

Zag says I HAVE to tell you (otherwise, he'll close the connection) that I was irresponsible and tried to open a tunnel when I shouldn't have. He's the one maintaining the tunnel right now since I overdid it yesterday. Before you ask, I'm fine. We just ran into some weird bat things that were venomous, and it hit me kind of hard. Gonna have a pretty nasty scar on my back, but it's all FINE.

Leo glared at the paper in front of him. He told Nico to take care of himself. Grabbing his pen, he asked:

What are you doing messing around with bats anyway? You're not supposed to play with wild animals. Should I try to throw myself through this tunnel and MAKE you take care of yourself? (It wouldn't, like, tear me to pieces or anything, would it?)

I told you to think HAPPY thoughts, Ghost Boy. BTW: Dying is NOT a happy thought...

On that note, what ARE your happy thoughts? All about me, right?

Leo grinned wickedly and, as before, threw the paper in and waited for a response. When it came, he smiled.

First off: I wasn't TRYING to play with the bats or anything.

Second: Zag says he wouldn't recommend it. You might lose an arm or a leg (it's, apparently, not like shadow travel? I'm sure I'll get to learn all about that later.)

Third: I KNOW dying isn't a happy thought. What are my happy thoughts...wouldn't YOU like to know?

Leo scribbled his response quickly.

I'm waiting.

Fold. Toss. Wait.

9:18...9:20...9:23

Leo watched the time tick by on the clock, his stomach twisting unpleasantly. Maybe he shouldn't have pushed on the happy thoughts? He had no idea how Nico had taken his tone. Cal was always telling him that tone didn't always transfer with writing.

The paper fell from the shadow with a quiet rustle.

Zag says I have to wrap it up. I don't know when I'll be able to message back and forth again. It just depends on where we are.

If I don't have time to do this again soon, I'll still send another message.

Are you okay with that?

Leo's face fell slightly, and his stomach stopped turning, dropping straight into disappointment.

Sure. Be safe, Ghost Boy.

Leo hesitated before scribbling a last line back.

Miss you.

Leo folded the paper up neatly and lightly tossed it back into the shadow. He stood and kicked his shoes off before yanking the covers back from his bed and hopping in. The son of Hephaestus pulled his comforter up over his hips. Pillowing his arms behind his head, he stared up at the wood slats above him and the subsequent shadows. To think that Nico had been on the other side of those shadows...how could he even tell if the tunnel was open anymore?

Leo was contemplating this very thought when the paper unexpectedly fell out of the shadow for the last time. The corner (not very sharp after Leo had wadded it up previously) came close to nicking his eye.

"Puta madre! That hurt!" He rubbed at his eye and glared at the paper. But curiosity won out. He opened it, and any worry or anxiety he had from before melted away.

Happy Thought #1: Seeing you again.

Be well, Leo.

Nico shuddered as he gulped down more of the concoction Zagreus had made with Persephone's gift.

"There's no way this can't taste better warm. Why can't we start a fire again?"

Zagreus looked up from where he sat a couple paces away from Nico and raised an eyebrow. "I don't see any wood in here, do you?"

Nico made a face and resisted the urge to mimic his half-brother. Instead, he settled on saying sullenly, "It was just a question."

Zagreus shrugged and turned back to his blade, running a stone down the edge and testing it every so often.

"So...who knew that common household seasonings for herbed chicken could be used to heal shadow stuff?"

Scoffing, Zagreus said, "You can't just go to your local store and expect to have the same results. These are from my mother's personal garden. From above. I mean, you might be able to stave off a cold or get rid of some bad energy, but nothing like what this is doing for you."

The god paused and looked back over to Nico. "You know, I'm sure she wouldn't mind making sure she kept you in good supply if you just asked her."

"And be turned into a dandelion or a tulip or a daffodil for my 'insolence'? No, thank you." Nico raised the cup to his lips and took another sip, managing to quell his shudder of disgust.

"Mother's gotten a lot better. She's more patient now." Zagreus shrugged. "But suit yourself. She only did that because you were being rude to father. And she turned you back, didn't she?"

Nico shivered and scowled into his cup. "You don't understand. Sometimes I still feel yellow. Has she ever turned you into anything?" Nico asked as he took another drink.

Cocking his head to one side, Zagreus thought for a moment before saying, "Once, twice, maybe a handful of times. I was fighting with her and father. I don't know if you know, but mortals go back and forth on who my actual father is. Some say it's Hades, and others say it's Zeus. They mix up Dionysus and me sometimes, and it's all very annoying. Of course, I'm Hades' son. I mean, I'm not zipping around clouds and seducing anything with a pulse, am I?"

Zagreus rolled his eyes and continued, "Anyways. I was fighting with father when I was a century or two old, and I informed him that I wished Zeus was my father. So mother, being her lovely self, made sure she turned me into an olive tree...or, at least, the blossom of one."

At Nico's confused look, Zagreus explained, "The olive tree is one of Zeus' sacred plants. That and the holm oak. She figured that if I wanted Zeus to be my dad, I could just spend a year as his tree to really think about it. Father finally took pity on me after a couple months and made her turn me back."

"She was really going to make you stay as a tree for a whole year?"

Zagreus shrugged. "It's not that big a deal when you don't die. And she made sure I was pruned and watered."

Nico shook his head but said, "I guess. My mother didn't really punish us. She just...expected more of us. I could always tell when she was disappointed in me or Bianca. Her eyes would get kind of sad and narrowed and she'd look at you for a long time and just...shake her head a bit. To be honest, I think I'd rather be turned into a tree."

The two lapsed into silence. Nico pulled another sheet of paper from his bag and leaned against the cavern wall. He let his mind wander back to the creatures they had faced the previous days and began to sketch them, his hand moving idly over the paper. Nico had just put the finishing touches on the Rat King- the skinless gelatinous thing that it was- when the demigod sensed he was being watched. He stiffened and glanced up, catching Zagreus' eyes.

The god smiled and raised his eyebrows. "What're you doing?"

Nico shifted his knees so that prying eyes couldn't see his paper. "None of your business."

"Writing a love letter to Leo?" Zagreus' voice took on a sly tone and his mouth settled into a smug smirk.

"Harpies eat your eyes, Zag! Here!" Snarling, Nico thrust the paper at his half-brother. "See? No love letter."

Zagreus caught the paper shoved in his direction and looked it over. His eyes lit first upon the shaded form of the centipede and then flitted to the rat. His fingers reached up to gingerly touch the healed but faintly scarred area on his neck when he looked at the drawing of the bat creatures. "These are really good." He handed the sheet of paper back to Nico. "Do you draw often?"

Nico hesitated, running a fingertip along the corner of the paper. "Sometimes."

"Well," Zagreus said. "I would continue if I were you. They really are good."

"Thanks." Nico slowly picked up his pen again and set it to the paper.

"So..." Zagreus waited until he had Nico's attention. "After you're done drawing, are you going to write a love letter to Leo?"

Nico threw his empty cup at the god, who brought his hands up to deflect the projectile. "What? It's an honest question!"

"It's none of your business!"

"Oh, come on, little brother! Lighten up!"

Nico studiously ignored Zagreus and picked up his pen.

"On a more serious note, how-"

The demigod cut him off, frustration lacing his voice. "Will you just drop it, Zag? I really don't want to talk about it with you right now, okay?"

"I wasn't going to ask about Leo!"

"Then what were you going to say?"

The two glared at each other. Zagreus opened his mouth, exasperation dripping from his words. "I was going to ask how you were feeling? We should be moving on from here in the morning. It's never wise to stay in one place for too long."

Nico stared at the god, the anger slipping from his face and a dumbfounded look taking its place.

"Oh."

"Yeah," Zagreus stated sarcastically. "Oh. So?"

Nico shrugged. "Well, I guess it feels better. Will you...will you take a look?" He looked over at his half-brother quickly, as if waiting for the other boy to reject his request.

Instead of answering, Zagreus moved over until he sat next to Nico. He motioned for the demigod to lean forward and unwrapped the leather tie that held his fur pelt in place, wincing in sympathy as it stuck to the skin with crusted blood.

Nico grimaced as the pelt came free but held still while Zagreus examined his wound.

He whistled low. "You're going to have a pretty weird-looking scar. Honestly? It looks more like a burn scar than anything. But," Zagreus put heavy emphasis on the word. "It's completely closed up. Still hurts, though?"

Nico nodded tightly.

"Probably just raw scar tissue then. It will be sensitive for a while. I might be able to make up a salve if mother packed any aloe. I think I saw some in the bag."

Zagreus threw the pelt across the cave and wound the leather strap around his greave once more.

Nico muttered a soft, "Thanks."

"No problem." Zagreus grinned widely. "But, if you think you're up to it, we can probably head out tomorrow."

"Sure. Like I said before, I've had worse."

Zagreus shook his head. "I don't doubt it. Father told me that you wandered around the Labyrinth mostly by yourself for a few months, right?"

"Yeah. I wasn't always alone, though."

Zagreus' gaze grew dark. "Minos?"

Nico just nodded and drew his paperback to himself, taking up his pen once more. He heard Zagreus sigh and shift away.

"He's bad news, you know? Always has been. Has a way with words and twisting them. Getting inside your head. He's trouble."

"I know. The only reason he taught me was so that I'd be more reliant on him. He didn't always teach me the 'proper' way to do things. Taught me shortcuts and a few bad habits."

An awkward silence settled over the pair as they sat in the shallow cave. Zagreus half-heartedly looked through the packs from Persephone while Nico needlessly added shade to his sketches.

Finally, Zagreus broke the quiet.

"How did you start shadow traveling, anyway? How'd you find out about it? Did Minos tell you about it?"

Nico shook his head. "Mrs. O'Leary. She's a Hellhound. Partial to Percy."

"You learned how to shadow travel...from a Hellhound? You do understand how ridiculous that sounds, right?"

Nico scowled across the way at Zagreus. "I didn't learn it from her. I just realized that it was something that could happen. It's different."

"Okay," Zagreus said. "So, you realized you might be able to shadow travel by watching a Hellhound. What then? You just...tried?"

Nico nodded and shrugged. "For the most part. One thing Minos did teach me was patience. So I just kept trying and trying- listening to the shadows until they decided to speak to me."

"Speak to you? You sound like my sister."

"Oh?" Nico asked. "In what sense?"

"Talking about listening- waiting for it. Melinoe swears there are different shadows- some are remnants of spirits and shades- things, creatures, people- who never fully cross over to one afterlife or the other. So what exactly do you hear when you shadow travel?"

Come with us. Join us. Be us.

Nico shook his head. "Just words. Why does that matter?"

A lopsided smile spread across the god's face as if coming to a realization. "Because you're trying to control things that have their own agenda, Nico. It's like the difference between trying to steer a boat on a calm river and in rapids. No wonder you're running yourself ragged. It shouldn't take that much of your energy."

"But," Nico started, shaking his head in confusion. "Why would those be the shadows...I just..." Nico trailed off, unsure of what to ask.

"Well, how do you wind up listening for the shadows? How long does it normally take you?"

"Eh," Nico looked up to the ceiling, trying to think. "I don't know. I just kind of...zone out, I guess? And grab onto the first shadow I hear."

"Hm." Zagreus entirely set aside the bags from Persephone and leaned back against the cave wall, crossing his arms and looking thoughtful.

"What? What's hm?" Nico set down his paper and pen, staring hard at Zagreus.

Zagreus took a deep breath and looked across at Nico. "Feel up for a little bit of practice? We're not going anywhere, mind you. Just listening."

Nico breathed in through his nose, taking stock of his injuries and energy. He cracked his neck to one side and nodded. "Yeah. I suppose I am."

"Right." Zagreus clapped his hands together. "What I want you to do is...just do what you normally do when you decide to travel. Don't actually reach out to the shadow- not fully. I want to see what you do."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

Nico closed his eyes and listened. He waited, urging the shadows to come closer. One stood out, dense and dark and heavy, pitch-black and waiting to be used. He cracked one eye open and looked over to his half-brother. "Got it. What now?"

"Just hold it for a second." When Nico saw Zagreus close his own eyes, he let his fall shut again. He felt the shadow move and twist as if trying to get away from him.

"Alright, Nico. What would you do from here?" Zagreus' voice sounded patient, and any mockery or ridicule Nico had expected to be there was absent.

"Um...you want me to tell you or show you?"

"Try to show me without traveling yourself away. Can you do that?"

Without responding, Nico tried to pull the shadow toward him, thinking about where he would want to go. Unbidden, the shadow in Leo's room sprang to his mind again. The shadow seemed to writhe and tug at Nico. He felt an urge to let the shadow take him.

"Don't do that. Stay here."

Come with us. Join us. Be us.

The voice whispered in his mind- calm and soothing. Nico felt his exhaustion hit him unexpectedly, nausea causing a stabbing pain to race through his head. Anxiety welled in his gut, and he could barely breathe as panic gripped him.

Everything is too much. I can't do this- not anymore. The prophecy and- and- if I'm just going to fail and let everyone down, why not stop? Why not just give in and stop trying?

Sudden pain lanced through his shoulder, and he gasped out, all thought driven from his mind. His eyes flew open, and his arms shot forward in an attempt to push away whatever was hurting him.

Zagreus stumbled and fell backward, sprawling on the ground. Nico stared at him in confusion.

"Why're you...? What did you do?"

Zagreus pushed himself up until he was sitting. "I'm sorry I caused you pain, little brother. Are you with me now?"

Nico nodded shakily.

Zagreus made to move toward the demigod but stopped and asked, "Can I check your shoulder? I just want to see if I did any harm."

Swallowing heavily, Nico nodded again.

The god moved toward him slowly, holding his hands out as if afraid Nico would bolt. With a gentleness Nico was surprised Zagreus possessed, he pulled at the collar of Nico's shirt and peered at the healing wound on his shoulder. He studied it for a moment before letting the collar slip from his fingers.

"Doesn't look like I did any damage." He sat several paces away from Nico and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry."

Nico let his breath out in a shuddering whoosh. "Don't be. Did you learn anything? What's so wrong with what I'm doing?"

Zagreus started nodding before Nico finished speaking. "What happens when you're in a room full of people- all of them talking. How do you decide who to listen to?"

"I don't see what that has to do with-" Nico frowned.

"Just answer the question. Who do you listen to?"

Confused, Nico answered, "I don't know. I mean, probably I would listen to whoever's loudest. Usually Percy or Leo, but-"

Zagreus waved his hand. "Who doesn't matter. So, you'd listen to whomever is loudest in the room. What if someone needed your attention? Someone quieter across the room?"

"Zag, I really don't understand-it's I don't know, okay? What are you even asking?"

The god sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing out slowly. "Okay. Let's say you are in a room. With Percy and Leo and...and all of the Hunters. And someone quiet. I don't know...who do you know who's quiet?"

"Hazel," answered Nico without hesitation.

"Alright then. You're in a room with all of those people. Percy and Leo are arguing about who you like better-"

"Seriously? Can't we just-"

"Or who has better hair or whatever those two would talk about loudly. Whatever it is. Hazel is trying to get your attention from across the room. How do you listen to her?"

"I would just walk over to her and listen to her."

"You get over to her, but Leo and Percy are talking so loud that it's hard to hear Hazel. What do you do?"

Nico thought for a second before answering, "Summon skeletons to make them quiet? Bury them underground? Slip Clovis a twenty to make them fall asleep-"

"Not physically. You can't do anything to them." Zagreus stared at Nico hard. "Think, Nico. Come on. You're doing too much."

Frowning, Nico chewed on his lower lip before saying, "I don't know. Just ignore them, I guess? Tune them out?"

Zagreus smiled triumphantly. "Exactly!"

"But I don't see what that has to do with shadow traveling." Nico let his head fall back against the cave wall.

"Close your eyes again. Reach for the shadows like you normally do. When those first shadows come- the loud ones like Percy- push them to the side. Ignore them and keep listening."

Nico continued to stare at Zagreus. "But why-"

"Just trust me on this, Nico." Zagreus looked at him pleadingly. "Please?"

Nico sighed and closed his eyes. Then, reaching for the shadows again, he heard the whispers startup.

Come with us. Join us. Be us.

He let himself reach out to the shadows, waiting patiently for them to come to him- like holding a hand open for a dog to sniff.

Eventually, a shadow washed over him, rigid and controlling and urging and-

"Let that one go, Nico. Push it aside. Tune it out."

Nico breathed in deeply and did as his half-brother asked: he ignored the shadow. Others after it clamored for attention. He batted them aside, one after the other. Again and again. He could still hear the whisperings and something else...something else behind it all.

Come with us. Join us. Be us.

Like a breeze blowing through a field, a faint whistling sound ran underneath and beneath the whispered words. Nico shook his head, trying to rid himself of the buzz.

"No! Right there. I know you hear it."

Keeping his eyes shut, Nico frowned. "Hear what?"

"That sound. The 'shhhh' in the background." Nico could hear the certainty in Zagreus' voice. "Reach for it, Nico. Feel it."

Nico huffed and, feeling foolish, reached for the shadow. The whisperings fell away, and all at once it was as if Nico were stepping out into cool night air. He breathed deeply, a sense of peace and calm and quiet overtaking him. He was on the verandah again, with Cal, letting the moonlight wash over his skin, watching the moonlace blossoms open their faces to the night sky.

"That is a shadow, Nico. It's not good or bad. It just is."

Nico didn't answer. He held the shadow and basked in the stillness. After a moment, he let it go and opened his eyes. Zagreus offered him a soft smile.

"Did you feel the difference?"

Shakily, Nico nodded and reached up to rub a hand over his face.

"How do you feel?"

Nico thought about it before answering, "Sleepy. But, in a good way. Not exhausted. Not like I'm going to pass out."

Zagreus shook his head. "I can't believe you've been using shades and wraiths instead of shadows. Even I don't do that. Melinoe does, but it's not pleasant. At all. I don't know any mortals who do. I mean," Zagreus paused and added, "I guess now I do. But it's a wonder you're still sane. And here. Alive. It's no wonder you have to make such an effort to ground yourself- opening up to those things...it can be hard not to lose yourself and become one of them."

The two sat in the quiet for a moment before Nico cleared his throat.

"Thanks." Nico looked at Zagreus, full of awkward hesitation. "Thank you for helping me."

Zagreus seemed startled at first but then smiled. "Of course. You're naturally talented, Nico." Zagreus frowned. "I just don't understand how you fell into using shades of all things for shadow travel."

Nico shrugged. "Eh. It's not that surprising. When I first started, I mostly had spirits on the brain, I guess. I was so caught up in trying to find Bianca and my mom...for a while, that's all I really cared about. And, I've always had a knack with the dead."

Nico hesitated before asking, "Why...back in the motel. I tried to use my shadow to open the tunnel. And I still heard the same things- the whispering and stuff. Why is that? Isn't my shadow a natural shadow?"

A dark expression crossed over Zagreus' face. "That's something entirely different, Nico. Your shadow...it's an extension of yourself. It's not something you want to use except in dire circumstances. And, you should never let someone else use your shadow for anything either."

Zagreus cracked his neck from side to side. "We should really get some rest. We do have to head out tomorrow."

Nico agreed and packed the pen and paper he had been using earlier into his black bag. He shifted so that he was no longer against the cavern wall but lying down. His jacket resumed the role of a pillow, and he pulled the large pelt he had yet to give back to Zagreus up over his shoulders. Zagreus, meanwhile, rested his head on the packs his mother had given him.

"I thought gods didn't sleep?"

Even laying down, Nico could see Zagreus shrug his shoulders. "It's not that we can't- it's that we don't have to. I, personally, love to take naps. It's refreshing."

Zagreus rolled to his side to look at Nico. "So, you would really summon skeletons to make Percy and Leo quiet, huh? Or bribe this Clovis kid? Who is he? A son of Morpheus or something?"

Nico turned so that he faced Zagreus. "Hypnos, actually. He's a cool guy. A few of the Aphrodite campers think he's gross because he isn't their type-"

"You mean insanely gorgeous movie-star type guy?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Exactly. He's a nice guy, though."

Zagreus raised an eyebrow in question. "How did you two meet?"

Feeling his cheeks redden, Nico coughed and averted his eyes. "Uh, actually...he talked to Mr. D about me. He was concerned."

"Concerned?"

Nodding, Nico explained, "I guess my dreams of Tartarus kept bleeding over after the war with Gaea. And then after Jason died- well, they got worse."

"I don't understand why he would talk to Dionysus about you."

Sighing, Nico said, "He wanted to see if he could help me. Control my dreams."

"Ah."

"Yeah." Nico didn't elaborate further.

"So, this Clovis. I'm guessing you guys became, what...friends? Enough that he'd allow himself to be bribed by you to make Leo and Percy fall asleep?"

Nico chuckled despite himself. "I wouldn't have him make Leo fall asleep. I'd probably be able to get him to quiet down on my own. But Percy?" Nico laughed out loud at the thought. "I honestly wouldn't have to bribe Clovis to make Percy fall asleep. He says that Jackson has the most annoying dreams about Annabeth and food."

Zagreus snorted derisively. "Yeah, right."

Nico leaned up on his elbow and propped his chin on his hand. "I mean it. Apparently, the Hypnos cabin has a massive issue sleeping around a bunch of teenage campers with out-of-control hormones-their dreams are loud. Especially Percy Jackson's. They had a small celebration when he left."

Zagreus paled. "That is more than I ever needed to know about you demigods."

Laughing, Nico lay back down, pillowing his left arm under his head. "When you're friends with a Hypnos camper, you learn a lot about people you didn't want to know."

Nico could hear the smirk in Zagreus' voice as he asked, "So, how would you make Leo quiet then?"

"What?"

"What?" Zagreus asked innocently. "You're the one who mentioned that you wouldn't have to force Leo to do anything. That you could, what was it you said? Get him to quiet down on your own?"

"Basta! Will you stop? It's none of your business!" Nico pulled the pelt up around his shoulders and scowled.

"But you're the one who said anything in the first place! You could have just gone on letting me believe that you'd let the skeletons and Clovis take care of Jackson and Leo!" Zagreus' voice took on a petulant whine. "Come on, Nico. What would you do to make him quiet?"

Nico turned beet red and covered his face. "Oh my gods, Zag. Please drop it already."

Grinning, Zagreus rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. "Fine. You don't have to tell me."

Nico sighed in relief. "Thank you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Nico. But just so you know?" Zagreus' voice teased through the darkness. "I don't have to be friends with a Hypnos camper to know what you could do to make someone you like be quiet. Just saying."

Nico groaned. "Shut up, Zag."

"Night."

"Bad habits are like chains that are too light to feel until they are too heavy to carry." ~Warren Buffet