Title: The Things Nico Finds

Word Count: 7000+

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Pairing: Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo

Warning: Slash. Fluff. Stuff. AU-ish - takes place about 3 or so years after TLO and ignores Heroes of Olympus.

Summary: Life was never boring when the ghost king was around. He always had something with him, and he always made it a point to trigger a reaction from the son of Poseidon.

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns these amazing characters. Not me.

[EDIT (03/21/12) - Let me stress this point: if you don't like reading about gay boys, don't READ this and don't REVIEW this. Gods. Sure I want criticism sometimes but complaining that this isn't about straight people is definitely not constructive criticism. So please, gtfo if you don't like slash]

The Things Nico Finds

+ No. 1

Why Nico had hearts on his eyes was a complete mystery to the son of Poseidon. The weirdness of it all left him dumbstruck.

Of course, all Percy needed to do was ask.

"What in holy Hades is that?"

Percy's eyes remained agape. He lay on his back, but his head was averted to the left edge of the bed where a certain head of a certain son of Hades was propped.

"I didn't think you'd wake up," was all Nico said, looking smug and unaffected. He was wearing something that Percy never thought he'd see on any respectable ghost king. They were heart glasses. Nico was wearing heart glasses. Glasses with big red heart-shaped lenses. The fact that Nico had just barged in (or in his case, shadow traveled) into the Poseidon Cabin was rendered irrelevant by that….thing he had on.

"You didn't answer my question," Percy said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Oh these?" Nico responded, as he adjusted the hinge of his new specs with an index finger.

"Yes, those," went Percy. He willed himself to sit up. Nico subsequently lifted his head from the bed. Percy saw that the other demigod sat cross-legged on the floor. He was in his why-are-you-still-wearing-that aviator jacket, a black t-shirt and leather pants. Typical Nico fashion, really. Except, there were those horrid glasses.

"Nicked it from the Aphrodite cabin," Nico explained, pursing his lips.

"What were you doing in the Aphrodite cabin?" Percy asked. He stared at Nico, still in disbelief.

"A girl invited me in last night," he said. Percy arched an eyebrow. "It's…It's not what you think though," Nico continued. "Definitely not."

Percy couldn't help chuckling to this. "I wasn't thinking anything," he said. "Although now that you mentioned it…"

"No. I did not do it with one of the Aphrodite girls…though I think she wanted to. I…I didn't let it go all the way." Nico shook his head and his cheeks started to flush. "I swear." His smug expression faded completely.

"Still an innocent fifteen-year old I see," Percy joked, small laughs escaping him. Nico lowered his head. He muttered something under his breath. His scrawny arms stood stiff, while his hands were set firm on his lap.

"It was horrible you know," Nico whined. "That Drew girl. She, like, asked me if I wanted to attend this slumber party they were having, which I don't get why they're even having. But…I agreed for some reason." He lifted his head. Percy saw his brows wrinkle. "Then one of her sisters started coming on to me. But I…I didn't let it happen. But then…Drew managed to make me sleep in the cabin and stuff. I mean, what the fuck, right?" He huffed. Percy wanted to take him seriously, but the glasses were just too damn distracting. His ADHD brain couldn't take it.

"Yeah, totally. Horrible," Percy managed. "Now… So…" Percy rubbed his cheeks. "What're the glasses for?" He was trying really hard to keep a straight face.

"I escaped this morning and I saw these just lying around…so…I took it," Nico said. "I felt like they needed something taken from them, you know."

"Why? 'Cos they were trying to take away your virginity?"

"Yes," Nico said. "Exactly."

"Then congrats on being a prude," Percy quipped.

"Not a prude. Just fucking sensible," Nico retorted.

"Uhuh," Percy dismissed. Nico fell silent. Percy chuckled and huffed. Then, he saw the son of Hades take the glasses off, revealing his vacant brown eyes. Oh thank gods, Percy thought. Good riddance to the tackiest glasses in the world.

"So," Percy said. "Why'd you come here, anyway? Just wanted to rant?"

"Well, yeah," Nico replied. "But also…I just…Well, I heard you're going back to New York today. So I wanted to say, you know, bye and stuff."

Oh right. "Totally forgot about that," Percy said. "Gods, I guess I need to pack." He scratched his head. Then, he pushed himself off of the bed to get his bag from the floor. He looked around to see a bunch of his socks and shirts in a pile by one of the bunk beds. Nico just sat silently.

"Although," Percy continued, while he grabbed a handful of his clothing. "For all I know, you're just gonna end up crashing at my place every now and then. When you're not in the Underworld, that is." He stuffed a bunch of his clothes into his bag. Then, he turned to Nico and gave him a small, yet thoughtful smile.

"Yeah," Nico said. "I guess I am."

+ No. 2

Percy slumped back on their navy blue couch. It was in the middle of September and he just got off the phone with Annabeth, his ex-girlfriend. Ex because of a fall-out they had early this summer. It wasn't a major fall-out, though. They just realized that things weren't meant to be. They realized that the connection they had was more applicable to a friendship than to a functional relationship. Annabeth had her priorities – Mt. Olympus, school, and what not. Percy had… Well, he had a great lack of priorities. This, in turn, led to the eventual fall-out.

Annabeth had just called to tell Percy all about the developments at the home of the gods. She and a bunch of her siblings were apparently on the verge of completing the remodeling. It was going to be more "avant-garde," she said. Percy was glad to hear about their progress. He was really glad. They were still friends after all. The best of friends. She was still the only one who knew absolutely everything about him – weak spot, fatal flaw and all the jazz.

The son of Poseidon stayed put with his thoughts for a moment. He forgot what he was going to do before the telephone decided to ring. He tapped his fingers on the couch and stomped his feet lightly on the floor. For some reason, Annabeth still got him depressed. Well, it wasn't for some reason. He knew exactly why.

Percy continued tapping and stomping. He wished he could just go off to camp on weekends, so he wouldn't have to be bored out of his wits alone at home. His mom Sally was off with Paul at some writing class. Even his mortal friends were only available at camp. Rachel, whom he met with every now and then, was attending some event at the Clarion Ladies Academy. Sell out, Percy couldn't help thinking. Right now, he was a senior in his high school, and he never really bothered to make any close friends. These were the times when he regretted that.

Then suddenly, something went DUG. It was from inside the apartment, Percy assumed. He stood up. He heard scrambling. It felt very suspicious. He had a feeling it came from his room. His ADHD triggered. Riptide was in his pocket, and his left hand took it out. He held it, capped but ready for operation.

He approached his door slowly. He got ready. He stood in front of it and waited for a minute before turning the knob. When he did so, he kicked the door open and immediately drew his sword.

"Woah there," came a voice.

"Nico?" Percy immediately reverted his sword back into pen form. He arched his eyebrow and stared at the boy who sat cross-legged on his bed. He had his hands held up along with that ill-tempered look on his face.

"No need to swing a sword at poor old Nico," the son of Hades said.

"I think I should swing at you. To teach you a lesson. Breaking and entering is frowned upon in most societies, don't you know?" Percy fumed.

Nico laughed. "I did no breaking, Percy. Just entering." He paused to laugh some more. "Plus, you're the one who said I could crash here."

"Well, you could've at least called."

"No phones in the Underworld," Nico said. "Or…none that I know of." He smirked.

Percy let out a snort. He rubbed his left hand on his face. He scratched at his chest, wrinkling his blue shirt. Then, he stared at the younger half-blood, followed by a heavy sigh. He had to admit, he felt a bit glad someone had arrived to cease his boredom, and Nico nonetheless. Nico, the son of Death. Nico, the awkward fifteen-year old who could be a real jerk wad when you get to know him. Nico, who Percy noticed, was sitting beside something horrifying.

"What the hell is that?" Percy pointed to what was undeniably a skull. He regretted what he asked immediately, since duh it's a freaking skull.

"Cracked it off my dad's throne," Nico said, taking it in his hand. "That's actually why I'm here. He's kinda mad at me, and I'm kinda mad at him."

"You…you took a skull from Hades' throne? W-why? What are you—"

` "I kind of distracted Charon from his duties. I introduced him to Mythomagic," Nico explained, making an uncontrollable grin replace Percy's bemused expression. He started walking towards the bed.

"You made the ferryman of Hades play Mythomagic?" the older demigod marveled. He sat on the bed right beside Nico. "You still play Mythomagic?"

"Of course I still play," Nico said, head turned to Percy. "And making Charon try it out was easy. He's fond of me. He pretty much sucks though. Not much of a challenge to beat."

Percy cracked up. "I can't believe you," he said. "Let me guess, Hades got all dad mad at you and you threw a tantrum." Nico glared, but Percy could tell he was trying hard not to laugh.

It took about three whole minutes for Percy to calm down. Nico just sat there, his cheeks puffed and his head shifting around the room.

"So," Percy finally managed. "Why'd you come here 'stead of the Hades cabin?"

"Don't like it there," Nico said. "Always alone. And again, you said I could crash here."

"Yeah, yeah," Percy said. "Alright." He sneaked a look at the skull. "Just put the cranium away, please. Who knows where that came from?"

"I think it was a hero's, actually," Nico said, studying the bone in his hand. He had no qualms with touching the millennia-old dirt that covered it. "Not sure who, though," he added.

"Well hide it somewhere please. Make it dissolve into pixie dust or empusa dust or something," Percy required. "Please."

"Fine," Nico conceded. Percy saw him concentrate his hand on the skull. It suddenly turned into black dust. Then, even the dust disappeared completely. "Happy now?" he said, giving Percy an exasperated look.

"Yup," Percy smiled. Nico instantly turned away.

"You're not sleeping on this bed, by the way," Percy added. "Too much weirdo germs."

"Never wanted to sleep on your bed anyway," Nico returned. "The floor's fine."

"How long are you staying here?"

"Until my dad cools off…so…I guess…just a day."

"Just a day?"

"Just a day."

"Well… Okay then."

+ No. 3

The fact that Nico di Angelo had made Percy happier than he'd ever been in months easily dawned on the son of Poseidon. He came to the realization during Nico's next visit to the apartment – about three weeks after the previous one.

Percy just came into his room after taking a nice shower, and he immediately saw the ghost king clad in his aviator jacket, a black shirt and…shorts for some reason lying down on the bed. Although, even though the shorts were peculiar, what was even more peculiar was the thing Nico held in his hands.

A book.

"Can you even read?" was what escaped Percy's mouth almost immediately. Not "hi," not "hey," not "what the hell are you doing on my bed?"

Nico, whose eyes were previously glued on the book, met Percy's gaze. "Hi," he said. "And yes. I'm a superb reader, thank you very much." Percy laughed at this, because he presumed it was joke. Demigods and letters don't mix well. That's a fact. And what more with the son of Hades who never even stepped into learning institution?

"I'm not kidding," Nico insisted. He frowned and concealed his face behind the volume. Percy recognized it to be the first book of A Series of Unfortunate Events. He'd seen it before. Rachel read it, maybe. Or it could be some classmate from school. He couldn't recall for sure.

"So where did you get this book?" Percy asked. He wore a red t-shirt, blue sweat pants and a towel around his neck, which he lifted to wipe his messy hair. Afterwards, he set it down on an armchair.

Nico didn't answer immediately, but when Percy sat down on the bed, the younger boy began to speak. "I found it in one of those donation bins by a children's hospital."

Percy raised an eyebrow. The edges of his lips began to curve up. "You stole it?" he said, not out of skepticism, but out of sheer amusement.

"I didn't steal it," Nico replied, smugly. "Those stuff are meant for the less fortunate, and I'm less fortunate. I mean look at me."

"You sure look less fortunate," Percy laughed. "But your dad's the god of death and, let's see…wealth, right?"

"I'm self-sufficient," Nico countered. "I don't live off my father's moola."

"Whatever you say," Percy surrendered. Truly, he felt severely happy for some reason. He turned his head to Nico. Percy fought hard not to laugh like a madman. He hoped Gelos, the god of laughter, would spare him. He'd noticed something a while ago that he didn't dare tell the son of Hades, because it was too damn funny.

Nico's book was upside down.

Superb reader indeed.

+ No. 4

Showering was one of the few times Percy allowed himself to get wet. It was also a nice time to be alone, to revel with his thoughts. He took the shampoo bottle and pushed a slab onto his hand. He lathered his dark brown hair with it. He enjoyed making bubbles. Though if he wanted to, he could create a giant bubble without the help of toiletries.

"Percy!" someone called, suddenly.

It definitely wasn't his mom. Nor was it Paul.

He heard the door swing open. "Percy!" the voice called again. "There you are." It was Nico, of course. Who else would just barge in without knocking?
"I'm taking a shower," Percy said, stating the obvious because he figured with Nico, nothing was too obvious.

"I wanna show you something," Nico said, sounding enthusiastic.

"What? It's not another skull is it?"

"Nah," Nico said. His happy tone was really creepy, Percy thought. "It's an old Roman coin. A denarius. Stole it from my dad."

"Why are you getting so worked up over a coin?" Percy asked.

"Cos…it's cool," Nico said. Percy moved the shower curtain a little to see what the younger demigod was up to. He stuck his head out and then saw Nico just standing there in the same old clothes. His hands were on his back.

"Where's this coin?" Percy said.

"Later," Nico said. "After you shower. I'll just wait here."

Percy huffed. "Whatever," he said, shutting the curtain again. "I won't tolerate peeking, by the way."

"W-why would I want to peek?" Nico laughed, and Percy could tell there were a bit of nerves there.

Percy laughed out loud in a high-pitched timbre. It definitely did not sound manly. But Percy could do anything without decreasing his machismo. You know, since he's the savior of the world and all.

+ No. 5

Percy stared at the son of Hades with a smile on his face. They were in front of Percy's apartment building. Percy had just arrived from school, and to his luck, he didn't arrive home to the same old boring junk.

"I wanna learn how to ride a bike," Nico declared, sending laughter to Percy's throat.

"That's a mountain bike, Nico." It was a mountain bike. It was green and white, and its wheels were large. "Beginners don't get to ride mountain bikes."

"So what?" Nico shrugged.

"Where did you even get that?"

"You'd be surprised by what people throw away," Nico said, pointing a finger at Percy. "So c'mon. Teach me, savior of all mankind."

"You're not allowed to call me that," Percy returned.

Nico glared. He gestures his hands for Percy to come nearer. Percy, having nothing better to do, went forth and readied himself for some bubus and bruises.

+ No. 6

Again, Nico visited with something rather comical in his hands.

Percy wanted to ask why the younger boy didn't come for a whole month, but something told Percy that Nico had been around. His bomber jacket was even more ragged than before. The collar was torn. Its dark brown color was fading. Nico wore a different t-shirt from the last time, but it was still black and still wrinkled. The rubber soles on his brown converse shoes, Percy noticed, were coming off. If social work saw him, they'd immediately have the boy be put into care.

"You look nice," Percy joked. He saw the younger demigod materialize beside him on the bed. It was like nothing to Nico. He just kicked off his shoes and lay there, with his eyes glued to something that was…amusing, to say the least.

"Gods in Olympus," Nico said. "Percy, this is so cool. More than five years in this century and I've only come across this now?" The thing he was referring to was a Game Boy Advance. It was silver, old, and kind of obsolete, to Percy's knowledge.

"I love this, Percy," Nico gaped. "This is fucking awesome. Better than those silly games at the Lotus Casino." Percy saw exactly what the other boy was playing. Super Mario. He watched Nico bump those bricks and absorb those mushrooms. His callused thumbs maneuvered themselves naturally on the toggles, while the other fingers held tightly to the console. The A button was pressed rabidly. Poor A button, Percy thought. Always the victim.

Percy decided not to ask where Nico got the gadget. Obviously, he'd answer vaguely. He would say something like "in some alleyway" or "in some old abandoned warehouse." Nico, undoubtedly, had been having his fair share of adventure. Percy admired that. He wanted it too, but well, there were the factors of his schooling and his having a family here. So no adventures for the invincible son of the sea god. Not right now. He suddenly missed all the Kronos hullabaloo, but then…yeah, no. Never mind.

His sea-green eyes stayed on Nico. Percy noticed how pale Nico had become because of all the Underworld exposure. He poked at Nico's scrawny arm without the younger demigod noticing. There was some layer of fat, at least. He stared at Nico's face. His dark brown eyes were intense. He smacked his cherry red lips, urging Percy to smack his own. Nico's nose looked soft, and Percy really wanted to pinch it to see what would happen.

"Nico," Percy uttered. "Do you like it here?"

Nico slightly shifted his head to Percy, giving him an inquisitive look. Then, he immediately turned back to the game. "Of course I do," he answered. "It's warm. It's cozy. It's a real home, you know. Not like that damn Hades cabin, and definitely not like the Underworld. No darkness. No…dead people. Only great people."

"I'm great people?"

"Of course," Nico said. "The best."

Percy was shocked. But it was a happy type of shock. An ecstatic type of shock, even. He smiled. He looked at Nico's eyes again and gawked at how fierce they were. He got an overwhelming urge to do something, but he immediately brushed off the idea.

The ghost king continued playing, and the hero of Olympus watched attentively. It was amazing how many levels Nico got through. Apparently, their demigod battle instincts extended to classic video games.

Heroes, Percy thought, were prone to falling. Falling in more ways than one. Into bottomless pits, into violent battles, into inescapable danger. They just fall, fall, fall.

Like how Mario was falling right at that moment.

"Ugh. Damn it. I'm out of lives."

+ No. 7

"Let me get this straight," Percy began, his eyes wide and his cognition in a muddle. "You went to France for a week?"

"Five days, not a week," Nico replied. He had a blue beret on his head and a brown paper bag to his side. He and Percy sat on the floor in Percy's bedroom. It'd been a little more than two weeks since Nico's last visit, and Percy was met by some bizarro news when the other demigod arrived. "Didn't even need a passport," Nico added.

What the hell was the son of Death doing in France?

"I was originally going to Italy," Nico explained. "I was…I was gonna check if I still had relatives there. I thought I'd try, you know? But then…I got a little lost. Sometimes, shadow travel isn't as on target as one may think."

"So it appears," Percy managed.

"I only realized I wasn't in Italy after a day, you know. Dyslexia fucking sucks. I didn't notice everything was written in French. All the signs and stuff." Nico placed his hands on his face and shook his head. "Gods. When I heard people talk in French, I thought 'okay, they're probably just tourists.' Then, I realized everyone was speaking in French. I panicked. And then…and then…" Nico's voice was rapid and restless. Percy didn't utter a word. He just wanted Nico finish the hanging statement.

"And then I shadow traveled and ended up…ended up by the Eiffel Tower, and it was great. Gods. Beautiful. Magnifique. Then there's that Arc de Triomphe thing."

"Why'd you end up staying a whole week?" Percy asked.

"Well… I met this woman…" Percy's brows furrowed. "She spoke English. She was so pretty. Dark brown hair, really blue eyes, a smile like rainbows. When I was running around Paris, she came up to me for some reason. Then…"

"She hit on you? Like those Aphrodite girls?"

Nico creased his eyebrows "No," he pressed. "She was Aphrodite."

Percy's eyes widened once again. Aphrodite? The goddess of love? In Paris? Well, that seemed plausible. But what would she want with Nico? What would she want with the son of Death?

"She wanted to talk," he said. Nico's face reddened and he bowed his head. "She was giving me advice and stuff…for future use. Apparently, she sensed love trouble. And I…I swear I don't know what she's talking about, Percy. I don't."

Percy smiled. Nico took a deep breath before continuing his narrative. "So," he said. "She took me to this hotel. Hotel de…croissant? Crumpet? Kreisler? Cricket? I forgot. I had my own room, Percy. And it was fucking magnificent. I wish…I wish you were there." Hearing that made Percy's smile broaden. "I had a queen-sized bed, and these plush couches, and a plasma TV. Usually, I'd hate these types of things, but…I mean gods, how could I not like it? Plus, there were those free snacks in the mini fridge." Percy laughed lightly. Those are totally not free, he thought to himself. Although, he knew for sure that Aphrodite took care of it.

"She took me around, Percy. She showed me places. To landmarks, docks, malls. To that Champ-Elysees place. You'll definitely love the river. I never got to Italy though…but she promised she'd help me someday. She promised," Nico took a deep breath. "She holds a lot of power in Paris too, apparently. Something about a golden apple, I dunno. Anyway, she told me I could take anything. But…I only got this hat, and—" Nico pushed the paper bag in front of Percy. "And this."

"I bought it for you," Nico said. "I thought you might like it." He smiled warmly.

"This better not be full of love curses," Percy joked.

"No," Nico said, matter-of-factly. "Aphrodite swore on River Styx."

"Well then, I guess I should take a look."

Percy grabbed the brown paper bag. It was a bit heavy. He didn't look at what's inside straightaway, to foster some suspense. He felt the bag up a bit, and perceived that the thing was a bit soft, but not too soft, and that it was wrapped in a plastic. Then, he looked inside.

"Is this—"

"Blue cheese?"

"Blue cheese."

"Yep," Nico smiled a teeth-exposing smile. "I know it's a bit on the nose, but hey, it's blue…ish, and it's cheese. Fits you so well. Cheesy son of Poseidon, you know?" Nico chuckled. "I mean seriously."

"I love y…this. I love this." Percy wobbled his head. Was I just…? No of course not.

"Do you really?" Nico asked. "I feel like—"

"I do. I love this, Nico." Percy felt the word 'this' was a bit odd. "Let's eat!"

"Now?" Nico smirked.

"Yes," Percy said, his fingers tearing through the plastic wrapper. "And tell me more about your Parisian experience."

"That's authentic by the way," Nico said. "I didn't buy that from some supermarket. It was from an actual cheese shop."

"Awesomesauce," Percy smiled.

"Speaking of sauce," Nico said. "I think we can cook that into sauce…or something. For fondue? I'm not sure. I heard it tastes good."

"I don't know how to cook," Percy said.

"I'll do it."

"You know how to cook?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe."

"I'll figure it out," Nico grinned. "How hard could it be?"

Surely Nico was kidding. Surely. Him taking the cheese and prancing out of the room did nothing to prove that he was kidding, though. Percy wanted to yell out hey, what do you think you're doing,but instead, he stood up and followed the son of Hades out of the room. He sensed intense burn wounds coming up. Although, he guessed Nico didn't spend all that time in hell for nothing.

+ No. 8

"Hi," Percy greeted. He had just had dinner. Sally and Paul were still on the table eating, and Percy dismissed himself early. He didn't expect, though, that the pale and lanky demigod would arrive hereth in thou roometh in that thingeth.

On the weirdness scale of one to ten, Nico's clothes without a doubt should be given a ten. Or a hundred. Whatever.

"You're really fond of western Europe, aren't you?" Percy said.

As opposed to Percy's regular house clothing, Nico was dressed in what was definitely an English medieval nobility costume. He had a long, dark blue tunic over gray trousers, adorned with a black cape and silver bracelets. He was also holding his black Stygian sword. He stood with an unassuming expression and the tip of his sword positioned on the floor. Those heart-shaped glasses he wore months ago were now beaten in the most abnormal apparel category.

"You see," Nico started. "I just left this party down at the Underworld."

"Party? Like in your dad's palace or something?" Percy shut the door and then remained standing in front of Nico, to examine the clothing. He looked to his feet, and he noticed the shoes were seriously out of place. "Though answer this first—" Percy added. "Why'd your shoes decide to be left out? I never heard of anyone wearing TOMS slip-ons in medieval England."

"My dad didn't have anything my size and I couldn't wear my regular sneakers," Nico said. "So…I borrowed Persephone's TOMS."

"Those are a woman's shoes? And… Persephone's shoes? She has TOMS shoes?"

"Okay, one: my feet are tiny. Two: yes, it's Persephone's shoes. Demeter was kind of behind these, you know. Them being eco-friendly and all."

Okay, this was just one bizarre thing after another.

"So the party? What was that? Like a creepy gathering of the dead thing?"

Nico pursed his lips. "Well…" he began. "I guess you could say that. It was held in Elysium. A bunch of the spirits in the medieval village wanted to have frolicking."

"So naturally you had to join and…" Percy's eyes went up and down. "Get with the crowd."

"Naturally," Nico smirked.

Percy smiled, his eyebrow raised. "And you're here because…?"

"Oh… I… Well…"

"Is it hard to think of a reason?"

"Umm…"

"Okay. Let's leave it then."

"Can you help me take off my tunic?" Nico asked.

"Sure thing friend," Percy assured. He drew near Nico and gripped the hem of the tunic. "Raise your arms," he said. Nico did so, and Percy lifted the garb off of the younger demigod. Nico was now only in a black undershirt, the gray trousers and those…TOMS.

Nico sat down on the floor, his back against Percy's bed. He set down his Stygian iron. Percy took his seat on the other boy's right. Percy heard Nico breathe in deeply, succeeded by a heavy release.

"Remember what you said about me being 'great people'?" Percy said, turning his head to Nico.

"Yeah," Nico replied, facing Percy. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well… I wanna know why."

"Because…" Nico pursed his lips. "Because you saved the world."

"Oh great," Percy groused. "What a way to define me, Nico."

"No," Nico returned. "It's not just that. I… You… You love everyone, and everyone loves you. I mean, what could be greater than that?"

"Is that all?"

"Not quite," Nico said. "You're the only one I can talk to, really. And that's pretty great. Everyone's a pain, you know. I mean, sure Annabeth's fine. Rachel's…well, interesting. The rest of the people at camp don't seem to like me very much. My dad…my only family, isn't really what you'd call a loving parent. Bianca…Bianca's dead. Then…Well… That leaves you."

That leaves you.

It echoed through Percy's ears. Happiness flooded through his body. He always thrived to be trusted, to be depended on, and Nico's words gave Percy the utmost satisfaction. Their eyes lingered on one another's, and it wasn't uncomfortable for some reason. Their shoulders touched for a moment. Percy saw Nico's hands hide themselves under his lap.

"Why don't you stay here?" Percy finally said.

"What? I…" Nico gulped. "I don't want to impose. I don't need to, you know."

"Okay," Percy said, plainly. "That's fine." Nico didn't say anything. Percy just continued, "Although you have to promise to keep visiting."

Nico smacked his lips. "Umm," he started. "Of course. Of course I will." He bobbed his head up and down.

"Prove it," Percy said, a bit defiant but a bit warm.

Nico scrunched his features. He pursed his lips. "Hmm," he mused. Then, his face went alight. "Aha," he exclaimed. Percy saw him take off his slip-ons to lay them by Percy's feet.

"I'll leave these here," Nico said. "Put it in a shoe rack. Hide it. I don't really give a damn. Just keep it." He paused. "So…so I know I'll have something to come back to."

Percy beamed. "I guess that's settled then."

+ No. 9

There was a knock on the door and Percy was quite sure it wasn't Nico, because that guy never knocked.

"Percy, someone's here to see you." It was his mom, Sally.

Percy was sitting by his desk and trying (take note, trying) to read this short story for English. When he heard his mother's voice, he immediately cocked an eyebrow and rose from his seat. He went toward his door, and upon opening it, he saw a girl sitting in their living room. A girl who he hadn't seen since summer.

"Hi Annabeth," he said, smiling. He walked to the couch and took a seat beside the daughter of Athena, whose expression was a happy one. She was wearing a blue t-shirt, jeans, green Converse shoes and a Yankees cap – not the one for invisibility. Her blonde hair flowed down to her shoulders. Her gray eyes still looked like storms. Percy thought her to be more beautiful than ever.

"Hey Seaweed Brain," Annabeth greeted. She took off her cap and shook her head a bit, making her locks wave side to side.

"What brings you here?" Percy asked.

"Just wanted to see how you're doing," she said.

And that is exactly why she came. They talked for about an hour about their lives. Annabeth told Percy about the progress at Olympus. "Almost there," was how she put it. They just needed the approval of a few Olympians who were a bit so-and-so with the design. She also told Percy about how a pain it is to go back and forth from New York and San Francisco. It was a good thing the gods took care of the fare. She said school was treating her well, and she was getting good grades despite her dyslexia. Percy was glad to hear all about it. He, on the other hand, told her about…not much. He told her about school. He told her about home life. That was it. Nico seemed too private of a topic. Even Annabeth, the only person who knew his weak spot, couldn't get it out of him. He had no idea why.

When they said their goodbyes, Annabeth gave Percy a friendly kiss on the cheek. Percy hugged her. He missed her a lot. That was for sure. However, when he put his arms around her, he realized that what he felt really was just friendship. Nothing more. It was disorienting. He was left confused and befuddled by the ordeal.

After he closed the door, Percy opted to sit back on his couch and think. Thinking was a very tiring task for the son of Poseidon. ADHD made it that way. Though, ADHD also kept the thinking constant. He didn't know if he should feel glad that he'd gotten over Annabeth, or if he should feel troubled. He had a major inkling that could possibly explain what he felt, but he was not ready to admit it just yet. He wanted to find out for sure.

DUG.

The familiar sound resonated from his bedroom. Percy's heart did a back flip. He knew exactly what that sound meant. He instantly got on his feet and rushed to open his bedroom door.

Surely enough, the son of Hades was there, standing in the middle of the room. Aviator jacket, black shirt, and black pants were still very much present. The younger demigod also had something in his hand that he shook and stared at.

"Rachel gave this Magic 8-Ball," Nico started. He gave it another shake. "I went to her to ask about my relatives in Italy, but she wouldn't help. Instead, she gave me this. It's pretty stupid."

"Nico. Can I try something?"

Nico lifted his head, looking at Percy with a vacant expression. He lowered his again and gave the 8-ball a shake.

"It's a yes, apparently," Nico said, smirking.

Given permission by the shamanistic toy, Percy took two strides towards Nico. Then, in a swift motion, the son of Poseidon pulled the son of Hades into a tight embrace.

"Oh," came out of Nico's mouth.

Percy didn't talk. He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. Nico reeked of earth. But, he also reeked of rightness. If there were such a smell, surely this was it. He felt Nico's hands lose their grip on the 8-ball. The thing fell in a moment's time. The pale hands made their way to the back of Percy's shirt. Nails, Percy felt, dug inside the fabric.

"Something happened?" Nico asked.

"Sort of," Percy replied. "I just…I just need a hug."

"Okay," Nico said. "I think I need a hug too."

"Then I guess we're doing the right thing here."

The right thing. Percy wondered what that was. Right now, everything felt right, but he didn't know if it was right. Who could say for sure? It was bloody impossible.

He'll just have to make Nico ask that damn Magic 8-ball later.

Maybe.

+ No. 10

Normal. Everything was stupendously normal.

Percy went to school, he went home, he talked with Sally, he talked with Paul, and sometimes he talked with Annabeth on the phone. There were also times when he had to ward off a few monsters in the alleyways. Nothing overly peculiar occurred. So, in retrospect, Percy was bored out of his mind.

He didn't know exactly how long it had been since Nico's last visit, but he was pretty sure that it had been long enough. He itched too much to see that traveling death boy.

The last time he saw Nico, the two of them shared a long embrace. Now, Percy was convinced that whatever he felt for that damn son of the death god was definitely something of the more than friends variety. Although, Percy was hesitant to have it made known. For one, he wasn't sure what it was exactly. For all he knew, it could just be some temporary infatuation he'd get over. …Infatuation. Damn. Thinking about the word gave Percy unnecessary heebie-jeebies. Nico was kind of…cute, Percy guessed. Though again, he hated the use of the word "cute." Nico also wouldn't stand for it. Nonetheless, Percy couldn't shake out how those grubby, unkempt clothes Nico always wore were starting to look horribly attractive. Shit, Percy thought. I'm dead.

The very bored Percy, wearing his CHB shirt and black gym shorts, currently lay on his bed. The TOMS shoes sat right by the bed. He looked at them every now and then just to have a bit of nostalgia. Percy, right now, tossed and turned. He thought about something he saw a while ago. There was a little boy in front of their building blowing bubbles with this star-shaped bubble blower. Percy had stood there for a minute, just watching. Now, he thought about how he wanted to buy his own blower to see how big a bubble he could blow. Yes, he was bored. Too bored. Percy turned to the ceiling. He placed his hands on his face and rubbed his cheeks. He looked at the small cracks on his ceiling. If he concentrated enough, he knew he could make water drip from there. Although, what would be the point? Well, at least it was something he could do. He just really needed an activity. Watching TV and using the Internet were too stationary for him.

Percy pushed himself off of the bed. He stood up and headed out of his room. He went out to their kitchen and checked the fridge. There was a batch of blue brownies he had yet to eat. He took their Tupperware out and placed it on the kitchen counter. Milk would be good, he told himself. He turned back to the fridge and got a carton of fresh milk.

Weird. The lid was off of the Tupperware. Percy raised an eyebrow.

He decided to just leave it. He went to get a glass for the milk. When he put it on the countertop, he immediately took the carton of milk and poured some in the glass.

He put down the carton.

"Hi," someone went.

Percy turned his head.

"Hi."

Nico di Angelo must be the biggest troll in the world. He stood there, leaning against the counter, looking smug as ever, finishing a piece of the blue brownies. He slipped his fingers one by one inside his mouth, sipping in the leftover crumbs. Percy stared.

What he did next probably wasn't his best decision.

Probably.

"P-Percy, what—"

The son of Hades' sentence was cut short by Percy's hands grabbing his arms and Percy's lips taking closing in on him.

It was soft and lingering. Percy made sure to move his lips slowly and to slide his tongue carefully. He took a small bite of Nico's lower lip, and then went on to probe the nooks and crannies of Nico's mouth.

Nico whimpered. He actually whimpered. Percy couldn't believe what he was hearing. He also couldn't believe that Nico started kissing back. This was when everything sunk in. He, Percy Jackson, was kissing Nico di Angelo.

And it was probably the best thing ever.

But then, they stopped.

"Percy. I…I don't understand."

Percy didn't utter a word. He opened his mouth for a moment, but closed it instantly. Nico looked confused, and Percy himself was confused. He let go of Nico's arms and just looked at him, saying nothing, doing nothing.

Nico bit the inside of his lip. "So… I…" He took something out of his pants pocket. "I got you this."

It was a small plushy key chain. "It's Nemo," Nico said. He took Percy's right hand. "I got in Disneyworld," he added, as he laid the item on Percy's palm before letting him go.

"Disneyworld?" Percy managed.

Nico smirked. "Yep," he said. "I stayed for about two days. I've never been there, you know. I've always wanted to. Though I know what you're thinking. 'Why does the son of Death want to see Disneyworld?' Blah, blah. Well, I'll have you know that I think the magic kingdom is awesome."

Percy, completely enamored, grinned from ear to ear. Nico continued, "There were a few monsters there, you know. There were telekhines hanging around the Tree of Life. Needed to whip out my Stygian."

"Oh yeah? I had to kill a manticore in an alleyway while you were gone," Percy said. "Pretty easy, though."

"Well there were no manticores where I was. Unless they managed to pick up some dance moves. Circle of Life, you know?" Nico laughed.

"Yeah, I can see that happening. Behold the Festival of the Lion King, where Simba has spike tail that shoots out crossbow bolts and a face that screams you're dead. Yup, definitely top-notch."

"I'd go see that," said Nico.

"I'm sure you would," Percy laughed.

"Well anyway," Nico said. "I have a feeling Aphrodite's gonna freak out when she finds out what I'm about do."

"W-what are you about to do?"

The son of Hades bit his lip. He grabbed Percy's left arm, and pulled so that the son of Poseidon was directly against him. Then, he crushed his mouth on Percy's and circled his arms around Percy's neck.

Percy humbly obliged. Slipping the key chain into his pocket, the older half-blood secured his hands on Nico's waist and returned the assault on his warm mouth. They kissed and they kissed like it was the only sensible thing to do. They stayed like that for about twenty minutes.

"Gods," Nico murmured. Percy pulled away to see the younger demigod red as a beet. "That took a lot of courage," Nico said.

"I bet it did," Percy said. "And I think it just proves what I've been thinking for the past few weeks."

Nico creased his eyebrows. "And what would that be?"

"That I kinda sorta love you…a lot."

"Okay so I pretty much hate how you said that," Nico said, his blush not fading. "But I'm willing to ignore it."

"You're going to ignore my declaration of love?"

"I kinda sorta am," Nico laughed. "And I kinda sorta won't. But I kinda sorta love you too so, I guess I kinda sorta don't know what to do."

"Way to go, Dr. Seuss."

Nico burst out laughing, and Percy swore he saw hearts in his eyes. Aphrodite must be tricking him. Percy kissed the ghost king once again and thought about everything they've been up to the past few months. Gods, he loved the guy. He was willing to steal a Roman coin, crack skulls from Hades' palace, take wobbly bike rides, play on obsolete consoles, cook a batch of failed fondue, go shoe-shopping in the Underworld and bear his high-functioning dyslexia – he'd do all that and repeat all that – if it meant he could keep this boy. He'd definitely go to Disneyworld. Definitely. Magic 8-ball says yes, hopefully.

"I'll be staying for a while," said the bewitching son of Hades.

Percy purred on Nico's cheek. "You damn well better be."

fin.