PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Could've Been Nice in Venice || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO

Title: Could've Been Nice in Venice – Ice Cream and Love in Italy

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; post both series

PJatO Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, of course. They are all copyright by the old Greeks. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, fluff, h/c

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy

Side Pairing: Luke/Percy (past), Percy/Annabeth (past)

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo

Summary: Percy decides that Nico has to invite him for ice cream. Things are being discussed. Things suggested by Jason Grace. Nico made a mental note to kill his cousin later on.

Consider this story dedicated to all my readers who have shipped Nicercy even BEFORE "House of Hades". And yes, guys, consider this an invitation to PM me about HoH. Enough of you have already tried before I read it. Now I'm all up and ready to discuss.

SPOILERS for "House of Hades". So don't read unless you've either read HoH or already know of the biiig spoiler that is kind of inevitable on the internet these days.

Could've Been Nice in Venice

Ice Cream and Love in Italy

A sour expression laid on Nico's face as he wandered the streets of his birthplace. When his mother had taken him and Bianca to the US all those many, many years ago, he would have never thought he'd return to Italy, much less to Venice. What he wouldn't have thought either would be that he'd be visiting the place two times the same year. The memory of his last visit was still fresh and sour in his mind, hurting and burning like so many memories he had made in the past year.

When him, Frank and Hazel had left Venice again, he had sworn to never return again. His life was a different one. He wasn't the happy little bambino anymore, hanging off his mother's apron.

The reason he was fine being here however was hanging off his arm, pulling him along like the tourist he was. It was embarrassing and also annoying, because Nico hated people, especially so many. Especially those people. They were modern day people, wandering the streets of Venice, even though, deep down in his mind, Nico knew this was not how it was supposed to be. He remembered the people wandering these streets, the thirties of Italy.

"Percy, why are we here?", sighed Nico annoyed as Percy pulled him to a café.

"I told you, I want ice cream. Oh! They have blue ice! I want the blue one!", yelped Percy excited and pointed at the ice cream he wanted. "And amaretto cherry. Oh, and chocolate."

"Go sit down, I'll order the ice", grunted the Italian, shrugging Percy's arm off.

The son of Poseidon gave him one of those looks again, the ones he would always give Nico when he shunned away from the Sea Prince. It was somewhere between kicked puppy and heartbroken. It made something within Nico clench in a painful way. Ordering the ice cream and a hot chocolate for Percy, his eyes never left the son of Poseidon. Percy had been very persistent after the war. Regardless of how much Nico tried to hide, from the world, from Jason, from Percy even more and most of all, from himself. From the truth within his heart. But if there was one thing Percy Jackson did not allow, it was to be abandoned. Maybe those were deep-seated daddy issues that came with being raised by his mom and a disgusting stepfather. Whatever it was, Percy had always clung to those he considered close. So once Nico tried to avoid him after the war, Percy only stuck around even more. Until one day when he has had enough of Nico's behavior and had literally broken down in front of the son of Hades and cried. Nico had never seen Percy cry before and he never wanted to repeat that experience. Tears didn't belong into those sea-green depths.

For only a split second, Nico had allowed himself to believe that Percy was crying because of him, because he was missing Nico and loved Nico. But during his breakdown, Percy revealed that Annabeth had broken it off, that it had taken too much of them both in Tartarus. Seeing each other only reminded them of the pain and misery they had been through. They had never been able to return to what they had been before the war had happened. It hurt, more than Nico would have thought possible, but it was not his place to deserve Percy's tears. Somehow it made him happy to learn of the break-up, but on the other hand, it broke Nico's heart to see Percy like that. How was he supposed to deny Percy when the Sea Prince had demanded some comfort food? The only question remaining unanswered was: Why in Venice?

Collecting the two bowls of ice cream and the hot chocolate, Nico turned toward Percy. The son of Poseidon was sitting at a table, dangling his legs back and forth, his head supported by his hands as he stared at Nico expectantly and with one of those dazzling smiles that had made Nico fall in love with him over and over again. Love. The months since the quest, since Cupid's challenge, they felt so much longer than they really had been. And yet so short. Jason, that bastard, had proven to be very persistent. The son of Jupiter may not have revealed Nico's secret to the others, but he had spend an awful (truly, the time was awful) lot of time with Nico and tried to be a friend. Somehow, Nico appreciated the sentiment, but mostly, it bugged him. He knew Jason wasn't feeling comfortable around Nico – Nico couldn't just cause angst and fear in others, he could also sense it. It was the main reason why he avoided the camps, because he could sense the discomfort and fear radiating off them. He hated it. It wasn't just looks or whispers behind his back, it was a valid feeling, something he could sense. And Jason was one of those people. Nico really didn't understand why the son of Jupiter still insisted on sticking around.

"Thanks", chimed Percy as he dug into his ice cream. "Mh!"

"Why are we here, Percy? Here, in Italy. In Venice", rephrased Nico his earlier question.

"Hazel", laughed Percy softly, a little bit of blue ice cream running down his chin. "She told me that when you guys went here, Frank actually dared to ask you if you speak Italian. She said you tried to kill him with glares just for the mere suggestion."

"That doesn't answer my question", frowned Nico, poking his own chocolate ice. "And if I had tried to kill Frank Zhang with glares, he would be dead by now."

"I don't doubt that", said Percy with a smile, a sincere smile that told Nico that Percy truly believed in the power Nico held. "Still, it's a funny thing to imagine, I guess."

"And it doesn't answer my question", pointed the son of Hades out.

He kept poking the ice with his spoon, his eyes fixed on the way Percy kept eating his ice. The way the pink tongue darted out to lick the last bits off the spoon, the serene expression on Percy's face. Percy amazed Nico, had always amazed Nico. The boy had been through Tartarus, literally and figuratively. What Nico knew of Percy's life with Gabe, what Nico had seen of the two wars. But Percy had always held that innocence and love and pureness. Sometimes, Nico felt as though Percy was the Hope left in Nico's jar of misfits and miseries.

"I missed it", whispered Percy. "You went to your birthplace and I missed it. When Hazel told me that story I realized... While I was in Tartarus, I missed so much... I didn't want to. Talking to Bob, being cursed by... Calypso... I'm selfish. I'm not there for the people I love, not the way I want to."

"Percy-", started Nico, not sure where he wanted to go with it.

"Jason, he told me I should... spend more time with you", chuckled Percy, unusually dark. "Not that I need Jason Grace to tell me that. But he said that I'm not the only one who could use comfort. You could too. He wouldn't tell me why though, only that it has something to do with why you kept avoiding me. It made me wonder... Wh—What happened to you while I was in Tartarus...?"

Nico froze up, slowly lowering his spoon. That blasted son of Jupiter. Nico made a mental note to make him feel what fear and misery could truly feel like before slowly peeling the flesh off his bones. Gritting his teeth, he stared down at the slowly melting ice.

"It is nothing. I really don't want to talk about it", grunted Nico darkly.

"Nico...", started Percy softly, reaching out with one hand to take Nico's.

The son of Hades wanted to flinch, to pull his hand away. But Percy's hand was warm and soft against his skin and it felt like Percy because it was Percy. Slowly lifting his gaze again, he stared into those soft, open eyes, so full of understanding for whatever Nico may be going through as thought nothing, absolutely nothing Nico could have done, felt or gone through could be so bad that Percy would leave his side. The Ghost Prince's breath hitched.

"Didn't you say you wanted comfort food because of your break up with Annabeth?", muttered Nico, feeling a little cheap to bring that up now, but he needed Percy to let go of it.

"Oh? No", mumbled Percy and shook his head. "I'm okay with that."

"W—What?", asked Nico stunned, blinking a couple of times.

"It was bound to happen", shrugged Percy, now a little awkwardly, shifting his own ice around in the bowl. "Annabeth and I, we've always been... more like siblings. It was the war, pushing us together. Everyone at camp, expecting for the hero to get the girl, for us to be the golden couple because we're the leaders, the heroes, whatever... It was a shared loss that made us seek comfort in each other to begin with... It had taken time to get over this loss, albeit it still sometimes hurts..."

"Shared loss?", repeated Nico confused. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"Luke...", whispered Percy, the name alone seemingly hurting him.

The son of Hades frowned even more confused and cocked his head. He knew Percy had been trained by Luke at first, Luke had been the leader of camp before Percy had come along and somehow, Luke and Percy had been friends. The history between Annabeth and Luke was even longer. But Percy had lost so many friends during the war, how was Luke's death more significant?

"He betrayed you. Betrayed camp. It hurt", muttered Nico, unsure.

"He betrayed me", corrected Percy with an upset frown. "Annabeth too. Annabeth had loved him. Many had loved him. He had that kind of effect on people, I guess..."

"When you say loved and betrayed...", started Nico slowly as his brain started to work.

"Luke was my first. Uh, relationship, that is", mumbled Percy and blushed brightly.

"You... and... Luke...", whispered Nico barely audible and obviously shocked.

Percy heaved a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "I was... easily impressed back then and he was charming and bedazzling and a strong hero and... That's a lie. It was me. I was the one falling for him, even after I knew he was part of the titans' army... It's what made it even more painful. It's what made turning to Annabeth for comfort so much more easy."

"You truly... with Luke...", stuttered Nico, his brain hung up at that part.

"You... don't have a problem with that, do you...?", asked Percy, sounding awfully afraid as he froze up. "You're from the thirties, I keep forgetting that, I guess... Things had been different back then. You've been raised different, I guess... I—I... didn't think you would-"

A bitter, deep laugh erupted from Nico's throat and interrupted Percy. This was beyond bizarre. Here he was, running from his heart's desires, from his love for Percy because he felt as though he was the only homosexual in all of camp anyway, just to learn that the object of his affection, of all people, was bisexual himself. Shaking his head in disbelief, he grabbed the table-top.

"Nico...?", asked Percy softly, his voice strangely hurt.

Nico shut up and stared wide-eyed at Percy. "I didn't laugh at you. Really not."

"Then why did you laugh?", growled Percy defensively.

Gulping slightly, the son of Hades stared at the Sea Prince. People liked to call him scary, but if you anger the sea, its rage could be devastating too. What was he supposed to say now? Percy was feeling hurt and rejected, the way Nico feared to feel. Was this it? The moment he needed to man up and stay true to his feelings? At least admit to his... his homosexuality? How had Jason phrased it? If he would tell the others, he would have more people at his side to support him? A ridiculous thought. But if Percy was bisexual himself, he would understand. Wouldn't push Nico away. And Nico was stronger now. He had spend months trying to face his fear, his feelings. His self.

"It's... the irony", sighed Nico, running his fingers through his hair. "I... Jason and I faced Cupid. The god of love. He challenged me to admit my... feelings. My self. I'm... gay, Percy. I'm gay and I wasn't ready to admit it. Because I feared rejection. It's... the irony that you sit here and tell me so... casually that you've been with another boy before like it's no big deal..."

"Because it isn't", frowned Percy confused, grabbing Nico's hand again. "Or at least, it shouldn't be. Not to the people who truly care about you, Nico. My mom understood. Annabeth understood. You... Does someone else, aside from Jason, know? Have you ever told... anyone? Hazel?"

Nico shook his head, averting his eyes once again. He focused on Percy's hand covering his own. Percy was running his thumb over the back of Nico's hand so tenderly and casually that it felt nearly natural. What Nico had said to Jason all those months ago wasn't true. He didn't dislike being touched, he just feared to lean into the touch too much and be pushed away again.

"Nico... You said challenge. Cupid is the god of love. A—Are you... in love?", asked Percy slowly, his voice soft and low. "Oh gods. It's Jason, isn't it? That's why he was with you during that challenge. That's why he wanted me to talk to you. You two are-"

"If you say dating, I will cut you", warned Nico and shuddered. "No. Not Jason. Never Jason. No."

"Good", sighed Percy and sagged down in relief, just to freeze and blush. "That came out wrong."

"How was it supposed to come out?", questioned Nico with one arched eyebrow.

Percy's blush darkened some and he shifted a little awkwardly. "I... like you. Very much. Very, very much. Really very much. You've always... been the one I could count on. You're always there, even if you hide in the shadows, you're there, watching over me. And I... always appreciated it. But I only realized how much it meant to me when you started avoiding me. I started missing it, missing you."

"You... like... me...", repeated Nico very slowly and a little ridiculed. "You? Me?"

"Like, yes", nodded Percy, brightly red. "Can you make this any more awkward than it already feels to me? Really? Look, Nico. I like you, I... miss you. I want to spend more time with you. Alone with you. More... uh... intimate with you. Not just as friends, you know?"

"So... this is like a date?", frowned Nico skeptically, looking at the two melted ices.

"I made you pay, after all", grinned Percy a little dopey, before frowning. "Unless there is someone else you would like to go on dates rather than with me. Then this is just... two friends eating ice."

"Can... Can it be two boyfriends eating ice...?", whispered Nico slowly, gulping hard.

The way Percy's face lit up at that, was so worth the courage it had taken to say that. Percy interlaced their fingers and smiled brightly at him, nodding his head vigorously. White teeth worried a plumb lower lip as Percy's face seemed to come closer and closer. As though on auto pilot, Nico mirrored Percy's movement and closed in on the Sea Prince, until their lips were only millimeters apart. The kiss felt so much better than anything Nico could have pictured, so rich and warm and somehow as though it was completing Nico. His one hand was still linked with Percy's, the other found its way to Percy's neck, pulling the Sea Prince closer. Their kiss ended suddenly and in a startled yelp from Percy. Nico blinked a couple of times and stared Percy up and down, just to crack a smile. A real smile. It was strange, he hadn't smiled in a long time. But the way the blue-brown-red goo was slowly seeping through Percy's shirt and dripping down his jeans, it was hilarious.

"Well, at least I can say that you had fun on our first date", huffed Percy embarrassed.

Nico's smile softened, offering Percy his arm. "Let me bring you home so you can get changed."

"You just want to ogle my ass while I get changed, I knew you're a perv", grinned Percy teasingly.

Nico rolled his eyes fondly. With a last glance at Venice, he shadow-traveled himself and his boyfriend back to New York. Once upon a time, he had thought his life would have been so much better if he had been able to live his life in Venice. Now he knew that wasn't true.

~*~ The End ~*~

Author's note: I've finally reached Cupid's challenge yesterday and immediately had the urge to write some Nicercy. Because Nicercy is canon. Which still freaks me out and makes me think that maybe I'll wake up every minute and HoH is still not out and all was just a dream. Especially because... it's Nicercy. I thank the gods above and Rick Riordan that Nico had been bad ass and shown all his amazing powers when admitting his feelings instead of breaking down crying or cutting like an emo like so many Percico stories I've stumbled upon in the past years... Nicercy is canon. Me is happy.

Oh and am I the only one who is equally happy to finally know that Nico is really from Italy? Like, not just his mom is from Italy and he is from the US, but that he is actually a European demigod? Sorry, that is totally making me happy. And he SPEAKS Italian, something that has so far only been my headcanon. So happy right now.