Summary: Just because Nico was probably delusional and definitely half-dead didn't mean he looked like a girl. (Percy's POV)

Time: Post SoN, during HoO series (after saving Nico's kidnapped butt) [MoA assumption]

Main Character(s): Nico and Percy

Warning(s): implied torture and language

You swore that you'd wring his neck the next time you saw him. Now, you're just thankful that you didn't swear that on the River Styx because dear fucking gods (not to be taken literally), he's barely thirteen.

You know that Nico is actually older than he looks (and thinks and acts, thanks to the Lotus Hotel and Casino) but damn it all. Is it too much for the kid (and he is a kid, despite his "real" age) to have a break? He's been through a lot in his life but this has to take the cake.

You wish that a child Apollo was among the seven of the great prophecy. Or at least among those on Argo II. Bob would be a great alternative, too. Or-or-something. You don't know anymore. But you do know that if you said that out loud, Nico would have happily replied that you didn't know anything in the first place (if he could). You also know that you don't want any more ambrosia and/or nectar for Nico. If you fed him even just a bit, he would burst into flames. But fuck it, he obviously needs more.

He's a lot warmer than the normal body temperature, which means he's much hotter (no, eww, just no) than he should be since he's a freaking son of Hades and so he has to be colder than ice. You want to blame the godly foods but you know better. It's not only because of them that Nico was burning up. It's your fault why he's like that.

It's your fucking fault why he's paler than the usual-son-of-Hades complexion that you assume he got since he avoids the sun like a vampire (another thing you won't ever say to his face). It's your fucking fault that despite being so pale, he was also so damn colorful, kinda like a rainbow, with blues, yellows, reds, purples, and more scattered across his battered and bruised body.

It's your fault that you pissed off Mother Earth for making her kill her own servant. That's why she took your cousin to give you a taste of what would happen when she finally gets her hands on you.

Bring it on. No one messes with your cousins and gets away with it. (Unless it's you because it's most probably their fault to begin with and you're just that awesome compared to them. But that's for another time.)

But for now, there's nothing to do but wait. Gaea's still too far for you to give her a taste of her own medicine but Argo II is doing its best and fastest to get you to where she is. Leo wouldn't have it any other way. And Nico still hasn't woken up yet after you saved him from Gaea's minions.

That's why Hazel has been inconsolable the whole time. It was him who gave her a second chance in life, literally. It was him who accepted her, unconditionally, and made others accept her, too. Nico was her older brother and her hero.

That's why Piper had to charmspeak her to sleep so that she wouldn't waste her energy crying her heart out. It's a long quest and she's going to need all the energy she could muster to fight against Gaea's children and minions.

That's why you've been vigilantly sitting in the makeshift infirmary of the Argo II for the past few days, despite your ADHD killing you because you're not supposed to be able to sit still for long, but you also can't just leave Nico unattended.

Others have offered to take your place and watch for any changes in the sleeping demigod (Frank has been the most insistent since Hazel was taking up the bed next to Nico's) and Piper has tried charmspeaking you several times already, but you refused them all.

They don't understand, other than for Hazel, that you have a greater responsibility than being one of the prophesized kids. You have something to do that's more important than working together with Jason to unite the two camps.

You have to take care of family and Nico is family.

"Bianca?" and you wonder if your hair is long enough that you could pass as a girl. But seeing Nico's half-lidded unfocused eyes land on you, you're pretty sure that he's just being delusional, a side effect from spending quality time with great grandmother's lackeys.

"No, I'm not your big sister," you whisper back as you wipe away the cold sweat on his forehead with a wash cloth. It's one of the few actions that let you keep your ADHD in check, for the most part. "But I could be your big brother instead."

Woah. Where did that come from? You feel your face flushing as your mouth catches you off guard again. Stupid ADHD and impulsiveness.

You can hardly consider yourself big brother material even you though you have a baby brother in the form of Tyson. But Tyson has always been more than capable of taking care of himself and has other cyclops brethren to take care of him.

Nico though, inspires a surge of protectiveness you associate with Tyson. You can't help it, he just seems so lost all the time, especially after Bianca died (because of you, you can't help but add).

"Big brother," he repeats the words almost reverently. He closes his eyes once more and you almost didn't catch him say, "Sounds good."

You just smile as you stroke his hair.

"Yeah, it does. So go back to sleep...little brother."

AN: I don't know what to say. It's a mix of angst, humor, and fluff. I'm pretty happy with the ending. Still unbeta'd (waiting for beta to start reading the HoO, she's taking too long). And I've got nothing against Percy/Nico but since this is a family fic revolution, there shall be no pairings like that in this fic. Reviews are loved and shall be replied to when I'm not sleepy. And favorites are taken note and appreciated. X3

And I don't think anyone would notice, but I'm pretty proud of myself for writing/mentioning six of the seven prophecy kids. Seventh is unknown and is most likely Annabeth, but I believe that Mr. Riordan would make another Athena kid to take that seventh spot and Annabeth won't be happy about that. (Just to be different, but I really think it's Annabeth.) And that I actually wrote parallels about how Hazel and Nico saw their brothers without noticing it until I was reading what I typed. I really think that Hazel hero-worships Nico and Nico does the same to Percy.