Nicos POV

I don't understand how Percy was so attractive. With his jet black hair, absolutely gorgeous sea green eyes, perfectly tanned skin, just the way all his features came together to form a person who could rival Aphrodite. Especially his lips. How much I longed to kiss his beautiful, faded pink rose colored lips.

However, I was... I was me. I was the emo. The loner. The loser of Camp Half-Blood. To say he looked horrified was an understatement when I lied and said I used to have a crush on him. If you couldn't tell, it lingered- Hard and strong. Like a constant ache whenever I saw him. I had to restrain myself from just pinning him to a wall and kissing him every single damn time I saw him.

Will was a bitch to me so I dumped him. He was way to clingy and wanted to move the relationship WAY too fast for my comfort level. Second date and he was already trying to fuck me. That got me a few rivals from the Apollo cabin, but whatever. Most the camp hated me anyways- what's a few more to hurt?

So anyways it was dinner at the dining pavilion and I was zoned out, thinking about Percy, per usual- more specifically his lips- when I heard screaming. Not like "oh my gods I'm in pain" or "Oh my gods I'm so scared," it was screams of absolute anger and loathing. Deciding it peaked my interest, I looked up and saw it was Annabeth screaming. At Percy. Huh. That's something new. Not.

Annabeth screamed at him like once a day now. Starting last week about. I think. But it always ended with Annabeth storming away or out from wherever she had been screaming while Percy sullenly stared at a random object until he slunk to his cabin to disappear for the rest of the day. He never spoke a single word back or even made a sound or action towards her, just listened, like he were actually contemplating the words the bitch-Err, Annabeth- was feeding him.

She was screaming about him zoning out whenever she was trying to teach him something, or something along those lines, I was too busy staring at Percy. "Annabeth. That's enough." Chirons voice echoed through the pavilion, causing Annabeths screaming to cease and nervous ripples of whispered chatter through the pavilion.

She slowly turned to face him, glaring. "You can't tell me what to do," she snapped, her pride taking over. She wasn't backing down anytime soon, I knew that.

"Go to the big house and wait for me." Chirons voice was cool and collected, but stern and demanding.

Annabeth had a mini staring/glaring contest with Chiron before letting out a loud, indignant huff, storming out of the pavilion and towards towards the big house.

Everyone was silent as they watched Percy, who just stared at his table for a couple minutes before he got up and left the pavilion, heading towards the U of cabins surrounding the idle entertainment sector.

Deciding to actually do something, unlike everyone else had the last week or so, I got up and headed for the ring of cabins. The air was cooler than normal, the waves beating down aggressively on the beaches of the canoe lake, dark and murky, almost black. Storm clouds had gathered in a thick blanket around the camp perimeters, and it still awed me just how powerful Percy was, to be doing all this without even trying.

I walked up to the Poseidon cabin, slowly sand cautiously before knocking on the door. "Come in." Percy's voice was deep and melodious and UGH he was so hot.

I cleared my head and cracked the door open, slipping through the small opening before shutting the door behind me. Percy looked mildly startled to see me. He was just sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall his bed was pressed against. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly, not leaving my spot just inside the doorframe.

Percy nodded slightly, staring at me in short silence before he opened his mouth. "I half expected Annabeth."

I shook my head. "Nope. Just me."

He narrowed his eyes at me slightly before looking away. "Why are you here?"

I swallowed harder than I should have. "Just to make sure you were okay."

Percy looked disappointed. "Oh. I'm okay." He cringed, his sad look turning to a slight scowl. "I kinda have to be."

I frowned slightly, walking further into the room so I was in front of him. "What do you mean by that?"

Percy looked up at me with sad eyes and a hardened scowl. I decided I didn't like him scowling. It ruined his lips shape. "I'm the role model, right?" Percy laughed bitterly, leaning forward towards me. "I have to be the perfect person in public. I can't lose my temper. I can't be depressed or sad. I can't do anything outside the lines of a happy, orderly, perfect hero."

"Are you implying you are those things when not in public?" I asked quietly after a few moments or silence.

"I don't know." Percy ran his hands through his hair, his scowl dissipating as he sighed. "I don't even know who I am anymore. I wear the camp clothes, I follow the camp rules, I follow the campers needs for a hero- I'm lost Nico. I'm honestly lost. It's a mental version of the labyrinth and I can't fucking get out." He looked up at me helplessly, and my heart felt like it was shattering. "I don't mean to burden you. It's just... You're really the only one I trust now. Actually trust to tell this. Jason has already changed and molded into the perfect praetor, the perfect war soldier. I'm not really close with anyone but you, Jason and... Well, I was close with Annabeth."

"Please, don't even start with the burden shit with me. I played that card with you and you wouldn't take it. I'm not taking it from you."

Percy frowned slightly. "How have you been doing?"

He reached out towards me, and for once I didn't flinch away as he cupped the back of my hands against his palm, pulling me closer to him. He looked up at me pleadingly and I nodded, biting my bottom lip and looking away. He gently rolled up the sleeves to my oversized aviators jacket, staring at the fading scars across my forearms. "You haven't-?" Percy looked up at me hopefully.

I shook my head no in conformation. "Not once since."

Percy frowned. "I'm scared you cut somewhere else and you aren't telling me."

"I don't- No, I haven't." My mix up of words had his frown deepening.

After I dumped Will, I had a couple... Rough months. Percy was the only one who noticed, and the only one who cared for me when I was at my worst. Since then we've been quite close.

"Are you sure?" Percy looked up at me worriedly, biting his bottom bottom lip. The action gave me an excuse to glance down before returning to his eyes.

"I'm sure Percy." I managed a small smile of reassurance. "But about you..."

Percy sighed. "Don't right now. Please. I know I just kinda ranted and you're probably curious but... Yeah. I... I have something to tell you."

I knelt in front of him so we were face to face. "And that is?"

"I broke up with Annabeth a little over a week ago."

The news had me stunned frozen. "Oh? Why?"

"Because I realized how bad she was for me. She was trying to mold me into her little slave, like the camps pressure has been doing to me. And, besides, I... I realized I liked someone else."

My heart fell but I kept a neutral expression on my face. "I always knew she wasn't right for you. If you don't mind me asking, who do you like?"

"I do kind of mind." Percy smiled sheepishly, seemingly semi normal again. Except more nervous- maybe more skittish.

I sighed. "Damn Jackson, you're going to be the death of me."

Percy chuckled slightly, but as soon as we caught each others gaze his smile dropped, and so did mine, and we ended up staring at each other for a while. A while that seemed like a decade- possibly a century. I could hear my heart beat thudding loudly in my ears and feel it hammering against my ribs. Funny, I didn't know I had a heart.

I leaned in. And so did he. I moved quickly, he moved slowly, giving him a slightly surprised look as I pressed my lips to his, squeezing my eyes shut. It was just about Elysium. His lips were soft and warm. Soft as a silken quilt, warm as a dying flame. I could feel a warmth through my chest, giving me another reason to believe I actually had a heart. After a while I pulled back, my face flushed as I breathed heavily. Percy was staring at me with wide eyes, his face also heavily flushed. "I- Uhm, I'm sorry, I didn't- I'll go," I stuttered out, scrambling to my feet.

I expected to be yelled at, scolded, anything except him pulling me back down, and back against his dreamy lips. One hand fisted the hair at the back of my hair, the other at my right hip. I immediately kissed back, both my hands tangling in his hair.

In the heat of the moment, I nipped at his bottom lip. He whimpered slightly, his mouth cracking open slightly into the kiss, so I did the only reasonable thing- I shoved my tongue in Perseus Jacksons mouth. He made another surprised sound, his eyes squeezing shut as he pulled me closer.

After a little bit, we both pulled away, breathing heavily, cheeks flushed and lips swollen. "All the times Annabeth was yelling at me zoning out? I was thinking about you." Percy smiled slightly, trailing his fingers gently down my face. "I'm enfactuated with you Nico. For real."

"Me too," I breathed out, still trying to catch my breath. For once, I didn't even bother not staring at his lips. "I've been staring at these for years," I murmured quietly, pulling his bottom lip down slightly with my thumb, causing his face to flush as his lips parted.

Percy pulled me next to him, wrapping me in a tight hug, which I happily returned. "Nico," he mumbled quietly into my ear, "would you please go out with me?"

I smiled slightly. "I've only been waiting for six years for you to ask me that. Of course I will."

Percy chuckled, squeezing me tighter. I did have a heart after all, but I think I just gave it away to Percy.

Authors Note

Oooffff I'm a shitty writer. Oh well. Ciao :)