Talk to Me

Chapter Four

Percy looked at me for a full five minutes before giving any sort of response, as if he had to process it, and the entire time Nico was thinking Oh gods I messed up, he hates me now, I just made it really weird, he's probably going to close himself off from me, I just ruined any chance I may have gotten.  You blew it, stupid.  Until Percy's taps interrupted his thoughts.

'I...' he seemed to hesitate, and he wouldn't meet Nico's eyes, 'I think I love you too,' he tapped, finally looking at him, almost looking like a lost puppy, as if his feelings weren't clear, or he had made it difficult on himself.  Nico wanted to know every detail.

But those simple words caused Nico's thoughts to come to a stop, and his breathing hitch in his chest, because he had never expected an outcome like that, especially out of the son of Poseidon, in which Nico thought resented the son of Hades, because Nico wasn't there when Percy had needed him most.  But Percy thought the complete opposite, and Percy knew that he had to keep fighting to stay with Nico, and that was what he wanted, and he wasn't going to let some monster get its way in killing Percy.  No, Percy was going to fight back with everything he could, and he knew fully well that he now had purpose, that he now had someone to rely on, and now had someone that he could tell everything to.  Because Nico had blurted the simple words that made his heart soar.

Percy waited for a response, thinking he had said the wrong thing he was prepared to begin an apology when Nico grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and smashed his lips into the older boy's, taking his shirt in his fists until his knuckles appeared to be pure bone.  This had shocked Percy, and he stiffened at first, realization falling on him he kissed back, pulling Nico's hands from the collar of his now stretched out shirt, holding them lightly in his own.

Nico was actually enjoying this, but this stupid thing called air had forced their kiss to come to an end, and Nico rested his forehead on Percy's as they both caught their breath.  "Keep fighting, for me," Nico mumbled after a long moment of silence, causing Percy to nod, and kiss him again lightly, which Nico gladly accepted and returned, sitting next to Percy on his bed, his hands on the back of his neck and Percy's hands finding their way to Nico's sides, it felt weird for the both of them, either of them not having much contact like that in months, it was weird.  But they both completely accepted.  

Percy was the first to pull back, looking at Nico, as if he was shocked, 'What does this mean... for us?' he tapped onto his side, not knowing what else to turn to, and besides, Nico didn't complain, if anything he thought it was adorable, even though he was screaming 'no' at himself.  

"I.. I guess I don't know, Percy," Nico replied, not knowing how to give a proper response after a situation like that.

Percy sighed, leaning his forehead on his shoulder, which Nico found adorable, once again, his mind still screaming 'no'.  Nico smiled lightly, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?  I'll meet you at breakfast, but you need to start taking care of yourself," he said, in a soft tone, a tone he would often use around Hazel, or really anyone he cared even a speck for, and found Percy nodding against his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Percy," he mumbled, picking his face back up to kiss him lightly.

Percy tapped a light, 'Goodnight, Nico,' onto his side again, pulling away from him, and Nico slipped away and out the door, he pressed his back to the door, letting out the breath he never would've known he was holding, a dorkish smile on his face, his hand over his heart.  He couldn't believe what he had just done, what he had just accomplished, what milestone he'd reached.  This was huge for him.  He made his way back to the Hades cabin, seeing Hazel and Frank sitting on Hazel's bed, "How'd it go, Nico?" Hazel questioned, looking over at him.

"Better than I thought," he sighed, falling onto his mattress, smiling at the ceiling, his face was starting to hurt.

"Spill," she said, crawling out of Frank's embrace and laying on her stomach facing his bed.

"I kinda ended up kissing him for a while, told him I liked him, he actually didn't freak out, and I'm meeting him for breakfast tomorrow," Nico responded sheepishly, while Hazel squealed.

"I knew it!  I called it, didn't I?! This is great!" Hazel practically screamed.

"Hazel calm down," Frank chuckled, pulling on her foot a bit, since it was the closest part to him.

Eventually Nico drifted off to sleep thinking about a particular green eyed boy, one that he knew would definitely be there.

The next morning Percy had showed up at breakfast, showered, and looking like he had actually slept, which he had, sitting at his table, yawning into his palm.  

Nico had showed up eventually, walking in with Hazel, "Go get him, I can guarantee that he'll be more than happy to see you," Hazel said, a small grin on her face.

Nico was, believe it or not, nervous beyond comprehension, to the point where he himself couldn't even process what he was about to do, yet he nodded anyway, and found himself walking over to the table, and finding everyone else in the pavilion falling dead silent, and Percy looking at him.  Percy responded with a wave and a smile, waving him over to him, which everyone around them stared at, wide-eyed.

Nico sucked it up, and sat down in front of Percy, smiling at him, although his smile came with a bundle of nerves, Percy was just excited that someone was actually sitting there with him.  "Good morning, Percy," Nico said, smiling at him.

'Good morning,' he tapped onto the table, loud enough for Nico to hear, which Nico responded with a smile, and everyone around them seemed to return to normal, except for Leo, which Percy could see slightly behind Nico, was celebrating, as if he had completely succeeded in some evil plan.  

The two ate in silence, and eventually this comfortable silence led to conversation, and people had drifted out of the pavilion by now, leaving it to be just the two of them, and they could've gone on that way for hours, just sitting and talking about the gods know what, occasionally getting a laugh out of Nico, as out of place as that sounded.

"Y'know, I would've sat over here a lot sooner if I found a way to talk to you.  You do know that, right?" Nico said, closing the conversation down to a serious matter.

'I do now,' Percy tapped, his smile faulting slightly, to the point that to normal people they wouldn't notice a thing, but Nico noticed so much more.  All of the pain from that one little crack in his smile, it was enough for him.  'I just sorta thought everyone gave up on me, so I gave up too.'

Nico shook his head, looking back at him rather than the table, "You sound like me, and that's terrifying to me, so how about we both are there for each other from now on... And even if it turns into just you and me in the end, I'm okay with that," Nico said, feeling something he would describe as hope, leaning on the table, pushing his plate out of the way so that he could lean on it.

Percy nodded, 'Agreed, even if it is just you and me,' he tapped, his smile filling up again, and he felt something click, and he knew exactly what it was, because no matter what, Percy was going to keep by Nico's side, and he wasn't going anywhere.  

Nico took a small breath, then leaned across the table, kissing Percy again, his hands falling to the older boy's shoulders.  

Percy smiled and returned the kiss wholeheartedly, and for the first time since the night before, they had both felt complete.