Sorry for the cliff hanger guys. I had to choose between a cliff hanger and waiting until today to post the last chapter and this one together. And I knew that I really wanted to post a chapter on the 7th. I hope none of you are too angry at me. LOL If you are, this chapter should make up for it. Enjoy. :-)

Important thing to note... This will be yaoi (boy-boy). Don't like? You do not have to read.

Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus series. (One can dream though) All rights go to the proper parties.

Nico POV

This was going to be so awkward.

I really wished that we didn't have to do this. I was not looking forward to losing him. The fact that Percy told me I should have said yes to Ryan felt like a knife to the chest.

I had almost convinced myself that he wanted to kiss me. The way he was blushing so much, the way he was spying on me... I sighed. I should have known better.

I had known this day would eventually come. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to step back and allow him to walk away. I didn't care if it had only been just over a week since our 'relationship' started. I had been in love with him for years.

The thought of never touching him again hurt far more that I could have expected. I had tried to prepare myself for this since the beginning but I should have known that was impossible.

I closed my eyes, "Fine."

Percy dropped off his equipment and started walking away. I followed him across camp and into the Poseidon cabin. The fact that he had chosen a place that we could speak and not be over heard did not escape my attention.

Percy looked nervous. He kept opening his mouth to say something only to close it again. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. Watching him pace was making my ADHD kick in. I heard him sigh and opened my eyes in time to see him rubbing his face as he collapsed onto his bed.

I watched him lay there for a few minutes. My nerves were getting the best of me. I had tried to avoid this conversation and now that it was here I just wanted to get it over and done with. I guess it's up to me. "I thought you wanted to talk."

I heard him sigh as he sat up to face me. He glanced at me only to look back down at his lap. I had never seen Percy act like this before. "Ya, I did. It's just, I don't really know what to say anymore. Words have never exactly been my realm of expertise."

"It's fine. Just say what you've got to say so I can get out of here." It was all I could do to just to keep my emotions in check. I may not have been able to control my feelings for the son of the sea god, but refused to let them show.

"I... we... need to talk about..." Percy shook his head and roughly ran his fingers through his hair. "Listen Nico, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I had no right to kiss you like that."

It was all I could do to keep myself from laughing. He thought I was mad at him for kissing me? I forced my face to remain expressionless but really, how much further from the truth could you get? "It is alright Percy, I am not mad at you."

"I still shouldn't have kissed you without asking permission. I mean, I know that you don't feel that way about me," He knows that, does he? I raised an eyebrow but kept my lips closed. "I didn't think it through, I'm sorry."

I felt my lips pull down into a frown. "I know you weren't thinking. As I said it's fine."

"No, it's not. I... listen Nico, we need to rethink this plan," I turned to glare at the floor, here it comes. "I don't want to lie to you. I think that... maybe...Gah! Why is this so hard to say?" He buried his head in his hands.

I looked at him in confusion. I had no idea what he was trying to say. "Just say it."

I watched him take a deep breath. "Nico, I... I can't continue faking this relationship." I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut. I nodded and turned to leave. "Wait! I'm not finished."

I felt the need to flee. I didn't want to stay a moment longer. "That seems like everything we need to say." I put my hand on the door. I will have to leave for a while, I'm sure Dad won't mind me coming for a visit.

Percy frowned and spoke in a heavy voice, "I wish it was. Please don't freak out. Just hear me out and then make your decision." I looked at him. My heart may have been breaking but he piqued my curiosity. "I want you to decide if we continue dating or not, but you need all the facts first."

He wants me to decide? But he just said that he didn't want to continue this. I frowned and sighed. As much as I wanted to keep him, I wouldn't force my company on him. "It's fine Percy. If you don't want to go out with me then I am not going to make you."

Percy winced. "That's kind of the problem... I do want to go out with you. I... I like hanging out with you. I just... I can't... fake it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I... I like you Nico." There was no way in Hades he was trying to say what it sounded like he was.

I felt my eyebrows pull together in confusion. "I like you to Percy."

"No, I didn't mean it like that. Well, I mean, l I do like you, but I meant... I think I might be developing a small crush on you."

For a moment the world seemed to spin backwards.

Percy did not have a crush on me. It couldn't be true. He was in love with Annabeth. I felt my heart break all over again. I had unconsciously begun to hope that I had heard him correctly, but there was no way he would forget about her. She was his other half.

I tried to speak through the pain of that knowledge but it seemed impossible. I managed to croak out only a single word, "What?"

Percy blushed and looked away. "I'm sorry Nico. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. But it wouldn't have been fair to you to not tell you the truth. I want to continue this, but only if you want to. I just thought that I should warn you that I can't remain aloof. Don't worry, I won't make you do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable."

My brain seemed to have stopped working. It was the kiss all over again. It seemed like I had to work 10 times as hard to even speak. "You... like me?"

"I... yes, I do like you. Don't worry, I know you don't feel the same and that's okay. I can accept that." He was clearly nervous. I wished I could help calm his fears but I was frozen in shock. Percy started to babble. "I just thought that if you wanted to continue our relationship, even though I lost control and kissed you, that you had the right to know. Don't worry; I will do my best to try to avoid doing that in the future..."

"No." I surprised myself when I spoke.

Percy looked at me and then looked down. "Okay, that's alright. I'm not going to force you to go out with me. It's your choice." I saw him close his eyes for a moment before he nodded and stood up. He was trying to hide his emotions but I could see the sadness in his eyes. "Well I'm going to head for a swim, see you later Nico."

"No! That's not what I meant... Yes, of course we can continue going out."

Percy frowned. "I don't want you to feel pressured into doing this. You can say no if you want to, I won't hold it against you."

I shook my head; the entire conversation was starting to catch up with me. "I know, but I want to go out with you. And no one makes me do anything that I don't want to."

Percy looked hopeful and gave me a tentative smile. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

I felt myself beaming. Percy liked me. I knew that it wouldn't compare to the way I loved him but it was so much more than I had ever dared to hope for. I was trying my best to hold in the force of my joy but it was difficult. It was all I could do to keep myself from leaping into his arms.

"Why did you say no then?"

I tilted my head. It was hard to think with that knowledge bouncing through my brain but I forced myself to focus. I had to think this through logically. Percy said he thought he might have a crush on me. I would have to be very careful in how I chose to proceed. I would have to downplay my feelings for him. If I was to let out all the emotions that I had been harboring for so many years, it would freak him out and I would lose my chance. I had an opportunity to show him how I felt about him. It was an opening I could never even have hoped for; I would not screw it up.

If I was to have the slightest chance with him I would have to start off very slowly.

"I just meant that you don't have to avoid me." I was nervous about saying it but I knew that I would need to in order to lay his fears to rest. "And that I don't mind if you kiss me."

Percy looked surprised. "Are you positive? You didn't seem particularly comfortable with it."

"Trust me on this Percy; I did not mind you kissing me." I smiled to myself at the understatement.

Percy didn't look like he believed me. "You froze and then ran away."

I looked down to hide my blush. "You just surprised me is all, I didn't see it coming." Percy was still giving me a skeptical look. "I... I sort of think I might like you too."

It was Percy's chance to look stunned. "You... like me?" I just nodded; I was too embarrassed to speak. "Are you certain?"

I sighed. I needed to get away from the topic of my feelings as soon as possible. "Are you going to ask for clarification of everything I say?"

Percy blushed. I found it incredibly attractive on him. "Sorry, I'm just surprised is all. I mean you... never mind." I was curious but I decided against asking. He looked as though he really did not want to know the answer to whatever he was thinking. Suddenly he looked at me curiously. "So does this mean that you're not straight?"

I couldn't help it, I started to laugh. Percy joined in a few moments later. I had not been this happy in a long time. Eventually we calmed down enough so that I could speak.

"No Percy, I'm not. I take it that you're not either?"

Percy smiled and let out a small chuckle, "Apparently not. Looks like I really am bi, who knew?"

I smiled at the boy who held my heart, "Come on it's time for dinner."

As we left his cabin my heart felt lighter. I knew that there were still a lot of things that we would need to speak of. Percy may have begun to like me but there were still questions that we needed to answer, but at the moment I was content to simply bask in my joy.