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It took Nico about 50 minutes to write a 40 word letter.
He had to make sure it was perfect and clean. Pristine and easy to read. He couldn’t be able to count the amount of times he had erased what he had confessed, and started from scratch once more.
Nico couldn’t really believe that he was doing this. He could hear his heart thumping lowly and loud in his ear. There was some sort of knot in his throat, a lump of heat and shame every time he dragged a sweaty pencil across the paper. Three words.
I love you, Percy
That sentence would be the end of him. He was anxious, and terrified, yet somewhat confident, or he wouldn’t be writing this. He had taken all of those looks and concerned eyes that Percy gave him as reassurance. Because surely, that must’ve meant something. When Percy tried so hard to try to win back Nico’s trust after Bianca; that had to mean something.
Also, would Aphrodite be so cruel? To Nico? Causing him to fall so hard for this boy, only to have him never share the same feelings back?
(She was)
Nico didn’t think so. After all, she was always one of the gods he prayed to in the night. His words to her were next to begging. Pleading so desperately to have the son of Poseidon be his.
After about an hour, he hands were working to seal the envelope. He was going to give it to Percy tonight. He had put this off for too long. He had picked a bouquet of forget-me-nots, because never in the world would he forget Percy’s favorite color.
Nico peered about the window of his cabin and onto the camp grounds. There were celebrations, Hermes cabin pulling pranks, children who shouldn’t be drinking getting wasted off of Dionysus’s wine.
He stood up, and stared at the mirror. He had be wearing his most unrinkled and least depressing shirt he had. He had discarded his aviator’s jacket onto his bunk, showing off his pale and freckled arms. He spent so much of his time making sure he looked his best for this occasion. Insecurity had taken over him, though, as he picked up his comfort jacket and slid it over him.
His hair was washed and he had even try to put some concealer under his eyes. Trying to make him look less, well... Nico.
This was the best he was going to look. Nico let out a sigh and a curse as he picked up his flowers gently, careful not to damage the delicate baby blue petals. He took lifted it under his jacket and held the letter in his right hand.
Nico licked his lips and opened his door, resting the flowers on the ground before quickly picking them up. William Solace, had instructed him not to shadow travel, and Nico didn’t want to be lectured in front of the camp, and end up embarrassing himself in front of Percy Jackson.
Everyone seemed to have gathered at the dock, cheering something on. This was good, he didn’t have to deal with people trying to congratulate him and stopping him. They seemed to be rallying something but Nico couldn’t tell you what it was.
His footing on the dirt below quickened as he became closer and closer to the dock, he heard that where Percy was. Percy was always at the dock. He’d just wait silently for the crowd of people to stray away until it was just Nico and Percy. The slightest smile danced its way onto the boy’s face.
Some tall kid ducked in front of Nico to pick up a dollar bill on the floor, and he saw what the campers were so happy about.
Annabeth and Percy.
They seemed so in love, chucking as the campers raised them into the water. It was a look Nico had always hoped for him to receive from Percy.
His flowers fell to the floor, no one noticed. Out of instinct and a heartbroken awe, Nico’s hand became clenched snd gripped around the envelope, squeezing painfully all of the confessions and fiercely guarded feelings he had kept hidden from the world for years of his life. It was humorous on how much it resembled Nico’s own heart.
That night ended up with him flushing the toilet more times than he cared to remember.