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The night is cold, and Percy doesn’t have his jacket. He can hear the rest of the party still going on inside, the start of the macarena, and it makes him smile to imagine his friends dancing to it. He wonders if Hazel has even heard the song before, and what her thoughts would be. He wishes he could see, but he isn’t ready to go in yet.
He leans back on his hands, feeling cool stone beneath his palms. The stars are bright above him, and he wonders if the demi-god constellations ever in the sky above him ever had this kind of problem.
Out of instinct, his eyes find Perseus, tracing the faint outline in stars. Perseus had it easy. He slew the dragon, saved the day and got the girl.
When he sighs, Percy can see his breath. He should go in, but he’s not ready yet. His thoughts are spinning, and it’s way, way too late to be second-guessing himself.
How did this even happen? How did he get here?
The music changes into something slower, and he imagines everyone pairing off into groups. Annabeth will come looking for him, without a crowd to get lost in. Nico will be standing in a back corner by himself, refusing to make eye-contact. Leo and Calypso will be dancing way too fast for the music, and making everyone else back away from them.
It had been delightfully not awkward to have Calypso there. He’d thought- but no. Awkwardness had jumped out from the least likely place imaginable.
“Hey, man, what are you doing out here?” Percy hadn’t heard footsteps, but Jason sits down besides him, wincing when he comes in contact with the cold stone. “Annabeth is looking for you.”
“I thought she would be,” Percy says, glancing over. Jason looks sharp in a tux. He looks like James Bond, like a secret agent. Percy just feels like someone trying on his dad’s clothes. If, you know, he’d ever had a dad who wore tuxes.
“You’re not wearing your jacket,” Jason remarks.
Percy shrugs. “It was too hot inside.”
“And too cold out here.”
“I’ll survive.”
Jason studies his face intently. “Shouldn’t you be happier? I thought you were looking forward to this.”
“I was. I am. It’s just,” Percy sits forward to lean his elbows on his knees, hands dangling between his legs. “Do you think I made a mistake?”
Jason makes a rude noise. “Aren’t you supposed to have cold feet before the wedding? Because, I have to say man, the wedding reception is the wrong place to be asking that question.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Jason punches him on the shoulder. “Don’t be stupid. You and Annabeth, you’re a forever thing. You love her, she loves you. You both get to love happily ever after.”
Percy blows air out slowly. “Yeah. But sometimes.”
“Come on, Percy, don’t do this. You know that you love her.”
“I do. That’s not the issue. I’ll always love her.”
“There you go then,” Jason says, like that resolved everything. “Now, come on. Annabeth is gonna be really pissed if she doesn’t get her wedding night.”
Percy snorts. “Yeah, ok. I’m gonna stay out here a bit longer.”
Jason, who had started to get up, settles back down. “What’s gotten into you, man?”
“Nothing,” Percy says. “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing, my ass,” Jason mutters. “Ok, whatever. Did you know that Piper caught the bouquet?”
“Yeah?” Percy grins and him. “You’re gonna have to step up, man.”
“I want to wait for her to finish school. She won’t want to get married until she has her doctorate.”
“Mr. and Dr. Grace?” Percy asks.
“Assuming she doesn’t make me take her name,” Jason replies, grinning. “But she’d probably like a hyphen, like you have. Grace-McLean doesn’t sound too bad.”
“Jackson-Chase sounds better.”
“It sounds like a full name. Your kids are gonna have a hard time.”
Percy shivers. “Don’t say that.”
“Is that what this is about? Kids?”
“No!” Percy sits up straight. “No, I mean, I want kids. Just, not right now. We’re too young. Annabeth is just starting her company. It’s not the right time. Sometime. Just, not right now.”
Jason sighs. “I hear you, man.”
Percy nearly jumps out of his skin when Nico melts out of the shadows to his left. “Gods, Nico!” he yelps. “How many times have I told you?”
“I know, sorry.” Nico doesn’t sound sorry at all as he takes a seat next to Jason. “I brought you your jacket.” He hands Percy a crumpled suit jacket.
Percy takes it, bemused. “This isn’t mine.”
“It’s not? I saw it, and I thought-”
“No, see, the cuffs are singed. It’s gotta be Leo’s.”
“I can go back for-”
“No, it’s fine. It’s not that cold anyway.”
Jason and Nico both give him identical looks of skepticism.
“Annabeth is looking for you,” Nico says, after a moment.
“Yeah, I know.”
“You should go back in,” Jason tell him.
“I know,” Percy says, but there’s no heat in it. He should go back in. “I will. Soon.”
“She sent me to look for you,” Nico says.
“You found me.”
“Is there something…” Jason trails off, looking between the two of them. “Did you too fight?”
“No. No fighting,” Percy says. Nico frowns.
“Look, Percy. About-”
“It’s nothing.”
Silence falls. It’s a bit awkward. Percy goes back to looking up at the stars. Jason is still looking between Nico and Percy suspiciously. Nico stares at the ground, totally still in that way he gets when he’s nervous. It’s funny, how well Percy knows his habits now.
This time, Percy hears the click of Annabeth’s heels before she comes into sight. It was one of the only three times that he had ever seen her in heels, and it was pretty sexy.
He turns his head so he can watch her come closer. It stops his heart, how beautiful she looks. Her dress is so white it almost glows, and she’s wearing a necklace of moonstones that Thalia gave her for her “something borrowed.”
She had joked, before the wedding, that her something blue would have to be Percy, but she’d painted her nails a deep sapphire to match her ring.
“Hey, Percy,” she says cheerfully, nudging him over so she can sit as well.
“Hey, Annabeth,” he replies, grinning up at her.
“Bit chilly, isn’t it?” Her sleeves are a thin, transparent lace. Percy takes Leo’s jacket and puts it over her shoulders. She smiles at him and he can’t resist stealing a kiss. He can do that now- she’s his wife.
Gods.
“Is this a private big three meeting, or can anyone join?”
Jason grins at her. “Well, you’re a big three in-law now, so you can stay.”
Annabeth laughs. “Thanks.” She nudges Percy with his shoulder. “What’s going on? You missed the macarena. I know you love the macarena.”
Percy smiles at her. “I do love the macarena.”
“So?” Annabeth raises perfectly plucked eyebrows at him, and Percy just shrugs.
“I should-” Nico jerks a thumb at the door, getting to his feet.
“Sit down,” Annabeth says firmly, and Nico does so. Percy turns his head into Annabeth’s neck to hide a smile. And then, since he’s there anyway, he kisses the curve of it gently.
“What were you doing out here?” she asks.
“Watching the stars,” Percy replies. “Thinking.”
“Don’t tax yourself, seaweed brain,” Annabeth teases. She leans into his side, staring up at the stars as well. “They are pretty out here.”
“Yeah.”
Nico tries to get up again, and Jason pulls him back down. Percy smiles.
“Jason’s seen me naked,” he blurts out.
“Woah!” Jason says, standing quickly. Annabeth sits up and looks at Percy.
“So?”
“Percy, dude, what the hell?” Jason says, waving his hands in front of him. Nico puts his heads in his hands.
“Is there any particular reason you’re telling me this?” Annabeth asks, sounding amused. Percy shrugs.
“Well, I did just promise in front of our families, our closest friends, and the Gods of Ancient Greece to be truthful with you. I thought I should mention it.”
“I think, technically, you promised to be true to me. There’s a difference.”
Percy shrugs. “I thought you should know.”
“I disagree!” Jason protests. “Annabeth, it’s not like it was a thing.”
Annabeth laughs. “Jason, I know how Roman baths work. I can assume that seeing him was all that happened.”
Jason coughs. Percy blushes. Nico raises his hand and stares at both of them, mouth dropping open.
“Is it not?” Annabeth asks.
“We, ah, measured,” Percy admits.
Annabeth throws back her head and laughs. “Did you really?”
“I won,” Percy confides to her in a stage whisper. She shoves him and he falls into Nico, who pushes Percy back at her.
“And this was, what? Five years ago?”
“Six,” Percy corrects, and Annabeth laughs again.
“Ok, noted. Six years ago you and Jason took your relationship to a Freudian level, and I’m supposed to be upset. I guess. But seriously, Percy, did you think that would bother me?”
“Nico kissed me,” Percy blurts out, and Annabeth stops laughing.
“Oh my gods,” Nico says, and burries his head in his hands again.
“You kissed a man on his wedding night?” Jason demands.
“It was just a little one,” Nico protests through his fingers.
“There was tongue!” Percy argues.
“You FRENCHED a man on his wedding night?” Jason shouts.
Percy winces .“Keep your voice down!”
“You kissed me back!” Nico raises his head to glare at Percy.
Percy drops his gaze and looks at Annabeth. “I did kiss him back.”
“Oh my gods,” Jason says. “Nico, seriously. Now was the best time to do this? Tonight? On their wedding night.”
“I know! Ok? I know.”
“It didn’t mean anything!” Percy tells Annabeth.
“Oh, great, thanks,” Nico mutters. “I’m leaving.”
“Nico, stay. Jason, you go.”
“I don’t-” Nico starts.
At the same time, Jason says “I really think-”
“Now,” Annabeth says, with steely command in her voice.
Jason slouches away, glancing back frequently like he expects to be called back.
“He looks like a puppy when he does that,” Percy mutters. Annabeth kicks him.
“So,” Annabeth addresses Nico. “You kissed my husband.”
“Technically, I wasn’t your husband when-”
“Shut up, Percy. Nico?”
Face still buried in his hands, ears a bright red, Nico nods. “I’m sorry, Annabeth.”
Annabeth turns to Percy. “Did you like it?”
“What?!” Percy and Nico exclaim at the same time.
“Did you enjoy the kiss? I don’t think that it’s a very hard question.”
“No!” Percy says.
Nico makes a miserable, kicked noise, and Annabeth gives Percy one of her stern, knowing looks.
“Well, yeah. Yes. It was nice.” Annabeth gives him another a look. “Ok, it was kind of hot. Ok? But I wouldn’t cheat on you.” Percy takes her hand. “You know I wouldn’t cheat on you, right?”
Annabeth puts her other hand ontop of his. “I know Percy. I just need to know what happened.” She thinks for a momet. “Do it again.”
“What!” Nico jumps to his feet, backing away. “No!”
“Annabeth,” Percy says carefully.
Annabeth glares at both of them. She looks like a princess in her wedding dress, grand and imperial.
“I need to know if this is something that I should be worried about. So do it again. That way I’ll know.”
“Annabeth, please,” Nico says faintly.
Annabeth gives him a stern look. “If you’re going to kiss a man on his wedding day, you have to expect some consequences.”
Nico looks anguished. “I didn’t mean to do it! I mean, not today. I’d always meant to, you know, someday. But you were always with Annabeth and then, and now you’re taken, gone forever. I had to- I had to know, ok?”
He’s staring off into the shadows, and Percy knows him well enough to know he wants to run. He steps forward and wraps his fingers around Nico’s wrist. “Always, really?” he asks softly, disbelieving.
Nico’s cheeks flare red. “Since I was thirteen.”
“Nico, that was seven years ago.”
“I know that!” Nico snaps, ripping his arm out of Percy’s grip.
Then, suddenly, Annabeth is between them. “I need you two to kiss, right now. Just like you did before.”
Percy looks at Nico, cocks an eyebrow in question. Nico looks away.
“Come on, Nico. Please?”
Nico glowers at him. “I seriously hate you,” he tells Percy. “And I think you’re insane,” he tells Annabeth, but he steps closer to Percy.
“Anytime, boys,” Annabeth says.
Percy leans in, and it’s, wow, super awkward. Nico has his eyes scrunched up closed, but Percy’s are wide open, because the worse thing ever would be to miss right now. Then Nico practically thrusts his face forward and kind of bumps his jaw against Percy’s.
“There, happy?” he asks Annabeth,
She watches them both, arms crossed over her chest. “You call that a kiss? Do it properly, both of you.”
She sounds so fierce that Percy is starting to get a little worried.
Nico sets his jaw, and his face gets this lost-determined face that reminds Percy of the face Nico makes right before he charges into battle. Then Nico has one hand on Percy’s neck and is gently guiding Percy’s mouth to his own.
This one is like the kiss before, fierce and sad and a little desperate. Nico smells like cool ground and freashly turned earth, and his lips are cool. Still, there’s something about it- Percy can’t help but responding.
His hands go to Nico’s hips automatically, and then Nico’s tongue is against his lips. Percy opens without thought, and it’s nice. He pulls Nico closer, fitting Nico against him and pressing closer. The kiss is like they fight, fierce and careful at once. Percy has forgotten everything, forgotten it’s his wedding night, that Nico is his best friend, that Annabeth is still watching them. It’s just the way that Nico feels against him, the slick cool press of their tongues.
Then Nico breaks away, gasping. His eyes are heated, and even the the dark are they’re in, they gleam. His lips are kiss swollen, his hair mussed. Percy swallows.
Then Annabeth, oh gods, Annabeth, speaks. “Well,” her voice cracks. She swallows and tries again. “Forgive me for saying, but that was not a nothing kind of kiss.”
“Annabeth, I am so-” Annabeth raises a hand and cuts him off.
“Nico, are you in love with my husband?”
Nico takes a step back like she’s slapped him. “I just-” he looks behind him, and Percy knows, just knows, that he’s looking for an escape route. In this shadowed garden area, escape will be easy. Percy steps forward. He’s still not entirely sure what’s happening, but he doesn’t want Nico to leave.
“I see,” Annabeth says, as though that had been answer. She reaches out, so casually it could be an accident, and catches Nico’s jacket sleeve in her hand. “Don’t go.” She turns to Percy. “Are you in love with Nico?”
“I love you,” Percy protests. He can’t read her expression, and he can’t lose her, he just can’t.
Annabeth raises her eyebrows again. “That’s not what I asked you. Do you love Nico?”
Percy shrugs. “I’m not sure. I haven’t thought about it. He’s just- he’s Nico.”
He glances over and sees that Nico is staring at the ground, teeth biting into his lower lip. Without thinking, Percy reaches out and places his thumb over Nico’s mouth, gently shifting so that Nico isn’t biting it.
Nico meets his eyes, and it’s like a smouldering flame. Percy shivers all the way down to his toes.
“I see,” Annabeth says again. “Nico, what are your feelings on me?”
“I- what?” Nico asks, looking away from Percy.
“You and I, I like to think that we’re friends, at least.”
“We are!” Nico says. “I never wanted to hurt you, Annabeth, I swear. I don’t want to get between the two of you. I promise.”
Annabeth smiles, and it’s like the sun coming out. “It would take a lot more to come between Percy and me.” She reaches out the hand not holding Nico, and Percy takes it. He’s starting to pick up where she’s going, and he loves this girl so much. “But coming next to us, that’s a different story.”
“What?”
“You’re saying that a lot tonight, Nico. You’re getting slow,” Percy teases, feeling so full of light and happiness he might float away.
“Look, if you two are messing with me-” Nico begins, and his tone is slipping into a dark anger.
Annabeth slides her hand down from Nico’s wrist and takes his hand. Percy, reading her thoughts like he so often can, reaches out and takes Nico’s other hand. They’re in a weird kind of triangle, connected by their joint hands.
“We’re not messing with you,” Percy says. Just for good measure, he leans forward and kisses Nico on the cheek. When he pulls back, Nico stares up at him in shock, and Annabeth is smiling indulgently.
“I’ve been expecting this for awhile,” Annabeth admits. “I didn’t expect it to be today, but I can understand why it did. I’m not mad.”
“I don’t understand,” Nico says, sounding lost.
“I’d like you to join us on our honeymoon,” Annabeth tells him, grinning. “And then keep staying.”
Nico tries to pull free. “I don’t want some kind of pity fuck-”
“It’s not,” Annabeth interuppts. “Percy is in love with you, for one thing. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s pretty slow sometimes.”
“Hey!” Percy protests, and Annabeth squeezes his hand.
“And me,” she continues, “I think that you two make a good pair. I think that you two kissing is a very attractive sight. And I think that you and I will make a good pair, Nico di Angelo. And, beyond that, I think that the three of us together can do anything.”
Nico looks skeptical. “It’s your wedding-”
“So I can say what I do with it, can’t I?” Annabeth replies. “Come here, give me a kiss.”
Nico looks to Percy. Percy grins at him. “You heard the lady.”
Slowly, like he’s afraid Annabeth will break, Nico leans in. He drops Annabeth’s hand, and moves his up to touch her cheek gently. The way he kisses her is different from how he kisses Percy. It’s softer, more gentle. There’s no desperation, no anger. It’s really hot.
They both pull back at the same time, and Annabeth keeps her eyes closed for a long moment. “I can see why you kissed back,” she says to Percy, her eyes wicked. Nico blushes. “So, what do you think, Nico? Will you come?”
“I’m not in love with you,” Nico admits. He sounds like it hurts to say, like it could cost him everything.
Annabeth smiles at him. “I know. And I don’t love you. But I like you. And I like kissing you. And I think that’s enough for now.”
“Stop arguing, Nico. You deserve a happily ever after too.”
Nico shakes his head. “No, this is ridiculous. This won’t-”
Percy laughs, still feeling giddy. “Nico, you’re from the 1930s. We’re all children of actual, literal gods, my half-brother the cyclops is currently inside doing the cha-cha slide, and last week I fought a giant chicken that breathed fire. I think I can honestly say this is the least ridiculous thing this year. This is just right. It’s us. Ok?”
Nico looks from Annabeth to Percy. They’re still holding hands, and in one motion, they both hold out an arm to them.
Nico shakes his head again. “You’re both crazy. Gods, I must be crazy too.”
“Is that a yes?” Percy asks. He looks at Annabeth. “That sounds like a yes.”
Nico laughs, and it sounds chokes. “Yes. It’s a yes, you fucking lunatics.”
He steps into their arms, and lets them pull him into a hug.