Long chapter is long, whoop!
Really sorry, I've been busy with my graduation project and totally forgot about this fic! I'm so flattered to see so many comments despite my absence and lack of beta along with the typos. This chap in Nicos pov. Btw, I meant to say Perce is pretty powerful in the last authors note, no idea why ff ate my sentence. O_o
ooooooooooooo
Nico lie frozen next to the sea god who was drifting in and out of consciousness, furiously cuddling and... Oh god, is that his...? Okay, no, I'm NOT thinking about what that thing poking my thigh is, this is ridiculous.
He would have pushed the idiot away, but somehow it felt mean to deny Percy hugs when he was sick, it's not like he's consciously grinding against him, and really, not actually harmful if not a bit awkward.
Hopefully Percy won't remember this afterwards.
He looked down at the mop of dark curls and the line of his nose, it was slightly freckled. He would have been bored if this whole situation wasn't such a mind fuck. Percy Jackson, in my arms doped up with god knows what, close enough to count his lashes and moles... Also close enough to hump the shit out of my leg, apparently.
Nico silently thanked that Percy had a big bed, would have been worse if they were in a bunk, even though he wouldn't be surprised at all if Poseidon actually provided the bed as well. Figures really, but Nico isn't complaining, either way, Percy has a wonderful mattress.
Nico fell into a slight doze.
oooooooooooo
That, it seems, was how Grover found the pair.
Thank god for miracles, Grover didn't bring juniper, and he was holding a small hill of... Snacks, in front of him, so hopefully he can mange to hide Percy's "issue" before Grover... "Oh my... WHAT IS THAT SMELL. No actually, don't tell me, you guys could have like, put a sock on the door or something." Okay, maybe not.
Nico just raised his brow as Grover set down his junk pile, and gestured with his head, "He's asleep, the problem is I don't know why his "problem" is a problem, he's been out the whole time."
Grover pondered for a split second, he looked like he thought of something, but before Nico could ask, Grover cut him off.
"I'm not sure, we should probably ask Annabeth." Grover said, "she's got brains, and Perce will be less mortified considering our only other option is Chiron."
"And telling his ex girlfriend is any better?" Nico replied dryly. "They hardly speak now."
"They hardly speak because of the Aphrodite's cabin." Grover shrugged as he trotted out the cabin.
Nico sighed as the cabin turned quiet again, Fuck, just cause Percy will (eventually) get over this, I'm NEVER living this down. Nico murmured to himself, curling up against Percy's dozing form, if he's going to be humiliatingly cuddled without consent, he is going to make the most of it.
You don't really get the luxury of casual hugs being the son of Hades after all.
He's not saying he's touch starved. He isn't.
oooooooooooo
Grover came back not two minutes later to Nico clinging just as tightly to Percy. Grover snickered and waved a can as he left again. Came for a snack on the road my ass! Nico thought furiously as he felt himself flush.
ooooooooooooo
This time Nico stayed vigilant and was sure to untangle himself from Percy's octo-arms when he heard Grover and Annabeth approach, Percy was still clinging on to his waist and left thigh, but at least Nico wasn't hugging back.
Nico was never overly close to Annabeth, in a way it was even more awkward after she and Percy broke up. But as she clicked her tongue calculatingly, Nico couldn't help but feel relieved.
"I think I may have a few theories, but I'd like you to tell me everything you know so I can be sure." Annabeth said after a few seconds of consideration, then turned and laughed. "You weren't kidding Grover, this is hilarious. I've never seen Percy so clingy."
Nico blushed as Percy began to snuffle into the crook of his neck. "I decided to visit for a while, but when I saw Percy he seemed a bit delirious, like he was high or something. But what really had me worried was how feverish he felt, so I dragged him back here." Nico then pointed at the bucket of salt water he got with his free foot. "I remembered how he healed faster in water, especially sea water, so I got him some from the shore, except somehow it made him worse," feeling a bit awkward, he arched his brow meaningfully. "And now this..."
Annabeth stared at Percy as he ground against Nico with a whimper. "Well, I'm pretty sure I'm right, suppose this answers the question of whether or not the environment affects elemental demigods."
That... Didn't really explain anything.
Seeing Nico's confusion, Annabeth just rolled her eyes like she thought he was stupid. "Obviously, it's the water. We have a few factories further up the bank. I'm guessing that's the problem, Percy's a demigod, so he draws his power from water, especially water bodies close to him."
"Juniper's always complaining about the pollution, whatever the humans say about their green polices (policies, Annabeth cut in), the factories were always trying to sneak stuff into the water." Grover twitched his nose in disgust. "She gets in a horrible mood when it's bad."
"Exactly, we're guessing whatever they dumped in there this time had an effect on him. Whatever it was, by letting him draw power from the basin must have worsened his condition," Nico felt a little guilty for the mistake. She said, "probably some sort of synthetic hormone..."
"You mean like an anesthetic? But for arousal?" Nico didn't really understand the words Annabeth was using, but he was starting to get the picture.
"It's called an aphrodisiac, Nico." Annabeth answered with a distracted look. "Actually... I think he HAS been effected before. Remember how he used to get into these weird temper tantrums? Or inexplicably moody and broody?"
Nico was reminded of the few days where even when he visited (which Percy usually welcomed with enthusiasm as it wasn't an everyday occurrence.) Percy snuck off with blackjack and refused to speak with ANYONE. Or that time I saw him crying over the notebook, Nico thought, no way that was completely him.
"Now that you mention it, he and juniper DID somehow get into bad moods around the same time." Grover's eyes were widened. "I can't believe I never noticed! I'm a HORRIBLE friend!"
Annabeth worried her lip as she agreed. "And I was supposed to be the smart girlfriend." She looked forlorn, Nico sensed there was something she isn't saying. Something about the break up. But it wasn't really his business, and self-pitying isn't really his style, so he looked down at the demigod still heating up and out cold, and simply said, "So what do we do now?"
Annabeth seemed to snap out of her guilt fest, she was a child of wisdom, and she knew "what do we do"s, she could deal with that. "Since the problem is with the water, I guess just get him away from that? Problem is I think we're actually drawing our water supply FROM the polluted water." She said thoughtfully, "it's purified via magic, I'm not sure it's clean of whatever it is effecting Percy if it isn't directly harmful."
"So, basically, water that isn't polluted, the more the better, but we don't have any?" Nico smiled, this he can help. "I could transport water in or sneak him out."
"Isn't that a bit over kill?" Grover had started nibbling on a Pepsi can. "Even if it's just a few buckets water is pretty heavy. Getting Percy out just seems like a big magnet for monsters, and he's not conscious to fight them off with you."
"He's right, you know, I remember you saying you fainted the first time just transporting yourself." Annabeth seemed a bit surprised at his enthusiasm. "So, which do you think would be easier?"
Nico thought for a moment then replied with a straight face. "Bringing Percy out, it's riskier, but it would be a lot quicker and less tedious since I could just dump him in one of the Great Lakes or something."
Nico wasn't thinking about how he could go out alone with Percy for the first time (albeit unconscious), and he was being truthful about the advantages of his plan. It was all very logical and well thought out. And when the two campers went out. He wasn't relieved that they didn't notice HIS problem as well.
ooooooooooooo
Yowza, hopefully I'll keep up at the very least a weekly update, currently have a Steve/tony kid fic in the works. Might write another story in this verse first though, it's really got potential as a no roman AU verse, any suggestions will obviously be welcome!
Technically this is pre-slash, and I'm sorry if using the terms dom and sub confused anybody into thinking this is a BDsm fic, it's not, but it could be, (only in the D/s aspect though, I don't think Percy is a masochist.)