Nico doesn't know why he's attracted to Percy Jackson.

I mean, sure, the man's good looking, but to be honest, he's not the best looking guy out there, and there are plenty attractive men in the world. Some of them are even gay, and a lot of them have godly blood in them. Most half-bloods are hot. But for some reason, Nico doesn't seem to think of anyone else attractive the way he thinks Percy's attractive. Well. Not quite, but he doesn't really want to go there.

But it's not Percy's looks, Nico decides, that is the main reason he likes him. It's definitely part of it, but not the most important.

So what was it? And why Percy?

Why couldn't he have liked someone more fitting to his character, someone less… happy?

Percy was a stupid boy too innocent and naive about the world for his own good. He didn't take things seriously—at least, many of the things he should take seriously are turned into jokes—and Percy was just so… energetic. Even after Tartarus, which should've changed him forever and made him more gloomy, the teenager was still laughing and hugging his friends, chatting with them, happy to be there.

Okay, so maybe happy was a good change from the dark cloud Nico brought around with him like a dog on a leash. But that couldn't be the main reason why Nico liked Percy, because lots of people were happy the way Percy was happy. Well. Not quite, but he doesn't really want to go there.

And Percy was loyal. Maybe not the way Nico was loyal, but Percy gave his heart to everyone who didn't try to kill him, and sometimes gave his heart to them anyway. (Nico, Ethan, Nico when he tried to kill him again, Luke in a way, Nico when he tried to kill him a third time, Nico when he betrayed him again, Nico about a hundred other times.) So maybe that was another factor in why he liked Percy; he kept forgiving Nico. But that was annoying him already—he hated Percy, why couldn't Percy just hate him back? He'd done terrible things to Percy, why didn't he do terrible things to Nico? Why did he keep forgiving Nico and acting like everything was okay with the world again? So it couldn't be the main reason Nico liked him, because he didn't actually like how Percy pretended to understand him. After all, no one understands him, even a little bit. Well. Not quite, but he doesn't really want to go there.

So it couldn't be Percy's personality, or his physical appearance that made Nico attracted to him, but what was it then?

Percy was the best sword-fighter in 300 years, but Nico could beat Percy, given a few days to sleep and store up his energy, and he knew a couple romans who could easily match him. Well. Not quite, but he doesn't really want to go there.

So maybe that was it; maybe Nico was attracted to Percy's power. Percy was, after all, a child of the big three, and there were only three sons of the big three their age and still alive. It made sense that Nico would be attracted by Percy's strength and power, which was so much more than any of the other demigods. Well. Not quite, but he doesn't really want to go there.

Of course, there was always the Bianca factor to look into, and the demigod factor. Percy was the first demigod Nico had ever met, and he had given Nico the whole 'the Greek gods live and one of them is your parent' speech, opened his eyes to this whole new world that he—well, he didn't exactly belong there, but he belonged there more than he belonged in the mortal world. And Bianca had trusted Percy. She had told him to look out for Nico, and told him that he had a good heart in him. There aren't many that Nico could say without a doubt that Bianca would like them. Well. Not quite, but he doesn't really want to go there.

But still, why did Nico have to fall in love with Percy Jackson of all people, and not… not… Well. He doesn't really want to go there.

And yet, he's sort of forced to go there, to think of him, because of all the people who would notice that Nico wasn't at the celebration party, there was only one who would ever actually knock on his cabin door. Nico is sorely tempted to just keep him knocking.

"Come on, Nico, I know you're in there. And I know there's nowhere you can shadow-travel to right now." That makes Nico snort. He could totally just shadow-travel to Italy and stay somewhere there. No way Jason would find him then.

"Nico! Open the door or I will break it down! People are celebrating! Come on, live a little!" That makes Nico snort too. He was the ghost king, for gods' sake, and ghosts were dead. Very much dead.

"Nico!" Jason's tone is warning now, and Nico knows that he will follow through on his threat. With a sigh, he wrenches the door open.

For some reason, Jason looks surprised.

"I—I didn't expect you to actually answer." He manages. Nico glowers at him.

Now that there isn't a door between them, Nico finds himself… going there, that place where he would not go while he was thinking about why he could possibly like Percy. Because to be honest, Jason is hot. At least as hot as Percy. He is good looking, even if his blond hair and electric blue eyes are a stark contrast to Percy's raven dark hair and sea green eyes. And, obviously, Jason is happy right now. And living, the way Percy has that district aura of living around him, opposite to Nico's aura of death.

Jason's smiling at him, a smile that shows that he's glad Nico opened the door, glad that Nico's at least semi-willing to go out of his cabin, and yet also a sort of sad smile, one that shows he's unhappy with the reason he even has to be here, dragging Nico out the door.

Jason barely knew him for longer than a month, and already an understanding has passed through them, one that shows that although Percy will forgive Nico in a heartbeat, Jason will know why forgiveness is even needed. He will also know that if he drags Nico out of his cabin to celebrate, of all things, Nico will scowl at him for a month, because Jason will win whatever fight breaks out, but he will also know that Nico won't actually hate him.

Obviously he's the 'couple of romans who could match Percy Jackson.' He was a powerful son of Zeus. Very powerful child of the big three (and just so happens to be the only other son of the big three not including Percy and Nico himself).

Damn. Nico has a thing for power, doesn't he?

But Jason doesn't have the whole Bianca and demigod thing that Percy has going for him, Nico decides as he and Jason walk slowly to the amphitheatre. Sure, that could be because Bianca's dead now and never met Jason, but Percy had introduced Nico to this world, something Jason could never do now.

Well, Nico amends as Jason drags him to socialise with some 'friends' (and steers clear of Percy for him, thank the gods), maybe Jason could still show him a thing or two about the world. Something new and exciting like the world Percy showed him, a place where Nico belonged.

But who was he kidding? Nico pulls himself back into the world, into reality, as Jason wraps his arm around Piper and kisses her lightly on the lips. Why would Nico even compare Percy and Jason, as if he had a chance with either of them?

Nico is back in his cabin before he even realises he had shadow-traveled, laid back onto his bed and resumed the position he had been in before Jason had knocked on his door.

Why on earth was Nico attracted to Jason Grace?

Inspired by kalakat08's jasico fanfics, I love her jasicos. Got me to start this... Hope it's alright. I rarely write Nico, because although he's one of my favourite characters, he's so complicated and hard to write, characterisation-wise. I mean, for those who've read Mistakes and Making up, you'll see that Nico's view of Percy in this one and in the other one are complete opposites. (well, not quite, but kinda) I get a bit confused sometimes, when it comes to Nico. I feel like I know him, but don't at all at the same time.

Sorry about the tenses in this one, it's a bit wack, but I couldn't figure out how to fix it... Let's just say that Percy is in the past and Jason's in the present? ;)

Tell me what you think about this, CC would be greatly appreciated. I wanna know how you guys see Nico, the difference between our view of him. I still need to figure out what I really think of the boy. Hopefully I'll figure it all out before BoO comes out!