Found Light in the Shadow (Solangelo)

Chapter Three

Will

We loaded our bags into the back of the camp van, then climbed into the back seat.  Argus drove us to the train station which wasn't too far from camp.  When we arrived, we got out of the van and unloaded our bags.  Nico had already taken care of our tickets, so we just headed to the platform and waited.  When the train pulled into the station and the doors opened, we headed inside and found two seats with enough room for our luggage.   Nico took the seat by the window with me sitting beside him.  He put our tickets in the holder on top of the seat in front of us.  The ride into the city was pretty uneventful.  Nico watched out the window the whole time while his hand was stroking my leg hair.  I love when he strokes my legs for some strange reason.  Maybe, it was his subtle way of showing affection.  Once the train went underground, I knew it would be a few hours before we saw the sun again.  I hated being in the dark like this, but Nico's touch took my mind off it.

When the train pulled into the station, we gathered our things and got off the train. Penn Station always scared me a little bit. I knew it was way too public for Nico to hold my hand, but I was wishing that he would. He knew his way around the station pretty good, so I just stayed close behind him. Nico guided us through the underground maze until we finally arrived at the Amtrak terminal. I followed Nico up to the counter to pick up our tickets. I was a little confused when attendant handed him the ticket envelope without Nico paying for them first.  We had almost an hour's wait until we could board the train.  Nico led me to a section of the waiting room that was sparsely occupied.  We got our bags situated and sat in the, not-so-comfortable, chairs.

"Nico, I thought that we still had to pay for the balance of our tickets?"

"Well, when Hermes' messenger came to pick up our stuff to be shipped, it wasn't a messenger.  Hermes himself came to pick up our boxes.  I tried to pay him for the shipping, but he stopped me and said that it was taken care of.   He also said that our train trip was taken care of as well.  He said it was a late wedding present.  So, I gave him a hug and thanked him."

"I can never figure out why the Gods have been so good to us.  I'm not complaining or anything, actually, I'm extremely grateful.  We really are quite lucky to be blessed by the Gods.  Most demi-gods never even get to meet their Godly parents.  Just look at everything they have done for us."

I could feel a tear running down my cheek.  Nico took his hand and wiped it away with his long, slender fingers.  Having realized what he just did, he nervously glanced around the room, as if looking to see if anyone noticed.  He must have been satisfied that nobody saw what he just did as a little smile returned to his face.  Gods, he looked so beautiful when he smiled.

"Yea," Nico replied, "I was thinking the same thing earlier today."

We both sat there in the waiting area, lit only by fluorescent lights.  I couldn't wait until it was time to board the train, I was going nuts down here.  Finally, they made the announcement to start boarding.  We got up and headed to the platform.  When we got to the train door, the guy at the door took our tickets and led us through the train.  The corridors were a little too cramped for my liking.  You could barely squeeze two people side by side down them.  When we reached our room, he showed us inside.  The room was pretty small, it was going to be tight even for the two of us.  The attendant gave us a quick tour of the room.  There were two flip down bunks built into the one wall.  If we both slept on our sides, we could probably both fit onto one bunk.  The small bathroom had barely enough room for one person to fit in the shower.  To top it off, there was one chair in the room facing the window.  This was still better than flying a pegasi across the country, so I wasn't going to complain.  Plus, it gave Nico and I privacy for the journey.   He gave us a short overview of the train then left the room.