Title: New York City Lights
Fandom: Percy Jackson
Author: Sofipitch
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 827
Summary: Nico has ADHD.
Warnings: Spoilers.
A/N: This has no timeline. None.
"Well, that was fun!"
Nico wouldn't consider chasing a raging gorilla-slime-whatever-that-thing-was-monster down the streets of Manhattan fun. Tiring was more like it, but he didn't really want to admit that. He was alone with Percy, standing on the top of some important building that Nico never cared to learn the name of--he knew where Olympus was, that was really all that mattered.
Percy was standing close to him, Nico shouldn't have taken it as anything special, Percy was a pretty social person, he's good with people. Nico, standing there with him, was distraught over whether he wanted to stay there with him or crawl into his skin and never come back. This was the closest he had been to him in a while, Nico knew Percy didn't completely trust him, not after what had happened with his father.
If Nico didn't feel himself shaking as he stood next to Percy he would almost consider this nice.
"It's weird, don't you think."
"What are you talking about?" Nico made sure his voice wasn't shaking too. Gods, that would be embarrassing.
Percy was looking down at the people scurrying down below them, the sky lights of New York City reflecting off of his skin and hair. "Mortals, they don't even see the world they live in, they go on by, completely oblivious to it. It's weird to think about, now that I've lived in this world for so long." He sighed. "They worry over taxes, we worry that if Hera sneezes it will spark the War of the Worlds."
Nico nodded, very slightly. "Our world is different from theirs." Nico couldn't even begin to describe how different. If he was different from all the other demigods, imagine what mortals would think of him.
Percy looked at Nico. His eyes were muddled and his eyebrows brought tight together. Nico felt as if he were seeing something special, even though he knew that Annabeth had all of Percy's facial expressions memorized, Nico pushed that away and cherished the fact that he was seeing Percy now. It hurt to think that the reason he hadn't memorized Percy was because he pushed him away.
"Sometimes... Do you wish you had your old life back? Before Camp Half-Blood," Percy asked.
'No, because then I would've never met you,' Nico didn't actually say that out loud, but he wanted to. He wanted to reach up, grab Percy by the collar and kiss him. He wanted to run his hands through his hair as he had seen Annabeth do. He wanted, he wanted, he wanted.
"There was no 'before' for me, my life has always been affected by the gods," Nico said, thinking of the Lotus Hotel.
"Yeah, but sometimes I wish I were normal, that I could just not see the monsters and carry on with my day."
Nico made a grunt of agreement. "I wish I weren't the gods' puppet to play with."
Percy smiled softly.
Then they just stood there, the two of them, both of their hair blowing in the breeze; Nico only noticed Percy. He was mesmerizing to watch, and the more he thought of it, the more he thought of how disgusted Percy would be if he realized that Nico was enamored with him. But he couldn't help himself. His heart thudded in his chest and pulsed at his temples.
As he was tracing the profile of Percy's nose with his eyes, he slowly settled to his lips.
See, the thing about having ADHD that most people don't understand is that someone with ADHD seldom think before they do. That's why they are usually labeled and "troubled children" or "stupid". An idea pops into their head and, woah, that sounds awesome at this small instantaneous second.
That was how Nico ended up kissing Percy, his blasted ADHD kicked in.
It was short, and Percy stood dead still--probably from shock. His lips were unmoving against Nico's. Nico didn't need him to move though; all he needed was the warmth. Nico had grabbed him by the collar, just as he had wanted to, but just as he considered knotting his hands in Percy's hair, the realization of what he was doing hit him and he let Percy go as if he had a disease, pushing his backwards against the balcony.
Nico turned and didn't even look at Percy, he didn't want to see the shock, revolt, and utter horror on Percy's face. His cheeks were burning, and not in the cliche term for a heavy blush. No, Nico felt as if Leo had come up and slapped him with his hand ready to make for instant-s'mores. He tried to swallow but it hurt as his throat had gone dry. He didn't even realize as he made a horrified noise under his breath.
As Nico shadow traveled away the last thing he heard was Percy yell, "Nico, wait!"
Nico would never wait though. Not for anyone to get close enough to know him.