Golden Waves (Solangelo AU)

Chapter 9

Hi everyone! Thank you for all the support you've already given this fanfic, it truly means so much. So here's chapter nine! I hope you enjoy! :)

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That night, everyone gathered in the dining room for dinner. Annabeth and Reyna also wanted to discuss their plan. Nico was the last one to join the rest, having just finished taking a shower after sparring with Percy and Jason. He sat down at his regular spot next to Reyna, slouching in his seat. He left his bowl of soup untouched.

"Okay," Annabeth began, laying down the map onto the table that now had a bunch of scribbled notes on it. "So, after figuring out our general coordinates, we shouldn't be too far from the island. It'll be about a three day trip," she said. "That is if we take the fastest way through."

"Right," Reyna said, pointing to a landmark on the map. "That'll lead us through the Mare Nigrum, or Black Sea. It's the least explored area in the ocean to date. Nearly every boat that's passed through it has disappeared."

"Leading us to our second point," Annabeth said, pointing to an entirely different route. "We could go around it, but that would take nearly a week to do successfully."

"So we either go through the creepy, probably cursed part of the ocean, or spend four extra days going around it," Leo said, holding up his hands as if they were scales, weighing out the different choices. "I, personally, would not like to go missing."

"But that's the thing," Reyna said, putting her hand up. "I don't think we have enough time to spare to make a detour like that. Annabeth saw that guy steal the map nearly two days ago, so they already have a head start on us. We can't risk losing any more time."

Percy nodded. "So through the Black Sea it is," he said. "I mean, how bad could it be?"

"I...I've heard talk about that place," Hazel spoke up. "The other villagers - there are just so many rumors surrounding the Mare Nigrum. Sea monsters, man-eating fish, giant squids...not to mention the reason it's called the Black Sea."

"Why...why is it called that?" Frank asked, though he looked scared to.

"Fog," Annabeth said, and the word alone wouldn't have been frightening - not by any means - but something about the way she said, the way her eyes flashed, made everyone at the table tense. "Thick, dark fog that covers the entire expense of that area. People say you can't even see teen feet in front of their boats. Not to mention the storms, hurricanes, and as Hazel said, the creatures that live there."

"Well...I guess we won't know until we go there right?" Piper said, though she looked nervous. "I mean, it wouldn't be that big of a stretch to say people made it up...right?"

"Yeah, it's probably just a story to scare children," Jason said, though he looked like he was trying to convince himself more than the others.

"Jason's right," Percy said, trying to look confident. "We've faced worse than a little fog and some over-sized jellyfish."

"And the Argo II can survive a little rain," Leo said, patting the walls of the room.

Annabeth looked uncertain. "Okay then. But we'll have to leave now," she said, folding the map back up. "C'mon Repair Boy," she said, gesturing for Leo to follow her out the room and towards the wheel. "Let me show you the course."

"This...is a bad idea right?" Frank said, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Oh definitely," Percy said, taking in a spoonful of his soup. "But if there's one thing I'm good at, it's following through with bad ideas."

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Nico sat on his bed in silence that night, going over what everyone had said in his head. He knew about the Mare Nigrum, but said nothing. The last thing he wanted was for all of the attention in the room to be drawn to him. Nonetheless, he'd read many books on the Black Sea, and knew of it's dangers quite well. He figured he'd be able to speak up when they truly did need him, until then, he was completely fine staying in the background of it all.

The prince was soon pulled from his train of thought when there was a hesitant knocking at his door. He stood up, opening it to see Annabeth standing there. Now, he didn't know much about her, only that she was Percy's lover, and also a great strategist - good enough for Reyna to be impressed, at least. However, the way her gray eyes scanned him made him feel uneasy, though he guessed that's how other people felt when he looked at him with his eyes - so dark they almost looked black.

"Yes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He had no idea why she would want to talk to him. She never seemed to take interest in his presence before, not even sparing so much as a glance in his direction.

"Can I come in?" she asked, and Nico was taken aback by her directness.

"Sure," he said hesitantly, stepping aside for her to enter the room. He went to sit back on his bed while she closed the door behind her. Before he could even ask why she came, Annabeth spoke up, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Are you still mad at Percy?"

The question took him so off guard that Nico felt he'd been hit in the face with a brick. Instantly he put his guard up, glaring at her. He figured the only reason she didn't make the statement sound accusatory was because she wanted answers out of him.

"No," he said, trying hard not to sound angry. She didn't look like she believed him, but her face softened.

"Good, because..." she paused, seeming to struggle to find the right words. "Because he's really sorry."

Nico scoffed. "He should be."

"That's...fair," she said, crossing her arms. "But Nico...you have to understand - he still has nightmares about that day. He wakes up crying most nights and the guilt," she took a deep breath. "Nico, the guilt's been eating him alive."

The prince paused, his face blank. He didn't know what to say, which was fine as Annabeth continued talking.

"And I'm sure it doesn't hold a match to what you've been facing or what you've gone through, but..." she smiled for a moment. "He was so happy to see you. So please, give him a chance. He truly is sorry, and he's changed."

"...Okay," Nico mumbled, not sure what else to say.

Annabeth, seeming to have finished her piece, nodded, uttered a quick 'thank you', and left his room, leaving Nico to think over everything she had just said. Was...was it true? And if it was, did Nico feel sympathy for him? He knew he was sorry, but Nico never expected for this to weigh down his cousin - the great, perfect, Percy Jackson - so much.

And as stupid as it was, he just couldn't imagine Percy, the same sarcastic, funny, and witty Percy, to cry.