#pjoss

Dear @sugarcoffeecup, here's your gift for @percyjackson-secretsanta, hope you enjoy it!

Nico couldn’t believe it. Here he is, tears streaming down his face as he reads the last page of the book. Before, if anyone told nico that reading could brought you to tears he would have laugh at their face. Books don’t bring someone to tears. Losing your sister brings you to tears. Watching your crush kiss and dates the girl of his dream brings you to tears. Living alone on the streets when you’re ten brings you to tears. But books? No no no, they’re just a bunch of words written on a paper for the purpose of passing information and to pass the time if you have nothing better to do. The fact that Nico is being sympathetic (no he’s not crying, his eyes just watered because he’s been reading for hours) to a book character might make him reconsider his stand on reading as a hobby (he’s a demigod, there’s a law somewhere that states demigods and books don’t really get along except if you’re a child of Athena or Frank Zhang with his excellent spelling skill).

Granted, the book he’s reading is a japanese comic (Nico isn’t sure, does that makes it worse or not? In one hand, it’s a book with pictures which means less words but in another hand picture books are usually meant for children) and he could admit he enjoys reading the entire series. Nico isn’t even sure how he got his hands in this series in the first place. Oh yeah, it’s Percy’s fault.

“Hey Neeks! What you doin?” Percy asks as he plopped down next to Nico on the couch and try to snuggle to his baby raven/boyfriend.

“Uhh” Nico tried to close the book, “nothing…?”

“Oh is that a book? What’s it about? Is it… wait! Are you crying?” Percy starts to panic, he rarely sees Nico cries (twice in fact, once after Bianca fiasco (and Percy swore he will never let Nico make that kind of expression ever again) and when Nico finally get it through his thick skull that Percy is serious about his feelings and wants to date Nico).

“No! I’m not crying! It’s just… i was sleepy and i can’t hold a yawn….” Nico avoids Percy’s gaze and looking sullen.

He’s too adorable. Percy can’t help but smirk looking at his mullish boyfriend, “Okay, okay… So, what’s that book about?” he rearrange their position so Nico is leaning back in Percy’s lap after putting the book in the coffee table.

“It’s a comic. A manga or a japanese comic actually…”

“Huh? You can read japanese?”

“No, i read the translated version.”

“Cool, does it have a lot of action?”

“No”

“Adventure?”

“No”

“Magic?”

“No”

“Romance?”

“What? No! Why would i read romance?”

Percy chuckles “I don’t know, i mean i don’t even know how many genre comic have, you know? And i think the only japanese series i know is this show about a bunch of girls in costume called Sailor Moon?”

“Ah, i think i know that one. I saw some add about Sailor Moon themed umbrella in Japan. Anyways, no the book isn’t about romance. It’s about daily life of a teenage girl.”

“....and it doesn’t have any romance in it? And how did you even came across this book anyway?” Percy takes a look at the book cover, a girl with pink hair and green eyes is sitting on a sign that says Welcome to Neo-VENEZIA.

Because her eyes reminds me of yours “Well, i just saw the word Neo-Venezia and i thought it’s about a futuristic Venice or something, you know… And yeah it does have some romance in it but it’s not overwhelming or forced so it adds to the story as a whole.”

“You really like these books huh?” Nico doesn’t really share his interest with others, sure he spends more time around other campers and participate in more activities but Nico rarely become active participants in conversation, choosing the role as observer and listener more often than not. Seeing how Nico willingly share something he obviously like (even tho Nico tries to hide it) with him makes Percy really happy.

Nico cheeks colored slightly and tried to hide it with a shrug “There’s some nice lessons in this book so… “

“Lessons like what?” Percy reposition them again to find a more comfortable position to cuddle. Ah, Nico’s hair is getting longer… Maybe i can ask him to put it in a ponytail.

“Like, learning how to let go, how nothing ever stay the same and how an end of a story is just the beginning of another.” Nico has a small smile playing on his lips and a tender look in his eyes. Percy couldn’t help but think how much he wants to kiss Nico in that moment.

So he did.

And got a squawk in return.

“Wha, what was that for?!” Nico face is flushed and he couldn’t look at Percy in the eyes but all Percy can think is how adorable his baby raven is and how much he loves this boy.

“I love you Neeks”

Nico finally meet Percy’s gaze head on and just stare at each other, Nico tucking a stray hair behind Percy’s ear “You know, you’re kinda like the girl in that book.”

“Really? ‘Cause i’m the main character in my story?” he’s flashing those lopsided smirk that makes Nico heart beats a little faster. “Or because we have similar eyes?” now the smirk turns into a full blown grin. Crap he knows!

Nico should have known better than to underestimate Percy’s observation skills (now that Nico can observe Percy closer than ever, he finds that the seaweed brain moments are mostly Percy when he couldn’t be bothered or at least not interested enough because when he is, Percy doesn’t miss a thing). Rolling his eyes, Nico pinch Percy’s cheeks “You both have a way with leaving an impression on people even tho her method is much more commendable, loves adventures a bit too much and no i didn’t mean the monster part but how eager you are to explore new places, you are sometimes a bit slow and dense,” “hey!” ”and how you find happiness from the simplest and mundane stuffs.”

Nico kiss Percy softly, as gentle as the swirl of flower petals. Percy melts and follows his lovers lead, nothing passionate just chaste, innocent kisses. Percy nuzzles their noses, eliciting a giggle from the younger boy. When they pull apart Percy has the biggest grin on his face while Nico smiles smugly as if to prove a point.

“Good things can be found anywhere and everywhere you know? And isn’t the most important thing in life is to find the good things in your everyday, to cherish and enjoys it?” Percy finally asks.

“Well in order to do that, you got to have a pretty good eyes to see beyond the normal don’t you think?” Nico snuggles closer, “and you know, as the one who sees brilliance and beauty in everything and reflect it all through their eyes, i think they are the most brilliant and beautiful of all”

“.... Aww Neeks….”

“Wait, that’s not what i meant!”

“I knew you think i’m beautiful and brilliant, thanks babe.”

“I was talking about the girl, dammit!”