We've all got bruises. (Leico)

Love is blind

The first thing Nico noticed was the color.

Piper's room was divided into four sections, red, green, blue, and yellow. Everything in those areas was color coordinated, and it hurt Nico's eyes. He scowled and pushed through Rachel and Leo to find Hazel, and tripped face down over Frank, sleeping on the floor, wearing a.... bear hat?

"Leo! You found clothes!" Percy yelled from behind the door, where he was doing a handstand.

"Nico! You found a tan!" Jason yelled from the other side, also doing a handstand.

"What are you idiots doing?" Nico asked, picking himself off the floor.

"Handstand contest," Reyna offered from where she was playing darts.

Piper grinned and stood up, giving Nico a hug, which shocked him, and clapped her hands.

"Now that they're here, we can start the games! Any ideas?"

"Ooh! Ooh! Let's teach Nico how to play love is blind!" Hazel called.

Everyone started laughing, and Piper clapped him on the back, her kaleidoscope eyes twinkling.

"Basically, someone is blindfolded, and we turn off all the lights. The blindfolded person searches in the dark for someone, and if they tag them, then that person is it."

" But there's a catch!" Percy called, laughing.

"Indeed there is, Percy!" Piper yelled back in a deep, joking voice.

"After the first person, if you get caught...." -She leaned in close to whisper in his ear- "you must remove one article of clothing. But don't worry! We aren't into peer pressure. If you don't feel comfortable with that, you can refuse to take anything off, like Hazel and Frank. However!" She yelled, spinning wildly. Everyone listened, rapt, even though they'd probably heard it all before. "If you refuse, you are out. Last person standing wins."

"But what if no one quits? Will everyone just keep playing, naked?"

Piper laughed. "No, but after everyone is naked, a new set of rules comes in. It's only happened a couple times, though. Tag in the dark naked may sound fun, but when you don't know what exactly you're gonna tag, it loses the appeal. When everyone is naked, and you get tagged, you tag someone else and then you're out. Last one standing gets food brought to them at dinner."

Nico looked toward the door, silently panicking. Hazel put a hand on his shoulder.

"If the dark or anything else bothers you, you can leave. No one will think any less of you," she whispered.

Nico scowled darkly. Hazel, Jason, and Leo were all looking at him like he was about to shatter. He screwed up his concentration and took even breaths until he managed to say "No. I'm playing."

Percy seemed to see the wordless conversation that played between the four of them, and his seaweed brain worked hard to unravel what exactly it was.

Reyna brushed off her hands. "Shall we start, then? Who's going to be it?"

Everyone looked around wordlessly. Finally, Annabeth raised her hand. "I'll get us started, I guess."

Everyone scrambled to different corners of the room, and Nico followed into the green corner. Piper gave Annabeth a scarf and tied it around her face, then spun her around 5 times. She flicked off the lights, and it was pitch black except for the crack under the door. Nico struggled and succeeded in keeping himself calm, reminding himself that It's just a game, Nico. It's just a game.

He was so preoccupied with not having a panic attack that he failed to see Annabeth stumbling towards him blindly until it was too late. "I got somebody!" she called gleefully.