"Percy!" I glanced up, stifling a gasp. Nico smiled down at me, face positively aglow. His long hair was swept back from his face, but an untidy fringe lay down the side of his face. Two weeks had passed since he'd agreed to let me try to help him, and he looked much better. Y'know, less skeletal, more human. Ish. It was amazing what a good two weeks of showering and food could do to you. He was dressed only in a pair of swim trunks, which displayed his ivory skin quite...revealingly. Cough.

I stood and grinned down at him. "Yes?" He took my hand in his own pale one and tugged on it. "Come see! I did something!"

After making sure I was dressed appropriately, (swim trunks, apparently) he pulled me down a strange corridor, waving his free hand impatiently at strands of shadow draping themselves on him, begging for attention. Finally, after a couple of random twists and turns, we arrived at a door, brown and plain.

Flinging it open, he pushed me out, and I stumbled into the sunshine, squinting as the glare pierced my eyes. "Woah."

Before us lay a large, deep lake, the kind where your toes could barely brush the bottom of the deepest part. I grinned, hurrying towards it. "Awesome!"

The sun beat down on the water, making it shimmer like sapphires, sparkling blue. "I made it yesterday. Last night, actually. I...you said you'd like a pool, when you came." Laughing in pure delight, I ran towards the water, as it eagerly lapped against my ankles.

Wait. Lapped? I turned a full circle, and finally spotted it. A large opening in the side of the lake, partially hidden by plants, extended into a broad stream, flowing downwards. Waterfall! I grasped Nico's shoulders, his gleeful expression mirroring mine. "Where does the waterfall lead?"

He shrugged. "Wanna find out?"

"AHHHHHHHH!" I dive bombed the lake, screaming like a madman. Nico, who was right behind me, grinned as we came up for air. "That was awesome!" His hair flopped over his eyes wetly, but he pushed it away carelessly as we swam over to the opening. An infectious giggle escaped his lips as he watched me battle the stubborn undergrowth blocking the waterfall, finally losing patience and smashing it with a wave of water.

Once the underwater vines were cleared, I felt the inexorable pull of the waterfall, urging me towards the edge. Grinning at Nico, who was perched on a rock in the middle of the stream, I let go of the branch I was grabbing onto and somersaulted towards the rough white water.

"OW." Groaning as I bounced off an unexpected rock, I plummeted down the waterfall, hollering and whooping. It was farther down than I'd thought, and for a moment I panicked, the vertigo freezing my veins.

For a moment.

A moment later, I continued screaming and yelling as I plunged into the frothing, sparkling water in the large lake below.

"WHOOP!" I grinned, looking up. Nico was flipping over down at me, and I blinked. Most people would have dodged, but I quickly held out my arms, coated with water, and he flopped into them bridal style, grinning wildly at me.

"Hey." Dizzy, almost drunk, with adrenaline and pure excitement, I leaned forward, smiled, and kissed him.

There were no fireworks, not so much as a spark, none of the cliche tingle and explosion, only his lips on mine, cold and salty, but still burning with icy passion and I smiled into them, and a shiver ran down my spine. It felt... Wow. I couldn't really think much, only that Nico was gasping and then kissing back, and just...

"Wow." I pulled back, grinning at him in shock. He blinked back and stared. "Wow."

Never let it be said Percy Jackson isn't an action taker.

"Here." I gestured to an opening in the side of the lake. We'd been paddling around for a while now, and I'd gotten bored. There was a stream off to the side, and I could tell it ran to the sea. Relaxing in the rushing water, I let the flow carry me along, hand in hand with the Son of Hades, who was grinning from ear to ear. Water enveloped us, and I could see Nico's eyes widen as he tugged lightly on my hand. With a wave, the bubbles rose, and closed over his head, and I leaned forward, kissing him again. He smiled and tugged on my earlobe, and I opened my eyes to see him pointing upwards.

We were in the sea. Immediately, I felt power fill my veins, and all the slow healing injuries from the night at camp faded. I allowed the water to swirl around me, and brightly coloured fish darted around, all whispering.

"The son of Poseidon!"

"Look!"

"D'you think-"

"Course not, Doris, you're just a fish!"

I laughed and we surfaced, a wave carrying us to the shallows. Nico grinned and wiggled his fingers in mine. "Do all the fish fancy you?" I smirked. "What if they do? And how'd you hear that?" A smug look crossed his face. "My island, my fish."

We splashed around a bit more before I shivered. The water had turned colder around me, and I looked up, only now noticing the sky darkening, sunset arriving.

The sky was shot through with arrows of red, spears of brilliant orange splitting the soft candy pink clouds. Behind us, the blue sky darkened to a dusky twilight, stars dotting it like beacons.

Now that the excitement had worn off, doubt came flooding back. Did Nico even like me? Yes. I think. Did I like him? Definitely.

So now what?

I turned to Nico, who was relaxing, almost floating, and watching the sun sink below the waves.

"Uh, Nico?" His head snapped towards me, and I smiled shakily. There was a sadness in his eyes, indescribable and devastating. It was always there, but I'd thought it had gone away. Apparently this was going to be harder than I thought.

"Yeah?"

I blinked. Now or never.

"Do you want to...do you want to be my...boyfriend?"