The Summer of Beauty, Brains, & Bruises

Piper

So you know how children of Hades have a certain, persona?

Aka death.

Well I don't know what grave Nico Di Angelo crawled out of but that man was WEIRD.

"Hey Annabeth," I walked into our apartment, "I grabbed us pizza-"

There sitting in the living room was Annabeth and Nico with fuzzy pink headbands holding their hair back so it didn't get in the face masks they had on.

"What the-" I said.

"We're have a spa day." Annabeth replies as if seeing the son of Hades like this was totally normal.

"Okay." I slowly put down the pizza on the counter. "I'm gonna go uh-"

"No, no," Nico said standing up to grab pizza. "come sit. We're just relaxing."

Annabeth took the bag of salt and vinegar chips out of the cupboard and sat back down in the fort of pillow and blankets.

Nico handed Annabeth her pizza, "Legally Blonde?"
Nico asked, presumably me.

"Uh, sure?"

"Go change," Annabeth said throwing a pillow at me, "into sweats or something."

"Okay." Annabeth was wearing black running shorts and a light blue sports bra, her golden locks falling around her head.

Nico had black basketball shorts and a UCLA soccer jersey that had Solace written on the back.

I went into the bedroom and grabbed black sweats and a black sports bra.

I'm about to watch Legally Blonde, eat pizza, and do face masks with the son of Hades.

The dude who literally made skeletons appear from the ground.

Totally normal.

As I walk back out Nico had the remote and was waiting for me to start the movie.

Annie gestured for me to sit next to her and she put her arms around me as I sat down.

As Nico started the movie I asked, "So is this a normal thing?"

"Is what a normal thing?" Nico asked.

"This," I gestured around. "the very stereotypical middle school sleepover with you two."

"Yea." Annabeth responds. "We've been doing this for a while. It's fun, we haven't had one since I moved in here. But well," Annabeth looked at Nico, "I think it's warranted."

Nico clears his throat, "Yea."

He looks away from Annabeth suddenly very interested in Elle Woods.

"Nico she knows." Annabeth said putting her hand on his arm, Annabeth and Will are the only two people I think allowed touching Nico without him giving them a death stare.

"I know what?" I asked.

"You know." Annabeth gestured towards the guest bedroom.

"Ah, right."

A couple weeks ago Leo used the guest bedroom to test out a bed he built for Nico who was planning to build a house for him and Will.

"You nervous?" I asked Nico. I was scared that was the wrong thing to say.

He sighed, "I mean kinda. He could say no,"

"He's not going too." I interject.

"How do you know that?"

"Daughter of Aphrodite," I say. "I can sense these things."

"Still," Nico says taking a bite of the pizza, "it's a big commitment, and I'm not even sure the house looks good."