If Only (Nico di Angelo) {Complete} {#Wattys2015 #Feels}

Chapter 12

A/N: Do you guys hate me for making things so rough between Nico and Erica? Because, to be honest, it's really fun. Have you ever tried this?
BUT SERIOUSLY AREN'T THEY ADORABLE!?
Is it horrible that I Fangirl over my own FanFiction?

~*~

Nico dissolved into shadow. My heart continued to have a violent seizure even after he disappeared. Percy watched me with narrowed sea green eyes. "Alright, Princess?" He asked me quietly. I sighed. "Yeah I guess."

Percy got off the floor and dragged himself back into bed. I rolled over and faced my wall.

~*~

The next few days were completely boring, and therefore, I will not put you through the horror of living them. I will also not put myself through the horror of reliving them. Am I overreacting? Yes. Do I care? No.

Activities went back to normal, we ate in the dining pavilion, we got burned on the climbing wall, and we ended up in the infirmary from accidental arrow skewers, sword stabs, and lava burns. The only thing that wasn't normal was the fact that we had abandoned capture-the-flag.

So, fast forward. The next exciting thing that happened was a little depressing. Mostly because it involved me and the infirmary...and maybe a few tears shed for me...gods I love Nico.
WAIT WHO SAID THAT!?

Percy and I were practicing sword fighting when Nico walked into the arena, twirling his black dagger between his fingers. "Hey guys." He said. Percy waved with his free hand as he made to "stab my heart out" with Riptide. I jerked my head up at Nico as I dodged Percy's stab.

Nico walked around the arena, watching us all the while and spinning his blade in a hypnotizing motion.

I tried to focus on my dagger and Percy's whizzing sword, but it was hard with Nico's dark and approving gaze on the back of my neck.

"Guys?" Nico's voice made me slap Percy's sword out of his hand as boot it half way across the ground. "What Nico?" Percy asked, making a wild dive for his sword and meeting my foot in the process.

"What's this?" Nico pointed at the ground as he spoke. "What's what?" I muttered, trying to grab Percy's sword and missing as it disappeared. "Where'd it go?" I yelped.

"Behind you." Percy replied. I felt the cold blade get pressed to the back of my neck. "Dang it, Percy!" I snapped. "Ah ah ah. You're enemy will not take his sword away if you dang him."
"What makes you think it's a he?"
"Because boys are better at fighting."
"My gods, you've been friends with Annabeth for who-knows-how-many-years and you still think boys are so much better?"
"Annabeth has no strength, she's a strategist."
"The mind is the world's best weapon."
"You're a freaking child of Posiedon, not Athena."
"Children of Athena aren't the only smart ones at Camp Half-Blood, idiot."
"Beside the point. Boys are better fighters."
"You're going to regret that."
"Says who?"
"Me."

I spun around and whacked Percy's sword with the flat of my blade so it flew out of his relaxed and overly-confident hand. I grabbed Riptide and held it to Percy's throat while I kept my dagger at Percy's heart. "So, girls aren't strong, huh?" I whispered. Percy crossed his eyes to look at the blade. "Zeus your good." He muttered. I smiled and threw Riptide across the arena while a stowed my dagger in my jeans pocket.

"Hate to interrupt your little sibling argument." Nico said. "But I think you ought to see this."

I walked over to Nico and looked down at where he was pointing. "What?" I asked, seeing nothing. "Look closely, Erica. It's blended into the terrain."

I stared at the sandy ground and found what Nico was pointing at. "What is that?" I asked, bending closer. Nico put his hand across my chest and I shivered. "Don't get to close." He whispered.

Percy came over to us with his sword and pulled me away from Nico's arm. I frowned a little. Percy looked at the ground and jumped back a foot. "That's poisonous!" He yelped.

"How do you know?" Nico questioned. "Because Luke had one attack me when I was twelve." "Good reason."

Nico sighed. "Keep an eye on it, I'll go let Chiron know." He said, disappearing into the shadows. "Idiot." Percy muttered. "What?" I asked for what seemed like the fifth time that day. "He shouldn't be shadow traveling. He's going to get himself killed. Poor kid almost became shadow after the last war..."

I shook my head. I had no idea what Percy was saying, and frankly I didn't want to find out.

Percy leaned a little closer towards the ground. "That's one nasty scorpion." He said quietly. I backed away, not feeling like getting stabbed with poison. "Percy what if it hurts you?" I asked nervously. Percy sighed, stood up, and walked towards me. "Whatever, Princess. Would you like to keep working on your sword skills?"" My sword skills? What about yours, Seaweed Brain?"

Percy laughed. "Fair point." I smirked and looked down at the ground. "Uh...Percy?"
"What?"

I pointed at the ground. Percy looked down and bit his lip. "That's not good." He turned his back to me and I squeaked. "Percy-"
"What!?"
"It's-it's-"
"What?"
"Percy-"
"ERICA SPIT IT OUT!"
"PERCY IT'S ON YOUR BACK!"
"OH-"

Percy cussed loudly. "GET IT OFF OF ME!"
"WITH WHAT!?"
"MY SWORD!"
"Yeah, sounds safe, Percy."
"Don't be sarcastic with me when I have a poisonous scorpion on my back."

I grumbled a little as I hitched Riptide under the scorpion and gave it a good fling. Percy breathed a sigh of relief as the sword left his back.

I dragged my hand through my hair and screamed. It was on my hand, it was on my hand...

"PERCY!" I screeched. Percy spun, looked at my hand, let out a battle cry like an ox, and slapped the horrible thing off of my hand.

~*~

A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but for best results when imagining this scene, please think of two monkeys smacking bugs off each other.

~*~

I shook out my hand and squeaked. "That was horrifying." I muttered. Then I noticed Percy was swaying. "Percy...?" He crumpled to the ground and I dropped beside him, feeling for a pulse.

Nico chose the correct moment to walk into the arena, Chiron trailing behind him. "Right here sir. I asked Erica and Per-" Nico stopped mid-sentence as he stared at the two of us on the floor.

Suddenly, I felt sharp pain pierce my hand. Everything around me became blurred, and I laid on the ground. I could hear someone distantly screaming my name, but I couldn't think, or feel, or move.

I could only fall into the darkness that was pulling me in from all sides.

~*~

A/N: First things first: YES! 200 views! Special thanks to the following people:
alyssa_coyle
and
1giggle2
For reading my story and telling me how much you love it! Seriously, you have no idea how much I appreciate that.