A.N. Basically I just asked if anyone was an artist. That question is still standing!

Disclaimer: Déjà vu. I think I'm supposed to say I don't own Percy Jackson right here…

Bouquet up the Sleeve

Nico was a little surprised in this one. The first thing he noticed was that there was no muttering, because there was no Orpheus. He looked around him and came up empty handed. Well, not quite.

Marive was sitting in a chair. She was holding a champagne glass regally in her hand, and Nico half expected there to be a cat on her lap.

"Hello, Nico."

He didn't say anything.

"Yes, silence is golden, I suppose. I just came here to tell you that what you are doing is suicide."

"Suicide?" Nico knew he couldn't keep silent forever.

She looked at him, clearly amused. "Yes, my dear. Suicide. Harming one's self in the means of death. I like you Nico, and I feel I should warn you."

"Warn me?" He was also shuddering from the fact that she liked him. Gross…

"Yes, warn you."

He waited for her to elaborate. "Um…about what?"

"Nico Nico Nico. Have you not seen what I have done to Orpheus? Or that other boy who tried to help?"

"You did that to them?"

"Of course I did that to them! All I ever did was love Orpheus, and all he ever did was grieve about Eurydice. So I just cursed - "

But then she was cut off. It was kinda like a TV, where a different signal tries to get through and everything goes salt and peppery, and nothing can be heard but that awful soul sucking sound.

Nico saw flickers between Marive and another figure. It was dark, so he couldn't tell who, but it was trying really hard to get through. Then he saw something familiar in the back ground.

Is that…

But then Marive was back on. She didn't seem to notice. "My mother helped me, you know. That was how I did it. My mother loves me, so she helped me."

"Your mother?"

"Hecate, of course."

Of course. I don't know why he didn't see it before.

It went fuzzy again, and Nico was sure who was on the other side now.

"Father?"

"Nico!" he heard. Then some cussing, and some static, and then back to channel crazy: Marive.

"- she hates Demeter, that's why I put that curse on that wretched daughter of hers - "

Demeter? Curse? Daughter? Wretched? "Viscaria?" But that couldn't be right. That...just can't be right.

Static. Damn! Now he can't hear what she said! His dad was trying to talk to him.

"Nico…Marive…Eurydice…go home!…No, Persephone, you can't talk to him!…Nico…get out…sending monsters…trying, but you're too…go home!" was all he was getting. His head started to hurt.

Marive was back in view. "You better go Nico. I suspect…"

Hades now. "Nico!"

" - Sent something for you - "

"Wake up, dammit!"

And he did. Only to come face to face with a hell hound.

He screamed. And yes, it was a manly scream. It was!

Everyone jumped. Viscaria screamed (not so manly) and everyone drew a weapon.

Everyone.

And they got into their old routine. Uh…'old' routine? No. It was fairly new. A couple seconds ago new.

But it worked.

So it turns out they were behemoth animals again, and there were two of them again. Heaven forbid if they ever get a break from the craziness. Did you just see what happened in Nico's dream? That was enough to wear anyone out, even in sleep, and he had to wake up to hell hounds.

Great.

Nico tried to raise again while everyone else held their own against the dogs. They raised easy enough, but once again they wouldn't obey him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Go get the dogs!" He did everything in his power and energy to get them to do something for him, but they were just confused.

"Why are you confused? Go. Get. The. Hell. Hounds. Go!"

They looked around. "But…" it sounded like one of them said.

"But? But? There are no 'buts' in fighting!" Nico yelled.

"But Master said don't help…" it mumbled again. Or at least that's what Nico heard.

"No, master said to kill something! So do - " he was cut off.

Nico's feet were no longer on the ground. He was being lifted up by one of Mrs. O' Leary's not-so-friendly cousins. He had a feeling he was a goner. But right now all he could think was Stupid gods damn dead soldiers not knowing how to do their freaking jobs…stubborn, stupid, useless…why!… He felt himself be thrown up, like the dog was gonna do the ultimate trick of throwing, catching, and eating his prey. It was once he was in the air he had his thoughts about Viscaria. Huh. There sure are a lot of flowers. Flowers are pretty. Viscaria is pretty. Very pretty. Huh. I should tell her.

Oh wait. I can't.

He felt the gravity return to him. He saw the jaws of death, and he closed his eyes. His last sight would not be of a huge hell hound about to eat him. It would be of the great Viscaria dancing behind his eyelids.

He tensed when he thought he was about to land in its mouth, but instead…

He kept going. And he smacked the ground. Hard. Viscaria was soon dancing with bright blue stars. He was about to pass out. He thought he did. But instead he laid there in a dazed heap. It was like he had taken some laughing gas. Everything was so strange.

Why were the huge, scary dogs whipping their heads side to side? Was it looking for something?

Ooooh. Look at the birds. So far away…

Whoa. Dead guys? Fighting the dogs? Why were dead guys fighting the dogs? I thought dogs were man's best friend?

Oh! Look! That tree has a branch that broke off. Should someone tell the tree that it's falling apart? Naw, it'll figure it out on its own.

Run, doggies, run! Why are they running away? Did we throw a stick? Maybe they'll never find it. I hope not. Those dogs are scary. They shouldn't come back.

Hey! People are coming to me! Giggles. Why do they looked so worried? Did something bad happen? Oh no! What happened?

One of the girls fell to her knees by me. She's pretty. Really pretty. She has blue eyes, like…like…the night sky. And her hair is as dark as the…as the…the night sky. And her face is as pretty as…as pretty as…the night sky? No. She was prettier than that. She was as pretty as…

Viscaria. She was as pretty as Viscaria.

Oh wait. She is Viscaria.

Then Nico passed out. Finally.

When Nico woke up, his head felt like someone just went to town with a metal baseball bat on it. Or better yet, his whole body felt like that.

"Nico!" Viscaria yelled, and he winced. No need to yell. "Sorry!" she whispered. "Are you ok? You fell so far…I thought you were dead…"

Nico noticed the tear stains. His hand reached out to brush them away. No need for her to have tears. Over him.

"It's ok. I'm alive."

She nodded. "I know."

They sat for awhile. Nico failed to notice that his fingers had stayed on her cheek.

"Where is everyone?" He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he had to know. He doesn't really remember what happened after he fell. He just remembered thinking about Viscaria, then missing the dog's mouth, then…something about a tree? No. He must have just blacked out.

"Annabeth went to IM camp. We're almost to my house, we're gonna stop there. You need rest."

He would've protested, but even thinking to much got his brain hurting. "Ok."

She looked surprised. "No arguing? Wow."

Nico grinned at her. "Yeah, that's me. Full of surprises." And he still had some up his sleeve… "I need to go to the bathroom. Clean up a little bit."

Viscaria thought for a moment. "Yeah, there's a town not to far ahead. I'll go tell Annabeth and Percy."

Nico was staring at the computer screen blankly for about ten minutes. Almost eleven.

Red tulips: Declaration of Love.

Staring blankly at screen now up to twelve minutes. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen.

Ok, knock it off, Nico! Fine…

Viscaria just gave him flowers that meant 'I love you'.

Of course, Nico knew he loved her. It was obvious. He was only shying away from the word because he'd never used it before. But now he could.

Viscaria loves him.

Viscaria loves him.

Him. Nico.

Nico.

Nico loves her.

Her. Viscaria.

Nico loves Viscaria.

Oh my gods! What was he supposed to do now, pretend he didn't just read this? Uh, no! I know they say nothing is impossible, but here is the exception.

Oh my gods! He should do something for her! Serenade her? No, he can't sing very well. Um, kiss her? Obviously, just not now. Hmmm…take her on a date? Soooooo not the time. Well he has to do something!

Something…

He stared at the screen again. Red tulips.

Flowers.

Flowers!

Viscaria likes flowers! So he'll get her flowers! Genius! Just not red tulips, it'd be like re-gifting.

He scrolled down the list. Something that means beautiful. Whoa, there's a lot. How about something that means love…hmmm, still too many.

Then Nico paused. He was looking at flowers to give to a girl to tell her 'I love you' because she said it to him, and he felt he should say it back. Of course he loves her, but 'I love you' aren't just words that are attached to flowers. They are a feeling. And that's how those words should be treated. They're not an obligation, not a chore. They're a feeling. You should feel the words, not just look at them. Not just understand them.

Feeling. Feel.

Nico looked at the list again. He decided one flower wasn't enough.

He found a garden placed conveniently close to the library. He had his list of flowers. Now he just had to hope the garden had them.

Stock - You will always be beautiful to me

Blue Salvia - I think of you

Oleander - Beauty and Grace

Gloxinia - Love at first sight

Dahlia - Good taste

Red chrysanthemum - I love you

He was in luck. They were all there. He picked a Dahlia (we all know she has good taste. She chose Nico, didn't she?)

He thought it would live. He went for the next flower, but he felt it die. He frowned and a couple more flowers around him died. He moved down a little bit. To where the flowers were actually alive.

Damn.

He picked another one.

Damn.

Another one.

Damn! These are for Viscaria! So stay alive!

He picked another one. Stay alive for Viscaria. Viscaria. Viscaria. Viscaria.

It stayed alive.

He grinned.

As he continued to pluck the flowers, (feeling only a little weird, Hey, he's a boy, picking flowers for a girl, wouldn't you feel weird?) he just kept muttering to himself, "Viscaria Viscaria Viscaria..."

Viscaria walked up to her horse. They were leaving to her house soon. She was kinda nervous. They would find out so much…

She sighed. Then something caught her eye.

A very colorful something. It was on her Pegasus's back. (She had to switch with Annabeth. You understand.)

It was a bouquet. As she studied the flowers, her heart picked up speed, and her cut on her heart flared.

Are all these flowers just a coincidence? Of course they are. All bouquets are. No one ever plans them. They just pick colors that go well together, and shove them together. But these meanings went so well together…

But it's random. Random? Come on Viscaria, no one just leaves bouquets on the back of a flying horse at random.

Sure they do! No they don't. Sure! No.

Her face flushed. Someone left these there for her. She looked around.

She caught Nico saddling up. She caught his eye. His eyes went to the flowers, then quickly back to her. He was hoping he wouldn't get caught. But of course she caught it.

Nico winked at her. Grinned. Then he went back to work. He had a blush on his face. Did he actually just do that?

Viscaria stared wide eyed at him.

It wasn't a random assortment of flowers. They were flowers that had the most wonderful meanings that would make any girl swoon.

And Nico had given them to Viscaria.