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“Nico, settle this for us. Would you date a girl who was taller than you?” Jason asks from across the lunch table.
“Oh, absolutely not,” Nico says immediately, a small smirk dancing on his lips.
Will’s heart sinks slightly at that response. Will had to be a good five to six inches taller than the short Italian demigod. Even now, just sitting, Will had to tilt his head down just to look the guy in the face.
“That’s a bit vain, don’t you think?” Percy intercepts, frowning.
Nico shrugs slightly. “Depends on your perspective, I guess.”
“Exactly,” Jason says. “I’m already six foot! If I date someone and she wants to wear heels, I don’t want that to put her taller than me. I’d rather have her be the same height as me with heels on.”
“I don’t agree. Annabeth used to be taller than me. I remember being embarrassed about it,” Annabeth punches her boyfriend playfully, smiling up at him with eyes full of love. “Ow! Let me finish! I used to be embarrassed by it, but I know that that was silly now.”
“Doesn’t really matter how tall she is,” Nico counters.
Percy and Jason share confused looks. “But you just said that you wouldn’t date a girl taller than you.”
Nico nods his head. “Yes, that’s right. Because it doesn’t matter how tall she is.”
Annabeth shakes her head. “Nico, I don’t think-”
Nico sighs and looks at Will Solace. “Will, ask me the question like I was one of your siblings.”
Will frowns slightly, not having wanted to get involved. “Um, well, we typically don’t gender things? So I guess I’d word it, ‘Nico would you date a person taller than you?’”
“Yes,” Nico says automatically. He ignores how much his heart is pounding. “About six inches taller, actually.”
Will looks at him blankly, until the pieces connect in his mind. Then his cheeks burn red. “I-I… umm…”
“But wait, you won’t date a girl taller than you, but a person you would?” Percy says slowly with a piece of barbeque on his fork hovering mid-air.
Annabeth shakes her head at her boyfriend. “Seaweed Brain, I swear to gods.” She looks back at Nico and smiles at him. “I’ll explain to him later, but that’s good Nico. Good for you.”
Jason, who’s almost as pink-faced as Will, nods in agreement. “So taller dudes, got it.”
Nico rolls his eyes and finishes up his plate of food, his heart calming down.
Coming out to his friends wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.