Yeah. [ he shrugs, dismissing it with a look of anyone would have made you a necklace even when he knows somewhere in the back of his head that it isn't true. most people haven't made the effort to get to know him but in that same vein, Nico hasn't made himself available to be known. Percy can see that he's working on that here, that he's obviously been working on it in the six months ahead of Percy. ] I get that. Wanting to do something, I mean. You've helped out as much at camp as anyone else. You should have gotten them years ago.
[ if he catches onto the subtext, he doesn't announce it. Percy's pretty good at being oblivious and believe it or not, it isn't intentional. ]
Nope, not yet. I was planning on grabbing something before work. Why? Are you actually interested in Sally Jackson's famous blue pancakes? [ ..they're not truly famous but Sally Jackson walks on water and shits gold and Percy will fight anyone that argues that point, end of story. ]
[ nico knows better. he knows he's not the easiest person to be around, not the easiest to get along with either, which has made it hard for him to fit in around camp. but he has been trying, often at will's insistence. he likes to think that's part of the reason percy pays attention to him now, even with all the awkwardness they've been currently experiencing. ]
Maybe. I probably could've helped more, though.
[ shaking his head to indicate it's not worth discussing further, he rounds the counter to draw closer. he doesn't step into percy's space, not wanting to make the son of the sea uncomfortable, but does step close enough to peer at percy. as far as he's concerned, anything by sally jackson is a godsend and he's more than eager to have a second breakfast if it means having something in her spirit. ]
Of course. Your mom's baking is the best. If we can make pancakes like hers, that would be awesome.
[ he's right. it's behind them in their past now and there's nothing they can do going forward to alter the way things have played out. he moves the gift bag down onto the floor and off of the counter, out of the way if he's going to try and recreate his mom's pancakes. it's unlikely that he'll be able to, considering his idea of cooking is picking up the phone and placing an order for pick-up or making instant pancakes from a box mixture that only requires adding water. it's the thought that counts though, isn't it? that he's making an attempt to honor his mom.
Percy doesn't back away when Nico approaches him, rounding the counter. as far as he's concerned, they're good. ]
Uh, we can try? I'm not saying we won't burn the apartment down in the process, but they're pancakes. How hard can they be? I've watched her make them like a hundred times, probably more.
[ and when they're finished and their home isn't on fire, he can surprise Annabeth with breakfast in bed. ]
[ nico isn't much of a cook himself, either, having had to survive on what he could find on his own and quite a number of mcdonald's happy meals. at camp, he's been able to rely on the magically appearing food that shows up each meal time and thus isn't sure how to go about making anything, especially not to the caliber of sally jackson's fine food. he knows one thing, at least. and that is how they'll need a bowl to start with. and then probably some milk and flour. that seems like the most basic parts necessary for a pancake recipe. after that, he can find some instructions... somewhere. maybe annabeth has a cookbook among her plethora of tomes. ]
Between the two of us, I'm sure we can figure it out. It's pretty basic, isn't it?
[ said as he begins gathering the ingredients. the milk and flour are set out before he turns to rummage through the cupboards for a bowl. when he finds one large enough, he pauses, considering something. ]
This is the first time I've celebrated Christmas in... well, I don't know how long.
And we have these things if we can't figure it out. [ he points out, pulling his device briefly out of his pocket and shaking it twice in his hand. it's not really the equivalent of a search engine but worst case scenario? they ask the network to rescue them from the pancake massacre the kitchen may become. he sets it face down on the counter - within an arm's reach should they need it but not necessarily something he needs to be checking at all times.
as Nico goes about gathering dry and wet ingredients, Percy starts opening drawers in search of a fork or a whisk, whatever they happen to have on hand. and measuring cups! those are probably important. he's not about to pretend he can eyeball anything or that he has the perfect pinch.. whatever that means. he's never been pinched and thought to himself, wow, yup, that one's perfect! but hey, he doesn't write recipe cards for a living either.
he tries pretty hard not to make a big deal out of confessions like that because he knows they can't be easy for Nico. this time of year, admitting that out loud, not having Bi- Hazel. forget it. who's he kidding? not having family sucks. he can say that, here, when the closest thing he has to family are the only three people he knows from home. he doesn't know what to say. ]
Yeah. [ he knows. it's never been a huge concern until now, but he must've known. what did he think Nico was doing out there in the world on his own? ] What made you want to?
[ once the ingriedients are gathered and set out before them, he gives a look over the items percy's brought out. everything appears to be in order, as far as he knows, and that's a good enough place to start. he's busy thinking about what step to take next when percy's question registers and at first, he doesn't know how to respond.
slowly, his gaze lifts to percy's eyes. so often he thinks of them as sea-green, but to be honest, the sea is so many colors between slate grey and dark blue that "sea-green" doesn't seem adequate. percy's eyes are the color of the ocean on a day when there's not a cloud in the sky and the waters are warm, lapping off the shore of some tropical island. which is a bit strange to think when he can't seem to picture percy outside of new york or new rome. it's a thought he has to shake away before he gets to caught up in his head.
so he turns to the device percy's set down and dances his fingers across the surface, calling up a seemingly easy recipe for pancake batter and then moves towards the large bowl that's been set out. ]
I guess... because I felt that- that maybe I wouldn't be alone this time. Besides, Will would get ticked off at me if I sat in my room by myself.
[ in the quiet moments that it takes Nico to decide on an answer, he wonders if he's yet again overstepped his boundaries. maybe he has. it's not really any of his business why Nico wants to celebrate Christmas and he isn't under any obligation to answer Percy. it just seems safer than asking why he hasn't celebrated it in forever because the answer is semi-obvious and it'd probably do more harm than good. he stops himself from saying nevermind out loud by reaching for the bag of flour and opening it up, doing his best not to cover the entire counter in it.
he's partially successful. ]
Newsflash: he's not the only one that would be mad. But I think you know that already. From what I can tell, you've made a lot of friends here. [ not being alone goes with the territory. friends don't let that happen. if he needs Percy to reconfirm that he's not alone when he's already standing in the kitchen with him, ready to make blue pancakes ( a tradition that he shares with his mom ), then he's going to have to say so because Percy thinks he already gets it. ]
[ partially successful and yet there's still a fine dusting that settles in nico's dark hair as the bag poofs when opened. it's to be expected, though. two teenage boys trying to cook for themselves is likely to lead to some kind of mess. nico just wishes it hadn't landed in his hair. oh well.
giving his head and hair a shake, unsettling the flour, he lifts a hand to shake the rest out and then reaches across the counter for one of the measuring cups. ]
Here. It says to sift one and a half cups of flour into the bowl. [ and while percy does (or doesn't) do that, he begins shifting through the spoons to find the right size for the baking powder and salt. ] Yeah, I know. I mean there are people who like me, surprisingly. It's still weird that people actually want me around. But it's just... different when it's Christmas, I guess. Kind of reminds me of that time I stopped by and you shared your blue birthday cake with me. It's something... more.
[ intimate, he'd say. but doesn't think it's the right word to use. it might make things a bit awkward and at the moment, there's almost a sense of comfort between them that he doesn't want to disturb. ]
Oops. [ points to Nico for not retaliating and starting a full on flour war. Percy attempts a guilty look but he's mostly trying not to laugh. he takes the measuring cups out of Nico's hand as instructed and makes an even bigger mess trying to sift it into the cup and then pours it into the bowl. right. "sifting." he's good at this. he has this so down that he could do this with a blindfold on. it's only after he has the whole amount in the bowl they're using that he stares at Nico really hard, eyebrows raised, totally unimpressed with his doom and gloom act. ]
Seriously? [ come on! ] Get used to it.
[ maybe it's rude, reacting like that when Nico's opening up to him about insecurities but Percy doesn't see why he still feels that way. ]
Being a son of Hades will push people away if you let it and it did for awhile, but only because you never let anyone in. Now that you are, it's not really that surprising that you have people that want to be around you. That's what friends do. They like being in each other's company. [ Christmas and birthdays are different. days that are reserved for close friends and family. he knows exactly what Nico's trying to put into words. ] And you'll always have Hazel, Frank, Jason, Reyna, Will, Annabeth and I for the rest of it. Everyone else too, if you gave them the time.
[ careful, percy. don't tempt him. and nico isn't really in the mood to clean up a huge mess on christmas day. but that doesn't mean he doesn't scowl at the son of poseidon, glaring at him for laughing. this is followed by a sigh as percy manages to cover the counter in the dry ingredients. what ever gave him the idea that percy could be capable of something so simple without causing problems?
reaching over again, he uses a mixing spoon to make a well in the center of the flour mixture, nudging percy out of the way with his hip as he does. then, he gestures at the eggs, milk, and oil with the spoon. ] Measure those and then we're going to pour them in the dry mixture.
[ he's still frowning as percy continues, calling him out for the same behavior for which will tends to admonish him. he doesn't even try to look ashamed because by now, he knows that part of the reason people avoided him was because he made the effort to stay distant. of course, the insecurity is still there, but he likes to think he's gotten a little better.
that doesn't mean he's over all his worries, though. for so long, he questioned himself and his feelings that it kind of lingers. ] There were times when you didn't want to be around me, you know. But now you do and I'm just... still getting used to it. Like with other people too.
[ for a few seconds he chews his lower lip and then scrunches his nose. ] I don't know. I miss the others, but... this is nice too.
[ kicked off of dry ingredient duty, he rolls his eyes and and reaches for an egg ( leaning over only to glance at how many are required ) and to his credit, he doesn't get raw eggs all over the counter. he doesn't spill the milk or oil either! he pours them on into the designated well that Nico's made and shuffles away, only far enough to retrieve the bottle of food coloring. this is probably around the time to add it. all the steps seem familiar enough. he unscrews the cap and frowns, pausing to try and answer that remark. ]
Yeah, you didn't make it easy on me. [ nobody did. ] You were so angry all the time and I didn't know what to say to you. I could barely look at you without thinking about how I failed you. And after that when I thought we could be friends, well, you were there. You know what happened. I don't blame you, Nico. If it were my mom, I probably would have done a lot worse. [ he pours a little splash of food coloring in and makes a grimace. a look of is that enough?? before he sets the bottle down.
it's moments like these ( the quiet ones ) when Nico says something like that where Percy has no choice but to become aware of how close they're standing together. ] What, with just the two of us?
[ uh, he doesn't mean it like that. please don't read into that reaction too much, Nico. ]
It is kind of nice. We have the chance to get to know each other outside of how we'd react in life or death situations. I never thought we'd be making breakfast together.
Mix everything together now, until the batter is smooth, and I'll get the pan started.
[ it's a temporary diversion tactic nico makes intentionally, almost not wanting to think about what percy's saying. it had nearly torn his heart to shreds bringing percy to his father that day in the underworld, even when he'd thought his father wouldn't hurt percy. but his father turning against him hadn't hurt nearly as much as losing percy's trust. hearing now that percy doesn't blame him makes something in his chest tighten and he has to swallow hard around the lump threatening to form in his throat.
so he distracts himself by grabbing a pan and coating it with a good amount of cooking spray before setting it on the burner. once done, there's nothing left to do but turn back towards where percy is and check on the son of poseidon. ]
Yeah. [ quietly as he gazes down into the bowl of batter, unwilling to lift his gaze to percy's. ]
I never thought we'd do anything like this together. Maybe... maybe we could do it more often?
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[ if he catches onto the subtext, he doesn't announce it. Percy's pretty good at being oblivious and believe it or not, it isn't intentional. ]
Nope, not yet. I was planning on grabbing something before work. Why? Are you actually interested in Sally Jackson's famous blue pancakes? [ ..they're not truly famous but Sally Jackson walks on water and shits gold and Percy will fight anyone that argues that point, end of story. ]
no subject
Maybe. I probably could've helped more, though.
[ shaking his head to indicate it's not worth discussing further, he rounds the counter to draw closer. he doesn't step into percy's space, not wanting to make the son of the sea uncomfortable, but does step close enough to peer at percy. as far as he's concerned, anything by sally jackson is a godsend and he's more than eager to have a second breakfast if it means having something in her spirit. ]
Of course. Your mom's baking is the best. If we can make pancakes like hers, that would be awesome.
no subject
Percy doesn't back away when Nico approaches him, rounding the counter. as far as he's concerned, they're good. ]
Uh, we can try? I'm not saying we won't burn the apartment down in the process, but they're pancakes. How hard can they be? I've watched her make them like a hundred times, probably more.
[ and when they're finished and their home isn't on fire, he can surprise Annabeth with breakfast in bed. ]
no subject
Between the two of us, I'm sure we can figure it out. It's pretty basic, isn't it?
[ said as he begins gathering the ingredients. the milk and flour are set out before he turns to rummage through the cupboards for a bowl. when he finds one large enough, he pauses, considering something. ]
This is the first time I've celebrated Christmas in... well, I don't know how long.
lmk if this is too late and you wanna handwave
as Nico goes about gathering dry and wet ingredients, Percy starts opening drawers in search of a fork or a whisk, whatever they happen to have on hand. and measuring cups! those are probably important. he's not about to pretend he can eyeball anything or that he has the perfect pinch.. whatever that means. he's never been pinched and thought to himself, wow, yup, that one's perfect! but hey, he doesn't write recipe cards for a living either.
he tries pretty hard not to make a big deal out of confessions like that because he knows they can't be easy for Nico. this time of year, admitting that out loud, not having Bi- Hazel. forget it. who's he kidding? not having family sucks. he can say that, here, when the closest thing he has to family are the only three people he knows from home. he doesn't know what to say. ]
Yeah. [ he knows. it's never been a huge concern until now, but he must've known. what did he think Nico was doing out there in the world on his own? ] What made you want to?
backtags into infinity
slowly, his gaze lifts to percy's eyes. so often he thinks of them as sea-green, but to be honest, the sea is so many colors between slate grey and dark blue that "sea-green" doesn't seem adequate. percy's eyes are the color of the ocean on a day when there's not a cloud in the sky and the waters are warm, lapping off the shore of some tropical island. which is a bit strange to think when he can't seem to picture percy outside of new york or new rome. it's a thought he has to shake away before he gets to caught up in his head.
so he turns to the device percy's set down and dances his fingers across the surface, calling up a seemingly easy recipe for pancake batter and then moves towards the large bowl that's been set out. ]
I guess... because I felt that- that maybe I wouldn't be alone this time. Besides, Will would get ticked off at me if I sat in my room by myself.
no subject
he's partially successful. ]
Newsflash: he's not the only one that would be mad. But I think you know that already. From what I can tell, you've made a lot of friends here. [ not being alone goes with the territory. friends don't let that happen. if he needs Percy to reconfirm that he's not alone when he's already standing in the kitchen with him, ready to make blue pancakes ( a tradition that he shares with his mom ), then he's going to have to say so because Percy thinks he already gets it. ]
no subject
giving his head and hair a shake, unsettling the flour, he lifts a hand to shake the rest out and then reaches across the counter for one of the measuring cups. ]
Here. It says to sift one and a half cups of flour into the bowl. [ and while percy does (or doesn't) do that, he begins shifting through the spoons to find the right size for the baking powder and salt. ] Yeah, I know. I mean there are people who like me, surprisingly. It's still weird that people actually want me around. But it's just... different when it's Christmas, I guess. Kind of reminds me of that time I stopped by and you shared your blue birthday cake with me. It's something... more.
[ intimate, he'd say. but doesn't think it's the right word to use. it might make things a bit awkward and at the moment, there's almost a sense of comfort between them that he doesn't want to disturb. ]
no subject
Seriously? [ come on! ] Get used to it.
[ maybe it's rude, reacting like that when Nico's opening up to him about insecurities but Percy doesn't see why he still feels that way. ]
Being a son of Hades will push people away if you let it and it did for awhile, but only because you never let anyone in. Now that you are, it's not really that surprising that you have people that want to be around you. That's what friends do. They like being in each other's company. [ Christmas and birthdays are different. days that are reserved for close friends and family. he knows exactly what Nico's trying to put into words. ] And you'll always have Hazel, Frank, Jason, Reyna, Will, Annabeth and I for the rest of it. Everyone else too, if you gave them the time.
no subject
reaching over again, he uses a mixing spoon to make a well in the center of the flour mixture, nudging percy out of the way with his hip as he does. then, he gestures at the eggs, milk, and oil with the spoon. ] Measure those and then we're going to pour them in the dry mixture.
[ he's still frowning as percy continues, calling him out for the same behavior for which will tends to admonish him. he doesn't even try to look ashamed because by now, he knows that part of the reason people avoided him was because he made the effort to stay distant. of course, the insecurity is still there, but he likes to think he's gotten a little better.
that doesn't mean he's over all his worries, though. for so long, he questioned himself and his feelings that it kind of lingers. ] There were times when you didn't want to be around me, you know. But now you do and I'm just... still getting used to it. Like with other people too.
[ for a few seconds he chews his lower lip and then scrunches his nose. ] I don't know. I miss the others, but... this is nice too.
no subject
Yeah, you didn't make it easy on me. [ nobody did. ] You were so angry all the time and I didn't know what to say to you. I could barely look at you without thinking about how I failed you. And after that when I thought we could be friends, well, you were there. You know what happened. I don't blame you, Nico. If it were my mom, I probably would have done a lot worse. [ he pours a little splash of food coloring in and makes a grimace. a look of is that enough?? before he sets the bottle down.
it's moments like these ( the quiet ones ) when Nico says something like that where Percy has no choice but to become aware of how close they're standing together. ] What, with just the two of us?
[ uh, he doesn't mean it like that. please don't read into that reaction too much, Nico. ]
It is kind of nice. We have the chance to get to know each other outside of how we'd react in life or death situations. I never thought we'd be making breakfast together.
no subject
[ it's a temporary diversion tactic nico makes intentionally, almost not wanting to think about what percy's saying. it had nearly torn his heart to shreds bringing percy to his father that day in the underworld, even when he'd thought his father wouldn't hurt percy. but his father turning against him hadn't hurt nearly as much as losing percy's trust. hearing now that percy doesn't blame him makes something in his chest tighten and he has to swallow hard around the lump threatening to form in his throat.
so he distracts himself by grabbing a pan and coating it with a good amount of cooking spray before setting it on the burner. once done, there's nothing left to do but turn back towards where percy is and check on the son of poseidon. ]
Yeah. [ quietly as he gazes down into the bowl of batter, unwilling to lift his gaze to percy's. ]
I never thought we'd do anything like this together. Maybe... maybe we could do it more often?