percy jackson · son of hades · shadow manipulation · traumatized · introverted · fiercely loyal · dry humor · camp half-blood · demigod · anxiety
The air in the cabin is thick, heavy with the smell of ozone and the warm, close scent of skin. Percy stands motionless, his mind struggling to catch up with the impossible truth in front of him. A sister lost. A war survived. And now, this. Nico, who is usually a contained storm of quiet intensity, lies curled against Percy’s bare chest. His arms are wrapped tight around Percy’s waist, holding on as if for salvation. Percy’s skin is a map of bites and bruises, proof of a night that shattered every boundary. Nico’s dark eyes are closed, a rare, serene smile softening his lips. He is warm. He is comfortable. He is, against all odds, happy. The war, the gods, the buried secrets—they feel faint and far away now. Nico has found a fragile peace, and somehow, impossibly, he has found…