Running your fingers through his hair once more, you tried untangling your hands. It was more difficult than you thought but you were a success. You got up and wondered how much longer he would be asleep. Leaving him to sleep with the kitten, you continued to look.
You only found old memories and painful reminders. She was gone now. You took the rose on the table and headed for the shore, you needed some air.
You stared at the rose, 'She is a beautiful piece of nature.' You examined the rose. It was flawless. You shut your eyes, you sensed a power. A Godly power.
"(Y/n)."
Posiedon.
You growled, "yes?"
"Is that the nymph." He looked at the rose with sad eyes.
"Why do you care?"
"I'm your father, (Y/n)."
"Yeah, a real good one too."
He chuckled, "(Y/n)." He sat next to you, "let me see the rose."
You hesitated but gave it to him. "He cupped it, "a rose. One that shall never die."
"Everything dies." You sighed.
"I guess you could say that. This rose will follow your life."
You looked at him puzzled. He placed the rose back in your hands, "if you die, the rose will die with you. Take it as a gift from me."
"Thank you." You whispered.
He nodded.
"Look, this whole quest thing. You can try to find out yourself or I can tell you. And I'm going to tell you so we can get this over with."
"What is it?"
"I need you to go to the underworld. I need you to find a soul and bring it to me."
"A soul? Who's soul?"
"Yes. it's unique, you'll know. Once you have the soul, you will bring it to my castle."
"How will I now where your castle is?"
"Here," he digged in his pocket and brought out a flat-ish shell, "break this, when you're inside the water, and you'll find out." He waved, "goodbye." He raised up and walked into the water, deeper and deeper, until there was no sign of him.

You headed for the cave, you were starting to feel hungry.
'I guess it's time to put my cooking skills to use.' You thought. Maybe Nico would like your cooking and maybe he wouldn't. But you didn't worry about it, you were confident in your cooking. Your mother had shown you how to cook and she was the best. At least you thought, you never had any other home made food.
You headed to the gardens and picked some vegetables. It was nice. There were two woven baskets near the gardens. One was yours, and the other, your mother's. You also decided to pick a few fruits. 'Does Nico have a favorite fruit?' You wondered. 'I should ask him, maybe he's awake now.'
You left the basket and ran inside.
Nico was still sleeping.
You decided not too, but before you could leave, he muttered something you couldn't understand. You saw a tear slip from his closed eyes. You wiped the tear away just as his eyes shot opened, surprising you.

"Nico, you're awake!" You were frozen, 'embarrassment is a cruel thing.'

What are you doing?" He asked, not moving, staring up at you with his beautiful eyes. . .
"I was just, uh, you had a tear a-and I was just going to wipe it and then, you know, you w-woke up an-"
"How long have I been asleep?" He wiped his eyes with the base is his palm.
"It's evening."
"Not long." He picked up the sleeping kitten off his chest, slid from under your hovering body, and placed him on his shoulder.
The child of Hades has a soft spot for kittens, how cute. You flailed your hands, "I'm sorry, I was just going to ask you a question a-and t-"
"What was the question?"
"J-just it you had a favorite fruit."
"Hm?" He looked confused, "I don't know." He shrugged.
"You don't know?"
"No, I do not."
"Apples, mangos, strawberries? No?"
"Why?"
"Oh, I was just going to cook an-and. And I thought you might want one."
"Oh, okay." He got up and walked away.
So, no answer, okay.
You went back to the gardens, where Nico was examining the basket you had made.
"Where'd you get this basket?" He asked, not taking his eyes off it.
"Oh, I made it."
"Mhmm."
He looked around in the garden, "what we're you planing to make?"
"I don't know, maybe soup. Do you have any suggestions?"
"No."
"So, are you looking for a favorite fruit?" You asked, picking up the basket.
"I guess." He wandered off, looking at the fruits.

After a while the kitten got bored and jumped off his shoulder and started to pick a fight with some grape vines.
. . .It was adorable.

Nico came back with a dark purple plum, "are these good?"
"I don't know, are they?" You took the plum and put it in the basket.
You walked to the cave and washed everything, and gave the plum back to Nico.
He started to eat it while you started to cut the vegetables.
"Is it good?"
He grabbed a knife. You continued to cut everything, then he came to your side.
"I don't know, is it?" He had cut a piece off and he was giving it to you. You took the piece and (nodded/ shook) your head.

While everything was cooking you thought it was time to tell Nico about the quest.
"Posiedon came again."
"What did he tell you."
"We have to go to the underworld."
"The underworld? For what?"
"We have to bring him a soul."
"What, we can't do that! We cannot take a soul from the underworld. Why would Posiedon need a soul? Who's soul is it, that he wants?"
"I don't know and he said the soul was unique."
"(Y/n), this could end in war. I don't know. This will not end well."
"I know but what can we do?"
He sighed, "tomorrow. We will leave tomorrow morning."
.
The meal was eaten in silence.
.
.
Before Nico could leave the table you stopped him, "Nico, I hope you don't mind me asking,"
"Depends."
"What were you dreaming of last night."
"Excuse me?"
"Last night, you were having a nightmare. I tried to confort you but you just couldn't stop trembling."
"Oh." He seemed to choke back a lump in his throat, "I thought I also had dreamt that." Maybe he was surprised he asked you to stay with him.
"Thank you, (Y/n). . ." Light, light pink dusted his cheeks, barley visible.
"For what?"
"For. . .staying."
You nodded.

He left the cave. . .without answering your question. After a while of being alone, you finally got up, put everything away and went and fell on your mother's bed, since Nico had yours for now.
.
You started to close your eyes but then a voice spoke, "I dreamt about. . .tartarus." Nico was leaning on the entrance frame of the room. You knew what tartarus was, that's why you felt sorry for him. You sat up and gestured for him to come and sit down next to you. He hesitated and stayed there.
"Nico, does it happen often?" You asked. He didn't answer but he looked down at his feet and muttered something. It sounded like '. . .always.' You didn't catch all the words.
"What happened in. . .tartarus?" You asked him. That's when he decided to come in. He sat next to you, his hair dangling in his face, "something. Something I do not want to happen. Something that I would die for not to happen." He clutched his chest and exhaled as if the dream was coming back and embedding it's self in his memory for good.
You wanted to know what that something was but you didn't want to ask him anymore questions, especially if they were going to cause him pain.
"Stay."
"W-what?"
"So of you have another nightmare, I can calm you down."
"(Y-y/n)."
"Here, you can have one side of the bed and I can have another." You got up and went to the other side of the bed. "I don't know if you're still sleepy, if you are, just go to sleep again." You laid down and faced away. Not a minute later, you were asleep, not knowing if Nico stayed.
.
.
.
You were awoken by a mumbling Nico. Was he dreaming about tartarus again?
You grabbed his hand and fell back to sleep once he was calmed down again.
.
.
.
You opened you eyes, your face was only inches away from Nico's. You were still holding his hand. The kitten was sleeping in between the both of you. It purred loudly as it slept.

You eased away and woke him up, "Nico? Wake up." You shook his shoulder in attempt to wake him. He groaned in protest.
"I know you may not be a morning person but we have to go on with the quest." He let out a deep sigh. You grabbed you backpack and fished out some clean clothe. "Just be ready when I come back." You give up.
You make your way to the creek in the forest.
.
You removed your pants and shirt and hopped in the water. It was cold at first but then tepid. You got cleaned up, not wanting to get out afterwards you started to play in the water.
.
.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know-" you heard a voice shout.
"NICO!?"
"Sorry! I didn't mean t- Gah!" he fell backwards into the creek.
.
.
.
You quickly dove under the water into the deepest part of the water.
After you face felt the normal temperature again, you came back up. Nico was no longer in sight.
You got dressed. And walked to the cave, feeling super embarrassed.
Nico was already in dry clothe and standing by the table. He blushed even harder when he saw you walk in, "Never speak of this." You both said in unison.
The kitten climbed you and perched on your head. You grabbed your backpack, carefully put the rose in, so it wouldn't get damaged.
You grabbed Nico's sleeve and dissolved into the shadows.

Next stop: hell.
You were getting more used to the shadow traveling.

----------------------------------------------
I'M SO SORRY. I'm sorry this chapter is so short.
To make up for it I'm going to write a little headcannon. Just so you know, this has to do nothing with the story plot above. This headcannon will just be a random thing. (So if you kiss in the headcannon it wouldn't have happened in the story above.)
.
"Nico!" You shouted. Where was he?! Why were you looking for him? Well, Nico, stole the cake you baked. You looked inside the cave and he wasn't there. The beach was bare.
He was hiding in the forest.
You tiptoed, carful not to make a sound. He was stuffing his face with the cake. You decided it would be funny if you gave him a scare, so you hid, waiting for the right moment.
"NICO!" You shouted jumping from the bushes.
"Gah! (Y/n)!" He yelped and put a hand on his chest. He then disappeared into the darkness. You started to laugh.

You let out a high yelp when two arms wrapped around your waist.
"Where'd you go?" You asked.
He turned you around so you were facing him, "I-I. . .accidentally shadow traveled to C-china." His face got red. You laughed. He smiled and then you punched him. "What was that for?"
"You stole the cake!"
"Oh. It was. . ." He got closer to you. One of his hands by your face. He leaned in, so his lips were brushing against yours, "good."
You blushed so hard you were sure you looked like a tomato.
"Now who's blushing?"
"S-still y-" He pressed his soft cold lips against yours. He hugged you closer, kissing you, pouring more passion and love into it than before.

He rested his forehead on yours. A smile formed on his lips, that were still on yours, "I've been waiting to do that for a while."
"N-nico."
"Yes?" He said, voice so smooth and soft.
"Do you love me?" A child of Hades. Love. They don't mix. How was he supposed to answer tha-
"Yes."
"Wh-what?"
"Yes, (Y/n), I do. I love you. You make my cold heart feel warm. You make my fear go numb. You make me. . .happy."
He loves you.
He gently grabbed your hand and placed it on his chest, where his heart is. "Can you feel my heart beat?"
You nod.
"It's because of you. You make it run miles."
You smiled, "you make mine skip a beat."
You kissed him on the cheek, "I love you, too."
He engulfed you in his arms.
You had your arms around his neck.

That's how you stayed. In a warm hug.
The end.
--------------------------------
Just so you're clear, this never actually happened in the story.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the headcannon.
NICO. He's just so amazhang. But seriously, he's just one of those characters that just need a hug.
I'm sorry about the short chapter.
Okay, bye~
:)