Nico's PoV:

I fidget with my fingers as I wait for the doctor to come back with Hades and Persephone. Hazel, sadly, isn't able to come because she has school. There'll be no one to help you. .

The door opens and my head snaps up.

"Alright Mr. di Angelo," Oscar says. "You'll be out soon. I just need a word with your father and stepmother here."

The nurse that came in with them sits down next to me. His name is Michael, I believe.

"Happy to get out of here?" He asks.

I nod.

Hades nods, and Persephone nods absentmindedly, as she's on her phone. They make their way to a corner of the room, and Oscar starts talking swiftly while sending me pitiful glances. Oh, I think.

Michael glances at me pitifully. Stop looking at me like that!

"What are you most excited for? Got a special someone?" He asks, and nudges me.

I think of Will and smile a little. "Well. ."

He smiles knowingly.

Hades is nodding sadly to what Oscar is saying. Like you care. You did it.

"Yes, it was a sad time for us then," Hades says, and looks at me apologetically. I clench my teeth to keep out from yelling. That'll just get me in more trouble.

"Hey, you okay?" Michael looks at me giving Hades a glare, and looks at Hades. Hades smiles at us.

Michael looks back at me, and I'm still glaring at him, clenching my teeth, breathing heavily.

His eyes widen in realization.

"Oh my-"

"Well, I believe that's it!" Oscar says happily.

I shake my head at him. "Don't," I whisper as I grip his arm. "It'll just make it worse."

"I can't-"

"Mr. di Angelo, you are free to go!"

"Don't," I whisper again while I stand up and get practically get pushed out the door by my dad.

When I glance back, he's shaking his head at Hades. Oscar says something, and Michael starts talking.

Please don't.

-

I close my eyes as I hear the door slam shut.

"Worthless," my dad mutters. "Completely worthless."

I open my eyes and breath in heavily.

Breathing out, I try to walk towards my room but my dad stands in front of me.

"You think you're going to get away again?"

I blink.

"You caused me a lot of hassle the pass three years. I think you need to learn your lesson."

"N-no. ."

He slaps me. "Shut up."

Persephone goes to the kitchen. I knew she wouldn't care.

"L-leave me alone. ."

He raises an eyebrow. Wordlessly, he punches my eye, causing me to fall on my side.

"I'm going to. ." What am I going to do? It's not like I can escape him. "Call the cops. ." I lie.

"Do you know why I know you aren't going to do that? You didn't have the guts before, you don't have the guts now," he kicks my gut. "You're a coward."

He repeatedly kicks my gut, and there's nothing left for me to do but curl into a ball and take the pain.

I am a coward.

Of course you are.

No. Not again. Not the voices. I was getting better. Therapy. . .

Did you think therapy could keep us away?

I put my hands on either side of my head.

Stop. Stop.

Hades finally stops kicking me, and goes to the kitchen with Persephone.

That was just the beginning, Nico dear.

Stop.

-

Will's PoV:

"Hey, Neeks!"

"H-hi, Will."

I frown.

"Is something wrong?" I ask. He didn't even try to correct me.

"No. . ."

"Nico."

I hear a loud bang through the phone. "I've got to go," Nico says quickly and before I can protest he ends the call.

I frown again before putting my phone back on my dresser. What was that?

-

Hazel's PoV: (A/n: you weren't expecting that, were you?)

As I close the door, I yell, "I'm home!" And kick my shoes off. Nico comes out from what I suppose is his room.

"Hi, Hazel."

"Hey, Nico."

We stare at each other for a moment before I notice something on his eye. I walk closer to him, slowly, and see he has on concealer.

"Nico. .? Why are you. .?"

He looks away, and I move his head to look at me. Still holding his face, I wipe my thumb across the concealer and he flinches. I start to see purple blue-ish, and I continue wiping around his eye until I take off all the concealer.

I step back from him.

"Where did you get that?" I whisper. "Surely not at the hospital-"

"No, Hazel," he says slowly. "I didn't get it at the hospital."

"Where did you-"

"Just drop it, Hazel. Forget about it."

"'Forget about it?'" I emphasize. "Nico, I come home and you have a black eye. You're my half-brother, Nico. . How would you feel if you were in my shoes?"

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Hazel."

"You know who should be sorry? Whoever gave you that black-"

"Can we not talk about it?" Nico asks. "Please?"

"Of course."

Nico begins to walk towards me slowly. He wraps his arms around me firmly. "Thank you."

I smile and nod.

I put Nico at an arm's length. "Guess what happened today."

"What?"

"Will got into a fight!"

Nico looks at me as if I've just grown another head.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes!" I yell.

Nico shakes his head. "You're not."

I nod my head. "Yes, I am!"

"Why are you happy about that?"

I frown. "Hmph. I'm not necessarily happy, but he was doing it for a reasonable reason."

"And what reason is that, may I ask?"

"He was defending you! Your little boyfriend was defending you!"

Nico looks around, alarmed, and he looks back at me, blushing.

"Defending me?"

I grin. "So you two are dating!"

"That's beside the point, Hazel," he says. "What do you mean by defending me?"

"Okay, okay."

I tell him everything that happened. When I finish, Nico is shaking his head. "He didn't have to do that."

"And he did!"

"I'll have to talk to him tomorrow. ."

"Oh, now that I remember, is Solangelo officially canon?" (A/n: TOA!!)

Nico looks at me with horror. "Jason and Piper got to you. I'll have to talk to them, too."

"It was Percy and Leo too. ." I whisper.

"Just more people to yell at," he murmurs.

"Answer my question! Are you and Will dating?"

His eyes widen. "Lower your voice, will you? And no. We're not."

I eye him suspiciously. "Whatever you say."

Nico hums in response. "By the way, how did you figure out I was wearing. . Concealer?"

I roll my eyes. "I wear makeup, Nico. You did not blend that concealer. How did you think you looked, pale and a bronze eye?"

"Good point," he mutters. "Just promise me, you won't tell anyone about this. Especially Will."

"Fine. But this better not happen again."

Nico looks hesitant, but he nods. "Could you show me how to. . Cover this?" He gestures to his eye.

"Of course. Come on."

He shows me where the bathroom is and I show him how to put on concealer.

-

A/N:

I started working on something I think- know you guys are going to hate me for. Oh, well.

What's new? How have you guys been? Have you smiled today?

600 reads? Thankyouthankyou. I love you all<3

And, guys, I'm sorry for not updating for so long. It's been a while.

By the way, guys, I went to Yogurtland and it started playing Nine In The Afternoon by P!ATD

Favorite sentence from this chapter (there's so many tho): "It was Percy and Leo too. ." - Hazel Levesque

Hazel you tattletale.

~Nicole😘xox

Word count: 1310