Not my best chapter *sigh* but stuff is about to go down, so pay close attention!!! ;D
Chapter #33 : Room To Breathe
~I feel a little lost in this world
I try a little noise and choke
I've honestly never felt this alone
Oh, I just need someone
I need a little room to breathe
You're making this hard for me
When all I need is to be set free
I need a little time to think
And if you ever will love me
Then all I need is a little room to breathe
I've been through and seen a lot
Left at the bottom and the top
We're on borrowed time, but time isn't enough
I'm just trying to be the best me I can be
Oh when I fall down, it's just me and the ground
I am no king, I have no throne
I need a little room to breathe
You're making this hard for me
When all I need is to be set free
I need a little time to think
And if you ever will love me
Then all I need is a little room to breathe~
PERCY POV
Nico had been behaving... oddly. Yesterday, the day after the wonderful birthday I had, he just seemed to totally shut himself off again. And yeah, it hurt. Like hell. He hadn't spoken to me at all! Yesterday I had let him play it off as he had lost his voice, or he had gotten himself sick, he had a scratchy throat the night before, blah blah blah. But I couldn't help feel he was hiding something from me. He wasn't actually sick, was he? Or maybe I was just being a paranoid little mama bird. Whatever the reason, I was feeling down that I couldn't hear his voice and joke around with him.
So I decided to go out for a crack-of-dawn swim with my fish brethren in the lake.
Yeah, man.
I began pulling my thin white t-shirt over my head and ruffled my shaggy black hair. I needed a haircut. Badly. Without a second thought, I tossed my shirt onto the wooden dock and slipped off my flip flops, pushing them beside my shirt. I was already in my swim trunks, ready to jump into the cool lake water. No one at camp was awake yet, so I practically had hours before anyone woke up. I watched as the inky sky made the waves in the water smooth and the light from the moon outlined each ripple, every movement. It comforted me already. I hadn't noticed how badly I had needed to swim until now. And I couldn't wait. So I didn't.
Thump, thump, thump, thump-
My feet stomped along the dock and I leaped, diving into the water, air whistling through my hair until I hit the surface of the lake with an elegant and almost soundless plop. The water seemed to swallow me, embrace me and wrap me up in its coolness. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't hot either. I mean, I would have been fine in any water temperature, but yeah. Perks of being the Fish Boy. My stiff legs and arms spread out and I pushed myself through the calm water. My shoulders were full of knots before I jumped in, and then, I felt free. I paused and just let myself float. With a deep breath, I thought about how thankful I was that with every inhale I didn't swallow any lake water and my lungs didn't explode. Yeah, I liked breathing. I didn't understand how I could possibly breathe underwater without gills or something (which would be totally awesome), but who needed to understand?
I was just enjoying my swimming, doing impressive backflips in the water and chatting with some lost fish, when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. It seemed to flash in the moonlight. Curiousness took over my body and I felt a sense of adventure flood my mind. Well, what did we have here? I pushed myself closer to the bottom of the lake. The object was small and definitely made of metal since it was catching the light. It seemed to be halfway planted into the sandy bottom of the lake, but I could easily make out the form the closer I got. Confusion and more curiosity flooded my mind as I realised what it was. Why would something like that be at the bottom of the camp's lake? I shrugged to myself and swam right in front of it.
Coolness. I picked it up carefully with my thumb and index finger, examining the details of the object. I wondered why it was there. I shrugged to myself and clasped the celestial bronze amulet around my neck. Finders keepers.
I blinked a grain of sand out of my right eye and glanced up at the sky. Whoa, since when was the sun up? I made sure the locket was fastened securely around my neck and willed the currents of the lake to shoot me up towards the surface of the water. It felt so good that I was reluctant to swim back to shore. I would have to drag Nico here one day. I idly wondered if he would like swimming with me. What if he couldn't swim? The thought made an unexpected giggle rise up in my throat.
"Too much nectar, son of the sea...?"
I whipped my head to the side and felt my face grow unexplainable warm. A naiad wrapped in lake weeds with little pearls beaded through her hair and skin covered in white grains of sand peered at me curiously, almost in concern. Her head cocked to the side as I grew even more embarrassed. She heard me giggle out loud, for no apparent reason, didn't she?
"Uh, maybe it's just the salt water, haha..." I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "Well... Gotta go! Swim safe!"
With that I shot up towards the shore and took off running through camp, my flip flops in my hands, my swim trunks magically dry, and my shirt long forgotten as the mysterious amulet hit my bare chest as I sprinted towards the cabins.
~
"Hey, Leo, man," I panted as I jogged up towards the Latino. He glanced up and grinned, dropping a screwdriver on a random camper's foot. I winced (that must hurt a ton) and turned back to Leo. "Have you perhaps seen Nico anywhere...?"
He crossed his arms and rubbed his chin with his fingers, unconsciously smearing oil all over his face, then his eyes lit up and a smirk tugged at his lips. "I do believe I have, Mr Jackson! Di Angelo has been running around camp all morning looking for you, wheezing like an old man and scribbling little notes to anyone he passed, asking where you were. I think that maybe - and this is just a hunch - that he might want to see you...? Just a guess." He shrugged and nudged my ribs with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
I was slowly becoming creeped out by the son of Hephaestus, but of course, my mind immediately began worrying about my dearest little Ghost King. "Right. So do you know where Nico might be right- Omph!"
I was hit so suddenly that my feet swept out from beneath me and I landed on my back with a big thud. I groaned in the awkward position, wincing since I was still indeed shirtless, and felt a weight on my chest. What the actual hell? In an instant though, I recognised the weight and the feeling of the object that crashed into me (totally not obsessive, just observant), and grinned at the tight hold of someone's small arms around my torso and slender fingers gripping at my body. My stomach filled with butterflies and I rubbed small circles into the person's back.
"Hey, Neeky," I uttered softly.
Suddenly I was entranced by big deep brown eyes, flecked with golden specks. It felt like I had no control over my body as my hand raised up and my fingers brushed the small strands of dark hair out of the son of Hades' eyes so I could keep staring into them. Nico grinned up at me and I couldn't help but smile back. That is, until he smacked me in the arm rather hard. I squeaked and rubbed my bicep, staring at him with shocked wide eyes.
"What was that for?! You were the one that jumped me!" I exclaimed as he slowly stood up from my body.
He held his hand out to me and I glared at it suspiciously. That was a dangerous hand. Evil. It just smacks people without reason. Nico scoffed loudly and raised an eyebrow. I finally took his small hand in mine, ignoring the tingles that shot up my arm, and let him help me to my feet (not without a roll of my eyes). While he slipped out a little notebook and a pen from his back pocket, I dusted pieces of rock and dirt from my skin, pouting at the red mark where Nico had smacked me. He hurt my feelings.
A small piece of paper was shoved into my face, the scrawl written in tiny delicate cursives:
I was worried all morning when I couldn't find you. Explain.
With a sighed, I looked back up at Nico. He had his hands on his hips and a glare on his face. In other words, he looked utterly adorably. Him in his... my baggy red sweatshirt and ripped black skinny jeans and two dark blue spider bites and his undercut growing in in dark little curls. So cute, I just wanted to cuddle him. But I decided I probably shouldn't since Nico's eye was about to start twitching any moment.
I swung my arm over Nico's shoulders and leaned my head on his, my cheek pressed against his vanilla-cinnamon scented hair. "I'm sorry, my little Shadow Prince. I was out swimming pretty early and didn't realise the sun came up. I needed to think. Forgive me?"
Nico's lips were pressed into a straight line, but I knew he was struggling to stay angry. He looked away from me and his frown wavered. He was just too adorable. I hugged him closer to my side, even though I was shirtless, and my stomach erupted in butterflies when I noticed his cheeks flush a lovely light pink.
"I didn't mean for you to worry about me, babe." My eyes widened the size of saucers and I began stuttering nervously as I realised what I had just said out loud. "N-Nico! I meant Nico! Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that, it just slipped out, I swear! I'm not weird! It was an acci-"
Nico's lips stopped my rambling. I froze and my jaw dropped. I could feel my whole body grow intensely warm. It wasn't even a real kiss, gods, control yourself, Perce!
The son of Hades' plump red lips brushed against my neck slowly but surely as he stood up on his tiptoes. My eyelashes fluttered and I almost couldn't hold back a weird squeak or whimper or moan or whatever the hell my vocal chords could produce. I held my breath. I didn't want to wreck the moment at all. I wanted it to last. The feeling of his lips lightly brushing against my skin felt incredible and soothing and comforting and loving and beautiful and- loving! Loving... Oh gods, once his lips, his touch feather light, reached my collarbone, I had to bite my lip to the point of blood so I wouldn't utter a single noise.
When Nico finally pulled back (unfortunately), I allowed myself to breathe again. It was simple but made my knees weak at the same time. I knew then, and I knew before, that this was not what friends did. Give each other feather light kisses on their necks to shut them up. Tackle them in a hug because they worried about them even though they've only been gone an hour or two. Stare at each other with heart eyes when the other wasn't watching. Get matching piercings because they wanted a piece of the other to always be with them. To always be touching each other one way or another. But I didn't care, because to me, he wasn't my friend. I might have been his friend, but he was not mine. He was much more. Or at least, I wanted him to be.
"So..." I muttered a bit breathlessly, "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"
Nico closed his eyes in a silent chuckle and nodded his head. I grinned in approval, slipping an arm around his waist, wanting him closer to myself already.
"Hey!" I suddenly exclaimed in excitement. "You won't believe what I found while swimming!"
He raised his eyebrow, seemingly weary.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. "No, I swear it's not a crab. I haven't brought one of those back to my cabin in weeks! And I swear the last one I caught looked exactly like Sebastien from The Little Mermaid. Don't lie to yourself, Death Breath."
Nico pushed my shoulder with an amused smile and my face heated up. I reached into the back pocket of my swim trunks and fished out (no pun intended) the amulet I found earlier that morning. I untangled the chain and held it out in front of me, showing off my discovery with pride.
I grinned widely. "Look! It's an-" Nico's small fingers snatched it away from my hands and his eyes grew unhealthily large, "- amulet... Um, okay then?"
Nico opened his mouth to reply, but the only thing that came out was a tiny wheeze. He coughed and winced as he rubbed at his throat. I frowned in concern and rubbed at his back soothingly. I felt horrible for the brown eyed boy. I decided to just ask him Yes or No questions so it would be easier for him since he couldn't answer back vocally.
"You've seen the amulet before?" I asked him in surprise.
He blushed a stunning bright red and nodded his head.
I hummed in response. "Were you the one who put it in the lake, then?
Again, Nico nodded, avoiding my gaze.
"I guess it's rightfully yours then," I commented and the son of Hades shrugged. "Well... You're very much welcome, Ghost King."
I wiggled my eyebrows and crossed my eyes, earning a choked sort of wheezy chuckle from Nico and a light punch to my shoulder. I laughed wholeheartedly and grabbed Nico, ruffling up his soft hair. He whined and tried to push my hands away, so I just hugged him to my chest instead. It felt incredible to laugh like that. Liberating and weightless. If only Nico could stay in my arms indefinitely...
NICO POV
Percy almost gave me a fucking heart attack earlier this morning when I couldn't find him. After the dream I had in which Aphrodite visited, warning me about something coming to camp to 'take Percy away from me' I I didn't fess up about my feelings for him, I've been on edge and wanting Percy at all times. When I couldn't find him, I literally searched the whole entire camp for him, without a voice, trying to find him. Of course I looked for him at the lake, but he must have been underwater so I couldn't see him. And that would mean I would have to turn a naiad into a sushi dinner for lying to me.
No one lies to Nico di Angelo and gets away with it.
So after that scare, I was so relieved to see that Percy was okay and well. My heart finally began calming down - and then he pulls out the fucking Love Amulet. I couldn't believe he found it! He might not have known what in Hades it was for or what it did, but I was somewhat about to cry in relief when gave it back to me. With it around my neck, I would know if Percy were to ever be in danger if he were out of my eyesight. I might get another awful scar like the trident imprinted over my heart (Percy hadn't seen it yet, thank the gods), but it was worth every bit of pain.
Percy had to take the afternoon shift in place of a sick Athena kid and teach the newer campers how to move around on field, so I had the afternoon off after dinner. As soon as Percy headed off towards the Arena with a disappointed drag to his step (probably because I didn't volunteer to help him out), I snuck off towards town. I had to find out what Aphrodite was planning, and I was getting desperate and frightened. So I needed information and there was only one place I knew of that would help me out.
The Ancient Library.
Ancient because it was old and it stunk like old people's sweaty feet and the books inside were almost as dry and cracked as the Sahara Desert. But you know... Who needed readable books and a stable building with proper hygiene? Apparently not demigods.
I stepped into the building and door chimed. I cringed my nose at the smell but kept advancing anyways. As soon as I turned down one the dozens of book aisles, I sneezed. With a tiny crackly groan, I wiped my nose and waved around the dust in the air. There was no escape! I released a frustrated puff of air searched the titles of the ancient books.
The History of Love. Aphrodite's Sacred Symbols. Peace, Love and War. Enemies of Love. Ancient Myths: Love. Ancient Beasts. Aphrodite's Guide to a Not-So-Doomed Relationship.
There were so many books about Aphrodite. So many books about Love. Three of them caught my attention, though: Enemies of Love, Ancient Myths: Love, and Ancient Beasts. My stomach churned and I thought I might as well give them a shot. I pulled the three thick books out from their spots in the shelves and carried them over to an old wooden desk all the way in the back of the Library. I was surprised I didn't see Ella the harpy there, she would love it. She must have been back at Camp Jupiter or out with Percy's cyclops brother Tyson.
I sat down in a really uncomfortable wooden chair, feeling stiff already, and sighed. I rested my head in my hand and set off reading.
~
Zeus' affairs behind Hera's back...
Hera's rage against Zeus' love interests...
Narcissus and his love for himself...
Echo and her loss of voice...
Hyacinthus and the tragedy between Apollo and Zephyrus...
The story of Aphrodite's son, Eros...
Orpheus and Eurydice and their trip to the Underworld...
Demigod seducers and their thirst for murder...
I shivered as I read more and more tragedies. I didn't want my life to become one of those stories. I didn't want Percy or myself to be sacrificed to make a good story out of it. It frightened me. I closed my eyes. I hadn't gotten much information in the few hours I've been cooped up in the Ancient Library. I've gone through two giant books, and half of the Ancient Beasts. So far: Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. I was about ready to give up, but I knew I had to keep going. Every time I turned a page, my stomach churned. I just needed an idea, anything, that would help me prepare for whatever was going to arrive at camp to capture Percy.
Anything.
As if my prayers weren't overlooked by the gods for once, a word stood out from the page I was lazily scanning. As my eyes darted back and forth across the page, my heartbeat sped up and I became more and more certain that this was what was coming to get my Percy. But it couldn't possibly be it... Could it? No, it was impossible! But, everything in my life leading up until now seemed impossible, so how could this not be possible? Aphrodite was a goddess. I guess she could make anything happen if she wanted it to. And that frightened me even more.
My stomach dropped and my eyes grew wide.
One word... One word, and it scared me half to death. The beast, the monster, the thing... Percy wouldn't be able to escape it. He wouldn't have a warning, he wouldn't know what was happening, he just wouldn't know that he was going to die... He escaped it once before, but this time... He wouldn't. My breath was ragged and gulped back my fear. I couldn't be scared, I had to protect Percy. I had to stop it before it hurt him. Aphrodite must have said something about stopping it, right?
'Claim your love, before something else does, di Angelo.'
Claim my love... I whimpered on the inside. The only way to stop the fucking beast had to be the only thing I was actually afraid of. Great. Just great. I threw the book away from myself and it hit a bookshelf about three meters away with a loud crack! My head spun and my eyes stung. I fisted my hair with my fingers and felt like screaming, but I couldn't for two reasons. I had no voice. I was paralysed.
Suddenly, I felt like screaming out again. Louder and much more powerful. But not because I was scared, desperate, frustrated. No, but because it felt as if something was burning through my chest. As if a fire ignited in my heart and threatened to destroy me with fire. The pain was searing and blinding and I felt tears pool into my eyes. Wait... That was actual pain. I whipped my head down towards my chest and inhaled sharply.
The amulet.
It was bright red, almost molten. I watched as it tried to burn through my shirt. It had seared through my skin in the exact spot it had before. With a choked whimper, I unclasped the amulet from around my neck and threw it away from myself, just like I had done before. The pain was almost unbearable. I looked down again and gasped for air as the trident burned into my chest bled, a trail of my blood dripping down just above my belly button. But I didn't dare let myself worry about the damage any longer. I glanced back up at the fallen amulet and watched with horror stricken eyes as it's usually celestial bronze colour was now a deep alerting red.
Percy, my mind screamed.
Porca troia... Merda! Cazzo, cazzo, cazzo, cazzo, cazzo! I kept cursing in my mind as I shot up from the desk I sat in and sprinted through the book aisles, trying to get out as fast as I could. I burst out of the Ancient Library and skidded down the town's street, heading straight for camp in an urgent and desperate race to get to Percy.
I didn't have a choice anymore. I had to tell Percy. I had to tell him how I felt as soon as I possibly could. My stomach did not agree with the idea, but I had to or else Percy would fucking die! And I couldn't let that happen! I had to tell him. He had to know. Percy had to know that I liked him as soon as I found and there was no turning back. It was finally going to happen.
But I had to find Percy. Wherever he was, I had to find him and get him alone. Before something else did.
~
End of Chapter
Aw.... SNAP!
What do you guys think is after Percy? HMMMMM?
Do you think Nico will actually admit his feelings to Percy?
What are your predictions, my lovelies? HUMOUR ME, HAHAH!
Love you all :3 Xoxo
- Desperate Nico!