Shattered

Nico

A year ago if someone would have told Nico he would be living at camp, he would have laughed.

If someone had told him he would be happy at camp he would have called them insane.

But here he was: at camp and happy.

It was such a strange foreign feeling, happiness. And he owed Jason, Reyna, Percy, and Will so much.

Jason was the first to show him that it was okay to be what he is. The son of Jupiter had never stopped being his friend, even after things had settled down following the war. Which surprised him. He knew that people would say anything depending on the situation, yet Jason remained an ever loyal and supportive friend.

Whenever Jason came back to camp from his recruitment duties, he would crash in the Hades cabin with him. A perk of being the son of Jupiter he guessed, because otherwise Nico wasn't allowed to be alone with other guys. Sometimes he would shadow travel them to McDonalds for a Mcflurry or a burger, or just outside camp to catch up in private. In the cabin though, the two of them would stay up late and chat about Jason's recruitment efforts, how things were with Piper, Will, each of the seven, and comics.

Comics were an inexpensive hobby the two could share. Despite being the son of the god of wealth, Hades' allowance policies were pretty cheap; Zeus was worse though. Once a month, Nico would travel to a nearby comic shop, purchase three or four issues, and read them. Jason would do the same while he traveled. Then when Jason returned to camp they would swap issues and discuss.

Jason really was the best.

Reyna had become something of a surrogate big sister. She would never replace Bianca but, then again maybe that was a good thing. From being with Reyna, Nico had been forced to admit Bianca wasn't the best sister. He had to admit to himself that she had abandoned him. Now she frequently called him for advice or assistance with issues in New Rome that could use an outsider's persepctive. Making them a great team on and off the battlefield.

After the news of his confession to Percy, Reyna had offered to make him disappear. Permanently.

He had refused of course, he and the son of Poseidon were on good terms now.

Percy.

A couple days after his confession to Percy, the son of Poseidon had approach him and trapped him in a bear hug. Percy apologized until he was blue in the face about any pain he had caused him. And claimed that if he knew about Nico's feeling he would have been more considerate and would have toned down the PDA with Annabeth. Which really meant a lot to him.

He had hugged Percy back and in turn apologized to him for being so cold to him. And after an awkward, but releiving talk, they both left with tears streaming down their faces.

Nico had thought that would have been the end of it, but he was wrong.

About every other week, Percy would IM him to invite him up to New York to hang out. Sometimes it was to a movie; sometimes with Annabeth, sometimes without. Percy had insisted that he teach Nico to board-skate or whatever it was called, and all that resulted from that was a very sore, very crabby son of Hades, and a laughing son of Poseidon.

Percy was also part of the comic exchange albeit not as much. Mrs. Blofis and Annabeth refused to let Percy read comics if his grades were in the toilet. Which was about every other week. The one thing Percy actually wanted to read and they forbid him from it.

And honestly,he could see himself falling for Percy again. Not the hero he thought he knew but, the real Percy Jackson.

Thankfully he had Will though to stop him from falling down that rabbit hole again.