So Close and Yet So Far - Percico - Rated M

Author's Note: smut ahead and angst

XxxX

I'm running on fumes. This emergency quest set upon us by Olympus, to deliver a package to Artemis isn't going according to plan. I've reached out to Thalia in the dream world, and Percy's passed the message to every naiad we've come across to tell the hunters we're looking for them. All our efforts have failed.

The whole journey has had me on edge. Percy says he's trying to be my friend, to show me he's accepting of me, but he's doing it to a degree that feels like flirting. I know he tends to go overboard when he decides on a course of action, but this new closeness as well as the non-stop travelling, dispatching monsters, and lack of time to sleep is not making it easy for me to not lean on him.

We stop at another quiet stream in some forest; I've lost track of which state we're even in, and Percy kneels at the bank talking to a pale green naiad. My vision blurs. She takes his message and sinks back into the water with a splash. He walks toward me, his image going double, and then the world goes dark.

XxxX

I open my eyes, blinking sleep out of them. I feel safe and warm. Percy's dirt smeared face grins down at me. "What happened?" I ask, my voice raspy, my throat parched.

"You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes."

He's wearing that stupid grin again, the one that dares me to try and not like him. I roll my eyes. I like him just fine, as friends. Annabeth is his rock and the reason he's survived as long as he has. Neither of us will forget that.

I push myself up on my elbows. I'd been using his thigh as a pillow and – I feel my face burn – we're on a bed. Together. I scoot off the edge and get to my feet, looking around the unfamiliar room, anything to not look at him. I scrub my filthy hair, disgusting myself. "How long was I out?" I ask, feeling like I need to talk to prevent an awkward silence. "Where are we anyway?"

He doesn't answer my first question. I look at him over my shoulder, my fingers tapping the sides of my thighs. He raises his eyebrows, wrinkling his forehead. His back is propped up against the headboard, his arms lifted so his hands cushion his head and his legs are stretched out on top of the duvet. He's got that calm about him that has always made me want to trust him, like his whole aura screams: Don't worry. I got this.. "Nearest hotel I could find that looked nice. I uh … hope you don't mind, but I paid for the room with your credit card."

I don't care about that. It's not like Hades doesn't have funds to spare. I shake my head, and face away again, cursing my body's reaction to checking him out. I'm supposed to be over him, and yet here we are questing alone together, finding refuge in a hotel room that only has one bed. He's not making it easy for me to move on. I wonder if he's aware of it, if he's toying with me, but even though Percy is a lot of annoying things, he's not a bully. He wasn't even aware how bad I had it for him for so long. I don't think he would deliberately play with my emotions.

"I'm gonna use the shower. I stink so bad I'm offending myself," I tell him, trying to diffuse my nerves with humor. "I'm surprised you didn't push me off your lap."

I don't wait to hear how he answers. I can't do it. I'm supposed to be over it, this stupid crush. I walk to the bathroom and close the door behind me. I lean with my back to the door, my heart thudding, my balls aching. I press my hand to my groin, unable to stop myself from squeezing a little, adjusting. My jeans aren't tight and I hope to Hades Percy didn't notice them tenting.

Okay, I need to just do this, not think about Percy in the next room, just shower, wank my cock back to normal, and then … I unbutton my fly. I'll think about what to do next after I take care of this problem . I strip myself, realizing Percy must have taken my shoes and socks off for me, and that makes the throbbing worse.

The shower stall is larger than I'm used to and – has two shower heads. "Fuck's sake," I say under my breath. I turn on both and step inside, pulling the curtain. The see-through curtain. Figures we have a hotel room meant for lovers. I close my eyes and sigh as the warm water hits my skin from both sides. It's Elysium to soak my scalp, the water massaging me, the dirt and grime loosening under the heat and pressure. I open my eyes again and grab the small travel size shampoo bottle and pour most of it into my hand, then scrub my scalp, my erection bobbing about for attention, demanding little shit that it is. I let the shampoo sit in my hair and wrap a hand around my cock, slippery with shampoo. I rub my balls with the other hand, and it feels so good to stroke, Percy's name on my lips, choking its way out. I don't even hear it when Percy comes in.

"Hey man, got room for one more?"

I freeze mid-stroke, then flail my arms until I find the rail on the wall. The shampoo burns my eyes. I stand under the nearest shower head, rinsing my face and hair. I can't tell him to fuck off when I can't see him.

The skin on my back prickles. He's climbed into the shower with me and I can't make my mouth work. Worse, the shock didn't kill my erection. It strains even tighter at the thought of what I might see if I turn around. Percy – wet and naked.

The water drips down my face, into my mouth. I face the wall, my cock brushing the tiles and I have to make a conscious effort to not touch it. It wants to be touched.

"Percy, why are you in here?" I ask, my voice quiet. I'm still not looking at him.

"There's room," he says, "besides, taking showers together is a thing bros can do. You're my bro, Neeks."

The squelching sounds of Percy soaping up his body sounds loud in my ears. I breathe out, shuddering. The use of the nickname does things to me. I should yell at him, tell him to stop, to leave me alone, let me deal, but I don't want to. I want to soak up his attention, have him call me stupid pet names, make dumb bro jokes and just let myself be okay with whatever I can get.

"Uh, Nico?" he says. "You want me to wash your back?"

My cock twitches at the suggestion; it's dripping pre-come. Gods, I want him to wash my back. I can't even remember why I shouldn't accept.

"Yeah. I'd like that, Percy." I don't dare look at him, talking to my feet instead.

I hold onto the rail, still facing the wall, the warm water cascading down my neck and back. My body flushes down my chest as I feel him move closer. Then his hands touch my shoulders, the bar of soap in one of them, slicking the path. I don't manage to stifle a moan; it comes out choked and ragged. His touch feels too good. Percy washes every inch of my back, going over the bony ridges, his hands warm. I look down at my feet, my cock red, the head swollen, the foreskin fully retracted. It's a locked and loaded gun.

And then, bliss. He steps even closer, our bodies melding together, my back to his chest, though he keeps his hips back. He moves his hands around to wash my chest, flicking my nipples and sending shocks of want coursing through my body. He leans in over my shoulder and I lift my head, our cheeks brushing, my lips parted. I can feel my pulse in my lower lip as he rubs one of my nipples, moving his other hand down my stomach.

"This okay?" he murmurs.

I nod, not capable of words. He wraps his hand around my cock and I moan loudly, dropping my head back. It rests on his shoulder and he pulls me closer, my hands leaving the rail. I lean back on Percy as he hugs me to his chest and works my cock with an expert grip.

I feel his lips at my cheek and turn my face without thinking, finding them with my mouth. I reach for him, tucking my arms behind us, finding his ass and grabbing it, pulling him closer, gasping as he shifts his hips and I feel his very hard cock slipping into the groove between my ass cheeks. I'm so close. I buck back against him, wanting him to slide his length up and down, to press against my asshole.

We kiss, open mouthed, spitting water out after each meeting of our lips. I move my hand between our bodies and push his cock down lower. He moans into my mouth, thrusting between my thighs. His hand on my chest holds me tighter, leaving prints in my heated skin. He adds a twist to the end of his strokes to my cock. I lean back even more, tasting his tongue, sucking on it, bucking back against his hips. He fucks between my thighs faster, and then I'm lost. I cry out, going rigid, and his breath huffs heavily on my shoulder, my cock spurting thick ropes of come, painting the shower wall with streaks of white.

He releases my cock and with the same hand, guides my chin so I'll kiss him again. I touch his tongue with mine, licking into the kiss, then sucking on his lips. He grunts and shifts positions so his erection drags up and down my crack again. He holds me in both arms, pulling me close, panting into my mouth. "Fuck! Close. Oh yeah."

It sends a shiver up my spine to feel him come on me, to know that's what he's doing. Percy. Came on me. Came because of me. My knees feel weak. If he wasn't holding me up, I'd be a puddle on the floor.

He turns the shower off, not letting me go, and we stand together catching our breath, my eyes closed, smile content, resting my the back of my head against his shoulder for goodness knows how long.

Then he kisses my cheek. "Let's get out and dry off. You ready?"

I nod and I think I hum my consent, but I'm not sure. I'm flying high.

XxxX

I'm so warm, so comfortable, wrapped up under the clean hotel sheets, the duvet pulled up over my shoulders. I'm not sure what time it is or even what reality I'm in. Time feels different here.

I push myself up on my hands. The hotel room is dark and I'm alone in the bed. "Percy?"

The bathroom door opens and he comes out dressed in clean clothes. He carries my clothes, clean and folded, and sets them on the foot of the bed. My brain scrambles with how he possibly managed to wash and dry our clothes so quickly, and then I notice his cocky grin.

"What?"

"So. Am I still not your type?"

Seriously. What the hell? I'm up in an instant, drawing back my fist and …

XxxX

"Ow! Dude! What the fuck?"

I blink, looking up at Percy holding his chin, squinting his eyes in pain.

"What … What happened?"

We're back in the forest where I'd passed out earlier. It makes no sense. My mind whirls.

"You fainted …" he starts, and then reality strikes me with the force of Cupid's last arrow burrowing into my bones.

It was only a dream.