Edited! Sorry about the horrible formatting before. Thanks

so much to CaptnNorway, Sophia the Daughter of Nyx, ShinnyStar, repsac35705, dkhockey18, percabethbooklion, AmberEmber7, OverLordRevan, PercyJacksontheChicken, and a kind Guest who was apparently "just reviewing" for your various reviews, favs, and follows. But anyway. So I know I've already done Nico in the first chapter, but someone (you know who you are (: ) said that Nico's was pretty much a short little blurb, so…

NICO, PART 2

Nico sat on his father's throne, unhappily twisting the skull ring on his finger back and forth. It had been days since he'd returned from defeating Gaea, and his mind was still numb with shock. He couldn't believe that Percy and Annabeth were gone. As quickly as if he'd snapped his fingers and said "die".

The ring started to grate on his knuckle, digging into the soft folds of skin. It was beginning to hurt, but Nico didn't stop twisting. His mind was overwhelmed with memories of Percy: Percy as the first time he'd ever seen him, with Riptide in hand and looking like an avenging angel in all his glory, even without wings. Percy at Camp Jupiter, staring at him in puzzlement, because he had remembered him. And Nico remembered, too, refusing to tell him who either of them was, as well as a thousand other things. Dreams, wishes, hopes, emotions; they had all been swept away by Percy's death.

Nico knew that he was a despicable person, because of what he felt for Percy. Society would shun him, demigod or not, if they knew the truth. Hades, the only person in his life who actually knew him well enough to love him, only grudgingly did so because Nico was his offspring, in that way parents had of dutifully loving their children as if it was a burden they had to carry. Bianca, the only person in the world who had loved him unconditionally, was dead and in Elysium. She had tried for rebirth, but she had also told Nico never to try to find her in the mortal world. She had swum in the River Lethe, and wouldn't remember him, anyway. Even the love she'd had for him was gone. Everything. Even her own name.

Nico couldn't imagine it.

He sighed and leant back on the throne, and only then was he aware of something wet trickling down his finger. Looking down in shock, he saw that he had been twisting his ring so hard that it had drawn blood. Without his even knowing.

Soon Hades would return, from wherever on Olympus he was—literally, because he was, after all, at a council meeting—and he would probably be mad at Nico for sitting on his throne. He couldn't say he cared. Ever since Percy's death, he had stopped caring about most things. Occasionally he checked in on Percy and Annabeth in Elysium. They never saw him, but he saw them, laughing and partying and being happy. Together. He had seen them share more than a few kisses and hugs, and some days it made him happy for their love. Other days it made him want to tear his hair out. Unrequited love, even when it was just a really strong crush, was terrible. Nico wasn't sure what he felt about Percy, himself. He knew that Percy was off limits—always had been, always would be—but he still fought down butterflies in his stomach whenever he thought of him, and his heart still beat faster whenever he remembered what he'd been like alive. Or, at least, on Earth.

Nico didn't know how long he'd sat there, twisting his ring (which he'd moved to a different finger) and staring into space, remembering Percy's bravery, funniness, and kindness. He would even have been kind and polite if he'd learned about Nico's real sexual orientation. Which would make it even worse. Nico would much rather deal with an angry Percy who hated him.

He traced the ring's pattern absently with the still—bleeding finger: it was a raised white skull, engraved onto a plain obsidian background. It had been a thirteenth birthday present from his father, and he'd worn it every day since. Nico wasn't sure why; it had just never occurred to him to take it off. For what must have been over an hour, he just sat there and tried to piece together exactly how and what he felt regarding Perseus Jackson. I know there are some readers who've stuck around from the beginning. I want to thank them. As for the ones who've just jumped on the bandwagon, well, welcome! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review/follow/fav, and remember to request! :) ~ravenclawshadowhunter13