Chapter Four

While Percy had no idea what the monster meant that the Underworld awaited him, but he went out regardless. In his defense, he was still hungry and the sleeping Nico desperately needed food. Aside from the soup that he served he didn't know when the last time Nico ate.

He returned with an armful of Chinese food and luckily the dark-eyed man was sitting up on the couch working the puzzle much faster than Percy was able. He had completed most of Poseidon's palace and the fish around it. Just while he was there Nico placed three more pieces together.

There was a crunch at his feet, and he looked down. Beneath the soles of his shoes there was dirt. He looked at Nico, ready to ask, but he motioned him to come forward and the question died.

"I got some food," Percy announced, handing him a white carton and chopsticks out of the white bag. He was surprised that Nico knew how to work chopsticks, but he didn't know why it surprised him. Nico had been all over the world - thanks to shadow traveling. Of course he would know how to use them.

Percy settled with using a fork.

"Do you know why they want you," Nico asked, popping a square chicken in his mouth.

"Your father? I don't know."

"I don't think it's dad," he took another bite, covering the edginess in his tone.

"You know something."

He swallowed hurriedly, "not really. Someone in the Underworld wants you, that's obvious. I don't think it's my dad, though."

Percy stabbed his noodles. "This will never end."

"What?"

"Being chased by monsters."

"We're demigods. It's part of the job."

Percy recalled the days when he dreamt of living with Annabeth in New Rome, going to college, getting jobs, and most of all they would lead normal and safe lives. All that was taken away - and sure, he could still go to New Rome, be accepted among them, go to college and be safe. But it didn't hold the same attraction. There was no one to share that with, no one worth moving away from Camp Half-Blood for. If he was going to be alone he'd rather be fighting monsters, but if there was someone else to live longer for... There wasn't anyone like that... No one except Nico.

Nico took a dumpling and motioned to the jigsaw puzzle. "You got another one around here?"

"A ton."

That was how the next few days were passed. They pieced together caves and lake houses and pastures of horses. They talked sparingly, laughed occasionally (Percy more than Nico), and above all enjoyed each other's company (at least Percy enjoyed his).

At Nico's insistence, they ordered in. Percy imagined that Nico wasn't quite up for another quarrel with monsters just yet and maybe he actually liked his company. Whatever the reason, Percy was happy to oblige. It was the longest time they had been together without fighting. In fact, they had never been in each other's company for so long. Percy had learned that he enjoyed Nico being around, especially when he wasn't throwing him dirty or confused looks.

They took to sparring in the living room. Percy arrogantly assumed Nico may be a bit rusty in his swords-play, but that was not at all true. Percy had to put forth the same amount of effort into fighting with a flock of harpies as he had to fight with Nico, and even three days later he was having difficulty keeping up with him.

Percy continued dodging and blocking more of his strikes. He fell backward on to the carpet, the Stygian sword causing a deep gash in the coffee table, pieces of the jigsaw flying. Percy rolled under the table. Nico hopped up on it.

"This is below you, Jackson. Come out and fight," Nico laughed.

Percy pushed the table up, Nico slid down like he was a pro skater, falling to his knees and doing a slick combat roll, bouncing to his feet. That infuriated Percy, and he stood, his sword raised high, but in a blink Riptide had flew into the kitchen, scratching the linoleum, and he was backed into the wall, the edge Nico's black sword placed at his jugular.

Nico was breathing hard, the scent of Percy's mint toothpaste wafting over his face, and he smirked at him, but Nico didn't smile back, his eyes true to their form of shattered glass, of haunting ghosts. For one terrible moment Percy feared that his head would be severed, but the sword lowered.

The space between them widened and he felt cold, unarmed and helpless and his heart wouldn't slow, every tendon in his body strung tightly. One more touch and he would break. He straightened, pushing himself off the wall, keeping himself from grabbing Nico back to his side. It was like walking on a tightrope – one wrong word and he would lose the beautiful illusion.

Nico, like a ghost, could disappear at any time. Once he was gone, no one knew where he would turn up next or when they would see him again. There wasn't a war, a quest with Hazel, there was nothing that tied them together anymore. For all Percy knew, it could be the last time he was with Nico and time was running out, the hour-glass emptying.

"I have to go," Nico said, clenching the hilt of his sword, not turning to face him.

Fear, with its razor sharp claws climbed up into his throat. "You don't have to."

"I've overstayed my welcome." He sheathed his sword, picking up his jacket from the arm of the couch.

"You couldn't do that."

Nico's jaw was taunt, muscles twitching. "You don't understand anything." Anger had filled his voice, practically spitting it out like a poison.

The truth itched inside of him, demanding to be let out. "Nico -"

"Stop."

"I like you."

The moment froze, like a glitch in a DVD. Of all the things that Percy thought he would feel when he said those words aloud, he didn't expect to feel lightened. Once he had literally carried the weight of the sky and it was not nearly hard as it was keeping that secret from Nico.

With a clatter Nico placed his weapon on the table. "You like me," he asked dubiously.

"I love you," he corrected, reveling in the truth of it. "I love you, Nico."

"Since when?" His tone hadn't lost its anger, in fact, it was harder – rougher.

"In New Rome, when you introduced yourself."

"That moment?"

"In a lot of moments. It's complicated, Nico, it didn't happen over night, but it happened. So, don't leave."

"Why not?" He spun to him, his nose wrinkled, his eyes narrowed, sneering like a feral animal. "Because you suddenly have feelings for me? Or is this all because you don't have Annabeth, you have to settle for second best?"

He scowled, "you were never second best."

"Forget it, Percy."

"I've done that once, I don't plan on it again."

"Is this a joke?"

"No," he exhaled. Admitting he liked Nico was effortless compared to what he was going to confess. "Annabeth and I broke up, because I can't get over you. I'm not saying it's fair, but I want this."

"And you always get what you want."

"No, but this time I'm hoping to."

Nico's face fell, becoming fearful, like a deer in headlights. "You're being truthful?"

"Of course."

"Oh." The silence was deafening for a long time before he said, "I - I don't know..."

Percy tried to shrug, but it came out as a twitch. There wasn't much more time. Either Nico was going to leave or stay and the older demigod wasn't about to surrender without having fought.

"Give it a try."

He looked uncertain, but Percy approached him slowly. Whatever had remained of Nico's harsh mien had yielded, but his breath was as brisk as it had been when they were sparring. Just as carefully and just as slowly, he touched his neck tracing the blue of his veins, moving up to finger the sharp ends of his silky hair.

Nico's shoulder's dropped slightly, the crease between his brows smoothing. Percy tried not to smile, not be obvious of his enjoyment of being close to him, of touching him.

Spidery fingers brushed under his wrist, over his pulse point. It must have increased in its beat because there was a malicious glint in Nico's eyes. Percy swallowed any string of fear that was caused by it, refusing to be frightened by him. He knew him, better than anyone else. Nico wouldn't hurt him. All Nico ever tried to do was save him.

"Please," Percy groaned, begging.

His fingers constricted almost painfully, shifting up his arm to the crook of his elbow. Percy waited with bated breath until Nico finally looked into his eyes.

It was sudden, as he leaned forward and Nico reached up, their lips crashed together. It was surprisingly soft, warm and melting. It lit something inside of Percy, he saw lightning behind his lids, a roaring in his ears. He was in the midst of a storm.

He tugged at Nico, bringing him closer, tangling his inky curls. He couldn't get enough, his hands sliding down to his back, clutching at his shirt. It wasn't close enough.

Nico clutched his shoulders, taking his lip between his teeth, his tongue heating the inside of his mouth with lust. With that their kisses were no longer sweet but a battlefield for dominance, and Percy liked to have thought he was winning, until Nico was pushing him back toward the bedroom.

Understanding, Percy made quick work with their clothing, running his hand under Nico's shirt, over his skin that was deliciously hotter than he would've imagined. He swiped off his top as they blundered their way to Percy's bed. The edge hit the back of his legs causing him to fall backward where he brought Nico roughly on top of him.

The younger man took advantage and brought his knees up by his new lover's waist, his nails digging in, marking him, claiming him, his kisses harder and more possessive as if he was trying to pour into it every emotion he's had over him.

Percy breathed in Nico's dark scent, like damp caverns, and the deepest of the darkest woods. He felt every caress, every bite and kiss times a thousand what it would have been with anyone else. Percy appreciated the irony of feeling alive with the lord of death, yet as Nico pushed his hips against Percy's he forgot all of it and only remembered him.

Percy rolled him under his body, lying fully on him, nibbling and sucking at his neck. Nico cursed - or at least it felt like a curse - it sounded Italian at least. Nico continued to mutter in that language, shoving Percy under him once more, undoing the button of his jeans, his breath coming hard and fast.

With shaking hands, he set about Nico's jeans as well. When they kicked them to the floor, Percy took in Nico, the muscles not always seen and the deepening darkness of his eyes, the curls of his shoulder-length hair. He couldn't hold it in much longer.

"Finalmente," Nico whispered huskily.

Percy could hardly think, but he asked, "what does that mean?"

Nico ran his hands from his shoulders to his hands, locking their fingers. "It means I've waited a long time."

"I won't let you wait again," he promised, sitting up and stealing his mouth.

Night had set and so had Percy and Nico. Skin to skin they laid, soaking up the moon's rays. Percy kissed the supple spot behind Nico's ear. If only he never had to move again. They could stay there and pretend that the world with its gods and monsters didn't exist. Only they existed and there was only peace.

Nico twisted in his hold, his nose burying itself in his neck. He kissed Percy's throat. "I left marks." Gently, his icy touch made trails across his shoulders where bruises in the shape of fingers and teeth marred.

"I've had worse."

"Don't challenge me," Nico mumbled, pecking kisses under his chin.

"We missed dinner. We should get some pizza."

There was a second hesitation, his sight locking on Percy's forearm where SPQR was tattooed, forever a reminder of his time at Camp Jupiter. Nico traced the letters with his thumb.

"Or we could eat in." That dodging timbre was back in his voice.

"I say we go out," he tested him and when he didn't answer he sat up suddenly, causing Nico to moan and not quite in the way that Percy was loving earlier. "What is it? You're hiding something from me."

Nico didn't meet his gaze.

"Is this another trick of yours? Like when you handed me over to your father?"

Nico's cheeks flamed. "You're never going to trust me, are you?"

"I can't trust you if you keep secrets from me."

"Like you did? All this time you had these feelings for me and you didn't say anything?"

"You didn't!"

"That's not the same thing."

"It's not?"

He sat up, too, but didn't let even their knees bump, quite a feet in the twin bed they were sharing. "I'm not from this era. In my time... You couldn't come out like that. I was diseased - sick. And to think, being the son of Hades..."

"This isn't the 1930's, Nico. This is okay."

"Now it is, but this is not the world I belong in."

Percy rolled his eyes. "This is where you belong."

Nico swung out of bed, jerking on his black jeans and t-shirt. "You can't go out, Percy."

"Why not?"

There was a pause in his slighted movements, a pity. "You have a price on your head. That's why I'm here: To keep you from going back to the Underworld. It was not a coincidence that I was there when your phone was stolen. I've been keeping an eye on you, waiting for something like that to happen."

Percy stood from the bed, more enraged than he had been when he was locked in Hades' palace. "You've what?!"

Nico looked vulnerable - startled even, but Percy wasn't feeling generous. He felt murderous. He felt duped and cheated.

"Persephone wants you. You know, you don't always get a nice call from the Underworld. They send others after you."

Persephone wanting him made no sense, but he could tell that Nico was being honest. Percy nodded. "Get out."

"I can't do that. You're in danger, they could come here. I'm cloaking you as best as I can. You stink of death, that's why we're not swarmed by monsters. It wasn't easy because I smell like you, but I managed it with cemetery dirt at your door and windows."

He didn't know which to respond to, the cloaking or the cemetery dirt that he stepped in. He decided to go with the former. "That's what that was. Cloaking me?"

Anger flashed across Nico's face. "What was any of it for? Getting you out of my father's cells, coming for you in the maze -"

"Saving Annabeth?"

"I like Annabeth," he seethed, "I didn't like her with you. But everything I've done has been to help you. I did it because I love you."

Percy sat at the edge of his bed, his nerves strung high. He didn't like such confrontations where he couldn't fight off the enemy with force, and Nico wasn't the enemy and Percy had to step up, but he couldn't think. The room smelled heavy of sex and his skin smelled of him.

"Percy, I love you. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do was accept who I am and how I felt about you. Now that I have... This is my fault."

"How is this your fault?"

"Because I think Persephone knows about my feelings for you. I talked to Bob about you. She could've overheard... I don't know why it makes a difference to her but Persephone hates me. She could be going after you to get to me."

The gods couldn't stand to let them be, to afford them any happiness. His first night with Nico was stained with the news, making him angry. His quick temper was thanks to his father, and it was something he tried to repress with jokes, but he was older and Nico was serious. He sighed, letting it go, and he stood.

"Then I guess you have no choice but to take me there."

Nico waved his hands, "no."

"I'm not asking."

"I'm not doing it."

"You're not the only child of Hades that I can ask," Percy threatened.

"For once, sit out. It's dangerous, Percy, they don't like letting people leaving there alive. She might not let you come back this time. What if she kills you? What if I can't get you back here?"

"That's a chance I'll take."

"What for? We can handle this."

"If Persephone wants me, there's nothing that we can do that'll stop her. You know that."

Nico shook his head, his eyes watering. "Don't make me lose you now."

Percy's ire faded quickly at the sight of his vulnerability, and he grabbed the base of his boyfriend's neck, pressing a hard kiss to his forehead. "We're not going to hide."

Nico leaned into him, resting his head on his chest, right over his heart. "Okay, but be respectful. Don't be sarcastic. She turned me into a dandelion once."

"Doesn't sound worse than being a guinea pig."

Nico laughed, deep and soothing. Nico laughing had become non-existent to rare to uncommon. Percy relished the sound every time he heard it.

"If you die, I'll never forgive you," he warned, it muffled but vibrating his ribs.

"Fine." Percy bowed, capturing his mouth, guiding him back to the bed. Just one more time before he went to the land of the dead.