Chapter Eleven
Author's Note: Wow. Okay, you guys are getting a very long update this time around, keep that in mind, take breaks if you need to, all that jazz. I know I had to.
More A/Ns at the bottom.
Nico's arms were loaded down with bags, and he might have been excited except most of them were for his mother. They were in the car heading back to the Summer home, Hades was sure to be back by now. Nico had acquired a few things while he was out, but not nearly enough as his mother. He helped Maria load everything into back, then they both got situated in the passenger and driver's seat. The car turned over and they exited the mall parking lot.
The car had been going for a while, Nico going over the things he had brought with him to New York in his head. There were certain items he should get if he planned on having any fun up here. "Mom, I might need the car later," He said, trying to sound casual as he flipped through the radio channels.
Maria laughed, "I don't know if you remember this, son, but you're kind of grounded." She looked over at him. "Why on earth do you need the car? Where are you gonna go?"
"To the store later," He answered.
"We just left the store, Nico." Maria looked over at him, then back at the road.
"I mean, I've got some personal items to get." Nico replied shrugging, finding it more and more difficult to sound casual about the whole thing. He should have just waited for them to go to sleep so he could sneak out.
"I'm sure you've got plenty of underwear, and if you need razors your father brought extra." His mother answered.
"No, not like, regular stuff." Nico paused. "Okay, it's regular stuff, but it's guy stuff." Maria stopped at a red light and looked over at him again. She was very obviously waiting on him to continue, a very small smirk on her lips. "It's just…stuff I need, Mom."
"When you say "personal" do you mean condom?" Her eyebrow quirked up and Nico felt his entire face heat up cherry red.
"Mom!"
"Nico!" Maria laughed again, mocking his tone and volume. "Son, I know how sex works. I've got two kids." Nico wouldn't meet her eyes. "You are you father's child, I swear. You love sex but hate talking about it. Or maybe it's just with me, that guy that showed up on our doorstep the other night seemed to know a lot of intimate details about you." Nico was officially going to die.
"Mom!" He hissed.
"Oh, unknot your panties, Nico." Maria rolled her eyes as the light turned green and she drove on. "If you need sex things like condoms and lubrication," She couldn't help the emphasis, especially watching her son cringe the way he did. "I'm sure your father wouldn't mind taking you out again later."
"I have to go out and get that stuff with Dad?" As if hearing his mother say 'lubrication' wasn't punishment enough.
"Nico, sweetie, if you can't talk about sex stuff with your parents you are obviously not old enough to be having it. Now, you can act like an adult and admit to me that you plan on having intimate relations with someone while we're up here—and I completely forbid you from doing so with that grad student—or you can act like a child and I can keep you locked up tight in the house with only your hand to keep you company."
"Fuck!" Nico hadn't meant for that to slip out of his mouth. "Mom! What's wrong with you today?"
"Well, for one you were very rude in front of Sally and Paul earlier today for no reason, and two Lupa tells me that I should treat you more like the adult you're going into. So, no more coddling." Maria smiled. "Okay, maybe a little coddling, but from now on I'm going to talk to you like you're not just a child."
"Wait, wait," Nico held his hands up. "You're talking to my therapist?"
"Well, we're paying for her," Maria shrugged. "And she also thinks it's best if we all work together in order to help your progress. So before your sessions she tells me what you two will be working on, and afterwards she debriefs me on how it went. Or your father, depending on who's taking you."
Nico sighed. "That sounds fair."
"You're actually agreeing with me on something?" Maria grinned. "We should have started seeing Lupa a long time ago." Nico rolled his eyes. "Besides, it would do you good to spend time with your father. It's one of your exercises isn't it?"
"She told you about those too? Jesus! What happened to doctor/patient confidentiality?"
"I think that only constitutes with things you tell her, not the other way around." His mother took a right, "Besides, if she didn't you wouldn't do it, would you?"
"That's not the point, that stuff is supposed to stay private."
"Nico, it's just me." Maria said, her hand landed on his knee. She squeezed it. "You know you can tell me anything, don't you?" Ugh, Nico thought. She was giving him The Mom Look. The one that made him feel bad for just existing.
He sighed, "I know, Mom." He said. "Sometimes I just…I'm secretive, I'm sorry. I just don't want you to be more disappointed with me." They were pulling into the neighborhood, and an old instinct kicked in naturally. Nico looked over at the Jackson household, and mowing the grass, shirtless, was one Percy Jackson; older, leaner, stronger, but definitely Percy. Nico felt himself leering. Percy had grown up well. God, his body was firm—toned, and smooth. Nico watched the way his powerful looking thighs moved as he walked, watched the sway of his ass, the defined muscles moving in his back as he walked and controlled the mower.
Then Nico remembered who he was looking at, he looked away.
"Nico," His mother was saying and he stared up at her face. "honey, I could never be disappointed in you. I support your decisions and I support you. I just want you to stop feeling the way you do, however it is…not happy. I want you to stop feeling not happy." She smiled at him and stroked his face. But she noticed his expression. "What's wrong..." She looked up and over his shoulder. Her eyes immediately landed on Percy. She pursed her lips, "You know you have to talk to him eventually." She said looking back down at him.
"I know, Mom." Nico said again, sighing.
"He's coming over with Sally and Paul tonight." Maria replied and Nico looked at her again, his eyes like a small animal caught in headlights. "It'll be good for you. Your father and I never push you into things, and I think it's time we started. You need to talk to him to feel better."
Nico had apparently lost his will to fight since coming back to New York. He pulled his seatbelt off, opened the car door, and made his way into the house. Maria sighed, but she looked over at Percy again. The bane of her son's attitude problems. Her eyebrow quirked up again, if she wasn't mistaken Percy was watching Nico walk into the house. And not in the casual people watching kind of way either. Nor was it the kind of 'I've not seen you in a while' way either. His line of vision was too low for that, he wasn't looking at Nico's head, that was for sure.
Well, her son was wearing tight pants. How he did it in this heat she would never know, though the heat here was different than the heat she had gotten used to over the past two and a half years. Still, hot was hot. She might have to advise him into wearing shorts more. Then she smiled, she might have to advise him into wearing those short shorts he'd gotten from his friend Rachel as a joke gift.
There was something bubbling in Maria's head, a theory she had about Sally's son's reason for freaking out as badly as he had a few years back. It was just a theory for now, and she would have to talk to her husband about it at length. But it was plausible, she thought. If nothing else it would give her family some peace of mind.
Nico was on the phone almost immediately, he could see this being a daily occurrence. Reporting back to Leo, Rachel, and Frank every chance he could.
"So Kirshbaum only saw me for, like, thirty minutes today," He was saying, "and she tells me I need to spend more time with my Dad and that I need to confront Percy."
"Well are you going to?" Leo replied.
"I mean I kind of have to if I want to come back anytime soon. But, Leo, man you know me I don't—"
"You don't really do confrontation well, yeah, I know." Leo laughed. "You like to let things build up and then you explode at whoever is making you mad. Hell, it took Octavian punching you to make you get rid of his dumbass, and then you went running back."
"That's different," Nico said. "Don't be a dick Leo."
"You wouldn't be my friend if I didn't tell it how it is, and how is that different?"
"Because O was sick—"
"He tried to kill himself to get your attention." Leo pointed out.
"He deserved a second chance. He never hit me before."
"Said every abuse victim ever. Come on, Nico, your head is all twisted up about that guy. He makes you take drugs, the bad kind that don't get you high but get you addicted." Nico rolled his eyes. "I can hear you rolling your eyes, you know it's true."
"I'm not addicted."
"But you sure are hell to deal with for a few days after you've left his place," Leo said. "It's best that you got taken away from him and you know it. You settled for him."
"Can we not talk about O? That's not what I called to talk about." Nico replied.
Leo sighed, "Okay, what did you call to talk about? It wasn't to hear about my day, obviously."
"Why? What happened today?"
"You first, then I'll go."
"Alright, but don't try to make me feel guilty, asshole. If you wanna talk you call me, don't get mad if I call you to talk about myself." Leo laughed on the other end.
"Fine, whatever, go. Unload your never-ending list of problems on me, your best friend."
"I saw Percy today."
"Oh, shit. He still lives there? Well I mean it's only been two and a half years."
"You were the one who said he had probably moved away!" Nico said.
"I just said that so you would calm your tits, Neeks." Leo sounded so nonchalant, which annoyed Nico to no end. "Anyway, you saw Percy, did you talk to him?"
"No."
"Of course not."
"He's hot, Leo. Like, fuck me! I could handle if he had grown like a creeper 'stache and developed some sort of Quasimodo hunch, but he got fucking attractive."
"From the way you were always going on about him—"
"I don't always go on about him."
"And flies aren't attracted to shit. Shut up, Nico, you talked about him so much I feel like I know the guy personally. Oh, Percy used to like this band. Oh, Percy would have liked this restaurant. From the way you made it sound he was always attractive. You have it so bad."
"Had." Nico said. "I had it so bad,"
"Granted, it did start getting better the more you got to know me, but still." Nico could hear Leo grinning on the other end, the smile was just in his voice. "Still sounds like you'd let him hit it."
"He's not gay, or bi, or anything. He made that abundantly clear when he called me a faggot." Nico answered back.
"Nico, Nico, Nico." Leo tutted. "Let's look at this from my uncommonly genius viewpoint. Who calls people faggots? Bullies who are trying to hide the fact that they're gay themselves, The Westboro Church—and the jury is still out on the gayness found therein—whoop. That's it."
"Wait," Nico sat on his bed. "you're telling me that the only people who ever use the "f" word are men who can't admit they're gay,"
"Not just men, girls too."
"Okay, people who can't admit they're gay and crazy church people who might also, themselves, be of the homosexual variety?" Nico would have been giving Leo a look that belayed how ridiculous that sounded if they had actually been in the same room.
"Boom. You hit the nail on the head, those are exactly the kind of people who say words like fag and use gay like it's some sort of insult. Granted, I'm never attracted to the dudes who do it, but it sounds like you might have struck gold."
"It sounds like you're about to give me really bad advice." Nico laughed.
"I'm just saying, Neeks, when is the next time you're going to see him. You know, to work on your "exercises" as your quack likes to call them?"
"Tonight, actually." Nico sighed, throwing himself on his bed. "Mom invited his mom and his stepdad over, and that means Percy as well. I don't even know if they heard me when I said I would do something crazy if I saw him again."
"Well you haven't cut have you?" Leo wondered.
"No, it hasn't gotten that bad yet." Nico answered truthfully, covering his face with the hand not holding the phone to his ear. "But I don't know what will happen when I have to be in the same room as him."
"Neeks, Nicky, listen to me: you have got to take advantage of this situation, do you hear me? If you're in charge of it then there's no way it can go bad."
"What are you suggesting?"
"The same thing I've been trying to get you to do since I heard you were going back. You've got to seduce him. It'll totally work. I've seen you take guys who looked like fucking football players to bed. Well, I never saw you physically fuck them, but it was always implied."
Nico laughed, "Just because I've fucked a few guys who looked like they belonged on first string doesn't mean they weren't gay."
"God, Nico, you're preaching to the choir. I know looks don't equate to gay. You know what I mean. I'm not Rachel, I'm not going to discuss this like it's a political fucking issue."
"Well, it is a political issue, but yeah, I know what you mean. I wouldn't even know how to go about trying to get in his pants. There were a lot of emotions there, I don't want to reopen those wounds more than they already have."
"Like I said, stay in control of the situation. Pretend like he's just some dude in the club, slap on some tight ass jeans. Oh, put the ones on you borrowed from me and never gave back."
"You totally knew I wasn't giving those back when I took them."
"Yeah, that's why I took your American Polo shoes, dick." Leo was the one who chuckled this time, "anyway, put my jeans on, because they make your ass look just—hell I might fuck you in those jeans."
"Creepy yet somehow sweet, thanks."
"And wear that black tank top," Leo paused, "if I didn't know you I'd say to make sure you did your hair, but you probably woke up with gel in one hand a comb in the other this morning."
"My hair looks awesome, yes. Now you're saying this like I'm even going to do it."
"Oh, I've plant the seed, you're totally going to try to fuck his brains out now."
Nico grinned, "I'll give it some thought, Rachel would tell me why this was a bad idea."
"Which is why you're not going to call her," Leo answered. "I know you, Nico. You're like me, just, you know, you can't handle shit as well."
"Gee, thanks." Nico sat up on his bed. "So what's going on with you? What happened today?"
Again Nico could hear Leo grinning through the phone, "I met a guy."
"And he fucked your brains out?" Nico guessed.
"No, asshole. He's going to be going to school with us after the Summer is over, and he's going to be on the baseball team."
Nico chuckled, "Is he a pitcher or a catcher?"
"Okay, if you're going to be like that then you shouldn't call me in the first place. I sit quietly and listen to you about this jackass Percy but you won't even—"
"Leo! Leo," Nico laughed, "Okay. I'm sorry, please tell me about him."
"Fucking right. And he's a pitcher, just so you know. But his actual position on the team is second-baseman. Plus I hear he hits the ball and it sounds like a crack of thunder." Leo sounded a bit dreamy.
"Where'd you meet him, the club?"
"No, that's the great part. We met at the mall. It was romantic as shit." Nico chuckled again.
"What's his name?"
"Jason, if you would ever fucking got a Facebook you could creep on him and tell me how fucking cute he is. But you're lame and refuse to get one."
"I don't want to get addicted, you and Rachel are always checking your phones."
"That's neither here nor there, I'm gonna send you a picture of him." Nico's phone alerted him to a message, which he checked. A guy with sun-bleached blond hair, eyes that could make the sky jealous of their blueness, and a smile that made him instantly likeable stared back at him. His skin was olive and his face looked like it was sculpted from marble. "Did you get it?" He could hear Leo. He put the phone back to his ear.
"If you don't jump on him I will," Nico grinned.
"Right? Fuck me! I just want to eat him with a spoon or something."
"Careful, Leels, you're entering dangerously fabulous territory."
"Fuck you," Leo shot back instantly.
"I'll leave that to Jason," There was a knock at Nico's door. "Hold on Leo." He looked over. "It's open."
Surprisingly it was his father at the door, "Your mother says you need to go to the store soon and refuses to take you. Apparently it's "guy stuff" you need?" Nico blinked. "Well? I need to go pick up some stuff since we're having people over tonight, not that Maria asked me if I was up to company."
"You're never up to company, Dad." Nico replied. "Leo I gotta call you back."
"Okay, cool, I'll keep you posted on the Jason thing if you do the same on the Percy front." Leo said.
"Can do, later."
"Later." Leo hung up and Nico pocketed his phone.
"I…it's kind of embarrassing. I don't think you'll want to go with me. Maybe I can just borrow the car?"
Hades looked at him with unamused eyes, "First, you're grounded. Second, you've only got your learner's permit, so that's a no on both fronts."
"You know, we never went over the specs of that grounding." Nico replied.
"Okay, anything I tell you you can't do, you can't do it. And you're not to treat it like you normally do where you ignore me and do whatever the hell you want to anyway. That's how grounding works."
Nico rolled his eyes, "And just how long am I grounded for?"
"Until I say otherwise, now put your shoes on."
"Mom, I don't know if I can go over there." Percy was staring at his mother, they were supposed to be going over to the di Angelos' in an hour. "I think he's still pissed at me. He wouldn't even look at me earlier."
"Oh, I've spoken to him, I'm relatively sure he's still upset about the whole thing. But he's Nico Perce, all you have to do is apologize. You never got the chance to before. No matter how much you guys used to fight as soon as you said sorry he always forgave you."
"This is different. I really hurt him."
"All you can do is say you're sorry, Percy," Sally responded. "and mean it, of course. You've been missing him ever since he left, tell him that. Tell him how much you hate that you hurt him, and that you wish things were different. Just tell him the truth."
"The truth?" There was something in Sally's eyes that Percy didn't like.
"Yes, Percy. Tell him the truth." She stood up from the table, filing away the papers she had been working on. "I think I'm going to get ready, I for one am happy that they're back."
"I just—"
"Need to apologize for what you did, yes you do." Sally stared at him. "I don't want to hear anymore about it, Maria invited us over to catch up tonight and we're going, that's final. Am I understood?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Good, now go put on a shirt that's clean," She sniffed the air. "And maybe some deodorant." Her face screwed up in disgust. "Did you shower after you came in from mowing the lawn?" Percy didn't answer. "Ugh. Just go take a shower, Percy. But don't take too long, I need to wash my hair and you take forever in there."
"What can I say, I like the water." Percy finally smiled.
Sally sighed, "Yes, son. I know, now go."
"Nico." Hades was pale, paler than usual. Halfway through their shopping trip Nico had decided to have some fun with his old man. "We have spent a great deal of time in here, your mother will be wanting us back soon." His son was holding up a bulbous polyurethane device that looked garish with its neon pink skin. He read the tag, though he knew he didn't want to. "Do not put that in your basket." Nico had pulled him into a sex shop among all things, and from the devious smile on his face he was enjoying this far too much.
"Every growing boy needs a butt plug, Dad." Nico laughed.
"Nico di Angelo…" Hades eyes were black and unamused.
"Geez, Dad, I'm just having some fun with you." Nico put the plug back with an assortment of others. "I did ask you to wait in the car. This is a very private affair after all."
"I thought you were just getting contraceptives?"
"I'm getting a few things, and life would be so much easier if you just went and waited in the car."
"Son, we're supposed to be bonding." Hades crossed his arms. "I'm part of the reason you are… sad." Nico rolled his eyes.
"Dad, we're not gonna bond over what type of lube I buy, and I appreciate that you're so gung-ho to follow Kirshbaum's orders, but fuck. Can we go to a ball game like a normal family? I told Mom I could do this by myself."
"You don't like sports." Hades pointed out. Nico huffed.
"Neither do you!" He tugged at his hair. "Okay, we'll go to the Met, I like art, you like art. We'll appreciate art together. Maybe over a brandy or something."
"Bourbon would be better." A small smile tugged at Hades' lips.
"Seriously?" Nico actually grinned.
"Just…" Hades sighed. "Just don't tell your mother." He looked around, cringing away from a toy that took several D-Cell batteries. "Can I go?"
"God, you have no idea how much I want you to leave." Nico laughed. Hades patted him the head and for just a moment they looked completely normal, interacting like they were. Then one had to remember where they were. "I'll—uh, be in the car. Don't take too long, your mother was starting to make dinner, and I saw her opening a bottle of wine."
"Crap. Okay, go, I'll finish up and go check out." Nico and his mother enjoyed wine immensely, and when she drank enough she let him have a few glasses with her. She hardly monitored the number of glasses she drank most of the time, and it wasn't with anything else but wine that she got like that with. Hades made his way out of the store, looking more than refreshed with his being released. Nico grabbed a few boxes of condoms and a large bottle of lubrication. There was a toy he was looking at specifically and he was quite pleased that his Dad had left.
He grabbed it, it was nothing like the monstrosity that required the D-Cells, it was a hand-held with different vibrating setting. With O gone for a while and no prospective new men in his life (except for Percy, and let's face facts that wasn't going to really happen) Nico needed something more substantial than masturbation in his life. He looked at the price, winced, and put it in his basket.
If he lived in this city he might feel more self-conscious, but he didn't and he met the clerk with a smile on his face. "Just this stuff?" She asked, returning his smile, "oh, I like this model." She scanning and bagging. "For your girlfriend?"
Nico laughed, "Hardly."
"Ah." She nodded. "Gotcha," She scanned his other items and he paid. "Don't have too much fun." She said with a wink. Nico thanked her and left the store, climbing into the car. Hades eyed his bag, it was a bit big to be just condoms, but he didn't say anything. He had had enough sex talk with his son just that day for the rest of his life. He turned the engine over and drove them home.
Hades had hoped that he would get to talk birds and bees with his son, instead of birds and birds. Maria was the one who had to have the talk with Bianca because he had no idea about menstruation and tampons and he couldn't deal with his daughter when she was twelve and had broken down into angry tears at him for not his not having washed her favorite sweater. He would have wished to impart his knowledge of women to his son, the ways in which to treat them, how to handle dates. But again Maria had been the one to do the research about men having sex with other men, and had let Nico know everything she could about the process.
Now he was leaving a sex shop with his son and his son had God knows what in that little black bag. He still loved his boy, immensely, but he was so foreign to him. That's why Hades kept him at a distance, because he just did not understand. Now it was coming back to bite him on the ass. His boy hadn't gotten enough time with him, Hades had always been on the go. Hell, a great deal of this was his fault. If going to buy prophylactics with him was enough he would go anytime Nico needed him.
"Dad." Hades blinked. "You should come back down to earth. I know Intimate Desires wasn't your type of store but I don't need you to have an aneurysm while you're driving."
"My apologies," Hades said with a bit of fondness. "Nico, son." He looked over at the boy who was a great mix of himself and Maria. There was too much of himself, he thought, but his wife had smoothed out his rough edges in the boy. Nico's face wasn't as severe as his own, which he was thankful for. His son looked at him and he smiled a bit. Everyone said that Nico had his eyes, but that was only half true. They were the shape of Maria's, and they had the same kindness in them—whenever Nico wasn't glaring daggers at people, which, granted, was most of the time. "If you ever need me to…to take you out again, if you need more of," Hades motioned to the bag. "that stuff, or anything else don't hesitate to ask me. Okay, son?"
Nico's mouth turned upward, "Okay. Thanks, Dad."
Hades looked forward at the road, they were almost back. "Are you going to be okay tonight? I mean, with Don's boy there and everything."
"Mom says I have to confront him eventually." Nico replied with a shrug. "I really was in love with him Dad."
There was a small beat of silence, of sympathy, before his dad answered, "I know, son." They arrived back at the house with about twenty minutes to spare before the Blofish family was supposed to arrive. "I'm going to check on your mother." Hades said, getting out of the car and locking it after Nico had closed his own door.
"Why? She's going to get just as hammered as Sally when they get to talking, it's going to be you and Paul in the kitchen while they catch up and you know it." Nico grinned at his father. "Good thing Paul's a big fan of yours."
Hades sighed, "Hopefully he's not moony-eyed like the children who seem to love my work."
"I'll never get that, isn't the main character of your book like, thirty?"
"Close to it, but he's very young at heart and in mind. I suppose I should have accounted for the following that I got." Hades ran a hand through still black hair. "Go put your things away, I'll be making sure your mother doesn't drink too much tonight."
Nico followed behind his father, "Mom's such a fun drunk though." Nico laughed. "Unlike you, you just get even more quiet than normal and stare at things with that glare." Hades looked at his son, who was doing a very passable imitation of Hades' own glare.
"You've got too much of me in you, boy." Hades replied, knocking a gentle tap of his fist to his son's head. "I'll plan our trip to the museum later, I am looking forward to it."
Nico smiled, "Me too, Dad." Then he was up the stairs. Hades grinned after him, New York was already proving to be good for his son. Tonight was going to be a true test of things. Hades shook his head as he heard the shower kick on upstairs. He went into the kitchen, thankful that the wine bottle was still basically full.
His wife observed him soberly, when she read his expression she rolled her eyes, "You thought I was going to be drunk." She stopped with the glass pressed to her lips midway. Hades walked into the kitchen with a small smile on his face.
"No, of course not." He replied.
"You're a terrible liar, sweetheart." Maria laughed coming forward. "I'll have you know that I have excellent control over myself," She tipped the glass back, finishing it in one gulp. "And an even better tolerance."
"I know, honey." Hades said, kissing her sweetened lips. "I know."
Nico patted himself down again, his hair was straightened and he brushed it one last time. It was really very long, but Nico didn't want to cut it. He had it brushed out of his eyes, and he wasn't enjoying the skater look it was giving him, but his parents kept assuring him that it looked fine.
He was also wearing the outfit Leo had picked out for him, he wouldn't tell the other boy how good it looked, but he might have to return the favor. Leo's idea of a good time was rooting around through a dump to find good spare parts, Nico wasn't a fan but it seemed like the proper recompensation for the solid his friend had done him.
He still wasn't sure if he wanted to try to seduce Percy. Lupa would probably keep him for the rest of the year if everything went south, and Rachel might actually purchase a ticket to New York just to beat his ass. But at the same time Percy was really hot. Nico hadn't gotten a good look because he had been trying his damndest not to look—which hadn't gone over so well, but from what he had seen Percy was fit in the best kind of way.
There was a knock at the door and Nico knew they were here. Suddenly his nerves were static, he could feel the butterflies moving around in his stomach. If he was lucky Percy would stay downstairs with their parents. Or better yet, if he was lucky Percy hadn't come at all.
"Nico!" He heard his mother calling, well, there went his plan of ducking out of dinner. Besides, he was supposed to apologize for his rudeness earlier. Nico sighed, he headed down the stairs again, giving himself a once over in the mirror again before he went.
Percy was unmistakable. Tall and long with broad chest and shoulders, his light blue shirt said 'Divers Do It Best Underwater' the name of his high school written over top of that, and no doubt a list of the entire swim team on the back, accompanied by a pair of cargo shorts and white sneakers. His hair was doing the same skater thing Nico's had decided to do, but it looked as if Percy hadn't tried to style it at all. He appeared, at all glances, relaxed with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slouched. He obviously didn't want to be there, and Nico didn't blame him.
"Sally, Paul!" Maria came out of the kitchen, undoing the apron around her waist. "Percy," She said with a gentle smile. "Look how you've grown, you're tall." She looked up at him as if to prove the point.
Percy blushed a little and Nico tried not to think that it was a very cute thing of him to do, "Thanks, Maria." He said and Nico was surprised at how deep his voice had become, but he shouldn't have been.
"You're so handsome, you always were a cute boy." She grabbed him by the cheek as if they hadn't been gone out of his life for the past two and a half years, as if this wasn't the very boy who had sent her son spiraling down. "Nico's going to be so happy to see you."
"Hello everyone," Nico decided to announce his presence, every eye in the room turned to the stairs. He hadn't realized in his dark shirt and dark jeans that he looked very much like a shadow against the wall. They all stared at him, he noticed, every last person like he was going to explode at them. Percy's eyes tarried on him too long.
Sally was the first to break the silence, "Nico, hi." She said gently, calmly, afraid to break him. Nico took a deep breath silently, and he knew what he had to do. He had to fake it, at least that way people wouldn't be looking at him like he had a second head.
"Hi Sally." He said brightly, pulling her into a hug. She seemed surprised for a moment, that was evident in how stiffly she stood in the hug, but the next second she pulled him into a real hug. A deep hug. Nico knew immediately that his rash decision had been a bad one. He had loved Sally like an aunt and he just wasn't up to being friendly. "Paul, nice to formally meet you." He grinned, shaking Paul's hand.
Paul shook back, "Nice to meet you too," He said with an open smile. Nico felt his heart hammering in his chest. He turned and was nearly floored by sea green eyes that seemed so deep. Nico stared for a minute too long, the smile on his lips faltered too much, but he caught himself. "Percy, man, it's been a long time." He said cheerily, extending a hand to shake.
Percy looked at it, then he looked up and Nico knew he was looking at Sally. Some signal he hadn't seen and then they were shaking hands. "I—yeah, it's good to see you. You look…you look good—well, you look well."
"Thanks." Nico let go of his hand, looking away from that devilishly handsome face. He was saved when his mother announced that dinner was ready. Nico couldn't pinpoint what he was feeling, but it wasn't depression, not yet. He turned around, heading into the kitchen for food, the neighbors following closely behind.
Dinner was filled with Sally and Maria talking, pulling people into the conversation at different intervals. Paul made quiet conversation with Hades, who was polite enough to return it, but every now and then the adults conversations would amalgamate.
Percy and Nico were brought into the mix every now and then. Nico learned that Percy was on the swim team, got straight A's, and had a beautiful, genius girlfriend. But Percy had always been unbelievably perfect. Like, ridiculously-only-found-in-fiction-novels perfect.
"What about you, Nico, sweetie? Are you on any sports teams in school? Anything extracurricular?" Sally was just being polite, Nico knew. She had no idea what she was asking him though. 'I spend the majority of my day smoking or drinking with my friends, we waste the day playing video games, sometimes we do our homework.' That just didn't sound like appropriate dinner conversation.
Nico forced a laugh, "Oh, I'm not a straight A student like Percy," he said with an exaggerated smile. "I do well to get a B if I can," And they laughed as if he'd told a funny joke. "As for extracirriculars, my art teacher tells me I should give more thought to joining the club, but I like hanging out with my friends too much." He leaned forward, almost secretively, "and I can't say there are any prospective girls I'm looking to date." He gave Sally a wink that felt over the top, which garnered a much more awkward laugh from the table. Nico rolled his eyes and sat back. "I'm trying to say I'm gay." He grinned, looking around. His eye landing on Percy. "Then again, I don't have a boyfriend either." He looked over at his father, whose face was blank, and next to his mother who looked as if she had choked on the quiche.
"Really?" Sally asked. "A cutie like you, I'd think you'd be beating them away with a stick." She laughed, and the tension that Nico had tried to set at the table seemed to deflate.
"His father scares them all off." Maria laughed, patting Hades' shoulder, his expression unchanged.
"That sounds about right," Sally grinned. "That's a shame, Nico you should try a little harder, there's a boy out there for you." She winked back at him, a genuine wink. Nico had the worst urge to slam his hands on the table and leave. Instead he just sank down further into his seat, the fake smile he had plastered on now fallen. "Maria, this wine is delicious, what's it called?"
"Il Conte, it's very inexpensive and Hades and I adore it." She smiled. "I can open another bottle if you want?"
"Well," Sally grabbed at her overly large purse that was at her feet. "I hope you don't mind, but Paul and I brought margaritas!" She pulled up the mix and a rather large bottle of tequila. Maria clapped her hands together and laughed giddily.
"Sally, you know how much I like margaritas!" Maria nearly squealed.
"And with that I can say that dinner has just about come to an end," Hades said loudly enough for the whole table to end. His comment was met with laughter, but it had been directed at Nico, it was permission for his son to be excused. Nico stood.
"I'll grab the plates," He replied, looking at his father who nodded. Surprisingly Percy jumped up as well.
"I—uh, I'll help, Nico." He said. Nico cast a long look at him, blinked and shrugged. Then he remembered himself and smiled widely.
"Sure, thanks Perce." He grinned. Maria passed him a black look, but he ignored her as he went around the table collecting plates, Percy grabbing the ones from the other side. "Hey, Ma, how about I wash up too?" He asked in an overly sweet voice.
"Nico." Hades looked at his father who was giving him a warning look, one that belayed how much of an ass he was being. "That sounds great, thanks son." The words were positive, but that look was bone chilling.
"No problem Dad." Nico replied. He realized he was being defensive for no reason. He grabbed the bottle of wine and poured his mother another glass. Before he took her plate he leaned in as if to kiss her cheek, "Sorry." He whispered inconspicuously in her ear. She absently touched his arm and smiled at him.
"You guys are going to have to write a parenting book," Sally observed. "I can't even get Percy to take a shower let alone wash the dishes."
"I shower, Mom." Percy glared at her, his face had the slight hint of blush to it again. "Nico, I'll dry if you wash."
"It's like being in an alternate universe," Sally giggled, nudging Paul's side.
"I'm just trying to soak it all up." Paul replied with a huge smile on his face, Percy shook his head.
"That sounds good, Percy," Nico said, though the thought of being in the kitchen alone with him didn't sit well with his stomach, which was doing mini-flips. The butterflies were getting angry with him for having eaten so much. "Oh," Nico brought the dishes over to the sink. "And Sally, Paul? I'm sorry if I was rude earlier, I'm really not a morning person."
Sally knocked back the last of her wine and Paul answered for her, "It's okay, Nico. You don't have to apologize." Nico nodded and turned around to the sink, running hot water over the dishes before he grabbed the soap. The adults seemed to take that as the cue to leave. As soon as they were gone Nico sighed.
"Finally," He said, wiping his hands on a dry towel. He grabbed the wine bottle and put it up to his lips, "You want some?" He asked, motioning it to Percy.
"I—" Nico took a heavy swig and then put it in Percy's hand.
"Drink." Leo's words were echoing in his head, and he knew it was a bad idea. "Unless you're too much of a straight A student." He smirked and added a laugh and watched as Percy tentatively put the bottle up to his lips.
"It's good." Percy replied.
"Yes, my parents buy good wine." Nico took the bottle from him and drank again. "Let's finish these dishes then we can sneak a few drinks after everyone's nice and drunk." Percy stared at him, his expression slightly unbelieving. Nico smirked again, "What?"
"It's just…" Percy looked at him, his eyes analytical and searching. "you're different."
"Two years is a long time, Perseus." Nico said, shoving his hands into the dishwater. "People grow up."
"No I—yeah, I get that. But I mean, at dinner you were being polite and really…different, and now I don't know you're…"
"Different?" Nico asked with a smile. "Is that the word you're searching for?" Percy looked a little lost and Nico smirked again, "Here, dry." He handed him a plate. Percy used the towel that Nico had dried his hands off on. "I guess I am different." He said. "You aren't?"
Percy's eyes were so blue, Nico looked away, staring at the soapy gray water the dishes were emerged in. "Not really." He said. "I'm still the same as when you left." Nico glanced over his shoulder at Percy as he handed him another dish. "The same as when I made you leave."
There was a moment there, with Percy holding the dish and Nico not letting go, and Nico felt emotion burrowing to the top of his throat like unwelcome vermin. He forced himself to laugh, "You didn't make me leave, Percy. My Dad got a job offer, I hate that I had to go without saying good-bye." He said, handing Percy the dish and furiously washing another one. "But that's just the way the world works. Things don't work out like you want them." He shrugged handing one dish after another over.
"Nico, I'm sorry."
Nico stopped. He didn't look up, "For what, Percy?" Nico replied, finishing up with the dishes.
"Look, I'm supposed to be apologizing and you're not making it easy. I just wish you'd accept my apology." Percy put the last dish in the drainer, when he looked around Nico was drinking from the bottle again.
"Fine." Nico said shoving the bottle back into his hand. "You're forgiven. We're going to go back to being besties and it'll be like you never called me a faggot, can we just not talk about it?"
"But it happened—"
"Drink." Nico tipped the bottle to Percy's lips, Percy didn't fight him. "There's not a lot left, just finish it off." When Percy brought the bottle down Nico took it from him, shook it and then threw it away. He moved over to the cupboard and pulled down a blender.
"What are you—"
"Nico, your mother wants her margaritas frozen." Hades came back into the kitchen, a cigar in his hand, Paul was behind him with a matching cigar in his mouth. Just like old time, Nico thought bitterly. Percy was making his emotions to flux crazily, his mother and Sally were drinking together and his father and Percy's current father figure were hanging around one another.
"Yeah, I figured, we were about to that point." Nico laughed. "I'm gonna guess she and Sally are almost three sheets to the wind?"
"They're working on it." Paul answered.
"I'll make the margaritas." Nico smirked. "Percy, go get the stuff for me please?"
"We'll be out back, smoking." Hades replied nonchalantly. Percy looked at Paul who held a finger up to his lips.
"Don't tell your mother I was smoking and you can have a margarita." Paul smiled. Percy rolled his eyes and walked off to the living room where lively giggling could be heard. Nico was grabbing the ice from the freezer when his father's voice ghosted over him.
"Try not to drink too much tonight, Nico." Nico didn't look over his shoulder.
"I'd say the same to you, Dad." He heard the men leave out the backdoor and Nico put the ice in the blender. Percy came back in the room.
"This bottle was full when we got here." He held up a bottle of tequila that was almost half empty. "Mom never drank this much after you guys left."
"Well Sally was my Mom's favorite drinking buddy." Nico shrugged taking the bottle from him, and the margarita mix. "Do you like yours strong or not?"
"I don't really drink." Percy said watching Nico pour expertly. "Do your parents let you just do what you want?" Nico closed the blender and turned it on.
"Definitely not," Nico said with a grin. "but they know I'm going to drink regardless since I'm not on my meds anymore and they prefer I do it at home, Dad hates when I go out and drink." He turned around and turned the blender off, pouring a liberal amount in two cups. "Go take these to our moms."
"I'm not your errand boy." Percy said taking the glasses.
"Oh, you're gonna do whatever I say and like it, Mr. Jackson. Consider it payback." Nico watched as another blush crept up Percy's face. The taller guy turned and walked away and Nico found himself checking Percy out again. He shook his head, grabbed more ice and began making another batch, pouring himself a glass this time and Percy one as well.
These drinks were considerably stronger than the ones he had sent to his mother and Sally. Percy came back. "Here," Nico handed Percy another drink. "My room, let's go." Without another word Percy followed behind. They walked past the living room, Sally and Maria were laughing with their heads together like school girls. "There's more margarita in the kitchen, Mom." Nico said nonchalantly, Maria and Sally didn't even glance up at them. He and Percy took the stairs and were soon sitting in Nico's room.
"It looks—"
"Let me guess, different?" Nico glanced over his shoulder. Percy laughed.
"Yeah." He said, Nico sat on the bed and Percy sat on the floor. There was a lot of silence between them and Nico sipped at his drink. He watched Percy, memorizing the details in his face. The face that was so different yet so familiar. The jaw more defined, the brows thicker, the eyes more intense.
"You don't like your drink?" Nico asked, taking another sip of his own.
"I don't really…" Percy looked at the alcoholic beverage in his hand, he took a sip and made a face. "Ugh."
"Yeah, they're never good on your first sip. I should have given you a sugar rim, you would've liked it then." Percy didn't know what a sugar rim was but he wasn't going to say that. He didn't want to look completely inept in front of Nico who was almost two years younger than him and yet in the few words they had exchanged he seemed so much more experienced.
"You drink a lot?" Percy wondered.
"Every chance I get." Nico said with a grin grimly. He watched as Percy tentatively sipped his drink again. "To tell you the truth I haven't felt right since I left." He shrugged, batting his eyelashes. "I guess when I heard everything was going so good for you I kinda got a little upset."
"I shouldn't have," Percy paused. "I said some things to you that I shouldn't have."
Nico shrugged again, "You were young, stupid, it happens. I'm not upset about it," He lied.
"You still bite your lip when you're upset," Percy said with a grin.
"What?" Nico asked.
"You bite your lip when you're upset, and you play with your hair when you're lying."
"I don't—" But Nico realized he was moving a strand of hair behind his ear. "I'm surprised you remember so much about me."
"Nico you're—you were my best friend." Percy tipped back his drink, Nico watched as it disappeared. "I mean I couldn't believe it when I heard you were coming back. I still didn't believe it until last night." Percy blushed. "I saw you from the window." Nico looked at him, Percy's cheeks were flushed and his eyes were glazed.
He did say he didn't drink often.
"We used to pass messages like that," Nico smirked.
"Yeah—I didn't mean to see you." Percy said. "You were changing."
Nico laughed at that, "Oh, yeah? You enjoy the show?"
He didn't expect Percy to say, "It wasn't bad." With a grin. They stared at each other, Nico closed his eyes.
"Are you drunk, Perseus?" He didn't know how this meeting was supposed to go but this definitely was not it. It wasn't a tear filled reunion, and for some reason he wasn't screaming his head off at Percy for everything he had, up till this point, felt like the other boy had put him through.
"I don't know," Percy said, slurring slightly. "I've never been drunk before."
Nico sighed, "Fucking goody two-shoes." Percy finished the margarita, Nico looked at his own and downed it. He couldn't try to seduce Percy like this. No matter how mad he was there was no way he could take advantage of someone else like that. He thought he might get Percy to drink enough that his tongue was loosened, or, Nico had actually been hoping they would reach the point of inebriation together. But that did not seem to be the case. "Wait here, I'll get you some water."
Nico got up and grabbed the glass out of Percy's hand, suddenly thoroughly disappointed and unsure why.
Surely sleeping with Percy would undo years of tried therapy?
Nico didn't know and he didn't know if he wanted to know. He made his way down the stairs again, realizing that he was buzzed. Tequila really was his enemy, he thought to himself as he entered the kitchen. Paul and his father were still smoking out back, but the margaritas were almost gone and he had a sneaking suspicion that the unusually quiet women in the living room had done something to ensure just that. He put on a pot of coffee and poured Percy a cup of water, then he drained the last of the margaritas for himself and headed back up the stairs.
What he saw when he opened his door was both terrifying and hilariously embarrassing, "For fuck's sake put that down." Percy was holding up the sexual aid Nico had bought earlier.
"I can't believe you have one of these," Percy said, bleary eyed. "I've only seen them, in, like, porn." Nico set the cups down on his desk and stalked across the room. In the sex store he had been completely fine, but now his face was red and burning. "Does it work?" Percy wondered, and he flipped the switch on the bottom. Immediately the stimulator came to life, humming with enough power to make Nico's face grow redder. "It's fucking powerful, that's probably gonna hurt a lot."
Nico seized it out of Percy's hand, turned it off and shoved it in his bedside dresser again. "Get out." He growled, all of his till now muted anger crashing against his chest like a tidal wave. "Get out of my room!" He roared.
"Nico, man, I thought we were making progress." Percy replied, his eyebrows drawn together in drunken confusion.
"You thought wrong. There's coffee downstairs, go drink it. Don't come back up here, leave me alone." He pushed Percy out of the door, his face still lit up like a Christmas tree and hot. When Percy was past the threshold to his room he closed the door.
"I'll talk to you later then?" Percy asked. "I'll see you from our windows at least, I'll write you messages like I used to." And Nico didn't know why but he was fighting tears. "I'm sorry Nico." Percy said again. "I'm so sorry for hurting you." Then he heard footsteps going down the stairs and Nico crawled onto his bed. His cheeks were wet and he felt a great sob just as it bubbled out of his throat.
An hour or so later, when Paul and Hades had gotten everyone sober (Percy first thanks to two cups of strong coffee and one cup of ice water) or as sober as they were going to get Paul shook Hades' hand.
"It was nice to meet you, Hades." Paul said with a smile. "It was interesting to hear about the diverse dynamics of your next book, I hope I get to read it on shelves soon."
"You and me both," Hades replied, Maria groaned from the couch. "We'll invite you guys over again soon, I think. This was a nice time for all of us."
"Actually, we're going to be grilling out in a few days to celebrate Sally's," At the sound of her name Sally tried to stand, Paul adjusted and made sure his wife didn't fall over as she was leaning heavily on him and Percy. "to celebrate her shop's opening."
"We'll be there." Hades said. "Perseus." He nodded. Percy nodded back, though he did chance a glance towards the stairs that Hades didn't miss. "I'll let Nico know you've gone." Hades told him.
"I kind of screwed up a little, will you tell him I'm sorry for being a jerk?" Percy asked.
"I'll leave you to do that yourself," Hades said. "Good night, gentlemen." And then the door was closed. Paul and Percy hauled Sally across the yard and into their own house. Hades made his way into the living room, picked up his own wife and lugged her up the stairs without a word. It was so rare that she got to have so much fun these days. He smiled at her a little, drool falling out of her mouth and her hair like a bird's nest and he thought he had never seen her more beautiful.
After he pulled her clothes off and stuck her in bed on her stomach, head turned off the bed just in case, he made his way over to his son's room. He knocked, "Son?"
"I don't feel like talking about it." Nico said from the other side of the door.
"Don's boy says he's sorry. What on earth did he do?" To Hades surprise Nico opened the door. Hades noted his appearance, he had been crying. "Would you like me to go have a few words with him?" Hades asked, his voice dripping with venom.
Nico blinked at his father, the man was doing the dark, looming, scary thing he was wont to do. "No, that's okay Dad." Nico said. "I…it's my fault, I made Percy a few drinks, he got kinda drunk. I should have known I wasn't so ready to talk to him that openly just yet."
"But you talked to him, Nico. You made some serious progress today." Hades put his hand on Nico's shoulder.
"I guess he just embarrassed me." Nico said, wiping at his face. "He found…something in my room, and he told me he watched me change yesterday." Nico's father gave him a quizzical look, but something clicked in Nico's mind. "He watched me change." Nico looked at his window, the blinds were pulled open and he could see Percy's window clearly.
"I think I will have a talk with him." Nico turned back to his father who was using his serious voice. "That level of perversion-"
"No! Dad, don't." Nico moved over to his bed. "That is the last thing you need to do. I'll handle Percy." He turned looked on his bed, grabbing at his phone. "Dad I have to call Leo, thanks for the chat."
"I…" Hades blinked. "Okay, son, if—if you're sure."
"I am, thanks Dad! This is great." Nico closed the door again and Hades stared at it. He would never understand his teenage son. It was like dealing with Bianca all over again. Sighing loudly he decided that since everyone else got to drink it was about time he made himself an Old Fashioned and cracked open a good book.
Hell, at the very least he deserved a stiff one. Sighing again he made his way to the kitchen.
"Leo! He was watching me change from his window."
"Oh, hi Nico. Yeah, I'm doing okay. How're you? No, you just interrupted dinner with my Mom, please go on about yourself." Leo's voice was as dry as a drought, Nico could feel the sarcasm like a slap to the face.
"Ugh! Okay, I'm sorry. I'm getting a little stir crazy over here without you guys around to calm me down, but still, Percy told me he was watching me change from my window. He said it wasn't a bad sight."
"Congratulations, the guy that broke your heart is officially a creep. Can I go back to dinner?"
"No," Nico said. "Leo, listen. You might have been right—"
"Shocker."
"Ass, I might be able to work Percy over after all."
"Nico, man, that's great, but this is really an inopportune moment, okay? Next time I'll call you, but Mom and I were talking about Dad, it's…almost time for the anniversary of his death, okay? You hung up earlier before I could tell you. So I'll talk to you later?"
"I—Jesus. Leo I'm so fucking sorry. I've been really selfish these past few days. Fuck! Okay, I'm sorry man. I—tell Esperanza I said that I'm sorry for interrupting."
"Yeah, it's cool, man. I'll call you tomorrow." There was a sinking feeling in Nico's stomach, he nearly cursed as Leo hung up. Well, there went his good mood. He glanced out of his window, and if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him he could have sworn he saw one of the blinds flick closed.
He looked away from the window, but made sure to stand in front of it as he began to pull his clothes off. He spent more time than was probably necessary half naked, holding up clothes to his chest as if he were thinking of trying them on. His eyes glancing every now and then at the window across from his, and now he was sure he was being watched.
He was going to have fun with this.
Author's Notes: First of all, guys do not get used to this weird frequent update kick I seem to be on. I'll only let you all down. lol But, I will try to keep writing as much as I can. As anyone who knows me knows that I'm still kinda down about some of the things that are happening (or not happening) in my life. That's neither here nor there, though.
The reason this one is so long is because there wasn't a good place for me to end it, normally I like to keep my chapters between five thousand to seven thousand words each, I find it's just easier to keep your attention with medium sized chapters like that, it's always been my writing style. But there wasn't a good place for a break and our two protagonists didn't meet till halfway through.
But, dear reader, I hope you enjoyed this immensely long update. Like I told the others at the end of C&C I've got a new story brewing in my head, but I probably won't debut it till I've written a few more chapters out in this one.
TTFN, tah-tah for now.
-Jermaine
