Nico leans back against the cold, hard tombstone, too tired to shadow travel again. It takes too much energy, especially after coming back from China. He gave an ironic sort of laugh, of course he'd feel most at home in a cemetery. Not really, he never felt at home anywhere, but at least no one else ever really hangs around cemeteries. He curls up on the dirt ground tucking his arm under his head. He makes a quick mental note to buy himself a blanket and pillow at some point. Gods know he has the money for it. He shuts his eyes, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
He wakes up to a man in a grey uniform flashing a light onto his face. He's dragged roughly onto his feet, "Look there's a homeless shelter two blocks from here. Get out before I have to call the police."
Nico thanks the man, letting himself be dragged out to entrance. The guard points him in the direction of the shelter and Nico starts heading down that way, knowing fully that he was never going to reach the shelter. Not because he didn't want to, but because it would be too selfish of him. The monsters would find him right away, the curse of being a demigod, and they could possibly hurt the mortals. No, his comfort was not nearly as important as the lives of everyone else. But at least he now has enough energy to shadow travel at least once.
He contemplates shadow traveling back to either Camp Jupiter of Camp Half-Blood. He almost wishes for the comfort of a bed but those beds had too many strings attached for his liking. He would have gone down to the Underworld but it was the middle of winter, which meant Persephone was down there. She hated him so the Underworld was completely out of the question. He turns at the next alley, quietly melting into the shadows.
He steps out of the shadows, groaning when he realizes where he is. He's in Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase's shared apartment at three in the morning. He shrugs then, figuring it's better than sleeping against another tombstone. He settles himself on the couch, burying his face into the couch cushions. He knows that tomorrow he'll have to answer a lot of questions but for tonight, all he wants to do is sleep.
He's surprised the next morning when Percy wakes him up, hauling him over to the kitchen table and puts a plate of blue pancakes before him. He takes in Percy's too tired eyes and wonders if the older man has been sleeping. Percy says nothing about Annabeth's absence, instead asking how he likes the pancakes. They're probably the first homemade thing he's had in at least a year but instead he makes a noncommittal noise. Percy smiles anyway.
"So where have you been?" Percy asks because of course he really wants to know why Nico's suddenly decided to crash back into his life.
"Around. Made a few trips to China and Italy." Nico tries to answer with the least amount of information possible.
"Any reason you came here?"
Nico shrugs because other than the obvious reason, he really has no idea. Yes he's still maybe sort of in love with Percy, but he's working on getting over it. He knows Percy doesn't have feelings like that for him. But really he figures he did come here because of Percy. Percy makes him feel safe.
Percy makes Nico swear he'll stay for at least a week and Nico finds himself not minding at all. He's been a wanderer since he was fourteen, but he's quickly finding that staying in one place is kind of nice too. Of course there are some speed bumps, like when Percy catches him drinking one night and he has to try and form a coherent argument while drunk or like when Percy forgets to knock and walks in on Nico in the shower.
Finally after a week, he asks, "Where's Annabeth?"
He watches silently as a flicker of something passes over Percy's face. "We broke up. It was my fault, I mean I just...I was the one who stopped loving her. I don't know when I started seeing her as nothing more than a friend."
Nico doesn't say anything but after another week, he's still camping out on his couch. He's lying wide awake on the couch one night when he hears screaming coming from Percy's room. He pulls out his sword, barging into the room, fully prepared to fight in his pajamas. Instead all he sees is Percy twisting in his sleep, trying to escape whatever hell his mind cooked up for him. Nico lays down his sword and gets closer, gently shaking the sleeping boy. "Perce wake up. It's just a bad dream." But when Percy stares up at him, terror shining in his green eyes, Nico knows it was so much more than just a bad dream. Percy was reliving his time in Tartarus and Nico knows better than most how shitty it was the first time around.
When Percy finally calms down, he's curled around Nico, blushing as he begs the younger boy not to leave him. Even though Nico knows it'll tear his heart apart, he tells Percy he's not going anywhere. So Percy sleeps, one hand loosely curled around the material of Nico's pajama shirt, and Nico lays stiffly on his back wide awake the entire night. But the next morning, Percy looks well rested for the first time in over a month and Nico already knows he'll keeping sleeping with Percy even if it means risking his own sleep in the process. After a week, Percy no longer even has to ask, it's simply a given that they'll sleep together. By the end of that week, Nico's sleeping just as soundly as Percy, his own hand knotted in Percy's shirt. The two of them know that they need each other to sleep and neither quite minds that anymore.
Percy becomes accustomed to Nico cooking them breakfast because all Percy knows how to make is pancakes and Top Ramen and Nico grew tired of it a long time ago. He looks forward to coming home to a nice home cooked dinner again. In a way it reminds him of Annabeth but he knows that somehow this is so much better, but he doesn't understand why yet.
Nico wonders what he should do. He can't stay in the house all day anymore, because that got boring a long time ago. He needs a hobby he decides. But he's impatient, and none of his hobbies last more than a day or two before he moves on. Percy nearly chokes on his morning coffee laughing when he realizes that Nico's latest hobby is origami, which requires effort and patience. That of course only pisses Nico off and he takes it as a challenge. He makes a thousand paper cranes in secret, stashing them under the couch. One day while Percy's out at work, he hangs them all over the living room, eager to see Percy's reaction. He even saves the wish, wanting to give it to Percy. It's the most excited he's been a long time.
Percy has to work late though, he calls Nico to let him know and it kills him to hear the disappointment in Nico's voice.
When Percy finally shuffles into the now shared apartment, he flips on the light surprise shooting through him when he looks around at the colorful display. Cranes in all sizes and colors cascade beautifully throughout the living room, some of the foil ones shining brilliantly in the dim light. He smiles, because for once, Nico stuck with something. His smile only widens when he realizes that Nico is already passed out on the couch. He tiptoes to his room, changing out of his work clothes into something more comfortable before heading towards the kitchen.
He's nearly done making hot chocolate when he hears Nico creep into the small space. He smiles to himself when he doesn't jump, recalling the first time Nico snuck up on him. "They're beautiful you know." He murmurs, thinking still of the origami birds hanging from the ceiling.
"Thank you." Nico replies quietly. The two stand silently as Percy finishes making the drink. "If you make a thousand of them you get a wish supposedly."
Percy pours the drink into two mugs, nodding, "I know. What did you wish for?" He hands Nico one of the mugs telling him not to burn himself.
Nico fingers the handle, "I didn't make a wish, I want...I want you to have it."
Percy stops, completely taken back by the gesture. "Nico..."
"I want you to have it okay? Please just accept it." Nico rushes out, praying that Percy won't be stubborn for once.
Percy nods, "Okay." He turns to Nico, shaking the can of whip cream in his hand before spraying a small mountain on Nico's hot chocolate.
Nico grins, taking a sip of the hot chocolate.
That night is first time Percy has a nightmare in few months. Nico wakes at Percy's first yell. He sits up to see tears running down Percy's cheeks. He rubs the older boy's back gently, "Wake up Percy. You're safe. The dreams aren't real."
It's not long before he wakes in Nico's embrace, all sniffles and tears. And when Nico asks, Percy admits that the nightmare was of Tartarus, of getting trapped in the lowest part of the Underworld. Nico jokes he should use his wish to get rid of the night terrors. And secretly, once Nico falls back asleep, Percy does just that. In the morning, all the cranes are on the ground, leaving both boys confused.
Nico's in shock when he realizes it's summer again. It catches him by surprise, the hot weather smothering him with humidity. Percy proclaims that the only cure is a trip to the beach. He asks Nico if he'd want to see the others, Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, Hazel, and Annabeth. Nico's unsure. There's a reason he left in the first place. He hasn't seen any of them in years, not even his little sister. He used to believe that he was bad luck, Percy's been teaching him that he's wrong. Worry courses through him as he thinks of the little girl he practically abandoned. After a lot of thinking, he nods slightly. Percy smiles grandly at him, sweeping him up into a hug, and Nico hugs him back.
Percy calls up their friends then, inviting them to the beach this weekend and later, he drags Nico to the local super market. Nico frowns the entire trip. Nico only cheers when Percy goes to load pomegranates into their cart, immediately claiming them for his own. Percy's sure he hears the other boy give a maniacal cackle but he simply rolls his eyes, he knows how to get Nico to share.
The day of the beach trip comes faster than either anticipated, and soon they're laying out their towels side by side, waiting for everyone else to show up. They don't have to wait long though, soon Jason and a pregnant Piper appear beside them. Percy's not surprised and Nico has to hide his shock. They both congratulate the couple, asking a multitude of questions. When Percy's not looking, Jason raises an eyebrow at Nico, wondering why the two of them are living together. Nico gives an I-have-no-idea-what-you're-talking-about sort of shrug, hoping the older man will drop it because he has no idea how to explain the fact that he and Percy are so dependent on each other.
Leo arrives next, plopping down on the heated sand, crying out that he missed the beach so much and it's not fair that he works at camp so much.
Frank and Hazel arrive not much longer and Nico swallows nervously, wondering what his sister will say. At first she says nothing to him, greeting everyone else first. It's not till after that she marches up to him and punches Nico so hard that he knows his arm is going to bruise that she hugs him. She makes him swear he'll visit her more before she lets go. Nico can't help but be proud of her, not taking shit from anyone, not even him.
Annabeth is the last to arrive and Nico's the most nervous about her. Because even though Percy said he didn't love her anymore, he could always change his mind. A small part of him laughs, 'it's not like he loves you either way.' She hugs everyone but Percy and Nico, giving both of them a small wave as her other hand plays with the hem of her sleeve, clearly nervous about being in their company. Percy's just glad everyone showed up. After the group had played in the water for awhile, Percy builds a small fire for them to sit around and roast the marshmallows that Nico insisted on bringing.
Annabeth approaches Percy shyly, asking if they can talk. Percy nods. Nico can only watch them walk along the shore, feeling his heart shatter all over again. He shakes his head, realizing he's been staying with Percy for nearly seven months. That's the longest he's ever stayed in his life since Bianca and the Lotus Casino. The thought scares him. He frowns when he realizes his marshmallow is completely charred and stands. He tells the gang he has to go, promising he'll visit them and disappears before anyone can stop him. Hazel is sure she's the only one who saw his eyes wandering to Annabeth and Percy. It's then that she realizes her brother is still very much in love with Percy. Anger courses through her because she figures that either Percy knows and toying with him or he's really oblivious. Both options piss her off.
By the time Percy and Annabeth come back, she's ready to go off on him. Frank barely manages to hold her back, whispering that it's not her business. Annabeth leaves immediately, practically running away from them. Percy just drops into his seat, head in hands. Jason and Piper wonder what happened. The night ends rather awkwardly, everyone sort of shuffling away. Before Hazel leaves she punches Percy, telling him he better find her brother.
Percy rushes home, hoping that Nico will be waiting there. Instead he finds an empty apartment, all of Nico's stuff still there, but devoid of Nico himself. He waits up all night, he knows that without Nico, sleep will turn its back on him.
A week later, after countless rejected IMs and sleepless nights, he finally figures out where Nico is. Really he should have figured it out sooner. He calls in sick to work and summons Mrs. O'Leary, begging the hellhound to take him to Nico. He feels the usual discomfort that accompanies shadow travelling and when he opens his eyes, he's in Nico's room in the Underworld. Nico's passed out on his bed, and Percy sighs, sending the hellhound away before sitting on the edge of Nico's bed. He threads his fingers through Nico's wondering why he'd never told Nico how he felt about him. He wants to join Nico in bed, all of the long sleepless nights finally catching up with him, but he can't risk Nico leaving while he sleeps. Instead he shakes Nico awake.
Nico blinks sleepily at the figure looking down at him. He's surprised that Percy found him, he's even more surprised when he realizes they're holding hands. He manages to fight the blush that threatens to bloom on his face, "What're you doing here?"
Nico tries to pull his hand away from Percy's but Percy holds onto his hand tight. "I'm here for you Nico."
"Why though?" he presses, half hoping that it's because Percy wants him.
"Because...I can show you better than I can tell you." Before Nico can ask what he means, he feels Percy pushing his lips against his own. Nico feels tears prick at his eyes, it's not fair that he's dreaming about something so impossible.
He feels Percy pull back and feels him wiping away his tears, "It's not a dream Nico. I...I really like you...a lot. And I've known I've like you for a while. I'm so sorry that it's taken me this long to tell you this."
Nico keeps shaking his head, scared to believe this is more than a dream because honestly he's wanted this for so long. Percy vows to keep kissing him until he believes it true. He finally believes it when Hades comes in to chase away the son of Poseidon from his domain. Percy manages to get Hades to give him five more minutes, asking Nico to come home, because his apartment is no longer home without the younger boy's presence. Nico blushes and nods slightly, because he couldn't think of anything that would make him happier.