A/N:

Again, don't get too excited if you read any of my other stories. I'm not actually back. This is a one-shot that I wrote for my friend who, incidentally, is even more of a Percico shipper than I am.

Basically, this happened because she found two pictures of Nico on diviantart. One had Nico with an undercut, the other with a ponytail. So, naturally, we began discussing what Percy's reaction would be. What follows is the written out version of the ponytail one-shot we talked about.

I don't own Percy Jackson. If I did, Percy would have friendzoned Annabeth in the Labyrinth and gotten together with Nico. And that might turn into a fanfiction if I have time ;)

Nico didn't understand what he'd shadow traveled into. One moment he'd been in the calm Forum of New Rome- well, at least the most calm the Roman camp had seen since the mess with Gaea had finally ended.

Camp Jupiter was slowly by surely recovering from the havoc of the war. It was difficult, what with the Doors of Death having been left open for so long, releasing hundreds if not thousands of monsters to track; the legion's movement to Manhattan to lay siege to their Greek 'adversaries'; and the power plays that had taken placed after Reyna finally returned to the camp to reclaim her praetorship. The camp was healing, however.

But Camp Halfblood...

The area was a disaster after the Roman siege but Nico knew that not all of the damage that he now saw, gazing at his surroundings, was from that attack.

No, this damage was fresh.

Eyes widening in shock, the son of Hades only briefly noted that he didn't feel any recent death the area. That didn't necessarily mean anything, though. Panic threatening to rise, Nico drew his Stygian iron blade and set off towards the arena.

He new Percy's schedule better than the back of his hand. On a normal day, the son of Poseidon would be at the arena, training the younger and newer campers how to fight and defend themselves.

Nico vaguely recalled that Chiron had recommended that Percy teach the class. The centaur didn't want the new kids to start hero worshipping the teenager that, in the course of just a couple of years, had defeated both the Titans and the Giants in war and survived Tartarus. Seeing Percy fight wouldn't discourage hero worship. It had been seeing Percy in action that had set Nico on the long and perilous road of loving him.

But Nico pushed those thoughts away as the smoking arena appeared on te horizon. Seeing it struck another chord of alarm and Nico hastened on his way, keeping his senses alert for any threat, monstrous or otherwise.

Nico di Angelo had been through more than the average person. Hades, he'd been through more than the average halfblood. He'd witness his mother's death as just a little kid; he'd been thrown into a casino where he was literally frozen in time, unable to age, for seventy years; he'd nearly been mauled by a manticore and that was before he was even eleven years old!

He was a son of Hades, a bad omen to the Romans and not too welcome to the Greeks. He was the only demigod to have survived Tartarus on his own merits and dumb luck.

None of that stopped his heart from skipping a painful beat as he took in the sight before him.

Percy, his wonder but stupid- stupidly wonderful?- boyfriend was laying on the arena floor, covered with blood.

All of his care and caution vanished. Nico couldn't form words in English or Italian. He stumbled forward, his sword loose in his grip.

"Percy." Nico's mouth was dry, his jaw slack. Percy jerked at the sound of his name before groaning in pain.

"Nico..." His voice was weaked but he managed to raise his hand, reaching for Nico. The younger boy dashed forward, gripping Percy's hand firmly.

"What happened?" His voice was panicked. There was so much blood, but Nico could still feel Percy's life force, ebbing and flowing with a strong rhythm like the ocean itself- it didn't make sense but he wasn't sure that sense would make the situation any better.

"Attack," Percy coughed. A thin trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

"But you're not dying," was Nico's stammered response. With almost glassy eyes, Percy glared at him coughed crimson line at the corner of his mouth grew thicker.

"I think... I'd know..." the bloodied halfblood said. Nico frowned, still trying to gather up his frayed wits.

"No. I can feel your life force," he said. His voice was edged with uncertainty, though. Percy's wounds were undeniably mortal.

The son of the Sea God did not listen. He pulled Nico forward, grimacing in pain as Nico all but fell onto him.

"I needed to tell you..." Percy's voice was faint, so Nico leaned closer. Percy released Nico's hand, moving his to the back of Nico's neck, forcing the son of Hades closer still.

"Percy, what-"

"You were... my new dream..." At that, Nico's eyes darkened with confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but Percy was faster. With his free hand, Percy swiped Riptide up, easily slashing through...

Nico grew very still, not moving even as Percy grinned in victory, all pain forgotten.

In one hand, he held Riptide. In the other...

Nico's right hand slowly crept up to the back of his head, too stunned to think past the crushing truth. His pride and joy, the ponytail he'd taken years to grow, was gone. Percy stared at it in his hand as if it were a spoil of war, not noticing Nico's intensifying glare until the warm late spring breeze died down and the air grew cold and threatening.

"Jackson." Percy leaned away at the tone in Nico's voice. The older boy chuckled nervously.

"Uh... Um- I was... Practicing that scene from Tangled?" the boy stammered out. "Yeah, that's it! We're enacting it as a play. Yeah!"

"I will count to three."

Percy was on his feet in a heartbeat, backing away slowly as if Nico were a dangerous predator. The son of Hades did not move his dark eyes from Percy's frame, even as the battle-worn illusion faded in the background.

"One."

The Hecate girl responsible for the illusion scurried away, sensing the danger. Percy... Well, Percy wasn't exactly well-known for having good decision making skills.

"Nico, it's really not that big of a-"

"Three."

Stygian iron clashed against celestial bronze. Percy was terrified that, even though he was a great swordsman himself, his arm shook after absorbing the blow.

"What happened to two?"

Nico did not answer, save for launching another attack. Percy yelped, dancing away.

Later, at dinner, no one questioned Percy's bandages or bruises. They were too distracted by the victorious smirk on the face of Nico di Angelo.

"Remind me not to get on his list..." a whisper rang out.

Nico's smirk grew.

A/N:

Whelp, there you have it! You can see why it's named like it is.

Katherine, if you're reading this, I'll write Demi-Guard eventually! And I might even share the doc with you ;)

Till next unofficial return,

Sue