"That's bullshit," Nico said.

Damen finally turned to face him, hi expression almost broken.

"I'm over seventy years old. I can't believe you think that would matter to me. We are both lost in time."

Damen started to say something, but Nico wouldn't let him.

"No, I've wandered too, Damen. I creep in shadows and watch others rather than joining. I've always been alone. But I don't have to be."

The two demigods faced each other fully, searching each other's eyes.

"Nico…"

"It's okay," Nico quieted the man.

"But I'll just make it worse, Nico. Chaos follows me. I am chaos. Even today, just meeting your friends I managed to fuck everything up."

"No you didn't. That wasn't even a proper meeting. I know they'd love you if you hung out with us."

Damen chuckled half-heartedly.

"Are you even aware of how complicated it would be for us to be together?"

"Maybe a little. But we are half-bloods. I don't know about you but I know I've been through worse and much less beneficial."

"Beneficial?" Damen half smirked at Nico, a hesitant hope rising in his eyes.

Nico swatted the taller man's arm.

"You know what I meant. You make me feel better, dumbass," Nico chastised.

Damen tsked, "You know calling me names isn't very nice. I'm hurt. Maybe I'll leave so I don't have to deal with this abuse."

Nico poked his tongue out at him.

"But you're serious? You're willing to try this?" Damen asked, surprisingly nervous.

"What exactly would we be trying?"

"I don't know, I mean… I haven't exactly asked a guy out before."

"Neither have I," Nico pointed out. "And you're the oldest, which means you have to do it."

"You're never gonna stop bugging me about that, are you? Didn't think so. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and do it."

The son of Eris grabbed Nico's hands and knelt on the floor.

"Dude, you're not proposing," Nico blushed.

"Yes I am. I am proposing that you, Nico di Angelo, and I, Damen McCoy, become boyfriend and boyfriend to properly annoy each other from now on."

Nico suddenly felt very nervous. Maybe it was the word 'boyfriend', but something made Nico's anxiety spike.

Damen, seeming to sense this, stood back up and pulled them over to the bed to sit down. He kept Nico's hands in his, which helped to soothe the boy some. Nothing that felt this right could be that wrong, could it?

"It's okay, Nico. I know it's fast, and kinda scary. I came from a time when being with another man was unimaginable. I've seen some bad stuff over the years. But luckily, I've seen so much good as well. The world has come so far. It'll be rough in some cases, but it'll be so worth it."

The irony was not lost on Nico of the tables turning so suddenly, Damen now comforting him.

"I know. I just… we should take it slow. Make sure we're both comfortable with everything first. I don't wanna screw this up.

Damen nodded and squeezed his hands.

"Are you comfortable with this?"

Nico smiled and nodded.

Damen leaned a little closer, making Nico's heart thunder.

"And this?"

Nico nodded again, slower this time.

Now Damen brought their lips an inch apart and stared into the boy's eyes. For a moment Nico was lost in them, at the moment a strange, dark-violet color, but was soon drawn to his lips.

"This?"

"Yes," Nico managed to breathe, tasting Damen's own breath on his lips.

His heart almost stopped when Damen connected them. He was not prepared for what he felt.

In his dream he had felt the heat, the butterflies, which were all good and enjoyable. What Nico could not have possibly prepared for was the electricity that sparked, the strange tingling that worked from his spine across his whole body and settling in his fingers and toes. What he never in a million years could have prepared for was the intense, indescribable feeling in the deepest part of his chest, straight from a crappy romance novel he never read.

When they finally parted, Nico remembered to breathe.

"And that?" Damen asked, equally as breathless.

"Fuck yes," Nico whispered before grabbing the man's neck and connecting them once again.

When they came up for air, their foreheads rested together, eyes closed, listening to each other breathing. The tingling sensation had yet to go away.

"Yeah, that wasn't so bad," Nico whispered.

"Not bad? I'm a little offended."

"It was amazing, jerk." Nico smiled.

Damen stared at him for a moment. It had been so long since either had felt so happy, maybe they never had. They soaked it up, savoring the moment, enjoying every bit of it.

"So you never actually answered me," Damen murmured into Nico's ear.

Nico pretended to think for a moment.

"I guess I could put up with that ugly mug of yours."

Damen smacked his arm, giggling. He grabbed the boy and pulled him so they were lying side by side and kissed him again.

"And I'll put up with your oh-so-witty repertoire of sarcasm," Damen promised.

…

Nico may or may not have fallen asleep with his head on Damen's chest, their arms wrapped around each other, legs entwined. Damen may or may not have let him, just to watch him sleep.

Neither moved until that night when Percy and Annabeth came to check on him.

Nico answered the door with a smile, Damen in tow, and invited them in, enjoying the pleasantly surprised shock on their faces. He properly introduced Damen as his boyfriend and gave them a quick, watered-down version of the story. They congratulated him, bidding them both a good night with a request for Nico to tell Chrion about his new guest as soon as possible. Nico agreed and said good night.

Nico asked Damen to stay the night, which the man readily agreed to. Nothing happened except sleep, of course, neither of them ready for the next step quite so soon. But with Damen in his arms, Nico realized that he might be ready for something more much sooner than he thought.

A/N: One more to go! Just got a quick, fluffy epilogue to wrap up the story! See you guys Thursday (if I don't forget again).