Nico couldn't do it anymore. He just couldn't.

Jason knew. He knew about Nico's feelings.

It was hard enough falling in love with that stupid boy, but now the Roman knew?

Ever since the Seven had gotten back to camp, Jason had been giving Nico those irritating, pitting looks. He was always trying to comfort Nico; always trying to act like he understood; that he was there.

But it was all just utter hogwash. No one understood. No one cared. Even the person who mattered the most, who had always been there for Nico, didn't actually care.

And he never would.

It was all thanks to that good-for-nothing daughter of Athena.

Nico knew that he should be happy for Percy. Percy was happy, after all. And that should be enough, shouldn't it?

But it wasn't, because Nico wanted Percy. He wanted to be able to love Percy; to stop denying his feelings. Nico wanted Percy to love him.

It would never happen.

Even to Percy Nico was a freak. He was weird, and reclusive, and hard to understand. He was from a different time, a different place—a different world.

He kept to himself. He never really recovered from Bianca's death; the loss of the one person he knew cared about him and accepted him. He tried to let Hazel in, but it was difficult. He was afraid of losing her too.

He moved around a lot. He was the first demigod in decades to set foot in both camps, but he never stayed in either very long. He was afraid of getting attached. He was afraid of being found out.

And then that day in Greece, when they asked Nico to take the Athena Parthenos back to Camp Half-Blood. Nico had agreed, and then told Jason that he would leave, never to set foot near either camp ever again.

It had worked for awhile. Nico spent his time between the Underworld and traveling. He shadow traveled all over the US. His favorite state was Hawaii. He loved to sit on the beach and just watch the waves roll in, crashing over each other ceaselessly, mindlessly.

When he was seventeen, Nico couldn't stand it anymore; he had to go back to camp. He had no choice.

He had been in the Underworld helping Daedalus's crew redirect traffic as they replaced the terminals that controlled the intake of the dead.

A cold chill had run down Nico's spine as he tried to convince a terrified soul to stand and go to the Fields of Asphodel. Nico turned abruptly on his heels and came face-to-face with an incredibly familiar blonde-haired, gray-eyed girl. Nico felt the blood drain from his face.

Annabeth stood before him, her hand raised as though she had just touched Nico's shoulder.

"Nico," she whispered, her voice hallow. Nico knew that other demigods wouldn't have been able to understand her. Only children of the underworld and other spirits could understand the whispers of the dead.

"What happened?" Nico asked her. The last he'd heard from Hazel, Percy had just proposed to Annabeth at camp on her twenty-first birthday (the idea being that they had started dating on his birthday, so they should get engaged on her birthday).

Annabeth smiled sadly. "I was visiting my dad in San Francisco. A monster snuck up behind me."

"Wasn't Percy there?" Nico's eyebrows scrunched together as he spoke.

Annabeth looked down as she twisted her fingers together. "We had a fight."

"I'm sorry."

"Nico, will you tell him I'm sorry and that I love him?" Annabeth met Nico's eyes, her own welling with tears.

"Y- yeah," Nico stuttered, blushing. "Of course."

Annabeth gave Nico a weak smile and walked past him, towards Elysium. She paused and turned to face Nico once again.

"Oh, and Nico?"

"Yeah?"

"Jason told me about your feelings for Percy," Annabeth whispered, her smile pained.

Nico's face turned crimson. "Look, it's not… I don't…"

Annabeth shook her head. "I understand how alluring he is. I didn't tell him, but I think you should. Just give him some time to grieve first."

Nico squeezed his eyes shut. "He loves you, Annabeth. He'll never see me as anything but an annoying kid."

Annabeth tried to touch Nico's arm, and he shivered at the cold feeling.

"Trust me," Annabeth whispered, tears evident in her voice. "He thinks a whole lot more of you than that. Tell him how you feel, I promise you won't be disappointed."

Nico opened his eyes, tears falling from the corners. "I- I'll try."

Annabeth smiled. "Goodbye, Nico."

"Goodbye, Annabeth."

Nico headed straight to Camp Half-Blood as soon as Annabeth had disappeared through the gates to Elysium. Chiron had hurriedly greeted him and directed him to the Poseidon cabin. Percy didn't even acknowledge Nico when he walked in.

Nico moved silently across the room and sat down on the bunk across from the one occupied by Percy. He leaned his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands loosely together, facing Percy.

"She's sorry, Perce," Nico whispered. "She didn't want to die."

Percy coughed and shifted slightly, still not speaking.

"It was an accident. She would never leave you on purpose."

Percy sighed and shakily sat up to mirror Nico.

"Did you talk to her?" He asked, his voice gruff.

Nico nodded even though Percy wasn't looking at him. "She didn't want you to think that she died because of the fight you two had."

Percy twisted his hands together in a manner reminiscent of the way Annabeth had earlier. "I told her I couldn't stand her, Nico. That was the last thing I ever said to her. I can't believe—"

Percy swallowed hard.

Nico shook his head and pushed down his own pain. "She knows you didn't mean it."

"But I—"

"She told me to tell you she loves you," Nico interrupted.

Percy let out a long, rough breath and looked up at the ceiling, tears streaming down his face in lines.

Nico stood and walked across to sit next to Percy, putting his arm awkwardly around Percy's shoulders.

Percy's head lolled to one side and rested on Nico's shoulder. Despite the circumstances, Nico bit his lip and his heart fluttered.

"I can't believe she's gone," Percy whispered.

It had been a year since Annabeth died when Nico decided to go through with it. Nico had resigned himself to the fact that, despite what Annabeth may have said, Percy would never love anyone but her.

Nico stood on the beach at Camp Half-Blood, the Long Island Sound stretched out before him. The waves toppled onto the beach like they had back in Hawaii. Nico stood in awe once again over the vast power of the sea. Always moving, always changing, always with the power to make a mess, whether it be of a ship or his heart.

With all that power, surely he could just disappear into it, never to be seen again? It was worth a shot.

Nico's feet began to carry him forward, into the crashing waves. He walked until he was up to his ankles, his knees, his waist, his chest, and finally over his head.

He held his breath as he let the power consume him, take control of him. It burned his lunges, and when the urge came to take a breath, he didn't fight it. The world went dark.

Suddenly he was coughing and the world was too bright. His lunges burned. His eyes burned. His whole body ached.

"Nico!" The voice broke through a soundproof barrier Nico hadn't realized was there.

Nico tried to focus his eyes, tried to place the voice. His brain churned too sluggishly to be effective. He wanted to know why the voice had bothered him, but he couldn't find the strength to ask.

"Oh, my gods, Nico!" The low, familiar voice came again.

Another, muffled voice in the distance said something Nico couldn't make out.

"He's alive!" The first voice answered.

Suddenly, everything snapped into place. Nico knew who that voice belonged to. His thoughts sped up with his heartbeat. The bright light dimmed as the voice's owner bent over him. Percy's worried face slowly came into focus just a few inches above Nico's.

Startled, Nico rolled away and sat up, coughing once again.

Percy's hand came to rest on Nico's back as the coughing slowed and Nico shrugged it off. He looked down at the sand next to where Percy sat.

"Why didn't you just let me die?" Nico whispered.

Percy shook his head and combed his fingers through the hair behind Nico's ear. "I've watched far too many of my friends die. I can't lose you too."

Nico, who had jumped and looked up into Percy's eyes when he'd felt the hand in his hair, looked back down at the sand in disappointment. He didn't want to be just another of Percy's friends.

Percy shifted closer to Nico. "Listen, Nico…"

Nico stood abruptly, pulling away from Percy. "Look, you saved me. I'm alive. You're the big hero, as always. Now would you just leave me alone?"

He turned and tried to take a step, nearly falling on his face in the sand. Percy's arms wrapped around his body, keeping him upright. Nico's heart rate picked up and he felt himself begin to panic. He needed to get away from Percy.

"Nico! Just hold on a second! Please?" Percy's voice trembled slightly as he grabbed Nico's wrists.

Nico stopped trying to escape and looked up into Percy's worried sea green eyes. As usual, they seemed to look right through him. Nico shivered.

Percy shifted his grip on Nico and looked down at their entwined hands. "Jason told me."

Nico froze, moving only his eyes to look over Percy's shoulder. Jason shifted awkwardly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Percy whispered, looking back into Nico's eyes.

Nico opened and closed his mouth helplessly, trying once again to pull away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean— I'll just—"

Suddenly, Percy's hands cupped Nico's head and his lips crushed Nico's.

Nico opened his eyes wide in shock and then closed them, sinking into the kiss that he had dreamed of for so long.

Percy pulled away first, resting his forehead against Nico's and panting slightly.

"Don't be sorry," Percy breathed, running his fingers through Nico's hair once again.

Nico scrunched his eyebrows together. "What about Annabeth?"

"Annabeth's gone, and I've made my peace with that," Percy's trademark lopsided grin stretched across his lips; Nico's heart fluttered. "Besides, I think she'd be okay with this."

Nico looked away and stepped back, feeling guilty. "She told me to tell you."

This time, Percy scrunched his eyebrows together. "When?"

Nico shifted awkwardly. "Last year, in the underworld."

Percy smiled sadly, just like Annabeth had. "That's just like her."

After a moment, Percy blinked and smiled, this time with more conviction. He stepped forward and placed his hands on Nico's hips.

"So do you want to do this or not?"

Nico smiled back and tentatively placed his hands on Percy's shoulders. "Only if you do."

Percy's smile grew when Nico kissed him and Nico smiled when Percy kissed him back.

Jason coughed behind Percy and the new couple stopped kissing to look at him.

"I think I'll go before you two get too carried away," Jason said, trying to suppress a grin.

"Get lost, Grace," Percy teased, just before he pulled Nico close for another kiss.

Jason laughed and shook his head, turning to run back to the cabins.

Nico's heart soared as he swayed, still weak from earlier, and Percy pulled him even closer to keep him steady. He couldn't believe his luck.

AN: I've been wanting to write a Percy/Nico story since I read House of Hades, and this is what I came up with! This is my first-ever oneshot, so tell me what you think!

Also, if you ever consider harming yourself, please seek help. I promise someone in your life cares about you and is more than willing to help you. Don't torment yourself and others because you feel it is the only thing you can do. I promise it's not; you are loved and worth saving.

Update 4/2/14: primpriorpercy has brought to my attention that I should post the number to the suicide hotline within this story.

Here is the US number: 1 (800) 273-8255

Phone numbers for hotlines in other countries may be found here (remove the spaces): www. suicide international- suicide- hotlines. html

These hotlines have trained workers dedicated to helping anyone who is considering suicide. Please, if you are considering such drastic measures, call your local hotline.

Thank you,

GMG