Percy smiled at Nico from across the kitchen table, bathed in the sunshine streaming through their windows. Breakfast had become one of Nico's favorite meals because it meant he could share these few moments with Percy before he went to work. He poured some cereal for them both and listened to it snap, crackle, and pop, just as advertised, when the milk splashed over it.

"You know, these were my favorite as a kid." Percy said cheerily. Nico smiled, watching him take messy bites, surprised that Percy could make him find eating cereal endearing. He knew that these would become his favorite too, because they made Nico feel that much closer to him. Nico stared lovingly into his breakfast and he heard some teenagers squealing loudly about something outside. He absently looked over his shoulder but when he looked back at the table his bowl was gone and the room was empty.

Percy must have already left, he thought and was sad that he hadn't said goodbye. He heard the familiar crackles from the living room and eagerly ran out of the kitchen. "Percy?" he asked, glad that he still had a chance to get his good morning kiss, but the living room was dark and empty as well. He heard the pops louder now, and wanted to go back to the kitchen but it was too dark to see where he was going.

He started running in the blackness, terrified. The gunshots came louder and louder from behind him. The first one ran clean through his arm and pain flared through his body, making his stomach twist violently. He paused for a moment clutching it, but kept running. He didn't know where he was and everything was so dark. There were more gunshots fired from all different directions. No matter where he ran, he could still hear feel the loud bangs vibrating in his bones.

More bullets rained from from the shadows. He felt sickly dissociated from his body, limbs already growing cold as he collapsed to the ground. He resigned himself to the pain and to his fate. He wasn't surprised that someone wanted him dead and he'd always felt that he'd die alone. He wasn't meant for the warmth and love that the others around him had. No, this was exactly where he should be, he just wished that he had a chance to say goodbye.

Loud pounding made him stir. He realized he had been crying in his sleep and that someone was knocking on his door. The only person that would be coming to his cabin was Percy, and he couldn't see him like this! He quickly grabbed his blanket off of the floor, shivering from cold and that familiar sinking feeling in his gut he felt when Percy was nearby. Although it was late, he could hear people cheering and laughing outside. He heard another knock and and faint explosions in the background.

"Go away!" He shouted, quickly wiping his eyes.

"Nico, it's me!" So it was Percy. He felt like he was going to throw up and drew his knees close. "I'm coming in! Don't be naked or at least cover whatever you don't want me to see!" Nico became paralyzed, feeling his face grow hot. He couldn't think about nudity, not with Percy in the room. "Aw, I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Percy said when he saw his face.

Nico had wondered in the past if Percy knew his secret, but was just waiting for him to be ready to tell him, or worse yet, knew and intentionally made him feel this way knowing he couldn't say anything about it, like cruelly dangling a bone in front of a dog, just out of reach.

But seeing the look of genuine concern on his face he knew that Percy wouldn't torture him like that. That look made him feel like crying and ripping his hair out. He couldn't deal with this, it hurt too much.

"I said go away!" he said a little too loudly. Percy winced and he wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

Percy paused, but put a pitying smile on and said "Hey, listen, Mr. D's throwing a pretty crazy going away party out there and I really think you should come out and join us." He wanted him to join him! Nico bit his tongue to keep from showing how happy it made him. "When I say crazy, I'm not kidding. You wouldn't believe it, people are going nuts. Like I saw a pair of boxers laying in the grass on the way here…" Percy continued and Nico started screaming to not think about Percy's underwear in his head, trying not to visualize the pale blue waistband he'd seen when Percy's shirt rose up. Percy must have noticed his reaction because he stopped talking. After a beat he started again.

"Anyway, there are these fountains all over the place that are flowing with Mr. D's wine, uh, and so I brought you some." Nico's heart broke. He could see that Percy was treating him like a fragile child, like he would break if he said the wrong thing. He was only here out of courtesy, because he felt bad for him. He knew that he would much rather be having fun with Annabeth.

"I'm not thirsty." Nico looked down and muttered, imagining the two laughing at him while he waited for Percy to leave. Instead, he started to walk to his bed and Nico's head shot up in surprise, but Percy must have reconsidered.

"I know what it was like in–I know what it was like, you know, down there. Annabeth and I get it." It dawned on him that he was just a charity case to them. Percy was only being nice to him because of what happened to him in Tartarus. He started to get angry to keep from crying. "but this stuff actually makes you feel better," Percy motioned to his cup, a symbol of how pathetic he thought Nico was. "I mean, because it's god-wine. Come on, take a break from sleeping or…whatever you're doing in here, and have some fun with us."

He could feel his anger rising to his throat. "I told you I don't want it. Gods, just leave me alone!"

"Nico, what I'm trying to say is that I don't want you to feel like you have to go through this by yourself. Annabeth and I want to be here for you. Maybe having a fun night out with friends could be really good for you."

He considered actually going, but realized what they must have thought of him. Poor little Nico, so pitiful they had to pretend to be his friends because he doesn't have any of his own. He and Annabeth could take their sympathy and shove it.

"I don't want your pity, Jackson, I just want you to get out of here! Better yet get out of my life altogether! All you've done is made it worse from first the moment I met you." Nico was surprised to hear the thick resentment in his voice as unexpected feelings about his sister surfaced. Honestly, he really didn't want to hurt Percy, but he couldn't bear to have him standing there feeling sorry for him.

"Nico I'm just-"

"I don't want the drink!" he said shrilly, desperate to have him go.

"I'm not pitying you! If you took just half a second to stop being such a self-absorbed brat, you might see that people are actually trying to help you!" Percy was yelling at him.

"Get out!" Nico was biting back tears.

"Here's your drink!" Percy slammed the cup on his table, splashing wine, "And here's your solitude! Now try growing the hell up!" The door closed with a loud thud and Nico flinched.

What if what Percy had said was true? What if they really did want to be his friends and were sincerely just trying to help him? Either way, Percy was still the closest thing he had to an actual friend, and he'd just chased him out.

Outside, people clapped after more fireworks popped and crackled in the distance and the sound made Nico sad, though he couldn't place why.

While he was slowly sipping the wine Percy brought him and struggling to keep it together the best he could, he heard another knock.

"Percy, please," he said more to himself, sounding like a wounded animal, trying to choke back his tears.

The wine did made him feel a bit better, but he was still a mess, If Percy walked in on him now, saw him like this, he would never be able to face him again. The response was muffled, but definitely not Percy. It sounded like a girl's voice. He pulled his sleeves down and cautiously walked to the door, checking himself in his mirror first. He looked awful, his hair stuck out in the wrong places, his eyes were red-rimmed, and he was deathly pale. Though he knew it couldn't really be helped, he did his best to make himself presentable and opened the door praying it wasn't Annabeth.

As it turns out, it wasn't. Nico may not have had any friends, but he did have a sister and that was a position that meant more to him than anything else. No friend could ever even dream of competing with Hazel in his heart. But what was she doing here, standing on his porch in the middle of the night like it was perfectly natural?

"Hey, Nico," she said, eyes widening when she first saw him. Apparently he hadn't done too good of a job of cleaning up, but Hazel knew him well enough to know when he wasn't okay, presentable or not.

"Hazel?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop in," she chirped pleasantly, It was obvious that they both knew she was lying. After an awkward pause and a look from Nico, she sighed and said sheepishly "Okay, so maybe I shadow travelled to the neighborhood at the request of a little birdie."

"Was it a seagull?" Nico asked walking outside and sat on the steps. She sat down next to him, but didn't say anything. "I thought so."

"What's going on here? It's so festive," she said trying to casually change the subject.

"I don't know all the details, Percy said Mr. D was throwing a party or something."

"Some party," she responded marveling as a Demeter kid ran past wrapped in toilet paper. Four more passed by, chasing him, whooping and hollering like monkeys. "What are they on?"

"Hold on," Nico said getting up. He came back with a paper cup, nearly empty. "They're on this."

"Is that wine? Is that even legal?" but after pausing she realized how little the law actually applied to demigods.

"Do you want some?" Nico asked, sounding like a little kid, and she could tell he wanted an excuse to drown his sorrows.

"The law's for squares anyway," she said smiling as she got up. "Let's go get us some more."

After her third cup Hazel started to understand everyone's behavior. She felt like the air trapped in a balloon being freed with a pop. The wine had popped her balloon and her inhibitions were long gone. She raised her sweater and started to pat her stomach like it was a drum as she whistled a nonsensical tune. Nico had had several cups more than her and was beside her clapping all over the place like he was trying to kill an elusive bug. She hadn't seen him this carefree in as long as she'd known him.

It was when he started to sing an impromptu love song that she broke out of her stupor and sobered a little. She'd guessed at Nico's feelings, though she never said anything about it to him because those were things you simply didn't talk about. But when Nico drunkenly belted out And the onnnnne that I loooove is P- she'd clapped her hand over his mouth so fast it made her head spin.

"All right, show's over, Nico." She said trying to compose herself. "Let's go back to your cabin." But Nico whined, tugging at her sleeve and said he wanted to find Percy.

"They're waiting for me, they're all waiting for me Hazel. We gotta go, I have to tell him." He strangely reminded Hazel of a puppy looking for his master.

"Nico, I think you should take some time and think about this." She struggled to clear some of the wine's magical fog from her mind. Maybe she could will herself sober.

"No if I think about it then…I wont be with him and," he paused trying to put his thought together, "he's waiting for me."

"Do you even know where he is?" she asked. Nico grinned goofily.

"No. But I'll find him," and he took off pumping his fist in the air repeating "I'll find him,"over and over. Hazel smiled. She was happy to see her brother happy, since he so rarely was. But underneath that she felt something tug in her gut and hoped he wouldn't get himself into trouble.

After a very interesting jog around the cabins and yelling at the pegasi in the stables, Nico had sprinted off to the strawberry fields, now overrun with grapes and started eating a few. But once he'd finished a handful, he lurched forward saying he was going to be sick. Rather than throw up, he burped and hopped up running off to the volleyball courts laughing wildly, Hazel trailed him, dancing not far behind and laughing with him, her earlier worries forgotten.

She remembered them when they'd stumbled to the beach and she saw Percy and Annabeth curled close together though. Nico was about to run straight to them, but she caught his arm trying to keep him from making a mistake. He wriggled free and ran off anyway but stopped cold a few feet behind them after seeing Percy leaning on her shoulder. He stood there staring for a few moments until walked closer and raised his leg. It looked like he was about to kick Annabeth.

Hazel nearly had a heart attack. She started running as quickly as she could, navigating around campers and rocks jutting out of the sand, but was relieved to see him playfully toe the small of Percy's back instead, and she slowed down. Percy nearly jumped out of his skin though he looked happy to see Nico. When Hazel arrived she was breathing heavily both from her sprint and panic.

"Hi, guys," she said trying to breathe more steadily and regain her composure. Percy must have had some to drink himself because he made a weird motion with his mouth at her. Not knowing what to do, she just politely smiled in response.

Percy patted the sand next to him and Nico's heart did acrobatics, but after sitting he saw that Percy's attention was elsewhere and realized that Annabeth was saying something.

"–you two been drinking?" Nico was annoyed at her question for some reason.

"Duh," he'd drawn the word out, happy that he knew something the genius Annabeth didn't. Hazel burped, and Nico laughed like crazy with Hazel joining him. Good one, Hazel, that oughta show her, he thought but after a few seconds Annabeth and Percy started laughing too, so maybe Annabeth hadn't noticed that she was stupid. Nico turned his attention to Percy and watched him laughing and felt like he finally belonged. He froze when he saw that Percy caught Nico staring.

"I'm really glad you decided to come out." Shock hit Nico like a brick and his mind began to run a mile a minute. Who said he came out? Did he confess already? Had he missed his own confession? Does that mean Percy's okay with it?

"What!? No I didn't! You mean you knew?" he sputtered and then realized he meant come outside, "Oh!" he'd gotten so worried and started laughing now that he didn't have anything to worry about, but he stopped when he saw that Percy was looking into his eyes. Percy said his name dreamily and it sent a jolt through him, but pangs of guilt set in too.

Percy was being so nice and letting him belong with him here and looking at him and Nico was so mean to him. Thinking about it made him dizzy and he grabbed Percy's arm to steady himself, but feeling his skin made him feel even more ashamed.

"Percy, I'm so sorry. Please I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry, Percy." He hoped that he would forgive him if he said it enough times He felt so bad.

"I'm sorry too, Nico. I overreacted," Percy said and Nico knew that he really was just a nice guy and Nico silently promised that he'd never say mean things to Percy again. He wrapped his arms around Percy and it felt like something out of a movie. He had to tell him.

"I love you so much, Percy."

"I love you too," came his response a few moments later and Percy hugged him back. Percy loved him, this was it. He was going to leave Annabeth and was going to be with Nico now. He looked up a little. Perfect Percy loved him. He noticed that he had pretty ear lobes, and he kissed one to show that he understood, but Percy stopped hugging him and pulled him off.

What went wrong? They should be able to be in love. Oh, he realized looking at Annabeth. She's still here.

"No!" he wasn't going to let Annabeth get between them that easily, so he snuggled himself over Percy's outstretched legs. Try and get him now, he challenged. Percy was so warm, and laying on him made him recall something from earlier. "Rice Crispies," he said, trying to remember what happened after that in his dream. It felt important. Everyone else was talking though and it was distracting him.

"–forget what I saw going on behind the Ares cabin. That's what I need," he heard Hazel laugh. He remembered stumbling behind the Ares cabin earlier and then running away giggling, going to get Hazel to show her. He started laughing too.

He opened his eyes and looked up to see Percy smile at him. He couldn't believe that after all of this time they were finally together. After a few moments, Percy leaned over to Annabeth, probably to tell her to leave. But to Nico's shock he kissed her! On the mouth, right in front of his boyfriend! How could he? Nico felt like the ground was crumbling beneath him. He should have known it was too good to be true.

Percy reached out to him, but he moved back and out of his lap. He wasn't going to trust him again. He wouldn't let him cheat on him twice. He heard someone crying loudly, and it registered a few moments later that it was him. He felt sick with betrayal. He hunched over, and he felt someone rubbing his back. Hazel. He knew that she wouldn't stab him in the back. He wanted to hug her but suddenly he felt sick with something else.

With some of the wine out of him, he started to feel a little less out of it. Having Percy and half the camp watch as he cried and threw up was definitely going up to the number one spot of his most embarrassing moments. His head felt like it was full of water sloshing around when he moved it. His memory was foggy, and everything that just happened felt like a hazy dream.

He took a moment to try to pick apart what was real and what wasn't. He and Percy dated? Definitely the wine. Him spilling his stomach all over the beach like it was a spectator sport? Of course that would be real. Did he really kiss Percy's ear? Just thinking about all of it made him want to die. He was thankful they'd moved a safe distance away from his vomit.

They all sat in silence, everyone bathing in Nico's idiocy. It must have been hilarious to watch him make a fool of himself. Percy had probably figured it all out if he hadn't already. He must be trying to decide how disgusted he is.

"Nico, I'm sorry about…I forgot about…Annabeth," Percy said out of nowhere, making him jump. Was he serious? He still thinks it's about Annabeth? At that moment it all seemed so funny. Percy had to be the biggest and most beautiful blockhead he'd ever met. He started laughing, because it was so obvious. How could anyone miss it? He could be wearing an I love Percy Jackson shirt and he still wouldn't get it.

"You…" Nico couldn't control himself long enough to make a sentence, "are so…clueless!" He belted into another chain of snickers. He was dying! How could this guy not know? Someone touched him, and he saw that it was Hazel, concern and warning burning in her eyes. He turned to her still laughing.

"Nico," she started, clearly worried.

"No, Hazel, it's all right. It's all right, because he's not going to figure it out. He's so stupid!" It was starting to hurt. He could have a marching band spell it out with airplanes writing it overhead and he still wouldn't put two and two together. He grabbed his sides imagining it. He bet that he could kiss him right now and he wouldn't figure it out.

Without thinking, thanks to whatever wine he still had in him, he did just that. Before he realized what he was doing, he heard Percy shouting at him to stop and shoving him off.

"Ugh, it's a good thing Mr. D's only retiring once," he said good-naturedly. Nico was floored. It was true. He started to get angry. He must know, there was no way he could be this oblivious. He must want to torture him, holding it over his head, or otherwise want to force him to confess. If Percy had some sick, sadistic need for him to spell it out in front of everybody, then he'd spell it out.

"Don't you get it? I love you! I'm in love with you!" Nico realized too late that he was shouting at the top of his lungs. It suddenly grew very quiet. He didn't have to look up to know everyone around them was staring, boring holes into his skull with their eyes. He couldn't take it. He couldn't stand to have all of these people watching him, judging him, waiting to see what he'd do next.

He had to leave. He couldn't be here one second longer. He got up and started to run, but because of dehydration, the wine, or his own clumsiness his foot twisted the wrong way and he fell, yelping when he hit the ground. A group of girls next to him started screaming, laughing at him. He felt tears start pouring from his eyes, and tried to force them back, failing. Of course. He was never cut a break before, why allow him to have a graceful exit once, just this once?

Why did he do that? How could he have shouted it like that? Involuntarily he choked out another whimper as he got up, and cursed himself for it. The campers around him were beside themselves with glee, loving every moment. He started running into the woods, not knowing where he wanted to go, where he could go just to escape.

He heard Hazel calling after him, but he knew what she would say. I told you so, Nico, or much worse, Ugh, you're…like that? her face contorted in disgust. He'd told himself that one day he would slap at Percy's hand and he would have his fill, and not extend another. He realized that he couldn't have hit Percy harder if he tried, and knew that he wouldn't be hearing from him or anyone else again.

The terrain became harder to run through, and his pant leg caught on a branch snaking low to the ground. He tripped for the second time, but now didn't try to get up, defeated. He lay on the ground, face in the dirt, sobbing, not caring who heard. Goodbye, Percy, he thought. This was his lot in life, he realized. He wasn't meant for the warmth and love that the people around him experienced, though he wanted it more than anything.

When she'd finally caught up to him, Hazel found Nico crumpled on the ground, his body shaking gently as he cried. Uncountable dryads were peeking through the leaves and branches around them, some giggling softly. Hazel glared at them, and they quickly retreated out of sight before the daughter of Hades. She cautiously walked over to where Nico lay and bent down next to him, not sure what to do.

It hurt to see him like this, and she couldn't bear it. So she sat him up and tentatively wiped away the dirt imprinted in his cheeks. All throughout he wouldn't meet her eyes. So she gently grabbed his jaw and turned his face to meet hers.

"Nico, look at me," and he did, with a thousand questions pouring from his eyes, and really just one. Do you still love me? She rubbed his cheeks with her thumbs. "It's okay," she said simply, pouring all of her love into those two words, hoping he understood. He bawled into her shoulder, and she rubbed his hair shushing him.

The hairs on the back of her neck perked up and suddenly she felt like she was being watched by more than the dryads. She propped Nico up again. "Listen, it's not safe out here, Nico," he looked at her, a little more steady, "we should go back." He sniffled and nodded, and they both got to their feet. She offered him her hand and he took it with a smile of unfathomable gratitude.