A/N: A little something I came up with a few months ago and completely forgot about. I rewrote a scene in House of Hades in entirely Nico's point of view, and I pray to God this entire thing makes sense because I didn't reread it even once. I hope everyone still loves Percico. I wrote this before the release of Blood of Olympus and *spoiler* was completely unaware of the entire Will Solace business. For the record, I'm a hardcore Solangelo shipper. Also, this is my first one-shot and I'm not entirely confident about it, but I hope y'all will like it anyway. :) Flames are not appreciated, but constructive criticism is always welcome. Please do read and review!
"I guess we'll do anything for someone we love."
Wide, sea-green eyes; jet-black hair; and his trademark, careless smirk. He was both the brightest ray of light and the darkest shadow; he was the sweetest fruit yet the most potent poison; he was the very first day of spring, the aqua cobalt of the ocean in summer, the whisper of wind passing through autumn leaves, and the first shower of snow in winter. He was absolutely perfect. He was everything he ever wanted.
Percy Jackson was everything Nico di Angelo could never have.
He stood in the doorway, his well-built frame illuminated by the lights hanging above. Nico's hands suddenly felt very weak, and his long fingers shook as he struggled to tie the ropes around the pedestal of the Athena Parthenon. He swallowed and took a deep breath, waiting for Percy to address him.
"Thank you." He said softly, and Nico abandoned the ropes, turning around to face him. Obsidian met aqua, and a thrill coursed through the young fourteen-year-old's body. It lasted for a nanosecond; only to be replaced by the usual, familiar hollowness.
"For what?" He asked, harsher than he wanted to sound.
He spoke again, but Nico could barely hear him. He vaguely understood Percy was talking about how he lead the others to the doors of death, as promised. Nico's eyes ran over Percy's pale skin (how pale he had gotten after coming back from Tartarus). He took in every inch of his lips, every strand of his inky hair. An unfamiliar feeling was coursing through his veins, a terrifying sort of adrenaline.
He... He wanted to touch him.
Nico shook his head almost imperceptibly, letting his agitated fingers clasp around the rope, just for the sake of giving them something to do. He mercifully managed to tie the ropes in a halter around the pedestal. "You got me out of that bronze jar in Rome." Nico muttered. "Saved my life yet again. It was the least I could do."
An uncomfortable silence followed as Nico turned around to face him again. He ignored the current that passed through his body. Was Percy really that oblivious to the feelings reflected in his expression? Did he really not know? Nico raised his dark eyes to meet Percy's.
Percy Jackson; possibly the best and worst thing that ever happened to Nico di Angelo.
"Nico," Percy said suddenly, taking a step towards the shorter fourteen-year-old, "I... I need to talk to you." His turquoise eyes were wide, and filled with... with what? Nico found it very difficult to breathe. He lowered his eyes to the floor.
"Aren't we talking now?" He said in a chilly tone, curling his fingers into fists.
"Nico." Percy said again, disregarding his question. His voice echoed around the silent room. "I know."
A terrifying dryness crept into Nico's throat. What was he talking about? Surely not...
He found it very difficult to meet Percy's eyes. "Know what?" He asked almost inaudibly.
"I know you love me."
His heart sank. He knew. Percy Jackson knew he was... he was... you know. He knew. Nico could feel something dropping inside his body... down, down into his gut. He wanted to disappear into the floor along with that unknown feeling; to disappear forever., where Percy Jackson could never see him again. His throat felt dry; he kept his eyes glued to the floor, where shame coursed through his body, leaving a hollow feeling behind. What was he supposed to say now? Should he deny it? Should he pretend he didn't know what he was talking about? Nico's hands shook as another fresh wave of shame filled tears in his eyes. Should he apologize?
He was so absorbed in his musings that he didn't notice Percy had taken another step towards him. He did notice, however, when the older demigod wound his arms around his body, pulling Nico away from the statue and into his warm embrace.
For a moment, everything was still.
Nico felt the steady thud-thud of Percy's heart beating against his own racing pulse. He could not yet comprehend what was happening, but when Percy's warm, strong fingers traveled up his spine to caress his dark hair, Nico suddenly felt very uncomfortable. It wasn't as if he hadn't thought about it before. But yet...
The situation, he mused as he found his face buried against the hollow of Percy's neck (he smelled like the ocean and musk), was not wholly bad. In fact... he might have liked this very much, if the circumstances had been different.
If Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson had never met, then the situation would have been very, very different.
Nico's hands were wedged between their bodies uncomfortably, and they were shaking so badly that he knew Percy noticed his agitation. His heart sank again when he thought of Percy, who knew. Percy knew he loved him.
Nico di Angelo had never felt so miserable.
The tears that had pooled in his eyes rolled down his cheeks to fall onto the bare hollow of Percy's neck. He felt even worse when the older demigod started in surprise. What was the name of that stupid goddess of Misery he met down in Tartarus? Akhlys? Maybe the stupid goddess had something in common with him, after all. He tried to focus on what little of the floor he could see; he tried to breathe in anything but Percy... anything but his musky, salty scent.
Another tear rolled onto the godling's skin.
The hand buried in his hair trailed under his ear (Nico repressed a shudder) and before Nico could react, Percy's fingers drew along his pronounced jawline to rest under his chin. Without warning, he lifted his chin up to give Nico an anxious glance.
"Hey," he said concernedly (perfectly), "hey, why are you crying?"
Nico could not reply. He fell silent, overcome with feeling; overcome with love and protectiveness; overcome with the want, the need, the desire to just be with the demigod before him. He could not even put to words how strongly he felt about Percy Jackson; but gods forbid should he ever admit it - even to himself.
"Stop pitying me." Nico said roughly, pulling his face away from his grip. He couldn't bear to look at Percy's face for a second longer. He pulled a hand free just to wipe his face clean.
"And I'm not crying."
The world fell silent for a moment, and Nico waited for Percy to let him go. But he didn't. Instead, the older demigod gently took hold of the arm Nico was using to wipe his face with and pulled it away from his eyes. Nico made the mistake of giving him an indignant glance, for when he met the intensity of Percy's sea-green stare, he found it very difficult to look away.
"Why should you cry?" Percy said with an easy, soothing smile that made his heart flutter. "I'm right here for you."
And before Nico could either comprehend or react to those words, Percy Jackson pulled him close and pressed his warm, salty lips against his pale, shaky ones. Nico couldn't even close his eyes, such was the shock he felt coursing through his body.
But slowly, slowly, the shock melted away and fused into... into something else. A slow, burning heat grew inside his body, filling the hollowness that was previously dominant inside him.
Maybe... maybe everything was going to be alright after all.
"Nico?"
Nico jumped. Percy stood in front of him, an eyebrow raised. Evidently he had told him some kind of story during his little day dream. Damn it. He thought he had control over his stupid dreams.
"Tartarus was horrible to say the least but I'd have never gotten out if you hadn't led the others to the House of Hades..." Percy continued, blatantly unaware of Nico's misery as the darkness settled around his mind and the hollowness dominates his insides once again.
"Also... You visited Bob. You convinced Bob that I could be trusted even though I never visited him. I never gave him a second thought. You probably saved our lives by being nice to him."
"Yeah well," Nico started bitterly without thinking, "not giving people a second thought... that can be dangerous."
"Dude, I'm trying to say thank you."
Shit, what had he said? He felt a lump fill his throat but he gulped it down and gave a dry laugh. "And I'm trying to say you don't need to. Now I need to finish this, if you could give me some space."
Nico didn't look at Percy's hurt expression as he stepped back. He quenched the coldness that gripped his heart when he heard Percy's dejected 'Yeah. Yeah okay.'.
After the older demigod left the room, Nico dropped down onto the floor, burying his face within his knees, and promptly burst into tears.
Percy Jackson was everything Nico di Angelo could never have.
Cupid was right. Love was the most savage monster of all.
"Yeah, I guess we will."