Hey!

Today is a lovely day~ It's the sort-of anniversary of me and my love, Annie Bell Johnson~ *recorded applause*

Okay, so this fanfic is under Percico. As in, Percy and Nico. In love. With possible shagging. I'm just kidding about the last part. Or am I?

So please, if you read this and you're a homophobic idiot, don't start complaining to me because the law is on my side.

This story is dedicated to Annie Bell Johnson, because she ships Percico a lot, so even though I don't think much of it, I write about it. See, that right there is proof of true love.

I do hope you Percico shippers enjoy this~ It's going to be somehow slow-paced, but we'll eventually get there~

Much love,

Thalia Malfoy

Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan.

Percy looked at the sleeping figure across the room in growing shock. The figure was hunched into a fetal position, as if instinctively protecting itself. The messy blankets exposed his pale neck, ruffled black hair, and uneasy, wrinkled forehead. His lips were dry, his cheeks slightly bruised, and he looked like he hadn't eaten for months.

Still, despite the changes, Percy recognized who it was. It was a face he had longed to see for a long time already.

Nico di Angelo's.

Percy stepped forward almost automatically, but Annabeth held him back. "No, Percy."

He looked at her in confusion and mild irritation, momentarily breaking his gaze on the unconscious boy. "What? Annabeth, that's Nico— we haven't—" his voice cracked "— we haven't seen him in a long time. Almost a year."

Annabeth gave him a sad look and dropped her arm. "I know, but you can't approach him, Percy. Not yet. There's something wrong with him."

"S-something wrong? What do you mean— is he sick?"

Annabeth bit her lip and surprised Percy with an almost tearful expression. Annabeth wasn't the kind who showed outwardly that she was breaking down. In fact, she almost never broke down, which made the pit of Percy's stomach twist in worry for Nico.

"If you didn't want me going near him, then why did you bring me here, Annabeth?" he asked.

Annabeth looked away, at Nico. "I didn't want to keep hiding this from you. It's unfair, since you've been searching so hard and long for him. I convince Chiron to allow me to tell you that Nico was back."

"Why did you have to hide him from me in the first place?"

"I-I didn't want to, but—Percy, no!" Annabeth hastened to grab Percy's arm as her companion once again tried to go near Nico's sleeping form.

"What now, Annabeth? I won't disturb him— I just need to see…"

"He's a light sleeper, if he wakes up—"

"Then I'll let him go back to rest! Annabeth, please, I just need to see him properly once, just once—"

"No, he can't see you or anyone else, Percy!"

"Why not? Annabeth, you more than anyone should understand that I've been wanting almost nothing but to see him safe and sound for the past six months!"

Annabeth looked as if she wanted to burst into tears in frustration. "I—I can't… Not yet... Percy…"

"Annabeth?"

Percy whipped his head to the source of the voice. "Nico?" he breathed.

Nico di Angelo was awake and facing them now, rubbing his tired eyes. Now that he was sitting up and in full view, Percy noticed the extent of his state. He looked thinner than Percy first noticed, his cheekbones prominent. Bruises and small cuts littered his otherwise beautiful face and his lips were pale.

What bothered Percy most was the fact that once he saw Percy, Nico's lips started trembling, and his piercing black eyes were suddenly void of any emotion. He looked at nowhere but Percy, and Annabeth let out a defeated sigh far behind them.

Percy gave an easy grin at his examiner, taking a few steps forward. He reached down as if to ruffle Nico's hair, but Nico flinched away.

Percy withdrew his hand in surprise. "Nico?" he inquired in concern.

Nico stared at his hands with a hard expression. "Annabeth?"

Annabeth went on the side of his bed opposite Percy. "Yes, Nico?

Nico clenched his hands into fists. "Why is he here?"

Annabeth gently stroked Nico's head, and Percy felt a slight pang of jealousy when Nico didn't react negatively to it. In fact, he seemed to relax a bit at her touch. "He wanted to see you, Nico. He's been searching for you for a long time."

To Percy's chagrin, tears started forming in Nico's eyes and he buried his face into Annabeth's Camp Half-Blood shirt. He whimpered something too low to understand. Annabeth wrapped her arms around him. "What was that, Nico?"

"Get him out." Percy's eyes widened . "But—Nico—"

"Get him out, Annabeth. I don't want him here. Get him out." Nico's voice was muffled but convicted.

Percy looked at Annabeth for help. "Annabeth, you can't just—"

Annabeth interrupted him in agitation. "You have to go, Percy, Nico isn't in the best disposition right now."

"But—"

"Let us go, Percy." A deep voice came from the doorway.

Percy turned around to see Chiron in his centaur form beckoning him to leave the room. Helplessly, he looked from Nico, whose face was still hidden, to the door, and back. He walked towards Chiron in defeat and Chiron clasped his shoulder and closed the door, leaving Annabeth to deal with Nico.

"Chiron, what was that all about? I've never seen Nico so—"

"A lot has happened since we lost young Nico." Chiron stated simply, with a tinge of sadness. "He has suffered a great deal."

"Where did you find him? What happened to him?" Percy had more questions but held his tongue.

Chiron walked slowly through the strawberry fields, where it was deserted because everyone was eating lunch. "He found him unconscious just behind the border, two weeks ago. At the pine tree, that is. He was bruised and weak and near death.

"We revived him the next morning with nectar and ambrosia and the sustaining essence that is water. He was dehydrated. He woke up wild and thrashing, with feverish eyes. He pushed away everyone who came within two feet of him, and spent endless hours curled into a ball, crying. He was obviously traumatized."

Percy's heart ached at the thought.

"Mr. D and I came to realize that the only person he trusted was Annabeth, and so we left him in her care. You may have noticed that these past few days, Annabeth was been stealing away the campfires and usual activities." Percy nodded seriously. "Over the weeks, he became better and calmer."

He pressed another question. "What happened to him, Chiron? Why is he— why is he so pained?"

Chiron took a deep breath and stared into the distance. "You surely have deduced from the wounds on Nico that he has been dealt with violence. He has shared with Annabeth some of his experiences, but Annabeth gave him her word that she would not tell anyone until he is ready."

"Then what do you think we should do?" Percy asked.

"Continue nurturing him. Earn back his trust. Make him know that we are people who wouldn't hurt him, unlike whoever so brutally destroyed him."

Percy felt anger seep into him, and he curled his fingers around Riptide in his pocket. "I want to find them and kill them."

Chiron patted his back. "Now, now, Percy, we mustn't be hasty. First, we must prioritize Nico's health and well-being. The rest will be dealt with accordingly."

"How am I supposed to help him when we doesn't even want me in the same room as him?" Percy resentfully said.

"Annabeth can help with that, and perhaps, earlier than we expect, we will have some answers. Now, we must go join your campmates for lunch."

Percy kicked a stone. "I'm not hungry. I'm going to go practice with Riptide."

"Very well."

After Chiron had left him, Percy ended up not practicing. Instead, he headed towards the beach. There he stood in the sand, the salty breeze clearing his mind slightly.

He reached up and pulled a chain from around his neck, and raised it for examination. Hanging from it was a piece of raw onyx embedded in Stygian ice. Mournfully, Percy stared at it. He stared at it until the sky had darkened and raindrops began to fall. He returned the chain to his neck and slowly, letting the rain drench him, he made his way back into his cabin.