Another chapter! Hey! Well, I'm trying to be a slightly active Percico writer. Although I am failing epically. And I hope I'm not disappointing you guys. Ah. Aren't Percy and Nico just adorable together? Well, I'm playing some music to get me in the mood. Before it ends, I'll write.
Enjoy!
Nico sighed and he exited the car again. No, he was not doing this. He was not. He couldn't believe he actually drove himself to the club again. It was the one place he hated. It was the place he had seen Percy with Clovis in. It was the place he had seen Percy in since forever. He hated himself for doing this. But he didn't want to drive away just yet. He didn't want to retract so quickly. He was still in the parking lot at the back of the building, but he might as well have entered already. Besides, he came here to be irresponsible for a few hours. To forget about the guy who could never love him back. To forget about the friendship he knew he had ruined. Percy must be really despising him from the inside.
That was why he was doing this. He was filling his head with negative thoughts about Percy and this wasn't healthy. He needed to go wild, or at least happy, for a bit.
With tentative steps, Nico forced himself to go to the front of the club, his feet already feeling like they were iron, pushing him to the ground and making the walk harder by the second. But he didn't let his mental struggle show. He couldn't anymore. He might have been a pathetic loser as a teenager, but he no longer wanted to show the weak version of himself. He wanted to appear tough. Not necessarily scary, but someone who was respected. Though it would be hard to take him seriously because of his baby face and shortness. Still, he didn't let that get in the way.
So he continued his walk. It might have been hard, but he made it. Now he was at the front of the building, facing the club. He took out his ID from his pockets and showed it to the security guard, which seemed to be a different person today. The guard seemed as hesitant as the last one since Nico must have appeared to be an eighteen year old with a fake ID, but he was given permission to enter.
As he walked over to the bar, he found himself looking around, trying to catch a guy who appealed to him. Most of them were dancing, and the others were either kissing someone, or even drunk flirting. He didn't know how he'd end up as, really. Or who he'd be with at the end of the night. As if he cared. He needed to let loose for once. So he got himself a few drinks, and started off with some shots. Being an extreme lightweight, he felt tipsy after a bit, and looked around.
He spotted a muscular blond coming over to get a drink. He didn't think he'd do it, but he went over to him and started flirting. What surprised him the most was him smiling at Nico and accepting the offer to dance. That was how the rest of the time went by. He danced with hot guys, drank a bit more, kissed someone, and well, the rest of the night he couldn't remember very well except for blurs in his memory.
But he did remember how he ended leaving the place. He was too drunk to drive, anyway, and he could've gotten a cab. But that didn't happen because he didn't want to go home in the first place. What happened was Percy. He had spotted him sadly sitting in the bar, staring at his drink. A cutie like that shouldn't frown, he thought.
He walked away from the guy he was with, not even bothering to explain the situation. When he was close to Percy, who still hadn't noticed him yet, he put his fingers on the corner of Percy's lips, which resulted in Percy being startled, and spilling the rest of the liquid in his hand, but Nico still didn't care and turned the corners of his lip up. "Better." He giggled. But when he let go, Percy's frown returned, and so did Nico's. "Why won't you smile?"
Percy shook his head and wiped took some napkins from the bartender to wipe his shoes, which miraculously were the only things wet, thank goodness. "Nico, what are you doing here? Don't you have a boyfriend? And why are you drunk?" he asked, not bothering to look up at Nico. He seemed too gloomy and sad.
Even while drunk, Nico couldn't say that he was fake dating Will Solace. Percy should be jealous of Nico's 'relationship' just as Nico was of his. "What? Are you jealous I can get guys to dance with me?" he asked. That stupid, stupid thought made him suddenly angry. "Are you saying I can't be happy?"
Percy looked up with huge eyes and a head shake. "No, no, no! It's just … it seems like you're cheating on Will. Are you not happy with him or something?" he asked.
What was that all about? Why was Percy worried about Nico's romantic life? As if he cared. But Nico decided to change to course of the conversation, and let it aim at Percy. "The real question is: why are you here? You have a boyfriend too."
Percy eyed him for a second and then looked down at his fingers which he was fidgeting with. "Had a fight."
"Why?"
Percy shrugged. "Doesn't matter." He looked up once again at Nico with worried eyes. He held Nico's arm and stood. Naturally, Nico would've pulled away from the touch, but now he felt so good with Percy holding his arm so gently. "You're too drunk. Let me get you home."
Okay, now Nico pulled away. "I don't wanna go home!" he whined like a child. "Please! I just want to dance! Oh! Oh! Dance with me!" he suggested as he jumped up and down. He started tugging at Percy's arm, but Percy wouldn't budge.
"I'm serious, Nico. You're actually fine with me touching you, your voice is more cheerful, and your breath smells like alcohol. And it's very strong. You really need to go home and rest. This is not good for you!" Nico merely blinked. It was taking him time to process the information. And even after he was done, he realized that even if he reacted, it would be too late and awkward.
Percy, being tired and impatient, started pulling Nico as he stood up. Nico shook his head. "No, please!"
Percy pouted at him and the other boy grumbled in defeat. This always worked, even when they were teenagers. He walked with him slowly for a while until Percy wrapped his arm around Nico's arms only from the back so he wouldn't fall or stumble.
Nico blushed, but he didn't really care that he felt heat in his cheeks. Instead, he dismissed it and mumbled, saying, "That feels really warm and nice. Like a pillow. Hmmmm." He closed his eyes as he thought about it. His mind wandered to his bed, which instantly made his head move to rest on something – Percy's shoulder. It didn't seem like he minded. Percy just pulled Nico closer. He knew that it was because Nico was less aware of his surroundings, so this was Percy's way of guiding him through the parking lot, but Nico liked to think of this as Percy actually liking him. "You know, I could sleep here."
From Percy's neck movement, Nico could tell he was shaking his head. It felt so weird, feeling the bones move. How would his move? He tried it and put a hand on his neck. That only made Percy chuckle. "Come on. You can sleep in the car, Ghost King."
That reminded him that since Nico was drunk, Percy would be the one driving them in his own car. And once he got in, he felt great satisfaction. But he was worried about his car, too. "Will you get McQueen, too?" he asked sleepily.
"McQueen?" Percy's curious voice asked.
"My car. I call him Lightning McQueen. 'Cause he's red. But shhh! That's a secret! I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. So embarrassing," Nico whispered.
There was quite a pause before Percy started the engine and drove. During that time, Nico had fallen asleep from all the exhaustion. He didn't drink just till he felt unable to stand. No, he had danced and talked to guys, trying to get him mind off of Percy. Of course, that hadn't worked, and only ended up with him like this.
Meanwhile, Percy let out a breath. Why was Nico doing this to himself? Was he depressed again? He thought that Nico was over that years ago. Maybe he wasn't depressed. Maybe he was unhappy with Will? When he asked him about this, Nico had changed the subject, and that seemed strange. Was Nico cheating on him? Percy felt so stupid. Why else would he come here, then? To flirt with guys, of course. Yet again, Percy only came here to get a drink. But again, he wanted a drink because he felt so incomplete with Clovis. Like something was missing. He didn't know what it was, really. He just hoped it would be solved soon.
In a few minutes, Percy found himself in front of Nico and Hazel's house. He didn't want to wake the smaller boy up, so he went to the backseats and lifted Nico up bridal style.
Though as he walked to the door to ring the doorbell, he felt Nico move slightly in his arms. "Mmm. Percy."
"Shhh! Go to sleep," he whispered to him.
Nico didn't hesitate to nod and let himself dream.
In seconds, Hazel opened the door, a surprised look on her face. "Oh, Percy!" she said in a low voice. "W-What happened?"
That was fast. It made sense since she was a worried small sister, but it kind of amused him. In his head, he imagined her sitting near the door, looking at it every minute and wondering when Nico would get back home. And when she'd see Nico enter, she'd run towards him and hug him. Though that was probably inaccurate, it didn't fail to make him smile. He wished he had a little sister like her.
"He's too drunk. Had to get him back or he'd end up doing God knows what," he said in the same tone as hers. He looked at him again. While awake, he looked very tired and sad. But when he slept, Nico looked very innocent and peaceful. Almost like how a child would be.
When he looked at Hazel, he could see something shine in her golden eyes for a second before it disappeared. "Well, his room is the first one on the left upstairs. If you need any help, tell me."
Percy nodded and then went upstairs, following her instructions and going to the first room on the left. The room was dark but he could see a few details from the lighting in the streets outside. The room was black, just as Percy expected. There was a black-colored bed, black desk, black-and-white closet, and … well, black. But there was a hint of colors here and there. There was a painting of a window, over-looking a nice view of a blooming garden and a soft, blue sky. And beside his bed was a hanger that had different colored clothes. He didn't know that Nico owned things other than black. That, in itself, surprised him.
Percy pulled down the covers and put Nico on the bed. Then, carefully, he took off his shoes, but that only made Nico wake up, blinking as he tried to process where he was. "Percy?" he asked before he lifted his head up slightly. He smiled. "You're so sweet, Percy. Putting me on bed. Lifting me up," he muttered, still seeming sleepy. "Like a bride."
Percy sighed and covered Nico with the blanket. "Nico, you really need to sleep. It's getting late."
Nico laughed. "Like a bride," he repeated. "As if we're married."
Percy wanted to insist on him sleeping, but hearing that sentence being spoken so casually made him freeze and look at Nico with an open mouth. "What?" he whispered out.
Nico just looked at him with a smile. A dreamy smile, to be exact. "I wish we were married. That would be nice."
Percy took in a deep breath before he blinked and made himself go back a few steps. He needed to get out. Was this drunk speaking, or was Nico accidentally saying things he already was thinking of when sober?
"Where are you going, Percy?" The boy looked so sad, as if he was going to cry. No, Percy realized that he was going to cry. "Don't go! I need you!"
Percy rushed over to his side, not caring about what he just heard. His friend was about to cry while he was drunk. He wasn't going to let that happen. "Hey, hey. It's okay."
Nico nodded and wiped at his eyes, but his frown still remained. "So you'll stay until I sleep?" he asked in such an innocent, child-like voice that it was hard saying no.
Percy sighed then nodded. "Yeah, of course," he said and pulled for himself a chair to sit on. The smaller boy was smiling again. He closed his eyes, and it appeared that he was going to sleep now. But just in case he wasn't, Percy decided to stay for a bit more.
Smiling, Percy realized how cute Nico was when he wasn't frowning. His facial expressions were soft. It was nice to see. And his hair was all over the place that it almost made him chuckle. He moved one hair away from his face. That simple move made Nico move, and Percy was scared he woke him up.
"Hmm, Percy?" he asked, opening his eyes.
Percy made a shhh noise and stroked his hair again. "Go back to sleep."
"I wasn't sleeping in the first place," Nico muttered. "But I need to ask you something."
Despite the fact that Percy didn't want Nico to exhaust himself, he still wanted to hear what he had to say. It seemed important. "What is it?" he asked.
"Why are you with Clovis?" The question caught him off guard. Why was Nico asking that? He didn't expect him to, anyway. To be fair, Nico kept a lot of things buried inside. Maybe this was one of those things.
"Because I like him? Because he's attractive? Why does it matter?" he asked.
"You shouldn't be with him! You should be with me," Nico said a bit louder.
Percy removed his hand and stared at Nico. Wait, Nico wanted to be with Percy? Did that mean he liked him? But that didn't make sense at all. Well, maybe it did, but Percy deserved the right to deny this until he could admit it.
But now it all made sense. The looks Nico gave him when he thought Percy wasn't aware. The eyes that avoided looking at Percy whenever he was with Clovis. The blushes, the smiles – they weren't just friendly. They were affectionate. Since when was this? Was this recent? Or did it happen in high school?
"You like me?" Percy whispered, almost not believing it.
Nico nodded, looking at his as if he was stupid. Like he should've noticed this before. And he had really ought to. "You're really handsome, and strong, and considerate. People think you're dumb, but I don't. I know you're smart. I also like your sense of humor." He chuckled.
Percy just stared at the boy, not able to process this. He had to lean back against the chair to stop his head from spinning. How did he just know about this? "But you have Will," he whispered, trying to come up with anything that'll disapprove of this, but it wouldn't work. He knew it.
"I don't like Will like that, okay?" he said. "I like you!" He frowned, obviously not satisfied with this. "Whatever. You don't like me. I get it."
Percy shook his head, wondering how things went from one direction to another. "No, no! Nico, it's not that. This is just new to me."
Too late, though. He couldn't reason with him apparently because by giving Percy his back, he understood that Nico didn't want to talk or see him. If he was stubborn while sober, then he was more stubborn drunk. "Get out of my room," he whispered.
Percy wanted to stay, ask questions, figure out what this meant, but he also didn't want to anger Nico. He got scary when he was pissed off. So Percy got up from his chair, his mind still spinning from all of this, but he forced himself to move to the door even though it felt wrong to do this.
"Good night," he whispered in a barely audible voice.
He stepped out of the room, so, so confused. Oh, this wasn't how he thought the reunion with Nico would be. Maybe he should relax now. Go home, take a bubble bath and temporarily forget about this.
Though as he went down and saw the worried Hazel, he felt instantly guilty. It was as if hurting Nico was the same as hurting Hazel. It probably was. And Percy never really wanted to hurt her. She was so sweet and innocent. She deserved better. Thinking about it again, Nico deserved better too. He deserved to have a guy better than Percy. He deserved someone who wouldn't say no to him, even though it was hard to do so.
"How's Nico?" Hazel asked. "No, actually, how drunk was he?"
Percy shrugged at both questions. He wasn't willing to answer the question about how Nico was. He couldn't force his lips to move so he could say what he had done and hurt Hazel in the process. So he moved to the second question. "I don't know. A lot is all I know."
Hazel nodded and sighed. "Well, thanks for bringing him here. I know he'd appreciate that when he wakes up." If only she knew.
Percy only nodded and walked past her, quickly saying his goodbye and leaving the house. He needed to be as far away from it for the moment. He needed to relax and then think about this. The bubble bath sounded great right now.
Well, I hope you liked this chapter even though I made you wait loooooong for this. I apologize for that, guys! Also, I was in absolutely NO mood to revise this, so I apologize for my mistakes or awkward sentences.
Also … who's excited for The Trials of Apollo?! Woooo! I'm very effing excited, though I'd have to wait a bit longer since the books take a while to get here in Dubai. Booo!
Well, I'll try to write more frequently now. Also, thank you lovely people for reading and being patient! Ciao!
Until next time…
-TEM