i know this isn't part three of my usual connico fic trilogy but i've been working on this one for a while and i wanted to post it now, because it's kinda holiday themed. if you thought my previous fics were cheesy... well... i have to write all the fics for this pairing, so i've got a lot of work to do haha.

"I've made a huge mistake," Connor Stoll muttered to himself. He was staring at a fancy cream-colored invitation. Travis and Katie was written in swirly script on the front. It had arrived in his mailbox about a month ago like a bad omen. Connor had gotten by with shoving it in a drawer and pretending it didn't exist. He regretted doing that now.

He thought he'd had time. But no! A week. He had a week before his brother married his long-term girlfriend. A week and no date. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem if he hadn't promised to bring someone. Connor knew Travis already suspected him of lying. Connor had been too vague about his new "significant other" for them to be anything but fictional. And if there was one thing Connor hated the most, it was getting caught lying to his own brother.

Okay, crunch time. Who can I ask? Connor knew a few girls, but none of them would ever agree to be his girlfriend in a million years. Not even if he paid them their weight in gold. Annabeth was one of his best friends and would've been ideal if she A) hadn't known both Stolls since they were kids and B) wasn't already in a committed relationship. Clarisse would kill him before he even got the words out. Silena was devoted to her boyfriend.

Connor ran his fingers through his hair and debated banging his head against the edge of his desk until his skull cracked. Why did he even make that stupid promise in the first place? He remembered being really desperate. Travis had had him backed into a corner.

"I want to believe you," he'd said, "but I don't think you're over it."

"I am! Seriously. If I wasn't over her, would I be dating someone else?"

Everything had snowballed from there. Connor wished he could go back in time to stop himself from ever saying that. He sighed. At about the same moment, his phone buzzed. He panicked for a second, thinking it was Travis. Then he realized it was just an automated reminder to take his laundry out of the washing machine.

Sighing again, Connor headed to the basement. This was his punishment. Connor and Travis had sworn never to lie to each other when they were kids. Everyone else deserved to hear something other than the truth every now and again, but they were different. Playing pranks on each other and cheating at video games were one thing. Lying to each other's faces was another.

The basement hummed with the rumbling of washers and driers. Connor went to transfer his wet clothes to the dryer. He didn't notice that there was another person there until he heard him cough. He jumped and spun around.

Nico di Angelo, holding a plastic laundry basket, was standing right behind him. He looked exhausted, as usual. Most college students looked exhausted, but Nico perfected it. His skin was so pale you could probably go blind if the sun hit it. It brought out the dark circles under his eyes. He wore black jeans that had seen better days, a black hoodie, and a grey t-shirt with a toothpaste stain on the collar. His hair was in perpetual bed-head state. (And there was a lot of it).

"Could you hurry up?" Nico asked. "I want to use that machine."

"Okay, okay. Hold your horses."

Nico put his overflowing laundry basket on the ground. He didn't move. It looked like he was going to hover until Connor finished.

Irritated, Connor pulled the wad of wet clothes out as fast as he could and chucked them into the dryer. "It's all yours, champ," he said as he went to the control panel. As he edged past Nico, he got a strong whiff of coffee. Nico probably snorted it to stay awake.

Connor remembered when Nico hadn't been like this. He'd always been a little bit of an outcast, preferring to play card games instead of talking to people. However, he'd been just another bright and eager freshman once. Now that he was a junior, it was like his soul got sucked out of him.

Percy said it was because of family issues. He wouldn't be specific. Connor had tried his best to reach out. (He'd been Nico's orientation leader). But Nico didn't want anyone to get close to him. He had a single room down the hall from Connor's and, as far as Connor could tell, no one entered or left but Nico. The guy had no friends except for Percy and Annabeth and even then he didn't spend that much time with them.

Connor watched Nico out of the corner of his eye while he loaded the machine. The holes in his jeans were out of control. They were going to fall apart sooner or later. Connor noticed that most of Nico's clothes were black or grey. He had a theory that Nico was a goth, though probably a lazy one.

Nico suddenly lifted his head. "Quit staring at me."

"I'm not staring at you."

Nico snorted and slammed the door of the washing machine shut. "Are you going to pay for your laundry or do I have to wait another ten years?"

Connor realized he'd gotten distracted enough not to swipe his card. He went through the transaction. He was tempted to do it as slowly as possible, but Nico's expression was murderous.

"What's the rush?"

"None of your business."

Jeez, forget I asked. Connor stepped aside so Nico could use the console. He punched the correct buttons on the dryer. "Maybe you should cut down on the caffeine. I bet everything seems slow when your brain is going a hundred miles per hour."

"I thought I told you to mind your damn business."

There was no winning with Nico. Too bad Connor was a glutton for punishment. "You'd sleep better, too. You look like a stiff. No offense."

Nico crossed the room in two strides. Connor found himself pressed against the washer and dryer. The scent of coffee was even stronger than before. It was also pretty clear that Nico hadn't showered in a while. Connor, being used to it, didn't let his nose wrinkle.

"If you don't leave me alone, I'll show what a real stiff looks like. I'll bring you back a souvenir from my cadaver lab."

Connor swallowed. He didn't want to challenge Nico on that. The guy was probably crazy enough to go through with it.

Nico reached around Connor, hit the buttons on the washer, then backed off and grabbed his basket. Connor waited until he'd vanished upstairs before stepping away from the machines. He held in a shudder.

"Creepy," he said out loud. Suddenly, he didn't feel comfortable in the basement anymore. Connor hurried upstairs.

The next morning, Connor's growing sense of dread increased. There were tons of cute girls in his classes, but he doubted any of them would be up for a first date at a wedding. It sent the wrong message. Plus, they would have to travel with him over the break to said wedding.

"Annabeth," Connor asked her on the way to his final exam, "do you happen to have any single friends who would like to get swept off their feet?"

"No."

Connor groaned.

"You could always tell Travis that things didn't work out."

"I'd just be lying to him again. Besides, the whole point of this was that I could hold down another relationship after Miranda."

Annabeth shrugged. "I'm not sure what to tell you. It looks like you'll have to come clean."

"Nooooooooo…."

"Connor, you two make stuff up all the time. He'll probably understand."

"Not this time," Connor said. "He was worried about me."

The bare branches of the trees lined along the walk rattled. All the weather reports were calling for snow. Connor half-hoped that a freak blizzard would block the roads and give him an excuse not to attend the wedding. It would suck not to be there, but it would suck more when Travis and his mom saw him arrive alone.

He didn't get why they were so wrapped around the axle about it. Connor and Miranda had broken up a year ago and he was fine. Sure, he'd been down for the first couple of months. He and Miranda hadn't been crazy in love with each other, but there's always a lurch when a relationship ends, like a train stopping at a station it didn't expect. Connor might have let a few things go. Some grades slipped, some parties were missed, no big deal.

Travis and their mom took it as the great American tragedy. Nothing could convince them that Connor wasn't depressed, still longing after Miranda, and cutting ties with his friends. So Travis had visited. He had called. Connor had lied. It wasn't something he wanted to do; it just sort of happened. For Connor, lying was like breathing. He didn't have to think about it.

Annabeth popped off the top of her coffee. She took a cautious sip. "You know Percy and I will be there, too. We'll back you up if you need it."

"You don't have to do that."

"I don't mind. What are friends for?"

"I wish you could be my fake girlfriend, Annabeth."

She rolled her eyes at him. "No, you wouldn't. I'm more than you can handle."

"Ooh, watch out," Connor said, putting a hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "Vegan guy at twelve o'clock."

Up ahead, a young man was passing out pamphlets to everyone who crossed his path. Connor had gotten three from him already. (Most of the pamphlets had gone on to become bookmarks and scratch paper). Connor tried to steer Annabeth in a different direction.

They were sneaking past when Vegan Guy's attention suddenly honed in on a hunched figure making its way down the path. Connor had no trouble recognizing Nico. There weren't a lot of students who pulled off the "half-dead crow" look that well.

"Excuse me," Vegan Guy said, hopping in front of Nico, pamphlet outstretched. "Have you ever thought about the cruel treatment of animals?"

Both Connor and Annabeth paused. Connor expected Nico to grumble something and keep walking, but he froze. Vegan Guy was still talking about the health benefits of a no-meat, no-dairy diet. Nico's eyes were wide, his jaw locked. If that wasn't a cry for help, Connor didn't know what it was.

Without pausing to think, he walked over. "Hey, Nico! What's up?"

Nico broke out of his trance. He turned to Connor. His mouth opened to say something, but Connor cut him off. He grabbed Nico by the backpack.

"Sorry," Connor told Vegan Guy. "I gotta steal him." To Nico, he added, "Finals going okay?"

Nico resisted for a second. Then he spotted Annabeth and seemed to realize that he was being rescued. "They're fine," he said quietly.

Vegan Guy gave up on Nico and chose another victim who was too late getting her headphones in. Now that the danger had passed, Connor released the backpack. Nico surprised him again by not bolting.

Annabeth waved. "Hi, Nico. Did you have an exam today?"

"Last one." Nico gazed longingly at her coffee cup. Connor wondered how long it would take for Nico to start showing signs of withdrawal.

"What are you doing over break?"

Silence. After a long pause, Nico finally said, "I don't know. The house is being remodeled and we won't be able to move back in for a couple weeks."

"Is there anyone you can stay with?"

"We're supposed to stay at my grandfather's." Nico let out a heavy sigh.

Connor was enjoying listening in on the conversation. Last night must have been an outlier. Nico was a lot calmer without a double shot of espresso in his system. The undercurrent of anger was still there, but subdued. Now he seemed more depressed than anything. It didn't feel like an improvement.

"You don't sound happy about it," Annabeth observed.

Nico shook his head. "It's nothing. I'll figure something out."

He left before Connor or Annabeth could reply. They watched Nico shuffling along for a minute, then continued on their way. Annabeth held her cup against her lips.

"I'm worried about him," she said. "That's the first time he's talked to me in weeks."

"I hardly even see him and I live down the hall from him. I think it's just Nico being Nico." Connor waved a hand. "It's exam time. He's probably stressed out."

"You're right. I just can't help thinking about what happened…"

"What did happen, by the way? I'm kind of out of the loop on that one."

Annabeth winced. "I don't want to say. That's his business. Not really my story to tell."

Connor huffed. It wasn't as if Nico would ever tell him. What was the big secret anyway? Had Nico snapped and murdered someone, and Percy and Annabeth were covering for him? Did Nico rob someone's grave?

"You should be thinking about what you're going to say to Travis," Annabeth said. "You're going home the day after tomorrow. Even if you were going to get a date the old fashioned way, that's not enough time. Anyway, you already know how I feel about your stupid plan."

It was Connor's turn to wince. He tilted his head back, watching the sky for a hint of snow.

"There's got to be something you can do to help me."

Connor thought he'd imagined it at first, but no—that really was Nico di Angelo's voice outside his door. He hadn't been able to catch the first sentence, but now that he'd taken his earbuds out, he heard Nico's voice clear as bell. He sounded distressed.

Should I? Nico's footsteps were getting fainter. He wouldn't notice if Connor's door opened a crack, surely? Connor got up and peeked outside. Nico was standing at his own door now, but he was being loud enough that Connor could still understand what he was saying.

"I know it's last minute… yes." Deep sigh. "Okay. I'm sorry. Thanks."

Nico took his phone away from his ear and ended his call. He stuffed it into his pocket, then knocked his head against his door. Connor leaned farther into the hallway. Nico was motionless. He didn't seem interested in going into his room.

The plot thickens, Connor thought. He remembered what Nico had said earlier. Was it possible that he had nowhere to go for winter break? It was already too late to apply for break housing. Nico's life was looking more and more like a long bus ride to Hell. Nothing must go right for the guy. Why else would he always be so gloomy?

Connor opened his door the rest of the way. "Nico?"

Nico lifted his head. His expression was blank. "Oh," he said, "it's you. Leave me alone. I'm not in a good mood."

"I can see that." Connor walked toward him. "I happened to overhear—"

"What is so hard about not sticking your nose in other people's lives?"

Connor pressed his hand to his chest. "I'm a social creature. It sounds like you've got a problem and I want to help. Come on, you can trust me. I was your OL."

"You made shit up about campus every chance you got. Some of the stupid kids actually believed they'd be cursed if they stepped on the discolored brick in front of the library."

"I didn't make that up. That's a sacred university tradition."

Nico fished his key out of his other pocket and moved to unlock his door. He fumbled it. It hit the floor with a jingle. Connor, seeing his chance, swooped in and grabbed them before Nico could. Nico glared like he wanted Connor to burst into flames.

"I know you don't want my opinion, but if you don't have a place to stay, then you should tell someone. Percy or Annabeth would help you out. They're your friends, right?"

"I have a place to stay," Nico insisted. "I'm just choosing not to." He made a lunge for the key.

Connor held it out of reach. "Why not?"

"How many ways can I say 'none of your business'? Give me back my key!"

He wasn't getting anywhere. Connor handed back Nico's lanyard. "Fine. Whatever then."

Connor headed back to his room in a funk. I tried. He doesn't want help. He didn't even say thank you for saving him from Vegan Guy. Connor slumped back into his desk chair. Nico could just suck it up and stay at his grandfather's. If he really didn't want to go, he could've gone home with Percy. Although, that wouldn't really work, because both Percy and Annabeth were going to Travis's wedding.

The wedding.

Connor stood up so fast he banged both knees on his desk. He'd just had a crazy, horrible idea. Normally he wouldn't even have considered it. He would've laughed it off and never spoken of it. But his back was against the wall. There were no more options.

He ran to Nico's door. Connor banged his fist on it as hard as he could. Nico didn't answer. Connor kept knocking. One of their neighbors stuck their head out to yell at him for being noisy.

"Sorry, it's urgent," Connor said, continuing to knock.

"I don't care. Just fucking text him or something."

Connor didn't have Nico's number. He knocked a little softer. His knuckles were starting to hurt. After what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened. Thank God Nico was short, otherwise Connor would've rapped him in the forehead.

"What?" Nico snarled.

"Can I come in?"

"No."

Connor stuck as much of his arm as he could through the door before Nico closed it. He didn't realize how much force Nico had put behind his swing.

"Jesus Christ! Ow!"

"That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't done that."

"Listen, just hear me out. I know how to get you out of going to your grandfather's for winter break."

"No. Whatever you came up with is probably awful."

"You're right, it is, but neither of us has a choice."

"What are you talking about?"

Connor tried to push the door open with his shoulder. He could feel Nico fighting him. He ignored the pain in his arm and pressed harder. "Percy, Annabeth, and I are going to my place for my brother's wedding. You could come, too. As a plus one."

"Why would I want to go to your brother's wedding?"

"Like I said, you don't have to go to your grandpa's. Your mom would understand why you wouldn't be coming home."

The pressure lifted slightly. "And after the wedding's over? They usually don't last a month. Besides, I wasn't even invited. There wouldn't be room for me."

"That's the best part." Connor cleared his throat. This was going to be difficult. "You'd be… my plus one. Everyone's allowed to bring one guest and I'm kind of expected to have one…"

"When you say 'plus one'," Nico said slowly, "you mean a date."

"Basically."

"Fuck you." Nico forced Connor's arm out of his room and slammed the door.

"Nico!" Connor knocked a few more times. "It's not an actual date! I'm just asking you to pretend—damn it."