"You sure you're ready, man?" Percy asks from the doorway."We're both okay with having you stay as long as you need to."
"I'm … I think I'll be okay. Thanks, you know … for everything."I don't need to say any more than that. He gets it. He walks toward me and sits next to me on the edge of the bed, my backpack is all set and ready at my feet. My skin heats up as he slips his arm around my waist, and it feels good to relax in his embrace, his chin on my shoulder. Took us until our thirties to be really comfortable around each other. I rub my cheek against his and he moves, gripping my chin, sending a tremor through my nerves. Our mouths meet and I sigh into the kiss, lips parting, tongues brushing, gratitude and relief rushing through me, over me. Eight weeks in their guest room is long enough. I break the kiss and pull away. He groans, pressing his hand to his groin, his sea-green eyes clouded with arousal. It's time for me to move on, to start over.
XxxX
I'd almost faded entirely, that had been my goal. I shadow-traveled without aim, and then Percy's face swam before my eyes while my mind cried out No, not you. My vision blurred, my hearing dimmed, and I could just make out Annabeth's face, her forehead creased, eyes full of fear, lips forming words, and then it all went black.
I woke after a couple of days in their house, though I wasn't ready to talk. Instead, they'd take turns sitting in a chair beside me, talking about whatever came to mind, reading me stories they thought I'd like, sharing current events, news from Camp Half-Blood, and I slowly started feeling real again. The catalyst that got me talking happened sometime my third or fourth week with them.
Percy's words echoed through my skull. "It's rough though, getting used to the idea of not having kids. We've asked around, and it seems infertility happens to a lot of children of Athena. The mortal doctors confirmed it. But, you know, it's not all bad. We've been talking adoption, just gotta think about it a while longer."
My tongue moved, my mouth answering on its own. I wasn't consciously going to speak, but once I started, I couldn't stop. "That's why it didn't work out with me and Jack …" I sounded so raw, so rusty, and Percy froze and looked at me, listening, smiling softly. "I wanted a family … He didn't." Talking got easier as I went on, my vocal chords warming up. "That's what I get for falling in love, for falling for a mortal. He chose to forget us rather than work it out. Chiron secured a Hypnos draught …" I fell silent.
"So you tried to fade into shadow permanently? You had us scared, dude. If we hadn't found you... "
Tears fell from my eyes. I was ashamed. "I'm sorry."
We sat in silence for a long time while he held my hand.
I woke one night, my heart pounding. I felt like there was a gaping hole in my chest, in my soul, and I needed to reach out, to connect with somebody before I started fading again. I could hear soft giggling coming through the wall between the bedrooms, but it didn't deter me. In a daze my feet carried me to their door.
Percy answered, a hastily drawn on bathrobe covering him. "Bad timing …" he started to say, and then looked into my eyes and opened his arms. I stepped into his embrace, holding on for dear life, finding life.
Annabeth's voice rose from the bed. "Come here, Nico. Sleep in here with us tonight."
I looked up as Percy and she exchanged a look. He turned his gaze back to me, open, honest. "Please?"
My mind whirled as he leaned down, brushing our lips together.
It happened organically, unplanned, unrushed, and I found myself with Annabeth's lips wrapped around my cock, my hand in her hair and twisting my torso as Percy kissed me, his fingers coaxing me open, and we breathed each other's air.
Annabeth pulled us toward the bed. She lay down against the pillows and spread her legs, and Percy pushed me onto the bed before her, sitting on bent legs while he stroked me from behind. He guided my cock inside her, pushing me closer, my back bent, my ass lifted, supporting myself on my hands. Annabeth's eyes met mine and I saw she accepted me exactly as I am, knowing I wasn't doing this because of her, but sharing herself with me all the same. I needed that.
My mouth fell open as Percy breached me with his cock, my eyes falling shut as he filled me, driving me forward, Annabeth crying out as I rocked into her and him into me.
Afterwards, we fell asleep tangled together and I felt welcomed, loved.
I crawled out of bed in the early morning and later, life returned to normal. Only now, I had a new sense of self, of worth, though it wasn't sex that did it. It was just fitting in with my friends and living with them in their life, not feeling in the way, not feeling like a disturbance.
XxxX
Now it really is time for me to go. It would be too easy to fall in love. I look deep into Percy's eyes and see love there too. If I don't go now, I will disturb their life and I will break something precious.
"You'll be alright. I know you will," he says, his cocky smile full of self-assurance that I suspect is half-baked. "I never told you … I think you're brave and … and you have the biggest heart of anybody I've ever known, once you let people see it. Don't keep it hidden, 'kay?"
I blink to keep myself from crying and nod. I stand up and shoulder my backpack. "You take care of each other, yeah?"
He pulls a face as if to say, you know we will. "Oh. And I want to see you this winter at Camp, di Angelo. The reunion. You're not allowed to skip it this year."
I smirk at him. "See you around, Percy."
XxxX
Percy
I sit, my eyes going blurry with fatigue as I record the last report on my desk. I've let them pile up longer than usual and the nereids needing relocation will turn the nymphs against me if I keep them waiting. What I wouldn't do to find a solution to this climate change thing.
"Percy?"
"Hey, Wise-girl," I say, grinning as I turn off the desk lamp. "Nico took off, but I made him promise to be at the reunion this time." I swivel my chair, my smile falling. She's ghostly pale. "What's the matter?"
...
"I'm pregnant."
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Percy Jackson One-shots
FanfictionEach chapter in this is a different ficlet - there will be a variety of pairings and story lengths as each ficlet was written to fill a prompt from a 50 prompt ask-meme on tumblr. I'm putting these out pretty quickly so be sure to subscribe for upda...