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"So then what do I do?"
"Then you take this card here...yeah, put it down-"
Percy lifted his arm and rested his chin on the back of his wrist. Mythomagic turned out to be harder than expected.
"Now, draw a card," Nico pushed the piece of paper into Percy's waiting hand, brushing their fingers together and leaving Percy with a lingering cold. He was not surprised in the slightest that the prince of the Underworld had cold blood, though was slightly disappointed, for a reason he couldn't decipher.
"Oh, wow," Nico looked down at his crossed legs, fingering with the rip in his jeans, "You got my card."
Ah- it was because he was unbelievably fond of him, and the thought of him being cold all the time made him feel bad. He would give Nico all of his warmth if he could.
Percy smiled his perfect crooked smile, his teeth almost gleaming.
"I didn't know you had a card, Neeks!" He snatched the card from Nico's hand, ignoring the look of disgust at his new nickname.
"It's so cute!" Percy looked down at the cartoon Nico in his palm, and adoration almost radiated from him.
Obviously Nico did not notice this adoration, because he was too busy being offended by being called cute.
Percy could not ignore this look of disgust. The son of Hades folded in on himself even more, hiding behind his bangs.
No, that would not do. Percy leaned closer in retaliation, flicking the inky black fringe out of Nico's gorgeous brown eyes, and forcing him to make eye contact.
"Neeks- That wasn't an insult," he smiled, less of a smirk this time, and more of a, 'you're my little brother and I love you' smile. Nico hated every second of it.
(No he didn't. He hated it because Percy was beautiful and he could never have him. Never.)
"I meant..." Percy finally continued, leaning impossibly closer, "That I think you're cute."
The older boy brushed his fingers across the milky white skin in front of him, and cupping his cheek.
Nico could only manage a small,
"Oh."
That one noise was simultaneously the best and worst thing Percy had ever heard. Best, because it was adorably and he wanted to hear it on repeat, but terrible. Because he already knew he had a small thing for Nico, but he might've just admitted it. And...he had Annabeth. And he loved her. And Nico was supposed to be his cute 'younger brother'.
Percy didn't want to think of him that way. If he was supposed to be like Percy's baby brother, why did he long to see Nico pinned under him, making more adorable, and incredibly hot noises, other than just the one, "Oh."
Percy finally flinched and came back to the present. He realized that him and Nico had been in a staring match for the past minute, and that Nico looked to be just as infatuated with Percy as he was with him. He let out a sigh. Of course things had to continue to be more complicated.
He slowly moved his hand away from Nico's face, although every bone in his body was telling him to stay.
"Sorry..keep going," exasperated, Percy forced himself to focus. He got caught up in fantasies often, and recently they were all filled with the ghost king.
Who would've thought that Nico offering to teach him how to play Mythomagic would've turned into an existential crisis on both parts? It had started out as a fun idea. Nico had just gotten back from Camp Jupiter, and to say Percy was happy to see him would be the understatement of the century.
~~
"Nico!"
He looked up, seemingly startled by hearing Percy's voice. Nico hadn't heard that voice in months, and when he finally did, it came over him in waves, causing him to shiver.
The time the son of Hades had spent in Camp Jupiter was amazing. Or as amazing as it could be, when all he wanted was back in Camp Halfblood.
He spent his time sparring with Jason, talking to Hazel about life in the 21st century, internally laughing at Frank as he tried to flirt with Hazel, and further immersing himself in fantasies with Percy and self hatred for said fantasies.
But, now, back where Percy was, where memories of his sister lie, Nico felt oddly at rest.
"...What?" As unsure as ever, Nico's cute voice rang out.
"What do you mean, 'what'?" Percy laughed and rolled his eyes, "Get over here and hug me man! I haven't seen you in so long! I'd say you got taller but..," he joked. Automatically, the sea prince relaxed into his roll as older brother, although it was more of older cousin.
Or so Nico thought.
~~
Back in the present, Nico relaxed eventually, still thrown off by being called cute by his long time crush.
Percy...Not so much. The boy siting across from him was beautiful, in his skeleton sweater, holding mythomagic cards in his tiny little hands, and all Percy could think about was what he could do with those pale little fingers and how he could unzip that hoodie and....
Nico's a boy. And very much not Annabeth, Percy reminded himself. Who was he kidding though? He couldn't care less about Nico being a boy. The only thoughts that could run through his head were, I didn't go through hell with Annabeth to break up with her on a whim.
Nico locked eyes with Percy, back to giving him a step-by-step of the game.
"So now you're gonna give me one of your cards. I don't care which, since you're a fucking noob," Nico laughed a little bit at himself.
And Percy was so far gone he couldn't get his body to move. Those white teeth, that perfectly pink tongue that sticked out the side when Nico laughed, the way his tiny frame shook, the way that Percy knew that tiny frame was covered in muscles. Percy could not have looked more in love if he tried.
Nico tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy before reaching across the space between them, and giving the older boy a light flick on the cheek.
"Perce? You good?"
Percy stared back, unmoving with hearts in his eyes and his mouth slightly open.
Nico got on his knees and crawled into Percy's space, putting both hands on Percy's cheeks.
"Are you okay? I'm getting worried here," he stuttered a little bit.
Percy couldn't have answered if he wanted to. It was taking all of his will power not to close the minuscule gap between them and claim Nico's lips for the first time.
But would that be so bad? Yeah, there was the whole thing with Tartarus and Annabeth, but Nico wasn't just a whim. He was...absolutely perfect and more than Percy thought he deserved and gorgeous and willing, and honestly everything you could ever want in a guy.
With a little bit of a clearer mind, Percy responded,
"I'm okay. Sorry, just a little out of it."
Out of it enough to just realize just how close Nico was to being in his lap.
"If you're sure..."
"I'm sure," and when Percy smiled, it was genuine, not his son-of-the-sea-god smirk. It was genuine because he was looking at Nico, and for now, that was enough.