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Percy shook the family sized bag of tiny, skull shaped and painted sugary candies enticingly. “Before you slam the door in my face, if you hear me out you get this whole bag.” He bribed. Nico stared at him unimpressed and blank faced. The dark atmosphere only increased Percy’s nerves as Nico made no move to accept or decline and settled on staring into Percy’s very soul.
When Nico moved, Percy was pretty sure he was about to get the worst and hardest backhand of his life until Nico pulled open the black door. “Come inside.” He huffed. He eyed the candy, his true meaning for hearing Percy out. Percy was grateful anyway. He hurried in, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. He passed Nico a handful of the sweets as a thanks.
Nico popped one in his mouth and stared at Percy impatiently. Percy swallowed thickly, hands fiddling with the bags top as he struggled to find the words. Sure, he had practiced in the mirror a bajillion times but actually facing Nico and trying to talk was so, so much worse than just his own reflection.
“Percy-“
“I’m sorry.” He practically screamed at him. Nico startled, eyes bulging wide. Percy spluttered over his own accident, hands shaking. Nico opened his mouth to respond, but Percy cut him off with more mindless blabber- “I’m so sorry, Nico. I haven’t been a good friend to you, at all. I shouldn’t have attacked you back in Hades palace, I should’ve kept more tabs on you, I should’ve noticed when you went missing, I should’ve kept you at camp, I should’ve-“
“Percy.” Nico repeated, eyes narrow. Nico’s hands matched Percy’s in the slight trembling, and Nico seemed equally as flabbergasted at what Percy had just, yet again, screamed at him. Percy froze. He instinctively placed the bag of candy down on Nico’s nightstand, snapping back to look at him.
Nico didn’t soften, didn’t falter. “You have been a bad friend.” He said resolutely, certainly. Percy fought to keep himself from deflating, despite the fact he had known, deep down, that Nico wouldn’t want him back in his life. But then Nico’s eyes softened the slightest. “But, Grover and Annabeth told me what you did when I went missing. You looked, Percy-“ Percy didn’t think that was all that important, but- “And you kept looking. For months. Hazel told me you promised to save me from the jar. You took on the prophecy for me, so that I wouldn’t have to bear it. That was the kindest thing someone has ever done for me.”
He spoke wisely for a fifteen year old, and it made Percy’s heart ache. “I…” Nico looked tense, shoulders bunched to his ears and eyes dark and sad. “And I understand why you did what you did.” he chokes out, hands clenching to fists. Percy paused.
“Nico, you were… what, twelve-?”
“Thirteen.”
“Whatever.” He smiled weakly at him. It was not returned. “you were a kid. I was gullible as a little twelve and thirteen year old too.” He spoke slowly, shaking his head. “I was in the wrong for hurting you, and I’m sorry.”
Silence permeates the room like a thick fog. Percy shifts anxiously from foot to foot, watching Nico. He knew how it felt to have been betrayed at such a young age. He knew, oh gods how he knew. Nico walks over, picks up the skull candies, and popped a handful into his mouth.
“We can’t start over.” He decides, munching on the lumps of mass produced sugar. Percy might buy some more as treats for blackjack. The poor horse deserved a treat. “But we can make up.”
Percy slumps like a puppet cut from strings, the relief he feels honestly quite embarrassing. Nico eyes him with a touch of fresh amusement. He looked his age yet again, scruffy black hair falling just over his eyes, his darker themed clothing matching the Halloween candy Percy bribed Thalia to get him.
His shirt was personalized, and instead of the bright orange typical for camp half-blood he got a pitch black shirt with white writing embroidered across. Maybe Percy should pitch an idea for different colored shirts for the different cabins?
Nico extended a hand and presented a small candy. It was slightly deformed, the jaw a touch unhinged and it had a crack right though the middle of the skull. Percy picked it up, eying it and Nico before eating it. For the first time since Percy entered his cabin, Nico smiled. A tentative and carful little quirk, but a smile.
Percy grinned back.
~~~
Nico shook the large bag of (hand picked!) blue jelly beans enticingly. “Let me in or you don’t get any of these.” He demanded, swinging Percy’s door wider. Percy sat still, eying him cautiously and moping on his bed. Nico shook the bag once more. He was fully prepared to strut in and throw them at Percy until Percy caved.
“Come in.” Percy grumbled, a reluctant smile twitching the corners of his lips. Nico strides in, planting the bag on the nightstand and settling himself to sit beside the other demigod. They stared at each-other for a moment. It was awkward.
Percy had been shutting himself out recently, from everyone, and that includes Nico himself. And, of course, of someone who was just barely reconciled with the son of Poseidon, he was not going to let this sudden shutting out prevent him from worming the information out of him. If there’s one thing Nico knew, it was that Percy absolutely sucked at playing chicken when it came to his loved ones.
Nico passed him a handful of jelly beans. Percy ate them. Before Percy could reach for more, Nico put his hand up and extended them out of Percy’s grasp. Percy looked baffled. “Nuh-uh. Tell me more then you get more.” He insisted, infusing as much intensity into his eyes as he could muster. Percy slumped back onto the headboard of his bed, eyes downcast.
Even though Nico wasn’t usually one for physical affection, the poor guy really looked like he needed a hug. Percy bit at his bottom lip, teetering on the edge of speaking and not.
Nico shook the bag.
“I just… uhg.” He put his head in his hands, clutching at his hair. “I’m nervous I’ll hurt you guys.” He admitted after a moment. Nico felt his brow furrow.
“No offense but every offense, your fatal flaw is literally loyalty.” Past Nico would’ve been aghast at his words, but it was true. He felt no reason to hide his true, slightly stubborn personality from the other teen. Especially now that instead of the intense hero worship he had, he now thought of Percy as more of a nagging older brother. (Especially with how much Percy insists he come over for dinner. Seriously, Will makes sure he’s fed. Let him live.)
Percy grumbled a bit. “Not on purpose, on accident. I don’t have… a good grasp on my powers? Not really.” He sighed, releasing his hair from the death grip and looking at Nico with sad eyes. “What if I accidentally hurt you guys? I can’t do that!” He protested even without argument, hands clutching his bedsheets like a scared child.
‘He was just a child when he got dragged into this business, wasn’t he?’ Nico shook his head to dispel the stray thought.
“You’re already hurting us by pushing us back.” He said bluntly. Percy winced a bit. “If we get hurt, it’s because we chose to stick by you. Not because you’re being, and forgive me, an idiot and pushing us away.” He continued, lowering the bag. He put it between himself and Percy, opening it to Percy’s free rein. Percy snatched a handful before Nico could blink and inhaled it like a homeless man on cocaine.
Nicos lips quirked. Percy flicked one at his forehead, and Nico grasped it before it dropped into his lap. He popped it into his mouth. He didn’t really like jelly beans, but it felt rude not to eat it after that heavy conversation. Percy gave him a quick side hug, something warm. He smiled.
Nico grinned back.