Drown

Chapter 7

-Percy's POV-

I stared at Nico. I knew I shouldn't, that he was too afraid that people would notice, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't help staring at him, and the fact that he constantly stared back didn't exactly make it easier. He danced really weird, which was adorable. With his uneasy look and awkward dancing, he looked just like a lost puppy. That somehow created a shirt out of the sea. He took a step closer to me and stood on his toes to shout something in my ear.

''I'm going to drink something! Are you coming with me?!'' With the loud music, I only heard the parts 'drink' and 'coming with me', but I knew what he meant. I nodded and we went to get a drink. At least, I thought we were.

Apparently, Nico had other plans. As soon as we were out of sight, he grabbed my hand and shadow travelled to the part of the forest where we first kissed. He grinned at me before softly pressing his lips to mine. At first, it was a nice, gentle, light kiss, but then the kiss became even nicer, a little rough and heated.

''Nico di Angelo... Where did that come from?'' I mumbled against his lips. I felt his lips smiling against mine.

''I don't know, Jackson, maybe I just wanted to be alone... With you.'' he answered.

''You never wanted a drink, did you?'' I asked, still with his lips against mine.

''No, I just wanted to get us away from people.'' he said.

The kiss became more rough and heated, my grip on his waist tightened a little as I pulled him even closer to me. His grip on my neck also tightened, his nails scraping the skin. Not too lightly, but not so much it hurt, either. His other hand, which was located in my hair, began pulling it a little. Again not too light or too tight, just... Perfect. There was no other way to describe this, the situation, everything. I was a little dizzy, but it was a nice kind of dizziness. The one that makes you forget the world and see stars behind your eyelids. The only things existing were Nico and I, the rest was gone. The Romans could declare war to the Greeks again, Geae could wake up, and the Titans and giants could jump out of Tartarus literally behind my back without me noticing it, because I was in this special bubble of love and happiness with Nico. We tripped and I almost fell on my back, but Nico caught me, never breaking the kiss. Suddenly there was a tree in our bubble, and Nico pushed me with my back against it.

''I love you, Jackson'' he said against my lips.

''I love you too, Angel.'' I answered against his lips. He began making a trail of kisses over my jaw and down my throat. Gods...

''Cabin?'' I asked. His eyes widened.

''Percy... I- I don-''

''Well, look what we have here!'' someone said from behind the trees. I would recognize that voice anywhere. It was my first enemy at Camp Half-Blood, Clarisse La Rue, from the Ares cabin. When she stepped from behind the trees into the open, I saw I was right. She had an amused look on her face, and too late I noticed the phone in her hands (Leo had invented a monster-proof kind of phone, it was still tricky in the mortal world, but at camp the borders made them as safe as possible). Shit. I couldn't care less, but I knew Nico couldn't care more. We stood frozen in our place, my back still against the tree and his chest still against mine. The only difference was that we weren't making out anymore.

Nico stared at Clarisse in horror, his eyes flashed to the phone and then back to her face. He looked so scared, so afraid of what she might do...

''Clarisse,'' I said, ''leave us alone. We didn't come here to be visited, especially not by you.'' She smiled a smile that I'd learned didn't mean anything good.

''Okay,'' she said, ''I'll leave. But, you know, there might be a chance that I... Scroll through my pictures and recordings... In the mess hal maybe? And... Accidentaly show these... Oops.'' Shit, I got trapped there.

''Delete them, now.'' I ordered. She shook her head.

''Oh, but I could have so much fun with them! Anyway... You don't want me to tell your dirty little secret to everyone, do you? No, I think I'll just keep them... I mean, there has to be some kind of proof when I accidentaly say how cute you were... Well,'' she chuckled, ''depends on what you call cute.'' Nico looked like he could faint from fear any moment.

By now, I was ready to kill her.

''Just a minute, Angel.'' I said as I let go of Nico. I ran up to Clarisse, and used the impact of me crashing into her to pin her to a tree, with my forearm against her throat so she could barely get air.

''Delete them. Now.'' I said in a low voice full of anger and hate, my teeth gritted. She gasped for air, but somehow she still managed to smile.

''Never. This is pure gold we're talking about, Jackson.'' The way she said my name sounded so different from the way Nico said it. Her voice was pure hate, while Nico's voice was more like angry love. I pushed my forearm a little tighter to her throat. She couldn't breathe at all now. I heard her gasp, trying to fill her lungs with air, but I didn't let her.

Part of me told me I was crazy, that I couldn't just kill another demigod.

Part of me told the other part to fuck off, that it was Clarisse and that she would ruin Nico's life and I couldn't allow that.

Part of me agreed with both, and told me not to kill her, just warn her.

I decided to go with the last part, I held my forearm against her throat until she was unconscious but still alive and let ther fall to the ground.

I turned around to see a shocked Nico staring at me. He backed down a little when I walked up to him.

''I didn't kill her,'' I told him, ''she's still breathing.'' He seemed to relax a little, but was still too tensed up, if you'd ask me. ''Come,'' I said, ''Let's go back to the dance, okay?'' I intertwined our fingers and he gave me a light kiss on the cheek before heading back to the mess hal. I had the feeling I forgot something, but I shrugged it off. I'd think about it tomorrow.

Of course, I had forgotten to delete the pictures and recording of Nico and me.