A/N: Wow. PC absence seems to be fuel for my brain cells. Here's another oneshot, and I'm going to edit it (formatting and fixing any mistakes) once I'm back at my PC.

P.S: I'm back! As promised, edited the story slightly (actually, only replacing the disclaimer with one w/o caps lock, and added formatting to it).

Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus are the intellectual property of Rick Riordan. I own nothing but the plot.

At midnight, I lay still awake, and cursed Piper for talking me into joining the Seven on their 'vacation'. So-called vacation. What they found relaxing in making a tour with Leo's newest creation, the Argo III – I had no idea. I should have said no when they asked me. Flying on another ship – though it was neither giant nor a warship this time – stirred too many bad memories from the days when we had to save the world – again.

I didn't expect anyone to be still awake at this ungodly hour, but against all odds, somebody quietly knocked at my door. For a moment, I considered to let them, whoever they were, wait outside until they got bored, but in the end, the good manners won, and groaning, I made my way to the door and opened it.

If any psychologists with their students would have been present, they would have seen a prime example for a stunned expression. Sported by me.

'What the fuck are you doing outside my door at freaking three in the morning, Valdez?' I hissed at the mechanic in front of me. The younger boy averted his eyes and shuffled his feet. His entire posture looked so pitiful, I couldn't really stay angry at him. Seriously, who could resist those pretty brown eyes, even more when the Latino wore an expression like a kicked puppy?

'Come in' I sighed and stepped aside so he could enter the room. After I'd closed the door, I turned towards Leo and tried my best to produce an angry frown. 'So, what's up?'

The son of Hephaestus did his best not to look me into the eye. 'I, um, may or may not have had a nightmare' he mumbled. 'So what?' I demanded. 'Need a teddy bear to cuddle? Shall I make you hot chocolate and cradle you like a baby?' I knew that I wasn't really fair against him, but one: I could not understand why he'd come to me, and that made me uncertain, and two: I didn't like to get interrupted when I'm trying to sleep.

Leo made a face, apparently fighting back the tears, a sight that immediately filled my gut with a feeling of guilt. He took a step for the door, but I went after him and grabbed his wrists.

'I'm sorry' I muttered. Now it was my turn to be unable to look him in the eye. 'I didn't mean it like that.' Reluctantly, the smaller boy let go of the doorknob. Despite my hate of physical contact, I wrapped my arms around him, but one riddle still was unsolved.

'Why did you come to me?' I asked. 'I mean, Piper, or Jason, or Hazel are closer to you. We barely know each other. Why did you choose me of all people?' The answer, however, surprised me. 'I hoped you could relate' Leo muttered. 'I mean, we all have nightmares, but yours are worse, and so are mine, so I hoped... argh, I don't know what I hoped for.' He shrugged, successfully freeing himself from my embrace. 'Understanding, maybe.' A hopeful glint had snuck its way into the tinkerer's eye. 'And I know we're not really friends or something, but.. maybe we could change that? Don't know, get to know each other?' He frowned. 'Wait, that came out wrong!'

I smirked. I knew that he hadn't meant it like that – though I partially hoped that he had – but he didn't know that, did he? Yet... I had to maintain the facade of the cold Ghost King, so I tried to suppress the grin and shrugged. 'Why would you want to be friends with me?' I didn't even have to act for this, the question was important to me. I didn't want anybody to befriend me because they pitied me and felt obliged to do so.

'I don't know' Leo admitted as he let himself fall onto my bed without asking for my permission. I frowned. 'You have to know why you want to befriend someone. But besides: I can.' Now it was Valdez' turn to frown. 'Can what?'

'Relate. I have nightmares, too. That's why you came here in the first place, right? So... what do you need?' I thought about that for a second. 'The offer to make you hot chocolate still holds.' I could have added, 'even though I originally didn't mean it.' But he didn't have to know that.

The son of Hephaestus shook his head. 'I guess it's enough to – to talk about it.' He closed his eyes. 'I – I dreamt of my mothers death.' I had heard the story from Jason. 'And – I just kept reliving those moments, when I caught fire, over and over and over...' He let out a sob. 'I killed her' he whispered, now weeping freely.

'Yes, you did.' Even though the sight broke my heart, I tried to maintain my usual, cold voice. 'But it's not like it was your fault. And it's not like she'd blame you for it.' The last part was a bit risky, but I was, like, 99% sure that I was right. 'I have met plenty of people, or rather, their ghosts, who died in accidents – and don't even try to deny that it was an accident – and none of them blamed their relatives, of friends, or anyone for their death.' Now Leo was outright staring at me, mouth shaping a perfect 'O'.

'I've blamed myself for Bianca's death for a long time. I have blamed Percy for Bianca's death for a long time. It didn't make me feel any better, it won't make you feel any better. She is dead, you have to accept that and let her go. She is in Elysium, in a better world if you want to put it this way. You don't even have to be religious to believe that.'

Leo didn't say a word – and who would blame him? – and I hung my head. 'I suck at this, right?'

'No, you don't. You're right, about everything you've said. It just – isn't easy. But... thanks.' I nodded in understanding. It had taken me a long time to let go of my anger and self-hatred after my sister had died.

I let myself fall onto the bed, right next to Leo, what lured a squeal out of him. 'What are you doing?' I arched a single eyebrow. 'This is my bed you're occupying. You can at least share it with its owner.' I snuggled up to him, pushing my luck farther than I had during the past five years. The last time I had tried something so risky, I had freed Percy from my father's prison. Though, this time, the the risk would consist of emotional hurt, instead of physical. But instead of the rejection I had expected – and feared, for that matter – Leo wrapped his arms around me from behind and buried his face in my hair. Wow. Didn't take much time from 'acquaintances' to 'cuddling'.

'Uh, Nico?' I grunted to signal that Leo should go on.

'There's another reason why I came to you rather than to Hazel or Piper or whoever.'

'Nico, I… I really like you.'

My heartbeat increased noticeably when I turned around to face the younger boy. My noses brushed against his when I asked, 'Leo… are you implying what I hope you're implying?'

The usual, impish grin spread across Leo's face, even though the blush on his face was clearly visible. 'Were you hoping for this?' He brushed his lips past mine, causing every single brain cell in my head to work overtime. Eventually, some of them melted. There was no other explanation for my reaction.

'No, for this' I said, and properly pressed our lips together. After one dreadful second in which Leo didn't react at all, he pulled me closer. What can I say, if I had thought that my brain cells were going crazy before, now they let off a firework.

'So…' I started, the same second Leo said, 'well…'

'…are you going to be my boyfriend?'

And after a moment of mutual staring, we both answered, 'yes.'

Well, plus some kissing, of course.

'NICO! WAKE UP!' Piper's voice woke me up. THe first thing I noticed was that judging by the amount of sunlight that shone through the window, I had slept far longer than usual. The second thing I noticed was Leo's curly hair in my face. Before I could respond to Piper, the door slammed open.

'Nic-oh!' The grin plastered across Piper's face bode nothing good.

'JASON! I HAVE WON THE BET! YOU OWE ME TEN BUCKS!' Piper screamed across the corridor. A 'bang!', followed by a few choice curses in Ancient Greek followed Piper's words. Jason's sleepy voice sounded through the corridor. 'Frank woke up as a Python again?' Piper sighed. 'The other bet!'

Jason's face appeared in the doorway. 'Leo and Nico are finally together?'

I wanted to leap at the daughter of Aphrodite to murder her – how dare she bet on our relationship! – but Leo's firm grip held me back. Apparently, Piper's shouting had woken him up. And his content smile as he pulled me into his arms was enough to make me forget my anger.

Even Percy's 'not my type'-rambling when Leo and I stepped into the mess hall, fingers entwined, couldn't chase away the grin that had moved in between the corners of my mouth. And the grin grew even wider as I saw Hazel fanning herself after I had led Leo to his place and unashamedly kissed him in front of anyone.