[ 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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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. ]