Alone Again (Percico/Pernico AU)

Chapter 51

This chapter is super dialogue heavy, brace yourself.

Percy nodded. "Thank you."
*****

"Gods of Olympus, di Angelo, you're in love with a juvenile delinquent," Thalia said to Nico when he'd finished telling her about his visit.

Nico didn't look startled at the statement. He was kind of expecting it from Thalia. "If you say so."

"You're not even denying it anymore," Thalia snickered.

Nico shrugged. "Let's just say I'm looking forward to when he's back in Manhattan."

"Is he even coming back here when he's released?" Thalia asked him.

"He better be," Nico scoffed, "I already offered him a ride back."

Nico had recently begun to accept that he might—just ever so slightly—have romantic feelings for Perseus Jackson. He wasn't sure how much the feelings would be reciprocated, if at all, by Percy since the older boy was so difficult to read sometimes, but Nico was staying optimistic. Percy trusted him, at least there was that.

Percy had come out to Nico, and the latter knew it was a big deal for the former. The green-eyed boy obviously found talking about his sexuality to be frightening. He'd told Nico about it, though. He knew Percy trusted him now, not just as someone who helps him out of anxiety attacks but as his friend instead.

It was a nice realization.

However, if Nico did want to use that knowledge to his advantage and act on his newfound feelings, he'd have to figure out how exactly he was going to do that. Knowing Percy, he figured he probably shouldn't just say, "Hey, I like you, date me!" in the middle of their conversation.

Actually, that's not such a bad ide—yes, it is, Nico.

He sighed, flopping down on the opposite side of the couch as Thalia and trying his very best not to kick her.

"Hypothetically—"

Thalia rolled her eyes, "Are you serious?"

"Shut up," Nico whined at her, "what if I did like Percy?"

"What about it?" Thalia smiled knowingly.

Nico sighed, "I don't know, just–what do I do?"

"Talk to him."

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Wow, thanks for your helpful insight, Thals," he said as he dramatically started to pull himself off the couch before getting dragged back down by the older of the two.

"Have you ever considered doing theatre?" She asked him sarcastically.

Nico didn't reply for a few moments before returning to the original conversation, "I can't read him, Thalia, and I'm really not down for getting rejected by someone who's going to probably be living with one of my friends in a couple weeks."

"You think he's going back to living with Grover?" Thalia raised her eyebrows.

Nico shrugged. "I don't see why he wouldn't. You already know Grover hasn't even looked for a roommate yet."