Didn't Notice

So! Hello! I'm right back!

I should be studying phyisics because my final test will be on Monday but what is Karen doing? That's right! She's publishing a story!

You see, I swear I tried to stop this from happening but... it didn't quite work. I'm also trying to leave Nico for a while because most of my recetly published stories seem to be about him but... that didn't quite work either. So I'm back to were I started.

Just a short story that literally popped out of my mind on Thursday. I don't really know were it came from, but I'm reading The House of Hades and each time I see Nico and Hazel together I think that they are the cutest thing I've ever read about.

Anyways, here it is!

Didn't Notice

He didn't notice when he'd grown so fond of that girl.

He didn't notice when he stared to trust her. To really trust her. It just... kind of happened. It just felt okay, natural.

For example, Hazel had this certain liking for drawing her arms around him each time they saw each other and kissing him good–bye each and every time she said her farewell, even if they would see the other in a matter of hours.

He didn't notice when he started to hug her back, or to even await her with his arms already open.

He didn't notice when she started to win arguments without even trying. As soon as Hazel raised her golden eyes with something that was akin to a plea in the slightest, he would give in, surrendering into whatever it was that she was asking for.

Like for example, that night when she dragged him to the campfire.

She had stayed in Camp Half–Blood for a week, having gotten some sort of vacations from the Roman camp and bringing Frank with her.

She wanted to go to the campfire; Nico did not. He'd told her she could go on her own, arguing he wasn't even hungry, but she'd insisted, pointing out that all she really wanted was to be with him, and that he could still sit by her side and sip water or something.

It shouldn't have been hard to deny, Nico told himself. Others had tried the same thing before, and he'd always refused. Percy had tried, Jason had tried. Hell, even Chiron had, and he'd always been able to refuse.

Not so this time, he realized as he looked into her beautiful golden eyes that stared up at him pleadingly.

Was it that hard to make her happy?, he asked himself. No, no it wasn't. He just needed to go outside with her and sit next to his very own sister during a stupid campfire. How could he deny that simple happiness to this young girl that just so happened to be his sister?

And so he went outside, into the cheerful and happy atmosphere he had so effectively avoided until then.

Only then did he comprehend he'd done anything that Hazel ever asked him for if she stared into his eyes with that look in hers.

Hazel had become really powerful when it came to manipulating him into things he really didn't want to do, he told himself. But Hazel, of course, was completely oblivious to it.

He didn't realize he was actually enjoying the campfire with Hazel next to him either.

He didn't realize that suddenly it didn't feel awkward to smile at her, and he soon found himself cracking more and more tiny smiles until he finally let out a muffled laugh.

He didn't realize that he was actually answering her questions until she questioned about Mythomagic and he started rambling about random facts of the cards and figurines even though he had quit that stupid game years aback.