Title: Love by the Books [3/3]
Pairing: Nico/Percy/Annabeth

Warnings: polyamory, threesomes, language

Rating: R for sex, language, and violence
A/N: I blame Heather/callunavulgari entirely, along with my wifey 3
Disclaimer: I am actually not Rick Riordan, soooooo.

Summary: Nico adjusts to the idea of being in a relationship with the two people he shied away from the most; happiness may have been a complete stranger to him at one point, but he could definitely get used to this.

When Nico woke to the sounds of terrified screaming, he had to stop and make sure that it wasn't generating from his mouth. It would not have been out of the realm of possibility at all, despite the fact that his nightmares happened less and less as the years between horrific battles grew. He could remember a time when he could only sleep for a few hours at a time, back when he was still coming into his powers and was living on his own, and the lack of sleep had left bruises under his eyes that made him look perpetually ill. He still had nightmares about being trapped in the bronze jar, of Percy falling out of his reach, and of Percy dying in his arms like he almost had fighting with Gaea – but they came few and far between now.

This time it wasn't him; he could feel the solid warmth beside him tensing in uncontrollable fear and terror, and the ear-shattering scream broke his heart in two because it's Percy, and his dreams have always been intense and horrible. He scrambled up and nearly punched Nico in the face as he did so, but Nico saw it coming even in the dark and dodged. Nico let him stumble back so he was pressed against the wall, and saw Annabeth peeking up from over the side of the bed. Percy had probably knocked her off her side in the scuffle. He saw her nod to him, and he moved in slowly, carefully.

"Tell me where you are, Percy," he said, voice soft and gentle. It wasn't the first time he'd done this by far; Percy's nightmares come far more frequently than his, though most of the time Nico wakes up because Percy was holding him a little too tightly. Bad ones – the really bad ones – mean Percy needed a rock, someone who could walk him through the valley of death to the other side.

Nico had been to the valley of death too many times; he knew the safe paths through mists of fear and doubt all too well.

Percy shook his head. "It's cold. What are you doing here?" His gaze was still far away.

"You got lost, I came to find you," Nico said fondly, carefully reaching out to touch Percy's hand. He grasped Nico's hand tightly and held on like a lifeline.

"Where's Annabeth?" Percy asked, swallowing thickly.

"I'm right here," Annabeth said, sitting beside him again.

They'd done this for each other several times now; Nico had been terrified the first time Percy woke up screaming, but he'd learned how to help by watching Annabeth sooth and comfort him in the aftermath. Percy told him about Annabeth's night terrors, but he'd never witnessed one before – and Percy had taken care of him through his own nightmares.

No matter what Percy said, Nico always felt terribly guilty after his own nightmares; they either revolved around Tartarus or Percy in some way, and he'd woken up several times refusing to believe it was the real Percy trying to calm and comfort him – that the Percy beside him was some monster's trick. But it was worse waking up after dreaming about being inside the jar; he'd been clawing at the bronze walls around him, begging and pleading for a message to get through, anything to make Percy see where he was, and when Percy finally jostled him awake he spent a long time heaving dry sobs into Percy's shirt. Percy held him, petting his hair and rubbing his back the whole time, ignoring the bloody cuts Nico had left on his arms as he tried to claw his way free.

"We're at your apartment," Nico said, running his thumb over Percy's knuckles. "You're safe. Annabeth and I are right here."

Percy turned wild, unsure eyes on them, his gaze flickering back and forth incessantly. "You're sure we're not-"

"Tartarus is far behind us," Nico cut him off smoothly, and he watched as the tension leeched out of Percy's body as he accepted that fact. He seemed to earn about a dozen years back on his face, the lines of worry and fear easing until his face became smooth again. He took a deep, shuddering breath and grasped Annabeth's offered hand, slipping his fingers around Nico's wrist and tugging him and Annabeth closer, until they were curled up on either side of him. They pillowed their heads against his chest, tangling fingers on top of Percy's stomach.

"This is good," Percy sighed, his breathing evening out. "Okay. You guys are the best – you know that, right?"

"You could stand to say it more often," Annabeth teased, drawing designs on his chest with the tip of her finger. After a moment she let her fingers drift closer to where Nico's hand was splayed over Percy's heart, and placed her hand on top of his.

Just the simple touch of her hand while they were curled up on either side of the man they loved (who loved them in return equally) sent a thrill through Nico that was part disbelief and part intense joy. He didn't know what he'd done to finally achieve this amount of happiness, but he would gladly do it again a hundred times over.

0o0

It's a lot easier now that Nico feels like he's finally found a place that he can call home. It was such an odd thing to think about, sitting at the small dinner table Percy had painstakingly dragged from his mother's apartment (refusing to take Nico's offer of a quick jump through the shadows the whole way) and realizing that he'd never wanted to be anywhere this badly before. He could just be sitting there talking with them and look up to each of their faces as they laughed at some joke together, and he'd feel like someone suckerpunched him in the gut.

Nico really didn't mind it, though.

Life in the mortal realm was infinitely better than it had been during the titan and giant wars for him; he had a place to call home, people who loved him, and he could spend the daylight hours where Percy and Annabeth were working. Sometimes he went to audit classes himself or visit Percy at the aquarium just to hear him verbally flail about the migratory patterns of Northern fur seals or the mysteries of deep sea fish (he also kind of enjoyed making Percy stumble over his words when he caught Nico giving him a sly, seductive look in the middle of a talk).

The balance that they've attained isn't so tenuous anymore either; it had taken some time and lots of mutual work, but things were quite calm now. Between Annabeth and Percy's jobs and help from Hades' Roman counterpart they were able to afford a relatively spacious two-bedroom apartment just outside the city. Annabeth and Percy lived there full-time, while Nico continued to split his time between the Underworld and the mortal world.

Here was the biggest issue Nico dealt with in the life he'd created for himself: the Underworld no longer held any great hold on him. He no longer felt the need to hide amongst the dead so he wouldn't have to deal with his feelings for Percy (not that being in the Underworld had ever dampened those thoughts or feelings, he wasn't that delusional), and he'd mostly let go of the notions that he'd never fit in. He tried to maintain his calm, but no matter how proud he was of his position in his father's realm, the days spent in the sole company of the dead were emotionally taxing for Nico. The cold had never really bothered him, and talking with ghosts was always interesting – but now he found himself longing for the warmth of Percy's skin and bed, for Annabeth's sharp humor and challenging kisses, for the comfort and happiness they offered so freely. Waking up from nightmares without them to soothe him was torture, plain and simple.

It felt like an itch just beneath the surface of his skin; sometimes he'd feel a gentle touch and feel his chest expand with joy at the thought of Percy or Annabeth pulling him into their arms, only to realize that it was just his imagination. He'd dream of being curled up between them, Percy's forehead and nose touching his and Annabeth spooning his back, her face tucked against the nape of his neck. When he began having those dreams, Nico had hated it; waking up without them became both heartbreak and hardship, though there was nothing he could do to change it. He could not abandon his father when he needed the extra support running the vast, desolate stretches of the Underworld.

So Nico dreamed when he finally allowed himself sleep; he bore the dull ache in his bones and the twinges of pain and longing in his chest for the few days he was in his father's domain until he could make his way back into the mortal realm.

The first time he left his post early, eager to get back to New York, Nico held his tongue as Hades sneered delicately; the second his father's back was turned he was running for the exit into Central Park. From there he shadow traveled right into the apartment he shared with them and barreled right into Percy, tripping over his own feet and pushing the son of Poseidon back against the kitchen wall, branding his lips with a harsh kiss.

"You're early," Annabeth commented behind them. "You miss us?"

Nico shuddered as he felt her warmth press against his back and her arms wrap around him as she nuzzled between his shoulder blades. He nodded shakily. "Can we…"

"All three of us?" she said, finishing his sentence for him while Percy laid kisses against his neck. "Of course, sweetie."

After that it's just a matter of clothing and figuring out placement. Usually it's Percy in the middle, fucking Annabeth while Nico pushes into him; that's comfortable, and even though he and Annabeth had developed a more physical connection in the last few months Nico still didn't feel completely comfortable fucking her with Percy involved. This time was different, though; Nico was desperate to feel their skin against his, to feel submerged in their affection and love. Nevertheless he still feels like he's come home when Annabeth hitched her legs around his waist, pulling Nico deep inside as her whole body quivered, and Percy pushed inside him with a moan that was part relief and another part desire. Percy rocked his hips forward, pushing Nico even deeper inside Annabeth, and Nico couldn't hold back the helpless, shattered sound that left his lips. Immediately they were holding him together, until Nico felt like he was tangled in octopus tentacles.

Percy peppered kisses to the nape of his neck while Annabeth petted his long hair and kissed his forehead, comforting and stabilizing him as they rocked together in a soothing, undulating motion that had Nico practically whimpering with need by the end. They held him steady throughout though, reading and following his needs as they changed.

Even after, Percy plied at him with strong, gentle hands until Nico was nestled snugly between him and Annabeth; her hands were all over him immediately, her knuckles soothing over the swell of his cheek. "You're ok," she whispered, her breath ghosting over his cheek and nose as she pressed herself closer to him. Her skin was warm and tacky, and he marveled once more at the contrast between the hard lines of muscle and the softness of her skin. "We've got you."

Percy shifted and wrapped himself around them, laying kisses to the column of Nico's throat. "Feel better?" he murmured into his ear, the brush of his lips tickling the shell.

Nico took a deep, shuddering breath, huffing against Annabeth's neck, and nodded, swallowing thickly. "I'm ok. I'm good. Thank you."

"Shhh, sweetie. We're ok."

They slipped into comfortable silence, curled together while Nico ignored the urge to shower. Surrounded and comfortable, he didn't see the need to disturb that.

This – this was the happiest he'd ever been; it was enough to make him feel like his chest was going to expand to the point of cracking open. As long as he had this to look forward to, Nico was certain he could want for nothing. He felt a swelling sensation in his stomach, a surge of emotion that would have been completely foreign four years ago. He loved them more than he could possibly convey, but he tried anyway.

"I don't want to go back," he sighed, deflating completely. "I hate being away from here. Can I just stay? Forever?"

Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look over Nico's shoulder. "You can do whatever you want," Percy said, pressing his nose to his neck. "You need to do what's right for you. But I'd be careful before blowing the Lord of the Dead off, you know?"

Nico scowled. He'd thought about that too; if the son of Hades – the primary advisor to one of the most powerful deities in the known world - simply stopped returning to the Underworld to perform his duties, his father's wrath would likely be intense and catastrophic. And yet, the thought of staying in this apartment with them made him want to risk the displeasure of Hades.

He would risk everything for them, the people he loved. It was something Nico had come to terms with fairly recently in a way; when he was younger he would have climbed Everest if he thought it would help Percy, and now the same was true for Annabeth, though he loved her in a different way. While his love for Percy had always been romantic, with Annabeth it was platonic – she'd compared their relationship to 'best friends with emotional and sexual benefits,' which he figured was pretty accurate. Still, he would have risked his father's wrath for her as well.

"We'll still be here when you come back," Annabeth murmured, her fingers trailing over his arm. "You know we're not going anywhere."

(Nico decided not long afterwards that putting up with his father was worth it, given the fact that he almost single-handedly prevented yet another all-out war between Hades and Poseidon – that would have been awkward – but in return for his tact and assistance he negotiated a stipend so he could get his GED and start attending classes later on; all to make himself a better advisor, of course.)

0o0

Going back to Camp Half-Blood was a little awkward, if Nico was completely honest. He'd never really felt totally at home there, even after building a cabin of his own and earning at least the grudging respect of the other campers. He'd been a child the last time he had stayed there long-term – barely eleven, earnest and completely taken with an older and still very oblivious Percy. Needless to say, it was not a time he chose to recall vividly. But visiting as an adult and catching the open stares of campers who remembered and recognized him was flat-out weird for him. Walking in with Percy and Annabeth made it even worse.

He asked them not to make a big deal out of their relationship to the other campers; Nico was fine – perfectly content, even – with the relationship he had with Percy and Annabeth, but he cringed inwardly at the thought of explaining it to others who knew –at least vaguely – their history together. His lovers had shrugged and agreed to go along with what he asked, though Annabeth's mouth twisted with the tiniest bit of disappointment.

It would figure, after making a point to ask his boyfriend and girlfriend to stay mum, that Nico himself was the one who gave them away not in word, but in action. He and Percy had been goaded into sparring (with a cheering, shouting crowd pushing them into the arena, no less) and he'd stood there, a blush creeping up his neck and cheeks while Percy tossed Riptide up and down, catching it seamlessly before tossing it again, until Annabeth had announced that this wasn't a fair fight at all and leapt into the ring bearing her drakon-bone sword.

And oh, it was on.

The sparring match quickly devolved into something Nico didn't have the vocabulary to name; he'd fought alongside Annabeth and Percy before, but fighting against them was a totally different animal. He decided that the best analogy for it was that it was like fucking them: it was looking for that little edge over one or the other to gain domination, pinning Percy to the floor while still paying attention to Annabeth because she could pin you down just as fast; it was Annabeth lulling him into a false sense of security as she went after Percy, then turning on him just as fast to pounce and knock him into the dirt, straddling his hips; and then there was Percy, fighting like a raging typhoon but pulling his punches with them, and when someone finally called for an end to the match they froze in place, chests heaving and faces red with exertion. It was silent for all of about thirty seconds before someone – most likely from the Hermes cabin – shouted something that made Nico's ears go completely red.

"Holy – are you guys fucking or something? Because that was hot!"

Nico recognized that voice, however; a moment later he roared back "STOLLS!" before taking off after the troublemakers at a sprint.

He was defending Percy and Annabeth's honor, totally.

0o0

Nico would be the first to say that none of them were perfect, least of all him. They fought sometimes; usually it would start as a misunderstanding between him and Percy, and sometimes it was between Percy and Annabeth. After the very first argument they'd had – all three, that is – a mutual agreement had to be made that the third person would not intervene in a fight between the other two. Picking sides in a fight was like poison in a relationship like theirs.

Sometimes the misery of the Underworld was too much for Nico, and he curled up in a dark corner cultivating mushrooms long after both his lovers had tried to cheer him up. Sometimes the bitterness he'd held on to for so long reared its ugly – grotesque, horrific, disgusting – head, and the words he bit out made Annabeth flinch and Percy's whole body just sink. Percy could be careless in both his words and actions, and even dismissive if he was caught up in something; Annabeth's words were even sharper than Nico's, and they were what tore him into tiny pieces until he came crawling back to their shared bed, whispering apologies that didn't cover the depth of his shame until Percy hauled him in close and hugged him tightly.

0o0

Fighting monsters – because let's face it, that part of their lives never fucking ends – is a totally different story, though. While sparring with Annabeth was one thing, Nico found that he could work alongside her like a well-oiled machine, matching her movements to tag-team monsters.

It had taken Nico completely by surprise how well he worked with Percy and Annabeth after they became more official – aside from the domestic stuff, anyway. Nico couldn't remember ever fighting alongside Annabeth in a battle, only Percy. He'd assumed that Annabeth would be more difficult to fight with for some reason.

His assumptions were proven wrong early on though, beyond the tentative sparring that took place at Camp Half-Blood. Their ability to fight together was tested by a couple monsters one day when they were revisiting a museum.

He and Annabeth had been minding their own business, studying photos of Baroque architecture in Rome (Nico had sighed and asked, in the most long-suffering tone, why they couldn't simply go visit those sites themselves – and they totally could by way of shadows – but Annabeth had rolled her eyes and told him to just go along with her plan. When the monsters demanded their blood and revealed themselves, Nico had to fight down the urge to give her a pointed glare saying 'see, we could have avoided this') when several men in janitors' uniforms approached them, brandishing weapons that definitely should not have been allowed past the security checkpoint.

It was all downhill from there; Nico shouted for the civilians in the gallery to run, while he and Annabeth charged to keep them occupied and away from the others as they made their escape.

The ease with which he settled into a fighting stance beside her surprised him, and the rage he felt at their gall definitely wasn't planned. He'd only ever felt that way when Percy was under siege from monsters.

While they fought well together, that didn't stop the monsters from getting some good hits in. Annabeth was knocked into a display and broke two of her ribs, while the monster Nico was fighting raked his arm with poisoned claws, opening gashes from shoulder to elbow that burned like acid had been poured on them.

"Shit," he hissed, baring his teeth as his skin sizzled and the wound bled.

"Are you ok?" Annabeth shouted over the dracanae's cackling, rushing over to check on him.

"I'm fine, it'll be fine," he grumbled, gripping his arm to stem the blood flow.

"Fuck this," the daughter of Athena growled, pushing Nico behind her as the monsters surged.

Percy arrived on the crest of a wave about ten minutes later, Riptide drawn and ready to fight off the monsters attacking his lovers. The water crashed up against the rocks just outside the museum, and Percy tumbled in through the class seconds after. It might have been a spectacular entrance in any other situation, and if he was thinking clearly Nico might have wondered how on earth he knew where they were and that they were under attack – but the searing pain clouded his mind just enough that those questions never occurred to him. Nevertheless Percy was still several minutes too late, as two dracanae were finished off, leaving the son of Poseidon just standing there awkwardly.

"We got this, Percy," Annabeth grunted, smirking over her shoulder at him while her free hand guarded the broken ribs in her side. The last of the monsters roared in outrage, baring their fangs as they regrouped.

"I guess so," Percy muttered appreciatively, though his expression fell drastically the second he realized that Nico was bleeding badly. He fumbled for a flask of nectar, and poured some over the gashes on Nico's arm while the son of Hades cursed violently and colorfully.

Nico shook him off and gathered his concentration, closing his eyes and calling out to both shadow and bone in the room; it was so much easier to goad the materials under his control into submission when he was angry – shadow and bone and earth all seemed to respond more potently when his emotions and blood pressure ran high. He hadn't seen the need to utilize all the aspects of his power like this in a while though, and abruptly he felt completely drunk with the power it afforded him. The shadows shifted and the lights above them flickered, and he mentally mapped the skeletons of the creatures standing before them. He called out to Annabeth, and she limped over, gasping a little.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly, ignoring a vaguely fussy Percy at his side.

"Trying something," Nico muttered, and the shadows descended. The very air around them turned sour until it reeked of peat moss and decay. The dracanae hissed and their gazes darted around, twitching nervously. Nico rose to his full height, and the shadows seemed to enhance it, encircling him with an unholy light and making his sword glow. He focused intensely on the skeletal structure until he could count each and every one . . . then Nico imagined wrapping his hand around each bone and clenching his fist until the bones bent like paper.

The dracanae shrieked and contorted, falling to the ground as their bones shattered and they exploded into dust once again.

At once everything felt very blurry and undefined; Nico blinked and tried to say something, but all of the energy had evacuated his body completely. Even his heart seemed to be beating far slower than normal. Nico tried to take a step and staggered; he might have cracked his head against the marble if both Percy and Annabeth hadn't rushed forward to catch him before he totally lost consciousness.

0o0

Waking up was a fucking ordeal.

Nico had only ever gotten drunk to the point of having a hangover the following morning once, and that had been such a spectacular 'failing at life' situation that he'd sworn to himself that he would never abuse grappa the same way again.

Still, his head was pounding and even his eyes felt sore; his whole body might have been pulverized by a steam roller if he didn't know better. When he finally did open his eyes Nico groaned as an obnoxiously bright light burned his retinas. "What the fuck," he managed to hiss, throwing an arm across his face in case the light returned.

"Oh shit, you're awake," a familiar, feminine voice yelped right by his face, and the surface he was laying on – it had to be a bed, based on the texture and the way he bounced when the owner of the voice clambered on the mattress. "You scared us there," she said, and it clicked: Annabeth.

"Is the light gone?" he groaned.

"It's barely on, Nico. Try again."

Grumbling nonsensically to himself, Nico allowed his arm to flop back by his side and slowly cracked his eyes open. It was stupidly bright at first, until the overwhelming glow seemed to subside until he saw that it was just their bedside lamp, turned to a very low setting.

"Percy said you usually needed a post-power surge nap," she explained, sitting down beside Nico on the bed. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes and a vaguely rumpled appearance, coupled with the fact that she was wearing her cartoon owl pajamas.

"He's not wrong," Nico grumbled, rubbing his eye sockets. "How long have I been out?"

Annabeth shrugged. "Maybe a few hours. We got you patched up, so those gashes should heal pretty well."

"You ok? I know they got you pretty good."

"I'll be fine. There's a reason Percy and I keep a pretty generous supply of nectar and ambrosia around here." Annabeth reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Nico's ear. "Want me to bring Percy in? He was worried about you."

"For a reckless ass he makes for a pretty funny mother hen, don't you think?" Nico chuckled to himself.

"I resent that," Percy muttered, slipping into their shared room and climbing in beside Nico immediately, molding himself to Nico's left side seamlessly.

"Nah, you're just mad you didn't get to be the big damn hero this time," Nico countered, turning his head to kiss Percy while Annabeth climbed in on his other side.

The gashes on his arm completely closed within the week, but they left a distinct set of scars that Percy paused to kiss tenderly at every chance he got, three amongst dozens of other scars he bore, and nearly all in his lover's name.

0o0

He, Percy, and Annabeth had been together for the better part of a year when Nico decided he wanted to try something. He wasn't really the kind of person to remember anniversary dates – and to be totally honest Nico couldn't remember exactly when he and Percy started dating or when Annabeth started referring to Nico as her boyfriend too – but this was pretty big in his book, and he wanted to at least make it fun for all of them.

Getting Annabeth in on the plan was easy. Percy was the difficult piece to move. How could he effectively kidnap their boyfriend without him panicking and assuming the worst? The answer, it turned out, was a cheeseburger.

Nico shadow traveled to California and, after a nap at Camp Jupiter and explaining what was going on in his crazy/stupid life to his sister, Nico traveled back to New York – after a small side trip. When he returned to their apartment he placed the take out bag on the counter in plain view a few minutes before Percy was supposed to arrive home from work. Afterwards Nico hid in the shadows, munching on ambrosia to get his strength back up.

Sure enough, Percy came in a few minutes later; he called Nico's name a few times, then muttered to himself in confusion when Nico didn't respond. He shucked his coat and bag off in the entryway, then meandered into the kitchen, calling for Nico once more.

Then he saw the bag, clearly labeled 'In-n-Out Burger.'

"Is this – you didn't," Percy practically squeaked in disbelief. "Nico, did you seriously go to California today?" The bag rustled as Percy tore into it, shedding the flimsy paper to get to the juicy burger inside. "I haven't had one of these in foreeeevveeerrrr," he said, drawing the word out. Nico watched from the shadows as Percy bit into the burger and moaned, which was a pretty absurd sound to be caused by a hamburger. "Seriously though, best boyfriend," Percy continued, this time through a mouthful of beef, bun and ketchup. "This is amazing." He devoured the whole thing in record time, and as he was licking burger juice off his fingers Nico swooped in behind him, clapping a hand over Percy's mouth and slipping an arm around his boyfriend's waist. Percy mumbled his name against his palm.

Nico simply grinned in response. "I have plans for you," he said, lifting his hand away from Percy's lips.

"Oh, fuck, I am so full of burger you can do whatever you want with me," Percy groaned, a reverent hand on his stomach.

Nico snorted at the display, but he'd take what he could get. "Good." He pulled Percy into their bedroom and, a few minutes later the son of Poseidon nodded off while Nico shook his head and chuckled before getting to work.

When Percy finally came around after his food coma, it was because he heard Annabeth giggle about something. Nico watched him come around while perched on top of Annabeth's hips. Her wrists were tied alongside Percy's to the headboard, and once Percy fully came around he watched as his eyes followed the line of her tanned arms, widening all the way.

"Someone's been busy," Percy muttered, his eyes moving back to Nico and Annabeth, both mostly naked and indulging in a deep, slow kiss. "Hey. Hey, you guys. Nico, dude, you gonna untie me?" he laughed thinly, hope and uncertainty coming through in his voice.

Nico pulled away from Annabeth, teeth tugging on her lower lip playfully as he did; he caught Percy's throat bobbing as he watched, gaze intense and unyielding. "Where's the fun in that?" he asked, laying his palms on Annabeth's ribcage and slowly smoothing them up to cup her breasts through the grey, lace-edged bra she'd picked out specifically for this, a grin unfurling across his face as Annabeth arched into his touch, giving him a light moan.

Percy's wrists twitched in their bindings. "Why am I tied up, then? Can you at least answer that?"

Nico didn't answer him for a minute, choosing instead to unclip the straps from their girlfriend's bra and undo the clasp right between her breasts before slipping the garment off. Then he leaned in close, until he could smell the lingering perfume and the hint of sweat on her skin, and met Percy's eyes. "Because you're going to watch," he said smugly, before dipping closer and kissing one of Annabeth's nipples, drawing a low moan from her mouth.

"Oh, that's not fair!"

"Shut up, Percy," Annabeth breathed, the sound just a little strained as Nico moved to her other nipple and began teasing his fingers along the top of her underwear. "We all know you love watching."

Nico heard Percy swallow thickly, but paid him no mind as he focused entirely on Annabeth. The love that he had for her might not have been the same as that which he had developed for Percy, but he could still appreciate her beauty; the way the freckles across her chest blended when she blushed, the firmness of her stomach muscles beneath soft skin littered with scars, the heat and love that shone through her storm-grey eyes.

When he started to slip her underwear down her thighs, Nico heard a distinct whine coming from Percy's direction. He glanced over and found Percy's eyes glazed over with want and the boxers Nico had left him in tented with his obvious arousal; the son of Hades couldn't help the triumphant grin that appeared on his face afterwards. But before Percy could say anything, Nico hitched Annabeth's legs over his shoulders and leaned in closer to lick her folds. She arched against him, a high keening sound erupting from her lips as he continued, teasing her clit with the tip of his tongue.

"Nico," Percy whispered hoarsely beside him, pupils blown and no longer straining against the ropes. "Fuck, are you really serious about this? You're not going to let me touch at all?"

"He's busy, Percy," Annabeth moaned, rolling her hips in encouragement. "You'll get your turn, don't worry."

Nico pulled away, resting his cheek lazily against the soft skin of her inner thigh, and sighed delicately. "Too much talking up there," he teased, casting a grin over at Percy as Annabeth hissed something atrocious under her breath and pushed Nico's head down with her knee, back between her legs.

All in all, if you had told Nico two years ago that he would be lying between Annabeth's legs eating her out like it was the best thing he'd tasted in years, Nico would have busted out laughing until he was gasping for air with tears rolling down his face. The idea was absolutely preposterous – he wasn't even remotely interested in women, much less did he have any inkling of desire for the woman he'd spent his adolescence fiercely jealous of because her idiot (incredible) boyfriend haunted his dreams.

That fact alone made it even hotter for him to have her practically vibrating below him as he brought her to orgasm with his tongue and fingers, all while Percy watched, eyes wide and transfixed as she came down from the pleasure spike.

When she finally relaxed back into the pillows with a sated smile, Nico pulled away again and untied her hands, then laid his chin on her hip, licking his lips wetly as he looked over at Percy hungrily.

"That was . . . entirely unfair," Percy huffed, chewing on his lip and shifting his hips to accommodate an obvious erection tenting his boxers. "And very hot. Can I touch now?"

Nico looked up at Annabeth, making a show of considering how he would answer. "What do you think, passerotta? Should we give him some attention?"

Annabeth looked doubtful. "I suppose . . . you know how he gets when he's left out."

Percy chose that moment to give them a pitiful whine and a ridiculous pout that reminded Nico of pictures of fluffy baby seals pouting for the camera; he couldn't help the snort of amusement that escaped him.

"Oh, don't give me that, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased him. "And Nico - don't you fall for this face," she shot back at him playfully.

"How do you say no to that face?" he demanded, smirking. "It's like a baby animal whose cheeks you want to pinch. Or in this case, whose lip you want to bite."

"Strength of will, babe," she said, patting his arm. "I am immune."

Nico snorted and laid his cheek back on her hip, her pubic hair tickling his chin, and gazed at Percy contemplatively. The son of Poseidon was still pouting at him from around his arm, but Nico ignored that entirely. When he'd first realized his attraction to Percy, his eyes had been the first thing to draw him in: swirling blue and green with flecks of silver that reminded Nico of the sun glinting off the bay beyond the canals of Venice. His confidence had been – and still was – magnetic, and as he got older Nico began to appreciate the brightness of his smile and the strength in Percy's body and hands – even when he wanted nothing to do with the son of Poseidon, he still stood out like this bright as fuck star in his field of vision. And now, lying right beside them with his wrists tied to the headboard wearing only a pair of boxers leaving very little to the imagination, Nico felt a surge of want move through him.

"Nope," Nico snorted. "Not immune."

"Yessssss," Percy grinned, reaching out with his foot to prod at Nico's side until he slid away from Annabeth and pounced on their boyfriend, knocking the air out of his lungs as he landed, latching on to Percy's mouth for a deep kiss. Percy wriggled beneath him until he could frame Nico's hips with his knees, and locked his ankles behind Nico's back, rolling their hips together. The son of Hades moaned into the kiss, slipping his tongue into his boyfriend's mouth and knowing he would taste Annabeth on him. Unexpectedly Percy bit his lip harder than they were used to, and Nico pulled away from the kiss. "Untie me," Percy whispered, voice wrecked and rough.

Nico leaned in close, pressing his forehead to Percy's and slowly reaching up to the headboard, only to check the strength of the ropes. "Nah," he smirked, dodging away from Percy's teeth as he made a grab for Nico's ear. He leaned back, tugging his boyfriend's legs from around his waist so he could move further down his body; Nico looked to his left and found Annabeth lying on her side, still utterly naked and watching them with heat in her eyes. He grinned at her, and swiftly slipped Percy's boxers down before tossing them to the side carelessly. His stiff erection stood proudly from between his legs, curving gently up towards his stomach; then, still with the taste of their girlfriend in his mouth, Nico wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock and took the head into his mouth. Percy jolted, fighting against his bonds as the desire to touch and tug on Nico's hair like he always did took over.

"This, seriously," Percy groaned, tilting his head up so he could at least watch Nico slowly take his cock in deeper, "is so unfair. So fucking . . . what's . . . oh shit."

Annabeth had disappeared from their side, and Nico could tell based on the sounds of movement in the room that she was standing directly behind him, right at the edge of the bed. Taking that as his cue, Nico shifted until his knees were spread generously. He heard the popping of a cap and the slick sound of gel being spread on to fingers. He kept sucking on his boyfriend's dick, bobbing his head, even as he felt thin, slick fingers begin to tease his hole.

"She's prepping you for me, right?" Percy asked, a new, darker tone in his voice. "Fuck yes, that is fucking awesome-"

"Percy," Annabeth hissed in warning as her index finger slid inside Nico, making him moan around Percy's dick. "Shut up."

By the time Annabeth worked a third finger inside him, Nico was subconsciously trying to assess just how much their neighbors must hate them; Percy had taken to gripping the bars on the headboard, and since he couldn't touch he decided he was going to be as loud as he damn well pleased while Nico sucked wetly on his cock. His own erection was painfully hard, made worse by the fact that Annabeth had found his prostate and had been drawing ridiculous sounds from his throat out of pure delight. At that point Nico snapped, pulling away and allowing Percy's dick to bob out of his mouth while Percy gave him a predatory look.

Annabeth pulled her fingers from him and patted his ass playfully; he caught her wrist and very nearly judo-flipped her onto her back beside them, sputtering in mock outrage. Then Nico reached up and untied Percy's wrists, kissing him hard before pulling away. Percy slipped off his side of the bed, taking Annabeth's place behind Nico and kissing the length of his neck, fitting his body against Nico's until he could feel the heat of Percy's erection along the inside of his thigh. Nico broke away from him, shifting so he could kneel between Annabeth's legs and tug her up until she was half propped up on his thighs; the position was perfect to just shift his hips forward and slide inside, but there was another piece to consider.

That piece clambered up on the bed behind Nico, his large, warm hands grasping Nico's hips as Percy positioned himself, rubbing the pads of his fingers gently over pelvic bone. The son of Poseidon kissed the juncture of Nico's neck and shoulder before nipping at the skin. "You ready?" he asked, and Nico felt his dick twitch at the low, husky tone of his voice.

Nico raised an eyebrow at him. "Waiting on you," he teased, and Annabeth chose that moment to hitch her legs up so her heels caught on the small of Percy's back.

"Running out of patience down here," she hissed, urging Percy on with her foot.

"Ok, ok," Percy muttered, slicking himself with lube and sliding the head of his cock along the crevice of Nico's ass until it caught on his slightly stretched entrance. Nico shuddered with anticipation as Percy wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace and pushed inside, an agonizingly slow movement that made Nico want to scream and push back onto his cock. "So hot inside, you're fucking incredible," Percy whispered hotly in his ear, never one to stay quiet for more than a few minutes during sex. "You feel so good, so perfect all around me."

Nico swallowed thickly to hold back a moan as he felt Percy settle deep inside him, finding it difficult to contain; he looked down at Annabeth, and found her thumbing her clit fervently, lifting her lips to get closer to them. Wordlessly for once, Percy's hand slipped down Nico's body to wrap around his erection before pushing Nico forward and inside her, slowly but surely until Nico was seated between her legs, buried deep with Annabeth clutching at him like a vice.

They stayed like that, almost totally still aside from the need to adjust so Annabeth didn't get squished under their weight, in what Nico might have named awe because this was still somewhat new for them to be having sex all together like this – it was still new and a little terrifying and completely mindblowing, and Nico could feel Annabeth breathing against his mouth and Percy against his neck. At one point he wondered if they'd been frozen just like this, until Annabeth muttered "If you two don't start moving I'm going to fucking kill you" and Percy, in the face of possible death-by-girlfriend, more than happily obliged.

"Fuck," Nico hissed as Percy snapped his hips forward, rocking him into Annabeth, who let loose a moan that would have made Aphrodite blush. Fucking them together was absolutely nothing like fucking Percy or Annabeth separately; he had to be mindful of everything, because they both liked and needed different things in bed, and he often felt like his brain was short-circuiting with the overstimulation. Sometimes he wondered how he could remember that Annabeth liked to have her neck bitten until it was covered in hickeys and liked it when he just rolled his hips in a circle to grind against her clit, or that Percy liked it when Nico put his fingers through his hair and tugged hard, and that he loved it when Nico lapsed into Italian when he got close, whispering erotic, dirty things in Percy's ear that the son of Poseidon barely understood (aside from knowing instinctually that it was intensely sexual) – but in the heat of the moment all those anxieties fell away.

In the end Percy's rhythm became his own as things began spiraling beyond Nico's control, completely giving in to the intensity of being with both of them simultaneously, surrounded and submerged by their affections. His mouth lapsed back into his mother tongue as he shifted from kissing Annabeth to kissing and thumbing her nipples until she gripped his hair and arched against him with a sharp cry. Her vaginal muscles were clenching and relaxing around him at a quick pace as they brought her to the edge, and Annabeth's fingers gripped Nico's hair tight enough to be a threat – if you stop before I am ready for you to I swear on your fucking father I will rip this chunk of hair out – until she gave a full-body shudder as she climaxed.

Nico was nearing his own orgasm, and he couldn't help but wonder if Percy could tell because he suddenly doubled his already ruthless pace, slamming into him hard and fast while Nico drew out Annabeth's orgasm with his own movements. His release hit him faster than he'd experienced before, and was followed closely by Percy, who moaned both of their names into Nico's neck, still rocking forward to milk the pleasure further.

After Percy pulled out carefully, Nico felt himself fall right beside Annabeth, exhausted and sated and too tired to care if he was covered in come and sweat. He pressed himself right against her side, tucking her head against his shoulder. "What are you doing, tesoro, come here," he groaned, blinding reaching for Percy. Nico caught a glimpse of him staring openly at them, looking totally lost and utterly star-crossed as he clasped Percy's wrist tightly, tugging him down to join them.

Percy bridged himself over Annabeth first, peppering her neck, cheeks, and lips with kisses, whispering something that made Annabeth's mouth curve into a wondrously happy smile. Then he shifted over until he was above Nico, and kissed him in a sweetly chaste way that was totally different from what they'd just been doing. "I love you," he whispered against Nico's lips.

Nico smiled at him, running his thumb over the inside of Percy's wrist, feeling the racing beat of his pulse just beneath the surface of his skin. "I know," he answered, because Percy had known about his feelings for a long while now, and Nico felt as though exchanging those sentiments might've pushed a line of sappiness he wasn't quite willing to cross yet. But he did turn slightly and trace his fingers over Annabeth's collar bone, pushing a few wild strands of curly blonde hair away from her beautiful, flushed face, before kissing her just as softly; he still doesn't say the words, but he knows she understands. She's smarter than him and Percy put together, after all. That, Nico thinks, is the beauty of their relationship: they always find ways to complete each other.