Hello! An angsty friendship one shot featuring Nico and Leo! Don't worry, there's a happy ending.

Also, this takes place right after Mark of Athena, but it's technically an AU because I'm not having Percabeth fall into Tartarus in this fic.

WARNINGS: ATTEMPTED SUICIDE, MENTIONS OF MURDER, MOLESTATION, CHILD ABUSE, BULLYING, SUICIDE, AND IMPLIED RAPE! VERY DARK FANFIC AT THE BEGINNING, SO BE WARNED!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"Don't do it, Leo."

The stern voice startled Leo so much, he almost fell from his unsteady perch on the railing of the Argo II.

He couldn't believe he'd been caught. The crew should all be asleep; he'd checked! Evidently, one had been faking and wondered why he had checked on them so late at night before deciding to follow Leo.

That person was, without a doubt, Nico Di Angelo.

Leo didn't know Nico well, but he knew that the son of Hades had suffered through things Leo could only imagine and somehow was able to read people like a book. Maybe that's why he didn't sound surprised that Leo, the supposed joker that never frowned, was ready to take his own life.

"N-Nico, what are you doing out here?" Leo stammered.

Nico stepped out of the shadows. "I could ask you the same question, Valdez. But, more importantly, why are you standing on the railing?"

"None of your business," Leo snapped, uncharacteristically angry.

Nico shrugged, as if to say 'good point', before standing on the ledge beside Leo.

"Nico, what-" the ravenette cut him off.

"You jump, I jump, Leo. Simple as that," Nico stated, firmly, leaving no room for arguement. "And if we're gonna jump, we better do so before Percy wakes up. He'll save us then."

"But why would you want-"

"To end my own life?" Nico finished. "I'll tell if you tell, Valdez."

Leo was about to say no, but his curiosity won the battle against his logic. "Deal."

Nico nodded. "Alright, you know I'm the son of Hades and children of Hades are destined to be alone. Ever since I was a kid, I only had my sister, Bianca, after my mom died and we were stuck in the Lotus hotel. Then, Percy and Co. rescued us at our boarding school and he became my idol, my hero.

"But then, Bianca went on a quest with him, Thalia, Grover, and another girl named Zoë Nightshade. Percy promised he'd protect her. She never came back.

"I ran away and was hell bent on getting my sister back. I made a deal with the devil, Minos the ghost, and started ancient rituals to summon Bianca. She only appeared to me when perfect Percy bloody Jackson was with me." At this part, Nico's voice went from flat as a board to as bitter and sharp as a blood stained knife.

"Finally, after being captured, I never forgave Percy, but I didn't want him dead any longer, so I suppose that's good enough. I fought in the war, was almost killed by Percy, and finally, I was at peace, traveling on my own and away from Percy and that camp that didn't want me.

"Then, I found Hazel and Camp Jupiter and I was... alright. Not perfect or happy, but I was okay.

"And then, Percy arrived and I went to Tartarus. I won't dwell too much on that and here we are. Now, it's your turn."

Leo sighed. He knew this would come sooner or later, but that didn't make him anymore ready for it.

"It began when I was eight. Gaea appeared to me in my mom's workshop and locked all the doors, so we couldn't get out and I couldn't get out of the break room to get to her. I panicked, and... and I lost control of my fire. The workshop burned down."

Nico didn't look surprised or sympathetic; he simply nodded, and for that, Leo was grateful. He couldn't stand pity.

"My aunt didn't want me. She slapped me, called me a demon, a monster, and a murderer, and literally kicked me out of the house.

"So I went to my first foster home. It was great at first. I had a great foster mother, a hard working and involved foster father, and the cutest, sweetest little sister ever.

And then, my foster mother started drinking and her and her husband would fight day and night, and my little sister would be crying and I was a helpless eight year old. When my foster father took my little sister and left with the divorce and custody papers, my foster mom went off the deep end.

"She started beating me, giving me all these chores to do, and not feeding me properly. She didn't allow me to go to school, claiming she was homeschooling me, and sometimes, when she was super drunk, she'd mistake me for her husband. She would... she would..." Leo trailed off.

"It's okay, Leo," Nico said, "you don't have to go on. I understand."

Leo took a deep breath before continuing. "My second foster home, the parents fought. Every second of every day. My foster mom did drugs; my foster dad was an alcoholic. And one night, a fight went a little too far.

"My foster dad slammed his beer bottle into his wife's temple, killing her instantly. He tried to kill me, too, by throwing me in the pool out back because I'd never learned how to swim. If the neighbor hadn't called the cops, I'd be dead.

"Third foster home. They had tons of kids, owned a huge plantation and treated us like slaves. Beat us, locked us in a closet, starved us, forced us to work ourselves to the bone.

"One night, he beat my foster sister and brother to death and had me and another one of my foster sisters bury them."

Tears were falling down Leo's cheeks and he was perpared to jump right there, but while his death wouldn't effect anyone, Nico's certainly would.

"My foster sister, Carly, and I knew we had to fight back, so one night, we told the other kids we'd create a distraction and they would run. There were some disagreements, but eventually they relented and while we climbed the fence right in front of our foster father's bedroom window, the others snuck out through the back gate, which I picked the lock on.

"He caught us, of course. Tossed me through a window and beat Carly unconscious. I'm not even sure if she's alive. I never saw her again, and no one would tell me. She's probably in the Underworld, so I try not to think about the what ifs.

"Fourth foster home was the second to worse. The foster father beat me within an inch of my life more than once a week. He molested me and I ran away three times and got dragged back. They found me bleeding out on the basement floor and arrested him. He got out right after I arrived at Camp, which I'm thankful for. He would've come after me; I know he would.

"Fifth foster was the worst. I lost my virginity to my foster father."

Nico froze. He'd been trying not to show his sympathy for the son of Hephaestus, but it was hard. The things this kid had gone through... it was impossible to fathom.

"Sixth foster home. I got bullied; my best friend killed herself and I found her body. Not much left to say on that.

"Seventh, and last, foster home was great, but I'd gotten involved with a gang a few months back and they were back for revenge. It's a long story, but my girlfriend and my foster family were put in danger and I ran away for their safety. Never saw them again."

"Oh, Leo," Nico murmured, but he knew Leo wouldn't appreciate pity, so he changed his course. "Our lives suck, don't they?"

Leo barked a laugh. "No duh, Death Breath."

"Repair Boy."

"Zombie Kid."

"Flame head."

"Ghost King."

"Fire Bender."

Leo suddenly smirked. "I challenge you to a battle, Nico Di Angelo, death against flame. Will you accept?"

Nico opened his mouth in mock surprise. "Of course, I will, Leo Valdez. Nico Di Angelo does not back down from a challenge."

"And neither does Leo Valdez. Begin!"

Fifteen minutes later, the deck was scorched and littered with bones (let's not ask where Nico got those from). The two boys were standing opposite one another, gaping at the destruction they'd caused. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew stood in the doorway, looking incredibly confused.

"Nico, Leo," Hazel spoke slowly, "what happened?"

The two boys looked at each other and then burst out laughing. The crew took a step back because none of them, not even Percy or Hazel, had seen Nico truly laugh. Yet, now, he was flat out hysterical, rolling around on the deck with the fire user.

"Don't ask!" Leo gasped.

The crew slowly backed up before taking off in a sprint.

"I think we scared them," Nico chuckled, finally calm enough to form coherent thoughts.

"Nico," Leo suddenly said, no longer laughing but with a small and enormously grateful smile. "Thanks for saving me."

"Back at you, Valdez."

Show me what it's like

To be the last one standing

And teach me wrong from right

And I'll show you what I can be

Say it for me, say it to me

And I'll leave this life behind me

Say it if it's worth saving me

-Savin Me by Nickleback

well, that was my short story! And don't worry, I'll continue writing one shots like this so keep your eye out.