Work Text:
Nico is tired of sleepless nights and early mornings. It’s been that way for the past several days and he can’t really say why. He just, doesn’t sleep the way he should. There’s nothing stressing him out. The world hasn’t had a near miss at ending for the past five years. His family and friends are happy and healthy. Honestly the only complaint he could possibly have is that his dating life has been a little dry. At the end of the day that isn’t a massive problem for him.
Nico rolls over in his bed at Camp Halfblood. He’d stopped being a camper two years ago choosing to stay with Hazel in New Rome instead. It’s where most of his friends were after all. He came back for the summer season this year at Chiron’s request.
There’d been a massive overflow of kids, completely normal, according to the camp director. Nico was skeptical at that but trusted Chiron enough to let him know if his intervention was needed. Chiron did need some help training up the new kids and had asked the heroes from the past wars to come and assist him.
Only Nico and Percy had the time and desire to show up. Nico privately suspected that was because they were the only ones who had their own cabins to retreat to when the campers they were helping got to be too much. For Nico it was honestly a nice change. He enjoyed giving back to the camp that so affected his life and helping the next generation of demigods survive.
It was also nice to hang around Percy some. They’d become friends in New Rome as Percy started spending nights on Frank’s couch as things fell apart with Annabeth and ultimately taking over his lease when Frank and Hazel got a place together.
They had a lot more in common than Nico originally thought. If Percy would stop confusing him by accidentally flirting with him it’d be the best friendship he had. But in his endeavors to be kind to Nico, Percy ended up flirting with him a lot. Enough that sometimes Reyna would give him a knowing look that Nico didn’t quite know how to interpret.
Tonight at dinner was a great example. Percy had brought Nico an extra serving of desert and winked when Nico had asked him what it was for. That sort of thing was becoming common. Which was only a problem for Nico because it was breathing life into his long dead crush on the other demigod. A feeling that was best left ignored.
His blankets are too hot. Nico kicks them off for what feels to be the hundredth time that night just to pull them back over his legs a few moments later. It was hopeless. There would be no sleep for him this night.
Feeling defeated by his own body Nico gets up. He turns on a light and is grateful it won’t grab attention like it would have when he was a kid. Maybe he’ll listen to some music or watch a movie on his tablet. Surely there’s something to do that will calm his body and mind so that he can get a few hours of sleep.
He puts on DeathNote. He understands the stereotype he’s definitely fulfilling by loving this show and honestly he doesn’t care. He’s seen it so many times before that it is almost relaxing despite all the murder.
As he watches he finds a pen he’d been using to fill out paperwork for Chiron earlier in the evening. At some point in a long run of episodes Nico finds himself doodling skeletons on his ankles. They’re in a chain holding hands and dancing.
It amuses him to think about training the kids in the morning with something so ridiculous hidden beneath his socks. They’d never expect it, not from the boring and serious Son of Hades.
He hopes it will help keep his mood positive in his exhaustion. Nico knows all the coffee in the world won’t stave off the exhaustion he’s sure to experience in the morning. He writes a reminder on his left wrist to grab Starbucks before breakfast. It even has exactly what he wants, a Venti Mocha Frappuccino no whip cream. He’s grown enough in his powers that he can make a short trip to the coffee shop as long as it’s not on the other side of the country or he doesn’t do it every day.
Not long after Nico convinces himself that he’s feeling tired and returns to bed. Three hours of sleep will do it. Right?
The next morning he wakes up to see his note on his wrist and thinks that maybe Starbucks will help him not feel completely dead. It takes a little longer than expected to actually obtain his Venti Frappucino. So of course he’s just a little late to breakfast. He grabs a coffee for Mr. D too hoping it will make the god let him off the hook.
He slides into the dining pavilion through the shadows and places the drink next to Mr. D. He refrains from smiling triumphantly when he is simply waved to take his place next to Percy at the table.
“Dude, you couldn’t have gotten me one too?” If Nico didn’t know better he’d say that Percy was pouting.
“You’d have had to ask.” Nico replies, taking his seat next to his friend.
It was a quiet breakfast as Percy seemed rather deep in thought himself. He kept rubbing at his left wrist like it might itch or something. Nico would have to watch him, if it seemed to be a problem he’d send him to the infirmary. Poison ivy was definitely a potential problem at camp.
By the time they leave for the training arena Percy seems to have picked his normal mood back up. “So, no whip cream, huh?”
Nico pulls his drink up to his chest, just in case Percy gets any ideas about stealing the cups precious contents for himself. “I don’t like it if it’s not homemade. The preservatives make it taste weird.”
Percy hmms rubbing absentmindedly at his wrist again. They are walking past the cabins now. A motley group of bright colors and interesting architecture surround the more formalized U of the Olympian cabins.
They pass his own cabin and Nico can almost hear his bed calling out to him. He thinks about asking Percy to teach this class alone, but knows he shouldn’t. It’s easier to keep the kids attention when they are both present.
“You need to get that checked out?” Nico asks offhandedly as Percy rubs at his wrist again distracting himself from the exhaustion.
“What?” Percy asks, thrown off guard by Nico’s sudden question.
Nico looks pointedly at the wrist Percy is rubbing. “That clearly itches.”
Percy laughs. “Oh, no. It’s just a bug bite.”
Nico doesn’t get the opportunity to press the issue because they reach the arena. The most eager of their students are already assembled. Nico is sure that they sprinted the whole way here. It seems that a lecture about the importance of preserving your energy is in order.
Going by Percy’s expression the other demigod is in agreement. The rest of the morning is spent training the kids. There is of course a lecture about the importance of preserving your energy followed by a demonstration.
They take a high level Son of Ares who had been over eager and ran to the arena and a high level Daughter of Athena who had walked. They paired them up against themselves. Having already proven in previous lessons that they were evenly matched.
Neither camper won their match but the Daughter of Athena lasted much longer against Nico than the Son of Ares did against Percy. Which was the point all along. From there they run the kids through their drills and call it quits when everyone, including Percy and Nico are too hot and sweaty to continue.
They dismiss the kids to their next classes and take the thirty minute break to head to their cabins to wash up before the next round. While Nico is in his cabin he remembers that he needs to pick up some more pens for his half of the progress reports for Chiron.
Using his last he writes a fresh note on his wrist reminding him he needs pens and heads back to the arena. Percy is late, sliding in on a stream of runoff that hadn’t been there moments before. He’s windswept, and breathless, with a nice highlight of pink at his cheekbones. Nico has to very carefully not think about things that he could do to put the other demigod in that state.
Instead he raises an eyebrow at Percy like he would have at the students had they been late. “I’m glad you decided to join us Percy.”
Nico is not at all surprised when his comment earns him a cocky devil may care grin and a returned raised eyebrow. “I didn’t realize that we had to act like Chiron to help him out.”
Luckily Nico understood the jab for the challenge it was. “If I were Chiron I’d work on your sword skills.”
“Work on my? Oh it’s on!.” Percy declares pulling Riptide from his pocket and uncapping it. Nico can only respond by grabbing a well balanced practice sword of his own.
They probably spend the first half of the master class giving a demonstration. It wasn’t technically a part of the lesson plan but they made it work anyways. Nico was actually surprised by how many of the campers were able to learn something just from watching them have a practice bout.
He’ll have to tell Percy they should use that training method more often. Besides being beneficial for the kids it was fun.
Nico runs to his cabin to grab a fresh shirt before lunch. He’s so glad that the harpies do the laundry. He goes through shirts like a chain smoker goes through cigarettes. He’ll have to remember to write a reminder to give a thank you gift to them on his wrist.
When he gets to his cabin there’s a box of fresh pens on the doormat in front of his doors. He smiles wondering if one of the kids had noticed the reminder on his wrist. Either way it’s a sweet gesture.
Then the gifts continue. It takes some trial and error but Nico finds that as long as something is written on his body he’ll find it at his door later that same day. It stops being sweet and starts being a bit weird. He can’t figure out who is able to see what he writes. Especially when he stops writing it on his wrist in exchange for his torso. Not an easy place to reach, by the way.
Finally after he finds his exact Starbucks order on his porch one morning he calls Reyna. He hadn’t even written what his order was just that he wanted his Starbucks. He’s tried several times to catch the secret gift giver in the act but always seems to be a few moments behind.
Reyna answers the Iris message almost immediately. She’s clearly supposed to be studying but looks relieved to see him. “Nico! Long time no see.”
It’s only been two weeks since Nico was there and he’s made sure to call everyone at least once a week. Hazel gets called twice a week but that’s because she was his favorite. Still Nico can’t help but share the sentiment.
“I know. Hey I was wondering if you could help me with something.” Normally he’d take the time to make sure it was a good time but breakfast would end soon enough and Nico had to be at his morning class secret gift givers or not.
Reyna’s expression immediately turns serious as she detects the unease in his voice. “Of course. What do you need?”
“I have a- a- secret admirer but it’s a bit weird.” He doesn’t know how else to say it. He doesn’t think the gift giver has anything malicious planned for him. It’s just oddly personal when they give him the things he wishes for on his skin. To the point that he’s asked for rare Mythomagic cards and gotten them.
“Okay. What’s weird about it?” Reyna says always open minded when Nico says he has a problem. Which is a good thing because Nico often finds himself in unusual situations, even for demigod standards.
So Nico explains about the writing reminders on his skin and them being fulfilled without him having to do anything. Reyna of course thinks it’s someone who sees him regularly until he explains about the hidden writing on his torso and his Starbucks order.
Of course her first conclusion is that someone is being a bit of a peeping tom but Nico explains that unless it’s a god, which he really hopes it isn’t, there’s no way for that to be the case. As soon as it started to get weird he started taking precautions to make sure no one was spying on him. Including some magical ones Hazel had given him years ago for quests. He wasn’t being watched.
“Okay. That is a bit weird.” She agrees thoughtfully. “Let me ask around here discreetly to see if anyone knows anything about how someone could know what you write on your skin even when it’s hidden. I’ll call you this evening with what I know.”
Relieved to have some support in what is probably just a kid with a crush that needs to be told no and a massive overreaction from himself. At least that’s what he’s telling himself.
They end their call a little later and Nico books it to the arena. He’d technically have been late, however Percy, is even later. So there’s no one in a position of authority to know. And the class, kids who just really don’t care about swordwork but need the basics anyhow, isn’t going to complain that they had ten minutes to fool around.
As for Percy Nico can’t help but be annoyed. The other demigod has been chronically late for the past week. Ever since the morning he’d been shady as heck about his wrists itching. That behavior has continued as well, the subconscious rubbing of arms and legs as if they itch. If Nico didn’t think it’d be more trouble than it was worth he’d sick the Apollo Cabin on Percy.
They make it through the afternoon without any more incidents. There’s some chores he and Percy have taken on to help the harpies out too. So when they’re done teaching he and Percy go their separate ways to do those. Then it’s dinner and helping to supervise the campfire. Once it’s all done Nico is exhausted because he still isn’t sleeping so he goes to his cabin to hopefully go to bed.
Nico almost forgets Reyna’s supposed to call. Which is how she finds him in his pajamas drinking his night time cup of hot tea guaranteed to help soothe him by the Demeter Cabin.
“Um. If I’m interrupting bedtime I can call later?” Reyna says awkwardly. Of course she knows he’s not sleeping well even without him saying anything.
“Did you find something?” Nico asks eagerly all thoughts of sleeping as he should be leaving his mind. Maybe someone in the Legion knows how his secret gift giver can know what he wants. Maybe she’s even figured out who it is that keeps leaving Nico’s wishes at his doorstep.
“Yeah.” Reyna says. “It’s a really old piece of lore about a fairly rare, um, condition.”
“Condition?” He’d been expecting a word like spell, or tactics, or well anything but condition really.
“Well, maybe condition isn’t the word for it.” Reyna says awkwardly. “Look the Greek myths talk about how humans originally had two heads, four arms, and one body. But that the beings were too powerful so Zeus split them in half. Right?”
Nico bursts out laughing. “Reyna stop joking around. We both know soulmates aren’t a thing.”
“I would have said so too until this afternoon.” Reyna says sternly, stopping Nico’s laughter mid snort. “But I talked to an elderly greek couple we let stay in New Rome once we found out the Greeks existed. They’re soulmates. I know because I saw the condition, or maybe ability is a better term, that comes with it for myself.”
Nico frowns. This was not what he expected but he can tell that it’s not a joke. He didn’t know what to think about the fact that he might have a soulmate. Or that they had a penact for leaving him gifts without saying anything. But that would have to be addressed after he found out what was going on. “What do you mean?”
“If Adaline wrote something on her body it would show up on her wife’s skins and vice-a-versa.” Reyna says pointedly. “You told me that if you write something you want on your skin it shows up at your door, even if you keep it well hidden? Right?”
Nico is flabbergasted. He uses his skin as a canvas for ideas and reminders. Thoughts and wishes. It’s weird to think that someone was literally reading his thoughts as an open book. Stranger too to think of it to happen to someone who didn’t even ask for it. Strangest of all that he might have this link to an unknown other half. Except that he does know them if they’re bringing him the things he asks for.
“Why don’t they just say something?” It’s all he can think really. If it were the other way around he’d just go up and say so this is awkward but I like the skeletons you draw on your ankle or whatever.
Reyna shrugs. “Maybe they’re shy. I can tell you that it goes both ways. Try to get to know them and maybe they’ll decide to reveal themselves.”
“I can do that. In fact I think I’ll do that right now. Bye Reyna.”
“Nico you need to-” Her admonishment that he needs to sleep is cut off by Nico slicing through the Iris message with his hand. He’s too excited by finally solving the mystery of the gifts.
Possibly even having it be someone he knows. His soulmate could be using one of the kids to make sure the gifts are delivered. It wouldn’t be hard. There’s a lot of contraband around here that the kids will do almost anything to obtain.
He sits down with a bare arm and a pen almost immediately but it takes a long time for him to figure out what to say. Finally he settles for keeping it simple and to the point. “Thanks for the coffee and everything.”
They don’t reply. Defeat fills Nico at first. Maybe his soulmate doesn’t want to reply. Maybe they just like being altruistic. A much more sensible voice in his mind that sounds like his sisters ganging up on him says that maybe his soulmate doesn’t know they can reply. So he tries one more time.
He almost just says he wishes that he knew who they were but the possibility of rejection holds him back. Instead he says, “I wish you would reply.”
It’s about ten minutes after that when he gets to experience his soulmate writing on their skin for the first time. It itches like a mosquito bite as the words rise to the surface.
“Hey sorry I was in the shower.” And doesn’t that fill Nico’s mind with vague images of everything he’s ever hoped his next lover might be. If the images look a little like Percy that is Nico’s business.
His arm itches again and the words disappear to be replaced with more. “I actually didn’t realize this could go both ways.”
Nico is now certain his other half is another demigod. Their spelling is atrocious in ways that can only point to a bad case of dyslexia.
“I only just learned it was a thing today.” Nico replies. “Been trying to figure out how someone knew all my notes to self.”
“Yeah, I’ve had your doodles popping up on my body for at least three years.” Three years ago is when Nico started drawing on himself instead of paper. There was a quest that had ended in him and Will being snowed in somewhere for a week. He doodled on his skin just to break the monotony.
He never stopped doodling on himself and finally it became a way to offhandedly remind himself of things to do as well. That’s been going on for a year or so as well. He wonders why his soulmate only started fulfilling the wishes a few days ago.
He asks. And gets a big smiley face in return. “I’ve known my soulmate used their skin as paper forever. But I only just figured out that it was you.”
That didn’t help Nico figure out who it is. He’d only really been around camp that first year. He might have, somehow, missed someone. Or again, his soulmate could be in New Rome and have the kids doing the wish fulfillment. He hoped it wasn’t that, he preferred a more personal touch.
Nico wants to ask why they didn’t just say something but he also doesn’t want to push too hard too early. Instead he changes the topic. He decides to ask how his soulmate takes their coffee.
It’s only fair right? His soulmate takes his coffee black but prefers it with more sugar than you can find in a candy shop. He is also a demigod and suffers nightmares that sound worse than the usual fare. Nico is sure now that his soulmate was around during the wars. He’s probably in New Rome now and having one of the kids help him out with wish fulfillment.
The next several days continue what they started that night. He and his soulmate write each other secret messages when they can’t sleep. This happens more nights than it doesn’t. The nights they can’t sleep seem to be the same nights.
His soulmate also doesn’t stop fulfilling Nico’s wishes. It’s annoying because it has Nico monitoring his want list to not overburden the other. It also makes him feel warm inside when there’s a box of oreo’s sitting innocently on the porch.
What Nico and his unidentified soul mate are building isn’t the only thing that stays the same. Suddenly Reyna is all too interested in what’s happening with him, speaking to him even more than he speaks with Hazel.
The most aggravating thing that stays the same is Percy’s tendency to be late to literally everything. It quickly goes from an annoyance to something that worries Nico.
When Nico tries to ask why he’s late Percy always smiles disarmingly and says something to redirect the conversation. It works every time because Nico is so easily dazed by Percy Jackson when he’s trying to be charming. Just as much as he’s charmed by Percy when he's being an idiot.
Nico wonders if his soulmate will mind that he’s pretty much permanently attracted to Percy. There might be someone out there that Nico is meant to love forever. An other half that will fill his days with light, and Nico is honestly excited for those days. Wants to meet them for real so it can start.
Still there’s this little hang up where Percy Jackson will always be his own personal Adonis, just as his soulmate is meant to be his other half. Nico really hopes that’s not going to be a problem for them.
The more Nico thinks about this problem the more it really begins to weigh on him. How can he be present for his other half if he’s still so damn attracted to Percy? One evening while he’s exchanging messages with his soulmate and talking to Reyna over Iris Message he breaks down and tells her his conundrum.
“Have you tried asking?” Reyna has on her I’m not amused with you expression and Nico isn’t sure what he’s done to deserve it.
He sits up on his couch. His cabin is one of very few with more than the basic bunk beds and a bathroom setup. Of course it’s only him and sometimes Hazel, so they can make a small sitting area work as well. “I feel like that’s an in person conversation.”
“Then ask to talk to them in person.” Reyna says exasperatedly. “You’ve been talking to this person for how long?”
Nico sighs because he knows she’s right but there’s been one major hang up. “What if they say no?”
“Then you’re both denser than I could ever have thought anyone could be.” The exasperation in her voice now reminds him of the time he, Percy and Jason thought it’d be fun to have a powers out battle on the Field of Mars. New Rome had to commission the Demeter Cabin to work with Hazel on correcting the damage they’d done. War games were canceled for a month. It was awesome and Nico still wished they could do it again.
He know’s she right and he knows he’s being a coward. But he hates the idea that he might be rejected by someone who makes him so happy. The only thing he could do that would hurt as much as being rejected in this is asking Percy out. Luckily he can avoid that possibility forever without being badgered about it.
“Fine.” He says because Reyna won’t leave it alone until he says he’ll do it. She knows he is always bound by his word and won’t go back on it. “I’ll ask when we’re done here.”
“Then that will be now.” Reyna says with a conspiring grin he doesn’t trust. Does she know who his soulmate is? He doesn’t get to ask because she immediately cuts out the message before he can even say goodbye.
Nico stares at the blank canvas of his skin for a while after that. He’s going to say something he just doesn’t know what or how to phrase it. If he says the wrong thing it might ruin everything.
He decides to do it in the same vein it began in. He writes “I wish I could meet you.”
It takes a while for his soulmate to reply. Nico reminds himself repeatedly that it’s not a big deal. That his soulmate is probably in the shower as he often is at this time. It helps a little. He still checks his arm every sixty seconds just in case he missed the tell tale itch.
Finally what felt like hours later but was probably no more than twenty minutes he gets a message. “Okay.”
He’s not sure what okay means. Does it mean now, will his soulmate come back with terms? It's a first date really and suddenly Nico is unbearably nervous.
Nico nearly jumps out of his skin when there’s a knock on his door. Heart racing because it might be his soulmate he opens the door.
What he finds is always a welcome sight but perhaps a little less welcome at this pivotal moment. Percy is leaning against the porch railing his usual troublemaker grin gracing his lips.
“Oh, hi Percy.” Nico says awkwardly. He’d kind of hoped it was his soulmate at his door. “Um, what brings you here.”
“I just thought I’d stop by and say hi.” Percy says lifting his weight so that now he’s sitting on the railing. “Is this a bad time?”
Nico grimances. It is never a bad time to see Percy however this is probably not actually a good time. Just in case his soulmate decides to reply or shows up.
Unfortunately, Percy catches the expression. “Ah it is a bad time.”
He jumps off the railing and Nico’s stomach drops at the thought of Percy thinking he doesn’t want him around. “It’s not that, it’s just I might be expecting someone. I don’t know.”
Percy nods like that’s perfectly reasonable. “I can see that. I guess I should go but, can I ask you something first?”
It feels like he’s on a clock and every moment with Percy is leading to something important and maybe awful, with his soulmate. He should make Percy go away so he’s available when his soulmate comes. Still it’s impossible to deny his friend such a simple request.
“Of course.”
Percy kicks at the wood flooring of the porch awkwardly. “I, uh, was wondering if I could take you out on a date sometime.”
For half a second Nico is soaring. Percy had actually asked him out on an actual date. All that perceived flirting had been actual real meant flirting. And then he remembers who he thought Percy was when he first knocked on Nico’s door.
Nico can’t accept a date, no matter how badly he wants to, when he’s literally trying to arrange to meet up with his other half. It would be horrifically wrong of him to lead both Percy and his soulmate on like that.
Nico sighs. “I really really wish I could Percy. More than you know. But I can’t. It wouldn’t be right.”
Percy frowns in confusion. “Why not?”
“I’m waiting to meet my soulmate. Not in the general sense, like tonight. It wouldn’t be right to go on a date with you, no matter how badly I want to say yes.” He pushes up the sleeve on his hoodie to show the conversation he’d been having with his soulmate. All that’s left of the night's words is Nico’s request to meet them and the simple reply of okay. “Apparently the myths of people once being a single being are true. When Zeus split us apart we gained the ability to write on each other's skin from a distance.”
When Nico looks back up at Percy it is to see him pushing up his own sleeve with a giant self satisfied grin. Nico looks down to Percy’s now exposed arm to see the same words that are written on his own.
Somehow, impossibly, Percy’s grin widens even further.
Nico is speechless but it only lasts for about ten seconds. Then his ire rises in a roaring fury. “Percy Jackson! You utter bastard! You-” He splutters incoherently for a moment as it hits him. “You’ve been late to literally everything because you were leaving me gifts.”
Nico cannot believe the ridiculousness that is his life.
He’s very satisfied when Percy’s smug grin goes sheepish. At least Percy knows when he’s done wrong. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier.” Percy says genuinely. “I’d been flirting with you long before I realized that the person drawing on my ankles was you, much less that it meant that you were my soulmate. So when I found out about the soulmates thing, well, it seemed like maybe you didn’t like me. I was afraid you’d reject me but still, I should have said something.”
Nico can understand that. Percy is staring at his shoes now embarrassed and shy and everything that Percy should never be. Nico finds that he wants to do something to help set Percy right, so he says. “I can get that. You said something about a date, yeah.”
Nico is relieved when Percy looks back up at him and the sly self-satisfied grin returns. “I don’t know. You kinda said no.”
Suddenly, it becomes clear to Nico that the best way to handle this situation, and all future situations in which Percy is trying, and succeeding, to be suave is to kiss him until he forgets about what he’s trying to do.
It isn’t till much later that they break apart and Nico is able to ask Percy how he found out about soulmates. The answer of Reyna means that they’ll both be present the next time Nico speaks with her. That will be in a day or two though. Right now he’s busy, and he’ll have a date with his soulmate to prepare for tomorrow.