PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || A God Among Men || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO
Title: A God Among Men – Life in the Kingdom of Demetria
Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; ancient Greece AU
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, gods, magic, fluff, kink for powers, worship, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, bondage, shoujo-ai, hetero, threesome
Main Pairing: Nico/Percy
Side Pairings: Reyna/Annabeth, Octavian/Luke, Ethan/Alabaster, Jake/Will, Frank/Hazel/Leo, Grover/Juniper, Malcolm/Katie, Chris/Clarisse, Charles/Silena, Jason/Calypso, Poseidon/Amphitrite | Poseidon/Sally, Zeus/Hera, Hades/Persephone, Ares/Aphrodite, Hephaestus/Aglaia, Nico/Drew (one-sided)
Percy Jackson Characters:
Thieves: Perseus Jackson, Luke Castellan, Cecil Rogers, Chris Rodriguez, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll
Royals: Nico di Angelo, Bianca di Angelo, Hazel Levesque, Maria di Angelo, Drew Tanaka
Royal Advisers & Palace Servants: Jason Grace, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Annabeth Chase, Malcolm Cage, Ethan Nakamura, Will Solace, Katie Gardner, Grover Underwood, Juniper
Palace Guards: Frank Zhang, Clarisse la Rue, Thalia Grace, Hylla Ramírez-Arellano, Kinzie Cohen, Zoe Nightshade, Phoebe Burge
Priests: Alabaster C. Torrington, Lou Ellen, Piper McLean, Silena Beauregard, Ella, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Octavian Simmons
Blacksmiths: Charles Beckendorf, Leo Valdez, Jake Mason, Nyssa Black, Tyson
Godly Characters: Poseidon, Amphitrite, Triton, Demeter, Persephone, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Zeus, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus, Athena, Enyo, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Aglaia, Feronia, Furrina, Laverna, Calypso
Summary: Perseus is a minor Sea God, son of Neptune and prince of the sea. And utterly bored. Gods, is he bored. Instead of staying bored under the sea, he decides to pose as a mortal and walk the Earth. Throughout ancient Greece, one small island kingdom in particular took to worshiping him, the Demetria Isles. So that's where Percy goes, to see what kind of people worship him.
He runs into interesting people. Lives with thieves, learns from priests and falls for the prince...
A God Among Men
Life in the Kingdom of Demetria
Chapter 7: The God Who Was His Own Priest
Percy had a serene smile on his lips as he sat in the backroom of his temple, eyes closed and head tilted a little, enjoying the gentle fingers running through his hair and the gentle humming coming from Calypso behind him. She was braiding his hair – two braids, one on either side of Percy's head, small braids to be braided together in the back of Percy's head to hold his hair back. Barnacles and pearls were decorating his hair and he was wrapped into expensive, soft, dark-blue robes.
He was officially starting as a priest at his own temple today and he was so excited.
"You really are something else, Perseus", sighed Calypso gently, a smile on her lips.
"Says the Titaness who's now the high priestess of a god", challenged Percy teasingly.
"Point taken", laughed Calypso and shook her head. "No truly though. I wonder who taught you to lay low, which is quite the key-point when you're trying to hide, my lord."
There was so much sarcasm dripping from her words that Percy couldn't help but laugh. This was so freeing, considering how tense he had been in the past weeks of trying to hide who and what he was. To have someone to confide in had been immensely helpful in the past two days.
"I learned from Apollo. So it's entirely not my fault. He is the flashiest", argued Percy with a pout.
"So adorable", cooed Calypso, kissing the top of Percy's head. "Just... watch out, will you?"
Percy smiled gently as he tilted his head to look at her. "Yes, I will. Promise."
"And don't sleep with the prince", continued Calypso.
"...Can't promise you that", hummed Percy earnestly, cheeks flushed. "He's so handsome. Which was a nice start but is not all I need from a guy. He's also so sweet and kind and broken. He's in so much pain and I want to help him and I feel like he really appreciates me? That's nice. I'm so used to being the little brother or cousin no one takes seriously. In Atlantis, on Olympus, in the underworld. Everywhere I go, I just get my head patted and not taken seriously. It's frustrating."
"And Prince Niccoló makes you feel appreciated?", asked Calypso softly, still braiding.
She looked surprised, both of her eyebrows raised. The prince was mainly known for extravagant parties, lots of drinking and even more sex. Granted, he was a good leader whenever he was put in charge, he was wildly beloved by his people, he socialized a lot with the people. He was a good person, Calypso knew that too, considering she was engaged to his best friend.
"Ye—es", confirmed Percy with a small, dreamy smile. "He sometimes seeks me out to bounce ideas with, asks me for my thoughts. He takes my advice seriously. And he looks at me... that way."
"What way?", inquired Calypso confused.
"That way", repeated Percy, waving his hands vaguely. "Like... like uncle Hades looks at Phone. As though he'd totally paint the underworld pink for her. Which he literally did one time, you know? I mean, not paint, but he put up so many colorful flowers that parts of the underworld literally were pink. It was for their anniversary and it was the cutest thing ever and I... uhm... am not to ever mention it to another soul that that even happened... Promise not to tell?"
Calypso laughed and shook her head. "Of course, Percy. I won't tell. Who would I tell?"
"Good", nodded Percy pleased. "Now finish up, I wanna get to work."
Calypso shook her head once more, this time in gentle fondness.
/break\
"Love, as much as I appreciate all of this, I've reached my breaking point. What is it that you are buttering me up for? Does Bianca want another ridiculously dangerous quest that I will feel inclined to deny and that you will argue your sister Artemis would be so proud of? Has Hazel proposed another silly thing that she demands for her wedding?"
Hades sat rigidly in their large bathtub, flower-pedals swimming around him as Persephone was hand-feeding him pomegranate-seeds – because it was their thing. She smiled innocently at him.
"Whatever are you talking about, beloved husband?", asked Persephone, batting her eyelashes.
"My love, I've known you long enough to know when I'm being charmed", snorted Hades.
Persephone smiled brightly at him and kissed him gently. "You know how my brother Apollo has had all of those... male lovers, right? Which, granted, never ended too well."
"I know", nodded Hades slowly, both eyebrows raised. "He literally has a garden with former lovers. You keep telling me about how pretty they are..."
"Well, it did create a lot of new plants", argued Persephone before shaking her head before resting it on Hades' chest. "I mean, what is your opinion on the matter? That he has never taken an official female consort and seems more inclined toward male lovers...?"
"It's none of my business?", offered Hades, still frowning. "If it makes him happy... which it doesn't, actually, considering all of his lovers end up in a garden..."
"But I mean the general idea. Of a god perhaps taking a male consort instead of a goddess as their bride", elaborated Persephone curiously. "I know my dearest stepmother is not quite a fan, which granted, after father took his male lover, made him immortal and blatantly put him into the bedroom opposite theirs... I do understand the animosity she has."
"Oh, I couldn't care less", sighed Hades with a dismissive gesture of his hand. "We're gods. We tend to not die, so there really is not too much need for heirs to begin with. And Zeus alone is having enough off-springs to cover all of Olympus. If a god decides he'd rather have a male lover than a wife, then he shall go ahead. Look at the women. Athena, Artemis, Hestia, they just completely forsake dating and marriage. What would be the bigger problem? Now, why are we talking about this? Has Apollo finally settled down and found someone who didn't turn into a plant?"
"No", laughed Persephone and shook her head. "It's not about my brother. He was just an example."
"Then... please do get to the point, my love", requested Hades, both eyebrows raised high.
"Our beloved son confided in me the other day, about liking someone. He told me about this beautiful young lady named after me – the goddess me, not the mortal me. But... half-way through, he started slipping up and referring to the young lady as 'he'. I think Nico didn't even catch on with that", explained Persephone gently. "He wasn't aware that he was telling me about his infatuation with a young man, but I'm positive that this might just be what has been driving him away from us. He has been so very tense lately and you kept blaming his teenage mind for it. I think it is that he is more interested in men than he is in women, but in this society, he feels obligated to like women, particularly since he is our heir, my love."
"Mh", grunted Hades thoughtfully, frowning as he tilted his head.
"And do you mind?", inquired Persephone, looking at her husband.
"Why should I?", sighed Hades and shook his head. "Bianca is most likely going to join the hunt as soon as she learns about her own godhood. I know where she's been heading. So if my daughter can forsake men and romance in total, why should I hold it against my son to find love with a man? I am however weary about him falling for a mortal, as I have been weary about Frank."
Persephone hummed gently. "Well, there is always godhood. Gods are known to grant godhood to their lovers. For now, I really want to assure our son that he can trust us."
"We can agree on that", nodded Hades thoughtfully. "Let's talk to the boy after dinner."
"I love you", smiled Persephone pleased and kissed his cheek.
/break\
Travis and Connor were lurking. They were also doing their best to look like thugs. But when their precious little Leo had come home and started dreamily talking about the princess and her handsome fiance, they had to investigate. So on the day Leo came to present the finished jewelry – Leo had barely done anything aside from designing and forging the beautiful piece – to the princess and the guard, Luke ordered them to keep an eye on Leo. It wouldn't be the first time some rich person thought they could buy a street rat for cheap sex. And Leo was naive and sweet, he would only notice what was going on when it was already too late.
"Oh, this is beautiful", whispered the princess in awe as Frank laid the necklace around her neck.
It truly was beautiful. An elegant golden flower, the petals made of purple sapphires. Hazel smiled delighted as she turned a little to look at it in the mirror. Leo was blushing proudly at the praise.
"You truly did amazing work there", agreed Frank gently. "You're a true artist."
Leo's blush brightened and he ducked his head. Both Travis and Connor softened as they looked at their baby-brother. Leo took immense pride in his work and whenever he was being praised by someone for it, he'd always react shyly and sweetly. Frank fished out the bag of gold for Leo and when Leo looked into it, he yelped. The look on Travis' face sharpened again.
"T—That's too much", argued Leo with a frown.
"A thanks, for how fast you worked. You must have worked on it all night, you don't look like you slept at all", disagreed Frank, gently grasping Leo's chin to tilt his head. "You earned it."
"And we will definitely come back for more. You're a genius", smiled Hazel brightly.
And then she leaned in and kissed his cheek and Connor was pretty sure Leo was going to faint.
/break\
Nico was smiling softly as he watched Percy from afar. Oh, this boy had truly stolen Nico's heart. He had watched Percy's introduction as an official priest of Lord Perseus. And he looked so truly breathtaking, in the dark-blue robes, with his hair slightly braided and decorated with shells and pearls. He was a sight to behold. Since the ceremony ended, Nico had been watching Percy interact with the followers of Lord Perseus, talking softly with them and giving advise and guidance.
"My prince, you are creeping in the shadows like you belong to the temple of Lord Hades."
Nico turned slightly to look at the smugly amused high priestess. "Calypso. I'm not creeping."
"No, of course not, my lord", chimed Calypso smoothly before she turned to watch Percy. "He's good with the masses. They seem to adore him quite a lot already."
"He... has that way with people", sighed Nico softly.
Calypso smiled knowingly at him and nodded. "Shall I tell him you wish to speak to him?"
"No. No, I... have somewhere to be anyway", grunted Nico and sneaked out.
He kicked stones as he made his way back to the palace, sneaking up to his room.
/break\
Neptune was furious as he was pacing his throne-room. His son had been missing for weeks. His beloved, precious little Perseus was just gone. And not even Artemis herself seemed able to track him. This was unacceptable. If someone had abducted Perseus, there would be blood and ichor all over the place. He was willing and ready to wage war against whoever took his son.
"Love", sighed Salacia, gently grasping his arm. "Please calm down."
"Sally, no. How?", growled Neptune, hands trembling.
"Our children are out there, looking for him, the other gods are out there, helping us", whispered Sally as she forced the king to sit down on their bed. "Please, you only make Tyson upset."
Neptune's face softened as he looked at their youngest. Tyson had started sleeping in their bed ever since Percy had disappeared, crying about his big brother. Percy had always been Tyson's go-to person. To have him gone was really getting to the little one.
"His friends are looking for him. They will find him", promised Sally as she pressed a kiss against the corner of his mouth. "My love, if there is one thing we both know about our son, it's that he is so strong and stubborn. He will be fine. I'm sure wherever he is, he's fine."
"...You don't think he got abducted", muttered Neptune in realization.
Sally smiled, a little sadly, as she cupped Neptune's cheek. "I know you mean well, but you... smother our boy. I think he might have just... gone out there, for an adventure. And when the time comes, he will return to us. He has always been seeking his freedom."
"He spends too much damn time with Proserpina", muttered Neptune beneath his breath. "That niece of mine is a bad influence on our son, I tell you."
Sally laughed fondly and kissed him properly. "I know he will be fine."
/break\
Persephone sneezed and then she frowned. Hades raised one eyebrow at his wife, but she dismissed it. Maybe just a bit of dust in her nose or something. The family was just wrapping up dinner. Bianca basically fled to get some more training done, Hazel disappeared with Frank, her fingers wrapped around the gorgeous new jewelry hanging from her neck.
"Son, wait", stated Hades seriously, causing Nico to freeze. "We'd like to speak to you."
Nico stared wide-eyed at King Plutonius, his heart in his throat. Whatever had he done to deserve that? But Maria was smiling at him in a reassuring manner, resting a hand on Nico's arm. Nodding stiffly, Nico slowly followed his parents outside to the garden of his mother, where the three of them sat down on the bench beneath the pomegranate tree.
"What... do you wish to speak about with me?", inquired Nico softly.
"Your mother tells me that you two had an interesting conversation about... someone, who piqued your interest. Would you care to tell me more?", asked the king, voice low and gentle.
"She is... a very beautiful and gentle soul", admitted Nico, cheeks red as he stared down at his feet. "Kind and caring to everyone. She became a priestess of Lord Perseus today, actually. And the people adore her already. She has been... listening to my worries for a few weeks now and never made me feel like my problems are small, she makes me feel like she truly cares."
"And those... worries you have, are they related to the fact that the girl you like is a boy?"
Nico was positive his heart stopped as he stared fearfully at his father. "F—Father... I..."
Hades stared at Nico with soft, nearly pained eyes. So his son was truly afraid of their reaction? Despite himself, he grasped the boy and pulled him into a firm hug, smoothing his curls down.
"Nico, my boy. You are our son and we love you. We always meant to make you pick your consort yourself. We would never set you up with someone you do not love. And... if you can never see yourself loving a woman, then we will not make you marry one", stated Hades seriously.
"But... I'm your heir...", argued Nico weakly, frowning. "The people expect to have a queen. The people expect to have princes and princesses running around my feet."
"I firmly believe that Hazel and Frank would be more than willing to provide little princes and princesses running around this palace", laughed the queen fondly as she too hugged Nico and kissed his forehead. "All we want for all three of you is to be happy. If Bianca's happiness lays with the army and not with a husband and children, then we will not stop her. And if your happiness lays with another man, then we will not stand between that either."
"Now, will you tell us more about this boy?", asked Hades when they settled more comfortable.
"What I said is all true", shrugged Nico, a small smile on his lips as he stared at his hands. "He... Oh, he will be gloating so much about this. He's been telling me for weeks now that I should talk to you, that I should... admit to my desires and that I don't want to marry some pretty princess. I've been telling him that my duty is more important than my heart."
"I like this boy already", grunted Hades with a frown as he looked lovingly at Persephone. "Your heart... is so very important. Before I met your mother, I thought like you. I thought my duty as the king is the only thing important for me, nothing would ever matter more than my kingdom. Then this angel entered my life and brought an entirely new light to it."
"We want to meet him", blurted Persephone out as she looked at her son. "Tomorrow evening, we will set up a nice, private little dinner at the beach and you will invite this boy."
"W—What? No!", squeaked Nico mortified, staring at his parents. "No."
"Yes", countered Hades amused. "You seem to truly care about him. And if he is that important to you. Just a casual meeting, son. You say he is now a priest of the temple of Perseus, yes? Well, you know that we personally care about this temple in particular. Tell him the king and queen wish to formally meet the newest priest of our country."
Nico groaned and buried his face in his hands. He took it back. Percy hadn't been right. This was so much worse than if his parents just set him up with a stranger. He hadn't even admitted his feelings to Percy yet or knew where it was going. This was going to be a nightmare.
/break\
"You have been watching me today", chimed Percy happily as he climbed through the window.
"I have a door", groaned Nico where he had his face buried in his pillow.
"...Are you quite alright?", asked Percy, happiness replaced by concern as he sat down next to Nico on the bed. "You look... like you hope your bed will swallow you whole."
"I am", muttered Nico as he rolled onto his back to stare at Percy. "I... talked to my parents."
It should be weird that Nico had, at this point, gotten used to Percy breaking into the palace and just randomly showing up in his room. It was definitely troublesome that it didn't worry him at all.
"And they didn't take it well?", asked Percy concerned as he rested a comforting hand on Nico's.
"They took it startling well", muttered Nico beneath his breath, eyes wide.
"...Huh?", grunted Percy very confused, brushing a braid out of his own face.
"They want to... to meet you", sighed Nico, burying his face in his hands.
"Why would they want to meet me?", asked Percy, his confusion growing even more.
Nico took a deep, shaky breath as he sat up and looked very seriously at Percy. "Because they want to meet the new priest of Lord Perseus, since the temple is very important to our kingdom."
Percy raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "...And how did that come up?"
"...BecauseIkindofreallylikeyou", mumbled Nico beneath his breath.
"I beg your pardon?", huffed Percy, a slightly amused smile on his lips as he leaned in.
"I said... I... kind of really like you. And I might have told my mother about you and might have slipped up about your gender, which is how they found out and now they want to meet you."
Percy started giggling. He couldn't help it. For one, he felt euphoric that Nico seemed to like him so much that he talked dreamily to his mom about Percy. Percy's feelings were being returned! And secondly, Nico looked far too adorable, all wide-eyed like a fearful little bat. When Nico's face fell in rejection, Percy grasped him by the toga and did what he had seen Triton do every time Thanatos did or thought something silly. He pulled the other down into a brief kiss. It was awkward, considering Percy didn't know what to do, aside from press his lips against Nico's, but thankfully Nico seemed to know what to do because he started moving against Percy's lips. Percy slowly started to mirror Nico until they found a pretty good kind of rhythm and Percy got more into it.
"I thought we should have at least kissed before I meet your parents", offered Percy cheekily.
Both were panting as they parted and Nico stared at Percy wide-eyed. This boy truly was something different and it was completely enchanting. Smiling at Percy, Nico pulled him down into a second kiss. If he had to sit through dinner with his parents and Percy, he deserved a second kiss.
Author's note: Look at them! Aaalready kissing... after seven chapters. Shesh. xD
Next chapter will have the most awkward double-date ever! But that happens when your uncle and your cousin happen to be the parents of your newly acquired boyfried, I guess :D