are you mine[?]

.sept.

Patroclus stared at Hades and Nico talking. They already had a better relationship than Patroclus and Hector.

And Hades so obviously preferred Nico's late older sister.

Patroclus walked toward them as Nico walked away.

"Lord Hades," Patroclus said with a small bow.

"King Patroclus," Hades reciprocated. "How have you been?"

"Tired," he admitted. "When you called me, I almost didn't want to come."

"I can understand that," he agreed. "I do remember you saying that you wanted to stay out of Olympian drama."

"And I stand by that statement," Patroclus said. "And I think you do too."

"Yes," the god said. "I have one more thing to ask of you, Patroclus."

He tilted his head.

"Watch over Nico. Something's coming and I don't think I'll be able to protect him. New Troy is the safest place in the world. I'm going to show him Camp Jupiter some time soon, but..."

"You need him to be able to hide somewhere for whatever's coming," Patroclus deduced. "Of course. Is he... is it possible that... he's... Achilles? Like, Achilles reincarnated?"

"I'm not sure. It lines up, as when Maria got pregnant, Achilles disappeared from the Underworld. And Nico said that Achilles never showed up to the Styx. He should've but..."

"It does fit," Patroclus sighed. "I never knew my grandfather as much more than a king, but he was present for my birth and my father told me that he claimed that ripples went through the world when I was born and sometime in the thirties."

"And that ripple was Nico's birth. Every god, demigod, and clearsighted mortal felt it. Then and when you were born."

"So I found him?"

"You did. I felt the ripple a third time... when you met."

Patroclus took a deep breath. "When we met. Thank you. I'll protect him with my life."

"Do not let your bloodline die out. I can make sure you can have a child with him, Patroclus, but you cannot die before then. Your bloodline cannot bleed dry."

"My bloodline is ancient, Hades. It will have to die someday."

"Not yet."

The god sighed. "Go find Nico and make sure he goes back to New Troy with you."

Patroclus left. He made his way to the elevator and went down the six hundred stories to the ground. And when he found Nico at camp, he could barely convince him.

The rest of the day was as strange as the beginning. Campers trickled in from New York by car, pegasus, and chariot. The wounded were cared for. The dead were given proper funeral rites at the campfire.

Silena Beauregard's shroud was hot pink, but embroidered with an electric spear. The Ares and Aphrodite cabins both claimed her as a hero, and lit the shroud together. No one mentioned the word spy. That secret burned to ashes as the designer perfume smoke drifted into the sky.

Even Ethan Nakamura was given a shroud—black silk with a logo of swords crossed under a set of scales.

Dinner at the pavilion was low-key. The only highlight was Juniper the tree nymph, who screamed, "Grover!" and gave her boyfriend a flying tackle hug, making everybody cheer. They went down to the beach to take a moonlit walk, and Patroclus was happy for them.

Mrs. O'Leary romped around happily, eating everybody's table scraps. Nico and Patroclus sat at the main table with Chiron and Dionysus, and nobody seemed to think it was out of place. Everybody was patting the boys on the back, complimenting them on their fighting. Even the Ares kids seemed to think they were cool. Show up with an army of undead warriors to save the day, and suddenly you're everybody's best friend, Patroclus supposed.

Slowly, the dinner crowd trickled away. Some went to the campfire for a sing-along. Others went to bed. Patroclus thanked Chiron and went to the new portal to New Troy. He stepped through it and his people erupted in cheers when he arrived, and Nico and he were swarmed.

Louis stood closer to the edge, though he looked extremely relieved to not have to try to lead them.

Nico stood awkwardly as some people hoisted them up on chairs. Patroclus laughed at the people carried them around the city block, chanting and cheering that Patroclus had found his Achilles after fifteen years.

Patroclus reached over and laced his fingers with Nico's who asked what was going on.

"I'm Patroclus reborn, you are Achilles. It's possible that everyone in my city felt a ripple when you tumbled into my throne room. The gods certainly did."

"So you're saying we're soulmates?"

"We don't have to be more than friends if that's all your comfortable with. But I hope you'll consent to being my fellow king, Nico."

Patroclus smiled widely as a couple guards came under each of their chairs and started into the castle. Once inside the main gates, they were set down and Patroclus took Nico's hand again and led him to the secret hallway. He pulled his stone out of his pocket and clasped it around Nico's neck, staring him in the eyes deeply.

Nico's breath hitched as he leaned against the wall. His heart pounded under Patroclus's fingers on the back of his neck lightly.

"Oh gods," he whispered.

"Holy gods," Patroclus whispered back. "You're so beautiful."

And then Nico collapsed.

}{}{}{

So I'm evil like that... coolio. I'm keeping their relationship relatively slow since Nico is still only thirteen and that kinda feels weird to me to have him have such a committal relationship so young. Obviously it's not that way for everyone but that's how I want to write their story, it's my decision.