Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson. Gods, do I wish I did. Can you imagine owning Nico di Angelo? (Licks lips) Mm. Yummy.

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy (Nicercy)

Warnings: Slash, Mpreg

AN: Well. Hello again. So, this is the sequel to Nightmares and Hot Chocolate, as per requested by Takara Phoenix. (Insert fan-girl squeal here) Yes, the Nicercy goddess wants to read my writing. I know, I'm shocked too. But, anyway, she wanted a sequel and so here it is! (Can you say no to a goddess?)

Mornings and Blue Paint

As a demigod and mother, Percy Jackson was a light sleeper. He was in that state of semi-consciousness, as the morning sunlight warmed his relaxed face and the cotton sheets caressed his skin. He stretched slightly and then curled back around his huge belly, debating on whether he should get up. Nico probably needed help with something, but Percy could just bring up the pregnant excuse and he'd get to lie in bed all day.

Percy sighed contently, burying his face in his pillow. Maybe he really would-

Thud!

Percy bolted up in bed, immediately reaching for Riptide on the nightstand and uncapping it. His bronze sword appeared and glowed faintly in the morning light. Percy held it loosely and crept out of the bed to the door. At the top of the stairs, he paused and listened for any other noise.

Nothing.

Percy continued down the stairs, tense and ready for whatever he would find. Faolin's room was just off to the side of the stairs, which is where Percy looked first. He noticed right away that the bed was empty, causing Percy to nearly drop his sword in panic.

His heart in his throat, Percy ran to the only other room he hadn't checked. "NICO! Where's-" He stopped suddenly at the doorway of Nico's home office, blinking at the unexpected sight.

Nico and Faolin were sitting on the floor, both covered in blue paint and staring up at Percy with the guiltiest expressions possible. Percy ignored that for now, and instead rushed over to Faolin and swept his son up into his arms, uncaring of the blue paint.

"Oh, thank the gods!" Percy ran his hands through Faolin's dark curls and pressed his face into his shoulder.

"Mama," Faolin mumbled into Percy's shirt. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetie. I just…"

"Mama just missed you is all," Nico interrupted, going to take Faolin from Percy's arms. He knew why Percy's first reaction to seeing Faolin's empty bed was panic; he had lived through two wars, after all. Nico probably wouldn't have fared much better.

"I missed you too, Mama!" Faolin grinned and waved his arms wildly. "Me and Daddy were finishin' the room cause he didn't do it last night."

Percy finally seemed to notice the state the room was in. Paint was applied messily to the walls and some was even smeared across the windows and ceiling. How…

Percy turned his attention back to his boys, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrows raised. "Well?"

Nico and Faolin simultaneously pointed to each other, smirks on both their faces. "He did it!"

Percy rolled his eyes, laughing slightly. "Nico, didn't I tell you to finish this room last night? And why did you drag Faolin into this?"

"Yeah, Daddy!" Faolin skipped to Percy's side, glaring in disapproval at his father. "Mama said to do this last night! But did you listen? Nope!" He copied Percy's position.

Nico stared at his son with his mouth partly open and eyes wide. "What?! You're the one who-" He dragged his desperate gaze back to Percy, "He distracted me! I swear!"

Trying to keep a straight face, Percy wrapped his arms around Faolin and pulled him into his side. "How can you blame our boy? Really, Nico, you should learn to take responsibility." When Faolin nodded sagely beside him, Percy nearly lost it. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the smile from his face.

"Learn to tak-" Nico groaned and turned away from them, muttering in a mix of Italian and English. Something about "changing sides".

"Well." Percy sighed dramatically. "I suppose I should help since I'm up." He shook Faolin's shoulder gently. "You up for painting some more, my little artist?"

Faolin grinned up at Percy and nodded quickly. "Yeah! I already showed Daddy how to hold the brush! Do you want me to show you?" He didn't even bother to wait for Percy to answer, and instead just pulled him to where the brushes and paint buckets where stacked.

While Faolin showed Percy the correct way to hold a paintbrush and babbling about other techniques, Nico watched them fondly. Percy was smiling and taking Faolin's instructions to heart, practically glowing. One hand held a brush and the other was placed on his very round stomach, like it had been for the previous nine months. There was hardly ever a time when Percy wasn't touching his pregnant belly, no matter what he was doing.

"…And I'll teach Kas when she gets out of your tummy so she'll be as good as me!"

Percy chuckled and ruffled Faolin's hair. "That's very nice of you, Faolin. I'm sure your sister will love you for it."

Percy looked like he was going to melt when Faolin beamed at him. "That's what Daddy said! I'm gonna be the bestest big brother ever!"

Percy cooed and kissed Faolin's forehead. "Yeah, baby. The bestest."

AN: Wow, sorry, Takara. This is NOT what I pictured when I sat down to write this thing. Hope I still did okay.