ꜱᴘɪᴅᴇʀ ʙɪᴛᴇꜱ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴀʙᴇᴛʜ/ꜱᴏʟᴀɴɢᴇʟᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛ

xʟᴠɪ ɴɪᴄᴏ | ɴɪᴄᴏ ꜱʟɪᴅᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ

Nico is finally granted a break after learning "The Cha Cha Slide," the "Cupid Shuffle," and much to his disdain, the "Wobble."

He unlocks his phone and is pleased to finally see some new puppy pictures from Drew. She made them some sweaters out of some sort of monster hide.

Nico's inclined to explain that they won't be needing those sweaters, but it's too thoughtful of a gesture to shoot down. He saves the pictures to his camera roll and then thanks her.

Then, he seeks some advice from the daughter of Aphrodite. Drew still is a sucker for romance.

So I just asked Will to get back together, he types.

Drew replies right away. Details. Now.

Nico fills her in about how they slept together and how he's starting to revive his old feelings. He spares no details.

Is this what it's like between Will and Annabeth? He can't help but wonder, and imagine them in their apartment, drinking fruity seltzers and gossiping about... what do they even talk about? Will's hospital patients? Annabeth's bartending job?

Hmm. That's a tough one. That's all she says. That's all Drew Tanaka has to say about the situation.

Nico wants to "Cha Cha Slide" all over his stupid cellphone right now.

But then his phone vibrates with another text from Drew. Thank the-

Can I adopt Marina? She's my fav (don't tell the others).

For real? Nico is having legit relationship problems, Drew's favorite thing ever, and she can't help him because she has puppy fever?

Che due coglioni?

"Hey, Nico!" Hazel sits down where Will was earlier. She pushes an unfinished margarita to the center of the table and replaces it with her glass of lemonade. "How are things? Did you get back to your room safe? I tried to text you..."

"I'm sorry, Hazel," Nico says. "Things got kind of out of hand last night, and I barely remember even talking to you. I'm good though. A little nervous, but I shouldn't complain."

"That's good," she says. "Hey, I hate to bother you with this again, but have you seen Percy and Annabeth? They missed the entire rehearsal and they're not going to have any idea of what to do tomorrow. Gods, I was supposed to give Annabeth her dress today and nobody can find her. Or Percy."

"They're probably not together," says Nico. "Big fight. Don't ask because I don't know."

"Okay?"

"But no, I haven't seen them. If I do, I'll tell them to get in touch." Not wanting to be rude, Nico asks, "How are you though? Really?"

Hazel leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "I'm kind of a wreck, honestly. Frank got drunk last night. With Leo. I just feel nauseous all the time, like if one more weird thing happens, I might barf all over the place."

He's not good with this stuff. People don't usually open up to him all serious like this. Nico looks towards the door frame, hoping Percy's back. He's great with feelings and advice and stuff. He may be an idiot when it comes to most things, but he's actually a relatively empathetic person.

Nope. Still no Percy. He probably went to bother poor Annabeth again, but Hazel doesn't need to know that. It'll just make things worse.

If Nico is going to be a psychologist, he's going to have to get familiar with these sorts of situations.

Nico opens his mouth to speak, but Hazel continues.

"Everyone being together again is just making things so weird. I think Reyna and Annabeth might be up to something, and Percy's keeping secrets, and you and Will are sleeping together, and now this with Frank and Leo. What if this is the gods telling me that things aren't meant to be?"

"No, don't you think that for a minute!" Nico says a little too loud. "I mean, you and Frank are endgame. Forget about everyone else; you probably won't even see Annabeth and Percy until the next person gets married, so what does it really matter if things aren't the way they were when we were kids? You've been through so much together! How many married couples can say they've flirted with death? You and Frank are one of them, that's for sure."

Hazel sits back in her seat and wipes a tear. "Thanks, Neeks. I can always count on you, even when you're all the way across the country."

Nico squeezes her hand. "Now go get Frank some coffee. I think he's a little hungover."

Hazel smiles and leaves to attend to her fiance.

Her words echo in Nico's head. I can always count on you, even when you're all the way across the country.

He's sure she didn't mean anything by it, other than that he's a great half-brother to her- which you know what, he is- but he's starting to have a...

What's the word for it?

For when you find the final puzzle piece, or when the rabbit comes out of the hat?

Or more accurately, when the invisible lightbulb appears above your head?

Oh yeah, an epiphany.

It shouldn't matter that he and Will are rooted thousands of miles away from each other. They... they love each other! Isn't that all that matters?

They need to stop focusing so much on the technicalities and just go for it! They've survived a breakup before, and if it doesn't work out, they can do it again!

"Oh my gods," he says aloud. Nico needs to stop being so practical and realistic. He needs to just let his heart do the thinking.

He gets up out of his seat and folds his jacket over his arm. He needs to get out of here. There's something important he has to do.

"Wait, Nico!" shouts Piper. "Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, Piper, I have to, uh-"

"Don't think you're getting out of the 'Cotton Eye Joe!'"

Nico lets Piper drag him back out to the dancefloor. "I don't think there's enough space in my brain to remember all these dances..."

"Nah, this one's easy!" Piper explains a list of elaborate steps to him, but he doesn't remember anything specific, just that there's a lot of kicking.

He's stepped on Piper's feet several times by the time the song is over.

"Are you sure you don't want an ice pack?" Nico asks.

"No, I'm okay! In fact, I'm going to tell Leo to play the 'Wobble' again!"