Hate to Love (Valdangelo)

Decisions

Nico really didn't feel like eating. He wasn't even hungry. But when Leo cut up a waffle, stabbed one piece with a fork, and shoved it in Nico's mouth, he decided to try to eat.

He was pretty sure he saw Hazel give Leo a thankful glance before going back to her own breakfast.

He was half way done the waffle when he put the fork down.

"Oh no, you're not done yet." Leo grabbed the fork and shoved another piece in Nico's mouth. Nico was temped to spit it out on the plate, but everyone was watching this time; it would be kind off gross. Plus, he figured Leo would only force-feed him even more, so he just looked Leo in the eye and chewed it slowly.

"That's an improvement. I could've sworn you would've spit it out." Leo had no idea just how true that was. The corners of Nico's mouth curved up in a slight smile, the guilt showing through. Leo chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." Nico said, and Leo laughed a little harder. Nico sighed and tried to stomach another piece of waffle.

the two hung out in the engine room. Nico was sitting on the chair backwards, so the back of it was against his chest. Leo was somewhere in the mess of machinery, checking up on everything.

"I just have one question," Nico said while Leo's head bobbled up from behind an engine every now and then.

"Shoot." Leo practically yelled over the hum of the engines.

"Why did you call me Nicito this morning?" Nico heard a small bang, and a quiet "ow," before Leo began.

"It, uh, basically means 'little Nico' in Spanish. It kind of just came out. I wasn't even thinking." Truth be told, Nico kind of liked the nickname. It reminded him of Italian, and that reminded him of his "little kid" days. Leo was starting to bring the old him back, so why not have a nickname that reminded him of his old self?

"No, it's okay." Nico said. "It's pretty much the only nickname you have for me that I can stand." Leo's grease-stained face popped up from behind a motor. Along with the grease smudges, there was a mischievous grin.

Nico was starting to regret telling him he didn't mind the nickname.

"I'll remember that, Nicito." Nico felt his checks warm slightly. Really regretting it.

Nico heard a shuffling noise. Leo walked around the heaping hunk of metal. He was wiping his hands off with an oil-stained cloth.

"So that's done." He said. "What do you want to do now?" Nico shrugged. "You are no help."

Nico cracked a smile. "We could watch another scary movie." Leo's eyes widened in fear.

"No, no, no, no, no–" All signs of terror washed away from Leo's face as another mischievous grin formed on his lips. "You just want another Leo-cuddle, don't you?"

Nico's smile wiped off his face, and his checks burned, no doubt the color of a freshly picked tomato.

"That's not–! I didn't mean–!" Nico stuttered, and Leo laughed.

"I'm just messing with you!" Nico glared at Leo. He would bring that back up as a joke. As much as Nico hated to admit it, he actually did want more "Leo-cuddles."
He really wished his mind would stop thinking.

"Whatever." Nico said, his blush starting to fade. "Well, I can't think of anything to do."

Leo shook his head. "I can't either. We have to think of something."

Nico racked his brain for something to do. He didn't think Leo could really handle another horror movie, and he wasn't really up for another tickle war. The only things that really came to mind were hanging out in a city or town, or playing Mythomagic. He didn't think they could do the former, as they were currently flying high above the ground, and he couldn't bring himself to suggest the latter; it would bring up bad memories.

Yes, he already told Leo about it, but talking about something is different then actually doing it.

"How about..." Leo began, trailing off as he looked up in thought. "I would say swimming, because it's hot outside and that's the only thing I can think of, but..." Leo looked at Nico, whose face had gone considerably paler at the thought of swimming.

It wasn't the water that scared him, he knew how to swim (Sort of. He still felt way more com portable when his feet could touch the floor.). It was the fact that he would have to take off his shirt.

Nico was really skinny, he knew it. A person could see a lot of his bones–his spine, a couple ribs, his collarbone stuck out. He didn't think Leo needed to see that.

But then again, Leo was pretty skinny too, and he seemed more understanding than the others. He understood on the same level; the others only knew he felt something. Leo knew exactly how he felt.

Well, for most things. Nico doubted Leo knew what it was like to fall in love with another guy, who fell in love with someone else.

Either way, he doubted Leo would care that he was so skinny. So he nodded.

"I guess we could." he finally decided. "But I don't have swim trunks. And since when goes the Argo II have a pool?"

Leo grinned. "You can wear one of mine. I'm pretty sure I have a mostly black one. And as for the pool, it been here since I built the baby. I just never told anyone about, didn't see the need to."

Nico nodded, somewhat unsurprised.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.

As long as Nico tied the strings fairly tight, Leo's swimsuit fit pretty well.

The only problem with it was, although it was mostly black, there were little hammers and wrenches on it. He looked at Leo.

"I honestly didn't even know they had hammer designs..." Nico admits.
"I didn't either. I found it when we were at this crazy woman's clothing department. Pretty sure she was a witch. Anyway, I found it on our way out, and I kind of took it. So worth it." Nico had no idea what Leo was talking about, but he didn't really care.

He realized in that moment why he didn't care. It was not a reason he was particuarly happy about

Oh gods... He thought. It's really happening again...

He shook his head. Leo lead him to the secret pool, which was on a hidden deck near the back of the ship.

It looked like any other public pool, except walls and floor of it was a mosaic of reds, oranges, and yellows. The shallow end was probably about three feet, and the deepest was probably eleven or twelve feet.

Leo threw the towels down on a lawn chair sitting by the pool.

"How did you even get away with this?" Nico asked in slight awe. He walked closer to the shallow end. Leo looked back and shrugged before jumping into the deep end.

Nico sat on the edge where Leo jumped off and dangled his feet in the water.

Leo's head popped up beside Nico's feet. He raised his eyebrow at Nico.

"What, you're not even going to get it? And you're going to wear your shirt to swim? That's all kinds of weird."

"Yeah, but I don't–" Nico began to defend himself, but Leo cut him.

"Dude, look at me. I'm one of the scrawniest kids you'll ever meet. I won't judge. I can't, not really." Leo slapped Nico's shin with the back of his hand. Then he added softly: "And real friends wouldn't think it matters anyway."

Nico smiled and slipped the black shirt up and over his head. He threw it in the direction of the towels, but it landed a foot or two off.

Leo laughed. "But I think you should work on your aim."

Suddenly, Nico felt hands on his ankles, and was pulled into the water. The last thing he saw before going under was Leo's ever mischievous grin.