A/N: Hey y'all. Sol isn't dead, not by a long shot, but chapter 9 just doesn't want to be written right now. So I thought I'd post this instead - it's something I work on whenever I wanna break away from the seriousness of Sol in favor of crude sexual humor and shameless shipping. This is a mortal AU, and everyone here is college/university age. Pairings are Solangelo mainly, but also Percabeth, Jasiper, Frazel, Cecilou, and mild Jercy/Pipabeth. SO YEAH.
also this was supposed to be a one-shot but it completely got away from me because I'm hot garbage
Anyway. Content warning for explicit language, and probably mild sexual content later on. Specifically for this chapter: sexual harassment and graphic descriptions of anxiety. Keep yourselves safe.
"Just for the record, let it be known that I hate you both."
"We love you too, Neeks!"
"Yeah, you love me so much that you're making me stand outside, in the cold, in a long-ass line to get inside a gay club that almost certainly has entirely too many people inside of it for my liking; also the music is so loud that we could hear it from a block away. Yeah. I feel the love, Hazel."
"It's not a gay club, Nico, Elysium is open to all genders and sexualities."
"Oh, pardon me," Nico drawled sardonically as he hung his head backwards, "I meant to say 'the most popular nightclub in one of the most LGBT-friendly areas in Manhattan'. Thanks for the clarification, Reyna, really."
Reyna simply shook her head and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Trust me, you're going to have fun. I know you're nervous right now, but Nico, you need this." She gave him a gentle shake, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "You've been cooped up in your apartment for weeks, hermano. Jason doesn't think you've said more than ten words to him since the new year."
Nico tugged at his sleeve, averting his eyes. "I've been busy, Reyna. I have so many projects due, and I can't afford to waste time like this…"
Reyna pursed her lips in concern, letting go of Nico's shoulders at the sound of her ringtone. Retrieving her phone from her purse, she glanced toward their other companion. "Hazel, reason with him while I take this call," she said before stepping out of the line and walking down the sidewalk.
As his half-sister came into view in front of him, Nico let out an exasperated sigh. "You gonna try and convince me that this isn't a terrible idea? 'Cause you're gonna need a hell of a good argument."
Hazel's golden eyes were full of worry as she gazed up at him. "Nico, please. We're worried about you - all of us are. You're overworking yourself, you're not sleeping well, and-" she gripped him by his bony wrist, "you're barely taking care of yourself. We've all noticed how engrossed in your art projects you've been, and you've been working yourself sick..."
Nico simply stared down at her as she spoke, bringing his free hand up to push it through his hair. "You act like I don't already know this," he replied softly, "I know I haven't been eating or sleeping well. I'm not an idiot."
"I didn't say you were-"
"I just…" He bit his lip, wrapping his arms around himself. "My coursework is all I know how to do right now, okay? I'm working on a portfolio and it's helping me cope. It distracts me, it helps take my mind off of the depression. Being able to create things like this is what's keeping me sane, Hazel."
Hazel pursed her lips and reached up to cup his face in her hands, gently stroking his cheek as he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you've found this kind of distraction. I know everything's been so hard on you lately… but you just get so immersed in 'creating' that you're destroying yourself in the process."
"Which just makes me want to create even more. I know how unhealthy it is, believe me. But I don't know how to break this cycle, Hazel, I really don't."
Heaving a sigh, Hazel leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. "You just need a break, Nico. It'll be so good for you to loosen up, have some fun, meet a cute guy, anything.Your projects will still be there tomorrow, I promise."
"She's absolutely right," Reyna said as she rejoined them. "You need a night of fun and drinks and relaxing. Besides, you didn't do anything for your birthday, did you? Consider this a belated celebration."
Nico brought an arm up to drape it over Hazel's shoulders, looking between his two companions. "There's no use in arguing it, is there."
"Nope," Hazel replied, offering him a warm smile.
With his two favorite ladies giving him such fond expressions and words of encouragement, he found his resolve cracking. "Alright, I'll try to have a good time. Loosen up, have some drinks, or whatever."
"You forgot meeting a cute guy," Reyna replied with a wink. "Don't worry, I happen to be an excellent wingman."
Hazel enthusiastically nodded in response and gave him a quick squeeze before letting go. "If she can manage to get Leo a date, then there's plenty of hope for you!"
Nico rolled his eyes as they finally approached the doors of the club. "This is exactly how I wanted to spend my Friday night: getting dragged to a gay dance club by two women - one of which is my sister and the other who might as well be - both of whom are in committed relationships, and both of whom are set on scoring me some ass 'cause I haven't gotten laid since before my freshman year. Right. Sounds like a blast."
"That's the spirit, Neeks!" Hazel grinned, taking him by the arm. "Now come on. We've got a surprise for you."
Unsurprisingly, being a Friday night, Elysium was completely packed.
Hard techno music pulsed through the entire two-story complex as the trio slowly made their way around the crowded dance floor. Between the artificial fog and the array of lasers and spotlights illuminating the main area, Nico could already feel a headache coming on, his whole body throbbing in time to the music. Why had he agreed to this, again? The atmosphere was the complete opposite of everything he was used to. He still wasn't convinced that he'd have anything resembling a good time - the anxiety was already starting to bubble up in the pit of his stomach as they finally broke away into a less crowded area.
With firm grips on both of his arms, Hazel and Reyna led him up a short flight of stairs into an elevated sitting area with large booths and tables. He barely had a second to scan the area before a familiar voice got his attention.
"Hey, there he is!"
The second Nico looked up, he was swept into a crushing hug by Percy Jackson.
He felt the two girls leave his sides as he tried to assess what was happening. "Percy? What the fuck-"
"'M glad I called Reyna just now, we seriously thought you were gonna bail, man," Percy replied, pulling back to grip Nico by the shoulders instead. "After all the hard work we put into getting this party ready for you, too!"
"Party? What-" Standing on his tiptoes, Nico looked over Percy's shoulder at the full booth behind him. In addition to Hazel and Reyna, seated there was the rest of their group of friends - Annabeth, Leo, Frank, Jason, and Piper. The booth itself was decorated with a few black balloons, and on the table was a large platter of cannoli surrounded by more than a couple of bottles of liquor.
Realization dawned upon him, and he couldn't stop the smile tugging at his lips as Percy led him to the table. "You fuckers! You seriously did all this for me? Tell me whose idea this was so I can beat the shit out of them," Nico exclaimed as he exchanged excited handshakes with the others.
"Blame your roommate," Piper said, nudging Jason with her elbow. "He's the evil mastermind, we're just his cronies."
Jason grinned and slid out of the booth, wrapping Nico in such a strong hug that he was actually lifted off of the ground. Between Jason and Percy, Nico was starting to feel a bit like a deflating balloon. "Son of a bitch, Grace, this was your idea? I thought you had a date with Piper tonight, you ass!" he squeaked out as he was sat back down on the floor.
"Nah, that was just my cover story," Jason replied with a smirk, patting him on the back. "But dude. Bro. You've been stressing yourself out so much that I had to call in an intervention. Please don't kill me, college has totally drained my funeral funds."
Nico grinned and shook his head. "Nah, man, it's cool. I really do appreciate it. Thank you, all of you."
As Jason pulled away from him, he found himself accosted by Leo instead. "Aww yeah, we got a belated b-day for Nico-d-A," he chirped, pressing a paper crown, exquisitely embellished with the Burger King insignia, down onto Nico's head.
"Valdez, that was terrible, and you should be ashamed of yourself." Nico adjusted the paper crown as he waved Leo off, sliding into the booth next to Frank. "So, what, we just got cannoliand booze, or?"
"We brought a couple of games," Frank replied as he scooted over to make room for him, "since we figured you weren't much for dancing. Leo has Cards Against Humanity, and before the night is over, you and me are having a Mythomagic duel."
"Awesome." Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad after all. Nico had to hand it to his friends - whenever they did something for each other, they definitely went all-out with it. He shot a grateful look to both Hazel and Reyna, now thoroughly convinced that everything would be worth it.
A couple rounds of shots and several cannolis later ("Oh my gods, I'm going to marry whoever made these," Nico said around a mouthful of cream. "Piper and I did! We tried to find an 'authentic' recipe, I hope they're alright," Annabeth replied with a smile. "I am sooooo straight for both of you right now."), Nico was actually feeling pretty relaxed.
So much that he remembered that his head was pounding.
"I gotta take a time-out," he said, sliding out of the booth, "where are the bathrooms in this place?" Translation from di-Angelese: I need to step out for some fresh air because holy shit this place is loud and I'm a little overwhelmed, I love you guys but I want to love you from a distance right now.
"Other side of the dance floor, down that way," Reyna responded, pointing him in the correct direction. "Need someone to come with you?"
Nico shook his head. "Nah, I'll be alright. Be back in a minute." And with that, he slipped out of the sitting area and onto the main floor of the club.
Now that he was by himself, he could feel how massive the place was - and almost every square inch was was occupied by a body. Being careful not to touch anyone, which was more difficult than he'd anticipated, he slowly wove through the crowd, taking advantage of every gap he could squeeze himself into.
Despite the small buzz he had going from the few shots he'd taken, he could feel the bubble of dread settling in his stomach again.
Oh.
Somehow, he'd managed to wedge himself onto the dance floor, and now he was completely surrounded by gyrating bodies. Girls in crop tops and short shorts - even in January - and boys of all shapes and sizes wielding glow sticks and making out way too close to him. Elbows jabbing into his sides, hips rubbing up against his own, entire bodies stumbling into him without so much as an apology.
No no no.
His whole body was starting to heat up from the proximity, and the volume of the music was doing very little to help his headache. A wave of dizziness crashed over him as he desperately tried to weave through the crowd, his calls of "excuse me" going completely unheard. Pulling his leather jacket tighter around him, he swallowed the lump in his throat and did his best to make himself as small as possible until finally, finally, the edge of the crowd was within reach.
Thank the gods, Nico thought, I'm safe.
He quickly changed his mind when he felt a pair of hands on his hips.
The next thing he knew, he was being pulled back against a tall dark-haired man wearing nothing but white. "Mmm, look at you, with your fancy little crown," the man crooned in a deep voice, turning Nico around to face him. "Come now, little prince, let Eros show you a good time."
Oh no.
He could feel the panic attack begin to set in like molten glass flowing into his lungs as 'Eros' - that couldn't be his real name - aggressively gripped Nico's ass and gyrated his hips, grinding against him. "Fuck off and let me go," Nico gasped, pushing against the taller man as hard as he could.
Try as he might, he just didn't have the strength to combat Eros' vice grip. "Aww, you don't want to dance with me?" One hand left Nico's ass to fist in his hair instead. "Too late. You've already captivated me, your Highness."
Nico's breath came in quick, ragged gasps as he struggled against his captor, clawing at Eros' hands and arms, kicking wherever his legs could reach. He tried to call for help, but between his panicked breathing and dry throat, he couldn't even rasp loud enough to be heard over the music.
No no no no no no no.
He felt like his body was going to burn to a crisp; the bile started to rise in his throat as his head was pulled backward, a warm, wet tongue trailing along his neck. He barely had any idea of what was happening anymore - his vision was tunneling, edges starting to go black as the dizziness and lack of oxygen started overcoming him. He had to get out of there, had to get somewhere safe, had to get away from this man before…
In the midst of his panic attack, Nico found himself roughly pulled away from Eros and into a pair of warm arms.
"Dude, back the fuck off," someone called out from behind him. He didn't recognize the voice, especially since everything sounded murky and distant, as if he were underwater. But out of everything going on around him, three things stood out in particular: the arms encircling him, the drying trail of saliva up his neck, and his desperate need to breathe.
He was only vaguely aware of Eros' reply. "Tch, out to ruin my fun again, Solace? You don't have to be so jealous all the time, I know you want me but the clingy girlfriend act is getting old."
"First of all, I'd rather eat broken glass than fuck you." One arm left Nico's body to threateningly point in Eros' direction. "And secondly, I'm only gonna tell you this once, asshole: touch him again and I'll personally make sure that the next time you see your own dick, it'll be chopped off and shoved down your throat. Got it, fuckface?"
"Ugh, whatever. Take your little gothy twink and fuck off, he's not even that hot anyway."
Nico lifted his head to see a tanned arm flipping Eros the bird, and then he found himself being gently led away and pulled out of the crowd. His own pulse was throbbing so loudly in his head that he failed to hear his savior address him; all he could do was tightly grip the stranger's sweatshirt and lean forward, burying his face in the orange fabric in front of him.
He could tell the stranger was speaking again - "hyperventilating", "fresh air" - and then he was walking, a comforting arm draped around his shoulders. It seemed like it happened in a matter of seconds: a blast of cold air hit him, and then he was being lowered down into a chair.
Instantly, he felt his mind start to clear up.
"Okay, I'm going to need you to breathe with me." One hand clasped Nico's shoulder, and he felt another reach underneath his chin, gingerly lifting his head.
Despite already being out of breath, he felt it hitch in his throat the instant he saw the stranger's face.
In front of him was easily one of the most gorgeous men Nico had seen in a long time: constellations of freckles sprinkled across tanned skin, honey-blond hair framing his face in soft waves, and the clearest blue eyes Nico had ever seen in his life. It was like he was looking into the afternoon sky on a summer day, and this man in front of him was the sun itself. The man's obnoxiously orange hoodie only fed that analogy even more, with its yellow sun shape emblazoned on the front.
"Hey," the guy snapped his fingers in front of Nico's face, "you with me, man?"
Nico blinked and promptly pulled himself out of his reverie, only to have the events of the last fifteen minutes come crashing back down on him. "I-" The crowded dance floor, unfamiliar bodies relentlessly crashing into his own. Eros, the way he'd touched Nico, the way he'd spoken to him. "I- oh my god- I can't-"
He wrapped his arms around himself as he doubled over in his chair, feeling the panic start to rise again.
"Whoa, whoa, hey!" The blond gripped both of Nico's shoulders and slowly pushed him back up. "Shh, it's okay, you're safe now, you're going to be okay. Breathe. Here, watch me."
He took one of Nico's quivering hands in his own and placed it against the sun shape on his hoodie. Nico's first instinct was to push away, but the calm blue eyes that met his quickly made him drop that thought.
"Okay, breathe in real deep, through the nose," Nico felt the stranger's chest rise with his demonstration, "hold for a few seconds, then sigh it out. C'mon, do it with me. In…"
Nico drew in deep, shaky breaths, following along with the blond. Sure enough, after a few of these breathing sequences, he felt the dizziness begin to fade, and his nerves gradually started to settle.
"Good, that's it, you're doing great," the blond murmured as he rubbed slow circles into Nico's back. There was something so compelling about this man's voice that Nico found it difficult to disagree with; it was soft and warm, like actual sunlight. "This is the 'stress breath'," he continued, "it's really useful in these kinds of situations."
When Nico was finally able to regulate his breathing, he heaved a deep sigh and buried his face in his hands, rubbing at his tired eyes. "Good gods…"
The blond bent down, as if he were trying to meet Nico's gaze. "You alright...?"
Dropping his hands, Nico leaned back into the chair, staring up at the night sky above him. "That was the fucking worst. Who the hell was that guy?"
Before the stranger could answer, a pair of people - a short, built brunet and a woman with purple hair - approached where they were sitting. "Everything okay, Will? What happened?" The woman asked.
The blond - Will - made a noise of disgust and turned to her. "Eros happened, Lou. That should say enough. Cecil, mind grabbing some water for this guy, please?"
The short guy, Cecil, nodded and headed back inside the club as the woman called Lou pulled a chair over next to Nico's. "Gross. Fuckin' scumbag."
With the arrival of the other two, Nico had tensed up a bit; the last thing he wanted was more people crowding around him while he was already feeling overwhelmed. But still, he was curious. "Yeah, what's that guy's deal?"
Lou turned to answer him with a roll of her eyes. "Okay, so, Eros - that's not even his real fuckin' name, it's like, Eugene or something. But he comes in eeeevery weekend lookin' to score some hot young ass. Girls, guys, in-between, or none at all - it doesn't matter to him, he'll perv on anyone he can get his disgusting hands on. He's fuckin' creepy as hell. And all three of us have had to deal with him at some point."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Will groaned, finally removing his hand from Nico's back and raking it through his hair. "Last time he kept sneaking up on me and trying to grind on my ass."
"To be fair, your ass is pretty amazing. Very grind-able."
"True, but still. Didn't he grab your tits once?"
"Yes, and they're nice tits so I can't blame him, but I still decked him in the fuckin' jaw."
Nico scowled, a shudder running through his body. "Gods, what a douchebag."
"Yeah, it's a wonder they haven't banned him from the place yet," Will commented, crossing his arms. "I've tried telling the owners like a million times not to let his sleazy ass in 'cause literally all he does is drink a lot and hit on people half his age."
Lou nodded in agreement, meeting Nico's eyes. "It's 'cause his mom owns the place or some shit, I dunno. That's the popular rumor. Anyway, my friend Will here is like, actual Gay Jesus-"
"Pan Jesus, technically."
"-and goes around cockblockin' Eros whenever he sees him botherin' someone. He's like a fuckin' legend in this club."
Will scoffed, shaking his head. "That's overstating it, Lou. I just… I don't like seeing him do that to people. It's sexual harassment. I just try to do the right thing and intervene before someone gets hurt, you know?"
Nico turned to look at Will as he spoke, his own gaze boring into the other's, looking, searching. There was nothing but sincerity and compassion in those blue eyes of his, and Nico might've felt his heart melt just a little. "So… I guess I should thank you, then?"
Will shrugged and started to reply when Cecil came back with a small glass of water. "Here ya go," he said, handing it to Nico, "drink up, cool yourself down."
Nico gratefully took the water and sipped on it, the refreshing coldness soothing his throat muscles. He let out another long sigh after downing half the glass. "This is not my night. Didn't even really want to come."
He could feel Will's eyes on him, looking him over. "Yeah, you don't look like someone who'd hang out here a lot. It's not goth enough." Nico shot him a glare, only to be met with a cheeky smirk in response. "So? What brings you to Elysium tonight, ah…?"
"Nico. And I'm only here because my sisters thought it'd be fun to drag me out of my apartment so that my asshole friends could surpr- shit, my friends!" He suddenly stood up, setting his half-empty glass on a nearby table. "I said I was going to the bathroom, they probably think I bailed on them. Fuck."
The other three quickly exchanged glances with each other before standing up themselves. "Well, hey," Cecil offered, "we can walk ya back if you want."
Lou nodded, patting Nico on the back. "Yeah, that way if we run into Eros again then he'll know to fuck off."
"I…" Nico took a moment to weigh his options: walking back through the immensely crowded club with an extra three people on his back and possibly running into that douchelord again, versus his friends being mad at him for potentially skipping out on his own birthday party. The choice was pretty obvious here. "Yeah, okay. I'd appreciate that."