Disclaimer: I do not own anything besides the basic plot.

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy/Jason

Summary: On their way back home the Argo II is attacked and in the midst of battle Percy is killed. Nico doesn't feel it like he did when Bianca passed away so he is surprised to hear of his late crushes demise. Jason is expecting to comfort a distraught Nico but when he learns that Nico didn't feel Percy's passing the pair is convinced that their Sea Prince is still alive.

Chapter 2: Coping

NICO

Every day he waits for that wave of nausea to hit him, take him under and drown him in unimaginable sorrow at the loss of his friend but he was always more than that. Yet as the days, the weeks, and now months have gone by that feeling has not once even crept up on him. It didn't make things any less easy.

Nico really didn't want to admit that maybe, just maybe, he hadn't been as close to Percy as he thought he had and that's why he couldn't feel him pass away. Then there was another possibility that Percy had really passed on and because of who had died Nico had just blocked it all completely letting his friends and himself believe in the lie that Percy Jackson did not die that day.

The days seem to blend together now. There is no longer the frenzied search for his, no never his, Sea Prince but sometimes it feels like he should be out there searching but all traces of him are gone. Everything was tried even asking Poseidon for help, asking his dad, hell even asking Zeus after all Percy had done a lot for Olympus. It all yielded negative results.

It was closing in on year now that Gaea was defeated and the day Percy disappeared. He'd decided in that time not to leave camp he couldn't run away now. As of right now he was Annabeth's biggest pillar of support and as much as Nico had almost harboured unhealthy hatred toward her it all dissipated. It wasn't her fault Percy was straight just as much it wasn't his fault for being gay. It also wasn't fair that he'd only figured that out now.

Nico realized how much time he wasted hating and keeping grudges but that was his burden and something he was still learning to deal with.

In this span of time he'd also gained a friend, Will. Will was someone you could always count on to be brutally honest to him and he appreciated that. They'd grown to be close friends.

Jason had also been one of his pillars of support. After all he was the one who was there when he screamed out his love for the dorky green-eyed teen. Now that Jason was a go between for the camps and also made sure each god and goddess got a proper alter or cabin he was at Camp Half Blood often.

Nico shifted and wonder who it would be this morning to get him, which of the three blonds; Annabeth, Jason or Will. Most often it was Annabeth, they ate breakfast together. A sharp knock on the door brought him out of his guessing game.

"Come in at your own risk!" Nico yelled while his back popped and snapped when he sat up, geez he was still 14 and already his body was sounding like a bag of bones. He rubbed his eyes and yawned widely as the door swung open.

"Good morning," Jason stood awkwardly in the doorway and usually he wasn't so awkward but he looked like he really wanted to say something. His hands were in fists at his sides and his knuckles were white.

Nico raised a dark brow and swung his legs over the edge of his bed and seriously he was so glad he stayed to redesign this mess of a cabin. He know had a nice big king sized bed tucked away in the furthest corner of the bed. The sheets were silk and of course black, they felt amazing on his skin. He also had brighter lighting installed. Yeah he dad was Lord of the Underworld but he wasn't the Lord of Bad Lighting.

Jason's answer was a slight lip twitch and a scuff of his shoe on the welcome mat at the door. If he stepped in he'd have to take his shoes off and put on slippers, Nico was a stickler for a clean cabin.

"Looks like you wanna say something?" Nico questioned while he slipped on some tight black jeans and another skull patterned shirt, this time all the skulls were different colours. Hazel said he was in a rut with his style and he didn't care.

"It… it can wait. I'm hungry." Ok so he was being evasive that's fine Nico knew sooner or later the blond Roman would tell him anyway so he wasn't too worried about it.

They arrived at the dining pavilion and chose to sit at the Zeus table. Annabeth was talking about totally getting rid of the stupid rule to sit at your parents table because what better way to encourage community that to get rid of another reason to be separate. She wasn't called a wise-girl for nothing.

"So… what're you doing here this time. Which god is more like it." Nico filled his fork with a bunch of scrambled eggs and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Goddess actually her name's Iaso and she's more of a demigoddess but she still needs to be remembered." Jason didn't sound so enthusiastic as he shuffled the eggs from one part of his plate to another.

"Huh can't say I've heard of her but then again that's the whole point of what you're doing." Jason nodded in response and sighed heavily, ok Nico was getting to the bottom of this now.

Nico grabbed both of their plates and shoved the remnants of their breakfast into the closest bronze brazier. He said a quick prayer to Iaso, the newest addition, and hauled Jason out of there to find a quiet place to talk. Ironically they ended up at the docks.

"Alright no one's going to be here for a good half an hour." Nico knew he couldn't just force it out of him so he had to wait and wait he did.

Jason fiddled with his glasses, then the case and then the little cloth that he used to clean the lenses with, even a piece of lint. It was a good ten minutes before he decided to speak up.

"H-how did you know… about Percy and then about well umm being you know… gay…" Oh, out of everything the blond could have said this was not what Nico had ever expected to come out of his mouth.

It didn't bother him anymore to talk freely about his crush with Percy but he still hadn't told Annabeth he couldn't tell her. A part of him knew it was because he feared her reaction, she knew he was gay but that was it and she did not judge him because of it.

"Percy was the one who made me realize it. I still love him nothing would change that but I knew it wasn't just because he was a cool hero it was because he was male as well, I wasn't attracted to girls one bit I can't explain that part just how it is." Nico watched Jason's reactions carefully. "Girls are great they're just not for me, there's nothing about them that makes me want to pursue an intimate relationship with them other than friends." He finished.

Jason took a while to talk, most likely gathering his thoughts. "Piper and I we had a long conversation on our way home. We've both felt for some time that forcing our relationship to work would be toxic in the end. I haven't said anything because I didn't want to be rude since Percy's disappearance. I haven't talked with anyone but Piper and I thought you would be the best person to talk to since I'm close to you." Jason ran his fingers through his hair which had grown out a little from his stark short and Romanesque haircut.

"You've been keeping it in for that long I understand you didn't want to take away from Percy's search party but I could kick you." Nico knew from experience the longer you held it in the more it hurt. "I understand wanting to keep it hush, hush but pretending to be in a relationship still? I thought you were happy with Piper."

"I know I'm dumb but I don't want to be a disappointment and Piper she feels the same. It's safe to be with each other instead of out and she's got the biggest crush on Annabeth, the girl who lost her boyfriend to giant freaking spiders. We thought that we could do it once we got back but since everything has sort of went to hell we felt we had to be together." Jason's tone was hard because he was disappointed in himself that much Nico could tell.

Nico never had the pressures of being a 'hero' as much as Jason did. Those in Camp Jupiter really hung on every word he said and the relationship with the Greeks had flourished because of his relationship with a Greek, Piper. Who ever said it had to be a girl?

Ever since Nico had really come to terms with the fact that he didn't like just Percy that he was in fact gay and liked guys he'd found himself also liking a certain Roman blond. It was silly because Percy didn't even know and certainly didn't like him but if he told Jason about his slightly more than a crush for him he felt as though it was somehow betraying Percy. Most of all he didn't want Jason to think he was a rebound.

"It's not exactly smart but doing that it's only to cause more problems for you and Piper," Geez he was 14 going on 15 and he had to give relationship advice when he's never even been in one. It felt weird but he was also honoured that Jason trusted him of all people.

"Yes I know and that's why we want to break up but I'm almost sure that there are some who would use this to say that Greek and Roman relations can never be healed." Jason was in a different position, he couldn't just think about himself. Nico hated that he couldn't help him.

"You're right so you need to do this smart. Jason it might mean that you have to come out, that means Piper too. If you don't want this to harm relations you have to let the people know exactly why you two broke up." Yeah that sounded smart, Nico just hoped he wasn't steering his friend wrong.

"Of course that's right… You're totally right. I thought I could hide it you know? Pretend but it hurts and I'm tired of living in the shadows." His choice of words were ironic and bright blue eyes met dark. "I didn't mean it like that Nico." Jason bit his lip, he was kind of cute.

"I know you didn't and you're right the shadows hide a lot, I should know right." He winked and Jason breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks man. It means a lot." Before Nico could protest Jason had brought him into a hug. It was electrifying, mostly because Jason's nickname 'Sparky' was very apt. "Sorry didn't mean to shock you just a little excited." Jason blushed and dropped his arms to his side.

"It's fine." Nico surged forward and hugged him before he talked himself out of it. It was the right decision and damn hugging Jason just felt good. Human contact felt so good too.

They parted with little breathy laughs and reddened cheeks.

Nico felt that pounding in his heart, yeah he really liked Jason. It was exactly like how he liked Percy and it kind of scared him.

PERCY

As much as he felt sick he never threw up but the feeling of constantly falling was doing nothing to settle his nerves. It was dark too and no matter how much he reached out he didn't feel anything. There was no water either because that was one of the first things he tried to do.

He hated whatever this place was because it gave him way too much time in his own head. It left him with a huge sense of regret for not doing a lot of things. One of those things was forcing his best friend into a fake relationship to make himself feel better about pleasing other. Percy disgusted himself right now.

That's the first thing he'd do when he stopped falling was find Annabeth ask her to forgive him for keeping her from finding someone she actually loved to spend the rest of her life with. Still he couldn't believe it took him this long to realize it and that's another thing. Perhaps when all of this falling business was over he'd announce it to everyone that he liked boys.

Ok well now that he thought about it and mulled it over he began to second guess himself. Not about telling Annabeth to go pursue whoever and whatever she wanted but the whole announcing to the world. He was the hero of Olympus and there were expectations and those involved girls that needed to be save. In his humble opinion boys needed just as much saving as the girls did.

"Oh my gods!" Percy yelled out to get rid of the gnawing silence. It really didn't help.

Ever since his first please for Nico and Jason to help him he tried not to dwell on it. He knew that he liked them, both of them and that made his feel so incredibly selfish. As if he were good, no worth, enough to get just one of them while he hid in a fake relationship because it was safe, so he could save face.

Percy couldn't deal with how cowardly he'd been. He'd faced on titans and giants alike but when it came to his personal life he'd rather shrivel up and die. As much as it made him want to die he'd like to go peacefully, in his sleep or something. At the rate he was going right now he figured he'd splat against the ground and be reduced to pile of goo. Man he'd really hate to be the crew that had to scrap him off of the ground.

There were only a certain amount of things he could think about until it cycled back to Nico. The little boy he'd gotten out of that school, the boy who'd been so happy until his sister, Bianca, had died. Just thinking about it made Percy sick. Sure Nico had said he wasn't to blame but Percy knew in the back of his mind that he was.

If only he'd been quicker. If only he'd been the one to get zapped. There were a lot of 'if only's' a lot of different possibilities. It always seemed like someone close to him died. There were too many to think about. He knew every death was his fault but in his heart he knew that wasn't true.

Jason, there was Jason too. Percy really didn't know when it had started. Perhaps it was after he and the blond had tried to bash each other's brains in when they were possessed. Yeah, it seemed to be after that, that's when Percy really started to notice him. Ok, well maybe he'd always noticed his muscles.

Yet the thought of getting close to him made Percy feel like a slime ball. There was Piper and even if there wasn't it didn't escape Percy's notice that when he'd gotten out of Tartarus that Jason and Nico seemed to very close, whispering to each other. It made his stomach churn with something uncomfortable, it must have been longing but most likely jealousy. Percy wanted to have that closeness that they seemed to share.

Now he was thinking of Annabeth again. "Gods Percy you're such an idiot. You've just screwed up everywhere, that's all you are a screw up." Ugly Gabe was right about him all he did was screw things up.

Percy felt low and now he wished he'd really just stop falling and it would all go black now that would be better. Wouldn't it?

JASON

Now he was glad he had brought it up with Nico. They had even shared a hug for Venus' sake. He knew Nico didn't just hand out hugs either, that was something special.

They, he and Nico, had a time to meet later with Piper. Right now Jason had more boring matters to attend to. Ok, maybe not boring lest he be struck down but they didn't seem as significant now.

He stopped by the Athena cabin since they were the ones that usually drew up the blueprints for the alters, temples, shrines whatever was needed and most often the cabins. He'd probably see Annabeth. She didn't cry as much as she used to and that was good, or not? Jason wasn't really sure the whole lending a shoulder to cry on thing was still a little foreign to him but he'd always try for a friend.

After knocking twice on the door he waited until a kid, Malcolm, answered. "Oh hey come in. Annabeth is over there." He jabbed his thumb over to the blond girl sitting at a desk with three laptops open, six books, at least 10 pencils and one in her hair all around her. Not to mention the other tools like calculators, rulers, protractors, and compasses.

"Thanks, " Jason nodded to Annabeth's brother and sit down in the only seat that wasn't taken up by books. "Hey, how's the plan coming?" He leaned over so he could get a quick look at her plans.

"S'good, it's going." She smiled, a real smile. It was at least a few months until they had gotten one of those out of her. "I'm glad for the work actually, you know?" She put the eraser between her lips to hold while she measured something and made a few marks here and there.

"Yeah, yeah I do know." And he truly did otherwise he'd be left to dwell on the feelings he may have for that infuriating Greek if it weren't for all of this work.

"Alright I'm done." She slapped the pencil down beside the blueprint. "You know I've never even heard of a quarter of these gods and we've still got a lot more to go. Sometimes I want to strangle you for making outlandish promises and other times I want to kiss you, oh wipe that grimace of your face Grace or I'll do it for you." Annabeth playfully whacked his arm.

"Hey don't thank me it's Grover who we should really thank. He's asked every nature spirit he could think of to keep an eye out and report back to him if ever anything showed up." Jason took the blueprint from Annabeth's hand. "Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem and you're right Grover should be thank a million trillion times." Gray eyes looked right into his electric blue ones. "I'll never stop either until I hear of his demise in my mind he is out there… somewhere." She wore a mask of fierce determination and in that moment Jason totally understood Piper's crush and totally understood why Piper never wanted to tell her. It was obvious who Annabeth was in love with, you'd be silly not to see it.

"Same for me, same for me." It was quiet for a while. "You want to head to the Hephaestus cabin with me so they can start to deliver the blueprints and get the ok?"

"Sure," she stood up and smoothed back her messy, curly blond hair.

They walked in relative silence which got Jason thinking. Had the look that Annabeth and Piper shared be a trick of his mind? He thought for sure there was something there. Then again he'd been told more than once that he's emotionally constipated so it's very possible he read the situation very wrong.

Once they arrived they were greeted by a very eager Leo, he needed to get his hands on those blueprints now or he'd die of boredom. He was always so dramatic. Behind him a very curious Calypso followed closely. She was the first thing that Leo went after when the search for Percy hit a plateau.

Calypso really wanted to travel but Leo wanted to be at the camp, give his support to the place that made him feel like he belonged to something. It also helped that they had gotten two new cabiners who looked up to Leo like the little Latino was a god among men.

"Hey'a mi amigos, how's it hang'n?" He whisked the blueprints off to a massive work table and spread it out with glee. Calypso peered over his shoulder looking mildly bored.

"We're fine." Annabeth answered for the both of them.

Leo smiled wider, Jason wasn't aware that was possible. "That's good, really it is. Hey Calypso can you hand me the spanner, no that's the wrench. Yup that's it." Leo took it with the same wide grin.

"Mind if I stick around?" Annabeth questioned.

"I'd be delighted my friend." With a motion of his hand Annabeth now stood beside Leo and they talked over the plans.

"Hey, I'll see you guys later I got to find Piper." He got a few distracted waves and a bored look from Calypso.

First stop was the Aphrodite cabin but she found out from an always pissed-off-looking Drew that Piper was training with weapons and heaven forbid it getting sweaty. Oh the horror.

Jason was glad he didn't have a sibling like that, geez how the heck did Piper deal with her. With an iron fist, otherwise that girl gets out of control. He'd seen it when Drew really wanted to go on that quest with him. She kind of freaked him out really.

True to what Drew said Jason found Piper sparing one of the practice dummies. She looked beautiful but not in the I want to kiss you way.

"Hey Pipes, look'n good." He let out a rather uncharacteristic whistle which had her whirling around red cheeked.

"Oh my gods who are you and what have you done to Jason?" She laughed and crossed the distance to give him a quick hug. Once they were out of ear shot of anyone else she spoke again. "So, I'm assuming you spoke to Nico right?"

"Yup, after lunch we're going to go to his cabin to talk. Gods Piper he changed in front of me this morning." Jason tried to stress the importance of this and Piper just snorted.

"I know I've accidentally walked in on Annabeth once. She's gorgeous but as far as she knows you and I are together and I'm very straight and she's got Percy. He's not dead he just can't be." Piper chewed her lip briefly before she wiped her brow of sweat. "I really should get a shower so walk me to my cabin and we can chat on the way." Jason nodded as he followed her out.

"Nico said we should come out. He's right but it would be public. The only way for people not to take this as Greek's and Romans can't get along is to drive the point that neither of us are straight it has nothing to do with the fact that you're Greek and I'm Roman." Jason felt paranoid that someone was watching him and listening while he spoke it caused him to get quieter.

"If… if that's what it will take to not cause inner turmoil it's a small price to pay for peace and well the freedom to just be open and not have to hide. I'm tired of looking over my should while we talk." She laughed a little, "I'm doing it right now." She shook her head and her braids swayed with the movement.

"Well one plus, if anything goes wrong you can always talk everyone out of a riot." Jason nudged her shoulder and gave her his best impression of puppy eyes.

"Don't even mention it, " When she laughed it made her eyes sparkle. "If all else fails we could invest in that helmet, the one to protect your precious noggin." Piper poked his temple and they both chuckled quietly.

"Hey I'd look good in that helmet and you know it." Jason smiled while Piper rolled her eyes.

LOST TIME

It had been the most terrible week of his existence. He and Piper had come out publicly and it had to explained to some a multitude of time but it was finally over. Now that it was Jason wanted to meld with the shadows and just stay there for a long time.

He had Piper convinced that his cheeks were never going to stop being red.

Surprisingly the first person to congratulate them once they announced it to the Greeks was Annabeth. The blond girl had given them both a hug with tears in her eyes and she had disappeared soon after that. Not disappeared like Percy but had gone to her cabin to finish another blueprint for another god. At least, that's what she had said to them.

Now Jason was sitting on the docks trying not to cringe at the way his own voice sounded. It was a little easier to deal with his home territory at Camp Jupiter and Hazel had been right there taking a tissue to her damp eyes while Frank was still confused as to what the announcement had been about.

It surprised Jason but the amount of girls on both sides that approached Piper. Oh he was glad that she had so much support and of course offers to go on a date but the poor girl was a little overwhelmed and that's when Reyna had stepped in to tell the girls to leave her alone. That's why after they announced it to the Greeks Piper had taken up Reyna on her offer to stay in New Rome for while.

He smiled thinking about it and no doubt like him she felt so much lighter. It was like he could finally breathe without gasping and sputtering. It was fantastic and frightening.

Jason thought about Percy as the water rippled. Did the son of Poseidon have anything weighing him down? Was he hurt wherever he was? Would he come back?

A terrible thought crossed his mind, what if Percy didn't want to come back? What if?

"This is supposed to be a happy time for you but instead you're sitting here like someone stole your favourite toy, what's up Grace?" Nico asked all to close to Jason's ear.

Holy geez since when did he get there? "Gah! Holy warn a guy would ya?" Jason felt his ears turn red as he shooed at Nico.

Nico sat beside him on the dock after cackling at Jason's reaction.

"Really though, what's got you down?" Nico questioned his intense gaze focused on the son of Jupter.

"Just thinking about Percy and stupidly I thought what if he really didn't want to come back and used this as an opportunity to get away." Jason sighed heavily at how much more depressing it sounded said aloud.

"Well," Nico started. "If, and I really mean if, that's what he's decided to do then we should be happy for him." It looked like the hardest thing the boy had ever said, it made Jason even sadder.

"Talking about me looking like someone stole my favourite toy it looks like someone murdered your puppy." Jason bumped shoulders with Nico who glared.

"Yeah well I do sort of mostly still like that stupid green-eyed idiot." Nico blushed and Jason decided he wanted to see more of Nico blushing. "But I also realize that I won't ever get him, mostly I don't deserve him. Save it Jason let me talk, please." Nico's voice wavered a little.

"Yes sorry, go on please." Jason moved so now they were sitting shoulder to shoulder.

"First of all he won't magically be gay or something and even if he is who is to say he'll like me. It's not something I really want to talk about with you." Nico was struggling with his words it didn't make what he said hurt any less.

Jason kept quiet and blinked as his eyes began to sting a little.

"It's that I like another guy just as much as I like Percy and I can't… if I ever had to choose for any reason I wouldn't be able to choose. I want them both and it's so selfish and disgusting that I don't want you to know because I find this part of myself ugly." Nico grimaced and growled a little. His hands had a white knuckle grip on his knees.

"What's so ugly about loving two people so much you couldn't possibly choose?" Jason grabbed one of those white-knuckled hands. "What's so wrong about not being able to pick one over the other. There is nothing ugly about that kind of love Nico." It was the same kind of love that Jason had and it scared him to death to even think about.

Nico attempted to yank his hand away but Jason wouldn't let up and gripped him tigher.

They didn't speak for the rest of the even and soon their hands were intertwined.

….

A/N: Long time coming this chapter. I really hoped that you liked it and that their feelings were conveyed. I mean admitting you love one person is hard enough but two is even harder. This takes places nearly a year after Percy goes missing so approximately 8-9 months.

I also hope that why Jason had to go extremely public with his coming out is understandable. While I was thinking of him coming out I took into consideration his and Piper's relationship the fact they were one Greek and one Roman and that if they broke up there would be those who would use that as an excuse to start fights and whatnot.

Please let me know what you thought! BYE!