The Ring

Or, Why Nico di Angelo Wears His Ring on His Pointer Finger

Sorry, guys. Here I am publishing this tiny little one-shot instead of working on my other stuff. I promise I'll get back to it soon. But for now, here's Nico and Percy.

(I still can't believe this is actually canon now!)

Set between TLO and TLH.

Joy was an uncommon feeling for Nico di Angelo.

And for someone who'd spent most of his life being lonely and not quite complete, it wasn't too surprising. But the feeling that Nico got in the pit of his stomach—butterflies, if he dared to call it—when he just walked next to Percy Jackson had to be joy.

They were walking down the busy streets of Manhattan, in search of something interesting, perhaps monsters. Nico had accidentally shadow-traveled to Percy's apartment—it seemed to be happening much more often as of late—and before he could leave, Percy had persuaded him to stay and had somehow persuaded him to take a walk with him around town.

It was almost noon, and the sun shone bright in the center of the sky. The city lights were just flickering on for the night.

They walked for a couple blocks, Nico more than a little nervous. He fingered the ring on his left ring finger. The heavy skull ring on Nico's finger was a gift from his father Hades, which with one twist would turn into a full-fledged Stygian Iron blade.

Percy stared at the skull ring. "You know, you should wear that on your pointer finger, not your ring finger."

Nico blinked. "Why?"

"If you ever decide to marry a girl, it might look like a bad omen."

Nico blinked twice more. "An omen of death?" he said wryly.

"Yes."

"What if I never marry?"

"Annabeth's available," suggested Percy.

Nico gave him a bizarre look. "Yeah, right. Like she wouldn't break my neck if I got within 3 feet of her."

Percy chuckled, a low throaty sound that made Nico's stomach flip-flop almost painfully. "Hey, want to go to McDonald's for lunch? For old times' sake?"

Nico laughed. Like actually laughed. "Only if I get a Happy Meal."

"I'll pay, so don't worry. Pick whatever you want." Percy smiled down at him.

He was sixteen, and Nico was fourteen. There was a whole two years difference between them. Nico smiled half-heartedly. Why torture himself like this? Why couldn't he stay away? Why was Nico so determined in his heart to forgive Percy? And why was Percy so determined to make Nico feel better about himself?

Nico shook his head in amazement.

Percy misunderstood. "Or you can get a Happy Meal if it makes you feel better," he said.

Nico shook his head again. "No, I'll be fine with a Happy Meal, thank you."

Percy grinned at him then, and Nico wished it were only for him. Whenever Percy Jackson was around, everything around him seemed to fade out. Even now, the bright lights of New York seemed to fade away into the background. In the corner of his mind, he registered the bright neon light of the M in McDonalds.

Nico was so, so screwed.

"Shall we?" Percy was saying.

Nico blinked. "What?"

Percy gestured his head at the McDonald's. "Come on."

Nico did. But just before he entered the fast-food restaurant, he shifted his skull ring from his left ring finger to his right pointer finger. And he would always from that day forwards wear his ring on that finger and that finger alone.

It was a tiny piece of hope that he would cherish forever.

Thanks for the read!