Percy Jackson Gay Ships

Someone Help Nico Part 3

Nico couldn't name the little twinge in his heart whenever he thought of Percy sobbing against that tree, looking distraught.

His boyfriend had actually took the time and effort to go looking for him. And yet here Nico was, still living in the same cave he has for the past almost eight months.

Really, he thought, if Percy actually wanted to find you he would have months ago.

Percy never once imagined he'd be in a situation like this.

He'd been too exhausted to leave after he searched the cave, and so he decided to just camp outside for the night.

The cold night air was freezing, chilling Percy to the bones.

Seemingly as an apology, the beast had offered Percy warmth, and so Percy found himself cuddled up to a monster to keep warm.

The word beast didn't feel right anymore. The minotaur was just another tortured soul, having fell victim to the gods before he was even born.

The minotaur had fallen asleep about an hour ago, his loud snores shaking Percy's body with every exhale.

Percy's eyes didn't once move from the cave entrance, watching, waiting.

Every little noise made him jump. Made his head dart from side to side in hopes of finding Nico. Nico, who decided he couldn't live without Percy, just like how Percy couldn't live without Nico.

Even when light started to filter in through the gaps of the trees, Percy didn't lose hope that Nico would come and find him.

Nico loved him, just as Percy loved Nico. He wouldn't leave him alone for this long, Percy knew that. He'd find Nico soon, he knew he would. He'd find Nico and then they'd return home and Percy would be able to make up for being a bad boyfriend and driving Nico away.

The minotaur, bless him, sat and watched the cave entrance with Percy once he woke up.

The only sounds he made were the odd grunts of discomfort. He wasn't made to sit still and stare blankly at a cave for so long.

When the sky started fading to black once more, Asterion turned to look at Percy regretfully, trying to convey his sympathy as best he could.

It was hard, he couldn't do sympathy. But he tried. He tried for Percy, who had in fact honoured his side of their deal.

Asterion looked down at the little handmade pouch tied around his hips.

Inside, he could just see the tip of a bloodied horn.

He didn't know kindness, having never been shown any. And so Percy giving his horn back meant a great deal to him. It didn't matter that it had grown back during his time in Tartarus, it was still a part of him.

And so he had tried to honour his side of the deal as best he could. He helped Percy find Nico, his 'boyfriend' he'd called him.

Asterion wasn't sure on what a boyfriend was but Nico sounded important to Percy.

About two hours later, the minotaur found himself drifting off, the only sound Percy's muttering as he stared at the cave longingly.

The next day, Asterion went off to hunt for food. Any longer and he'd end up eating Percy, something he realised he couldn't do now.

When he returned, Percy was sat in the same place, his back against the tree, still muttering as he stared into the darkness of the cave.

The minotaur took his seat next to Percy, dropping the handful of raw deer meat he'd saved for the demigod, not realising that Percy couldn't eat that.

When Percy didn't move, still whispering to himself, Asterion clapped a hand onto Percy shoulder, forgetting he was much stronger than the teen and sending him jolting forward.

Percy paused his whispering, confused, to turn and stare at his new... friend?

"What?"

The minotaur gestured with his snout to the meat on the ground, a mere few inches away from Percy. Yet he hadn't even noticed it until then.

Instead of commenting on the meat still being raw, Percy just brushed it off and turned back to the cave.

"'M not hungry."

The minotaur tilted his head to the side, confused. How was the little mortal not hungry?

But Percy actually wasn't hungry. The only thing his mind, body, and soul could think of was Nico. Everything was Nico, Nico, Nico.

His body couldn't find the energy to even want food, too engrossed in searching the darkness for that familiar pair of dark brown eyes.

Nothing.

An hour passed.

Nothing.

The deer meat was gone now, courtesy of Asterion.

Nothing.

Asterion stood up, restless. He decided to go hunt once more.

Nothing- wait. Percy sat up a little straighter as he saw movement, hearing a quiet tap, tap, tap against the cave floor.

Percy stood up when the sound got closer, not understanding that the sound was too small, quiet even, to be Nico.

A few seconds later, a rat scurried out of the darkness, heading straight off into the woods.

Percy gasped - a weird, long exhale - before collapsing to his knees.

Nico really wasn't there. He really was gone.

Percy didn't protest when he felt a large hand grab his arm, hauling him up and onto his feet.

He didn't protest as he was dragged away, his head down as he stared at his feet.

Nico watched his... still boyfriend? get dragged away from the shelter of his cave, just out of sight. He was thankful to the darkness for keeping him hidden for so long.

He loved Percy, he did, he just couldn't do this anymore.

With that did Nico turn around, heading back into the darkness of his cave.

Dark.

Nico loved the dark, and the dark loved him too.