Nico had a habit of shadow traveling frequently. It’s not like he does it unnecessarily. He just does it too many times, even when needed. Knowing him, you decided to talk to him and tell him not to do it anymore unless it is a very, very dangerous emergency. Reluctantly, he agreed. Yet, you notice his frequent exhaustion after even the smallest battle that you weren’t there to see. Nico made excuse after excuse, lie after lie. At every simple grab of his hand, you could sense the darkness and exhaustion.

Today, you saw him on the brink of fainting. You quickly lead him back to the Hades cabin and are now sitting on his bed while he’s laying down. He doesn’t want to admit he needs help, but he stays laying anyway.

He looks up at you, embarrassment clear in his eyes. He hates being taken care of when he feels strong enough to be alone. “When can I get back up?” he asks in a raspy voice, his barely noticeable accent presenting as Italian.