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Percy Jackson was going to kill Nico di Angelo.
Why. The fuck. Did Nico think it was a good idea to gaslight him? In what world is that an okay thing to do?
Percy was going to kill Nico.
~~~
Nico was suffocating in a bronze jar.
Slowly suffocating in a bronze jar.
That…was not okay at all and Percy was going to murder those stupid giants.
“Uh…” Leo started, and Percy looked up. “One thing. The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we’re walking into a trap?”
That was logical, yes, but Percy was very used to walking into traps to save his friends.
Hazel’s head whipped toward Leo. “We have no choice!”
“Don’t get me wrong, Hazel. It’s just that your brother, Nico….he knew about both camps, right?”
“Well, yes,” Hazel said.
“He’s been going back and forth, and he didn’t tell either side,” Leo said.
Jason piped up. “You’re wondering if we can trust the guy. So am I.”
Whoa. Hold up.
Hazel jumped up. “I don’t believe this! He’s my brother. He brought me back from the Underworld, and you don’t want to help him?”
Frank put a hand on her shoulder. “Nobody’s saying that.” He glared at Leo. “Nobody had better be saying that.” Yeah, Percy seconded that.
Leo put his hands up. “Look, guys. All I mean is—”
“Hazel, Leo is raising a fair point,” Jason said. “I remember Nico from Camp Jupiter. Now I find out he also visited Camp Half-Blood. That does strike me as…well, a little shady. Do we really know where his loyalties lie? We just have to be careful.”
Uh. That bitch.
Hazel was trembling with anger. A silver platter flew across the room and crashed into a wall, spilling scrambled eggs. She opened her mouth, but Percy beat her to it.
“Um, I’m sorry, I don’t know if I heard you guys correctly,” he said. He turned to Jason and Leo. “Are you implying that we shouldn’t save Nico?”
Leo shrunk back under his gaze, but Jason just raised his chin defiantly.
“I’m just being cautious,” Jason said, like that fixed anything.
“No. Here’s what’s going to happen,” Percy said. “We’re going to travel to Rome, we’re going to find Nico, and we’re going to save him from that stupid jar. Then I’m gonna beat his ass for being so stupid. Got it?” He glared at Jason some more. Finally, Jason relaxed in his seat.
“Got it. I wasn’t trying to make your brother seem like a villain, Hazel,” he said, looking at her. “I’m sorry.”
Leo chimed in. “I’m sorry too, Hazel. We’ll make sure to bring your brother back safely.”
They seemed genuine to Percy, so he let it go. Hazel seemed to relax a little, but she was still mad. She got up, walked over to Percy, muttered a “thank you,” and left the room.
They all talked a bit more, decided who was going to scout around in Atlanta (yay, field trips with bloodthirsty satyrs), and separated. Percy hoped this all went fast and they could get to Nico soon.
~~~
So, it turns out Jason’s actually a cool guy.
They had fought the twin giants together, and honestly, it was pretty exhilarating. That was nothing, however, compared to the relief of seeing Nico alive and breathing, if pale and half-dead on his feet.
Coach Hedge, Leo, Frank, and Hazel joined them, but Percy went straight for Nico. Before Nico could react, Percy wrapped him in a tight (but also gentle since he didn’t want to hurt him) hug. Unfortunately, no matter his state, Nico will never appreciate Percy’s hugs (at least, he will never admit to appreciating Percy’s hugs).
“Percy,” he groaned, but he didn’t try to pull away, so Percy counted that as a win.
“I,” Percy said, “am going to kill you.” He pulled back and looked Nico in the eye. “You hear me? I’m gonna kill you. You’re gonna be so dead that your father won’t be able to find your soul,” he said, while scanning Nico for any injuries.
Nico rolled his eyes. “I didn’t even do anything.”
“You gaslighted me!”
“Nuh uh.”
“Yuh huh!”
“No I didn’t.”
“Yes you—hey! You’re doing it again! Stop it!” Percy shrieked. Nico snickered, and Percy couldn’t find the words to describe how relieved that made him feel.
They all gathered to talk about what to do next, but the only time Percy left Nico’s side was to let Hazel hug him. Then he grabbed him (gently) and held him no farther than two inches away from his side (gently).
Probably wasn’t fair to Hazel, but he was really worried, okay?
On the way to the parking lot they were supposed to crash into (real helpful, Mr. D), Percy said quietly to Nico, “I’m really glad you’re alright. I’m sorry for not noticing sooner.”
Nico looked up at him with a small smile. “It’s alright, Percy. Thanks for saving me.”
Then Percy frowned. “I’m still mad at you for gaslighting me. That was so uncalled for.”
Nico smirked. “You’re welcome.”
~~~
When Percy and Annabeth got out of Tartarus, they were greeted with hugs, claps on the back, all that stuff.
However.
The greeting Percy cherished the most was a certain child of Hades lunging at him and clinging to him so tightly that Percy thought his ribs would explode.
“You idiot,” Nico hissed, voice hoarse. Percy managed a weak laugh.
“Consider it payback for you gaslighting me.”
Nico pulled back and glared at him. “Don’t ever do that again. Or I’ll pull the triple combo.”
Percy’s head tilted. “Triple combo?”
Nico lifted his chin. “Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. You won’t see it coming.”
Percy gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Nico’s lips pulled up the slightest bit. “You know I would.” Then he shoved his face back into Percy’s chest.
Percy wrapped his arms around Nico. Yeah, he will cherish this greeting for the rest of his life.
And Nico. But Percy will never tell him that.
(He told him the next day. And the next. And the next…and so on and so forth. They’re cousins, after all. How could he not?)