27: There's not big apocalypse. Just an endless procession of littles ones.

A/N: ViscountessAberowen- thank you, continually, for your help and perseverance!

Thanks to everyone who is sticking around with this. After this and the next couple of chapters, you can expect the plot to start picking up quite a bit. A LOT of things are going to start happening, so buckle up (we are about 1/3 of the way done)! I hope that you guys are still enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

TooLazyToLogIn: Thank you for your comment…it really made my day.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Leo proceeded to push his way into the kitchen, peering over the counter and across the room to watch as Celia pulled Nico over to her table. He chuckled and turned, spying Mrs. Gugaitis wrapping food and placing it in the fridge. He crossed several steps until he came up beside her and pulled a container of meat towards himself.

"Let me help with that, abue." The older woman's wrinkles and age lines deepened as she smiled, her eyes nearly closing. She pushed plastic wrap toward the demigod and wiped her hands along an apron tied at her waist.

"Ah, zuikis. It's wonderful to see you! How are you feeling? Your friend Cal said you stayed behind to help out at the museum after the earthquake?"

"Uh, yeah. Just…doing my duty. To help. With...stuff."

Mrs. Gugaitis nodded knowingly. "What brings you here so late? It is your day off, no?" Mrs. Gugaitis opened her eyes, still warm with happiness at seeing the boy. Her grey-streaked hair was pulled back into a wispy bun and her glasses perched on her large nose.

Leo pulled the plastic wrap from its case and measured out enough to cover the bowl of food before running the length of it against the serrated metal teeth to cut it. He set the cardboard box down, wrapping and twisting the sides of the plastic until it hugged the bowl. He pushed the container to the woman and reached for the next. "Nico and I came to say hi to the kids. And I needed to talk to you."

Mrs. Gugaitis paused where she stood, her hand still, frozen in the act of putting the meat away. "Oh?"

Leo nodded, and the older woman slowly relinquished her grip on the leftovers. Finally, she withdrew her hand and closed the door, a polite smile forced onto her face. "Well. When is your last day then?"

"What?" Leo shook his head. "What–? That's not what I was going to say, abue."

A look of relief washed across the old woman's face before her skin became tinged with delicate pink. "Ah. Forgive me, zuikis. I thought–I assumed–"

Leo held up his hand slightly. "I mean, I do have to leave for a while. But I'll be back. Nico just needs to go somewhere, and I want– I need to go with him."

"Ah." Mrs. Gugaitis' eyes flickered to look out over the countertop and into the other room. Leo followed her gaze. Nico still stood next to Celia's table, pale and seemingly uncomfortable. Leo frowned but turned his eyes back to the older woman.

"Mrs. Gugaitis? Is something wrong?"

The woman jumped, her handing reaching up to gently cup the front of her throat. "What? Ah, no. No, Leo. You two just remind me so much of my brother and his friend." She turned back to him and asked, "What were you saying?"

"I was wondering if it would be alright if I found a sub for this week? For the classes?"

A frown flitted across the older woman's face. "Who?"

Leo grinned and rubbed a hand over the back of his head. "My mom. Jo. She's a great mechanic. And she's great with kids. She fosters...she fosters a lot."

The warm smile that crossed Mrs. Gugaitis' face put Leo at ease. "Ah, of course, zuikis. I'll look forward to getting a chance to finally meet her!" She glanced back out to the tables and then turned and walked back into the kitchen to finish wrapping the rest of the food. "Where will you and Nico be going?"

Leo threw a glance out at the other room as well, curiosity piqued when he did not see Nico or the children any longer. "Going back East. Visiting some friends. Nico has an appointment out that way."

Leo had just turned around when he felt paper-dry fingers brush against his cheek. He looked toward Mrs. Gugaitis with wide eyes. "Abue–?"

Her muddy green eyes held Leo's gaze for a moment before she closed them and pulled the son of Hephaestus in for a hug. "You boys take care of each other. There are many, many cruel people out there. But," She pushed away from Leo but still held him at an arms-length, her hands resting on his shoulders. When she looked at him, there were tears in her eyes. "Just take care, yes, zuikis?"

Leo nodded but said nothing. She pulled her shaking hands away and wiped them again onto her apron. "Well, I think I'll put the rest of the food away by myself. There's never too much peace and quiet around here these days! Will you please find Grace and Sonny? It's their turn to wash up the dishes this evening." Without waiting for an answer, the older woman turned away. Leo walked several paces towards the door that would take him back to the dining hall. He looked back in time to see Mrs. Gugaitis surreptitiously reach up and wipe her face, breathing deeply.

He called softly, "I'll see you before you know it, abue."

The elderly woman didn't respond as Leo crossed through the doorway and into the hallway.

Immediately, a hand wrapped around his left arm, right above the elbow. He grinned as he recognized Nico but, almost as quickly, the smile dropped from his face as he took in Nico's alarmed expression. "What's wrong?"

Nico shook his head and pulled Leo further down the hallway and away from anyone who might eavesdrop from the main room. The pair neared the end of the hallway and, without relinquishing his hold on Leo's arm, Nico knocked on the bathroom door. When no one answered, he glanced back as if to make certain no one watched them. He opened the door and pulled Leo in after him. He finally dropped Leo's arm and locked the door behind them.

"So, not that I'm not happy to see you or, you know, be manhandled by you or anything, Ghost Boy," Leo began, waggling his eyebrows at the other boy. "But, is there a reason it had to be the bathroom?"

The son of Hades rolled his eyes and hissed at Leo, "Very funny. But I'm not laughing."

"Okay, okay." Leo held up his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture. "What's going on?"

Nico glared at Leo before dropping his gaze, his anger dissipating and leaving nothing but tense anxiety in its wake. "Nevermind. It's probably just nothing."

"Hey."

When Nico still didn't look up, Leo took a step forward. He brought his fingers to Nico's chin, gently lifting up until the other demigod looked at him. "If it's got you bothered, it's not nothing, ¿no te parece?"

Leo's breath caught in his throat when the son of Hades made to speak but instead bit his lip. They stayed like that for several seconds before Nico averted his gaze again and nodded, dislodging Leo's fingers.

"Have you...have you met Celia and Miles' mom?"

Leo shook his head to dislodge lingering thoughts about Nico and focus on the question. "Uh, maybe? She... bushy hair? Dark skin? Likes to call people Slick?" He pictured the woman he had met while Nico was away– the one who had approached him and Festus in the parking lot. He had never asked, but since the two children were the only siblings at the center, and she had referenced her 'kids'...

But Nico was already shaking his head. "No. Professor Blackburn."

"Ohhhh. Professor Blackburn is their mother?"

Nico frowned. "You know her already?"

"Nah, man," Leo said. "I overheard a couple of the other parents talking one time. But, I don't think she's a professor anymore."

An eyebrow already rising with curiosity, Nico asked, "She's not? She still introduced herself as one."

"She was dismissed. Apparently, after Casey died, she went a little...she got weird."

Nico looked skeptical. "Weird? People grieve in different ways, Leo."

Leo shrugged but answered, "No like…at work. She started telling people that ghosts were gaining consciousness–remembering past lives and that it would only be a matter of time until they rose up? I mean, her department was already pushing it with the paranormal stuff. Then she came out with that revelation, and just...people couldn't handle it anymore. So, she was fired."

Nico's frown remained and Leo hesitantly prodded. "So, what's up?"

"She was talking to me about ghosts and the afterlife, asking me if I believed."

Leo grimaced, but Nico continued, despite his obvious distress. "And then she said a bunch of stuff about horses and everyone turning to ash."

Confused, Leo asked, "Horses? What kind of stuff did she say?"

"I don't know. Something about a white horse and– and a red horse. A couple others."

Leo's stomach flipped unpleasantly and he asked, "A black horse, and a pale horse?"

Nico's frown finally left his face and he stared at Leo, a puzzled expression falling over his features. "How do you know that?"

Leo said, " 'So I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and the name of him who sat on it was Death; and Hades followed with him.' Revelations, man. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

At Nico's questioning glance, Leo shrugged uncomfortably and explained, "Teresa was Baptist. She used to make me go to church with her on Sundays."

Nico's face remained a pale visage of worry.

"Why are you so worried about what she had to say, Ghost Boy? It just sounds...it sounds like someone grieving and not having an easy time with it. I mean, she did just lose her daughter a little bit ago."

Nico shook his head and turned so that his back rested against the bathroom wall closest to the door. "You don't think it's odd? That she mentions something so..."

After the son of Hades trailed off, Leo offered, "Creepy? I mean, yeah, man. It definitely is weird, but it doesn't mean that it's actually the end of the world."

Rolling his eyes over to Leo, Nico scoffed. "Well, I wasn't totally aware of that, to begin with, but that new information doesn't really help settle my mind, Valdez."

"Hey now, make sure you're using my whole title, ¿bueno? That's Valdez the Vexing, remember?"

Nico gave the son of Hephaestus a weak smile. "You're such a dork."

Leo crossed and stood beside the other boy, nudging Nico's shoulder with his own. "So, if it wasn't the horses that had you bothered, what was it?"

Nico crossed his arms and directed his gaze to the ceiling. "The ash. Just– she said we'll all fall to ash. It can't just be a coincidence. I mean, all of the creatures that we've run into? The ones that have that purple energy all over them? They crumble to ash."

"I know you don't want to think it, but maybe it's just a coincidence?" Coincidences and demigods never go hand in hand. Leo shrugged the thought away but ice crept inside his chest. "The doorman at Teresa's building used to say that one time is happenstance, twice is coincidence, and three times–"

Nico groaned and sank down the wall, pulling his legs toward himself as he sat on the floor. He covered his face in his hands and mumbled something.

"What?"

Nico moved his hands away from his face and said, "It's happened more than twice. I see it in my dreams. Different places. Different people."

Leo said nothing but sat down beside Nico, turned toward the other demigod with his knee resting against the son of Hades'. "What kind of dreams are they?"

"Dreams of camp," Nico started, his voice shaking slightly. "Of the Waystation. I can hear Bob calling me, and then the voice changes and..."

Leo waited for Nico to keep speaking. When he didn't, Leo asked, "And what, Nico?"

The dark-haired boy answer, "Everyone falls to ash, Leo." He turned his eyes to the son of Hephaestus. "Like the hydra. Like those things that fought me, you, and Lit. Everyone. All of Camp Half-Blood. Camp Jupiter. Even the Waystation. Cal and Lit, Stan, Deacon." His voice broke as he said, "You."

Leo reached out and hesitantly threaded his fingers through the other demigod's hand. Then, when Nico didn't pull away, Leo gently ran his thumb over the boy's pale skin, waiting for Nico's breathing to slow.

Gears turned in Leo's head, and, connecting ideas quicker than he could articulate, he asked, "I'm not saying I don't believe you. I just want to cover every base. Are you sure you're not just having nightmares?"

But Nico shook his head again. "I'm sure. These started happening even before I saw the hydra. Before the prophecy."

Leo closed his eyes, letting his thoughts tumble quickly as he pieced them together. "Okay, so the weird purple stuff is connected to the prophecy?"

"I think so," Nico said and licked his lips. "When I was in the Underworld...it wasn't just my pack that fell. I almost fell again."

"Fell?" Realization dawned on Leo and his stomach churned at the horrific thought of the other boy falling into darkness alone. "To Tartarus? But how?"

"Remember how I told you Zagreus said that everything was out of place in the Underworld? Like it had shifted. And, when we were getting close to where we thought Hypnos was...there was that giant sinkhole. I could feel Tartarus through it. After the quake, it only got bigger..." Nico trailed off and his hand drifted until he touched the beaded necklace around his neck.

"We made our way around it to Hypnos. He was fighting and, when Zagreus and I got there...I almost got pulled in. To Tartarus." Nico paused to let Leo take in the information.

"Pulled? How did you manage that? What the heck were you guys fighting?"

"Hypnos said it was a manifestation of his father."

Leo scratched his cheek. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"The protogenoi of Darkness. Erebus."

Leo whistled. "I thought...I thought the protogenoi were, like, asleep? Like Gaea was?"

Nico nodded in agreement. "That's why it was only a manifestation. I think he's still asleep, but...he had the same purple energy on him. The same as the ones on the creatures that've begun to show up here. The same energy that I've seen in my dreams." Nico took a deep breath and closed his eyes before saying, "And I've seen the same energy on me."

"What?"

"In the Underworld. I woke up from one of the dreams, and my hand–"

Leo pulled Nico's hand–the one he still held– toward him, inspecting the long pale fingers and palm. No purple energy. He dropped Nico's hand and reached for the other one, ignoring the squawked protest from the son of Hades as Nico lost his balance and fell against Leo. The son of Hephaestus scrutinized the hand carefully.

"Well," Leo said, still holding Nico's hand, running his eyes over the other boy's skin as though diagnosing a broken piece of machinery. "I don't see any energy. Are you confused at all? Do you know who you are?"

Nico responded, though his muffled voice proved too soft for Leo to understand. "What was that?"

Nico awkwardly leaned his head away from where his face rested against Leo's arm. "I said, I'm a bit confused and, yes. I know who I am." His voice hitched slightly as he asked, "Can I have my hand back, please? This position is kind of uncomfortable."

Leo released the boy's hand as if it burned. "Oh, right. Sorry, Ghost Boy."

Nico pushed himself upright, his leg brushing more firmly against Leo's.

"So, you are confused?"

Nico stared at Leo until a look of comprehension fell over his face. Then, he blushed and muttered, "No. I'm not confused. I just...I was talking about something else."

Leo smirked at the flustered expression on Nico's face. "Oh. What about?"

Nico scowled, his cheeks still stained pink. "Can we get back to the subject at hand?"

Leo sighed dramatically but nodded. "Of course." Remembering the line of conversation, Leo's mood dropped. "You said you had just woken up, right? Couldn't the stuff you saw be just...you know, a part of your dream?"

Nico shrugged but looked doubtful. "I heard something calling me from the pit."

"Like, the voices from your dream? Was it Bob? Or the other voice?"

"No," Nico said. He took a deep breath. "It wasn't either voice. It was new."

Leo licked his lips and asked, "What did it say?"

"'We are waiting.'"

The two boys lapsed into silence before Leo nudged Nico's shoulder again. "Hey. We'll figure this out, okay, Spooks? I can see why you got freaked out. But...I dunno, man. I think Blackburn is just...I wouldn't read too much into what she said. She lost her daughter and, now that we know her kids are demigods...well, we both know being parents to one of us isn't exactly a walk in the park."

Nico nodded before asking, "What should we do about that? About Miles and Celia? And Grace?"

Leo shrugged. "I think we stick to your original plan. Nothing. For now, anyway. I mean, they've never been attacked here. I know they saw something in the cemetery. Still, the bird was only talking–stuff about Houston and everything, I think they've been–" Leo stopped speaking abruptly as he felt Nico stiffen beside him. "Nico? You okay?"

Dark eyes turned on him and, if they had been anyone else's, Leo would have flinched at the coldness he saw there.

"Houston?"

"Uh," Leo swallowed heavily and answered, nerves making his stomach tense. "Yeah? Some bird thing came and Miles said it talked to him and Celia."

Nico's words were forceful and rough–a wild animal on the cusp of snarling. "What did it say about Houston?"

Leo took a deep breath to remain calm. "Miles wasn't completely sure. He was scared when it happened."

Nico's eyes glinted, and in his mind, Leo couldn't help but compare them to Hades'. He added hurriedly, "All he really got was something about peddlers and Houston, okay? It was a bunch of nonsense."

Nico let his head thud back against the wall with a thud that made Leo wince. "Except it's not a bunch of nonsense." The son of Hades' words were spoken so vehemently–so desperately– that Leo reached out again without thought. His fingers touched the side of Nico's face, pulling gently until Nico was forced to look at him.

"Then what is it, Nico?"

Nico's dark eyes found Leo's and his voice, heavily laced with frustration, was strained as he said, "I don't know!"

The son of Hades bit back a groan of frustration but didn't move away from Leo's hand. "That's the problem. When I came here– to Indianapolis, to the Waystation– I had so much on my mind, and the Graeae told me that I'd find answers in Houston. That I had to find the peddler in Houston."

"Okay, so we go to Houston." Leo shrugged his shoulders and rubbed a gentle thumb over Nico's cheekbone. "Do you want to go after Camp? Or wait for a bit?"

"I–what?" Nico's startled eyes met Leo's.

"Houston. If you have to go and find answers in Houston, you're gonna have to do some digging. And there's no one better to go with you than me. I spent more than the first half of my life there. And being on the streets of Houston means that I know it a little bit differently than others, you know?"

Nico said nothing, but his hand came up to cover Leo's, fingers wrapping around the son of Hephaestus' hand and pulling it downward. Nico looked down at Leo's hand in his and finally asked, "You're not going to tell me to not go?"

Leo made a face. "Why would I? The prophecy isn't going away. And, if you can get some clarity on the situation, then I don't see a downside. I mean, besides you leaving again, which is kinda solved by me going with you."

"But, why help me? Why not try to stop me? Will–" Nico cut himself off abruptly and took a deep breath. "He wasn't trying to be…Will wasn't– he just didn't want me to get hurt." Nico trailed off and glanced down at his and Leo's intertwined hands again.

"Nico. I'm not Will, okay? I mean, do you want me to stop you?" Uncertainty filled Leo's voice. When Nico shook his head, Leo continued. "If this prophecy is about you, then there's no point trying to run away from it. The best we can do is try to make it so that we're prepared and meet it on our own terms, ¿entiendes? And best case scenario, we find out the prophecy isn't about you. So, I'm gonna help you."

Nico remained still and quiet for so long that Leo asked, "Is that okay?"

The son of Hades nodded, and Leo quietly added, "Alright then."

Nico pulled his hand from where it held Leo's and the son of Hephaestus found himself missing the touch. He cleared his throat, about to suggest they start heading back when he felt Nico's hand upon his face.

Nico's fingers were light as they brushed over Leo's skin, sliding until they cupped the slight dip where bone joined neck. Cool fingers pulled gently and Leo leaned forward, eyes drifting upwards until they met dark irises. Nico's face was mere inches from his own. His heart caught in his throat as Nico moved closer, breath ghosting across Leo's mouth, sending a pleasant shiver curling down and across his shoulders. Nico closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against Leo's.

The son of Hephaestus allowed his eyes to close, his hand stealing up Nico's side until it rested against the boy's hip. Nico pulled back slightly, but Leo followed, bringing their lips together once more. His fingers tightened over Nico's hip and pulled the boy closer. Nico's other hand reached upward, his fingers only just skimming over Leo's cheek. Leo withdrew, his breath uneven and somewhat shaky. His eyes flickered up, catching Nico's warm gaze– the demigod's dark eyes dancing and sparking with a joy Leo hadn't seen in them before.

He felt a smile tug at his lips, and he leaned in once more, Nico matching his movements.

Three rapid knocks sounded at the door. Nico froze but Leo turned to the side as a coughing fit ripped itself from his mouth.

"Leo? Are you okay?" Mrs. Gugaitis' voice sounded from outside the door. "I noticed your truck is still here and Grace told me she thought you were in the bathroom. Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah!" Leo called out, his face still close to Nico's, whose eyes were wide with alarm. "I'm fine! Just, uh, I'll be out in a minute!"

"Alright." The pair heard the concern in Mrs. Gugaitis' voice but then her footsteps faded down the hallway and Leo let out a small laugh. He pushed himself to his feet and offered a hand to Nico, who took it with a small, "Thanks."

"Of course." Leo stood, trying not to react as Nico took his hand back almost immediately. He cast about for something else to say, something else to break the tension. "I guess it might look bad if we both leave the bathroom together," he said with a nervous chuckle.

Nico nodded, his cheeks pink-tinged, and opened his mouth to speak before closing it again with a slight shake of his head.

"You...you good, Nico?" Leo's heart beat steadily, a familiar feeling of uncertainty settling over him.

The son of Hades nodded but looked away from Leo. "Yeah. I'm fine." He glanced at the doorway and back. "You should probably leave first. I'll give you a couple minutes just in case Mrs. Gugaitis is still out there. Just...get her to the front, and I'll meet you. I have to contact Zag, still. No reason I can't do it here."

The apprehension and uncertainty swelled to a crescendo in Leo's gut, but he forced a smile onto his face. "Sure thing."

Leo faced the door and was about to turn the lock in the door when Nico's hand settled over his. He turned his head until he could see Nico from the corner of his eye. He raised an eyebrow. "Nico?"

Nico didn't answer except to press a soft kiss to Leo's cheek. Finally, the demigod stepped away and said quietly, "Thank you, Leo."

The son of Hades' words washed over Leo and, quite suddenly, the feelings of uncertainty vanished, warm hope blossoming in its wake.

"Don't mention it, Ghost Boy." Leo flipped the lock and twisted the handle, pulling the door open, and, before leaving through it, said, "I'll see you out there."

Smiling, the son of Hephaestus stepped through the door.

Leo stood next to Mrs. Gugaitis in the crisp December air, squinting up into the heavens and trying to see any stars beyond the light pollution. He heard the older woman sigh beside him and he glanced over, concern settling next to the giddy happiness he felt. Her cheeks were puffy and her mouth turned down at the corners.

"Abue? Is...is everything alright?"

The Lithuanian woman jumped slightly and looked over to Leo, giving him a sad smile. "I'm alright, zuikis. Thank you for asking."

She looked back up to the night sky and sighed. Leo hesitated before asking, "What was your brother's name? You said that me and Nico remind you of him? And his friend, Zachariah?"

Almost absent-mindedly, Mrs. Gugaitis responded, "Emilis. His name was Emilis. He was my eldest brother–nearly twenty when I was five."

"And we remind you of them?"

Mrs. Gugaitis nodded but said nothing. She remained staring up into the sky, her hand still clasped about her neck. Finally, she sighed and turned to Leo, her eyes like glass.

"This is a hard month for me, Leo. My brother was taken from our town one day in December and I never saw him again."

Leo frowned. "Taken?"

She looked beyond Leo, focusing on a memory of a scene. When she spoke, her voice was brittle and broken– glass over dried grass. "Yes. Taken. It didn't matter that Zachariah had died the previous year–hanged in the square. But, someone must have remembered what was between him and my brother. And that December, they came and took him. I was told he went to the Vilna ghetto and, later, a camp."

It was a moment before the words made sense to Leo. When they did– when he realized what had happened to Emilis– a deep chasm of horror broke open in Leo. He didn't know what to do–what to say.

Leo reached toward the old woman and took her hand in his. They stood together for several minutes, a silence–an acknowledgment of what had happened–falling between them. Soft footsteps sounded from behind and both turned to see Nico still a fair distance away but drawing closer.

Mrs. Gugaitis, that same sad smile on her face, looked to Leo at last and gave his hand a squeeze. "Keep each other safe, zuikis. I will see you when you return."

Leo felt her hand slip from his and watched her go. She passed Nico, saying a farewell and wishing him well on the journey.

As soon as Nico reached him, the son of Hades' eyes grew concerned. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Leo swallowed and shook his head, not daring to speak. But, as he looked at Nico, a feeling of relief washed over him–relief that Nico, despite all of the anguish and pain it had caused the boy, had been whisked away to a magic hotel. Away from wars. Away from camps. He shook his head and forced a smile. "She's just going to miss us, I think."

Nico nodded warily and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Were you able to get a hold of Zagreus? To ask your question about me dying and stuff?"

Giving a small laugh, Nico said, "Yes. Apparently, I interrupted dinner. I just didn't know where else to send the note, so...I guess it landed in my father's salad, and he used it as an excuse to not finish eating. Persephone was displeased."

Leo arched an eyebrow. "So?"

"Zag said it shouldn't be a problem. Of course, if you're on death's doorstep, it would be more complicated, and a proxy tax could be given, but– like I said: it's complicated." Nico smiled and took a deep breath. "Are you ready? You need to get Festus down in size."

Leo moved away from Nico and toward his dragon.

"Give me just a second," Leo called over his shoulder as he ducked around the metal creature. He reached upward and pressed his palm against a small square on the dragon's neck. Festus began to collapse, bronze parts sliding and compacting over one another until a suitcase on wheels appeared beside Leo. He grinned and extended the handle, tipping the suitcase and rolling it with him toward Nico.

Leo gave Nico a mock salute. "Ready for take-off, Admiral Ghost Pants!"

Nico rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He stepped closer to Leo until he stood directly in front of the demigod, the space of several inches the only distance between them.

Several seconds passed as Nico studied Leo. The son of Hephaestus raised his eyebrow again, asking, "Is something supposed to happen yet or...?"

"Oh, yeah." Nico tore his gaze away from Leo, another blush staining his cheeks. He bit his lip before saying, "I just need to concentrate."

Leo waggled his eyebrows. "Need a happy thought? Because I got a couple new ones I think might work." He smirked as Nico's blush deepened, but a shadow began to slide languidly over to the pair.

Somewhat breathless, Nico replied, "I got it, thanks."

Leo grinned. "Well, if you ever need help, just ask."

"I'll try to remember that," Nico ground out, trying to maintain his focus. "Ready?"

Leo nodded and Nico reached toward him, threading his fingers through Leo's as a cool dark shadow drifted silently over them. Leo held his breath–out of anticipation more than anything else. Any trepidation or fear he felt dissipated at Nico's touch and he allowed himself to melt into the shadows with the son of Hades.

"There's no big apocalypse. Just an endless procession of littles ones." ~Neil Gaiman