Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson, but I'm working on it. The genie bottle I'd ordered on Ebay is almost here.
Main Pairing: Nico/Percy (Nicercy)
Warnings: Slash and lemon ahead.
Chapter Two: Twenty-Four Hours That Defies Logic (Part One)
"You sure about this?" Annabeth grabbed Percy's shoulders and stared at him with gray eyes, searching for any signs of hesitancy.
Percy smiled as reassuringly as he could, shifting the backpack hanging from his shoulder. "I'm positive, Wise Girl. I have two hundred dollars in my pocket and we've all agreed to a twenty-four hour time limit. Everything's gonna be fine."
Annabeth sighed in defeat. "Okay. But if he tries anything you call me. My phone will be on at all times." Percy's cell didn't work in Europe, but Annabeth's did. If he needed to call her he'd have to use a pay phone.
"I will, Annie." Percy kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly. Annabeth did the same.
"You ready?" Nico suddenly appeared at Percy's side, smiling at the both of them. Annabeth scowled, marched up to the man, and poked his chest rather forcefully.
"Listen here," She snarled. "You hurt Percy and I hurt you. Got it?"
Nico seemed amused at her threat, but still nodded in obedience. "I understand. It's nice that he has such a caring friend."
Annabeth just huffed and turned her attention back to Percy, who was smiling at Nico in apology for Annabeth's behavior. "Remember what I said, Percy?"
Percy was strongly reminded of his mother. Annabeth had her hands on her hips as she stared at him sternly, her back to Nico.
Nico winked at him.
"I remember," Percy chuckled. He gave Annabeth one last kiss and threw his thumb over his shoulder. "You better go. Your train's gonna leave and Nico and me still have to get our tickets."
"Right, right." Annabeth pressed a one last kiss to Percy's forehead as a good-bye and reluctantly made her way onto the train, Percy and Nico in her wake.
"So, first off, you'll need some place to put that." Nico jerked his chin toward the battered suitcase in Percy's grasp.
"But I don't want to spend money on a storage locker," Percy protested, gripping the suitcase tighter. "I don't have too much money."
Nico grabbed Percy's wrist and waved his hand dismissively as he dragged Percy through the crowd. "Don't worry. I have an idea. As long as you don't mind a quick stop it shouldn't be a problem."
Laughing, Percy shrugged as much as he could with both arms occupied. "Okay!" God, he couldn't believe this was happening. He was going to Paris with a total stranger, only two hundred dollars in his pocket to explore an entire city and get home to New York. This wasn't what he'd had in mind when he and Annabeth first planned to go to Europe.
"Two tickets to Paris please." Percy was pulled to a stop next to Nico, who thrust a wad of cash at a man behind a counter. Both he and Nico were grinning, but the man didn't seem to share their enthusiasm. He handed Nico two tickets and didn't even wait till they left to call for the next customer. Percy didn't let it bother him, and instead just reached for his ticket. Nico gave it to him, a playful smile curving his lips, and pointed to a train across the room.
"See that?" When Percy nodded he continued. "That's train F, the one for us. It's only an hour's ride from here to Paris."
Percy was so excited he was literally vibrating in place. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
…
"Oh, my god! I love it here!" Percy's arms were spread as he twirled in a circle on the busy sidewalk. The sights, the smells, the…the everything! Paris was as busy as New York, but a lot cleaner and nicer-looking. Miniature shops lined the streets, rather than skyscrapers and the air smelled sweeter, which may have been because of the bakery down the road.
"Silena should be happy to hold your things." Nico watched Percy's reaction to the city fondly as he spoke. "She's an old friend of mine and lives down the street."
Percy turned his excited gaze to Nico, his green eyes sparkling and smile bright. "She sounds great! How do you-" He stumbled and Nico quickly steadied him, a yelping sound coming from their feet. A small dog pranced around Percy's shoes, barking happily.
"Oh, Je suis tellement desole!" (1) A brunette woman holding a leash scooped the dog up and smiled at Percy. "Marie doit vous." (2)
"Uh…" Percy's face began to flush and he subconsciously leaned toward Nico, who was watching the exchange in amusement. Percy looked at him pleadingly.
Nico chuckled and stepped toward the woman, gesturing to Percy. "C'est bien, Madame. Mais il ne parle pas francais." (3)
The woman made a noise of realization and smiled at Percy politely before continuing on her way.
Percy watched her go. "What did she say?"
Nico shrugged and started walking again, Percy quickly following. "Marie, her dog, must've liked you." He bumped Percy's shoulder against his, grinning. "Guess I got some competition."
"Compe…" Percy trailed off when he realized what Nico said, cheeks bright red and shy gaze locked on his walking feet.
Nico just laughed and wrapped an arm around Percy's shoulder to pull him closer. Percy's face felt like it was on fire, but he didn't pull away. In fact, he took it one step further and placed his own arm around Nico's waist, Nico giving him a pleased grin afterward.
"So how do you know Silena?" Percy asked, trying to change the subject. Nico probably knew what he was doing, but he let Percy get away with it.
"Silena watched me play in the streets a few years back on my first trip to Paris." Percy glanced at the guitar strapped across Nico's back. It looked quite battered, and Percy was beginning to understand why. "She liked my performance and offered me a stage in her restaurant, which is where we're heading." Nico jerked his chin toward a scattering of buildings ahead of them.
Percy shook his head, chuckling. "You sure do get around."
Nico smiled at him and shrugged carelessly. "Yeah, I guess so. I've been traveling since I've been sixteen. I'm eighteen now."
Percy's brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed, as if trying to do a complicated math problem. "By yourself? For two whole years? What about your family?" Nico's mouth tightened and he dropped his gaze to the ground. Percy scrambled to fix his mistake. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry! You don't-"
"It's okay," Nico interrupted. He gave Percy a reassuring smile and took a deep breath. "I don't have a family. Mother and sister are both dead. Father's an ass and disowned me."
"Oh." Percy swallowed thickly, cursing himself when he couldn't think of anything better to say. He couldn't imagine living without his family or best friend, Annabeth, who might as well have been his sister.
"Don't look so sad." Nico nudged Percy's hip, grinning. "I love my life. Especially with you in it."
The familiar heat crept onto Percy's cheeks, and a smile curled his pink lips as he looked up at Nico shyly. Nico just shook his head and pressed a kiss to Percy's forehead before gesturing to a busy restaurant in front of them. "Here we are."
It was a very open-looking building with people milling inside and out. A pink, cursive sign around the patio read, "La Nourriture Delicieuse". (4) Ivory snaked up the sides of the brick walls and potted flowers lined the doors, giving the place a bit of outdoor charm.
Percy opened his mouth to tell Nico how much he loved the place (like everything else), but Nico called out to a blonde girl before he could. "Silena! Hey!"
The blonde girl turned at the sound of her name, a delighted grin on her pretty face when she noticed Nico. "Nico! Oh, my god, hi! I thought you were in Italy!" Percy was surprised to hear only the barest hint of a French accent, though also thankful. He really should've learned French.
Silena ran toward Nico and Percy, and threw her arms around Nico when she reached them. Nico let go of Percy's shoulder and wrapped his own arms around her too, while Percy watched them with a mix of amusement and jealousy. "Hi, Silena. I was on my way to Italy, but I ran into this bel sconosciuta in England and took him here to see the city."
Silena immediately let go of Nico, squealing, as she took Percy's face between her hands. "You are such a cutie!" Her blue eyes sparkled as she examined Percy's features and continued to speak. "How long are you gonna be here for? I have plenty of room-"
"That's really nice of you," Percy mumbled, his words distorted because Silena was squeezing his cheeks so hard.
"But, we're only here for a day," Nico finished, gently prying Percy from Silena's tight hold. He placed a protective arm on Percy's shoulders again, which Silena was all too happy to notice. "We'd really appreciate it if you could hold Percy's luggage."
"Percy? Aw, what an adorable name!" Silena reached forward to pinch Percy's cheek, but Percy burrowed himself as far in Nico's side as he could, blushing. He wasn't normally this shy; he suspected it was because of Silena's all-knowing gaze that lingered on him. "And I'd be happy to hold your things, sweetie!"
"Thank you." The words were muffled against Nico's leather jacket. Nico chuckled and pulled Percy closer, rolling his dark eyes at Silena's coo.
"Yes, thanks, Silly. We'll be back to pick it up tomorrow." Nico grabbed Percy's rolling suitcase with his unoccupied hand and handed it to Silena. "Now, if you don't mind, we have a city of love to see." Nico grinned at her and steered Percy back down the street.
"Bye!" Percy called over his shoulder, waving at the blonde girl. "And thanks!"
She waved back, smiling, and the suitcase at her side. "Bye! Hope you have fun! And Nico!"
Nico turned toward her at the sound of his name. "Yeah?"
"I'll need details later!"
…
"So, what's up first?" Percy asked, head swiveling side-to-side to see all he could, green eyes wide with awe. There was so much to see from the people to the scenery and Percy wanted to remember as much as he could. Especially the man walking next to him.
Nico shrugged, a teasing grin on his face. "I don't know. You tell me. What have you always wanted to see or do?" Nico seemed perfectly at ease in the bustling city and willing to do whatever Percy decided to. There were no limitations made other than the time they had.
Percy's curiosity spiked, but he didn't question Nico at the moment. Instead, he looked around and tried to think of something he'd like to do. The canal to his left immediately sparked his interest. He tugged and Nico's jacket sleeve and pointed to it, looking up at him hopefully.
Nico laughed. "We'll do it if you want to. Let's get in line." He grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him along the edge where a fancy boat floated. It was long and painted a deep blue and had a canvas ceiling. A man was unwrapping multiple ropes that connected the boat to the wooden dock.
"Excuse me," Nico called to the man. He waved slightly with the hand that wasn't holding Percy's. "How much for a ride?"
The man glanced at them and shook his head before returning back to his work. "This is a private party. All other services are closed as well. Sorry, gentlemen." His voice was heavily accented, but he at least could speak English.
"Oh." Nico's shoulders drooped in obvious disappointment, but he still smiled at the man. "Well, thanks anyway. We'll try to come back tomorrow." He turned his attention to Percy, who was watching the exchange with a calculating expression. "I'm sorry, Percy." Dark puppy eyes met his own green. "Do you want to go tomorrow?"
Percy glanced between Nico and the still-working man. Nico seemed downright crushed that Percy's first request was denied while the man acted as though they weren't even there. Something sparked in Percy's gut and before he knew what he was going to do he stormed up to the man and leaned over the boat.
"Listen, dude." He placed his hands on his hip, distantly aware of how much he looked like Annabeth when she was scolding him. "We want to take just a little trip on this boat. There is just two of us and I bet if you asked the others in this boat they would agree with me."
The man rolled his light brown eyes and sighed. "Sir, I cannot not let you-"
"Would you for a hundred dollars?"
The man stared at him. Percy stared back.
"Percy, you can't do that," Nico protested, though Percy didn't look away from the boatman. "I could even pay if you wanted-"
"A hundred?" The boatman demanded.
Percy nodded and pulled out the euros he'd gotten from his jeans pocket. The man watched his movements, a smirk beginning to creep on his weathered face. "Alright, sir. Right this way." He gestured to the boat with a grand sweep of his arm.
Percy grinned at Nico before taking his hand and pulling him on to the boat. Nico didn't say anything as Percy handed the man the money, and just stood there with a stupefied expression. "Ready?" Percy asked smugly.
"Yeah." Nico shook his head in disbelief and chuckled ruefully. "After you."
Percy took his hand again and strode across the boat to the front where a group of talking people sat around a table. Percy's recent confidence began to wane when they all stopped speaking as he and Nico approached. Nico must've noticed because he gave Percy's hand a quick squeeze and stepped forward toward group.
"Bonjour, tout le monde," Nico greeted, smiling charmingly. "Vous tous parler anglais?" (5)
"We do!" A dark-haired woman called to him, watching them in amusement. "But, what are you doing here on my private gondola?"
Percy waved at her shyly, reclaiming his place buried into Nico's side. "That's my fault, ma'am. I bribed your boatman to let us on."
A man dressed in a crisp suit laughed, along with the woman. "Well, we'd be happy to let you stay, but only if you can play poker."
"Honestly, Jeb, an ultimatum?" Another man across the table snorted and took a drag form his cigarette. He turned to Nico and Percy and winked. "Sorry about him. What are your names, fella's?"
"I'm Nico and this is Percy." Nico suddenly smirked and turned his attention to the man called Jeb. "I'm great at poker. And I'm willing to prove it."
Jeb cocked an eyebrow and puffed his chest out proudly, rolling his eyes when everyone around him chuckled, including Percy. "Oh, yeah? Fine. Put your money where your mouth is."
A wicked gleam appeared in Nico's nearly black eyes. "Gladly."
…
"How long are you staying in Paris for?"
Percy smiled at the dark-haired woman, whose name he had learned was Sue. She was dressed in a long burgundy dress and was sipping white wine: the perfect picture of sophisticated. Percy tried not to pull at his ratty T-shirt and jeans self-consciously.
"Just a day." Percy smiled at her before turning back to look at the view. Trees lined the canals along the (clean!) wide sidewalks where people walked. Historic buildings occasionally passed Percy's vision, including Notre Dame. Annabeth would be so jealous.
"Honeymoon?"
"Hm?" Percy turned his attention back to Sue, the canal waters reflecting off his green eyes. He pulled his legs underneath his body in a more comfortable position.
"I asked if you're here on your honeymoon."
Percy's eyes widened comically, a furious blush rising on his face. He coughed and looked away from her curious stare." Um, well, I, I mean, Nico-"
Percy almost jerked off the cushioned bench he was sitting on when he felt an arm wrapped around his waist. "Yes, we are." Nico pulled Percy to his chest and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Just got married a few weeks ago. Couldn't keep him off me."
Percy was so embarrassed he couldn't even correct him. Instead he opted for his usual reaction- burying himself in Nico's side and hoping his blush would die. Why on earth did Nico tell Sue that?
"Well, congratulations to the newly weds!" Fredrick called, another cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Jeb grumbled something Percy couldn't hear, probably having to do with Nico taking his money. Everyone found Nico beating Jeb rather amusing except for the man himself. Nico now had two hundred more dollars in his pocket thanks to his impressive poker face. Percy was beginning to understand why Nico had so much money burning a hole in his wallet.
"How did you meet?" Sue questioned, leaning forward and smiling at the pair.
Nico shifted slightly. "Well, we-"
"It was at a Mythomagic convention," Percy interrupted, an idea beginning to form in his mind. He resisted the urge to smirk. "I was dragged there by my best friend, Annabeth, and that's when I saw him." Here he turned to look at Nico and cooed in the most obnoxious voice as possible. "Nico was standing in line dressed in a short, black toga as God of the Underworld. He was so adorable!" Percy pressed a sloppy kiss to Nico cheek and whispered in his ear, "That's for telling people we're married."
Nico smile seemed more like a grimace as the three adults laughed, some (Jeb) harder than others.
"That's so cute." Sue grinned and winked at Percy over her glass of wine. "Bet you made great use out of the costume."
"Oh, he did." The same wicked gleam appeared in Nico's eyes again. "He thought it was incredibly sexy and liked to do some role-playing-"
"Okay!" Percy yelped, trying to ignore his reddening face and the snickers coming from Fredrick, Sue, and Jeb. "That's enough of that!" He discretely jabbed Nico in the ribs with his elbow and smiled in satisfaction when he felt Nico wince.
"So how about you guys?" Percy asked, trying to take the attention away from him and Nico. Jeb readily accepted the change in topic and started to talk about "the chick with the rockin' body from work" while Sue scolded him about being sexist.
…
"Thank you all so much!" Percy hugged Sue tightly on the sidewalk, surprising sad about leaving the three adults. They'd been on the gondola for about two hours, but for some reason he felt like they'd known each other for much longer.
"Yes, thank you for allowing us to stay." Nico placed his arm around Percy waist and pulled him into his side, smiling at the three.
"It was no problem." Fredrick smiled back and stood next to Sue.
Jeb was picking at a loose thread on his suit. "Yeah, yeah. Been a pleasure, blah, blah, blah. Listen, Toga Boy, if you want a rematch come find me at McClarins. I won't go easy on you next time."
Percy bit his lip to keep from laughing at the nickname, while Nico's hand dug into his waist. "Ha, ha," Nico deadpanned.
"Oh, we gotta get going!" Fredrick smiled apagogically at the pair and took Sue's hand. "Have a nice honeymoon, boys." The three adults left, Sue waving and Jeb sulking, as they were both dragged away by Fredrick.
"Okay, well, what else do you want to do?" Nico looked down at Percy expectantly, his arm still around him. Percy did his best to concentrate, though it was hard with Nico's heat radiating into him.
"Um…the Eiffel Tower?" It was the first thing that came to his mind.
"Alright. We're not that far from there. I think it closes at 11:00 so we have around an hour. Mind walking?"
Percy shook his head. "Nah. Just as long as you know where you're going."
Nico gave him a mildly insulted glance, as though not knowing the way was offensive. Percy thought it was ridiculously adorable.
"Of course I do." Nico grumbled, most definitely not pouting. "We better get going or it'll be closed when we get there." He grabbed Percy's hand, causing his a pleasant tingle to go up his arm. Percy suppressed a shudder.
"Then lets go."
Translations:
(1). Oh, Je suis tellement desomeans, "Oh, I'm so sorry".
(2). Marie doit vous means, "Marie must like you".
(3). C'est bien, Madame. Mais il ne parle pas francais means, "It's fine, Ma'am. He doesn't speak French."
(4). La Nourriture Delicieuse means, "The Delicious Food". Ha, ha. Just a little joke.
(5). Bonjour, tout le monde. Vous tous parler anglais means, "Hello, everyone. Do you all speak English?"
AN: Okay, this was meant to be a threeshot, but this chapter was getting ridiculously long while still being nowhere near finished. I've decided to either split it into one or two to make things easier. Sorry about making you guys wait so long!
Down, Down, Down has been published! Hope you all check it out!
Also, I should update faster now that I have more time and a schedule.
And finally, I have never been to France, nor do I speak French. I'm sorry if anything's inaccurate. The Internet can only do so much.
Thanks for reading! Review!
