They ended up at Wendy's.

Nico claimed that McDonald's was growing old on him, although the neon-green alien keychain holding the classic 'M' sign attached to his bag begged to differ. Percy leaned back in the booth, acutely aware of the reactions of the others– the mortals– around him. Some flinched, others' eyes' glazed over; one little girl sniffed him.

Nico didn't seem bothered. He nodded and smiled whenever someone got too close, but otherwise occupied himself with his food.

The food neither of them were actually eating.

"It just doesn't taste the same." He sighed; Nico snorted.

"Yeah." He agreed, although at Percy's words he finally began eating his fries. "I don't have an idea as to why, if that's what you were asking."

"I wasn't!" He protested. "It's not my fault you're as smart as Annabeth–"

Nico stared at him with wide eyes as silence fell upon them like a thick, uncomfortable blanket; he could feel the heat seeping away from his food, which he was pretty sure wasn't meant to be a feeling.

"I'm not Annabeth." Nico said firmly– it almost looked sad, Percy thought, although he could hardly fathom the reason unless Nico and Annabeth had been friends. "I appreciate it, but I'm not her."

Percy dropped his head into his hands, elbows on the table; he could hear his mother going 'Elbows OFF!' at him. "I know! I know– I said as, because she… you know how she was. She knew everything I didn't."

"And you think I do?" He raised a brow. "You know much more than you claim, Percy."

He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes before gripping his hair tightly. "Sure, but I know nothing without her."

Nico's foot gently kicked at his own. "I believe you are what they call a 'Simp'."

"Your jokes are not helping." He glared up at Nico, who shrugged.

"Laughter is the best medicine." He said, before he sighed, tone soft: "You need to get out, Percy; It'll help."

"How do you know?" He shot back, and regretted it the moment it slipped out his mouth; Of course Nico knew, Percy had been the one who forced him to learn.

Right as the thought crossed his mind, Nico's gaze darkened. "Grieve however you want, Percy, but you need to heal, and rotting in your room isn't going to help."

He shoved a cold fry into his mouth. "I know."

Nico gave him a look, and Percy shoved his foot into Nico's knee; he was rewarded with a string of curses he never thought would come from Nico Di Angelo. "Work at camp, work around Atlantis–" Nico hissed. "But do something."

"Why do you care, Nico?" He said, to which Nico made a sound a bit like a growl.

"I think you should ask why do you care, Percy." He said. "I care because–" He cut himself off, suddenly slouching in the booth seat. "-Because you saved me and Bianca from the Manticore, and admiration runs deep."

Percy frowned, but backed off, mulishly eating his cold fries and cold burger. "I care because she was my soulmate; I care because they were my friends; I care because they were my family."

He wasn't aware he was crying until tear spots appeared on the table. Nico held out a napkin, which he took with a nod. "Fuckin–" He sighed in fustration. "Why, why do you do this to me?"

Nico frowned, tone a bit harsh as he spoke: "What, antagonize you? It's never on purpose, Percy."

Percy laid his head against the cool wood of the table. "No, why do you make me think? Why do you make me care again? Why do you make me hope again when we have lost everything."

The frown was still on Nico's face. "Because Percy, I lost everyone and I can't lose you. If I lose you then everyone I have ever cared for is gone."

Guilt flashed across Percy's face "-Sorry Nico. I'm so sorry that I am a failure. That I can't do anything. That I can't keep people safe."

Nico sighed, reaching over and putting his hand next to Percy's. "It's not your fault." He said firmly. "You're not a failure, and you do keep people safe; I wouldn't be here if you were a failure, Percy."

Percy looked at his cousin, "You're here because of people that we knew, I was only ever there because the fates said so!" His voice was raised a little, he was being fuelled by grief instead of thinking straight.

Nico pulled his hand away. "I am here, Perseus Jackson, because the fates deemed that you should help me; you are here because you're selfless and a hero, if only you could get that through your head! You're here because you are needed by me and everyone else. You're all that Chiron and–" He stopped. "-And I have now."

Percy opened and closed his mouth before standing– and then he sat back down. "Chiron has the campers." He said stubbornly. "My father has Amphitrite and his other kids, and you have- you have your dad."

Nico leaned over the table. "My dad doesn't talk to me unless we run into each other; Persephone doesn't talk to me unless she's forced to. The ghosts of everyone we once knew somehow aren't in the underworld–" He sighed. "Chiron is old, Percy, and I think he knows it; He wants familiar faces around."

"But Chiron is immortal, and as long as demigods need training, he will be around for a long time." Percy argued back. "All we are to him are faces– he will eventually forget when he raises the next generation of demigods."

Anger flashed on Nico's face, "Perseus Jackson! You are probably one, if not the best, of the best heroes that Chiron has ever had the pleasure to help raise. You saved Olympus twice, you made sure minor gods would get recognised so nobody would feel forgotten. You got my father and me recognised. You helped me get accepted into camp. You are selfless, you always put others first. You are gods-damn Perseus Jackson, Slayer of the minotaur and countless other titles! You turned down being a god as you wanted to make sure the gods followed through on their promises, you fell into Tartarus for Annabeth! You are a hero, and you always will be one in my eyes."

Percy stared at him, swallowing thickly. "How longs' the list in your head?" He croaked. "You think so highly of me; I got your sister killed, I blew up a very public mountain, I only did so because the gods were being stupid little fucks so I just wanted to drill it into their head– I let them get killed, Nico."

Nico reached over and pinched Percy's nose shut. "Stop it! Do you hear yourself? Do you hear me? You are a hero to so many, including me– get that through your head, Perseus." He hissed.

Percy scowled hard at Nico, "I may be a hero to some, but not to myself. To myself I am a bad luck charm. I get everyone killed that has ever been near me!"

"Not me." Nico said, removing his hand. "I haven't died yet, and I'm sitting right next to you."

"Well you're immortal now! So that doesn't matter. You were the one lucky person out of hundreds!" Percy said, tears forming in his eyes.

"I could've died many, many, many times over for you, Percy." He said. "When I first ran; When Minos found me; When Luke found me; My travels alone have been dangerous and reckless, and I have always done it for you."

"You shouldn't do anything for me, you should have left me alone." Percy stressed. "Everyone should have. Thals' was smart to become a hunter for the first prophecy not to fall upon her. I wish I had a choice like that!" Percy sighed, he was struggling and it was evident now.

Nico scowled at the table. "Well, then the prophecy would have landed on me." He said. "You, evidently, didn't want that; You made your choices, and this is what the Fates had to say about them."

"All the Fates and the higher powers see me as a toy for a hellhound; I get tossed around and used when they see fit!" Percy argued.

Nico stood abruptly. "Do you know what would've happened had you not been 'the fates toy'? I would've had to lead an army at ten; I would've died in a ditch somewhere out of my own foolishness; Percy–" His shoulders slumped. "If you hadn't been there, I would've joined Luke in a heartbeat. Is that what you want for me?"

"You would have reached sixteen- just like the Great Prophecy claimed. You would have led an army at 16! Like I did." Percy said as he remembered the prophecy.

Nico stared at Percy for a long moment. "I would have joined Luke." He repeated. "No matter how things went, I know very well that if he had come to me or Bianca, I would be swayed to his side; do you never wonder of why things happen?"

He didn't wait for an answer, walking out of the Wendy's.

Percy just sat there, open mouthed at the rant that Nico had just spilled off. Everything that was said, ran through his mind. Was he really the best choice? Had he really been the best choice?

Percy eventually got up and left the diner, he started to wander around the streets, just lost. He needed to apologize to Nico, but he had no clue where Nico would have gotten to now; he could be in the underworld or in China, as he often had shadow-traveling mishaps that ended up with him appearing on the other side of the world.

The fates were surely laughing at him.