Percy walked across the grass. Wet leaves stuck to his shoes as he made his way over to where he knew his boyfriend was. The air smelled like Spring, but the sky was gray with impending storm. Percy zipped up his jacket to try and feel warm. When he got to the mausoleum he almost didn't see his lover laying there on the roof, but his black jeans contrasted just enough with the worn gray marble to make him visible. As Percy approached he got that feeling in his stomach that he always did when Nico looked like that. He figured he had some kind of PTSD from finding him dead. Who could blame him?
Nico was laying on his back on top of his family's small mausoleum. One leg was straight, but the other had fallen somewhat to the side. His arms were down at his sides, his hands limp and pale. The worst part were his eyes. They were black and lifeless, staring into the void. Every time he found him this way Percy had to tell himself that his lover was just spacing out, but in the back of his mind there was always a fear that the other man would never blink and smile at him again.
"Nico." Percy said quietly, reaching up and smacking the cold, bloodless hand with his own, "Come on, you'll catch a cold."
After a moment the dark eyes looked down at the other man and then blinked. "Hey."
"Hey. How are you?" Percy asked quietly. Nico had been quiet all day and then had disappeared. Luckily Percy knew him well enough to always be able to find him.
Nico sat up cross-legged on his perch, "Lovely. Come here, mio amore." he put his hand out, which Percy took almost without thinking, it was such a routine anymore. He hoisted up onto the mausoleum and got behind his lover, opening his jacket and wrapping the smaller body within it. "Mmm, caldo." Nico said, snuggling against the warm body behind him. They sat there quietly, looking across the graveyard. The gray clouds kept their view limited; no sunset to watch this time.
"We have to get ready for lunch with Annabeth." Percy said quietly. He always felt compelled to be quiet in cemeteries.
"Do you need me to take you home, or do you have something at my place?"
Percy frowned, knowing Nico couldn't see it. Almost everything he owned was at Nico's house now. He had been living there for nearly a year, and Nico still called it 'his' place. Percy wondered if it would ever be 'their' place. He knew Nico wouldn't get a new place because this one was right above his jewelry store, but Percy was starting to wonder if Nico really wanted him there. He had a side in the closet for his shirts, and the two top drawers of Nico's dresser for his socks and pants. The juice he liked was on the same side of the shelf with the other food he liked in the fridge. Nothing of theirs was "mingled". Percy sighed. They were like roommates who slept in the same bed, and even in that they each had their own side.
"Percy?"
"Hmm?" Percy's mind had wandered and forgotten the question.
"Do you have something nice to wear at my place?"
"All of my stuff is at your place."
Nico yawned, ignoring the emphasis Percy had put on YOUR place, "Do you need me to wash or iron anything?"
"No." he gave up on his grudge and pulled Nico closer. The other man was good to him. Why dwell on silly little things?
Nico turned to look at his lover. He could tell that something was bothering the other man. "What's the problem?"
"Nothing." Percy lied, "I think I'm just tired." That wasn't really a lie. He did tend to let more things get to him when he was tired, and today had been a long day.
The smaller man cupped Percy's face, "We don't have to go to lunch if you don't want to."
Percy's mouth curved in a small smile, "Aren't I the one who usually says that?"
"Yeah, but this time you're the pouty one."
The taller man shrugged, "Well, andiamo then. I want to shower before I put nice clothes on." he started to get up.
"Oh Percy, you know how much I love it when you speak Italian." Nico said, and Percy wondered if the smaller man was making fun of him. It was something in his voice.
"Dork." Percy shrugged again as they slid off of the burial chamber, "Do you want to walk home, or find a shadow?"
"Hmm... I think we should get home as quickly as possible." Nico said, brushing dead leaves from his pants.
Percy's mouth curled into a mischievious smile as he got an idea. The other man picked up on this and gave him a questioning look.
"Race?" Percy asked, feeling the competitor in him revving up. His lover tried to play it cool, but he could tell that the other man's sense of competition had been switched on as well.
"Race." Nico agreed before snatching his bag and taking off.
"No fair!" Percy laughed before running behind his boyfriend.
Once home both men leaned against the doorframe as they caught their breath . There was chipping paint breaking off and falling into their clothing, but neither noticed. Nico moved and started to make his way toward something and Percy kept his eyes on the doorframe. He knew what the other one was doing, and he didn't like it.
"I'll be right back." Nico said as he pulled a lighter out of his pants and then crossed to the balcony near the kitchen. Percy listened as the other man opened the double doors and then closed them. In the lonely silence the son of Poseidon could feel the thoughts creeping up on him. The doubts, the worries, everything. He pushed them away and stood up, looking for a distraction. He paced the apartment, occasionally glancing at Nico's silhouette behind the long curtains. He looked at Nico's desk, the map he had once snooped at long forgotten under piles of other papers and various jewelry tinkering equipment. Percy picked up a CD from the nearby music system and read the front and back, and then put it down. After a while he noticed that Nico had been outside for a long time, and Percy began to worry, so he reluctantly went outside to join his lover on the balcony. Nico looked backward at him when he closed the door behind him and motioned him over.
"Sorry, I just got preoccupied with watching people." the smaller man said, gesturing to the people on the street below. Occasionally one would glance up, but wasn't really looking at them.
Percy followed Nico's gaze for a moment, and then his focus turned to the ash tray balancing on the ledge of the railing surrounding the balcony. It was a brazen red, relatively shapeless and full of gray ashes. The fresh remains of Nico's usual post-exertion cigarette were squashed on the side of the dish nearest him. Percy wanted to push the tray off of the balcony and watch it shatter on the street below, or at least once again plead with Nico to quit. It would just be the same conversation that they had many times over; Percy would mention that he wished the son of Hades had never picked the habit up again, and Nico would say that he wished the same thing, mutter about damn Europeans, and run his fingers through the flame of his lighter as he quietly said that he would quit when it was time to. Percy was never sure of what his boyfriend meant, but he was afraid to ask about it. He hated to think of Nico getting diseases because of his bad habit, but some days it was just easier not to fight him.
Nico's arm wrapped around the taller man's waist for a moment, pulling him closer, then he ran his hand across Percy's back. The other man couldn't help it as he smiled. Despite everything going on in their relationship, Nico still had a way of making him feel loved. The other man kissed Percy's shoulder as he curled against his side before whispering, "I'm going to start getting ready." He kissed Percy's cheek and re-entered the house. When Percy got inside he looked at the clock above Nico's desk. He looked down at his watch, which still had the time of his former US residence.
"We're going to be late for lunch." Percy said, knowing Nico would hear him wherever he was in the studio apartment.
"Better double up in the shower, then." Nico winked at him as he carried a hanger full of an outfit into the bathroom. Percy didn't bother mentioning that he wasn't in the mood. He was just happy that Nico still seemed to want him around in some way. He saw that Nico had put out an outfit for him on the bedspread. He didn't recognize the shirt. Another new thing. Nico did that from time to time. Usually when there was tension between the two. Percy didn't mind getting surprised, but he didn't like feeling like Nico was trying to buy his affection.
He heard the shower start and stripped down to join the other man. He may not have been in the mood for anything sexy, but Nico was right about saving some time by doubling up. When he stepped into the shower he looked at Nico's soaked form from behind. The black marks Nemesis had left on him had never faded. Percy took in a breath as he looked at Nico's ribs and spine which were much too evident beneath his skin. He knew Nico hated when Percy said anything about it, but he couldn't help it. He wrapped his arms around the other man from behind.
"Good thing we're going to lunch. You're way too skinny, Nico."
Nico easily pushed the arms off of his form in the damp heat of the shower, "Yeah." was all he said before picking up the shampoo and turning around, "Let me wash your hair." Percy obeyed, bending down to give the other man an easier time of running his fingers through his hair. Soon Nico pushed the knob to turn the water off and grabbed a towel, wrapping Percy's shoulders in it before getting one for himself.
x.x.x
Nico inhaled another hit of hot, acrid smoke and felt his body calm down as he watched the people below. It was early morning, so they were just setting up their stores and markets. It was Saturday, so he didn't have to work until later, if he chose to open at all. He could have been sleeping in, but he hadn't slept all night, so what good would tossing and turning for an extra few minutes do? Last night had been rough; Annabeth was always trying to fix him and Percy in some way, and he had grown weary of her criticisms; but it was more than that which was bothering Nico. He knew something was wrong between him and Percy and he didn't know how to fix it. The son of Hades wasn't even certain what the problem was. There hadn't been any particularly dramatic event that had led to the strange void between the two men. They had both been busy; Nico with the shop and Percy doing whatever it was he did. Nico sighed. He didn't even know how Percy spent his time when they weren't together. When his cigarette was done he put the carton and his lighter back into his pocket and then reached for his cane. He hated the days when he had to use it. He felt so weak. As Nico re-entered his apartment he looked over to the bedroom, where Percy lay sleeping. He wanted to go over and kiss the boy, but he needed to make breakfast and the journey between both places seemed so far when Nico wasn't feeling his best. He could kiss Percy after breakfast was made.
"Hey." Nico heard the quiet greeting behind him as he watched for the light on the waffle iron to change and tell him that the first waffle was ready. He felt arms around him and then a kiss on his neck. "Are you feeling okay today?"
"Just having an old day." Nico said, moving his head to allow Percy to rest his head on the smaller man's shoulder, "It'll work out once I'm downstairs."
"Okay." The arms left the smaller body as Percy went over to the fridge to pour juice for the two of them. He always meant to wake up before Nico and surprise him with breakfast sometimes, but the other man always seemed to be awake before him. They had their breakfast in relative silence until Nico spoke.
"Would you like to come with me into town today?" he asked as he started to remove the dirty dishes from the table.
Percy liked it when they went into town together. It made him feel normal, "Of course. Are we going anywhere special?"
"I just have to pick up a few things from the market, so not really."
The son of Poseidon watched Nico grip his cane as he hobbled over to the sink with the dishes. He got up and gathered the rest of the dishes and cleaned the table. He wanted to ask the other man if he was going to be okay walking around all day, but knew Nico hated acknowledging his weakened state in any way. Instead he just quietly helped in any way he could, assisting Nico with getting dressed and opening the door for him. As they descended the stairs Percy had to force himself not to just pick the guy up and carry him down. Instead he just watched from the bottom of the stairs as Nico slowly and stiffly made his way down.
As the day went on Nico perked up a little bit. The sun helped warm his body and soften his joints. Percy was happy to be spending time with Nico, even if all he was doing was picking which brand of canned corn was better. He liked doing mundane things; it gave him a sense of normalcy that meant everything was going to be okay. He carried most of the bags out of the grocery store and as they walked home Nico suddenly stopped and turned left into an antique shop.
"Sorry," he said when Percy came in struggling with the bags in such a small place, "I just had the weird urge to walk into this place."
They had been to the antique place before, but it seemed that there were a lot of new things. Percy adjusted the bags on his arms and watched Nico pawing through old photographs. He watched as the smaller man picked one up and changed his expression. The son of Poseidon couldn't read it, but he could tell that it wasn't good. Nico took several photos out of the pile and quickly went over to the counter. He and the man at the counter exchanged words in rapid Italian, so Percy really didn't catch any of it. The next thing he knew Nico was quickly leaving the store with a brown paper bag full of old photos.
"Nico, what's going on?" Percy asked once he was outside and had caught up with his boyfriend.
"Nothing. I'll show you when we get home." Nico said and then was quiet the rest of the way home. He stayed quiet and just sat at the kitchen table looking at the photographs while Percy put the groceries away, knowing the other man needed a moment to himself for whatever it was he was up to. Finally when that was done Percy went over to the kitchen table to find out what was going on. He picked up a photo and Nico didn't protest.
"Holy shit, is that you?" Percy asked. The photo had a little boy holding a puppy and more grimacing than smiling at the camera. The photo was black and white and whethered, but Percy would know those dark eyes anywhere.
"I think so. Look here, this looks like me and Bianca." he handed Percy another photo. This one had a little boy and a little girl on a beach, playing and having fun. "It is us. Look at this one." Percy looked at the next photo Nico handed him. It was the little boy, the puppy, and a beautiful woman standing behind them. Percy felt the atmosphere in the room change. Nico's mother.
"I didn't know you liked dogs." Percy said dumbly; he really wasn't sure of what to say in this situation.
"I don't. I think it-" Nico looked like he was struggling to remember, "I think it belonged to one of my cousins and my mom loved it so much and wanted pictures of it, but it wouldn't hold still, so I held it for her. I don't even remember if that dog was a boy or a girl, or even its name."
Percy sat down at the table, "So where did these pictures come from? I mean, how did they end up in that antique place?"
Nico never took his eyes off of the photos strewn on the table, "The guy at the counter said that they were in some old lady's basement. The name was familiar, but the last name wasn't. I think she was maybe one of my younger cousins, but that would make her awfully old."
It had never occured to Percy that Nico had any other family other than his sister and his mother. As he looked at Nico studying the old photographs he thought of how hard it must be for the man to know that everyone he knew back then was long dead and gone. He almost didn't notice that Nico had continued talking.
"Anyway, her kids were going through her house and found all of those pictures. They didn't recognize anyone, so they took them down to that antique place for some cash. The guy at the counter said he generally doesn't keep all of the pictures people sell to him, but he recognized the mother and two kids. I guess we used to live around here or something. Anyway, his parents used to tell him stories about how this hotel got blown up and inside they found the mother in the pictures, but never the children. The kids' bodies were never found." Nico paused to get control over his emotions and Percy reached out to rub the smaller man's back, "He kept looking at me like he knew, Percy, but he didn't say anything. I guess nobody makes the connection with my name. They probably just think I'm a distant cousin or something. I think he knew though, Percy, I think he knew."
Percy moved out of his chair to hold his lover tightly, "Is that a bad thing?"
"I don't know. Maybe he's a demigod or something and knows what happened with me."
"Maybe."
"Anyway, it doesn't matter," Nico said, straightening up and pushing the photographs into a stack, "I just couldn't believe that I found these. There were more, but I just grabbed a handful."
"Do you mind if I look at them?" Percy asked. He just liked any kind of insight into his cryptic boyfriend that he could get.
Nico stood up stiffly, "Go for it. I'll be at my desk." he surprised Percy with a peck on the lips before he crossed the room to sit at his desk.
The son of Poseidon carefully looked over each photo. There were about twenty of them, and most seemed to be from the same time period. It seemed as though Nico and his family were visiting their cousins, and had gone down to the beach for a weekend. Percy almost laughed out loud when he saw a picture of Nico crying as one of his female cousins kissed his cheek. There was also a really sweet one of him with his mother and sister. All three looked like they were in their Sunday best. In fact, as Percy looked at the photo he noticed a church in the background. That was when a thought occured to him and he walked over to the desk Nico was sitting at, wearing strange glasses and squinting at a jewel.
"Hey Nico, can I ask you something?"
"I don't know, can you?" Nico said, not looking away from what he was doing.
Percy rolled his eyes, "May I?"
Nico took off the strange glasses and set the jewel down, "Yeah."
"Did you go to church when you were younger?"
"Yes. I was raised Catholic. I know that's kind of funny because of who my dad is, but that's how my mom was raised, so that's how she raised us."
"Oh." Percy knew religion was an edgy topic with anyone. He really didn't care either way, he just found it interesting.
"Yeah. That's what made it so hard for my mom. I mean, essentially she was an unwed mother, which is a big no-no in almost any culture. We had to live with our grandparents because she couldn't afford to live on her own back then. People weren't keen on hiring someone who had not only one, but two children out of wedlock."
"Did any of your family ever meet your dad?"
"He showed up once to something after my mom begged him, just to give the father of her children a face. I can't imagine it helped much to meet a Godless traveling salesman or whatever he must have told them he was."
"I'm sorry, Nico. It must have been really hard going through all of that."
Nico shrugged, "I was super young, and now I really don't remember much. I just know my family was really tough on my mom. I wonder how they felt after..." he looked away from Percy and looked at something on his desk.
"Still. I bet it's all hard to think about." Percy offered, feeling pretty useless at remedying Nico's pained expression. He looked at what Nico was looking at on the desk. It was the old map. "We haven't been on an adventure in a while." he offered.
"Yeah." Nico said quietly, sounding far away in thought. He stared at the map, tracing the lines with his fingers. He looked away from it, "Percy?"
"Hmm?"
Nico looked away, "Nothing. I just love you, that's all."
"I love you too, Nico."
There was a feeling in the air that would have allowed them to talk about their problems, but instead Nico put the map in a drawer and turned back to his previous activity. Percy took the hint that the conversation was over and went back to the old pictures. He wondered if Nico wanted to go get the rest of them. He thought about going back to town himself and picking up an album or something to put them in, but he wasn't sure if Nico wanted to keep the photos or not. After thoroughly observing each one Percy put them back into the brown paper bag and put a rubber band around the bundle. He placed the bundle on Nico's desk and kissed the smaller man's forehead before telling him he would be back and then left the house.
x.x.x
"So you think he is getting worse?" Antonio asked before casting out his fishing line. He was sitting on the edge of his houseboat at the shipyard near the jewelry shop. Percy had come into a sort of friendship with the guy, though he couldn't shake the feeling that Antonio would gladly take his place in Nico's life given the chance.
"It's hard to say. Hey, could you not do that please?" Percy did not need to see one of his fish friends on Antonio's hook.
The other man gave a knowning smile and then wound up his fishing line, "Does this mean you are going to buy me dinner?" he winked.
Percy rolled his eyes, "Horny European."
Antonio turned around and stepped fully into the boat, "So you are worried about Nico?"
"Yes. I'm not sure if he's getting worse or if it's just part of everything else that's turning to crap."
"Trouble in the paradise?" Antonio was already aware that Percy and Nico didn't seem to be as together as they used to be, given Percy's frequent visits to the water by himself.
"I'm trying not to talk about mine and Nico's problems, but I'm just worried that something is going on with him. Something... not normal."
"Of course. He is not in the right time."
"So is he aging more or is his soul the same age and he's just feeling it more?"
"I do not know. I can ask Soter, but we are just protectors. We do not really know things."
"Well, your dad's been around a while so maybe he might know something. Anyway, I need to go. I'm going to try to make dinner for Nico tonight."
"I will talk to my father and tell you what I know next time I see you."
"Ok. Thanks, Antonio."
Antonio smiled, "Nico is special to us."
"Yeah..." Percy felt a tiny bit of protectiveness about his boyfriend, but ultimately he knew that Antonio cared for them both as friends. They said their goodbyes and then Percy got off of the houseboat. He lingered at the shipyard. Being so near the water calmed him. Something kept nagging him at the back of his mind, though. It wasn't just thinking about what was wrong in his relationship; he genuinely felt like something was wrong. The feeling started to grow and soon he found himself running home.
"Nico?" he was calling as he ran up the stairs. He called his lover's name again as he opened the door, "Nico?" He saw a black mass below the kitchen table. Nico was laying on the ground, reaching out a pale arm.
"Percy." he said quietly before wincing. The other man looked and saw that Nico's lip was split open and bleeding profusely.
"Holy shit Nico, you probably need stitches." he got up and wet a washcloth. He helped Nico to sit up and started to clean his lover up as Nico winced. The split in Nico's lip was deep and Percy was basically making a bigger mess than he was cleaning, so he pressed the cloth to the wound and told Nico to hold it there while he grabbed the first aid kit.
"I'll heal, Percy. I'll be fine." he winced as he pulled the cloth away from his mouth. Blood had congealed in the fibers of the cloth and ripped the wound open anew. Nico used his fingers to keep the wound closed. Percy watched. It could take hours for the split in Nico's lip to heal. Percy returned with the first aid kit. He wasn't really sure of what to use, but he picked out some ointment and some tape. After seeing what the cloth had done to the boy he was smart enough not to try and stick guaze on the wound. He used the still damp cloth to clean more of the dried blood around the tear, then he dabbed it with just a little ointment before sticking a piece of tape over the whole thing. He could feel his boyfriend's dark eyes on him and when he finished he looked into them and kissed Nico's forehead.
"So how did this happen?" Percy asked after making sure Nico was seated on the couch and then putting the rest of the first aid kit away.
Nico spoke carefully so as not to dislodge Percy's tape on his wound, "I went over to get something to drink when I just felt dizzy. I guess I passed out and smacked my face on a chair on the way down or something."
Percy held Nico closer to himself. That story was all too familiar from his grandmother before they had to put her in a home. The son of Poseidon didn't know what to say. Would Nico get to the point where he couldn't leave him at home alone? He felt Nico's body shudder.
"Percy, I'm so out of time. I wonder what my life expectancy really is. I don't know if my body is really feeling its age or if it's just my soul causing psychosomatic symptoms, or what it is, but I'm ready to die, Percy. I think I'm ready to just be done."
"Don't talk like that." Percy said quietly as a creeping guilt settled inside of himself. Maybe he and Hades just should have let Nico stay dead. "Tomorrow will be a good day and you'll feel like yourself again."
Nico sniffed. He felt incredibly guilty for the selfish thing he had just said. He wanted to tell Percy that no, he hadn't felt like himself in a long time, but his lover had said it so sweetly that even he almost believed it. Instead he just held Percy close, suddenly feeling very tired. He closed his eyes just for a rest.
When he opened his eyes he was laying on the couch with a blanket over him. He could hear Percy in the kitchen and carefully got up to investigate, grateful that Percy had been so kind as to leave his cane by the couch so that he could hobble over.
"Hey Nico, come here." Percy said as the smaller man stepped into the kitchen. He motioned Nico over to the kitchen sink filled with fresh hot water for the dishes. He dipped his hand in the water and touched the wound on Nico's lip with the other, "I don't know why I didn't think of this before." he said before healing Nico's wound. It did leave behind a tiny scar, but you'd only notice it if you already knew it was there.
Nico carefully peeled of the medical tape from his face, "You forgot because you were too busy worrying about me."
"Of course. I want to keep you around, you know." Percy said, turning back to the stove. He was subtly addressing Nico's semi-suicidal statement from earlier. Nico hugged him from behind and peeked at what Percy was making. Omelette. He smiled behind his lover. Percy was so cute when he tried to cook.
After dinner Nico put the rest of the dishes into the water and crossed the room to go outside and smoke before he finished washing them. He could feel Percy's eyes on him and a different guilty feeling overtook him as he purposely ignored his boyfriend and went out to the balcony.
Percy watched Nico go outside. He hated Nico's smoking so much! Now he at least thought he understood why his boyfriend did it; it was another form of suicide, just a much slower one. "When it was time to." Nico always said about quitting. Did that mean when he was dead, or when he no longer wanted to die? Percy found himself walking toward the balcony. He had to take a stand or nothing would change. He moved to stand next to Nico and looked down at the red ashtray. Everything suddenly felt like slow motion. Percy looked at Nico, who slowly turned his head to look at his boyfriend. His expression changed as if he knew what Percy was about to do. Sea green eyes looked away from the black ones to focus on the red dish again. He pushed it with both hands. Both watched as the ashtray fell and shattered on the street. The ash spread across the broken red pieces, looking like a bloody black and red mess. The three sole people on the street all looked up and Percy moved away from the balcony and looked at Nico. The smaller man was yelling at him, gesturing at the street and then at Percy, but it was like the son of Poseidon couldn't hear anything. It all sounded muffled. He followed Nico into the house, where Nico was grabbing the broom and dustpan from the kitchen. The front door closed and when Percy was alone he could hear everything clearly and felt like things had gone back to normal speed. He walked out to the balcony and looked down into the street, where Nico was sweeping up the remains of his ashtray and was apologizing in Italian to those who had witnessed the accident. Percy went back inside. He was nervous like he used to get when he knew his report card had come and he walked home from school knowing he'd be in big trouble. He plunged his hands into the dishwater and began scrubbing the dishes to distract himself. He jumped when he heard the front door open and close.
"Percy..." Nico said, putting the broom and dustpan away. The son of Poseidon looked away and became really interested in a bit of cheese stuck to one of the dishes. "Percy, we need to talk."
Feeling the other man step up next to him, Percy reluctantly looked at his boyfriend. He didn't look angry, just concerned. "Hmm?" Percy asked sheepishly.
"Why did you do that? Someone could have been hurt."
Percy looked away, "You know why I did it."
Nico sighed, "Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
"Thanks."
"I really do wish that you would stop, though." Percy turned away from the dishes to look at his boyfriend.
"I'm going to try to quit. You have to understand that it's going to take some time, though."
Percy was glad that Nico was going to try and quit. He trusted that he was telling the truth. He wished his boyfriend could just go cold turkey, but he knew it was more difficult than that. "I'll help you however I can."
"Seriously Percy, I don't deserve you."
"I know, but I kind of love you, so there's nothing you can do about it."
Nico smiled, "Do you want any help with the dishes?"
Percy smiled too. They were okay for now, "No. Go get some rest. It's been a weird day."
"Okay." Nico grabbed his cane and left the kitchen. He got ready for bed and was just laying down when Percy finished in the kitchen. Later he listened to his boyfriend getting ready for bed. He really should treat Percy better, he thought. Nico was just so busy with his life that sometimes he forgot to ask how Percy was doing in the midst of it all.
x.x.x
Sunday morning Percy woke up alone. It was becoming more and more common. For weeks Percy had told himself that it was because Nico had to wake up early to open the store, and he himself wasn't a morning person. He ignored the fact that Nico used to lay awake in bed until Percy awoke so that they could get out of bed together. Usually his boyfriend could be found in the kitchen, or in the shower, or if Percy had overslept he would be down in the store already. This time he found Nico outside on the balcony. He was sitting on the platform, looking through the bars of the railing. He was only in boxers and when he turned to Percy the other man noticed that Nico's lips were blue.
"Nico." Percy said, crouching down and pulling his lover close, rubbing his skin to warm him up. Nico struggled a little and Percy saw tears fall from his tightly shut eyes, "Nico, what's wrong?"
The smaller man continued to struggle until Percy squeezed him almost painfully. When he relaxed Percy also did and he took in a breath, "I'm tired. I'm just tired."
"Tired of me?" the question came out before Percy could stop it. His heart raced as Nico turned to look at him. The son of Hades gave him a little side smile and kissed his forehead before standing up and walking into the apartment. Percy just sat there. His heart had broken a little. All this time he'd been able to push the thoughts and feelings away before anything could happen, but this time Nico's reaction had been just enough. Percy swallowed to try and make the feeling go away, already telling himself that Nico hadn't said yes, and that everything was going to be fine. He was just regaining control over his emotions when Nico opened the door.
"Are you okay?"
Percy wanted to tell Nico that no, things were not okay, but he was afraid that if they got into that conversation that they might decide to end things, and he'd rather deal with their relationship as it was now instead of losing Nico yet again. He forced a smile and said, "Yeah. Still just waking up."
Nico held out his hand, "Well come in before you get sick." Percy took the cold hand offered him and stood up. The motion brought his face right up to Nico's and he paused. Nico just gave another half smile and kissed him, "Come on, dork."
The rest of the day had a strange energy. Nico was even more quiet than usual, and Percy felt like he was just kind of floating around the house. He didn't even realize how much time had passed that day until Nico was pulling the covers up over his shoulders. Maybe he was getting sick.
3:12. Percy's bleary eyes read the alarm clock on his side of the bed. He had felt Nico leave the bed and now he could hear him rummaging through drawers and quickly running toward his desk and grabbing something. When he returned to the bedroom he placed a backpack on the bed.
"Nico, it's 3 in the morning. What are you doing?" Percy asked, sitting up.
"I just got an idea." Nico said, zipping up the backpack, which was now stuffed with clothing and supplies.
"What?"
Nico crawled up onto the bed and straddled the other man's legs, "Do you want to go on an adventure with me, Percy?"
"Duh. What adventure?"
"We're going to go find Hebe."
"You mean-?"
"Yep." Nico kissed Percy, "We're going to find it."
Percy smiled, excited for another adventure after so long, "Wait, what about the price? There's always a catch."
"I'm not afraid of death, and how bad could the price really be?"
"Okay..."
Nico noted the worry in Percy's voice, "I can always say no, Percy."
"Okay." Percy said, less afraid. Nico moved off of his legs and began to get Percy's clothing out, "Nico, come back to bed. I'll pack when the sun's up."
Nico paused. He really wanted to get everything ready and leave now, especially because his body felt so good just then. In the darkness he could see how tired Percy really was and his excitement calmed a little. He climbed back into bed and Percy held him closely, falling asleep quickly. Nico took more time to be able to even shut his eyes, but finally he managed to fall asleep as well.
x.x.x
Percy woke up feeling heavy. He opened his eyes and saw a head of black hair resting on his chest. It had been so long since the last time he had woken up to this view that he thought it was a dream. Nico's arm was stretched over the other man's torso in a limp hold and Percy put his own arm over the paler one. Nico stirred and held Percy closer, but otherwise didn't respond. Percy didn't want this moment to stop, but he wondered what time it was. It was Monday; Nico had to work. Before he could look at his clock Nico sighed.
"So warm. Are you sure today isn't Saturday?" Nico mumbled. The vibration of Nico's throat against Percy's ribs tickled and the son of Poseidon had to fight the urge to laugh.
"Unfortunately it is Monday." Percy said, petting the smaller man's head and back.
"Che ora รจ?"
Percy finally looked at the clock, "Seven fourteen."
Nico relaxed, "Good. I still have fourty-six minutes."
"So when are we going on our adventure?" Percy asked, now remembering Nico's mad dash to pack in the middle of the night.
The smaller man sat up and ran a hand up and down Percy's chest, "When I get to work I'll ask Antonio and his dad if they'd be cool watching the store for a while. I don't know how long this trip is going to be, and I'd hate to close the store completely and lose business..." he continued talking, mostly to himself, figuring out the numbers involved and everything he had to do to prepare. Sea green eyes simply watched him. It was always amusing when Nico started talking business. He may as well have been speaking another language as far as Percy was concerned. It was nice to see his boyfriend acting more like himself than he had for weeks. Nico moved to get up and Percy felt empty. "You don't have to pack until I have a specific day we're leaving if you don't want to." Percy just nodded as he got out of bed. "I'm actually really excited about this." Nico said, stretching.
"What about your bad days? What do we do then?"
Nico pressed his lips into a line as he thought, "We'll just have to get there when we get there." he finally said.
"Okay..."
"Trust Percy, trust."
Percy hated when Nico said that. He had picked it up from some Jamaican they had met at a party Beriet had. It was the guy's catch phrase and the son of Poseidon had been sick of it by the end of the night, only to discover that Nico had gotten it into his vocabulary indefinitely. Percy didn't just hate it because it annoyed him; he hated it because his boyfriend used it as a phrase of dismissal. It was his way of saying, "Shut up and stop worrying." Nico noticed the change in his lover's energy and walked over to hug him, "I'll be okay, Percy. There's nothing we can do but try and figure things out."
"Okay. I trust you." Nico was right; they always figured things out. It didn't always turn out for the better, but they always had each other. Percy almost laughed. When had his thoughts started sounding like a bad romance novel?
"What's funny?" Nico had noticed Percy's smile.
"Nothing. I'm just excited too."
"Yay!" Nico pecked Percy again and disappeared into his closet, "Does purple make me look too gay?" he asked as he came out with a violet dress shirt.
"Why do you care?" Percy asked. Nico had never worried about something like that.
"I guess I don't. I just worry that some potential customers won't buy from me if I'm too... swishy."
"Really Nico?"
The son of Hades blushed, "Okay, so the other day there was this dude looking for something for his wife and he asked what my girlfriend likes and I never lie so I told him I have a boyfriend and he got all weird and said that he was going to look elsewhere."
"Well he sucks and missed out because you're amazing and so is your jewelry." Percy kissed Nico's forehead, "And as far as being too swishy, you're just fine. I kind of like how you can go from persnickety jewelry shop guy to badass monster slayer to loving husband making me dinner all in one day. If you swish I don't notice and even if you do that's fine because that's you."
Nico pouted, "Crap Percy, are you just like going for the most perfect boyfriend award, or what?"
Percy blushed, "I mean it. What's with the pout, though?"
"Nothing... did you call me persnickety, by the way?"
"Maybe. I mean, you do pay a lot of attention to every single detail about your work, and I do notice that you act kind of stuck up with certain customers. I know it's just an act for them though."
Nico laughed. He wanted to tell Percy that he was sorry he wasn't as great of a boyfriend to the son of Poseidon as Percy was to him. He wanted to tell him all of the reasons why and fix them right then and there, but he didn't have the time before work, and they seemed okay for the moment, so he just smiled and walked with the shirt over to the bathroom. He wanted Percy to follow him and join him in the shower for a quickie, but lately it had seemed like more of a chore to his boyfriend than something fun, so instead he left the door unlocked just in case and then went about getting ready for work. As he showered he wondered what it was that Percy did all day. Sometimes he wouldn't be home when Nico came upstairs for lunch or after work. He was never out later than 7, so Nico didn't worry too much about it being another guy, not that the thought didn't pass his brain. Percy was slowly learning the language of the city, not quickly enough to be taking classes or anything. He often bought his own things. Maybe he had a job? Still, the language barrier was a problem. When Nico asked him about his daily activities Percy would just shrug and say that he was exploring the city.
"Nico, are you okay?"
Percy's voice brought Nico from his thoughts. The water was running cold on his skin. How long had he been spacing out? "Yeah. Just tired." He really wanted a cigarette, but he was trying to wait until he had opened the shop. He really did want to try quitting.
"Do you need me to get you anything?" Percy was clinging to the shower curtain as he peered in at his boyfriend. He looked as if he were hoping for Nico to need his help.
"No. I'm fine. Just withdrawls probably."
"Oh..." Percy sheepishly looked away and left the bathroom. Nico finished getting ready for work and when he stepped out of the bathroom he found Percy at his desk looking at the map. He looked adorable, Nico thought, remembering how much he loved Percy's concentrating face. He kissed his boyfriend's forehead and quietly said goodbye before going down to the shop.
Percy continued looking at the map. As far as he could tell it was useless. It didn't specify what part of the world it was in, and just had generic illustrations with little dots connecting them. He ended up spending the better part of the morning trying to figure it out. He looked at the map sideways, he looked at it backward, he looked at it from all angles, but just couldn't figure out the key. He knew he needed to pack, but who said that they were leaving right away? Nico couldn't exactly just up and leave the store whenever. Percy figured that it would be hard for Nico to be away from the shop for too long. Sometimes he would sneak down and watch his lover from a hidden place by the utility closet. Nico always looked genuinely happy to be doing what he was doing. His eyes sparkled like the diamonds he showed to his customers. Antonio knew about Percy's visits, and always told him that Nico would be pleased to know he visited, but the son of Poseidon hated to bother the other man. He sighed and stood up to get his brain on something else in the hopes of returning to the map with fresh eyes.
"Antonio, will you please get some boxes from the back?" Nico asked before smiling at the couple in front of him. The couple was American, so he always tried to make it a point to speak English in front of them so that they wouldn't feel like they were missing out on something. When Antonio disappeared into the back room, the woman turned to Nico.
"So do you have a girlfriend? I just have this sister and noticed your lack of wedding ring."
The son of Hades felt the color drain from his face. He hated discussing his relationship with people, never knowing how people would react.
"I have a boyfriend, actually." he said, bracing himself for whatever reaction the couple gave him.
"Wait, you're Nico di Angelo, right?" the woman's fiance asked, "As in the love of Percy Jackson's life?"
Nico's eyes shot up to his. How did he know? "Percy is my boyfriend, yes."
"Yeah I'd heard he got back with you after the other camp failed." The man continued.
Nico could feel a headache coming on. It seemed everyone knew what went on in their relationship. Each time someone asked him about Percy, they mentioned the last thing they remembered him doing with Nico. The legend of his death and subsequent return had spread through the demigod community. Everyone knew how many times he'd been kidnapped, and how many times Percy had saved him. Everyone knew that Percy and Nico had split up, only to get back together five years later. Really love-dipped couples liked the romanticism of it all, others liked to put it under a microscope to avoid thinking about their own relationships.
"Hey, did you fall asleep with your eyes open?" the woman asked.
"Oh sorry, what?" Nico wasn't sure if he had been lost in thought or really had fallen asleep.
"What has Percy been up to?" The man asked.
Nico was annoyed. He wanted to ask the couple why they cared, and what business it was of theirs. The main reason he was agitated, though, was because he didn't have an answer. Did he really believe that Percy just hung out upstairs all day? No. He knew the son of Poseidon needed more to do than that. He shrugged, "He's gone a lot."
"Do you know if he'll ever try to make a camp again? I really liked it when I was there."
"Probably not. It hit him really hard when it failed." Nico said, relaxing just a little bit.
"Is that that summer camp you always talk about?" The woman asked. The man gave Nico a look that confirmed his suspicions that she didn't know her fiance was a demigod. The two began talking to each other, seeming to forget about Nico's presence until Antonio returned with the boxes. Nico boxed up their wedding rings and then sent them over to Antonio for the payment process. The man told him that it was nice seeing him and to tell Percy hello. Nico just nodded, not bothering to remind the man that nobody but Percy and Cameron had ever talked to him at the camp, and did he forget that he slashed Cameron's throat in front of a crowd of children, and that he'd never told Nico his name. At least the latter would be on the credit card statement, but Nico didn't feel like trying that hard.
When they left the shop Antonio returned to the back room, sensing that Nico needed a moment now that the store was quiet. When his assistant had gone the son of Hades took the keys from his pocket and walked across the store to another glass display box. He took one of the smaller rings out and looked at it. It was just a sterling silver band with two entwined skeletal hands. Nico looked around and then slipped the ring onto his left ring finger. His finger was just a size too small, but he could easily fix that. He moved the ring so that the plain part of the band was on top and looked at his hand. Maybe if he wore something like that fewer people would ask him if he were married, or had a girlfriend. They were natural questions to ask in a jewelry shop, but maybe if Nico took some of the guess work out people wouldn't be so curious. He continued looking at the ring. He started to wonder what it would be like if he and Percy got married. His mind briefly flashed to a ceremony with sunflowers and suits, and then he tore the ring off. "Stupid." he said out loud. What a ridiculous thought. He put the ring back on the display and then set about busying himself until the next customer came in.
Nico smelled it before he saw it. He kept his gaze low and used his peripheral vision to try and figure out exactly who or what it was that had come for him. He almost gave an annoyed sigh when he saw the hoof and the brass leg. The Empusa wasn't even bothering to try and hide it; she knew she couldn't seduce Nico. Slowly he raised his eyes and forced a smile, "Hello, how may I help you today?" he asked with an edge of sarcasm.
The Empusa ran her fingernails across the top of the glass jewelry cases until she came to stand in front of Nico, "Hmm, do you carry any pearls?"
"My business partner doesn't like them because of where they come from."
"Oysters don't even have brains. Who cares if you crack a few open?"
"What are you really here for, Empusa?"
The woman scoffed, flipping her hair. Flames came out from between the locks and faded before any touched the ground. Nico knew that he was literally playing with fire, but he also knew that this was not going to end well. He looked over to the supply closet, where Antonio was peeking out from the door. He made sure not to give him any looks or anything that might tip off the Empusa that someone else was in the shop.
"I'm here looking for sparklies."
Nico fought the urge to roll his eyes, "What kind of sparklies?"
"What would you recommend?"
The son of Hades walked over to another display case. He wasn't sure what the Empusa's game was, but he was willing to play along. He brought out a few pieces; a pendant, two rings, and a tiara. Surprise surprise, the Empusa grabbed the tiara first.
"The stones are fire opal." Nico said, smirking a little, "I thought that would be appropriate."
The Empusa placed the tiara on her head and then looked into a mirror on the wall, "So where is your so called business partner?" she asked in a bored tone as she fixed her makeup in the mirror.
Nico shrugged, "Out getting a few things." he said, hoping it were true.
Fire again flared out from underneath the Empusa's hair. That answer wasn't good enough, "When's he going to be back?"
"I don't know." Nico shrugged again. He used his peripheral vision to spot Antonio, who had moved from the closet and was now against the wall, searching for a weapon.
Nico heard the front door of the shop lock, "Well I'll just wait here with you until he comes back." she said, trying on the other pieces of jewelry.
"How's he going to get in if you locked the door?"
"That's just for the mortals." The Empusa said with another flare, "He can come in when he arrives."
"What if he doesn't?" Nico knew Percy rarely visited him in the store. They could be sitting there for a long time.
"If he's not here within an hour, I'll just have to kill you by yourself and get him later, but that's just so much more work." a chill ran down Nico's spine as she smiled, "Of course, maybe I should do that anyway. Putting Percy in pain twice could be fun." she flipped her hair again and it all turned into strands of flame. The tiara glowed orange as the fire heated the metal on top of her head. Nico ducked behind the display case just in time for her to smash it with both fists. He popped out from the wreckage and lunged at her, feeling the burn as her hair hit his face. He took a second to look at where Antonio had been standing and he was no longer there. The Empusa kicked him with her bronze leg and he didn't have time to figure out where the boy had gone. When she made to kick him again Nico grabbed the leg and twisted it. A bolt fell out from somewhere, but didn't weaken the Empusa at all. As they fought Nico saw things in his shop catching fire. No turning back now. The flames seemed to grow with the Empusa's anger.
Nico was thrown to the ground and the Empusa leered over him, opening her mouth wide to display long sharp fangs. She was just about to sink her teeth into his throat when her head suddenly fell onto his shoulder and continued to roll across the floor. Nico looked up and saw Percy standing there with Riptide. He also saw that part of the ceiling was ready to smash his hero.
"Percy, move!" he screamed and Percy obeyed just in time for a piece of ceiling to fall on top of Nico and the Empusa's body before the body turned into dust. Luckily that had protected Nico enough that Percy could quickly dig him out. As soon as he was standing Nico pushed the other man toward the back to the staircase which led up to their home. Percy kicked in the door and then promptly tripped; the vinyl tiles were curling from the heat, and the adhesive underneath had melted into a slippery mess. Nico pulled him up and told him to grab his backpack and to quickly pack anything he needed. Meanwhile Nico grabbed his own full backpack and then stuffed the map inside before raiding the kitchen for food and other various supplies. He heard Percy call his name and looked over to see that the floor had collapsed between them. Thinking fast, Nico ran into the pantry and used the shadow to reappear in the bedroom closet. He grabbed Percy and shadowed down to a corner in a nearby store. Both men watched in horror as Nico's shop and home were completely engulfed in flames. Nico frantically looked around for Antonio, and found him standing with his father. Antonio sensed the stare and waved. Nico then knew that he and his father were going to take care of things, and Antonio was telling him to leave now. "Come on." Nico said, taking out the map and holding out his hand for his boyfriend, "We have to go."
"Wait." Percy said, running back toward the shop. Nico's heart just about jumped out of his throat until he saw Percy standing near a hydrant. The son of Poseidon gave Nico a look and the smaller man knew exactly what to do. After the son of Hades had knocked everyone out within a certain radius Percy used his power to bust open the hydrant and move the water toward the flames, which had started to burn the connecting shops. He doused the building thouroughly enough that the fire wouldn't spread. Nico's shop was too far gone by that point and they had to leave a bit of a distraction for everyone when Nico woke them up. Percy was still watching the building as it began to collapse into itself and the newly awakened neighbors watched too. He tripped as Nico dragged him down some stairs. He looked ahead and all he saw was darkness; he couldn't even tell where the stairs ended. He squeezed Nico's hand tighter, placing all of his trust in the boy as the darkness engulfed them.
*Hey, long time no read, eh? I was having a lot of formatting issues, but I think it's still readable. I hope it hasn't been too long since the last Blackness sequel. I have about 4 chapters completed, so hopefully there won't be too long between each chapter for posting.*
