•Nicos POV•

Blood dripped into my mouth.

Salt from tears and sweat stung my raw skin.

A small sob escaped my lips.

I was cornered.

I was dead.

I sat stick straight in my bed. Cold sweat dripped down my neck, my shirt sticking to my back. Tartarus. How I hated that place. " Will?" I croaked out. Oh. I'm in my cabin.

I laid back down. I need to sleep. I've hardly gotten any since Gaea was put back into her rest. I breathed out and lightly closed my eyes, then took a deep breath of my cold cabin's air.

I sat up again and rubbed my eyes. I can't sleep. I slowly stood from my bed and wandered over to the front of my cabin. I slipped out of my cabin's front door and quietly rushed to the beach.

I sat near the edge of the water, letting the water lick at my toes. The cold night air seeped into my bones, the starry night calming me. I crawled to a sand dune, and laid down looking at the stars. A slight yellow at the edge of the sky was proof that morning was coming.

I closed my eyes.

"Nico.." a far away voice said.

"Mhm.." I mumbled in reply.

"Niiiiiicooooo!" The voice said again. Who was this person?

" NICO!!" This time the voice was right next to my ear. Oh. It was my boyfriend, Will.

" Yes, you idiot?" I asked while cracking open my eyes.

An angry looking Will was staring  down at me. " What in Hades are you doing on the beach?! You probably have hypothermia now!" he yelled. I smiled lovingly at him.

" I'm. Fine." I snarled playfully and pushed him back, sending him to the floor in front of me. He scowled at me as I stood up and stretched while yawning.

" How'd you find me?" I asked while taking in the morning light.

" I have to get up every morning at 5 am sharp the see the stupid sunrise! I spotted you laying here in the sand while walking back to cabin 7." he replied while disapprovingly shaking his head at me.

" Oh. Welp. I'm going to go now so..."

" Nico di Angelo you get back here!" Will yelled while I booked it back to my cabin. I looked back and laughed. While turning back to look forwards I ran into someone.

" Oh, sorry!" I exclaimed as I looked into the familiar sea-green eyes of Percy Jackson. A blush wanted to creep onto my face, but I didn't let it. " Oh... hey," Percy said as he awkwardly laughed.

Things had been different between us ever since I told him I had a crush on him. He seemed to try to keep his distance from me, probably to avoid the awkward conversations we would have.

" Uh.. hello," I replied. I noticed how close we were. So close...
" Well! I see that you and Will are.... dating," he coughed.

" Yeah..."

" That's... fun?"

" Sometimes," I laughed.

He looked at me weirdly.

" Well. Inappropriate jokes aside," he muttered, " how are you?"

" I'm doing pretty well, actually. You?"

" Good. Or should I say, Goode. After this summer, it's going no to be my last year at Goode. Then Annabeth and I are going to New Rome. For a... college." Percy seemed upset about going to college, but I didn't question him on it.

" Well, I should be going... before Will catches up on me and all," I stated. Percy looked behind me.

" Yeah. You have a minute to run at the most. I suppose I'll... see you later?" He said that in a more questioning tone, like he was wondering if he really would see me later.

" Yeah," I smiled. " Bye." I ran past him, and ran straight into my cabin. I locked the door, and slipped down the door onto my cabins cold floor. The blush I had held back before suddenly bubbling up to the surface. What is this feeling?

I can't actually... like him still.

Can I?