Asphodels (Valdangelo)

The oath

Writing Leo's POV allows me to slip Spanish into the descriptions, and I really don't use it as often as I could; which is a travesty when I actually know the language enough to make it work.

Referring to Fleecy as opposed to Iris for messages has been a bit weird to get used to, but it's not like it'll be like that for long, as the end of the war against Gaea approaches its end. There's no reason for her to think this other than the feeling filling her chest; but Hazel has learned to put a little more trust into her feelings.

Nico answers after a bit, looking about as breathless and ragged as Hazel feels right now; and normally she would not bother him like this, but this is important. She takes a deep breath, knowing well he doesn't have the luxury of waiting for her, not when him and Reyna are risking their lives to get the statue to Camp Half-Blood.

"Leo made an oath to the Styx"

Her brother's face flashes through a myriad of emotions before settling into a mixture between worry and fear; it reminds Hazel of how Leo had looked when asking her to do this, can't help but pull comparison after comparison between the two of them.

"The prophecy"

Nico's voice comes out broken, like he's choking on an emotion he dares not show, Hazel already knows what he's feeling.

"He wanted to tell you but... you know him"

She also knows Leo, knows that Nico and him love each other in an almost vicious way, stubborn as they are about keeping it quiet. Nico bites his lip, something dark in his eyes.

"He thinks I'm angry with him"

Hazel smiles at him.

"He used those same words, you know?"

Nico looks away, face slightly flushed; and it's amazing that Leo can have this sort of effect on him even when they're fighting.

"You should talk to him; the next chance you get"

The mirage of Nico trembles like light on water and then shatters in small sparks of color; she doesn't move to call again, and knows Nico won't reach for her either. It's better that way, Hazel thinks, at least he knows now, whether he does something about it or not is up to him.

Leo thinks about balance, this is a habit he acquires after his meeting with Nemesis, after saving Hazel and Frank with the contents of that accursed fortune cookie. He wonders if maybe, deep down, this had been what the goddess wanted, to have someone else consider balance even half as often as she did.

Do children of Nemesis do this? Leo doesn't know, doesn't remember if he saw anyone on that particular table; granted he was a lot more focused on the whole mess with Juno, and building the Argo II, and choking whenever his thoughts strayed to Nico.

Anyway! The point is that Leo is thinking about balance, about the rules of equivalent exchange, and weighting the small pouch Asclepius gave him for cure número 2; what could he get for this? Would it be worth it to chance the god's wrath over it?

Leo won't use it, refuses to forget, not now that he has something to run to, somewhere to maybe lay down and rest, finally. Even if the other option could mean losing the closest connection he's had with another living breathing person since his mother's death; even if confessing means heartbreak.

It's weird how that works, how the boy who's most likely to break his heart in the worst way possible, is also one of the main reasons Leo doesn't want to forget; that he values that connection more than he does his romantic feelings for Nico. There's a part of him that hopes Nico does that too, value the friendship they've been building enough to maybe allow Leo to go back to him; not immediately, of course, Leo will distance himself to get rid of his feelings first, before trying to recover the friendship.