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Nico huffed as he rolled himself out of bed, an entire day of dodging the way too bright son of Apollo exhausting him.
Will was a nice enough guy. Honestly, he was just too much for him. There was too much sunshine, too much happiness, and, of course, the overbearing need to make sure his friends all heal.
Sure, it's nice not having to worry that he'll keel over at any moment, but it's still annoying being on the receiving end of his constant attention.
Nico groans as he pops his back, pulling on his shoes to head to the chow hall before Will drags him out and forces him to eat at least a little bit.
He opens the door, running a hand down his face and steps on something.
He freezes, a little confused when he finds there's something on his doorstep, even more so when he realizes that it's a bunch of flowers, red, pink and white.
They're beautiful, he thinks.
"Oh, Camellias," Will says as he pulls up to Nico's door, right on time. "They mean admiration, longing, and love."
"They what?" Nico asks, flushing bright red. Who would leave this on his doorstep?
"Someone clearly likes you."
"I doubt that," Nico murmurs, putting the flowers in a vase nonetheless.
Sure, it was probably a mistake, the flowers being left on his doorstep, but they were pretty and he wanted to keep them, hoping a little that they truly were for him.
~~~
Nico finds out that Will didn't leave the flowers there and that whoever had done it either made the same mistake twice or they actually were meant for him.
He couldn't fathom why it would be the latter though. No one seemed to like him here.
When he opens the door this time, he eyes a single white flower.
He wishes he knew more about flowers, what they mean and what they are.
He decides to ask someone in the Athena cabin, figuring if anyone were to have knowledge about flowers, it would be someone in there.
~~~
Annabeth had been the one he talked to, a knowing look in her eyes as she gives him a book on flowers, telling him to keep it so that he can answer all of the questions he might have for the future.
As if.
He doesn't think he'll get anymore flowers.
It had to be a mistake.
Yet, when he gets back to his cabin there's another bundle flowers, a white star shaped flower, a smile on his face as he picks it up and adds it to his vase, a lovely bouquet being formed.
He immediately looks through the book to find that this flower, the Jonquil, was a flower asking for his affection to be returned.
This person, whoever they are, seemed to be really romantic and Nico's heart swells.
~~~
The next morning, he's already awake, ready to receive the flower, excited.
There are asters on his doorstep and he adds them to his vase, grinning gleefully as the bouquet starts to grow steadily each day.
Arbutus.
Red Carnations sprinkled with Bittersweet.
Forget-me-nots.
All these flowers are absolutely beautiful and Nico is so incredibly joyed to find more flowers.
~~~
The flowers stop coming all of a sudden.
He opens his door every morning, eager to find another flower, another declaration of love, only to find none.
His heart sinks as he realizes that his admirer must have given up and it hurts, a lot more than he would have thought, to no longer see the flowers on his doorstep.
Nico starts to mope around, heart shattered and bleeding.
How could he be so dumb as to hope?
~~~
He drags himself out of his bed and towards the door, no desire to change anymore, only getting up to avoid Will's yapping, drilling into him that he needs to be better.
He opens his door, watching as the face of the boy before him pales, embarrassed.
"Percy?"
"N-Nico!?" Percy shouts, face flushing red in embarrassment as he hides whatever was in his hand behind his back.
"What have you got there?"
"Nothing," Percy mumbles, backing away from Nico's door before he turns and runs, dropping the flower he was holding as he does so.
A single red rose.
It takes a moment for Nico's brain to process what he was seeing, what that meant for him, for them.
Percy was the one leaving flowers at his door? All those flowers about love and longing?
This had to be a mistake. There was no way that Percy could ever love him.
Right?
But there was a single red rose before him, the meaning very clear.
I love you.
~~~
Nico takes a deep breath and knocks on the door, a bouquet of roses, jonquils, and red carnations in his hands.
Percy opens the door, eyeing Nico warily, as if steeling himself for a rejection that Nico couldn't give him.
"What's this?" Percy asks, gesturing towards the flowers in his hands.
"I asked Juniper for some help finding the flowers and well... they're for you," Nico replies, handing the bouquet over, a page tucked into the flowers, definitions of what they were.
Percy smiles, teary eyed and joyful as he takes the flowers, an understanding dawning on his futures and Nico knows that they'll make it. They'll be happy together.