Author's Note: I was supposed to write and publish this about... Three months ago, but I got caught up on my other Percico fanfictions so here I am now! Happy late-by-four-months New Years guys!

I'm going to apologize beforehand on Will's personality because I don't really know how to make him act. So I kind of made it up? Sorry if Will bothers you in this one-shot.

Spoilers from The Blood of Olympus in case some of you haven't read the book yet.

Note: Thanks to Pleonastica for editing my stories!

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, I don't own any of the characters and et cetera in this fanfiction. Credit goes to Rick Riordan.

Percico New Year's Two-Shot

Author: Loving Healer

Chapter One

Nico di Angelo

"Nico!"

My Stygian Iron sword pierced cleanly through the straw armored dummy as I sighed exasperatedly. What did the boy want now?

I withdrew my sword from the dummy when I heard rapid footsteps from behind approach me. I sheathed my midnight black sword and whirled around, wiping the perspiration that resided on my forehead with the back of my hand.

It was the coldest of seasons at the moment: Winter. A slight breeze ran throughout the camp, chilling everyone as much as a few shivers while light snow littered the floor. However, it wasn't cold enough to be wearing three layers of jackets. Of course, the weather around Camp Half-Blood was modified so that the weather always seemed to fit everyone's desires. It was absolutely wonderful. People got the chance to experience snow without freezing to death, and everyone got to experience a nice, warm summer where no one was drenched with sweat.

My black leather Aviator jacket still adorned me, though. Tattered, dark jeans covered my legs, and a midnight shirt hung around my torso. Silver chains dangled from my side, which matched with the silver skull ring on my index finger. I glanced down at my shaded high tops. They were blanketed with snow, but at least it wasn't six feet of snow like outside of the camp's borders.

I scanned the arena until my eyes landed on a certain idiot whose grin stretched all the way to sea green eyes that were filled with joy. His white teeth matched the snow that rained around us, and his black hair seemed to flow in the wind like some kind of supermodel. His orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt clung very nicely to his muscled body, and blue jeans hugged his legs. He was running barefoot, which puzzled me and made me narrow my eyes at him, but he didn't seem to notice my quizzical stare as his footsteps slowed until he finally stopped in front of me. His breathing was a tad bit ragged, but he still had that goofy grin plastered to his handsome face.

I rolled my eyes, leaning my weight on one leg. My gaze roamed his body—no, I was notchecking him out, and I will never admit it—until it stopped at his stunning, hypnotizing eyes.

"What do you want?" I questioned tiredly, getting straight to the point instead of beating around the bush.

"Do you know what day it is today?" Percy asked excitedly, bouncing like a dog whose owner just returned home. Percy was visiting Camp Half-Blood for about a week or two. His school had recently released the students to enjoy Christmas with their families. For a few days, Percy celebrated Christmas with Sally and Paul. For New Year's, Percy came to the conclusion of wanting to celebrate it at Camp Half-Blood.

I arched an eyebrow. "What day is it today?" I thought for a few moments, contemplating the month and day. "Isn't today the second-to-last day of December?"

Percy's expression brightened. "Hell yeah it is!" He grasped my hand, making me slightly jump in surprise.

My cheeks glowed a bright red. I lowered my head, masking my flustered expression with my long bangs. A warm hand reached out to caress my cheek. I would've basked in its warmth until the hand suddenly jerked my head upwards until my gaze found the most unbelievable, oblivious, stupidest human I have ever met. How did I even end up falling in love with this courageous, brave, good-looking, strong—okay, maybe that's why I loved him. Hey, that wasn't the point at the moment, though.

My eyes widened when Percy's face neared mine. We had never kissed in public before except for our first kiss when I confessed to him, and we certainly haven't been so close to each other in front of other campers before. We haven't even held each other's hands. The closest, most intimate thing we had ever done was cuddle with each other in either Percy's bed or mine. I just... Thought he didn't want to "come out of the closet" or anything of the sort. It was why whenever he made a move to grasp my hand, I pulled away. He never interrogated me, so he most likely knew what I tried to portray whenever I pulled my hand away.

We had only started dating a couple of weeks earlier. Annabeth was still contemplating the dark side of Percy that seemed to have appeared when Percy almost suffocated Misery. At least, that was what I had heard from Jason.

It was about a few days before Percy and Annabeth had decided to travel to California in order to reside in New Rome. Reyna had given them the chance to begin a new life in Camp Jupiter. Well, specifically New Rome, but you all know what I mean. Annabeth had confronted Percy about the ordeal that was practically glued to her thoughts, and they had fought over it. Why they fought with each other, I had no idea. Jason hadn't known either, so I couldn't question him about it.

They had decided to take a break from each other, but by then, I had attempted to settle my conflicting feelings with Percy. I had thought I had gotten over the hero of Olympus and had moved on, but apparently, my heart begged to differ. Will Solace had convinced me to confess to the son of Poseidon, and Jason had been on Will's side with the decision.

The situation... Went downhill at the beginning once I had entered Percy's cabin.

...

"Percy?" I peeked through the front door that was open by a crack from my previous knocking. I was clueless to the fact that the door was unlocked. The interior of the cabin was dark like a black hole that could attract anything into its massive depths. Outside, the sun was setting underneath the horizon, casting a full range of colors from red to purple that were dancing in the sky. It was as if the Stolls had stolen fireworks to create an explosion in the sky. Hm, maybe that was why their last name was "Stoll." Their surname sounded like the first part of "stolen." Why hadn't I thought of that earlier?

Anyway, dinner had just finished. All of the campers were preparing for tonight's fire, so not many were near the U-shape that the cabins formed. I didn't have the need to consume any food, for I wasn't hungry anyway since I kept overthinking possible scenarios of what was about to happen right before my very eyes.

"Percy?" I repeated cautiously, reaching a hand out to make the entrance to the interior of the cabin wider. I had no clue if Percy was even in his cabin or if he finally decided to get a breath of fresh air. Everyone around camp had been talking about the huge fight between Annabeth and Percy. I was, unfortunately, sleeping the day away, so I was oblivious to what happened. Mostly the Aphrodite children were talking about it, and I had no desire to get close toany of them.

I placed a hesitant foot into Cabin Three. I crept around the door to scan the room for Percy. Sure enough, there Percy was, sitting on the edge of his bed. His head shot up and his eyes bore daggers into me. I almost cowered away out of fear. Percy could look very scary if he really wanted to.

"What do you want, Nico?" he asked me with slight annoyance lacing his tone of voice. He looked extremely tired from where I stood near the entrance to the lonesome cabin. His usually black, windswept hair was now disheveled as if he hadn't washed himself for days. Clothes were strewn all over the floor so it looked as if the cabin floor was now carpet instead of wood. For me, it was quite easy to spot the dried tear tracks that carved its way down the sides of Percy's chiseled features. His eyes that used to appear as a vibrant sea green now looked empty. The sea in his eyes stopped reflecting the sun's rays, and all that was left was the salty water that dripped down his eyes with every blink he made and with every rush of emotion that he felt. It was saddening to see the person that I loved looking like this.

Yeah, Istill loved Percy Jackson.

Originally, I had moved on from Percy Jackson. I made of the excuse of "You're not my type" as I told him. Well, that wasn't the case.

My brain told me I was over my idiotic crush, but my heart told me otherwise. I pretended to feel as if I were finally freed from the shackles of Cupid' s curse that was placed on me, and I distracted myself whenever I was alongside either Will Solace or Jason Grace, the two blondes who I seemed to trust the most, and probably the only people that I would ever depend on. I soon gave up and told the two blondes, who both convinced me to have a more reasonable conversation with the son of Poseidon instead of coming up with a lie and high fiving his girlfriend. It seemed like a marvelous plan in my head though; I don't know what exactly went wrong.

"I just..." My sentence abruptly stopped. Shit, what did I have to do now? What was necessary in this case? What conversation starter should I begin with?

Don't freak out, Nico. Don't freak out.

I breathed in deeply until my lungs were full of rich oxygen. "Just wanted to see if you were doing okay is all."

Technically, it wasn't a lie, okay? I mean, I did actually go there to see if he was recovering, but I guess it wasn't the full truth. I can just... Lead our conversation toward the path that I was afraid to take but had to take anyway. If I returned to Will and Jason without muttering a word about my real reason to Percy, then they would both become furious. I didn't have the desire to see what would happen if a son of Jupiter and a son of Apollo teamed up. Would it be raining electric arrows? Who knew what would turn out? I certainly didn't, and I didn't plan on making it happen.

"Did someone send you or something?" Percy mumbled the question, hanging his lead low until his gaze was set on his lap.

I took a hesitant step into the cabin, the floorboards creaking under me even though the ground was blanketed with various amounts of clothing. I silently shut the door, letting my fingers slip away from the doorknob and into my Aviator jacket's pockets.

I shook my head. "No one sent me. This is just me taking the initiative, is all."

He scoffed. "Oh really? I thought you hated me."

I slightly grimaced at his statement. Didn't anyone teach this oblivious boy how much I did for him and his companions? I delved back deeper into the Labyrinth because Minos had explained to me that Percy was in trouble. I suggested him to dip himself into the River Styx to become practically invincible. (Okay, that wasn't a very good idea, but it worked for a period of time, right?) I convinced my father to help the demigods and the gods bring down the rise of the Titans. I purposely travelled through Tartarus to find the Doors of Death. I had kept my promise to Percy to lead the remaining comrades of the Argo II toward the other side of the Doors of Death. I aided Jason with the retrieval of Diocletian's scepter. I raised an army of the dead to protect Frank, Jason, and Piper. With the help of Hazel, I shadow-travelled the seven back to the surface after Percy and Annabeth escaped Tartarus. I volunteered myself to shadow-travel the Athena Parthenos alongside Reyna and Coach Hedge even though I knew that it would slowly bring me death. I was able to convince some of the centurions to convince their cohorts of Camp Jupiter to aid us instead of the wretched augur of the Roman camp. I stopped Octavian in his tracks with Will and Octavian exploded himself and right into Gaea, which I found pretty hilarious, might I add. I even arrived at the conclusion that I wouldn't be leaving either Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter. Well, that was more for Will's and Jason's sake, but Percy still benefitted from it.

I sighed lightly. "Er, well, okay look, Percy. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Is this something about me needing food and shit like that?" Percy grumbled with slight frustration. "Piper had been bugging me about it this whole time. She even brought Leo so he could make my food that's supposed to be warm taste better."

I shook my head once more. "Do what you want, Percy. I've done the same, so I shouldn't bother you about it."

He chuckled humorlessly—something that I never thought would originate from Percy. "Well this is a first. I'm glad you're not here to drag me outside. I swear I've turned into some kind of vampire or something. I refuse to look at myself in the mirror and the light outside seems to be bothering me. Stupid Apollo."

The darkened light of the sun setting through his glass window seemed to have shined right upon Percy who hissed and shut his eyes rapidly. I almost snickered at the sight. I had the strangest feeling in the back of my mind that Will had something to do with the amount of light radiating in the specific direction of Percy's cabin.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry Apollo. Gods," Percy cursed, rubbing his eyes once the light had dimmed down.

I shrugged, leaning against the wall behind me. I waited patiently for Percy to recover and regain his composure. Once he finished, Percy finally made eye contact with me.

"So? What did you want to talk about?" Percy questioned me. His gaze softened when it landed on my form. Yeah, so I did look horrible, but I had no need to impress the one that I planned to confess my feelings to and get it over with. It wasn't as if I had the slightest chance of Percy returning the same feelings that I felt for him.

"Just something I wanted to finally get off of my chest," I attempted to say as nonchalantly and calmly as possible. I had no clue if it had succeeded, but Percy didn't say anything of the sort.

He patted the spot adjacent to him on his bed. "Come sit over here. You're blending in with the shadows and it looks like I'm talking to my wall."

I smiled in amusement. The same Percy Jackson was still there, masking itself underneath Percy's temporary depression. Some things will just never change.

My steps seemed to bounce all over the room as I walked over to his bed. It was as if I was walking through a cave. The sounds of my shoes vibrated along the floor, and I found that extremely unusual due to the fact that the floor was unseen from Percy's clothes.

I took a seat a reasonable distance away from Percy. It wasn't too close that I would become anxious, but it wasn't too awkwardly far away. I let my gaze find Percy, and our eyes met in what seemed like some sort of staring contest. It was as if Percy was trying to decipher me to see if he could predict what I wanted to tell him before I actually voiced it. Maybe it was something he adapted from Annabeth perhaps?

"Can I ask you something first?" Percy suddenly requested. I was slightly relieved, for I wouldn't have to confess to him anytime soon. Even if I did want to get this whole affair done with, mentally preparing myself while Percy questioned me would do me some good.

I shrugged. "Go for it."

His lips twitched upward into what seemed to be a small smile. "Cool. Thanks Nico."

I shook my baggy, dark brown hair. "By all means, just ask me what you wanted."

Percy chuckled, and I was glad it wasn't humorless. "I wanted to figure out some way to apologize to Annabeth. I mean, apologizing to her over Iris Messaging would be kind of stupid, but I haven't thought of a very good way to confront her, you know? I just... Don't want to screw this up."

My heart felt as if it dropped down from my chest to the clothes-covered floor. Of course he would be thinking of something like that. Why wouldn't he? Who better to pair Percy Jackson up with other than Annabeth Chase? No one, I tell you;no one. They were the Golden Couple at Camp Half-Blood. Their relationship was what every couple strived to be.

Why did I even agree to confess to Percy?

I shut my eyes and sighed quietly, wishing Percy didn't hear it. I might as well aid him. Seeing and hearing the one that I loved absolutely distraught was something that I didn't want my eyes to settle on or my ears to listen to. Yet here I was, sitting right next to my distressed crush.

"Just walk right up to her and tell her how you really feel." Gods, could I be anymore hypocritical? "There's no use in stalling or anything. You might lose her. Just tell her how you really feel. She's a daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom. I'm sure she'll understand." Oh look at that, I became even more hypocritical. What was wrong with me?

Percy stared at me hopefully. The color of the sea started to return when I glanced up at him. "Do you really think so?"

I nodded. "You guys have been through a lot together right? I'm sure it'll work out. The more you keep waiting, the more time you're losing. Go talk to her now." Man, I was definitely going to piss both Jason and Will.

He grinned, resulting in a pounding against my chest. "Thanks, Nico. I knew I could count on you. You're just always so..." Percy paused to brainstorm of a correct word. "Reliable. Yeah, I could definitely rely on you for a lot of things."

He stood up quickly before looking down at me. "Didn't you have to tell me something, though?"

I lied, shaking my head from side to side. "No. Don't worry about me. Just go tell Annabeth before it's too late."

Percy rolled his eyes. "You liar. You told me you have to tell me something."

"It can wait, Percy." I waved his accusation aside. "You have to get Annabeth back."

"She can wait," Percy retorted, shocking me with how serious he sounded. "Tell me, Nico. I'm not getting Annabeth back until you tell me."

"Seriously Percy. Just forget it," I insisted, but Percy wasn't about to let it slide.

He leaned over, placing his hands on the mattress so that his arms were surrounding me. Percy glared at me, a scowl marring his features. I moved back by an inch. His face was so dangerously close that it scared and flustered me at the same time. I was afraid I would end up doing something completely inappropriate, but I was flustered by being so close with the man I loved in secret, excluding Jason and Will who already knew about it so it wasn't really a secret to them.

"Nico,seriously," Percy pronounced slowly. "Tell me. I don't care if you hate being so close to me. I'll come even closer if you don't tell me."

I clenched my teeth together tightly, attempting to suppress the oncoming blush. "Okay! Fine!" I cried. "Just don't come any closer."

He smirked. "Of course, my Ghost King," Percy tried to say elegantly.

I rolled my eyes, punching him in his upper arm. "Are you trying to provoke me?"

"Provoke you into doing what?" Percy arched an eyebrow, his smirk still intact.

"Provoke me into using your shadow to shadow-travel somewhere else so you wouldn't be able to figure out what I plan to say," I threatened sharply, narrowing my eyes.

He sighed in what I assumed to be defeat. "Fine, fine. Just tell me, okay?"

I scowled. "Er, okay." I shifted uncomfortably in my position. Percy stared down at me expectantly, waiting patiently for me to finish mentally preparing myself.

"Remember after the battle against Gaea I told you that you weren't my type?"

Percy furrowed his eyebrows. "Definitely. I had to beg Annabeth to tell me what you meant after you left."

I nodded in comprehension. "Okay, well it turns out that's not the case. I actually—"

I was silenced in the most surprising way ever. A pair of lips were against mine. My grip on Percy's bed sheet tightened as my eyes bulged out of my eye sockets. He leaned further, pressing our lips even closer together. My gaze flickered up to Percy's expression. His eyes were closed, so I couldn't exactly tell what kind of thoughts he was having. It frustrated me, but his actions made me feel a state of pure bliss. I had never thought that a scenario of this would truly happen.

I slowly shut my eyes, finally returning the kiss. I was a bit hesitant about it. I mean, I wasn't exactly great at kissing. Hell, I haven't even kissed anyone before. The kiss I was currently sharing with Percy was the first kiss that I had ever experienced. At least I was able to experience such a thing. I always believed that I'd never find anyone who would truly love me back as much as I loved them back.

When I pulled back for air and for answers, Percy surprisingly smiled at me. Did he just mistake me for his girlfriend or something?

"I'm guessing I'm your type still?" Percy surmised, amusement and joy swirling around in the sea of colors that he possessed in his gorgeous eyes.

I rolled my eyes. I couldn't stop the blush that splashed across my cheeks. "Isn't it obvious now? You didn't have to kiss me to prove your point, though."

He shrugged. "I wanted to kiss you."

I almost spit in his face. "Excuse me. Repeat that?"

Percy pouted. "Is there something wrong with that?"

I would've stood up out of frustration and annoyance, but I thought otherwise. I didn't have the desire to bump my head against Percy's and receive a huge bruise.

"Yes there is!" I practically yelled even though he was just mere centimeters away from me. "You don't even like me, so why even bother?"

"Who said I never liked you?" Percy demanded, staring straight into my dark brown eyes.

My brain short-circuited. I swear I could feel sparks fly out of my ears. "What?"

"Who said I never liked you?" Percy repeated in what seemed to be a dangerous voice. His eyes narrowed down at me, waiting for an answer.

"Your girlfriend did!" I blurted out. "Even if she didn't say anything, the fact that you have a girlfriend already proves that you don't, right?"

Percy shrugged. "You haven't heard of a guy liking someone else when they're in a relationship?"

"Uh,no."

Percy chuckled at my simple response. "Well then. I guess someone needs to talk to Piper about the complex subject called 'Romance.'"

"The only romance I've ever liked was My Chemical Romance." I sighed. "Sorry that I don't know anything about 'love.' I'm pretty muchDead! when it comes to that subject."

I don't know about you guys, but my double pun about that song by My Chemical Romance and the fact that I'm the son of Hades seemed like the best thing I had ever said.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Was that supposed to be a pun or something?"

"If you listened to My Chemical Romance, you'd probably be able to see the double pun that I made."

"Are wereally talking about My Chemical Romance or are we talking about how I love and envy you over Annabeth?"

"Frankly, I'd pick My Chemical Romance over any topic."

"Hah,frankly."

"Percy, shut up."

Percy laughed, sending shivers down my spine. "I don't think I'll ever shut up."

I rolled my eyes, but my brain suddenly memorized a sentence that Percy had previously stated. "Wait, did you just say that you love and envy me more than Annabeth?"

Percy's cheeks glowed bright red, which I found pretty adorable. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Why do you like me more than Annabeth?" I interrogated. "That's just... It doesn't make much sense to me."

He brushed his lips on the surface of my now-heated cheek. "You are the strongest demigod I've ever known," he whispered into my ear.

I rolled my eyes even though Percy wasn't looking at me. "Stop being so modest, Percy. You're probably the strongest demigod ever known."

"Did I purposely go through Tartarus alone and make it out alive?" Percy began to challenge me. "Did I go through the Labyrinth that connects the whole entire world with no one but a ghost? Did I nearly die a bunch of times shadow-traveling some huge statue across the whole fucking world?"

"No," I mumbled miserably, confirming Percy's side of the argument.

He smiled triumphantly. "Say however much you want about me beating up the Titans and Giants and other monsters, but I had the gods' help for the most part. You, Nico di Angelo, are the strongest and bravest demigod ever. I envy you for what you did. I'd never be able to make it through Tartarus alone." Percy shivered at the mere thought of it. "And the Labyrinth? Good gods don't get me started on that maze. What was Daedalusthinkingwhen he made that?"

I shrugged. "What were you thinking when you came to the conclusion that you love me?"

"Oh come on," Percy pleaded. "I already told you what I thought. Give me a chance please?"

My heart churned with the hope of even being much more intimate and closer than just friends to the son of Poseidon. Did he really love me or was he just tricking me?

He gripped my shoulders and pulled his head back so he was now staring at me. "Just one chance, okay?"

His eyes looked so desperate yet hopeful. The waters crashed against the shore in huge waves in an attempt to catch something. The more time passed, the bigger the waves of the ocean became.

"What about Annabeth?" I remarked.

"I'll do something about her! I swear the next time I see you, we'll be together, alright?" Percy promised, but I never seemed to be convinced by Percy's promises. I mean, sure he kept the promise that he'll try to keep her safe, but it didn't seem as if he tried his hardest at it. I still held hate and grudges against him for that, yet here I was, contemplating whether I should give him a chance to be with me. Another thing I should mention is that my heart was completely disobeying my mind and decided to control my brain, which controlled every other part of my body.

"Fine," I seemed to have blurted out even if my brain kept reminding me of that night when I made an enormous crack in the floor of the dining pavilion.

Percy's eyes brightened like when the clouds clear and the sun is reflected off of the water's serene surface. "You mean it?!"

"Yeah." I nodded slowly, unsure if I would regret this decision later on. "Maybe... Maybe I'll give it a shot."

...

Man, was I glad to have given Percy a chance. I definitely don't seem to regret anything about our relationship so far.

"So? Wh-What about the second to last day of December?" I stuttered before mentally cursing myself for stuttering. How did Percy make me feel like this multiple times throughout the day? How?

He smirked before I took a step back away from the person who was unbelievably my boyfriend. I spotted a hint of sadness wash over his features, but a smile soon appeared, wiping the memories of his sorrowful expression away from my clueless brain.

"I just wanted to do something with you," he replied, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

"Like what?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Reyna, Frank, and Hazel are coming over here to celebrate the New Year with us," Percy clarified. "If that's okay with you."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Whatever you want. I don't particularly care."

He grinned brightly—probably brighter than Apollo's sun. "Great! We're meeting on the beach tomorrow night."

"Oh great, my favorite place," I commented sarcastically. "I know Poseidon will love me if I jumped into his domain while dating his most favored son," I stated in a completely monotone voice.

Percy laughed. "Oh come on! I think he likes it better if I date you instead of the daughter of Athena." He crossed his arms, leaning his weight onto a single leg. "Man, their rivalry is strong."

"Odysseus kind of made it worse, too by, oh I don't know, massacring all of Troy by siding with Athena." I scoffed.

Percy chuckled in amusement. "At least he made it home, right?"

"Oh yeah he made it home." I rolled my eyes. "But oh wait. Where are all of his men? Oh yeah! They're all dead. I think I've seen some of them in the Underworld actually."

He laughed. "Well you sure know a lot about the subject."

I frowned. "I guess I do."

He wrapped an arm around my neck playfully. "You brainiac. You're only like what? Fifteen now? When is your birthday anyway?"

"Why do even care?" I asked him instead of answering his question.

"So we can celebrate it, duh!" Percy exclaimed excitedly.

I shrugged his arm off, waving his question away. "I'll tell you when my birthday comes by, alright?"

Percy smirked. "You better remember."

"Let's just hope I remember. But for now, I have to go take a shower."

Both of Percy's eyebrows rose. "Can I watch?"

My eyes bulged as a hue of red spread across my face. "Wh-No!"

He grinned at the reaction he received as I ripped open Percy's cabin door and stomped back to Cabin Thirteen. "Why not?"

"Because that's—" My brain seemed to have malfunctioned from Percy's embarrassing request because I couldn't seem to think of anything to retort back.

"Because?" Percy drawled as I swung open the door.

We both stepped inside, shielded away from the snowfall currently taking place on the outside. My cabin was, of course, pretty dark. The Greek fire hanging in torches around the interior of the cabin seemed to be the only source of light. I didn't install any windows because just looking at the campers outside disgusted me, and because I was normally in here to hide from specifically Jason and/or Will. Their pestering about my well-being seemed very bothersome for the most part.

"Just forget it," I grumbled, digging through my drawers containing my monochromatic color scheme of dark clothing.

"Does that mean I can watch you?" Percy attempted to request again, resulting in a roll of my eyes.

"You idiot," I mumbled, slightly chuckling under my breath before grabbing a new pair of clothes and shutting the bathroom door behind me.

...

"You dorealize how unhealthy you're going to get, right?"

My eyes rolled for the umpteenth time. "Does it look like I care?"

"Not really," Will huffed, leaning against the Hades table. "You still need to eat you know."

I shrugged wearily, stabbing the bits and pieces of food remaining on my practically empty plate. "What if I don'teat?"

"Have fun making your way to the Underworld early," Will retorted.

"I go there all the time, though," I replied nonchalantly. "To help Thanatos and my dad keep things in order. Ever since the Doors of Death were opened, things have been... Pretty crazy down there. They're trying to keep things under control now. And now that Thanatos is back thanks to Percy, Frank, and Hazel, he's got to get used to being back in the Underworld and working with a bunch of souls."

It was now Will's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You'd be visiting the Underworld as a soulif you keep this up."

I chuckled lightly. "Demigods die early anyway, so who cares?"

"I care!" Will objected.

"You being the son of Apollo has become really bothersome," I remarked.

"Says the one who almost died by turning into a shadow from shadow-travelling the Athena Parthenos halfway across the world."

I scoffed. "Your dirt-flavored gum didn't seem to help."

Will smirked. "It probably did but you just don't want to admit that dirt-flavored gum helps."

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself up from my seat by the Hades cabin. I scraped the leftover food on my plate into the hearth, muttering my prayers to the god of the Underworld under my breath. I shoved my hands into my pockets after I put my plate away.

"I have to go talk to someone, so see you later." I nodded to Will who returned the farewell. I strolled back to my cabin, the snow crunching underneath my feet with each step I took toward my cabin. The sudden thought occurred to me when I was taking a shower. I hadn't told anyone about my relationship with Percy. The only people that had the knowledge of our relationship was Jason, Percy, Annnabeth, and Will. I convinced Jason and Will to keep it a secret because I had no clue if Percy was ready to "come out of the closet." So, I demanded Jason and Will to not tell a soul. I was positive that Piper didn't know unless Percy told her or Jason betrayed me. I wasn't sure if Percy had told anyone other than Piper, but I had to tell Hazel in case she didn't know. If she visited Camp Half-Blood and found out herself that Percy and I were dating, she'd probably pass out. Hazel was born during the time where homosexuality wasn't really accepted, so it'd still take some period of time for Hazel to get accustomed to it—especially if her half-brother was homosexual.

I swung open my door and stepped inside. I threw my leather Aviator jacket onto my bed and dug through my pockets for a golden drachma. Once I had gotten a hold on the coin, I stepped toward a small fountain with mist being sprayed upward in a corner of my cabin that Percy had given me.

"O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Hazel Levesque," I recited, flinging the golden drachma through the mist.

An image shimmered in the air as it slowly revealed my sister, Hazel Levesque. Over in California, time was behind by a few hours. I didn't have the time to calculate their time since I had to get straight to the point, but the sun had not even set in California near Berkeley apparently. Hazel was feeding Arion gold blocks again, and I rolled my eyes at the sight. I still wondered what Percy heard whenever Arion produced a sound.

"Hazel!" I called out to her, making her jump and whirl rapidly around.

"Nico? Gods, you scared me!" Hazel cried while Arion bent his head down low to grab the golden block in her grip.

I frowned at Arion's rude action, but I let it slide because, according to Percy, Arion's way of talking was pretty rude.

"Sorry about that," I apologized. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh wait!" Hazel suddenly exclaimed. "Has Percy told you that Reyna, Frank, and I will be visiting you guys tomorrow?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I needed to ask you something before you get here."

"What's it about?"

"Has Percy told you about..." How was I supposed to phrase this without giving it away? "About us?"

Hazel blinked blankly at me for a few moments, and for a second I thought I sounded absolutely crazy.

"Oh!" Hazel's puzzled expression suddenly brightened. "You mean how you're dating Percy?"

"So Percy did tell you..." I muttered.

Hazel shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah he did. I mean, it took a lot of time and a lot of Frank's comforting to get me used to it, but I... I think I'm okay with it. Just don't get too ashamed if I have to leave the room or something okay?"

I averted my gaze to the side. "Y-Yeah..."

"But, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Hazel interrogated with a sorrowful voice. "I would've expected you of all people to tell me first before your... Before Percy."

I scowled. "I just thought Percy wasn't ready to tell anyone, so I didn't tell anyone."

Hazel sighed. "You should've talked to him about it then! And anyway, Percy doesn't seem to be the type that had to 'hide in the closet' and all of that. Percy's much braver than that."

I chuckled. "I guess." A knock on the door interrupted me. "Uh, I think that's Percy."

An enormous blush erupted across Hazel's dark-toned skin, and I furrowed my eyebrows together and frowned at the sight, until I realized why she was red all over, and then my face heated up.

"We're not going to do anything!" I practically yelled at the shimmering image of Hazel.

"You're alone... In a cabin... With Percy Jackson, your l-lover," Hazel pronounced slowly, her eyes becoming wider and wider with each fragment she voiced.

"Hazel, the closest thing we've ever done was cuddle." I scoffed, attempting to make the blush plastered on my face disappear.

"In a... A bed?"

"Well yeah, of course in a—" I shut my mouth. I was just making the situation worse the more I said.

She grinned. "Have fun with Percy, I guess."

"Hazel!" I cried in desperation once she swiped her hand through the mist. I groaned at the misunderstanding I caused. I was about to take a seat on my bed and contemplate on everything wrong that I said to Hazel when another knock against the cabin door interrupted my thoughts.

I swung open the door to reveal the person that I surmised it to be: Percy Jackson.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "So, I heard some yelling in there. What the hell happened in there?"

I ran a hand through my thick, messy hair. "Just talking to Hazel."

"About?" Percy asked, giving me permission to continue my explanation.

"Hazel thinks we're doing more than just cuddling in here," I finished, succeeding in the task I mentally made by not blushing.

There was a very long pause between us until Percy burst out into laughter. He wiped at the corner of his eyes and held his stomach while he laughed. At one point, he had to reach a hand out for the door so he could keep his balance and not topple all over the floor.

"Hazel thinks we're doing more than that?!" Percy managed to say in between laughs. "Oh Gods, that's the best thing I've heard all day!"

I rolled my eyes. "Are you coming in or are you going to keep laughing at that for the rest of the night?"

He chuckled, stepping through the doorway and shutting the dark door behind him. He yawned and stretched, and I couldn't help but peek at the bottom of his shirt where it rose up to reveal a part of his muscled stomach.

I peeled my eyes away from the enticing scene and proceeded to slip off my tattered jeans and jump into my bed. Percy soon followed, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me closer to his body.

I turned over to face him, who smiled back at me. "I love you Nico."

"I love you too, Percy," I whispered back before snuggling against his chest and drifting off to sleep.