From the moment Jason Grace met Nico di Angelo, he'd been completely thrown off balance.
Not in a "Oh gods, I'm going to fight this guy" kind of way. No, it was worse than that—like, infinitely worse. Nico's olive skin, dark, wild curls that framed his sharp cheekbones, and those lips—those bow-shaped lips—had left Jason speechless. But it was the eyes that really got him. Soul-deep, bottomless black eyes that seemed to look through him, right down to the parts Jason kept hidden from everyone else.
Jason had faced countless monsters, but meeting Nico di Angelo. That was something different. Something that made Jason realize, with a startling kind of clarity, that he was completely in love.
Yeah, Jason thought. This is going to be fun.
Since that day, their friendship had grown deeper, more essential than anything else in Jason's life. Nico had taught him things no one else could—about the Underworld, sure, but also about himself. Nico had this way of pulling Jason out of the rigid, Roman-trained mold he'd been stuck in. Jason, the perfect soldier, the Champion of Juno, the son of Jupiter, had been trained for greatness since day one. But Nico? Nico saw through all of that, peeling away the expectations like they were armor Jason didn't need anymore.
With Nico, Jason had learned to just... be.
Jason started to realize he didn't have to be a centurion, a perfect Roman soldier, or even Praetor—titles that everyone expected him to strive for. In fact, Jason had zero desire to lead Camp Jupiter. That kind of pressure, the constant need to prove himself, was exhausting. And maybe—just maybe—that's why he liked Nico so much. Nico didn't care about any of that. He didn't need Jason to be the golden boy, the hero.
Nico had given Jason the space to explore the parts of himself that had always been overshadowed by the need to be perfect. Like the fact that Jason preferred diplomacy over swordplay. Or that he had a hidden love for drawing, something that most Romans would have scoffed at. Jason had discovered that he didn't want to command armies or make strategic decisions for the Senate. If anything, he just wanted peace, something quieter than the constant battle of leadership.
More than anything, Jason wanted to become the Pontifex Maximus of New Rome—a role steeped in spirituality, balance, and responsibility, but not one tied to the political chaos that came with being a Praetor.
Nico had seen that potential in him long before anyone else. He'd even been mentoring Jason to take over one day—if Jason ever got the chance. Because let's be honest, Nico already had enough on his plate. Between his titles—Ghost King, Triumvirate Emperor, Ambassador of Pluto—Nico was carrying the weight of the world on his narrow shoulders. It didn't help that, even though Nico acted like he was used to it, Jason knew the burden wasn't easy.
Which was why Jason had started to take on more responsibility, working with Nico to help manage the affairs of New Rome. Between hot chocolate and brownies—seriously, how had Jason never known how life-changing chocolate could be?—Nico had taught him more about diplomacy and leadership than all his years at Camp Jupiter ever had. Jason had grown up learning how to command armies, how to fight wars, how to be a perfect Roman soldier. But Nico? Nico taught him how to lead without drawing a sword. How to be a leader with words, not just actions. And maybe most importantly, Nico had taught him that leadership wasn't about power—it was about responsibility.
They'd spent countless afternoons in that small café in New Rome, Nico's quiet voice walking him through the intricacies of being Pontifex Maximus—a role that was about balance, spiritual guidance, and keeping the peace between the gods and their followers. Jason had always known he wasn't cut out to be the next great Praetor. But the Pontifex? That felt right. It was Nico's patience, his understanding, that had helped Jason see that. And Jason admired him for it. Respected him for it.
Every day that passed, Jason's admiration for Nico deepened. It was more than just a crush now; it was a respect so profound that Jason sometimes had to stop himself from just blurting out how incredible he thought Nico was.
But, well, this was Nico di Angelo they were talking about. The guy would probably ghost-shadow his way out of the conversation if Jason ever made it too awkward.
Still, there were moments—small, almost imperceptible things—that made Jason wonder if Nico might feel the same. The way Nico's lips would twitch into a brief smile when Jason said something particularly dry. Or how Nico would sometimes linger a little too long when their hands brushed during training. Nothing big, just enough to make Jason's heart race for a moment before Nico pulled away, all stoic and unreadable again.
Which made it all the harder now, standing in the middle of this crowded auditorium, to know that Nico had kept something so monumental from him.
Jason didn't know how to feel. Actually, scratch that—he knew exactly how he felt. Hurt. Betrayed. And, underneath it all, jealous in a way that made his chest tighten.
Nico had kept the existence of Camp Half-Blood a secret. He'd kept his Greek heritage, his connection to another world entirely, hidden. And sure, Jason got it. He understood better than anyone what it meant to carry the weight of Juno's favor. When the Queen of the Gods tells you to do something, you do it. No questions asked. It was like being thrown into the sky with no safety net. The Gods didn't ask for your cooperation—they expected it.
And yet, while Jason could wrap his head around the reasoning, it didn't make the sting any less sharp.
He didn't blame Nico. Not really. How could he? Nico had been bound by an oath, and even if he hadn't been, there were forces at play much bigger than either of them. Jason understood all of that on an intellectual level. But emotionally? That was another story.
Jason watched Nico from across the room, his heart a confusing mess of emotions. Nico was trying his best to look composed, but Jason could see the cracks in his armor—how his hands fidgeted slightly, how his brow creased with the weight of everything that had just been revealed. Nico had always been good at hiding his feelings, but Jason had spent enough time with him to notice the subtle signs.
And Gods, it hurt. Not because Nico had done anything wrong, but because Jason had thought—no, had believed—that Nico trusted him enough to tell him these things. That they were close enough for Jason to know when something this important was going on.
But Nico had kept it from him. And that cut deeper than Jason wanted to admit.
"You're brooding," Nico's voice broke through Jason's thoughts. Jason looked up, surprised to find Nico standing beside him now, his expression carefully neutral but with a flicker of something in his dark eyes—guilt, maybe.
Jason blinked, quickly masking the turmoil of emotions swirling inside him. "I'm not brooding," he said, his voice a little sharper than he intended.
Nico raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure."
They stood there for a moment in awkward silence, the buzz of conversation from the other demigods a dull hum in the background. Jason wanted to say something, anything to break the tension, but the words wouldn't come. He just stared at Nico, trying to figure out what to say. Something that wasn't petty. Something that didn't sound like a wounded child complaining about being left out.
But the frustration and hurt finally bubbled over before he could stop it.
"You could've told me," Jason blurted out, his voice quieter now, but still laced with the raw edge of betrayal.
Nico's eyes flickered, but his expression didn't change. He didn't flinch, didn't break eye contact. Instead, he just stood there, watching Jason with those deep, unreadable eyes. "You know I couldn't," Nico said softly, his voice steady but tinged with regret.
"I know," Jason muttered, running a hand through his hair, trying to tamp down the growing knot of emotions tightening in his chest. "I know you couldn't. It's just..."
Nico's eyes softened, just for a moment. "It doesn't make it hurt any less," he finished quietly, as if reading Jason's mind.
Jason let out a heavy sigh, feeling a wave of exhaustion crash over him. "Exactly."
For a moment, the weight of everything settled between them—the secrets, the pressure, the constant balancing act they both had to perform between their duty to the Gods and their loyalty to each other.
Nico shifted, leaning against the nearby pillar, his usual stoic demeanor softening just a little. "I get it," he said, voice low. "I would've been pissed too. But I didn't have a choice, Jason."
Jason studied him for a moment, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. "Yeah, well, you could've tried. It feels like everyone else knew about this before I did."
Nico sighed, rubbing his temples like the weight of the entire Olympian pantheon was sitting on his shoulders. "Everyone else? Jason, no one knew. Not really. I was barely holding it together myself. Between the Romans, the Greeks, and the Fates breathing down my neck, I didn't even know if I could trust me."
There it was. The guilt that had been simmering just beneath Nico's calm exterior. Jason felt the frustration in his chest start to ease, replaced by something softer, something more understanding.
Nico had been carrying the weight of two worlds. And somehow, Jason had expected him to let someone else shoulder it with him. Maybe that was the problem—Jason had forgotten that Nico wasn't some unshakable force. He was just a kid like the rest of them, trying to survive the Gods' messes without losing himself in the process.
Jason exhaled, feeling some of the tension leave his body. "I'm not mad at you," he said quietly. "I'm just... I don't know. Hurt, I guess."
Nico's lips twitched into a small, sad smile. "You have every right to be."
They stood there for another long moment, the silence between them less awkward now, more... comfortable.
"So," Jason finally said, trying to inject some lightness into his tone. "Hot chocolate and brownies later? We can call it a peace offering."
Nico's expression softened, the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Sure. But no marshmallows."
Jason grinned. "Deal."
Jason watched as Nico walked away with a small smile. It wasn't a complete fix. But for now, it was a start. And sometimes, with the world falling apart around them, that was enough. However, Jason's smile turned into a frown as he watched Nico reach Poseidon's son, Perseus Jackson.
Jason knew it was wrong—so, so wrong—but that didn't stop him from following Nico as he tapped Percy on the shoulder, motioning for him to follow. He could feel his feet moving before his brain could catch up, trailing behind Nico like some shadow-stalker demigod, which was ironic, considering Nico was the Ghost King. Still, Jason watched as the two of them slipped out of the crowded auditorium, heading toward one of the quieter hallways, probably to talk about the quest in private.
Jason hesitated at the entrance of the hallway, knowing he shouldn't eavesdrop, but the temptation was so strong. He wasn't sure when it had started, this constant gnawing feeling whenever Nico and Percy were together, but lately, it was like he couldn't shake the thought that they made more sense than he and Nico ever could.
They're both Greek, Jason thought bitterly, his fists clenching at his sides. They live at the same tower, go to the same school, they're both part of this world. It was like watching a puzzle fit together perfectly while he was stuck holding a piece that didn't belong.
He stayed hidden behind the wall, listening to the low murmur of their conversation. Jason could barely make out the words, but he heard enough to know they were talking about Minerva's lost statue. Nico's voice was steady, but there was something else in it—an ease he only seemed to have when he was around Percy. They'd been through so much together.
Jason sighed quietly, leaning his head back against the cool stone wall. He felt like a character out of some tragic love story—Romeo and Juliet but without the balcony scene. Two star-crossed lovers from different worlds who couldn't be together because of the war between their families. Except, in this case, it was more like the centuries-old divide between Greeks and Romans.
Not that Nico even knew about Jason's feelings.
Jason ran a hand through his blonde hair, frustrated with himself. He'd never told Nico how he felt, never hinted at the fact that every time he was around him, his heart felt like it was trying to do cartwheels. Nico probably thought Jason was just a good friend, maybe a little too eager to learn about the whole Pontifex Maximus thing. Jason chuckled under his breath—yeah, a little too eager.
But how could he not fall for Nico? The boy was a mystery, wrapped in shadows, but with a heart bigger than anyone gave him credit for. Jason had seen it. He'd seen the way Nico went out of his way to help the younger demigods at Elysium Prep, how he'd sacrificed so much for his friends, how he carried the weight of both the Greek and Roman worlds without complaint.
Jason closed his eyes, trying to steady his thoughts. The distance between them—once only because of geography and their duties—felt like it had grown into a chasm that could never be crossed. Nico was Greek. Jason was Roman. And now, with everything out in the open, that divide felt even wider. He was caught between two worlds, and Nico was slipping further away, no matter how much Jason wanted to pull him closer.
From his hiding spot, Jason could hear Percy's voice, clear and confident. "We'll figure this out, Nico. We've been through worse, right? You and me? We've faced worse odds. We'll get the statue back, no problem."
Nico's quiet laugh sent a pang through Jason's chest. "I'm not worried about the statue, Percy. I'm worried about what comes next. The Greeks and Romans… they're not going to trust each other just because we bring back some ancient artifact."
Jason could practically hear Percy shrug. "We'll deal with that when we get there. I mean, that's how we do everything, right? One disaster at a time."
There was a pause, and then Nico spoke again, his voice softer. "Yeah… I guess you're right."
Jason felt his heart sink. The ease between Nico and Percy—it wasn't forced. It wasn't awkward or filled with unspoken tension. They understood each other, in ways that Jason couldn't. They had shared battles, duties, and nightmares. Nico and Percy had a bond that Jason, no matter how much he wanted to, couldn't break into.
They were made for each other, Jason thought, the realization hitting him harder than he expected. Percy had always been the hero, the guy everyone gravitated toward, and Nico—well, Nico was the shadow that balanced Percy's light. They were two halves of a whole. And Jason? Jason was the outsider, the Roman boy who didn't quite fit into their world.
Jason took a deep breath; he wasn't about to stand there and torture himself with thoughts of what could never be. Nico deserved someone who understood him, who could stand beside him without the weight of a Roman legion on their shoulders.
Maybe Percy was that person.
Or maybe… maybe Jason just needed to accept that his feelings for Nico were never going to be more than what they were. Unspoken. Unreturned.
Jason just wished it didn't feel like he was losing something he never really had.
Jason winced as Nico's voice reached his ears again, soft but full of sincerity. "Thanks, Percy. I... I really appreciate having you in my life."
Jason's heart clenched. He leaned back against the cold stone wall, pressing his lips into a thin line as he listened.
Percy, of course, brushed it off in that casual, easygoing way only a son of the sea could. "C'mon, man. You don't have to thank me. You'll always be my Ghost King. You know that."
The words hung in the air, twisting the knife in Jason's gut. He knew he should be happy for Nico. He has heard that Percy was one of the most loyal people anyone could ever met, and Nico deserved that kind of loyalty, that steady, unwavering presence. Nico had been through so much—more than any of them—and Percy had always been there for him in ways Jason never could.
And yet, Jason couldn't feel happy about it. There was something dark inside him, something that had been simmering ever since he'd heard those words, "my Ghost King."
My.
Jason's jaw clenched as that possessive little word echoed in his mind. Something dark. Something he'd inherited from Jupiter, maybe, lurking in the corners of his mind ever since he'd learned who he really was. It was protective, possessive, and it reared its head whenever he thought of Nico in anyone else's orbit.
Jason had always tried to push it down, to ignore that side of him. He wasn't like Jupiter—he didn't want to control people, to dominate everything around him. But Gods, sometimes that darkness felt so close to the surface. Like right now, watching Nico and Percy have this quiet, intimate moment while he stood on the outside, looking in.
The truth was, Jason would burn the whole world for Nico. There wasn't a single part of him that wouldn't sacrifice everything—his title, his reputation, even his soul—just to make sure Nico was safe, to make sure Nico chose him. But Nico didn't know that. Nico didn't see the way Jason's heart twisted every time they were together, didn't know how much Jason wanted to claim him, to wrap him in his arms and keep him away from the mess of Gods and monsters forever.
Jason's hands balled into fists at his sides. That dark part of him—the part that wanted—was pushing him to interrupt them, to walk over and pull Nico away from Percy, to tell Nico that he was the one who understood him, that he was the one who'd do anything to make sure Nico never had to hurt again.
But Jason's reasoning—his Roman training, his sense of duty—kept him rooted to the spot. He couldn't be that guy. He couldn't be the one who barged in and claimed something that wasn't his. Nico deserved more than that. He deserved someone who wouldn't let their own selfishness get in the way of what Nico actually needed.
Jason squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to calm down. The image of Nico and Percy, standing so close, talking so easily, gnawed at him. It felt like watching something inevitable unfold in front of him—a story that had already been written long before Jason came into the picture.
He knew he couldn't stop it. Couldn't fight it. But that didn't make it hurt any less.
Jason took a deep breath, trying to push the jealousy and anger back down where it belonged. He had no right to be angry. Nico didn't belong to him, no matter how much Jason wished otherwise. But Gods, the part of Jason that wanted Nico, that needed Nico, didn't care about reason. It didn't care about anything except that dark, possessive feeling boiling in his chest.
Jason was still lingering in the shadows, torn between the part of him that wanted to storm in and claim Nico as his and the part of him that knew better, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Startled, he spun around, half expecting it to be one of the Romans or maybe Nico himself, coming to tell him to stop creeping around like a weirdo.
Instead, he found himself face-to-face with a dark-haired, blue-eyed Huntress.
Jason blinked, confused. Huntresses didn't talk to guys, like, ever. They made it a point to avoid interacting with them unless absolutely necessary. The only exception was Thalia Grace, but—
Wait. Thalia Grace.
Jason's heart stuttered. The Huntress was staring at him with a strange intensity, her piercing blue eyes—the exact same shade as his—locked onto his face. She looked him up and down, almost like she was seeing a ghost. Or maybe a piece of a puzzle she hadn't known was missing until now.
"Jason Grace," she said slowly, her voice laced with something Jason couldn't quite place. She looked almost… hesitant.
Jason frowned. "Yeah. That's me."
Her lips twitched, like she was fighting back some kind of emotion. "I'm Thalia," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "Thalia Grace. Your sister."
Jason's brain short-circuited. He stared at her, dumbfounded. His sister? She couldn't be serious. He'd grown up thinking he didn't have any family, not beyond the Gods themselves. Juno—Hera—had taken him from his mortal family when he was just a baby. That much he knew. But a sister? A real, flesh-and-blood sister?
His voice came out rough, confused. "My what?"
Thalia gave him a knowing smirk, though there was a softness in her eyes. "Your full sister. From the Greek side of things."
Jason's head spun. This was… too much. He'd barely managed to wrap his head around the fact that Nico had kept the existence of Camp Half-Blood a secret, and now he was supposed to process that he had a sister—a sister who'd been part of that world the entire time?
Thalia took a step closer, her expression softening as she spoke. "I always wondered what happened to you, you know? When we were kids, I thought—well, I thought you were dead." Her voice wavered slightly, but she quickly steadied herself, the tough Huntress persona slipping back into place. "I was there when Hera—well, I thought it was Hera—took you away."
Jason's mind reeled as Thalia continued.
"I watched it happen. You were so small, just a baby. She took you to Lupa, the Roman wolf, to train. And I thought that was it—that you were gone for good. I didn't know… I didn't know you'd end up in New Rome. Alive."
Jason's throat tightened. He barely knew this girl, but her words hit him like a tidal wave. He hadn't just been taken from his mother by Juno—he'd been taken from Thalia. His sister. His real family. And she'd believed he was dead all these years.
"Do you remember how you got this scar?" Thalia said, her voice a bit lighter now, as if trying to break the heaviness of the moment. She pointed to a small scar over Jason's lip. "You got it for trying to eat a stapler when he was two, of all things!" A bubbling laugh left her lips.
Jason blinked, reaching up to touch the faint scar on his lip—the one he'd never really thought about until now. He had no memory of that incident, of course. He'd been too young. But it was an amusing story.
All this time, he'd thought he was alone. Sure, he had Hylla and Nico (even if that was a complicated mess he didn't know how to untangle). But this? This was family. Blood.
"I—" Jason's voice cracked, and he had to swallow the lump in his throat. "I had no idea."
Thalia gave him a sad smile. "I know. It wasn't your fault. The Gods…" She trailed off, her expression hardening for a moment before she shook her head. "The Greek-Roman divide is what took this from us. From you, from me. It's messed up. And now that I'm looking at you… it makes me want to fix things. To resolve all this animosity between the camps. But that's not something we can deal with today."
Jason nodded, the weight of everything crashing down on him. His sister was right. The Greeks and Romans had been divided for so long, tearing demigod families apart, pitting them against each other. And now? Now it felt like Jason had been robbed of something precious—years with Thalia, memories he'd never get back.
But she was here now. Standing right in front of him. They had a chance to rebuild what had been lost. And Jason was determined not to let the Greek-Roman debacle ruin anything else.
Before Jason and Thalia could dive deeper into their conversation—maybe even start untangling the whole mess the Gods had thrown their lives into—they were interrupted. Of course, because nothing in this world ever stayed calm for more than five minutes.
Nico and Percy rounded the corner, their voices echoing down the hall. The moment Thalia spotted them, her eyes locked onto Nico with a glare sharp enough to cut through steel. Nico visibly recoiled, shoulders hunching slightly, his usual confidence shrinking under the weight of Thalia's icy gaze.
Percy wasn't having it, though. He shot Thalia a hard look, stepping in front of Nico like some kind of human shield. "What's your problem?" he demanded, his voice low but edged with protectiveness.
Thalia's eyes flicked to Percy, her expression unfazed. "My problem," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "is that he's been lying about things that have kept Jason and me apart."
"Back off, Grace," Percy growled, clearly not in the mood for whatever beef Thalia had. "Nico didn't do anything wrong."
Nico, looking painfully uncomfortable, shifted from foot to foot, his gaze bouncing between the two of them like he was trying to figure out if he needed to shadow-travel out of there before Thalia and Percy started throwing punches.
Jason stepped in before things could escalate further. The last thing he needed was a full-blown fight between his sister and Percy—especially with Nico caught in the middle, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. "Enough," Jason said, his voice firm, cutting through the tension. "I need to talk to Nico. Alone."
Both Percy and Thalia turned to him, their protests written all over their faces. Percy looked especially ready to argue, but Nico stepped forward, his expression a little calmer now. "It's fine," Nico said quietly, his dark eyes meeting Jason's. "I'll talk to him."
Thalia looked like she wanted to object, but one look at Jason's face must have convinced her to back off. With a final glare in Nico's direction, she gave Jason a stiff nod before turning and walking away, leaving Percy reluctantly following behind her, his protective stance never quite dropping.
Once they were out of sight, Jason let out a slow breath, his tension easing ever so slightly. Nico stood there, arms crossed over his chest, looking both tired and resigned, like he was bracing for another round of bad news. Jason didn't waste any time.
"Did you know?" Jason asked, his voice sharp and more cutting than he intended. "About Thalia? About her being my sister?"
Nico didn't flinch, but his expression twisted into one of guilt—just for a second, before he masked it with that blank, unreadable look he always defaulted to when things got uncomfortable. He gave a small, reluctant nod.
Jason scoffed, the sound dark and bitter as it left his throat. He turned away for a moment, running a hand through his hair, trying to process it all. The Gods' games, the secrets, the lies. It was like they were all pieces on a chessboard, and the Gods just kept moving them around however they pleased, never caring how much it hurt. For the first time in his life, Jason felt something dangerous boil up inside him—something angry, vicious, and ready to curse the gods for their cruelty.
He let out a long breath, shaking his head. "I don't blame you, Nico," Jason said, his voice quieter now, more controlled, though the frustration still simmered beneath the surface. "None of this is your fault. It's the Gods and their... their games." He spat the word like it was poison. "But I swear to you—" Jason turned to face Nico, his blue eyes sharp and unwavering. "I'm going to bring your boyfriend back safe. I promise."
At the word boyfriend, Nico's expression shifted to one of complete confusion. He blinked, his brow furrowing as he stared at Jason. "Boyfriend?" he repeated, the word clearly foreign on his lips.
Jason frowned, his stomach flipping. "Yeah... Percy? Isn't he—" He paused, suddenly second-guessing everything. "Wait. Are you and Percy...?"
Nico blinked rapidly, then shook his head, his face almost comically blank. "What? No! No, we're just... friends." His voice was a little too quick, like the very idea of being paired with Percy caught him off guard. "I'm single."
Jason stared at him for a long moment, his mind whirling, unsure how to process that bit of information. Nico and Percy weren't together? For some reason, the idea had been lodged in his mind for so long, it felt like a fact of the universe. But hearing Nico deny it so easily, so definitively, sent Jason's thoughts spiraling.
He didn't say anything for a beat, just stood there, expressionless, while Nico shifted uncomfortably, clearly unsure of what to say next. Jason's chest tightened with a mix of emotions he didn't even know how to name.
Before he could think it through—before he could stop himself—Jason stepped forward, closing the distance between them in one quick motion. Nico's eyes widened, his confusion morphing into something like surprise as Jason's hands gripped his shoulders.
And then, in a move that was more instinct than thought, Jason pushed Nico against the wall and kissed him.
The world around them fell away.
Nico's surprised squeak was the only sound Jason registered for a split second, before everything else melted away into the sensation of Nico kissing him back. The sound echoed in Jason's mind, reverberating like a shockwave of disbelief—was this really happening?—but then, all doubt disappeared the moment Nico's small arms wrapped around Jason's broad shoulders like they'd always belonged there.
It was tentative at first, like both of them were testing the waters, figuring out how this new reality worked. Nico's lips were hesitant, unsure, but Jason could feel the tension in his slight frame begin to unravel, as if the barriers that Nico had always kept up around himself—around his heart—were finally giving way. Jason's heart pounded, each beat syncing with Nico's, the two of them connected in a way that felt deeper than anything Jason had ever experienced.
Jason's hand found its way into Nico's hair, almost instinctively. He'd always wondered what Nico's curls would feel like beneath his fingers—wondered if they were as soft as they looked when Nico let them fall around his face, shadowing his dark eyes. Now, he had the answer. They were softer than he'd even imagined, like silk sliding through his fingers. He could have stayed like that forever, his hand tangled in Nico's hair, pulling him closer.
The press of their bodies against the cool stone wall grounded Jason in a way nothing else ever had. It was like the world outside didn't matter anymore. Not the quest, not the Gods, not even the constant tension between the Greeks and Romans. None of that existed right now. All that mattered was the way Nico was melting into him, the way his fingers clutched at Jason's shirt like it was the only thing keeping him tethered to reality. Jason could feel the rapid beat of Nico's heart, so in sync with his own that for a moment, it was impossible to tell where one of them ended and the other began.
The kiss, tentative at first, began to deepen. All the unspoken tension that had been simmering between them for so long—the stolen glances, the hesitant touches, the endless swirl of emotions neither of them had dared to voice—seemed to snap all at once. Nico's hesitance evaporated, his body pressing more firmly against Jason's as if something had clicked inside him. Jason felt it too, that electric surge of this is happening, this is real, and it hit him harder than any monster or foe ever had.
The heat of Nico's body pressed against him, the softness of his curls beneath Jason's fingers, the taste of Nico's breath as it mingled with his own. It was overwhelming and perfect all at once, and Jason realized with startling clarity that this—this—was where he was supposed to be. With Nico. Not on a battlefield, not as some hero or symbol of Roman power, but here, grounded by the weight of Nico's kiss and the connection that had been building between them for so long.
When they finally pulled apart, both gasping for air, Jason kept his forehead pressed against Nico's, his breath coming in ragged bursts. The air between them was thick with everything unsaid, every word they hadn't yet found the courage to speak. Nico's dark eyes were wide, his cheeks flushed, and Jason could feel the tremble in his breath as they stood there, chests heaving in unison.
Jason's heart was still pounding, louder than it had ever pounded before. It was all he could hear—the rush of blood in his ears, the rapid thump of his pulse, the way his body still buzzed with the electricity of that kiss. His mind was reeling, struggling to catch up to what had just happened, but the warmth of Nico's body against his made it impossible to think about anything else.
Nico's hands were still clutching the back of Jason's shirt, as if letting go wasn't an option. Jason smiled, his breath still uneven, as he leaned in just a little closer, their foreheads still touching.
But as the haze of the moment began to fade, Jason lifted his gaze—and that's when he saw him.
Percy.
Standing just a few feet away, his green eyes wide, shoulders stiff, and something that looked painfully like heartbreak splashed across his face. His expression was caught somewhere between shock and hurt, and for a split second, Jason thought he should feel something—guilt, empathy, something. Percy had been standing where Jason was just moments ago—outside, looking in.
But as Nico's hands tightened their grip on the back of Jason's shirt, his breath warm against Jason's neck, Jason's mind clouded over with something else. Something darker.
Jason smirked.
It wasn't the kind of smirk he was used to giving—it was dark, vicious, and cold. He knew it, could feel it twisting his lips into something that wasn't kind or apologetic. It wasn't even his usual calm, measured Roman demeanor. No, this smirk was pure victory. A silent declaration of ownership. He had Nico now, right there in his arms, and Percy? Percy was just a witness to that fact.
He should've felt bad for Percy. After all, hadn't Jason just been standing in his shoes? Watching from the sidelines, filled with jealousy and longing, thinking that Nico was out of his reach?
But no. Jason couldn't feel any of that. Not now. Not with Nico so close, his lips still tingling from their kiss. All Jason could feel was the sharp thrill of winning. Winning Nico. Winning this moment.
Percy's mouth opened, like he was about to say something, but no words came out. He just stared, his hands clenching at his sides, like he didn't know whether to fight or flee. His eyes flickered to Nico, searching for something—an explanation, maybe—but Nico wasn't looking at Percy. Nico's eyes were still on Jason, wide and uncertain but so full of trust, like Jason had become his anchor in a world that constantly pulled him into the shadows.
Jason leaned down, his voice low, only for Nico. "You're mine," he whispered, his breath ghosting over Nico's lips. It wasn't a question. It wasn't even a request. It was a statement. A fact.
Nico's breath hitched, his hands tightening their grip, and he nodded—just once, but it was enough.
When Jason finally looked up again, Percy was gone.
A part of him wondered if maybe this would cause problems later, if maybe he'd gone too far. But that part of him was buried under the raw satisfaction coursing through him. He'd been on the outside for too long, but now? Now, he had Nico.
And he wasn't going to let him go.