Darkness & Sea Go Hand-in-Hand [Hiatus]

4

Nico

As they continued on their journey, the sun quickly began to set the opposite direction of where they were heading.

Just as Annabeth laid in the boat, it slowly stopped.

"Why the heck are we stopping?" Nico asked, glaring at Percy a bit.

Hoisting a leg over the boat, Percy answered "There's an under sea washroom that has 'PERSEUS 'the Sassy' JACKSON' on it. I'll be right back."

Grabbing his arm, Nico asked "Couldn't you just go here? Me and Annabeth can just look away."
As uncomfortable as that suggestion was, it wasted less time.

Percy shook his head.
"It's an order 2, I don't think you'd wanna hear that. And it would probably take longer up here because that is freaking uncomfortable."

Nico let go of Percy's arm and backed away, whatever color he had in his face draining away.

As Percy dived into the sea, Nico and Annabeth were left with an uncomfortable silence.

After a minute, Annabeth broke it.
"Can I tell you something, Nico?"

Nico jumped, startled by the loss of silence, and from Annabeth actually wanting to have a conversation with him. People don't exactly talk to the son of Hades regularly.
"Um...sure?" he answered.

Sighing, and looking up at the sky, she said "I think...I think Percy is bi...maybe even gay..."

Nico's eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"

Annabeth looked at the ocean, where Percy dived. Almost as if she was expecting him to jump out and spray water at her for saying such a thing.
"He's been acting...weird lately. Near the end of last summer, I vaguly noticed it, but he kept glancing at guys and blushing. And a part of him felt...distant...when we got back here. And the way he looks at you..."
Her eyes widened, and she shut herself up.

Nico didn't really know what to say or do. He just, nervously, put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, and said "You could be reading too much into it. It might be nothing?"
He wasn't exactly use to comforting people, so he felt a little awkward.

He regretted it, but a part of him kind of hoped Percy was bi or gay, or at least curious. He felt sorta selfish.
She was still nice to him, sorta. He couldn't bring himself to hate her, only feel a little jealous.

She nodded.
"Maybe..."
Her eyes and voice told Nico she doubted it.

"Should I ask him, maybe?" Nico asked, almost to himself.

Annabeth's eyes glazed over as she got lost in thought, and a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I'll take that as a no..." Nico thought.

A few minutes later, Nico began to squirm. Either Percy ate something bad before they left, or something happened to him down there.
The sun was down, and the sky was almost completly dark, a faint orangish glow from the horizon.

"It's been too long..." Nico muttered. "Should we try and see if-"

Percy chose that moment to come back up to the surface.

His eyes were wide and he was completly wet. That would be normal if he wasn't the son of the sea god. If he stayed focused, he could keep himself and his clothes dry.
Something happened down there that spooked him.

As he climbed onto the boat, Annabeth rushed over to him.
"Percy, are you okay?" she asked, moving his hair away from his eyes.

He instantly stood up, ignoring her.
"We have to go. Now. Hold on."