Inspired Patience
Percy Jackson was a very patient person. If he wasn't, he would never be able to handle all that was his boyfriend, Travis Stoll. On the outside, Travis was an amazing boyfriend. He pampered Percy, kissed him when asked, cuddled with him, spared with him when they felt like a challenge. They were an adorable couple and Percy was happy, which was all that mattered.
None of that was the problem. The problem for Nico was Travis's 'mood swings', as Percy had rightfully named them. If they were normal mood swings, he could easily over look them. After all, he had seen Percy go through an awful lot of them following the wars.
Travis's main problem, the 'mood swings', was that he couldn't accept his sexuality. One week, he was cuddled up with Percy beside the campfire. The next, he was following skirts around camp and given crud pick up lines.
If these 'mood swings' stopped, then Nico would, mostly, wholeheartedly approve of his friend's boyfriend. Travis was a nice guy. For a short period, Nico had dated his brother, Connor, and knew that Travis did know how to treat people correctly. He couldn't understand why Travis could not treat Percy, of all people, correctly. Percy deserved to be pampered and loved all the time, not whenever Travis felt like it. Anyone should have been able to see that, but not Travis Stoll.
"What the fuck is wrong with your brother?" It had taken a few weeks before Nico found it in himself to ask Connor. They were still on friendly terms after the mutual break up, but Nico still felt calling his brother crazy might be a sensitive subject. Plus, Nico had continued hoping Travis would come to his senses.
Connor glanced over at his friend. Following Nico's eyes, Connor watched as his older brother flirted, and struck out, with Katie Gardener. "He hasn't realized Katie is dating Malcolm yet. If he did, he wouldn't be flirting with her. Travis doesn't particularly enjoy getting his ass kicked, after all."
Nico growled. "What the fuck is he doing flirting with anyone? Female or otherwise. He's dating Percy."
The younger Stoll chuckled and shook his head. His lips twitched as he held back his smirk. "Don't you pay attention to gossip Neeks? They broke up after the bonfire last night," he hummed. He could almost feel how the Italian tensed beside him. "Travis decided he's straight again."
"Don't call me Neeks. You never had that privilege." Nico grunted, glaring daggers into Travis. If looks could kill, the son of Hermes would be dead ten times over. "Why the fuck does Percy put up with him?"
"Duhknow, ask Percy," Connor shrugged, not bothering to look up from comic book this time. "Oh, wait. You won't ask Percy because you're still in love with him and don't want to hear that he loves someone else."
Nico stood up, turning his death glare at Connor. The younger Stoll shifted nervously before adjusting to the familiar feeling. "We've dated di Angelo. I have adjusted to the feeling of your glares."
Huffing, the Italian stormed away but not before muttering a, "I don't love Percy fucking Jackson."
Inspired Patience
Nico was completely, one hundred percent, and totally over Percy Jackson in every way, shape, and form. There were no hidden feelings. Nico had moved on and even dated other guys. Guys that, by the way, looked nothing like Percy. That was his proof that he was over the sea prince.
Therefore, this angry he felt toward Travis Stoll was not jealousy, but deserved fury. After all, the annoying son of Hermes kept breaking up with Percy. The ever kind sea prince did not deserve that kind of treatment. It didn't matter that Travis could be a nice boyfriend when he was together with Percy. Unless he played boyfriend full time, that wasn't good enough.
"How do you put up with it?"
Annabeth barely suppressed a groan. She had been warned that Nico would make it to her with this problem eventually, but hoped to postpone it as long as possible. Marking her page, the blonde looked up at him and blinked. "Put up with what?"
Nico's face darkened. "Don't play dumb with me, Annabeth Chase. We both know damn well that is an act." Annabeth only blinked again and the Italian sighed in defeat. "Put up with Percy dating Travis Stoll! The guy's an asshole."
"Travis is a nice guy," Annabeth smiled. She turned back to her book. "Besides, I talked to Percy about it. He is a patient person."
"That's not the problem. I know Percy's a patient person. If he wasn't, then he wouldn't put up with all this shit. The problem is Travis. He breaks up with Percy every other week and flirts with girls, only to get back with Percy when he realizes girls won't date a gay guy. I don't know what his problem is, but Percy deserves better than someone who treats him that way."
The blonde lifted her eyes and smiled. "Better like you? Don't play coy, Nico. I can hear the jealousy in your voice."
The Italian shifted in his seat and glanced away. "What do I have to be jealous of?"
Annabeth closed her book. "Of Percy shacking up with another guy." She turned her complete attention to the male. "I don't care how much you say you're over Percy. I am his best friend, and I see the way you look at him. You aren't over him Nico, and you must accept that fact."
As she expected, the Italian stormed away. "I am over him, I simply don't like Percy being mistreated."
Inspired Patience
Nico let out a huff of air paired with a growl. His eyes were narrowed as he watched the couple talking. They weren't even arguing and Nico could already feel his anger rising. Why wasn't Percy getting angry? It was obvious Travis was breaking up with him, again, and no doubt for a skirt. Didn't Percy have any pride? Yes. Of course Percy had pride and it was horrible of him to assume his friend didn't.
He slammed his head back again the cabin wall. "Fuck, I'm jealous." Annabeth was right, of course. There wasn't another way of explaining why he felt so much...anger. It wasn't toward Percy, either. It should have been toward Percy. The sea prince was letting Travis Stoll take advantage of and walk all over him. Nico should be furious at Percy for thinking so little of himself. A good friend who had no romantic interest in him would have confronted Percy about the situation, slowly helping him out of it. Instead, all Nico wanted to do was deck Travis until he couldn't touch his Percy again.
"Hey Nico."
The smile was automatic as he opened his eyes. There, in all his glory, was Percy Jackson. Seeing him, in those skin tight jeans he insisted on wearing and with that mischievous glint in his green eyes, caused Nico's stomach to drop. It always caused Nico's stomach to drop. "Hey Percy," he got out in a rather breathless voice. "Trouble with the boyfriend?"
Percy shrugged. "I guess you could put it like that. It's over." He stepped into the shadows and, by default, closer to Nico. "I'm a very patient man Nico."
He snorted, "To date that asshole Travis Stoll, I suspect you must be."
That mischievous glint in those green eyes brightened and his smile curved to match it. Percy took another step closer. "Nice to know your opinion of the situation. Anyway, I have now become very impatient, Neeks."
Nico swallowed a comment about that nickname. "Why?"
"Because you're very obvious and I'm tired of waiting." Percy pushed up to his toes and pressed his lips against Nico's. Receiving no response, he huffed. "I'm single. You can kiss me."
Not needing anymore permission, the Italian swept his sea prince into his arms, returning the kiss, harder this time. Percy's soft moan and light tugging at his shirt was all that alerted Nico of their need for air. "What was that for?"
Despite his confusion, Percy's sunshine laugh tugged a smile onto Nico's lips. "After you and Connor broke up, he tipped me off about how you had a thing for dark haired, bright eyed guys with sunny personalities and a mischievous streak. He also informed me that your relationship with him didn't work out because you were in denial about your feelings for me." The Italian's face flushed red. Reaching up, Percy cupped his cheek. "I went to Travis after that, asked him for help. I've been waiting months for you to come up and tear me away from him, especially when we started the breaking up every other week thing."
Nico's jaw slacked. "It was an act?" Percy nodded. "An act to get me to ask you out?"
Again, the sea prince nodded. "Yeah. I do like you. After I came around to the fact that I was gay and Annabeth wasn't going to magically turn me straight, I realized how incredibly sweet you were. You had a crush on me for years Nico. You confessed to it in front of the entire camp and my girlfriend at the time, knowing I would reject you. That takes a lot of courage. It finally made me see you."
Letting his head fall back again the cabin, Nico slowed his breathing. "Why didn't you just flirt with me like a normal person?"
Now, it was Percy who blushed. "Ah, well, I was a bit inspired, you see. After Jason and Piper broke up—both of them figured out they were dating the wrong gender—Piper kind of came up with an idea like this. She started 'fake' dating Reyna in hopes of making Annabeth jealous. What she didn't anticipate is that Annabeth would like her and Reyna. It worked out differently than she planned, but Piper got two girlfriends instead of one, so whatever. Anyways, I wanted to see if my own version of that could work and—"
"You're an idiot Jackson." Nico pecked his lips, successfully stopping the stumbling words. "But you're an adorable, beautiful, kind idiot who is now all mine."
Percy squealed as he was picked up, bridal style, into Nico's arms. His eyes shone with love. "Wouldn't want it any other way."