Fifth Floor Common Room, Tuesday Evening

[dontvotemeout]

Jason and Momoko had agreed to take turns with their droid baby, and since he didn't have any classes on Tuesdays, the baby had gone into Jason's care today. Things hadn't been so bad for most of the day, and Jason had made the mistake of thinking that this week would be fairly easy. That, of course, had been when the baby started crying and just. wouldn't. stop. He'd finally managed to get it to stop making noise by holding and cradling it, but every time he put the baby down, it started to wail again.

So, he was sitting on the couch now with a droid baby cradled between his cast and his chest, and a freshly delivered pizza sitting next to him. Making dinner in this state had seemed like a recipe for disaster.

Comments

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

After checking Jason's room, Nico wandered down the hall, lucking out that he found Jason and food in the same place. (Yes, he was excited enough about food that it rated up there with seeing Jason.)

Moving close enough to lean against the arm of the sofa, Nico eyed the droid. "I didn't realize you played with dolls." Even ones that looked like a child of Hephaestus had created them.

[dontvotemeout]

Jason looked a little embarrassed as he looked up at Nico, and cradled the baby a little closer. "It's not a doll. I mean, it is, kind of, but it's really an assignment for Sex Ed." And here he thought he'd been done with this since he wasn't in Ethics again.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Nico probably shouldn't have looked so amused by that. "I guess after that uh, weekend of many children, there's no arguing with the professors that certain lifestyles don't have to worry about that particular side effect of sex." Nico was once again happy with his course selection.

He was going to have to work hard to keep things going well for him this summer.

[dontvotemeout]

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jason said, sighing. His course selection skills clearly needed some work. "Do you want some pizza? I can't put the kid down, so I ordered out."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Why can't you put it down? Is it broken?" Nico didn't really understand how these things worked. His questions didn't stop him from sitting on the side of Jason away from the doll and grabbing a piece of pizza.

[dontvotemeout]

"When I put him down, he cries. I'm hoping he'll fall asleep soon, but I'm not making bets or anything," Jason said. "Luckily, it'll be Momoko's turn to take care of him tomorrow, so I can relax."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

That sounded...horrible. "Seriously? Sounds like a curse to me. Though, I'm a little sorry to hear you're the dad."

Nico was still a little bitter about that.

[dontvotemeout]

"It's only for a week, thankfully," Jason said. "I don't think I'll ever be as good of a mother as you were, obviously."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Nico elbowed Jason's side. "You officially get none of my pity this week," he told him. "What's the uh, electronic bundle of joy's name? Another Junior?"

[dontvotemeout]

"Um," Jason started intelligibly. "Not exactly. His name is Nikko. Momoko picked it." 'Cause that explanation would surely clear things up.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Nico blinked, looking horrified. "Momoko named your creepy doll after me? Why would she do that?" Also, how would she know to?

[dontvotemeout]

"No, no, it's not named after you. It's...she spelled it differently, it's more Asian, with Ks and stuff," Jason said. "I probably should have mentioned that first, huh?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah..." Nico was just staring at Jason. "You're aware that's a little weird, right?"

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"Nico, hi!" Bobby said with a grin. "Congratulations!"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

No, Nico didn't know why he was being congratulated, but he half-smiled at Bobby and waved his pizza at him anyway. "Hey. Congratulating me on scoring free food? I should do the same."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"No! On being a dad!" Bobby said, snickering at Nico pretending not to know. "Jason told me. Is it weird being a parent when you're so young?"

This was all your fault, Jason.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

It didn't take Nico long to catch up. "Oh, Jason told you that?" Jason was going to freeze in his sleep. "You know how it is, weird stuff happens around demigods. I'm getting used to it, but Jason, well, he cries himself to sleep at night."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

...there was so much going on with that sentence that Bobby didn't have a clue where to start for a moment.

"Do you think he should maybe talk to someone?" Bobby asked worriedly. "I mean, that's not very healthy, and teen pregnancy is really difficult to deal with. Um, I've heard. I haven't been pregnant. But it's probably something that should be addressed?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, it's been rough on him. You should be careful what you say. He freaks out kinda easy these days," Nico shared. "I mean, it's kind of obvious." Nico turned his head to trace a fading bruise from his training with Luke. "One of his mood swings."

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby bit his lip, looking really worried. He wished his mom was here to ask what he should do.

"Nico, you know it's not okay if anyone hurts you, right?" he tried, sounding like Secret Life of the American Teenager an after school special. "No one ever deserves to be hurt."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"I know, you're right. But what if I ask him to hurt me?" Nico checked, trying to look a little worried. Mostly he just looked confused and like he was trying not to laugh.

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"Um." Bobby flushed bright red. "I can try to find a book on that? I don't know anything."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"When you're looking it up," Nico paused to chew a bite of pizza. "You should know I'm screwing with you. Luke did that to my face in practice last week, I'm not the father of Jason's stupid doll, and Jason did not give birth to that thing, no matter how much that would make me laugh."

Was he ruining Jason's fun? Probably, but Nico could almost remember when he was that young and naive and wondered what Bianca would've done to anyone who screwed with him that way.

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"Um."

Bobby seemed to be stuck on that word. And then he was embarrassed.

"I guess that's good then? I like Jason. I didn't think he'd be horrible like that." Bobby scuffed his feet. "So...good. Yeah."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Jason's got a sick sense of humor," Nico told him. "And uh, apparently so do I, but Percy'd be the first to warn you not to trust a son of Hades so there you go." That was assuming anyone bothered listening to Percy.