Percy watched as Bianca left, he stared at Nico, his hand were gripping his shorts and he shook.
Nico turned towards Percy, tears welling up in his eyes, his face full of hurt and anger. Nico walked forward and hugged Percy the hunters and Bianca now completely out of site.
Nico gripped Percy’s shirt and cried. Annabeth gave him a sad, she leaned to his level and rubbed his back, “come on Nico, it’s almost dinner, maybe that’ll cheer you up.” She said.
Nico ignored her and continued to cry, Percy hugged him back.
A few minutes later Nico let go rubbed his eyes and walked away, Percy Annabeth and Grover followed.
“Nico!” Chiron greeted with a smile, the boy still didn’t speak.
He wheeled his chair forward, “we have a matter to discuss.” He said facing Percy Annabeth and Grover.
“What is it?” Annabeth asked.
“Due to recent circ*mstances we need to find a new place for Nico to stay. The gods aren’t very fond of children of different parentage staying in their cabins.” Chiron said.
“But unclaimed are in Hermes cabin?” Percy spoke
“Yes however that is different since they are unclaimed, Nico here has been claimed, and while I am working on getting a cabin for hades it won’t be done for at least a week after its approval.” Chiron said.
Nico gripped his shorts and stepped backwards.
“Can’t he stay in the main house?” Grover asked.
“Ah, you see the hunters caused a bit of distrusting to our spare rooms.” Chiron said
“I’ll just go.” Nico said tears running down his cheeks, “nobody even wants me here.” He sniffled.
“Nico-“ Chiron started.
Nico shook his head and stepped backwards more, the floor cracking following his path, before he finally made a run for the door.
Percy caught his arm, “let go of me!” Nico shouted trying to pry Percy’s hand off.
“How about Nico stays in Poseidon cabin?” Percy asked, Nico stopped.
Chiron turned towards him, “I’m alone in there anyway, and if my dad gets mad, oh well.”
“Percy if your dad gets mad he’ll smite Nico out of his cabin.” Annabeth said.
“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen, besides what other options are there?” Percy said bringing Nico back to where he was standing.
Percy squatted to Nico’s level, “what do you say? You give me some company and I’ll dose you in water if you start smoking?”
Nico smiled slightly and wiped his tears, he nodded.
Percy turned to Chiron, “it’s worth a shot, if we leave him outside he gets eaten by harpy’s”
Chiron sighed, “for tonight, we’ll figure something more permanent tomorrow.” Percy smiled turning back to Nico who’s smile got bigger.
“You’re an idiot.” Annabeth said crossing her arms and turning away as Percy stood back up.
By dinner Nico had cheered up more, he sat at Poseidon table and devoured his food, talking Percy’s ear off.
“Can we play mythomagic tonight!” Nico asked
“I’ve never played.”
“I can teach you! It’s so fun.”
Percy laughed tho silently praying Nico wouldn’t want to stay up to long, he was exhausted from the quest still.
Percy sacrificed his food to his dad asking him to not smite Nico.
Thankfully Nico stayed mostly quiet at the campfire, he seemed mesmerized by the flame.
Nico pointed to an Apollo kid helping with the campfire, “that’s will solace.” He said
“Cool.” Percy replied, he recognized the kid though had never spoke to him, he knew he was the best in the infirmary and third oldest in Apollo cabin at eleven.
“Do you know him?” Nico asked “he talked to me and showed me around camp while yall were gone.”
Percy shrugged “I know of him, is he your friend?”
“I hope” Nico said
Later Percy led Nico to Poseidon cabin, he freaked out.
“Woah!” He shouted mesmerized at the artifacts hanging from the ceiling. He ran around picking up the nicnacks that decorated the room.
He picked up a ship “woah, is this a pirate ship?” He whipped his head around to Percy, “have you met any pirates?” He asked eyes gleaming.
“You heard of the Blackbeard pirates?” Percy asked sitting on his bed.
Nico nodded “mhm”
“I met them last summer.” Percy said, he prayed Nico didn’t asked what they were like.
“Really?! That’s so cool!” He smiled putting the ship down then running to Percy’s bed taking the Minotaur horn straight off the wall.
“What’s this?” He asked.
“Minotaur horn. Got that my first summer here.”
“The Minotaur! I have its card!” Nico smiled examining the horn.
Nico put the horn down and slid of Percy’s bed.
At some point Nico asked all his questions and wore himself out. He crouched setting out figures and dealing cards for mythomagic.
“Now, you’re supposed to have your own cards but I guess I can let you borrow some of mine.” Nico said handing Percy a stack of cards.
“Okay, how do i start?”
Nico explained the game to Percy, they had a few practice runs, and by the time they started playing the real deal, Percy still didn’t really know how to play he just kept using Poseidon, but it checked out because Nico continuously played his new hades figurine.
They played for a few hours until Nico became noticeably tired, thank god, Percy thought he was still looking forward to his much needed sleep, normally once he got back from a quest the were lenient about wake up time for him.
Nico yawned picking up his hades figure and fidgeting with it.
“Hey Percy?”
“Yeah.” percy responded
“What was the quest like with Bianca?” He asked
Percy thought for a second, coming up with ways to explain it and leave out Bianca’s almost death part and Zoë actual death.
“Well we went to California.” he finally said.
“That’s cool.” Nico said, “what did yall do”
“Umm…” Percy thought, “I fought a magic lion, and I held up the entire sky.”
Nico laughed, “that’s impossible, you can’t hold up the sky.”
“I wish it was impossible but for five minutes you were not being crushed by the sky because of me.” Percy responded.
Nico smiled, “what did Bianca do?” He asked
“Well… she was totally badass in Hephaestus junkyard, where she got you that figure.” Percy said referring to the figure in Nico’s hands.
“This is my dad right?” Nico asked, “hades?”
Percy nodded.
“What was it like?” Nico started, “you were there right, you met my dad, in Olympus when he claimed Bianca?”
“I was.” Percy said, “but that wasn’t the only time I’ve met your dad.”
Nico looked at him confused.
“Once two summers again, my first summer at camp-“
“When you got the Minotaur horn?” Nico cut him off.
“Yeah, well I was sent on a quest to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt, we thought you dad had it so I went to the underworld.” Percy said.
“Did he have it?” Nico asked.
Percy shook his head, “no, it was so annoying, we went all the way to the underworld in California-“
“The underworlds in California?” Nico asked.
“Yeah, anyways we went all the way to California to see your dad only to find out he didn’t have it and that ares had already given it to us-“
“Why did ares give it to you?” Nico asked
“Because he’s an asshole and wanted us to go to Tartarus.” Percy replied.
Nico laughed at the curse word.
“Yeah, and then we had to take a plane back to New York, which you should never do as hades son, Zues would smite a hades or Poseidon son if we flew to high in his domain, it was terrifying!”
Nico laughed, Percy laughed as well.
Hey sat in silence for a while, at some point Nico laid down resting his head on Percy’s legs.
“I don’t want a stupid figure.” Nico muttered still fidgeting with the figure.
“Huh?” Percy questioned.
“Why did Bianca leave?” Nico asked quietly.
“Nico…” Percy breathed out, how was he supposed to tell a kid why his sister ditched him? Percy knew why she left but how could he explain that to Nico without him thinking it was his fault.
“Bianca found a home with the hunters.” Percy finally said.
“But why doesn’t she want me?” Nico asked voice shaking.
“She does Nico, but she trust you with us, at camp.” Percy said, “you have us now and I will protect you, I promise Nico.”
Nico tossed his figure, “nobody likes me here though except you.”
“That’s not true.” Percy said.
“It is. They all look at me weird, like I’m an alien.” He said.
“Maybe some do but they’re not the ones you’ll be hanging out with.” Percy said.
“Who will I hang out with once you leave though, you said you’re going home tomorrow.” Nico said.
“Well Grover will be here, he’s my best friend ever, and that kid you pointed out at the campfire, he’s your friend.” Percy said.
“But-“
“You have friends here, even if Bianca isn’t here there are people who will take care of you.” Percy thought for a second.
He didn’t know why he was being so nice to this kid, maybe it was because he felt bad for him, or that he had trusted him enough to protect his sister.
“If you want, I could talk to Chiron, and my mom, see if you could stay at my house till summer.” It’d probably be safer for Nico anyway, he’s ten and could easily be talked into joining Luke by whoever the spy is.
Nico’s eyes lit up, “really!?” He asked smiling.
“I’ll see about it, no promises though, and you have to be nice to my mom.” Percy said.
“Of course!” Nico smiled.
They talked for about another hour, Nico asking random questions, about the gods, quests, what Poseidon was like, Percy tried to make being a demigod sound as fun as possible without lying, he wanted this kid to be happy until he was atleast twelve.
Finally around three am Nico passed out, curled up resting his head on Percy’s legs, he looked peaceful.
Percy closed his eyes and finally slept.
—
In the morning Annabeth walked to Percy’s cabin, she knocked on the door before opening it to find Nico curled up head in Percy’s lap, with Percy’s hand his Nico’s head.
She closed the door deciding to make up and excuse for Chiron and let them sleep longer
