Silence is Golden (Percy Jackson AU)

Special Edition! Nico

It was a dream.

Just a dream.

Thalia stood over him, holding a steaming cup of hot chocolate in each hand. Her electric blue eyes blazed with life, a bit of snark, and her usual threatening glare. Her hair was short and spiky, with blue tips and a silver head band. Nico spied a very familiar looking friendship ring on her middle finger, which helped him relax a bit.

"Why is it whenever I see you these days you always look like a homeless person, Di Angelo?" She asked, waiting for him to sit up. When he didn't immediately respond, she narrowed her eyes, "You okay?"

"Fine," He said, hoping it didn't sound as empty as he thought it did. He didn't want to explain that now, even years since the actual event he still had nightmares about his sister's death. It wasn't like the older girl didn't know he dreamed it, but he definitely didn't want her to know that sometimes it was her that died.

Or Hazel.

Or Jason. Or Percy.

She nodded like she didn't believe him, "Sure," She said, "Here." She handed him a cup and slid onto the park bench beside him. The winter air was dry and bitter and stole their breaths into the sky. It was midday but no one was out much. They had the whole park to themselves and the birds.

It had been a full year since the Christmas in the hospital had happened. For the most part they all had recovered. Nico had taught Hazel to play Myth-o-magic like Bianca. Thalia and Jason had fixed their relationship, and they sometimes joined him at his house for movie nights and board game tournaments that were usually won by yours truly. Thalia had left for college in August, a fancy all girl's school that her late friend Zoe Nightshade had suggested to her. Nico wasn't going to lie and say that he didn't miss the spunky girl when she was gone.

It was her first day back on winter break and they had agreed to meet up at the park. Nico had actually been running late, but Thalia was even later. He hadn't even noticed he'd dozed off.

"So....?" Thalia hummed, "How's senior year?"

"Lame," Nico answered, "I'm smarter than everyone there."

"So flunk. That's what I did."

"You didn't flunk."

"Excuse you, I worked very hard at flunking my senior year of High School." She slurped her drink almost irritably, "Show some respect to your elders, kid."

"Careful, Grandma."

"Brat."

"Princess."

"Jerk."

Yes, Nico very much missed her.

Thalia placed her cup in Nico's lap and stretched towards the sky. Her black hair had grown out since they had last talked but her still had it cut like daggers framing her face. Nico was no hair designer, but he knew when a look fit a person, and Thalia with all her curses and swears and black leather owned that look.

"So are you coming to my house for dinner?" Nico sighed.

She blew a cloud of condensation out. "Nah, Jason and I are having family dinner tonight. I'm driving."

Nico nodded, noticing the softening of her eyes and the quake in her voice. It was barely there and Nico let it pass.

Before she had left for college, Jason and her had made a pact to get their mother back on her feet. Thalia and her had gone through Rehab together, and something had come out in the private session that made them all feel like they were standing on thin ice. Nico didn't know what it had been--Thalia hadn't told him and he hadn't asked. If she wanted him to know, if she wanted to share, she knew where to find him.