Chapter 1: If Only He Knew

No one was more shocked than Percy was when Nico came out in front of the entire camp. It wasn't a disgusted shock, nor would he say that he was really flattered either though. Percy just went numb after the truth came out, and when Nico ran away it was Annabeth to pull the pieces together for him, the two of them sitting on the bunk in cabin three and the both of them pulling at their hair for being so blind.

"You can't blame yourself for every little aspect of the wars," Annabeth tried to sooth him but when she reached out to touch him all she could think of was the darkness that seemed to be clawing its way out of him. He reminded her of Luke, of what had happened in Tartarus, and worst of all what was about to happen between them.

Percy stared at her in their final moments and smiled the goofy lopsided smile she had grown so annoyed with in the best way. "I just can't believe this is all happening at once," he confided to her, "all the shit we just went through and I find out that the one person who has been covering my ass the entire time is done chasing me. What will I do without him?" taking Annabeth's hand he could feel the tears starting to swell. "What will I do without you?"

Annoyed she shoved his face out of her lap and glared at him, "You act like everyone is leaving you seaweed brain!" but it didn't cheer him up, his eyes were still far too distanced. "Just because we are over doesn't change anything. When did you actually feel like we were a couple anyways? Aside from the first time you kissed me maybe, we have always been friends. Destined to butt heads like siblings and cover each other's backs because regardless of how things end we love each other."

He thought about this for a moment and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling himself back into her lap and closing his eyes; "You're right, but I still don't know what to do with the rest of this mess…"

Break

Nico spent the next two hours hacking away at a dummy with his sword to levitate tension after what he just said. He was so stupid! If he was over Jackson why the hell did he just embarrass himself and Percy, not to mention Annabeth, in front of the entire camp?! Lunging at the dummy he stabbed his black stygian iron sword into its stomach, twisted and yanked to the side sending bit of hay flying everywhere.

"Remind me to never fight you after a love confession," Jason's voice filled the air around him and Nico dropped his sword as though it had been set on fire.

"What are you doing here?" Nico snapped at him, still not sure how to feel about the guy who broke Reyna's heart. "Come to try and brother up to me?"

Jason laughed at that and took the dummy away from Nico before he could go back to massacring it. "Not at all young one," he pated Nico on the top of the head as he passed and Nico shook the remaining hay out of his hair. "I simply want to know how your conscience is holding up."

"I am over eight years old!" Nico yelled at him and balled his fists up at his sides. "And what do you mean my conscience? I'm fine."

Not even noticing it Nico had stabbed his sword into the ground and was killing the grass around it, sinking the blade deeper into the soil and causing Jason to chuckle. "Are you sure about that? Because I don't recall that patch of dirt doing anything to you before. Why keep this all to yourself? I thought we were finally friends."

Huffing out a breath of air Nico yanked his sword from the ground and sheathed it on his back. "I still don't know what you are talking about Jason."

"There we go!" Jason jumped up and clapped Nico on the back, just to the side of his deadly sword, "the closed off and grumpy Nico is back! Much better than the murder everything in sight Nico!"

Groaning Nico shrugged Jason away and turned to a soft knock on one of the wooden posts that lined the fighting arena. Will stood with a nervousness to his stance and Nico laughed at him, ushering the boy into the area with Jason. "This is Will," Nico introduced him and Will stuck his hand out for Jason to shake. "He helped me admit to Percy what I was feeling."

"So, he knew before hand?" Jason asked skeptically letting go of Will's hand.

"Yes," Nico nodded and saw the hurt look on Jason's face. "Not before you though," he rolled his eyes and turned back to Will, "the kid has gay-dar. Then again it helps that he is forward never straight."

Will shuffled next to Nico and moved to punch him in the arm but Nico dodged, "First of all I told you to tell Percy how you feel, not then mask that with another lie you moron! Second thanks for dragging me out of the closet."

Shrugging Nico looked at Jason; "after what I did you really thing people are going to give a shit? Jason is bisexual, I'm gay, your gay, Percy is straight, what is the big deal?"

"The fact that you are in love with a straight guy? Or at least a guy you think is straight."

Jason nodded in agreement with Will and watched as Piper walked in behind Nico.

"I am not in love with Perseus Jackson!" He yelled at them while gripping his hair. Behind him someone grabbed his shoulder and pinned his arms to his sides.

"Oh yes you are," Piper taunted in his ear, "You can't hide something like that from a daughter of Aphrodite. Once you confessed I could see everything clearly, I was already starting to figure it out before then."

"Piper I will put a skeleton in your bed tonight if you don't let this go," Nico warned her but Piper just laughed in his ear and kissed him on the cheek.

"How did I not see how cute you were until all this?" she exclaimed as she let him go and Nico rubbed viciously at his cheek.

"He is a master of creepy vibes," Jason mused and hugged Piper quickly before the three of them turned back to Nico. "Underneath it all he is just the little brat all kids are."

Piper squealed and Nico had to cover his ears just to think. "How long have you liked him?" she asked and pulled Nico to the benches on the sides of the arena. "Was it love at first sight?"

Embarrassed Nico hid his face in Will's shoulder so Piper couldn't see him blush.

"A few years?" he heard Jason snort in the background and groaned, "Okay since I was ten alright! And I'm not answering the second one."

Break

The next night at dinner Percy looked around to find a table frustrated. Since the children of Rome and Camp Half-Blood had basically just become one blob of children with schizophrenic parents the seating had been forced out the window. Granted it still happened that most of the Ares/ Mars kids sat together and so on, but it still made Percy think of everything that happened in the war. His old table, thankfully empty, was home for him still and when he sat down the sound of waves calmed him.

Another tray hitting the table interrupted his soothing ocean sounds and Percy looked up into the dark eyes of Reyna, the Praetor.

He nodded as though he had to give her permission to sit which she simply rolled her eyes at and took the spot across from him anyways.

"Annabeth is helping rebuild New Rome," Reyna started before taking a bit of food off of her plate. When Percy didn't respond she swallowed and tried again. "We are leaving in a few days, are you coming with us?"

"Probably not," Percy tol her, his voice sounding deflated. "Annabeth wants to do all the architecture over there and that's great, but it isn't for me."

"Isn't Annabeth for you though?" she questioned him while they both picked at their food. Percy had lost weight the past few weeks and she took noticed as he moved the foo around on his plate, only taking an occasional bite here and there.

"Annabeth is Annabeth," Percy responded blankly, "if she wants me to go I will, but I have home here."

Reyna coughed and looked over at Annabeth who was laughing with her siblings at their old table, taking brief moments to gaze over at Percy with concern. "Is something going on between you two?" Reyna asked and shoveled food into her mouth hoping it would encourage Percy to eat.

Percy shook his head, "Nothing is going on," he looked over to Annabeth and smiled, "we've never been better," he chuckled and even Reyna could tell that there was more than he was letting on. There was no longing in either of their faces, at least not the longing that Reyna knew was there when she was with Jason.

Eyes widening she dropped her fork and looked back and forth between Percy and Annabeth; "You two broke up," she guessed and Percy smiled at her. A genuine smile that she didn't quite understand.

"We did," he told her and then looked back at Annabeth, waving her over to his table, "a bit ago. It just made sense, you have your best friend that's your lover and your best friend that's your sibling. Annabeth has always been more my sister."

As Annabeth sat down she smiled over to Reyna, quickly realizing that the Roman knew what had happened. "What's going on you two?" she asked cheerfully and messed with Percy's hair.

"Does anyone else know?" Reyna asked and was granted with two blank faces.