Percy sat down across from Nico di Angelo. 'We need to talk.' He said.

Nico looked down at his uneaten plate of food in front of him, then he looked Percy in the eye. 'Did Jason put you up to this? Or was it Annabeth? Maybe Hazel?' He asked with a slight smirk on his face. He was pissed off and he didn't want to talk to Percy freaking Jackson.

Percy pouted and looked at Nico with his endearing –beautiful – puppy dog eyes. 'I came myself. I just thought maybe, if we can get past all the bad blood, that maybe we could be friends. You know, sort stuff out.' He exhaled.

Nico sighed. 'It was Hazel wasn't it.'

Percy sighed too. 'Yeah,' He gave in. 'but I do want to talk, I do want to sort things out.' He continued.

Nico didn't. 'Well, I'm kind of busy today. I can't right now.'

'That's okay.' Percy said. 'We can meet later this week, in a coffee shop or something.'

'Can't you just IM me?' Nico asked, at least he could sort of lie there.

'No. I want to talk to you face to face.' Percy demanded.

Nico made a face.

'Nico, why do you hate me so much?'

'I don't hate you.' Nico said innocently. 'Fine, I'll meet you for coffee tomorrow. Promise.'

Percy agreed a time and place, happy with his achievements then he got up and started walking away. Then he realised that Nico might not actually show up, so before he left he made him swear on the Styx. Nico had grudgingly agreed to, which put a smile on Percy's face and a frown on Nico's.

The next day, Percy walked into the coffee shop, five minutes late, and found Nico sitting by the window watching the rain fall as if he felt sorry for the window being hammered with the water. The kid looked seriously worried and upset.

'Hey.' Percy smiled as he sat down in the booth opposite Nico. There was two cups of coffee on the table, one with Nico's thin pale hands wrapped round it, and one he was now pushing towards Percy.

'I brought you a coffee.' Nico said, his voice hoarse as if he'd been crying.

'Thank you.' Percy told him. He studied Nico's face for a moment. 'What's wrong?' He asked, because the way Nico looked something was clearly wrong.

'Nothing.'

'Are you worried about talking things through?'

Silence.

'yes.' Nico admitted. 'Very.'

'Don't be.' Percy said. Then he laughed. 'I'm scared too.'

'Where do we start?' Nico asked.

'I don't know. But if we're going to actually patch things up we can't have secrets. We tell each other absolutely everything, okay?'

Nico hesitated. 'Okay.'

'Do I need to make you swear on the Styx?' Percy asked, knowing Nico's tendancy to maybe not do as he asked.

'No. I promise. Do I need to make you swear on the Styx?'

'No, I won't keep any secrets.' Percy promised.

Nico looked nervous and like he wasn't going to say anything any time soon so Percy decided to start. 'I want to say sorry. I want to say sorry for all the times I've ignored you and all the horrible things I've caused to happen to you.' He started. He went on to explain how bad he felt and how he would try his best and about the past four years and the rocks they'd had to get over. Percy unloaded everything onto Nico, he told him everything.

When he had finished he took a deep breath. 'That's everything. It feels good to get it off my chest.' Percy breathed. Nico just looked at him, trying to process everything Percy had just said.

After a few minutes of silence, Nico closed his eyes took a deep breath and said, 'We agreed, no secrets right?' He asked then without waiting for an answer, 'I'm gay. And I had a massive crush on you for ages.'

Percy stared at him. He was not expecting that. 'Well, if I'm being honest.' Nico continued. 'I may still have a crush on you.' Then Nico hid his face. 'I'm sorry. Maybe it was better to keep that one as a secret. Forget any of what I said today. Yeah, forget it.'

Nico tried to get up to leave but Percy stopped him. 'Sit.' He demanded. 'I don't care if you're gay Nico. I don't care if you have a crush on me. I care that you're my friend and that you feel as if you can tell me stuff like that. Does anyone else know? That your gay, not about the crush.'

'Only Jason. . . aswell as many various different gods, but they're gods, they don't count because they know everything anyway.'

'True.' Percy mused. 'How come Jason knows?'

Nico looked down 'I don't like to talk about it.'

'You didn't make a move on him did you?'

'Gods Percy, do I look the kinda guy that would make a move on someone like Jason Grace?'

'No. How did he find out then?'

'We, er, ran into Cupid on a quest, while you and Annabeth were ya know.' Nico pointed down and Percy nodded. 'And er, I was forced to admit my feelings. I don't really like to talk about it.'

'Oh.' Percy said. He didn't really know what else to say, so he decided to change the subject. 'Did you see that new marvel movie? The Avengers? Everyones talking about it' Percy said, in need of something to say.

Nico looked relieved that he had changed the subject and he even smiled slightly. 'No. But I used to read the marvel comics when I was little.' He mused. 'When they first came out, my mother used to buy them for me. Bianca hated them, but I loved them.' He carried on.

'The marvel comics came out decades ago' Percy exclaimed the realised 'Oh. . . yeah, never mind, sorry.'

'It's fine.' Nico sighed. 'I don't seem like I'm from the thirties. It all feels like a dream, everything I remember from back then. It doesn't feel like it actually happened. It's weird.' He told Percy. 'I'd like to watch that movie.' He smiled.

'Do you wanna borrow the DVD?' Percy asked. He got up and they walked out the café having finished their coffees. 'Wait, do you know what a DVD is?' He asked.

'Yes Percy, I know what a DVD is. I'm not as out of touch as Hazel is. Anyway, the underworld has a surprisingly big DVD collection.' Nico smiled.

'Is that what you do all day then? Sit and watch DVD's, in a room with a window overlooking punishment?' Percy joked.

Nico looked at him sceptically. 'Sometimes.' Then he laughed. 'It's getting late, I'm going home.' He continued. Then he looked at Percy. 'I . . . erm . . . I enjoyed this. It's nice, having someone to talk to, getting it all off my chest.'

Percy smiled and it lit up his whole face. 'I'd really like to meet up and talk again. Maybe we can be friends.' He said.

'Maybe.' Nico said to no-one in particular and off he went, through the shadows to who knows where.