Shelter (Solangelo)

Chapter 16

**smut warning for this chapter**

!! If you're not so much for reading porn, you won't miss much if you only read the first section prior to the ~*~ and the final four lines. !!

~*~

As Nico stares up at the dancing green shadows on his ceiling, he realizes he's dreaming.

I'm in the car. Jules-Albert is driving us to New Rome. We're on a quest for Apollo.

He sits up. A warm breeze dances past, sending the shadows into a momentary zigzag pattern, and then a single russet feather flutters on the mattress in front of him. He glares up as a handsome young man with curly black hair and red and gold wings shimmers into existence perched on the foot of his coffin-shaped bunk.

"Zephyros," Nico says through gritted teeth. "Why are you here?"

Zephyros offers him a sad sort of smile, his bare arms resting on his knees. He's dressed like Apollo had been the other night. Wearing a camp shirt cut like a tank top and cut off jeans.

"Nico di Angelo," he says. "Right down to business. You left something at camp that you're going to need on your quest. My master has instructed me to deliver it to you."

Nico frowns, staring at Zephyros's flip flop clad feet. "Where is it? And get your feet off my bed."

Zephyros levels his eyes on Nico, but diligently lifts his feet off the bed, not by getting down, but stretching out his long legs, and balancing on the end of the bed, much like a gymnast, though he doesn't appear to be putting in much effort. "Always in such a rush. I'd hoped to talk to you for a while, make friends or something."

Nico barely prevents himself from scowling. "Why would you want to be friends with me?"

Zephyros's face seems to color, but it's hard to see under the green torchlight. "You're so dense. But Apollo always did have all the luck."

Nico narrows his eyes. The god of the West Wind, carefree servent to Eros, has a lot of gall calling him dense. And then the memory of the last time someone called him dense comes to mind. It was Will and it had taken him a while to realize Will was flirting with him.

Ugh. Just what I need. Zephyros killed the last guy he had the hots for – because of Apollo.

"There's nothing going on between me and Apollo. I'm, um, seeing someone else."

Zephyros rolls his eyes. "Tell me another one," he says under his breath. He sounds bitter and amused at the same time. Then shrugs. "No worries, I won't hurt you. I serve my master now. It's a punishment I can endure. It's hard sometimes – helping Eros bring lovers together and knowing I can't ever have ... " His eyes grow wet, but he blinks his tears away. "I should be grateful. I deserve my fate of eternal service. At least it's Eros, right? Could you imagine how bad it would be if it was like, Ares?" He shudders.

Nico shifts, tapping his fingers on his knee. "Zephyros?"

The wind god flashes Nico a winning smile. "Yeah?" a hopeful note to his tone, as if he's hoping Nico will change his mind.

"The message?" Nico asks, hoping his annoyance will shut those hopes down.

"Oh right. Okay. Here it is," Zephyros says, springing forward and catching Nico off guard as he pushes Nico onto his back, and shoves his hand inside Nico's jeans pocket. Thankfully he doesn't crush him. He hovers an inch above Nico, eyes closed, inhaling deeply.

"Dude!" Nico shouts and pushes Zephyros's shoulders. "What in Tartarus was that about?"

Zephyros flutters back a couple of feet, then perches standing on the foot of Nico's bunk. "I have to personally put it in your pocket otherwise it won't travel with you when you wake."