Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters!

Hey! This is my first Percy Jackson story, so I hope everyone is in character. Thanks for reading!

Percy/Nico

Nico tiptoed down the dusty stairs and grabbed his backpack from the floor. He eased the front door open and slipped out as quietly as possible. Once he was away from the house and halfway down the road, he let out a sigh of relief.

He squinted in the morning sun and ran a hand through his long, black hair. He halfheartedly hoped it looked okay, but he honestly didn't care that much. His threadbare t-shirt, ripped jeans, and scuffed up converse would have contrasted with neat hair anyway.

The walk to his high school took only ten minutes. Nico actually enjoyed the walk. The cool air and rare quiet solitude helped him get his thoughts together. The serene morning evaporated when he reached the school. He weaved through students talking and shoving each other on the school steps and went in. He passed the football jocks with no trouble. He was one of the 'under the radar' kids, not popular or unpopular, just kind of there.

He walked down a couple halls until he came across a few teens in their usual spot. They waved at him, and Nico gave them a nod of acknowledgement before he joined their group. Leo Valdez said something, causing the others to laugh.

Nico was zoned out. He wasn't all too close to these people. Not only was it hard to be close to people when you hide things from them, but he also didn't try very hard to get to know them. Nico wasn't exactly social, but he hung out with these people so he wasn't targeted as a loner. Don't get him wrong, they were good people, but Nico didn't have the energy or desire to get close to them. The warning bell rang, causing the group to scatter. Nico turned and began walking toward his first period class, Leo walking with him.

"You okay, man? You've been extra quiet today," Leo asked in an uncharacteristically serious voice. Leo was Nico's longest friend. They had been hanging out for almost five years, and he by far knew Nico the best out of anyone. He knew when something was off most days with his friend, but never pushed for answers. Nico appricaiated this. He nodded.

"Yeah, just tired," he said.

Leo gave a crooked smile. "Really? Never heard that one," he teased. He went to punch Nico in the arm, but the slightly shorter teen was too fast for him, dodging easily.

"Why are you so fast?" Leo whined. "Anyway, see you later!" The curly haired teen turned down the hallway to his own class. Nico walked into his classroom and slunk to the back of the room. None of the students even turned. People always said he could almost become one with the shadows.

The final bell rang and the teacher called for quiet, causing the murmurings of the class to cease. When the lesson began, Nico tuned the teacher out. He gazed out the window and thought about anything from 'Did I do my calc homework?' to 'Why are the clouds lower in the sky today?'.

The class was almost over, when the words 'partner project' broke Nico out of his thoughts. His eyes widened and his head snapped towards the teacher for the first time in forty minutes. He knew this day wasn't going to be that easy.

"I'm going to assign the partners, so stop eying your friend like an idiot," the teacher said. This gained a few glares from the class. The teacher ignored them, and began spouting names.

'Since when were these people in my class?' Nico thought as he listened to the list. He sat on the edge of his seat, hoping the person he got assigned to wasn't too insufferable.

"Nico di Angelo," the teacher said in his monotone, "is with Percy Jackson." Nico looked around the room, not knowing who that was. He saw another person looking around, confused, and guessed that must be him. The teen had black hair like Nico's, but it was shorter and more tame. He was broad and had an athlete's strong build, the opposite of Nico's small, lean frame.

'Oh, I remember him now,' Nico thought. He had seen him once at a school event. Percy was the captain of the school's swim team. His sea colored eyes locked with Nico's ebony ones. He offered a small smile. Nico just looked back out the window.

'Just great,' he thought glumly. Ten minutes later, the bell finally rang. Nico quickly slipped out of the classroom. Most wouldn't even spot him, but Percy was obviously looking for him.

"Nico!" the Italian heard being called down the hall, but he was already turning down a different hallway. Nico knew he was going to have to talk to Percy, but didn't feel like dealing with it right now. Thankfully, first was the only period Nico had with him, allowing to him effectively ignore the swim captain.

•*•

The last bell of the day finally rang, and Nico speed walked out of the school, knowing it was crucial to get home fast. He was about leave the campus when he heard running footsteps and a breathless, "Nico!" being called out to him. The teen cringed.

'So close,' he thought. Nevertheless, he stopped walking, taking pity on the one chasing him, who was obviously Percy. Nico turned around, his suspicions being confirmed at the sight of a heavily breathing Percy approaching him.

"Damn, you're hard to catch," Percy panted out. After a minute, he said, "I want to talk about the project." Nico rolled his eyes and thought 'Obviously'. He didn't even know what the project was on. Something about science?

"So, what Greek Gods do you want to do?" Guess not science.

Nico sighed. "Can we talk about this tomorrow before class? I have somewhere to be," he said, antsy.

"Sure," Percy said good naturedly, even though he had practically ran half the school to catch Nico. Without a word, the Italian turned and went down the street, something rushed about the way he walked. Percy shrugged and went back to find Grover, his best friend.

'I hope that little sidetrack didn't take too long,' Nico thought worriedly as he picked up his pace.

If you guys like this I'll continue! Tell me in the reviews! (: