The Curse of the Ghost Captain
CHAPTER 8
"Friends"
Dear Nico,
I take it by now you are aware that the birds belong to me. I would not mess with them if I were you, as they are indestructible. Trust me, I've tried to get rid of them on numerous occasions, only to find myself on the losing side. They are, however, remarkably trustworthy, and they will now serve as our only means of communication.
Before you try to toss this message into the sea, know that I am sorry to have sent the scumbag Octavian your way. It was the only way to discover his true loyalties. If you suffered any losses on account of me unleashing him upon you, I will accept the responsibility, when the time comes. In exchange, I beg you to treat my man, Frank Zhang, with the respect I would concede to anyone dear to you. He is a fierce pirate with a golden heart, treat him fairly and you will have in him a friend for life.
Nico, I hold something in my power that is of great interest to you. I am aware of your destination, as I am of the route you've chosen. I urge you to wait for me by Palermo. Wait for me, and I shall present myself before you, weaponless and entirely at your disposal. Wait for me, and we shall make Bianca's sacrifice worth the while. We'll be there by the full moon.
Your eternal friend,
Percy.
P.S. Hazel is alive and she longs to see you again. You and Will.
SCENE 1: Onboard the Argo II. Midnight. The new moon was high upon the sky, its weak light barely spilling into the dark rooms through the open windows. The sea was calm, the night was quiet, yet no one slept.
He had been in a foul mood for days, which was what originally compelled her to refill their cups of wine over and over again until they found themselves in a drunken stupor. He lay on the large cot, a cup of wine resting precariously on his thigh, his shirt untied at the front and sweat glistening on his tanned skin. She looked at him with lust clouding her eyes.
She removed her clothes slowly, walking up to him once she had fastened the bolt on the door so as to not be disturbed. Naked and wanting, she knelt on the floor a few feet away from him and began crawling to him. When she reached the edge of the cot, she drew the tips of her fingers over his calves, his thighs, then moved sharply away from him, just a few inches out of reach of his fingers.
Her hips hit the edge of the cot and she spread her legs. She distinctly felt a thick droplet trickle out of her. She was excited, more so than she had been for months. It had been months, admittedly, since she'd drank this much wine.
"I am dripping wet already," she purred, licking at the sheets as if they were a source of water.
He looked at her with unfocused eyes, his lips parted and his palm over the bulge on his pants. He seldom had the pleasure of watching her like this, so desperately begging for him. His love for her knew no boundaries, this he already knew, but at times like this he was reminded that his lust for her was equally strong.
"Why are you not sucking my cock right now?" he complained huskily, pulling down his breeches and revealing his dick hard as a rock.
She smirked in response, her hair falling over her face as she bit and licked the sheets like a caged animal, mad with desire. Her fingers clawed at the soft material and she began to thrust her hips against the edge of the cot, her core wet and dripping with need.
"Is that really what you want?" he croaked.
She laughed and purred in turn, sticking out her tongue and pinching her nipples as she quickened her thrusts against the cot. The upper half of her body remained glued to the sheets, but then she perched a knee on the cot, then another. Soon enough, she was on all fours, her face smack against the sheets, grinding back and forth and wiggling her ass in the air.
"Fuck, yes," he hissed, accidentally spilling wine onto his dick. He got up and knelt behind her, tilted his cup and let wine spill down her asshole.
She hissed and moaned, her knuckles white as she held onto the sheets for dear life.
He licked his lips and stuck out his tongue, burying his face between her ass cheeks, taking her in his mouth. He could taste wine mixed with her essence between her swollen folds, ever wet and dripping with excitement.
She moaned and bit hard on the sheets.
"Fuck, Captain!" she all but wailed into her fist. "Is this your first time eating cunt, or what?"
The smell of her surrounded him – the saltiness of her sweat, the sweetness of her juices – they all came together in perfect unison, attacking him and rendering him nonsensical within seconds.
"Mine," he groaned, taking huge mouthfuls of her cunt and ass from behind, licking the stretch of skin then sticking his tongue inside her almost desperately, first her cunt, then her ass. He prodded every orifice, he tasted all the walls within her, savoring her desire, her wanton abandon. It had been so long since he'd last had her like this.
"Yes, love. Yes. All yours, all for you!" she hissed into the sheets.
He wolfed her down until she began to shiver like a newborn animal. He reached out and dug his fingers into her breasts, pinching her nipples. He scratched her ribcage, then returned to massage her chest, as if he were trying to turn her into clay, his mouth moistening her from behind, his hands squeezing her from the front. He knew what would come in the next few days, and he was not looking forward to it. He stuck his tongue deep inside her, wanting to lose himself in the action and forget about… him.
Lost in pleasure, she shivered and almost lost her balance. His tongue felt amazing inside her, and she knew she could take more, so much more than that.
Suddenly, she felt him remove his face from her ass, then felt his hands on her hips. He positioned the angry-red tip of his cock upon her rear entrance. She heard him spit, she knew what was coming.
How had they not been doing this every day? She knew from experience he could make her come by taking her from behind. Yes. Yes. Yes. This was going to happen.
"This is going to hurt," he warned.
She spat on the sheets with disdain, then sank back down upon his cock, filling her own ass with his manhood, shivering and moaning nonsensically into the sheets she held against her mouth as she tried to keep herself from screaming out loud.
"Fuck my asshole," she commanded. "Fuck me, Percy!"
Fuck you, Percy!
Spare me the lies! What? Do you think I'm still a fifteen-year-old kid? Do you think you can manipulate me as easily as –
Dear Jackass,
Releasing Octavian was your last mistake. Prepare to pay for it. I will wait for you at the aforementioned place, but do not expect mercy from me. Leave Will out of this. You have some guts, calling yourself my friend.
Signed with much hatred,
Nico di Angelo, Ghost Captain
SCENE 2: Onboard the Charon. Midnight. The crescent moon was high upon the sky, its light somewhat spilling into the rooms through the open windows. The sea was calm, the night was quiet, yet no one slept.
"You have… you have the most beautiful face," he sighed, enthralled by the way he took his cock into his mouth. He drew his thumb across the corner of his mouth, wiping a tiny droplet of spit that had dribbled out as he sucked him.
He gave magnificent head, each and every time. His full lips swallowed him whole, closing in around his manhood so tightly it was bordering on painful.
Lovingly, he took a few strands of his golden hair and pulled it behind his ears, then took the opportunity to press down, edging him to take him deeper down his throat.
"Ah, just so. Yes, just so," he moaned.
The lone finger inside his ass began to feel unsubstantial. He needed more, he needed more of him than just a finger. He needed something inside his own mouth too, something to suck on.
It pained him to do so, but he had more important things to attend to. With a slight roll of his hips, he turned away from the luscious mouth that was pleasuring him, then quickly reversed the roles, positioning himself on top.
"I need your cock in my mouth," he whispered.
"Oh?" he replied.
"Right now," he said, then impaled his own throat over his beautifully swollen dick. The tip of his cock hit the back of his throat and a shiver ran through him. It would not be enough, it would never be enough. He reached behind his legs and inserted a somewhat solid finger into his own ass, moaning loudly as he did so.
"Fuck," he yelled loudly, thrusting his head back and staring into the ceiling. "Fuck! You're amazing… I… I don't… I don't know what to do when you suck me like that. I want you on my dick, and I want you in my mouth just as badly."
He smirked through a mouthful of cock, then released the organ with a loud pop. He raised himself high enough so as to be face to face with him, then stuck his tongue out of his mouth. Their mouths met, and for a second, it was hard to tell whose tongue belonged to whom.
"Nn," he said. "More," he commanded, tugging at long strands of black hair and opening his mouth widely.
He could not get enough of him. He'd been looking weak for days, barely eating anything, drinking himself to sleep – yet, in moments like this, when they gave into their lust, he felt so full of life. He kissed him like he was trying to suck his very essence out of his mouth, grabbing onto him with his real hand while the other stretched his own asshole. He knew what was coming, and he found it impossible to suppress a shiver at the idea. He wanted to take him, both with his cock and – he realized with a jolt – with his mouth.
With that thought in mind, he straightened up, took the smaller frame into his arms and rolled him onto his back. Not waiting for a retort, he then turned him over, pulling him by the hips and lifting him up, raising his ass towards his face.
"Mine," he said, sticking his tongue into his asshole.
"Ah!" he hissed, not expecting yet thoroughly enjoying the sudden invasion. His tongue was nimble, he knew this already, but the enthusiasm was new, and it felt a thousand times better than his finger did. He began to stroke his own dick, cupping his balls from time to time as he dwelled into the feeling of him eating his asshole with his tongue.
He ate him desperately. He bit down on his ass cheeks, then just above his balls. He kissed him on his thighs, then bit him there as if for luck.
After a few minutes of fucking him with his tongue, he managed to separate himself from his ass, then flipped him over and took a second to admire his work.
His black hair spilled all over the cushions, his face tinged with pink and so, so alive.
"You… you…" he said breathlessly, staring up at him.
"You, too," he replied, staring down at him.
He suddenly made a face like he wanted to cry, but from where he was kneeling, it looked just as much like he wanted to laugh.
"What do you want from me? I've given you everything I've got, what else can I do? I feel… I feel like dying when I'm with you! If only death would take me now, just now. That's all I want. To die in this very moment."
He frowned in response, then closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. They'd been talking so much about death over the last few days that he would have been lying if he said he hadn't had the same thought before.
"I do, too," he confessed, taking both their dicks in his hand and giving them long, strong tugs. "I could die right now."
"Fuck it all to fucking hell," he replied, slapping his hand away from his dick and getting on all fours. He leaned in to stick dick in his mouth and began sucking at it convulsively, almost grotesquely.
"Ah!" he groaned. "Nico! Nico, I'm going… I'm going…"
Nico removed his face from Will's cock, then moved up to lock lips with him, encircling his neck with his arms.
"This," he whispered, "this is what you do to me. Do you see how you drive me crazy? I need to feel you inside of me. Kiss me, rim me, fuck me with your tongue," he kissed him, sticking his tongue down Will's throat.
Will kissed him back, his eyelids fluttering shut.
Nico grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him onto the bed, crawling on top of him before Will even knew what was happening.
"Fuck me with your cock," Nico added, his words slightly slurred. "I need to feel you Will, all over me, around me, inside of me. Fuck me. Just fuck me, now!"
Will had barely any time to react before Nico slid himself down his cock.
Within two thrusts, Will had spilled his seed inside him. Then again after a few more minutes. Then again before dawn.
Dear Nico,
I told Percy you'd be likely to react the exact way you did. He now owes me half of his next bounty share. Last time we met, things didn't go well for either one of us, but I most definitely ended up far worse than you. Forgive me, I was foolish enough to believe we could rough you into turning in the source of your powers. Percy has told me everything, and I believe there are things even you are not aware of.
Nico, if our information is correct, and we are certain it is, your ship is now the most searched for vessel in the entire Mediterranean. There is a fleet of fifty ships – all with Letters of Marquee – after you. I beg you to trust us one last time.
I have been instructed by Percy to write down a few lines on his behalf. I'll confess I was surprised, for I never thought him much of a poet.
Angelica, a-dying, loves one who knows not;
pure of heart the vessel, lest they be it for naught;
oaths shall be exchanged, one fulfilled, one broken;
a gifted treasure upon the breast be held as token.
He asks me to tell you that the other half of the poem is in his power, in Bianca's handwriting – a treasure in itself!
Please, Nico. Trust us, but most importantly, trust your gut. You know, deep down, that we are your friends. We will always be your friends, despite wherein the wind will carry us. We'll be there by the full moon.
Your eternal friend,
Captain Jason Grace
SCENE 3: Onboard the Argo II. Midnight. The quarter moon was high upon the sky, its light spilling into the rooms through the open windows. The sea was calm, the night was quiet, yet no one slept.
"Nn, yes. Just like that. You're amazing… you're… you're unbelievable!"
"Be quiet," she hissed through gritted teeth, putting her hand over his mouth and stifling his moans of pleasure as she rode him. "They'll hear."
He tossed back his head, releasing himself from her grip and thrusting upwards, making her shiver with pleasure.
"Why do you care?" he whispered back. "Aren't they your friends?"
"Idiot man, I have no friends," she replied, covering his mouth with her hand once again and enjoying every single second of their bickering.
He licked her palm and caught two of her fingers between his teeth, biting down gently and drawing a shaky breath out of her own parted lips.
She quickened her pace as she rode him, drinking in the image of him writhing underneath her, loving the way his eyes devoured her heaving breasts; the way his hands squeezed her ass cheeks, pulling her, urging her to move faster.
The heat in the cabin was almost stifling, but they couldn't care less, enthralled as they were in this stolen moment of rapture.
The sweat beads that trickled down her body found their way between her legs, and she had to grab onto his shoulders lest she slipped and lost her balance. She would not do without him inside her, she would not!
"Don't move! Don't move!" she whispered urgently, closing her eyes in concentration. Of course, it wasn't so much what he was doing for her, but rather what she was doing for herself. A man could never get her to orgasm, this was always something she had to do for herself. He and his massive, young cock were, however, making it remarkably easy for her.
It began as a gentle tickle somewhere in the small of her back, and with each thrust, with each shove, the sensation began to spread down her thighs. She opened her mouth and let out a silent scream just as pleasure began to fill her very core, making her see sparks in the back of her eyelids.
"This…" she stammered, her mind in another dimension, "is what a real woman… looks like… when she comes… ah!"
"Fuck!" he gasped, pulling her to him so hard he was sure there would be bruises on her hips from where he grabbed onto her. He desperately wanted to come, but he did not move – he wouldn't do anything against her wishes. She wanted him to be a tool, she wanted him to serve the purpose of bringing her to a climax, and he was never one to disappoint.
It offered enough distraction from what was going on lately. He was tired of planning, plotting, guessing… at least she was solid enough. Dangerous, yes, but a terrific, solid lay.
Her hair spilled behind her back, and how he wanted to pull it! He could see himself shifting positions, setting her on all fours and taking her from behind… but he would not. Not today. She rode her orgasm with tiny shoves, biting her bottom lip and digging her fingers into his shoulders. Her breasts jiggled as her body shook with pleasure, and a tiny bead of sweat found its way to the tip of her right nipple.
"God, yes," he whispered, sitting up and taking her nipple in his mouth.
He came instantly and with such intensity he could feel his seed spill out of her crevice and run down his pulsating cock until both their legs were coated with the substance.
They didn't speak for a long time, all the while she got dressed in the dark. He remained naked, sprawled and useless on his cot, watching her every move.
Just as she set her hand on the door handle, still slightly out of breath, she turned and smiled.
"Good job, Captain," she said. "Might be best if we keep this between us, savvy?"
He did not reply. Just the look of her, dressed in the same old blood-stained clothes when he knew well enough that his seed was still seeping out of her as she stood there before him was all he needed to get hard once again.
He began to stroke his dick absent-mindedly, his eyes on her ass.
She followed his gaze and smirked. Captain did have a massive, curvy cock, thick and pink in all the right places. Just the look of the bulging appendage almost made her start salivating.
"Aye, aye," she said teasingly, turning around and taking her clothes off all over again. "Leg us have some more of that dick then, Jason Grace," she replied.
You're a dick, Jason Grace,
Captain Jason Grace,
Why are you still alive, you backstabbing, worthless scumbag. You've been in on it the entire time, and you dare write down my sister's name
I have been advised, over and over again, to respond one last time to your feeble attempts at reconciliation. I will await you, as I said, but only to sink your goddamn ship once and for all. The world will be a better place once it has been seen its last of the Argos.
Nothing you say will change my mind.
See you in hell,
Signed,
Nico di Angelo, Ghost Captain
SCENE 4: Onboard the Argo II. Midnight. The quarter moon was high upon the sky, its light spilling into the rooms through the open windows. The sea was calm, the night was quiet, yet no one slept.
Nico gathered himself into a ball and began to sob. Will had his arms around him within seconds, whispering into his ear.
"I got you, I got you, Nico," he said.
"I'm dying, Will. I'm dying, I can feel it," Nico replied despondently. He turned in Will's arms and buried his face in his chest.
It had been so for days on end. The burst of energy, the explosion of pleasure when they were together. Then the feeling of death's cold fingers grabbing at his very soul.
Will kissed the top of Nico's head and began to cradle him in his arms, swaying him back and forth as gently as he could. "You're only exhausted. Forgive me, all those times we… I should have known, I should have stopped. You've been looking ill for days now, and I keep… I keep…"
"You're mad. Your warmth is the only thing keeping me alive. I need you, Will. I need to feel you next to me. I need your skin, your sweat, your mouth, your essence," Nico whispered, shivering from head to foot.
"I'm here Nico, I'm not going anywhere. Tell me what to do, how can I help you?" Will asked, his voice catching in his throat.
"Kiss me, take me again. Give me back some life!"
Nico began to cough, and Will knew from experience that once the coughing began, it was only a matter of minutes before the blood did as well.
"Nico, I don't think we should… you're weak…"
"Kill… kill him. Use the ghosts. Kill him, Will. That's the only thing I want. Kill him so my soul can finally rest in peace."
Will sighed desperately, tightening his grip around Nico's body.
"Then what about me? What will happen to me… if you die?"
Nico turned and kissed him.
"I'll never leave you. I made an oath to you. If I die, I will come back to you."
"No," Will hissed. "There must be something… something we can do! If only Alex were here…"
"But she isn't, Will. She's left us. Jules Albert has left us. My entire crew is gone, you are master of the Charon now, and I am dying in your arms. Just let me be, let me go once and for all and I swear I'll come back! I'll come back to you but there will be no more pain, no more haziness. I'll be yours to command, and that's enough for me."
"It isn't for me!"
Dear brother,
We are only a few days' away from the aforementioned location. I am looking forward to seeing you so badly. Things didn't go down well last time we met, but know that I bare you no ill will. If anything, I owe you a full apology. Forgive me. Forgive my rashness and my hysteria. Percy is known to act impulsively, but I should have acted better myself. How I long to see you, to help you. Percy has told me everything, and trust me, he is remorseful. There are things you need to know before you yourself begin acting rashly.
Let us board your vessel. We will be unarmed and entirely at your mercy. To prove our intentions, the second bird will carry a token of our goodwill. Percy says it belonged to Bianca, and is now yours. The full moon is almost upon us, only a few days' time.
Trust us. We are your friends.
Your loving sister,
Hazel
SCENE 5: Onboard the Argo II. Midnight. The quarter moon was high upon the sky, its light spilling into the rooms through the open windows. The sea was calm, the night was quiet, yet no one slept.
"Any news?" asked Leo from his post upon the crow's nest, just as Reyna's head appeared over the handrail.
She pulled herself up with apparent ease, but when she took a seat next to Leo, she winced in pain.
"Fucking wound," she hissed.
Leo rolled his eyes and continued to clean his nails with his blade. "You just won't take it easy, hermana."
"Do not patronize me, I'm fine," she said, elbowing him in the ribs, hard.
"Ouch, fuck. I don't even know what that means!" he complained.
They sat in silence for a few minutes admiring the view. The moon was growing fat upon the sky, shedding its silver light upon them. From up where they were sitting, they could discern every last minuscule detail of the ship's deck, including a few rats running from side to side.
"News?" Leo asked again.
"Well… besides the fact that everyone onboard this ship seems to be fucking non-stop, I don't know what to tell you," she replied bitterly.
Leo snorted. "Jealous? You know I'm here for you. Anything you want."
"Hush, child," she replied. She pulled a bag out of her pocket and offered Leo a hard biscuit.
Leo made a grimace, then shook his head.
"Wait for it," she said, pulling out a small canteen from her other pocket. "Dip them in the wine, satisfaction guaranteed."
Leo raised an eyebrow and did as he was told, taking the hard biscuit and moistening the tip with the liquid.
"Can't I just have some wine?"
"Eat the fucking thing," she said.
Again he did as he was told, and relented to the taste with a shrug.
"Who's fucking who?" he asked.
"Like you need me telling you," she replied.
"I'm glad Frank isn't here for once. Then there'd be at least three couples officially fucking around, not counting the rest of the crew below decks. Can you imagine the number of blowjobs that are going on right under those floorboards, and just us losers sitting up here… eating crap?"
Reyna laughed half-heartedly.
"What do you think about the plan so far? she asked. "I can't help but notice how much things have changed since our first meeting. Stop the Ghost Captain Plan is now Help the Ghost Captain Plan, and I for one am not entirely sure either one of those were a good idea. I'm more of a Leave the Ghost Captain the Fuck Alone Plan, you know what I mean?"
"Fuck that shit," Leo replied, dunking another biscuit into the wine. "I wanna get me some of that ghost orgy action."
Reyna bit the inside of her cheek and stared into the horizon.
"And William Solace?"
"Who?" Leo asked.
Reyna stepped on his foot, hard.
"Ouch, what the –"
"The other one, the one they keep bringing up. What are your thoughts?"
"Oh, that one. The gay lover? What do you want me to say? I've never had anything up my bum that wasn't on its immediate way out, so…"
"They say he can help break the curse. Something Hazel can't do for Di Angelo," she interrupted loudly.
Leo smirked. "I bet there's loads she can't do for Di Angelo that this character Solace can, if you know what I mean."
"Is sex all you think about?" she asked exasperatedly.
"If I'm not mistaken, the first thing you said to me tonight was 'everyone is fucking', now tell me, who's sex-obsessed here?" he said, arching his right eyebrow and winking in her direction.
"It's this heat. I can't think straight. And then there's fucking Jason and Piper, he thinks he's so quiet. Ugh. I can hear them from my berth."
"You think you have it tough? My berth is directly under Captain Jackson's… I'm telling you, that intensity he brings to piracy? Well, triple that for when he's dipping his junk into his Quarter. Dang, that woman can scream. Then there's the floorboards, I swear one of these nights he'll land right on top of me, balls deep in her and all," Leo said with a shiver.
Reyna stared at him with disgust on her face.
"Do you have to be so explicit?"
"That's nothing, nothing. I can give you a blow by blow of the things they say to each other, fuck, Reyna. You have no idea…"
"I don't wanna hear it!" she said, covering her ears.
"Afraid it'll get you hot? Gotta admit, it's hard not to. They're like, insanely good too, from what I can tell. It was fun at first, but man it's getting annoying to go to sleep after a wank and they're still going at it…"
"I'm leaving," she said, starting to get up.
"No, wait! Reyna! Look!"
"I don't wanna see anything you are about to show me!" she added, closing her eyes.
"No, wait. Seriously, look!"
"WHAT?!" She snapped, turning to face him and about to pull her knife out.
"The birds! They're back!" said Leo, pointing into the horizon, where they could distinguish two brightly-colored shapes heading their way.
Dear Captain Jackson, Captain Grace, Hazel:
My name is William Solace. We've never officially met, though I've heard a lot about you from Nico. He doesn't know I am writing this letter, if he knew, I know for a fact he would throttle me.
I am privy to the content of your previous letters. We are just off the coast of Palermo, circling the area and awaiting your arrival.
Know this: you have brought more havoc and destruction than I could have even anticipated in my worst nightmares. Your constant persecution has been the direct cause of the deaths of my friends. Gunderson, Mallory, T.J., Hearth and Blitz died because of your recklessness and inherent proclivity to violence. An entire city was destroyed, its inhabitants murdered by one called Octavian, who claimed to have been working directly under you.
Most importantly, you have caused Nico to relive his worst memories, you've brought him anger, pain and despair, and for this, you have made an enemy of me.
However, I am desperate.
I am in the position to make this decision, and I choose to believe you. Once. If you insist on calling yourselves 'friends', this will be your first and final chance to prove it. You will be allowed to board the Charon, weaponless (know that you will be thoroughly searched upon arrival), we will sail away from your ship and remain just out of cannon's reach for as long as you remain onboard.
These are my terms. Accept them, and we will wait for you at the aforementioned place. Step one toe out of line, and you will pay for your crimes on the spot.
Sincerely,
Wiliam Solace
P.S. Frank Zhang is well.
SCENE 6: Onboard the Charon. Midday, the full moon set to rise tonight. The blasting rays of the sun baked the floorboards of the deck as the ship stood still.
Days onboard a ghost vessel went by as ordinarily as they did on solid, ghostless land. At least, it appeared so to Magnus. It had taken him a few days to get used to the idea that he no longer belonged to the realm of men in the strictest sense. Now however, he felt as though there had always been a part of him that had been missing, and had finally been found.
He lay sprawled in the middle of the deck, arms and legs outstretched like a starfish, enjoying the sun on his face. The gentle rocking of the ship and the subtle creaking of old wood were working together to lull him to sleep, but he fought hard against the temptation. The guys would be back any minute now, and it would soon be his turn to get to work.
From the Captain's lodgings he could discern the sound of shouting; just another thing he had grown accustomed to over the past few days. He frowned and tried to focus on the creaking of the deck floor and the gentle sound of waves licking at the hull. Still, he managed to catch a few words against his will.
Trying!
Doing my best!
Understand?!
Nico!
Magnus sighed and rubbed his eyes with the meaty part of his palms. They'd been going at it for days now. Nico and Will, he recalled their real names with an ironic smile. Of course they been travelling incognito, it had been so obvious back then! The mysterious strangers had done nothing but go with the flow as Magnus assumed who they were, and where they were from.
Then there was the issue of Milady.
Magnus shook his head mournfully and let out a desolate sigh. He would not be thinking about her this morning, not this morning. He considered turning his attention back to the screaming Captains of the ghost vessel just so he could stop himself from thinking about her, but he knew well enough that if he didn't start thinking about her now, he would in a few minutes' time anyway.
Images of her dazzling smile flashed through his mind as he recalled the days spent in her company. Dinners at Valhalla, picnics under the peach tree, their trip to the city, the masked ball…
He'd never deluded himself into thinking that he might have a chance with her. Admittedly, this was due to the fact that he believed her to be an heiress from the New World, but even after discovering her real identity (ghost? shape-shifter? demon? all-of-the-above?) he somehow still felt like it was he who didn't stand a chance with her, and not the other way around.
"Stop that, Magnus!" he chided himself, "You're being stupid."
"You're being stupid!" repeated a chilling voice from somewhere up the main mast.
Magnus got quickly to his feet and began shaking a fist in the voice's direction.
"Stupid bird, stop eavesdropping!" he yelled, and the bird simply clicked his tongue back at him in what sounded like acid amusement.
Magnus might have come to terms with the fact that he now lived in a ship surrounded by the ghosts of his late friends who apparently did not know they were dead, and that he was still feeling heartsick over a woman (ghost? shape-shifter? demon?), but no matter how hard he tried, he simply could not get used to the damn birds.
A few days after their arrival upon the Charon, two brightly-colored birds had appeared carrying scrolls tied to their legs. Magnus hadn't been invited to partake in the reading of the messages, but he'd heard (from reliable sources) that they came from a certain Pirate Captain whom Nico spoke of in varying degrees of hatred.
Ever since then, the birds would come and go, bringing messages from time to time, then taking messages back to the original sender. Sometimes, like this particular morning, the birds would simply linger around and spy on them. For Magnus knew not to kid himself, those birds were spying on them.
"I told you, it's no goddamn use! Why don't you try then, if it's so goddamn easy?" yelled Nico from the Captain's cabin so loudly that Magnus would have had to cover his ears not to overhear.
"You're being ridiculous again, Nico! Take it off! Come on, give it now!"
"Stop doing that! It's weird!"
Magnus shook his head. Whatever was just happening between those two, he did not want to find out. Or worse, he did not want to be found on deck if any of the two decided to exit the cabin and be accused of eavesdropping.
Just as he began to consider going below decks, he heard the distinct sounds of someone climbing the hull, and the splashing of several bodies breaching the surface, the way dolphins did when they played around the ship.
"Finally!" he exclaimed, running to the railing and peering down. Just a few feet below, Frank Zhang was climbing the hull with a knife between his teeth and a large net full of freshly caught fish tied to his waist. Next to him was Gunderson, cackling madly. He looked solid enough, and Magnus would have forgotten he was an actual ghost had he not been only the slightest bit transparent around the feet.
"You're improving, but still, too slow!" laughed Gunderson.
Frank peered up at Magnus, annoyance etched all across his soaked face. He began yelling something back, but the knife he held between his teeth made it impossible for Magnus to understand.
"You sure you don't want any help?" repeated the giant.
Frank threw him a disgusted look and began climbing faster.
"I'll get the rope!" said Magnus helpfully, untying a rope that had been set by the railing precisely for this occasion, but as he began to feed it down to Frank, the latter turned on him with a frown.
"Nn, N nn, nnd tt!" he mumbled back.
Magnus smiled indulgently. By now he knew well enough that Frank Zhang was a proud sailor and a fantastic swimmer, the fact that he could not compete against ghosts when it came to fishing remained a sore topic that Magnus knew better than to press.
At that precise moment, Mallory Keen burst out of the water carrying a dead swordfish in her arms and landed gingerly on deck next to Magnus.
"How did he do?" Magnus asked her curiously.
Mallory set the massive fish on the deck and peered down the hull.
"Okay, for a man," she replied with a smirk.
By the time Frank Zhang set a foot on deck, he was completely out of breath. He set his catch on the floor and promptly collapsed next to it, his chest heaving violently.
One by one, the remaining members of the ghost crew reappeared on deck, each carrying a different type of catch.
While Frank had apparently insisted on carrying the heavy net full of fish himself, the others were not too far behind in terms of load. Blitzen had returned with what looked like a massive amount of seaweed, Hearthstone heaved a net bursting with crustaceans, while T.J. brought up a large crate that clinked as he set it down.
"I love shipwrecks," he said, opening the crate and revealing about a dozen bottles of wine. "There's one just below."
"Really?" Magnus asked, his eyes widening. He'd been hearing stories about what lay at the bottom of the sea from his friends, and each tale seemed more impossible than the last. A part of him wished he could join them, but another part of him reminded him of the reason why his friends could so effortlessly dive into unimaginable depths… and he was not sure he wanted to join them so soon after all.
"Look, Magnus!" said Blitzen excitedly, raising his arms to reveal what Magnus had originally thought was a large amount of seaweed. "A dress!"
Magnus's smile melted off his face as fast as it had appeared.
"Oh," he stammered. He did not want to think about her, he would not think about her! He had work to do!
"Found it in the shipwreck! There were many other garments down there, but this one was the only one worth salvaging. The rest had already been half destroyed by those damn bottom feeders. Honestly, don't they know how hard it is to come by one of these in this day and age?"
Magnus nodded automatically, almost enthusiastically so as to mask his emotions. On the floor to his right, Frank Zhang did not miss a beat. He stared intently at Magnus, and the moment he managed to get back up, patted him heavily on the back.
"Come," he said, still out of breath, "help me sort out the catch. Then we'll have our little sparring session."
Magnus smiled half-heartedly, but nodded all the same.
"Sure," he replied.
They were about to gather the nets and head below decks when the solid ghosts suddenly adopted a combative stance, dropping whatever they were holding and turning their heads in the direction of the Captain's lodgings. Not a second later, the wooden door burst open, flying off its hinges just as the Captain's mahogany table suddenly shot out of the cabin.
Gunderson and Mallory Keen were quick to catch both the door and the table before they managed to squash Frank and Magnus to a pulp.
A few seconds of curses followed from within the cabin, then Will appeared on the doorway, his customary apologetic smile in place.
"H-hey! You guys okay?" he asked.
"Never better!" Gunderson yelled back, flexing his muscles.
Will laughed awkwardly, his eyes on Magnus and Frank. "Looking good, you two!"
Magnus and Frank shared a look, but knew better than to retort.
"We'll uh… we'll be out soon, just sorting out some… last minute things. Gunderson, help us with the door? Call us as soon as supper is served?"
"Did they find any fucking wine?" yelled Nico from deep inside the cabin, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Will smiled embarrassedly, making eye contact with T.J.
"Right away, Captain!" T.J. replied, turning into a small tornado, whisking two bottles out of the crate and disappearing from view.
"They better not be vinegar this time!" Nico yelled, his voice hoarse, then he began to cough.
Magnus did not miss the pained grimace that took over Will's face as soon as Nico began to cough, and he was sorry on his behalf.
It was known by all crew members of the Charon that Nico and Will were lovers, but the nature of Captain di Angelo's illness remained undisclosed and a forbidden topic to discuss, even between the ghosts themselves, mainly due to the fact that nobody knew for sure what had gone wrong with the young Captain all of a sudden. He mainly kept to himself and barely left the cabin. Magnus himself had only seen him once since his arrival upon the ghost ship. Will on the other hand, never failed to join them for meals.
"We'll… uh... We'll see you at dinner. There are some important items we need to discuss before…" Will spoke, then cut himself short, his eyes landing on the bright-colored bird perched on the main mast. "Nevermind," he declared, then walked back into the cabin just as Gunderson set the door back on its hinges.
Frank shook his head sadly, then put his hand on Magnus's back.
"Let's gut the fish, shall we?" he said, kicking the swordfish and fishing his knife out of his sash.
"Come," Nico beckoned just as Will closed the door behind him.
He approached the dark-haired Captain with caution. He'd been coughing himself hoarse the past few days, and after their afternoon training, which Nico had taken to calling torture sessions, he lay exhausted on the floor.
Will lay down next to him, allowing Nico to throw a leg over his waist. Just the simple act of having physical contact seemed to work as a revitalizing agent for both of them.
"I hate you for making me do this," Nico whispered, stretching out his ghost hand and taking a strand of Will's golden hair between his fingers. There was no venom in his voice, which Will took as a good sign.
"Thank you for not killing me when I told you," Will replied, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Will…" Nico began, sitting up slightly and resting his weight on his elbow. "I think we should do it, you know, right before they arrive."
Will's eyes flew open. He turned to Nico with a quizzical look on his face.
"Do what?" he asked.
"Fuck. I think we should fuck really hard just before they arrive," Nico replied seriously.
Will sat up, feeling himself starting to blush.
"Why?"
"I believe we have established the fact that you and your fucking breeches somewhat work as my ring used to. I'm only ever healthy when I'm intimate with you, the more, the better. If they're really coming, I need to look – no, I need to feel alive."
Will sighed, then leaned in to cup Nico's face.
"Whatever you want," he whispered shakily, kissing him on the lips.
Nico smiled against the kiss, which made Will's heart constrict slightly.
He'd been wanting to talk to Nico about this for days now, but he found he could not bring himself to say the words out loud. His feelings felt remarkably out of place in the face of Nico's declining health.
The facts were, however, hard to ignore.
Will was sick in love with him, and with each kiss, each blowjob, each time they were intimate, he feared more and more his heart would give out any second. Every time he took him in his mouth, every time he took him from behind, he became more and more painfully aware that if anything were to happen to Nico, Will would simply drop dead by his side.
Perhaps this was due to the curse itself. If the original carrier of the curse were to die without an heir, if the bloodline simply died out, then would he, Will, die too?
Yes, hissed a voice in his head, which again, like all those times, he decided to ignore.
"I'm going to need some ointment, though," Nico said suddenly, shaking Will out of his reverie. "I love what you do to me, and it feels amazing, but you're two fucks away from ripping me a new one. You think Gunderson could get us some whale blubber?"
"We're not killing a whale for that," Will admonished, his mouth slightly open.
Nico smiled, got up and perched himself over Will's legs, straddling him around the waist and pulling him close by the neck.
"You like fucking me raw, is that it?" he whispered, licking Will's ear.
Yes, he thought.
"N-No," he said.
Nico smiled knowingly. "I love it," he said. "I love, love, love it."
Will closed his eyes, sighing with pleasure as Nico rubbed their crotches together.
"I love it, Will. I love it…"
"I love you," Will cut in. His eyes flew open just as Nico tensed in his arms.
"W-What?" Nico stammered.
Awkwardly, Will extricated himself from Nico's arms, then got quickly to his feet. "Nothing," he said. "I'm… going to see to dinner. I'll be right back. You just… sit tight. I'll be back. Shortly."
Will practically ran out of the cabin and did not return until after the full moon had risen, only to call Nico to the mess hall, where the rest of the ghost crew and their living guests awaited him.
To William Solace:
We accept your terms. We are well on our way to Palermo, we will make it to the coast on the night of the full moon. We are looking forward to seeing you and Nico.
Best regards,
Annabeth Chase, Quartermaster of the Argo II
SCENE 7: Onboard the Argo, some ten years since it had last set sail. Evening before the full moon. The Captain's cabin illuminated by candlelight.
The brightly-colored bird screeched from his cage, where it pecked and licked at his feathers underneath his injured wing.
"We should probably kill the bird," said a man, looking at the animal with disdain.
"No," said Captain Thunderbeard. "It might come in useful. Worst comes to happen, we'll feed it to the eagles. Parrots… so easy to intercept," he added, nodding his head in the direction of the large eagle that perched on his chair.
"Captain," the man nodded. "Your orders?"
"To Palermo, full speed. Make sure all ships get the message," he commanded.
As the man exited the cabin, Captain Thunderbeard balled up the message in his fist, a skull-shaped ring glistening in his little finger.
"I am looking forward to seeing you, too, William Solace."
SCENE 8: Onboard Charon, midnight. The full moon burst into the Captain's lodgings through the windows, illuminating the entire room with bright, silver light.
"I trust my orders are clear?" said Nico, looking around the room. "I do not ask you to lie. I simply ask you to withhold the truth for as long as possible, just until we know their true intentions. The crew," he nodded at the ghosts, "knows their instructions are to protect, not to attack. If anything goes wrong, they will come for me alone. Frank Zhang, Magnus, can I count on you?"
Nods and sounds of assent from across the room followed. Even Frank Zhang, who had been scowling the entire time nodded curtly before he spoke.
"I will do as you ask," he said stiffly. It was difficult to get the words out. After all, he had not grown much fond of Nico di Angelo. He found him impulsive and temperamental, but he trusted William Solace, and he accepted his vouching for the young Captain.
"Don't make me regret this, Frank Zhang," Nico said. "I will allow you to be Hazel's personal guard. I have Will's word that your intentions towards her are pure. I have your word that you will protect her with your life if it comes down to it. Do this and I will be in your debt. Trust me, you want me in your debt."
"You have my word," Frank replied dryly.
"And you, mine. Magnus, I can count on you as well?" Nico asked, his eyes on the youth across the table.
Magnus jolted upright, then began to nod enthusiastically.
"Yes, of course. Of course, Captain. I'll be ready at all times," he added nervously. Nico narrowed his eyes, sensing the young man's discomfort.
"We have been through it. You shall be perfectly safe, your friends will see to that, you have my word," he said, nodding towards the two ghosts flanking Magnus.
T.J. and Hearth exchanged looks with Magnus, the former going as far as placing a somewhat solid hand on Magnus's shoulder, making him jump.
"Y-Yes, yes, I know. Thank you," he said.
"I have your word?" Nico asked. Beside him, Will stiffened.
Magnus took a second to reply, but he nodded solemnly. "You have my word."
Next to Nico, Will looked from one to the other. He had truly come to hate moments in which oaths were exchanged. There was something ominous about the entire situation that he decided to look away and think of something else.
"Blitzen," Nico spoke, getting everyone's attention once again.
"Captain," Blitz replied readily.
"I need you to do something for Will."
At the sound of his name, Will looked up. "What?" he asked quickly.
Nico got up with difficulty and the rest did the same. "Frank Zhang, Magnus, you are excused."
The two men did not wait to be told twice. They exited the room one after the other without a second glance.
"Where are they?" Nico asked after a few seconds.
Gunderson got to his knees and stuck his head through the floorboards. For a second, he looked as if the entire room had been built around his neck. He got up and smirked.
"Magnus and Zhang both back in their cabins, Captain," he reported proudly.
"Good," said Nico, falling back on his chair and looking utterly exhausted. Mallory was by his side with a cup of wine in an instant, and Nico took it with shaky fingers. "I think I looked imposing enough."
Will came to sit by Nico's side once again, then took his ghost hand in his. It felt less solid than usual, like melting snow.
Nico's eyelids fluttered open, then frowned as his eyes found Will.
"You see what I mean?" he whispered.
Will blushed. "Not now," he said.
Nico rolled his eyes, then waved a hand dismissively. "Blitzen, I need you to do that thing we discussed. I take it you've collected enough material from shipwrecks?"
Blitzen smiled excitedly. "I have managed to procure a large assortment of fine fabrics, sunken no longer than one or two months, some leather, a few shoes, a chest of jewelry –"
"Right, right. I get it. No need to go into details. Is it enough?"
"More than enough! Would Captain and Will be wanting to dress in the modern Genoese style? Venetian? Perhaps… English? I've seen some odd fashions from Spain that would particularly suit your complexion at this point…"
"What is going on?" Will asked suddenly, unable to restrain himself any longer.
Nico took a deep breath, reached out to tangle his ghost fingers into Will's hair, then tugged at him playfully.
"Fool. I can't have you wearing those breeches anymore. One more dip into the ocean and those things will simply disintegrate. I've had this conversation with Blitz before, he thinks he can fashion them into some sort of sash," Nico explained, resting his chin on Will's shoulder and sighing contentedly.
Will stiffened at the contact, but only because he was surprised at how much he needed it himself. As soon as Nico touched him, he felt reinvigorated. He wondered when Nico had found the time to speak to Blitzen alone, he very rarely left him on his own except to share meals with Frank and Magnus.
"I see," he said, his voice weak. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."
"Of course not," Nico replied. "He is going to do it for both of us."
"What do you mean?" Will asked with a frown.
Nico smiled sadly, then pulled Will to him from the back of his neck. "It's only a precaution, don't be mad. I've asked Blitz to make both of us sashes out of your breeches, Will. I feel like it might do me good, after all. I have a feeling it will bring me some sort of… I don't know, protection?"
Will didn't see why he would be mad about something like that. "I… of course. Of course, I'd do anything for you, I'd give you half of my soul if I could—" he stopped himself before finishing the idea, then quickly got to his feet. Nico almost fell into Will's chair but managed to catch himself.
"What is going on with you?" Nico asked with a frown.
Will began to pace the room, drawing a hand through his hair.
"Nothing," he replied quickly.
Oh, do tell him again, whispered the voice in his head.
"Shut up," Will hissed, covering his ears.
"Will, what in the name of Neptune's ass is going on with you?" Nico asked, torn between laughing and throwing something at him.
"The sash thing is a great idea. Thank you," he said stupidly.
Nico raised an eyebrow. "You're being weird again. Fine, if you're okay, take off those breeches and give them to Blitz. Let the man get to work."
Will looked around the room with his mouth open, but after a few seconds of hesitation he knew where this would lead, and he decided it was best to get over with as soon as possible. He untied his tattered sash and let his breeches fall down his legs. He tossed them at Blitz who caught them in one hand."
"You guys mind leaving us alone for a second?" he asked the ghosts, who nodded at once and left the room in wisps of smoke.
Nico got to his feet with difficulty, then when he almost toppled over Will caught him in his arms.
"Fucking Octavian," Nico hissed. "I hope he's alive. God, I hope he's alive and writhing in pain. You just wait until I get my hands on him… You just wait until I get my ring back, I am going to make him swallow this hand right here!" he made a fist with his ghost hand, which suddenly shifted shapes and turned into what looked like an anvil. "Whoah, look Will! I did the anvil! Finally! That shit would simply not take shape— and that's with your breeches in the other room! Will! Fuck!" he said excitedly.
"Nico?" Will cut in.
"What?" said Nico, excited at his success, annoyed at Will's interruption.
"Were you serious about wanting to… to… you know?" he asked nervously.
Nico's hands fell limply to his sides, then turned his face towards Will, whereupon a wicked smile began to draw itself on his face.
"Yeah?" he said breathlessly, putting his hands around Will's waist and tugging him just a tad closer. "You're getting in the mood now that you're not wearing breeches?"
Will pushed Nico away from him gently, then tugged him down to sit on the bed next to him.
"Can you… do you mind telling me why, again?" he asked shyly. He tried to clear his mind lest Nico somehow managed to recover their mental link for the time being.
"Uh…" Nico began. "Because I'm always healthier after we've fucked? It's like, a thousand times better than turtle bone soup. Like a hyper-concentrated turtle-bone extract with a hint of something else."
Will looked away from Nico, then took his hands in his.
"Is… is that it?" he asked hopefully.
"Well, obviously, you're a fantastic lay. My ass is still sore as fuck now, so maybe just a blowjob? Or maybe we can do hand stuff, that works too. Not as well as a good old fuck, but I think if we do it twice…"
"Nico, please stop. Will you… will you let me speak for a moment?"
Nico closed his mouth then stared at Will quizzically.
Will took a deep breath, there was so much he wanted to say. He was completely and irrevocably invested in Nico's life. He had witnessed the most horrible scenes of violence and they had managed to survive together. He thought himself lucky to be able to share some of Nico's burden… and the moment they started to become intimate, well, he'd thought that was simply the best thing that happened in his life, especially since it seemed to relieve some of Nico's pain.
He would have to find the courage to say it out loud.
Am I nothing but that to you? Just another form of turtle bone soup? Because I love you, Nico. I'm in love with you. I want to know if I'm more than that to you. I feel like I am, sometimes, or is it just me?
Nico's eyes searched Will's face, and Will could tell he was trying hard not to speak, but he simply could not find it in himself to raise the question.
Instead, he smiled.
"Whatever you want," he said, leaning in to kiss Nico on the lips.
You could simply ask, the voice in his head egged on. Ask him. Ask him. Ask him.
"I love it when you say that," Nico whispered into Will's mouth, throwing his arms around his neck and pulling him down on the bed next to him.
Had they been mentally connected as that moment, Nico would have distinctly heard something inside Will shrivel up and break. Alas, he did not. Instead, he sat up to straddle him. "Hand stuff it is."
Just when they were starting to get seriously invested in their kissing, there was a knock on the door and they both looked up rather annoyed.
"What?" Nico all but barked.
"Captain," Gunderson's voice boomed from outside the cabin. "Got what you asked for right here. Just finished cooling."
"Sweet," said Nico, getting to his feet without a moment's hesitation, and with confident steps, walked stark-naked to the door.
"What is going on?" asked Will, his eyes on Nico's erection as he took something from the giant and closed the door behind him.
"Don't get mad," he said.
Will raised an eyebrow. "That's the second time you say that to me today. I've told you, there's nothing you can do that will make me mad at you."
Nico smirked then raised a jar containing a white substance.
Will's eyes widened.
"Nico… you did not…"
Nico jumped on the bed next to Will and pecked him on the lips. "Whale blubber, all cooked and ready to apply! Wait, don't look at me like that. Gunderson assured me the whale was not killed. He merely… I don't know… carved out a bit? Mind you, he might have bit it off, I can't quite vouch for the method."
In spite of everything, Will began to laugh.
"You're mad!" he said, falling back on the bed and covering his face with his forearm.
Nico was on top of him within seconds.
"Dear Will," he said, ripping his shirt open and placing kisses over his clavicle. "Would you do this young, dying Captain a favor and fuck me as hard as you can?"
Will smiled sadly, glad Nico couldn't see his face. He flipped him over and burrowed himself between Nico's legs.
"Whatever you want," he repeated, taking both their dicks in his hand and swallowing Nico's mouth in a passionate kiss.
He came twice, once in Nico's mouth, once in his ass. By the time they were done, Will looked just about ready to pass out. Nico, in contrast, looked as if he'd only just woken up from the best sleep of his life.
By the time the ghosts came with word that the Argo II had appeared in the horizon, both Nico and Will had dressed in Blitzen's newly fashioned garments. Will's old breeches had been seemingly shredded and resewn into an elegant sash, which he used to fasten a new pair of breeches made of leather and what could have possibly been seaweed. Nico's sash contained some of the material, and he tied it around his waist looking completely rejuvenated and full of life.
"You've done a fantastic job, Blitzen," Nico congratulated the ghost as he looked at himself in the broken full-body mirror.
Blitz beamed as he stuck out his chest. "You look terrifying, Captain."
Will raised an eyebrow and smiled in spite of himself. "We do look like we're on a way to a funeral, though. Is there a reason why all our clothes are black?" he asked.
"There was considerable discoloring on the fabrics due to being underwater for such a long time. The only way was to dye everything in octopus ink," Blitz explained.
"That accounts for the smell, but I don't mind. If anything, makes me feel right at home," said Nico, his spirits completely lifted.
Will came to stand behind Nico, then placed his hands around his waist, tugging him close and taking a long whiff around Nico's neck.
"You smell like yourself to me," he whispered. He watched Nico's reflection in the mirror and drank in the smile that began to grow on his face. Nico placed his hands over Will's and laced their fingers together.
"Stay close to me," he said.
"Always," Will replied.
"Pirate ship requests permission to board!" boomed Gunderson's voice from the crow's nest.
Nico's fingers twitched at the announcement, and Will tightened his grasp around his waist.
"I got you, Nico. Let's just hear what they've got to say. If things don't go well, we still have the upper hand."
Nico turned in Will's arms. "Promise me, Will. Promise me again, what you said last time. Promise me!"
Will closed his eyes, making a painful grimace. He sighed and when he opened them again, there was a red glint in his irises.
"I promise you. If he harms you, if he so much as tries anything, I'll kill him, Nico. I'll kill Percy Jackson."