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"Dude, pleeee-eeeee-eee-”
"Shut up, Leo," Piper commanded and Leo instantly obeyed. "Frank, don’t listen to him. Or Hazel. Listen to me."
"Stop it, Piper!" Hazel cried. "She’s trying to charmspeak you, Frank!"
"Don’t listen to either of them!" Leo said, able to speak again. "My idea is totally the best, and you know it. Wouldn’t you love for me to ride you?”
“Excuse me?” came Nico’s voice from the doorway. He and Jason were standing there, eyebrows raised.
Piper burst out laughing. “Oh gods - Leo! Not what you think boys,” she said to Jason and Nico. “We’re talking about Halloween.”
"They’re all trying to convince me to be a part of their costumes," Frank grumbled. "And they’re being even worse when I had Mars and Ares arguing in my head nonstop!"
Jason burst into laughter. “You guys do remember the contest is a solo demigod thing, right? Technically having Frank help would be chea-“
"Nope!" Leo exclaimed happily. "We’re not allowed any other demigods, and no automatons unfortunately either, but animals are a-okay! And since Ifigured out that rule, Piper and Hazel need to back off!”
"He’s my boyfriend!" exclaimed Hazel. "We planned on doing something for Halloween together before the stupid rules about doing it individually! It’s only fair, Leo."
"And Piper’s only claim in this argument is that she has charmspeak and might as well get a shot?" Jason asked with a grin.
Piper tossed her braid over her shoulder. “Pretty much. And I have such a good idea that I could probably win either way, so I’m giving Frank a chance to win with me.” A gleam in her eye contradicted any air of conceit, and Nico realized she was charmspeaking again. Frank seemed to recognize this and shook his head briskly, like a horse. Nico hoped Leo’s plan about… riding had included Frank turning into a horse.
"Leo’s trying to bribe him with promised inventions," Annabeth spoke up from where she and Percy had been laughing in a corner. "And of course, Hazel just has to smile at him and the others’ efforts are erased."
"I will prevail!" shouted Leo. "You can try, Hazel, but your boyfriend is mine!"
"Dude," Frank said with a tiny cringe. "Stop.” He smiled slightly at Nico, and Nico got the impression he was trying to say sorry about your ridiculous boyfriend.
"Here’s an idea," Jason said. "Everyone plays by the rules and does it alone."
Everyone groaned and Leo threw a sooty rag at his head. Jason ducked and then lifted his hands. “Fine, I surrender! Don’t listen to me!” He backed out of the room slowly. Right before he disappeared, Nico caught a glimpse of a grin on his face.
"So, Frank," he asked casually. "What are you doing for your costume?”
Frank laughed shortly. “You think anyone will let me go on my own and not as an animal?”
"But what’s your plan?" he asked with a slight arch of his eyebrow. "Decided yet?"
"Oh my gods!" Hazel exclaimed. "You have something planned with Jason, don’t you? That’s why you kept saying no! I thought it was Piper’s damn charmspeak!"
"What? No!" Frank said, surprised. "Why would I even want to go with Jason?"
If it had been anyone else, Nico knew his sister wouldn’t have bought it. But Frank could not lie, and he was clearly not lying about working with Jason. Hazel stared at him and shrugged. “Fine, let’s go plan a costume now.”
Frank followed after, but as Nico watched, a hint of a smile came to his lips. He left the room immediately as well.
~~~
"Dude!" yelled Leo. "Not - cool!"
Nico couldn’t help bursting into laughter as he arrived to the contest with Frank at his side. He wore a detailed costume of a Spartoi, while Frank had transformed into the Ismenian dragon. Half the campers were dressed as figures from Greek mythology, but Frank and Nico’s joint costume was a replica of a certain Mythomagic card.
"My own brother!" Hazel said, shaking her head. "Frank, you ditched me for my own brother!"
"Sorry, Hazel," Nico said, trying to hide his smile to not rub it in too much. "You just didn’t want to do anything from Mythomagic," he said with a shrug.
"I’m not mad at you!" she said with a shake of her head, then paused. "Well, yes I am. I’m sure you brought it up to Frank and not the other way around. But Frank! Saying you were sick and wouldn’t come at all - that’s just low.”
"He says sorry," Nico said. Not that he could understand Frank in dragon form or anything, but by how much he’d had to work to convince Frank, he knew the guy was really sorry. "Once we win, we’ll share the prize. Promise."
Hazel sighed and walked away, her Dorothy costume missing a Toto.
Leo just stared at Nico for awhile. “Don’t know whether to be proud that you’re doing something so awesome or pissed that you ditched me for Zhang!”
Nico rolled his eyes. “Please. We couldn’t have done anything together in the first place. I ditched solitude for Zhang.”
Leo huffed, but shrugged. “Fine. But I’m the only guy with fire breath you’re allowed to kiss.” Nico didn’t even protest how they were in public as Leo started to pull him forward. Just before his lips touched Leo’s, Nico froze and pulled away.
"Leo, you can’t actually breathe fire, can you?”
Leo’s grin was terrifying. “You know, I’ve never tried.”
"Great," Nico muttered. "I accidentally inspire my boyfriend to burn down everyone. Happy Halloween."