Set In Stone (Thea X Nico)

"Run"

(Thea's POV)

The ride to the Hollywood sign was a quiet one, and even once we got off the bus it was still quiet. I felt kind of awkward around Nico. He had just called me beautiful and brave. How am I supposed to react to that? Nico led all of us up to the letter H. Apparently we aren't supposed to be here, so we had to kind of sneak. Once we made it to the sign, Nico turned to me, reaching for my hand. He grabs it and smiles.

"Ok Thea, you've never been to the underworld, so you may feel super sick after this. Okay?" I nod slightly before turning to Leo and Piper, who were now giggling slightly, making me realize Nico was holding my hand. A blush grows.

"Before we walk in there let me do the talking, please avoid any sarcastic comments..." he looks at Leo. "And please just listen to everything I say," he then turns to me smiling again before letting my hand go and turning back to the H. 

We all just nod and watch as Nico touches the sign, making this black hole come from the sign. Cold air pours from it, making me shiver. He steps into the hole disappearing into the darkness. I walk in next and it was honestly awful, it feels like my soul is splitting from my body and at the same time, my stomach drops as if on a roller coaster, and on top of that my head is pounding. I came out the other side collapsing making Nico come and wrapping his arm around my shoulder so I could use him as a crutch.

"You okay?" He looks down at me with worry in his eyes.

"No. I actually feel like throwing up." He chuckles slightly before placing me on a chair.

Nico walks off helping Leo and Piper who seem to be used to it. They take seats at my side holding their stomachs. Ok, so I wasn't the only one who felt like throwing up. I look up at Nico who is now standing in front of us hands on his hips. 

"You're all fine, I know it's Thea's first time but you two should be used to it by now." He looks at them with annoyance in his gaze. 

"What? Nico we've only been here once one other time, we're not like you who has his own bedroom in the underworld," Piper says groaning as she tugs at her stomach. 

"You have a bedroom here?" I look up at him he seems unamused by the question.

"Why wouldn't I? I'm death boy, remember?" He turns from me heading to a desk at the far end of the room. 

I freeze, wait I'm in the underworld I almost forgot. I peer around the room seeing rows and rows of chairs with ghost people who look down sad. I turn to my right to see a little girl holding a teddy bear crying I jump back slightly but then I grow sad myself. She's dead, this little girl with pigtails and a cute summer dress with sunflowers. I pull myself away paying attention to the room. The entire room had a slight red tint but other than that it looks like an office. With grey flooring and grey walls with those long white lights that flicker making anyone super uncomfortable. I close my attention in on Nico who is chatting with this ghost as if they were friends, Nico reaches into his pocket and pulls out a brown bag, and hands it to the ghost who frowns and gestures to himself. Nico rubs the back of his neck and blushes with embarrassment, did he just forget ghosts were transparent? I thought he was a prince or whatever of the underworld. He places the bag on the desk and waves goodbye heading back to us.

"What's happening?" I look up at him clutching my stomach now from the pain of walking through that dark hole. 

"I just bribed them to let you guys in, they usually only let just me but they reconsidered when I mentioned the Dracma." He gave a crooked grin and then gestured that we follow him now. 

I gently pull myself up watching as Piper and Leo get up like nothing had happened when walking through. How long is this going to last?   We follow Nico as he leads us to the ghost he was previously talking to. This man was taller, maybe 6 foot, he had curly hair that fell into his eyes, he wore a suit and had a frickin arrow through his stomach. These ghosts don't have a color. They were just an outline of white almost as if they were drained of joy. I pull back a bit feeling sicker the more I think about where I am. Timothy, he's here and he looks just like this man. I clutch my stomach as the man moves us into an elevator. We shuffle in and I follow suit concentrating on the floor as I think about Timothy and how he could be down here. What if I bump into him? What if he doesn't recognize me or I don't recognize him? Or what if I don't see him at all?