A/N: I may or may not update a bit late and I'm sorry. I'm starting to have writer's block but I'm recovering. Somehow. Also, I'm sorry if I make minor mistakes or whatever. I'm planning to make another fanfic but I'm really determined to finish this before starting another one. I have a lot of unfinished fanfics and I want to finish all of them quickly.

Song: Caraphernelia by Pierce The Veil

Personal Space, Dam It!: Part Six

Nico's POV

"Nico?" Percy said.

I retracted from Anubis and look at the couple in front of us. Oddly enough, Percy stood gawking at us and Annabeth played a small smile on her lips, barely noticeable. "Oh, hey" I shoved my hands in the pockets of my newly bought jeans. I glance back at Anubis and see him looking at me already. He smiled and ruffled my hair. He moved forward and whispered in my ear, "Keep the act up".

He leaned back and winked at me. "Next time?" he suggested. I gave him a lopsided grin and nodded. "Hey Percy, mind if you help Nico with his stuff? I need to visit a friend and I'm running late" the god turned to Percy and tilted his head.

Percy blinked, unable to answer. Annabeth's small smile turned to a full grin and looked at us. "It's fine. I got it. Carrying shopping bags is a girl thing. Although Piper has it better" the blonde girl stepped up and lugged the bags on the floor. She left the sword behind so I bent down to pick it up. Once I stood back up, I looked between Anubis and Percy, sensing a silent communication going on between them. The silence was deafening. Even the noise in the woods seemed to cease. I got tired of it and gripped Anubis's arm. "I'll see you next time" I said.

The god of funerals turned to me and smiled. "Will that next time be tomorrow?" He said. Before I could reply, the other demigod cleared his throat. "Nico, you better start attending sword training. Chiron's going to get suspicious with you 'staying locked up in your cabin'" He quoted the words with his fingers. I turned my head to him and nodded. "Yeah, sure" I said. Just when I'm about to move out of Anubis's reach, he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Nicky, I don't want you locking yourself up. You should attend camp activities" the older teen said.

Putting the act into action, I replied, "That's why I go to your apartment". Anubis smiled wider –restraining his laugh– and tilted his head towards Percy's direction. "I'll see you" We bid our farewell. Percy picked Riptide up and turned it back to a pen. We walked back inside the borders of camp silently. Is it working? Did we actually trigger something inside Percy that makes him jealous? What if we didn't? What if he thought Anubis and I are together and he's okay with it? Gods, didn't think of that. I need to tell Anubis when we talk again.

"So, Nico.." the son of the sea god drawled.

"How was the night with Anubis?" He asked.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He stared forward and refused to look at me. Hmmm. "If you're wondering, we didn't sleep with each other in that way" I laughed humorously. The teen didn't laugh but only nodded. "I wasn't asking about it in that way" he retorted. The small smile on my lips dropped and I looked ahead. My cabin is not too far ahead. "You make it sound like it" I droned in monotone. I walked further ahead of him when he stopped. I didn't bother looking back and shut the door to my cabin.

Waking up early in the morning isn't really my thing. I placed my Stygian Iron sword on a desk and fell face-down on my bed. I sat up and took my shoes off before nestling into the pillows of my bed. I started to doze off when a knock interrupted me from my slumber. I grunted and rose up slowly. I opened the door, expecting it to be Chiron asking about my whereabouts, Percy coming to talk to me, or whoever. But this took me by surprise.

"Hey Nico" Annabeth smiled weakly.

I raised an eyebrow at her. Why would she want to see me? I thought. What, is she sent by Chiron? Did she come to ask about this whole crush issue? I continued to ramble in my brain. "Hey Annabeth. What brings you here?" I finally ask. She looked hesitant and looked down. I leaned on the doorframe as a sign to say "I either leave you outside or you tell me now". The blonde girl looks up and looks inside my cabin.

"Can I come in?"

"Why?"

"I– this is private"

I pursed my lips and nodded. I stepped away from the doorframe to let her pass. She walked in and sighed almost in content. I shut the door behind us and sat on my bed. She walked over to a chair nearby and sat down. "I don't mean to pry but," she started, "how do you know you start liking someone of the same gender? I mean it isn't a huge deal since we're Greeks and all but… how do you determine you really have these feelings?" she closed her eyes. This took me by surprise. Again. It seemed suspicious. I crossed my arms and stared at her. "Is this leading anywhere?" I asked.

Her eyes fluttered open as she stared at the floor. "Yes" she said. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke up again. "Can I trust you with something?" she asked, looking up to make eye contact for the first time in her visit. I tilted my head in confusion –Anubis is really rubbing off on me– but nodded anyways. Annabeth took a deep breath then, "I may or may not like someone else" she blurted out.

I stared at her in shock. I thought she loved Percy with all her heart? They looked so contented with each other. I nearly choked. Annabeth? Liking someone other than Percy? "A girl, to be exact" she added quickly. This time, my jaw dropped. How? As if reading my mind, she said, "I don't know, okay? That's why I'm asking you. I saw you hugging with that other guy a while ago. And from my experience, you're not a touchy-feely person. The only people I see allowed to touch you is Hazel, Percy, and maybe Jason. So I thought 'what made this guy special?' then I thought about what's been happening beforehand so I assumed you're, at least, bisexual?" She explained. Annabeth took in breaths of air after rambling quickly.

I coughed. "Gay, actually. And his name is Anubis" I didn't think she'd hear it but then she stared at me with owlish eyes.

"Oh, okay. Gay then" She said. I rubbed my arm nervously. I glanced down in embarrassment. Great, now someone else knows. And to make it better, it's my crush's girlfriend! I mentally hit myself with a rock. Sensing my anxiety, she said, "It's okay. I won't judge you. I may be bisexual. Or…. Yeah. But I'm confused so I came here to ask you" I heard shifting movements and looked up. Annabeth made her way to my bed and sat beside me.

Determined to finish this conversation, I decided to push on. "First of all, who is it that captured your attention? 'Cause, to be honest, I never imagined you taking an interest in someone else that's not Percy" I admitted. She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "What made you think that?" she asks. "Well, Percy seems like a great guy. An idiot maybe but he cares a lot for the people he loves. He's determined to protect them. Also, he's kind of handsome more than the other campers so I thought maybe you guys were perfect together" I admitted.

The daughter of Athena looked stunned. Then she recovered from the blow. "'Were' being the keyword. I loved Seaweed Brain wholeheartedly" she said. There it goes, that sudden pain of a hit-of-a-truck on my chest.

"before" she added afterwards. My breathing froze. Before? Didn't she love him wholeheartedly now? "I know what you're thinking. What do you mean 'before'? Well, I started to hang out with this certain girl then my feelings got mixed up. She's also caring and funny. She makes me laugh and whenever she laughs, it makes my heart flutter. Cheesy, right?" she chuckled. "Who is she?" I asked. She frowned and looked at her lap.

"I don't want to say" she denied. I nodded, understanding the same situation. "But what about Percy?" I asked. She suddenly looked at me in the eye. Her gray eyes give me the shivers. And she's a girl, to top it off. "You like him, don't you?" She said. My breathing hitched as I stared at her with wide eyes.

"No! No no no, why would you–"

"I get it now. You asked Anubis to be touchy-feely with you to see if Percy will react. Am I correct?"

I stared at her, open-mouthed. This girl, really. I sighed in defeat as I nodded slowly. "Actually, Anubis suggested it" I corrected her. Instead of giving me a scathing look for liking her boyfriend, I didn't expect the wide smile that spread across her face. I stared at her in alarm. "You're scaring me" My voice shook. Annabeth laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "Sorry. And just so you know, I'm not mad. At all" she said. The smile on her face is really unnerving me.

"Now that you know I like him, who's yours?" I went for the kill. Thankfully, her smile died down. "Jason's girlfriend" she mumbled softly. I gaped at her. I did not see that one coming. "Piper?!" I nearly shouted. She clamped a hand on my mouth and glared at me. Okay, now this seemed natural. I like her glare than her smile. I think. "Yeah, her. Just please…. Sshhh!" She hushed me. I nodded and smacked her hand away. I couldn't help the small smile that appeared on my face. The blonde girl raised an eyebrow at me. "What?"

"Nothing"

"Really. What is it?"

"Nothing! You'll kill me if I told you" I teased.

"Tell me!"

"Okay! I think you and Piper make a cute couple" It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth either. I just wanted to see her reaction. I fell back laughing as her eyes turned wide and her cheeks turned red. "W-wh-what? M-me and P-p-p.." she stuttered. I wiped the tears from my eyes and sighed. "What? Don't tell me you never thought of a life with her being your girlfriend" I said. Annabeth's mouth dropped and, if possible, an even redder blush started to appear. I laughed at her. Her eyes narrowed at me but the blush didn't help her threaten her look. "And you haven't thought the same with Percy?" she retorted a tad bit loudly. My laughing ceased and my face started to heat up.

It was her turn to laugh. I frowned and sat up straight. "Whatever. But aren't you supposed to be, like, mad at me or something?" I asked. Her laughing slowed down and her smile disappeared. Seriously. The mood in the atmosphere can change faster than a blink of an eye. "Surprisingly, no" she looked sad. "I still care for him. And maybe love him. But this interest for Piper is growing. Holy Hera, I don't even know if this is just a phase or not" she cried helplessly.

I patted her on the back comfortingly. I never knew the day I get along with Annabeth would come. "I'll ask you a couple of questions and answer me truthfully. Who have you been thinking about more?" I asked. She remained quiet at first. "Depends. If it's sexually, Piper. But if it's about my troubled relationship, Percy" she blurted. My hand froze halfway through the pat. "Don't. Say. A. Word" She looked at me again as if realizing what she just said a few seconds ago. I nodded and continued asking.

"Who's the first person that comes to your mind if you're stuck in a room with only one person?"

"Piper"

"Who do you get along more?"

"Piper?"

"Compare a life with Piper and a life with Percy. Which life would you take?"

"A life with…."

Annabeth hesitated but I already knew the answer. She liked Piper. But… "You do know that Piper has a boyfriend, Jason, right?" I asked. She frowned sadly and nodded. I know how she feels. To love someone who won't love you back. "Don't worry. You're not the only one feeling the pain right now" I muttered quietly. She understood and spread her arms wide. I looked at her in confusion. Then I realized what she wanted. I leaned in reluctantly and hugged her. She hugged back and took in deep breaths as if trying to cope up with the pain. I hated to see people like us go through this.

"I know it hurts. It's like the person you love is right there, in your reach. So close yet so far. You reach out to grab them but when your hand comes in contact with them; it passes through as if they're ghosts. That's how far it feels" I spoke the thoughts in my mind since the day I fell for Percy. She nodded immediately and finally sobbed. I panicked. I'm not one for comforting people so I rubbed her back. "I'm so scared and confused, Nico. I never thought we could be this close. I never told anyone about this and it even surprised me when I just decided to wing it and choose you to share these problems with. I feel quite lucky for choosing the right person since you feel the same way" she said.

"My feelings for Percy are diminishing. I only seem him as a best friend who I really care so much about. I don't want to break up with him because I know he'll be devastated" Annabeth's cries died down. I remained quiet throughout the whole confession but chose to speak this time. "It'll hurt him more when he finds out that you don't love him as much as before" It pained me to say this. To see Percy sad and broken. Annabeth nodded in acknowledgement. "I know. And I'm pretty sure Piper loves Jason so much. She's straight. They're the perfect couple" She rambled on about how Jason and Piper are inseparable.

I looked back into the past conversations with Jason and my mind snapped. "You know, Jason told me he and Piper weren't really doing good nowadays. Some problems, perhaps?" I said. I wanted to lighten the mood and wanted her arms off me. Girl touches aren't my thing. She sensed this and leaned away from the hug, retracting her hands in the process. She smiled apologetically then her eyes gleamed of something. Hope? Excitement? I was going to confront her about it when my door opened.

"Annabeth? What're you doing here?"

A familiar voice made us look up in the direction of its owner. Percy stood in the threshold of my cabin, looking at Annabeth then at me. I looked at the daughter of Athena at the corner of my eye. She looked shock with a hint of scared. Wait, did Percy hear us? Not gaining a response from the frozen demigod, I nudged her lightly. The blonde cleared her throat and mumbled a soft "thank you" to me. "I just went in to check on Nico. He had trouble with fixing the clothes he brought" She refrained from eye contact with the green-eyed brunette and stared at the camp behind him.

"Anyways, bye Nico"

She waved at me and left quickly. The son of Poseidon stood in shock as the girl passed by him. With Annabeth gone, the tension in the air became awkward. I stared at my shoes and shifted in my bed. "What was that about?" he asked.

"How should I know?" I mumbled. He looked at me suspiciously then took a step closer. I started to panic when he shut the door close. I could hear my heart beat rapidly in my chest. What if he heard? What if he knew Annabeth likes someone else? Why am I worrying about that now?! He's fricking here. In my cabin. Gods! Nico, will you shut up?! I argued with myself mentally.

"There's something you're not telling me, is there?" his voice sounded serious. I should be careful with what I say next. It's like treading on a minefield here. I finally look at him, keeping my face devoid of emotion, and raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about?"

Smooth. I wanted to smack myself. The taller brunette narrowed his eyes and leaned on the wall opposite to me. "It seemed weird seeing you and Annabeth together. I couldn't imagine you guys being in one room together. For some unknown reason, both of you has a reputation of having an awkward tension around each other" he said. I shrugged my shoulders. "So?" I asked nonchalantly. He sighed in defeat. "So, there's something going on" he crossed his arms and frowned.

"Is there?" I asked innocently. He stared at me as if contemplating what to say next. "Why won't you tell me?" he whispered softly but enough for me to hear. "What's there to tell?" I tilted my head as I stared back at him. I did a mental victory dance when he frowned. "Fine, whatever. It's probably just me. I wanted to ask you something but it slipped off my mind when I entered your cabin" the son of the sea god uncrossed his arms and sat beside me.

I slowly scooted away as to not gain attention. "Yeah, what gives? You just came barging in" I scowled at him for not knocking. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and smiled sheepishly. "I know. Sorry about that" He apologized. I grimaced and decided to let it go. "I swear, one of these days, you're going to barge in again on something unpleasant" I mumbled low. He stared at the floor when he suddenly grinned wide. "Like you jacking off?" He teased. I looked at him in horror. "No, you idiot!" I punched him on the arm. Percy laughed hard and, fortunately, didn't notice the blush that started to spread on my face.

You're going to be the death of me. I cried mentally. After laughing, we decided to head outside to train. Sleep slipped off my mind as I spent my day with Percy.