Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hazel stomped in like a storm cloud brewing, bracelets clinking madly, irritation clinging to her frame. 

She could practically feel her brother's eyebrow raise but she couldn't stop herself. She was just. so. angry! She flung herself onto the bed, kicking off her shoes in with the kind of dramatics that would surely amuse Nico. 

This time though, the frustration was genuine, coiling in angry bands around her chest and restricting her breathing. Everyone, including her, had assumed that when Nico had initially muttered about campers not being fond of him, it had come from a place of …not exactly wrongful judgement, but well… perception exaggerated by his own misgivings. After all, Camp Half Blood had been nothing but kind to her and she was a Hades child too. Well. Clearly not.

She spent most of her time around the Hecate cabin and her own friends. And truly, they didn't care about any of her Underworld quirks. The children of Hecate were, after all, kids of the Underworld too. But today she had been walking around with Piper, Lou and Percy when she heard a group chattering amongst themselves while they polished their armour. The topic, her stomach dropped when she realised, was her brother. 

They talked about how shifty he was as if he hadn't nearly sacrificed his life to stop the war both times. They talked his powers– the shadows, the bones, all of it– twisting it into tools of evil. How he was potentially a serial killer. How he was simply Hades’ minion. 

Just thinking about their cruel words made her stomach retch. She could taste the tears coming as buried her face into her pillows.

And the worst thing was that while Percy and Piper looked as aghast as she did, Lou looked unfazed. “It's the fate of any of us Underworld kids with unpalatable powers but Nico is practically the poster child,” she whispered, mouth set in a grim line, as if it was another Tuesday, as if she had seen it before, as if it was anything less than horrifying. 

Percy blurted out, “I thought that, …hadn't they?? I thought they had stopped. Gods, did they never stop??” 

Ice ran down her spine, “What do you mean stopped?” Her voice came out trembling. She was going to punch something. “This happened before?” 

His face twisted into pity and she was mad at him too right now. “The campers, before. They. They weren't very nice. Not– not to me. Not to Thalia. But they were downright hostile to Nico. I thought after the war, when we… especially with Nico's help, I thought they understood. I didn't–” he trailed off. 

Hazel had heard more than enough and she stalked over to the group intent on a confrontation despite Lou’s attempts to reel her in. She wanted answers.

She got none. Nothing but double standards and disgusting bigotry.

They didn't even seem sorry for their words. Weren't even aware of their own cruelty. Just seemed vaguely sympathetic that she had heard it. “Of course, you're nothing like him. We think you're fine.” They assured her. That stung like a slap across the face. As if being nothing like her brother, one of the bravest, kindest people she knew– her own brother (and hadn't she spent enough time doubting her own place as his sister?)-- was something desirable.

Lou sarcastically spit out, “Oh geez, she has your approval, what an honour. Shall we put it next to the shit in the stables?” But she grabbed Hazel, giving the indignant rage inside her no reprieve. Hazel struggled against her, Lupa howling for blood in her mind, but Lou held fast. She could only watch Percy and Piper shouting at them before Lou practically frogmarched her to her cabin.

“Why didn't you–” Hazel began angrily but was immediately cut off. “It would only hurt you, Hazel. I have no hopes that any sense could be knocked into them. Trust me, I have witnessed all this before first hand. My brother–” she cut herself off. Hazel still thought a couple of punches would do good, if nothing else but to soothe herself but it was clear she wasn't getting the chance. 

She shook off Lou and entered the cabin which brought her to now, shoulders shaking and tears running into her pillow. 

The bed dipped and she felt Nico sit beside her. He said nothing, just rubbed gentle circles on her back.

The anger had slowly turned to misery. Despair and hurt over the injustice against her brother, over the silent endurance of Lou and her siblings and all the other kids who simply had not made the cut of being normal. Who were ostracized in the place that was supposed to be safe for them. 

Nico nudged her gently, “Hazel?” She made a miserable sound of affirmation, she didn't want to show her face or how badly she had been affected. He was insistent though, carefully pulling her up to lean against him. Hazel couldn't stop crying even though she tried her hardest to stop while Nico looked at her with concern, searching for clues about her state probably.

After a moment, he came to some sort of conclusion because he drew her into a hug instead. One of his hands came up to wordlessly card through her hair, fixing the tangles and soothing her. A fresh new wave of sadness and indignation rolled over her because really, this was the man they thought was evil? Her big brother who cared for her when no one else had, who loved her unconditionally from the start?

The sobs turned desperate, she could feel her whole body trembling and she tucked her face into his neck. Nico just held her tighter, murmuring for her to ‘breathe’ and ‘big breaths, slowly now’.

It took her a few minutes to calm down. When she did, her brother was humming a song softly in another language. Probably italian. It pulled at her memories, she felt like she had heard this one before. But where would she have? Had Nico sung her lullabies before? When? 

She sat there feeling the vibrations of the song under her cheek, listening to her brother's voice for an indeterminate amount of time. Eventually, when the tears dried tackily on her face and the shirt under her cheek grew uncomfortably damp, she pulled away. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

Nico shook his head, quietly pulling out wet wipes from a shadow and gently wiping away the tear tracks. When he was done, he cupped her face looking seriously at her, “What's wrong sorellina?”

She tried to glance away but it was impossible. His eyes bore into her, eyebrows furrowed. He must have been worried, watching her break down with no explanation. Hesitantly, she recounted the whole incident. 

By the end his face cycled through several emotions, each disappearing faster than she could read. 

“Did they hurt you?” He said at last. She shook her head mutely. “Or talk badly about you or anyone else?” Hazel shook her head again and said, “They said they don't think I'm creepy like you as if that made it alright!”

Nico nodded like that did, in fact, make it alright. “Okay. Well, they're obviously kind of stupid and I recommend staying away from them in case it's contagious. But if you're okay and they didn't run their mouths on anyone else.. it's no harm done.”

Hazel whipped her head around to goggle at him. “What?!” Her voice came out strangled. “You- wait. They- why would…you. You don't care?? They said awful things about you! None of it's true, you're not like that!”

Nico looked patiently at her and Hazel had the horrifying realisation that he wore the same grim “it's-another-Tuesday” expression Lou did. “They're wrong, I'm not like that,” he agreed. “Which is precisely why it doesn't bother me. Their opinions aren't based on truth anyway, it's based on what is too other for them to comprehend.” He looked seriously at her, “Camp Half Blood had never actually been accepting of outsiders, Hazel. Of those who are different from them. It's… their way of surviving. There is a history here that you don't know but–” Nico's face hardened, glimpses of sorrow and what Hazel tentatively called rage peeked through. “ –Camp was very different before the last Titan War. Kids died before sixteen more often than not, they were often crueler than not. It was a matter of survival. Percy, he really did change a lot. Those vows he made the gods take? It changed the game from survival to living and that is what took the edge off.”

Hazel took in that information. Nico, he had so much of it stored away. He always knew about the monsters, the myths, the monuments they encountered during their quests. He knew about both camps, he knew about Tartarus. She knew that it frustrated some of the others. Percy, Leo, especially Annabeth would gripe that if he knew something he should tell them immediately. But Nico was careful with when he dropped his knowledge, even how he said it. It was why Reyna and Jason had been wary of him as praetors. Hazel had often felt pushed away when he'd held secrets, eyes far away always. She wondered if he couldn't trust her because she wasn't the sister he wanted. 

Now, hearing this tidbit about history that she'd never thought of before, she thought that maybe he was right. Because before today's incident, she might not have felt the weight of this history, might not have believed it when all she had seen was people who were warm and welcoming and would probably be upset. Nico had given her information she was able to digest now and she did.

Hazel had not thought about what Camp Half Blood looked like before the Titan War. How kids who knew their life ended at sixteen would be desperate, eager to prove themselves, perhaps to be remembered or loved by their parents, their peers, by Chiron even. That could turn competitive quickly, she knew. Bloody even, Clarisse’s face came to mind. She remembered the prophecy Percy had told her. The Big Three kids. What would happen then, if one of those kids showed up to this camp where their existence threatened the other demigods with already a short lease on life? Percy's she knew, he had told her today. They had only warmed up after he proved himself. Nico they had never warmed up to. 

“Thalia?” She asked. 

Nico looked at her with pride, “That was quick! Yeah, Thalia took to the Hunters because she would have turned sixteen… and her father would not have allowed it.” 

“He would have killed her?”

Nico nodded, “ He was going to murder her in front of the whole assembly, she told me. Artemis saved her. So that automatically kept her from Camp, but she wouldn't have stayed even if she had the choice. We've talked about it. There's…more history that I'll tell you about later. Thalia and I pieced it together later, we could never make the camps our home.”

“Even Camp Jupiter?”

“It's…well... They treat you well and they have begrudging respect for me. It's a little better than here in that respect, I'll give you that. But–” Nico trailed off, sighing.

Hazel sat with what he had told her. “Those kids are still ignorant bullies though.” 

Nico snorted. “That they are.”

“I'm going to change their mindset. And of both the camps.”

“I'm sure you will.” Nico smiled

“No,” Hazel said earnestly, needing him to see she was serious. “I mean it.”

Nico mirrored her expression, “I know you do. I know you will.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead, smile sincere, “And I'll be the first to celebrate you when you do.”

Hazel could feel herself returning the smile giddily. Nico had faith in her. She didn't know what to do with that. She was just happy to know it existed.

“Are you sure it doesn't bother you? What they said, I mean,” she checked again.

Unexpectedly, Nico giggled. “Nope, not at all,” he said, still laughing. Her brother. Giggling. “I know it hurt you and that you didn't know how badly they talk about me and all that so I'm sorry if I'm taking this too lightly. But. I was the second bastard of a high-society unmarried woman before I was ever the creepy Hades kid.” Here he put the phrase in air quotes, eyes sparkling with mirth. “Little kids from camp have nothing on the ladies and lords at the galas we went to. Their gossip was at least creative. Today's people were too straightforward, they need to try much harder before they can ever hope to reach me.”

Hazel just stared at her brother.

Nico looked at her before tamping down his laughter and continued, “Hazel, I've heard other's opinions on me all my life. Wildly fantastical opinions sometimes. Scathing insults and outright accusations.”

“If I tried taking them all seriously I'd be left with ridiculously contrasting ideas on who I'm supposed to be. But I'm not that. I know who I am. They're the ones who don't. Most of them don't even care. Why on earth would I take them to heart? I’m not going to waste my time on them when I have friends outside camp who do care. And when you know all of that, it’s really fucking funny to watch the demigods here try to hurt me. Because they can’t.” Nico said simply.

Hazel fiddled with the bracelets on her wrists, watching her hands. Put like this, it made so much sense. It seemed so simple. But she knew it wasn’t. The burn of anger still remained in her chest and their vitriol wasn't even for her. It must have taken excruciating time and pain to develop that perspective, to let harsh words roll off with nonchalant grace.

“Hazel, I don’t come to Camp to visit them, I’m here for you . I visit Percy and Jason sometimes. I go to Camp Jupiter to see Reyna, Frank and you. That’s it. We already get so little time to spend together, I’m not wasting it thinking about others.” Nico nudged her shoulder with his. She noticed that he left out a lot of their friends– Leo, Piper, Annabeth and others. Her friends, she realized. Not necessarily his. She didn’t push. She remembered Leo arguing about saving Nico when they were sailing on the Argo-II. Clearly, her brother had his reasons.

“You have other friends outside the camps?” She asked him

“Mhm. People from different places, some demigods too.” Nico stretched, grabbing her bottle and giving it to her pointedly.

“There are a lot of those? Aren’t they always in danger?” She took a few large gulps of water, she hadn’t realized how parched her throat was.

“Yeah. You find them if you know where to look. Some are adults, less threatened. Many are like us, but they make do. Like you saw, many Underworld kids are not really treated well in either camp. So they choose to spare themselves the misery. I’ve met some of Thanatos’ kids, Hecate’s, even Lethe’s. Again, you just need to know where to look.”

Hazel nodded along. Time for some mischief. “I bet Will could be a great friend, you know,” she smiled innocently. Nico groaned, that big-brother-groan of his that was reserved for the past couple of times she had dared to annoy him like she had seen Dakota’s younger sister pester him in the legion. Nico flopped over, still pinching the bridge of his nose and she started laughing. “You and Jason, I swear to gods. What do y’all see in that man, I don’t get.”

Truly Jason had been her aid in this, hastily dubbed ‘Get Nico a Boyfriend’. “He’s nice! I bet he doesn’t share any disgusting views like those guys from today. And I bet he’d be so good–” Nico looked away, mumbling something under his breath with slight annoyance. It happened in a second and then he was looking at her with full attention and an indulgent smile. 

Unsurely, she continued with her endorsement, “And..and he’s also smart, funny and protective. He’s also cheerful and bright. He could be the sun to your moon, y’know! He–” Nico interjected with a groan, facepalming “ –is such a good medic too. He’s planning to study medicine at NYU. And don’t you think he’s good looking?” She turned to Nico expectantly, hoping for a blush or any proof.

Instead Nico wryly said, “I don’t know. Perhaps we should ask Frank. Since you are so interested.” Hazel shoved him half-heartedly. Unbelievable. 

“You know what I mean,” she said.

He sighed and shook his head, “Do I get a choice in this?”  

“Of course you do! He’s just the best one.” Hazel patiently explained, giggling.

Nico looked amused too, “And if I disagree? Will you accept no other brother-in-law?”

Hazel considered this. She and Jason had planned the operation to get Nico a boyfriend, not specifically Will. “You can get another boyfriend,” she allowed. “But he has to be worthy of you. And he must be kind and good and actually accomplished. And if he doesn’t love you the way you deserve, I reserve the rights to kill him.” She just needed to convince Nico that a certain William Andrew Solace fit that bill.

“Deal. It’s not like all my friends don’t already fit that criteria. Sooo, I’ll inform you after I ask out the guy I like?” Nico asked cheekily. 

“Do you actually like someone or are you bluffing?” Hazel narrowed her eyes.

He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. 

Wait. 

What. 

“Who?” He continued laughing, the bastard.

She poked him, “Who?!”

He picked some candies out of a shadow and handed her one. She popped it in her mouth and continued poking him, “Who who who who? Who??”

Nico ruffled her hair, “Alright little owl, are you going to keep up with that or do you wanna see some of my friends?” He held up his phone (Leo had been begging to take it apart to see how it worked), the screen showing Apollo and Thalia somewhere.

Hazel decided to investigate more discreetly later and flopped onto his shoulder, ready for the mystery unveiling of his friend circle. As Nico talked about the friends he showed her, telling her where he had met them, the bad start to her day was pushed to the back of her mind. She was still going to implement some serious changes in both camps but that could wait. Nico was here for two days and she planned on absorbing as much as he was willing to tell her about his life. Which, she was starting to realize, was very different than she had imagined. And maybe needle him about this mystery guy. Maybe.