[DISCLAIMER] I don't own PJO.

"What's this Nico?" Annabeth asked, her voice motherly and her hands on her hips. Nico looked at her sheepishly before turning to glare at Percy, who just smirked from his position at the door to Nico's cabin.

"Don't look at him, look at me!" Annabeth spat fiercely, Nico looked at her sheepishly again it had not been in his schedule for the day to have to listen to her rant. Not that he kept a schedule, that was Annabeth, who had in fact penciled it in.

"So what are these Nico?" Annabeth asked yet again holding her hand up, Nico scowled. Percy continued to smirk from the door way, it was his fault Nico got caught, and Nico knew it.

"Cigarettes, I think." Nico said opting to play innocent, if he looked any more sheepish he would be covered in wool. Annabeth nodded her head once quickly, she had expected this and planned for it.

"Who's are they?" she asked bluntly, ignoring the want-to-be farm animal look radiating from the teen in front of her. Nico took a moment to ponder the question, he even scratched his chin in thought. It was his best impression of somone deep in thought. Percy was surpressing chuckles, he had endured his many arguments and fights with Annabeth and knew what it was like.

"Where'd you find them?" Nico asked his innocent facade firmly in place, Annabeth smiled her trap was sprung. Percy shook his head at Nico, silent chuckles going through him.

"In front of your cabin actually." she informed him putting extra emphasis on the 'your'. Nico moved to pull the front of his shirt away from where it clutched desperately to his neck, but manage to turn the move into a chin scratch of thought. Percy snorted and Annabeth shushed him.

"So someone's been littering in front of my cabin, huh?" Nico asked, fake indignation lining his words, Annabeth looked at him dubiously. Percy covered his face, he was enjoying the scene in front of him.

"I don't think so." Annabeth said tersely "It's a full pack, and it was on the windowsill." she added smirking as his face changed to a mask of confusion. Nico shook his head taking a step backward, Percy threw his head back in silent laughter.

"Th-those aren't mine." Nico said, recovering slightly from his confusion. Annabeth grinned as Nico fell into yet another trap. Percy snorted only to recieve a glare from both Nico and Annabeth, he shrugged his shoulders and refused to meet their eyes.

"I never said they were." Annabeth stated as she pushed some stray hair behind her ear. Percy muttered something that sounded an awful lot like 'checkmate', Annabeth smirked. Nico had taken a good moment to evalute his situation and form a reply, sadly it was a good moment he did not have to spare.

"You were implying it." he said defensively, Annabeth looked at him appraisingly, a suitable response forming in her mind. Percy was looking at his watch, she was going to go in for the kill soon and he could sense it. He however did not mind, after this scheduled event in Annabeth's schedule was her one hour of self-allotted 'free time' for the day and he hoped to be occupying that 'free time'.

"I was simply stating it." she said, her tone reminiscent of a lawyer "Sounds more like a guilty conscience to me." she added casualy to Percy who grined, 'It's nice to be out of the line of fire.' Percy thought to himself.

"Those can't be mine!" Nico almost shouted, he ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. Annabeth was surprised by his sudden outburst but covered it quickly, Percy just snorted.

"Why can't they be yours?" Annabeth asked bluntly, putting extra emphasis on the 'can't'. Nico winced slightly realizing his counterproductive wording. Percy's grin of anticipation was ignored by Annabeth but Nico found it very distracting, in an offensive 'Oh, look a bug. Lets go squash it.' kind of way.

"Well, because I don't smoke cigarettes." Nico said as honestly as he could manage but withered under Annabeth's stern gaze, it had sounded like a lie even to himself. Percy knew it was a lie but said nothing, and had said nothing to Annabeth about it. She had found out on her own through the clever use of observance and deductive reasoning, she had yet to catch him in the act though.

"Why do you always smell like cigarettes then?" Annabeth asked laying the foundation for her accusation. Nico was unsure of how to answer, Percy held up one finger.

"And why do you all of a sudden carry a lighter?" she continued brefore he could form a response, the structure of her accusation was beginning to take it's form. Nico gulped before wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, Percy held up two fingers now.

"W-" Nico started but was cut off by Annabeth saying "And where is it you disappear to all the time?" Nico scowled his 'breaktimes' were not numerous but had grown more frequent recently. Percy held up three fingers now, Nico glared at him, Percy pantomimed getting his throat slit.

"Those can't be mine because," Nico paused for dramatic effect "mine are right here!" said pulling a pack identical to the one clutched in Annabeth's hand from an inner pocket of his aviator had expected a gasp, or at least some sort of surprise, Annabeth however nodded her head as if agreeing with him. Percy shook his head sadly at Nico's defeat.

"They aren't." Annabeth said seriously, before proceeding to lecture him about the dangers of tobacco. Sometime after Emphazema but during Cancer Percy was getting antsy. His eyes strayed to his watch continuouslly but he was shushed by Annabeth whenever he interupted. Twenty minutes later Annabeth's lecture was still running full speed ahead through one of Nico's ears and out the other. Percy was still debating on rather or not he should give up on his hope of some free time with Annabeth due to the lecture. Finally Nico had had enough, he would rather be dead than listen to this lecture. An insane plan ran through his mind, so insane it just might work. He pulled a cigarette from his pack and his lighter from his pocket, then he lit the cigarette inhaling the flavorful smoke. Annabeth was stopped dead in her tracks, she opened and closed her mouth once, then twice, and then a third time, before she had regained composure. Percy laughed outright Annabeth wasn't usually caught off guard but when it happened, it really happened.

"Haven't you been listening to how bad those are for you?" she asked vehemently "They'll kill you one day!" she added for extra emphasis. Nico rolled his eyes, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing it out in a liesurely manner.

"That's only if a monster doesn't first." he said calmly taking another drag off his cigarette "And frankly I don't care." he added just as calmly. Annabeth was speechless, Percy was enjoying himself. if possible, more than before.

"Did you really go buy a pack of cigarettes just so you could catch him?" Percy asked from his place at the door unable to keep his two cents to himself, Annabeth scowled in his direction and he visibly withered, Nico looked somewhat confused.

"You didn't sell me out?" he asked Percy, when Annabeth turned to scowl at Nico, Percy quickly shook his head negatively but stopped when she turned to him.

"That's really sneaky and underhanded, Annabeth." Nico said in his best lecture voice, Annabeth gulped, Percy was smiling broadly. Nico took another drag off his cigarette formulating his next verbal attack, before it was even half-finished Annabeth had abruptly stood and left the cabin muttering something about 'a waste of free time', Percy rushed to catch up with her.

"That went better than I thought it would." Nico said absently finishing his cigarette before dropping it into an old empty Vanilla Coke can and stretching out lazily on his bunk.

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