PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || The Pharaoh and the Present of Bastet || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO

Title: The Pharaoh and the Present of Bastet – Percico Positivity Project Day III

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; Egyptian AU

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, magic, catboy, teasing, explicit intercourse, anal, fluff, cuteness, hetero

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy

Side Pairings: Horus/Carter, Ethan/Alabaster, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Clarisse la Rue, Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf, Chris Rodriguez, Leo Valdez, Alabaster C. Torrington, Ethan Nakamura

Kane Chronicles Characters: Horus, Carter Kane

Summary: For the Percico Positivity Project – so there's not just Percico but also some Nicercy in this. ;) This is for today's fill – Victorian Era/Historical AU.

Seeing as I'm really not a fan of history, let's make this magical history. Where the magic of ancient Egypt is real and the goddess Bastet leaves a very special present for Pharaoh Nico. A catboy of extraordinary beauty who was supposed to steal victory from their opponents. Instead, the gorgeous creature named Perseus manages to steal the pharaoh's heart.

The Pharaoh and the Present of Bastet

Percico Positivity Project Day III

Carter loved being a priest, most of the time.

Most of the time being when people respected him for his work, or when he was hanging out with his fellow priests, or when the pharaoh treated him to one of the large banquets held in honor of the gods, or during services when he could witness the faith others put in their lord.

The other times being when that damn blasted god got too handsy or started whispering obscenities into Carter's ear throughout service and worse than that, the damn bastard licked his ear.

"Cut it our, birdbrain", hissed Carter below his breath, glaring straight ahead.

"How dare you talk to your lord like that", chided a mocking voice too close to Carter's ear.

Carter huffed and rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the god hovering over his shoulder. The good thing was that he was the only one who could see Lord Horus, because he was the head priest and had been 'chosen' by the god. It was supposed to be a big honor; Carter had stopped seeing it that way when it turned out his great hero and worshiped lord was an utter perv.

After service, Carter retreated to his own chambers in the temple – saved for the high priest with the special bond to their god. Figured that of all high priests of their realm, Carter was the one ending up with a perverted god who wanted a deeper special bond. As soon as the door shut behind Carter, Horus grasped him by the neck and pulled him into a heated kiss. Okay, so as annoying as Horus was, he was one hell of a good kisser. And he could actually be rather tender and sweet, if he wanted to. Not that Carter was every going to tell the already arrogant god that – it'd only inflate his ego even more and they really didn't need that. A whimper escaped Carter's lips as Horus' hand sneaked down to grope his butt. The god smirked victoriously into their kiss.

"There a special reason for today's harassment, or were you just horny and bored?", gasped Carter.

Horus was insanely handsome when in his human form. The first time Carter had seen the god, he had been in his truest form – humanoid body, with the falcon head. But it was Horus' choice how he appeared; from a regular, actual falcon to a proper human, there was any specter in between. He was tall, muscular, with sun-kissed skin and mismatched, nearly hypnotizing eyes. He also had the cheekiest grin that was borderline seductive, really. Exactly that grin was aimed at Carter once they parted, Horus' hands trailing tenderly all over Carter's body.

"Bit of all?", offered Horus with a content rumble in his chest. "I missed my favorite little mortal and Anubis was getting on my nerves again. Oh, also, I wanted to ask a favor of you."

"Yeah?", asked Carter curiously, leaning into his lord's caress. "What is it?"

Horus had never asked a favor before; he was a god – he just took what he wanted if it wasn't willingly offered to him. "Well, actually I'm the one who did you a favor..."

Ah, that sounded more like Horus. "How very gracious of you, my lord. Now, what is it?"

Horus huffed, biting Carter's earlobe. "Don't get cheeky, my little priest. Your realm is preparing for war and since I wouldn't want my precious little priest or his family to get hurt, I bargained with Bastet. She caved, because you know how charming and convincing I can be." Annoying and persistent, was what Carter's brain supplied. "She agreed to give your pharaoh a special blessing of hers, to guide your realm victoriously through this war. The big but: That blessing is very, very important to Bastet and if something happens to him, she will have my head and the head of anyone involved with it. So, I need you to watch out for him while he's in your world, okay?"

Carter bit his lips, frowning thoughtful as he laid his arms around Horus' neck. "I can do that, but... why me? Why not Clarisse, she's the high priestess of Bastet?"

"Oh, Basty will ask her high priest to take care of the little blessing, but the way I got to know that priestess, she's not exactly the caring doting kind", grunted Horus and made a face. "The little one needs someone to watch out for him; he has no idea what the human world is like. He's one of Bastet's most cherished younglings and she had kept him quite sheltered."

"Then why would she give our realm that blessing?", asked Carter suspiciously.

"Because the war you're heading in requires your realm's fleets to cross the big waters... and this particular child of Bastet is a... mixed breed, you could say", explained Horus mischievously. "From an affair she had with Greece's Poseidon, the god of the ocean."

Carter hummed surprised, blinking a couple times. So this 'blessing' was an actual being? A child of Bastet – no, not just Bastet, but also a god from someone else's pantheon? Carter had never heard of such a thing before. How come a god so powerful he originated from two pantheons would help?

"Is he a god? A demigod? Mortal? What... does he belong to?", asked Carter curiously.

"He's a demigod, technically. Since he's only half Egyptian god. Seeing as you cute little mortals get very offended and confused when someone claims their gods are more real than yours, all of us agree it's safer to not let you know we mingle sometimes. So he's... he stays in the godly realm. He doesn't have temples or worshipers because you mortals don't know of his existence. But what can I say? I've grown decidedly too fond of you and he's best equipped to help you", answered Horus.

Carter's eyes softened as he looked up at the god with a smile before pulling him down into a heated, deep kiss that had Horus grunting in delight and wrapping his arms around Carter.

"Mh. I like that. I'm gonna send new gods down to you more often if it gets you to kiss me."

"Don't. Don't ruin the moment", sighed Carter annoyed, glaring at Horus. "Just... hold still and look gorgeous while I kiss you, you think you can do that?"

"Such a cheeky little priest", hummed Horus pleased as he leaned in. "Please, use me."

Carter snorted as he leaned up to capture Horus' lips again.

/break\

Carter had a couple of friends among the other high priests – as the chosen ones of their gods, they had a higher status, were very close to the pharaoh and there was just one thing no one else would ever understand. They could talk to their god, could even touch and it was not just a great honor, it was also rather incredible. Some of his closest friends were two priests in particular, as well as their respective others. Chris, the high priest of Seth and local trickster, as well as Silena, the high priestess of Hathor and local matchmaker. Chris' wife was Clarisse, the high priestess of Bastet, while Silena's husband was Charles, the high priest of Ptah and best of the blacksmiths in their realm. Silena was a lovely woman who was like a mother to most of the younger priests, Carter included. After Carter's sister Sadie joined the army and he felt very alone, she took him under her wings. Her and her husband Charles had adopted a young orphaned boy named Leo who was around Carter's age. The two had soon become friends and usually hung out with Chris and the other priests of Seth – Travis and Connor in particular. Leo was a very mischievous person, so he fit right in and while Carter may not be that much into pranking, he did enjoy letting go every now and again and not being the serious and responsible one just for once.

"Carter! Hey, I didn't know you were planning on coming over!", exclaimed Leo excited.

He ran out of the house and jumped Carter excitedly. Silena was looking out the window, smiling and waving at them both. When looking for Clarisse, the first place to look was at her best friend's house and that was Silena. Not to mention that Clarisse hated cooking and Silena loved cooking for a big family, so the two married couples usually ate together (for which Chris was very grateful).

"You're just in time! Dinner is ready!", greeted Silena pleased. "Come, sit down."

Carter smiled in return as he and Leo entered the home and joined the others at the dining table. Chris and Charles nodded their greetings while Clarisse grunted in acknowledgment.

"I actually didn't come here for dinner, though I'm not passing on it either", laughed Carter.

"Then what can we do for you?", asked Charles seriously.

"I came looking for Clarisse", answered Carter and turned toward Clarisse. "Had an interesting conversation with Lord Horus today. Apparently, we're expecting a very special... blessing from Lady Bastet. I was wondering if you've heard about that from her?"

"She mentioned something like that", grunted Clarisse with a frown. "Why?"

"Well, Horus wants me to take care of it", sighed Carter a little annoyed.

"Why, thank the gods", countered Clarisse amused. "And here I started thinking I'd have to play babysitter. Please, be my guest. You take care of the 'little one', as Lady Bastet called him."

"A little one?", echoed Silena concerned. "Are you sure you're equipped for a child?"

Carter sighed again and shrugged. "Let's see how this goes..."

/break\

"...That's Lady Bastet's great idea to help us?", asked Clarisse doubtfully. "How?"

She was glaring pointedly at the black ball of fluff that she was holding up by its neck. The little thing meowed offended and stared over at her with its incredibly large intensely greenish-blue eyes. Carter grunted in agreement and reached out to poke the little kitten's nose. It mewed again and laid its paw on Carter's finger. Carter had to smile a bit, it really was a cute little thing.

"It's not what I expected, but still. Lord Horus and Lady Bastet said to watch out for it and that it will help us, so we should probably bring it to the pharaoh", offered Carter slowly.

"If nothing else, Pharaoh Nico is going to love the little cuddle-creature", grinned Silena.

"Oh yes, Pharaoh Nico looks like quite the cuddler to me", drawled Carter out.

Silena giggled at that and shrugged before the trio and the kitten started heading over to the palace. Clarisse held the fluffy kitten as far away from herself as possible. Being the high priests they were, they practically instantly got an audience with the pharaoh. Pharaoh Nico was a handsome young man, with olive-skin and dark, piercing eyes. He was wearing his wig and make-up and the fancy robes for official meetings, but Carter had already seen him casual and relaxed sometimes – he wasn't a strict pharaoh, not with the staff he trusted. Next to him sat two of his closest confidants, his adviser Ethan and Alabaster, the high priest of Isis. The inner circle of Pharaoh Nico were his adviser Ethan, Alabaster of the Isis Temple, Clarisse of the Bastet Temple and Carter himself. Their realm, above all other gods, worshiped a trinity of Isis, Bastet and Horus – the goddess of wisdom, nature and magic, the goddess of war and the great god of the sky. Other splinter realms of Egypt had their focus on different other gods, but their realm had grown and flourished with nature's blessing, victory in war and the guidance of the sky. They of course also had temples for other gods and paid their respects to them – as proven by Charles, Chris and Silena for example. And Carter knew that Nico himself had a particular preference toward the death gods – he had lost his mother very young, then his sister and in the end also his father, crowning him pharaoh at a young age. Carter, Clarisse and Silena bowed down before him.

"What can I do for you, high priests?", inquired the pharaoh curiously.

"The gods have spoken to us", started Carter slowly. "Lord Horus showed concern for our realm's plans to go to war with the lands oversea. He and Lady Bastet made a deal."

"Lady Bastet told me she would send us a present, a blessing for our coming war that would lead us to certain victory", added Clarisse before frowning. "I'm... unsure how exactly, but..."

"What is this present of Lady Bastet?", asked Nico as he sat up straighter in his throne.

"Well...", drawled Clarisse as she held up the fluffy kitten. "This appeared at the temple this morning, in a woven basket of gold and wrapped in blue satin sheets."

"...A... kitten?", asked Alabaster ridiculed. "And you're sure it wasn't just an offering from some rich family to Lady Bastet? It happens. Bastet's temple is filled with stray cats."

"I'm aware", grunted Clarisse pointedly. "But I do think this is different."

"What's it supposed to do? Use its kitten-eyes to purr our enemies into submission?", snorted Alabaster with one raised eyebrow. "Oh, I know! It'll claw their eyes out!"

"Alabaster, enough", growled Ethan darkly, effectively shutting Alabaster up for about a second.

"What? You know I'm right. What's a tiny kitten supposed to do to help us? If it was a mighty black panther, then I may see a point, of sorts, but...", countered Alabaster weakly.

The kitten started glowing in a bright, blue light and Clarisse let go of it instantly as it turned from a ball of fluff into a gorgeous young man, with lean muscles but not bulky, fair skin, shoulder-long black hair that looked like silk and the same intense sea-green eyes as the ball of fluff. He also had pointy black cat-ears sticking out from between his hair and a long, fluffy tail whipping behind his body. A nicely defined sixpack, broad shoulders and long, lean legs. He was also stark naked.

"I am Perseus, son of Lady Bastet and bringer of victory. I will lead your army into battle and I will rain darkness and despair upon your enemies. I will conquer all lands you want and I will make you great and celebrated", announced the catboy as he strode up to the pharaoh with an air of authority and leadership that demanded attention and respect. "I will bring you victory and greatness."

The pharaoh stared wide-eyed at the gorgeous creature that stalked up to him until he was right in front of Nico. The god slowly laid his arms around Nico's neck as he came to straddle Nico's lap. Those intense and beautiful cat-eyes looked closely at Nico, seemingly searching for something. As he found whatever he was looking for, he started purring and leaned in, licking a broad stripe up on Nico's cheek before leaning in to whisper into Nico's ear.

"You will be mine and I will give you everything you could desire", whispered Perseus.

"Y—Yours?", stammered Nico overwhelmed before clearing his throat. "What does that mean?"

Perseus leaned back with a cheeky grin on his lips and tilted his head. "I'm easily bored. You shall entertain me. Care for me and I will help you out with your little war."

"Entertain you?", echoed Nico stunned. "I – my realm – will give you everything you could want. You shall get the biggest, most beautiful room in the palace, all the food you want and the most beautiful dancers to keep you entertained, or whatever else you could desire."

"And", started Carter loudly, stepping forward a little. "Lord Horus sent me to... help you around. I'm Carter, the high priest of Lord Horus. And this is Clarisse, the high priestess of your mother. We will provide you will all the guidance you require in this foreign world. And, ah, something that should be mentioned is that... we generally wear clothes in this world."

Perseus looked confused as he jumped off the pharaoh's lap and proceeded to look down on himself and then check the others. "Why do you do that?"

"...Because it's decent", pointed Carter out with a deadpanned look.

"It's a hindrance", countered Perseus and tilted his head. "The three primal urges of humans are sleep, food and mating. Clothes do obstruct the mating-process though. How do you know how well-endowed your chosen mate is if they're covered with those clothes?"

"We are not that primitive", countered Alabaster offended.

The young god started laughing loudly, startling the others, until he realized no one else was laughing. "Oh. Oh, you are serious. Oh, that's so adorable of you. What is this war about that you are planning to start? To secure food for your people. Why did they attack you before? Because some of their drunk soldiers desired to mate with the females on your boat. Those are your most basic instincts – eat, sleep, mate. You're being silly if you think otherwise."

Carter snorted amused and shook his head. "Let's say you are right, but we still do cover ourselves in this world. So, if you wish to... fit in among us humans, would you consider covering up?"

Perseus sighed and snapped his fingers, covering his loins in a beautiful blue silken cloth, ankles, wrists and neck decked out in golden jewelry. The blue silk was dyed from the darkest blue to the lightest shade of shallow sea-water, looking like the sea was swirling around him.

Perseus nodded slowly as he checked if his robes looked good, looking around curiously. "Good. So, show me this room you talked about and then bring me that food you mentioned."

Carter exchanged a look with Nico and nodded after he saw the slightly lost intensity in those dark eyes. "Please come with me, Lord Perseus. I will show you the palace."

"Wonderful!", exclaimed Perseus pleased and hopped over to Carter. "Please, lead the way."

/break\

Nico was a fair and generous pharaoh. He did everything for his people and now that things were going a bit rough, he planned on expanding his realm. They needed the resources they could get in the lush kingdom on the other side of the sea. Coincidentally, they had been in a delicate state of peace with that kingdom anyway, a treaty that had been violated by them by attacking one of Nico's ships. But war, as it was, was always a risky business. They had great forces, Lady Bastet took a liking to them. Not just that, apparently. She had sent her own son from the realm of the gods to help them out. Nico had spent the past two hours consulting with Ethan, Alabaster and Clarisse. Now he was tired – it had already been late when the three priests and the god had shown up. All he wanted was some peace and quiet so he could go to bed and sleep some. When he entered his private chambers however, he was not alone. An agitated priest of Horus sat on the divan by the balcony and... Lord Perseus was spread out on Nico's bed, rolling around like a cat.

"...I'm sorry, am I missing something?", inquired Nico slowly, watching the catboy.

Lord Perseus was utterly fascinating, he was so incredibly gorgeous and looked so stunningly cat-like, considering how flexible he was. The catboy tilted his head curiously as he sat up, cat-ears twitching and large, sea-green eyes unblinking as he stared at Nico. Gods, he was gorgeous.

"You said I will receive the largest, most beautiful room", pointed Percy out. "After surveying your palace, I came to the conclusion that this is the largest, most beautiful room. So I will live here."

"He's been very stubborn about that", added Carter, looking frustrated. "I tried telling him..."

Nico shook his head hastily. "No, it's fine. He is a god, he shall get whatever he desires in this world. If he wants my room, I will... go and look for another place to stay, I suppose."

"No", hummed Perseus confused, tilting his head in the other direction. "You stay here. It's your room, or so I was told. I will stay here with you. I will stay at your side, my pharaoh."

The way he said 'my pharaoh' was so different from what Nico was used to; normally, his subordinates said it with so much respect and honor as though they were more his. But how Perseus said it, it truly sounded as though Nico was the god's possession. His. The thought made Nico blush, even though he was aware that all humans were the gods' property.

"I don't understand", drawled Nico out, looking at the god confused.

"Well...", hummed Perseus and sat up some, tilting his head once more. "I'm a god. You know we normally don't exactly just come down to Earth to help you humans. So, you – personally you, as the pharaoh and leader of your people – will have to prove yourself to me. Now, there's a lot of planning and such ahead of us. During that time, I will stay at your side and I will watch you. I want to see you, as a leader and also as a person. How you treat the highest people in your realm and how you treat the lowest people in your realm. I need to know if you're worthy of my help."

"That... is understandable, my lord", nodded Nico slowly.

"Call me Percy", offered/ordered Perseus, blinking his large eyes. "Mother named me Perseus, but I'm not too fond of the name. It's so... long and posh. And if we're going to spend a lot of time together, I don't need you to always drop titles. I hate the whole lord stuff."

"No promises", grunted Nico doubtfully. "Never been on a first name basis with a god before."

Percy laughed amused by that and licked his lips. "So, this one is going to help me out around here, right? And you are going to let me stick with you to get to know you, right?"

"Right", confirmed both Nico and Carter.

Somehow, Carter would have preferred it if the kitten had stayed a ball of fluff...

/break\

Nico had never been privileged enough to meet a god; it was one of the things he envied the high priests for. Though then again, a cynical part of him had always assumed the high priests were just full of it and that the gods were more of a fictional manifestation of something to cling onto. Having a cat turn into a catboy who had special powers, that was solid. Yet Perseus – Percy – was so not how Nico had ever pictured a god to be. He was playful and cheeky and mischievous. He had a mouth to himself and wasn't afraid to use it; then again, why should a god ever be afraid of that? But somehow Nico had expected a god to be formal and serious; nothing like Percy actually was. Percy was also the peak of human perfection when it came to looks, though that was kind of expected. That gods were beyond beautiful. But Percy was even more than that. Percy was perfect.

And Percy was clingy.

Nico frowned as he adjusted the little kitten on his head a little. Percy had been serious about staying at his side. During all of his meetings today, Percy had stayed mostly either on Nico's shoulder or on his head; he was just so small and fragile as a kitten that he could easily nestle in Nico's hair. Silena giggled delighted as she watched the pharaoh and the kitten.

"It's hard to believe this little cutie is a god", pointed Silena out as they continued their way.

Nico refrained from commenting, because he generally had a hard time grasping that Percy was indeed a god. The kitten on his head meowed and pawed at Nico's head, making him wince a bit. This morning, Percy had declared that he would be staying in cat-form for now to observe; he didn't want to alert the humans of a god's presence just now. Nico respected that and promised to keep his identity hidden and not share the news with anyone.

/break\

Humans were weird creatures. Funny and entertaining, but very weird indeed. Percy blinked a couple times, tilting his head as he watched the pharaoh sitting on his bed, going through some documents. Percy was laying on a balk above the bed. Tilting his head, Percy let his tail swing low so its tip ran over Nico's head at every swing. The pharaoh grunted and swatted at the offending thing, until he realized said thing was attached to a god. It was a funny thing to watch, for Percy. Nico would react annoyed or tired until he realized Percy wasn't actually human or a real kitten and then he'd go all stiff and cautious. Percy liked it better to be treated human though.

"What are you doing there?", purred Percy curiously.

"Going over some trading contracts", replied Nico, not looking up.

"That sounds boring", sighed Percy with a pout. "Pharaoh, I'm bored..."

Sighing softly, Nico put the papers down and looked up at the pretty god. "...This is important, my lord. If you need me to do something, I will, but... if there's even the slightest chance you can entertain yourself, that would be very appreciated."

Nico huffed as he got swatted square in the face by a bushy cat-tail. "I told you not to call me lord. It's Percy. But fine, if you don't wanna entertain me, I'll go see what the high priest is doing! He said he'd be my guide around here, right?"

"What a wonderful idea, lo—Percy", agreed Nico relieved.

Grinning broadly, Percy jumped off the balk and landed on his feet, before he walked over to the balcony so he could jump out of it and land in the garden. For the sake of keeping his identity a secret for now, he made his ears and tail disappear. He didn't like this; it slowed down his senses to be quite this human, but he'd survive for now. It was a real shame that Nico didn't want to do something. Percy would have liked to play with the pharaoh. So far, Percy had the impression that Nico was all work and no play, which would be a bit disappointing. Sure, it would mean that Nico was a diligent pharaoh and all, but still Percy wanted something more than just that.

"Lord Perseus. Not that you're not free to walk around as you want, but... what are you doing outside the palace without the pharaoh?", asked Carter suspiciously once Percy found him.

"I'm bored. The pharaoh doesn't want to entertain me. So I thought you may wanna play with me", declared Percy with a broad grin, tilting his head. "Will you play with me?"

"I have no idea what you want to play", admitted Carter with a frown.

"I dunno. What do you humans do for fun around here?", shrugged Percy.

"I for my part go and visit Silena", offered Carter slowly.

"The pretty one? I saw her this morning and wasn't she with you and the grumpy one yesterday too?", asked Percy eagerly. "She has a kind soul. Okay, let's go visit her."

"The grumpy one?", snorted Carter amused. "That... fits."

By the time they reached the cozy little house, Charles and Leo were already outside and sparring. Even though Charles and Silena didn't want for Leo to ever join the army, they still wanted him to be able to defend himself. Percy hummed and tilted his head as he watched the two.

"Those are Charles, Silena's husband, and Leo, their adopted son", explained Carter.

"Interesting", noted Percy. "The father's technique is... not bad, but the son is a disaster."

"That is generally how we describe Leo, yes", agreed Carter amused. "Come, I'll introduce you."

"As Percy, please. We try not to make it public knowledge yet that a god is wa-", started Percy.

"Oh! Is that the god mom talked about?"

Percy actually jumped in surprise as the younger Egyptian was all of a sudden right in front of him, eying him with wide almond eyes. That much for being a secret. Carter snorted amused as he ushered everyone inside, with Charles eying them doubtfully and following right behind.

"Yes, Leo. This is Lord Perseus, who prefers to be called Percy, which in itself is giving Pharaoh Nico a minor headache", stated Carter with a deadpan.

Once they were inside, Percy figured that he could show his preferred form – freeing his ears and tail. Leo yelped before gaping. The little mortal seemed rather amusing to Percy.

"Woah", whispered Leo in awe. "What are you the god of? What can you do?"

"I'm the son of Bastet, a minor god of war, specifically of war heroes and the sea. I will lead the fleets over the ocean and into victory", replied Percy, twitching a bit as Leo poked his ear.

"I—I am so sorry, my lord. My son is just very... curious", stammered Silena worried.

"Not a problem", hummed Percy. "But I'd appreciate it if we'd stop it with the poking."

"Right. Sorry", grinned Leo sheepishly and ducked his head.

"Is there anything we can do for you, Lord Perseus who prefers to be called Percy?", asked Charles.

"Nah. I was just bored. Carter told me he comes here when he's bored", replied Percy and tilted his head. "I want to do something fun! What do mortals do for fun?"

"Oh, we could go to the Nile and play some in the water?", offered Leo. "It's really warm today."

"We live in Egypt. It's always warm", sighed Carter frustrated.

"Let's do the Nile thing", agreed Percy eagerly.

/break\

Wet cats were a strange thing. Especially when they were oversized humanoid cats. Nico watched curiously how the dripping wet god climbed in through the balcony just to stretch widely in a way that should not be possible with human bones and joints. Then he shook himself – effectively dripping water all over the place – and easily shrugged out of his robes, remaining naked aside from the expensive looking jewelry. Gods, he was gorgeous. Nico knew he was repeating himself there, but damn, Percy was the most mesmerizing creature Nico had ever seen.

"Here", grunted Nico gruffly and wrapped a fluffy, expensive towel around Percy's shoulders.

"Oh. Oh, I like this", purred Percy in delight and snuggled into the cloth.

"That is good. Why are you wet, if I may ask?", inquired Nico curiously.

Percy dodged Nico to make a beeline for the bed, where he curled together with his new cuddle-towel, purring in utter bliss. "Carter gave me a Leo! I will accept that one as an offering. He's fun. We were at the river and played ball, which was curious but fun. Now I'm exhausted."

"Yeah?", chuckled Nico fondly as he watched Percy yawn widely.

"Uhu. Well, it's what Carter called it at least", sighed Percy, glaring up from between the towel, cat-ears twitching. "It's new to me though. Being... tired. I'm a god. We don't need sleep. We don't tire."

"...Then why do you?", asked Nico concerned.

"Human world. Human rules", sighed Percy and rolled onto his back, stretching out.

The towel slipped and revealed a lot of the Percy. Nico appreciated the sight as he slowly approached and tentatively sat down next to Percy. Last night, Percy hadn't slept; he had roamed the room and the palace, been at a different place every time Nico woke.

"You can... have the bed, of course", drawled Nico slowly, eyes darting to the divan.

Percy frowned up at him confused, pawing the air with his hands which looked to equal parts ridiculous and endearing. "Okay, how much do I have to bend myself before you start giving me belly-rubs? Because this is getting ridiculous and kind of uncomfortable."

"...Belly-rubs?", echoed Nico dumbly.

"Yes", hissed Percy, body basically forming a 'c' at this point. "I'm tired. I don't like this feeling. I want belly-rubs to make it better and you give amazing belly-rubs. You gave me one this afternoon too! When you were in that extremely boring meeting with the extremely boring seer with the nasty temper. I like your belly-rubs, so I want more. Now, will you give me belly-rubs or not?"

"I—That was different! You were a cat!", defended Nico flushed.

Yet Percy was looking at him with those undeniable kitten-eyes. Despite himself, Nico felt his cheeks flushing darkly as he reluctantly reached out and – oh gods, those firm, toned muscles, the incredibly soft skin, the way Percy twitched at the first contact and then started purring loudly and leaning into the touch, curling around Nico. Nico had to smile as he started caressing Percy's stomach. It was so firm and yet soft and felt so good for the touch. All too soon, Percy fell asleep under Nico's touch and the lulling sound of Percy's purring also made Nico sleepy after a while.

/break\

When Nico woke up, he had Percy safely tugged under his chin and was holding onto the young god tightly. They must have cuddled up in their sleep. Nico had to smile a little as he buried his nose in the soft hair, before he realized what he was doing and flustered again. He was not supposed to lay with a god like that. Before he could let go of Percy, the catboy pressed up against him even more. Nico cautiously started running his fingers over Percy's sixpack again, making Percy purr.

"There's a good mortal", hummed Percy in delight, twisting a bit to bare his stomach more.

"Good morning to you too, my lord", chuckled Nico amused.

"What happened?", yawned Percy confused. "You were patting my belly and I closed my eyes for a moment and... and now there is the sun, rising again. How is that...?"

"You were asleep, Percy", explained Nico softly. "It's a human thing. The human body needs it."

"Huh. Right. Yeah, human body. Needing different things than bodiless deities", sighed Percy with a frown, spreading his hand out in front of him and watching it. "This body won't last though."

"What... does that mean?", asked Nico concerned.

"I'm a god; our souls are... so much bigger than a human's. They can't be contained in a mere mortal body, not without a... tie to this world", explained Percy. "We can walk the Earth for a few days, but for anything more, we need a bond to a mortal, to tie us to this world."

"Oh. And what does that mean?", inquired Nico confused.

"It means what it means. I need a mortal to bond with. Of course, the immortal soul of a pharaoh would... make that bond so much tighter", hummed Percy lightly. "Not that I wouldn't chose you based on, well you, too. After all, I came here to assist you."

"Of course. Okay. It... It would be an honor to be your tie to the world", replied Nico softly.

Percy had the silliest, happiest smile on his lips, hiding his face in the pillow as he snuggled up to the pharaoh holding him. Nico had started patting Percy's belly again, tracing patterns on the god's skin just the way Percy liked it. This was perfect. Nico had agreed. Nico had agreed to become his mate! Oh, Percy had kinda-sorta stalked the pharaoh for years now, admired the handsome, kind and wise mortal from afar. When Horus had approached Bastet about helping Pharaoh Nico, Percy had begged and pleaded his mom about giving him a chance. He wanted to get to know the mortal he had been crushing on for years – and he wasn't disappointed. Nico was everything he had been from afar, only better. And he gave the best belly-rubs ever! Percy wanted Nico, more than he had ever wanted anything in his immortal life. And Nico had agreed to become his!

/break\

It was nearly a week later that Carter had to endure a miserable Percy. The catboy kept sighing and whining as he rolled around on the ground like he couldn't find a position that was comfortable. Any mortal, Carter would have already hit with a stick to make them shut up.

"Is something... wrong, my lord?", asked Carter slowly, going over his scrolls.

"Why didn't Nico start courting me yet?", mewled Percy miserably.

That got Carter's attention enough to make him put his scroll down. "Come again?"

"It's been days now that I told him that I want to bond with him to tie me to this world so I can keep this body and not have to go back home, but he hasn't started courting me yet", said Percy.

"I think I need some more information on that one", requested Carter.

Percy sighed and sat up straight, looking over at Carter. "We gods, we can't maintain a physical body forever. It lasts... like, one moon cycle at max. We need an actual tie to this world to keep the physical body going. And I told Nico that and that I'd like to form that bond with him and he was all 'I'm honored' and stuff, but... but he hasn't started courting me yet. Does that mean he doesn't want me after all? Or am I not fit to be a pharaoh's mate? Is my physical form not appealing to humans? It's the ears and tail, right? They freak him out. He doesn't want me."

Without the ears and tail, Carter would be convinced that he was merely talking to a teenager who got his heart broken for the first time, not an all powerful god. "Percy... What does 'bond' mean?"

"Mate-bond. What else kind of bond is there?", asked Percy very confused.

"Mate... bond...?", echoed Carter dumbly. "What does that mean?"

"Well, that I'm his and he's mine and we're mates throughout eternity. I will wait in the realm of the gods once his... time on Earth ends and will welcome him among us so we can spend eternity together. It entails kissing and such things too", explained Percy, raising one eyebrows. "How do you not know that? You've been mated to uncle Horus for years now!"

Carter's eyes widened as he blinked slowly. Well, that would explain why they could have sex while the other priests – after Carter once innocently asked around – could only talk to them and see them. No lasting physical form. Oh, Horus was going to get an earful for that one.

"Percy, listen. I will go and... investigate, okay?", asked Carter softly. "I'll find out what's going on and you will... you will go and play with Leo some. He's been getting on my nerves with his unbound energy. Run him around the city a couple times, will you?"

"Leo is not a puppy", pointed Percy out.

"Could have fooled me", snorted Carter amused.

/break\

Nico was in the middle of eating with Ethan and Alabaster. They were his closest friends, so he enjoyed being just with them and relaxing some from time to time. He was missing his cuddly kitten though. He had already grown so used to Percy's presence and the cat or catboy being curled together on his lap and demanding belly-rubs. Over the past two days however, Percy had been... pulling away. He also seemed rather... sad these days. Nico didn't like it.

"What do you think would cheer up a god?", asked Nico with a frown.

"So far, I always figured offerings and praying. Now however, I think... cuddles and belly-rubs?", snorted Alabaster with one raised eyebrow. "And, apparently, high priestess Silena's cooking."

Ethan snorted while running his fingers through Alabaster's hair. "He has a point."

"Aw, thanks, love", cooed Alabaster with a smirk as he leaned in to steal a kiss from Ethan.

"I'm serious", sighed Nico frustrated. "He doesn't... seem to want belly-rubs these days."

"...You upset the god?", asked Alabaster incredulously.

"I don't know what I did", groaned Nico even more frustrated now.

"Maybe I can help with that."

The three turned toward the doorway where Carter stood, with a rather pointed look. Nico raised both eyebrows as he took the borderline scolding look on Carter's face in. It was untypical for the young priest to disrespect Nico. It did happen, but only rarely.

"Care to elaborate on that?", inquired Nico, voice rather strict and no-nonsense.

Carter opened his mouth, licking his lips slowly in a thoughtful manner as he approached. "You remember Percy talking to you about bonding to tie him to this world?"

"Yes", nodded Nico slowly. "It's... It's..."

"A great honor. Yes, I heard that you said this", sighed Carter. "So, do you actually know what it means or were you just generally honored at whatever Percy was saying?"

"...The latter", admitted Nico with a nearly sheepish look. "I figured this bond-thing is what you high priests have with the gods and they just need your consent to form it or whatever."

"That's... not quite it", sighed Carter and sat down.

"So, what is it?", asked Alabaster curiously.

"A mate-bond. Percy wants to be your mate, my pharaoh. It 'entails kissing', according to him. He's waiting for you to court him. He assumed you knew what he was talking about, so he's been waiting for you to court him and you're not doing the courting and now he's being miserable. And believe me, a miserable god is something very hard to endure", sighed Carter frustrated.

"...M—Mates?", echoed Nico a bit flustered. "What does that mean? What's... courting?"

"You really need an explanation on what mating means?", asked Alabaster ridiculed. "Carter just said 'it entails kissing', so I'd say it means the whole romance and sex deal."

"Oh", nodded Nico, eyes large and round as he nodded slowly. "That... sounds good. Better than what I thought it means. So... Percy wants a relationship with me?"

"An eternal relationship", clarified Carter seriously. "He mentioned waiting in the realm of the gods for your eternal soul once your time on Earth is up so you can be together forever."

"Well, that's a... serious commitment", drawled Nico out.

"Frightens you?", offered Carter unimpressed, one eyebrow raised.

"A bit", shrugged Nico with a frown. "But... it also kind of sounds right? I can't explain it, but it sounds... good. Very good. I've grown very attached to him. Today has been so boring and strange without him at my side. The idea of always having him at my side is... nice. Very nice." Nico straightened his back and stared at Carter. "What do I have to do? What's courting?"

Carter was a little surprised by the eagerness in Nico's eyes. "I can... find that out for you."

"Yes!", nodded Nico. "Wonderful. Thank you."

/break\

"It's untypical for you to summon me", accused Horus amused as he stepped up to Carter. "Untypical but very much appreciated. Did you miss me, my little priest?"

He grinned delighted as he wrapped one arm around Carter's waist to draw the human in, just to have Carter hit his chest very hard. "You idiot god. You mated with me. Without my knowledge!"

"...Uhm. Well, I mean... I asked you, kinda", shrugged Horus awkwardly, getting hit again. "Ouch. Hey, I asked you before we had sex for the first time if you were sure we should mate!"

"I thought mating just referred to the act of sex, not an eternal commitment", hissed Carter.

"...You don't actually think I'd ever let you slip away from me again, do you?", asked Horus with a frown, cupping Carter's cheek. "I wouldn't be able to endure you dying and being reborn without any memory of me? I couldn't stand losing you, Carter."

Carter was stunned silent, just staring dumbly at the god. These were probably the first truly honest words Horus had ever spoken. Not some stupid joke or quip, but serious and honest emotions. It made the priest blush and duck his head a little. He hadn't known that this was so serious for Horus, somehow it looked as though everything was a game to the god. Somehow Carter had felt like he was just some fun entertainment along the sidelines. Still blushing, Carter looked up again and leaned in for a deep kiss, pulling Horus closer and practically clinging onto him.

"Idiot god", sighed Carter softly, resting his forehead against Horus' chest.

"You keep mentioning that", grinned Horus and rested his chin on top of Carter's head.

"Because you are an idiot god", huffed Carter. "And we have an idiot pharaoh who just nodded along when Percy started talking about bonding and now we got a mopy cat god. So, tell me how courting works so Nico can do that and Percy can quit moping."

Horus grinned pleased as he leaned down to kiss Carter's cheek. "I knew he'd bite."

"...You... did that on purpose", accused Carter surprised. "When you suggested to Lady Bastet to help our kingdom, you specifically did it to help Percy because you knew Percy has a crush on Nico! You were being nice. Just for the sake of being nice."

"How dare you accuse me of being nice", gasped Horus playfully and smirked. "Well, I can't help it. Percy has this... rather irresistible kitten-look of his and he is my favorite nephew."

Carter smiled softly and leaned up to kiss Horus tenderly. "Softy. Now, courting."

"Food. Not just sending the cooks to make Percy meals; he needs to bring him those meals himself. Preferably something he hunted, collected or cooked himself", started Horus.

"...Like how you brought me those... strawberries in the beginning?", accused Carter.

Horus just grinned broadly. "And gifts. Courting gifts. Jewelry, fine clothes."

"The stupid falcon brooch", sighed Carter, absentmindedly tracing said golden brooch that was holding together his robes. "You really are an idiot god. Anything else I should mention?"

"Touching. A lot of touching. It initiates the bond; casual touches, like caresses."

"And another check on the list", huffed Carter and rolled his eyes.

Horus continued grinning at Carter in a way too proud and pleased way.

/break\

Playing with Leo was fun and it had helped Percy relax a little and think about something else. Though when he entered Nico's chambers in the evening, when the moon was already high on the night sky, he was very surprised. Nico was pacing the bedroom, not yet having noticed Percy. There were precious and beautiful robes hanging practically everywhere in the room, golden and silver and bronze jewelry spread out on the bed, a wide array of food that looked less perfect than normal was arranged on the tables. Tilting his head confused, Percy landed on the ground, right in front of Nico. The pharaoh startled a little, looking down at the catboy.

"Oh. Percy. You're back. Good. Good", nodded Nico sharply, eyes darting around.

"Did you buy the entire marketplace?", asked Percy curiously, blinking a couple of times. "Why did you buy the marketplace? Is something important happening?"

Nico stared at him for a moment, blinking slowly. "I talked to Carter. He told me I'm supposed to court you. I didn't know I'm supposed to court you. I swear, if I had known, I would have courted you the very same day. So, Carter explained to me what courting even means and... uh, he mentioned food and presents, so... I bought every food you like and cooked it myself. I mean, I had Silena's help because I'm a pharaoh not a cook, but... I made sure to make it myself under her instructions. And then I also bought like all the pretty things I thought would look good on you and Carter said I may have... gone a little overboard there. But I want to make sure you... know. That I want you. Because I do, if I haven't missed my window of opportunity."

"Oh. Oh, you... Right. Humans don't do the courting", sighed Percy troubled. "You didn't know."

"Yes. But now I do! And I am eager to catch up!", exclaimed Nico before pausing. "That sounded a bit... pathetic. What I mean is, I would like to court you, if you still want."

A smile lit up Percy's face as he practically threw himself at Nico, purring louder than ever before and rubbing his face against Nico's. "Good. I was worried you changed your mind."

"So... you really want me for this whole... eternity-mate-deal?", asked Nico a bit surprised, blushing very pleased by the thought. "I really am honored and... and I want you. Just... Why in the world would a magnificent god like you want a mere human like me?"

"You're not a 'mere' human, you're a pharaoh", countered Percy with a frown. "And you're amazing. I've been kind of... watching you. Well, that sounded creepy. I've been watching Earth ever since I was old enough to and I have noticed your realm before. I watched you rise to power and you're amazing. You're everything I could picture in a mate and I want you. It's why I'm here."

"Okay. Good. So... how's... this... gonna work?", inquired Nico a little lost.

Percy smiled softly and led Nico to the bed, sitting down with him. "We eat. Together. You got me food to show me that you can provide for me and any future off-springs of ours. Then I will check the presents that you got me to show me how much you value me and that you have the means to take care of me and said hypothetical future off-springs. Then we cuddle, like a lot. Because we need to start the bonding. It's all very old-fashioned, really. And it sounds silly when I say it like that, but on a... very primal basic level, it appeals to my instincts. It shows me you're a good mate."

"Okay. Anything to show I'm good for you", nodded Nico obediently and got up again to get a few plates of the food for them. "Thank you. For... giving me a second chance, even though I kept you in the dark. Carter said you've been... down because of me."

"Well, uh, let's not talk about it, yeah?", requested Percy embarrassed. "Let's make a deal. I'll forget that you kept me waiting and you'll forget that I was a pouting mortal about it, yes?"

"Okay", laughed Nico amused as he sat down again. "Now come here."

Percy eagerly obeyed and crawled closer, allowing the pharaoh to hand-feed him the treats. It wasn't the best food on a technical level, but the mere fact that Nico had gone and made it for him made it better than the food of the gods. Percy sighed heavenly as he relaxed more against Nico. The pharaoh was running his fingers through Percy's hair in a soothing manner, tracing Percy's ears.

"That tickles", noted Percy around a mouth full of deliciousness.

"I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop?", asked Nico with a frown.

"Naw. It's alright. Just... wondering. You seem kind of fixed on my ears and tail?", inquired Percy doubtful. "I mean, just... I was worried about that, with Carter. That maybe, since you're human and I don't particularly look human maybe the cat-features were throwing you off?"

"They're great", interrupted Nico hastily. "I love them. They make you special. You're gorgeous."

"Thanks", grinned Percy and ducked his head pleased.

/break\

Courting was a great success. Nico was doing good, with a little guidance from Percy, from Horus through Carter and from Silena. Percy had never felt that cherished and valued before – and he was a god. He was ready to do more now. In fact, the god wanted more. The problem was that he didn't quite know how to proceed. Traditionally, the dominant took the next step. The dominant started with courting, the submissive answered the courting and then the dominant sealed the deal.

"What do I do, uncle Horus?", whined Percy as he rolled around on the temple's ground.

Horus heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is what I'm cutting my Carter-time short for? Because you can't man up and say 'Nico, fuck me, please'?"

"I can't say that!", exclaimed Percy high-pitched and with a glare. "That's... uncalled for."

Horus heaved another sigh, even heavier than the last one. "Then get naked and spread your legs on the bed. He'll get the hint, you can move on to the fucking. Done."

"That is even worse", groaned Percy frustrated. "Why am I even talking to you?"

"If only I knew", muttered Horus and shook his head. "Is there no one... more qualified?"

"I could ask Carter", shrugged Percy. "He already went through this, after all."

"Not really. I knew when we were ready and I fucked him", shrugged Horus.

"Not helping. Again", sighed Percy and glared.

Horus shrugged and sat down next to Percy. "So, do it... more subtle, if you must. Shake that ass of yours in front of him, drop some hints, seduce him. You're centuries old, you gotta have some game. Seriously, Perseus. This is ridiculous, just make him want you. Can't be so hard, the guy is undressing you with his eyes every time you walk into a room."

Percy blushed and ducked his head frustrated. "I've tried. He just won't... catch on."

"Then get more aggressive", offered Horus unimpressed. "Like I said before. If you have to, spell it out for him. Sometimes, we dominants can be dumb moron idiots. And the fact that he isn't actually one because he isn't a god won't help him any. Go and do something, if you want something."

Percy frowned and sighed. "I guess... maybe you're right. Can't expect him to do everything, eh?"

/break\

Nico was stressed and exhausted by the time he finally reached his chambers. Over the past weeks of Percy staying with them, he had stopped being there at all times. Things like trading discussions were too boring for the god. Which was a shame because Nico was bored by them too and they had been far easier to endure with Percy curled together on his lap, purring delighted. But at least he had the delighted purring to look forward to after the meeting.

"Perseus, I'm home", announced Nico as he entered the room.

"Hello, my pharaoh", purred the catboy happily. "I was getting bored. Leo had to go home for dinner and I've been roaming the palace since then."

"Not to worry, my kitten. Soon, we will set sail into war", assured Nico.

"It's all the chitter-chatter and planning before that's so boring", sighed Percy frustrated.

"Yes, quite", laughed Nico amused and turned toward Percy after getting a set of new robes. "I-"

He abruptly stopped when he actually saw Percy. He was only wearing the thinnest, blue robes wrapped around his loins and he was stretched out all over the bed in a nearly obscene way, displaying just how flexible he was, legs spread just the tiniest bit, on the fringe between cat-like behavior and naughty seduction. Nico stuttered and stared blatantly.

"K... Kitten, you're...", started Nico slowly, unsure where he was going with this.

"Yes, my pharaoh?", purred Percy and stretched out some more.

Nico gulped dryly as he watched the robes slip up some and reveal more of those long, sun-kissed legs. Ra help him, Nico had been longing for this body for weeks now. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a deep calming breath. He knew how unfamiliar Percy was with human behavior, still. He wasn't doing this on purpose, he couldn't be blamed for the effect he had on Nico.

"I am going to take a bath. It was a straining day", drawled Nico slowly.

"Oh. That sounds good", agreed Percy and jumped off the bed. "Let's take a bath!"

Before Nico could protest, Percy was naked and on his way to the room next door where Nico had his private bathroom. He had sent servants to prepare a warm bath for him as soon as he left the meeting, so by the time Nico and Percy entered the room, the golden bathtub was filled with steaming hot water. There was the pleasant scent of roses filling the room. And with a loud 'yay', there was a catboy splashing into the tub. Nico snorted fondly.

"Come and join me, my pharaoh", demanded the god delighted.

A bit flustered, Nico shed his clothes and came to follow his catboy. Percy scooted forward enough so Nico could slide in behind him. The young god was flustered himself as he snuggled up against the firm, muscular chest of the pharaoh behind him. Nico sighed softly and wrapped his arms around Percy's waist to pull him even closer, resting his chin on top of Percy's head.

"How was your day, my lord?", asked Nico softly.

"Had an important meeting with General Frank, General Annabeth, General Mark, General Sherman and General High Priestess Clarisse, which ate up like half the day. Played some with Leo and Carter. That was way more fun. Then Leo had to go home and I decided to go talk to uncle Horus some. He wasn't really pleased, because I took away from his 'Carter time'. And then I was here, bored and waiting for you. Disliked that part", listed Percy casually.

"So... what did you talk about with Lord Horus?", asked Nico with a frown. "Is something wrong?"

Percy hastily shook his head before taking a breath and slowly, oh so carefully, sliding up even closer to the naked body behind him. "Just a bit... family time."

Nico grunted, tightly gripping the frame of the tub now, knuckles turning white. "Percy, please. Don't... I know you're not doing this on purpose, but would you mind getting off a little?"

"I am trying to get off", whined Percy frustrated.

"...What?", grunted Nico very confused now.

"I liked the courting. The courting was great. We're through with the courting. Next step: The mating", explained Percy, gesturing a little. "I'm trying to get into your robes, or under your skin, or onto your dick, whatever phrasing you prefer. You've been... blocking me!"

"I thought that was you not understanding human customs", defended Nico and sighed.

"So... now that you know, again, what do you say?", purred Percy and turned around.

He straddled Nico's waist, arms around the pharaoh's neck, tail splashing in the water. The pharaoh growled softly, eyes growing darker and dick growing harder as he had Percy so close and so naked and also so willing, apparently. He laid his arms around Percy's waist to draw him in closer, slowly sliding his hands lower, watching Percy's every expression closely. When there were no protests, Nico rested his hands on Percy's ass and gave it a tight squeeze, making Percy mewl. They started kissing deeply and continued like that for what felt like eternity. Kissing, groping, grinding against each other. They were both rock hard by the time the water went cold and they slowly moved out of the bath, not breaking contact on their way to the bed. Once they reached it – noticing only because they bumped right into it and stumbled onto it – Percy landed first and pulled Nico after him. Nico came to rest between Percy's legs, hands wandering between said legs to grasp the god's erection with one and finger the tight, velvety hole with the other. Percy was a purring, moaning mess as the cunning fingers worked his entrance while he was brought close to orgasm.

"S—Stop it with the teasing. I want you inside me. Complete the mating", pleaded Percy, his claws dragging down Nico's back as he pulled the human closer. "Please, Nico. Inside me, now."

Nico grunted as he shouldered Percy's legs and positioned himself, slowly easing in. The picture beneath him was perfect and it only got better with every thrust. Percy was practically falling apart as Nico fucked him and Nico himself felt high too as he enjoyed the tight warmth of his kitten around him. The young god was the first one to come, ruining the expensive sheets – not that Nico cared about that. What he cared about was the sensation of Percy's contracting muscles around him, urging him on to follow into the blissful aftermath of sex. Just as his own orgasm seemed so close, did the catboy bite down hard on Nico's shoulder. It was the final sensation to send Nico over the edge and he came deep inside Percy. He had never heard Percy purr louder before.

"Mine", growled Percy possessively, rolling them over so Nico was on his back.

Nico grunted at the brute force of his... mate. Percy started licking Nico's face delighted, remaining seated on Nico's dick as he curled together on Nico's chest. Nico chuckled softly at the little kitten-licks, resting one casual hand on Percy's butt and using the other to caress Percy's hair and ears. He occasionally gave the perfectly sculpted butt a squeeze or ran his fingers over the tail whenever it curled around Nico's ankle in a possessive manner. The purring only increased even more.

"This means that... whatever happens during the war, even if it takes my life, I will be with you?", whispered Nico into Percy's rectangular ear. "You will wait for me?"

"I will always wait for you. After the war, when you will live here in your kingdom to an old age, I will be at your side and when you pass over, I will welcome you", assured Percy with a smile.

Nico returned the smile pleased. Not because of the hidden promise that he would rise into the ranks of the gods, but because it meant he would be able to stay at Percy's side forever and enjoy the catboy's amazing company, bask in his light and love forever.

~*~ The End ~*~