"I love you!"

"What?" he says and points to his ears.

"Are you kidding me? I said I love you" the other boy tries again.

"Huuh I can´t hear you it´s too loud here!" he shruggs his shoulders.

"Hmmph" the boy disappointed turns around and leaves.

"I have to tell you something really important." the boy makes puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah, please hurry I need to finish this!" distracted he focuses on the sheet in his hands.

"I think I am -" he tries to say.

"Are what? Please I have to go on with my project!" he goes away shaking his head.

The other boy is nearly tearing his hair out but he doesn´t want to say something again right now.

"So, what was it you wanted to tell me the other day?" he asks.

"Just forget it. I am not in the mood to talk to you now. See you." the other boy puts him off.

"But -" he attempts to go on but the other one has already vanished into thin air. Now he is really confused. He will give it another try tomorrow.

"Would you like to hang out with me today?" he wants to know.

"Why not... What were you thinking of? the other answers casually.

"Hmm. It doesn´t matter to me. What would you like to do?"

"Pah, at first you want to do something together, but you don´t know what!?" the other boy pants with rage.

"I just wanted to give you the chance to decide today-" he says rueful but the other boy just ignores him.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but can I talk to you alone now?" he asks the girl, who is standing in front of the cabin giving instructions to the other campers.

"Yeah... What do you need?" she requests a little bit angry.

"Hey! Why do you sound so angry?"

"That you have the nerves to ask me that" she pants. "So what do you want?"

"I just thought you could help me and tell me what I did wrong... You know Nico is different than usual?" Percy sounds a bit desperate.

"..."She snorts "Why don´t you ask him!?" Piper goes back to work.

"What do you think I did before I went to you?!" he shouts. Now he is angry too.

"Jason! Are you in here? Can I come in?"

"Sure, come in. I am here in the bathroom" Jason answers.

"Thank you. Can I ask you a question?" Percy shifts nervously from one leg to the other.

"Just tell me I have to get this ready before they insepect the cabin!" the son of Zeus seems to be on edge.

"Please answer honestly, ok?" Percy requests.

"Percy as if I would lie to you. Just spill!" Jason says rolling his eyes.

"Ok I have already asked Piper but she wouldn´t tell me. She just got really angry and I don´t even know why. But have you noticed Nico is different than usual?! Have I done something wrong? Do you know something?"

"I have noticed. And I do know why Piper was furious. Percy think again about what happened last between you and Nico. I am sure you will come to a conclusion what you have done. I am not saying wrong because you can easily fix it." Jason smirkes.

"What?!" Percy is more confused than before and he just wants clarity.

The son of Zeus just shoos him out of the cabin and reminds him "Percy think" he laughs and goes back into his cabin.

Percy didn´t know what to do so he just hid in his cabin thinking.

"Percy! Has been a long time." the girl smiles fondly at him "Is everything alright?"

"Hey Hazel, yeah... uhm not really. I wanted to ask you something. Do you know why Nico is different than usual? I think he is avoiding me?" Percy demands to know.

"Oh ok" the expression of the girl shifts from friendly to fuming. "It is all about you?! What do you think you are doing? His life is already complicated why do you have to make it even more of a mess?"

"I don´t know what you are talking about?!" but the IM has vanished. Sighing Percy gets up and goes for a walk to the beach. He hopes that he will be alone there.

The son of Poseidon is sitting on the sand talking silently to himself.

"What have I done wrong? I don´t want to destroy our friendship, but what is it? Days ago he wanted to tell me something but it was to loud and the next day he tried again but I was working on this project for Chiron. The day after that day he didn´t want to talk so it must have been something really important to him. I am sorry you know. I have a crush on that beautiful boy since I first saw him. I don´t ever want to hurt him. But I have already done that." Percy is downcast.

Suddenly he hears someone behind him and he turnes around slowly to see Piper standing there.

"Is that true?" she askes meekly.

"What? That I am in love with that perfect boy? And that I would do nearly everything for him? That I don´t ever wanna see him sad or hurt? Or that I don´t want to be away from him like never ever? Maybe that I want to wake up curled up around him everyday for the rest of our lifes? Do you want to know more?

Speechless Piper shakes her head. She falls to her knees and hugs Percy thight. "Why don´t you tell him all that?"

"Are you kidding me? Why would I want to tell him just to be rejected?" the son of Poseidon answers shrugging his shoulders.

Piper could swear she could see tears in the boys eyes and hugs him again. After a little while she wants to know "You better now?"

" A bit thank you"

Both leave the beach and go back to their cabins.

Neither Percy nor Piper have noticed the person standing there in the shadows. Nico was standing near enough to see who is on the beach but he was too far away to hear anything.

The son of Hades is sad, angry and disappointed. He was in love with the green - eyed boy. He wants to be the one hugging Percy. How could Piper be so coldhearted. She knew about his crush.

Out of nowhere someone taps his shoulder. Shocked that anyone could creep up on him.

He turns around.

"Hazel!" he cries and throws himself in her arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey! I just thought you would need somebody to talk to?!"

"Yeah ... thanks. I just saw Percy and Piper on the beach. They were talking and hugging. But she knows about my crush on him. So how could she do that? At first he ignores me and now that!" he sobs angrily.

"You know he talked to me yesterday."

"Yeah? What did you talk about?"

"He wanted to know why you are avoiding him. I just got angry and yeah ..."

Nico begins to laugh "That is just typically you. It is nice to know somebody is fighting for me but you know I can fight myself or have you forgotten?"

Smiling Hazel answers "Come on we are getting something to eat."

"Hazel would you like to go on a walk with me?" Piper requests the other girl after dinner.

"Why not." both of them get up.

Silently they go until Hazel breaks the silence. "What are you doing with Percy? Aren´t you with Jason?"

"Nothing, what makes you think so? Of course I am with Jason. I love him."

"Nico saw you and Percy today on the beach. Talking. And Hugging. How can you do such a thing behind Jasons back. You know about Nicos crush don´t you?

"Now you are exaggerating. Isn´t it allowed to hug your friends anymore? Yeah I know and besides I know Percy has a crush on Nico."

"I am not ... What?!"

"Yeah you understood me correctly Percy has a crush on Nico." Piper laughs "You can stop playing the overprotective big sister and help me getting them together!"

"That is unexpected. But just wonderful, isn´t it somehow?!" Hazel smirkes happily.

"You are right it is but now we should start planning!"

"Jason would you help me please?" Piper askes nicely. "Did you already know? Our friends are blind therefore we have to help them!" she laughs.

"What are you talking about?"

"Rather who am I talking about" Jasons girlfriend smiles "Percy and Nico both have a secret crush on each other."

"Huh?! Ok what have you planned?"

"Why do you know I planned something?"

"Piper" he kisses her on the forehead " I know because I know you for quite a bit already."

"I love you but now get up and help us!"

"Percy! Would you please stop for a second?" Jason shouts after Percy.

"What is it Jason? I am not in the mood to talk."

"Oh no you are in the mood. Come we are going to your cabin."

"If need be ..."

"Yeah we have to talk to you."

Reaching the cabin 3 they entered and sat down on Percys bed.

"I know you miss Annabeth

everyone in this camp misses her-"

"Please stop-"

"Let me finish. You miss her and we miss her. But I think you are over her aren´t you?"

"Kind of. You now our relationship was not that ... passionatly. I don´t know if it hadn´t been better to be just friends. But anyway it is ok. There ... is someone I like now."

"Yeah, I know don´t be angry at Piper but she told me about Nico."

"Huuh, I almost thought so." Percy smiles sadly.

"Therefore we have planned something for you. To cheer you up a little bit. Follow me. Please."

Sighing Percy gets up and follows the son of Zeus.

"Nico, could you please come out to us?" Hazel asks .

"No. I don´t want to get up." he answers.

"Get out or we come in and get you." Hazel shouts impatiently.

A minute later Nico opens the door. He wears sweats and a skull t-shirt. The son of Hades seems to be upset. "What does she do here Hazel?"

"She is helping me."

"But I don´t want to see or talk to her. Go away!"

"No. I am not going anywhere Nico. I am here to do something good." Piper pants.

The blackhaired boy mumbles something.

"I am sure I don´t want you to repeat this louder so come on we are going."

"But-" both girls take one arm and pull Nico along.

Meanwhile Jason and Percy have reached the little cabin near the beach.

"Percy, please stay here the girls will be here shortly."Jason grins.

Percy nods and sits on the blue sofa in the middle of the room.

"Why are we here I don´t want to be near any water right now?!" Nico demands to know.

"Shut up and go on." the girls say in unison and glare at the son of Hades.

Nico enters the cabin and the girls confine the boys.

For what felt like eternity nobody says a word.

"Nico I want to say sorry that I didn´t listen to you last week. Would you like to tell me now?"

"Percy."

"Jep, that´s my name." he smirkes.

"Hey that´s no time for joking."

"Are you sure Nico?" a big grin developes on the face of the older boy.

"I love you."

"What?" Percy was sure the boy said that he loves him.

"That is what I attempted to tell you. Don´t say anything. I don´t want to hear why there is never going to happen anything between us."

"Oh."

"Oh. Yeah really eloquent Percy. But as I said I don´t want to -"

"No Nico. I am telling you something. I am sorry, I mean it, for not listening to that earlier." Percy raised an eyebrow "Don´t you dare to say anything until I have finished will you! Nico you are a wonderful person and I really like you. So never keep something like that to yourself you never know what the other person thinks until you ask."

Nico is speechless now.

"Can I ask you what you did with Piper on the beach two days ago?"

"I was sad and thought about what could have been your reason for avoiding me. Piper found me and she was angry at me because I did ignore you the other day. But she heard me talking to myself about you. And then she hugged me."

"Ok, I am sorry for watching you and her, I don´t want you to think I am stalking you..." Nico shakes his head and looks just so sad. "I will go now."

"Nico come here."

"Why?"

"Just come over to me!"

Stunned Nico goes over to Percy slowly.

The son of Poseidon puts his hands on Nicos waist and the son of Hades is trying to step back but Percy is quicker and pulls Nico in his lap.

Now the younger boy is shocked and blushes deep red. "What are you doing Percy?"

"Something I would have done sooner if I had known that you like me."

Now Nico is really confused. Percy did like him in that way?!

"Nico you are thinking too much" Percy leans in and softly brushes his lips over the younger ones. Ramrod Nico sits there before he startes to respond to the gentle kiss.

Percy begins to lick sloppily into Nicos mouth and soon both of them are exploring the others mouth.

Breathless Nico pulls away but his hands remain on Percys back. Seeing the love and affection in the older boys amazing green eyes Nico has to kiss the son of Poseidon on his forehead. Percy smiles at his boyfriend. At least he thinks that they are boyfriends.

And like Nico could read his thoughts he asks "Are you my boyfriend now?"

It is just so cute that Percy can only kiss him and hopes that he understood.

To get more comfortable Percy decides to lay down on the sofa and pulls Nico on top of him.

Minutes later both of them are asleep with a smile on their faces.

Cautiously Piper opens the door and can´t hold back a small "Aww". Now Hazel and Jason are curious too. Closing the door again all of them give a high five.

"So that is enough setting up for me for a life time!" Jason sighs. "Next time I will just watch you two." That earns him two slapps on his back.

Yawning Nico wakes up and at first he doesn´t know where he is and what he is doing here. But then he notices the warmth beneath him and remembers.

"Percy, are you awake?" Nico whispers. But instead of an answer he gets a kiss. And it feels

wonderful, amazing and overwhelming.

"We have to thank our friends Percy don´t you think? I don´t even know how they set this up but I am so grateful that they did." Nico blushes.

"Nico you are so adorable when you blush. And yeah I agree with you we will thank them. But now I want to cuddle with you for a bit."

Percy pulles Nico close and rubs circles on his back gently. The son of Hades thinks he is happy to have Percy and to have such good friends.

"I love you."

"And I love you too."