Percy, Nico, Annabeth and Piper are visited while out.

This is Nico/Percy so if you don't like slash you won't like this.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters unless otherwise specified. This is not for monetary gain.

Enjoy!

~o-o-o~

Percy and Nico were out with Annabeth and Piper. Now that Nico and Percy were together, Nico had noticed Percy was more inclined to tolerate Piper. He still talked about his dislike for her, though not enough to explain why. When Nico asked Percy never answered. It confused the ghost king but he didn't press. Percy would tell him eventually.

"He actually used that as a pickup line?" Percy muttered. Annabeth nodded.

"I know! 'I want to spank you' – who says that? Gods, I was so offended and disturbed! That's something couples say when they're getting intimate, not as a pickup line!" Annabeth flustered. "You guys should come out with us next time. Percy, I'm sure it's been a while for you." Percy nodded faintly. "We could go dancing, it'll be fun."

"What do you think?" Percy looked at Nico.

"Strangers grinding against you? Not exactly appealing."

"Don't be such a party pooper. You'll be the one grinding against Percy." Piper argued. Percy blushed faintly.

"Then maybe." Nico uttered and his boyfriend's blush darkened.

"What a surprise." The voice caused the four demigods to turn their heads. A familiar blond stood over them.

"Lord Apollo." Annabeth greeted softly.

"Mm." Apollo looked at her like she was a fly buzzing around his head. "Piper, Nico, Percy, what a pleasure." Annabeth grunted and stood.

"Excuse me." She left quickly. Piper was quick to follow. Apollo took a seat. His blond hair hung in his sky blue eyes slightly. He was dressed plainly in jeans, loafers and a hoodie. He wore black wayfarer frame glasses.

"Congratulations." Apollo stated to Nico and Percy.

"Why are you here, sir?" Percy asked.

"Oh, you know. I was in town." Apollo grabbed Piper's half-eaten muffin and started eating it. "How are your treatments going, Percy?"

"Did you do something?" Nico snarled. His tone was so hateful Percy flinched. He never wanted to be on the other end of that hate. Apollo didn't even blink.

"Of course not. Heroes aren't allowed to be harmed unless the council votes in favour. Naturally, no one agreed with me. And worry not, Percy. It was Annabeth I wanted to plague. Instead it was agreed that her choice in consorts be switched. I suppose that was a few years ago."

"You…you mean…the gods are why Annabeth and I broke up?"

"Honestly, it was going to end eventually. You're not straight, Percy. You never were. Remember Luke?" Percy blushed faintly, causing the sun god to smirk.

"He was a friend."

"Mm hmm, keep telling yourself that." Apollo finished off Piper's muffin and started drinking Annabeth's tea. "At any rate, I came for a reason."

"What?" Nico asked.

"A…favour."

"No." Percy immediately answered. Apollo waved his free hand.

"Hear me out, will you?"

"No. Go away. I'm sick."

"Not you, you twit. Everything has to revolve around you, doesn't it?" Apollo rolled his eyes. "Your boyfriend." Apollo focused on Nico. "I've always been fond of Hades' bastards."

"What do you want?" Nico grumbled, annoyed by the god's presence now.

"A…good friend of mine is missing in the Underworld. I really don't like it down there because it's smelly and dark. I was hoping you'd find him for me."

"Who is he?"

"Troy."

"What does he look like?"

"He's a pretty fellow with black and white stripes. He's about…this long." Apollo held his hands about two feet away from palm to palm. "He's a bit touchy, so don't make fun of him."

"He's a snake."

"Yeah! Of course he's a snake." Apollo shook his head like the idea was obvious. Nico looked at Percy who looked pretty grossed out. "Don't give me that look. Snakes are sacred to me. Part of my prophecy, you see."

"You're insane." Percy muttered.

"Irrelevant. So? Sounds easy enough mm?"

"What's in it for me?"

"Word on the street is your sexy little boyfriend is sick with cancer. I just so happen to be god of medicine. Isn't that convenient?" Apollo was smirking triumphantly.

"You'll…heal Percy if I go find Troy the snake?" Nico summed up. Apollo nodded.

"And I can do that, because according to the fates Percy is meant to survive the treatments and such." Apollo smiled. He lifted Annabeth's tea to his lips; found it empty and snatched Nico's coffee. "I'll even rid you of the nasty side effects of your current treatments." Apollo assured.

"There must be a catch." Percy muttered. Apollo hummed.

"Well, there is."

"What is it?" Nico asked.

"Troy is a special snake, an immortal snake. The Underworld is so cold, and cold is not friendly to snakes…he's hanging around a pretty dangerous place."

"The River Phlegethon." Nico gritted. "That's an inferno."

"I know! What a fun place. He doesn't much care for mortals either. Good luck." Apollo threw back the rest of Nico's drink. "I'll know when you've completed the task, or died trying." The sun god winked and vanished. Percy looked at Nico.

"You can't."

"It'll be fine, Percy. I'll…I'll be fine." Percy shook his head.

"Nico, he said I was going to get better. You don't have to do this."

"If it was any other god I wouldn't." Nico took Percy's hand. "But the sun god is really vengeful against people who offend him. I couldn't…" Nico held Percy's gaze, and the son of Poseidon knew Nico was worried about him. Apollo could do whatever he wanted to Nico, but if the sun god raised a finger against Percy, the ghost king would never forgive himself. Percy realized how deeply Nico had fallen for him and it brought profound joy to Percy's heart because he felt that way too.

"Ok…but don't go alone…take Leo with you."

"Good idea." The ghost king pressed a light kiss on Percy's temple. "Percy…"

"Mm?"

"What did Piper do?" The girls still hadn't returned and Nico really wanted to know. Percy chewed his lip.

"I…I thought she charmspoke Annabeth into her bed." Nico arched a brow. "But if what the sun god said is true…then Jason and I are really, really stupid."

"What made you think that?" Percy shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked this way and that, his bright eyes full of distress. The ghost king wanted to kiss it away.

"Jason and I had gone out. We were celebrating a year of peace between Romans and Greeks. When…we headed back we went to meet up with Piper and Annabeth and we caught the two of them in bed together." The sea prince tapped his fingers on the table. "Annabeth looked so…surprised and…confused I thought…gods, she almost had a look like she didn't know what she was doing, you know? But now after what he said…" The son of Hades took his boyfriend's hand and kissed it. Before he could say anything to calm him, Piper and Annabeth returned.

"He drank my tea?"

"He ate my muffin?"

"Yeah…" Nico murmured. The girls glared at their finished foodstuffs.

~o-o-o~

Leo was the only one of Percy and Nico's close friends who didn't know about Percy's condition. The reason being he lived in Texas. Leo hadn't handled the Giant War as well as everyone else. Nico suspected that had been partially due to him not having anyone to lean on. They all loved Leo deeply, but the son of Hephaestus blamed himself for what happened to Percy and Annabeth so he had gotten himself as far away from everyone as he could. Now he was designing complex machines to clean up oil and gas. He made a lot of good money doing it. Nico called and Leo agreed to fly out.

"Sup my main man!" Leo clapped Nico's shoulder. His hair had grown out a substantial amount, Nico guessed because Leo paid little attention to the length. He dressed casually in jeans, a t-shirt, socks and Birkenstocks. He did not look like a millionaire. "Hey Percy. Wow, you're really thin. Thinking of picking up modelling? You might want to tan some first." Percy arched a brow.

"Why would I model?"

"Does he not know?" Leo murmured to Nico who pushed the fire bender's head.

"You don't know." Nico replied. Leo shrugged.

"I don't, what's going on guys? You sounded cryptic on the phone. I thought that was because your dad is a scary skeleton man. Is there another prophecy?" Leo's eyes flared at the thought.

"A quest." Nico admitted. "Lord Apollo asked me to go to the Underworld and find his pet snake."

"Snake? Snakes are creepy."

"Tell me about it." Percy murmured.

"Wouldn't you be better off asking Hazel? Oh, I guess not, she's kind of preoccupied with growing a baby." Leo frowned briefly before a grin replaced it. "I can't say no to you guys."

"Percy isn't going." Nico informed. "Just me and you, is that ok?"

"Eh? Sure, why not."

"You guys can leave tomorrow." Percy stated, and his voice held finality. "Leo, you must be tired from your flight."

"Are you kidding? It was great! First class baby. Sure, food wasn't too good, merely edible, but I'm half cut so that works out." The trio settled in the living room of Percy's apartment. Leo looked between each of them. "You're sick." Leo guessed and focused on Percy.

"I have cancer." Percy informed. "The sun god told Nico that if he retrieved Troy he would heal me."

"Are you dying?"

"No."

"I'd be more than happy to go regardless." Leo assured. "Troy-is that the snake? Kind of a funny name for a snake, isn't it? Ah, who understands the gods?" Leo shook his leg as he sat on the couch. His ADHD hadn't lessened much over the years.

"How's work?" Percy asked.

"Good. I'm kept busy, I love inventing things."

"We miss you Leo." Percy admitted. "We haven't seen you in three years…"

"I'm a busy guy." Leo looked at Percy briefly before he turned away. Percy smiled sadly.

"Leo, I'm ok."

"I know." Percy breathed out deeply and left. Nico watched his boyfriend go. "So you finally caught him? I'm glad." Nico looked at Leo. "You're good for each other."

"What about you?"

"I haven't gotten serious with anyone." Leo replied. Nico sensed the undertone. Serious meant investment and Leo was tired of hurting people he loved. It wasn't fair. Leo was such a great guy; he didn't deserve to be alone. "So this quest, how dangerous is it?"

"Fairly, but we'll be fine. I trust you with my life, Leo." Nico earned a soft smile in return.

~o-o-o~

AN: One of my friends had three different guys use that pickup line on her. I thought it was funny. Who says that, seriously? Half cut is a level of intoxication, FYI. As for the name of the snake, that comes from the city. I didn't feel like thinking of something clever and Troy sounds like a silly name for a snake so I used it.

HM