Prólogo, Segundo Arco - Refulgente (Amor De Babá)

nobody warns you that writing makes you obsessed with hands. what are they doing? are they trembling? are they clenched? are they—

I’m an artist who rocks. No, seriously! I rock. And tree. And water.

🌸✨

Thinking of them being domestic in their apartment in New Rome🤲 (and un-colored background version bc I found it cute)

Save a fanfic writer, leave comments on old fics

There is this a peculiar set of reasons and biases when it comes to NOT commenting on AO3.

They are all false, but here they are:

Do not comment on old fics

Do not comment on each chapter of a multichapter

Do not comment if the author left the fandom

Do not comment if the author doesn’t respond to comments

It can be summoned up as DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU ENJOYED THE WORK AND YOU LIKE THE AUTHOR.

It comes from the idea, that if you leave a comment on my old work, or leave too many comments, I will think you are strange, clingy, and gross.

Readers are imagining it as commenting on an old Facebook photo — only your granny and creepy strangers do that.

That is not the case with AO3.

Writers put their works there for long-term storage, and we expect, wish, and hope that you will like our works and tell us about it.

This all very interesting, not, but why should I care?

This has awful consequences.  Fanfic authors feel constant pressure to create more and crippling fear of being forgotten, useless, and being literally kicked away from fandom.

I’m online friends with a few great fandom authors, who wrote storied with thousands of kudos, but ALL of them at some point expressed this fear. Very talented people told me, “I’m not sure if I should have ‘writer’ in my bio. I didn’t post anything new in the last half of a year.”

Some young or entitled readers might say, “Hm, well, they are right. They should create MORE to be relevant. Isn’t that a good thing to push authors to write more?”

For better or worse, life doesn’t work like that. We are talking about real people, who go to real schools, have real jobs, families, and all the other important things outside the fandom. Some of them might push to create more from that fear, but most would only get more frustrated and depressed about the whole fanfic writing.

So, please, if you like the work comment on it.

Even if it’s old, even if it’s a multichapter, even if the author doesn’t have time and energy to interact. Especially in all those cases.

Encourage your authors, and show them your support.

what better birthday gift than to be trending on Twitter

SO HERE IS THE WHOLE STORY (SO FAR).

I am on my knees begging you to reblog this post and to stop reblogging the original ones I sent out yesterday. This is the complete account with all the most recent info; the other one is just sending people down senselessly panicked avenues that no longer lead anywhere.

IN SHORT

Cliff Weitzman, CEO of Speechify and (aspiring?) voice actor, used AI to scrape thousands of popular, finished works off AO3 to list them on his own for-profit website and in his attached app. He did this without getting any kind of permission from the authors of said work or informing AO3. Obviously.

When fandom at large was made aware of his theft and started pushing back, Weitzman issued a non-apology on the original social media posts—using 

his dyslexia; 

his intent to implement a tip-system for the plagiarized authors; and 

a sudden willingness to take down the work of every author who saw my original social media posts and emailed him individually with a ‘valid’ claim,

as reasons we should allow him to continue monetizing fanwork for his own financial gain.

When we less-than-kindly refused, he took down his ‘apologies’ as well as his website (allegedly—it’s possible that our complaints to his web host, the deluge of emails he received or the unanticipated traffic brought it down, since there wasn’t any sort of official statement made about it), and when it came back up several hours later, all of the work formerly listed in the fan fiction category was no longer there. 

THE TAKEAWAYS

1. Cliff Weitzman (aka Ofek Weitzman) is a scumbag with no qualms about taking fanwork without permission, feeding it to AI and monetizing it for his own financial gain; 

2. Fandom can really get things done when it wants to, and 

3. Our fanworks appear to be hidden, but they’re NOT DELETED from Weitzman’s servers, and independently published, original works are still listed without the authors' permission. We need to hold this man responsible for his theft, keep an eye on both his current and future endeavors, and take action immediately when he crosses the line again. 

THE TIMELINE, THE DETAILS, THE SCREENSHOTS (behind the cut)

Sunday night, December 22nd 2024, I noticed an influx in visitors to my fic You & Me & Holiday Wine. When I searched the title online, hoping to find out where they came from, a new listing popped up (third one down, no less):

This listing is still up today, by the way, though now when you follow the link to word-stream, it just brings you to the main site. (Also, to be clear, this was not the cause for the influx of traffic to my fic; word-stream did not link back to the original work anywhere.)

I followed the link to word-stream, where to my horror Y&M&HW was listed in its entirety—though, beyond the first half of the first chapter, behind a paywall—along with a link promising to take me—through an app downloadable on the Apple Store—to an AI-narrated audiobook version. When I searched word-stream itself for my ao3 handle I found both of my multi-chapter fics were listed this way:

Because the tags on my fics (which included genres* and characters, but never the original IPs**) weren’t working, I put ‘Kara Danvers’ into the search bar and discovered that many more supercorp fics (Supergirl TV fandom, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor pairing) were listed.

I went looking online for any mention of word-stream and AI plagiarism (the covers—as well as the ridiculously inflated number of reviews and ratings—made it immediately obvious that AI fuckery was involved), but found almost nothing: only one single Reddit post had been made, and it received (at that time) only a handful of upvotes and no advice. 

I decided to make a tumblr post to bring the supercorp fandom up to speed about the theft. I draw as well as write for fandom and I’ve only ever had to deal with art theft—which has a clear set of steps to take depending on where said art was reposted—and I was at a loss regarding where to start in this situation.

After my post went up I remembered Project Copy Knight, which is worth commending for the work they’ve done to get fic stolen from AO3 taken down from monetized AI 'audiobook’ YouTube accounts. I reached out to @echoekhi, asking if they’d heard of this site and whether they could advise me on how to get our works taken down.

While waiting for a reply I looked into Copy Knight’s methods and decided to contact OTW’s legal department:

And then I went to bed.

By morning, tumblr friends @makicarn and @fazedlight as well as a very helpful tumblr anon had seen my post and done some very productive sleuthing:

@echoekhi had also gotten back to me, advising me, as expected, to contact the OTW. So I decided to sit tight until I got a response from them.

That response came only an hour or so later: 

Which was 100% understandable, but still disappointing—I doubted a handful of individual takedown requests would accomplish much, and I wasn’t eager to share my given name and personal information with Cliff Weitzman himself, which is unavoidable if you want to file a DMCA.

I decided to take it to Reddit, hoping it would gain traction in the wider fanfic community, considering so many fandoms were affected. My Reddit posts (with the updates at the bottom as they were emerging) can be found here and here.

A helpful Reddit user posted a guide on how users could go about filing a DMCA against word-stream here (to wobbly-at-best results)

A different helpful Reddit user signed up to access insight into word-streams pricing. Comment is here.

Smells unbelievably scammy, right? In addition to those audacious prices—though in all fairness any amount of money would be audacious considering every work listed is accessible elsewhere for free—my dyscalculia is screaming silently at the sight of that completely unnecessary amount of intentionally obscured numbers.

Speaking of which! As soon as the post on r/AO3—and, as a result, my original tumblr post—began taking off properly, sometime around 1 pm, jumpscare! A notification that a tumblr account named @cliffweitzman had commented on my post, and I got a bit mad about the gist of his message :

Fortunately he caught plenty of flack in the comments from other users (truly you should check out the comment section, it is extremely gratifying and people are making tremendously good points), in response to which, of course, he first tried to both reiterate and renegotiate his point in a second, longer comment (which I didn’t screenshot in time so I’m sorry for the crappy notification email formatting):

which he then proceeded to also post to Reddit (this is another Reddit user’s screenshot, I didn’t see it at all, the notifications were moving too fast for me to follow by then)

... where he got a roughly equal amount of righteously furious replies. (Check downthread, they're still there, all the way at the bottom.)

After which Cliff went ahead & deleted his messages altogether. 

It’s not entirely clear whether his account was suspended by Reddit soon after or whether he deleted it himself, but considering his tumblr account is still intact, I assume it’s the former. He made a handful of sock puppet accounts to play around with for a while, both on Reddit and Tumblr, only one of which I have a screenshot of, but since they all say roughly the same thing, you’re not missing much:

And then word-stream started throwing a DNS error.

That lasted for a good number of hours, which was unfortunately right around the time that a lot of authors first heard about the situation and started asking me individually how to find out whether their work was stolen too. I do not have that information and I am unclear on the perimeters Weitzman set for his AI scraper, so this is all conjecture: it LOOKS like the fics that were lifted had three things in common:

They were completed works;

They had over several thousand kudos on AO3; and

They were written by authors who had actively posted or updated work over the past year.

If anyone knows more about these perimeters or has info that counters my observation, please let me know!

I finally thought to check/alert evil Twitter during this time, and found out that the news was doing the rounds there already. I made a quick thread summarizing everything that had happened just in case. You can find it here.

I went to Bluesky too, where fandom was doing all the heavy lifting for me already, so I just reskeeted, as you do, and carried on.

Sometime in the very early evening, word-stream went back up—but the fan fiction category was nowhere to be seen. Tentative joy and celebration!***

That’s when several users—the ones who had signed up for accounts to gain intel and had accessed their own fics that way—reported that their work could still be accessed through their history. Relevant Reddit post here.

Sooo—

We’re obviously not done. The fanwork that was stolen by Weitzman may be inaccessible through his website right now, but they aren’t actually gone. And the fact that Weitzman wasn’t willing to get rid of them altogether means he still has plans for them. 

This was my final edit on my Reddit post before turning off notifications, and it's pretty much where my head will be at for at least the foreseeable future:

Please feel free to add info in the comments, make your own posts, take whatever action you want to take to protect your work. I only beg you—seriously, I’m on my knees here—to not give up like I saw a handful of people express the urge to do. Keep sharing your creative work and remain vigilant and stay active to make sure we can continue to do so freely. Visit your favorite fics, and the ones you’ve kept in your ‘marked for later’ lists but never made time to read, and leave kudos, leave comments, support your fandom creatives, celebrate podficcers and support AO3. We created this place and it’s our responsibility to keep it alive and thriving for as long as we possibly can.

Also FUCK generative AI. It has NO place in fandom spaces.

THE 'SMALL' PRINT (some of it in all caps):

*Weitzman knew what he was doing and can NOT claim ignorance. One, it’s pretty basic kindergarten stuff that you don’t steal some other kid’s art project and present it as your own only to act surprised when they protest and then tell the victim that they should have told you sooner that they didn’t want their project stolen. And two, he was very careful never to list the IPs these fanworks were based on, so it’s clear he was at least familiar enough with the legalities to not get himself in hot water with corporate lawyers. Fucking over fans, though, he figured he could get away with that. 

**A note about the AI that Weitzman used to steal our work: it’s even greasier than it looks at first glance. It’s not just the method he used to lift works off AO3 and then regurgitate onto his own website and app. Looking beyond the untold horrors of his AI-generated cover ‘art’, in many cases these covers attempt to depict something from the fics in question that can’t be gleaned from their summaries alone. In addition, my fics (and I assume the others, as well) were listed with generated genres; tags that did not appear anywhere in or on my fic on AO3 and were sometimes scarily accurate and sometimes way off the mark. I remember You & Me & Holiday Wine had ‘found family’ (100% correct, but not tagged by me as such) and I believe The Shape of Soup was listed as, among others, ‘enemies to friends to lovers’ and ‘love triangle’ (both wildly inaccurate). Even worse, not all the fic listed (as authors on Reddit pointed out) came with their original summaries at all. Often the entire summary was AI-generated. All of these things make it very clear that it was an all-encompassing scrape—not only were our fics stolen, they were also fed word-for-word into the AI Weitzman used and then analyzed to suit Weitzman’s needs. This means our work was literally fed to this AI to basically do with whatever its other users want, including (one assumes) text generation. 

***Fan fiction appears to have been made (largely) inaccessible on word-stream at this time, but I’m hearing from several authors that their original, independently published work, which is listed at places like Kindle Unlimited, DOES still appear in word-stream’s search engine. This obviously hurts writers, especially independent ones, who depend on these works for income and, as a rule, don’t have a huge budget or a legal team with oceans of time to fight these battles for them. If you consider yourself an author in the broader sense, beyond merely existing online as a fandom author, beyond concerns that your own work is immediately at risk, DO NOT STOP MAKING NOISE ABOUT THIS.

Again, please, please PLEASE reblog this post instead of the one I sent originally. All the information is here, and it's driving me nuts to see the old ones are still passed around, sending people on wild goose chases.

Thank you all so much.

SITTER'S LOVE - Nico!Babysitter, Percy!Teacher-father - Chapter I

Hello, welcome to our story.

When I started writing this story, I planned to do something simple that would allow me to explore a fantasy I've always had, the teacher and the apprentice, and I took the opportunity to throw in a few tropes, such as babysitting, found family, abusive boyfriends, even more abusive relatives and a discreet D/s dynamic.

I feel it would be interesting to give a few warnings right at the start. There will be no underage sex in this story, although there will be a certain mental imbalance due to their age, and also a socio-economic imbalance, but that will disappear completely over time. At the moment I have about 100,000 words ready, with the promise of doubling that figure. We'll get to at least 150,000.

If you want to know more details, check out the story's masterpost. I hope you can join me on this journey.

That wasn't exactly one of the best days of Nico's life. In fact, it wasn't the best week, month or year.

"Nico." The place's manager said as soon as he saw Nico approaching the front door.

This was the moment Nico dreaded the most every morning since he started working there.

Andrew McMillan crept towards him with carefree steps and stopped in front of him, greeting Nico all happy and excited. The manager had his hair slicked back, white skin and dark eyes that always turned his stomach. Nico couldn't say the man was ugly, because in fact, he was one of the most handsome men he had ever met. But there was something about him, something behind those dark and calculating eyes, that made him rethink every word that came out of the man's mouth, making him look for the double meaning that always came, sooner or later.

The manager looked him up and down, victorious, staring at him with malice, eyes that sparked more with every second that passed, in which neither of them said anything.

‘Yeah, it was today,’ Nico thought.

His shoulders slumped and he sighed, resigned to his fate. Andrew seemed to grow even happier as he wrote something down on his clipboard.

Smiling even wider at him, Andrew went back to examining Nico as if he were a mysterious specimen, appreciating him in a way that made Nico feel uncomfortable, something that only this manager had managed to do in his few years of life. And even if it was a mask, Nico wouldn't let Andrew know how those looks made him want to vomit, how his anxiety grew as they continued to stand in the middle of the sidewalk, especially knowing that no one would come to his rescue.

This could only mean one thing.

"Sir, I can explain everything. I--”

"Was the bus late? Were you stuck in traffic?" Andrew shook his head, feigning regret and touched his shoulder, making Nico freeze in revulsion, feeling a fear he didn't know where it came from. "This time, there's nothing I can do for you.”

"Please, I need this job!”

"I'm on your side, you know that, Nico. But rules are rules. This is the fifth time this month.”

"Is there nothing you can do?”

Nico regretted asking as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Maybe there is, but I don’t know…"Andrew crossed his arms and moved closer to Nico, as if he was going to tell him a secret. "This requires a sacrifice. Are you willing to do it?”

"Ah." Nico said, taking a step back.

It wasn't the first time Andrew had said something like that. The thing was, Nico had never taken any of those... suggestions seriously, but now that he was here, he didn't know if he wanted to stay in a place like that, even if he could or really needed to.

“I’m sorry, Nico,” Andrew said, his voice sounding compassionate and gentle, before adding, “We can’t forget to stop by HR, okay?”

Nico didn't know what had changed that morning. He had woken up early, showered, grabbed his backpack from the doorknob of his room, and walked through the hallways of his house, silently so as not to wake anyone. He had taken the crowded bus at the same time and faced an hour's journey to get to his current job, a restaurant that claimed to be gourmet, but was actually a hybrid imitation of those fast food restaurants; burgers, sandwiches, milkshakes, and pizzas of all flavors. And like every other day, he had gotten off the bus right on time and rushed to the dignified establishment where he worked.

Of course, his manager was waiting for him at the entrance, like every other day. He had peeked inside the place and saw that they had already opened all the doors, cleared the tables and put the chairs in place, and he could hear the noise of people already working at their posts.

So, a little confused, but accepting his fate, Nico followed Andrew through the restaurant in that strange walk of shame. It wouldn't be the first time something like this would happen, the rotation of workers being quite large there. Still, most people looked at him with smiles as evil as Andrew's, and the others, who looked at him with sincere pity, he would miss. Apart from that, everything else could explode if it were up to him.

Nico lifted his head, held his bag tightly, and headed to the back of the restaurant where the accounting was located. He might be leaving, but Andrew would regret abusing his power.

***

"Man, I can't believe you did that! My little hero." Will said, breaking into a huge smile.

Nico didn't know how long he could hold out like this.

Will looked him up and down and hugged him tightly after squeezing his cheeks until they were so sore, his boyfriend's behavior becoming so energetic that Nico thought they would stretch and fall to the floor, limp. A kiss came next, sweet and soft on his face, another on his chin, slowly going down with those little pecks that only served to make him more irritated.

"Will, stop it! And I'm not small. How can five feet nine inches be small?

Nico closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, he just needed to breathe.

Usually he wouldn't mind Will being so close, he even liked it when Will touched him in that slightly overly sexual way, but nothing that went beyond what he felt comfortable doing. Today wasn't one of those days; today those soft caresses suffocated him, making him feel trapped inside a box that had no escape, or holes for air to enter. Will was suffocating him, strangling him with that care that his boyfriend insisted on offering when Nico hadn't asked for it.

He took a deep breath and dodged Will's lips, pushing him by the shoulder. He threw his backpack at Will, followed by a punch in his boyfriend's shoulder. Yes, Will, his burly, idiot boyfriend just laughed, his square, kind face annoying him a little more with each passing second. As though it wasn't enough to have spent two hours at the police station and be questioned like he was the one who had committed the crime, he had to spend an extra hour in the HR office denying the "bonuses" and "benefits" in exchange for "confidentiality". Some time later, when he was released from the interrogation, Mr. Jones, the owner of that franchise, did everything he could to prevent him from filing a complaint, especially when he saw that the cameras at the restaurant's door had recorded everything in audio and video, having enough evidence to accuse the manager of abuse of power and sexual harassment.

Honestly? Nico knew that nothing would come of it and that the case would take a long time to go to the court, and at the same time, he knew that he had to do it; all those afternoons having to listen to jokes that, deep down, were too sincere, needed to be reported. Without wasting time and feeling very avenged, Nico did the only thing he could, he took out his cell phone and filed the complaint. Police cars soon blocked the front of the establishment and the employees were dismissed, while Mr. Jones and company were sued for moral damages and abuse of power. Now, whether he would win the case remained to be seen in the future when the court decision was made.

The real problem arose when Nico was released from questioning. With no money for lunch and just enough for a bus ticket, he decided that continuing on with his day as if nothing had happened was the best tactic. Dragging himself through the streets after leaving the police station, Nico walked the few blocks, forcing himself to visit Will at the community center, just as he always did at that time of day; Nico would meet Will at lunch, the only time Will was free to talk, and then he would go home to look for another job until he had enough to pay for college.

Nico turned the corner and continued on his way, distracted and so upset by the last few hours that he barely noticed what was happening. When he saw it, hands grabbed him by his waist and dragged him to a nearby alley while someone pressed him against the wall and a mouth placed itself on his without his permission. And he was so distressed that he only realized it was Will when he punched him in the stomach and kicked him well in the groin.

"Will Solace!" Nico gasped in surprise, anger, fury. Although Nico admitted that he was a little traumatized by the whole experience, this was not the right time or place to do that kind of thing. He also admitted that he was not in his best moment, Nico could kill someone if given the right motivation.

Will didn't seem to care what he was saying. Groaning breathlessly, Will walked in his direction and held Nico by the waist one more, saying: "You don't do that to a man, shorty.”

So this time, feeling guilty and a little afraid of what Will might do, or worse, afraid that Will might say something to his father, Nico let Will continue. Will lifted him a little off the ground and Nico automatically wrapped his arms and legs around Will.

Will… he… Will didn’t like being contradicted, you know? If things didn’t go exactly as Will wanted, something could explode or be thrown into the air. Nico preferred to avoid that kind of argument. Or other kinds of reactions. It wouldn’t be the first time they fought about the lack of sex or Nico’s absence in general. He wasn’t ready and Will was. He didn’t want to get married and Will had already bought the rings. Nico definitely didn’t want to live with him while Will had bought a house with a nursery and everything else they could possibly need in Will’s twisted dreams. Nico didn’t even know if he wanted that kind of responsibility, but still, this was him trying to make an effort for his parents and everyone else who thought the wedding would happen soon. And maybe… just maybe… it wouldn’t be so bad to have a handsome and hot boyfriend who was willing to be with someone as boring and… old-fashioned as him. Despite knowing Will's mistakes, ignoring the people Will kept behind his back, he didn't care as long as everyone remained satisfied.

Nico kept asking himself… who dated for three years and didn’t want to have sex? Or didn’t care about cheating?

He couldn't explain it, there was something about it all... something between them that didn't feel... right. I mean, the problem should be him, right? Will was cheating on him because Nico couldn't take that last step, no matter how many times Will tried; Nico always gave up at the final moment. It just felt... wrong, like Nico was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

Nico felt a strange and uncomfortable shiver run up his spine when Will held him tighter than usual and pulled him firmly by the hair, whispering in his ear:

"I missed you so much, shorty. Where have you been that you haven't answered your cell phone?

Oh, maybe he wasn't that uncomfortable after all... It’s like, Will was always too gentle, you know? So careful, and all that care made Nico feel weak, like he was going to break into a thousand pieces at any moment, and Nico didn't like that one bit. But when Will lost control? Touching him hard and willingly, without fear of hurting him as if he actually wanted to hurt him, but just a little, just to leave a mark on him, just like Will was doing now...? That was another story. It was at those times that Nico would say yes if Will asked him. The fact was that if Will had to force himself to be nice to treat him well... Nico didn't want to live with someone who deep down pretended to be something he wasn't. It didn't matter the reason.

"Are you listening to me?" Nico heard a soft voice next to his ear again. He felt goosebumps rise up his spine and gave up trying to reason.

Nico wanted to say that he hadn't done it on purpose. He wanted to answer Will's text and calls and even if he wanted to tell him everything that had happened right away, he wouldn't have been able to, he was in the middle of a police interrogation; not that the answer to that seemed important at the moment, not to Will. He went back to kissing Nico as if that was the only goal in his life and all the air or thoughts fled from both of their heads.

That... that was so wrong, right in the middle of the street where anyone passing by could see them... Nico shifted and tried to speak, feeling the air leave his body, uncomfortable for another reason. Well, maybe he groaned softly, Nico couldn't tell, tried to pull away from Will only to be pulled back against his will.

"What's the problem? "Will said between sighs and bites, his tongue returning to Nico's mouth, massaging his lips and moving in the way that Nico liked the most, making him relax a little more, just enough for Will to lower the zipper of his pants.

And again, he had no choice. Will slipped his fingers inside Nico's underwear, making him gasp. However, that was when Nico heard something, a loud sound that made him open his eyes and realize what they were doing. Nico then pulled his mouth away from Will's lips, pushed him by the shoulders and put his legs on the floor while he zipped up his own pants, looking for his ringing cell phone. He definitely should have gone home instead of going all the way two blocks to the community center where children and teenagers came for help.

Well, customs were hard to break.

Nico finally bent down, unzipped his backpack and found the damn cell phone that was at the bottom of a narrow pocket.

"Nico Di Ângelo? We have a job for you." Someone spoke immediately, barely letting him answer the call.

It was Caren from the employment agency, her dry, grumpy voice recognizable anywhere. Impolite and rude, it sounded high-pitched to his ears.

"Sure. What would it be about?”

"Taking care of two children during the day. With overtime pay and labor rights.”

It would definitely be better than his last job. Nico could trust that.

"When?”

"Tomorrow at 7am.”

"Okay. Should I wear a uniform?”

"No, just show up on time.”

So, the phone was hung up on him and Will, who was next to him leaning against the wall, laughing, touching his face and kissing him now softly.

"Looks like our fun is over.”

"You didn't see anything. Do you know what happened today?" Will raised his eyebrows and leaned towards Nico, curious, which made him feel very relieved. He loved Will, but he wasn't in the mood for any kisses.

So, what did you think? Uninteresting? Should I exclude these scenes?

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME - PERCY/NICO AU HIGH SCHOOL - CHAPTER XXIV

Good reading!

CHAPTER I / CHAPTER II / CHAPTER III / CHAPTER IV / CHAPTER V / CHAPTER VI / CHAPTER VII / CHAPTER VIII / CHAPTER IX / CHAPTER X / CHAPTER XI / CHAPTER XII / CHAPTER XIII / CHAPTER XIV / CHAPTER XV / CHAPTER XVI / CHAPTER XVII / CHAPTER XVIII / CHAPTER XIX / CHAPTER XX / CHAPTER XXI / CHAPTER XXII / CHAPTER XXIII

“You've been very susceptible to... suggestions. Is it just me or is it something in general?”

“Only you. I think... I trust you.”

“I’m honored,” Percy said without any irony, his low, velvety tone giving way to something more normal. “I was afraid this would happen. I will never abuse the trust you give me.”

“I know that. I never doubted it.”

“That's why I have to talk to you about something.”

Oh no. Was he in trouble?

Nico watched as Percy got up and picked up a box that was at the foot of the bed, a little bigger than a shoebox.

“What’s that?”

“It's the surprise I wanted to show you.”

Nico was afraid just to look at it. What could be so important that Percy felt the need to hide it from the rest of the family? Hesitating, Nico remained quiet, leaning against the headboard of the bed and waited for Percy to approach once more, sitting down next to him.

“I've been thinking about what you told me, that I don't take what you say seriously.”

“I know you--”

“I'm not done.” Percy didn't even speak louder, but his tone of voice demanded obedience. And Nico was already tired of fighting his instincts, so Nico just shut up and paid attention to Percy.

The problem with that was that Percy looked guilty about something, his face twisting into a grimace. Nico continued to wait, watching Percy almost fidget with anxiety. Of course, until Percy sighed and looked at him once more, looking as resigned as Nico felt.

“I didn't mean to talk to you like that.” Percy finally said, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I don't care. If you tell me to do it, I will. It's something natural for me, you know?”

“Nico.” Percy sighed once more, looking tired.

“Could you... just... do what feels natural to you, too?” When Percy raised his eyebrows in disbelief, Nico added, “It’s just a suggestion.”

“I'll think about it.”

“I mean, you always had this aura…”

“Domineering?”

“It's more like, you expect to be obeyed. And that's okay?”

“Is that a question or a statement?”

“It depends on you.” Nico ended up shrugging, trying to fake the calm he didn't feel at the moment.

“You mean to tell me that I can be domineering whenever I want and you will obey me? Without question?”

“Hm... probably?” The correct answer was “absolutely”, but that would be too much humiliation for just one person.

“Really? Even when you don’t agree with me?”

“I guess so.” Nico shrugged again and looked away from Percy. Most of the time that was what happened anyway; he didn’t want it to happen, and in the end, Percy was right. If Nico had listened to Percy in the past, he could have avoided a lot of things.

“Baby.” Then, he heard Percy's tone of voice change, becoming softer and more velvety.

It wasn't that he had an uncontrollable urge to obey, it was the knowledge that he would be very well rewarded if he decided to be a good boy. And he was, immediately after hearing that word. Percy grabbed him by the neck, making him lift his head and kissed him, joining their tongues in a sigh.

“I don't want you to feel trapped or like you have no choice.” Percy said some time later, brushing his lips against his.

“I don't feel that way. I feel free knowing that you will take care of me.”

“Are you sure?”

“I trust you.”

“Allright, then.”

Percy pulled away from Nico enough to look into his face and smiled, looking content this time, but still holding him by the neck, possessive and firm, although his voice remained soft.

“That's why I need to show you what's inside this box.”

Percy released him and picked up the box once more, placing it between them, on his lap. Percy opened it, removing the ribbon and the lid, allowing Nico to examine the contents inside.

“Wh... what is this?” Nico’s voice was weak and his hands trembled, resting over his lap.

Nico knew perfectly well what those objects were. He knew exactly what they meant, the problem was that his brain refused to believe what he saw. Why now? After so long? That's why he remained still like a statue, barely able to breathe.

“I didn't treat you like I should’ve. I ignored what was clear.” Percy said, grabbing his neck again, forcing him to look at him. “I understand why you hesitated for so long, why you still hesitate sometimes.”

“I--”

“I hesitate for the same reason.” Percy seemed to take a deep breath and took out a leather choker with precious stones adorning it. “I want you to know, I am committed and I will never run away from my responsibilities ever again.”

Nico thought he was going to faint. Was Percy proposing to him? Again? Now in a way he never expected it to happen? Nico didn't even know what to say! It was obvious, wasn't it? He had been waiting for this moment ever since he laid eyes on the tall boy who looked like he had come out of a cliché porn where the guy would hardly make the girl regret walking alone through the deserted streets. Nothing prepared him when the moment finally arrived. Percy held the delicate choker between his fingers, brought it to his neck and fastened it carefully, making sure it wouldn't be too tight.

He... Nico didn't know... was it just his imagination or... oh no, Nico wasn't mistaken. As soon as the choker settled against his skin, Percy wrapped the leather around his neck and touched the collar, massaging his skin and admiring the jewel. However, it was the look on Percy's face that stole his breath; Percy was looking at him as if he were... as if he were--

“Mine.” Percy said. “Now you're mine.”

Why was it so hard to breathe? Why was he shaking so much?

“I…”

“I know.” Percy said in the most condescending tone Nico had ever heard, almost mean, almost mocking, but still... soft, as if Percy was talking to someone who was mentally slow. “Take your time. I never thought I would do something like this myself.”

“So mean.” Nico managed to stammer, Percy was obviously giving him time to absorb the facts, still holding him by the neck, as if Nico was his possession and not a human being.

“You haven't seen anything. But I don't think we're ready for that yet.”

“Hmm…” Nico whimpered just imagining what could happen. Could he faint already? Would it be too much of a humiliation?

He heard a mocking chuckle and then hands were around him, massaging his spine and hair in the way he liked best. In the end, Percy was right once again. He wasn't ready for any of this. If just a collar around his neck could make him react like this, what would happen when... when things actually happened?

***

“Shhh... it's okay. I won't be mean to you, hm?”

“Liar.” His voice cracked and Percy laughed again, right in his ear.

“Maybe a little. I know you like it.”

“Stop it!”

Percy was right, as always. For some reason, Nico found himself laughing, slapping Percy's arm who only laughed harder, enjoying Nico’s pain.

“Okay. I'll stop. Now, let's get to the important part.”

“What part?”

“Is there anything I should know? Strong or weak boundaries? Something you don't like at all? Or like too much?”

“Oh. “It was a good question.

Nico hadn't done that many things. He'd let a few guys spank his ass and some bondage, but other than that? Nothing interesting. Nothing too good or too bad. Like, there was that one time he let two guys use his mouth, but...

“Nico?”

“I don't know. I've never done anything that different.”

“What would it be?”

Now Percy looked at him like he was going to get the truth out of Nico whether he wanted it or not.

“Hm... you know…”

“No. I don't.”

“There was this one time when some boys... I sucked some boys and... a guy used his belt on me…”

“And?

“I was tied up too.”

“Is that all?”

“I promise.”

At the time it had been quite adventurous, however, if he analyzed last night, no one had made him cum like that and made him float for so long. Maybe it was something more psychological than physical.

“Baby.” And again, that condescending tone of voice that made him so mad and made his stomach fill with butterflies came back. “What those boys in the bathroom were going to do to you is much more interesting than that. Are you sure?”

“Who do you think I am? A whore to let anyone use me?”

No! What had he just said? Nico was even afraid to look at Percy, but he did it anyway. Slowly, he turned his head towards Percy and saw a strange glint in his eyes, a somewhat cruel smile at the corner of his mouth.

“Is that any way to talk to your owner?”

Nico didn't understand what was happening until he heard the sharp, cracking sound, then came the burning sensation that made him groan, one side of his ass burning from the impact.

“I-- I'm sorry.” Nico mumbled, quietly, seeming to lose his strength, still sitting on Percy's lap.

“I understand. But a good boy doesn't talk to people like that, does he?”

Nico nodded and Percy kissed his face, massaging the slightly reddened skin.

“Now, what were we talking about?”

“Limits?”

“Yes. Is there anything I should know about it?”

“Nothing disgusting? Or... liquid.”

“I would never do that. You're my baby and I only want what's best for you.”

“And what about you?”

“Hm. I think bondage, nothing that stops me from moving. And rude, disobedient little boys.”

“What about... naughty boys?” Nico had to be sure.

“As long as you know the consequences.”

“Oh.”

Would he want to disappoint Percy to that extent? How about just a little?

“I know what you're thinking. You can stop now. You just have to ask me, no matter what it is.”

“I know. It's more fun this way.”

“You better not test me then, hm?”

“So mean.” Nico knew he wasn’t an easy person to deal with either. He could be spoiled and distant, lost in his own world, and he could also be unpredictable, running away from anything he didn’t like without leaving a trace. “I’ll behave.”

“Good boy.”

“And the other things inside the box?”

“That's a topic for another time. Now, let's go lie down and have a long nap. Exams are coming up and we need to be rested, yeah?”

Percy kissed his face and placed him against the pillows, lying down next to him. Percy was right, with everything that had happened Nico hadn't studied everything he needed to, so unfortunately a few hours would be spent in front of a pile of books.

***

“Think for me. Stop me from worrying about anything other than being yours. 

Pick out my clothes, take care of me all day long. Make me smile because I belong to you. 

Make me moan when you kiss me and remind me that I am yours and only yours. 

Make me gasp every time you grab me and decide to use me as you please. 

Make me tremble whenever you want to show me what it really means to be loved by you.”

Nico yawned and leaned back against the cushions, closing his journal as he felt the late afternoon sun hit his face. This way, easily disguising the thoughts he had just put on paper. Before Nico knew it, there was a week left until the start of the mid-year exams. Now, they were in the garden near the pool, tables and cushions everywhere, although Percy and his friends were not so interested in the study schedule he had created. Percy, Tyson, Luke and Grover were in the pool while he, Silena and Clarisse occupied a table, with Chris planted next to Clarisse like a lovestruck fool even after so many years.

If he could, he would be having fun too. Nico could think of several things he would like to be doing. One example of this was the surprise he had in store for Percy that he hadn't had the right opportunity to do yet. Not that he still needed to surprise Percy, but wouldn't it be nice if he tried as hard as Percy did?

Nico had to be honest. He hadn't expected Percy to take this whole dominant/submissive thing seriously. The proof was the choker around his neck and, of course, the ring on his finger. He couldn't help but touch the piece of leather on his skin, like a collar, not letting him forget the last few days. Nothing had really changed, although he felt different. More relaxed somehow. Secure. Now, Percy didn't hesitate when he wanted something from him, which was a great development. The thing was... things were almost like they used to be in the past, when they were kids and things were simpler. If he ignored the anxiety he used to feel and the lack of sex, it was like they had evolved from what they already had. Nico liked that a lot, it gave him a comfort that no gesture or words could replace.

“Nico, are you listening to me?”

“Hm?”

It was Clarisse, irritated with him. She had her arms crossed and was rolling her eyes impatiently.

“If you're going to do that, you better go there. What was the last word you read?”

It was a good question.

“Since when did you become so dependent on him?” Clarisse insisted, standing up.

“I'm not dependent on anyone. Where did you get that from?”

“Do you think you can fool anyone? He even put you on a leash!”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Nico didn't even raise his voice, and even if it was true, he was happy to finally be collared.

“Nico! Stop playing with that necklace and pay attention!”

Clarisse walked up to him, grabbed his hand and made him stand up with her. Then, she pushed him towards the pool.

“Go on. Don't come back here until you can concentrate.”

“I don't--”

“What's going on here?”

Nico had noticed the sun had disappeared. It was just Percy standing behind him, providing shade.

“Nico misses you. Take care of it.”

With that, Clarisse sat down on the cushions once more and leaned against Cris's chest, who smiled contentedly, both returning to their books.

That wasn't fair! He didn't have a firm chest to lean against while he studied.

Nico turned toward Percy, about to say exactly that to him, stopping before he could continue. Nico remembered what had happened the other times he had raised his voice to Percy, and if he did it now Percy wouldn't hold back either.

Nico smiled, swallowing his indignation and looked at Percy, forgetting his anger for a moment. Percy was still dripping from the pool water, his hair was thrown back and he was wearing a swimsuit so tight that it didn't hide anything. Not that Percy was trying.

He opened his mouth, thought better of it, and said:

“Do you have to wear something so small?”

Percy was already smiling, coming the rest of the way towards him. Percy opened his arms and immediately Nico was wrapped in them, being pulled against Percy's chest and getting wet in the process. This was also unfair, no seventeen year old boy should be that tall or have those muscles.

“What's wrong? Tired of studying?” Percy lifted him off the floor, making him wrap his legs around him. And all Nico heard was ‘is time to go to our room?”

“Percy! You should be studying with me!”

Oh no! Nico thought, barely having time to grab Percy's shoulders, feeling the impact that even through the fabric of his shorts, made him groan.

“I know, baby.” Then, Percy held him by the chin and made him look at him, kissing him softly, making him forget that they had an audience. “We studied a lot this week. I've never been more prepared, hm? How about we rest a little? Just the two of us?”

It sounded like a question, but it wasn't one. Amidst whistles and shouts, Percy led him into the house, climbing the stairs as if Nico weighed nothing, staring at him closely as he went.

“What's the problem?”

That was the point. For the first time in a long time, Nico didn't have any worries other than passing his tests. So, he couldn't call it a problem. It was the solution, in fact. Nico was finding it strange how easily he could leave everything in Percy's hands and stay in his own little, perfect, world where nothing seemed to be able to affect him if Percy wanted it to.

“It's nothing.” He finally said when they arrived in the room and Percy sat him on the edge of the bed, kneeling on the floor between his legs. “Is everything okay?”

“Of course, baby. I've never been better.”

That was true. With each passing day, Percy had more energy and vigor, and slowly, he took charge of all the decisions that concerned both of them. Would they go on a trip? Percy decided where. What would they have for breakfast? Usually his meal would be ready before he had to ask. Like, it was always what Nico liked and the way he liked it the most, each decision seeming like something Nico would choose for himself if he had the chance. Sometimes, it was even better. Honestly? It was a burden he was very happy to be rid of. However, Nico didn't want it to become a burden for Percy, something he did out of obligation.

“Is everything really okay? Have your grades improved?”

This seemed to make Percy stop for a moment, watching him more closely. Percy didn't try to smile, he grabbed him by the back of the neck and hugged him tightly, making something in his chest still.

“Is it about our relationship? Is it too much?”

“No, I like it.” Nico denied, hugging him back as tightly as Percy had hugged him. “I worry about you.”

“Well, don't worry about that little head of yours, yeah? Everything is under control.”

“Are you sure?”

Percy kissed his neck and said:

“As long as you allow it, I will take care of everything.”

“You treat me so well. No one has done as much for me as you do.”

“I’m glad. I hope no one does it or we'll have a problem.”

Nico wanted to laugh. He also hoped no one else would, because if that were the case, it would mean they weren't together anymore. Instead of answering, Nico preferred to let Percy decide the next steps; whether it was sex, a long bath, or a midday nap, it didn't matter to Nico. As long as they were together, that was enough for him.

***

In the end, they had decided on a bath in the jacuzzi, a long and relaxing bath where Percy had massaged his back and made the tension he didn't even know he had disappear as if by magic. Percy was being so good to him that Nico had finally found the perfect opportunity to put his plan into action.

He let Percy dry him from head to toe, like any other day, carry him to bed and kiss him before Percy got up and went to put the towels in the laundry basket. Nico took advantage of this moment to grab the package from the bottom of a drawer and went into the closet, a door that was near the wardrobe and that they rarely used. Fortunately, it would finally have a use.

Ripping open the packaging, Nico took out the two pieces and held them between his fingers, realizing that he might have bought a size smaller than he had planned. The fabric was a delicious silk in a light pink color, looking like it was made from tulle, but still pretty and feminine. He thought Percy would like it, it would be an interesting contrast against his skin. Well, Nico wouldn't know until he tried it on.

Then, taking the thong, he placed his feet in the right spaces, and put on the top, feeling the silk slide over his skin.

Now Nico knew why women liked this type of lingerie so much, the fabric was so soft and thin... it was as if he wasn't even wearing anything, but yet he was being caressed.

“Nico? Where are you?” He heard Percy calling him.

It was now or never, right?

Nico didn't even grab a robe before opening the closet door. He just adjusted his thong and walked into the room, stopping near the doorframe. Did he feel a little ridiculous in that frilly outfit? Yes. However, it was all worth it the moment he found Percy in the middle of the room, seeing the expression on Percy's face go from confusion to shock and then, pure pleasure.

He walked the rest of the way and stopped in front of Percy, determined to be the best of submissives. He lowered his head slightly, showing respect and placed his hands behind his back, allowing Percy to see his front.

“So beautiful. Is all this for me?” Percy said more seriously than Nico expected. His voice sounded firmer and deeper, still without touching him.

“I wanted to surprise you. Did you like it?”

Nico waited patiently, holding his breath. That was because Percy didn't like being surprised. They had never talked about these things, but deep down Nico knew it was true. If Percy was surprised, it meant he had no control over what happened. But still, Nico wanted to see Percy's reaction, maybe then Percy wouldn't be so careful with him.

Don't get him wrong, he loved every day he spent with Percy, but the... excitement of newness didn't happen as often as he would have liked. Maybe this was what they needed.

“My baby is trying to tease me, is that it?”

“Is it working?”

Nico peeked through his lashes and saw a strange glint in Percy's eyes.

At those moments, Percy's features changed completely. From calm, he became serious and... and something else that was hard to define. Sometimes he was playful, and other times, malicious, as if Percy was enjoying his anguish. Percy never lost his cool, however, it felt like something beyond that came to the surface, something that Percy hid and that only manifested itself if provoked.

“Do you want to find out?”

Well, Nico would have answered if he could, if it had been a question. It was more of a warning, a statement of what was about to happen.

Still holding his breath, Nico continued to watch Percy, as he seemed to be preparing to do something... had it been a mistake? Should he have warned him and-- Percy then moved. Just one step forward and his warm hands were on Nico, on his neck, pulling his head back and on his waist, keeping him in place. Which had been a good idea. Without any clothes to cover him, the sensations felt more intense, making him shiver from head to toe.

“We didn't talk about it. Do you know what a safe word is?”

“Oh.” He knew! Finally!

Nico had known and waited for this moment. The problem was that he found it difficult to speak. So he nodded, feeling trapped by Percy's intense eyes.

“Use your words, baby.” Nico knew the nickname was supposed to soften the moment, but he only felt himself tense up more, bracing himself for what was about to happen.

“I-- I have. Pie?”

“Are you sure? “And now there was a certain tone of humor in Percy's voice, his dimples showing.

“Not really. I know how it works, but I've never used one before.”

“Never?” Percy frowned, looking less than pleased. “That’s very irresponsible.”

“I know, but…”

“Tell me.”

“I can't talk much, you know? During.”

This seemed to turn a light on Percy's face.

“Let's keep that in mind. Now, let me see... who bought this for you?” But Percy was smiling, sliding his hands over his body. Shoulders, back, waist, moving around him and touching everywhere until he reached his ass, caressing his buttocks and slipping one of his fingers through the string of his thong towards his entrance.

“Ah!”

“Isn't that what you wanted? Should I use my gift? Hmm?”

And again, it sounded like a question, but it wasn't one. Nico remained as he was, with his hands behind his back, and only moved when Percy grabbed him by the arm, guiding him to the bed.

“Where did you learn that position, baby?” Percy said as they walked towards the bed.

“I saw it on a video…”

“Do you know what that means?”

Nico nodded, too embarrassed to say it.

“I want to hear it.”

“Servitude and obedience.”

“That's right.” Percy said, satisfied. “There's no need to rush, everything will happen in due time. I want you to relax, okay?”

That's what Nico did. He let Percy sit him on the edge of the bed and when Percy finally got closer, he closed his eyes and moaned, feeling his body react freely.

Thanks for reading!

See you next time!

Thing I love about Nico is how miserable he is

Cupico is such fun bc it's the definition of a loving, obsessive, sacrificial, vain, toxic relationship and I get to throw in everything that would get me canceled.

Anw imagine the face of the campers when they find out the creepy kid they sidelined somehow landed himself the freaking god of Love, accompanied by an overwhelming devoted obsession that pisses off Aphrodite. After all, Jason's the only one who has the slightest sense of how disgusting said love is and about the demand of control Cupid holds over Nico, as if he was Galatea to Cupid's Pygmalion, for him to bend, to twist, and to mold. (Not like Nico's gonna let it happen. There would be blood before Cupid managed to harvest a single grain of love from him)