/Slump./ Jason turned his head to look at the younger demigod. "What's with you?" Nico groaned into the back of Jason's shirt. "He's sooooo oblivious." Jason immediately knew what Nico meant. "I think we established that a long time ago. Try to get him off your mind." Nico lifted his head up and tried a death glare, but he couldn't quite manage it, looking into the son of Jupiter's warm blue eyes. "What do you think I've been trying to do? But every time I think of something else, he pops up out of nowhere and it's 'Annabeth this, Annabeth that' until I get sick of it and get mad and then he's hurt because he didn't do anything wrong." Jason didn't say anything to that, just handed him a sword. "Huh?" Nico stared at the sword as if he didn't quite know what to do with it. "You. Me. Training. Now." Nico grinned. This (along with Italian and English) was a language he spoke. All thoughts of Percy were banished from his mind as Jason pushed him harder and harder, until they were both panting. "I win." Jason shook his head. "No you didn't, I did." Bickering was also a language Nico knew, and he was fluent. He conversed with Jason in this language until it was time for dinner, and then Jason was stuck with the task of making Nico eat. "I don't want to go." Jason tugged his arm, knowing full well why. "You can't avoid him forever!" Nico shook his head. "No, but I could avoid him longer without your 'help.'" "What will it take to make you go?" Jason unknowingly made puppy eyes at Nico, but Nico resisted. "Nothing. I'm not hungry." /Sigh./ "But, Nico..." "But, Jason..." Nico mocked him in a whining tone that Jason had to admit sounded a bit like he had. "Please? For me?" Nico rolled his eyes, but relented. "You sound like a girl."
At dinner, Nico was clearly uncomfortable, but fortunately, most people ignored him. Most people... Except Percy. "Hey, Neeks!" Nico glared at the stupidly grinning boy as Percy put his arm around him. "Don't call me that." Percy's grin only grew wider. "Come on, you know you love it." Nico flinched slightly at the 'L' word, but he wasn't sure if Percy noticed. "Leave me alone." Percy widened his eyes and stuck out his lip. "You don't mean that." The son of Hades was not amused, and he turned as far away from Percy as he could with his hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, I do. I want to be alone." Percy winked. "But you don't want to be lonely, do you? You need a girlfriend." Nico tried not to attack Percy. "You know, Reyna's still single." He did. He tried not to attack him. But at that statement, he was ready to punch Percy- or kiss him, he wasn't sure yet. While fighting his emotions, he wasn't sure what came out of his mouth at first, but then he heard himself say, "No- gah- Percy- gods, GAY." Percy had the most confused expression on his face when he said, "No, I'm pretty sure Reyna's straight," like a little puppy. Nico facepalmed- since when did he do normal things like that? "No, not Reyna, Percy- /I'm/ gay." He regretted the words as they left his mouth, and he bit his tongue. But Percy just considered this for a moment and continued. "Well, Leo's single, too, I'm pretty sure-" he was cut off by Nico's dumbfounded expression. "Wait, why aren't you disgusted with me?" Percy shrugged and looked confused again. "Should I be? I mean, our ancestors, the Greeks... They were about as straight as rainbows." Nico just kept staring at him. "So, what about Leo? I dunno, he's cute, in an elf-ish way, although he's been acting secretive lately, I think he met Calypso. Huh... I don't know any more single guys... I mean there's Octavian, but no one likes him- oh, wait, Jason is single, after his and Piper's break up." Nico just left Percy at that point. He found Jason where he expected him to be- at the campfire.
/Slump./ Like earlier that day, he fell into Jason, but Jason was a little more scared this time. "Whoa! Jeez! Hi, Nico! A friendly tap on the shoulder would be nice! Not a face... Back. A faceback? Doesn't have the same ring as facepalm... Hey, what's up?" Nico just groaned, so Jason turned all the way around and pulled him into his arms. As a surprise to both of them, he didn't resist. "Jason, I told Percy I was gay." Jason squeezed him tighter, resting his chin on the shorter boy's head. "I didn't tell him I like him, obviously, but... He knows I'm gay. And I keep acting weird around him. He may be more oblivious than a dog with no sense of smell, but I think he'll figure it out." Jason hugged him even tighter, and Nico let out a strangled gasp. "Dude. Choking. Help." He let go, grinning, with a faint blush on his cheeks, and asked, "Have you tried looking at other people?" Nico shook his head. "Oh, gods, that would be disastrous. I can't even- no. I'll just keep trying to get over him."
/Slump./ The next day, Nico did the same thing, and Jason jumped. "Seriously, you could just say hi!" He was wearing a bro tank and basketball shorts, and Nico could see his muscles rippling. But he was not focusing on that. Of course not. "Jason. I'm bored. Entertain me." Jason rolled his eyes. "I'm not here for your own personal amusement." Nico nodded. "Yes, you are. Entertain me." There was a more demanding edge to his voice, and Jason sighed. "Fine. You wanna practice again?" Nico nodded, suddenly excited. It was the only thing demigods could do, but it was fun- and I mean /fun./ By the time they were done, night had fallen and they were both exhausted. "Urgh... Tired. Jason. Carry me." Jason looked incredulously at Nico. "Excuse me? I am not going to carry you. I am not your horse." Nico nodded. "Yes, you are. Carry me." There wasn't any demand in his tone this time, but Jason was compelled to do it anyway. "Fine. But I'm not taking you to your cabin, it's creepy." Jason picked up the smaller boy, who was already starting to fall asleep, and made his way to Cabin One, chuckling. "You little idiot." He tossed Nico on his bed and pulled out a sleeping bag to sleep on the floor.
/Slump./ "Bored again?" Nico had left early that morning, leaving Jason asleep on the floor. "Mm-mm. Tired." Jason was getting used to Nico randomly appearing and slumping into him, but he was surprised when Nico moved so he could rest his head in Jason's lap. Jason had been sitting on the edge of Half-Blood Hill when Nico crept up behind him, and now he was laying down with Nico perpendicular to his body, forming a T. "What do you want me to do about it?" "Be my pillow." Jason chuckled. "That's not that hard, considering you're already on me." "Shut up and let me sleep." Jason grumbled softly, "You could have been sleeping in my cabin earlier today but no, you-" "Shut up, Jason, I'm tired." As much as Jason pretended it didn't matter, he liked Nico's company. He hadn't felt like this since- gods, since Piper. Nico, on the other hand, made it clear he liked Jason's company. He was easy to be around, easy to talk to, easy to look in the eye... And he didn't hate Nico for being gay, so that's a plus. He didn't feel like this around anyone, at least, not since he had first met- Percy. Oh, gods. His face blanched and he rolled off Jason, muttering an excuse and sprinting from a confused Jason.
This time, Nico didn't slump into Jason. Actually, Jason found Nico, not the other way around. (And no, he didn't slump into Nico.) "Hey! Nico! What was that about, running away from me earlier?" The campfire was throwing ghostly shadows on Nico's face, making it hard to read his expression, but Nico looked honest-to-goodness scared. "Just some business to attend to." His tone was cautious, his words carefully chosen, and his whole body was tensed for flight. Or maybe fight. Either way, Jason wished he'd calm down and stop lying to him. "Just some business... Business that's making you simultaneously blush and look scared like you saw Hades in his underpants- hey, have you ever seen him like that? Don't answer that." Nico blushed brighter and sighed, clearly making up his mind about something. "Okay, you've been a really good friend, so I should probably tell you the truth... Just- just don't think I'm a freak, okay?" Jason nodded seriously. "Why would I call you a freak? That'd be stupid and rude." Nico muttered, "Easy for you to say now," and then straightened. "So, I wasn't going to say this, but... Well, you make me feel... I dunno. Good. Like... Like Percy does. Did. And so... What I'm saying is... I like you, Jason. A-a lot. Sorry, I'll just go now..." He turned to leave, but Jason's hand clamped down on his shoulder. Jason only had seconds to make up his mind about his feelings- when he thought Nico made him feel like Piper had, he had assumed he meant as a friend, but... maybe not- but he chose the right choice without thinking too hard. "Good, cuz I like you too." "H-huh?" Nico couldn't breathe. "I said, good, cuz I like you too." Nico couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't do anything besides stare into Jason's sky blue eyes. Then he couldn't, because Jason's eyes were closed and his lips were on Nico's. When they broke apart, the first thing they heard was Percy and Annabeth in unison. "Well, it's about time." They blushed and looked at the couple, who were laughing at them. "W-what?" Nico found his voice before Jason, but he still stammered. "Nico, I clearly made the comment about Jason being single because you liked him. Duh." Now it was Jason's turn to stutter, "W-what?" And Annabeth laughed. "Doesn't matter, but what does matter is that even Piper is shipping you. And that's weird." The newly formed couple blushed brighter, and finally Jason rescued Nico by turning him around and marching him to the cabins. "So, wait, what are we now? I mean, we both confessed our undying love for each other-" both boys snorted at Jason's sarcastic tone- "and then, we, uh, kissed, so what are we now?" Nico smirked. "Boyfriends, duh. More importantly, if we're dating now, what's our ship name?" Jason laughed. "Glad to see you're over being weirded out by being gay. I think it's... Jasico." "Jasico." Nico savored the word. He liked the way it rolled off his tongue. "One condition. No baby names or pet names. Ever." Jason smirked. "Whatever you say, /babe./" Nico glared and shoved him. "Oh, shut up and kiss me."
Jason complied.