PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || All I Want For Christmas || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO
Title: All I Want For Christmas – Is You
Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; Christmas 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, fluff, Christmas fluff, mating, heat, knotting, D/s, explicit intercourse, anal, mpreg, toys, shoujo-ai, hetero, threesome
Main Pairing: Nico/Percy
Side Pairings: Tyson/Ella, Reyna/Annabeth, Luke/Octavian, Ethan/Alabaster, Jake/Will, Frank/Hazel/Leo, Jason/Calypso, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse, Malcolm/Katie, Grover/Juniper
Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Tyson, Annabeth Chase, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Ella, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Octavian Simmons, Luke Castellan, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Chris Rodriguez, Cecil Rogers, Ethan Nakamura, Alabaster C. Torrington, Lou Ellen, Will Solace, Charles Beckendorf, Jake Mason, Nyssa Black, Silena Beauregard, Piper McLean, Thalia Grace, Jason Grace, Calypso, Malcolm Cage, Katie Gardner, Clarisse la Rue, Grover Underwood, Juniper
Summary: Percy Jackson is two things. He is rich and he is obsessed. So what little free time he has goes, just like his money, into finding the North Pole. Not the physical one; the magical one. It's not out of greed, or because he wants to proof something to the world – he's not that kind of person. He just wants to meet Santa Claus and say thank you, because all the good things in his life have always started on Christmas Eve. He's in for a surprise when he actually meets Saint Nick, or rather Nico as he prefers to be called, because Santa Claus is neither round nor old, but rather hot.
All I Want For Christmas
Is You
Part 1: ...Is Meeting Santa
Dear Santa,
Thank you for all the nice and pretty presents you get me and my siblings every year! You're my biggest-biggest hero! Triton says that's silly and that Aquaman is best, but I think you are.
But I have lots of toys already. And a family. And pets! I have a pretty puppy and a kitten! I have everything I need and that's because of you!
So what I want for Christmas, pretty please, is to meet you. So I can tell you how awesome you are in person. I know you' really-really busy on Christmas, but if you maybe have some time, can you stop by so I can... so I can maybe hug you and say 'thank you'?
Love, Percy
Nico chuckled fondly as he folded the piece of paper and tugged it safely away into a folder already filled with other letters of that kind before grabbing his glass of wine and taking a sip. Children were adorable, but this one was particularly persistent and endearing. Still, there was no need to get attached. The little boy would outgrow his belief in Santa once he was an adult and Saint Nick would only be a faint memory and one day, the human would grow old and fade away too, very much like a memory. Nico had seen it too often over the past centuries to get attached.
"Then why do I have so many folders with letters in my shelf?", sighed Nico softly.
Because even when humans were long faded memories, some left too much of an impact on Nico that he could let them fade completely. Some humans were worth outlasting their lifetime and Percy Jackson surely was one of them. Nico's fingers ran over the cover of the folder fondly.
/20 Years Later\
Percy Jackson was rich. Some may even say he was filthy rich. All of his life, he had gotten whatever it was he wanted. He literally owned a pony. He had grown up in a stable, loving home with a wonderful, large and slightly overbearing family. There was nothing left he could wish for.
His money had never gotten to his head though, he had always helped the poor and charity foundations, helped hurt animals and orphaned children and basically everyone he could.
There was really only one thing that he wished for – well, technically only one because 'true love' was something he doubted was what he could wish for because it would happen eventually on its own. The one thing Percy Jackson wished for was to meet Santa Claus.
It was probably a silly thing to wish for for a twenty-seven years old and his reasons for it were most likely completely insane, but he couldn't change his obsession. He just couldn't.
The reason for his obsession was a simple enough one. All good things in his life came directly from Santa Claus, so all Percy wanted was to meet the jolly man and to say 'thank you' in person.
It had actually started before Percy's birth. His father, Poseidon Jackson, was a rich and famous CEO and a single-parent widower. He had met Percy's mother Sally during one summer in Montauk, when Poseidon had meant to rekindle his relationship to his children after their mother's passing. They had fallen in love, but both wrote it off as a summer-fling. But then Fate – or rather Santa Claus, Percy would swear to that – had forced the two of them into a hut on Christmas Eve. Sally had been a waitress, there had been a snowstorm and a heated night that had resulted in one Percy Jackson. After the 'one-night-stand', they once again parted ways, but when Sally realized she was pregnant, she came back and the two of them finally faced their feelings for each other, soon followed by a wedding and the growing of the Jackson family.
On Christmas Eve, when Percy had been ten years old, his very beloved baby brother Tyson had joined their family. Surely a coincident, but in Percy's mind it was a logical conclusion.
And two years later, when the Jacksons held a grand Christmas gala, Percy had met his most favorite human outside of family. Annabeth Chase, oldest daughter of a fellow CEO that Poseidon was rather close to, apparently. She became his best friend as the two of them had hid under the table to talk and play while the adults did boring stuff.
Things had continued like that. Somehow, Christmas always turned out to be the highlight of his years. And so, to Percy, Santa Claus became the epitome of everything that went well in his life.
Which was where his wish to meet Santa Claus rooted from. So he had started sending Santa letters – not to wish for anything big or expensive, because his family could already afford everything he could wish for – all he was asking for was to finally meet the man in person.
He had tried that approach for years, being patted on the head like a cute little kid. Not when he was older. When he got older, it became 'worrisome' and 'concerning', so he got send to a shrink. That much for family money. So Percy had to convince a nice lady with glasses and a couch that yes, Percy was not crazy. At this point, Percy yearned to be old, because then he would be just another eccentric billionaire. As it was, he was the weird kid with the rich parents, who due to his obsession didn't make any friends. Well, that and the fact that most people being nice to him were nice to him because he was stinking rich. Besides, he had his family and he had Annabeth. He didn't need more.
Things reached a critical point when Percy turned twenty-one. It was the age that his older half-siblings had moved out, with a hefty portion of the family fortune, and started their own lives. So had Percy. He had moved out and had made a ton of very clever investments – thanks to Annabeth, he himself had no idea about those things. So by now, what had started with one million dollar four years ago, were multibillion dollars. He had started various own charity foundations, mostly for orphans and also many against ocean pollution and for marine animals. He also owned his own horse range with therapeutic horses for children, especially for those whose parents would never be able to pay for this kind of treatment. To sum it up, Percy was rich and he was using his money for good things. He helped people, animals and the planet.
There was only one project he had for himself. His still ongoing research about Santa Claus.
And then, Christmas when Percy was twenty-six, he had gotten an amazing gift from the two people he loved most – Annabeth and his little brother Tyson. They promised to help him. They were willing to go on an expedition to the actual North Pole to go and look for Santa Claus. Sally and Poseidon had given them their blessing, hoping that maybe going and seeing for himself would make Percy realize that he was wasting his life away on this obsession.
Which brings us to the now. Percy, Tyson and Annabeth were on their way to the North Pole. Annabeth, who had by now already become a well-respected scientist even at the age of twenty-seven, and Tyson, who would always support his brother and who may have been the most influenced by Percy's obsession because he had literally grown up with it.
"Ready for this, Seaweed Brain?", asked Annabeth as they readied the snow-mobiles.
"I've been ready for this for years!", exclaimed Percy, eyes sparkling in excitement.
/break\
The North Pole was normally a rather busy place, but seeing as it was summer, it was off-season. Summer was incredibly boring. At least for the man himself. His merry little helpers were busy enough with preparations, but he? He didn't have much to do. There weren't even letters yet that he could read to pass the time. So instead, he did what he did best. Observe and glare strictly.
When one thought about Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, or whatever else of the many names he had, they most often thought about a jolly, old, round man with white hair and red clothes.
Out of the plenty variations of Nikolaus, he enjoyed the shortening 'Nico' most too. Nico also liked the color blue, especially so dark blue, far more than red. And he was generally not the 'jolly' type. Sure, he loved the laughter of children and it did make him happy, but the rest of the year? He was easily agitated. He was also neither old nor fat. He didn't quite see how anyone would think that to be a good physique for someone with such a straining physical job as Nico's. No, he actually looked like an Italian in his mid- to end-twenties, strong enough to heft the tons of toys around.
"Someone is looking grumpy again. Want a cookie?"
Nico grunted displeased as he turned to the teasingly grinning girl with the pointy ears. Piper, one of the three kitchen elves of the workshop – designers of new cookies and recipes and generally taking care of the workshop's little family when it came to food. Piper winked and stuffed a cookie into Nico's mouth. Making a protested sound, Nico glared after Piper as she skipped off.
"I did not want a cookie!", barked Nico out, munching on the cookie.
Muttering beneath his breath, Nico returned to the main control room of the workshop. His five researchers and readers – those sorting the letters and organizing everything for Christmas – were sitting at the control panel. They were the silent helpers of Santa Claus, those doing the things in the background and dark that none of the humans seemed to appreciate. The toymakers? Oh, how marvelous. But those who read through thousands and millions of letters and sorted them? Those who kept the workshop going all year. Shaking his head, Nico surveyed it. Rachel and Octavian were arguing, as was usual. They always argued. Ethan had two piles of letters in front of him. Granted, 'piles' was a vast overstatement. He was the best judge Nico had ever seen. Ella was happily sitting in a corner, reading. That was, after all, what she enjoyed most. Then there was Malcolm, who looked... concerned. That was never a good sign. Frowning confused, Nico walked over to stand next to the blonde man, who was barking something into the intercom.
"What's going on?", inquired Nico, back straight.
Malcolm looked up, a little startled. "They were making their rounds, when they found a broken-down snow-mobile. Three humans, barely alive." Malcolm paused. "What should they do?"
Nico had three – he disliked the term 'bodyguards' – three members of his team responsible for protection and order at the North Pole. Reyna, Frank and Clarisse, the North Pole's muscle so to speak. Taking the intercom from Malcolm, Nico wished to speak to them himself.
"What's the status, Rey?", asked Nico seriously.
"Three humans. Late teens to early twenties. Barely breathing", replied Reyna.
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Bring them in. Will can take care of them and we will dump them at the nearest human research facility so they can take care of the rest", ordered Nico.
"Roger that, boss", grunted Reyna in her professional voice.
It wasn't a rare occasion. Humans – stupid, moronic, fragile humans – kept endangering themselves by thinking "Oh, there's a lot of snow! Let's go out in a snowstorm!". Reyna, Frank and Clarisse regularly made their tours around the workshop for exactly that reason. Because as annoyed and grumpy as Nico was, he had a far too big and soft heart. They would gather the humans up – if there was still a valid chance for survival – and dump them in Will's lap. So maybe part of the reason why Nico had such a bleeding heart was to annoy Will. Will was the resident healer of the North Pole and aside from minor scratches and stomach aches because of too much hot chocolate and cookies, Will didn't have too much to do. And Nico, being a good employer, had to keep Will busy. Once the humans would be out of the woods, they would be dumped close enough to a human research facility so humans could find them, think they saved them and the matter was done with. After all, adults couldn't see Nico and his team, so it was all a feverish haze of being unsure how they had healed, neither seeing their saviors nor the workshop they were being kept in. Being unable to explain such things was easily dismissed with high fevers and human nature.
"Rachel, can you check in with Will? Inform him there's work for him to come", called Nico out. "Ella, would you be a dear and tell Silena to prepare soup for the sick humans? Malcolm, as soon as the humans arrive, I want you to run a scan on them. I want wishlist-referrences on them ASAP."
"Yes, sir!", chorused the three of them instantly.
They could all fool around and they were quite the family, but there was a certain tone of voice that activated a strict professionalism in them all. When Nico left the room, he noticed Octavian and Ethan trailing after him. Ethan smirked knowingly, while Octavian looked utterly annoyed.
"Why you always have to take in strays is beyond me", sighed Octavian agitated.
The thing about Octavian – a very tall, very Legolas-y elf – was that he did not suffer from a so-called 'bleeding heart'. More like the contrary actually. The only ones Octavian would show any kind of positive feelings for were Rachel, with whom he had a sibling-like relationship that was mainly based on bickering, and Luke, his mate who he worshiped.
"Leave him be. Taking care of random, stray humans is the only joy he has", teased Ethan.
"Oh, go screw your mates", hissed Nico agitated.
"See?", grunted Ethan as though that was all the proof he needed, wrapping one arm around Nico. "Unlike the two of us, this poor soul still doesn't have a cute sub to satisfy his most primal urges. How else is he supposed to spend his time, since he doesn't have a sub to take care of?"
Octavian grunted in agreement, looking at Nico with pity in his eyes. "That is indeed true."
Nico glowered at them. Like humans, supernatural creatures too had an urge to spend their lives with another, but unlike humans, supernatural creatures craved having a mate. It was in their nature. Nico however had evaded that particular issue for many, many, many years now. The thing was just, there was no one who lived up to his expectations. Nico himself was naturally dominant and so far, he had never met a submissive after his taste. There were plenty of naturally submissive elves on the North Pole, but none were the submissive. And maybe over the centuries, Nico's expectations had risen entirely too high, but how was that his fault? The perfect sub just didn't exist for him.
/break\
Will was cursing worse than a sailor as he rushed through his infirmary. As much as he appreciated this caring side of Nico, as much did it exhaust him. At least he wasn't entirely on his own. Ella and Rachel were here to help him, so was Will's always thoughtful mate Jake – one of the toymakers.
"I bring the soup. Anything I can help with?", asked Piper as she entered the infirmary.
"You're a godsend, Piper", sighed Will. "Help Rachel bring the kid's temperature down, please."
"Oh my", sighed Piper softly as she approached the brunette. "He really is a kid."
"Tyson Jackson, age seventeen, according to Malcolm", confirmed Rachel sternly.
"What's a kid like him doing here though?", inquired Piper worried.
"That, we will never learn", shrugged Jake nonchalantly. "We never do, do we."
Will muttered beneath his breath as he stole one quick kiss from Jake. He too was wondering what was going on with this specific emergency. They were way younger than the average scientists and adventurers Will got to save. Either way, he was not going to let any of the three die.
/break\
Nico was lounging about in the common area with Octavian, Ethan, their mates and two other very close friends of Nico – Cecil and Lou. Luke sat with his feet in Octavian's lap and his back against Ethan's. Luke and Ethan had been best friends for too many centuries to count. While engaging in conversation with Luke, Ethan was running his fingers through his own mate's hair as Alabaster laid half-sprawled over Ethan's lap and kept throwing cookie crumbles at Nico.
"So, you took in a couple humans again, huh?", hummed Lou, Alabaster's sister.
Luke was the creative head of the toymakers and Cecil, Lou and Alabaster were, among others, working for Luke. Mischievous and playful, the perfect team to create all things fun.
"What's the big deal?", groaned Nico annoyed. "Could everyone stop getting on my case?"
"Then you should stop being so easy to tease", snickered Luke.
"Yeah, you really are too easily baited", agreed Alabaster, throwing another piece of cookie.
"I'm telling Silena that you're playing with food", threatened Nico with a glower.
Silena was a brilliant and kind woman, but when someone was being too childish, she could be quite the stern mom. It was nice, having a mother-figure. Well, most of the time at least. Sometimes, it was utterly exhausting because they all were already well into their second millennium.
"Boss!", called Malcolm out as he barged into the room.
Nico grunted and turned toward the blonde. "What is it?"
"Well, you wanted to be informed who our... guests are", replied Malcolm and straightened his back before pulling up three profiles on the big screen in the common room. "Annabeth Chase, 27 years old. Tyson Jackson, 17 years old. Perseus Jackson, 27 years old..."
Malcolm was rattling off facts – place of birth, first letter to the North Pole, statistics on the nice and naughty list, all those things – but Nico decidedly was not listening. He knew who Perseus Jackson was. And when someone like Nico, who had at multiple points heard every single name and seen every single face of every human that has ever been on this planet, well, that meant something alright. Perseus was the persistent person obsessing over him. His cute, little stalker.
"Tell Will that once he's over the worst, Perseus is to be transferred to my quarters", ordered Nico.
"...What?", grunted Malcolm, interrupted mid-sentence.
"Perseus. You will tell Will to bring Perseus into my quarters as soon as that is a possibility", repeated Nico slowly and stood. "Will already has enough on his hands with the other two, right?"
With that, Nico left. The others were stunned as they stared after Nico and only when Malcolm too hurried out of the room to do as he had been told did the others start talking.
"What was that?", asked Luke curiously, raising one eyebrow.
"Better question; Who is Perseus Jackson?", corrected Cecil inquisitively.
"Aside from what Malcolm just listed?", countered Ethan with a smirk.
"You know something", accused Alabaster and sat up to straddle Ethan's lap. "Explain."
"Perseus Jackson is twenty-seven and one of Nico's firmest believers", replied Ethan, laying his arms around Alabaster's waist to lift him off his lap. "He's the only kid we've had in a long time who writes off-season letters. Not just like the few who write their letters early. No, Percy – as the kid prefers to be called – he wrote Nico thank-you-letters and just regular... updates on his life."
Ethan stood and grasped Alabaster's hand, leading him and the others down the hall. Octavian followed not very willingly and only because he got to stare at Luke's ass while his mate walked in front of him. On their way to the archives, others joined them, curious what they were up to. Travis and Connor, two of the toymakers that were the closest to Luke and looked up to him as a mentor, as well as Leo, who was the most notorious troublemaker as well as the most brilliant toy-designer.
"Where are we going?", asked Leo curiously.
"The three humans your mate and his colleagues brought here", started Lou off-handedly. "One of them seems to get special attention from our Saint Nick. Nico wants for Will to transfer him to Nico's personal quarters so Nico can take care of him. Now we want to know more about that guy."
"Oh. Sounds interesting", nodded Leo intrigued. "Tell me more."
"His name is Percy Jackson", added Ethan and opened a door. "And this is our special Percy Jackson archive. The boy has been writing dozens of letters every year since... well, since he can write." Ethan paused as he approached one of the various filing cabinets and pulled one out. "Ah, this is one of my favorites. It's from when he was ten, arrived late spring. Dear Mister Santa, thank you very much for the present you gave me! The little brother you gave me is really, really awesome. He doesn't do much yet, but he's very cute and I'm gonna teach him everything I know and I'll always protect him! We named him Tyson and we all love him very much. Even Kymopoleia, but she doesn't show it much. And Triton has been showing him off to his boyfriend, so now Thanatos is really-really afraid that Triton wants an own baby. But I think I'm too young to be an uncle yet, so please don't bring Tri and Thany a baby just yet. I know I said I don't need anything from you and the baby brother you gave is more than I could ask for and I don't wanna be greedy, but... but can I have my own human, please? I love Tyson, but he's still very tiny and can't do much on his own so mommy and daddy have to spend a lot of time with him and help him with everything and before that, I was the youngest and they were always there for me. And my big siblings all have college and boring stuff to do. I thought I had a friend in Nancy, but then I heard her say mean, nasty stuff behind my back and when I confronted her, she said she doesn't like me at all because I'm a freaky weirdo and that she only became my friend because her parents wanna work with my parents. I just really want at least one person who loves me for me and who isn't part of my family. If you could give me just one friend, please? But it's okay if that's too much. I will write you again another time! I hope spring is okay on the North Pole too! Love, Percy."
"Oh my gosh, that is the most endearing and heartbreaking thing I've ever heard!"
The gathered elves jumped slightly in surprise and turned toward Charles and Silena, who were sitting in a corner of the filing room. Silena straightened her dress and put her hair back together as the mated pair stood to walk over to them. Alabaster raised one judgmental eyebrow.
"Have you two been making out in the filing cabinet?", asked Alabaster teasingly.
"Yes. You and Ethan aren't the only ones abusing this room", replied Silena with a smirk. "Now, wait a second. Could this boy be the one I had to do some matchmaking for? I remember one summer not too long ago that Nico tasked me with finding a child without friends who lived in New York and was clever enough to watch out for a 'very sweet and a bit naive little boy'?"
"Must be the one", chimed Lou amused. "Man, Nico is really invested in the kid, huh?"
"Because the kid is really invested in him", countered Ethan seriously. "Percy has never asked for anything fancy or expensive. Only for things for his family, or something like... a friend. And then he always writes thank you letters and even between seasons, he simply keeps Nico posted on how his life is. I think that started because he never had anyone aside from his family and even after he made that friend Silena found for him, he kept writing Nico and didn't just forget about Santa Claus. Even when he became 'too old for Santa Claus', he kept firmly believing and writing."
Cecil snickered as Ethan showed them a couple of photos the boy had apparently send – from a brightly smiling little boy holding onto the neck of a large, black horse, up to the same boy as a teenager at his graduation. This Percy-kid really had an unhealthy obsession with Santa.
"So wait. Does that mean the kid... came to the North Pole to find Nico?", asked Leo slowly.
"That appears to be the case", confirmed Ethan. "It has been his only wish since he was twelve. That Nico may show himself so Percy could say thank you in person. And so they could talk."
"He really is adorable", cooed Silena, her eyes sparkling. "You think we can keep him?"
"...That could actually be a possibility", whispered Ethan beneath his breath.
"What are you trying to say, E?", inquired Luke, poking his best friend.
"That I think Nico's fascination with the persistent boy changed over the past few years", replied Ethan cautiously. "At first, he thought Percy was an adorable child, but... When Percy surpassed his childhood and still continued to believe in Nico and write Nico, I think... it became something different. That Nico now that Percy is here wants to take care of Percy personally, well..."
"You think... You think he plans on turning Percy into a Christmas angel?", whispered Silena.
She flapped her own large, white wings in punctuation. Ethan couldn't help but smile a secretive smile. He had a very good hunch to how this would end, but it wasn't his decision to make.
"Who knows. I guess what we can do is sit and wait", answered Ethan honestly.
"For now, we should probably all go back to work", grunted Charles. "Especially when our boss has... other things on his mind, then we should be even more reliable."
"How boring", chorused Lou, Leo and Cecil with pouts.
"Luke, Charles, take the three troublemakers with you to the workshop", ordered Ethan and rolled his eyes. "I should return to the control room. Because we do have work to do, mh."
/break\
Will had long since stopped questioning Nico, so all he did was order Frank to carry his unconscious patient to Nico's private quarters the day Perseus seemed over the worst of it. Nico was very pleased that regardless of the nagging and teasing Will normally provided, he still knew when to listen to Nico. Even though the following days were an unusual kind of stress and work for Nico, he still enjoyed it. Which was probably an odd thing to say about taking care of a feverish human.
It was weird. Crazy, maybe. Nico kept talking to the unconscious human, telling him how much he had appreciated the letters over the years. Sometimes, Nico would just talk about his day when he returned to his room to take care of Percy. And that was the weird thing, because Nico had all those people around him – his friends, who were more like a family. But in the end, they all were also his subordinates and they also were all present throughout his day.
"Hng... W—Where... m I...?"
Nico was positively startled by the sound of a voice. Somehow, he had gotten so used to taking care of the unconscious human over the past days that he had forgotten the option of Perseus waking up. Nico offered Percy a kind smile and changed the wet cloth on the human's forehead.
"Sh, it's alright", whispered Nico softly, brushing the wet hair out of the beautiful face. "You're safe. Just rest, you need to get better. You had hypothermia. But you're on the right path now."
Percy was asleep again without seconds and for the next day or two, they repeated this little game, until Percy was apparently well enough to actually stay conscious. That was the first time Nico realized just how amazing Percy's eyes were. Over the years of fulfilling the oddest Christmas-requests, Nico had occasionally sneaked into Percy's room to check on the little boy, though he was always asleep of course. Then again, there wasn't much of the endearing little boy left. He had grown into a handsome, young man. Tall and proud and very protective of those he loved. Well, perhaps not that tall, mused Nico with a grin. Frowning tired, Percy tried to sit up.
"Woah, hey there, not to fast", called Nico out and pushed Percy back onto the bed with ease.
"Who are you..?", mumbled Percy sleepily, staring directly at Nico.
What an odd feeling. An adult, a human adult, staring directly at Nico. It was a bit unsettling, but it felt also just as good. Being the sole focus of those intense sea-green eyes. Nico offered a smile. He should have known better. Of course his truest believer could still see him.
"I'm Nico. And you're safe", assured Nico softly. "My team found you outside in a snow storm a couple days ago. Your two friends, they're also being taken care of, so the only thing you need to worry about is your own health. Which means staying in bed and resting."
"You... saved... my life?", whispered Percy, voice a little hoarse. "Thank you... I'm... I'm Percy..."
Nico smiled amused, getting a fresh wet cloth for Percy's still slightly heated forehead. "There is no need for thanks. It's the humane thing to do, really. Wait, I'll get you some water."
That was about all there was to their first interaction, because after downing a glass of water, Percy was out like a candle again. Though the next time he woke up, he at least still remembered Nico. Which was nice, because Nico was not the biggest fan of playing Fifty First Dates. They finally got to talk, though it was just smalltalk. But it was nice hearing Percy's voice, talking to him.
"So, when can I see my baby brother and my best friend?", asked Percy when he looked relatively well again, the fever only slight and his coughing reduced to a minimum. "Please. I miss them."
Nico huffed as he was faced with the most impossibly wide sea-green eyes possible that looked more like a starved kitten asking for tuna. How had anyone ever denied this boy anything? Nico realized why his job never consisted of getting him petty things like toys, because he had gotten them all from his mom and dad, using those exact same, irresistible eyes.
"Very well. But not too for long!", warned Nico seriously, before pausing. "There's probably something... you should know. This is not exactly a research facility. It's... the North Pole."
"Well, duh. I know I'm at the North Pole", grunted Percy and rolled his eyes.
"No. I mean, you're at the North Pole. This isn't a research facility. It's the workshop. Well, technically it's an entire village, but you're right now in the workshop itself", elaborated Nico.
Percy huffed and glared a little at Nico before playfully hitting the Italian's chest. "Look, I know it's embarrassing that I told you I've come to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus, but that was no reason for you to tease me, mister. Now, will you take me to my family?"
Nico smirked and laid one arm around Percy's waist to stabilize him as they made their way to the door. "Very well. But don't say I haven't given you a heads-up."
It was probably better to show Percy. Seeing was believing – which was a strange concept considering that in this case, he could only see because he believed. And nearly as soon as they were out of Nico's room did they run into Thalia, Jason and Calypso.
"D—Does she h—have w—wings?", stammered Percy, subconsciously leaning against Nico.
"Hello to you too", replied Calypso snappily. "I'm not pointing out your lack of wings either."
"Cally, please. Don't be mean to our guest", requested Jason pleadingly.
Thalia just laughed loudly and ruffled Nico's hair in passing. Percy stared wide-eyed after them.
"Thalia and Jason are weather spirits", elaborated Nico when Percy yelped and jumped as electricity sparked from Thalia's hand over to Jason's. "They're siblings. In charge of controlling the weather around here and, well, to make white Christmas happen. And Calypso is what we call a Christmas angel. They're... well, mainly they're the ones keeping the workshop going. Remembering our busy elves to eat and sleep between their inventions, cooking and such."
"I'm at the North Pole", whispered Percy, blinking owlishly.
Nico was pretty sure he broke Percy with that statement, so he just continued on to the infirmary. They ran into a couple elves – Jake and Nyssa, on their way to the arts and crafts room, too busy arguing about their latest invention to pay them much mind. Which was probably better because Percy was so busy staring at their pointy ears that he feared another confrontation. Then again, Calypso was the most sensitive about such things around here.
"And here we are. The infirmary", whispered Nico softly so not to startle Percy. "Brace yourself. Our local doc is also a Christmas angel. Try not to stare, mh?"
Percy nodded slowly, but it was betrayed when they entered and he laid eyes on Will, who admittedly was the best picture of an angel with his blonde curls and his bright blue eyes. Though Percy didn't have much time to stare at Will, because the two occupying the beds were far more interesting. Percy yelped and pushed off Nico, stumbling a little until he could grab Tyson's bed for support. The face of the brunette teen brightened as he saw his older brother.
"Percy!", rasped Tyson, making grabby-motions for him. "You're alright, brother!"
"Seaweed... Brain...", whispered Annabeth from the bed next to him.
She was the worst for wear still. Reyna, who was still adamantly posing as their guard, sat on the chair next to Annabeth's bed. She had her arms crossed over her chest, at least until Annabeth made a motion to sit up. Her arm shot out to grasp Annabeth's shoulder and push her back down sternly.
"Rest", grunted Reyna, glaring down at the blonde. "Will said you have to stay in bed."
"You're so harsh, Rey", groaned Annabeth with a playful smile.
"Rey?", echoed Percy curiously, eyes wandering over to the other person in the room.
"She was originally supposed to watch over your comrades and make sure they don't cause trouble. Though for the past few days she... simply refused to leave her post", elaborated Nico before staring at Reyna with one raised eyebrow. "Though her name is Reyna."
Despite the vicious glare on Reyna's face, Nico could still spot the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. His other eyebrow joined the first. What a curious development. Though then again, if he was being honest, it was already odd enough that Annabeth could see them. She had been a very rational and logic oriented little child, he had never really thought she believed in him at all. With Tyson it wasn't much of a surprise. The seventeen-years old boy was still very child-like in his nature and he had grown up on Percy's tales and obsession with him.
"So, how are things with your little stalker? Or are you his stalker now?", chimed Will teasingly.
Nico jumped a bit in surprise and turned to glare at the nosy blonde. Will just flapped his wings and winked at Nico from where the two of them stood a bit farther off from the three humans.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I... just took care of Percy", whispered Nico annoyed. "He is... very good and intriguing company. I enjoy the conversations with him. He's so... light and funny and... cute. Stop grinning at me like that. Just... stop it."
"Why? You have literal hearts in your eyes when you look at the guy", laughed Will, nudging Nico playfully. "I mean, not that I didn't know beforehand that you have it bad. Over the past few years, you'd always light up when one of Percy's letters arrived and they kept your mood up for days. Even though virtually the only time you're ever not grumpy are the three days of Christmas when you get to make children smile. Wait. When you chose a mate and make kids of your own, you're not gonna abandon Christmas because you have own kids you can make smile all day long, right?"
"First of all", growled Nico, dangerously low so the others would under no circumstances hear what was being said. "I have not chosen Percy as my mate. And even if and even if I would have chosen him as my mate and if I would turn him into an angel, which would be such an incredibly fit thing for him just look at his radiant beauty and kindness..."
"Losing track of your thoughts there, boss", chimed Will with a wicked grin.
Nico cleared his throat, the faintest blush on his cheeks. "Even if I'd turn him into an angel, there is absolutely no guarantee he would be a submissive angel. The point being that I have come to terms with never having own children many centuries ago, Will."
There was a sadness in Will's eyes as he looked at his old friend. He knew that. Knew that Nico had settled with that fact long, long ago, even though he loved children so very much. It was part of the reason why they did what they did. Nico was different than most of the supernatural beings on the North Pole – elves and nature spirits were born supernatural, angels were made from the pure hearts of humans and Nico, he was the son of a grim reaper. Technically a half blood who had grown up in the mortal world a poor child that didn't get many things and lost his own sister when she had only been twelve. Wandering the woods alone and nearly starved, he had been found by young Hazel, a hybrid child of a grim reaper and an elf. Hybrids were not too welcomed by most, so she lived in a shunned kind of society with others like her – Frank, Reyna and Clarisse. They all were not quite 'normal'. Nowadays, they called themselves Yetis, strong protectors of the North Pole, proud in who they were. But back then they had simply been society's outcasts. Those five were how the settlement now known as the North Pole had started out, so long ago.
"-and she's really beautiful and has wings too! And she's nice, she keeps reading me stories when I get bored and she's really, really pretty!", interrupted Tyson's loud voice Will's musing.
"So, I take it the reason Ella has made herself so rare in the control room is because she's been hanging out in your infirmary too", muttered Nico and shook his head.
"Yeeeah. Ella has a new favorite thing. It's Tyson", chuckled Will with sparkling eyes. "It's the cutest kind of puppy-love I have ever seen in my entire life, I tell you."
Nico grunted fondly as he watched Percy talk to Tyson and Annabeth. There was something different and special about Percy's face when he looked at his baby brother and listened to him. It made Nico think just how good of a parent Percy would be one day – in the mortal world, with a mortal. Gritting his teeth, he tried to shake the thought off. Why had he gotten so attached to Percy? He hadn't when Percy was a child. Sure, the additional letters throughout the years had been nice and had warmed his heart, but... When Percy send a letter with a picture of his graduation, something had changed. Percy was an adult. An adult who still kept writing letters to Santa. Who still believed so firmly in Nico. And now Percy was here. He seemed so much more real now.
"Okay, okay. That was enough entertainment for one day!", interrupted Will after about an hour, clapping his hands together. "Nico, if you would take the loud one back to your room so my two parents can rest some more? Percy, you should go and sleep some too. You don't look too well."
"Sure, doc", nodded Percy obediently, reaching out with his arms and looking demandingly at Nico.
"Really? Has it gone that far with us?", grunted Nico unimpressed.
Yet he still obeyed and leaned down to grasp Percy around the waist and help him up. "Well, apparently it has. I have trained you well. Now come and show me around the workshop."
"Rest!", called Will after them in protest. "I said rest!"
"Rest is for the dead", huffed Percy and rolled his eyes. "I want to see everything."
"I am not going to show you everything", protested Nico and shook his head. "This is a whole village, harboring around five-hundred or so supernatural beings. I can show you the workshop itself. Or at least parts of the shop. But after that, you will stay in bed."
"Whatever you say. Just... show me more", whispered Percy with sparkling eyes. "This is all I have ever dreamed of since I was a little boy. Show me where the toys are made!"
"I'm going to regret this", sighed Nico and shook his head.
They entered the design-part of the shop, where Travis, Connor and Cecil were currently rather busy brewing something up. Nico smirked amused. Luke leaned over some plans, obviously trying to ignore his subordinates. The only one paying attention to Nico and Percy was Chris.
"Ah. That the one Clarisse found?", inquired Chris curiously, looking Percy up and down.
"This is Chris. His mate Clarisse was one of those who found you", explained Nico at Percy's inquisitive look. "Yes, Chris. This is Percy. I'm showing him the workshop."
"You are now, are you?", teased Chris with a knowing smirk.
"Oh, go and annoy Clarisse", growled Nico agitated.
"I'm going to take that as an order, so I'll be heading to my mate, boss", declared Chris.
The moment Chris left the room, Luke's head snapped up and he glared at Nico. "Did you just send one of my men on an unauthorized break? You do see we're busy here, right?"
Nico smiled as he watched Percy go around and look at what Luke was doing. "Yes, Luke, I did. He annoyed me. Percy, this is Luke. He's the head of the creative department. Those over there are Travis, Connor and Cecil. They come up with the mischievous toys."
"That is so cool!", exclaimed Percy and turned large, sparkling eyes on Luke, cheeks red.
"...Wow", whispered Luke stunned as he watched the young man turn and look around some more before engaging with Travis, Connor and Cecil. "So, Nico. If you don't want him, Tavy and I wouldn't mind a sweet, little toy to spike things up."
The deep, feral growl coming from Nico was all the answer Luke needed. "You and Octavian are not getting Percy. At all. Especially not as a 'sweet, little toy'. You've been mated so long and you have a youngling to take care of. Be content with what you have, Luke."
"Danny would love Percy", dismissed Luke mischievously. "That guy is more childish than her."
"Your daughter can as well get along with Percy when Percy is not in your bed", warned Nico.
"Oh come on, I'm just joking", laughed Luke and ruffled Nico's hair. "Lighten up. I love Tavy and I wouldn't want to jeopardize our little family with a boy-toy. Even though he'd be a sweet boy-toy. Well, I'm hopeful that Will is right and this sweet boy-toy is going to loosen you up a little. Though I suspect it's rather going to be the other way around, isn't it? Poor guy."
"Most of the time I hate you", sighed Nico and stalked over to Percy. "Come on. There are other stations I want to show you before bringing you back to bed."
"Oh, you're taking him to bed!", teased Cecil with a snicker.
"Well, well, has Percy been on the naughty list this year?", cackled Connor, looking at Percy.
"What? I would never-!", gasped Percy with a frown. "I'm always on the nice list! ...I think."
"Man, you're kind of adorable", snorted Travis, patting Percy's head.
Percy furrowed his brows as he looked from the mischief-makers over to Nico. "I know I attract trouble and I'm sometimes... well, often... making not-so-good decisions, but..."
"You're on the nice list", assured Nico hastily as he placed one arm back around Percy's waist. "Now, what do you want to see next? Oh, I know. The main control."
"Mh, well then I'm also taking a break and accompanying you", declared Luke.
Nico kept from commenting and instead endured Luke's teasing smile as the three of them headed over to the control room. He could hear that Percy's breath was a little labored, but the excitement coloring his cheeks and making his eyes sparkle seemed to be far stronger. Inside the control room, they found Frank and Malcolm playing chess, while Clarisse and Chris were making out in a corner, Ella, Rachel and Octavian were brooding over the N&N-books – the naughty and nice lists – and Ethan kept an eye on the monitors. Nico heaved a long-suffering sigh as Octavian's head snapped up. Octavian, as all others on the control panel, was also a Christmas angel and he was a dominant one. He was very fixed on his mate's scent, so Luke just entering the room was enough to get Octavian's attention. Luke smirked at Nico in a way as though he wanted to say Well, that could be you and Percy, but you're an idiot before sauntering over to Octavian and kissing the other blonde.
"Oh, let me guess. That's Luke's mate!", exclaimed Percy excited, slowly getting the hang of it.
"Yes. And those are Clarisse, Frank, Malcolm, Ethan, Rachel and Ella", introduced Nico. "This is the control room. They sort the letters here, judge how naughty or nice a kid was and generally keep an eye out on all of us. Like I said, Christmas angels are the ones caring for others..."
"Oh. You're Ella?", asked Percy eagerly as he approached the two redheads.
"You're Percy? Ella's Tyson talks a lot about you!", exclaimed Ella happily.
"Ella's Tyson, huh?", giggled Percy with a childish glee. "So you like my brother?"
"Yes! Ella wants to keep Tyson! Tyson is nice and funny!", replied Ella eagerly.
"Not that Tyson doesn't like her just as much", teased Rachel with a smile.
Nico smiled fondly as he settled down next to Ethan and watched how Percy started to capture the entire room. There just was something about Percy that drew others in. Ethan chuckled amused.
"What?", growled Nico agitated. "No, wait. I already know the text."
"You should smile more often. It makes you look more like the Santa kids adore", said Ethan.
Okay, that was kind of not what Nico expected. "What? I don't do smiling. Shut up."
"You're smiling, when you look at the human", countered Ethan knowingly. "I know that smile. I've had to endure it whenever Luke and I encountered Octavian, until Luke finally had the courage."
Nico grunted uncomfortably and shifted a little, focus on Percy who was talking to Rachel and Frank by now, while Clarisse observed them and made rude comments every now and again. She had always been good at insulting others, it was one of her finer qualities.
"Okay, okay. Enough squabbling. Come on, Percy. There are exactly three more places on the tour before you'll rest for at the very least two days", grunted Nico, interrupting them.
"Have you seen the garden already?", inquired Malcolm curiously, smiling at Percy.
"Garden?", echoed Percy confused. "There's nothing but snow out there. How..."
"I'll come along and show you", offered Malcolm eagerly.
"Ah. Let me guess, your mate works at the garden?", asked Percy with a knowing grin.
Nico raised one impressed eyebrow. "Yes, his mate Katie. How did you figure that out?"
"Well, Chris ran off to see his mate, Luke decided to come with us because he wanted to see his mate. I don't know what exactly that means, but damn, you guys really love your mates", answered Percy simply, grinning. "Come, come. I want to see a garden, please. Bye, guys!"
"Looking forward to seeing you again!", called Rachel after them.
"Yeah, it's nice meeting you", agreed Frank, waving a little.
Percy easily melted against Nico's side, one arm around the other's neck as Nico guided him toward the gardens. Percy all the while chatted away with Malcolm about the duties of the blonde angel. Nico noticed that Percy was leaning far more against Nico than earlier. Nico would prefer to just tug Percy away in bed, but there was no way that stubborn little thing would agree just now. Infatuating little human, really. Nico couldn't even begin to imagine the troubles caused by a winged Percy.
"-Katie is a nature spirit. They take care of raising Christmas trees and mistletoe, making sure every home is stocked with them", caught Nico from Malcolm's conversation with Percy.
Sighing, Nico opened the door to the garden, revealing the greenery of the greenhouse. Katie, Grover and Juniper were at work, watering the plants and tending to them. Percy gasped surprised by all the green in the white of the North Pole. At the sound, Percy drew the attention of the three nature spirits. Katie smiled brightly as she rushed over to Malcolm to kiss him. Nico didn't quite understand the obsession, really. Then again, he didn't have a mate. Though when he saw them, barely able to be separated for a couple of hours, he didn't know it that was really something to be desired. Nico cautiously helped Percy sit down on a chair. When Percy and Grover started talking about Percy's arrival here and what the nature spirits did, Nico checked on the plants.
"So, you're the ones responsible that we always get such awesome trees, huh?", asked Percy.
"Well, I think it's not that simple", grinned Grover amused. "With how many trees you humans kill for Christmas, someone has to ensure that they grow back, that the balance is ensured. We do that."
"That is really cool", stated Percy thoughtful before coughing.
Juniper, standing next to her mate Grover, frowned concerned. "Clarisse told us that the three of them found you humans. Aren't you supposed to rest? You don't look too well."
"Ah, I'm fine", coughed Percy out.
Katie, letting go of Malcolm not too willingly, checked Percy's forehead. "Oh my, you are burning up. You really should rest. You humans are too sensitive to the cold."
"Said a nature spirit. You're even worse than humans", snorted Nico and rolled his eyes.
"Oh, don't sass me, young man", chided Katie sternly, straightening her back. "What are you doing, letting the boy walk around the workshop instead of resting? He needs to heal, Nico!"
"How come subordinates these days don't have any respect these days?", muttered Nico lowly.
"She is right, Nico", chided Juniper with a frown. "The poor thing needs to rest!"
"The poor thing can hear you", mumbled Percy. "And I said I'm fine. I'm the one who nagged until Nico agreed to show me around. Come on, please, just a little longer."
"Tomorrow, after you've rested", ordered Juniper softly, patting Percy's cheek. "You're a frail, little human. You need to take care of your health. Your life is... short and fragile."
"That came off to equal parts as condescending and concerned", chuckled Percy amused.
"She's right though. Let's get you to bed and we continue tomorrow after you rested", agreed Nico.
Percy's knees were shaking as he stood and Nico frowned. Perhaps the nagging females were right after all. Leaning down, Nico placed one hand under Percy's knees and lifted him up bridal style. Percy groaned in protest and Nico masterfully ignored it, instead pressing Percy against his chest. Malcolm, Katie, Grover and Juniper waved them off as Nico headed back to his quarters.
"There's so much more to see in the workshop. You should be able to fully enjoy it and marvel at it instead of coughing your lunges out", whispered Nico softly to sooth Percy.
"Like where they bake the cookies?", asked Percy hopeful. "You said there's more angels."
"You seem very smitten with the winged folks", noted Nico casually.
"They're beautiful", shrugged Percy awkwardly. "And the cookies you gave me the past few days were like the most delicious cookies I've ever eaten in my life."
"Ah. Yes, the kitchen. And the room where they make the toys", continued Nico. "There are more elves to be found there. One of them I can... well... I can see you getting along wonderfully with him. His name is Leo and he is... he is very Leo."
"That sounds like fun", commented Percy amused and yawned.
"Yes, it is. And for now, you will sleep", murmured Nico as they reached his room.
He placed Percy on his bed, very cautious as he did so. Then he pulled the blankets over Percy and tugged him in. Percy hummed contently and snuggled up to the warmth, asleep within moments. Tomorrow, he would show the human even more of the workshop. So much that Percy would never want to leave it again. He blinked surprised. Where had that thought come from? Shaking his head, he decided to rest for a moment in the common room. Get some distance between himself and the boy that was tormenting his thoughts these days. The common room, of course, was occupied by others. There were too many people at the workshop for it to be empty. Yet company was a good distraction. Thalia was bickering with Calypso – she had never quite gotten along with her little brother's mate, not really. Jason was trying to lean away from them as though he hoped he could turn invisible. Apparently Tyson and Annabeth were currently asleep, or Will has had enough of her, because Reyna was there too, smirking as she watched Thalia. Nico decided to join them.
"Hey there, boss", grinned Jason teasingly. "Haven't seen you in days, or so it feels."
"Yes, well. I have been... busy", muttered Nico.
"Busy courting your future mate", chimed Thalia in.
"Oh, not that disrespectful human, right?", groaned Calypso and made a face.
"Oh, shut your mouth, feather brain", grunted Thalia and rolled her eyes. "Give the kid a break. It's his first time seeing supernatural creatures. He has a right to stumble a bit. I thought it was cute. Like a newborn kitten, really. I just wanted to pat his head."
She snickered and Nico glared at her. "I am not courting Percy. Merely being a good host."
"If that helps you sleep at night", muttered Reyna beneath her breath.
Nico turned to look at Reyna with an irritated expression on his face. Reyna just raised one eyebrow in a nearly challenging manner as she lifted a glass of milk up to her lips, awaiting the retort.
"Like you're one to talk", warned Nico, squinting at his oldest friend and comrade.
"Yeah. Haven't seen too much of you either in the past couple days", agreed Jason curiously.
"Her name is Annabeth", provided Piper, voice carrying a teasing tone. "And whenever I come to the infirmary to bring food, Reyna is busy staring at Annabeth with those love-struck expressions."
Reyna growled beneath her breath, baring fangs. This was not the kind of direction she had hoped this conversation would go. Could they not just focus on teasing Nico for once?
"Annabeth is quite brilliant. Rarely have I ever had the chance to hold conversations with someone like her. She is... captivating...", Reyna admitted after a beat, cheeks dusted a bit pink.
"And what, pray tell, are you going to do when they leave again?", inquired Calypso and shook her head in a disappointed manner. "I mean, really now. They're not like us."
Sadly, the caramel-haired angel had a point. Nico heaved a sigh and stole a cookie from Piper. Sure, Percy was enchanting and intriguing and funny and cute, but he was also human. With a human life and a human family, waiting for him in New York. Dark eyes wandered sideways to lock with Reyna's and he realized that similar thoughts seemed to pass the Latina's mind.
"Enough with the moping, guys!", declared Thalia and clapped them both on their shoulders. "The way I see it, the future is still in the future, so why don't you just enjoy the now?"
Reyna raised one corner of her lips in an attempted half-smile. "Yes, I suppose. You're right. Let's enjoy the now. That does remind me, where does Malcolm keep the chess board?"
"...That was so not what I had in mind", grunted Thalia and rolled her eyes.
"Yes. I think she thought more about smooching and such", agreed Jason.
Nico snorted and chuckled softly as he watched Reyna roll her eyes. They both weren't the type for casual things of any sort. They were more prone to getting their hearts broken instead.
Author's note: MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!
Though technically you're not supposed to open your presents until it's evening, but due to me having plans of opening actual gifts this evening I won't get to post it then. So I'll just leave this under your virtual Christmas tree and trust you to be well-behaved, nice kids and only read it after five. *stern motherly glare*
But seeing as a) this story grew decidedly too much in size and b) as far as Hollywood makes me believe Americans only open their presents on the 25th, I've decided to split this story! So you'll get the second part tomorrow morning-ish. And, well, so the Second Christmas Day doesn't feel so dull, I split the story into three parts (because yes, it really has grown that long). So expect the last part on the 26th. As it is, I hope all three days are filled with joy, people you love and awesome gifts ;)