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Nico is sitting quite grumpily at the edge of the lake, watching Percy dive underwater, in his rolled up dark jeans and black shirt especially gifted by him. Nico frowns at the nymphs and merpeople-thingies at the bottom of the pool flirting unnecessarily and quite lusciously at his boyfriend, and smiles when he notices Percy wholeheartedly ignoring them.
Percy swims to the surface rapidly, sending water splashing everywhere and drenching Nico.
“Hey,” He protests, and they both laugh. Percy touches his finger to Nico’s chest, and all the water leaves his clothes in a whoosh. Nico loves that feeling, the exhilaration. It’s a bit like Shadow-Travelling, the only drawback being that Percy did not enjoy Shadow-Travelling one bit. What a shame.
Percy shakes his head like a dog. But, instead of diving in again and leaving Nico to mull on the surface like he has been doing for the last two hours, he pulls Nico’s arm so that they both fall in the water. Nico gasps, but not getting to even squeak in protest he is plunged in the water.
Nico had always feared water as well as air, he had never flown except for on Argo II, and he really had never swum either. Now he knew that it had something to do with his dad being a rival with Poseidon and Zeus so it was in his blood to avoid the other two realms like the plague, but it hadn’t really repelled him from a relationship with the sea prince.
But now he closes his eyes and mouth tightly, fearing the suffocating feeling of water entering his lungs if he dared to open any of the two. If he died, he mentally swore that he’d curse Percy seven ways to Tartarus, damn love and all.
There’s a light caress of lips he recognizes all too familiarly on his nose, then on his eyes and on the corner of his lips. His skin feels cool but not wet, and he feels weightless. He opens his eyes warily, wondering if he was dead and if he was why it didn’t hurt?
And then he sees Percy laughing silently at him, blue-green lights dancing across his skin at the sunlight refracted by the water. Nico tries a gasp and—he can breathe underwater! One of Percy’s hands is gripping his waist tightly and Nico blushes brightly because he’s mortified. They’re suspended in the water, the nymphs now eyeing them curiously.
“You’re really cute when you’re scared and you puff out your cheeks.” Percy says and mimics a blowfish by puffing his face, and damn it does Percy look funny (And ridiculous, but Nico thinks he is too deep in love to call Percy ridiculous anytime soon).
“I did not look that ridiculous,” says Nico in spite of himself, blushing even more now. Percy shakes his head, his hair bellowing out before him like a storm cloud. Nico then clumsily drags Percy’s face into his and kisses him fiercely. After all, Percy is his and he has the right to kiss his boyfriend whenever he wants.
“Whoa,” Said Percy breathlessly after they part. Nico’s lips are throbbing and surely swollen, but Percy’s flushed cheeks make him have to take a deep breath (or is it a gulp of water?). Percy touches his own lips with his other hand, feeling the enflamed skin. The nymphs have scattered now, hissing at Nico but well he doesn’t even care. His boyfriend is the big, mighty prince. The thought makes him giggle mentally.
“That’s the best underwater kiss I’ve ever had,” He says, and Nico asks “What’s the second best?”
“Annabeth,” He says automatically, but stills. Nico’s smile quickly falls and oh, doesn’t his guy have a way of ruining moments?
Nico knows that Percy has the idea that he’s spoiled whatever was building between him and his lover, so he makes to pull them together once more. However, Nico pushes himself off Percy’s embrace until only their fingers are linked. And he’s at a loss what to do. He can’t swim very well to reach back to the surface and he can’t do much stuck underwater either. It’s devil and the deep blue sea for him. The epiphany makes him scowl.
“Sorry,” Percy says with an apologizing look, but Nico ignores him. Nico knows that whatever Percy and Annabeth had has ended and he needs to get over his irrational jealously, but he can’t help it. Percy had made the point clear that he loves Nico very much by offering them the aforementioned dark shirts last week, but what really is Nico next to Annabeth? Annabeth is smart, intelligent, insanely pretty with a nice bust and sleek hair. Nico isn’t even a girl. What’s he done to deserve a Greek hero as Percy?
“Stop it, the self-loathing.” Percy orders strangely, and without much of a preamble pulls Nico into another fierce kiss. Nico melts into Percy’s mouth and they both delve into each other’s embrace until all thoughts of self-depreciation are chased away from Nico’s mind.
“You know I love you. Don’t you, my Ghost King?” Asks Percy, tucking a loose strand of hair floating in front of Nico’s face. Nico can only nod, because he is brimming in love, really. And oh my gods, Nico want’s to slap himself a good few times because ugh is he turning sappy? He is the son of Hades! This is unacceptable!
They return to the surface after a while, when the cool water’s made them look a little decent and not the ‘recently fucked’ look they both sported. However, when they go up, there’s quite a commotion and they see Chiron looking at the edge concernedly. Nico and Percy both scramble up, completely dry, and the campers surrounding the area talk in hushed whispers as they slip their flip-flops on.
“Is everything okay? We were worried; you two were down there for over half an hour,” A girl asks, and Nico flushes again with the thought that they might be watching them. Nico bows his head so that his long-ish hair falls to his face and scowls, both to hide his blush and to keep the cold demeanor he reserves for everyone but friends. Percy ruffles his hair annoyingly “Nope, just a little fun with my powers,” He explains briefly.
Nico risks a glance up and sees Chiron smiling knowingly at them “don’t worry, they’re okay. Please return to your camp activities,” He says good naturedly, and Nico’s scowl deepens.
“Come on, Nico, let’s go,” Says Percy, and pulls Nico with him without a warning. Nico smiles again when he’s away from prying eyes, back in the woods. He and Percy walk hand-in-hand through the wood, touching the trees. Nico smiles at Percy because his boyfriend is gorgeous. And Percy pulls him against the tree to kiss him hard.
The following night is quite eventful, to say at least. Sometimes it’s good, having a boyfriend who nobody dares to stop.