Title: Slow Beginnings – What Couldn't Be More Obvious
Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Disclaimer: I do not own PJatO. Rick Riordan owns it all. I just borrow his characters.
Warnings: There will be sex later on.
Main Paring: Nico/Percy
Side Pairings: Frank/Hazel/Leo, Jason/Reyna, Annabeth/Piper, Reyna/Annabeth/Piper, Thalia/Annabeth, Clariesse/Chris, Malcolm/Katie, Grover/Juniper
Summary: Percy and Leo are brothers. They tell each other everything, even who they're pinning after. Sadly enough, their secret desires don't seem to even notice them…at least not as far as they can tell.
This is dedicated to Takara Phoenix. She's inspired me so much! Even the format of this thing is inspired by her! Thanks for being the best FanFic friend ever!
Slow Beginnings
What Couldn't Be More Obvious
Chapter 1:
Three years had past since the Giant War and things had been, surprisingly, very normal. Percy Jackson had broken up with Annabeth soon after the war because they both agreed neither of them could see their relationship going anywhere. Only days later, Piper had asked out Annabeth and they had been dating happily for three years. Frank and Hazel had gotten together. Leo was still pinning after Hazel (and Frank, but he wouldn't admit to that). Jason and Reyna had gotten together when Percy stepped down as Praetor. That just left Percy single. Which, for the first two years after the giant war, had been something that the son of Poseidon needed. He needed time to heal and get over all the things that had happened. But just in the past year, he had become aware of just how lonely he was.
"Percy?...Percy!"
"Huh? Oh, sorry," Percy said sheepishly as Clarisse chuckled. Nico di Angelo was on the other side of the arena sweaty and shirtless. "I can't help, he's just so…so…so…perfect?"
"Oh for the love of Zeus, you two are ridiculous!" the daughter of Ares said with a snort. "I mean, please! It's so obvious you two like each other!" Sometimes, Clarisse wished she could skin them alive for being so blind.
"He doesn't like me!" Percy said. "He's content being single." He made a moaning sound as Nico winked at a girl on the bleachers. "See? If he liked me he would have winked at me not at her!"
Clarisse shook her head. "Go be lovesick somewhere else," she ordered, pointing with her sword out the arena.
Percy got up and looked at her for a few minutes before walking out to go back to the cabin area.
As soon as Nico noticed that the son of the sea god was gone, he jogged over to Clarisse. "Where'd Perce go?" he asked. He was out of breath and panting, bending over with his hands on his knees.
Clarisse just stared at him.
"What?" the son of Hades asked defensively.
"Nothing," the daughter of Ares said, shaking her head. "He left because I told him to go be lovesick somewhere else. It was getting on my nerves- Not you too, di Angelo! Don't give that kicked puppy look to me! You're the one who won't make a move! It's all your fault you've wasted three perfectly good years. You're the idiot who won't ask him out!"
"He doesn't like me like that!" Nico hissed at her. "And keep your voice down!"
Clarisse laughed. "Oh please. Everyone here sees the way you too look at each other. It's not secret you like him. Sorry to burst your bubble if you thought it was a secret."
Nico glared at her, sinking back into his moody persona. "Well, he doesn't like me."
"Whatever you say," Clarisse said as she walked away to train some younger kids.
Percy walked by the Aphrodite cabin and giggled as he saw Piper kissing Annabeth. Annabeth jumped and pulled away from her girlfriend blushing. Percy waved and Piper gave him an amused look. "Eyes off my girlfriend, Jackson!" she called out. "Yes ma'am!" Percy replied. He smiled at Piper before continuing on his way.
He passed by the Hephaestus cabin and waved to Leo. "Can I come sit with you?" he asked. The son of Vulcan nodded. "What's up?" he asked.
"Same old, same old," the Latino said with a shrug. "Hazel and Frank announced that they're having a baby," he mumbled.
Percy hugged him and rubbed his back soothingly. "I'm sorry, Leo." Percy was the only one that the son of Vulcan had trusted with his secret. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go to New Rome with me to see Jason and Reyna's son, but I guess not, huh?"
Leo shrugged. "Why not? I mean Hector is my godson." Both men made faces at the same time. "Of all the names to choose from, they choose Hector."
Percy nodded and shook his head. "Lucky him they call him Hec. Give them some credit though, Hector was a great warrior."
"I know, I know," Leo said, waving it away. "Are we taking Blackjack?" he asked.
Percy nodded. "Yeah, hope that's okay."
"Man, you know I'm down for a Pegasus ride any day of the week." The Latino grinned as he stood. Percy stood up as well and glanced briefly over toward the arena where Nico and Clarisse were. He turned and walked to the stables.
"Hey Blackjack! Feel up to taking a trip to New Rome?" Percy asked, tousling his Pegasus' mane.
"Anytime, boss! Can we get doughnuts?" the Pegasus asked.
Percy laughed and shook his head. "We'll see."
"Aw! Boss! Same answer every time," he said as the demigod's climbed onto his back. Blackjack took off and Leo laughed. "Feels like I'm king of the world!" he said, arms outstretched.
Percy laughed and turned back to face his friend. "Just don't fall off! I'd hate to have to tell Chiron you became a Leo pancake." Both young men smiled at this.
Two hours later, the two boys were sliding off of Blackjack's back. Their feet landed on a dusty street of New Rome. "Tio! Tio!" Hector Grace said as he ran over to give Leo a hug. Leo picked him up and spun him around. He tousled the boy's hair. Hector Grace was 18 months old. Jason and Reyna had adopted him after he had walked into New Rome one day without any trace of where he had come from and no clues as to whom he belonged to.
Percy walked over to Hector's parents and smiled. "How are you guys doing?" he asked.
Jason shrugged and watched Leo with his son. "Pretty good," he said as he looked over briefly at Percy. "There hasn't been any trouble at all so we've been spending a lot of time with Hector."
Reyna nodded in agreement. "How are Piper and Annabeth?" she asked.
Percy shrugged and smiled, remembering his encounter with the couple earlier that day. "They're doing really well actually."
Reyna made a face. "Did Percy Jackson just use correct grammar?" she teased.
Percy blushed and gave her a slight shove. "Okay, maybe I've been attempting to get better. So what?"
"So what it's a nice change is what," Reyna said with a beautiful smile. "Hazel and Frank are having a baby," she informed the son of Poseidon.
Percy lifted his finger to his lips. "That's a sore subject with Leo so don't mention it around him."
Reyna frowned slightly. "He's still pinning over Hazel?" she asked.
Percy almost added 'and Frank' but he remembered that his friend had trusted him with his secret. So instead he just nodded. "Yeah," he said.
Leo looked over at the three friends and grinned. "We're going on a walk!" he called out. "See you in a bit!" He skipped off with Hector, carrying the toddler on his hip.
"I'm going to go see Frank and Hazel," Percy announced as soon as he couldn't see Leo anymore. He turned and walked to the couple's house a couple blocks away. He knocked on the door and then walked in. No sense in waiting for them to answer.
"Percy!" Hazel shouted as she ran to give him a hug. "How are you? You haven't come see us in months!"
Frank chuckled and hugged the hero also. "Where've you been Perc?" he asked.
"Trying to keep Leo from thinking about you guys," Percy replied. Hazel and Frank knew Leo was sad to be without his friends, they just didn't know Leo liked them.
Hazel shook her head. "I don't understand why he doesn't just come see us more often."
Percy leaned against the wall and looked around the house. Just the same as it was when he was here last. "Leo is just Leo, you know? He's strange, but you've got to love him." The other two nodded in agreement. "So, I've been told you're expecting," he said.
Hazel nodded. "Yeah, I hope it's a boy. I mean, I really hope it's a boy. I'm three months pregnant, Frank and I decided to wait a few months to tell you guys in case something happened, you know?"
Percy understood. "I'm happy for you guys. I can't wait to see what your little munchkin looks like."
Frank stood with his hands in his pockets, smiling his goofy smile. "Well, we're going to have plenty of waiting ahead of us. What about Piper and Annabeth? Last time you were here you told me they were considering adopting a kid."
"They've decided they want something that is their own," Percy replied. "I'm not sure what that means, but I think they went and talked to Athena and Aphrodite the other day, so we'll see what happens."
"That would be so exciting if they had a kid!" Hazel said excitedly. "Just think! Our kids could play together! How great would that be?"
"Amazing," Frank and Percy said at the same time. Their monotonous voices made Hazel scowl and the two guys burst into laughter.
Leo walked past the house playing with Hector and Percy felt his heart drop to his stomach as, for a second, Leo's eyes didn't even look up from his godson as he passed the house. "Hey," he said suddenly. "Can I trust you?" he asked. The couple nodded.
"Of course, Percy. We're always here for you," Frank said sounding a bit worried.
"Well…I'm kind of crushing on Nico big and I was wondering if you had any advice on how to show him I'm interested without really saying it?"
Frank blinked. "You and Di Angelo?" he asked, dumbfounded.
Hazel rolled her eyes. "Just don't avoid him, and yes Frankie. He and Nico are very much crushing on each other.
"He's so not crushing on me," Percy replied. "He avoids me." He used Hazel's advice to make a point.
"Whatever. You two are so blind it's not even funny," Hazel replied.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. They drank coffee and iced tea and caught up on everything that had gone on at the two camps. Percy left as the sun was setting to meet Leo and Blackjack in the stables. He smiled as Leo said goodbye to Hector. The little boy started crying as Leo climbed onto the Pegasus, but by the time they were in the air, Jason was holding his sleeping child.
"How was your day?" Percy asked his friend.
"Pretty great!" the Lation replied. "Hector is a lot of fun. He makes me want a little chico of my own."
The son of Poseidon laughed. "Yeah, seeing all these happy couples makes me want to be one too."
The boys fell silent after that and both fell asleep on the ride back to Camp Half-blood.