Nico's skin was crawling. It itched and burned with whatever was on it. He got up from the dock and looked at his skin, but couldn't see anything. He wiped at it, but the burning just became worse. In a desperate attempt he plunged into the water from the dock. He emerged from the water with a gasp. The burning had stopped. He looked at his skin again and his stomach dropped. His hands were black, as though he had been playing in ashes. He tried to wash them off in the water, but the blackness wouldn't come off. It just seemed to spread even more. Nico's heart sped up and his breathing became labored. Shit. Water was not a good place to have a panic attack. He tried to swim to the dock, but he felt stuck. His legs wouldn't move. Upon realizing that, Nico's body began to sink. He frantically moved his arms to keep his head above water, but it wasn't working. He choked on the water and his vision melted as the water splashed into his wide open eyes. As he sank further into the water he stared helplessly at the dock. That was when he saw a hand reaching out for him. He tried to grab it, but then the hand pulled away. Nico looked up and saw Cameron smirking at him. He watched helplessly as Cameron put out his foot and pushed Nico underneath the water.
"Oh man, he's going to feel that tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Try a few hours."
Nico's ears perked at the voices before he opened his eyes. Sunlight blared into them and he closed them again. Great. He had fallen asleep on the deck in front of everyone.
"Oh good, he's awake. Let's help him out, Nate."
Nico felt people pulling him up from his laying position and he opened his eyes again as he stood up. There was a younger man with mousey brown hair and another one with sandy red, helping him to stand on his feet. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was too tired to ask.
"I think we should take him to the infirmary."
Nico felt himself being guided off of the dock and over to the hospital cabin. On the way people stared at him, but not the usual way. He was laid down in a bed and got something rubbed all over his skin. He was scared, but at the same time way too tired to really think about it. Once he was let alone he fell asleep again.
This time when he opened his eyes he felt very awake. His body hurt with a strange ache that he couldn't name. He panicked. What had Cameron done this time? He tried to sit up, but his body screamed in protest. Just then Percy came in. First his eyes were wide with surprise, and then he smirked just a little bit.
"Nico, did you fall asleep on the dock?"
"Apparently." Shit. Even his face hurt, "Percy, what's wrong with me?"
Percy sat down next to Nico's bed and poured out some lotion that was on the bedstand, "You don't know?"
Nico blushed, "No. Tell me."
Percy started to rub the lotion onto Nico's skin. The coolness of the lotion calmed the burning, "Have you ever been sunburned?"
"No."
"Well, that makes sense, pasty boy. Anyway, you've got a bad one from falling asleep in the midday sun."
How embarrassing. Nico sank into the bed in shame. He hated it when he was sometimes so... human. Weak.
"How long is it going to hurt?"
"That depends on your healing process, but I'll bet a day or two. Oh dude, just wait 'til you start peeling."
Nico closed his eyes, "Gross."
Percy laughed, "You're so cute. I'm going to have fun taking care of you." he kissed Nico's forehead, "That's so weird."
"What?" Nico panicked, thinking that something else was horribly wrong.
"Your skin is warm instead of cold."
"Tell me about it."
It was then that Nico realized something.
"Where's Cameron?"
Percy shrugged, "I think he was messing with canoes or something."
"Well, I know this will sound lame, but um, would you stay here for a while if you can? Just the both of us?" Nico asked, feeling small and childish.
Percy smiled, "Of course. I really do wish we had more alone time together. Hopefully soon I won't be so busy."
"Percy, you're running a camp. Of course you're always going to be busy."
"I guess that's true. Still, things might calm down a little."
"Yeah. Maybe Cameron will make new friends or something."
Percy laughed, "Maybe."
x.x.x
Nico healed quickly. He almost wished that he hadn't, because every night Percy rubbed him down with lotion, and he liked the attention. He looked at his skin and sighed. His olive skintone had shown up in all of its tanned glory to protect him from further injury. He didn't like it. He didn't feel as pure or something. Then again, Percy seemed to take a liking to it. He told him so as he put the lotion on the previous night. Percy had also tried to sleep with Nico, but got shot down. Nico told him it was because his skin still hurt a little, but really it was because ever since that night in the forest, sex with Percy had been ruined. It always felt like Cameron, and was unwanted and invading. He didn't know why it still felt that way, but it did, and his stomach turned every time Percy touched him.
Cameron continued to plague Nico's nightmares, but he hadn't actually seen the guy in days. Nico was somewhat surprised. He had figured the guy for one to kick people when they were down. Of course, that didn't mean that he was happy to see the guy right when he walked out of his cabin. He purposely ignored the blonde, who seemed to have been waiting for him. During his sunburn recovery, he had decided that he would have to be the proactive one about getting rid of the guy. Phase one: stop being friendly with him. If he stopped being friendly with him, maybe Cameron would get the hint that he didn't want to be friends. Phase two: Let Percy make the decision on his own. Both being stubborn boys, Nico knew that in order for Percy to "feel right" about getting rid of Cameron, it would have to be his idea. Nico figured that once he and Cameron weren't friends, Percy would start to notice all of the bad that Cameron did. Give it a while to boil, and then voila! They would be rid of Cameron and nobody would have to stab anybody.
"In a mood, are we?" Cameron teased behind him. Nico just kept walking. He hated being mean to people, but he had to do something. Cameron continued to follow him to the main part of camp, "Hey, what's up with you?" Nico kept walking and Cameron pulled his shoulder roughly, "Hey! Stop ignoring me!"
Nico whipped around and gave Cameron a hard stare before wrenching his shoulder from the other man's grip. He started walking faster, but heard Cameron speed his own steps.
"Seriously, what is your problem?" he heard the blonde shouting behind him. Cameron grabbed him again, hugging Nico to his body and pinning the smaller man's arms at his sides, "Talk to me."
"Please leave me alone." Nico said quietly. He hated how weak it had sounded. No way Cameron would buy it.
"What?"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Nico shouted, stomping on Cameron's foot and forcing him to let go. He turned around with his Stygian blade at the ready, "I swear, touch me again and I'll rip out your insides."
Cameron's eyebrows raised and he lifted his hands in "innocence." He moved an arm out and Nico's arm twitched. "Holy fuck, I'm just grabbing my lip balm. Relax. I forgot you don't like other guys touching you."
Nico kept his blade at the ready as he watched Cameron use said lip balm. He knew that Cameron was stalling to gain some kind of composure, and he didn't trust what the other man might do given the chance. He wasn't sure what the last sentence had meant, but that wasn't important now.
"So what about Percy?" the blonde asked.
"He's free to choose who he hangs out with."
Cameron smiled a suspiciously satisfied smile, "Fair enough. See you around, Nico." he casually passed the smaller man, who followed his path with his blade, and then continued into the camp. Nico stood there a while longer before putting his blade away. He knew things weren't going to be that easy. Cameron's smile said it all.
A while later Nico walked into the mess hall and found Percy and Cameron already eating. Nothing new, but now Nico wasn't sure how to play it. He sat down and Percy stretched across the table to kiss him. Nico met him halfway and when they parted he glanced at Cameron, who seemed lost in thought. What Nico wanted to do was kiss Percy some more in front of him, but he wasn't actually into PDA. He just wanted to remind the blonde who Percy belonged to.
"So I hear you two aren't talking." Percy said between bites.
Nico looked over at Cameron, "Nope."
Surprisingly Percy just shrugged, "I wondered how long it was going to take you."
"What?"
"I just mean you guys haven't gotten along for a while."
Cameron chimed in, "But we're not going to make you choose." he looked at Nico, "Nico and I are just going to ignore each other for the most part."
"Hmm." Percy said doubtfully.
"Dude, your hair is all messed up on the side." Cameron said, reaching up to smooth it down. Percy laughed, saying "Thanks grandma, at least you didn't spit in it."
Nico wanted to chop off that foul hand in Percy's hair, but instead he just bit the inside of his cheek. He knew exactly what the other man was doing. He told himself that it didn't matter; he was the one who was in Percy's bed at night. Now that he thought about it, it would be wise to let Percy sleep with him tonight. If he was cold for too long Nico would have no reason to be surprised when he was left. He decided to start the seduction now. He grabbed one of the strawberries from his plate and as they talked he put it up to his mouth and licked it as though about to eat it, then he'd talk again. He knew he had Percy because green eyes were locked on his mouth. As soon as Cameron noticed, though, Nico ate the strawberry quickly. He continued this little game with just about everything he ate, loving the moment when Percy didn't hear what Cameron had said to him because he was too busy watching Nico tease his mouth with a grape.
"What was that?" he asked, turning away from Nico.
"I said it's time to go make sure stuff is ready for the campers this afternoon."
"Oh right." he turned to Nico, "We're gonna let them ride a Pegasus today."
"That'll be fun for them." Nico said, "I have to visit my dad tomorrow."
"Aww, I don't want you to leave." Percy pouted.
"I promise I'll be back soon. Plus we'll just have to be sure to see a lot of each other in the next few hours." Nico said, saying it in such a way to let Percy know it had sexual conotations.
Percy leaned over and kissed him again. Cameron pulled at his arm, "Come on, let's go."
"Okay okay." Percy looked at Nico, "See you tonight."
"Of course."
As the other two left Nico smiled to himself. So far things were going pretty well. To make sure that they stayed that way, though, tonight had to be amazing.
That night Percy came back to an empty cabin. He was slightly disappointed, but trusted Nico to show up before he went to bed. He got into the shower and was washing his hair when he felt someone wrap their arms around his torso. He turned around to see Nico, who put his hands into the taller man's hair and helped work the shampoo in. Percy shivered as the smaller man's nails raked across his scalp and Nico kissed him, making the shivers more intense.
"I love you." Percy said, "I really do."
Nico smiled, "Well, I'm glad, because I love you too."
He pushed Percy back under the water to rinse the soap out. A while later found Percy shutting the water off. The two made their way to Percy's bed, kissing on the way there. Percy stared as Nico's wet hair soaked the pillow beneath him, creating a dark halo around his head. The other man stared up at him wantingly, and pulled him down for a kiss. Percy moaned into Nico's cold mouth and pulled his hips up to grind against him.
Nico moaned, but inside his head was screaming. The touches felt so wrong, so different. He knew that this was Percy, and he didn't understand why he felt someone else's hands on him. He pet Percy's skin to remind him that he was real. Percy was there and Cameron was not. Percy shivered at his touches and kissed down Nico's neck. The smaller man closed his eyes and tried to remember what Percy's touches felt like. He gasped when the other man's mouth slid down his erection. Wait, if he could still get it up even though the touches felt wrong, what did that mean? For now, what it meant was that he could keep his poker face. He slid his fingers into Percy's dark hair and encouraged him to continue. Percy had never been very good at this particular sport, but tonight he seemed determined to impress the other man. In spite of everything, Nico found his body responding very well to Percy's stimulation.
"Percy..." he moaned. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, but Percy took it to mean to go faster. Nico's thighs trembled and he gripped the pillow on either side of his head as he felt the familiar feeling building in his stomach. His mind was swimming between wanting to call out Percy's name or calling out Cameron's. It flashed between the true image in front of his eyes and imagining Cameron's mouth moving up and down his shaft. He grit his teeth, trying to concentrate. Something was very fucked up, but he would die if he said the wrong name. Green eyes looked up at him and gave a cheeky wink and Nico lost it. As he came he had a strange feeling. It was as though he had broken through something.
"Damn, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" Percy asked, winking at Nico. He delighted in the blush that flushed Nico's face. He crept up and kissed the younger man's lips, feeling them form a smile against his own. Nico pulled Percy close and held him as he recovered.
"You smell pretty." Nico said quietly.
"Well duh, I'm freshly showered."
"Me too."
Percy kissed Nico's forehead, "Not so much anymore."
"Don't worry, I'll make you dirty, too."
Nico started to kiss Percy again. Whatever he had broken through had gotten rid of that icky feeling. He wasn't sure if it was temporary or not, so he decided to do as much as possible. Besides, he wanted it. He really did love Percy, and this was one of his favorite things for them to share together. He laid down as Percy crawled back on top of him. The way Percy was looking down at Nico assured him about the other man's feelings. Fuck Cameron. He'd never get moments like these.
"I love your hair when it's super curly." Percy said, playing with it.
Nico didn't like his curly hair, but was going to accept the compliment. He blushed and pulled Percy down for another kiss. He needed Percy more than he'd ever admit. Sometimes he thought Percy knew; it was just a look in his eyes, but they never acknowledged it. As Percy kissed across Nico's skin the smaller man wondered what would happen if he said it. Then the other man's lips found that spot on his neck and all thoughts stopped. All Nico could do was feel.
The next morning, Nico's black eyes were on Percy's sleeping form. Sunlight was coming in from the window, helping to show the little details. Nico thought that the light spattering of freckles across Percy's nose was adorable. He wondered if the scar on his forehead had happened as a child or after he had started fighting monsters. He'd never asked. Absentmindedly he ran his fingers across the little nick marring his lover's face. He looked toward the window. Nico knew that Percy needed to be up and helping to run the camp, but the selfish part of him kept him in the bed. They hadn't been able to just "be" in so long, he was reluctant to let it go. He curled into the warm body and fell back to sleep.
"Are you alive?"
Nico woke with a start at Cameron's voice. He made a grab for his blade before realizing that it was in his pants, which were still on Percy's floor.
"Ugh... no." Percy said, curling into his pillow.
"That's great, but we kind of need some help at the arena."
Percy turned on to his back and covered his eyes, "Fine. Gimme a second."
Cameron left and Percy turned and pulled Nico close to him again, "Why did you let me make my own camp? You know I hate hard work."
Nico laughed, "Because I know you secretly love the glory that comes with knowing you did all of the work."
"True." to Nico's dismay, Percy released his hold and sat up, "I need a shower so bad."
"Do it. Make Cameron wait." Nico said, also sitting up. His guts were sore from hours of lovemaking, but he was embarrassed to say it.
Percy kissed his lover's nose, "You're so mean."
Nico just shrugged before carefully moving out of the bed, "I need a shower too."
Percy walked to the other side of the bed and picked his lover up and headed to the bathroom. He hated to make Cameron wait, but he had to understand.
"Finally." Cameron said when the two emerged dressed and ready.
"Please, that was like 10 minutes tops."
"Yeah. Ten minutes that we don't have."
"I'll see you later." Nico said, hugging Percy, "I'm going to see what my dad needs me to do for a while."
"Okay." Percy kissed Nico, "Don't stay too long."
"I won't." He started to walk into the shadows when Percy grabbed his hand.
"When did you get that?" he asked, looking at a shiny ring on Nico's finger. Silly Percy and his ADHD.
Nico saw Cameron roll his eyes and look at his watch, but ignored him, "After I was sick." he felt Cameron's eyes dart to him.
"Amethyst." Cameron said, sounding as if the word burned his tongue to speak it.
Nico nodded, "Yep. Protects from poison." he looked purposely at Cameron when he said the word 'poison.'
"Neat." Percy said, oblivious to everything. He kissed Nico again, "See you later."
Nico waved and walked into a shadow in the corner of Percy's cabin.
"Come on, dude." Cameron said impatiently. He grabbed Percy's arm and pulled him out of the cabin. He had waited long enough to get the attention back on him.
x.x.x
"I like your hair longish like it is now." Cameron told Percy as they sat on the dock, watching the water.
Percy kicked the water, "Yeah."
Cameron could tell that Percy was distracted. He reached over and touched the other man's shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
"Nico's been gone a long time."
Cameron inwardly rolled his eyes. He ran his hand down Percy's back, "I'm sure he's fine." Not that Cameron cared, but if it made Percy feel better then that was okay.
"Yeah." Percy leaned back on his arms, "That feels nice." he said as Cameron continued to rub his back. After a day of hard work he really needed some TLC.
"It's supposed to."
Percy chuckled and looked up at the night sky. It was still warm outside, but he could feel that summer was ending. He also felt Cameron's fingers delving into his shirt collar and he sat up, moving away from Cameron and clearing his throat awkwardly, "We should be inside. It's getting dark." he said, standing up.
"You should be inside." Cameron winked up at Percy.
"Shut up." Percy playfully kicked him in the side. He felt weird with the way Cameron was acting, and he didn't know what to do except to laugh it off.
To his relief Cameron let him off the hook, "Yeah, I'm tired. Gotta get up early tomorrow." He held up his hand and Percy helped him get up. Cameron tried to hold his hand longer but Percy moved it away and started walking to his cabin. He heard Cameron rushing to catch up to his quick pace and then the young man was beside him. They walked together to Percy's cabin and Percy had to turn to the blonde, "Didn't you say you were going to bed?"
"I am in a second. I just wanted to stay with you a little longer." he moved to rest his head on Percy's shoulder and the other man moved it away.
"Don't do that." he said, feeling defensive.
Cameron pouted, "Sorry. I'm just so tired."
"Go to bed."
Cameron sighed, "Fine."
Percy stayed in front of his door, looking at Cameron expectantly. He hadn't moved yet. Something was making the dark haired warrior nervous, but he wasn't sure why. Then suddenly Cameron's face was crashing into his and he felt unfamiliar lips against his own and his defensive instincts kicked in and he roughly pushed Cameron away.
"What the f-" his words were cut off by another kiss as Cameron pushed him against the door of his cabin. Cameron kissed him three more times and then released the other man. Percy just stared at him. He moved in again and Percy pushed him away, "I think you need to leave me alone for a while."
"Percy, wait-"
"No." Percy quickly dodged inside his cabin, leaving Cameron alone. Cameron kicked the ground in frustration and started walking quickly to his cabin. He had botched it. In his head it had gone so much better. So romantic. So sweet. He had panicked and come on too strong. He kicked the door of the Nemesis cabin open, a few of the campers inside turning to stare. He just glared and went to his bed. He'd fix it.
Meanwhile Percy was leaning against the door inside of his cabin. He raised his fingers to his lips and touched them. Had Cameron really just kissed him? It had felt so different from Nico. So warm. Percy licked his lips as he told himself that he hadn't liked it. Shit. Things had just gotten complicated.
Percy heard Cameron sit down across from him at breakfast the next day, but he didn't look up from his blue oatmeal.
"Hey." Cameron said as he sat down.
"Hey." Percy said, refusing to look at the other man. He hated confrontation. He wished he could be like his boyfriend just then. Nico could have been all like, "Fuck you. I never want to see you again. Keep your hands off... etc."
"So, I was thinking we could finish the arena today. All we need to do is make sure the bleachers are stable." Cameron started.
"Yup."
"And maybe start painting the tool shed."
"Sure will."
Cameron took the opportunity to be bold, "And make-out some more."
Green eyes looked up in alarm, "Dude, shut the fuck up. Other people might hear."
"So?"
"So nothing. That was really not cool, dude." Percy mentally slapped himself. How lame was that?
Cameron sighed and looked at Percy meaningfully, "You only pushed me away the first time." With that he got up from the table, leaving Percy to stew.
Percy quickly went back to his cabin and tried to reach Nico via Iris message, but got nothing. He had to tell Nico what had happened right now. If he waited until Nico came back it would eat at his conscience. He tried to contact Hades, but just got an annoyed Persephone informing him that Hades was busy. How could the Underworld keep everyone so busy? Everyone was dead. Frustrated, Percy went back out of his cabin to find something to do that would allow him to ignore the blonde for a while.
Cameron was smart enough to leave Percy alone for a few days. He knew he had freaked the warrior out. He just couldn't help it. Percy had just looked so cute just then. He always looked so cute. Nico didn't appreciate Percy the way Cameron thought he should. Death in the form of a man, Cameron just couldn't tolerate Nico clouding Percy's beachy attitude. Of course, the blonde did understand Percy's attraction to the young man. His darkness was dangerous and seductive, much like Cameron's. Perhaps that was part of why Cameron couldn't stand the son of Hades; they were much too similar. In the end they were all kissing cousins, but Nico felt more like a brother. They shared the ability to shadow travel and see in the darkness. Then again, it was said that Nemesis was a daughter of Oceana, placing Cameron's relations closer to Percy, but that story didn't seem to fit with how he had turned out. His thoughts were interrupted when he caught sight of Percy sneaking into the woods.
Cameron followed Percy to where Nico's cabin stood. He watched the warrior try to open the door, only to find it locked. Percy sat on the low roof on the cabin and looked far into the forest. He looked upset, which broke Cameron's heart, but also made him feel like he had an opportunity. Percy was doubting. He didn't know if Nico would be coming back or not. He was panicking, possibly getting depressed. Who better to console him than Cameron? The blonde was ready to pounce, but told himself to wait another day. One more day for everything to sink in and then he would prey. Everyone would get what they deserved, and just the thought had Cameron feeling wonderful.
x.x.x
"I honestly don't know why you're even together sometimes. I mean, you barely see each other and when you do it's like you have nothing in common but sex and battles."
Percy turned to Annabeth, "You make those sound like bad things to have in common."
Annabeth sighed, "They're only bad because they're the only things. Think about it. You hate where he lives and he hates where you live and he doesn't like camp and you made a camp. He doesn't even like swimming, I bet."
"He swims with me."
"Naked swimming?"
Percy licked his teeth in frustration. He didn't like what Annabeth was saying. Mostly because she was telling the truth. Now that he thought about it, he and Nico really didn't have a lot of common interests. He never thought it mattered, though.
"I love him." he finally said, as if that would make everything better.
Annabeth gave him a serious look, "I know you do, and he loves you too, but sometimes love is not enough."
"It's enough for me."
"Is that why you look like a kicked puppy lately?"
Percy scowled, "No. He's just been gone a long time. I'm worried."
"Well he must not be worried about you."
"You don't know that."
"How long has he been gone?"
Percy felt a lump in his throat, but swallowed it, "Almost two months." he said quietly.
"Well he must not be worried about you if he's been gone that long and not said anything."
"What if something happened to him?" Percy's voice cracked and he cleared his throat.
Annabeth's stare softened, "That's the problem, Percy. He's gone like this so often that you don't even know if it's a bad thing or not. Doesn't that bother you at all?"
Percy twisted the hem of his shirt for lack of something better to do, "I don't know." he said almost inaudibly, then he looked at her, "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Fine, but it's really something you need to think about."
"Fine."
Meanwhile Nico was screaming. Ashes filled his nose and mouth, creeping into his lungs and making him choke. He blinked his burning eyes and looked around at the shouting people. He had lost count of all the times he had watched this scene before. Over and over the volcano erupted, the people screamed, the city died. Nico started to get used to the chaos and his mind began chanting "Cameron... Cameron..." with the frantic beating of his heart. He had come in Nico's dreams at first. Then one night Nico had been studying when a shadow fell across his light.
"How did you get in here?" Nico had asked stupidly.
"You're not the only one who can shadow travel." Cameron had said before grabbing Nico. Next thing he knew he was here. He wasn't sure how Cameron had managed to get him stuck "in-between." It wasn't technically Hades' domain, but it wasn't Nemesis' either.
"Now you will truly know." Cameron had said, shoving Nico into the abandoned city. He walked two steps and had found himself here, like walking through a curtain. The Roman city was alive again, as was Mount Vesuvius. Ash was spewing from the top, already covering the city. Nico looked at his skin. Dark smears were already covering it, just like in his dream. He looked up to see all of the people of Pompeii running. Some had already passed out from lack of oxygen and were laying in the streets. Dogs laid dead next to them, forever faithful. Nico tried to run, but could only ever get so far before passing out himself. He wasn't ever sure if he really died or not. After the blackness left his vision the scene would play again. He had to get to water. Now.
Percy was sitting on the dock again, looking up at the stars. He could see so many from here. Thinking about space gave him a sort of reverse claustrophobia; it was strange to think that there was just so much... space. He closed his eyes and laid down. Nico had been gone nearly three months now. If he were alive, then he obviously didn't care about Percy, and if he was dead then he wasn't coming back. Should Percy just move on? How long should he wait? He sighed. He hated when things got complicated.
"Percy, are you okay?"
Speaking of complications, here came Cameron. They had started talking again, but Percy maintained his distance. The blonde was dangerous to his fragile relationship.
"No. I'm so not okay."
Cameron sat next to him and Percy opened his eyes. He could feel the other man's body heat in contrast to the cool breeze coming off of the lake.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Cameron offered.
"Nope. Nothing you don't already know."
Blue eyes looked Percy over. It killed him to see Percy hurting like this. Maybe he should just tell him that Nico wasn't coming back. He was the only one who knew. That would lead to a lot of questions, though. The son of Hades was a hard one to get rid of, but he had finally had success. Brian had failed him. Garrett had failed him. Even the baby hydra hadn't so much as scratched Nico. Finally he had taken things into his own hands, and success had been sweet. It hadn't been easy to learn how to get rid of the child of Death, but he knew a guy who knew a guy who could put living mortals into the pre-afterlife. Pompeii had been someone else's idea. Cameron was just going to stick him in a factory somewhere with a bunch of killed workers, but as soon as someone mentioned Pompeii he knew that was the one. Nico would know exactly how he had felt that day, only he would feel it over and over forever. It was better than death.
"Summer's ending."
Percy's voice brought Cameron back to the present.
"Yeah. Campers will be heading home soon. What are you going to do with a little down time?"
"There will be enough staying that I think I'll stay busy. It's for the best, really. I guess I don't have to worry about making time for Nico anymore."
Percy's upset was palpable. Cameron almost didn't know how to handle such strong emotions from the man, especially knowing that he was partly responsible. Tentatively he reached over and put his hand on the other man's. Percy didn't acknowledge it, but Cameron felt his mood change. Percy was still laying on the dock, staring at the stars. Something came over Cameron as he looked at the young man and he suddenly found himself bending down and kissing Percy.
"Don't..." Percy said quietly, but those green eyes were fixed on Cameron's mouth. Cameron played it cool and sat back up, giving Percy some space. "You're so warm." Percy said, touching his lips, "That feels so weird."
"Does it feel bad?" Cameron asked, really hoping that he wouldn't mess this moment up.
Percy was quiet for a moment before saying, "No."
"Does it feel good?"
"...I don't know..."
Cameron leaned down again, and when the other warrior didn't move away he kissed him again. His heart immediately beat faster. He was kissing Percy Jackson! He nearly fainted when Percy at last began kissing back. He was scared, Cameron could tell. He put his fingers in the dark hair and Percy seemed to calm a little, but his body still trembled slightly. Cameron's tongue licked at Percy's lips, but the other man refused him entry. That was ok, Cameron could wait. He desperately didn't want to, but his head was already swimming from these vanilla kisses. Percy finally broke it to breathe. He looked like he had just broken his mother's vase; he knew he was in trouble, but was trying to come up with an explanation anyway. Cameron ran a finger down the side of his face and Percy closed his eyes, laying his head back on the dock.
"I'm a terrible person." Percy lamented. He had liked that way too much. Nico hadn't ever even crossed his mind. It hadn't felt like cheating. What did that mean?
"No you're not, Percy. It's fine."
"You don't know." he sat up and pouted.
"Fine, so I don't. I just don't like to see you upset."
"Well, the love of my life is missing and I'm not sure if he's been eaten by a Hydra, or hit by a car, or just... doesn't want to come back. I mean, he hates this place, he hates you, he hates being a demigod and all that comes with it." Percy's breathing started to thin out and he gasped, "I think the only things he likes are bashing brains in and having sex with me."
Cameron stayed quiet, letting Percy vent. Truthfully things were a lot more heavy than he would have preferred at the moment, but Percy needed him, so he let it happen. Percy was breaking. It was the perfect time to wiggle himself into the boy's heart. He couldn't be too forward, though. He didn't want to scare Percy away. Patience, he told his pants, patience. He put his hands on either side of the other man's face and turned him to look at Cameron. Green eyes flitted to the other man's lips and Cameron gave him what that look had said he wanted. Percy instantly kissed back and Cameron wasted no time in swiping his tongue across the other man's lips again. This time Percy complied.
Percy hadn't meant to, but the warmth of Cameron's mouth, his tongue, his hands, had caused him to moan. That fired Cameron up and his hands started roaming. Percy didn't know what else to do, so he grabbed onto Cameron and held on. He was stuck between feeling that this was wrong and thinking 'Fuck it, just this once.' Then he felt Cameron's hand on his crotch and it was all too much. He pushed Cameron away and quickly stood up.
"I need to go to bed. Alone." he said firmly, looking at Cameron. He felt the sudden need to wash his sins away and hope that in the morning everything would be okay. Luckily Cameron let him leave without a word.