"Oh my gods."

Nico groaned. He tried to lift his hand to rub his eyes, but it was caught underneath something heavy. He blinked a few times, squinting up at the bright sky overhead.

Wait. The sky?

He turned his head only to find himself face-to-face with Will Solace. That's what his hand was trapped under.

With a yelp of alarm Nico yanked his hand back, toppling back into the sand. He sat up, heart beating quickly. This could not be happening. He had not spent the whole night asleep on a beach with Will Solace.

"Oh my gods," the voice repeated.

Nico turned to see Frank standing there, wearing gym clothes. He was looking back and forth between Will and Nico, his eyes wide and panicked.

"Oh, why does this always happen to me?" he moaned miserably.

"Frank!" Nico said, struggling into a sitting position. Next to him, Will yawned and sat up peacefully, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning," he said to Nico, still half-asleep. He saw Frank and smiled blearily. "Oh, hey Frank. Nice day, isn't it?"

"What are you two doing?" Frank hissed, shifting from foot to foot. He looked over his shoulder as though expecting someone to swoop in and snatch them all up. "Were you- were you out here all night?"

"I guess we fell asleep," Will said, stretching. He yawned again, looking completely at ease. He glanced at Nico with a grin. "Oops."

Nico wasn't as amused. He scrambled to his feet, staggering slightly. His limbs ached from sleeping on the ground all night, and the bottom of his jeans were wet from the water. He readjusted his sword, which was digging uncomfortably into his hip.

"It wasn't- we weren't-" Nico said hurriedly. He glanced down at Will, who was blinking up at them with tired eyes. He ground his teeth. It figured he wouldn't be the least bit bothered being caught like this. But if he wasn't bothered… why was Nico? "We were just talking and it was late and we were both tired and-"

"Nico?"

Nico groaned when Hazel walked over. She looked much more well-rested than she had the night before, and even managed to smile at him when she walked over.

"Hey, I waited up for you last night, but I guess I fell asleep before you got back to the cabin. I have to admit, though, I'm surprised you got up so-"

Her eyes fell on Will, who was still sprawled out on the ground, and Nico, who was covered in sand from head to toe. Her mouth fell open in a tiny little 'O' of surprise.

"Oh," she said.

"Hazel-" Nico said hurriedly.

Will finally got to his feet. He stretched, groaning as his shoulders popped. "Morning, Hazel," he greeted her cheerfully. "Nico and I had a little camp-out last night."

Hazel's eyes went back and forth between Will and Nico. Nico took a step away from Will, his arms wrapped around himself. He felt very vulnerable all of a sudden, and it didn't help that Will seemed to think that this was all completely normal. Nico kept his eyes fixed on the ground, unable to look at his sister.

"I think I'm going to head back and change," Will said, unperturbed by everyone's silence. "See you later, Nico."

He scooped his flip flops off the ground and walked off with a bounce in his step.

Hazel was still staring at Nico. Frank looked awkwardly between the two of them before motioning towards camp. "I'm going to, uh- I'm just going to- yeah." He turned and practically sprinted off, leaving Hazel and Nico alone.

Nico stared at his feet. His shoes were soaked through and covered in sand, and his socks squished uncomfortably in them. He gripped his arms, refusing to look at Hazel. He didn't want to know what she thought.

Hazel took a few steps closer to him, but Nico didn't look up until she touched his face. When he saw her expression he was surprised to see that she was struggling to repress a smile.

"You should take a look in the mirror," she said, brushing some sand off of his cheek. "You look quite a sight."

"Hazel-"

"You shouldn't have stayed out all night," she said, brushing sand off of his arms as well. She motioned for him to turn and he dutifully did so, cheeks burning as she swept off the back of his t-shirt. "It was freezing last night; you could have caught a cold!"

"Hazel, it wasn't-"

"Nico, stop," Hazel said.

He turned back around to see that she was still smiling.

"I'm glad you and Will made up," she said.

"I wouldn't say we made up, exactly," Nico said, fumbling over his words.

"Oh, so you sleep under the stars with just anyone?"

Nico clenched his fists when he saw that Hazel was trying not to laugh at him. Was no one going to take this seriously? "It's not funny!" he shouted. Hazel stopped laughing immediately, looking shocked. "I just- I don't want to talk about it! Leave me alone!"

He brushed past her and stomped off the beach. He half-expected Hazel to run after him, and felt a stab of disappointment when she didn't.

The rest of the camp was just starting to wake up. A few campers trickled out of their cabins or stood on their porches, talking to one another. All of them fell silent and looked up when Nico stalked past, leaving a trail of sand behind him as his clothes shifted. A few of them glanced over at the Apollo cabin and jabbed each other, whispering excitedly in each other's ears.

A particularly unpleasant Ares camper called out to him as he passed. "Will went back to his cabin, di Angelo!" He was smirking. Nico resisted the urge to chuck a skeleton at him and hurried past, grinding his teeth.

When he reached his cabin he threw open the door and slammed it shut behind him. In the privacy of his cabin he allowed himself to press his back against the door, hands covering his face. What had he done? He was going to be the laughing-stock of the camp. And Will- he had seemed to brush the whole thing off, but he had also run off as quickly as he could. What did he think of all this? He was probably thinking that he had made a terrible mistake.

Nico dragged himself over to his side of the room. On the other side, Hazel's bed was neatly made, her suitcase lying on the covers.

Nico unbuckled his sword and laid it to the side. He wriggled out of his wet, sandy clothes, leaving them on the floor, and pulled on a new black t-shirt and jeans. Then he sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands again.

He wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from everyone for the next few weeks, but he didn't even feel tired. In fact, he was buzzing with energy, a feeling he rarely had. He had slept better last night than he had in years, even though he had been half submerged in water. He felt jumpy, and every time there was a shout from outside he looked up, expecting someone to burst through the door. What he and Will had done had to have repercussions. Nico didn't want Will to get in trouble just for trying to comfort him.

Nico sat back on his bed, pressing himself into the corner, and wrapped his arms around his knees. He let his head hang. What had he done?

It felt like years passed before someone knocked on his door. Nico jumped, frowning at it.

"Go away, Hazel!" he shouted. He felt guilty for taking it out on her, but he didn't feel like trying to explain himself just yet.

He thought she had listened to him until the knocking came again, more insistent this time. Growling under his breath, Nico clambered out of bed and stalked over, throwing it open. "I said- Jason?"

Jason's face was uncharacteristically serious. "Is what everyone saying true? Did you sleep with Will?"

Nico's mouth dropped open. "I- I did not-"

Jason's face broke into a grin. "Dude, I'm messing with you. I meant, did you fall asleep in the same vicinity as Will?"

That didn't make Nico feel any better. He groaned, turning and walking back into his cabin. Jason followed him, shutting the door behind him.

"It was an accident," he said miserably. "We were just talking and it was late and I was tired from the Underworld and he was tired from the infirmary and we just- we weren't even close to each other!" He winced, the lie weak to even his ears. "Well- not that close."

"Oh, man!" Jason hurried over to Nico's bed and hopped on it, crossing his legs. He looked up at Nico with a grin. "Tell. Me. Everything."

Nico walked over and stood next to him. He crossed his arms defensively. "What have you heard?" he asked, hesitating.

Jason shrugged. "I heard that a load of campers saw Will come up from the beach, covered in sand, and that a few minutes later you did too. I also heard that neither you nor Will came to your cabins last night. That coupled with the fact that Hazel and Frank are both terrible liars makes for some very juicy gossip."

Nico sighed and dropped to the bed beside Jason. "Nothing happened. Really," he said when Jason raised his eyebrows at him. Nico rubbed his hands together, brushing some sand off of his wrists. "Will and I were just talking."

"About what?"

"About…" Nico hesitated. "Stuff. A lot of stuff. And then we were just sitting there quietly and he fell asleep, and then I fell asleep, and we woke up with Frank standing over us looking like we had just murdered someone."

Jason laughed. "Frank always gets to walk in on moments like these."

"Moments? What moments?"

Jason shook his head. "Nothing, nothing. So… nothing whatsoever happened last night?"

"No," Nico said firmly.

Jason sighed. "Damn."

"What?"

"Oh, come on, Nico, I see the way you look at him, and I see the way he looks at you."

Nico stared at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jason frowned. "Really?" When Nico just stared at him blankly, he raised his eyebrows. "Huh, you really don't see it."

"See what?"

"Nico, do you like Will?"

"Of course I do. He's a good… friend."

"No, I mean, do you like Will?"

"Do I- oh. Oh." Nico got very hot all of a sudden. "Oh, gods, Jason, no. No, of course not."

"Are you sure?"

"Why the Hades would you even ask?" Nico knew his face was bright red. "Just because I'm- just because I liked Percy doesn't mean I like every single guy that gives me the time of day!"

"You know I didn't mean it like that. Will's an awesome guy, and you're-"

"Not his type!" Nico said. He felt a rush of embarrassment when Jason looked triumphant. "Not that I care."

"Nico-"

"He's probably not even- there's no possible way he could like me like that," Nico muttered, looking away. When Jason snorted, he glared at him. "Shut up, Grace."

"I didn't say anything."

"Gah!" Nico grabbed his head in both hands. "I don't like Will, Will doesn't like me, okay? We were talking last night and fell asleep, end of subject. Let it go."

"But-"

"Jason."

Nico's voice was so dangerous Jason reluctantly let the matter drop. He crossed his arms, sulking, and waited until Nico sat back up again.

"Is everyone really talking about it?" he asked weakly.

Jason's expression softened. "I wouldn't say that," he said. "People are a bit… curious. Yesterday you were missing, and today you were seen walking off the beach covered in sand with Will Solace. We may be demigods, but we're also teenagers, and teenagers gossip. But it's really not that bad."

Nico moaned and flopped back on his pillow. "I'm not going out there."

"You have to; we're already late for breakfast and you need to eat."

"No."

"No one is going to care, Nico!"

"That's nice. I'm still not going."

"Will is going to pitch a fit if you skip a meal."

"I don't care what Will does!" Nico growled.

Jason held his hands up. "Alright, alright, sorry I brought it up." He got to his feet. "You're going to get breakfast, though."

"Make me," Nico muttered, turning and pressing his face into his pillow.

He heard Jason sigh. "Fine," he said. Then strong arms seized him around the middle and Nico suddenly found his world flipped upside down.

It took him a few moments to realize that the wall of orange he was looking at was Jason's back. Jason had actually thrown him over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Nico shouted, kicking his feet. They lashed out into the air harmlessly as Jason crossed the cabin and opened the door, stepping outside. "Let me down!"

"You've been in the Underworld for a week and I doubt you've had anything substantial to eat. If I can lift you this easily, you need breakfast."

"Put me down, Jason!"

"Make me."

Nico growled. He wanted to summon something, just to freak Jason out, but he was still weak from all of the powers he had used in the Underworld, and he still wasn't fully recovered from his trip with the Athena Parthenos. The last thing he wanted to do was pass out on Jason's shoulder. Instead he settled for crossing his arms, his nose squashed against Jason's back, and trying to look as dignified as he could with all the blood rushing to his head.

Nico knew he had reached the Pavilion when he heard voices. He gave another kick. "Put me down!"

"Not if you're going to run away."

"I won't!"

Jason was quiet for a moment. "I don't believe you," he decided.

"Jason, I swear to-"

"What the- Nico?"

Jason stopped. He bent down and flipped Nico upright, setting him down on the ground. Nico stumbled, the blood rushing out of his head and leaving him dizzy. Someone grabbed his arm, steadying him.

"Jason, what'd you do to him?"

It was Annabeth. Nico yanked his arm away and glared at Jason, who looked smug. Piper was standing beside him, amused.

"I brought him to breakfast," Jason said.

Annabeth glanced at Percy, who was standing beside her. Percy looked unconvinced. "By kidnapping him?" he asked.

"It was the only way he'd come," Jason protested.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Listen, Nico, we-"

"I didn't sleep with Will Solace," Nico growled.

He saw Percy flush bright red. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Really? So you two didn't have a sleepover out on the beach?"

"No! I mean- okay, we were sleeping, and we were on the same beach, but that doesn't mean- it was an accident!" Nico threw his hands into the air. "That's it, I'm going back to my cabin."

He turned and started marching off, but Jason hooked a finger in the back of his t-shirt and pulled him back. Nico shrugged him off and glared. "Don't touch me!"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Nico, just come in and get something to eat. We promise we won't mention Will. Right?"

He looked around at all of his friends, who nodded.

Nico sighed. "Fine," he muttered, stomping past them into the pavilion. He didn't feel like arguing anymore, and besides- he was hungry. His father tried, but food in the Underworld just wasn't filling, and Nico hadn't been able to stomach pomegranates since the jar incident.

When he walked in he half expected the pavilion to fall silent. He breathed a sigh of relief when only a few campers glanced his way and then turned back to their meals. Jason had been right. No one seemed to really care.

Not bothering to wait for his friends, Nico started towards the Hades table. He kept his eyes firmly away from the Apollo table, focused on his destination. As he passed the Aphrodite table they all started giggling, but one glare in their direction shut them up immediately.

Nico sat down at the empty Hades table and pulled his plate close to him. It filled with a selection of eggs, bacon, and potatoes when he sat down. He was just picking up his fork when someone dropped into the seat across from him.

Nico looked up and scowled at Jason. "What are you doing?"

"Eating breakfast," Jason said. He pulled a plate close to him as Piper sat down next to him.

"Jason and I were going to practice our archery skills this morning," she said. "Do you want to come, Nico?"

Nico stared at them. "Neither of you have any archery skills."

"Exactly why we need to practice!" said Jason.

"But they're nuts!" Percy said, dropping into the seat next to Nico. Nico stared as he and Annabeth sat down at the table, plates popping up in front of them. "You can't milk nuts!"

Jason frowned at him. "What are you talking about, Jackson?"

"Almond milk!" Percy exclaimed. The goblet in front of him filled on command and Percy groaned. "I don't mean I want almond milk, I was complaining about the impossibility of its existence!"

"Drink up, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said with a grin, filling her own glass with orange juice.

"But I don't like almond milk!"

"You guys can't sit here!" Nico said, looking back and forth between them all with a frown. "This is the Hades table!"

"And it has a lovely view," said Piper.

"Relax, dude," Percy said, "the gods have more to worry about than who's sitting at whose table." His hand snaked towards Annabeth's goblet. She slapped his hand and he quickly withdrew it, pouting. "Oh, come on, Wise Girl, I'm dying with thirst over here!"

"Drink your almond milk."

"Annabeth!"

"We want to sit with you," Jason said resolutely, taking a bite of toast. "Eat."

Nico glared at him one last time before going to his breakfast.

A few minutes later they were joined by another couple, who approached hesitantly. Nico looked up to see Hazel and Frank standing there, looking awkward.

"Nico?" Hazel asked. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier-"

"Don't," Nico said. He smiled weakly at them. "I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. I was just… upset."

Hazel let out a smile of relief. She dragged Frank over to the table and sat down next to Nico. "Oh, thank goodness. I can't stand fighting you."

"Neither can I," said Nico.

"And if you don't want to talk about it-"

"I don't."

"Then we won't."

Not another word was said of the matter.

Nico was very surprised to find, halfway through breakfast, that he was actually enjoying it. Annabeth and Piper had gotten into a friendly debate about dagger techniques, and Nico joined in whenever he remembered a piece of useful information. Frank was talking to Jason about building shrines in New Rome, and Hazel kept a steady discussion going with Nico about him coming to visit her in a few weeks.

"Are you heading back soon?" Nico asked.

"I think Frank and I will hang out here for another few days," Hazel said, "but we really should get back soon. Reyna needs all the help she can get getting the camp back in order."

Things were going quite smoothly until Jason and Percy started arguing about teams for the upcoming capture the flag team.

"The Hades cabin is on the red team this month," Jason said, glaring at him.

"Think again, Sparkplug, he said he'd be on the blue team!" said Percy. "Right, Nico?"

"I actually wasn't planning on playing," Nico said, taking a bite of eggs.

"You have to play!" protested Jason. "The red team needs you!"

"The blue team needs you!"

"Why are you two on opposite teams anyways?" Piper asked. "I thought your bromance was still going strong."

"We can't have too many children of the Big Three on one team," Percy explained.

"Yeah," said Jason, "and I'd rather have Nico on my team than Jackson."

"Well I'd rather have Nico than Grace!" Percy waggled a piece of bacon at him, trying to look menacing, but the result was more comical than threatening.

"Why don't you- I don't know- ask Nico?" Frank asked.

Jason and Percy spun on Nico, who raised his eyebrows at them.

"I'll clean your cabin for a week," Jason offered.

"I won't kidnap you and force you to come to meals," Percy said, smiling victoriously.

Nico pointed at Percy with a grin. "That's a good one."

Jason's jaw dropped. "I was trying to help you!"

"Shut it, Four Eyes."

"You listen here, Jackson-"

Percy's eyes fell on something behind Jason. He opened his mouth, glanced at Nico, then shut it again. After a few moments he said hesitantly, "Uh, I know we promised not to talk about Will, but-"

"Percy, we promised we wouldn't," Annabeth said, glaring at him.

"Yes, but-"

"No, Percy," Annabeth said.

"But he's-"

"Nico?"

Nico's head shot up so fast it hurt his neck. Will was standing behind Jason, dressed in a fresh camp t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair was damp from a shower, and he was grinning- like always. Nico dimly heard Percy mutter to Annabeth, "I was just trying to warn him."

"Can I sit?" he asked Jason. Jason glanced at Nico apologetically before scooting over to make room on the bench. "Thanks," Will said, sitting down.

The table was completely silent as Will sat. Nico stared down at his plate, his cheeks burning. Now he could feel the eyes of the other campers on his table. Will never sat anywhere but the Apollo table. As head counselor, it was kind of forbidden for him to even skip meals. And now here he was, sitting at the Hades table, staring at Nico.

Annabeth suddenly cleared her throat and turned to Percy, who was staring unabashedly between Will and Nico. "What were you saying about your dad's temple in New Rome?"

"Huh?" Percy glanced at her. "I wasn't- oh, you mean- yeah, I was just thinking that maybe I could spruce it up a bit-"

"I could help!" Jason said loudly, turning away from Will. "I'm going to be over there anyways, and-"

"Yeah, man, I'd appreciate that!"

The table filled with awkward small talk, each of them trying to turn their attention away from Nico and Will and not make the two of them uncomfortable. They were failing miserably, but Nico appreciated the effort.

"Hey, Nico," Will said.

Nico forced his eyes up. Will was watching him with a frown, but when he met his gaze he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as his face lit up. "I just wanted to check in with you," he said. "I see that your arm's healed alright, but if there's anything else-"

"I'm fine," Nico interrupted him, well aware that the others were hanging on their every word. He winced when he realized that Jason and Percy were loudly discussing the weather.

Will was unperturbed by Nico's obvious disinterest. "I still think you should stop by the infirmary after breakfast," he said. "You know what they say, it's better safe than-"

"I think it's better if I don't," Nico said, his heart skipping a beat. He just wanted this conversation over with as quickly as possible. He had no idea why Will was still trying to talk to him after what had happened last night, after what everyone was surely saying about him. He didn't want to have to think about it more than he already had.

Will stopped mid-sentence. Next to him, Percy's analysis of the clouds overhead faltered.

"I disagree," Jason said loudly, "that cloud is definitely a bunny, not a ballerina."

Percy looked insulted. He seemed to forget that they were just having the conversation to make things less awkward as he glared at Jason. "Excuse me, Grace? I don't see any ears on that ballerina. Show me the bunny ears, then we'll talk."

Will leaned forward, a frown on his face. "Look, I just want to help, Nico."

"I think you've helped enough," Nico snapped at him. He felt Hazel's arms brush his arm, silently warning him, but he yanked his arm away. He felt unusually furious all of a sudden, but not at Will. Well, yes, he was angry because of Will, but he wasn't angry at him. He was angry at the way Will sent shivers up his spine whenever he touched him, and the way that, even now, his gaze made Nico want to leap up and touch the moon and swan dive off of a cliff at the same time. All he knew was that he wanted those feelings to go away. Heat rose to his cheeks, and a voice inside of him was shouting at him to shut up, but the words flew out of his mouth automatically, barbed wire lacing the air in front of him, warning everyone to stay away.

Will narrowed his eyes at him. "What the heck, Nico?"

"The whole camp is talking about your help, Solace," Nico shot at him.

Will straightened, his expression smoothing into a blank one. "This is about last night." When Nico didn't respond, he rolled his eyes, looking disgusted. "You act as though I held you captive."

"You sure as hell didn't let me leave until I sat through your therapy!"

"I was-"

"Trying to help, I get it," Nico said, clenching his fork so hard his knuckles turned white.

Will's eyes flashed and Nico resisted the urge to shrink away, combating this impulse by glaring at Will even harder.

"I was trying to be a good friend," Will said, his voice hardly above a whisper.

"I told you, I don't have friends!"

The small talk at the table died completely. Everyone was staring down at their plates, not looking at Will and Nico's showdown.

Will scowled, the expression foreign in his usual sunny face. "That much is obvious."

Nico really did shrink away from that comment. He crossed his arms, lifting his chin and staring at Will, who got to his feet. He bit the inside of his cheek when Will leaned forward, glaring at him.

"If you keep trying to push people away, di Angelo, eventually they're going to stop trying," he said.

Nico met his eyes. "Then they're getting the message."

Something flashed in Will's eyes. His jaw clenched. He straightened up and turned away from Nico. "Then consider it done. I'll leave you alone." He glanced at the others, who didn't look at him. "Sorry for disturbing your breakfast."

And he marched away.

Dead silence rang at the table. Nico threw his fork down, scowling.

It was Annabeth who broke the silence. She turned to Nico, her face set in a glare. "What the hell was that, Nico?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nico said mechanically.

Jason shook his head, looking upset. "That was way over the line, Nico."

"But-"

"Jason's right." Nico turned to Hazel in disbelief. She was frowning at him. "Will was trying to be a good friend. Just because you're a bit embarrassed-"

"I'm not embarrassed! He- I didn't- he was-"

Nico looked around the table. All of them were watching him with frowns, disapproval sharp in every face. He wasn't about to get any sympathy from them.

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about that anymore," Annabeth said, pushing her plate away. "Will is definitely not going to try to be your friend anymore."

Nico's heart skipped at least a dozen beats. He stared down at the table, unable to meet any of their gazes. "Good," he muttered.

Annabeth made a sound in the back of her throat. "You know what, I can't take this," she said, getting to her feet. "Talk to me when you're not being a brat, Nico."

She marched away. Percy scrambled to his feet, looked at Nico as if he wanted to say something, then shook his head and ran after her.

Piper slipped off the bench. "I'm going to go check on Will," she announced, glaring at Nico before turning and marching off.

Jason got to his feet. Nico felt his eyes on him, but he couldn't look up and see the disappointment in his face.

"That wasn't cool, Nico," Jason said quietly. Then he was gone, too.

"I suppose you're going to run off, too?" Nico asked Hazel and Frank without looking at them.

"You know what, I really should go help Piper and Jason," Frank said, getting to his feet. Nico heard him walk away, leaving just Hazel sitting beside him.

"You know, Nico," she said, her voice soft, "Will's right. If you keep trying to push people away… eventually it's going to work."

Nico pressed his hands over his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Hazel-"

He turned to look at her, only to find her seat empty.

Nico turned back to his breakfast, but he wasn't hungry anymore. On the contrary, he felt nauseous, and very, very guilty. He had messed up.

Just like he always did.

Whispers followed him as he stalked out of the dining pavilion. If the campers hadn't had something to talk about before, they definitely did now.

Nico had lost all interest in regular camp activities. He retreated to his cabin and shut the door, relaxing in the familiar darkness. He crossed the room in a few strides and threw himself on his bed, curling up on top of the covers. He squeezed his eyes shut. Nico hadn't let himself cry for the past year, and he wasn't about to break that promise just because of a stupid argument. He had been to Tartarus and back. He had been tortured and ripped to pieces and put back together again, and he hadn't shed a single tear. He was not about to cry because of Will Solace.

Nico hadn't even realized he'd broken that promise until he felt the first sob rack his body.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nico spent the rest of the day in his cabin, spending his time staring at the ceiling. He could hear the other campers outside, and when the laughter got too unbearable he covered his face with his pillow and tried to drown them out. He skipped lunch, terrified of having to face the others, but as dinner drew around his stomach started to growl uncomfortably.

Nico curled in on himself, shutting his eyes. He had been trying to get some sleep for the past few hours with no success. Every time he felt himself getting close to unconsciousness he would suddenly remember the last time he had fallen asleep to the sound of the waves and Will's peaceful breathing next to him. The tidal wave of guilt that triggered always woke him up.

Nico rubbed his face. He knew he needed to eat, but the idea of sitting at the empty Hades table- for surely no one would sit with him now- was so frightening he forced his hunger from his mind. He had gone much longer than a few hours without food.

It was the last thing Nico expected, so he didn't look up when he thought he heard the door creaking. He kept staring at the wall like he had been for the past thirty minutes, flipped on his side with his back facing the room.

He stiffened when a sudden weight made his mattress sink down, but he didn't look up.

"I brought you something to eat," Hazel said quietly.

Nico slowly turned to look at her. She was sitting on his bed, a plate full of food in her hands. She wasn't smiling at him, but she wasn't glaring, either.

Nico frowned. "I thought you were mad at me." His voice was still hoarse from crying earlier.

Hazel's lips turned up into a sad smile. "I'm disappointed in you, Nico. There's a difference. Besides, I'm your sister, and I'm not about to let you starve."

It was too much. Nico buried his face in his arms, shoulders shaking as he started crying again. He heard Hazel hurriedly set the plate on his bedside table and then she wrapped her arms around him, maneuvering him into a sitting position so he could rest his head on her shoulder. Then she hugged him, whispering, "Shh, it's alright, Nico, I'm here, I'm not going to leave you."

That just made Nico cry harder, and the fact that he was sobbing on his younger sister's shoulder brought even more tears.

He cried for what seemed like hours, and Hazel let him, her embrace constant and warm. When he finally felt as though he had no more tears to shed, Nico sat back, shakily wiping his eyes and nose.

"Sorry," he said, his voice thick.

"Don't be," Hazel said. She fixed his shirt for him. "At least, don't be sorry for crying." She looked at him for a long moment. "You know, I've never seen you cry before," she said softly.

Nico sniffed again, turning away from her. He pushed himself back until he was leaning against the wall and tipped his head back, taking a deep, steadying breath. His throat felt raw and his nose was running. He wiped it again, trying to calm his breathing. Hazel sat next to him silently, letting him gather himself.

When he finally felt calm enough to talk, he opened his eyes to find Hazel holding the plate of food out to him. He laughed humorlessly and took it from her with a nod of thanks.

"I messed up, didn't I?" he asked, setting the plate in his lap.

"Yes, you did," said Hazel. "But I don't think it's anything that can't be fixed."

Nico snorted, picking at a piece of chicken with his fingers. "Not everything can be fixed, Hazel. Besides, I don't think I deserve to have it fixed."

Hazel frowned at him. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"I had my second chance a long time ago," Nico said. He took another shaky breath, trying not to burst into tears again. "I've had a million second chances, and I've screwed them all up."

Hazel bit her lip. "Nico, I can't promise you that everything will be alright." Nico looked up at her, despair leaking into his expression, and Hazel looked at him sadly. "You hurt Will this morning. Really badly. He refused to talk to any of us about it, and he's been locked up in the infirmary all day. Patching things up with him is going to be very, very hard. But I don't think you should give up."

"Why?" Nico asked. He stared at his lap. "If it's so impossible, why bother?"

"Because he didn't give up on you."

Nico squeezed his eyes shut. He knew she was right. But Will had made it pretty clear that he never wanted to speak to Nico again. He didn't want to push him into something he didn't want. He didn't want to bother Will anymore than he already had. Will didn't deserve that.

"I don't think I'll be able to fix this, Hazel."

Hazel sighed. "I can't promise that you'll be able to, Nico, but there's one thing I can promise you." She laid a hand on his arm, forcing him to look up and meet her eyes. "I'm here for you, Nico, and I'm never going to leave you. You're not alone."

Nico opened his mouth, his eyes watering again. He wanted to say a thousand things to her, the sister who always had his back, who never made him feel unwanted or alone. He wanted to tell her just how much it meant to hear those words spoken with so much conviction, especially in this moment, when he felt more alone and wretched than he ever had before. He wanted to say so many things, but he was afraid he would somehow mess it up, so instead he tried to pour all of his sentiments into just two words.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Hazel squeezed his wrist to let him know that she understood. With a last smile she got to her feet. "I'll let you finish your dinner," she said. "I want that plate cleared when I come back in an hour, alright? Don't do anything stupid."

"I never do anything stupid," Nico muttered.

"Very funny," Hazel said. She waved goodbye as she left, leaving the cabin empty as before, but somehow lighter than it had been earlier.

Nico ate as she had instructed him to. He owed her at least that much. But the food was dry and tasteless, and he scarfed it down without really thinking about it. When it was empty he set it on his table and curled up again, feeling a little bit less hollow than before.

When Hazel came back he squeezed his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. He didn't want her to feel she had to sit with him anymore. He forced his muscles to stay relaxed when she walked over and carefully drew the covers over him, bending over and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Get some real sleep, Nico," she murmured before standing up and returning to her side of the room.

Nico followed her instructions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I really don't think this is a good idea," Nico said, staring at the entrance to the dining pavilion. He tugged at the hem of his shirt, trying not to turn and run away. The only thing that had kept him from doing that so far was the fact that Hazel stood right beside him.

"You can't avoid it for the rest of the summer," Hazel said.

"I can try."

Hazel laughed and grabbed his hand. "Come on, it won't be that bad."

Nico trailed after her as she marched in. He kept his eyes on the back of her head as he walked, trying to avoid the whispers all around him. The Aphrodite table was, for once, dead silent when he walked past, and he knew that everyone at the Apollo table was glaring daggers at him, but there was no way in Hades he was going to look over there.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he dropped to his seat at the empty Hades table, sitting with his back to the Apollo table so he couldn't accidentally glance at them. Hazel sat down across from him, humming as her goblet filled with water.

"I told you everything would be fine," she said cheerfully.

"That's your idea of fine?"

Hazel shot him a look and pushed his food towards him. "Clear the plate," she ordered.

Nico grudgingly picked up a fork. "I'm still full from your 'clear the plate' order last night."

"Good, that means it's working."

They settled into a comfortable silence as they ate. At one point Nico glanced up at the Poseidon table and felt his heart drop into his stomach. All the others were sitting there, laughing about something- all except Frank, who was looking very dejected and kept shooting glances over at the Hades table.

"Hazel, you don't have to sit here," Nico said quietly, feeling guilty.

Hazel frowned at him over her spoonful of oatmeal. "What?"

"You should go and sit with your friends," Nico said.

"I am sitting with my friend."

Nico sighed. "Hazel, you know I appreciate everything that you do for me. But you don't have to-"

"This is the Hades table, and as a daughter of Pluto I have just as much a right to it as you do," she said, lifting her nose into the air.

"I know you do, but-"

"The only reason we're alone is because I asked the others to give you some space," Hazel said.

Nico glanced at Frank again, who didn't look too happy about Hazel's request. "You mean they're not just avoiding me because they hate me?" he asked dryly.

Hazel hesitated. "They don't hate you," she said. "They're not exactly happy with you at the moment, but they don't hate you, I promise. Jason wanted to visit you all day yesterday to knock some sense into you, but I told him you needed some time alone."

"Hm," Nico said doubtfully, but he didn't argue anymore. He went back to picking halfheartedly at his breakfast, his chin resting on his fist.

When Hazel finished her food she crossed her arms and stared at him. Nico frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you to finish."

Nico sighed. "Hazel-"

"Neither of us are getting up from this table until you finish your breakfast."

Nico tried a few more weak protests but when Hazel made it quite clear that she wasn't about to budge he started on his breakfast again grudgingly. The dining pavilion started emptying around him as campers finished their breakfasts and left for their first activities. At one point the entire Apollo cabin trooped past the Hades table and Nico stared resolutely into his bowl as though it held all the secrets of the universe.

When he had scraped his bowl clean and Hazel was satisfied, they got up and she led him over to the Poseidon table, which was still full despite the fact that they had all finished their breakfasts a while ago. They looked up as Hazel approached, Nico trailing hesitantly behind her.

"Hello," Hazel greeted, leaning down and kissing Frank on the cheek. She sat down next to him and looked up at Nico, a small smile on her face.

Nico took a deep breath. "Um… hi," he said.

Annabeth gazed at him coolly. Percy was staring at the table, and both Jason and Piper were watching him expectantly.

"Listen, I know I…" Nico trailed off, trying to concentrate on what he needed to say. Eventually, he decided to open with, "I'm sorry."

"It's not us you should be apologizing to," said Piper, raising her eyebrows at him.

Nico swallowed. "Yes, it is," he said. He shook his head, frowning. "I mean, obviously there are more people I need to apologize to, but I need to apologize to you all, too. I didn't mean- obviously I feel really bad about- about-" he stopped and shut his eyes, taking a moment to recollect himself. When he opened them again, he found that they were all still staring at him. "Sorry," he said, "let me start again." Another pause. Then he said, "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I know all you guys have ever tried to do was be my friend, and even though I don't really know how to show how much I appreciate it, just know that I do. I appreciate all of you for trying for so long, and I'm sorry I was a… a brat about it." Nico dropped his gaze and stared at his feet. "You all deserve much more than treatment I gave you, so sorry. Yeah."

He twisted his hands together, uncomfortable. He couldn't remember ever making an apology like that, or ever apologizing to more than one person at a time. Nico didn't care whether they truly forgave him or not. Nico just wanted them to understand that he was sorry, even if he didn't deserve forgiveness.

Jason heaved a big sigh. "Well how the hell are we supposed to stay angry with you after that?"

Nico looked up at him, surprised. "What?"

"Nico, we never wanted to stop being your friends," Piper said. "We just want you to realize that we are your friends and you shouldn't try to push us away."

Nico's first instinct was to protest. Instead, he swallowed his words and said quietly, "I know."

"We also wanted you to realize that you're an idiot," Annabeth said. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Message received?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

"So you're not… you're not mad at me?" Nico asked.

Percy grinned at him. "Nah, man, we're good. You seem to have realized the error of your ways."

"I have," Nico said.

"Then we're good," Jason said.

"But you do know what you need to do now, though, right?" Annabeth asked.

Nico took a deep breath and nodded, determined. "Yeah. I'm going to go and talk to him."

Hazel smiled as the others nodded their approval. "Good luck," Jason said.

"You're going to need it," added Percy. Annabeth jabbed his ribs. "Ouch!"

"Nico," Hazel said as he turned to go. "Remember what I said, okay?"

Nico smiled at her. "I will. Thanks, Hazel." He glanced up at the rest of the group. "Thanks everyone."

Jason grinned at him. "Go get 'em, tiger."

Nico glared at him. "Shut up, Grace," he muttered, turning and marching away.

A/N: I'm not positive how many more parts this story will have, but I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review telling me what you think. Thanks!