If Percy Jackson said 'yes'

The Ghost King

I walked out of the cabin slightly dazed and really happy.  Apollo took one look at me and laughed a little.
   "I'm guessing it didn't go too well?"  He asked wiping some ichor off my face.  I slapped his hand away and grinned,
   "Better than I thought it would."  I said, referring to the kiss, but he wouldn't know that.  He pat me on the back and pointed towards the canoe lake by the shore.
   "Want to go clean off before we see anyone else?  That shoulder looks like it hurts."  He said, and I realized that my arm was practically dangling from the rest of my body in a disgusting mass of golden goo.  I winced and bit my lip, looking away.  
   "Yeah, that'd be good."  I forced out, the pain now stinging behind my eyes.  I grit my teeth and ran the space to the lake and jumped in.  Immediately I felt better.  The ichor washed off along with the injuries themselves.  I took a deep underwater breath and surfaced right by the shore next to my tour guide, completely dry.  
   "Who to next?"  He asked.  I was about to answer when he interrupted, "You know what?  I'll choose.  It'll be more fun that way."  And with that he grabbed me by the shoulder and we disappeared.  We regained solid from in a fiery hell-hole I've come to know as the Underworld.  We were in the sort of reception hall, but of course everyone was dead, so Charon noticed us as soon as we formed.  Apollo gave him a godly look, the ones that shows 'what could happen if you don't do what I want' images, and he showed us to the doors.  I wondered if I had a look, or if it was just the Olympians.
   Soon we found ourselves at a small quiet area close to Hades palace.  There was a small boy curled up in a corner bawling his eyes out dressed in all black clothes with a Stygian blade hanging at his side.  Apollo drifted back out of the way so I couldn't see him anymore, and I stepped cautiously towards the son of Hades.  I knew what happened when Nico's sister died, and I had been held responsible.  I know he doesn't deal well with loss.  
   I stopped a few feet away,
   "Nico?"  I said cautiously.  He probably thought I was a shade or something, us being in the land of the dead and all.  He turned around slowly and looked me up and down.  He blinked a few times, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
   "Percy?"  He responded, still in the fettle position, "You're alive?" His voice was shaky and soft, like a wounded fourteen year old warrior, which I guess he was.  He got up cautiously like he was afraid I'd disappear at any second, then he lunged himself at me.  I thought he was attacking like Annabeth, but he didn't reach for his weapon.  He leaped on me, arms outstretched, and almost knocked me over with sheer momentum.  I caught both of us before we tumbled to the floor on top of each other.
   "You're alive!"  He shouted.  It was happier than I'd ever seen the little guy.  Still in my arms, he planted a little kiss on my cheek then let go.  I just looked at him for a second, then came to the conclusion that he probably did it as a brotherly think, or maybe he just didn't know what else to do.  He smiled like crazy at me, but somehow his eyes kept their gloom.  It must be a child of Hades thing.  
   "What happened?  Where did you go?  How are you still here?  Are you really immortal?  Was Annabeth telling the truth?"  He threw the questions at me like throwing knives, and the last one hit me square in the chest.  I swallowed hard and tried to speak, but no words came out.  I felt in the pocket of my jeans for Riptide and pulled it out.  This was probably the easiest explanation I could give.  I took the cap off my magic pen, thankful I still had it with me, and it grew into a bronze sword.  I carefully pulled the blade across the palm of my hand, Divergent style, and let Nico watch it bleed ichor.  He stepped back from me fearfully, then put on his brave face.  Why anyone, especially Nico, would be afraid of me, I don't know.  He stepped forwards and unsheathed his sword.  Why does everyone want to kill me suddenly, as soon as I can't be killed.  He ran towards me, blade raised, then stopped mid-stride and threw it to the ground with a sob.  
   I edged towards him and pulled him into a hug, consoling him in any way I could.  He breathed against my hair, crying into it and shaking like a traumatized puppy.   I pat him on the head and he brought his mouth close to my ear, and I couldn't help but think this was a little strange.  But, he was like the little brother I never had.  My only brother was a cyclops, so I can't really hug him without him crushing the air out of me.
   "I love you."  He breathed against the back of my neck.
   "I love you, too."  Then I realized something about the way he said it.  It wasn't the way Tyson and I said it to each other, It was how Annabeth and I did.  I quickly added, "Like a brother, Nico.  I love you like a brother."  I pushed away slowly and saw a slightly disappointed look on his face.  I felt bad for him; there isn't much that the world can do for a slightly depressed, fourteen year old, gay son of Hades.
   "I'm sorry."  I whispered, then slunk around the corner to find Apollo waiting.  'Awkward'  He mouthed, and grabbed me by the shoulder.  The scene melted around me, but I could still hear Nico's sobbing.  I might as well be dead to him.