Solangelo 1

Part 29

NICO

I get to the dining area the same time as Percy. I falter quickly, but continue walking beside him without looking at him.
'So you'll be pleased to hear that they found Will a couple minutes ago. Apparently he sleep walked into the forest.' Percy says loudly, his voice annoyingly sarcastic.
'That's good.' I say. I look up briefly and stare at him, trying to convey to him to stop. He just smiles, knowing that I can't be angry at him cause he saved me from being in trouble.
I sit at the Hades table and Percy sits opposite me, not questioning his right to be there. His plate fills with a breakfast that would feed a family twice and he starts to eat.
'Seriously though.' Percy says, looking up at me once the noise has built up and we can talk in privacy, 'I know Annabeth and me sleep in the same cabin but we're both legally adults now and it's...you know it's different for us. Annabeth wakes up screaming, she couldn't sleep in the same place as her siblings.' He says, avoiding my eyes slightly.
'I know.' I say quickly, and slightly harshly. I try to calm down before I speak again, 'I know. We weren't just...messing...around.' I say, struggling to get it out, 'He was about to pass out and I didn't want to wake his siblings. And I...it...it was so much easier to go to sleep with him in the room.' I say quickly and quietly.
I feel my cheeks go red and I grip my arm tightly as I refuse to look up at Percy, 'I haven't had a genuinely, proper good nights sleep in...in months. After Tartarus...you know. Bad nights just become normal. But I don't know if it's because he's an Apollo kid, or whether it's just...if it's just him, but it helps me.'
'Right.' Percy says after a moment of silence. He toys with his food, both of us not looking at each other, 'I get it. More than most. Look, how about I talk to Chiron. He let me and Annabeth stay together, he might make a pass for you too.'
'He won't let us.' I say, already convinced.
'Let me try. Maybe not every night, just odd occasions, when you really need it. I'll try work something out with him.' He says. I look up and find he's staring at me.
'Thanks.' I say, quietly. We stay still for a moment sharing in our silence our own memories of Tartarus and of everything we went through.
We've only talked about it once - the day after the Romans left, Percy and I went to the top of the assault course and talked for about three hours. We haven't talked about it since. Once was enough for both of us.
Slowly we go back to eating out food, and somehow we get to talking about normal things again. I see Will appear and get dragged to his table, providing a small wave and a brief 'sorry' before he's sat down with his siblings.
Percy and I talk about nothing, killing the time before Jason comes and sits with us. After that he and Percy do most of the talking.
Chiron comes and calls for silence, and announces another game of capture the flag, the two team leaders being Percy and Jason.
They high five then instantly draw away from each other to their own tables. Percy wins the coin toss and points dramatically to me.
'If he'll have me.' He says, a deep, stupid voice, 'I shall take Nico, son of Hades.'
'Yeah, whatever.' I say. The choices go on, and I notice Percy takes the Apollo cabin quicker than they're usually picked. He looks at me pointedly as he does so, as if to say you're welcome. And really, to be completely honest, I'm grateful.