Nico di Angelo

Only time knows...

It was not unusual for the camp to witness the typically somber son of Hades smiling, softly, quietly, almost shyly, whenever he was with the people he loved.

Although, that alone was already rare enough to make heads turn.

But to see him smile brightly, openly, freely, without restraint, was something else entirely.

That was something no one ever got used to.

The sight of Nico di Angelo, radiant and unguarded, was almost unreal. Like glimpsing something sacred. 

Something fragile. 

Something not meant to be touched. 

Or perhaps... something that had been hidden away for far too long.

And yet, despite how mesmerizing it was, almost no one at Camp Half-Blood had the chance to admire it up close. Because there were always two figures standing nearby.

Always watching.

Always guarding.

A son of the sea, with eyes that could turn as cold as the depths his father ruled.

And a son of the sun, whose warmth could just as easily burn as it could heal.

Together, they stood like sentinels beside Nico, one calm yet dangerous, the other gentle yet sharp.

If anyone so much as looked at Nico the wrong way, they would quickly find themselves under the unwavering glare of a prince of the ocean... or worse, at the mercy of a healer who knew exactly how to wield a scalpel.

Scary?

Yes.

Terrifying, even.

But also...

Understandable.

Because Nico di Angelo, in all his quiet intensity and unexpected softness, had done something neither of them had anticipated.

He had captured both their hearts.

Effortlessly.

Irrevocably.

A single smile, bright and genuine, had been enough to break through every wall they had built.

For Percy, it had come at a time when his heart was still healing, still fragile from a recent heartbreak he rarely spoke about.

For Will, it had been slower, quieter, a realization that crept in through small moments, through shared glances and unspoken understanding.

And for Nico...

It had been terrifying.

Because loving one person was already difficult.

But loving two?

That felt impossible.

And yet, it was the truth he could no longer ignore.

_________________________________________

"Umm... Percy? Will? Can I talk with you two?"

Nico's voice was barely above a whisper, almost lost to the wind. If not for their heightened senses, it would have gone unheard.

But they heard him.

They always did.

"Sure!" Percy replied almost immediately, perhaps a little too eagerly. He really tried to sound casual, but there was still a flicker of excitement in his tone. After all, any chance to spend time with Nico was something he never turned down.