The Reckless and the Brave

Chapter one

HI! So this is my new ideas. I will warn you before we start, this is going to end very depressing. If you don't like that, turn back. Major warnings are:major character death, swearing, and angst. You have been warned.
Okay, or any of you who want to brave the broken feels, this takes place after Annabeth and Percy get out of Tartarus. The plot will be changed from the books. This will be a percico, just not as quickly. I hope this doesn't complete break your feels. I cried for an hour just writing the idea down, so that's a warning about how sad it's going to end. I'm sorry. Okay, let's get started! I'm Doing the same thing I did with blind love, you know, QOTD and a quote. Although it's going to be harder to find a quote for this one but I'll try. Okay.
QOTD: if you were in a position to save either Nico or Percy, which would you choose to save? Can't say both. You only have one shot.
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Have you ever felt that your heart contained so much that it must surely break apart?
~City of Heavenly Fire
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Nico knew there was something wrong. Maybe it was a sixth sense, or maybe it was the distance between the two.
Nico was almost sure the others could see how distant Percy and Annabeth had been since coming back from Tartarus. Nico could practically see the dark cloud above Percy's head any time someone mentioned Annabeth, their relationship, or even if Annabeth was in the same room. The same went for Annabeth. The "golden couple" had been avoiding each other ever since they had rescued them from Tartarus. They had been giving each other glances when the other want looking, but Nico wasn't stupid. He knew those glances weren't the "lovey dovey I-want-you" glances. They were the glances you give someone you were uncomfortable around. Although Nico should feel sorry for them, he couldn't help but have a sliver of hope. Hope for him and Percy. Although it was a tiny sliver. He knew Percy was completely straight, but his heart swelled a bit seeing 'percabeth' (as Piper called it) avoiding each other like the Black Plague. But he couldn't really focus on the couple. They still needed to figure out what to do next, and when to get the Parthanos to camp or even how. Nico had an idea, but he honestly wasn't sure if it was something any of them would agree to. Not to mention it was hard to concentrate when Percy had decided to latch onto his side while avoiding Annabeth. Which was one of the things he was dealing with now. A whining Percy. Yet another annoyance on this gods forsaken ship, although the Son of Hades would admit that the Son of Poseidon looked adorable while pouting.
"Nicccccccooooooo. Come ooooooonnnnnn! Can't we just rest for a bit? And eat? You need to eat more. You're all skin and bones! Pllllllleeeeeaaaasssseee? For me?" Percy pouted, widening his eyes and blinking rapidly. Nico sighed. He was trying to concentrate on this book about some random thing that by now Nico had forgotten.
"Go away, Jackson. Can't you see I'm trying to read?"
"About architecture? Do you even care about that stuff? It's so boooooooring." Percy rolled his eyes.
Nico almost made a snide comment about Percy's girlfriend being interested in it, but held it back, knowing it would upset the older boy.
"Pllllllllleeeeeaaaaassseee eat something? An apple? A banana? A cracker? Anything."
"After the seeds, everything tastes like cardboard, I told you that." Nico scowled at the boy, who was now laying on his bed on his back, splayed out and hanging upside down.
"I know! But you still need to eat. You can't survive if you don't eat."
Nico sighed and put down the stupid book he had been holding in his hands without glancing at it for the past half hour.
"Fine! If you stop the whining, I'll eat some god damn crackers. Jesus Christ, Jackson. Don't you have someone else to bother?"
Percy grinned.
"Yay! And everyone else is boring, you're fun to hang out with." Percy was grinning at him with that stupid heart melting grin that made Nico almost melt into a puddle.
"Great." Nico mumbled, before stalking out of the room with Percy in tow, chattering about some topic that Nico couldn't pay attention to. There was too much to think about, to much to feel, and his head and heart hurt, as though they would break apart. But he tried to seem interested for the annoying green eyed puppy that trailed after him to the kitchen. He didn't really want to hurt the older boy.
"Nico? Can I tell you something?" Percy mumbled, his eyes darting from Nico to the floor. It was strange to see Percy shy. He wasn't someone to ask before he blurted things out. That was just who Percy was, which made Nico fancy (remember, Nico is Italian. So he does speak slightly like an Italian, even if he's been in the US for years. I've heard Italians say that so... I just felt like having nico say it) him more. He glanced at the tall boy.
"What?"
Percy frowned.
"It's about me and Annabeth-"
"Annabeth and I." Nico automatically corrected Percy's grammar. He may not seem like it but he was a huge grammar person.
"Whatever. It's about us."
"Yes?" Nico glanced at the pantry shelves, snatching a box of crackers.
"We-we aren't really comfortable with each other anymore. Tartarus affected us too much. I think... I think we're broken up. I mean, we barely talk, and when we do, it's all about the next step in the quest. I don't think I feel the same about her anymore. I haven't for a while. She's... Like a sister." Nico nearly dropped the box of crackers. Annabeth and Percy weren't dating anymore? Was there more hope for him? His heart hurt when his brain told him the logical thing. 'Percy is straight.' And he frowned.
"Nico? Nicccccccooooo?" Percy wave his hands in front of nico's face.
"Oh, um... I'm sorry?" Nico reached into the box of crackers and shoved a few into his mouth, trying not to gag at the taste. He wanted to please Percy.
"No! No, don't be. It's just... I wanted to tell you first before the others."
"Why?"
"Because I trust you more than anyone."
Nico's heart constricted painfully.
"Oh. Right."
Nico's mind flashed back to the days of the second Titan war, where Percy made it clear he didn't trust the son of Hades.
Why would Percy trust him now, when he didn't before? His heart ached painfully.
"Jackson, go find someone else to bother. I'm exhausted."
Percy pouted but nodded before trudging out of the kitchen. Nico sighed, slumping against the counter.
If this kept going, his heart would surely break into a thousand tiny pieces.