Never (A Percico Fanfiction)

Merry Christmas, Nico

Nico woke to Percy shaking him so hard it was almost violent.

"Neeks!" he exclaimed. "Neeks! Wake up!"

"Huh?"

Nico's eyes fluttered open.

"It's Christmas, Neeks! Get up!"

Before the Ghost King could protest, Percy had bounded out of the room and downstairs, presumably to rouse the other two sleeping demigods.

Rolling his eyes, Nico sat up in bed. Glancing over at the clock on his bedside table and finding that it was only 5:47, he groaned, but stood up and tugged on a t-shirt (which was too big and probably Percy's) all the same. He gathered his gifts from where he'd hidden them in the closet (Percy was always on the lookout to see what he'd gotten).

Stumbling sleepily downstairs, the boy found himself engulfed in the soft, warm glow of Christmas lights. As he rounded the corner, Nico couldn't keep the happiness from welling in his chest at the sight of his friends--no, his family--seated on the floor round the tree, all grinning expectantly up at him as he dismounted the staircase to join them.

"Morning, Nico," Hazel smiled as he deposited his gifts beneath the tree and sat down between her and Percy. Percy twisted to press a kiss to the smaller boy's cheek and Nico couldn't help but grin.

"Well!" Percy exclaimed after a few moments of comfortable silence between the four of them. "Let's get started!"

"Yeah, let's do this," Hazel affirmed, and the two of them shot up from their seats without another word to crouch under the tree and collect the gifts they had bought, leaving their boyfriends to laugh behind them before moving to do the same.

When gifts had been passed out, Hazel shouted, "Everyone has to open mine first!" and so it was decided, and the fun began.

By the time all of Hazel's gifts had been opened, each of the boy's had received a crocheted hat/gloves set, as well as the complete Doctor Who revival series on disk for Percy, a new aviator jacket for Nico (oversized, of course), and a squeaky toy for Frank ("Your real present is at home," Hazel had assured him, laughing).

Frank's gifts were given next, followed by Nico's, and then Percy's. Highlights included a diamond necklace from Frank to Hazel, the complete collection of Stephen King movies for Nico from Percy, and a case of blue food coloring from Nico to Percy.

It was nearly seven am by the time the four were finished opening each other's gifts, laughing and smiling all the while. Just as they were beginning to clean up the shreds of wrapping paper and crumpled gift bags that now littered the living room, though, Percy crouched under the tree once more.

"Hey, you guys! I think we missed one," he said, pulling a small black box from behind the tree. "It's for you, Neeks."

Taking the box gingerly from his boyfriend, Nico pulled off its lid and stared down at the circle of dark metal that it held. Tugging it free of the cotton in which it was embedded, the boy sat down the box and raised the ring to his face to get a closer look.

Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the ring had been constructed with great care and so much precision that it was astounding. The metal had been formed to look like vines, entwined together in such a way that there was no obvious beginning or end to either of them.

Tilting it slightly, the ring glinted familiarly under the twinkling Christmas lights. He peered up at Percy.

"Is this...?"

"Stygian Iron," Percy confirmed proudly. "You're officially the owner of the most durable piece of jewelry in existence. And it's engraved."