Nico di Angelo was a lot of things.

First and foremost, he was a son of Hades – an experience in infamy, slipping in and out of the shadows with a slithering like silence on silk that was as vaguely nauseating as it was graceful; a symbol of power, armies of rot and bone bursting from the earth at the merest twitch of his fingers to storm his enemies and do his bidding.

However, being the prince of darkness meant that he was also everything that came with it.

Nico di Angelo was a liar. He was an underhanded cheat - sneaky, volatile, and anything but dependable. He was an outcast.

One thing Nico di Angelo was not, not by any definition of the term, was virtuous.

Percy was virtuous.

Percy was goodness incarnate, if there was such a thing. He was trust and hope bound in flesh, sea green eyes so deep and thoughtful, yet transparent, like sunlight on water. He was the ocean, coming and going with the ebb and flow of the outside forces that called to him, yet always there when he was needed, a steady, reassuring presence of buoyancy and calm power, destructive only when necessary.

The exact opposite of Nico.

Maybe that was why he wanted Percy so badly…he was the farthest thing from the shadows following Nico everywhere he went, light and positivity in a smile that beamed for what felt like miles. Everyone loved Percy – everyone needed Percy, in one way or another.

Nico knew this. Nico accepted this, understood how and why it had to be this way.

So, when it had first started, he'd thought it was simply jealousy. After all, Percy was everything he'd ever wanted to be – hell, Percy had been his hero. Everyone loved Percy, and Percy loved everyone. That was how it was supposed to be.

Nico was a son of Hades, however, constantly surrounded by darkness and the half-dead remnants of the pain of centuries past, so it was only natural that maybe, when it came to Percy and his position as the savior, as the chosen one, he was just a little bit jealous.

He wasn't quite sure when he'd realized that wasn't the case.

Maybe it wasn't just one specific moment, but all those years put together – years of watching and waiting in silence, hidden in the shadows just as he always was, overshadowed even when he stepped into the light by curly blonde hair and a thousand-watt smile.

Everyone knew that Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were meant for each other. It wasn't even a topic considered worthy of gossip anymore – just knowing smiles and talk not of Percy or Annabeth but of PercyandAnnabeth, Percy's arm tight around Annabeth's slim waist as he told the world she was the only one, looking for all the world like it belonged there.

And it did.

Everyone knew that.

So Nico allowed himself to melt back into the shadows, just barely realizing that he'd taken a piece of Percy with him as saltwater slipped down pale, sallow cheeks to stain the collar of his worn leather jacket.

He didn't return to the surface for several months after that.

But Percy had needed him, and, of course, he had come, just like he always knew he would. He came, and he fought, and he slaughtered, pretending not to notice the way even Percy looked a bit uncomfortable with his merciless, methodical destruction of everything that had stood in their path.

And they'd won, of course.

They always did…well, Percy did, anyways. That was just who he was.

Wasn't that what the good guys were supposed to do?

And so, here he stood, on the creaking deck of the Argo II, watching Percy and Annabeth suck face and talk about their future and wishing he was anywhere, anywhere else, because even Tartarus was less painful than this.

Even the son of Hades had little control over his own emotions.

Still, as he shouldered past the happy couple, forcing his way down rickety stairs into the empty cabins below, trying to ignore the clenching feeling in his throat and the overly-sympathetic glances that damned Roman boy was sending him, the last thing Nico expected was to hear footsteps coming after him.

So when he looked up and saw Percy standing there, all messy black hair and worried green eyes and an aura so good it nearly made him sick, Nico didn't have the time to compose himself before weakness burst out of his chest and up through his throat in the form of a choking sob.

And then Percy's arms were around him, all lean muscle and warmth and security, and Nico couldn't help wondering if this was what Annabeth felt like when he held her, because if it was, he envied her a thousand times more than he ever had before.

Percy's voice was in his ear, murmuring something nonsensical and vaguely soothing, like the rush of ocean waves on sand, but he could hear an undertone of worry in that maturing voice, and Nico realized that this is the first time Percy's ever seen him break down like this.

But he just couldn't stop it, and the tears just kept coming, faster and faster, and he clutched Percy's shirt and whimpered like the boy he was as every trace of his regal demigod dignity was thrown out the window.

Pathetic.

Just one more trait to add to the list.

Then Nico realized that Percy was speaking to him, directly to him, not just murmured comfort as he tried to reassure Nico like he was a wounded animal.

"Nico, come on man, please calm down, what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong."

Nico didn't move. He stayed where he was, tucked safely into Percy's chest, and thought that if he tried hard enough he might be able to pretend that those arms really wanted to be there, around the death god's freak spawn instead of someone much smaller, much more female, much more Annabeth.

"Nico," Percy pulled his head up, forcing the prince of darkness to look into his eyes, those big green eyes that were so wide and trusting and pleading that he just couldn't look away, "Please."

And Nico thought of blonde hair and grey eyes and years and years in the shadows, thought about Percy, so committed, so sweet and kind and good that he'd never even think of looking at any other, and then he grabbed the back of Percy's head and smashed their lips together.

Nico di Angelo was anything but virtuous.

Hey there guys! I know I've been AWOL for for…quite a while now, and there's a few reasons for that. First of all, I just completely lost inspiration for the stories I was writing. Secondly, I grew out of several of the fandoms I was in and just kind of lost my passion for this site. So for the past couple years, I've been around other sites – Mibba, mostly, writing RPF since it's not supported on here. Anyways, I read House of Hades when it came out, and it's sent my Percico feelings haywire, since I've legit shipped this pairing since the original series. (Plus it's given me an opportunity to say 'told ya so' to everyone who told me it was a stupid pairing.)

So here's a little Percico oneshot for you guys! Hopefully I've gotten better as a writer since I've been gone…if not, I'm sorry for burning your eyes out, but I'm pretty proud of this one.