The kiss || Percico✔

°•Chapter 20•°

"We've been walking for hours already, Will!" I complain angrily and gritt my teeth as we proceed to walk down the hill in front of us until a hospital appears in our sight after some time.

"If you don't stop complaining soon, I'll make you." Annabeth gives back, hissing the words at me.

"Everybody calm down, we're there soon. You can already see it in the distance." Will points into the direction of the white building and I gulp heavily.

This is my fault. I brought him into this. Now I have to make it right. It's my duty.

"Okay," I say determined and clench my fist.
"I'm sorry, guys." Even before the words leave my mouth to the fullest, I jump forward and start sprinting as fast as I can to the hospital.

"Percy!" Annabeth and Will shout at the same time, but I'm already gone.

My lungs begin to feel like they are filled with an unhealthy amount of pain and I can feel my knees almost giving in and cracking away the closer I get to my target.
In and out, in and out. I force myself to keep a steady breath, yet it is already failing on less than the half of the way.

I can't let Nico down again.

The thoughts, regrets, and fears jump into my mind and a gasp comes over my lips. My heart is throbbing against my ribs while I stand still for a moment.
This isn't right. I need to run. Hurry. Now.

Forcing myself to carry on, I sprint the last metres before falling down on my knees and hitting them open while doing so.
I don't feel the pain anymore. My hair is nothing but a mess, my breathing goes way too fast and irregular, while my knees are starting to bleed and tears of exhaustion run down my dirty cheeks.
Realizing people would be looking, I get up again shakily and glance around for the hedge maze Nico told us about before.

Widening my eyes as I see the amount of doctors in front of it, I catch my breath and cough for getting attention from them.
One turns around.

"I need.. water." I say in a purposely rough voice and drop to the ground again.

Internally smiling as my plan works out, I am sitting with a big cup of water in my hands now on the ground, waiting for the ones in front of the entry to look at me.
As they do so, I focus on the water in my hands and the water of the fountain close by for binding it together and yeeting a wave over the doctors and me.
Since I am the son of Poseidon, it doesn't bother me and I start running into the maze, subconsciously fidgeting with my fingers as I am doing so.

"Nico!" I shout desperately as soon as I arrive on the first two turns.

No reply.

Following my guts, I go the path with Left, left, right, left, forward, right, left, forward, right, right, forward, left, forward, forward, left, right, sharp left, forward...
Abyss.

"No, no, no, no, no." I mutter to myself as my eyes fill with fear. What if they already got him? No no no no no!

"Nico!" I try again, but my voice breaks in the middle of it completely and I kneel down on the ground. Exhausted from running.

"Took you long enough." A familiar voice suddenly appears and I look up.

A with leaves littered Nico di angelo standing in front of me in original 5'6,5 height, staring down on me with a tired, cheeky grin.
His arms are full with thorns and blood is seeping through his clothes as his knees gave in too.

"I'm so sorry." It breaks out of me and I get over to him, sitting there awkwardly as I look at him.
"I shouldn't have--." In an attempt to carry on my apology, Nico shakes his head and smiled weakly.

"Don't." He says.
"But--," I started again.
"No, shut up." Nico interrupts me and his eyebrows narrow.
"You can't make me." I fired back, my breath trembling from the sleepiness inside of me.

Nico raised one eyebrow but glances to the ground eventually.

"What..?" I ask carefully, trying not to hurt him again with anything I say or do.

"It's nothing. Really. Just-- nothing." Nico doesn't seem like nothing, but I let it go. He needs to get fixed up.

"Are you okay?" I put one hand on his shoulder slowly, looking into his eyes.
"Yeah." Nico replies, biting his lip as he glanced back at me.

As we sit in silence, Nico suddenly catches a shaky breath and his eyes fill with tears, causing his entire body to tremble so that I just wanted to hold him for calming him down.

"I'm sorry." Nico just said insecurely, almost falling on his face as he tries to stand up. Instead of that, I accidentally grab after his hand too much and he lands on me. Our faces only inches away from each other.

I didn't know who did it in the end, but who cares about that? Life's a bitch, all the time, but that doesn't mean we can't change it's plans or achievements or goals. Just... follow your own lead.

One moment I was staring at him, the other one I feel his lips onto mine.

In his kiss I am home.