𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐢━━Nico di Angelo

41

Ajax slept till noon.

No one tried to wake him up. They figured he deserved the rest after the day he had. Plus Nico glared at Coach when he tried to knock on the door to wake Ajax up.

"Since when do you sleep in Ajax's room?" He watched Hazel walk up to him.

Nico wasn't keeping guard exactly. He just happened to have nothing to do. It was a little creepy, but he liked it.

If they didn't know before, everyone knew now that Nico had started to sleep in Ajax's room. There had been rumours which Piper and Hazel shut down, telling the others it was none of their business. And so what if something was going on?

Hedge was the worst. His argument was that they needed to be careful, something about protection? Hazel wanted to erase that memory from her mind.

"Ajax suggested it" Nico tried to look casual. "The night Gale was sent" Two days ago.

Hazel hummed. There was more she wanted to ask. But she didn't push. She told him the real reason she had come to ask for him. "Jason had a vision. He was midair and he almost fell into the sea. He's fine now" Hazel knew Nico didn't care about the last part, but she said it anyway. "He called everyone to the mess hall. Ajax included"

Nico nodded. He watched her walk away. He didn't want to wake Ajax up, he looked peaceful while sleeping.

Slowly, he opened the door, making sure not to make a lot of noise.

Ajax was more or less in the same position he had fallen asleep in, half the blanket was off him and his mouth was slightly open. He looked a little stupid and funny.

Nico's mind traveled back to when Hecate had told them they would find treasure in Venice. In a way, Nico did find treasure.

Tesoro.

He looked at the boy sleeping.

Nico grabbed the binder Ajax stored in the cupboard. He forced his smile to vanish and threw the binder so it landed on Ajax's face.

"Get up, loser" Tesoro, Nico wanted to say, "Jason fell asleep while falling and he called a meeting"

Ajax made incoherent mumbling noises that sounded vaguely like- "Five more minutes"

Ajax did end up joining them for lunch eventually. Thankfully Jason had waited until he arrived to narrate his vision. Ajax was a little embarrassed at how long he had slept and glad as well.

He felt like a whole new person, refreshed and energized.

He sat next to Leo as usual, across from Nico. He saw the way Nico was glaring at him.

He blew the son of Hades a sarcastic kiss. Nico rolled his eyes.

Ajax had noticed he didn't look alarmed or scared whenever anything queer was mentioned anymore.

The ship creaked as it sailed through the Adriatic, its remaining oars still out of alignment from the giant turtle attack. Every once in a while Festus the figurehead creaked and squeaked through the speakers, reporting the autopilot status in that weird machine language that only Leo could understand.

Jason's vision was so disturbing and hopeful at the same time, Ajax didn't want to eat anymore.

"A note from Annabeth." Piper shook her head in amazement. "I don't see how that's possible, but if it is—"

"She's alive," Leo said. "Thank the gods and pass the hot sauce."

Frank frowned. "What does that mean?"