Chapter VI~ Fainted

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus. If I did, it wouldn't be for children anymore o.o

((This chapter is quite wordy, so get comfortable.))

Nico didn't know what hit him.

His vision failed him and blurred everything in sight. Everything was going too fast to begin with. He felt a rush rise up to his head into an intense migraine. Then, he faintly remembered the impact soundly as something cracked. He didn't even want to know what was broken. Blinking his eyes a couple of times, he was unsure of what to do next. He squinted at the assault the sunlight gave him into his eyes and groaned.

There was another resounding clash that resonated in his ears close by. He looked up slightly, watching Percy collide with the monster before him. Nico's dark eyes shot open in worry and anticipation. His quivering hazel brown eyes glazed over in fear and desperation. Everything was going dark, then light, then dark once more...

No.

His lungs refused to let him breathe at that moment and out of utter despair, found himself gasping for air under the apparent rubble he's been under. The weight of the stone on his back pained him even more as he tried to release himself as the stone pierced through he cloth and stabbed his skin. His shaken weak arms gave out and he came tumbling down back into contact with the concrete.

"Ow!" He grunted loudly and Percy took notice and returned to battle, hoping to end it soon. He gripped Riptide tightly in both hands raised to hit the monster in the head with the hilt of the sword. Quick to react, he once more elbowed the monster's face hard. The demon fell back but not for long.

Then, he raced over to Nico's side, at least to raise the heavy stone off of him. Percy was relieved to see that out of most of the stones that fell, the heavier ones were not as near to Nico. Percy steadily raised the stone out from under Nico and the other off his legs. The aching -everywhere- burned immensely.

"N-Nico y-your head. It's bleeding. Can you walk?" Percy frantically asked as he -for only a second- left Riptide on the ground. Nico had been in a daze and didn't reply, hadn't even heard the question registered in his head.

"Nico! Can you walk?!" He yelled, ringing loudly now in his mind now.

Hesitantly, Nico pushed himself to his knees. "Y-yeah I think so. My left ankle though... I-I think its broken." Blood started streaming down the side of his face, near his left eye as he stood upright. Percy hurriedly took out his cellphone and dialed a number.

"I'm gonna call Annabeth!" Nico heard and then through some god given miracle, he succumbed to the pain, unable to differentiate exactly where the pain subsided. His vision went dark and barrage of hurt ended as soon as it begun. It was insanely hard to stay awake or even... conscious. He heard the last reminisces of Percy's voice call to him. "No, Nico don't...!"

The aching pain was finally able to fade under the pretense of unconsciousness. Through the haze he heard murmuring and felt his body being raised from the ground gently and pressed into a warm, firm chest. He let his head fall comfortably and curled up into the source of rescue.

Nico shifted ever so slightly within each and every step taken. The soothing pattern eased him from distress and finally convinced him to surrender and collapse all together into his dearly needed peaceful sleep.

Cupid, from a far off viewpoint on top of a roof, analyzed the situation very carefully down below. He began contemplating on whether or not he should shoot an arrow, which was rare. The monster that attacked landed beside him and she growled. She was fast enough for Percy not to recognize. Although, he did a number on her.

Percy had defeated the fury and Alecto had faked her death. Cupid, then, wondered why Hades let him borrow one of his monsters that serve him. He must've had another motive in this if he sent this specific fury. Alecto's name meant "The Angry". Did that mean Hades himself was angry?

Cupid gulped and rubbed his neck nervously. What did he do? He didn't interfere with Hades lovelife since the 1940's! His eyes stilled on Nico for a while. Perhaps it was he that angered...

He gritted his teeth in frustration and confusion. He needed to focus! He slapped his own face on both cheeks to wake himself up. The fury looked up in shock and shrugged it off, staring at the two demigods below. The plan was to shoot Nico, he decided, with a lead arrow; one that instilled an undying hate and grudge against another. Yet, the loud siren in his head told that was wrong and wouldn't be very funny.

When he reached his lead arrow, he paused abruptly. His hand refused to grasp it. His body refused to listen. As if it were someone else who possessed his body. Irritated, his hand curled into an indecisive fist shakily and punched a wall with a look similar to the one that his counterpart would give.

A death glare.

His duty was not being fulfilled if he took the lead arrow. And that would be very tempting.

.oOo.

Nico didn't dream that night... or day.

He didn't know what time it was or even if the sun was shining because his eyes were shut and refused to awaken. The thing that urged him to be more lively was the sudden warm, wet feeling in his hand. Right hand to be specific. He dozed and then decided to open his eyes only to see Leo Valdez set a bucket of warm water on his right hand.

A fucking prank on someone who just fainted.

"Leo..." The repair boy, also known as the dead man in a matter of seconds. "What are you doing?" He enunciated carefully, lacing those words with the promise of fear and pain. Leo staggered backwards, wide-eyed, and laughing weakly to ease the tension.

Nico glanced over and saw Jason at the corner of the room, watching this entire conversation with amusement. Leo, frantically tried to remove the tense atmosphere with humor.

Which failed... miserably.

"Aha- Nothing man! The doctor gave you a shot and I just came to bring you water?" He grinned and twitched.

"Get out."

"Jason." Leo whispered harshly to his right. "Help a brother out..."

"Now." Nico demanded.

He was quicker than Hermes to reach the door within seconds as Nico remembered the fight before he blacked out.

"Wait-!" He cried. Leo paused at the door. "Where is he now?" He asked, clutching onto the bed sheets like his life depending on it.

"Where is who?" Leo asked obliviously, almost in a teasing way which would really ticked Nico off if he hadn't already had this massive migraine on his head.

"Percy." He croaked, remembering he had abandoned him in battle. What kind of secret admirer does that anyways? Not even a friend wouldn't have let that happen!

"I don't think you want to talk to him now." Leo replied as he rushed out the door before Nico could ask why. Shocked to the bone, he wondered why Leo said that.

No... wait.

Of course, Percy wouldn't want to talk to him now.

That made sense.

Nico fell back into the comfort of his bed and found no relief in doing so. He shut his eyes tight. Why did he have to cry at moments like these? As if it wasn't expected. He was supposed to be tough. His father would not be proud at all seeing him now.

He waited several minutes, leveling his breathing slowly. Still feeling somewhat feverish and dozing off.

Gods. He hated being so useless.

...

"Um... Nico you okay?" Said a familiar voice. For a second, he thought if it were Percy's voice, he would have had a heartattack. Fortunately, it was just Jason. Unfortunately, it was Jason and Nico had to hide the tearing look in his eyes.

He groaned a reply and mumbled a reluctant "yeah". He'd forgotten to face him when Leo was here.

"You know... it's not that Percy's angry at you. Upset maybe... but its not something to cry about." Jason replied, as if he could read his mind.

"I'm not crying, dammit." He growled, but ended up sounding more like a whimper. A cry for help. He rubbed his eyes.

"He's been sulking like child ever since he came back." Jason explained. Nico could imagine that. He could also imagine brooding Percy glaring at him, wanting to strangle the life out of him.

"I don't care." He lied. It seemed like the end of that conversation. A few moments later, Jason came up with an idea.

"Then..." He stroked his chin mischievously as he neared the exit. "I guess you won't care if I invite Percy here to talk to you. I'm sure he'll be ecstatic that your finally awake."

"No!" He said a little high-pitched. "I mean you don't need to do that.."

"Aw come on Nico. It'll be..." Jason began but Nico wouldn't let him finish. Too many times had he let this word slip. But no more. Nico grabbed him be the collar and choking him a little.

"Jason. If the next word you are about to say is, 'cute'." He emphasized ever so distastefully... "So, help me tomorrow, only one of us is gonna be alive and it won't be you." Nico threatened nose-to-nose, which was already way too close for Nico.

"I think..." Jason began. "...this is a bad time to mention that the ceremony's tomorrow and I sort of- need to be alive to be there because I asked Piper to go with me." He admitted. And Nico completely shunned him.

"Listen... you're going to have to face your fears sooner or later. Didn't Cupid mention that?" Jason said softly, patting Nico's back brotherly. Nico nodded sadly but the continuous patting like he was Jason's pet set him irritated like a timed bomb. He sighed. Reality is, Cupid did -in fact- say that. It was inevitable. "Then I'm gonna get Percy!" Jason sounded way too excited to say that.

And with that he ran out the door faster than the speed of light. He might have even flown there, if Nico's hadn't been rubbing his eyes too much. With a outreached arm tracing the path Jason went to get Nico's demise, he let out a defeated sigh and got up.

He knew he wasn't supposed to get up. This was the Apollo Cabin's Infirmary. As in, get up, and risk being cursed with horrendous poetry for life. They didn't like it when patients thought they were healed all of a sudden and decided to get up.

Then again, all Apollo children feared Nico. That's why none were currently present. And if they were, they'd warn him that getting out of bed would fracture his ribs or something. And he certainly felt it. The sharp pain to his left abdomen when he attempted to stand and make his way to the door.

When he did open it, he caught sight of the son of Poseidon himself.

"Where do you think your going?" Percy asked in wild astonishment. Nico couldn't form a sentence. "Jason told me to come here because you were trying to escape." Nico's head was filled with thoughts of curses to put on Jason.

On a completely different other note, Percy wasn't in his camp attire which consisted of a sentimental faded orange t shirt, and shorts. He was wearing casual clothing of a blue and white vest and trousers. One thing that stood out for Nico was the the crest on his vest.

"Listen Nico I asked you a question and I have to go soon too... Annabeth wants me to have a photo shoot for memories before-"

"N-no," He stuttered, shaking. "W-where are YOU going?" Nico asked out of spite as Percy guided him towards his station to heal.

"You can't leave. You promised me you would stay for the Ceremony. Don't you dare retreat to the Underworld like you always do." He asserted.

Almost faintly, he heard his girlfriend call out his name from afar. "I gotta go now." He turned towards the echo and then back at Nico. "Well... Hope you get better. Bye-"

And there it was again.

That persistent agitation that always got to him whenever he saw the pure essence of misery seething from the Son of Hades.

He wasn't sure exactly what it was that made him want to completely forget how busy he was to comfort Nico. Maybe it was the way he slouched sadly, or hid his eyes behind his neglected dark hair. Or maybe it was the distant, offset, mind weariness that compelled him. Whatever it was, it didn't help that Percy wanted Nico to be honest about his feelings.

He sighed and decided to stay by his side for a little while.

"I'm glad you're okay." He said calmly. "You really got me worried out there."

"I didn't ask you." He spat back. He was hurt by the comment, somehow. Percy didn't understand. He wasn't the type to delve deeper into things, but this was getting ridiculous. Nico didn't even seem grateful for going through the trouble of taking him out for dinner.

"Then what do you want?" Percy said, trying to hold in how exasperated he was.

"I..." He sounded breathless. "I... don't want you to leave.." He solemnly replied. The way he said it was awful too, just plain misery and desolate. Nico sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Percy felt the sudden urge to snap. Is that what caused Nico to be swamped with grief?

He felt compelled to wrap his arms around Nico and remind him that he wasn't going away forever. On quests he always came back. This was just another quest, only more mundane. He felt Nico's spirit's sink below the surface and Percy blurted out something he didn't mean to say.

"Okay, then I'll talk to Chiron about it!" He said sincerely. His eyebrows furrowed in a conflicted expression. "And I won't leave you alone again." He pulled Nico closer in an attempt to relieve his worries through hug therapy. He felt the other's heartbeat racing frantically and a shiver. It was then he realized, it's not just he won't leave Nico alone. He couldn't now.

It was unexplainable.

But, at least this time, he would keep his promise.

Afterwards~

The hug lasted for a while and put Nico at ease, or so Percy thought. At one moment, Percy realized that it was too long of a hug to be consider a hug, now it was more smothering Nico than just a friendly act.

He's warmer. Percy thought. He didn't know exactly why but he always thought Nico was cold like an ice cube. Must've been a stereotype for Hades Children. He thought.

"You're not supposed to have a cellphone." Nico said, way too suddenly for Percy to snap out of it and reply casually. "That's why the monster attacked us. You basically gave our location away to all the monsters in the area." He mentioned dead-panned.

Percy laughed nervously. "Aha, w-well... just don't tell the camp directors I have one." He remembered that his mother, girlfriend, and some friends insisted on him having one, so they bought him one. Never once did he think of the consequences at hand.

"Mhm. Suuure." He hummed, in dissatisfaction and hinting in sarcasm. Without noticing, Percy found a blush crawling on his face. Oh no...

Although, the embarrassing part, was while Percy was engulfed in the warmth the son of Hades gave off. Nico was thinking about the battle earlier and analyzing it thoroughly.

I can never tell what this guy is thinking of, can I? He pondered, flustered. Not letting go of Nico until he was sure he wasn't having a rosy tint on his face.

Oh no.

((A/N~ I swear every single one of your reviews make me smile way too much. I'm not sure whether or not I should reply to them, so tell me! Like I said suggestions are welcomed too. ^^ Thank you Ailurophile. You are an awesome Beta. :) Next Chapter I will speed the romance fast a tad since Ive been delaying for sooo long now XD Get ready. Get set. And... ))