Out of My Mind (Percico/Pernico)

Chapter Eight

"What is the deal with you, Nico?" Reyna nudged his arm with her elbow for what seemed like the hundredth time in five minutes.

"Nothing," Nico responded, moving his hands off of the table and onto his lap. "It's just that I hardly got any sleep last night. I was out for two days, after all."

"Well, you're being really spacey," Jason said. "Are you sure? We can tell Dr. Chase or some-"

"No, absolutely not," Nico blurted, not hesitantly at all. He didn't want to deal with the people who didn't put an effort in putting themselves in their patients' situations. "I'm fine, really."

"If you say so," Leo replied, reluctance lining his tone. "Does Percy have anything to do with it?"

At the split moment those words were spoken, Nico's cheeks flushed bright red. "No! No, no, no, of course not! Why would you think that?"

The three friends shared a knowing look before Nico buried his face in his hands.

"Yep, he sure likes him alright," Reyna concluded as she looked back down at her food.

Nico didn't even try to deny it. His friends knew too much. How they did, he had no idea. Was he as oblivious as his friends proposed him to be? Probably. Did he like how they knew things about him before he knew them himself? Absolutely not.

He felt arms snake around his waist once again, and a hard object resting on the top of his head, followed by a, "Good morning, sweetheart." Nico felt even more heat rush into his face.

"Don't call me that," he said.

"Aww, why not?" Percy asked, hugging Nico closer to him.

"Because," Nico replied.

"C'mon, di Angelo, you know you like it." Nico could hear the smirk in his voice.

"What gave you that notion?" Nico scoffed. "I hate pet names."

"Well, then that sucks for you, because I have a lot of them," Percy responded, nuzzling his nose into Nico's midnight mane.

"Ey, Jackson, can you not grind up on our friend?" Reyna asked. "He looks like he's about to spontaneously combust."

"I am not!" Nico shouted.

Percy chuckled and pressed a kiss on the top of Nico's head before walking away to get breakfast. Nico embarrassedly covered his flushed face with his hands, the warmth in his cheeks feeling like his face was on fire.

"So, 'sweetheart', huh?" asked Piper, who placed her tray next to Jason, who looked shocked and uncomfortable, and sat down at the table. "Since when did Jackson use pet names?"

"I-I don't know," Nico stuttered.

"Jeez, Neeks, you look like you have a sunburn all over your face," Piper laughed. "Are you okay?"

"He's fine," Reyna told her. "He just has the L-word."

"Oh, does he now?" Piper grinned cheekily.

"What L-word?" Jason asked.

"You know, four letters," Piper hinted. "Starts with L, ends with E."

"Lice?"

"No!" Reyna swatted him from across the table, which made Leo snicker. "Love."

"He has love?"

"No, Jason, he's in love."