"Uh, no. I'm heading for the palace, actually."
"Ooh, the palace! For who? Hazel?"
"No, she just hit me on the way out."
"She does that," said Leo knowledgably. 
"Yeah..."
"So, for who? Bianca?"
"No."
Leo visibly relaxed. "Wait. You're here for Nico."
Percy put his hands up. "Just to talk."
"My Death Boy's got a lover," said Leo fondly. "But, Angel, he's probably not in the mood."
"Why?"
"Because he's not been out for ages. Even Hazel can't get him to come out. Hazel." Leo sighed. "If Hazel asked me to come out of my bedroom- or in it, for that matter-"
Percy had no idea what Leo was talking about, but it sounded... not pure. "Uh, I get it," he said quickly.
"I think the reason is because of Bianca," said Leo. 
"It's not Bianca."
Leo raised an eyebrow, his joking demeanour fading. "I don't know what you know, but Nico really doesn't want to be disturbed. Man, this one time I entered without knocking-" Leo shuddered. "The only reason he didn't disintegrate me was because of my sparkling personality."
"Hey, we're here," said Percy as they reached the palace gates. "Uh- you can leave now."
Leo grinned broadly. "Okay. But if you get disintegrated, it's not my fault. I tried to warn you."
With that cheering thought, Percy walked in.
He walked up the flights of staircases. They seemed to have been repaired since Percy had led the cleanse. He felt impressed by how fast they had worked. The walls were decorated with depictions of painful death and tortured souls. Real friendly stuff.
He passed a skeleton, which was holding a torch. Its fleshless face was contorted into an unfriendly expression.
Percy passed it, and knocked on Nico's door.
There was no answer. Percy didn't hear anything. He knocked again, a little louder. When he didn't get an answer again, he opened it.
Nico slept like the dead, curled in on himself, his wings wrapped around him.
Percy stepped inside the room, keeping his footsteps light. He circled round to look at Nico.
Percy marvelled at how peaceful he looked. The worry lines, the sardonic smile, the sultry smirk vanished. His face became strangely angelic... like his surname, di Angelo. He could almost believe he was a regular sixteen-year-old boy, not a son of Hades.
Percy touched his face, lightly, with his hand. Nico stiffened, but didn't open his eyes.
"Hey, sleeping beauty," Percy joked. "Are you awake, or do you need a kiss to wake you up?"
Nico opened his brown eyes, pulling away. His wings drew around him, shielding him from Percy, like they had the first time they'd met. The burn mark, still red and bloody, glistened. "What are you doing here? Is this a dream? I want to wake up."
"Not a dream," said Percy.
Nico hugged his knees. He looked so young and tired that Percy's stomach twisted when he realised he'd hurt him. "I wish it was." His voice was bitter.
"I'm sorry, Nico. I should've believed you."
"It was my fault," said Nico flatly. "I should have been honest with you."
"No, don't say that."
"Why are you here, Percy?"
"I'm here to say sorry."
"And what am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know. That's your choice."
Nico cast his gaze downward. "I forgive you, Percy. Now go."
"Nico. Look at me."
Nico looked up reluctantly.
"I want us to see each other again," said Percy. "I still want to talk."
"Fine. I never said we couldn't be friends."
"What if I don't want to be just friends?"
Nico's tail flicked discontentedly. "I don't want to get hurt, Percy. You've cursed me, and it feels terrible."
"Cursed you?"
"I hate love!" Nico shouted at Percy. His eyes seemed to glow red when he did. "I hate it! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!"
Percy stepped back. "I'm... I'm sorry." 
Nico raised an eyebrow.
"So what now? Can we still hang out?"
Nico looked uncertain. "No kissing. My rule."
"What if I'm an exception?"
Nico looked up, and a trace of a smirk entered his face. He got up slowly from his bed. "Maybe that could work."
"Only maybe?"
Percy searched his face.
He had a face that looked like it had been carved by the Greek gods. His skin was pale, almost ethereally so, and his eyes were the colour of frozen tar. His dark hair was messy. He wasn't With his shy smile, he looked like the Archangel, reincarnated.
Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck, his lips next to his ear. When he spoke, his breath tickled Percy's ear.
"You messed up."
"I know."
"I think you should make it up to me," said Nico.
Percy laughed nervously. His stomach was leaping again in that unfamiliar way, his heart beating double-time.
Nico's lips curved into a triumphant smile.