Note: Posted with Permission

Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world Nico di Angelo is searching for somewhere to call home, tired of the always being on the move. But, when he meets an unexpected travelling companion he remembers what it's like to be around people, and it scares him in a way he has never known. AU Nico/Percy

Chapter Two: Sanity

I was awoken later that night by Mrs. O'Leary's growling; before I could promptly tell her to shut up I heard my tent unzipping. I don't know why fear flared in my chest, but it did. I should have known Percy was just like all the rest, maybe he wasn't about to come in and tease me but I was pretty sure I was about to die. A part of me knew this was going to happen, knew that he was too good to be true. Some knight in shining armor, maybe I should have asked him if he was a murderous, raving lunatic. It was pitch black save for the small circular light outside of my tent and when the zipping was finally done I almost let go of Mrs. O'Leary, figuring if I was going to die I could at least leave him bloodied and bruised.

A lantern stuck its way into my tent, followed by an arm and then Percy's smiling face, "Hi," He said cheerily.

"If you're going to kill me just do it fast," I said, in the light of the iridescent lantern I could see the shadows of his face, he was pretty full cheeked. He gave me a quizzical stare and then laughed.

"You're funny, scoot over,"

"What? Why?" I asked, and then he whistled looking at Mrs. O'Leary, expecting her to stand; her ears poked up and she licked his hand but when she didn't move he turned his vision back over to me.

"Mind sending her outside?" He asked.

"No, if you get too close I want her to bite your face off," I said resting a hand on her head. "What are you doing in here?" He sat back on his haunches, still trying to get Mrs. O'Leary's to leave, and then he shrugged.

"Well," He said lackadaisically. "A man's got certain needs, right, Nico? I was in my tent and I didn't feel like doing it by myself." Wait. Did he really just say that? I couldn't believe it, if he could see me he could see I was staring at him like he was the craziest man on earth, and I might not have been too far off on that. "Come on, don't make me go back in there and jerk it alone, we're both warm, and it's been a really long time for both of us I'm sure."

"What-what are you saying?" I asked, I think I was still sleeping; maybe this was a dream, or a hallucination.

"Hey, I'll go first, right?" He set his lantern down and began pulling off his shirt.

"Percy!" I said and Mrs. O'Leary laid her head down on the ground, covering her eyes. I'm sure that burning in my face from before was a blush; it occurred to me that I forgot what blushing felt like, it just didn't happen too much to me anymore.

"What? You've been staring at me all day, I figured either you were interested or I just had a very entertaining face," He started to unbuckle his pants. "Are you going to get undressed?"

"I-I don't know what you think is going to happen—"

"Look," He said. "I'm not going to force you to do this, but I think you would really like it." He reached behind him out of the tent and pulled in a cylindrical tube. "I got lube. Come on, man, you're single, I'm single, it's not really gay if there aren't any girls around."

"Would there be something wrong with it being gay?" I really had to watch what I let come out of my mouth, my cheek to tongue ratio seemed a bit off. Percy smiled and I groaned.

"So you are gay." He said.

"Why? Are you?" I asked; I was still really tired. I even yawned, but I was a bit more theatrical about it than I probably should have been.

"I wasn't, but you know after a while a warm body beside you just feels nice, you know?" He asked and he began shuffling out of his pants. "So what do you say, can we do this? You're not a virgin are you?"

"I—that's none of your business!" I nearly shouted, Mrs. O'Leary barked. "Get out of here," I said to her, irritated. She looked at me forlornly but stood and walked past Percy, limping heavily. Suddenly I felt bad for making her move at all. Quickly Percy zipped up the tent after her.

"I'll take it slow, I remember being a virgin," He said and crawled forward, I kicked his shoulder and he fell backwards.

"You get out too," I said trying not to think about how this was the most unabashed flesh I had ever seen outside of the internet. But he got back up and sat Indian style in front of me, just out of my kicking range.

"I took a big risk coming in here you know?" He said. "You and your big scary hellhound out there, and I think you're at least attracted to me—"

"You're full of bullshit," I interrupted and he laughed again. It was such a nice laugh.

"You're still blushing," He said. Blushing wasn't my problem, it was below the waist that I was having trouble managing, he crawled forward on his hands and knees and I tried not to think how very predatory he looked in the light of the Coleman lantern, how seductive it seemed. I was a virgin, but I guess that went without saying, and I did think he was very…nice looking but, you don't fuck the first guy you meet in a thousand miles of anywhere. I had always had the dumb romantic notion that my first time would be with a guy I had known for more than a day in a bed, not with some stranger in a tent in the Wal-Mart employee's lounge.

Suddenly Percy was straddling my hips and as snappy as I was feeling I couldn't manage anything other than a very meek yelp. "I'll be gentle," He said in a low, tender voice, his fingers were wrapped around the hem of my shirt and absently I felt him pull it over my head.

"Percy—" I said in a small voice and he placed his lips on the side of my neck. It felt so good; I can't remember ever feeling so good. He shushed me and pushed me back and I felt my heart hammering in my chest, then his fingers were quickly working the button on my pants, he pulled them down my legs after making me lift my butt. He sat in my lap and smiled wider.

"You're hard," He said and I felt my entire chest color with my face.

"Get out," I said again and he kissed my lips, it was my first kiss. Damn it I think I should have been more upset but I wrapped my arms around his neck as he deepened it, his tongue darted inside of my mouth expertly and I couldn't do much but lay there and let him kiss me, I didn't know what I was doing. "I don't…have much experience," I said as he pulled back.

"You're doing just fine," He smiled wiggling his hips, I almost came from just the motions.

"How many times have you done this?" I asked, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer. Instead of telling me he kissed me again though and this time I tried to be responsive, I think I kissed him back but really I was only pushing my lips out against his, I pulled back feeling flustered. "If I say stop…" I said and he nodded.

"I won't go any further if you say stop," He agreed, then he stood up and pulled off his boxers.

"You're not—" I observed wide-eyed.

"Circumcised, no," He answered with a chuckle. "Is that a problem?"

"No…it's not…it's just that I've never seen another guy's… I…just…" Percy Jackson had made me speechless three times in one day and it was the first time I had ever met him. I don't think I liked that about him either. "You're huge." He laughed again and sat down on my lap, he was very warm.

"It just looks that way," He shrugged. "You want to keep going?"

"I don't know what to do," I told him; there was no point in pretending like I did. In a day and a half Percy had saved me, fed me, and now I had the very distinct feeling that he was about to fuck me, maybe that was just the way things worked nowadays. I was pretty sure Percy had known other people before he had met me—I mean other people after The Mist had happened. He had probably been on the move with someone else; he just seemed too social to be by himself.

"Just lay back and let me do all the work," He smiled. "Lift your ass again," I did and he dragged my underwear down my legs. Our middles met and a shudder ran through me, what was this feeling? Lust? Had I felt lust before? I couldn't remember properly, really I couldn't remember anything but the feeling of Percy's hot lips on my ear as he sat forward, kissing the side of my face softly. "Nico," He said.

"Who?" I asked and blinked and he laughed.

"You, silly," He said playfully and he gripped us both between his right hand. "Open your eyes and watch." He bucked down and another shudder ripped through me, I cussed.

"Shit," I said and he smiled. "Shut up," I glared.

"You're kind of cute, I just noticed that," Percy grinned as he pumped his fist between us, my head fell back and I became an oozing babble of unintelligent words. I felt my eyes squeeze shut and then there was a very sharp nip on my chest and I think I liked it because I wanted him to bite me again. "Open your eyes," He said. "You need to watch."

"I…can't…" I breathed, seconds away from release. My body was completely rigid and everything was white hot, blood pounded in my ears and it occurred to me that I hadn't…pleasured myself at all in all my time on the road. It wasn't part of surviving and I think my mind just sort of shut it out. Now I must have looked dumb with my face screwed up and my arms locked around Percy's neck, gasping and praising the Lord above. Then that glorious feeling of standing on the precipice of sweet release fell away and I felt Percy's body lift off of mine. I opened my eyes, near panic. Had I done something wrong? I told him I didn't know what I was doing. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing, I just didn't want you to cum yet," He shrugged and kissed me. I think that I had to put a stop to the kisses, they meant a lot to me, hell my virginity meant a lot to me but there was something to be said about the connecting of lips. Lips connecting always seemed to be sort of a link to the heart; I didn't know Percy and Percy didn't know me. But before I could continue my train of thought he was on top of me again. "I can't let up on you can I? If I do you're going to change your mind."

"You made my mind up for me," I said and he smirked, touching his lips chastely to mine. "Don't do that," My cheeks flared.

"Don't kiss you?" He asked and I nodded. "Why?"

"Because…" I paused and he wrapped his arms around me. Shit, I nearly lost my train of thought. He didn't care about me, not like this, we didn't know each other. This was stupid. "Just get off of me," I said and I pushed him away, I lost the arousal he had brought forth in me.

"What? What did I do wrong?" He asked, suddenly foreign emotions washed over me. I felt…used, I felt empty suddenly. Who the hell did this guy think he was saving me and then asking me for this kind of favor in return?

I felt dirty because I enjoyed it.

"Get out," I said, I was angry now. There were tears in my eyes threatening to spill out. He opened his mouth again. "GET OUT!" I shouted, Mrs. O'Leary barked loudly and for a second Percy looked dumbfounded, naked and confused he stood up and unzipped the tent, but a pair of snarling jaws sent him backwards. "Down girl," I said and obediently she sat, growling only slightly at Percy as he crawled out of my tent. I sank back down on my small pallet and curled up, Mrs. O'Leary came over to me stiffly and laid her head beside mine, her tongue darted out and licked the side of my face, trying to wash away the tears streaming down my cheeks. I patted her between the ears and turned over.

I felt sick now, God what was wrong with me? He could have had every STD under the sun, he probably just went around finding people, telling them something incredible like there was a place called Camp Halfblood, then when they get their hopes up and let their guards down slightly he slipped in, had sex with them and moved on to the next town to save the next damsel in distress. Not that I was a distressing damsel or anything.

"Nico," His voice called from the other side of the zip door, I looked up and he was staring through at me. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…or whatever I did, I thought you were enjoying it."

"I don't even fucking know you!" I shouted. "I bet you do this kind of thing all the time, I'm not going to be someone you fucking prey on."

"Wha—where would you even get an idea like that?" He asked. "You're the first person I've seen in months, and the first person who's seemed even slightly inclined to men. I figured since you were a guy you'd understand, right?"

"Understand what?" I asked vehemently. "That you want to fuck and leave?"

"No! Someone's got abandonment issues—"

"Shut the fuck up!" I screamed, my ears were ringing and I don't know if I was still crying but it felt like I was. He was quiet for a minute then he poked his head inside.

"I was kidding, okay?" He said. "That was a bad joke, you're right though I don't know you, but…it's lonely on the road, right? Beggars can't be choosers, I know I'm not your ideal partner either, but I just thought maybe we could help each other out."

"No, fuck, no." I said. "Sex…sex is important to me; I'd rather not have it at all than just have casual flings. I'm a virgin by choice, ass." I don't know how true that was but it sounded good. Sex was important to me; I don't think I was a virgin by choice, I was a virgin by necessity because I needed someone else to make me not one, but like I said it wasn't going to be some guy I just met.

"At least let me back in," Percy said. "My clothes are in there and it's cold out here." I sighed but agreed to let him back in, it's difficult to gauge how long you should be upset when you just don't get upset anymore. I stared at him as he came in; still wearing that damn smile if nothing else. "You freaked out."

"I don't usually…do things like that, with anyone, period." I said with a sort of finality. He sat down in front of me and Mrs. O'Leary growled at him. I shushed her and rubbed her back. "Is anything you've told me real? Are you real, or have I just gone crazy?"

"My dad used to say something," Percy replied. "If they tell you you're crazy don't deny it, because only crazy people deny it, what you should say is: "I'm only as crazy as a sane person has any right to be," He grinned at me. "As for my being real, pinch me." I obliged him. "Ow! Not so hard," He laughed and rubbed his calf where I had pinched the skin.

"Okay, well if you're real then at least start telling me some things about yourself so I know I can trust you, you don't have any STDs do you?"

"No, I don't have any STDs," He chuckled. "I've had sex with all of two people, and it's been protected every time." Then his expression became serene. "I really am sorry though, I didn't know it was something that was that important to you, I was being selfish."

"Shut up," I growled. "You're not allowed to try to make me feel better just yet, you've got like a silver tongue and I don't like it."

"Why do I get the feeling there are a lot of things about me you don't like?" Percy smiled. "Can I at least crawl in beside you?" I thought about saying no but before I even had the chance to he was moving forward. I rolled my eyes but let him come, he sank under the covers and wrapped his arms around my waist. "This is nice," He said contentedly.

"You're a damn liar," I replied. "You didn't put your clothes on," He pressed himself against me and I bit my lip. "Watch it or I really will kick you out."

"Alright, sorry, I just get excited, you feel good." I blushed. "But you should probably get a shower sometime soon," I kicked him in the shin just for good measure and he groaned, I laughed. "I'm just saying, there are some houses around here that the water still works, it might not be the Hilton, but it's a shower."

"If I stink so much you can just leave because—"

"Calm down," I jumped when he swatted my buttocks and he chuckled in my ear. "You're moody, one minute you and me are getting hot and heavy, the next you're crying and kicking me out, and now you're mad because I said you should get a shower."

I paused, was I really that moody? Maybe I was, "Sorry," I said in a small voice. "It's just…been a really long time since I've talked to anyone, I don't even know how anymore, this is pretty uncomfortable for me."

"The talking or me laying here beside you?"

"Both," I admitted. "Just go to sleep, I'm trying not to think about this too much." I sighed.

"I think people need each other, Nico," Percy yawned. "How about this, you lean on me and I'll lean on you, we'll get to know each other in the morning." I nodded. "Good, now please try to calm down, I can feel your heart pounding, I'm not going to hurt you."

I gave a dry chuckle, "I'll try," It wasn't long after that that I actually fell asleep sandwiched between Percy, who had a tight hold around me, and Mrs. O'Leary—who I was beginning to think liked Percy a heck of a lot for letting him back in. If I wasn't yelling at him she didn't seem to mind his presence in the least so I blamed her for the situation I found myself in. But, it was more comfortable than I would likely admit which is why I fell back asleep so quickly, thoughts of being used pushed only slightly to the corners of my mind. Percy seemed sincere at least, but still, and how the hell had he wormed his way back into my room? It was his fucking disarming smile; he could've talked a dragon out of its scales.

When I woke up again the sun was shining in through the small open window located on the westward wall, the sound of chirping birds outside was actually kind of welcome, for a moment sleep wanted to call me again, but I noticed how very cold it was. I rolled over, no Percy, and no Mrs. O'Leary. I sat up and that was when I noticed I was still naked. Shit. Percy had taken my clothes off too, how could I have forgotten that?

I got up and got dressed quickly, nearly falling out of the tent in the process, and then I was rushing out of the backroom and into the large, open store. I whistled for Mrs. O'Leary but instead of her big, clumsy bounding steps I just heard her bark once to answer me. Damn it. I called her this time and still she didn't come. Moving quickly I ran down an aisle and took a turn, then I took another one and called her again. She was close, I moved again, I don't know what I thought Percy might have done, with him I wasn't sure what to think, it wasn't in the plan for me to meet this guy.

Suddenly I was seriously considering finding my dog and just running, if there really was a Camp Halfblood I could find it on my own. That's when I saw them, Mrs. O'Leary lying on the floor with her paws over her nose and Percy re-bandaging her leg. Some "hellhound" as he called had her, leave it to me to find the friendliest killing machine the world had to offer. "You took my dog," I said angrily.

"You were still sleep, I figured she needed to let that bite air for a little while so we've been going around here finding stuff to take with us on our trip," He pointed to a shopping cart not too far away from them filled to the brim with different things. "Come look at her leg, it already looks like its healing." I huffed and walked over to them, surprisingly it did look a whole lot better. Where the stitching sat it looked like the skin was already growing back together.

"I…I still didn't give you permission to take her," I said, I don't know why I just couldn't accept his help, Percy had been nothing but gracious, if not a bit perverted this morning.

"Sorry," He smiled and stood up after tying a rather firm knot, wiping his hands off on his pants. "Hey, about that shower, it'll give us an excuse to find a car,"

"Uh—" I tried but he grabbed my hand.

"Come on, let's get this stuff to the backroom, I need to get my gun," Then the next thing I knew we were walking again, Mrs. O'Leary a lot more slowly than I liked to see, but she didn't seem to mind limping, her tongue lolled out of the side of her mouth and she kept trying to lick my hand. After everything was put away I finally got a look at Percy's firearm, it was a handgun, I didn't really know much about them but I was informed that it was a nine millimeter, whatever that meant.

"Why do you have one of those?" I asked.

"For protection," Simple enough.

"And for that matter how do you know how to bandage wounds like that? Where did you learn all this stuff?" Percy looked up at me and then he grinned.

"I did say we would get to know each other today," He laughed and sat on the ground, motioning for me to sit with him, I did. "I was in the Marines when The Mist hit, I had just finished my basic training and was visiting home when everything started,"

"You're a Marine?"

"More or less," He shrugged. "I wasn't in very long, I never saw any real action, long story short it was just good luck that I had come home, my entire troop came down with Mist so I was advised to stay where I was, then someone in my hometown caught it and it started spreading. My family and some other people in our neighborhood decided we had to get out of there before any of us got it, but then Mom got sick. She was quarantined, not long after her Paul got it too, Paul is—was—my stepdad. They passed on a month later." He sighed. "Me, my brother, my girlfriend, and my best friend decided we couldn't stay any longer. We set off, but every city we went to it seemed to just catch up to us,"

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Had," He corrected. "She was the first of us to die, I it ate me up inside but we had to keep moving. When I finally did get to mourn her Tyson caught it and for a while I was broken. Grover fixed me, he was my best friend and after a long time on the go he and I…well, like I said you get lonely. He passed away four months ago," Percy's eyes were distant, "I've been travelling by myself ever since, till finally I showed up in this empty place, I had planned on leaving last night, I have to get to Camp Halfblood, not for me but for Grover." He gave me a hard stare. "So, will you come with me?"

For a moment I didn't know what to say, I was blindsided by how blue his eyes were, then my mouth was working for me before my mind could. "I-I mean since you're not some crazy person I guess I will," I said and he smiled a small grin.

"Great. Now, it's your turn,"

I blinked, "My turn?"

"Yeah, tell me about how it all happened for you," I stared at him blankly. "Come on, man," He laughed and punched my arm lightly. "I just poured my heart out to you, share a little," I sighed and gave him an abridged version of what had happened to me, leaving out my awkwardness, leaving out my family problems, just a very cut and dry tale of A and B. It probably sounded like I was skimping on detail but if Percy cared he didn't say anything. He didn't speak again until after I was done. "So I was really your first kiss, huh?"

"Shut up, Percy," I growled at him, I really didn't like his smile anymore. He ruffled my hair and I slapped his hand away, but he just laughed.

"Come on, let's go get you that shower," Then he paused and stood in front of me, extending his hand. "Friends?"

"Just friends," I said. "None of that "friends with benefits" stuff, I don't want to catch you crawling in my bed again, understand?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Percy grabbed me by the hand. "Either way let's get going," Suddenly he was laughing and running with me in tow, even as I tripped up he didn't stop and I had no choice but to follow behind. Mrs. O'Leary limped behind us, her tail wagging back and forth; she couldn't have been in too much pain. Dumb dog, making me worry; stupid Percy, fixing everything and being a legitimately okay guy.

The real question in my mind was: how does one be a friend? If it wasn't very evident I didn't like or trust people, and I might have dislike and not trusted Percy less than normal, but "people" was a very subjective type of word for me right now. In my world there were two people, there was Percy and there was me. Funny enough, if one of us was a girl than thoughts of repopulation might have been running through my head, something about hormones or something, I don't know; and by some of us I meant if I were a girl I would have probably been all over Percy, because if it were the other way around I don't think I would have been up to the task, and he seemed more than willing to jump in bed with the first person that came along.

"Let's get something fast," He said as we stood in the parking lot, looking over all the vehicles still there. "You think there are, like, any Ferraris out here?"

"In a Wal-Mart parking lot?" I asked. "I think we'd be lucky enough to find anything but a minivan out here."

"Ew." Percy said and I could almost believe he was generally disgusted by the thought of driving around in a minivan.

For what felt like the first time I smiled, "What? They're environmentally friendly, good on gas, we can pick the kids up from soccer practice too, dear." He looked at me like I'd gone insane. "What? Okay, it was a bad joke; I told you I'm no good with these sorts of things,"

"No it's not that," He said. "I was just starting to think you didn't know what a joke was,"

"Oh, ha ha, very funny," He put an arm over my shoulders and I shrugged it off, but that didn't seem to be hint enough because he did it again. "I'm really not a touchy-feely kind of guy," I finally said.

"That's too bad, Neeks, you're stuck with me and I am," He smirked. "Am I really so bad?"

"You seriously don't want me to answer that," I said and finally after a bit of walking we stood in front of a green Hyundai hatchback. "Anything objectable about this?"

"I'm not really a fan of the color," Percy said and that damned arm found its way over my shoulder again. I glared at him but he just smiled back.

"Seriously? The color? There aren't any people left and you're worried about the color? Who's going to see us?"

"It's not about who's going to see us, I know I'm not going to be driving around in a lime green hatchback any time soon, it looks like a leprechaun pissed all over it," I chuckled a bit under my breath and then shrugged, though it was considerably more difficult with most of his weight leaning on me, he smelled nice.

"Whatever, you pick one then," I saw his eyes turn to a two door Miata. "Something that can hold you, me, and two animals, preferably." I don't know why I was arguing that, not an hour ago I was thinking about running away from him, this morning he was some stranger that—I don't know—wanted to rape me or something, except he very explicitly said he would stop if I wanted to stop, and I had let him pull my clothes off…but those were two points that were very much beside the point.

I just don't know, I didn't know anything anymore, life wasn't nearly as confusing as it had been before, but that didn't mean that expertly I just knew things overnight, or over a year or whatever.

Before I could go down a road of existentialism Percy's voice brought me back to the here and now, "How about a truck?"

"I don't care," I replied. "Wait, you don't mean, like, an eighteen wheeler do you?" Percy laughed.

"No, not an eighteen wheeler, look over there that Dodge, see, it's a nice blue, and it's got a hemi."

"What does that even mean?" I asked but he was already walking away to inspect the truck, I sighed heavily and followed behind him, what else could I do? Mrs. O'Leary was at his heels and I don't know how much I liked that, she was my dog. I whistled and her ears perked up, then she turned and limped over to me. "You don't even know him," I said to her and she barked. "I don't care if he smells good, you stay with me from now on out, got that? He might still be bad news,"

"Woof," Was her response to that and I rolled my eyes.

Before I could open my mouth Percy cleared his throat, during our banter Mrs. O'Leary and I had somehow made it over to him. "You really do talk to her, she even answers,"

"She's a smart dog," I shrugged. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Well, I smell good, at least I know I'm not offensive to the senses, which means it must be something mental," He grinned and I blushed. "Good news though, this thing is unlocked and the keys are inside,"

"Some god must be smiling down on you, then, Percival," I said.

"Perseus, actually," He corrected.

"Perseus? You mean like the son of Zeus from Greek mythology?" Percy nodded.

"Yup, except my dad's name was Poseidon," I stared at him and then shook my head, a small smile on my lips.

"You're messing with me,"

"Nope," He grinned. "My family was weird,"

"And you called me crazy for talking to my dog, Perseus O son of Poseidon," I chuckled. "How're you at sailing?"

"Pretty good actually, if we ever find ourselves at sea I could probably navigate us back to land, but that's more to do with my basic training than it does any help from my dad, he wasn't really around much you know? After he and mom split they got joint custody but I was always at home more than I was at his house, he just didn't have the time,"

"Oh," I paused. "I'm, uh, sorry to hear that," I said, I didn't know what else to say. My dad and I hadn't been very close so it wasn't like I could relate. Percy smiled.

"Don't worry about it; you never did this often did you?"

"Taking cars? No, I refrained from that as much as possible actually,"

"No, talking. You're a really withdrawn kind of guy,"

"Am I?" I asked with a small wondering smirk. "What else kind of guy am I, Mr. Jackson?"

"Well," He said. "I think that you are—or you were—probably a nice guy, just never really into the whole "hanging" concept, I'm trying to figure out if that's by choice or what. I think you were really smart but you probably didn't try very hard because you didn't have a whole lot motivating you, I think before all of this you were—" My happy mood soured in the span of sixty-one words.

"Stop talking," I said in a quiet voice. "What? Do I just have some sort of aura around me that says loser or something?" It was scary how accurate he was, how did he know so much about me? There was no possible way he could just know things that intimately, we hadn't spoken that much.

"I've always just had the gift of reading people, I was going to study psychology after I enlisted," He said nonchalantly. "You don't like it though, that I could see you so easily, you've spent a lot of time trying to hide things away, like the fact that you're into guys."

"That's enough,"

"Why? Why is that enough? Should there really be any secrets between us? We're going to be together for a while, we could drive all the way to New York in a couple of days, but have you ever just stopped and looked around? Have you ever thought about what was out there?"

"Percy you're talking just way too much," I said with a hand on my head, my temples were throbbing, a headache cause probably by too many new things happening at once in my life.

"That right there, you're wound way too tightly Nico, relax a little, live a little," Suddenly he had me pressed against the side of the truck. "You want your first time to be special right? What's more special than with someone who knows everything about you? Someone who can understand you?" My head felt hazy, his lips were dangerously close to mine now and I felt myself swoon. "Let me understand you, Nico."

"Percy…" I bit my tongue, it was just enough to give me a ray of remembrance, for the second time in one day I pushed him away. "I want my first time to be special with someone who wants more than just sex, with someone who cares for me." I glared, punching him square in the chest but there was just a hollow thud where I expected something a bit more solid, a bit more painful. "What part of "I don't know you" don't you understand? I might tell you everything about myself, and you might tell me everything about you but that doesn't change the fact that I've spent all of thirty hours with you," Then I felt my anger flare. "And stop smiling damn it!" I yelled, prepared to punch him again even if my hand was hurting, he grabbed my wrists and held them tightly.

"You're right," He said with a chuckle. "You're right, I'm thinking with the wrong head, it's a problem I have, but you know what you didn't say?"

"God, what haven't I said so I can say it so you can get it?" I asked in a huff.

"You said that you've known me for thirty hours, which means with a little bit more time—"

"'Just friends' you remember me saying that, surely? We shook on it like thirty minutes ago!" I was gesturing widly with my hands.

"Okay, then let's shake on something else," I scoffed. "Hear me out at least," He said with a laugh, holding his hands forward in surrender. "If I can feel something for you and get you to fall for me all before we get to Camp Halfblood then you'll give me a chance."

"A chance?" I asked.

"To get you in bed," He grinned wickedly.

"I can't believe how arrogant you are!" I shouted. "One hundred thousand miles in every direction and I just happen to end up with the one horndog in existence who could probably get me out of my pants if he tried hard enough—" My eyes nearly bugged out of my head and he smiled even wider. "No! Scratch that, never! Just back off, okay? You couldn't get me to fall for you anyway, from now on everything you do will just be you trying to get me naked—"

"Again," Percy chuckled. "And this morning was without me even trying." I was blushing fiercely now, both flustered and embarrassed.

"Sick him, girl!" I shouted at Mrs. O'Leary but she just looked at me with those big black eyes of hers and barked, her tail wagging back and forth. "Ugh, what kind of friend are you?" I asked her, and I would have stormed off if I had anywhere to go, instead I just crossed my arms. Percy kissed the side of my cheek and I hit him; then I cursed. "Damn it! Are you made of fucking stone?" I asked shaking my hand, it throbbed, and again Percy laughed.

"This is going to be fun," Was his only response; forget it, I could always storm back into the store. In fact, I did just that.