Talk to Me

Chapter 9

Percy stood, along with Nico, Nico's features immediately seemed to turn to stone, something Percy hadn't seen in months, and it scared him more than anything, even then, he followed the two, out and to the amphitheater, where a group of demigods had been sitting.  There was a running situation at camp, Leo was determined to get Calypso back, everyone had tried to stop him, after he had come back from Calypso's island again without her, he tried again, and now, nobody knew where he was, people had sent out search parties, but there was one place they didn't bother to check, and nobody could blame them, it was a place nobody wanted to go to,even in a search party.  Tartarus.

Percy and Nico faced Chiron, a grave look on his face, and Nico immediately reached for Percy's hand, which gripped his in return, both of their knuckles turned white, the two hated seeing that look on the centaur's face, it was never good.  Chiron looked at the two as they entered, and immediately spoke, "Nico, Percy, come with me, Jason, you as well," he spoke, making his way through the crowd, walking to the big house porch, where he stood just outside.  "A new quest seemed to have popped up, and we are all almost certain it involves you three, which is not the best circumstances, but we will do what it takes."

Nico grew stiff at Percy's side, holding his hand impossibly tighter, and if Percy wasn't prepared he was sure that Nico would've broken all of his fingers in that instant, but Percy had braced himself, and had given Nico a look of sympathy, but then focused back on the centaur.

"You each must go to Tartarus, and get your friend, Leo Valdez, away from Nyx, she had captured him as part of her revenge on Calypso, we need you three to venture there to get her back," the centaur spoke gravely, looking between the three, and a look of terror immediately crossed Nico and Percy's faces, they each had been down there before, and they each swore that they would do everything in their power to not go back.  Nico still had nightmares throughout the night from it, Percy's had subsided a substantial amount, but Nico's never had.

Nico felt like he was going to pass out, his head immediately started spinning, and Percy looked concerned at the son of Hades, and tapped a small, 'Nico, you okay?' on his hand.

"Yeah, Perce, fine," he said, taking small pauses in between his words, trying to stabilize himself, leaning on Percy for support, in which Percy had taken his arm to support him, slipping it around his waist, holding one of his arms around his shoulder, getting him to the infirmary quickly, as he was extremely concerned for the raven-haired boy he had grown to love.

Nico had quickly blacked out moments later, collapsing onto the closest cot, and Percy looked around frantically, and Jason took his shoulders, "Percy, stop, he'll be fine, he's probably just overwhelmed with everything, especially this new quest.  Just stay here with him, watch him, then come and get someone when he wakes up, okay?" 

This caused Percy to nod numbly, and with a small goodbye to Jason he was left alone with Nico, and Percy gripped one of Nico's hands with two of his own, watching his face as his thumbs rubbed against his cold skin.

A few hours had passed of Nico laying still, his body limp, every once in a while Percy would press a small kiss to his cold knuckles.  During this time Jason had brought Percy some food, ad told him that he needed it, even tried to use Nico as a way to get Percy to eat, but Percy refused, not being hungry enough to even try and eat.

Then, as Jason began walking out, Nico started writhing in bed, his face scrunched into pain, causing Percy's eyes to widen, and he stood, keeping one of Nico's now clenched hands in his own, the other going to hold the side of his face, keeping his face above Nico's he watched as Nico leaned into the contact, and his eyes shot open, a breath leaving his body as if he head held it for an hour, his breaths rigid, and rough, but definitely stable.

"P-Percy?  What happened?  Why do you look afraid?" he said, breathy.

Percy just leaned forward, kissing him lightly, which Nico reciprocated, and Percy pulled away first, 'You scared me, Nico,' he tapped, almost rushed, as he hugged him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, really," Nico said, rather quiet, gripping him in return, and he didn't feel weak anymore, his head wasn't spinning, he was almost sure that the reason he had blacked out was because of the quest, it was stressing him out beyond belief, and he just heard about it!  Instead of saying so, he buried his face in the older boy's shoulder, putting a hand in his hair, the other gripping his shirt, he was honestly afraid to let go, he wasn't ready for the quest, he wasn't ready to face his fears, if anything he wasn't ready to leave Percy just yet, if that was even going to happen.  Percy felt the same, not prepared to face the pit again, not prepared to go and know that he or is boyfriend may never come back to see another day, to know that Jason, who had never seen the pit, would go down with them.  Neither of them wanted anything bad to happen to anyone, and they were questioning why the prophecy had chosen them.

Nico pulled back from Percy, just enough to see his face, "Percy, I-I'm scared, I don't want to lose you," he said quietly, not used to showing his emotions, or affection, but he was trying, and that was enough for the both of them.

'I know, Nico, I don't want to lose you either,' Percy tapped, his lips reducing to a thin line.  He gripped him again, his arm going around his back, pressing the two together, and Nico was stuck clinging to him again.  Percy then sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling Nico into a sitting position with him, neither of the two were ready to get up yet, or do much of anything for that matter, they were both quietly praying that they would both wake up, get out of the horrible nightmare called reality.  

"Percy, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, I'm serious, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let anything else hurt you, I-I can't," Nico said, his voice wavering, clinging to the older boy, as if he was his lifeline.

Percy didn't respond, he just got up, holding him to his chest, as Nico clung to his neck, and carried him to the Poseidon cabin, avoiding the protests of Chiron and Jason, avoiding the obvious stares of other campers, going about their daily activities and schedules.  Percy had set him down on his bed, raking a hand through his coarse hair, looking around the cabin, and Nico sat up slightly, propping himself up against the headboard, watching Percy with a worried stare.

"Percy?  What's wrong?  You look like you've seen a ghost," Nico said, beginning to stand, walking over to him, light on his feet.

Percy looked at him, didn't say anything, and that's when Nico truly saw the fear and anxiety in his eyes, and realized, Percy had kept his solidity for Nico's sake, and kept himself calm and collected just so that he didn't freak out the younger one more.  Nico and Percy had made the silent vow months ago to tell each other when things like this happened, or when they were getting nervous, they didn't have to tell other people, but they definitely told each other.  And Percy had never truly opened up to the group of the seven again, only Nico, keeping his feelings reserved and calm around them, but with Nico, Nico knew everything.

"Oh, gods, Percy," Nico said, taking his face in his hands, holding his forehead against the taller boy's, and Percy wrapped his arms around him.

'I tried to stay together, I really did,' he tapped on his side, his hand was trembling.

This was not going to be easy for anyone.