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No one at camp had been at all interested in Nico before he left to help the seven on their quest. Nico couldn't pin point why; it might have been because he was a child of Hades. Or because he didn't have the sunniest of attitudes. Perhaps it was just because he frequently disappeared from camp for sometimes days at a time.
But whatever the reason had been he knew why everything had suddenly changed. It was all because of Percy Jackson.
The whole of camp half-blood adored him. Many of the campers would have loved to date him but none were so obvious to think they could replace Annabeth.
So they turned to the next best thing.
The people who had quested with the adored couple.
Everyone soon realised the Jason and Piper as well as Hazel and Frank were just as serious as Annabeth and Percy. The left Leo, who was currently away visiting camp Jupiter, and finally Nico.
***
At first it had just been whispers. Usually small groups who fell into murmured conversations and giggles as he walked past. But soon though people had started approaching him. Daughters of Demeter offered him flowers, little mechanical trinkets appeared on his cabin doorstep from the Hephaestus cabin, a child of Hypnos even dared visit him in a dream not caring about her breach of Nico's privacy.
Nico became quite the topic of conversation and he hated it.
He'd tried complaining to Jason about it once but he just looked pointedly at Nico through his glasses. Said "At least I noticed some guys after you too, they're just less obvious about it. Well apart from that Solace kid." Then he winked as Nico blushed and sauntered off.
Hazel had been his first target for complaint. But she hadn't understood what all his fuss was about and said that it would all blow over soon. Nico knew she was trying to get him to stop worrying but it hadn't eased his scowl by any measure.
***
Capture the flag had been arranged for that evening and all day girls from various cabins had been approaching him. They all claimed they needed his special skill set on their team. So all day Nico had been trying to avoid them by saying he'd think about it.
Nico wished that he could just stay in his cabin where he'd retreated to earlier that evening.
He sighed finally deciding he couldn't put off getting ready any longer. He pulled on a binder then a t-shirt and finally strapped his armour into place.
Nico wandered over to where the campers had begun gathering. He moved quietly hoping not to be noticed. He made it to the edge of the crowd before people started asking him if he'd made up his mind yet.
Nico raised his hands and people hushed thinking he was about to tell them his answer.
"I want you all to know.." Then Nico paused and gulped. "That.. Uh.. That I'm really very gay." He could see Percy and Annabeth grinning and giving him encouraging thumbs up from over the other campers heads. That gave him the courage to continue. "And I'm going to go join the Apollo cabin now." Nico went to stand beside Will, not even noticing the stares from the other campers as he took in Will’s bright smile.