Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I haven't been able to reply to them, but I love every single one of them! Sorry for the wait guys, I had some seriously hardcore finals, and finals week alone is killer. Hope this chapter makes up for it somehow!

Fourteen Days

Day Two

When Percy woke up the next morning to nothing on his bedside table, he was disappointed. Maybe his secret admirer wasn't as serious as the note had proclaimed? Sighing softly he unwrapped his arms from where they were squeezing his stuffed seal, which he had affectionately dubbed Pluto. For no reason. Not at all. And maybe because he was a little terrified that if he named it Hades, he'd be cursed by the grumpy God. He'd just blame the reasoning on Hades being too obvious a name. Which didn't mean he was thinking of any certain person when naming little Pluto. Not at all. Nope.

Oh damn it all, he couldn't even convince himself! Burying his head in his pillow he let out a scream of frustration, cheeks hot with the blush adorning his face. Sighing he lifted himself up and out of bed, fixing the drooping shoulder of his night shirt. Well it wasn't really his it was Nico's. Which he might have coerced the Stolls into stealing, under the pretense of them being too afraid to take Nico's clothes from his rather eerie cabin. Okay, so he was a little head-over-heels for the son of Hades, and for the first few weeks he'd felt kind of creepy for having his shirt in the first place. Now, however, he could care less. He'd resigned himself to being creepy, especially if it meant he could wear the Italian's clothes.

Going through his normal morning routine, Percy headed out to the dining hall for breakfast with a yawn, plopping down at his table and giving a small smile at Grover opposite him. He was just about to get up and grab food with Grover when an unknown dryad came running up to him with a smile on her face.

"This is for you, with an apology for the lateness," she chirped, depositing a few items in his arms and then bouncing off again. Percy stared after her stupidly, wondering what in the world had just happened, only to look down in interest at the objects now in his arms. Setting them down on the table, he flipped open the folded card once more, smiling as he saw the similar script from the morning before.

Dearest Percy,

I hope you will enjoy today's gifts. I was told you don't like to have money spent on you, but I wish to do so. However I will abide to a point, and so the first week of gifts shall be small.

xoxo

Your Secret Admirer

Percy blushed as he read it, turning to where the gift was innocently laying on the table. It was a simple, unassuming box, but rather large despite the promise of its price. Reaching out and setting the card down simultaneously, only to have Grover snatch it up to read it, he opened the box. Inside was an array of blue candies, all clearly different, with chocolates and taffy mixed in. Percy, having an incorrigible sweet tooth, happily squeaked and began pulling out the bags. They were neatly separated by type- chocolate, hard candy, and taffy- but he was already opening them and happily popping them into his mouth with no appreciation for the effort. The only other item was yet another snowy rose.

Grover gave him an odd look, glancing between him and the card, but when Percy blushed and looked away he decided not to pry. Instead, he tugged on Percy's shirt and demanded breakfast. Laughing, the son of Poseidon yielded and let himself be dragged away.

Later that day, Percy was teaching the new campers sword lessons, delightedly and rather animatedly demonstrating. He was patient, more than willing to stand still as they demonstrated maneuvers that would repeatedly bruise him or knock him down. Percy knew it was vital that they learn, even if it made him sore by the end of the session. He had just finished disarming a son of Demeter when he felt warm breath against his neck.

Squeaking in surprise he jumped and whipped around, stumbling, only for a tan arm to reach out and snag his waist to keep him steady. A deep chuckle made him blush, already knowing who it was just from the sound. His hand jerked out to swat the firm chest for scaring him, huffing softly.

"Nico! I hate when you do that!" He whined, always startled whenever the Ghost King would appear silently from the shadows. Of course, the Italian thought it was hilarious, especially because Percy always made the cutest sounds whenever he did it. At least he never swung, feeling safe in camp, or Nico would be less inclined to do it.

"Sorry, Perce," he chuckled in reply, letting go of the now steady Sea Prince to place his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He looked down at the son of Poseidon with a half-smirk, dark eyes glittering with amusement despite his (insincere) apology. The both of them knew he'd continue to do it anyways, and Percy secretly didn't mind it, considering he almost always ended up pressed against the Italian in some way because of it.

"What are you doing here? Why were you gone?" he queried, excitement returning to him. Nico had been oddly absent the past week or so, and with how normally they'd spend every hour of every day together, Percy had missed him terribly. He capped Riptide and returned it to his pocket, eagerly awaiting an answer from the son of Hades, and he was not disappointed.

Nico lifted a hand to nervously run it through his hair at the questions, not wanting to admit to Percy that he'd been setting up the preparations for the romancing currently going on. He didn't intend to reveal himself until the very end, after all, but he'd blindly forgotten to come up with an excuse to tell the son of the sea. He ended up not having to, as one of the Ares newbies came stalking up to his beloved and angrily pulled on his sleeve. Patient and smiling as always Percy turned to her.

"You're supposed to be training us, not talking to this guy!" she growled, clearly disgruntled and eyeing Nico warily. Nico saw in her the same thing he saw in every new demigod- the absolute hero worship (and ensuing harmless obsession or crush) of Percy Jackson. Percy had the decency to look guilty as he turned to her, but Nico was silently smirking behind him, already knowing what the answer would be.

"I'm sorry, maybe ask Jason?" he gave a sheepish smile, turning to drag Nico away despite the loud protesting of the angry girl behind him. His hand was small and warm around Nico's wrist, dragging him along as he ran away from the frustrated newbie. Nico chuckled and allowed himself to be tugged along to the beach, amused by the entire situation. Percy let go of him to flop in the soft white sand, smiling up at him and patting the spot next to him. Nico rolled his eyes but obliged, laying down beside him as Percy dug into his pocket to offer him a candy.

"Where'd you get that?" Nico asked, though he clearly already knew the answer. Percy's answering blush made him smirk, however, especially as he stuttered out that it had come from a secret admirer intent on wooing him.

"Sounds like I have competition," he joked, leaning forward to wrap his lips around the blue candy in Percy's fingers, sucking it into his mouth and laying back down on the sand as if he'd done something completely normal. All the while Percy was staring at him, his entire face a vivid red as he dwelled on the sensation of Nico's lips surrounding the tips of his fingers. As the next wave came in, he reached for the water and splashed it onto Nico's face. The Ghost King spluttered and jolted up, only to see Percy laughing uncontrollably beside him.

"Why you little-!" Nico lunged for him, Percy squealing in surprise as the two grappled on the sand, neither successful at pinning the other for very long until Nico managed to place a hand on Percy's hip and press him down into the sand. Puffing from the exertion, the two gazed at each other, pink-cheeked. Everything went very still for a few moments, Percy blushing under the scrutiny. In his embarrassment he summoned the water again, spraying Nico with it and scampering away while he had the chance.

Nico shouted and laughed, shedding his jacket and shirt and sprinting after the son of Poseidon. Percy squealed and laughed, throwing his candy somewhere safe as he ran into the water. Nico was right behind him, catching him with strong arms around his waist and picking him up, spinning him around until Percy was laughing so hard he was nearly crying. Nico set him down shortly after, and the sea child nearly drooled when he turned around to see Nico completely topless, caramel muscles defined in the afternoon light. Gulping, he jumped at the son of Hades to distract himself- and hide his reaction- and managed to send them both down into the water. Laughing as Nico spluttered, returning quickly to the surface, Percy took off running again.

Their play lasted quite a while, and by the end of it the two of them flopped down onto the sand, panting and grinning like idiots. It was approaching supper, but neither of them seemed intent on moving. Only when the bell rang out to summon them did they peel their eyes open and reluctantly get up. Percy easily dry-willed them, shivering in his t-shirt as evening set in, cooling the air around him. Nico frowned and shed his jacket, placing it around Percy's shoulders. Percy startled and looked up, a slight blush on his cheeks as he felt the warm jacket settle around him. Mumbling a shy thank you, he pulled it on, subtly pressing his face to the collar to inhale Nico's scent when the Italian wasn't looking. It was smoky and deep, like cinnamon and basil, sharp and spicy with an undertone of freshly rained-on earth. It was intoxicating.

After dinner, Percy fell asleep on Nico's shoulder at the bonfire, and the Italian smiled fondly down at him. Picking him up, he walked to the Poseidon cabin, quietly opening the door and depositing him on his bed. He smiled, seeing the two roses in a vase on his bedside table, and the stuffed seal sitting like a regal prince upon his pillow. What really got his attention was the discarded sleepwear on Percy's bed. The shirt looked really familiar…

Nico choked as he realized just why it was familiar. It was his! He looked between the slumbering son of Poseidon and his shirt, slowly making the connection. Maybe he should be a bit more forward, if Percy wearing his clothes was any indication of his feelings. Chuckling, Nico left his jacket on Percy and, after pulling the blankets over him and taking off his shoes, melted into the shadows with a smirk.

It was time to start playing for real.