Not to Be
AN: Last chapter. Thanks to everyone who read my scary idea of a fic. But I kind of had to write this so I could finally get to real Percy/Nico. Keep an eye out, I'll be slashing among the PJ fandom later. (And if after you read this, you find you are very concerned about what goes on between my OCs - though I seriously doubt you care - I may make a short one shot to wrap up their fates.)
It was an increasing feeling of dread that had been growing in the pit of Aiden's stomach since Nico had saved the nameless man that urged the son of death into climbing the hill. Something was calling him forward. He supposed it was the entrance to the Underworld, after all that was his father's job - he takes souls straight to Charon - so of course he visited the numerous entrances a lot.
Aiden knew, with the same kind of knowing as one knows how to walk, that he should wait for Nico.
But that lightening was really strange. So up the hill he went. And it was probably as smart as purposely starting World War 3.
Atë stared at Nico for a long time.
"Maybe I was doing too good of a job this time." She muttered.
"Oh shut up." He snapped.
"Or it could partly be Aphrodite's fault. I suppose I could ask Eros." She continued, as if he hadn't said anything at all.
"Do all of the minor gods know each other?" He complained.
"And goddesses." She corrected him.
"Not my question."
"Yes, we aren't going to get recognition alone, are we?"
"Oh never mind. And dad wonders why I don't date woman." Nico grumbled.
"Hold your tongue demigod." Atë said demigod like it was an insult. Which, since they got more screen time with her father then she ever did, it probably was. "This is exactly why I'm sick of sticking around you! At least Rylee had an ounce of respect in her."
"Why are you visiting Rylee?" Nico felt the creeping feel of worry enter his mind. What was that girl up to?
"Everybody seems to hate Percy Jackson these days, but forget about that. I want to know if you're ready to go and make the right decision. So, are you?" She stood up and put her hands on her hips, glaring at him as if daring him to answer incorrectly. It was a scary impersonation of Zeus, except she didn't have nearly as much power in her hands. Or maybe she did. One foolish decision could destroy your entire life.
"Not yet." Nico never really did have the common sense to be scared.
"Well I'm gone and if I ever see you again when it comes to your state of affairs with Percy Jackson, mark my words, you, Nico Di Angelo, will have the worst luck this side of the underworld!" With that Atë sped away.
"Well fuck you!" Nico muttered. What did she expect him to do? He stared at the direction she had went, as lost as ever, until a trio of wrinkly woman passed by. The Litae.
"Have you seen that ridiculous excuse of a goddess Atë?" One croaked at him.
He jerked his thumb in the opposite direction that she had run off in. "You just missed her." They fled, arguing among themselves about how Zeus always liked her best.
Nico knew what he had to do, knew how he had to do it. Kind of like how you knew how to walk.
"He is good." Thalia commented.
"Well, lets hope he's not to good. If Jilli gets killed, he won't have to worry about Hades, he won't be awake to aware of it." Rylee frowned and started to hike up the hill.
"Alright, how about we don't do anything to my brother. Then I won't be obligated to fry your ass."Thalia said, in a mock polite tone.
"I'd love to see you try." Rylee snapped back.
"I can't tell if they've become really good friend, or really good enemies." Annabeth mumbled, so only Percy could hear her.
"Doesn't matter, Thalia always switches it up." He replied. Both appeared to be teenage girls around fifteen in age and even though Thalia was about a good five years older then Rylee, it wasn't always obvious which one could have been the older one.
"Looks like Jillian has been here." Annabeth commented, raising her voice so that the two bickering demigods in front of them could was pointing at a column of rock at least twice the size of Percy.
"She's good too." Thalia said.
"Hell yeah." Rylee grinned. Annabeth chuckled. And then the earthquake hit them.
It wasn't anything big but a small rumble but it sure beat the light tone their lack of urgency had until it was black and blue and as not light as it could possibly be.
"Hey wait!" Thalia shouted, taking off after Rylee, who had launched into a run worthy of Atë and Hermes as she went up the hill.
Suddenly, she froze and soon Thalia was standing next her. And when Percy and Annabeth caught up, all four were staring at the worst excuse for a valley they had ever seen.
The ground below was just rock, moving rock and lightening hit everywhere and everything with increasing frequency. It was hell on earth, minus the fire. And right in the middle of it stood Conor and Jillian.
Nico ran right into Aiden as he stormed up the hill.
"Oh thank gods you are still here." Nico gasped, leaning over to catch his breath.
"Uh yeah. So... I have to get to the top of this hill, it's just that. I've got to move." Aiden started to move up again when Nico grabbed his hand.
"Wait, wait." And suddenly he was kissing him like there was nothing wrong. But of course, both of them now had that sinking feeling of dread and both really needed to go and fix whatever was causing it.
"Sorry for everything." Nico said pulling away and dashing the rest of the way up the hill.
"Whats everything?" Aiden said. Then he repeated himself, shouting this time. "Whats everything?" But Nico had already made it up over the crest of the hill, thrusting himself in the middle of whatevr was going on.
"Rylee." Percy had grabbed the teenagers arm, preventing her from charging straight into the middle of the fight.
"Let go of me Jackson." She growled.
"Rylee, we have to think about this. We need a plan." Annabeth explained.
"I don't," Percy said.
"Well, I'm sorry we all aren't invincable like you, but some of us plan on coming out of this alive, so just wait."
"Or we could use Nico." Rylee said, a sudden smile gracing her face.
"Of course we could use him. Why do you think I wanted him along?" Annabeth snapped, face scrunching up in concintration. Thalia clenched her fists, her paitence growing thin.
"Any ideas of how we could get in there without being crushed?" She asked.
"I'm working on it."
"Or we could use Nico." Rylee stressed.
"Well Nico isn't here!" Annabeth snapped. No sooner had the words left her mouth, did Rylee throw her arms around a tall, gangly teenager with long black hair. It was Nico, and right behind him was another boy she had never seen before. Great, so many demigods and nothing to do with them.
"Why didn't you say it was my sister?" Nico glared daggers at Percy, after letting go of Rylee. (She had moved on to hug Aiden anyways.)
"You didn't give me a chance." Percy defended himself.
"You are one of the most stubborn people I know, nothing prevented you from kicking my door down and telling me about your stupid plan anyways!" Nico snapped. He was face to face with the son of the sea god, and suddenly everybody who had only really known Nico as a small twelve year old boy, realized that he was just as tall as Percy, if not taller. When had he grown up?
"I don't have death wish, Di Angelo." Percy bit out. If Nico wanted to play the last name game, that was fine by him.
"Like hell, Jackson."
"You are such a creep." Jillian muttered, sending rock after rock flying torwards her opponent. Maybe if she concentrated hard enough, she could send one of the bigger ones after him.
"Where is she?" Conor thundered.
"I don't have her!" She shouted, whipping around and trying with all her might to get the boulder flying. He raised his hand and sent a powerful bolt of lightening to destroy it.
"Give me her." Conor demanded, pulling her closer to his face.
"Fuck off!" Jillian shouted, anger pouring more power into her veins.
It was then that the skeletons joined the party.
"Okay, Annabeth we've got to move!" Thalia shouted.
"I'm still thinking!" She told them.
"It's to late for that!" Percy told her, leaning forward to kiss her. "Please don't help until you think it's safe. Please?"
"Ugh, Jackson, you've got no time for that, you have to come and save my sister." Nico said coldly. And it was probably the incredably sad and knowing look that sent Nico over the edge.
Right before they charged off, he grabbed a fistful of Percy's shirt and had smashed his mouth against the older demigod's.
"Hi, I'm Aiden, Nico's boyfriend."Aiden stuck his hand out.
"Annabeth, Percy's wife." Annabeth clenched his hand much harder then he would have liked.
"Now, lets go save my sister." Nico pulled away, still looking furious. And because they were boys, both managed to run straight in the middle of the fight without a second thought. Thalia was right behind them.
"Rylee, I've got a plan!" Annabeth shouted, grabbing the teenager's wrist and dragging her to the left, right towards Conor's blindside. Aiden stood there for a couple minutes. And right around when the small war zone was blocked out by a completely personal patch o rain did Aiden go diving into the fight himself.
A week later
"So, Aiden seems okay." Percy said awkwardly.
"Yeah, he's pretty..." Nico trailed off trying to find the right word. Because the fact was, Aiden was pretty much his and that's all that mattered anymore.
Percy raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. The silence stretched on, neither boy wanting to really say much of anything.
Nico had been avoiding talking to Percy like the plague and Percy had been almost to happy to go along with it. So, Nico spent a lot of time with his arms around Jillian, as if daring anybody to drive her away again, and Percy spent a lot of time just doing things. He cleaned stables, he practiced with swords, he let Annabeth try to convince him to go talk to Nico. (Because even married, they were still Annabeth and Percy. The most most argumentative couple on the face of the earth.) Nico would talk to him when he wanted to, besides Percy didn't have anything to say really. As it was, it took the entire week before Nico had decided to approach the son of Poseidon and here they were.
"I love you." Nico muttered.
"So they tell me." Percy said, his voice sounding more like a whisper then regular speaking tone.
"Yeah." It was quiet again. Suddenly, Nico leaned over and kissed him.
"Gods, you have got to stop doing that!" Percy said, pulling away.
"Yeah," Nico rolled his eyes, "we're even. I'll see you around Perce."
Two years later
There was a knock on the door. Somewhere deep within the hallways, Aiden groaned.
"Rylee, it's your turn." Nico said, not looking up from his book.
"Is not." Rylee replied. Both took the time to glare at each other, very briefly leaving their textbooks neglected.
"Nico, get the door!" Jillian shouted from the kitchen. Nico groaned. That was easier for her to say, she was the only one who didn't have schoolwork to attend to. The knock was repeated, this time louder and more persistent.
"Nico!" Aiden and Rylee screeched in unison. Very childishly, the Ghost King stuck his tounge out at them before answering the door.
"Jackson." He said, a smirk playing across his face.
"Di Angelo." Percy replied, grinning.
"Hey Nico." Annabeth sighed, shoving a duffel bag into his hands.
"How long do you think you'll be long this time?" Nico asked, taking a sleeping little T.J. from her father's hands.
"A week?" Percy looked at Annabeth, unsure.
"Two to be safe." She confirmed. Rylee showed up and stole the toddler from his hands.
"Oh, T.J. sitting!" She whispered, excited.
"I love you," Percy called after her.
"I love you too." Nico replied cheekily. Annabeth groaned.
"Thanks Nico." She said.
"Yeah, thanks man." Percy echoed. Nico smirked.
"Mmm hmm, see ya around." He shut the door.
"Why do we leave her with him?" Annabeth asked when they were finally outside.
"He's my secret gay lover, what are going to do?" He shrugged and sighed as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Oh shut up!" She punched him in the shoulder, because, gods, that so wasn't funny.