#and i think percy realising that leo is *jealous* of what he had. would have been an interesting scene

[jgracie]

🌊 DATING PERCY JACKSON

masterlist | rules

jason’s version | leo’s version | frank’s version | travis’ version | luke’s version

in which he pauses and says, "you're my best friend"

pairing percy jackson x fem!reader

warnings mention of a scary quest where percy almost died

Dating Percy is like dating your biggest fan, because he is. You are dating your biggest fan

It takes him a while to realise he likes you and that all the things he’d do for you aren’t just because you’re his friend, but once it finally clicks it's all he can think about 

From that moment, he becomes #1 loverboy

“Percy, what are you doing?” Annabeth asked, watching as Percy frantically sifted through his many blue t-shirts. Acknowledging her presence, Percy breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled two of them out of his closet and held them up next to his face.

“Gods, Annabeth, I’m so glad you’re here! Now, I’m about to go see Y/N at the beach and I need you to tell me which looks better with my eyes: the teal or the aqua.”

(They are one hex letter apart)

It's very endearing and he doesn’t even try to hide it!!! But of course you’re the only person who doesn’t notice, thinking he just really wants to be your friend, because Percy’s nice and friendly with everyone

He follows you around everywhere trying to find out more about you so he can plan the perfect first date

You’re an Apollo kid who works in the infirmary? Percy’s first in line for Will’s first aid summer course. You harvest strawberries with the Demeter and Dionysus kids? Percy’s there before everyone else with 3 wicker baskets on each arm

Eventually, you do end up becoming really good friends because he’s just always there and really fun to talk to and super nice and good with kids and maybe he’s a little cute, you’re allowed to have cute friends! 

You would’ve been teetering the thin line between friends and dating for ages if it wasn’t for Annabeth, who devises a plan to get you alone and somehow managed to get the whole camp in on it

That’s how you both ended up at the beach, Percy with a note in his jean pocket that read, “tell her or I will - A” 

Turning to you, the corners of Percy’s mouth couldn’t help but lift as he watched you admire the way the waves lapped over the shore. That moment would be ingrained in his head forever, because it was the moment he fully understood he had to have you

His nerves betray him

When you ask, “what’d you wanna tell me?” Instead of saying some heartfelt confession that’d make you swoon, Percy states a simple fact: “You’re my best friend.”

It turned out fine though, because you knew what it was. You felt the same way. (listen to you are in love by taylor swift!) 

Once you start dating, you are practically attached at the hip. Wherever you go, so does Percy and vice versa

When dating Percy, you truly get the best of both worlds because not only is he your boyfriend, he is also your best friend and truly someone you can lean on when needed

Loyalty is his fatal flaw so expect a LOT of loyalty. Like a concerning amount. He would find ways to justify you murdering a whole family if he had to

However, what comes with loyalty is protectiveness and jealousy. He doesn’t get that jealous because he knows that you two were literally written in the stars by Aphrodite herself, but he still can’t help but get a little jealous when he sees you with some other guy

Just kiss him a little and maybe stay the night at Cabin 3 and never speak to that guy again and he’ll be fine

Inherited motherly traits from Sally. Always checking you for cuts and scrapes after capture the flag, makes you a lunchbox before quests and then insists he goes with you to make you more food when needed and definitely not because he’s worried you won’t come back alive!

He knows you can handle yourself and all but he can’t help it. Out of everyone at camp, Percy’s your number one guy when it comes to dangerous quests

One of his biggest fears that kind of kept him distancing himself from you when he was crushing on you was that he didn’t want you sucked into all the dangers he goes through on a daily basis. He’d rather watch you date someone ‘safe’ from afar than put you in harm’s way 24/7

You’d choose him over a literal God though, so he has no choice but to be stuck with you. Power couple! 

After a really bad quest, one where almost died, Percy sat you down at his cabin for a talk. Part of him didn’t want to tell you what happened, but he knew it’d be unfair on your end if you were left in the dark.

“Look, I understand if you don’t want to stay with me. If it weren’t for Grover’s quick thinking, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me, and it’s not right for you to be stuck with a guy who’s basically friends with death. You deserve someone more sta–”

You shut him up with a kiss :) “Percy, when I agreed to date you, I didn’t just agree to all the good things, I agreed to the uglier parts of your life too. Sure, I was really worried while you were gone, but that’s just part of being a demigod, and it's a price I’m willing to pay for all the amazing moments we have together, so don’t even think about me leaving you.”

Anyways, he introduces you to Sally and Paul as soon as humanly possible. They already know a concerning amount about you considering you guys never met, but that’s just because Percy would rant to them about his crush on you on a daily basis

He's so incredibly happy watching you get along with his family. All of his favourite people gathered <3 very sweet

He also loves to see you interact with Estelle!! Percy is a huge fan of kids so he can’t help but stare as you play peekaboo with his younger half-sister (babysitting Estelle fic here!)

Percy also introduces you to the ocean and everything about it. You liked it before, as it was beautiful and reminded you of camp, but Percy painted it in a whole new light

He’d constantly take you on trips under the sea, using his Poseidon kid powers to allow you to be able to see and breathe underwater like he does

This also means lots of making out underwater. After that one time you two got caught kissing by the Stolls, suffering major consequences, he hasn’t been able to risk it

Overall, dating Percy is very fun & your relationship never ever gets boring trust

#percy jackson x reader #percy jackson x you #percy jackson x y/n #percy jackson #percy jackson x fem reader #pjo #pjo x reader #percy jackson fanfic #percy jackson headcannons #cynwrites

[deithe]

like I cannot stop thinking ab this. I know me and cait have talked ab this before but leo and percy are perfect foils because leo is the murphy's law of percy. everything that could have gone wrong in percy's life went wrong in leo's.

sally kept percy out of godly stuff until her hand was forced when tlt starts, but leo is seemingly half-raised by hera, who "trains" him since a very young age. leo isn't hidden like percy was and this leads gaia to him. leo

sally's importance in percy's life cannot be understated. we see, even in pjo, where fatherhood plays a central role, that mothers for demigods can shape how they're raised and how they grow up. sally being there for percy and staying with him all the way through pjo gives percy a point of safety. a home with a loving mother and an 'escape' from demigod life. sally looks after and takes care of percy.

but because of godly interference and gaia, leo doesn't get that. leo is what percy could have turned out like if kronos had killed sally. leo is eternally on the run, away from his home, his past and probably the monsters who would have hunted him. leo's actions and character were irrevocable shaped by esperanza dying. leo is a lonely character who's self-worth has been destroyed by years of abandonment and guilt that he feels inferior to those around him. leo doesn't get a home to return to or family outside the demigod world. chb is the only home leo has had since he was 8.

their backgrounds, being so similar too, should have lead to resentment on some part from leo at least. percy had everything leo ever wanted despite being in the same situation as leo. a child of prophecy who was hunted by the big bad and had dangerous powers.

leo is everything percy could have been if fate wasn't on his side. obviously, in some aspects, they're similar (pranksters and loyal only to those they see as their own, very clear with the nico scene where leo doesn't care about nico so much because he doesn't know nico. he sees it as an unnecessary venture that could hurt his ship, jason or piper) while percy rails against this, could we say the same if it was someone percy had never met? maybe. maybe not.

to summerize. jason and percy weren't interesting foils bc it was based on power and neither character is interested in power. though leo and percy, who are so similar but otherwise completely different, would have been incredibly interesting.

#and obviously. fire vs water #they're so interesting #and i think percy realising that leo is *jealous* of what he had. would have been an interesting scene #that percy could have turned out like leo if his mom had died. lonely and self-hating and unable to talk about it #and leo being one of the few 'lone wolf' demigods we know should have been explored #leo mananged to evade monsters and gods and demigods from luke's army for a very long timr #and i think they should have talked ab being children of prophecy #cause while the seven are all involved in the prophecy it's leo and jason who lie at the center. fire and storm #if percy was gonna be on the argo he should have taken a more mentorship kind of role with the rest of them #in a kind of 'senior teaches freshman how to skip class' kind of way #analysis 📜 #hoo #percy jackson #leo valdez

[racetrackhigg]

I’d love to rant about rick Riordan books with you! Do you have any Percy Jackson rants? 🙃

hell yes i do

i’ll only do pjo, if you wanna hear hoo and toa, just tell me because i have a l o n g rant on my boy leo

so let’s start with the fact that percy is like,,,less of an idiot than the fandom makes him be? but like,,,he’s still a 10/10 on the idiot level

and on the hot level

I HAVE THE BIGGEST CRUSH ON ANNABETH

LIKE BRUH I LOVE HER

IM JEALOUS THAT PERCY GETS TO DATE HER EVENTUALLY

i also love silena so fucking much like omfg

when percy was told he was a demigo my mind immediately went to “youre a wizard harry”

I WOULD FUCKING DIE FOR THALIA DUDEEEE I LOVE HER

i also have the biggest crush on luke (i have a thing for blondes apparently 😂)

WHEN TLT CAME OUT ON BROADWAY I S C R E A M E D

I ACTUALLY WENT TO SEE IT AND IT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENT BECAUSE AAAA ONE OF THE BOOKS IN MY FAVOURITE BOOK SERIES IS NOW A MUSICAL? MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BOOK SERIES IS NOW A MUSICAL? BYE BYE LEGALLY BLONDE YOUVE JUST BEEN REPLACED ON “MUSICALS TO LISTEN WHEN IM SAD TO ATTEMPT TO CHEER MYSELF UP”

have i mentioned how much of an idiot percy is?

grover, percy, and annabeth share one brain cell and it belongs to annabeth

and camp half blood share two brain cells collectively and one belongs to chiron and another one to annabeth.

i love how tlt it’s basically “lmao your mom just died but anyaway wanna go save the world?? i- so what if you’re only twelve years old? i don’t care! now go do this quest that will most likely kill you.”

the way that tlt starts with “look. i didn’t want to be a half blood”

and percy’s first line in the musical is that just makes me so happy i cant even

the chapter titles get funnier as the books progress and i always read the chapter titles before reading the book just because i don’t understand what the fuck is happening but i laugh s o h a r d like omfg

i don’t think i’ve talked about how much of a fucking (oblivious) idiot percy is

NOW TIME TO TALK ABOUT MY FAVOURITE DEATH BOY- NICO DI ANGELO

“nico buys happy meals for the dead” - chapter 5, percy jackson and the battle of the labyrinth

i love him.

like, so so much.

i cant even express how much of an emotional support character nico was (and still is) to me. even more so in hoo.

MOVING ON- the stoll brothers are the best thing to ever be created.

clarisse🤝silena

being in love

i know it’s not canon but god i love them

i also really love silena x charlie (which is canon, for all you non-percy jackson fans out there)

like i cant decide

I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I WOULD DIE FOR PERCABETH

“you drool when you sleep” -annabeth chase

the slow burn though. that’s some good shit.

rick really tortures us with that huh.

i cant belive percy was so much of an oblivious idiot that he didn’t realise that he had a crush on annabeth

hell, he didn’t realise that rachel, annabeth, and nico also had a crush on him either

dam (see what i did there), percy really has his own fanbase

let’s be real, if you didn’t scream “JUST KISS ALREADY” at the books at least once on any percy and annabeth interaction then you’re lying.

let’s be real x2, annabeth and thalia are better than everyone else i rest my case

you didn’t ask but i’m a daughter of aphrodite according to the quiz akshdsnfi- whos your godly parent?

#percy jackson #pjo #riordanverse anon #riordanverse rant

[everykindofnerd13]

So basically, they’re not demigods, they’re just magical creatures, and they did go through the two wars, but this is EXTREMELY different from canon, so just, take what you will from it. Two camps, not different gods, shifters, vampires, demons, met people, all that Jazz. Luke isn’t evil! Yay! I just really wanted Annabeth to have a good role model camp buddy so yee.

Nico glared at all the happy couples surrounding him. Most of them he didn’t know, then the only two left were his best friend Jason, and his girlfriend Reyna and the other couple was the one Nico wanted to see the least.

Perseus Jackson. And his very long-time girlfriend Annabeth Chase. It wasn’t like Nico resented Annabeth for anything, how could he blame her for falling in love with him, if Nico couldn’t see anything wrong with him. That didn’t change the fact that Nico was in love with Percy Jackson, but there was no doubt that Percy was not at all interested in Nico. After all, He still saw Nico as the ten year old Italian kid he saved. Nico couldn’t blame him for it either. When they’d met Nico had been immature, nerdy, and very childish. But what do you expect from a ten year old?

He glared at the happy golden couple of the two camps. After Piper and Jason has worked things out after the war and figured out they weren’t right for eachother, Nico found himself hoping maybe Annabeth and Percy would come to the same conclusion. But alas, it had been three years since the Giant War’s end and still here Nico stood, alone and Percy-less.

He’d tried to date other people, tried to get over Percy with new relationships. But that felt too selfish for him. The first boyfriend he’d taken was Will Solace and that probably felt the worse. Because Will was an incredible person, and he deserved someone who loved him, not someone trying to get over someone else. It was cruel to stay with him. So Nico had explained to Will what was going on in his head and broken up with him, and to his surprise, Will had only pulled him into a hug and said that he understood, that it was okay to hurt for someone.

The next boyfriend Nico took was Ethan Nakamura. Nico had managed to convince himself he was over Percy at that point and he had grown far too close to Will to even think of asking him out again, it’d be too similar to asking out Hazel. So, Nico had pursued the attractive Asian from Camp Jupiter, but after about a month, Nico realised that just wasn’t right either, because he was comparing Ethan to Percy every chance he got. After also explains to Ethan what had happened, and getting a surprising similar response to Will’s Nico resigned to eternal loneliness. Loneliness and Pain. For all of Eternity, because he had made the awful mistake of accepting immortality, and not checked to see if any of the others offered had been as well.

Percy had accepted immortality, alongside Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Reyna, Clarisse, Chris, Will, Jake, Hazel, Frank, Leo, Luke, Octavian, Bianca, Thalia. Basically everyone who fought alongside Nico in their war had been gifted and accepted immortality. So now, Nico was stuck with Percy Jackson for eternity, having to watch him be hopelessly in love with Annabeth.

Which Nico couldn’t blame Percy for either. Sure Annabeth has a few flaws but she was beautiful. Sun-kissed skin, bright blonde hair and intense grey eyes. She was built like a goddess, and she was confident. They’d been through literal hell and back together, but Nico couldn’t help but be jealous. A tiny selfish part of him wished that they’d just fall apart unexpectedly. But that would be selfish, exactly what his mother had worked hard to teach him was wrong all those years ago.

“Nick, you good?” Jason asked from beside him, swishing around the alcoholic drink that Reyna kept preventing Nico from drinking, he was only 19.

“Yeah, yeah sorry, I-Uh...” Nico blanched, he didn’t have a reason for his abnormal activity, “I spaced out...” he mumbled and looked at the very non-alcoholic coke he was holding, and swished it around too. Jason furrowed his brows but didn’t question it and just went back to his conversation with Reyna.

For another 15 minutes Nico sat there next to his friends while they talked before Percy and Annabeth approached. And, despite not being dressed up at all, Nico thought Percy looked absolutely gorgeous. His hair was tousled, probably from sleep, considering the man never bothered to fix it, and he was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged Percy’s athletic thighs in just the right way, and his chest was adorned with a white button down shirt that has the top three buttons open to reveal his chest. Nico held his breath, he didn’t want to talk for fear of accidentally saying something he didn’t want to.

“Hey guys!” Percy greeted as they approached, one hand laid around Annabeth’s waist. Nico only waves silently while Jason immediately struck up a conversation with the water nymph. Nico kept his eyes on his cup. He only stayed a few minutes longer before pulling Reyna down to whisper in her ear.

“Hey, I’m not feeling good, I think I’m gonna head home.” He then let go and she looked at him with a knowing and sympathetic look. Currently, basically the only people who didn’t know that Nico was hopelessly in love with Percy and had been since he was ten were Percy himself and Annabeth, not that they should or would ever find out. He nodded at her before taking a step back, just out of the light and disappearing into the shadows. Just before he lost sigh of the group he saw Percy laugh then down to kiss Annabeth, Nico felt himself almost get sick. Not because those two kissing was gross, he wasn’t a child anymore, but because watching the person you’ve been in love with for as long as you’ve been aging kids another person can take a real toll on your heart, and in repspomse your stomach.

“Nico?” Will asked when he saw his best friend appear in the corner of the living room. Nico was dazed for only a moment before he took off and ran toward his bedroom. Will looked after him concerned before leaning up to peck Jake on the lips then running after his roommate.

Will had rejected the party invitation in favor of spending a date night with Jake, and while he didn’t regret it, maybe it would have been better to just bring Jake to the party judging by the sound of vomiting coming from Nico’s personal bathroom. Will burst through the door and started rubbing Nico’s back and humming, grabbing a few pins from the sink counter and holding back Nico’s hair with them. When Nico finally stopped throwing up what looked like only water and maybe a little soda, he rested his arms on the toilet and sat his face on rope before beginning to sob.

Will’s eyes widened comically in panic as he began to whisper encouragements to Nico. He didn’t think that Nico would have done anything too stupid and Reyna didn’t ever let him drink, so Will was just searching for a reason for Nico to be so upset. Jake came to the bathroom door after a while and stood in the doorway looking also worried. Will folded his three middle fingers into his palm and held his hand to his ear, silently asking for his phone. Jake nodded and left the doorway to retrieve it while Will turned to look at Nico.

“Neeks?” He asked pitifully. Nico took a deep breath and looked at Will with blood shot eyes and an obviously tear stricken face. His answer was accompanied by a hoarse rasp form the vocal stress of vomiting.

“Will...” he muttered before beginning to cry again. Will shook his head sadly and pulled Nico into his arms. Cooing softly to soothe his bestfriend. When Jake returned Will took his phone and opened Notes, quickly typing in the names of Nico’s closest friendship circle. Then he handed the phone back, pointed at it and did the phone gesture again. Name nodded and took off to go call everyone on the list.

“Nico, please tell me what’s wrong. I can’t help you if you don’t.” He tried. Nick cried and looked up at him, a completely heartbroken look that Will was far too familiar with playing on his features. And he immediately knew what it was. Will wrapped his arms around Nico again, rubbing his back and running his fingers through his hair.

“Why is it so unfair Will...” Nico cried into his bestfriend’s chest and Will only held him tighter.

“Why don’t I get a happy ending like all of you...” he was genuinely sobbing now, holding onto the sides of Will’s jacket in a death grip. It was something Will had associated with these kind of things by now. It was how Nico grounded himself so that he wouldn’t spiral in self doubt.

“Nico...” Will muttered and kisses the top of Nico’s head, “You will get your happy ending, you just have to be patient.” Nick shook his head rapidly and shoved Will away.

“No! No! You say that everytime and somehow, it only hurts more the more I see him! I can’t let go and I don’t know why but I don’t think I even want to! It’s impossible! The only way I’d ever get over Percy Jackson is if I forgot him all together!” During his little rampage, the people on Will’a list arrived. Bianca, Hazel, Frank, Ethan, Alabaster, Lou, Cecil, Jason, and Reyna.

“That could be arranged, Alabaster announced, and everyone turned to him.

“What? I’m a mage right? And Nico is a demon, we both have psychic powers meaning I can make him feel forget anything, even Percy’s whole existence.” Nico looked up hopefully but he was quickly shut down by Will’s voice.

“Absolutely not.” He exclaimed. He stood up, letting go of Nico and poked Alabaster in the chest.

“I know how all that stupid memory magic works and it’s not safe! He may not remember Percy but he’d see him again and that would hurt his head, he’d get a mind numbing headache every time he caught sight of the guy!” Will exclaimed, backing Alabaster into Nico’s bedroom.

“So I’ll move away.” Nico reasoned and everyone turned to look at him.

“What?” Will asked and Nico shrugged.

“I stay here because I love you guys, not... well, I don’t technically need you guys, even though you’re really helpful.” Nico explained then he looked up at the mixture of shocked and hurt faces on his friends and sister’s faces, “Will! You’d get to live alone with Jake! You wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore! And it’s not like I’d forget about you guys I could still come and visit you.” Ethan, Will, and Nico’s sisters all glared.

“If you make one more suggest like that Niccoló, I will not hesitate to lock you in this room surrounded by white leds and with no windows for the rest of your eternal life.

“That sounds better than having to hurt like this everytime I go out.” Nico explained and fell back on his bed.

“Don’t say stuff like that!” Hazel shouted and slapped Nico’s arm, “You act like you’re completely oblivious to everything everyone feels except for Percy! Don’t you see that we all love you! Why can’t you understand that you disappearing would hurt us a whole lot more than it would help you!?” Hazel was crying now and Nico frowned deeply before pulling her down into a hug on his bed, which everyone slowly joined.

“I’m sorry,” Nico apologized, “that I said those things. I know that you guys love me, and I love you too, but I’m just... I’m so tired of hurting...”he said and began to cry. Hazel hugged him tighter and so did Bianca.

“What do we do?” Jason asked and Will sighed in defeat, the first to speak up was Ethan.

“We could always try love-cursing Percy.” He suggested earning a glare from Nico.

“Absolutely not, those things are evil. I’m not gonna force myself on Percy if he’s not interested in me.” Which caused Ethan to sigh before Bianca spoke up.

“We plan better. We keep them away from eachother, if Percy is going somewhere, we plan something different, we work our schedules around it.”

“No, I will work my schedule around him, you guys will do whatever the hell you want.” Nico protested and glared at his friends. They all conceded then headed back out to the living room to watch movies all together. Lou invited Cecil over, and Hazel and Bianca also invited their significant others and they all fell asleep in cuddle piles about Nico, Will, and Jake’s living room.

——————————————————————————

It wasn’t for another four months that Nico saw Percy again. He had been sitting in his room drawing at his desk when there was a sudden knock at the door. Nico groaned and stood up to open it. He felt his heart practically drop into his stomach at the sight of the water nymph on his doorstep. He swallowed the lump welling in his throat.

“H-hey Percy...” he greeted him faintly and was met by a glare that Nico never wanted to catch again. He blinked back tears as he leaned against the door.

“Can I Uh, can I get you something? Will and Jake are out right now if you need me to take a message I will.” Nico said, still no response from Percy.

“I know that Will and Jake are our. I made sure of it before I came over. I can to talk to you.” Percy’s voice was sharp, cutting, painfully aimed at Nico.

“Uh, yeah, yeah sure.” Nico steppes out of the way, letting the older, attractive nymph into his home.

“So... um,” Nico didn’t know why to say he didn’t want to say anything. Percy had just shown up on his doorstep, looking angry after Nico had been avoiding him for two months so Nico didn’t see any reason he should be over here so angry. Until it hit him. Maybe Percy knew, maybe Percy knew that Nico was in love with him, and he was disgusted, and he was here to tell Nico to never come near him again. Nico swallowed and again and took a shaky breath.

“What’s wrong with you?” Percy asked vindictively and Nico looked up in shock, even though he’d been readying himself for the pain.

“What?” He asked meekly and Percy rolled his eyes.

“Don’t try to be cute here Di Angelo, I know you’ve been avoiding me and I wanna know why. Why are you avoiding me, refusing to go anywhere I go, rejecting my attempts to hang out with you as much possible, I’m not stupid Nico.” Percy explained and Nico glared at him.

“I’m perfectly aware that you aren’t stupid Perseus.” He argued and Percy glared angrily.

“Then what is it? What did I do to make you hate me?” He asked, words so sharp they felt genuinely painful to Nico.

“I don’t hate you Percy.” Nico whispered, standing behind the couch while Percy sat in the arm chair.

“Then...” Percy’svoice broke and Nico looked up to find tears in his eyes, “Why are you not talking to me?” He asked and Nico sighed. This was it. This was how he was gonna get left behind by Percy Jackson.

“Because I’m in love with you! It’s not good for you or for me for us to spend times together! You’re in a relationship Percy! And I’m just a kid! You’ve always thought of me as Bianca’s little brother and I know that! But I’ve always thought of you as the greatest thing in the world! Okay! So why would you want to be around a kid you’ve known for 9 years that has had a crush on you since then when you’re in a happy relationship! That’s uncomfortable Percy!” Nico shouted and Percy looked on in shock, suddenly Nico broke down sobbing, falling to the floor, nowhere near enough focus to try to shadow travel.

“Oh Nico...” Percy whispered as he approached and wrapped his arms around Nico who flinched before leaning into the nymph’s touch, “I don’t feel uncomfortable around you, I can’t imagine feeling like you’re a home wrecker. And I don’t think think of you as a little kid any more either. Nico, you fought in two wars, you were only ten during the first one. You were 14 by the end of it. You’re not a kid, you may have been a kid at one point, I can see that that you’ve grown up, okay?” Nico was still crying into Percy’s chest. So he felt it when Percy took a labored breath.

“I’m not in a happy relationship. I haven’t been in a relationship for about three months now and I haven’t been happy with Annabeth in almost a year. Though I think we both realised the pain when we left Tartarus. Annabeth and I love eachother, but there was never anything more than platonic love between us. I would walk to the ends of the earth for her, but I wouldn’t marry her. We weren’t a match, depite what everyone thought. I think they just wanted the fairytale ending. It always seemed like everyone was pushing us together. Our parents, the rest of the counsel, Gaea even seemed convinced that we were meant to be. Which wasn’t true... I was a kid Nico, I didn’t have the capacity to fight against it when everyone seemed to be pushing myself and someone I loved into a relationship. And I think I liked Annabeth for real at first. I think a lot of things I know. But it’s true, I think that when I was just twelve years old and there was this California girl Barbie taking care of me my first night of camp. She was strong and independent, and she just seemed so amazing to me, which she is. And I think I was definitely in love at first, but now, I’m 22 and even when we’re 16 and we crawled out of Tartarus together, I think I knew that we were drifting. Which is insane, because that means we were so pressured in our relationship that we stayed together for 6 years... she didn’t deserve that, and if I’m honest, neither did I, so we broke it off a few weeks ago. We still live together, in separate rooms. I don’t know if I’d function right without her. But I love Annabeth, and we jut weren’t meant to be.”

Nico was completely shocked by all of Percy’s ranting, forced to look on in awe as Percy talked about how he wasn’t in love Annabeth and he had been pressured into an unhappy relationship.

“Who have you told?” Nico asked and Percy flusher.

“Uh, only you, we decided we’d tell you all together, but since you were... avoiding me we never got the chance...” Percy explained and Nico huffed angrily.

“Really Perce? Six years of me being in pain while you and Annabeth weren’t actually happy? Really?” Percy chuckled weakly and rubbed Nico’s back.

“In my defense, you didn’t exactly act like you liked me.” Nico glared and Percy smiled sheepishly.

“Did we not already go over the fact that I didn’t want to be a home wrecker?” Percy laughed again and Nico’s heart swelled. He hadn’t heard that laugh caused by him in at least three years now.

“Well, then we better get up so you can tell the others huh?” Nico suggested while standing up. Percy however, stayed on the ground looking at Nico in pure disbelief.

“What?” He asked and Nico raised an eyebrow.

“We need to go back to your place so that you can invite everyone over and tell them that you and Annabeth broke up.” Nico said exasperatedly and held out his hand. Percy took it, but instead of pulling himself up, he pulled Nico down, into his lap.

“Dammit Di Angelo, what do I have to say for you to understand that I like you too!” Nico blinked dumbfoundedly for a moment before they widened and he pushed away from Percy landing on the floor.

“Perseus Jackson. Do not toy with my heart like that. Don’t. I can’t take it. I’ve been considering drastic things for weeks. You can’t say things like that.” Nico brought his arm up to his eyes and wiped away his tears. Percy looked just as surprised at Nico’s reaction as he stood up and backed Nico up against the couch so he could look into the Demon’s eyes.

“I mean it Nico. I like you too. I know it might be hard to believe, but I thought you weren’t into me, I thought you disliked me for a lot longer than I thought you hated me.” Nico blinked again and rubbed his eyes.

“Percy...” Nico muttered and tried to push Percy away, to no avail, the taller, larger male held his ground.

“Nico, I came out to you as Pansexual four years ago. Even before I told Annabeth. You know that I’m gay, why can’t you believe I like you?” Nico huffed and sighed and took a deep breath.

“Because I’m not worth it Percy. I could understand why you fell in love with her. Beautiful, intelligent, independent. She’s also your age, she helped you in our first quest. She was your first kiss. You went through Tartarus forever for gods’ sake!” Nico exclaimed while Percy stared at him, never breaking his gaze, “I’m not attractive, I’m short and pale and skinny, I’m not very independent, I’m honestly surprised everyone was willing to deal with me this long. I am three years younger than eachother and when we first met I got excited because yoh had the same name as a character on one of my mytho-magic cards. You were thrown into a situation where you had to deal with me because if you didn’t you would have looked like a monster for leaving these two vulnerable and confused children alone. Percy, I’m not... you’re wrong about your feelings. Why couldn’t you have fallen in love with Jason, or Luke! They’re both good, strong, tall, sensible, stable men! And I’m... me...” Percy rested his hands on Nico’s cheeks and rubbed his cheekbones with his thumbs.

“Nico, I love you because you are strong. You were only ten years old when your mother was killed in an act of jealousy and you were sent to live somewhere that would stop you’re aging almost all together. Then suddenly you’re brought out by people you don’t know, you nearly lose your sister, some of your greatest friends are potentially lost, and... apparently your crush, but then you find out you have another sister, you’re thrown into two wars before you were even in Highschool. Nico, you are so impressive, plus you’re cute. You’re hair is so long and shaggy and adorable and you’re small stature is super cute too.” Nick couldn’t help it, after Percy finished he leaned up and kissed Percy, after a moment of shock, Percy kissed back. After a few seconds, they both pulled away with dazed looks in their eyes.

“Oh my god! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have done that!” Nico shouted as he covered his mouth.

“I kissed back didn’t I?” Percy protested and Nico nodded and Percy did as well.

“Exactly. I kissed you back because I like you.” Nico nodded and leaned up again, Percy quickly caught his lips in another kiss. When they pulled away Nico smiled then averted his eyes to the ground and frowned.

“So um, does this make us boyfriends or are you bullying me by admitting you like me and are now gonna say you can’t be in a relationship right now for the completely valid reason that you got out of a really long relationship just three months ago?” Percy laughed and pecked Nico’s nose.

“You’re cute when you ramble, and uh, if you want us to be boyfriends, we’re boyfriends, if you want to give me time and space then we’re friends who kiss, cause I’m not giving that up, damn, for a tiny gay Italian demon, you are soft all over.” Percy said as he pinched Nico’s cheek. Nico swatted the hand away before grabbing it and intertwining their fingers then kissing him again.

“Okay, but we can’t tell the others until at least three months from now so that they don’t think I’m a home wrecker...” Percy laughed and shook his head.

“How about, a month from now so that they don’t think you stopped avoiding me to date me? But they’ll know that Annie and I broke up three months ago. Hm?” Nico nodded and kissed Percy’s nose again. Percy laughed again pulled away from his smaller boyfriend.

“You’re so cute...” he muttered as he traced Nico’s cheek. One thing Percy may never understand is Nico’s facial structure. He’s truly beautiful. He still has the chubby cheeks of a child but his jawline and cheekbones could cut a steak. He’s just a beautiful sight. Probably due to his father’s incubus roots.

“Mmm, I could say the same about you.” Nico pointed out and poked Percy’s cheek. Percy smiled and turned toward the door as it opened.

Will’s eyes widened when he looked up and found a tear stricken but smiling Nico and an equally happy Nico. Will raised an eyebrow and stepped inside, setting down the groceries as he shut the door then approached his two friends, Nico was fidgeting sheepishly, but he looked considerably less gaunt than the last few months. Will was seriously considering forcing the two into a room to figure stuff out soon. But it seemed he didn’t need to.

“Hello boys...” He greeted them and approached with his arms crossed. He eyed Percy wearily and approached Nico, then grabbed his face and pulled it close to check for any marks or bruisers forming. He hummed and backed away once he knew Nico was fine then turned back to his grocery bags.

“Percy, you’re a big strong man and mine is gone, will you kindly go grab the ice bags for me?” Percy nodded dutifully and stepped outside while Nico approached to help Will start putting their groceries away.

“Nico.”he said pointedly and Nico sighed glaring at his friend.

“Really?” Nico asked and Will shrugged.

“In my defense you’ve been sulking around the house for four months now getting sadder by the day because you didn’t get to see Percy and also because you didn’t want to see Percy. Now he’s at our house, you’ve been crying and you’re both smiling.” Nico rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“He wanted to know why I’ve been avoiding him, I got too upset and it just kinda came out, he’s accepted it, and...” they turned to the door as Percy approached. He was huffing and the few blue scars on his cheek bones and forearms were glowing, meaning he was using his power. He wasn’t carrying a bag of ice and instead a block of ice that he’d apparently frozen in his hands. He stopped in his tracks as the house’s tenants looked at him confused.

“Uh, the bag broke... so I just kinda, willed only the water to lift, I promise nothing bad, it could be cleaner now than when you bought it honestly.” Will laughed opened the freezer. Slowly, cube by cube, Percy broke the large block apart and put it in the ice box.

“Thank you Percy, now, what were you two talking about before I came in. Nico Wilkes himself not to blush as he looked at Percy.

“Uh, wel, the reason Nico’s been avoiding me, which apparently only Annabeth and I were unaware of. And then we were talking about how I need you all to come to my house tonight for a special announcement. Will nodded and side-eyed Nico cautiously, checking for discomfort. Nick shook his head casually and waved a hand at him while Percy looked on in confusion.

“Can you two talk in motions?” He asked and Will turned back to Percy.

“It’s a skill obtained by most of our friend group. We generally use it around you or while someone is having a problem, anxiety attack, panic attack, PTSD episode, etc.” Will explained and Percy’s face screwed up.

“Good to know I’m on the same list as medical emergencies...” he muttered and Nico shook his head rapidly but before Nick could say anything Will was speaking up.

“Well, if Nico wasn’t a scaredy-cat who likes to convince himself that people will reject him for little things like,” Will was cut off by Nico.

“Like admitting to being in love with you for almost 10 years.” Nico scowled angrily at Will then pushed past his friend and grabbed Percy’s sleeve. He marched them both to his bedroom and collapsed on his bed rubbing angrily at his eyes. He was just so full of pent up aggravation that was suddenly running rampant.

“Woah! Neeks hey! Are you okay? I thought we already established, I don’t mind that you didn’t tell me, I know why you didn’t, it’s fine, I like you alright? I wanna try this.” Nico nodded and pulled Percy into a hug. The nymph landed on top of him with an “oof” then rolled them over so that Percy could tuck his head above Nico’s and entwine their legs.

“We have to tell Will, Percy...” Nico muttered and Percy nodded then kissed the top of Nico’s head.

“I understand. It’d be pretty hard to explain why you’re happy around me all of a sudden...” Percy trailer off and Nico wrapped his arms around his new lover.

“Percy... I’m sorry...” he muttered and buried his face in Percy’s chest, “I know that avoiding you was the last thing I should have done, but it was the last thing I did...” he muttered and Percy looked down at him pitifully.

“Nico... as much as I hated it, I can understand why you did it. Being around me while I was with Annabeth hurt after years of yearning. I can understand why, but can I ask you what you meant when you said you’d considered something drastic?” Nico groaned and hugged Percy tighter, like if he let go maybe Percy would disappear.

“I was so stupid Percy... I started to convince myself the only way to stop hurting was to forget. The night I decided that avoiding you was my best choice, I almost had Ethan make me forget you...” Nick explained and Percy’s eyes widened. He looked down at Nico, sadness in his eyes.

“I’m glad you didn’t...” Percy muttered.

“So am I...” Nico answered and slowly started to fall asleep in Percy’s arms.

#percico #nicercy #nico di angelo #percy jackson and the olympians #heroes of olympus #percy jackson #percabeth #annabeth chase #will solace #solangelo

[imgonnabeyourbubblegumwitch]

I Love You, You Pay My Rent: Chapter Four

First Chapter (Prologue)

Previous Chapter (Chapter Three)

Nico had been living with Will for three and a bit weeks and in that time Will had never invited anyone one else round to their home. It was therefore a surprise when he woke up one morning and found a stranger in the kitchen. The stranger was wildly attractive, even with sleep messed hair. He was also shirtless.

Nico stared at the stranger. The stranger stared back.

"What up," the stranger said by way of greeting.

Nico, not always rude but also definitely not a morning person, continued staring blankly in total incomprehension.

Will came out of his room then, thankfully not shirtless because Nico definitely would not have been able to deal with that, but looking incredibly rumpled and not at all with it. Will stopped and looked between Nico and the stranger. For some reason he seemed mildly alarmed. He must have thrown on clothes very quickly because his sweatpants were inside out and his tshirt was back to front. His hair was a complete mess too, more so than usual like he'd been running his hands through -

And finally it dawned on Nico what was going on and he couldn't believe he had been so slow but he at least managed to stop himself blurting oh my god out loud.

"Oh god," Will said.

Nico gave him a look, and Will shook his head frantically looking unbelievably panicked.  The stranger was oblivious as he poured himself a glass of water. Nico was busy freaking out because stranger, male stranger and wait did that mean Will –

He blamed his next words on his jumbled thoughts and lack of ability to think clearly.

"Who is this honey?" he asked.

Will's expression might have been worth it, he looked so confused: for a split second he was the picture of a deer in the headlights. Then he cottoned on to what Nico was doing.

"Oh god," he said again and Nico wasn’t entirely sure if he playing along, commenting on Nico’s plan, or simply still panicking about the situation.

The stranger looked at Nico in some surprise then over to Will. Will closed his eyes. He didn't have to do much acting to seem like he was simultaneously freaked and wanting the ground to swallow him whole. Nico thought that was probably a good thing given Will's acting ability.

"You didn't mention this last night," the stranger commented. He seemed amused more than anything else which was lucky because Nico was belatedly realising this gambit could have gone a whole other way.

"You didn't mention me?" Nico asked and he was actually beginning to enjoy his role.

"I-" Will said but his voice gave out.

"Are you kidding me Will Solace?" Nico demanded. "I thought after your brother’s graduation-"

"Can you stop bringing up my brother’s graduation?" Will snapped and Nico thought he might have to revise his previously formed opinion of Will's acting skills.

The stranger looked between them.

"Maybe it would be better if I -"

"And who are you?" Nico demanded, rounding on the unreasonably attractive person standing in the middle of their kitchen. He realised his own jealously of the stranger - the tall, muscular, beautiful stranger who looked nothing like Nico - might be leaking into his tone. The stranger recoiled slightly, and Nico thought he might have overdone it.

“I’m gonna go,” the stranger said.

He went back into Will’s bedroom. Neither Nico nor Will had moved when he returned with a shirt and shoes on this time. He gave Will a final glance as he left and Nico felt a hot spike of unreasonable jealously in his stomach. When the door shut, Will slid to the floor.

“Oh god,” he said.

“You’ve said that,” Nico commented. But he did take pity on Will, mainly because Will looked like he regretted everything, and went and got him a glass of water. After some thought he also took a box of painkillers out the drawer.  

“I’ve never done that before,” Will said as Nico handed him the water. “That’s not me.”

He sipped the water silently for a minute or two. Nico sat next to him and tried to reconcile his own muddled thoughts.

“Thank you,” Will said eventually. “I don’t know if I could have dealt with that on my own.”

Suddenly he smirked, looking more like himself.

“Though I am sorry about whatever happened at my brother's graduation.”

Nico began laughing and it helped distract him from the spiky feeling in his chest.

“You don’t remember? You left with Dave. I was heartbroken.”

“Dave? I don’t remember Dave.”

“I can’t believe you don’t remember! Honestly it’s Christmas 2013 all over again.”

“Hey, you said we were on a break!”

“Well we sure weren’t on a break with Dave,” Nico yelled. “Not the first time. And not the second time after my father’s funereal!”

“Babe, come on I would never let Dave come between us!” Will protested. “Screw Dave!”

“You did,” Nico retorted. “That was the problem!”

“Well how about that time at your grandmother’s?” Will countered in a dramatic sitcom yell.

“How about you two shut up for once?” Octavian shrieked through the walls.

Will rolled his eyes but started laughing and Nico made a rude gesture in Octavian’s direction, and wondered why such a fancy building had such thin walls.

“You know I didn’t even know his name,” Will said after the laughter had died down leaving a hollow space.

“It’s not the worse thing you could have done,” Nico said, though privately the jealous part of him decided he would rather Will was confessing a murder.

Will shook his head.

“I should have at least known his name.”

“How drunk were you?” Nico teased gently.  

“I don’t know. I don’t even think I was that far gone. I was just –“ he shook his head and shut down in the way he sometimes did. It reminded Nico of the fortune cookie thing, that alluded to some mysterious past.

Will tipped his head back, and though it hit the wall with a sharp thud he didn’t wince. He looked so ragged and torn.  Nico wasn’t sure he liked seeing Will so down.

“Hey at least he was hot right?” he said gently bumping his shoulder against Will’s.

Admitting Will’s one-night stand had been hot was the closest he’d ever come to admitting aloud, or even hinting that he was gay. Jason had found out accidentally, and the only good thing about that was that Nico had never actually had to say the words. It felt strange vocalising even something as innocent as the other guy’s attractiveness - even to Will who had just slept with him - but Will didn’t seem to even register the meaning behind the words, just burst out laughing.

“Are you suggesting I’m shallow?”

“I’m saying you could have done worse.”

Will bit his lip to stop himself laughing and nodded.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll give you that.”

Nico was pretty sure Will wasn't ready to think about what he'd done and he knew he definitely wasn't ready to think of the implications of what Will had done (because Will was apparently single and not at all straight and-) so he suggested a movie. Nico was going to let Will choose one of the ones of the list since he obviously needed cheering up but Will surprised him by letting him choose. Nico was surprised at the sudden power, and instantly worried that whatever he picked would be an awful disaster. There were a couple of films on there he knew he'd like, but he had no idea what Will enjoyed other than the endless array of Disney movies. He wasn't sure he was ready to bare his soul to Will even if it was only the tiny part of his soul that was in charge of things he liked.

So to circumnavigate all of that he chose a horror movie at random.

"Slasher Killer Blood Revenge of the Darkness: 3?" Will questioned.

"That's not what it says," Nico protested.

"It might as well," Will said. He shrugged. "Whatever, I like a good Slasher Killer Blood film."

Nico raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sure it won't be too scary for you, Disney boy?"

"I'll cope. I guess this is standard for you Death boy?"

"I actually starred in one of these once."

Will laughed.

"No you didn't," he said but he didn't sound one hundred per cent sure.

For the first ten minutes Will was annoyingly calm, which Nico took as a challenge. Usually horror films didn't bother him and it would have been a walk in the park but he'd managed to pick a genuinely frightening psychological thriller. Still he refused to break before Solace.

He tried very hard not to grin in triumph when Will paused the movie but Will just went to get another glass of water. Despite his claims he hadn't drunk all that much the night before, Nico thought he might be just a bit hung over.

Though Will was right behind him, though he could hear him moving about in the kitchen, though all he had to do was turn and he'd see him, the second Nico was left alone on the sofa he began to silently panic.

He jumped when Will asked him if he wanted anything and tried to cover it up be reaching for a cushion.

"Nico?"

"Coke."

Neither of them had bothered to open the curtains and the light that tried to sift through the gaps made strange shadows in the corners of the room. Which he was absolutely not concerned about. Not at all. He'd survived hundreds of horror movies that had left Jason, Percy, Leo, even Reyna a wreck.

"Here," Will said handing Nico his coke.

Nico drew his feet up onto the sofa in case there were monsters hiding under it, and took the drink. Will had brought back a thing of m&ms and Nico grabbed a handful as he restarted the film.

He hated that Will seemed so relaxed about everything but then, almost as soon as the movie was playing again, Will jumped. His water went flying, and he bumped into Nico who knocked the m&ms all over the floor. Nico was feeling smug until something on screen leapt out of the shadows and he actually let out a scream that he almost immediately stifled.

Twenty minutes later and Nico was really beginning to regret his choice. He was now sitting close enough to Will to almost be on his lap, though Nico wasn’t sure whether he’d moved closer or Will had. The characters on screen were exploring an abandoned house, like morons, and the music was doing the thing and Nico was trying very hard to maintain his composure because Will was right next to him and –

Will screamed, Nico screamed and somehow they had both grabbed at the other one and Will was so close, his arms around him.

The banging sound that had scared both of them so thoroughly continued and almost at the same time they identified it as the door. Will let go of Nico to run his hands through his hair, laughing nervously and self-depreciatingly. He paused the film, which was actually a relief.

“You’re stronger than you look Neeks,” he commented as he stood to get the door.

Nico managed a small, tight smile and tried to get his heart rate down from the million miles an hour it currently felt like it was doing.

“I’m coming,” Will yelled at the continued banging.

“Five dollars on Octavian complaining about something,” Nico said.

“Done.”

He wrenched open the door, Nico twisted around on the sofa to watch. Instead of Octavian (there went his five dollars) there was a slim guy with curly brown hair. He was kind of like the boy next door version of the model Will had slept with.

“Cecil.”

Cecil came in, eyes immediately clocking onto Nico with a worryingly huge grin.

“I was coming to check on you,” Cecil said sloping over and hauling himself up to sit on the counter.

“You disappeared last night,” he said helping himself to a banana out of the fruit bowl. “And you haven’t been answering your phone. Lou Ellen thought you were dead.”

“But you weren’t concerned?” Will asked.

“Nah I didn’t think anyone could bring themselves to hurt your pretty face. Who’s that?”

“Nico. Nico this is Cecil. We’re friends. It’s unfortunate but we’ve known each other too long to do anything about that now.”

Cecil looked Nico up and down with the trace of a smirk and then glanced back at Will.

“So you’re not dead?”

“Evidently.”

“Did you have fun last night?” Cecil asked with an even bigger grin.

Will fixed him with a look, but if anything Cecil’s smile only got bigger.

“You want me to leave you two in peace? Only it’s Kayla’s birthday thing? You remember?”

Will’s eyes got very wide.

“Oh no.”

“We didn’t think it was like you to forget. That’s why Lou put money on you being dead or at least kidnapped. Drew said distracted, I guess she was closest.”

“Oh god, okay wait there, I’ll be like thirty seconds.”

Will dashed off leaving Nico alone with Cecil. Seconds dragged as Cecil gave Nico another once-over but this one far less friendly.

“So,” Cecil said leaning forward and putting his chin in his hands as he stared at Nico.

“You must be pretty interesting to make Will forget his sister’s party?”

Nico wasn’t sure how to respond to that, or the sudden seriousness and intensity of Cecil. He may have been jokey and teasing around Will, but the second Will had vanished it was like a switch had flipped. Now suddenly scrappy, easy going Cecil seemed almost intimidating.

“I’m not –“ Nico began but he wasn’t sure where he was going to go with that so it was almost a relief when Cecil interrupted him.

“Don’t hurt him,” Cecil said in a low voice. “He’s been through enough. Whatever this is don’t  – I have to say that shirt looks a lot better when it’s the right way round.”

Will, who had come out of his bedroom properly dressed and was responsible for Cecil’s abrupt change in manner, paused only to flip Cecil off before grabbing his keys.

“I’ve got to go,” he told Nico. “Kayla’s my sister. I’ve never missed her birthday, I can’t believe -”

“Well you have one, or was it two, drinks last night." Cecil quipped. "That’s anyone else’s equivalent of a bottle. We’ll tell her you were too hungover –“

“You won’t do anything of the sort,” Will threatened as he pulled Cecil off the counter and towards the door.

“I could tell her the truth.”

“I could murder you in a way that would be undetectable by most forensic specialists.” Will suggested cheerily.

“See you Nico,” he said without changing tone.

And then the door shut and Nico was alone.

He wasn’t scared. He totally wasn’t scared. But he did open all the curtains and turn all the lights on to banish the shadows. Then he microwaved some pizza because he couldn’t be bothered to cook, and put on cartoons because they were fun and light and didn’t involve dungeon-demon-shadow-monsters.

If he kept busy he wouldn’t have to think. So, he cleaned up the m&ms and washed up and washed his bed sheets and managed to stay away from thoughts of Will (and demons) until he ran out of chores.

Will was gay.  And apparently, if his willingness to sleep with some random guy was anything to go by, single. That –

That changed things.

Before he’d viewed Will as completely unattainable. He’d been resigned to another drawn out period of secret longing that would ultimately turn into pain as Will decided to get married and ask Nico to be his best man.

Now –

He didn’t know what to think. His chest felt funny, butterflies were multiplying in his stomach. Will was - and that meant there was a chance - but how could Will ever want someone like Nico? Will was beautiful and perfect and gorgeous and kind and -

He was spiralling. He could feel himself spiralling.

He clenched his fists and told himself not to be stupid. He shouldn’t be falling apart over some guy. Especially not Will.

There were other things to think about. Like Cecil’s very distinct personalities and mild threats, like how he had to figure out what to get Reyna for her birthday next week, like the possibility of demi-gorgon-demon-shadows creeping under the door and murdering him while he slept – no not that last one.

Nico was kind of relieved when Will returned because it forced Nico to confront the fact that they were going to be continuing living with each other and so he really couldn’t spend all his time on edge. It was also getting dark and Nico was afraid. He’d never been afraid of the dark before.

“I spent that entire meal terrified someone was going to sneak up behind me and murder me,” Will admitted as he threw himself down onto the sofa next to Nico.

“I was fine,” Nico lied.

“All the lights are on and you’re watching cartoons.”

“Unrelated.”

“So you’re going to refuse to watch the fluffy and light Tangled with me? Because obviously you don’t need it and you hate Disney.”

“I’ll stay to keep you company,” Nico said magnanimously.

Will smiled in response and Nico’s heart fluttered automatically, even though there was something not quite right about it. Will’s smiles were usually bright as the sun, even the small ones, but this time it didn’t quite meet his eyes.

“Did you make it to Kayla’s thing in time?” Nico asked.

“It had already started. But Kayla wasn’t mad,” he paused, gave a rueful smile. “She should have been.”

Will shrugged and Nico thought his mind was somewhere else.

“You want me to put fluffy and light on, or are you going to do it?” Nico asked trying to cheer him along but he thought his own voice was starting to sound kind of hollow. He didn’t like how worried Will looked.

“I’ll do it in a sec,” Will said. “But there’s actually -”

He took a deep breath. Nico was starting to realise why he was so on edge. Will’s uneasiness was familiar because it was the same uneasiness Percy had shown right before he’d admitted he was proposing. Nico couldn’t take any more bad news. He couldn’t think of what Will could possibly want other than maybe kicking him out, maybe the one-night stand was going to move in instead and –

“I need to ask you something. And I need you to hear me out because it’s a really strange request and I know that but –“

Will stopped and bit his lip.

“Okay I know this sounds crazy,” he said. “But Cecil kind of thinks you were the guy I went home with last night -”

“That actually explains a lot,” Nico said.

Will gave a tired little smile.

“Sorry for whatever he did. The point is –“

“I don’t care” Nico blurted out. “That you slept with him or that he’s a guy or that –“

Will was looking at him strangely now.

“That wasn’t what I was going for,” he said and he looked closer to actually laughing now. “But thanks.”

Nico nodded and had to press his lips together to stop anymore outbursts because if he thought he could delay whatever was coming then he’d keep talking until the sun imploded and the universe died.

“Nico I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for a bit. Please? The other’s all think I slept with you anyway and I swear you’ll never have to meet any of my friends and I’ll keep Cecil away but please can I just tell them we’re dating?”

Will’s words came out in a tumbled rush.

“Nico?”

Nico realised he hadn’t responded. He tried to unglue his mouth, remember how to make his tongue work, how he formed words, figure out what he was going to say because how did he respond to that?

“Okay,” he said.

Next Chapter

#Will Solace #will solace/nico di angelo #Nico Di Angelo #writing #solangelo #fandom #percy jackson and the olympians

[liveshaunted-moved]

jason would have held on tightly when thalia was brought back, everyone giving them the space for them to talk it out, and maybe with annabeth and then, the two deciding they’re the ones to break the news about luke

also, i wonder what would thalia think about the piercing jason got, and he tells it, i got it bc it reminded me of you, to be more like you

jason probably took longer then annabeth to realise luke’s ‘changes’ and accept it not just because he’s technically known luke longer but because he was extremely blinded by it, and extremely refused to believe that luke of all people would do that. he denied it so deeply but at the same time, refuted everything luke afterwards. it was like he believed it but at the same time, he really couldn’t and it was tearing up his heart and head that someone he cared and someone who he thought cared about him would do that.

having jason’s trust, now is a thing to hold onto, because when his memories come back, or even the ghost of a memory / the feelings that come with them - his trust in people is harder to give, and once it’s lost, it’s even harder to gain back. he won’t know why, ever truly know why this happens until he get’s every memory back when he goes to the underworld when he dies. that is when he get’s the full memory of his time at camp half blood, of luke’s betrayals ( he was only told of a few ; NO ONE dared told him luke poisoned thalia’s tree )

the grace siblings both put others before themselves. both would die for their friends, if the occasion arises.

when thalia had come back, the zeus cabin wasn’t as cold and unlived in, as jason had been in there, for the past five years. he had a bed, and put up a headboard to block out his father’s statue as much as possible.

he totally slept next to her for like at least two weeks when she came back to life. it was more of a way to let him KNOW she is truly here and alive and this wasn’t some sick dream.

by the time tlh events come around, with jason w/ his memories all scrambled, he still finds that picture, but he can still only pinpoint his sister who he was next to, even though annabeth is right there - he can’t pick her out, nor can he luke. until a few months later down the track

jason is no stranger to being in the sky, and maybe it’s due to his parentage. in fact he feels at home when he is in the sky, and flying is something that makes him feel at peace. he has been flying since he was four years old. there was a time when he was scared of flying is when he scared thalia about it. but then he got comfortable once he could control it.

he would often, take annabeth on flights when they were younger, and sometimes luke. camp could often find jason flying around when was bored.

*SLAMS FIST DOWN* jason never once blamed grover for thalia’s death, and would often try to tell him this. but jason thinks that grover thinks he was saying it just to be nice, but jason genuinely meant it, every time. jason may have been six when it happened, and some of the people who did ‘blame’ grover for it thought jason just didn’t understand, but jason did, grover’s task was to get them to halfblood hill, he did just that - but jason also knew his sister. his sister would die before she let anything happen to her friends, especially if that monster was after her. jason was the first ever member of groverprotectionsquad! and you can not change my mind

jason has issue’s of abandonment. i’ll write about this a thousand times. his mother, was barley there ( either physically or mentally ), his sister would go to school and he would be home, his father? never there. thalia dying, the border not truly letting him in bc it senses he is not greek. luke, when he does that, annabeth w/ her friendship w/ percy - some part of him was like, she will leave me for him completely, he knew it was irrational but that didn’t stop it. the ‘being taken away’ from chb, then from cj. the memory of the day his mother was going to abandon him.

all of jason’s tattoo’s are more for reminders of people, and those he cared about. they;re for personal reminders, of the love he’s been given, to remember those lost so they never will be forgotten. they also serve as a reminder that he is loved, that people do care about him even when he feels like they don’t, or that they will abandon him

most fears that the children of the big three have are gained when it comes to relation to their parent’s domains due to an experience happening, and jason fully believes himself to be the reason thalia is afraid of heights.

it was just after they had gone on the run, before they meet luke, when jason clutching on so tightly to his older sister’s hand got so scared, he jumped and the winds carried him up and up and up.

he realised what he was doing when thalia had screamed out because he had just lost grip on his sister. luckily enough, jason floated back down and so did thalia landing safely on the ground, as they hovered above the ground for a few minute until thalia could properly place her feet on the ground. jason apologised over and over and over, and didn’t stop until he fell asleep against his sister in a makeshift shelter.

jason would admit but not open. you could ask him, and nine times out of ten, he’d answer ‘yes, i do have a crush on *insert name*’ other times he will just shake his head, and go ‘no.’ even if he did

not saying jason picked up a few things from luke… but he picked up a few things from luke, like… uh how to steal  

anyway, jason totally gets a tattoo to remind him of thalia and, to the shock of everyone, luke too. because luke was a big part of his life. luke was misguided and while jason is still upset over the way luke did things, he at the time of the tattoo being itched into his skin, has forgiven luke. this is like when jason is like twenty three.

he is also the sentimental type and would end up with one for like everyone. like a full on sleeve on his left arm. like there is an owl for annabeth, a pinetree / agesis for thalia, wings for luke, waves for percy, hearts for silena, for piper, corssed hammers for beckndorf, for leo. spear for clarisse

when luke left, someone had too step up to the plate to teach sword lessons, and jason was offered a spot to help, when others couldn’t. and for a while, he was worried. worried that the others would think he would turn like luke did. also, he knows that the on;y reason that some of the kids listened to his lessons, his lessons taught by a 11/12 year old, is because his father is ‘zeus’ and he hated that fact.

he hated it, and preferred to to spar against clarisse because she didn’t care who his father was, and when annabeth & percy get back to camp, with them too.

Every year on his birthday, Jason would be at the Thalia’s tree most of the day. every year, without fail, on thalia’s birthday you would find jason sitting near thalia’s tree. he’d miss his activities. just to sit there, and be there with her - even if she might not know he was there.

jason has a fear of losing those he cares about, or being abandoned, because when thalia does come back, she tells him the story of that day, of how something didn’t sit right. and then, of course, when hera does finally get her claws into jason? he realises that his mother was going to abandon him, that fear he has had since then. honestly, every time thalia went to school, he feared she wouldn’t come back. and boy did that get worse when he did lose her, first to death, then to the hunters. and then, both camps never went looking for him. granted, chb thought he was dead, but no one questioned why his body wasn’t found, they just put it down to a monster getting it.

jason, when nico first arrived was jealous of nico. in the sense that, nico was this ten year old kid who was so full of life, who thought being a demigod and that the gods being real was awesome, and would be fun experience. because, jason never had that. he never knew or thought of the demigod life to be a fun experience. it’s always been monsters and on the run, or holed up at camp, training.

he was jealous of the carefree ease nico had upon learning that those things in his game were real.

jason full on blames hades for what he did to his sister, he doesn’t blame grover despite grover blaming himself. he only blames one person, and one person alone, and that is hades. hades is the reason he lost his sister and he will never get over that fact. but he won’t let this cloud his emotions when ti comes to nico & hazel

jason would have volunteered for the quest given to the hunters & camp, but… he didn’t like the hunters all that much, for trying to lure his sister away, and annabeth. to him, them trying to recruit the girls, was like them trying to tear apart his own little family that he loved and cared about.

it took jason a very long time to accept luke’s betrayal. a lot of time spent alone in his cabin because, well, annabeth went off to her father - and she would have been the one person he would have talked too. so basically, it’s like… he’s six years old again and only talking to luke & annabeth, except, this time non of them are here

people at camp, asking if jason and luke are related, via mortal parent and jason just, accepting it because he is just like, in so much awe of luke. luke who took care of him and helped him and his sister, and annabeth.

jason, feeling sick when people tell him he reminds them of luke after the betrayal because it hurts him. because he use to be so proud of that fact, and now, it’s a tainted thought due to luke’s actions.

cold and unlived in, as jason had been in there, for the past five years. he had a bed, and put up a headboard to block out his father’s statue as much as possible. he totally slept next to her for like at least two weeks when she came back to life. it was more of a way to let him KNOW she is truly here and alive and this wasn’t some sick dream.

while, when sent to camp jupiter, all his memories of camp half blood were erased. his ones of thalia weren’t. so, each time his memories were erased, thalia was always constant in staying in his memories, it’s just that his memories in the camp jupiter period painted thalia as a mortal sibling

upon losing his memory, he lost all the greek he learnt. as in he can no longer speak it as fluently as he could before when he learnt it from being at camp half blood. it was lost. and latin came so much easier to him, this happened both times, and he had to re learn greek again

when jason loves, he loves with all his heart. and not just romantically, but platonically as well. he puts himself fully into his relationships, but he still has trouble opening up about certain things especially with his memory loss.

if you don’t think jason was in on nico being a child of hades you are wrong! he was. he even spent a few days outside of camp trying to find him - but something happened and he almost died and if it weren’t for grover, jason might not have made it back to camp.

jason considers grover a close friend and he does not blame grover at all for thalia’s ‘death’

jason grace is a sap, and everyone knows this. he tries to hide it from others he isn’t close to - but he fucking is a sap

jason likes to spar more against children of war god/dess because they provide a greater challenge to him

upon learning the roman fighting, that sticks to jason. he doesget some of his greek fighting back, but the roman style feels more natural to him

jason’s short term memory ends up being a bit faulty. he’s been knocked in the head so many times, coupled with the twice blessed amnesia. sometimes it can take up to five times repeating something for it too fully sink it. for him to remember the time he needs to be somewhere etc.

when thalia was brought back, the first thing jason ever fucking does once they’re both in the boarder is hug the ever loving shit out of his sister. probably cried too.

and upon losing his memory a second time, i believe that someone would have tried to hide any photos that including jason in them, taking them out of cabin one before jason went in again. because, if someone took his memories, they don’t want to give him a huge shock - doing it under hypnosis is different for the state of mind being dull and luring them out, where as a photo would shock them out.

there are only a few select people that know that jason has lost his memory twice. those include, his sister, the seven, nico, and reyna. other then that, he will only let you know he lost it that one time.

if you think for one minute that jason, after finding out about luke’s betrayal didn’t go to thalia’s tree, and sat there and cried his eyes out, you are wrong. because he did. he didn’t want to burden annabeth, who was going to give living with her father a second chance.

jason, after being able to pass the boarder, sticks to the side of the tree that touches just within the boarder.

he can not be near mr d for too long, because it starts to give mr d an identity crisis, and he tends to switch between both dionysus and bacchus.

jason would class clarisse as a friend or at the lowest, someone he can trust - because, she never changed the way she acted around him, or percy when she finds out who their parents are. that makes him have some respect for her.

there were two reasons why jason never left camp until the battle of manhattan. one being that he felt that he wouldn’t be able to get back in without permission again, and also because chiron feared for jason’s safety if he were to leave, and fear of jason finding out about both camps because as it was, jason should not have been at camp half blood in the first place

Jason, wearing his sister’s jacket and never letting it go. That, besides the tree, are practically the only thing he has left off her.

Him, within the first few months, not sleeping in his cabin but curled up under the tree. Not feeling right unless under the tree, under his sister’s protection.

Desperately clinging to Annabeth and Luke, and going to them when the stares of the other campers get too much. Because either they love him, or they hate him, for who is father is. Not feeling like be belongs because he is roman, not greek but doesn’t realise this until his sixteenth birthday and no choice has been made from him to save the world.

#long post tw #he’s a little sparky with a heart of gold ( jason canons ) #we're standing on the edge of queue

[imgonnabeyourbubblegumwitch]

I Love You, You Pay My Rent: Chapter Three

First Chapter (Prologue)

Previous Chapter (Chapter Two) 

Nico had been living with Will Solace for one and a half weeks. It had been interesting. He got a lot of time to himself since Will was often out, which was good, but Will had also made him watch Big Hero Six which was - actually it wasn't that bad though he'd told Will otherwise. He still thought Will was a complete air-head and was both jealous and scathing of the fact Will didn't do a single thing with his life but he had to admit that despite that Will could be kind of fun. Nico had even been able to cut back his hours at the cafe, since he no longer had to work so much to make his rent. That meant he suddenly had more down-time and not much of an idea of how to fill it. Though in theory this should have been nice, it gave him time to think. And thinking wasn’t much fun at all.

The situation with Will, nice as it was, wasn't going to last forever and he had to start to face big questions. Like what was he going to do with his life? He'd been so focused on survival - firstly rather literal survival, and then trying to make enough money to stay in his crappy apartment with Leo and eat - that he hadn't had time to stop and reflect. Now he had too much time and it was making him remember of all the plans he'd had when he was a teenager, all the things he had wanted to do. They seemed impossible now. It was unlikely he could save up for college even without paying Will anything. Perhaps he should just enjoy the luxury he had with Will and be resigned to the fact he would probably die no more than a high-school dropout who briefly got a lucky break.

That wasn't a particularly happy realisation so he turned on the TV. There was nothing on but it did fill the apartment with some noise. He suddenly thought he got why Will was so insistent on having someone living with him. Nico didn't mind being alone, but the apartment felt lonely, and he didn't like that at all.

The weak part of him wanted Will to come home. He'd even settle for watching one of the films Will had marked as being essential viewing. But Will was out, probably drinking and having a good time with his actual friends, while Nico was stuck at home. His only friends were either travelling across the country with their girlfriend (Leo), or studying at Stanford trying to become a kick-ass laywer with their girlfriend (Jason). Nico was the odd one out in so many ways.

Perhaps Nico should try and find a boyfriend. That was always Jason's suggestion. Since Jason had accidentally found out about his thing for Percy, he had made Nico's happiness his personal mission. Nico usually point blank ignored Jason's suggestions, mostly on principle, but maybe this time Jason had a point. Maybe then he'd be less lonely, and he'd stop focusing on the blue of Will's eyes and the freckles on his nose and shoulders. After all Will was a) technically his landlord, b) probably straight and c) possibly in the clutches of the Drew who was terrifying and beautiful and not someone Nico could ever even hope to contend with.

No matter which way he looked at it, Will was unavailable to him. And that sucked. But he couldn’t let Will turn into another Percy. When Nico fell in love he fell hard, and he’d been hopelessly pining with Percy for years. It had been a living nightmare. He’d have to move on before the observation that Will was beautiful hot became anything more than that.

The programme, though it was useful for filling up empty space, was beginning to grate and Nico was briefly contemplating trying to figure out where the remote was for the tv when he heard a ringing sound that he finally recognised as a doorbell. He and Leo had not had a doorbell. Leo had briefly created a doorbell-like contraption but it had been one of his more unsuccessful projects and after a small domestic fire that had made them public enemy number one on their floor, they both decided anyone wanting their attention could just knock.

Nico remained on the sofa and hoped whoever it was would just go away. Getting up, opening the door, explaining that actually Will wasn't in seemed like too much effort when not answering would get across the exact same message: Will not found, try again later. Then the doorbell rang again and he was irritated enough at their persistence to pick himself up and slope slowly to the door to give them a passive aggressive piece of his mind at how they clearly could not take a hint.

He spent a moment fiddling with the latch and then finally got the door open to find Percy holding up a bottle of wine with a delighted grin on his face.

"Nico!" he said as though Nico was his favourite person in the world. "Knock, knock it's wine o'clock."

Nico looked at him in what he hoped conveyed his complete and utter disgust at that sentence. He glanced at his watch.

"It's two-thirty?"

"And you've only just gotten up?" Percy asked, casting a critical eye over Nico's outfit which made Nico remember with acute embarrassment of the ground swallow me whole type that he was still in his pyjamas and that they were the old batman ones that were falling apart.

"I work nights," Nico answered waspishly. "You remember? You always ask me for discounted drinks?"

"Well anyway you’re up now and I brought you a house warming present," Percy said, holding up the wine again like it was an offering to the gods.

"I don't drink wine."

"Oh well I guess I'll keep it then," Percy said. "It's the thought that counts, right?"

Nico raised an eyebrow, but he finally moved aside a fraction of an inch in a largely unwilling invitation for Percy to come inside. It felt weird inviting someone else into Will’s apartment. He then had to wonder if he'd feel like that if he were inviting his sister inside, or Leo, or Jason. He then decided he didn't want to go down that particular line of thought because it might lead to comparisons between sea-green eyes and bright blue and he wasn't sure which would come out on top, or even which he wanted to come out on top.

It felt even weirder leaving Percy alone in the living room while he went to change his clothes. If inviting someone into Will’s space felt odd it felt even more wrong to leave Percy alone even for a minute or two. Nico thought he might have set a speed changing record, though he did fall over trying to pull up his skinny jeans, and then was back out into the living room to see Percy sitting at the breakfast bar. He looked perfectly happy like he'd been sitting there for days but Nico couldn't be entirely sure he hadn't just been peering in all the cupboards; Percy did seem oddly jittery. But then he’d been acting off outside too so maybe there was something else going on.

"Nice place you got," Percy said. “Though I didn’t know you liked the Kardashians?”

Nico glanced at the TV and shrugged. There was no point trying to explain because Percy had already moved on.

"Glasses?" he asked, gesturing to the wine.

Nico gave him an odd look but handed Percy his mug from the draining board. Percy gave it a slightly suspicious look probably born from Nico's infamous washing up abilities but it either passed some kind of test or he figured the alcohol would kill off any diseases because he poured himself a full mugs worth of wine.

The feeling that there was something not quite right got a little sharper. Percy wasn't usually a huge drinker: Nico was the mess and Percy by comparison was reasonably put together and a paragon of virtue and good life choices.

"Did you want something Percy?" he asked pointedly.

"I was just coming to check how you were doing."

Percy also didn't usually come and check on Nico. Sure, there were the occasional texts and party invitations and requests to come hang out with him and Annabeth and the rest of Percy's gang that Nico usually declined. But in person visits were rare these days. In person visits when it would be just the two of them were avoided at all costs, because almost inevitably one of them would mention something that would jog memories and Nico would remember exactly why he was a high-school dropout working two jobs to survive and Percy was going to graduate college two years late. And those remembrances were never fun. No, interactions between Percy, Nico, and (to lessar extents) Jason were, and should be, carefully mediated.

"Why? Will's not a murderer is he?" Nico asked.

"No of course not, why would you think - did you find out something weird about him? Does he keep photographs of dead people in a drawer or -"

"No," Nico said flatly.

"Oh. Well I guess you're probably alright on the murder front then."

"You were the one who set this up," Nico reminded him. "Shouldn't you know whether he's a murderer or not? He's your friend."

Percy shrugged.

"I don't know him all that well. He's more of a friend of a friend. You know Connor? He's Connor's brother’s friend. Anyway, he always seemed pretty decent. Bit distracted but alright. Still can't complain, right? I've definitely done you a favour here."

Percy’s babbling came to rather an abrupt stop. He sipped the wine like he was dining in a fine restaurant instead of sitting at a breakfast bar drinking a cheap red out of Nico’s zombie mug, and cast his eyes around the apartment contemplatively.

"Wouldn't mind living somewhere like this," he said with an oddly rueful smile. Nico fidgeted a little and wondered if there was a point to all this. He vocalised that thought and Percy stopped looking contemplative to look rueful instead.

"Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you."

He took another sip of wine, then seemed to think and downed half the mug. He closed his eyes, as though that might make talking easier.

"Okay, I need you to be honest about something,"

"Uh-huh," Nico agreed without any enthusiasm at all.  

"Please Neeks, this is really important to me."

Nico groaned, but nodded with less animosity than he'd usually show.

"Get on with it then."

Percy nodded and obviously steeling himself, he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a velvet ring box and for a second Nico felt like time had frozen. And then everything was happening so fast but he couldn't quite figure out what was happening. There was a rushing in his ears and his heart was beating in double time. Percy opened up the box and showed Nico the ring: silver with a bluish green stone that was roughly the colour of Percy's eyes.

"It's not much but it was all I can afford," Percy was saying but Nico was having trouble hearing him, the words kept fading in and out like on an old, untuned radio.

"- Annabeth and I just love her so much Nico."

Right. Of course. Annabeth. How could he have thought, even for a moment, that Percy was proposing to him?

"We're going to graduate this year-"

Percy had been with Annabeth for years now. Of course this was the next step. How had he not seen this coming? He should have prepared himself. He should have known that this would feel like a sledgehammer to his chest, would drag up all those old poisonous feelings of desperate love and hated attraction.

He realised Percy was staring at him.

"Huh?"

"Do you think she'll accept?"

Percy actually seemed worried. Worried that Annabeth would say no, worried about Nico's opinion of their engagement. Nico wanted to scream but he managed a small, unconvincing smile that he hoped Percy would attribute to his purported lack of social skills.

"Of course she'll accept. She's crazy about you," he said.

Percy's face broke out into a huge grin and his shoulders finally relaxed and he seemed far more like his usual self. He did finish off the wine though.

"I don't know how to do it. Maybe to the Empire State? She loves architecture and it was our first date."

Nico nodded along. He wished he could down the rest of the wine without looking crazy.

"Anyway, what I really wanted to ask you was whether you'd be my Best Man?"

"Me?" Nico asked hollowly.

Percy held up a hand quickly to prevent any other protests.

"I'm asking Jason too, so you wouldn't have to do any of the organising, interacting with people, stag-do planning stuff."

"You have so many friends," Nico tried.

"I want it to be you. You and Jason. You were the most important people in my life once but we've kind of drifted apart. Maybe I have an excuse with Jason cos' he's the other side of the country but we live streets apart Neeks and I haven't seen you properly in forever. If I marry Annabeth it will be the start of a new life for us. But I want that new life for my family too. I want you and me to have a new start and a new life. You’re family Nico. I need you to be there with me."

"Did you prewrite that speech?" Nico asked because he was kind of an ass. Then he sighed.

"Sure Percy. But I'm not in charge of the strippers."

Percy burst out laughing.

"I'll tell Jason that's his job."

“And I refuse to do a speech.”

“Noted.”

“And I –“

“I get it, no responsibility whatsoever I promise. Now can you just enjoy the moment?”

Nico couldn’t enjoy the moment but he pretended anyway, and managed to get rid of Percy ten minutes later by acting like he needed to get ready for work. It was a lie - it was actually his day off - but Percy brought it and left in good cheer. Nico shut the door firmly behind him and sank down onto the floor.

He was over Percy. He was. He'd mostly accepted they were never going to be together. The leftover traces of attraction were faint, just enough to make things like answering the door in his pyjamas embarrassing. So why did this hurt so much?

When Will came back, Nico was still slumped on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Will looked down at him but didn’t comment, just went about putting groceries away. Nico sat up then to watch because there hadn’t been any food in the house since he’d moved in and they’d both been living off takeout, so it was weird to now see Will handling fruit even if it was followed by a bottle of tequila and a second label-less bottle of unidentified liquid.

“Don’t drink that one,” Will said gesturing to it.

Nico murmured his acknowledgement of that.

“My best friend is getting married,” Nico commented. He wasn’t usually one for sharing, or small talk, but the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“That sucks,” Will said sympathetically.

“Does it?” Nico asked in some surprise.

“I don’t know,” Will answered. “Does it? You don’t seem super ecstatic about the whole thing.”

“I guess it just dragged up the past. We haven’t been in touch properly for a while. It made me remember – things.”

“Remembering is the worst,” Will agreed. “How about getting drunk instead?”

“I work in a bar. It’s kind of killed my desire to go to them in my free time.”

“We’ll stay in. We can play the mythomagic drinking game.”

“There’s a mythomagic drinking game?” Nico asked, interested despite himself.

“I’m sure we can come up with something.”

Less than a quarter of a bottle of vodka later and Nico was learning that, against all expectations, William Solace was a real light weight. He also sucked at mythomagic though there was a chance because the alcohol had him distracted and surprisingly giggly. Will giggling might have been even more intoxicating than the alcohol, so Nico ended up drinking even more so he could pretend the red of his cheeks was from all the vodka.

"So I'm going to put my Empusa on your Muse."

"You can't do that," Nico said.

"You can't do that in regular mythomagic," Will tried. "This is drinking game mythomagic. Totally different rules."

"Not buying it Solace."

"Not all of us spent all out childhood playing this dumb card game, cut me some slack."

"You never played?" Nico asked, surprised. Maybe his opinion was a little skewed but he'd assumed everyone on the entire planet played mythomagic because it was the world’s greatest game ever, no exceptions.

"Nah," Will said, good naturedly downing the shot Nico shoved towards him in punishment for his rule-breaking. "I was a cool kid. Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh were my thing."

"So cool Solace," Nico said with a grin.

"I want to play you at Pokemon!" Will said. "I bet I'd win then. I had a shiny Arcanine. It was my favourite."

"My favourite is Hades. My sister got him for me -" he cut himself off and frowned: even drunk he never usually ended up talking about Bianca.

Will noticed and pursed his lips.

"I don't like it when you frown," he told Nico very seriously. "We should totally turn that frown upside down. With ice cream maybe. Do you like ice cream? Of course you do everyone likes ice cream!"

"I'm lactose intolerant," Nico lied but broke down giggling at the scandalised look Will gave him.

"I'm kidding. Do we have ice cream?"

It turned out they didn't have ice cream so Will made him put on his jacket and they walked to the ice cream parlour on the corner of their street.

Will had what was possibly the world's biggest sundae and Nico told the server he didn't care what he had as long as it was drowned in chocolate sauce.

"Are you sure you can eat all that?" Nico asked Will, staring at the mountain of ice cream buried under sliced bananas, chocolate sprinkles and a rainbow avalanche of sprinkles.

"Totally. Isn't that chocolate sauce going to make you sick?"

"No way. I'm a pro at this. I used to get sundaes with my dad whenever he was home for the weekend. I've been in training."

Will giggled and stole the cherry from the top of Nico's ice cream. Nico let him. He wasn't a big fruit person.

"My thing with my mum was doughnuts. She loves them. We used to make them into sandwiches."

"I don't know if that sounds disgusting or amazing," Nico commented.

"Amazing. I promise you. I'll make you one one day."

"I'm going to hold you to that Solace," Nico said brandishing his spoon at him in what he hoped was a threatening manner but probably just looked very drunken.

"I promise," Will insisted. "One hundred per cent. But you have to watch all those films on the list."

Nico groaned.

"Come on!" Will protested. "You didn't hate Big Hero Six."

"I really did."

"You are a liar, Nico Di Angelo. And I can't believe you never saw them as a kid? And how has no one corrected this nightmare before now?"

Nico shrugged.

"I guess not everyone is as pushy as you!"

Will pulled a face at him and Nico's stomach rolled. He pushed the ice cream away from him. This was all wrong. He was supposed to be getting over Will, not going on drunken ice cream trips with him.

It was growing dark when they eventually left, and there was a chill in the air. Nico walked close enough to Will to feel the warmth of his arm, and he blamed the alcohol on the giddy feeling that gave him. Either the ice cream had helped dampen down the effects of the vodka, or Will was reaching the contemplative stages of drunkenness, because he was quiet as they walked, eye line distant. He caught Nico watching him and gave a small smile.

"I used to want to work in that building over there," he explained. "I don't know what it actually is but I used to like the way the windows always caught the sun."

"I used to want to study history," Nico admitted. "I don't know what I would have done with it. I had all these stupid, unrealistic plans. I was going to go back to Italy for a few years, I was going to travel the world and set up a mythomagic online duelling tournament and - ” he broke off realising how stupid he sounded.

"You still could?" Will said. "It's not like your reaching retirement Neeks."

Nico just shook his head. They were nearing their building, Nico looked up and found their window. They'd left the lights on and he'd never seen anywhere look more inviting.

"Forget about it," he said. "Let's watch a film."

"Ooh Hercules!" Will said, instantly distracted and Nico felt a little mean for manipulating him.

While Will put the film on, Nico microwaved popcorn. He sat down and put the bowl between them, deliberately distancing himself from Will.

The film was okay but not good enough to stop him sneaking glances at Will. He hated the way his heart thudded when he looked at him. He hated how he thought Will was beautiful. He hated that he'd had so much alcohol and he knew that tomorrow he'd hate himself even more for the hangover.

But it was surprisingly hard to care.

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