#the first time i wrote this up it got wayyyyy too long (uneccesarily)

[aknosde]

“please let me scream about this I have so much to say about their friendship it’s killing me” SAY ITTT

THEY’RE SIBLINGS okay, they’re siblings!!!

Percy and Nico’s relationship is jumpstarted as soon as Percy comes back from California. Nico is left with two things after Bianca’s death: a power vacuum in his life, and a guardian position open. Although Bianca held both of these roles, they are divvied up amongst two people. A) Minos, who takes the power vacuum to manipulate Nico, and B) Percy, who takes the guardian role, therefore being slotted into Nico’s mind as his older sibling.

Percy feels responsible for Nico in a way he doesn’t any other character and treats Nico differently from every other character except Hazel, who says she sees Percy as an older brother figure. Things Percy does for Nico:

tells Nico that Bianca is dead, even though he is fourteen years old and the responsibility should have fallen to Chiron, Percy assumes it. Feeling responsible for Bianca’s death, he subconsciously puts himself in Bianca’s space. 

Immediately searches for Nico as soon as he runs away. Recruits Annabeth and Grover to help him even though they know Nico less than he does. Follows Nico’s trail all the way to Zeus’ fist (implied to be deep in the forest) and in BoTL it’s suggested he wanted to look more but Grover and Annabeth told him not to

Deliberately claims the prophecy, which he has been running away from, to save Nico from Percy’s fate, despite the protests of both Annabeth and Grover, fully knowing it will get him killed.

Continues to search for Nico in the six months between TTC and BoTL. Spends a large portion of BoTL looking for Nico, including running through the Labyrinth by himself, a very dangerous feat that could have separated him from his friends. 

Percy keeps Nico from being sold to Luke by risking himself and his friends. He makes sure Nico is healthy and safe at the ranch, and is often thinking about Nico’s health. 

Percy and Nico maintain a close relationship after BoTL and well into TLO. It is implied that they meet several times a month. Nico discusses his family and his few memories with Percy, something we do not see him doing with anyone but Hazel, his sister. Which implies that Percy is a member of his family in a way that his other friends (i.e. Jason, Reyna) aren’t. Nico forms a plan to save Percy, even though the plan could also get Percy killed, because he does not want Percy to die via the prophecy. During the Sword of Hades, Percy also checks multiple times to make sure Nico will be happy living in Hades’ Palace. 

Percy continues to trust Nico even after Nico (accidentally) brings him to the underworld as a prisoner of Hades. He trusts Nico to get him out of the palace, not to take advantage of him by the Styx, and to help in battle. At the end of TLO, Percy notes Nico sitting at the foot of Hades’ throne, checking in on him. He also asks Nico to stay at camp and they briefly talk about Nico managing the construction of the Hades cabin. 

The push and pull of their relationship is reminiscent of that of siblings. Their discussion about Nico’s plan is implied to have happened several times, Percy trying to shut it down and Nico persisting. Percy is the most stable fixture in Nico’s life until Nico meets hazel, and most likely until he went missing.

The fact that Nico was out and searching for Percy after he had only been missing three days suggests that they were still talking a lot. And that he was somebody Annabeth associated strongly with Percy since he was contacted so soon. 

When we see Nico in Mark of Athena it is almost entirely from Percy’s perspective. He comments on Nico’s weight and pallor, looking after his health. During the battle with the twin giants he is constantly looking for Nico’s position, and says that although he and Nico have a complicated history that he is relieved to know he is alive. 

Yes, this is all complicated by Nico’s crush, but all of the evidence is still there. Especially from Percy’s perspective, it is clear he sees Nico as a younger sibling. All siblings go through rough patches, which no doubt can be amplified if they are non biological siblings and/or meet under extenuating circumstances. As Mari said, Nico confessing his crush and getting over it left their relationship open for them to get close again. 

(I would also like to say that Sally Jackson, who met Nico at Percy’s fifteenth birthday and no doubt had heard of him before, would not be okay with Nico just running around willy nilly if he didn’t check in with people occasionally. And because he visits Percy and shows up on the fire escape, it’s safe to say Nico spends time at the Jackson house)

#look i said it #the first time i wrote this up it got wayyyyy too long (uneccesarily) #nico di angelo #percy jackson #max.txt #they're siblings your honor #long post #i assume. I'm on desktop right now but its probably long on mobile #day tag #pjo