~*~*~
The throne made of human bones didn't surprise the immortal warrior, but the headphones did. He only knew what they were from ages of observing people in the world. This was the first time he had tried to observe the Underworld, and he was pleased that it had worked. Zeus had provided him with an eagle which could travel anywhere and become invisible. Anything the eagle saw, the warrior could see through a dish of water. Not the most sophisticated process, but it was good enough for him. Not like he could ever go anywhere. Until today he'd never thought to try and see if the eagle could traverse different planes, which now made him feel silly. If the eagle could go from Olympus to Earth, of course he could also visit the Underworld.
The warrior didn't like the Underworld at first. It was scary. He was glad that he would never have to go there. One of the perks of being granted immortality. As the eagle flew around Hades' domain, the warrior had gotten curious and steered the eagle to the god's home. He had forgotten the god had a living son until the eagle had landed in the throne room. First the warrior had noticed the smaller throne to the left of Hades'. It was of course made from surplus bones, but far less than the larger chair. Then something moved and the warrior realized that there was a young man lying across the seat. So this was the offspring of the lord of death? The warrior was not impressed. He was intrigued for other reasons, though.
As the eagle perched invisibly on the throne, Zeus' cupbearer took in the details of Hades' child. A mess of large, dark curls was held down by bright red headphones. The cord of the headphones passed between pinkish lips as the boy absent-mindedly chewed on it. His eyes were closed, and the warrior assumed that he was picturing whatever the song was about. His gaze continued down. The young man's chest was bare, and one of his pale arms was crossed over his naked stomach. The warrior noticed a ring on the delicate hand also twisting the headphone cord, but he couldn't make out what it was. Lower, the young man was wearing a sinister belt; it was made from some sort of metal and consisted of several plates strung together. Each plate had a different scene moulded on to it, including skeletal figures lined up for judgement, and Charon ferrying souls across the river. The belt held up a strange set of robes. The material appeared to be made of smoke or shadows, and the warrior wondered if it would evaporate when the young man ran. The urge to see it disappear increased when the cupbearer realized that the robes had ridden up the other man's legs, which were bent over one of the arms of the throne. The revealed sight made the warrior wish to reach through the dish of water and touch those perfect, pale legs, and run his tongue across those delicate ankles. He could feel the need burning in his veins and finally realized why he had been taken from his own family. Suddenly the son of Hades opened his eyes and the way his dark eyes stared straight at him had the warrior wondering if the eagle had been discovered. He quickly dumped the water from the dish and mentally signaled the eagle to return to him.
x.x.x
Nico was walking out on one of his home's many balconies. So much for fresh air. It smelled of death and loss. He picked at the stone barrier preventing him from falling off of the balcony and mused. He hadn't seen Percy for about a month. He felt guilty. Doing his G.E.D. work on top of training and participating in judgement with his father had sucked up all of his time. Time, he laughed, what a concept in Hades. He looked down at his mp3 player and adjusted the volume down so that he could think better. He not only wanted to see Percy right now; he needed to. He began concentrating on his lover, getting ready to shadow travel. Suddenly something sharp dug into his arm and he felt himself being pulled away. He looked up and saw a bigass eagle, now carrying him in its talons. Nico scratched at them and wiggled around, not even considering that he might plummet to his death. It was no use. Before he knew it the eagle had squeezed out most of his oxygen and everything went black.
Nico woke up on a feather bedspread, with bright light coming in from an open window. The room looked like something he'd find in Greece; obviously an old building, but decorated with new furnishings. What the fuck was going on?
"I can't believe you're right here." a voice said to his right. Nico's head snapped to the side and saw a warrior type, a bit older than himself, but more muscled. He had dark brown hair and what appeared to be violet eyes. His skin was a nice olive tone, much like his own when it had some sunlight on it. The warrior was looking at him in awe, and Nico felt a creeping feeling under his skin. The warrior crawled onto the bed and got closer to Nico, "It's been so long since I've had someone in my room..."
"Yeah, um, why am I in your room?" Nico asked, covering his panic with confused frustration, which was pretty much the same thing, only manlier. His eyes scanned for an escape. The window was his best bet.
"Because I want you to be." the warrior said, leaning in to touch those shining black curls. Nico got up from the bed and backed up toward the window. The other man followed him and nonchalantly closed the window, clicking the lock in place. Nico tried to shadow travel, but couldn't. "Relax Nico, your powers don't work in my room. I had it designed that way."
"What do you want with me?"
"A friend." the warrior answered, "A very pretty friend." he reached out again to touch Nico's face, but when his fingertips made contact his skin burned as though he had touched ice. He pulled them away and saw frost had formed under his nails. "Have you taken a lover?" he asked, sounding disappointed.
Nico debated on his answer. He didn't want this new enemy to know any weaknesses he had, including people he was close to, but then what had just happened? What did freezing another man have to do with Percy? He finally settled on vague, "I might have at some point."
"You must still be attached to them. I must say that I'm a little disappointed that you've already been touched by someone else. I'll get over it, though. You will too if everything works out as I've planned." the warrior reached down to take Nico's cold hand in his, but again his skin burned and began to frost over. He sighed, "I guess we'll get to know each other at a distance."
The way the other man was looking at him made Nico realize how naked, and therefore vulnerable he was. Sensing that the man had no intention on killing him at the moment he decided to play at being his friend until he found another escape. He feigned a shiver and rubbed his arms, "It's cold in here."
"It's probably all that frost you made." the warrior shrugged. He crossed over to a door Nico hadn't noticed and pulled it open. Damn. A closet. The taller man went through the hangers and picked out a bright blue t-shirt and some black gym pants, "I think this color will be pretty on you. You're so black and white. You need some color." he handed the articles of clothing to Nico, who took them and held them against himself. The warrior looked at him expectantly.
"I can't dress in front of you." Nico said, pretending to be shy.
The warrior sighed, "Ok, you can dress in there." he pointed to a wine colored piece of fabric in front of a doorway. Nico backed into it, not taking his eyes off of the other man for a moment. Once inside the bathroom he made a quick scan for any windows and tried again to shadow travel. He failed on both counts. Knowing that the other man was watching his silouhette through the fabric, he jumped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed to change. He didn't really want to wear some creeper's clothes, but he felt a lot more capable of fighting back when he was covered. He came out feeling more confident. He had his belt concealed by the bundle of his robe in his hands and when the warrior came forward to take the robe from Nico the smaller man whipped him across the jaw with the belt. The warrior fell down with a heavy thud and Nico jumped over his body and started frantically searching for a door, a window, anything. He just met clay walls on all four sides of the large room. There had to be a way out. As he smacked at the walls, hoping to find a hidden door, he heard the other man sit up with a groan. Nico rounded on him, grabbing him by the shirt and forcing him against the wall.
"Where is the way out?" Nico roared.
"I'm not telling you. You'll leave me." The warrior pouted. "Just stay with me for a while."
Fuck. What was he to do? Choosing to just play things by ear, Nico let go of the warrior's shirt and looked at him, "Can I at least know my new friend's name?"
The warrior smiled excitedly, "Ganymede."
x.x.x
Percy woke in a cold sweat. He couldn't remember his nightmare now, but the sick feeling in his stomach was enough to make him leave the comfort of his king sized bed. He walked over to the bathroom and got a cup of cold water. He drank it down and was about to get another one, but then he changed his mind and splashed his face in the water. Out of habit he looked up into the mirror. Had he gotten water on it? The surface looked as though water were dripping from the top and cascading down to the sink. No, Percy had definitely not done that. He grabbed a towel from the floor and dried it all off. The water didn't return. Percy gave one last look around the bathroom and sensing no danger, he went back into his room.
As he laid down and pulled the covers over his head, Percy felt that deep empty feeling again. He hated being alone. Sure, he had roommates, but they were always busy with demigod related things, or school, or other things. His parents were always traveling now. He hadn't heard from Nico in over a month, and he didn't know whether he should be worried or pissed off. Nico had been known to become busy for weeks on end, and communication between here and the Underworld had never been the greatest, but Percy was beginning to think that his absence wasn't normal stuff. Just then he felt a weight on his bed, and assuming it was Nico at last, he removed the covers from his head. A naked young man was perched at the end of it. Even in the darkness Percy could tell that it wasn't Nico. He quickly jumped up, clicking his pen and turning his light on.
"Perseus, do not be afraid." the young man said in a quiet, yet strong voice. He was speaking Ancient Greek, but Percy understood him. He reached up and fingered a curl in his long blonde hair, looking nervous.
At the young man's nervous attitude, Percy felt himself relax a little. He clicked Riptide back into pen mode, but remained standing ready. Something was strange about this man. Not only was he naked, but he had a mark on his forehead that looked pretty fatal, if Percy had to guess. Nico would know. Thinking about Nico made Percy's heart sink again, so he forced his attention back on the young man.
"Name?" he demanded more than asked.
"Hyacinthos."
"Like the flower?"
The young man shrugged a tanned shoulder, "I wouldn't know. So much has changed since I lost my skin." he moved the finger entwined in his curls to touch his arm as if making sure it was still there. He looked up at Percy, who wore a blank expression, "Polydectes sent me."
It took a moment for Percy to remember that Polydectes meant "acceptor of many" and was another name for Hades. He realized that this man had come from a time when it was bad to use the name of the Underworld god. This young man had been dead a long time. So why was he not a skeleton? Percy assumed it had something to do with why Hades had sent him.
"Why did Hades send you to me?"
Hyacinthos cringed when Percy said 'Hades' but then turned serious, "His son has been taken from him. A great Eagle came down and took him away. Polydectes sent me to get you to bring him back."
"A big bird took my boyfriend from the Underworld?"
The young man nodded, not realizing how silly it sounded, "We should see Ganymede. He knows of great Eagles." Hyacinthos stood up, ready to start the search for Nico. Percy stopped him.
"Um, how about we find you some pants first?"
x.x.x
Nico felt warmth just inches from his skin as he lay waking on a lush carpet. He tried to press into it, but the warmth left him for a moment. When it returned it was hovering above his face.
"I wish I could touch you the way I want to..." Someone whispered to him. His eyes shot open. He had forgotten so quickly...
Nico got up, scooting as far away from the man as he could. Ganymede. A name he'd hated since he had learned it. The taste was always bitter when he was forced to say it. He looked over at the man in his early twenties, smiling cleverly with wanting eyes. He crawled closer to Nico, taking something from the inside of his robes.
"I guess this will have to do for now..." the cupbearer said, using a feather to trace down Nico's face. When Nico shook his head angrily and pressed himself further into the wall, Ganymede dragged the feather down his arm, "Come on, pretty one. When it's over I'll let you go back to that cold, dark place of death." Lies.
Nico's anger boiled over and he pushed the other man, making Ganymede's feather fly from his hand. Nico grabbed it and quickly ripped it to shreds before brandishing the rachis as a makeshift weapon. The other man just smiled and grabbed Nico's arm violently, bending it until he let go of the feather's spine.
"You know it's kind of hot when you fight me," Ganymede teased, pulling the smaller body toward himself, "At least when we fight I can touch you." he flicked his tongue out and made an attempt to lick the sweat from Nico's chin, but he quickly let go, feeling the freezer burn ten fold. "Please bend to me, Nico. I know that on some level you must like me, and I want to make you feel good." he crossed the room and pouted from his bed, just watching the younger man.
Once again Nico tried to shadow travel out of the room, but nothing happened. This immortal was asking too much of Nico. He would never cheat on Percy, even to save his own life. He kicked at the wall in anger. Why hadn't he visited Percy more often, so the other man would know when he was missing? With dread he went back to the dark area of thought. He hadn't contacted Percy in so long, the man likely thought himself ditched or Nico dead. Nico refused to let another man between his legs. Anyone but Percy just seemed wrong. He would die in this prison before he let Ganymede touch him.
"You're no fun when you're quiet." the cupbearer sighed. He thought for a moment, "I know, you need food, huh?" He got up and took something from under his bed. Nico watched him approach with a piece of cloth in his hands. Oh fuck no. Nico got up and assumed a menacing battle stance. Ganymede gave him a look that said he accepted the challenge. They then launched at each other. Nico landed a good punch to the other warrior's jaw, but Ganymede didn't even flinch. He expertly grabbed Nico's arm and twisted it behind. He grabbed the other arm and wrapped them up first. He quickly grabbed another piece of fabric and halted Nico's struggling enough to put it over his eyes.
"I was just going to cover your eyes so you wouldn't see how I get out. Now look what you made me do." Ganymede lamented as he set Nico onto his bed. Nico felt headphones get placed on his ears and then his favorite music flooded through his mind. Bastard had stolen his mp3 player, too. Nico continued to struggle, trying to wriggle his arms free, but he knew that to get one arm free, he'd have to break the other. He was almost that desperate, but not quite yet.
Later Ganymede returned as promised with a bowl of fruit in hand. Nico could smell it before Ganymede had removed the blindfold. When the cupbearer ordered Nico to open his mouth and put a grape into it the younger one was alarmed at the pleasure he felt. He hadn't eaten in days and the way the grape burst on his tongue was just too much. He was glad to be able to eat something, even if he suspected Ganymede had put something in it. The older one watched Nico finish the fruit and then watched him lay down on the bed, choosing to sleep away his time. No, Ganymede would have none of that today. He roughly picked the boy up by his arm and shook him awake, ignoring the sting of cold on his hand.
"Don't try to escape," Ganymede said in an affectionate whisper, "Just enjoy yourself here." he slowly untied the knots holding Nico's arms behind himself. He then reached out to move the dark curls from Nico's eyes, but his fingertips frosted over and he retreated, crossing to the other side of the bed. He sat down and patted a spot next to him, "I promise not to touch you. Just sit here with me."
Nico wanted to yank something off of the wall and bash the other man's brains in with it, but he was getting tired of the futile aggression. Besides Ganymede had been right; when they fought he could touch him, and Nico's skin crawled at the very idea of it. Quietly he crawled over and sat on the bed, leaning against the wall behind him. He could feel himself starting to give up a little more every day, and he hated himself for it. He had to think of something.
x.x.x
Percy watched Hyacinthos taking the city in between attempts at reading up on this man. They were taking a train to where Hyacinthos had insisted he could find the cupbearer. So far Percy had learned that Hyacinthos was once a lover of Apollo as well as Zephyrus, a wind god. The two gods constantly fought over him. One day, in an attempt to impress the young man, Apollo threw a discus with all his force. As Hyacinthos tried to catch it, the discus hit him in the head. Apollo tried to heal him, but Hyaconthos died. From the young man's blood Apollo created a flower, each petal bearing "AI" as a symbol of the god's lamentation at the loss of his lover.
Percy shut the book. That was great and all, but why was he here now in the flesh? He did look like a warrior. Maybe Hades knew there would be something to battle? Hyacinthos did at least have an idea of where to start searching, so Percy supposed he was useful. As the train ride dragged on Percy had to laugh. The warrior looked extremely out of place, especially in Percy's clothes. Used to leather loincloths and sandals, it seemed Hyacinthos wasn't even sure of how to walk in jeans and sneakers.
"Why are you laughing at me?" his blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Sorry, Hyacinth, you just look really out of place."
"But you said this would help me blend in."
"Oh it does. You just don't look comfortable."
Hyacinthos dropped his voice as well as his eyelids and said in a low tone, "You know, I don't have to wear clothes at all."
Percy felt a blush creep over his face as his brain had a WTF? moment. He coughed, "Erm, yeah you do. If you're going to do this without getting arrested, I mean."
"Oh..." the warrior looked dejected.
"I get the feeling that you don't get rejected often." Percy said.
Hyacinth gave him a sort of 'Duh' look, "Gods fought for my attention."
Oh yeah. Percy gave him a smile, "Well I'm not a god. Besides... you're not my type." Did he really believe that, or was he just telling himself that? He could see the attraction, sure. Beautiful golden blonde curls, falling over tanned, muscular shoulders... bright blue eyes that always seemed wanting...
"What do you mean?" Hyacinth stopped Percy's thoughts.
"I mean that I'm not attracted to you."
Hyacinthos laughed, straight white teeth showing, "Your flushed face earlier said otherwise."
In spite of himself, that blush appeared again, "No. I'm just not used to other guys coming on to me. Nico is my one and only."
"Tell me about him, this son of H-Hades." the warrior said, sensing not to tease the other man too much. He had to admit to himself that it was fun to do, though; reduce the son of Poseidon into a blushing ball of hormones.
Percy smirked again. He found it amusing that this mighty warrior was afraid to say Hades' name. He closed his eyes as he pictured his lover, finding himself smiling more, "What do you want to know about him?"
Seeing that smile told Hyacinthos more than he figured Percy would tell him, but he asked anyway, "Just tell me what he's like."
Percy leaned backward in his seat "He's like... I don't know how to explain it. On the outside he's really dark and moody, which makes it scary to approach him, but once you get past all of that, he's actually a really caring and creative person." Percy looked at Hyacinthos, finding it fun to actually be able to talk about Nico like he was, "He's way smart, even though he has a hard time reading like me. He's always doing something creative, like writing, or making jewelry, or drawing. Whenever we're together it's like he needs to take care of me, even though usually he's the one who needs it. He's always in warrior mode, so I like it when I can see him relaxing and having fun. Oh man, warrior stuff... you should see him when we're fighting monsters. He's a fucking beast. I know it's weird, but I find him so incredibly sexy after we've been fighting monsters; all covered in goo, and his eyes are all vicious-." Percy cut himself off, feeling silly now for going on and on. "Sorry." he finally said.
"No I like to listen. I miss being admired in that way. What does he look like, your type?" Hyacinthos asked with a hint of teasing at the end.
Percy nodded, "He doesn't get out into the sun very often, so his skin is more fair than ours. When he does get some sun his skin is this really pretty olive color... like yours. He's got black hair that kind of curls around his temples, and his eyes are super dark. Sometimes when I look into them I think my soul is going to get sucked out. It's scary, but at the same time I kind of like it."
"I think I may be frightened when I first see him." Hyacinthos admitted.
"Yeah, he does that to people."
Awkward silence fell over them. Hyacinthos was finished with asking questions about Nico now. He looked out of the train window, "Are we there yet?"
x.x.x
Ganymede had his predatory gaze on the young man in front of him. "Please Nico, don't make it happen this way."
Nico licked blood from the corner of his mouth. He had fought so hard, only to end up in this cage.
"Using the Cage of Compulsion is fun and all that, but I want you to do it because you want to, because you want me."
"Never." Nico growled. It was a word he'd used day after day in this place. It was beginning to lose its meaning.
"Fine, be that way." Ganymede locked the cage with a heavy click and withdrew the large skeleton key from the lock. "Say my name, Nico."
The smaller man felt a sort of punch in his stomach and before he could stop it his mouth formed the words, "Ganymede."
"Now moan it."
"Uhn, G-Ganymede." Nico whimpered out, unable to stop himself. Damn Cage of Compulsion. Nico tried to fight it, but it was as if his body had a mind of its own. He moaned the other man's name again. 'Percy, please.' he pleaded in his mind, hoping that somehow, some way his lover would hear him and save him. If he couldn't save himself, Percy was the next best to do it.
"Nico." Ganymede said quietly, sitting next to the cage, right behind the smaller body.
"Go away." Nico said, some feist managing to manifest in his words.
"Let me touch you."
"No." Nico said, though the cage would prove his protest useless.
The older one reached through the bars, coming from behind Nico to stroke at his naked chest. This time his fingers did not go numb, though he did note the colder temperature of Nico's skin. He could feel the loathing emanating from the other young man.
"Enjoy this." he whispered before feeling Nico relax under his touch.
"I don't really." Nico said, even as he moved into Ganymede's caresses.
"You will."
"Never."
The cupbearer moved his hands up to tangle in Nico's hair, pulling just a little, "I could take you right now, you know, in this cage. I'm not a rapist, though." he stroked Nico's cheek affectionately and whispered into his ear, "I can make you feel so good, Nico."
Nico stayed silent, tired of fighting for a while. He just sat in the corner of the cage and let Ganymede touch him, inwardly cringing at the slimy feeling of it. His stomach turned as his body and mind obeyed. Percy ran through his mind, his warm skin against the younger man's, protecting him, loving him. Nico felt tears sliding down his face as the other man's hands ran across his exposed body. He sniffled and Ganymede's hands left him.
"Oh no, Nico." He walked around the cage to see Nico's face. Black eyes looked up at him, accusing pools of hatred, silently screaming what the boy truly felt, even as he again moaned the man's name. Ganymede unlocked the cage and Nico quickly collapsed. As the older one knelt next to him Nico vomited violently. Ganymede grabbed him and dragged him to the bathroom, where he vomited again. Nico felt a gentle hand on his back and then when he was finished a cool washcloth cleaned his face. He kept his eyes closed as silence fell in the bathroom.
"You let me touch you." Ganymede said incredulously.
Nico opened his eyes and stared for a moment, "You made me puke."
There was another moment of silence as the two stared at each other, each deciding on their next move. Without glancing over at the door, Nico darted forward, nearly hitting his shoulder on the doorframe as he ran from the bathroom. He started tearing the closet apart, having figured out the direction from which Ganymede came and went. The cupbearer shouted in protest, and he knew that he was close. Nico at last found a latch, opened it and continued to run. Next thing he knew, something caught his ankle and he was eating stone.
Ganymede turned him over, "Trust me, you don't want to keep going."
"Trust me, I do." Nico said, spitting out a mouthfull of blood. He went to run again, but the other man caught him by both ankles.
"No. Watch." Ganymede removed his belt and tossed it to the end of the columned hall. Something snatched it before it hit the ground, and Nico heard a strange, dissatisfied growling noise. They both stood staring at the end of the hallway, waiting to see the creature, but none ever showed. Nico, noticing the other man's distraction, decided on a different tactic and darted back into the room, slamming it shut and locking it before the other man even turned around. "Oh come on now." the older one said through the door, but Nico didn't hear him. He was already trying to break a window open. It must have been Plexiglas or something, because it wouldn't even crack. He began to tear the room apart.
A while later Ganymede felt the door he had been leaning against move away from his face and he looked up to find Nico wearing one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers. It hadn't happened quite the way he'd wanted it to, but it was a nice outfit to see Nico in regardless. As he walked into the room he suddenly found Nico pressing a pen to his throat.
"Where the fuck are my clothes?"
Ganymede cleared his throat nervously and felt the pen press into his neck, "They're being washed."
"Show me."
"I can't."
Nico pushed the pen in deeper. He still hadn't broken skin, but the pen was starting to block the other man's airway. "Why?" he asked.
"I can't let you see where we are." Ganymede squeaked out.
The smaller man at last withdrew the pen, but he continued to clutch it in his hand. Zeus' cupbearer sat down on his bed, holding his hands up so as not to alarm the other boy. Nico relaxed, but only a small amount.
"Don't you dare put me back in that cage." he said, continuing to point with the pen.
"I'll let you stay out of there as long as you play nice. Though, I think you should know by now that you couldn't kill me. I just don't want to deal with the temporary discomfort." Ganymede yawned, laying on his bed and watching the other boy. Nico knew the warrior well enough at this point to know that he'd be getting no more answers now. The immortal put a pillow next to his leg and patted the bed beside him. Nico tried to look stubborn, but he really really wanted to lay on something comfortable after weeks on the floor. What was wrong with him? He stuck the pen in his mouth and crawled onto the bed, leaving more distance between them than the pillow provided. He propped himself against the headboard again, refusing to relax too much.
"I must admit something else." Ganymede said, sounding half asleep already, "You are sexy when you're angry."
Nico stopped chewing on his pen and looked down at the other man. He was drifting into sleep, but continued, "You're mine to keep now. Not theirs."
Shit. Did Ganymede know about Percy? Maybe he was just referring to whomever had deflowered Nico. Still, the younger one panicked. He was also angry. He was tired of kissing up to this prick. He was tired of being put in that cage whenever he felt a little feisty. Without even needing to look at the other man he took the pen out of his mouth and jammed it into the sleeping cupbearer's throat.
x.x.x
Hyacinthos stared at Percy sleeping on hay. They had arrived in their destination, but had decided to rest before finding Ganymede. Okay, Hyacinthos had decided to rest. Percy had been stubborn, wanting to talk to him *now* until the warrior had informed him that Ganymede was busy with cup bearing duties until later. Besides, they had been traveling for days, from train to train, bus to sidewalk. They had convinced a daughter of Hebe to let them rest in the shed behind her home. Percy must have been more tired than he had let on, because as soon as he had laid down, the son of Poseidon was asleep.
Hyacinthos studied the young man. He was certainly different from warriors from his time. He wondered if Percy looked more like his mother or his father. This young man was so delicate and sheltered looking, save for a few sword scars here and there. Suddenly he found himself reaching toward the demigod. Was this how Apollo and Zephyrus had felt at seeing himself? When his hand touched Percy's hair he felt cold, like he had touched ice. Hyacinthos drew his hand away. His fingers looked near frostbitten. When he looked down at Percy again green eyes were staring up at him.
"Are you some kind of creeper?" Percy asked, sitting up and scooting away.
"I give my apologies. You are just very different from any warriors I've met. You are... small."
"Well thanks, that makes me feel so confident now." Percy said dryly, though he knew what the warrior was getting at.
"I just mean-"
"It's alright. I know what you meant."
"Pretending to be weak when you are not. Interesting battle tactic."
"Er... yeah." Percy agreed, choosing not to confuse the other man more, "Can we go see your friend now?"
Hyacinthos looked outside to guage the time, "Nearly. Just a while more."
Percy threw his backpack down, "Why can't we go now? I have to save Nico, you told me. Don't expect me to just be able to sit here and wait for someone who *might* have information!"
"Ganymede does have information! Do you even know who he is?" Hyacinthos rounded on Percy, shocking the other into silence, so he continued, "Zeus fancied Ganymede as a mortal and sent a great eagle to take him. Ganymede was given the job of cupbearer to the gods and granted immortality. Zeus gave his father four enchanted horses in exchange for his only son. Ganymede is not my friend. I simply know he lives."
"For real? Zeus wanted a guy?" Percy asked, only registering that part of the warrior's speech.
"Even gods are not blind to beauty."
Percy sighed, "Well, what can we do for now?"
Hyacinthos' eyes briefly scanned the other man's form as he stood there, ready to run. Intense green eyes looked up at him expectantly and the man had a feeling that Percy was getting ready to leave without him... or his backpack. Sure enough, Percy turned and started walking away, looking around for any sign of help. The dead warrior followed him.
"This way." he said, directing Percy North. Even though Ganymede wasn't yet back, perhaps it would put Percy at ease to be where he would eventually be. He grabbed Percy's backpack as an afterthought and followed the determined lover of the son of Hades.
x.x.x
It was quiet when Percy and Hyacinthos walked onto the white marble porch. A warm breeze swept through, creating false comfort as it made the white flowers on the porch trellis dance. Percy looked down either side, trying to figure out why Zeus' lover was living in suburban Utah. He hoped that he would get some answers and wasn't wasting his time. He wanted to trust Hyacinthos, but the guy had been dead a long time and was out of touch with the world anymore. He looked over at the warrior, who pointed to the balcony of the mansion.
"My best guess is up there." and then he kicked the front door open as Percy just stared. When they got inside Percy saw that it was very different from what he had assumed he'd find. It looked like a typical old Greek home, with columns and stone floors.
They started down the hallway, but stopped when the flap flap of sandal-clad footsteps, and then a gasp, sounded behind them. The two turned around to see another warrior type staring at them. He looked worried, but then quickly put on his brave face to ask, "What can I do for you two?"
"We seek Ganymede." Hyacinthos said plainly.
"For what purpose?" the warrior asked, adjusting his wine colored robes.
This time Percy spoke, "We think he may be able to help us find my- my friend." he choked on the words, knowing that Nico was so much more than that. He was also distracted by the large bandage on the warrior's neck. Bad hickey cover-up?
"He was taken in the same manner as Zeus' cupbearer." Hyacinthos added.
The warrior's nose flared for a moment, "Ah yes, I understand. This way." he started down the hallway and the two followed him. They turned down a hallway Percy hadn't thought was there and the two travelers gasped. A great beast stood guard at the entrance. It was a giant lion, but the tail was a snake and a goat's head stared down at them from the lion's back.
"Chimera." Hyacinthos said to himself. What the fuck was that?
"You two had better wait out here. Don't want anyone getting eaten, now do we?" the warrior said, passing the creature and patting it like a normal pet and then scurrying down the hall, disappearing behind a wooden door.
x.x.x
Nico heard his cage door open and immediately stood up, ready to fight. Ganymede pushed him down, catching him off guard and sending him to the floor. The other man used the moment to shove a piece of cloth into Nico's mouth. He almost ran out of time to wrap a larger piece of fabric around the younger man's head, and got a nasty bite out of it. The gag was still effective, muffling whatever curses Nico was now screaming at him. Ganymede then took it a step further, taking a piece of rope from his belt. He quickly overpowered the weakening warrior again and tied him tightly in the far corner of the cage. Nico was worried that the man was finally going to have his way with him, but then Ganymede ran out of the room, slamming the door. Despite the state that the younger man was in, he smiled around the gag. Ganymede had left the cage door open.
Ganymede slowed his breathing as he walked back over to Percy and Hyacinthos. Now to steer them in the wrong direction...
"I had a feeling that you were Ganymede." Percy said, wondering why the warrior had left for a moment. It didn't appear that he had cleaned himself up or anything.
"Yes. I try to be inconspicuous around here. People often trying to save me from my "servitude" to Zeus. I appreciate the effort, but if occasionally spending the night with Zeus and serving he and his friends wine every night means immortality, you can understand why I would rather be here than anything they could give me."
Percy noted a wistful tone toward the end of Ganymede's speech, but pushed it out of his mind. He was here for one reason.
"That's great and all, but I just need to know about this giant bird that stole you away."
"Eagle." Hyacinthos clarified.
Nico instantly recognized Percy's voice through the bedroom door. He was here! The smaller man began to wriggle faster, trying to escape the ties that bound him. He would *not* let Ganymede lie to Percy.
"The eagle was Zeus transformed." Ganymede said easily. Well, some legends stated so, so Percy had to buy it.
"Why would Zeus want Nico?" Hyacinthos asked. This warrior was too smart for his own good and was getting on Ganymede's nerves.
"Maybe he wanted something new." the cupbearer ground out.
"Well, where can we-" Percy's question was cut short as a roar sounded. All three looked to see the chimera thrashing around at something. They ran over to check out the action. Percy had to stop himself from running right by the beast. Nico. He was whipping at the creature with a piece of rope that had what looked like one of his belts tied to it.
"No!" Ganymede screamed, running past the chimera and starting to pull Nico back toward his room, "You can't be out here!"
"Nico!" now Percy ran forward, nearly getting stepped on by the creature who was still snapping at Nico, though obviously tentative about the whip. He saw Ganymede's hand frosting over as Nico struggled to get away from him. In one quick movement Nico snapped the whip behind him, catching Ganymede in the back, stunning him long enough to escape his grip. Nico ran toward Percy, but Ganymede grabbed him by the hair and pulled him back. Somehow Percy knew what was going to happen next before it even did. The cupbearer pushed Nico away from himself and the younger warrior looked confused until he was staring at the lion part of the creature. The chimera's tail came at Nico, biting his neck. Percy himself felt paralyzed; unable to help Nico. He felt Hyacinthos pulling him away and he started to struggle, screaming as the lion's head descended on his boyfriend.
"I'm sorry, Percy." Hyacinthos said, wrapping his frostbitten hand. The other man didn't even hear him. He heard water rushing in his ears and looked back up at Ganymede, who looked distraught as well, but Percy didn't care.
Ganymede had just destroyed his favorite thing... again. It was always this way when he tried to make friends. Though usually the boys he brought home didn't have friends who would try to save them. Ganymede heard a clicking noise which brought his attention back to the present. When he turned to Percy his stomach flipped. Not only did he see that the man was coming at him with a sword, he recognized the sword.
"Riptide." he whispered, "Son of Poseidon." Oh shit. Not only had he just fed Hades' son to a chimera, he had also just taken something very important from the son of Poseidon. Knowing this he welcomed the blade coming at him. He wouldn't die, but the pain would make him feel better about the mess he'd made. He felt the sting of the blade in his abdomen, marveling at the fact that he could feel every individual organ being punctured. He tasted blood. He felt the sword slide out and then he was falling.
"He cannot die." Hyacinthos said behind Percy, who turned.
"I know." Percy said, clicking his pen back into place. His head was swimming from adrenaline and grief. He heard Ganymede already sitting up and he closed his eyes. Nico was gone. For real this time. Forever.
"I'm sorry, Percy." Ganymede whispered through bloodied lips.
"No you're not." The other man said and then looked at Hyacinthos, "Come on. I guess it's time to go." he didn't really want to leave, but he didn't want to see this Ganymede man anymore.
"Um... Percy. You know more about monsters than I do. What does that mean?" Hyacinthos asked, pointing at the chimera, which had laid down to digest his latest meal. What looked like black smoke was coming from the mouth of the goat head. The neck of the goat suddenly began to split, spewing red and gold everywhere. The lion and snake heads looked at the spot in alarm, as did all warriors present. An arm reached up through the tear, holding a Stygian blade. It lodged into the creature's skin and then another arm came up beside it. Nico pulled himself from the goat's throat, screaming in triumph and covered in slime and monster blood and a mixture of whatever else the creature had eaten recently. Shadows emanated from his body, and Percy swore he could see faces in them.
"Chaos de profundis." Ganymede said incredulously.
Nico slowly came down to the floor, floating in a creepy manner. His eyes had been fixated on Ganymede, but then they turned to Percy. The depths of their darkness frightened Percy, but at the same time their intensity sent a different kind of shiver up his spine. Nico put his hand on the side of Percy's face and gently pulled him down for a kiss. The older one could feel himself getting monster slimed, but he didn't care. Nico's kiss calmed him and told him that things were okay. Then Nico let him go and he started walking toward Ganymede.
As the warrior walked toward the cupbearer, the shadows around Nico grew, snapping their jaws. Ganymede stood up, not sure about what was happening, but as Nico was the son of Hades, he knew it wasn't good. The shadows lunged forward, holding him in place. Nico roughly grabbed him by the jaw and pulled him down. Percy's jaw clenched in jealousy when it looked like Nico was kissing the other man, but from the panicked look on Ganymede's face he knew it wasn't that. Nico started to pull his face away and Percy saw something silver in his mouth. It looked like a shiny little marble. Nico then moved his hands in a familiar gesture and Ganymede was engulfed in a pillar of flame. He stared at the flames, watching Ganymede's body burn until it was a pile of ash. The shadows moved from Nico's body and circled around the ashes until they were gone and the shadows disappeared.
"Nico?" Percy said, unsure, but when softer eyes looked at him he knew his boyfriend was back. The younger one started toward him, but stumbled. Hyacinthos caught him and Percy ran over. Nico motioned for Percy to bring his face closer and then he pointed to his forehead. Percy kissed it. He pointed to his temples, his cheeks, his jawline, and Percy kissed everywhere he pointed to, but whe he tried to kiss Nico's lips the warrior stopped him.
"We need to leave." he said urgently. "Once we get out of the house I should be able to shadow travel us out of here."
"But you need to rest." Percy said.
"Percy," Nico sat up, "I just killed Zeus' favorite plaything. We. Need. To. Go."
"But you can't kill an immortal." Hyacinthos said.
"I'll explain later." Nico started to stand up, but wobbled. He hated being in this weakened state. He felt himself get lifted up over Hyacinthos' shoulder. It was embarassing, but right now he was too tired to care.
They quickly navigated the home and came out of the front door. Nico was temporarily blinded by the sunlight, but when his eyes adjusted he was floored. He was in a normal suburban neighborhood. He looked back at the mansion. It had a very Greek design, but really was a modern home. They all went down the block to a bus stop, where Hyacinthos let him sit down.
"Where are we?" Nico asked, feeling stronger already.
"Utah." Percy said simply.
"O-Okay."
"Do you feel good enough to shadow travel?"
"Yeah, but um... only for one person."
Percy looked up at the sky. Clouds were forming. That wasn't good.
"I don't need to go." Hyacinthos said.
"Come on Hyacinthos, I'm not just going to leave you here."
"Hyacinthos?" Nico asked, "As in Apollo's?"
The warrior nodded and Nico stood up, "I have an idea." he motioned for the warrior to stand up as well.
"I can let you see him before you'll be returned to Hades."
"How?"
"I have Ganymede's immortal soul. It will return to him eventually, just as monsters can come back. I can let you, you know, borrow it."
"You can do that?"
"It's better than me having it." he grabbed Percy' hand and Percy secretly wibbled inside, "I've had my taste of it already."
Hyacinthos rested against the bus stop sign, "But what if he won't have me?"
Nico shrugged, "I can't answer that. It's your choice."
The warrior chewed his lip for a bit, then straightened, "I will take it."
"Cool." Nico said and then suddenly grabbed Hyacinthos down into a sort of kiss. The younger one heard Percy grumble in jealousy as he pulled away. He spit into the grass and sat next to Percy, cuddling into him, "Trust me, it's not an enjoyable experience." he kissed Percy sweetly. Percy put his jealousy aside, just glad to have Nico in his arms and kissed the boy's forehead. Hyacinthos stayed standing.
"Do all souls taste like mucous?" he asked.
Nico laughed, "Yeah."
"I am glad that I am not Polydectes' son, then."
"I don't really eat souls, that was something special I've learned."
"You've been kissing other people?" Percy asked.
Nico noted the jealousy in his boyfriend's tone, "No. Most are much easier to get out. You just kind of... pluck them away."
Percy relaxed a little, but still didn't like the idea of Nico kissing anyone else for any reason. He looked up at Hyacinthos, who had just made a strange noise. He watched as the wound on his head healed and his skin took on a subtle glow.
"Took long enough to kick in." Nico said sleepily. An ominous thunder clap seemed to confirm the transfer. They all looked up at the sky nervously. What was Zeus going to do to them?
The purr of a motor filled their ears and they all looked to see a red sports car coming toward them. It stopped in front of the bus stop and Apollo opened the passenger door, "Get in, Sunshine."
Hyacinthos looked at the god in awe. It had been so long. He didn't even realize that he was walking toward the car until Apollo pulled him into the seat. The sun god pet his hair affectionately, "Let's have fun while it lasts." he said and then winked at Nico before speeding off.
"I want to go home now." Nico said, clinging to Percy.
"Home?" Percy asked, sounding disappointed. He didn't want Nico to leave yet.
"With you." Nico clarified. "You'll have to do the steering." he started to melt into shadow and Percy felt himself melting as well. He concentrated on his new place and soon they landed in his bathroom.
x.x.x
"Woo. Spacious." Nico said, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.
Percy turned the water on, "Yeah. Annabeth designed everything special for me. Wait til you see my room." he took off his grimy shirt and Nico completely forgot about the room. Percy untied the rope holding Nico's dirty robes around his waist. He was glad that there were no bruises on his lover's pale skin. Good, because he would have had to kill Ganymede again if he had found any, He finished taking his own clothes off and helped Nico step into the shower. "Did he, um, did he ever-?"
"No." Nico said. He didn't need to torture Percy with details of what had happened in the cage. What was important was that Percy was still his one and only in bed... and in life. Percy hugged him and they just stood under the warm water for a while. Nico felt Percy's hands start to gently rub the grime away and he just wanted to melt into the other man.
"I'm sorry." he whispered.
"Hmm? Why?" Green eyes looked at him.
"You probably didn't even know that I was gone for a while because I'm always gone."
Percy pet Nico's hair, "I wish you didn't have to be."
"Me too."
The older one stepped back as Nico reached up and started shampooing his hair. After Nico rinsed out the shampoo Percy grabbed one of those pale hands and brought it to his mouth. He kissed Nico's palm while dark eyes merely watched. Percy's tongue came out and lapped up the water streaming down the pale forearm and heard a small gasp. He continued kissing up the smaller one's arm, across his shoulder, up his neck, and to his lips. Nico kissed back and his wet arms circled Percy's neck. Eventually their mouths parted and dark eyes looked up, hand resting on Percy's chest, ready to push away or pull closer.
They finished their shower, whispering words of missing each other and ghosting touches over one another's skin. When Percy stepped out of the shower Nico was right behind him, refusing to let go of his hand. The older one turned around and pecked Nico's lips over and over. The smaller one's nails were digging into the small of Percy's back, but as the other man kissed him, he started to relax. He was relaxing so much that Percy felt Nico falling backwards, pulling him down as well. The older one quickly caught the boy and then hefted him up.
"You deserve better than the bathroom floor." Percy said, carrying him to his room and settting the smaller body on his bed, crawling over him. The pale body underneath him contrasted beautifully with the blue of the comforter.
Nico reached up and touched Percy's face with his hands as if making certain that he was real. Then the fingers carressed down Percy's chest, winding around to hold his body closer against the smaller one. His skin chilled the older boy as more and more of their bodies came together. Nico's long dark lashes hid his eyes as they closed halfway and he blushed. Percy wondered if maybe the younger man was too tired for this right now, but when he paused his actions to ask, Nico ground his hips into Percy's, trembling a little. He needed this.
The younger man's shyness was new to Percy, and it saddened him to know why. In the back of his mind he knew that Ganymede had done things to Nico, and right now Percy wanted to replace every possible touch the immortal had given with his own. His hands stroked all across Nico's blushing skin, making sure to touch everywhere, even behind his ears. Nico pushed himself into every touch, basking in the warm and familiar feeling of his lover. His own hands never left Percy, whether they were tangling in his hair or resting on his hips, he maintained contact. When Percy was finally pushing inside of the smaller body he felt relief. Nico's reaction told him that Ganymede hadn't taken everything. Nico was still just his. He covered the body beneath him in kisses while gently rocking into a slow rhythm. As their mouths met again Percy remembered seeing Nico remove Ganymede's soul. He wasn't afraid of losing his. He was pretty sure he'd given it to Nico a long time ago.
In his post-orgasm daze Nico relished in the relaxed feelings he'd been denied the past few months. Black eyes finally looked around the room he had been laying in for the last hour. There didn't seem to be anything special about it as Percy had earlier implied. The walls were a pale blue, his bed was blue, the lamp was blue.
"Sooo... why did you say your room was rad?"
Percy laughed, "First of all, nobody says 'rad' anymore, so stop watching 80's movies. Second of all, it's really what's outside of this room that's cool. I'd show you right now, but you look way tired."
"I am. Can't sleep, though."
"Promise me you'll at least try?"
Nico nodded and pulled the covers over himself and Percy.
Later that night Percy was spooning Nico, who still hadn't shut his eyes, even though his fatigue was palpable. Percy wasn't stupid enough to ask if he was alright. Nico had been kidnapped, molested, *eaten*, and who knows what else Ganymede had put him through. The older boy moved to kiss the side of Nico's face when he heard him sniffle. Percy hugged the small body closer to himself, silently asking Nico to talk about what was on his mind.
"Ganymede's visiting Hades, you know." Nico finally said, "Until his mortality returns he'll be down there."
"He deserves it." Percy growled.
Nico turned onto his back, "I guess. I just kind of feel bad for him."
"Nope. You will *not* be one of those victims. He made choices and they were bad ones."
"I know, but he got taken from everyone he loved just because Zeus thought he was pretty. Sure he gets immortality, but what's the point of living forever if you have to do it alone? He lives forever in a prison."
"You don't bring the same pain to others that was bestowed upon you." Percy said, refusing to feel badly for Ganymede's fate. He felt bad for Nico, though. He could tell that he felt guilty for sending him to the underworld. He had not simply killed someone. He had been the one to take the cupbearer's soul. He had played the part of Death itself. Nico turned over and curled into Percy.
"Hey, I have a question." Percy said, running his fingers through the big dark curls of Nico's hair. The younger one looked up at him expectantly, so he asked, "What was it that Ganymede said.. Chaos de Something. Was that how you came out of the chimera alive?"
Nico smirked, "I came out of the chimera alive because the damn lion part doesn't chew his food. Chaos de profundis is something worse."
"Are you a zombie now? Some kind of undead?" Percy teased to coax more out of the boy.
"Well, you know who Chaos is, right?"
"Who? It's not a what?"
Nico nodded, "Chaos is the most ancient of gods in Greek mythology. Essentially he's our great grandpa. He's everything and everyone's great grandpa. He's the personification of the infinity of space before the creation of the universe. Anyway, technically, Chaos isn't a 'he' at all. Chaos is energy, and what does energy need?"
"Um... speed?" Percy had never been top of the class, no sense in trying to be now.
"Fuel. One guess as to what we've figured out to maintain that energy."
"Candy?"
"There are more people than bars of chocolate in the world, Percy."
"You feed it souls?"
"Yep."
"And you get these souls by... kissing people?"
Nico laughed and Percy delighted in the sound of it, even if it was because he himself was dumb as a brick.
"No. Hades can just pluck them out as he sees fit. Typically from people who have no place in the Underworld. The worst of the worst, or those he had a hard time deciding on where they should go. Occasionally some guy hard on his luck will offer it right up as payment in return for something. That's where I come in."
"Hades can't leave, but you can." Percy said, finally showing some intelligence.
"Yeah. I only have to suck it out if it's being used for something else before Chaos. Or if it can't go to him."
"Forgive me if I ask you to spare me the details of your other soul removing methods."
"Ok. Hey, do you think I did the right thing for Hyacinthos?"
"Of course. Why?"
"I just hope that Zeus doesn't punish him or Apollo for what I did to Ganymede."
"You're really scared of him, huh?"
"Duh."
"Well... I'll protect you." Percy pulled Nico close again. Nico pulled the blanket over their heads.
"So, what was with the scary shadows swirling around you pre-soul sucking?"
Nico smiled, "Special effects courtesy of Hades' blood running through my veins."
"Oh, well uh, it was cool."
"Why do you think my father sent you Hyacinthos?" it was Nico's turn for an epiphany.
Percy shrugged, "Because he knew where Ganymede was."
"Hmm..." Nico pushed down the blanket to get some air. He caught Percy giving him googoo eyes and turned to him, "Yes?"
"Nothing. Just thinking about how much I love you."
Nico bit his lip to keep his cheesy smile in check, "I love you too."
"I know you do." Percy leaned forward to kiss Nico again. He cuddled close to the smaller body and was soon asleep. Nico played with Percy's hair, watching him sleep. He himself was exhausted, but had way too much on his mind to sleep.
Nico didn't know how long he had been staring into the darkness before he heard water sounds. Had they left the shower on? No, these noises were different. The sounds reminded him of being back at camp and listening to Percy swim in the lake when he thought everyone was asleep. He sat up. Was the house next to a lake? He got out of the bed and walked over to the window to look out. Through the darkness he could see a swimming pool, with something emerging from it. He started back over to wake Percy up, and felt that the carpet in front of the window was now wet. He shook the other man awake.
"Nu uh, not light yet." Percy mumbled, trying to pull the covers over his head, but Nico grabbed his arm and started to pull at him. In his half-awake state the older boy went on instinct and clicked the pen that always resided under his pillow at night. Luckily he stopped himself when the blue glow reflected off of familiar black eyes. Nico reached over and turned on the lamp.
"Dude, weird stuff is going on."
Percy focused his eyes and noticed water dripping from the window frame, "Hyacinthos?" he asked, approaching the window. The water started coming in faster and also started taking form. Percy stood up straight and fixed his hair before Poseidon was standing in front of him. He watched Nico do the same from the corner of his eye.
"Percy, you and Nico must pack quickly."
"What now?"
Poseidon gave his son an exasperated look, "I'm taking you two into the sea for a while." he looked over at Nico, "Your father and I agreed that it was the best bet to keep you two safe."
"Shit." Nico said, understanding and starting to pack. Percy was a little bit slower to understand.
"Safe from what?"
"Zeus and Ganymede. You do not take things from the gods and get away with it, even if you give those things back."
~*~*~ Ok, that's all for this story. It was just a weird idea I got the other day while reading up on ancient Greece and an excellent excuse for a PercyxNico adventure. Sorry for lack of sex, but I just didn't feel like it would have fit in with the story to write it all out. I hope you liked it anyway.