Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/7802989.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Percy_Jackson_and_the_Olympians_-_Rick_Riordan, The_Heroes_of_Olympus_-
      Rick_Riordan
  Relationship:
      Will_Solace/Nico_di_Angelo, Jason_Grace/Nico_di_Angelo, Percy_Jackson/
      Nico_di_Angelo, OC/Nico_di_Angelo(past)
  Character:
      Nico_di_Angelo, Jason_Grace, Will_Solace, Percy_Jackson, Annabeth_Chase,
      Piper_McLean, Hazel_Levesque, Jared(OC)
  Additional Tags:
      Post-Canon, past_relationship, big_foursome_you_could_say, not_for_a
      while_though, a_long_road_trip, use_of_some_technologies, for_specific
      reason, ...weird_tags, big_love_fest_for_Nico, yay:), Mildly_Dubious
      Consent, Smut, tidbits_of_fluff, Some_angst, videos, Minor_Violence
  Stats:
      Published: 2016-08-18 Updated: 2017-06-22 Chapters: 6/? Words: 33201
****** Nico's Love ******
by Spring_Azalea
Summary
     After a breakup, Nico has been more withdrawn than usual and has
     since been secluded in his cabin. This drives three of his biggest
     admirers to bring about the son of Hades by making him join them in a
     road trip to Camp Jupiter. At Nico's own reluctance, he eventually
     agrees. What Percy, Jason and Will don't expect however is a side to
     Nico they discover through a series of videos pertaining to the
     events of his past relationship with a boy named Jared. Its only then
     that the three demigods grow increasingly attached to Nico. All the
     while Nico is oblivious to their rising love for him.
***** Begining *****
Chapter Notes
     This was developed because I was curious to see if Nico could have a
     'relationship' with three of his admirers, not like in my first
     fanfic.
     There is still a possibility that he could just end up with one
     person but that just depends on where the story will take me:p.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
“Did you hear?”
“…no Perce, I did not. But do enlighten me, what did you hear?” Jason rolled
his eyes. Percy glowers for the mock sarcasm; peeved that Jason’s focus
remained on the sword he was polishing than on him.
“At least look like you’re interested?” he grumbled.
Jason briefly looks up, his expression openly impatient and annoyed - and only
ever directed at him. That was just Percy’s cue to get on with it already. It’s
almost irritating how much Jason pretends to care less when Percy knows better.
Why else would it peek his interest... well, not really, but he was getting
somewhere.
“Its Nico” Percy finally says. This causes a reaction in him. His hands slow
over his golden weapon, so at least he’s paying attention.
“What about Nico?” he asks curiously.
Percy looks down at his own sword, discarding the rag he’d been using up until
now, and lifts Riptide in the air. The small reflection he could make out on
the surface stares back and he frowns. “…That punk Jared broke up with Neeks…”
he discloses, stomach secretly twisting in a knot at this fact.
Jason stops the motion of his hands and his brows knit together in confusion
but Percy knows he’s surprised too. “You’re saying that’s why Nico’s been
distant lately?”
Percy nods. “…always wondered why he was acting strange so I asked around”, he
shrugged.
Jason immediately narrows his eyes in suspicion, taking this silent moment to
study him closely. Percy can practically see him connectimg the dots.
“You gave Jared his new busted face, didn’t you?” he slowly smirks. Percy
returns to his work and offers nothing else but a shrug and a smile. Jason
shakes his head disapprovingly, but chuckles despite himself. “…So they broke
up, but why bring it up? Are you planning on forcing Nico out of the Hades’
cabin? You know that didn’t end well with Will.”
They both grimaced at the memory.
Not that Will was horrifically disfigured or anything. No.
During his attempts to coax Nico out of hiding, a group of summomed skeleton
soldiers 'kindly' escorted him back out. And by that Percy really means he had
seen the Apollo boy unceremoniously tossed out.
Funnily enough, several pairs of limbs were pretty attached to Will’s own after
that. Bones that Jason and Percy had to help pry off because it was scaring the
younger campers, and that hadn't been an easy task.
“You’re only going to make a fool of yourself if you try” Jason adds on, his
attention evenly divided between his work and Percy.
“What? No. That's- that’s not it” Percy scoffs, gaze quickly drifting to the
side so that Jason can't catch on or hint at what he's thinking.
A small part of him had already decided to give it try because the heartbroken
son of Hade was in dire need of some sunlight right about now. Will would
certainly agree that it was long overdue.
But, between the two of them, Jason has a more likely chance of getting through
to Nico - which he so grudgingly hates to admit. For some odd reason, Nico
considers Jason to be one of his closest friends. Aside from Will that is. So
with his help, and a decently formulated plan, Percy figured they could make
some headway. If he doesn't want a repeat of what happened with Will, Percy
shouldn't go alone. But he doesn't want to make Nico feel cornered either.
Solution: bring Jason.
“Oh, I see…” Jason starts nodding his head.
Whatever signs he picked up on, Percy curses himself again for being easy to
read. Jason probably knows already that he won't be able to get very far. Jerk.
Chuckling softly, Jason asks, “So what can we do to weasel Nico out of
hiding?" Fortunately for him, he kindly passes the opportunity to tease Percy.
But seriously, how would he know.
“You tell me” he grumbles.
Nico's sort of known for shutting the door on anyone's face when
inconvenienced, and he's definitely not known for small talk. But he sure is
talk of being one the coolest boys in camp and that's solely based on his
angelic good looks.
Rumor mill can also attest to his awesome abilities as a child of the big
three. But obviously, that's beside the point. He's getting sidetracked.
How will they go about hanging out with Nico?
“Hmmm... Hazel’s been pretty concerned about him” Jason brings up, “Last I
checked she said Nico only visits her every so often. Not like he used to
anyways.”
“Are you going to use Hazel as the lure now?” Percy arches a brow.
“No you idiot, but maybe we could get him to ride with us to New Rome for that
summer cooperation thing happening in a few days. Seeing Hazel will make him
feel better I'm sure. Kill two bird with one stone, ya know.”
“You really think he’ll just sit in a tin box with four wheels the whole way?”
Percy deadpans, “Are you forgetting he’s avoiding everyone?”
“And can shadow travel, yes I’m aware. But I figured we could try. It’s been
three months, he’s bound to open up soon.”
“Obviously you forget Nico can be stubborn.” Percy sighs.
“Do you have any better ideas?” Jason countered with a huff.
He pauses to think for a moment but the silence stretches for far too long and
Percy gives. He has nothing to offer when Jason stares at him expectedly.
Finally, Percy sets his newly polished riptide in its pen form and shoves it in
his pocket with a tired sigh. They have their plan.
Jason followed suit, an understanding smile touching his lips. Will suddenly
decides to enter the armory in that moment and he stops in his tracks when he
spots the two together, seemingly surprised.
“…I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” he warily asks, walking past the side
of them to reach a wall of weapons. Percy and Jason blush at the implication,
and Will lightly chuckles at the sight. He grabs a quiver and bow before
carefully adjusting it around himself. “Don’t suppose you two want to join me
for practice” he smiles, already making his way out.
“If only to see how much you suck” Percy instantly grins, following suit with a
set of his own archery items.
“You’re one to talk”, Will snickers back.
“Don’t go sticking your foot in your mouth, Perce” Jason also laughs, tagging
closely behind so all three could reach the archery grounds.
After a decent amount of training, some bantering words thrown at each other
and showing off, Jason and Percy eventually inform Will of their thoughts, all
their concerns about Nico, and the trip across the country.
Will was all the more happy to do whatever it takes to help Nico, something
that he and Jason found equally amusing. Could he be any more obvious about
crushing on Nico?
For some time now, Percy’s been increasingly aware of Will’s affections towards
the son of Hades but it was no different from his own feelings, or Jason’s. So
he was clearly not one to talk. Not like they even stood a chance with Nico,
but they could dream right?
Still makes him wonder though. How had someone as repulsive and arrogant as
Jared ever get his indecent hands on the small Italian boy? It was always such
a mystery to them. For that douche to even touch Nico was a feat in and of
itself.
Percy, Will and Jason are only lucky enough to be around Nico if they don’t do
anything to set him off.  Makes everything else all the more unfair. To this
day it was still unexplained. Nico however wasn’t open to sharing anything with
them.
Then again, the three were the onlythree that can get away with talking to Nico
at all. Everyone else is either ignored, avoided, or too scared to approach
within ten feet of him. Percy had to say he felt a little special.
Their small fan club was something of an awkward and weird group, even if they
were commonly after the same beautiful person they’ve been admiring from a
distance.
Anyway, now that their little lesson on one-upping each other was over, dinner
was just in time to greet them. As usual, Nico was nowhere to be seen. Skipping
was now a regular thing for him but Will, as always, wasn’t having it.
Percy and Jason decided to join him on his trip to the Hades’ cabin. He was
prepared for the possibility of Nico turning them away.
But when they reach his door, he didn’t think they’d come face to face with
Jared of all people.
As in the stupid Nike’s boy slamming head first into Jason’s muscled body
because his fuming stride out the door was thwarted by their presence there.
He stumbled back through the doorway before properly facing them. He scowled at
the sight and promptly excused himself in a hurry without so much as a glance
back.
They curiously watched him go but it was Nico’s cool crisp voice that brought
their focus back to him. “What are you three doing here?”
Percy turns, a smile taking form on his lips but it slowly fades when he sees
Nico’s slightly puffy eyes, his blotchy red cheeks, and the tussled look of his
clothes and hair. 
“Hey” Will greets happily, ignoring Nico’s concerning appearance for the time
being. Everyone knows that Nico hated unwanted attention. Even if the worry was
appropriately valid. Percy on the other hand struggles to keep his questions to
himself. Nico obviously wasn’t up to an interrogation. “…We just uh…came by to
bring you dinner”. Together, they all hold up portions of the food they snuck
out of the dinning pavilion.
Nico stares at it, blinking, and from what Percy could discern, slowly starts
to smile. “Oh. Um, thanks” he softly says, inching the slightest bit closer to
hold his hands out in gratitude. “…So I missed dinner?”
“You didn’t really miss much” Jason answers with a kind smile, “Unless you
would’ve liked to watch Leo’s newest little invention explode in his face. He’s
now covered in some colored dye,” he chuckles. Nico seemingly rolls his eyes,
really trying for a true smile. Trust Jason to lighten his mood easily.
“I can only imagine”, he murmurs, taking his time to search through the food he
was given. Nothing seems to peak his interest as of yet. Percy tries not to
frown deeply. It’s almost like Nico wasn’t planning on eating any of it at all.
Jason and Will noticed too, so what better way to make sure Nico eats than by
kindly inviting themselves in.
“…Nico…” Percy steps up, catching Nico's full attention, “Is it okay if we can
come in… We were just wondering if we could, I don’t know, spend some
time…since you’re always… uh…” Percy fiddles nervously with his fingers,
feeling a bit idiotic now that he’d become a bit tongue tied in front of Nico.
Nico arches a brow, blinking once and frowning.  “I’m not sure you’d like to”
he drawls out, “You’ll end up running out of here.”
The three give him matching looks of confusion so he chuckles, leaning against
the door frame.
“Well… it’s been long since we’ve hung out” Will simply insists, “Whatever it
is couldn’t be that bad.”
Nico stares at them, incredulous, but eventually shrugs, allowing them in by
courteously opening the door further. Once inside, Percy chokes down a cry of
horror, Jason and Will no different when they spot a row of dead bodies ranging
from all kinds of tragic accidents.
“Oh go-” Will gags, mouth snapping shut before he could finish - or maybe he
was just trying not to inhale the putrid odor wafting in the air. Nico is
slightly amused by the apparent shock in their gaping expressions as they
continue to stare. Percy was honestly not expecting this.
“Please tell me you didn’t go on killing spree” Will manages out, promptly
rounding on him with wide startled eyes, afraid for his sake, “Are you going to
need some kind of alibi?” he whispers.
Nico sends him a flat look before rolling his eyes, “No you idiot.” He places
his meal on a nearby dresser and somehow, Percy knows it's going to go
untouched for the rest of the day. “I’m just helping my father again.
Cataloging. This just happens to be the last of the bodies I need to work with.
Do you want to help?” he smirks, coming to carefully kneel by a thinning
corpse, patches of shriveled skin barely hanging on to the bones.
“Help bury them?” Jason asks with a grimace.
“No” Nico simply says, adjusting the body to better observe it.
Nico doesn’t speak anymore, his full attention better pointed to probing the
skull between his small hands. Percy watches with slight fascination as he runs
his nimble fingers over the exposed bones, numerous cracks and chipped surfaces
only momentarily accounted for.
“…What exactly is it that you’re doing?” Percy eventually asks when Nico has
yet to say.
He bravely steps forward, reaching Nico's side even though he wanted to put as
much distance between these bodies and him. Jason and Will hesitantly join him.
When Nico does answer, it’s after he produces a clipboard that magically
appears out of thin air. Cool.
“Cataloging” Nico repeats absently, rapidly scribbling notes in Greek. Percy
vaguely catches words like deceased, some approximated time and what really
stood out to him, a name.
“Jo…anna?” he reads carefully, eyes shifting back to the corpse in front of
them all. A girl?
Nico hums in response, still aggressively writing. The words were impressively
clean and clear but Percy can’t see much with his hand still in the way. It
doesn’t stop Will from leaning in extremely close though, and Percy may or may
not want to push him away because of it. But he's startled into more confusion
when he catches the way Will tenses, mouth immediately falling open, shocked
for the second time today and for a whole new reason.
“…This girl…was murdered?…” Will's brows knit together, seemingly uncertain,
but the obvious discomfort outweighed that, like the statement alone was
horrific enough. His eyes quickly glide over Nico's perfect writing and Nico
pauses, his head turning slightly to offer a painful smile.
“…Yes” he whispered, gazing at the body with sad eyes. Percy gapes next, as
does Jason. Is she the reason why his appearance was so uncharacteristically
rumpled?
At first, he had blamed Jared for Nico's current gloom, but that doesn't seem
to be the case. Though why he would be with Nico in the first place was beyond
him? He pushed those thoughts aside for now, more increasingly curious over
what was happening with Nico and these corpses.
“What are you… talking about? Why, uh, murdered?”
“Well...these bodies” Nico softly begins, setting down his clipboard in order
to probe once more with gentle hands, “They were only recently uncovered. Right
now its my job to give them their name. Find out what happened to them. That
way it’ll be easier to put them at rest… Thanatos piled me with this set.
Usually he’s not so precise so I’m doing most of the work”, he added with a
dismissive shrug.
“…You’re helping lost souls?” Jason says with amazement, rather impressed
already.
“For the most part”, Nico blushes, “This particular group were victims of
murder but I need to write down every detail I can find that tells me so.”
“Wait,” Percy cuts in, “Are you saying you can tell if they were murdered or
not?”
“Yes” he confirms. It was then that Will picks up the clip board, his jaw set
in a hard line, eyes glazed with sorrow every time he looks at the body Nico
was currently observing.
“This is just horrible…” he states sadly, and Nico nods with equal sadness.
“What’s wrong?” Jason inquires. Nico pursues his lips, but he starts to
carefully explain his findings in the simplest of terms, reciting his notes as
he points to some part of the body, and they follow with obedient rapture.
“There are cuts around her arms, some on her ribs and a few nicks across her
face... " He guides their gaze across the her arms and pauses tensely, "These
fractures circling her wrists and ankles, that tells me she was...you know
restrained by something..." His jaw clenches and Will bites his lip in a sorry
attempt to not look away like they all know he wants to. Nico continues on.
"Little cracks running up what would be her elbow, and then this..." he cradles
the skull in his hand before turning it gently over. One look at those cracks,
the way it looks caved in, and all Percy can think is how painful it must have
been. "... It's blunt force trauma.” 
Percy wasn’t sure how it was possible to know what exactly happened from this
but Nico made it easier on them with a little demonstration. Using the woman’s
lost soul.
Nico stands at the corpse’s feet and whispers into the air, holds his hands out
to it, then does a pulling motion. Just like that, a spirit slowly emerges up,
a beautiful woman that looked to be in her early twenties wearing simple
clothes. She gazes at Nico for a moment before closing her eyes patiently.
“Joanna Mason. 22. Brown long hair. Light brown eyes. 5’4 feet. 127 pounds.
Reported missing in 1967 by her family after not coming home from a party with
a group of her friends” Nico listlessly states.
Percy, Jason and Will looked with wide eyes as the girl stood motionless, but
Percy also gazed at Nico when he noticed his clenched fists firmly at his
sides.
“She was…kidnapped, wasn’t she?” Will guesses, looking at a piece of paper he
flipped to that wasn’t in Nico’s handwriting. It was an article. “No one’s been
able to find her body and everyone gave up, is that right?”
Nico doesn’t say anything, more intent in communicating with Joanna’s ghost
before all but suddenly, they’re standing around a street during the middle of
the night. Will drops the clipboard out of sheer surprise, and Percy can't
blame him.
Nico puts his finger to his lips, and they remain silent. He then starts
pointing behind them and it was then that he realized Nico was using the mist
to manifest the woman’s memory. When did he learn how to do that?
She’s walking towards them, her hands furiously rubbing at her upper arms to
warm herself up from the cold. Snow piled near the buildings and at the edge of
the sidewalk. Her foot slightly slips on a patch of ice from her rapid pace but
she manages to balance herself. She laughs to herself, slowing down as a
precaution but then suddenly stops.
Now she’s looking around, as if trying to find something. To Percy it feels
strange because they hear or see nothing. It seems that whoever was following
her wasn’t very discreet about it. However, she thinks nothing of it and
continues on. Ever so slowly, she begins to speed walk, subtly looking past her
shoulder and this time Percy’s certain she’s seen something.
Jason and Will intently watch, Nico all the while concentrating his energy on
keeping the memory going. It’s scary how much of this was happening and Percy
would’ve been a little more frightened if he had seen who it was that attacked
her. But there’s nothing.
An unknown force collides with her and she screams, thrashing, kicking, and
clawing at whatever was apparently on her. Luckily, she slips away, stumbling
to a stand and sprinting as fast as she could.
They all gasp, gazing at Nico to see if he was just as horrified but his eyes
are closed. Percy wanted to do the same, but something about this compelled him
to continue watching.
Somehow she ends up in an alley, her racing mind probably thinking she could
hide. Unfortunately, she’s discovered. She starts whimpering, pleading
helplessly at the person cornering her. Percy couldn’t look away as she backs
up, tripping and now crashing to the ground, landing on her elbows in order to
break her fall.
That’s when Percy remembers the cracks Nico had pointed to before. This was how
she got them. She also must have hit her head because she’s momentarily dazed,
allowing whoever chased her to grab on. An invisible hand pulls her head up
before it’s slammed down. Everything goes completely dark.
The three are gaping at this point, Percy’s stomach especially churning but
that’s not the worst part. Nico is weakly moving, holding his arms out once
more to bring out the next memory.
This time, they’re in a dim small room, the woman they’ve been watching until
now tied with rope restraints. She’s crying loudly, her muffled screams
bouncing off the concrete walls but no one comes.
Her wrists and ankles are bleeding, all her hopeless thrashing making the thick
ropes bite into her skin. She stops immediately when it seems like she sees
something because she glares, her weak sniffles calming down enough to start
yelling instead.
Whatever it is, it’s indistinguishable, Percy straining to at least catch a
word or sentence, but its nothing. It was foreign and garbled, like he was
listening to an old radio past it’s prime. It’s only stops when she’s slapped,
her head snapping to the side with a surprised yelp.
This time, Percy actually turns away, not as curious as he first felt because
now more than ever, he wants a toilet to throw up in. Whoever killed her must
have been one psychotic fucker or hated her so much. She’s a bleeding mess by
the time she can’t scream anymore and even them the person doesn’t stop.
Jason and Will are stiff, their own speechless gaze shifting to something else.
Nico must realize what it’s doing to them because the memory stops and they’re
back in his cabin. If he wasn’t so shocked maybe he would’ve caught Nico in
time but Jason was quick enough to grab him. Nico’s breathing hard, his wide
rapid eyes moving but not seeing anything.
“J-just give me… a moment…” he breathed out, swallowing down his short painful
gasps, “S-sorry, even after all this time I can’t ever get used to it”, he
gulps.
Will runs to bring a bottle of water, holding it up to Nico’s lips as he’s
closely held by Jason on the floor. Nico looks extremely rattled, shaking
intensely from what Percy could see, so they’re all worried. Why would he put
himself through this, how long has he been doing this for, and why do it alone?
Percy turns to look at the corpses nearby but he jumps a few good inches off
the ground when  he finds Joanna’s ghost directly in front of him. She calmly
glides past him to sits at Nico’s side, waiting, expressionless, with not a
single movement until Nico’s placing his fingers to her forehead. With a small
soft tap, she’s gone.
Nico heavily slumps against Jason, trying to regain much of his composure.
Until then, they wait for Nico to catch his breath. When he tries to sit up,
Will bravely forces him down, sending him a glare that Nico returns knowingly.
Before Nico could start with his protests, Will is shoving the bottle of water
in his face.
“Keep drinking” he orders seriously, “You’ve been doing this for a while,
haven’t you? All that energy you used up drained you. This could easily kill
you if you keep at it.”
“So far, I’ve been pretty well off without help” Nico grunted, slapping his
hand away and attempting to move. This time all three of them pin him down so
he curses. “Hands off you idiots, I need to get up before it’s too late.”
“What are you talking about?” Jason asks, firmly keeping his arms around his
shoulders. All the while Nico is weakly pushing at his head with a seemingly
child-like glower. He looked incredibly small this way, innocent and frail.
With what had just happened its no wonder he can’t escape from them.
Gods. Shivers of his own are still running down his spine. He’s definitely
going to have nightmares. This is exactly the kind of problem he tries to avoid
at all cost. Monsters are one thing but real tragic life is another. A more
delicate complication that involves too many feelings. Percy can’t deal with
that.
Nico kicks a little more earnestly, biting out a few jibing insults but they
just sigh, thoroughly used to this kind of thing already.
Not the crying though. Yeah… Nico started crying, and not that small oncoming
teary eyed kicked puppy dog look. Full blown loud sob-fest with snot and
streaming water works that required a rag, not just tissue.
“L-let go, let go, l-let go already”, he keeps repeating, lightly smacking at
Jason’s head but Jason doesn’t react because he’s too busy gawking down at Nico
with utter surprise. “Need t-to s-stop it or… it- it’ll keep going…” he chokes
out, every word strained and whimpered. The tears increase so he’s curling into
Jason’s embrace saying things like ‘idiot’, ‘all your fault’ and ‘don’t look’.
“Um Nico?” Jason lightly squeaks, awkwardly hugging him back as his small hands
grip his shirt. “…uh…there, there…” he stupidly comforts but Nico smacks him
for it.
They don’t know how long it lasts but when it does end, Nico is sleeping, his
puffed face hiding in Jason’s neck. He carefully moves him to Will, only then
looking down at himself to examine his partly soaked shirt. “…I think I need to
grab another shirt” he mumbled.
Percy and Will blink, glancing at Nico now that he was like this. “Wonder how
long it’ll be before he wakes up,” Will mutters, slowly coming to a stand with
Nico perfectly cradled in his arms. He moves around, past the dead bodies to
Nico’s clean bed.
They tuck him in and silently watch as Nico instantly curls into a tiny ball.
Percy frowns, subtly glancing at the other two to see what they’ll do next.
When they don’t do anything he rolls his eyes, toeing off his shoes before
climbing on next to Nico.
“What the heck Percy!” Jason immediately hisses, grabbing at the back of his
shirt to pull him away now that his arms were securely wrapped around Nico.
Percy smirks, slapping his hands as well as Will’s.
“I’m just keeping him company” he defensively reasons but maybe he shouldn’t
have said that as he openly and bit giddily snuggles Nico warmly to his chest.
Wow, he’s so soft.
“Yeah right you fucking prick, get your perverted hands off him” Will
childishly complains, grunting when his efforts only manage to slide him over
the sheets. With Nico he might add. At this, Nico lightly groans and mutters,
nothing they can understand but he’s breathing softly again.
“Ugh!” Will stomps helplessly, grousing out his stream of complaints because
that’s all he can do.
Percy laughs smugly, bringing his arms over Nico’s thin body and placing his
hand to the back of his head. Meanwhile he’s checking if the boy is finally
calming down. The trembling he’d been feeling up until now is coming to a
complete stop. It was a relief to him so he stays like this as the two above
him continue to snap at him.
They give up after a while, Will absolutely grumpy and Jason slightly
understanding. Maybe because he was the one that took Nico’s other side,
managing to get the better hold on him the jerk.
“Don’t let those disgusting hands of yours wander Jackson”, Will lastly warns
before going to the bodies. Percy rolls his eyes again, but he also lifts his
head up to see what Will was doing now.
“I’m going to finish Nico’s work” he glares when they both ask. “This is
exactly the kind a job coroners do. I may not be all that precise like Nico but
I know enough unlike you two useless dolts.”
Percy shrugs, not denying his useless presence but one could easily care less
if you’re contently holding the person you secretly love. Plenty satisfied
here. Jason is ignoring everything else too, his eyes softly gazing at Nico as
he strokes his hair tenderly out of his face. Nico was angelic even when he
sleeps. So cute.
Time passes by, Will working intently for Nico’s sake and Percy’s slowly drifts
off. His nose digs into Nico’s soft tuffs of curls, inhaling his natural scent,
sweeter and more favorable to the rotting odor still in the air. The last thing
he sees is Jason’s blue eyes locked on Nico’s precious face, obviously staying
up to keep him safe.
As long as he could keep Nico close himself, he forgets about everything else.
Especially that terrible relay of Joanna’s last dying moments. That’s something
he definitely wants purged from his mind. Her tragedy is horrible but he
doesn’t want them haunting him  in his sleep as well.
 
Chapter End Notes
     When I was writing that part with Nico and the bodies, I always
     wondered what type of work he would do that didn't involve just
     fighting monsters. Plus, I think Nico would be a pretty cool coroner
     - if that were to be his human job sort of thing.
     This is just my wistful thinking and I'm going to roll with it.
     Please leave a comment to tell me what you think. (•ω•)
***** Yes or no? Hopefully yes. *****
Chapter Notes
     Second chapter is here!
     First things first, I wanted to say sorry to anyone that may have
     been sensitive to any of what happened in the first chapter towards
     the end. I should have put a warning up and I feel bad for
     forgetting. The last thing I want is to offend anyone. If that short
     scene was too much, please forgive me. I won't let it happen again.
     Second, in this chap. there's like a little surprise around the
     ending so I just wanted to warn you all of that. It's a bit of smut
     and no, no don't get too excited because you might not like it. Just
     know that it's very short and like little to no detail.
     ...I'm actually not sure what's consider little in the world of smut
     but I've warned you soooooo
     Enjoy!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Upon waking up, Percy was only slightly grateful that he didn’t have dirt all
over himself. The hard aches on his back were screaming at him in protest, but
this could’ve gone all wrong. So it was better than he could imagine.
To the sound of muffled crunching he opened his eyes and instantly spotted Nico
above him. He was peacefully munching away from a bowl of cereal adorably
cradled in his arms. There he sat on the wooden railing of his porch, leaning
against a supporting pillar without a care in the world. He sure looked
comfortable.
As odd as it may seem, Percy felt an uncomfortable pressure over his body.
Someone laid on his legs while another was pressed at his stomach, making him
wheeze from discomfort. Taking a sore peek down at himself, he found that Jason
was using him as his pillow while Will rested on Percy’s legs, perfectly
equipped with a blanket and pillow of his own.
“Mornin’ dorks” Nico mockingly greeted. His small smirk came down on them in a
condescending quality instead of the sun he was thankfully blocking. “Was
wondering when you’d wake up so you could run along” he continues with a cheek-
full of milk and Choco puffs.
“Wha?” Percy groggily mumbled, groaning loudly when his back seized up from all
the movement, “Shit, Jason get off already.”
“Wher- wa’s goin on?” he dazedly asked, suddenly sitting up and hissing from
pain. Percy cringed at the unnatural loud sound of Jason’s back popping. The
fear of knowing his would do the same if he attempted to move again kept him
frozen. These floor boards are far from gentle.
“Did- did you make us sleep outside?” Jason incredulously asks now that he’s
taking in their surroundings. He blushes when a few campers happened to pass by
for a laugh or two.
Oh gods. Percy struggles to lift off the dark hard woods and weakly kicking at
Will to get him off next. That’s when he finally took the time to fully assess
Will’s current state. “…How come Will has a blanket and pillow?” he pointed out
appalled.
Will finally sat up, his tousled curly hair hurriedly wiped from his face and
he blinks rapidly. “M-morning Nico” he kindly greeted as soon as he sees him.
The idiot clumsily comes to a rise but his feet get tangled in the process,
“Shit” he mutters, now stumbling towards Nico.
“Seriously?” Jason whispers, also eyeing what Percy was seeing with disbelief.
“Annabeth and Piper came looking for you two by the way” Nico calmly informs
with a point of his spoon, ignoring their amusing states for the meantime but
Percy’s sure he’s getting a kick out of this. He momentarily cups his bowl,
bringing it to his lips for a sip of the remaining milk and when he’s finished
he goes on. “I told them you needed rest and they let you be. So… are you well
rested?” he dully inquires, pointedly glaring at him and Jason.
Percy struggles to his feet and he’s sure that his little whimpered cries are
all the answer Nico needed. Just as he slowly comes to a ‘proper’ stand, he
glowers at Nico himself. “Oh just great, it’s like all the stress has been
lifted” he sarcastically bites.
“I thought as much” Nico smirks. “Feeling ok there Will?” he personally faces,
moving from his well-adjusted seat over the railing only to nimbly come down
and step in front of them.
Will is silent for a moment, looks to the blanket and pillow curiously, and
then slowly nods. “Uh…yeah, I feel pretty great.”
“Then I’m done babysitting you all”, Nico rolls his eyes. “If you don’t mind,
I’d appreciate it if you three get lost. I’m a very busy demigod and I don’t
have time to take care of you.” He stretches his body, hands in the air with a
hearty yawn kind a thing before ever so peacefully walking away with his empty
bowl.
“Hold on a minute!” Percy yells after him. His limbs are awkwardly stiff and
heavy but he manages to power through, too proud to acknowledge the aching
grief his muscles were experiencing.
“Go away Percy” Nico tiredly sighs.
“Was it so much trouble to at least wake us up instead of dumping us on your
porch” Percy huffs at him.
“I did try. But you’re all a bunch of dead logs” Nico shrugs, “I did learn
something though…” he starts differently, kindly slowing his pace down to allow
Percy to catch up, the other two not far behind, “You can be such a drooler
Percy. Honestly I was almost afraid you’d drown in your own liquids but then
again… you are the son of Poseidon.”
Percy immediately reddens at this while Jason and Will don’t bother to suppress
their snickered laughs like the good friends they were. Nico gives him a hint
of an amused smile so he makes an effort to excuse himself – but to no avail.
Nico ends up stopping his poorly executed words before he foolishly hurts
himself any further. “…Anyways, I have to get ready for the days ahead so don’t
bother me anymore.”
“Wait Nico!” Jason calls next, shoving past Percy as he stands there still
flustered out of his mind, embarrassment eventually replaced with mild
surprise. “It’s for the summer event in Camp Jupiter right…”
Nico doesn’t respond, instead trails up to the dining pavilion for more food.
That was a good sign. But when he starts making his way back to his cabin,
Percy was more than certain it would be the last of Nico they’d see. If they
don’t stop him now that is.
“We were actually wondering if we could talk to you about that…” Jason pushes
on, making sure that he was in line with Nico’s quick steps. The little Italian
boy arches a brow in acknowledgement, encouraging him to further explain.
Percy is about ready to pitch in, knowing that this is exactly what they had
planned on doing. But Jason changes everything by taking Nico aside without his
or Will’s company. Nico scowls at him for the handling, Percy also wanting to
snap at Jason for going off on his own. In the end he carefully watches beside
Will, noticing Nico’s demeanor slowly changing from that of an irritated one
with a contemplative one.
“Well... I guess its fine… I mean…Will did help me finish faster… and Hazel has
been IM’ing me nonstop… … plus, shadow travelling will tire me more…” Nico
pensively lists off, looking off into space as if thoroughly pondering
something. Jason is slowly smiling, pleased that it had Nico thinking
carefully. Will and Percy only wait patiently to hear a ‘yes I’ll go’.
“No, I can’t, sorry” Nico finally answers. With that he turns around to leave.
“What?! Hey why not?” Jason calls out, running up to him when he manages to put
some distance between them. Man, he’s too fast. Or maybe they were too sore to
move any faster. Percy goes after the two anyways, more than surprised himself
when it had just seemed like Nico was about to agree.
“I said I’m busy” Nico repeats, fairly annoyed this time, “That errand I need
to do: get the bodies I have to Thanatos in a morgue I always meet him in.”
“Then we’ll help you!” Will immediately offers, clearly jumping on any
opportunity to be with Nico, “They’re too many of them for you to deliver alone
and even with your shadow travelling you’ll be dead tired.”
Nico stops to looks at him, rather uncertain but it had him thinking once more.
It was progress. “I don’t know… its not that much of a fun trip…”
“Of course it can be if you just join us already” Percy gently insists, the
other two nodding quickly in agreement.
Nico gives them all a face, pursing his lips and crossing his arms as he
scrutinizes them with apparent suspicion, “What is it with you three trying to
get me to travel with you?”
“Uh…We j-just-” Jason stutters, somehow caught off guard and trying to find
words so he clears his throat, “We just wanted to make you feel better” he
mumbles indistinguishably. Nico’s impatient gaze asks to elaborate but it’s
Will who steps in.
“You’ve been locked inside your cabin for so long…” Will starts truthfully,
“After, y-you know…”
“No, I don’t” Nico stressed in particular anger. By the looks of it, he
doesunderstand and it’s obvious that that’s too much of a personal subject to
touch upon. Will presses his lips together to form a thin line and Jason
doesn’t step up anymore.
“…You’re always alone…” Percy jumps in, “When we try to see you, you push us
away and when we don’t see you, it’s because you’re hiding from us. Can’t we
hang out without having a reason to? We kinda miss seeing you around.” Percy
had unknowingly gone serious but he can say with upmost honesty that he cares
deeply when he says this. ‘Course, Nico doesn’t need to know that, or he’s a
just little too dense to realize where his concern is coming from.
“Don’t you think it’s about time to stop hiding in your cabin?” Will repeats
almost quietly, giving him the smallest impression of a pleading look. Nico
starts to blush and uncrosses him arms to fidget with his muffin.
“…Gods…you all sound like Hazel” Nico grumbles, “…but fine” he relents
willingly, giving them a tiny hint of a smile. “We just… have to leave the
earliest we can. That way we can get to New Rome on time”, he sighs.
“So, you’re really going to come with us?” Percy asks, the start of a big happy
smile filling in place of his lips, “You can’t take it back and you can’t
complain.”
“Yes, you idiot, I promise” Nico rolls his eyes, “Just get your things ready or
something and meet me in my cabin. You’re all helping me carry the bodies to
the van we’re taking.”
The three wildly nod in understanding, Percy giddier than he lets on but the
stretched grin on his face must give him away. Nico smiles a little wider,
seemingly amused by them all before walking away, a chocolatey muffin still in
hand.
Under normal circumstances, Nico becomes so obstinate it’s almost hard to work
with him. So this would probably be a first for him, a trip with friends that
is. Percy’s just glad they were able to get through to him quite easily. Sort
of. Usually there’s a lot of exchanged jabs and hissing. Nico annoyed and
stubborn most of the time…
Guess Percy should count himself lucky that that didn’t happen this time.
                                  **(▰˘◡˘▰)**
“I think that’s the last of them” Will sighs with relief the next day, closing
the back doors to the rented van they had.
“Please let it be the last” Percy whines in turn, lifting his hands to his nose
for a sniff before pulling a disgusted face. “Agh! I need to wash my hands.”
“You can do that later” Jason smirks, “We gotta meet with Nico and get our
bags.”
“And then we can leave” Will importantly adds, tossing the keys to Percy who
had volunteered to be the driver.
Will makes is way back inside the camp grounds to reach the Hade’s cabin
they’ve been trailing in and out off for the last few hours. Lunch had arrived
so that meant they had to go soon, that way they could get this done and
officially head for Camp Jupiter.
It was a secret wish of his to get Nico alone during the summer for a little
quality time. A part of him not up to waiting any longer for the son of Hades.
It could prove difficult with the other two coming along, but Will is sure he
can get Nico alone with him long enough to confess his feelings.
There was no guarantee on how he’ll react but he’s hoping for the best. As he
always does when it comes to Nico.
Will smirks when he realizes Jason and Percy started shoving at each other once
they break into run. A race it seems. Always have to make a competition out of
everything. As they try to step ahead of one another, Will seizes his
opportunity to take the lead, laughing when they notice him and try to catch
up.
Some campers lifts their heads to see what they were up to but eventually turn
away to resume their own activities. Everyone’s been curious when all three of
them kept walking back and forth with 15 body bags but in camp you learn to
just go with it.
As Nico had mentioned before, Piper and Annabeth caught up to Jason and Percy
in order to discuss the plans for the trip. It seems they had intended for the
two to join the rest of camp on their travels. That had been an awkward
conversation. At least the two girls weren’t totally upset about their own
plans. Especially when they mentioned it was for Nico.
Maybe they too were worried about him. In any case, they were left to finish
what needed to be done and now Will was giddy at the prospect of commencing a
little adventure alongside Nico. And the other two of course.
They stumble on top of the porch stairs, catching their breaths for a moment
before going in. Will all too excited to get Nico up and going as soon as
possible. However, he stops at the door when he sees Nico harshly whispering at
Jared, the boy slumped the slightest bit as Nico continues in frustration.
“Nico?” Will interrupts, which he probably shouldn’t have done but the word
sort of slipped out. Nico immediately stops to look at him in surprise. Jared
also turns, arching a brow when he sees all three of them entering but he looks
to Nico again with a sort of stunned confusion.
“You were serious?”
Nico glares intensely, dangerously gritting his teeth at him like he’s was
trying hard not to bare them. Jared raises his hands and wisely takes a
placating step back or otherwise suffer trauma to his head, “Ok, ok, I get it.
I won’t say anything but if you ask me it’s about time you did” he huffs,
turning around and grumbling in annoyance.
“I didn’t ask for it” Nico snaps. For some reason, he throws whatever he hand
in his hand at his bed with a bit of force because the small object bounces
high in the air. Wonder what that could be?
Jared simply shrugs, coming towards them for the moment but then stops to
briefly look back at Nico, “Just let me know when you come back so I can give
you the rest.”
“I told you to burn them all you fucking pig.”
“Don’t act like you don’t want them either.”
“Get lost already!” Nico points to the door angrily. Jared allows himself a
small laugh, finally slipping past Percy who’s obviously bewildered by this
exchange.
They all watch him leave before they turn to Nico. The boy rubs his temples
like he wanted his headache to go away so they keep quiet. Will wanted to ask
what that was all about but he holds back. Nico was only going to bite his head
off if he tries to bring it up. It’s happened.
“…so…” Jason starts, nervously stepping forward as Nico slowly calms down,
“…are you ready to go?” he gently asks, picking up a bag or two that Will
notices is also Nico’s. He blinks at him and lightly smiles. Oh how
considerate.
“Uh… yeah” Nico rubs his arms, walking to Jason to get his small duffel bag but
Jason leans away.
“I’ll carry it for you.”
“You don’t have to do that Jace, I already forced you to carry bodies. I can
carry my own things.”
“I know you can but I still want to help, so let’s go” he chuckles and moves
around him to reach the door instead. All the while, he ignores Nico’s small
protests. Eventually, he lets it go and shakes his head at him, following
behind obediently.
“Oh wait” Nico abruptly stops, suddenly rummaging through his pockets and
taking a drachma out. “I have to make a call to Hazel or she’ll get mad” he
grimaces, “Just go to the van and I’ll meet you all there” he directs,
hurriedly running out to look for some water and sunlight, “Lock the cabin door
ok!”
Will lets out a bemused laugh and comes to Jason with his own bag in hand. When
he finds that Percy isn’t at their sides, he turns to see him by Nico’s bed,
lifting what had been thrown at it a while ago. Oh? He’s a bit curious so he
joins him, but then blinks when all they discover is a flash drive.
The little label it had was an unusual description. ‘Nico – all together in
one’ it oddly read. The heck does that mean?
Percy turns it over in his hands, possibly looking for any more hints but
there’s nothing. “What is Nico doing with flash drives?” he mumbles to himself,
looking to the two beside him. Will hardly knew the answer, but he was more
puzzled over the fact that Jared would give Nico such a thing. Did Nico even
know how to operate one? How could he?
“I think you need a computer for that but…I don’t know anyone with one except
for Chiron.”
“Or Leo” Jason points out, “But never mind that, we have to go so leave that-
Percy!” he exasperates, watching as the boy smirks and whistles, like he didn’t
justshove that into his pocket. “You idiot, put that back. It’s not yours” he
hisses, stepping in front of him when Percy proceeds to leave.
“Aw come on, you want to know what it is too don’t you?” he taunts.
“No I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. Now come on before Nico finds out or beats us to the van first.”
“How are you going to see whatever’s in that flash drive?” Will rolls his eyes,
“You don’t have a computer do you?”
“No, but Annabeth does and she so happen to let me borrow it” he grins, running
along to quickly reach his own cabin.
“You mean you forgot to give it back to her” Jason snorts as he closes the door
to the Hades’ cabin though Percy only ignores him.
He leaves his bag behind by their feet to locate the very thing he’s looking
for. When he runs back with a thin sleek object that’s most definitely
Annabeth’s laptop, he can’t help but wonder what Percy would possibly use it
for.
“Why do you have this?” Will inquired, looking to him with wary concern. Percy
returns the look with an unimpressed one, that rather implied question somewhat
bothering him. What? It’s perfectly logical considering the type of person
Percy is.
“I needed to apply for a different college that isn’t in New Rome” he shortly
supplies as he locks his door.
Jason frowns at him and so does Will. It’s obvious why that is. Annabeth would
be there but that’s all the story he wants to know. Sure they’re still on good
terms but Percy is also a little lost without her. He only sighs at this,
smirking lightly when Percy is now merrily taking his bag, all three finally
making their way to the van.
“Ok. So this goes here…” Percy mutters where he sits in between the two inside
the van. Jason made sure to close the doors. If Nico were to come by they’d
still be able to spot him from a mile away. Will watches as Percy is clicking
things, the screen showing a pop up of the flash drive he inserted.
“…videos? That’s all this is?”
“Click the first one” Jason points, to a tag labeled ‘Nico at the springs’. Ok?
Percy does, sitting back when the screen displays an image of Jared’s grinning
face. It appears he’s responsible for all these video. That much is obvious but
why so many he didn’t know. And what they could possibly be about, he was about
to find out.
Already it was making him really nervous but he ignored the feeling for now. He
has recalled the Nike’s boy holding some camera, and quite the professional
kind but he didn’t think anything of it. Guess this must be the reason.
The camera pans around, shaking about for a bit but it lands on a beautiful
view of a waterfall. Hmm, so he likes landscape scenes? Who knew? For a
conceited jackass it was quite interesting. Or at least, that’s what Will
thinks before he sees the view closing in on Nico.
He frowns deeply, increasingly unsettled that this would be what Jared had been
doing.
“That fucking stalker” Percy uttered instantly as the camera’s focus gets
closer and closer. Nico’s right there in no time, sitting in the clear water
with his eyes closed, enjoying himself really. He jolts when Jared calls to him
but all he does is give him an irritated look.
“Again with the camera? When are you just going to put that down?”
“Never”Jared simply replies, laughing a bit when he gets another close up of
Nico.
“Back off!”Nico pushes at him, throwing some water and Will slowly smirks.
The screen blacks for all but a second until it’s showing another view of Nico
cleaning himself. Uh…wow. He finds himself blushing as Nico turns to the
camera, blinking owlishly before quickly plopping down, vanishing in the
crystalline water.
“Wait! Come back you jerk that was perfect!”Jared complains. The camera skims
over the liquid surface in search of Nico and they find him under the shade of
a tree that branches over the spring. Nico glares at him, more annoyed than
usual when Jared comes running to him.
“I said stop with that already, you know I don’t like it.”
“Can’t deny an artist’s passion for capturing beauty.”
Nico makes a face, thoroughly unimpressed and disgusted at the same time. Will
could understand because really, that was so lame. “Can you fuck off now? I
want to be alone for this. Will says I have too much negative energy so I need
to clean it out of my system. These natural waters need to be untouched by your
filthy hands.”
Will blinks at the mention of his name. Percy and Jason also look to him in
surprise. Now that had been a few good months ago. Will had only said it to get
Nico long enough in the infirmary. How else was he suppose to treat him? It
wasn’t completely untrue but still, Nico actually listened to him. He was
touched.
“Not Will again”Jared suddenly scoffs, and this time Will frowns curiously.
“Are you really going to listen to some idiot who pretends to act like a
doctor? He’s just a nobody.”
“W-what?!” Will snaps, angrily glaring at the screen but mostly at the sound of
Jared voice and clear distaste for him. Oh that fucking prick! Jason and Percy
blink in surprise, but they're also seemingly upset for him. Then they see Nico
turn in the camera so its dumbfounding to Will when he catches how incredibly
displeased he is.
“He’s more than you could ever be you no at all! Now for the last time, leave
me alone!”
“I’m still waiting for what I came for”Jared only calmly states. Nico glares
murderously, the water actually hissing around him but when he notices, he
stops.
“No.”
“Just do it, and I’ll leave.”
“Still no.”
“Do I need to remind you that I have that other video of yours?”
“Which I’m still waiting for you to return.”
“Don’t be like that. It’s been hurting for a while and only you can help.”
“Stop being so fucking gross, I’m still not doing it.”
“Come on, it’ll be quick”Jared insists, impatiently waiting for Nico to agree
with him on whatever it is he wants. Just what are they talking about?
Nico isn’t facing the camera anymore, more occupied in delicately pouring
streams of water over his head. He looks beautiful this way, in the water, with
that glistening skin, illuminated by the clear blue around him, his dark hair
adorably flattened.
Will admits it’s a good shot on Jared’s part but he’s annoyed that he would be
the first to capture such a private scene like this. Of Nico of all people when
it’s obvious to him he’s uncomfortable.
Once Will returns to camp, he’s seriously going to knock some sense into that
Nike’s boy. Jason and Percy seem to agree with him on that because they look to
each other and nod.
Nico and Jared are still talking and Will slightly missed something because
Nico is sighing, getting closer to Jared where it appears he’s already situated
himself on the edge nearby.
“If I find out that you’ve shared this, I’m seriously going to chop your dick
off and let you watch as I feed it to the dogs.”
“Yeah I know, sheesh. I’m not crazy enough to sign my death wish.”
“Good”Nico grunts. But he’s blushing into the camera as he gets even closer.
Will is absolutely wide in the eyes when Nico rests between Jared’s thighs,
unzips the boy’s shorts and whips out his massive erection. Just like that Nico
is sucking on it, his pink lips nipping the head as his small hands stroke him
almost slowly. Then he takes it all in.
Percy and Jason choke on their gasps, Percy completely horrified and cringing
when Nico only continues with his eyes closed.
“What?!” Jason squeaked out in utter bafflement, hands directly cupping the
sides of his face with sheer shock. “No, why is he doing this?”
“This can’t be” Will also says in disbelief, watching as Nico bobs his head a
bit more earnestly and Jared unnecessarily ‘encourages’ him on, grunted out and
inappropriate. A hand patted Nico’s head, so his eyes open to look into the
camera as he pulls back slowly. O-oh, g-gods. Unbelievable.
“I’m going to kill him, I’m so going to kill him. I’m going to wring that
bastard’s neck” Percy snarls, gripping the laptop with outrage as if tempted to
throw it out the window any moment now. Nico’s muffled squeak jolts him back
and they all see when Jared’s hand suddenly pushes Nico’s head down.
Nico’s wide surprised eyes tear up, hands now pushing back helplessly and
thankfully Jared lets go. Nico’s catching his breath for the moment but Jared
strokes himself to completion, a long string of cum showering over Nico’s cute
face unexpectedly.
“God you look so good like that”Jared pants out, rubbing out the last of his
orgasm which lands on Nico’s lips. Nico gags, pushes further away as he’s wipes
his face with a wet hand. 
“What did I tell you about cumming on me, asswipe?!”Nico growls, looking at his
dirty hands with disgust. That makes two of them.
“So what? You’re in the water, you could clean it off in no time”Jared waves
off, sounding way too smug for Will’s liking. Nico suddenly stops his desperate
wipes, eerily stares at Jared or rather the camera, and it’s like they’re
witnessing a horror scene in the next instant.
“That’s it!”Nico yells, jumping out of the water like some nimble cat. The
camera drops from his hands and Jared yelps loudly. The video somehow captures
the moment Nico calls on countless skeletons and zombies that take hold of
Jared by the arms and legs as he’s thrashing around, his flaccid dick annoying
still hanging out.
Will is very pleased when they manage to pin him down harshly, Jason and Percy
fist bumping together as they see Jared wiggling like an idiot. The next thing
that happens is Nico lifting the camera, the screen getting his entirely
flushed face with only a few bits off cum still there. Will really wants to
reach in and clean it off immediately.
“How do you turn off this thing”Nico grumbles, looking to Jared most likely and
expecting an answer. All they hear is some grunts and curses. Nico glares,
facing the camera one last time before smashing it to the ground, Jared’s
pleading wails are the final thing they hear before it’s over.
The three sit there staring at the dark screen for a second or two. Meanwhile,
Will feels a bottomless pit filling up with some churning worry.
If this is just one of the videos, then the rest are bound to be something
similar. They’re sex tapes of Nico… with Jared… and it's disconcerting,
regardless if they were together in the past. Nico was only so willing even
after he’s continuously rejected Jared. This isn’t right.
He’s only slightly tempted to see the rest but Will jumps when the door to the
van is being opened. What?! Percy instinctively slammed the laptop shut, Jason
simultaneously grabbing the flash drive with a snap of his wrist and into his
pocket.
“Uh…What’s going?” Nico blinks at them from where he stood, gazing at them
curiously when they’re stiff in their seats. He catches sight of the laptop on
Percy’s lap, arches a brow and sighs.
“If you’re watching porn or something, I’m seriously going to walk out of
here.”
“No we’re not” Will calmly denies, crossing his arm with a hurt expression.
Just act natural. He can’t know they’ve seen him suck a guy’s dick not long
ago. But by the gods, it was something if not somewhat depressing. Jared
getting Nico’s lovely lips around him… He’s so going to kill that boy once they
get back.
Nico chuckles lightly and climbs on in to settle in the passenger seat. “If you
say so. Now let’s get going. Aren’t you suppose to be driving Percy?” he
reminds, turning back to them to see him move along already.
“Huh? Oh! Yeah, yeah, let me just…” Percy wiggles out from his place between
them and dismissively tosses the device away. Jason grunts at Percy when he
playfully presses against him but Percy just laughs, jumping out and scurrying
to the driver’s seat like an excited puppy.
“You dork” Nico shakes his head before telling him the directions.
He sees Percy briefly glance back at him and Jason through the rearview mirror
when Nico doesn’t notice. He’s unnaturally unsettled and still upset. But
there’s something else. Will’s sure he wants to see more of those videos.
This…was going to be a very long trip.
 
Chapter End Notes
     Oh gods, someone stop me now before I embarrass myself. Unless you
     all think I did an okay job of writing that short scene. Let me know
     or I'll continue with horrible smut.
     My poor Nico*sniff*. What have I done! (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)
***** Having fun? Seems like it. *****
Chapter Notes
     Honestly, every time I log on I still feel like such a novice ╮
     (─▽─)╭...
     Anyways, posting this up because its been ready for a long time. And
     I got impatient myself:p. Just tweaked it a tiny bit:).
     So first, a little warning for my next shitty attempt in writing
     smut. I think I've gotten a little better, or I'm just being an
     optimistic fool:/ By the way, hope you all didn't hate what I did to
     Nico but also, for the next few to come. Yeah.
     Also, I probably won't be posting anytime soon...
     We'll see, but hope you still enjoy this chapter(~˘▾˘)~
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                                  **(▰˘◡˘▰)**
“No! No, no, no you idiot. Hands on the wheel!” Nico scolded, slapping Percy’s
attacking hand as it tries to reach for the bag of chips on his lap.
“I’ve been driving for hours. Give the driver a treat, will you!” Percy laughs.
He attempts a second try. Consequently, it makes the car swerve the slightest
bit to the left, so Jason and Will had to step in, poking at Percy to
concentrate. Nico smugly munches on a piece of chip, Percy pouting the whole
time as he does this. Apparently he’s still willing to share with the other two
so he’s even sulkier than before.
“If this is how you guys are treating me for the rest of the trip, then maybe I
shouldn’t drive anymore” he huffs, thoroughly hurt as all three continue to
blatantly share the chips in front of him. Nico offer a pitying smile,
exchanging telling glances with blonde one and two before finally holding a
small portion out just for him.
“Fine” he chuckles, extending his hand further. It’s kindly presented to easily
eat out of so Percy immediately does like a raving raccoon. He’s yelled at for
being gross but Nico quietly laughs when Percy is covered in crumbs as a
result.
“More” Percy grins, smacking is lips to get any of the lasting taste lingering
there. Nico rolls his eyes, wiping his hands to clean the crumbs away and this
time just hold a chip at a time. Otherwise they risk another mess. Percy eats
it, but then he nips at Nico’s fingers for fun.
“Hey! “ Nico lightly shoves him, but it was to be expected. At least he didn’t
punch him, “I won’t give you more if you do that.”
“I’ll help this time” Will suddenly smirks, snatching the bag from Nico and
Percy immediately eyes him suspicious. Clearly he’s up to something, but he
really was hungry so when he sees a chip in front of him he just eats it.
Percy hisses the second it’s in his mouth and he’s almost tempted to spit out
the food. Nico would definitely not appreciate that though. Its super spicy,
whatever sauce applied to it burning his tongue the moment it touches it.
“Will!” he sputters indignantly.
Will laughs loudly, Jason and Nico only joining when they realize what he did.
His anger would have had a lasting effect if not for the hot sauce searing his
taste buds. Much more pressing. “Water! I need water! Or milk, give me
something!”
“It’s not that spicy” Will chuckles, “Gods, you’re so weak.”
“Not all of us drown ourselves in that stuff” Percy counters, sticking his
tongue out as if thinking that could ease the burn somehow.
“Here Percy” Nico offers like the true friend he was. Placing the drink to his
lips, Nico begins to carefully tilt it. Percy however desperately uses a bit of
his power to pour everything in his mouth. “Don’t do that!” Nico yelps,
dropping the drink by accident so half of it spills all over him. Oops.
Jason and Will laugh loudly, and Nico rolls his eyes again. Percy was actually
more concerned over the state of his tongue. The prickling feeling has luckily
begun to settle, and he’s just happy it isn’t burning that much anymore.
“We need to pull over” Nico now advises, smirking when he sees the ridiculous
state of his shirt “…Get you cleaned up and rested. It’s really late anyways
and you need the sleep. We can also eat something better than this junk food”
Nico lectures, putting the bag of chips away before any off them demand for
more.
Wasn’t that Jason’s kind of job? Or Will’s? A considerate Nico is adorable all
the same. Still, Percy kinda wishes Nico would show his truer side more often.
But he’ll take what he can get.
“Then let’s find some motel or something” Jason suggests, looking out the
window to see where they currently are. The freeway is only slightly empty,
cars here and there a few feet away from each other. There’s a good chance
they’ll find some place because luckily, they weren’t in the middle of nowhere.
“Take the nearest exit” Will instructs, “There should be a place nearby… well
according to this” he mumbles as he’s reading that monstrosity of a paper map
with a bit of difficulty. Jason the menace –resourceful idiot that he actually
is – brought it along but was really the only one who could read it. No GPS on
these rides apparently. How he wishes it could be that easy though.
Percy is following Will’s questionable guidance, every so often turning until
they’ve reach an inn only slightly smaller than they imagined. It’s better than
nothing. Nico jumps out, moving towards the back of the van to open the back
doors first.
“What are you doing?” Jason curiously asks, walking with a small bag in hand
that could be his set of clothes. Percy should probably bring his own. He looks
like an utter mess after all.
“Weaving the mist to make sure the bodies are safely hidden” Nico informs, “I’m
in charge of them, remember. They also get kinda lonely. The souls are asking
for their own break.”
“What?” Will looks at him funnily and Nico slightly blushes.
“The souls” he repeats, “They want to explore a bit.”
“You can do that?” Jason raises his brows, suddenly interested in what the
'souls' are doing because he’s peeking in. All there is are a bunch of piled
body bags.
“Of course. As long as they don’t cause a mess for me, they could do whatever
they want. How would you feel if you were stuffed away and left for this long?”
“Not good” Percy instantly answers, scrunching his nose as he also sniffs the
air, “And it stinks.”
Nico smiles and turns again, lifting his arms out to gesture a pulling motion.
Balls of dim light whirl out from the inside. They take form little by little
and Percy spots a man in his 30’s that kinda reminds him of a lazy junkie. He
blinks at Percy and grins, offering a small wave of his hand before he
disappears.
The rest of the souls do the same but a few linger curiously behind. One in
particular makes him uneasy. It’s actually Joanna, facing all three of them
with eerie concentration. As she floats the slightest bit closer, Percy feels
like taking a step back. Then she suddenly smiles.
“Hi” she seems to whisper, waving kindly at them that it takes Percy for a
loop. She…can talk? “I remember you three. I’m sorry for scaring you all the
last time. But I also want to thank you for helping Nico. Bye.” Then she’s
vanishing like a flickered light.
He’s lightly gaping into the empty sky but then he hears Nico’s soft chuckles.
When Percy looks to him, he sees him sweetly patting a small boy’s head. The
ghost child giggles, something that’s echoed and lost in the wind. Nico takes
his hands and pulls him in the air, making the boy laugh some more before he’s
gone too. Whoa.
“Ok” Nico sighs contently, walking toward the open doors to shut them, “Let’s
see about getting a room. Then some food” he calmly says, shrugging off his
backpack to take out a big wad of cash that looked like he’d been collecting
for years. It seemed like a lengthy amount and Percy had trouble not staring
with wide eyes.
“That’s a lot of cash” Will quietly whistles.
“Uh…yeah I- I actually don’t know how much this is” Nico admitted absently,
“Dad said it was an allowance but I’ve never used it before… don’t even need it
really…”
“That’syour allowance?” Jason muttered in disbelief. Must be nice to have a
father that’s partly in charge of all the world’s riches.
“Yep, it’s weird that he’s still trying to do that whole parenting thing…” Nico
sighed and shoved the cash in his pocket, “He keeps finding different ways to
make it up to me for ignoring the first few years of my life.”
“Wait, you’re not really talking about Lord Hades…are you?” Percy blinked at
him. Nico frown in confusion before raising a brow.
“Yes, who’d you think I was referring to? Doesn’t Lord Poseidon do that for
you?”
“No” Percy answers instantaneously while Will and Jason silently agree the
same. “I don’t even get a phone call.”
“Oh…uh, that’s too bad…” Nico awkwardly rubbed his neck. Percy merely shrugs,
rather uncaring and honestly not offended in any way so he assures Nico of that
when he looks guiltily towards him.
“So what are the ghost going to do?” Will inquires as they finally walk on,
quickly over the whole matter and having a smile in place. It’s nothing they
should really worry themselves about. Percy knows that gods are just too busy
for that sort of ‘parenting’. All except for the lord of the underworld it
seems.
But Will did genuinely sound excited than worried about the ghosts Nico let
loose and Percy’s kinda the same. “Who knows" he replies, "They’ll mostly
wander for a while. Usually that’s all they do. Sometimes they cause trouble by
scaring people but it’s all harmless fun to them.”
“That’s so cool” Will whispers with a grin. “So they’re the ones on all those
ghost hunter shows.”
“No, no” Nico stops him right there that it makes them arch a brow in question.
“Those are just humans trying to scam the world into thinking they see ghosts.
Everyone knows that they can’t see anything through the mist unless that very
ghost wants to be seen, and that’s never the case” he shakes his head
knowingly.
Percy laughs in amusement, ruffling Nico’s hair like he was just precious.
“Thanks for setting us straight then.”
“Guess they really do like trouble” Jason brings up, “I mean, look…” he points.
Together they all turn to see a man tossing his cigarette bud to the ground to
stomp it out, but he does so clumsily. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out
he was drunk, what with him chugging down a bottle of beer too.
Percy watches as the smallest glimpse of a ghost tilts the bottle higher than
needed so the drunk man chokes on the excessive liquids. The ghost then pokes
his forehead when he’s stumbling back which eventually makes him trip and fall.
The man just groans, lays where he is with no attempts to get up, and falls
asleep quickly. It’s oddly amusing but he’s almost afraid to laugh. When Nico
does, he figured it was ok. The ghost wiggles his fingers at them once and then
zooms away into the night. Take note, never mess with a mischievous ghost.
“…Come on, it’s cold out here and I’m starving” Percy gestures along, skipping
up to the door that’s seems to be the entrance. Once inside, Nico walks up to a
surly looking man that only grunts in greeting. Some welcoming pitch.
“I don’t want you kids causing trouble in my inn. Go somewhere else to deal
your drugs.”
Nico blinks in surprise, looks to them uncertainly but eventually steps forward
despite the man’s rude comment. Nico sort of looks small under him and Percy
doesn’t like it. “We’re not dealing drugs… all we want is a room to spend the
night in.”
“Oh no” The man snarls, “I don’t want you homos getting into some orgy in my
place. Scram kid.”
“What?” Nico frowns deeply, confused by what he was told and Percy is almost
positive that he’s never been talked that way before. Will immediately jumps in
and Jason pulls him back before the man could say anything more insulting.
“It’s nothing like that” Will says with a huff, “We’re dead tired and hungry,
so give us a room with two beds. We have enough money to give you.”
The man crosses his arms, looks them over skeptically and eventually gives a
curt nod. “Fine. Take room 307. If I find out you four are doing something
illegal, I’ll kick you all out” he bites before tossing them a key, and only
then does Nico give Will the money the man asks for.
The three gently drag Nico away, surrounding him in the safety of their bubble
when the man yells a little more homophobic slang. They thankfully make it
inside their room and Percy admits it’s cleaner than he anticipated. The
outside may look shabby and worn down but it was a good thing cleaning policies
were key around here. 
“Is there somewhere we can eat?” Jason mumbles, taking out that one atrocious
map Will had been using for the trip to scan it carefully.
“I could check online…they have free Wi-Fi here” Percy smiles. It’s risky but
Percy really doesn’t want to deal with that horrid thing.
He had brought his laptop with him and honestly, he only did so for a specific
reason. Jason and Will gave him a look that told him well enough they knew what
he’d been planning. Nico shouldn’t catch on to anything though so he quickly
takes it out to find a diner or something.
Nico showers first, not taking a minute longer than needed. They sort of
insisted on it even when Percy was the clear slob there. Once out, they go in
one at a time and then leave to look for a 24-7 quickie mart or drive through.
Nothing else was open at this late hour so they get lucky when they actually
find a McDonald’s. They’re literally everywhere.
Percy finds it absolutely adorable that Nico marches up to it, expecting them
all to follow no matter what. Even more cute was the small happy meal he
orders, toy included. He gives them all a glare when they smile widely but is
content enough to munch on his fries and burger as he’s eyeing his toy.
“A mini game?” Nico repeated with wonder.
“Yeah” Percy chuckles, handling the small toy between his fingers to start it
up for him. “They’re really not much fun if you ask me but you’ve never played
one right, so here.”
“Press those buttons Nico” Will nudges, showing him exactly what he needed to
do. And that was how Nico engrossed himself completely with that cheap game for
the last hour.
It’s funny how he grinds his teeth in frustration when the awful buttons aren’t
cooperating right, but most of the time he’s smiling like he’s actually
enjoying himself. Percy sort of finds it entertaining to watch, even if Nico
doesn’t acknowledge them enough for a chat. Jason tries anyways.
“I’ve been wondering for a while now…” he starts when he sees Nico set the game
aside for a drink.
“Yeah?”
“Yesterday when you first showed us those bodies…when we saw Joanna’s memory.
About her murder…” Jason now struggles to finish the thought. In fact, he finds
himself with a loss for words, obviously looking for a way to ask what the hell
was up with all those disturbing illusion of someone’s death.
Nico stares at him, already understanding where he was getting at. His teeth
nervously chew on the straw still between his lips and it almost seems like he
wants to look away. Soon he starts fidgeting which immediately worries Percy.
Maybe it’s too much of a touchy subject for him as well.
“She…asked me to do it” Nico eventually mumbles, just when he thinks he
wouldn’t say anything, “Joanna I mean.”
“What for?” Percy blinks confusedly.
“Well…When souls suddenly find themselves with me, they’re usually void of any
recollection of who they were before their deaths or how they died in the first
place. All they know is that they’re dead and…in need of guidance…” he strays
off, sighing softly to himself now that he didn’t have more to say.
“You did mention that was your job” Will brings up, “Does that included what
you did for Joanna?”
Nico nods slowly, pushing away his cup on the table. “…not all ghosts ask for
it, and I couldn’t say no to her.”
“Is that why the murderer wasn’t seen?” Jason softly asks.
“Partly but that could be because she didn’t want to see the person either.”
“Must be hard to deal with information like that…why do you do it?” Will
frowns, in a more concerned kind of way.
 “I know they take a toll on me, so it’s good I don’t do it for every lost
soul. Then there’s the matter of those bothersome side effects” he huffs, “But
I figured it’s the least I could do for them. They were innocent in their
previous lives after all.”
“So…you do it because you want to?” Percy slowly smiles, watching as Nico
slowly starts to blush but quickly looks away when he realizes what he’s
implying. “You’re as soft as they come you know that” he chuckles.
“Shut up” he grumbles, taking his drink once more to chug the rest down.
“I’m guessing Thanatos doesn’t do that for all souls, does he?” Percy now asks.
“Not really” Nico shrugs, “But it’s also not a problem for him. He’s just too
busy for that nowadays.”
“Nico?” Will jumps in, getting the boys attention right away, “Can I ask why
you started crying after that whole thing with the memory?” Nico furiously
heats up at the mention of that, groaning and slumping further down his seat
like he wanted to hide under the table.
“You just did you moron…” he mutters but he answers anyways, “Those are
emotions I feel for Joanna. They pass through me for a moment and I can stop it
in time if I find a quiet place to calm down but you three idiots were in the
way” he accuses with a point of his finger. Percy feels strangely amused to
bother acknowledging his annoyance at them.
“It washed over me quickly so I couldn’t stop it this time” Nico grumbles,
crossing his arms and turning his head away, seemingly upset with them.
“Aren’t you happy that we kept you company?” Jason laughs lightheartedly.
“If by company, you mean useless help than no, I am not” Nico narrows his eyes,
“Don’t even get me started on the effort I had to go through to dump your lazy
asses outside.”
“Hey~” Will pouts, “I was plenty help and you know it.”
Nico purses his lips at him and looks away again, “I gave you a pillow and
blanket for that. Just take what you can get.”
“…Oh yeah” Will blinks, smiling widely after like he was all the more happy to
know he received special treatment.
That love-struck idiot must seem to forget he was still made to sleep outside.
Percy didn’t like it but then again, he should have known Nico wouldn’t have
appreciated finding three boys on his bed upon waking.  Something worse could
have happened if Will hadn’t decided to help finish Nico’s work.
“Guess we kinda deserved it” Jason accept with a smile, “Maybe next time you
can tell us what to do to help you better.”
Nico slowly peers at him, appearing sort of surprised for a second but he
schools his expression in to that of an uncaring one. Maybe he didn’t expect
him to offer any help at all. Silly Nico still doesn’t seem to grasp the idea
of their willing assistance. How much they love to be with him. That he’s a joy
to be around.
“…W-whatever” he grunts, “If you’re all so eager to touch decaying corpses,
then I don’t mind the help.”
“Aww, you really do like our company” Percy grins, suddenly wrapping his arms
around Nico to smother him in a hug.
“Percy!” he hisses, “Let me go you big seaweed brain! I could care less about
your company! Hey are you listening” he thrashes, pushing at his face to slip
away but Percy laughs and presses him further into his embrace.
“Admit it” Jason now joins in, “You secretly like that you’re with us. Aren’t
you glad?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Nico now smacks at Percy, adorably
snapping for his release but they all laugh. “Ugh! Get off me already or I
swear I’ll dump my soda on you” he warns seriously but what’s fearsome about an
angelically cute face flushed on both cheeks.
“You’ve already finished you’re soda” Will smirks, shaking what could have
surely been Percy’s demise, now only filled with a couple of ice cubes. “I for
one am happy you agreed to the road trip. I know you are too” he teases.
“No I’m not” Nico insists defiantly, making an effort to wiggle out of Percy’s
arm but he had a pretty tight grip on him. Nico is still as soft as he
remembered. When nothing seems to work for him and all their teasing increases
by the minute, he exasperates and gives up.
“Ok, Ok. I’m glad I’m on this trip with you guys, so can you let go already” he
sulks at them, his gaze looking up to Percy as his chin rests on his chest. So
cute~
“See? Was that so hard?” Percy laughs, snuggling his precious head next that it
muffles the last of Nico’s protests.
“Gods, you three are insufferable” he states once he’s free, too tired to
attempt fixing his disheveled appearance. He suddenly shoves Percy with enough
force to have him slip off his chair. He yelps loudly before he’s kissing the
floor and groaning. “Now that we’re all done, we can go” he smugly smiles down
at him, moving around his seat to lightly walk over his back like some step
stool.
“Hurry it up you dead fish.” Nico impatiently toes at him with his hands to his
hips when he doesn’t move at all. Jason and Will are currently laughing their
asses off to bother helping.
“I’m so going to get you for this” Percy grumbles, hide how much his arms
suffered to cushion his fall.
“Not when you’re on the floor like that” Nico grins before walking off. Man,
that boy is something.
                                  **(▰˘◡˘▰)**
“I think he’s finally asleep” Jason whispers to Will, both boys peeking from
their side of the bed to where Nico was currently sitting on an individual
couch.
Yep, Nico took that instead of a bed for the night even after they offered it
to him. If he was afraid of one of them sneaking in beside him…maybe he had a
right to be, but Jason wouldn’t have done that if he was uncomfortable with it.
The other two would have understood as well. But same old Nico is as stubborn
as ever.
What’s done is done though. He slowly tip toes closer to the son of Hades and
briefly glances back to see if Percy had left the bed he’d been on for the last
few minutes. Now he digs his arms under Nico, making every move as careful as
possible to ensure Nico remained asleep.
Jason silently walks towards an empty bed with a small son of Hades now
perfectly in his arms. His slow sighs hitch a bit from the swayed movement but
thankfully he doesn’t wake. Percy tugs the blanket over Nico the moment he sets
him down, and he smiles when Nico instantly curls under it, the top of his hair
the only thing that’s seen in the dark.
“There” he softly chuckles, “…Now I’m going to take the first watch…” he
voices, turning towards the other two standing behind him. The minute he does,
Percy clutches his arm and forcibly drags him to a small round table where that
thin laptop of his lay untouched. Oh great. He should’ve known.
“I want to watch more of those videos” Percy blurted out quietly, plopping down
on a seat as he continues to pull Jason’s arm.
“Have you no shame” Will rolls his eyes, “Aren’t you furious that Jared made
sex videos of Nico?”
“Of course I am!” Percy immediately hisses, snapping the device open with a
disgruntled growl, “I want to know how far that jerk got with Nico so that I
know how long I’ll need to pummel him into a bloody pulp.”
Jason could get down with that logic. A part of him finding it amusing how
seemingly eager Percy is to see Nico a ‘certain way’. Even if that means a
disgusting Jared behind him or over him or…any other way. He sighs tiredly,
stepping back a bit because he doesn’t want to watch anything any time soon.
Nico had been violated. Half consent or not, he hated what he saw of Jared and
Nico. Then again, he had been a little curious about the other videos. It was
quite an amount, something that also made Jason’s stomach twist in knot at just
the thought of them.
“Come on” Percy nudges with a pout, “I just…I just want to see one and then
I’ll turn it off.”
“I don’t know…” Jason whispers, cautiously glancing back at Nico to see if he
was soundly asleep. Sure he’s known to be a heavy sleeper but one could never
know how long after he would wake. Whether it be an hour later or 2 days after,
Nico is unpredictable at times.
“…I kinda want to watch too…” Will admits after a while, blushing lightly as
Jason blinks at him in surprise. He looks to Percy next, the dope grinning in
triumph so it makes him huff indignantly.
“Ok…” he relents albeit begrudgingly. Quickly, before he changes his mind,
Jason digs into his pocket and takes out the flash drive he’s had all this
time. There was no way he was going to leave it with these two. Especially not
Percy.
He brings another chair over, and Will somewhat shares the seats by sitting in
between. The only thing keeping them from leaving was Nico’s vulnerable state.
Who knows if monsters are lurking about nearby? It took Nico a long time to
remotely hide their ‘presence’ so it’s still far too dangerous to be alone.
With one last wary glance at the Italian boy they turn to the screen, slot the
small device in and start the second video. “Some of these are kinda
misleading…” Jason mutters in annoyance as Will clicks something that read
‘Nico waking up’.”
“Jared probably intended it this way” Will frowns, “But… maybe they’re exactly
what they say they are…” he hopefully suggests. They exchanges looks, and sigh
together. It’s highly doubtful that’s the case.
“Make sure its low…” Percy lastly nudges.
The scene sort of surprises Jason a bit. This time it’s of Nico in his cabin,
soundly sleeping – an absolutely endearing sight really. The way he has his
arms and legs around his pillow, it’s like he’s crushing it for cuddles. So he
can’t help but blush, take a subtle peek at the real Nico, and blush some more.
So cute.
The camera focuses, moves forward and skims over the sight of Nico on his side
as his face is buried deep in the pillow. Jason gulps when he notices Jared’s
fingers lightly tracing over Nico’s bare legs, slowly making their way to his
thighs and higher.
His own hands ball into fists to ease the impulse he has of punching a hole
through something. He can’t help but feel an unpleasant pressure at his chest
when Jared’s finger now tries to lift the hem of the large shirt Nico’s
wearing. Nico does look good like that though…and that shirt…it’s oddly
familiar. Maybe because it’s purple like the ones for Camp Jupiter. He’s bound
to have one even if no one catches him wearing them outside.
In any case, he forces himself to continue watching when Jared finally stops
touching Nico and moves back. The camera catches a glimpse of some bodies on
the floor near the end of Nico’s bed. They hear Jared gag, the boy quickly
moving away and saying something Jason doesn’t like.
“Disgusting…Can’t you find something better to do Nico?”he grumbles quietly
before stepping to the side and reaching for a chair. Now what is he doing?
Meanwhile, Percy snides a mean comment about him being gutless while Will says
that the bodies are a far better sight then his ugly mug. So true.
There’s a moment when they can’t see what he’s doing until the camera is set
aside, perfectly adjusted to take in Nico entirely. Please don’t let this be
what it looks like. Jason’s almost ready to shut it off when Jared carefully
climbs onto the bed with a grin, inching closer and closer over Nico’s legs.
“Don’t you dare rape him…” Percy growl’s angrily at the screen, his narrowed
eyes close to slits at this point.
Jared only caresses Nico’s smooth skin, playing with his flesh as he’s
whispering to Nico. It seems he’s trying to wake him up. At least he has some
decency to continue things with both parties awake. Still…Jason cringes when
Jared’s hands cup Nico’s exposed thighs more openly.
The tips of his fingers draw near the very small boxer shorts Nico’s wearing,
starting below his butt. If there were any ghosts in Nico’s room, he sort of
wishes they’d jump on Jared and kick him out already. But nothing like that
happens. Instead Nico lightly stirs, releasing a sleepy sigh, but he isn’t
remotely awake.
Jared huffs and goes for a second try, this time nipping Nico’s skin with small
bites and kisses.
“You’ve better of brushed your goddamn teeth…” Will grumbles but Jason’s sure
that was the least of his worries.
They see Nico jolt a bit, turn his head an inch or so and its then that half of
Nico’s precious face is revealed. When Nico moves again though, Jason snorts a
laugh that he has to quickly catch. Nico had suddenly smacked Jared’s head with
a bit of power that makes him hiss in pain and roll to his side with a pathetic
whine.
“…stupid… bugs…” Nico slurred, scratching the part of his thigh where it had
been nipped. “Go away… you damn mosquitoes…” he continues with a slow mumble.
The three of them grin and laugh a little more.
Of course Nico would sleep talk this innocently. Just darling~
“Go get him Nico” Will whispers to the screen when Jared’s still recovering
from the agony brought on his head.
“You are so going to get it…”Jared threatened lowly, moving back to his
position over Nico once again. Jason would’ve probably bit out a repulsed
comment about keeping hands to oneself. However, he also can’t help but
appreciate how much of an Angel Nico truly is.
By that he means Nico snapping awake with a horrified gasp when Jared all but
gropes Nico’s ass harshly and then immediately kicks that very person to
tomorrow. Jared yelps painfully when his back collides with the wall on the
opposite side of the room and unceremoniously crashes to floor with a winded
groan.
Nico simply blinks, his head turning from side to side like he was slightly
lost before his gaze lands on the very person he had just sent flying. Serves
him right.
“W-wha… What the fuck! Jared? What are you doing in my cabin?!” Nico yells,
slipping off the bed and disappearing under it. Probably helping that Nike’s
boy up. Nico should have just left him on the ground.
Percy cackles quietly at Jared’s demise, Will letting out a few chuckles here
and there when Nico is only hissing at Jared to leave. The scene shortly
transitions to a different one, and it’s of Nico holding Jared in a fujiwara
armbar lock, screaming at him about being some pervert. From this angle it’s
quite scary and Jason can only assume that the camera had fallen at some point.
“If I ever catch you doing this to me again I’ll rip your arms off!”
“W-wait, w-wait, sto-!”Jared chokes but Nico pulls and presses harder than to
bother letting him talk.
“How many times do I have to tell you to stay out! Aren’t you always
complaining about the smell and dead bodies you fucking imbecile! Even Jason
has a stronger stomach than you, you lily-livered chicken!”
“L-let- go…” Jared wheezes, more red-faced and desperate as Nico glares on
murderously. His legs and feet thrashing and kicking around on the floor is all
he can manage to do.
Jason smiled when he heard Nico say that about him. It’s quite an ego booster.
Compared to Jared, he does admit, he’s quite used to Nico being around the
‘undead’ – almost all the time. Every so often it’s still an unsettling sight
but that’s just a part of Nico. And he loves all of Nico. In his nature, doing
what he knows best, like yesterday.
After a few more minutes of Nico holding Jared in a dead lock, the camera
blacks out for second. Then, Nico’s on his bed again, seemingly irritated. The
camera is back on its ‘stand’ and Jared is nervously coming towards Nico, the
Italian boy all the while eyeing Jared like he was thinking of hurting him
again.
“Just this once…”Nico says for some reason. Ok? What’s going to happen now?
“Really?” Jared complains, “I thought maybe you could also-”Nico gives Jared a
venomous glare that makes his mouth shut immediately, the rest of what he was
going to say lost with his fear. “Ok, I get it, but…you can at least look like
you want it.”
“That’s because I don’t! Now get on with it before I change my mind about
this”he snarls, plopping down on the edge of the bed that’s directly in front
of the camera. Oh…
“I’m sure you’ll like it”Jared easily grins, crawling around behind Nico before
settling in, legs on either side of him and chest perfectly flushed against
Nico’s back. Nico gives him a disgusted look for the contact and comment, in no
way shape or form enjoying himself.
Jason gets a little nervous when he sees Jared continue on, his hands wandering
to Nico’s thighs again liked he was charmed by them. Only bright side to this
is Jared’s face completely out of frame while Nico…well, he’s blushing
brightly, timidly turning his head away and fidgeting when hands find
themselves inside his large purple shirt.
“Hey!”he squeaks, eyes going slightly wide as he looks down at his chest,
“Don’t touch me there!”
“Relax will you. I’m not going to hurt you. Promise.”
“W-wait…”Nico grabs the hand under his shirt but his breath hitches a bit.
Jason blushes when he realizes what’s happening, when Nico is squirming more,
when his eyes clench shut as Jared slowly lifts the shirt up. He couldn’t look
away as one hand clutches Nico’s chin to forcibly tilt it back. All Nico does
is let out another startled squeak as he endures the feeling of Jared’s hand
all over him. So this one is completely about Nico…
“You can moan too” Jared chuckles, kissing Nico’s open neck after. Jason’s
happy to see Nico’s attempting to shrug him off, but then he gasps when Jared
presses a hand between his thighs. Knees automatically close and a hand grasp
at Jared’s arm like a reflex.
“D-don’t, w-wait, ple-”
Oh gods, he looks so small and helpless but also… really, really cute. There
are these little meek breaths that he couldn’t quite suppress as he’s being
touched. The moment the hand increases it’s rubbing motions, Nico begins to
bite his lips, breathing harder and unconsciously spurring Jared on.
“You starting to feel good now?”Jared unnecessarily teases, biting the shell of
Nico’s ear before running his slimy tongue down to a part of his shoulder
that’s somewhat exposed. “You smell so good…”he mumbles against the skin.
Jason is sort of bewildered when Nico chokes out a very small audible moan. It
seems like Jared is getting somewhere with him. He partly wants him to stop but
also gets increasingly interested when Jared quickly places his hands on Nico’s
hips.
“Let’s get these out of the way”he eagerly states, hooking his fingers over the
shorts before brazenly sliding them down Nico’s long legs. One arm worms around
the waist, the other hand helping Nico strip. Apparently Jared isn’t satisfied
enough because he locks Nico’s legs around his own to keep them open.
Nico yelps, his hands hurriedly tugging his shirt down to hide himself but
Jared eventually makes him let go. Jason, Will and Percy are now watching with
wide eyes as Nico’s being jerked off, his small cries helplessly leaving his
parted lips every so often before he’s biting them in embarrassment.
“Bite this or you’ll ruin those pretty lips”Jared says with a smirk, shoving a
portion of his shirt into his mouth but actually keeps the hand there as he
attacks his neck with kiss after sloppy kiss. Nico’s chest is exposed and
arched towards them, his muffled moans still heard through the shirt in his
mouth. There’s a few tears that slowly slide down his cheeks despite having his
eyes shut.
Everything there makes Jason feels utterly hot under his own clothes. He
admits, he’s turned on to see Nico like this. Jared is an added nuisance to the
show but at least it’s most of Nico that he can watch. And by the gods it’s a
sight to behold. Just when Jason thinks it couldn’t get any better, Nico cries
out a little louder, obviously close to his release.
His twitching body thrashes against Jared’s firm hold but somehow he frees his
legs to have his knees close like before. Nico sort of braces himself by
gripping onto Jared’s upper arms. Suddenly his chest is reaching the ceiling,
head thrown back over Jared’s shoulder with a muffled moan and convulsing hips
snap periodically.
He just came all over Jared’s hand.
A sleek drop of drool rolls down his chin at the end. Gasps of hot breaths
ghost over Jared’s neck. Loose hands slip down to the bed. And his heaving
chest tries to get back under control. All this is just giving Jason shivers
down his spine, and the small bulge in his pants increase in size.
That was hot. Nico was hot. He has this tempting desire to get his hands on him
too. He kinda wants to do it now. Buts that’s a big fat no. Eventually he
closes his mouth and sneaks a peek at the other two. Both are just as
speechless and awed. Maybe aroused but he wouldn’t blame them. It is Nico after
all.
“Fuck that was sexy”Jared breathes out, pressing Nico closer to him by wrapping
his arms around him and kissing his face or any skin for that matter with an
open mouth.
Jason frowns when it looks like he’s getting needy, desperately touching every
inch of Nico while the boy is still high on his orgasm. Nico groans and tries
to push away but Jared suddenly pins him to the bed and attacks him with even
more kisses.
“What are you doing?!”Nico sputters in horror.
“What do you think?” he only replies with a cocky grin. “I need some action
too.”
“N-no! Hey! Let go of me, I said no!”Jared ignores Nico, his face buried deep
in Nico’s neck while hands possessively clutch his ass. He wouldn’t dare!
Jason instinctively leans forward and the other two sort of do the same. Just
as Jared rips the shirt off Nico’s body, he’s almost ready to scream in anger.
Nico actually does it for him because he’s throwing Jared off him and holding
the torn shirt in his hands like he’d witnessed a tragedy.
“You… you…you fucking idiot!” Nico yells absolutely horrified, “This was
Jason’s you jackass! How am I suppose to give it back now! Ugh!”
“Who cares about him!” Jared snaps back, rubbing his stomach where Nico had
directly kneed him, “I’ve got needs dammit and I just wanted to- oof!”
Nico had thrown a pillow at him in that moment. Which then leads him to fall
back and off the bed, legs only minutely lifted in the air like an idiot.
“It was special and you ruined it!” Nico growls, grabbing another pillow to
throw at the camera that was still on next. After that, all they hear is
Jared’s fearful screams and the sound of a few punches. “You better figure out
how to fix it now or so help me you’ll be joining the bodies I have in my room!
Don’t think I won’t find a way to give you a nice spot in the fields of
punishment!”With that the video was over.
The three of them are sitting in the silence for what feels like a long time.
At one point Will lifts what Jason knows is his shaking hand to close the
laptop, but continues to sit in the dark. The only sound in the room was their
soft breathing along with Nico’s, thankfully still asleep. Just as they left
him.
When Jason thinks he’s about ready to move to a stand, he feels heavy and
breathless, his numb fingers only capable of gripping the flash drive he now
had in his hands. His mind was in a whole other world, lost in the memory of
video Nico but something else.
“…so that’s what happen to my shirt…” he finally mumbles out. “I was sure I had
lost it…but…I had no idea Nico was using it to…sleep in...”
Jason’s head feels like it’s burning immensely and he’s almost sure that Will
and Percy are staring at him in their own disbelief. Because maybe they were
thinking the same thing. Nico sleeps in his shirt. Nico had loved that shirt.
Nico had almost killed someone for it. Holy cow…
“I think… I need to use the bathroom” Jason meekly announces, stumbling out of
his chair and hurriedly walking to a door on the other side of the room.
“Don’t take too long” Percy says to him.
“Make it quick” Will also hissed at the same time.
Guess they really are no different from him.
Jason was going to try to avoid thinking of Nico in his clothes but for the
time being, it was all he wanted in his dreams tonight. This trip was probably
the best and worst idea he’s ever had because it means being close to Nico all
the time and sadly, so far out of his reach.
That’s definitely going to test his limits one way or another. And these
videos, there are bound to be more just like it. Nico utterly unlike himself
and absolutely lovely.
Shame starts to weasels its way into his heart, a bit of guilt screaming at him
to respect Nico’s privacy, to have never watched these videos, to have stopped
Percy from taking the flash drive in the first. Whatever Nico had done with his
former partner is none of business.
But then again, there could be more to learn from the rest. A little insight to
some of Nico’s secrets that he’s been dying to know about for a long time…
Oh gods. Jason is seriously going to lose it one way or another. Right now, he
actually needs to take a load off – how shameful, Jason – and sleep. Or else be
tempted to binge watch the entire content in that taunting little device
weighing in his pocket. 
He still feels shamed when he exits the bathroom. Will and Percy don’t even
bother to tease. Maybe they can’t because they’re so dazed, both intently
staring at Nico’s sleeping silhouette. If only he can crawl right in, be next
to him for the rest of the night, hold him to his chest and watch how relaxed
his precious face is.
But he doesn’t. He couldn’t. Sooner or later he will.
When he builds enough courage to also kiss him and tell him he loves him.
 
Chapter End Notes
     So tell me guys, did any of you also play with those cheap games? I
     know I did and now, I wanted Nico to play with one too.
     When I had first written this I had a lot of fun putting them all
     together like that. You know, sort of goofing around. I also felt
     like the three would constantly try their best to bring that mild fun
     out of Nico when they could. Such good friends;)
     And don't mind the smut of course...it won't always end up like
     that...། . _ . །.
     Leave a comment and tell me what you all think. Bye for now:)
***** A short before continuing. *****
Chapter Notes
     Hi guys! It's been so long...:)
     This is just a short chapter.
     I wanted to inform you readers that all my work has been completely
     lost to me due to an accident with my laptop (｡•́︿•̀｡). Only a few
     stories that I've managed to save are with me and I recovered a few
     files, so with what little I had I made this.
     Don't worry I have the next chapter and it's in progress. It'll come
     in pretty soon, just needs a little more editing.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                                     *****
Next morning comes sooner than they all expect. For one, Nico jolts up and
scares the living daylights out of the three of them. “Something’s wrong” he
had disconcertingly uttered out before jumping off the bed without another
moments thought.
Once Will joins him where he’d run to the window, he discovers a small group of
people gathered around their van. It appeared like someone was having trouble
breaking in through the back.
Question is, why were these unwanted guests trying to force open the doors?
Nico cursed, his swift stride towards the door momentarily paused to briefly
look back at them. “All of you stay here, I’ll handle this.” With that, the boy
is quickly making his way down.
Will runs after him while the remaining two stay behind to watch from above.
For all they know, this was just a group of thugs gathering as a means to rob
someone, so they can’t bring too much unwanted attention to themselves.
Then again, as demigods, Will can also assume this isn’t an average carjacking.
He wasn’t entirely positive what Nico was thinking of the whole situation
either. Usually one is suppose to call for help or yell to stop. Anything other
than kicking someone square in the face. The very first thing Nico had decided
to do when the group of men turned in surprise.
Guess that rules out Nico giving a fuck in the world.
“Back off!” Nico angrily bit out, shoving the one that was directly in front of
the van for emphasis.
“…Aren’t you… the motel owner?” Will suddenly points out, blinking at the surly
mean man they’ve met in the night. “What’s your problem?”
In response, he narrows his eyes and crosses his arms, his scrutinizing and
very accusing gaze landing on both of them. “You kids are hiding something and
I’m here to find out. Hurry up and open the doors!” he orders another man.
“I said back off!” Nico cuts in, glaring at the owner and his apparent lackeys,
whoever they may be. “We’re not hiding anything and you have no right to do
this!”
“You’re in my motel so it’s my business.”
“You’re taking this way too far” Will jumps in, making sure to stand between
Nico and the man because Nico might ‘accidently’ punch him. “Whatever you think
we’re doing, you’re way out of line. Nothing is going on here so can you let
this go?”
“Open the van and then we’ll see” he gruffly insists. It’s like he’s lost his
patience now. What a paranoid, strange man.
“No way!” Nico answers as he unceremoniously shoves Will to the side, facing
the tall man himself like a disobedient child, “That’s our business. Motel
owner or not you still have no right.”
“Little shit…” He unnecessarily makes a grab for Nico.
If there is one thing Will’s learned from experience about Nico, it’s how
reflexively fast he is. His provoking ruse however, that’s the real problem
here. Nico is not one for such a thing, but that’s exactly what he’s done. And
right now, he’s engaged himself in a one-sided fight against the motel owner.
It’s not really much of a fight if all Nico does is dodge the beefy man’s
attacks. In all seriousness though, the situation escalated far too quickly for
him to do anything about it. All Will can do is uselessly stand to the side and
watch.
Still, that this person would so blatantly charge at a minor because he’s not
being cooperative speaks for itself. Unless of course, he’s no ordinary man.
“What the…”
Will slightly flinches at the sensation of a strange energy stagnating the air.
The few men that were around him suddenly collapse and he jumps away on
instinct.
What could possibly make people smoke and vanish one at a time like that?
He worriedly glances back to Nico’s fight. It takes a moment for him to adjust
his vision past the mist clearly in the way, until finally, he sees a monster
slowly taking shape as Nico runs away like his life depends on it. Because it
does.
“Run!” Nico shouts at him in panic, “Don’t just stand there gawking, run!” Will
yelps when Nico harshly clutches his arms and pulls him on.
There’s a flash of movement that blurs the minute they try to escape. Suddenly,
Nico screams in pain and collapses, falling forward on the ground for some
reason, but then he sees the large hand crushing his leg in a vice like grip.
“No!” Will cries in horror, making a grab for Nico’s outstretched arms now that
he’s being pulled back.
He has no weapon and Nico has no sword. A monster has them at its mercy and
Nico has been captured. There’s absolutely nothing he can do when Nico is
mercilessly thrown to the side. The boy rolls a few good times before he comes
to an uncomfortable stop.
“I knew you kids were hiding something” the monster hisses, slowly coming to
face Will next in all its hideous glory.
“W-what are you!?” he uselessly asks, scrambling to whatever safety he could
fine. Which sadly is nowhere to be seen.
He’s completely wide open, and some distracting fear starts to trickle its way
inside him when all he could do is back away. Also, he was in no reaching
distance of Nico where he lies motionlessly on the ground. That is definitely
not a good sign.
A blackish blue hand extends towards Will in response. Its gangly claw-like
fingers try to take a hold of him just as it had done with Nico. It’s just his
luck that something decides to trip him up as he shuffles back, so the monster
charges faster.
To his next surprise, Jason takes that very opportunity to collide with the
thing before it could even reach him. Its large body is sent flying in the air.
Will can’t help but wonder if this had been Jason’s plan… unintentionally make
him the bait…
What else could be explained of his late arrival? But he couldn’t delve too
much on that thought.
In his haste to stand, he still manages to catch sight of Percy running
directly towards Nico. Only then does Jason rush him forward too. His worried
gaze was locked on Nico now that Percy had him in his arms.
His forehead was sporting a big bloody cut, curtesy of the graveled ground.
Concerning scraps run along his arms too so Will takes over quickly, healing
what is much of his raw open skin. Fortunately, Percy thought ahead and swiftly
passed him his small cross-shoulder bag that stored all his medical tools.
While he went to work, Jason alone watched as the monster helplessly stirred
around. Right now it still lay in a heap of mess above a car it landed on. It
was calmly looking for a way out instead of going on a dangerous tirade,
rampaging like other monsters normally do.
Blaming demigods, yelling how much they’ll enjoy eating them, getting whatever
clubbing weapon they could find nearby to bash them in. Stuff like that. Even
that human form they were facing before had a more feral bark than this
creature.
What a weird looking demon though. Nothing Will’s ever seen in his demigod
life.
In fact, it’s the first he’s seen something so oddly tinged in its sickening
dark skin. Those vicious long teeth are a danger in and of itself but they
aren’t bared in any snarl. Also, that cloak around its shoulders looked like
that of a goat but he wasn’t certain.
Its appearance was odd, yes, but its behavior was rather questionable. When it
managed to free itself from the confines of the dented car, it simply walked to
their van, ignoring them in its peaceful trudge to the back doors. Again?
Nico groaned softly, so he didn’t bother to care if it wasn’t currently after
them.  Slowly, Nico opens his eyes to squint up at him in confusion. It’s good
to know he didn’t have a concussion but Will didn’t want him moving about for
fear he might get hurt.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not his decision to make because Nico attempts to sit up
regardless of his concern.
“I’m better now” Nico speaks up, weakly nudging at his chest to get him away.
Will and Percy are reluctant to let go, but Percy does so if only to take his
own sword out and stand in front of him in a protective stance.
Jason takes what appears to be Nico’s stygian sword and passes it to Nico’s
awaiting eager hands. Will places his bag around his chest, morphing at his
command so that a bow and quiver of arrows appeared in its place.
Nico takes a minute to collect himself, still sore from the earlier attack. He
remains seated on the ground by their feet while they silently continue to
watch the monster clawing the doors open, curious to know what it was trying to
gain by doing this.
There’s a hole that Will knows is going to be difficult to repair. But that’s
the least of his concerns when the monster now grabs a hold of a body bag that
plops down heavily. What in the world?
“No!” Nico yells suddenly that it makes them jolt in surprise.
He’s jumping up and running to the monster alone before Will knows what’s
happening. Nico foolishly tackles the beast and it does nothing to slow it down
when it rips open the bag, revealing one of the many decaying bodies.
“Nico!” they all call after him, wide eyed and bewildered when they see Nico
trying to wrestle the monster down to no avail. It only swatted at him as if he
were a pesky fly. The monster’s jagged dirty teeth now bite into the corpse and
Will swears he could hear it screaming in agony.
“No! No, stop you animal you’re hurting him. Stop!” Nico kept pleading, using
his sword to thrust it in its back. The monster snarls in reply but resumes to
eat rotten flesh.
A ghost Will hadn’t noticed until now flickered to existence, hissing and
flying towards them in terrified haste. Maybe it thinks they’d offer it help
but then it starts wailing.
Nico immediately runs his swords through the monsters mouth to cease it from
further eating the corpse. “Eurynomus! By Hades name I swear I’ll find you a
bottomless hell that has no bodies if you don’t stop!” Nico coldly vowed, his
menacing glare staring directly into to that of the monster’s as he holds on.
Percy hurriedly takes is own sword to help Nico get him back to safety. Jason
jumps in to help move the body away. Will’s sure they’re secretly asking a
million questions but they’re a more action-right-away than give-me-answers-now
at the moment.
He takes a hold of the ghost in front of him and almost jerks back when he
finds he can actually touch its physical essence. Normally it’d be impossible
but his body simply moves after that, pushing the ghost into its rightful place
and relieved to see it rest obediently.
That’s when the rest appear, surrounding them in a display of absolute
distress. Will’s gaze lands on the ghost child that he recalled had been
playful with Nico, watching in fear as Nico and Percy are getting tossed around
like rag dolls. They pick themselves up to charge again anyways.
Jason does the right thing and touches the child but runs into his arms in
response. He’s bewildered but keeps him close as he silently cries.
“Take us to our bodies” one of the ghosts whisper. Will isn’t at all surprised
to know that it was Joanna floating towards him. “Eurynomus won’t stop, but if
you take us to our bodies we might be okay.”
“The monster?” Will muttered, “Why’s he doing that?”
“You don’t know?”
“What is he?” Jason also asks, gently patting the ghost in his arms to
soothingly calm him down.
“A demon spirt that usually dwells in the underworld” Joanna answers, “He
mostly keeps to himself, minds his own business really and is plenty satisfied
if he has corpses to eat from but…” she frowns deeply, gazing back to the
monster Percy and Nico are handling to stop it from reaching the other body
bags hiding in their van.
“…we don’t know why he’s here” she sadly provides, looking lost herself and
scared when the monster roars in annoyance. She clenches her fist and faces
Will again with some sort of determination, “If he eats our bodies we’ll be
lost. Our souls are still connected to our physical forms here until we’ve
reached Lord Hades’ realm. Eurynomus will only continue to consume but Nico
won’t let that happen so help us. Please.”
“Of course we’ll help” Jason instantly assures, “…but for now, you got to be
patient.” Jason carefully moves the boy back with the others so he could easily
whip his sword out. “We’ll give you openings so you’ll have to move quickly.”
“And don’t hesitate” Will adds after, fixing up the one body bag by their side
to conceal the corpse better. This one will have to be placed back where it
belongs. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult a task even if the fight is
starting to fall behind.
It’s true that Nico won’t let any harm come to them, but from what Will can
tell from his strikes, he’s beginning to tire. Which means it’s time to move
already. “Hide somewhere safe and get to the van when we tell you” Will orders
seriously, taking his bow in hand and stocking up an arrow.
He nods to Jason to get ready himself so when he aims to the monster, he
accurately hits its shoulder. That got his attention. The demon growls in anger
when he seems to realize he wasn’t getting his way, so he launches towards them
next.
Each stride taken shakes the ground he stands on and it’s almost difficult for
Will to steady his second aim. Nico and Percy readily jump up with their swords
to slash at the demon’s feet and make him trip. Once he makes sure the ghosts
are gone Jason takes to the air, weaving his gladius around and waiting for his
opportunity.
His moment comes when Eurynomus falls. His sword pierces through the monsters
back when he throws and as a precaution, he calls to the sky for some lighting.
Meanwhile, Will quickly handles a special arrow when he notices that this was
his best chance to further pin the thing down.
A net explodes around the monster when he shoots, knitted from a few designer
metals specific for killing monsters. “Now!” Will calls out in the open, “Get
to the van now!”
Percy and Nico looked absolutely beat, half leaning on each other with little
triumphed smiles but that vanishes when the monster tries to rip through its
restraints. Jason pulls away with his sword in hand and runs to Percy and Nico
with the one corpse they had retrieved, Will following right behind to help
pull them in the van.
Jason silently decides to drive this time, shoving the keys into their slot and
starting it up. They’re zooming down a street in record time, honking cars only
so often left in their wake. Nico stumbles to the back to check on the bodies
and frowns deeply when he discovers something amiss.
“Joseph…” he whispers, piling the bodies carefully to the side even with
Jason’s crazy driving. He’s calling out names like he was doing a roll call but
he stops at the last one. “Joseph!” he repeats with a gasp, “He’s not here!”
They watch as Nico hurriedly crawls to the damaged back doors and forcibly
kicks them open just to see that the monster they were trying to escape from is
right behind, its anger full intact. The ghost child he’d thought was already
safe is securely in its grasp and thrashing wildly with its cries for help.
Will is baffled once again when Nico instantaneously jumps out and yells to let
him go. He himself can’t do much else other than point his arrow at Eurynomus.
Will’s glad his shot catches the monster’s arm outstretched by its side.
Joseph is free when the hand loosens and he flies directly into Will’s open
arms, sniffling and clutching him tightly. They all look back when Nico
continues fighting with the underworld spirt and a dreadful feeling starts to
form inside him.
“Time to take you back…where you belong!” Nico grunts, grabbing the monster
around its neck in a hard grip as if to brace himself. Suddenly, he’s falling
into a shadow their van casts because the sun had risen far enough in the sky
to help make one.
Will anxiously waits to see Nico come back already. When 10 minutes pass by,
he’s close to telling Jason to stop and turn back around. Just as he’s about
to, a dark shadow opens up from inside, spitting out the son of Hades along
with an arm that tries to reach in.
It doesn’t make it because the shadow closes at the snap of Nico’s fingers,
Eurynomus tremendous outrage on the other side snuffed out immediately. He’s
extremely relieved when Nico is moving – struggling to sit up – but he doesn’t
let his exhaustion stop him from hugging the little ghost child that flies into
his arms next.
“…I think…I still need more sleep…” Nico mumbled before slumping tiredly to the
side and passing out, Joseph perfectly snuggled in his arms.
Could any other morning be as horrible as this one? Will didn’t want to
discover that anytime soon. Instead, he should count his blessing and thank
Zeus all mighty that they had made it out seemingly alright.
Will checked on all of them, Percy with a few minor bruises and cuts, Jason ok
but tired and Nico the worst of them all. Fortunately not too bad.
Nevertheless, Will hated how unnecessarily hurt he was.
Could he have prevented it?
Not likely, but he wished he had made a bigger effort to pull Nico back and
avoid big risks all together. But of course, he’s reminded yet again that it
can’t be helped. Being a demigod plain sucks when there are monsters lurking in
practically every dark corner.
Safety isn’t always a guarantee, but how he wishes that wasn’t true with them.
Maybe that’s just his paranoid mind excessively worrying over Nico’s wellbeing
now that he was in this state. His medical riddled brain is overdriving with a
list of all he needed to do in order to pin Nico down for a week’s worth of
rest.
Something tells him that’s not going to be easy.
In the meantime, he just settled for cradling Nico in his arms to give him the
least bit of comfort.
Not much change has gone of Nico’s persistent – or rather stubborn – strong
will, and it’s a testament to his power. But watching over him like this,
making sure he’s securely held close to him, the sight of his weary face…its
almost unreal how much Nico has matured, and yet, appear so helpless.
Maybe once he’s become an even bigger part of Nico’s life, settled into a place
inside his warm heart, will he be able to give him the proper care he so
readily deserves. To watch over Nico…that would be a dream come true for Will.
Chapter End Notes
     This isn't how I wanted the story to go but it's all I had to work
     with.
     I'm trying to figure out how to move the plot along with what I
     originally intended, but for now I'm posting this to help me in the
     meantime.
     The plan was to have them goof around together and then have Percy
     Jason and Will watching a video of Nico and Jared but that'll have to
     wait for the next chapter.
     I'll probably have it posted by tomorrow... maybe...
***** Could have been worse? ...Probably. *****
Chapter Notes
     Hey guys, just posting the chapter I promised you all. (✿´‿`)
     Hope you all like it.
     Enjoy~
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Percy happened to catch the moment Nico first woke up. They’ve currently
stopped around Spruce Knob to set up camp after traveling somewhere northwest
of Virginia. If the map they’ve been reading was any good then they should be
heading to the New River George Bridge.
Nico simply opened his eyes and blinked up in surprise at Percy. Or really the
sight above him. “Hey.”
Jason and Will immediately dropped their plates of ‘goo’ and quickly made their
way over to Nico as he struggled to comprehend their current location. “Stars…”
he adorably muttered out.
“Good to see you’re finally awake…” Will sighed with relief.
“How are you really feeling though?” Jason’s concern filled voice inquires
firstly.
“’M fine” Nico dismisses, seemingly preoccupied with scoping the area around
them.
His eyes search the landscape intently, his senses on high alert in order to
make sure they were safely hidden despite already being deep in the woods.
Green trees surround them almost perfectly, their towering silhouettes
providing enough coverage to shroud out anyone from knowing their location,
especially monsters.   
“How- how long was I out?” Nico softly asks, loud enough to hear above the
crackling fire and chirping insects.
“The whole day” Percy answers equally soft, shuffling forward with a clean wet
rag in hand. He uses it to ever so carefully dab the side of Nico’s face where
some blood had dried and crusted. “We sort of thought you’d sleep through the
night too…” he mumbled and slowly smiled at him regardless of the way Nico
stiffened in place, “…Had us worried all day, you know.”
Nico doesn’t respond, instead, he unnervingly stares at his face as if he’d
done something wrong, his sudden care over him possibly startling him before
quickly leaning away in realization. “I see…”
Percy tried not to take offense in Nico’s reproachful gaze. How he clearly just
avoided him.  For now, he sets the rag aside and continues to lightly smile.
Relief in knowing he was just awake far more important than Nico’s sentiment
over him at the moment.
Pushing off the blanket covering his legs, Nico attempts to stand but all at
once, they move to hold him back. Nico doesn’t take too kindly in this so he
scowls and shoves them away, “I need to check on the bodies and contact
Thanatos” he explains tiredly, “So let me go.”
“Y-you’re still healing Nico” Jason reminds, his hand pressing gently on Nico’s
shoulder, mindful of the bandages on his upper arm. “Rest some more before you
try getting up.”
“Sleep” Percy also adds, “I’m sure the bodies and Thanatos can wait ‘till the
morning.”
“Hands off” Nico bites, shoving them again but he hisses in pain when he’d made
a swift move to the side.
“Don’t move so fast” Will chided, “I can’t let you up because you’ll only end
up hurting yourself.”
“I’ve had worst, you all know that so please just leave me alone” Nico
grumbled.
“That may be the case, but it’s different now. We’re all here to make sure you
don’t excessively push yourself” Jason reasoned, watching as Nico closed his
eyes to mask the next strike of pain running through his body from all the
movement he’s doing.
“Dammit all…” Nico cursed under his breath.
Will takes this opportunity to lay him back down on the sleeping bag,
deliberate in his effort to keep him there as he places a hand to his chest.
With a growl Nico slaps his hand away. Percy almost senses the beginning of
something terrible coming forth when he saw the harsh way Will was treated.
Will merely gives him a look before rummaging through his personal belonging
and producing a small canteen. Nico immediately frowns upon it and turns over.
“Oh no you don’t” Will calls him out, clutching his arm quite aggressively so
Percy has to blink a couple times to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. “I
already wrapped up your wounds but you have to drink this, so here.”
“No” Nico glared at him, pulling a face and swatting the thing away from him.
Will was faster though so he held it out of his reach. “I told you already,
I’ll never be able to down that disgusting murky mud drink again. Who cares if
it’s Hedge’s miracle milkshake?”
“It’s not milkshake its-”
“I already know what it is. That’s why I don’t want it” Nico cut him off,
turning the other cheek to be as far away from him as possible.
“Well, you’re not going to get any better without it so hurry up and take it.”
“No” Nico simply responded.
Will narrows his eyes the slightest bit, “Take the drink Nico.”
“No.”
“I said take the drink Nico”, he insisted a little more impatiently.
“No.”
“Stop acting like a child, it’s for your own good.”
“Yeah right. It gives me horrible aftertaste. And don’t get me started on how
dry my mouth gets” he scoffs.
“It’s supposed to be good for you” Will reiterates with an irritated huff.
“Then you take it. I’ll just sleep...” Nico feigns an exaggeratingly tired
yawn, hands sneakily moving downwards in search of the discarded blanket. Very
swiftly, Will pulls the blanket away and grips Nico’s arm the same time he pops
the cork off the canteen. He all but shoves the drink in his face.
“Will!” Nico starts but yelps the second Will forcefully pinches Nico’s cheeks,
the canteen far closer to his lips than before.
In their puckered state, Nico still manages to curse at Will, demanding for his
release. Jason and Percy are left to stare horribly wide eyed as Will very
persistently clutches Nico’s face and angrily ignores the claw like grip of
Nico’s fingers on his arms.
When he tries to scuttle away, Nico is simply held down, so all he can really
do is childishly whine at Will about being ‘unfair’. Which was quite the
understatement.
The only other time Percy had ever seen Will this way was some odd years ago
when Clarisse, who at the time was in a terrible accident, kept running off to
train. She’d been specifically ordered to rest for at least 2 days so that her
countless broken bones could mend right.
The medical demigod stomped over to her with such a fury of pent up rage it
scared about half the new recruits that year. After that, Will had Clarisse
basically chained to her cot where she was made to take permanent resident for
a week.
Percy always assumed that Will was supposed to carry on this sort of gentle and
considerate disposition when it came to being a healer. Turns out that that
isn’t always ever the case. That day Percy learned Will had his moments and
right now it was truly a lesson to be learn.
You can’t say no to Will when it comes to your health. Will alwaysknows best.
So honestly speaking, Percy can understand why he’d go this far when it comes
to Nico. If it means he gets better, than he fully supports his decisions. Even
if his methods were a little overbearing and crass.
Damn...Maybe he should help a little.
Nico chokes and regurgitates much of what Will had poured into his mouth, so
Will frowns disapprovingly. He sets his strikingly angry blue eyes of them next
and he swears his hands start to shake over his lap. Percy shares an almost
terrified look with Jason and they flinch when Will snaps at one of them to
come over.
It was Jason who hesitantly holds on to Nico while Will clutches his thin
wrist. The two work together to keep him restraint of all the weak thrashing
but Percy can still see Jason being ever so careful with Nico when he cups his
face.
Will tilts the drink to let the liquid fall past his parted lips. By the end of
it all Nico is absolutely tired, his small body slumping heavily against Jason
and he groans almost in pain.
“Dammit...” he weakly moans, starting up a mild coughing fit and turning to his
side with his back to Will. “You big jerk...” he adds softly, a hint of a whine
laced in his hoarse voice before going quiet.
Will smugly smirks down at him and turns to his bag. As for Jason, he holds his
fingers up to his face in curiosity and sniffs. “Oh my god-” he immediately
gags, his expression pinched as if repulsed by the sight of his own hand, “This
smell awful!”
“Jason” Nico eerily starts, “I will literally shove my fist down your throat if
I hear you complain again” he growls threateningly.
“Oh, right. S-sorry” he meekly apologizes, wiping his soiled fingers on a rag
nearby without Nico noticing. That bad huh? Then Nico definitely has every bit
a right to complain. But it’s not like Will can help it.
Percy knows that if Nico were just a little more cooperative, a little more
understanding, that he’d simply see this was all in regards to his health, it’d
probably make things a lot easier for him. Then again, Nico has always had this
terrible habit of ignoring the consequences. Meaning the state of his body.
He’s not totally reckless...he does things for a reason...has a plan 90 percent
of the time...manages to escapes with his life... but still. Percy just wishes
he consider the risks better. Realize that getting in harm’s way isn’t always
the best course of action.
But who was he to say? He shouldn’t lecture. Not now anyways. Percy shakes his
head of the thought and crawls over to Jason’s side. They offer a smile at Nico
when he peeks up at them but he returns it with a weak glare.
“You feel more grounded” Will speaks up, his hand gently pressed to Nico’s arm
as it slowly slides down to reach his thin fingers. “It’s working...”
Nico snatches his arm back and huffs, “Leave me alone, I’m mad at you.”
“Won’t be for long” Will teases knowingly, draping Nico’s small form with a
softer thicker blanket he had pulled from his bag. Nico calmly breathes out,
not saying anything for a minute, then lays on his back and grumbles at Will,
the edge of the blanket up to his nose.
“If only the others knew you can be a total asshole.”
“Takes one to know one” he crosses his arms and laughs.
“At least I don’t go tormenting the injured” he accuses before sticking his
tongue out and hurriedly bundling up. He covers his head and effectively shuts
them out but Percy chuckles at this. His behavior sort of reminds him of a
pouting child.
Will bravely pokes him where his forehead should be and smiles. “Be mad all you
want, I was only doing it for you.”
“I would’ve been fine without the drink” Nico argues back, his voice muffled by
one layer of blanket.
“The drink helps with your condition Nico. Besides, we don’t want another
episode... you scared me half to death the last time it happened...” he trails
off more seriously. Jason and Percy quickly look to him in question, this
completely new to them, but he shakes his head and sighs. What episode, Percy
still wonders.
“...Idiot...I’d never let it take me... You wouldn’t have the satisfaction of
tormenting me again if it did...” Nico calmly states, his reassurance
apparently surprising Will and for whatever reason has him smiling widely,
“...I’m under strict rule by my doctor to not die after all...”
“...That you are” Will quietly agrees, his eyes going peculiarly soft as he
watches Nico shifting under the blanket. Nico pokes his head out, Percy
catching the way his lip tugs at the corner in the shape of a smile. Clearly
there was something going on between the two that Percy had no part of.
He shares a look of confusion with Jason but in the end lets it go.
“By the way” Nico interrupts the somewhat silence, “Next time you do that to me
again I’ll snap your arms like a twig!” he coldly threatens, his intent to maim
evident in the way he speaks. That lucid image of a smile escapes Percy now
that he sees Nico glaring at Will.
Naturally, Will stiffens in place, his head frantically nodding in
understanding when Nico’s glare only intensifies. “O-okay” Will gulps. “I get
it, but I... I’ll probably do it again anyways” he slowly grins.
“You’ve. Been. Warned” Nico ominously says, “And don’t expect me to play doctor
for you either.”
“That’s not very nice” Will petulantly responds.
“Hey” Jason cuts in before they continue with the bickering, “Why don’t we all
just sleep. Nico, you still need your rest.”
Nico gives him a face but nods shortly after, adorably curling onto his side
and peacefully closing his eyes. Will slowly looms over him, the three
remaining where they are so they could watch the way Nico easily relaxes. The
scowl, the stress in his expression, all the worries of the world, vanishing
completely.
They gaze a little longer, Percy trying to memorize every detail of Nico’s cute
face. So he’s not yet realized just how long he’s lost himself to his staring
until Nico’s eyes snaps open. He blinks at them and they flinch, Percy himself
blushing in embarrassment. 
They’ve been caught leaning in. Nico must think they’re a bunch of creepers the
way they’re hovering around him. But then Nico brings his arms up, the three of
them absolutely startled the moment Nico’s hands cup the back of Jason and
Will’s heads.
He offers a sweet smile, one Percy’s never seen before, but then, all too soon,
he harshly grips their hair and smashes their forehead together in all of 3
brutal seconds. Percy cringes in sympathy when he hears their skulls basically
cracking.
Jason and Will cry out, falling to their backs and palming their new injuries
in agony. Holy shit. Percy should have expected much, but damn. Guess Nico got
them back.
As the two roll around on the dirt whimpering, Nico contently snuggles back
into his blanket and sighs, “Goodnight~”
                                     ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
“This isn’t working” Nico huffs. He tosses aside the van’s distorted back door
after their sixth attempt to snap it back in place. He crosses his arms and
turns to Will and Percy, daring them to start but they keep their mouths shut.
Will can’t blame how frustrated he is. They’ve been at it since the morning and
it’s already 12.
“Jason, have you made any progress?” Nico now inquires. He gets a reply in the
form of a soft curse. Will sees Jason round the van to meet them, the demigod
looking worst for wear, dirty with grease and oil from working under the hood.
“Look” he begins tiredly “Just because Leo is a mechanic genius I spend time
with doesn’t automatically mean I know anything about cars and how they work”
he pouts at them, throwing the filthy rag on his shoulder to the ground to
emphasize his own frustration.
Nico arches a brow and hums quietly, “Is that a no?”
Jason’s pout deepens, “Yes that’s a no!”
“We wouldn’t be stuck like this if you hadn’t crashed the god damn van into a
tree”, Percy grumbles quietly beside him.
“Hey, it’s not like I did it on purpose”, Jason defensively states, “I did my
best to escape and if you haven’t noticed, we’re in the forest.”
“Well, you should still learn how to drive around trees” Percy huffs. Jason
turns red from embarrassment so Will speaks up before they start a fight, and
judging by the way Jason clenches his fist, he was right to step in.
“Let’s worry about it again after a break” he advises, holding out a new clean
rag for Jason to take although a bath would be more suited to clean all that
grime on his face and hands. “We can try looking for help once we eat something
too.”
“Will, there’s isn’t exactly a town within walking distance” Nico reminds.
“Yeah but maybe there are campers nearby. Who knows, they could help.”
“I doubt it...” he shakes his head.
Nico suddenly looks down at himself, pulls the hem of his shirt and frowns when
he spots the dirt, dried blood and ‘mud drink’ blotches. Stains that also cover
some of his pale skin. He eyes the rest of them and pulls a slightly disgusted
face. “We look like we haven’t bathed in weeks.”
“Sort of feels like it too...” Percy sheepishly agrees. “A bath would be nice”,
he wistfully sighs.
“Too bad there are no shower stalls in the forest.”
Nico walks to the side doors and searches for his bag. Curiously, they watch as
he reaches for his clean clothes while ever so slowly a ghost floats its way to
him. Will, lost to the conversation going on between them, simply finishes the
rest of his oatmeal he’d left behind.
Thank god Percy still acted like a child at times. Otherwise they would have
ended up with a bland breakfast. His sweet tooth was ever so clear to him when
he had claimed to have brought his secret stash of cinnamon apple oatmeal. The
‘little genius’ was kind enough to share it with them – quite smugly too – but
was much ‘kinder’ in offering Nico a second pack that he’d refused to give to
him...mean.
It was great and all, but he’d rather have a bigger lunch befitting all of
them. If they don’t get the van on the road already, they’ll resort to granola
bars and snack packs. Not quite what he was craving for but that’s all they had
on them.
“Take care of the bodies while I wash up” Nico requests aloud. “I won’t be
long.”
“Wait, what!?” Percy immediately sputters, “W-where are you going?”
“N-Nico...” Jason also whines at him. The two demigods quickly jump in his way,
obstructing his path when they see him starting to leave. Instead of shoving
them away, he points over his head where the same apparition Will had spotted
with him in the van calmly hovers above.
“Remy found a lake”, Nico discloses with an innocent blink of his eyes. “He’s
leading me to it. I won’t be long, promise.”
“A lake?” Will repeats, “Can one of us come with you? It’s not wise to be
alone.”
“Nope” Nico instantaneously replies, then proceeds to give him a small stink
eye. “The three of you stay here and guard the van you all ruined.”
“Aw man, that’s not fair.” Percy’s shoulders slump into the perfect illusion of
a dejected child denied of his snack privileges. “Jason’s the one who crashed
it. At least take me with you”, he woefully pleads, his infamous cub seal eyes
working Nico up to its fullest. Like any normal demigod, Nico seemed about
ready to give in and allow it.
That blushing cute face of Nico’s was enough to make Will swoon though, so he’s
not preoccupied with caring what Percy looked like. Outlasting longer than
Percy probably would have hoped, Nico abruptly turns to leave. “Stay here Percy
and don’t make a mess of things.”
“Nico!” Now his expression shatters to that of his usual incredulous one when
accused of something. Will smirks at him as he continues to call Nico back, but
the boy is on his merry way without so much as a glance back.
Shame. Will would have loved to join him as well... to keep each other safe. No
other reason behind it...
Will walks over to the van and faced the tinted window in front of him, his
reflection as filthy as he expected it to be. If he concentrated hard enough on
something else, he could ignore the way he appeared. The summer heat was
unrelenting on them, and the caked dirt in his fingernails felt just as
terrible but he’ll simply have to deal with it until Nico returns. Hopefully
safe. 
Percy gave up after a while, and the three of them had nothing better to do
than relax under the shade of a tree. The work they’ve done so far proved
useless and tiring. No amount of will can make the van move anytime soon so
they rested as he had advised earlier.
Unfortunately, it was ridiculously boring. Jason was unsurprisingly peeved
about Percy’s ‘all your fault’ charade since the morning so he wasn’t very
talkative at the moment. Percy is sad that Nico left him with them and
continued to complain about their bad luck while Will was tired in general.
Luckily that bump on his forehead has disappeared – thanks Nico – but he had a
throbbing headache coming on due to... well, he’ll blame the heat to spare
himself from further thought. Percy’s attempts to have fun were forgotten when
Will and Jason were unresponsive but that didn’t stop him from chatting up a
storm.
Flopped over the log they’ve been sitting on for the last few minutes, Percy
suddenly jolts up like an idea had sprung life. They both don’t ask when he
runs to his discarded bag. Then he digs out his laptop. Percy gives them a
dirty grin, implications very implied, and Jason was the first to react. The
closest twig he could find wasn’t nearly as big as the one he found but when
they threw it at Percy, he still gleamed with intent.
“Percy, no!” Jason gravely starts, “It’s not right and you should know better.”
“You’re the one who still watched with me” he rolls his eyes. Percy hurriedly
makes his way to them, but Will notices the way Jason flushed in embarrassment,
that reminder going straight to his head no doubt. He looked absolutely
ashamed, and just the slightest bit thoughtful. Will idly wonders what Nico
would think if he knew that Jason loved the idea of him in his baggy shirts.
“This is our chance to watch another video” Percy goes on unperturbed, ignoring
them and the inevitable pain in the foreseeable future if Nico discovers them
out in the open like this. Too dangerous. Will would much rather keep his eyes
in their sockets.
Still, curse the universe and his haggard state because he finds he’s too weak
to the temptation of Nico and what he could possibly see of him. He hates
himself for it, but it’s all he can do incline the way he does when Percy sits
and adjusts the screen for them.
“Don’t you want to live to see another day?” Will mutters in warning. He’s
literally not one to talk. In fact, he could walk away now, hide somewhere
that’s not here and suffer on his own with thoughts of Nico in any which way
his fantasies conjure up. “We’ll be skinned alive. Nico could be back any
minute. It’ll be a matter of time before he finds out, you know.”
“Shush” Percy cuts him off, “It’ll be one video and then I shut it off. Now
then...” he holds his hand out to Jason.
“No. Way.” Jason stands, “We’re invading Nico’s privacy. Ever think about that.
I can’t just let you do this either” he crosses his arms, “I’ll be sure to hold
on to the flash drive so you can forget about watching any more videos from now
on.”
“Jason, give it up already. I know you want to see more.”
“N-no I don’t”, he huffs softly, “...But even if I did, I refuse to give in...”
he awkwardly admits, “I’m not gonna kid myself. Seeing Nico, um, that way is...
different, but I also don’t want to be a loser like you.”
“Hey, you’ve watched two videos so far, what’s the harm in watching a third?” 
Percy taunts, his outstretched hand reaching Jason further in hopes of getting
that flash drive hidden in his pocket.
Will should side with Jason and tell Percy to let this go. What they’re doing
is clearly beyond invasive and he would never want to draw that sort of
discomfort to Nico. More so than that, he still can’t fathom the sort of
actions he was ambiguously forced into by Jared. He absolutely hates the idea
of Jared touching Nico let alone having sex with him.
Will’s stomach knots the same churning way it had when he first found out about
this. With that first video. It was only tolerable to watch because Nico was
incredible beautiful, but no matter how many times he refuses to acknowledge
it, Jared held him intimately first. Above all else it was Jared Nico was
technically close to and Will feels infuriated by that fact alone.
It’s not his place. Will can’t tell Nico whether Jared is good for him or not.
Nico decides that for himself, but Will wishes he’d gotten closer to Nico
sooner. Before Jared came along and took all of Nico’s time away from him.
Now that he thinks about...he really can’t remember when that was. Jared simply
showed up with Nico one day...relatively comfortable together too. They were
sort of friends at first? Or, they were simply aware of each other? No...
That’s not it.
He’d focused on the wrong thing-
“How long is it?”
“Not that long... but remember, just one.”
What? Will blinks up and slightly smirks when he sees Jason hesitantly scooting
closer. He’d given in. He still looked reluctant, but Percy must have had to
push him hard to get the little device from him.
Will vaguely wonders more about Jared’s mysterious relationship with Nico
before they were ‘intimate’, but when the video Percy clicked on starts, he
takes a side note to ask Nico later. If he doesn’t suspect anything, the
question should be rather innocent. Then again, Nico might not appreciate it at
all.
Still...
                                     ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
Regretting anything now would be a little too late for him. It’s not like he
knew what he’d see. Plus, he figured it would be the same ‘Nico playing hard to
get with Jared’ again. For the most part it still was, but this video was far
different than the first two. Nico was being a more willing participant by the
end of it all.
It’s agreed between them that Jared is a nasty piece of work. But he was a jerk
that knew Nico’s body well. The titles were as misleading as ever, but the
content was forever sexual. With each video he realized they get
progressively...uh, adventurous. Nico’s body is definitely explored but at
least Jared’s appearances were kept to a minimum at best.
This video in particular, Percy saw Nico more exposed than he’d ever seen in
his life. Nico is usually covered from head to toe in drab colored clothes, so
he’s only ever lucky to see small winks of his skin. That’s the little he’s
rewarded with. So he’s wide eyed once again to see Nico naked of all things.
Jared’s camera rattles with every step he takes to cabin 13. It was one of
those bright sunny days that has every camper running around outside. All
except for one. Nico was held up inside his cabin and Jared enters despite the
last warning he had received. He ignored every few calls to his name in order
to reach one son of Hades.
Once inside, Jared lets the lens of the camera glide over Nico’s lax form on
the bed where he’s reading. Actual reading. Slightly struggling, yes, but the
second Jared gets closer, Nico lowers the book and glares at him. He doesn’t
even bother covering up. Because if he hadn’t already mentioned it, Nico only
had a white fluffy towel thrown over his hips.
“Ever heard of knocking”,was his terse greeting to him.
“Sure have, but I’d rather not waste the energy if I know you aren’t going to
answer.”
Nico rolls his eyes and lifts the book back up to practice reading. Percy would
think that Nico would desire some peace and quiet, but he simply ignores Jared
when he began talking. “Why are you still reading that? I thought you said you
weren’t going to school?”
School? Was Nico not enrolled in school? Hadn’t Chiron wanted him to get an
education? At least Percy finished up his senior year. Nico doesn’t answer
though, so Jared opted to crawl on the bed towards him for attention. Gently,
he set his hand down on Nico’s ankle but there’s no reaction.
“Malcolm refused to give you tutoring or something? Don’t tell me you’re doing
this for fun?”he teased him.
“What if I am? I’m not going to let an idiot like you hold me back from good
reading, so fuck off”he shoos tiredly. His gaze is hard set on the pages of his
book. The look of concentration is not once broken even as he spoke to Jared.
“Nico I want to do somethingmorefun”he hints at quite pathetically. Nico lifts
his head up at that and gives him a nonplussed look, the subtle surprise in his
eyes vanishing quickly into that of a playful smile.
“Yeah, well come here then” he bites his lips and cants his head. Percy blinks
and feels his mouth drop a bit. Okay...not what he expected to hear. If
anything, he wanted to see Nico kick Jared out already. His own shock was short
lived however when Jared giddily leans in and Nico all but smack him with his
book.
“OW!”
“Who the fuck cares what you want!”Nico starts angrily, “Don’t expect me to you
inbred dog! Go hump a tree and leave me alone!”
“What the fuck, I waited all this time for you!” he complains, “You’re already
naked so don’t hold out on me.”
“I don’t want you’re filthy hands to touch me.” Nico crossed his arms and
scrunched his nose to express his disgust for him, “And I don’t want to take
another shower because of you.”
“I washed my hands”Jared supplied with a snicker. Nico was not amused. “It’s
not like it’s gonna matter though after I’m done with you”he soon promised. His
camera takes a moment to pan Nico’s long soft body on the bed and Jared hums in
appreciation.
The towel was still around Nico’s waist but whether that was a good thing or
not, Percy hadn’t decided yet. It does things to his insides he had trouble
controlling. Jared’s fingers runs up the smooth length of his legs and Nico
bends them slightly at the knees, almost unsure of himself. When Jared tried
pulling at the only protection he had, Nico catches the offending limb and
twists it at the wrist.
Jared yelps in pain but he gets brave and pounces Nico anyways. The camera
topples over the side and lands upright so the whole tussle that ensues on the
other side of the bed is captured. Nico kicks and screams at Jared about being
a pervert again. Jared is playful nonetheless, laughing the whole time that he
has Nico under him.
It’s almost ridiculous the way Jared manages to grope his ass. Victory isn’t
enough to describe the pure joy he finds in molesting Nico’s bubble butt. Nico
whines softly, aware of the hand pinning him to the ground now sliding over the
small of his back to join the other hand massaging his backside.
“Jared, get off me right now!” he thrashes helplessly.
“Have you been practicing here again?”Jared merely inquires, a finger likely
probing at the rim because all too suddenly, Nico’s voice is caught in his
throat and his eyes roll back in his head.
Percy can barely choke down his own surprise. He also couldn’t bother to care
what Will and Jason were feeling next to him about the new information. As in
Nico secretly fingering himself. That’s interesting... very interesting, yeah.
“N-No”Nico immediately whimpered. A dark blush creeps up his face and settles
on the tips of his ears so in turn, Jared teases him more about it. “Stop p-
poking me!” he weakly protests.
“Oh right, forgot you were sensitive.”
“Get off me already, you giant prick. That’s the last time I ever let you do
this to me again”he growls.
“What? Oh please, you can’t go a day without something up here to satisfy you.”
To prove his point Jared rams his finger back in and Nico savagely claws at the
wooden floor.
“Stop! Stop!”Nico cries outs. Jared mercifully does and quickly lifts off the
floor with Nico in his arms. The camera stays where it is but Percy doesn’t
need see to know what’s happening next. Nico, as it turns out, can be
incredibly vocal when touched a certain way.
After some time the screen blacks out and a new scene reappears with Nico on
his side panting softly. A subtle hint of sweat sheens his pale skin perfectly.
Hands are kneading at his side, petting his loose-limbed arm and curved back
before playful skimming along his hip and thigh. Nico all the while enjoyed the
comforting attention.
The camera is lifted higher in the air to catch Nico’s face but Nico swats it
away, “I said no camera”he croaked quietly.
“Yeah, yeah...”Jared mumbled softly. He sounded like he was in a trance or
something. Judging by the way he was touching Nico, he was probably too
distracted to care either. Nico’s hips were on their side but Jared thought it
better to suddenly set him on his knees. Nico gasps and he pouts over his
shoulder when he realizes Jared’s intentions.
“You've got to be kidding me...” he huffs tiredly, “I don’t want to go along
with your ridiculous fantasies anymore.”
“Don’t be like that”he chuckles, “You were pretty into before.”
“No I wasn’t”Nico instantly blushed.
“Deny it all you want, I’m still going to continue. Lay down”he eagerly orders.
“You know what to do.” Nico looks like he wants to argue but he sighs and does
as he’s told. Percy actually covers his blushing face behind his hands for a
moment. He admits, he hadn’t been ready for that view. Nico was willingly
presenting himself.
The globes of his ass were carefully pulled apart and Jared immediately thrusts
his finger in him without warning. Nico squeaks in surprise but groans in
pleasure at the familiar ministration. Percy could tell he’d been thoroughly
prepped before this because his rim was incredibly pink and wet. The digits
don’t meet any resistance. In fact, Nico sort of swallows them up.
Nico weakens more and more though, his trembling thighs unsupportive and tired
until finally they give out and he falls to his stomach, “...C-coming-... I’m
going t-to come...” he moans brokenly, his very hips snapping at every thrust
inward.
“Spread your legs wider”Jared grunts lowly, his fingers suddenly pulling out to
grab one of Nico’s arms and make him spread himself. Nico whines and holds his
own thigh to his chest so that Jared could close in on him. The camera is
abandoned to the side but Percy realizes it was levitating slowly. What the?
He doesn’t know how that’s possible but his focus lands back on the two. Jared
has Nico half on his side, half on his stomach. The two work together to open
Nico up and give Jared complete access to slide his dick inside him with ease.
Nico cries out. “Oh gods!”
“Haa...shit...”
Jared’s thrusts were quite vigorous and aggressive. Nico was unable to hold
back how much he was starting to enjoy that. He went so far as to let go of his
own leg and wrap his hand around Jared’s neck to hold on tightly. It wasn’t
what Percy wanted to see, but he of course couldn’t look away.
Jared kissed his neck the whole time he fucked Nico into the mattress but he
pushed deeper still. Far too deeply for Nico to handle. He moaned and clawed at
the bed sheets next, only Jared didn’t let up. It drove him to thrust faster,
and Nico turned beautifully pliant as he was being used this way.
“I’m close”Jared said breathlessly, pulling the leg hooked around his arm over
to the other side so he could pin Nico on his back instead. Nico arches towards
him at the sudden new position but doesn’t forget to wrap his arms and legs
around Jared.
“Me too...me too...”he whimpered. “I’m c-coming!”
Percy feels himself leaning in, a sudden desire to see Nico’s face as he comes
no matter what when held this way. But the back of his neck prickled like it
sensed danger nearby and a shiver so terrible traveled up his spine Percy knew
it was anything but bad news.
“What are you three doing?”
Uh oh.
Chapter End Notes
     Let me know what you all think by leaving a comment.
     I don't know when I'll have the next chapter ready so please be
     patient with me.
     If you want something to read in the meantime you could always read
     my other fanfic.
     I updated it (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞ here
     Bye for nowヽ(〃･ω･)ﾉ
***** Not your intention? Yes it was! *****
Chapter Notes
     Hey guys, so sorry I've kept you waiting.
     Hope you can forgive me.
     This has been ready for a while but there was something unsatisfying
     about this chapter that made me edit it over and over again.
     There are probably still some mistakes but you can just ignore that
     right :)
     Anyways enjoy(~˘▾˘)~
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Percy’s hand hovered over the screen, too late in its attempt to hide the
raunchy visuals of Jared and Nico partaking in sex. His mind took a moment to
catch up with itself, but until then he was left frozen in place, dread filling
his stomach and jostling its way to his chest.
With what little dignity he had though, and knowing very well he’ll be held
responsible for their current predicament, he sputtered out an excuse. “T-this
isn’t...we-we’re not...nothing...I mean-”
Together they scrambled to a stand. He could feel the searing intensity in the
accusing eyes of the ghosts he hadn’t thought would be wandering about close
by. Percy stared back, an enormous amount of shame hanging over his head over
this. Joanna lingered over to him specifically, her expression that of
amusement and curiosity when she caught sight of the laptop in his hands. Video
still playing.
“For shame...” another ghost shook her head. A small woman no older than 50.
“What are they doing?” Joseph whispered to another ghost, utterly lost to the
situation and the fact that they’ve been caught watching something unbelievably
inappropriate for a child to understand yet. They might as well have had their
hands down their pants with the way most of them suddenly glare. The ghosts
closest to Joseph immediately wrapped their hands around his eyes and ears,
shaking their heads before disappearing out of there.
“Well this is a surprise...” Joanna giggled. Unlike the others, she calmly took
a seat on the log and watched with detached interest how Jared holds Nico to
the bed. “I don’t suppose Nico knows of this? Probably not...It wouldn’t fair
well for the three of you if he did.”
“Y-you...you’re not going to tell him are you?” Will hesitantly inquires,
realization finally dawning on him about what this could truly mean for them.
It wasn’t Nico, but the ghosts do love to gossip.
Joanna gives them a long thoughtful look before shrugging, “No. Not if he asks
anyways. Either that or he’ll force it out of me. When it comes down to it,
it’s really not my decision” she smiles. “Let’s also hope the other ghosts
don’t go babbling to Nico first.” With that she disappeared herself, leaving
them alone to stew in their own sudden mortification.
“Oh...” Will’s shoulders slump. That small vestigial of hope that had been
lingering in him drained from his being. He plopped down on the log and hid in
his hands. “He’s going to kill us” he guaranteed out loud. “We’re dead. I knew
I shouldn’t have watched...”
“No” Percy jumped in, “No he won’t because- because he’s not going to find out.
We just pretend like nothing’s happened... Like we always do.”
“Percy, I hope for your sake you’re going to stop watching any more videos”
Jason grimly warns, “We wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for you. How
could I have been so stupid...” he growls to himself.
Percy scowled, that accusation striking a nerve with him, but it was also true.
As more days had passed by without getting caught, Percy figured he could still
watch a video and not fear the consequences. But he may have gone too far this
time.
He hadn’t expected the ghosts of all things to stick around. They usually find
a way to flee and enjoy the small lapse of freedom they’re given while Nico
wasn’t there to keep them in line. If anything, the ghosts always complain
about wanting a break away from them more than they do of each other. Percy had
miscalculated.
He was about to speak up in rebuttal, too stubborn to admit his fault yet, when
a new development occurred. They all twitched to a start, the sound of Nico’s
startlingly angry voice in the video cutting through the silence. Percy set the
laptop down and kneeled, the addiction he has for this unable to stop him from
watching what unfolded next.
“Get off, get off!”Nico hissed in annoyance, “Ugh!”
Nico flung Jared away, but to Percy’s confusion he threw himself over the bed
too in the most uncharacteristically frantic way possible. Nico wasted no time
in yanking the sheets with him to cover his lovely naked body while Jared’s
outstretched arm lifted towards the camera in the air. The door then bursts
open without warning and it took them all by surprise when Percy’s voice
resounds loudly in the room.
“Nico!” he called out, seemingly irritated by his absence, “Nico you better not
be hiding from me. You promised. Nico?”
The camera had fallen too fast for Jared to catch in time so it landed on the
floor a hair’s breadth away from touching Jared’s fingers. Nico and Jared stare
at each other wide eyed, that much they could still see. As Percy drew closer
to them though, the panic in Nico’s eyes vanishes and he calmly reveals his
head.
“Percy!”he angrily starts, “You can’t just barge in like that! You scared me
half to death!”
“Wha- Hey, I’ve been waiting for hours in the arena for your lazy butt so I
came to get you myself. You were sleeping weren’t you?” he huffs, “You’re
always sleeping in...”
Nico falls silent for a moment and Jared, the asshole, slowly grins from where
he lays beneath Nico, his hand placed over his mouth to help hold in his
laughter. Oh gods. Jason and Will slowly turn their head to stare incredulously
at Percy. He can practically hear what they were thinking. Percy blushes
brightly, the sudden realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.
Nico doesn’t sleep in. He has sex. He’s been having sex with Jared. All this
time he’d assumed, as did everyone in camp – Jason and Will probably no
exception – that Nico took naps and avoided him to rest in excessive amounts.
It would account for his pale complexion. Which over the years has not once
basked in a stream of sunlight. Instead, he favored getting boned by a jerk who
really only ever cared about letting off some steam the only way he knew how.
On Nico.
“Uh...”Nico clearly didn’t know what to say next but he quickly regained
himself and continued with (feigned?) annoyance, “Of course I was. But now that
you’re here I might have better luck sleeping in the Apollo cabin. Now get the
fuck out, you’re a nuisance.”
“No. Way.”Percy held fast, not the least bit withered by the cold venom thrown
at him, “You were supposed to help me clean the stables today. Anhourago.”
“If you expect me to touch horse shit with you, you are far mistaken...” Nico
growled lowly, “Ask Annabeth to do it with you and leave me out of it!”he yells
at him, a tad too angrily in everyone’s opinion. Jason and Will wince, offering
Percy a bit of sympathy when they see him dismayed and hurt. There was
something else too. They sort of share a look, something that startles them
into sudden realization, like they’re thinking of the same thing, but they
quickly look away and settle back to watching the video.
“I can’t let Annabeth do that! Besides, she’s busy...uh, with reading and
stuff. With important documents for her new buildings...and I don’t want her
hands to get damaged...”
Another lapse of silence followed but this was more strained and awkward.
Something in Nico’s expression hardens and Jared, who had momentarily closed
his eyes, shakes his head in disapproval as if pained by Percy’s seemingly
insensitive words. Words that Jason and Will don’t seem to appreciate either.
But Percy, lost to the change in mood, thinks nothing of it.
With his jaw set and eyes narrowed, the son of Hades calmly breathes out, some
restraint in place as he says his next words. “Get. Out.”Nico demands a second
time, “Right now.”
“What...”Percy is taken aback, “No, you gotta-”
“I said right now!”He snaps, “I know for a fact Annabeth won’t mind getting
herprecioushands dirty. And don’t you dare assume I’ll step in her place
because you couldn’t get anyone else. Now for the last time, leave!”
“Fine”Percy muttered, sounding surprised and disillusioned that Nico refused to
help him.
The three hear the door close and Nico finally relaxes, but his eyes
immediately sadden at his leave. “Dammit... I shouldn’t have done that...”
Percy blinks rapidly. Wait what...
“Forget that”Jared grunts and sits up. “Now then, let’s continue”he nips his
skin, “from where we left off...”Jared runs his hands under the covers and
peels the sheets away to expose his soft body.
“No, I’m done...”Nico unceremoniously shoves his face away from his neck, “No
more games...I’m going to take another shower. This is all your fault”he
bitterly states. Nico comes to a stand and steps out of shot so they only see
Jared on the floor, his expression that of shock.
“Aw come on!” he protests in disbelief, “Don’t tell me you’re secretly ditching
me for that dolt. That’s just unfair.”
A bundle of clothes collide heavily with Jared’s face for that. He yelps in
pain when a pair of shoes Nico had also thrown his way hit him directly in the
chest. “If I had a choice on how to spend my time between the two of you, I’d
choose to be with Percy shoveling shit!”he admittedly claims, “But now I can’t
have that because of you!”
“But he was going to use you”Jared rolls his eyes.
“As if you’re not already doing that you fucking prick!”
“At least I’m honest...”he mutters lowly to himself, begrudgingly starting to
dress in his wrinkled clothes now that Nico wasn’t going to let him have his
way. “I can’t believe you’d rather clean up after the Pegasus than have sex
with me. Don’t you hate those damn horses...”
“Hurry up and go”he irritably demands.
“Alright already, jeez”he scoffs.
He reaches for his camera last and points it at a hastily dressed Nico. They
all see him disappear into a shadow where he’ll probably end up in the communal
showers outside. Just like that the video ends. Percy heavily sits down on his
heels and knees as he faces the empty black screen, his head currently in a
jumble of thoughts about what he just witnessed.
...Nico...loved to spend time with him?
Whether it be in some tedious task or not, he just admitted to enjoying his
company rather than Jared’s. Didn’t he? That small information filled him with
something wonderfully happy even though he had no reason to be. After all, he’d
just been sent away quite coldly.
Percy still remembers that day. He recalls being sadden at the prospect of
working alone and although it may not have seemed like it, he had been thinking
of Nico first when he went searching for help. Annabeth really had been busy at
the time though.
In fact, she had been too busy to remember Percy had been placed on stable
duty. Of course, Percy didn’t want to bother her work too so he figured since
Nico was ‘technically sleeping’, which he wasn’t – he knows that now – he’d be
a bit willing to offer some assistance. He hadn’t thought of anyone else but
him.
This was eye opening for Percy.
Not only had he been right, Nico would’ve possibly jumped at the idea of
accompanying him. He would’ve agreed right way. ‘Course, he’d of likely made a
show of not wanting to, but this just proved otherwise.
The unfortunate circumstances were in the way of that and just as Nico had
said, Jared was to blame. Jared had prevented him of some alone time with Nico.
Even if it were to clean up horse poop.
Percy blushed even brighter and buried his face in his hands, tipping forward
to lay atop his own lap and groan miserably. The embarrassment was finally
starting to catch up to him. He’d been close to finding Nico and Jared.... ‘in
the act’. Not only that, he had gone to complain like a child while the two of
them were completely naked on the other side of the bed that stood between
them.
It was ridiculous when he thought about it.
Jason and Will pat his back, and he acknowledges their sweet attempt to comfort
him but he felt too humiliated to think about anything else. He wanted a hole
to swallow him up so he could forget the ridiculousness of it all. Forget it
ever happened.
Actually, a part of him strongly latched on to the part at the end.
The look of utter guilt and remorse he saw in Nico when he’d sent Percy away so
coldheartedly was, in his opinion, touching. It played in his mind over and
over again.
If Jared hadn’t been there, would Nico have truly been happy to join Percy?
Would he have smiled instead?
He hoped so...maybe he can see for himself...
                                        
                                      ~~~
                                        
“Of all the things you can do! Nico you promised me!”
Jason turns with Percy to see Will fuming at Nico over by the fire pit. Nico,
the devilish little vixen just shrugged his shoulder and rolled his eyes,
calmly sipping his bottle of Gatorade and eating as Will continued to lecture.
“Oh great, more fighting...” Jake muttered as his hands quickly tinkered with
something hiding under the hood of the van. Jason looked away and sighed with
the Hephaestus’ boy.
Oh, right... Why is Jake there? Well...
After Percy had put his laptop away, they all freaked out and screamed when
Nico suddenly appeared out of nowhere from behind. By his side stood Jake, or
rather, he was hunched over heaving at the ground before claiming he hated
Nico’s guts.
“Wha- Nico!?” Will spoke first.
“I’m back” Nico announced with a smug smirk, amused by all means that he’d
given them a ‘fright’.
“You- Jake? Why is...did you just shadow travel to camp? Are you kidding me!?”
Turns out Nico had planned for this even before he’d left to ‘bathe in the
lake’. Nico immediately shadow traveled away to camp half blood, hunted down
the son of Hephaestus, kidnapped his unsuspecting ass, and shadow traveled back
to them.
Will grinded his teeth and pulled Nico aside to discuss why he shouldn’t have
done that. Nico took it in stride, understanding why Will was upset although
not particularly caring.
Honestly, Jason was secretly grateful to Nico for thinking ahead.
Did that mean he should have gone behind their backs? No. He could’ve at least
said something.
Will eventually stopped and caught Nico in time before he could hit the ground
when he passed out. All that power and energy he’d used wasn’t much, but it’s
taken its toll on him. Nico was still healing after all.
By the time Nico had awaken, Jake had already explained to them that he was
just there to fix up what was broken. The van. And he’s done a marvelous job of
it. Will, meanwhile, overtly watched over Nico’s healing process.
Basically, he told him to sit down and drink some Gatorade.
Nico hadn’t really cleaned up either, Jason noticed. He changed into some nice
clean clothes. Wiped away much of the dirt on his skin. He looked far better
than they did, but he was cranky and smelly and Will hadn’t helped with his
mood.
But Jason was just happy he was back and the van was up and running. In fact,
it looked good as new. Jake really did wonders on it. From what Jason could
tell, there weren’t any visible dents.
“Okay~” Jake beamed at last, putting away his tools and standing proudly next
to them as he looked over his magnificent work, “Its done.”
“Wow” Percy uttered softly, idly running his palm over the back doors as if
looking for any sign of damage that was previously there.
“This is great Jake” Jason smiled, “Thanks for everything”
“No problem” he chuckled, “Now, if anything happens call me first before that
little klepto comes sneaking into my cabin” he points at Nico.
The sons of Hades ignores him though and slurps up a bundle of noodles into his
hungry mouth. Jason had offered the meal to him at some point, cutting into
Will’s ‘talk’ and blushing when Nico excitedly jumped at him in gratitude. Just
to aggravate Will more, he had stuck his tongue out and sauntered off to enjoy
it alone.
“Oh don’t worry”, Will finally wandered over to their side, “We won’t let him
do that again.”
At this, an empty cup of noodles hits him on the back of his head so Will
stares incredulously at Nico for doing such a childish thing. “I can do what I
want you big jerk” he huffed irritably, “It’s not like any of you had any
better ideas. At least we can leave now.”
He stood and walked towards them, grumbling the whole way over and making sure
to turn the other cheek when Will opened his mouth. Jason resisted the urge to
laugh loudly when he saw Will deflate almost immediately. Obviously, he wasn’t
used to being ignored.
When Nico gently took a hold of Jake’s arm though, all three shot forward to
keep Nico in place as they yelled, “No!”
Nico blinked fast, shocked and confused, as was Jake. “L-let go you idiots. I
need to take him back.”
“Do it later”, “Not now”, “Rest some more”, they pleaded at the same time.
Jake burst out laughing when he caught sight of the seriousness in their
expressions while Nico shrugged them off and blushed.
“For the last time, I’m fine!”
“Oh man, you guys act like he’s some kind of baby” Jake stated between giggles.
“I’m not a child” Nico immediately protested, voice high and eyes wide in
disbelief like he was appalled by that statement alone.
“Could’ve fooled me” Jake snickered, jabbing Nico’s forehead in a teasing
manner and making Nico pout. Jason wonders if Nico knows he’s even doing it.
Not that he should tease either. Will had failed miserably in getting Nico to
take care of himself so now it was his turn for a try.
“Come on” he moved, cautiously taking his hand – secretly enjoying the contact
– and leading him to his sleeping bag. “We gotta make sure you don’t pass out
again.”
“You gotta be kidding me...” Nico muttered lowly to himself. By now, it seems
he’s also given up in pushing them away. It won’t accomplish anything he
realizes and Nico knows how stubborn they can also be.
Jake pulled his own set of blankets and made a makeshift bed next to Nico’s,
snickering the whole time he saw Nico glaring at the sky and avoiding Jason’s
caring touch.
“So how come you guys decided to leave so early. Would have figured you’d join
the rest of camp on their trip...”
“Nico needed help transporting some bodies” Jason explained when it seemed like
Nico wasn’t going to say. He was currently sulking about being watched,
especially now, as Jason remained by his side and nervously smiled.
“B-bodies?” he blinked in surprised but followed that by holding out his arms,
“Actually, I don’t want to know...”
No longer had he said this did he relax into his blanket and closed his eyes.
“Wake me up in a couple hours ‘k” he yawned.
Nico glowered at Jake and turned over on his side to smack him in the face with
one of Percy’s pillow pet.
“Hey!” Jason heard him complain from afar but Nico went on to say, “Wait a
minute you ingrate. I need you to watch over the bodies while we go wash up.”
Jason, Will and Percy zero in on Nico like he’d spouted some mumbo jumbo but he
ignored them while he crawled his way to the bags lying by his feet. Jake
sputtered in surprise and cursed Nico out of course. “The hell! Why do I
gotta?”
“Because you’re here now and those three dogs smell worse than Mrs. O’Leary
after weeks of no bath.”
Okay...that’s not cool. Jason blushed brightly and pouted when Nico threw him a
clean towel.
“...Fine” Jake relented when he took a subtle whiff of the air in their general
direction. He very discreetly covered his nose and mouth before pulling out
something unrecognizable from his tool box. Jason’s learned to not question a
gadget’s purpose when it comes to a child of Hephaestus. They usually turn out
to be useful once they’re complete.
Nico grabbed a few more things and gestured them away from their camp site.
“Come on, I won’t be able to stand the stench any more.”
Leave it to Nico to make them feel even more embarrassed about themselves. The
three followed silently after him once Nico called to the ghost nearest him.
Within minutes they reach a small waterfall. It was well hidden and beautiful
but it was no surprise to Nico apparently.
“Thanks Remy” Nico smiled at the ghost who smiled back and nodded. Before he
completely disappeared, he gave them a lecherous smile and waved knowingly.
Jason hoped with all his might those ghosts don’t run off to cause them trouble
with their gossip but that’s just wistful thinking.
He now wonders how long it’ll take before Nico finally gets wind of what
they’ve been doing behind his back. It scares him to think that he’ll lose Nico
because of this. Jason was quite certain the son of Hades will disappear from
their lives if he learned about their perverted tendency to watch videos of
him. He’ll have every right to leave though and somehow, that saddens Jason
more.
“What are you three waiting for?” Nico arched a brow, “Get in already.”
Jason finds him already situated in the shallow part of the water leisurely
enjoying himself. He’d removed his shirt but his shorts were still on. He
hesitated at first, as did Will and Percy, but they complied and removed their
clothes. Nico was courteous enough to look away and play with the fresh water
but Jason hardly cared if he saw his bare chest or his ass for that matter.
Then again Nico was still shy about these kind of things...or at least he
always assumed he would be in the past. Now that he knew the kinds of things
Nico was capable of doing in the privacy of his own cabin, Jason wonders what
he can truly tolerate. Did that include nudity?
Jason kinda wanted to impress Nico though so he resolved himself to strip
everything and jump in the water with Percy and Will unperturbed. It’s not like
he hasn’t been naked with other people before. For some reason it just felt a
little different with Nico. Because Nico wasn’t just anybody.
Will and Percy could also care less about controversial things such as nudity.
Besides, Percy’s already swimming to his heart’s content while Will was just
relieved to finally wash away the filth that had been persistently stuck to his
body.
Splashes of water are thrown Nico’s way but he just smirks and kicks back what
he can at them in return.
“Hey!” Nico yelped and kicked at Jason some more when he’d gotten bold and
grabbed his ankle. Jason wanted to be closer to Nico, no matter how trivial the
contact may be, he was determined to get close. So he grinned and pulled even
harder until he managed to bring him into the deeper end of the water.
“Jason!” Nico panicked slightly, seemingly afraid of slipping and crashing into
him instead. Jason took ahold of him anyways and threw him towards the
cascading fall of the water nearby. He didn’t count on Nico’s receiving grip so
they both ended up sputtering water. “Ugh! You idiot!” Nico yelled at him,
quickly trying to swim away but Percy jumped in his way.
“Come on Nico” he cackled, “Let’s get you all nice and clean too” he says
before proceeding to gently dunk his head with bubbles of water and scrubbing
his hair teasingly.
“Percy, leave me alone” Nico demanded. He swatted at him quite adorably so Will
had to come in and take a hold of his arms. Together they washed Nico and it
may have been uncalled for but at some point they pulled at his shorts and
underwear too.
“What are you doing!” he squeaked in surprise, unbelievably embarrassed by
this, but they simply continued scrubbing him down – Jason deciding this moment
to be the best in his demigod life.
All the while this was going on, Nico kept complaining about being treated like
a child and not liking the attention and so on and so forth. This wiggling
cutie made it hard for them to keep him from slipping away, but they’ve managed
somehow.
“Don’t touch me” he pushed at Will’s face before pushing at Percy’s. The three
were circling him so he couldn’t exactly escape. He’d just end up swimming into
one of them after turning away from the other. Nico was so pretty and cute and
illuminating in the glowing water that Jason just couldn’t help himself. He
hugged him from behind and laughed.
“Jason!” Nico pushed at him next, his arms pinned to his chest while Jason’s
large arms circled him. In a useless attempt to swim away, Nico ended up moving
them both forward, his small hands splashing at the water desperately.
“Dammit.”
Jason realizes that this could be the closet he’s ever been to Nico so Jason
hangs on tightly, not daring to let go for anyone. Not even when Will wanted to
touch him. He simply twisted Nico out of his reach and Will of course didn’t
like it. He glared and tried again but Jason kept pulling away while Nico
yelled at both of them for behaving stupidly, not wanting to be a part of this
ridiculous cat and mouse game they’ve engaged themselves in.
“It’s getting late already and I want to get out” he grunted.
Well...maybe they should leave. Jason sighs, not particularly liking the idea
of ending the small bliss he’s found here but he also didn’t want Nico to catch
a cold. Once he nears the ledge of rock with Nico, he helps him on it. Nico
immediately tries hide his body with a towel, blushing and glaring at Jason for
no other reason than his typical annoyance towards him.
The towel hangs between his legs where he kneels so Jason openly stares,
admiring the supple look of his skin or the way his back arched naturally. Nico
blinks when he catches him staring so he looks away and takes his own towel
next.
This was also the first time he’s seen him naked like this. Jason was
definitely going to treasure the sight forever. He wanted another peek of him,
Percy and Will no different, but when he glanced back Nico was frozen stiff,
his eyes narrowed at something...in the trees perhaps?
“Nico?” Jason softly called but was immediately shushed.
“Be quiet, I think I hear something...” he muttered lowly.
Their heads swivel together to find whatever it is Nico had heard but
everything was as it should be, nothing out of the ordinary, and tranquil. Nico
jumped back into the water though and they watched him swimming to the other
side before looking up.
Something a bit larger than a log suddenly comes falling along the water fall.
Percy pulled Nico back before it could hit him but Nico was already focused on
inspecting whatever had arrived to bother them.
Nico turned it over slowly and just like that, they were faced with a man
gushing out streams of blood from a terrible gash across the side of his head.
With a deep frown Nico probed the rest of his body before going back to the
wound.
“He’s dead...” Nico announced softly, sadly, with small detachment but Jason
wasn’t fooled. And just before they could all say anything, Nico’s head snaps
up and he panics. “Hide! Hide! Percy takes us under! Now!” he clutches his arm.
Percy drags them down. And because Jason has an indescribable urge to protect
Nico all the time, he holds him to his chest and watches as something blurred
and in the shape of a person appears over the small cliff edge above the
waterfall. Then it leaves.
Was that...
Nico holds them back from resurfacing just yet, but after a few minutes they
swim up.
The body floats about in the dirtying water, and Nico all but stares at it.
Percy was at his side next and he pulled him in, an arm wrapping around his
waist to lead him against his chest. Nico must be really shaken on the inside
to allow Percy to embrace him, much less when he did under the water.
“Dammit...” he eventually sighs, “we have to leave now, before someone comes
and finds this...”
“Are you...going to leave it here...” Jason asked, a tad surprised that Nico
would let this be. Wasn’t his whole job about helping the unrest and unjust.
“I have to, I can’t meddle in things like this. It’ll only lead to more
trouble, so let’s go...”
“Can’t we call like the authorities or, or...” Will bit his lips, pale faced
and stricken with some sort of grief after he’d seen the body. Jason’s not
surprised. He’s always known that as a healer, Will can tend to get personal
about death, more so when they’re deaths he could have prevented.
“You can but I’m forbidden to.” Nico turned away, crawling towards the edge of
the water and taking his towel.
Will follows though and holds him back, “What do you mean you can’t?”
Nico doesn’t say anything for a while nor does he face any of them, but he’s
tense, even as Will grasps his arm. With a start, he offers them a sad look.
“...death....death always has a way of... finding me...” he slowly began.
“What are you talking about?” Jason swam closer.
“I mean I know this has nothing to do with me but... in some ways it does...”
“You seriously think this is your fault?” Percy deduced, his brow furrowed in
confusion by his own words, “That’s crazy...you can’t blame yourself for every-
”
“I know” Nico slightly snaps, huffing in annoyance because he gets what Percy’s
trying to say. Jason’s frown deepens when Nico’s shoulders droop anyways. “It’s
just, no matter where I am, these things, intentional or not happen around me.
The souls then come looking for me and they think I can do something but...I
can’t......like right now...” he whispered in the end.
“The soul?” Jason ventured, but a sudden chills runs down his spine and he’s
forced to turn to see why.
Above them they find a flickering apparition, his expression frozen in terror
and screaming agony even though they couldn’t hear anything. Nico turns away,
pained by the sight of the ghost before him that is desperately pleading for
his help. It was the same man with the deep gash on his head.
Jason is startled away because he couldn’t really fathom what was happening.
His mind still hasn’t wrapped around the fact that there was a fresh dead body
mere inches away from them. He’s actually never seen anything like this before.
Jason hastily crawls out of the water to kneel next to Nico but immediately
stills when he catches him trembling...
Oh...this must be affecting him the most...
Jason takes it upon himself to change fast before wrapping Nico in his fluffy
towel. Will and Percy also hurry, the situation too creepy for them to handle
anymore. Nico’s carried in his arms and they speed walk away, the lost soul
unable to follow now that he’s permanently tied to his murder site.
They pause a good mile from the spring and he sits Nico down on a large
boulder.
Nico is currently twisting and cupping his hands in agitation. They don’t
speak. They simply let him be before he closes his eyes and takes deep breaths
to ease down a bit.
“You okay now?” Will kneels before him after a few minutes. Nico jerkily nods
his head and sighs.
“Y-yeah. Yeah, I’m good, I just need to change” he mumbled.
Jason, Percy and Will stiffen. Wait...
Nico looks around in confusion and almost immediately, he’s back to himself
again. His angry, snippy self.
“Where the fuck are my clothes?”
“Uh....” Jason looks to Percy who looks to Will who simply shakes his head.
“You have got to be kidding me” Nico starts, his hands clutching the ends of
the towel to cover up better, and blushing as he kicks at Will – the closet,
unfortunate idiot. “You halfwits better go back there and get it!”
“N-no way” Percy whimpers first, holding his arms and visibly shivering as he
also says, “That thing is still back there...”
Nico gives them all a couple of good hits and yells in frustration. “I’m not
going back naked! If you don’t get me something to wear so help me I’ll-”
Out of a desperate need to appease the little demigod Jason hastily pulls off
his own shirt and yanks it over Nico’s small head who squeaks and blinks in
surprise. “Just wear this in the meantime then.”
Nico is still blinking as he looks down at himself and blushes “...uh...it’s
too big...”
“Well it’s all you got” Jason sighs and rubs his head, “Now come on, you can
get something better to wear once we get back to the van...”
“N-no...I feel stupid...just go by yourselves and come back quickly with my
things...” Nico grumbled, getting more situated as he pulled at the shirt.
Jason watched Nico bring his knees up to his chest and run the end of the shirt
over them. He sure knew how to bundle up. “Well hurry up!” he smacks him
impatiently.
“I’ll stay here with you...” Jason blurted out and quickly sits next to him
before looking at Percy and Will, “Go, I’ll take care of him.”
Will and Percy share a seemingly shocked look. Like they weren’t expecting him
to say this and they’re especially not too fond of the idea of leaving them
alone and defenseless. Jason saw right through them though. He narrowed his
eyes and scooted closer to Nico “I’m not going to do anything to him...” he
rolled his eyes.
Percy scoffed and turned, “You better not...” he muttered under his breath.
Will hesitated for a moment but nodded his head and ran after Percy.
...Finally...
...He was alone with him...
Jason feels his hands clamp anxiously, trembling as they inch closer to the boy
on his right. His own body somehow thrums impatiently because of their close
proximity. Nico is silent and doesn’t look at him but Jason eventually smiles
and brings him over. This was it. This is what he’d wanted for so long.
Nico gasps, his hands shooting out to balance himself as Jason settles him
between his thighs.
...Hmmm, maybe he hadn’t thought this through very well...
“J-Jason!?”
“...Y-You’ll catch a cold...” he hastily reasons, “I only want to keep you
warm” he grins before ever so casually draping himself over his back. Oh gods,
what is he doing?! “See? Isn’t this better?” he chuckled nervously, his voice
shaking when Nico stares at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had but he
couldn’t sit still anymore.
A part of him was seriously wondering if he was going insane for being
so...daring. But the other part was going ballistic with amazement for finally
going for it, and this was his reward.
Nico stuttered and squirmed, not used to this in the slightest it seems.
Jason was literally on top of the world right now. It’s almost hard to believe
these past few days Nico has let them indulge in their ‘need’ to touch him. He
sort of felt it strange that Nico hasn’t avoided them completely either.
In the past, it was definitely different.
If Jason came up to hug him, Nico would forcibly push him back and glare as he
strode off. When Will would try to touch him, Nico would constantly slap his
hands. And when he’d see Percy approaching him, he’d literally turn the other
way and hightail out of sight.
Nico’s changed...
Jason basically had him at his mercy like this.
Nico is practically naked and vulnerable of all things.
This was something Nico has never allowed himself to feel much less let others
see, but Jason also knew he was incredibly nervous. He could sense it in the
way he’d shiver. His slightest touch made him jolt and if he simply held his
hand Nico would begin to tremble.
But Nico does nothing to make him stop.
And...He’s in his shirt...
“...Hey Nico, I know it’s been a while and all, but I was wondering...” Jason
bit his lip, his heart racing faster than it was before, but his mind was set
on teasing Nico just for a bit. “Did you ever like...give me back my shirt? You
know...the uh p-purple one...”
Nico gives him another look, of surprise or confusion, he couldn’t decide but
Jason still caught the way he blushed.
“... your... s-shirt? Um...I still h-have it” he awkwardly confessed before
realizing his own words and blushing even brighter, “I mean- I think I still
have it! It’s probably somewhere in my c-cabin” he tries to dismiss.
“Oh...” Jason simply uttered, his lips threatening to grin broadly but they
merely twitch to a small pleased smile. So, he really still has it. He had
expected to hear him say he threw it out now that he knew Jared had ripped it
to shreds. Guess Nico likes to hold on to ‘meaningless’ things like that.
“...I’ve been meaning to give it back but I keep....uh forgetting...”
“Right, well, I don’t mind...was just wondering...” Jason nonchalantly shrugs,
“Keep it if you want...”
“Uh, O-okay...” Nico slowly says.
Jason is stupidly happy by this point. He idly wonders if Nico knows why he’s
even bringing it up, but Jason is now intent on taking this further. If Nico
likes his shirts so much, maybe he should simply start dressing him.
That thought makes him giddy with joy. Imagining Nico with his baggy clothes
made him chuckle loudly but when Nico arches a brow in question he simply
buries his face in his neck and sighs. Truly the best day he’s ever had.
Chapter End Notes
     I was going to make Jason do something unintentionally naughty with
     Nico while they were alone but I couldn't go through with it.
     So to make up for the lack of smut I give you (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞ this and this
     It's what I picture Jared doing when he's messing with Nico.
     Tell me what you think by leaving a comment:)
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