Weeks after Nico and Leo had arrived at the camp and settled in the Italian trudged through the snow that covered the ground of the camp, and then entered the Hephaestus cabin without any second thoughts. “Leo!” He was of course intersected by a couple 'buff' guys and girl with oil smeared on her face, they didn't really say anything they just glared at the son of Hades as if he went and did something wrong in that last couple weeks.
After those kids moved, Nico moved over to Leo and glanced over his shoulder for a moment before smiling at his best friend. “Leo, you know Christmas is in a three days right?” The Latino's head shot up and his eyes widened a bit.
“Nico! Our moms!” The son of Hades rolled his eyes and pushed Leo's face lightly.
“Way ahead of you, I sent a letter to my mom telling her we might not be back in time for Christmas, and I'm pretty sure she'll tell your mom.” Leo nodded lightly at the others statement.
Nico’s nose twitched lightly as he shifted some then spoke lowly. “I’m going back to my cabin.”
Leo’s eyes flashed up to the pale skinned male, as a small smirk played against his lips. “But, baby, its cold outside.”
Nico let out a small sigh. “Ah, I know its cold outside.”
A wild look flashed through the Latino’s eyes as he stood up quickly and placed a hand Nico’s face. “Come on, it’s cold outside, do you really want to leave this warmth?”
Nico’s eyes fluttered shut as sudden warmth spread across his face when Leo touched him. “No...But you have work to do...” The Italian male shifted closer to Leo and leaned into his touch just so that warm feeling wouldn’t go away.
“Work is all I do now these days, I want Nicy and me time...” Leo pouted lightly as he tilted his head to the side some.
Letting out a small breath Nico shook his head a bit. “Fine, but not here...Your siblings scare me...Sort of...”
Leo chuckled lightly and then nodded. The Latino sat his things on the desk he was working at then grabbed Nico’s hand, then pulled him out of Cabin Nine, as they exited the cabin a sudden burst of cold air practically attacked them. “I told you it was cold outside, Nicy!”
Nico rolled his eyes and stood beside Leo as they walked through the snow. The snow crunched beneath their feet as they walked from the Hephaestus cabin to the Hades cabin. Other demigods were running around throwing snow at each other, once in a while a snowball would stray and hit Leo. When this happened the Latino didn’t even flinch because as soon as the snow hit him it started melting.
As they reached the dark cabin they moved inside and sat the on the black silk covered bed. “So, Nico, ever thought of furnishing this place?”
Nico’s eyes flashed over to his dear friend. “No, why?”
“Would you care if I made it Christmas-y?”
Nico sighed and leaned back on his bed some. “Knock yourself out, Valdez.”
A wicked grin spread across the Latino’s lips before he moved off the bed and ran out of the Hades cabin and to his own. It didn’t take him that long to return with a few things, Nico watched him set up a foldable table and set to work.
After an hour the Hades cabin went from ‘death and despair,’ to ‘deck the halls.’ Nico was surprised that Leo could do so much in so little time, it was almost like he was a robot, it was strange. The Italian shifted on his bed and looked around before speaking. “So three days before Christmas and you deck this place out, nice.” Leo looked at the other for a moment and tried to decided if that was sarcasm or not. A moment passed before the son of Hephaestus decided it wasn’t.
The two sat and chatted about things that had happened in the recent weeks and such. When the dinner alarm sounded out they headed out and went to the pavilion, they had fallen into this routine it was sort of natural for them now.

---

The three days passed quicker than expected and when Christmas hit Leo and the Hephaestus kids were the first ones up, while his cabin mates went to wake the others up Leo ran to the Hades cabin and ran into it before jumping on the bed. “Nicy!! Wake up! Come ooonn! It’s Christmas!”
The son of Hades sat up with a slight groan and looked at Leo with a slight glare before laughing lightly. “Really? Valdez, you are not a five year old.” Leo pouted lightly before Nico patted the others face in slight defeat. “Alright, alright, I’m up okay?”
The Latino smiled lightly and grabbed the others arm and pulled him out the cabin and headed towards the Amphitheater where his siblings told him to go after waking whoever up.
Once the Amphitheater was filled with all the campers Hephaestus’ kids flipped a switch making the arena part of it to creak and groan slightly. Some kids were muttering about how only the Hephaestus kids would make this holiday completely bizarre. But soon a ten foot Christmas tree had appeared, completely decorated with Presents in and under the tree.
Nico blinked and rubbed his head lightly wishing he could just sneak away... He paused in thought for a moment and laughed softly. He could just sneak away! He looked around for a moment before moving to slip out the Amphitheater.
Once he was away he went back to his own cabin and sat on his bed, while he sort of listened to the loud chatter of the others. A slight hum came from Nico as he shifted once in a while, he felt awkward here on Christmas without his mom. After a few moments the son of Hades moved to a small area where he keeps a dark sheet and things under it and pulled boxes from under it. Both his mom and Leo’s sent them presents and he had been keeping them here for a while.
Nico pulled out the presents and kept them out in plain sight since he knew Leo would come and bug him in a little. The pale male moved to sit on his bed, glancing at the door he moved and pulled out a book he had been reading. Rainbow Boys was a pretty entertaining book, but he couldn't let anyone he was reading a book about a group of gay males that'd make everyone question him.
When he got comfortable and began reading his book, but then there was a knock on the door. Nico shifted and slid the book under his pillow before sitting up some, “Come in?” After saying that a girl with darkish skin, a mass of brown hair came in, she had the sweetest smile on her face, and a purple shirt that read: 'SPQR,' and then 'Camp Jupiter' underneath it.
The girl waved slightly, “You're the son of Hades Percy told me about, correct?”
Nico blinked and shrugged lightly. “I'm a son of Hades... But I'm not sure if Percy talked about me..” He scratched the side of his head for a moment, “But who are you exactly?”
The girl pursed her lips in thought for a moment before coming to a realization. “Oh! I'm Hazel Levesque, I go to Camp Jupiter, and I'm the daughter of Pluto... Hades Roman equivalent.” It took Nico a moment to process everything before he nodded lightly and moved to slide out of his bed, “So that makes you my sister, or something like that?”
A larger smile came to the girls face. “Yes!” She threw her arms around Nico and giggled a bit, this caused the pale male to chuckle lightly. “Calm down, calm down.” Hazel smiled some more and then moved to grab his hand, leading him back the to that Amphitheater.
When they got down to the Amphitheater Hazel moved away from Nico for a moment and returned with a, well, well-built male who seemed to be from a Chinese background and he wore the same shirt as her. Nico blinked slightly and glanced at Hazel for a moment and raised an eyebrow in question.
Hazel smiled and placed a hand on his upper arm, “This is Frank, he’s my boyfriend.” Nico pressed his lips together and then nodded lightly. The Chinese male nodded to him as he glanced to the side.
Hazel was sweet as she let her boyfriend scamper away from her, then she got close to him, “So Nico, do you have a girlfriend.. Or boyfriend?” Nico’s face began to burn a bit, he really didn’t know how to answer her because he wasn’t just sure..
The son of Hades wiggled away from her some and scratched the side of his face. “Well..I’m not exactly sure..” He moved and looked around her over to the group of Hephaestus kids who were chatting away about New Years plans.
Hazel blinked and glanced back before smiling softly, “You have a crush on one of the Vulcan... sorry, Hephaestus kids, don’t you?”
Nico’s face began to burn more as he shook his head in denial. “N-No! Not at all I just grew up with one of them, thats all..” When he was about to say something else when Leo figured out he had reappeared and ran to pick him up quickly.
The pale boy squeaked and pressed a hand on the Latino’s face. “Valdez! What the bloody hell!?”
Leo laughed a bit, “Did you just say bloody hell? What are you British?” he shook his head lightly before sitting the other male down, “But it’s Christmas!” Nico rolled his eyes in a bit annoyance as the other continued. “What’d ya get me?”
Nico raised an eyebrow, then smiled. “Nothing, because I’m the best present ever.” Leo stayed quiet for a moment before grinning lightly. Then the Latino did something Nico didn’t expect he placed a hand on the side of the Italians face and gave him a quick kiss.
Hazel stared in amazement before grabbing Leo and looking at him seriously. “I just got a brother for Christmas, you hurt him, you die.”

Notes