Chapter Text
“Got any plans for the fall?”
Percy asked Nico the question casually enough, more as small talk than anything. Hades' son shrugged in response, his focus still on the small meal in front of him.
“Just visiting Will, I guess. Other than that, not really.”
“You’re still gonna live in the underworld?”
“Mm-hm.”
It wasn’t a very stimulating conversation, but Nico really didn’t mind it. If anything, he welcomed it.
“I thought you might move here to be with Will, since he’s already a year-rounder.”
Nico shook his head.
“I don’t think I’m ready for something like that yet. The Underworld is still my home.”
Percy gave an understanding hum, and returned to eating his steak, quite a bit larger than Nico’s own meager portion.
The son of Hades took a second to appreciate the moment. At last, everything with Percy was… normal , casual, just one guy to another. They could talk like the longtime friends they were, without Nico being haunted by… all that stuff that once occupied the back of his mind.
Not anymore, thank the gods.
That was behind him, where it belonged. Percy hadn’t even brought anything up in the weeks since Nico had finally let his secret out, and the son of Hades was perfectly happy to keep it that way.
Happy.
For once, he was happy.
He’d gotten everything off his chest, and even better, he had Will now. Nico found something he once never even hoped to have: someone who actually loved him back. So yes, Nico, the dark prince of the dead, was happy.
“You wanna come visit me in New York?”
Nico instantly stiffened at the offer, taken completely off-guard. Just as quickly, he forced himself to relax, then looked up to meet Percy’s eyes.
“Visit you? Really?”
Percy gave Nico one of those special, warm smiles only he could pull off, eyes glinting in the fading light. He leaned against his fist, propped up on the table.
“Yeah! I mean…I always said I would give you a proper tour sometime, didn’t I? Now that we're finally at peace for once, I thought we could finally do it.”
The son of Hades didn’t immediately respond to the offer, preoccupied with the strange feeling pooling in his chest as he stared at the other demigod’s open hands.
Percy wants me to visit him.
The idea made Nico’s stomach turn ever so slightly, and something inside him grew just a bit warmer.
Warm…because…well…this is what friends do, isn’t it? Friends visit each other.
They hang out.
Like friends.
“Y-yes.” Nico’s reply came out way more awkward than he intended. He took a short breath, quickly recovering “Imean…yeah, sure, I could visit sometime.”
He gave a thumbs up, trying to smooth over his awkward delivery. Lucky for him, Percy didn’t seem to notice any of his flubs.
“Great! Anytime specifically you’d want to come?”
Nico, already managing to recompose himself, shrugged. He hadn’t been lying when he said he had nothing planned for the fall. He could pick any date at random, and there was a 95% chance it would work.
“Is there a best time for New York?”
The son of Poseidon rubbed his chin, then looked back to Nico.
“October’s nice, I guess? You could even come around Halloween.”
Nico raised an eyebrow.
“Won’t you be in school?”
Percy waved away the concern.
“Just come on a Saturday. I leave all my homework until Sunday anyway.”
“Isn’t that supposed to be a bad habit?”
“I know, I know, that’s what Annabeth always tells me.” Percy grinned, chewing on his last bit of food. “But old habits die hard.”
The older demigod chuckled. He closed his eyes as he did, making tiny scrunches appear on his face. Nico recognized the sight. After all, it was far from the first time he’d…
“Me and procrastinating on homework go way back.”
Percy opened his eyes, and the son of Hades instinctively evaded his gaze, looking down at his plate. Just as soon as he did it, he cursed himself, his pesky lack of social skills letting him down yet again.
Looking at someone while they laughed was perfectly normal ! It's only weird if he made it weird. Nico had been getting better at this kind of thing, but somehow this little talk with Percy managed to send him right back to square one.
Old habits die hard indeed .
“October sounds good.” Nico quickly continued the conversation, raising his focus to a tree just off Percy’s side. “I…er…I’ll just show up at your apartment, then?”
“Mm-hm.” Percy nodded, finishing off his meal.
Nico silently thanked the gods that the other demigod had, once again, not noticed his little slip-ups. Or, at least, not commented on them.
“I’ll try to plan a few things we can do,” Percy concluded. “Feel free to show up any Saturday you want, really. It should be fine.”
The son of Poseidon stood up from the table, taking his empty plate with him.
“Alright, I will. Thanks, Percy.” Nico nodded, finally forcing himself to meet Percy’s eyes again.
“I’ll see you then.” Percy gave him another smile, then headed off. Nico watched him as he stopped near another table, greeting a small group of older campers.
I need this.
Nico still felt a bit nervous at the prospect of visiting Percy, but that was exactly why it was so important to accept. He needed to hang out with Percy more, enough to drive away all the pesky little questions that, despite his efforts, still lingered in his mind.
He hadn’t made anything weird with Percy, and this would finally prove it, prove to himself that everything was fine.That he and Percy were well and truly friends.
Friends!
A few minutes later, Nico finally left the table, heading for the infirmary. He still needed to say his goodbyes to Will.
For once, he was a little glad that his boyfriend hadn’t made it to dinner. He was sure that there would have been plenty of annoying (but still cute) teasing from the son of Apollo over Nico’s awkward replies to Percy. Will was all too aware of Nico’s…occasionally lacking conversation skills, and somehow those always came out around Percy…
Yeah, it was for the best that Will hadn't been there.
One more time, Nico promised himself he’d get in plenty of visits to his boyfriend over the coming months.
(…)
By the third Saturday of October, Percy had genuinely started to wonder if Nico would actually come. As per usual, he hadn’t heard a single thing from the son of Hades since their last talk at Camp Half-Blood. For all he knew, Nico could be off on some kind of quest right now, or perhaps he had changed his mind and did move in with Will after all.
Percy really wouldn’t mind that much. After all, his offer to Nico had quite openly been an if-you-have-nothing-to-do kind of thing, and the demigod life had a tendency to produce things to do , even if you didn’t necessarily want them. The son of Poseidon couldn’t even count the number of times some kind of prophecy, quest, or miscellaneous adventure had dropped into his lap without warning.
And even if that wasn’t the case, Nico had his own life, however shadowy it may be. He had responsibilities in the underworld. He had a boyfriend. Percy would naturally prioritize Annabeth over a meeting with a friend, and he wouldn’t blame Nico at all if he was doing the same. There were plenty of reasons why Nico might not come.
Still, Percy had gone out of his way to keep every Saturday of the month clear of plans.
Still, he felt a small tinge of excitement when that day of the week came around, and he spent the morning hanging around his bedroom window.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little crestfallen when Saturday turned to Sunday with no sign of the pale, dark-haired boy.
By now, it was already 3:00 PM, and things were looking much the same the third time around. The familiar, creaking fire escape outside his room remained painfully empty.
Staring out his window, as if he would somehow see the son of Hades materializing in the distance, Percy's mind slowly drifted toward the other reason why Nico might not show.
...you're cute, but you're not my type.
Percy silently cringed to himself. So many questions about Nico, answered with a single sentence. Gods, why hadn’t he seen it?
It seemed so obvious in retrospect why the younger demigod had been so… off around him. Avoidant, yet weirdly overprotective. And sure, Nico wasn’t an expert at chatting with anyone, but it had always been on a different level with Percy. For a while, Percy had even thought Nico still resented him for Bianca's death. It had been a reach, but he couldn't think of anything else to explain the way the son of Hades was acting.
I never got it , not until he literally spelled it out for me.
Percy chuckled. It was things like this that had earned him the title seaweed-brain.
Now, he understood everything, and he needed Nico to get that. He wasn’t holding anything against the son of Hades. He’d done his best to reinforce it in their last few days at Camp. Percy hadn’t brought anything up. He hadn’t given Nico any weird looks, or teasing comments. He had made a discrete effort to show Nico that nothing had changed, that they were still friends, and that he was always there for him, just like before.
Percy even invited Nico to hang out, above all else because he wanted to drive that point home.
Percy just had to hope it was enough. He really did care a lot about the younger demigod, and he hadn’t missed the lingering discomfort the son of Hades had around him. Percy would hate to think that Nico sensed any kind of contempt from him. He hated the thought that Nico might be scared of him.
He hated the thought that he might lose him again, just when they'd gotten close again...
Percy glanced out the window again, listening absentmindedly as the metal fire escape creaked in the wind. He easily recalled the first time Nico had shown up to his apartment, so long ago now. He remembered impressing the younger demigod with his blue birthday cake, even giving him a slice.
Percy looked down, a smile spreading across his face at the memory.
Even with the war, things had seemed so much simpler then.
Deflated, he finally left his room, heading into the kitchen to make himself a late lunch. His mom wouldn’t be back until midnight today, so he had the whole apartment to himself when he started to put together a sandwich. Last year, he might have invited Annabeth over, but he needed to keep his Saturdays clear. Besides, his girlfriend was taking college-level architecture classes on weekends now, and he’d hate to take her away from that.
Today, he was alone.
Working slowly, he gathered a few ingredients: bread, leftover chicken, mustard…
Buzz
The sound of the apartment’s buzzer ringing made Percy jolt. Setting his sandwich ingredients aside, he left the apartment, and headed down to the front door, ready to greet what was probably the mailman. His mom occasionally ordered textbooks online for her school, and those always had some kind of extra stuff going on with delivery.
After about a minute of clambering down the stairs, he finally reached the door, and after taking a moment to unlatch it, swung it open.
Nobody was there.
Percy stared at the blank stoop, perplexed. Then he leaned his head out, and glanced around, trying to see if a package had been left somewhere.
Still nothing.
Ding-dong ditchers?
After looking around for a second longer, Percy shrugged to himself, shut the door, and…
“Percy.”
“Gah!” Percy jumped involuntarily, spinning around at the unexpected voice.
Standing a few feet behind him, right next to the stairs, was Nico Di Angelo, looking a bit startled himself.
“I…I…gods, Nico! What was that for?”
The son of Hades shuffled on his feet, not meeting Percy’s eyes.
“I…um…felt weird standing out there with everyone passing by. I thought I’d wait in here until you came down, but you walked right passed me. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Percy rolled his eyes, but he was already smiling. The brief burst of adrenaline was already fading, giving way to a newfound excitement.
“You could have just shadow-traveled to my room like usual, you know. That’s where I usually meet my mythical guests anyway.”
Nico's eyes darted to the ground at the idea. More awkward shuffling.
“I know, but …it...it just doesn’t feel right for this, you know? I thought I should show up the normal way for once.”
Percy crossed his arms, but he was still grinning.
“So materializing behind me qualifies as normal?”
Nico shrugged, finally starting to relax as well.
“I materialized in front of you. It's not my fault you didn’t see me.”
Percy laughed again, and his heart warmed a little when he saw Nico crack a small smile.
“Okay, okay, I guess that’s fair.”
After taking another second to collect himself after the small scare, the older demigod spoke again.
“So, are you ready for the professional, authentic New York tour, guided by yours truly?”
Nico nodded, also recovered from their sudden reunion.
“Sure. Where are we going?”
Percy opened his palms.
“Any preferences? We’ve got about 4 hours before stuff starts to close.”
Nico considered the question for a bit.
“Statue of Liberty?”
The son of Poseidon smiled.
“Consider it done. Let me just grab a few things, and we’ll head out.”
(…)
The subway was actually Nico’s idea.
As soon as the pair left the apartment, Percy had asked if he wanted to save time and just shadow-travel to their destination. Of course, that would have meant briefly holding hands, and Nico, in all his wisdom, had immediately decided the subway was a preferable alternative.
He even came up with the perfect reason:
“Well, shadow traveling is kind of cheating , isn’t it? I thought this was supposed to be a legit tour of New York. Wouldn’t the subway be more authentic?”
To Nico’s infinite relief, Percy had only given him a small shrug before he agreed.
“Whatever you say, Nico. It’s your tour.”
Yeah, relief.
Relief that he didn’t have to hold hands with Percy for a second or two.
Relief that rapidly dissipated after they’d stepped onto the subway, amidst a crowd swollen by the late-afternoon traffic. Nico had immediately recognized his mistake.
“Hang on, it’s gonna be a little tight,” Percy grunted as he pushed through the quickly-filling car. Nico did his best to follow behind, trying to ignore the growing alarm in the back of his mind.
Tight was an understatement. The subway was almost bursting at the seams, which meant that, soon enough, the inevitable happened. Against the mass of people, the smaller boy had no chance of standing his ground. The last of thecrowd packed in, the doors slid shut, and Nico was pressed against Percy’s front, locked in place on all sides.
Oh, let's take the subway.
Me and my big mouth.
Nico was as stiff as a board when he glanced up at the other Demigod.
“How long did you say this would take?”
Percy looked perfectly calm, apparently unbothered by their closeness.
“It’s not that bad, only a few minutes.”
A few minutes?!
Nico said nothing at this new revelation. Instead, he had to focus on managing the situation as the subway jolted forward, starting its journey through the underground.
At the end of the day, there wasn’t anything weird about this, was there? There was no reason for his heart to be racing like it was. Nobody else in the car seemed bothered by the tightness, Percy included, so it was probably a routine thing.
Besides, Percy was only one of four or five people currently pressing in on him, and Nico vastly preferred the other demigod’s familiar sea spray scent to whatever the other people would…
Almost as soon as he had the thought, Nico buried it. He would have kicked himself if he had the space.
No, he didn’t know off the top of his head what Percy smelled like , and he certainly didn’t ‘prefer’ it. The son of Hades made a conscious effort to breathe through his mouth, pivoting away from Percy’s chest as he did.
Gods damn me! It’s only weird if I make it weird . Thinking about scents definitely makes it weird!
Instead of continuing down that path, Nico tried to ignore the situation entirely. He closed his eyes, imagining he was anywhere else that wasn’t the crowded, smelly subway car, pressing against Percy Jackson’s warm chest.
He pictured the Underworld, Camp Half-Blood, Will’s cabin, sunsets over the water, calming things.
The son of Hades began to relax...
But his attention snapped back to reality with a sudden jolt of the subway car. Without anything to hold onto, Nico stumbled, almost falling into one of the people surrounding him. Just in the nick of time, a pair of hands caught onto his shoulders and steadied him.
“You alright?”
The son of Hades silently debated whether he should escape into the shadows right then and there. It was a tempting thought...but he didn’t. Why should he? Percy was just helping him back up, that’s all.
Ignoring the shadows subtly calling to him, he forced himself to look up to Percy again. The taller demigod had a small, lopsided smile on his face. His hands were still on Nico’s shoulders, holding him steady.
“I’m fine.” Nico quickly pushed away Percy’s hold. “Just lost my balance a bit.”
“I forgot how rough some of these trains can be,” Percy admitted, thankfully turning away from Nico. “After all these years, I'm just used to it, I guess.”
“Yeah…” Nico forced his voice to sound as neutral as possible. “I guess you are.”
The silence that followed felt a bit awkward, and Nico could already sense his feelings from before returning…
“Is it always this packed?” He spoke up again, trying to keep a conversation going. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in such a tight crowd.”
The question made Percy chuckle, and Nico felt it as much as he heard it, the vibrations traveling straight from the other demigod's chest to his. The sensation made his heart beat a little faster, and he prayed Percy couldn’t somehow feel that back.
“No, it’s actually pretty bad today,” Percy responded coolly. “A lot of people must be moving around with the nice weather and everything. Just like we are, right?”
Nico nodded tightly.
“So…then, you ride the subway a lot?”
“When I’m in the city,” Percy replied, swaying softly with the movement of the train. Nico tried to match the motions.
“It’s like you said, it's the authentic way to get around.”
Nico chuckled, at his own foolishness above anything.
“Yeah. Very authentic.”
Maybe it was the subway’s antiquated climate control, or all the people packed together, but Nico could swear he was getting a bit warmer with every minute that was passing by. Every minute he spent against Percy…
“This is our stop.”
Nico audibly sighed in relief when the son of Poseidon spoke the words. As soon as the doors slid back open, the crowd rushed out like water pouring from a faucet. The son of Hades was right there with them.
(…)
It had gotten a lot chillier since they’d headed out. With stunning speed, the blue sky Percy had seen earlier had been replaced with the gray, overcast weather more typical of the season. The wind had also picked up, raising waves to crash against the pier he and Nico were standing on, surveying the Upper Bay of New York.
Far in the distance, the Statue of Liberty was just about visible, its outline distinct against the dark gray horizon. Still, it was far from the experience Percy had hoped for.
“I didn’t think the weather could go bad this quickly.” His tone was apologetic when he turned back to Nico. “Zeus must have decided to pick a bone with me today.”
Nico snickered.
“I'm pretty sure it’s the waves that shut down the ferry, not the wind. I thought the water was supposed to be your domain.”
Percy scoffed in return.
“Yeah, sure, but I can’t exactly part the waters over to the statue in broad daylight, can I? The mist can only hide so much.”
“It definitely won’t hide two good-for-nothing teenagers trespassing on a closed island,” Nico muttered, still looking out across the water. The growing wind whipped back his jet-black hair. Somehow, the weather seemed to match him well.
Percy gave a light chuckle at the joke, but his focus remained on Nico himself.
He was concerned.
Even now, Nico was uncomfortable. It wasn’t obvious, but Percy had learned to pick up subtleties when it came to Hades' son. There was a subtle tension, a quiet anxiety that seemed to constantly radiate from the younger demigod. Just like when they'd talked at Camp Half-Blood.
Percy frowned, weighing his options as he looked back out to the statue. He didn't like seeing Nico like this. Especially when he was probably the cause.
But how could he fix it?
How could he just show Nico that everything was fine?
Should he just be direct, and ask Nico what was wrong? Tell him he had no hard feelings, that he wasn't bothered in the slightest by the fact Nico used to have a crush on him?
Percy didn’t like the idea. He had a feeling pushing things like that would only make Nico shut off, just when he’d started to open up.
So, what then?
A crackle of thunder brought Percy back to the present. Only a few moments later, the first raindrops began to patter on the dock around them.
Whatever I do, it better work...
He turned back to Nico, giving the demigod a satisfied look.
“So? Still think Zeus doesn’t have it out for me today?”
Nico shook his head, a few raindrops falling from his thick hair.
“I’ll believe it if he smites you right where you stand. Until then, I think we just have bad luck.”
Percy sighed, gesturing for Nico to follow him as he left the pier.
“Doesn’t look like this is gonna be clearing up anytime soon. We’re gonna have to raincheck some of the other stuff I had planned.”
Although the other demigod didn't reply, Percy didn't miss the disappointed sigh from behind him. He couldn’t deny his own dismay at cutting the tour short.
However, as they walked, a backup plan suddenly came to mind. His mom was still out...
“Want to go back to my place?" Percy made the new offer as he spun around. "We could just hang out for a bit? I could cook us a little dinner too if you’re hungry.”
It was a far cry from the tour of the city Percy had initially promised, but hey, it was something. Even better, it worked.
Beneath the son of Hades’ neutral expression, Percy could see a glint of relief, followed by amusement.
“You, cooking?” Nico’s tilted his head. “I’ve got to see this.”
Percy raised a finger of caution as they walked along the street, doing their best to stay out of the worst of the rain.
“Just you wait, zombie-man. I’ll cook for you like I’ve never cooked before.”
Focused on avoiding the growing downpour, he missed the tiny, hitched breath those words got from Nico. A few seconds passed before he turned back to the younger demigod one more time.
“What do you think, you want to take the subway again? It’ll be even more crowded now with the rain.”
Nico seemed positively horrified by the prospect. Without missing a beat, the son of Hades reached out to Percy. Poseidon's son studied the outstretched palm for a second, pale skin already wet with rain. Then, he took it, giving Nico a smirk.
“Shadow travel it is.”
(…)
Watching the son of Poseidon put together dinner was somewhat of a tragic comedy.
Nico had actually offered Percy help multiple times, but each time Percy had insisted that he was a guest, so he could justrelax while the cooking was handled. Not one to argue, Nico had finally relaxed, and watched the chaos unfold, struggling not to laugh the entire time.
Now, half an hour later, things were finally starting to wrap up, but the apartment’s small kitchen still bore the scars of the great battle that had been waged. Stray strands of spaghetti, both raw and cooked. The occasional spatter of sauce (Nico had to remind Percy several times to turn the heat down for the sauce!) . Empty cans of tomatoes were haphazardly scattered wherever the older demigod could find a place for them as he worked. It was a fascinating scene.
And yet, by some impossible miracle, Percy had actually managed to bring everything together and pull off a decent-looking Bolognese. There was no mistaking the victorious look on the demigod as he finally plopped down the pot of spaghetti on the table, followed by two plates for him and Nico.
Meal done, he crossed his arms and gave Nico a prideful look.
“There! What did I tell you? Did I cook, or what?”
The son of Hades did his best to suppress a smile as he looked up at the taller demigod, but he couldn’t fully stop the edges of his lips from curling up.
“That was definitely… an approximation of Italian cooking.”
Percy saw right through his unimpressed façade.
“Oh, come on, don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it! I heard you giggling back here while I was working.”
Poseidon’s son gave him a jokingly accusatory look, and Nico felt his heart jump. He held Percy’s gaze for a little too long before he managed to respond with a scowl.
“You have sauce on your cheek, sciocco.”
Percy’s smug expression vanished at the comment, and he quickly rushed back to the kitchen to clean himself up. Nico finally allowed himself a brief smile as he watched the older demigod retreat.
This, he could handle.
For once, Hades’ son felt himself actually growing more at ease around Percy. Even with the few… hiccups throughout the day, his visit to New York was shaping up to be exactly what he’d hoped for.
A casual, friendly visit.
Nico had even enjoyed it, despite the storm putting a damper on most of their plans. Percy’s haphazard cooking alone had made the short trip worth it.
Now, they’d just have a small dinner, and he could head out, labeling the entire experiment a success.
The son of Hades took comfort in the thought when the other demigod finally returned, free of sauce droplets.
“So? Ready to eat?”
Nico nodded as Percy pulled out his chair.
“Do you have any wine?”
Percy immediately froze mid-sit, giving him a weird look.
“Wine?”
Nico nodded.
“Yes, wine. I have it with dinner all the time when I'm in the underworld."
The explanation only seemed to make Poseidon’s son even more bewildered. Nico got a little irritated.
“What?”
“You’re 16!”
“Exactly.”
It took Nico a few more seconds to realize why Percy seemed so shocked by such a small thing.
“Are you really going to tell me you’re worried about the law here? You of all people?”
Percy shook his head at the question, his expression softening.
“It’s not really the law I’m worried about, it’s you.”
The thought of Percy worrying about him somehow made Nico equal parts comforted and pissed off.
“What, you think I can’t handle it? I’m not a child, Percy. I probably drink more wine than you do.”
Percy looked conflicted. The son of Poseidon pursed his lips, looking Nico up and down. Then he glanced down at the floor. Then back to Nico. After a long silence, he sighed.
“Alright, fine, I’m gonna trust you on this. But I’m watching you, so don’t overdo it.”
Nico celebrated his small victory internally, beaming as he finally started scooping up some of the spaghetti.
(…)
Half an hour later, Nico had to admit he'd overdone it. Just by a little bit. He was enjoying himself!
Nico chuckled to himself as he twirled a few remaining strands of spaghetti on his fork. His original, tiny portion of pasta had quite quickly disappeared from his plate, soon followed by two more regular-sized amounts. Percy’s cooking really wasn’t that bad, though the son of Hades would hesitate to openly admit it. It was even a little good. Or maybe that was just the wine talking.
Maybe, just maybe, in his effort to prove a point to the older demigod, he’d ever so slightly overindulged in the drink he’d been provided alongside his meal.
It wasn’t anything bad. He just felt a little…out of balance, the way he did whenever he shadow traveled too much in a short time. Only, he didn’t also feel the usual sense of dull fatigue that heralded the exhaustion of his powers. Instead, Nico just felt…relaxed. But that was more than just the drink, wasn’t it?
His evening with Percy was great. The whole day had been great. A short, but very welcome break from his usual routine of going from the underworld to Will’s place and back. For all his hesitation to accept Percy’s invitation, he’d really liked it.
He really liked being with Percy.
“Earth to Nico?” The other demigod’s voice brought him back to the present. Percy’s sea-green eyes held only a slight tinge of concern. Nico had to look closely to see it.
“You’re kind of spacing out a bit. What did I tell you?”
Nico waved away the words, letting out a giggle.
“What? Afraid I’ll show up the mighty Percy Jackson? Hm?”
Percy couldn't help but return the laugh. That stupid, annoying laugh that made Nico's heart jump every time he heard it. Or maybe that was the wine again.
“I’m serious, Nico! You’re a bit smaller than I am. I don’t know how well you…”
“Hey… fottiti , idiota !” Nico tried to put on a tougher voice as he cursed, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “I can handle a bit of wine!”
Percy, however, seemed far from convinced by the words. The older demigod let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head.
“I'm sure you can. But as the adult in the room, I’m still gonna make you stay here for a bit longer, just in case. I don’t think Hades would appreciate you showing up to the underworld... in this condition.”
Nico only laughed at the words.
"You act like that's a punishment... but I like it here! I wanna stay!"
Percy flashed him an amused look, shaking his head before he continued.
“Right...you want some desert?” Percy offered. “I think we have some leftover cookies.”
The son of Hades instantly shook his head. The thought of eating anything more made him a bit queasy.
“I’m full. Absolutamente pieno!”
“I don't blame you,” Percy smirked as he cleared their plates. "I can't remember the last time I saw you eat this much in a single sitting."
He shot Nico a mischievous grin from the kitchen.
"Didn't I tell you I could cook?"
Nico scoffed, but he had nothing to argue back with. He remained silent, leaning back in his chair when Percy returned.
"So...I think you should stay around for an hour or two, we should be on the safe side."
Yet again, Nico internally celebrated the news.
Meanwhile, Percy was scanning across the apartment, searching for options to pass the time. He glanced at the TV, before shaking his head.
“I’d play a movie, but our DVD player’s broken…”
His eyes landed on a small music system, packed away next to the TV.
“Wanna put on some music?”
The thought of music made Nico perk up, but he shook his head again a second later when he remembered his interesting situation.
“Nah…I don’t really like anything they play on the radio.”
The remark seemed to daze Percy. The son of Poseidon narrowed his eyes, as if the response was completely illogical.
“What?” The smaller demigod rolled his eyes. “Are you really surprised I don’t like the… pop music?”
“No, it’s just… radio?” Percy furrowed his brow. “Don’t you have…”
Suddenly, the son of Poseidon’s eyes grew wide with realization, and excitement.
“Oh! You actually don't even know, do you?”
A grin spread across Percy’s face. Nico started to say something, but Percy raised his hand.
“Okay…okay…this is gonna be really cool.”
He looked down for a second in thought, then back up to Nico.
“What kind of music do you like?”
Nico blinked, taken a bit off-guard by the turn of events. He closed his eyes and sifted through his memories, trying to pick out a tune. It had been so long since he’d heard any of them, they were only fragments in his mind. The alcohol wasn’t helping either. At last, he came up with a name.
“I…err…Frank Sinatra, I guess?”
“That's actually perfect!” Percy grinned again, then walked over to a small bookshelf and began scanning the rows.
Still totally perplexed, Nico stood up to follow the other demigod. When he rose from his seat, the wooziness in his head grew considerably more intense, and a sudden weakness appeared in his legs. He had to clutch onto the edge of the table to keep himself from falling over. After righting himself, Nico thanked the gods for Percy having his back to him, then stepped closer.
“What are you even looking for? You don’t have any records, and I don’t think…”
Before he could finish, Percy turned back around, holding a small plastic rectangle in his hands.
“We actually do. My mom got this from my grandpa, but we've never listened to it. You can have it if you want.”
Nico raised an eyebrow as he took the strange box, and scanned the cover:
Frank Sinatra: Greatest Hits
The son of Hades was no less baffled.
“This is…a record now? A plastic square?”
Percy chuckled as he took the case from Nico’s hands, and opened it, revealing the shiny, metallic disc inside.
“It’s a CD. It works by…umm…it’s really complicated. Annabeth could probably explain.”
The son of Poseidon shrugged as he popped the strange object out of its holder.
“But it has music on it. It’s pretty cool. Here…”
By now, Nico was genuinely captivated. With all the years he’d spent in the modern age, he thought he’d seen the best new technology had to offer. Still, spending most of his time either in the underworld or Camp Half-Blood wasn’t all thatconducive to learning about cutting-edge tech, and things could still surprise him from time to time.
He watched intently as Percy placed the disc into a small silver box, then pressed a small button to light up an attached display. After a few seconds, he turned back to Nico and gestured to the nearby couch excitedly.
“Sit down, we can listen to it together.”
Still uncertain about the idea, Nico carefully worked his way over to the couch, doing his best to make it seem like his sense of balance was fully functional. The son of Hades took the far end of the sofa, and he expected Percy to take the other half. However, the older demigod plopped down right next to him, remote control in hand. The closeness made Nico tense up, just like the subway earlier. But this time, he recognized that, maybe, it wasn’t the bad kind of tension…
“Ready?”
Percy turned to the smaller demigod, shooting him a grin of anticipation. Nico found himself hanging Percy's smile for a bit too long before he managed to nod.
Drinks slowing my thoughts again…
“Sure.”
The son of Poseidon turned back to the device in front of them and hit a button on the remote. For a few seconds, the machine made a series of whirring noises as it loaded the disc. There was a soft crackle and hiss as the sound came on. Then, the music began to play.
Instantly, Nico's hair stood on end. He recognized the song, even after so many years. Old, half-forgotten memories began to swell up as the music rose in volume.
Memories of the old days, only a few years, yet also a lifetime ago. Half his childhood, spent in a time that was now just black-and-white pictures in history books. His inescapable circumstances, the ones that had always separated him from the others.
More memories, more feelings appeared, rising in synch with Sinatra's voice.
All or nothing at all.
Half a love never appealed to me.
Sure, every demigod was a bit lonely, a product of their heritage. But Nico was a standout, and he knew it. It hadn't always been that way, though. Memories of his sister and mother came to the surface, on the tides of the smooth jazz.
Yes, it reminded Nico of his mom. She’d always loved jazz, even before they left Italy for America. This song inparticular had been a favorite of hers. Nico was sure that if he strained hard enough, he could sing along to the lyrics, just like his mom and sister loved to do.
If your heart never could yield to me,
Then I’d rather have nothing at all.
But there was something else, something more that came to the forefront of his mind. Something he’d wanted so hard to forget. Something he needed to forget.
But he hadn’t. Not really.
All or nothing at all
If it's love, there is no in-between.
It was still there, in the back of his mind the entire day. Nico had ignored it, buried it, denied it, but it was there all the same, sneaking up every time he was with Percy. Every time he met the other’s eyes. Every time he felt the other demigod close to him. Just like he did now.
Why begin and cry for something that might have been?
No, I'd rather have nothing at all.
Nico tried to take a breath to steady himself but ended up loudly sniffling instead. He cringed when he realized his eyes had grown watery. Hastily, he tried to control himself, but it was too late. Percy had already noticed.
“Hey, Nico, you alright?”
The son of Poseidon’s voice was warm, and full of concern when he turned back to Nico.
"I-I'm fine. It's just...this song..."
The smaller demigod wanted to say more, but he didn’t trust himself not to sniffle again if he did. Instead, just tried he tried to wave Percy away.
But please, don't bring your lips so close to my cheek.
Don't you smile or I'll be lost beyond recall.
As always, Percy didn’t go away. Of course he didn’t. That was Percy, wasn’t it? Too nice for his own good. He never knew what that did to Nico...
Instead of moving away, the son of Poseidon put a hand on Nico’s shoulder, muttering something about wine as he pulled him a bit closer.
Nico shuddered at the contact, that familiar, warm feeling inside of him growing yet more intense. This was far stronger than it had been in the subway. But he didn't resist. He didn't pull away. He had to fight not to lean into the touch.
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may go dizzy and fall
Nico tried yet again to clear his mind. This was ridiculous. He thought the effects of the wine were supposed to diminish over time, but they seemed to be getting stronger and stronger . The son of Hades felt lightheaded as a million different feelings rushed through his body. More than he could ever hope to control in this state.
“I can turn it off if you want?” Percy spoke again. His voice held no harsh edge. It was just soft, warm, comforting. Everything Nico adored about him.
He couldn't speak, so he just shook his head. He didn’t want Percy to turn it off. He didn’t want this to stop. He didn’t want any of this to stop. It didn't matter how much he told himself otherwise.
The demigod couldn’t suppress another sniffle, and another shaky breath, fraught with emotion.
The music began to swell.
And so, you see
Nico wasn’t an idiot. He could tell he wasn’t thinking straight. He knew this wasn’t right.
I've got to say no
He tried to tell himself no. It was over. Long over. A childish crush, nothing more. He didn't want more. He couldn't.
No
But there was no escaping the way he felt right now, with Percy’s arm on his shoulder, his face so close to his own.
Nico shuddered again.
No!
It was useless. He couldn’t say no to his own feelings, even if he really wanted to. And he didn’t.
All or nothing at all!
Nico turned to Percy, his breathing heavy. For once, he didn’t shirk away from the older demigod’s gaze. Percy’s eyes widened at the something in Nico's eyes, but he didn't move away.
“Um…Nico?”
The son of Poseidon’s voice was unsteady. His hand didn’t leave Nico’s shoulder.
“Percy…when I said...I…lied to you…”
"You...lied?"
Percy's eyes were clouded with uncertainty and other things Nico couldn't quite place. Was that fear he saw too?
"Lied...a-about what?"
Percy's voice was unstable when he asked the question. Nico had a feeling he knew the answer. So he didn't respond. He just took a deep breath.
"Nico?"
He didn’t know what compelled him to do what came next. Was it the wine? The music? Those sea-green eyes, closer than he could ever remember seeing them. Maybe it was his own selfish desires, exploding like a volcano blowing its top.
Regardless, it was strong enough to push him forward, just far enough to plant his lips on Percy’s.
The world seemed to stand still. Everything felt perfect. The knots in Nico’s stomach, the tightness in his chest, the incessant doubts in his mind, everything was gone. There was only one thing he felt. One thing he cared about. The soft, tingling feeling on his lips. He felt Percy exhale, and he trembled at the feeling of the other's breath on his face. He pressed the kiss deeper, leaning closer to Percy, as close as he could, savoring every slight twitch in the other's lips...
Then, the music faded, and reality came crashing down, like a torrent of ice-cold water.
I...I just...
The demigod violently jerked away from Percy, almost falling over as he stumbled back to his feet. The pit in Nico's stomach was, back multiplied tenfold at his growing horror. Percy didn’t say anything, and he didn’t do anything. The two just stared at each other in pure shock for an agonizingly long few seconds. The room was silent, save for the sound of their heavy breathing. Percy's face had gone deep red.
“Percy…I…I didn't mean…”
The words seemed to break Poseidon’s son out of his trance.
“Nico…”
His face was unreadable as he stood up, stepping toward the shorter demigod. Nico backed away in turn, feeling panic well up within him. Somehow, his breathing was still growing more rapid. His heart pounded in his chest like a drum. He felt nauseous..
“I…I have to go…”
He called to the nearest shadow, desperate to escape the situation. Desperate to get somewhere no one could ever find him. Desperate to disappear.
Percy raised his hands up. Nico met his gaze one more time, unable to stop himself.
Percy's eyes were wide, filled with emotion.
Shock.
Pain.
Hurt.
“Nico, j-just wait! Don't...”
Whatever Percy said next didn't reach Nico. The shadows had already whisked him away.