AN: Hey guys, I reread the story so I could update the next chapter and saw many atrocious spelling and grammar errors so I am editing all of them. Sorry they were so awful. If the warning was not clear enough in the summary, this is rated Mature for a reason, please do not read if you will have a problem with this. Thank you for reading, reviews are welcome.

Also, this is going to take place after they have defeated Gaia (spoiler alert), and are back at the camp. Enjoy

-Hope

Percy had faced countless monsters, too many gods to think about, and the mother of titans herself.

He had finally returned from the mission he would have sworn was going to take his life and the lives of his closest friends and allies. Coming back from a death trip like that did not do well for a person's psyche.

After the mission, Percy had felt closer to each of the ten. After entering a blood bath with each of them, it was impossible not to hold them in a higher light. And Annabeth... he had literally gone to hell and back with that girl.

She was an anchor for him, someone who had provided security and a sense of sturdiness in his hectic life. With all the excitement of the war, she had been exactly what Percy had needed at the time.

But now the war was over, and Percy no longer needed something that weighed him down. He and Annabeth were drifting apart, much as either of them might try to deny it, both to themselves and each other.

"Hey, Seaweed-brain," said Annabeth, awakening Percy from his thoughts. She playfully bumped his shoulder as she sat down next to him, then handed him a plate with four slices of pepperoni pizza.

"Thanks," he said, smiling crookedly, but his heart wasn't in it. His green eyes looked down at his mountain of food, and his stomach rumbled appreciatively.

A couple slices into dinner and a light, easy conversation with Annabeth later, people began to dispose of the remains of their dinners and head back to their cabins. It was then that Nico di Angelo strode into the dining area.

He was dressed all in black, as per usual, and kept close to the walls where the shadows hid his pale complexion. Percy knew right away that he had come at this hour in the hopes of avoiding as many people as possible, Percy included. Nico rarely ate with anyone but Hazel, and occasionally Frank since the two were almost inseparable.

Percy was on friendly terms with almost everybody in the camp; he was a survivor of many quests, a trainer of new arrivals, and also the only son of Poseidon currently at the camp. Needless to say, most people knew who he was and often wanted to spend time with him. Perhaps that was why it bothered him so much that the son of Hades seemed to take desperate measures to avoid him.

"Well, I'm off to bed. I have training early tomorrow morning. See ya," and with that and a swift kiss on the cheek, Annabeth was gone and Percy sat alone at his table.

He looked across the area to where Nico was placing food onto his plate, his back turned to Percy. The tight, black T-shirt showed the large muscles in his back, shifting as he reached for things on the table. Nico turned and Percy glanced away a moment, not wanting to seem like he was staring, and looked back to see the younger of the two putting some of his food into the fire as a sacrifice for the gods.

Nico then turned around to look for a place to sit and suddenly stared straight into the sea-green eyes of the one and only, Percy Jackson.

Nico immediately shifted his gaze away uncomfortably, seemingly scowling at the floor. Did he truly detest Percy that much?

Without turning his head anywhere near Percy, Nico stepped silently over to an empty table, as close to the door, and seemingly as far from Percy, as possible, and sat down.

Percy looked down at his cleared plate, trying to think about how to repair his friendship with him, and shook his head. He thought he had done all he could, smiling to him when they happened to pass, greeting him with good mornings and such. But the more Percy tried to become friends with Nico, the more Nico seemed to push him away.

Percy discarded his plate and walked up to the table where Nico quietly ate, looking down. Percy opened his mouth to get Nico's attention but the son of Hades, almost sensing someone above him, looked up and Percy immediately felt a fire deep in his stomach as the gaze of the son of Hades burned into him.

Percy closed his mouth, gave him a quick, halfhearted smile, and began to walk out. He felt Nico's eyes on his back as he exited, and he quickly shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the strange pull he had felt.

...

Nico finished his dinner not long after Percy had passed him. Nico had felt the familiar pang when he made eye contact with the demigod, and he pursed his lips pensively.

Why won't this guy take a hint? he thought to himself. A large part of Nico truly wanted to be friends with Percy; he had looked up to him, always admiring him from afar. But as that admiration grew into something more, Nico knew it was too painful and would tear him apart to maintain that friendship with a man who could never reciprocate what he felt.

Nico repented the fact that he hurt Percy in his process of isolating himself, but it was the only way he would be able to survive.

...

Percy was back in his cabin, laying on his back with his hands behind his head, unable to sleep with so many thoughts whirling around his mind.

He couldn't go on knowing that a young man he respected and admired disliked him and couldn't stand to be around him. Or anybody for that matter. Nico needed a friend, he told himself, and Percy could be that for him.

With that and a silent plea to Hypnos to help a guy out, Percy succumbed to a deep slumber.

AN: So I know not much happened in this chapter, I'm still just beginning to plot line to the story. I'd love to hear what you think, more chapters to come.

If I missed any other grammar issues or any places the sentence was confusing, it would be really awesome if you let me know, thanks so much.

-Hope