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Nico would like to take just one second to ask himself how the fuck he managed to get himself into this situation, exactly, because by all accounts his brain simply couldn’t process it.
Okay.
Chiron had assigned him, Leo, and some kid from the Aphrodite cabin to a short quest. It wasn’t supposed to be anything major. It was the Aphrodite kid’s first quest―Chiron had just suggested they take Leo and Nico for their own safety. They’d agreed.
They’d gotten through the quest alright, gotten what the kid needed, but at the end the way back to the camp would only fit one person. Kid was devastated, not wanting to leave them behind because they were halfway across the world and Nico was about one small shadow jump from completely red-lining his power, but Nico had convinced them to go after Leo expressed that he was okay with staying for as long as it took Nico to recover enough power to get them back.
So now they were stuck.
In Italy.
And Nico was pretty sure he was like three streets away from the house he’d lived in before he’d immigrated to America, which was not doing nice things to his brain.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, he and Leo were currently running away from a group of very angry monsters. He’d wanted to stay and fight, but… Well. Leo wasn’t much of a fighter and he wasn’t putting him in danger like that willingly.
So they were running.
And they’d been running for a while. His lungs were burning, muscles protesting his actions in ways that were so familiar he almost didn’t feel it. But he couldn’t run forever, personally, and he was pretty sure that Leo couldn’t either.
He grabbed the latino’s sleeve without thinking about it, yanking him into an alcove barely big enough for the two of them. Leo gave an indignant squawk at the tugging, but upon realizing what Nico was doing he went oddly quiet.
They both panted for breath as the monsters that had been chasing them raced past. But they’d continue to hunt for them for a while. They wouldn’t give up until they could get out of this town, at least, if not out of Italy entirely.
… He could probably manage that.
He realized, belatedly, that he was still holding onto Leo’s sleeve. He chose not to question why he was still holding on, though. He probably just distracted himself too much to let go―and holding onto him would be a good thing right now, anyway.
“You might want to hold on.” Nico warned him.
“You’re gonna try to shadow travel?” Leo sounded somewhere between frightened and disbelieving. “But didn’t you say-”
“I know what I said.” Nico snapped immediately, “But I’ve got enough to at least get us out of Italy.” He trailed for a second, tone softening before he could stop it, “Maybe wherever we land will be at least slightly safer.”
Leo didn’t question it further. He just nodded and, with a level of hesitance Nico hadn’t ever seen from him, reached out to grab Nico’s sleeve much like Nico was holding onto his.
He summoned what power he could, and they pitched sideways into the darkness.
When he came to, though he wasn’t entirely sure at what point he passed out, he was laying on the ground with his head on something soft. It took him a moment and some blinking to realize that it was Leo’s leg.
The son of Hephaestus was humming something, fiddling with a little invention in his hands. Nico watched for a moment, feeling Leo’s arm brush the back of his head here and there as he worked. He seemed to be trying not to wake him up or make him uncomfortable, as made obvious by how little contact he was purposely making aside from having laid his head on his lap.
His leg was probably asleep.
“Where are we?” Nico asked, wincing when his voice came out hoarse and cracked.
Leo went very still all of a sudden, humming cutting off abruptly.
After a second, his fidgeting resumed as if it hadn’t even stopped in the first place.
“Dunno,” He said, “Somewhere in France, I think.” Silence as Nico allowed that information to sink in, “You passed out as soon as we got here. Sorry for all the touching.”
Nico considered that as well, then tried to convince his body to move.
It responded only very sluggishly. Not enough to get him anywhere. In the end he only managed to sort of rearrange himself into a vaguely more comfortable position.
“It’s fine.” He told him, “I… Appreciate it, actually.” Under his breath he added, “It was nice not waking up alone for once.”
Leo paused in his fidgeting again, and for one long horrible second Nico thought he might question that. But he didn’t. He just hummed and said, “I just… It seemed shitty to leave you laying on the ground on your own.” He glanced around, “Not to mention it doesn’t look as bad if someone sees I’m letting you lay your head on my leg as it does if I’m just sitting next to you letting you conk out on the ground.”
Nico couldn’t help laughing a little, shifting onto his back to look up at him. “I don’t think I can get up,” He informed him, suddenly sullen again, “What a lovely shitshow I’ve gotten us into.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “It’s not that bad.”
“I can barely move.” Nico protested, “We’re stuck in France until I have the power to jump us back to New York. There’s a possibility that me being so weak could get you killed if more monsters show up! Not to mention that no one knows where we are. We’re fucked .”
Leo promptly sat whatever he was working on down next to him, something Nico had never seen him do, and turn his head enough to make direct eye contact with him. “So it seems bad right now.” He agreed, “But we are in this together―for better or worse, do you hear me?” One of his very warm hands landed on Nico’s shoulder, which was awkward for both of them in terms of placement, “I’m not giving up that easily.”
Nico could only stare up at him for the longest moment. What kind of overly optimistic shit…
“Okay,” He eventually said in spite of his thoughts, “Okay.”
Leo stared him down for a moment, then nodded and moved his hand from his shoulder. He picked up the thing he’d been working on and began turning it over in one of his hands. Seemingly without realizing it, his free hand came to rest on Nico’s forehead.
Nico resisted the urge to sigh and smile at the warmth of the contact. It was cold. He was cold. But Leo was warm.
Maybe this was okay. Maybe Leo touching him was going to be okay. It didn’t feel gross, so maybe…
He shifted back onto his side slowly, and Leo, tellingly, didn’t move his hand. He just allowed it to rest in Nico’s unruly dark hair as he fiddled with his little invention.