Nico startled at the other wanting him to say but nodded, sitting in front of him, taking the hand that was shaking and held it in his own. “Anything, Armin. You can tell me anything. What’s gotten you so…upset?” He asked, a quiet tone breaking the silence.

Armin squeezed Nico’s hand in a reassuring manner, swallowing unsurely, before flashing him the same unsure smile he had many times before hand. “You know, when I first came to Halestone I didn’t remember anything?” His blue eyes flickered from Nico to the darkness that was surrounded them, before his eyes drifted down to his lap. “Um, I kind of had a dream from before I came here. It wasn’t...pleasant.”

She sighed gently and walked closer into the room. “If my being here makes you uncomfortable, just say and I’ll go.” Tara pointed out before sitting in a chair near his bed. “A nightmare, huh?” she gave a hollow laugh before nodding. “I’ve had my fair share since arriving here. Hence why you will rarely find me sleeping. Gives me this real gross look though.” She lifted a hand and gestured to her face before crossing her arms. “You want to talk about the dream?”

“N-No, it doesn’t, you just...you surprised me,” he mumbled quietly, running a hand through his blonde hair, giving a humourless chuckle, & sighing. “I’m sure you look fine. If I could see you properly, you know, since it’s dark & all.” He shifted uncomfortably under his bed sheets, swallowing as uncomfortably as he looked. “I-I...before I came to Halestone, I couldn’t remember anything. People thought I was crazy, but I’m serious. I had a dream, & somehow I just know it was about from before I came here.” He scoffed. “It was like a more bloody version of the zombie apocalypse, if you will.”

“Well, those are mixed messages if I’ve ever seen them.” He smiled, crossing his arms tighter around his chest and keeping a distance from Armin. “Um, I can go, if you want? But I kinda…you look a little shook up and I’d rather not leave you like this….or whatever.” The demigod mumbled, scuffing his converse against the ground. 

“N-No!! Don’t leave,” he protested frantically, reaching a hand out to him, a hand that was trembling before he dropped it. “U-Um... Can I t-tell you something?” He motioned for the boy to walk over, as he looked away, pulling his legs into a criss cross applesauce shape. “Come here, Nico, please.”

Nico hadn’t been able to sleep properly since the final battle he had taken apart in at Camp Half-Blood, the blood he had shed and Gaia rising was enough to make his blood freeze and his skin crawl. Without thinking he had shadow travelled to any place that wasn’t his room and as soon as he stepped out of the darkness, his heart jumped as to where he was. “Ar-Armin, sorry, I…I didn’t know I’d end up here. Are you okay?”

The blonde was able to pick out the voice immediately, and he inwardly groaned. He didn’t want Nico to see him in a state like this; where he was scared and vulnerable. He was still in the haze of the nightmare he had just had, and he bit his bottom lip harshly. He wanted to believe what he had saw wasn’t true. The blood, the stench, the monsters. “I-It’s fine, N-Nico!! I-I’m...” His voice cracked lightly. “I-I’m not okay, a-actually.”

She wasn’t sure if it was because she as so used to it, or because she was worried that nobody else was doing so, Tara had taken it upon herself to patrol the school, making sure there was nothing that would harm anyone. A voice calling out made her grip tighten on the gun and she surged towards it. Noticing it was just a boy having what she assumed was a nightmare, her entire body visibly relaxed. No walkers. It was safe. “Hey… You okay?” She asked softly, returning the gun to it’s rightful resting place on her leg. “You’re safe.”

The blonde sat up, using his arms to support him, as he pulled his legs into a criss cross applesauce shape, as he gave a small hum in response. He didn’t recognize the girl, & his body wouldn’t stop trembling. Had all of that really happened before he had come here? How did he even survive. “Y-Yeah. Sure,” he mumbled unsurely, looking the girl over once more, before letting his blue orbs fall to his lap. “Just a nightmare. Or something like that.”

Nico looked down at their hands and felt a weird feeling in his stomach, choosing to ignore it by resting his head on the other’s. “Good, ‘cause you’re stuck with me. Although, it’s only fair if I let you make some of the rules, too. This is a democracy, after all.” He chuckled before burying his face into Armin’s neck in embarrassment. “No,  don’t even. I played it like…once as a kid. It’s like, whatever. Shut up, okay? I bet you have a stupid hobby.” The boy whined onto Armin’s bare skin, feeling his cheeks heat up. “You’re very cute, like…a solid twelve out of five. I guess. No big deal, though. Yes, you make me feel mushy and I don’t like it.” Nico admitted, leaning over the boy to grab another drink, clinking it open and taking a sip.

The boy gave a faux look up at the moon, as if trying to think of rules for the two of them. His blue hues flickered back and forth between the stars, not even thinking, but just existing for a moment in his life, a small sigh escaping his lips. “Not complaining. Oh, I know. Alright, one of the rules is that we gotta go on a lot of late night walks; because it lets me think, and I’m too scared to go alone.” He giggled as Nico buried his face into his neck, the motion tickling him slightly. “I bet you played it like, every day, you freaking nerd,” he teased lightly, before giving a small shrug. “Don’t think I have hobbies. Except, of course, stargazing. That’s a new one, starting today, although I don’t think it’s stupid.” Armin raised a single eyebrow, a small smirk crawling onto his face to accompany whatever drunk blush was on his face. “Twelve out of five? You realize that’s an improper fraction. More than one hundred percent. That means I’m like, more than a hundred percent cute, which we both know is impossible. I’m like, a solid point zero five out of ten.” The sixteen year old tried not to let it effect him, the words he said. “I make you feel mushy? I can just leave, then, if it’s gonna turn you into an applesauce like mush.”

“There will have to be cuddling, and you’ll have to make me food. Liking those ones, too?” Nico grinned down at him, stopping the movements to simply resting his hand on his bare chest. “Hm, I don’t know if you’ve earned the right to know who I think is cute. It’s top secret information and you’d need…at least 67 XP points mythomagic wise.” And there it was, Nico had reached the point of no return, he brought up mythomagic with a cute boy, nice one Nico. With Armin’s last words, Nico squirmed slightly and buried his face just on the other’s hair. “You aren’t allowed to say cute things like that, ‘cause it makes me feel all mushy and I’m s’posed to be a Hades kid.”

He giggled. “Cuddles are great, and I can’t blame you for any food poisoning you get. I’m very okay with those rules.” Armin intertwined his fingers with the ones that were resting on his chest, a naive smile on his face. Confusion distorted the sixteen year old’s face as he looked up at the taller boy. “Mythomagic? XP points? Oh my gosh, you’re a nerd aren’t you?” A chuckle escapes his pale, chapped lips, as he hugged Nico close to him, running another hand through his hair. “Cute? I didn’t know I was cute…” His blue eyes flickered back up to the stars, and he sighed happily. “Mushy stuff? Me? The awkwardest boy on campus makes you feel mushy?”

“I happen to be pretty good at figuring things out, but it’ll mean that you have to spend ridiculous amounts of time with me for me to be able to do that. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.” Nico replied, a small smile on his face as he traced tiny circles on Armin’s chest absentmindedly. When the compliment came, Nico found himself raising his eyebrows and smiling even more. “Well, there might be someone I find cute. But they’re kind of a loser so we’ll see, we’ll see.” The boy teased, looking down at the other. “At least in that way, what?”

“Those rules don’t sound too bad to me,” he mumbled quietly, the blonde leaning his head on his shoulder, humming lightly at the motion Nico made on his chest, it being comforting to the petite boy. His blue eyes snapped to the dark haired boy. “You think someone’s cute? Who is it, who is it?” Armin poked his cheek lightly, a small and curious light in his eyes. He snuggled into the older boys embrace even closer if that was even possible, his blue eyes on the flickering star lights and the moon. “I mean, at least I’d be with you, right?” A goofy drunk grin appeared on his face, prolonging whatever blush was hound to appear on his face.

Nico let out a laugh of disbelief and nudged him. “Why do I have to figure anything out? Maybe I’ll just never speak to you again and there you go, no mystery to solve.” Nico pointed at Armin, but couldn’t help but grin at the emphasis on the cute, despite his blushing. “Oh yeah? Well, Doom boy over here hasn’t seen any cute people around, so you’re going to have to tell me your secret.” The darker haired boy looked at Armin and raised an eyebrow, attempting to focus his gaze on him properly despite the alcohol saying otherwise. “C’mere then, Mr. Teenage Angst, M’not gonna cuddle you forever. Well, maybe I will. Who knows? Only one way to find out.” Nico stifled a giggle and opened his non-holding up arm so the boy could come to him, being too lazy and pre-occupied by drinking from his beer again to do anything else.

“Because I can’t figure myself out.“ Armin said this in a quite serious manner before looking at Nico. "Really? You can’t find anyone cute? Have you looked in a mirror lately?” He raised a single eyebrow before shaking his head softly. “Seriously. You’re like, a tiny bit cute,” he said, tapping the boy with dark hair on the nose, before snuggling up to him and under his arm, a small blush on his face, avoiding Nico’s eyes. He took a small sip of his beer, before grinning at him. “I’m okay with a little less then forever, because at least that way…” The boy mumbled something under his breath that only made his blush deepen and make his blue eyes flicker up to the sky.

“Why are you so cryptic all the damn time? I’m supposed to be the mysterious one.” Nico mumbled, hiding the smirk on his face. Without another word, the taller boy opened one of the beer bottles and began drinking it, sliding one over to his company with the wiggle of his eyebrows as he did so. “What troubles do you have, kid?” Nico said in his mock southern accent. When he looked back over to Armin, his expression softened slightly, and he lay himself down so he could tilt himself up on his elbow to see the blonde better. “If you’re cold we can go in?”

“I’m not cryptic!” He protested, before pouting lightly. “You just...gotta figure me out.” Armin said, a small smile on his face, as he took sniff of the beer, as if unsure if he wanted to drink it. “The normal angsty teenager things. Memory loss, new places, new people, cute people,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows before giggling.  The blonde looked down at Nico, before the drunk blush on his face turned into a blush of some other feeling. “We can go in...or we can cuddle. Cuddling’s more fun, though.”

Nico laughed aloud and the action felt so foreign to him that he gave a confused look to Armin. “Doom-boy? What does that even mean?” Nico questioned as he walked through the door, smirking as he noticed the struggle the other was having. Any polite male would have taken one of them from him, but the demigod was far too amused at watching the smaller boy struggle. “Depends. What do you want to do?” The darker-haired male questioned just as the cool air of the night hit him, despite him being shirtless Nico found himself welcoming it and he scanned the area before finding a nice grassy place to sit, just under the moon.

Armin laughed, and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, shrugging lightly. “It means whatever you want it to mean.” The bottles clinked in his hands and arms, as he sat next to Nico, shivering lightly at how cold it was; how did he let him convince himself that he should take off his shirt? His blue eyes flickered back up to the moon and then back to Nico, then back up to the moon, setting the alcohol down on the ground. “Well I thought we were here to drink our worries away; but I’ll trust whatever decision you make.” Armin gave a small sigh; as if he was going to say something, but he said nothing, choosing only to look down at the ground, and draw invisible patterns into the ground.

Nico did a mock salute with a small smirk before turning on his heels to grab some of the alcohol bottles on the table and nodding toward the alcohol as if to tell Armin to grab his own. “I hope you’re ready for the night of your life, Blondie, ‘cause clearly I am the top dog when it comes to this.” Nico found himself unconsciously grinning at the smaller boy and at that moment he decided to clear his throat, deadpan and walk toward the door; acting as if he wasn’t acting like a complete puppy.

He followed the boy uncomfortably, glancing around naively with his blue orbs, before he realized that Nico was speaking to him. “Blondie? Really, Nico? Do you want Doom-boy as a nickname?” He teased lightly, before grabbing a few bottles off the table himself. They didn’t quite fit in his hands, and it was obvious he was struggling with it, but he made no motion. He was finally able to follow the boy, flushed cheeks from the alcohol he had drank. He pushed the door open, holding it open for his friend, before letting it shut behind him. “Are we just going to drink the night away, then?”

“Because it’s me? I’m the least intimidating person that the world has to offer.” Nico gave the other a lobsided grin and leant against the wall, ignoring the blush that had come to his cheeks at the thought of Armin asking him to come with him. “And you think I have? I may have been alive for over eighty years but I’m pretty sure I’ve never been to one of these before.” He laughed awkwardly and handed the other the paint. “I think you gotta paint me, like they’re painted, and then we go and get drunk and dance. I mean, that’s what those people are doing? Or we can just leave now, steal all the alcohol and sit outside like proper teenagers.”

Armin blushed covering his face with his hands, nodding lightly, trying not to face the boy. If they had actually went together, would it have honestly been any different, though? He assumed not; and decided that he should just enjoy the time they had right now. “Well obviously you’re the kind of guy who goes clubbing every night,” he teased lightly; knowing that it wasn’t really him talking---it was the alcohol, but he wasn’t about to stop whatever profound confidence he had. “While I wouldn’t want to pass up the chance to paint all over your body, I’m a shitty artist. I’m okay with the second option. Show me the way, oh swami.” No you’re not Armin, no you’re not you’re a fucking lightweight you dumbass.

“That’s like saying you accidentally blended a toaster. How did you even fit the toaster into the blender? Why? What would be the point of that?”

You’re really kind, has anyone ever told you about it? And I’m Brooke, it’s nice to meet you Armin.

“People have told me that’s all I’ve had, but yes, I guess you could say that. Brooke? That’s a pretty name.”

“Wait, really? Why? And why would you be scared?” Nico questioned all at once and then blushed at how many he had asked, running a hand through his dark hair. “Why not? We’re at a party, it’s what we’re supposed to do. But I can get someone else to do it, if you don’t want to?” Nico replied, trying not to be offended at the other boy averting his eyes, the son of Hades found himself another cup and drank from it, tucking his shirt into the back on his jeans.

“Why else would I be scared, Nico?!” He asked, fiddling with his hands lightly before shoving it into his pockets, before he averted his eyes towards the ground, not sure what he was saying. Was it him? Was it the alcohol? “I-I mean, I guess I can,” he said, unsurely tugging off the graphic t-shirt that had a shield with a design that looked like wings on it, before tucking it into the back of his jeans as well. Armin felt...exposed. His entire body was trembling; whether it be because he was cold, or because he was scared or excited, he didn’t know. “Nico, I’ve never been to a party, so you gotta...y-you gotta help me.”