Unabashed the campfire cackled, chasing away the faint chill of a noisy evening. Whispers had it that the son of Hades was back and a board smile stretched over the ex-praetor's face. Jason couldn't be happier. The past 7 days felt like an eternity. It was strange how much he'd actually missed Nico's presence. Kind of giddy Juno's favorite jumped from the log he was sitting on and excused himself from his friends. He knew exactly where to find him.

He took the path down to the sea god's cabin. Somehow it irked him that Percy was the first place to go to in search of the younger demigod. Wasn't it a good thing that the son of Poseidon helped Nico to get out of his shell? Of late Jason wasn't so sure anymore. Clouds started to cover the stars, but the sight of two figures interrupted his pondering. Jason's stomach did a little flip.

"Think about it." He heard Percy coax.

"I feel like I am the only one doing that."

As expected Nico was with the savior of Olympus. He looked cute as a button in his oversized hoddie decorated with a bunch of luminescent skeletons dancing to an imaginary beat. Percy simply laughed in reply. Jason couldn't quite catch what he said next but something ugly reared its head at Nico's bright red face. Oblivious as ever Percy continued to bathe in Nico's attention and Jason's grin faded.

He watched on as the son of Hades toyed with a loose strand of midnight-black hair before finally tucking it behind his ear. And that's when Jason noticed, noticed the bandages. Flimsy strips wrapped around delicate fingers peeked out from under the fabric of his dark sleeves before vanishing once more. A storm began to brew. Nico was hurt. Again. Pictures of black tar and tears replaced his vision. This time tho he hadn't been there to help. There was nothing more Jason despised than the thought of Nico being alone down there.

He strode over, each step accompanied by thunder. "How?" The mortal heir of the ruler of all gods demanded to know. He was fuming.

Both Nico and Percy had the guts to look confused and his temper flared. He grabbed Nico's wrist, yanking it up.

Nico yelped and Percy moved protectively closer. "Jason!" He warned, but the son of Zeus wasn't having it.

"How did you get those?" Pulling the sleeve down he revealed sloppy layers of bandages hastily put together. They reached from his fingertips to his freaking shoulder.

Percy gasped in surprise seemingly unaware of what had been hidden beneath. Somehow that made Jason even angrier. Nico on the other hand kept quiet. It spoke volumes of their friendship that the roman half god wasn't 6 feet under by now. The ghost king was one of the most dangerous things to ever have a pulse and Jason was sure if Nico wanted, well... Instead the boy averted his eyes, which felt worse.

"I was helping in my stepmother's garden," Nico gave him that. It wasn't a complete lie.

"Persephone," Jason snarled and the atmosphere charged with electricity.

"It's not that big of a deal." Stubbornly the child of Hades fixed his gaze on the ground, not meeting either Jason's nor Percy's eyes.

Jason hated the sight. He opened his mouth to disagree but was stopped by the enhanced sense of calm suddenly emerging from the underworld's offspring.

Nico lifted his head. "Let.Go." His voice was sharper than steel.

The silence that followed was deafening.

"I…" Jason's skin felt cold and he realized just how thin the ice had become he was treading on. What was he doing? This wasn't like him. He didn't want Nico to leave - he'd just returned, wanted to hold on.

Jason dropped his arms and released him. Instantly Nico backed away, away from Jason, away from Percy, closer to the shadows.

"Nico," Jason couldn't think of anything worth saying. "Sorry..." His hand hovered uselessly in the air however he restrained himself from touching. He didn't know what came over him. And with his anger gone only shame remained. He acted way out of line. "Does, does it hurt?" He asked letting his hand sink it down.

Nico's mouth formed a firm line. "I'll live, Grace." Boy, was he pissed.