Tear

Nico was alone. Sure, there were many people around him, milling through each other and enjoying themselves. He idly wondered where Hazel was. He glanced at his hand and realized he was sucking the light out of the air again. Oops.

"Hey," a familiar voice called. "I want you to meet someone."

Nico allowed a small, mischievous grin to cross his face before erasing it and straightening.

"Percy, this is my brother."

At the name Percy, Nico's heart leapt into his throat. He turned a little quicker and a little less dramatic than he had planned, a momentary look of wild panic etched into his features.

Percy.

Percy Jackson.

"Nico, this is Percy Jackson." Hazel said. Nico knew that she was perceptive. He quickly erased his emotions and arranged his face into a look of mild and detached interest. From underneath his thick eyelashes and bangs, he studied Percy, Percy who he hadn't seen in months, Percy who had been the cause of Nico's lack of sleep, Percy who crawled out of a six month sleep and a fight with the gorgons and still managed to look like the god of underwater sex.

"Pleased to meet you," Nico said, straining to control himself. "I'm Nico di Angelo."

Percy's brows furrowed together. He said. "I— I know you."

"Do you?" Nico asked coolly, his heart flaring and his chest pounding. He almost felt his ears turn red and for once was glad that his hair was so thick and wild. He glanced at Hazel, though unwilling to take his eyes off of his Percy for a moment, and tried to act bored to play up the innocence.

"Yes... I—"

"Hazel!" Frank, the sweet archer who was also sweet on Hazel came running over. "Hey, Percy. It's almost time for evening muster."

"Alright, well we should go down there then—"

"Great idea," Nico cut in bluntly. "Frank, why don't you take Percy down? Hazel and I need to talk."

"Okay." Frank said.

Percy couldn't stop looking at the son of Pluto. "I can't shake the feeling that I know you. Maybe later we could talk some more, try to figure out—"

"Yes!" Nico interrupted. "Later. I'll be staying overnight."

He hadn't originally planned to. But then the son of Poseidon had shown up in all of his golden, graceful glory and Nico just couldn't help but stay. He was disgusted with the feelings that plagued him but couldn't bring himself to quit seeing Percy. He was getting there. He was getting stronger. As sick as it was, the six month break had helped. Soon he would leave, and he would be able to stay away.

"You will?" Hazel asked, surprised. Nico knew what she was thinking. The Romans didn't like him. Frank was the only one in camp besides Hazel that didn't seem unseated by Nico. Even Reyna shifted uncomfortably when Nico appeared. Heck, everyone from Camp Half Blood as well, even the gods— they were all wary of death. Especially Nico, being the rogue and untamed fury of death.

"Yes." Nico drank in the sight of Percy one last time, trying to destroy the ever-so-vivid visions of wildly grabbing him and making out right there and then, rough and free and not giving a damn about what the others would say but then Frank led Percy away along with the fantasies and Nico felt a tear in his gut as he watched his Percy walk away from him, ever the image of the sea.