Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson. The fairies don't accept Visa.

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy (Nicercy)

Warnings: Slash, Swearing, Nightmare, Suffocation

AN: I'm gonna be honest, guys. I have no idea what the fuck just happened. The plotless thing just poured out of me. Oh, well. Hope you like anyway.

Be My Enough

Nico's had a tough life. He grew up poor. His mother died when he was just a child. Then he forgot his life for over eighty years. His sister died. He lived on the streets. His father didn't want him. He was an outcast. He'd literally gone through hell alone. Afterwards, he got stuffed into a jar with no food or water for about a week.

Like he said. It's been a tough life. So you'll have to excuse the nightmares.

Darkness.

Nico's hands fumbled over the smooth surface of the jar, desperately searching for escape he knew wasn't there. Everything felt heavy, like a giant hand was pressing him into the ground. His lungs burned for air. His heart pounded so hard he feared it would burst out of his chest. Sweat driped into his eyes and plastered his curls to his head. It made him feel heavier.

He screamed. Gods, did he scream. It didn't make much sense, as there was little air, but that didn't seem to matter. His throat hurt.

Distantly, he knew he was sobbing. Crying like hadn't done since he first learned of Bianca's death.

"Help! Please, gods, somebody help me!"

HIs nails were bleeding.

"Please! Help, help, help!"

Too much pressure. His ribs were breaking.

"Somebody! Anybody! Oh, gods, get me out of here!"

Percy didn't know. Would never know.

"Get me out, get me out! Please! Help!"

He was going to die in here and Percy would never know-

"Nico."

"Help…" The word was nothing more than a whisper. Little more than an exhale of whatever air he'd had left.

"Nico!"

A different darkness spread over him. Rather than the suffocating one slowly drifting away, this one was numbing. Blessfully numbing.

His hands fell to his sides. The hard ground rushed to meet him. Everything slowed, as if he was submerged in tar. His eyes slipped closed and a final breath slipped past his cracked lips.

"NICO!"

Nico shot forward, chest heaving and dark eyes wide but unseeing. His hand clutched his neck, feeling like every breath was being ripped from his throat. His bare chest was slick with cold sweat, along with the tangled sheet around his waist.

Something touched his back.

Nico nearly jumped out of the bed, but then there were arms around his waist and holding him there. He struggled against them blindly, just wanting to get away, leave, escape, gods someone help him-

"Nico, hey, calm down. Just a dream. Just a dream, promise…" Someone pressed a kiss to Nico's spine and tightened their arms, hushing him quietly.

Those arms were familiar. So was the voice. Percy.

Slowly, Nico stopped fighting against the warm body and went limp, utterly exhausted. His body was quaking from the force of his emotional onslaught, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't make it stop.

Percy gently settled them both back onto their bed, Nico on his back, while Percy curled into his side, humming. He drew random circles on Nico's stomach, not talking anymore but still murmuring a comforting hush.

It took a few moments until Nico was ready to speak.

"S-sorry," He stuttered, nearly biting off his tongue to get the word out. He'd never meant to wake his boyfriend, especially at this time of night.

"No need to be," Percy whispered against Nico's ribs, looking up at him with concerned, bright green eyes. "You don't ever need to be sorry for this."

Yes, he did. But he knew Percy wouldn't believe him so he kept his mouth shut.

"You want to talk about it?" Percy let his hand rest over Nico's abs, it warmth sinking into Nico's stomach like a heating pad. He didn't understand why he was so cold.

Nico shook his head. No, he didn't want to talk about it. Not now, not ever. Talking would just make it more real, and tangibility was the last thing he wanted.

"Okay." Percy buried himself further into Nico's side and propped his chin on Nico's chest. "Then I'll talk. Anybody who tells you it's okay is a liar. Living through what you did is in no way okay, and it never will be. I'm sorry for that. But it doesn't have to be terrible. You can use it."

Breathy, desperate laughter was Nico's reply. He was still shaking but it wasn't as bad as before. He could feel Percy near him, see he was in their apartment. Safe.

"Don't laugh. Just think about this. Write it all down and you'd have a killer resume."

"What job would hire me after saying I'd gone through Tartarus and then suffocated?"

"What job wouldn't? If you can handle that then you can probably handle anything. Including people trying to return stuff at Customer Service. That's always a bitch."

"Really? Well, what about working at Toys R Us during Christmas time?"

"Gods, you're not immortal, Nico. Try it during Easters."

Another breathless chuckle. Percy's head had somehow migrated to Nico's collarbone, and their hands were clasped. Nico had tried to pull away due to his sweat, but Percy held too tightly.

They were both quiet again, save for their breathing. Their hands rested on Nico's chest, which had slowed. Against all logic, Nico's eyes began to grow heavy again, despite the lingering nightmare.

"I know now that I can't save everyone." Nico blinked when he heard the strain in Percy's voice, positive it hadn't been there before. He shifted, and Percy tilted his head back to look at him. "And that I really can't do much at all. But I love you. It's probably not much, but it's all I give you."

Nico trailed a finger over Percy's cheek, his breathing stuttering for a completely different reason than before. "You're enough." His black eyes drifted to Percy's slightly parted lips, and then looked back up into Percy's open eyes. "You'll always be more than enough."

AN: ...I don't even know.

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