Dam Cold... (PJO/HOO (Nico))

[funinthesun]

Yeah, I know, I still have to finish the other one, but I had so much written on this that I might as well share it now. Let me know if you like!

This is a UA (universe alteration) where Leo and Nico go to the same high school in new rome (armageddon is over) and share a dorm/barracks/cabin whatever. Nico is out to Leo, and Leo is a supportive friend . From what I know about Nico, I think he’d be way into manga and anime, but at the same time still keep up his goth/punk style. He genuinely does like all the heavy metal bands he’s got t-shirts for, but he’s super into the whole anime/manga thing.

Both are 15 at this point.

NOTE: A lot of my personal headcannons will probably make their way into this. I apologize for anything that distracts you from the actual fic. If you read my other thing, you know I take suggestions/input a lot, so just tell me what you think.

NICO

NIco was bone tired.

He cringed internally. He was definitely spending too much time around Leo if he was thinking of bad puns like that all by himself. Nico rubbed his neck. He had been sitting at a desk reading -- okay, attempting to read -- Catcher in the Rye for over an hour. He just couldn’t seem to focus! It didn’t help that Leo was behind him, simultaneously reading and making fun of his entire manga collection. Leo really should have been doing the same assignment, but…

“Notice me, Sempai!” Leo giggled, “Look how short my skirt is!”

Nico rolled his eyes. Focus he told himself. This is due on Monday.

Suddenly, Leo spun the chair Nico was sitting in and planted his hands on either arm. Nico froze. What was going on? Leo had pushed his hair over his eyes and was doing his best to keep his face free of all emotion, but when he spoke, Nico heard the laughter in his voice.

“I am confronting you unexpectedly and in a very strange place. I am pinning you to the wall. There is no escape. You must look into my cartoonish face with ridiculously large eyes and listen to what I have to say. For I am…”

Nico stopped listening. An itch was building in his sinuses. He needed Leo to let go of his chair so he could turn away, or move, or something. He needed to find a way to not sneeze right into his roommate’s face. He needed to...too late. The itch intensified and dug in, no chance of escape. Leo was still too close to his face to do anything. Nico tried desperately to turn his head, but Leo put a hand on his face to stop him.

heh-tchuuh…

Leo blinked. A fine mist covered his face. Rubbing his nose, Nico shoved Leo off of him. Serves him right, he thought. He was in my personal space. But he couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty for letting himself do something so disgusting. And more guilty for feeling that flash of righteousness about it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leo wipe his face off with his sleeve. Ew and come toward him. Nico turned his back on Leo and started messing with his backpack. He wasn’t in the mood to talk. After the sneeze, he realized he was more than tired. He was exhausted. In a way he shouldn’t be after a day of just school. School shouldn't make him feel like he had shadowtraveled from Brooklyn to the Styx and back.

While NIco was pretending to be busy with rearranging all his books (in descending order of girth), he heard Leo come up behind him.

“Nico…” Leo started, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Nico whipped around before his friend could finish, snapping, “What, Leo? Are you going to reenact more of my manga scenes now? Because in the one you were reading, this is where the two main characters kiss. Is that what you want? Really? I’m not in the mood for this right now okay. I’m sorry I sneezed on you, but I tried to move.”

Leo looked confused. He raked his fingers through his hair.

“No, I...I just wanted to know if you were okay. Because I thought you were just down, and I was trying to cheer you up, and then when I got in your face, you kinda panicked and you’re cheeks didn’t feel as cold to me as they usually do and then you sneezed so I was wondering if you were okay.”

Nico stared at the boy he had shared a room with for the past year. Normally, Leo was hyper, and inattentive, and untidy. When he got emotional, he tended towards sadness he tried to hide with manic productivity, and anger that made Nico very very nervous. Leo was holding his gaze with concern, apology written all over his face.

Nico sighed. “I don’t feel that great, but otherwise I’m okay. Just tired. I’m sure a good night’s sleep’ll do the trick.”

“Okay.” Leo nodded and went back to his bed. He picked up the little book that was lying on his pillow and carefully put it back in it’s spot on Nico’s shelf. “Sorry, by the way.”

LEO

For the rest of the night, Leo kept an eye on Nico. Winter was always really tough on the guy, and Leo could relate. Losing someone really taints everything about your memories of that specific time. Everything is a warning, and the weather reflects your emotions. For Leo, it was arid, and empty, and battered with wind. For Nico, it had been bitterly cold, and bathed in moonlight.

Leo knew for a fact that Nico had gone out every night that week to look at the moon and the stars.

Since the first sneeze, Nico’s nose seemed to have started running.

snff.

Leo turned in his chair to look at Nico. He couldn’t see his friend’s face, mostly because of the superlong, dark, hair that hung around his face when he leaned forward. It looked like Nico was pressing the back of his hand to the underside of his nose. As he watched, Nico drew in a breath and turned his face into the crook of his elbow.

heh-kshuh...ktcheu…

“Salud.” Leo said.

Nico turned his head just enough to see Leo out of the corner of his eye, and nodded thanks. He then turned back to his work. Leo knew he was pushing it, but he was worried that Nico wasn’t going to take care of himself. And he figured it wouldn’t hurt to remind him that someone cared.

“Nico, how’re you feeling man?”

Nico didn’t look up. “You know those fun house mirrors?”

“Yeah.”

“You know the feeling you get when you look in them?”

“Yeah.”

“I feel like I’m seeing the world through fun-house mirrors, and it’s starting to make my head hurt. Like I said, I need sleep.”

“Okay”

Leo turned back to his homework. He knew Nico was going to be stubborn about this. Leo took a deep breath and turned back to Nico.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?” Nico sighed, he turned around all the way this time.

“Does that mean you’re gonna stay in tonight? No late night stargazing?”

Nico looked at him in shocked silence for a moment. You’re not as stealthy as you think bro. Leo thought. I hear you when you leave. Then Nico shook his head and agreed.

“Yeah, okay. No stargazing.” Nico started to turn back once more.

“Hey Nico,” Leo blurted.

“Yes, Leo. What do you want.” Leo could hear the impatience in his voice.

“Was the next part in the manga really where they kiss, cause…”

Nico interrupted him, “You’re not my type, Leo,” he said pleasantly.

Leo backtracked “No, I didn’t mean...I was just curious!”

“Besides,” Nico continued, “I didn’t think you were ever flaming in that particular sense of the word.”

Nico grinned at Leo over his shoulder. Leo hadn’t seen that smile in a long time. Unfortunately, the moment was short-lived.

heh-kshuuu

“Salud”

“Shaddup.”

[PetalPunk]

good start. I really want to know what happens. I hope you make it a messy, miserable cold...

[weepy]

fhiuw FIUEWF ;AHWE'A FOIWE FJEOIW NICO!

Heheehehehehehe I'm going to enjoy this massively, I can already tell~

[VividBubbles!]

Oh Leo. I love you so much it hurts. And, btw, I saw the reference in the title. LOL, you sly dawg.

So is there going to be contagion? Because the sneeze in the face thing looked pretty promising.

I'm really looking forward to reading more of this, funinthesun.

BYE!

Edited October 21, 2013 by VividBubbles!

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Awwwwie this is so cute :3 pls continue.

[v a n i l l a]

SFKJFDKFJHIAEURHA There cannot only be one part up. Continue dis. NOW. This is the only M/M fic I've ever liked. Evar.

[funinthesun]

Short update, thanks for all of the positive feedback! i have no idea how this sounds. bye.

LEO

Part of the reason that Leo and Nico got along so well as roommates was the fact that neither of them slept very much, and so it wasn’t usually a problem if one or both of them was burning the midnight oil to do something or other. “Usually” was not exactly the word to describe tonight.

Leo glanced over at his friend. Only about an hour had passed since the whole “Manga Reenactment” snafoo, but Nico’s head kept slipping down, down, down, and then snapping back up. It was ridiculous how hard the guy was trying to not fall asleep.

In the hour that had passed, Nico had sneezed about five times. Soft, but forcefully. Always covered by the crook of his arm. His nose had definitely not stopped running.

Leo sneaked another glance at Nico. His chin had dropped to his chest and Nico was breathing slower now. Nico’s long, dark, hair hid his face, but Leo promised himself that if Nico didn’t wake up in 5 seconds, he was going to suggest that he go to bed.

Leo tipped his chair back on two legs and pondered Nico’s situation. What could be causing his discomfort? Nico said all he needed was sleep, but that wasn’t the whole truth was it? Leo started counting in his mind, going through the symptoms that NIco had grudgingly admitted to. Sneezing, obviously. A runny nose, headache, fatigue, and slight dizziness. Could it just be a combination of exhaustion and allergies? Or….

Distracted by his thoughts, Leo let himself tip a little too far back in his chair. CRASH!!

Nico snapped up, and sprang to his feet turning on the spot. Trying to see what had caused the noise no doubt.

“What are you doing, Leo?” Nico sat back down, but didn’t turn back to his school work. A slight smile played around his lips.

Leo de-sprawled himself and sat up. “Just, you know, testing the hardness of the floor. Yeah. Cause...uh...you never know when you may need to know just where your floor falls on the Mohs hardness scale.” Leo knocked on the floor. “Yep. I’d say that this is about a 4.”

Nico shook his head, still smiling. “You fell didn’t you.”

“Yes sir!” Leo said.

NIco started to turn back to his book. Leo groaned internally, what was it going to take to get his friend to just go to bed already? He was already half asleep, and moving toward full asleep!

Nico tossed his book into his backpack and headed for the bathroom.

“M’Goin to bed.”

This might not be so hard after all…

[v a n i l l a]

I like dis. (: Continue pleaseee :3

[VividBubbles!]

Oh Leo. You are such a dork. An adorable adorable dork.

And d'awwww. Nico, you so cute. And btw, the falling asleep but trying not to thing is just the cutest thing in the world.

Can't wait to read more!

BYE!

Edited October 28, 2013 by VividBubbles!

[weepy]

Bwahahahahahaha Leo's such a dope~ Yup~ A dopey, sexy, dope! I love him. Great update!

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Leo's such a dork I agree c: *has a new liking for Leo *. Ouh continue please a sneezy nico is cute c:

[funinthesun]

Update for ya!

People asking for congagion: in the words of every person planning something big ever "Muahahahaha"

NICO

Nico woke to a stuffed nose and an empty dorm. Or at least he assumed the dorm was empty. Leo wasn’t running around making random noises and burning things, and it was already 10 am.

He sat up too fast. Nico’s vision swam and went black at the edges, forcing him to lean forward. That didn’t help anything either. Leaning forward just made his sinuses throb more. Groaning, Nico swung his legs out of bed to go search for some tissues. He had forgotten to get some out the night before. To his surprise, there was already a box of tissues set out on his nightstand, presumably for his use. Thanks, Leo.

Nico plucked a few tissues from the box and shuffled out of bed. He was late. Again. For school. Yay.

Absentmindedly, Nico brought the tissues up to his nose and blew. He felt a little bit of relief, but as soon as he brought the tissues away, his nose seemed to re-pressurize itself until it was just as stuffed up as it had been before! Nico tried again, and again, and again. He blew his nose so hard it honked, but still there was no relief. All he accomplished was to turn the bottom of his nose bright pink.

Glancing at the clock again, Nico made a decision. He would rather clean himself up and be even later than go now in this state. It was embarrassing, disgusting, and slightly rudolph-esque. He was going to take a shower. Yes. Then he would go to school.

~~~~~

Up until that moment, Nico hadn’t known it was possible to need to sneeze when your nose was completely plugged. Now he knew. Oh boy did he know. An intense, almost burning, itch was growing as the hot water ran over his head and down his face. Nico’s breath started to hitch, and the burning grew and took hold.

ah...heh...heh-GK’XHSHUU….ah-gtchu...ah...ahhh…..G’KXHSHUUU….E’XHSHUU

Dizzy from the fit, Nico leaned against the shower wall. Water dripped from his hair down his face and neck. He let the hot water beat against his neck and shoulders for a moment longer before he turned it off. He needed to get to school.

heh-KSHUH

Nico rubbed the back of his hand under his nose vigorously. He had to get to school.

[v a n i l l a]

So cute. :3

[VividBubbles!]

People asking for congagion: in the words of every person planning something big ever "Muahahahaha"

YES.

Mmm, Nico. You're so adorable.

Can't wait to read more!

BYE!

Edited October 30, 2013 by VividBubbles!

[weepy]

Niiiiicoooooo!

Oh man, I love you so much! You update so fast; thank you thank you thank you!

[funinthesun]

Greetings Reader! I hope you have enjoyed your stay in this fic thread. Can I interest you in another update? Good, we're having a post-halloween special!

Hello Commenters! I accept your love, and say "Right Back At Ya!" There is much much more cuteness planned!

LEO

When Nico stumbled into third hour halfway through class, Leo internally smacked himself for not locking their dorm from the outside somehow so that his friend ( who was very obviously sick) couldn’t get out. Let alone come to school. What in Hades was Nico thinking? Why did he even want to be in school? Leo didn’t want to be in school, but the headmaster had pulled him aside and told him that if he missed one more day of school, he was going to take away his shop privileges. Which was why Leo was in history when Nico slipped into the seat in front of him.

As soon as the teacher had turned around (after the obligatory “Thank you for joining us today, Mr. D’Angelo”) Leo rolled up his worksheet and whacked Nico in the back of the head with it. Nico stiffened, and shot Leo an angry look over his shoulder before turning back to the teacher and furiously copying the notes down. Leo leaned forward so that his mouth was right behind Nico’s ear.

“What are you doing here?” He hissed.

Nico pulled out a scrap sheet of paper and wrote on it. TRYING TO LEARN. SHUT UP VALDEZ.

“You’re sick doofus, go home,” Leo wasn’t about to shut up anytime soon.

NOT SICK. NOT DOOFUS. STOP LEO.

“Yes you are.”

NO.

“Then why didn’t you get up this morning?”

YOU DIDN’T WAKE ME.

“Didn’t know that was my job.”

YOU ACT LIKE IT IS. I WOULD SLEEP THIS MUCH EVERY DAY IF YOU WEREN’T SO ANNOYING.

Leo settled back into his seat. Nico wasn’t going to give up. And if he had gone to the trouble to get ready for school and come, even 2 and a half hours late, he wasn’t about to go home either. Leo sighed. It was going to be a long day.

----

No matter what he said, or wrote or whatever, Leo could tell that Nico was sick. And he was pretty sure that everyone else could tell too. It wasn’t obnoxious or anything, but it was obvious as hell. Before yesterday, Leo had never heard Nico sneeze before. He couldn’t say that now, and neither could anyone else in their classes. His sneezes were now coming within 15 minutes of each other. Quiet, slightly wet, but forceful. You could always tell they were coming too.

Snf.

Leo glanced at Nico. Nico had propped the back of his hand under his nose, trying to suppress the itch. Leo watched as his friend’s shoulders rose and fell, his breath hitching as he tried to fight the sneeze. This went on for half a minute, until Nico was practically panting with the effort of keeping his nose in check. When the sneeze finally overtook him, Nico tried his best to hide it, though he had little success. All he managed to do was to muffle it slightly in the crook of his elbow.

H’KXHSH

Amid mumbled blessings from the other students, Nico ducked his head and rubbed at the underside of his nose.

The process was repeated over and over again.

In Math(s).

ah-H’KTCHUU

hhh...KXSHC

eh-gxchuuu

In English:

ah….eh….ah-EKTCHU

eh-kshhhxx

H’KXCHTUU

Science was the first class that Leo actually heard Nico talk in. And it was mostly because he forced him. Nico probably wouldn’t have said a word all day, which to others might not have seemed out of the ordinary, but Leo knew different. Nico was a sarcastic little bugger, and normally didn’t miss an opportunity to make a snarky comment about anything. A quiet sarcastic comment that only Leo and a few others ever heard.

Today there had been no update on how the school cafeteria food was only fit for zombies (or possibly WAS zombies), how the guys on the football team were acting far too macho to actually be straight and no comments on Leo’s usual disheveled appearance. Nico hadn’t fake-flirted with any girls (he did it just to mess with them cause he was good looking. Leo thought it was mean.) Just sniffles, and sneezes, and a honking nose blow that he wasn’t supposed to have heard (because Nico was hiding in a bathroom).

Until science.

“Hey Nico,” Leo said, sliding into a stool at Nico’s lab table, “You wanna be my partner?”

“Sure.”

Nico had his head down on the desk, and didn’t even pick it up to respond to Leo. Leo got the message: I DON’T WANT TO TALK, but that didn’t mean he was going to listen. Not in the slightest.

Their teacher, Miss Coriander, was handing out the lab instructions, and the entire class was full of chatter. Leo finally had a chance to talk to his friend, who had avoided him all day. Even going so far as to eat his lunch in the bathroom so he wouldn’t have to talk.

“So, how’re you feeling buddy?” Leo ventured.

“How do you think,” Nico snapped, “I feel like sunshine and butterflies Valdez. I feel like confessing my love to Percy Jackson, and I think we will ride off on Blackjack and Porkchop into the setting sunshine and the butterflies will come with us.”

“I see.” Leo accepted two worksheets from Ms. C. and slid one toward Nico who let it run into his arm, and didn’t move.

Leo started to fill in his name and the date, all the time thinking about Nico. Sunshine boy wasn’t sounding too sunshiney. If anything, he sounded like he was allergic to the pegasi he wasn’t going to ride with Percy. Nico’s voice was lower, and a little strained sounding. His consonants weren’t completely unintelligable yet, but some congestion was beginning to make itself heard in his speech. The purposeful way Nico was pronouncing his words told Leo that he was trying hard not to let his “n”s turn into “d”s.

h’KXSHU

“Bless,” Leo said, glancing at Nico. He had finally gotten his head up off the table and was supporting his head by holding on to his own hair as he filled in the top of his own paper.

“So I guess you’re not feeling any better than you were last night,” Leo said. “And while I’m guessing, I’m gonna say you probably feel worse.”

Nico completely ignored him, sitting up straighter and wrinkling his nose. He let go of his hair, and used the back of his hand to rub at his nose.

“What did you get for number 2?” Nico asked, still skirting the question.

“I rearranged the density equation. But Nico,” Leo turned to face him head on. “Why are you here if you don’t feel good? It’s okay to…”

“Who said anything about not feeling good?” Nico groused, his hand still propped under his nose, “It sure as hell wasn’t me.” A pause. “You did the math wrong. The answer shouldn’t be that small.”

Leo scrubbed at the answer with his eraser.

“You might not have said anything, but the fact that you’ve sneezed more today than I’ve heard you do in the history of...ever should say something!” Leo shot Nico a pointed glance. “Being stubborn isn’t going to help you at all!”

“It’s not worth skipping…” Nico began.

“Yes it is!” Leo cried, exasperated.

“Mr. Valdez!” Ms. Coriander’s voice cut through the din of the classroom, “If you have a disagreement within your group, would you please resolve it more quietly, and allow the rest of us to concentrate on science?”

Leo nodded, seething.

Nico got up to get the materials for the experiment.

“I don’t see why you care anyway.”

[VividBubbles!]

When Nico stumbled into third hour halfway through class, Leo internally smacked himself for not locking their dorm from the outside somehow so that his friend (who was very obviously sick) couldn’t get out.

Awww, classic Leo! A concerned, caring friend who would show these qualities through weird ways that would piss you off and be super endearing at the same time.

Nico was a sarcastic little bugger, and normally didn’t miss an opportunity to make a snarky comment about anything.

This is totally my head canon of Nico if he was close to anyone on the ship.

Nico hadn’t fake-flirted with any girls (he did it just to mess with them cause he was good looking. Leo thought it was mean.)

I would totally not mind. Nico can flirt with me any day.

“How do you think?” Nico snapped. “I feel like sunshine and butterflies Valdez. I feel like confessing my love to Percy Jackson, and I think we will ride off on Blackjack and Porkchop into the setting sunshine and the butterflies will come with us."

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!

“I don’t see why you care anyway.”

Ooooohhhhh, Nico. Be ready for some retaliation for that, dude. Not cool.

I can't wait to read more!

BYE!

[weepy]

Waaaaaalalala~ Oh man, will you look at this piece of art! Oooohh I love you so much!

Hehehehe oh Nico, you silly little death child~

[v a n i l l a]

So cute. Asdfghjkl. More please!

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Ah I missed too updates?. Quite a shame. I'm glad I read them now ! Nothing negative to say about it. Fully detailed & adorable c: perrfect. Oh I wouldn't mind if you add some contagion getting Leo sick . Like two sick boys would be wonderful. Mkai c:

[funinthesun]

NICO

Nico immediately felt horrible about what he’d said. It had just popped out of his mouth! He didn’t mean it in a bad way, he was just sorta confused about why Leo cared that he was at school so much. He wasn’t that sick. Did he look that bad? One glance in the mirror over the classroom sink answered that question for him.

Yes he did.

His stupid italian nose was a dark pink, and his eyes were puffy looking and red-rimmed. He was paler than usual, and that wasn’t even possible. Nico was as pale as they came. In addition, Nico noticed that the hair on his arms was standing up. The science classrooms were always a bit chilly, but Nico could usually get by with just a t-shirt or something. He shivered. His bare arms weren’t doing much in the way of making him feel better. But he needed to get this lab done. It was a grade after all. And he needed to get back to Leo and talk to him again.

Returning to the lab table with his arms full of glassware, a sneeze snuck up on him. Unluckily for Leo, he turned around at the exact wrong second.

ah-hTSHHHH

All. Over. His face. Again.

Nico cringed as Leo blinked and wiped the spray off his face.

“Sorry, Leo.”

“No, no,” Leo said, a sharp edge creeping into his voice, “That’s only the second time you’ve sneezed into my face.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry about earlier too.” Nico set the glassware down. “I didn’t mean it that way I just honestly don’t…”

“That part I understand,” Leo murmurred. “You don’t understand why you’re worth the attention. I get it. It’s okay.”

“I….”

“Nico, really,” Leo looked at him again. “It’s okay.”

Nico nodded gratefully, before losing control of his shivers. Holy Hercules that was annoying. And he didn’t need Leo to get concerned again. He wasn’t that sick.

All prayers aside, Leo did notice, evidently. Because a few seconds after that, Leo was taking off his hoodie to give to Nico. Actually, he just kind of left it on the counter between them, and got up to ask the teacher a question. Nico’s resolve not to give in to weakness lasted a few seconds. He pulled the hoodie over his head, conscious of his classmates around him. Were they looking? Was it weird for a guy to put on another guy’s hoodie?

All of a sudden Nico didn’t care. He was so much warmer now.

He had a weird thought, would Leo do that on purpose? Warm up the inside of his sweatshirt? Nico immediately dismissed the thought. It was stupid.

[v a n i l l a]

Awskdhksjdlsdjfve why do you do this to me. Stahp making this so freaking adorable. I'm supposed to ship Hazel & Leo (I don't know their ship name) & Nico and Calypso (They don't have a ship name. XD) Not Neo/Liko/Whatever their ship name is. (The only one I know is Percabeth)

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Can I ship this?. They're so cute cx I love this. He sneezed in Leo's face again, precious :3 Cute c: pls update soon.

[VividBubbles!]

Guys, if we're talking about ships, I ship all the canon ones so hard, you guys don't even know. Lico or Neo or whatever the Hades this is is against my very nature, my very core. But gods it feels so right. I love both their characters so much and to put them together into a relationship is just so much feels packed together for the two of them.

I can't wait to read more!

BYE!

[funinthesun]

Okay, I'm sorry to bump this without an actual update, but I have a serious question for you guys. The fic is pretty much caught up to where i've written, so I've been wondering what direction to take this. I know that canonically,Nico is the only LGBTQA+ character. But as you guys have said, there's a lot of chemistry in the Leico ship (this is an actual thing btw), and it's been really hard for me to keep this story from devolving into some borderline smutty areas. So I guess what I'm asking is this:

Would anyone be opposed to Leo having a revelation while he's sick (and he will be) and taking his relationship with Nico to the next level?

I would try to keep it from getting too OOC, and keep it pg-13 (the frick frack will not be performed in this particular thread) but i just want to know if you guys are okay with this turning into a slash fic. I'll continue writing as normal (i'll try to update again later tonight) since the plot won't be affected, but just give me your input and i'll take it into consideration!