Leo Valdez

Nico and Thalia got quite a bit of stuff and I got a few things as we finished our shopping and the next day, he left around 2:30 to meet Jace wherever they were meeting for their zoo and dinner date.

Was he nervous? Yes.

Was it cute? Yes.

And normally, on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, Nico has arts and crafts with Jason, Will, and I. But he was gone, and like, it's excused. Mr. D knew he was gone for a reason.

But it was only Thalia and I that knew about the date. Nico didn't want to tell a ton of people because that means both coming out and hyping up a date that he didn't have a clue about the outcome.

Also, things are weird with him and Jason right now, and I think Jason would get really offensive if he knew that Nico went to Percy's apartment when he left camp.

"Where's Nico?" Jason asked as we sat down with our own artsy stuff. "I thought he said he'd be here."

I shrugged, not giving him up.

"He told me he wouldn't be here, he made plans with a friend from the city, or something like that," Will explained. "He told me at lunch, said that he should be back for campfire, but if not, before lunch tomorrow, depending on how late it gets."

"He just got back?"

Will shrugged.

"Beats me, man," the son of Apollo insisted, sighing. "there's a lot of unspoken rules at camp, and one of them is to just let Nico do his own thing. He always has, he always will, he doesn't care about the rules of leaving camp. I think he has an arrangement with Chiron and Mr. D, but I'm not sure. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a girlfriend in the mortal world and that's why he leaves so often."

Jason gave him a confused look.

"Don't you like him?"

"Well yeah, but that doesn't change his sexuality, does it?"

•••
Nico di Angelo

I was nervous, but he also looked nervous, so there was solidarity in that.

"Hey, you're here!" Jace remarked as he walked over and I stood up to greet him. He smiled. "I was worried that you would go to the wrong station that's like, a mile away."

I smiled in return as we walked towards the exit of the subway station.

"No, I figured this would be the one being it's closer," I assured him. "how was school?"

"Pretty good!" He told me as we emerged into the city, heading towards Central Park. "it's a pretty nice school, but I'm getting used to the schedule. I think home life is weirder than school right now, being between my parents apartments and then like Percy's dad..."

So he knows?

"Mom and Percy explained the whole thing about who his dad is this week," Jace clarified for me, "which is a lot to like, think about. But he mentioned something and kind of explained but not really and it's been bothering me."

"Hm?"

"You were born in 1938 but you're 15, 16 years old? Fucking how?"

So I hashed out that story for him as we got to the zoo and he offered to pay, which was really sweet of him. 

My heart melted when he held my hand after we got into the zoo, though. He still seemed a bit nervous as we got in, so I interlocked our fingers for reassurment.

This was actually happening. I was on a date with a guy that I like.

A guy.

I saw him smile again and it was a really nice smile.

"Where... Which exhibit do you want to see first?" Jace asked as we walked up to a little directory map thing.

"I mean, I personally love penguins, but it's on the other side of the zoo so which way do you want to take there?"

We went through the tropical section first, and it was interesting because it was an open exhibit. So when there was a bird next to me, he was literally a foot away and I was a little worried that he was going to peck one of us.

He didn't, he walked away. Thankfully.

My heart absolutely melted when we got to the penguins, though. Something about them just... I want one. I want a penguin, but I know that the climate here isn't adequate and it's illegal.

But I want a penguin.

How old do you have to be to work at a zoo?

Anyways, I think Jace was humored by my fascination with the penguins. We were wondering around the gift shop after making our way through the zoo, and he had gone to the bathroom, so I was obligated by myself to get him a seal stuffy because he absolutely loves seals, as I learned when we got to them in the main area close to the gift shop. Especially after he paid for admission into the zoo and insisted that he was going to pay for dinner because he was the one who asked me out.

So I had him hiding in my little backpack I brought with so he wouldn't know and it could be a surprise for later. But he came back out and we were looking around the gift shop a bit because it was insane how much stuff they had. And like, yeah, I was eyeballing a couple different things.

But I didn't think that he was going to just grab the baby emperor penguin stuffed animal and pay for it without me saying anything.

"Jace what on Earth are you—" I started off before he just like, handed him to me as we were outside and it was so little and cute and I felt a need to protect him.

Why am I like this about the dumbest thing?

"It looked like you wanted him, so I got him for you," Jace insisted as I cracked a smile because of a stuffed animal. Well, also like, Jace. "A nice way to remember today. Did I get the wrong one? We can go back and—"

"No, I love him."

We started to walk to the subway after that so we could get some dinner, holding hands as the seal and penguin just had a party in my backpack. Them and my wallet.

"Okay," Jace started off as we left the zoo, "so Percy explained the stuff, as you know. And you're Hades kid, right? Like, underworld guy?"

"Yes, underworld guy." I confirmed.

"So do you get anything cool out of it?" he asked me, and I was glad that he was more interested than scared of it. "Percy can like, bend water and stuff. Talk to some animals and other stuff, apparently. But he didn't really say much about you or I mean, anyone else."

"Well... sorta, yeah," I told my date, thinking about powers I have. "one of the cooler ones that I can show you when we go back to my place is you're still up for that is shadow traveling. I can't do it a ton because I over used it this summer, but basically I use shadows to travel and like it sounds simple but I once wanted to go to a Chinese restaurant and actually ended up on China. That was a while ago, though, I'm better at it now. And like, I can summon ghosts and what not. Talk to the dead."

"That's so cool!" He exclaimed, which relieved me. "I don't really know any dead people outside of moms ex husband, and he sucked, but that's cool! Can you still like, talk with your mom then?"

I shook my head.

"My dad keeps her off limits, her and my older sister," I broke the news of that to him. "For both of our sanities. I don't use it too often just because I don't have a reason to. Also, it costs an ungodly amount of mcdonalds to do."

"Did you say McDonald's?"

"Yes. Yes I did."

•••

Jace Jackson

This was one of the best afternoons / nights I've ever had. He was such a fucking cutie and as mysterious and independent as he is, the look on his face when I gave him the penguin stuffed animal? Priceless and worth every penny.

After all, this is the stuff my commissions go towards. A portion for like college and stuff, sure. But it's so I can do this. So I can spoil him just a little because I don't know if he's ever been spoiled before.

He deserved it.

I brought him to a cute Italian place over by 5th because when I realized I didn't know what he liked to eat, Percy reminded that he was born and raised in Italy until he was like 7 or so.

It was genuine Italian, I did my research.

And I was glad we went here because he seemed to really like it, and you can never go wrong with Italian. He told me a few stories from when he was little, before his sister died. They sounded nice.

After that, he shadow travelled us to his cabin which was... Thrilling? I don't know what I was expecting, but it was an experience.

His cabin was nice, I won't lie. It was interesting that he just, had it to himself with his little sister not being here.

I was really interested in camp, though, so this sound off, which alarmed me, but it was normal for him.

"What...?" I questioned.

"It's just capture the flag, it's a Friday," he told me. "I wasn't planning on going since you're here—"

"Nico, I haven't gotten to play Capture the Flag since I've been in elementary school."

"It's not the same," he promised me. "I mean, if you want to go and watch—"

"Please."

•••

Nico di Angelo

So we went to capture the flag, and I grabbed my gear for it and went to play as Jace went and sat over by Chiron and Mr. D. And thankfully, they knew he was going to be here tonight. But I'm not sure they knew he knew who they were. That he's Percy's brother.

"You're back already?" Leo asked me, sounding a little worried as we got ready, being on the same team this week. "did... Did it go alright?"

"Yeah!" I assured him. "he's here at camp, when the siren went off for capture the flag he insisted that he wanted to watch so... I'm not worried because he knows about the gods and all. But yeah, it was fun!"

And honestly, it was a pretty good game. My team won because I'm just quiet and most other people forgot I was there because I wasn't supposed to play tonight but they threw me in because I'm a one person cabin so I got the flag.

He was absolutely fascinated by this version of capture the flag. Intimidated, but fascinated as well.

"That was..." He started off.

"It was...?" I asked as we made our way back to my cabin, noticing Thalia eyeing us.

"I don't even know, like," Jace tried to explain, looking around at camp as we made our way around. "like, the most thrilling version of a gym game that I've ever seen. For sure. Very unexpected. You absolutely dominated out there, though, and I was proud of that."

"Aw, thanks."

Once we got back to my cabin I let him borrow a sweater to sleep in (knowing I wouldn't get it back) and hopped in the shower so I wouldn't smell like ass all night.

Getting back in my room, he was already comfortable in my bed, so who was I to stop him? He knew there were a number of other rooms here with beds to spare. If he wanted one, he could have one like, to be his forever when he's here.

But he was in my bed.

I unpacked my bag quick, setting my baby penguin on my dresser to protect me next to a photo of Bianca and I, which made him smile.

Putting my hand in my bag, I then remembered the seal.

"Is he there to protect you?" Jace asked as he sat up, facing me.

"Mmmm... Yeah," I confirmed as I walked towards him, feeling really good about how tonight has been going. "am I going to get that sweater back tomorrow?"

"Hmm... Probably not," he told me and I smiled, leaning in and giving him a short kiss before pulling the stuffed seal out of my bag and putting it in his lap.

"I figured."