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stackofstories · 2 years

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Title: ????

Chapter: 5/?????

“Well. That was a huge waste of time,” Connor said, letting out a long breath the second they were away from the Big House.

“What do we tell the kid?”

Connor closed his mouth. “What.”

Travis looked at him like he was plain stupid. “The kid. Nico. What do we tell him?”

“Tell him—?” Connor asked, perplexed.

Travis made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat, pinching his face together. “I know you can be Connor sometimes and worrying about other people isn’t exactly natural for you, but surely, even you can understand how delicate of a situation this is: his sister was nominated for a quest. A quest she’s unprepared for. A quest where she might die.”

“Might is doing a lot. She is going to die.”Connor shrugged. “And I don’t see how that’s our problem.”

“It’s our problem because Nico’s in our cabin,” Travis said. “Because you’re a head counselor.”

Connor snorted and rolled his eyes. “That only means something to you. I’m in it for the shower privileges.”

The pinched look on Travis’s face relaxed. “Yes. I’m trying to be a good head camp counselor because it’s my responsibility and I care for the kids even if they’re just passing through. And I don’t know, maybe, I care about Nico more than I should. You heard what Aphrodite said.”

Connor hesitated.

The goddess of love gave them a simple enough task. Give the shirt to the Hunters. She wanted nothing to stand in the way of Percy going on the mission. In gratitude, she had told them, when Nico gets his heart broken chase after him.

“Nico’s sister is leaving. She should be the one to tell him,” Connor said.

“We agree.” Travis folded his arms. “But I don’t think she will. She’s barely talked to the kid since she’s been here. Whatever her reason, I think the sooner the better. There’s been a lot of excitement tonight.”

Connor found himself nodding along. It had been a lot between the capture the flag game and the oracle deciding to take a midnight stroll.

“We can tell him in the morning during breakfast. There’s barely anyone else out,” Connor said.

“And we’ll tell…”

“Him the truth, Travis. That being a half blood is dangerous. It’s scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.”

Travis looked at him but Connor could tell he was somewhere else.

“What?” Connor asked.

“It’s just. I don’t know. I’m glad we have each other,” Travis said.

Connor’s grin widened, a warmth in his chest at the acknowledgement of them. “You’re such a chick.”

“Dick.” Travis’s face mirrored his own.

Together they walked the worn path back to their cabin. Thankfully the harpies had been warned of their meeting so they weren’t prowling around waiting to pick one of them off. Nico noticed them first.

He popped up from his spot on the staircase, beaming at them. He raced over. Drew followed at a slower pace.

“You’re not dead. That’s awesome! Look at what Drew got me. Look!” Nico shoved a plastic pack of cards in Connor’s face.

“Nico, I don’t think he can see like that.” Connor heard the smile in Travis’s voice.

A moment later Connor blinked rapidly. Nico chattered. “I’m sorry. It’s the limited edition Africanus Extreme expansion deck. It has Ananasi and Katobleps and Eshu, and so many others. I can’t wait to go back to Westover. Man, Donovan is going to be so jealous. Thank you, Drew.”

“I told you, Nico. It’s no big deal. I was going to give it to my brother for Christmas, but Mom got there before me.” Her eyes were bright as she did a half shrug.

“Very cool.” Travis placed a hand on Nico’s head, gently ruffling before leading him up the cabin. “And it’s way passed lights out. C’mon.”

“I don’t even know who my brother is anymore,” Connor said when they were alone.

Drew’s smile widened.

“He’s a cute kid,” Drew said. “There’s really nothing more to it. The meeting?”

“You’re going to have to keep an eye out for Silena. She’s fixin to fight every Hunter that looks at her funny.”

“Hmm. I’ll talk to the meatheads in Ares. Was it bad?”

“I’ve never heard of a good prophecy,” Connor said.

Drew glared at him, a hand on her hip. “Anything about Annabeth?”

Connor raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t look at me like that. She’s an annoying know-it-all with a self important stick jammed up her cooch. But. She’s Annie.”

“Your heart really has grown three sizes.”

“Why are you so annoying?”

Connor threw his head and laughed. “There wasn’t anything about Annabeth. It was agreed the Hunters would go with their chosen three, then Grover and Thalia would make up our two. Grover promised to search high and low for her.”

“So, Percy’s not going.”

“I think he believes that.”

Drew snorted. “He’s got it bad. Oh well. They’re pretty cute for being basic. I’ve got to go now.”

She waved goodbye to him, sashaying away.

The floorboards creaked in the dead of night. It was another reason Connor knew Nico wasn’t theirs. Most of their brothers and sisters don't make noise when they move kinda like an assassin or ninja. Nico's steps were loud and clumsy …

Connor lifted from his mountain of pillows.

“Wait.”

Connor moved close to the edge of the bed, he leaned over, staring at his brother long ways on the bottom bunk.

“Don’t follow him.”

“Werent you the one bitchin’ earlier about how we need to protect the rugrat and swaddle him like he's the newborn baby Jesus?”

Connor couldn't see it but he knew his brother rolled his eyes. “OK, smartass. One day, you and I are gonna sit down and talk about the words compassion and empathy. Anyway, I'm saying we don't follow him because what if he’s seeing his sister.”

“And what if he’s running away with his sister because he learned the truth?”

If he ever found out Travis was going on a quest, he’d follow him in a heartbeat.

“That’s his choice.”

Connor laughed. “The monsters sure will be lucky when the di Angelo’s step passed the boundary. It’s like a two for one deal.”

“Would it kill you to show optimism?”

“Probably.”

“Just leave it. The kid needs some privacy.”

Connor pulled back from the edge and settled on his pillows. He got comfy. It was whatever. If Nico wanted to run away then that was his decision. If the Gods were kind he’d be eaten two seconds alongside his dumbass sister.

It would save them the trouble of having their hopes and dreams die a slow and torturous death.

The next morning Bianca and Percy were nowhere to be found and Nico was parked between them swinging his legs as he picked off his fruit salad, bright eyed and bushy tailed as always.

“I have a secret,” he announced.

“Do you now?” Connor buttered his toast.

“Well, I’m not supposed to tell,” Nico’s voice dropped. “Percy might get in trouble.”

“You can trust us,” Travis said as sweet as a sinner in church. Connor nodded.

Nico beckoned them closer. His curious dark eyes darted between their faces. “Percy went on the mission with the Hunters even though he wasn’t supposed too. He promised he would protect Bianca, my sister. I lied to Mister Chiron and he believed me.”

It was adorable how Nico thought he pulled the wool over the eyes of a kid-trained thousands year old being. Travis gave him a look, which told him not to break the fantasy. He was no fun.

“Really?” Travis grinned. “That’s awesome!”

Nico nodded practically purring with self importance.

“But you know Bianca can still get hurt?” Connor asked.

“I know that. That’s why Percy’s going with her. Percy’s the strongest demigod ever. You should have seen him when he was fighting.” Nico mimicked holding a sword slicing the air with his cutting edge noise effects. “He’s a hero! No one can stop him. As long as he’s there nothing bad will happen!”

Did you hear the sound of that flush? There it was. The script of them gently breaking the news of Bianca’s almost sure death just flushed down the toilet with this hero worship crap.

Connor caught the startled look in Travis’ eye and the twitching smile he struggled to keep. He had really fallen head over heels for the kid if he wasn’t prepared to yank him back down to reality.

“Percy’s pretty strong,” Connor agreed around a mouthful of toast. “And he always manages to come back from pretty dire situations. He’d probably crash his own funeral. He’s like a roach now that I think about it. Those things could survive a nuclear blast.”

Nico nodded. He picked off the last remaining pieces of strawberries and blueberries. “I’m all done. Can I go shoot arrows with Drew?”

“Go on,” Travis said softly. “Meet us back at the pavilion at noon.”

Nico headed over nearly tripping over his own feet in his excitement. Without a care in the world.

Travis groaned, he slumped onto the wooden table. His fingers tapped a nervous rhythm.

Connor continued to eat his breakfast. He’d never budge on his opinion even years down the line. They should have told Nico the truth.

Sometimes people made promises they could not keep. Sometimes the best of heroes failed.

#rough draft #tldr #long post #stollico #connor stoll #Travis stoll #Nico di Angelo #pjo #drew tanaka #emptying drafts #nico x the stolls #nico’s crush on Percy is so obvious okay #okay Connor is absolute asshole and I will be keeping this headcanon #Percy the water bug #everyday I post I’m hoping someone will do me the honor and write Stollico #it has been my otp for what feels like a decade

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