Disclaimer:: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus or its characters. They are the property of Rick Riorden, and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.
To say Nico was nervous would be an understatement; He was petrified. From the time he arrived at school to the time he headed towards the bus that would be taking them to the city at lunch, he had changed his mind countless times. And now standing at the edge of the parking lot looking at the half bus they would be stuck in for hours on the way to the city, he had no idea what he wanted to do.
"Nico!" He turned and watched as Frank, Hazel and Clarisse came towards him.
"Hey guys." Nico tried to sound as excited as they looked. Frank slung his arm around Nico's shoulders.
"You ready for this?"
"I'm honestly not sure."
Hazel slung her arm around his waist, "Oh, it will be fun, don't worry. And these guys always put on quite a show." Nico tensed until they released him and moved towards the bus, it was too late to run now. He thought about how Percy was the only one who seemed to notice his aversion to being touched. He stood silently and watched as his friends boarded the bus. With one last deep breath Nico followed behind, pausing at the top of the stairs. He tried to decide if it was good luck or very bad; there was only one seat left.
Percy waved excitedly, "Nico, over here!" A big grin on his face.
Nico smiled weakly and moved down the aisle to where Percy was sitting in the back. The older boy stood and gestured for him to slide in before he sat down next to him.
"I'm glad you decided to come." Percy slide down in his seat, leaning close so his voice could be heard over the voices of their friends laughing and joking.
"Well I figured if I didn't you'd just show up at my place and kidnap me."
Percy stared wide eyed and slack jawed. Nico laughed at the near horror on his face, "Chill Percy, I was joking."
Percy blinked, a small smirk crept onto his face. "No, that can't be it. Nico di Angelo doesn't have a sense of humor." Percy winked at him, Nico couldn't help but smile back. Maybe he could do this.
Bad traffic had made it a very long bus ride but Nico was still disappointed when it was over. Him and Percy had spent a long while talking quietly, sitting low in their seats so close their arms brushed against each other. They didn't suddenly open up and have a deep and meaningful share session; mostly they talked about unimportant stuff like movies, music and video games. And of course their shared interest in swordsmanship and excitement over the convention. But to Nico it was a very special time. After a while Percy yawned and crossed his arms over his chest before snuggling onto Nico's shoulder and falling asleep. Nico stiffened and almost pushed his crush away, but then he looked down at his sleeping face and just couldn't bring himself to do it. He glanced around the bus; no one was paying any attention to them. Hazel and Frank were snuggled up talking quietly, Clarisse had her headphones in and was bobbing her head in time to the beat, Jason had his arm around Piper as they talked animatedly to Reyna. Nico sighed and looked back down at Percy; his messy black hair was hanging over his eyes and he had a goofy grin on his face. Before he even realized what he was doing Nico had reached out and gently brushed his hair back. It was thick and soft; Nico had to resist the urge to bury his hands in it. He felt his face heat up and bile rise in his throat like he was going to throw up. Percy made a small noise in the back of his throat, it almost sounded like a soft moan, and snuggled in closer to Nico. Still no one seemed to notice the two boys. Nico leaned his head on the window and closed his eyes, willing his heart to stop racing and his breath to even out. And most importantly he tried to control to quick burn in his groin that started when Percy moaned at his touch.
Nico woke when the bus lurched to a stop and Mr. Ares yelled something about staying put. Percy started to shift and Nico noticed at some point while they were sleeping he had linked his arm through Nico's, and he had drooled a little bit on Nico's shoulder. Now awake Percy pulled away and wiped his eyes with a yawn. Nico thought it was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.
Percy glanced at him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You drool when you sleep." Nico gestured to the small damp spot on his shirt. Percy blushed deeply, he looked mortified. Nico smiled, "Don't worry; it will be our little secret." Percy returned his smile; his cheeks still a little red.
Nico didn't know how have hadn't thought of it before, but now standing with three other boys in a hotel room with only two beds he realized he had been an idiot. The other guys didn't seem to notice the math didn't add up. Percy and Frank were gathering their stuff and getting ready for their competition and Jason had stretched out on the bed chatting about dinner. Nico stood awkwardly by the window, he didn't want to be the one to bring up sleeping arrangements.
In 20 minutes Mr. Ares collected the boys to meet the girls. They stopped at a burger joint for dinner, eating on the bus while they headed to the competition. Percy bounced around excitedly the entire time, making Nico tired just watching him. When they got to the gym Percy, Frank, Clarisse and Reyna rushed off with Mr. Ares to sign in leaving Piper, Hazel, Jason and Nico to find seats.
To say Nico was impressed would be an understatement. For a bunch of high school kids they wielded their swords like trained soldiers. Frank's large size and heavy muscle tone made him very powerful, the competitors had trouble holding on and staying put. Clarisse was ruthless and fierce and Reyna was super quick. Nico found himself feeling a little proud of his friends, they each won their events and Percy had been chosen to join another top competitor in the last event of the night: a full battle with real blades. They would be dulled of course, and both parties would be in full body protection, but it was a high honor. They cleared out of the gym for a break before the final event and Mr. Ares wondered away to discuss the safety regulations with the officials.
Nico stood slightly away from the group; he smiled as he watched his friends talk. He was glad he decided to come. Suddenly he felt a hot breath on the back of his neck and a harsh whisper in his ear.