Nico and Percy's relationship was SO funny when I think about it.
Like- of course happy Nico in all his annoying brother glory and Percy "loyalty is my fatal flaw" Jackson instantly become an elder figure to him.
Like Percy even mentioned when he was explaining to Nico about Capture the Flag he sounded like his mother, he straight up adopted him without paperwork and Bianca? with the little time she was there she got dragged into it too don't think otherwise.
Then when Percy comes back literally traumatized and has to tell the little boy he'd seen express himself without worry of being a freak that he admired, that his sister was dead.
said brother instantly blames Percy- which Percy was already blaming himself for and says he hates him and wishes he was gone instead of his sister (which valid btw no shade to Nico my goat) and when the Skeletons (I forgot their actual name) appeared Nico said Percy was trying to kill him too which Percy was horrified to hear, despite this Nico still saves him because he cares if he dies much to Nico's horror so in all his emotions he sticks to hatred because it's the one that makes sense to him and vanishes.
Percy looks for him everywhere, takes on the responsibility of the prophecy and in Battle Of The Labyrinth? he did NOT play about Nico.
He mentions he was looking for Nico the entire time he was at home and even got Annabeth to look too, obviously struggling with Lukes army rising and the impending prophecy he chooses to focus on Nico instead of dissmissing him.
That's why Bianca made sure Percy got the Iris Message, she trusted him to look after Nico as she mentioned in The Titans Curse and oh does Percy do that.
Literally doesn't sleep for an entire night before a quest to a death labyrinth because he was so worried about Nico and when he does find him? bro did not give a SINGLE dam that Nico hated him because he still wanted to make sure Nico was okay while battling his guilt for Bianca as well, when Percy had the nightmare about finding a lone kid in the Labyrinth? immediately jumped to Nico and woke everyone up to go look for him.
They find Nico again captured by the Emposai and Nico teams up with them for the remainder of the story, Percy had kept the Hades figurine on him and gave it back to Nico with even a joke as he tried to remember the Mythomagic game which meant that despite how annoying it was Percy had listened to his endless talking at least partially.
Then Nico comes to Percy's house with vital information on his birthday and despite knowing it's bad news Percy just invites him inside for cake and some fun and hears the news, panics and says he'll think on it (valid king cause HUH!?)
The Sword of Hades? Percy gets injured and Nico freaks out, always checking on him every five seconds and when he thought Percy was dead? his heart crawled out of his throat until Percy came out with all his memories intact (for now) and wrapping up the quest.
Then the ghosts, while Thalia and Nico were compromised Percy dealt with Melonoe? because he'd already faced his ghosts and moved on, he didn't feel anymore guilt thinking of Bianca because he felt he hadn't failed her anymore- or at least made up for it by helping Nico with Minos, then with Ipataetus, Nico talks about Percy all the time to make him seem a friend and a good person because he was lonely and he was helping Percy.
The Last Olympian- Percy is running out of options and fresh with the death of Benkendorf, hearing the Great Prophecy, finding out Grovers missing PLUS an argument with Annabeth Percy is on his last thread and Nico comes with his offer again and despite Percy's fear he just like "well I die anyways why not?" and agrees.
They make the trips to make sure they River Styx will be safe enough for Percy and head down to the Underworld where Percy is betrayed while Nico tries to explains he wants to help but also wants information like killing two bird with one stone, Nico get's tricked by his father because he didn't want the prophecy frankly and because he'd broke a promise to Percy and betrayed his trust, something he is very much against.
Percy was in a tight cell and he has mentioned he despised tight spaces in The Lightning Thief plus not being able to breathe well (which is a later fear he gains) he falls asleep to save energy while Nico comes to rescue him, finds Percy asleep and tries to wake him up.
Percy, who had just had a nightmare and was already tense and angry, not even knowing it was Nico at first lashes out, still enraged he lets Nico explain he still wants to help and feels really guilty and Percy with not much other of a choice he let's Nico take the lead.
Nico takes down the skeleton guards, and the second Nico becomes slower or more tired, despite just being betrayed Percy helps him even though he could've just dragged him or leave him behind but that's just not who Percy is, he gives a chance subconsciously for Nico to redeem himself because he knows Nico.
Percy goes to the River Styx while Nico takes a power nap and wakes up moments before Percy gets bombed out, Nico was worried about Percy because his skin was red, but Percy recovered quickly, solos Hades army and let's Hades go for a chance he can join in on the war, and he doesn't trust Hades anymore so he asks Nico to convince him because Hades won't listen to Percy and Percy needs to go be a child soldier/ general and Nico thinks it's because Percy doesn't trust him anymore, Percy doesn't want to deal with it right then because he honestly didn't even care about that anymore so he just focuses on the priorities and tells Nico to convince his father then leaves.
Nico? despite thinking Percy must not be fond of him right now wants to make up for it and goes to convince his dad, also the fact that Nico wants to help in the war, so Percy has a better chance to live.
and to repay that? Percy asks Hades gets a cabin for Nico, so he has a chance to belong somewhere and be accepted because Percy knows what that's like.
Then Percy goes missing and Nico was going in between both Camps convinced Percy would be connected to this, also looking for him in case Nico was wrong as mentioned by Annabeth in The Lost Hero, When Percy shows up to Camp Jupiter Nico's stomach drops, not because Percy is here, he's not surprised about that, what did surprise him was Percy saying he knew him.
Percy, remembering only, Annabeth, his hatred for Ares and his thing for Blue Food subconsciously that was from his own mom- but he was certain he knew Nico, absolutely certain and brought it up multiple times with Frank about wanting to talk to him more, which proves Percy had strong relationship with Nico, Percy didn't remember Grover at all- or his mother but he thought he remembered Nico, which was shocked me and Nico both tbh.
Nico, playing a double life reassures Reyna and Hazel that Percy could be trusted, risking his position by mentioning he knew Percy but wanted Percy to be safe at Camp Jupiter as much as possible, he then goes to the Tartarus entrance willingly because he might have better luck and he wanted Hazel and Percy safe, he was tricked though and got dragged into Tartarus.
Percy meanwhile adopts Hazel as well and remembers Nico while he was drowning in the Musket, meaning Percy could've been dying and Nico was a part of his last memories, Hazel explains Nico is trapped somewhere and Percy without hesitation agrees despite knowing he'd just been tricked again by Nico because just like last time, Percy knew Nico had other intentions with it and had a reason he just didn't know what.
In Mark of Athena when they're debating whether Nico should even be rescued Percy only thought about that scene in The Last Olympian because he was thinking about what Jason and Leo said but guess what? Percy dismissed it and still thought Nico should be saved and VOTED for Nico to be saved, had dreams about Nico and altered/ controlled his dream to just check on Nico, even went to rescue Nico himself, when Nico fell out the jar Percy's stomach dropped in fear and dread until Nico groaned signaling he was alive and not too late, he asks Nico why he lied to Percy out of pure curiosity, maybe yes a bit upset but not angry at him and Nico explain despite barely being able to talk because he thought he owed Percy an explanation and says where he's been any sort of small resentment Percy MAY have held vanished almost instantly because at twelve he'd almost got dragged in but Nico actually went in by himself.
Then Percy in holding on for dear life not to fall to Tartarus and Nico RUNS despite being too weak beforehand to do so out pure fear and adrenaline to save Percy and even sticks his hand out to help and you can bet Nico was about to jump if Percy fell to help him and Annabeth despite JUST being there but then Percy makes Nico promise to lead the rest of the Seven to the House Of Hades on the other side and Nico is trapped in his promise because he can't say no to Percy.
Then comes the Cupid admission (I seriously wonder how anyone thought he liked Annabeth I was baffled) that he had a crush on Percy all that time and has support from Jason and acceptance for who Nico was and Nico felt a little more comfortable in being Gay, Percy comes back from Tartarus with Annabeth and despite literally thinking Bob just died he talks with Nico about it and thanks him, Nico says there nothing to thank him for because he would just do that for Percy just like Percy would for Nico.
Blood Of Olympus we get Nico's perspective on things (I cried so many times) and just how much Nico cared about Percy; we see Nico's journey through accepting his crush is one sided and learning to let go with much struggle because Percy is the only person Nico had felt safe enough to crush on like that and accept that part of him actually existed.
Enter my glorious William Andrew Solace the biggest player of the long game to bag a baddie ever seen with his absurd way of flirting and Nico feels much different than when he was crushing on Percy, this felt more intense than that, but he brushed it off, he had a mission to complete, he couldn't focus on feelings.
After the Battle with Gaia Nico mostly keeps to himself after everything thinking Will thinks Nico is a monster just like the rest of them do except for hanging out with Hazel, Frank and Jason then Will comes and demands to know why he hasn't been to see Will at all, he noticed Nico wasn't around and wanted him around, cared about his physical health enough to demand three days of bed rest and Nico feels...moved, because he could FEEL the difference in feelings and all the confusion suddenly clicked.
Percy was a crush out of admiration, he wanted to be Percy, Percy was straight of his cool game Mythomagic, his favorite thing ever, Percy was protective of Nico and Nico was protective back, he loved Percy but not like he thought he did and so he asks Will to wait and confronts Percy about it, admitting his crush which FLOORS Percy because he saw Nico as a younger brother for one and two he was surprised people even HAD crushes on him, he thought was lucky Annabeth liked him back but this was a lot, he was horribly confused and Nico just leaving did not help things but we can see in the later books how chill Percy is with it now he does NOT care about the crush and now they have a good relationship, Nico and Percy stay the same but Nico felt the shift in it and he was happy for it because he missed being the annoying younger sibling let's be for real and it's someone who KNOWS him, who understands him and everything he's been through mostly or will put the effort TO understand because Percy is goated like that.
In short? I adore Nico and Percy (platonically) so much if you reached this far, I'm impressed I wrote a bit too much fr
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