The Call of the Void

Nico and Hazel's late night chat

I smiled to myself the whole way to my cabin, dodging the harpies until I was at my own doorstep. 

I was a godfather! 

As I turned the knob, I sighed, relieved to be back where nobody could nag me about what to eat and when, where nobody would be watching me. 

I looked over to the other bunk to see Hazel still fast asleep already, hugging her pillow with the soft, pink glow of her salt lamp illuminating her face. 

As I sat on the bed, I pulled the translucent curtain over to dim the light coming from her lamp to almost nothing, just a hazy reassurance that my eyes were open. I always needed total darkness to be able to sleep. 

On my other side was a window, with closed, black velvet curtains that grazed the bedsheets. Now, though, I figured it'd be alright to open them, so I tied one of them up and folded my arms in the windowsill, looking out at the Iris cabin next door, the pearlescent painted wood slats still glowing soft, pastel rainbows in the light of the full moon. 

I did always prefer moonlight. 

A soft smile slid off of my face, which I hadn't even realized I was wearing. Oh, Bianca... 

... If I hadn't been so naive, so cloying and clingy and irritating and... Childish... If I hadn't gotten into so much trouble... If I didn't constantly need you to protect me... 

Would you still be here? 

Maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to leave me if I was better. And you wouldn't've become a huntress, and you wouldn't've gone on that trip-... 

If I had been more understanding, maybe you wouldn't've felt the need to make it up to me. And you wouldn't've stolen from the junkyard and gotten yourself crushed. 

I looked over at the figurine of my father, that I still keep on the windowsill. 

I picked it up, my fingers tracing over every intricately carved detail. 

Why did you risk your life for this? This doesn't help me, it just serves as a physical reminder that you're gone. And that it's my fault. 

I may have blamed Percy, I may have blamed you, but it was all because I didn't want to face the fact of the matter. 

There's nobody to blame but myself. 

I sighed, drew the curtains closed again, and laid down. I needed to turn my brain off. 

Let's think of something nice... Something calming, something comforting. 

Nothing came to mind. 

I sighed, laying on my belly. Please let me sleep... I'm so tired... 

I looked back up at the figurine, still in my hand. 

She wouldn't want me to think like this. She loved me. 

I closed my eyes, letting the thought resound in my head as I drifted off, like the echo of a bell tolling from its tower. She loved me, she loved me, she loved me... 

-

I was woken up in the middle of the night by desperate pleas for help, ringing in my head. 

He was sobbing, screaming, it was dull in my head, but I felt his every emotion. It broke my heart. 

I sighed shakily, watching the sun rise from the window. "Leo, please... Just hang in there. I'm gonna find you, I swear I will." 

I heard Hazel groan and shift underneath her blankets, and watched as her hand gently pulled the curtain back, revealing her face. She looked concerned. "Are the voices bothering you again?" 

I nodded and slid over to give her room to sit with me, which she did. "It's basically morning now." I muttered. "Do you wanna go back to bed, or... Can we talk?" 

She shrugged. "I can stay up for a little bit, yeah. Whaddya wanna talk about?" 

I smiled softly. "Well... Y'know Coach Hedge has a son now." 

Her brows raised. "Oh?" 

"Yeah. Little Chuck. He, um... Coach asked me to be the little guy's godfather, and I said yes." 

Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my gods, that's amazing!" 

My smile grew on my face, and I held her tight. "Yeah, I'm so excited to help out! I should go out to the library and see if they have any books on babies, just to make sure I'll do right by him." 

"Yeah... Sounds like a good idea." She kissed my cheek. "Is there anything else you wanted to say?" 

I shrugged. "Not... Not really. There hasn't been anything new." I muttered, until I remembered Will and I's... Moment... Yesterday. Or, the day before? It doesn't matter. "Well, there is one thing. Um... Will lost some people in the war, and... I told him that I'd lead him down to Elysium, and let him visit them." 

"Oh, wow. That's... Really sweet of you. When are you going?" 

"We don't, um... There's not, like. a set date. But soon." 

Hazel nodded, her eyes closing. "Good." 

"You wanna go to sleep?" I asked. 

She nodded again, nuzzling closer to me. I held her and closed my own eyes, resting for a little bit. 

After a while, I found I was totally unable to sleep, so I decided to just start my day. I made sure not to disturb her, so I could let her sleep in, and brushed my teeth in the tiny bathroom we had in the cabin. 

Once I was dressed and relatively clean went out to the dining pavilion to get her a to go bag for breakfast. They did that sometimes, for people who were sick or shy or working on something. 

(A/N so I know that y'all wanted to see more of Body Shop but I'm a little blocked on it honestly, so have more COTV)