Hello, hello! It's me again, coming back at you with a pointlessly long Valdangelo one-shot!

Hope you enjoy if you can be bothered to sit through it all (if you do I'll give you virtual internet hugs!)

This is based off a tumblr request to bring back the Team Leo shirt... and put it on Nico :3

(Extra points if you spot the OC! ... It's not that hard XD)

Disclaimer: Characters/settings belong to Rick Riordan, and song lyric snippets belong to Jon Fratelli, two very beautiful people :)

Opening Up

"Nico?"

Nico opened his eyes and looked up at Leo's face. The son of Hades was lying on his back, legs stretched across the couch and his head in Leo's lap while the Latino stroked his hair absentmindedly. The TV was droning on quietly, but Leo's head was tilted back slightly, his eyes were fixed on a point somewhere above the screen and his brow was crinkled in thought. He was cute when he did that.

Nico smiled. "Yeah?"

Leo's hand fell still on his head. "Do you… like being around me?"

Nico's smile froze on his face. "What do you mean?"

He felt Leo's fingers brushing a flyaway strand of hair away from his pale forehead. "I

mean… do you like being seen with me? When we're around other people?"

Nico frowned and sat up, leaning back against the couch and turning to face his boyfriend. "Leo, where's this coming from?"

Leo shrugged and looked down at his hands. "I don't know, it's nothing, it's just… well, I know you're not exactly the type for public displays of affection, but it does feel like you go to a lot of effort to avoid me when we're around the others. You don't sit next to me, you don't talk to me, anytime I so much as hold your hand you shy away like you've been burnt- and I take great care not to set myself on fire when I touch you! So I reiterate; do you like being seen with me?"

Nico fumbled for a moment, surprised by how much the question caught him off guard.

Come on, be honest- of course you love being around him, he's the most fun guy you've ever met! You obviously love him, what're you scared of?

But he just stared at him, biting his lip uncertainly. "Um…"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Is that your final answer?"

Nico's mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. Leo sighed sadly, but didn't seem all too surprised.

"Thought so," he said quietly.

Nico felt his cheeks burning as they both fell silent, not looking at each other. He had to stop himself from summoning a fissure and letting the ground swallow him up.

After a few minutes, Leo stood up, scooping up his jacket and his tool belt in one smooth move towards the door. "I'd better get back to work, Festus ain't gonna build himself. I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that, he was gone. Nico sighed and hunched forward, resting his elbows on his knees and running a hand through his hair, closing his eyes.

"Idiot…" he muttered.

Nico hardly saw Leo over the next few days. The mechanic still came round to his cabin in the evening, he'd smile and joke and they'd kiss like nothing was wrong. But Nico could feel the tension that hung between them like a barrier, and he could see the melancholy in his rich brown eyes when he thought Nico wasn't looking. He wanted to talk to him about it, but he couldn't bring himself to start the conversation. He didn't know what he could say to make things right.

Nico sat at the edge of the arena, his knees tucked against his chest as he watched the first year campers' sword practice. Percy had asked him to oversee their training sessions over the weekend- he had some business to take care of back in New York, it sounded like Sally was going pretty crazy with her wedding plans. Nico had no idea how Percy of all people could help in that area, but even he knew you didn't mess with the bride. Nico sighed as he saw one of the new Hermes kids drop their sword for the fifth time in ten minutes, the sight calling to mind thoughts of his own happy-go-lucky klutz, currently hard at work in Bunker Nine.

Leo stopped trying to make contact with Nico when they were around their friends. He didn't talk to him, didn't sit next to him, he didn't even attempt to hold his hand or whisper in his ear when they gathered around the campfire at sunset. Despite his complaints, Nico actually found himself missing the attention.

Quit being so selfish. You're the one who pushed him away.

He groaned and leaned his face against his knees, shutting his eyes against the guilt. He barely noticed when someone tried talking to him, only looking up when they tapped his shoulder nervously.

"Hey, Nico?"

He looked up. A girl was standing over him- a round-faced teen with long faded purple hair. He recognised her as one of the newer Apollo campers. She was squinting against the sunlight and tapping her fingers against a small, flat box in her hand.

He frowned up at her, trying to call her name to mind. "Yes?"

She picked up on his confusion and pointed at her face helpfully. "It's Nat. I help Leo out in the workshop sometimes."

Nico raised his eyebrow. "Right- you're the one who keeps lending him music."

Her face brightened. "That's right!"

"You're the one who got him into the Fratellis," he said accusingly. "You do realise he hasn't stopped listening to those damn albums for the last month?"

Nat gave him a bewildered look. "You're welcome. Anyway, that's what I wanted to ask you about," She held the box out to him with both hands and grinned. "Can you give him this next time you see him?"

He frowned and took it. "What is it?"

"Jon Fratelli's solo album," she explained, beaming. "Just as awesome as the stuff he does with the rest of the band- tell Leo he really needs to give it a listen, I'd recommend Rhythm Doesn't Make You a Dancer!"

Nico scowled. "That's what I say to him every day. Why can't you give it to him yourself?"

She shrugged. "I would have, but he's been holed up in Bunker Nine for the last two days and he hasn't been letting anyone in, not even to help him out. I was supposed to go round there yesterday to help polish Festus' scales, he wouldn't even open the door. But you still see him, right?"

Nico sighed and put the CD down on the grass beside him. "Yeah, sometimes."

Nat raised her eyebrow. "Everything… okay with you two?"

He glared at her. "Fine."

To his surprise, she barely flinched in the icy stare, putting her hands on her hips. "Well pardon me if I don't believe you," she saw his stunned look and rolled her eyes. "Nico, I give my best friends harsher glares than that. I asked out my first boyfriend with those eyes. Mean looks and insults have no effect on me, in the UK that's just how we show affection- those eyes you just gave me were practically a marriage proposal- so are you going to spill it or do I have to call Piper?"

Nico cursed- the last thing he wanted was to get the overzealous daughter of Aphrodite involved. "No! Just… ugh, fine."

He sighed as Nat flopped onto the grass beside him, her hands steepled under her chin expectantly. He reluctantly spilled the beans, recounting his conversation with Leo and his subsequent detachment. He didn't go into detail or offer any of his feelings on the matter, but to his surprise she nodded in complete understanding.

"I see…" she murmured.

Nico watched her thoughtful face with interest, expecting her to launch into a lecture on relationships or maybe formulate an elaborate plan to get them to resolve their differences.

He actually felt taken aback when she nodded and stood up. "Well, good luck with that," she said lazily, turning to walk away.

"Wait, that's it?" Nico blurted. She turned back to him and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you saying you want my help?" she asked incredulously.

It took Nico a few seconds to realize he really did. Well, maybe not her help but someone's. He nodded grudgingly.

She smiled, but shook her head sadly. "Well, I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I'm really not the one you should be coming to for advice. Leo's my friend, which makes you my friend by extension, and I don't want to screw up your relationship the way I screw up most of mine."

Nico frowned. "What do you mean?"

She sighed, crossed her arms and bit her lip, deliberating. "Put it this way; in the last two years I've had three boyfriends and one girlfriend, and not one of those relationships lasted longer than three months. It may have escaped your notice but I'm not always the warmest person, or the sanest for that matter, and I have a tendency to make the wrong calls, say the wrong things and generally scare people away," she caught Nico's sad look and glared. "Oi, that's enough of that- I didn't come down here for sympathy. I am who I am, I'm quite at peace with my identity as a stubborn cow and I shall not be pitied. I care about Leo and I care about you, but I think it's best that I keep my plump, adorable British nose out of your business."

Her serious face dissolved into a cheerful grin. She winked, stuck her tongue out playfully, and skipped away back up the hill.

Nico shook his head slowly. There were some eccentric people in the 21st century. But despite her confusing exit and her roundabout way of talking, she had made him think.

He didn't want to lose Leo. He didn't want them to be one of those couples that just slowly drifted apart, getting colder every day. And he knew Leo didn't want that either.

Of course he doesn't. That's why he's giving you so much space.

It made sense now. He didn't avoid him around their friends because he was angry or hurt- he did it because he thought it was what Nico wanted. He knew about Nico's insecurities and he realized how hard he found it to let his guard down around other people, even his friends. He was willing to give up all the kisses and cuddles and jokes that made him happy for the sake of making Nico feel comfortable.

The son of Hades groaned inwardly. "I'm a sucky boyfriend."

Nico stood awkwardly at the edge of the amphitheater, gulping nervously as he caught sight of his friends. They were all smiling and laughing, celebrating Percy's return. Apparently he chose to celebrate by challenging Jason to a balancing match, the others cheering as they sat with their heads tilted back and five marshmallows balanced in precarious stacks on their noses. Nico caught sight of Leo, sitting next to Piper as they both loudly rooted for Jason. His stomach flopped.

Don't chicken out now, di Angelo.

He marched past the campfire to join them, silently urging himself on. He reached them just as Jason lost his focus and marshmallows cascaded onto his lap. Percy whooped and high-fived Annabeth, while Leo groaned and Piper laughed, leaning over to kiss Jason's cheek. Nico sat down stiffly between Hazel and Leo, his heart lurching as the latter gave him a quick, forlorn smile. He fiddled with the zip of his jacket, fastened right up to his neck.

Just get it over with. Just this once you could do something to show you care.

He took a deep breath and unzipped his jacket, flinging it on the step behind him in one brisk movement. Everyone stared at him, and he resisted the urge to cross his arms over his chest.

He was wearing Leo's shirt. A ragged white t-shirt with grease stains and a singed hem that hung off his bony frame. What caught everyone's attention was the writing, scrawled on in engine oil by Leo almost a year previously.

'Team Leo'

He felt the blood rush to his face as he felt all eyes on him, screwing his eyes shut and waiting for the jokes.

To his surprise, none came. He frowned and opened his eyes, watching the faces of the people around him. Percy and Jason gave him quick smiles and promptly returned to stacking marshmallows on their faces, Hazel smiled warmly before joining a slightly confused-looking Frank in cheering Percy on loudly, and Piper grinned like an idiot as she turned her face back to the battle, her eyes sparkling like she'd won a bet. Maybe she had.

"Suits you."

He turned to face Leo, and the mechanic's smile made his stomach flutter- it wasn't smug or arrogant, he didn't even look shocked. Just a happy smile, lifting his face and making his dark eyes shine with warmth.

Nico turned his face to the fire, trying to hide the deep blush that coloured his cheeks. He bit his lip and shrugged.

"I just wanted to…" he started, trailing off as he struggled with the unfamiliar words. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you."

Leo grinned and scooted closer, wrapping his arm around the cold boy's shoulders and kissing his forehead affectionately. "No problem, mi amor," he murmured into his ear, pressing another kiss to his cheek. "Can't have you getting all flustered in public all the time can we? Even if you do look freaking adorable when you blush!"

He chuckled, his next kiss landing on the Ghost King's lips, nearly making the pale boy's heart jump out of his chest. He smiled into the kiss, but he fidgeted nervously as he saw their friend's looks out of the corner of his eye.

Leo felt his tension and pulled away, smiling knowingly. "You hate this whole kissing-in-front-of-our-friends thing, don't you?"

Nico nodded shyly.

"Well, can't have that," he said, grinning and pulling the son of Hades to his feet. "Back to your cabin then?"

Nico smiled gratefully, scooping up his jacket as the Latino dragged him away. "Good plan- I don't think I realized how awkward wearing this stupid shirt would be…"

Leo smirked flirtatiously and winked. "Better get you out of it sharpish then, eh?"

Leo smiled as he watched Nico's sleeping face, pale and serene against the pillows and glowing in the moonlight.

The son of Hephaestus couldn't sleep. His mind wouldn't stop racing. He was happy, happier than he'd been a long time. The fact that Nico had taken such a massive step for his sake made him hopeful- perhaps the kid was finally coming out of his shell? But he had a long way to go, and Leo knew it. And he couldn't be happy until Nico was happy. The thought that he may never be truly at ease with the people he considered his closest friends scared him- who could you trust if not your friends? If he didn't even feel comfortable talking about his feelings to his friends or his sister or even his boyfriend, how would he ever open up? Would he ever be happy with other people? Could he even be happy with himself?

He tried to shrug the thought off and sat back in the armchair, turning his attention back to the CD case in his hands as the music played softly, not loud enough to wake the sleeping son of Hades. She may have been a socially awkward otaku with a bad attitude and limited patience for exercise, but he had to admit Nat had some good taste in music. At least she had that going for her- he couldn't imagine how much it must suck to be the only Apollo kid at camp with two left feet and a predisposition to bad sunburns.

He opened the case and flicked through the lyrics leaflet half-heartedly, trying to distract himself from worrying. He knew how much Nico hated it when he worried, even if he'd never come out and say it.

Something caught his eye on one of the pages. He paused and looked at it. Several lines had been carefully circled with black ink. For a moment he thought it must be one of Nat's scribblings, but the circles were too neat and he knew from all the limericks and stories plastered over her wall that she always wrote in purple ink.

He flicked back to the beginning of the booklet. A tiny footnote was written in the corner of the page in the same ink.

Leo,

Sorry I don't talk enough- I can't always find

the right words. So for now I guess I'll just

borrow them.

Nico

He read each page carefully, smiling at each circled phrase. There was no order to them, just random statements picked out from the songs, fragmented and jumbled, sweet and sad and cynical by turns. Just short sentences like post-it note love letters, short and succinct but brimming with honesty, including one insult to his dancing. Ah well, the rest was sweet and truthful enough to make up for that one sleight.

There's not one doubt in my mind that I might be in love with you…

I know that you're misunderstood…

Come and meet me when the lights are low… Torture me out of my dumb little mind and leave me all confused, make my head swim…

Rhythm doesn't make you a dancer…

Hello, don't you ever leave me… I would die for you…

No time to hide, no time to lie, no time to watch the world pass me by…

Here's to the magic, here's to the blindness, here's to the mayhem trail left behind us… Danced like fire, burning in the darkness… Magic and mayhem, love kept us spinning… Drowned in the lust and defeated in wonder…

Call me when you need me. Tie me up, pin me down, dry my eyes and feed me…

Try to chase these ghosts from this heart of mine… The days pass by in a magical mess… Makes my soul confess… Carry me home, carry me… Chase this pain from my door…

Can't sleep for dreaming… Then you made sense like the star that you are… Please show me some other place to hang these dead boy blues…

Perfectly sweet like a sadist, oh you're stranger than fire… You got the rest of me, give my heart back…

He looked up from the last page, turning his gaze back to the sleeping boy on the bed. He smiled and tiptoed across the room. He sat down on the edge of the mattress, reaching over and stroking a warm hand down Nico's cold cheek. His dark eyes flickered open slowly, blinking in the gloom as he raised his eyes to Leo's face.

Leo grinned, holding up the leaflet. "Just a bit of light reading."

Nico smiled, but even in the poor light Leo could see his cheeks darken. He was getting embarrassed as usual- apparently even stealing song lyrics to express himself was a little too direct for his liking.

Leo leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, smiling as the pale boy responded. He put the leaflet on the table and lay down, opening his arms as Nico huddled closer and nuzzled his face into his neck. Leo smiled, thinking back to the last note.

"'Fraid I can't give you your heart back," he said lightly, stroking the younger boy's ebony hair and kissing his head. "But you're welcome to mine if you want it…"

He couldn't see his face, but he could feel the Ghost King smile.

"I'd be honored."

Ta-dah! If you sat through the whole thing, here's your hug! *Hugs enthusiastically*

Apologies if you found the inclusion of my OC annoying/unnecessary, but I kind of wanted someone impartial to talk to Nico so he could work things out for himself without anyone bombarding him with relationship advice and taking away the voyage of discovery. Plus I really wanted to include that album :3

The album in question is Psycho Jukebox by Jon Fratelli, and if you've never listened to it I would highly recommend it! I used extracts from most of the songs on the album, I only missed out Cavemen, still a great song but not all too rest are in album order!

Well, hope you enjoyed! See you next time, my darlings! :D