All Aboard!

Chapter 19

"So Firebeard is your dad then, guess I know who my mom's husband is." Piper broke the stunned silence.
Leo was staring at the photo tracing his mom's outline over and over. "Piper, perhaps you should go back to the raft and see if the others are waiting for us yet?"
Piper rolled her eyes at the dismissal but left all the same. Nico stood right next to Leo and looked at the photo over his shoulder. Firebeard was not a very handsome man but he had a strong jaw and a large build. He dwarfed the pixie like woman next to him in the photo but his arm around her looked more comforting than threatening.
"Your mother was especially beautiful. I see now where you get your wonderful caramel eyes and lush dark curls."
Leo looked up in shock at hearing such compliments coming from Nico. Before he could think about it he leaned in and placed a peck on Nico's lips.
"Omgs I'm so sorry! I've just- nobody has ever- I'm such an idiot! Can we just pretend that never happened and move on?"
Nico brought his hand up to his lips and smiled.
'If it's all right with you I would rather like to remember this?'
Leo's whole head felt like it was on fire. Nico looked down at the letter in his hand as if only just remembering he had it.
'I believe this belongs to you? We better get back to the ship, I feel we may have quite the journey ahead of us.'

"Wait Firebeard is your dad?! Why didn't he ever say anything?"
'Percy will you calm down! There's no reason to assume anything until we have all the facts.'
"It's ok Annabeth, my mom kinda says as much in this letter she left me.'
"I think we have all had enough excitement for today. Let us all adjourn to bed, we shall start sailing as soon as the sun rises."
Piper and Percy were much too agitated to go to bed so they took Jason and Annabeth down to the dinning hall to talk things over.

It was nearing midnight when Nico decided to do one last check to make sure everybody was at least in bed. He was just passing by Leo's deck chair when he saw he was shivering. He gently shook him awake.
"Leo, it is getting far too cold for you to sleep out here, would you come back to your old room?"
'Only if you promise to stay with me. We won't do anything, I just don't want to be alone.'
"I'll stay with you as long as you need me."
They headed to the Captains quarters and Nico insisted that Leo take the bed while he made himself a bed on the floor.
'Nico, will you hold my hand for a bit?'
They fell asleep with their fingers intertwined.

"Captain what is our heading? Do we have the next location?"
'According to Leo's letter we are to dock at the Golden Coast.'
Michael looked to Percy for clarification on their location.
"That would be California."
Percy circled it on the map.
"We'll have to travel fast as some parts of the ocean may freeze over. Better send word to Clarise to fire up the engines and keep them running 24/7!"