Heroes of Olympus (The Throne of Stone)

Chapter 34 Maternal Instinct

Chapter 34

Maternal Instinct

Gwen

I crossed over camp, dang Nico, your cabin is really creepy. The dark glow and the green ickiness is more than enough, dude. Just please let me move in! Can you imagine? No one wants to get close to that cabin, no one would ever come and check to see if I was still alive if I stayed in that cabin!

“Gwen! You okay?” Ugh, I made you my guinea pig once! Does not mean that I want to speak to you ever again.

“Sam, please, just go away.” I mumbled. His ran closer,

“How’s your head?” He dropped me off at my cabin hours ago, I healed my head, HOURS AGO, THE PAIN, HENCE, WAS GONE HOURS AGO!! I wanted to shout it at him. I didn’t want to talk to him. He had no permission to speak to me and if he gets any closer or dear Olympus, if he touches me again, I am gonna freaking kill him.

“It’s fine thank you very much. Please go away now.” I turned the knob on Nico’s cabin and slammed the door behind me. I sighed, great to be alone, at least without people who are super talkative.

“You making friends out there?” Nico grimaced looking up at me from his bed. He was lying on his back staring at the ceiling. His cabin was dark, but torches provided the only light. Jewels decorated the ceiling in intricate designs. Skulls decorated one side of the room while on the other side there was gold and silver masterpieces. Honestly, I liked Nico’s side way better.

“You wish. Sorry, you’re still my only friend, you’re stuck with me.” I sat down at the foot of his bed. Watching him.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“What do you mean?”

“The whole motherly thing. I don’t need that, you like, radiating motherliness and it’s ruining my vibes.” Nico gave a hint of a smile. I don’t mean to be motherly, it kind of is a part of the job.

“Stop fussing over it, cause I’m here to stay!” Nico got that dark shadow over his face, “He’s here isn’t he?”

“What gave you that idea?” Nico sat up, he still had that weird blank look on him face. A blank look that he was forcing. It was obvious that he was in pain. He’s gotten pretty good hiding it. “Besides, it’s known of your business anyway.”

“Oh please, it’s all of my business! I’m Therapy Gwen for cryin’ out loud!” I teased him. I lowered my shield of feelings and let him read me. It was nice. Having nothing to hide. Because I was with the only person I trusted. And I wouldn’t care if he found out everything about me. I don’t care if he found out about my cancer or my other dark secrets. We were okay. And okay would be enough for now.

A pang struck my lungs, and I forced it down. I would probably need to get the fluid drained from my lungs tonight. But I could hold out until then. I needed to tell him. I needed to tell him now. So without words my hands traveled to the top of my head and I took off the wig.

The shock showed in his eyes. But it quickly dissolved, like he already knew. “How bad is it?”

“Stage Four: Terminal. I’ll stay as long as I can. I’m a fighter you know.”

“Not that. Does it hurt? Is it painful?” I took a mental check of my physical pain. My head was throbbing a little, my lungs were sore and hurt pretty bad, I ached all over, my stomach made me feel like I was going to barf, but my heart was still racing. That’s what really mattered to me.

“It’s okay. It depends on whether or not people tell me I should have died. But otherwise, I’m still alive. Nico, your sister’s gone isn’t she?” I had it in my brain for a while now, I needed confirmation. Nico looked down his shadow stretching extra long,

“Bianca died 5 years ago.” He wasn’t going to talk about it. No matter how much I pushed him. He was still going to stay behind that stupid brick wall, protecting himself. It was like he was hiding his heart in a bullet-proof box and I didn’t have the combination. No matter how much I tried I would never get him to open up to me.

“You don’t have to hide from me Nico. I know you. I understand you hiding from your friends like Piper and Annabeth and Percy, you didn’t want to taint their happiness with your darkness. You don’t want them to worry about you. But Nico, I’m here solely for you. I came to Camp to see you. I don’t want to see all of your attempts to hide from me. I want to see you. The real you. whether I like it or not.

“I can guarantee that you won’t like what you see, why would I lower my shield for you? I’ve kept it up for so long anyway. I’ve almost convinced myself.”

“You may be able to convince yourself Nico, but I’ll never be able to overlook it. And accept that this shell of Nico is the real deal. You’re still in there, and I’ve devoted myself into bringing you back out.”

 

The shield went down. His face became contorted in pain and sadness. His darkness that leaches out the light returned, surrounding him. This time I didn’t back away. I won’t be afraid of my best friend.

“Go away.” He said with finality, not giving me an option. I refused to disappear. It’s odd, with other people I’m completely antisocial but with him, I’m all...different. I’m not sure if it’s a good or a bad different.

“I’m going to stay. I’ll stay with you as long as I’m alive. I swear to the River Styx.” Thunder boomed. And cue the cheesiness. Nico curled into a ball, his eyes watering.

“He’s gone. He left. If he can’t stay, there’s no way you can.” That hurt more than I thought it would. Like needles piercing my heart, my heart throbbed, my stomach dropped and my throat got caught in a knot. But all at once I knew. I knew exactly who it was. And I felt like crying too. Oh, Nico, I’m so sorry.

We sat in silence for a while, it started to sink in. Nico’s anger, his sudden transformation into another person. His pain, his shield being up all the time. He was hiding, he was in denial, and he was in pain because of it.

I scooted closer to him. His shadows covering me they tried to force me away from Nico, but nothing could separate me from him. Nothing. I wrapped my arms around him. I didn’t need any response from him, I just held him like that, his arms loosely at his side and mine wrapping around him like a vice. From the ice of the son of Hades came a new warmth like I’ve never felt before.

I looked him in the eye and before I could do anything, he took my face in his hands and he kissed me.

“Stay.”