Waves and Bones (A Nico di Angelo love story)

Just another day

Stories like this usually start with some epic cliché fight scene or some kind of self-discovery. Some even with deep heartfelt advice. I was never the kind of girl to share my feelings so don't expect to get any of that mushy pegasus dung from me. Today was just as normal as any day is for me. I woke up with the smell of the ocean that always filled cabin 3 and the loud off-key singing of my darling brother in the shower. As I said just another day as the daughter of Poseidon...well okay maybe it is a little cliché but hey, a girl can dream right?

"Ugh could you shut up, you're murdering my eardrums Seaweed Brains" I yelled covering my face in my pillow, in the hope of getting a few more minutes sleep.  I should've known better.

Not even a minute later did I feel my brother's wet hands wrap around my ankles and pull me from my bed.  Causing me to land on the cold wooden floor with a loud thump that echoed through the cabin along with Percy's laughter.

"Omg Soph you should've seen your face" he gasped as he doubled over struggling to breathe through his laughter.

"Very funny" I scolded as I got up from the ground and stormed to the bathroom.

"Ah come on sis, where's your sense of humour? You weren't always this grumpy? Come on you can talk to me?" He sighed from the other side of the door. Percy was right, we used to have great fun before he disappeared for nearly a year because of Gaea trying to start the other war. I thought he was dead and a lot of things happened that I haven't had the guts to tell him about. It hurts too much to think about. Aunt Sally wasn't the only one who felt lost for months.

I sat in cabin 3 for nine months. I didn't eat or sleep and nobody even noticed I was missing.  Chiron didn't even realise until I was on the brink of death.  Even that was only because I ignored my father's calls. What a great time to be alive when only the horseman and your deadbeat father care you've been missing.

"I'm fine kelp head I promise"

"I'm four years older than you Soph I  know when you're lying to me, your voice goes all scratchy and high pitched" he stated in a mimicking manner.

"It does not" I yelled swinging the door open to face him.

" Ha! Made you open the door.  Now come on mini-me talk to me. I've been back a year and we've barely spoken. I don't like it, we've always been there for each other. It sucks more cause we lost Leo and that little guy always reminded me of you. I don't wanna lose you too. It's killing me, Soph, please talk to me" his eyes broke my heart ten times more than the words he spoke. Percy was always the joker we never really got deep and personal with each other. I guess that's why I'd been avoiding this conversation as much as I could.

"Fine sit down, this is gonna take a while" I walked over to my bunk and sat down as he took his place beside me. The words felt like glass in my mouth. Telling him about the months that past while he was gone. The hunger, the depression. He looked at me as if I'd just stabbed him.  Which broke my heart and turned on the waterworks. I hated it. I never cried but Percy was my rock, my brother. I hated that I hurt him more than my stupid girlish tears. I decided there and then not to tell him the full story in am an attempt to avoid causing him more pain.

"Gods Soph why?" He asked pulling me in a tight hug.

"I thought you were dead. Then the prophecy happened and I feared the worst. I mean you barely survived the titan war and don't tell me otherwise. The thought that you might be dead somewhere, that broke me. I think a piece of me died sometime over those nine months waiting for you to come home. Dad actually Iris messaged me several times...or well tired I ignored every word he said I think that's why Chiron burst through the door one morning" I laughed as he wiped away my tears.