[ the laugh soon returns, despite even himself, as annabeth insists that he's not subtle. and frankly, he agrees. he'd tried so hard to make people believe he hated percy and she saw right through him. is he surprised by this? not in the least. once again, she proves to be the girl he's always admired and the one percy loves so much. he really should've expected as much.
he recalls that day in camp halfblood, when the war was over and he'd thought he was over percy too. the light in her hair, the pleased gleam in percy's eyes, and the way she'd given him a high-five. it reminds him that he likes annabeth, for all the jealousy he's had of her. it's a large part of why he could've never brought himself to come between them, though at that time, he'd never believed he could.
now, things are so very different. the dynamic has shifted and nico has gained something he'd thought was forever out of reach. but at what expense? her short, frustrated sigh clues him into just how much she's struggling too ( a strange realization for him given she always seems so composed ). they both love the same person and neither wants to see the other hurt. ]
I've had enough meddling from love gods, to be honest. As nice as Piper is and Silena... was, I don't really want their advice. Moments like these. Moments like these, I need logic to work through how I feel.
[ he looks up at her, expression genuine as that familiar manic light gleams in his eyes. percy and annabeth are a thing that's meant to be. he and percy... they're on the verge of being something too. only one solution comes to mind, one that doesn't leave anyone out. loathe as he is to share percy, he knows that loving percy means loving who percy loves. so his eyes seek hers and he withdraws his hands from his pockets. ]
I don't think any of us will find an easy answer. [ though he suspects that percy would be the best of the three to figure something out. not because he's smart or logical like either nico or annabeth, but because he lets his emotions rule his head better than the other two ever could. ] But... I may have a solution.
[ he licks his lips, gaze darting away for only the briefest of seconds, but when it returns to her grey eyes, his expression becomes determined. ] I won't let you stand aside for me and Percy. That wouldn't be fair to either of you. So why don't we just... [ his shoulders lift and fall in a shrug. ] Share him.
I'd do anything for Percy and I know you would too. I guess... I guess I like you. Maybe not, you know- Like that, but still. And I know that if I want to do what's right for all of us, it means accepting you being with Percy as well.
[ as he speaks, his hands move, gesturing as though he's agitated. it's more that he's trying to find the best way to word things. ]
It's not possible to make Percy choose, so why don't we give him both of us and work things out as they come along.
[ his laugh pulls a small smile from her too, and briefly she feels a lot more like annabeth and nico than she has up until this point. like it's still a secret shared between them. part of her wonders what it would have been like if she'd been there after they found him and his sister. what would have happened if she'd been around when he was introduced to the world. it's not worth too much thought - she wasn't, too busy trying to chase down luke, too busy holding up the sky - but she does entertain it briefly. wonder if things would have been different, then.
most of their early time together had been, what annabeth now knows was, jealousy. nico watching her and hating her. nico watching her and wishing she wasn't there. and maybe it was never that intense, maybe his jealousy was never that bad, but there was something that shaped those few years, that pushed nico away.
there is something inside of annabeth that almost feels guilty, but she's brought back to the conversation at hand. ]
Oh I definitely don't want the gods involved. Just- [ well, he has a point too. piper isn't here, and as much annabeth wished she was, it wouldn't be any help. logic was the best way through it, as nico suggests, but annabeth pauses even still. because if there's one thing she knows, it's that with love (and also percy jackson) logic wasn't always the best. but she waits for nico to offer his suggestion anyway, and when he does, she just...stops. ]
Share...him? [ it's a bit difficult to wrap her head around, so she gives herself a few moments to weight the option out.
at first, she doesn't like it - but that only takes a moment for her to recognize that as her own pride getting in the way, and she files it back. second, she's unsure of it. she may not be an expert on relationships, but she knows enough to know that for most people, sharing wasn't really an option. and she's still not sure how she feels about it, but she also knows that they are demigods, which means they're anything but most people. third, something about the simplicity of it doesn't quite...stick. yet.
as she processes, her face defaults into an intense expression - brow furrowed and lips in a tight line. it's not until he says i guess i like you that annabeth breaks out of it, blinking and looking back to the son of hades.
he's trying - that much she can see. it gives her an extra push to possibly consider it. an option. she doesn't have anything better to suggest, does she? ]
I guess I like you too. [ she says with a small, almost playful smile. because really, she does. nico is interesting, a quiet, withdrawn kid who had grown into...well. what she sees ahead of her. with an interesting kind of confidence and a mind and wit she could actually talk to.
for so long it'd only been percy that annabeth doesn't even know what it means to possibly be attracted to someone. so much that she's not even sure what she should be looking for. still, nico has a point, and annabeth finds herself nodding, letting out another longer, more relaxed breath of air. ]
It's worth a shot, if anything. [ even if she hates the idea of going into anything without a little more confidence that it'd work. ] But we'll also have to run it by Percy. If he's....comfortable with it.
[ watching her consider is a fascinating experience. one that ties patience in with something almost like attraction. the small crease between her brows, that tiny furrow of her lips. it's not something he'd see from percy and he doubts it's something he shows much. so much of his own thinking is done behind shuttered expressions that, really, only someone like annabeth can read. and percy... well, as much as he loves the son of poseidon, he knows percy is more prone to action than thought.
so it's a relief when she exhales slowly, nods as she comes to a decision. if they can agree on this, it's a good first step. after all, it would only cause percy pain if they couldn't come to some sort of arrangement, a consensus.
which brings his thoughts back to percy and how he'll feel about this. once again, annabeth has the right of things. they will have to check with him first, to see if he's comfortable with all of it. nico has a feeling that percy will be pleased. not just because the two people he cares about might be getting along, but also because this way, percy can have them without having to worry about trying to parse his feelings for them.
and he wants everything to go well for percy. it's why he's been willing to sacrifice so much over the years. for percy's sake. and in his head, making this small sacrifice seems worth it if it means he can, for once, have percy's love. it may be divided, but it's certainly better than being forever in love with a boy who won't look his way.
so he grins. it's more of a smirk because to him, this is an achievement. it means he's grown enough to accept his feelings in a way he'd never been willing to before. he's also grinning because he feels like this might be the best way to make things work. he's already told percy he can't go back on being in love with him, can't go back to being unloved in return. there may be a chance it will all fall apart, but nico's used to those kinds of chances. he was willing to bet on percy in the styx, willing to bet on percy and annabeth in tartarus, and he's willing to bet on this now. ]
Naturally. From this point on, all of our decisions should probably be made as... well, a threesome?
[ and here, a slight hint of color takes to his high italian cheeks. not because the idea is scandalous to him ( here in eudio, he's taken part in his fair share ) but because this is something new for them all and part of him really wants to explore it. ]
[ she's been called out on the look more than once, and there was a bit when younger annabeth was almost self conscious of it. the way luke and thalia would poke at her for the creases in her brow, how kids at camp would call her mean. percy even called her out on it more than a couple of times, talking about how intense she'd get when they were faced with a problem. she's no longer concerned with it - the look itself is so much of who annabeth is as her blonde hair and grey eyes - but it can still catch others off-guard.
whether or not nico is watching her, she doesn't quite notice, still trying to process how the idea fits in her understanding of things. what holds out above everything else is the fact that in the end, she'll do what it takes to make percy happy. if he's safe, if he's okay, and if they're together? then she doesn't have much room to complain.
and nico seems almost visibly more relaxed, and annabeth can...try. she doesn't know yet how she feels about it, or if she thinks this will even work, but they're going to talk to percy and nico is smiling and all things considered, she doesn't feel bad. she doesn't feel like it'll fail, and they've definitely worked through worse odds than this.
the comment he gives makes her blink, looking at nico with a blank, unassuming expression, like she can't even start to process he said that. she lets that sit for just a moment, before she feels her face break into a small grin. annabeth isn't laughing at him, but there's definitely a joking tone to it, before she shakes her head. ]
You said it. [ but he's right, and with a bit of a breath annabeth lifts her head a little more to check down the pathway. she knows they haven't been followed, and she knows no one is listening - or probably would even care - but she feels herself need to check just in case. ]
We can go back and talk to him at the apartment. [ when she'd messaged nico, percy was still sleeping. it'd be a 50/50 shot on if he was still there when she returned (considering how poorly they both sleep whenever the other isn't there) but it was a good place to start. ]
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he recalls that day in camp halfblood, when the war was over and he'd thought he was over percy too. the light in her hair, the pleased gleam in percy's eyes, and the way she'd given him a high-five. it reminds him that he likes annabeth, for all the jealousy he's had of her. it's a large part of why he could've never brought himself to come between them, though at that time, he'd never believed he could.
now, things are so very different. the dynamic has shifted and nico has gained something he'd thought was forever out of reach. but at what expense? her short, frustrated sigh clues him into just how much she's struggling too ( a strange realization for him given she always seems so composed ). they both love the same person and neither wants to see the other hurt. ]
I've had enough meddling from love gods, to be honest. As nice as Piper is and Silena... was, I don't really want their advice. Moments like these. Moments like these, I need logic to work through how I feel.
[ he looks up at her, expression genuine as that familiar manic light gleams in his eyes. percy and annabeth are a thing that's meant to be. he and percy... they're on the verge of being something too. only one solution comes to mind, one that doesn't leave anyone out. loathe as he is to share percy, he knows that loving percy means loving who percy loves. so his eyes seek hers and he withdraws his hands from his pockets. ]
I don't think any of us will find an easy answer. [ though he suspects that percy would be the best of the three to figure something out. not because he's smart or logical like either nico or annabeth, but because he lets his emotions rule his head better than the other two ever could. ] But... I may have a solution.
[ he licks his lips, gaze darting away for only the briefest of seconds, but when it returns to her grey eyes, his expression becomes determined. ] I won't let you stand aside for me and Percy. That wouldn't be fair to either of you. So why don't we just... [ his shoulders lift and fall in a shrug. ] Share him.
I'd do anything for Percy and I know you would too. I guess... I guess I like you. Maybe not, you know- Like that, but still. And I know that if I want to do what's right for all of us, it means accepting you being with Percy as well.
[ as he speaks, his hands move, gesturing as though he's agitated. it's more that he's trying to find the best way to word things. ]
It's not possible to make Percy choose, so why don't we give him both of us and work things out as they come along.
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most of their early time together had been, what annabeth now knows was, jealousy. nico watching her and hating her. nico watching her and wishing she wasn't there. and maybe it was never that intense, maybe his jealousy was never that bad, but there was something that shaped those few years, that pushed nico away.
there is something inside of annabeth that almost feels guilty, but she's brought back to the conversation at hand. ]
Oh I definitely don't want the gods involved. Just- [ well, he has a point too. piper isn't here, and as much annabeth wished she was, it wouldn't be any help. logic was the best way through it, as nico suggests, but annabeth pauses even still. because if there's one thing she knows, it's that with love (and also percy jackson) logic wasn't always the best. but she waits for nico to offer his suggestion anyway, and when he does, she just...stops. ]
Share...him? [ it's a bit difficult to wrap her head around, so she gives herself a few moments to weight the option out.
at first, she doesn't like it - but that only takes a moment for her to recognize that as her own pride getting in the way, and she files it back. second, she's unsure of it. she may not be an expert on relationships, but she knows enough to know that for most people, sharing wasn't really an option. and she's still not sure how she feels about it, but she also knows that they are demigods, which means they're anything but most people. third, something about the simplicity of it doesn't quite...stick. yet.
as she processes, her face defaults into an intense expression - brow furrowed and lips in a tight line. it's not until he says i guess i like you that annabeth breaks out of it, blinking and looking back to the son of hades.
he's trying - that much she can see. it gives her an extra push to possibly consider it. an option. she doesn't have anything better to suggest, does she? ]
I guess I like you too. [ she says with a small, almost playful smile. because really, she does. nico is interesting, a quiet, withdrawn kid who had grown into...well. what she sees ahead of her. with an interesting kind of confidence and a mind and wit she could actually talk to.
for so long it'd only been percy that annabeth doesn't even know what it means to possibly be attracted to someone. so much that she's not even sure what she should be looking for. still, nico has a point, and annabeth finds herself nodding, letting out another longer, more relaxed breath of air. ]
It's worth a shot, if anything. [ even if she hates the idea of going into anything without a little more confidence that it'd work. ] But we'll also have to run it by Percy. If he's....comfortable with it.
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so it's a relief when she exhales slowly, nods as she comes to a decision. if they can agree on this, it's a good first step. after all, it would only cause percy pain if they couldn't come to some sort of arrangement, a consensus.
which brings his thoughts back to percy and how he'll feel about this. once again, annabeth has the right of things. they will have to check with him first, to see if he's comfortable with all of it. nico has a feeling that percy will be pleased. not just because the two people he cares about might be getting along, but also because this way, percy can have them without having to worry about trying to parse his feelings for them.
and he wants everything to go well for percy. it's why he's been willing to sacrifice so much over the years. for percy's sake. and in his head, making this small sacrifice seems worth it if it means he can, for once, have percy's love. it may be divided, but it's certainly better than being forever in love with a boy who won't look his way.
so he grins. it's more of a smirk because to him, this is an achievement. it means he's grown enough to accept his feelings in a way he'd never been willing to before. he's also grinning because he feels like this might be the best way to make things work. he's already told percy he can't go back on being in love with him, can't go back to being unloved in return. there may be a chance it will all fall apart, but nico's used to those kinds of chances. he was willing to bet on percy in the styx, willing to bet on percy and annabeth in tartarus, and he's willing to bet on this now. ]
Naturally. From this point on, all of our decisions should probably be made as... well, a threesome?
[ and here, a slight hint of color takes to his high italian cheeks. not because the idea is scandalous to him ( here in eudio, he's taken part in his fair share ) but because this is something new for them all and part of him really wants to explore it. ]
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whether or not nico is watching her, she doesn't quite notice, still trying to process how the idea fits in her understanding of things. what holds out above everything else is the fact that in the end, she'll do what it takes to make percy happy. if he's safe, if he's okay, and if they're together? then she doesn't have much room to complain.
and nico seems almost visibly more relaxed, and annabeth can...try. she doesn't know yet how she feels about it, or if she thinks this will even work, but they're going to talk to percy and nico is smiling and all things considered, she doesn't feel bad. she doesn't feel like it'll fail, and they've definitely worked through worse odds than this.
the comment he gives makes her blink, looking at nico with a blank, unassuming expression, like she can't even start to process he said that. she lets that sit for just a moment, before she feels her face break into a small grin. annabeth isn't laughing at him, but there's definitely a joking tone to it, before she shakes her head. ]
You said it. [ but he's right, and with a bit of a breath annabeth lifts her head a little more to check down the pathway. she knows they haven't been followed, and she knows no one is listening - or probably would even care - but she feels herself need to check just in case. ]
We can go back and talk to him at the apartment. [ when she'd messaged nico, percy was still sleeping. it'd be a 50/50 shot on if he was still there when she returned (considering how poorly they both sleep whenever the other isn't there) but it was a good place to start. ]