A/N: Greetings! So this is my first fanfic (yay!) and I'm feeling pretty good about it! :D My friend challenged me to make a story where Nico and Leo get stuck in the elevator and y'know...romance blooms. :D I completed this at like 1 in the morning so I'm so sorry if there are any grammar mistakes. Anyway...please review - I really want to know how I'm doing - and like, favorite or whatever you do. Enjoy! :)

Nico was in an elevator. Which normally shouldn't be so shocking…except for the fact that this was Nico, who barely came out of the apartment he and Hazel shared…then it was pretty shocking.

Nico had his hands in his aviator jacket, and was counting the tiles on the floor when the elevator slowed to a stop and the door opened.

"Nico! Good to see you back with the living, buddy." Nico looked up and there stood Leo Valdez. Son of Hephaestus, builder of the Argo II. Probably the person who understood Nico the most. Also probably the person Nico hated the most. But that was for a totally different reason than why most people would expect Nico to hate him for.

Nico scowled in his direction as a greeting.

Yeah…Nico wasn't the best at greeting company.

Entering the elevator, Leo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he punched in the number 11.

Leo then turned to face him. "So, what brings you out into the sunshine, Death Boy?" Nico scowled even more – if that was possible.

"Not in the mood Valdez." Leo mocked a pout.

"Oh come on Nico! You can't be 'not in the mood' forever. Now, what is it? No offense, but you don't fit the whole secretary-happy-and-on-the-phone-24/7 thing."

Nico gritted his teeth and managed to spit out, "Well I guess that is going to have to change now, is it?" Nico knew coming here wasn't a good idea. Leo cocked his head and Nico could just hear the swishing of his long, black curls.

"What do you me-"

Creakkkk

The elevator jerked to a stop, causing Nico to crash into Leo. Nico got up so fast though; it was as if he was never thrown on top of Leo. Walking to the farthest part of the elevator he could get away from Leo, he hoped Leo couldn't see him blushing. He knew Leo knew that he was gay (an overheard conversation with Jason had revealed the secret to Leo), but as far as Leo and Jason knew, Nico had just gotten over Percy and had a crush on no one.

Leo recovered quickly too. He straightened up and brushed off nonexistent dust from his clothes. Leo then proceeded to turn around and stare right at Nico.

Nico didn't utter a sound. He looked straight ahead instead, at the elevator doors, silently willing them to open. He wasn't going to let Leo know that all this staring was creeping him out (I mean come on! Nico was the ghost king. He was supposed to be the one creeping people out!). This went on for about 2 minutes. Which surprised Nico – Leo did have serious ADHD. Nonetheless, Nico was getting irritated.

"Well?" He muttered, finally caving in. Leo snapped out of his gaze and looked at Nico with a dazed expression.

"Well what?" It took all of Nico's self-power to not facepalm himself. As if Leo didn't know that the elevator had randomly stopped working and instead of Leo, the mechanic, doing something about it, he opted to stare at Nico instead.

Idiot.

Gesturing wildly at the doors, Nico said, "Well that! Aren't you going to do something about that, Repair Boy?"

Nico stared in bewilderment as Leo actually struck a thinking pose.

"Nah. It's okay, someone will come and get us." Leo walked over the button panel thingy and pressed a big red button, which Nico guessed was specifically for situations like this one. "See?"

"What?! Leo, I have a job interview in 5 minutes." That was his sister's doing…the reason he was even in this dreaded building in the first place. Hazel had convinced Nico to try and live a normal life now that the war was over – if only for a little while. She threatened Nico with taking all of his Mythomagic cards, which he had started collecting again ("It's not a kid's game, Percy!") so naturally, he was forced to agree. Nico had to wake up at 7 AM, – far too early for his liking – almost got run over by a taxi, lost his wallet on the bus here, and had to deal with annoying, perky secretaries. If Nico didn't get to the interview in time, he was going to strangle Valdez.

"Don't worry di Angelo. You'll get there in time…well only if you tell me what the freaking hell is going on with you."

Well.

Nico wasn't expecting that.

"I don't know what-" Nico started but Leo cut him off, taking a step towards him. Leo's face was usually one of mischievousness or contentment. This time, Leo looked dead serious.

"Don't start. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Tell me, what's wrong. Is it me? Why are you constantly avoiding me, dodging every thing I ask you, being so fucking rude-" Nico glared at Leo with such intensity, he shut himself up.

"Is that what this is all about? I'm being mean to you? Do you feel hurt, Valdez?" Nico gave a throaty laugh. "Leo, you have no idea what it means to be hurt. You try having a jerky father, not remembering your own mother, being dropped in a time that isn't your own…" Nico's voice was breaking now. "Losing y-your own sister…a-and then finding out you're gay. You try being s-sent to Tartarus, you try being held captive in a jar with the only thing you have to be survive being pomegranate seeds! It doesn't help that I have a crush on the most annoying, stupid, awkward, caring, a-and beautiful-"

Nico rant was cut short when Leo strode over, closing the distance between them, wrapped his hands around Nico's waist, and planted a kiss onto Nico's lips. Nico froze for a second, before melting into the kiss. He wrapped his hands around Leo's neck and tangled his fingers into Leo's hair. Nico couldn't remember how many times he had wanted to do this…If he had to describe this kiss, all Nico would say was warm…and…good. Like he's finally done something right in his life. All too soon, it ended. Leo broke them apart, and put their foreheads together, breathing heavily.

"I like you too Nico." Leo whispered. That was all Nico needed to hear to become all flustered and blushing like crazy. "You were talking about me earlier right?"

"Yeah." Nico breathed.

"Good, or else this would be a little awkward." Leo grinned. His eyes turned somber when he remembered just what Nico was saying before he started talking about him. "And…I know from personal experience this doesn't help but…I'm sorry all that happened to you." Nico nodded. "But it will get better. And I hope you're not still mad at me?"

"No. I never was. I-I'm sorry. I just…you were just being so Leo all the time making me feel all these damn feelings and I didn't know you were gay-"

"Bisexual. I think. Pretty sure." Leo grinned.

"-and you just made me want to-to…" Nico blushed making Leo laugh.

"I feel you. Well I hope this was worth the job interview?" Nico's eyes widened.

"Shit." Pushing them apart, Nico grabbed Leo's arm to look at his self-made watch.

"Shit." Nico swore again and dropped Leo's arm. Hazel was going to murder him.

Leo grimaced.

"Ah…sorry di Angelo. I should have fixed the elevator instead of getting you into all this…my bad." He said, rubbing his neck. Nico sighed.

"It's okay. Never wanted the job anyway." He shrugged and put his hands in his aviator jacket. He was just worried about what Hazel was going to say. She was so excited for him. And she did find the job and applied for him herself.

"Hazel might kill you though."

"Probably." He agreed with a shrug of his shoulders. Nico looked shyly at Leo. "I guess it was worth it though."

Leo wore his impish grin once more. "You mean I'm worth it." (Goddammit Leo, I'm trying to be romantic) Leo apparently seemed to have some special talent at making Nico blush, because here was Nico blushinghis head off again.

"Shut it Valdez." Nico grabbed hold of Leo's trademark suspenders, and tugged him down, mashing their lips together. Leo shoved Nico against the wall, and before they knew it, they were full-out making out.

They felt the elevator begin to move again, but both paid no attention to it and continued with their display of affection.

Until the door opened.

Leo and Nico sprang apart blushing, like they have just been caught doing something obscene. There stood Piper, Percy, Hazel and a couple of maintenance workers with their wide eyes and open jaws.

Piper was the one who spoke up first. "I called it! About time you guys got together." Winking, she continued. "I got tired of you guys undressing each other in your minds."

"P-Piper!" Leo complained, his face burning up. Piper only laughed in reply. Leo took a glance at Hazel, curious as to how she would react.

His prediction was right.

Hazel was fanning herself vigorously, like she was in Tartarus herself. Percy was a different case though. He looked as if he just witnessed the upbringing of Gaea again. If Leo was 100% unafraid of what they thought of him, he would have laughed at Percy's face. It was priceless!

"Whaa-?!" He gaped. "Ni-Nico a-and Leo?! Together? Wha-?!"

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Did you guys seriously not see this coming?" Percy shook his head aggressively, while Hazel…seemed to be just taking all of this in now.

"What?!" She stormed over to Leo, murder evident in her eyes. "When did this happen Leo? How?!" Hazel then turned to Nico. "And you! Why didn't you tell me this?! How could you even begin to think tha-" Hazel stopped, noticing Nico's scared and downcast expression. Apparently, Leo noticed it as well.

"Hey take it easy okay? Coming out as gay isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world." Hazel's expression softened considerably.

"Oh no. I-I'm sorry Nico. You too Leo. I just…I didn't mean it like that."

Nico's eyes snapped back up at Hazel and glared at her. "Are you sure? You seemed pretty disgusted a few seconds ago." Hazel stepped back, hurt that Nico would say something like that. Nico immediately regretted it, but couldn't find it in himself to say sorry. Piper and Percy stepped into the elevator, coming to the rescue. Things weren't looking so good.

Piper put her hand on Nico's shoulder. In a soothing voice, Piper said, "Nico. You know how Hazel is. She's just protective of the only brother she has. She's probably just a little hurt that you didn't tell her." Nico looked up at Hazel, truly sorry now. He didn't realize that.

Hazel nodded her head.

"That was it. I would never look at you any differently if you were heterosexual, gay, or whatever! I love you Nico, for being you – which includes you being gay – and that's all that matters." Nico surged forward and gave Hazel a hug.

"I'm sorry." Nico murmured into her shoulder.

They broke apart and Hazel huffed. "Don't apologize. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted so…intensely."

"Oh and…" Percy piped up, blushing. "When did this all happen?"

"Uh…" Nico and Leo exchanged glances. "Just right now." Leo answered. "In the elevator."

"Oh."

Leo nodded. "Yeah." Everybody was silent for a few seconds, before a cough erupted from one of the workers who apparently had gotten the elevator to work again. They all turned to look at him.

"So sorry if I'm uh…ruining the moment, but we need to give the elevator a test-run to uh make sure everything's okay." Another round of blushing went around. (Geez, what's going on with all the blushing today?)

Leo got out of the elevator first. "Well. I guess I'll just take my leave. This is my floor anyway."

Before he rounded the corner, he turned around to face them. "Oh and Nico, maybe you should come over to my place sometime and you can show me exactly what you wanted to do to me whenever I gave you those 'damn feelings'." He winked at Nico, then left, leaving the trio in shock (with Nico scarlet red).

And then...

"Leo Valdez, you come back here right now and tell me just what exactly you were implying!"

(Despite Hazel's freaking out, Nico thought he might just take Leo up on that offer someday)