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I run through the forest, my feet burning under me. My heart's pounding in my ears. My chest's tight, too tight, I can't breath. I stumble and fall over a fallen tree. I rush to my feet, stumbling on until through the dark forest I see the light of camp half-blood. The taste of blood is on my tongue, shit did I knock out a tooth or something. I swing on a tree and book it for the big house. Help, I need help. I yell for something, someone, I don't remember what exactly, but I yell out, it's loud, I'm being loud. People come rush out from all over. An Apollo camper, Will maybe, makes me sit on the front steps. He stuffs some paper under my nose. It was bleeding, that was the blood. "Jason, you're okay" He props my leg up, through all the adrenaline I haven't noticed that I had ripped my knee up pretty badly. I must look pretty shaken, because Will counts me through my breathing. There's chaos all around, campers running into the forest, the campers that had been with me, running out, injured and scared shitless. Some are tended to as soon as they run out, some are led into the Infirmary. Will wraps a bandage around my knee, securing it in place by wrapping it a bit down, and a bit up. Clipping down together with something I don't know. I take the paper away from my nose. "Nico, where's Nico?" I shallow down the lump in my throat, Nico, Nico was there, where is he. "I'm sure he's fine, just stay here" Will takes my other leg in his hand. Somehow I scuffed up my ankle. "No, He, He was with us" I heave. "Where is he?" "Shit" Will says, starring up at me wide eye. "He was with you?" "Yes, yes was I not-"
"There you are!" Nico crashes down next to me, he throws his shaking arms around me. "Oh thank fuck you're okay" He pulls back, leaning on shaky arms. He grabs my chin. "Did you fall? Are you okay? what happened? What's-" "Easy" I grab his hand. Will's called away, he runs off to help. "I'm okay" I breath. I'm shaking, it's hard to breath. "Can you breath? How are you? What wrong? What-" I shush him, gribbing his hand tight. "I'm okay" I whispers, breathless. I unlace our hands with shaking fingers, I press his hand to my heart. "See, I'm okay" His eyes are wide with fear. The light of the lamp by the door to the big house, is the only light. People are rushing by us, but we don't move. No, we can't move. The world is in chaos around us, but it's doesn't matter, nothing else matters, as long as Nico's okay, then I'm okay. The blood drips through the bandage, it's dripping down my leg, why did I wear shorts. "You're hurt" He cries out, completely out of breath. "I'll be okay" I whisper, heaving through my open mouth. Will runs back to us. He undoes the bandage and gives me something to hold over the cuts until it stops bleeding. He tries to take a look at Nico but he flat out refuses. "No, No I'm fine. Go" "Just let him have a look" I insist. Nico gives in at my persistence. He's a little scuffed up, but nothing's bleeding, he's okay, so Will runs along to help others. Nico's okay. He's safe, right here with me. My heart rate slowly down as the chaos slowly becomes, well, more organized chaos. It's still wild, but the Apollo campers have a hand on it. They know what they're doing. I hope. After a lot of reassurance I get Nico to let his hand drop from my chest. Instead he takes the hand I'm not using to stop the blood from getting everywhere. He squeezes my hand tightly. I squeeze back. He's not leaving my side again. How did that even happened, we were carefully. We did everything we were supposed to do. He leans into my side. Resting his tired head against my shoulder.
"You almost scared me to death back there, what were you thinking?" His voice is low in the moon light, almost like he doesn't want the people around us to hear him, which wouldn't surprise me. What I did was stupid, I could have gotten myself killed. "I wasn't" I admit, I wasn't thinking, I just needed keep the others safe, keep him safe. So I called after the monster, taunting it, then I ran, leading it away from the others. Away from Nico. I wasn't gonna lose another person, I wasn't gonna let my first, and maybe only boyfriend die before me. "You're an idiot" He says, shoving his shoulder against mine, making us swing for a second before I balance us out. "I know, I'm sorry" I mumble, my legs are heavy, my feet burning. "You could have died" "You could have died too" I shoot back. Nico huffs, and leans up. For a second I think he's going for my ear, to whisper some kind of theat. But he stops before that, planting a light kiss on my cheek. Blood rushes to my face, he's never, oh, fuck. "At least you're my idiot" He murmurs. I blush at his words, thanking Diana he can't see me all that well because of the moonlight. "Yeah" I mutter. Gods, that was a way to end this disastrous trip to the forest. Nico chuckles lightly, careful to not break the mood between us. "Your idiot" I repeat. I move the cloth off my knee, it's drenched in blood. Nico calls over another Apollo kid who cleans it for me and set on a bandage just as Will did. Expect that, now is the time where you suppose to put it on, when the bleeding has stopped, but I know Will was busy, so he jus needed it to hold for a while, while he helped others. I'm told to keep it clean, and to stop by the Infirmary until it's healed. I nod along, not caring one bit, Nico's okay, so I'll be okay too. Suddenly, the horn is blown, it is dinner time? We all gather up at the mess hall we're told to sit where we want, We sit at the closest table, the Zeus table, Nico sits on my left. Mr. D gives some sort announcement, but I can't follow, my heart still hasn't completely returned to normal.
We're given dinner, and there's a silence over the mess hall. Even while eating, Nico refuses to let go of my hand. I don't think I want him too. He finishes before me, instead of leaving, he leaning into my side, squeezing my hand. I squeeze back. Glancing over, I spot Nico's tired eyes, It's not late at all. But I get it, after such a big adrenaline rush, you can get really tired. He gives a small smile. I smile back. We'll be okay, we have to be. And that's why we're gonna be okay. Plus, we have each other. I have him, that's all I need. They call for the camp fire, But I hold Nico's gaze, the answer is already there. We sneak off to the green, to the Hades cabin, that's the closest from here. We sink to the floor just beyond the closed door. Lost in each other's arms, in the soft, gentle touches. It could have been over tonight, it could all have ended. I could have lost him, I could have lost my own life. But we have to move on, so we collect ourselves and get off the floor. Through tears and laughter, we stumble onto his bed. I take a good look at his tear stained face. The face I can't live without. The guy I can't live without. The worried has seeped of his eyes, replaced by relief. We're in the clear for now. I hope we can stay in the clear for a while. But that's pure luck. I caress his cheek, hold him close, I never wanna let go. But I do, shifting back against the wall. Nico follows, sitting himself in my lap, resting his head on my shoulder. "You really scared me" He mutters. "I know" I mumble back, wrapping my arms around his middle. "Promise you won't do that again" He pleads. "You know I can't do that" I whisper. Nico leans back to look in my eyes. He slings his arms around my neck.
"Promise me that you'll try, please"
"I promise"