"So..."

Leo cocks his head at the son of Hades, who's pointedly glaring at the ground. Fucking Jason, and his fucking big mouth. He doesn't even feel that way anymore...well at least not for him.

"Percy, huh?"

Nico had somehow expected that question from the nosy son of Hephaestus, but he blushes a deep red all the same. Not quite meeting Leo's eyes, he whispers, "No. Not him, anymore."

Leo raises his eyebrows. "So, you have a new one?"

"A new what?", Nico snaps, as his blush dies down. They're already treading down a road he really doesn't want to go down.

"Crush."

Nico's blush comes back again at full force, and Leo grins.

"So, you do? Who is he? Or is it a she?"

"Why do you almost always start your sentences with 'so'?", Nico asks, quietly.

Leo shrugs. "I never noticed. I only notice certain things, I guess. Like how you just changed the subject."

Nico mutters something in Italian. Leo suspects it's a few choice curse words, but finds it quite cute all the same. Not missing a beat, Leo asks, "It's a girl, isn't it?"

Nico continues to glare at the ground, and Leo begins to ask the question again when the son of Hades whispers, "A boy."

Even before Leo can think of a response, Nico has dissolved into the shadows, leaving him alone.

/break/

It's only been three hours, yet the son of Hephaestus has already managed to irk Nico's nerves to no end.

"So, Nico..."

Nico growls. Scratch that. The son of Hephaestus has already managed to take his nerves, throw them on the ground, stomp on them, and crush them into a fine powder. They're all sitting around the campfire, him, Leo, Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Jason, and Piper. When Leo addressed the son of Hades, the demi-gods went completely silent.

"...about this crush of yours?", Leo continues, as if Nico's growl, and the campfire's silence was no warning to him.

"So, you already told me it was boy, and-"

The demi-gods gasp, and Nico stands to his feet, his hands clenched into fists, and his usually pale face red, more from anger than embarrassment.

"Shut up, Valdez! Just. Shut. Up!"

Leo blinks at him, before grinning. "Only if you tell me who it is! Unless, of course, your lying and you still like Percy-"

The demi-gods wince, already imagining the beating Leo is about to receive.

"It's you, okay?!", Nico shouts, and even Leo shuts his mouth. Though, not for long, of course.

"What? M-me? Why would-"

And Nico can't take it anymore, as he feels anger wash over him. Anger from constant embarrassment and annoyance, and all he can do is keep shouting out his feelings, because for right now, he could care less.

"Why? You want to know why?!"

Rage burns through the son of Hades, and words tumble over his tongue, and out past his lips of their on accord.

"Because you're fucking cute, alright?! And fucking stupid, too, but that just makes you fucking cuter! I just want to kiss your cute stupid face and cuddle the shit out of you and hold your fucking hand and I...I just...I-"

Only when Hazel stands, and lays her hand on Nico's shoulder, does his breath began to even out. Leo stares at him, shell-shocked, as the rest of the demi-gods follow suit. Finally, the embarrassment of the situation catches up to him, and Nico's cheeks burn red.

"Oh...oh, Gods...." Nico spins on his heel, set on leaving, his mind to cloudy to consider shadow-traveling, at the moment.

An extremely warm hand, grasps onto his cold wrist.

Nico turns, and freezes as warm, brown eyes stare into his.

Suddenly, chapped lips crash into his smooth ones, and it takes all Nico's strength not to moan into Leo's mouth. When he feels a tongue push past his lips, and hands come down to cup his ass, Nico let's out a loud moan anyway. The noise results in Leo moaning in return, as Nico stands on tip-toes (He must have gotten taller), and wrapping his arms around the son of Hephaestus' neck, clutching Leo's hair...and then there's a giggle.

Leo quickly jumps away from Nico. At first, the son of Hades is hurt, but then he smiles as Leo begins to pat out the fire that's ignited on his shirt. Touching his burnt lips, Nico looks wistfully at his...what? Crush? They weren't dating. Where they going to? Maybe Leo would ask him...

Sensing Nico's eyes on him, Leo meets them, with a wink.

Nico grins. Typical Leo. They had basically made out after Nico confessing his love in front of all their friends, and what does he do? He winks. No shy smile, no confused glance, no...wait. In front of all their friends?

Nico turns toward the demi-gods, hesitant. They slyly grin back at him, and he curses in Italian.

And, three...two...one...

"You've been crushing on Leo this whole time?! I thought you hated him!"

"Aww, that was too cute!"

"Please. That was hot."

"I guess you can say, you two are flaming gay!"

"I'm happy for you, Neek."

"Thank goodness! Do you know how long Leo's been crushing on you?"

Nico takes deep breath. And:

"Yes, Frank, I have been. He annoys the hell out of me, but for some messed up reason, it makes me like him all the more. And, Annabeth, I have no idea why you thought..." A blush. "That was cute...but thanks. I think. Same to you Piper."

A playful glare directed at Jason, who grins upon hearing, "You're not funny, Grace."

A shy smile at Percy. "Thanks, Perce. That...that means a lot, to me."

Percy smiles back, in understatement. Finally, Nico turns to his sister Hazel. He opens his mouth, pauses, then closes it. And then: "Wait, what?"

"I said.", Hazel grins,"Do you know how long Leo's been crushing on you?"

As Leo glares at Hazel, mouthing You're dead, Nico simply blinks at his sister.

Hazel's grin turns into a smirk.

Well, this should be fun.