To Swear On Styx

Chapter Six: I Think Nico is My Best Man(?)

Playlist Part Six:

Arranging Marriage - Kris Bowers

Epitaph of Seikilos (Complete Ancient Greek Melody Composed by Seikilos, Son of Euterpe, 1st Century CE - Arranged For Replica Lyre) - Michael Levy

Sorrowful Stone - Akira Senju

~*~

"This is dumb," Percy announced as he stared out at the bath chambers, his arms crossed in annoyance.

Nico lidded his eyes, before stooping down to poke at one of the rose petals floating languidly in the cream-colored water. "Yep."

The two of them were standing awkwardly before one of the largest tubs in the guest chamber's bathrooms, their gazes visibly exasperated. Before them, covered in roses and jasmine flowers, stretched a bathtub nearly the size of a small swimming pool, inlaid in the marble floor. It smelled richly of honey, and the water was white, like somebody had mixed a couple cubic liters of whole milk in with the actual water.

"I hate this, I hate this, I hate this," Percy grumbled under his breath as he stripped off the bathrobe he was wearing, taking a few hesitant steps down the stairs and into the water so it covered up to his chest. "If Kronos doesn't show up smelling like roses, and instead it's, like, dark pine and musk and angst, I'm gonna get mad." He absentmindedly batted at a few petals, his eyebrows furrowing. "How long until I'm cleansed?" He whined, already bored as he craned his neck back to look at Nico.

Nico shrugged. "Don't ask me. I probably cursed that whole bath just by poking at one of those stupid roses."

Percy studied the bathwater in contemplative silence before letting out a laugh. "Perfect. There's no better way to start off a marriage, I guess." He was quiet for a moment, before dunking his head under the water and popping back up with a huff. Scowling, he wiped at his eyes. "This is literally just watered-down milk and honey."

"Then get out," Nico suggested, reaching a hand down toward Percy. "You're probably as cleansed as you're ever going to get."

Wordlessly, Percy accepted Nico's hand, allowing the other to guide him out of the murky water and back up onto the slick marble floor. Percy grabbed his towel from a hanger on the wall beside them, rubbing at his face angrily. After another moment of covering his face, he let out a sigh, letting the towel fall down to just in front of his waist. "This is really something, huh?" He muttered, to which Nico carefully nodded.

"It is..."

"I keep remembering what I'm gonna have to do tonight," Percy said, his voice soft. He hesitated for a beat, before glancing up at Nico. "...I'm..."

Words Percy was too brave, too stubborn to admit passed silently between them. Afraid. Scared. Terrified. He'd already cried more times than he'd like to admit in the past three weeks- verbally confessing his emotions was just a step too far, something that couldn't be taken back. Something that made the next few hours seem too real. Too much, too much.

Nico's brow furrowed, and he turned to meet Percy's eyes. "If there was anything I could do-" Nico began, but Percy just shook his head, his wet black hair sending little droplets of the bathwater to his shoulders.

"You don't have to say anything," Percy said. "I just- I guess I'm saying as much as I can right now, 'cuz I don't really think I'm gonna have much freedom of speech once I'm a married man."

Frowning, Nico followed along behind the other as he wrapped the towel around his waist, stalking back to his bedroom. "What- You think you're just gonna be Kronos' trophy wife, or something?"