Last Chapter-
Percy's pov-
He could vaguely hear voices coming from the entrance. He ignored them and made faces at his sister while she giggled. Just then his mother came into the room with a guilty look on her face followed by two others.
Percy froze in place staring at them with wide eyes like a deer caught in headlights.
"YOU!"
An hour before-
Nico's pov
Nico Di Angelo really wanted to stay with Will but he had to go to Austin to attempt reconciliation with his mother this Christmas. Nico wanted to offer to come with him but truthfully, he was scared of what his boyfriend's mother might think of him. Additionally, Will had said that he wanted to try to connect with his mother again one on one.
So, with those thoughts in his head, he had decided that he might as well go home too. By home, he meant Sally Blofis-Jackson's apartment. She had given him and Leo a home and a mortal family when she found out that they had nowhere to go except Camp after Percy ran away.
He had wanted to be there for his cousin but the mirror was influencing him too and bringing up too many bad memories about the circumstances of Bianca's death. He knew that Percy was not responsible for her death but he couldn't look at him the same without having an internal battle.
So, he took the coward's way out and escaped to the underworld giving some lame excuse to his father so that he'd let him stay there to clear his thoughts about Percy and his feelings about a certain stupidly hot blonde boy.
After the mirror of Peirasmos had been destroyed, his mind had cleared of the influence and he had immediately felt guilty for abandoning him and had tried to search for him but to no avail, he had ended up in the infirmary again because of all the shadow traveling facing a very angry Will Solace who had forbidden him to do any underworld-y stuff for a long time again.
Suffice to say that the time in the infirmary was the push that got them together and he couldn't even complain about it. Although his father's whining may compensate for it, he mused.
"Why, why out of all the gods' sons do you have to like the son of Apollo. Apollo!", he had complained. "First it was Poseidon and now Apollo and Apollo is much more annoying," he had muttered with the demeaner of a pouty child.
The whole affair had amused and slightly embarrassed him but, in the end, Hades had just waved him off saying that it's alright as long as he was happy. At that Nico had nodded his head furiously and hurried out of the throne room, his face burning red.
The knocking at the door pushed him out of his reminiscing. He got up and opened the door leisurely. Leo was already tinkering with something metallic. He was wearing his signature toolbelt and a Santa Claus cap on his curly head.
He looked more like an elf than Santa truthfully.
"Neeks we can't be late if you want to meet with your prince charming tomorrow on time," he said with a smirk.
Nico could feel a blush coming up. He glared at the Latino boy intensely, "He is not my prince charming, and don't call me Neeks."
Leo backed away and held up his hands like he was surrendering. They walked side by side out of the camp. "So, is Calypso not coming?" Nico asked. "You two are usually inseparable."
Leo shook his head, "Calypso didn't want to come. She thought it'd be awkward. Cause you know they are Percy's parents too."
Nico nodded in understanding. Leo had told him that Percy had also crashed on Ogygia before Leo and he had harboured some hard feelings for him in the past. It would make sense that Calypso didn't want to meet Percy's parents even when he's missing.
They hailed a taxi to Sally's apartment. It was a quiet ride except for Leo's tapping feet and constantly tinkering hands. Honestly, they weren't very close. They became friends when Sally had started inviting them over to her apartment to stay from time-to-time. He wouldn't say they were particularly close. Their personalities clashed and he was very sure that Leo was scared of him before.
When their destination came, Nico gave the driver the correct amount of cash and stood in front of the apartment's door. Leo knocked and after a few minutes, the door opened to show Sally's warm smiling face. There was something he noticed that wasn't there in the past few months.
True joy.
He wondered what made her so happy. Usually, she would be very happy to see them but now, it was like someone brought back her missing son.
"Nico, Leo, I am so glad that you decided to come home for Christmas," she exclaimed and pulled both of them into a hug. He didn't like contact that much but Sally's hugs reminded him of his own mother's. One of the few things that he could remember about her was her motherly hugs that gave him comfort when he felt sad.
"Of course, everyone loves Leo Mcshizzle," Leo said.
They chatted for a few minutes and then headed inside. He could hear Estelle's giggling and a small smile graced his face. She was like his little sister; he knew that he would everything to protect her. Although it made him sad that she will grow up one day while he'll probably look the same and not be able to die till, he falls in battle.
When they reach the living room, he saw the face that he had lost hope to ever see again, the person he owed so much to. As soon as the person sees his face, his eyes widen and he freezes in shock like a deer in headlights.
"YOU!" he exclaimed and promptly punched him in the stomach.
Percy wheezed and clutched his stomach, "Ow, what was that for death breath." On the couch, Estelle giggled at her brother's pain.
"Percy?" Leo spoke from behind him.
"Hey, Leo. How are you doing?"
"Holy Hephaestus, it is you," Leo said with an excited grin and his hair burst into flames.
Out of nowhere, a small raincloud formed over Leo's head and drenched him completely, also effectively putting out the fire. Ignoring the Latino boy's complaints, Nico turned to Percy and crossed his arms, " Where have you been?" he demanded.
"I have been all over the place. You wouldn't have been able to find me. I was constantly moving," he replied.
This made sense, he could tell that Percy was telling the truth but he also knew that he was hiding something. Aren't we all?
Percy then stood up and said, "I am sorry but I've been here for too long. I must leave."
"No" "Wait" Nico and Leo shouted at the same time.
"At least give us a way to contact you," Leo suggested.
Percy's eyes widened in realization, "Oh crap, I totally forgot about it." He brought out three small boxes along with one flat jewellery box. "What are those?" Sally asked.
Percy gave each of the smaller boxes to him, Leo and Sally. Upon his insistence, we opened them. Inside was a rectangular smartwatch that looked a bit different from the usual ones that mortals wore. Nico was confused, demigods can't use technology because it's like a beacon to monsters.
"These are special monster proof smartwatches. You can use them to contact me. My contact will be under the name 'Rimor' which is the new name that I use on a daily basis. You can also contact each other using them," he explained and then turned to Leo, " Leo, in your watch, there are blueprints on how to make more monster proof technology, only those won't be able to contact me. One last thing, do not try to dismantle it, it will fight back."
Before he could ask Percy what that meant, Percy moved to Estelle with the flat box and put a beautiful pendant necklace on her neck. He gave a hug to sally and Paul and whispered something in her ear which he wasn't able to hear.
Lastly, he gave both Leo and Nico a hug, promising to keep in touch and making them all swear that they wouldn't tell anyone of his visit.
He disappeared out of the room, leaving only the scent of the sea.
What they didn't know is that it will be a long time before any of them could see him in person again.
