PJO and Related Fandoms Stories

Problem Children x 2 P2

A week after Will - with a few scathing remarks from Nico - explains that the world of Greek and Roman myths is real and the recent history of Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, and New Rome, the demigods and UA students are ready to leave for Camp Half-Blood.

Mic is doing his best to wrangle the excited teens while waiting for Chiron to arrive with their transport. Aizawa slumps against the wall of class 1-A's dorm building, pretending to be alert and assisting Mic, but in reality, he is sleeping peacefully.

Will chats animatedly with Kirishima and Jirou while Nico hides in the shadows of the dorm building. He's spent too long with these people. He misses his cabin. The decor may be horrendous, but nobody at Camp Half-Blood barges into the Hades cabin without knocking - except Percy, but he is an exception to almost every rule.

Despite how often Nico tried to sneak away and steal a moment alone this past week, one of 1-A's students irritated him into rejoining the rest of them.

Nico spent his first years as a demigod trying to prove that he isn't a monster, but now he wishes these hero students would act like the campers did at first. Unfortunately, that isn't possible, and it is all Bakugou Katsuki's fault.

Bakugou isn't dangerous or scary - he's a child throwing a tantrum because not everyone kisses his ass - but class 1-A has become so accustomed to Bakugou's faux wrath that they assume Nico is the same.

He's not. He will prove it once they get to Camp Half-Blood.

Midoriya doesn't allow Nico to wallow in hatred for long. He joins Nico in the shade, smiling brightly. "Hello!"

The bubbly boy annoys Nico beyond comprehension. Midoriya reminds Nico of Will and Percy - Percy mostly. They both have an uncanny ability to ignore Nico's boundaries and force him into socializing.

Conversely, Will is good at recognizing when Nico is just posturing and when he truly needs time and space for himself.

Midoriya is similar to Percy in the belief that Nico doesn't need time or space. All Nico needs is time with friends. Friends that Nico doesn't have.

Ever since Will detailed Nico's past to the UA students, Midoriya has been hellbent on becoming Nico's friend. Nico is not happy with this development. He has enough "friends." He has Will and Jason. Percy and Leo, too, if Nico counts his overbearing cousin and Jason's future boyfriend - "boyfriend" only if Leo ever confesses to Jason or Jason gets his head out of his ass and realizes that his best friend is pining just as much as he is.

Nico scowls at Midoriya. "Go away," he orders.

"Nope," Midoriya says. He wraps his hand around Nico's upper arm and tugs. "Come hang out with my friends."

Nico shrugs Midoriya's hand off. "I would rather die."

Luckily, Chiron appears in the courtyard before Midoriya can pull out his puppy-dog eyes. Nico can withstand the look, but it is such a chore to deal with Midoriya begging for his attention in the first place.

The arrival of Chiron and Mrs. O'Leary startles the hero students - a centaur and giant hellhound will do that to people. The students scramble to their feet, prepared to fight before Mic settles them down.

Chiron introduces himself. He removes his hand from Mrs. O'Leary's side. "Hello, students. I am Chiron, the activities director at Camp Half-Blood."

Freed from her duty as transport, Mrs. O'Leary bounds over to Nico and licks a stripe up his face. Nico makes a face at the dog drool on his skin but scratches her neck. Mrs. O'Leary is Percy's dog, but she spends most of her time with Nico because he reminds her of home. Sometimes, Nico will even wake in the middle of the night to Mrs. O'Leary trying to climb into his bed in the Hades cabin.