*awkwardly shuffles into room* So..um...hi...I'm so so sorry for not updating in so long! I hate it when authors just abandon a story, but I didn't think anyone liked it. I saw the reviews, though, so I'm going to jump back into this story. I promise to make up for the unexpected hiatus! *awkwardly shuffles out of room*

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Nico opened his eyes as his sister unceremoniously waltzed into his room.

"Nico, we have to go. Is your stuff even packed? Nico, everyone's already in the car!" The sound of his older sister's voice grated on Nico's nerves. He's never happy when he wakes up and waking up to her voice is the most irritating wakeup call ever.

When Nico came home he'd just wanted to sleep, but the entire house was bustling trying to pack for summer. In protest of being exiled from his home for three months, Nico mustered all his willpower and forced a nap in spite of the noise.

Now, however, he regretted his decision as he watched his sister rummage around his room. Bianca dug through his closet in search of a suitcase. Nico watched her questioningly before seeing her tear through his drawers and hastily throw his clothes in the bag. He realized that she had been lecturing him on his preparation skills the entire time.
"Cease your incessant prattle, woman." He said in response to her mother hen tone. Lazily, he rolled out of bed to face his sister. "What are you doing?!" Bianca stood with his boxers spread between her hands, the dancing skeleton pattern bright against the black cloth. He ran to his sister and wrapped his fingers over her small wrists to stop her from going through his underwear drawer. Seriously, did she have any boundaries?! His face burned brightly and he seethed at the sight of her smirk. Nico passive aggressively turned his sister around and motioned for her to walk away. Instead, she swiftly turned towards his bed and sat down, her arms and legs crossed in an expectant manner. When she shouldered past him he noticed with a hint of satisfaction that he was as tall as her. Not nearly as tall as Percy, but at least tall enough to look his sister in the eyes.

Nico began throwing his clothes in a random bag, not bothering to check if they were clean or dirty. Grabbing a handful of underwear his eyes met his reflection over his dresser. Puberty had definitely changed him. Thanks to his fencing classes, he now had lean muscles that defined his arms and ran down his currently bare chest. He'd lost his baby face. His jaw had gotten slightly more defined and his features were more acute. His hair, still the jet black wavy mess it had always been, now fell into his eyes and dusted the tops of his cheekbones.

But puberty wasn't what made his eyes dark and underlined with bruising. Puberty didn't make his pink lips set in a scowl or his skin ghostly pale. Who would have thought the thing that had made his life seem so bright could cause so much destruction? Bitter irony of the gods, I suppose.

"Are you even listening?" Bianca's reprimanding voice brought Nico out of his reverie. "Honestly, Nico, I don't understand you sometimes. Why do you have to act like you don't care about anything?"
Nico felt his face flush in anger and rolled his eyes. Just to irritate her, he shrugged his shoulders in a noncommittal gesture. That seemed to do the trick.

Bianca huffed, "You know I hate it when you do that."

"Why do you think I do it?" Nico replied nonchalantly.

"Nico!"

He brought his eyes up to hers and dramatically gestured to his current handful of clothes, "Yes, Bianca! I'm getting my stuff." He sarcastically shoved the clothes into his bag which seemed to be just over the top enough to break his sister. She stared pointedly at him and he stared back until she finally deflated and walked out of his room.

Nico sighed and turned back to the mirror as he listened to his sister's receding footsteps. He didn't want to go to that stupid camp this year. His dad forced him every year because he was under the impression it would help Nico make friends. In reality, Nico watched his sisters have fun with their friends as he sat alone in the boiling sun, cursing society. Nico just made people uncomfortable. He'd learned to accept it and he knew it was nothing summer camp could fix. It's not as if he didn't try. He'd been part of a group once, part of a family. But everything changed when he hit puberty and realized how fundamentally different he was. Hazel ended up fitting in with them in a way he never could. It was so effortless for her to be likeable. He wondered if he'd been like that once. But that was a long time ago. He was a different person then. Now, Nico couldn't bring himself to face them...to face him.

Nico ran his hand through his hair and stared into his obsidian black eyes. Out of all of his siblings, Nico had always looked the most like their father. His eyes held the same dead intensity. However, where Hades' eyes were cruel and distant, Nico's held more sadness and anger.
Hades, living up to his namesake, owned a morgue in downtown Manhattan. He'd met Maria, Nico's mother, when he was young, in his mid-20's. Before Bianca's third birthday, Maria was diagnosed with cancer. Hades took her loss hard, now having two toddlers to care for on his own. Needing help, he'd hired a live-in nanny and, well, Hazel was conceived not too long after that. In less than a year, he had married Persephone, perfecting the beautiful household. They weren't allowed to bring up Maria. It's as if she'd never existed. But Nico could still see her in the curve of his nose and the shape of Bianca's smile. They didn't get it all from their father.

Shaking his head, Nico pulled on a discarded black shirt and turned to work on packing. Before long he heard the telltale creak at the door and rolled his eyes.

"Calm down, Bianca. I'm packing." When he didn't hear a response, he turned to see...not Bianca.

Hazel's dainty figure was half covered by the doorframe and Nico saw her golden eyes study him with great intensity.

"Hazel?" Nico asked in shock.

"Hi." She replied shyly and stepped fully into the room.

"What-?"

"I came up to check on you, but...when I saw you looking in the mirror I kinda froze up." She interjected quickly. Looking at him steadily, she asked, "Are you okay? Honestly? Because if you really don't want to go, I'll back you up with Father. He won't make you go if we both say no."

Nico felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Hazel was always trying to help him, trying to make him happy. They protected each other. She was willing to stand up to their father and miss out on camp just to make him happy.

"In all honesty?" He asked and Hazel nodded her head, "I don't know. I want something, Hazel, but I know I can't get it here or at camp."

Hazel nodded knowingly, "Maybe you haven't really looked."

Nico stared at his baby sister and chuckled dryly, "I know exactly what I'm looking for, but it's impossible, so there's no point in trying."

Hazel gently rested a hand on her brother's arm, "Nico, I know you. Maybe the problem is that you think you've found what you want and you refuse to look at other possibilities. In all actuality, if you gave it a chance, you could find what you were really looking for all along."

The room was still for a few moments, before Nico pulled Hazel into a hug, her cinnamon curls tickling his nose.

Muffled by his chest, Hazel whispered, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Of course he did. Hazel would never turn him away...but some things are better left unsaid. Not until I can admit it to myself, Hazel. Not yet. But to her, he said, "Of course, Haze."

She pulled away and stared at him for a while before turning her attention to the mess of clothes on his bed. She laughed, "Then, let's get you ready for camp."