After a moment, he grabbed Percy's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Normally he wouldn't, and Percy would prefer to be asked, but this was a special occasion.

Nico started to cry, but it was silent and through his breath. His frail, bony hands trailed down and squeezed Percy's.

It hurt. It felt selfish to Nico that he was hurt over Percy's struggle, and he couldn't place why, but it hurt nonetheless. He didn't dare voice this, however, afraid to trample on territory that wasn't meant for him.

Percy didn't cry or yell. He just relaxed into Nico's chest. Warm, real flesh against his was a feeling he'd forgotten to miss while in Elysium.

"How did everyone take the news?"

Nico sniffled and took a deep breath. "No one took the news, Percy. We just... did our best to avoid it."

With that, Percy just nodded. "Oh."

Nico wiped his eyes, "Yeah... We need you, you know."

Percy bit the inside of his cheek, "You all never needed me. You needed a visualization of the perfect demigod, to remind you to keep going."

"Tsk," Nico responded, "That's what you think? Well, not me, Percy. I needed you. Stupid, sarcastic, sassy and all. You're all I've ever wanted and- and all any of us could ever need."

He tensed. It sounded... it sounded like he was in love with Percy, but Nico couldn't admit that right now. He added an "any of us" at the end, hoping it would throw Percy off the trail, if he was even chasing one.

But Percy just sighed, "Maybe. I didn't want to die, I just... I just had to."

"Why?" Nico asked.

"Depression, I guess."

Nico tilted his head, but didn't question it. He didn't question how Percy never told him he had depression - he wondered if he'd told anyone.

"Percy, please just don't leave me again. I don't know how to take all of this, but if there's one thing that's clear, it's that we need you." And that was true. This was all so intense, was he even processing it correctly? All he knew was Percy was loved and Nico didn't want him going anywhere.

"Sure," Percy said, which didn't sound to confident to Nico, but he took what he could get.