*This is set after the end of Heroes of Olympus. I do not own these charecters.*

Nico walked past a hotel in Las Vegas, thinking. He had left after the end of the war. He had confessed his feelings to Percy, but he liked him so much more than he had said. He was angry, at Annabeth because she could get him, at Percy for being so cute, at the world for being the way it was, at Cupid, for making him tell Jason about his crush. He shadow-traveled to a beach in Maine and collapsed. He couldn't keep doing this. He would die, or something. He looked out at the waves rolling in gently off the ocean.

Why couldn't he be normal? Why did he, of all people, have to be a son of Hades, have to lose the only person he really cared about-Bianca-, and then be gay on top of it? Why did he have to fall for a straight, cute, smart, taken, guy? Couldn't Percy be gay? Or at least, single? Why him? Nico looked out at the sea, thinking about Percy. He was a few hundred miles away, probably snogging Annabeth. He sighed.

Then, the sea spray off the ocean glimmered. Nico moved closer. It was an Iris-message. Slowly, Percy's face came into view. Nico looked away. He didn't want to see him right now. And yet, he did. He wanted to be there with him, to just be by him.

"Nico? Can you hear me?"

Percy's voice rang out.

"What do you want?"

Nico wasn't ready for this. He couldn't. Not yet.

"Nico, please come back. Or go to Camp Jupiter. Please. Just don't wander around on your own. Please."

"No. I told you I was leaving. I'm gone."

"Where are you?"

Percy looked concerned.

"Maine. I'm on an island, I guess."

"What one? There are lots of them."

"I don't know, okay, Percy? It doesn't matter where I am. I'm not coming back. Ever. I'm done there. Done, okay? So stop trying to find me."

Nico swiped his hand through the mist, and Percy dissolved. He walked back to a rock outcropping by the shore. The sign by the rock steps leading up to a big house said: Private Beach. At least he'd be left alone. The waves got bigger and angrier, and he sobbed. He just...broke. He cried for everything that was wrong with his life. He cried for everything.

Percy.

Bianca.

Hades.

Everything.

When he stopped, the waves had calmed down. He looked up. Percy was standing in front of him.

"Percy? How did you find me? You said yourself that there were a lot of Islands. How did you...?"

Nico trailed off. It couldn't be real.

"I'm the son of Poseidon. You're on an island. Seriously?"

Nico cursed.

"I wanted to be left alone. If I wanted to see you, I would have stayed. I left for a reason."

Percy sat down next to him. Nico scooted away.

"Annabeth broke up with me."

The words hung heavily in the air.

"What? Why?"

"She knew. About you. She could tell. Sorry. I just...thought I would wait for you to bring it up, in case she was wrong."

"She's a daughter of Athena. Wrong isn't in her vocabulary."

"I know, I just..."

Nico looked over at Percy and opened his pack. He pulled out a square of ambrosia and ate it, tasting nothing. He didn't have a favorite food. It tasted vaguely like water. He prepared himself for what he was about to do. He slid back into the shadows.

Percy turned.

"Nico, wait." Percy looked back at him and moved closer. Almost close enough.

"Why don't you want to see me if you don't like me anymore?" He scooted in close enough to touch. Nico leaned out of the shadows.

"I do like you. That's why I don't want to see you. All it does is remind me of what I can't have. Thanks."

With that, he leaned forward and kissed Percy. He was hoping to get back into the shadows while Percy was still stunned, but he was faster than Nico thought. He leaned forward and grabbed Nico just as they tumbled into the shadows. Nico didn't know where he was going. He was vaguely aware of a hand on his arm, and he focused on being in Camp half-blood. They landed on the border.

Nico sprang up and glared at Percy.

"Why did you do that? Its bad enough you came after me! I just… can't be around any of you. Not now.

It won't work out. I-"He collapsed.

Nico woke up in the Poseidon cabin back inside the camp borders. He sat up and glanced around. He was in Percy's bunk, closest to the door. Percy was sitting across from him, talking to Will Solace. When he sat up, they abruptly stopped, like someone planning a party.

"Nico, I told you no more of that shadow-walking or whatever! You are going to die if you keep it up!" Will stood up and crossed over to Nico, checking temp and stuff. He gave Nico some ambrosia. This time, it tasted… different. Like salt, and a bit like cherry coke. He ate it, feeling his temperature go up a bit. After a while, Will left and Nico fell back on the bunk. He was not in the talky mood.

"Nico? Can we talk?"

"No. As soon as I'm better, I'm leaving, and we will never see each other or deal with this again. Okay?"

Percy sighed and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Nico, I want to talk about this. And I want to see you again. Please. If you don't come out, I will come in."

Nico scooted to the far end of the bed, where he moved against the wall. There were two pictures on it. One of the other campers that had been on the Argo 2, with Reyna and Coach Hedge, and the other was Nico. It was a good picture of him. He focused on the picture of the group, and tried not to overanalyze that picture.

Percy sighed again, and slid under the covers. Nico turned around.

"What are you doing?"

"I said if you didn't come out, I would come in. You didn't come out, so here I am."

He leaned in and hugged Nico. Nico just stayed there for a minute. Then he remembered: Percy was straight. He sat up.

"You're straight."

"You're the kind of person that could turn anyone gay. You're cute, funny, kind of sassy, and an ass. I like you." Nico looked up into Percy's eyes. Then it happened. Again. Except Nico didn't start it. Percy did. He just leaned in and kissed him. The kiss tasted like salt and cherry coke. They stayed like that for a long time, even after, just snuggling.

Epilogue type thing

Nico walked through the camp, holding Percy's hand. Some kids laughed. Some smiled, and some were kind of rude about. That didn't matter to him anymore. He was happy.