Room 507, Sunday Afternoon

[dontvotemeout]

After spending Friday night sleeping in the labyrinth, getting to crash in his bed last night had almost been a treat for Jason. He hadn't bothered setting an alarm for this morning, figuring that after dealing with groping hands and violent goblins he deserved to sleep in a little, so he hadn't been awake all that long even though the morning had long since passed. When he'd woken up, he'd found that fighting his way out with the others was finally taking its toll, and he was scratched up and sore enough that just staying in bed for a little while longer seemed like a great idea.

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[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Never a child of Apollo around when needed," he muttered, frowning because he was unable to be pleased by the sight of injury. Nico reached to draw Jason's hands closer. "Shouldn't you be bandaged or something?"

[dontvotemeout]

"I'll put some medicine on in a little while," Jason said, letting Nico have his hands. "It's not a big deal compared to some injuries I've had."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Like what?" Nico wondered, having spotted some scars before but not asked about them. "Do you get hurt a lot?"

[dontvotemeout]

"You can't fight crime without getting knocked around," Jason said. "And you don't grow up somewhere called Crime Alley without getting knocked around a little too. I've never been hurt too badly, not life-threateningly at least. Just cuts and bites and stuff. Um, animal bites," he said, realizing that clarifying that might be a good idea.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"People bites would be a little different to explain," Nico said, clinging to the almost funny notion as he touched the torn skin on Jason's knuckles. "Imagine the scars."

[dontvotemeout]

"Especially if the scars were in an awkward place," Jason said, laughing. He looked down at his hands, and how Nico was touching them. "It's okay, I'll get better. It's not a big deal."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Nico smiled at Jason's laugh, freeing the boy's hands because his concern seemed unwelcome or unwarranted, or maybe both. "Yeah, I guess it's not like you're running off to fight again tomorrow. There's time for natural healing."

[dontvotemeout]

"Unless something else attacks us," Jason teased, before giving Nico another nudge. "I'm kidding, I swear. I appreciate the concern though. It's...kind of nice. Especially coming from you."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"You're funny," Nico said, knocking his shoulder against Jason's. "Though I am starting to wonder what gave you the idea I'm an uncaring bastard." He said it completely conversationally.

[dontvotemeout]

"That's not what I think," Jason said quickly. "I--that wasn't what I meant. I meant it's nice because I like you. It's, you know, not what I'm used to."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Ah," Nico felt he understood things better now. "In that case, you know, I do actually care. And not just because you usually have nice hands."

[dontvotemeout]

Jason smirked a little at that. "I know you do. It's just been a while since anyone's really cared. And that sounds totally pathetic, I know," he said, shaking his head with an embarrassed look. "But I want to make sure you know that it's not you, it's me."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Another thing you're wrong about," Nico told him, pulling his feet up to sneak under Jason's blanket. "It's not pathetic. I'm used to caring about people who forget I exist after a couple weeks. So when do we get to the part where you're usually right?"

[dontvotemeout]

As soon as Nico was under the blanket, Jason moved right up against him to share his warmth. "Maybe in a couple weeks? When I haven't forgotten you exist? Because that's so not going to happen. You're not exactly an easy person to forget, even if I didn't like you."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Easy for you to say," Nico replied, perfectly happy to share Jason's wealth of heat. "The black is not all that memorable for most people."

[dontvotemeout]

"It's not the black I pay attention to, it's you," Jason said. "How could anyone meet you and forget you?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," Nico shrugged, unsure how to explain being in his position. "I'm kind of an outsider, I guess. It doesn't bother me, but it's always been that way." Even when he was around for months at a time.

[dontvotemeout]

Jason gave Nico a thoughtful look. "Does it really not bother you, or do you just say that because it sounds better?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Only because of who he was did Jason get a straight answer. "Maybe a little. But there's no changing things." Not unless he wanted to follow in Luke's footsteps.

[dontvotemeout]

"That doesn't sound very fair," Jason said. "You're just as amazing as everyone else. You should be recognized as much as they are, right?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, it doesn't work that way," Nico shared. "As much as I appreciate you thinking that. I mean, it was a lot worse back in Luke's time, but it's still not exactly cool to be the kid who talks to ghosts and hangs out in the Underworld."

[dontvotemeout]

"Why not? That sounds badass," Jason said. "I mean, it's not like you only talk to ghosts, right?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Nico smirked, nudging Jason with his elbow. "Are you a ghost?"

[dontvotemeout]

Jason laughed and nudged Nico back. "I meant at home. I know that here us mortals have badgered you into speaking to us sometimes."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"I happen to like talking to you mortals," Nico told him, reaching a hand under the blanket to poke at Jason's side. "But yes, I talk to demigods at camp. And nymphs and satyrs and everyone else."