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Nico was the most nervous to come out to Hazel. Hazel meant a lot to him, but she was from the same time period he was. She’d even lived in it longer, and a time period that wasn’t at all permissive of people like Nico. Would she be able to accept that one of those people was her brother? Or would it drive a wedge between them that could never be removed. But Jason knew, and Percy and Annabeth and even Piper. She was bound to find out eventually. Nico owed it to her to at least tell her himself.
The night he told Hazel was sitting on the roof of the Pluto cabin at camp Jupiter. Nico couldn’t remember the exact words he used, he couldn’t hear himself over the ringing in his ears. Hazel was quiet. She barely looked at him. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, silently begging for some hint of the softness he’d come to associate his sister with.
“Okay” that was all Hazel had left him with. Just, Okay. He wanted to press, ask what she meant by that. Okay that’s fine? Okay so I have a gay brother? Okay we’re never talking again?
But maybe he was being unfair. She needed time. Eventually he wishes her goodnight and slid inside. She sat out there for a while longer. When she returned they both laid in the silence until they fell asleep. Nico left for camp half blood the next morning.
About a week later Hazel was due to visit camp half blood and Nico’s chest had been winding into a ball of anxiety all week. He kept writing and rewriting what he would say to Hazel. Maybe they could just ignore this whole thing? It’s not like Nico had a boyfriend or anything. And he wasn’t holding his breath on getting one, that would still require someone to want to date him. But she knew now. She couldn’t un-know.
Hazel had a notebook in her hands as she approached Nico at the Hades table. Will Solace caught Nicos attention for a moment with a sympathetic smile and a thumbs up. He knew how nervous Nico was about this. The irony of his crush trying to be supportive in this wasn’t lost on Nico, but he couldn’t dwell on it at the moment. “Listen Hazel-“ he started as she sat at the table and opened her book. She cut him off “Malcom Pace?” She asked, looking at her notebook. Nico blinked in confusion. “The Athena kid? What about him?” He asked “do you like him?” Hazel asked so matter of factly it nearly made Nico choke. “No I- Hazel what are you talking about?” He managed “I’m gonna find you a boyfriend.” She crossed off a name from her list, presumably Malcom Pace. Nico was too stunned for a moment to say anything. “Nathan Calish? He’s a son of Mercury. He’s good with strategy games” Nico shook himself from his state of shock “Hazel I really don’t need you to-“ Hazel continued to scribble “Maybe a Hephaestus kid? Jake Mason is pretty good looking without the casts”
Nico couldn’t help the laugh that bubbles to the surface. Maybe it was relief that Hazel didn’t hate him. That in fact she’d taken it upon herself to find him a boyfriend. Maybe it was the ridiculous list of male campers, both Roman and Greek, that she’d collected to run past him. She kept running through names and Nico kept trying to tell her it wasn’t necessary and he wasn’t looking to date right now that he appreciated all the work she’d done but- “Will Solace?” Nico’s face flushed a little “What? No. No I don’t like Will” Hazel paused and grinned. “Will Solace.” Nico started to blush against his best effort to remain neutral. “Hazel no I’m not-“ she circled Wills name in her notebook and shut it. To Nicos horror she got up from the table and made her way over to the Apollo table.
Nico tried to look busy with his food instead of the raw embarrassment he felt as he strained to narrow in on Hazels voice. “Hey Will, the Apollo cabin leads the campfire sing along right?” Will seemed a little confused, at least from what Nico could pick out of his voice “uh yea, why do you ask?” “I’m just not really familiar with how it goes and I was a little nervous, do you think Nico and I could join the Apollo cabin tonight?” Oh gods. What was Hazel doing? Nico face was burning as he stared intently at his barely touched dinner. “Oh yea of coarse” Will replied in his signature happy to help tone.
Nico was truly grateful that Hazel had accepted him, but what in hades had he gotten himself into?