Spoiler alert: DON'T READ if you haven't finished reading House of Hades.

After finishing HoH, I was like, "Welp, I'm writing a fanfic on Nico." The time has come!

This takes place after everyone is reunited on the Argo II. Technically AU, but whatevs. Enjoy C:

Percy Jackson was absolute torture, Nico decided.

"You should really think about cutting your hair, Nico," Percy had announced, running his fingers through Nico's hair. Well, it had probably been more like a friendly ruffle on his head, but that wasn't what it felt like to Nico.

"Why?" Nico had asked, ignoring the shiver that ran across his skin at Percy's touch. No. He was always cold. Shivers were normal for normal people, at least.

Percy shrugged. "I dunno. When you're fighting, it gets in your face. Least, that's how it is for me." He winked. "And the girls seem to like it cropped, too."

Yep, definitely torture. Not enough to prefer Tartarus, but pretty close.

Nico stood. "Nice idea, but no thanks. I can see just fine in fights, and I'm not trying to impress any girl."

Percy smirked, and Nico felt his stomach fill with dread. "Come on!," Percy laughed. "Who is she?"

Scowling, Nico said, a little too quickly, "Nobody!"

"I know a lie when I see one! You can trust me, I won't say a thing." His grin slipped a little. "Is it Annabeth?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "No, it's not Annabeth! I don't like any girls!" And with that, he stood and walked away, his face in his palm and his pale cheeks flaming. Nice job, di Angelo, he thought. Real smooth. You could've lied, you know.

But to blatantly lie to Percy Jackson was a difficult task.

Well, now he practically knows you're gay! Great. He probably suspects you have the hots for him too-

"It was just a stupid crush! I was young, and confused!" Nico hissed under his breath.

You still are young and confused. And that crush hasn't gone away.

...

It was one o'clock in the morning, and with no bedroom to sleep in, Nico found himself on the deck of the Argo II. The ship's machinery hummed as it drifted through the night sky. Up high, the soft wind was cool and the air was sweet. Nico cursed Cupid; why had Jason have to be there? What if it had been Percy with him when he confessed, and he had been forced to spit out the truth to him as well?

"I had a crush on Percy."

The words still left a bad taste in his mouth, and he wished there was some sort of magic rewind button that would erase the confession from his and Jason's minds forever. Maybe even erase the crush itself, too. Wasn't there at least one god that specialized in that sort of thing? Nico scourged his mind for a deity or spirit, but came up with nothing related to getting over a crush you have no chance with.

"Ugh," he muttered, leaning over the edge, "why is everything so complicated?"

"What's complicated?" Percy (of course it was Percy; why wouldn't it be?) chirped from behind him. Nico stiffened. It was rare occasion; no one was ever very successful in sneaking up on him. Slowly, Nico turned to Percy and met his sea green eyes.

"Why would you wanna know?" Nico spat, perhaps too harshly.

Percy shrugged. "Curious? I don't know. I couldn't sleep either, so... here I am."

After a long stare, Nico turned back to the sky. "Whatever."

A moment later, Percy was next to Nico, observing the stars. "Hey, I know you've had a pretty bad life so far, not just a complicated one."

Nico snorted, "Hasn't every Half-Blood?"

Percy shook his head. "No, no, a tragic life. That's what I meant."

"We've all lived one. We've suffered from our own losses, and from watching others suffer."

"Yeah, but your family-"

Clenching his fists, Nico grit his teeth together. "Look, I really don't want to talk about it."

Percy visibly flinched. This side of Nico never failed to remind him that this young, scrawny boy was still a son of Hades. He hastily replied, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

In that single moment, the floodgates came crashing down and out came everything Nico had bottled up in his chest for years.

"Do you actually know how I feel?" he hissed, whirling around. "Do you?!" Percy opened his mouth to answer but Nico interrupted him before he could speak. "No, you don't. You say that you know how I feel, but really, you don't know even close, Jackson. You have a mom and a stepdad, and you're the son of Poseidon. Hades isn't much of a dad. My mom's dead. Bianca's dead. Y-you have control over the seas and water and can talk to horses. Me? I'm the zombie kid! You and Annabeth have each other, and… and…"

He was shaking, eyes wide and black, fingers clenching and unclenching. Furious tears formed at the corners of his eyes, but he blinked them back before they fell.

Percy opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He cleared his throat. "Uh, Nico?"

"What?!" The boy had trembling hands and runny nose. Quickly, Nico wiped the snot away and looked down, praying his eyes didn't seem too puffy. Percy put a hand on shaking shoulder and looked at him with genuine concern.

"If you don't want to talk to me that badly, why don't you just walk away, or shadow travel?"

Nico was leaning over the edge again, silent. Percy gazed back at the sky. "I guess I get it. You don't want to be alone."

"You could say that," Nico huffed, still not looking back at the other boy. He nonchalantly rubbed his nose with his sleeve.

Percy bit his lip. "I, uh, I remember you saying you didn't like Annabeth before. But just now, you said you were jealous of me."

Nico sighed. "I never said the last part. What I meant is that I'm jealous of the relationship you and Annabeth have." Is that enough for you? Or are there any other things I need to blurt out? Oh, what about that I've have a crush on you since I was ten? "I'm jealous that you both have each other. I don't really have anybody."

He felt Percy Jackson's warm hand ruffle his hair once more. "Cheer up," Percy said. "You have Hazel! She's still your sister. I guess Coach Hedge can be sort of a father, if you don't have high standards. Zombie kid? More like Zombie Lord! What's cooler than that?" Nico was smiling softly now. Percy gazed back out into the ocean. "And you have us. All of us. Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Piper, Jason, Leo, Hedge."

"What about y-"

Percy smirked. "Of course, I save the best for last." His expression faded into a warmer one that reminded Percy of his mom's blue chocolate chip cookies. "We're here for you, Nico."

Wringing his hands, Nico sighed in contentment. "Thanks Percy. I… I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but it was nice talking with you."

"And with you." Percy yawned. "I think I'm gonna get some shut eye. See you in the morning."

Nico listened to the footsteps fade. With only the wind for company, the son of Hades was left alone to his thoughts.

Maybe... maybe Percy Jackson wasn't absolute torture after all.

Feel free to leave a review! :)

By the way, the art is done by Viria. Give her a Google, she has a lot of talent!