{I DON'T OWN PERCY JACKSON OR HEROES OF OLYMPUS}

Chapter I

Nico would have thought that going to a coffee shop was just that- going to a coffee shop. Not that he went to coffee shops that often, especially ones like Starbucks but since Hazel insisted on having something he had to go get it for her, she was in a... feeble state right now, he didn't mind much but Hazel seemed embarrassed when she had asked for it, warm drinks helped her during those times. When he entered the warm, loud environment he just wanted to step right back out, too bad he would do just about anything for his sister, it was funny that he preferred the cold, snow storm outside to the warm, clean Starbucks, but he was who he was. As soon as he fully stepped into the Starbucks he began to list off the things he didn't like about it as he stood in the line.

1. He hated the long lines.

2. He hated how it smelled

3. He hated all the people

4. He hated the cheesy Christmas music they played

5. He hated all the huge selection of drinks and all their fancy names

Need the list go on? He could go on and on about how Starbucks was probably his least favorite place in the world, but instead he quietly stood in line and examined the Christmassy desserts in the display case. Cranberry Bliss, how ridiculous, if it was anything it was probably not blissful. The line moved by perhaps an inch as Nico shuffled his feet a bit, shoving his hands into his pocket and fumbling with the paper slip that Hazel had given him for the specific drink that she wanted, he pulled it out and read the slip. Salted Caramel Mocha it read. Nico sighed and shoved the slip back into his pocket and moved up the line, one more person until he was going to order and get out of this gruelling place.

The smell of nutmeg filled his nose, causing him to sneeze, he didn't really like nutmeg either. As Nico stepped up to the cashier someone blessed him.

"Bless you." A voice said, Nico glanced up to see a tall boy- nearly half a foot taller than him with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. "Are you okay?" He smiled his blue eyes not on Nico's face but examining Nico thoroughly. Nico shrugged.

"Yeah." He mumbled and added something else to the list.

6. He hated the perky employees

"What would you-"The boy paused to press a few buttons. "Like to order today?" He stopped and looked up, smiling. Nico's mind fell blank. What was it? He searched for the slip of paper in his pockets, embarrassed and yet it was nowhere to be found.

"Um..." he said stupidly. "I- I don't-"

Blue eyes held up a slip of paper. "Are you looking for this?" He chuckled. Nico blushed and snatched it out of the boy's hand. Blue eyes pursed his lips and smiled. "One salted caramel mocha it is." He said and left the cashier, Nico trailed off to the waiting area and stood there, feeling as if he forgot something, but he couldn't just quite put his finger on it. He had ordered... sort of, and... now he was here. It flashed into his mind, rushed. He had forgotten to pay. He waited for someone to give him his drink but it took a while, when someone finally gave him his drink he picked it up and began to speak. It was blue eyes.

"Hey wait-" He began. "I forgot to pay." He continued, worried, hopefully this wasn't considered theft. Blue eyes smiled with his eyes this time.

"Don't worry about it. It's on me." He said and turned around. "Oh, and look at the cup carefully." He mumbled, walking away, back to the cashier. Nico frowned. Look at the cup carefully? What does that even mean?

Nico sighed and walked out of Starbucks reluctantly, feeling incomplete, he glanced at the cup and tried to look for something special or out of the ordinary, but to his odd dismay, he found nothing. So he decided to take a small sip of it, knowing Hazel wouldn't mind, and he began to cough.

"What is in this poison?" He mumbled to himself, pulling it away and grasping onto it for warmth. The snow blew around his face as he digged into it with his scarf and closed his eyes as he walked back to the small apartment he lived in with Hazel. It wasn't that far from the Starbucks, but it was just tedious to walk in the snow, the soft crunching beneath his feet caused worry, it was so fragile as if he was to fall right through the ground and snow and end up in China.

X-X-X

Nico rushed into the warm building and closed the glass door behind him, hoping not to let any snow in and waved to the doorman and began to walk up the stairs to the apartment, this was a full work out itself. They lived on the 11th floor and frankly, Nico didn't know why an apartment as modern and fancy as this one didn't just install elevators. By the time he was on the 11th floor he was heaving heavy, asthma like breaths and he basically crawled over towards the fourth door on his right, pulled out his key and opened the door and fell forwards onto the ground. It was like this every time.

Hazel rushed up and helped Nico up and gave him a huge hug.

"Thank you so much." She gave him a sweet kiss on his cheek and began sipping the Mocha as she sat down on the couch. Nico dragged himself onto the couch and he let out a large tired breath.

"Were the stairs that tiring this time?" She asked. Nico shook his head.

"Same as always." He paused. "Why do you even drink that stuff by the way, it's horrible." He added.

"No it's not." Hazel said. "It's sweet and warm, it helps me through... you know." She mumbled, implying her period.

"Without it I would be such a bother, seriously." She shivered and curled her feet. "It's so cold today though. Why didn't you get a drink?" Hazel stopped sipping for a moment. Nico sighed.

"I just don't really like Starbucks. Or coffee for that matter, and I absolutely hate nutmeg." He said casually. His mind wandered to blue eyes saying to examine the cup. Hazel looked at Nico.

"Did something happen at Starbucks?" She asked.

"No. Not really, I just met this super perky guy who made your drink; actually he gave it to me because I forgot to pay." Nico paused. "Why do you ask?"

"Because, look at this-" She pointed to the bottom of the Starbucks cup, Nico examined the cup holder with a "s" scribbled on it and then his eyes followed down to the very bottom of the cup where some sharpie scribbling was there. The original message being "Caution the beverage you're about to enjoy is extremely hot" but instead the sharpie scribbled out some of it, leaving a message.

"Caution, you're extremely hot?" Hazel asked again in a curious tone. Nico blushed.

"That's not supposed to be there." He fumbled. So this is what he meant by look at the cup. He let out a frustrated sigh.

"This guy obviously liked you." Hazel had a cheeky grin on her face.

"No way." Nico sighed. "A girl probably made it and he just gave it to me because she was embarrassed or something."

"Well that's good too, that means a girl is into you." Hazel's smile widened. Nico rolled his eyes, his half-sister was horribly rooting for him to get a girlfriend or boyfriend soon, and since she had been with Frank for a while she assumed all relationships were as wonderful as theirs was.

"You're sweet." He ruffled his sister's hair.

Next morning, Nico woke up to an empty Starbucks cup with "Caution, you're extremely hot." on it.