PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || The Underworld's Jealousy || PJatO || Frazeleo || PJatO

Title: The Underworld's Jealousy – Five Easy Steps to Happiness

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; right post House of Hades

PJatO Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, of course. They are all copyright by the old Greeks. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, shoujo-ai, hetero, threesome, hurt/comfort, fluff

Main Pairings: Nico/Percy, Frank/Hazel/Leo

Side Pairings: Reyna/Annabeth, Jason/Piper, Frank/Hazel (established)

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Jason Grace

Summary: Five-shot about what should happen after House of Hades. Nico journeys with Reyna and bonds with her, Frank and Hazel are not happy about Leo thinking of Calypso, Leo is confused by his feelings, Jason wants to help Nico, Reyna questions why her loyalty seems to lay by Annabeth, while Annabeth and Percy try dealing with what they had been through in Tartarus.

The Underworld's Jealousy

Five Easy Steps to Happiness

Step 2: Let's Confront

"You really don't look good, Annabeth", noted Piper worried as she brought her blonde friend breakfast. "Have you slept at all since we... since... Have you slept at all?"

The daughter of Athena, curled together on her bed, lifted her head to look at Piper with dark bags beneath her eyes. "Not sure. My thoughts and the nightmares go hand in hand to make it hard seeing the line between them... I just... have so much on my mind..."

"For example...?", prompted the daughter of Aphrodite and sat down next to her friend.

"Aside from Tartarus?", snorted Annabeth darkly. "I... don't know if I should talk about it."

"Try me. We're friends, right?", smiled Piper softly, nudging the daughter of Athena. "You can't keep it bottled up inside. Why don't you at least talk to Percy about it? He's your boyfriend."

"That's the problem", frowned Annabeth, licking her lips nervously.

"How is that the problem?", asked Piper confused. "Annabeth, what's wrong?"

"He is... drifting away from me...", whispered the daughter of Athena equally confused. "When we were in Tartarus, I saw a side of him I never thought existed. A dark, murderous side. I... don't know where that darkness came from, but it frightened me. And I don't know if I can handle it. He had always been an open book to me. I always knew what he was thinking, because he was simple. Not simple like stupid, but simple like uncomplicated. Now I can't read him anymore and it scares me."

"Well, going through Tartarus...", started Piper, unsure how to phrase it.

"No", interrupted Annabeth and shook her head. "It started before Tartarus. Maybe it's been the months he had been alone and away from me, from camp, from everything he knew. And... there is more. So much more that just adds together and..."

"What is it?", asked Piper softly.

"I can't get her out of my head", confessed Annabeth in such a low whisper that Piper barely caught it. "When we were in Tartarus, when we managed to send a note, the first person I had to think of was Reyna. I just... I trust her and I don't even understand why. I barely know her. But from the first time we talked in New Rome, I found myself trusting her. And it scares me too because it's so irrational. Percy and I, we shared life-changing adventures before I started to trust him, but Reyna? She just... needs to be there and I... I don't understand it. I hate not understanding something."

"To me, that sounds like... love", pointed Piper cautiously out.

"No", denied Annabeth and shook her head violently. "Love is... love is what I saw in Percy's eyes when we were in Tartarus and Bob told us that Nico had send him."

"I have no idea who Bob is, but what does it have to do with Nico?", asked Piper curiously.

"I think... Percy loves Nico. But I don't think he knows it yet", whispered Annabeth, scratching the back of her head. "Percy and I have been drifting apart since our underwater kiss, which is ridiculous that was when we got together. But I think... we never worked. We work as friends, as team, as comrades in battle. But not as lovers. We have never done more than kissing. And not even our kisses hold the passion they should. Kissing him should make me feel hot and nervous and giddy and not like it does. When I think of Percy, I feel as though I'm thinking of my little brother. But when I think of Reyna... her tanned skin and dark eyes and her curves... I get all tingly..."

"Tingly?", giggled Piper amused. "That is cute."

Annabeth blushed and glared. "I've never thought about someone in that way before."

"In a sexual way?", supplied Piper helpfully. "Well, then maybe it's sexual attraction?"

"She's... level-headed and calm and thoughtful. I feel as though she understands me, what I do and why I do it. While with Percy and his short attention-span and his need to act instead of thinking things through, I often feel like talking to an untrained puppy", huffed Annabeth frustrated.

"So it's a crush then", nodded the daughter of Aphrodite thoughtful. "But if you say you're having... feelings for Reyna and you think that Percy has feelings for Nico, wouldn't it be fair to both of you if you'd break up with Percy? Maybe he needs a push to realize. Don't you two deserve happiness? Don't you want a chance to at least try with Reyna and see where that's going? Or are you afraid?"

"We're talking Greek and Roman mythology, I'm not afraid of being bisexual", replied Annabeth and shook her head. "No. I think... I don't want to lose Percy. Not as a boyfriend, but as a friend. Bob, he's a friend of Percy, or at least he was. But our relationship took so much of Percy's time that he neglected his other friends, even nearly forgot about them. Bob, Calypso... I... I don't want to be forgotten. Even if I'm not in love with him anymore, I still love him. I can't lose him, especially not after everything we've been through. I know I'm being selfish, but I don't want him to spend all his time with Nico and forget me like he forgot about Bob..."

"You really need to explain to me who Bob is later", chuckled Piper intrigued. "But for now, I think you really should talk to Percy. You owe him that much truth and you owe it to yourself."

/break\

"Hey, Percy. How are you—holy Jupiter, you look horrible!"

Percy turned to glare at the son of Jupiter annoyed. "Thank you, Jason. Just what I needed to hear."

"Sorry", grinned the blonde sheepishly, ruffling his own hair. "I just... Are you trying to imitate Nico? Because you're doing a really good job there with the dark circles under your eyes and that kind of dead aura you have going on there. And have you eaten at all since we took off?"

"It's not... that bad", frowned Percy and walked over to a mirror. "Shit. It is. Just great."

"You... want to come with me and catch breakfast?", suggested Jason.

"I'm not hungry", sighed Percy and shook his head.

The truth was, he was hungry, but everything he ate tasted like the fire water of Tartarus. He had forced it down on that first celebration meal they had, before Nico, Reyna and the coach had left, but the taste just wouldn't leave his mouth. And he couldn't sleep. Now he understood why Nico had looked so miserable when they had freed him from Rome. Tartarus had eaten the son of Hades up, what was it going to do to Percy and Annabeth...?

"Have you... talked to Nico before they left?", asked Jason, trying to sound casual and failing at it.

"Uh... I tried, but he...", started Percy, adapting the look of a kicked puppy. "He brushed me off."

"He's been through a lot", shrugged the blonde, turning away from Percy.

"Yeah. I've heard as much, but no one seems to know what exactly because you and Nico don't lose a single word about it", accused Percy with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why do you care?", shrugged Jason. "It's none of your business, it's Nico's."

"That makes it my business!", exclaimed Percy annoyed. "I just... He hasn't shunned me like that since Bianca died. I don't get it, but I want to. So explain it to me."

"I can't. Sorry", sighed Jason. "I promised."

"Yeah well, Nico won't tell me either", sighed the son of Poseidon and sat back down.

"You really care for him, don't you?", whispered the blonde softly.

"Of course I do", huffed Percy annoyed. "We're friends, he's always watching my back."

Jason bit his lips hard to keep from laughing. Yeah, he knew exactly which part of Percy's backside Nico enjoyed watching the most. Shaking his head, he tried to concentrate on the mopey Sea Prince.

"When we were where we were and did what we did", started Jason slowly, wincing at his own phrasing. "We faced this dude. Dude who's been challenging Apollo over guy both loved. I was kind of surprised at first, I mean I don't know, he was being so casual about it. But then I started thinking about it and remembered the tons of affairs the gods have, regardless of with who."

"Is there... is there a point to this or do you just enjoy the sound of your voice?"

"The point is", grunted Jason and rolled his eyes. "I just... Nico and me facing this guy made realize something strange. Back in the old days, homosexuality was even part of the religion, but then over the centuries it got hated so much that during Nico's time, homosexuals were literally carted away. And now we're fighting for equality again. I just... don't understand how the human view can change that much. It made me wonder how Nico and Hazel both must feel, being here, in a time that has such a different world view than their own, you know?"

"I hear you talk, but I don't understand a word", frowned Percy confused. "Are you trying to tell me that you're gay and that you're afraid that Hazel and Nico would bash you for it?"

"What?", blinked Jason stunned, staring at Percy like a deer in the headlights. "What?"

"Oh gods, you are!", gasped Percy equally wide-eyed. "Wait. Are you hitting on me? Because, I mean I like blondes and I feel honored, but-"

"No. No, no, no", huffed Jason and shook his head violently. "I am not gay and I am not hitting on you, Jackson. Fuck, your mind is a weird place. You manage to aim right past the target, damn it." Sighing frustrated, Jason was short of giving up when a thought crossed his mind. "I'm not gay and I'm not hitting on you, but... how would you handle it? A guy-friend hitting on you?"

"I am going to believe that you're crushing on me until I find a valid reason for this conversation", muttered Percy and shook his head. "I don't... What does it matter if it's a boy or a girl? As long as I don't return the feelings, I'll try to let them down easy."

"But what if you return the feelings? I mean, would you hypothetically speaking return the feelings of a boy? Let's ignore Annabeth and all for a second and just imagine it. Could you?"

"Are you asking me if I'm gay?", asked Percy and cocked his head. "Because I really don't like labels. Like I said, what does it matter if it's a boy or a girl. I think the heart loves a soul and not a body, okay? So yeah, I guess, maybe. I don't know. Depends. But I don't love you, okay? I like you as a friend and I feel honored to fight at your side, but I think... you should talk to Piper."

"I am not gay and I am not in love with you, Percy Jackson!", exclaimed Jason frustrated.

"That is so good to hear, Jason."

The blonde stiffened as he turned around to see his girlfriend and Percy's girlfriend standing in the doorway. Piper gave him a curious and questioning look. Making a very embarrassed face, Jason walked up to the two girls just as Annabeth headed over to Percy.

"Come on. You can explain to me in great detail why you just declared your not-love and not-gayness to Percy", chuckled Piper and took his hand to lead him away from the cabin.

The door closed and Annabeth and Percy were alone. Alone for the first time since they had come back to the Argo II. Percy shifted a little uncomfortable under Annabeth's intense stare.

"Well, you and Jason had... fun?", smiled Annabeth a little teasingly.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure what he wanted", shrugged Percy, completely lost. "Uh... What is it you want? I mean... What do you want to talk about? You have that expression going on."

"I... think we need to talk, Seaweed Brain", whispered the daughter of Athena in guilt.

"What did I do?", asked Percy slightly panicked.

"Nothing", smiled Annabeth soothingly, grabbing his hands. "I just... feel that I owe you a truth."

"W—What truth?", frowned the Sea Prince, staring down at their joined hands.

"I love you, Percy. And I will always love you", started the blonde slowly. "But... I'm not in love with you anymore. I think I have... feelings for someone else. A—And I owe you and me that much truth that... I think we should... break up, Percy. I'm sorry, I hope you don't take it bad and I really hope that you and I can still be friends, because you will always be the most important person in my life. You're my best friend, Percy. I don't want to lose you, but I think both of us should be... free."

Relief filled Percy's heart as he sank down more in his seat. It seemed one of his biggest fears had just left him. The way Annabeth looked at him... He knew she was still his Annabeth, she would always be. She would always be there for him. Smiling slightly, he pulled her in a hug.

"I... Yeah. I think that's the best for both of us", nodded Percy softly. "I... I've been thinking about how to approach this topic with you for a while now. I love you too, Annabeth, but not like that."

Smiling slightly, Annabeth rubbed her face against his arm, enjoying that they were close again. She had been avoiding him in worries about her feelings and now she felt guilty for it, After everything both of them had been through, they needed to be able to rely on each other. Percy wrapped his one arm around Annabeth's waist, resting his head against hers.

/break\

Frank and Hazel stood inside the fire-red sleeping quarter of the son of Hephaestus, but it was vacant. Rubbing the back of his neck, Frank looked around once more, tilting his head confused. He didn't understand why he was even that concerned for the Latino, but somehow the aloof and cheeky Greek was so different from everything Frank had seen in Camp Jupiter. And even though he was scarcely serious, Leo was still ready to sacrifice so much for his friends. Even after the way Frank had acted around him. Not just what Leo had done in Rome, but also that the first thing the Latino had thought of when he had returned from that blasted island was building something fireproof for Frank's life-stick. And Leo was cute. Which was making this even harder.

"Where is he?", asked the Canadian with a frown.

"I have no idea", sighed Hazel with a shrug.

"Are you guys looking for Leo?", asked a voice from behind them.

The couple jumped slightly in surprise. Turning around, they came face to face with Piper and Jason. The daughter of Aphrodite smiled amused as she studied their expressions.

"Uh, yes. We wanted to... talk to him", nodded Hazel slowly.

"He's in the engine room", explained Jason, running his hands through his hair. "He's been sleeping there since we left Rome. I think he feels saver when he's close to the machines or something..."

"Yes, yes. Now come, you still owe me an explanation. Why are you gay for Percy?"

"I'm not! I told you", hissed the son of Jupiter embarrassed. "It's a misunderstanding, okay?"

Hazel frowned curiously as she watched the couple leave. Grabbing Frank's hand determined, she led her boyfriend toward the engine room. It was unsettling that for Leo, safety meant to be with the machines and not with his friends. Not even Piper and Jason. How hurt was the Latino to rather seek mechanical comfort than human comfort...? The engine room was dark when they entered and empty. Not completely, but compared to what it had been when their journey from Rome had started. Somehow it looked vacant without the giant statue. And it made Leo look so much smaller, laying curled together in a corner beneath a blanket.

"Leo?", whispered Hazel softly as she approached him.

The Latino stirred and yawned, looking wide-eyed up at them. "Mh...? Danger?"

"No, no danger", smiled the daughter of Pluto and shook her head, extending a hand to caress the soft, dark curls. "We wanted to talk to you, Leo. You're clearly upset and you have something important on your mind. You're not behaving like yourself. That may cost you much, considering the battle we are about to face. We want to know if... if you're alright."

"I'll not get distracted during the next big fight. I can focus", muttered Leo and sat up.

"It's not about if you're able to function in battle, it's about whether or not you're alright", corrected Frank with a frown. "We're concerned for you, okay? You're not even making stupid jokes."

"I'm... fine...", sighed the son of Hephaestus, running his fingers through his hair.

"You're not. What happened when you were on that island?", asked Hazel softly, yet urgently.

"I... Calypso...", started Leo reluctantly, focusing on his hands in his lap. "You know her story?"

"She's stuck on an island and can't leave?", supplied Frank a little confused.

"And the gods send her heroes... to break her heart", sighed the Latino upset. "She helps them, for they are just as stuck as she is, until she inevitably falls in love with them. Once she does, magic allows the heroes to leave again, giving them the chance to decide whether they return her feelings and want to stay with her, or if they want to return to their regular lives."

It took a moment for the couple to realize what Leo had just said. "Oh... So you... broke her heart?"

"I... guess...", shrugged Leo a little confused. "I mean, I don't understand it, not really. No girl has ever been interested in me. Much less in love with me. But I wanted and needed to return to you. Uh, you know, the Argo II and the rest of our crew and our quest. I left her there, just like everybody else before me did. But... she's my friend and she... loves me and she stole my first kiss."

"She did what?", blinked Hazel stunned.

"Make it sound like a miracle that someone would kiss me, why don't you?", frowned Leo.

The daughter of Pluto winced internally. She wasn't surprised that someone would kiss Leo, she was stunned that this girl had dared to take Leo's first kiss, which should belong to Hazel or Frank. How could she? Leo should be theirs. He always knew how to lighten the mood when it grew too heavy and Frank and Hazel really had some heavy mood going of most of the times, what with their family pasts. They needed Leo's charming, light attitude and his amazing smile.

"You know, you should head to bed for sleep and not stay in here", noted Hazel, changing the topic with a disapproving glare at the makeshift bed. "Why are you sleeping down here?"

"I feel... better when I'm close to machines", shrugged the Latino a little awkwardly. "I guess I'm just not used to sleeping alone."

"Didn't you just say Calypso was your first kiss? How have you never slept alone?", asked Frank.

"N—Not like that!", hissed Leo and blushed brightly. "I just mean that... at camp, I share a cabin with my siblings, before we got to camp, I was at a boarding school where I had a roommate too and back in the foster homes I actually never had a room all to myself either. It's weirdly empty and silent to sleep all alone in a bedroom. Haven't done that since my... mother... Well, it's been long."

"You still should sleep in a bed", noted Frank with a nod of his head.

"Yeah, yeah", nodded Leo and stood to follow them.

Still, something told Hazel that he would be sneaking out to the engine room to sleep the next night too. The only way to keep him in a bed would probably be to tie him to it. Wrong train of thoughts. Glaring slightly, she shook her head. Not an appropriate thing to think right now.

/break\

Reyna sat at the foot of the statue, playing with a little flower that was growing next to her. The satyr had taken off to have a bit of privacy to talk to his nymph girlfriend, leaving a sleeping Nico and a giant statue in Reyna's care. The son of Hades was at least asleep, that was hard enough as it was. But even someone as stubborn as Nico di Angelo had to succumb to sleep at some point.

"Per... cy...", groaned Nico in his sleep, turning onto his back, a frown on his face.

Blinking a couple of times surprised, Reyna stared down at the sleeping Greek. That explained why Nico refused to sleep. He was talking in his sleep. Talking about Percy. She had known that there was something, she just wouldn't have figured it to be that. Then again, remembering the looks Nico had given Annabeth, she felt reminded of the way she had looked at Piper at first. Raw, furious jealousy. Unadulterated and unreasonable hatred for someone who had taken that one person away from them. Her eyes softened as she looked at Nico. He hadn't just followed Percy out of loyal friendship, but out of love. A love that was probably as doomed as Reyna's own. Not the one for Jason, she had seen reason and given up on the blonde. He wasn't the boy she had fallen in love for anymore. He had become a soft Greek. She wanted a strong blonde with a backbone. She wanted... Annabeth. The impossible girl, the daughter of Athena, a goddess of war that didn't have Roman children, one who was so different in her two aspects, more so than any other god or goddess. She was an enigma, but the best kind. She was different, untamed, clever and a leader.

"You should sleep too. Let me watch."

The sudden voice startled her, making her turn toward the previously asleep son of Hades. He looked grumpy and tired, but still way more well-rested than when their journey had started.

"I came along to aid you protection", pointed Reyna out. "You need to rest."

"I've rested enough", grunted Nico with a glare, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"And you don't need protection, yes, we've been through this routine every day now", nodded the daughter of Bellona slightly annoyed. "Our quest relies on your physical ability to shadow-travel all of us. If you're too sleepy to do so, we will fail. Or take longer. A pending war between Romans and Greeks that can only be stopped by us is more important than your ego, Nico di Angelo."

Nico gritted his teeth and averted his eyes. He knew that she was right, but he hated to feel weak and vulnerable like that, having to rely on someone else's help. Being caught in Rome had been horrible enough for him. And now having to rely on Jason Grace to keep his secret and on Reyna to keep him alive when he was sleeping? He also hated that he wasn't close to Percy to make sure that the son of Poseidon was alright, after the boy had been through Tartarus. Nico had always hated when he was unable to watch over Percy. What he had said to Grace had not been true. It wasn't a crush and he hadn't outgrown it. But the look of pity in Jason's eyes had told him that Jason knew. And that was the hardest part. Someone else aside from him knew of his love for Percy Jackson.

"I'm aware of that. It's just not very easy to change your behavior in such a radical manner."

"The sooner we get this done with, the sooner we can return to the Argo II", pointed Reyna out.

"I don't care about returning to the ship", spat Nico irritated.

"Not about the ship maybe, but... about Percy, certainly", hummed Reyna cautiously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about", growled the son of Hades darkly.

"I've seen it in the way you looked at Annabeth in a jealousy I remember from my own reflexion", whispered Reyna wistfully. "You love him. You love Percy Jackson. But he doesn't know."

"Stop talking if you value your life", advised Nico, his voice low and dangerous.

Reyna lifted her hands in surrender, a small smile playing on her lips as she stood. "You obviously don't want to talk about it. I'm not a girl for sitting together and exchanging stories of broken hearts either. But I know how it feels to watch the one you love with someone else. I learned that giving up is not an option. If I had given up, I wouldn't be here now. I outgrew my crush on Jason and became the woman I am today. Maybe... that would be for the best for you too. Alas, your feelings for Percy run deeper. Then, by all means, fight and do never give up."

Great, now he was getting love advice from a daughter of war? How far had he sunken, really? Now there were two people who knew of his feelings for Percy. Wonderful. Two Romans, at that. Just great. The unsettling thing was that... both seemed not the least bit phased that Nico was... was gay. He was aware of the theory of this time. Theoretically speaking, all people were equal. But the thing with theories was that they first needed to be proven right. And so far, society was not going a good job with that. He had shadow-traveled all over the world. And yes, he had seen places where homosexual couples were accepted, even got married and lived normal, regular lives. But in other parts of the world it was still the same. Gays were still carted off, killed for what they were feeling.

Greeks and Romans were different somehow, yes. Their family tree was prone for all kinds of affairs, to them the gender had never mattered. Heck, not even the species had really mattered.

Still, knowing Jason and Reyna didn't mind and knowing that per definition their camps shouldn't mind either, didn't help much easing Nico's mind. He had been an outcast by legacy too, after all. He doubted a come out would change that to the better. Percy would probably say that he was being an outcast by choice, because the others would accept him if he'd try. Then again, Percy was the overly optimistic and slightly naive goody. He could make anyone accept him. Nico was different. If Nico had Percy, then yes, then maybe he could try being accepted. With Percy at his side, it would be worth trying. But he didn't have Percy and he would never have him, so what's the point?

Author's note: I had the sudden urge to finish this chapter before my birthday. Theeere you go, another reverse birthday present. x3

Next chapter will have some getting together!