One Too Many Heartbreaks

IV. Don't Call Me That (Nico's POV)

NOTE: TRANSLATIONS AT END OF CHAPTER
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"Wake up, (1)rey fantasma,"

Nico blinked open his eyes to see a spiky silhouette hovering above him. It backed up and Leo came into focus, curls running wild all over his head and face. "Don't call me that," Nico muttered, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. His stomach rumbled.

"Sounds like someone is hungry," Leo said. "Lucky for you, breakfast is ready." He held up a taco and Nico blinked twice, sure he was hallucinating.

"It's real, (2)muchacho," Leo assured him.

Nico took it warily. "This isn't one of your jokes, is it?"

Leo bit into his own taco. "If this is a joke, it's a pretty delicious one." he said, bits of meat and cheese tumbling from his lips. Nico made a face and Leo stuck out his tongue, revealing mushed taco.

"That's disgusting," Nico said angrily, turning away from Leo. He eyed the taco skeptically, searching for any sign of dirt or minor explosives. Finally, his hunger won him over and he bit into it. Nico furrowed his brows, surprised by the taste. It wasn't awful. Pretty good, actually. When he finished to look up at Leo, and was startled to see him staring right at him.

"And you say I'm disgusting," Leo said, munching his taco. "You eat like an animal."

"I do not," Nico said, frowning.

"Look at your shirt, dude. Crumbs everywhere."

Nico didn't look but simply stood, embarrassed when crumbs rained down from his clothes onto the bridge. He looked at Leo still on the floor. "Where did you even get the stuff to make tacos?" He asked. They didn't exactly shadow travel to a grocery store.

Leo's free hand moved to his waist. "My tool belt is magic, remember? It can produce anything found in a mechanics workshop. Plus, anything I drop in there." Leo pulled out a chunk of stone that almost exactly matched a large piece missing from the wall.

"Physics don't apply inside those pockets," Nico noted, observing the piece of wall. It was nearly the size of his head.

"Nope," Leo said, putting the rock back in and pointedly pushing his arm in up to the elbow before pulling it back out without the rock.

"My belt just can't produce a way to get back home," Leo said, eyebrows raised at Nico. "You rested enough to get us back?"

Nico didn't want to. Will Solace would have his head for using his powers again. But then, what choice did he have?

"Another three days," Nico muttered as Leo packed up his things.

(3)"Que?" Leo asked, done with packing.

"Nothing," Nico said. Leo looked at him expectantly, and Nico remembered one crucial part of joined shadow travel: physical contact.

"We need to be touching," Nico said shortly, feeling his face flush.

Leo looked briefly uncomfortable, but brushed it off with an annoying joke as usual. He held up an arm, flexing what little muscles he had. "Grab on tight, (4)príncipe sombra," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Don't call me that," Nico said through gritted teeth.

"Why not, (5)mi amor," Leo said in a sensual tone. "When it's so much fun?"

Nico'd had enough. He grabbed tight indeed, not accidentally tight enough to cut off Leo's blood circulation. The elf winced, and Nico grinned. "Get ready, (6)incendio ragazzo. It's about to get cold."

"What did you call me?" Leo asked as smoky tendrils curled around the demigods and they vanished into the night.

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(1) ghost king
(2) boy
(3) what?
(4) shadow prince
(5) my love
(6) fire boy