Darkness Within

CHAPTER VI

NICO

August 18th

The next morning Nico woke up to a mess of limbs, Percy was still asleep and still clinging to him. He felt too comfortable and too warm to move, but he didn't want Percy to wake up in this situation.

So, he slowly worked, untangling himself from the slumbering boy. When he was almost free, and was about to sit up at the side of the bed, Percy pulled him back down, hugging him from behind and dragging him back under the covers.

The yelp he let was too embarrassing to process, but his brain stopped working anyway.

"Morning Nico" Oh Shit, he woke.

"He-hey Perce, how are you feeling?"

"Hm, I dunno, how did you get here?"

"Percy, I sorry, last night you were kind of in a bad shape so tried to help you to sleep, and I er.. fell asleep here too, so I'm sorry."

"No... I don't mind you here, I meant, why you came back here, in the cabin?"

Because I care about you!! No, I can't say that.

"I... hey stop changing the subject, I asked you how are you feeling." I deflected.

"Like I said... I dunno, I'm kind of numb, and super tired. Everything after Anna... after she left is a blur"

"Yeah, I kind of found you freaking out last night"

"Freaking out?"

"Yeah... like I said, you were a mess. I suppose your talk last night didn't went well?"

The look he gave me, was hard. Went from menacing to sad to defeated and last, guilty.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked"

"No... I'm sorry for... You right though, it didn't go well, she broke up with me, and it was like... We are not going back together; I don't think I can or even want it anymore."

I really tried not to feel satisfied about this news, but I can't say I didn't.

A knock at the door made both of us jump, we were so deep in thought that it was almost comic.

I stood up and looked at Percy, he simply nodded and I went to the door and opened.

Standing there was Will, and the knowing smirk he gave me was infuriating.

"Hey, I came to check on Percy, guess you beat me to it"

"Just get inside"

"Hey Percy, how are you feeling today?"

"Oh er, hey Will whats up?" Percy responded, his owlish eyes looking between me and Will.

Will hadn't lost his smirk, and all I could do was to sulk in the corner really wishing I could smack that smile out of his face.

"Oh.. I see you slept well?!"

Cross that, I am punching him.

"What do you mean? I am just tired, why?"

Will turned to me this time, his smirk was gone and a frown was forming in his face. "You didn't tell him?"

"Told me what? What happened, what is going on?" Percy asked fretting.

"I was about to, we just woke up" Shouldn't have said that, shit.

The smirk threatened to return in his face, but he shook his head and turned to Percy. Tell him then.