A/N: I wrote this story with someone who doesn't have an account yet. She will make one and we will update later on. Please R&R. Sex in later chapters. Please review us on things we can improve. :D

Nico:

I was running down a hallway. A narrow hallway with thick stone walls. Normally, this wouldn't terrify me, but it does. I've had this dream before. As if on cue, the walls started caving in on me. I started running faster and faster. Not this time, I thought. hearing the creaking and groaning of the stones above and around me. Not today. Then I heard a cracking sound in front of me. No. And then the walls collapsed.

I was falling. Falling so fast. The wind rushing past me causing my ears to ring. Then everything stilled, there was nothing left but darkness. So dark I can hardly breath- hardly move. There was not sound except the thunderous beating, like a heart. A continuous rhythm. And then the laughing started. So many different voices laughing at once; screeching, metallic, evil voices. I couldn't tell any of the voices apart, didn't know which was which, but they were everywhere. I pressed my palms against my ears trying to block it out, but it was still there - still sharp and terrifying. Then one laugh rose out high and clear. This one I knew- I remembered.

Kronos.

XxoOoxX

As soon as I woke up, I started heaving. At least this time I aimed for the trash can now next to my bed. I flopped back down when I was done, shaking and covered in sweat, one choice swear word repeated itself in my mind.

"Gods," I muttered to myself, running a hand through my damp hair. I sat up, trying to catch my breath, but the room's air felt thick and heavy, and I felt like I couldn't breathe properly and my lungs felt like they were made of lead.

Fumbling around in the darkness, I found my shoes and slipped them on. I needed to get out.

XxoOoxX

Leo:

I had woken up in the middle of the night and hadn't been able to fall back to sleep. I had thought about going to the engine room and working on something, but decided it was too late. So instead I just went out onto the deck of the Argo II to get some fresh air. I had standing out there for a while, just enjoying the peace and getting lost in my own thoughts, when I heard the door to the deck open behind me. I turned around and saw a very tired and slightly sick looking Nico. He had dark bags under his eyes and his ghostly skin was paler than usual. We awkwardly stared at each other for a moment, neither of us speaking. A quiet stillness fell over us until Nico broke it with, "I...uh... didn't think anyone else would be out here. Should I... Do you want me to leave?" I gave a quiet chuckle, think the awkward look on Nico's face was ador- uh... funny.

"Nah. It's fine. You can come up here if you want. It's not like the deck is just for me. Well, I did build it, but you know, what's mine is yours." I turned around again. Nico didn't say anything but I heard his feet make a quiet 'tap' every time they hit the wood of the deck as he came to stand by me. I watched him wrap his slender fingers around the rail as he looked over the edge of the ship. Neither of us said anything as we watched the world go on as if nothing was wrong, oblivious to the terrible things happening all around them. Sometimes I had whished for ignorance like that. Not knowing about the monsters and gods. Not knowing that the world was ending and not having the weight of trying to save it on my shoulders. I hated this life, I has longed for a normal one, had longed for my mother to still be alive. Finally I couldn't take the silence and my own thoughts anymore so I turned to Nico, noticing the familiar look on this face, one I had seen quite often in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Nico didn't look at me, but I saw him tense, just slightly, "Who said anything was wrong?"

"I did."

"Well, what makes you think something's wrong?" Nico responded, a bit defensively.

I kept my gaze on Nico, noticing how his pale skin was stretched tight over his cheek bones, the was his cheeks hollowed slightly due to his time without eating, the corners of his mouth which were pulled down in a seemingly permanent frown, and the delicate curve of his jaw. Wait, don't think about that! I mentally scolded myself.

I cleared my throat and when finally spoke again my voice was quiet, almost soft, and it didn't hold any of its usual sarcasm, "Because I know what it looks like when someone is hurt or scared. When someone has something wrong but they decide to keep it to themselves because they don't want to burden other people with their problems."

At that Nico turned to look at me, a bit of surprise shining in his eyes. We stared at each other for a moment, then I smirked, "If you want to talk, we can. It's not like I have anything better to do than help someone else, right?" I flashed Nico a smile and turned to look at the sky.

I felt Nico's gaze on the side of my face, until he, too, turned. We felling to another lap of silence. This one was longer than the rest, though it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, just... silent. After a while I started to think that maybe Nico didn't trust me enough to tell me, that he felt uncomfortable telling me something that could have been personal, when I heard his quite voice mummer, "I have um.. been having these nightmares and it's uh... hard to fall because to sleep after them, you know?"

I nodded, because I honestly did know. I had had many sleepless nights because of the stupid nightmares demigods were cursed with. I couldn't have imagined how bad Nico's nightmares were after everything he had been through. I didn't ask him what the nightmares were about, or tell him that is was okay, that they were just dreams and they weren't real. I just nodded. I knew that sometimes people just needed to know that someone was there, not for you to help or comfort them, just for you to let them know that someone understands, that they aren't alone. There was hardly even a second of silence before I started talking, trying get Nico's mind off of his nightmares.

We talked about things like some of the pranks I had pulled on our fellow ship mates and some of the cool things I had built, random things like that. Well, it was more of me talking and Nico listening quietly, but still. We talked for, what seemed, about 30 minutes. And it took me that long to realize that Nico was shivering and that he wasn't wearing his aviator jacket, just his thin night shirt. I hadn't realized that is was cold due to the fact that my body pretty much radiated head, but once I thought about it, it was pretty cold. And the wind blowing didn't help that. Without really thinking, I shrugged off my jacket and handed it to him. He look at the jacket, then gave my an odd look, like I had grown a second head, "What's that for?"

I gave a chuckle, "It's cold and you're shivering, so here," I draped the jacket around Nico's slender shoulders, "I don't usually get cold to easily, so I don't need it."

"Um... thanks." I noticed a light blush dusting Nico's cheeks, but I ignored it, thinking it was just because of the cold.

I started talking again about random things. Like some of my times at Camp Half-blood and when I had found Festus. I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, Nico sliding his arms through the sleeves of my jacked and pulling it tighter around himself against the cold. After a while our conversation fell away, leaving up in silence yet again. This time I decided it was time for me to head inside, so I patted Nico on the shoulder, "Welp, I'm gonna go to bed, It's going to be a long day tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep. I started walking away but I only got a few steps when Nico stopped me.

"Wait, here's your jacket back." He started to pull it off but I held up my hand, "Nah, it's fine. You can wear it and give it back tomorrow. I mean, if you're going to stay out here any longer you are going to need it. We don't want you getting sick, now do we?"

I gave a laugh, a playful smile and a wave before I started off towards the deck door. When I got there I opened the door and called back, "G'night, Nico!"
I walked inside and just before the door closed, I heard a quite, "Night, Leo" and it clicked shut.