Title: Stuck In a Teethy Situation

Description: Nico di Angelo comes out to Percy Jackson after his wisdom teeth are removed, while high on laughing gas. A Percico one shot story.

Pairing: Percico/Niercy

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Heroes of Olympus book series by Rick Riordan.

Cast: Nico di Angelo, Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque, Will Solace, Jason Grace.

Tags: coming out, gay, lgbt, demigods, greek and roman mythology, Camp Half-Blood. 

Nico has always been a silent, stand off-ish type of guy. Didn't socialize with people, stuck to the shadows, and preferred being around the dead more than the living. After the Giant Summer, Nico slowly began to embrace life. He gave campers pointers to improve their fighting skills. Capture the Flag became a welcomed activity by the Shadow Price. Through helping in the Infirmary, sparing with someone quick as lightning, and slowly easing an old soul into the 21st century, Nico began to see that people might not be so bad. With his best friends, Jason, Hazel, and Will, Nico grew more comfortable, and traces of the carefree, happy ten year old he used to be started lighting his darkness.

By orders of his mother hen, Sunshine, worry wart of a friend doctor, Nico wasn't allowed to eat alone. 

"When you're on your own, you're moody. While in your burying cloud of darkness, ghosts grow restless and undead zombies crawl out of the ground from hell. It's hard to control powers when us demigods are upset, but I'm not risking you becoming a ghost yourself. So no avoiding people anymore di Angelo, that's an order Death Breath." Nico remembered Will's order he gave Nico after his three days in he- I mean Infirmary. Will say back, probably thinking of all the injured he'd have to tend to while Hazel and Jason were discussing strategies for capture the flag as they are, Nico added his input here and there, adamantly avoiding the food on his plate. Someone cleared their throat, and Nico abandoned the sentence he'd been speaking and turned to a very pointedly glaring Sunshine.

"You're not eating." Will frowned displeased.

"I'm aware." Nico said blankly.

Will's eyes hardened as he said Nico's name stubbornly. Before Will could begin his Doctor rant about the importance of food to one's health, Nico held up a hand, successfully silencing not only Will but his sister and the blond Superman as well. 

"My teeth just ache and chewing will only make them hurt more." Nico waves it off.

"How long have they hurt?" Hazel asked, concern in her golden eyes. Nico wrapped his arm around her comfortingly as he rested his face in her curls. "Only a week."

Jason's glasses fell off his face in shock.

"Seriously?" Will growled in frustration, abruptly rising to his feet, passed the gaping mouthed in disbelief son of Jupiter, and was at Nico's side in the blink of an eye. Confusion swrilled in the shadows of Nico's orbs before Will held Nico's chin and whispered in his "Doctor's orders" voice, "Open your mouth." 

A few Aphrodite girls swooned at those two. 

"What. The. Hell." Nico tried to pull away but Will wrapped an arm around the Ghost King to keep him there. 

"Open up." Will said more firmly. Nico wasn't attracted to Will, but he could pick up that Will's voice was hot only because Hazel was fanning her pink cheeks. If his heart didn't try to escape his chest and bring him to a certain single son of Poseidon, then he'd resemble the color of the apple Nico ate each day for a month after the second war's end in hopes that "an apple a day would keep the doctor away." 

Nico narrowed his eyes, Will and his friendship was built upon bickering. "No." he said stubbornly. 

Will wouldn't back down. "Do it or I'll open it myself." He challenged.

"And how will you do that?" Nico growled as he brought his face to Will's, believing it'd intimidate him. Nico may not of known how Will planned to open his mouth but his other two wide eyed best friends seemed to know.

"Keep denying and you'll find out." Will threatened. Nico's eyes hardened and he opened his mouth to snap at him but Will held Nico's chin in place, keeping the Ghost King's mouth open. Nico mumbled something that sounded something like "fuck you" but the curly haired blonde only laughed at his huffing best friend. Will then began throughly examining Nico's mouth, gums, and teeth.

Will frowned as he finished Nico's check up. 

"Your gums are swelling, making your teeth really sensitive, mainly your back ones. Your wisdom teeth are nearly in, it's over crowding your mouth. We need to get you to a dentist stat." Will instructed. Will didn't even let Nico finish visiting Hazel and Jason before he dragged Nico out of the Dining Pavilion.

~~~

Living on fire from a river in a hell at the edge of Chaos had done many things to the Sea Heir. When Percy Jackson lived through the second war of his life, he thought things would be peaceful, he was never more wrong. Flashbacks became a prominent everyday occurrence. Campfires and sacrificial flames brought the feeling of Percy's insides being burnt to ash. Showers and swimming brought back the wailing voices trying to drown him in water and misery. The stars brought back the voice of a heart stricken titan named Bob, a hollow echo reminding him that his friend could never see them again. Percy nearly had a panic attack in elevators because when the doors closed, the panic, adrenaline, fear, and every emotion and sense washed over his body. Making Seaweed Brain feel everything as if he was pushing against those elevator doors with Annabeth, fighting with his dead tiredness to keep the doors from flying  open in those minutes from hell . . . 

In order for Tartarus to not haunt his day and night, Percy went to the Hypnos cabin often for advice to help rid himself of dreams of that place, or just to talk about them to for advice to help rid himself of dreams of that place, or just to talk about them to keep himself from drowning in his demons. Percy and Annabeth leaned on each other heavily to make each other stronger. In their dependency on each other to get through Tartarus, as they never felt they escaped even with being at camp, Percy and Annabeth found there wasn't any spark of romance between them anymore, they looked out for each other as siblings would, so there was no point to being in a relationship. Staying around the seven helped to ground Percy, their friendship was the consistency he needed.

Over the year Percy would practice in the arena. Teach younger campers to swing a sword, swim, and surf. He helped nymphs to keep their waters clean and visited or iris message Thalia and Grover whenever he could. Besides Annabeth, those two were his oldest friends and he loved joking around with them, when they'd talk, it felt like no time or distance ever separated Percy from Pinecone Face and Goat Boy. Nico had opened up to a small group of people, and even through it hurt him to not be one of them, Percy was genuinely happy to look across the Dining Pavilion and and again to see Nico smiling and becoming so carefree, becoming how things should of always been. Tartarus made Percy realize how many things he never finished, only took a few curses for that, so one of the big things he does is help his bro Jason in any way possible to give the gods and their children the respect and feeling of home they need. There won't be any more feeling unwelcome if Percy could help it. 

"This is for you Luke, Ethan, and Nico." Percy had promised on the styx.

~~~

"Stupid Sun Child." Nico through in displeasure. Will had dragged him to Canoe Lake and demanded Percy to take him to the Dentist, with the obscurity to claim to Nico that, 

"Percy was the closest demigod to us who is a good driver."

"He said that as if he didn't drag me halfway through camp to bring me to the person I've been helplessly in love with for years. Damn Sunshine." Nico thought with a scowl.

Percy opened the door of his Step Father's priest, still complete with pegasus prints on the hood, holding it for Nico. Percy's sea green eyes sparkled with happiness, he smiled at Nico like there was nothing that could make him more joyful, like there was no place he'd rather be. When he did that Nico's mouth grew dry, he fidgeted with his hands, and with the skeletal butterflies in his stomach came a sinking feeling in his stomach because of a realization. There was pain lost in Percy's irises, scars scattering his skin from monster battles that would never go away, Percy wasn't invincible, not the perfect super hero Nico followed around like a lost puppy before Bianca's death. Percy Jackson was just as breakable as the rest of them, and that made him so much more beautiful to the dark Prince. It took all of Nico's self control to not take a step closer to the ravinette he was nearly eye to eye with and kiss him, but Nico managed, and the Ghost King buckled as the Fish Stick hopped into the drivers seat of his father's car.

"You can pick some music if you want." Percy said and Nico hurriedly scrolled through songs on the blue monster proof iPod, Leo had made them all for any camper  who wanted one, it didn't take Daedalus to know who's mobile music playlist Nico was scrolling through. Nico was so quick to grab the device that he nearly dropped it, causing Percy's safe and warm laugh to come from the drivers seat. Nico peeked out of the corner of his shadow eyes to see a cute carefree sideways smile lighting up Percy's face, the sight made a small content smile come to the edges of Nico's lips.

New York traffic is brutal. It would of been unbearable, stressful, and the two hyperactive boys undoing if they didn't have music. Percy drummed his fingers on the steering wheel with a content smile as Nico's humming unknowingly reached Percy. Nico was looking out the window when Percy's voice joined along with the song and hit the breaks on all his thoughts, capturing all of the Dark Prince's attention as he turned to Percy. Percy sings two songs, both by Lukas Graham. What Happened to Perfect describes the struggle more in depth of how Annabeth and Percy fell apart. It shows how Tartarus made them break and their relationship crumble. After the struggle portrayed in What Happened to Perfect, after their break up, it gives the duo enough strngth to lean on each other and get through hell together as best friends. Happy Home is sung next. The lyrics are pretty self explanitory, but basically it shows the struggle of growing up without his father, how things chaned when Poseidon comes into his life, Sally raising him, the struggles with Gabe and other things Percy went through in the PJO/HOO book series. Listen to the songs with those things in mind and let your mind wander to see your own conclusions to how the words fit Percy's story. ~Katie(: Percy's voice was sad, heartbreaking from emotion, but also so hopeful. His singing held his heart in those words, so deep, vulnerable, it was beautiful. Percy turned off the car engine, Nico didn't even know they parked. Percy's smile was small and a mix of happy and sad as little tears ran down his cheeks. He didn't know his heart would pour out when he sang those words, it left Percy a little unsteady. When Nico wrapped his arms around him, Percy let the tears fall willing, he never would of thought Nico would let him be vulnerable with the Ghost King, and with the safety, strength, and care Nico showed in this, Percy found himself wondering how he's survived his life without being in Nico's arms until now . . . 

Percy was leaning over the desk as he finished singing the dentist sign out sheet for Nico. Once he turned around, looking for an empty chair to sit down in, the door to the dentist stations flew open.

"Per-seaaaa!"

Percy turned to see Nico's black hair in its natural bed head state, a smile more big and happy than the one he wore when he talked about Myth-o-Magic, and dark eyes warm and over flowing with love in the irises. Nico ran over to Percy and threw his arms around Percy's back, nuzzling his face into Percy's chest in an utterly adorable fashion. Percy's sea scent enveloped Nico, in it's calming, welcoming, kindness. Percy held the uncontrollable smiling son of Hades close, one hand gently running through Nico's messy dark hair, with a soaring heart and butterflies in his stomach. Percy accidentally voiced his thoughts of the Shadow Prince, 

"You're so handsome, Nico." Percy whispered as he felt his cheeks warm up.

Percy had went into his Lord of the Bathroom, bathroom. Nico didn't know when Percy would come back but every second felt like months and his heart was missing him. Percy had brought Nico to the Poseidon cabin because he didn't want the adorable dork child of darkness to be alone in his post-laughing gas state. The boy cried so heart-breakingly in the car because they don't have Happy Meals in school Cafeterias. Percy had to encourage the trembling in tears boy to lie down and rest Nico's head in his lap so he could comfort him while the Fish Stick drove. As Nico whimpered Percy hummed, one hand steering the wheel while the other soothingly rubbed his stomach. While they drove Nico looked up at the hero of Olympus and softly sighed, enjoying Percy's gentle touches.

Percy walked out of the bathroom to find Nico staring around the cabin looking miserable, turned upside down with Nico's legs on the backrest and his head hanging off the end of the couch. Percy laughed at how bored Nico looked, then he saw Nico's shirt riding up his torso.

"Well muscled and slim stomach . . . Sexy toned abs . . . Battle scars litter Nico's pale skin, he's just like an angel, battered and bruised but still heavenly." Percy thought and chewed his lower lip. Nico sat up right on the couch and Percy missed the sight of Nico's blemished but beautiful skin. "I don't know if you only were thinking out loud or meant to dirty talk me like that. But either way you became way more desirable." Nico's growl caused Percy to shiver in pleasure. Nico walked over to Percy and connected their lips. Percy met Nico's slow kiss with just as much feeling. Turns out Nico didn't have to come out to Percy, because that day Percy took Nico to the dentist, after that kiss Percy admitted Nico stole his heart, and Nico's held it ever sense. Percy looked down at the man who held a ring, the one he fell in love with seven years ago and the twenty sic year old son of Poseidon said yes. And when Nico drew Percy into his arms, kissing the living daylights out of each other, both knew they had found the one who completed them. Shadow and Sea, two children of the Big Three,  an everlasting love shining in green and black eyes. 

. . . the End . . . 

Author's Note: I wasn't sure how to end this story. I just knew I wanted something deeper than a single kiss to promise the beginning of their relationship.

Here's the timeline of the story

A year after the Giant Summer, 18 year old Percy Jackson had conquered the demons Tartarus left him with. 15 year old Nico di Angelo had found a family in his friends. They began dating that Summer and with Percy 19 and Nico 16, Nico got to "meet" Sally again but this time as her sons boyfriend. They got an apartment together in Staten Island  after Nico graduated High School. Nico di Angelo was 23 when he proposed to his soulmate, the son of the sea, Percy Jackson.