Percy watched as Nico's small form fell from the diving board. He heard Nico's body hit the water with a smack followed by a cry of pain before the pool turned into an explosion of water. The water settled and a fog swept quickly across the water park. It was then that Percy noticed that the whole place had gone silent.

He could hear his own breathing, and possibly his thundering heartbeat. Slowly through the fog he began to see a figure coming toward him. He stiffened, ready to grab Riptide. He faltered when he heard the cry of a baby.

Eventually Hebe came forth through the fog, carrying a moving bundle wrapped in a beach towel. Percy's heart fluttered as the bundle was handed to him. He didn't need to ask who those black eyes belonged to, even if they were in an infant's face.

"He will age a year for each hour. You will need to protect him. As he ages he won't be entirely aware of you."

"Is he going to remember me at all?" Percy asked, unsure of why that was his most important concern.

"I cannot say." Hebe said and then disappeared into the fog.

Percy looked down at the little pink baby in his arms. Was this really Nico? What did this mean? The baby yawned and cuddled against Percy as the fog lifted and the sound of splashing children again filled his ears. He looked up at the diving board but nobody was there. He looked down at the sleeping child in his arms again. Protect him. Percy had no idea how to protect a child. He had no idea how to take care of one. He held the baby close to his chest. He knew where he had to go. He just had to figure out how to get there.

By the time Percy had walked to the nearest body of water and gotten his bearings baby Nico was two years old. He was glad that he recognized the city and when he had gotten to the nearest bus station he glanced nervously at the travel time to get to his destination. Certainly someone would notice if he got on the bus with a two year old and left with a five year old. He had to risk it. Walking was too long and dangerous, and staying where they were would also prove potentially fatal.

Percy had "borrowed" some clothing from the lost and found bin at the pool and at this point he didn't care if he looked like a lunatic as he boarded the bus and put Nico in his lap. Large dark eyes looked up at him, but seemed to look past him. As they traveled Nico fell asleep and Percy covered him with the beach towel that he had been wrapped in. He was grateful that he had done so because he could vaguely feel the small child growing against his chest. An older gentleman gave him a curious look, but otherwise the two remained unnoticed.

The son of Poseidon was grateful that child Nico could walk now as they came to a stop a few blocks from where he was going. He was six by the time they were walking up to the red door of a house. The solar lights were inviting as they glowed from freshly planted bushes on either side of the pavement. He knocked on the door even though he knew he could have simply walked in.

"Percy!" Annabeth said happily as she swung the door open to allow him inside. She stared at the solemn child looking up at her with huge dark eyes. "Um... Did Nico make a baby with someone?" she asked as the child slowly walked around the room. The

oversized shirt he was wearing had a string hanging from the hem and it tickled his ankle, so he scratched it absent mindedly.

"Actually that is Nico." Percy said, closing the front door. He told her the story of how Nico came to be in this state.

"So does he stop at whatever his age is supposed to be? Is he going to wake up 80 years old?"

Percy watched the quiet child as he sat cross-legged on the carpet in the front room, picking at the threads on his shirt. "I honestly don't know. I didn't think about that."

"He might die when he gets older, Percy. I mean, who says he's supposed to live past eighty? Are you ready for that?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Percy said, meaning it. He had the conversation with Nico, but he really wasn't sure anymore if he could lose him again.

Annabeth disappeared for a moment, "So does this mean I'm not the house-sitter anymore?" she asked when she returned, carrying some paper and a box of crayons. She handed them to Nico, who glanced at her from the corner of his eye before quickly snatching the objects from her hands. "Rude." she muttered.

"You can stay as long as you need to, but I did build this place for Nico."

"I understand. I knew that when you asked me to design it."

They heard a snap and looked over to where Nico was coloring. He was making a face at a broken crayon in his pudgy little hand. Percy felt a kind of endearing warmth in his chest.

"Is it weird that I find baby Nico absolutely adorable?" Percy asked.

Annabeth shrugged, "A little bit. Anyway, I'm going to start packing my things and then go to bed. I think it's best if I get out of here quickly. Don't worry, I have a place to stay."

Percy said goodnight and then sat on the couch in the living room, just watching the small boy drawing with his crayons. He stood up and walked over to see what the boy was coloring, but Nico shoved the papers underneath himself and curled into a ball to hide them. Percy smirked. Even as a child Nico liked his secrets. He grabbed a book from the shelf across from the couch. He didn't really want to read it, but it felt weird to just stare at Nico all night. As he stared at the pages, reading a sentence over and over, he began to feel tired. His mind was still racing with "what if" and "what now" but he couldn't help as his eyelids fell closed and he fell into that blessed darkness of sleep.

He started awake a few hours later. He looked down at the carpet, where a slightly older Nico lay sleeping on top of his crayon drawings. Percy looked at the clock. Nico had to be at least ten years old by now. Percy carefully picked the small body up from the floor. The sleeping child made an annoyed noise, but stayed asleep. Percy carefully made his way down the hallway to the room he had made up as Nico's. He laid the small boy down and covered him with a black velour blanket that was at the bottom of the bed. He looked at Nico. He recognized him now. This was how he had looked when Percy met him. Percy felt a touch of sadness when he realized just how young Nico had been when he lost his sister. How young he had been through everything, really. He turned away and left the room. Annabeth was in the second bedroom, so he went back to the couch to rest.

When he got into the living room he looked at the pile of papers on the carpet. He began picking them up and making a pile. Most were scribbles, or vaguely familiar shapes of things like houses and dogs. One drawing made him smile. It was a big stick figure with blue dots for eyes next to a smaller stick figure with brown dots for eyes and a big pink heart was surrounding them. Percy folded it and put it into his pocket. He knew Nico would hide the picture from Percy and deny that it had existed. He wanted to keep it no matter what happened between them. He laid down on the couch and fell back to sleep quickly.

Percy sensed movement in the living room some hours later. He opened one eye just enough to look without letting the other person know he was awake. A lanky teenage Nico was shuffling through the drawings. Percy noted that he was starting to fill out the lost and found swim trunks nicely and scolded himself. The boy was beautiful in the half light of dawn that filtered through the room. Percy wanted to reach out to him. He wanted to hold him. It might be the last time he was able to do so. Nico suddenly looked over at him and Percy closed his eye and slowed his breathing. He listened to Nico walk closer to him.

"Sogni d'oro, Percy." came Nico's whispered voice just above before a small kiss was planted on his temple. It was very difficult for Percy not to start grinning like an idiot. He heard Nico leave and let himself smile before falling asleep once again.

Nico woke with a sharp intake of breath. He sat up and looked around. He was in an unfamiliar room with gray walls and black furnishings. He was reluctant to slide out of the incredibly plush bed and as he stood he noticed something different about himself. His joints didn't crack and his back didn't ache. In truth he felt incredible. He walked over to the window and opened the blinds, wincing as afternoon sunlight assaulted his eyes. Blinking away the green globs in his vision he opened a door across from the bed. It was just a closet. He closed that door and opened the one next to it. A bathroom with a long counter holding two sinks as well as a bathtub and a shower shone brightly at him. He didn't know where he was, but he felt a sense of familiarity and calm. He made sure to lock all three bathroom entrances before stepping into the shower.

Downstairs Percy was sitting at the table and thinking when he heard the water turn on. He smiled to himself knowing that Nico must have felt somewhat comfortable in the home. He also felt nervous to see his lover. Judging by the clock in the kitchen, Nico should be at the age he was when he dove into the water. Would he stop aging so quickly now? Would he look the same? Act the same? Percy started to scramble around when he heard the water turn off. He ran around the kitchen looking for something to do. Spotting dishes near the sink he pushed them in and began running the water. He felt chills when he heard a familiar laugh behind him.

"What are you doing, Percy?"

Percy took in a breath and turned, ready for anything. He took in another breath when he saw Nico peeking around the corner of the kitchen entrance. The smaller man moved around the corner to fully stand in front of Percy. He was wearing only the borrowed swim trunks, which hung loosely from his waist. His skin was a pristine pale white. His black hair and eyes stood out from all the rest and he gave a shy smile.

"I don't have any clothes." he said, standing behind one of the chairs at the kitchen table, clutching at the top of it for dear life.

Percy couldn't speak. Nico looked like an angel against the white of the wall and with the sunlight hitting his hair through the back doors. Finally Percy dropped the dish scrubber he had in his hand and ran over to his lover, pulling him in for a desperate hug. Nico hugged him back and they stayed that way for a long while. Finally Nico spoke.

"Is Annabeth here?" he asked.

Percy shook his head, "She left this morning with her stuff. It's just us here."

"Where is here?" Nico asked, looking around the nice big kitchen.

"Our home." Percy said quietly, "It's not all the way finished yet though."

"Our home?" Nico asked.

Percy blushed and nodded, "It's what I've been doing for the past few years. I told you I'd give you your picket fence, Nico."

Nico placed a thin pale hand on his chest, "Percy I-I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"I haven't shown you the best part." Percy said, crossing over to the French doors which led to the backyard and opening them. In front of the two men was a large garden with stone pathways. Most of the plants were just tiny green things poking up from the soil, but Nico gasped again when he saw them. Three huge sunflowers stood above a bed of smaller ones, all facing the sunlight.

"Percy, I-" Nico moved to step outside but stopped and stepped back.

Percy frowned, "What's wrong?"

"The sun will burn my skin." Nico said with a nervous laugh. "It's brand new, you see."

Percy walked into the house and gently grabbed Nico's forearm. The skin was soft and white. Unblemished in every way.

"Nemesis' marks are still there, but they're more like birthmarks." Nico said, shaking a little.

Sea green eyes could barely make out faint traces of the shapes of Nemesis' marks on Nico's skin. He suspected that they would darken if Nico went into the sun too much. He also noticed Nico trembling.

"Are you okay?"

Nico blushed, "It's weird. My brain remembers what your touches feel like, but my skin doesn't. I'm just really sensitive."

"Hmm... that could be fun..." Percy said, raising his eyebrows and running a finger up and down Nico's forearm.

"Please don't." the smaller man said and Percy let go as though burned. "Sorry, I just kind of can't handle a lot all at once."

"I understand."

Nico reached out and touched Percy's arm, "I think we should sit down."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Actually I feel fantastic. Really craving some tea, though."

Percy smiled, "My Nico is back!" he said, making his way to the kitchen, "Wait um... you're still my Nico, right?"

"If you still want me to be." Nico said cryptically, "Come on Percy, the tea can wait. Come sit with me."

The taller man stopped filling the kettle. Something in Nico's voice told him that he should go and sit on the couch. Percy was just so ready to start being "normal" that he hesitated a moment.

"Come here, Percy. Please."

Taking a breath, Percy walked over to the couch and sat on the end opposite his boyfriend, eyes wide with expectation. He saw Nico bite his lip and he knew it wasn't good news.

"Things are going to be a little bit...different." Nico began.

"Why? Did everything grow up okay?" Percy asked, glancing at Nico's swim trunks.

"Of course it did!" The pale man squealed, turning a scandalized shade of pink. He cleared his throat and calmed down, "Seriously, Percy. I... I'm kind of... normal now."

The other man laughed, "Sorry Nico, but you could never be normal."

Pale cheeks tinged a darker shade of pink than previously, "I mean that I'm not exactly a half blood anymore."

Percy stopped laughing, "What?"

"I mean, obviously I'm still Hades' son and all that in order to exist, but I don't have my powers anymore. I won't be able to see through the mist."

"How did this happen? How do you know?"

Nico looked away, "I found out about it when I was studying the fountain back when I got the map. I mean, it was really vague, so I wasn't totally sure of what it meant, but I sort of sacrificed that part of myself to 'reset' for lack of a better word."

"So you knew the whole time that this would happen?" Percy asked, also looking away.

"I told you I wasn't sure. Part of me thought that I was just going to die. I mean, dead children are eternally youthful. I wouldn't put it past Hebe to rig the fountain that way."

"Is that why you asked me all of that the other night?" Sea green eyes met black ones, which actually seemed more like a dark brown now that Percy was looking at them.

"Yes."

"Well... I'm glad you didn't die. You dick." Percy said with just enough smile in his voice to let Nico know he wasn't in too much trouble. Still, the pale man's skin flushed red again.

"I'm sorry. I'm also glad I didn't die though."

The taller man scooted closer, "So no shadow travel or anything? Have you tried?"

Nico nodded, "I've tried. It's going to take some getting used to."

"And a car."

Nico laughed, "Yeah that too." he stood up and held out his hand, smiling when he saw Percy smile at the gesture, "Care to give me a tour?"

Percy took the hand and stood, not even thinking about letting go. He showed Nico the living room and kitchen that he had already seen, and then took him down the hallway to where the two bedrooms shared a bathroom.

"Why do I have my own room?" Nico asked, "I mean, I assume it's just for me by the looks of it."

It was the other man's turn to blush, "We were already in a bad place when we started the design. I did it so that you could have a place by yourself if you wanted."

"Aww, Percy." Nico kissed his cheek, "Well, for what it's worth, I'd be okay if you wanted to sleep in my bed with me."

"Well, if we're going to share we need to share my bed." Percy said, opening the door to his room. Inside was a bed much larger than Nico's, with a blue comforter and shell shaped pillows. The taller man was surprised when Nico laid down on the bed.

"Mrr... comfy." the pale man mumbled into the pillows, then he sat up and flicked his legs as though they were glued together. "Look, I'm a merperson."

The son of Poseidon laughed, "Wow, you must be feeling a lot better." he sat on the bed next to Nico, "I know you don't want to do anything right now, but I must ask, dear merNico. If your legs are stuck together, how will I ever get between them?" he gently slid a hand up the inside of one of Nico's thighs and it began to quiver. The long pale legs relaxed and fell apart from each other and Percy's hand fell between them.

"Being a merperson is overrated." Nico said, moving the other man's hand out of the way to stand up.

"Shall we continue with the tour?" Percy asked. Nico took his hand again and he took it as a yes. There wasn't much more to see, but the two men walked around the house hand in hand as long as they could. "So are you done aging each hour?" Percy asked as they sat on the couch again.

"As far as I can tell." Nico said, tucking his legs underneath himself.

"How much do you remember?"

"About what?"

"After diving from the board. Like, do you remember anything about the train ride or anything?" Percy asked, touching the pocket in his shirt that held Nico's crayon drawing.

"A little bit. It was kind of like when you're falling asleep in the car and you remember what people talked about but not really."

Percy moved the hand from his pocket, deciding to keep the drawing to himself for a while, "So do you want some food or something?"

Nico smiled at Percy's apparent nervousness and just shrugged. The taller man got up from the couch and started opening cupboards in the kitchen, checking out what Annabeth had put inside of them. Nico watched his boyfriend from the couch with a small smile on his face. It felt like Percy was trying to impress him. It was cute, even if Nico didn't know why Percy felt the need to do so when he loved him just as he was. A thought occured to him and he sat up.

"I need some clothes." He said with a sigh.

"I disagree." Percy said, looking at him with a wink. The other man just rolled his eyes and Percy smiled. Yep, Nico hadn't changed much.

A few months later Nico was sitting at the kitchen table looking over resumes for the new jewelry and antique shop he was opening up. He heard the front door open and smiled when his boyfriend appeared in the kitchen.

"How was work?" he asked, standing up to give Percy a hello kiss.

"Nico, am I a hypocrite for working at an aquarium?" Percy asked, slumping into the chair opposite the other man.

Nico shrugged, "I don't know, what makes you think so?"

"Because it makes me really really sad to see all of my friends trapped in such small places, but I know that they wouldn't survive if they were free."

"Think of it like a group home for fishies who need help."

Percy frowned, "Still. So many of them are unhappy and I just want to sneak them into my pocket and put them in the ocean."

Nico smirked, "You're so adorable. I know that part must be hard, but I think it's a perfect place for you to be. You can teach kids things that they'll never read in a textbook and even though some of the fish are unhappy at least they have you to talk to."

The other man just made a 'hmph' noise and continued pouting. The other man decided to give him something else to think about. He took out two resumes and waved them at his boyfriend.

"So, do you think the shop needs an assistant named Antonio and a janitor called Soter?"

Percy's head lifted up, "As in *that* Antonio and Soter? How did they know you were opening another shop?"

"I've been talking to Soter about the old place. It ended up being leveled. He managed to save the vault and the things inside and has been waiting for the time when I could take it back. I can't decide if they are wanting to work at my new place just because or if they were ordered to."

It was the first time Nico had made any mention of his father since he had "reset". Percy noted a sort of sadness in Nico's eyes. He didn't know what to say to his boyfriend.

"Well, if you do hire them, tell Antonio that he'd better keep his hands to himself or I've got a hungry shark or two at the aquarium who will gladly eat him."

Nico laughed, "I don't think we'll have a problem with that. He got married last month."

"What? Why weren't we invited?"

Nico just shrugged, "He probably figured we couldn't make it now that I'm shadowly-impaired."

Now Percy laughed, "That's one word for it. I must say that you seem a lot more... chill now."

"What does that mean?"

Percy blushed, unsure if he had offended the other man, "I just mean that you don't seem as anxious and you're a lot nicer and more open."

"Oh. I hadn't noticed."

"I've liked it."

Nico smiled, "Well good because I don't think I'll be changing." he put the resumes into a folder and stood up, "Want to order some food and cuddle on the couch?"

"See? That's what I mean. Nico doesn't say 'cuddle'. Are you sure you haven't been replaced by a robot or something?"

Nico rolled his eyes, "I've just reprioritized. That's all."

Percy was already on the couch by the time Nico had finished the sentence. The smaller man made his way over and sat next to his boyfriend. He kissed Percy on the cheek. "What are you thinking about?"

Sea green eyes looked over to the map that was now framed above the bookshelf, "Do you think we'll still have adventures even though you're not a demigod anymore?"

"I'm not sure." Nico said, biting his lip.

"I'm still figuring out what all of those steps were for. I think I have some figured out."

Nico rested his head on his arm, "Oh?"

Percy nodded, "I think that the first one at the aquarium was a test for me. What was more important between the quest and saving you."

"Makes sense."

"I also think that that cello guy happened on purpose too."

"Why?"

"To make us fight. Our biggest problem is that we don't talk about things when we need to. I think Hebe was trying to make us fight so we'd have to talk about stuff."

Nico looked away, "I guess that didn't work out so well. Is that why your exes showed up at the skating rink?"

"Something like that. Probably to remind me why I like you and not them. Tempt me through my past. There's a reason why you're my boyfriend and not them and that just reminded me."

"What about what happened to me? What was with the exercise class?"

Percy thought for a moment and Nico smiled at how cute he looked when he was trying to figure things out, "You said that the people doing the exercise all looked different? Like, there were housewives and businessmen?"

Nico nodded.

"Doing the same thing over and over even though they weren't happy. You stopped. You went against what you were supposed to do."

"What does that have to do with the quest though?"

Percy looked at Nico, "You were stuck in a situation you didn't like. Hebe was telling you that it's really you who has to stop and go against what you think you're supposed to do."

"So she knew I would lose my powers. I'm not obligated to help my father or fight monsters or anything anymore."

Percy gave a sad smile, "Yeah."

Nico looked at his boyfriend, "Percy..."

"I wish I had realized how much you hated being a part of our world."

Pale cheeks flushed, "I didn't hate it. I just didn't like not having a choice."

Percy looked away again, "What came next?" he asked, looking back at his boyfriend after a moment.

"Um... The dark room."

"Easy. Promises broken."

Nico made a face and Percy took his hand in his, "It's okay, Nico. We're getting better now. Look, we're talking about stuff right now."

"Still..."

"Let it go. Just don't break anymore promises and we'll be fine."

Nico bit his lip, "O-Okay."

"So now what happened after that? Oh yeah, that pukey, bleedy, jizzy room."

"What could that have been for? Showing me at my worst?"

Percy shook his head, "I don't think so. You said you saw yourself laughing and stuff too."

"Hrm... what do puking, orgasming, bleeding, and laughing have in common?"

"You can't control it?"

Nico blushed and Percy laughed.

"I bet that's what it was. Those were the only times you couldn't hide yourself. Maybe Hebe was showing you that it's okay to show yourself?"

Nico smirked, "I like to show myself."

Percy ran a hand up his boyfriend's thigh, "I know you do." he turned Nico's hand over in his, "Do you regret selling your rings?"

"Of course not. Besides, that chest is full of all kinds of neat things for the shop. Who is to say that I can't take a few for myself?"

"Do you know where it is or how to get to it?"

Nico bit his lip again, not knowing how crazy he was driving Percy every time he did it, "No, but I bet I could figure it out."

"Adventure?" Percy asked with a mischievous smile.

"I'll think about it."

"Yay. Now, what was the comic con for?"

"So you could buy me my Hades plushie." Nico smiled, pointing to the plushie on the shelf. He never got all of the dirt stains off of it, but he loved it just the same.

Percy laughed, "I'm sure it was more than that."

Nico shrugged and put his hand on Percy's thigh, "Maybe we should think about that later." he said, moving his hand up and down. He heard the other man sigh and he moved forward to kiss him. He crawled up onto Percy's lap and the other man's arms were instantly pulling at his waist.

"Sapphires are the red ones, right?" a young woman was asking her friend at the counter. Nico forced a smile, "Actually, sapphires are the blue ones. They represent loyalty and fidelity."

"They would be perfect for our friendship rings!" the girl squealed, pulling on her friend's arm. The friend looked at the prices and her eyes bulged.

"Maybe not." she said.

Nico smiled a real smile this time, "If you want I can show you my cubic zirconia versions. They're not as expensive but still sparkle like the real thing."

The friends nodded and he led them over to another counter. At his old shop he never carried CZ. He was a snob for the real thing. In this new shop he had to bring in the more affordable things to make any money. He didn't mind it. His priority was making his customers happy and so far he was able to do that. After the two girls left the store was empty, so he started to polish the silver rings to occupy himself until the next customer came in. When the bell on the door rang he looked up to greet the person but his words stuck in his throat. A man with cruel, dark eyes and dark hair was looking at him.

"How may I help you?" Nico asked after he had recovered.

"Today is my son's birthday. I was wanting to get him something special to remember me by. I'm not going to see him very much anymore."

Again Nico found his words sticking in his throat. Today was his birthday. Hades had remembered. He suddenly felt like the worst son on the planet.

"He liked skulls and all sorts of mythical things." the man offered helpfully. Nico understood. Hades wasn't supposed to talk to him now that he was just a mortal. The revelation did nothing to make him feel better. He led the man over to the Gothic rings and they chatted a bit. It was almost painful to hear Hades talk about him as though he were another person, but he understood that this was how it had to be. He was glad that Hades had even wanted to try to keep in touch with him.

"I saw my dad today." Nico told Percy that evening as they walked through a garden in the park. He held a black umbrella above his head with one hand and held Percy's hand with the other.

"Really? How do you know?"

"I know it was him."

"What did he say?"

Nico told Percy what had happened and how it made him sad and feel really guilty about just letting everything go so quickly. Percy hugged him.

"Do you think you'll ever actually get the ring?"

Nico shrugged, "I'm not sure. It doesn't really matter I guess. I'm just glad I got to see him, that he wanted to see me."

"Yeah."

Percy watched Nico out of the corner of his eye. His boyfriend seemed anxious, which was weird for him nowadays. His nose caught the scent of smoke and he looked around to find a man smoking on one of the benches. He saw Nico eyeing him as well.

"Is that still hard for you?"

Nico nodded, "Even though it's out of my system, it's still a habit that I had to break and sometimes I still think about it."

"Do you think you'll ever start again?"

"No." Nico said firmly.

"Good."

"So Percy..." Nico said, stopping on the little red bridge that stretched across a koi pond.

Percy stopped walking and turned to look at his boyfriend, "Hmm?"

"You're getting a ring, too."

The son of Poseidon gave Nico a confused look, "Why would Hades get me a ring too? It's not my birthday."

The taller man's heart sped up when Nico suddenly got down on one knee, "Actually, I'm the one giving it to you." he said, opening a little black box from his pocket, "Percy, will you marry me?"

Sea green eyes widened, "Whaaaaa?"

Nico blushed. His boyfriend was a little slow sometimes, "I'm asking you to marry me, Seaweed Brain."

"Like for real? Like flowers and cake and stuff?"

"You can have whatever you want at the wedding." Nico noticed a crowd gathering and felt his skin blush a deeper red, "So what do you say, do you want to be my husband?"

Percy was still in shock. He hadn't expected this to happen ever, much less right this moment. Of course he knew the answer he wanted to give, he just had to calm down enough to say it.

"Yes."

Applause erupted and the taller man looked around. He hadn't realized that a crowd had been gathering around them. No wonder Nico had been squirming. He collapsed down to face Nico on his knees and pulled him into a hug, knocking the umbrella from Nico's hand.

"I'm so happy now!" Percy squealed.

"Me too." Nico laughed, hugging Percy back. They stood and saw that the crowd had dispersed. Nico slipped the ring on Percy's finger. The other man looked at it.

"What kind of ring is it?"

"An engagement ring." Nico said, picking the umbrella back up.

"I know that. What kind of rock? It's very pretty."

"Larimar." Nico said, holding Percy's hand in his and touching the ring, "It's said to be a remnant of Atlantis. A psychic who died in 1945 predicted that a new healing blue stone would be discovered in the Caribbeans. In the 1980's larimar was discovered in Hispanola. They call it 'The Stone of Atlantis.' I thought it would be appropriate for you."

Percy smiled at his boyfriend, no, his fiance. He was adorable when he talked about stones and such. Percy loved the way Nico's eyes lit up as he told him all about the ring. He'd made a good choice by saying yes to marriage.

"Ooh, what colors should we have? What should our song be? Who will be our flower girl?..." Percy babbled next to Nico. The pale man smiled. He wouldn't have figured Percy to be into all the wedding stuff, and it was cute to see him so excited. Nico was interested in the ceremony and what it meant, but he didn't care what kind of flowers they would have or what flavor the cake would be. He wanted that piece of paper that represented a legally binding contract in the real world and the ceremony for the union of their souls in the spiritual world. He pulled Percy into a kiss.

"You're perfect." he whispered afterward. Percy blushed adorably and Nico had to kiss him again. He loved the fact that after so much time they could still make each other blush and giggle.
.

When the two men arrived home that night after a birthday dinner they found a small package on the doormat. Nico picked it up, already knowing what it was. He opened the package as Percy opened the door and both men stepped inside. Percy heard the other man sigh deeply and looked at him. Nico was holding the ring, staring at it.

"I don't remember carrying this one in the store." Nico said, putting it on one of his fingers. He felt it magically adjust to the size of his finger.

Percy grabbed the smaller man's hand and looked at the ring. It was two skeletons holding up a small black stone.

"It's neat though." the son of Poseidon offered.

"Yeah." Nico took it off and held it in his hand, "It's awfully heavy for something so small. I wonder what it's made of. I don't recognize the material. The stone is some kind of onyx or obsidian."

Percy could tell that Nico was "in the zone" and was pretty much just thinking out loud. The smaller man's eyes told him that he was completely focused on figuring out what the ring was made of, so he kissed Nico's temple and went into the room to get ready for bed. When he came out of the bedroom he found Nico at the kitchen table, looking through the album that Percy had put all of the old photos in. A few weeks after he had brought Nico home a package had arrived with the rest of the pictures from the antique shop. There was no return address; simply a note saying, "For the Ghost King." Antonio and Soter claimed innocence, leading the two men to wonder just who that owner of the antique shop was.

Percy heard Nico's breath hitch and came out of his thoughts to find the pale man looking upset as he flipped through the pages. He quickly moved a chair at the table to sit next to his lover. "What's wrong?"

"I'm the worst son on the planet." Nico mumbled. He looked at Percy, "Do you think I made the right choice, Percy? Hades was the only family I had left." he looked down at an old photo of himself, Bianca, and Hades sitting at a diner counter holding old fashioned soda bottles up to their mouths. Nico wondered who took all of these old photographs. He couldn't remember enough of it to know. According to the photos, Hades was around a lot more than he'd ever thought. This made his heart sink further.

"You're definitely not the worst." Percy said, looking at the photos while he tried to think of an example of a worse son. When he came up empty he went another direction, "You had to take care of yourself. You were dying, I think. Hades saved you once, so who's

to say that he doesn't understand that it was your turn to do it?"

"But he can't be in my life anymore. I feel like I shut him out without thinking it through."

"He's always going to be around, Nico. He'll watch you and your children, and your children's children grow up and grow old."

Nico gave a little smirk, "Who says we're having kids? I've only just proposed."

Percy blushed, "You know what I meant. Plus, I was also thinking that he's probably happier now because monsters aren't going to always try to get to you. You're safer than either of us could have done for you."

"I just feel so selfish." Nico said, closing the album with a sigh.

"Stop. What's done is done."

Dark eyes looked over at Percy. It was rare when the taller man used that serious tone of voice, and it was enough to jolt him out of his down mood. He cleared his throat and pulled at Percy's neck to bring him closer, "You know... my birthday isn't over yet."

Percy smirked, "Why do you mention it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well..." Nico moved from his chair to straddle Percy's lap, "Speaking of being selfish, I know you gave me a book and a dinner for my birthday and all but..." he kissed the other man and started moving his hips, "I haven't had my cake yet."

Percy gripped Nico's hips to still them. Without a word he rose from the chair, carrying Nico into their bedroom.

The next morning Percy woke first, which was a rare occasion. Nico was sleeping on his side, turned away from him. Percy's eyes took in the perfect pale skin of Nico's back. He reached out and traced the shape of the Lynx constellation that was once there. He wondered if the freckles would come back in the same place if Nico went out in the sun without a shirt on. As he moved his hand down Nico's arm his eyes looked at the ring on his finger. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. It was more about the fact that Nico had so openly declared his feelings rather than the fact that he wanted to be with Percy forever. He heard Nico inhale in a way that told him the smaller man was awake.

"It's Stygian." Nico mumbled into his pillow.

Percy laughed, wondering if the man was talking in his sleep, "What?"

"The ring. It's made of Stygian steel like my blade."

Percy really didn't know what to say, so he just put his arm over the smaller body and pulled Nico close to him, "That's cool."

Nico laughed lightly, knowing that the other man didn't really care about what his ring was made out of.

"Want to come to the shop with me sometime this week?"

Percy sat up. It was a strange request. "Maybe Thursday when I'm not working. Why?"

Nico also sat up, "I was just asking because maybe you want to help me design our wedding rings."

The taller man smiled, "Really?"

"Duh. Why wouldn't we have the most awesome rings on the planet? I mean, I'm not a gardener, Percy."

"Jerk." Percy said with a smile. He admitted that he'd had a seaweed brain moment, but in his defense it was still pretty early in the morning.

Nico just kissed his cheek and got out of the bed, "I'm going to shower."

Percy got out of the bed, "Me too!"

The smaller man just rolled his eyes and grabbed Percy's hand on his way to the bathroom.

"Why is your ring pink? You're not a 'pink' kind of guy." Percy asked, voicing a question he'd had since they'd exchanged the rings at their wedding a few days ago. They were lounging on a beach of white sand, looking out at the beautiful blue water.

"True, I don't really like pink, or any colors really, but this is rhodochrosite. Said to enable loving expressions of the heart. I may have started being a better boyfriend, but I want to be sure to be an amazing husband."

"Aww, new Nico has such a big heart!" Percy beamed.

Nico just gave the other man a look. Percy knew that Nico hated it when he referred to him as 'new Nico' or 'old Nico'. It made the smaller man feel like a changeling. He had changed, no doubt about that, but at the same time he was still the same person. Luckily both of the men's ADHD changed the subject. Percy moved his hand to hold Nico's forearm. After a few days in the sun Nico's skin had darkened, bringing out the marks from Nemesis. Nico gently pulled his arm away and retreated underneath the large umbrella they had on the beach. Percy looked at him sadly. Every so often he still caught Nico washing his hands obsessively, even when the marks didn't show. The son of Poseidon laid down on the sane, closing his eyes from the sun.

"It's been a really peaceful week." he said, digging his hands into the sand.

"It has been nice. Maybe even monsters wanted to give you a break for our after wedding trip."

Percy smiled a little. Nico had a hard time using 'smooshy' words like 'honeymoon'. It wasn't that he wasn't a romantic guy, he just wasn't comfortable with the way some things were phrased. Percy thought it was cute. Some things would never change about the man he now called husband.

"Is it weird not worrying about being attacked anymore?" Percy asked, looking over at Nico, who was also digging in the sand.

Nico shrugged, "Yeah. It's also nice to think that I have a lesser chance of getting Nico-napped again."

Percy laughed, "Yeah that happened a lot. Like I said, you're the Daphne to my Fred."

"You know I looked that reference up and I don't know that I appreciate it." Nico said with a teasing smile. "I do have a theory though."

Percy sat up and scooted closer to the smaller man, "Theory? So you're Velma now?"

Nico just rolled his eyes, "Aaaanyway, I was thinking about how something was always trying to take me away from you and I think I know why, but now that I've said it I'm kind of ashamed, so um... forget I said anything."

"Please?" was all the taller man had to say. Nico huffed and started on his theory.

"Well, I was usually being a terrible boyfriend when it happened. Don't try to argue." Nico held up a hand as Percy tried to protest, "Like, it usually happened when I was questioning our relationship, or thinking that I wanted out. My theory is that the 'weakness' between us sent a sort of signal to the big baddies of the world. Even Cameron probably sensed it on a predatory level. I mean, it would make sense."

Percy just nodded, "So do you think it would still happen now if you were still a demigod?"

Nico looked out onto the water as he thought, "I'd like to think not." he said carefully.

That was good enough for the son of Poseidon. He smiled and pulled Nico in for a kiss. "I'm so happy." he said, cuddling against the smaller body.

"Me too."

They laid like that for only a moment before Percy sat up, looking at the water.

"Nico, I think you maybe jinxed us."

Nico sat up again too, "Why?"

Percy pointed out into the water, where a large tentacle had just emerged, reaching up toward the sky. Nico looked to where Percy was pointing, but all he saw was a few waves.

"What? It's probably just some sharks eating a seagull or something."

"You can't see that?"

Nico looked down at his feet, "No. I can't."

Percy started picking up their things, "I think we'd better head back to our room, just in case."

The other man noted how nervous Percy was and heeded the warning. A part of him wished he could see the creature, but a bigger part of him was glad that he no longer had to see monsters. They quickly made their way back to the room just as the sky went gray and a storm picked up.

"Perfect timing." Nico said, looking out of the window. He felt arms circle around his waist and Percy kissed his neck, making Nico hum contentedly. "If it weren't for the storm, I would have assumed you had made the monster up just to get me back in bed with you."

Percy licked at Nico's ear, "As if I would have to do that." he said, tugging at Nico's shorts. The smaller man just sighed and melted against Percy. He looked at their reflection in the window, holding onto Percy's hand as he looked at the rings on both of their fingers. For the first time since he could remember he felt peaceful. Safe, warm, and loved. He normally would scoff at such cheesy emotions, but feeling them in that moment made him more happy than he had ever been.

"I love it when you smile like that." Percy said, holding Nico even closer before lifting the smaller man into his arms.

"I love it when you make me smile like this." Nico replied, propping up on his elbows when Percy laid him down on the bed.

Percy grinned from ear to ear, "Stop being so adorable when I'm trying to get you naked. It's distracting."

"Oh sorry, let me distract you another way." the smaller man said with a smirk before pulling his shorts down just enough for his hips to show. Sure enough, the sea green eyes instantly glued to the area, continuing to do so as he helped Nico remove the shorts the rest of the way. He dipped his head down and kissed each new inch of skin as it was revealed, loving the sounds Nico was making. He could do this blind and know if his lover was enjoying it or not just by the way he moved and sounded.

"I love you, Nico."

Nico's body flooded with warmth and he smiled again, "I love you too, Percy."

-The End-

xxx Sorry this took so long to finish. I just wanted to give it a good ending and I was really struggling with how to end it. I've never been interested in marrying another man simply because I'm admittedly very phobic about committment, but lately in my state there has been so much bullshit and useless money spent trying to keep me from having the choice to get married that I wanted to make sure that Percy and Nico could go ahead and do so in the alternate universe that I created for them. I thought about writing up a super romantical cheese-filled weddingpalooza, but I just couldn't do it. I share Nico's difficulty with 'smooshy' stuff, ha.

This is the end of The Blackness series. I'm now on a Jasico kick, so be looking for a one-shot or two from them. Might end up with a full muli-chapter story too, but we'll see. I thank everyone for the reviews and hope you enjoyed my writing and um I love you and stuff.