Hell And High Water 15

A few complications and a true Percico moment.

"I want you... I need you..."
Those two sentences went through Nicos mind as much as they went through Percys. It was something the son of Poseidon had never expected to hear and something the son of Hades had never actually expected to say, making Nico feel beyond awkward in the days that followed.
It had been almost two weeks since the hit and only a day less than that since Nico decided to open his mouth and tell Percy what he had. But the awkward feeling was nothing compared to the anger and tension he felt with the beginning of a new month. He knew, from experience, that new problems would errupt with the start of the month and he really didn't need them, at all. He knew a lot of dealers took deliveries on the first, as well as payments, while pimps usually found new young girls to make money off of. And then there was the hires and hitters that felt that they had quotas they had to meet. Add to that the drivers of the get away cars desperate for money to pay bills and child support and cops desperate for a work place upgrade. That alone was enough to make the beginning of the month a pain, making him stressed and angry. And, he felt, things would be worse considering it was April first. Despite most of their ages, the people on the streets would always act like children and do the dumbest of things in the spirit of April Fool's Day. Nico was not looking foreward to it. He got lucky, though, and had managed to stay off the radar. For the time being, anyway.

Nico and Percy managed to get through the first week of the month without a problem, or many problems. It took a few days for the son of Hades to speak to the older demigod and even more for Nico to convince Percy it was safer for him to stay in the room at all times. He said that Percy wasn't allowed to leave the room for any reason and that he even had to have room service bring them whatever they needed, which meant they would be practically locked up together. And that wasn't easy for either.
Throughout those days, Percy was constantly arguing, driving Nico insane, but he did end up listening after a while. He even said it was fine, and that he understood, although he said so with anger. But it was very true that the son of Poseidon understood and tried his hardest to accept it. At least until he felt he needed an escape. An escape the pool could usually provide. No matter how many times he asked, though, Nico kept telling him no. And the pool wasn't something room service could bring to him...
In his desperation, Percy had taken to showering two, or even three, times a day just in an attempt to relax himself. It never lasted for long, though, because Nicos tension always rubbed off on Percy, no matter how hard the son of Hades tried to hide it. Because of that, Percy felt angry for no reason and that was something showers were unable to fix.
The two did very little speaking to one another during those days, which could probably be blamed on Nicos admission the few days before. Percy tried not to think on it too much but he couldn't help it and was sure to not put himself in any positions that could turn out badly. He had known Nico had a thing for him for quite a while but the escalation wasn't something he had expected. But still, something about it made him feel... good. That aspect actually kind of bothered him a little.
Instead of focusing too much on that, though, Percy focused on the fact he had people still looking for him. Nico had told him not to worry about it, but if he didn't, he would have so many other things to worry about: Nico, his mom, camp, Annabeth, his old friends... He picked, what he thought, was the lesser of two evils.
With all the worries the demigods had, the entire hotel room was pretty quiet. Nicos phone hadn't even rung; not one single time. There had been no calls, no texts, no indication of any sort that anyone knew where they were or even that they were being looked for. It was a nice thought: the possibility they could be momentarily invisible. It allowed Nico to let his guard down, even if it was just a little. The son of Hades had been wanting to get away for a few days and this was just what he needed to push him to it.
The son of Hades looked at Percy, who was sitting on his bed struggling to read a magazine article. "I'm going out. Stay in the room. I won't be long."
Percy shot his eyes to Nico and stared at him. "What?" He said in tense fear. But the fear changed to a slight, yet growing, anger. "Where are you going?" He couldn't figure why Nico was allowed to leave the room but he himself wasn't.
"Not that it's any of your business," He said sharply, "but I'm gonna get some food and have a cigarette. I'll be back in less than fifteen minutes." He didn't say anything else before he left the room.
Percy stared in awe until the door closed before he scoffed and shook his head and let it fill with all sorts of things. Specifically the fact that he wasn't too keen on being left alone at the the time being. It wasn't that he didn't feel safe, he just didn't want to be alone. Not to mention that he didn't think it was too fair that he got stuck doing nothing and Nico got to go out for a while...
The walk Nico took was a much needed one. He went outside and around the back of the hotel before he locked a cigarette between his lips. He really didn't like smoking much but it helped him clear his mind and was something he had picked up from an old friend. He lit the cancer stick with his Zippo and took a drag of its momentary ecstasy. It stung his throat but he was used to the feeling, no matter how long it had been since he had smoked.
Meanwhile, Percy sat in the room, heart pounding in tension and fear. With Nico gone, the son of Poseidon was left to his thoughts. They swarmed his mind and overwhelmed him with worry. What happens if someone comes into the room while Nico isn't there? Was Percy safe without Nico around? It was stupid of Nico to leave. He was starting to feel a little afraid... But his anger outweighed his fear. He couldn't figure why Nico would just leave like that. After all, it wasn't like Percy had just wandered down to the pool despite the situation they were facing. So, why would Nico have left?
And those were just some of the thoughts.
Percy kept a tight grip on his pen, just in case something were to happen and he needed to use it. He would really prefer not to, though, since he was begining to find the weapon as a bit of a burden and would actually kind of prefer to not even have it any more. He hated that he felt that way, but, considering how it had recently been repurposed, he felt warranted. But there was still no way he was getting rid of it.
Percy turned the pen over in his fingers a few times before he popped the cap off of it and let Riptide expand. He had done this many times at Camp, just staring at the blade that had helped him get through so many things. He had trained with the sword, he had fought with the sword, he had killed with the sword. It was really the only thing that had truly stuck with him since his first demigod days. It had never left his pocket and he was glad Mr. Bruner had entrusted him with it. It had become his best friend, his trustiest weapon, and his strongest protector. Just looking at Riptide was enough to calm him. Not like a swim could, but better than a shower.
Nico finished up the last of his cigarette and crushed it into the ground under his foot. He went back around the front of the hotel and stopped dead in his tracks as he rounded the corner. He pushed himself back so he was hidden by the building and leaned against it as tight as he could manage. He closed his eyes tightly and dropped his head into the brick work before peeking around the corner again; he had to be sure he had seen what he thought he had seen.
The son of Hades swallowed hard and leaned back against the building. He was regretting leaving Percy alone in the room just so he could smoke a cigarette. He pulled his phone from his pocket and called the son of Poseidon.
It took a few rings for Percy to pick up and Nico was seriously begining to hope he hadn't messed up big time...
"Come on come on come on. Answer the damn phone."
'Nico?'
"Thank gods. Percy, what are you doing right now? Are you still in the room?"
Percy was shocked by the desperation that sounded in Nicos tone. 'I'm not doing anything. And, yes, I'm still in the room. You told me I couldn't leave, remember?" The confusion was as evident in Percys voice just as the tension had been in Nicos. But there was also anger in Percys tone when he spoke the final sentence.
The son of Hades sighed in relief and ignored Percys anger. "Take Riptide and go to the bathroom. Lock the door and hide in the tub."
Nico could almost see Percys eyebrows furrow. 'Why? What's going on?'
Nico squeezed his eyes, wishing the truth wasn't the truth. "Typhon and the Manticore are here."
The line went silent. Percys ears rung. His heart pounded. If they were there, at the hotel, that must have meant...
Nico shook his head lightly. "I think they found us."
'What?' Percys voice was quiet.
"Just do what I said." Nico yelled yet kept quiet enough not to bring any attention to himself.
The son of Hades hung up, peered back to the enterence of the hotel, and cursed quietly to himself. He dropped his head back into the building behind him as a thought entered his mind. Percy had said once, either at Camp or on the Argo (Nico couldn't remember which), that he felt he had to protect the son of Hades because he was so young and fragile. Nico knew that Percy had done more for him than any demigod, next to Bianca and Hazel, could ever do. So, now, Nico was returning the favor. Percy was the one who was fragile and needed protecting and Nico had already told him he would do it. The son of Hades wasn't one to back out of things.
Nico reached around his back and under his shirt to grip onto the fire arm that had made its home there. He pulled it from his waste band and hid it the best he could in his hoodie sleeve and pocket before he tossed the hood on his head. He gripped onto the weapon tightly as he walked around the corner, fast enough to be sure he made it in without being noticed but not too fast to be suspicious. As he passed the two men, he could hear them talking to one another. He heard his name and he did his best not to tense up at the way it sounded in Typhons deep tone, yet his heart sped in pace and a part of him felt like it dropped into his toes. He walked up the steps at as normal a pace as he could manage and entered the hotel, heading straight for the stair case. He wasn't going to bother to use the elevator: it would be much too slow, especially if he had to stop on other floors. Instead, he ran for the stairs and took them three at a time. He pulled his key card from his jeans pocket as he ran, rounding the corner leading to the last set of steps.
Nicos heart pounded more than before as he reached his floor and wondered whether or not there could already be somebody in the room. He knew there were others working with Typhon and Manti but he hoped to all the gods that none of them would have been able to get to the room.
He slid the key card into the lock and pushed the door open before he readied his gun, not caring at that point that he could have been seen, and entered slowly. The door closed quietly behind him and he looked around for any sign of anything unfamiliar: some of his papers were on the floor instead of the desk and the trash bin had been tipped over. He didn't have time to check if anything was missing, though, so he didn't bother to and stepped with care and light feet.
The son of Hades wasn't sure who would have made such a mess and why, although figured they must have been looking for something. He made sure to worry about that later, though. At the moment, Percy was his biggest worry.
Nico remembered he had told the son of Poseidon to hide in the bathroom and that's where he made his way. The door was closed and he assumed it was locked as well. He took a breath, hoping and praying with everything he had in him that Percy would be the only thing enclosed behind the locked door. Nico pulled a pin from his pocket and did the best he could to silently pick the lock with one hand. He held his gun ready in the other and worked as quickly and quietlu as he could, not wanting to alert anyone of his presence if Percy weren't the only one in the bathroom. He dropped the pin to the ground once the door was unlocked and turned the handle to push it open slowly. He readied his fire arm once again and pointed it from the beds to the bathroom.
Percy sat, cowering in the corner of the tub, as he heard noise outside the bathroom. This wasn't the first time he had been in a situation like this but he sure did hope it would be the last. His nerves were on edge and his senses were on high alert. The only thing about his state that didn't scream 'demigod' was the overwhelming fear he had become familiar with over the past month and a half. He tried his hardest to convince himself it was Nico at the door but the possibility it could be someone else flowed through his thoughts. He gripped tightly onto Riptide, ready to use it if he needed to.
Percy jumped from the tub as the door opened and spun Riptide in his hand. Nico pulled the c**k on the gun back to load a bullet when he saw the flash of the shower curtain and someone jumping from behind it.
Percy swung Riptide at whoever it was that had entered the bathroom and held it to the throat of, who he thought was, his attacker. Nico tensed for a second and squeezed his finger a little tighter on the trigger until he realized it was Percy and he was alone. Nico lowered his gun but the fire in Percys eyes darkened and Riptide held its position on his throat.
Nico opened his mouth to speak but the blade of the sword pushed harder into him. He stumbled back a little, not knowing if Percy would actually kill him or not. He did know for sure, though, that he didn't want to find out.
The son of Poseidon was obviously freaked. If the sword didn't prove that already, the tears did. His burning eyes were flooded with them and his cheeks were streaked with their wet stains. Nico feared speaking, thinking he might spook the son of Poseidon, but he had no better idea...
"Percy. It's Nico. Put it down." His voice was as calm and soft as he could manage with a sword to his throat.
Nicos words didn't register in Percys mind right away. The only thing he was thinking was that there were people out to get him and they knew where he was. And someone had found him where he was hiding. He literally didn't think he could be in a worse predicament.
Nicos voice had a slight hint of desperation in it when he said: "Percy! Put it down!"
As those words reached Percys ears, and he allowed them to process, he managed to relax himself. The voice was familiar and clearly did not belong to anyone trying to kill him. He relaxed his arm and Riptide fell from Nicos neck. The weapon slipped from Percys hand and clambered onto the ground. He stared, dumbfounded, at the male before him. That's when it sunk in that he almost tried to kill his only friend...
"Nico, I-Im so sorry."
Nico was shaking his head, trying to calm his own nerves. "It's fine." He said flatly yet not with anger but rather softness. "Just come out and sit. I have to make a phone call." He left the bathroom and Percy followed closely behind him after picking Riptide off the floor and returning it to its writing implement form. He stuffed it back in his jeans pocket and buried his hands into his hoodie pockets before leaving the bathroom.
Nico had his phone out and he was dialing a number when Percys eyes first rested on him. The son of Hades gestured toward Percys bed and told the son of Poseidon, without words, to sit. Percy obliged and watched Nico as he waited for the person to answer the call.
"Can you do me a huge favor?"
Nico very rarely talked like that on the phone: first and with such feeling. Yet he was so relaxed, as if nothing was going wrong. It made Percy a little tense and kind of freaked. How could he be so calm with what was going on?
"I need you to hack into my hotels security cameras."
He walked around the room a little.
"The lobby." He paused. "Yes, it is." Another pause. "What are they doing?" Pause. "Just let me know when they leave and which way they go."
There was a loud bang coming from somewhere in the hotel and Percy jumped, almost falling off the bed. Nico dropped his head, knowing what happened.
"The clerk's dead, isn't she?" A slight pause. "S**t. Are they coming up?" Pause. "Seriously? They're leaving?" Percy wasn't sure what was going on with all these pauses... "Alright. Just keep me updated. Thanks." Nico hung up his phone. He continued to walk around what small bit of floor space he could.
"Did he shoot her?" Percys voice was quiet. He couldn't figure why that would have bothered him so much after what he had done but it really did. She was totally innocent and they had just killed her.
Nico nodded.
Percy hung his head, feeling like he could be to blame for the woman's death. After all, Typhon and Manti were after him, too, and not just the son of Hades. But, still, he didn't understand why these guys wanted to get at him and Nico so badly. "What do they want from us?" The son of Poseidon asked, trying to hold back his tension.
Nico shook his head. "From us? Nothing." He went to the fridge and grabbed some leftovers and handed them to Percy. "From me? You." Not like Percy would be able to eat anything after that... "Why, though," Nico continued, "is what I plan on finding out."
The older demigod swallowed hard and nodded. He had never felt so... emotional in his life. Some of what he was feeling could be explained, like the anger and fear, but some was just another thing to confuse him. He slid back on the bed so he could lean against the head board and cranked his neck back. His head landed with a soft thud but the feeling of it was pleasant... It kind of made him feel alive.
Nico turned to Percy from the sound and stared at him for a moment. His eyes were closed tightly and he looked like he was trying his hardest to calm his breathing and racing heart. He swallowed often, as if he was fighting back tears, and Nico could see his Adams Apple bob as he did. The son of Hades wondered how it would feel to run his teeth along- Jeez, those thoughts really did pop up at the worst of times. He sighed heavily and continued to pace, doing his best not to look at Percy and just leave the elder to his thoughts. He stopped and flopped onto the floor, pushing himself against the wall. He laced his fingers together and placed them behind him head before closing his eyes.
Percy remembered back to when he had still been with Annabeth. He remembered that one thing he had done to relax was sit with her arms around him and his arms around her. He had done the same thing with his mom when he was young. It had always calmed him: being held...
Percy slid from the bed and onto the floor. He crawled like a child to where Nico was sitting and pushed himself against the wall before doing the same to Nicos side. The son of Hades flinched away, being totally taken aback by the action. Percy backed off, being somewhat shocked by the whole thing himself.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."
Nico shook his head, realizing he shouldn't pass up the opportunity to have Percy so close to him. "It's fine." He cleared his throat to prevent a crack from sounding in his voice with his next words. "I said I would protect you, right?"
Percy nodded, a little confused.
"Well," Nico wasn't sure where this was going but he made something up on the fly. "Right now, you need comfort more than protection." As much as he hated human contact and would usually try to avoid it at all costs, there was no way he was turning down a chance to have Percy in his amrs. The whole thing was as much for Nicos good as it was for Percys. He situated himself a little better and opened his arms. Percy hesitated before he crawled back next to the younger male and allowed himself to be held.
After only about thirty seconds, Nico spoke softly. "I'm sorry, Percy."
Percy looked at Nico, slightly confused. "For what?"
"Getting you into all this." He shook his head gently. "You didn't need this. You didn't need me to interfere."
Percy pulled away from him, sliding from the youngers arms. "What do you mean 'interfere'?"
Nico followed suit and loosened his grip a little. "If I would have just left you alone-"
Percy cut him off so he didn't have the chance to finish and left his arms completely. "Left me alone in the Lotus for gods only knows how long? No thanks." He shook his head. "I'd rather be here than there."
The son of Hades looked at the other male curiously. Not too long ago, Percy was saying he had no reason to be thankful. Now he was changing his mind? Percy was more confusing than Nico remembered. But that also made him much more interesting.
As Nico got wrapped up in his thoughts about Percy, his phone went off. The sound dragged him from his mesmerization about the son of Poseidon and brought his attention to it, instead. He groaned to himself, wanting to know why he was always getting phone calls.
Nicos face darkened when he saw the number on the caller ID and he gritted his teeth tightly and clenched his fists hard enough to almost break the electronic. He looked over at Percy and the son of Poseidon felt, instantly, that he knew who it was. He felt like it was the last person he and Nico wanted to be hearing from.
Nico looked back at the phone and answered the call.
'Hades.' The man laughed maniacally and Nico was reminded of the voice he heard his name in a little earlier. It was a voice that sent shivers up even his spine, and that was no easy feat. It was like finger nails on a chalk board, but deep and dark. Just the sound of it seemed like it could drop a rooms temperature down ten degrees. It was the voice of Typhon. Nico couldn't understand why everyone had his phone number and why they all felt it necessary to dial it so often. But he couldn't help but be happy he had a tech savvy guy that blocked his phone from being tracked and traced.
'How've ya been?' That voice was a different one but Nico knew it belonged to the Manticore.
Nico said nothing.
'We came by to see you today, but, apparently, you didn't want to see us.'
Nico wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Percy. ~Use your phone and call Apollo. Have him trace this call.~ Percy nodded and used his own phone to call the one person they could trust. It took a few rings for him to pick up and Nico just hoped he could keep Typhon and the Manticore talking long enough for his plan to work.
Percy gave Apollo the number and he instantly started running the trace. Nico did his best to keep their two pursues talking and tried anything he could think of. It wasn't that difficult, really, but Nico did have to be very careful with what he said. He couldn't mention anything about himself, Percy, a sword, or a hit. And he definitely couldn't say anything about a track and trace. He would be dead before he knew it if he let any of that slip. Along with that, he had to be sure not to upset the two men by saying something he shouldn't: they may have been mean and ruthless hunters and killers but they still had feelings. Feelings no one wanted to mess with.
It took a few minutes but Apollo finally gave Percy an approximate location the call was coming from. He wrote the adress and handed the paper to Nico. The son of Hades' eyes squinted in curiosity when he saw it. Percy had hung up the phone already so he couldn't ask Apollo what it was about the place that had Nico acting like that, but he sure did want to find out.
Nicos own phone call ended and he tossed the device on the bed with an exasperated sigh. He was really begining to get agitated by all the 'I know where you are' and 'I will get my hands on your friend' nonsense that seemed to fill the call. He was worried, yes, but it all seemed a little too rehearsed for it to be real. There was obviously something, or some things, he didn't know. He slammed his fists onto the desk and made a few things, including Percy, jump.
Nico shook his head, a habit he had taken to when there was nothing more for him to do. And he definately felt like there was nothing he could do. He wanted to do everything in his power to keep Percy out of the whole thing, yes, but that seemed like something that wasn't going to happen. He dropped his head and glanced at the son of Poseidon who was still sitting on the floor.
"Stand up."
"What?"
Nico stretched his arm out and Percy took it, with slight hesitation, and pulled himself up. He situated his shirt before he looked at Nico.
The son of Hades sucked on the inside of his cheek for a moment. "I'm gonna teach you a few things."
Confusion overtook Percy again as he wondered what in the world Nico wanted to teach him. Not to mention that there was probably more important things the son of Hades could have been doing at the time. And this is what he chose? He clearly thought it was a priority...
Once Percy was standing and not looking so bewildered, Nico told him to stay put and he walked over to his bag. Percy watched him and was still left wondering as the son of Hades pulled a knife from his bag and spun it in his fingers. He went to Percys and grabbed the blade he had gotten from Apollo before handing it to the son of Poseidon.
Percy looked at the weapon questioningly before looking back up at the son of Hades. "What are we doing?"
Nico took a breath. "If you are going to be in as much danger as you are in now for long, you'll need to know how to protect yourself properly. I would love to do it for you," that came out as a little awkward seeing as how he kind of stressed the word 'love', "but there could be a chance I won't be around when you need help. Along with that, Riptide is big. It can't always be used. Knives are easier to control and allow for closer fighting, which could come in handy. But the biggest problem with your sword is that I have a feeling people will know you by it because it already has a reputation."
Percy dropped his head.
"Since you already know to use a sword," Nico continued "this shouldn't be that difficult."
The son of Hades spun the knife in his hand before he slashed quickly at Percy with it. The son of Poseidon took a speedy step back and yelped out, not expecting that. And especially not expecting Nico to do something so quickly.
"What the hell is your problem?"
"You need to always be ready." Nico said harshly but only to try to make Percy understand the importance of the first lesson.
The son of Poseidon supressed an angry growl. Even at Camp, there had been some sort of indication that a duel was about to begin. But Nico gave him none; Percy was already done with whatever this was and it hadn't even really started yet. The son of Hades stabbed at him again and Percy put his arm to up to block the blade.
Nico shook his head. "Never use yourself as a shield." Again, he sounded scolding. "Either dodge it or use your own blade to deflect it. Never purposely risk getting cut or stabbed."
Percy pursed his lips: all of this was stuff he had learned at Camp and was really nothing new. He gritted his teeth, slightly agitated, and wanted to know who Nico thought he was to try to 'teach' him something.
Nico lunged at Percy again and the training continued.
Percy had never dueled with Nico before so the son of Hades' speed and stamina came as a shock and Percy was having a hard time keeping up. He tried to anticipate Nicos moves but the son of Hades was unpredictable. He had things up his sleeve Percy didn't even know were possible and he never attacked the same way twice or even the same two moves together, and that made things difficult.
Percy was a very talented swordsman but knives were different and he hated to admit Nico was better with them than he was. More than once, Nico had Percy in positions in which both knew the son of Poseidon would have been dead. Still, Nico found it necessary to speak the word and make Percy feel inferior, which was actually a pretty hard thing to do.
It didn't take long for Percy to be officially done. He had spent almost an hour repeatedly having a knife pressed to his throat or stomach and hearing the word 'dead' spoken in dark under tones. He stepped away from the son of Hades and tossed his own knife on his bed. Without a word, he went into the bathroom.
Percy made a couple of circles on the bathroom floor with his feet before he leaned over the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't know what had changed so much about him to make him feel so much different... He felt weaker. He hated it. He turned away from the mirror and left the bathroom.
The son of Hades still had a knife in his hand and Percys was still laying on his bed. He looked at it for a second before he reached to grab it, figuring Nico wasn't done showing him all the ways he could die by one.
"No."
Percy stopped sharply and turned to look at him.
"You don't need it."
Percy looked questioningly at the son of Hades.
"Get mine from me." Nico still spoke flatly. "Without being harmed."
Percy felt a slight satisfaction: he was good with this one. Annabeth had often fought with a dagger and the two had messed around with it during their relationship. If there was one thing Percy had gotten good at during their time together, it was disarming a person with a knife.
Nico came at Percy once again and the son of Poseidons mind quickly went into demigod overdrive. The knife flying at him was pegged as a threat and his hands instantly flew up to grab onto Nicos wrist while he subconsciously kept his hands and arms out of harms way.
The son of Hades' dominant hand was trapped in Percys grip so he brought the other around to try and free it along with the knife he held. Percy grabbed Nicos other wrist, too, and used it to twist Nico around so his back was pressed to the son of Poseidons front. Percy brought the arm that wasn't holding the knife around Nicos back and held it firmly to him while both of their other hands were still gripped onto the weapon. Percy was quick to maneuver Nicos hand so the blade was tightly held in both of their hands and only a centimeter from Nicos neck.
Nico swallowed hard, pushing his Adams Apple out so it actually touched the blade. "You were supposed to disarm me, not try to kill me."
Percy smirked. "Can I have the knife, please?" His voice was not much more than a whisper.
The son of Poseidons hot breath tickled Nicos ear and sent shivers everywhere. He tensed a little as he felt a heat spread through his body. He knew it wasn't supposed to be sensual, but it sure felt like it was. Nico loosened his grip on the knife and let Percy slide it from his hand before letting him go. Nico turned to look at the son of Poseidon who was smiling widely, and chilishly, at his small victory. Nico had no idea how Percy could go from a bad a*s one second to an innocent child the next. He shook his head, all of the goosebumps and butterflies fading away.
Percy had sat himself on his bed and was looking at his phone, although there was nothing more than a bit of music and some games on the device. Nico turned and headed into the bathroom in the hopes of clearing his mind before any more negative things happened, like he- Nico really needed to learn to control his mind. He splashed a little water on his face and forced himself to think of brutal and terrible things instead of the demigod sitting on the bed on the other side of the wall. It was an interesting way to get someone off your mind, but it worked for Nico.
Percy was laying on his bed when the son of Hades left the bathroom. He had one foot behind the opposite knee and it was almost as if his crotch was on full view and begging to be looked at; beckoning Nicos eyes. The younger demigod supressed a growl and went straight for his bag instead of focusing too much on Percy.
"Get up."
Percy took a second but obeyed and looked over at the son of Hades. He was pulling a gun from his bag and all Percy could do was tense up at the sight of it. He was really done with Nico and his 'teaching', especially if firearms were to be added; he wanted nothing to do with them. He had already shot one. What more could Nico want from him?
"What's this?" Percy gestured toward the weapon.
"A gun." Nicos tone was flat, with a hint of agitation. It was almost as if his tone itself was saying 'duh'.
"What are you gonna do with it?" The son of Poseidon questioned with an attitude, not liking being patronized.
Nico shook his head. "It's not what I'm gonna do with it that you should be curious about."
Percy raised an eyebrow.
"It's what you're going to do with it."
The son of Poseidon was quick to furrow his brow and follewed up with objections. "Whatever it is, I'm not doin' it."
Nico was rather taken aback by Percys response, and the tone in which he said the words. He didn't expect the son of Poseidon to fight against something when he didn't even know what was going on. "This is for your own good, Percy."
Percy scoffed, not seeing how that made any sense. But he said nothing more and Nico took that as an opportunity to speak, explaining himself without trying too hard.
"What I'm gonna teach you first is how to conceal a gun properly." Nico turned so he was facing away from Percy and lifted his shirt up a little. He began to talk slowly about how exactly a gun should be placed in the waste band of one's jeans so it would stay hidden and not be uncomfortable for the carrier. He also made it clear where the easiest places to pull the gun from were.
Percy didn't catch much of what he was saying, though. In all honesty, he was pretty focused on Nico himself, since the son of Hades seemed like a puzzle that had a few missing peices. And the biggest one, to Percy, was how the younger demigod had physically changed over the past three years. The guy had once been scrawny and weak looking. Now, he had visible back muscle that made it hard for Percy to turn his eyes away. Nico wasn't the little kid he had known before and Percy wondered what exactly had happened to him.
The son of Hades turned back around and Percy was brought back to his senses. He realized he had missed everything Nico had said... And the son of Hades was now excepting him to conceal his own gun.
"Umm..."
Nico heaved a sigh. "You weren't paying attention, were you?"
Percy didn't respond.
"Damn it, Percy! I'm trying to help you here. Pay attention."
Nico turned back around and showed Percy one more time what he had wanted him to learn. And the son of Poseidon made sure to pay attention and let it all sink in.
When it was Percys turn to show if he had listened, Nico sat on his bed. He watched the elder demigod struggle a little as he munched on day old french fries and flat soda. He fought the urge to shake his head time and time again when Percy would get the gun stuck on his belt loops or get his jeans stuck on the weapon, and constantly told the son of Poseidon to do it again. And yet, Nico had harder urges to fight back: stripping Percys shirt off so it wouldn't get in the way. After a little thought, Nico figured that wasn't the real reason for undressing the son of Poseidon, so he decided he wouldn't even make the request at all.
It took Percy until about sundown to finally figure out how to properly conceal a firearm and then remove it from its hiding place without it getting caught, or shooting himself with it. Nico told himself that he couldn't get close enough to Percy to be able to show him so he just watched the son of Poseidon struggle and added a few pointers and tips now and again. Nico wished he would have been able to control himself so he could help but he was on edge just watching Percy.
When Nico was satisfied with the elder demigods progress, he let the son of Poseidon rest for a few minutes and eat while he tried to figure out a way to get the next phase in Percys 'training' to go smoothly. He knew he was pushing the limit with the gun but he wasn't quite done with it yet and he wouldn't stop until he was and just sat and watched Percy eat for a few moments as he thought. But that was a bad idea. The son of Poseidon was wrapping his lips around his fingers while he softly placed small pieces of food into his mouth. And, without even knowing it, Percy was driving Nico far beyond crazy.
The son of Hades put a stop to it before it went too far.
"Alright," he said quietly "I wanna do a little more before it's too late."
Percy stopped the food about half an inch from his mouth, which still hung open. "You're joking."
Nico shook his head. "Up. Now." He picked the gun off the night table and released the magazine. Percy was already vigorously shaking his head.
"I am done with that gun."
Nico scoffed and smirked a little. "I hate to break it to ya, but no you're not."
Percy thought that comment was rather audacious. But, never the less, he placed the food down and stood. "What now?" His spoke with such an attitude that Nico couldn't speak right away but he came to quickly.
"Disarm me."
Percy made an 'Are you serious' face and Nico once again had to supress a laugh. It was odd that he came across someone who was able to show proper emotions... It was refreshing that Percy could. Nico kinda liked it. He repeated his words and held the gun up, pointing it at Percy. The son of Poseidon tensed a little but forced himself to focus. He took a breath and reached out quickly to grab onto the barrel.
"No." The word was firm.
Percy gave Nico a very angry look.
"If the gun has just been fired," Nico said as if Percy should have known something so simple "the barrel will still be hot enough to burn you. Try again."
Percy removed his hand and relaxed himself. He reached out again and grabbed onto Nicos wrist. From there, though, he was pretty lost.
"Good." The tone wasn't a very pleasant one but Percy was glad to have heard he did something right for a change. And then Nico had to say something more. "But you can't stop. If you're in front of the gun when you do that, you will get shot. Do it again." Nico knew the son of Poseidon was making progress, and he was glad, but that didn't mean he couldn't be getting slightly annoyed by Percys lack of knowledge. And he definitely was.
Percy followed the son of Hades' order and repeated the action but moved himself to the side. He added another hand and twisted Nicos wrist enough to get him to loosen his grip on the gun so Percy could get it into his own hands. The only thing Percy didn't account for was Nico fighting back. Nico brought the base of his hand into Percys solar plexus, taking the air right out of the son of Poseidons lungs. Nico took full advantage of Percys breathless daze and approached him quickly and pinned him to the wall. He stared speaking while Percy still tried to catch his breath.
"Always be prepared for anything." His voice was low and bordering on slightly creepy. Then he backed away from Percy as the son of Poseidon struggled to catch his breath.
"It's late. We're done for tonight." ....Either that or things would escalate too far.
Percy was overly relieved. He didn't really realize how tired he was until he thought about finally being able to stop for the day. He showered, savoring the feeling of the water, and went to bed. Neither of the boys spoke another word to one another.

Nico let Percy sleep a little longer than normal when morning came and occupied himself with the television, even though he wasn't a fan of the shows that were playing. He flipped through the channels while periodically looking over at the sleeping son of Poseidon and wished, once every few peeks, that he would have woken the older demigod. Percy had slept shirtless the night before and, now, the blanket had slipped from his chest revealing it, his tummy, and the hem of his boxers. Not to mention his v line. Nico wasn't sure if he felt like he was in Elysium, or Tartarus... Seeing his toned chest muscles, his prominent collar bones, and his decadent looking n*****s was damn near torturous to Nico and he was close to looking down a little further when his phone rang and he responded to it with a growl and a furrowed brow. He looked at the number and answered it before the ringing could wake Percy.
"What do you want, Apollo?" He asked shortly.
'Turn the news on. Channel seven.'
"Why?"
'Just do it.'
Nico flipped the television to the proper news channel and was instantly filled with an overwhelming anger. He hung up the phone without a salutation to Apollo.
"Percy, wake up!"
His voice made the son of Poseidon jump and open his eyes. Nico was intensely watching the t.v. so Percy rubbed his eyes and shifted them to the picture box. He kind of wished he hadn't. On the news was a story about Hormes murder. The news anchor said that the police had recieved a tip about a guy that went by the street name of Hades that was somehow involved in the murder.
When the story finished running, and the woman spoke of a hotel clerk murder, Nico shut the t.v. off and slammed the remote angrily onto the night table. Percy looked at him for a second before speaking.
"Do we have the cops after us now?" His voice was shaking ever so slightly.
Nico nodded, remaining totally calm. "Probably. But they're the least of our worries. Hormes friends are the ones we need to watch out for." He tossed the blankets off of him. "Get up and get dressed. We can't stay here. We have to leave."
Nico grabbed clean clothes and took a shower while Percy got dressed. It wasn't much of a shower: he was finished within minutes, but time was a sensitive thing at the moment and Nico still had things to go through with Percy. They would all have to wait, though.
The two both packed their things as quickly as they could and were on their way. They didn't check out but they left a note on the room's desk that said they were leaving along with more cash than was actually required for their stay. They just hoped the workers would be satisfied.
The first thing Nico did was call Apollo and tell him they were leaving and needed money. The man transfered enough cash for a month into an account and gave Nico the number so he could use the ATM. Every time Apollo did something to help, Nico told himself he needed to thank the man at some point. But thanking people had always been hard for Nico.
Nico drove on, with Percy sitting silently in the passanger seat, for a few hours. He just hoped he was getting far enough away from the other hotel for them to remain inconspicuous. He never left the city, and didn't plan to, but if getting just far enough away made Typhon and the Manticore think he did then he was better off.
The motel he chose was very old and rustic looking but it was the best they had at the moment. Not to mention very under the radar. Nico figured a shanty looking pad like the one he was parked in front of would keep the pursuers off his and Percys tracks for a short time. Nico pulled his backpack from the back seat and he and Percy checked in, not being as descusted by the motel as they had previously expected.
In the room, Nico wasted no time in getting back to Percys training. It had been a long day already, and it was only just the afternoon, and Percy was done with being worked. Mainly because he had kind of hurt himself yesterday with everything Nico made him do. But the son of Hades wasn't done yet. Almost, but not yet.
"There's one more thing I want to walk you through before we can finish."
"Can't we wait until tomorrow?" Percy practically whined and flashed his puppy eyes again. Nico was okay with it, though, because they didn't seem quite as effective this time.
"No. It's not even late."
Percy whined and stomped his foot. Nico furrowed his brow for the millionth time and shook his head at the son of Poseidon: Percys attitude could change in just a few seconds. Nico really didn't understand. Was it the effect the Lotus had on him?...
Percy nearly angrily mumbled his next sentence. "What are we doing?"
Nico didn't hesitate before he spoke, telling Percy what was coming next. "Hand to hand. Be ready." As soon as he spoke the last word, the son of Hades threw a fast paced punch at the older demigod. As soon as he saw the flying appendage, Percy was getting in touch with his inner demigod. He managed to dodge Nicos fist with a turn of his torso. He gripped onto the son of Hades' wrist and bent his arm at the elbow. Before he got it where he wanted, though, Nico bent his own wrist and was able to get enough leverage to twist Percys sholder. Percy let go of Nico and grabbed onto the son of Hades' own sholder with his free hand. He made to bring his knee into Nicos torso but it was stopped with the youngers palms. The son of Hades wrapped his hands around Percys knee and twisted it so the older demigod was facing away from him. Percy twisted back around, with a good deal of effort, and more force than he thought, and brought his hand with him. He was very close to hitting Nico in the cheek with the back of it but Nico stopped the knuckles from hitting his face with his own hand and brought his foot to Percys thigh. The impact knocked the son of Poseidon back a little but he came at Nico again with an elbow in the chest. He grabbed onto the back of Nicos neck and the son of Hades ducked under his arm, causing Percys hand to slip from his neck and to his sholder, and hit him in the ribs with the side of his hand. Percy let go of Nico and stumbled back. Nico approached him quickly and Percy went to send another punch his way but Nicos hands were quick to hit Percys hands away and grab onto his sholders. He pushed the son of Poseidon back until he was against the wall. Percy raised his arms to box Nicos ears but the son of Hades caught them and gripped his wrists tightly.
Without even really thinking, Nico pinned Percys hands to the wall above the son of Poseidons head, quite tightly. Both demigods were out of breath already and had small beads of sweat forming on their faces. Percys cheeks were red and he was no doubt a little sore where Nico had hit him in the ribs, but his beating heart distracted him from the pain.
The two of them had only engaged in their hand to hand for a couple minutes or so but it was long enough for Nico. He had grown to find Percys ferocity in fighting... inspiring. Just not in a conventional way. That inspiration went straight through Nico and there seemed to be only one logical thing to do. He closed the small distance between the two faster than either thought was possible and scooped Percys lips in his own. Percy tensed for a moment but relaxed and, within mere seconds, he was accepting Nicos kiss. Nico felt something deep inside of himself and he pushed a little harder on Percy and nibbled on his bottom lip until both separated.
At that moment, it didn't matter to Percy who the lips belonged to. They could have been a total strangers. The fact they belonged to a male and that male was Nico was totally unimportant. All that was important was the way Percy felt. He felt free. Like he was swimming in an ocean with waves that smelled like Nico, which was a very pleasant, manly scent. He felt like everything had just faded away. It was a feeling he knew he could get used to.
Nico pulled away from him for a second. He spoke in a very low and deep tone. "Can I touch you?" Where had his sudden chivalry come from?
...He was really asking? That was different... Percy didn't even really process everything before he felt his head begin to nod. Nico went back for his lips and Percy allowed it.
Nico ran his fingers feather lightly down Percys arms and traced them down the son of Poseidons sides. When Nicos fingers reached Percys ribs, the son of Poseidon let out a heavy breath and Nico realized he had found something... He had found that Percy was, indeed, just as sensitive as he himself was.
Nico smiled against Percys lips before he brushed his tongue across the bottom one repeatedly before plunging it back into Percys mouth to explore.
Meanwhile, Nicos hands were doing some exploring of their own. They had found their way under Percys shirt and were very softly working their way up Percys abs, one by one, until they reached his ribs. Percys hands were gripped tightly onto Nicos forearms as his hands crept up. Percy let out an occasional soft moan from the tickling on his torso and ribs but still forced himself to keep calm. Every time, the sound got lost in Nicos mouth and the son of Hades had to fight not to moan at it himself; he didn't want to move too fast and make it awkward. He did, however, want to move a little.
Nico never took his lips from Percys and the two kept them moving against one another's in a tango of tongue and saliva. This was the third time Percy had ever kissed Nico. This was the third time he had ever kissed a guy period. To be totally honest, though, kissing a guy wasn't any different than kissing a girl...
Nico was pushing Percy toward the nearest bed. Percy didn't know it until the back of his knees hit it. He flopped his butt onto it and accidentally bit Nicos lip pretty harshly in the process. Nico let out a moan and pushed Percy back a little. He schooched back on his butt and Nico crawled across the bed with him. Their lips were now separated but Nico was giving such a dark glare that it made the butterflies in Percys stomach flit and flutter a little faster. All that seemed to matter in that moment was the look in Nicos eyes.
"I have been trying to control myself around you for over a month. Do you have any idea how hard that's been for me?"
Percy shook his head. So much for chivalry...
Nico pushed on Percys chest softly to get him to lean back. And the son of Poseidon didn't fight. When Percy was laying back on the bed, Nico went for his neck. The son of Poseidons breath hitched in his chest and he could feel the butterflies fly a little lower.
"Nico..." Percy gripped onto Nicos sides.
"Mmmm?" Nico hummed against Percys neck, causing vibrations to flow through his body.
"Stop, please."
Nico groaned, feeling like he really screwed up. He pulled away and stepped off the bed.
"I'm sorry. I won't try anything like that again." He shook his head. "It was stupid."
"No." Percy said softly. "It wasn't stupid." Nico looked at him curiously. "It's just..." He shook his head. "I don't know."
"It's because I'm gay, isn't it?" Nico paused. "It's because we're both guys and I'm gay and you're not."
Percy shook his head. "No. Honestly, I don't know what I am anymore. It doesn't seem to mater anymore. Maybe I don't have a sexuality." He looked from Nico.
That was an interesting way to put it, but it seemed to make sense. Nico nodded once.
"You should probably get to bed. It's been a long day and we can't be sure what tomorrow will bring."
Percy nodded. Nico went to his bag and Percy made his way to the bathroom. It sure had been a long day. He changed quickly and looked at the already forming bruise on his ribs from where Nico had hit him. Then he thought of what else had been on his ribs just minutes earier: Nicos fingers. Percys cheeks darkened. He changed quickly and went back to his bed, which happened to be the one he and Nico had been occupying minutes before. It was already dark in the room and Percy almost tripped. He made it to his bed without falling, though, and curled into the blankets.
Nico had been right. It had been a long day and neither one of them knew what tomorrow would bring. Those two things brought Percy to sleep quickly and he was very happy for it.

Author's Note

A few complications and a true Percico moment.