Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, all associated characters and trademarks are property of Rick Riordan and his Publisher.

A/N: Oh. . THIS IS NOT A JOKE. I have UPDATED. Are you shocked? I am. I took a writing break and now I'm baaaaaaaack. I hope I still have a reader or two out there o.0

A specific Note to Lyokoyaoi (If you're still reading this): I apologize a thousand times over and hand over my extensive collection of mental Yaoi, I swore I wouldn't stop writing a dedication fic until it was finished and look what I did….

ON WITH THE STORY!

Aphrodite's Garden 5

Burning shame

Nico yawned and started to stretch when he felt the body in front of him, tensing slightly he opened his eyes and realized that sometime in the night he had rolled so he was facing Percy.

Said demigod was still pretty deeply asleep and Nico didn't really want to wake him, he was studying the others features, trying to understand why his stomach seemed to be twisting itself into happy little knots. He swallowed hard and tried to move away only to realize that he couldn't, Percy was holding him to tightly.

Nico huffed and rolled so that he was at least facing away and immediately shrank back, the mist was less than an inch from his face. "Percy…"

His voice was small as he realized that while they slept the walls of white cloud had moved in toward them, leaving next to no space, "Percy! Wake up…Percy…" He started elbowing him, unable to bring himself to do much else, this mist seemed more frightening then the stuff they'd been dealing with.

Percy groaned and opened his eyes, taking a second to look around before he managed to sit up, the sleeve that brushed the mist burning away and letting them both know what was in store for them should they touch it.

They moved closer together, frightened as Nico looked at him, "What do we do?"

Percy shook his head, "I don't know, we can't find our way out because if we touch it…." He bit his lip, "let's stand up for now though, I can't really feel my feet."

They helped each other up so that neither of them touched the mist, the second there was more space the stuff swept in, giving them about half an inch in all directions. Nico clung tightly to Percy, his breath coming faster as Percy looked around desperately, "Per-Percy I'm claustrophobic!"

Percy looked down at him, worried as Nico pressed his face into his shirt, "Aphrodite!" He yelled, hoping maybe the goddess would give him a hint, "Aphrodite, we need help!"

The only answer he got was the ground sliding away from him, "Nico!" he yelled as he fell backwards, bracing himself for the worst as Nico cried out, losing his balance and falling with him.

Both boys had their eyes shut tight as they hit the mist, expecting to feel the awful burning sensation one experiences when acid is involved, instead they fell on the grass completely unharmed.

"wha-?" Nico gasped, opening his eyes and sitting up only to find himself naked, beside Percy was also nude.

"It only burns off….clothes?" he asked, blushing and trying to cover himself as Nico looked awkwardly away.

After searching the small space that had opened up around them they gave up and simply decided to bear with the nudity, neither really complaining much about the other.

Percy forcibly directed his mind away from Nico's body, which was much nicer than he thought it would be as they tried to puzzle out what the purpose of this nakedness was.

Finally Nico had a thought, "Percy, what if it's like…a metaphor, we should be open with each other so that it's like all our thoughts and stuff are naked?"

Percy nodded slowly, "Well I guess that could be it, but do we literally have to be…naked?" Nico shrugged, his cheeks still bright red.

They were silent as they moved on, again finding their path oddly free of obstacles for sometime, neither male looked at the other for a long time until a familiar voice rang out from in front of them.

Percy jumped hard, causing Nico to stop searching for the source of Annabeths voice and look at him, gasping in surprise, she was right in front of him.

"You're…gay? But I thought…" She looked confused, but didn't seem to actually see them and Nico jumped when he heard Percy's voice from right in front of him, turning to see another Percy nodding.

"Yeah…I-uh-I'm really sorry 'beth. I thought about it for a long time and it feels more right. I do love you, but not like that…I-er I thought I did but I guess I just didn't know so I hope you're not offended by it, I just don't know what to do now I mean I care about you and all and I-"

"Percy you talk to much, it's okay. I'm not mad…hurt yeah, I think I need a little bit to think about this too..but I understand why you want to end it." Annabeth seemed to be wavering and the real Percy moved to touch her, she vanished and so did the Percy-but-not-Percy.

"What was that?" Nico asked, looking with huge eyes at Percy who was pale, "That was how I broke up with Annabeth…I felt so bad and I regret how I did it…I wish I'd never dated her because that hurt her a lot."

Nico was quiet for a bit and then he nodded, "Oh…okay I guess, but why did it just pop up like th-" His own voice cut him off.

"Thantos..I don't know if I can do this…I really loved him." A Nico-but-not-Nico had emerged from the mist along with an apparition of the god Thantos and Percy looked over at Nico who was looking at the two of them mortified.

The Thantos in front of them spoke now, " Nico, he killed many, many people and you were his next victim, if you hadn't broke things off with him you would be dead."

The not-Nico seemed torn, "I know that but…the punishment fields of Tarturus? Do I really have to?"

Thantos nodded, "you're the only one who knows him well enough to be able to lure him, besides I don't know who he is, just have the vague idea from your father and seeing as you won't tell me, you'll have to do it."

Percy looked at Nico in confusion and moved closer to him, "Nic, what is this?" he whispered as the Thantos vanished and a new person took his place. Nico licked his lips, scared, "I dated a guy…he was a murder but I didn't know until it was his time to die, Thantos couldn't find him for some reason so he sent me, the guy was planning on killing me and I had to be the one to send him to Tarturus, even thought I was in love with him right up until then…"

Percy raised an eyebrow, "You dated…a guy?" Nico flushed, staring resolutely at the not-Nico and the other male who was now fighting him, "Yeah…I was gonna tell you but…I'm gay too."

As he said this the guy vanished and the not-Nico followed a second later, leaving Percy and Nico alone with the wounds of their regrets refreshed.

A/N: THANKS TO REINING3! The idea for the regrets piece came from them! MUCH LOVE!