Missing You

    After Percy decided to come home to Sally, I felt like I was going to be alone.

    I already decided to stay in Camp Half-Blood, to look after the new half-bloods the gods claimed recently. I had an idea of finding a half-brother for Percy, but I realized that there was none yet. Only more Athena half-siblings for me. Ares also had a lot more kids, but I thought Clarisse liked it. As for Nico...well, let's just say maybe Hades only had one mortal wife. There was only Nico in the new Hades cabin, so I was really worried that maybe he was very lonely. Percy wasn't there, and I was busy feeding ambrosia and nectar to the new half-bloods who accidentally fought with some monsters like hellhounds. Mrs. O'Leary was the only friend of Nico, and I knew that he had nothing to do but play "Get the Greek" with her.

    It was a Monday. I was lucky that there were no new half-bloods being claimed that day, so I decided to visit Nico.

    The Hades cabin was large and black. Gothic, yes. I even hesitated to knock on it, until I realized that Nico was probably very lonely.

    "Hey, it's Annabeth," I said after knocking.

    I heard a deep sigh. "Go on inside."

    I opened the door which made a scary squeak. The cabin was HUGE. Probably enough for fifty people, I thought. Then I felt very sad. That would make Nico feel even more terrible. He was the only person in this good-for-fifty-people room.

    "Nico, where are you?" I couldn't see him anywhere.

    "In the balcony upstairs." Then I looked up. "In my room," he said louder.

    I slowly walked up the squeaky purple stairs and walked towards Nico's room. Instead of a door, there was an archway. I walked inside.

    Nico's room was cool. There were three colors: red, purple, and black. Mostly black. The room was a bedroom for fifty demigods, but there was only one king-sized bed for Nico in the middle. Above the bed was a large painting with four people in it: Hades, Maria di Angelo, Bianca, and, of course, Nico. Beside the bed was a black fireplace and at the other side was a black cloth table for two. Complete with a candle and two white plates.

    The balcony was at the far end of the huge room. You could have a view of the forest filled with monsters and the hills where the sun will set. That was what poor Nico was watching quietly.

    I walked towards him and put my left arm around his shoulders. "Is it beautiful?"

    He nodded solemnly. "It reminds me of my mother and Bianca. They loved the sun."

    I sighed. "You seem very lonely. Would you like my company?"

    He looked at me with his black eyes. He hesitated, but then nodded. "Yes, I am very lonely." He turned to sit on the large bed. "You seem very lonely too, without Percy."

    I sat beside him and blushed. "I guess we're both lonely. All I do is help the new demigods. Feed them."

    He sighed deeply. I did too.

    "Hey," he said. "Do you want to see Percy?"

    I looked at him suspiciously, and then gave up with a sigh. "More than anything, Nico."

    "Are you afraid of the dark?"

    Okay, that ticked me off. "Well, not really, but---"

    "Come on!" he interrupted. He caught me by the hand and ran out towards Mrs. O'Leary.

    "But," I said while he was pulling me, "Chiron needs me! I need to help the new demigods!"

    "There are the Aphrodite girls and Clarisse's cabin, you know."

    Then we both ran up Mrs. O'Leary and Nico whispered in her left ear something about his owner's apartment. He also promised Percy will give him a large T-bone.

    And so we ran into the shadows.



* * *



    We arrived in a large yard with a familiar woman watering the garden.

    "Mrs. Jackson!" I called and Sally turned to us. She gasped and then laughed her way towards hugging me.

    "Oh, Annabeth! I'm so glad you came! And just in time; we're having meat for dinner." He looked at Nico. "Oh my goodness, son of Hades! Nico!" She hugged him as if he's her son. "I'm very glad to see you ever since that battle! Oh, you were a hero, my boy! Come now, the both of you, and go inside. I will give your dog some part of our meat to get busy with outside. Are you sure he won't go away?"

    "As long as she knows Percy is inside," I joked.

    She smiled. "I think he would love to see you two."

    Their apartment was white with three floors. It was mostly blue in the inside. I sat on the maroon couch. I looked around, and realized that it had a hint of the sea. It smelled like it, and a stone fish was beside the fireplace. It was wonderful.

    "I'll call Percy from his room," Sally offered. "He's probably lonely and playing with Paul the new video game I bought for him yesterday."

    Nico smiled and nodded. "Sure, Mrs. Jackson."

    Soon enough, Sally went upstairs to get Percy.

    "I'm sure he's going to be happy to see you," Nico assured me. "You have a thing together, right?"

    I blushed. "He only gave me a kiss, just that. He's not my boyfriend or anything."

    "Really, Wise Girl?"

    I looked in the staircase, and there stood my prince. "PERCY!" I cried. I ran to him and gave him a bear hug. Nico joined me.

    "Nico, you're also here!" Percy gave him a cute noogie. We went downstairs towards the couch. Nico noticed that our eyes were locked to each other, so he did a fake cough.

    "Um, I think I need to give you two some privacy." He turned and went to the bathroom upstairs.

    I looked at Percy again, who put his arms around me. He pulled my waist, and soon I was on his lap, inches away from his face.

    I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I missed you," I whispered.

    He pushed me slowly which made me lie down on the maroon couch. "What do you think should I say? I missed you too?"

    That moment was perfect. I was lying down while Percy was on top of me. We were so still.

    Slowly, and very quietly, he placed his lips on mine. The kiss was wonderful. My fingers kept on tangling on his brown hair. He was clutching my waist, so it was hard for me to move, although I didn't want to go away from that beautiful moment. When he stopped the kiss, he placed his lips on my left ear and whispered, "All right, I missed you." And he started to kiss lightly on my neck.

    I was frowning when he stopped and placed me erect on his lap. He laughed when he saw my expression.

    "You really meant it that you missed me, Wise Girl?"

    I started to pull up a smile. "Of course, Seaweed Brain. More than ever. And..."

    He waited awkwardly. "Are you going to say those three magical words which will make me want to miss you even more?"

    I pursed my lips. "I love you, Percy. I really do."

    "If you say so," he snickered. Then he kissed me again.