Percy was starting to pack his things to return home for winter. Camp Half-Blood had become his full time job, and he was anxious to see his mom again. Besides, the camp really wasn't that cool when most of the campers had gone home for the school year. When he'd finished packing he visited with Grover for a while. On his way back to his cabin he stared over at the Hades' cabin. It certainly wasn't the most inviting cabin, but then it didn't need to be with only one occupant. Nico hadn't been back in over a month, so Percy felt the need to snoop again for some kind of answers. He checked to see if anyone was looking and then stepped inside.
The cabin was relatively new, but already had that old building smell of wet wallpaper and urban decay. 'Just like Nico' he thought. It was a little less intimidating with sunlight coming in through the one window, but not by much. In the light Percy could make out more of the details of the cabin. It looked like a crypt, but a little bigger. The corners had columns imbedded within the walls, and Percy saw that one of the walls had a bunch of marble slabs checkerboarding it. He half expected to see names and dates on them, but was glad when he didn't. He looked up to the loft area, but saw no light coming from it. The ladder wasn't where it had been. Sighing, he turned to leave. He was just opening the door to go when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.
"Percy."
Turning back around green eyes met pure black. When Nico's eyes went that dark Percy felt that his soul might get sucked right out if he didn't look away quickly. Sometimes he wouldn't put it past Nico to try just that.
"I knew someone was here. Good ol' Doris never lets me down." Nico looked up to his loft, and Percy assumed that he was talking about whatever creature had been protecting it last time he'd snuck in.
Now that Percy was over the surprise entrance, he took a moment to really look at his friend. His skin was still pale, but Percy could swear that it was a little darker. His hair was long enough to start curling a bit. His lip was split near the corner. Also, he didn't so much look older, but something had changed. Percy could feel it more than see it. It almost felt... tired.
"Let's take a walk." Nico said, already on the move. Percy began to feel that Nico was a little bit territorial about his cabin until he realized that Nico was descending into the sunken commons area. Percy could tell that his friend was agitated about something; he was using his Stygian blade to hack at a chair, making stuffing fly everywhere.
"So what's wrong?" Percy finally asked as they sat on two of the skull covered chairs.
Nico gave him a dark look that said 'Don't go there' then he blinked and shrugged, "Nothing."
The older one sighed, "Fine, be that way." Nico's attitude was rubbing off on him, perhaps.
"I'm glad I managed to catch you. I thought you'd be home by now." Nico said, watching something outside, or just avoiding looking at the older man after he'd been snapped at.
"I'm leaving tonight."
"Figured it would be soon enough."
Percy looked at Nico, who was still watching outside. He was fiddling with his blade. This time Percy was the one to grab the other's hand. Dark eyes looked at him, but he didn't protest.
"You can come with me, you know." Percy offered.
"Not really." Nico said sadly, then changed the subject, "What do you think of me, Percy?"
Green eyes widened at the curious question, "What do you mean?"
"I mean... what am I to you at this point?"
"You're my friend, of course. We've had our rough times, but we get past them."
Nico was a little bit unsure of how he felt about Percy's anwer, "Like right now?"
