Annabeth shut the door and leaned against it. Shooting an exasperated look at Piper, she huffed out air and hung her head.

Piper giggled as she flipped through her book.

"I love this place, and the people here..." She paused with a look of thought, "Well most of the people here anyway, but they are so intrusive."

"They're only intrusive on you two, because you're like the Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt of Camp Half Blood."

"They literally threw him on my porch steps, Piper." She grumbled as she sat next to her friend. She just laughed in response.

"You know I never thought you'd be so grumpy about seeing Percy."

Annabeth dropped her gaze, "Yeah, neither did I." She mumbled, mostly to herself.

Piper must have noticed because she quickly changed the subject, "Hey we should go do something."

"Like what?" Annabeth picked up another book and flipped through it.

"Why don't we get our group together and go somewhere else, get out of Camp Half-blood with any other excuse besides a dumb quest."

"And where do you suppose we go, exactly?" Annabeth lost interest in her book.

"The beach! It's summer, there will be real teenagers there, why not?"

Annabeth looked at her with eyebrows raised, and they decided everyone would enjoy a vacation from demi-god madness.

The two girls both got up and planned out the day, then they wen out to talk to their other friends, but Annabeth was avoiding telling Percy.

"Why don't you tell Percy, I've got to get some of my stuff together." Annabeth was milling around her room.

"Um, because he's not my boyfriend. And what do you have to get together? There's a bathing suit, and a towel."

"Sunblock, food if we're gonna be down there for a while, and a book, or two-"

"Annabeth, what is wrong? Why are you avoiding Percy?"

"I'm not..." She glanced up at Piper, and Piper raised and eyebrow at her. "I'm not!" Piper just looked at her some more, "Fine, I'll tell him!" She threw her hands over her head and stormed out of her cabin.

She walked up to Percy's cabin and looked straight at it, not letting herself get distracted.

I'll just tell him what we're doing and then say I have to get my stuff together, then I can skedaddle.

She was marching up the steps, and raised a fist to know, but then the door opened anyway, and Percy almost ran right into her.

"Oh, hey dear," He looked surprised, and in a hurry.

"Hey, I was just coming to tell you that a bunch of us, are going down to the beach, outside of Camp Half-blood-"

"But we have a lake here."

"Yeah, I know," Duh they have a lake here, I've been here longer than you, seaweed brain, I know they have a lake here, "But we thought a break from this place would be nice. Real beach, real people." Percy still didn't look like he got it. "Piper thought it would be fun, and that you'd enjoy it.

"Piper thought?" Percy was actually looking at her now.

"Well yeah, it was Piper's idea, and she thought you'd like to come."

"Do you want me to come?" He could tell something was up with her, but he didn't have Annabeth's gift of reading people.

"Well yeah of course I do... Well, I've got some stuff to get together, we're leaving in about an hour." She turned on her heel and started to go.

"Hey wait, did you invite Nico along?"

"Oh no, I forgot," She started to turn back around.

"Oh don't worry, I was heading over there anyway, I'll drag him along."

She nodded and then hurried off.

Percy knocked on the door for about the tenth time, but still no answer.

"Nico, I know you're in there, would you let me in already.

A few more knocks.

"Nico come on, what are you even doing."

More knocks. Percy leaned his head against the door.

"Nico... Please let me in, I wanted to talk to you."

A few moments of nothing, and then he heard the door click, and the door opened up with him still leaning against it. "Ahhh!" He pitched forward and barely regained his balance before getting a face full of floor. He steadied himself and looked up to see a smirking Nico. Percy started laughing and so did Nico.

"So, how are you doing?" Percy asked after he finally regained himself.

"Fine, my side is healing up just fine."

"That's not what I meant." The stared at each other for a while, and Percy could tell that Nico wouldn't budge.

"Can I see it?" Percy said with a sigh.

Are you asking to see my wound or me with my shirt off, was the thought that passed through Nico's mind.

Instead, all he did was nod. He lifted up just the side of his shirt, and slowly undid that gauze, displaying a wound that was no longer ripped open and displaying all kinds of muscle tissue. Instead, it was healing up, still not completely closed , but it was smaller and not red around and irritated looking. Nico put the gauze back on and let is shirt fall.

The boys just sat in silence for a bit.

"Are you okay, Nico?"

"Yeah I just told you, the ambrosia is doing it's job, I'm fine."

"Nico!" Percy said, his voice louder than it should be, he looked at Nico exasperated. "You're obviously mad at me, so what did I do this time? Is it from ditching you when we got here? Because I really didn't mean to, those campers are relentless, and I left as soon as I could."

The sight of Percy blabbing because he thought Nico was mad at him was just so precious that any harbored feelings vanquished almost immediately. "Nah it's fine," He knows Percy would protect him to the end, lead him through blood and fire. That's one of the things he admired about Percy; his bravery, but most importantly his loyalty to his friends.

Nico looked back up into Percy's eyes and could still see concern on his face. And he wanted to burn it out, he didn't want to worry Percy. But he couldn't very well tell him what was going on either. Nico imagined telling Percy all the time. How Percy would react, and what would happen afterward. Depending on his mood, the interaction could end in a multitude of ways. Percy could freak out and run away, looking at Nico like he was one of the countless monsters they've faced. Or he would hug him and tell him that it was okay, more than okay, that he felt the same way.

Nico thought about just blurting it out. He would string words together in endless variations but none felt right. They all sat on his tongue like bricks, making him mute.

"How did you get that anyway?" Percy gestured toward Nico's injury, "you still haven't told me."

Nico wanted to avoid the conversation as best as possible, but he knew that would seem odd, so he told the rundown story that he told Leo. Percy squinted his eyes a bit and furrowed his brow, which made Nico nervous.

"I'm glad you were so close to my house." Was Percy's only response. Nico could feel his pulse in his throat, he was so anxious.

"Yeah, that was a good bit of luck. Anyway, I think I'm gonna head out."

"Wait what, no you just got here! Why don't you stay a while? I was just gonna call my mom and tell her I was going to stay a week maybe, you should too." Nico looked uncertain, Percy barreled on. "We're going to the beach later, like a real one. I would really enjoy your company... Please?"

Nico's entire fight just dissolved away when he said that last line. And he looked so hopeful and, Nico couldn't deny it, he looked adorable.

"Yeah alright, I'll go to the beach, but I don't know about all week."

Percy's whole face lit up, "Baby steps." He said with a smirk. "Get your swimming stuff, I'll meet up with you in about an hour!"

Nico watched him go, and thought for about the millionth time that this boy was going to be the death of him one day.

Author note:

Sorry this was more of a filler chapter to get things set up for the plot. Don't worry, I do have an actual plot in mind, I'm not making shit up as I go along... Well, maybe a little bit, but some of it is planned!

Anyway, stick along for the ride please! I'm really grateful for all of the attention!