Where Were You When Everything Was Falling Apart?
Nico watched as Luke Castellan dreamt, falling into Morpheus' realm. He knew that Luke would not know who it was that he had really slept with last night, yet again.
He trailed a soft, pale finger along the beginning of a stubble, wishing that Luke would love him for him, when he was not in the guise of Percy Jackson. During the winter holidays he had learnt to shape shift thanks to King Minos. His favoured person to be was Percy as he could be with Luke truly. He could not only look like the son of Poseidon, but he could talk and act like him – Luke's first and only love.
The son of Hermes would wait in anticipation every night for the disguised Percy. The Percy that arched into his touch, the Percy that screamed and moaned his name. That's the moment when Nico stills knowing full well that Luke isn't his to taste, isn't his to caress, isn't his to love. It's wrong and should be his cousin here with him, but he's blissfully unaware of the fact and wrapped up in Annabeth's arms never to let go. She's his first love, his rock, and his best friend. Nico listens to Luke's pleas of them running away, them starting anew – somewhere where there's no judging, no lying, no hiding.
He bites his lip so hard during these times, he causes it to bleed. He wants to combust as the feelings for Luke are too strong, he wants to scream yes and run away, but this guise isn't his own body to command. His heart echos yes, yes, yes while his head (the part that is not wrapped up in Nico's world of lust) firmly says no. Nico understand that he can not keep up this charade for much longer, but what can he do?
They're all wrapped up into some sort of web. Nico loves Luke, Luke loves Percy, Percy loves Annabeth and Annabeth loves Percy – they are the couple everybody loved to hate.
Luke and Nico know once they've been ensnared by the web, there's no going back. They should be happy for the young couple and move on with their lives, but it's not as easy as said, as it is done. Others are trapped in the web, all lusting after Percy, and Percy alone like he was some kind of illegal drug and some lust after perhaps the most famous and well known daughter of Athena with her wise and stormy grey eyes and brains.
Nico plans on telling Luke who he is really sleeping with, but as soon as those perfectly sculpted lips mould into his, everything in his brain stop and it's a loop of Luke, Luke, Luke.
He finds out the next morning, as Nico's drained from yesterday's shadow travelling and to be Percy all night and all day is too much for his body to handle. Luke's eyes widen in shock as instead of the son of Poseidon lying beside him, it's the son of Hades. Luke doesn't think, he just acts as he punches a heartbroken Nico and kicks him out of his private quarters albeit half naked. The whole camp witnesses the altercation and can only guess what has occurred since Luke goes back inside his cabin and slams the door shut.
Nico sits outside Luke's cabin for a short while, just crying. People give him sympathetic looks, though they know the son of Hades well enough to leave him alone in peace. Just as he gets up to leave Percy comes and talks to him, soothing his pain. It's too much for Nico to handle, the teenager he's pretended to be for over two months was being nice to him and his eyes water yet again.
There would be terrible consequences if he was to tell Percy of his shapeshifting, but he knows it's the right thing to do. Every word that comes out of his mouth just stuns Percy and the elder boys eyes keep widening in unreadable emotions.
Shock and hurt are amongst the most visible.
As he finishes the whole telling of the saga, Percy can barely breathe out a sentence. 'I guess that's why Luke's been werid around me..' as trailed off, heading somewhere, away from Nico and away from Luke's cabin.
They're all at the mess hall for lunch and as Luke stands up he stalks off to Percy's table and presses his firm lips to his, and all the Aphrodite campers cheer. Though Annabeth looks as she could kill Luke over a million times if looks could kill. Shame she isn't Medusa. Percy pulls himself free of the embrace and shouts a long string of curses at him, that he isn't gay, that he loves Annabeth, the usual things people say. Luke catches Nico's eyes and they both come to a silent understanding.
Unrequited love, love not returned.
Where was Anteros when you really needed him, they needed avenging for the that love that was not returned!
