Amaurosis

XX: Percy, You're An Idiot

Wishing I could sleep like everyone else and knowing I was more than exhausted, I dragged my feet down the hall toward my empty bedroom. The only thing I'd been using in there was the drawers anyway. It was weird how Nico was the only one who noticed there was no bed, too, but I guess the others never really come in here. Even with Annabeth, I always went to her cabin.

About to open the heavy door, I heard grunting coming from across the hall, from Nico's room. Furrowing my brows and letting my curiosity take over, I looked both ways, up and down the corridor, and tip-toed, ready to bring my fist up and knock, but the door was already open.

Sticking my head through the crack, another low groan filled the room, and my eyes locked on a figure hunched over on the messy bed. Sheets lay strewn across the room, and the only light that found its way into the cabin was from the half covered porthole on the center wall, directly across from the door.

Glistening, light blue moonlight seeped through the open window, the black curtains swaying serenely in the brisk breeze. Stray streaks of violet cast a spotlight on the figure curled up on the mattress, dark curls caught in the breeze like snakes. Pale skin reflected the light, and deep pools of black ink absorbed anything they locked on, including me. The boy let out another muffled yelp.

I reached for the light switch only to be met with a warm liquid dripping off the knob.

"Sorry about that," Nico grunted, fumbling on the bed to face me.

"What the heck happened?" The nervousness returned and I found myself drifting, once again, to where he was. A white towel, now stained red, was held to his chest, and the dark circles under his eyes were more sunken. I'd never seen him so pale, drained.

"It won't stop bleeding." He backed up to rest against the headboard, letting his head hang. "I've gone through at least three beach towels. Sucks that the only ones we have stocked are white." He let out a choking laugh, coughing soon following in a fit of pain.

"Morpheus did this?" He nodded, and I sighed in defeat. "You'll be okay," I lied, moving over to sit beside him. I formed a plate of darkness, easily finding a source within the corners of the cabin, and applied it to his wound, covering it as best as I could to keep the blood inside his body.

Only then did I notice he wasn't wearing a shirt. Anyone could tell he trained hard from the soft abs alone. Dribbling blood ran down his stomach like rivers on his muscled abdomen, but it wasn't disgustingly formed. He was just fit. Very fit.

He winced, the cold metal skull ring on my middle finger brushing his side. He smiled slightly when he saw what touched him.

"Thanks," I muttered, thinking aloud. "Without you I'd probably be locked away somewhere..."

Our eyes flickered up to meet, and he swallowed, pursing his lips as his focus trailed down to mine. His chapped lips parted, and he began to inch closer, the muscles on his stomach flexing.

I closed my eyes, his cool breath fanning my face. The tips of our noses touched, and he paused, his eyes scanning mine for some sort of confirmation. I nodded, and as if in slow motion, his lips brushed mine.

"Yo!" Percy's voice cut through the room like a knife to a fluffy cake. I fell off the bed and landed with a loud and painful thump. I felt like Pooh bear falling out of a tree. "Oh, hey, Alex." He smiled innocently, though Nico's and my glares gave quite an opposing message. "Anyway, since you're both here, Annabeth wants everyone on the main deck now." And he slammed the door shut.

Groaning, the two of us got up, and I wrapped Nico's arm around my shoulder for support. We met the others at the end of the hallway.

Annabeth spread a world map over the dining table. "I think it's time we discuss the end of the prophecy." Her eyes scanned all of ours as we huddled around her in a circle. "Old against new, split by the Sea of Atlas-"