A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry this update took so long. I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter, and I'm still not really happy with it. It's mostly a filler chapter, and Annabeth's character... I don't even know, but hopefully you guys won't hate this.

So, anyway, enjoy the chapter and please review!

Chapter Two

Me: Nico came to my house. Is that weird?

Annabeth: A little.

Annabeth: You all right?

Me: Really? You're asking me that?

Annabeth: Shut up. I apologized.

Me: And I technically never forgave you.

Me: Didn't mean that. You know what I meant.

Annabeth: Why is Nico at your house?

Me: How should I know?

Annabeth: I mean, did he come to talk to you?

Annabeth: Is he hurt?

Me: Are you concerned?

Annabeth: I'm his friend too, you know.

Me: Friend? You sure about that?

Annabeth: Are you still mad at me? Is that what you're trying to say?

Me: g2g. See ya tomorrow.

Annabeth: Percy?

Percy closed his laptop just as Nico came back into his room, looking even more terrified than he had before.

"My mom talk to you?" Percy guessed.

Nico nodded, then closed the door behind him and leaned against it. "Your mom scares me."

Percy chuckled, then felt bad for doing so. He was still mad. He was supposed to be still mad.

"Can we talk?" Nico asked softly, rubbing his bad arm gently. "I mean… am I allowed to talk to you now?"\

Percy flinched. Dinner had been really, really awkward, with Mom glaring at Nico and dropping hints as to what a horrible person he was, while Percy repeatedly reminded him that he'd agreed not to talk and if he said one word, he was going home (and he didn't feel bad about that either… seriously), not to mention Paul obviously having no idea what was going on.

"How's school going for you, Nico?" Percy's step-father had asked once the awkward silence had become too much for him.

Nico had glanced nervously at Percy, who'd gestured for him to answer the question.

"Um… not too bad," Nico replied awkwardly (he didn't really know Paul that well and also just wasn't comfortable around adults in general). "I'm having some trouble in English, but Annabeth's been helping me."

"Oh, is that what you were doing on Friday?" Percy's mom had then snapped. "Studying?"

Percy almost felt bad for letting his mom attack Nico like that. But then he remembered the kid deserved it. For some reason it kept getting harder and harder to remember that.

"You can talk," he told the boy. "Do you have something to say?"

For a minute or two, Nico just stared at him, and Percy found himself captivated by the blackness of Nico's eyes. Annabeth had told him once that the eyes were a window to the soul- if that was true, then Nico didn't have one.

Nico's breathing turned shallow, like it often did when he was nervous, and Percy forced himself to break eye contact. The younger boy cleared his throat awkwardly and took a deep, but ragged, breath.

"Thank you," he said softly, his gaze pointed at a spot on the wall about three feet from Percy's face. "For helping me. Especially now, with everything that happened, and how… awful I've been to you, but also just in general, with my sister and everything… Anyway, just… thanks."

Percy was confused. It wasn't his birthday, it wasn't the middle of Lent (Nico could be really Catholic when he wanted to be), and it took him a minute to think about it, but it definitely wasn't February 3rd, so why was Nico being so nice?

Could he really feel that bad about what he'd done?

"You're my friend, Nico," he said. "I'll always help you."

Nico met Percy's gaze, his breath quickening. "Percy, I… I'll be back later. Thank you for letting me stay, but… I mean…" Percy frowned, having no idea what Nico was trying to say. "I have to go."

Nico fumbled with the doorknob behind him and didn't look away from Percy's eyes until the door was closed and he was gone.

Percy stared after him, not quite sure what had just happened, and almost wishing Nico were still there.

But then he looked away from the door and forced himself not to think about it.

Nico di Angelo was not someone he was supposed to miss.

After Percy's phone rang for the fifth time, he finally picked up.

"Sorry, my phone was off," he lied.

He could practically hear Annabeth glaring at him. "Liar," she accused. "Is Nico still at your house?"

Anger and jealousy bubbled inside him, but Percy tried to keep his voice steady when he responded. "He just left, but he should be back soon."

"Is he okay?"

Percy sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Percy… Are you still mad at me? Honestly?"

Percy was very tempted to hang up. He didn't want to deal with this. He didn't want to talk to Annabeth, about Nico or about anything. He just wanted… He wanted for none of this to have ever happened.

"Yes," he said simply. "Did you expect me not to be?"

It turned out Annabeth was the one to hang up.

Percy tossed his phone onto the bed and sighed, rubbing his face in exasperation.

What was he going to do?

"Nico, you seriously need to stop coming here. Percy's gonna find out."

Nico glared at Annabeth from where he stood, leaning against her bedroom wall. "It's not like I'm here to make out with you. I just have to talk to you."

Annabeth shut the door behind her and turned off the light- Nico visibly relaxed as the shadows swallowed him. She walked past him to the window and drew the blinds so they were in complete darkness, then leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Did Percy tell you-" Nico began.

"That you showed up at his house for a sleepover?" Annabeth snapped. "Yeah. He told me."

She couldn't see him, but she could hear Nico's breath, quiet and shallow. "Would you have preferred I come here?"

Annabeth sighed. "No. My dad hates you."

"Well, there you go."

For a few moments there was silence. Then Annabeth whispered, "Are you hurt?"

"No," Nico replied, just as softly. "Not anymore."

"Did they hurt you?"

Nico hesitated before responding. "It's not their fault, I started it."

"That's not what I asked."

Nico chuckled darkly, and Annabeth had the feeling he wasn't going to answer.

But then, "Yeah. But it doesn't matter, Percy fixed me up."

"Are you gonna go back to his place?" Annabeth asked.

"I can't stay here," Nico pointed out. "I have no other choice, my parents left for Italy this morning."

Annabeth almost offered to keep him at her house, but she knew that would only complicate things further between her and Percy.

"I'll still see you tomorrow?" she asked instead. "Same time?"

"I think so," Nico said. "I'll call you tonight."

Annabeth opened her eyes, hoping to see Nico leave, but by the time her vision adjusted, he was gone.

A/N: So there's that. Again, I don't love this chapter, but hopefully you guys didn't hate it. Please let me know what you think in a review!