Percy Jackson, The Missing Hero.

40. Disneyworld: Leo's Dream Quest Location.

"Ah." Percy winced. He suddenly understood what Nico had dreamt about in perfect clarity.

"There was this one dream that I used to have." Nico moved slightly to get more comfortable before continuing. "I was terrified it would come true because it was always so vivid."

"What was it?" Percy asked gently after a moment of silence.

"That I'd wake up one day and I wouldn't love him anymore," Nico confessed. "I know it's stupid for me to say, we weren't exactly married for fifty years with kids and a dog, I don't even know how long I can say we were together considering how much I disappeared on him, but I loved him. Love him. And the idea of getting him back is terrifying because what if I see him again and don't feel the same way I did?"

"Nico..." Percy winced.

"I used to worry that I'd wake up one day and have feelings for someone else, which was an even worse idea than not loving him," Nico continued. "I was terrified for months after I lost him, still am terrified actually, that I'd develop feelings for someone else and Eros would show up and tell me that it was my punishment for crossing him, that he'd given me time to grieve but it was time to move on and I wouldn't have a choice."

"I can't say I've ever been unfortunate enough to encounter Eros in the flesh, but I think he knows that your dad would send the hounds of hell after him if he dared to do something so blatantly cruel," Percy attempted to comfort him. The words he spoke were true though; he had a very strong feeling that Hades would attempt to murder Eros if the god of love dared to lay a finger on Nico, and whether the finger was literal or figurative wouldn't matter.

"Sometimes I wonder if this is his punishment, for me to forever be in love with someone that he didn't think would ever come back. He probably tried to turn the Eiffel Tower pink in celebration when he heard the news," Nico's laugh was harsh. "He will probably be out there kicking himself as soon as the news filters through the gossip chains on Olympus."

"At least we've got one of the main sources of Olympus' gossip mill with us," Percy pointed out, thinking about their resident god. "He can't do much in the way of spreading gossip from here, and I sincerely doubt he'd ever tell anyone anything that could be used to harm you."

"I wonder if Icarus has let him survive the night?" Nico wondered aloud, changing the subject. Percy got the message, he didn't want to continue discussing a topic that gave him nightmares. Percy also understood the sentiment perfectly.

"Honestly, I was a little confused that Luke said Icarus offered to share with him," Percy admitted. "Icarus has never been one to stick around when Apollo is mentioned, and believe me, he's mentioned a lot. Orion is still holding a grudge against Apollo for sending a scorpion after him because he thought Artemis was going to break her vows for him and Michael and Lee often get defensive over their dad. Usually, he disappears from the room at the mention of his name and the time he didn't and Orion asked him what his opinion on him was, he bolted. We couldn't find him for hours."

"Did you even think about that when you asked Icarus to come with us?" Nico asked, concern in his eyes.

"It may have slipped my mind," Percy admitted guiltily, picking slightly at the loose thread on the seam of his duvet cover as a distraction. He was, unfortunately, telling the truth. All thoughts of Icarus' unexplained behaviour at the mention of the god in question had vanished when he had been trying to figure out who could possibly assist them on their Quest. His first, obvious, thought had been Labyrinthus himself before realising that the other son of Poseidon had only been able to navigate the Maze due to his possession of Ariadne's String. "I was panicking over who else we could bring!"