Threads that Bind

by kingburu

Summary:

Nico’s own heart drops in his chest. He kneels to his feet, offering a hand to his fallen friend. “Jason—”

And immediately gets slashed by Jason’s gladius.

“Agh!” Nico falls back in pain, clutching his wounded arm.

Jason wobbles to his feet. He looks at Nico through hazy eyes, pointing his sword directly at Nico’s chest. “How the hell do you know my name?”

--

A quest to find Jason turns into a journey to figure out why he was missing in the first place.

Chapter 1: The Night We Met

 

Warm lights illuminate the small bar. Purple curtains decorate the walls, dressed beside beautiful carvings of the Gods. Only a few customers linger, leaving Nico and his circle of friends.

 

Frank lets out a long groan and sinks heavily in his seat. He runs a hand through his hair, the bags apparent beneath his eyes. A nice peach aroma permeates from his chalice. “No more kids.”

 

“What, really?” Percy looks crushed. “But your kids are so cute.”

 

“You say that when you don’t have one daughter clogging the toilet with gold, and then you have to fix it but you can’t because your other daughter’s turned into a goldfish and you don’t know if she’s lost down the pipes or not,” Frank rambles. He props his head with the palms of his hands, genuinely exhausted.

 

“Well if you’re serious, I could do it for you.” A smirk curls against Leo’s lips. He downs his fourth shot (immediately, the enchanted glass fills with another shot of tequila) and somehow conjures a pair of celestial bronze scissors. “Snip, snip.”

 

Frank stares at him. “You are not coming anywhere near me with your disgusting manbun.”

 

“Hey, hey, hey—” Leo waves his hands, fidgety as usual. “For the record, my hair is gorgeous. Easy, breezy, Leo-girl. It makes me look hot! Plus—I haven’t had the time to cut it because I’ve been hard at work.”

 

“Does that mean you haven’t had time to bathe, either? I can see the stench coming off of you.” Percy pinches his nose for emphasis and looks back to Frank. Makes hand motions. “So when you say gold, do you mean gold, or sh—”

 

“Percy.” Nico reels the trio back in with his voice, irritated. “Can we get back to why you called us here?”

 

It’s amazing how after fifteen years Percy’s smile can still send Nico’s heart running. The way Percy’s lips spread from cheek-to-cheek, happy creases apparent at the corners of his eyes. Nico’s…baggage with Percy isn’t necessarily in a romantic sense anymore, but their history makes it hard for Nico to not feel a bit anxious around him.

 

Nico takes a moment to absorb the men around him. It’s only been a few months since he’s seen Percy. Whether Nico is paying visits to Camp Halfblood or Jupiter, he always manages to run into the old hero. Frank is a constant presence in Nico’s life—he makes sure to visit both his sister and brother-in-law at least once a week and play with his nieces. His brother-in-law is tired and ragged, but extremely happy as a stay-at-home dad. Percy’s arm is full of tic marks from his time with the Legion. Leo is the large anomaly—constantly traveling with Calypso around the world doing who-knows-what.

 

Part of Nico wonders if he himself has aged well. He keeps tabs on all of his old friends, but most of his time is spent being an ambassador between Olympus and the Underworld on behalf of his father.

 

“Annabeth and I got together with Chiron and Lupa. And Magnus.” Percy slouches against his seat, the smile still on his face. “We want to build a new camp.”

 

Silence. Everyone else blinks, exchanging looks with one another.

 

“Is that even…possible?” Frank’s eyebrows furrow and he waves his hands. “Camp Jupiter and Camp Halfblood have always been around. I don’t think that you can just—you know. Build a new one.”

 

“It was also tradition that Greek and Roman demigods weren’t supposed to interact. And that gods didn’t have to claim their kids.” Percy waves his hand dismissively. “We changed that. Annabeth and I spoke. We’re thinking about putting it in the Midwest. It’s hard enough for unclaimed demigods to try and make it to the coast. People have died. Kids have died. It’s not fair.”

 

There’s no doubt in Nico’s mind that Percy’s thoughts are on Thalia. How close she was to Camp Halfblood before ultimately meeting her death. She’s alive today because of Zeus’s blessing and because of the Huntresses—but not everyone is that lucky.

 

If he thinks hard of enough, Nico can think of all demigods that died too soon because they couldn’t make it to a safe haven or because they didn’t know they were a demigod. The deafened heartbeats make his chest ache.

 

“It’s a good idea,” he decides. “Percy and Annabeth saved me. But almost at the cost of Annabeth’s life. We need to make it easier to save demigods. Not harder.”

 

Percy seems pleased with Nico’s answer. Leo and Frank both look contemplative, but neither disagree.

 

“Yeah, but the Midwest?” Leo snorts. “I’m from Texas. Ain’t exactly rainbows and sunshine down there.”

 

“Yeah,” Percy blissfully agrees. “It’s crappy down there. That’s why they need a camp. To meet in the middle.”

 

“I don’t think the gods are going to be happy with you trying to change…politics again.” Frank’s eyebrows mesh together doubtfully and he flashes a look of concern towards Percy. “You’re not exactly on their good side. Like…ever.”

 

“My dad likes me. That’s all that matters.” Percy flashes a grin. “Besides, I already have a name.”

 

His friends lean forward with anticipation, eyes glued to the Son of Poseidon.

 

Percy raises his head proudly. “Camp Jupiblood.”

 

*

 

The rest of the night devolved into everyone yelling at Percy for the stupid name. Between Leo and Percy, it didn’t get much better. (“What about Camp Halfiter?” “Uh’no,” Leo slurs after the fifth shot hits him, “Camp Seven, because we saved the world?” “That’s a little arrogant, don’t you think?” Frank grimaces.)

 

“We settled on Camp Demigod,” Percy announces the next day at the principia. He rubs his temples, still nursing a hangover.

 

Their setup reminds Nico of Mount Olympus. A child representing each god in a U-Shape formation. Nico sees Percy with Piper to his left and Annabeth to the right. Reyna to the right of Annabeth, then Hazel and Frank. Katie Gardner and Will. (Will catches him staring. After all these years, staring Will in the face still makes Nico anxious and he has to look away.)  A few new faces make the hair on Nico’s forearms stand erect, but he chooses to ignore the feeling in his gut.

 

For a moment, his gaze fixes on Thalia. Her posture is coarse and demeanor is regal. A true Child of Zeus as the Lieutenant to Artemis’s Huntresses.

 

The back of Nico’s throat dries and his hand curls on the top of his jeans. Thalia, Percy, Hazel, and himself. At least one child from each of the Big Three is here.  

 

“Good,” Magnus Chase—a newer face to Nico—says slowly. “Because Camp Jupiblood was stupid.”

 

“You’re right,” Alex Fiero quips. “Camp Midgard actually sounded better than that.”

 

“Thanks.” Chase looks awfully proud of himself.

 

“No way. Camp Midgard isn’t…all-encompassing enough.” Percy wrinkles his nose.

 

“Midgard. The realm of humans.” Fiero arches an eyebrow. “Pretty all-encompassing in my opinion.”

 

“There are nine realms,” Sam al-Abbas insists. “Midgard covers everyone who lives here.”  

 

“Please let’s not get into another argument about this,” Annabeth intervenes. She groans, brushing a hand over Reyna’s, and tosses her head back. “Seaweed Brain worked really hard on Camp Jupiblood. It was painful to watch. I’d rather not go back to the drawing board.”

 

Thalia chuckles to herself, loud enough or Nico to hear. “What a dumbass.”

 

“I still liked Camp McHotstuff,” Leo grumbles.

 

“Yeah, no. Camp Demigod works.” Percy’s demeanor sobers in a way that Nico hasn’t seen since the Battle for Olympus. It’s calm. Steady. “The main purpose of this camp is to create another safe haven for halfbloods like us. A fair one.” He looks across the room. “Over a decade ago, when all I knew was Camp Halfblood—I didn’t think I could make it past eighteen.”

 

Percy pauses and extends a look to Chase and Fiero.

 

He continues. “And then I made it to eighteen and found out that death doesn’t mean the end of training and saving the world. Some of us die too young trying to make it out alive. Or not even knowing why we had to die in the first place.”

 

When Magnus Chase frowns, his expression looks much like Annabeth’s.

 

The mood is grim. Nico’s gaze falls to his beloved sister, who too looks tired from years of age.

 

“Not only that, but I found out that if I was born Roman, I could live safe life. Get married. Have kids.” Percy looks to Piper, gaze soft. “And actually be happy. I could still die, but I wouldn’t be living every day wondering if tomorrow would be my last fight.”

 

“So what do you propose?” Thalia asks.

 

“We build another camp. All inclusive,” Percy says. He grins mischievously. “We’ve already made a deal with the gods that every child has to be claimed by thirteen. They’re a little…selective with that rule, but that just means we keep trying. We make it easier to find demigods and bring them to safety. So no kid has to die too young ever again.”

 

Looking around the room, there isn’t one face opposed to the idea. A bit of pride swells in Nico. He’d never tell Percy, but he’s elated to be one of the first people informed of this idea. Nico remembers sitting at his father’s feet, when Hades didn’t have a permanent seat with the twelve Olympians. He remembers that even when his father’s views were taken into account, he still felt like an outsider.

 

Annabeth reveals the blueprints to the new camp. Nico can see the inspirations drawn from Halfblood and Jupiter. Cabins are aligned in Haflblood’s Greek Omega. The principia is to be three stories tall: a floor for Greek, Norse, and Roman demigods each.

 

“The plan is for the elevator to link to Hotel Valhalla,” Annabeth explains. She strokes her chin, eyebrows knitting together. Magnus flashes a smile in her direction. “I haven’t quite figured that part out yet.”

 

“Percy and I can work on integrating both camps,” Reyna says. She views the blueprints over her lover’s shoulders. “This could be a hub for all demigods. We should figure out safe transportation between all three camps and the hotel.”

 

“Leave it to us.” Connor Stoll winks. Both he and Travis poke Leo in the ribs from either side. “We’ll put Leo to work.”

 

Leo, on his third cup of black coffee, grins from ear-to-ear and fist bumps the pair. “Consider me working.”

 

Nico decides not to mention the pair of scissors he sees in Travis’s hands—which are dangerously close to Leo’s greasy manbun.

 

“What about camp directors? Or…praetors?” Frank asks. “Who’s going to be leading this camp?”

 

“Well…us, I hoped.” Percy pauses from his ministrations. His hands are folded together, lips pressed tightly. For a moment, he looks reluctant to go on. His gaze travels the room—pausing on Nico for just a moment too long—and he finally speaks again. “I really want to get Jason back.”

 

The name pulses in Nico’s ears. He feels his cheeks flush with sanguine—and hopes no one notices. Beneath the table, he rattles his fingers against his knee, nervous.

 

Again—hoping no one notices.

 

Then a second thought occurs to him. He’s not quite sure why he’s nervous.

 

“Oh, Jason,” Magnus says. He looks around the room, oblivious. “I remember him. Why isn’t he at the meeting?”

 

At first, Nico examines the expressions of his comrades, hoping someone can offer a good explanation. His gaze ends at Thalia, but even she doesn’t have an answer.

 

“I’m always busy,” she offers. Her lips twist into a grimace. “Honestly, I thought I’d see him here.”

 

“He’s not dead, is he?” Reyna’s gaze falls to Nico, eyes wide. Everyone’s does.

 

Hazel and he exchange looks. Nico contemplates the question—heavily.

 

“He’s not dead,” he confirms. He shoves his anxiety down in the pit of his heart, commanding it to still. “But that doesn’t mean I know where he is.”

 

No one thinks much of it. Everyone’s been busy with their own lives. Frank and Hazel are retired, safely raising a family in New Rome and occasionally shadowtraveling between Vancouver and New Orleans. They try to keep tabs and mentor young campers.

 

Annabeth is busy with her own architecture firm, occasionally travelling to and from the Bermuda triangle to rescue more demigods. Nico knows that in the last few years as praetor, Percy is trying to leave the camp in good hands. Getting ahold of Leo seems impossible, as he seems to enjoy travelling the world, with Piper as the occasional partner in crime.

 

Nico knows he’s the prime example of Missing in Action. He prefers being Hades’ ambassador, shadowtraveling from camp-to-camp and from Underworld to Mount Olympus.

 

(He thinks back to a month ago, when he attended a godly meeting in Hades’ place. It was an unsettling power move on his father’s part. Zeus’s gaze still sends chills up Nico’s spine—harsh and judgmental. Somber. Nico’s hands curl into fists. Something about the way Zeus stared at him has made Nico’s blood boil since.)

 

“Let’s put a comma on that thought and keep going,” Magnus says. If he notices the confusion in the room, he doesn’t mention it. Instead, he looks back to Percy and Annabeth curiously. “When are we setting this plan in motion?”

 

*

 

Percy pulls Nico aside after the meeting. “Take a walk with me?”

 

Nico looks to his sister and brother-in-law. Hazel flashes him a smile and kissing him on the cheek. “Don’t be late for dinner.”

 

Thalia and Reyna meet them outside the principia. Although Reyna hasn’t been a praetor in years, she still looks noble as she carries herself. She and Thalia banter, but quickly stop when they see Nico arrive.

 

They walk through the fields of Camp Jupiter, and Nico takes in the scenary.

 

The Temple of Pluto catches his eye, precious gems and bones apparent from the far distance. Ever since the war, more people had paid their respects to those who’d lost their lives. It’d be a full century soon since the last time Pluto had a child. Nico has a feeling that the next Child of Hades—Greek or Roman—would have an easier time transitioning to their world. He’d make sure of it.

 

“Right after the war, Jason planned on coming back and forth between the camps to make things better,” Percy begins. “The Senate wanted to elect him as the Pontiac Mass Effect.”

 

“Pontifex Maximus,” Reyna interjects. She shoots a look to Percy, very much giving a, ‘I will stab you if you mispronounce that again’ look.

 

“I remember that.” Nico thinks back to what feels like years ago.

 

“Jason promised Kym that he would honor her at both camps. And make sure she gets an action figure. Distributing the funds is tough.” Percy sighs, his mouth curling into a grimace. “I remember that my father wasn’t too happy with that.”

 

“You have to admit: we’ve gotten a bit more forward with the gods.” Thalia smirks and nudges Nico approvingly. “I heard you attended a meeting in Hades’ place last month.”

 

Reyna and Percy pause, both looking at Nico like he’d grown a second head.

 

“Believe me, I only watched.” Nico wrinkles his nose. “Consider it the longest six hours of my life. Hearing the gods bicker back and forth about menial things.”

 

Such as, ‘Hephaestus, I’m pleased that you named The Cloud after me, but why can’t I have my own account?’ Or, ‘Thank you, husband! Tinder is a wonderful thing in my domain!’

 

Nico shudders.

 

“Jason was going to be an ambassador like yourself. For both the camps and Mount Olympus,” Percy says. Their group stops—and it’s only then that Nico realizes that they’re in front of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. “But it suddenly wasn’t a thing anymore.”

 

“What happened?” Nico asks. He remembers post-war being happy that Jason had found his way.

 

But the next year for fifteen-year-old Nico had been spent as Head Counselor for the Hades Cabin, dancing around Will Solace, and gaining more duties from his father. Jason and he crossed paths on their way to meetings on Mount Olympus—Nico with his father, and Jason on his own. The latter years of their friendship had them seeing each other very sporadically.

 

“Hard to say.” Reyna’s gaze flickers. “The title of Pontifex Maximus is only granted to whomever the Senate deems worthy. Jason was that person.”

 

“So why didn’t he take it?” Thalia frowns.

 

“Couldn’t tell you. But does that sound like him? Mister, ‘I’m Always Fifteen Minutes Early’ Sunshine?” Percy says. He shakes his head in dismay and then stares intently at the Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Almost glares on it. “I talked about it with Piper and Leo. Maybe he was on a mission. A quest. But…this is too long. I asked my dad if he knew, but he gave me this look, like—like I needed to drop it.”

 

“You think something fishy is going on,” Nico translates. He peers to the Jupiter Optimus Maximus himself, gaze wandering to the statue’s eyes. It immediately makes the hair on Nico’s arms stand.

 

“I was hoping you could find him.” Percy turns back to Nico, shoulders slumping. “He’s one of my best friends—or at least he was. And we’re not getting the whole story here.”

 

Reyna places a hand on Nico’s shoulder. “You can travel anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye. You have your sources.”

 

“You knew about the Norse Demigods before Annabeth ever told us,” Percy interjects. His tone isn’t of anger—but he stares at Nico intently. “And the Roman demigods.”

 

Nico swallows the lump in his throat. He can’t help but step back for a moment, staring at the trio. “That isn’t—”

 

“No—Nico, I’m not blaming you.” Percy immediately shakes his head. After all these years he finally understood when he made the other demigod uncomfortable. But his look still remains one of concern. “But you’re the best chance of finding him. Or at least figuring out why he’s missing.”

 

It’s not that Nico doesn’t want to find Jason. “I told you he wasn’t dead—that doesn’t mean I know where he is.”

 

“Can you at least try and find him?” Thalia asks softly. She brushes a hand over Nico’s arm, her demeanor grave.

 

He looks into her electric blue eyes and is immediately reminded of the King of Gods. And worse—Jason himself. Thalia’s usual wild, electrifying energy is replaced with worry.

 

Nico understands why he’s the best choice. Reyna and Percy have to stay here if they want to implement Camp Demigod. Thalia can’t leave the Huntresses. He knows any one of them would drop everything in a heartbeat—if they could.

 

He submits, shoulders sagging. “I’ll see what I can do.”

 

A smile spreads across Thalia’s lips. Nico has never been hugged by Thalia Grace before—but it feels warm.

 

*

 

That night, Nico dreams of grasslands.  

 

The world is dark, not a star in the sky. He surveys his surroundings, trying hard to place himself. C’mon, Di Angelo. He’s been everywhere around the world, but everything feels…big.

 

Crickets chirp, filling in the silence that Nico feels around him. Fireflies find Nico, allowing him to see through the expanse. Long, thin trees reach toward the dark sky. Grassy hills whisper as the wind brushes against them, bobbing high and weaving low.

 

Nico has been here before—but he can’t remember why.

 

A snarl cuts through the muteness, making his skin crawl. The hair on the back of Nico’s neck stands tall. He reaches for his sword—only to realize he didn’t have it.

 

The growl eases into a disgusting chuckle. Nico’s eyes water at the sound. He blinks away the tears, trying desperately to find the source of bemusement, but feels frightened. Like a small little boy.

 

‘They’ve been wandering for days,’ a voice growls. ‘We should just eat them.’

 

‘He’s low on blood,’ another voice sniggers. He coos in a way that comes off as a cackle. ‘What a sorry excuse for a—”

 

‘’IDIOT!’ howls a third voice. ‘He won’t be as easy the second time. Do not underestimate him.’

 

A large SLAP rivets against Nico’s ears, and he flinches. He can’t see—but he hears whimpers, like two frightened dogs.

 

‘We’ll get him,’ The third voice declares coldly. ‘The Son of Jupiter.’

 

Nico startles awake at the sound of wolves howling.

 

*

 

The next morning Percy sees Nico off, a wistful twinkle in those sea green eyes. There’s no doubt that Percy wants to be the one to find Jason—but can’t. Once Percy uttered the words of building a new camp, Greek, Roman, and Norse demigods alike began cementing the idea.

 

(It goes without saying that the Romans could build and rebuild camp in a matter of hours. The tricky part was melding all three domains—and that was before Percy could get in touch with the Kanes for further expansion.)

 

“I can’t help but wonder if you’re using this whole camp thing as an excuse to bring Jason back,” Nico muses as they make it to the edge of New Rome.

 

“I’d go to hell and back for the guy. You know I don’t say that lightly,” Percy says. He inspects Nico carefully and awkwardly touches the other demigod on the shoulder. “For any of my friends.”

 

There was a time where Percy’s charm would have sent Nico to cloud nine. Instead, Nico shakes his head. “The camp is a good idea. Jason would be proud.”

 

Percy grins. Looking into those sea-green eyes, Nico sees fear for the first time. Nervousness that was lacking the day before. Percy knows how to deliver speeches and gain peoples’ trust—but he’s terrified that this camp won’t work.

 

It’s probably best that Nico doesn’t mention his dream. He doesn’t want to give Percy false hope.

 

“So what’s your plan?” Percy asks.

 

“Going to visit the Fates. Like I said: just because he isn’t dead doesn’t mean I know where he is. But I can probably ask them where he’s going.”

 

“Yikes.” Percy’s nose wrinkles. “I met them in a subway once. I felt like they were mocking me.”

 

“They’re not…for the faint of heart.” He can’t say he’s ever met them in good graces himself, but he’s hoping his diplomacy will get him somewhere.

 

Shadows pool around Nico’s feet, humming pleasantly at his presence. They tug at his legs, ready to take him where his heart desires. Before he leaves, he notices Percy’s smile.

 

“Anything you want me to say to him?” Nico muses.

                                         

“Nah. I’m just…happy that you’re happy, man.” Percy claps a hand on Nico’s shoulder. The touch tingles. “Give him a big ol’ kiss. From me. Like th—”

 

“Don’t you dare kiss me, Jackson.”

 

*

 

Nico shadowtravels to the Empire State Building. The security guard tips a hat to him, locking eyes firmly with the demigod as Nico eases into the elevator.

 

His stomach does nauseating somersaults as he makes it to the 600^th floor. Part of him thinks it’s akin to how Percy gets nervous on an airplane. Entering the domain of the King of the Gods puts his heart ill at ease.

 

Olympus is like its own New York City. Gold buildings stand tall, reaching above the sky and probably into space. Nymphs and satyrs and aurae move around the streets in a fast pace. Apollo’s music fills Nico’s ears, in a silky jazz that reminds him of the 1930s.

 

Nico bobs and weaves through the crowd—until he comes across a store that reads, Three Fates Boutique. Perfect.

 

In the window, Nico notices a gold mannequin dressed in fine robes meant for an emperor or a leader. Next to it is a beautiful gown in shimmering fabric that pools at the floor. If he blinks, he sees spirits moving around the bustier.

 

A bell rings as he pushes the door open. The inside is made of vibrant red brick, with studio lights high above the ceiling. Gold mannequins pose on small stages, wearing beautiful gowns or suits from different ages. One mannequin wears a beige v-neck sweater and a smoothly cut corduroy suit. Another reminds Nico of a gown he saw on the Oscars. Every outfit brims with life. Literally.

 

The cashier catches his attention. “Welcome to Three Fates Boutique! The one and only place to get clothing fit for a god! My name is Tassie, how can I help you?”  

 

Nico swallows a lump in his throat, uncomfortable. Seeing someone wear the fabric life force of a dead mortal would do that to a person. Hades is infamous for his pinstripe suit made out of the souls of the damned—but this was more Forever 21 and less I Am Lord Death.

 

“Why, why, what a handsome man you are,” purrs another wind spirit. A breeze kisses Nico’s cheek and she hooks an arm around Nico. The aurae runs a hand smoothly down his leather jacket. “What I wouldn’t give to undress you.”

 

“That hair!” squeals another aurae. Nico’s bangs flutter with a gentle gust—and he assumes the other wind spirit is playing with his thick locks.

 

He shifts uncomfortably between his feet, unsure how to react to the attention. Not many people have ever called him handsome in his lifetime. “Ahem—ladies.”

 

“Yes?” All three aurae mewl.

 

They’re transparent. Nico has a hard time seeing them, but they spin around him like a tiny tornado. He feels like one of those supermodels with a giant fan blasting at them. “I like men.”  

 

The wind stops immediately. He wonders if saying, I’m Hades’ son would’ve been worse.

 

Well, this is awkward.

 

Nico takes a better look at the aurae closest to him. She wears a beautifully designed Greek dress that cinched at the waist. The skirt billows as she moves, reminding Nico of old picture movies he’d seen of couples taking long walks on the beach. He quickly scans her nametag.

 

“Cassiopeia, is it?” he asks.

 

“You can call me Cassie.” She giggles happily, which just sounds like a sweet whistle in Nico’s ears.

 

“Cassie, then.” Nico looks at all three workers and scans the boutique. Some nymphs and magical beings rummage through the clothes enthusiastically without a care in the world. “You have a beautiful dress. It—ah, makes you shimmer. Like Iris.”

 

Cassie titters. “You’re so kind! Thank you!”

 

“I just have to meet the designers.” Nico studies Cassie’s reaction carefully. “Are they in?”

 

Her smile disappears, shoulders rising to her ears nervously. She looks between her aurae co-workers. “Oh, I don’t know…they’re not big…mortal people.”

 

“But I’m such a huge fan,” Nico responds smoothly. He pretends to inspect all three aurae’s outfits. “I simply must. And I come as the ambassador to Lord Hades. I would love to commission the Fates to make him a new suit before the big meeting.”

 

Note to self: find out if there really is another big meeting in the foreseeable future.

 

“Lord Hades…as a new client,” says the aure dressed in the crop top. Her name tag reads ‘Thalassa.’ She clasps her hands together and nods. “Yes! I don’t see any harm in that!”

 

“But Lassie!” The third aurae, Tassia, protests. She shakes her head furiously. “You know that they don’t—”

 

In that moment, Nico channels his inner Percy Jackson. Maybe Valdez. “Ladies, just picture it.” He waves a hand in front of him, pretending to stare off in the distance. “The next grand meeting of the gods, live on Hephaestus TV. And what does Lord Hades wear? A Three Fates original.”

 

They look at each other uneasily.

 

“Gods and Titans and Giants from all nine realms will be crowding the boutique, asking for their own gown or suit. And who will the Fates thank?” Nico gestures to them, a smile on his face. “Tassie, Lassie, and Cassie.”

 

“Well…okay!” Cassie claps her hands together. “Let’s go!”

 

Suddenly Nico’s being pushed behind the counter by a giggling gaggle of gales.

 

(He groans to himself. If only he could conjure that much charm to speak to a guy.)

 

The back room looks like a different building altogether. Lights are dim at best, despite the sunny New York day. Walls are filled with cracks from years without maintenance.

 

The floorboards creak under Nico’s light steps, and a musty scent makes his nose wrinkle. The odd part is how the storefront and back of house blend into together—Nico can actually see the upbeat hipster-inspired store transform into the rickety cabin-like room in the back.

 

What is new will always turn old, Nico thinks.

 

Three sewing machines sit in the corner, joined by a delicate looking love seat that sleeps against the wall. In the middle of the room is a frail old woman sitting in a wooden stool. She works away at a Greek dress on the mannequin in front of her, hands nimble and fast.

 

Nico feels like an intruder for watching. He clears his throat.

 

“Madame Clothos!” Cassie says. “We have a new client!”

 

Clothos’s hands stop abruptly. She looks up from her work, head turning slowly. Her gaze pierces straight into Nico.

 

Silence follows.

 

“Well, uh,” Cassie says nervously, “I’ll leave you two alone!”

 

She quickly scurries out of the room.

 

Clothos goes back to her work immediately, completely ignoring the demigod.

 

“What a beautiful dress,” Nico compliments. He walks the length of the room to inspect the gown from all sides and shivers. The closer he gets to the dress, the harder his heart pounds. “Are you running the store by yourself today, Madame Clothos?”

 

“We have three branches, dear boy,” Clothos murmurs. Her voice is soft, but still makes Nico nervous. “I am here. Lachesis is east. Atropos west. No more than that. We want to be noticed, but we won’t sell out. We’re not stupid.”

 

“Clothes made by the Fates in the mortal plane?” Nico does his best to hide his grimace. He fails. Every time Clothos looks at him, he feels like someone is in his head, controlling his thoughts. Nico didn’t like people in his head. “How…innovative.”

 

She gives him a wrinkly, mysterious smile. “Mortals are perfect, Nico di Angelo. They wear their hearts on their sleeves.” 

 

Shiver. Something told Nico that Clothos didn’t mean that phrase in the way it was normally used. He hopes that phrase has never been used to describe him.

 

“You’re here to ask about the Son of Beryl Grace,” Clothos says. “No.”

 

“But I didn’t—”

 

“Do not lie to me, sonny.” Clothos harrumphs and continues with her work, hands working swiftly with the dress. “Your tapestry has led you here. Think of who created that tapestry.”

 

Right. Was there any way to charm the Fates when they guided you to their lair?

 

“No,” Clothos says blithely.

 

Well then. Nico lets go of a sigh he didn’t realize he was holding. An idea comes to mind. “May I see his tapestry?”

 

“No,” she repeats.

 

“But—”

 

“No god, nor titan, nor my demigod cheats my sisters or my decision,” Clothos replies sagely. “Jupiter has inspired our work immensely for the Son of Beryl Grace.”

 

The word inspired makes Nico feel worse off. He contemplates his options. “Is it possible to see my own?”

 

His inquiry is enough to stop Clothos from her work, if for a moment. She stares at him directly in the eye.

 

“I don’t care to see how I die—” Though he hopes it isn’t sooner than later. “—but you’ve sent me on a journey. I’m happy now.”

 

Clothos studies his face, as if trying to find the hidden meaning behind his words.

 

“Would you let a man admire the work you’ve done for him?” Nico asks. “And in exchange, I will—ahem—have my father pay nothing but the highest price for a Clothos original.”

 

She stares at him with large beady eyes. Closes them slowly. A smile forms across her face. “Very well.”

 

With a soft hiss, an entrance to another room appears behind Nico.

 

“I always appreciate an admirer of my work,” she whispers. “And Nico di Angelo?”

 

 “Yes, Madame Clothos?” Nico decides he doesn’t like the way she says his full name so familiarly.

 

“Perhaps your words have inspired me as well.” Her eyes glimmer ominously, piercing straight through him.

 

Nico shudders and decides best to ignore her. He makes his way into the room.

 

One dim lightbulb struggles to shine in the darkness. Looms stand in tight-knit rows, going on aisle-after-aisle for what feels like miles. Nico looks for the walls—but realizes the looms are actually never-ending. He sees one loom assemble itself and work on the first line of a new tapestry.

 

“You’re dawdling,” Clothos’s voice calls out over an invisible speaker.

 

As fate would have it (ugh), he stops in front of the nearest loom. On the side of the loom, etched in gold letters, is his name: Nico di Angelo.

 

It’s the tallest in Nico’s close proximity, standing at probably 68” x 80”. The tapestry has a stunning array of colors. At the top of the loom, Nico sees the warmest hues, reminding him of the breathtaking sunrise in Venice. It tapers off into a beautiful lagoon blue, like the canals Nico could see outside his window as a small boy.

 

He inspects it closely, noticing a single thread of white that follows every row from the beginning of his loom. He watches as his tapestry shifts from a lagoon blue to neon rainbows and almost glow—the seventy years that Bianca and he spent in the Lotus Casino that takes up at least two feet of Nico’s tapestry—and follows the white thread until it stops abruptly.

 

Beneath the Lotus Casino, the tapestry is black. Frayed. Damaged, and full of holes like someone wanted to destroy the cloth at this very point in Nico’s life, but simply ruined it instead. He notices a few lines of the white thread stitched between the tattered fabric, like someone haphazardly tried to fix it. It glows ethereally.

 

He frowns, scrutinizing it. The moment Nico reaches out, he feels something link to him. A lone thread at the bottom of the loom glues to his chest.

 

He’s literally writing fate as he stands there.

 

Nico focuses on the white thread, grazing his finger against the fabric.

 

The vision comes to him like the FWIP of an arrow.

 

“You must listen to me. Holding a grudge is da—”

 

Bianca. Nico whips his hand away immediately. Tears swell in his eyes and his throat hurts.

 

The thread in his tapestry was Bianca’s, intertwined with his own fate.

 

Nico searches the loom hastily, trying to find every instance that Bianca’s fate is wound with his—but all he sees is her white thread from his birth, through the casino, and to age ten at Camp Halfblood, when he lost her forever.

 

The ethereal thread in the worst part of Nico’s tapestry—the way it was forcefully sewn in there was because he was trying to summon her. His fingers tremble.

 

When he looks at the full length of the white thread—to the very last interaction he ever had with his sister when she was alive alive—he notices the thread is coming off of the loom.

 

Studying the white thread, Nico watches as it strays away from his own tapestry, like the silk of a spider web, to another loom adjacent to his.

 

The gold plaque next to the new loom reads Bianca di Angelo. The other loom is half the size of Nico’s—having been cut short too early. Too young.

 

His heart folds. Nico looks around frantically. Maybe—maybe, if he followed the end of Bianca’s thread, he could find her new life—

 

No.

 

“I’m here for Jason,” he murmurs to himself.

 

He’s here for Jason.  

 

Bianca had to wait.

 

His fingers follow the careful line of the dark fabric, forcefully ignoring any memento from Bianca. Nico sees the thread of his darkest days intertwine with other colors: sea green (Percy, he thinks), grey (Annabeth), gold (Hazel), and stops.

 

His hand brushes against a dainty blue thread, heart skipping a beat.

 

“What did you say your rank was?” the voice echoes in his head for the first time in years, much like Bianca’s.

 

“I’m an Ambassador of Pluto. I’m here for Hazel. My sister.”

 

The memory of Nico’s first day at Camp Jupiter filled his mind.

 

Closing his eyes, Nico sees himself at thirteen-years-old, trying hard to stand tall. He remembers his heart pounding in his chest and the protective scowl he mustered in attempt to scream, ‘Do. Not. Test. Me.’ Nothing mattered more than protecting his new sister.

 

And Jason? The hard, electrifying stare of fifteen-year-old Jason Grace—slayer of Titan Krios, Praetor to the Twelfth Legion, leader of the Fifth Cohort—met Nico’s rough gaze. A stoic, menacing frown had rested upon those lips. Nico used to wonder what fight the great Golden Boy had gotten into for that scar.

 

(A stapler was fitting.)

 

Praetor Jason’s face had softened in a way Nico yearned Percy’s would. Sympathy. Pity. “I understand. She’ll be safe here.”

 

Nico wasn’t used to sympathy back then. Not after years of being scorned and dubbed an outcast. When his father sought his love and forgiveness, Hades presented him with a chauffeur as a peace offering. Nico certainly used that as a prime example of Children of Hades Were Bad At Feelings.

 

“You would be too.” Fifteen-year-old Jason’s voice whispers in his ears.

 

His heart had warned him that day. Don’t go down that road again. Even if Praetor Jason was easy on the eyes.

 

The blue thread appears on and off in the lines, overshadowed by Nico’s devotion to Hazel. Jason’s fate intertwined with his only a few times during the first months of their relationship—before vanishing.

 

At some point, Jason reappears in his life again.

 

“My name is Jason. Jason Grace.” The amnesiac demigod extended a hand to Nico—who had to do everything to keep his jaw from dropping to the ground. A warm smile spread on Jason’s face—but every move was calculated.

 

Nico couldn’t help but stare. Praetor Jason Grace was in Camp Halfblood, wearing the orange shirt of the Greek demigods. Percy’s color. Jason’s gesture and gaze was one-hundred percent calculated—from the way he extended his hand to the observant look he gave Nico.

 

But the way Jason looked at him confirmed Nico’s thoughts—Grace had no idea who he was.

 

(And Nico would know—every third sentence out of Praetor Jason’s mouth when Nico visited Camp Jupiter was, “Would you care to stay as well, Ambassador of Pluto?”)

 

The Legion was falling apart in San Francisco without Jason—with Reyna desperately trying to keep Octavian from becoming her new partner. Camp Halfblood was in shambles. Nico was exhausted from months of scouring the country for Percy. Every body of water, every candy store that sold something blue—and here was one of those MIA demigods.

 

Jealousy swelled in the pit of Nico’s stomach. There was a newfound lightness to Jason’s voice. He fit in perfectly here.

 

The radio silence from Nico’s end apparently made Jason nervous. He awkwardly put his hand to the back of his neck, never once breaking gaze with Nico. “I can tell you’re a powerful demigod. I thought you were…you know, Percy. But, ah, the…skull on your shirt…”

 

Nico was so appalled and angry and envious that he couldn’t speak. His mind was going a mile a minute. If Jason was here—

 

“Do I know you?” Jason asks inquisitively. He scrutinizes Nico. “Do you…know me?”

 

—Percy , his heart sang miserably, had to be in San Francisco.

 

“No,” Nico spat harshly.

 

He shadowtraveled to Camp Jupiter immediately.

 

Present day Nico cringes at the memory. He keeps searching his loom, Jason’s blue fate popping up in small bouts.

 

“Look, Nico—” Jason’s voice was as soft and gentle as the first day at camp. “—I’m here if you want to talk about, you know, what happened in Croatia. I get how difficult—”

 

“You don’t get anything.” The hate and misery and shame that Nico had felt for years bubbled in a lump at Nico’s throat. His heart shook with fear and he couldn’t bring himself to look at Jason’s eyes.

 

He hated it. He hated Jason.

 

“Nobody’s going to judge you.”

 

He hated that he could feel Jason looking at him with the same sympathy and pity as the first day they met. Everything felt wrong and raw and disgusting—and Nico never felt more exposed. He felt like a porcupine who’d spent all its life driving people away suddenly stripped of its quills. There was nothing to protect him.

 

Present day Nico pulls away for a brief moment. He swallows the bitter taste of the past as it lingers at the back of his throat.

 

“I don’t belong anywhere,” he recalls himself saying.

 

“You want to trust somebody? Maybe take a risk that I’m really your friend and I’ll accept you.” Nico doesn’t have to touch the loom to remember Jason’s words.

 

During the war, he would replay those words in his mind and laugh.

 

Nico drank from the chalice, then offered it to Jason. “You asked me about trust, and taking a risk? Well, here you go, son of Jupiter. How much do you trust me?”

 

He still remembers Jason’s unwavering gaze as the other demigod took the chalice, brushing warm fingers against Nico’s own.

 

“I’m staying.”

 

“What?” Through the loom, Present day Nico can replay Jason’s reaction in his mind as he wants. The way Jason’s eyebrows rose together, how his sky blue orbs widened with shock beneath those imperial gold glasses. As younger Nico explained his reasoning to remain in Camp Halfblood, present day Nico can see Jason shaking with excitement, like a child being told “Yes” to getting a puppy. “That’s—that’s fantastic! Dude!”

 

Nico’s heart had skipped a beat.

 

“Right. No touching. Sorry.”

 

He ignored it back then. “I suppose we can make an exception.”

 

Continuing further, Nico sees Jason delicately weaving in and out of the tapestry, playing a gentle dance around Nico’s life. He sees Will’s thread, wound tightly around his fate—and bits of Jason in between. The memories flood Nico’s mind like a movie.

 

“He doesn’t like me,” Nico grumbles miserably.

 

“What?” Jason sounds genuinely shocked. “Nico, he’s head-over-heels for you! Are you serious?”

 

“Are you?” Nico asked in disbelief.

 

“Yes,” his friend says with emphasis. He smiles in Nico’s direction and hesitates before nudging Nico in the shoulder. Jason’s eyes glitter.  “He’s head over heels for you. Trust me: I would know.”

 

And then another—

 

“I think I love him,” Nico murmured quietly. So quietly that not even a mouse could hear him. From the corner of his eye, he could see Jason pause from what he was doing—looking at blueprints for new temples.

 

Jason looked at him for a full minute—not smiling, but not frowning. Shocked, maybe. Nico pretended to be busy shuffling through his old Mythomagic cards, face red to the ears.

 

“Oh yeah?” Jason asked. He immediately went back to his work at the foot of Nico’s bed. “You think or you know?”

 

“What’s the difference?” Nico snapped, flustered. He backtracked in his mind, realizing how angry he sounded. “How did you know with Piper? Before you two broke up?”

 

Busy scanning blueprints, Jason didn’t offer his gaze again. Instead, he pushed his glasses above the bridge of his nose. “I never thought about it. We were too busy fighting a war. By the time it ended, I just…knew.”

 

Unfortunately, Nico didn’t have that same experience. Will didn’t start flirting with him until towards the end of the war—and it took a full seven months for Will to ask him out. Something about Nico needing to heal ‘emotionally and physically.’ “You think it’s useless for me to mull over it then.”

 

“I didn’t say you couldn’t,” Jason grumbled. “You can if you want. If you think about it some more, maybe you’ll know if you love him.’

 

Nico noticed the omitted, ‘Or not,’ in Jason’s voice. Jason seemed uncomfortable at talking about the idea. Or maybe he was genuinely concerned about his own blueprints for the new temples and cabins.

 

“What’s wrong?” Nico asked.

 

Jason looked up one more time, taken aback.

 

“You seem…” Nico couldn’t even think of how to describe it. Unhappy? Unsettled? “On guard.”

 

Jason’s shoulders heaved in response. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head in defeat. “The temple is built for Kymopoleia. The cabin, too. Action figures along the way. And then there are blueprints for other gods. Like Melinoe, the goddess of nightmares and madness.”

 

He didn’t speak ill of said goddess for obvious reasons, but his face said it all. Minor gods had niche dominions like that. 

 

“But…?” Nico asked.

 

“It’s a process for every god. Every time I feel like I have a complete list, another one pops up. And then building these temples without consulting them…” Jason’s voice trailed off. He scratched his head and sighed. “It doesn’t feel like my attempt is genuine.”

 

“What does that mean?” Nico sat high in his bed. He had a feeling he already knew the answer, but his chest was crying in protest.

 

Blue orbs look back up to Nico, like they wanted to say, ‘I don’t want to’ before Jason even explained himself. “I think I have to go find these gods. And then make sure Jupiter honors their name. To make it genuine.” 

 

Present-day Nico pulls his hand away. He recalls the memory on his own—Jason had been seventeen at the time, Nico fifteen himself. After a perilous journey on the Argo II, it made sense that Jason didn’t want to step foot on a boat or go on another voyage for a long, long time. But Jason wanted to earn the title of Pontifex Maximus and prove his worth.

 

Personally, Nico had thought that slaying Krios, uniting both Greek and Roman Camps, and stopping Gaea from rising were all heroic feats without the need to personally meet with gods. But he knew that the wrath of a deity—even a minor one—could wreak great havoc on your life.

 

He remembers debating on going with Jason—but he was on the brim of spilling his heart out to his then-boyfriend (ugh) and Jason insisted he stayed in one place. Nico not dipping in and out and hiding was more desirable to Jason than them traveling together. Jason wanted Nico to be happy.

 

And he was, for sure.

 

Why didn’t he remember all of this before today?

 

Nico searches his own mind to recall the last few years he had with a flaky Jason Grace, but it felt as though a force field was preventing him. Why couldn’t he recall Jason’s adventures?

 

From that point, Jason’s fate weaves in and out of Nico’s life once again, in small dashes in different rows. Weeks passing without seeing one another. Months.

 

Years.

 

He found the last meeting he had with Jason Grace, and curled his fingers against it.

 

Twenty-two-year-old Jason Grace looked handsome in his robes. He stood like a true prince to Roman royalty outside of the throne room, shoulders wide with a gold sash around his shoulders. His jawline was sharp, demeanor unreadable beneath his imperial gold glasses. An armful of papers rested under his arm.

 

“Ahem,” Nico announced his presence.

 

Instantly, Jason snapped to attention. His first instinct was to grab his gladius—but instead, his gaze fell to Nico. Nico had a feeling that in the last few months, Jason probably ran into a lot of trouble on his journeys. The bags under his eyes were obvious up close. The Son of Jupiter looked exhausted beyond belief, ready to pass out at any given moment.

 

But the moment Jason lay eyes on Nico, every bit of exhaustion faded with a smile. Jason threw his arms around the other demigod, relief apparent in his voice. “Nico!”

 

Jason’s body was heavy against Nico’s. His grip was almost bone-crushing, encompassing Nico’s small frame many times over. His warm cheek rested against the other demigod’s, and Nico could hear Jason’s heartbeat accelerate against his chest.

 

It felt…nice.

 

“I haven’t seen you in ages.” Jason breathed into his neck. He clung onto Nico like they hadn’t seen each other in years. He pushed away from Nico, looking less like a Roman Senator and more like himself.

 

“You’ve been busy,” Nico noted. He gestured to the papers in Jason’s arm.

 

The excitement in Jason’s demeanor wore off. His shoulders sagged softly and his smile was small. “I’ve been traveling. Meeting with gods. Going between the camps. Begging for meetings with Jupiter to get his blessing.”

 

Nico noticed that Jason didn’t refer to the king of the Gods as “my dad.” The wariness was clear on Jason’s face, like saying Jupiter’s name took all of the energy out of him. Nico didn’t like the edge in Jason’s voice.

 

Getting the sole attention of a god, let alone the King of the Gods, was almost impossible. Nico’d stepped upon Mount Olympus a handful of times over the years—but almost always with purpose or with his father by his side. It took Jason sixteen years of hardships and heroic deeds for Jupiter to meet him even once—and after that, Jason’s tone implied he hadn’t had much luck.

 

“You came back just in time. The Senate has been wondering where you were,” Nico explained. “The inauguration for Pontifex Maximus is tomorrow.”

 

It would have been sooner if Jason hadn’t been busy scouring the world seeking peace treaties with Minor Gods by offering to build temples and cabins and action figures. Nico wondered if that was how his own friends felt when he shadowtraveled without explanation. Jason always seemed too busy being happy in Nico’s presence to be annoyed.

 

The light in Jason’s eyes disappeared. His smile was tight, as though it was a struggle.

 

“What’s wrong?” Nico asked carefully. He studied the other demigod. Jason had a hard time controlling the anger in his body language.

 

“There are just so many gods that are…angry. At being ignored by their parent.” Jason didn’t beat around the bushes, but he didn’t elaborate. Something about Jason’s gaze held a darkness that Nico didn’t like. He flipped through his paperwork carefully and hung his head mournfully. “I just know this meeting won’t go well.”

 

Without another word, he stepped into the room. Although confused, Nico followed in suit.

 

And Jason was right. The meeting didn’t go well.

 

Jason’s papers were filled with the names of gods that he met with, what their domain was, and where they currently rested. He listed their demands and pleas to Jupiter. From the Gods’ side, there was an occasional “Okay,” “Sure,” and “Who?”

 

 Juno seemed particularly annoyed and disgusted with each name—which put Jupiter on even worse edge.

 

Mars was busy polishing knives, Aphrodite was reapplying makeup in her compact. Nico’s own father, Pluto, seemed annoyed to be whisked away from his domain, occasionally staring at a god-sized iPhone and texting Thanatos back.

 

All the while, Jason kept calm. He kept his gaze on his papers—occasionally looking up to gauge the reactions of the gods, but specifically Jupiter’s.

 

The gods not listening was not the worst part. It was when Jason called them out for it.

 

“Father,” Jason said slowly when he finished his findings on the current page. His gaze was cautious. “These gods and goddesses want to be acknowledged. They’re afraid of being forgotten like Pan.”

 

The tone of Jason’s voice wasn’t welcomed by the God of Thunder. Jupiter sat tall in his throne, his eyes cold and lips contorted into a terrifying scowl. “I’m quite a busy god, boy. I can’t simply take time out of my day to solve the problems of these other gods.”

 

“You can’t take the time out of your day?” Jason repeated wearily, like he wanted to laugh.

 

“Are you questioning me?” Jupiter asked, though he wasn’t searching for an answer. The air suddenly became ionic, lightning sparking at the tips of Jupiter’s fingers as he clutched his throne. True anger.

 

From where Nico was sitting, his heart leapt out of his chest. He looked to his friend—and there it was: the ferocity in Jason’s face that he obviously inherited from the King of the Gods. His gaze was cold, lips pressed in a frustrated scowl.

 

“Jason,” Nico whispered to himself. “Don’t.”

 

Don’t fight the King of the Gods, he pleaded in his head. You won’t win.

 

“Of course not, Father. I was just thinking—a mere mortal like myself went on a journey to seek out these gods. Allbeit—it took me months, if not years to find them. A godly being like yourself is so incredible that he could visit everyone in half the time,” Jason responded through his teeth. He looked frustrated, but unsurprised.

 

It was then that Nico realized this was a circular argument. Jason was gone months at a time trying to make amends as the pre-Pontifex Maximus for all of these gods. He started the process of building temples and was trying to get Jupiter to acknowledge his deeds, for the sake of these godly beings.

 

How many times had Jason insisted on meeting with Jupiter, only to stand there in the middle of the throne room, with King Jupiter staring at Jason as though his own son wasn’t worth his time?

 

“I don’t need to,” Jupiter sneered. He rubbed his temples and sighed. The room was still filled with electricity. “Limos: the god of starvation! Ersa, the goddess of dew! They have their domains. Their own realms of control. This does not need to be done.”

 

Jason stared at Jupiter. “Every name that I’ve read today has been the name of one of your children.”

 

Silence. Not even the crackle of electricity could be heard. Venus looked away from her compact. Mercury looked up from his smartphone.

 

Jupiter looked ready to flatten Jason with his hand.

 

“There are countless names on these lists, Dad,” Jason continued. His voice was calm, but the rage was apparent in his face. He was trying desperately to run out of fumes before he could explode. “Many gods, that could easily be swayed—against you. Ignoring them like this would be—be—”

 

“Unwise?” Jupiter finished for him. Electricity crackled again, causing Nico to flinch. “You dare come to my home, utter the names of the children I already know with such arrogance, mock me—and call me unwise?”

 

“No, I—” Jason was startled, the papers suddenly shaking in his hands. His brow furrowed together and he contemplated his words. “Yes. There could be another war, Father. Raised against everyone in this court. Against you.”

 

The gods looked around the room, at a loss for words. But Jupiter’s attention was glued to his son.

 

“Are you threatening me?” Jupiter’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Do you take me for an unwise, mortal fool, and threaten to raise a sword against your own father?”

 

Nico’s throat dried. He looked to his friend, frightened. Jason’s demeanor and stance was a culmination of both fear and defiance. Nico stood at the edge of his seat, his hand grasping for his sword—

 

Hades cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone but his brother and the demigod son of Jupiter. “I see this matter no longer concerns me. Or any of us, in fact. I’ll be returning to the Underworld now. Come, Nico.”

 

“No, I—” Nico started, but Hades flashed him a look that clearly said, ‘Know your place.’

 

“HOW DARE YOU—!”

 

Hades shadowtraveled them both away.

 

“Jason!” Nico shouts aloud. He finches as his voice reverberates off the walls and searches around.

 

There was no trace of Jason after that. A good four inches of Nico’s life continues on the loom, and ends with the string still attached to Nico’s essence.

 

Nico frowns, inspecting the memory one more time. That couldn’t be right—Nico remembers Jason getting into an argument with Jupiter and Hades sweeping him away.

 

But—he did nothing? He didn’t seek Jason after that incident?

 

He inspects the loom one more time—all until Jason disappeared from his life forever. There was nothing.

 

Why was there nothing?

 

His loom continued on without any other streak of Jason. Four years had passed since that incident. Jason had to be—twenty-two, twenty-three now?

 

So why was it that Nico hadn’t thought of Jason since that incident?

 

“What happened?” Nico demands to no one around him. He can feel the anger boiling in his veins, but has no outlet.

 

Digging a finger nail against the streaks of blue, Nico sees what he did with Bianca’s fate: Jason’s thread tapering off, leading to another loom. He walks over it and sure enough, finding Jason’s name on the plaque.

 

Jason’s loom is shorter than Nico’s. Not being stuck in a casino for seventy years would do that. Despite the fact that on Nico’s loom, the blue thread represented the son of Jupiter, Jason’s tapestry is filled with as many colors as Nico’s own. Hues of that blue like the sky and white, like the clouds. An undertone of purple shows Jason’s time in the legion. Undertones of orange flow below that.

 

Nico can’t quite decipher the colors as well as he did with his own tapestry. Maybe because it wasn’t his life. He can’t pinpoint his place in Jason’s life as easily as his own.

 

When he brushes his hand against the cloth, he hears wolves howling.

 

The end of the cloth intrigues Nico the most. A good height of Jason’s cloth is a muddled grey color, reminding Nico of a foggy day. He reaches the edge of Jason’s cloth—the present—and sees another strand taper off. In present day, Jason’s fate was intertwined with someone else’s.

 

Behind Jason’s loom is another—one with a cloth that was only a few inches tall.

 

A frown encapsulates Nico’s lips. Why was Jason’s fate intertwined with—?

 

“That’s quite enough,” Clothos’s voice calls out.

 

In the moment it takes Nico to blink, the room fades away, moving away from him. He reappears in the rickety old room where Clothos sits next to a now-completed gown and is starting on a new one.

 

She doesn’t look up from her work. “I said you could admire your tapestry, boy. Not eavesdrop on others.”

 

“I didn’t—I couldn’t look at his fate anyway,” Nico says. His eyebrows knit together and his hands curl into fists. “Why did I stop seeing Jason?”

 

Clothos doesn’t answer.

 

“Why isn’t he in my life after that day? Why hasn’t he been in my life for the last four years?” It gets worse as Nico keeps thinking about it, his mind running a mile a minute. This wasn’t just him. Thalia, Reyna, Percy—everyone else came to the realization that they hadn’t seen Jason in all those years either. But why?

 

“I can’t answer that,” Clothos says.

 

“But you made it that way!” Nico cries back. His heart wants to leap out of his chest. He wants to puke.

 

How could he forget Jason Grace?

 

In that moment, Clothos stops her work. She looks up to Nico with her wrinkly face, lips set in a straight line. “I did not make his fate that way, dear boy. A new stitch appeared and I simply followed the seam.”

 

In other words: Something happened and Clothos—the Three Fates—adapted around it.

 

“What happened that day? Please,” Nico begs. He hasn’t felt this distraught in years.  

 

“You saw what happened that day,” Clothos says calmly. “And your day continued after you left Olympus, and continued the day after that, and the day after that.”

 

“Where is he?”

 

Clothos puts down her pins. She stares at Nico directly in the eye, her gaze sharp. “I do not offer cheat codes, Nico di Angelo. If you seek information about every mortal being in the universe, then you shall seek it on your own.”

 

Nico decides pointing out the hole in Clothos’s argument would be a poor choice.

 

“Besides,” Clothos concludes. “You already know the answer to at least one of those questions.”

 

Yes. Yes he did, actually. His hands tremble. “And the loom next to Jason’s?”

 

She smiles grimly. “Perhaps you’ll find out once you see him.”

 

*

 

If he thought hard about it, Nico didn’t have to travel to the west coast to get hints about Jason’s whereabouts. His dream, although vague in presentation, gave him all the leads he needed.

 

He wants to smack himself, thinking about how close he was to Jason this morning when he was sipping on a latte and having a conversation with Reyna in a New Roman coffee shop.

 

When Nico shadowtravels into the Jack London State Historic Park, night has already fallen. His time at the Three Fates Boutique had caused him to miss most of the afternoon. After that, he’d stocked up on supplies—his sword at his side and a knife tucked away in his pocket. Ambrosia. A McDonald’s meal.

 

The park is empty. Nico sees hills full of trees beyond the dirt pathway at his feet. He scans further, until what he’s looking for finally meets his presence.

 

Nico pours the 32oz of coke on a mound of dirt. A moment later, he hears the rattling of bones. A spirit rises from the mound, and Nico offers it the quarter pounder and French fries in his possession.

 

(Seeing a spirit scarf down fast food is never a pleasant sight. Nico tries to hide his disgust.)

 

“I’m looking for someone. A couple of inches taller than me. Blond. He has gla—” Nico halts for a moment. He’s not really sure what Jason looks like these days—if he’s still wearing those glasses gifted to him from Asclepius. His heart aches at that fact. “He has a scar on his lip.”

 

The ghost nods enthusiastically and points left.

 

Nico hesitates before asking, “Was he with someone?”

 

Again, the ghost nods.

 

“Okay.” He’s about to dismiss the ghost when she waves her hands around, whispering something in Nico’s ears. “Someone is following them. A group of them.”

 

Nodnodnod.

 

His brow furrows together. Without a doubt, the figures from his dreams were after Jason and whoever was with him. Nico puts the spirit to rest with a quiet thank you and begin his trek to the Wolf House.

 

Being out in the open makes his skin crawl. After years of fighting demons and monsters alike, Nico is hyper aware of his surroundings. He knows not to let his guard down if a monster appears—almost expects it. But he also knows that having everything go according to plan has never been possible.

 

He can still recall feeling terrified in his dreams. His father’s blood was supposed to make it easier for him to navigate the darkness in his dreams. But the monsters—whoever they were—scared him so badly that he couldn’t move. He felt like a small, frightened child.

 

Nico stops in his tracks, putting the pieces together. Maybe he was.

 

BOOM!

 

The crackle of thunder snaps Nico into attention. He looks up to the sky only to see dark clouds looming above. The ionic air makes the hairs on his arms stand upright. Rain falls in heavy beads, pummeling Nico in the face.

 

On a normal day, Nico would have berated himself for forgetting to bring an umbrella.

 

“Jason!” On a day like this, after finding out his best friend has been missing for the last four years (and it might have been his fault for not searching), Nico went running.

 

CRACKLE

 

He starts running faster—through trees, over hills, off the beaten path. The rain falls harder the closer that he gets.

 

When he finds the source, he stops dead in his tracks.

 

The three voices that he heard were only a sample of reality. At the bottom of a hill, a pack of wolves surrounded two figures. The rain made it hard to see, but from what Nico could tell, the taller figure held an imperial gold sword in his hand, while the smaller figure barely came up to the former’s knee.

 

Jason. It had to be Jason.

 

Another bolt of lightning comes out of the sky, striking the wolf nearest to them. It lets out a harsh whimper and falls to the ground.

 

Something told Nico that this wasn’t Lupa’s pack.

 

He could hear sniggering come from one of the wolves. Upon closer inspection, Nico could see the long limbs of humans, covered in the hides of a beast. They weren’t wolves—they were lycanthropes.

 

“We can continue this song and dance as long as you want, Son of Jupiter,” snarled one of the werewolves. “You clearly came ill-prepared.”

 

“Juno isn’t here to save you this time,” growls another lycanthrope—the pack leader. “I can tear you apart limb-from-limb.”

 

The child with Jason is shaking, clinging to the demigod’s leg for protection. In one hand, Jason wields a sword. The end of his shirt is tattered, a good piece of it ripped apart to cover his left arm.

 

Nico’s heart throbs in his chest. His jaw is tight, body frozen. Fear rings in his ears. For the first time in years, he doesn’t know what to do.

 

A lycanthrope lunges at Jason, biting at his sword-wielding wrist. Jason howls in pain. One moment, he’s trying to fend the lycanthrope off and the next, Jason is on the ground with two more werewolves pinning him down. The child with Jason screams, and the rain pummels down harder.

 

Instantly, Nico has his sword in hand. He leaps into action, swiping at two lycanthropes closest to him. They both screech in pain and fall to the ground.

 

His feat earns the attention of others in the pack, and another stands on its hind legs and swipes out at him. Nico dodges out of the way and kicks it in the chest. From the corner of his eye, he sees Jason retrieve his footing, fending off two more lycanthropes around them.

 

Nico whips out the silver knife from his pack pocket and immediately swipes at a lycanthrope behind him. It howls in pain and immediately evaporates into dust.

 

“Jay!” shouts the child.

 

Nico feels good about the adrenaline pumping in his veins until he sees Jason collapsing to the ground, clutching his head. Three more lycanthropes take notice and target him—and Nico doesn’t have enough time to run over and help.

 

“Jason!” Nico shouts. “Fly!”

 

Jason curls into a tighter ball. Nico watches as the kid tries to—shoot lightning?—at the werewolves, but also seems too frightened to move.

 

Waving a hand, Nico summons an undead soldier. He whips out the silver knife from his back pocket and tosses it to his new partner, making sure to shout, “Defeat the lycanthropes!”

 

They make it through the pack, cutting down them down one-by-one until they’re left with one: King Lycaon himself. Lycaon looms over Jason and the child, his claws sharp.

 

“I WILL KILL THE SON OF JUPITER!” he shouts viciously.

 

“Not likely.” Nico retrieves his silver knife and drives it through Lycaon’s back. Lycaon howls in pain and evaporates into dusk. He looks over to his undead soldier, thanks it, and allows it to dissipate away.

 

Then, Nico turns his attention back to his friend. The little child—a boy—has his hand over Jason’s back, whimpering.

 

Nico’s own heart drops in his chest. He kneels to his feet, offering a hand to his fallen friend. “Jason—”

 

And immediately gets slashed by Jason’s gladius.

 

“Agh!” Nico falls back in pain, clutching his wounded arm.

 

Jason wobbles to his feet. He looks at Nico through hazy eyes, pointing his sword directly at Nico’s chest. “How the hell do you know my name?”

 

“What?” Nico’s at a loss for words. At this distance, he gets a better look at the demigod. Jason…doesn’t look well.

 

Jason’s arms are covered in bite marks and gashes from claws. His shirt is mottled with blood, both fresh and old, and his heartbeat is faint. He remains in his hunch, hands clutching his head in pain. His frame is thin, almost skeletal. Dark rims rest under Jason’s eyes, akin to a tired raccoon. He looks like he hasn’t slept, eaten, or shaved in months. His gaze keeps flickering between Nico and Nico’s sword, unfocused, and a crooked scowl rests on his face.

 

But it’s definitely Jason. The scar on his lip proves it.

 

Nico looks down to the boy, who clings to Jason’s leg as though his life depended on it. Two tiny hands curl into fists against Jason’s wet jeans, and sky blue eyes look up to Nico, terrified. Dirty red hair shoots in different directions, wet from both mud and rain.

 

Another thought whispers in Nico’s mind, and it’s not a happy one.

 

Before he has a chance to process his thoughts, Jason swipes at him again. Nico dodges just in time. “Jason! It’s me! Nico!”

 

There’s a split moment—half a heartbeat—where Jason listens. He falters for only a moment, but the doubt fades almost immediately. Jason clutches his sword tightly. “I don’t know a Nico.”

 

The words hit Nico like a punch to the gut. Then—Jason actually tries to punch him in the gut. Nico resists all instinct to wield his sword.

 

“Get behind me, Sion,” Jason mutters hoarsely. He swings at Nico again—moves erratic. Again, and again—

 

“It’s me! Nico di Angelo! Your—your best friend!” Nico grunts. He weaves behind Jason as the other demigod swings again, jaw unhinged.

 

Again, Jason falters at the name. Nico’s words have some effect—but every wave of doubt in Jason’s mind is quickly covered with a layer of paranoia. “I’ve been burned by monsters before.”

 

He slashes forward again—this time nicking Nico in the face.

 

“Agh!” Nico recoils, clutching his face in pain. “ENOUGH!”

 

He summons two undead skeletons on either side of Jason. His warriors grab the blond demigod and immediately disarm him. Jason cries out in protest, immediately forced to his knees.

 

As Nico steps forward, the nausea grows in his stomach. He looks to Jason’s battered face. Scrutinizes it.

 

Jason looks back, the hate and distrust evident.

 

“You really don’t remember me,” Nico realizes. Jason really had amnesia.

 

“If you hurt him, I will kill you,” Jason snaps. He spits at Nico’s feet.

 

If it were anyone else, Nico would’ve been angry. But he sees the exhausted image of his friend—someone who he hasn’t seen in four years, and a lump grows in his throat. He brushes a hand through Jason’s wet hair—and murmurs, “Sleep.”

 

Jason is resistant at first, struggling in Nico’s gentle grip—but his head quickly ducks forward, lulled into slumber by Nico’s command.

 

That was one down. Nico turns his attention back to the little boy—Sion, as Jason called him—and takes the sight in.

 

Sion doesn’t run—which, depending on how the little boy took in the whole scene just now, could either be seen as wise or downright stupid. He stares back at Nico, tiny fists trembling and tears mixing with the rain.

 

A moment passes. Then, tiny Sion sniffles, “C-Can you…r-really help h-him?”

 

“I can.” Relief floods Nico’s thoughts. Fighting off Jason was one thing, but running after a toddler after two shadow-travel spouts and everything here might actually kill Nico. 

 

Sion shakes erratically. His shoulders cave in together, gaze never leaving Nico’s. Finally, he nods and waves his hand at the sky. “Bye, rain.”

 

The storm stops immediately. Nico blinks in surprise, watching as rainclouds part and reveal the starry night sky. He looks back to Sion, mouth ajar—but unsure of what to say.

 

He thinks back to when he was a little kid—when he’d run too far from his sister or his mom and was lost. Or what he would’ve wanted if he ever saw someone close to him in the state Jason was in, with a stranger looming over him.

 

Nico’s mouth twitches. “Do you want to play with legos?”

 

 

Chapter 2: The Day We Reunited

Summary:

Two nymphs gawk and stare at them as they enter—and Nico supposes they look godsawful. Jason, Sion, and he are sopping wet from the rain. Sion could probably pass for a karpoi rising from the dirt. It’s obvious that Nico got into a fight with someone—and that someone is unconscious behind him.

He clears his throat. “Could you let Doctor Solace know I’m here?”

One of the nymphs nods slowly, her mouth parted into an ‘o.’

“Tell him it’s Nico.” Nico tries his best not to sound cranky—shadowtraveling three times in a row won’t kill him, but the exhaustion might.

Finally, she nods again in understanding, and pushes a clipboard towards Nico. “Y-You’ll need to fill out some paperwork.”

Getting Sion to come with him is terrifyingly easy.

 

In the short half-hour it takes to gather their bearings, Nico can’t stop looking at Sion.

 

Sion’s nest of red hair, tangled and knotted with small twigs and leaves. Sion covered in mud, as though he’d spent a few days hiding in a dirt pit. Nico realizes that although the lycanthropes scared Sion, they didn’t surprise him. He counts his eggs, wondering how his elusive aura as the Son of Hades alone hasn’t sent Sion into tears.

 

(Part of Nico contemplates—maybe he’s gotten better. Hazel tells him he’s only softened with age—and even more so after Emily and Marie were born. Another part of him is still wary every time he meets someone new—as though he expects to be shunned for being Hades’s son.)

 

The warmth of Sion’s breath rests on Nico’s neck as the child clenches a fist into his shirt. Nico holds onto the little demigod gently, murmuring soft words as they shadowtravel to New Rome. He senses his two skeletons hauling the unconscious Jason behind him.

 

A tall hospital building greets them—four or five stories high. Nico’s internal clock tells him it’s close to midnight—the graveyard shift. His chest tightens as he feels Sion trembling in his arms, and he coaxes Sion to open his eyes.

 

“That wasn’t too scary, was it?” Nico whispers softly—and his throat clenches.

 

His chest tightens, and his whole body feels heavy as Sion looks at him with those big, blue Jason eyes. Sion studies his face, expression mute but understanding, and nods slowly. He’s eerily calm through the ordeal, and Nico has a frustrating time keeping his expression neutral.

 

Nico brushes wet bangs out of Sion’s face. Sion doesn’t protest—simply taking in the sight of the hospital building.

 

“This place will help Jay?” Sion asks.

 

“Yeah,” Nico murmurs. “This place will help Jay.”

 

Sion nods. He peers over to Jason—still unconscious, being carried precariously by two skeletons who probably couldn’t support his weight. He doesn’t ask any more questions—just waits, to follow Nico’s lead.

 

Two nymphs gawk and stare at them as they enter—and Nico supposes they look godsawful. Jason, Sion, and he are sopping wet from the rain. Sion could probably pass for a karpoi rising from the dirt. It’s obvious that Nico got into a fight with someone—and that someone is unconscious behind him.

 

He clears his throat. “Could you let Doctor Solace know I’m here?”

 

One of the nymphs nods slowly, her mouth parted into an ‘o.’

 

“Tell him it’s Nico.” Nico tries his best not to sound cranky—shadowtraveling three times in a row won’t kill him, but the exhaustion might.

 

Finally, she nods again in understanding, and pushes a clipboard towards Nico. “Y-You’ll need to fill out some paperwork.”

 

Of course he did. Rolling his eyes, Nico grabs the clipboard and makes his way to a seat. He finds the legos—just as he promised Sion, and ushers the baby demigod to play with them. Sion is reluctant—but wriggles out of Nico’s grasp and slowly starts building.

 

Eventually, two nurses arrive to haul Jason away. It’s the only time Sion makes any sort of reaction. He stops dead in his tracks, tugs at Nico’s leg, and points in that direction. “They’re taking Jay away! We have to get him, w-we have to—”

 

“It’s okay, Sion,” Nico reassures. He drops out of his chair and coaxes Sion by running a hand up and down Sion’s arm. “I know this place. They’ll make him better. I promise.”

 

The look Sion gives him makes the hairs on Nico’s arms stand. Again—they’re frightening—threatening, even. Nico sees so much of Jason in Sion—even the protective nature. Then—it disappears. Sion inhales two deep breathes and calms down. Slowly.

 

“C’mere,” Nico instructs. He pulls Sion into his lap like one of his nieces. “You must be tired.”

 

His chest also tightens as he thinks about how exhausted Sion has to be. Nico has inspected the boy thrice times over. There isn’t a scratch on him. For every scratch that’s missing on Sion, Nico is sure there are twice on Jason. Still, Sion was tired and refused to eat. He wanted to make sure Jason was okay first.

 

“Jay…,” Sion whimpers. Nico rocks back and forth, murmuring gentle words in Sion’s ears.

 

Despite the heavy poker face, Sion relaxes in his arms. He clings to Nico’s neck, but his breathing slowly steadies and he drifts off to sleep like any other fussy toddler. Nico thanks the gods that Sion had an easier time falling asleep than his nieces.

 

Good.

 

“Go get Hazel and Percy,” Nico instructs his skeletons. “Tell Hazel to bring clothes for a toddler.”

 

Both skeletons salute Nico and trot out of the waiting room. He can see the nymphs at the reception desk sighing in relief. Nico is left alone in the waiting room, with no one but his thoughts to accompany him.

 

When he was younger, his contemplations would always dissolve into him hating himself in one fashion or another.

 

At the moment, Nico isn’t sure if he can convince himself otherwise.

 

“Ack,” Nico hisses quietly. He flinches when Sion’s head dips over his arm wound—where Jason had cut him.

 

“I’ve been burned by monsters before.” Jason’s voice echoes in his head.

 

Holding his breath, Nico can shut his eyes and see Jason’s face. The distrust. Fear. Anger. He sees Jason’s sickly skin, eyes brewing a dangerous storm and lips contorted in an angered scowl. But Nico’s never seen that look directed at him before.

 

Fidgeting, Nico’s hand curls against the nick on his face.

 

Jason’s never tried to hurt him before, either. Not even when Nico intruded upon Camp Jupiter the first time. (He laughs sourly at the memory.)

 

Time passes slowly. Nico isn’t sure how long he’s been waiting. Eventually, he sees blond curls from the corner of his eye, and Doctor Will Solace comes into view. At first, Nico has to swallow the lump in his throat. Then, he notices that Will is staring at him like a deer caught in headlights. Like Will has been staring at him.

 

“Hi,” Nico says tentatively.

 

Will clears his throat and slowly waltzes over, his cheeks a sheepish pink. “Nico.”

 

“Will…?” Nico greets in the same cautious tone. He arches an eyebrow, skeptical.

 

Then, Will flips whatever switch to seem normal again. He smiles, oozing with warmth as he scans both Nico and Sion, and shakes his head. “My bad. Not used to seeing you with a kid, I guess.”

 

Oh, gods. Nico wards off an incoming headache, deciding to stare Will down instead. “How’s Jason?”

 

His intimidation almost never worked on Will. It pissed Nico off to no end, even when they were dating. Instead, Will studies Nico, like he always did—trying to gauge Nico’s reaction and find the right words to say. The Apollo-esque smile doesn’t fade from Will’s face, but his eyes are eager for a diagnosis. “Not much yet. We put him on an IV with diluted ambrosia to help with the wounds. Sang hymns. Ran some tests. He’s knocked out like a light.”

 

Nico clears his throat and averts his gaze. “I knocked him out.”

 

“Oh.”

 

““Yeah.”

 

Silence.

 

“So is that—?”

 

“No idea. I…knocked him out before I got answers.” Nico grimaces. “The only thing he said was not to hurt Sion.” Like Nico would ever hurt a child.

 

Will nods sympathetically—maybe a little too much—and apparently decides one question is enough. He chuckles uneasily. “Percy asked for Jason only yesterday and here you are.”

 

“‘Here I am,’” Nico echoes somberly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Nothing. Just when it comes to Jason…well, you always deliver.” Will stares at him with a twinkle in his eye—in a way that always annoyed Nico when they were dating.

 

More silence. When they were still dating, their conversations were always filled with Will’s words—about how he wanted to be a doctor, how he loved to surf, how his dream was to sing hymns on a ukulele and cheer kids up in the Children’s ward. He always listened to Nico, even when Nico himself thought his own words were boring. But now, Nico could barely muster anything to say past, ‘Hi.’

 

Usually if they’re forced in the same room together, they choose to ignore each other—or Will talks to him casually as though they’d never gone out in the first place. Nico kind of wishes those were his two options now. The way Will looks at him makes Nico squirm in his seat.

 

“I heard you asked for me,” Will converses.

 

Part of Nico badly wanted to say, ‘Shouldn’t you be tending to Jason?’ Instead, “We may have broken up, but you’re still the best damn doctor I know.”

 

“Thanks.” He sounds even more pleased with himself, but Nico refuses to look. If he looks for Will’s smile, his heart will skip a beat and he’ll feel awkward and out of place all over again.

 

Will gestures to Sion. “Looks like you’re having fun playing Dad.”

 

Nico’s lip curls into a frown. He adjusts Sion’s weight on him and bows his head. “I told you I didn’t want kids.”

 

“I know, I know,” Will responds almost immediately. He shrugs casually. “No kids. With me.”

 

He stares at Nico carefully, not necessarily trying to get a rise out of the son of Hades—but the expression makes Nico’s stomach flop. Will may have looked incredibly unperturbed, but Nico knows a demigod who chose his words wisely. He was friends with a daughter of Athena, after all.

 

A sigh escapes his lips and Nico rubs his temples. “You know that’s not the only reason why we broke up.”

 

“Yeah.” Will shrugs. Just like that, his strategy to irk Nico is dropped. “We’ll split the blame fifty-fifty.”

 

Before Nico can protest, Will brushes a hand across Nico’s face, pressing the tips of his fingers against Nico’s cheek. It feels uncomfortable, but also familiar all the same. Will reaches out to Sion with his other hand and sings a hymn.

 

Warmth fills Nico’s chest. He feels the soft sting of the wound on his face and arm as they dissipate. His hair dries, as though he’d just stepped out of the sun—clothes, too. Will’s melody is the tune Nico used to fall asleep to back when they were still together.

 

It felt…wrong.  

 

“Nico!” Hazel.

 

“I’ll go check on Jason,” Will says. He moves away from Nico, gentle graze gone. Nico releases the breath he was holding.

 

He gathers to his feet, waiting as Hazel, Percy, Piper, and Frank come to him. Sion stirs, whimpering softly at Nico’s neck. Nico strokes his hair. “C’mon, Sion. There’s a couple of people you should meet.”

 

Sion opens his eyes. He stares at the four new additions—who all stare back at him, taken aback. Then, he curls deeper into Nico’s grip, refusing to be acknowledged.

 

Well—at least he wasn’t scared.

 

“Did you bring the clothes, Hazel?” Nico asks.

 

“I—yes. For you, too.” It takes a moment for Hazel to find her voice. She almost jumps when Nico mentions her by name, but gestures to the gym bag slung over her shoulder’s. “They’re Marie’s clothes, though.”

 

“That’ll do. Let’s go get changed, Sion.” Nico thanks his sister quietly and obtains the bag. He saunters off to the bathroom with Sion in tow. The little demigod is cranky, but compliant as Nico sets Sion down. He wets a cloth found in the bag (he muses the thought that one of the skeletons advised Hazel to pack the surplus of items) and wipes the grime off Sion’s face.

 

Sion yawns. The cleaner he gets, the more he looks like Jason. He peers up to Nico with big blue eyes—obedient as Nico changes him.

 

“You’re very well-behaved,” Nico muses. “I hope you know that.”

 

“I’m a good boy?” Sion asks in a tiny voice.

 

“A very good boy.” Nico’s chest throbs. There isn’t much he can do about Sion’s hair. He combs a hand through it, but Sion yelps as Nico’s hand gets stuck in a knot. The image of a two-year-old Jason comes to mind, going on quests with an oversized gladius in his hands, covered in dirt as he unarmed a cyclops twenty times his size by poking it in the big toe.

 

When he finally finishes, Sion is wearing a pink shirt with the saying, Mommy’s Little Demigod and polka-dotted purple pants. Marie’s clothes indeed. Sion raises his arms over his head, ushering for Nico to pick him up.

 

Once they return to the waiting room, Nico sees Percy, Hazel, Frank, and Piper all stand up from their seats, anticipating him.

 

“Do you want to play with legos, or do you want to sleep?” Nico asks Sion.

 

Sion buries his face into Nico’s shoulder, silent. Sleep it is.

 

“Where are the girls?” Nico asks.

 

“Fred wanted to watch them,” Hazel explains.

 

“Fred?”

 

“The skeleton you sent to come get us.” She shrugs nonchalantly. “He said he’ll trot back here if anything comes up.”

 

“At least yours was nice to you,” Percy grumbles. He looks over to Piper, then rubs his arm. “He knocked on our door and scared us half to death. I cut off his head and he put it right back on before grabbing Piper and me by the hand and dragging us here.”

 

“I charmed him into explaining things to us. In English,” Piper explains. She shudders and leans closer to Percy. “His name’s Andy.”

 

“Impressive,” Nico notes. He arches an eyebrow, repeating their words in his head. “So you two came together.” He clearly recalls Fred and Andy ask for Percy and Hazel. Frank is expected, but Piper…

 

(He smacks himself internally. If Leo was still in town, he was going to annoy Nico to no end for not calling for him too. Of course Jason’s two best friends would want to know as soon as Nico found him.)

 

Piper and Percy look at each other. Red flushes Percy’s cheeks and he scratches his arm. “We, uh…well—”

 

“Jason’s here,” Piper cuts him off, unfazed. “Andy said you found Jason.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah!” Percy regains his composure and clears his throat. If it was one thing he was smart about, it was always finding a girl who could keep him in check. His gaze flickers down to Sion, demeanor changing. He twitches. “Is that…I mean…did Jason shrink?”

 

Nico stares at him, twitching. “Are you serious?”

 

“I can summon a tidal wave with a flick of my finger, Frank can turn into a giant koi fish, and you have a giant three-headed dog,” Percy shoots back. “Piper charmspoke an undead skeleton into speaking English. Jason shrinking into a child is not impossible.”

 

“But that’s your first thought?” Nico snaps. His head hurts.

 

“So then, is he Jason’s…?” Hazel trails off.

 

“I don’t know,” he mutters miserably. Nico sucks in a breath and rubs his temples. Then—he recounts his day aloud. Clothos, lycanthropes, and fending himself off from Jason. Jason’s words. “Sion had summoned a thunderstorm and willed it away like it was nothing. He’s powerful.”

 

The exhaustion from Sion’s powers has clearly kicked in. Nico hears soft snoring next to his neck.

 

“So Jason didn’t remember you,” Piper repeats. She hesitates before asking, “Did he…do you think he remembers me?”

 

A pang of jealousy hits Nico’s chest. Jason probably would remember his first love before Nico. Nico wills the envy away and simply shakes his head. A thought crosses his mind and he looks to Percy. “How did you decide that you wanted Jason to help run the new camp?”

 

“Well, why wouldn’t I—?”

 

“No. When did the thought cross your mind?” Nico cuts him off. “Because the day after the last time I spoke to Jason, I just stopped thinking about him. It’s like he hadn’t crossed my mind in four years.”

 

Percy scans Nico’s eyes for a hidden meaning. “I was…hanging out with Annabeth and Magnus, throwing out stories about when we were kids. Magnus mentioned something about Kymopoleia and wanted to know how Jason was doing. Then I realized I hadn’t seen him in…I guess as long as you have. Four years.”

 

Piper bites her lip, staring at the son of Poseidon. “You mentioned Jason to me and I just—I guess it just occurred to Leo and me that we hadn’t kept in touch with him.”

 

“Jason’s one of my best pals.” Percy’s hand twitches. “It seemed bogus I’d just lose touch with him.”

 

“Yeah,” Nico agrees. “Absolutely bogus.”

 

“Us too.” Frank frowns. “It hadn’t occurred to us until yesterday. Hazel and I’ve been busy with the girls, so we haven’t kept tabs on everyone, but—”

 

“For four years?” Hazel finishes, shocked. “We stopped thinking about Jason for four years?”

 

“I think something happened,” Nico says slowly. He goes back to what he saw in his loom—the day that Jason defied Jupiter. “I think Jupiter did something and didn’t want anyone close to Jason to see. Magnus talking to Percy must’ve had a domino effect and we’re all suddenly remembering.”

 

“Zeus.” Percy’s hands curl into fists. His gaze flashes with rage and he looks ready to march to Olympus right now. “I’m gonna kill him.”

 

“Don’t you think threatening the King of the Gods will put you in more trouble? Even more than Jason?” Frank points out. His demeanor twists and he awkwardly gestures in Percy’s direction. “Especially since you’re…you know, you?”

 

“Hasn’t killed me yet,” Percy grumbles. “So what’s the plan?”

 

Nico fiddles with the skull ring on his finger. “Convince Jason that we’re not trying to kill him. See what Jason’s account of the whole situation is. We haven’t seen him in the last four years and we don’t know what he’s been through. But he seemed…unhinged.”

 

If his expression darkens, Nico can’t tell. He notices how his friends look more uncomfortable by his implications, but says nothing.

 

“We can do that in the morning. Nico—you look exhausted.” Hazel touches her brother’s arm gently, the concern teeming in her tone. She inspects him—the remainders of wounds given to him at the Wolf House, and the unavoidable bags under his eyes. “You can’t do anything to help Jason if you’re running yourself into an early grave.”

 

Nico hesitates. On one hand, Nico understands where Hazel’s coming from. He’s seen enough of his old self today that he doesn’t want to go back to being that obsessive, ragged little boy. On the other hand—he’s angry. He hasn’t seen Jason in so long and he could have done something back then to protect Jason. He wants to do everything he can now to protect Jason. “I don’t know if Sion will want to leave.”

 

“Just ask him.” Percy’s gaze flows back to the little boy in question. “How did you get him to agree to come with you?”

 

Following Percy’s gaze, Nico looks back to Sion. To that soft, shaggy red hair and those bright blue eyes. Sion seemed at peace, comfortable in Nico’s arms. One had to wonder if there were nights where that was different. No one would’ve thought that he’d nearly been taken away by werewolves earlier.

 

“He really does look like Jason,” Piper says softly. She hugs herself, lips curling into a frown. It’s hard to tell what she’s thinking—Nico knew Jason and she stayed friends after their breakup, but she clearly still cared for the son of Jupiter.

 

“That’s the thing,” Nico says. “He saw me put Jason to sleep and just asked if I could help him. I think he knows something’s wrong with Jason. Maybe more than Jason does.”

 

“Have you tried asking him?” Frank asks.

 

“No. But he’s been compliant since I told him that I’d help Jason.” Nico sighs and pinches the space between his eyebrows. “Which only raised more questions than answers.”

 

“Yeah, like if we should pick a fight with Zeus now or after Jason wakes up.” Percy mutters.

 

“Percy,” Frank warns nervously, “you’re treading a very thin line.”

 

“Jason has been serving the Gods and running their errands since before he was potty-trained,” Percy protests. He scowls, his hands curling into fists. “He’s been both Juno and Jupiter’s champion since he was two—and is like the model demigod. If he can’t please his dad, then we’re screwed no matter what we do. I’ll threaten Zeus as I damn well please.” 

 

Piper brushes a hand on his shoulder. “Calm down.”

 

A wave of serenity flourishes the air. Nico isn’t sure the order was intended for himself—but he sees Percy lax just a little. He weighs his next words carefully.

 

“That’s why you want to build this camp, after all,” Nico says. “You want to help all the kids that are out there, but mostly because you’re tired of the gods doing bare minimum to keep their promises.”

 

Hazel Frank blink, taken aback, but Percy doesn’t deny it. Piper looks ill at ease, but not surprised.

 

Years of going on quests and running errands at the Gods’ will mostly resulted in permanent scars and wounds—with hardly ver a thank you from the deities that directed their lives. Nico knew both he and Percy got the better end of the deal—Hades often attempted to bond with Nico with more chores—and when that didn’t work, tried to “relate” to Nico with what “kids these days” were doing. Percy occasionally saw Poseidon on fishing trips.

 

But kids like Jason? Like Luke? Ignorance from the gods is how the war with Kronos was able to exist. Nico knows that Luke’s fate is an inner demon that Percy still faces to this day. Even Hazel—with all the good that she’d done in this timeline, Pluto can’t acknowledge her presence without having to force her back to the Underworld.

 

A camp is certainly a more positive outlet than giving his body to a Titan and trying to bring down Olympus. It’s the biggest “fuck you” Percy can say with the lowest risk of getting in trouble.

 

Nico has a feeling that Percy would take Riptide to Olympus and challenge Zeus to a battle right now if he could.

 

“Can you ask Hades if he knows?” Percy asks instead. He’d go threaten Zeus, but he’s not stupid.

 

“It’d result in next to nothing,” Nico predicts. “But I can try.”

 

On cue, Will appears out of the elevator with a clipboard in hand. He pauses, acknowledging everyone there, and mock-salutes. “Howdy.”

 

“How’s he doing?” Percy asks.

 

“Better. But I doubt he’ll wake up tonight.” Will tilts his head, staring at Nico. “You weren’t kidding when you said you knocked him out.”

 

“It was for his own good,” Nico shoots back. “I didn’t want to fight him.”

 

“But it’s true,” Percy interjects. He steps closer to Nico, watching the other demigod from the corner of his eye. “You really did find him. Jason is here.”

 

Will nods. “I told Nico that we healed his wounds from the lycanthropes. I don’t have much else for you—other than he needs his rest.”

 

“So we should rest,” Hazel agrees. She touches Nico’s arm, closest to where Sion was, and squeezes his arm firmly. “We’ll be back in the morning.”

 

“Yeah.” Nico peers down to Sion’s frock of blond hair. Every bone in his body screams that he needed to stay. But Sion deserved a bed to sleep in. “We can go.”

 

*

 

It’s 2AM by the time they get to Hazel’s. Fred the Skeleton gives Nico a wave goodbye before disintegrating in the backyard. Nico has every intention of tucking Sion into bed for the night so he can shadowtravel to Hades—but the young demigod had a terrifying death grip.

 

Sion wakes up for only a moment once his body meets the bed and stares drowsily at Nico.

 

“Jason’s at the hospital,” Nico whispers. He pushes bangs out of Sion’s face. Before he realizes it, he presses a kiss to Sion’s forehead. “We’ll see him again in the morning.”

 

Sion nods softly and curls into Nico’s body. “How do you know Jay?”

 

Nico pauses. He wasn’t expecting Sion to be coherent. Between the park and hospital, Sion had said very little to him. Letting out a sigh, Nico settles into bed, knowing full well he isn’t getting up any time soon. “Jason’s been my friend since I was little. A bit older than you. Fourteen.”

 

“That’s so old,” Sion whispers, in awe.

 

A smile creeps across Nico’s face. “How old are you, Sion?”

 

Sion holds up three fingers. He yawns.

 

“And…how do…you know Jason?”

 

“He found me,” Sion says. “He’s my daddy.”

 

Oh. Nico doesn’t know why, but his heart plummets. A lump swells in his throat, and—

 

“He’s Zeus,” Sion murmurs.

 

—and Nico is back to being confused.

 

“What do you mean he’s Zeus?” Nico moves to sit up. As he moves to sit up, Sion has already passed out. Waiting but a moment, Nico observes Sion’s face. He…isn’t sure what to say. What to think.

 

Leaning towards the edge of the mattress, Nico tries to leave. Sion claws at Nico’s shirt, refusing to let the son of Hades move. Great.

 

He doubts bringing a toddler to the Underworld would be a good idea. Especially anyone with Zeus in their lineage.

 

With a sigh of defeat, Nico settles into bed, allowing Sion to nuzzle into his chest. Exhaustion hits him like a sack of bricks. Before he knows it, he finds himself drifting off to sleep.

 

*

 

In Nico’s dream, the street is sparse of people. Nearly empty. The dry winter air hits the back of Nico’s throat and he coughs. Snow flutters from above, gracing him with a white crown. He searches his surroundings in attempt to place himself. He stands at the intersection of two hotels—easily twenty stories high, each. Parking lots are stuffed with cars, but most rooms are dark and asleep.

 

Walking closer, Nico sees a boy with blond hair.

 

A young Jason.

 

Ignoring all the red flags, Nico bolts towards the son of Jupiter. “Jason!”

 

But Jason can’t see him. He’s is hunched over in a corner, covered in a worn-down jacket and a dirty blanket. Nico kneels down to Jason’s level, taking in the youthful appearance. This Jason is different—smaller. But as Nico leans closer, he grows nauseous.

 

This Jason looks closer to what Nico remembers of his friend. A rounder face. Bags lining the bottom of his eyes. The tips of Jason’s exposed ears are blue from the cold, along with the edge of his nose. A black eye decorates his face, along with a gash on his mouth. It’s hard to see from Jason’s dingy layers, but he leans in an awkward way, as though trying not to put pressure on a wound on his stomach. At Jason’s feet is a baseball bat, but if Nico looks through the mist, he sees a gladius.

 

 Despite the apparent exhaustion in Jason—Nico can tell from stormy blue eyes that Jason is observing his surroundings. He follows Jason’s line of sight—and sees a nymph entertaining a man not too from them. The nymph is scantily clad. She touches the man—strokes his arm, nudges him. She ushers him into a dark alley.

 

Jason clutches the hilt of his gladius with bated breath.

 

Minutes pass. Five. Ten.

 

The man finally comes out, zipping his pants back up, and the nymph follows slowly afterward. Jason loosens the grip on his gladius.

 

What was Jason doing in the middle of nowhere, protecting nymphs?

 

It doesn’t occur to Nico how quiet the town was until he hears Jason’s stomach growl. Jason keels over, a groan escaping his lips. He clutches his stomach and shivers erratically. Whimpers.

 

Nico touches Jason’s shoulder and his blood runs cold.

 

Jason’s heartbeat is weak. He hasn’t eaten in days, hasn’t seen warmth in hours. He could die.

 

Inspecting further, Nico’s hand recoils as he feels the chilling heat of blood from Jason’s stomach. A lot of it.

 

“Why don’t you have ambrosia?” Nico mutters out loud. He stares at his hand—coated with the red darkness of Jason’s blood. Snow gathers at the palm of his hand, and his veins boil. “What are you doing?”

 

Just then, the rattling of a cart gathers Nico’s attention. He looks up to see a lone woman wheeling a cart up the road towards their direction. She had honey blond hair tied back in a tight bun and wore a pristine white chef coat with black piping. A purple ascot adorns her neck and on her coat was a fancily written ‘E.’

 

“Come along!” She shouts to no one. “We’re serving a seven-course meal today! We can’t be late!”

 

She keeps wheeling forward. The closer she gets, Nico realizes that a trail of food floats after her, piping hot with steam emanating from them. The woman pauses as she walks past them, glancing in Jason’s direction—and at Nico’s.

 

As she continues forward, one of her dishes falls gently beside Jason.

 

The son of Jupiter looks up at the plate. Nico isn’t a food connoisseur, but he notices the plating of mashed potatoes, steak, and lobster. Despite the snow falling above them, the dish remains hot with steam waving above it.

 

His entire body trembles with anticipation. Nico can actually see Jason salivating. Jason reaches out with a shaky hand to touch the dish—and curls it into a fist. Ducking his head, a sigh of defeat leaves Jason’s lips and he gathers the plate up. “M-Miss! You dropped this!”

 

The woman pauses. She turns around to meet Jason’s eye and Jason does his best to hobble towards her. “What’s the meaning of this?”

 

“Y-You…dropped…this.” Jason grits his teeth, swaying feverishly. “I h-heard you say you were serving a seven-course meal. Won’t you get in trouble if you don’t have it?”

 

She studies him. “Anyone else in your shoes would take that meal and run.”

 

“I’m not m-most people,” Jason mutters. He holds out the plate, but his face betrays his actions.

 

“No,” the woman agrees. “I suppose you’re not.”

 

She glances over at Nico again. Taken off guard, the son of Hades jumps.

 

“You’ve helped me more than once now, son of Jupiter.” A paper bag materializes in her hand. “Take this. I’m sure you haven’t eaten in days.”

 

Jason looks reluctant. He inspects the contents of the bag carefully and looks back up in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

 

“Yes,” she says gently. “I’m sure it will aid you well on this trial.”

 

“Trial?”

 

“Yes, yes—I’ll be going now. Goodbye, Jason Grace.” Without batting another eye, the woman (goddess?) wheels her cart towards one of the hotels, disappearing from Jason.

 

Jason returns to his stump. He pulls out the contents of the lunch bag—a sandwich—and scarfs it down immediately. Relief swells on his features, eyes glistening with tears. The black eye slowly fades away, along with the several cuts and bruises visible. Nico can only assume the stomach wound has dried up and was in the process of healing as well.

 

“Peanut butter and ambrosia jelly,” says the woman. She appears next to Nico—no longer part of Jason’s fate. “A favorite, if I do say so myself. The bag is enchanted. So long as he doesn’t lose it, he’ll always find a PB&J sitting at the bottom.”

 

Nico studies her. “You’re Edesia. The Goddess of Food.”

 

A large smile spreads across her lips. She nods in approval. “So you guessed correctly on the first try, Nico di Angelo.”

 

“My mother used to pray to you before family get-togethers,” Nico explains. He frowns, turning back to Jason. “What do you mean he helped you more than once?”

 

“I’m sure you heard it the first time,” Edesia says simply. “I helped him because he helped me.”

 

 

*

 

“Uncle Nico!”

 

“Oof.”

 

“See, Marie? I told you he was awake!”

 

“I’m awake,” Nico grumbles. He pushes his hair around his face, only to be met with the beaming face of his niece. “Thank you, Emily.”

 

“Yay!” Marie catapults towards the other side of the bed and clings onto Nico’s arm. “We had a slumber party!”

 

“Nuh-uh!” Emily shouts. She yanks on Nico’s other arm. “If we had a slumber party, how come Uncle Nico didn’t play dress up with us?”

 

“Uncle Nico, who’s that?” Marie asks.

 

Nico cocks his head to the side—and realizes Sion is huddled behind him, confused. Sion looks very much awake, blue eyes wide with curiosity. Looking at the little boy, it dawns on Nico that Sion’s not much older than his own nieces.

 

“This is my friend, Sion.” Nico pulls Sion into his lap, rubbing the sleep out of his own eyes. “Sion, these are my nieces. Why don’t you introduce yourselves, girls?”

 

“Hi, I’m Marie!”

 

“I’m Emily!”

 

“Nieces?” Sion repeats.

 

“They’re my sister’s daughters. Ms. Hazel. You met her last night.” Another thought dawns on Nico. “Do you have any brothers or sisters, Sion?”

 

Sion shakes his head.

 

A wave of relief floods Nico’s mind. Part of him was worried that they’d left another child at the Wolf House. He pushes red hair out of Sion’s eyes and looks back at Emily and Marie. “Sion and I are going to take a bath. Is breakfast almost ready?”

 

The twins shake their heads enthusiastically.

 

“Tell Mommy I’ll be there soon.”

 

“Okay!” With that, the twins scamper off back to the kitchen.

 

“We’re still working on teaching them how to knock,” Nico muses. He rubs small circles into Sion’s back, who slowly relaxes in his grasp. “You ready for a bath?”

 

Sion wrinkles his nose. “And then Jay?”

 

“Yeah. And then Jay.”

 

*

 

 

Sion isn’t too fond of baths. He gets distracted by a toy sailboat long enough for Nico to douse him in warm water. As Sion’s hair turns more red and face less brown, the water turns a gross earthy color. Nico stops the bath halfway through to drain the water and fill the tub again (to Sion’s chagrin.)

 

“We’re almost done,” Nico assures. He playfully splashes water at the little boy, who giggles.

 

Waving his hands around, a cloud forms above Sion’s head. He waves at it enthusiastically. “Hi!”

 

What the—? Thunder rumbles.

 

Nico drains the tub immediately. “Let’s not do the demigod version of toaster in the bathtub.”

 

“Okay.” Sion nods and waves his hand again. “Bye!” The cloud dissipates.

 

“I didn’t think that was even possible…,” Nico mumbles in disbelief. A Percy thought enters his mind, and he suddenly wants to ask Jason how often the son of Jupiter took showers via raincloud.

 

To his surprise, Sion points at Nico’s faint shadow on the bathroom tile. “Can you travel with that?”

 

Well. “I might be able to get a foot through the portal.”

 

Frank comes in towards the end with new clothes and a towel. “Well aren’t you the regular dad?”

 

“I’ve had practice wrangling a certain pair of twins.” Nico snorts. Pushing aside his bewilderment, he proceeds to toweling Sion off. Sion giggles as Nico tickles him. A smile curls against the Son of Hades’ face. “Feel better?”

 

“Uhuh.” Sion nods up and down. He certainly looked more like Jason with each waking moment.

 

“Good, buddy.” Frank crouches next to Nico. At first, Sion flinches—and Frank saunters back just an inch.  “I made waffles this morning. I bet you’re hungry.”

 

“Do they have peanut butter?” Sion perks up, eyes wide with excitement.

 

“I can put peanut butter on them.” Frank arches an eyebrow, amused.

 

“Let’s get dressed first. Then you can eat all the peanut butter you want.” Nico makes a mental note to buy a big jar of peanut butter before they make their way to the hospital. He reaches for the clothes on the toilet—and pauses. A purple shirt with a lightning bolt and a pair of toddler-sized jeans with the tag still on them.

 

“Hazel did a little bit of shopping this morning,” Frank explains. “Since…you know. Sion didn’t come with a suitcase.”

 

“Probably for the best.” The clothes Sion came in originally weren’t exactly in the best condition.

 

“How about we go eat some waffles and let Nico take a bath, too?” Frank says. He reaches out for Sion amicably. Sion waits for Nico to nod for approval, and then trots off with the son of Ares.

 

Once Nico’s done with his shower, he appears in the kitchen where he’s met with his two niece and Sion laying on their stomachs in the living room, passing around crayons and scribbling in a coloring book.

 

“Sion, can you pass the green?” Marie asks.

 

“I’ll trade you for a blue,” he replies.

 

Frank and Hazel meet Nico’s eye and shrug.

 

“Kids get along so well,” Nico says. He saunters to the Keurig and happily makes himself a mug of coffee. “No cliques, no gossiping.”

 

“Until they realize they’re smarter than you and can take over the world,” Frank mutters. He scratches his head.

 

“Your daughters are perfect angels.”

 

Again, Frank and Hazel stare at him, exhausted. Nico hides a smile behind his mug.

 

At that moment, Sion realizes Nico is there and stands up from his current position. “Can we go see Jay now?”

 

“Yeah.” Nico’s heart sinks a smidge. The instance from yesterday comes back to his mind—yelling, fighting, and Jason’s venomous gaze. “Let’s go see Jay.”

 

*

 

Piper, Percy, and Leo are there to greet Nico and Sion when they arrive. Only Piper, Percy, and Leo. Nico surveys the waiting room, surprised. He holds Sion close as the trio rises from their seats and greets them.

 

“Hazel and Frank didn’t join you?” Percy asks.

 

“Working with the twins. Frank’s trying to avoid another karat-clogged toilet incident.” Nico explains. He arches an eyebrow at Percy, knowing full well Percy was skipping out on his own responsibilities. “I would have thought New Rome would be eager to see Jason.”

 

A pained look crosses Percy’s face and he shrugs. “Annabeth had to go back to work. Reyna’s covering things on the Camp Demigod front.”

 

“And Thalia?”

 

“Artemis wouldn’t let her stay.” Percy’s lips curl into a straight line and he shakes his head.

 

Wouldn’t let her stay, Nico repeats in his head. Much like how Hades wouldn’t let him stay during that meeting.

 

“What’s wrong, Beauty Queen?” Leo directs their attention to Piper, whose eyebrows are furrowed in frustration.

 

“Nothing. I mean—” Piper’s demeanor twists into a grimace and she gestures to their pitiful group. “Everyone’s busy with their own lives. Yesterday was the first time we got together in months. We’ve been so busy that we didn’t even notice that he went missing. The more I think about it, forgetting Jason just seems—seems like it was coming.”

 

“But it’s not our faults,” Leo insists. He twitches and starts fiddling with the tool belt around his hips. “We don’t even know what’s going on.”

 

“Leo,” Piper shoots back. She brings her hands to her temples and sighs. “We spent years traveling around the world meeting with gods for Jason’s sake. And then we kept traveling—without him. We never questioned it. It is our faults.”

 

Leo opens his mouth to speak, but finds himself at a loss for words. He scowls at the ground.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nico interrupts. “I’m the one that saw him last. It’s my fault.”

 

He should have gotten up when Jason defied Jupiter. Should have gotten between the two. But back then, seventeen-year-old Nico was too terrified to help the friend that stood by him when no one else would.

 

It’s his fault, and no one else’s.

 

“Look—I’m sure Jason would appreciate that we all feel like assholes for forgetting about him. Let’s cut the blame pizza equally.” Percy wedges himself between Piper and Leo and touches the former on the shoulder. “The important thing is that Jason is here. We’ll figure things out from there.”

 

Nico nods reluctantly—which is when he remembers the small child hugging his ankle. Sion looks at him with bright blue eyes, patient and confused.

 

“Oh,” Leo says candidly, staring down at the small boy. “Since when do you have a kid, Jack Skellington?”

 

At that moment, Will hastily marches towards them. “Jason’s awake. And he’s asking for Nico.”

 

*

 

Asking for Nico and Where the hell is that son of a bitch are two very distinct ways of calling for Nico. While Jason is shouting obscenities on the other side of the hospital room, Nico makes it a point to tell Will of so.

 

“Same difference,” Will says, waving his hand around. He looks ill at ease. Nico once saw Will perform an emergency amputation on a camper, poker face and all. He knows that when Will is nervous, it’s for a reason.

 

“You seem panicked,” he notes.

 

Will hesitates. “He woke up freaking out. We have him restrained. I thought he was going to throw a lightning bolt at me.”

 

“And?”

 

“And he didn’t,” Will explains. “That’s why I’m panicked.”

 

It only takes a moment for Nico to put two and two together. He looks behind him, where the rest of his friends stood, taking in the information just a little after himself. Percy, Piper, and Leo look particularly taken aback.

 

“GET! ME! OUT! OF! HERE!” Jason’s tone rings in Nico’s ears. A symphony of banging and falling equipment follows his voice. Nico cringes with each plop.

 

“Is that Jay?” Sion asks anxiously. He yanks at Nico’s pant leg, looking up high.

 

“Yes, piccolino.” Nico kneels down. He doubts Jason is remembering him in a good note. Pushing hair out of Sion’s face, Nico stares at him with reluctant eyes. “Jason’s…he’s not—”

 

“It’s okay.” Sion shakes his head. His hands curl into fists. “He needs me.”

 

Nico stares at the three-year-old in surprise, but nods slowly. He doubts he’d be able to make it into the room without Jason trying to kill him—but sending a child in his place?

 

“Can I go?” Sion asks, though Nico is almost certain he isn’t asking for permission.

 

Looking over his shoulder, Nico meets Percy’s eye. He nods slowly. “We’ll go together.”

 

Nico isn’t too familiar with the staff at the hospital. He assumes most of them are children or champions of medicinal gods—but he also knows the name Jason Grace is famous in New Rome. That very Jason Grace has two nurses cowering in the corner—scowling, but also as nervous as Will looked.

 

Jason locks eyes with Nico and immediately goes livid. “YOU!”

 

“Me,” Nico repeats calmly. He shoots Jason a pressing look, and tugs Sion close. “And piccolino.”

 

He’s never been more panicked and relieved to see Jason in his life. Most of the wounds on Jason look like they’ve healed. The color’s returned to his skin and muscle tone more defined than the day before—but the sneer on Jason’s face is absolutely unsettling.

 

Leather bands bind him to the bed—and Nico isn’t sure how the nurses were able to do that without getting hurt. Medical equipment litters the floor, knocked over in a way Nico isn’t even sure how to describe.

 

And again, Jason glares at Nico as though he’s a stranger. That hurts more than anything else.

 

“Jay!” Sion squeals.

 

“Sion.” The anger fades from Jason’s face. He stares at Sion in surprise. Immediately, Sion runs over and bounces onto the bed. He throws his throws his arms around Jason’s shoulders and whispers something in Jason’s ears.

 

Blue eyes lock on to Nico. The boiling anger and paranoia doesn’t fade from Jason’s face, but it dies down to a distrustful simmer. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Nico attempts a step forward. “Hello.”

 

“You gave him a bath,” Jason says carefully.

 

“We also healed your wounds,” Nico says slowly. He takes another step closer, his hands curling into fists in his pockets. “Well—I didn’t. My friend, Will, and these nurses healed you.”

 

Jason peers over Nico’s shoulder. A frown remains on his lips. He leans into Sion, trying to give as much warmth as possible to the little boy and also show Nico that He Was Not To Be Messed With. His voice is steady. “What do you want?”

 

“To help you,” Nico says. Almost pleads. Everything he wants to say piles into another disgusting lump in his throat. He almost chokes, his mind returning to that nineteen-year-old Jason that looked at him with all the happiness in the world and enveloped him in a crushing hug. Current Jason wanted to crush him, alright.

 

Nico doesn’t like seeing Jason like this—blue eyes lifeless and filled with distrust. A hateful scowl.

 

Jason is shaking on the hospital bed—whether from fear or fury, Nico didn’t know. Jason glaring at Nico almost feels like Jason is staring past him.

 

“You really don’t remember who I am,” Nico manages weakly. He forces himself to straighten his stance.

 

“I remember you were there. With the wolves.” Jason’s demeanor twists. “For all I know, you could’ve been the one who sent them.”

 

“I was trying to save you.” Nico attempts to keep his voice steady. Fails.

 

“I can’t trust you,” Jason snaps.

 

The back of Nico’s mouth goes dry. All of his thoughts dance around clumsily in his mind, laughing at his misery. He stands frozen in place, watching as a complacent Jason studies every one of his movies like the devil. “You once told me to take a risk. That you were my real friend. I need you to do the same for me.”

 

It’s hard to tell if the words strike a chord with Jason. He looks between Sion and Nico, his stature faltering, and slowly closes his eyes. Tosses his head back and laughs angrily. “I want to believe you.”

 

“Then believe me,” Nico begs. “I promise no harm will come to you while you’re with me. I—we want you here. To protect you.”

 

Jason stares back shakily, his hands in fists.

 

Nico doesn’t want to be arguing with Jason. He wants to make up for all the lost time there was in the last four years and fill the hole in his chest. The one Will could never quite fit.

 

“Okay,” Jason says finally. He sucks in a heavy breath. “So long as no harm comes to Sion.”

 

Close enough.

 

What happens next is strange. Nico leaves Sion with Jason (which looks more like Sion abandoning Nico for Jason) and attempts to devise a plan with the rest of his friends.

 

“He doesn’t trust me,” Nico explains. His chest hurts. “But he agreed to hear us out.”

 

Percy frowns. “I’m not comfortable treating one of my friends like a prisoner.”

 

“I’m not sure what he is.” Nico shakes his head. “It’s hard to tell when we haven’t had contact with him in four years. He has a child. He’s been on the streets for gods know how long—”

 

“Wait.” Leo gaze narrows. “How do you know for sure he’s been on the streets? Who would really turn that handsome blonde Superman away?”

 

With little hesitation, Nico explains his dream about Edesia. They all stare in surprise. “The gods don’t want him dead. At least she didn’t.”

 

“She’s one of the first temples Jason instructed we build.” Piper strokes her chin. “Maybe that has something to do with it?”

 

“I think we need to find out more from him,” Nico says. “We won’t know what we’re dealing with until we get Jason’s side of the story.”

 

“You’ll have problems with that,” Will interjects. They stare at him, startled. “I’m sure you can tell, Nico. He seems off. Like he’s gone mad. I can heal his physical wounds, but whatever’s going on inside his head is another demon altogether.” 

 

“Then we need an expert in madness,” Percy declares. “Dakota.”

 

*

 

“Please untie me.”

 

“While I’d like to do that, Mister Grace, you did try to throw a pair of scissors at one of my nurses.” Will’s tone is light, but it’s easy to tell that he’s annoyed. “Your wounds are mostly healed. You’re in better shape.”

 

From where Nico is standing, he sees Jason contemplating the news carefully. Jason’s stature weakens slowly. “How long have I been out?”

 

“Ten hours, give or take how long Nico knocked you out,” Will says.

 

Jason’s gaze immediately darts back to Nico, making the latter jump. He looks suspicious, yet still reluctant of the situation. “You’re telling me that all of my wounds healed in less than ten hours.”

 

“Hard to believe?” Will asks. The question is loaded. He stares at Jason, letting every one of Jason’s reactions prompt his next question.

 

“Jason.” Nico stands closer at the edge of the hospital bed. “Do you remember what happened last night?”

 

Sion takes the moment to wedge himself between Jason and the railing, closest to Nico. Jason takes notice of it immediately, once again making Nico’s pulse hasten, but says nothing. Instead, his eyebrows furrow together and he grimaces. “I wanted to take Sion to the state park…at night…and we happened across a wolf’s den. I think we aggravated the alpha.”

 

Nico’s demeanor twists carefully.He looks over his shoulder to Dakota, who lingers closer to the door. Jason was hardly keen on Nico being in the room—there was no telling what he would do if surrounded by others. Even if they were all comrades.

 

“You told me earlier that you thought someone could have sent the wolves,” Nico says carefully. “Don’t you remember?”

 

Jason stares at him with confusion, as though the mist was filling his eyes. “No. It was a wolf’s den.”

 

An eerie feeling knots in Nico’s stomach. He resists the urge to rub his temples and sucks in a breath. “You mean the lycanthropes?”

 

“Lycan—what, like werewolves?” Jason stares at Nico in disbelief. “Those don’t exist.”

 

Well, that wasn’t a good sign. Nico swallows the lump in his throat and attempts to gather his thoughts.

 

“Jason—don’t you remember?” Piper shifts the attention to herself, her eyes filled with worry. “We faced King Lycaon at the Wolf House when we were kids. You have to remember. You almost died and I brought you back to life.”

 

Faux-butterflies flutter in Nico’s stomach. He watches Jason sit erectly in the hospital bed, staring Piper dead in the eye.

 

Jason’s blue orbs glaze over, demeanor lax. “You brought me back to life.”

 

“Piper, you’re charmspeaking him.” Leo charges into the room and waves a hand in front of Jason’s face. “I don’t think you telling him he needs to remember is the best thing for him right now.”

 

She shoots a glare at him—but doesn’t disagree.

 

In that moment, Jason snaps back to reality. He stares between the two of them, his lips contorted into a frown. “Who are you?”

 

Both Leo and Piper wither at the question. Much like Nico did yesterday. Nico sucks in a breath, shooting a knowing look to the two demigods, and stares at Jason steadily. “Why did you go to the state park so late at night?”

 

“I wanted to show Sion something.”

 

“Show him what?” Nico asks.

 

“I don’t know—something.” Jason’s brow furrows together miserably and he shakes his head. “And we stumbled upon a wolves’ den and it rained. I think the rain scared them.”

 

“Did you know it was going to rain?”

 

“Thunderstorms just follow me.” Jason shakes his head. “Always a coincidence.”

 

Another frown appears across Nico’s lips. He pushes hair out of his eyes and looks back to the others. “And you’re sure that you saw wolves. No lycanthropes.”

 

“It was misty, but I saw wolves.” Jason shakes his head. “Why?”

 

“And you didn’t summon the storm yesterday,” Nico continues. He pauses, recalling that Sion was the one to make it go away. “You didn’t see who summoned it.”

 

“Why?” Jason asks again. Demands.

 

“You can’t see through the mist anymore,” Will deduces. He blinks in surprise. “You lost the Sight.”

 

“Wait. Can that happen?” Percy cuts in. “He’s been in the Legion since he was two. He was born with it.”

 

“And my dad was born a god before Zeus made him Lester Papadopoulos.” Will shrugs. “Not exactly the friendliest guy, if I do say so myself.”

 

“Don’t you start with that, too,” Nico snaps. Will and he haven’t seen eye-to-eye since their breakup, but it didn’t mean Nico would readily let what happened to Jason happen to Will as well. Another thought occurs to Nico and his blood runs cold. “Jason can’t see through the mist anymore—but Lycaon clearly knew who he was. Monsters came straight for him.”

 

“Jason’s a child of the Big Three,” Percy says. His nose wrinkles and immediately, the anger flashes in his eyes. “And he’s made a lot of enemies in the past. He’s got a strong scent.”

 

“I’m sitting right here,” Jason reminds them.

 

“And you’ve been burned before,” Nico responds. He stares at the Son of Jupiter, every gear clicking to place in his head. “You don’t trust us because you think we’re going to kill you.”

 

“You gave me your word that you wouldn’t.” Jason stiffens in his spot, glaring.

 

“We won’t, Jason. Calm down.” This time, Piper charmspeaks on purpose. She brushes a hand on Jason’s shoulder, and immediately he relaxes. A vine of envy twists around Nico’s chest. He wishes he had Piper’s powers last night, so he didn’t have to knock Jason out.

 

“Someone unable to see through the mist, but being exposed to monsters left and right?” Dakota lets out a low whistle and shakes his head with worry. “That would drive anyone to madness.”

 

“Can you cure him?” Nico asks.

 

“I—I don’t know. I’ve never seen this happen to anyone—it’s just a theory.” Dakota bites his lip and fiddles with his thumbs. “But I can try.”

 

“Nico.” Jason’s voice cuts through Nico like a knife, making the latter jump. It’s the first time Jason’s actually said his name in years. His eyebrows knit together, lips curled in confusion. A twinkle of fear flashes in his eyes. “What are you going to do to me?”

 

Nico’s heart aches so much that the pain swells in the back of his throat. He reaches out and places a hand over Jason’s. It’s a lot to ask of Jason. A Jason whose hands are tied down to a hospital bed, eyes bloodshot and body worn from how many years on the street. They haven’t even asked the full story of Jason yet and they were talking about curing him.

 

“Something happened to you the last time that we saw you,” Nico starts.

 

“But I’ve never met any of you.”

 

“You have. And that’s the problem.” Nico ignores the ache in his chest and squeezes Jason’s hand gently. “Will you trust me?”

 

Hazy blue orbs stare at him with confusion. Jason nods slowly.

 

“Okay.” Nico gives the room a quick glance—taking extra notice of Will’s silence. “Trust us.”

 

*

 

Will undoes the leather strap on one of Jason’s wrists, but doesn’t seem happy about it. Nico’s ears flush pink, knowing full well that Will hasn’t take his eyes off of them. No one else says a word.

 

Instead, Dakota waits until Will gives him the signal, and ushers to the other side of Jason. He gulps loudly before raising a hand towards Jason. “Uh, may I?”

 

“You may.” Jason arches an eyebrow.

 

“Yessir.” Dakota puts his hand on the side of Jason’s head.

 

WOOSH

 

In that moment, the room turns black and white. Nico begins to recoil, hand reaching for his sword—but stumbles, as he realizes Jason’s grip is as hard as a statue’s. The color fades from Jason’s face and clothes—and both he and Sion sit frozen on the hospital bed.

 

“What the hell?” Percy shouts. He has Riptide out in an instant.

 

“Charmed to meet your acquaintance as well, Mister Jackson,” a voice says. Bacchus appears beside his son, head dressed in a straw hat and a coconut-shaped cup in his hand. “You should be grateful that I stopped you from doing something stupid.”

 

“Why are they frozen?” Nico demands. He stares at both Jason and Sion, who are as still as a statue.

 

Bacchus stares him down, a straight frown across his lips. “Because you shouldn’t have found them.”

 

“He shouldn’t have been missing in the first place.” Percy frowns. “Mr. D—can’t you heal him?”

 

“No.” Bacchus stares at the Son of Neptune and scowls. “Trouble, Jackson. You always bring me trouble.”

 

“Mr. D, Sir—have you known about this?” Piper asks. “You knew that Jason was like this?”

 

“What I know and what I share with you are two separate things.” Bacchus’s demeanor hardens. He looks over to Dakota, who stares back at him, awestruck. Then he looks towards Nico once more.

 

Nico’s hands shake at his sides. He curls them into fists, heart beating rapidly in his chest. His mind flutters back to “You were there that day.”

 

“Indeed I was.” Bacchus slowly turns his sight to the frozen Jason. Something flickers in his eyes.

 

“What happened?” Nico asks steadily. “Why can’t I remember?”

 

If Bacchus pitied him, it didn’t show. Bacchus’s brow wrinkles together and lips turn into a grimace. He waves his hand, allowing his drink to disappear and merely scowls at all of the demigods that used to be under his supervision. “I won’t answer your questions, Mister Di Angelo. I will only advise you to quit while you’re ahead.”

 

“But what did Jason do to deserve this?” Leo waves his hand at the hospital bed. “He’s Superman. Who’d get pissed off at him?”

 

“Stop talking,” Bacchus snaps again. The air around them tremors, and he scowls. “Throw Mister Grace and this boy back on the streets. Pretend you saw nothing.”

 

Rage fills Nico’s veins. From the corner of his eye, he sees Percy gripping Riptide even more tightly. Piper wields him back, but even she looks angry.

 

“Pretend that we saw nothing?” Percy repeats.

 

“Mister Jackson.” Bacchus’s voice trembles slightly. “Curing Jason Grace’s madness will start a war. I will not lose another son out of this.”

 

Another war?

 

“I will only say this once.” Bacchus’s eyes narrow specifically at Nico’s. “You will not find help in our domain. Stop.”

 

With that, he fades into nothingness.

Chapter 3: The Day We Gave Up

Summary:

“Are you and Doctor Solace wanting kids?”

 

“Excuse you?”

 

“Aren’t you two a thing?”

 

“No,” Nico snaps.

“What’s going on?” Jason asks. He leers at Nico in confusion, his hands curled into fists against the hospital bed. “Why did everyone just leave all of a sudden?”

 

“It’s…complicated.” Nico lets out a frustrated breath and pinches the bridge of his nose. He watches Jason’s eyes dart towards the door, a scowl at his lips. “Percy’s trying to get a meeting set up.”

 

“For what?” Jason demands. “You told me that I could trust you.”

 

“You can,” Nico insists. “When did I ever say you couldn’t?”

 

“Because I know how this goes. I’ve been tricked before.” Jason trembles and jostles the leather bind around his wrist. His eyes fall down to Sion at the other end of the room, who’s fiddling with a box of legos. 

 

Nico’s shoulders slacken. He uncurls his fists, realizing he’d coiled them up out of anger. It’d been so many years since he’d been so tense—so irritated at people for not trusting him. Jason’s aggravation is as foreign to him as it is familiar.

 

Looking at Jason now, it occurs to Nico that Jason was just a scared demigod who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A lot.

 

“I wanted to show Sion something,” Jason murmurs. His posture and expression both soften the longer he stares at Sion. “That’s why I was at the state park.”

 

Studying the other demigod, Nico comes closer to Jason. He curls his hands against the railing carefully. “The Wolf House.”

 

“Wolf House?”

 

“Your mother brought you there when you were two. Lupa, the She Wolf. She basically raised you.” Nico watches as Jason relaxes in the bed with each passing word. Blue eyes stare at him inquisitively. “She’s in the park.”

 

Jason’s eyebrows knit together. “Are you…calling me Tarzan, but with wolves? Because I don’t think they’d let me run around a public park in a loin cloth.”

 

The corner of Nico’s mouth quirks into a grin. The comment is the first Jason-like comment he’d heard from this man in years.

 

“You knew my mother,” Jason says afterwards. The fog returns to his eyes and he stares down at his blanket. “I don’t remember her.”

 

The smile fades immediately. Nico stares down at Jason’s leather bound wrist and hesitantly tugs at a tail.

 

“You’re untying me.”

 

Nico’s hand grazes the skin of Jason’s forearm and peers through his bangs. “You’re not a prisoner.”

 

Jason stares back at him with contemplative eyes.

 

“What do you remember?” Nico asks gently. “Before I found you.”

 

Lips pressing into a straight line, the clarity in Jason’s eyes disappears again. Nico watches the bluest hues in Jason’s irises become overtaken by a cloud. A mist. Jason’s eyebrows press together and he cradles his head gently. “I…was in college. I was taking an astronomy class in an auditorium with two hundred other people. Taking an exam.”

 

His jaw tightens and his hands curl around his ears. A bitter smile overtakes his face, eyes storming. His entire body reeks of a darkness that makes Nico cringe. 

 

“The next thing I know, I’m getting pencils thrown at me left and right. My professor was pointing at me and—suddenly I had classmates flinging their textbooks and chairs at me. I’m pretty sure some girl bit me. They broke my laptop.”

 

“You had technology with you.”

 

Jason cocks his head back to Nico, confused. “What does that have to do with anything?”

 

“You’re a demigod. A strong one with a strong scent, no less.” Nico’s eyes flash. He contemplates Jason’s memory and scrunches his face. “I bet the classroom was full of monsters. I’m sure they could’ve smelled you a mile away. That laptop didn’t help.”

 

“Monsters,” Jason repeats. He combs a hand through his hair and pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’re right. Humans can be monsters.”

 

“No, I mean actual—” Nico clamps his mouth shut. Bacchus’s words come rushing back to him—about the war. He isn’t sure how much he can actually explain to Jason without getting in trouble.

 

He isn’t sure what Jason’s fate will be by the end of the meeting, either. Nico’s stomach churns with nausea at the thought of it.

 

“What happened after the campus?” Nico asks instead.

 

Jason’s eyes flicker once more, as though his mind was rewiring the hazy memory. “What…were we talking about?”

 

Unbelievable. Nico hides his frown. It was like King Lycaon all over again. One moment Jason was vaguely cognizant of his surroundings—and the next, the Mist was altering his memory. Sighing, Nico tries to figure out the best way to voice his thoughts. “What happened after you went to college?”

 

“Oh.” Jason folds his legs and stares at his feet. “I’ve. I’ve been running. Sometimes I’ll find places to stay. Sometimes I can’t.”

 

Sometimes gods would help you out without your knowledge, Nico doesn’t say.

 

“I can’t trust people,” Jason concludes. He stares at Sion from the corner of his eye. “It’s been like that for years. And with Sion, I…I can’t risk anything happening to him.”

 

At that moment, Sion notices both men watching. A big grin graces his lips from cheek-to-cheek and he waves a red and blue cluster of legos. “I made a airplane!”

 

“You did, piccolo.” A smile curls against Nico’s lips. He leans over as Sion toddles towards them. “You’re good at this. Ever thought about doing it professionally?”

 

“Profesh-ly?” Sion repeats.

 

“Would you like to be a pilot when you grow up, piccolo?’ Nico asks. “Drive airplanes?”

 

“Plane!” Sion squeals.

 

“You trust him, Sion?” Jason asks.

 

Sion looks between the both of them, eyes glittering, and nods enthusiastically.

 

“Okay.” Jason leans back. He doesn’t smile—instead scrutinizing Nico. “That’s all that matters.”

 

Nico’s heart skips a beat. As he ushers Sion to go build more airplanes, he studies Jason’s face. Sees the steady curve of Jason’s jaw, and the blue of his eyes. His hair is unruly, as though it hasn’t been groomed in years. He’s tired. Weary.

 

Even with the haze in his eyes, it’s clear that Jason would have followed through with his threat. He’d hurt anyone that took Sion away from him.

 

“I knew his mother,” Jason says softly. The way he mentions it feels…unfamiliar. “I don’t even know if he remembers her.’

 

“I thought he was your son.” Nico blinks in surprise. He doesn’t mention the part where Sion thought Jason was Zeus.

 

“No,” Jason mutters. “But I promised her I’d protect him. She died in an earthquake.”

 

Nico feels sick. He knew what it was like having someone important taken away from him. First with his mother, and with Bianca. He couldn’t imagine what was going on in Jason’s head with the Mist rewiring his brain every time he was close to figuring out who he was. And if Sion was also a demigod, how did Jason react when monsters came for the both of them?

 

Like he did with the lycanthropes, Nico reminds himself.

 

“Are you and Doctor Solace wanting kids?”

 

“Excuse you?”

 

“Aren’t you two a thing?”

 

“No,” Nico snaps. Red burns in his cheeks and he scowls, mortified. 

 

Jason stares at him. “Sensitive subject?”

 

“You ask a lot of questions, even with your memory gone,” Nico grumbles. He rubs his temples. Peering through his bangs, he notices Jason’s inquisitive blue eyes staring at him like a puppy that didn’t know why it was being disciplined. He sighs in defeat. “We dated for a few years. When my nieces were born, he told me he couldn’t wait until that happened for us, and I realized I didn’t want that. With him.”

 

Peering back up, he notices Jason looks even more confused.

 

“What?” Nico demands lightly. Part of him wants to laugh. Here Jason Grace was, sitting across from him with those big blue eyes per usual.

 

They used to sit in the Hades Cabin or Zeus Cabin, Jason listening as Nico rattled on about Mythomagic or Will or any gossip in the Underworld—or Nico listening as Jason excitedly explained all of the temples he wanted to build. Even when they weren’t on the same page, they always enjoyed each other’s company.

 

“Nothing,” Jason hastily says. Clearly Nico’s grumpy demeanor finally instilled fear in him. “You just seem…young.”

 

“I’m eighty-one-years-old.”

 

“Um.”

 

“Long story.” Nico smirks. “When you live a life like we do, being able to make it to thirteen is a milestone.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“No, I suppose you don’t.” And from the looks of it, the gods were going to make it so Jason couldn’t. Nico’s jaw tightens at the thought. Jason was just supposed to continue this life not knowing who he was and getting attacked by monsters. If he could just figure out what happened that day, then maybe things could change.

 

“Your friends are weird,” Jason goes on. He gestures to the hallway, where Percy and the others stood. “One moment, your friend Declan is trying to touch my face, and the next, they’re all huddled in a corner.”

 

“You mean Dakota. You guys were really close when you were in the Legion.”

 

“I don’t know what that means.”

 

“You were a praetor for the Twelfth Legion—”

 

“Nico.”

 

Nico jumps when Jason squeezes his bicep. He whips back and takes in Jason’s face of confusion.

 

“I don’t know anything past the last four years. If you throw words at me, I’m not going to be able to follow,” Jason says. He grips his own head in frustration and sighs. “I’m sorry.”

 

Right. Nico rubs his temples and takes a step back. It hurt him that he felt like he was talking to his Jason at one moment—only to be slapped in the face and reminded that this Jason was the result of the gods’ meddling. Of Jupiter’s wrath.

 

He doesn’t even know where to start to help Jason get better.

 

“If…you guys can’t fix what’s wrong with me,” Jason says slowly, “What’s going to happen? You brought me here. What are you going to do?”

 

Nico opens his mouth to speak. Closes it. He doesn’t know.

 

“Nico.” At that moment, Percy comes into the room. “The meeting’s on. Let’s get to the principia.”

 

*

 

“I don’t know if we should have left him.”

 

“Will’s the doctor. He gets to make those decisions.” Nico wrinkles his nose, matching Percy’s step as they walk towards the principia. From the corner of his eye, he sees Percy’s dissatisfied frown. “Where are Leo and Piper?”

 

“I told them to go ahead.” Percy comes to a halt at a crosswalk, his hands curled into fists and lips curled into a scowl.

 

“Percy.” Nico stops alongside the Son of Poseidon. “You’re simmering. You need to stop before we get to the principia.”

 

“I don’t know what to say.” Percy rubs his temples and gestures for them to step aside. He looks up to Nico, sea green eyes boiling with absolute rage—before slowly coming off his anger. “This is my fault.”

 

“What happened to ‘cutting the blame pizza equally’?”  

 

“Nico.” Percy sucks in a breath and stares at Nico with more fear than the younger demigod had ever seen in those eyes. “How do I convince everyone that we may need to go through a third war?”

 

Nico’s heart skips a beat. He purposefully detached himself from the conversation with Leo, Piper, and the others. Dakota had been shaken by the sudden appearance of his father, and a good portion of the aftermath of Bacchus’s appearance was spent calming Percy down. Nico was filled with rage, too. Is filled with an unsurmountable frustration over the situation—

 

But—in moments like these, Nico knew better than to be impulsive. Years of grief taught him that he couldn’t be. But Percy? Camp Demigod reflected exactly on how he felt about the gods.

 

“What did Leo and Piper say?” Nico asks softly.

 

“‘What would Jason want?’” Percy repeats bitterly. “We all know what he would want.”

 

“He wouldn’t want us to start another war at the sake of bringing him back,” Nico speculates. He sighs and understands Percy’s frustration immediately. Because—“And if it were any one of us—”

 

“He’d be the first to grab a sword and shield,” Percy finishes for him. His jaw tightens and he storms towards camp with Nico at his heels. “We’ve been through two wars already, Nico. Annabeth has her dream job, Frank and Hazel have kids, Piper and I are—” He pauses.

 

“Piper and you are what?” Nico arches an eyebrow, but he can tell that Percy isn’t going to finish that thought.

 

“Never mind.” Percy stops so abruptly that Nico runs into him. He turns around, his hands curled into fists. “If it were me—I couldn’t ask my friends to go into another war. I can’t do that to my mother again. I can’t—I have—I have a sister.”

 

“And I have nieces.” A lump swells at the back of Nico’s throat. He feels the disappointment pounding in his chest and his hands curl into fists. This morning, he kissed them both on the head and told them he loved them before whisking Sion off to the hospital. He couldn’t forgive himself if he died in battle without ever saying goodbye.

 

Couldn’t put them through the years of torture, years of trying to find him.

 

“But this is Jason.” Percy laughs bitterly.

 

Yeah. This was Jason. Jason, who opened his arms and heart to Nico the moment Cupid revealed his secret. Jason, who spent every waking moment defending him and encouraged him to go on his first date, get his first kiss, say I Love You for the first time.

 

Jason, who Nico never really got to say goodbye to, either.

 

They stand at the edge of Camp Jupiter, side-by-side without a word. In the outskirts of camp, they could see campers sparring in the Field of Mars and others at the foot of Temple Hill. The Principia gleams in the distance.

 

“I could shadowtravel us there,” Nico suggests.

 

“Pass,” Percy grumbles—though Nico can’t help but agree.

 

He wants to prolong this ‘no’ as long as possible, too.

 

*

 

This meeting was different than yesterday. Two praetors: Percy Jackson and Mike Kahale. Two centurions from each cohort. Instead of the immense audience from the day before, various demigods were reflected in Iris messages: head counselors in the Big House, Annabeth and Reyna. Even Hazel and Frank, who lived nearby and occupied with the twins, had tuned in via IM.

 

(Assembling everyone was hard. Percy wanted Camp Demigod to be a hub for a reason.)

 

Nico wedges himself between the rainbow pools of Reyna and Hazel. He listens to Percy monotonously announce that Jason was found, how Dakota tried to heal the son of Jupiter, and how Bacchus warned them against it.

 

“Healing Jason’s memories could start another war,” Percy concludes. He clutches the podium until his knuckles fade to white and stands tall next to Mike. “But he’s sitting there in the hospital, barely able to comprehend what’s going on. His brain just rewires anything god-related like he’s mortal. Mr. D wants us to throw him out on the streets again like a piece of garbage.”

 

His words are met with silence. Every word spoken by Percy drips with more venom than the last. A scowl rests upon his lips, fangs bared.

 

“What did Grace do?” Mike asks finally.  

 

All of Nico’s friends look to him for an answer. He sits taller in his seat, hands digging into his knees, and shakes his head. “The only thing I know is that he spoke ill with Jupiter. I was whisked away before I could see the reaction to that.”

 

 

“Then this war could potentially be against Zeus. Against the King of the Gods,” Reyna says, voice wavering. She stares at him with her calculated poker face, but the terror is imminent in her eyes.

 

“M-Maybe that’s why my father said he couldn’t risk losing another son again.” Dakota clutches his chest, his own body shaking. “He was afraid that he m-might have to…”

 

“He said that we wouldn’t find help from our parents,” Percy explains. “But this is Jason! He spent twelve years as a legionnaire, and as the praetor before me. Even more so, building temples—”

 

“Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth cuts him off gently. Her eyebrows furrow together. The look on her face says all of the things that neither Nico nor Percy wanted to hear. “We’re talking about one life over the lives of thousands.”

 

Percy’s demeanor hardens.

 

Never, in the time that Nico knew the pair, has he ever seen them on the opposite sides of the same line.

 

“We’re talking about the life of your best friend’s little brother,” Percy shoots back. His expression emanates with a silent plea: don’t have a rebuttal. Please don’t say no. “We promised Thalia we would try to find him.”

 

“And we found him,” Annabeth argues. She pulls a lock of blond hair behind her ear with a shaking hand, and looks to Reyna for affirmation. “But you’re asking two camps to defy the words of a god and possibly start a war against our parents. A war we would lose in a heartbeat.”

 

“It’d be unwise,” Reyna agrees. She places a hand on Annabeth’s shoulder and stares back at Percy. “If Jason was…coherent, then he’d want to prolong a war as well.”

 

The two daughters of war stand firm, but neither look happy with their conclusion.

 

“I know,” Percy relinquishes. His hands form fists and he hangs his head low. Any remaining argument he had seems to die. “I know.”

 

“But if any of us were in his position, he’d try to find a way to save us and prevent a war,” Leo says. He stands to his feet on the opposite side of the table, slamming his fists into the table. He stares at everyone in disbelief. “He’s served this legion for over twelve years and all of you want to just give up on him? What the hell is wrong with you?”

 

“I agree with Leo. We can’t turn our backs on Jason.” Piper tugs at Leo’s arm, pleading for the other demigod to stand down. “We need to restore Jason’s memories.”

 

The faux sense of butterflies rises in Nico’s stomach for just a moment—before Mike Kahale rebuttals. “We need to not charmspeak our forum into doing something stupid.”

 

Mike stares at Piper disapprovingly, only to be met by a glare.

 

“Guys.” Frank speaks firmly, commanding the attention of the room as though he were still praetor. “We have to consider the scope of this war. Jason versus Jupiter. Gods potentially choosing sides and forcing their kids to do so as well. It’s not just us against the gods, it’d be us against each other. Again.”

 

The tension in the room is unavoidable. They’re already watching it unfold between the people closest to Jason. On a scale of thousands, though?

 

Nico feels the nausea raking at his chest.  

 

“There’s the advice from three children of war, Jackson.” Mike crosses his arms and stares at Percy from the other podium.

 

“Yeah.” Percy scowls. It’s just not the advice they wanted.

 

 Hazel’s voice forces everyone to look at her brother. “Nico is the one that found him. Don’t you think we should listen to his advice too?”

 

Once again, all eyes find themselves on Nico. He swallows the sinking feeling in his throat and wrinkles his nose. His eyes follow the different faces in the room—before finally stopping on two demigods in particular.

 

The last four years of his life were spent as a representative for his father. He was the only one who could call themselves an ambassador to his godly parent. What would Hades do in a situation like this? “There are only two people in New Rome that could heal Jason’s madness.”

 

Pollux and Dakota both stare back at him, nervous.

 

“They hold Jason’s fate.” Nico feels the cool eyes of all of his friends and comrades. He feels Piper, Leo, and Percy staring at him with heavy gazes. “Whether we should heal him or decide to prevent another war.”

 

Peering back to the two praetors at the front of the room, Nico notes the look on Percy’s face. Even Mike seems to consider his words.

 

“I’ll agree to it,” Mike says finally.

 

“Yeah,” Percy says carefully. “Me too.”

 

A quick survey of the centurions and head counselors ends with a round of nods.

 

“Well? What do you two think?” Mike asks. “Do you think we should heal Jason?”

 

“Yes.” “No.”

 

Both brothers stare back at each other, surprised.

 

Percy deflates and Nico sucks in a breath. Great.

 

“Another stalemate,” Mike grumbles. He clears his throat. “Fine. Here’s my solution.”

 

*

 

Keep Jason Grace in the dark, but don’t kick him out of New Rome.

 

It was the most noble solution that the Son of Venus could think of without compromising everything Jason had done for the Twelfth Legion and starting a war with the gods.

 

The rest of the meeting ended just as glumly. Nico intervened as Percy and Annabeth butted heads—a first for him to see. He’d always known Annabeth for keeping Percy in line. His early teenaged years were spent wearing envy-colored glasses, watching on as Annabeth and Percy treated each other as though they were the only two people in the world.

 

Back then, when his heart beat with a pang of humiliation and anger every time he saw Percy’s smile. When he both hated Percy with a passion and wanted nothing more than for Percy to give him one of those charming grins. He’d locked those feelings away in a lead-lined chest at the bottom of his heart, only for Cupid to pry it open for all to see. For Jason to see.

 

“Maybe take the risk that I’m your friend and I’ll accept you.”

 

Nico stands in front of the statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, the words replaying in his mind—over and over, as though they were laughing at him.

 

The imperial gold Jupiter leers down at him, the lines of his face carved into a neutral expression. For a child of Hades, Nico can practically see those electric blue eyes sparking with displeasure. Jupiter clutches the lightning bolt as though he wants to smite Nico, right there and then.

 

You already missed once, Nico muses in his head. The irony, really—for all the years Hades and Zeus feuded, it took one Golden Boy to beg a Ghost King to trust him.

 

And for what? Nico bows his head, having to stifle a bitter chuckle.

 

He might as well have burned Jason, like all of the other demons the amnesiac demigod spoke of. Nico didn’t stand up for Jason that day. He forgot Jason for four years.

 

Jason—who he confided in about asking Will out. About his first kiss, the first time he said I love you—who he cried to the first time Will and he got into a fight.

 

How could he just…forget that?

 

The night Will and he broke up sweeps into his mind like a tornado. Will looked at him with those eyes, staring at him inquisitively, but not surprised when Nico suggested they part ways. Will was calm. He’d basically said, “Okay,” and went back to studying the medical textbook in his lap. Nico had pre-packed all of his things and shadowtraveled them to the Underworld.

 

Once they were broken up, he spent the evening staring at his ceiling, restless for the first time in years. His chest was heavy, hands shaking with nervous energy. He wanted an outlet, but every word was stuck at the back of his throat. Nico had gone to Reyna, sitting in her office for an unknown amount of hours and trying to describe how he felt. Everything with their breakup felt wrong. He wanted something, but he didn’t know what.

 

“I wanted Jason,” he whispers to the statue of Jupiter. His voice echoes in the temple. Nico’s jaw clenches.

 

He wanted to shadowtravel to wherever Jason was, tell him everything that felt wrong about his relationship with Will, and be held. He wanted to see Jason’s smile and be swept up in those electric blue orbs. He wanted his friend.

 

But for the last four years, he had no idea that was what he wanted. Jason’s name was like the word at the tip of his tongue—a shell of a thought in his mind.

 

Now the thought confounds him. He spent the last four years without Jason—just as he did before the Second Giant War. Yesterday he told Clothos that he was happy and at peace with his demons. Today, realizing he’d lost Jason long ago and would never get him back was like a sword through the heart.  

 

You could just disappear again, whispers the voice at the back of his head. If he forgot Jason again, then Nico wouldn’t feel pain like he did now.

 

Had the last two days not happened, Nico would be on his merry way back to the Underworld in order to do Hades’ bidding. His routine since his breakup with Will was to visit both camps, his nieces, and his father down in the Underworld.

 

There was really nothing else that could hold his attention. Not since Will. And—ironically, Jason had been the one who pushed Nico to ask Will Solace out.

 

Leo and Piper made it clear that they planned to stay in New Rome for the time being. Jason would be in good hands—just like he was before they met and before Jason devoted loyalty to him. Jason doesn’t need him.

 

C’mon, Di Angelo. The voice in his head laughs in his face. They both know he doesn’t want that. Jason may not need him, but Nico doesn’t want to forget him again.

 

A new voice snaps him out of his thoughts. “Oh—hey, di Angelo. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

 

Immediately, Nico wipes the tears at the corners of his eyes and clears his throats. He’s met with the face of Magnus Chase when he turns around. “Magnus. I would have thought you were back in Valhalla.”

 

“I was,” Magnus confirms. He rises above the steps of the temple and stands next to the son of Hades. “Had to get approval from Helgi and the board in order to get the blueprints to the hotel. Annabeth’s going to try and figure out how to make a floor dedicated to the new camp.”

 

“I see.”

 

Silence.

 

At this point, Nico expects Magnus to awkwardly wave before they part ways. They’ve never said much to each other. The last time Nico’s mind wandered to Magnus Chase was when he died. As a sign of moving forward with Annabeth, Nico went down to the Underworld in query of where Magnus had ended up. He understood what it was like to lose a relative without any closure.

 

When he couldn’t find Magnus, a disgruntled Hades told him not to waste his time searching.

 

“Alex wanted to bother the Minerva kids. Something about seeing what their pottery studio looked like.” Magnus studies the statue, his expression much less sour than Nico’s own. “So this is Zeus or Jupiter or whatever, huh?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“He looks pretty serious for a God of Thunder.” Magnus shakes his head and grimaces. “Thor’s a pretty chill dude, but you wouldn’t believe how much he farts.”

 

“That’s disgusting.”

 

“Believe me—even more so when you’re in the same room as him.” Magnus snorts. His tired eyes show his age despite being stuck in the body of a sixteen-year-old.

 

There’s a glow about him—about all the einherji that leaves Nico unsettled, as though every ounce of his demigod lineage is screaming that Magnus Chase shouldn’t be here. The other part of Magnus—his mop of blond hair and golden summer skin—also makes Nico uncomfortable. Parts of Magnus reminds him of Will—and others of Percy, and of Annabeth.

 

(A part of him groans. Staring at Magnus Chase makes him feel like an awkward fourteen-year-old again.)

 

Nico suppresses that feeling. He sucks in a breath and shakes his head. “Jupiter isn’t quite as…relaxed as that.”

 

“I’d rather not find out.” Magnus shrugs. “Thor’s all…outdoor-sy looking. Nothing like the movies. Big red hair. Loses his hammer a lot. Weird to think about how two gods of thunder can be so different.”

 

“It’s what happens when different cultures have different beliefs.” Nico wrinkles his nose and peers up once more. “Odin and Zeus agree that their realms should remain separate. It’s why you can exist outside the rules of the Underworld. Why you refer to the illusions as glamour instead of the mist.”

 

“Er, right.” Magnus clears his throat and smiles back sheepishly. His grey eyes flash good-naturedly in Nico’s direction. The brief moment of discomfort fades away, and something about his expression reminds Nico of Jason. “I heard you found Jason Grace. You work fast.”

 

“I have my sources.”

 

“I’m sure.” Magnus gives a low whistle and shakes his head in disbelief. “Percy and my cousin have only said good things about you.”

 

Part of Nico’s heart warms. It took him a long time to get to that point.

 

“So,” Magnus starts slowly, “why are you looking at this statue like you’re visiting a grave?”

 

Right. Nico pushes his desire to snap at Magnus for even asking the question. He bows his head, hoping Magnus can’t see his frustration. “I’m going away for a while.”

 

“What?” the other demigod sounds shocked. “Why? I would’ve thought you’d want to see him after so many—”

 

“It’s complicated. There are a lot of things to do with this new camp and I—I don’t know if I can be a part of this.” Getting the words out alone causes Nico’s voice to tremble.“He’s got a good support system without me.”

 

“Oh.” Magnus sounds surprised, but he doesn’t pry. Surprisingly so.

 

“Would you like me to elaborate?” Nico asks tiredly.

 

“I mean—do you want to?”

 

“No.” Turning his head, Nico is met with bewildered grey eyes. He takes a mental step back and shakes his head. “I expected you to be more intrusive.”

 

“It’s…okay, man.” Magnus arches an eyebrow.

 

“How do you do it?” Nico asks finally. His hand grazes his cheek, where Will had healed the scar from Jason. “How are you in a relationship with Fierro without overstepping your bounds?”

 

If Magnus was taken aback before, it shows even more now. Red explodes in his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose, his mouth falling ajar. Nico supposes that the son of Frey didn’t expect to stumble upon the son of Hades on his venture and be asked about his love life of all things.

 

Eventually, Magnus’s ministrations are summed up with a weak, twitchy shrug. “I mean. Alex and I aren’t…together. But he likes to keep me around.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“I can’t…not be intrusive. My powers are personal.” Magnus stares at his hands and awkwardly stuffs them in his pockets. “Every time I heal someone, I get their deepest, most private thoughts. I’ve been lucky to have close friends that are open with me. But not everyone is like that. Alex didn’t like me in his head. I only healed him when the situation absolutely called for it or when I had his permission. We don’t talk about the things I see unless he wants to. I want him to come to me with his problems because he feels like he can. You know?”

 

“I know.” Except every time Nico felt distraught, he didn’t go to Will. He went to Jason, until the latter coaxed him to go to his boyfriend. He lets out a sharp breath—

 

“Do you…know why that broom is moving?” Magnus points to a broom sweeping the other part of the temple.

 

“Deverra’s broom. It’s used to cleanse temples of evil spirits,” Nico explains. “Jason had one crafted for every temple built.”

 

“There’s a goddess of…brooms?”

 

“She’s a goddess of midwives and labor.” Nico snorts and shakes his head. “But her name means, ‘To Sweep Away.’ Jason asked if she’d feel more appreciated if her blessing was given in every temple rather than a measly one of her own.”

 

Magnus lets out a low whistle. “Jason sounds like he’s a thoughtful guy.”

 

Nico’s chest aches. He ponders the words carefully. “Yeah. He really is.”

 

*

 

There was a time when shadowtraveling to the Underworld was disorienting. Nico’s bones used to rattle as he stepped foot in his father’s throne room. His heart used to pound violently, as though it wanted to leap out of his chest and into the palm of his father’s hand.

 

But now, over a decade since Nico found himself in the twenty-first century, the Greek fire torches are comforting. Hades’ skeleton servants greet him with toothy grins and ghost maids give him chilling smiles, as though the living son of Hades belonged in the realm of death. Over time, Nico found himself at the receiving end of family dinners instead of looks of disinterest and speeches about how Bianca would have been better.

 

He steps into the throne room, watching Hades quietly discuss something with Thanatos. The God of Death turns to Nico, ebony lips curling into a skin-crawling smile. The gleam in his eye reminds Nico of Clothos—like he was asking, What choice will end you? His demeanor is very much Eros.

 

“Ah. Nico.” Hades turns to face his son, a pleasantness teeming in his tone. As he stands to his feet, he walks towards Nico and slowly shrinks until he stands only a few inches taller than Nico himself. He smiles warmly.

 

“Father,” Nico greets.

 

“You were up in the mortal plane much longer than I expected this time around. How are the grandkids?”

 

“Emily and Marie are fine. I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye before I left.”

 

“What’s this I hear about a suit I’m commissioning from Clothos?”

 

“I believe the aurae called herself Cassie, my lord.” Thanatos’s voice rings as smooth as leather.

 

“Sweaters for the entire family, father. I figured you’d want to get a head start on holiday photos,” Nico explains. “Her waitlist was horrid.”

 

“I’m sure my beloved would love that.” Hades strokes his chin and grunts. “Very well. So long as I get to wear black.”

 

“Yes, father.”

 

“Let’s go eat dinner. I believe Persophone had the maids prepare Frosted Flakes tonight—”

 

“Actually—” Nico steps in his father’s way. His heart skips a beat as Hades looks at him with questioning eyes, and he plants his feet to the ground. “I had a request.”

 

“And what would that be?” Hades arches a knowing eyebrow. “Would this have to do with the real reason you were with Clothos?”

 

Nico grimaces and nods slowly. “I want to know what happened to Jason.”

 

Hades’s demeanor hardens. He stares at Nico ominously, expression giving away nothing. “He isn’t dead. That is ‘what’s happening.’”

 

“But he’s barely alive, Father.” Nico sighs in frustration and suppresses his anger. He knows better than to anger his father. “He doesn’t have his memories, he can’t see monsters—and he’s still getting attacked.”

 

“You’ve done quite enough,” Hades responds. He pinches the bridge of his nose and begins to walk down the hall, with Nico trekking after him. “Just be happy he isn’t dead.”

 

“But he’s important to me.”

 

The words stop Hades in his tracks.

 

“I know that he’s a son of Jupiter, but—” Nico’s composure cracks. “What would have happened if he died? Would I’ve even noticed? Would you have told me?”

 

“That’s quite enough.”

 

“Father,” Nico continues, unable to contain himself. The anger boils at the pit of his stomach. Anger for Jason. “He was the first one to find out who I really was. He begged for me to trust him. He did. Not the other way around.”

 

Hades peers over his shoulder.

 

“Jason has devoted his life to the Legion since he was two. He slayed Krios and fought Gaea. He welcomed Hazel with open arms and built shrines for minor gods—even for your children.” Nico stands taller. “Would you say that being stripped of his memories and his powers is a fair death?”

 

A sigh falls from Hades’s lips. He turns his head and rubs his temples in a human manner.

 

“What happened that night after we left?” Nico asks agaim, regaining the firmness in his voice.

 

“Why are you testing me like this?”

 

“I’m not trying to test you. But this is important to me.” Nico’s hands curl into fist and his chest tightens. “Bacchus. He warned us that if Jason was healed, a war would ensue.”

 

“And you come to me, Lord of the Dead, asking to begin this war?” Hades scrunches his face and scowls. “I don’t enjoy my realm being filled with countless souls. I don’t want my peace to be invaded by a ghastly number of foolish mortals caught in the fire of this war.”

 

“No. You prefer fairness.” Nico’s jaw tightens. “Is it fair for Jason Grace, son of Zeus and Beryl Grace—slayer of Krios—to rot until his death?”

 

“Was it fair for Bianca to die?”

 

“No.” Neither of his sisters deserved the early deaths they received. Chest tightening, Nico knows Hades is fighting back with powerful arsenal.

 

But Bianca’s death doesn’t consume his life anymore. Can’t.

 

“She chose her death.” Nico’s hands coil and uncoil at his sides. “People like Sion’s mother don’t deserve to die when they have children to take care of. People like my mother. Their death is inevitable—but you know it isn’t fair.”

 

The last part of Nico’s argument seems to touch Hades the most. He peers down at the young demigod, his poker face wavering only slightly, and presses his lips together. Finally, he sighs in defeat. “Very well. I much prefer Jason Grace over your previous suitors, anyway.”

 

“What—?”

 

“I won’t tell you what happened to Jason Grace that day—”

 

“But—”

 

“But you can tell me what you think happened to that little boy the night his mother died.” Hades stares at him with a gleam in his eye. “I will let you know if you’re in the right direction. Nothing more.”

 

“Hera killed his mother in an earthquake.” Nico swallows his anger, splaying all of his culminations from today for his father. “She found out about Zeus’s affair and—this time, he didn’t do something to pacify her.”

 

“That is where you’re wrong, my son. Hera didn’t kill anyone,” Hades says. “It was Sif.”

 

*

 

Sif, the earth goddess and wife of Thor.

 

The wife of Thor, the Norse god of Thunder.

 

Nico replays the titular gods in his mind over and over while shadowtraveling back to the surface. It was the only piece of information Hades was willing to give him, before saying something along the lines of, Now, do you want to eat Frosted Flakes with chocolate milk or regular milk?

 

He stares at the glowing sign of the New Rome hospital, mind running a mile a minute. WifeofThorNorseGodofThunderEarthGoddessSifWifeofThor—

 

Why would Sif interfere if Zeus had an affair? Who was Sion’s mother?

 

“What did you see, Jason?” Nico whispers to himself. He takes long strides towards Jason’s hospital room, where he has no doubt Percy, Leo, and Piper will be. Something Jason saw put him in harm’s way with the gods—

 

And surely, if the King of the Gods made a mistake, Percy wouldn’t stand for Jason being punished for it.

 

His heart and head come to a halt as he makes it to the front of Jason’s hospital room.

 

Jason is important to him. Nico can’t stand for whatever Zeus’s musings are, either.

 

“Nico!”

 

“Annabeth.” Nico blinks in surprise.

 

The last he’d seen of her was at the other end of an Iris Message in the principia. He takes in the entire room, stunned. Annabeth and Reyna, Hazel and Frank. Piper, Leo, and Percy—Alex Fierro and Magnus Chase. All of them surround the room in physical form, staring at him like deer caught in headlights.

 

Jason sits there, body elongated, with Magnus’s hands on either side of his head. As his eyes flutter open, electric blue irises rise to meet Nico’s gaze.  

 

Nico’s breath catches in his throat. He stares back at Son of Jupiter, noting the true clarity in Jason’s eyes. “What’s going on here?”

 

No one answers him. Everyone looks too scared as Nico peruses the room with hope of an answer.

 

It’s finally Jason who speaks up. “Magnus healed my eyes.”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: The Night Promises Were Made

Summary:

Everything about this conversation screamed of the Jason that he once knew.

The silence is so thick that Nico forgets to breathe.  Jason looks back at him, scraping at Nico’s core. The other demigod’s eyes are clear for the first time in days, demeanor calm. His hands remain on his lap, gaze inquisitive while the back of Nico’s throat goes dry.

 

“Nico!” Sion squeals. He hops off of Jason’s bed with such ease, almost flying, and throws himself into Nico’s arms.

Nico is so overcome with shock that he can only murmur the softest, hi, piccolino as he picks Sion up.

 

“What do you mean you healed his eyes?” He asks weakly. Nico can barely hear his own voice over the sound of his heart rattling in his chest.

 

Magnus looks at him, face green like he’s about to puke. “Well—”

 

“They said Jay would be okay!” Sion leans back, his sky blue eyes twinkling. In many ways, the look of joy reminds Nico of Jason, but the red curls that were once cute now leaves his stomach in knots. Sion starts fiddling with the zipper of Nico’s jacket. “They said, they said…”

 

“It was my idea,” Annabeth interjects. She places a hand over her cousin’s shoulder, almost protective, and looks at Nico. “Mr. D advised us not to heal Jason’s madness. He never said we couldn’t heal his eyes.”

 

“Think of it like a godly loophole,” Percy says, the corner of his lips curled into a proud grin. He nods to himself, as though he’d spent the last couple of hours sorting out the logic behind the decision. “Will said he could only heal Jason physically and we’re technically not curing his madness. If Jason is going to live here, he needs to be able to make sense of all the weird stuff that he’s going to see. We’re preventing him from going further mad.”

 

“We voted on it, Nico.” Reyna steps forward and shoots a half-tired smile to Percy. “Together. It was unanimous.”

 

“Ahem.” Magnus clears his throat, returning all attention back to him. “My powers don’t really have anything to do with madness like Mr…B or D or whatever.” He looks back to Jason, who Nico realized seemed to be following the conversation with no trouble. “How are you feeling?”

 

Jason looks between all of them. He brushes a hand against the back of his head. “Like I’ve been hit by a freight train.”

 

“You? Hit in the head?” Leo grins and jokingly nudges Jason in the shoulder. “You’re sounding more like yourself already, Superman.”

 

Blue eyes look back to the son of Hephaestus, Jason soaking in the words slowly.

 

“That’s probably my doing,” Magnus admits. “I did this once for Sam’s husband. He was staring the Bifrost Bridge and almost lost his mind. He didn’t have clear sight before this though.” Magnus grimaces and moves his hands vaguely. “This…felt different. I focused on healing your eyes, but it’s like…all of these knots were there. I needed to untie and untangle them for your eyes to work.”

 

“What, like the little lines in his brain?” Percy asks.

 

“No, like…memories through a haze.” Magnus snorts in amusement and looks back to Jason. “I always see the memories of the person that I’m healing. But with you…it’s like I had to straighten out the knots to get there.”

 

“You…saw my memories?” Jason’s eyebrows furrow together, his voice cracking.

 

“Yeah, a few. Some of people in this room, others, I—” Magnus’s eyes flit over to Nico so fast that the latter almost isn’t sure it happened. Red flourishes in the son of Frey’s face and he clears his throat again. “I saw a lot.”                                                                                               

 

“Do you think I’ll start remem—?”

 

“What did you see?” Nico demands immediately. He moves so suddenly towards the Son of Frey that Sion yelps in his arms. “Did you see why Jason lost his memories? How he ended up with Sion? Did you see Thor?”

 

“Thor?” Magnus responds, startled. “I—no. Why would I see Thor?”

 

“Because Sion is the Son of Thor, and for some reason, he ended up with the Son of Jupiter.” Nico starts explaining what he knows to his friends—before realizing it really isn’t a lot. All he can do confirm is that Hades also wanted to tread carefully around Jason’s memories. “Sif caused the earthquake that killed Sion’s mother.”

 

Jason’s eyes widen. He straightens in his hospital bed and opens his mouth to speak—

 

“But—the war,” Reyna interjects. Her face grows pale and she looks over to her girlfriend. “What kind of war were the gods trying to prevent? A war amongst the gods and their children—“

 

“Or a war amongst Norse demigods and us?” Annabeth’s voice is airy, her skin flushing as white as a ghost’s.

 

The third child of war, Frank, gulps loudly. “That’s…that’s a lot of dead demigods. No matter how you cut it.”

 

“The gods were trying to prevent it,” Nico reminds them. He steps closer to Jason’s hospital bed. “You saw something you weren’t supposed to, Jason. I don’t know what happened that day, but…maybe with your mind untangled, you can remember.”

 

Blue eyes stare back at Nico, something behind them that he can’t decipher. It isn’t the sweet tenderness that Nico is used to, or the hostile storm that he’d been subjected to since finding the Son of Jupiter. Jason looks upon him, every second taken into account, and his shoulders raise.

 

A thought occurs to Nico and heart sinks. “Do you…want to remember?”

 

“Ahem.” Will taps the open door with his hand, commandeering everyone’s attention. He arches an eyebrow, looks around the room, and then directly at Nico. “I don’t remember authorizing so many people to visit Jason at the same time.”

 

Percy steps forward, ready to repeat his logic from earlier. “Will—”

 

“Get out.”

 

*

 

 

 

Nico’s cardinal rule when they were dating was for Will to respect his boundaries. Will’s cardinal rule was to respect his patients.

 

So he leaves first, feeling Will’s leering gaze on him. Others follow in suit—taking Nico’s sudden change in direction as a sign—except for Magnus, Percy, and Annabeth. Nico assumes Magnus stayed to explain what happened (this seemed right—if the echo of Will’s, “You did WHAT?!” was any indication.) Percy probably stayed to explain why it happened (he’s promptly kicked out) and Annabeth remained to rephrase Percy’s explanation more eloquently.

 

Sion cries the moment Nico steps foot out of the hospital room. Nico’s used to dealing with shrieking children—usually two at a time with the twins. Marie once cried for ten minutes because Frank wouldn’t let her sleep in a hamster cage. Emily once got herself stuck under the kitchen sink and thought she was lost.

 

He’s used to watching his nieces figure out common sense.

 

But for Sion—he’s never seen a child shriek so loudly for being separated from a parent, as though their life depended on it. Not in the way Sion did it.

 

“They said he w-was g-gonna be okaaaaay!” He wails, tears streaking down his face. He claws at Nico’s arms, desperate to be freed.  The Son of Hades excuses them outside to prevent undue stress on other patients.

 

Wind slaps Nico in the face, almost painful. Debris pricks at his eyes, and he turns away from the direction of the gust. It only pushes harder. Dark clouds loom above them and thunder rumbles as loudly as Sion’s screams.

 

“He is! Piccolino, he’s going to be. I promise.” Nico clings to Sion tightly, using his full strength until the poor boy tires out and stops squirming in his arms. Nico rubs Sion’s back gently with his hand, waiting an eternity for Sion’s wails to turn into quiet sobs. “I promise. He’s gonna be okay.”

 

The thunder subsides slowly, but not before rain begins to trickle from above.

 

He takes it as a sign that they can finally go inside. He sits across from Frank and Hazel once Sion tires himself out. The storm patters softly against the window.  

 

“Is Jay gonna be okay?” Sion asks tiredly.

 

“I…” Nico hesitates. He looks at the toddler laying his lap, hand tangled in red hair. Watching the freckles mottled against pale skin, Nico’s chest aches once more. Just this morning were they like this—with Sion insisting to sit beside an angered, maddened Jason as though it was his duty. Sion was more than happy to play with kids his own age—but Jason clearly comes first in his eyes.

 

It’s a lot to put on a three year old.

 

“They…they promised he was going to be okay,” Sion whimpers.

 

“I think he’s going to be better,” Nico whispers. He grazes a hand across Sion’s cheek, as he’d done plenty of times with his own nieces. “Sleep. It’ll be better when you wake up.”

 

A few sniffles and soft words of encouragement later, Sion was down for an afternoon nap.

 

“Nice parenting,” Frank muses. His yawn turns into a tired sigh and he settles back in his seat. “That sleep magic sounds good right about now.”  

 

“Sometimes it doesn’t take magic. Just good timing.” Hazel smacks Frank affectionately and smiles at her brother. “You’re a good uncle. This role suits you too.”

 

Red flushes in Nico’s cheeks and the corner of his lips curl into an exhausted smile. “If only sleep magic worked on myself.”

 

Sion’s tantrum is an echo of Jason’s own rage from much earlier, when Jason thought Sion was stolen away from him.

 

“You know,” Hazel says softly, “Jason only agreed to Magnus healing his eyes because Sion said he trusted us.”

 

“That little guy must’ve been acting as Jason’s seeing-eye demigod since before he could walk,” Frank muses. He reaches out and gingerly brushes a hand against Sion’s arm.

 

It made a lot of sense. Nico wonders how often Sion saw danger before Jason did.

 

“I’ve heard stories about what Jason was like when he was first in the Legion,” Reyna interjects. She takes a seat beside Nico and smiles.  “ANo monster could withstand the power of the Son of Jupiter’s dirty diaper.”

 

A quiet round of laughs fill the waiting room. Nico pulls his jacket off so Sion can use it as a blanket.

 

Eventually Percy comes out of the hall and into the waiting room to meet the rest of them. Jason was probably left in the hands of Will and the Chase cousins.

 

First, Percy goes over to Piper and talks quietly with her. Then, he catches Nico’s eye and plops beside the Son of Hades.

 

“Your ex-boyfriend is scary,” he grumbles. “Scarier than Apollo.”

 

Nico snorts. “He takes his patients very seriously.”

 

As laid back as Will was when they were dating, Nico could never deny that Will’s demeanor changed quickly when it came to the med bay. Will knew how to pacify his patients with his sunny disposition, but it was all a careful game to keep a calm atmosphere in his hospital. No matter the injury, Will could slip into a cool mood and practice medicine—but it toed the line far too often when they were together.

 

Nico glances across the waiting room where Leo and Piper are talking quietly amongst themselves. They’d never been particularly close, but he knows Leo and Piper loved the many aspects of Jason the same way he did. As quiet as they tried to keep it for Sion to rest, there was undoubtedly an air of unsettled nerves.

 

Rain taps at the glass windows ever so gently—a reminder that only moments ago there was a threat of a storm.

 

A storm caused by a son of Thor, who has no reason to be in New Rome.

 

Despite all else—when Jason could barely remember his name in the last three years, his instincts drove him to bring Sion to the Wolf House, just as he was once brought. Bringing Jason’s memories back could cause a war, and everyone in that room made a unanimous decision to take the first step.

 

Nico rubs his temples. They lost a lot of good people during the second war, all under the name of the gods. Not just people—but comrades and family that they loved and cherished both on and off the battlefield. Despite the reassurance, he could feel the worry radiating from his comrades. He could hear hearts rattling anxiously.

 

“—sense,” Percy grumbles.

 

“What?”

 

“It doesn’t make sense,” Percy repeats. He rubs his forehead and scowls. “Why would Zeus erase Jason’s memories? What did he see? What does Sion have to do with it? Does Sion have anything to do with it? What does Jason have to do in starting a war with—who at this point?”

 

Nico watches Percy wriggle in his seat—from tapping his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets, grimacing—everything. Part of him wants to laugh—because this Percy was as antsy as the thirteen-year-told boy Nico met all those years ago.

 

The other part aches. Nico pulls his hand out of Sion’s hair. “We may be entering a third war soon.”

 

“I know,” Percy mutters back. He looks at Nico through his hair and sucks in a breath. “Listen—we didn’t—we weren’t trying to exclude you from that conversation. Magnus just mentioned Sam’s husband and we all—there was just no hesitation—”

 

“I never would’ve said no,” Nico cuts him off.

 

Percy glances at him for a moment, then nods thoughtfully. “Magnus mentioned that you were thinking of taking off for a while.”

 

Nico can feel both Hazel and Frank’s eyes on him, both shocked. He bites the inside of his mouth. “I…thought about it.”

 

“That would’ve been stupid. Jason wouldn’t have liked it.”

 

“I know.” Nico sighs softly. He looks down to Sion’s tear-stained face and feels his chest tighten. “That’s why I stayed.”

 

Jason put his heart and soul into fulfilling the duties of the Pontifex Maximus once the war was over. Into making sure Nico had a home at Camp Halfblood, and a friend long before the others finally came around. He devoted his entire life into making both Jupiter and Juno proud, and…

 

And Nico can’t get the picture of young Jason, angered at the gods and standing tall against Jupiter. Scowling, furious, and disappointed in the King of the Gods for being so dismissive of all of his children, yet still trying to advise Jupiter to do what was right.

 

“You should have seen the way Zeus looked at him,” Nico murmurs.

 

“When?”

 

“The last time I ever saw Jason.” Nico leans back in his seat and his breath catches in his throat. “It was like…Jason was nothing more than an ant.”

 

“It was probably the same look Zeus gave him after the war.” Percy slumps in his seat. “Jason has spent every ounce of his life trying to please Jupiter and Juno…and then he made it his life’s mission to please every god.”

 

“He never had that defining moment,” Piper cuts in. Both the Percy and Nico peer upward as she and Leo gather around the duo. She flashes a weak smile at Percy and takes a seat.

 

Nico watches her carefully, noting every meaningful glance she and Percy exchange. The subtle way Piper grazes her hand on Percy’s shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze—so brief that a stranger would think nothing of it. He even notes the way Leo rolls his eyes up at the ceiling before stuffing his hands in his tool belt.

 

“That moment we all had with our godly parent,” Piper continues. ”Where our parents just…acknowledged us. And his mom left him at the Wolf House when he was two.”

 

“Superman’s always just been…Superman.” Leo pulls his hand out of his tool belt, his face twisting into something that Nico doesn’t recognize. He brushes his hand over a wrench, expression solemn for a brief moment. “Not really mortal, not really Kryptonian. He’s always thrown himself into his sense of duty , even when he lost his memories the first time.”

 

“Camp Jupiter raised him,” Reyna agrees. “But having one’s parent as the literal name of the camp…it’s always carried a different weight for him compared to other demigods. I used to see it in his face all the time.”

 

“I don’t want that at Camp Demigod.”

 

Everyone looks back to Percy, who wrinkles his nose.

 

“Our actions are tied so much to what the gods do,” he mutters somberly. “I mean—yeah, I love my dad. I love making him proud. But I never would have survived or stepped foot in camp without my mom. And I wasn’t any less of a demigod before I was claimed. The monsters certainly didn’t seem to think so.” He darts his gaze back to Nico—and the latter almost flinches. “None of the kids that went with Luke were any less demigod because their parents didn’t claim them. He wasn’t less of a demigod because he failed his dad’s quest.”

 

Nico nods slowly, understanding Percy’s point with each word. He can only imagine how long Percy has stewed on building a new camp by hand. In a tragic way, it echoed Jason’s thoughts about all the minor gods. No Halfblood was lessor because they weren’t acknowledged by their parent. Neither were all the minor deities that came to life along the way.

 

“You want this to be a safe place above all else,” Nico concludes. “If…Jason can return to being the Pontifex Maximus, he’d be the bridge between the children and the minor gods that weren’t claimed by their parents. He’d make it easier for them to be accepted.”

 

The edge of Percy’s lip curls into a pleased smile and he nods slowly. “I guess so.”

 

“But he has to want that,” Nico rebuttals. “And for him to want that, he has to remember. And for him to remember, we have to understand what made him forget.”

 

“It’s in there,” Percy insists. “His fighting instincts are, anyway. Muscle memory.”

 

“Well, I hope his glutes makes him remember the other stuff so we can get this Sion situation sorted out.” Leo snorts. He spins the wrench in his hand and stuffs it back in his tool belt. Piper smacks him. “Ow!”

 

“The best way to trigger his memory is to surround him with things that are familiar. Without Mike finding out,” Reyna says.

 

“Or Bacchus.” Frank makes tick marks with his fingers. “Probably not Dakota either. Actually, he probably just shouldn’t step foot on Camp Halfblood for a while. Or the barracks here.”

 

“He has us,” Percy insists. “So here’s the plan.”

 

A few minutes later, the Chase cousins and Will, looking slightly less heated, emerge from the hospital halls. Like an army following its leader, everyone rises along with Percy. Will casts a sharp glance towards Nico before calmly shifting his attention back to Percy.

 

Well, seemingly calm.

 

“Praetor Jackson,” Will greets, expression flat. He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his coat and hums.

 

“Will,” Percy replies, eyebrow arched. He gestures with his hand. “C’mon—we’ve known each other since we were kids—”

 

“It seems as though you’ve made an executive decision to treat my patient. I wasn’t aware the Senate changed their minds from earlier.”

 

“I—well—”

 

“Save it. Magnus healed his eyes, not his memories. I get it. Leave it to you and Annabeth to exploit a loophole.” Will’s tone remains even. He turns is head irately to Magnus, who offers an awkward smile. “It’s been done. And it’s out of my area of expertise.”

 

It dawns on Nico that most of Will’s frustration is at himself—for not being able to heal Jason himself.

 

“Look, I’ll—” Percy’s shoulders heave wearily. His expression twists somberly, lips falling downward and eyes flickering like a current before high tide. “If something happens, it falls on me. No one else. I promise.”

 

“On us,” Annabeth corrects.

 

“New Rome has already set up an apartment for Jason. His service to the Legion has earned him more than enough compensation for the time being,” Reyna explains. “He’ll be safe.”

 

“And we’ll be on the clock integrating Jason into New Rome. Safely,” Piper continues, reiterating part of Percy’s plan. “We’ll do it in shifts while we’re building the foundation for Camp Demigod.”

 

“And,” Percy finishes, “Once the camp is done, if he’s not welcome back at Camp Halfblood or Camp Jupiter, he’ll have a home there.”

 

Will looks at each and every one of them, taking each thought into consideration. He glances back to Annabeth, who bites her lip.

 

“That’s a fine and dandy plan,” he says slowly. “But the only person he’s willing to leave this hospital with is Nico.”

 

*

 

Sion hums contently as Nico shifts his weight. He buries his face into the crook of Nico’s neck, as of Nico is the best pillow in the world, and squeezes tightly.

 

“Careful,” Percy muses. “Anymore kids and you might have to step down as ambassador and open your own daycare instead.”

 

Nico rolls his eyes. “If they were anyone else’s kid, I doubt they’d want to be within six feet of me.”

 

A grin flashes across Percy’s face, weary but amused all the same. “Is he…heavy?”

 

“Probably about as light as your sister was when she was his age.” Nico arches an eyebrow, confused by Percy’s sudden fixation on Sion. “Why do you ask?”

 

“No reason,” Percy says quickly. He shifts uncomfortably and leans back to catch a peak of the hallway. “They’re certainly taking a long time, aren’t they?”

 

Night had long fallen since Nico arrived. Hazel and Frank were first to leave, to pick up the twins from daycare. Reyna and Annabeth quickly followed in suit, exhausted from the day’s events. Magnus followed once he felt his talents were no longer needed, claiming it was time to save the Minerva kids from Fierro’s wrath. Leo and Piper insisted on staying—but whatever Percy had said to them, they agreed to leave.

 

It wasn’t too long ago that they were standing in a similar situation, with Percy seeing Nico off to find Jason. Now Percy is seeing them off together.

 

Will hadn’t given much insight on his words—other than poking holes in Percy’s plan. He finally comes out again, Jason in tow—so cleaned up that Nico can barely recognize him.

 

Jason looks fresh and clean for the first time in what was probably months. His shaggy hair is pulled back, revealing a somber, but refreshed face. Every cut and every bruise was healed—face smooth, aside from the infamous scar on his lip—as though he’d never been in a fight with the lycanthropes. In place of his tattered clothes were a fresh pair of jeans and a comical, “I <3 NEW ROME” shirt—no doubt Valdez’s doing. A new pair of imperial gold frames rest on his face.

 

As Jason raises his head, the fog parts in his eyes, filled with only warmth as he sees Sion.

 

“Thank you,” Jason breathes, “For looking after him.”  He reaches out and cradles Sion tenderly in his arms.  

 

Nico’s heart skips a beat. There was a time that smile would be for him. He clears his throat, hoping neither Will nor Percy saw his hiccup, and takes a step back. “I hear you asked for me personally.”

 

Blue eyes peer up, lips twisting into a cautious smile. Jason runs a hand through Sion’s hair and reels back carefully. “Something like that.”

 

“Make sure both you and Sion are eating enough for the next couple of weeks,” Will says. “You were looking worse for wear since the last time I saw you. What have you been subsisting off of?”

 

“Uh…peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?” Jason smiles sheepishly. “And the occasional pudding cup?”

 

“Wow. Yeah. We’re putting more protein in your diet.” Will pulls out a notepad, scribbles, and rips out the piece of paper. He gives it to Jason.

 

“This just says meat on it.” Jason frowns. “And you underlined it three times.”

 

“Make sure he’s eating.” Will turns his attention to Nico. “Maybe some light exercise. A steady routine will be good for now.”

 

“Steady routine and eating, huh?” Percy muses. “Do those words go together with Nico?”

 

“Not at all,” Will hums.

 

“We’re not doing this.” Nico glares at both of them huffily. Percy grins nervously and Will smiles warmly. Nico wants to smack both of them.

 

Fortunately, Will turns his attention back to his patient. “Jason, we’ll run tests on your psychosis once a week until I think you’re ready to be on your own.”

 

“Right,” Jason murmurs so quietly that Nico almost doesn’t hear him. “Until you guys don’t think I need a warden.”

 

“What was that?”

 

“Nothing,” Jason says dismissively. He heaves a heavy sigh. “I’m just ready to get out of here.”

 

“Hey, man. Good work today. We’re happy to have you back.” The corner of Percy’s lip curls into a smile and he extends a hand. And waits. Awkwardly. “We’re, uh, gonna get through this.”

 

Jason stares at the hand only for a moment and reluctantly shakes it. “Thanks, Peter.”

 

Percy’s smile drops. “It’s Percy.”

 

“Oh—” Jason visibly winces and recoils. “Sorry. Percy. Thanks.”

 

“No worries.” Percy waits for a moment before recovering another smile.”We’ll laugh about this when you get your memories back.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“We’ll get going then,” Nico interjects—if only to ease the atmosphere. He curls a fist around Jason’s bicep, and takes note about how quickly Jason tenses. Nico turns his attention back to Percy. “We’ll touch base in the morning.”

 

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

“Uh—” Jason’s eyebrows furrow together. “Are we…not taking a car?”

 

Shadows coil at their feet, creating a pool of darkness beneath their souls. The chairs in the waiting room rattle softly, shaking under the weight of shadows, and lights shudder on and off. Nico shrugs. “Nope.”

 

They plummet.

 

*

 

Nico is familiar with the residential living in New Rome. Often, after campers served their time in the Legion, they were given housing in town and compensation from their years of service. How they chose to spend that compensation varied. Ex-legionnaires like Reyna would use that money towards any school of their choosing. Frank and Hazel put their share towards buying land and building a house for their growing family.

 

Once the alliance between Greek and Roman demigods was made, Will confided that he wanted to move to New Rome and study medicine.

 

Traditional medicine, Will had mused. Not just the magic kind.

 

They spent a good number of years with Nico visiting and lingering around Will’s apartment—never truly falling into the quaint, married routine that his sister and brother-in-law cherished.

 

Luckily, the particular complex Mike Kahale had in mind for Jason to move in is nowhere near Nico’s old apartment with Will. Instead, the building is filled with small families and new parents near a preschool.

 

As they appear in the dusk of night, lit by only the playground across the street and street lamps that gathered moths, Nico notes that Jason is no longer pensive of his touch.

 

“Feel free to let go of my hand any time you want,” he muses.

 

Jason—disoriented from the howls of the shadow dimension and confused—shakes his head slowly and looks at their interlocked fingers. He pulls his hand away slowly and turns away. Sion moves closer to him—none the wiser of the distance they just traveled. “Sorry. That was…weird.”

 

“What were you able to see?”

 

“Absolutely nothing. Is that…normal?”

 

“For you, yes.” Nico shifts his weight and carefully observes Jason.

 

The new imperial gold glasses almost glow under the evening dusk. Jason’s old pair was probably lost long ago in the three years he was gone. Now, as Jason pulls the hair out of his face, his hand bumps into them as though he forgets they’re there.

 

“It’s called shadowtraveling,” Nico says. “Can you follow that?”

 

Jason peers back at him, understanding the weigh of Nico’s words. He falls silent for a moment before nodding. “I…think I’ve been following this entire time.”

 

“Good.” Nico’s chest fills with relief.

 

“Is…that how we got here from the Wolf House?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I don’t even remember that. I…guess this Mist really did rewire my brain.”

 

“That’s because I knocked you out. Ahem—” Nico clears his throat. “Stay here. I’ll get your key from the office.”

 

He talks to the office manager briefly (a nymph that lived in the wall of succulents behind the desk) and received the keys. As he turns around, he catches sight of Sion stirring on the other side of the window.

 

 The same beautiful smile appears on Jason’s lips. He readjusts Sion so they can stare eye-to-eye. It’s the surest that Nico has seen Jason look all day. Jason whispers something inaudible and presses a kiss to Sion’s forehead.

 

Whatever he whispers only makes Sion giggle. He throws his arms around the older demigod’s shoulders with pure delight.

 

The gesture is so heartwarming that Nico doesn’t want to interrupt. He swallows the lump in his throat and trudges outside.

 

“—staying here tonight,” Jason finishes saying.

 

“Okay,” Sion yawns.

 

“You can stay as long as you want,” Nico corrects. “This is your apartment.”

 

Jason peers back from the corner of his eye. He smiles unevenly and bows his head.

 

They make their way to the top of the three story building. The interior of the apartment is pristine and basic. Dark, wood-patterned floors, white walls. It’s furnished simply, with a light gray couch and dining table. Nico takes note of the booster seat tucked away in one of the chairs.

 

“Wow!” Sion squeals. He rids of himself of the last inkling of exhaustion and wriggles out of Jason’s arms. “Jay, look! A couch! With pillows!”

 

“Yeah,” Jason says faintly. He enters the apartment slowly, one foot trudging  after the other. “This is…a lot.”

 

“Looks like you have a balcony too.” Nico gestures to the sliding doors resting behind the dining table. “That’ll be good. New Rome has a good view of the stars from here.”

 

“Yeah?” A smile curls against Jason’s lips and he slowly makes his way to the balcony. The moment he glances above, his eyes twinkle.

 

“You can go out there, you know.” The corner of Nico’s own mouth twitches. “I told you, this apartment is—”

 

“I wanna see the stars!” Sion tugs at Jason’s hand. “Pleeeaaase?”

 

“Of course.” Jason moves to open the door. Before he steps outside, he turns back to Nico. “You coming?”

 

Nico blinks. “Um. Sure.”

 

Hidden under the moonlight is a marble bust of Jupiter Maximus—big and gaudy, with a hearth below it that is almost comically small. The bust reminds Nico of the one in Zeus’s Cabin back in Camp Halfblood—but the expression is sterner. Colder.

 

“What’s that?” Sion asks. He places his hands around the edge of the hearth and oohs and aahs.

 

“Jupiter,” Nico explains. He looks up to Jason’s inquisitive demeanor. “The office nymphs knew you were coming. They must have installed it in your honor.”

 

“Why would I want that?” Jason frowns.

 

“Because he’s your father. So you can send him an offer in exchange for his blessing.” Nico utters the words, thinking nothing of it.  He wrinkles his nose in distaste. The whole galore of the bust reminds him of the Hades Cabin before he gave it a makeover—something someone thought would be a good idea without realizing people would actually have to look at it.

 

When he looks back up, he notices Jason’s grimace. Notices the way Jason’s face twists, and how put off he is by the statue.

 

It’s the same look he gave when Nico asked if he wanted to remember his old life.

 

“Look, Jay!” Sion tugs at Jason’s arm, climbing the other demigod like a monkey. “We’re so high up!”

 

A wave of relief washes over Jason’s gaze and he takes the out. He pulls Sion into his arms and distances himself from the hearth, until the railing was the only thing keeping them from the sky.

 

“Yeah,” Jason murmurs. Whatever disdain he radiated with melts away with Sion’s voice.  “We are.”

 

The night air is cool, trees singing as gusts flow through the darkness. What the balcony lacks in décor is replaced with Jason peacefully giving himself to the scene. Nico waits a heart beat, then takes his place beside Jason. He watches the other demigod carefully from the corner of his eye.

 

Watches the way shadows contort around Jason’s long jawline and curve around his smile. The way the sky reflects in the pools of Jason’s irises, and how they shimmer. How the edges of Jason’s lips reach them like the rising sun.  

 

“This is the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen!” Sion remarks.

 

“Prettier than the view from the park?” Jason muses.

 

Sion peers up at him through red hair, looking very much like Jason. He smiles from ear-to-ear, thoughtful, and curls a tiny hand around Jason’s forearm. “Yeah.”

 

The way they bounce off of each other blows Nico away. Part of him wants to keep watching—this tender, nurturing side of Jason who wanted nothing more than to keep this little boy safe. The other part of him…hurts. He’s not sure why.

 

Jason turns his head to meet Nico’s gaze so swiftly that Nico almost flinches. The lightness in his face betrays every moment of suspicion and anger that Nico has seen since they reunited. He smiles gently—this time for Nico.

 

“Nico, look!” Sion points to the sky eagerly, once again unfurling himself from Jason’s grasp. He throws himself at Nico until the latter has him in his arms. “Aren’t the stars pretty?”

 

“Yeah,” Nico murmurs. He glances at Jason from the corner of his eye, noting that the smile hasn’t faded. “They are.”

 

“We’ve spent a lot of time sleeping under the stars,” Jason explains. He reaches over and ruffles Sion’s hair. “Huh, buddy?”

 

“Mmhmm!” Sion nods enthusiastically. He turns back to Jason. And, with the normal attention span of a three-year-old, asks, “Can we eat now?”

 

As if on cue, both Jason and Sion’s stomachs growl so loudly that Nico almost laughs.

 

“Sure, Sion.” Red flushes across Jason’s cheeks and he smiles sheepishly.

 

“Can Nico eat too?”

 

At that moment, Jason peers back at Nico. His smile softens wearily, but he doesn’t echo the question. Only a look.

 

Something about the way Sion asks makes Nico’s discomfort disappear. His heart skip a beat. It takes a moment for him to find his voice. “Sure, piccolino.”

 

*

 

Jason takes one look at the kitchen, reluctant to call the space his own. He opens a cabinet, closes it, and stares at Nico from across the kitchen counter.

 

“What’s wrong?” Nico frowns.

 

“It’s fully stocked.”

 

“And?”

 

“And it’s fully stocked.” Jason’s eyebrows furrow together, confounded that Nico couldn’t comprehend what he said.

 

“This apartment was prepped for you once the Senate came to their decision.” Nico peels away from Sion’s side and slowly makes his way to the refrigerator. He glances inside. “My guess is that there’s a week’s worth of food in here. They want you to settle into a routine.”

 

“Why…would they…”

 

“You’ve served more than your fair share of years in the Legion. And you’re a son of Jupiter. They want you to be comfortable.” As the words come out of Nico’s mouth, he watches Jason try to process them.

 

The more he speaks, the further away Jason seems.

 

“Let me cook dinner,” Nico decides. “You and Sion can keep exploring.”

 

A sigh of relief comes from Jason and he flashes a grateful look.

 

Thus, Nico finds himself behind the kitchen counter, filling a pot with water and searching the pantry for pasta. Will was right—he’s rarely in a position where he’s cooking.

 

Once in a while, when Will was too busy with his studies, Nico would cook a dish so his ex-boyfriend could focus. It was one of the only dishes he felt adequate at—something that Bianca would cook for him when he felt homesick. Will would grin from ear-to-ear and act like Nico gave him the best present in the world—but the over exaggeration was always too much for him.

 

“Nico! I found a coloring book!” Sion returns to the kitchen and raises both fists above his head. In one hand, a set of crayons bigger than his head. In the other, a cartoon-y coloring book with the title, Do you know your gods? His grins happily, face showing nothing but excitement and big blue eyes.

 

Jason follows up behind him and ruffles Sion’s hair. “Why don’t you color while Nico and I finish up dinner?”

 

Sion’s arms drop quickly. He stares wondrously up at Nico and stands at the tips of his toes against the countertop. “It smells good really good.”

 

“And it’ll taste even better if you wait just a little bit longer,” Nico teases. “Think if it like…a mission.”

 

“A mission,” Sion repeats carefully. He nods enthusiastically and toddles over to the living room. “A mission!”

 

“What else do you need?” Jason asks.

 

“You can make the garlic bread.” Nico points to the loaf sitting on the counter top. “Go ahead and grab some butter.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

They work in awkward silence, the day’s exhaustion finally catching up with them. From the corner of his eye, Nico sees Jason cut up slices of bread and staring intensely at each tiny hole.

 

He lets out a breath. “You still don’t trust me.”

 

Jason pauses for a moment and turns to face Nico, while the latter averts his eyes. Nico feels Jason’s stare, gaze as harsh as it was on the bread. Then, Jason looks back and reaches for a butter knife.

 

“You think we’re holding you prisoner,” Nico continues.

 

An irritable chuckle falls from Jason’s lips. “I’ve been in this town for over twenty-four hours and have no idea where it is on a map. Hell—you just took me through a screaming vortex. I don’t know where I am. I’m being monitored to make sure I haven’t gone insane and my very existence here seems to make people nervous.”

 

“It’s more complicated than that.”

 

“That’s not reassuring,” Jason mumbles. “I let complete strangers in my hospital room and…mess with my head. I just sat there and listened to them cite the pros and cons of healing my eyes, or whatever. And I’m just supposed to trust them.”

 

“You can trust them.” Nico turns away from the stove top and pauses.

 

There was a time where people told him the same thing. He shut everyone out the moment Bianca passed away—and the first person he was willing to open himself up to tried to kill him.

 

But the second person—the person who urged him to take that risk—is the reason he’s standing here today.

 

Almost instinctively, Nico clutches the skull ring around his finger and relents. He lowers the heat on his pot and looks at Jason head on. “You can trust me.”

 

Jason tilts his head slightly, refusing to meet eye-to-eye.

 

“If you don’t think you can trust anyone, then why me?” Nico asks. “Will says I’m the only one you were willing to leave with.”

 

“You were the only one who wasn’t talking at me and to me.” Jason sets the butter knife down. He sighs sharply, looking down at the tray full of bread. “You guys seem like nice people, but I’ve done this before. I’ve trusted the wrong people—I’ve almost gotten Sion hurt…and I can’t afford that.”

 

“But—”

 

“But I’m supposed to be this son of god? And Sion is too? I’m supposed to believe that all this time that I’ve been running and trying not to die, I could have been here, in this cushy apartment? And people aren’t actively trying to kill me?” Jason turns back, his eyebrows furrowed and shoulders tense. “I don’t know anything about this life.”

 

“Jason.” Nico doesn’t know what to say. Jason has spent years unable to see through the Mist—with his mind reconstructing every attack until it was too late. They may have healed his eyes, but the best it did was uncover what was to come. There aren’t words that would just make the last three years go away.

 

So he swipes at Jason with a ladle instead.

 

“What—” Jason dodges immediately, ducking out of Nico’s range of motion.

 

Nico recovers, swinging the ladle once more at Jason. This time, he’s blocked by the butter knife from earlier.

 

“Cut that out.” Jason scowls. “What game are you trying to play here?”

 

“You think those reflexes came out of nowhere?” Nico trudges forward again, this time swinging the ladle upward. It almost takes him by surprise as Jason takes the initiative, pushing his full weight against Nico, butter knife in the Son of Hades’s face.

 

Jason glares at Nico hotly—but only for a moment. Eventually the anger on his face subsides into confusion.

 

“If any other person faced the demons you have, they’d be dead by now.” Nico tilts his head back slightly, if only to get the dull edge of the knife out of his is face. “You have a place here. With us.”

 

With me, he doesn’t say.

 

Surprisingly, Jason reels back, bemusement still apparent.

 

Unfazed by the events that conspired in the kitchen, Sion scuttles his way back to the pair. He looks between the two of them, eyes big, and clutches his stomach. “Can we eat now?”

 

“Soon piccolino,” Nico assures. “Just as soon as Jason’s done with the garlic bread.”

 

 

Minutes later, the table is set. Jason places Sion in the booster seat while Nico plates servings for all of them.

 

“It’s a little hot.” Nico places the smallest dish in front of Sion. “So be careful.”

 

“Why’s it so gooey?” Sion asks curiously.

 

“Because it’s got Alfredo sauce in it,” Nico explains.

 

“What’s Alfredo sauce?”

 

“Heaven.” Nico smiles and places a dish in front of Jason.

 

Sion inspects the food carefully. He takes a fork in his hand and scoops the fettuccini. Puts it in his mouth. His eyes grow twice in size. “This is the tastiest thing ever.”

 

“You like it, Sion?” Jason mirrors Sion’s gestures—albeit a little more neatly. Once it makes it past his mouth, his smile fades. Jason looks at Nico as though he’s grown a second head.

 

Red burns in Nico’s cheeks and he can’t help but feel self conscious. “Do you not?”

 

“Sorry. No—it’s good.” Jason swallows and spins a more generous bite around his fork. “This is the first warm meal we’ve had in a while.”

 

Oh. Nico picks at his own food. “My sister used to make this for me when I was homesick.”

 

He remembers late nights at Westover Hall, begging for Bianca to make him food because the cafeteria food sucked. They would sneak into the kitchen, hidden under the dusk of night and shadows, and he’d wait with anticipation as Bianca mixed and stirred food over a warm stovetop. At the age of twelve, it was only dish that Bianca really knew how to cook, but Nico would find himself making it when he missed her just a little more that day.

 

It was the closest she could make to their own mom’s cooking. These days, it’s one of the ways Nico can still feel close to Bianca.

 

“Hazel,” Jason guesses.

 

“Wrong sister,” Nico muses. He smiles a little, pleased that Jason at least remembered her name. “I had two.”

 

“Two sisters, huh?” Jason picks at his food again. “Can they shadowtravel the way you can?”

 

“Hazel can. I don’t know about Bianca.” Nico’s smile fades and he finds his eyes back on his dish. “She didn’t live long enough to find out.”

 

“Oh.” Jason drops his fork and his eyes widen, like a deer caught in headlights.

 

Nico scrapes his plate and grimaces, realizing Bianca’s death wasn’t exactly dinner party friendly. He opens his mouth to change the subject—but Sion cuts him off.

 

“Was she really cool?” He asks. “Like you?”

 

The edge of Nico’s mouth etches into a smile. He reaches over with a napkin and wipes excess Alfredo sauce from the little demigod’s mouth. “She was cooler.”

 

“Ms. Hazel is Nico’s sister too,” Sion says to Jason. He stuffs his mouth absently with another forkful. “She said so.”

 

“Yeah. She’s my sister. And Frank is my brother-in-law. They have two girls about Sion’s age. The three of them were playing this morning before we came to see you.” Nico turns back and notices the inquisitive look on Jason’s face. “What?”

 

“Nothing. Just surprised is all.” Jason picks at the pasta on his plate. “The way all of you spoke about the possibility of a war and godsand all made it sound like there wasn’t  time to build a family.”

 

“There’s time,” Nico assures. “Frank and Hazel finished their years in the Legion, just like you did.”

 

“And they…got an apartment like this?”

 

“They put their money towards buying land and building a house. Marie and Emily will start preschool next year.” Nico thinks for a moment, then adds, “New Rome is the safest place for people like us. Monsters can’t get in.”

 

“And there’s a school?” Jason’s gaze falls back to Sion. “A safe one?”

 

“All of the instructors are retired legionnaires. Even if a monster was nearby, it’d be slain to bits before it could step food in San Francisco.”

 

For the first time since his arrival, Jason actually looks enamored by the idea of staying.

 

Nico’s chest tightens. He pushes his food away, appetite forgotten, and leans back. “Jason…if Sion really is the son of Thor, then there’s a possibility that he can’t stay here.”

 

“What?” Jason’s jaw tightens. “Why not?’

 

“The Roman and the Greek demigods have made peace, but the Norse demigods—they do things differently.” Nico grimaces. “They have a different fate from ours, including Ragnorok, and Valhalla, and defending the nine realms.”

 

 “If he leaves, then I leave.”

 

“Jason—”

 

“You think I’d be willing to stay here and let a three-year-old out into the world by himself?” Jason grits his teeth, glaring daggers at Nico.

 

“Jason, I’m not saying that would happen.” Nico darts his eyes to Sion, whose eyes pinball between the two of them.

 

“Are we leaving already?” Sion flashes a sad look.

 

“Maybe.” “Absolutely not.”

 

Nico matches Jason’s glower, teeth clenched. He lets out a sigh and places both of his hand so on the table gently. “Let’s…talk about this later.”

 

Jason’s demeanor doesn’t waver.

 

“Jason.” Nico’s lips form a firm line. “I promised you that no harm would come to Sion. Or you. I don’t joke about these things.”

 

The ferocity if Jason’s gaze is as feral as a wolf’s. Nico has never met Lupa personally—but it’s almost funny how the scowl is telling of how Jason was raised. Finally, Jason relinquishes and settles back in his seat. He glares at his food. “Fine.”

 

The rest of dinner is eaten in silence.

 

*

 

After dinner, Sion begs for Nico to give him a bath.

 

“Pleeeaaase?” Sion begs. “Don’t go yet!”

 

Nico looks back to Jason carefully, as if asking for permission.

 

Before he can protest, Sion flashes the same puppy dog eyes at Jason. Jason’s shoulders lax and he smiles softly. “I’ll wash the dishes.”

 

Bath time runs much more smoothly than before. Cheese is much easier to get out of Sion’s face than dirt is, and he’s happy all the same with Nico’s company.

 

If someone had told Nico that he’d be taking care of a child and making dinner, he would have laughed in their face. He hasn’t had anyone give him the time of day since Will—and now he was in a routine that echoed his sister and brother-in-law’s when they first had the girls.

 

And he…liked it. As uneasy as the conversations were with Jason, part of Nico enjoyed seeing the joyous smile on Sion’s face and Jason’s soft glances at the tiny demigod.

 

A giggle leaves Sion’s mouth as he splashes water around. He waves a hand around, then throws both of them above his head. A cloud forms.

 

Nico bats it away. “Let’s save that for outside time. Deal?”

 

“Deal.” Sion grins from cheek to cheek, suds floating around him.

 

Once they finish, Nico lifts the little demigod out of the bathtub with a towel and dries him off. He notes it’s certainly much easier when there’s only one kid—magical powers aside.

 

Sion lifts his legs one at a time to get them in PJ pants. Then waves his arms in the air for his shirt. “Nico?”

 

“Yes, piccolino?” Nico asks absentmindedly. He notes the amount of water that stayed in the tub this time around.

 

“Jay only acts mean when he thinks he needs to scare monsters away.”

 

Nico pauses.

 

Big blue eyes shine at him, and small eyebrows knit together. “Do you think he’s scary?”

 

“Not in the slightest.”

 

“Okay.” Sion throws his arms around Nico, letting out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “I really like you.”

 

Nico’s heart melts. “I like you too, Sion.”

 

The rest of the evening plays out in a similar fashion. Sion insists once more that Nico must stay to color with him. All the while, Nico can feel Jason’s gaze on him from across the room. Eventually, Nico turns away to grab a crayon as it rolls under the coffee table. When he turns back, he catches Sion face-planted on the ground, snoozing.

 

He chokes on a laugh. Jason’s laugh is louder.

 

“I think I’ve got it from here.” Mirth twinkles in his voice. Jason stands up from his place on the couch. He leans over and gently scoops Sion in his arms.

 

Quietly, Sion stirs. “Daddy…?”

 

“I’m here, Sion,” Jason whispers. He peers up at Nico for a moment, thoughtful.

 

Sion whimpers softly and reaches out. “Nico…”

 

“Guess I can’t get rid of you even if I wanted to.” Jason starts his way to the bedroom and looks over his shoulder. “You coming?”

 

The longer Nico stays, the less he can tell if he belongs or is an outsider. He watches Jason lay Sion gingerly into the mattress. Hears Sion hum with content and listens to Jason whisper a sweet, I love you.

 

He’s done this dance, tucking Emily and Marie into bed and promising them his heart. Watching it before him now, with one of his oldest friends makes his chest ache.

 

Because like a coin, the moment they close the door behind them, Jason’s demeanor flips. He looks at Nico, disheveled, and saunters toward the balcony.

 

Nico follows in suit, unsure what to expect. The night sky is darker. The contour of Jason’s face is dimmed with both exhaustion and grief. Still, Jason leans against the balcony, keeping a careful distance from the bust of Jupiter Maximus. He waves a hand behind him, ushering Nico to join his side.

 

“I used to stargaze all the time.”

 

Nico turns his head back.

 

Jason leans against the balcony railing and sucks in a breath. He sighs softly. “Anytime I wanted to think.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Do you?”

 

“Whenever you wanted to be left alone,” Nico explains. “You’d be stargazing.”

 

Sometimes even Camp Halfblood wasn’t enough to make Jason happy. None of his duties were. Nico remembers the gentleness of Jason’s smile every time he found the elder demigod at the edge of camp, laying under Thalia’s tree and gazing up at the sky. It usually followed from a look of frustration, as though Jason was asking the stars questions that he didn’t think anyone else could answer.

 

“Don’t you usually sit on the roof of Zeus’s Cabin?”  A teenaged Nico had asked one night when he noticed Camp Halfblood’s Golden Boy trying to sneak away from campfire songs.

 

The scent of firewood was on the son of Jupiter, skin glowing from the hot summer night. He’d smiled boyishly that evening, arms tucked over his torso. “I like that you’re the only one who can find me.”

 

“You used to tell me that once you stepped down from your duties as Pontifex Maximus, you wanted to be an astronaut.” The corner of Nico’s lips curl into a wry smile. “So you’d be able to fly higher than your father’s domain.”

 

Jason snorts. “Sounds like that me wasn’t too fond of this life either.”

 

“It’s not an easy life.” Nico recalls that no matter the smile Jason would give him the past, there was always a sadness behind it. Jason, Praetor to the Twelfth Legion, slayer of Krios, and Son of Jupiter, always felt the need to put his duty before his heart.

 

But Jason—a sixteen-year-old kid with no mother, an absentee father, and a sister who’d outgrown that role long ago—just wanted a connection.

 

He wonders what Jason would’ve been like if he had a mom like Percy’s, or experienced the outside world before being thrust into the military lifestyle, like Frank.

 

“We used to have our best talks like this,” Nico says quietly. A pang of guilt fills his chest and he chuckles almost irritably. “You used to stick your nose in my business all the time, insisting we were friends. I don’t think I felt like we were until you were opening up to me too.”

 

Those blue orbs look at him, soaking in every word. “Were we close?”

 

Snort. “You made sure that we were.”

 

A quiet laugh falls from Jason’s lips—anxious and tepid. “I used to do this at Astrid’s apartment. Sion’s mom.”

 

“How well did you know her?”

 

“We dated.”

 

Oh.

 

“Just a couple. Nothing serious. She found me and insisted that I stayed with her. I think…I’d been running away from monsters for a while.” Jason’s smile fades. He curls his hands around the railing. “She was already pregnant with Sion. Astrid used to say that something about me reminded her of Sion’s dad.”

 

Nico frowns. Something about that explanation rubs him the wrong way.

 

“If I had known that…I was the reason the monsters were showing up…”

 

“But it  wasn’t you.” Nico chooses his words carefully. “Lady Sif caused that earthquake. She was likely upset that her husband would have an affair with a mortal.”

 

“So she killed her?” Jason protests. He clenches his fists. “Astrid was a college student. She wanted to be a meteorologist, and she put that aside when she found out she was pregnant. All because she met some god in a coffee shop. Why would he inflict that on her, knowing full well how his wife would react?”

 

“Some gods don’t care how they affect mortal lives. When you were born, Jupiter begged your mom name you after Jason of the Argonauts. To appease Juno. And Juno made her give you to Lupa. To Camp Jupiter.”

 

Jason whirls around in disbelief.

 

“Jupiter…your dad struck my house when I was little. He killed my mother because my sister and I were born. Hades fell in love with her and knew he shouldn’t have. And he came back twice,” Nico murmurs softly. “I’m not defending the gods, Jason. But places like this—New Rome, and the camps…they’re made so we can make the best of the situation. You certainly did.”

 

“But you guys are trying to find my memories at the risk of starting a war.”

 

Nico holds his breath.

 

“If New Rome is here to make the best out of the situation…then I want the part of New Rome where there’s a place for Sion and I to live. Where Sion can go to school. Where I can do this whole routine thing like Dr. Solace said.” Jason pauses thoughtfully and turns back to Nico. “If that me was as good of a guy as you keep saying he was, would he really want to put his friends through another war?”

 

No, he wouldn’t. Nico opens his mouth, but finds it hard to speak.

 

“I don’t want that. I don’t think I can be that Jason if it hurts everyone around me.” For the first time, the ire is gone from his eyes. Away from Sion and the possibility of losing him, Jason’s face only shows sadness. “I promised Astrid that I would keep Sion safe.”

 

“Then we will.”

 

Jason cocks his head back, surprised. “What?”

 

“I promised you when we first met that no harm would come to Sion. I meant it.” Nico’s chest tightens. He leans back. “All I want is for you to trust me.”

 

Having an amnesiac Jason is better than not having him at all. Nico doesn’t know what they would do if they lost Jason a third time. What he would do.

 

“Really?”

 

“You’re right. No one wants to be at the end of another war.” Nico stuffs his hands in his pockets, ignoring the way his nails dig into the palms of his hand. There were too many lives already lost at the hands of careless gods. If it could be prevented—with Jason’s blessing of all things, why wouldn’t they?

 

Because you don’t want that, snaps a corner of Nico’s mind. You don’t want him to forget. The thought of leaving his Jason in the past makes Nico nauseous.

 

He pushes the feeling side, knowing it’s nothing compared to the panic he felt coming from his comrades earlier.  “If this is what you want, we’ll make it happen.”

 

Before he knows it, Jason is hugging him.

 

“What—”

 

Jason squeezes Nico so tightly that he practically lifts Nico off the ground. His lips press against Nico’s hair, breath against pale skin.

 

“Consider yourself trusted,” He whispers, a smile in his voice. Jason lets out a sigh, as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. A weight that’d been building ever since they re-entered his life. “Thank you, Nico.”

 

“You’re…welcome.” Red blooms in Nico’s cheeks, heart hammering in his rib cage. Sadness washes through him, and the answer finally dawns on him.

 

Everything about this conversation screamed of the Jason that he once knew.

Notes:

Hi Everyone! I hope you’re staying safe right now. One good thing about this quarantine is that I finally found the time to write what I’ve been wanting to write. 8) I want to thank ephemeren/shoot-style for creating some latent buzz on this story! They created some beautiful art that is on tumblr, so please check them out if you’re curious! This story still floats around in my head and it was really nice to hear that people still come back to this story even though it’s been years. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I can hopefully get another one out soon!!

Chapter 5: The Day You Put Up a Fight

Summary:

“Yeah, what a guy, right?” Percy sighs tiredly. “You should totally marry him.”

 

After all these years, gazing upon the cold Doors of Death still immobilizes the Son of Hades. He feels the chill crawl down the back of his spine, as if rigor mortis is trying to numb his mortal body. Nico stares at the tiny crevasse twenty-foot all doors and holds his breath.

 

(He always holds it so he can let it out the other side—to remind himself he’s still living.)

 

The Underworld is active during all hours of the day, teeming with life (so to speak.) Death never took a break—not for the young and certainly not for the old. Maybe that’s why Nico never settled on a routine sleep schedule. There’s so much to do and even when his body feels like a corpse, it just feels normal.

 

A familiar skeleton meets his eye, holding the hand of a small spirit.

 

“Fred,” Nico greets. “You’re a long way from New Rome.”

 

The skeleton he’d summoned only a few days prior gives him a noble salute. Fred’s jaw chatters, a clicking sound rattling from the back of its throat bone.

 

“You asked for a promotion to help wandering children’s souls,” Nico translates. “My nieces must have made quite the impression on you.”

 

He knows the feeling well—kids were making an impression on him, too.

 

Fred the Skeleton nods clumsily, jaw wobbling side-to-side.

 

“I’m looking for Thanatos. Care to point me in the right direction?”

 

A score of chatters and pleasant clicks later, Fred points a bare ligament down the hall.

 

“You have a pleasant eternal existence too, Fred.”

 

Turning his foot, Nico makes his way down the corridor until he finds Thanatos behind a podium. At the end of Thanatos’s hands rests his tablet. Every so often, a spirit floats by as the God of Death moved his fingers.

 

“Visiting the Underworld twice in one day, little godling? In my court of all places, as well.” Thanatos hardly bats an eye. His image flickers briefly—from the milliseconds of him drifting from the Underworld to lead souls through the doors.

 

Nico supposes this is what they meant by life flashing before your eyes moments before death.

 

“You’ve become quite the shadowtraveler,” said God of Death comments.

 

“Not much to do in times of peace, Lord Thanatos.” Nico’s lips form a crooked smile.

 

He waits until Thanatos stares up with ebony eyes. The ability to grab Thanatos’s attention is almost a feat on its own.

 

“Has there been a lull? I haven’t noticed,” Thanatos replies. “When it comes to death, I’m always busy.”

 

“Then you know that I’m honored that you’re willing to take the time away from your busy schedule to have this conversation with me, my lord.”

 

“Your attempt at flattery is wasted in my presence.” Thanatos presses the sleep button on his tablet. “I suppose we’re due for a brief spike in population growth. Speak.”

 

“Astrid’s death—”

 

“Your time is up. Wasn’t that pleasant?” Thanatos presses the button on his tablet once again, finger scrolling through it line-by-line.

 

Nico suppresses the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes. Perhaps he needed to approach from a different angle. “Very pleasant, my lord. Perhaps I’ll stand here and consider my own musings.”

 

Thanatos hums in response, obviously not giving a care in the world.

 

“The doors are looking as beautiful as ever, my lord. I bet my father would be impressed by your ability to keep them stunning and guiding souls to the Underworld.” Nico strokes his chin, noting he could see his reflection in the doorknob. “Perhaps this year he may want to take the Christmas Picture here.”

 

For a moment, Thanatos freezes.

 

“Of course, we’d have to make sure you had a Christmas sweater as well. It wouldn’t be right if Death wasn’t properly dressed during Christmas.” Nico heaves a disappointed sigh. “Though death does not stop during the holidays. Maybe you’re far too busy for a pic—”

 

“Two minutes.” Thanatos clicks the button on his tablet once more.

 

“So gracious, my lord,” Nico muses. I’m sure the pandas are grateful you’re letting them live just a little longer. They’re an endangered species, you know.”

 

“A minute and a half.”

 

“I’m trying to find out more about a mortal. A mistress of a son of Thor. Astrid. I’m afraid I don’t know her last name.”

 

“My, my. You stare Death in the face, looking to sneak another soul out of the Underworld?” Thanatos glowers at the demigod darkly, an air of amusement in his voice. “I don’t recall that being a privilege for an ambassador to Lord Hades.”

 

“My apologies, Lord Thanatos. I didn’t mean to make it sound that way.” Nico stands firm on the other side of the God of Death’s podium, his feet planted to the ground. “Father told me that Lady Sif caused the earthquake that crushed her. He wouldn’t tell me a detail more, but surely you, the God of Death, could point me in the right direction.”

 

“Do tell.”

 

“Thor’s mistress intended to become a meteorologist. I don’t think they would have picked her to become one of the great heroes to needed to end Ragnarok. And given the situation, Lady Sif probably made sure her soul ended up in Helheim.” Nico looks back up. “Can you tell me if…her soul is okay?”

 

The edge Thanatos’s lips twitch. “I can’t say I’m familiar with the death of a mistress of Thor, boy. I’m quite the busy god for your father. If Helheim has claim to a soul, I don’t give it much thought. Besides—”

 

Thanatos taps his tablet, averting his gaze.

 

“My area of expertise is peaceful deaths. Astrid Lykke’s death was anything but peaceful. Wouldn’t you agree?”

 

A sad smile curls against Nico’s lips. He bows his head. “I suppose you’re right, Lord Thanatos. Perhaps I should leave you now.”

 

“Ah, yes. I suppose we’ve run over the allotted time, haven’t we?” Thanatos hums pleasantly, his image fluttering in and out of the corners of Nico’s eyes once more. “Make sure my sweater is made out of llama fur. I’m partial to how they scream.”

 

“What did you say, my lord?”

 

“I said, I’m partial to the color cream.”

 

“Yes, my lord.” Shadows swirl at Nico’s feet, humming happily under the darkness of the Underworld. Before Nico takes the final plunge, he looks Death in the eye once more. “The monuments to the fallen in New Rome and Camp Halfblood have been more beautiful since Jason asked for the Demeter Cabin to grow poppies, don’t you think?”

 

“Quite beautiful indeed.” Thanatos flashes a knowing smile. “Poppies are my favorite.”

 

*

 

Morning arrives sooner than Nico anticipates. Time always passed differently in the Underworld. His body feels heavier, like he’s moving through the length of an ocean. He covers his face as he yawns, blocking a portion of the rising sun with the tips of his fingers.

 

Even after years of practice, shadowtraveling in long spurts still wears on his body. The times of peace make it easier for him to forget. The longer he goes without rest makes him feel more like a zombie. It’s no wonder why Death and Slumber are twin brothers.

 

He plops onto a couch, feeling all momentum disappear from his body. Maybe a nap.

 

Yeah.

 

A nap sounds fantastic.

 

*

 

“What’s the matter?” Fourteen-year-old Nico asked. He looked across the booth, hands in his pockets.

 

Jason snapped out of his thoughts and peered back. He peeled his hand away from his head and leaned back, embarrassed. “Sorry, just deep in thought.”

 

Nico rolled his eyes and wrinkled his nose. He looked down to the gaudy orange shirt on his body, lips stretched into a grimace. He didn’t ask for the company at McDonald’s. He was used to eating quickly and fiddling with his own devices. Yet Jason insisted on leaving camp at least once a week for friendly check ups.

 

It sucked. Nico already got that enough from Will Solace—annoyingly so. Getting food like this with Jason Grace and having Will Solace keep tabs on him made him feel like a kid.

 

Will kept tabs on him as a doctor, but there was no baggage. Jason was practically forcing his presence on Nico, annoyingly so.

 

It was almost as annoying as before, when he was still a praetor.

 

“I met my dad for the first time.”

 

The Son of Hades looked up, only to be met with the sight of a troubled Jason. Jason crossed is arms. A sadness radiated in his eyes.

 

The words process in Nico’s mind. He arched is eyebrow. “Since getting your memories back?”

 

Jason shook his head. “Since ever.”

 

“Really.” While it wasn’t uncommon for a child to ever meet their parent, this was news to Nico. He’d fought tooth and nail to be worthy in Hades’s eyes in the four years he’d known he was a demigod.

 

“Thalia told me the biggest thing she ever did was refuse to make the prophecy control her life. She swore an oath to Lady Artemis right in front of him. He respected that decision.” Jason pulls the glasses off his face and rubs his is eyes. “I bet he just wanted her to be happy after the strife it took for her to get to Camp Halfblood.”

 

He paused for a moment, enough for Nico to study his face. There were bags under Jason’s eyes, hidden too well beneath the imperial gold lenses. Few people slept well after a war—let alone two wars. The look on Jason’s face reminded Nico of Praetor Grace—the leader of Camp Jupiter who took great strides in making sure Hazel was accepted.

 

“I…maybe it’s arrogant of me,” Jason mutters to himself. “My future was set the moment Lupa took me in. I thought I was worthy to counsel him. But I’m not there yet.”

 

Nico frowned, soaking up the words and sadness in Jason’s tone of voice. “What…happened exactly?”

 

“”I called him unwise and I think he wanted to kill me.”

 

“What?”

 

“Yeah.” Jason pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “Maybe it’s arrogant of me to try and become the Pontifex Maximus—”

 

“Stop.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re far more worthy to become the Pontifex Maximus than you give yourself credit for,” Nico snapped sternly. He clenched his fists, staring at Jason in disbelief. Trust the Golden Boy of Camp Jupiter be humble on top of his reputation. It was almost sickening. “You’re a better leader than he ever has been. He’s just too blinded by his own pride to admit it.”

 

“Nico,” Jason warned. His eyebrows furrowed together with worry. “Don’t speak ill of the gods.”

 

“I’m speaking ill of your father,” Nico refuted back. “You’re sitting here with a Son of Hades and having a civil conversation while he begrudgingly sits on a throne wondering if his brother wants to overthrow him. You’re eons above Jupiter.”

 

Jason’s eyebrows knitted together. He reeled back in his seat, seemingly unconvinced by the words, but shoulders further away from his ears. A smile curled against his lips, along with a quiet sigh of relief. “Thanks.”

 

Still infuriated, Nico averted his eyes and took a hard sip of his coke instead. He couldn’t believe how angry he felt.

 

He—he couldn’t believe how angry he felt. Nico blinked for a moment.

 

Jason had a habit of coming to the Hades Cabin first thing in the morning and be friendly. He’d ask how Nico was feeling, if he felt comfortable with the way things were, subtly ask if Will was treating him well—but he didn’t talk about himself very much. Nico assumed Jason just reported back to the others later.

 

He’d never been on the receiving end of Jason’s own worries.

 

“You know, I…I’ve been trying to have this conversation with Piper for months.” Jason curled his finger around the cuff of his sweatshirt.

 

Snapping out of his thoughts, Nico squeezed his cup at the mention of the Son of Jupiter’s girlfriend. The mention of Piper and Leo was a reminder that he didn’t have Jason to himself.

 

“I’m glad to have you to talk to, Nico,” Jason said softly.

 

Nico glanced up through his bangs, his cheeks red with heat. He racked his brain for the words he wanted, but the only thing that could come out was, “I didn’t realize you thought of us as friends.”

 

Jason’s eyes widened, taken aback.

 

“You just never talk about yourself,” Nico grumbled quickly. “I was wondering when you’d get bored of me.” He couldn’t imagine it was very fun for Jason to sit there learning MythoMagic.

 

“Of course we’re friends!” Jason’s eyes flashed sadly like a hurt puppy. “Is it because I suck at MythoMagic?”

 

Nico choked on his drink.

 

“Oh my gods, Nico—”

 

“No, I just—” Nico coughed through the soda in his throat and couldn’t help a laugh. The sound of that made Jason look even more worried. Even he was worried—he hadn’t heard the sound of his own laugh in a while. “Hahaha—snort—”

 

When he finally settled down, he peered up only to see Jason still gawking.

 

“I like that you can tell me things too,” Nico said finally. His heart fluttered in his chest. “Please keep telling me things.”

 

The affirmation made Jason’s worry fade away. Instead, a smile appeared in its place, so big that it reached his eyes. “Yeah. Okay.”

 

“Okay.”

 

*

 

Tiny hands patter against Nico’s face, waking him from his restful slumber.

 

He opens an eye, greeted by a mop of red hair and bright blue eyes. Nico smiles softly and reaches to pull the little demigod into a hug. “Good Morning, Sion.”

 

“G’morning!” Sion grins from ear-to-ear. “Did you and Jay have a slumber party?”

 

“I guess we did.” Funnily enough, Nico doesn’t remember shadowtraveling back to this apartment. Maybe his talk with Thanatos earlier this evening caused it.

 

With unquestionable timing, Jason appears from the bedroom, glasses begotten. He stares at Nico, bewildered. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

 

“Shadowtravel.” The corners of Nico’s lips falter, smile suddenly forgotten. They didn’t talk much more after his promise the night before. He had to excuse himself to gather his thoughts.

 

Promising that Jason could live a normal life puts his heart ill at ease. Having a Jason that wanted to deny everything about the past, yet unintentionally taking every step that his prior self would, makes Nico feel worse.

 

The hug last night was the first one Jason gave him in three years since he was pulled away from Olympus by Hades, and Jason was wiped from his mind.

 

The embrace was as foreign as it was familiar, with the breadth of Jason’s trust and smile against Nico’s veins.

 

Normally, when Nico found himself distraught, he confided in Jason. This wasn’t the type of situation where he could treat Jason as his confidant.

 

He’s…not sure if Jason can still be his confidant. Not this Jason.

 

“Right. The creepy tunnel with all the screaming.” Jason smiles at him warily.

 

“They’re mostly screaming hello.” Nico sits up on the couch and yawns. He glances back to Jason, noting the way the other demigod scrutinizes him. “I was under the impression you went to bed.”

 

“I had a lot on my mind.”  The edges of Jason’s lips flutter, embarrassed. “I thought you went home.”

 

“I went and ran some errands.”

 

“You didn’t sleep?”

 

“I was asleep until Sion woke me up,” Nico responds brazenly. He pokes Sion in the stomach. “Isn’t that right, piccolino?”

 

Sion only giggles. “Can we see Emily and Marie today?”

 

“Absolutely. We just need to run some errands first.”

 

Jason frowns. “We do?”

 

“We’ll have to get Sion registered with the best daycare in New Rome. It’ll be a good stepping stone to get him into the best preschool, the best elementary school…” Nico shivers, recalling Frank’s never ending research with child development. He had no idea parenting was such a war zone until he saw Frank’s office filled with enrollment tactics and countless pamphlets.

 

So many pamphlets.

 

“But first,” he continues, “I figured you would want a haircut.”

 

Almost unconsciously, Jason touches mussed blond hair. His lips twitch with amusement, hand brushing against his clean-shaven face. “Yeah. Maybe it’s time. What about you?”

 

Nico stares back, offended. He gestures to his own mop of sleepy dark locks. “This is a choice.” He points to Jason’s mess. “That is survival.”

 

Jason blinks rapidly, taken aback by the rebuttal. He breaks into a grin and laughs. “O-okay?”

 

“What’s a haircut?” Sion asks. “Does it hurt?”

 

“Only if you let the wrong person do it,” Nico muses. “Let’s go.”

 

*

 

 

There they were, at seven in the morning, walking down the market place of New Rome as the town arose. Sion oohs and aahs at all of the vendors selling fresh food or products, tiny hands wrapped around Jason and Nico each.

 

Eventually Nico pulls away to a nearby coffee shop. He orders two drinks and a gladius-shaped cookie, then makes his way back to his small group.

 

Sion’s eyes widen thrice in size. He graciously takes the cookie and waves it around. “I’m a knight!”

 

“Protect me if anything comes near my coffee, won’t you?” Nico smiles and ruffles the little demigod’s hair affectionately.

 

“This tastes amazing.” Jason’s eyes glitter.

 

It’s your favorite, Nico doesn’t say. His smile tightens once more and he takes a long, burning sip of his own drink. “It would be a good idea for you to enjoy the wonders of New Rome if you’re set on living here.”

 

Jason glances his way for a moment, expression thoughtful. He smiles whole-heartedly and takes another sip of his cup.

 

They wander for a little longer, only to be interrupted when an older gentlemen notices them.

 

“Jason? Jason Grace, is that you?” The man looked as though he was in his early forties, tan, with a handsome smile. Around his waist is a cloth apron, filled with a comb and what looked to be other equipment. His hair is pulled into a prim pompadour, lines clean. “I haven’t seen you in years! Look how tall you are!”

 

Jason peers back at Nico, confused. Nico only shrugs. Campers and gods, he knows. Rarely does Nico keep tabs on the civilians of New Rome.

 

The man’s eyes soften, almost paternal. He had one of those faces that looked timeless with his smile, age only apparent in his eyes. And clearly, those eyes had known Jason for a very long time.

 

“News from the Senate said you were back in New Rome, but you lost your memories again.” He extends his hand, his forearm revealing a tattoo of a dove and ten tick marks. “My name is Phineas. We were fellow legionnaires when you were two.”

 

“When I was what?” Jason’s mouth falls open. He looks to Nico again for confirmation. This time, Nico nods.

 

Phineas gives a hearty, affectionate laugh. “Gods, I remember when you used to scream when we put you down for a nap after sword practice. I gave you your first haircut when Lupa brought you to Camp. You hardly look any different from then.” He opens his eyes pleasantly as if an idea dawns upon him and quickly nudges Jason towards a nearby beauty salon. “Let me give you another one! For old time’s sake!”

 

“Whoa—” Before they get too far, Jason stumbles with Sion still latched to his arm.

 

The hiccup in motion only eggs Phineas on. He grins from ear-to-ear. “Is this your son? Let me give him a haircut too!”

 

Before Nico knows it, both Jason and Sion are whisked away. He catches Jason’s pleading look for only a moment—and sighs tiredly.

 

Jason Grace certainly didn’t earn the title of Golden Boy for no reason.

 

He rubs the sleep out of his eye and excuses himself to a bench not too far from the salon.

 

Between the deep column, he sees Phineas chatting warmly with Jason while effortless grazing a scissor through long hair. At first, Jason seems guarded—but with more words that come out of Phineas’s mouth, the more he seems to pay attention.

 

When Nico was first recovering his memories of his mother and old Italy, he was devastated to see what had not outlived his old life. New buildings and winding roads confused him as he tried to shadowtravel through Venice, unable to anchor himself in what used to be.

 

Yet for Jason here in New Rome, recounting his old life before even they knew him…it was different.

 

It leaves Nico unsettled. Everything around New Rome would be a reminder of Jason’s past, but this Jason would always be a reminder of an abandoned present.

 

They all lived three years without Jason, and they were going to continue living without the Jason they once knew.

 

“Nico?”

 

He snaps out of his thoughts, suddenly aware of the heaviness that washed over him. Nico peers up, greeted by a curious Reyna and Annabeth. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and yawns. “Hello.”

 

Reyna peers at him curiously, then glances over to her girlfriend. Annabeth flashes a knowing, sleepy smile—apparently having just awoken herself.

 

“I’ll get your tea.” She kisses Reyna on the cheek, gives Nico a lingering stare, and disappears.

 

“I didn’t expect to see you back for a while,” Reyna observes. She inspects him carefully in only a way that she could, and tuts. “You’ve been shadowtraveling too much. You need to rest.”

 

“I was,” Nico promises. He pushes the hair out of his own eyes and gestures to the beauty parlor across from them.

 

One glance and Reyna’s disapproving tone seemed to disappear. “Is that Jason with Phineas?”

 

“So you know him.”

 

“We’ve met several times.” Reyna’s eyebrows knit together for a brief moment. Her worry turns into a quiet smile. “He used to be in the Fifth Cohort. He and several older legionnaires practically raised Jason in their last years of service.”

 

Oh.

 

“He’s a strange one. He’s the only demigod you’ll meet that will use a pair of scissors in short-ranged combat.” Reyna smiles warmly and turns her attention back to Nico. “He cleaned me up when I first arrived in New Rome.”

 

“It didn’t occur to me that people would be so fond of him.”

 

For some reason, the words seem to surprise Reyna.

 

Nico almost feels awkward for saying it. He shoves his hands in his pockets, embarrassed. “The only thing I cared about before the war was making sure Hazel was treated fairly at camp. When the war happened, Jason had already forgotten his memories. He just seemed…happier.”

 

Every pleasant moment Nico can trace with Jason stems from Camp Halfblood. Being the only camper in Zeus’s cabin let him push boundaries were muted by the legion.

 

Thirteen-year-old Nico hated Praetor Jason. He hated the way Praetor Jason’s gaze would linger every time he spoke, or how Praetor Jason waited for Nico to conjure a response. Nico remembers being being uncomfortable, insisting to himself not to let his guard down.

 

He remembers thinking, if Zeus could kill his mother in cold blood, how long would it take for Zeus’s son to cast a lightning bolt at him too?

 

A shiver runs through Nico’s spine as the thoughts come back to him. The resentment and loathing are practically tactile when his mind wanders. He recalls the intense hate and anger he felt from his younger self days ago when he touched that loom. Maybe that was why it was so vivid for him.

 

“A son of Jupiter is something the people of New Rome didn’t think they would ever see in their time. Especially not someone as genuine as Jason.” Reyna smiles fondly. “They were pretty sad to see him go.”

 

A thought occurs to Nico and his heart aches. “You two were close before he went off to Camp Halfblood.”

 

“We were.”

 

“What was it like to see him again?”

 

The daughter of Bellona looks back at him thoughtfully. “Confusing. There were times where we’d carry on full conversations and we’d have to pause because he didn’t remember. The hardest part was accepting that if he didn’t act like the Jason I knew, it was because he was happier without the memory.”

 

Traveling from continent-to-continent flows back to Nico’s mind. He remembers semi-quiet nights traveling with Coach Hedge and Reyna, and the Athena Parthenos.

 

Reyna had travelled far and accepted her role in the quest—but Nico could vividly see the looks of discomfort she gave. At first he closed himself off—sure that Reyna was yet another demigod who was wary of him.

 

When they got close—really close, he remembers being shocked when she confessed she felt like an outsider.

 

Her home was destroyed because of Percy and Annabeth. Jason had shed his Roman identity and gifted the role of praetorship to Frank—and both Frank and Hazel had spent weeks bonding with the Greek demigods while she’d been plotting to kill them. All because of a misunderstanding.

 

It was frustrating, she’d explained, to see the demigod who sponsored her turn his back on everything he helped build. Devastating.

 

Nico can see what she means even now. The night Jason met his gaze all of those years ago and fully committed to trusting him still makes his heart tingle. Jason spent many months making sure Nico felt like he belonged at Camp Halfblood—even more so than Will did.

 

And Jason spent so many years giving back to the gods, yet was stripped of his clear sight, powers, memory. All of those years, building a legacy the way he wanted it to be built so every minor god could be honored in a genuine way. The poppy garden at Camp Halfblood was proof of how much he cared.

 

To have that Jason no longer exist makes Nico nauseous.

 

But the soft smiles Jason gives Sion and only Sion makes his heart flutter all the same.

 

Nico’s heart aches. He clenches a fist through the pocket of his jacket.

 

“You seemed deep in thought earlier,” Reyna notes.

 

“I—” Nico sucks in a breath and turns away from her gaze. He looks up to the beauty salon and notes Phineas had now moved onto Sion’s red tufts. “I don’t know how to feel about this.”

 

Her own smile fades. She follows Nico’s gaze and nods. “It’s different this time.”

 

The fact they could say this time in the amount of times Jason had lost his memories makes him laugh bitterly.

 

“He doesn’t want his memories back, Reyna,” Nico murmurs. “He told me last night that—he couldn’t figure out whether or not he could trust us. But he didn’t want to wage a war for his sake.”

 

“That…sounds very…”

 

“Very much like Jason?” Nico smiles, but it hurts. “I just…can’t stand it.”

 

He can’t stand the idea of Jason willingly forgetting every memory of their friendship and the thought of having to fight for Jason’s trust, when Praetor Jason wanted to trust him from day one. It kills him.

 

To his surprise, Reyna steers the subject in a different direction. “Do you remember when Will and you broke up? You came to see me.”

 

Nico cocks his head back to the other demigod. He grimaces. “I was a wreck.”

 

“You were a lot like you are now,” Reyna corrects. “You said something didn’t feel right. Something was missing.”

 

“What…does that have to do with this?”

 

“Maybe you’re still trying to find out what’s missing from how you’re feeling.” A glint flashes in Reyna’s eye and she gestures to the salon. To Jason. “When you first told me that, I thought you meant the way Will reacted to your break up. Now that we’re all remembering Jason again…”

 

“What are you implying?” Nico’s cheeks flush red, flustered.

 

The corner of Reyna’s lips twitch.

 

With impeccable timing, Annabeth reappears with two biscotti and matching cups. She takes a long inhale and smiles happily. “Morning, coffee.”

 

“Good morning.” Nico arches an eyebrow and glances in Reyna’s direction.

 

She shakes her head dismissively, an affectionate arm hooked into the other child of war. “She’s spent a lot of time designing buildings for the new camp.”

 

“So much sketching.” Annabeth rotates her wrist. Despite the bags under her eyes, she looks back at Nico, cognizant. “Were you able to find anything out last night?”

 

Right. Nico bites the inside of his mouth, filled with a looming sense if despair at the pit of his stomach. “Thanatos gave me a name.”

 

“Really?” Annabeth blinks in surprise. “Just like that?”

 

“I don’t think Edesia was the only god who was partial to Jason.” There may have been some truth to Jason’s words all those years ago. So many immortal beings were children the Gods hardly cared about. Jupiter didn’t like Jason’s advice, but it didn’t make it any less true.

 

If the Twelve Olympian Gods failed to acknowledge their children, there was enough of them to cause a war. Every promise Percy forced upon them was accepted begrudgingly. A war with the Norse demigods would be the least of Jupiter’s worries if his own children turned on him—demigod and god alike.

 

And there was a reason Jason spent that day throwing Zeus’s own children in the King of the Gods’s face.

 

“So what did you find out about Sion’s mother?” Annabeth asks.

 

Before Nico can answer, Jason returns to him, Sion against his hip and clean looking. With the hair no longer in his face, Jason looks more put together. Sion and he look eerily even more the same, irises reflecting the perfect hue of the sky. Nico straightens unconsciously as he stares at the pair. Jason looks more like himself now more than ever.

 

Annabeth and Reyna take notice as well.

 

“Welcome back,” Reyna greets.

 

At first, Jason gives her the same confounded look as he gave Percy the night before. He smiles despite himself, and nods. “Thank you.” Then, he turns to Nico with an even bigger smile. “Is this satisfactory?”

 

Nico’s face blooms red as he notices Annabeth and Reyna glance back at him. “It’ll do.”

 

“Phineas has been taking care of you since you were two,” Reyna interjects. She nods approvingly. “It seems fitting that he’d give you your first haircut back in New Rome.”

 

Jason takes her words in carefully, the edges of his lips suddenly falling. “He told me that.”

 

“It’s going to happen to you a lot if you stay here.” Annabeth presses her coffee next to her cheek and hums pleasantly. Obviously the coffee shops were more than enough of a reason for her to stay.

 

Dread twists in the pit of Nico’s stomach. He’s not looking forward to revisiting the conversation he had with Jason last night to the rest of their friends.

 

To his surprise, Jason absorbs her words as delicately as he did with Reyna’s. “He said that a lot of people had a hand in raising me. At some place called Camp Jupiter. I…didn’t realize how much of this old life would just jump out at me.”

 

“You’re a special case, Jason.” Reyna strokes her chin. “You were probably the youngest demigod to find your way to New Rome. Any other person who was cognizant of their demigod bloodline at your age is usually a legacy.” She gestures to Sion. “Sion would be the second youngest.”

 

All of the discussion last night about Jason’s past life was met with disinterest. So much so that Nico felt his heart ache.

 

However, the morning seems to make a different impression than what Nico expected.  Jason follows her gaze to Sion, then to Nico. “Could we go there?”

 

Nico frowns. “Where?”

 

“Camp Jupiter.” Jason’s lips purse together. “I want to see what the fuss is about with this old me.”

 

The three of them freeze. Annabeth pulls away from Reyna for a brief moment, Reyna’s eyebrows raise, and Nico grimaces.

 

Jason reads all three reactions carefully and frowns. “Am I not allowed to do that?”

 

Absolutely not.

 

“It’s not that you’re not allowed, you’re just…not…allowed,” Annabeth finishes flatly. She presses a hand to her face and sighs.

 

Jason turns his head back to Nico, suddenly frowning. “I thought you said I was allowed to go about New Rome.”

 

“New Rome has different rules than Camp Jupiter,” Nico explains. He stares at Jason urgently, lips contorting to a frown. His next response is quieter. “You already decided last night that you didn’t want to cause trouble.”

 

“So I’m supposed to live out the rest of my life drinking coffee and getting free haircuts without questioning why?” Jason frowns, evidently unsatisfied with this conclusion. “While the people of New Rome just fill in the blanks of my memories anyway?”

 

They definitely didn’t account for that. The other issue was, Percy’s idea of figuring out how to tell Mike involved a dismissive hand wave and reeked of his usual go with the flow attitude.

 

The corner of Nico’s eye twitches.

 

“What’s stopping me from just wandering to Camp Jupiter on my own anyway?” Jason frowns and gestures south. “All I’d have to do is follow the Little Tiber until I made it to camp, right?”

 

Nico pauses.

 

At no point did they talk about the geography of New Rome last night.

 

“It’s not that easy,” Reyna says carefully. “We could keep you out by—”

 

“By telling Terminus?” Jason finishes for her.

 

“Reyna, stop.” Nico puts a hand out between the two of them. He notes for a moment the way both Reyna and Jason stood parallel to each other, both focused on the other, and wonders if it echoed conversations in the Senate back when they were both praetors.

 

Annabeth picks up on Nico’s tone quickly. She stares at Jason in disbelief. “You’re remembering already.”

 

Jason blinks for a moment, trying to understand her words. To their surprise, he shakes his head. “No, I’m…”

 

“It’s like how you knew how to go to the Wolf House,” Nico realizes. “It’s familiar to you.”

 

“I…guess?” Jason sounds uncertain. He peers down to Sion, lips twisting into a frown.

 

For a moment, Nico hesitates. Then—“We’ll go.”

 

He doesn’t miss the way Annabeth and Reyna immediately whip their heads back to him.

 

“We will?” Jason asks, surprised.

 

“Yes,” Nico reiterates. “Now shut up before I change my mind.”

 

*

 

If this was Jason Grace, head of Zeus’s Cabin and ex-praetor, Nico has no doubt that convincing Jason to avoid camp would be feasible. That Jason would be adamant at not starting another war.

 

But this new Jason is a wild card. He echoes the old Jason eerily well, following steps that Nico’s Jason would, yet takes two steps back in the blink of an eye. With how paranoid this Jason has been, Nico wouldn’t put it past him to try and sneak into Camp Jupiter sheerly because everyone told him not to.

 

It’s a very Percy move, and post-second war Jason might’ve been swayed to do that, too.

 

The route to camp plays out similarly to the beauty parlor with Phineas. They pass retired legionnaires who’ve built their lives in New Rome, or legacies who’ve lived there since they were born. Many recognize Jason right off the back and try to spark a conversation.

 

“Is this a good idea?” Annabeth asks Nico in a hushed tone, when a veteran busies Jason with reminiscing and gushing over Sion.

 

“If he’s going to start remembering, we might as well try to control it,” Nico whispers back.

 

By the third trip down memory lane, Reyna intercepts and greets the New Roman. Having once been a praetor meant many people knew who she was as well. Some conversations refer to Reyna and Jason as a duo. The latter demigod only looks back and forth, bewildered. He’s not on edge like he was yesterday. Just lost.

 

As they make it to the campgrounds, Jason was gifted with fresh bread (“To celebrate your return to New Rome!”), a small carving of an eagle (“To thank Jupiter for your safe return!”), children’s clothes (“For your cute son!”), and cookies (“Because I made too many!”)

 

Annabeth and Reyna happily take the plate of cookies. Jason stuffs the eagle in his pocket, exhausted and unsure of what to do with it, while the bread and clothes were consolidated into the baby blue bag. Fortunately, Sion doesn’t seem to mind the influx of attention.

 

The difference between Camp Jupiter and New Rome is almost immediate. There’s a tenseness to the air from soldiers who are still training for a war yet to come. One of the cohorts sprints by as a centurion yells for them to go faster. Nico has no doubt that a legionnaire probably made their beds poorly.

 

Reyna stares on fondly.

 

On the other hand, Jason is taken aback by the sight. They were surrounded by nymphs, fauns, and demigods alike. Similar to the gardens nursed by the Demeter Cabin, Ceres campers were inspecting grains and mumbling to themselves about rationing them out. A few Children of Vulcan were fiddling with medal by a kiln, masterfully moving their hands so fast that Nico could barely see them.

 

“Is that girl green?” Jason asks out of the blue. “And…making out with a goat…person?”

 

“A faun,” Nico corrects instinctively. “Don’t stare. That’s rude.”

 

They find Percy teaching sword class near the mouth of the Little Tiber, ankle deep in water as he sparred with a younger looking legionnaire. He looks over for a brief moment. His demeanor evaporates as he catches sight of Jason.

 

Annabeth opens her mouth—“Percy—”

 

“OOF!” A camper—someone who looked no older than fourteen and at least a foot shorter than the Son of Poseidon—hastily jabs an elbow into Percy’s stomach and uses the full force of her body to head but him into the ground.

 

“Keep your eyes on your match,” Annabeth finishes.

 

Percy sits up from the water and wheezes softly. “Good job, Maple. That was, uh. Terrifying.”

 

The student, Maple, beams happily, while the other legionnaires close to her age cheer her name.

 

“Class dismissed for the rest of the day,” Percy decides. “On account of the fact that I’m waterlogged.”

 

“You don’t get waterlogged,” Nico says.

 

“Class dismissed!” Percy repeats.

 

The legionnaires scatter with a happy cheer, all running towards the barracks. A few glance over, respectfully greeting Reyna as they pass. Some look over to Jason out of curiosity before following off against their comrades.

 

Piper appears, apparently having been seated for the sword lesson, and helps Percy out of the water.

 

“You’re not wet,” Sion notes when they’re all in close proximity. He peers up toward Percy curiously. “Do you hate bath time too?”

 

“Do I hate it?” Percy repeats, almost in disbelief. “When else am I supposed to sing Bohemian Rhapsody?”

 

Nico rolls his eyes. He glances at Jason from the corner of his eye—and suddenly notices the way Jason scrutinizes Percy. Jason looks as curious as Sion did by the lack of wet clothes. Even more curious of the celestial bronze chest plate wrapped around Percy’s torso and Riptide, which was still gripped in Percy’s hand.

 

Jason lifts his own hand, revealing the SPQR tattoo on his forearm. “You have a trident on your arm.”

 

Percy looks surprised. He lifts his arm to show the seven tick marks under his arm. “Yeah. Pretty cool, huh?”

 

To their surprise, Jason looks over to Reyna next, admiring the ten tick marks on her arm. “I guess I didn’t notice yesterday.”

 

“There’s a mark for every year of service you’ve given the Legion,” Reyna explains carefully. She presents her arm, showing the torch and sword of Bellona delicately. “Most legionnaires perform ten years of service before they decide to retire to New Rome.”

 

“I have twelve marks,” Jason murmurs. He traces the lightning bolt on his forearm delicately, as if finally putting two and two together. “Did I step down recently?”

 

Reyna looks to Nico almost instinctively for a moment, then to Percy, whose lips stretch into a grimace.

 

“You stepped down when you were fifteen,” Piper interjects. “You were…forcibly removed by Juno. She left you with Leo and me.”

 

Jason cocks his head to her, clearly trying to process the information. The space between his eyebrows crinkles, lips turned into a frown. “The short guy with the man bun?”

 

Percy hides his snickers behind a hand.

 

“Yes,” Piper continues. She rolls her eyes and nudges Percy gently.

 

“And, were…we…?” Jason’s gaze lands on her carefully. The pools of his eyes blur hazily, as though his mind was trying to fill in the blanks that he couldn’t. Like his mind was trying to find the memories. “Were we together?”

 

“We were. Emphasis on were,” Piper adds very quickly. She looks queasy for a moment, clearly not wanting to open a can of worms.

 

Percy takes in the scene momentarily (noticeably scooting closer to Piper), then turns back to Jason. “Are you remembering things?”  

 

“Not really remembering things,” Jason admits. He turns back to Percy. “Just…feelings. A feeling, really.”

 

Nico’s stomach flops. He can’t help but dislike the answer.

 

“I feel like I’ve held one of those before.” Jason goes on to gesture to Riptide, still gleaming in Percy’s hand. His own fingers twitch.

 

“Boy have you,” Percy muses.

 

“I did, didn’t I?” Jason continues, his voice distant. He turns to Nico. “Back when you found me. I…I thought that was a gun.”

 

A round of silence follows. Nico’s hand flies to his cheek instinctively, where Jason had attacked him. He’s not sure what to say.

 

Fortunately, Percy takes the lull and runs with it. He quickly caps Riptide, turning it back to a pen, and tucks it in his back pocket. His nose scrunches softly. “So…I…uh. I haven’t actually told Mike about—”

 

“Jackson!”

 

“—I guess now is a good a time as any.”

 

Mike Kahale comes marching parallel to the Little Tiber, hands balled and fuming. He jabs a finger at Percy with almost the full force of a fist, and scowls angry. “What the hell is Grace doing in Camp Halfblood?”

 

“I—” Percy shoots a glance over to Nico, waiting for an explanation.

 

“I wanted to see where I grew up.” Jason immediately interjects. He passes Sion to Nico and places himself between both praetors.

 

As big as Mike was, he wasn’t the type to get irrationally angry. If anything, people saw the stunning jawline and large arms and overlooked his intellect.

 

“Grace.” Mike pulls back from his accusatory stance, his tone of voice teeming with surprise. His shoulders relax, but the angered demeanor remains. “Welcome back to New Rome.”

 

Jason only glares.

 

“I had nothing but respect for you when you became praetor after the first war,” Mike continues, his voice. “But your very existence here puts the people of New Rome in danger. It puts us all at the brink of a third war. We were advised by Bacchus not to heal your madness.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Jason assures. “I’m definitely still mad.”

 

The air doesn’t become ionic. Jason’s eyes don’t spark with electricity, and the gusts don’t pick up. But his tone is evident of his anger at a stranger suddenly trudging up to them.

 

“Sion,” Nico announces suddenly. “Let’s go splash around in the Little Tiber.”

 

For a moment, all of the adult demigods avert their attention back to him and the small red head. Mike’s eyes actually falter. Jason flashes a grateful look, but Nico can only glare daggers and hope shut your mouth translates well in looks.

 

“Okay,” Sion says shakily. A gust of wind picks up around them, as unnerving as the day before.

 

The last thing they needed was traumatize him with a bunch of yelling adults. Nico isn’t too fond of that himself.

 

Nico makes quick note of it and takes sharp strides towards the river bed. “Remember when I said we could save rain clouds for outsidetime?”

 

Luckily, that seems like enough to keep Sion’s attention away. Nico peels tiny shoes off and sets Sion on the ground, near the edge of the water. Sion giggles happily.

 

With a wave of a hand, a tiny storm cloud appears roughly a foot above Sion’s head and a light shower starts. Sion laughs gleefully and starts chasing it around.

 

In the background, Nico can hear yelling. First, Mike’s voice. Then, Percy’s pleading voice, with an occasional interjection from Jason. He can’t even fathom what Jason could be saying. Then it’s quiet.

 

In the following moments, Jason takes a place beside Nico.

 

The fight is finally over. A sigh of relief comes out of Nico’s mouth.

 

“So,” Jason says. “I might’ve challenged Mike Kahale to a duel to the death just now.”

 

“You did what?”

 

*

 

Percy was apparently not the least surprised by Mike’s reaction. He berated Percy for a hair-brained scheme of restoring Jason’s eyes, going against the wishes of the Senate, and informing Jason that they were on the brink of a war if he got his memories back. And for Jason’s presence at Camp Jupiter.

 

Effective immediately for going against the Senate, Percy was stripped of his rank as praetor. He saw that coming.

 

Piper, Annabeth, and Reyna immediately jumped to his defense. Praetor Kahale wasn’t finished talking.

 

To have the decision completely usurped by not only an acting praetor, but eight of the nine war heroes from the Second Giant War? That hubris, according to Mike, was too dangerous to allow at Camp Jupiter. Or any camp.

 

“…and then he said he was going to talk to the Senate to halt construction on Camp Demigod and get all of us thrown off the project, if not camp,” Percy finishes, voice bitter. “What a way to go out on my final years here, huh?”

 

“Except,” Nico responds hotly, “Jason decided to defend your honor and challenge Mike to a duel?” He paces back and forth the length of the barracks, hands twitching at his sides.

 

He stepped away for five minutes, for Sion’s sake, and Jason’s sense of duty and honor conveniently decided to come back to him.

 

“Yeah, what a guy, right?” Percy sighs tiredly. “You should totally marry him.”

 

“Did you forget the part where he doesn’t have any powers right now?” Nico snaps. He halts in front of a bunk bed, where Sion is happily hopping up and down a poor legionnaire’s mattress. Nico has no doubt someone in the Fifth Cohort will be running laps later.

 

“I dunno, Nico. You should’ve seen the way Jason looked at him. Like he was ready to smite Mike for stripping me of my praetorship.” Percy peels off a bed Nico can only assume is his own, and stands parallel to Nico, smiling fondly at Sion. “You know Jason. He’s not the type to back down from a fight if his friends are involved.”

 

“That is not my Jason.” Nico’s veins burn with anger. His entire body fills with rage.

 

This Jason isn’t the one who offered him a hand, or begged for his trust. The one who eagerly asked fourteen-year-old Nico to sneak out of camp to grab dinner, or the one who sat there for hours trying to understand the rules of MythoMagic. The one who asked Nico to show him where his mother died, or who needed Nico to hold his hand when he broke down in tears.

 

It’s not the Jason who wholeheartedly supported him on his first date with Will, or confided how scared he was to start this journey and earn the title of Pontifex Maximus.

 

This Jason isn’t the one that would make Nico smile just from a fond memory. This Jason is an echo, and that’s worse. This Jason made the decision to shut the door on Nico’s Jason last night, and Nico is angry. He hates the pull that this Jason has on his heart strings from the familiar glances and gestures of the past—and that this Jason is quick to dismiss the old him.  

 

Nico’s not one-hundred percent sure, but he can feel Percy looking at him. At his frustration.

 

Percy touches his shoulder much more gently than Nico knew he was capable of. Sea green eyes tower over him, filled with both surprise and care. “Hey. Are you…okay?”

 

It’s unfair, Nico thinks, because it’s the look Jason would give him when they were younger.

 

“Nico, I had no idea that you felt so strongly about—”

 

“Ahem.” Jason appears at the door frame, imperial gold chest plate molded to his body with leather straps. His legs gleam with the same metal shin guards. Under his arm is a gold helm, and tucked at his hip is a gladius. He’s the gleaming model of a true Roman gladiator.

 

“Your straps are loose,” Nico says. He peels away, if only to avoid Percy’s pressing questions, and immediately fiddles with the straps under Jason’s torso.

 

“Thanks,” Jason murmurs. Nico can feel the vibrations against his fingers.

 

“You get all big and huffy but can barely dress yourself,” Nico tuts disapprovingly.

 

“Yeah, I guess.” Jason smiles sheepishly. He grips his gladius gently between his fingers and squeezes the hilt gently. “The last time I held this, I was trying to kill you.”

 

Nico’s fingers halt. He pulls back slowly, his heart aching in his chest. “And here you are now, trying to defend Percy’s honor. You called him Peter yesterday.”

 

“I guess I did.” Jason peers over Nico’s shoulder, his voice light. Nico assumes Percy is waving. “I—I don’t know why. I guess it was just a feeling that I’d done something like that before.”

 

“We’ve stuck our necks out for each other mores times than I can count,” Percy appears beside them, Sion at his side. He claps a hand on Jason’s shoulder and smiles cheekily. “I’m not one to need someone to defend my honor, but you sure know how to make a guy swoon, Grace.”

 

Jason glances his way curiously and laughs awkwardly, the same way he did with Leo. Nico can’t help but glare daggers at the Son of Poseidon.

 

“I’m…gonna take Sion to the stands with the girls,” Percy says when he doesn’t get a response. He crouches down to Sion’s level, still comically taller than the other demigod. “You alright with that, little guy?”

 

Sion squints at him and then nods. “No baths though.”

 

“Alright, no baths.” With that, Percy leaves both Nico and Jason by themselves.

 

Nico looks everywhere but Jason’s face, his stomach still in knots.

 

“I get the feeling you’re mad at me,” Jason says slowly.

 

“I don’t get mad.” Nico keeps his voice even. At first. His voice wavers as he continues. “You were set on a peaceful life yesterday. Your were angry we weren’t giving you that choice.”

 

“I still am set on a peaceful life—”

 

“Are you?” Nico laughs angrily and throws his arms in the air. “Would you have challenged Mike Kahale to a duel yesterday?”

 

“I—no, I guess not. But the way he was talking to Percy—”

 

“Is something that Percy fully prepared for.” Before Nico knows it, he’s waving his arms in anger and frustration, while Jason is on the receiving end of his emotions.

 

Jason looks back at him, stunned. “I…didn’t expect being in New Rome to bring up so many emotions.”

 

“None of us did. But you were set on leaving the past behind you.” Nico grits his teeth and pinches the bridge of his nose. He tries hard, but he can’t keep his voice from breaking. “You told me you wanted to put the past behind you.” All of it, including their friendship.

 

He can’t pinpoint when his heart broke. Maybe it was last night. Maybe it was the day he never saw Jason again. But standing here, watching an amnesiac Jason hold a sword in his hand the way he used to, reminds him of the open wound.

 

“Were we a thing?” Jason asks quietly.

 

Nico’s head shoots up, befuddled. “No. What would make you think that?”

 

“Nothing,” Jason responds. “Just a feeling.”

 

Red flushes in Nico’s cheeks. He can’t shake the sadness in Jason’s voice, but the shift in mood is obvious. He awkwardly comes forward and gingerly takes the helmet out Jason’s hands. Jason leans forward, allowing the other demigod to place it on his head like a crown. “What makes you think that you can beat him?”

 

“I dodged you with a ladle, didn’t I?”

 

Nico’s face wrinkles. “”That’s completely different.”

 

“I guess we’ll see.” Jason readjusts the helmet one last time and smiles at the shorter demigod. “Wish me luck.”

 

*

 

Nico’s not entirely calm when he takes his place next to Percy in a spectator seat at the Coliseum. His head throbs, eyebrows meshed together so painfully that he’s convinced they’ll stay together permanently. Nico tugs at the black toga that the Senate made him wear for formal affairs and wrinkles his nose. It feels like he hadn’t worn it since Percy was sworn in with the Legion.

 

(Really—life had been blissfully uneventful after the Second Great Titan War. Nico’s starting to miss it.)

 

“Nico!” Sion cheers happily from Percy’s lap. “You look like you’re wearing a dress! Can I have one?”

 

“Maybe if you’re good, piccolino.” Despite himself, the corner of Nico’s lips curl into a small smile. His voice is gravelly, throat clogged with angered words he wanted to spew at Jason.

 

Percy glances at him carefully. “Did you two get to hash it out?”

 

“Hash what out?” Nico grumbles.

 

“You…” Percy’s eyebrows furrow together. He waves his hands. “Well, you know.”

 

“Do tell,” Nico continues. He shoots Percy a withering enough look that the Son of Poseidon decides to drop it.

 

The crowd in the Coliseum isn’t overbearing—just a little over halfway filled. It wasn’t every day that campers saw their praetors in battle. When they made it to the tunnel, Nico explained to Jason how to enter—only to be cut off.

 

“I think I got this,” Jason said. He even looked confident holding his gladius.

 

Now, the spectators rise from their seats as Mike appears down below. Both the First and Second Cohort cheer at the top of their lungs.

 

Despite having Octavian as his sponsor, Mike was never the type to let fame go to his head. His expression is stern, stance firm. Nico has only seen Mike Kahale spar once during a War Game many years ago. He was an expert at hand-to-hand combat, and was not afraid to get hit in the face.

 

Jason appears from the other side. He looks up, as though scanning the audience for someone, but doesn’t wave.

 

The Coliseum erupts in erroneous cheers.

 

When was the last time the Son of Jupiter fought in New Rome?

 

Probably when he was a praetor, nearly ten years ago.

 

“So,” Piper says loudly to get their attention. “How confident are we in Jason?”

 

“He dodged the ladle I threw at him last night,” Nico offers flatly. After a moment of thought, he brushes a hand to his cheek where Jason had swiped him with the same sword. “And he held his own against the lycanthropes before I showed up.”

 

“Jason Grace, one of the great veterans and war hero of New Rome, stands before us today!” Mike shouts to the audience. “At the behest of his sister, the Lieutenant of Lady Artemis, he was found! But—”

 

Mike scowls and jabs a finger towards Percy in the spectator box.

 

“—against the wishes of the Senate, ex-Praetor Jackson and his friends healed Jason Grace’s eyes and bring us closer to the brink of war. Grace wishes to defend Jackson’s honor and restore his rank. What do we say to that, New Rome?”

 

“AUT VINCERE AUT MORI! AUT VINCERE AUT MORI!”

 

“What are they shouting?” Sion asks curiously.

 

Nico smiles bitterly, wishing he had his cup of coffee with him. “Conquer or Die.”

 

Through the tone of Mike’s voice, Nico can feel the faintest flutter of butterflies. He wouldn’t be surprised if that was how Mike Kahale utilized his charmspeak. The Son of Venus was a college football player, after all. Trashtalking was in his blood.

 

Mike takes a fighting stance and unsheathes his gladius. Jason copies the change in stature—albeit clumsily. He’s first to move—charging at Mike with full force—and swipes towards the other demigod’s torso. Mike blocks with ease, the rebuttal of his sword enough to make Jason’s body tremble from the force.

 

Just as Jason recoils to try another strike, Mike butts him with the hilt of his sword and causes Jason to fall on his back.

 

Nico stands up the moment Jason hits dirt, heart leaping in his chest. A sense of dread boils in his stomach. This was a bad idea from the start.

 

“Nico,” Percy whispers quietly beside him. “Did you find anything out last night?”

 

The question numbs Nico. His jaw tightens for a moment. “Thanatos gave me a name. And then some.”

 

As Mike looms forward over Jason, the other demigod rolls onto all fours. Jason wheezes on the ground, an aftermath from the blow, and swipes a hand at the ground. Immediately, a cloud of dirt appears—some apparently flinging into Mike’s eye.

 

Mike recoils with just enough of a hiccup for Jason to stand back on his feet. Jason lunges forward again, this time aiming for the praetor’s arm. The hit lands, causing Mike to stumble once more, and Jason swipes in the direction that he falls.

 

“Damn.” Percy whistles in approval.

 

“Percy—weren’t some of these moves from your sword class?” Piper asks.

 

“Maybe, but you guys only caught the last bit of class,” Percy says back. “Jason was already an expert swordsman, this must just be—”

 

“Familiar,” Nico finishes. His heart hammers in his chest as he watches Jason continue to swipe. All Mike can do is defend, his shielded hand lifted over him.

 

The moment Jason’s gladius touches Mike’s shield once more, the latter demigod pushes forward to create distance between them. Mike shoots forward with his own sword—but this time Jason is smart enough to dodge.

 

“And then some?” Percy repeats.

 

Nico is so enveloped with the fight that he almost forgets to respond. “The way Thanatos responded was peculiar. Both Jason and Sion have said things didn’t add up before I spoke with him.”

 

Jason crouches low, like Nico would see back at Camp Halfblood eons ago. The longer the fight goes, the more familiar his battle stances seem to be. Mike is so startled by Jason’s movement that he falls when Jason roundhouse kicks him.

 

“I think Jupiter had an ulterior motive when he took Jason’s memories away,” Nico continues. “Jason must have seen something he wasn’t supposed to while he was traveling. Something bad enough that it could anger a Norse goddess like Sif and Jupiter at the same time.”

 

“But what?”

 

To everyone’s surprise, Mike doesn’t recover as easily as Jason did. The moment his back hits solid ground, the rest of his body shakes, as if unable to move. It could have been anything—an old war injury, or an injury from football. Either way, Jason takes advantage of it.

 

He presses the tip of his sword to Praetor Kahale’s face, victorious.

 

Nico lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, heart finally returning to a steady pace. The crowd erupts in cheers.

 

“Did Jay win?” Sion ask.

 

“Yeah, piccolino. Jason won.” Nico smiles softly and touches the top of red curls. The wave of nausea doesn’t go away.

 

Despite the joyous cries and position reclaimed. Percy’s eyes remained glued to the Son of Hades. “Nico. Tell me.”

 

“Lady Sif thought Thor cheated on her,” Nico explains. He looks back to the Son of Poseidon, expression somber. “But I think Jupiter pretended to be Thor.”

Notes:

I’m overwhelmed by the amount of people who’ve come back to read this story! Thank you for such lovely responses and hello to new readers who missed out on the first hiatus! :)) Ephemeren did some beautiful art once again, please go check them out here: https://ephemeren.tumblr.com/post/615011220502855680/sadness-washes-through-him-and-the-answer-finally

I hope you guys are hooked! Stay safe! <3

Chapter 6: When the Night is Over

Summary:

He gestures to himself, eyebrows furrowed together. “I want to know why I feel so strongly about all of you. I need to know why he felt so strongly about you.”

A hot breath falls from Nico’s lips. He recomposes himself and pushes hair out of his eyes, and a thought occurs to him. Nico extends a hand. “Do you trust me?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jason reaches out for it. His gaze doesn’t leave Nico’s own. “Completely.”

Notes:

Hello to quarantine chapter update number three! I’m very excited about this chapter, this is the one I’ve been wanting to write ever since the beginning! A couple of things:

Rereading the first chapter is recommended but not required! Since there has been such a gap between updates it might be helpful.

The inspiration/mood for chapter one (and this entire story) is The Night We Met by Lord Huron

The inspiration/mood for this chapter is When the Night is Over by Lord Huron

Lastly, more fan art from ephemeren! https://ephemeren.tumblr.com/post/616036185921486848/ephemeren-but-first-he-continues-i-figured

And doodles from me! https://kingburu.tumblr.com/post/615930468521607168/he-cant-pinpoint-when-his-heart-broke-maybe-it

 

It’s been a few years since Nico has stepped foot in the Mess Hall.

 

“To Jason! My comrade and best friend on and off the battlefield!” Percy holds his chalice of blue Pepsi above his head. An orchestra of clinks follow as various soldiers tap their glasses together. He clinks his own with Piper’s, grin stretched from ear-to-ear.

 

Jason, beside Percy and Sion, smiles softly. He looks over to Nico inquisitively. Rolling his eyes, Nico raises his own chalice filled with root beer and offers a tap.

 

Percy takes a noticeable gulp of his drink, as though trying to turning it into the jack and coke he’d had earlier this week. His gaze lingers on Jason for a moment, then to Nico.

 

While not one to drown his sorrows in alcohol, Nico can feel the uneasiness as it radiates off Percy. The theory about Sion’s parentage is just a theory, but it makes the son of Poseidon ill at ease none the less.

 

Nico catches Piper curling a hand over Percy’s. She whispers something into his ear—charmspeak, possibly, to calm him down. A moment later, Percy lets out a sigh.

 

Sitting on the other side of the Mess Hall with the First Cohort is Mike. Mike watches them like a hawk, lips pressed into a firm line.

 

“Jason,” Percy chirps. He slings an arm around Jason’s shoulders and grins. “You were awesome. I can’t believe you were able to overpower Mike like that.”

 

“Thanks.” Jason blushes, lips curling sheepishly. “Something about the way he moved was familiar.”

 

“You taught him how to fight when he first arrived,” Reyna interjects. As she glances over to Mike, the son of Venus quickly averts his eyes. “He really looks up to you. He told you,’The only way for a child of Venus to be taken seriously is to be as skillful as the son of Jupiter.’”

 

“Well,” Piper cuts in and rolls her eyes playfully. “That’s not the only way.”

 

“It was for him.” Reyna’s voice is sympathetic.

 

Glancing back at Jason, Nico can see the edges of Jason’s smile fade. Another life intertwined with his own. Jason touches Sion’s head tenderly. “Why did I leave New Rome if there were so many people that cared about me?”

 

Nico sets his root beer down. Percy glances over, lips twisted with trouble.

 

“You used to tell me that New Rome loved you for being Jupiter’s son, but not necessarily for being you,” Percy explains. He slings an arm around Jason’s shoulder once again, a consoling glint in his eye. “Which is why you were perfectly fine staying in the Fifth Cohort despite constant begging that you join the First Cohort, and why you were reluctant to accept the role of Praetor after the first war. Pontifex Maximus was the closest you could get to being yourself.”

 

“Right,” Jason replies quietly. “Myself.”

 

Nico digs his hands into the denim of his jeans and sighs gently. Peering down at Sion, he notices the little demigod happily eating the PB&J he asked for.

 

“What about my sister?” Jason asks next. “Is she somewhere here too?”

 

The Son of Hades whips his head back for a moment, startled. He shares a glance with Percy once more, who looks stuck on what to say next.

 

“You’re remembering Thalia,” Percy says slowly.

 

“No. Kahale said I had a sister back in the arena,” Jason explains. He frowns, his moving back and forth between Nico and Percy. His expression glazes over, as though trying hard to piece the memories together in his mind, but failing. “So her name is Thalia.”

 

Getting a first hand account of Jason working through his memories is eerie. It’s not the firsts time Nico has been part of it. Jason fixates on the name in an uneasy way, to the point of touching his pounding head.

 

“Was she like Sion? Could she shoot lightning and fly? Or did she have different powers?” Jason pulls his hand away from his head and looks back at Nico again, expression sad. “Were we both left here?”

 

Nico’s chest tightens. His throat goes dry. “No. You grew up here without her.”

 

“You had powers too, man.” Percy’s eyebrows furrow together.

 

The answer makes Jason’s eyes cloud with more sadness and confusion. His gaze falls down to Sion and pulls the little demigod closer towards him. “And what about my mom?”

 

Annabeth’s eyes glisten wetly. “She died a long time ago, Jason.”

 

“Oh.” The answer makes Jason look green in the face. He doesn’t press for more details, opting to stare at the burger on his plate instead.

 

Despite the joyous chatter around them, their particular table is quiet.

 

Nico lets out a soft breath and nudges Jason softly across Sion’s head. “Eat. Doctor’s orders, remember?”

 

Jason takes the distraction from his burning questions gratefully. He squeezes the cheeseburger between his palms and stuffs his face. His eyes widen for a moment, the same way they did last night when Nico made pasta.

 

“Second hot meal in a while?” Nico guesses.

 

Jason nods.

 

“I also cry tears of joy when I get to eat a burger,” Percy responds helpfully. He lifts his blue mozzarella sticks and stuffs his face.

 

The rest of the afternoon is spent in comfortable, quiet conversation amongst their group. Nico isn’t sure the last time he’s seen everyone this frequently. Especially in this week.

 

“Should we tell them?” Percy suddenly says, grinning from ear-to-ear.

 

Piper smiles.

 

“So…” Percy says. He holds up his hand, which is delicately intertwined. “We’re together!”

 

Annabeth, Reyna, and Nico stare at them blankly.

 

“Oh,” Jason offers. “That sounds nice.”

 

“You guys were so subtle,” Nico says politely. “I never saw it coming.”

 

Reyna laughs.

 

“What Percy means is—” Piper punches Percy playfully, grinning. “We’re also pregnant.”

 

This time, Annabeth screams with delight. She runs to the other side of the table and throws her arms around the other demigod, then to Percy. Reyna is quick to follow.

 

“Did you see this one coming?” Jason whispers quietly, mirth in his voice.

 

“I knew before they did,” Nico whispers back. He shoots a pleasant smile to Percy, whose heartbeat is thrumming with excitement.

 

Eventually, Sion dozes off at the table. His head plops into Jason’s lap and he curls into a ball. Nico glances up and notices the weary look on Jason’s face after a few overwhelming hours of socializing. It wasn’t much different from the Jason Grace who needed a break from campfire songs.

 

“Let’s put Sion down for a nap,” Nico suggests. “Then we can ask Hazel and Frank about daycare.”

 

Jason seems pleased with the idea.

 

Before they part, Percy wraps a hand around Nico’s forearm. “Let’s meet up tonight to talk about things.”

 

Nico’s gaze flits over to Jason very briefly, who takes notable interest in the conversation. He nods in agreement.

 

As they part from the mess hall, Nico reaches over and grabs Jason’s hand absentmindedly. The shadows pool at his feet. To his surprise, Jason gives his hand a firm squeeze.

 

“Can we take the long way?” He asks.

 

Nico studies his face carefully, noting the tired constitution. He dismisses the darkness below the soles of his shoes and nods. Hesitantly peels his hand away from Jason’s. “Lead the way.”

 

He follows Jason silently, watching as Jason’s attention shoots between all of the different buildings alongside the Little Tiber. It dawns on Nico that the last time he took as extensive of a trip through Camp Jupiter, Praetor Jason was giving him a tour of New Rome.

 

Nico’s Jason really didn’t look back at his old life.

 

Before he knows it, they’re climbing Temple Hill. Nico notes the sea of poppies blooming around the Temple of Pluto—and then watches as Jason makes a straight shot to the Jupiter Maximus.

 

They stand parallel to the gargantuan statue. The air around it feels different than before. Even more ominous, even more frustrating. Jupiter looms above them, his expression as cold and blank as the real King of the Gods. Jason stands before it, puny in comparison.

 

It’s much bigger and far more intimidating than the one that sat on Jason’s balcony.

 

“They got his beard wrong,” Jason murmurs. “It’s closer cut his face.”

 

“How do you know?” Nico asks.

 

“Just a feeling.”

 

Nico shivers quietly. Of course, he knows Jason is on the nose with his introspection. His heart rattles against his chest all of a sudden, and he’s reminded of the last time they were alone. Reminded of the loneliness.

 

“I never thought about what my life was like before that day in the classroom.” Jason reaches out towards Jupiter Maximus, then stops himself. “I spent so many years trying to survive each day and I never looked back. I never questioned what it was supposed to be like or where I came from.”

 

His hand curls until his nails are digging into the palms of his hands. Jason dips his head down and glances at Sion’s sweet face.

 

“And then you showed up one day and told me that I…had all of this.” he continues. He laughs in disbelief. “All of this, yet I grew up without my mother and sister. Maybe that’s why that Jason turned his back on New Rome. He was so busy getting told what he was that he couldn’t figure out who he was. And the closer he got, he realized it was already gone.”

 

“Is that how you feel?”

 

“I don’t know.” Jason sighs loudly, his voice full of misery. He raises his head reluctantly, eyebrows meshed together and the hues of his eyes glittering with sadness. “I want to believe that nothing bad is going to happen. I get so happy, like I’m soaring, but then I remember all the times where I’ve fallen. Where I could’ve died because I let my guard down. Then I look at Percy and the others, and there’s a part of me screaming that I should trust them more than I want to kill them. I look at you—”

 

Jason falters. Nico’s chest tingles.

 

“I look at you,” Jason repeats, “and I don’t need to scream. I just know I can trust you.”

 

Nico’s shoulders tremble. He chokes as he absorbs the words. “You asked me earlier if we were together.”

 

“Yeah,” Jason responds sadly. “I did.”

 

“But why?” Nico’s voice cracks.

 

A smile presses against Jason’s lips, sullen. “Because when I look at you, you look back at me like I’m a lie.”

 

Nico’s heart falls into his stomach. His hands slack at his sides. All words escape.

 

“You told me the first time you truly felt like friends with that Jason was when he confided in you too,” Jason whispers. “I told you I trust you. But am I ever going to get you to trust me?”

 

Rage finally bubbles in the pit of Nico’s stomach. The same rage from earlier, when Percy compared this Jason to his own. Nico’s face warms with anger and he grits his teeth. “You can’t just ask that of me.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because that Jason spent months trying to earn my trust. You’ve tried a day,” Nico snaps. “You come here and you act like the Jason I know, but then you want to put him behind you like you’re some better version of him! Do you know how that makes me feel? To have years of our friendship dismissed and have to begyou at every corner to trust me?”

 

He grabs his shirt, clenching his heart with his fist. His voice wavers with every word.

 

“It feels like you ripped my heart in two and then just expect me to heal. Except the person who used to help me with that is you.”

 

He missed Jason in his breakup with Will. Missed Jason’s calming presence, his reassuring smile. The way Jason would look at him like they were the only two people in the world. Nico couldn’t get that with anyone else. Not Reyna, not Will.

 

And never again, with Jason.

 

He chokes on a sob, trembling. Hot tears trickle down his face. Nico hasn’t felt this angry since Cupid provoked him and exposed all of his vulnerabilities. It’s alarmingly similar, how his emotions are lain out for the last person he wanted to see all over again.

 

Jason reaches out for a moment. Stops.

 

Through his tears, Nico can see a look of distress on Jason’s face.

 

“I wish I could hold you right now,” Jason whispers.

 

“Don’t touch me,” Nico snaps.

 

“Yeah.” Jason bows his head once again, this time admitting defeat.

 

The smallest part of Nico, buried in the pits of his heart, relishes in the fact that Jason is at a loss for words. He remembers all the envy and jealousy he used to feel, complacent as Praetor Grace tried to reach out to him. All he feels now is lost.

 

“I want to remember.”

 

Nico looks back up.

 

“I do,” Jason reaffirms. He gestures to himself, eyebrows furrowed together. “I want to know why I feel so strongly about all of you. I need to know why he felt so strongly about you.”

 

A hot breath falls from Nico’s lips. He recomposes himself and pushes hair out of his eyes, and a thought occurs to him. Nico extends a hand. “Do you trust me?”

 

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jason reaches out for it. His gaze doesn’t leave Nico’s own. “Completely.”

 

*

 

They drop Sion off at Hazel and Frank’s first. Emily and Marie quickly run over to greet them, only to tiptoe when Nico gestures to the sleeping demigod.

 

“We’re only going to be gone for a few hours,” Nico explains to Hazel. He makes a move to leave—only to be stopped as she tugs on his arm.

 

“You’re coming back,” Hazel asks steadily. Her gold eyes glint worriedly. “Right?”

 

“Yes,” Nico says. He kisses her gingerly on the forehead. “I promise I’m not leaving you alone with three toddlers forever.”

 

Hazel stares back suspiciously, but relinquishes her grip.

 

*

 

The New York City sky glows with streaks of orange and purple as they arrive. Shadows elongate, stretching limbs of darkness with the setting sun. They step out of the dusk and into the backroom of the Three Fates Boutique.

 

Nico collapses to his knees for a moment, the wave of nausea and exhaustion hitting him like a subway train colliding into a brick wall. He sucks in a breath of air, and then another, and another.

 

“Nico!” Jason drops to the ground beside him, hand on his back. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” Nico wheezes. Traveling to the front of the Empire State Building was far less difficult—especially without the bouts down to the Underworld and across the country within the span of a few days.  He leans into Jason as the other demigod helps pull him to his feet.

 

Reluctantly, Jason pulls away. “Sorry. No touching.”

 

Nico breathes carefully until the burn in the back of his throat disappears. He glances in Jason’s direction, noticing the glimmer of concern in his eyes. Again, he reassures, “I’ll be fine.”

 

It’s only when Nico’s voice is steady that Jason is willing to look away. The darkness of the boutique’s backroom is illuminated by the many rows of tapestries as they sewed the will of the Fates.

 

Jason’s breath catches in his throat. “What is this place?”

 

“The center of life,” Nico explains. He staggers as he places one foot in front of the other. “Let’s find yours.”

 

He doesn’t know if the looms stay in the same place. Mortals were often in different places in their lives—all they could do was keep moving forward. Nico walks for what feels like miles in silence, with Jason behind him. Eventually, Jason stops.

 

“This one.” Jason gestures to a loom two feet away from them.

 

The loom is as beautiful as Nico remembers it: every color of the sky and the purest white of clouds. Purple cloth for more than half the length, and orange below it. At the base of the loom is a plaque reading Jason Grace.

 

Jason’s hand fits so comfortably in Nico’s own that Nico doesn’t notice until a word is spoken.

 

“Look,” Jason says softly. He gestures to the end of the fabric, where the colors of the sky fade into the darkness of angry storm clouds. The thread is clumsily held and twisted, mottled with ugly coils. “Magnus said there were knots in my memories.”

 

The series of clusters and lumps reminds Nico eerily of his own. A cold chill runs through his spine and he shivers.

 

Slowly, Jason unfurls his fingers to graze against the tapestry. Much like the Jupiter Maximus, he falters. Under the glow of the fabric, he peers back at Nico. The pools of his eyes glow, afraid.

 

“If I do this,” Jason says quietly. “We declare war. Everything I’ve done to protect Sion with be for nothing. I lose that.”

 

“This is your choice.” Nico’s chest aches, knowing his words betray his heart. “If you turn your back now, then you keep what you have. But you’ll never get back what was taken from you.”

 

Jason mulls over the words. Without a second thought, he presses the tip of finger against thread.

 

A rush of exhaustion runs through Nico. He sees the warm light from the fixture above them in the maternity ward.

 

Flowers adorn every facet and empty space. One wreath reads It’s a Boy! on a hospital chair at the foot of the bed.

 

In the hospital bed was a beautiful young woman in her twenties. Blond hair spilled down her shoulders. In her arms was the most precious thing in the world to her: a newborn baby.

 

Nico feels Jason tense beside him, the grip on his hand suddenly tighter.

 

The door barged open. In came a little girl about the age of six or seven, with electric blue eyes and blond hair. She stood at the foot of the bed, adorned in a clean white dress and muddy black boots.

 

A grin spread across her lips, from cheek-to-cheek. “Is that him?”

 

“Thalia,” Beryl Grace tutted. “You can’t just barge into a hospital room like that! You’ll send some poor woman into labor!”

 

Thalia squealed with a joy that was long lost on her older self. She ran to the other side of the bed, only to get a glimpse of her new baby brother. “He’s mine! I’m a big sister!”

 

Whatever anger Beryl had before faded away at her daughter’s declaration. She smiled in a gentle way Nico only knew from Jason’s face. “You are. Our little family is growing.”

 

Through the open door came another person. The hairs on the back of Nico’s neck stood erect, tingling with electricity.

 

Jupiter’s lips curled with a proud smile. He resembled a man in his early thirties, expression stern but powerful.

 

“Look what father brought me!” Thalia held her tiny fist out. “A bracelet! And it’s black!”

 

“I see that. Black, you say…”  Beryl’s smile faded just a tad, almost into disgust.

 

“So this is my son,” Jupiter said, oblivious to the shift in tone. He touched the crown of the small child’s head, palm much bigger than the newborn’s. “Jason Grace. I foresee him winning many battles.”

 

Nico had only heard him speak during gatherings with the gods—deep, and booming. But here, Jupiter spoke with a soft sweetness that made even him want to relax.

 

“I was thinking, my love,” Beryl said. “I don’t like the name Jason. Why don’t we name him after my father?”

 

Like a cloud dimming the sun, Jupiter’s proud radiance darkened. He looked at Beryl, lips pressed firmly together. “That isn’t your decision to make, my love.”

 

There wasn’t a divine power that would dare defy the King of the Gods. Beryl Grace turned red with rage anyway. She scowled at the God of Thunder. “But he’s my son! I gave birth to him! I’ll name him what I damn well please!”

 

“Beryl,” Jupiter warned. “It’s just a name. She must know this is her son.”

 

Beryl stared back at him, mortified. “He’s my son, Zeus.”

 

“Beryl—”

 

“Forget about her! Come down from Olympus!” Beryl sat straighter in her hospital bed. By now, the child at her breast started to cry as he sensed her distress. She laughed bitterly. “When’s the last time she was able to bare you a child? I’ve given you two.”

 

“That’s enough, Beryl.” Jupiter’s voices as as loud as thunder.

 

“NO!” Beryl screamed. “When are you going to do it? Make me your queen!”

 

“That’s enough,” Jason whispers. He retracts his hand from the loom, fingers shaking.

 

Nico can feel the bitter sadness as it radiates off of Jason. He sees the tension in Jason’s jaw as the other demigod clenches it, and the glisten of tears in his eyes. Nico feels it all thrumming through him.

 

“You can do this.” Nico squeezes his hand tightly, trying his hardest to stop the shaking on his own.

 

Blue eyes peer back at him, exhausted. Jason reaches forward once again.

 

Two-year-old Jason peered up at the countless faces above him in the large marble room. He wasn’t sure what he was doing. At the foot of the man in front of him was a bug. He wondered if it was safe to eat, like the ones Lupa told him about.

 

The adult closest to Jason had locks of blond hair as gold as the sun, with sunny blue eyes. The curve of his jaw reminded Nico of Will—but the way he frowned in disgust echoed of Octavian.

 

“Lupa must have made a mistake,” the Octavian-lookalike said. He stared Jason with a grimace. “I hardly trust my own son with a fork.”

 

Another adult appeared by Jason’s side, this time offering to pick him up off the ground. Jason looked up curiously to the dove tattoo on the adult’s arm, then to the pretty eyes of a young Phineas.

 

“That’s because your son is busy stabbing all of the toys you get him with it,” Phineas mused. He extended Jason in front of him, until they could make eye contact.

 

Much like his brothers and sisters, Jason opened his mouth around Phineas’s hand. It seemed safe enough.

 

 “Lupa wouldn’t have sent him here if she didn’t think he was worthy,” Phineas continued. He traded fingers so Jason could suck on his pinky. “She even sent him with a letter of recommendation, Octavius.”

 

“Yes,” Octavius said. He wrinkled his nose. “For the First Cohort. Well then, what do we say, New Rome? Who will take him?”

 

A centurion raised her hand. “The First Cohort respectfully declines Lupa’s request for Jason Grace to join. We’re far too busy to be worried about changing diapers.”

 

A series of other centurion hands followed, each one singing the same note until it reached the Fifth Cohort.

 

“No one, then?” Phineas asked in surprise. He grinned, watching as Jason peered up with blue eyes. “I suppose that settles it. Welcome to the Fifth Cohort, Jason Grace.”

 

“You tried to eat a bug?”

 

Jason peers back at Nico for a moment. A warmth shimmers in his eyes and he grins. “You think Lupa had thumbs to open a jar of baby food?”

 

The way the mirth glows in his voice makes Nico’s heart sing for a brief moment.

 

Jason’s fingers slide across the loom once more.

 

Twelve-year-old Jason watched as the newest camper made her way to an empty table, away from her new family. She looked tired and scared. The First Cohort had honored the letter given to them with Bellona’s symbol, and celebrated having the daughter of war with their faction.

 

They were so busy celebrating their newest asset, they didn’t notice when she broke away from them.

 

He took his tray of food to her and cleared his throat. “Reyna, right?”

 

Reyna peered up, startled for a moment.

 

“Jason.” He extended a hand toward her, which she only stared at.

 

“You’re that centurion from the Fifth Cohort.” Reyna’s face wrinkled in confusion, and then faltered against her will.

 

“How come you’re not eating with your Cohort?”

 

She looked ashamed that she couldn’t keep her poker face. Reyna picked at her food, which Nico recognizes as an empanada. “All they’ve done is talk about how to best utilize me for the War Games. Like I’m just some tool because my mother is Bellona. They don’t know a thing about who I am or how I got here.” Her hand tightened around the empanada, crumbling the crust into bits. “They don’t care.”  

 

“Bellona is hailed graciously here,” Jason said. “They’re good people. Maybe it’ll help you overcome your grief.”

 

Reyna turned back to him, her eyes piercing him with a glare so intimidating that Jason squeaked.

 

“What on earth would you know about grief?” She demanded.

 

Jason’s heart hammered in his chest. Shame washed over him, and he suddenly felt bad for saying anything.

 

“You’re as bad as they are,” she continued. “Don’t pretend to care about me. I’m not joining your cohort. I’ve already heard about what a disgrace it is.”

 

That really hurt. Jason clutched the edges of his tray. “My cohort had made great strides since then. I just—I know what it’s like to feel alone here. I’m an orphan too.”

 

For a moment, Reyna looked like she felt bad for him.

 

“You’ve been through a lot. I see it sometimes with some of the recruits we get. Let me know if you need someone to talk to—”

 

“Wait.” Reyna stood up from her seat and reached out. “Stay. I haven’t spoken to another person in a while.”

 

Excitement bloomed in Jason. He plopped down next to her and smiled. Maybe he’d feel a little less lonely at camp.

 

Jason slides his hand further down the loom.

 

“I’m an Ambassador of Pluto. I’m here for Hazel. My sister.”

 

Fifteen-year-old Jason peered down to the other demigod. He saw the way Nico di Angelo scowled angrily at him in such a small package. There was more distrust and hate and misery conjured in the pools of his eyes than Jason had ever seen in any nightmare.

 

There was a venom so painfully sad about his voice, that Jason knew only came from endurance. Nico di Angelo’s voice also raked of a pleading desperation, like a small child much younger than the powerful demigod he tried to convey.

 

He wondered if he would’ve been the same way, had Lupa deemed him unworthy and thrown him out to the world for mortal wolves instead of guiding him to camp. His status wouldn’t matter monsters.

 

“I understand,” Jason said. The twelve tick marks on his arm suddenly tingled. “She’ll be safe here.”

 

As fierce as his words were, di Angelo’s shoulders slacked. He let go of a trembling breath and nodded.

 

“You would be too,” Jason continued. He stepped in the Son of Pluto’s path, blocking him from leaving, and leaned forward to stay in Nico’s line of sight. “I’m a praetor, and the son of Jupiter. My word would move mountains here.”

 

There was purity in the way Nico looked at him, puzzled. It was far better than the misery from moments ago.

 

He wanted to know more. Why was there sorrow in the way Nico di Angelo spoke? Why did he look as cold as stone, yet fragile as porcelain? He’d never met another child of the Big Three before. There was something exciting about meeting Nico—something that made Jason’s heart thrum.

 

Jason wanted to know who would take this demigod and spend a lifetime hurting him.

 

 The bewilderment on Nico’s face vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced with a crooked smile and a sour chuckle.  “Those are bold words for you to offer me, Son of Jupiter.”

 

“Nico—”

 

“I don’t need your pity, Praetor Grace.” Nico tiredly shook his head. “Don’t think I haven’t seen the way the other praetor looked at me. I’m not a fool.”

 

“—if you stay, you’ll have a warm bed. Food. And my word that no harm will come to either Hazel or you.” Jason smiled gently.

 

He received a look of discomfort in return. Nico sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, as if to shut the other demigod out. His thin shoulders suddenly reached his ears again. “I don’t need a hero, Praetor Grace.”

 

“But—”

 

“Stop.” The shadows pooled around Nico’s feet. The way he smoothly maneuvered the darkness made him look ethereal. His hair framed his face beautifully, revealing the princeliness of a Son of the Underworld. “I’ll come back in a few days to check up on her. Keep that promise. It’s all I need.”

 

 “Wait—”

 

With that, Nico di Angelo faded from his life for the first time.

 

Nico blinks at the memory. He peers at Jason, who’s fixated on the loom in front of him. It never occurred to him how much Praetor Grace clung onto that impression of him. The fascination Praetor Jason held lingers for a moment in Nico’s own chest.

Ethereal? Princely?

 

The sunset on Halfblood Hill was peaceful for sixteen-year-old Jason. He loved the way that it waved goodbye to the trees and sank behind the lake, only for facets of the stars and moon to rise instead. He loved to watch the moon these days, knowing that it guided Thalia.

 

Jason ran his hand down the trunk of his sister’s tree. Camp was always more peaceful for him when he could sit close and breathe.

 

“You’re out here again.”

 

“Eep!” Jason stood to his feet and unsheathed his gladius. He swiped behind him—only to be met with the inquisitive dark eyes of the Son of Hades.

 

Nico looked back at him, eyebrow arched. His hair had grown longer since staying at Camp Halfblood. He’d started brushing it out of his face, allowing his eyes to show. Jason noticed Nico had filled out more since arriving months ago—body lean in a healthier way. Will had been keeping him on a steady routine on food—and demanded Jason enforce this.

 

Jason never needed an excuse to hang out with Nico. He sighed out of relief and put away his sword. Slowly, he sank back to his place at the the roots of the pine tree.

 

“Don’t you normally sit on the roof of Zeus’s Cabin?”

 

“I’m not that predictable, am I?” Jason mused. He peered back to Nico, who stared back without the intention of refuting his question. Right. Jason laughed softly under his breath.

 

A moment later, Nico waltzed beside him and took his own seat. The edge of his knee grazed against Jason’s own leg, comfortable. Only a hand’s distance kept them from being closer.

 

Jason’s heart fluttered at the thought of it.

 

“I like to come out here sometimes,” He confessed. “Once people started noticing where I was, they’d just start coming to me one-by-one. They don’t know about this place.”

 

“Right,” Nico said. “Instead of the roof of your cabin, no one would ever think to find you at your sister’s tree. The source of the protective barrier around camp.”

 

“You’re the only one who has.”

 

Nico glanced at him for a moment, confused. He straightened on his spot, and snorted. “You’re far more predictable than you think you are, Son of Jupiter.”

 

Jason chuckled under his breath. He peered back at Nico, watching as the moon glowed in the sheen of Nico’s hair. To this day, he still had the essence of an ethereal being Jason first met over a year ago.

 

Only happier. And that made Jason happy, too.

 

“I go to Venice sometimes,” Nico confessed. “To the park my mother would take Bianca and me. There’s this swing set where we’d take turns pushing. They replaced the one Bianca and I used to play on. But I still go. I do my best thinking there.”

 

A smile etched across Jason’s face. Maybe Thalia’s tree was obvious—but only Nico would use the logic of his own older sister. “I like that you’re the only one that can find me.”

 

Fireflies flickered, like tiny stars descending from the heavens to meet them in the summer night. Nico laid down beside Jason, hair tangling with the grass beneath. He hummed under the glow of small lights. “It’s peaceful up here.”

 

“Yeah,” Jason agreed. He glanced down to the look of content across the Son of Hades’s face, and the one bead he stubbornly wore around his neck. It grazed against his clavicle, face lit by both the shadows and stars.

 

Jason could sit here for a millennia and never look away. He could look back at the sight of Nico—of bangs falling effortlessly over the pools of dark irises, of a smile so gentle and light that it reached his eyes—and fall in love each and every time.

 

“I heard about your breakup with Piper,” Nico said finally, his voice a soft tenor. “Are you okay?”

 

For a moment, the spell broke. Jason pulled back his gaze an inkling to get a full view of Nico’s face, and not just his essence. He sighed softly and thought back to the words Piper uttered to him.

 

“She said there was a part of me missing whenever we were together. Maybe she was right,” he said. “But we’re going to be okay. We’re still friends. Leo wouldn’t let us be anything less.”

 

“Good,” Nico mumbled, relief in his voice. “I don’t know what I would do. If you were…”

 

“Were what?”

 

“Heartbroken.” Nico raised his head slowly. He suddenly looked uncomfortable. Hair fell out of his eyes, and he looked at Jason directly. Red bloomed in his cheeks, embarrassed. “I’m not as good at consoling people as you are.”

 

Jason only laughed, soft and sweet in the same way his heart sung. “You’re doing a great job.”

 

The red darkened around Nico’s cheekbones. He rolled his eyes. “What do you think she meant when she said something was missing?”

 

“I’m not sure.” That was a flat out lie. Jason smiled despite that. He took his place against Nico, leaning back against the grass to get a full view of the stars under the many branches of Thalia’s tree. “But here I am.”

 

Jason grazes against the black thread on his loom, bound so tightly in the intricate seams of his tapestry.

 

Nothing in the world mattered anymore the moment Nico di Angelo tapped on his shoulder. All of the anger, hate, and pain that had built up after months of traveling melted away. All of Jason’s fears vanished into a void when he saw the Son of Hades for the first time in ages.

 

Before he could help himself, Jason threw his arms around Nico, offering all of himself into the familiarity of his best friend. He inhaled the scent of Nico’s hair, cheek brushing against soft locks. The smile on his face was so wide that it ached, and his heart was doing somersaults, beating so loud as it celebrated. Nico was here! At Olympus, with him!

 

“I haven’t seen you in ages,” Jason whispered. His voice brimmed with utter excitement.

 

He never wanted to let go.

 

Jason never wanted to forget what it felt like, holding Nico di Angelo with all of his heart.

 

 “You’ve been busy,” Nico noted.

 

With great reluctance, Jason peeled away from the Son of Hades. But not before admiring the beauty in the lines of Nico’s shoulders and the curve of his jaw. Jason loved the way he could see all of Nico’s face and the way his complexion glowed.

 

At Nico’s gesture, Jason remembered why he was there, holding the blueprints of new temples like shackles. He had the weight of many gods on his shoulders, angered and upset to be cast aside as the consequence of a less than meaningful romp. His heart bore the scars of trying to be noticed by the King of the Gods. Not only as his son, but as a messenger.

 

Jason tried to talk, but faltered, knowing there was a strain in his voice.

 

“What’s wrong?” Nico finally asked. His gaze was observant and direct as ever—a beacon through the haziness of Jason’s thoughts. He tilted his head, ask if asking for Jason to look at him for a moment’s more.

 

Even with the bitter frustration in his chest, Jason tried his best to smile.

 

The meeting wasn’t going to go well.

 

As they went into the throne room, Jason caught sight of the King of the Underworld. The air around Hades was noble and ominous. Souls surfaced in the fabric of his robes, his power causing goosebumps to cascade across Jason’s forearms. When Hades looked in their direction, he nodded softly at Nico, acknowledging his son as his equal.

 

 “Let’s talk again after the meeting,” Nico declared. As he turned to greet his father, Jason’s heart tugged towards the Son of Hades, insistent.

 

“Wait.” Jason reached out for Nico’s arm. All of the months traveling with Leo and Piper to soothe deities were worth it, if that meant it led to Nico again. His thoughts melted to mush as Nico’s dark eyes reached him.

 

Nico looked at him inquisitively, his wrist still wrapped gently under Jason’s thumb.

 

Jason didn’t want to be scared anymore. He wanted to lay on Halfblood Hill under the stars, watching the moonlight caress Nico’s olive skin, and just breathe.

 

“Let’s talk after the meeting,” he repeated instead, his voice airy.

 

The corner of Nico’s lips curled, bemused, but he nodded before taking his place beside his father.

 

The tips of Jason’s fingers twitched, yearning to reach out and beg Nico to turn around and leave with him.

 

Nico’s smile mirrored Lord Hades’s own gentleness—two beings of regal sublime, sticking out in the cold throne room of Mount Olympus.

 

Turning his head, Jason was met with the sight of Jupiter at the throne, lightning bolt at his side. He swallowed the lump in his throat and moved forward.

 

 Walking toward Jupiter felt like flying higher in the sky: isolating and hard to breathe without the protection of the clouds.

 

Jason could never shake the coldness in his father’s eyes. Those eyes were the same ones he had nightmares about, even years later, after he first called his father’s decisions unwise. The ones that were ready to kill him after years of silence and only a moment of acknowledgement because his stupid sixteen-year-old self thought he was worthy to counsel the King of the Gods.

 

“Jason,” Juno greeted. She appeared in his line of sight, voice smooth and elegant.

 

“Juno.” Like much of his life, Jason felt compelled to kneel. He looked over to Jupiter, who’d yet to acknowledge him. “Father.”

 

Jupiter’s eyes were piercing, as though trying to dissect a truth. He wanted to know what Jason had seen, but for all of the wrong reasons. “Let us begin.”

 

The meeting commenced. Jason stood as tall as the Jupiter Maximus back at New Rome. He pictured the bust of Zeus back in his cabin—the nobility of its face—and channeled the adrenaline he felt every time he rallied his campers as praetor. As camp leader. He hoped his gestures spoke volumes, so his father could see him.

 

Like he hoped, at every meeting with Jupiter.

 

With each word, Jason felt smaller. He could see the clouds forming between Jupiter and himself as the Lord of the Sky grew bored. He felt himself shrinking until he was no more than an ant in the palm of a god who was ready to flick him away.

 

But then he felt anger. The heat of ire and displeasure pounded in his head, so much so that his glasses felt hazy. Jason felt the disappointment of every god who trusted him to stand before Jupiter. Of all of his brothers and sisters, who were also just insects at the palm of their father’s hand.

 

It was enraging to Jason, that as he stood there, Jupiter mirrored his anger. He could only stare back at Jupiter, at a loss for words.

 

Jason wanted to laugh at his shameful excuse of a “father.” He didn’t care of it showed on his face. He had worked so hard for this—to stand before in front of his dad and be acknowledged—and it still wasn’t enough.

 

The peak of his accomplishments was still too short to reach the eyes of Jupiter. It was never going to be enough, when Jason was just one of many other bastards in Jupiter’s world.

 

The last shield against his anger finally broke, when Jupiter said he couldn’t take time out of his day. Jason’s throat tickled with a tired laugh.

 

“Are you questioning me?” Jupiter asked. The atmosphere around them changed—warm and cold like a deadly tornado—and charged. His hands sparked, ready to pull his lightning bolt at any time.

 

“Of course not, Father. I was just thinking—a mere mortal like myself went on a journey to seek out these gods. Albeit, it took me months, if not years to find them. A godly being like yourself is so incredible,” Jason said, “that he could visit everyone in half the time.”

 

He could’ve visited Camp Jupiter any time he wanted. Camp Halfblood! He could have been there at any birthday, or in any and every moment Jason felt alone.

 

But instead, Jupiter was repeating his old routine, fucking who he pleased and pretending to be whoever he wanted, so long as it suited him. And making excuses.

 

“I don’t need to,” Jupiter sneered. But the way he finally looked at Jason let the demigod know he understood. “Limos: the god of starvation! Ersa, the goddess of dew! They have their domains. Their own realms of control. This does not need to be done.”

 

“Every name that I’ve read today,” Jason said steadily, “has been the name of one of your children.”

 

His rebuttal was the first time Jupiter was willing to look him in the eye. Piercing, thunderous orbs narrowed at him, finally acknowledging Jason’s presence.

 

The other gods took notice. Jason stood taller with each word, feeling more powerful and dangerous with each defiant word. He couldn’t bring himself to care anymore.

 

Hades broke their feud. He cleared his throat, demanding the attention of every god and demigod in the room.

 

When Jason looked back to Nico’s face, he saw fear. Every ounce of his confidence washed away. Nico was scared for him.

 

“I see this matter no longer concerns me. Or any of us, in fact,” Hades said. His voice was much quieter than the screaming match they had moments before. He looked down at Jason, pity in his gaze (maybe a little respect, too.) He turned his gaze tiredly to the rest of the court. “I’ll be returning to the Underworld now. Come, Nico.”  

 

Once they were gone, a full storm was unleashed.

 

“How dare you stand before me with such arrogance, boy?!” Jupiter stood to his feet, the winds rushing around him like a violent storm.

 

The hairs on Jason’s arms stood stiff, burning against the ionic air. Jason had never been afraid of storms. He welcomed the days it rained above camp, hoping it was his father’s blessing for his victory. He welcomed it now to fight him.

 

“How can you stand there,” Jason snapped back, “and place yourself above these gods when you don’t even follow the rules you impose on them? When their defiance is betrayal, but when your apathy is a choice?”

 

He could see the chords of disagreement among Jupiter’s court. Some wanted to kill him. Others were waiting for Jupiter’s command. But a handful were trulylistening to him.

 

“I stand here,” Jupiter hissed, “because I saved the oldest gods. My court follows my lead because I am their hero.”

 

“They follow you out of fear!” Jason threw his hands in the air, wanting so badly to laugh and cry at the same time. “It would only take one to topple you. Eleven are here, Dad, and even more that you don’t care to acknowledge!”

 

“Jason! Enough!” Juno intervened. She stood between them, her voice gentle in an artificially maternal way. She placed a hand on either side of them. “You’ve continued to prove yourself time again in this family. Don’t burn the roots that have kept you grounded in this life.”

 

Jason stared back at her, dumbstruck.

 

“You are the pristine image of a Son of Jupiter, Pontifex,” she continued. Juno’s nose wrinkled, oblivious to every word you spoke. “This anger you have is a remnant of Beryl Grace. A flaw.”

 

His hands trembled at his sides. Jason choked on a breath.

 

“Her arrogance was her downfall.” Juno glowered at him. “Don’t let it be yours.”  She turned around, content with her words, and sat at her throne of peacock feathers.

 

It just wasn’t right.

 

“What are you going to do when this happens again, Father?” Jason said, his voice as low as the hum of new storm clouds. “When your new child stands where I am, and begs to be seen?”

 

His words deafened the thunder. Every god suddenly turned, eyes turned to Jupiter. Good. His words were reaching their ears.

 

“How will you keep Juno from killing them this time?” Jason asked, his voice firm.

 

Jupiter looked back at him, and Jason knew the same encounter was running through his mind.

 

The memory would forever be ingrained in his head: the image of a red headed woman not much older than himself. She had as many freckles as there were stars, and she looked at the god before her as if he held the sky in his hands.

 

Jason remembered seeing the pair clear as day at a coffee shop on his journey. He’d halted in place, sensing absolute power only feet away from him.

 

When the woman’s date turned, Jason saw a man in his early thirties with scruffy red hair and a beard to match. Jason would have thought nothing of it, if it weren’t for those eyes.

 

That day, Jason had turned around, at a loss of how to feel. Jupiter’s date had called him “Thor.”

 

Jason had waited for Jupi-Thor to come find him and explain himself—but knew Jupiter wouldn’t.

 

But he stood here now, so his new baby brother or sister wouldn’t have to spend the same years Jason did wondering if he would ever see his father.

 

Jupiter went red in the face. Murderous.

 

“My love,” Juno said slowly. Her voice increased steadily with rage. “What is he talking about?”

 

“Tell her what you did,” Jason said. “Tell her how far you went this time to fool around with someone under her nose.”

 

“Jupiter,” Juno hissed. “What did you do?”

 

“ENOUGH!”

 

The sky crackled with lightning so bright that Jason needed to shield his eyes. The scent of his own burning flesh flowed into his nostrils. When Jason peered back up, he was met with the very tip of his father’s lightning bolt.

 

“You stand here with your arrogance,” Jupiter whispered angrily, “When it’s my ichor that has pathed your way? My blood in you that has tipped every battle in your favor? You would not have this assembly today without me.”

 

Jason reached up, his hand tingling with its own electricity, and moved his father’s lightning bolt out of his face. “You’ve never been with me.”

 

The assembly was over. The gods would never see him worthy of the title of Pontifex Maximus. The Senate would not adhere to someone who would speak so defiantly to the gods.

 

And he was truly okay with just going home.

 

“I’m no longer worthy of the title Pontifex Maximus. I leave here accepting my failure.” He turned around to leave—and was blocked by a gust of wind shutting the heavy doors in front of him.

 

“What hubris you have,” Jupiter continued. “To think my blood has never guided you.”

 

A gust of wind forced Jason to turn around—to look Jupiter in the eye once more.

 

“You won’t last a day without me.”

 

Won’t?

 

“AGH—!” Searing pain shot through Jason. Tears burned in his eyes and his bones rattled under his flesh.

 

And then—nothing.

 

Another flashback happens before Nico can catch his breath. Jason’s hands lift momentarily from the thread of black, down to the knots and tangles in his loom.

 

 Jason—thin and more skeletal than Nico had ever been—leaned against the apartment hallway, clutching his side. At his hand was his gladius, but the way he gripped it was unsettling: three fingers wrapped at the shaft and one finger curled, as though clutching a trigger.

 

His waist was soaked in blood, fingers painted in red. Nico can feel it again—the faintness of Jason’s heartbeat as it faded in and out of existence.

 

This was it, Jason was thinking. He was going to die.

 

The apartment door opened. Out crawled a small baby with the faintest sign of red hair at the crown of his head in a green onesie.

 

“Ma?” The tiny baby gurgled. He crawled over to Jason, blue eyes full of fascination. “Mamamama….”

 

“Sion?” Astrid Lykke appeared at the door, beautiful red hair that spilling down her shoulder. She peered down for her son and gasped. “Jason!”

 

There was no hesitation in the way she moved. Astrid dropped to her feet and wrapped one of Jason’s arms around her shoulder. She pulled him up with sickening ease, careful not to graze against the dying demigod’s wounds. Jason hissed and sobbed all the same as he dragged his feet into the small apartment.

 

The actions were so fluid that Nico could believe it was a routine between the pair. Astrid ushered Sion to crawl back into the apartment, and then quickly threw a towel over the couch for Jason’s bleeding wound.

 

Nico takes a moment to notice the bookshelf of meteorology books and a small globe where Scandinavia was marked with a small lightning bolt sticker. A painting hung above Jason: a man with bellowing red hair and Viking armor, with Mjölnir in his hand. The bottom corner held a distinct signature: Astrid’s.

 

He watches, as Sion’s stunning mother ran to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of ambrosia. Etched at the very corner of the plastic was the name Limos.

 

“A-Astrid…” Jason murmured wearily.

 

She immediately shoved an ambrosia square in his mouth. “Don’t talk. Chew on this. Let me dress your wound.”

 

Jason nodded and sunk his teeth into the ambrosia. A wave of calm washed over him. The taste reminded him of a cookies and cream McFlurry. He couldn’t remember the last time he had one of those, but his heart weeped wistfully all the same.

 

Slowly, Nico hears Jason’s heartbeat thump at a steady pace.

 

“Someone dropped this off at my doorstep earlier today,” Astrid explained. She looked up, mimicking the demeanor Nico had seen many times on Sion’s face when the little god wanted to protect Jason. “I figured that meant I’d be getting a visit from you soon.”

 

Jason returned the look, but his eyes were full of Mist.

 

“Still lost, huh?” Astrid muttered sadly. “How long do you think you’ll stay this time?”

 

“Not…sure.” His voice was hoarse, as though the only thing he’d used it for recently was to scream. Red glowed feverishly in his cheeks, nectar fully taking its affect.

 

Astrid helped him out of his shirt, each action built from prior encounters to Jason. She moved Jason’s sword away without ever giving it a glance, and cleaned the wound. It wasn’t nearly the the skill level that Nico had seen before with Will, but it worked.

 

Tiny hands came into view at the corner of Jason’s eye, He looked down to little Sion, who’d noticed him before Astrid did.

 

“Da?” Sion asked curiously.

 

Jason looked at little Sion, soaking in the round chubby cheeks and tufts of red hair. He stuck out in the dim apartment, so innocent compared to all the horrid things Jason had seen.

 

Something felt…familiar when he looked into the hue of those eyes. The first reminder of…something that Jason couldn’t put his finger on. He couldn’t tell if he was excited or afraid.

 

“Da?” Sion repeated. He tugged at Jason’s pant leg until he could stand, and pressed his mouth to Jason’s knee.

 

“Zeus,” Jason murmured. The name was fuzzy on his tongue.

 

“Soos,” Sion repeated. He patted the small circle of drool happily on Jason’s leg. “Soos. Soos. Da. Da…”

 

“Zeus isn’t your daddy, Sion.” Astrid returned, amusement teeming in her voice. In her hand was a bottle of water and what looked like a meager meal of porridge. “Thor is.”

 

Just that fact alone made Jason frown, but he couldn’t figure out why. When he felt strong enough to sit straight, he reached out and picked the small child up. Sion folded happily into his arms. Part of Jason’s heart felt just a little bit lighter.

 

“He’s gotten so much bigger,” Jason realized. “Has his father visited?”

 

The smile faded from Astrid’s face. Nico can feel her heart breaking. She ruffled Jason’s hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek—the same kind of kiss, Nico notes, that Piper would give Jason after their break up.

 

“You’re enough for him,” Astrid decided. Her grey eyes glimmered hopefully, and she slid close to him. “Maybe you’d could stay longer this time.”

 

“I…” Jason looked tiredly to the crown of Sion’s head. Sion wrapped small hands around Jason’s fingers, and rocked happily in his arms.

 

Jason liked he idea of not having to run. Staying here, living out a life with Sion and being the father figure that the little guy needed. Astrid had helped him in more ways than one since he’d met her. No matter how far he strayed, he always found himself coming back.

 

He couldn’t get the peace of mind he had like when he was here. Every time he thought he was safe and able to breathe in the outside world—something always tried to kill him.  

 

But every time he stayed, his mind wandered. Something was missing, and he still couldn’t figure out what.

 

“I can’t,” Jason said finally. He had to figure out why he felt so…empty, even if Sion and Astrid filled his heart.

 

The look of sadness on Astrid’s face didn’t go unnoticed. She sighed in defeat and placed a hand over Jason’s own. “I knew you’d said that.”

 

Again, Jason’s head pounded. How many times had he ended up on Astrid’s doorstep? How…did he end up on her doorstep? His mind felt like a never ending maze, covered in a thick fog.

 

“At least stay the night. Rest,” she said. Astrid stood to her feet and gingerly collected Sion in her arms. He tucked his head at the crook of her neck, safe in his mother’s arms. “Sion and I will be here in the morning.”

 

Like many times before, Jason agreed to rest. Of all the people who had burned him in this world, Astrid Lykke was someone he knew he could trust.

 

 

 

 

 

Later that night, Jason woke up to the drip of water above him. He opened his eyes and reached over the couch to turn on a light. Looking up, Jason saw—“Sion, what are you doing here?”

 

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and reached up for the small child above him. If he weren’t so groggy, he would’ve sworn that Sion was flying. Sion immediately latched onto the collar of Jason’s shirt, mouth sucking against fabric.

 

Strange kid.

 

Jason’s energy was restored. He looked down to the wound on his side, where he was hit by…something. Someone? Was he…hit by a car?

 

Right. He’d been walking down the street, helping…an old lady…cross…? No. She was…driving the car. Into him. Purposefully. With claws…from her bumper.

 

He clutched his head with his free hand, unable to dig further into his mind. To his surprise, Sion reached up, placing a tiny palm over his knuckle.

 

A small smile curled against Jason’s lip, matched with Sion’s own gummy grin.

 

“I have no idea how you got here,” Jason whispered, “But let’s get you back to Astrid.”

 

He walked the length of the living room, to a door that was open just enough for a small child to crawl through.

 

“—do you think you are, sleeping with my husband?”

 

A cold chill ran up Jason’s spine. He reached for his glad…his gun, which was splayed across the coffee table. He looked at Sion for a moment, noting the baby was none the wiser and content with blowing bubbles from his mouth. Following his gut, Jason crept slowly towards the door. He leaned against the wall and caught sight of long golden hair.

 

Astrid sat against the wall furthest away from the door, face blanched with fear.

 

Fear. Jason’s heart leapt in his chest. The last time he’d seen that much fear in someone’s face…

 

The woman’s hair glowed as it cascaded down her shoulders. Her locks waved, entire body radiating with rage. She lifted a hand, and the apartment trembled around them. Jason lost his footing and almost fell. He cradled Sion’s head, careful.

 

“Ah!” Sion shouted with glee, startled more than anything.

 

“Sion,” Astrid gasped. She flung a hand over her mouth.

 

The moment the name left her mouth, the golden woman whirled around. She glared daggers in their direction, terrifyingly beautiful.

 

“Son of Jupiter,” she said. A smile crossed her face. “I should thank you. If it weren’t for your scent, I never would have found my husband’s whore.”

 

What—

 

“But this doesn’t concern you, or your God of Thunder.” She whirled back. The very motion itself caused the apartment to shake once more. “It concerns mine.”

 

The floor jumped with a heavy cadence. Books fell off of shelves. Plates screamed as they collided with the floor—the painting of Thor flung to the floor with a loud thud. Jason leaned further into the wall in attempt to maintain his balance—and maneuvered out of the way as light fixtures shattered around him.

 

Sion screamed once more, but this time out of panic.

 

“Astrid!” Jason gripped his gla—gun and looked back to the room. The woman was—she was gone. He stared forward in shock, shouting Astrid’s name once more.

 

She didn’t listen. She scooted as far away as she could, tears streaming down her face.

 

There was a woman, wasn’t there? There had to be.

 

“RUN!” Astrid shouted between her sobs. Her ceiling fan collided with the ground. The mirror against her door exploded as it fell.

 

When Jason blinked, he saw hints of gold—but as he stared forward, he saw nothing.

 

“Jason!” Astrid yelled. For a moment, her eyes met Jason’s, begging. “Save Sion!”

 

He turned around and ran. Jason watched as the ceiling caved above him. He looked around, serpentining around furniture as it shuffled in front of him. Windows shattered. Walls trembled, and the powder of old paint and debris filled Jason’s lungs. He skidded to a halt as he ran towards the door—the doorframe shriveled before him.

 

They had to leave. They had to get out.

 

Jason did the only thing he could think of: he flung himself out the window, and shielded Sion as best he could.

 

WOOSH

 

As Sion screamed at the top of his lungs, a flurry of winds collided with them. Jason felt it bellow through his limbs—softening their landing just a smidge as they impacted with a pile of leaves.

 

He stood back up, hearing the trees rattle around him. The world terraformed around Jason. He looked to the apartment building as it crumbled inward, and his blood ran cold.

 

Astrid was still in there. With that woman.

 

Jason had to go back in. He gripped his gun tightly in fist, Sion in the other. He needed to save Astrid.

 

He—

 

No. There wasn’t a woman. His head pounded, gaze overcome with fog.

 

This was an earthquake—and only the fortunate survived. It was just him and Sion now.

 

His heart clenched tightly in his chest. Jason’s eyes blurred with tears, and dripped against Sion’s face.

 

The tremors ceased. Large blue eyes looked back at him, fascinated as to why Jason was crying.

 

“It’s just you and me now,” Jason whispered. They had to keep moving forward. An ambulance would come soon enough to collect the survivors.

 

As he trudged forward, his heart felt a little less full.

 

One day, he’d have to explain how Sion’s mother died. And how cruel nature could be.  

 

Before Nico knows it, he has to remind himself to exhale. He forces himself to blink the tears away, entire body trembling. All he can see is the length of Jason’s shoulders as they curve downward in misery. Jason’s hand falls from the loom.

 

He turns his head a degree. The corners of his eyes were swollen and red, cheekbones wet from crying. He meets Nico’s gaze, irises heavy with sorrow. His hand curl at side, clenching and unclenching.

 

Nico doesn’t know what to say.

 

He sees Praetor Grace—years of loneliness and yearning for acknowledgement. Sees Jason, from the years at Camp Halfblood. The self-loathing, wondering if he’d only run back into the building, if Astrid would still be alive. Then the loving tenderness that came with taking care of Sion.

 

His mind wanders to how Jason looked at him after all of these years. Ethereal. Princely. Beautiful?

 

The back of Nico’s throat dries. His heart wants to dance as much as it wants to grieve. He opens his mouth to speak, and it hurts. “Do you…remember now?”

 

Overwhelmed with emotion, Jason reaches out and kisses him.

 

He wraps his hands around the frame of Nico’s jaw, hot breath over Nico’s mouth.

 

Before Nico knows it, he feels the yearning from Jason’s touch—from the way Jason’s thumb strokes his cheekbone, and from the way Jason pulls him closer. He feels the years of quiet desperation that had been put aside out of fear, and for Nico’s own happiness. There’s a hum in the way Jason’s heart feels against him, and a happiness that makes Nico’s own heart sings.

 

Nico’s heart is happy.

 

His mind lunges forward to catch up with his chest, and he can’t help but kiss back. Nico’s body is light, feet lifting off the ground as he presses his mouth against Jason’s bliss.

 

He’s soaring, and Jason is right by his side.

 

Jason’s touch is gentle, pulling Nico in as close as they can be—so they can never be apart again.

 

When he pulls away, Nico finds himself leaning closer. He raises his head, and stares at the face of his best friend. A smile meets his gaze, and blue eyes glow with sheer warmth and affection.

 

Against all else, Jason’s laugh is pure music to Nico’s ears. He leans forward and presses his forehead against the Son of Hades.

 

“I,” Jason whispers, “can’t believe I would ever forget how much I love you.”

Notes:

Another picture by me: https://kingburu.tumblr.com/post/616335485779034112/when-he-pulls-away-nico-finds-himself-leaning

Chapter 7: The Day We Declared War

Summary:

“And, Son of Beryl Grace?” Madame Clothos’s voice comes out sickeningly sweet. “This is far from the end of your journey.”

Notes:

Hope you guys are doing well! I was going to wait until tomorrow but everyone is in quarantine so it’s not like there’s anything else to do :’)

More art!! https://ephemeren.tumblr.com/post/616566742712565760/nico-sion-cheers-happily-from-percys-lap-you

A couple of songs I listened to while I made this:

What A Man Gotta Do by Jonas Brothers
Shiny from Moana
Lullaby by the Spill Canvas

Thank you for all of your support!!

Jason remembers everything.

 

He remembers the stark curve of Nico’s jawline. He remembers the hue of Nico’s irises: dark pools deeper than any path to the Underworld, so liquid and mysterious that he could get lost in them. He remembers the fringe of Nico’s hair as it frames the Son of Hades’s face, and the dusty rose his cheeks would turn when one of Jason’s countless musings finally stumped him.

 

He remembers the way his heart would flutter in his chest the moment he could get Nico di Angelo to smile. The way he was able to breathe with a soothing calmness with Nico beside him.

 

He remembers the way his heart used to ache, watching too late as Nico would offer that beautiful, shy smile and essence to Will Solace. Remembers how he convinced himself that throwing himself into the duties of Pontifex Maximus would fill the loneliness in his heart.

 

(After all, he wanted that title. That freedom. Hopefully more than he wanted Nico di Angelo, so his heart could move on.)

 

He remembers how entirely in love he was with Nico di Angelo. Is.

 

Nico stands across from him, hair falling into the pools of his ebony eyes. His cheeks flourish with a red glow, dumbfounded by his words, but not angry.

 

Maybe even happy.

 

When Jason reaches out to cradle Nico’s cheek, Nico leans into his hand. When he gives Nico’s cheekbone the lightest graze, Nico laces his own fingers around his wrist.

 

“I love you, Nico di Angelo,” Jason whispers with infinite devotion. “Truly.”

 

The dusty rose in Nico’s cheeks spreads to the rest of him, down his neck and his collarbone. He pulls away for just a moment and averts his eyes, shy. The tips of his ears shine with the same hue.

 

Jason can see the moment fading in the Son of Hades’s face. A small flicker of hesitation under the light of many tapestries around them. Nico opens his mouth to speak—

 

“It’s okay,” Jason cuts him off. He runs his fingers down the length of Nico’s forearm and brushes against Nico’s wrist bone. Slowly, he brings Nico’s hand towards him and presses a kiss to his knuckle in case it was the last time he’d ever be able to. “You don’t have to say it back.”

 

He makes himself pull away from the quaint lull of their moment and returns to the predicament at hand.

 

Three years ago he’d been ousted from Mount Olympus for crossing his father. By Jupiter’s standards, crossing him simply meant outing the Lord of the Sky’s affair with another mortal.

 

Except Jupiter had done many things. He broke his oath with his brothers thrice over now in the last century and bore a child. He impersonated one of the gods of the Aesir so Olympus was none the wiser. He let the Aesir believe this lie, and provoked Lady Sif.

 

Jason’s blood boils.

 

Jupiter let Lady Sif kill Astrid Lykke, Sion’s mother. And not once in the years that Jason took care of Sion, had Jupiter offer guidance. Jupiter could’ve retrieved Sion over Jason’s dead body if he hated his roman son so much—but he didn’t.

 

Jason wants to march down the halls of Olympus’s palace right now and punch his father in the face.

 

“Jason.” The end of Nico’s index finger coils around Jason’s own. He peers up to the taller demigod, eyebrows meshed together and gaze troubled. “It’s not that…I’m just—”

 

“So here you are again—” A chilling voice echoes from above the room of tapestries. “Meddling with powers you don’t understand and pushing the limits of your own mortality, Son of Hades.”

 

Suddenly, the looms fly past them. Jason sees the lives of others pass—countless tapestries of strangers and people that he knew. The tiled floor rumbles at their feet. He reaches for Nico to regain both their bearings—and whips around as he sees Nico crumble to his knees.

 

Nico gasps for breath like he did when they arrived, his complexion a sickly gray. Time stood still when Jason was searching his memories, but now reality came rushing towards them. He’d shadowtraveled too much—between New Rome, the Underworld, and Mount Olympus. Bags stretched at his eyes, pupils dim with exhaustion. He leans into Jason, sickeningly light as the room finally stops spinning.

 

In the place of countless looms is a small room with three old women. The Fates, tinkering away and making adjustments to the tapestries before them. They vaguely remind Jason of the Golden Girls.

 

From the corner of his eye, Jason can the see the thread of his own soul tugging towards the primordial being.

 

Nico’s own thread pulls from his chest and towards the women, intertwining just briefly with Jason’s own.

 

Looking forward, Jason sees each woman with an unfinished tapestry—and a fourth one still resting on a loom behind them. He focuses on the thread of Nico’s soul. Every ounce of his body screams as he notices one of the Fates unlock a pair of scissors.

 

“NO!” Jason shouts.

 

The Fate sets the scissors beside her, not the least bit phased by his panic. She tuts, unimpressed as she scans the fabric in front of her. “Don’t be so dramatic, Jason Grace. My hand is just sore.”

 

Another Fate tsks in a similar fashion, measuring string with the length of her saggy arms. “Honestly, you try keeping track of billions of souls each day, young man! Have you tried to write out your own future? We should get overtime for the amount of work that we do!”

 

“Agreed! These work conditions are far too strenuous!” The first Fate turns around. “Let’s form a union.”

 

Jason blinks, puzzled. The sound of Nico stirring sobers him quickly. Jason wraps an arm around Nico’s waist, grounding the other demigod.

 

The Son of Hades peers up weakly. “Madame Clothos.”

 

The third Fate closest to them hums, her hands making swift work of the shortest length of fabric in front of her. “You’ve been quite the muse, Nico di Angelo. The loom speaks for itself.”

 

“But this thread!” The first Fate cries out. She waves around the long tapestry and glares disapprovingly at the edges. “This thread is so feeble and hard to sew! Do you know what happens when you try to force fabric, boy? The fabric does not fold in the way that you want it to, it gets ruined!”

 

Jason takes in the words carefully, then peers back to Nico’s tired, guilty face. “You’re talking about how much he’s shadowtraveling. The strain that it’s been putting on his body. And—this. Encounters like these.”

 

“Encounters like these indeed!” The second Fate huffs with annoyance. “And the bartering! How many Christmas sweaters do you intend for us to make?”

 

“Now, now, Lachesis,” Clothos says quickly. “Christmas sweaters are good for business.”

 

“Who are you bartering with?” Dread quickly bubbles at the pit of Jason’s stomach. He doesn’t like the sound of Nico making reckless promises.

 

A thought occurs to him—Nico had left Sion and he the other night, but he never explained why. And Jason knows better than to expect the Son of Hades to go home and rest.

 

Lachesis harrumphs, but doesn’t protest.

 

If she was Lachesis, then the last Fate holding the scissors was Atropos. Atropos sighs loudly and places Nico’s tapestry flat across the table. “But for Jason all of this bartering is okay. For Jason, this is okay. You two are truly pieces of work, I hope you know.”

 

“It’s the busiest we’ve been in centuries,” Lachesis whines.

 

“It’s been great for business,” Atropos says.

 

“Very good for business,” Clothos agrees. “But I told you, Nico di Angelo—no god, nor titan, nor demigod cheats the decisions that my sisters and I make.”

 

She looks both of them dead in the eye, and Jason feels his heart leap out of his chest.

 

“There are no shortcuts in life. It only takes one snip to ruin a cloth.” Atropos smiles grimly at the tapestry in front of her.

 

“You’ll pay dearly for shadowtraveling to the back of our store,” Clothos says ominously. “In more ways than one.”

 

As each sister speaks, Nico remains silent. His gaze slowly moves to each Fate, eyelids stuttering over his line of sight. He feels heavier in Jason’s arms with each word.

 

“And, Son of Beryl Grace?” Madame Clothos’s voice comes out sickeningly sweet. “This is far from the end of your journey.”

 

As she finishes her words, the ground beneath Jason and Nico’s feet parts, revealing the clouds on the 600^th Floor of Olympus.

 

They plummet.

*

 

Jason has fallen before. He’s been thrown off the Argo II more times than he can count. He was thrown off a cliff the first time he met Piper and Leo. The wind rushes through you like you’re absolutely nothing. The gales slap you in the face—a rough reminder that even this high, something is going to hurt, while the gusts whistle in your ears.

 

But he’s never fallen without his powers to save him. With Nico at his side, toeing the line of death and exhaustion.

 

He doesn’t scream, but he’s terrified.

 

“Jason!” Nico shouts hoarsely, “I can’t shadowtravel—”

 

There isn’t anything to stand on—not when they’re slamming through clouds like spiderwebs. Jason blinks through the dirt pummeling his eyes, desperate to find the ground below.

 

Except they were falling through a bottomless pit, the stormy gray sky and Mount Olympus further behind him.

 

Jupiter, Jason thinks painfully, further behind him.

 

For the first time in years, Jason’s mind runs a mile a minute in an organized fashion as he scrambled for a plan. He looks at Nico from the corner of his eye, noticing that despite all else, Nico is bracing himself for impact (and still looking absolutely gorgeous.)

 

Memories aside, Jason still doesn’t have is powers, and there are no shadows for them to manipulate. Dammit.

 

He does the only thing he can do. Screams. “TEMPEST!”

 

Thunder claps around them, reverberating against Jason’s ear drums. He truly hears it: the raw cry of nature spirits and the countless aurae who are simply just watching them go. From the corner of his eye, Jason sees the darkest storm clouds bubble and shift in front of him.

 

Tempest soars towards them, his hooves clapping against the air with a boom. Jason grabs the reigns around the storm spirit’s mouth and shimmies. Luckily, even after years apart, Tempest reads his mind and helps both of them onto his back.

 

Except they’re still falling.

 

Tempest’s hiss sounds like bellowing wind, his body writhing as it tries to keep them in the air. Jason can feel Nico clutching him from behind, while he tries to sort his thoughts.

 

Further down, Jason smells sea salt. His eyes finally catch up to him—met with the sight of ocean water.

 

“Tempest!” Jason calls out once more. “Wrap yourself around Nico!”

 

Luckily, they’re as in sync as ever. Tempest fades again until he’s nothing but a cloud. For a moment, Nico yelps—and then suddenly, the corporeal form is wrapped around Nico like a thin air bubble.

 

“What about you?!” Nico shouts. The realization hits him quickly.

 

“Don’t worry about it!” Jason assures, “I haven’t figured that part out yet!”

 

SPLAAAAAAASH

 

Colliding with water feels like crashing into glass, head first. The impact is so harsh that the current pushes Nico away from him. Jason’s entire body feels like jello as he waves his hands around to stay afloat.

 

“JASON!” Nico shouts.

 

Jason can hardly hear him over the sound of waves crashing over them. His head falls under water momentarily, and he fights to keep air in his lungs.

 

The storm rages above the sea, irked by its presence. Each ripple in the water feels like a strike to Jason’s bones. His eyes burn with salt water, hair matted to his face. He gasps, trying to retrieve his composure under the murky depths.

 

Kicking his feet below, Jason whirls his head around—and realizes Nico is missing.

 

“Nico!” He shouts, but water hits him at the back of his throat. Jason coughs and gasps for air. He plunges down into the waters.

 

Darkness consumes him—but not the smooth tendrils of shadows, like Nico’s. The cold bleakness of the water blinds him, and Jason can’t see a damn thing.

 

He stretches his limbs and tries to bring himself back to the surface of the water.

 

Waves slap him even harder. Jason can feel the many hands of the sea pulling him down, demanding he give in.

 

Drown, the water moans.

 

Drown, the sky booms.

 

Death was imminent—Hades is probably wishing for him to drown, too.

 

Before Jason’s head bobs under the sea one last time, he hears wind howling near his ear. Another storm spirit appears, wrapping around all of him like Tempest did for Nico.

 

Jason breathes freely for the first time, and allows himself to drop.

 

*

 

He’s been in a similar situation before when they were traveling nearly a decade ago. Back then, they alternated between flying and sailing the Argo II, and they had Percy’s nautical sense. They had his powers. Yet now, Jason feels himself sink like a rock in the depths of the sea.

 

“Thank you,” he says to the storm spirit around him. “Whoever you are.”

 

Although not certain, he swears he hears a bleating around his head. The memory of breathing Dylan suddenly comes back to mind, and Jason shivers.

 

This was it. This was their declaration of another war.

 

The storm above is deafened under the depths of the ocean. Jason whips out his gladius, letting the glow of imperial gold illuminate his way. Unfortunately, he can still barely see three feet in front of him.

 

The current undulates against him, rocking the nausea in his stomach.

 

What was the worst possible thing imaginable for a Son of Hades and a Son of Jupiter? Drowning in Neptune’s domain.

 

“—SON!”

 

“Nico!” Through blurry eyes, Jason finally catches a glimpse of Nico sinking further into the depths of the sea. He swims down as fast as he can (admittedly, not as fast as he wants), his arms sore as they flow through ocean water like pudding.

 

Nico moves his arms, swimming towards Jason as fast as he can. Without a second thought, he sheds his leather jacket to decrease resistance, and flails until he’s steady.

 

Jason can hear the distant whinny and whistle of Tempest as he keeps the oxygen in Nico’s lungs. Finally, they stand (float?) parallel to each other, Nico inhaling and exhaling so loudly that the skin around his throat tightens.

 

“Are you okay?” Jason asks.

 

“Are you?” Nico asks back, almost demanding. The words are a little muffled under sea water. Jason focuses on Nico’s mouth as best he can, the dim glow of his gladius curling against Nico’s lips.

 

“I—I think I am.”

 

“Good.” Nico punches him. The movement is slow against the water—but the fury is there.

 

“Hey!”

 

“What were you thinking?!” Nico yells angrily. Jason doesn’t need to see all of the other demigod to know he was fuming with rage. Water steams around them. “Your first instinct is to have Tempest save me and you don’t even have a plan for yourself?! You don’t have any powers!”

 

“I—we managed,” Jason protests. His voice hikes an octave, sheepish.

 

“This is so typical of you!” Nico continues. He waves his arms around, bubbles rustling around them. “You self-sacrificing idiot! I didn’t go to Death’s Door and back just for you to barter with him yourself!”

 

Jason takes in the weight of the other demigod’s words for a moment. Even under the cold haze, he can only admire the way Nico’s hair swishes in the water, and the way his jaw tightens out of anger. His heart tingles at the thought of Nico being concerned for him. A smile curls against his lips. “I guess that is typical of me, isn’t it?”

 

Nico halts in his rant for just a moment, letting the words sink in. It’s something to expect from Jason, and Nico’s rightfully angry about it. He glares irritably at the other demigod, but the fire beneath his words dwindle.

 

“What do you mean you want to Death’s Door?” Jason asks. His eyebrows furrow together with worry. “Did you…did you make a deal with Thanatos to get my memories back?”

 

“No.” Nico averts his eyes for a moment, clearly not yet recovered from what Jason’s words. He strokes the hand that Jason held earlier at the boutique. “I was trying to figure out what happened to Sion’s mother.”

 

At the mention of Sion’s name, Jason’s entire heart falls flat in his chest. Worry bubbles in him—he has no idea where they are or how they were going to get back. How much time had passed while they were looking at his loom? How did Nico know to look at the looms? Did Frank and Hazel remember to take Sion to go potty when he woke up?

 

The same anxious thought that his amnesiac self mulled over hits him square in the head. Was getting his memories back worth putting Sion in danger?

 

Yes, another voice in his head protests. The memory of Sif in Astrid’s apartment was proof enough. Sion would’ve been in danger no matter what. They had the same ichor coursing through their veins. Sion would’ve been fighting against the world as a baby the same way Jason did. And he would’ve had a worse chance surviving.

 

“You really have been taking care of him all these years,” Nico whispers. His voice is filled with sorrow. He reaches out and wraps a thumb around Jason’s wrist. “I’m so sorry.”

 

Every memory of Astrid’s smile is tainted by Jupiter’s presence, or the fear stirred by Sif. Jason forces himself to push the thought aside.

 

He had to make up for it now by taking care of the little guy.

 

Shaking his head, Jason looks above them, desperate to find the light through the darkness. “We have to figure out a way out of here.”

 

“I can’t shadowtravel out of water and you can’t fly.” Nico’s demeanor twists cruelly and he grits his teeth. “Fates can be cruel, can’t they?”

 

“This wasn’t the first time you visited them. And you snuck us into the backroom. And you were bartering with Death?” Jason tries to process the thought, and he studies Nico with fascination. “What have you been doing in these past three years?”

 

 Nico looks back at him, the liquid hue of his eyes shimmering like a madman’s. His demeanor still reeks of exhaustion—but it’s a toss up on whether it’s because of the gods or Jason’s propensities. “We have a lot to talk about.”

 

*

 

They start swimming in what Jason thinks is west after Tempest’s insistent neigh. All the while, Nico starts explaining everything that had happened in the last three years.

 

Apparently, bartering didn’t come with as grave consequences as Jason feared.

 

“So you and Hazel take Christmas pictures in the Underworld?” Jason asks, skeptical. “And you promised the Fates would knit Hades some sweaters?”

 

Nico wrinkles his nose. “Believe me, it’s a nightmare. Getting everyone to stare at one camera is impossible. Ares complains every year that the flames of hell aren’t realistic enough.”

 

“Huh.” Jason can only blink in disbelief.

 

The Son of Hades had become quite the diplomat in the last couple of years. Jason isn’t surprised—it was a path he always saw coming for the other demigod. Nico had already introduced himself as an ambassador to Pluto the first time they met. Whether the title held legitimacy back then was no longer a problem now. He’s not even surprised that Nico attended the last assembly of the gods in place of Hades.

 

A tiny part of him is even jealous.

 

Nico was able to stand on equal ground with the divine god of the Underworld ever since proving his worth during the first war. He came and went as he pleased through Hades’s palace and counseled his father at the ripe age of twelve. Hades even trusted him to wander the Fields of Asphodel, to find New Rome, and the Aesir before anyone else.

 

It’s a hell of a lot more than Jupiter has ever given Jason. The last time he saw Jupiter, he crossed his father and was thrown out of Mount Olympus.

 

Jason can see the Greek tale now: arrogant son of Jupiter (what’s new) ousted not once, but twice from the sky and left to die. He’s lucky he hasn’t hit his head yet.

 

The real reason why they came looking for Jason finally comes out: Percy wanted to build a new camp. One that wasn’t ruled by Roman or Greek pantheons, but created a safe haven for all halfbloods, so no one would ever be in danger again. Percy wanted Jason to be an instructor at the new camp.

 

“Camp Demigod?” Jason blinks.

 

“He wanted to call it Camp Jupiblood.”

 

“Say no more.” Jason chuckles softly under is breath.

 

It’s hard to tell if they’ve swam a long distance or just two feet in front of them. The pit of Jason’s gut tells him the storm is still looming overhead, even if he doesn’t have his powers.

 

His heart aches, reminded of Sion’s tantrums. What if they were the little guy’s rain clouds crying for him to come home?

 

A nauseating part of Jason reminds him that this could be his father’s own rage trying to kill them by way of hurricane or lightning.

 

They slow down eventually—Jason hasn’t been in pique shape in years and Nico is only fighting exhaustion as it chases him.

 

“Is that what you want to do?” Nico asks him.

 

“Do what?”

 

“Be an instructor at Camp Demigod. That memory—you told Jupiter you were giving up on becoming the Pontifex Maximus.” Nico’s eyebrows furrow together. “You told me you wanted to talk after the meeting.”

 

The edges of Jason’s heart aches. The memory comes flooding back to him—watching how lax Nico’s shoulders were, and the light in his dark eyes. He wanted to lay out all of his feelings there and then at Mount Olympus.

 

(That was a fun thought—he wonders how their dad would’ve felt if he professed his love in the hallways of his father’s palace.)

 

He isn’t sure what he was planning on doing after that. Will was still in the picture. Jason expected to lay his entire heart out for Nico to see, but he was also going to accept his feelings never being reciprocated. His love for Nico is something no one could ever take away from him.

 

But now, there was Sion. And Jason loved watching Nico from across a dinner table, eating warm meals as a family. He loves remembering the way Sion looked at Nico with the utmost adoration, and the way Nico reciprocated that look.

 

He doesn’t want that taken away from him. Not by any other guys in Nico’s life, and certainly not by any god. Not by Jupiter.

 

“I don’t know,” Jason admits. “Maybe I would have if I never lost my memories. But Sion’s in the picture now. I hope you’re in it, too.”

 

He squeezes Nico’s hand hopefully. In the moment, he notes that Nico’s look of concern doesn’t go away.

 

“What is it?” He asks.

 

“How long have you known?” Nico’s cheeks stain red, even in the darkness of the ocean. “Why are you telling me now?”

 

“What, that I love you—?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Oh, gods. That was a loaded question.

 

He opens his mouth to speak—and never gets the chance.

 

A ripple in the water catches their attention immediately. Jason doesn’t know who draws who closer—Nico is shoulder-to-shoulder with him, Stygian sword drawn. He pulls his own gladius into a fighting stance as a cold chill runs up his spine.

 

The ocean had been far too quiet since they landed. There were no fish around for miles. The storm rages on above them, howling at the sea to release him. Jason peers down for a moment and gulps.

 

He waves his sword tentatively, trying to get a better view of the ocean around them. It doesn’t work. Jason can feel Nico grab his arm, ready to run (swim) at a moment’s notice. They don’t really have a game plan in place.

 

“There’re a pile of rocks directly below us,” Nico whispers in Jason’s ear. “Let’s move.”

 

Jason nods. In the pit of his stomach, swimming further down the depths of the ocean sounds dangerous for a Son of Jupiter and a Son of Hades. But they really don’t have a choice.

 

Would he like it more to die by Poseidon’s hand or by his dad’s? The answer is almost too obvious.

 

Finding the sea bed feels like a helium balloon finally giving into gravity. Jason doesn’t feel any safer.

 

“Ack!” Jason yelps.

 

All of a sudden, the ocean floor illuminates like a beacon. Jason hears the light glitter around them, like a sea of chimes, followed by a light brighter than any chandelier.

 

Everything about the ocean gleams.

 

At the center of the source of light stands a giant—fifteen feet tall and adorned in armor made of shining gold. His hair looks like an extension of a fish tail, covered in iridescent scales that reminds Jason painfully of a disco ball. The fishy locks sway in the waters—gold like Lady Sif’s own hair, but more amphibious. In the hand of the giant is an obnoxious golden sword, which looked like an eclectic blade of pirate treasure superglued to an actual weapon.

 

Around them, Jason squints and his heart sinks. “Want to flex those diplomatic skills of yours?”

 

“A son of Hades trying to soothe an ocean monster?” Nico wrinkles his nose. “Do you have a death wish?”

 

“Better than a Son of Zeus.” Especially if that was who Jason thought it was.

 

“Well,” the giant shouts dramatically. He moves his sword a fraction, creating a wave of small lights that forces the pair to look away. “From all that mumbling, I assume you’re trying to figure out who I am?”

 

Jason gulps. “You’re Chrysaor, son of Poseidon and Medusa. Brother of Pegasus.”

 

Immediately, Chrysaor sighs emphatically. His entire body shimmers of gold and he waves his arms around, small pinnacles of light reflecting as he does so. A school of fish (ah, there they were) follow after him, curious of whether or not the particles are yummy plankton.

 

“Pegasus, Pegasus, Pegasus! People talk about him as though he’s the best thing to come since the wheel!” Chrysaor waves his golden sword. One of the fish following him is unfortunately sliced in half. “What do I have to do to get noticed by our father?”

 

That one hits a little too close for Jason. He sighs as best he can under water and clears his throat. “We notice you, Chrysaor. We recognize your—ah…”

 

“Shininess,” Nico finishes for him. He quickly jabs Jason in the side with the butt of his sword and gestures towards the ground.

 

Rays of light flicker off of Chrysaor’s sword and—really, all of him. The treasure is so obnoxiously bright that it casts a shadow against the ocean bed.

 

Jason catches on immediately—if they could get Chrysaor to cast a shadow in their direction, Nico would have enough to transport them out of the ocean. Nico grabs onto Jason’s shoulder, slowly shimmying them in the same direction as Chrysaor’s sword.

 

“Really?” Chrysaor moves the ugly blade behind him and gasps. He gestures to his chest, which sparkles and shimmers. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

 

“Not at all—” Jason yelps softly as Nico yanks the back of his shirt, shuffling them towards the right.

 

“You’re more beautiful than any necklace on a woman’s neck,” Nico insists. He growls in frustration, sending a shiver down the back of Jason’s neck. “Like a sunken pirate wreck.”

 

“Honestly, look how beautiful I’ve made my sword!” Chrysaor lays his sword against his chest and strokes it lovingly. “You wouldn’t believe how many ships I’ve looted to make this! But does Poseidon care? No!! All of my accomplishments, unnoticed!”

 

“Well, we think your sword is beautiful,” Jason insists. “We would love to look at it ourselves.”

 

“Hmm…considering my father doesn’t understand a masterpiece when he sees it…” Chrysaor inspects his sword and slowly extends it towards them. Then quickly retracts it.

 

Nico curses, his hand balling into a fist as he yanks Jason back.

 

 Chrysaor lowers his head, looking directly at Jason’s gladius. “What is that beautiful specimen?”

 

“This old thing?” Jason’s voice cracks. He waves his hand around as best he can, while Nico is pulling at the seams of his shirt. Looking at Chrysaor’s blade, he sees remnants of doubloons, shillings, other gold weapons, necklaces, lamps—everything. It’s the most hideous thing Jason has ever been blinded by. “It’s not nearly as beautiful as yours.”

 

“Obviously.” Chrysaor slams a hand beside them, causing the water to tremble. He sheathes his own sword (which makes the most disgusting sound of metal scraping against metal. Fish immediately swim away.) Then, he reaches out with his other scaly hand (adorned by many ugly rings) and tries to pluck Jason’s sword out of the demigod’s hand. “But this may just send my sword over the top! Father may even be jealous of it!”

 

“If you’re looking to get noticed,” Nico says quickly, “then Jason is your man. He’s made great strides in recognition for the children of the gods. He’s the current Pontifex Maximus.”

 

“Nico,” Jason hisses. Nico glares daggers at him.

 

Fortunately, Chrysaor seems to debate the weight of Nico’s words. He brings one hand to his face and strokes his chin. “Ah, yes. That Son of Jupiter. I’ve heard he does good work.”

 

Jason sighs in relief. “Um—yes! Just imagine—demigods all over the world admiring you for your—”

 

“Shininess,” Nico pipes in.

 

“—and the miniature swords we could sell to children. And a temple—we’ll make sure it resides right next to Poseidon’s!”

 

“Then again,” Chrysaor pulls his hand away from his chin. He glares grimly at them. “A son of Jupiter slayed my son back in the day. Hercules, that asshole. Unlike him and Poseidon, I’m a good father!”

 

Jason buries his face in his hands. He wasn’t winning the lottery with family today.

 

“That settles it,” Chrysaor declares. He yanks his sword out of his sheathe, another horrifying screech ascending from his hands. “I prefer killing you!”

 

Chrysaor’s sword flies at them like a jet ski. They hardly have time to duck underneath wave of his attack. Nico shoves Jason out of the way with much force as he can muster, then collides his Stygian iron sword against Chrysaor’s. It’s comically small in comparison.

 

“Stygian Iron? You must be Hades’s boy!” Chrysaor smiles cruelly, exerting force with his blade. “A son of Hades and a son of Zeus? Maybe I’ll make father proud today after all!”  

 

Jason gathers is bearings and peers upwards towards the scene. Chrysaor’s inclination towards water made him faster than any movement Nico or he could muster, but—“NICO! BEHIND YOU!”

 

Nico looks behind him immediately—and relinquishes his grip. He dives under Chrysaor’s sword and disappears. Shadowtravels.

 

Jason doesn’t get the same luxury. He stands completely still as jellyfish surround him.

 

“Do you like my pets?” Chrysaor smiles precociously as the field completely fills with tendrils of hundreds of jellyfish. “The mortals named a genus after me. I don’t need a pontifex.”

 

That was the other thing Jason feared. He curses under his breath, hands tight around the handle of his sword. He’d always been fascinated by jellyfish. The way Percy described the made it sound like it was the equivalent of getting struck by lightning underwater. (Or maybe he was talking about an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants—he’s not too sure about the validity in that.)

 

The other way Percy described them was pretty, stupid, and spineless. Jason decides it’s a perfect for Chrysaor’s namesake.

 

At first, Jason swipes forward with his sword. The jellyfish nearest to him spirals from the movements in the waves—and his tendrils flail towards him from the force. Jason whips out of its proximity as fast as he can.

 

“Ha!” Chrysaor boasts. “Fear my power, Son of Jupiter! Your father may rule the sky, but down here you are useless! You’re at the mercy of my pets, and my sword!”

 

Jason’s a little more useless than he wants to admit.

 

Yards away from him, he finally notices it: with the gleam of both Chrysaor’s armor, a large shadow casts beneath him. Nico’s head pops out of the darkness, gaze locked with Chrysaor’s ankles. He shoots a look over to Jason, with a very obvious message: stall!

 

“You’re right, Chrysaor!” Jason shouts. “Here you are, having cornered a son of Jupiter and a son of—me! Has Pegasus done that?”

 

“No!” Chrysaor gloats. He throws his hands in the, angered. “Father has never acknowledged my accomplishments! Pegasus has wings! Pegasus has hooves! Well I have a sword!”

 

He waves it around emphatically, slicing fish and jellyfish along the way.

 

“I know what it’s like to do everything in your power to try and get your father to notice you. It’s hard being a son of the Big Three, isn’t it?” Jason places a hand on his heart. “Tell me, Chrysaor, what have you accomplished? I’m listening.”

 

He almost feels bad for asking Chrysaor about his feelings—it makes it harder to want to kill him.

 

“Well…nothing.” Chrysaor strokes his chin thoughtfully. “Have you seen my sword?”

 

At that moment, Nico cuts through the giant’s ankle with his blade.

 

Chrysaor yowls in pain as his foot disintegrates. His sword flings out of his grasp, hands flying down to the sliced limb. A cloud of gold permeates the water, his monstrous ichor fogging the water.

 

“C’mon!” Nico appears at the bottom of the ocean bed, hand extended.

 

Jason maneuvers as quickly as he can around the jellyfish, towards Nico’s arms.

 

They never get the chance to meet.

 

Chrysaor slaps him to the ground with a violent hand and grabs Nico with the other. His eyes shimmer with rage, lips stretched into a hideous scowl. (Jason notes that even Chrysaor’s teeth are filled with crooked, golden caps.)

 

“You think you’re so clever!” Chrysaor hisses. “But even bleeding, I’m still more powerful than you two demigods! This is my domain!”

 

His hand curls in around Jason’s neck, asphyxiating him over the bleating of Jason’s storm spirit. Jason chokes on a breath, blinded by the sheen of Chrysaor’s teeth and multiple tendrils of jellyfish above them.

 

The cloud of Chrysaor’s blood is so thick that it dims the glimmer of his armor. He sees a blurry image of Nico, completely locked under Chrysaor’s other hand and far away from the shadows.

 

“This’ll be payback,” Chrysaor says darkly, “for my own son getting killed.”

 

WOOOOOOOSH

 

Out of nowhere, the jellyfish spiral away, like an underwater tornado. The ocean rages, as though the storm is now below with them. Chrysaor is so taken aback by the sudden pulse of water that he drops Nico to balance himself. “GAHH!”

 

He’s enraptured by a cyclone of water, bounded together as the waves around him twist and constrict him.

 

“Brother,” calls a smooth, melodic voice. Another being appears from the water out from nowhere, the glowing tendrils of her hair more long and terrifying than the jellyfish from before. Her face and skin illuminate in a more subtle way, irritation visible in her eyes. “Could you be anymore annoying?”

 

Jason stares at her for a moment, wondering if he’d been hit in the head by one of Chrysaor’s golden treasures. “Kym?”

 

“Jason!” Kymopoleia’s voice chimes sweetly. She rolls her eyes and points at Chrysaor. “Hold on, let me take care of this family issue.”

 

“Kymopoleia!” Chrysaor shrieks from the eye of the cyclone. “This isn’t fair, you’re cheating!”

 

“It’s not cheating when it’s family!” Kym insists. She waves her hand dismissively. “It’s getting the upper hand.”

 

With one swift movement, her cyclone crushes Chrysaor into dust, leaving nothing but his golden sword. Kym picks it up between her fingers and splays her giant palm toward them. The gaudy blade turns into an equally gaudy, jewel encrusted imperial gold cutlass with a giant shellfish carved into the hilt.

 

“Here!” Kym says enthusiastically. “A reunion gift! So how are you?”

 

“I’m…uh…” Jason stares down at the blade, dumbfounded. He turns his head over to Nico, who violently shakes his head and gestures for him to take it.“I’m good, how are you?”

 

“I’ve been great!” Kym gushes and throws her hands over her chest. “Ever since you built that temple for me, sailors have been praying to me left and right! ‘Beautiful Kymopoleia, please don’t crash our ship!’ ‘All mighty goddess of the sea, please destroy our enemy’s ship!’ Kymopoleia, please don’t let your accessories choke our child!”

 

Nico shoots Jason an inquisitive glance.

 

“She’s talking about her action figure,” Jason explains. He thinks.

 

“Mortals call the sea a beautiful creature, wild and free.” Kym’s eyes shimmer like pearls and she squeals. “That’s me.”

 

A pleasant feeling bubbles in Jason’s stomach, despite nearly dying five minutes ago. He smiles at her excitement, a quiet sigh of relief falling from his lips. “I’m glad I was able to help out, Kym. People should be praying to you to get out of dangerous situations.”

 

“Speaking of.” Nico clears his throat and gestures at the sword. “We lost our mode of transportation—”

 

“Oh, yes—!” Kym’s voice continues like a babbling brick—it’s hard to tell if she actually heard Nico speak. She picks Jason up, giggling a bit too much for his comfort. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Didn’t you see my storms?”

 

Wait a minute. “That was you?”

 

“Of course! Well—partially.” Finally, Kym’s voice centers into an eerie calm. She looks at him with glowing eyes, lips curled into an ethereal smile. “Storms have many sources, Pontifex. There are as many deities as there are clouds, trying to take control of the wind and seas.”

 

As he processes the words, Jason’s heart sinks once more. “So Jupiter is trying to kill me.”

 

 “Jupiter is trying to defend what is his. He isn’t the only god who manipulates the weather. Many gods are questioning his rule. He’s angered many.” Kym’s voice glitters with an unsettling tone of approval. “You’ve started a revolution.”

 

The pit of Jason’s stomach hardens. He didn’t want to start anything. He wants to take care of his baby brother in the way their father never did, and grow old with his beloved.

 

“But Ran, that wench!” Immediately, Kym howls with displeasure, startling him out of his thoughts. “That bag lady is trying to lay claim on my territory! This is my sea! The next time I see her, I’m blasting her back to Jotunheim!”

 

“Jotunheim?” Nico pipes in. “Ran, the—”

 

“Ran, the sea goddess!” Kym interrupts. Her anger is so tactile that the water around her head steams.

 

“The…Norse sea goddess?” Jason asks hazily.

 

“Didn’t you know?” Kym cools off for just a moment, intrigued. “Your little lover’s break-in has been broadcasted all over the nine realms. Who do you think commanded the storm spirit to keep you alive?”

 

“Really?” Jason asks, shocked.

 

“Lover?” Nico echoes, flustered.

 

Before they can continue talking, the sound of a horse interrupts their conversation. A hippocampus appears, the scales of its tail illuminating like a rainbow. Of the amount of traveling Jason’s done, he doesn’t recall ever seeing one. He vaguely wonders if this was a typical quest for Percy.

 

“It appears Rainbow has come to retrieve you for your meeting with my father,” Kym says.

 

Jason whips his head back around, surprised. “With Poseidon?”

 

“Yes. Our time has come to an end. And Jason?” Kym smiles at him genuinely, the happiness glowing in her eyes.  “Thank you, for helping me.”

 

She sets him down beside Nico, who stares at him with amusement.

 

“What?” Jason swallows hard.

 

“Nothing,” Nico says finally. He turns to climb on top of Rainbow. “You have strange taste in women.”

 

The other demigod takes in his words for a moment and laughs. “Yeah. Men, too.”

 

Nico’s head hunches to his shoulders. From where Jason stands, he can’t see the Son of Hades’s face—but he notices the red brimming at Nico’s ears.

 

*

 

If someone told Jason at the beginning of the week that he would be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean riding a rainbow seahorse hybrid named Rainbow with the love of his life seated in front of him, he wouldn’t have believed the last part.

 

He wonders how the other Jason—the amnesiac Jason—would have rationalized the whole situation. Would he have thought they were lost in an aquarium? A Pirates of the Caribbean convention?

 

The weight of the day’s consequences sets in for both of them. Jason feels his eyes droop as he hears the soft whinnies of conversation between Tempest and Rainbow. He doesn’t speak horse, but from the sounds of it, they were getting along swimmingly (no pun intended.)

 

The moment Nico’s head bobs against him, Jason shoots wide awake.

 

Jason blinks the exhaustion out of his eyes for a moment, noticing Nico having a harder time staying awake. Right. Nico had done all of the heavy lifting when it came to cutting off Chrysaor’s foot. Jason just stood there and admired.

 

A tired yawn escapes Nico’s lips, insistent to keep awake.

 

“Rainbow could probably find us a Starbucks,” Jason suggests. He leans forward, letting Nico use him as a pillow. “Starbucks. Maybe like a starfish.”

 

Shockingly, Nico hums in amusement. He lays his head against Jason’s collarbone, eyes shut.

 

It’s much harder to cuddle underwater than Jason wants to admit. He makes a mental note to ask Percy for some pointers later. Instead, he scoots close and admires what he can of Nico.

 

“Is this okay now?” He whispers.

 

“Is what okay?”

 

“Me,” Jason asks genuinely. “Here, with you. Touching you. You wouldn’t let me do it before.”

 

Nico’s eyes shoot open immediately. He stares back at Jason, the liquid darkness of his eyes meeting the blue hue of Jason’s own. His fingers curl together in front of him, the red returning to his cheeks. This time, the look is thoughtful across his demeanor.

 

“You weren’t you before,” he says finally. “I could never be with a man less than who you are.”

 

Jason’s heart does somersaults in his chest, flying even if he couldn’t. He feels his cheeks burn with red, flustered and giddy, and smiles. “You did a good job convincing him.”

 

The sad thing was, Jason thinks the other Jason was more like his old self than he wants to admit: lost, scared, and confused, with everyone staring at him with nothing but the highest expectations. He can feel how distraught that amnesiac Jason was, looking at his old comrades and trying to decipher what they meant to him, just like how the people in the Legion insisted he trust them.

 

His amnesiac self wanted to break out of that cage and pave a new road to keep Sion safe. He held the same imposter syndrome Jason felt for years as a Son of Jupiter, trying to please everyone and trying to please himself all the same. He’s been wandering in the darkness for so long that he wasn’t sure which direction was right. Nico was his compass.

 

Nico peers back at him for a moment, suspicious. “What does that mean?”

 

“I might not have remembered who I was—but I knew you were important to me.” Jason tries to explain it—the overwhelming sensation in his chest whenever he saw the Son of Hades staring back at him as though he was dead. The need to be accepted, and how much his heart broke when he couldn’t make a smile reach Nico’s face. “That me wanted to understand why I love you so much more than he cared about getting his memories back.”

 

He notices at the mention of the L word, Nico’s demeanor breaks again, flustered. It only makes Jason’s heart soar more. Nico averts his gaze, unable to process the motion all at once.

 

So Jason keeps talking. “I wanted to ask you to dance at Hazel and Frank’s wedding.”

 

“What?”

 

“Their wedding,” Jason repeats. He chuckles at the memory of it. Frank had been so nervous the entire day, trying to make sure every detail was perfect for his soon-to-be bride. It’d gone without hitch—because there was no way Venus and Juno wouldn’t smile down on two people as in love as them.

 

As groomsmen, they all nipped every snag before it became a problem.

 

But to Jason, Nico had been the show stopper. He stood there beside Jason, the black suit tailored perfectly to fit around his thin frame and legs. Nico had even worn his hair back, showing all the lines of his pale neck and delicate jaw. The icing on the cake were the many flower crowns worn by the wedding party last minute.

 

“She is technically our stepmother,” Nico explained back then as he adjusted the bundle flowers around Jason’s head, his mouth so close Jason could’ve kissed it. He’d grinned with amusement, simply happy for his sister. “Persephone wouldn’t bless us with anything less.”

 

 Just his essence radiated with happiness for his sister, smiles and all that set the butterflies off in Jason’s stomach.

 

“Ah.” Present day Nico makes a disgruntled sound, the day evidently coming back to him in a different light. “Will and I had a fight that day.”

 

He had been preoccupied doting on Hazel just as much as Frank was to make sure she was happy on their wedding day. Unfortunately, Nico had come to a screeching halt when Will asked what his thoughts were on getting married soon.

 

“We’d already been dating for a couple years at that point and I just—wasn’t ready,” Nico grumbles. He buries his face in his eyes, reliving the embarrassment. “Something didn’t feel right.”

 

Will had been visibly upset—something Jason could barely recall ever seeing back in the day. It was clear to Will, Nico had explained that day, that they were moving in that direction. But it wasn’t to Nico.

 

There was a way Will looked at Jason during the reception that day, like the son of Jupiter had crossed a line. It stopped Jason in his tracks before he could muster the courage to ask Nico to dance with him. Instead, he looked at Nico’s solemn demeanor, pained to be at a celebration of love (his sister and new brother-in-law’s, of all people) and alone. He’d pulled the flower crown off his head, so heartbroken that the remaining petals wilted as they fell.

 

“It’s the worst thing I ever did,” Jason confesses. “Telling you to go after him instead of encouraging you to move on.”

 

Nico inhales sharply, his gaze locked with Jason’s. Small, fervent bubbles dance at his lips, and he just stares at Jason, as though he was trying to find the truth in his words. He’s so painstakingly beautiful that Jason’s stomach kneads and twists with butterflies, reminding him that Nico’s presence isn’t a dream. Sitting here so close, freckles so clear that Jason could kiss them.

 

“The first time I knew I was in love with you,” Jason murmurs, mystified by Nico’s radiance, “you were sitting across from me at a coffee shop in New Rome. I finally chased you down. You finally agreed to meet with me.”

 

He runs his fingers down the underside of Nico’s forearm, until he can lace their fingers together. Nico’s breath shakes at the moment.

 

“I told you about all the things I did, and how I earned the title of praetor. How I slayed Krios. How I stayed with the Legion after my ten years because they were so good to me. I didn’t have anything else waiting for me outside of the Legion. You know what you told me?” Jason laughs wistfully, recalling the effervescence he felt after a day with Nico di Angelo. “‘You’re just a kid.’ Like being Jupiter’s son should’ve been secondary.”

 

The son of Hades turns his head around, his eyebrows furrowed together. His eyes glisten under the iridescence of Rainbow’s scales. “That was before Juno swapped you and Percy.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“That was a decade ago,” Nico continues, his voice hoarse. “I barely remember that.”

 

He startles when Jason squeezes his hand. Jason finds himself leaning closer, yearning to feel the thrumming of Nico’s heart. He wants to know if it’s beating as fast as his own.

 

“You,” Nico says faintly, “You never said anything. That was before Will. You could’ve said something.”

 

“Guess I forgot,” Jason admits. All the way until he saw Nico falling for someone else. He chuckles softly and touches his head with the tips of his fingers. “I’ve been told I’m pretty bad about that.”

 

All the while, Nico stares at him with a look Jason isn’t familiar with. It reminds him of the way Nico looked at him at the start of this trip when his amnesiac self couldn’t understand why the Son of Hades’s couldn’t trust him: beset with emotion and overwhelmed. He looks as terrified as he did the day of the wedding, when Will asked what would come next.

 

But he’s come far from that boy filled with sorrow, who could barely let himself in, let alone another person. And Jason is so happy to be sitting here with the man Nico’s become.

 

 

“I—” Nico’s voice ceases in his throat, the emotion hurdling him in small bursts. “I never knew you were an option, Jason.”

 

“I never thought you’d want me.” Jason’s smile tightens, his heart wavering in his chest. He was the friend. The confidant. All those years of yearning weren’t worth it if that meant losing the first relationship he ever built with Nico.

 

Now is different. He’s ready to see that image again, Nico’s hair adorned with petals and a smile as boundless as the sky. To ask for that dance, and to never let go. To have more dinners with Sion and Nico.

 

He’ll be damned before he lets something happen to his family.

 

The words evidently shake the Son of Hades even more.

 

To Jason’s surprise, Nico frames the Son of Jupiter’s face in his palm, the edge of Jason’s jaw at the crook of his fingers where thumb met index finger.

 

Nico stares back at him, the stunning glint in his eyes, and a wryness that used to judge him for everything.

 

“Don’t be an idiot,” Nico whispers. He pulls Jason down and kisses him.

 

The sensation is so pleasant and sweet that Jason feels lightheaded. His heart glows in his chest, ecstatic, and he kisses Nico back, enamored by the lithe frame in front of him. He swears he hears Tempest, Rainbow, and whatever goat spirit around him singing his prayers.

 

For a moment, Nico pulls away. He exhales the breath he’d been holding when Jason spoke, cheeks blooming with red from the heat of their kiss and wave of emotion. The corners of his lips tilt, eyes glittering prettily.

 

The grin on Jason’s face is so wide that it hurts. He doesn’t care. His thoughts fly away from him as Nico reaches for the back of his head with both hands and demands another kiss.

 

Jason pulls Nico in as close as he possibly can, his arms wrapping around the small of Nico’s back. He can feel the tautness of Nico’s skin under his hand and wants more. His heart sets the cadence to the music in his ears, tapping I love you with each beat. He feels Nico’s hand brushing over his chest, as if trying to find the rhythm on its own.

 

Finally, Rainbow comes to a halt.

 

At the end of their route stands the abalone gates to Atlantis.

 

*

 

Rainbow takes them across the length of the pavilion, where various merpeople were conducting duties of their own—selling food, bartering for pearls, the works. Gardens bloom with coral and exotic sea plants that Jason had never seen be before. They remind him of the various gardens maintained by the Demeter Cabin, or the legacies of Ceres that tended to a flower shop in New Rome.

 

Fish and octopi swim freely around the town, akin to the birds and eagles Jason had grown up seeing. He wonders what Percy would’ve been like, if he grew up under water near his father. (Wonders if Percy would have a tail—but that was a thought for later.)

 

The Palace of Atlantis glows of abalone and pearls. It’s as large as Olympus, bioluminescent under the waters, and as majestic. Jason had heard stories about Atlantis as a boy, but he’d never put it in context next to Olympus. He’s never looked at Atlantis as goal to achieve, like he did with his father.

 

“It’s as big as my father’s palace,” Nico murmurs, impressed.

 

A merman greets them at the door of the palace. Jason has to do a double take—the merman has sleek, green skin, and long black hair, but in the face looked very much like Percy. Mer-Percy looks at both of them for a moment. “Jason Grace. Nico di Angelo.”

 

His voice comes out way more eloquently and smoothly than Percy’s, like if their friend was doing a poor British accent.

 

Nico and Jason slide off of Rainbow’s saddle, hand-in-hand. They stare at him in confusion.

 

Mer-Percy wrinkles his face. “I am Triton, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite.”

 

Ohh.

 

“Follow me,” Triton says. “My father awaits your company.”

 

He turns around, revealing his two lavish tails as he swims into the palace. Jason looks over to Nico for a moment and mouths, ‘Percy?’

 

Nico shudders and nods.

 

The silent swim behind Triton is definitely nothing like walking with Percy. Triton seems irked by their presence at best, and doesn’t offer to make conversation. Jason finds himself staring at the intricate carvings in the walls of the Palace of Atlantis. He makes mental notes to include them in any other future sea temple—and stops himself. He isn’t exactly in a position to be building those anymore.

 

They make it into the throne room, which is equally as impressive as Olympus. Jason is fascinated by the luster of sea life lighting the paths instead of the Greek fire that he’s used to.

 

At the foot of the throne stands Poseidon and his council. If Jason and Nico had been confused by Triton’s likeness to their friend, the King of Atlantis was a clone.

 

Even with his war council, Poseidon looks like he’d just spent the morning fishing. He wears a lackadaisical Hawaiian shirt with countless chattering parrots and a pair of worn down Birkenstock’s. The smile lines around his eyes are still evident, though weary, while his black hair falls in his face.

 

He looks…warmer that Jupiter ever has.

 

All speaking ceases as Poseidon raises his head to meet them. He turns quietly to his council, whispering soft words. Immediately, all of the fish, dolphin, and merpeople scatter—but not before giving an eyeful to the two sons of their ruler’s brothers.

 

A nauseating feeling bubbles in the pit of Jason’s stomach. Kymopoleia’s words come crashing back on him.

 

“Lord Poseidon,” Jason speaks. He swims forward a moment, hand still laced with Nico’s—and halts. He kneels, lowering his head to the King of the Sea. “Uncle. We’re honored to be in your presence again.”

 

For a moment, Poseidon doesn’t speak. He stares at them, eyebrows stretched inquisitively, then lets out a loud sigh, like water coming out of a whale’s blowhole. His shoulders slack and any tension that was left in the room dissolved.

 

When Jason looks up, he’s met with Poseidon’s grimace. Poseidon studies them carefully—but more specifically, the storm spirit keeping Jason alive.

 

“Well now,” Poseidon says. “This is awkward, isn’t it?”

 

Jason considers the weight of their uncle’s words. He looks down at Nico for a moment, he stares back at him, just as confused. They slowly untangle their fingers.

 

“The last time I saw you, Jason Grace,” Poseidon says gently, his voice as warm as a sunset on the beach, “you’d revealed an ugly truth about your father.”

 

Begrudging anger twists in Jason’s stomach—the memory still fresh in his mind. He may not have lived it in over three years, but he’d just received a high quality retelling of it not too long ago. Despite common sense telling him to remain respectful, Jason stands up defiantly, lips contorting to a frown.

 

“And like everything, Jupiter put himself above everyone else.” Jason’s body bubbles with rage. “Instead of holding himself accountable, he swept me under a rug.”

 

“Now, now, boy—” Poseidon flashes a look of concern momentarily—warm and familiar, like Percy. He sighs once more, weary. “I’m in agreement with you here. My younger brother broke a pact by disguising himself as a god of another pantheon.”

 

Jason can hear it in the god’s voice—like Poseidon is saying, Then again, what’s new?

 

“Zeus has always lived with the fear that he would one day be ousted from his throne on Olympus the way our father was. But as you saw on your way to the palace, my people are happy.” Poseidon gestures to Nico, his voice steady. “My brother, Hades. His people are happy.”

 

Nico blinks at him for a moment, surprised to be acknowledged.

 

“His meddling has already set off a war—this is what we feared. Mortals, praying to a multitude of different gods. Immortal beings laying claim to territories. It’s worse than Greek and Roman demigods praying to their parents—each prayer draws out the strength of a god.” Poseidon rubs his eyes tiredly. “There are already territorial disputes over the seas. The skies will be overwhelmed with storms, with mortal lives and the people of our kingdoms being the ones who suffer. This will cause a worldwide pandemic. But not only that—”

 

Poseidon raises a hand and gestures to a shelf behind them. Jason didn’t see it before, but now notices the shelf full of action figures. Of Kymopoleia, Delphin—and many others that Jason had helped design over the years.

 

“But not only that,” Poseidon says gently, “the strides you have made as Pontifex Maximus has made my beloved and I closer to our daughter. You’ve given acknowledgement to those lost in millennia of history, and humbled many gods to the wards of their domain.”

 

Jason’s breath catches in his throat. He watches as Poseidon’s exhaustion morph, studying every bit of his reaction.

 

“My son took the first step by forcing us gods to claim our children when they turned thirteen,” Poseidon says slowly. “You took the second, making a beacon out of every minor god so they could be seen from Olympus and all of the nine realms. Even with your memories gone, the many you influenced want to fight for you.”

 

The soft whistle of the storm spirit surrounding Jason snaps him out his stupor.

 

“So you—” Jason’s voice is loss in the ocean. His eyebrows furrow together. “You’re not going to kill us for being in your domain?”

 

Poseidon stares at Jason for a moment. He slaps his lap and throws his head back, laugh echoing like a dolphin. “Hahaha! Kill you, boy? Nico has helped Percy out more times than I count!” He wipes his eye—whether it’s from the ocean water or his own tears, it’s hard to tell. He grins warmly at Jason, looking very much like his son.

 

Jason quickly looks over to Nico, wondering if he’d broken the King of Atlantis. Nico only shrugs, his eyebrows knitting together in the same fashion it did when they were together with Percy.

“To quote you, dear Pontifex, killing you now would be unwise.” Poseidon smiles warmly. He sits back in his seat, pleased with himself.

 

If it weren’t for the water around Jason, his knees would give out from disbelief. Luckily, he feels Nico’s hand on the small of his back, supporting him.

 

“You said it properly back then,” Poseidon muses, a speck of pride in his voice the same way Hades spoke. “It would only take one to topple Zeus. He’s now incurred the wrath of the Aesir. And every god with his ichor running through them is now behind you. And then some.”

 

He gestures to the storm spirit around Jason’s body once more.

 

“The Aesir have already made their choice,” Poseidon says.

 

The soft whistling of the venti around Jason commands his attention. He processes Poseidon’s words carefully, feeling part of his brain numb at the news. “Wait. Who sent this spirit for me?”

 

“Uncle—” Nico clears his throat, finally ready to interject. He floats besides Jason. “With all due respect, everything that happened in that throne room happened three years ago. All of you turned a blind eye back then, including my father. Why is this coming to fruition now?”

 

“We gods have turned a blind eye to things others have done in the past. Some of us have held grudges. Some have found other things to preoccupy their times.” Poseidon’s face twists into another grimace. He chuckles awkwardly. “But—sleuthing through the Fates’s shop warrants attention.”

 

Nico twitches for a moment, squinting at the words. “How much attention?”

 

“All of Olympus,” Poseidon confirms for them. “And then some.”

 

“On what parts?” Nico’s voice cracks for a moment, steam radiating around his cheeks as he flushes red.

 

“Ah…” Their uncle clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable. He sits upright in his seat. “Anyway—I’ve said my part. He should be bursting through the doors any minute now.”

 

“Who—?”

 

On cue, the throne room doors burst open.

 

Percy appears, Riptide equipped in his hands and decked out in full Roman armor. The hem of his shirt and left pant leg are ripped from battle—but he looks completely dry. His movements are much swifter and more eloquent than Jason and Nico flapping their arms in the water. He sheaths Riptide and tucks it in his back pocket, then waves at Poseidon. “Hey, Dad.”

 

“Dude!” Jason breathes a sigh of relief, his lips stretching into a grin. He stretches his arms out, ready to envelop the other demigod in a hug.

 

For a moment, Percy halts. He stands into a fighting position, ready to pull Riptide to his age once more—then studies Jason, looking up and down the Son of Jupiter and the wingspan of Jason’s arms. Percy grins. “Dude?”

 

Jason nods.

 

“Dude! You got your memories back!” Percy swims towards them quickly and throws his arms around the son of Jupiter.

 

(Jason’s not sure if it’s just the water, but Percy lifts him with ease and practically spins him around.)

 

Percy sets him down, then stares between Nico and he. A bigger grin spreads across Percy’s face, and he punches Jason in the arm. “And you finally told Nico? My man!”

 

A sheepish smile fumbles on Jason’s face. “Yeah.”

 

Nico looks ready to kill both of them.

 

Just as quickly as Percy’s elatedness begins, it ends. He throws his hands in the air, looking absolutely annoyed. “Have you guys been here the entire time?! Dad!”

 

Poseidon waves.

 

“Entire time?” Jason’s eyebrows furrow together.

 

Apparently the question isn’t enough for Percy. His expression shifts gravely. “The camps are preparing for war. You guys have been gone for a week!”

 

 

Chapter 8: The Night We Became Real

Summary:

“So the two of you have been traversing the seas for a week on a romantic honeymoon this entire time,” Percy guesses. He purposefully sticks his head between the pair, a mischievous glint in his eye as he wraps an arm around both of them. “No wonder you stood me up, Nico. Jason’s a catch. Have you seen these biceps?”

Notes:

Thanks for all of the feedback guys! Welcome to quarantine chapter 4!! Can you believe we're almost 10 chapters in? I hope you enjoyed this one, it kind of got away from me. The mood for this chapter is All I've Ever Known from Hadestown. If you haven't listened to Hadestown before, it's honestly what rekindled my jasico feelings, so please give it a listen!

Also as of this chapter, the rating as gone up to Explicit! It is towards the end of the chapter. :)

“A week?” Nico watches as the excitement drops from Jason’s face. Jason’s jaw slackens, eyebrows furrowing together. His hands begin to tremble at his sides, the anxiousness visible in his eyes. “We’ve—we’ve been gone for a week?  But what about Sion?”

 

Percy looks between the both of them once more, the shadows under his eyes apparent. His lips stretch into a firm line. It’s hard to say what he’s been through in this week. The excitement of being a new father has worn off in favor of the impending war. “Sion is okay. Screaming, but okay—”

 

“Screaming?” Jason repeats, his voice raising a higher octave than Nico has ever heard. The panic is apparent. It reminds Nico of the amnesiac Jason, who was separated from the little demigod no more than twelve hours. Powers or not, Jason looks one word away from blasting everyone in Atlantis.

 

“Jason.” Nico finds himself tugging at the son of Jupiter’s wrist with his own fingers, hoping to offer a bit of calmness. “Calm down. We’re going to get back.”

 

And Hazel is absolutely going to kill him.

 

“You left him screaming?” Jason’s entire façade drops and he clutches the new cutlass at his belt loop.  

 

“Jason,” Nico hisses this time. He yanks at Jason’s shirt. “Calm down.”

 

Suddenly, a symphony of weapons echoes through the throne room.

 

Nico looks around, quick to see Poseidon’s underwater army ready to jump into battle. Poseidon coughs awkwardly, commandeering the attention of his son and nephew.

 

Percy doesn’t look the slightest bit disturbed. Instead, he looks at his dad, annoyed, and pats Jason’s shoulder sympathetically. “There’s some history here, don’t mind us.”

 

Poseidon makes a gesture, forcing his guards to cease.

 

“Jason, I did not leave your small child literally screaming.” Percy extracts Jason from his person and flashes a look between Nico and Jason once more. “When you guys didn’t return after the first day, we knew something was up. Then suddenly we get a letter saying Zeus has offended the Aesir and now Odin’s version of the huntresses and all the einherji are ready to defend Thor’s name.”

 

Percy looks tired just from explaining things.

 

“Magnus is trying to play peacemaker as much as he can as a Son of Frey but there are a lot of conflicting emotions here. He’s stalling at best.” His face flickers darkly. “We’ve already lost some campers that were out on quests. It’s mayhem right now.”

 

A sickening feeling boils in Nico’s stomach at the words. He’s empathetic to how Jason felt earlier—starting a war was not what they wanted, but even more so, they’d lost a week out at sea and were already in the middle one.

 

“But Sion,” Jason insists. His demeanor drops, the worry evident. He waves his hands around. “I’ve—I’ve never left him alone longer than that day with Nico.”

 

For a moment, Percy’s gaze flits back to Nico, hesitant.

 

“What?” Jason snaps, his voice vehement.

 

“He’s a symbol of Zeus’s dishonesty,” Percy says finally. “The Aesir want to kill him.”

 

The water is cold around then. Jason’s frame shakes with fear and panic, while Nico feels sick to his stomach. Even Percy looks green, clearly not happy to be the messenger.

 

“So when we realized that was the case,” Percy continues slowly, “we moved him. Hazel has shadowtraveled him to safety. He’s not in New Rome anymore.”

Jason sighs softly—though out of relief or frustration, it’s hard to say. Nico doesn’t blame him—it’s a lot to put on a child. They managed to sleep in their new apartment in New Rome for just a day before Sion had to be moved again.

 

“So where is he?” Nico asks. He can only imagine how the twins are handling the situation. They’ve yet to experience a war.

 

“As far away as Hazel thinks Sion needs to be. She can travel and manipulate the mist. This time on our side. Reyna’s with her as extra backup.” Percy’s voice brims with pride. “She sounded like she was happy to deal with one child instead of three though. Frank might be dying.”

 

Once more, Poseidon captures their attention. “Ahem.”

 

Nico turns to face the King of Atlantis, but notes that Jason is still frozen in place.

 

“Come here, my boy.” Poseidon curls the edge of his pointer finger towards Percy. The smile lines appear at the corners of his eyes, content to see his son.

 

The edge of Percy’s lips curl, and he easily swims towards Poseidon.

 

“Here are three pearls to get you to the coast. This will speed up your journey getting back to the surface.” Poseidon’s demeanor flickers, nostalgic. “You should already know how they work.”

 

“Hmm.” Percy grabs them gently from his father. Nico can’t see from where he’s standing, but he notices the hesitation in Percy’s stature. “I wish I had more time down here.”

 

“You’re welcome to visit any time. Bring that Aphrodite girl down with you.” Poseidon’s smile widens. “Amphitrite and I would love to have you for dinner.”

 

“Oh—Dad, about that…just so you know, you’re going to be grandpa.”

 

“What? Really? Percy, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!”

 

All the while, Nico watches Jason pace back and forth the length of the throne room, bubbles bustling behind him. He intercepts Jason’s pathway, the concern flowing through him. “Jason.”

 

The other demigod looks up, his worry still evident. Jason’s eyebrows furrow together, looking more terrified than before.

 

It’s a far cry from earlier, away from the bliss and contentment of them.

 

Nico’s heart throbs in his chest. He hates what he’s seeing. “I promised you that no harm was going to come to Sion. I meant it.”

 

“I just—” Jason breathes slowly and buries his face in his other hand. “I need him to be safe.”

 

“Sion is under the protection of one of the seven great heroes from the Second War, who is a parent of the most dangerous pair of twins that I know. And a daughter of Bellona, who flew across the world to come find you.”  Nico peels Jason’s other hand away from his face, interlocking their fingers. Jason’s hand trembles beneath his own, which makes Nico’s heart ache. “He’s going to be fine.”

 

To his surprise, Jason soaks in the words. For a brief moment, Jason’s head falls against Nico’s shoulder. It lands with a thud, almost knocking Nico off his feet. A quiet, troubled sigh leaves Jason’s throat, into Nico’s collarbone.

 

Without even thinking, Nico reaches up and runs his hands through the back of Jason’s head.

 

“I need you,” Nico murmurs softly, “to be that levelheaded Jason that helped me defeat a giant earlier. Okay?”

 

Jason laments with a sigh against his neck, apparently soothed by Nico’s words. “I don’t think I heard anything after I need you.”

 

Ugh. Nico’s hand twitches. Even under great duress, Jason manages to voice his earnest feelings. Red flushes in Nico’s cheeks and he instinctively averts his eyes. He doesn’t know if he’s going to get used to this new, honest Jason anytime soon.

 

At the end of his gaze are Poseidon and Percy, staring at them unnervingly at the foot of the throne of Atlantis. Percy in particular catches his eye, looking awfully proud of himself.

 

Nico glares daggers.

 

The glower is enough to shift the mood. Percy clears his throat. “So if you guys are done making me the third wheel, we can get going.”

 

Jason lifts his head slowly, though doesn’t seem particularly happy with the plan. Percy swims back to both of them, delicately placing each pearl in their hands. Nico doesn’t miss the look exchanged between the two—Percy smiling reassuringly at the son of Jupiter while Jason tries his best not to scowl. It’s a strange dynamic.

 

“Before you go—” Poseidon says once more. “—about this new camp of yours, Percy. I hope I’m allowed to visit.”

 

Percy looks startled at the acknowledgment. He lets out a breath, akin to his father’s sigh earlier, then looks to both Jason and Nico momentarily. Finally: “I want your blessing for this new camp, Dad. Just…know it’s more like a safe haven than it is for training heroes. It’s…”

 

He takes a moment to find his words. The edges of Percy’s gaze find Jason and Nico each, the hue of his eyes intense. No doubt contemplating their path to becoming demigods.  

 

“It’s going to be about us first. Gods, second. Hence the name.” Percy rubs the back of his neck. “We’ll figure out the transition for going to other camps later. Right now, there’s, uh. Kind of a war going on and all?”

 

“So there is,” Poseidon agrees. He smiles warmly once more. “Let it be known that so long as I rule the waters, you and your camp will be safe.”

 

Before the mention of territorial disputes, Nico would have found comfort in those words. He watches Percy’s expression shift, evidently thinking the same thing.

 

“Yeah, well—I’ll make sure you’re still ruling. Since that’s my job and all.” Despite the apparent exhaustion in his voice, Percy conjures a smile. “Thank you, Dad.”

 

As they make it into the courtyard, Nico can feel the sense of bemusement coming from Jason as it did before. Everything about this experience is such a stark difference to that day on Olympus, when Jupiter pointed a lightning bolt at him. There’s a wistfulness in Jason’s eyes— a pensive thought of what life would’ve been like if Jupiter was more like Poseidon. Or maybe if Jupiter wasn’t in the picture at all.

 

It was akin to how Jason looked at him before—when Nico tried to describe what he’d been up to while Jason was missing. Running errands for Hades, representing him at gatherings, and so on. Jason could barely get an audience with Zeus. Speaking his mind instead of being the model demigod led to their current situation.

 

Nico reaches out and wraps his hand around Jason once more, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. At this point, it feels natural.

 

Jason’s head cocks over and he smiles, despite the sadness.

 

“So the two of you have been traversing the seas for a week on a romantic honeymoon this entire time,” Percy guesses. He purposefully sticks his head between the pair, a mischievous glint in his eye as he wraps an arm around both of them. “No wonder you stood me up, Nico. Jason’s a catch. Have you seen these biceps?”

 

Nico twitches. There’s a way Percy speaks as though nothing is out of the blue with this situation.

 

“A week,” Jason repeats gruffly, still in shock. He presses a hand to his temple, the anxiety still visible. “We lost a week.”

 

“Fates can be cruel,” Nico says. “Life can flash by in the blink of an eye. Time passes quickly when you’re having fun. Any other mythology-influenced idioms you would like me to throw out there?”

 

Through the worry, Jason offers a weary smile. “Are you really having fun with me?”

 

“I certainly am,” Percy muses.

 

Nico sighs and crushes his pearl. He’s not sure if he’s going to last to the end of this trip.

 

*

 

Montauk—in general—is a peaceful beach for many visitors to enjoy blue waters and beautiful sunsets. The silhouette of Halfblood Hill is visible from afar if you had the Sight, and waters were typically clear and calm.

 

Typically.

 

The moment Nico’s head breaks the surface, he’s assailed in the face with rain drops and the sound of booming thunder. Naiads scream as the winds shriek against their homes. The usually serene waters undulate with violent waves, just like they had when Jason and he first fell from the sky.

 

Worst of all, Nico feels as exhausted as he did at the boutique. Even more so now. He hasn’t slept in a week or recovered from the unearthly amount of shadowtraveling he’s done—something that hasn’t been required since the second war.

 

His body is as heavy as a corpse, his arms flailing in the waters. He hears Tempest neighing in his ears, evidently swayed by the gales around them. Nico can barely keep his eyes open.

 

To his surprise, Percy yanks both of them by the arms. He forms an air bubble around their small trio and commands the water to push them ashore.

 

The trees in front of Nico are blurry—he can barely see the form of his own two hands, his entire body both light and heavy at the same time, like a dying spirit.

 

Jason wraps an arm around him like a tether. Beads of water caress his cheeks as they run down his face, his new haircut suddenly in disarray on top of his head. His eyes tint red—no doubt from the amount of saltwater that’d surrounded him—while his shirt and jeans cling to his frame like paper mache to a balloon.

 

(Nico briefly wonders what Emily and Marie are doing in all of this—the thought of them having to fight during this war is absolutely terrifying to him.)

 

Jason looks as worse for wear as Nico feels—body heavy as it rests near him.

 

Percy, on the other hand, is completely dry, maneuvering through the waters as casually as breathing. They make it to shore in record time.

 

Nico vows that he never wants to step foot in water ever again.

 

“So the east coast is like this too,” Percy comments casually. He curses under his breath and extends a hand. The look of frustration stretches across his face. “It’s been raining for days. Everywhere. You two really pissed the big guy off. Nice job.”

 

With Percy, there’s no way to interpret that than as a compliment.  

 

When Nico tries to get to his feet, he practically crumbles. Jason catches him immediately—but adjusting back to land on top of his fatigue just makes him dizzy.

 

“We can’t shadowtravel back to New Rome right now,” Jason surmises. His voice is filled with misery. He looks conflicted—crushed to be so far away from Sion and worried all the same that Nico was struggling to regain his composure. “Can we?”

 

“I just—” The bitter thought of already disappointing Jason in their relationship overwhelms Nico for a moment. His words form a lump in his throat, and he pushes dark hair out of his eyes. He seethes softly, forcing the anxious thoughts down the pit of his stomach. “I need a little bit of rest. We’ll get going as soon as I’m ready.”

 

Jason brushes a hand across Nico’s bicep, the worry still visible in his demeanor, but he nods. He raises a hand over his brow and gestures to to the tumultuous storm clouds. “I don’t think we’ll be able to fly. Jupiter would probably shoot me out of the sky.”

 

“You and me both. I don’t think Blackjack would be happy trying to navigate through it either.” Percy grumbles under his breath. “You think GoogleMaps has an ETA on how long it would take to get from coast-to-coast on a tugboat?”

 

Looking between the two makes a pang of guilt shoot through Nico’s chest. He couldn’t be in a worse position now that the declaration of war is official. Using Jason as his crutch, Nico stands to his feet and wipes more wet hair out of his face. “Let’s get to shelter in the meantime. We’ll get going first thing in the morning.”

 

He can almost hear the distress in Jason’s look. The morning isn’t soon enough.

 

Nico lets out a frustrated sigh—mostly at himself. “We can get going as soon as I—”

 

In that moment, both storm spirits whisk away from their bodies. Tempest reforms as a gallant horse, while the other shows a prestigious goat—both as wispy as the clouds above them.

 

“Hey, buddy.” The pain is still apparent in Jason’s voice. He strokes the top of Tempest’s muzzle and touches his face to the storm horse’s forehead. Softly, Nico can hear Jason utter, “Thank you for keeping Nico safe.”

 

At that very moment, Nico wonders how Jason feels—memories returned, but still stripped of his powers like a regular mortal. As much as he wanted to be seen, being a child of Jupiter was still very much part of his identity. Not being able to fly for him is like Nico being ripped from the shadows.

 

(His blood runs cold as he remembers shadowtraveling underwater. That was not fun.)

 

Nico knows that the film reel of memories came with a multitude of emotions ranging from absolute outrage at Jupiter and utter guilt and sorrow for Astryd Lykke.

 

And absolute love for Nico. Nico shivers at the thought.

 

“Who do you think sent the other storm spirit?” Percy asks him. The goat venti nudges Jason insistently until the demigod acknowledges it.

 

“Thank you for keeping me safe. Let’s name you…Nimbus.” Jason grins, albeit a little gloomy.

 

Nimbus bleats happily at the name before Tempest and he trot off into the storm.

 

“Tempest is a storm spirit shaped after a horse from Jason’s command. A steed.” Nico wrinkles his nose. An ill thought passes through his mind. “Do you know any gods who use goats as a steed?”

 

Percy weighs his words, but the look on his face tells Nico that Percy doesn’t like the answer he’s come up with either. He’d been bent out of shape since Nico voiced the second theory over Sion’s parentage. Nico can only wonder how Percy feels now, having that confirmed.

 

Jason reappears at their side, having parted with his two animal companions. He wrings out the water from the tail end of his shirt and his best to wipe his glasses. They only get more water on them. “Should we get going?”

 

With agreeable nods, they begin the long trek to Camp Halfblood.

 

*

 

Percy spends the first part of their walk explaining how he ended up in Atlantis: a dolphin-driven boat.

 

“…so there I was, in the principia arguing with Mike Kahale by the skin of my teeth on how the quickest way to end this war is not to kill a baby—” Jason visibly tenses at the explanation. “—and that we needed to wait for Jason to come back. Then Dakota came into the room and told me there were dolphins in the Little Tiber and they were asking for me.”

 

Percy rolls his eyes, while Nico and Jason nod sensibly.

 

“He wasn’t keen on the fact they were talking. And then I packed three days worth of food, slayed some monsters, negotiated with some half-siblings—despite it being a summons from my father—” Percy’s voice raises with emphasis and he gestures to his ripped pant leg and shirt. “The usual.”

 

“The usual,” Jason agrees. “And Piper was okay with this?”

 

The edge of Percy’s lips curl, his expression wry. “We’re not too happy bringing a child into a world of war. But considering our genes, I’d expect nothing less.”

 

A chuckle falls from Jason’s lips, equally tired and sympathetic. “And how does she feel bringing a child into the world with Mister ‘I Would Move Heaven and Earth For You’?”

 

“She came around to it.” Percy smiles fondly. He gestures to Nico in particular. “I said it before. I’d go to hell and back again for any of my friends.”

 

“So after going against Mike’s wishes about healing Jason, you also decided to move Sion behind his back?” Nico’s eyebrows knit together, his voice gravelly.

 

Percy nods.

 

“Dude.” Jason jabs Percy in the shoulder, his voice remorseful. “You’re going to down as the worst praetor in history at this rate.”

 

“If going down as worst praetor means bringing back my best friend and protecting his kid, then I accept that title with honor.” Percy shrugs pointedly, bringing the debate to an end.

 

Nico decides that it’s been a very long time since he’s been stuck in the same (metaphorical) room as Percy and Jason. It’s an unusual experience. He has his memories of thoughtful conversations late at night with Jason under the stars at Camp Halfblood, and his memories of sitting in the Forum while Percy blathered on about shows he thought Nico would like. He’s seen how they acted egging each other on during their teen years, but this was different.

 

Here they were now, Nico staggering quietly behind them as Jason and Percy talk. It’s astounding to him that they’re standing here a decade later, walking through the brink of a hurricane like a sunny day in New York. There’s a light in Percy’s eyes as he talks to this new, realized Jason, and a familiarity in Jason’s own voice.

 

It’s bizarre—a weary Jason trying to keep his mind on the conversation and Percy trying to direct the flow. Somehow for them, this feels like a natural cadence. Nico is so tired that all he can do is let Jason hold his hand and tug him along.

 

“So Sion is your brother,” Percy brings up eventually, his voice quiet. The mood around them suddenly shifts. “You hit the nail on the head, Nico.”

 

“He’s pretty smart.” Blue eyes turn to Nico, gentle and sweet as a smile curls against Jason’s lips.

 

“Oh yeah—one of the smartest demigods that I know.” Percy nods in agreement.

 

All the while, Nico’s cheeks burn. He’s never been at the receiving end of so many compliments—especially in one day. Not only from Jason, but from Percy, as well. It’s too much.

 

“I,” Nico manages, if only to get the subject off of him, “heard him call you daddy the other night.”

 

They halt for a moment, Percy clearly invested in the conversation.

 

“Ah.” The way Jason’s expression shifts makes Nico realize it’s a subject that the other demigod isn’t comfortable with. Jason seems to choose his next words carefully. “It’s hard to be the one raising him. I didn’t want to replace any memories he had of his mom, and she clearly loved his dad. That wasn’t my place. I kept hoping he would understand someday.”

 

His demeanor changes, this time contorting into a grimace.

 

“Of course, given the new circumstances of his parentage, I might as well let him call me that.” Jason shakes his head in amazement. “Guess I’m a dad now.”

 

“You kind of already were,” Percy says. He nudges the other demigod. “You laugh at dad jokes unironically.”

 

“Only because you make them.” Jason’s sadness disappears for a moment, replaced with a fondness as he nudges Percy back.

 

Nico rolls his eyes, the walk continuing. Percy’s journey to Atlantis sounds much more smooth than their own. Jason explains their conversation with the Fates, how they ended up at the bottom of the ocean, meeting Chrysaor, and reuniting with Kymopoleia.

 

“So you broke into the boutique of the Fates and helped Jason get his memories back?” Percy whistles with approval, waving raindrops out of the way to keep himself dry. “That’s pretty metal of you, Nico.”

 

Nico is thankful that Jason omits the toe-curling kiss and love confession. He’s still trying to wrap his mind around it, even as Jason is looking back at him every second or so.

 

“Yeah, but you’ve been exerting yourself too much.” Jason gives Nico’s hand a firm squeeze. “You shouldn’t have shadowtraveled into the sky for me. We could’ve taken the elevator.”

 

“Zeus would never have let you take a direct route to Olympus. He would’ve killed us before we stepped foot in the Empire State Building.” Nico’s voice is sore in his throat. He pushes the wet bangs out of his face once again and sighs tiredly.

 

“Yeah, he would’ve killed you for stepping foot in Olympus,” Jason echoes, being very selective with his words. He stops for a moment to look directly at Nico, his eyebrows furrowing together. “All of these things you’re doing—bartering with Death, sneaking around behind the Fates’s back, pushing yourself to these limits—I don’t need you to do that for me.”

 

Nico looks at him like he’s grown a second head. The anger boils in his stomach and he scowls. “I don’t need you to call on a storm spirit to protect me when you can’t fly.”

 

“That’s not—it worked out in the end,” Jason sputters. His eyes flash, the need to backtrack apparent. “I just thought—if Tempest saved you, then you could figure out the best way to get home.”

 

“At the bottom of the sea?” Nico rages. “You’re mortal now. You would’ve been dead in minutes!”

 

Percy clears his throat. Neither one of them care. Nico’s angry that this argument is being brought back up now, of all times.

 

“I’m trying to tell you that I don’t need you to die for me!” Jason exclaims, plainly confused why it’s a bad thing.

 

The tips of Nico’s ears burn red. He laughs at the hypocrisy. “That’s one hell of a statement, Son of Jupiter.”

 

“Oh-kay, it has officially become awkward as your third wheel. Please let me off this tricycle.” Percy places himself between the two of them, every remnant of self-satisfaction gone from his voice. He looks like he’d rather be anywhere else instead.

 

“I’m just—” Jason’s words wither in his mouth. “I’m just trying to protect you.”

 

“Of the three of us, we know which one needs the most protection.” Nico grits his teeth. “You’ve spent years with a blade in your hand thinking it was a gun. You’re malnourished. You haven’t trained. Somehow you lucked out and defeated Mike Kahale when he could’ve wiped the floor with you. You weren’t here to see what I’ve accomplished in the last three years, so stop making assumptions.”

 

Both Jason and Percy look taken aback at the exclamation. Before Jason can conjure words, Percy cuts him off.

 

“I’m the one who asked Nico to go looking for you,” Percy says, his voice filled with uneasiness. “Thalia and Reyna agreed with me. He’s always been the best at gathering resources and he found you within a day. We wouldn’t be standing here without him.”

 

At the mention of that, Jason grows quiet, his lips pressed into a tight line.

 

They continue the rest of the walk in silence.

 

*

 

Jason excuses himself to greet Thalia’s tree, requesting for the other two demigods to wait for him. Nico watches as he walks way into the storm, his chest aching. Arguing with this Jason—his Jason—feels exactly like arguing with the other one. The one who just assumed he had Nico’s trust.

 

At this point, Jason should have Nico’s trust, but the way the words came out of Jason’s mouth made Nico’s blood boil. There’s an anger there that Nico didn’t even know he had. Partly at Jason, but mostly at himself. They’ve been together for five minutes and he’s already made a mess of things.

 

Percy heaves a sigh, his own face in his hands. “Dude. Why did you say all of those things?”

 

Nico stares at him in disbelief. “You said you agreed with me.”

 

“Well, yeah—but the guy is about to go save his son and you told him he’s going to be useless! And you rubbed it in his face how little he knows about you now?” Percy pinches the bridge of his nose. “Do you know how long I had to listen to him talk about how in love he is with you?”

 

The color drains from Nico’s face. He looks at Percy, mortified. “So you’ve known this entire time.”

 

“Well—yeah.” Percy suddenly looks as uncomfortable as Poseidon did, reliving memories that Nico isn’t aware of. “You…don’t remember much of how Jason acted at Frank and Hazel’s wedding, do you?”

 

Nico’s mind comes to a halt. As happy as he was for his sister and brother-in-law, he doesn’t look upon the memories outside of being in the wedding party fondly. Jason’s introspection only twists the knife in his chest.

 

“We talked about it,” he says slowly. Red burns in his cheeks. “Briefly.”

 

Percy evidently has a similar recollection of the night to Jason, a look of exasperation on his face mixed with pity. “He talked about wanting to ask you to dance?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And how he put your happiness before his feelings?”

 

“Yes.” Nico wants to die.

 

“He’s trying to put your health first over zipping back to Sion.” Percy rubs his temples and shakes his head in dismay. “You saw how he reached for his sword in Atlantis. Not being with Sion is killing him and he’s putting you first because seeing you this exhausted is killing him too.”

 

Oh. Nico’s stomach flops. He cocks his head back to Percy, noticing those sea green eyes looking back at him, probing Nico for a reaction.

 

“You almost faded in the last war. Will made you sit in the infirmary for days.” Percy stares at him pointedly, his siding with Nico earlier suddenly moot. “How worth it do you think it is for him if getting his memories back meant losing Sion and you?”

 

“That’s not going to happen,” Nico says immediately.

 

“He’s trying to nip this in the bud before this happens,” Percy refutes. He scratches his arm awkwardly. “You have a track record of pushing yourself too hard for people you care about.”

 

“I don’t—” Nico stops talking, feeling his cheeks burn from the words. He can feel the words reach his ears but isn’t quite sure what to make of them. Percy’s observations are all based on his past behavior. He suddenly regrets telling Percy about that stupid crush.

 

But he remembers the insistence on how much Jason has loved him all this time. How long had Jason been watching him, and how much did Percy know about it?

 

Apparently enough to lay out all of his feelings after ten years, whether Nico reciprocated them or not.

 

You don’t have to say it back, Jason had said.

 

“Why did you really send me to find him?” Nico says finally.

 

“Because you were the best chance at finding him. I meant it.” Percy looks surprised at the question. He crosses his arms. “Everything else that came after seems pretty typical for us. You know, great consequences, yada yada, looming war. I’ve known how Jason has felt for years but I didn’t know how hard it would hit you when he didn’t have his memories back.”

 

It startles Nico how much it affected him, too. The amnesiac Jason had been so against the idea of putting Sion in the line of danger—but also hated how much it seemed to hurt Nico. Jason got his memories back not for himself, but because he wanted to know why he felt the way he did about Nico.

 

Everything about that behavior is just pure Jason, and—

 

It truly mystifies Nico. He’s run every memory he had with Jason in his mind, and things finally click. Every single part fits—and every ounce of adoration and devotion is there. Nico had just been too in love with someone else to notice.

 

Nico’s jaw slackens, and he has to cover his mouth before anymore idiotic words pass his lips. His cheeks glow pink, and he gets tongue-tied just thinking about Jason’s actions.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look as hurt as you did that day in the barracks,” Percy confesses. His mouth stretches into a frown, eyes suddenly sad. “It was pretty scary.”

 

“I…” Nico doesn’t know what to say. Of course Jason losing his memories would affect him. Their story started with Praetor Grace doing everything in his power to make Nico his friend—and continued with that amnesiac Jason still trying to reach out. Jason has reached out to him in every way and form.

 

Finally, Jason reappears, still equally drenched from the rain, but looking a little bit more content with himself. Nico unconsciously reaches over Jason’s shoulder and dusts off wet pine needles.

 

Jason is startled by the gesture. He flashes a look of concern, eyes glittering under the rain. “Are you feeling any better?”

 

Ugh. Nico feels his heart flutter in his chest, the tips of his cheekbones burning now. “A couple of hours. And then we go back to Sion.”

 

The relief is evident across Jason’s face, but he still looks reluctant. “Okay.”

 

“So,” Percy declares. “Now we convince Mr. D that getting your memories back and starting a war with both the Aesir and Zeus was totally a good idea, even though he insisted that it wasn’t.”

 

“And Iris Message Sion,” Jason adds.

 

“Yes,” Percy agrees. “And Iris Message Sion.”

 

*

 

Camp is absolutely barren when they step foot past the gate. The typical fair weather in Camp Halfblood is replaced by the downpour of heavy rain, drowning the strawberry fields. Nico doesn’t like the sound his boots make when they hit the ground. The dirt path is now a mudslide, imprinted with several footsteps and hooves. For this time of year, it isn’t unusual to have fewer campers at Camp Halfblood—but it’s chilling to not have anyone near Hestia’s hearth. Percy gives the goddess a quiet wave as they make their way through the campgrounds.

 

Nico takes in all of the new cabins and buildings that have been erected since the last two wars—all thanks to the two demigods in front of him. Nico has never been one to shirk the accomplishment of others—especially given how many gods have sided with Jason during his strife.

 

Before they make it to the Big House, Jason raises a question.

 

“If I’ve been gone from Camp Halfblood and you’ve been at Camp Jupiter, who’s been leading camp?” Jason frowns.

 

“Who else?” Percy grins. “The Stoll Brothers.”

 

It’s been a decade since Nico stepped foot in the Big House. He can’t help but feel cramped now, with all of the other campers around them. They step inside, met with the sight of countless teenagers with armor far too big, and the Stoll Brothers at the pool table.

 

“—hear me out,” Travis Stoll says. He waves his hands around quickly. “What if we picked up camp and moved it elsewhere?”

 

“What about the strawberry fields?” One of the Demeter children. He frowns, evidently not happy with the idea.

 

“We’ll pick up the fields and move those too,” Connor says nonchalantly. “Cabin 9 can do that, right?”

 

The new head counselor for Cabin 9 looks back at the Stoll Brothers, like they’ve grown a second head.

 

“Sure,” she says, “just let me add that to the thousand of other impossible things you’ve asked me to do so far. Between a spray can that shoots whoopie cushions and Leo’s magical elevator.”

 

Travis claps a hand on her shoulder. “Look at you—you don’t even need Leo’s manbun to operate!”

 

“You’d look good in one though,” Connor says, placing his hand on her other shoulder.

 

Pollux clears his throat and points to the two sopping wet demigods and Percy at the other side of the Big House.

 

The trio steps forward to get out of the rain—only to be halted by a pair of much shorter campers with swords in their hands.

 

Percy draws a tired breath alongside them. “You can’t be serious.”

 

Travis and Connor look at one another, a glimpse of hesitation in their faces. It’s Pollux who decides to speak up.

 

“The decision at Camp Jupiter was to avoid a war. We were all in agreement with that.” He shakes his head, looking disappointed in them. “Now we’re at war with the Gods and the Aesir? There was an assembly and you lot decided to go against that.”

 

Nico glances at Percy quickly, noticing the look of irritation has faded into guilt. Percy’s old title as camp leader has lost its significance here. Jason’s had been stripped along with his memories—and he looks hurt to have those overshadowed by their recent actions.

 

“We were avoiding a war because Zeus decided to screw the wrong person. Jason was just the person who uncovered it—why are we the ones that have to suffer?” Percy protests. “We’re the ones who are always suffering at the actions of the gods.”

 

The head counselors stare back at them reluctantly, but don’t relinquish their swords.

 

“Percy,” Connor starts.

 

“You’re sounding a lot like Luke,” Travis finishes.

 

Nico can only imagine how the two Sons of Hermes feel at the mention of their deceased brother. He grimaces to himself, noticing Percy’s demeanor doesn’t slacken. From the corner of his eye, he notices Jason remaining silent as well—but he’s ready to jump in. It’s a cold battle that Percy clearly takes personally.

 

“Percy has made strides since the first war so no one ends up dying as tragically as Luke did,” Nico interjects. “Jason has built temples to honor other gods and goddesses. These are things that Luke valued, even if he fought on the other side of the war. Camp Demigod is supposed to be a safe haven. The next step. We’ve all already made waves to make life better for halfbloods. Holding Zeus accountable for his actions will make it better for other demigods to come.”

 

“Damn,” he hears Percy say. “Maybe Nico should be camp leader.”

 

Somehow, he can imagine Jason nodding behind him.

 

“You’re forgetting the part,” Pollux says slowly, “where much like Luke, it’s Jason’s fault that this war has come to fruition.”

 

Percy sighs in exasperation. “It’s not Jason’s fault, it’s Zeus’s!”

 

“Jason chose to get his memories back,” argues another camper. She raises her sword when it looks like Percy is going to move forward—but it wavers in her hand. “And you guys chose to heal his eyes.”

 

At this point, Percy looks so frustrated that his hand flies to his pocket where Riptide is.

 

Before any blood can be shed, Jason places a hand over Percy to keep him from chopping up a fourteen-year-old.

 

“You’re right,” he says. “I chose to get my memories back. If I’d kept my mouth shut that day, we wouldn’t be in this situation. I’d still have Sion.”

 

Jason’s voice is heavy at the second realization, his expression sad. It hurts Nico just to look.

 

“Let us talk to Dionysus. We’ll be gone first thing in the morning if he lets us stay. And if he doesn’t, we’ll be gone even sooner.” His lips curl into a forceful smile. “It’s a win-win for you.”

 

The compromise seems like enough. Travis and Connor stare at each other for a moment and nod. The assortment of head counselors evidently takes that as a sign to relinquish their swords. Pollux doesn’t look particularly happy with the situation. Given that unlike Dakota, he sided on keeping Jason out of the loop, it makes sense.

 

They find Mr. D on the second floor playing his usual game of pinochole. It’s too stormy to play outside. Chiron is sitting on the other side of the table, looking particularly pensive as the trio approaches them.

 

“Perry,” Mr. D acknowledges wryly.

 

“Percy,” Chiron greets with a little more kindness. He smiles warmly, but the nerves are there.

 

“Chiron. Mr. D.” Percy sighs just as tiredly as the pair of camp directors look, his hands on his hips.

 

Nico glances back at Jason for a moment, trying to process what the son of Jupiter could possibly be thinking.

 

“Are you here to tell me that you went against everything I said and started a war with Zeus?” Mr. D resets the game in front of him and hands the deck of cards to a nervous satyr to be shuffled. “Old news, boy.”

 

Percy opens his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Jason. The latter demigod steps forward, keeping his promise to persuade the wine god.

 

“We’re seeking shelter for the night. We’ll be gone in the morning, sir.” Jason looks comically taller than Mr. D’s stout self. It’s strange to see him trying to bargain. Jason’s eyebrows furrow together, his eyes flashing with the deepest plea.

 

“So you’ve come to ask for my permission?” Mr. D says, his voice deadpan. “When, I strongly advised you lot against healing your madness? My word counts now, since it’s for your benefit?”

 

“I—I’m sorry sir.” Jason flashes a quick glance over to Nico, his fingers curling into his palms. “It was something that needed to be done.”

 

“Needed to be done?” Mr. D repeats, his tone irate. He shoots a scowl in Jason’s direction and clutches the Diet Coke on his coaster. “You know what I need?”

 

“A drink?” Percy guesses.  

 

“A drink!” Mr. D downs the soda in his hand and slams the can back on the table. “Your actions against Zeus and your feelings for Nicholas over there have put this camp at risk! I have campers fighting for and against your side downstairs! I have cabins preparing for a war against einherji! I have to outdrink Aegir and his stupid mead!”

 

The trio exchange looks for a moment. The god looks most angry about the last point.

 

“But I can’t damn well do that with diet coke, now can I?” Mr. D rages. He waves his hand, turning the diet coke on his coaster into a brand new can, then struggles to open it. “Who knows what will be of Olympus after all of this is over.”

 

“Now, Dionysus.” Chiron thanks the satyr calmly and begins distributing cards across the table. “Our fate is in the hands of the demigods we’ve trained. All we can do is hope for the best outcome.”

 

“Need I remind you that I didn’t sign up for this job position?” Mr. D grumbles angrily.

 

A thought suddenly occurs to Nico—and he wonders why he didn’t see it before. “But you’ve been helping us from the beginning.”

 

Jason and Percy whip their heads back, caught off guard by his words.

 

Mr. D looks back at him irritably but doesn’t refute the words. So Nico continues.

 

“You said that we wouldn’t find help in our domain,” he says. “You meant the Olympian Gods. You knew we would have to ask the Aesir for their help in healing Jason’s eyes.”

 

Percy curses under his breath, evidently connecting the dots himself. “This all started because Zeus decided to impersonate an Aesir god. It needed to be reversed by the Aesir. Magnus happened to be in town while this was all going down.”

 

Mr. D glares at them for a moment, scowling. “Or maybe, a cigar is just a cigar. Have you ever thought of that? Pebble! Fetch my cigars!”

 

Pebble the Satyr quickly shuffles off to retrieve the said cigars.

 

“But you were there that day.” Jason’s eyes widen, the epiphany setting in. “The day of my speech. Some of the gods looked like they wanted to kill me, but—”

 

“Who said I was giving you a look?” Mr. D places a cigar in his mouth, his nose wrinkling. “I was probably asleep. Sobriety makes you tired.”

 

“Mr. D,” Percy starts slowly, “didn’t you get put here because you slept with one of Zeus’s nymphs?”

 

The question is enough to freeze the god of wine before he can light his cigar. He looks back at the trio like a deer caught in headlights, while one of Chiron’s eyebrows shoots in the air.  

 

“So he put his own desires in front of his own son,” Jason murmurs. “That sounds familiar.”

 

“How I felt before and how I feel now are very different. I’m allowed to change my mind,” Mr. D insists. He lights his cigar and observes the deck of cards in front of him.

 

Percy opens his mouth again. “But—”

 

“You’ve seen what he does when he’s angry. Every millennia or so he turns Apollo into a mortal for doing something stupid. He turned Jonah over here into a squib for saying something smart and then left him to die,” Mr. D says. He shuffles through his cards vehemently. “I’m not letting that happen. Not to me or my sons.”

 

“Should you have even been punished in the first place?” Jason asks. His lips contort into a frown. “You slept with a nymph, but he impersonated Thor. That doesn’t seem just. You’re being punished and he’s still sitting on a throne on Olympus.”

 

Mr. D snorts. “And how do you expect to punish the King of the Gods? Dethrone him? Turn him mortal?”

 

Jason contemplates the question. “Well…why not?”

 

Everyone in the room looks to Jason as he comes up with that conclusion. Nico is reminded of the anger that radiated off Jason in the memory of the assembly.

 

There was a point in their friendship where Jason was willing to defend the actions of his father no matter what. Pushing Zeus’s lightning bolt from between his eyes had been the turning point.

 

“Think about it his way,” Nico says finally. “If Zeus is punished for his actions, then your punishment becomes void. Do you think Hera would care that you slept with one of his nymphs?”

 

Those words carry more weight than every other explanation they offered. Dionysus slams the pinochle cards on the table, the revelation a godsend. His eyes widen.

 

“All the wine you could ever want,” Jason agrees. “Moscato. Sauvignon blanc. Chardonnay.”

 

“And those are just the whites,” Nico agrees.

 

“I could finally have rose again,” Dionysus whispers.

 

“Rose,” Percy echoes. “I know that one.”

 

Nico only wonders what’s going through Chiron’s mind during this exchange. The centaur stares at all of them, looking torn between amusement and discomfort.

 

“Well then,” Dionysus says. He lights his cigar and clears his throat. “This is a lot to consider. Why don’t you troublemakers leave me alone for the night while I weigh out the pinots and the cabernets?”

 

“You mean pros and cons?” Jason frowns.

 

“I said what I said.” The corners of Dionysus’s mouth curl upwards, almost devious. “Now scram.”

 

*

 

The Hades Cabin is exactly how Nico left it: sleek, black, and not a sign of gothic tackiness in sight. Two beds: one for when Hazel would drop by and another for himself. Nico changes out of his wet mess of clothes immediately and towel dries his hair. He’s never held such an uncomfortable opinion of sea water in his life.

 

When he was younger, this would’ve been about the time they were at the Mess Hall, eating his dinner at the Apollo’s table. He remembers Will writing a doctor’s note to Chiron, saying it was a medical necessity for him to sit with his boyfriend.

 

He wonders what that must’ve been like for Jason. Years passed while Jason had to watch Nico enjoy himself, hand-in-hand with Will. All Nico remembers is nervously trying to open up to all of the Apollo kids, and Jason encouraging him after every failed attempt. 

 

Opening up to Will’s siblings never felt quite as authentic as it did with Jason.

 

Most of these days, Nico finds himself traveling between his sister and the Underworld even more. The older he gets, the more it feels that Hades is sending Nico on tasks that the King of the Underworld doesn’t want to do himself—like going to a meeting before Olympus. The tasks seemed to increase after his breakup with Will. Nico once mused that Hades was preparing him for succession. His father didn’t seem too irked by the idea.

 

Nico can already see the look on Hades’s face now—the Underworld filled with loitering souls from a war sparked by Zeus. It’s probably driving Hades mad.

 

Exhaustion hits him full force as he plops into his old cabin bed. Nico lets the sleepiness pull him down, ready to rest before continuing their quest tomorrow.

 

KNOCK KNOCK

 

At least he is, until he hears a knock on the door.

 

To his surprise, Jason is on the other side beneath an umbrella. The Camp Halfblood logo across his chest is something Nico hasn’t seen in a long time. It’s loose across his frame, complimenting the lack of training that came with years of wandering through the mist.

 

Jason looks back at him, his eyes filled with such tenseness that all Nico can do is berate himself. Tearing Jason’s confidence down isn’t worth the look that Jason is giving him.

 

“Ah. Ahem.” Jason clears his throat for a moment and pulls back. The cloud pattern on his umbrella moves with him. “I was going to call Sion. Doing it in the Zeus’s Cabin didn’t feel right.”

 

Right. Nico’s gaze darts over to the pristine marble columns of Zeus’s Cabin for a moment. They never did figure out what to do with that obnoxious statue.

 

“Plus,” Jason whispers, “I figured he was going to ask about you. The little guy’s pretty smitten.”

 

Nico snorts. “Seems like that’s something you both have in common.”

 

A smile spreads across Jason’s face, mirthful. The look is so sweet and tender that Nico’s heart does somersaults in his chest. He sees the long lines of Jason’s jaw, and the hue of grief in those eyes. The way Jason looks at him is just so purely soft that it makes all of the words melt in the back of Nico’s throat.

 

“We should talk,” Nico says softly. “About earlier.”

 

“For the record,” Percy says behind Jason’s umbrella, “I’m here too.”

 

Ugh. Nico feels the heat boiling in his cheeks and buries his face in his hands. Through his fingers, he notices Jason equally red.

 

“You’re talking to Sion,” Percy says nonchalantly, “But I need to touch base with Hazel and Reyna.”

 

They set up base in the middle of the floor. Nico lets them borrow his desk lamp, while Percy squirts a water bottle at an angle until the tiniest iridescent light appears. Jason murmurs a quiet prayer to Iris and tosses the drachma. He lets out the longest sigh of relief when the offering takes.

 

“Hazel Zhang,” Jason says, almost begging. “Please.”

 

At first—all they see is darkness. Then—one big blue eyeball and a tiny mouth. “Ms. Hazel? There’s a cloud and it’s not mine this time!”

 

The moment Sion’s voice echoes from the other side, Nico watches Jason’s heart melt. Jason’s shoulders fall beside him, his eyes glistening. “Sion.”

 

“Jay?” Sion gasps loudly. Nico holds back a smile—he can imagine Sion trying to touch the cloud now, the little demigod’s entire body expanding with shock. “Jay!”

 

Nico watches as words disappear before Jason has the chance to say them. Jason presses a hand to his face, holding back a quiet sob of relief. Nico turns his head a degree—and even notices Percy smiling.

 

“Look! I drew a picture!” Sion holds a piece of paper too close to the Iris Message, too blurry to make out except for a small fish. “There’s Uncle Perch, and you, and Nico! I gave you muscles!”

 

Uncle Perch? Nico shoots another look at Percy, who seems pleased with the nickname.

 

“That’s,” Jason breathes softly, laughing for a gentle moment. “That’s such a good picture, buddy. Did Ms. Hazel let you use her crayons?”

 

“Ms. Hazel gave me so many!” Sion shoves a twenty-four pack Crayola set into the message. “She said I could keep them!”

 

“That’s so good, buddy—”

 

“Jay,” Sion interrupts. He pulls the picture away front he message, his lower lip quivering as he looks back at Jason. His entire composure still looks better than the older demigod. “Are we in trouble again? How come I can’t be with you this time?”

 

Jason opens his mouth to speak, but the words are still struggling to make it past his lips. It’s a far cry from every romantic thought that’s rolled off his tongue since regaining his memories.

 

“Where’s Nico?” Sion continues, evidently done with his prior thought. “Did you scare him off? I like Nico.”

 

The tension finally breaks as Percy stifles a laugh. Nico fidgets, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but his cabin, and feels the burn of Jason’s gaze on him.

 

Yet Jason only laughs, sweet and gentle. “Not yet, I don’t think.”

 

“Don’t scare him off! He’s not a monster!”  Sion squirms. His series of questions end as a hand touches his head. Hazel and Reyna in the background, amusement visible in their expressions. Hazel gingerly picks Sion up like Nico has seen a thousand times with his own nieces.

 

The sight of his two sisters brings a soothing calmness to Nico. He crouches next to Jason to get into the Iris Message. “Hazel.”

 

“Nico!” Sion cheers, which brings a smile to their faces.

 

“We’ve had so much fun, right Sion? You, Emily, and Marie have been a blast,” Hazel says—but her tone is poignant. “Literally.”

 

Nico twitches. “Maybe the twins and Sion would like to hang out with me next weekend.”

 

“I’m sorry, the reception is bad.”

 

“My mistake.” Nico clears his throat. “Two weekends.”

 

“Three.”

 

“Two weekends and a Wednesday,” Nico says.

 

“You hear that, Sion? You and the twins get to hang out with Nico this weekend.” Hazel’s gold eyes glint, victorious.

 

“What?” Sion pouts. “But I want to see him now.”

 

Nico’s heart tightens in his chest. He’d give everything to be back in New Rome, making dinner for the little guy and cuddling up with his nieces.

 

“Hazel, Reyna,” Percy interrupts. He squats to their level, still squirting water with his spare hand. “Where are you guys?”

 

Hazel scrutinizes him carefully. “Where are you? I thought you had a fountain in your—”

 

Percy coughs loudly, his hand stumbling on the trigger purposefully for a moment. Nico glares in his direction, ready to smack the Son of Poseidon. Percy make a point not to meet his gaze.

 

“Sorry,” Percy says. “Bad reception.”

 

“We’re near the foundation for Camp Demigod,” Reyna explains, one eyebrow arched in the air.

 

Nico frowns. The last he’d heard, Percy had only decided on the Midwest as the safe haven. He had no idea that they settled on a location. Percy notices the look of confusion on his face.

 

“Leo and Annabeth hadn’t gotten around to sharing the updated blueprints with anyone yet,” Percy explains. The corner of his lip curls, bitter. “They were getting ready to announce it at the next senate meeting, then Mike tried to kick me off my own project.”  

 

“So where is it?” Nico asks.

 

Again, Percy grins. “The Ozarks.”

 

“The Ozarks?” Jason repeats. “Do you know how many giants live in the Ozarks?”

 

“They can handle it,” Nico reassures, though dread bubbles in his stomach.

 

“We’re safe for now,” Reyna confirms. “We’re in a hotel not too from the mountains. We’ll be meeting up with Leo as soon as we can.”

 

“Glad to hear that.” Percy smiles confidently. In another lifetime, Nico’s heart would’ve skipped a beat—but he still appreciates the true sense of leadership coming from the Son of Poseidon after a day of headaches.

 

“Still,” Jason protests gently. “I’ve seen what kind of monsters that Sion attracts. I may not have understood it, but—”

 

“Jay,” Sion interrupts again. “If any monsters come for us, I’ll summon the biggest cloud and make them go away!”

 

Every last rebuttal dies in Jason’s mouth. His shoulders slack once more, speechless.

 

Their reunion plays back in Nico’s mind. Even though Jason had been fending off against the lycanthropes, Sion was the one to summon the huge storm.

 

“Promise me you’ll listen to everything Ms. Hazel and Ms. Reyna say Sion,” Jason says finally. The words are chosen carefully. “Only summon the storm clouds if they needs help, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Sion says.

 

“Be a good boy, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Sion repeats.

 

“Sis—” Nico interrupts and gingerly places a hand on Jason’s shoulder. Beneath his fingers, he can feel Jason trying his best to maintain his composure. “We’re going to shadowtravel in a couple of hours. We’ll get there as soon as we can.”

 

“No,” Jason says immediately. He brushes a hand across Nico’s own and looks at him with concern in the hues of his eyes. “We’ll travel first thing in the morning.”

 

Nico’s so flabbergasted that he forgets to speak. It was only hours ago that Jason was ready to kill Percy knowing Sion was in danger. “But—”

 

“I want you to rest,” Jason insists. His voice is quiet. Pleading, even.

 

Percy clears his throat loudly again. From the corner of Nico’s eye, he watches the Son of Poseidon shoot him a very pointed look—sea green eyes narrowed and hands gesturing violently behind Jason.

 

It’s not worth fighting Jason when they’re after the same goal: keeping each other safe and more importantly, keeping Sion safe.

 

“Okay.” Nico’s throat dries for a moment. He nods and he looks back to Reyna and Hazel. “Okay.”

 

The look Hazel gives is telling. She looks between Nico and Jason for a moment, one cinnamon eyebrow arched in the air and a smile on her face. “Glad to see something came out of that trip.”

 

Nico flushes red, noting that Reyna also looks pleased. He thinks back to their conversation in New Rome and reluctantly slides his hand out of Jason’s. “We’ll see you in the morning—”

 

“What?” Sion’s voice falters. “Are we saying goodbye already? But I wanna see Jay.”

 

Jason lets out a shallow breath—heart unsteady. “Only until the morning, buddy. I know you can handle that. Be brave.” One of us has to, he isn’t saying.

 

“Okay,” Sion sniffles. He waves sadly at the screen. “Goodbye, Jay. Goodbye Uncle Perch. Goodbye, Nico.”

 

All three wave back, ready to say good—

 

“I love you, Uncle Perch. I love you, Nico. I love you, Jay.”

 

Nico feels an overwhelming amount of warmth explode in his chest. He looks over for a moment, noticing Percy exhale for a moment, and Jason rubbing at his eye.

 

“We love you too, buddy.” Jason sighs softly. “Bye, Hazel. Thank you.”

 

The Iris message finally ends, leaving three grown men in melted puddles. With his sisters out of the room, Nico finds himself running a comforting hand down Jason’s spine without even thinking.

 

“First thing in the morning,” Nico promises.

 

“First thing in the morning,” Jason agrees, his tone airy.

 

“Hey, man.” Percy places the squirt bottle aside, his expression just as comforting. He touches Jason’s other shoulder and squeezes it softly. “You can trust us to keep him safe.”

 

“I know.” Jason sucks in a long breath, but finally regains himself. He wipes his nose for a moment and his smile brims with familiarity. “I remember that now.”

 

*

 

Eventually, Percy decides it’s time to call Piper. He gets up, stretches his legs, and heads towards the door.

 

“So soon?” Jason asks in surprise. He pushes the empty plate away from him.

 

They’d snuck food out of the Mess Hall, knowing full well that their presence was controversial at camp. Last Nico saw, however, Mr. D was making a wine list of everything he wanted to try if Zeus was reprimanded. The scroll was so long that it rolled out of the Mess Hall.

 

“Well—I’m going to be a father soon. So she’ll kill me if I die on this quest,” Percy reasons. His demeanor twists and he scratches the back of his head. “Besides. I miss her.”

 

It’s very much like Percy to be genuine about his feelings when he has them figured out. Nico doesn’t know a lot about Percy and Piper’s relationship, but he can tell that Percy’s smitten.

 

He’s just not going to let Percy leave without a little hassling first.

 

“So,” Nico says with deadpan, “you’re going to call her on your high-quality fountain in your cabin instead of using a squirt bottle and commandeering my desk lamp?”

 

Percy’s expression shifts sheepishly. “I totally am.”

 

He reaches for his empty plate at the end of their circle and pauses.

 

“And Jason,” Percy says, “if you’re uncomfortable with Big Ugly in your own cabin, you’re more than welcome at mine.”

 

“Oh.” There’s a bit of relief in Jason’s voice—clearly happy to put Zeus’s Cabin behind him. His eyes flit to Nico for just a moment. There’s just the smallest inkling of disappointment in them. “Thanks, man.”

 

Nico watches as Jason collects his own plate. He can’t help but open his mouth. “Jason.”

 

Jason looks down at him, curious. Percy’s lingering gaze is also far too noticeable.

 

The red flushes in Nico’s cheeks. Nothing screamed awkward more than getting looks from both his somewhat boyfriend and old crush.

 

“I’m sorry about yelling at you earlier.” Nico’s hands twitch at his sides as he desperately tries to tune out Percy’s nosiness from the corner of his eyes. His face flushes red. “I’ve been told I can get hotheaded.”

 

Mostly by Will. Nico doesn’t know how else to react in a relationship when someone else wants to control how he should be behaving. He’s never liked it when Will doted on him, spewing medical diagnoses for everything Nico felt uncomfortable with about himself. There always had to be an explanation for the ways Nico reacted—but Nico genuinely just wanted to be able to react.

 

Jason isn’t Will. Jason expresses himself in gentler words that fluster Nico and has made Nico smile far more than scowl in the years they’ve known each other. The worry is more benevolent and kind—much kinder than Will’s approach.

 

For a moment, Jason says nothing. He turns his head towards the door expectantly where Percy stands, and his face visibly flushes red. “Can you…?”

 

“Leaving,” Percy agrees. “Definitely leaving.”

 

He shuffles out of the cabin and slams the door, leaving nothing but silence behind.

 

Nico’s heart beats so loudly that he can hear it in his ears. He hates being put in situations where he’s uncomfortable. More importantly—he hates being in a situation where Jason’s happiness is tied to his own emotions.

 

“I’m sorry,” Nico says again, his voice humble, “for what I said. I’ve just—” His breath catches in his throat, and he finally knows why. “I hate that you were missing from my life, even for a minute. I hate that my father took me out of that room. I get so angry thinking about the fact that Zeus ousted you from Olympus and—”

 

And he went back home, none the wiser. Back to Will, with every thought of Jason Grace erased from his mind. Every ounce of him screamed to go back, but a squabble with Zeus was the last thing Hades wanted.

 

Every emotion clusters into a lump at the back of Nico’s throat, and his heart aches.

 

“It kills me not being able to take you to Sion right now,” Nico admits softly, “You’ve done so much to pick yourself back up and make the best out of what happened to you. But I need to protect you. I don’t think I could bear it if you went missing again.”

 

“Nico.” Jason is in front of him in an instance, his voice gentle. His blue eyes glow with honey sweetness, eyebrows knitting together. He heaves a sigh and bows his head. “I’m sorry.”

 

What? “Why are you—”

 

“There’s so much about you that I don’t know right now. All you’ve done is help me make sense of my memories and I’ve been acting like we were picking right back up where we left it.” Jason’s expression dwindles, the corners of his eyes radiating with sadness. “You’ve done a lot to help build this new camp. You’re attending meetings in place of Hades. I’m just—me.”

 

Nico stares back at him, bewildered.

 

“I messed up so badly with Zeus that he threw me back to Earth with no memories and no powers. Sion has protected me way more than I’ve protected him.” Jason takes in a slow breath, and plops onto the bed behind him, the weight of the realization hitting him full force. “When I resigned from being pontifex, I thought I’d be able to come home. Now there’s infighting between campers and the Norse demigods are threatening to kill us for Zeus’s actions and—it’s a mess.”

 

He laces his fingers together and looks back at Nico, eyes miserable.

 

“You’re right. I don’t have my powers. Neither of my old homes want me. My mind’s been a mess for the last three years. And—” Jason’s voice wavers. “All I want to do is hold you, but I’m not even sure if I deserve that.”

 

Nico shivers. The tone is reminiscent to the other night—filled with selfdoubt and frustrations. Jason has all of his memories back, but he looks as lost as ever.  

 

“I need to learn to talk to you again,” Jason whispers. He touches his temple. “I—”

 

“No.” Finally, Nico cuts him off. He grabs hold of Jason’s hand before the other demigod can ruminate on how much time they’ve lost without each other again. “I just need you to be here.”

 

He doesn’t want Jason to ever leave him again, gods be damned.

 

Despite all of the grief, a soft smile curls against Jason’s lips. He reaches out, burying his face into Nico’s chest and relishing in the contact. Jason’s arms wrap around him, firm yet so scared at the same time.

 

“I’m here,” Jason whispers.

 

Nico sighs. The two little words are all he needs to calm his own emotions.

 

It’s the best that he’s felt in a long time.

 

*

 

“You’re welcome to stay here,” Nico hears himself saying by the end of the night, “if you don’t want to head back to Zeus’s Cabin. Or Percy’s.”

 

They’ve had sleepovers at Hades’s Cabin before, spending late nights talking about nothing. Nico has never liked the atmosphere of Zeus’s Cabin, and he knows that Jason isn’t a fan of the piercing, cruel eyes of the statue of Zeus. Back then, Jason used to explain that he did his best brainstorming when Nico was around. Because he was so well-traveled.

 

(Because he loved Nico’s company.)

 

When Will and Nico started dating, the visits slowly died off. Conversations about philosophy and mythomagic morphed into Nico mulling over Will Solace until that was all he could talk about. Jason’s commentary became quieter and quieter unless it was about building temples or pleasing other gods.

 

Nico’s very aware of the different connotation of Jason sleeping over now.

 

(He’s also painfully aware that it’s been a very long time since he’s had sex, but that isn’t important right now.)

 

“I think I’d prefer that, honestly,” Jason says, none the wiser. “I don’t think I want to watch Percy make mooney eyes at my ex-girlfriend.”

 

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous,” Nico teases.

 

“Only a little,” Jason admits. Nico knows exactly which part that he’s referring to.

 

It’s a strange dynamic, watching how Percy interacted with Poseidon. Jason had been terrified earlier, his heart hammering under Nico’s fingers. Even under the heavy weight of the sea, Nico could feel the trembling in Jason’s shoulder blades. The last time he stood before a god, he lost his memories and lost years of his life.

 

How was he supposed to fair at the bottom of the ocean, in his uncle’s domain when his own father tossed him aside?

Poseidon is warm. Warmer than Hades, even. Just like the sky, the ocean waves are boundless—but the King of Atlantis was humbled by his people, rather than succumbing to boredom above the clouds.

 

Nico thinks back to what Jason said earlier, too. How little worth he gave himself after resigning from being the Pontifex Maximus. It stumps Nico to no end.

 

How could anyone look at Jason Grace and feel nothing less than pride?

 

Before he knows it, Nico is settled back into the twin bed that is too short for his legs, finally ready to rest like he promised. He watches the silhouette of Jason’s back as the other demigod peels off his shirt and shucks off his pants. Jason even folds them into a neat pile at the foot of the bed.

 

The storm outside flickers, showing the hard arch of Jason’s back, and the crook of Jason’s hipbone. Nico can see every scar in the dark, painted across Jason’s bare flesh. Jason’s frame is smaller—less defined. But still very him.

 

Nico shivers, his hands curling under the comforter. Things are different now.

 

Jason flops onto Hazel’s bed, the mattress squeaking from his weight. He peels back the covers, getting comfortable on the other side of the cabin.

 

“Good night,” Jason whispers.

 

“Good night.” Nico’s heart tingles in his chest, blissful. Things were still very much the same.

 

He closes his eyes, trying to recover the week they’d lost. Fails.

 

Two weeks ago, he brought an amnesiac Jason Grace to Camp Jupiter. Shortly after, Jason recovered his memories and they started a war. Jason confessed how he loved Nico with every fiber of his being, every word radiating with utter tenderness and devotion.

 

Nico’s hand flutters to his chest, his breath catching in his throat. He never thought that the Golden Boy of Camp Jupiter ever looked at him that way. Nico’d been so cautious that first day, when Praetor Grace’s sky blue eyes tried to find him.

 

He begged himself not to fall for those eyes. That face. That smile. Nico curls a hand over his chest. That heart.

 

“You were right about Mike,” Jason says from the other side of the room.

 

Nico’s eyes flutter open. “Can’t sleep?”

 

“Mm.”

 

“What do you mean?” Nico sighs. He wants to be annoyed, but Jason’s voice is just a reminder that they’re there together. “About Mike.”

 

“I should’ve lost against him,” Jason admits. “I only won because I remembered his back injury.”

 

“He plays football when he’s not at camp. Mortal sports are going to be hard on his body if he’s also throwing it into battle.”

 

“No.” Jason actually sounds embarrassed. “He got that back injury because of me.”

 

Nico sits up in his bed. “Come again?”

 

Jason’s face is turned away from Nico, but the way his shoulders are hunched matches the discomfort in his tone. “Mike didn’t just ask me to teach him how to fight. We liked each other.”

 

“Like—like, like?” It suddenly occurs to Nico that past Piper, he’s never heard an inkling about Jason’s love life.

 

“Yeah,” Jason breathes. He laughs quietly to himself. “He wanted to be taken seriously as a Son of Venus. I respected that. Then one day he dropped his sword and kissed me. I was fourteen and no one really saw me for me. I liked it.”

 

The way Mike stared at them at the Mess Hall back at New Rome comes back to Nico. And suddenly it makes sense.

 

“We didn’t tell anyone,” Jason admits, his voice wistful. “I was just excited he liked me back. We’d sneak above the Jupiter Maximus in the middle of the night and just kiss. But—” The pause in his voice sounds sad. “—back when I had my powers, I still…got a little too excited. I started floating and it freaked him out so much that he fell off the roof.”

 

“Onto his back,” Nico finishes, his voice distant and full of surprise.

 

“Onto his back,” Jason confirms. “The whole camp freaked out, but he didn’t want people to know we were seeing each other. He didn’t like the idea of people talking about a Son of Venus turning the Son of Jupiter gay, even if Mike Kahale was comfortable with his sexuality. Too stereotypical for a Son of Venus. But—”

 

Jason’s voice falters again before he continues.

 

“But he also wasn’t interested in hearing me talk about what I disliked about camp. What I wanted to change about it,” he finishes. “He cared about having a Son of Jupiter close. Just not about me.”

 

Nico reads the sadness behind the words. “He only liked you for your status.”

 

“Maybe,” Jason whispers. “I must’ve taken I so badly that Juno felt the need to give me another child of Aphrodite to heal my heart. Pretty sad when your stepmom has to intervene, huh?”

 

If Hades’s preference of Jason was any indication, Nico has a feeling Persephone is perfectly fine with how things are working out. He wrinkles his nose at the thought.

 

“But before that mix up, you came along and couldn’t care less about the fact that Jupiter was my father,” Jason continues nonchalantly, going from heartbroken to nostalgic in a minute. He chuckles softly, the warmth and mirth almost visible. “She had no idea. I spent weeks wondering how I was going to impress you if my name meant nothing.”

 

Nico’s heart skips a beat in his chest. The tips of his fingers tingle once more. “Your name means a lot to me.”

 

“Not that one. Not Jupiter,” Jason whispers quietly. “It only made me want you more.”

 

Red burns through all of Nico, from the tips of his cheeks down to his toes. He curls into a ball, heart ramming in his chest, and feels the palms of his hands moisten with sweat. An electric chill runs up Nico’s spine.

 

“How,” he demands as he buries his face in his pillow, “can you just say all of this?”

 

“Because I’ve waited a decade to tell you how I feel.”

 

“But I haven’t even—” Nico’s voice dies in his throat. “I haven’t said it back.”

 

“I don’t need you to say it back.” He hears Jason sit up in the mattress. Watches the silhouette of Jason hunching over the bed. “I’ve had people tell me all my life who I’m supposed to be. I’m the one choosing to tell you how I feel.”

 

Nico feels the burn of Jason’s gaze against him. His own heart rattles in his chest so loudly, deafening the thoughts in his mind.

 

“The Fates have let me fall in love with you three times now, Nico di Angelo,” Jason whispers. “And I’m never going to land.”

 

Oh. Nico feels Jason’s words enveloping his own heart. He exhales. His entire body burns and aches as he replays Jason’s words in his head. They shroud him in a way shadows never could. It’s terrifying. Confusing. Intoxicating.

 

It’s Jason. Nico’s heart is filled to the brim with love, and he’s soaked in the essence of Jason Grace.

 

“Nico—”

 

“Stop talking,” Nico whispers.

 

Before he knows it, he’s at Jason’s side once more and burying himself in Jason’s mouth. The bed squeaks under the weight of both of them as Nico presses against the other demigod. He pulls away just for a moment to watch the stars in Jason’s eyes.

 

Nico presses forward, his hands tangling through Jason’s hair as he finds the other demigod through the darkness. He presses his hand to Jason’s bare chest, feeling the melodic thrum of Jason’s heartbeat. The melody of love for him.

 

The Fates wrote out every word and weaved every line for Jason Grace to fall in love with him. Nico desperately needs them to slow down so he can fall just as hard, and just as deeply.

 

Jason kisses him back with just as much fervor, the palms of his hands framing Nico’s face. He pulls Nico as he did when they were under water—but this time, Nico can feel the heat radiating off of Jason. He feels the pulse beneath Jason’s skin, and the hot breath at the corner of his mouth.

 

Hands tangle in Nico’s hair, then scrape down his rib cage, until Jason’s palms are latched firmly on his thighs. Jason is hard and taut against Nico, and Nico can’t get enough of the sweetness from Jason’s mouth.

 

The tenderness, and the absolute existence that is just Jason.

 

He moans softly, desperate to bury himself deeper until he’s drowning. Jason’s hands toy with the hem of his pants, lips pressing soft kisses on his clavicle—down his shoulder, and across his stomach.

 

He’s throbbing before Jason’s hand even brushes against his pajama pants.

 

They take a moment to readjust, with Nico splayed on the small bed and Jason between his legs on the floor. Old calluses from sword training brush up against Nico’s bare stomach, and he can’t help but moan.

 

The stars are in Jason’s eyes, but all of his sight is on Nico. “Can I…?”

 

“Don’t ask,” Nico complains half-heartedly. “Take some initiative, Son of Jupiter.”

 

Jason laughs softly into the night. He pulls at Nico’s pajama pants with sweet grace, and suddenly he’s sucking the bare skin of Nico’s inner thighs. Nico stutters a moan as Jason’s palms press him firmly against the bed, fingers gripping him until they bruise bare flesh. A hand wraps around Nico’s cock, and he tosses his head back, trying everything not to just come right there.

 

Another moan flutters from Nico’s lips as the warmth of Jason’s mouth covers him.

 

Jason licks the under side of his cock, and suddenly, Nico’s breath stalls in his throat. Blue eyes stare up at him, and it’s the look that Jason gives Nico that makes him feel the most exposed: sweet, entranced, loving, affectionate, and entirely enraptured by the Son of Hades.

 

Nico feels his entire body singing as Jason moves his mouth around him, alternating between holding his legs, and just looking at him. He can feel himself burning from the tips of his ears down to the ends of his toes. His heart presses against his rib cage, utterly enamored by one Jason Grace.

 

Jason tilts his head, his mouth hitting him in an angle that makes him see as many stars as there is love in the world for Jason Grace. Before he knows it, he’s gasping into the night in pure ecstasy.

 

Once he comes to, he notices the semen sliding down the crook of Jason’s neck. Nico heaves a sigh, his cheeks burning and toes still tingling.

 

“Ah,” he offers, flustered. “Sorry.”

 

Jason only grins at him, like Nico is the world. He laughs quietly and stands to his feet. “Where are the towels?”

 

“The closet on the left.”

 

As Jason cleans Nico off, he presses a kiss to every spot he touches. He take a gulp of the leftover water from his chalice and offers it to the other demigod.

 

Nico grabs his hand, looking up at the sky in Jason’s irises. He reaches up and presses his lips to the corner of Jason’s mouth. His body tingles as Jason kisses him back, soft and sweet.

 

“Want me to get you off?” Nico whispers at the edge of Jason’s ear.

 

To his surprise, Jason shakes his head. His gaze glows, dazed. He plops back into the bed, curling into what little room it has to offer. “Just let me hold you. So I know this is real.”

 

This is very real. Nico doesn’t ever want to wake up.

 

He curls under Jason’s arms, shrouded by the sweet song of Jason’s heartbeat, and finally drifts off to sleep.

 

 

Chapter 9: Daybreak

Summary:

“So,” Percy jests, his sea green eyes glinting with amusement, “did you guys push the beds together?”

Jason is standing in the eye of a tornado. The gales around him are like blades, ready to slice him in half if he tries to escape. An eagle calls above him, watching his every move. The night sky is terrifyingly beautiful at the top of his wind tunnel and stars illuminate like tiny beacons of light—distant from the storm around the Son of Jupiter.

 

He desperately wants to reach the top—to be above the skies, and out of this domain.

 

The eagle caws again and stares down at him, cold.

 

The look is so unsettling that Jason flinches—and the wind cuts through his arm. He screams in pain and covers it in his arm. When he looks down, blood is soaking it.

 

Again, the eagle narrows its gaze. It descends towards him like a bomb, each cry like a crackling heat. “So you want to overthrow me?”

 

Jason takes a step back, reeling and screaming as the gusts push him forward. In the corners of his eyes, he sees lightning breaking from the sky. Storm clouds block the stars, and there’s no escape. He can’t fly, he can’t dig his way out—

 

He can’t breathe.

 

“I’d like to see you try,” his father’s voice says.

 

*

 

It’s still raining when Jason wakes up with a start. Hades Cabin is so dark and grim that he can’t assume the time of day. He scans his body for a moment, looking at flesh where Jupiter’s storm had cut into him, then sighs in relief when he sees there isn’t an ounce of blood.

 

Then he remembers the body tucked under him: pale olive skin and long, beautiful lashes. Jason sighs quietly into ebony hair and buries his nose into the crook of Nico’s neck. It still smells like sea water from the day before.

 

He looks up blearily, the thunder beckoning him to come outside. As Jason reaches for his glasses on the nightstand, Nico firmly squeezes his other arm.

 

“Stop moving,” Nico mutters tiredly.

 

A breathy chuckle flutters from the back of Jason’s throat. He lowers his head, pressing a soft kiss on the line of Nico’s jaw. Nico hums contently, inching closer into his warmth.

 

“I should get back to my cabin,” Jason whispers softly into the shell of Nico’s ear. His body feels light—unreal—with each feathery touch against Nico’s skin. “Before inspection.”

 

Nico grumbles something in disagreement. Something about being in his eighties and too old to be reprimanded.

 

Jason can’t even count how many nights he dreamed about holding Nico in his arms. About falling asleep in Hades Cabin to the sensation of Nico’s hair against his cheek and Nico’s neck in kissable reach. It’s unreal.

 

“Nico,” Jason begs halfheartedly. “My arm’s falling asleep.”

 

“Good.” Nico holds onto him tightly, his voice still hoarse. “So should the rest of you.”

 

Another laugh makes it past Jason’s lips. Despite the overwhelming temptation to stay, Jason rolls out of the bed and searches the floor for his clothes. He peers over, prepared for Nico’s provocative scowl. Jason’s met with the sight of a slumbering son of Hades clutching at the pillow they’d shared instead.

 

Ah. His heart clenches in his chest. Years of friendship made Jason aware how little Nico was willing to sleep, even if the other demigod was too stubborn to admit it. Nico was going to need every ounce of slumber he could muster before they traveled.

 

Nico could sleep. Hazel and Reyna could protect Sion. Jason could trust his friends. He repeats the mantra in his head as he gets dressed, more comfortable with each verse. His shirt’s a little looser than before his travels. So are the jeans he took out of cabin one. It’s painstakingly obvious how much weaker he is, compared to before.

 

“I’m just going to grab some supplies,” Jason explains. Not that he’s expecting Nico to be awake.

 

Sure enough, Nico clutches the pillow as tightly as he held Jason last night, none the wiser.

 

It’s tormenting him, not getting back into bed with Nico.

 

Not that he could fall back asleep. Jason’s mind floods back to the look of fear that the campers gave him last night. His past self wanted nothing more than to shed the title of pontifex and come home. Back to the warm nights in Nico’s cabin.

 

Now he wasn’t even welcomed.

 

Not at Camp Halfblood, not at Camp Jupiter. So many people want to kill Sion and Jason’s pants are practically falling off of him because he spent so many years just trying to survive instead of training. He thinks back to the fact that Nico had saved them from Chrysaor, or how he was so weak yesterday that he couldn’t haul himself out of the Montauk waters.

 

The thought of Nico getting hurt through all of this makes Jason want to disappear. And Nico was very firm last night about how he felt if Jason was lost again.

 

What were they going to do if they came out of this alive? Jason hopes his apartment lease has a clause for banished tenant.

 

Everything fees like such a mess. He squeezes his forehead as he closes the cabin door behind him.

 

To his surprise, Percy is hanging out nearby, hand flicking away raindrops as they fall. In place of the regal purple of the Camp Jupiter is orange—and he still looks like he belongs to this camp more than Jason does.

 

“So,” Percy jests, his sea green eyes glinting with amusement, “did you guys push the beds together?”

 

Jason’s back is killing him. He smiles wryly at the other demigod and stretches. A symphony of cracks follows, along with an obvious pain from trying to fit two grown men in a mattress meant for a preteen. “Probably should have.”

 

For a moment, he forgets all of his thoughts. Jason stands parallel to Percy, thumb curled around his belt loop as he watches the muddied pathways of Camp Halfblood. The rain is so loud that it almost feels like it’s screaming.

 

“Those beds are not made for tall people.” Percy wrinkles his nose. He laughs, the nostalgia evident in his voice. “Annabeth used to elbow me in the middle of the night. I’m pretty sure I’ve woken up with a broken rib before.”

 

Jason chuckles. “And now you’re having a baby with Piper.”

 

“And now I’m having a baby with Piper,” Percy agrees. There’s a pleasantness in the way that he says it, amazed by his own words. He dips his head back, letting them process in his head. “And you’re finally with Nico.”

 

“And I’m finally with Nico,” Jason echoes. He wonders if his mouth is betraying him—telling him a lie after all these years of pining. Jason’s gaze unconsciously flows to the window of the Hades Cabin, where he knows that Nico is still fast asleep.

 

The edge of Percy’s lips curl into a smile, his gaze gleaming. Jason almost misses it while he’s pondering.

 

“So you’re a dad and you’ve finally done the one thing you were too scared to do. Not bad, Jason Grace." Percy nudges him gently in the arm. “I love this for you.”

 

Jason blushes. He takes in Percy’s words, his heart humming in his rib cage.

 

“So,” Percy continues, trying to keep the conversation casual. “Did you guys…?”

 

“Sort of,” Jason admits, though he doesn’t delve further than that. His cheeks burn even brighter, his hands suddenly ache to be curled around Nico’s hipbones again. He could’ve gotten lost just from touching Nico last night. In the dewy oil of Nico’s irises.

 

Unfortunately, he was far too preoccupied with his thoughts about Sion and the Aesir to even think about sex. And too embarrassed to say it aloud.

 

Jason pushes his glasses against his face, hoping Percy can’t tell his face is a little darker under the muggy weather. It’s more of Nico than he ever expected to have. Much faster than he expected to have too, considering they went from Jason confessing I Love You to cuddling within the span of a week.

 

It’s the best.  

 

“Wow,” is all Percy can say. “We’ve come a long way since the wedding, my friend.”

 

The reception comes flooding back to Jason. He remembers the way his own heart trembled back then when he had to watch Nico’s heart break. Nico di Angelo’s beautiful smile had fallen after one conversation with Will Solace.

 

Every ounce of him screamed that day to comfort Nico. Nico not wanting to get married to Will was a sign, the voice in the back of his head said. The other voice—the one that constantly told him confessing was a bad idea—told him that Nico being heartbroken was another.

 

Keep trying, he’d said to Nico that day. Jason could hear his voice coming out of his mouth, but he watched himself give up with each word. Will’s an idiot if he doesn’t take you back.

 

After that, Nico was still sharing that smile with another, while Jason wanted to die inside.

 

Percy handed him a beer that evening. Now that the wedding was over, Percy’s explained, they could get back to wallowing in their own sadness.

 

Reyna and Annabeth had come out as a couple not too long before the wedding. Percy had seen their breakup coming a mile away, but it hurt all the same. They didn’t have much in common outside of the war. Percy was as much like Jason as he wasn’t—he’d been kicked out of so many schools and was the child of prophecy twice.

 

Being at the mercy of the Olympian Gods wasn’t great, but it was the only time his life meant something. He didn’t have the grades to go to college right away—not between the dyslexia and overall anxiety that a monster would try to kill him at any moment.

 

Annabeth had the dyslexia, ADHD, and the grades. She was confused why Percy would truly want to serve years as a praetor. Percy needed to understand what he wanted in life and had his mother’s blessing. He was relieved when Frank appointed him successor.

 

(When he made that decision, Jason offered a hand and to show him the ropes. After all, Jason never considered leaving the Legion before Juno meddled. He would probably still be serving, trying to make his father proud, if Juno didn’t tamper.)

 

After a couple of hours at the bar, Percy had drank quite a bit. He waved his arms about before falling so quiet that Jason wasn’t sure if he was breathing. Then, he told Jason, “I don’t know if I’m ever going to fall in love with anyone else the way I did for Annabeth.”

 

“I don’t think I can fall in love again,” Jason responded, nursing the same first beer. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Nico, drunk and happy and dancing against Will Solace instead of himself. He couldn’t shake the way Solace looked at him, the message clear. Back off.

 

All of the traveling in the world couldn’t take Jason away from his feelings for Nico di Angelo. Not Paris, not Prague—and definitely not Venice.

 

Piper and Leo tried to reason with him with each journey. Get a girlfriend, get a boyfriend, get something. It only hurt more that he couldn’t tell them why it wasn’t going to happen.

 

How did you tell your best friends that you were in love with someone they thought was weird? When that someone was happy, with a boyfriend that also loved him from the moon and back?

 

Jason was anyone but someone who would sabotage a relationship. At least someone else’s. He was pretty good at self-sabotaging his own.

 

“You like Nico,” Percy had said when he caught Jason staring. He didn’t miss a beat, slamming the shot glass back on the bar counter. He’d pushed himself into Jason’s personal space, sea green eyes staring so intensely that it startled the younger demigod. “You love Nico.”

 

Jason was so flabbergasted. Percy’s gaze was as concentrated as it was on the battlefield, soaking up every inch of his stance, of his emotions, and just waiting to for his next move.

 

“How long?” Percy asked finally. There wasn’t teasing. His observation wasn’t to rile Jason up. It was pitying.

 

“How long do you want to sit here?” Jason shot back, the beer as bitter as he felt. His smile was tight. Forced and tired after nudging Nico in a further direction.

 

Percy ordered another beer and clinked it against Jason’s bottle. “As long as you need.”

 

“Piper though?” Jason asks in present day. He watches as Percy’s lips stretch, the smile showing in the creases of his eyes. Jason chuckles. “Not that I’m jealous, just—how?”

 

“A series of me insisting that I would move heaven and earth for her while she pretended to listen,” Percy admits, half-joking. The happiness in his smile is pure. “McLean movie pending. I love her, man.”

 

“Good. She deserves it.” Jason laments, his thoughts wandering back to Mike Kahale and Piper McLean from last night. Mike truly was a child of Rome—firm on tradition and keeping the structure of the Twelve Legion.

 

It made absolute sense to Jason back then when Reyna appointed Mike as her successor. Mike wanted to keep the pillars of New Rome strong. He was all about tradition, compared to Percy’s chaotic energy as a graecus. While Greek and Roman demigods were united, the Senate wanted to make sure that New Rome kept its roots.

 

A Son of Jupiter who wanted to rename the Legion and chose to remain in the Fifth Cohort each year could not keep New Rome rooted. Mike wanted the status of being with a son of Jupiter without the discourse of his opinion. Maybe that was why siding with Augur Octavian was more comfortable for him.

 

Even Piper prided herself on having a boyfriend like Jason. He tried his best to be the model boyfriend: strong, kind, protective. But conversations were harder when they were dating. Jason tried his best to be there, but it always felt like he was saying words that he didn’t feel. A part of him was missing in those words, and she knew it. He was afraid to disappoint her the way he disappointed Mike.

 

That breakup hurt Jason’s ego a little less. He wonders if she knew what was missing, even when he tried to push it to the back of his mind.

 

“You broke into the Fates’ home to get your memories back. Then you crossed the seas to see my dad with absolutely no powers.” In present day, Percy shakes his head in disbelief and looks back at him. “After years of wandering around with your dad’s illegitimate child and no memories. Anything else crazy you want to add?”

 

Jason is about to go against his father and the Aesir to get his little brother after his father threatened him in the eye of a tornado in his dreams. He’s suddenly nauseous. “No, I don’t think so.”

 

He’s not sure if Percy is reading his mind again, but the unease is shared. Percy nudges him, clearly still recovering from his own journey to find Nico and Jason, but supportive.

 

At that moment, the door behind them opens. Nico appears, fully dressed in a dry pair of pants, black t-shirt, and jacket. His hair is pulled back, revealing his narrow jawline and his ears. There’s a lightness to his face that makes Jason’s heart flutter.

 

Nico even smiles at him.

 

“So,” Percy starts, “did you have a good night?”

 

The smile drops. Nico turns to the son of Poseidon, his gaze filled with faux bemusement. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Well, because…?” Percy gestures between the both of them, his smile suddenly fading into confusion.

 

“Keep going,” Nico urges. He curls a hand around Jason’s own, giving it a soft squeeze.

 

“Well—” Percy sighs in defeat. He gestures at their interlocked fingers. “Heaven, earth—consider you moved.”

 

Jason laughs quietly, noting the ire transforming into amusement in Nico’s eyes. The grip around his hand is so gentle that it tingles. He opens his mouth to speak—and doesn’t get a chance.

 

An arrow pierces Jason in the arm.

 

*

 

“JASON!”

 

“Agh!” Jason screams out in pain and recoils against the windowpane. His hand flies to his bicep as the sting shoots up his arm, into his shoulder, and he falls to the ground. He blinks the pain out of his eyes, stunned.

 

Percy has Riptide uncapped in an instant, his body in a fighting stance. Nico’s hand is around his Stygian iron sword, fuming.

 

The latter falls to the ground for a moment, the sweet look from earlier diminished by fury and disquiet. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m—fine,” Jason seethes. Now that the initial shock has settled, Jason’s just annoyed.

 

Off in the distance are a flock of people that Jason doesn’t recognize. They remind him of the head counselors from last night: young and fierce. Though blurry eyes, he can see a golden hue radiate off of some of them. In the air, he sees other demigods high in the air, like he once could do himself.

 

“Einherji,” Jason breathes in disbelief. “How’d they get here so fast?”

 

“Well—” Percy’s demeanor twists. “Pretty easy to find camp when three pantheons are collaborating on a new safe haven.”

 

Another wave of arrows flies towards them—but this time, they’re prepared. Percy taps his wrist, and a celestial bronze shield appears to cover them. Nico shoves Jason behind him with great force, and the latter demigod winces in pain.

 

Cabin doors fly open. Campers dart out the door, swords, maces, and bows and arrows in their hands as they fling into battle in their pajamas. Jason’s eyes widen at the sight, darting towards every corner as he watches his own brethren clashing celestial bronze against bone steel.

 

The einherji outnumber them by dozens. So do the valkyrie, who circled them and threw axes from the heavens at cabin roofs, at the strawberry fields, and into the dirt path.

 

Percy deflects a sword as an einherji comes towards them. He shouts a curse into the air. “We need to go.”

Jason nods numbly as Nico helps him to his feet. Nico’s hand grips him so tightly that it practically cuts the circulation off in his arm.

 

“My sword,” Jason finally says. “It’s back at Zeus’s Cabin.”

 

Nico nods swiftly. “Stall, Percy.”

 

The shadows pool at their feet—and all of a sudden, Jason finds himself plummeting into darkness. The abyss of shadows disappears as quickly as they appeared, and Jason is almost blinded by the bleak light of his own cabin.

 

He flinches the moment he sees the statue of Zeus—those eyes piercing straight through him like the arrow in his arm. Nico notices it immediately.

 

“Never did like that thing,” Nico grumbles. “Sit.”  

 

He shoves Jason onto the cot without much consideration, and then hastily bolts to the tiny cabinet Jason had requested Leo build years ago. Nico grabs a first aid kit and an emergency bag of ambrosia. Jason can’t even fathom how long the bag’s been tucked away in a corner.

 

“My gladius—” Jason reaches for his sword. He’s cut off when Nico shoves an entire ambrosia square in his mouth.

 

Then he yelps as Nico rips the arrow out of his arms.

 

Nico’s hands are so fast that Jason has to stare at the other demigod’s face not to puke. Dark eyes look back at him, simmering. “Chew.”

 

With an agonizing gulp, Jason swallows what he can of the ambrosia and tries not to gag. It tastes like curdled milk with a hint of over-sweetened chocolate. The back of his head tingles until it’s numb, and his arm burns.

 

All of Nico’s actions almost look second nature. Jason wonders if it’s from dating a doctor for so many years. His eyes are dark and analytical, looking at every bit of him.  “Take your shirt off.”

 

A cold chill runs up Jason’s spine. This would be tantalizing in any other circumstance.

 

He reaches the tail end of his shirt and tugs it over him. Freezes, because it’s too painful. Nico’s own fingers curl at the hem of his shirt and gingerly helps him out of it.

 

Nico takes a moment to scrutinize him—every bit of flesh on Jason.

 

“I didn’t get to enjoy this last night,” Nico muses lightly. He takes the antiseptic from the first aid kit and presses it against Jason’s wound.

 

The sting is so cold that Jason almost jumps. Jason’s voice cracks. “Your bedside manner is very alarming.”

 

One ebony eyebrow arches into the air. The corner of Nico’s lip curls, the tiniest glint of glee visible in the hue of his eyes. “Stay alive long enough and I’ll show you my bedside manner, Son of Jupiter.”

 

Gods. Jason’s heart stutters.

 

“From my understanding, Samirah Al-Abbas was Captain of the Valkyries,” Nico says without another thought on his previous words. “Magnus’s friend. Those valkyries didn’t look friendly.”

 

“I have no idea who that is.”

 

“Just another Aesir demigod who should be on our side.” Nico tsks softly under his breath and finishes bandaging Jason’s arm. He stares at his handiwork for a moment, then gestures to the gladius at the foot of Jason’s cot. “Well?”

 

Jason reaches for his sword and falters. The pain isn’t as overwhelming as it was before—but he can barely curl his hand into a fist.

 

“That’s your sword hand.” Evidently, Nico takes notice, too.

 

“Just another thing to add to the list.” Jason sighs tiredly and pushes himself off the cot. “Let’s get back to Percy.”

 

He reaches out for Nico’s hand. A heartbeat passes, and Nico stares at him. His eyes flash with the same distress from last night, eyebrows furrowed together and lips pressed in a straight line.

 

“Let me protect you,” Nico says heavily.

 

Jason stares back at him, confused. Then again—their first argument as a couple was over who could protect who best. He touches his own shoulder and winces. “Okay.”

 

The cabin shakes with a deafening SLAM. Both demigods cock their heads to the door, which shakes. There’s a repetition to it, as someone tries to barrel through the door.

 

“C’mon,” Nico says. He grabs Jason’s hand.

 

Jason barely has time to grab his gladius and shirt as the thin layer of shadows at their feet suddenly darkens into long, dark tendrils. Goosebumps rise across his arms as they run back into the shadows, and they find themselves outside in the rain.

 

Camp is in shambles. Cabins have crumbled, with Camp Halfblood-goers scrambling against the einherji. Arrows are still flying from above.

 

Apollo kids are shooting wet arrows into the rain, and Ares kids are clashing swords with the glowing demigods. Travis and Connor Stoll are fending off a pair of einherji while Hephaestus kids are loading cannons—but all in all, Jason can only count maybe a dozen—dozen and a half—campers at best.

 

It’s all very brutal. He doesn’t like what he’s seeing.

 

Percy is in the distance, having led two einharji towards the lake. They have a hard time fairing against him—but then Percy has to worry about axes and arrows flying towards him from the sky.

 

Pollux shoots Jason from the Dionysus Cabin as he off against a valkyrie. He swings at the wrong time and she stabs him.

 

“No!” Jason shouts, but he falters. The pain shoots through his arm and shoulder, like yanking a yarn to its tensest point. He sighs in relief as Pollux staggers to his feet, evidently not down for the count.

 

For now.

 

“We’re losing,” Nico says bitterly. Camp Halfblood had so few people in it right now while the einherji and valkyrie were practically infinite.

 

It wasn’t just the campers getting harmed. Valkyrie and einherji were barreling through cabin infrastructures with their weapons. They’d made mud out of the camp site, and overturned buildings that Jason’s bare hands erected. The Aesir demigods weren’t just out to kill—they were destroying everything constructed under the King of the Olympian Gods.

 

They were destroying Jason’s home. Where he wanted to come back to even if Camp Halfblood didn’t want him.

 

Before Jason can help it, he takes off running with Nico calling him from the distance. He scales up the side of Zeus’s Cabin, one-armed, and stands at the edge of the roof. Rain pelts into his face like bullets. “HEY!”

 

The fighting ceases. Valkyrie stare at Jason from above, and the countless glowing demigods peer up at him. Jason’s heart pounds in his chest, his pulse violent in his ears.

 

“You want to destroy this camp because it was erected under Zeus’s rule,” Jason yells loudly. “It shouldn’t have to suffer! Zeus insulted the Aesir the day he impersonated your God of Thunder.”

 

On cue, the storm wails above them, winds shrieking in Jason’s ears and thunder clapping.

 

“His ichor courses through my veins! Leave these demigods alone!” Jason points his thumb to his chest. “And by all means, aim your sword at me.”

 

An axe whips past Jason’s face. He dodges it by a centimeter, body maneuvering out of the way, and barely has enough time to recover as he’s plucked into the air by two Valkyrie.

 

“Jason!” Nico shouts from the distance.

 

The square rooftop of Zeus’s Cabin shrinks as they carry him in the sky.

 

“Pretty stupid of you, Son of Jupiter,” says one of the valkyries. She stares down at him smugly while the other one smirks.

 

“Great way to start the morning though.” The other valkyrie grins.

 

Jason’s head hearts from the sudden jolt in movement. He stares at both of them in disbelief. They couldn’t be much older than sixteen.

 

Out of nowhere, the temperature around the drops to chilling temperatures. Jason catches his breath as he watches skeletons exhume themselves from wet dirt and clamor to their feet. They pile on top of one another haphazardly. Jason can’t even fathom how many of these bones are of dead campers.

 

The Valkyrie to the left of Jason shrieks as one of the skeleton clutches her by the ankle—the grip so tight that Jason can see it digging into flesh. The Valkyrie to the right of Jason whips out her ax and rams it into the skeleton’s elbow.

 

Skeletal hands continue to reach out, clawing at the Valkyrie duo while they try their best to maintain their stance in the air. Bones clamor around Jason, desperately trying to rid him of the two girls.

 

Suddenly, Nico’s flesh-covered hands are also fighting for him. Jason yelps, his body falling onto the undead platform. Dark eyes stare down at him, pale skin glowing ethereally under the rain and stygian iron sword illuminating with shadows. Even under the weight of the rain, Nico’s hair flutters against him like shadows dancing against a lit wall.

 

Jason swallows hard.

 

“If you didn’t want to see my bedside manner,” Nico says pointedly, “you could’ve just said no.”

 

A sword comes flying towards them. Jason recovers just enough to whip out his gladius and block it before it rams into Nico. The platform of bones beneath him shifts and undulates, causing Jason to stumble.

 

“Sorry,” Jason responds when he finds his voice. “Can I make it up to you?”

 

The other valkyrie that grabbed Jason suddenly swings her ax at him. Nico pulls him out of the way and jabs his sword forward. He scowls. “Yeah. By not dying.”

 

Jason only grins as he clashes swords with Valkyrie A. Except he’s nowhere near perfect form—not on a piecemealed floor made of undead soldiers. Not in the rain, slipping over muddy bones, and tragically—not in the air, when he could fall at any minute.

 

The moment his thoughts hiccup, Valkyrie A strikes him with so much force that Jason stumbles backwards, off the skeletal ledge.

 

“Jason—!” 

 

“A son of Hades and a Son of Zeus, huh?”  Valkyrie A grabs Jason by the shirt. She lifts him further into the sky—faster than Nico’s bone bridge can produce height—and through the clouds above the rain. “Cute. I thought you were supposed to hate each other.”

 

“Mostly my dad hating his dad,” Jason gasps. He clutches his sword and peers down—suddenly painfully aware of how small Camp Halfblood looks from their height. The air is thin. He’s never had a problem with it before now.

 

He tries to call for Tempest or his new friend, Nimbus, but it’s suddenly heard to breathe.

 

The Valkyrie looks at him, cold and unrelenting. He wonders if she can see the fear in his face, or the way his body is trembling at the thought of turning into a smushed pancake. He notices the array of freckles across her face and the way her red braids sway in the wind.

 

As scared as he is, Jason can’t help but think about Astrid and how she would’ve loved to be this close to a valkyrie. How much she loved Norse myths. And, he thinks bitterly, how much Zeus took advantage of that.

 

“Odin usually wants demigods like you,” the valkyrie says, her voice filled with disdain. “Demigods who choose to die honorable deaths. How honorable do you feel, with the blood of a disgraceful god running through your veins?”

 

“Somehow, still more graceful,” Jason wheezes. He swings his sword around, writhing to get out of her grip. “Look—I don’t want to fight—”

 

“You don’t want to fight?” she repeats, evidently offended. “Your father had the gall to impersonate one of the Aesir! Do you think you’re above them too?”

 

Jason stares between his shoes, teeth gritted. He’s trying very hard not to fall right now. “I don’t think I’m above anyone—I just don’t want anyone else to die—Norse demigod or otherwise!”

 

She stares at him, skeptical of his words.

 

“This camp is my home,” Jason begs, unsure of what else to do. “Camp Jupiter is my home. We were about to build a new camp together! Why can’t we just sit down and talk about this?”

 

“Because your father impersonating Thor isn’t right.” Her eyes narrow. With incredible strength, she stretches Jason in front of her. “Who says that this isn’t his first step in trying to conquer the nine realms? He’s the one who chose for our paths to cross! Odin would never allow that! So long as there are people with his blood, it makes it dangerous for all of us demigods!”

 

“Maybe you’re right—Odin wouldn’t do that.” Jason gasps for air. His gladius falls out of his hand, into the sky from the sudden jerk. “He’s willing to defend his son’s honor. He’s a good leader.”

 

“Yes!” The valkyrie cries, as though they just had a breakthrough.

 

“Olympus deserves a leader that would do anything for his followers,” Jason continues. “If Zeus doesn’t change his ways, then I’ll make it better—I’ll make Olympus better!”

 

“Yes, yes!” the valkyrie is so charged by his words that she moves him freely in his arms. Jason’s bewildered about it. She suddenly blinks and stares at him. “Wait—why were we arguing?”

 

The winds suddenly pick up again. Rain that was pelting Jason in the face is suddenly colder—more hostile. Jason suddenly sees the silhouette of a woman—a goddess?—in the shadows of the storm clouds, and yelps.

 

Suddenly the rain is more direct. The valkyrie suddenly scream as icy needles pierce them in the eyes. “AGH!!”

 

Panic sets in. This is definitely going to hurt.

 

Suddenly, the rain is caressing him instead of attacking him. Moist droplets slow his descent, forcing Jason’s terror to a halt. An airy silhouette appears in front of Jason. Specks of water littered her face like freckles, and she wears a dress that flows like clouds on a windy day. At first, he thinks it’s an aurae—but the thought dies quickly.

 

The way she manipulates raindrops is nothing less than godly.

 

Her giggle sounds exactly like tittering birds on an early morning, when there’s still dew in the grass. “Keep your promise, brother. Make Olympus better.”

 

Jason’s descent fully stalls. The goddess places him right back on the ground next to Nico.

 

He flinches as a sword flies at him—only to be blocked by Nico.

 

“If you weren’t so cute,” Nico says, His entire body glows like a ghost, hair floating above his brow hauntingly. “I’d kill you right now.”

 

Looking around, Jason is met with a new scene. Nico’s skeleton bridge had dispersed into a dozen undead soldiers, assisting campers against the Aesir. Mr. D had emerged from the Big House in a pair of bunny slippers and a leopard printed tank top, now assisting the Demeter children by throwing strawberry and grape bullets at the Valkyrie, while Chiron assisted the Apollo kids with his own bow and arrow. Even Pollux is back on his feet, doubleteaming a flock of einherji.

 

“I dunno, Nico—” Percy calls from behind, having apparently gathered his bearings. “—is your boyfriend putting a giant target on his back cute?”

 

“No,” Nico decides calmly. “It isn’t.”

 

“They’re attacking me instead of the campers,” Jason protests. It takes him a moment to recover between Nico calling him cute and Percy calling them boyfriends. “I call that a win.”

 

“For the record, you dropped this.” Percy unhooks a gladius from his belt loop and tosses it at Jason. “Losing things isn’t cute either, right Nico?”

 

“Right,” Nico replies, his voice filled with ire once again. 

 

“Thanks.” Jason sighs with relief.

 

He glances up in the air—and notices that the redheaded valkyrie is no longer there.

 

Tiny beads of rain around them suddenly turn ice cold—the same way they did for the valkyrie that caught Jason. They turn into frosty daggers, piercing at the Norse demigods. Only the Norse demigods.

 

All of a sudden, the einherji are screaming as the icicle droplets bombard them.

 

“What is happening?” Percy flings his head around, staring at Jason in disbelief. “Are you doing this?”

 

“Nope, still powerless,” Jason says. And feeling useless for dropping his own sword in the middle of battle. Looking back up, he searches for the transparent silhouette of the goddess that helped him. “It might be my sister.”

 

“Thalia?” Nico guesses.

 

“No—another one.” Jason has a whole catalogue of guesses, but it doesn’t matter. Off in the distance, he hears Mr. D swearing and declaring victory in the name of chardonnay. “But I think this means Camp Halfblood is in good hands.”

 

Percy stares at him.

 

“What?” Jason frowns.

 

“Son of Jupiter, Slayer of Krios, backtalker of Zeus—hero of men and gods.” Percy whistles approvingly. “You’re doing a good job rebuilding your resume.”

 

 “Just don’t let it go to your head,” Nico mutters. “I don’t think it can take anymore blows.”

 

Jason can only muster a tired laugh.

 

“Ready?” Nico squeezes his hand around Jason’s own, and then reaches for Percy’s. The message is clear in his eyes. Sion.

 

Jason squeezes back. “Ready.”

 

The shadows dance at their feet, and they plummet.

 

*

 

The Ozarks are as beautiful as the rest of the country is. And full of rain.

 

Nico shadowtravels them into a small cave at the base of the mountains away from the storm. His hair is sopping wet, matted to his forehead, while his shirt and jacket cling to his body like a second skin. Jason knows he’s in the same boat—his jeans are heavy against his legs, the seams of his pants digging into his skin while his shirt hangs off of him like a wet towel.

 

Percy on the other hand, is completely dry. He stares at them with a mix of amusement and concern. “Out of your element?”

 

“Care to do anything about it?’ Jason asks. He’s getting really tired of using his glasses like a pair of goggles. So much so that he sticks them in his back pocket.

 

“You’re going to lose those,” Nico chides.

 

“I’ll remember them,” Jason insists.

 

In that instant, Percy reaches over and braces both of their shoulders with his hands. The water slides off of them with ease, leaving Jason feeling bathed and refreshed while his clothes smell like detergent. Nico grumbles something softly under his breath, but his hair is no longer clinging to his face.

 

“You’re just going to get wet again,” Percy says. He dusts his hands off, evidently proud of himself. Maybe part of him is enjoying the rain. Even plucked away from the coast, Percy still has his powers in the landlocked state.

 

“Where’s the new camp?” Nico asks, having given up on the Son of Poseidon.

 

Percy looks out the cave for a moment, his expression contemplative. “There’s a river not too far from here. We follow the river, we find the camp.”

 

“And Sion?” Jason’s eyebrows furrow together.

 

“Reyna and Hazel know the way to camp. Leo’s already been a one-man team trying to figure out where to put things. This’ll be good—Hazel will know how to manipulate the mist to keep hikers from coming by.” Percy’s eyes glitter for a moment, his pet project clear on his mind. He looks proud as he smiles back at the pair. “We’ve put a lot of thought into the layout. The huntresses helped figure out the safest place where monsters gather the least.”

 

“Huntresses?” Jason’s head perks. “Thalia’s here?”

 

“Well—” Percy’s eyebrows furrow, suddenly guilty for bringing up Artemis’s lieutenant. “I’m not sure about that one. We lost contact a week ago.”

 

A week ago, when Jason first recovered his memories. His shoulders slacken.

 

Nico squeezes his arm comfortingly, his eyes flashing with sympathy. “I bet she’s fine.”

 

“Nico’s right,” Percy agrees. “She’s Thalia.”

 

The leaves on the trees are buried in so much rain that Jason wonders if they ever actually left Atlantis. They bristle under the bellowing winds, every animal hiding from the anger of the storm gods. At some point, they decide that traveling under the branches is somewhat manageable—but every once in a while, the clouds bellow thunderously, and gusts slap them in the face.

 

Percy makes a little more effort to keep them dry. He waves his hand, flicking raindrops out of their path like little ants.

 

Jason thinks back to the way the raindrops at Camp Halfblood turned into tiny cold icicles. The goddess had called him brother, and he finally has a guess on who helped him.

 

“Ersa,” he says out of the blue. “Goddess of Dew. That’s who saved us.”

 

“Ersa,” Nico echoes. He pauses for a moment and turns around. “She was one of the goddesses that you spoke up about at the assembly.”

 

“She’s one of Zeus’s daughters.” Jason’s nose wrinkles as he thinks back to it. He’d met her one evening on a run. She was pretty and blond—almost looking like Thalia did before she began dying her hair black—and airheaded. Ersa had told him his attempts at keeping in shape were cute since he was no longer serving as a hero. She was very lackadaisical, considering her own powers as an afterthought after Zeus gifted them to her. Evidently she had a change of heart while saving him. “She came to rescue me when I said I’d change Olympus.”

 

This time, both Nico and Percy stop walking.

 

Jason keeps trudging forward, unaware until he notices that they’re a meter, two meter behind him. He blinks in confusion. “What?”

 

“You said that last night too,” Nico says. His eyes narrow darkly for a moment, lips contorted in a firm line. “Punishing Zeus.” 

 

“I’m all for bending the big guy’s arm until he admits that he’s wrong,” Percy replies, but even he looks doubtful. “Is that what you want to do?”

 

“I—” Jason cuts himself off. He’s not really sure. It’s not even really in his capacity to make that decision, so he’s surprised that Nico and Percy are weighing his words so grimly. Then again, Mr. D had been swayed easily last night when they rattled off the benefits for him. Ersa only helped when he said he’d change Olympus, but there were other gods that helped keep him alive.

 

Part of him owed it to those gods and goddesses for just keeping him alive. But he’s not necessarily the ideal for pontifex maximus anymore—not a broken son of Jupiter who’s betrayed Roman tradition and isn’t welcomed at either of his homes. (His chest aches just thinking about it.)

 

And really, all he wants to do is go back to having dinner around a table with Nico and Sion. The said Son of Hades flashes him a look—both contemplative and filled with concern. Nico looks like he’s still trying to figure out what’s going on in Jason’s head and—quite frankly, so is Jason.

 

“Olympus is a mess right now,” Jason says finally. “But I think that with Camp Demigod and bringing Zeus’s transgressions into the light, we can make it clear to them that it needs to change.”

 

He just needs to find out who he is, if Son of Jupiter is no longer a worthy title. It’s like he told Nico last night—he’s not really sure his name means anything without Jupiter’s ichor running through his veins.

 

As they continue their trek, the rain slowly ceases. The temperature drops once again, dragging a chill up Jason’s spine. The path in front of them slowly overcomes with mountain fog. It’s so thick that Jason can barely see two feet in front of him.

 

Without even thinking, Jason reaches back for Nico’s hand. Nico stares at him for a moment, eyebrow arched in the air. He doesn’t look like he minds, but he gestures to how white his fingers are turning under Jason’s grip. Whiter than normal.

 

Jason’s heart skips a beat and he can’t keep himself from tensing up. “I just don’t want to get lost.” Again.

 

“It’s probably regular mountain mist,” Percy reassures. “Maybe.”

 

“Maybe,” Jason agrees. He watches the way the fog thickens over the tree trunks and coats the grass. It’s hard to see anything past Nico and Percy, even if it is just regular mist. Something about it just makes Jason ill at ease. He’s so entranced by it that he forgets where he’s standing.

 

“Jason,” Nico says evenly. “You have your sight back. Nothing is going to harm you.”

 

Right. Magnus had healed his sight, and for the last couple of days, he was able to see what was going on around him. Even if there’s a part of him that’s still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Nico and he are together now.

 

Unless they aren’t.

 

The doubt needles him so much in that moment that his head starts to shiver. He glances at Nico. Stares at that pale complexion, to see how perfectly the mist could replicate that face. With his memories back, it’d be easier to entice and placate Jason into a false sense of security.

 

It wouldn’t be the first time.

 

“Jason,” Nico repeats slowly. “Let go of the sword.”

 

“I—” Jason’s words stall in his throat. He stares down to his belt, where his other hand is firmly planted at the hilt of his gladius.

 

Percy is across from them, a hand steadfastly in his own pocket. He looks torn between needing to protect Nico and needing to prevent a fight.

 

Immediately, Jason dispels his grip and he takes a difficult step back. “I’m—I’m sorry.”

 

As instantly as Percy’s hand was on Riptide, it’s suddenly on Jason’s shoulder, a look of sympathy on his face. “It’s alright, Jason. Trust us.”

 

Right. Trust Hazel and Reyna, trust Nico, trust his friends. Jason repeats the mantra in his head. Trust himself.

 

Except he’s not even sure if he can trust himself. What if it’s all just an elaborate rouse by another monster, rewiring his brain again so he thinks he’s safe, when in reality, Sion’s life is hanging by a mere thread? Were Nico and Percy real? How long has he been standing here?

 

Where is Sion?

 

Suddenly all of the bruises and cuts that he’s gained from years of being burned by others ache against his skin, and the mist looks white and bleak—a reminder of how blank his mind has been. Maybe it’s still blank.  

 

He clutches at his sword, his mind suddenly spinning. Someone is calling his name, but it echoes into the distance of the fog. He tries to focus on his name—and on the person calling it. Tries to picture the face of the person calling his name.

 

Except—was Percy real? Was there a Nico di Angelo?

 

Where’s Sion?

 

A voice calls off to him in the distance, stretching his name between their lips in a chilling tone.

 

He needs to trust Hazel and Reyna. Trust Nico. Trust his friends. Trust himself.

 

Jason clutches his head and opens his eyes. The forest melts into an abyss of fog, without another soul to be seen for miles.

 

He’s alone.

 

*

 

Trust Hazel and Reyna, trust Nico, trust his friends.

 

Trust Hazel and Reyna, trust Nico, trust his friends.

 

Unless he’s been wandering out in the fog for who knows how long while Sion is hanging on for dear life. Unless someone planted the idea of his memories in his mind. It’s possible. Jason’s been burned before. He can poke holes in this demigod story while he’s going through the mist. He doesn’t have powers. Maybe he never did. It’s raining all the time because like he said, storms followed him.

 

Jason looks down to his gladius for the umpteenth time and smacks himself until his face is numb.

 

Demigods are real. He’s a demigod.

 

Trust Hazel and Reyna to keep Sion safe. Trust Nico. Trust his friends. (Maybe don’t trust himself.)

 

And then he continues the walk towards whatever river Percy insisted was nearby. Jason’s sure it’s part of the son of Poseidon’s nautical sense to know when there’s a body of water, but the longer he stares at the fog, he finds another reason to be apprehensive about it.

 

Fog is just another extension of the weather, like the tornado that tried to tear him limb-from-limb in his dream. Maybe that’s why the Mist scares him so much. Hecate is the Goddess of magic, but Jupiter is king. An allfather, like Odin.

 

Jason looks towards the sky, waiting for an eagle to come down and devour his innards. Even the horizon is blinded by a blanket of confusing white nothingness.

 

Each ill-spoken word brings Jupiter’s lightning bolt closer to Jason’s neck. Overthrowing Jupiter and insisting on changing Olympus are reasons enough for the master bolt to kill him.

 

Really, he wonders why Jupiter hasn’t.

 

And then the prickling thought at the back of his mind reminds him that none of this is real. And the cycle continues.

 

Really, even if Magnus Chase healed his eyes, it just means he can see better. The mist can still play illusions on his mind. He should just have a better time catching it when he feels his constitution slipping.

 

But there’s a part of him really afraid that Nico di Angelo might not be real.

 

Jason clutches his gladius again when he feels his mind wandering and surveys the area. He moves his hand for a moment, desperate to find a solid construct within the mist. If it weren’t for the fact that he kept running into trees, he would’ve been convinced Nico didn’t actually shadowtravel them into the Ozarks. It feels like he’s been walking for hours.

 

And after losing a week to the Fates, Jason’s worried it’s been days.

 

The sound of a tree branch catches his attention. Jason cocks his head behind him. “Whoa!”

 

A deer skids past him, running so fast that it knocks him off his feet. Another follows. Jason has to roll himself out of the way in order to avoid getting hit. He looks up from all fours, disoriented for a moment—

 

And notices the silhouette of a human in the fog.

 

Jason’s hand flies back to the hilt of his sword for a moment. After a day of dealing with the Aesir demigods, the valkyrie, and the Greek demigods, he doesn’t want to risk it.

 

He waits for the silhouette of the person to come closer. His intuition makes him wonder if it’s a girl.

 

His intuition also wonders if it’s a Valkyrie.

 

The girl charges towards him, and almost immediately, Jason has his sword equipped. He raises it over his head, adrenaline coursing through his veins. “Don’t—”

 

A celestial bronze spear clashes with his sword. The wielder of the weapon stares up at him with startling blue eyes and a scowl on her face that completely disarms Jason.

 

He falters immediately, chest pounding. Her hair is a little longer, but Jason knows that face anywhere. “Thalia?”

 

“Jason?” Thalia’s voice makes him want to cry. “Jason!”

 

She reels back her spear and terrifying shield of Aegis and throws her arms around him. Jason is so dumbstruck that he can’t even hug back. She’s small in his arms, with ten years between them.

 

“You asshole!” Thalia punches him so hard that Jason heaves. “I thought you were a cyclops! What the hell are you doing out here?”

 

It takes Jason a moment to regain his bearings. When he does, he can only grin at her, relief fluttering through him. “I got separated from Percy and Nico. We’re trying to meet up with the rest of the gang at the base for Camp Demigod—they have Sion.”

 

“Sion?” Thalia’s lips contort into a frown. “Who’s Sion?”

 

Again, Jason has a hard time recovering. He’s gotten so used to Sion being joint at his hip that it didn’t occur to him that Thalia doesn’t know yet. Thalia doesn’t even know where he’s been in the last three years—and before last week, Jason wasn’t in the best shape to call his sister. He shoves his sword back in its sheathe, the weight of reality heavy on his back. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

 

“Where’s Camp?” Thalia asks.

 

“Percy said to follow a river and it’d take us to camp.” Jason smiles sheepishly. “I’m still trying to find the river.”

 

“Let’s head this way.” Thalia points in what Jason wants to call east. He’s not sure what direction it is, after wandering in the fog for so long.

 

In retrospect, it should have been his first sign that something was wrong.

 

Thalia explains that she got separated from the rest of the Huntresses not too long after they arrived. Artemis had been called into some big meeting (something, Jason dreads, that has something to do with him) while she promised Percy that they would survey the land for their new safe haven. The Mist was just too thick and confusing to maneuver.

 

That should have been his second sign, since he’d been cursing at it since their arrival.

 

There’s a way that Thalia is moving that is offputting to Jason. She shirks behind him, her hands waving at her sides like they should be dragging against the ground. Her steps are heavier, like she’s stomping, even though Jason can see that it’s the opposite.

 

She keeps the conversation light, occasionally asking questions while Jason explains what he knows: the Aesir demigods were trying to defend Thor’s honor, and Camp Halfblood and Camp Jupiter are fighting inwardly to figure out what side to take. Mr. D, however, had already made a decision.

 

“So Dionysus chose a side,” Thalia comments. There’s amusement in her voice.

 

There’s no reaction when Jason explains why the war is looming. When Jason explains Sion’s complicated parentage. He fully expected her to curse at the sky and be as angry as he was when he found out what their father did. She doesn’t seem the slightest bit surprised.

 

It makes the dread boil in his stomach. 

 

“Do you think I did the wrong thing?” Jason asks. “Yelling at Jupiter?”

 

“What? Whatever, little brother.” Thalia snorts. “So we’re in a war now. You’ve always been this goody two-shoes All American Boy with your broad, handsome shoulders and your 20/20 vision, and your magical horse. Get some scuff marks on your shoes.”

 

Jason’s hand falls to his back pocket. “Thalia?”

 

“What is it, little brother?”

 

“I don’t have 20/20 vision.” Jason unsheathes his sword once more, the gleam of imperial gold shining in the fog.

 

Thalia stares at him in that moment, her electric blue eyes wide with shock. Her demeanor changes, dark, and she reaches for the mace canister at her hip. “Are you saying you don’t trust me, little brother?”

 

Jason hesitates. Because he really wants to be able to trust his big sister right now.

 

Because the alternative means he’s about to swing his sword and might kill his sister.

 

“Becausssse—” Thalia hisses. Her form suddenly changes. Wings pierce through the back of her leather jacket, spanning the length of the forest. Her skin bubbles until scales appear over soft flesh, and her head and body expand until she’s looming over Jason—with the torso of a much different human and the base of a black and white scaly dragon. “—that’d be the ssssmartest thing you’ve done all day!”

 

The canister that would have held Thalia’s spear suddenly breaks loose into a flaming whip that explodes across the length of the dirt. The monster lashes forward with a claw, the whip snapping against the ground with a sickening echo.

 

Jason rolls out of the way as fast as he can—and curses at himself. The fake Thalia was just trying to find the whereabouts of the new camp.

 

And, he realizes dreadfully, she conversed with him way too well. Like she’s met Thalia before.

 

“Do you know who I am, Sssson of Jupiter?” The fake Thalia flicks her wrist again, decimating a few trees with her giant whip. Jason has to duck and weave just to get out of the way. “I am Kampê, jailer of Tartarus!”

 

“I heard you died years ago!” Jason shouts. He curses—he’d been very clear that there were monsters in the Ozarks. Percy had been clear that there were monsters in the Ozarks—and they were just as good as manipulating the mist as Hazel was.  

 

Each step she takes shakes the earth beneath her. She howls in displeasure. “Cursed Percy Jackson!”

 

Oh—one of Percy’s old enemies. Jason takes a brief second to wonder if they’ve ever compared their lists of sworn enemies before. “Then you should be in Tartarus!”

 

She grins at him, her breath coming out of her fangs as a green huff. “I’ve been given a new role in this war. To jail anyone who decides to help Jason Grace!”

 

Dread drops in the pit of Jason’s stomach, and he tightens the grip over his sword. Suddenly everything makes a lot of sense. Jason can’t help but look at the sky. He’s so abhorred by Jupiter that the King of the Gods hired Kampê, a Titan that Jupiter had slain to turn the tide against Kronos, to kill Jason.

 

This was what Jupiter meant in his dream. I’d like to see you try.

 

The rage is throbbing in Jason’s heart. Jupiter let Kampê impersonate Thalia. His sister.

 

“How dare you?” Jason demands, his voice tight in his throat.

 

“The King of the Gods gave me a job rather than keeping me in the pits of Tartarus.” Kampê smirks at him, no sign of remorse in her demeanor. “I don’t care what side I’m on, halfblood, I just care about my freedom!”

 

Before he knows it, Jason is charging towards her with gladius in hand. He’s angry. He manages to avoid her whip, and instead makes a smooth cut in her tail.

 

Kampê screeches with pain, the sound so pounding that it could cause an avalanche. Venom oozes from her scorpion tail, and she recoils just enough for Jason to charge at her again, swinging a sword at her torso.

 

He’s about to do it, when the mist coils around her and Kampê changes.

 

Red hair spills down her shoulders. Grey eyes stare him dead in the eye, and scaly flesh morphs into the same, pale skin of Astrid Lykke.

 

Jason is so stunned that he almost drops his sword again.

 

“You’d really kill me a second time,” Kampê says in Astrid’s soft vibrato. “Jason?”

 

“I—” Jason breathes, his heart suddenly pounding his chest. His eyebrows furrow together, and he can’t help but falter. “I didn’t kill her.”

 

“No,” Astrid-Kampê agrees. “You just left me to die.”

 

His sword falls at his side. Jason’s heart is erratic in his ribcage and he can hardly remember to breathe. He stares back at Astrid-Kampê, reminded of the terrified look on her face when Sif had come towards her. Back then, Sif’s golden hair and elfish demeanor could barely register in his mind.

 

But the way Astrid looked at him is going to haunt him forever. Because she’s dead.

 

She’s dead already, his mind insists. So slaying Astrid-Kampê won’t hurt Astrid. It’ll just hurt him.

 

“Too shocking for you, Sssson of Jupiter?” The vibrato of her voice is very much Astrid, but Kampê’s acidity is there. Jason looks up one moment, and the human half of her is Thalia again. “What about me? Do you have any trouble killing me, little brother?”

 

Jupiter hurt Astrid. He hurt her the moment he tricked her into thinking he was the god that she adored. He let her die when he didn’t come clean, and he stifled Jason in front of the other Olympian gods. He hurt Jason and let his own son wander around through the mist of the world, severing Jason from his roots and diminishing his chance of survival.

 

He's hurting Jason now, letting the jailer of Tartarus manipulate Jason with Thalia’s image.

 

He needs to stop hurting Jason.

 

As Kampê pulls him closer into her grasp, Jason jolts forward and cuts off one of her arms. “You’re not real.”

 

“AGHHH!” she shouts in pain. She reels backwards, clutching the slot where her arm once was.

 

Jason takes the opportunity to trudge forward, sword gripped between his hands, and raises it to strike against her head.

 

She changes again with the mist round her. Her face morphs until her snake eyes are an oily black and her hair changes into mussy darkness. The olive-skinned face stare at Jason, stretched into a venomous scowl. “I thought you trusted me, Son of Jupiter.”

 

It’s that last one that really stumbles Jason.

 

Nico-Kampê grabs Jason with her abled hand, sinking her claws into Jason’s flesh. Jason cries out in pain as her nails pierce into him. The pain is almost electric, shooting up and down his body in searing agony. The corners of his eyes blanket with darkness.

 

“So this is how it ends for you, Jason Grace,” Nico-Kampê hisses. Jason has to remind himself that it’s just the mist messing with his head, but the way she looks at is nauseating. “Not really a hero, not even a son of Jupiter. How far out of the sky have you fallen?”

 

The pain is so much that all Jason can do is cough. He tastes the blood at the back of his mouth.

 

Raindrops fall from the sky, dripping slowly on his face. Jason’s vision blurs as they run down his forehead, and he feels the throbbing pain from his earlier shoulder wound and everywhere else around him. His head lulls forward, watching as Nico-Kampê’s face shift between pale olive flesh and scales.

 

The mist slowly parts around them, and Jason sees one thing Kampê hadn’t lied about: dozens of cyclops surrounding them, dressed in chainmail, and pleased to see him with the blood oozing out of him.

 

He’d warned Percy about the monsters in the Ozarks.

 

“Want to try anything else?” Nico-Kampê asks, her voice triumphant. “You don’t think I’m the only one who would take pleasure out of killing such a powerful demigod, do you?”

 

The pack of cyclopses hoot and clap in the rain. Each hop of excitement hurts Jason’s head a little more. He hisses in pain as Kampê’s claws tighten into him.

 

“Jason Grace is ours!” Kampê shouts victoriously. She waves Jason’s body around in her hand. “We’ll be rewarded generously by the King of the Gods! And most importantly—” She bares her fangs, no longer looking as handsome and ethereal as Jason’s favorite person. “—he never said we had to bring him back alive.”

 

Out of nowhere, a silvery arrow shoots Kampê square in the head. She screeches in pain and recoils, dropping Jason back on the ground with a heavy thud. Jason lands on his back and shouts in pain, his vision blackening and blurring all the same while Kampê clutches at her forward.

 

“MY FACE! MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!” Another array of silver arrows fly at her—two in her remaining arm, and another in her torso. Kampê howls in pain, her dragon feet slapping into the ground so violently that even the cyclopses stumble.

 

Off in the distance, Jason can make out three figures: Percy, wielding Riptide, Nico, and Thalia—looking absolutely furious.

 

“What the hell,” she growls furiously, electricity crackling at the tips of her fingers, “do you think you’re doing to my baby brother?”

 

What happens is impossible to describe while Jason is trying to remain conscious. When he isn’t seeing a flurry of arrows expertly shooting into cyclops with skilled marksmanship, he’s seeing ropes of electricity riveting through the air, along with tendrils of water and shadows. The air is as cold as ice, and Jason can hear the rattling of spirits below them. The storm bellows on—and whether it’s from Jupiter’s anger or Percy and Thalia’s, Jason isn’t sure.

 

In an instance, Kampê is slain by Riptide, reduced to nothing but two ugly scimitars.

 

Thalia collapses to her knees, her skin as illuminating as the moon. She looks down to him with stormy blue eyes as wet as his own, demeanor horrified.

 

“Wait—” Jason coughs, feeling the metallic taste of blood soak his mouth. “Tell me something that only you would know.”

 

The sisterly look of being torn between wanting to hug and kill him should be enough, but Jason’s been burned too many times today. “You got that scar on your lip from a stapler when you were two.”

 

Jason’s demeanor shifts. He desperately wants to believe her, but the other part of him is wondering where his sword fell. “Everyone knows that.”

 

It’s Nico that clears his throat. Jason can’t gauge how far away Nico’s standing. He guesses Thalia’s own concern is taking precedent. Nico looks back, his demeanor dark and flustered all the same. “We made out on Rainbow the Hippocampus while we were in Atlantis.”

 

Yeah. That was more like it. Jason sighs in relief.

 

Thalia cocks her head over to Nico, mouth ajar.

 

“Nico,” Percy presses a hand to his chest, mortified. “On Rainbow?”

 

The rain is freezing on Jason’s face. He stares at the sky, watching as dark clouds roll and rumble—laughing at him. It takes a moment for him to register the specks of gold looming over them.

 

“I’m out of nectar,” Thalia admits. She swears under her breath stares at the other two demigods. “Do you two have any?”

 

“No, but Nico can shadowtravel him somewhere that has it,” Percy says, his voice suddenly panicked.

 

“To where?” Jason asks, his throat aching. “New Rome and Camp Halfblood both hate me.”

 

“What the hell is in the sky?” Thalia says suddenly. She gestures to the golden specks Jason saw earlier—and they come closer to them.

 

Nico turns as pale as a ghost. “Valkyrie.”

 

“But we left them back in Halfblood,” Percy protests. “When Jason and Thalia’s crazy dew sister stabbed them in the eyes with little ice icicles.”

 

“Our what?” For just the briefest moment, Thalia sounds more annoyed and less alarmed. “You’ve been doing a very bad job on bringing me up to speed, Jackson.”

 

“Valkyrie come,” Nico interrupts, “to collect fallen heroes for Odin.”

 

They both freeze. Percy and Thalia cease their bickering to stare down at Jason’s face, matching looks of worry on their demeanors. Jason can barely move his mouth without it hurting, and he can just turn his eyes to look at the look of fear on Nico’s face.

 

The rain is louder, practically drowning Jason in its downpour. He watches the blood drench his t-shirt and smear beneath bullets of water. The ground trembles beneath them. What was left of the dozen cyclopses that surrounded Jason are suddenly back, screaming and roaring in the wind.

 

“Shit,” Thalia breathes. Her hand suddenly flies from Jason’s chest to her arrowless quiver. “Shit.”

 

“Nico,” Percy says immediately. “Get Jason out of here.”

 

“But—” Jason protests. “Sion—”

 

“Sion has us, you idiot,” Percy snaps, “you’re dying!”

 

Jason wants to laugh—he was either going to die by the Aesir’s hand or die in the fist of a monster hired by his father. Or by the rain that’s just consuming him, while the thunder barrels in the clouds. He sees the way Nico looks at him, demeanor filled with panic as it scans the amount of blood leaving his body.

 

The storm rages.

 

Suddenly, the hottest bolt of the sky shoots through the air and straight at Jason.

 

*

 

“JASON!” someone shouts—he’s not entirely sure anymore, but he knows his friends and his sister are there. They recoil from the impact, which is too overpowering for their sight.

 

The lightning is absolutely blinding—brighter than any star as it thrums through Jason’s veins. But it doesn’t hurt. It almost feels like the time he saw Juno’s godly form—but instead of baiting his death, he feels more alive than ever.

 

For the first time in years, Jason can feel the electricity coursing through him, reviving him like a recharged battery. He gasps—surprised at how much air is filling his lungs and feels the buzz if static in his mind.

 

Jason jolts to his feet, every flesh wound suddenly gone. The wind currents follow his movements, brushing the rain aside with the tips of his fingers, while his skin glows white hot.

 

His friends look back at him, utterly stunned. Even the cyclopses look confused, their one eye blinded by the beacon of light that just descended from the heavens.

 

“Did you—” Percy sputters. “—did you just get reclaimed?”

 

“What are you talking about?” Jason asks. Even his mouth feels like it’s drowning in electricity, the tiny currents fluttering out of his mouth. The gales move with his own body—but unlike his dream, they’re coveting him with protection. He looks over to Nico out of instinct and is met with the Son of Hades staring back at him, stunned.

 

“Baby brother,” Thalia says slowly, “look at your arm.”

 

A yellow current is still bristling over Jason’s forearm when he looks at it. He peers down at the twelve tick marks on his arm, still as dark as the days he received them a lifetime ago. Above the SPQR where an eagle and a lightning bolt sit is a new tattoo: a hammer glittering in electricity.

 

Mjolnir.

 

Thor’s Hammer.

Chapter 10: Nightfall

Summary:

Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter. Champion of Juno. One of the bridges between Greek and Roman Demigods. Pontifex. Reclaimed by Thor.

Notes:

I won't say there's a "mood" for this chapter since there's so much going on (really, when isn't there), but ephemeren did rec some songs that really capture the story!

Superpowers (Acoustic) by SAARA

King by Lauren Aquilina

Promises from Hadestown is also a really good listen that I have playing a lot when I write this. 8)

 

Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter. Champion of Juno. One of the bridges between Greek and Roman Demigods. Pontifex. Reclaimed by Thor.

 

Nico stares at the glowing demigod from a distance. Electricity crackles off of Jason’s torso, his eyes glowing the same luminescence as lightning. The wind bristles at the tail end of his shirt, maneuvering through his clothes and hair. The rain that is still drenching Nico no longer seems like a problem for Jason as it bounces off of some invisible dome. He’s standing taller—more confident than he did before after their argument.

 

The back of Nico’s throat dries as he stares at the tattoo of Mjolnir. An array of inked runes climbs up Jason’s forearm and continues up beneath the sleeve of his t-shirt. Nico can’t help but wonder where they end.

 

One minute, they were lost in a sea of fog, watching as Jason started to doubt if anything was real. They cured his sight, but not that looming madness that Bacchus was so fearful of. Maybe it was Mr. D’s contingency plan in case punishing Zeus went awry.

 

The freshly inked Mjolnir on Jason’s arm shows the Aesir have their own contingency plan

 

Percy and Thalia stand around Nico, looking just as dumbfounded as Nico feels.

 

Those blue eyes look back at Nico, recharged.

 

“JASON GRACE!” The momentary awe fades as quickly as it appeared—and suddenly, the half dozen remaining cyclopses recover from the glimmering light and charge towards the newly claimed demigod. “YOU WILL DIE!”

 

Percy and Thalia can’t bring themselves to move. Neither can Nico. His ears are suddenly attuned to Jason’s heartbeat, and the only response he hears is thunderous booming.

 

Jason waves his hand, and a gust of wind whips past the trio. Nico feels the power knock the wind out of his own lungs. The motion knocks that specific cyclops off its feet, and thunder crackles above them, singing for Jason Grace.

 

He moves so fluidly that Nico would never believe that the last three years were lost as a demigod. A grin spreads from Jason’s face, cheek-to-cheek. His blue eyes glitter, and he suddenly grabs his sword, more alive than before.

 

Another cyclops topples as Jason swings his sword again, a gust of wind following like music to a conductor.

 

He leaps into the air like he’s soaring over the trio of demigods and slashes the remaining cyclopses. They disappear into dust.

 

Nico’s heart skips in his chest as those blue eyes turn to him, nothing but love in his irises. The ionic charge in Jason’s electricity forces goosebumps to rise against Nico’s skin—but it’s not the power that makes his heart flutter. It’s the way Jason’s smile reaches the hue of his eyes for the first time since they found him. Not for Nico, but for himself.

 

Thalia moves before Nico can think to. His eyes moisten as she throws her arms around her tall younger brother and buries her face in his chest. Jason lets out a quiet sigh of relief and returns the embrace.

 

It’s the first hug the Grace siblings have had in at least three years.

 

He thinks back to the hug Thalia gave him weeks ago, and the quiet plea in her eyes when she was trying to convince him to go searching for Jason. Nico doesn’t even know where he’d be right now if he’d ended up saying no.

 

Percy shakes his head in disbelief. “Champion of Juno, disowned by Jupiter, and reclaimed by Thor. Jason really knows his way with the gods.”

 

A knot twists in Nico’s stomach. The same one when they were trying to figure out who sent the storm spirit to keep Jason alive in Atlantis.

 

It’s a strange sight, looking at the Grace siblings as they hold onto each other so desperately. Thalia glows like the moon, even under the raging storming. Even in a day in their father’s domain, she shines with devotion for her patron goddess, while Jason’s arm is littered with sacred runes to Thor and the Aesir. Nico’s not even sure what those tattoos are supposed to mean.

 

“You could get in there, you know,” Percy says encouragingly.

 

Nico shakes his head self-consciously. He doesn’t want to ruin the happy reunion.

 

 After what feels like eternity, the valkyrie finally descend from the clouds. A familiar face catches Nico’s eye, while the Grace siblings suddenly equip themselves with weapons again.

 

“Wait—” Percy intercepts before there’s any more bloodshed. He gestures at the head valkyrie, who’s accompanied by Magnus Chase and an eagle. The eagle suddenly morphs, until Alex Fierro is standing right between the two demigods. “These are friendly demigods.”

 

Despite that fact, Jason frowns and eyes Alex Fierro carefully.

 

“Forgive him,” Percy says immediately. “His mind still hasn’t recovered from the Mist.”

 

Jason’s face flashes with annoyance, uncomfortable at the dismissal. He shoves his gladius back into his sheathe and briefly glances over at Nico. The electricity is so intense in his irises that Nico can’t help but shudder.

 

“Sorry,” Jason offers. “Could you just…tell me something only you would know?”

 

All three Aesir demigods look at one another. Magnus’s demeanor shifts for a moment. His eyes flit over to Nico briefly as well, then he looks back to Jason. “I healed your eyes and I saw things.”

 

Jason’s lips twist.

 

Nico twitches. “What kind of things?”

 

Magnus’s cheeks turn red and this time, he doesn’t make an effort to hide his discomfort as he looks towards Nico. Fierro and al-Abbas look like they’re trying really hard not to laugh. “Romantic things.”

 

Jason contemplates the words carefully, his eyes slowly moving back to Nico, then nods. “Okay.”

 

Nico can’t tell if he’s uncomfortable or flattered.

 

“Jason Grace,” al-Abbas greets. The rest of the valkyrie descend from the sky—maybe half a dozen or so. Samirah gestures to the runes that decorate Jason’s arm and eyes him somberly. “You’ve been claimed by Thor.”

 

Jason’s swallows hard, his sober expression matching the Captain of the Valkyrie’s. The runes are alive around his arms, like an electric current. A constant reminder of Thor’s presence. The speculation was there, but no one had dared to say it out loud.

 

“Sam—” Percy interrupts before more can be said. “Nico said the valkyrie show up to collect fallen heroes. Was this part of Odin’s plan?”

 

Samirah flashes a grave look that vaguely reminds Nico of Annabeth. “When Odin takes interest in a mortal, he sends us to collect them when they die so we can bring them to Valhalla. We were using Jason’s fading life force to find him.”

 

Fading life force is the last thing Nico wants to hear. He wants to wipe away the terrible image of Jason on the ground, soaked in blood with a deafening heartbeat. Nico has to shove his hands in his pockets, so no one will notice them shaking.  

 

There’s a sense of unrest among the half dozen valkyrie around them. Nico thinks back to what Percy said back in Atlantis—how Magnus was doing everything in his capacity as a Son of Frey to keep order amongst the Norse demigods. Sam Al-Abbas wasn’t among the valkyrie that attacked Camp Halfblood. What few of the valkyrie that are here are who Nico assumes sided with Jason.

 

“But—” Jason voice crackles for a moment. He gestures to Mjolnir on his arm. “—I’m not dead.”

 

“No, you’re not,” Samirah agrees. Her demeanor morphs into a grimace. “Odin has been quiet. He hadn’t taken a stance when the broadcast went out.”

 

Nico’s demeanor twists once more.  Poseidon’s own words run through his mind. “What broadcast?”

 

She looks at him, pointed. It’s very much like Reyna. “The broadcast.”

 

Apparently that’s supposed to be enough. Nico notices Magnus slowly turning towards him with timid eyes and sighs.

 

“But,” Magnus says, intercepting his friend, “it’s clear that Thor has taken a liking to Jason. If the God of Thunder has taken his stance, then the Aesir has no reason to keep pursuing him. Right?”

 

There’s a way that he glows that’s different from the luminescence of an einharji. The downpour suddenly smells like a spring shower. Flowers bloom at his feet. After a retched day of fighting their own comrades and watching Jason toe the line between life and death, Nico is faintly reminded of Persephone.  

 

Magnus’s pacifying powers seem to take effect, disarming the tense valkyrie as they murmur amongst themselves. Eventually, Samirah shakes her head in dismay. “I have absolutely no idea what this means.”

 

“Look—” Jason cuts between them, his voice low and frustrated. “I don’t think I can wrap my mind around it right now. I just want my baby back.”

 

The three Norse demigods stare at him, moved by his passion.

 

“He’s like that scene,” Alex Fierro says dreamily, “about the pirate having a baby with an angel.”

 

“Without the eyepatch,” Magnus agrees.

 

Samirah clears her throat and rolls her eyes. She turns around towards her crew. “Like I said before. The Valkyrie will keep a neutral stance in war. This has nothing to do with Ragnarok, anyway.”

 

“Really?” Fierro mumbles. “Because all Grace is missing is an eyepatch.”

 

With everything going on between Halfblood and Atlantis, Nico doesn’t have an inkling on how Magnus and the others have had to handle the situation at Valhalla. He looks at the bags under Magnus’s ghostly eyes and the exhaustion on al-Abbas’s face. Percy seems to be the only one understanding everything—which is a first.

 

The Valkyrie mutter in agreement and clack their hands together. One by one, they disappear into thin air.

 

Before Samirah takes Fierro and Magnus Chase with her, Percy reaches out again.

 

“Please,” Percy says slowly, “come with us to Camp. We need to let the gods know that we’re staying united.”

 

A glimmer of doubt radiates in al-Abbas’s eyes. It reminds Nico of the campers at Halfblood, debating their place in the war.

 

“Magnus,” Percy begs, his voice desperate. “A neutral stance is still a losing one for us. We can’t afford to lose.”

 

As much as the Son of Poseidon raved about Jason’s accomplishments, it’s clear that Magnus’s gang has nothing but respect for Percy. Magnus’s eyebrows furrow together with worry—but he nods.

 

“We’ll keep track of you in the sky,” Samirah says finally. “If you get lost in the fog again, we’ll come down and get you.”

 

Nico lets out a sigh of relief. He turns around—

 

And immediately, Jason marches over and throws his arms around Nico in a bone-crushing hug. The force is so great that Nico rocks back on his heels, flustered. Red blooms in Nico’s cheeks. All he feels is Jason’s heartbeat finally coming down from its electric high.

 

Jason’s orange t-shirt is riddled with claw marks, but the wounds look healed. Physically, at least. His skin teems with energy as its pressed against Nico’s own, like a livewire.

 

“Hey,” Jason whispers against Nico cheek. “I got lost again.”

 

Nico lets go of his breath. The one he’d been holding since Jason had gotten the foggy look in those blue eyes and reached back for a sword.

 

“Stop doing that,” he murmurs back. Nico hugs Jason back and waits, until the other demigod feels safe enough to let go.

 

In the background, he can hear Thalia sigh.

 

“Seriously, Percy,” she says. “You suck at relaying information.”

 

*

 

They play the catchup game again, Jason’s hand wrapped around Nico’s. The fog seems to part as they take each step next along the river—whether from Thalia’s own mist manipulation abilities or Jason’s newfound clarity with the storm, Nico’s not sure. He just knows he’s dry with Jason.

 

After Jason had unwillingly wandered off in the Mist, they found Thalia not too far away, trying to decipher footsteps as animals or as monsters. Once the all-consuming storm fell on them a week ago, the Huntresses had slowly disappeared one-by-one. They kept getting lost, hearing cyclopses in the background in place of the voices of their fellow huntresses.

 

Artemis had been called away to a meeting and the rain remained stagnant. Jason stares as his sister explains herself and his demeanor falters.

 

“That’s what Kampê said,” he says. “She must have heard you talking about it while trying to find your hunters.”

 

Thalia’s expression sours. “These woods are full of monsters, Jackson. Most demigods won’t be able to make it to camp alive.”

 

“So exactly like the other camps.” Percy’s voice teems with light amusement, but also bubbles with doubt. Like the camp isn’t a good idea anymore.

 

“Hey, man.” Jason reaches over with his free hand and claps it on Percy’s shoulder. “The camp’s a good idea. It’s a united front that we need right now.”

 

Percy deflates momentarily but flashes a grateful look.

 

“Besides,” Jason says without missing a beat. “Those weren’t natural. Dad sent those monsters after me.”

 

They all stop walking.

 

Thalia whirls around, her eyes suddenly dark and radiating with rage. “He did what?”

 

Jason keeps talking. How Kampê was hired by Zeus along with a dozen cyclopses in order to capture anyone who sided with him, and how she announced that Zeus didn’t care if Jason was brought in dead or alive. Thalia’s face glows various shades of red and the scowl on her face manages to grow wider.

 

Nico’s own body tenses. Percy’s jaw tightens and he’s furious. Kampê is such a terrifying force that their own fathers were frightened by her presence. For Zeus to hire her is beyond belief.

 

“Fuck him,” Thalia spats angrily. “He’s a hypocrite. Kampê was Kronos’s jailer. He’s willing to hire the bitch he helped slay to kill you? I’ll slice his head off myself.”

 

“That’s a fun thought,” Percy muses, his hand moving to hold Riptide in his pocket. “Let’s march into Olympus right now.”

 

A thought occurs to Nico. “If your huntresses have been going missing, Kampê might have kidnapped them.”

 

Thalia’s eyes widen. Her hand goes towards her mace can, a domineering look shining in her demeanor.

 

“Has Artemis taken a stance on Zeus?” Percy asks, one eyebrow arched in the air. “Like Mr. D?”

 

“Not that I’m aware of.” Thalia’s eyes darken and she looks back at the Son of Poseidon. “But if Zeus is hiring monsters and taking out her huntresses, then it’s more than enough reason to turn against him. Besides—he tricked a maiden. He’s been doing it for thousands of years, but he’s trampling over his own myths while he’s doing it this time.”

 

At that moment, Nico can’t help but glance back towards Jason. He notices the miserable look in the other demigod’s eyes and frowns. Nico gives his hand a gentle squeeze.

 

Jason looks back to him, startled.

 

“Talk to me,” Nico says.

 

Hesitation falls over Jason’s face. It only fades when Nico squeezes his hand again. “The mist made Kampê look like Astrid, too. The way she looked the night she died.”

 

Oh. The look on Jason’s face reminds Nico of the boutique—the same anguish and guilt from when Jason chose to walk away instead of inspecting Sif’s earthquake. Percy and Thalia falter.

 

“So we have a brother,” Thalia says quietly, evidently trying to change the subject. All of the rage in her voice disappears into something sweeter and gentler—almost echoing Jason in Nico’s head. “Tell me about him.”

 

“Well,” Percy interjects halfheartedly, “I think as of yesterday Jason adopted him. So he’s technically a dad now.”

 

Between her little brother holding hands with Nico, the news about Zeus, and Sion, Thalia looks like she has a headache. Jason flashes her a smile anyway and explains all of the things that Nico already knows about Sion.

 

How sweet Sion is. How attached to Jason Sion is. How attached to Nico Sion is, and how powerful of a demigod Sion is at the ripe old age of three. Sion doesn’t emanate with the cold energy that Zeus does, but with the warmth of Astrid Lykke’s smiles and her kindness, like when she helped bandage Jason up.

 

Jason shakes his head in amusement. “This kid learned how to fly before he could walk.”

 

Thalia smiles, her expression inexplicably happy. “He sounds exactly like you did when you were his age.”

 

Red flushes in Jason’s cheeks and Nico can’t help but smile. He’s never been privy to conversations between the Grace siblings, but if this one was indicative, Jason was Thalia’s soft spot.

 

“Man,” Percy mutters behind them. “Now I miss my own sister.”

 

Nico does, too.

 

After what feels like an eternity through a forest and past a dark tunnel, they finally make it to Camp Demigod.

 

*

 

The plots are set for new buildings. Nico sees the appeal of the amount of acreage: there’s an expanse of land that could be terraformed into a battlefield, and plenty of space for residences. There’s a creek nearby for Percy’s own use as an instructor. The view of the mountains around them is beautiful as the peaks climb into the clouds, and hides them from the outside world.

 

Faint light peeks through from the sky—and for the first time, Nico steps foot on dirt that wasn’t previously soaked in an ocean of rain. He has to take a step back to enjoy the view. This camp looks completely secluded from the war between Greek, Roman, and Norse demigods. It reminds him of Magnus’s spring shower and warm flowers.

 

Percy is beaming. None of the buildings have been erected, but it’s clear the camp was the legacy he intends to leave behind after praetorship.

 

“Camp Jupiblood?” Thalia gestures to the wooden sign reminiscent to Camp Halfblood. “I thought we decided on Camp Demigod.”

 

“I thought we were still feeling some names out.” Percy shrugs, then deflates.

 

“I’m telling you,” al-Abbas grumbles under her breath, “Camp Midgard would have been far more encompassing.”

 

“Let it go, sis.” Alex Fierro grins and gives the other child of Loki a pat on the shoulder, while Percy sighs in defeat.

 

Jason pats Percy the shoulder, part of his lips curling into a proud smile. “It looks great, man.”

 

They walk through the organized pathways of the new camp. The size alone makes Nico think of New Rome—with the clear intention of expanding into the wildlife around them. Camp Demigod could exist for eons and mortals would be none the wiser with the amount of fog to deter them outside.

 

Finally, the one erected building finally catches their eye: a metal trailer, with a clear sign that says LEO’S WORKSHOP.

 

Jason takes off running, nearly dislocating Nico’s shoulder as he sprints.

 

He bursts through the trailer door, startling all three adult demigods in the process. Nico detaches himself from Jason at the entrance and steadies himself with the doorframe. Reyna has her sword in her hand, while Leo is scrambling for something to throw at them from his toolbelt. Hazel doesn’t look the last bit surprised. She smiles.

 

The trailer is lined with different assortments of finished and unfinished projects, but Sion is fast asleep on the couch with Buford at his side.

 

From where he’s standing, Nico can’t see Jason’s face—but he can just imagine what the other demigod looks like. Jason takes one slow step forward, and then another. He presses his knees against the trailer floor and brushes a hand over Sion’s shoulder.

 

Sion stirs softly, and a quiet laughter of disbelief flutters from the back of Jason’s mouth.

 

“Daddy?” he asks sleepily.

 

“Daddy’s here,” Jason echoes, his voice barely above a whisper. He can hardly contain his excitement as he brushes red hair out of Sion’s face and brushes a kiss against the little demigod’s forehead.

 

A smile curls against Sion’s lips. He giggles gently under his breath, evidently still waking up, and latches tiny arms around Jason like a little monkey. “I missed you!”

 

“Me too,” Jason whispers. “You have no idea.”

 

Nico’s chest tightens as he watches the sight. There’s a glow to the way Jason grins, his eyes as warm and delicate as they’ve ever been looking at Sion. All of the anxiety about being good enough as a Son of Jupiter and confident enough as Jason Grace is no longer important. Jason looks like he would kill before he ever let someone take Sion away again.

 

“You smell different,” Sion says loudly. After what seems like an eternity, Sion looks back at Jason, a perplexed look falling on his face. “Can we go home yet?”

 

Just like that, Jason’s shoulders slacken. He sighs with defeat and flashes a sad look. “Not yet, buddy.”

 

“Soon, though.” Thalia’s voice catches their attention from behind.

 

Jason and Sion turn around. Immediately, Sion squeals and runs towards them. “Nico!”

 

That particular exclamation catches Thalia off guard. She watches as Sion pulls out of Jason’s arms, the excitement having ended, and rushes towards the Son of Hades. Nico has his arms full of the little demigod before he knows it. Sion’s tiny arms fling around Nico, so short and small that they practically choke him out of delight.

 

And Nico can’t help the warmth in his chest and the hint of a smile in his face. “Hi, piccolino.”

 

“Jay didn’t scare you away?” Sion pulls away for a brief moment, lips curled as pensively as they can be for a toddler.

 

“Jay?” Nico glances over to Jason and his heart flutters. He watches the sheepish look morph across Jason’s face melt, filled with gratification instead. Nico hasn’t held Sion in his arms since before Jason got his memories back—but there isn’t an ounce of doubt or mistrust in those eyes. “He couldn’t get rid of me if he tried.”

 

He watches Jason take in the gravity of the words, and Jason’s smile grows twice as big.

 

“Who’s that?” Sion shifts his own weight and points a finger between Thalia’s eyes.

 

Thalia snaps out of her stupor. The smile on her face is near identical to Jason’s as she reaches out and curls her finger around the little demigod’s. “I’m your sister. Thalia. Or—” She wrinkles her nose and looks back to Jason with confusion. “—your aunt, apparently. This family tree is very confusing.”

 

Leo laughs in the background, suddenly pulling everyone’s attention back to him. He shoves his hammer back into his toolbelt. “We’re demigods. What makes more sense than a messed-up family tree?”

 

“Speaking of messed up family trees,” Reyna cuts in. She gestures to the tattoo on Jason’s arm. “How did that happen?”

 

The trailer folds under their weight for a moment. Percy sticks his head through the doublewide door, a look of uneasiness on his face. “Care for a few more? Because it looks like it’s about to rain again.”

 

Thus, the rest of their group manages to squeeze into Leo’s trailer. Nico takes a place next to Hazel when he notices the three children of Jupiter settled back on the couch, along with Percy. Leo surfs the room for stools for their Norse guests and scratches at his manbun. His face twists as he watches people far too close to his inventions. Jason flashes the Son of Hephaestus a grin that startles him.

 

“Don’t worry, Leo.” Jason plops Sion into his lap. “We’re not going to break anything.”

 

Leo stares at him for a moment the way Percy did back at Atlantis. His lips curl into a crooked smile and he pulls a cookie out of his toolbelt. “For the record, your baby is the most mild-mannered child I’ve ever met.”

 

“Thank you,” Sion says politely. He reaches out for the cookie and continues with whatever puzzle toy is on Buford.

 

“You could be over there right now, you know,” Hazel says quietly to Nico.

 

Nico smiles back sleepily and shakes his head. “He’ll ask for me when he needs me.”

 

He’s had Jason all to himself for almost two weeks now. Nico knows he isn’t the only one that missed the Son of Jupiter. Percy’s smile holds more depth. Leo looks relieved that his best friend finally remembers their past. Thalia looks as anxious as Nico felt—scared that Jason would disappear again, but relieved that they’re together.

 

In a moment, Jason raises his head, and looks at Nico with sweetness in the hue of his irises. It’s more than enough.

 

The meeting is reminiscent to the one in the praetor’s office: a few Greek demigods, a few Norse, and a few Roman. There isn’t the full array like before, but Nico watches Jason sitting tall next to Percy and Thalia and knows that this is right.

 

Hazel presses a kiss to Nico’s cheek. “For the record, I’ll always need you.”

 

Nico leans into her warmth and nods. “Me too.”

 

More of the details of the war come out. All of the gods—major and minor alike—received word of Zeus’s actions once Jason started remembering again. Jason getting his memories back was a trigger for all of the deities.

 

Nico surmises that two demigods entering the Olympus and tampering with the Fates’s looms (three primordial beings) is what caught the attention of so many gods. They put out a flare and everyone came to watch.

 

Then after that, the rain started and hadn’t stopped in over a week. Nico isn’t even sure why the pocket of land they’re sitting is an exception. He wonders if the storm paused because of the Grace siblings.

 

Or more specifically, he wonders if it stopped because of Jason.

 

“Does this mean I can’t call you Superman anymore?” Leo frowns. “Because Thor feels too literal.”

 

“Trust me, you don’t want to meet the real Thor.” Magnus wrinkles his nose. “The real Thor has big red hair and farts a lot. Like, a lot a lot.”

 

“Oh,” Leo says candidly. “So he’s just a bigger Sion.”

 

The distressing dilemma of Sion’s parentage causes the room to grow silent. Nico watches as Thalia’s expression grows dark once more, while Jason frowns.

 

“Jupiter wanted to keep Sion a secret so badly that he banished the only mortal who knew about it,” Jason says softly. He laughs bitterly under his breath. “Me. And he’s capturing anyone who even helps me and is freely letting monsters try to kill me.”

 

“But Thor claimed you,” Percy insists. “He’s taken a side in all of this. Yours. That means something.”

 

“Yeah, but where is he?” Jason’s expression tightens and he stares down at the hammer tattoo. “All this means is that I went from being disowned by one god of thunder to being glanced at by another. I gave up my title as praetor at Camp Jupiter and I was about to give up my title as pontifex.”

 

He touches the top of Sion’s head, and the little demigod looks up with bright blue eyes.

 

Jason softens. “I can’t just go on quests anymore. I can’t get lost again.”

 

“So let’s do what Percy said,” Thalia says suddenly. “Let’s march up to Olympus right now.”

 

“Wait a minute—you can’t be serious.” Percy’s demeanor fades into bewilderment, his eyes widening. He looks over at Nico for a moment, urging the other demigod to agree that Thalia might’ve lost her marbles.

 

“You’re right,” Jason says immediately. He mounts his feet to the ground and stands up. “Let’s do it.”

 

“Wait,” Percy plants his feet between the Grace Siblings, a look of uneasiness on his face. “You know that I’m all for sticking it to Zeus but—” He sucks in a breath and gestures to the long assortment of tick marks on his arm. “I’m definitely not going to be welcomed back at New Rome after this. Thalia, Artemis siding with Jason is a gut feeling. She could kill you.”

 

Thalia stares back at him, her expression hard. To Nico’s surprise, she also shares a glance his way.

 

“I didn’t think I had anyone after I woke up,” she confesses solemnly. “And after Bianca and Zoe died, it only felt right to honor their legacies. But—” Her expression shifts and she reaches over to grab Jason’s arm. “I lost my brother twice. I’m not losing him a third time.”

 

She smiles at Jason, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

 

“You may be claimed by Thor now,” Thalia announces, “But you’re still a Grace.”

 

Trust Thalia to be as every bit sentimental as her brother. The edges of Jason’s own lips curl, his eyes filled with light, and he wraps his free arm around her.

 

Percy’s expression softens and he exhales heavily. “Well, alright—who’s ready to kick Zeus’s ass?”

 

BOOM!

 

No one gets a chance to answer.

 

*

 

Something slams straight into the trailer so hard that it topples over and rolls. Nico’s immediate instinct is to cover Hazel, his hands gripping her tight as the inertia knocks them off their feet. He hears the piercing rattle of Leo’s knickknacks clanging into the walls, while Sion screams at the top of his lungs out of fear. The electricity in the trailer explodes into darkness—

 

And then silence.

 

Magnus suddenly glows, like he did in the rain. Leo lights a fireball in his hands and rapidly swears in Spanish, while both Thalia and Percy are screaming obscenities in English.

 

“It’s okay—” Jason’s voice snaps them out of their trance. Jason is floating in the air, Sion curled tightly in his arms. Sion sobs anyway, his tiny fists coiling around Jason’s t-shirt. “It’s okay, Sion—I’ve got you.”

 

“You okay?” Hazel asks Nico roughly.

 

“I’m fine. You?” Nico watches as her gold eyes flicker under the glow of Leo’s embers.

 

“Ecstatic,” she reassures.

 

“Sis—” Alex Fierro’s body is halfway out the window. “I see valkyrie outside.”

 

Sam turns as white as a sheet. “I said the valkyrie were taking a neutral stance!”

 

“Tell that to the ones that have been disagreeing with you,” Magnus quips. His frown makes him look like Annabeth and faintly reminds Nico of Will. “They must’ve tracked us using Jason as a compass. We need them to know that Jason isn’t a threat anymore.”

 

“He was never a threat to begin with,” Percy snaps—though the irritation doesn’t seem to be towards any one person in particular.

 

Still, Leo is swearing and clamoring in Spanish as he inspects the point of impact on his trailer. “That wasn’t a Viking attack.”

 

“You’re right,” Reyna sneers. “I know a Roman one when I see it.”

 

Magnus’s face flashes with horror. “They must’ve gotten Annabeth to talk.”

 

“Annabeth wouldn’t talk,” Percy assures—and his face is suddenly as angry as Reyna’s. “So they must have done something worse.”

 

The sound of rain suddenly rattles against the tin wall. Sion’s distress still hasn’t waned as he whimpers in Jason’s chest. The thunder booms outside—and Nico can’t help but wonder if it’s a culmination of the Grace siblings, their little brother, and the storm gods. The way both Jason and Thalia teem with electricity makes him think it’s mostly the former.

 

All of a sudden, Leo scrambles around the jilted trailer and opens a cabinet door.

 

“Uh,” Jason calls aloud, his hand still rubbing Sion’s back for comfort. “What are you doing, Leo?”

 

Leo suddenly has a helmet over his head (fitted perfectly for his grotesque manbun) and looks back at the Son of Jupiter. His eyes burn, and he gestures to a different array of armor. “You left an ADHD demigod in the mountains panicking about the possibility of a war for a week. I had to entertain myself.”

 

 

Moments later, Nico finds himself dressed head to toe in celestial bronze armor—each strap and guard molded perfectly to his body. He’s baffled at the fact that he’s never given Valdez his measurements—and even more baffled by the feathers engraved on the armor resting between his shoulder blades.

 

Jason comes over, imperial gold gleaming against his body like his sword and the engravings of an eagle at his chest. A grin flashes across his face when he notices Nico’s frown.

 

“Leo’s more thoughtful with his hands than he is with his mouth,” Jason explains. There’s a fondness to his voice. He’s not the least bit surprised that Leo was the one helping construct Camp Demigod, or by Valdez’s oddities. Jason holds out an exact duplicate of Hades’s helm.

 

Nico thanks Jason under his breath and quickly glances at Leo from the corner of his eye.

 

Immediately, he notices Leo avert his gaze. Discomfort tugs at Nico’s chest. Reyna and Hazel were introspective about Jason and him, but Piper and Leo were likely a different conversation. They’re probably as perplexed by it as Thalia was.

 

“Have we talked less today?” Jason whispers curiously, none the wiser. He suddenly flashes a worried look. Nico doesn’t even notice Jason’s hand against his hip until Jason is moving it. “I feel like it’s been less.”

 

Nico rolls his eyes. Trust Jason to go through fighting his way through Camp Halfblood, monsters, and reuniting with Thalia—yet still give Nico the time of day.

 

Things really haven’t change.

 

“You haven’t told me you loved me today,” Nico muses halfheartedly. He inspects the helm and places it over his head.

 

“Is that it?” Jason’s fingers brush against the edges of the celestial bronze. He casts a quick glance to the rest of their crew, who are busy inspecting their own pieces of armor—then pecks Nico quickly on the lips.

 

It’s so sudden that Nico startles, the helm tilting askew on his head.

 

“I love you,” Jason whispers.

 

Red burns in Nico’s cheeks. He pushes the helm on the crown of his head, thankful to be wrapped in the darkness, and runs his fingers across Jason’s wrist bone. “You’re insufferable.”

 

Jason beams all the same.

 

From the corner of his eye, he notices Thalia glancing back at him and can’t help but sigh. Yet another conversation he’s not sure he’s ready for.

 

“Nico!” Sion toddles over to them, grabbing hold of one of Nico legs in his arms.

 

All the love in the world disappears the moment Jason notices Sion also decked out in a small chestplate and a helmet too big for his head. His lips contort into a frown and he flashes a look at Leo. “Sion doesn’t fight.”

 

“Of course Sion doesn’t fight,” Leo says without missing a beat. He rolls his eyes. “But you know what protects him from a few hits in the head? Armor.”

 

“If he’s anything like you, then a brick is going to find that cute mess of curls,” Percy reaffirms. He waves a finger at the blond demigod. “Uncle Perch approves.”

 

“Do I look fierce?” Sion asks. He tenses his entire body, tears forgotten, and scowls as best he can.

 

“So fierce,” Nico agrees. He hoists Sion against his hip and looks onward in bemusement as Reyna and Hazel both stare. Nico narrows his gaze, suddenly uncomfortable. “What?”

 

“Nothing,” Hazel says innocently. “Don’t change, brother.”

 

All of the banter takes Nico back to nights at Camp Halfblood after the war, when he was accepted. Hazel’s encouragement for him to join Capture the Flag, Valdez’s grumbling about broken automatons, and Percy’s sarcastic rebuttals. Even Jason’s warm looks are familiar to him. Nico’s just finally smart enough to notice.

 

Alex reels her head back in from the window and grimaces uneasily. “The Valkyrie are descending. I’m seeing gold armor, too. Looks like the Roman demigods are taking a stand.”

 

“So what’s the plan?” al-Abbas asks.

 

They consider her question for a moment, then slowly turn their heads to the girlfriend of the daughter of war and wisdom. Reyna flashes a cold look, looking every bit as regal as she did when she was praetor.

 

“We try to convince a bunch of ADHD demigods to pay attention to Jason,” Reyna decides, “and kill whoever threatened my partner.”

 

Thalia hums in approval. “You have my blessing, princess.”

 

In an instant, Hazel has her hair coil into a bun. She flashes a look over to Leo briefly. “May I?”

 

A pained look crosses over Leo’s face. He kisses the tips of both his index and middle finger and presses it against the metal wall. “If you must.”

 

The trailer walls rattle, like their own miniature earthquake. Nico feels his heart leap out of his chest, and a familiar chill run up his spine akin nails to a chalkboard. Hazel spreads her hands from side-to-side, her golden eyes radiant under the Roman helm as she shreds the walls to pieces.

 

Sion gasps dramatically—albeit less startled than when the trailer was hit.

 

Immediately, Hazel’s powers pry a hole into the tin above them—and the entirety of the trailer flattens around them.

 

An entire army of New Roman soldiers stare back at them, Mike Kahale at the helm with an onager—just like with Octavian. In the sky are over a dozen valkyrie, each one sidled with a glowing einherji. All of them ready to kill Jason and Sion.

*

 

“Step back,” Jason whispers, his voice practically in Nico’s ear.

 

As he steps back, Nico can feel the bristling current as electricity flashes across the son of Jupiter’s body. Thunderclouds clap as Jason’s audience, captivated by his presence. Jason throws his Mjolnir-branded arm into the sky. A bolt of lightning breaks through the clouds and strikes Jason like a rod. The energy is so raw and terrifying that it reminds Nico of gods when they shift to their godly form.

 

It’s a pose he’s done thousands of times—strong, firm, and powerful—yet Nico feels himself shivering all the same.

 

The Romans stand deathly still. The Aesir demigods are completely quiet.

 

Nico’s heart flutters as he looks into the heavy, grounded expression in Jason’s eyes.

 

“Show off,” he hears Percy grumbling in the background. There’s nothing but warmth and fondness in his voice.

 

“Don’t stop,” Nico swears he hears Fierro say.

 

“Three years ago, Jupiter committed a terrible sin and impersonated the Aesir God of Thunder—Thor.” Jason’s tone drops to a deep, rich baritone. He looks like Praetor Grace—powerful and all-consuming. Like the Pontifex Maximus—absolutely certain of himself, like the day of the assembly. Like himself. “But Thor has claimed me. He’s taken a stance in this war. There’s no reason for the Norse to feud with the Greek and Romans anymore.”

 

The Aesir demigods descend from the sky, their chainmail glistening with the rain. The Valkyrie all murmur in disarray, just like the ones that were with Samirah al-Abbas earlier. Nico watches as the captain of the Valkyrie flashes a grin, standing firm.

 

“It’s true!” she shouts. Much like she promised, she, Fierro, and Magnus Chase stand with them in a united front. “The Norse should have no quarrel with Jason Grace! If anything, he’s one of us!”

 

There’s a palpable dissent amongst the Aesir demigods. Some look swayed by her words. Others look doubtful.

 

“Sam,” says an African-American demigod with a rifle in his hand. “Why would Thor claim a child that he didn’t bear?”

 

Sam falters. Nico flashes a quick glance over to Jason, who radiates with power—but it’s close to waning. His words come barreling back towards Nico—Jason was disowned by one God of Thunder only to be adopted by another. Odin hasn’t even taken a stance in this war. There’s no telling what the Norse God of Thunder’s intentions are with Jason.

 

“You’re forgetting something, Grace—” Mike’s voice cuts through the crowd, his army even fiercer than the Vikings. Probably because they knew each other so well. A wave of butterflies fills Nico’s stomach, and his hand flies swiftly to the hilt his sword. “—you may think you have no quarrel with the Norse demigods, but Camp Jupiter stands by its namesake.”

 

“His voice sounds funny,” Sion whispers in Nico’s ear.

 

“Cover your ears, piccolino.” Nico holds onto the little demigod in his other arm.  

 

“And by all means, Norse demigods,” Mike charmspeaks, “if you have any doubt that your God of Thunder would claim a graecus-turned Roman, feel free to help us kill them.”

 

In an instant, all swords are raised—and every Norse and Roman demigod charges towards them.

 

*

 

Hazel is quick. She opens a crevasse in front of the Roman demigods as they sprint across the terrain. Nico keeps his grip tight on Sion, who seems not the least bit fazed by the turn of events. Legionnaires fall into the slit in the earth, screaming—and others instinctively leap over the fissures.

 

Percy commandeers both the nearby creek and rain into a tempest and blasts the second fleet of demigods. Thalia alternates between blinding valkyrie with ribbons of electricity and knocking weapons out of hands with arrows.

 

It’s an unspoken rule between all of them: they’re not going to kill to get their point across.

 

From the corner of his eye, Nico sees a flash of curly blond hair. He catches the vaguest image of Annabeth held hostage with candle wax stuffed in her ears—no doubt to block out Kahale’s charmspeak. Reyna charges towards her lover, and suddenly both daughters are both set free and fighting back-to-back.

 

Nico watches as Jason ascends into the air like an actual superhero and combats against the dozen valkyrie around him.

 

“There’s more of us than there are of them. Hey, Skellington—” Nico has no idea how it’s happened, but he’s suddenly back-to-back with Leo and Buford as they fend off against a pair of einherjar. “Care to do your creepy thing?”

 

A frown falls across Nico’s face. He turns around and his met with Leo staring at him with those mad inventor’s eyes.

 

“What, do you need a please?” Leo continues, irritation bubbling in his voice. His hands rifle through his toolbelt quickly, and he briefly sets each nut, bolt, and tool on fire before he throws it towards enemy demigods. “Mazeltov on the relationship, STDs are still a thing, so wear a condom—and don’t break the big guy’s heart, or I’ll sic Piper on you.”

 

Nico freezes. He makes a mental note to check his pocket later, where he’s sure the Son of Hephaestus unwittingly stuffed something in there. With a disheveled sigh, Nico unsheathes his sword and feels it pulse under his fingers.

 

He takes a long, drawn breath, and hears a symphony of heartbeats singing on the battlefield. The air around him grows so cold that raindrops transform into snowflakes around him.

 

And just like Camp Halfblood, corpses erupt from the dirt and lunge towards enemy demigods.

 

“Is that Fred?” Sion gasps in glee, so sweet that Nico can’t help his smile.

 

“Fred’s in the Underworld, Sion. But I’ll take you to see him sometime.” Nico glances into the air and can’t help but notice Jason pausing—it wouldn’t surprise him in the least if Jason was grinning down at him.

 

Before he knows it, he’s face-to-face with a legionnaire. Nico weaves out of the way as the Roman demigod swipes at him with a sword. The Roman demigod misses him—and rams the gladius into Sion’s helmet instead.

 

“Sion!” Nico shouts.

 

The impact is so great that Sion’s helmet spins over his head. Blue eyes look up to Nico, completely stunned—and then well up with tears. A whimper trickles out of Sion’s throat (winds start to pick up) and he squirms (thunder booms) before screaming at the top of his lungs. A downpour follows, sheeting Nico in a blanket of rain while lightning flashes in the sky. “M-M-MY H-HEAD!!”

 

Rage burns in Nico. He whips his head back to the Roman demigod, who suddenly looks like he’s regretting every aspect of his life. Nico summons two more skeletons behind the demigod and lets each one pull at either of the legionnaire’s arms.

 

“You want to tell me why,” Nico snarls, “the Twelfth Legion is proudly killing children?”

 

“H—he’s the reason for this w-war!” The legionnaire protests. Nico wants his new servants to tear him limb-from-limb.

 

He hears Jason land with a stuttering quake behind him. The storm rages, each of Jason’s steps crashing against the ground like thunder. The winds radiate with Jason’s pulse, and he stands beside Nico, every bit of the same fury coursing through his veins.

 

“I’m sorry,” Jason says, his sweet tenor crackling with anger, “what’s this I hear about killing my son?”

 

“I—I accept my f-fate!” the Roman demigod shouts. “C-Conquer or die!”

 

Jason raises his sword, ready to slice the head off the legionnaire. He swings it instead and stuns the Roman demigod to unconsciousness. It’s far more remorseful than what Nico would’ve done.

 

Sion is still quibbling in Nico’s arms as the demigod falls to the ground.

 

“There, there, buddy.” Every bit of rage melts from Jason’s voice, replaced with its usual soothing tone. He holds his arms out, eyes calmer than the sky. “Want to fly with daddy?”

 

“Can I name the bones?” Sion sniffles.

 

“Ask daddy.” Nico’s gaze narrows, mirth in his tone as he passes the little demigod over. He watches the tips of Jason’s ears glow pink, amused. “Enjoying the power, Son of Jupiter?”

 

Blue eyes stare back at him, unsurprisingly pleased. Nico doesn’t falter this time when Jason reaches over to press a kiss to his cheek. Except—

 

“Just wait until I ravage you later.” Jason skims Nico’s ear with his lips. “I’ll show you power.”

 

The back of Nico’s throat suddenly dries. Goosebumps rise against Nico’s forearms. He all but drops his sword as Jason winks at him—giving the son of Hades one last kiss on the mouth before launching into the sky.

 

It takes him a moment to recover. Nico sucks in an uncomfortable breath and scans the battlefield. An orange banner suddenly catches his eye, and he suddenly freezes.

 

Travis and Connor Stoll meet his gaze as they wave an orange banner with the Camp Halfblood insignia on it, followed by the sparse demigods from camp. Along with them are the valkyrie from earlier—evidently having formed some sort of alliance. Nico even spots the redheaded valkyrie that made off with Jason earlier this morning.

 

Despite the stark contrast in size, the Greek demigods are ready to fight—decked out in celestial bronze armor as they charge through the forest. They barrel through Aesir and Roman demigods with weapons, screaming at the top of their lungs. It’s clear that after the encounter this morning, they’re on Jason’s side.

 

“Dude!” Nico hears Percy yell at the Stoll brothers from afar. “How the hell did you guys find us?”

 

“Hello?” Connor shouts back. “Our dad is the god of travelers?”

 

Admittedly, the explanation doesn’t make the most sense to Nico, but he’s learned after a decade not to question the two Sons of Hermes. Instead, he wields his sword in hand, accompanied by his two skeleton warriors, and combats against each Roman and Norse demigod that comes his way. Occasionally, he glances at the sky and notices Jason knocking out valkyrie or war eagles. He swears he can hear Sion cheering in delight.

 

At some point, Nico finds himself back-to-back with Thalia. He has to a double take—realizing the fifteen-year-old girl that once towered him now barely came up to his shoulder. Nico kicks a soldier out of the way and listens to Thalia nocking arrows before sending them off to oblivious demigods.

 

“So,” Thalia says between knocking arrows, “you’re in love with my brother, right?”

 

“Yes,” Nico responds without even thinking. He slams the butt end of his sword into the jaw of an einherjar and commands his warriors to drag the demigod away. “Why do you ask?”

 

The gravity of his own words slap him in the face. Nico freezes. He whips around and is met with Thalia’s kind smile. There’s a shimmer of amusement and joy in there that unearths him.

 

“I,” Nico stammers, his face suddenly turning red and eyebrows furrowing together. For a split second, he feels fourteen again and embarrassed. “I haven’t told him yet.”

 

Thalia’s smile only grows wider. She grips his shoulder with a tender hand. “Welcome to the family, Nico.”

 

Nico sucks in a breath. Trembles.

 

“Hey.” Thalia’s gaze shines even brighter. “Bianca would love this happiness on you.”

 

“MONSTERS!” Percy suddenly screams, interrupting Nico before he can conjure a response.  

 

Giants, hekatonkheiries, and cyclopses suddenly appear—as if out of thin air. Like a godly summons. The ground trembles with each footstep taken by a monster, and they bustle with laughter. Nico watches as a giant slams Pollux into another camper, while a hekatonkherie grabs a demigod in each hand and flings them at full force.

 

Every demigod they pick is wearing an orange shirt. Nico’s jaw tightens as he watches Annabeth and Reyna take on a cyclops.

 

Jason lands between Thalia and Nico, Sion nothing but gleeful in his arms. A grim look flashes across his face as they suddenly watch Greek demigods. “First he sends Kampê, now he sends all of the monsters that helped him during the war against the Titans.”

 

Percy evidently finds some humor in his words. He laughs. “Congratulations, Jace, you’re apparently as bad as Kronos. What do you think the next Great Prophecy is going to say about you?”

 

“He’s the best at hugs,” Sion supplies.

 

The best at hugs indeed. Nico watches in amusement as Sion throws his arms around Jason, tear-stained face filled with a smile. Jason flashes a warm grin to the little demigod, then turns back to the Romans, furious.

 

“Is this what you want?” Jason gestures to Percy and himself, then to Mike. “We fought a war to unite our camps, and now you want to undo all of our hard work in the name of my father?”

 

Shockingly enough, Mike looks conflicted by his words. His stance slackens, and he turns to his army, who’d frozen once the Romans came. Nico can only assume that Samirah and Alex had taken flight in the air, while Magnus was taking the free moment to mollify his own brethren.

 

“ROMANS!” Mike starts. “WE—”

 

He never gets to finish the sentence. Nico feels an overwhelming amount of rage suddenly fill his chest. His heart rate spikes against his ribs and he tenses, wildly looking around for the source of his sudden anger. He suddenly notices the look of anger on Percy’s face.

 

“Ares,” the son of Poseidon spats.

 

A blinding light suddenly flashes across the battlefield. Nico feels a chill dangerously run up his spine as Ares, the God of War, suddenly appears at the epicenter, decked out in cruel imperial gold armor and a smirk that Percy looks ready to punch.

 

Mike yells out the rest of his statement. “—WE KILL THE NORSE, AND THE TWO SONS OF JUPITER!”

 

The monsters continue to lash out against Camp Halfblood. The Romans turn towards the Aesir Demigods—both equal in strength, and Nico hears the heartbeats of several demigods suddenly cease.

 

The air becomes ionic. Nico feels his hair whip him in the face as he turns to see Jason and Thalia manipulating the winds. Percy looks ready to go toe-to-toe with the God of War right there and then.

 

“Sorry, baby siblings. Jackson,” Ares tips his helmet. “Dad said war and I couldn’t resist.”

 

All of a sudden, Leo’s workshop trailer rams into the side of his chariot with a rattling CLANG!

 

Ares yelps as he’s thrown overboard from his chariot. Nico jumps when the mobile home makes impact and turns around to the sight of his sister. Hazel’s face stretches into a nightmarish scowl and suddenly even Percy looks scared. Ares looks back at her from afar, disconcerted.

 

“Don’t think Frank and I will ever let you watch the twins again,” Hazel snaps. “Dad.”

 

“But—” Ares suddenly looks regretful. “—I have the perfect blue flames for our Christmas Photo!”

 

Another sliver of the trailer slams into the God of War again.

 

The war rages on, despite the disheveled Ares. Nico finds himself wedged between Jason and Percy, occasionally tossing Sion back and forth so the little demigod didn’t get hurt. A hekatonkheirie suddenly comes flying at them.

 

“Piccolino,” Nico says, “What do we do during outside time?”

 

Sion looks at him curiously and waves a hand around. “Hi, rain!”

 

Despite the overwhelming amount of rain hitting Nico’s helmet, a small rain cloud suddenly appears above the hekatonkherie—dark and luminous. It strikes the monster with the tiniest jolt of lightning. “OUCH!”

 

Nico takes the opening to slice at the monster’s foot. The hekatonkherie cries out in pain—only to be shot with electricity again, when Jason throws a lightning bolt at him.

 

“So if I’m Uncle Perch and Jason is Daddy,” Percy says in amusement, “What does that make Nico?”

 

“I don’t think this conversation concerns you, Percy.” Nico fidgets, his lips curling into a scowl. He catches Jason flashing him a look, genuinely concerned.

 

“We can go as fast or slow as you’d like,” Jason assures. His ability to climb into such a commandeering role and crumble with one of Nico’s looks is astounding. Nico isn’t even sure how to respond to that.

 

“Yeah, Nico, let him just pine after you for another decade,” Percy retorts.

 

“In case you haven’t noticed Percy,” Nico gestures to the entire battlefield, where Mike is using the onager to fling shrapnel and debris at valkyrie, and legionnaires are attacking einherji. “We’re kind of in the middle of a war here.”

 

“When aren’t we in the middle of a war?” Percy dodges the fist of a raging cyclops and slams water in its face.

 

“Percy’s right—we could stand here all day and slay monsters but killing each other helps no one.” Jason sucks in a breath and gestures at the battlefield.

 

Reyna and Annabeth are expertly taking down demigods that come their way. Leo and Buford seem to be holding their ground, throwing Molotov cocktails at anyone that comes close. Nico thinks that he sees Magnus trying to use his words to calm the Norse demigods, but Ares’s pull is much stronger—despite Hazel currently hurling bits and pieces of the workshop trailer at him.

 

A blinding light flashes through the battlefield. All of a sudden, new figures appear under the storm.

 

Gods stand in front of them, standing ten feet tall and all decked out in imperial gold or celestial bronze armor. Nico stares at each of them in disbelief, trying to pick out as many faces that he can.

 

He sees Edesia, Goddess of Food, throw her imperial gold spatula into the air. Deverra, Goddess of Midwives and Labor with a broom between her hands. Ersa, Goddess of Dew—and many others.

 

Kymopoleia, the goddess they’d met only days ago, sits at the creek with winds howling around her.

 

“FOR JASON!” she shouts—and immediately, she knocks half a dozen Norse demigods out with an unnatural wave.

 

Another wave of gods and goddesses appear on either side of the battlefield. Nico suddenly notices Bellona and Athena helping push back on a heckatonkherie hovering over their daughters. Artemis is glowing despite the rain, hanging back-to-back with a grinning Thalia. Apollo is by her side, winking at each and every valkyrie as they descend from the heavens. Dionysus appears in a purple chariot carried by two panthers and a Camp Halfblood flag in his fist.

 

Even the ground seems to be opening up with fissures near Hazel, threatening to pull Ares into the pits of Tartarus.

 

“Jason—” Nico whirls his head back to Jason and notices the look of awe on Jason’s face.

 

“Poseidon,” Jason responds faintly, his sword slackening at his side. “Poseidon said there were gods that wanted to fight for me.”

 

“Oh my gods,” Percy responds, equally stunned. “The stuff Dad said wasn’t a bunch of gibberish bull.”

 

Despite the sudden appearance of gods and goddesses, Nico notices a handful that aren’t on their side: he sees Venus standing with her son, pleasantly talking down some valkyrie to come out of the sky so she can smush them between her hands. The Roman demigods suddenly have more onagers and metal automatons barreling through Greek and Norse demigods like marshmallows, Vulcan tinkering in the background. Suddenly both the Stoll Brothers are face-to-face with Mercury, who has a pained look on his face.

 

In the back of Nico’s mind, he wonders how hard it is for Hermes to fight his son. He can only wonder how many children of Mercury prayed harder.

 

Suddenly, another wave of monsters barrel through the forest, trampling everything camp related in their path. Eagles paint the sky—thrice as big as the ones from New Rome. It takes Nico a moment to catch his breath—and he looks back to Jason, who is still trying to find his own.

 

Jason’s jaw is hinged, sky blue eyes filled with utter disbelief.

 

“Hey,” Nico calls gently. A smile etches across his face and a wave of relief floods over him. “I’m proud of you.”

 

“I’m—” Jason swallows hard, scanning the battlefield like he’s trying to find the Mist that’s deceiving him. “I did this.”

 

“You did this with your name,” Nico agrees. He turns to lace a hand around Jason’s own fingers, his eyes brimming with pride. “Not Jupiter’s.”

 

Finally, the humble Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, reclaimed by Thor, looks down to him and processes the weight of his words. The corner of Jason’s lip curls into a tiny smile. He opens his mouth to speak—and is interrupted as Sion reaches out to touch his face.

 

“Does this mean we get to go home soon?” Sion asks innocently. His bright blue eyes flash curiously, red eyebrows meshing together. “With Nico?”

 

“Yeah,” Jason breathes quietly. Identical blue eyes look back to Nico, his expression nervous despite the devotion of his previous words. “I think so.”

 

Before they can celebrate, more gods appear. Some that Nico doesn’t recognize. He sees Kymopoleia suddenly losing grip of the creek as another ocean goddess appears. Mr. D is suddenly pushed back when a god in a flannel shirt and skinny jeans slams a keg into his face.

 

“I’ll take the eagles,” Jason declares. He propels into the sky once more, sword gripped in his hand with a newfound confidence.

 

Nico whirls around when he hears Hazel cry of distress and sprints into action. He sees her trying to fling sheets of metal, discarded weaponry, and slabs of rock at Ares—who hardly puts up a battle. The earth opens different fissures, each one trying their damnedest to entrap the God of War.

 

“Look—” Ares sputters. “—my sweater is so cool—”

 

“You’re disowned as a grandfather, Ares.” Nico’s eyes narrow, trying to figure out the source of Hazel’s screams.

 

“Hades—” Venus’s silky voice suddenly fills Nico’s ears, and unsettles him. He looks over to her, catching a quick glance of Jason in her face—smooth, glowing skin, sculpted jawline, and carved, tattooed biceps. The image is so alarming that Nico makes himself think of other people in his life. Bianca. Then Hazel—and his mother. Venus casually sidles near Ares, amusement visible on her face. “Why don’t you calm down, Hades? You’ll see all of these dead bodies soon enough.”

 

As beautiful as Venus is with his mother’s face, Nico’s skin only boils. “You think Piper is going to let you see her child when she finds out you’re on the other side of a war?”

 

Venus looks utterly shocked. She gasps, her voice as beautiful as chimes, and presses a hand to her mouth. “Piper is pregnant?!”

 

“Yes,” Hazel confirms. She lifts the remaining bits from the trailer, her eyes flashing with anger. “And you’ll never get to see her.”

 

“I believe you were fond of babies once,” a voice behind Nico says. A familiar chill runs through the back of his spine, and it takes all of him not to summon all of the undead ghosts in the battlefield. Cupid appears behind Nico, a smirk on his face. “Isn’t that right, mother?”

 

The words alone seem like enough for Venus to change her mind. She bites her lip, suddenly pacing back and forth and squirming. It’s hard to believe that a flustered goddess like herself was able to birth someone as intimidating and powerful as Mike Kahale.

 

“Fine!” she declares. “Ares, we’re done here!”

 

To Nico’s shock, both gods vanish into nothingness, with Ares’s plea of being included in the Christmas photo the only thing left behind.

 

Nico stands firm, his lips stretched into a scowl at the other god of love. “So whose side are you on?”

 

To his chagrin, Cupid looks taken aback. His lips curl with amusement. “Love has no sides, Nico di Angelo. Many simply succumb to it when they least expect it.”

 

“So you’re here to cause a riot,” Nico sneers, his hand steadily clamping his sword.

 

“On the contrary. I do lean.” Cupid nocks an arrow to his bow and aims as skillfully at a Norse goddess that Nico doesn’t know the name of. She shrieks in horror. “After all—Jason Grace’s unwavering devotion towards you is the perfect way to honor me, don’t you think?”

 

Rage bubbles in Nico’s stomach. Percy’s rationale of wanting to punch gods left and right is suddenly tempting to him. Trust the spawn of the gods of love and war to irk him so much, even after all of these years. He opens his mouth to retort—

 

And never gets the chance.

 

Three giant eagles suddenly encircle Jason and Sion in the air.  The gusts pick up, winds forming a cyclone around the demigod. Clouds are drawn to the tornado—and suddenly the eagles attack Jason.

 

“JASON!” he hears himself shout.

 

“Before you go—” Cupid appears in front of him, unfazed by the sudden impact. “I’m glad you chose Jason as someone you can’t run away from.”

 

Offering another scathing glare, Nico breaks off running towards the tornado before he can help himself. Despite its violent sway, the tornado remains in one steady place, driving the tail end into the ground. Nico’s hair blows past his face, and he suddenly finds it hard to breathe.

 

Jason slaps against the wall of the tornado. He doesn’t get the chance to recover. Another eagle digs its talons into his shoulders and launches him into the ground.

 

Hazel is at Nico’s side, and Thalia on the other. Percy, Leo, Reyna, and Annabeth all stand on opposite sides of the tornado, and absolute panic throttles Nico from the inside. He’s suddenly reminded of falling out of Mount Olympus, unable to shadowtravel Jason and he to safety.

 

Nico’s breath stalls in his throat as he watches Jason slam into dirt.

 

The largest eagle gradually makes its descent. It glitters painfully bright, forcing Nico to avert his eyes. In its place stands Zeus, King of the Gods.

 

He stands tall across from his two sons, at least fifteen feet high and only inches shorter than his own storm, in his domineering pinstripe suit. Even through the blur of the winds, Nico can see absolute disgust scorching in Zeus’s eyes. He can hear Sion screaming. Zeus suddenly raises a hand in the sky, thunder roaring with his every movement. A lightning bolt slithers under his fist, crackling and hissing in a way that’s worse than any sound from the pits of Tartarus.

 

Zeus’s words are low, but they echo across the entire mountain range. “I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

 

“NO!” Nico shrieks and lunges towards the tornado—only to be held back by his sister.

 

The God of Thunder lifts his arm and strikes.

 

A wave of light blankets the battlefield, and Nico’s entire essence burns. He shields his eyes once again, Hazel’s grip deathly tight around his torso.

 

Silence.

 

Not one sword is swung, not one arrow is shot. Zeus’s lightning bolt sounds like a thousand screaming birds, ready to kill. Ready to kill.

 

Instead, the lightning bolt makes impact with an iron hammer so big that Nico can make out the runes on the side of the weapon. Its wielder is an equally tall god, with a mane of shoulder-length red hair and a matching curly beard. A tattoo of a serpent coils around the arm closest to Nico. The god casts a look down at the two demigods between his feet, impressed.

 

A boisterous grin stretches across Thor’s lips. “So you’re this Jason Grace that I keep hearing about.”

Notes:

We are almost at the end!! Can you guys believe it? If you haven't checked it out yet, I have another WIP that is just on its first legs called Dearly Departed, which is also a slowburn Jasico au!

Lastly, ephemeren made this amazing art from the last chapter. Please give them a lot of love! <3

It's been a wild ride and I hope you guys have enjoyed every moment of it!

Chapter 11: A New Day

Summary:

“I,” Jason stammers. He pushes off the ground and winces. A staggering pain shoots through his torso and he wonders if he’s broken a rib or two. “Yes, sir. I’m Jason.”

“And this must be little Sion!” Thor reaches down and pats the little demigod’s head with the tip of his finger. “Hello, little one!”

“Wah,” Sion says. He touches the plume at the top of his head and giggles.

“Well then!” Thor claps his hands together, electricity thrumming between his fingertips. “What kind of tattoo do you want, little Sion? Maybe a goat? I’m pretty good at goats, I’ve eaten quite a few in my lifetime—”

Notes:

Trigger Warning for this chapter: body dismemberment/body horror. There's also a sex scene towards the end, and one final (small) scene after that. Yes, all in one chapter. Yes, it's very big. :) The "mood" for the end is Lover by Taylor Swift.

Red hair spills over Thor’s shoulders like a lion’s mane, unruly and untamed as a storm. His beard looks like it’s never met a razor, with the tiniest bit of grease at the corners of his mouth. Jason sees stains in Thor’s hauberk, and his leather jerken and trousers are filthy. There’s a tattoo of a serpent climbing up of Thor’s arms, another pair across his knuckles, and a heart tattoo on one of his biceps. (Jason suddenly has an inkling as to why Thor’s claiming had so many tattoos.)

 

He’s the least divine god that Jason has ever met. Especially compared to Zeus’s prim pinstripe suit, where not one lapel is out of place—even under the winds and a hissing, fuming thunderbolt. Zeus looks down with him with the coldest scowl and a murderous intent. It’s the way Zeus has looked at him for years, since their first meeting.  

 

Thor looks at Jason with pure fascination and warmth. In the eye of a tornado, this god of thunder is as earnest as a beautiful day.

 

“Jay?” Sion snaps Jason out of his stupor, pushing the tiny helmet out of his face. He points to the god of thunder looming over them, who stares at the pair of demigods from only feet away with a big, infectious smile. “Who’s that?”

 

“I,” Jason stammers. He pushes off the ground and winces. A staggering pain shoots through his torso and he wonders if he’s broken a rib or two. “Yes, sir. I’m Jason.”

 

“And this must be little Sion!” Thor reaches down and pats the little demigod’s head with the tip of his finger. “Hello, little one!”

 

“Wah,” Sion says. He touches the plume at the top of his head and giggles.

 

“Well then!” Thor claps his hands together, electricity thrumming between his fingertips. “What kind of tattoo do you want, little Sion? Maybe a goat? I’m pretty good at goats, I’ve eaten quite a few in my lifetime—”

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Thunder booms behind Zeus’s head—a stark reminder that the King of the Gods is in their presence. His eyes glow with dismay, crackling with lightning as they narrow down at Jason.

 

The tornado picks up around Jason again, and he chokes on a breath. He tastes blood in the back of his throat.

 

Zeus’s disgusted blue eyes narrow at Thor and he points his lightning bolt towards the other god. “This matter doesn’t concern you.”

 

Thor stares back at him on confusion, his lips curled quizzically. He pushes the lightning bolt out of his face and waves a hand. Instantly, the tornado ceases, as though it was never there to begin with.

 

“Not to be rude,” Thor says, his voice as lost as a puppy’s, “but isn’t this entire situation concern me?”

 

The battlefield is quiet around them—not a sword swung or an arrow shot. Jason’s gaze meets his sister’s, who stares at him with relief. His gaze meets Nico’s, and his heart stalls. Nico stares back at him, hands trembling at his sides. There’s absolute fear in his eyes, and Jason doesn’t think he’s seen it in years. Since Cupid.

 

“So—” Thor’s hands spark once more as he rubs them together. He crouches, his face as close to Jason’s as it can be. When he laughs, his breath smells like savory meat. “What do you want, m’boy? A hammer? Maybe a goat?”

 

“Can you do dolphins?” None the wiser about the situation, Sion gasps gleefully at the god above them.

 

“Hmm,” Thor strokes his chin, and the currents trickle through his beard. “I’m a little rusty on fins, but let’s—”

 

“ENOUGH!” Storm clouds whistle out of Zeus’s ears like a steam train. Lightning crackles from them, and he sheathes his weapon. A lightning bolt shaped vein throbs at his neck—and it’s the clumsiest Jason has ever seen his father. “You can’t just go around claiming children that aren’t your own!”

 

“But I’m the god of consecration,” Thor protests. He scratches his mane of hair with the edge of his hammer, flashing another look of confusion. “Weren’t you trying to kill him moments ago?”

 

Percy’s laugh echoes through the battlefield. Annabeth slaps a hand over his mouth, but she doesn’t tear her eyes away from the two gods of thunder.

 

“That’s beside the point!” Zeus hisses. His face clouds with rage and he jabs a finger towards Jason, the winds moving with him. Gusts slap Jason in the face, and he realizes that Zeus is pointing to the tattoo on his skin. “Take that off of him that instance! He’s not your son!”

 

Thor stares back at him in confusion. He looks up at Zeus, then peers back down at Jason. “Do you want a dolphin too?”

 

“Lord Thor?” Thalia speaks up. She inches closer towards them, flashing a brief, scathing look towards Zeus—then takes the moment to dart towards Jason. Her hands are delicate against his shoulders, despite battling monsters and demigods only moments ago. Jason can feel the relief thrumming through her fingers. “Does this mean you’re not angry with what my father did?”

 

Neither one of them miss the way Zeus glowers at them. Jason feels Thalia glaring back, her hands digging into his collarbone. He looks off into the distance and looks at Nico again. Sees how pale his face is, and how it’s taking everything in Nico’s power not to run into the family matter himself.

 

Thor blinks, his wiry eyebrows furrowing together. His lips move, as though trying to process being called a lord, and he cracks a grin. “Angry? No. Absolutely confused? Yes. Now—why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable?”

 

He claps his hands together, each impact sounding like a new cloud forming thunder. The battlegrounds around them suddenly changes.

 

Light flashes through the tattered field of Camp Demigod—and the winds flourish against them. Jason uses one hand to cover his eyes and the other to cover Sion’s, while the other demigod oohs and aahs.

 

“Jason,” Nico whispers hastily in his ear.

 

A cold chill zips through Jason’s spine. When opens his eyes, he finds himself at the center of the throne room in Mount Olympus.

 

*

 

All twelve gods rest on their thrones in an arc surrounding Jason. The room is as cold and unwelcoming as Jason’s last visit, with gaudy gold chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and clouds looming above them. The walls are lit with torches of Greek fire. Every footstep echoes as though it’s right next to Jason’s ears—and he can’t help but feel like his own unsteady, panicked breath is humiliatingly obvious.

 

He doesn’t feel grounded, until he realizes Nico is squeezing his hand.

 

“Jason,” Nico says again, his voice steady. He looks back at Jason, hair caked in mud and rain, and face smeared with blood and ichor under his helm. His gaze is gentle, the pool of his eyes consuming Jason’s essence as many times before. Nico’s touch keeps him from slipping. “I’m here.”

 

Nico’s not leaving him. No one is taking Nico away from Jason this time.

 

Sion tugs on his other hand, a delicate smile curled against his lips.

 

Jason looks to the highest point of the arc and meets Zeus’s domineering, frigid gaze. He scans the room, met with the gawking of the many gods that were just on the battlefield with him. Hades meets Jason’s eye for a moment, smiling pleasantly between Nico and himself. Poseidon’s gaze is every bit as warm as it was when they were in Atlantis.

 

Thor clears his throat, forcing Jason to turn around.

 

In replace of the doors that lead to the corridors of the palace is a room just as humongous as Olympus’s throne room. Jason sees many long tables across the floor decorated with Greek, Roman, and Norse demigods. Sees his friends and his sister at the closest table—evidently confused why she’s no longer standing beside him. He even sees all of the minor gods and goddesses that he helped sitting at a table across from them. Kym waves lovingly.

 

At the end of the room is a beautiful tree that arches over its audience. And at the trunk sits a long table meant for feasts—with a man at the center and Thor at his side.

 

“Valhalla,” Nico murmurs besides Jason.

 

Jason doesn’t understand how Nico just knows that—but if he’s learned anything from the last three years without Nico, it’s that his boyfriend knows everything.

 

“Sorry, Father,” Thor says. His voice carries through both rooms without even trying. “This was the only way to accommodate every on the battlefield.”

 

Thor’s father is a barrel-chested god wearing a casual polo with the words Hotel Valhalla at the side. For a moment, he looks as stern as weathered as Zeus does—but the expression melts, like a bemused young grandfather absorbing the antics of his son. Odin shrugs. “Whatever you, must, Thor.”

 

Zeus slams his lightning bolt into its container. The impact causes a CRACKLE that blinds the room in epileptic flicker. He stands to his feet, and the winds around him forces Jason to shield both Nico and Sion. Nico stays wedged in place, refusing Zeus any closer to Jason.

 

“So we’re doing this now?” Zeus snaps. He waves his hand at the feast hall housing all of the injured demigods and minor deities. “We’re mixing your realm of death with Olympus?”

 

Thor stares back at him just as quizzically as he has been. He points a finger at the other immortal being. “Well, you started it.”

 

Another laugh echoes through the throne room and the feast hall—this time coming from Zeus’s own court. Apollo sits casually over his throne, legs kicked over his arm rest and amusement clear on his face. Zeus’s composure is as hard and unemotional as every statue that Jason’s ever had to look at. He turns his gaze, his face wrinkled into an ugly sneer, and looks ready to turn the Sun God into a mortal all over again.

 

Then another laugh erupts from the feast all—no one turning to slap a hand over Percy’s mouth this time. Jason quickly glances over to Poseidon, only to be met with a sheepish, but unapologetic gaze.

 

“Lord Thor,” Jason starts—

 

Thor clears his throat, each cough coming out like a thunderclap. He wipes the grease off his beard with his forearm and shakes his head. “Don’t call me lord, child. Thor will do.”

 

Jason’s head spins. The Mjolnir tattoo feels more and more like a mist-induced dream the longer that he stands there. He feels Nico gripping his hand again—and from the corner of his eye, he notices the reassurance flashing across Nico’s face. His compass.

 

“I’m trying to understand everything that’s happening,” Jason confesses. He unwillingly lets go of both Sion and Nico’s hands and gestures to the many runes climbing up his shoulder. “My own father disowned me for unveiling his truth. Why would you take that as an opportunity to…lay claim to me?”

 

Jason can feel his father’s gaze trying to burn a hole through him.

 

Thor lets out a hearty chuckle. flies across the room and lands with an all-encompassing SLAM to the ground—and Jason finds himself right in the middle of two gods of thunder all over again. This time, however, the look on Thor’s face is clear. There’s no ill intent behind his gaze.

 

“You really let this one slip through your fingers, Zeus?” Thor claps his hands. All of a sudden, one of the many doors open. Two goats appear, toting a jumbotron-sized TV behind them with ease. The TV suddenly lifts into the air, mounting invisibly behind him. “I’ve been binge-watching your life, Jason Grace! I’ve never been so obsessed!”

 

Jason finds himself confused again until the TV turns on. His heart skips a beat as he sees what he did at the loom: the image of himself in his mother’s arms, with Thalia at his side. Suddenly, the television flickers—and Jason sees himself being left behind to Lupa at the age of two. Of being voted into the Fifth Cohort by the age of three, then becoming a centurion after slaying the Sea Monster at the age of twelve, then slaying Krios—helping save Juno, finding peace for Kymopoleia, helping in the Second Great War—

 

All of his accomplishments since being guided to the Wolf House.

 

Which keep going. Jason sees his younger, brighter self in pontifex robes and a boyish smile, traveling the world with Piper and Leo at his side as they met with minor deities and built temples.

 

There’s a moment where he loses himself, watching a younger Jason side-by-side with an even younger Nico, knees deep in dirt as they planted poppies for Thanatos. He watches the younger Jason under the sky, adorned with a heartfelt smile as Nico di Angelo’s presence gave him the world.

 

He snaps out of it momentarily when he hears Nico utter something. Nico’s cheeks flush just as red, expression vaguely exasperated. “You really have been looking at me like that for years.”

 

“Yeah,” Jason admits, though he feels the warmth in his own cheeks.

 

“Oh, I especially enjoy the gooey parts,” Thor assures. One of the goats upchucks a remote into his hand and he fast forwards through all of Jason’s life’s work until the more recent events arise.

 

He sees himself, lit only by the light of his own loom, caressing Nico’s face between his fingers. The TV Jason leans in for the butterfly-inducing kiss that Jason had wanted for years.

 

“I can’t believe I would ever forget how much I love you.”

 

Thor presses on a button and rewinds the scene.

 

“I can’t believe I would ever forget how much I love you.”

 

Rewinds again.

 

“I can’t believe I would ever forget how much I love you.”

 

“Daddy,” Sion gasps in shock. “What are you doing to Nico?”

 

“Please—” Nico turns red from head to toe, burying his face in his hands. “Please stop.” He looks ready to open a shadow directly to Tartarus.

 

Jason’s so flustered himself that everything around him looks as pink as his face feels. He averts his gaze and looks around. Jason looks to the Olympian gods, noting the anger and frustration across Zeus’s face hasn’t changed. Meanwhile, Lady Aphrodite looks at the screen with her hands to her mouth and stars in her eyes. Poseidon looks as uncomfortable as he did back at Atlantis, though supportive. Jason just almost meets Hades’s gaze and swallows hard before pretending to look interested elsewhere.

 

None of the gods looked surprised, however. Jason thinks he finally understands what Poseidon meant when he said their antics were broadcast across the nine realms.

 

Tears stream down Thor’s face like thick raindrops, snot dribbling at his nostril. He wipes the mess away with his hair. “You’re a passionate hero, Jason Grace! And when you were on Rainbow—”

 

Percy’s mortified gasp echoes across both Olympus and Valhalla.

 

Nico mutters incoherencies beside Jason while the other demigod squints upwards, trying to grasp the situation as best he can.

 

A sigh finally comes from Zeus’s lips, ire as visible as a raging storm. “Are you done?”

 

“Hmm.” Thor looks down to the couple, then back to Zeus. “Possibly.”

 

“Remove your curse from my son immediately.” Zeus jabs a hasty finger towards Jason, his mouth stretching into an irritated scowl. “You’ve got a lot of nerve claiming one of my children. How dare you?”

 

“How dare he?” Jason repeats. Suddenly the anger bustles in Jason’s gut. The holes in his clothes where Kampê punctured him are cold. His arm aches from when a valkyrie shot him in name of the Aesir god. His body aches with pain from his battle with several other demigods and all of the hekatonkherie, cyclopses, and giants that all tried to kill him on the battlefield. This was just today. “Thor has shown me more acknowledgement in one afternoon than you have my entire life.”

 

Before Jason knows it, he’s high in the air at eye level with his father. He’s in Zeus’s direct line of sight, every bit as angry as he was four years ago. Worse. The air around Jason is suddenly ionic again. The winds whistle and howl around Zeus, his eyes flickering with rage and his fists crackling with electricity.

 

“You want my acknowledgement, boy?” Zeus asks ominously. “You want me to acknowledge your disrespect? Your threats of overthrowing me? Your attempts to break tradition at a camp named in my honor?

 

“You broke tradition when you impersonated another god,” Jason snaps. He doesn’t back down. He’s never had a reason to. Jason used to stare at the sky, wanting nothing more than a sign that his father loved him. Now, Jason feels the ribbons of lightning as they dance across his chest and over his forearms, his eyes glittering with rage. He’s ready to strike his father for every moment of neglect, of loneliness, and every bit of pain. “You went against your own stories when you sent Kampê after me.”

 

He doesn’t need Thor’s curse to power him. Jason thinks he could kill Zeus with his bare hands right now.

 

Zeus glares at him hatefully. “You think this is what your mother would have wanted for you? Raising a sword against your father?”

 

“Would your mother want this for you?” Jason retorts. “Repeating your father’s mistakes?”

 

The words strike Zeus at the core. His eyes widen angrily before he raises a palm into the air and aims to slap Jason straight into the ground—

 

Only to be pierced in the hand by a silver arrow.

 

“AGH!!” Zeus howls in pain, clutching his golden, bloodied hand. He staggers backwards and stumbles, dragged into the ground by his own shadow. Tendrils of darkness coil at his ankles and at his wrists.

 

Jason quickly turns around, met with the sight of Thalia at her feet, nocking another arrow in her bow. He looks down to Sion and Nico, where the son of Hades glows with an eerie light and his hair sways opposite to Zeus’s wind currents.

 

“You don’t raise a hand at Jason ever again,” Nico says darkly.

 

For the first time, Zeus looks truly taken aback. He turns his head to Thalia, a snarl at his lips. “My own daughter raises her weapon at me?”

 

The look Thalia gives from across the throne room is chilling. Her silver circlet glows under the moonlight, hand ready to release her arrow at any time. “Guess Mom would be disappointed in me, too.”

 

Jason sees his god allies ready to jump into action, like they did down at Camp Demigod. Each deity has a weapon in hand, eyes narrowed at the King of the Gods. He sees Percy with Riptide in his fist, and Leo with fire in his palms. The kids from Camp Halfblood look ready to jump to his aid, along with a handful of New Romans. Even the valkyrie and einherjar seem intrigued—if only to relish the opportunity of fighting a god of another pantheon.

 

“Are you going to do something about your son?!” Zeus whips his head around to Hades, who doesn’t flinch.

 

Hades looks back at him, his expression calm in the face of his brother. He and Nico share the same, respectful look that Jason saw many years ago in this very throne room. “I believe I’ve done plenty for my son, brother. Enough to never worry about this scenario.”

 

“AGHH!” Zeus thrashes against the shadow binds, his body searing with hot bolts of lightning. “I! AM! KING! OF! THE! GODS!”

 

Nico’s shadows are strong, but not strong enough to incarcerate a god. Zeus breaks out of the bind with a sickening SNAP and lunges towards the Son of Hades.

 

“NO!” Jason launches himself towards Nico, terrified. He throws himself into Nico, arms hurriedly wrapping around the Son of Hades before Zeus could dare rip Nico out of his life again.

 

The Greek fire torches suddenly go out. The chandeliers flicker immensely like lightning until each bulb breaks. An ominous chill lurks through the throne room and this time, Zeus is bound by shadows controlled by the King of the Dead himself.

 

The demeanor on Hades’s face hardens. The souls in his robes whine and croon as their master stands to his feet, no longer an idle party.

 

“You think your quarrel with your son gives you the right to harm mine?” Hades asks. His pitch matches Nico’s from earlier, if not scarier.

 

It’s then that Jason realizes that none of the Olympian gods have risen from their seats. Each of them sits and observes as their king is suddenly shackled by his older brother. Jason searches their faces for their reaction. Artemis’s demeanor mimics Thalia’s—numb and enraged from all of her missing huntresses. Mr. D looks deathly in need of a drink. Ares, Zeus’s biggest follower, is clutching his arm rests instead of jumping to his father’s aid. His face is still littered with bruises from when Hazel slapped him in the face with a trailer, like a reminder of shame.

 

“I’m inclined to agree with Hades.” Suddenly, Poseidon rises to his feet and stands parallel to the King of the Dead. His expression is wary as he casts a look down to Zeus. “My boy’s about to become a father. I’d rather he not die due to one of your little flings.”

 

“She wasn’t just a fling.” Jason can’t help himself. His arms are tight around Nico, and Sion is close between their hearts. “Sion will never know his mother because of this.”

 

Zeus flashes a domineering look towards him. Not an ounce of pity is visible on his face, but he doesn’t thrash. Instead, he stares at Jason like he’s still well above the clouds. “You’ll never understand the connection I had with Astrid.”

 

Jason doesn’t think he’s ever hated the way someone has said Astrid’s name more. His stance hardens, jaw tightening, and electricity bristles in his fingers. “You don’t ever get to say her name. You took your power and you lied to her! Every moment she shared with you, she thought she was sharing with him!”

 

He jabs a finger towards Thor, anger shimmering off of him. The Aesir God squeaks for a moment, and another thought occurs to Jason.

 

“You never once came to Sion’s aide. Not even when Sif killed his mother.” Jason chokes on a breath. He turns his gaze back to the little boy in Nico’s arms and met with the mirror of his own eyes. Sion glances back at him, inquisitive and pure with scruffs of Astrid’s red curls falling in his face. “The first thing you did when you saw him was try to kill him!”

 

Zeus wasn’t there when the nightmares were too much for Sion. He wasn’t there taking every blow and hit so Sion would be okay. He wasn’t there to hear Sion’s laughs, or Sion’s first words, or to see him walk for the first time. He wasn’t willing to give up everything to be with his son, or anything at all.

 

Zeus was willing to hide his secret at the cusp of a war, to oust his eldest demigod son from Mount Olympus, and let others fight on his behalf.

 

It’s not worth his father’s acknowledgement, when Zeus is nothing but a selfish king with a head too big for his crown. When Zeus is willing to put every one of Jason’s friends and siblings in danger for another one of his affairs, and when that affair was with one of the most amazing people Jason ever knew.

 

Astrid Lykke was nothing like his own mother. She was kind and loved love more than power. Just like her son.

 

“Your ichor runs through my veins,” Jason says angrily, “but I reject you.”

 

To his surprise, Zeus looks unsettled by his words. He’s no longer the pristine, foreboding presence of a King of the Gods. Instead, dark hairs hang out of place around his widow’s peak and his suit is disheveled. His stormy eyes narrow towards Jason. “My ichor has helped you win your hardest battles, and you reject me?”

 

“My hardest battles were on the streets, fighting for my life.” Jason lets go of a breath and waves to the many people around him. Gestures to Nico. “Even in my darkest hours, my friends helped me. Found me.”

 

He points to the Olympian gods behind Zeus, who still haven’t moved.

 

“No one is helping you right now, Father.” Jason’s hands fall at his side. He’s not surprised when he feels the tips of Nico’s fingers curl into his own.

 

Both halls are silent. Jason could throw a penny out the window and hear it hit the grounds of New York.

 

Zeus raises his head to look over his shoulder, where both his elder brothers stand as tall as Jason and Nico do. He makes eye contact with the rest of his siblings and the rest of his court, which is housed by the other many gods with his ichor in their veins.

 

“No one comes to my aid?” Zeus whispers, his voice no higher than a breath.

 

Hermes uncrosses his legs, his expression stern. He gestures to the crowd of demigods—towards Travis and Connor Stoll. “You made me fight my own sons. My neglect of their elder brother is what stirred the first war.”

 

Zeus’s expression withers.

 

“Pops,” Ares says. His expression is the softest that Jason has ever seen from the god of war. “You’re so busy focused on power that you can’t appreciate the accomplishments of your children. Like my boy and his girls. The most beautiful thing about war is being able to come back to your loved ones when it’s over.”

 

Disbelief washes over Zeus’s face.

 

“Our brother is your most noble son, Dad.” Apollo gestures to Jason, a warm smile across his face. “You took his powers away, but he still represents all of the other aspects of you. Honor, truth, and justice. He rallied the demigods like you rallied your siblings. Wait—those could be song lyrics—” A notepad appears in the palm of his hand and he starts to scribble.

 

Athena reaches over and smacks him across the head with it. She inspects their father carefully, lips furled into a straight line. “This boy over here once stood at Olympus and warned you that it would only take one to topple you in the presence of twelve. He warned you that turning your back on your people would be unwise, and you’ve hated him ever since.”

 

“You all feel this way?” Zeus stares at them, his voice calm. “My children, who have served me for millennia, now stand against me?”

 

The four preceding gods don’t flinch, unafraid of Zeus’s tumultuous voice.

 

“And my brothers?!” Zeus laughs angrily, whirling his gaze back to Hades and Poseidon. “My brothers shackle me? What about my sisters? My wife? No one comes to my aid?”

 

Demeter sits closely to Hera, her hand wrapped around her sister’s. She gestures to Nico. “I’m inclined to agree with Hades, brother. I see the way he treats his son. I know how fond my daughter is of him. We’ve all seen Poseidon help guide Percy Jackson through the first war. Even with the notion of building this camp—to focus on him and the rest of our bloodline— neither one of them would act in malice. In fact—”

 

She flashes a noble, warm gaze that reminds Jason of both Hades and Poseidon.

 

“—how could you call this malice? This boy wanted to build temples in the names of all of our children. He warned you of what would conspire from your antics. Jason Grace has done nothing but try to counsel you as any of your godly children would. Now we’re at a war after you tricked a girl into falling in love with you. We’re killing our own children.” Demeter’s voice climbs with vibrato. “The only one who has acted out of malice, with the intent to deceive is you.”

 

“Perhaps, brother,” Poseidon says suddenly, “you will find humility if you fall from the clouds.”

 

Jason’s breath catches in his throat. From the corner of his eye, he can also see Nico’s own face twisting in shock.

 

“What are you saying?” Zeus’s reaction mimics his own, and he laughs against the shadows. “You want to turn me mortal? You dare stand in my court and suggest something that preposterous?”

 

“I believe Jason Grace is the one who spoke the truth, brother.” Hades doesn’t loosen his bind. “You place yourself above all of us when you don’t follow your own rules. Our defiance is betrayal, but your apathy is a choice.”

 

Nico shivers at his father’s words. The movement garners Hades’s attention, his expression softening.

 

“We left before that point, my son,” Hades says, “but Jason’s words reached me in the Underworld. All of them.”

 

The two kings raise their hands in the air. In the back of Jason’s head, he faintly remembers that each of the three elder gods chose their domain. That Poseidon and Hades allowed their brother to rule above the sky. And it absolutely means that any of the old gods would be capable of taking his powers away.

 

He sees Mr. D sweating profusely in his throne, desperately waiting to fill the wine glass in his hand. Sees Apollo’s usual lackadaisical expression hardened, probably reliving through all of the cruel years as a son of Zeus himself, and Demeter glaring sternly from her place at her sister’s side.

 

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” Zeus howls. He thrashes against his binds once again, panic finally visible in his voice. “Hera! My love! Don’t let them do this to me!”

 

Unlike before, when Zeus hastily stripped Jason of his powers and threw him from Olympus, Hades and Poseidon both cease. They turn to their sister, who still hasn’t risen from her throne. Jason’s heart suddenly trembles in his chest as he’s met with the gaze of his patron goddess.

 

Hera’s expression is nothing like it was before. She doesn’t fly to Zeus’s defense immediately, and she doesn’t berate Jason. Her gaze is stern and unwavering as she looks upon her husband and her champion.

 

It’s not until now that Jason realizes that Hera wasn’t on the battlefield at Camp Demigod. Not for any side.

 

“You ask for my help, husband?” Hera repeats quietly. “To turn my back once more to your affairs, after you’ve started a war and caused our family to fight once more? After I asked Percy Jackson and my champion to unite the camps?”

 

The realization hits Zeus coldly. His eyes widen, and for the first time, Jason sees fear in his father’s eyes.

 

“My champion, who was born out of wedlock with yet another woman? Whom you named after my favorite hero to soothe me?” Hera’s voice darkens, angrier than any other god in the room—including her husband. “You play with my heart millennia after millennia, husband. This time you’ve desperately tried to hide your affair by getting the Aesir involved and stripping my champion of everything.”

 

She stands to her feet, her cape of peacock feathers swaying as she swiftly places herself between her brothers.

 

“No, my husband,” Hera continues frostily. She unsheathes the lightning bolt from Zeus’s side, her eyes glittering with both rage and power. “I think I’ll turn you mortal myself.”

 

She wields the bolt in the way that Jason’s never seen before—strong and powerful, with a chilling face. Hera raises the bolt of lightning against her husband’s pleas, the feathers of her gown fluttering around her, and strikes Zeus between the legs.

 

“AAAAAAGGHHH!” Zeus’s bloodcurdling screams bellow through both the throne room and the food hall. He suddenly glows, deafening Hades’s darkness. Winds spin around Zeus, then outwards like a blistering hurricane. The gales and light both blind Jason, and he turns away from the sight.

 

“Hera,” he hears a mortified Poseidon say, “the penis?”

 

*

 

Zeus is gone when Jason opens his eyes. He’s met with the sight of three less-threatening gods: Poseidon, clutching his chest for dear life as he stares at his sister, a pale Hades, staring at his sister with absolute disgust, and Hera, with a three-foot long bolt of lightning in one hand and—

 

“Oh my gods.”  Jason’s hand flies over Sion’s eyes, met with Nico’s own palm.

 

“Hey!” Sion whines, confused.

 

“Jason, my champion.” Hera kneels before them, her voice regal and motherly at the same time. Her gaze brims with pride, a loving smile curled against her lips. “You’ve endured many hardships to find your way back at Olympus. And you don’t come alone.”

 

She turns her gaze to Nico, who visibly stiffens. Jason doesn’t think he’s ever seen them interact before. Then, she turns back to him, regret dimming her irises.

 

“It wasn’t my place to criticize your mother.” Hera’s expression softens. “Circumstances aside, just know that the day you were born was filled with only love. Apollo is right. You encompass all of the qualities that my husband has forgotten under his rule. Truth. Justice. Honor. These aren’t things that you learned from him, but qualities that you taught yourself.”

 

Jason’s breath catches in his throat, but for a different reason this time.

 

“My stupid husband might not have thought it was important to acknowledge you,” Hera continues, “but your words have echoed across the Nine Realms. We at Olympus acknowledge you.”

 

She holds out her hand, presenting Zeus’s gold, bloodied appendage towards them.

 

“Take this as a reminder of how your worth is much greater than Zeus’s ichor.” She smiles at him proudly. “How you’ve humbled us gods once again, by surrounding us with our many children.”

 

“I—” Jason’s words wither in his throat, and he’s torn between staring at the gift and looking everywhere but his patron’s hand. “I, uh, humbly decline, Hera. Such an honor should stay with the Queen of the Gods, who—”

 

“Who showed true strength is in family,” Nico quickly finishes for him. “Queen Hera.”

 

“Hmm. Very well. I suppose this can come back to my chambers with me.” Hera stare at the mutilated appendage briefly. Her hand glitters softly until Zeus’s dismembered organ is wriggling about in a bird cage. With a wave of her hand, the penis finally disappears, and Jason can finally breathe again.

 

Behind her, Jason sees both Hades and Poseidon still recovering from their sister’s actions. All of the other gods and goddesses continue to watch onward with either amusement or horror.

 

“This has been quite a show.” Odin finally lifts from his seat in the food hall. He stares down at Jason in fascination. Even as the Allfather to all of the Aesir gods, his gaze is much benevolent than Zeus could dare to dream. “Perhaps my valkyrie were right, Jason Grace. You’d be worthy in the fight against Ragnarok.”

 

Jason takes in the words carefully, red burning in his cheeks.

 

“Queen Hera—” Thalia commandeers the goddess’s attention. She stands to her feet and darts across the length of the hall.

 

Jason waits, to watch Hera’s expression twist with ire. It never comes.

 

“What’s going to happen to Olympus now that Zeus is no longer king?” Thalia asks. She stares at their stepmother straight in the eye, her voice unwavering.

 

Hera doesn’t even hesitate. She smiles ambitiously and waves at the court seated behind them. “I believe my champion and your baby brother has shown us that there are many gods who are willing to balance out the duties of Olympus.”

 

“We’ll talk about arrangements. Rest assured, changes will be made.” Poseidon smiles warmly. “Though, with your way with words, Jason Grace, you’ve already proven yourself a much greater king than our brother.”

 

Jason’s heart stutters in his chest, and he looks between the Allfather of the Aesir gods, then to Poseidon’s warm and kind smile.

 

“If it’s all the same,” Hades cuts in. He gestures to Nico, the amusement and weariness in his voice. “I believe the best thing for Jason Grace is to let him decide what he wants.”

 

Looking back to Nico, Jason finally sees it. A dread in the pools of oily black eyes. Nico’s eyebrows furrow together, his lips pressed into a solid line to prevent himself from saying something against the court. His hand is tight around Jason’s fingers, and the intent is the same as before. They either leave together, hand-in-hand out of Olympus, or not at all.  

 

Jason peers down to Sion, who returns the gaze between Nico’s fingers curiously and grins.

 

Lastly, he looks back over to Thalia, who smiles back at him with adoration and trust.

 

“If it’s all the same to you,” Jason whispers weakly, “I think I want to go home. With my family.”

 

All four gods smile down at them. He feels his legs buckle beneath him, and slowly, he falls back. A bench magically appears behind him, supporting Jason before he can fall. Thalia’s hand rests on one of his shoulders, while Nico’s rests on the other. Sion reaches out, pressing one small hand against Jason’s cheek.

 

“Now that is an idea that I can get behind.” Hera casts a smile back at him. She sheathes her husband’s lightning bolt, leaving the next time it will be wielded a mystery. “Let me know when the three of you would like to make this official. My champion. Son of Hades.” A warm smile curls across her face and she gestures to Sion. “Son of Jason.”

 

Jason’s heart swells in his chest. He turns to Nico—and can only smile when he’s met with the same shy, tender gaze. “Thank you, Queen Hera.”

 

Off in the distance, the sounds of corks popping echo through Olympus. Two champagne bottles the size of Sion are in either one of Mr. D’s fists. Mr. D weeps happily in his finest silk robes, tears streaking down his eyes as he pours gargantuan glasses for Pollux and Dakota. The god who’d thrown a keg across the battlefield now stands beside him. Mr. D taps his glass of wine with the other god’s pint of mead.

 

“Perhaps we should try part of this unity thing that our kids are talking about.” Poseidon stares pleasantly at the god’s pint glass. “I’ve always wanted to try mead.”

 

Odin hums in approval. “I believe partying is universal.”

 

With that, three of the eldest gods and the Allfather disappear, better acquainted. Jason doesn’t miss the way that Hades smiles at him before making an exit.

 

“Where’s big Nico going?” Sion asks curiously, speaking for the first time since their arrival to Olympus.

 

Jason’s heart melts and he can’t help but laugh. He reaches over and ruffles red curls. “Your first visit to Olympus and you ask about Nico?”

 

Sion’s eyes glitter, unashamed, and he throws his arms around the said son of Hades. “I like Nico.”

 

“He does take after you,” Nico retorts. He laughs quietly, the edges of his mouth curling into a smile.

 

“You know—” Thalia interjects by ruffling both of their heads. Jason can’t help but think about how she’s barely much taller than them as they’re sitting. She grins unabashedly, looking between the pair. “—you two are from very different parts of my lives. But I’m glad you found each other.”

 

“Ahem.”

 

They turn around and are met with the sight of Thor once more. He stares back at them inquisitively, his eyes a brilliant blue and a smile under his scruffy beard.

 

Suddenly, red flushes through Jason and he can’t help but feel embarrassed. He whirls around to meet the gaze of the Aesir god. “Oh, Thor—I’m sorry you got caught up in all of this—”

 

“Oh, don’t even, my boy!” Thor laughs capriciously and bats a hand in the air. Gusts form at his fingertips with each wave, and grins before he shrinks to human level. He rubs his hands together, staring between all of them with delight. “I got so caught up in all the action that I forgot I wasn’t watching TV! Well—except for the part where Zeus’s blood got in my beard.”

 

He strokes his beard thoughtfully, gold smearing between his fingers. Jason has to do all that he can not to gag.

 

Instead, Jason swallows the lump in his throat as he tries to wrap his mind around the events that transpired. “You…saw me from across the nine realms when my own father wanted to forget that I existed. Thank you.”

 

The pools of Thor’s eyes flicker. A soft smile curls across his face, as loving and proud as their first meeting. Jason doesn’t know very many Norse myths, but he knows that Thor is renowned as the strongest god of the Aesir. Maybe in more ways than one.

 

“After all of this strife and killing in a pointless war? All I did was give you my Blessing, Jason Grace. You rallied demigods and deities all on your own. They saw your worth and guided me to you. Though—” Thor’s tattooed hands sparkle with electricity and he flexes, the Sif tattoo bulging at his bicep. “If you ever want to go hunting and beat stuff up, I’d be happy to take you on a father-son adventure!”

 

Jason holds back a laugh. Thor’s infectious smile reaches his own mouth. “I’ll keep that in mind, sir.”

 

“Now—may I please hold your baby?” Thor falls to his knees, his eyes shimmering with excitement. He stares at Sion like the little demigod is a fiery star and clasps his hands together. “I’ve binge-watched all of your life and absolutely no one is more adorable than this boy here! My grandson!”

 

Jason blinks blearily at the request. He turns his attention to Nico, who also seems to be having trouble processing the question.

 

“Sion, buddy,” Jason says slowly, “do you want to go play with Grandpa Thor?”

 

“Grandpa?” Sion repeats. He stares at the God of Thunder curiously.

 

A chuckle bellows from Thalia, and she claps a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Aunt Thalia will supervise.”

 

“Aunt Tally!” Sion agrees.

 

Thor throws both arms in the air victoriously. “GRANDSON!”

 

Before they leave, Thalia ruffles Jason’s hair one more time and kisses him on the forehead. He watches her flash a knowing look to Nico, whose face twists into a grimace.

 

“What’s that about?” Jason asks.

 

Red blooms across Nico’s face in beautiful streaks, and he averts his gaze. He slides against the bench, flustered. “Nothing.”

 

“Okay.” After a tiring day, Jason doesn’t think he can take any more surprises. He glances around Olympus and Valhalla, catching sight of his friends amongst the crowd of demigods. Reyna and Annabeth speak happily to their mothers. Poseidon sits beside Kymopoleia and Percy, carrying on an inaudible conversation. Jason sees Hera smiling from afar as she converses with whom he can only assume is Odin and the Allfather’s wife.

 

Off in the distance, he watches as Ares trails after Hazel, still begging for her forgiveness. Leo seems to be having an awkward conversation with Hephaestus, both tinkering nervously with the bits and pieces around them. He even notices Hermes having a quiet, somber conversation with Travis and Connor.

 

Thor throws Sion happily in the air, making noises. He wields the little demigod like he would his own hammer, and shouts, “FOR ASGARD!”

 

Sion raises a tiny fist of his own at the palm of the Aesir god’s hands. “For asses!”

 

Aunt Tally’s cackles echo in the background.

 

The war has ended, and Jason thinks the gods are just a little bit closer to their children.

 

A hand wraps around his wrist. Nico takes the sculpted helm off of his own head, dark hair spilling out and framing his face. He leans into Jason’s warmth, the tension fading in favor of them.

 

A sigh flutters out of Jason’s lips, his heart as a calm. Sitting beside Nico—a boy that pitied more than honored him for his title as Son of Jupiter—is all that he ever wanted. To have Nico as a friend, and to have him as more. He reaches over to place an arm around Nico’s waist and presses a kiss at the fringe of Nico’s hair. “I love you.”

 

Nico shivers under his touch. “I love you too.”

 

Jason freezes. His heart trembles in his chest, and he looks back down, trying to replay the words in his head. Every thought suddenly comes to a fleeting halt, and he’s met with the sight of Nico’s beautiful, ethereal smile. “You do?”

 

He wants to tear his gaze away to find the Mist—but stops himself before he can. This is real. He knows it is.

 

“Yeah,” Nico murmurs back. His smile widens until the edge of his lips reach his eyes, and he touches the contour of Jason’s jaw with the tips of his fingers. “I do.”

 

A lump swells in Jason’s throat, and his whole body quakes, elated. Ecstatic. “Say it again.” Please.

 

The hue of Nico’s eyes twinkle with amusement. He shifts his entire weight, leaning closer to Jason, and slowly tilts his head to brush their lips together.

 

The sensation is sweet and tender and Jason doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the feeling of Nico’s mouth against his. He kisses back, engulfing himself in as much of Nico as he can.

 

He wants to kiss and embrace Nico and grow old together, and never let go. He needs to hear Nico say it as many times as possible, Fates willing, until it’s etched permanently in his heart.

 

Jason could forget everything in the world all over again, but Nico’s love could find him in every lifetime.

 

As they pull away, Jason vaguely hears cheering in the background. Vaguely. He’s enamored by the rosy tint in Nico’s cheekbones, and the glow of happiness in the dark hue of Nico’s eyes.

 

Hair falls into Nico’s face as his smile widens, and he leans in to press another kiss against Jason’s mouth.

 

“I love you, Jason Grace,” Nico whispers. “My heart is yours.”

 

*

 

When the festivities finally end on Olympus and Valhalla, Thalia and Jason share one last, heartfelt goodbye before she leaves with Artemis to find their hunters. The way she clings onto him lets him know that leaving is the last thing she wants to do. But he also knows that the Huntresses are her life now. They part with a promise to write letters—this time keeping in touch as much as possible. Sion gives Aunt Tally one last kiss on the cheek and that makes it impossibly hard for Thalia to go.

 

After that, the gods send them back to Camp Demigod. Jason has to do a double take. What was once a muddied, ruined field in the valley of the Ozarks now flourishes with greenery. The tattered plots have been rebuilt and separated—lined even better than before. Construction materials sit at the edge of camp, along with metal beams and machinery.

 

Leo mutters a complaint under his breath and shakes his head in disdain. “All of this destruction and they couldn’t just build this camp for us.”

 

“No,” Percy agrees. A smile curls against his lips and he looks over to Jason. “But I think this means we have their blessing.”

 

“A bed would’ve been nice,” Nico grumbles quietly. He leans into Jason tiredly, his cheek pressing against the taller demigod’s shoulder.

 

“A bed would be nice,” Jason agrees.

 

With one last trip in mind, Hazel and Nico both shadowtravel their gang back to New Rome. All of the aches and pain suddenly hit them at full force, and Jason’s reminded of Nico’s own exhaustion after shadowtraveling to the Three Fates Boutique. They direct themselves to the hospital, where beds are already lined with Legionnaires and Greek demigods. Jason supposes it only makes sense—Camp Halfblood’s best healer went to college in order to become New Rome’s best doctor years ago.

 

Will swiftly makes his way through all of his patients scattered in the medical bay, with Magnus toting in the opposite direction. Both demigods look as agile across the hospital room as Jason feels in the air. He’s forced into a hospital bed for the umpteenth time since reuniting with Nico and finds himself inspected by both blonds.

 

Will’s gaze practically pierces him. It’s terrifying. Magnus stares at him, gaze a little gentler.

 

“So I hear,” Will starts slowly, his voice dry, “you got stung by Kampê.”

 

Well. Jason cringes and looks at the welts climbing up his sides. “Stung might be an understatement.”

 

“You know what’s not an understatement? The sudden amount of tattoos you’ve got there.” Will gestures to Jason’s tattooed arm, the wry amusement clear in his voice. “I told you to stick to a routine, Jason. Not to start a war.” 

 

In the hospital bed beside Jason, which housed Jason’s sleeping son and the love of his life, Nico snorts. “I would argue that that trying to be martyr is part of his routine.”

 

Jason’s face burns brightly, and he shrinks in his seat. “You love me though.”

 

“I do,” Nico responds begrudgingly. Though when Jason catches a glance of the Son of Hades’s face, all he sees is amusement. Sion is sprawled across Nico’s body, fast asleep with his tiny fists curled into Nico’s t-shirt.

 

Magnus turns uncomfortably red and Will looks between the two of them, unfazed. Jason can’t help but swallow hard.

 

“Glad to see the two of you resolved your ungodly sexual tension,” Will says casually. He makes direct eye contact with Jason, and the latter demigod can’t help but be wary of the image of Doctor Solace with surgical tools in his hands. Will stares at him sharply, and then his expression fades, amused. “Though I wouldn’t prescribe a lot of movement in your current state, magical godly eight pack aside.”

 

“I did earn those on my own, thank you.” Jason’s cheeks flush with sanguine, suddenly wanting to be anywhere else than the receiving end of Will’s eyes. “I was just—not as soft as back then.”

 

Magnus hums in fascination, his eyes also scanning every nook and curve of Jason’s body. “Where do you think the tattoos end?”

 

“A full body inspection would be appropriate,” Will agrees—though Jason can’t tell if Will means that seductively. “I can’t even imagine what stress you’ve put your body through between Atlantis, Olympus, and war. You take this one, Magnus. Your healing seems to work better on Jason than mine does anyway.”

 

As Will departs, Nico pulls him aside, his voice low. Jason tries as hard as he can not to eavesdrop. Can’t.

 

“You know I loved you too, right?” Nico says quietly, his voice soft.

 

Will smiles despite the dire circumstances of his med bay, and kisses Nico platonically on the forehead. Every scrape and bruise glows and magically heal on the Son of Hades, and Jason pretends not to notice.

 

“Not as much as you’ve always loved him,” Will replies. There’s no malice in his voice. He gestures to Jason. “I accepted that a long time ago.”

 

Magnus tears Jason’s attention away by pressing hands around the crown of his head. Jason shudders quietly under his touch, feeling the warmth of the Son of Frey as Magnus’s powers unraveled every bit of tension in his head and heal his weathered body.

 

He sees Nico across from him in a booth, with the sunlight glowing against his pale skin. A sweet, dainty smile across those thin lips, and an angelic glow in the hue of his irises. Dark bangs sway across Nico’s face, head tilted to hear him better. Then, the Nico in his vision tilts his head back, mouth opening into a happy laugh that’s music to Jason’s ears.

 

The first time Nico truly looked happy that they were friends.

 

When the memory fades, Jason notices Magnus blushing. Even in memories, Jason can’t help his heart brimming with love for Nico di Angelo.

 

“Thanks for everything, Magnus.” Jason smiles earnestly and reaches out to give Magnus’s hand a soft squeeze. “I heard you’re the reason people started remembering me in the first place.”

 

“Anytime, Jason.” Magnus smiles back at him once comfortable, and peels away from the hospital bed. “I’m, uh. Gonna go see if Annabeth needs help.” As he wanders away, Jason swears he hears the Son of Frey muttering something the lines of, Yup, definitely not straight.

 

“What do you see?” Nico’s voice cuts through him, inquisitive. “When he heals you?”

 

The question is so innocent that Jason can’t help but laugh. “Do you really not know?”

 

Nico studies him for a moment, then shakes his head. He brushes a hand through Sion’s curls, and Jason’s heart flutters once again in his chest. “I have an idea.”

 

“Mommy!”

 

They watch as Frank and Piper make their way into the bay, one twin in either hand. Frank looks like he hasn’t slept in days, five o’clock shadow stubbled at his jaw and obscene stains on his shirt. A legionnaire would mistake it for blood. Jason wouldn’t be surprised if it’s raspberry jelly. Piper, on the other hand, looks content with the pair. Jason wouldn’t be surprised if she charmspoke her way through the entire week. He can only imagine how Percy and she were going to tame their own child.

 

The girls clamor up against their mother in the hospital bed. Hazel smiles at them, overjoyed despite her exhaustion, and kisses either girl on the cheek. She looks up, gold eyes glittering as Frank kisses her.

 

Ares’s words suddenly come back to Jason, about how about the most beautiful thing about war was finally reuniting with loved ones. He sees it now in the way Hazel’s eyes light up at the sight of her daughters, and how Frank and she touch foreheads. Frank stares at her in the same way Jason often finds himself staring at Nico: unable to fathom how he got so lucky. Unable to ever part with her ever again.

 

“You know,” Jason says softly, as he watches both of the girls cling to their mother. They hadn’t even noticed Nico yet. “I wasn’t around when they were born.”

 

He glances over to Nico and notices the shift in the latter demigod’s expression. Before Jason returned, he knows Emily and Marie were the most important people in Nico’s life. They no doubt still are. But Jason watches as Nico casts a glance to Sion’s small frame and runs long strokes across Sion’s back, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

 

“Percy would say they weren’t there when you had Sion, so you’re even.” Nico shrugs.

 

On cue, they watch as Piper makes her way to Percy. She’s barely two steps away from the Zhangs before Percy engulfs her in a bear hug. A laugh flutters out of her mouth, while Leo rolls his eyes to the side. Percy kisses every corner of her face, relationship no longer a secret. Then, he falls to his knees, and happily buries his face in her stomach.

 

Piper turns from across the room, meeting gaze with Jason. They both flash smiles and wave—making a silent promise to reconnect. Piper is one of his loved ones, but not his beloved.

 

“We can have dinner altogether soon. If you want to.” Nico peers back up, suddenly timid. Jason isn’t sure why dinner would be a bad thing. Maybe dinners with Frank and Hazel and the twins weren’t something he could do with Will.

 

“I love anything that get to do with you.” Jason pulls out of the hospital bed and smiles, unabashed. “And I love our friends.”

 

After all, they went to war for him. Jason doesn’t think many friends would be willing to do that.

 

Red flushes against Nico’s cheeks, the uncertainty gone. He collects Sion in his arms, slowly getting off the bed. Like the very first day, Sion only digs himself into the crook of the Son of Hades’s shoulder, like it belongs there. The little demigod hums in delight.

 

“Before you go—” Will suddenly reappears, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a flustered Mike Kahale in the other. “—this one has something he wants to say to you.”

 

Jason has to do a double take between the Greek and Roman demigods. He looks at the way Will’s fingers are interlocked with Mike’s. How the bouquet in Will’s arm is a cluster of beautiful red roses, and how utterly embarrassed his ex-boyfriend looks. From the corner of Jason’s eye, he can see Nico putting the same pieces together, head looking ready to explode.

 

“Are,” Nico starts slowly, flabbergasted, “you two—?”

 

“Sorry,” Mike interrupts, his gaze looking everywhere but their faces. Then, slowly, he raises his eyes and stares at Jason like the sad puppy dog, like when they were teenagers. “I thought we were fighting in the best interest of New Rome and preserving tradition. I…didn’t realize how far against tradition Jupiter was going in order to save his own hide.”

 

Honestly, with how big Jupiter’s head is, Jason is amazed his father was able to go against those tales of triumph. He reaches out, clapping a hand on Mike’s shoulder for the first time in years. “It’s fine, Mike. Just know that I fully expect you to apologize and make it up to Sion when he wakes up.”

 

“Thank—wait, really?” Mike blinks in confusion and stares at the slumbering child.

 

Both Nico and Jason nod.

 

“And if you ever go after my son again,” Jason says, narrowing his gaze steadily. “I will kill you. Understood?”

 

Mike soaks in his words, gaze unwavering. The edge of his lip twitches and he nods. “Glad to have you back, Jace.”

 

Jason warms at the familiarity in Mike’s tone, but he doesn’t falter from his stance in front of Nico and Sion.

 

“I don’t suppose the…roses are also for Jason too,” Nico says slowly. He almost sounds envious. “Are they?”

 

“No.” Will’s eyes flicker, offended, and he waves the perfect bouquet around in his hand. “They’re for me. This idiot just filled my hospital with campers galore. And he used something that I mentioned in passing to find you lot in Arkansas.”

 

In passing? Jason stares at the pair in confusion. “But I thought you got Annabeth to talk.”

 

Mike looks embarrassed all over again.

 

“You think Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Wisdom, didn’t plan her way out of that one? She burned all of her blueprints and we’re still trying to get all the candlewax out of her ears.” Will gestures to another bed, where Magnus is shining a flashlight in her ear while two nurses fuss. She looks absolutely uncomfortable while Reyna is shaking her head in dismay to the side.

 

Nico makes a sound, evidently tired. “You must have heard them talk about it at some point while at the hospital.”

 

Will rolls his eyes and waves his flowers again, as if saying duh. “Don’t have secret meetings in my lobby if you don’t expect it getting back to me.”

 

He sounds so exhausted from this one conversation alone that Jason wants to laugh. All of those years where Will elected to stay behind and read his medical books rather than deal with Percy and the rest of them suddenly makes sense. Even if Nico was a sad about it back then.

 

“I’ve got to put out some other fires.” Will shifts the weight of the bouquet from his hand. He casts a glance at Nico, then stares sharply at Jason. “Seriously, Jason. Stick to a routine. Eat meat. Getting blessed and adopted by another god doesn’t excuse you from being healthy.”

 

“Yessir,” Jason says, disturbed.

 

As Will walks way, Mike totes behind him like a large lost puppy. Mike looks visibly and distraught at Will’s haste—and doesn’t seem to notice how closely Will seems to be cradling the bouquet of roses. Jason has a feeling they’ll be fine.

 

“They seem happy,” he observes.

 

Nico nods wholeheartedly, evidently in agreement. Maybe at peace, too. “They do.”

 

*

 

Later that night, Jason lets Nico guide them back to his apartment. Sion is awake long enough to show Jason all of the pretty drawings he made with Emily and Marie while waiting for Jason to come back. They sit on the couch peacefully, Sion nestled between their laps while they wait for food to arrive.

 

(Nico volunteered to cook again after turning down Jason’s suggestions for PB&Js. They were both in for a horrible surprise when they realized the food all of the New Romans bought for Jason spoiled while they were away. Luckily, Jason remembers that New Rome has the best pizza he’s ever had.)

 

They keep conversation light between Sion and themselves, letting the little toddler ramble about his week with Ms. Hazel and Uncle Perch. Sion seems taken with all of their friends and is especially smitten with Emily and Marie. Jason can’t help but feel relief, knowing Sion is making friends his own age so early.

 

Occasionally, Sion gets distracted by a lego set gifted to him by Leo (“Every parent’s worse nightmare,” Nico grumbles quietly. “Just ask Frank.”). They have to remind him to eat, gesturing for him to come back and take a mouthful of mozzarella stick from Nico’s hand instead of building airplanes.

 

Jason keeps waiting for the other foot to drop—for Nico to sigh and get annoyed at having to split his attention between them and Sion. It never comes. Just like their first night together, Nico smiles at each of Sion’s antics, including trading a lego piece for his last mozzarella stick. He answers each and every one of Sion’s questions (“Can we have the bones visit again?” “Can I have a pepperoni?” “Do you like to draw too?”) without so much as blinking, and still has time to glance over at Jason to share in amusement.

 

“Can you stay forever?” Sion asks at the end of the night, yawning.

 

Nico’s eyes flicker with mirth at the last question.

 

“You’re welcome to spend the night if you want to,” Jason offers quietly. He almost jumps as Nico looks back at him, one knowing eyebrow arched in the air. Red burns in Jason’s cheeks, his back suddenly painfully sweaty, but he doesn’t take the words back.

 

“Nico!” Sion squeals, rubbing his face in the elder demigod’s knee. “Spend the night!”

 

It’s about as much energy as Sion can muster before he starts dozing off.

 

Nico presses a kiss to the corner of Jason’s mouth and stands to his feet. “I’ll clean up if you want to put him in bed.”

 

Jason relishes in the moment of Nico collecting the leftovers. Only hours ago, they were standing on Olympus, kissing under the stars and declaring their love to all of the nine realms. Now, Nico’s washing dishes at his sink while Jason puts his son to bed.

 

It's perfect.

 

He washes Sion’s sleepy face, makes Sion brush his teeth, and helps Sion into a pair of footy pajamas. Then, after sneaking a quick glance at Nico waiting at the couch, sits at the edge of Sion’s bed as the little demigod climbs under the blankets. Sion rubs his face into Jason’s side and hums.

 

“Sion, buddy,” Jason whispers softly, stroking the little demigod’s cheek. “Do you understand what all happened today?”

 

Sion opens his big blue eyes and peers up at him. All Jason sees is a reflection of himself in the tiny face.

 

“There was a big scary man that tried to kill us,” Sion says slowly. “And then the big scary lady cut him up!”

 

Hera certainly did cut Zeus up. Jason shudders, suddenly wanting to cover himself. He runs all of the thoughts in his head and contemplates the best way to say the next sentence. “That big scary man was your dad. Our dad.”

 

Sion looks up at him again, confused.

 

“He’s the one that Astrid—your mom—fell in love with. Even if she didn’t know it.” Jason swallows hard. “You remember your mom, right?”

 

Sion nods and points to the window. “Mommy’s in the stars now.”

 

Yeah. Mommy was in the stars now. Jason lets out another ragged breath and peels himself out of bed. He crouches until he’s at eye level with the little demigod, his heart trembling in his chest. “You’re right. Mommy’s in the stars. And your dad—” Referring to Zeus as a father leaves a bitter taste in Jason’s mouth. “—that man, he…fell from the clouds.”

 

Again, Sion stares at him, clearly not understanding the words.

 

“What I mean is, I don’t think he’s going to be coming into our lives again anytime soon,” Jason explains. His smile saddens. Despite all of the strife that Zeus brought, Jason remembers being as young as Sion was and wishing he had parents. Phineas and the rest of the Legion took care of him in the best way they could for a Son of Jupiter, but never in the way that Jason wanted. Needed. “I hope you’re still okay with just me, buddy.”

 

“Can’t you just be my daddy instead?” Sion frowns, suddenly upset. “I like it when you let me call you daddy.”

 

Jason’s heart stalls in his chest. He sucks in a breath, tears threatening to fall from the creases of his eyes, and buries his face in Sion’s comforter.

 

“Daddy?” Sion asks fearfully. He reaches over and touches the crown of Jason’s head. “Jay—?”

 

“You can call me daddy, Sion.” Jason reaches back over, letting go of the breath, and wraps his arm around the little demigod. His son. “I love you.”

 

A grin stretches across Sion’s face. He presses a kiss against Jason’s forearm and buries himself closer under the other demigod’s arms. “I love you too, daddy.”

 

*

 

Coming back to the living room is almost surreal for Jason. He sees Nico, sprawled across his couch like weeks before. Jason can remember waking up in this same apartment all that time ago, still trying to soak in the reality of being in a cushy apartment instead of on the streets fending for his life with a gladius-gun in hand. He remembers being confused about absolutely everyone in his life—but even more confused at the way his heart fluttered each time he looked at this Son of Hades.

 

At this long-limbed, lithe body sprawled over the length of his couch with soft, ebony eyelashes and mussy black hair. This beautiful, ethereal man with delicate lips and olive skin, that captured his heart when his amnesiac self didn’t know it yet.

 

Two weeks ago, Jason couldn’t remember all of the faces surrounding him in a hospital room. But he knew Nico di Angelo needed to be in his life.

 

Jason hovers over the couch and presses a kiss across Nico’s forehead. A hand curls against his jawline, guiding Jason to Nico’s mouth instead. Nico still tastes like their dinner—tangy and salty from pizza sauce and cheese.

 

“Hi,” Nico murmurs when Jason pulls away. His hand doesn’t leave Jason’s cheek.

 

“Hi.” Jason says back. He stares back at his beloved, lacing a hand around Nico’s own before peeling it away from his face.

 

“You were crying,” Nico notes. He gestures to the dried tears at the corners of Jason’s eyes, concern flashing across his face.

 

“Sion and I may or may not have shared an intimate moment,” Jason muses hoarsely. He leans over the couch, watching as Nico processes his words.

 

A smile curls against Nico’s lips and he shakes his head halfheartedly. “Color me shocked.”

 

“I’m glad you enjoy my couch, but this wasn’t what I had in mind when I said you could stay over,” Jason teases. Admittedly, he likes seeing all of Nico, sprawled against his couch cushions with the edge of a collarbone peeking through the hem of that black shirt. Jason would give anything to nip at it.

 

His staring doesn’t go unnoticed. Nico’s eyes flicker with amusement. He climbs to his knees on the couch cushion and reaches around Jason’s head with both hands, cradling the other demigod’s face between his palms. Nico kisses Jason once more. Harder.

 

Oh.

 

Ohh.

 

Jason is more than willing to reciprocate, his hand clutching at Nico’s bicep. He feels Nico sucking and nipping at his lips, the sensation so dizzying that Jason feels his legs buckling beneath him. Nico pulls away far too soon, with Jason’s body suddenly burning for more.

 

“I told you I’d show you my bedside manner if you stayed alive, didn’t I?” Nico stares at him enticingly. “Jason?”

 

*

 

They latch onto each other all the way to the master bedroom. Jason stumbles to get the door open behind him as Nico grabs handfuls of his shirt. He’s palpably aware that they’re no longer fourteen and sixteen—and the small, handsome kid that Jason used to be able to wrap his arms around twice over is now a beautiful, willowy man who just barely comes under his own height.

 

When Nico pushes against him, Jason staggers. When Jason reaches beneath the tail end of Nico’s shirt to graze pale skin, Nico’s fingers are curled in his belt loop, yanking him closer. Jason both yelps and can’t help the moan fluttering from his lips as hands as cold as popsicles flatten across his stomach.

 

Nico’s mouth is delectable as he kisses Jason, each movement demanding more. Jason’s wanted—needed—nothing more than Nico against him, edging him into pure bliss. His hands find Nico’s face, pushing dark hair out of the way so he can grab every bit of Nico as Nico does of him.

 

“Ack—” Jason yelps as Nico shoves him onto the bed. He looks up, admiring the way the shadows curl around Nico’s silhouette, and shudders at the intensity of Nico’s gaze.

 

Nico has the same look on his face as he does on a battlefield—eyes narrowed with intent, and hair fluttering in every which direction on his face. He descends to his knees between Jason, his lips still decorated with the same enticing smile as before. Each hand grips either one of Jason’s thighs, and he stares up from the floor.

 

Jason’s heart leaps from his chest. He swallows a lump in his throat. Part of him is still trying to grasp that this is happening right now.

 

“What do you want, Jason?” The fervor in Nico’s voice is enough to undo him. Jason’s heard that tone before—when Nico would call him Praetor Grace, or Pontifex. Especially when Nico would call him Son of Jupiter—his voice so sensual and powerful that it used to make Jason tingle. Still makes him tingle.

 

It's even worse now, with Nico uttering just his name. Jason thinks hearing it said that way would be enough to unravel him until the end of time.

 

His breath catches in his throat as Nico kisses the outer layer of his erection. Sparks flutter in Jason’s eyes, and he swallows hard. “I…want…”

 

Nico molds his hand around the outline of Jason’s throbbing cock and Jason moans. “Tell me.”

 

“Your…ah—” Jason trembles, feeling Nico’s hot breath against him. He swallows hard, his fingers coiling into the mattress. “Your mouth.”

 

Nico smiles. Even with a cheek pressed against his erection, Jason can’t help but cherish how warm those eyes look. Nico makes swift work of unbuttoning Jason’s pants—though with the weight Jason’s lost and how eager they both are, Jason wouldn’t be surprised if they’d come off with one yank. The son of Hades stands up for a moment, tugging at Jason’s shirt.

 

Then, Nico stops. Jason has to follow his boyfriend’s gaze—from the tick marks on the inside of his forearm, to the lightning bolt and eagle at the crook of his arm. To Mjolnir on his bicep, and the many runes that dance like the winds across the rest of Jason’s arm and part of his torso. Nico makes a point to press a hand to Jason’s heart, fascinated.

 

Jason curls his own hand over Nico’s, his heart thrumming in his chest. “That’s all me.”

 

Nico’s demeanor melts and his lips curl once more. He sidles back down to his knees, Jason’s boxers being the only thing keeping Nico’s palm from cupping bare flesh. Nico kisses his way down Jason’s stomach, his fingers curling at the hem of Jason’s boxers. Gently, he rolls the fabric under Jason’s cock, and the latter demigod moans as cold air meets the moist precum at the tip of his erection.

 

The momentum stops, when Jason’s underwear is pooled at his ankles and he’s fully unsheathed. Nico’s entire face glows red and he stares at Jason’s erection. Just…stares.

 

Jason can’t help feeling self-conscious. “Um.”

 

“You’ve had this,” Nico’s momentum picks back up, and Jason stutters another moan as a hand wraps around him, “the entire time?”

 

“Yes?” Jason replies, not really sure what to say. His own cheeks burn as he watches Nico’s gaze flutter from his feet to his cock. Nico even stares at the width of his own wrist for comparison, his expression turning even darker shades of red.

 

Finally, Nico breaks into a quiet laughter—and takes the plunge.

 

“Oh—” Jason’s hips buck as Nico’s mouth covers the tip of his cock. He tosses his head back, his heart jumping over hurdles in his chest. The warmth of Nico’s mouth carries down the rest of his cock and over the rest of his body as the Son of Hades bobs his head and mouth further around him. Jason keens again, his legs limp around him as pleasure fuels him.

 

He feels Nico slow down for a second, one hand clutching his cock and the other digging fingernails into his shin. Nico retracts for a moment, and Jason trembles with delight. Then, Nico dives deeper. Jason’s toes curl and he bucks as the tip of his erection reaches the back of Nico’s throat—then deeper.

 

“Gods,” Jason utters. His hands fly out, fingers knotting in black hair instinctively. Jason spreads his legs wider for Nico to envelop more of him. The Son of Hades responds, his grip around Jason’s erection tightening as he uses his own saliva to guide his fist. Everything is hot and warm and Nico—

 

And Nico still has the nerve to look up at Jason, eyes even darker than their normal hue, looking even more beautiful and handsome than every moment before. He peers at Jason, red burning in his cheeks and mouth glistening and swollen. Nico smears the spit and precum at the corner of his lip with the palm of his hand before pushing a mussy black lock behind his ear.

 

Jason’s captivated by all of it.

 

Nico bows his head, ready to wrap his mouth into more of Jason’s throbbing cock—and the latter demigod pulls him up for a kiss. Jason plants the back of his hand against the arch of Nico’s back, tugging the shorter demigod until he can feel Nico’s erection against his own. He nips at Nico’s mouth, his other hand wrapped tightly around Nico’s forearm.

 

The Son of Hades moves ever so slightly, his clothed cock rubbing against Jason’s own, and steadies himself with Jason’s thigh. A breathy moan flutters from the back of his throat, and he stares up at Jason through a mess of sweaty bangs. It’s a melody to Jason.

 

“I told you I’d ravage you, Nico,” he murmurs. “I meant it.”

 

Nico shudders all over again.

 

Moments later finds Nico at the center of the bed, shirt severely stretched from the moments on the couch when Jason desperately tried to kiss every inch of him, and pants unbuckled. Jason inspects the bottle of lube and the packets of unperforated condom. He can’t help but feel mortified.

 

“Leo gave you these?” His voice spikes an octave, cheeks burning red.

 

Mirth flutters in Nico’s eyes. “He also said he’d sic Piper on me if I ever broke your heart.”

 

Jason sighs warily. After all the traveling they’ve done, he’s not the least bit surprised his best friends are just happy that he’s finally getting some. He kicks his pool of boxers and pants away and presses onto the bed. Nico greets him with a kiss, two arms wrapping fervently around Jason. Each touch is succulent and amazing, as Nico tries to find more of him. Jason steadies himself by pressing one hand to the mattress, and another against Nico’s erection. He could come right there, just listening to Nico whimper.

 

He pulls Nico’s shirt off and suckles and kisses down the crook of Nico’s neck. Every gasp and moan he hears just makes him want to explore more of Nico’s body. More to suck, more to touch. More to squeeze and drag his hands across.

 

“When’s—” Nico’s words come clumsily as he moans, Jason’s mouth latching onto his nipple, and his fingers pinching the other. “—the last time you’ve—oh…”

 

“Honestly?” Despite every urge telling him not to, Jason pull away from suckling at Nico’s torso and stares at the other demigod, embarrassed. “Venice.”

 

There’s not really a tangible timeline to Venice, but Jason knows Nico hears the place and that’s all that matters. Under the heat of Jason’s touch, Nico’s eyes widen with the apparent realization.

 

“I might have a type,” Jason admits, and he kisses right above Nico’s belly button before he helps shirk off Nico’s pants. “And that type might just be you.”

 

He doesn’t mention the olive-skinned guy that Piper and Leo insisted on setting him up with on their trip to Venice, or how he only said yes because the way the guy smiled was familiar. He doesn’t mention how it only made him sadder, and every moment he was touching someone else made him want to come home even more.

 

Instead, he helps Nico out of black jeans, watching as Nico truly understands how much Jason has loved him in the past decade.

 

The sanguine travels from Nico’s face all the way past his collarbone, pale skin glowing. Nico. Jason wants to trace every line and every scar on the body beneath him, enraptured by all of the angles and silhouette of his beloved boyfriend.

 

He stares at Nico, splayed out under the moonlight and waiting to be touched. Nico leans back into the headboard, eyelashes fluttering as he raises his gaze towards Jason. One hand at the base of his cock, and the other curled, asking Jason to hither.

 

Jason shudders as he sighs, then reaches to kiss his bare boyfriend on his lips once more. He hardly notices Nico pulling the condom out of his hand. Nico tears the packet open and rolls the condom on Jason’s erection, giving it a light squeeze as he does so. Jason moans all over again.

 

Under Nico’s scrutiny, he dribbles the lube at the palm of his hand and strokes himself with it. Nico’s gaze is practically burning holes in him, hard. Jason grins, the remnant of lubricant dripping between his fingers. He presses one digit against Nico’s ass and watches the expression morph.

 

Jason pushes one finger into Nico, and watches as the Son of Hades suddenly writhes at his touch.

 

“Ah—” Nico’s expression warps, and the red on his collarbone suddenly darkens.

 

Jason presses further in with his hand, until he’s knuckle deep with his index finger. He curls his finger and flexes it, watching as Nico squirms all the same. Fueled by Nico’s gasps, he pushes another finger into Nico’s ass, and watches as Nico squirms echo even louder. He knows he’s found the right spot as Nico arches his back, dark eyes widening under the moonlight and mouth opening into a silent moan.

 

He retracts his fingers, placing them around his covered erection instead, and mounts his other hand on the headboard.

 

Nico stares at him, eyes half-lidded and panting. Dark hair mats against his sweaty face, and his shoulders waver.

 

Gods.

 

“Gods, Nico,” Jason murmurs. His body aches to show how much he loves Nico, and he knows words aren’t enough. He presses the tip of his cock to the curve of Nico’s ass. “I just want to fuck you.”

 

Luckily, every word he can muster seems to have the same effect on Nico. Nico raises his head and spreads his legs, inviting Jason in. “How much?”

 

“Until the only thing you’re screaming is my name.”

 

The tip of his cock inches into Nico. Nico stiffens reflexively, his hand flying to the one that Jason has wrapped around his leg. Jason ducks his head, his heart hiccupping in his chest. They gasp together as he slickly sheathes himself in Nico.

 

Nico hisses at first—but it quickly fades. He tosses his head back as the tip of Jason’s cock meets the end him. His fingers falter at the sheets, and his arms give away beneath him. “Gods.”

 

Jason sees stars in the corners of his eyes as Nico wraps legs around him, inviting him deeper. He moans again, clutching Nico’s hips tightly between his palms. Jason rocks, feeling as Nico clenches around him—tighter and tighter with each thrust.

 

“Fuck, Nico,” Jason whispers. Heat perspires against him, and he buries his palm into the mattress, rooting himself so that he can kiss the love of his life. Jason shoves himself deeper into Nico, deeper into every moan, and harder in every gasp.

 

Nico yanks him down, throwing his arms around Jason’s shoulders and bracing himself. He hoists his hips and demands another kiss. He scrapes Jason’s shoulder blades with his fingernails, forcing them closer than ever before.

 

“Tell me what you want,” Jason gasps, his body riveting against the Son of Hades. His hand traces Nico’s hipbone and latches on for balance. His other hand finds Nico’s own cock, squeezing and stroking it between his fingers. His thumb brushes at the tip of Nico’s erection, daubing with precum.

 

Nico inhales, His hair meshing against the pillow and bangs fluttering over his eyes with each thrust. He arches his back—from Jason rocking deeper into him, and from Jason dragging a hand over his erection. “Keep—ah—going…”

 

“Yeah?” Jason whispers, and he pivots upwards. Nico visibly melts from the movement, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

 

Everything about Nico—from the red dancing down his neck, to the glowing pink around his erection—is intoxicating. Jason picks up his own speed, his hands gripping Nico tightly each moan. Then, Nico says his name in that way that just makes his toes curl.

 

“Jason.” The name vibrates at the back of Nico’s throat, sensual and deep in his soft tenor. “Break me.”

 

 Gods.

 

Nico takes the hiccup in his thoughts to flip them. Jason stumbles as much as he did earlier, when Nico urged them towards the bedroom. His head hits the pillow, causing the rest of the bed to tremble. Nico casts a look down on him, knees on either side of Jason’s torso. The silhouette of his face is unnervingly delicious. He mounts himself onto Jason like he belongs there and dips his head back in ecstasy.

 

“Gods,” Jason gasps again, and his hands steady clamor to Nico’s hipbones. “Gods, Nico—”

 

Nico rocks his hips once more, this time with more vibrato. He spreads his legs, leaning into Jason’s warmth, rolls. His hands find the top of Jason’s knees, and he keeps going with every moan.

 

Jason takes in the sight, a soft sound mewling from the back of his throat. He coils his hands around Nico, inching the Son of Hades closer, and thrusts.

 

“Ah—” Nico’s voice staggers in his throat, and his face gleans with sweat and a reddish glow. “Jason…”

 

“Say it again,” Jason whispers, and he brings Nico’s face close to his own, burying the Son of Hades with a kiss. “Say my name.”

 

Nico stumbles over him, his eyes shut and cock dripping across Jason’s torso. “Jason—I’m gonna—”

 

Gods.

 

“I love you,” Jason mutters. He clutches Nico’s erection between his fingers, giving it a swift tug, and watches as Nico tilts his head back and cries out in pleasure. His hand smears in white as Nico comes on his hand and across his stomach. Nico clenches around him.

 

And he comes too, pulsing, with Nico tight around his cock. A shuddering breath leaves Jason’s mouth as he pants, looking up with only stars and his boyfriend in his eyes.

 

Nico peers back at him, riding out the high of orgasmic bliss on top of Jason. Strands of hair stick to the glistening perspiration on his forehead, the red in his cheeks flourishing down his neck. His eyes are dark as they peer down at Jason. He braces himself with a firm hand on Jason’s leg, chest rising and falling. A blissful smile lifts across his lips.

 

Jason tremors as Nico maneuvers off of him.

 

The Son of Hades crawls across the length of his body, touches feathery light, and presses a kiss to Jason’s mouth. “I love you too.”

 

*

 

After another soft kiss and a quiet demand for him not to move, Jason watches as Nico pulls off the bed and goes to the bathroom. He shudders, watching the curve of his boyfriend’s ass and the arch of Nico’s back. Nico’s hair is even messier than before, locks of hair knotted from when Jason had his hands in it and twisted from writhing against the pillows. Nico returns with a fluffy towel and a glass of water. Jason tries not to look too sad when he watches Nico put boxers back on.

 

Then, Nico takes a sip of water and wipes the pool of semen off Jason’s stomach.

 

“I’m going to pay for this in the morning,” Nico mumbles hoarsely. He helps knot the condom and throws it away.

 

Jason shivers all the same. He tiredly redresses, still blinking stars out of his eyes, and takes the glass from the Son of Hades. Tries not to stare at the mottled bruises and hickeys against pale skin. Each one from every year of yearning and longing.

 

“I’ll be here with Advil in the morning,” Jason whispers. Butterflies fill his stomach as Nico nestles against him, a pool of black hair pressed against his chest. Nico fits perfectly in his arms. Jason can’t doesn’t think he can come down from this high even if he wanted to. “Sorry if I went too hard, I—ah. Lot of pent up emotions there. I got excited.”

 

To his surprise, Nico presses a cheek into his chest, chuckling quietly. “I never want you to apologize for being you.”

 

Jason’s heart sings all the same. He thinks back through the events of the day, his entire body prickling with post-orgasmic heaven. He wouldn’t trade anything in the world for how today transpired. A nervousness nags at the back of his chest, just from past experience.

 

“Listen,” Jason mutters. He runs a cool hand up the small of Nico’s back, brushing finger pads against bare flesh. Nico’s shudder makes him dizzy. “About what Percy said—with Sion. I’m…so happy about how much you and he get along. And I know he and I are a lot. We can go as fast or slow as you like. Well—” Jason soaks in the afterglow, his chest vibrating with a laugh. “—emotionally, at least.”

 

Maybe it’s selfish of him. But he’s seen Nico stumble when it comes to saying I love you to Will Solace. Seen him struggle at the thought of marriage and admit that kids weren’t in their future.

 

Maybe it didn’t work out with Will because it wasn’t supposed to. Everything about them feels so natural that he wonders if the Fates bounded them before their looms ever began. Jason wants their love to be eternal because he doesn’t think he could survive if Nico ever left his life again.

 

“I’ve fallen in love with you so many times now,” Jason whispers. “I think I can wait a little longer.”

 

Nico pushes against his chest, a palm against Jason’s heart. His eyes flicker with warmth and affection, and he presses a kiss to Jason’s jaw.

 

“I told you,” Nico murmurs. “My heart is yours.”

 

Again, Jason’s heart flutters, and he holds onto Nico to keep from floating off the bed. “And mine yours.”

 

They fall asleep, with the sound of Nico’s breath against Jason’s ear and the sensation of Jason’s heartbeat against Nico’s fingers.

Notes:

The epilogue will be coming shortly! Thank you guys for joining me on this journey as this story finally gets finished! I know it's a lot, but I'd love to hear your favorite parts of the story overall or this chapter, I've been vibrating with excitement for weeks now!

Chapter 12: And Every Day After That (Epilogue)

Summary:

“Papa!” Sion appears from his bedroom, his hair frizzy and full of static, dressed in a baby blue sweater that animated with a snowstorm. “How do I look?”

Nico smiles at him. “You look great, picco—”

Wait a minute.

Nico sputters. “Papa?”

Notes:

The final mood: It's Been A Long Long Time by Harry James

“You look like you’ve been eating better.”

 

“Yeah, Nico makes sure I eat.”

 

“Does he now?”

 

Red flutters in Nico’s cheeks, and he pretends not to hear the conversation on the other side of the room. He focuses on Sion as the little demigod splays every toy out of Doctor Solace’s toy chest. From the corner of his eye, he can see Jason perched on the patient bed, while Will inspects his heartbeat and blood pressure, tattoos rippling across the curves of his biceps. The wingspan of Jason’s shoulders certainly feel wider these days. Running every morning, eating lean meats, and volunteering to teach sword classes would do that.

 

He catches Jason’s eye, and Jason’s smile only widens.

 

“Look at this!” Sion shove a pirate ship in Nico’s face, his curls bouncing as he does so. “Do you think Uncle Perch has a pirate ship too?”

 

Nico’s heart warms. “Uncle Perch has a whole army of dolphins.”

 

“Dolphins?” Sion’s blue eyes glitter wondrously and Nico bites back a grimace. He hopes this phase of worshipping Percy ends soon.

 

He redirects the conversation, pulling off the hair tie on his wrist, and ties the front of Sion’s curls out of the little demigod’s eyes. Now Jason’s four-year-old looked like Pebbles Flinstone, bone excluded. “You’ll need a haircut soon, piccolino.”

 

“But then my ears will be cold,” Sion squirms in Nico’s lap, the sails fluttering on the pirate boat. “Can’t I just look like you?”

 

“You’re far cuter looking like daddy,” Nico insists, and the big blue eyes shimmer back at him, pouting.

 

“How are the nightmares?” he hears Magnus ask quietly. Magnus had taken a semi-permanent residence in New Rome after healing Jason. It’s a strange sight to watch this eternal sixteen-year-old tail Will as an undying intern, but Will’s seemed to enjoy the different aspects of healing the Son of Frey is able to bring to the table.

 

After all, being able to fight wasn’t always the most defining feature of being a demigod. Nico still holds a lot of respect for his ex-boyfriend for pointing that out.

 

He watches Jason’s shoulders heave, too humble for his own good. Jason’s eyes flash—misty, for a moment—and he smiles all the same. “They still come. But they’re better.”

 

“Because Nico’s there,” Magnus says.

 

“Yeah,” Jason echoes, “because Nico’s there.”

 

Nico shivers at the thought. He has his own nightmares—from Zeus killing his mother to being stuck in Tartarus—but they’re palpable events that he can remind himself are behind him. Jason’s nightmare are…strange. Filled with a lot of thrashing in the middle of the night, while his mind makes crazy leaps in logic on whether or not their quaint existence in their New Rome apartment is real.

 

He doesn’t like the nights where he wakes up, pinned down by the weight of Jason and confusion and with hazy blue eyes. Where Jason’s voice is heartbreaking and desperate, asking, Are you real?

 

The last time it’d happened, he’d felt hot tears against his cheeks, Jason so upset at the possibility of a no coming out of Nico’s mouth. The next morning, a mortified Jason admitted part of his distress was just that he couldn’t believe they were together after years of pent up emotions, even after six months of dating.

 

Nico’s very real, and his feelings for Jason are very real, and they are very real. He says so every time. Tells Jason to trust him, and Jason always does. Jason is always profusely apologetic in the morning, even if he doesn’t remember, and Nico insists he doesn’t mind.

 

“You seem to be thinking clearly,” Magnus says at some point. “So just keep doing what you’re doing.”

 

“Yeah, Mister Grace,” Will muses wryly. “Just keep doing who you’re doing.”

 

Nico resists all urge to open a hole to the Underworld beneath him. He clasps hands over Sion’s ears (“Hey!”), his lips contorting into a scowl. “Do you mind?”

 

“No,” Will responds. He turns around, his demeanor content on his face while Magnus flushes. The white gold band on his finger is prominent against his sun-kissed skin, and Nico damns all people who say being friends with your exes is easy to hell.

 

(He’ll never forget the day Will sought him out, a stunned look on his face, and announced that Mike Kahale proposed.

 

“And you just left him at the park?” Nico had exclaimed, shocked why Will Solace would even feel the need to tell him.

 

“I needed to tell my closest friend,” Will retorted, and Nico’s head has spun ever since.)

 

Jason has the gall to look embarrassed at least, the sheepishness on his face. He turns to Magnus, evidently not invested in Nico’s latest awkward quarrel with Will, and smiles. “How are you and Alex doing?”

 

Magnus glows red instead of his usual gold. Jason had taken a special liking to Annabeth’s cousin after Magnus triggered everyone’s memories of him. There’s a sympathy there, from both of them living on the streets and trying to survive, then being forced into an inevitable fate because of his lineage. Nico also thinks it’s because Magnus is easier to handle in larger doses than Thor.

 

“Oh, you know,” Magnus says casually, his voice squeaking in eternal puberty. “He’s got a thing for blonds.”

 

“Don’t we all,” Nico grumbles under his breath. After hearing Magnus’s flustered denial of whether Alex Fierro and he were a couple, he can only hope that Jason’s brotherly advice doesn’t start with, How to Pine for Ten Years. Magnus being a medium for Will, who claims Jason’s feelings were very obvious and for Jason, who’s now as forward as a brick to the face, doesn’t put his heart at ease either.

 

He looks up when he notices the talking cease.

 

Will bows his head back down to his clipboard, the amusement teeming in his voice. “Congratulations, Jason. You’ve taught my ex-boyfriend how to make a joke.”

 

Jason laughs awkwardly while Nico scowls. Magnus sighs in relief, thankful that his love life is safe for another day.

 

Sion touches Nico’s face like he always does, his eyes big and smile wide. “I think you’re funny.”

 

*

 

Shadowtraveling home is innate now. Jason still tightens his grip around Nico’s hand regardless. Not because he’s scared but because he likes to hold Nico’s hand. Nico’s heart practically gives out at this point—Jason’s even less shy about his feelings now that there isn’t a war and Jupiter hanging above their heads. Sion enthusiastically likes to swing in Nico’s grasp, swaying the winds around him as he does so.

 

“What time is the party?” Jason as he unlocks the front door. He takes their unread mail and sets it on the kitchen counter, then peers over his shoulder.

 

“The meeting ends at four, and the festivities start at five,” Nico responds. He shuts the door behind him, sleigh bells jingling against the door. He’s had to do a double take as of late, at all of the Christmas decorations that their friends have forced upon them: three Christmas stockings that the three of them spent an afternoon decorating, a Santa hat to cover the bird-poop littered bust of the Jupiter Maximus bust outside, a small pine tree and—tinsel. Too much tinsel.

 

Jason chuckles softly and presses a kiss to Nico’s cheekbone. “Guess I should change into something a little more festive.”

 

“If you must,” Nico replies warily. He appreciates the fair New Rome weather and Jason’s ability to wear a t-shirt at all hours of the day, unlike the bristling cold of New York. “The Underworld is pretty cold.”

 

“Really? I thought you just liked wearing my jacket 24/7,” Jason teases softly. His voice is so light and airy against Nico’s ear that the latter demigod’s heart flutters.

 

“There are pros and cons,” Nico admits. He looks around to Sion, who is busy pretending to be a biplane as he runs around the apartment. “Sion, get dressed too.”

 

“Okay!” Sion makes airplane noises all the way to his bedroom. Mild-mannered child indeed.

 

Jason disappears into the master bedroom, leaving Nico to inspect the mail on the kitchen counter. He sees one addressed to Jason from Thalia, and his heart warms. The Grace siblings insisted on keeping touch via Iris Message at all hours of the day and handwritten letters. It was Thalia’s way of anchoring Jason if he ever lost his memories again. And a way of anchoring herself, if some godly interference tried to mess with hers, too.

 

Another envelope catches his eye, sea green and pink and covered in an incredulous amount of glitter. The front is addressed to JASON GRACE and NICO DI ANGELO (and Sion!!), with Piper’s neat handwriting in the corner.

 

Dear Sion (and Jason and Nico),

 

We formally invite you to Baby Jackson’s baby shower at Camp Demigod. Wear your best pair of cute suspenders and indulge on as much blue cake as you want!

 

Love,

 

Aunt P and Uncle Perch

 

At the end of the invitation is a maternity photo of Percy on his knees, kissing Piper’s seven-month-old belly like he’s holding the world in his arms. Fatherhood will no doubt welcome him in the same way it welcomed Jason and Frank.

 

(For Piper’s sake, he hopes parenthood is calm.)

 

“Papa!” Sion appears from his bedroom, his hair frizzy and full of static, dressed in a baby blue sweater that animated with a snowstorm. “How do I look?”

 

Nico smiles at him. “You look great, picco—”

 

Wait a minute.

 

Nico sputters. “Papa?”

 

*

 

Sion drags Jason into the living room five minutes later when Nico is still trying to reassess what just came out of that little mouth. He babbles like he (supposedly) did after witnessing Nico sleep for two days straight after a strenuous quest from Hades, thinking Nico was dead. His face is as red as his hair, eyes filled with honey sweet concern.

 

Jason’s dressed in a gray wool sweater that makes his own blue eyes gleam, with the fabric stretching over his muscles, but Nico’s still in too much shock to admire it. Sion recounts the (very short) story with a lot of umms and and thens, while Jason nods sympathetically.

 

Finally, Nico gathers his bearings, and they nestle Sion at the center of the couch. The only thing they’ve ever punished him for was smearing peanut butter on the ceiling, and that was for a strange notion of, Just in case the birds got hungry. Sion has his fists coiled at his knees, looking ready to cry and ashamed for being in trouble.

 

“Sion,” Nico starts gently, and his heart breaks watching the little demigod think he’s even remotely in trouble. “I’m not angry.”

 

“You’re not?” Sion asking in a hopeful, quiet voice. His face looks so much like Jason that Nico’s chest just wrenches.

 

On the other hand, Jason is looking between the two of them on the ottoman, amused.

 

Nico swallows hard, forcing down his incoming headache, and bows his head so Sion can look him in the eye. “I love that you’re so comfortable with me dating your daddy that you want to call me papa.”

 

“You do?” Sion asks, his voice syrupy.

 

“You do?” Jason echoes, and his voice is just as sweet as he smiles.

 

Red burns in Nico’s cheeks even darker this time, and he touches his temples. “Just…who…gave you this idea?”

 

“Emily and Marie!” Sion exclaims, and his eyebrows mesh together in confusion.

 

Nico isn’t even shocked by the twins, but he’s usually spared of their shenanigans. Hazel and Frank still don’t believe him when he says they behave like perfect angels when he babysits.

 

“I told them that you live with daddy and me and that you make us dinner and that you give me baths and put me to bed most nights,” Sion explains, his voice still quivering at the idea of being disciplined. “And that’s why you haven’t been tucking them in anymore.”

 

Nico immediately makes a mental note to go tuck the twins in bed the next evening he’s over. He just wishes Emily and Marie didn’t have the same bedtime as Sion.

 

“And they said that you do everything that Frank and Ms. Hazel do for them!” Sion insists, his voice a little more confident. “So Emily said that makes you my papa!”

 

In another circumstance, Nico would probably compare it to Jason giving one of his booming speeches like a leader. Right now the logic behind papa just astounds him. “There’s…it’s more complicated than that.”

 

“How?” Sion asks, his confusion almost palpable.

 

“I—” Nico never thought he’d be at the mercy of a four-year-old the same way he would be with Jason. “I don’t live with you, Sion, I just visit a lot.”

 

Jason clears his throat pretty loudly, even though he’s trying to be a silent third party. His head bobs over to the stocking with Nico’s name on it. Then he gestures not-so-subtly to the black apron that hung on a kitchen hook. Nico vaguely thinks about the armoire they’d bought to store his clothes last month.

 

“But you’re always here!” Sion protests.

 

“I—I have my errands for Hades—” Which are further and in between, after Nico expressed concern about being away for too long. Hades quickly made the Furies and his other underlings handle the longer string of quests after Nico confessed how long it took Jason to put Sion down one night.

 

“And you tuck me in every night,” Sion continues. “With daddy! And you make us food, like Frank does for Em and Marie!”

 

“Because the only thing your daddy knows how to cook is a grilled cheese,” Nico retorts, though it sounds more scathing than it means to. Jason stares at him, offended for a fleeting moment, but doesn’t disagree. “And Doctor Solace and Magnus want to make sure your daddy’s growing big and strong again.”

 

Sion’s eyes grow big, his four-year-old logic no chance against Nico’s own. Or so he thinks. “And you go to Doctor Sunny’s appointments, so I don’t get bored.”

 

Someone had to watch a child at a doctor’s office. But of course, Nico is insistent on being in the room, so he knows the best way to take care of his boyfriend. His shoulders stagger beside him, and he leans back against the coffee table, at a stalemate.

 

“Sion,” Nico says again, and Sion squirms.

 

“Piccolino?” Sion lightly corrects him, and the word actually sounds natural at his mouth. He’s been insistent on Nico teaching him some Italian so he could order his own gelato in Venice.

 

“Piccolino,” Nico says instead, the corner of his lip curling into a smile. He glances over to Jason, and the staple scar is still set in a firm, concerned line. “That’s a huge step that Jason and I need to talk about.”

 

“Why?” Sion asks.

 

“Because you already have a daddy. And you had a mommy.”

 

“Can’t I have a papa too?”

 

All protests die in Nico’s throat. He casts another furtive glance in Jason’s direction, then leans forward to soak in Sion’s adorable face. Astrid is still a sensitive subject for Jason, and they’ve had long talks late into the night. Jason accepted fatherhood both wholehearted and tentatively, and constantly tells Sion how loving his mom was. Any time Zeus gets mentioned, Sion drowns the name out and insists on calling Jason daddy instead. Even more so, now that he’s a little older and understands more.

 

Nico respects this delicate balance that Jason has in being a father figure for Sion while telling the little demigod all of the wonderful things about Astrid Lykke. He’s made it very clear to Jason in pillow talks that he doesn’t plan on stepping on toes, and Jason looked at him with stars in his eyes.

 

Though, he’s not sure if he can keep Sion’s attention long enough for that explanation.

 

So, he repeats, “It’s complicated.”

 

“Why?” Sion asks again, distraught.

 

“Well,” Jason starts innocently, “we’re not married like Ms. Hazel and Frank are.”

 

Nico decides not to poke the holes in Jason’s logic, considering they received a baby shower invitation from a couple that was skirting around the idea of marriage. Hazel and Frank were a traditional type that wanted to settle down before they had kids, and Percy has proven that he could care less about tradition.

 

(That being said, Percy was endearingly old-fashioned and had once dragged Jason and Nico to go engagement ring shopping. Percy had waved his arms around and claimed they had a love that literally started a war. Nico insisted he had a headache)

 

“Why not?” Sion asks again. “Get married!”

 

Nico wants to smack Jason for putting the notion in Sion’s head. As he glances back warily to his boyfriend, he notices Jason’s own face twisting, at a loss. They’ve had conversations about this, but Sion seems as casual about the two of them getting engaged as he does about ignoring Zeus being his father. (His father, but not his daddy, Sion insisted one day, when it was just Nico and he.)

 

“Sion, buddy,” Jason says softly. He stands from the ottoman and sits beside Sion, gingerly placing the little demigod on his lap. “Marriage is a really big step for two people. This is something that we have to talk about.”

 

“But we are talking about it,” Sion insists. “Uncle Perch says you love Papa so much that you started a war.”

 

Jason’s face emblazons with red, and they both have the same, exasperated thought: Percy needs to be muzzled. Nico can only wonder what Piper’s thoughts are on the entire situation, but if Piper and Leo welcoming him with open arms was any indication, he can only assume that the mother-to-be is amused.

 

“Well,” Jason says halfheartedly, his voice spiking an octave. “Papa and I technically started a war together.”

 

“Jason,” Nico chides, his own face matching Jason’s hue.

 

Just like the hospital room, Jason has the gall to at least look embarrassed. The title falls out of his mouth so casually that Nico admittedly doesn’t mind it much. He knows calling Jason daddy doesn’t bother Jason. In several circumstances, really.

 

“Erm—ahem. Nico and I started a war together,” Jason corrects himself.

 

Seeing both his daddy and Nico against him, Sion’s eyebrows knit together again, defeated.

 

“I just wanna call you Papa,” Sion urges sadly., “Because I love you as much as I love Daddy.”

 

It’s sickeningly sweet. Nico can actually see Jason’s lip quivering, and Jason’s heart wrapping around Sion all over again. He sees it because it’s happening to him, too.

 

Nico lowers his head, the red blooming in his ears. He peers at Jason once more, asking for permission. Jason nods wholeheartedly.

 

Finally, Nico sighs, and admits defeat. “You can call me Papa.”

 

“Yay!” Sion flies off the couch and flings his arms around Nico, covering the elder demigod in hugs and kisses. “I love you, Papa!”

 

Nico’s heart thrums in his chest, and he doesn’t miss the way Jason’s smile lifts under those pretty blue eyes. “I love you too, piccolino.”

 

*

 

The Underworld is livelier these days. Hades seems happier at the notion of alternating meetings between Atlantis, Olympus, and his own palace. Hera seems taken with Zeus’s symbol of power, carrying it around with her as the Queen of the Gods. Nico wouldn’t be surprised if it comes up in conversation a lot when she catches up with Amphitrite and Persephone.

 

They arrive at the edge of the throne room, where eleven other leather seats are set out for the rest of the court of Olympus. Nico catches Emily and Marie at the foot of his father’s robes, playing with the spirits in the fabric. Above the formal robes is Hades in a sleek brooding turtleneck, courtesy of the Fates.

 

“GRANDPAPA!” Sion shouts enthusiastically, and his exclamation echoes through the room.

 

Nico wants to bury his face into Jason’s shoulder when Hades arches an eyebrow. To his surprise, his father doesn’t protest, and instead lets Sion enthusiastically climb on top of his lap. It’s a comical sight: a pale, brooding god in black silk robes with a ball of red hair bouncing on his knees. Persephone even giggles. She pats Sion on top of his sweet curls and a crown of flowers appear.

 

“You are awesome,” Jason whispers in his ear. “You know that?”

 

Luckily, despite Nico’s nerves, Jason has been gleefully happy about this whole papa ordeal. Nico could feel him smiling the entire way down to the Underworld. So he smiles back, knowing there’s nothing greater than making Jason happy, and accepts the kiss that Jason plants on his forehead.

 

“You could stand to tell me more,” Nico teases.

 

“Done and done,” Jason says happily against him. “Your awesomeness.”

 

Not too far from them, Nico sees Poseidon putting an ear against a flustered Piper’s belly in attempt to hear the ocean, like Percy has done a thousand times. Aphrodite looks like she’s about to cry tears of joy every time Piper so much as breathes.

 

A court is set up to the side, lined with chairs for minor deities. Nico is pretty sure the array of minor deities that attend varies based on where they decide to hold the meeting. But he notices Edesia sitting there, waving happily at both of them. Hopefully that means dinner won’t just be a three-course meal of cereal again.

 

“Sion!” he hears Marie shout happily when they notice him.

 

“Did it work?” Emily echoes.

 

*

 

Hazel tips her head back in laughter when Nico explains the situation. Frank smiles back sympathetically while Reyna smiles in amusement next to her fellow ex-praetor. Nico’s face flourishes with red as he rides out the laughter, and he vaguely wonders if he could just dismiss himself to his old room.

 

(A room, Sion had plainly pointed out earlier today, that Nico doesn’t even sleep in anymore.)

 

“You should have seen how happy he got when he realized he could call you papa,” Frank explains. “He’s got very sound logic for a four-year-old. You taught him very well.”

 

“I taught him that?” Nico echoes the sentiment, exasperated.

 

“Nico,” Reyna insists, “you’ve always been good with children.”

 

“Their children,” Nico corrects. He gestures to Frank and Hazel, and then to the three four-year-olds playing with stuffed toy zombies on the other side of the room, while Fred the Skeleton supervised.

 

“And your own son, too,” Frank supplies. “Didn’t Hera say she’d make everything official when you’re ready? She’s in the other room right now, all you need to do is ask.”

 

“I think in that family it’s more traditional to get struck by lightning,” Hazel quips. She gestures to the other side of the room, where Leo, Piper, and Jason are getting acquainted. More specifically, she gestures to the small inkling of runes that peak out of the collar of Jason’s sweater.

 

“Please,” Nico grumbles tiredly. “I get electrocuted enough.”

 

All three of them stare at him, and Nico regrets saying anything in the first place.

 

“I,” he says, desperately trying to change the subject, “just didn’t realize he thought of me like that.”

 

The explanation is feeble to the three Roman demgiods, who only seem more amused.

 

“Aren’t you the emergency contact for daycare in case Jason hits his head again?” Frank supplies.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And didn’t you plan his fourth birthday party?” Reyna muses.

 

“He wanted a pirate theme.”

 

“Don’t you sing him to sleep every night?” Hazel asks. She mentions this, and both Frank and Reyna light up at this new sliver of information, moved.

 

“I’m not good at it,” Nico protests.

 

“You’re good enough for him,” Hazel says softly. Then she gestures over to Jason again, who looks back over. “And you’re plenty for him.”

 

Despite the meager protests in the back of Nico’s throat, he’s inclined to agree. His demeanor grows soft, and he stands to his feet as Jason’s smile beckons him over. Reyna, Hazel, and Frank all follow after them, watching as Piper strokes her pregnant belly between her two best friends. The comfort of loose-fitting clothes during pregnancy isn’t lost on her.

 

“I haven’t been able to see my feet in weeks,” Piper moans. She props both her feet on a small ottoman in front of her. “Do my shoes match?”

 

Nico stare at the one TOM on her left foot and the snow boot on her right. “No.”

 

“Cool,” she beams. Mismatched shoes or not, her smile is still pleasant. Percy and she deserve each other.

 

On cue, Percy and Annabeth reappeared with red rubber balls in their arms. The smile on his face matches Piper’s, and he kisses her affectionately on the forehead.

 

“Have you guys decided on a name?” Annabeth asks.

 

Percy and Piper look at each other, amused.

 

“As a matter of fact,” Percy says, “we have.”

 

“Leona,” Piper announces, a hand falling to her chest. “For her uncle who died before she was born.”

 

The group erupts in madness after that. Jason gushes in an affectionate laugh next to Nico, clutching at his heart adorably. Frank and Hazel follow in suit, along with Annabeth, who stifles a giggle and clutches onto her partner for support. Leo guffaws.

 

“I came back to life!” Leo protests, offended.

 

“Yeah, and how long did it take you to tell us?” Jason retorts, the tears coming out of his eyes.

 

“And how long ago was that?” Leo retorts. “Does it even count?”

 

“It counts,” Nico affirms for him. “I remember feeling you die.”

 

The confirmation is enough for Leo to turn red all over again. The antlers around his manbun catch on fire and he bats at them. “Not you too, Jack!”

 

“Would you like to die?” A new voice joins them at the door, Thanatos’s voice a low vibrato as he appears. The cream alpaca sweater contrasts with his ebony hair but makes him look cozy and warm. As cozy and warm as death can be, at least.

 

Leo looks ready to pee himself, his knees buckling beneath him. He swallows hard and scratches at his antlers nervously. “Nope, Lord of Death sir, I don’t think my time has come yet, sir. The world has not had enough of Leo Valdez yet. Sir.”

 

“Relax, Leo Valdez,” Thanatos says, and his voice is as enticing as slumber. “Can’t you take a joke?”

 

Nico doesn’t know if Leo loves jokes more than fears death. The look on Leo’s face indicates more of the former, and he’s grinning all over again.

 

“All jokes aside, Leona is the name we picked out,” Piper interjects again. She smiles again at her best friend, her hand laced in Percy’s.

 

Instantly, Leo looks less bothered, tears in his eyes.

 

“And obviously Annabeth is her middle name,” Percy interjects, gesturing to his best friend. He smiles warmly as Annabeth suddenly sports the same, misty-eyed look as Leo. “She’s going to be the most intelligent smartass of her generation.”

 

“Don’t stress me out, Percy,” Piper says, her voice suddenly strained. “Do you want me to go into labor early?”

 

“Oh—no. Sorry.”

 

Another round of chortles echoes across the room.

 

Off to the side, Nico notices the softness in Jason’s laughter. His smile reaches his eyes, and it’s pure and sweet beside Nico, versus the hysterics from earlier. Nico reaches out and touches Jason’s hand, curious. Jason stares back at him in surprise but smiles shamelessly.

 

“It’d be nice,” Jason confesses quietly to him as the conversation carries on without them. “Having a daughter.”

 

Nico’s heart skips a beat in his chest. He coils a hand around Jason’s wrist, resolve fumbling from the admission, and leans into the warmth of his boyfriend. “Don’t spring two things on me in one day.”

 

“Sorry,” Jason apologizes, “but you did agree to the first thing.”

 

“I did, didn’t I?” Nico muses. Jason’s smile widens and they shelve the conversation for later.

 

Before he can help it, his mind wanders back to the last encounter that they had with the Fates—right after Jason had recovered his memories and professed his love for the first time. Madame Clothos had lectured Nico about the consequences of meddling with destiny and pushing himself. He finds himself thinking about how the thread of his own heart led to the tapestry in Atropos’s hands.

 

Lacheses and Madame Clothos fiddled with what Nico can only assume were tapestries that belonged to Sion and Jason—but there was definitely a fourth one behind them.

 

Jason tugs on his hand, snapping him out of his thoughts. He stares sat Nico with eyes as vast as the sky, and a smile curls against his lips. “Ready for the Christmas Photo?”

 

Nico can’t help but smile back. “Ready.”

 

*

 

He doesn’t know how this Christmas portrait in particular caught wind. Frank suggested having one all those years ago, when Hazel was pregnant with the twins. They were Roman, but there were traditions that their mortal parents celebrated, too. He unintentionally charmed Hades with the notion of a family portrait, and somehow Nico had been swept up in the fanfare of it all. Of course, if they were going to have Hazel’s father in the photo, then they needed to have Mars there as well. And if Persephone was going to be in the photo, then Aphrodite needed to be in the photo too.

 

And if Frank was in this photo, then Percy “automatically” had rights to be in the photo too, since they were technically family. And if Percy was in the photo, then Piper and her swollen belly needed to be in the photo, and—so on. Nico gave up on Percy’s technicalities and logics a few months ago, when the Son of Poseidon mapped it out on a piece of draft paper that Annabeth would be proud of.

 

By the time Percy’s longwinded explanation has ended, Nico finds himself standing beside Jason, who is standing beside Thor (their surprise guest) who insists on being between Sion and Hades for grandparent photos. With the Winter Solstice meeting also being held in the Underworld, the rest of the Olympian gods also caught wind, and the rest of the evening is spent with the gods taking a photo in commemoration of a new era.

 

Jason is red from head to toe with then tote him as a hero. Sion ecstatically asks Great Uncle Poseidon about dolphins.

 

The set at the Doors of Death only catches on fire twice, as Ares begs Leo to make flames look bigger, his chest puffed out with a sweater that was actually aflame. They stop their antics when Hazel glares at them.

 

Persephone insists for each of her stepchildren to take a photo with their family separately, and she shoots a glare at Nico before he can protest that Jason, Sion, and he aren’t technically a family. Yet.  Hera is just waving around a set of papers, giving exasperated looks as she idly chats with Hades.

 

So, he lets the photographer take a photo of them—of Nico in his long scarf and petticoat, and the hair that he forgot to brush that morning, Jason in his sleek gray sweater and gold glasses, and Sion between them. Their ghostly photographer spends a full minute taking picture at all angles, and Nico thinks each one has him redder than the last. (Especially the last one, when Jason decides it’s the opportune moment to kiss him.)

 

“You have no idea what I got you, Sion!” Thor gestures to a wrapped box taller than the little demigod, which bleats.

 

Sion gasps all the same, standing to his tippy toes. “What is it?”

 

Nico grabs Jason by the back of the sweater and shoves him into the situation before they’re stuck bringing home a goat.

 

“You could just ask nicely,” Jason huffs halfheartedly.

 

“You like it better when I’m not nice,” Nico responds poignantly, and he watches his boyfriend blush.

 

Off in the distance, he sees Mr. D decked out in an orange Camp Halfblood sweater and swinging around a bottle of champagne. With liquor in his hands and a party around him, it’s the happiest that he’s seen the god. Percy had humorously confessed that even though Mr. D’s punishment was lifted, he stayed around camp. He liked the campers, which blew both their minds. Percy thinks that after losing Castor, Mr. D is adamant on being in Pollux’s life.

 

“Quite the lively crowd this time around,” his father says beside him. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

 

A smile curls against Nico’s lips as he turns to his father. What was once an intimidating, almost menacing domain is now flourishing with life, just like with Persephone’s flowers. Not having to fear death, and instead embracing it while being surrounded by family is an amazing sight.

 

“You love it,” Nico tells Hades.

 

He glances over to Jason and Thor, eavesdropping on their conversation. Sion is hoisted against Jason’s body, dragging down the long sweater and revealing more of the runes on his collarbone. A smile is against Jason’s lips, as Thor grins favorably at him.

 

“…and if you ever feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, just let me know and I’ll help,” Thor says. He flexes his muscles boisterously, and the serpent coiled around his arm tenses. The heart tattoo with Lady Sif’s name bulges, and at his wrist, Nico swears he sees Jason and Sion’s names. “I’m pretty strong.”

 

Jason’s smile widens. “Will do, Thor.”

 

Knowing that a godly parent is so interested by Jason and wants to know everything about him warms Nico’s heart. Even if most of it comes from Thor binge watching their lives on TV.

 

“You’re right, my son,” Hades says. He places an arm around Nico, the touch cold and tender at the same time. “I love seeing you happy.”

 

*

 

The words Nico told Clothos all those months ago comes back to him at the end of the night. Jason admires him as a diplomat because of his position at his father’s side, and his persuasion of the Fates, but Madame Clothos was ready to turn him away until he confessed his emotions: he was happy.

 

He has a sister and brother-in-law who tell him they need him in his life, and a wonderful friendship with Reyna, who reminds him of Bianca. Nico thinks he’s going to get a little bit of that, too, with Thalia. He has two nieces who never had to see his strife and hardships and struggles, and he makes sure to let them know that he’s there for them, in a way he struggled to receive after Bianca died. Percy was determined to rebuild their relationship with a foundation of respect, and Nico’s heart fell into place just a little more. He even had a boyfriend for a while.

 

And even without a boyfriend, Nico wasn’t miserable.

 

His mind wanders back to the wretched moment, where after Tartarus, when Nico had nothing, Cupid still made him feel bare. Cupid took his broken heart and inspected it like it was nothing. Jason immediately tried to mend it with friendship, even if Nico didn’t want it.

 

When Will and he broke up, Nico was happy, but he wasn’t complete. Something was missing. Jason was missing.

 

He thinks back to the tale that always left him heartbroken—about how Zeus split up man and woman because they were too powerful together. How ever since, humans felt incomplete and spent a lifetime trying to find each other. He never liked the implication he’d never be fulfilled—but when he found Hazel, he felt a little less empty. Less alone.

 

Then he thinks about Jason’s words. The Fates have let me fall in love with you three times now…and I’m never going to land.

 

Nico was happy before, but he wasn’t complete.

 

“You’ve got that look on your face,” Jason whispers to him on their corner of the couch. He tilts his head, a crown of asters complimenting his eyes as he inspects Nico. “Wanna talk about it?”

 

They watch as festivities continue in the large living area—as gods chatter, as their friends dance, and as Sion happily plays with Emily and Marie. It’s already a happier childhood than either of them had, and Nico thinks he’ll warm to this whole papa thing.

 

“My father said he liked seeing me happy,” Nico confesses. The gravity of Hades’s words makes his heart tingle. So does the way Jason smiles at him. The way Jason just sees him.

 

“I hope I make you happy,” Jason says back blithely. He reaches over and pushes hair out of Nico’s face, the gesture one of many that they’ve shared in the past few months.

 

“Most days,” Nico teases.

 

Jason takes the sleight warmly, his voice a tenor as he laughs. “Alright, di Angelo. I’ll bite. What days aren’t you happy? When I cook? When I don’t wake you up for my showers? When I—?”

 

“When I don’t get to see you.”

 

Suddenly, Jason’s rambles come to a clumsy halt, and he stares back, touched.

 

Nico thinks back to how sad he must’ve sounded to his father months ago, when he told Hades that Sion was upset at him leaving. Jason had sounded so exhausted that Nico’s heart broke, and every word Jason spoke felt like a plea for him to come back. Hades had taken one look at him and told him two words: Go home. Back to Sion, back to Jason—back to this happy, wholesome normal that Nico has found himself enjoying, when he avoided it so much with his last relationship.

 

“You are so cheesy,” Jason says, though his eyes are a little brighter.

 

“That’s rich coming from you.” Nico hits him with a throw pillow, and his boyfriend only laughs.

 

“Grandpapa, Grandpapa, don’t let them get me!” Sion squeals and runs across the length of the room and hides under the ends of Hades’s robes, while hellhounds Emily and Marie happily trot after him. Percy and Annabeth both look ready to throw rubber balls, while Frank and Hazel try hard not to laugh.

 

From the corner of his eye, Nico sees Jason’s smile lift even higher, and his own heart feels complete.

 

*

 

Nico comes to a conclusion at the end of the night. He reaches it after watching Percy hold Piper in his arms again, kissing every part of her, including the ring on her finger.

 

There’s a sureness in Percy’s eyes and unwavering devotion that he gives that doesn’t scare her. If anything, Percy looks at her with all the love in his eyes and Piper seems even surer of them.

 

Nico saw it a long time ago, when Frank reached out and asked for Hazel’s hand in marriage. Frank is nervous about most things—Nico has spent a good deal of their childhood watching a nervous Frank. But after years of dating, his tone had steadied, and the daring question of Hazel’s hand in marriage gifted Nico with his beautiful nieces.

 

He even sees it in the way Hades’s gloomy demeanor lifts with one kiss from Persephone. She places a crown of eternal flowers over his head and smiles at him with absolute adoration. Even in the depths of hell, the flowers bloom under his domain. The presence of flowers have always eased the sight of passed loved ones, and celebrating someone’s life made death seem less scary.

 

Nico’s never been sure about his love. The first time he said it aloud to Will, he needed to go to Jason first. He was sure that he wasn’t ready to get married, and Jason had to tell him that he could still be in love without the paperwork. He was sure that he didn’t want kids with Will and was upset when he didn’t have Jason to comfort him then, too.  

 

But he came to his feelings all on his own and within a week for Jason, who loved him for years. And he came to love a little boy within a night of knowing those big blue eyes and curly red hair.

 

Nico found himself in a deep and powerful love, like the humans that Zeus feared.

 

Trumpets and violins start to play from Hades’s old record player, in a warm, sweet melody. Nico watches as Frank’s eyes light up and he pulls Hazel into his arms. The twins squeal in delight, and they form a circle with Sion to dance.

 

“I want that,” Nico finds himself saying. He watches the edges of Hazel’s eyes wrinkle with her smile before she puts her head under Frank’s chin. Watches as Percy does the same for Piper, clumsily trying not to step on her feet. Percy stares at the bump between them with absolute love. Reyna and Annabeth gaze into each other’s eyes like they’re the only two people in the world, and even the twins have roped Leo in to dance as a foursome.

 

“You want what?” Jason says softly to him against the couch.

 

“A family,” Nico responds, still mystified by the different couples around them. They’re one of them. “With you.”

 

“Really?” Mirth flutters in Jason’s smile, their papa ordeal and daughter ideal clearly still apparent in his face. “I’ll get down on one knee whenever you’re ready.”

 

Nico leans in and presses a kiss to Jason’s lips. He keeps his face close, watching as Jason’s gaze melts for him. He’s never been surer in his life. “I want everything with you.”

 

Jason’s eyebrows furrow together, his expression as awed as it was the day back in Olympus. It’s as soft as it’s always been, fixated on Nico. Only Nico. Always Nico.

 

“But first,” Nico whispers softly. He stands to his feet, tugging at Jason’s hand, and waves a hand as the saxophone starts to play. “I think I owe you a dance.”

 

A look washes over Jason’s face as they join the dance floor. There’s a glow in his eyes that is hopelessly loving, and Nico is in the first row to see it. Jason’s hands press against the arch of Nico’s back, and Nico reciprocates with arms around broad shoulders. The asters are beautiful in Jason’s hair, drawing out the hue of his irises.

 

Nico can’t believe it took so long to get here.

 

“You’re going to make my heart explode,” Jason whispers to him.

 

“So let it,” Nico teases quietly. He can feel the thrumming of Jason’s heartbeat against his own—a melody as beautiful as any song. Nico tilts his head upwards, and Jason meets him with one of those electrifying kisses.

 

The winds bristle around Jason, and suddenly the lips are flying away from Nico. All he can do is laugh.

 

“I can’t dance with you if you’re all the way up there,” Nico chides.

 

Jason blushes all the same—and for the first time, Nico finds himself floating in the air in front of his beloved boyfriend. “Better?”

 

Nico braces himself with his arms curled over the end of Jason’s biceps. The starry dew of Jason’s eyes isn’t lost on him. Jason gives Nico the same look he gave when he was Praetor Grace, when he was Pontifex—and every evening and every morning, when Nico falls asleep and wakes up. Pure, unsullied love and happiness.

 

He thinks he understands what Jason means—having a heart feel so full and complete that it wants to explode. “Better.”

 

They continue their dance with Persephone and Hades smiling, Percy’s cheers, and Sion’s happy giggling. Nico doesn’t think he ever wants to land.

 

Notes:

Thank you SO MUCH for all of the love and support that you guys have been giving since I started updating again! I really got very emotional writing the last couple of chapters and I'm so glad that I've been able to share what I have with all of you! Please tell me what your favorite parts of this story are, and if you are interested in a sequel (or two!) I have a couple of ideas in mind and I'm so excited to keep sharing them with you!!

If you are still craving more jasico content, I do have another story for now: Dearly Departed and I have a couple of ideas in mind as well! If you haven't surmised it, A Long Long Time is what I imagine they're dancing to in the last scene!

With love, please keep reading and tell me what you want to see!!