Beauty from Pain (Leico/Valdangelo)

Monophobia

Okay, hi guys... So this is a new chapter, obviously, okay I need to start adding authors notes so, hey. Please like my story, well you don't have to but. Omg I'm gonna stop now. Enjoy, please.

Chapter 2: Monophobia

Camp was hell.

Nico regretted even the slightest deepest desire of wanting to come here. All he wanted was to leave; run away from this hell. But the guards scared him, they were twice size and huge.

First it was being awoken at 4:00 in the morning. The loud banging scared him and he woke with a start. The other boys eventually got up groggily. 'How does Jason still look perfect in the morning?' Nico asked himself. Compared to the other boys (Leo looked like a corpse) Jason looked like a runway model.

We had a quick breakfast of sludge and watery sludge and it was off to our activities. Then there was coach Hedge. He had made them run 5 laps of the entire camp but if anyone had stopped running (which many did) they had to start all over again. Nico ended up running over 20 laps of the camp. He burnt the names of the guys that stopped in to memory and put them on his kill list.

After a lunch of fruit and water, we headed to our next activity.

Therapy.

This was bad. What makes it even worse is that Nico does go to therapy, much to his displeasure, but he never goes in a group with about 10 other guys. Thankfully, Leo and Frank were also in this session with him.

Leo nudged him in the side when they sat in a circle. "It's not as bad as you think it'll be. It's run by Chiron and he's super nice, unlike all the other counsellors." He reassured Nico, who looked incredibly nervous.

A man in a wheelchair rolled into the centre of the circle. "Good afternoon." He greeted everyone. Nico remembered him from the camp meeting yesterday. He was one of the head counsellors, along with Mr D. Nico thanked the gods that it was Chiron and not Mr D. "Leo, Frank nice to see you here... Again."

Frank fidgeted beside Nico. Frank was different to the others. He didn't seemed like he would do anything wrong. Maybe Nico would find out what he did to get sent here today.

"How about you start us off then, Leo." It wasn't a question but Leo still offered an answer.

"Sure thing, boss. I'm Leo Valdez, bad boy supreme, if you were wondering. I'm here because I keep running away from my foster homes so they made me come here so I can't run away but I still get to run. Point team Leo." He said smoothly as if it were the easiest thing in the world. He hesitated then muttered, "I like running." Some people chuckled at his speech but Nico stayed quiet.

"Okay Leo. Sit down." Chiron rolled his eyes. "Next, Travis Stoll how about you..."

It continued like this for a while. They slowly made their way around the circle until there was only one person left... Nico. Frank was right before Nico and huffed something about fighting with his dad.

He stood up awkwardly, "Um, I'm uh Nico..." He said awkwardly.

"Hi Nico, why are you here? Can you tell us?" Nico glared at Chiron. He was being patronizing like his step mother Persephone was.

Nico mentally debated with himself about whether to tell the group about why he was here. He wasn't ready to admit to himself why he was here he sure as hell wasn't ready to tell a group of strangers. "This is stupid." He muttered and sat back down.

He noticed that Leo was staring at him. He turned, expecting to see him trying not to burst out laughing but instead he was just staring at him. His eyes were sad and his smirk was gone. It wasn't a look of sympathy but a look of one broken toy to another.

Therapy had been a waste of time but there was one thing he now knew. Leo understood him. He wasn't sure how or why, but he understood him.

The free time they had before dinner, Nico spent in his cabin. All the other guys went out to play volleyball earlier, except Leo.

So Leo and Nico sat in a comfortable silence, Nico reading and Leo tinkering with a screwdriver and his phone (that he had mastered hiding from coach hedge along with the other guys).

Soon, Leo had broken the silence. "Do you know what monophobia is?" I looked at him incredulously.

"Why would I know that?" I asked him.

"Just... I don't know. Anyway, it's the fear of being alone. I think I'm monophobic, it gets lonely here sometimes, when all the guys are texting their girlfriends or writing to their parents." Leo looked over at me with the same sad eyes.

"Why do you run away from your foster homes?" Nico asked stupidly.

"Well, I don't know. I just feel like I'm not supposed to be there. It also doesn't really help that I can't stop, moving." He put his phone down. "I fucking hate running." He whispered.

Nico nodded. He didn't know what to say. He had met this boy yesterday and he'd already opened up to him? Maybe that was just who Leo was and how he coped. He would spill his guts to everyone who'd listen. But still Nico had to ask, "Why are you telling me this?"

Leo's stupid smirk was back, "Because maybe this could be our thing. We talk to each other about things we wouldn't dare tell anyone else."

Nico raised his eyebrow at his answer but smiled gratefully, "Okay, whatever." He tried not to sound happy but Leo's smile widened and he knew he'd failed.

"We can make it into a game. We ask each other three questions and we have to answer honestly."

"Sure." Nico agreed.

What could go wrong?

Okay so I kinda copied the questions game from Piper and her dad in The Lost Hero but I thought it was cute and would be a cute way for them to... Get to know each other ;)

So I hope you liked it. I'll try and add more character development in the next chapter and of course, more Leico. I just don't want to rush their relationship and make it sound unrealistic though.

So this is like my first story and I'm really nervous but it's getting some views so I think I'm doing something right.... Hopefully.

Anyway, bye :) and enjoy, but you don't have to, but it'd be cool if you did but- omg.