𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙈𝙀𝘿; heroes of olympus

and then there were two

JASON GRACE
JASON DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN, but he was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to freeze in July.

Two days out to sea from Split, gray clouds swallowed the sky. The waves turned choppy. Cold drizzle sprayed across the deck, forming ice on the rails and the ropes.

"It's the scepter," Nico murmured, hefting the ancient staff. "It has to be."

Jason cast a worried glance at him. The son of Hades didn't enjoy opening up, and Jason had no intents on pushing him, but he was nervous about his fate. Ever since being outed by Cupid, Nico had seemed even more reclusive than usual, as if he was curling into a mental ball. It took Jason and Annabeth's combined effort to even get the kid to eat.

As if reading his thoughts, Nico met Jason's eyes for half a second before quickly looking away. There was something haunted about him, and Jason didn't think it was just because he was the son of Pluto―Hades.

"We can't talk up here," Jason decided. "Let's postpone the meeting."

Annabeth nodded. The two of them had become mutual leaders of the ship. Annabeth had already been the leader, of course, but she had needed someone else with her emotions all bent out of shape, and Jason was happy to be there for her. He felt like he was starting to find a friend in Annabeth Chase, which he appreciated more than he could say.

"Then I―" Hazel gagged, doubling over. She pointed below. "Need to―"

"Yeah, go." Nico kissed her cheek. She gave him a weak smile, then hurried down with Frank.

Nico wasn't one to give out affection, as Jason was well-aware. He had hugged him back at Cupid's place, and he was anxious to find the kid was mostly skin and bones. He wanted to treat him like a child, in a way―not emotionally, obviously, but he wanted to tuck him in, make sure he had eaten, that sort of thing. But he didn't want to push Nico's boundaries, especially not with the tentative trust the son of Hades had already given him.

Nico brushed some ice from his hair, then frowned at the scepter of Diocletian. "I should put this thing away. If it's really causing the weather, maybe taking it below deck will help..."

"Sure," Jason agreed.

Nico glanced at Piper and Leo, as if worried what they might say when he was gone. Jason gave him a gentle smile, like, I've got your back. He hoped Nico got the message.

"I'll go with you," Annabeth said, nodding at Nico. Lately, Jason and Annabeth had practically been the boy's bodyguards, like the older siblings he didn't have―not anymore. Him and Hazel were biologically around the same age, although she was technically younger. He didn't have anyone to care for him, and Jason was tired of that. He deserved to be cared for. He was only Erith's age.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Piper studying his face, but he kept his expression carefully blank. It was an easy thing. He didn't plan on giving anything away, even if she was his girlfriend. There were lines he wouldn't cross, and what had happened in Split was one he didn't plan on ever crossing. If Nico wanted to say something, he would. Otherwise, no one would.

Leo pulled a screwdriver from his belt once Nico and Annabeth had disappeared belowdecks. "So much for the big team meeting. Looks like it's just us again."

Just us again.

It had been just them for a little while―like, two hours―but it wasn't real anymore. It had never been "just them," not as long as Jason could remember. It had always been Erith plus them, or them plus Erith. They were a family, a team. And Jason knew Leo was thinking the exact same thing from the heavy weariness in his voice.