Consumed

7. Lust

The next morning, with permission to run free, Percy found Nico training.

He just watched for a minute, examining his form. Nico just stood there, on guard, staring at something. Percy saw Hazel not too far away, hands raised, and he realized that Nico was in an illusion.

Suddenly, he pulled out his sword and whipped around, slashing hard. His continued to turn and take on an invisible horde. Sweat gleamed on his forehead, and Percy couldn't stop looking at his face. So concentrated. So fierce.

Percy's eyes strayed to his arms. Every movement made them flex, tense. His torso, Percy imagined, with just as tense. He could stare for hours.

Nico suddenly gasped, folding over a bit. Percy took a step forward, confused. Nico's vision wavered then focused once more. He looked around and saw Hazel. He dropped his sword and walked calmly to her. They exchanged words, then Nico leaned forward and placed a loving kiss on her forehead. Even she was surprised.

As Nico walked back to retrieve his sword, he spotted Percy, and went over to him.

"I felt out of shape. Hazel was helping me train." He placed a small kiss on Percy's neck, and the older boy noticed he was panting.

"How long have you been training?" Percy asked to distract himself.

"About three hours, maybe." Nico said, his gaze straying. Sweat gathered and rolled down his temple, and Percy swallowed hard.

"Let's go get some water, yeah?"

"Yeah." Nico smiled gratefully.

They when over to the water machine by the door in the arena, and the whole time, Percy couldn't keep his eyes off of his ass. When Nico brought his water up to his mouth, Percy made the water jump out of the cup and unto the ground. Nico looked at the cup, bewildered. Then he looked at Percy, irritated.

"What? I didn't do it." He said innocently. Nico rolled his eyes. He got another cup, but Percy made it splash Nico, who gasped at the cool substance.

"Percy!" He sputtered, and Percy couldn't keep himself from laughing.

"Oh, I'm sorry. But you needed that." Percy kissed the boys forehead, holding him for a second, then handed him his own water, which Nico drank while glaring at his partner.

They then exited the arena, and went back to cabin Three. The excitement from earlier lingered for Percy, and he kissed the smaller boys neck heatedly.

"Mm . . . Percy?"

He said nothing, reaching his hand under Nico's shirt and feeling the smaller boys' torso. Percy's mind clouded, blocking out Nico's sound of uncertainty. He pushed Nico back slightly, so he was pressed in the corner beside the door.

Nico's brain went into a sort of panic. He shut his eyes, breath quickening. Behind his eyelids, he saw a darkness with a copper tint. His heart pounded, and Nico realized: Ever since he was kept in a jar, he'd been avoiding small spaces of sorts. And being pressed from three angles seemed to do it for him at that moment.

"Percy, please stop. Please." He begged through ragged breaths. His vision swam, and he thought: I'm going to pass out.

Percy stopped for a second to look at Nico, and all arousal left him instantly.

"Nico?!" He put both hands on Nico's face.

"Space . . . space . . ." He was pushing Percy's chest, and Percy took a couple steps back, only for the smaller boy to collapse on him.

"Nico! I'm sorry. I'm so frickin' sorry. Oh gods . . ." Nico trembled violently, and took small breaths. Percy realized what was happening then, and said, "Just breathe, Nico. You can breathe." Nico took a giant breath, then shuddered, and kept breathing with huge gulps of air. "Shh . . . you're okay. You're okay." He led the boy to the bed, and put him under the covers.

He was unsure if he should get in there with him, so he stood there, cursing himself for being so stupid. If he wasn't so caught up in his own lust, he would've noticed that Nico was freaking out.

Just when he was about to leave the cabin, a small hand wrapped around his and squeezed, then pulled. Percy smiled at the wide eyes that stared at him, then got in the bed with him. The boy gathered the material of Percy's shirt in his hands and tucked his face in the crook of his neck.

And Percy knew it was okay.