This is a requested story from my much appreciated reader, cutiepututie. I would, again, like to ask for their forgiveness, though, for not putting this up way sooner. Anyway, enjoy the story (and I promised myself I wouldn't put another one up before finishing the others. Curse my inability to say no).
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
-PJO—PJO—PJO-
Percy's POV
It was dark. A shadowy dome formed over the entire camp, trapping us within its black confines. Cracks opened up in the ground, creating huge trenches, and black flames poured from them. I looked around in a panic, fully aware of who was causing this.
My suspicions were confirmed when I saw the most intense flames surrounding the Hades cabin. I started panicking even more when I saw skeleton soldiers slipping out of the huge cracks. I sped towards Nico's cabin.
Luckily, I was rather close to the obsidian building. I hesitated when I reached the huge black flames, but pushed forward and ran through the fire, hissing when it burned me, but otherwise ignoring it. I threw the door open and stepped into the cabin.
The inside was even worse. Fire covered everything, and it was in a huge ring around Nico, who was in the middle of the room. My heart practically stopped in my chest at the sight of him. The teen was kneeling on the floor, clutching his head with his eyes clenched shut, as though he was in pain.
From where I was, I could see his lips moving slightly, like he was saying something, but I couldn't hear him. I fell to my knees next to him, paying no attention to how the fire burned me. I pulled him to my chest.
I felt tears burn in my eyes when I heard what he was muttering. "Please don't hurt me anymore! It hurts! Please stop!"
I held Nico closer to me and whispered comforting words to him, reassuring him that he wasn't being hurt anymore, promising that it would be okay. The teen seemed to calm down some at that, but the flames were still burning around me, and I could still hear the cries of the campers outside.
I slowly rocked him back and forth and started singing a lullaby my mother taught me when I was a kid.
Sway, sway, swaying
Between the waves
Sparkle, sparkle, sparkling
Their voices drift into the distance
The dreaming jellyfish sing their song
And sleep on the gentle shore
Sway, sway, swaying
A ray of light
Sparkle, sparkle, sparkling
Their voices drift to you
No matter when, as long as this song echoes out
In many colors, they hang in the clear sky
Sway, sway, swaying
between the waves
Sparkle, sparkle, sparkling
their voices drift into the distance
The dreaming jellyfish play their song
sparkle, sparkle, sparkling, their voices drift to you
(AN: yes, I know it's from DRAMAtical Murder. I don't own this song. Clear does. If you haven't heard it, listen to it.)
With each word that passed my lips, Nico seemed to become calmer and calmer, until he was asleep in my arms, breathing evenly. The fire was gone, leaving ashy remains behind.
I knew Nico wouldn't want to wake up in his dark, gloomy cabin, so I picked him up bridal style, with every intention of taking him to my cabin with me. The ravenette snuggled into my arms, burying his face in my chest.
My face burned at the adorableness of him. I stood up from my spot and walked out of his cabin, only to stop in shock when I saw all of the campers surrounding the cabin with looks that went from annoyed to hateful.
I noticed, though, that the Stolls looked guilty.
I glared at them. "What did you do to him?!" I asked them angrily, stopping myself from yelling.
They put their hands up in a protective manner, as if expecting me to hit them, which I would have if Nico wasn't in my arms.
"W-we were just playing an innocent prank-" Travis began.
"and-and we only used a d-drop of the fear potion we got f-from the Hecate-" Connor continued.
"Fear potion?!" I hissed angrily at them, and the accusing eyes of the campers moved to the Stolls. "What the fuck were you thinking, using that on Nico?! You know what he's been through! He's been to Tartarus for fucks sake! And you thought that would be a good idea?! A good laugh?!" I glared harshly at them, and the brothers (and even some of the campers) flinched.
I stopped myself there. I knew that if I went on that I would lose my temper and kill them for their stupidity.
"Don't come near him or me for a while," I told them with a calm voice, shielding my eyes with my hair so they wouldn't see my pure rage. "Otherwise I don't know what I would do." With those last words, I walked away, letting the camp take their wrath out on the Stolls.
-PJO—PJO—PJO-
I set Nico down on my bed with a soft sigh, pulling the silk blankets up over him. I didn't want to leave him alone, but I had to get answers from the Stolls, so I left my cabin and stalked over to them, pulling them away from the assaulting campers.
I dragged them to the beach, where I was always the calmest, and ordered them to explain the potion to me.
With every word, I got more and more pissed. Apparently the potion cause hallucinations of the affected person's worst fears, and even after the potion wore off, there were some scattered, random hallucinations.
I hit both of them upside the head and went back to my cabin, leaving them to nurse their wounds. I paused at the entrance of the cabin, finally feeling the painful effects of the fire. Blood dripped slowly from the wounds, and each one felt like it was burning.
I turned away from the door and went to the Big House to get treatment, knowing Nico wouldn't want to wake up seeing a bloody person. After getting my burns bandaged I went into my cabin. The sight I saw broke my heart.
Nico was curled up in a fetal position, crying softly. Making a split-second decision, I climbed into the bed with him and held him in my arms with a gentle grip. Just my presence seemed to calm him down. I sung softly again, hoping that he would stop crying.
Without realizing it, I drifted off into a light sleep.
-PJO—PJO—PJO-
I woke up the next morning with a pained groan, my sore body hitting the wooden floor with a harsh thud. The jostling irritated my burns and made me groan again from pain.
I squinted my eyes open until they adjusted to the light, then looked blearily at Nico.
"What was that for?" I whined. "I'm injured, you know."
Nico had the most adorable look on his face. He had an embarrassed and confused look on his face, and a light blush crossed his cheeks.
"Why were you in my bed with me?" he demanded, then glanced around the room. "And why am I in your cabin?!"
I gave him a small smile. "To answer your first question, I was in bed with you because you looked like you were having a nightmare and needed comfort. And you're in my cabin because you kind of turned the interior of yours to ashes yesterday, after the idiotic Stolls drugged you."
Instead of glaring at me or treating me like he usually would, Nico lunged forward and hugged me tightly.
"Thank you," he whispered. "I was . . . so scared."
I was about to say something when the horn blew, signaling the start of breakfast.
I smiled lightly. "Do you want to go to breakfast? Or I can bring something back for you."
Nico shook his head. "I'd rather not go out there right now." I was a little bit surprised at his answer. The son of Hades was acting so out of character. It was a whole new experience for me.
"Then I'll go and get you something," I told him, standing up from the floor. I held a hand out to him to help him up.
As I turned to go to breakfast, Nico grabbed my hand and said, "Wait. Tell me something first."
I turned and asked, "What do you want to know?"
Nico bit his lip nervously. "What happened yesterday? Why are you so injured?"
I hesitated, then said, "I'll tell you when I come back, alright?" The teen nodded uneasily.
I pulled my hand from his gently and walked out, flashing him a small smile before closing the door. Now I just had to think of a way to tell Nico what happened without him freaking out.
-PJO—PJO—PJO-
There's chapter one of 'Hallucinating Love'. I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you think there was something I could've done better, PM me or review and tell me what it is.
Favorite, follow, review, and PM me. Until next time . . .
~O'Malley out!