At the Di Angelo villa in New Rome, Nico was finally beginning to appreciate the serenity that came with a day off. The villa was quiet, with the warm sun filtering through the windows, casting a golden glow over the marble floors. For once, there were no pressing matters to attend to, no shadows pulling at him to deal with the latest crisis in the Underworld or Triumvirate Holdings. He'd decided to take a break, to actually breathe and maybe, just maybe, enjoy being a teenager for once.

He was lounging on a plush, overstuffed couch in the living room, absentmindedly flipping through an old book he'd found tucked away in one of the villa's many bookshelves. It was a rare moment of peace, and Nico was determined to soak it in for as long as possible. He was just getting to the part where the main protagonist was about to set off on his voyage when the door swung open, and a familiar, bubbly presence floated into the room.

"Good morning, Mister di Angelo!" Mellie, his cloud nymph PA, chirped as she breezed in, her ethereal form practically glowing with enthusiasm. She was holding a stack of papers in her hands, and Nico could already feel the weight of his responsibilities creeping back into his shoulders.

"Mellie," Nico said, trying to keep his voice neutral as he set the book down. "What's up?"

"Oh, just a few things we need to go over!" Mellie replied, her tone cheerful as always. She floated over to him, her smile bright enough to light up the entire room. "I have the latest sales statistics from Triumvirate Holdings—our revenue is up by 12% this quarter! Isn't that fantastic? Oh, and Elysium Prep is doing exceptionally well in the district rankings! Our scores are among the highest in all the district, which is just marvelous!"

Nico sighed, running a hand through his hair. He adored Mellie, he really did. She was efficient, organized, and always knew how to keep things running smoothly. But sometimes—like right now—her boundless energy and optimism made him feel like he was drowning in responsibilities he didn't want to deal with.

"Mellie," Nico interrupted gently, holding up a hand to stop her from launching into what he was sure was an exhaustive list of the latest achievements and tasks. "I appreciate everything you're doing, but... I'm taking a break."

Mellie blinked, her smile faltering for a split second as she processed what Nico had just said. "A break?" she repeated, her tone confused but still chipper. "But there's so much to do! The Empire doesn't run itself, you know, and—"

"I know, I know," Nico cut in, giving her a small, reassuring smile. "But I really need some time off. I'm... not used to taking breaks, but I think it's about time I did. So, unless something is absolutely necessary, like a world-ending crisis or a ghost rebellion, I'd appreciate it if you could handle things for a while. You're more than capable."

Mellie's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, Nico thought she might argue. But then her expression softened, and she gave him a nod, her smile returning with a more understanding edge.

"Of course, Mister di Angelo," Mellie said, her voice gentle. "I'll take care of everything. You deserve a break, after all. I'll only come to you if something is 100% necessary."

Nico exhaled in relief, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "Thanks, Mellie. I really appreciate it."

Mellie beamed at him, her natural perkiness shining through once again. "It's no problem at all! You just relax and enjoy yourself. I'll make sure everything's under control."

With that, she gave him a cheerful wave and floated out of the room, leaving Nico alone once more. The villa was quiet again, and Nico found himself sinking back into the couch with a contented sigh. He picked up his book, but instead of diving back into the story, he found himself staring at the ceiling, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Taking a break—it was a foreign concept to him. Nico had spent so much of his life running, fighting, and dealing with things most people his age couldn't even imagine. He thought about Mellie, how she'd looked so adorably confused when he told her he was taking time off. She was always so eager to help, so ready to tackle any challenge, that it was hard for her to understand why anyone would want to step back from the action. But she'd agreed, and that was enough for Nico.

He closed his eyes, letting the quiet wash over him. The sun was warm on his face, the couch was soft, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Nico allowed himself to do nothing at all.

It wasn't so bad, he decided. Not bad at all.

But, of course, peace and quiet never lasted long when you had ghost guardians.

"Look at you, Nico," a soft, amused voice echoed through the room. "Setting boundaries, taking a break... you're practically a grown-up now."

Nico cracked open an eye to see Helena floating beside him with a proud smile on her face. Her translucent form shimmered faintly in the sunlight, her expression a mix of warmth and mischief.

"Yeah, yeah," Nico muttered, trying to brush off the praise but unable to hide the small smile tugging at his lips. "I'm practically ancient."

"Don't be modest, Nico," another voice chimed in, this one deeper and gruffer. Albert floated in beside Helena, crossing his arms with a proud nod. "It's about time you learned to take care of yourself. You've earned this break, kid."

"See? You're making us all proud," Helena added, her tone teasing but sincere. "Now if only we could get you to stop brooding so much, you'd be perfect."

Nico rolled his eyes, trying to fight off the flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck. "Oh, please. You're all acting like I've done something amazing. I'm just taking a day off."

"Which, for you, is a miracle," Harry piped up, voice light and breezy. "You've been running yourself ragged since you were a kid, Nico. We've been waiting for you to finally slow down."

"Besides," another voice pointed out with a smirk, "it gives us more time to pester you."

Nico groaned as Alexander, the charmingly roguish ghost materialized beside Albert, a lazy grin on his face. Alexander always had that mischievous glint in his eyes, like he was constantly planning some elaborate prank, and Nico had long since given up trying to keep up with his antics.

"You're all impossible," Nico muttered, though there was no real bite to his words. He was fond of his ghostly guardians, even if they did seem to take a certain delight in teasing him.

"Impossible?" Helena repeated with a chuckle. "This coming from the kid who convinced a hellhound to be his pet?"

"Mrs. O'Leary is a good girl. She's not impossible. And it was Daedalus who sent her to me!" Nico shot her a playful glare, before turning to Alexander and Albert with vindication in his eyes. "Speaking of impossible things, you two finally stopped pretending to hate each other, huh?" he said, his grin widening as he glanced between Albert and Alexander. "I'm shocked."

Harry saw his opening and took it, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, Albert," he drawled, his voice dripping with mock curiosity. "What's it like to finally admit you're in love with Alexander?"

Albert's ghostly form flickered, his usually composed demeanor crumbling as he sputtered and turned an impressive shade of spectral red. "N-Nico! Harry! That's—We're not—It's not—"

"Oh, come on, old man," Alexander cut in smoothly, unbothered by the teasing. In fact, he seemed to relish it. "We've been dead for decades. It's about time we stopped playing coy."

"I knew it! I always knew you two had a thing for each other!" Helena burst out laughing, her airy voice filling the room. "It's good to see you both finally being honest with yourselves."

Alexander basked in the attention, his grin widening as he threw an arm around Albert's shoulders. "What can I say? It took a while, but I finally wore him down."

Albert, still flustered beyond belief, tried to regain some semblance of dignity, but the blush on his transparent cheeks made it impossible. "You're all ridiculous," he grumbled, though there was no real anger in his voice. "I swear, I'm never going to live this down."

Nico chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the sight of his usually stoic guardian reduced to a blushing mess. "Oh, come on, Albert. It's not like you can live it down—you're already dead."

That got a genuine laugh out of everyone, even Albert, who shook his head in exasperation. "Smartass," he muttered, though there was a fondness in his voice that hadn't been there before.

The teasing continued for a while, the ghosts bantering back and forth with an ease that only centuries of familiarity could bring. Nico leaned back onto the couch, watching the scene unfold with a contented smile. It was moments like these—when he could just be with his ghostly family, without the weight of the world pressing down on him—that he cherished the most.

It was a good day.

Later that afternoon, the peaceful atmosphere in the villa was disrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching the door. Nico looked up as Hylla strolled in. She was dressed casually, but her presence still radiated that unmistakable aura of command. It was a look that said she could both order a battalion into battle and sip tea with equal finesse.

"Nico," she greeted, a small smile playing on her lips as she spotted him. "You look... relaxed. That's new."

Nico smirked, pushing himself up from the couch to greet her. "Yeah, I'm trying this whole 'taking a break' thing. It's... strange."

Hylla chuckled as she placed a small basket of snacks on the coffee table, a habit she'd picked up from her time with the Circe—never show up empty-handed. "Good. You deserve it. You work yourself too hard sometimes."

Nico raised an eyebrow as he took a seat across from her, pouring them both some tea from the kettle that Mellie had thoughtfully left behind earlier. "Says the woman who juggles running for a position as praetor and her classes in New Rome University."

"Touché," Hylla replied, accepting the cup of tea with a nod. "But let's not pretend you're any better. Between being the Ghost King and managing Triumvirate Holdings, I'm surprised you haven't keeled over yet."

Nico shrugged, taking a sip of his tea. "Well, you know what they say: only the good die young."

Hylla rolled her eyes, though there was a fondness in her gaze. "You're insufferable, you know that?"

"It's part of my charm."

They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, sipping their tea and enjoying the quiet companionship. Despite their different backgrounds and responsibilities, Nico and Hylla had formed a close bond over the years. Both had grown up too fast, both carried the weight of leadership on their shoulders, and both had people they cared about more than they cared to admit.

Eventually, though, the conversation turned to what had been weighing on both their minds.

"Reyna's on that quest to save Artemis," Hylla said, her voice more serious now, the worry she usually kept hidden slipping into her tone. "It's... hard not to think about it. She's strong, I know that, but still..."

"I get it," Nico replied quietly, his gaze dropping to his tea. "She's your sister. And she's important to me too. I worry about her all the time, especially now. It's not just a regular quest—it's Atlas, Luke, and a whole mess of other things."

Hylla's fingers tightened slightly around her cup. "Reyna's always been the tough one, you know? Ever since we were kids. She's the one who always stood up, always fought back, no matter what. Even against our father. But this time... this time it feels different."

"She's not alone, though. Zoe's with her, and so is Annabeth. Thalia, too. They'll look out for each other." Nico nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. "Plus, Bianca is on the quest as well, which in part is good as they will have each other's backs. But it also makes me even more nervous, as that means that two of my sisters are in danger."

"I know," Hylla said, but the worry in her eyes didn't fade. "But it's still hard. I want to be there with her, fighting by her side. But I have my own responsibilities, and she has hers. I just... I hate feeling so helpless."

Nico sighed, setting his tea down. "I feel the same way. I wanted to be on that quest too, but it wasn't in the cards. Sometimes, the hardest thing is knowing when to step back and let them handle it. Trusting that they'll come through."

Hylla glanced at Nico, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You've gotten wiser, Nico. When did that happen?"

He snorted, leaning back in his chair. "I guess it's all the dead people I hang out with. They're full of wisdom and snarky comments."

Hylla laughed, the sound brightening the room for a moment. "Well, whatever it is, it's working for you."

They sat in silence for a bit longer, each lost in their thoughts. The worry never really went away, but sharing it somehow made it more bearable. It reminded them that they weren't alone in this, that there were others who understood the weight of caring so deeply for someone else.

"I have to admit," Hylla said after a while, her voice softer now, "I'm glad Reyna has you. I'm glad we both have you. We don't let many people get close, but you... you've been good for us. You're like a brother to us."

Nico felt a warmth spread through his chest at her words, though he tried to play it cool. "You've both been good for me too. You keep me grounded, remind me that I don't have to do everything on my own."

Hylla nodded, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "I think Reyna needed that too. Someone who understands her, who doesn't expect her to be anything other than who she is."

"Same goes for you," Nico said, a teasing grin sneaking onto his face. "You're pretty good at that whole sister thing."

Hylla smirked, setting her empty cup down. "Don't get sappy on me now, di Angelo. We've still got reputations to maintain."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Nico replied with a laugh.

As the afternoon sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the villa, they continued to talk. The worries were still there, but they were shared now, and that made all the difference. And when it was time for Hylla to leave, Nico walked her to the door, feeling a little lighter than he had before. They exchanged a brief hug, one that spoke of their mutual respect and care for each other.

"Take care of yourself, Nico," Hylla said as she stepped back, her expression serious but affectionate. "And if you hear anything about the quest, let me know."

"Of course," Nico promised. "And you take care of yourself too. We'll see Reyna and Bianca again soon. I'm sure of it."

Hylla gave him one last smile before turning and heading out, her confident stride never faltering as she left the villa. Nico watched her go, feeling a mix of pride and gratitude for the strong, resilient people in his life.