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Nico checks his watch, trusting Percy to do a quick headcount of the campers they've brought on this outing. The holiday market is open until 8, but Argus should be back with the van at 6:30, which means-
Thump. Something slams into the back of his head. Behind him, there's several gasps from the kids. Nico holds in his own surprised noise as he spins to face them and feels the back of his head. His hair is wet, not with blood but snow.
"You're so dead," one of the younger kids - Layla, daughter of Dionysus - says. She's looking at Percy, because of course it was him.
"Nobody's going to die," Percy says. "It was an accident, nobody was aiming for Nico."
"You whispered, 'Hey watch this!' and then threw a snowball directly at him," Meg - visiting camp as she occasionally does - says, pushing up her fogged-up glasses.
Nico raises his eyebrows. Percy shrugs, looking only a little ashamed.
"I didn't think it'd actually hit him," he confesses. With a smirk he adds, "Usually Nico's better than this."
"Oh, you want better?" Nico challenges, his voice low.
Percy chuckles nervously and takes a large step back, recognizing the threat for what it is. "Now, Nico-"
"Tear him apart!" scream several of the kids, because while Percy is Percy Freaking Jackson, Hero of Two Great Prophecies, Nico is The Swordfighting Teacher Who Lets Us Use Real Swords Against Real Skeletons He Summons For Us, and thus significantly cooler.
"Give me some room to work," Nico says, and the kids all back up, knowing what that command means. Some of them even cheer.
"Nico," Percy says, worry in his eyes. "B-" he quickly thinks better of saying babe or maybe boyfriend and switches tactics. "My bestest, most favorite cousin."
Nico wrinkles his nose. "Really?" Not telling the kids they're dating is one thing, as it's none of their business. But choosing the cousin angle as a cover is certainly...a choice.
Percy grimaces, clearly regretting it himself. "I just mean, I know I'm your favorite person here."
"Nah, that's Tiffany," Nico says, and the demigod daughter of Persephone who insists they're step-siblings beams at him.
Nico smiles back and then flicks his hand. A dozen skeletons rise from the ground, forming a loose semicircle between Percy and the kids. In unison, the skeletons bend and pick up handfuls of snow, forming snowballs with some difficulty.
The kids are giggling, but Percy keeps his gaze on Nico, knowing better than to turn his back on an opponent.
"I thought you were going to do that shadow deflection trick," Percy explains.
Nico gives him an unimpressed look. "I have to see the object to do that."
"Really?" Percy asks. "'Cause I can use a wave to block things I don't see."
"Oh yeah?" Nico asks. "Block this."
All the skeletons launch their snowballs at once. Percy lets out an undignified yelp and falls to the ground beneath the onslaught.
The kids cheer, and a few of them - probably the Ares kids, but maybe Tiffany too, as she takes after her mom's Queen of the Underworld persona more than the Goddess of Spring one - scream, "Finish him!"
Nico shakes his head and approaches Percy, smiling. Percy rolls over onto his back with a groan and reaches out a hand. Not up, like he wants Nico to pull him to his feet, but straight forward, parallel to the ground. Nico doesn't understand, until -
He slips on a patch of ice that wasn't there a second ago. He pulls for the shadows to stop him from falling on his ass but over-corrects and falls forward. Instead of face-planting into the cold hard ground, though, he lands on top of Percy.
Nico would stay and savor his victory, except his face is practically in Percy's crotch, which means his crotch is in Percy's face and the older teens are already snickering at the compromising position. He quickly rolls off and gets to his feet.
"Ow," Percy says, a little late.
Nico snorts and holds out a hand. "You brought this on yourself. Both times."
"I suppose I did," Percy says with a sigh as he takes Nico's hand. "Can you ever forgive me?" he asks dramatically as Nico pulls him to his feet.
"Buy me a hot chocolate before I freeze to death," Nico suggests. He lets go of Percy and turns back to the kids. "Alright, we have three hours here. Remember, stay with at least one buddy, and we'll meet up in front of the ice skating rink. If you need help, come find me."
"What about Percy?" Lionel, a son of Demeter, asks.
"Find Percy if you need trouble," Nico suggests, ignoring Percy's faux-outraged noises.
"They're attached at the hip anyways," Meg mutters.
Nico shoots her a half-hearted glare before declaring, "Alright, you're free, everyone."
The kids stream out in all directions, in excited groups of twos and threes.
"C'mere," Percy says, once they're alone.
Nico eyes him warily. "What?"
Percy huffs and steps closer. "Let me help." He brings a hand up to cup the back of Nico's neck. In just a few seconds the lingering dampness has disappeared, leaving Nico dry if not warm.
"Thanks," Nico murmurs, swaying into his touch. "I still want hot chocolate, though."
"I figured," Percy says fondly as he takes Nico's hand again. "Let's get some, before one of the kids picks a fight with Krampus or the Abominable Snowman."
"Neither of those are Greek. Or Roman, for that matter," Nico says.
"Never stopped me," Percy says cheerfully, lacing their fingers together. "Now c'mon, Rachel was here last weekend and told me where to find the best hot chocolate."
"Oh?" Nico asks interestedly. "What are we waiting for, then?"
Percy grins, and Nico can't help but smile back.