Nico x Male!Reader | AU

Water dripped down his bare back, in rivulets that raced further and further down, to the curve of his lower back and further down again.

Wordlessly, you fluffed the white towel before draping it around his royal shoulders, dabbing the water away from his creamy, smooth skin. Nico threw a leg over the ceramic tub and stepped out onto the pristine tiled bathroom floor.

Your dried off his skin, averting your eyes so he wouldn't think you were ogling the heir to the thrones bodily parts. Carefully, you dried his hair and behind his ears, dabbing gently at his porcelain face.

"Ready to be dressed, Master?" you wondered.

His onyx eyes bore into yours, saying nothing.

Sighing, you led the prince to his bedroom.

Black silk sheets graced his bed, black curtains keeping out any lights and casting a cold air to the room. Like always, you shivered, never getting used to how Nico could turn his bedroom so icy cold in a Kingdom where fire raged.

You slipped his underwear on for him, followed by a crisp, white shirt. Buttoning it all the way to the top, your fingers sometimes brushed the skin on his chest. You pretended not to notice him stiffen. Then you pulled black trousers up his thin legs, to rest around his small hips. Despite the endless supply of food that the King had, Nico was a picky eater and seemed to shrink in comparisson to the sons of the Sky and Water Kingdom.

Dark bags hung under his even darker eyes, as he watched you slip a skull ring onto his finger and clasp a skull necklace around neck. Brushing your fingers through his hair, you left it relatively messy - just as the Prince preferred it.

"All done, Master," you said, smiling softly. "Do you need anything else?"

As the son of the King of the Underworld, a nation just South of the Kingdom in the Sky, Nico di Angelo had royal blood in his veins. With his petite features and dainty, silk clothes and dark jewellery, he sure looked it.

You had grown up with Nico.

From a distance, you watched him age as jewels crowned his head and fingers while you scrubbed the floors with your maid mother and servant father. He got diamonds, you got callouses. But he never treated you badly, unlike the King. You loved having a job but the King worked you hard, even when you broke your arm that one time and it took twice as long to complete chores. Nico was kind, in his own brooding, dark way.

"Yes," he said. "I need .... advise. Of a r - romantic kind."

The blood in your veins froze.

You'd heard rumours, whispered amongst the servants in the household about Nico's refusals to be married off to a beautiful princess or to "spend time" with the night walkers in the Underworld; a polite way of saying he denied the opportunity to sleep with prostitutes. In fact, the only woman he had ever seemed to care about was his sister who passed away a number of years ago.

"A girl, Master?" you asked, the words slipping out before your mind processed them.

Nico went rigid. "No .... A boy."

He watched the barely masked shock on your face, as you swallowed thickly and looked everywhere but into his eyes. That's what he'd been afraid of - that you'd ignore him or threat him differently.

"Forget about it," he hissed. "And if you tell anyone, I'll seperate your body from your head with my own sword, do you hear me?"

"Y - yes, Master."

"Now, leave."

"Yes, Master."

You bowed to him, trying to look as respectful as possible as your mind replayed his words over and over again. The King would never have a grandchild, unless he fathered another child but he was getting old, too old, to visit his many mistresses or Queen like he had in his youth. Nico was also his only child, since the death of Bianca, so if word got out, there would be distress and turmoil in the entire Underworld.

Which saddened you.

So much trouble would come about and for what?
Because the Prince simply didn't like girls.

For a moment, you pitied Nico.

.

Three, huge black dogs pulled the carriage in place of horses. They snarled and growled at all in their path, making merchants part and children scream. Even you were afraid, sitting in the safety of the carriage across from Nico and his father. They were journeying to the Kingdom of Water, to discuss trade.

"Relax, servant," Hades ordered. "My pets won't harm anyone on our side."

That didn't calm you.

You were uncomforable the entire journey until you finally reached a beautiful castle with a wide, vast ocean for a backdrop. Though you'd never been to the sea before, you'd heard tales of its beauty and of its anger - huge, awe-inspiring waves claiming ships and its valuables. There was a painting of the ocean in the castle where you worked, only it was a much darker hue of blue with mermaids dragging sailors into its depths than the serene-looking one behind Poseidon's castle.

Poseidon had insisted that you, a servant, dine with everyone at dinner.

It was the most tense experience of your life.

As a servant, you ate meager scraps out of the royals sights, with your hands as utensils. Not rich, suculent food with dainty cutlery and expensive plates. That's what you liked and although you appreciated the kindness, you were too used to the life of a servant to know or want anything else.

Gazing down at the fork and knife, you held them awkwardly as the others ate elegantly; Podeidon, his heir Percy, Hades and his heir Nico.

"Here," Percy said softly, taking your knife and hand and positioning your hand less weirdly. "It feels more comfortable this way, right? It's also easier to eat with."

Your face was entirely red as you nodded. "I - it's better, yes. Thank you."

Percy smiled sweetly.

You thought you saw Nico scowl from the corner of your eye but brushed that thought aside. Though as dinner progressed, you noticed Nico's sly glances in Percy's direction and, suddenly, everything became clear.

He had a crush.

A part of you thought it was cute. The boy you'd grown up watching had a cute little crush (even though it was his cousin and a male). But another part of you, that jealous side that everyone tried to ignore, was enraged that someone so petite and darkly beautiful was interested in the boy who smelled like sea salt.

Lost in your own thoughts, you didn't notice your name being called.

"Servant!" Hades suddenly shouted.

You jumped, accidentally dropping your knife and fork as they clattered to the mostly empty plate. "Y - yes, King?"

"Go prepare everyone's baths," Hades said. "You're in another's home, you should show respect."

"Yes, King."

Standing up, you pushed your chair in and helped the maids milling in to collect the plates and bring them to the kitchen. Then you slipped away to prepare Hades' bath first, as he was your owner. Then Podeidon's bath was readied, followed by Percy's. Lastly, you walked into Nico's bathroom, surprised to see him sitting on the edge of the tub.

Water splashed into the ceramic tub, tiles designed with starfish or an octopus on the walls and blue and white tiles on the floor. Beachy products were nestled on a hammock-like shelf with seaweed hanging in dribs and drabs.

Your dark prince looked entirely out of place.

"Percy was cute, Master," you said, trying to show support for his sexuality. "You would make an attractive couple."

Nico turned red. "W - what? I - "

"I saw you looking at him, Master. You already told me your secret, so you can talk freely to me if you want." Then you changed the subject, partly due to how uncomfortable he looked and mostly because of his heavy glare. "Was I too slow, Master? Is that why you drew the bath before my arrival? I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting."

He waved my comment aside with a gentle flick of his wrist.

"He is cute, though, right?" he commented softly. "His eyes look like emeralds."

"Yes, Master, they rather do."

You pretended that pain in your gut wasn't there.

.

"Ah, Nico!" a joyous voice shouted. "Come here for a moment! You too, (Y/N)."

Percy treated you as a friend, not a servant. It made you twitch every time he did. After a long life of moving in the shadows and serving others, being called by your first name by royalty sounded almost vulgar to your ears. A gross exchange between royalty and a servant.

You trailed after Nico, his darkness seeming so loud in the bright blues and whites of the ocean-side castle until he reached Percy and ...

"This is my fiancee, Annabeth," Percy beamed, kissing the woman's hand.

She rolled her eyes, golden locks pinned up and a book tucked under her arm. "Shut up, idiot. You're just trying to show off."

"Can you blame me?" Percy whispered huskily, kissing her hand again.

You thought you saw tears in Nico's onyx eyes.

"Nice to meet you," he said darkly. "But I have work to do."

"Ah, your father asked me to accompany you during your work," you said, lying easily as you followed your Master.

Nico worked hard to keep a cool mask as he turned on his heels and stormed up to his bedroom and threw himself onto the bed. You locked the door behind you, sitting beside him on the bed and patting his messy locks. He turned a furious eye up at you, so you calmly ran your fingers down his porcelain cheek.

"Leave," he ordered.

"I know I always listen to your orders, Master," you said. "But for once, I can't." He sat up, ready to hiss at you like a poisonous snake but you hugged him and rested his head against your flat chest. He was the same age as you, but he looked so ancient and broken in your arms, like pottery with a crack down the middle. "Before I was your servant, I watched you and considered you my friend. I think you did too, isn't that why you told me your secret? Since we're friends, you can always rely on me, Master."

"Call me Nico."

"Okay," you agreed.

"No, I meant that as an order. Say my name."

"Nico," you breathed, his name sounding strange on your tongue. You'd never once called him by his name; only his titles. Despite all the times you'd thought it in your mind, it sounded so loud when you said it.

"Again," Nico ordered.

"Nico."

A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "Bianca used to hold me like this when I was little and upset. She used to always say my name until I calmed down." He seemed to have said that without meaning to, when he blinked up at you in surprise.

"Is it working, Nico?"

He nodded, pressing his blushing face in the crook of your neck.

Once more, you pitied the dark prince.

"I'm always here for you, Nico," you said.

And you meant that as a friend, not his servant.