𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

127

At sunset, Percy found Nico tying ropes around the pedestal of the Athena Parthenos.

"Thank you," Percy said.

Nico frowned. "What for?"

"You promised to lead the others to the House of Hades," Percy said. "You did it."

Nico tied the ends of the ropes together, making a halter. "You got me out of that bronze jar in Rome. Saved my life yet again. It was the least I could do."

His voice was steely, guarded. Percy wished he could figure out what made this guy tick, but he'd never been able to. Nico was no longer the geeky kid from Westover Hall with the Mythomagic cards. Nor was he the angry loner who'd followed the ghost of Minos through the Labyrinth. But who was he?

"Also," Percy said, "you visited Bob..."

He told Nico about their trip through Tartarus. He figured if anyone could understand, Nico could. "You convinced Bob that I could be trusted, even though I never visited him. I never gave him a second thought. You probably saved our lives by being nice to him."

"Yeah, well," Nico said, "not giving people a second thought... that can be dangerous."

"Dude, I'm trying to say thank you."

Nico laughed without humor. "I'm trying to say you don't need to. Now I need to finish this, if you could give me some space?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." Percy stepped back while Nico took up the slack on his ropes. He slipped them over his shoulders as if the Athena Parthenos were a giant backpack.

Percy couldn't help feeling a little hurt, being told to take a hike. Then again, Nico had been through a lot. The guy had survived in Tartarus on his own. Percy understood firsthand just how much strength that must have taken.

Hadrian walked up the hill to join them. His hair was electric blue now and Percy had missed the color so much. He tried not to pay any attention to the skip of his heart. What even were they anymore? Friends? More than that? Less than that? Percy almost wished he had never kissed him.

They hadn't acknowledged it at all. And Hadrian hadn't said anything. Percy had no idea what any of it meant.

But he held out hope.

"Percy" Hadrian said awkwardly, as if he'd been thinking the same thing. Percy thought back to Tartarus when Hadrian had sang- I'm in love, I'm in love with you.

In the end, he didn't betray Percy at all, and he had to hope, Hadrian never would. Kira was gone now, probably. Percy wanted to talk to him about it, but a little childishly, he was scared of staying alone with Hadrian for a second more than what was needed.

Could the others tell something had happened? Could Nico?

"Hadrian" He said, mon cœur he meant.

"Could you..." Hadrian began, "Could you go make sure no one touched my things? I swear if anyone so much as breathed next to my records-"

Percy chuckled politely. How long would they dance around the elephant in the room? How long would it take them to go back to normal? How long could Percy go without grabbing his face and kissing him?

Percy started walking away, sensing that Hadrian actually meant he wanted to talk to Nico in private, though Percy couldn't imagine why.

"It takes a lot to survive Tartarus" Nico cleared his throat, he too seemed uncomfortable at Hadrian seeking out his company, "I'm glad the two of you made it out"

Percy walked out of earshot, Hadrian watched him go.

He whirled around to face Nico, though he may have flinched a little. Nico had mastered the ability to stay so incredibly silent that people forgot about him. Or maybe it was the people in the wrong for forgetting about him