So it's been a while, huh?

I'm not going to try to make excuses, because a lot of them are pretty bullshit. There hasn't been any crazy life upheaval or anything like that. I've just been...unmotivated. Every time I opened up the document, I'd just end up staring at it. It took ages to even figure out what I wanted to do with this chapter, and even longer to figure out what to do with the rest of the story.

I'd like to thank SPN-Daydreamer again for their great review. It really helped motivate me to get the chapter going again, and they specifically inspired the conversation between Annabeth and Nico in this chapter, and a forthcoming awkward dad!Hades moment in a later chapter.

Well, I hope everyone enjoys the chapter! Now that I have a better idea of what I want to do, I should be able to get the rest of the story finished up. It's absolutely going to be done by the end of the year, for sure.

(Percy's POV)

I woke up to the rather unpleasant clatter of metal instruments. With a deep breath, the smell of antiseptic and lemon-scented cleanser filled my nose, reminding me exactly where I was. It was a scent I knew well from all my time in the camp infirmary. I hazily blinked open my eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight streaming through the large windows.

A wide-eyed blonde girl, maybe a few years older than me, looked over at me.

"Oh! Sorry to wake you like that," she chuckled, fiddling with the little cart stocked with medical supplies.

"S'fine," I mumbled, pressing my palms against my eyes. I sank back against my pillow, still exhausted, and waited for her to help me into a seated position. The pain wasn't too terrible, thankfully, but I could've done with few more hours of sleep.

She carefully helped me sit up, intent of inspecting my dressings. The rustle of blankets elicited a soft, disgruntled snore from the sleeping form next to me.

My eyes wandered over to Nico, who was still somehow fast asleep despite the noise. His head rested on top of his folded arms, his uncomfortable looking chair scooched as close as possible to the bed. I noticed that he was practically swimming in an oversized hoodie, its fabric bunching and pooling around his arms to form a makeshift pillow.

The position was surely uncomfortable, but Nico could sleep through just about anything, even the loudest of alarm clocks. That usually meant that waking him fell on me, since most people were to afraid to brave the Hades cabin…or a very grumpy Nico. It could take ten minutes to finally get him up and moving, not just moaning and groaning about how it was too early.

Not that I was complaining though. He deserved all the sleep he was managing to get nowadays.

"So, how are we feeling today?" asked a chipper voice, interrupting my thoughts.

"I've had a lot worse," I chuckled weakly, wincing slightly at the twinge of pain in my side. She explained that they'd been afraid of overwhelming my system with too much ambrosia, so they'd just left the entrance wound to heal naturally.

"Oh, I believe it. You're a practically a legend," she chattered on as she worked, detailing how her coworkers would've been so excited to meet me if the circumstances hadn't been so…dire. She spent a few more minutes inspecting my stomach before placing a fresh gauze pad over the carefully stitched-up cut.

Even with all the talking, Nico remained fast asleep, letting out the small noises I'd become so used to.

"Well, looks like you're all set. Just take it easy for the next few days and you'll be back to yourself in no time. That means no heavy lifting, no sudden movements, and especially no fights, you hear me?" she finished, extending a finger towards me.

"No fights," I agreed sheepishly, holding my hands up in submission.

"Good," she replied, grinning. "You're free to leave whenever you want. I'll just go grab you a some spare clothes. We always keep a few sets in the back for cases like this."

"Though I think you'll have to wake him up first," she added, directing an amused smiles towards Nico before walking away.

Smiling to myself, I gently shook his shoulder. After a few more seconds of grumbling, he picked his head up and raised his bleary eyes to me. The corners of his mouth immediately rose when he realized it was me waking him up and not a random nurse.

"Buongiorno," he murmered, rubbing his eyes with his hands. He stretched like a cat, raising his arms high above his head. The sleeves of his hoodie, which I now recognized as one of my own, slid down far past his wrists, revealing bruised forearms.

"Good morning to you too," I replied. A smile spread across my face as I was reminded of just how cute he always looked in the morning, dressed in a too big t-shirt with his hair sticking up in all directions. Usually his adorable appearance was ruined by his grumpy attitude, but given the circumstances, he seemed genuinely relieved to even be having this conversation.

"How're you feeling?" he asked worridley, taking my hand in his and running his fingers over my knuckles.

"I'm alright," I said, squeezing his hand a little when he raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Yes, really. I even got the all clear to head back to the apartment. I just have to take it easy for today, at least."

"A-alright," he replied, managing a shaky smile. He lent me a hand and helped me into a sitting position, allowing me to swing my legs over the side of the bed.

Once the nurse had come and gone with my change of clothes, Nico got up and pulled the curtains closed before coming to stand in front of me. There wasn't much of my modesty to protect, really. I was still in a pair of boxers, and most of my chest was wrapped up in bandages.

He gave me one last worried look, eyes sweeping down and training themselves on my snuggly wrapped midsection. His brow furrowed a little, probably wondering how bad it was underneath all the wrappings.

Honestly, it wasn't even that bad; I'd caught a look when my bandages were being changed. It didn't look much bigger than I'd expected, given what'd happened. They had enlarged the original wound a little bit so they could make sure everything inside was healed. But it was carefully stitched, and would heal up nicely given time.

Putting on a brave face, he grabbed the clothes and helped me dress. We waved goodbye to any of the nurses on duty, and exited the low building

Out in the bright sunlight, we found that Piper (being one of the few of us that knew how to drive) had commandeered one of the camp's few vehicles in order to drive us back to the city. I could see Nico visibly relax too, happy that I wouldn't have to walk back in my condition.

"Hey guys," she grinned perkily, bouncing a little in the seat. She fiddled with the rear view mirror a little, probably excited to be driving again. She had a strange soft spot for cars. We slid into the back seat of the van. Once we were settled, Nico grabbed my hand in his.

"How're you feeling Percy?" she asked, twisting around in her seat.

"I'm doing pretty good," I replied kindly as she began driving.

"Well, that's great," she grinned. "I think we're all just relaxing today, so it's not like you're missing out on anything. Oh, and Annabeth said she was going to stop by and bring you guys lunch in a little bit, so no need to worry about food either."

We both nodded, and Nico leaned his head against my shoulder. The car ride was quick, and Piper seemed to understand that we both just want some quiet time right now. She waved us goodbye once we arrived at the cafe and drove off down the narrow streets.

The moment we stepped in the apartment, I collapsed on the bed, exhaustion finally taking hold. Nico followed me, gingerly lying down next to me and making sure he wasn't on my bad side. I placed my arm around him while he placed his head on my shoulder, curling close to me.

Seeing the worry clear on his face, I shifted a little and brought him closer, cupping the back of his neck. I don't know how long we stayed there, silent and latching on to each other, arms intertwined. But eventually, Nico spoke up in a small voice.

"I guess now I know how it felt, huh?" he remarked sadly, frowning into my neck.

Another moment of silence passed between us as we both remembered that hazy night outside my cabin. The thunder and rain pounding down on us…all that blood soaking through the dirt outside my cabin, they were the stuff of my nightmares. And then there was the overwhelming fear that I was going to lose someone I cared so deeply about. Looking back, I could only remember only a few times I'd felt that horrible.

"Was it really bad?" I dared to ask, referring to last night. I already knew the answer though. Usually I never remembered getting hurt that badly because I almost always passed out. But this time…this time I got to see that very same look on Nico's face, that look of complete and utter fear that he was going to lose the one person who loved him more than anything.

"I-I don't remember the last time I was that scared," he breathed out, his warm breath tickling my neck. He shook his head and nuzzled a little closer, probably trying to stave off any excess emotions.

"It's alright…it's alright," I repeated, rubbing comforting circles in his back. I held him close because I could tell that's what he needed.

Sleep came easy with him in my arms.

(Nico's POV)

I tried desperately to find comfort in his heartbeat. My eyes might still be dry, but I was far from okay. But the constant thud and the movement of his chest was strong and steady, exactly what I needed right now.

He was able to calm me when everything felt like it was falling apart. He made me feel like I was wanted and needed. He convinced me I was beautiful and amazing and strong.

I needed him right now; I needed to talk to him about the one fear that was still looming over me. I knew that he was okay, that the stupid pilum hadn't killed him. At least not this time…

I was tempted to reach out and brush my fingers against stubble that now dusted his jaw, just to make sure that it was real….that he still was real. I needed to know that this wasn't some elaborate fever dream or fantasy.

I swallowed hard and fisted my hands in his too large t-shirt. Sadly, talking to him right now wasn't really an option. I stopped myself from reaching out; he needed sleep. His heartbeat should be enough to stop this from getting out of hand.

He'd long since fallen asleep, his still healing body craving the rest. There was a very slim chance that he would be awake to comfort me any time soon; he could be out for hours. So I was left to lie with my head on his chest, anxiety and fear swirling around inside me with no outlet.

Suddenly, a soft knock resonated through the apartment. As much as I didn't want to get up, I knew that I had to. It must be Annabeth.

I wanted nothing more than to stay put and fall asleep myself.

It's not that I didn't like her, and it's not like I hadn't hung out with her over the past week. But there'd always been a buffer between us: Piper, Jason, Percy, or all three at once. We'd never been alone together, and I couldn't deal with that first time being now.

What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to deal with the fact that'd she'd been in love with Percy only a year ago?

I could just ignore it, pretend I was asleep until she decided to just leave the food on in the hall. But no…that'd be rude.

I lifted my head off his chest, careful not to disturb him. I padded over to the door and took a deep breath. Just take the food and politely tell her that Percy was asleep. It wasn't even a lie, and she'd understand why I wasn't too keen on having her here.

I opened it and was greeted by Annabeth, just as I expected. She looked well-rested and fresh, with her hair perfectly in place. A small part of me was a little jealous at how she'd managed to look so put together after such a frenzied night.

"Hey," I greeted weakly, willing my lips into a thin smile. "Thanks for bringing food. Percy's asleep, so I guess I'll just take it."

Her perceptive grey eyes narrowed slightly. I'd only opened the door enough to pop my head out and grab the takeout bag she was probably holding. She could probably tell that something wasn't quite right with me.

"I thought we could talk, actually. Just the two of us," she replied.

"Uh, sure," I gulped, opening the door to let her in.

She placed the styrofoam containers of takeout on the counter before turned around to join me at the small kitchen table.

"How're you holding up?" she asked in a sincere voice. Surprised, my eyes flew up to meet her. Concern for me wasn't something I'd come to expect from her. I knew she didn't hate me, but still…

"Fine. I'm, uh, fine," I lied, averting my eyes. Gods, I was an absolutely terrible liar. She might not know me as well as Percy, but she wasn't stupid. All she had to do was raise an eyebrow in order to get me talking again.

"Alright…I'll be fine. I've just been…been thinking about some stuff I shouldn't really be thinking about. I'll be okay eventually," I tried to bullshit. I wanted this conversation to be over.

"You know you can talk to me, right? I'm really over Percy; we're just friends now and I dealt with all those shitty feelings months ago. Things don't need to be weird between us," she tried to reason. At least she had the decency to not reach her hand across the table and try to grab mine.

I bit my lip, unsure of whether I wanted to talk to her about it.

"You look like you really need to talk to someone, and I don't think Percy's going to wake up anytime soon," she urged, glancing over at him. He was sprawled on the bed, a thin line of drool dripping onto his pillow.

"I'm just…scared," I managed to choke out. "After the war, I thought everything was going to be alright, you know? Like the gods would give us a break and none of us would die, at least as long as we didn't involve ourselves in quests or all that shit. But…but he also died playing a war game. He almost died in some stupid accident. What's to say that there won't be another?"

She was silent for a moment, a small frown now present on her face, like I'd reminded her of something she wanted to forget herself.

"I think that's something we all have to come to terms with. It's just a reality of what we are…or maybe who we are. We never know what's going to happen. But it's not like you'd be alone, if something happened to him," she tried to reason.

I glanced up at her, eyes swimming with emotion. Her face shifted in shock.

"You…you really think you'd be alone if gods' forbid…?"

"But I would be," I cut her off. "I-I wouldn't be able to face his parents. Sally would be a wreck and I just…I'd never be able to handle that."

Again, she was silent. It's not like she could deny it.

"Maybe, just maybe, I could still talk to Jason, since I'm just barely friends with him now. And everyone else? Percy's so much better being their friend. If something happened to him, I would shut down again because I don't know how to do any of this on my own."

"I understand where you're coming from," she acknowledged, nodding her head. "But if you think we'd let you go that easily, you're crazy. We're a family, right? You just need to try making your own connections with them, maybe spend some alone time with them."

"And I don't know exactly what your plans are, but if you stay at camp year round you'll have the chance to connect with a whole bunch of other people. Hades, if you're really into the idea you can even go to a mortal boarding school in the city and find some completely new people."

I took a deep, shaky breath before cracking a tiny grin. "You're right again, as usual," I mused, breathless laugh flying past my lips.

She chuckled in response, shaking her head slightly. "So are we cool?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah…and thanks for all that. You're pretty good at the whole advise thing; I honestly doubt Percy would've thought of mortal school as an option."

With that in mind, we launched into this whole conversation about what I should do with my life now that that was something we could even think about. We ended up breaking out the food she'd brough for Percy and I, knowing that he'd never wake up in time to eat it while it was still hot. Over lunch, she gave me even more advice.

She assured me Chiron would find me a school to go to and help forge all the documents to make the mortals believe I was an actual teenager, not some 80-something year old man that's dropped off all official records decades ago. If I was worried about not doing well, she would tutor me herself or find someone at camp to do it.

She actually got me seriously considering the idea of going to school. It made the most sense, really, especially since I was limiting the amount of help I was going to give my father. I still had time to figure out the ultimate question of what I was going to do, but going to school would at least be a way to fill my time.

A few hours later, when Percy woke up to the sound of Annabeth and I's laughter. We were locked in a pretty deep conversation about what Percy was like when they'd first met. We were trying to be quiet, honestly, but it could be a little difficult.

He looked at us blearily, eyes narrowed in confusion and hair sticking up in every direction. Annabeth and I had settled on the couch, takeout containers haphazardly discarded on the coffee table. The TV was playing some random channel on low volume (since Percy slept like a rock it wasn't really an issue).

"What's going on?" he mumbled, scrubbing his face with his hands.

"Nothing that concerns you," I replied, giving him a wry little grin. Too tired to try to figure it all out, he collapsed back into the pillows with a long, drawn-out yawn.

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think. There honestly isn't much left for this story, maybe two or three more chapters.

BUT

I've committed to the idea of starting a series of oneshots revolving around this specific incarnation of Percy/Nico. So I'm still going to continue the story once it comes to a close. If you have any prompts or things you'd like to see, please drop a review or PM me!