PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Sonny || Chasing Fireflies || Sonny || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO
Title: Chasing Fireflies – The Next Generation of Heroes
Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; post both series
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Warnings: shounen-ai, fluff, h/c, mpreg, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, D/s, bondage, masturbation, toys, spanking, rimming, handjobs, magic, knotting, collars, past rape/abuse, (temporary) character death, depression, threesomes, shoujo-ai, hetero
Main Pairing: Sander/Donny, Trend/Derek/Sam and Nico/Percy
Side Pairings: Chris/Clarisse, Piper/Annabeth, Frank/Hazel/Leo, Jason/Reyna, Travis/Connor, Malcolm/Katie, Lou/Miranda, Jake/Will, Kayla/Nyssa, Alabaster/Liam, Tyson/Ella, Paul/Sally, Hades/Persephone, Tempest/Blackjack
Side Pairings OCs: Trend/Sam, Herc/Thea, Joe/Nico, Marshall/Sara, Loki/Blance, Dash/Kara, Vic/Stella/Jonas, Chuck/Melissa, Luke/Thess, Kitty/Percy, Fred/Carry, JP/Milly
Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Clarisse la Rue, Chris Rodriguez, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean, Hazel Levesque, Leo Valdez, Frank Zhang, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Jason Grace, Will Solace, Jake Mason, Katie Gardner, Malcolm Cage, Miranda Gardner, Lou Ellen, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Nyssa Black, Kayla Hein, Alabaster C. Torrington, Thalia Grace, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Octavian Simmons, Ella, Tyson, Grover Underwood, Sally Blofis, Paul Blofis, Chiron, Small Bob, Mrs. O'Leary, Blackjack, Tempest, Arion
Gods: Hades, Persephone, Demeter, Poseidon, Artemis
Own Animals: Shadowchaser (Donny's shadow-pegasus), Trickster (Sander's pegasus), Nightowl (Thea's pegasus), Fighter (Sam's pegasus), Rush (Trend's pegasus), Poker (Jack's pet-bunny)
Own Characters of the Next Generation:
Nicercy: Bianca Maria 'Bia' di Angelo, Hades Poseidon 'Donny' di Angelo, Sally Persephone 'Percy' di Angelo, Theseus Paul 'Thess' di Angelo, James Charles 'Jimmy' di Angelo, Laura Silena 'Silly' di Angelo, Jackson Tyson Jack' di Angelo
Chrisse: Calandra 'Cally' Rodriguez, Chrysander 'Sander' Rodriguez, Charisma 'Carry' Rodriguez
Pipabeth: Theadora Tiphane 'Thea' Chase, Lucas Thomas 'Luke' Chase, Tristan Frederick 'Fred' Chase, Matthew Robert 'Matt' Chase
Jayna: Hercules 'Herc' Grace, Thalia Hylla 'Thyl' Grace, Jupiter Perseus 'JP' Grace
Frazeleo: Esperanza Nicole 'Nico' Zhang, Sammy Marie Zhang, Emily Fey 'Milly' Zhang, Claryssa 'Claire' Zhang
Matie: Amarilla 'Amy' Cage, Anthismos 'Andy' Cage
Louranda: Kathryn 'Kitty' Ellen, Alabaster 'Basty' Ellen
Jakill: Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Mason (adopted; daughter of Apollo)
Stolls: Hunter 'Hunt' Hood, Hayden 'Heist' Hood (adopted; sons Hermes)
Own Demigods: Samuel Raser (Ares), Derek Rhys (Demeter), Trend Austin (Athena), Marshall Mikaelson (Enyo), Sara Mers (Mars), Joanna Foxx (Vulcan), Phylicia Rosenberg (Persephone), Bellatrix la Fey (Ares), Phineas DeVorut (Venus), Melissa Montgomery (Dionysus), Charles Smith (Apollo), Stella Ribeiro (Aphrodite), Jonas Meyer (Enyalios), Victor Kruger (Hephaestus), Erik Anderson (Enyo), Lila Lovegood (Hecate), Rainbow Jordan (Iris), Takara Thompson (Trivia), Sedanur Aykan (Apollo, augur), Loki Murdock (Mercury), Blance Lamour (Chione), Ulrika Schuster (Eris), Arielle Schneider (Triton), Liam O'Riley (Hecate)
Summary: Donny di Angelo never cared about fighting or becoming a hero. Quite the opposite of Sander Rodriguez, who was the greatest Greek hero of their generation. Together with his beloved cousin Nico Zhang and his best friend Thea Chase, Donny faces the hardest quest possible. The one for confidence and love. His biggest support though are his parents and siblings. Being a teenage demigod was hard, being the son of the greatest hero ever was even harder.
Chasing Fireflies
The Next Generation of Heroes
33. The Second Crew of the Argo II
Once everything was sorted out – new nectar, ambrosia and plenty of medicine in the infirmary, the pegasi in the stables and appeased with apples, their clothes and things in the cabins – the Argo II left Camp Jupiter by night-fall. Thea and Trend had retreated to the dining hall to discuss the best route and further plans while Donny was steering the ship, with Sam in the crow's nest on watch-duty. While Camp Jupiter grew smaller and smaller beneath and behind them, Sander went to the stables to see to the pegasi. He nearly had a heart-attack upon entering the stables, because aside from Shadowchaser, Trickster, Nightowl and Fighter, there were also two quite unexpected guests.
"What are you two doing here?!", hissed Sander wide-eyed.
"Oh please", snorted Esperanza and rolled her eyes. "You'd be a hopeless bunch. None of you really know how to repair anything if something happens to this ship. And that would break my mamá's heart. So I thought I'd tag along so you'd have a mechanic at your hands."
"And what is your excuse?", sighed Sander, staring at Herc while sitting down with them.
"You're my best friend. Thea is my girlfriend", shrugged Hercules. "And I... really want this quest. I want to prove myself and I figured, joining a quest with you and Sam would be..."
"It's okay", nodded Sander in understanding. "But I won't stand to explain anything for you."
"Yeah, yeah, just join us for a game", grinned Nico and dealt the cards for the three of them.
/break\
"Hey, Donny. If you want, I can take over for you."
Donny yawned widely and turned to look at Thea. He was rather tired after the long flight on Fighter and the shopping trip and now navigating the Argo II. Nodding slowly, he handed the control over to his female best friend, the native American adjusting herself.
"I'll just... go and check in with Sam first", murmured Donny a little worried.
Thea gave him an inquisitive look as he climbed up into the crow's nest. But Donny really needed to talk to Sam. For the last two hours of navigating, he had observed Sam and the son of Ares hadn't left the crow's nest or spoken a single word to anyone since they had left New Rome.
"Hey", whispered Donny as he sat down next to Sam. "You alright?"
"Mh?", grunted the son of Ares and blinked surprised. "What?"
"I asked you if you're alright", repeated Donny softly. "You looked... winded up when we left."
"I'm fine", muttered Sam, lacking any bite or irritation.
"Really? You looked completely overwhelmed and shocked when we ran into Leroy."
"Shut up", barked Sam, throwing a nasty glare into Donny's direction before turning away again.
"Sam...", started Donny in a soft and comforting voice, resting one hand on top of Sam's. "We're friends. I like to consider you my best friend. And I'm just... worried, okay? I've never seen you that serious before. You looked ready to take the guy out, more determined than in any training at camp. So I take it, the two of you don't get along? Come on, talk to me, Sam. Please. You can trust me."
"You remember how I told you that I was a scrawny brat back when I first arrived at camp...?"
"Yeah", nodded Donny slowly, staring at his friend a little concerned.
"I started to train, but I never really took it serious at first", continued Sam, deliberately staring into the starry sky instead of looking at Donny. "It was more for fun, you know. I enjoyed gaming more than real training. I mean, I enjoyed the playful training with Trend when we were stuck with kitchen duty, but once camp time was over, I couldn't care less about training."
Donny wondered briefly how that was connected to his odd reaction earlier, but he refrained from asking, because he had the feeling that if he interrupted Sam now, the son of Ares would stop talking. There was a far-off look in those dark eyes as though Sam wasn't even really aware that Donny was there at all. As though he was more reciting something to himself.
"During my second summer at camp, I had met Sara. And because I got along with her really well, I agreed to spend my third summer as a claimed demigod at Camp Jupiter with her. She was a lot like your brother Jack, to be honest. Really giddy to show me everything, so I had agreed. While I was with the Romans, I met... Leroy. Tall, strong, handsome, blonde..."
"You fancied him?", whispered Donny, seeing the connection even more obvious than before.
"I had a crush on him", admitted Sam and ran both his hands through his mohawk, resting his head on his knees. "It was my first crush. I was really fucking nervous and unsure and it took me by surprise that he actually liked me back. He was my first boyfriend."
Something within Donny clenched when he remembered Nico's words from earlier – that Leroy never treated his partners good. Scooting a little closer, he cautiously rested one hand on Sam's back, rubbing it tenderly. Sam was very still, but his breathing was loud and arrant.
"I was twelve and it was a big deal for me. I talked to him about everything, I told him everything. Everything I felt and feared and wanted. While I was very content and happy with things as they were, it wasn't enough for him. He was older and more experienced and wanted more from a relationship than just talking and kissing", whispered Sam, his voice soft and raw. "He said that we were together and that for everything he was putting up with for me, I should do something for him too. I told him I wasn't ready for that yet, that I didn't want to, that I felt too young. But he was persistent and he was stronger than me. It wasn't like I could even put up a fight at all."
Donny choked back a surprised and frightened sob as the most horrible realization dawned on him.
"He broke up with me not long after because I wasn't a satisfying enough lay and I talked too much", continued Sam, his fingers clawed into his hair. "I figured, for years I figured that... it was some kind of punishment, you know. I mean, that he... did that to me. Because I'm a son of war and supposed to be a fighter and warrior, and those should not submit. That it happened to me for wanting to submit. When I returned to New Athens, I started training. Every day, every way I could. I never stopped. I wanted to be strong, I never wanted to feel so weak and vulnerable and helpless again. I swore to myself that I'd never submit again. Not in battle and certainly not in bed. I never wanted to give anyone that kind of power over me again. I was okay with it, with being strong and not submitting. I figured it was good, the way it was supposed to be. A warrior doesn't submit..." Sam paused for a second and lifted his gaze to stare at Donny pained. "But then you had to come along! You, with your stupid ideas! A—And your mother who told me that it's okay to submit, that there is nothing wrong with being a hero and still wanting someone to take care of me. B—But if that's true, then why, why did that happen to me?! If it wasn't some kind of punishment, why...?"
Slowly leaning in, Donny wrapped both his arms around Sam and pulled the son of Ares into a hug. He had never seen those eyes look that haunted and scared. He could see the way Sam's frame shook in his arms and he could feel the wetness on his shirt spreading. This explained so much that it nearly broke Donny's heart. Why Sam never wanted to talk about his feelings or anything personal, because the last person he had trusted with such things had told him he was too annoying. Why Sam was fighting against his feelings for Trend. Because the last person he had liked in such a way and trusted in such a way had betrayed that trust in the worst possible way. The one person he should have been able to trust completely, to feel safe with – his boyfriend – had raped him.
"Sam", whispered Donny in the softest and calmest voice. "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't some kind of punishment, Sam. It has nothing to do with your desires. H—He shouldn't have betrayed your trust like that. He was the wrongest guy possible, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't trust-"
"No!", growled the son of Ares angered. "I can't. I don't want to. I never want to feel that way again. I don't... I don't want to. I can't. I just can't. It's too... I don't want to feel that vulnerable again..."
"I understand", cooed Donny, hugging Sam closer. "I understand, Sam. But..."
"You can't tell anyone", interrupted Sam, pushing Donny away enough to stare at him intensely and urgently. "You have to swear on the River Styx that you'll tell no one. I don't want anyone to think that I'm a victim or shit. I can take care of myself. I'm strong. I'm a warrior. I won't let something like that happen again. So don't you dare tell anyone about this, di Angelo."
"You've... never told anybody?", whispered Donny shocked, observing how Sam shook his head. "I... I swear, on the River Styx. But you promise me to talk to me, please. You can trust me. I want to be there for you. Talk to me about... about everything, anything you want, okay? Please?"
The son of Ares nodded reluctantly and averted his eyes. "Can you go now? Please."
This time it was Donny who nodded. Even though the last thing he wanted to do was leave Sam on his own, but he understood that Sam wanted some time alone. If this really had been the first time Sam had admitted to what had happened to him, he surely wanted to sort his thoughts. Reluctantly climbing back down, he left the son of Ares to his thoughts.
/break\
Sander groaned as he laid in what used to be Hazel's cabin. The different colored gems decorating the walls gave that away. It was very beautiful, but also just as lonely. He felt himself missing the tent and the proximity of his boyfriend and his other companions too. Sure, he had spend the last hour playing poker with Nico and Herc, but then he had send the two off to the sleeping quarters. Herc was rightfully staying in his father's old cabin and Nico had chosen Leo's room, for the feeling of being close to the machines and having some of her mamá's old inventions with her. Sander had decided that they would tell the others in the morning that they had gained two additional crew members. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sander had a feeling that the ship was meant for seven people. Like the Seven of the Great Prophecy. But that thought was only in the back of his mind, because in the front was the memory of Donny's warmth against his body.
"Sander!"
The loud and anguished voice of his boyfriend made him instantly jerk up and grab his sword. But before he could stand and get into a fighting stance, he had a crying Donny in his arms, clinging to him for dear life. Dropping his sword, he wrapped both his arms around his lover.
"What's wrong, my Dark Sea?", asked Sander softly, caressing the dark curls.
"Just... just hold me and tell me that you love me and that everything is alright", pleaded Donny.
"I love you, I love you more than anything", whispered Sander, kissing Donny's forehead and cheeks and nose. "I love you and as long as you're with me, I will make sure that everything will always be as alright as possible. But... What is wrong, Donny? Did something happen?"
"I—I'm... afraid", confessed Donny, his voice strained with tears.
"Of what?", asked Sander, his eyes on his sword again, ready to take any enemy down.
"Of myself", whispered Donny barely audible.
"What?", blinked Sander surprised. "What does that mean? Why?"
"I—I've never felt that way before", gasped Donny, staring up at him with wide, teary eyes. "I've never felt the effects of my parents' fatal flaws like that. It's so... overwhelming. The loyalty to my friends, coupled with the urge to hold a grudge. I—I... I want to kill someone. Not just fight, I want to kill him, with my bare hands, I want to see the life drain from his body for what he did. B—But that's not me. I'm not... I'm not cold-blooded. I don't like this, so please... please just hold me before I go and do something irrational that I may... regret later..."
"Okay", nodded Sander, longing to know who may cause such feelings in his beloved Sea Prince, but at the same time, just wanting to calm his Donny. "I love you. Come, lay with me. I promise, I'll keep you safe and from doing something irrational."
He cradled the younger boy close to his heart as the two laid down on the bed, Donny still crying tears of despair on Sam's account. He had tried to stay strong while he was with Sam, because the son of Ares had been too down himself. But right now, the knowledge broke him. Someone had dared to rape his best friend, someone Sam should have been able to trust completely. Someone had broken Sam's trust so much that Sam was still not ready to commit, feared to have feelings for anyone because he could be betrayed like that again. Donny's first instinct upon hitting deck was to shadow-travel back to New Rome and make Leroy pay in the most painful way. But that wasn't him, he wasn't a killer and he knew, as satisfying as it would be to know the one dead that had hurt his best friend, he also knew that he would regret taking a life on the long run. But he swore to himself that Leroy would pay dearly for this. That was the last thing passing through his mind before he managed to cry himself to sleep in his boyfriend's arms. His boyfriend, who would do everything to make him feel good and who would never force himself on him, because that was just not what should happen. Not between two people who were supposed to cherish one another. Not between anyone, but even less so between two who should be able to trust each other.
/break\
Another hour of being on his own in the crow's nest was enough to calm his mind. At least so much that he finally stopped crying. He had never told anyone, because he had always done his best to forget. He actually had, had somehow managed to turn it into a faint memory in the back of his mind like a bad dream, a nightmare that haunted him. He had done his best to build a facade, to be a strong hero, to let no one get close enough, to only occasionally take a lover for a short time so others would back off and not question him. But then Donny had to come along and tear his walls down, make him face how much he longed for Trend, for someone to trust and lean against. He had deliberately not visited New Rome in the past five years, done everything not to think about Leroy or gods forbid to see him again. Now, now that he was facing his feelings for Trend and his desire to just be held and to trust someone, now he had to see him again. All those memories came flooding back, overwhelming him. It felt as though he was back there again, back with Leroy, back to being scrawny and weak and unable to fight his own battles. He was feeling weak and helpless and vulnerable again. All he wanted in that moment was to curl together in his mother's lap like back when he had been a small child and she could protect him from all the monsters under the bed. But feeling protected would only strengthen the feeling of being at someone's mercy. What he truly needed was to feel strong and even while staring at his hands with which he had wrestled the Hydra before, he was feeling like a weak boy again. Defenseless, naive, weak. But he wanted to be strong.
"Are you going to just stand there or is there something I can do for you? Because if you just came to watch me sleep, then let me question how you're the one calling me a creep, Sammy."
Sam blinked surprised and jerked around to face a very sleepy Trend. He was in the cabin with the bookshelves and the chess game set on a table. Annabeth's previous room. Now Trend's. And Trend was currently looking at him as though Sam had just woken him up. His feet must have carried him here without his consent, but somehow it figured. Trend gave him a feeling of being protected and safe, but it was more than that. Trend was the one to always make him feel strong, like he could win every battle, he made Sam feel confident and believe in his own powers, because Trend was the one who had taught him most, the one he had trained with. The one who had turned him from a weak and scrawny kid into a strong and independent hero. The first person Sam had turned to after he had returned from New Rome all those years ago, asking Trend to train him.
"Didn't mean to wake you", muttered Sam, coughing slightly to cover his tear-strained voice up. "I couldn't... sleep. Figured you may be awake and that I could stay. But... I better leave."
"Mh?", grunted Trend, ruffling his blonde, wild hair, cocking his head confused.
He tried to filter through Sam's words while his attention was on the brunette's eyes. They were puffy from crying, that much was obvious. And they were raw, they looked so open, frightened and vulnerable that it made Trend choke. He had seen how Sam faced down the whole Athena cabin on his own, without batting an eyelash, had witnessed how Sam had wrestled the Hydra down with his bare hands, had seen Sam engage in so many battles. But never before had he seen the son of Ares look frightened before. This had him on high-alert and instantly awake. Before Sam had the chance to leave again, Trend grabbed his wrist to stop him. But the way Sam's body went rigid, as though every muscle in his body tightened at once, the wide-eyed stare and the sharp intake of breath made him drop Sam's wrist right away again as though he had burned himself. Something was wrong.
"You can stay. If you want. Now I'm awake anyway", shrugged Trend, trying for casual before sitting down on his bed again and staring at Sam expectantly. "So... How about a game of chess?"
"Right", snorted Sam, his arms crossed over his chest, a ridiculed look passing over his face.
There was his bite again, making Trend smile slightly. That was his Sam, not the scared and haunted boy. The son of Ares slowly walked over and sat down next to Trend, but with enough space between them to put another person there. He also pulled his legs up and rested his chin on his knees, his arms wrapped around his legs, making him somehow look like a small, scared child.
"Movie, then?", offered Trend, mirroring Sam's stance to show that it was all right. "But let me warn you, thanks to the Disney Princess, we only have Disney movies. I think he called in a favor with his uncle Leo to make us suffer for always calling him a Disney Princess. No action movies or anything half-decent to be watched here. Disney movies only."
"Sounds good enough", shrugged Sam, staring over at the flat-screen opposite the bed. "Mulan?"
Grinning amused, Trend grabbed the remote control and turned the TV on. "Mulan, eh?"
"It's my favorite", replied the son of Ares. "Mulan is badass and a soldier. And Mushu is awesome."
"Understandable", chuckled the blonde, selecting the movie. "I always had the hots for Shang."
"Really?", snorted Sam, slowly unfolding himself from his fetal position, relaxing.
"Well, he got half-naked scenes and he's hot", grinned Trend, scooting a bit closer to Sam. "I always figured that everybody has had a crush on a Disney character at one point. Who was yours?"
"They're fictional characters", huffed Sam and rolled his eyes, elbowing Trend.
"So what? Doesn't change that they can be hot and cool", smirked Trend, nudging Sam. "Well?"
"Maybe John Smith. You know, Pocahontas' dude", shrugged Sam and blushed faintly. "He was hot. And a loyal man to the king, but still with enough brains of his own to know wrong from right."
The son of Athena grinned as him and Sam sat close enough to have their shoulders touch. The haunted expression in those emeralds slowly melted away as they casually talked. Of course he wanted to know what in the world would ever scare someone like Sam, but he also knew why Sam had chosen to come to him. Because deep down, Sam knew that Trend wouldn't ask questions and accept whatever it was that Sam offered. It reminded him an awful lot of the first time he had fallen in love with Sam, nearly five years ago. When Sam had chosen to stay with the Romans, disappointing Trend who had actually been looking forward to another summer with Sam. And then when Sam had shown up at Trend's doorstep and asked for training. They had practically spend every single day together until the next summer, training until Sam was satisfied. The spark in Sam's eyes when he really learned how to fight, his determination, his strong will, it had made Trend fall so hard for him. But there had been something else too, something haunted. The same as he could see right now. And Trend did not like it. He'd do anything to chase it away again, even if that would mean to spend every single day with Sam for a year; not that he'd mind.
"You know, Mushu somehow reminds me of you", teased Trend, smirking. "Useless loudmouth."
"Fuck you", snorted Sam, elbowing Trend with ease because his head was resting against Trend's shoulder. "If I'm Mushu, then you're Khan. The too serious jerk that always gets teased by Mushu."
"I'd not be the horse", disagreed Trend and made a face. "Though, we do share certain... trades."
Smirking, he motioned to his crotch. Coupled with his grimace, it made Sam burst into laughter.
Author's note: There you go. Feel free to kill Leroy if you want. I hope it was reasonable enough for you guys to get why Sam behaves the way he does.
Next chapter will have all three couples cuddling and some talking between them, as well as between the whole crew!