Disclaimer: I under no circumstance own Percy and the gang.
Authors Note: YOU NEED TO READ His Father's Son and Love's Lesson FIRST OR YOU MAY BE TOTALLY LOST. Ok, so now. Did you like it? I liked it. Nico was fun to write as was Annabeth. I think I'll write more in this universe of mine. I've got some plot bunnies featuring the gods and Percy, some with Thalia and Nico. SO we'll see. Oh and the title basically is concerning Nico, Percy and Annabeth and their various situations, kind of just realized I got the idea from The Little Mermaid, heh. Please review!
Unfortunate Souls
On his way back home very little happened to Percy, well little for Percy that is. He didn't run into any monsters, and neither did the creepy homeless guy* follow him home again. He only followed him for a block or so. But he did have a twenty-three year old son of Hades appear out of the shadows and actually fall on top of him.
It went like this.
Percy was minding his own business, looking the very epitome of a man on a mission, as he walked sparsely populated street on his way home to talk to Annabeth. It was important that he not get sidetracked, which as demigod was quite easy to do.
The rain was still coming down, lighter than before but still rather noticeable. Percy was currently thinking about what had gotten Zeus in such a bad mood that not even Apollo's sunny disposition could break through to him (the pun totally intended).
Then it happened.
Percy let out a yell as dark blob fell on top of him, and for the second time in one day his bottom hit the ground.
Ready to unleash Riptide at a moment's notice, Percy found himself looking into the brown, nearly black eyes of his younger cousin, Nico Di Angelo.
With an annoyed grunt, Percy shoved the younger man off of him and stood up, brushing the back of his jeans off. "Gods, Nico. You really would think you would have a better grasp on the shadow traveling."
"Hello to you too." Nico responded dryly as he too stood, he was still shorter than Percy but very little had changed about the son of Hades. He was still deathly pale (literally) and skinny, wearing his signature black clothing. His dark hair, funnily enough, matched Percy's almost perfectly, since Sally Jackson, mothering stray demigods since 2005, forced both her son and not-really-but-sort-of nephew into getting a haircut a few weeks ago. Now both men's black locks were short, but Nico unlike Percy refuses to style his, preferring to roll out of bed in the morning leaving it as is. "Sorry."
Percy just rolled his eyes at his cousin, "Its fine, what'd ya want?"
"Can't I just come see my favorite cousin?" Nico asked innocently as they began to walk down the street, the few people who were around ignored them having no doubt seen weirder stuff in New York than a man appearing out of thin air.
"No," Percy snorted, "drop the innocent act. What, you need money again?"
Every few months Nico would show up on Percy's doorstep and beg for some drachmas. You would think that the son of the god of wealth would be wealthy. But no, he needed to mooch off of his unemployed cousin, who only was paid when he did the odd job for camp or go on some crazy misadventure with or for a god (mostly Apollo and Hermes).
Nico scowled at the son of Poseidon, "Really! I can visit you without wanting something."
"When have you ever done that?" Percy asked as he stepped around a woman talking to herself as she pushed what appeared to be an empty stroller.
"I visit all the time without asking for stuff!" Nico huffed, "We go out all the time."
"True," Percy mused, "but who the Hades ends up paying?"
"You," Nico answered sheepishly after a moment of consideration.
"Yeah, that's right, me."
"Well," Percy began as they passed a burger joint they usually visited when Thalia was around, "what do you need, Nico?"
For a moment Percy thought Nico was going to shadow away but it seemed after a moment he gathered enough confidence to speak, "My father has offered me a job."
Percy made a noncommittal noise, his hands were in his pockets, and he knew what Nico was talking about. His father had mentioned something like this to him a few weeks ago; he said Hades had appealed to the council about making his son his lieutenant. His immortal lieutenant. Thanatos was too busy with watching over the dead and guarding the Doors of Death to do all of his extra duties. Nico was the only person who knew the duties and was good at performing them. Percy had inkling his father brought it up because he still wanted Percy to fill in a position similar as Poseidon's own lieutenant.
Percy could feel Nico's eyes on him as he spoke, "His lieutenant, it would mean they would make me immortal. I wouldn't be a god or anything but it would be like Thalia, I can still die in the heat of the battle and all that mumbo jumbo. It's just that I'd spend even more time in the Underworld working with my dad. And Perce, I really think he wants me to take it, he seems sincere when he says he wants me to work with him. We, well, don't have a relationship like you and Lord Poseidon; it's not easy or effortless. Dad's just started to be able to spend time in the same room as me…"
Nico had trailed off his voice low; Percy refused to look at him. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for Nico, he was. He knew what a hard time Nico had with Hades. Things between them were rough, and this was a huge step on Hades' part to offer him the position. But still Percy didn't want to lose another person. He was on his way to end one of the most important relationships of his life, could he really take loosing another?
"Our relationship isn't effortless." Percy muttered, "We are very alike, Poseidon and me, sometimes we disagree, we don't get one another all too well sometimes. He's a god, not a mortal. We think differently, you should remember that next time you fight with Hades." Nico shrugged and muttered something low under his breath.
"So I take it you've said "Yes"?" Percy asked quietly after a moment, the rain began picking up again.
"No, not yet, I'm not sure what to say."
"What?" Percy burst out, "Nico you have been offered a great gift from your father, you should take it!"
"You didn't!" Nico snapped back.
Percy reeled back as if been hit by a physical blow, "Yeah, well I was a kid then, I had growing up to do, another fight to fight."
Nico sighed, and ran a ghostly white hand through his hair, "I know, sorry, it's just I need your advice."
"What do you need advice for? The answer should be obvious, and besides I can't answer to what immortality feels like I'm mortal, ask Thalia if you need that kind of advice."
"I don't know what to do!" he replied sounding desperate.
"Stop sounding like a broken record, Nico." Percy growled, he was tired and wet and to break up with his girlfriend, he didn't need this on top of everything else, "Just do what you feel is right, this is a huge decision, something that I can't decide for you. All I can tell you is it'll be hard, you'll have to watch people you love die, the world you now will change, a whole new life."
Nico's face paled, Percy continued though, his voice becoming softer as the neared his apartment building, "But, you've lived through all that before haven't you? Bianca died; your entire world became something new as a demigod and as kid born in another time coming to a world filled with oddities you never fathomed. I think you'd be an amazing lieutenant. You'd do your Father proud, and me."
The two cousins stopped walking as they reached the door to Percy's building, Nico was looking better, a light blush on his cheeks from the compliment, "Percy, thanks."
Percy gave a half-hearted grin, his thoughts on the blonde in the apartment upstairs, "Not a problem, but think some more, give Thals a call, she'll help you more than I can. I'll support you whatever you do, I know everyone else will too."
"I will," Nico said nodding solemnly, "and Percy-,"
Nico cut himself off looking hesitant at his older cousin, "Um, are you alright? You seem distracted."
"Yeah," Percy said unenthusiastically, his face was unreadable to the Ghost King as he turned to the door, "I'll catch you later, IM me if you decide."
"See ya," Nico muttered as the door shut closed.
Percy took a deep breath as he stood outside the apartment door, this was it.
He opened the door slowly, everything in the room was sharper for some reason, it all seemed clearer.
He walked in, and called, "Annabeth?"
It was quiet as he stared around the nearly pristine room; Annabeth was very particular on how she liked a clean living area. The only things out were some papers of hers on the coffee table. That was nothing new, Annabeth loved her work and was constinalty adding some new little detail here or there, so she always kept her stuff close by.
He noticed the bedroom door was shut and wondered if maybe she was lying down taking a nap or something. So he tiptoed to the white door, but stopped when he heard crying coming from the other side.
Percy's eyes widened and burst through, worried that something had happened, maybe a monster or something attacked? Was she hurt?
Barging in, well more like getting the door opened half way and attempting to run in but a loud yelp interrupts him as he trips over said yelping person, kicking them in the head and landing in a heap on the floor.
From the floor –again, this was starting to become an unpleasant habit- Percy stared around the clean room, then to his girlfriend. His girlfriend who was now laying on the floor, rather than sitting was rubbing her head where Percy's foot had connected.
"Good gods, Seaweed Brain." She moaned clutching her head, her voice was raw sounding as she continued to talk "You're so clumsy."
"Sorry, I didn't think you'd be right against the door." Percy said, crawling over next to the woman, "You ok?"
Annabeth grumbled under her breath, "Yes, just have a concussion."
"Want me to get you some ice?"
She side and shook her head, as she sat up, "No, no I'm ok, more of shock I suppose."
Percy looked at her sheepishly, "If it makes you feel any better this is the third time I've found myself on the floor in the span of like two hours."
"Seriously?" She laughed, wiping away any tears that were on her face.
"Yep," Percy nodded liking the smile that was on her face, much better than tears, "first, Aphrodite," Annabeth rolled her eyes at the mere mention of the Love Goddess, "decided it would be prudent to stand in the middle of the sidewalk and wait til I walked into her, instead of, oh I don't know, calling my name?"
Annabeth laughed s he rolled his eyes, "Second we've got Nico, who can't shadow travel without falling on top of me. I swear the kid does it on purpose to annoy me. And now, third we have me being stupid thinking you were being eaten by a monster and needed rescuing."
"You, stupid?" Annabeth snickered, "Why, I have never heard of such a thing!"
Percy stuck his tongue out at her, "No need to be mean."
They sat in comfortable silence. The most natural conversation and silence between the two that's happened in months. It was also the first time in a very long time that she'd called him 'Seaweed Brain' and he'd called her 'Wise Girl'. It felt like old times, when they just understood each other.
"Why were you crying?" he asks breaking the silence.
She looked down awkwardly at her hands, feeling embarssed that he caught her, and gave a shrug.
He swallowed heavily, that was answer enough, "It was because of me wasn't it?"
Annabeth refused to look at him.
"I'm sorry." Percy's voice sounded rough as he stared at her, "I'm so sorry."
Annabeth was frozen, her eyes meeting his, "Why?"
"I'm an idiot, a selfish, stupid seaweed brain."
"Oh…"
"You deserve someone better than me. I'm foolish and immature, I can't see past the side of the gods anymore. I'm not the guy who you fell in love with." Percy murmured to her, his eyes unreadable.
"No, I feel as if I'm the one who has been foolish."
Percy gave a harsh laugh, "You? No, never you, Wise Girl, never ever can you be considered foolish."
"Shows how little you know." Annabeth replied, "I should have ended things a long time a go, it would have been wise."
"Now," Percy began his tone turning a bit teasing but still serious, "when has ever anything to do with me considered wise?"
Annabeth cracked a small smile and she rested her head on his shoulder, "True, I don't think you have ever been wise."
"Well, I'm not the daughter of Athena, am I?"
"Thankfully, no, you're not. You're what my mother calls 'the sea brat' or 'Barnacle Beard Jr.'."
Percy let out a laugh; Annabeth felt it rather than heard the rumbling sound, "Does she really?"
Annabeth nodded, "Yes, she calls your father simply 'Barnacle Beard'."
"Huh, I knew she called me various names but I had no idea she had favorites." Percy tilted his head to the side, "So you think she's still going to hate me?"
The silence was deafening but Annabeth spoke up her voice wavering, "For breaking my heart? Yes, certainly. For growing up? Never, no one could fault you for that."
It hurt her to say that but it was true. Her mother would never like Percy Jackson whether it was for his parentage or reckless behavior. But in the end she was a mother, and Percy certainly did break her daughter's heart, breaking his own in the process of course but none the less he hurt Annabeth Chase. And so she may respect the man to a degree, especially now for letting go but never would she like him.
"We have to break up," he began his own voice shaking but she stopped him, "Please, let me. I think I deserve this, you've done a lot of crappy things Percy, let me be the one to actually do it."
Her voice was muffled but Percy heard her clearly, "Of course."
"Percy, I can't do this anymore. To myself, to you, I'm breaking up with you."
Annabeth felt stupid tears gather in her eyes, "I'll always love you, but I need to find someone who can want what I want."
"I'll always love you too," he spoke after a moment, his head resting on top of hers, their arms entwined, "You'll always be my best friend."
Taking a deep breath, she agreed, "And I will always be yours."
"Good, because I'll always need my Wise Girl, no matter what happens, I'll need you."
"And I'll always need my Seaweed Brain." She replied gazing out the window, the rain finally had stopped.
*That is totally Apollo, don't ask why. Maybe he's got a crush on our favorite demigod, who knows? LOL