Boys Like Boys [Nico di Angelo]

chapter eight

(A/N: SHIT I FORGOT TO UPDATE ON TUESDAY WHAT DID I TELL YOU)
 
  "Are you okay with that?" Nico suddenly asked quietly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"What?"

"I mean, usually other boys wouldn't be comfortable sharing a cabin with a guy that likes other guys," he said sadly, as if he'd experienced it at one point in his life. I felt a lump rise up in my throat.

"It doesn't make me uncomfortable, if that's what you're wondering," I whispered and he nodded, before looking down at the book. Awkwardness settled around us and I didn't like it. "So, your dad is Hades, right?" I asked and he looked up at me again. There was a little bit of light in the cabin, and it made his eyes look as black as night. They were framed with dark, thick lashes that brushed his cheekbones when he looked down.

"Yeah," he responded, resting his chin on his fist.

"He's that guy with the fiery hair from Hercules, right?" I asked and a small smile slipped onto Nico's face. His lips curled at the ends and though it looked like a strain for him, I still thought it was cute.

"It's funny because he looks nothing like that."

"Do you look like him?" I inquired and he thought for a moment.

"I like to think I look more like my mom," he whispered, a sad tone behind his words. "Hades is pale." 

"So are you," I pointed out, watching as he looked at his hands.

"I used to not be. I just don't spend as much time in the sun as I used to. Plus, I spend a lot of time in the Underworld with my dad. I'm actually Italian."

I snapped and he jumped at the noise.

"I knew you had an accent," I commented and he shrugged.

"It's not as strong as it used to be."

"Can you speak Italian?" I asked, though I already knew the answer since Jason had told me.

  "Yeah," he said and I grinned.

  "So can I."

  "I thought you were Hispanic. You were talking to Leo in Spanish," he commented, sounding a bit confused.

  "I am Hispanic, but I can speak many other languages. Since Spanish is my first language, I figured Italian would be easy. I still get them a bit mixed up, though," I said, blushing as I looked down. He didn't say anything, almost like he was coming up with something to say.

  "Are you going to the Campfire? I'm not."

  "I'm kind of tired," I murmured and he nodded, pointing to the bed across from his.

  "You can sleep there."

  "Alright," I whispered, crawling under the covers and changing my clothes. I curled up, closing my eyes.

  "Night, Cal," he said, and I murmured back a 'goodnight', trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.

  'We need him,' a boy said, his long, dark hair pulled back into a bun.
 
  'I agree, but we cannot rush,' a woman said. 'He needs to befriend the sons of Hades, Jupiter, and Hephaestus. They're powerful as well and would be great assets.'
 
  'Would that not be more of a reason for him to stay?' the boy asked again, causing the woman to think. She had long, dark hair and emerald eyes that sparkled and shone.   
 
  'Perhaps you are right,' she thought aloud. 'Still, we must keep our eyes on him. He has the potential to be our most valuable weapon. The less he is able to control his gift, the more powerful he is to us. Sway his vote. Make him want to join us.'
 
  'Of course,' the boy said, before nodding and disappearing through double doors.
 
  'I see you spying, son of Thanatos,' the woman called, looking directly at me. 'Not for long.' I dropped into a cavern. It was dark - too dark for me to see anything - and I wondered around aimlessly. I touched something and pulled back, before lights flickered on. Dead bodies surrounded me, black smoke curling like snakes around them. I wanted to scream, but the smoke coiled around my neck, restricting my breathing. I was turned to see Nico in front of me. 
 
  'I'm afraid I don't have another choice. You killed everyone, Cal. You destroyed us. You're a monster.' 

  I shot up and breathed heavily, clutching my throat as I sucked in as much air as I could. I turned to see Nico next to me and let out a scream, before falling on the other side of the bed and clambering underneath it. I quickly swiped my bag and pulled out Perseus' harpe. Nico was trying to kill me.

  "Cal?" he asked softly. I noticed the black smoke and I hurriedly crawled away from it, before I realized it was following me. He was trying to kill me. I unsheathed my harpe and pointed it at him. He raised his hands up in surrender. "It was just a nightmare," he murmured. "No one's here to hurt you. I promise."

  It all came into focus. I was making the black smoke and Nico wasn't trying to hurt me. He was trying to soothe me. I dropped my harpe and fell to the ground, curling my fingers in my hair. What was happening to me? Nico hesitantly walked over to me, before kneeling down next to me.

  "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

  "No," I choked out and he nodded, before looking into my eyes. This time, they were a deep, rich brown, like overturned earth.

  "It's okay. You're here with me. You're safe. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he promised.

  "But I can't promise not to let anything happen to you," I whispered and his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm a loose cannon," I muttered, staring at the floor and tugging at my hair. "I'm a monster!"

  He pulled my hands out of my hair and held onto my wrists gently, like I was made out of glass.

  "Cal, listen to me," he said and I looked at him, my eyes burning with tears. "Whatever happened in that dream, it's not real, okay? Just breathe." I sucked in a few breaths. "Can you tell me what it was about?"

  "No," I whispered, shaking my head as I reached up to tug my hair again, but his grasp stayed firmly on my wrists.

  "Okay. You don't have to," he whispered soothingly. "It's not real, alright? You're not there. You're here with me, okay?"

  "I want to go home," I choked out and stared at the floor in front of me. He sighed and rubbed my back gently. "Everyone here thinks I'm a monster. I think I'm a monster. You think I'm a-"

  "Cal, I've already told you, I don't think you're a monster. In fact, I know you aren't," he tried to assure me. "I swear it on the Styx."

  I felt like that meant something big - like swearing on your life but much, much more powerful. He helped me up and sheathed Perseus' harpe, before sitting me down on the bed. 

  "Can you go back to sleep?" he asked softly and I nodded, so he gave me a small smile, before heading back over to his own bed.

  "I'm sorry," I whispered.

  "Don't be," he said back, and I heard him shift in his bed. "It's okay."