We Are Cursed (A Percy Jackson AU) || BOOK 2

Chapter 25 || Nico

Nico felt like his whole body was on fire. No, it wasn't painful. It was because there was a difference between being Asian and eating flaming hot ramen or hot spicy dishes every night and being Italian where the a lot of food was pasta and pizza. His tongue felt like it was burning off. 

Annabeth's whole face was breaking out in sweats from the fiery noodles, glowing red in the firelight. Frank, on the other hand, looked perfectly fine as he ate his noodles, not even breaking a sweat. Nico could only stare, flabbergasted.

"How are you doing that?" he gasped.

"It's not that bad," Frank replied. "My grandma used to make noodles ten times spicier."

"But this is literally the extra spicy noodles!" Annabeth held up the package before her hand fell back to her side, limp and flushed red. "How does this get ten times spicier?"

"My grandma doesn't measure the spice right and it always ends up spicier than it should be. Also, she thinks spicy foods make you more energetic. It's why I chose the spiciest one I could find in the gas station."

Nico wheezed again before he was done with his noodles. Drinking out of his water bottle, he coughed as the spiciness choked him.

"You good, there, Neeks?" Annabeth asked.

A cross of emotions flooded through Nico.

"Yeah..." he muttered, looking at Percy's girlfriend. "I'm fine."

He felt guilty. It wasn't her fault that she was attractive and smart and that Percy loved her more than he'd ever love Nico. It wasn't her fault that Percy spent too much time trying to save her that he pretty much died and retained the curse. It was his fault that he didn't save Percy in time. He was the son of Hades for the gods' sake!

You couldn't have saved him even if you tried, his mind tried to sooth him.

It didn't work.

"I'll take the first watch," Nico volunteered as he finished his dinner.

"I'll take second," Frank said.

"Then I'm taking third." Annabeth shrugged.

___

Nico always loved the dark. When he looked into it, he could imagine what his life would be like if Percy had stayed, if Bianca was still alive, and if his mom was still alive. When the lights flickered on, reality settled down and it was impossible to see his fantasies. He scanned the trees, even if darkness was the only thing visible.

Weariness was taking a toll on Nico as he looked through the images on his watch. He landed on the map Annabeth drew. Marking their spot with a touch to the surface of his watch, he looked at the distance they'd have to hike when the sun rose.

Please, our friend is dying and we need to have a Phoenix feather for part of the cure... Nico recited in his head. His name is Percy and he is the best agent in Olympian history... We are at war and we beg of your assistance...

"Nico?" Frank's voice startled him as the muscular Chinese boy came up behind him. "It's my turn."

Nico just nodded as he slunk into the shadows, laying down next to Annabeth underneath the tree. He'd always been afraid of sleep. It was the one thing he could never do. It was why he had dark circles under his eyes most of the time, why he was shorter than a lot of the boys his age, and part of the reason why his skin was so pale.

Looking over at Annabeth, he found her fast asleep, her breath blowing a few golden curls upwards. Suddenly, she screamed.

"PERCY! PERCY, NO!" she yelled.

"Annabeth!" Nico called, scared for what was happening.

"NO! PERCY! PERCY!" Her voice was so full of sorrow, Nico wondered what she was dreaming about.

"Annabeth, please wake up!" Nico tried again.

"PERCY!" she sobbed, tears flowing down from her closed eyelids as she grabbed the air in front of her face. "PERCY, COME BACK!"

"ANNABETH!" Nico yelled, more desperate now.

"PERCY! Percy... Percy, no..." Her screaming turned into whimpers as she curled up into a ball on her side. "You're not dead... We didn't fail... No... NO..."

"Annabe..." Nico trailed off, not wanting to finish his word. He felt guilty, but this was actually interesting.

"Percy? Percy, please..." Her voice was so small, as if Nico could break it with his fingers. If he was honest, it scared him. So he tried to wake her up.

"Annabeth, wake up." He nudged her and she grabbed onto his arm as her gray eyes flew open. She launched herself at him, breathing into the crook of his neck.

"Percy?" she gasped, pulling away to look at who was next to her. Disappointment was clear in her gaze as she let go. "Oh... hey, Nico. Sorry, I thought you were..." She winced.

"Percy?" Nico questioned. "You were screaming and I just... had to wake you up. Sorry for disappointing you."

"You didn't..." Annabeth trailed off, looking at him. "You weren't the reason I was disappointed. I was disappointed that I thought you were Percy even if it's obvious that Percy is..." Gone, Nico finished the sentence for her. No, Nico... He's not gone. He's NEARLY gone.

"We still have a chance." Nico tried to comfort her. "Percy's gonna be with us in the next few days and it'll all be okay. He'll come back. He'll come back to you." Pain was evident in his voice as he said that last part.

Annabeth sighed, looking at him. "I'm sorry."

Nico frowned. "What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry for loving Percy when you obviously love him, too. If I had known..." Annabeth stared off at him. "Look, I have to tell you the truth. Even if I had known you loved him... I couldn't have stopped loving him."

"I get it," Nico whispered. "I understand, Annabeth. You have nothing to be sorry for. We're friends. Well... I understand if you don't really see me as a friend. I'm literally the Ghost Boy."

Annabeth grabbed his shoulders and turned him so that he was facing her.

"Nico, you are literally one of the best friends I could ever have in my entire life. Don't you ever dare say that. You are amazing, whether you believe it or not."

Nico found a small smile touching his face, even if he tried to hide it. As he knelt to go to sleep, he heard Annabeth's small sigh.

"Can you..."

"Keep you company?" Nico asked. "Yeah."

"Sorry, it's just... Percy did that when I got scared on the rollercoasters in Six Flags. When we were twelve."

"No problem..." Nico sighed, patting his friend on the back.