#anyway yeah ask me about nico also. that is not the name of her brother but youll learn more about him if u ask abt nico

[sunmooneclipseandstars]

CONTINUATION OF THE PERCY JACKSON AU WHERE NICO HAS A YOUNGER/OLDER BROTHER THAT'S SON OF DEMETER(this probably will be unaccurate and OOC, also I don't know to write a story so this probably is going to be shit, Btw there could be continuity issues) part 3

Part two here

Elio's POV

Actually I think we should find a place to stay, maybe we could go to that camp that was in war with camp half blood Laven said

Well that will be a more or less good option and I could go talk to my new sister, what was her name again? I asked

Her name was Hazel lavesque and do you really think she would believe you being Nico's brother? He asked

Of course I have proofs one of them is my pendant the other could be my bracelet and nico's matching, although I have two which one is matching yours, I said

Oh shut up, will you it has been over around 60 days since you gave this bracelet that let me use your powers to me which in respective it has been 60 years that we lost and didn't even experience, I really want to experience how has the world evolved after all we're in the 21th century and to be specific 2021 which in a way is quite surprising, seeing how things changed, he said

Well what can go wrong, I don't think she or the so called camp jupiter would abandon a demigod to their death, apart of the fact they are a military force and they have to train with the wolf goddess Lupa, but that's how things are, for now we should fine a place were we can stay for the night which is coming, I said

Look there's a place I think it's name is Waystation, he said

Okay we're going there although is kinda weird that this city is called indiapolis, like why?? I asked

How am I supposed to know that?, he said

Well, fine we're going to descend anyway so grab onto me, I said

And so we did the dragon descend at a moderate speed and I decided it was fine for her to rest in a while, and we somehow managed to be undetected in the night even tho there were some people guarding, in the morning we decided to recollect some food and other stuff that's when we found the elephants

"Guau, ellos realmente están algo locos si dejan elefantes por aquí, aunque parecen ser propiedad del campamento Júpiter", i said

Yeah should we see how things are for them? He asked

You just want to touch them isn't it, I said

Yeah, he said with a little of shame

Why are you ashamed we're partners in this world and that we don't know about so there's not point in being ashamed, then let's go to see them closely, I said

And we did that we approached the elephants touched some of them, of course if they allowed to and we were about to feed them when suddenly a voice was heard behind us

What do you two think are doing and who are you guys, a mysterious guy said with a golden sword in hand

Heyyyyy, we were just seeing the elephants, there's no need to use that sword, I said

Oh is that so, you may have answered what you two were doing but that doesn't answer who you are, the guy said

Well we - I looked through the place behind him - are just some 12 years old kids who were just visiting and searching for something, I said

That doesn't answer anything, in fact it doesn't make sense that two demigods want to find something here and less if they say something like visiting this place without any reason apparently, he said

Well, it's a shame that you didn't want to believe in us, I said while taking Lavender hand and teleporting to multiple meters away from him - it's time to Run, I said

Not so fast, the guy said, while chasing us

Okay, we just screwed up a little but there's still a way to get out of here, I said while I started run floating with leaves on my feets, allowing us to go faster than him

Damn it, the guy said, while he going in another direction

We were close to the exist just for two person interposing in the way

I am so happy to spend time with my friend after all these time, another guy with tan skin said to a girl with a slightly lighter tan color

It's been months since we met, after you know, I just wanted to see if you were doing fine Leo, she said

I'm pretty good, you know I finally have a stable life for once and Jo and Emmie are really good parents and lytierse has been pretty good and busy with his work with the elephants although he goes to the same high school as me, so you shouldn't worry about me that much piper, Leo said

In a brief moment I teleported with Laven a few meters afar from the exist just so I witnessed how, just so the mysterious guy slashed down the place where were a few seconds ago, surprising both Leo and piper

Lytierse!! Geez dude you shouldn’t swing your sword at us, Leo said

Yeah, that was dangerous, and you know that very well, piper said

I sorry for giving you guys almost a heart attack, but these two kids he pointed at us, were invading the space of the elephants of camp jupiter

We just wanted to see them, okay? There wasn't any reason for you to almost kill us now, Laven said

And you think, I will be fooled so easily?, Lytierse said

Well if you don't believe in us is not or problem you know, and if you wanted to fight you should've just said, I said while I was drawing my spear to fight

Wait wait, maybe we could talk it out without fighting, Laven, Leo and Piper said at the same time

What's there to talk the other part is irrational, Lytierse and I say at the same time

Well that's it, bring it on, I said meanwhile I put Laven on the ground and in a defensive place

We went against the other colliding our weapons, then separate from each other just for the next moment to clash weapons over and over, I've tried to stab him thanks to the spear range only to fail because lytierse keep dodging only to retaliate and do the same

Lavender's POV

Due to Elio and Lytierse fight, I managed to get close to the other two who were too stunned with the fight to do anything

Hey you two, we have to stop them before they destroy the place fighting I said that just for me to hear a noise of metal against the ground and it was lytierse a few meters from the three of us with a big path of a cut and few meters from him was Elio who seemed tired well it was pretty obvious he would get tired after all he didn't recover completely from the creation of the Hestia Cabin

You're a good fighter but it seems you lack the resistance, he said to Elio

Well you fight very good for me not using any of my papers but that will change, he said that while he was putting a paper with the words "rayo y electricidad"

Oh you want to keep going, then that will be your doom, Lytierse said while he was repositioning himself in a stand to fight

And they collided again but this time Eli activated the lighting letting less space for lytierse to attack in fact he was barely given space to breath due to the constant attacks and the electricity covering a lot of space, somehow lytierse managed to get a brief moment to breath before being attacked with a lightning bolt from the Eli spear that's when I decided that I needed to interfere

I need you two to help me stop the fight before they kill each other I said to Piper and Leo

Well yeah, that's obvious but what can we do these two are so concentrated in the fight that it would be difficult to stop them without any type of protection and less if we take in consideration the boy with the spear with lightning, the amount of electricity could be letal, piper said

Well we could try stopping lytierse with your chamspeak, Leo said

I would stop Eli and you two or well she stops that guy with her chamspeak, and this guy makes helps us distracting the two of them, I said

Why do I have to be distraction?, Leo asked

I think you can just shoot a massive fireball in between them so they focus their attention on you, Piper said

Well that could work, but what if the kid tries to strike me down with a lightning bolt of his, I mean I don't think is such good thing to be attacked by a son of Zeus or Jupiter, Leo said

First of all Eli is not a son of Zeus or Jupiter, he's the son of the goddess of harvest Demeter and second I will cast a barrier of light on you so the lightning doesn't impact you, trust me we've tested the strength of that barrier in the past and it's maximum power so you don't need to worry

While I don't want Leo to get in unnecessary danger, I could stay by his side so we can do the plan more easily, you better be telling the truth, Piper said

So I hid in a column and the plan started with Leo shooting a fireball big enough to get the two of them attention and I light travel to Eli's side and dragged him in a corner to tell him to stop with the fighting and that we needed to go to camp Jupiter, in the end we came out of the corner just to see Lytierse, Leo and Piper talking normally and Lytierse seemed to be calm so we approached them

I am sorry for the troubles I caused, Eli said with a little of shame

Yeah me too, Lytierse said

Well it seems like this fight has been solved so tell us what were your planning to do, Piper asked

"Bueno se supone que íbamos a ir al campamento Júpiter para ver a Hazel después de descansar en la noche anterior, además queríamos quedarnos en ese campamento hasta que Demeter no estuviera físicamente en el campamento mestizo" Eli said

Ohhhhhh you should've said that earlier, Leo said

What did he said? , Piper and Lytierse asked

That they were supposed to go to camp Jupiter, Leo said

Ohhhh, The two for them said

Well we don't interrupt you anymore, to your journey to Camp Jupiter, Lytierse said

We can't just let two kids to go to camp Jupiter alone, Piper said

Then we should accompany the, Leo said

It's not necessary and I don't think you two would like to be riding a snake like dragon with us, I said

The what? , Piper asked

The dragon look there she's, Eli pointed the snake like dragon made of plants

Will's POV

I shouldn't have talk with my dad, the reasons are the his care for me and my half-siblings overwhelm me after all these years and he seems to be able to read me like I was a book even tho, he didn't interact that much with me

Past view

So dad what did you want to talk about that Nico can't hear?, I asked

Well we are going to have a serious conversation between father and son, this time I would like to know about how you feel and had felt through the years that I wasn't here because in the end I'm not a good parent for any of my kids for so long so this time I want things to be better for my kids so I have to start by the oldest in the camp am I right? He said all that and he probably noticed my face was a little off, noticing my fears and grudge that should've calm down a long ago

Well let's sit here and let you tell me about your feelings over the years

I- I have always thought that you didn't care nor loved any of us that we were just dispensable for you, I mean the gods always had that thinking with them and when you became a mortal, you seemed so human that I thought maybe you would change how things were with your kids then you never in the next months until now, I thought that wouldn't see you again in many years, there's also the fact while my siblings died over and over and you seemed so uninterested, also the fact that you never were with me when I was a kid, made me think that you didn't love and there were also the other kids that were normal having their two parents, mom has always tried to show me that she loves me a lot that she was enough and she is but I think how would I have been if I had you with me like a normal parents, and then I became afraid of losing people when I started my training to be a healer

I am sorry for not being a good parent for any of you, Lester said while hugging which made me cry

I will do my best to be all of you, taking care of all of you specially you who were forced in harsh life as a conseleur, Lester said

Suddenly a cocoa puff appeared by my side

Aww little one, since when were you there sadsy, I said in a better mood

It probably smelled your sadness and wanted to be with you as a way of support for you, Lester said

I grabbed the puff, I'm so grateful for all of you to be here, I said

Well that really show that you would be a excellent parent with Nico by how much they love you the two of you , Lester said

Heh the puffs prefer me over Nico I would be the better parent, I say

That's good in a way but I don't think you should say those things who knows maybe Nico steals your position as a good parent, Lester said

That won't happen even in ten years, I say

Let's hope so, he says

Then what's your opinion over the new Cabin that Elio made, the Hestia cabin?, I asked

That will depend on how things go but in a way is good for the Hermes kids can get space for themselves and that the unclaimed kids have their own place without feeling like they are invading others places and there's the fact that there are three cabins that are unused such as my twin sister Artemis, my father and my stepmother's Cabin which is a lot of space unused so a Hestia cabin is a good thing also Hestia probably is going to get more offerings and prayings allowing her to be more powerful than she is right now.

I guess is a win-win situation even tho it was probably made so Eli didn't sleep in the Demeter cabin mostly because he seems to dislike his godly parent I said

You could say that, after all he clearly shows dislike for being her son, he says

Well I think it would be time for you to go and talk to other of your kids, I said

Are you sure you want me to leave?, Lester asked

Yeah, I am sure go talk to your other kids, I said

Then I will be going see you later my dear son, Lester said waving his hand before becoming a flash of light

Yeah see you later, I said while I took the puff in my hands

Then I tried light travelling to Nico's Cabin and successfully accomplishing it

[calyxthenerd]

Going to go into the character’s family background headcanons because yes

So, of course Luna and Ámbar’s, and Nina’s families don’t have that much leeway for headcanons so I’m just going to skip those

Now Simón, for me, his extended family is big, he has no siblings but lots of cousins, and they all live together in the family’s property a few hours outside of Cancún, but Simón ended up renting an apartment in the city at some point, and also, his and most his cousins’ parents had very demanding jobs with little pay, cleaning, floor level costumer service, etc, so they ended up spending all their time not in school with their grandmother, Carmen, a strict, but caring woman who was a retired teacher and taught them everything, from the work they didn’t understand from school, to life lessons and useful skills, like cleaning a house, survival in the wild (she had a crazy youth) and cooking

Then we have Matteo (+ Gastón) now, I’m not certain if it’s in my head or not, but I’m pretty sure at some point someone mentions offhandedly that Matteo’s mom died, maybe that’s just me, because if it didn’t happen, it’s one of my headcanons, she died (I’m not sure how yet) when Matteo was a kid and his dad German Castilloed it, constantly moving around, until Matteo’s high school years started, then he had to build the base for him to follow his own footsteps, which was when he met Gastón, who had everything he ever dreamed, loving parents, a permanent home, the works, and they became fast friends when Gastón saw him and was like “Geez, what a jerk, I need to stick with him to stop him from getting his ass kicked” and then every time his dad forgot he existed or was traveling, he ran off to the Peridas

Now, the separate paragraph for Gastón because he deserves it, this is somewhat inspired by the lovely @countessofravenclaw’s hcs because they just Get It, so, his passion for photography comes from his dad, who’s a local celebrity on this business, and his mom is a renowned biology professor, so yeah, both really hardworking people, but also huge nerds for their areas, who could not stop themselves from rambling about it to their kid, who sucked in all the knowledge like a sponge and became a huge nerd too, and since his mom was the first one on her family to get herself through college, they constantly enforced the value of education on to him, making him get the third best marks on his grade, only losing to Matteo with his daddy issues and Little Miss Perfect Ámbar

Next we have Nico and Pedro, yes, together, now, I’m a firm believer that Nico has two moms and that’s why he dresses like a lesbian, and you might be asking, where does Pedro come in? Well, to me, he’s in the foster care system, so he circled around a few homes, both good and bad, until he ended up with them at 14, getting officially adopted at 16, and also, both of their moms hate Gary but tolerate him because he’s his side of the family’s golden child, being rich, while Isadora, his sister and one of Nico and Pedro’s moms, runs an esoteric shop downtown and Luzia, their other mom, is the manager at the bar next door to it (yes I gave them names just to differentiate them)

Up next we have Delfi, whose parents run a very big tech corporation and the only reason they don’t have a child neglect case built against them it’s because Delfi and her younger brother, Leo, were raised by nannies

Now it’s Jazmin’s turn, now, I think her parents are celebrities, possibly models, who have stopped working when they had her, and spent her whole life with her, resulting in her being sheltered, and with their celebrity status, surrounded by media every time they left the house, making her internalize her love for cameras, her constant desire to have someone watching her and also her fear for what people think of her

Ramiro, for me, his parents are ballerinas, who moved to Argentina for better opportunities, anyways, they learned to dance in a super strict conservatory, making them super strict and him the way he is

Jim & Yam, their parents were those people in your high school that could never be seen apart, being friends since kindergarden and all, so they ended up having kids between them (artificially, so the girls aren’t related) and raising them together, and that’s how they became the dynamic duo they are today!

And lastly, Emilia, the queen of my heart, her parents were judgmental bitches and cared more about how they looked than about her, her entire life it was always like “Mom I got the highest grade in my class” “okay, and?” or “Daddy, I hurt my knee!!” “Get up, Emilia, you’re making a scene!” “My date bailed on me!!” “That’s what you get for going out with boys instead of studying like you should” and the worst one was “Mom, dad, I like girls” “Get out of my house” “But mom-“ “I said OUT!” And that’s when she packed her bags and moved in with her older brother and his wife, on the other side of town, transitioning into the person we met, a few months before she appeared on the show

[nihiltism]

OK OK MORE LETS DO 1???? seems like a nice little odd number

ok so ive been motivation paralyzed for the past two days so im only doing this now press f for me but also okay so 1 is celine which is rough since her deal is wrapped up in other characters and also u already know a lot about it also also she really doesnt have a lot of deal on her own?? shes just funnysilly but ill do what i can.

okay so hands you this beast

i swear i dont have a dumb pixel for every one of my ocs just her and hugslug. for now.

anyway! celine is a silly little necromancer and also my dnd character right now and the separation between what's dnd and what's oc stuff in my brain is Very Wibbly And Unclear so ill just assume that her backstory ive been using in dnd is her canon one

so background is that shes a magic school dropout who decided that doing puppet shows of all things is her true calling in life. celine is a beast of hindsight and this did not work out so naturally the catgirl turns to a life of crime (but still does puppet shows for local thieves guilds on the weekends). this background makes me really happy its very silly.

anyway she does some magic crimes because she is Basically completely self taught (in the campaign shes an arcane trickster by the way since necromancer isnt really its own class. its fine) and i Do joke that she got into magic for the sparkles but she does have another motive. a motive that is not very well thought out but im Sure will go fine for her

oh also she had a little brother at one point. im sure she has other fambly too but she hasnt talked to them in a while after yknow, dropping out of school and probably disappointing them. oopsie headbonk hehe. she and said brother were always close though theyre partners in crime and she Would do anything for him especially because he's the designated braincell holder. im sure nothing bad happened to said brother (died in a workplace accident at the ripe age of like fourteen <3)(so yeah that motive i mentioned before uhhhhhh yeah catgirl's gonna bring back the dead And shes gonna make it purrsonal im sure nothing will go wrong here)

(things do go wrong but if you want to know about that you have to ask me about nico <3)

oh also she has a girlfriend who 1. actually went to school and is honestly Baffled at how shes gotten this far and 2. is a crow so i can call her a necrowmancer. she has a deal too but i mostly just wanted a nekomancer necrowmancer pair <3 a necromance.... her deal isnt as thought out as my others but if you wanna know more about her you have to ask about iris

also heres a full art of her. i kind of prefer the colors on the pixel but trad art is unpredictable <3

thank u for coming to my tedtalk

[darkstarnight02]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON🎂

So for his birthday I’m elaborating on the headcannon that Jason goes to Valhalla

So, he died in between HoT and SotD

His Valkyrie is a fourteen-year-old einherjar who’s been there for about a decade, named Natalia.  

Most people call her Talia, but she lets Jason call her Nat or Natalia because of his own sister, Thalia

And she’s not one of those people who ‘will kill you if you call me anything else’ like SO MANY characters I know, so yeah

Anyway, Natalia was kinda brought to Valhalla by mistake

Her grandfather is Mars, but she didn’t like being cramped with all the Romans, stuck in New Rome, so she left when she was, like twelve

When she was in Boston, she made friends with another Valkyrie (not that she new that) and when a cyclops killed her, the Valkyrie shoved her knife into her hand and waited for another Valkyrie to come

Which one did

And then there was a whole scandal with trying to cover up the fact someone let a Roman into Valhalla, and they ended up covering it by making her a Valkyrie.  

It’s happened before, where they bring people in from the wrong pantheons, but this time the Norns told them not to call Pluto and have to do all the paperwork to get her back to the Underworld.

Most of the people she brings in are from the Greek/Roman pantheon, and it’s normally not a fuss.

They have a pretty clean system of lying about the person’s parentage, to not cause panic amongst the residents of Valhalla, but the Thanes usually know.

But it’s a lot harder with Jason, because now there’s Valkyrie Vision so they can’t lie about how he died and there was a lot going on when he died so THAT will be hard to explain.  

Natalia’s smart though.  

She pulls a Samirah and has her camera “accidentally” facing the sky instead of the ground, and besides all the noise (which makes Jason tear up) and some explosions and the storm things or whatever, no one see’s anything.  

So they twist their words.

Jason is related to Thor, they say, but they don’t know how

It’s not a total lie.  Thor might be another form of Jupiter, but they aren’t entirely sure what the parallels are.  

He can fight well because he was trained in a military school

Not a lie

And he knows both of his parents, who are both assholes he doesn’t miss

They are satisfied with that, even if he doesn’t say whether or not one of those parents is immortal

Backspace a bit, Jason’s room is on Floor 19, but not in the same hall as Alex and Magnus and those guys, because otherwise he probably would have been mentioned in SotD

Jason’s hall mates consist of a daughter of Thor from medieval times, a son of Tyr who died in the first war of Scottish independence (he just remember’s him as the one who lived through Braveheart, though), a viking girl young woman who is much more muscular then any female he’s ever met (which is saying a lot), and a World War Two veteran soldier.  

They talk about Magnus’s crew sometimes, since they’re on the same floor and preparing for that big quest

And Jason feels a bit antsy because he’s used to being the one going on the big quests and a part of him wants to help

But the rest of him is completely aware that he’s dead now.  He’s not alive.  His time is over, until Ragnorok.  

Sure, he can help out every now and then, like everyone else, and there’s always the games they play (which he fines blatantly annoying because death is supposed to be when you’re at peace) to keep him on his toes.  

He’s still anxious about Apollo and his friends, though it never does occur to him that Magnus, who has the same last name as Annabeth and looks like he could be her little brother, might be related to her, so he never asks.

And Annabeth’s never mentioned Jason.

Even if she has, never enough for Magnus to connect the dots, himself.  

And Jason could always send a raven or something or try to get in contact with them,

But he’s dead now.

He wants them to know he’s at peace.

But then he remember’s Nico

Oh, Nico.

Nico’s probably going insane.

He could feel his death, but he couldn’t feel where he was.

The poor son of Hades was probably arguing with his father about knowing where Jason was.  

So Jason finds Apollo in a dream and tells him he’s okay and acts like a wise dead guy or whatever

Which he mostly is.

And then one day at breakfast, after everything is over, Jason decides to go over to Magnus’s crew and congratulate them for saving the world.  

“Hey,” he says, “I just wanted to congratulate you guys for, you know, saving the world and stuff.  I know how hard it can be and how much pressure it can feel like.  It was really cool what you did.”

And they kind of look at him weird.  

“What do you mean you know?”

And he kind of awkwardly tells them about his own boat trip across the Atlantic with six(ish) friends and how there was some evil earth deity they were trying to stop from rising

And while the others are trying to figure out what deity he’s talking about, Magnus and Alex are like.

Oh.

And that’s all I’ve got for now but I also like the idea of TJxJason but that’s for another time.  

[anyoneseenadam]

Home: Chapter Seven

azriel x reader (acotar)

summary: (y/n) is a daughter of Persephone, still recovering from the trauma of her fall into Tartarus and doesn’t have time for a stupid, handsome, annoying, stunning, injured man. But now they’re stuck together in the middle of nowhere and there only chance of getting home is if she can heal him, and fast.

warnings: big spoilers for mark of Athena and house of Hades, also for the acotar series, eventual smut, blood, PTSD, graphic descriptions of violence, injuries and torture, enemies to lovers so az is a bit of a dick to start, swearing, 

word count: 3.9k

a/n: I’m entirely writing this to distract myself from the real world but honesty I’m having a great time, I think there will be one more chapter after this one and maybe an epilogue but asides from that, also feel free to message or ask if you want to be tagged :)) anyway enjoy and pls comment and shiz :)

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Azriel had once joked that you were like an actual flower, needing water and sunlight to use your powers. At the time you had laughed but now as you stood in front of the mirror, wiping the tears from under your eyes, and preparing to walk into the world of all things dead, you understood. The dress you wore was one of the few fancy ones you reserved for the dinners you were often dragged to before your fall. It was lavender, with tulle cascading down your legs from the waist, paired with a tight corset top and tulle off-the-shoulder sleeves. As you sat with a ‘humph’ and started applying your makeup, your stepbrother walked in.

“Well you look cheery,” Nico said, sitting on your bed.

“I look like an evil power puff girl,”

“You look like you are a princess, which you are so my dad is going to be pleased.”

“I really don’t care what he thinks,” you snapped, and Nico help up his hands. He was wearing all black as usual, simple dress pants and a loose black shirt tucked in, his belt matched his rings, and his dark hair and even darker eye bags made him look every bit the Underworld prince. “Sorry, I’m not mad at you,” you said turning back around to carry on with your makeup.

“I know, it’s stressful for you,” he moved to sit next to you, resting his head on your shoulder and you applied eyeliner.

“I don’t wanna get sick again, I have things to do. Plus I’ve got to convince your dad to let me ask for this favour. I just feel like it’s all going to go to shit.”

“I get it, you’ll be fine though. Also I’m pretty sure your mum is going to do anything for you if it means you’ll speak to her again, so she’ll be on your side at least. That’s three vs one.” He nudged you as you put down the eyeliner.

“That’s true.” You bit the inside of your lip and Nico, sensing your worry, changed topic.

“Tell me about Azriel,” He said, and you caught his eye in the mirror.

“Huh?”

“Well I gotta make sure that when you become his problem it will be permanent, I don’t want you coming back,” he joked.

“Fuck you,” you laughed shoving his shoulder and he giggled, rolling onto his back.

“I don’t want to do thisssss,” Nico said in a sing-song voice lying flat on the floor.

“Me neither but I’m not going in alone bitch,” you laughed, starting to feel slightly better. It was moments like this that made you regret pushing your friends away, the thought of seeing them was always scary but when you were with your brother again you remembered why you loved them so much. You assessed your outfit in the mirror and sighed.

“What?” Nico asked, sitting back up.

“This would look really nice with a dark red lip,” you said, biting your lip.

“Do you have one?” he asked, and you nodded. He was quiet for a second before reaching out and ruffling through your makeup, finding your favourite red lipstick. “Do you wanna try?”

“Yeah, but if I cry it’ll mess up my eyeliner.” You said with a shaky laugh. He laughed quietly handing you the lipstick and you looked at him in the mirror, taking in a shuddering breath. You were stronger than this and you could handle it. You closed your eyes for a minute, counting your breaths, before opening the lipstick.

Once it was applied you lifted your chin, staring down the girl in the mirror. Nico grabbed your hand softly and you tore your eyes away, standing and pulling on your shoes.

“Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

--

Azriel was in a shit mood. He was 90% sure that you had cast some sort of spell on him when he was with you, something that made him happy and relaxed, because now that you weren’t here he pretty much wanted to throttle everyone.

Amren had been helping him look for a way to get back to you. The first thing they had tried was winnowing, he pictured your face; your smile, the way your hands felt in his, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t reach you. So they had been scanning books since then, reading up on every theory and myth. Nesta had brought him to speak to Gwyn who had told him about the theory that there could be up to at least 20 other worlds. Amren had also made him talk through every detail about this world he could remember, writing diligent notes as Cassian gave him weird looks when he spoke about Bucky Barnes.

“He’s a character, it’s a simple concept.”

“Yeah but how do you get an emotional connection to a character?”

“Shut up both of you.”

The pain in his chest was only growing as well, and he came to the daunting realisation that if he failed this; if he couldn’t get back to you, or get you back to him, he would probably have to deal with it for the rest of his long, long life.

He felt bad for taking his frustrations out on his family who were just worried about him, but he had never felt this way before. All he could think of was the way your eyes cleared when the realisation dawned on you. The way you had gone from sobs to a different, all-consuming kind of pain, just for a second, your eyes clearing as you realised you might never see him again. He hated himself for not being strong enough to put up a fight, he knew he wasn’t a match for a god, but he should’ve tried, he was too shocked at the time, too heartbroken, but now he was terrified that you might think he gave up on you. He had to get back to you, he was afraid what you might do if you were alone again. If you were alone after having the bond dangled in front of you, only to have it ripped away moments later.

It was almost 3am and everyone else in the house had gone to bed, but Azriel didn’t sleep well normally, and he especially wouldn’t while he was apart from you. He looked up from his book when he heard someone clear their throat, his head whipped up an incredulous smile gracing his features when he saw you sitting there.

“Baby,” he started moving forward but you held your hand up, stopping him.

“Oh that’s just too sweet, you kids are giving me so much content,” you dabbed at your eyes, and Azriel frowned.

“(y/n)? what’s going on?”

“Oh I’m not (y/n) sweetie, but that’s just adorable. My name is Aphrodite, Goddess of love and beauty, I often appear as whoever you find most beautiful.” Azriel’s heart dropped, the brief happiness he felt seeing your face gone as the lady spoke.

“Aphrodite? Hermes mentioned you.” He said, tensing as he realised he was dealing with another god. “In fact he said it was your fault this all happened.”

“Oh Hermes, always blaming someone else. You should be thanking me.”

“And why would I do that.” Azriel knew the look on his face was deadly, but something about seeing a god cower under his gaze was feeding his ego.

“Haven’t you worked out why you can’t travel back to her.” She raised her eyebrows at him, her expressions may be on your face, but as he paid more attention she seemed like a completely different person. “I have the power to move through world’s, you do not. I just thought that poor, sweet girl had been through enough that she should get to meet her soulmate. I waited for you after your mission and then just made you forget and let the two of you fall in love naturally, I mean I get teary eyed thinking about it, you’re just too cute!”

Azriel’s shoulders relaxed slightly, “So why are you here? Are you going to bring her to me?”

“Hmm I could, but I’d get in so much trouble, plus she’s very smart and I want to see if her plan works. You people are so very entertaining.” Her face rippled for a second as she turned, and she briefly looked like Mor, then Elain, then back to you. “But you, poor boy,” He chose to ignore the condescending tone, “You were dealt a very bad hand love wise, so maybe if she doesn’t succeed I could pull a few strings, but I do have a holiday planned so it may be a few decades.”

Her laugh made him feel sick and he glared at her, “What did you say about her plan?”

“Oh yes! She’s going down to the underworld to try find a solution,” Aphrodite was moving around the room gracefully as Azriel sat back down, the weight of Aphrodite’s easy words hitting him. She picked up one of the books laying on the desk and made an unimpressed noise, throwing it back down carelessly.

“That’s where the dead go right?” he asked, silently praying he was wrong,

“Yup! Don’t worry though, her mother lives there too,” she said ‘mother’ with a slight snarl, but Azriel ignored her. “You know I get why she likes you, you’re very pretty aren’t you?” She walked over to him, swaying your hips and he had to remind himself it wasn’t you as she sat down in his lap, forcing his hands to stay clenched at his side. She ran your hand along his jaw, tilting her head with a smile as she stroked his face. Her thumb rested on his bottom lip as he glared at her with murderous rage, trying to reel it in as he remembered she was possibly the only one that could help him.

“Well I guess I better go,” She sighed dramatically then pressed a perfectly polished gold coin into his hand, “Flip this if you need me, emergencies and sex only.” She winked at him, before kissing his cheek and standing, waving seductively before vanishing. Azriel sat for a few minutes, reeling from the interaction he just had. Is this the world I’ve entered now? Gods who can do whatever they want? He wondered if that’s why you avoided talking about the Gods, if maybe growing up with this had made you bitter to them. He wanted to ask you and talk to you about it, or anything for that matter but instead he just pocketed the coin and stood, winnowing to his room, and collapsing on his bed.

--

“Sweetie, you look beautiful,” Your mother cried out as you and Nico arrived, you were leaning heavily on his arm, while surrounded by death, the coldness of a lifeless place seeped into your bones and weakened you, you had learnt as much the first time you visited. You gave your mother a tight-lipped smile and hugged her awkwardly.

“Oh I missed you so much dear,” she stroked your hair, and you fought the urge to roll your eyes.

“You could’ve visited.” It was hard to keep the bitterness out of your voice, after all you had gone through and she hadn’t visited once. A look of shock passed over her face but before she could reply Hades thundered in, his usual outfit, ‘the robes of death and despair’ as you fondly called them, were replaced by a dark suit, his hair slicked back from his face. He came to Persephone’s side and rested a hand around her waist pulling her in slightly, and despite yourself you felt a little jealous of their closeness as your mother looked up at him with doe eyes.

“Nico, my son, how are you?” Hades deep voice silenced the room, the very air seeming to stand still, and Nico flushed red as he was put on the spot. The four of you exchanged pleasantries as you made your way to the ridiculously long table, Hades sat at the head on one side, Persephone on the other, with Nico and you facing each other in the centre. The wood was dark, but the table was covered in all sorts of colourful food and you all helped yourselves while making small talk, only managing to hear your parents due to the eery silence of the room, dead guards not needing to make any noise.

After the first few courses and once you had consumed enough white wine to gain some courage you turned to face your mother.

“Mum, I think I need a favour if that’s okay?” you asked with great caution, extremely aware of the powerful forces surrounding you.

“Well that depends dear. What is it?”

“After the battle and the… fall, I never got my reward remember, I instead asked to be able to come get it when I needed it.”

“Yes of course, I thought that was very smart!” your mother spoke cheerfully but you could feel Hades’ gaze on your back, burning through your skin and bones to the very essence of your soul. “Let me guess, you need it now?”

“If that’s okay, some things have changed recently and I now know what I need,” you smiled at her, “I met a man, well actually he’s a faerie. Aphrodite wanted us to meet because we’re soulmates and after my fall she thought I deserved to see him, but since he’s from another world he had to go back, and we can’t be together.” You wiped away a few stray tears you forced out; this was your game. Your mother didn’t visit you often so she had never seen this side of you, the side that could manipulate even a god into giving you what you wanted. “So I thought, maybe for my reward I could become Fae and be permitted to live with Azriel in his world, and maybe come and visit my friends occasionally?”

“Oh that sounds lovely dear! That’s so alike me, I had to beg my mother and even then she didn’t let me stay here,” your mother rattled on and you smiled at her, but your shoulders were still tense as you knew you hadn’t won yet. You turned to where Hades sat, rubbing his temples.

“I get it. I do. But I really don’t think my brother would allow that, it’s too much.”

“Too much?” you asked, a bitter laugh escaping.

“I understand you went through a lot,”

“Do you?” you couldn’t stop the biting words, “Because the last I checked you both sat and did nothing while I was tortured down there. You could’ve done something, but you didn’t, you made a choice not to, and now I ask for ONE thing, and it’s too much?” Hades’ glare was murderous, but you weren’t going to back down.

“I mean if you really think about it, I’ll be out of your hair if you agree. One less demi-god always seems to be a win for you guys.” Nico said your name in warning, but you slowly stood. “I am not asking for much, I am asking to be allowed to live a life with the man I love and after all I have been through, fighting YOUR battles, I think it’s the least I deserve.”

You held Hades’ gaze for a few more seconds until he spoke. “Are you sure your not a child of Nyx?” he asked, and you grinned, cocking your head to the side.

“Why would that be?”

“You have a pure evil streak in you girl and uncharted power. You better learn to control it, before someone catches on.”

“We won’t have a problem I’m presuming?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said gruffly, going back to his meal and you relaxed, moving to hug your mother goodbye, whispering thanks to her, before linking arms with Nico and leaving.

--

The next day you awoke to a golden invitation to Olympus, and you smiled, soon. You’d be with him soon.

--

Olympus looked much nicer since Annabeth had gotten involved. You may have been biased but it seemed to hold a sense of home it never had before, the clinical cleanliness now feeling purer and more loving. The throne room however had remained much the same.

You stood alone in the middle surrounded by the arc of thrones, but you refused to take your eyes of Zeus. You had received a wink from Apollo and a smile from Aphrodite as you walked in but beside that it had been eye contact for at least five minutes. You knew better to speak before you were spoken to but the way they surrounded you and stared down on you was bringing up bad memories and you were really fighting a panic attack.

Seemingly sensing this Apollo cleared his throat, “Perhaps we should start father?” While you were grateful a part of you hated how well the flirtatious god knew you, he was the first to tend to your wounds when you first escaped, healing them enough so you wouldn’t die from blood loss but not enough for anyone to suggest he was picking favourites. His warm hands had provided a sense of comfort you thought you had lost entirely.

Zeus nodded slowly, a letter appearing in his hand, “So these are your terms? Transformation into high Fae, permission to live in a new world with visits back to this one twice a year?” you presumed Hades, or your mother had written the letter, neither of them present currently. You nodded clearly, not entirely trusting your voice.

“I guess it’s only fair, but a full transformation will hurt,”

“I’m sure I can take it.” you lifted your chin, holding your shaking hands tightly in an attempt to conceal them.

Zeus laughed, not taking his eyes of you, “I’m sure you can. Does anyone have any major oppositions?”

Aphrodite raised her hand, “I’d like to add that during her transformation, her womb changes shape so she may birth Illyrian children.” You shot her a grateful look, still not entirely sure why she was suddenly so invested in ensuring your happiness, but you wouldn’t complain.

Hera was the next to speak and you fought the urge to roll your eyes, “Why is she getting special treatment again? What did she do that was so different?”

“She was tortured for days!” Athena exclaimed,

“So?” Ares now.

“She was a child, it was brutal.” Apollo jumped to your aid and soon the chamber was filled with shouting voices as they argued over your fate.

“SILENCE.” Zeus quieted the room instantly and every eye turned to him, but he remained focused on you, “Well then? Answer the question girl, what makes you so special?”

You thought for a second before answering, “I don’t consider it special treatment. After the battles I’ve fought and the pain I’ve endured to help your causes, I’d consider it a form of retirement.” You kept Zeus’ gaze and let a streak of the evil Hades had warned you off show, smiling when his smug smile disappeared. He waved his hand, “Very well then, High Fae with altered womb and permission to live in their world and visit our occasionally, that is all?”

You nodded and he assessed you before holding out his hand, his gaze darkening. You furrowed your eyebrows as your limbs started to tingle before pain took over your entire body.

--

You had felt pain so many times before, pain that left more than just physical trauma, but this was different. You felt as if your blood had become fire and every bone was breaking as new ones reformed. You didn’t have any sense of time or place, all you could feel was pain. At one point you thought it was over only to open your eyes, feeling impossibly soft sheets beneath you, and see Apollo hovering over you, sweat dripping from his brow as he took some of the pain away, even for just a moment.

When you finally awoke you were on the ground. You stood up quickly, almost knocking yourself over as your movement were much faster than usual. You were outside a glowing city, it didn’t have skyscrapers like New York, but it was so comforting to look at you felt yourself being drawn in. As you crossed the border however, a beautiful man with dark hair appeared, his eyes narrowing.

“Who are you and why are you trying to get in here?” A shot of fear went through you as you felt his magic, it was thick in the air and powerful.

“I’m not going to hurt anyone, I’m just looking for someone,” you explained, swallowing down the lump in your throat. The handsome man’s gaze turned vacant before softening after a moment.

“I apologise, I’m Rhysand. Let me help you find whoever it is, what’s their name?”

“That’s okay, really. His name is Azriel, but I don’t think he’s expecting me.” Rhysand stopped, his head turning towards you, “what is it?” you asked.

“(y/n)?”

“How do you know my name?” you stepped back but he held out his hands,

“No, no I’m Az’s brother, let me take you to him.” he grabbed your arm softly and suddenly you were standing in a warm room facing Azriel. You felt tears fill your eyes as you stared at him, he uttered your name in question and you nodded running into his arms, completely engulfed by his scent, tears of joy running down your face when you suddenly realised something, pulling away.

“Did you say brother?” you turned to Rhysand, feeling all the plants in the air respond to your calls, when Azriel tugged you back to him.

“Not biological don’t worry.” He whispered and Rhysand laughed.

“I like her.”

“Hmm I was two seconds away from castrating you,” His eyes widened slightly and you laughed, turning back to Azriel as he looked over you.

“How- you, you’re Fae?” His eyes were filled with worry again, afraid he was being tricked.

“I never got my reward remember, I knew I would need it in the future,” you smiled at him as he cupped your face and leaned down to kiss you. You pulled apart, Azriel growling when you heard catcalls, turning, and seeing the room had practically filled. A shot of fear went through you as your eyes landed on another man who had red siphons, and Azriel followed your gaze, a hand stroking your face in reassurance.

“So this must be (y/n), welcome to our home, I’m Feyre,” A beautiful woman stepped forward and clasped your hand in hers, which you noted were stained from paint. Everyone else soon made introductions and they urged you to sit as you found out about this makeshift family Azriel was in.

“Oh! That’ll be Nyx, I’ll go,” Feyre said when a baby started crying in the distance,

“Wait what did she say the babies name was?” You asked, holding in a laugh.

“Nyx?” Rhys said,

“Oh, course, cool cool cool,”

“What?” Azriel asked, looking at you strangely.

“I’ve kind of met her,”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, she’s like the evilest deity there is, and she did not like me,” Rhysand stared at you with a look of shock on his face, but before anyone said anything else, Amren was laughing loudly.

“You must tell me all about these Gods girl.”

--------------------------------------------------

tags: @tastedlikedamnation

[rickriordanfandam]

opinions on riordanverse ; my edition

a lot of people have been doing this so i decided why not right. probably gna lose some followers or smth but anyways. pls respect my opinions! if u disagree, thats fine, but please be polite. unless any of my opinions strikes u as morally wrong then pls point it out to me respectfully. thanks!

- i actually liked drew. im so sorry to everyone who hates her but full offence, why. think about it this way ok, first of all drew became hc because silena died. silena was the traitor, the one who betrayed chb, yet after she died campers celebrated her as a hero? and then drew suddenly has to replace her and live up to idk that legacy she left behind,, when all of a sudden this girl named piper swoops in and takes her place. idk abt u but i wld be salty abt that too. not only that, but as an asian, the chances of drew having faced racism/bullying as a child is pretty high (she studies at brooklyn academy). which means that when she finds out shes a demigod, and arrives at chb where most of the campers are white (this is an assumption btw), she’d obviously be scared of being bullied for her skin color right?? so the first thing she wld do before the campers get to bully her is to bully them before they can do so. (sentence structure here is wack i apologize) ofc this might not even have happened, drew could have had a perfect childhood && was a b1tch for no reason, BUT EVEN THEN HER ROLE AS A BULLY WAS PRETTY VITAL BECAUSE THAT FURTHER SHOWED THE CONTRAST BETWEEN HER AND PIPER,, HIGHLIGHTING PIPER AS A HERO//GOOD CHARACTER,, AND THEREFORE MAKING READERS LIKE PIPER MORE. anyway stop hating on drew please. ALSO WHY IS THIS SO LONGA SDFJHG

- jason isnt bland, the fandom just kinda erased his backstory (thanks to @pjohoo-memes for the phrasing lol)

- reynabeth wouldnt have lasted/would have broken up several times. idk i just see them as two extremely powerful characters who have firm opinions and will definitely clash at some point. in a platonic relationship,, i can see them as really good friends but as lovers? idk i just think theyll break up

- PIPABETH

- i dont really like jercy,, i see them as better friends than lovers. also idt jason and percy were that close..?

- the dam and not my type jokes are srsly cringey and were never funny. ik that seems hypocritical since my username literally makes use of the dam joke but honestly i dont actually like the joke. its not funny to me and has never been funny

- the seven were not best friends. they definitely argued,, and honestly probably werent as close as the fandom makes them seem. like ure dumped with 6 other people, out of which u only know a few. my introverted ass would have jumped off the argo 2 quicker than leo valdez could bomb camp jupiter up. also leo was a dick to frank. so what if frank is bigger sized?? thats not a valid reason to tease him

- the fandom needs to stop hating on octavian while worshipping luke. if u hate luke and u say u hate octavian too, then okay. but if u tell me ure a luke stan but u despise octavian?? imma disagree w u. luke was worse than octavian im sorry. first of all, octavian being a dick was kinda justified. hes been after the praetor position for so long, and everyone keeps saying to “wait for jason” when suddenly this dude, whos a son of NEPTUNE (neptune wasnt liked much by romans), and the camp decides to make him praetor?? dude i would be pissed off big time. and then afterwards, he finds out that greek demigods are real and the dude they made praetor is greek. AND THEN GREEK DEMIGODS COME TO CJ AND ONE OF THEM BOMB IT UP?? octavian has been told all his life that greeks are scum and this dude called leo valdez attacks cj. sure it was an accident, but did octavian know that? no. so it was honestly justified that he was such a salty prick im just saying. also some of yall be hating on octavian for cutting a teddy bear open and thats the funniest shit ive ever heard i swear 

- luke didnt go to elysium

- travis and connor stoll r way too underrated. the two have been head counselors of the hermes cabin since luke was revealed as a traitor, can u imagine the stress? luke, the person they probably looked up to as a brother, betrayed them. and they didnt even have time to process this when they were  thrown the roles of being hcs. that would have been so stressful and i would probably have broken down if i were them. the stoll brothers taking turns to wake up at ungodly hours because a new camper is crying and homesick and terrified, the stoll brothers having to comfort and take care of new campers, having to deal with the amount of people in that cramped space because not enough campers are being claimed fast enough. having to resolve issues between campers in the hermes cabin all the time. the stolls arent just comedic relief, and we need to stop treating them as such

- tratie shldve been canon idc idc

- demigods of the demeter cabin arent talked about enough and i love the fact that meg was demeters kid. like she isnt the child of one of the big three yet shes so powerful.

- we need to hype clarisse up more her character arc was phucking amazing 

- rachel is overhated. sis found out greek gods exist and regularly come down to earth to fuck around and went “ok cool”. queen shit behavior methinks

- the floor 19 crew of mcga is srsly underrated. like do u even remember halfborn gunderson, mallory keen, tj, etc??? bc i feel like we only remember samirah, magnus, alex, and sometimes blitz and hearthstone

- sadie (tkc) was kinda annoying at first. i like her more now tho but i rmb not liking her for a phat while

- tkc and mcga need more love

- carter kane and jason grace arent boring. theyre just really sweet boys who are too good for this world and yes yes yes 

- hazel and frank (especially frank) need to be hyped up more. i hardly ever see anything about them. also yall seem to forget that frank was literally made praetor and that even hecate admired hazel and was willing to fight beside her because of how powerful she was

- frazels age gap is kinda sketch but i still think theyre really cute

- nico definitely had trauma from going to tartarus on his own

- GROVER IS PERCYS BEST FRIEND

- annabeth isnt smarter than leo but neither is leo smarter than annabeth. ive seen a lot of discussions about who is smarter and heres my hot take on it: neither. theyre equally smart, just in different ways. leos a genius mathematically speaking. he has no issues solving math problems meant for people much, much older than him. annabeth on the otherhand, is great at strategies etc. she can make an army of 1000 more powerful than the enemy, even if theyre outnumbered. so in my opinion, both are equally as smart//u cant compare their intelligence, because their talents lie in two different areas.

- while i do agree rick riordan isnt a god and that hes bound to make mistakes,, AND that hes given us a lot of representation,, if the representation offends the people its sposed to represent, then theres a problem. im talking about piper as a poc and wearing feathers in her hair. im not a poc, so i cant speak for them on whether or not its wrong, because i dont know either. HOWEVER, i have seen multiple posts BY pocs talking about how they didnt really like rick’s representation of piper, and thats an issue. pocs have been and are still oppressed and discriminated against by many. as a white cis man, we cant really blame him for not knowing (tho he could have done a research,, asked some pocs,, idk), but by representing pocs in that manner, hes influencing impressionable kids/teens into thinking “oh pocs wear feathers in their hair all the time” etc, which isnt true. the pjo/hoo series is extremely successful, and kids who read the books will probably start forming inaccurate opinions on pocs. the amount of fan art that depicts piper with feathers in her hair dont help either. “but rick said so in the books, so its canon” yeah well rick isnt a god and he can get some things wrong at times. im not saying we should cancel him, im saying we should start educating ourselves and not spread false info like pocs wearing feathers in their hair all the time. also that snake song shit where she sang Summertime was just- yeah. bc heres the thing you can be racist, and still include minorities, but portray them in a racist way. And even then, ignorance isn't a thing to admire. Getting those facts wrong still has a major impact. It continues to perpetuate racist stereotypes.

“ With the feather thing, I looked it up myself; it takes less than five minutes to figure out that Cherokees don't braid feathers into their hair. I didn't grow up in the country where my parents are from. I have many other first/second generation American friends who have also been through that, with a bit of a disconnect from their culture. But something that most of us have in common is that when we didn't know something, and when our parents weren't that big of a help, we looked it up. We sought out resources online and through other people from our culture to be able to connect more with where we came from. Some of that took a Google search. So I find it hard to believe that Piper, a girl who Rick's trying to portray as someone who is attempting to connect with her culture and is totally against racist stereotypes, wouldn't know that eagle feathers aren't supposed to be braided into your hair casually. She may be disconnected from her culture, but she's also shown to want to connect back to it. Piper wouldn't be casually braiding feathers into her hair while also telling off people for being racist. It makes no sense.” - reddit thread (down below) 

for those of yall who wanna know more please please read this, it has a lot of things i wanna add in here : https://www.reddit.com/r/camphalfblood/comments/gy3gl2/piper_mcleans_portrayal_is_innacurate/ 

as well as https://finding-my-culture.tumblr.com/post/189422373260/maxie-ratties-and-cattie-finding-my-culture 

i will be posting screenshots of these in future posts so if ure viewing this on ig and u dont have tumblr,, dont worry 

- the fact that most of the strong female characters in the series refuse to be “girly”, and ngl i dont really like that. just because ure girly doesnt mean u cant be strong. 

- piper would have been a great way for him to start making the strong characters act girlier, but instead he went with the “I’m not like other girls” trope which is quite obnoxious to hear constantly, and I don’t think it’s necessarily great for younger girls to read that idea growing up.  the closest we've ever had to a strong female character who was also into "girly" things was Silena. when I was younger I admired Piper's "I'm not like other girls" thing, but then I got older and realized that the whole mentality of "not like other girls" is super obnoxious, and a little bit toxic

i have a heck load more that i cant rmb rn but yeah feel free to add more 

[jobrookekarev]

I Remember it All Too Well Chapter 4

Chapter Four of Six: So I Showed up at Your Party.

Words: 2600

Chapter Summary: Alex sees Jo at the bar with Link and Levi. As he begins to approach her, Link blocks Alex off and tells him to leave Jo alone. However, Jo is more willing to share the bar with him.

Story Summary: Alex knew from the moment he signed the divorce papers that leaving Jo and Seattle was the worst mistake of his life. As Alex works his way back to Seattle, he sees Jo again four times before she allows him back into her life.

Or

The four times Alex saw Jo after their divorce, and the one time they finally got back together with her, plus a soft epilogue.

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Relationship: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson.

Characters: Jo Wilson, Alex Karev, Levi Schmitt, and Atticus Lincoln.

Rating: General Audiences

Additional Tags:  Regret, Longing, Pining, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Foster Kid, Adoption, Joe's Bar.

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

……………………………………………………………………

After arriving back in Seattle, the last thing Alex wanted to do was go home alone. However, this was his new normal. As it was summer he got the kids for two weeks in Seattle at a time, instead of having to fly to Kansas to see them. Alex had tried to remain cheerful and positive on the plane ride back, but the twins could sense his feelings. Although it wasn't the first time Alex had dropped them off only to go back to Seattle, the kids still didn't understand why he wasn’t going home with them. It was a tearful goodbye at the airport that had stuck in his mind the whole plane ride home. 

At least next time they would all be in Seattle together as Izzie had agreed to fly out with them in exchange for letting her have the weekend in Chehalis with her mom. Robbie Stevens had apparently been on better terms with Izzie after she left Seattle and was a decent grandma to the kids. The second Alex's plane touched down at SeaTac he seemed to be on autopilot as left the airport and drove back up to Seattle. Somehow he ended up back at the hospital, but instead of going back to work, he decided to hop across the street to Joe's Bar. 

When Alex walked into the bar he wasn’t surprised to see that it was still the same as it always was. The neon lights still hung on the walls, peanut shells still littered the floor, and the old jukebox in the corner played the same old songs. Alex quickly went over to the bar and greeted the bartender as he ordered a beer. He looked around the room and wasn't surprised that he didn't recognize anybody until his eyes landed on a booth in the corner. There sat Levi, Nico, and Link, and then he saw her. Jo sat at the booth next to Link as she smiled and talked with them while she drank. Alex stared at her for a moment and as if she could sense his eyes, Jo looked around the room and their eyes met.

Even from across the room, he could see her light brown eyes glow in the low light as she stared at him intently. They hadn't spoken since he laid out his heart to her in the hallway of the hospital a few weeks ago. Yet, as she held his gaze now he suddenly got the urge to get up and go to her. Jo's eyes pulled him in like a lasso and before he knew it, he was walking across the bar to her. 

Jo continued to stare at him. Her lips slightly parted in a look of longing as she held his gaze. He had that longing too, Alex always had a longing for her. It was the same feelings that had always drawn him to her. Jo was so similar to him, in the way they grew up, the way they ran, and their anger, but also in their humor, and the way they cared for patients. In love and in life, they were so similar and Jo understood him like no one else did. 

It was comforting, she was the one truly familiar thing at the bar and he missed just hanging out with her. He was so lonely without the twins and with Meredith working tonight, he thought he'd end up drinking alone. As he got closer to their table he saw her eyes sparkle and there was a hint of a smile on her lips. Alex was almost to her booth when suddenly Link was standing in front of him. 

“What do you think you're doing?” Link said, glaring at Alex as he crossing his arms, and raising his eyebrows at him. 

Alex seemed to step out of his daze as he looked at Lincoln and Levi who had stood up to form a wall between him and Jo. “I saw you were here and I thought I’d just come over and say hello.”

“We all know you're back, Alex,” Link said, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’ve been back for a while now and if we wanted to drink with you, we would have asked.”

“Yeah,” Levi added, although he was not the least bit intimidating.

“Can I at least talk to Jo,” Alex said, gesturing to the woman that was hidden behind them. 

“No,” Link said, taking a step forward. “You don’t get to talk to her, you don’t get to look at her, and you don’t get to just walk back into her life after everything you’ve done to her.” 

“I never expected to,” Alex said, but Link cut him off again.

“You left. This wasn't a mutual thing, where the both of you decided to break up. You left, Alex,” Link said as he loomed over Alex. “You know I trusted you. I trusted you to love her and to take care of her in the way that Jo has always deserved to be loved, but instead, you broke her heart and you left.”

“I know and I am truly sorry. I told Jo that...” Alex started to say, but Link quickly interrupted him, not even letting him get a word in edgewise. 

“Have you? Have you really taken the time to apologize, because it sure as hell doesn’t seem like you have. Jo certainly would have told me if you had. She did say that you explained it to her, but it just sounds like a lot of excuses to me. Do you know what Jo did when you left? She took the pain that you caused and she made sure that I didn't make the same mistake that you did, and walk away from Amelia. Now you're a fool for having left her and you're a fool for thinking you can come back. So you can take your sad and miserable self and walk away.”

Alex stood there and he took it. He took every word that Link said to him because he deserved it. “I know. You're right, I was a fool for leaving Jo.”

Link seemed a little surprised at Alex's words and the anger left his face. Alex was happy that Link had been there for Jo since he left. He knew Link would be of course, but he was still happy that Jo had someone to confide in and that Link looked after her.

“Link, let Alex be.” Jo’s hand on Link’s shoulder and her soft voice caught Alex’s attention again as she got up from the booth. “Look, it's late and I told the sitter I'd be home before ten.”

“You don't have to go if you don't want to,” Alex said looking at her as he caught her eye again, those amber eyes still pulling him in. It was only eight, so he knew she was lying about having to get back to the sitter and he didn’t want to make Jo more uncomfortable and he already had. “You guys are clearly having a good time here, so I'm going to go, and don't worry I won't try and talk to you at the bar again.”

Alex turned away before Jo grabbed his arm. “Alex wait.”

It was the first time they had touched and it felt so familiar and natural. Alex turned around and looked at her as Jo realized she was still holding his arm. She looked down at her hand before she dropped it. Jo’s hand left an invisible impression on his arm and he could still feel the weight of her fingers on his sweater. He remembered how she felt in his arms when he held her and he missed her weight in his arms and in his heart.

Jo looked down before she looked back up at him and held his gaze. “You don't have to go. We don't own the bar, I mean, I technically own part of the hospital and I didn't kick you out of there, so you can stay. If you want to. I'll make sure the boys, don't bother you anymore.”

“I wasn't bothering him. If anything he was...” Link started to say, but Jo shut him up with a glare. 

“No it's okay, I should be getting home anyway. I've got early morning rounds with the residence and I need to be awake so I can remember all their names and stuff,” Alex said, with a nod trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince her.

“Okay,” Jo said with a nod of her own before she sat back down. 

Alex had to tear himself away from her as he turned around and walked back to the bar. He quickly paid for his drink and left. As Alex opened the door to walk up the stairs, he glanced back and saw that Jo was still staring at him. As their eyes met, Jo gave him a soft smile and he easily returned her smile. Jo quickly ducked her head and looked back at Link as they talked and Alex sighed. 

Just that simple smile was enough to send his heart to the clouds. Even after all these years, Jo still made him feel like he did when he was first fell in love with her. Alex adored Jo. Her simple smile had made his heart beat faster, and for now, that smile was enough.

……………………………………………………………………

“You didn't have to do that you know,” Jo said to Link after Levi and Nico went to the bathroom to make out and she knew they probably wouldn't be back anytime soon. “You don't have to go full on big brother mode and protect me from Alex.”

“I know, but I wanted to, Jo. The way he left you was not okay and I know that you've forgiven him, or you're in the process of doing so, but you can't just give him a free pass without making him do the work to repair the damage he did.”

“I'm not just giving him a free pass,” Jo said with a shake of her head as she looked up at the door despite how Alex had left a few minutes ago. “Look, I know Alex. I was married to him. I know the way he thinks and why he's doing what he’s doing now. Plus, it’s my decision to forgive him or not and I can make my own decisions.”

“I know, you're right and I'm sorry,” Link said looking down at his drink. 

“It's okay,” Jo said, nudging him with her shoulder and leaning against him. “I don't need you to be my big brother, but I appreciate that you still are.”

“Anytime,” Link said, putting his arm around her shoulders and leaning his head against hers. “You'll always be my annoying little sister.” 

“Um, annoying? Excuse you, I am a pleasure to be around, I'm pretty sure your parents like me better than they like you,” Jo scoffed as she sat back with a laugh.

“That is annoyingly true,” Link said with a shake at his head. “I can't believe how much they adore you.”

Jo laughed as she remembered the cancerversary dinner she had attended with Amelia and Link a few months ago. She got a text from her babysitter the teenager down the street named Elsie, saying that Asher had gone down for the night, along with an adorable picture of him asleep in his crib. Jo sighed at the photo and showed it to Link. She missed her baby and was ready to go home for the night. 

Link offered her a ride home and they texted Levi and Nico a goodbye as they were still in the bathroom together. Link dropped her off at Meredith's, before driving up the street to the house he and Amelia had bought. It had been a few months since her own house hunt had started and she still hadn't found a house. Every place she looked at was either too big or too small. She had told her real estate agent that she wanted a three bedroom house, but everything she saw just seemed too small. Jo didn't know what the future held, and she wanted a place that would be her’s permanently. 

Jo walked into the house and let herself in through the side door, by the stairs. Meredith’s kids were still up, and she quickly said hello to them. She paid Elise and sent her home before she headed upstairs. Meredith's kids had their own nanny, but four kids was a little too much for her. So Jo always asked Elise, to watch Asher whenever she wanted a night out.

Jo quietly opened the door to her room, leaving the lights off, and crept over to the crib in the corner. Asher must have woken up as when she peered into the crib, he looked up at her and smiled. He was holding the knitted lion that Grandma Helen had sent out to him and kicked off the blankets.

“Mama,” Asher cooed and reached up for her as Jo leaned down to pick him up. Every time he called her mama, her heart swelled with love for her son. 

“Hello my sweet boy,” Jo said cuddling him close. 

She grabbed the blanket and put it around him as she walked over to sit in the rocking chair. Jo cuddled Asher closer as he laid his head on her shoulder and she rocked back and forth. Within a few moments, his big brown eyes were fluttering close as she kissed his head. In the dark and peaceful night, Jo took a moment to watch her son sleep in her arms. 

At almost a year old he was starting to lose his baby fat as he grew taller each day. He still had the full head of dark hair that grew out so fast she could hardly keep up. She had let it grow out past his neck in an effort to only have to cut it once a month. When Jo picked him up from the fire station she had fallen a little bit in love with him. She and Alex were trying at the time and Jo was ready to be a mother. After Alex left she had made the impulsive decisions to foster and low and behold Asher needed a placement. She had said yes in an instant and they had been a family ever since. 

Jo was happy with Asher and being a single mom, but she wanted to love again. Her friends with benefits relationship with Jackson had been the first step and she’d gone on a few dates, but nothing felt right. Now that Alex was back, it brought up a whole mess of mixed feelings she wasn't sure she was ready for, but a part of her wondered, what if. 

Certainly, things couldn't go back to the way they were before, but there was a part of her that would always be in love with Alex Karev. Jo wasn't sure if she was ready to be in a relationship with him again, despite how she had forgiven him. However, Jo had made up her mind. She was ready to talk to Alex again and she was curious as to how things would develop from there. 

[lifeofroos]

Part 65: Nico is doing some research with the gang.

In short: Nico gets therapy from Dionysus. In this chapter, Nico and his friends go to look for his family line. The rest is on AO3 and FanFiction.net! And in Tumblr tags like Pjo, Dionysus, Nico di Angelo, etc. 

This Might Be Crazy: Chapter 65: Grape flavoured Gatorade

Hades had been easy to persuade. He was almost eager to let me go to Italy, as if he wanted to see if there were any di Angelo’s left as well. It meant part of my plan succeeded. Now it was time to do some research. 

There was a centre of genealogy in camp Jupiter, where they obsessively kept track of family lines. Every line was written down in a huge book, which were a metre or so tall and broad. You couldn’t even lay them down on a table, you had to sit on the floor with the book in front of you. So it was the best place to start. 

Will went with me. He was the first I had told about my plans after my last therapy session. Already waiting by the centre was Hazel and furthermore, I had brought Pollux from Camp Half-blood with me. Dionysus already knew about my plan, so it felt safe to get his son on board. 

I sat down in front of my book. ‘Okay. We have a clear goal.’

‘We’re demigods,’ Pollux noticed dryly. ‘We never have clear goals. Or maybe we do, but it’ll become less clear in a minute or so.’

I narrowed my eyes. ‘Then we have one minute of serious study. Go. Search for Italy. Search for di Angelo.’

We managed to look through the Italian lines for a whopping five whole minutes before someone got distracted, when Hazel pointed at a name in her book: ‘That’s sounds like the last name of one of the new recruits.’ Will left his own book (Which had a fold-out family tree; they went for extra in camp Jupiter) to go look over her shoulder. ‘We have a new recruit called Gio Colombo. There is a Colombo over here.’

‘From 1876,’ Will thoughtfully said. ‘That could be a possible connection’

‘Maybe.’ Hazel sighed and looked at the branch that came after the aforementioned Colombo. ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to find Gio’s name, though. Not like this.’

Will blinked, before smacking his hand against his forehead. ‘We’re idiots, too,’ he mumbled. We all gave him a strange look. ‘What Hazel just said made me think: We should have just started looking for Nico himself, instead of the di Angelo lineage. There might be lots of people with the name Di Angelo. After we found him, we can search for family members.’ 

I blushed a little. ‘Eh, yeah, that sounds like common sense.’

Will sighed. ‘We’ll do that from here on out. Unless! Wait, before we make another mistake, Hazel, are there any maps for these books? As in, is there any way to see in which books which names are?’

‘Eh… yeah, I think so. Let me go take a look, I am sure...’ 

‘Of course we do.’ A girl with a hoarse voice  walked around the corner, with a map in her hands. She laid it out on the floor. ‘Look. Over here, you can see the family name, which are sorted alphabetically, and the books the names are in. Then, you can look it up again, and…’ There followed a whole lot of other instructions, which I kindly ignored. 

When the genealogist walked away, I looked at my friends. ‘Did any of you understand any of that?’

‘There is something, somewhere, and it’ll help us,’ Pollux stated. 

‘Yeah, not. We’ll just have to keep looking until we find… well, me,’ I answered. 

The rest mumbled something, before we all turned back to our books and maps.

After quite a lot of searching, Pollux tapped my shoulder. ‘I found... a di Angelo, from the nineteen-thirties.’ 

I crawled over to him. ‘Where?’

‘Here. Francesca di Angelo,’ Pollux muttered. He had a funny look on his face. 

‘Where did she live?’ I asked.

‘According to this, eh… Rizziconi? Is that how you pronounce it?’

‘Could be. Rizziconi is not Venice, far from it, but Francesca is probably a woman, so…’

‘So what?’

‘It means she probably went to live with her husband. Which means we might be related.’ Will, who was hanging above the book as well now, tapped the picture of the man next to her. ‘Then again, if she has a husband, she probably took his last name…’

‘Not according to this book? Her husband's name is not di Angelo,’ Pollux answered. ‘Oh, I see it now, her married name is right under her maiden name. Her married name is not di Angelo.’ He sighed. ‘Anyway, then we should go up, because her parents must be the di Angelo branch. The name probably comes from her father. He had a bunch of kids, anyway, eh, your mother might be around there somewhere, I think…’ 

‘I see no Maria,’ Will breathed into my ear. 

‘No,’ Pollux stroked a strand of hair out of his face. ‘Then we go up a ledge, maybe it is a different di angelo branch. Then we are looking for a man with a daughter named Maria, because at this point she can only have gotten that name from the male line if it is the correct line…’ Pollux almost tore the paper out. My head began to spin. 

‘How do you keep track of this?’ Will asked.

Pollux shook his head. ‘I don’t know. Anyway, I… still see no Maria di Angelo, I think, at which point we should go even further up… and that runs off the map, which means I have to flip a page.’ He sighed.

Will looked over his shoulder. ‘Hazel, did you find anything useful? We might find something here after another hour or so, but…’

Hazel pushed her book closer to ours. ‘I have been looking at Hades’ family line. The map doesn’t show every family member of his children, but I think that if we combine our maps, we can find something.’ She put her book under that of Pollux. 

I looked over her shoulder. I saw my dad and, miracle miracle, my own name, next to Bianca’s and slightly further away from Hazels’. It mentioned my mothers’ name, the names of my grandparents and those of my great-grandparents. ‘Pollux, do you have a… Nicola di Angelo somewhere?’ I inquired. ‘Never knew I was named after my grandfather, but alas, it made sense. Or otherwise a Marco di Angelo? He was my… great grandfather. It doesn’t run further.’ I took a deep breath and put my hand against my forehead. ‘He… I mean Marco… was married to someone named Maria Veronese...’

‘I have a Maria Veronese!’ Pollux exclaimed, while excitedly pointing into his genealogy book. ‘I got a Maria Veronese and praise the gods, she is married to a Marco di Angelo. They have a son, Nicola di Angelo, Who has a daughter, Maria di Angelo, who…’ He took a deep breath. ‘Has a son named Nico di Angelo.’ He pointed into the book, before laying down with an arm over his eyes. His breathing went very quickly for some time, until it slowed down again. ‘Oh, man.’ 

Wil kneeled down next to him. ‘Are you okay?’

He opened his eyes. ‘I am.’ He shrugged, even though he was still on the floor. ‘Information overrun. Dangers of the job.’

‘If you want to see ‘child of Dionysus’ as a job,’ I said, while staring into the book. 

It was told me who of my family members had died. It was strange to see a ‘deceased’ next to Hazel and it hurt to see it next to my mother and sister. For a moment, I doubted whether I was doing the right thing by going to Italy, but I shook that thought off. I could worry about that later. Pollux didn’t almost drive himself insane for me to walk away now. 

‘So. Unsurprisingly, all of my grandparents and their siblings have passed away. My mother had two sisters and a brother. Her brother didn’t have any children... but her sister did. That, sadly, means she changed her last name and then moved to… Toulouse.’ I raised my eyebrows. Sure, France, why not. ‘Okay, but I can’t do anything with that,’ I muttered, a little sad. ‘Alright, then her second sister, she had a daughter and two sons… blah-blah-blah… and...’ I took a deep breath, ‘to make a long story short, her three youngest descendents live in Foggia.’ It felt like a relief. Finally. A place of reference. 

Will produced a notebook from his pocket, with a pencil. ‘I am writing that down. What are their names? Of the last decendants, I mean?’ 

‘Sofia, Elena and Lucia. Their parents are still alive too, eh, Gabriella and Collin. That doesn’t sound all that Italian to me… anyway, them.’ 

‘Cool.’ I looked up at Will, who wrote it all down, before looking back at me. ‘Do you think that's' enough?’

‘What do you think? Actually, Will, how do you feel about me going to Italy?’

‘I am already worried and you haven’t even left yet. However, it’s Italy. I think Dionysus, Hades and Persephone, or, I don’t know, Apollo for that sake, will be there to save you whenever you are almost getting yourself killed, or something.’ He tugged on his shirt. ‘You’ll be fine. It’s Italy, the gods are with you.’ 

I nodded. ‘Thanks,’ I whispered. 

He gave me a tender smile. ‘I hope you’ll get something from it.’ 

‘I hope so too,’ I heard Pollux say in a defeated voice. ‘Otherwise this whole exercise was for nothing and my head hurts.’ 

‘Are you seriously hangover from a book?’

‘Shut up, Nico.’  

Hazel got up and stretched her limbs. ‘Shall we go get something to drink? I’m parched.’ 

‘I feel like getting lunch,’ Will answered.

‘I find these ideas top-notch, if I can be candid,’ Pollux said from the floor. Slowly, he got up. ‘Although I also got a life supply of grape-flavoured Gatorade with me.’

‘That’s called purple,’ Will corrected him. 

‘Grape-flavoured.’

I sighed and stood up as well. ‘Let’s get something to eat. I got my information.’ I took a deep breath. ‘Now I just have to seek out contact with one of them, and then maybe...’ I could actually go. To Italy. Now that it was basically within reach, it felt like the scariest thing ever. 

A/N: More Nico/Dionysus kid interaction! I wanted to add Dakota but then the truth hit me. Honestly that still hurts me to no end, I loved my kool-aid boy.

Does Pollux have a canon last name, actually? I don’t think so. I don’t even think we are ever told about heir second parent is. In the fandom, it ranges  from some mortal woman to some guy to Ariadne herself, I believe. 

[pls-let-me-out]

Invisible String

23rd of December

“Will?” Niccolò mumbled, as the other climbed in the bed. His words were slurred by tiredness and sleepiness. “Did you talk with your family?”

Will nodded, hugging the blankets around himself. It was warm enough to fall asleep in a second. He didn’t want to, not yet, not when they had so little left, so he kept his eyes open, just for a little while. He could only make out Niccolò’s shape in the darkness of the room.

“Yeah. They’re doing fine.” Will’s throat was still dry, his breath uneven.

Niccolò’s voice was little and soft when he said, “Will, have you been crying?”

Will nodded. For a moment, the air around them turned stiff and awkward, then Niccolò turned on his side, and held out an arm. It was scary, how Will didn’t think twice about it, before diving right in. His body fit perfectly against Niccolò’s. It hurt Will’s heart in a way he had never experienced before.

Slow, soft, gentle. Everything Niccolò’s fingers were, when they sneaked to Will’s curls and massaged his scalp.

“Do you miss them?” His words tasted of the minty toothpaste they used.

Will nodded. “Yeah. I just–I think that–can I tell you something else?”

“Of course you can, principino.”

Will took a deep breath. “I don’t talk to my parents anymore. My father is a thoughtless bastard, as you’ve gathered. My mother just–I don’t think she really sees me. I’m just the result of her relationship with my father, and they didn’t really have the best thing going on. They fought a lot, fucked up a lot. But they were soulmates, so they had to stay together, you know? They had to make it work, because it’s your soulmate or nothing. If your soulmate can’t love you, then no one can.” Will sniffled. He snuggled closer to Niccolò, the hand around his hip tightened. “And people look at them, and keep saying that it’s true love, how they finally renounced the pieces of each other they loved, because they were ruining the rest. And maybe it is, maybe that’s what true love is about. But it still hurt me, you know?” His throat was dry when he swallowed. “I’m sorry I hated you before even knowing who you were.”

“You hated me?” There was no hurt in his voice, but Niccolò was good at hiding his emotions.

“I did. I thought you would treat me like my dad treated my mother, or how my mother treated my dad. That we would ruin the people around us. I thought we’d make something horrendous.” The realization hit him suddenly. Or maybe not suddenly at all, as it was a thought that had been building up in his head for days. “I don’t think we did, though.”

“And that’s good, right?”

Will closed his fist around Niccolò’s shirt. His warmth passed through the soft fabric, Will wanted to bury himself in it, let it warm him from inside out. “It is. What did you think about soulmates?”

For a moment, Niccolò’s fingers stilled. “I liked the idea, someone to love you no matter what.” His voice had never been so vulnerable before. “My father and Persephone are soulmates, much to her mother’s displeasure. But he had three children out of wedlock. Bianca was the eldest of us, before Persephone came in the picture. Mom got pregnant with me little before she and my dad broke it off. They did before he and Persephone found each other, but he got scared or some shit, and met Hazel’s mother.”

Will caressed Niccolò’s collarbones. He realized he was doing it only when Niccolò’s breath hitched. He blushed, but didn’t stop. Niccolò didn’t ask him to either.

“I thought Hazel was Persephone’s child,” Will revealed.

Niccolò skin was covered in goosebumps. He hummed. “She is barren. That’s why I’m heir to the throne. She sees a child in Hazel, sometimes.”

“But you lived in Venice not in Elysium when you were little, didn’t you?”

Niccolò took a deep breath. “With my mom and sister. Sometimes Bianca traveled to Elysium. I never did. Persephone could like Bianca. Everyone could, really. She was kind and gentle, but fierce. She couldn’t stand injustice. She wanted to be a lawyer, study the law.”

Will smiled in the darkness. “What did you want to be?”

“Prince. And when I couldn’t be, I wanted to be a pirate.”

Will chuckled around a yawn. “You are prince now.”

“Because there was no other choice. I wanted–when you said you’d be a doctor to make your grandparents proud, I was a hypocrite. When I was younger, I only wanted to be prince so that my father would be proud of me. So he could look at me, and think I wasn’t a total waste of space. And the people of Elysium wouldn’t only see their king’s bastard child in me.” As he talked, Niccolò’s fingertips tapped on Will’s hip. “I lived in exile, and after they took my sister from me, they took me, too. My mother’s body was long since cold when I moved to Elysium. They just made me pack my bags, and now we don’t talk about the fact that I used to have a whole other life.”

“Do you miss it?”

“I don’t remember enough to do that. I spent so much time not thinking about it, that when I try to now, I just can’t recall more than bits and pieces.” His breath shook. “I remember running down Canal Grande in Venice. The sun on my back, and my own laugh. Bianca’s smile when she turned and looked back at me. Our mother shouting. I don’t even know if that memory is real, or if I was so lonely, I created it.” He stayed silent for a long moment, and Will thought he had fallen asleep. “If that was real, then I miss it. If it wasn’t, I miss it anyway.”

Will rubbed his cheeks away against the mattress, hoping Niccolò hadn’t noticed.

“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Will said. “About my parents. About who I am.”

“I know.”

Will’s whole body went stiff. “You know?”

“I know you haven’t told me something. You don’t have to tell me, though.” Niccolò passed his fingers through Will’s hair. “I’ll trust you, if you’ll let me.”

Less than an hour earlier, Will had talked to Drew about Sherman, about dating someone else, but the thought stayed far from his head as he snuggled even closer to Niccolò.

“Thank you,” was all he said. And then he felt something tug in his chest.

Longing. More. He wanted more. He was hugging Niccolò in his bed, and they were alone, and Will hadn’t wanted to find his soulmate, but his soulmate was Niccolò and he had never stood a chance against something so big. His walls had crumbled down, and he had been too blind to notice.

“We shouldn’t do this,” Will said, his words whispered against Niccolò’s skin. “We shouldn’t do this when there’s not a chance for us.”

“Tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll wake up and we won’t do this anymore.”

“It’s already tomorrow.” Will sniffled. “I used to play a game with my brothers, when our–my parents fought loudly. One had to choose a letter, and the others named a city and an animal with that letter.”

Niccolò hummed. “P.”

Will bit the inside of his cheeks. “You need to?”

Niccolò took a moment to understand, and when he did, he broke out laughing. “Stop being an asshole.”

“Alright. I’d like to live in Philadelphia, with a, uh. What animals are there with the letter p? Uh.” Will furrowed his eyebrows, pouting in the dark. “You ruined the game.”

“You just suck.” He groaned, as though he were lifting something heavy. “Paguro.”

“What?”

“It’s an animal with a p. It means, uh, hermit crab.”

“Such a cultured man.”

And Niccolò laughed. They kept on talking for a bit, and Niccolò said he’d like to live in the outskirts of Austin, Texas, and be a farmer. He wanted to have an alpaca.

“What are you laughing at?” Niccolò asked when the silence was broken by Will’s raucous laughter.

“You just make me laugh.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. A lot.”

“But like, are you laughing with me or at me?”

And Will laughed again.

 “Persephone called me. There’s a flight booked for you on the twenty-sixth of December. Four in the morning.”

“Oh.”

“There’s still three days before that, though.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“We should do the gift exchange. Between the two of us. We’ll be here on Christmas, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then do your worst. The one who picks the worst gift wins.”

 Mornings had never felt as long as the one they spent apart. From the moment they stepped out of the house, Will’s mark began burning slightly.

“I think the bond has settled,” Nico said when they met up in the restaurant for lunch. “For me, at least.”

Will spoke in a breath. “Me too.” He smiled, but it turned bitter quickly. “It’ll hurt when we separate.”

“What if we don’t?” Nico asked. His heart thrummed in his chest, as he leaned forward a little, his elbows on the table. “There will always be a place for you in Elysium, you know?”

“My life isn’t there,” Will said. “I–I don’t want to be a doctor, but I also don’t want to–I have my life in New York.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Nico smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes. “It was just a stupid idea, anyway. I mean, it will hurt, but it’ll pass eventually. We won’t even remember it’s there.”

“I will,” Will said softly. “I won’t just forget about it.”

Nico didn’t have anything to say to that. They ate in silence.

 24th of December

“You can say it when you want something,” Reyna said. “It doesn’t make you selfish. And even if it does, it’s okay to be sometimes, for the things that are worth it.”

Nico clutched the phone tighter. “He doesn’t want to come to Elysium.”

“Convince him somehow. Or you could go to New York, frequent university there. It’s an option.”

“But then what? University doesn’t last forever.”

“What you have with Will, could that be forever?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes–sometimes I think it might be. As a friendship.”

“Are you saying that because friendship is all you both want, or because it’s what people expect of you?” Her soft smile was heard even through the phone, and was reflected in her tone. “It’s your life, live it as you deem, not as people tell you.”

“I know. I just–I don’t even know if he could ever like me like that.”

Reyna huffed. “Self-deprecation isn’t a good look on anyone, Nico. Does he know you like him like that?”

“Oh my God, I don’t like him!”

She groaned, but almost sounded like a laugh. “Nico.”

“Alright, he doesn’t of course. We talked about it once, and we both said we weren’t ready for a relationship. Maybe he even has someone back home.”

“Have you seen articles recently? Because I sure as hell hope he hasn’t, or that if he has you two have talked about it. Someone said you have a girlfriend, probably to cover up the possibility of you and Will choosing to have a romantic bond.”

“He wouldn’t like that. His parents were soulmates, and they fought a lot and–he just wants to be friends.”

“It seems to me, like you’re hiding behind well-crafted excuses.”

“It’s true.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t, I’m just saying that you’re using it as an excuse. You like him, and what if he likes you?”

“Even if he did, we could never be together. He lives in New York, Reyna. He doesn’t want to leave New York, and I can’t leave Elysium. With the bond settled, things just get harder. It will hurt every time we talk and every second we don’t.”

“What is your biggest fear right now, Nico?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you sure?”

Nico took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. “Losing him, I guess. I’m afraid of losing him, and missing him for the rest of my life.”

“It will be hard, but I think you two can do it. I think you can work out a way to be together. You are not the first soulmates to have completely different lives.”

“So I should talk to him.”

“Of course you should.”

“Yeah. Right. Talking. I can do that.”

As it turned out, talking wasn’t so easy.

 In the afternoon they took a walk through the city. Everything made Will smile, to the point his cheeks must have hurt. If they did, he didn’t say. Nico realized he was following Will around like a lost puppy, but he didn’t know what else to do. In the morning they had been given a Christmas tree, and now Will wanted to decorate it. Nico huffed and sighed, calling him an overgrown baby, all the while hiding a smile.

“It could become a tradition,” Will said. He had his hands in his pockets, and refused to look up from the stand of handmade Christmas balls they were in front of.

“You ordering me around?” Nico asked, cocking an eyebrow. He clasped his hands behind his back, leaning forward to take a peak to the stand. It was covered in red balls. Even through all the layers he could feel the heat radiating off Will’s body. Even more so when the other leaned back, resting against Nico’s shoulder.

Nico’s breath hitched.

“No, spending Christmas together. No wait, you probably have galas or something. Sorry.” He scoffed.

Nico couldn’t see Will’s face. He immediately missed the his warmth when he stepped forward. With his heart thumping in his chest, Nico did the same, hooking his chin on Will’s shoulder, with the pretense of taking another look.

“I will miss them for you,” Nico said, speaking so quietly it was a mystery how Will heard him.

He did, and tensed up. When he spoke, his voice was as soft as cotton balls. “Would you?”

“I don’t like them much to begin with.” Nico cleared his throat, the tension unbearable. Will’s fingers were shaking. Nico stepped back, taking his wallet from his pocket. “So, which ones would you like?”

 They didn’t speak much. They found themselves in a café a while later, with steaming cups of hot chocolate and coffee on the table. As soon as Nico was recognized, they were gifted cookies.

“Something I never understood,” Nico said, trying to break the tension. “Is why they always gift rich people with food.”

Will choked on his hot chocolate, falling forward on the table. He laughed so hard other costumers turned to look at them. Glare at them, more specifically.

“You’re such an old man,” Will finally said, shaking his head. He sighed heavily. “God, my grandmother will love you.”

“Oh, you plan on introducing us?” Nico asked, learning forward, a small smile on his face. “Let me tell you, every mother and grandmother hates me before knowing I’m rich. They think I’m a gangster.”

Will snorted, in a way he would later realize didn’t make him more attractive at all. “Oh, shut up. You’re a marshmallow.”

Nico clasped his lips. “Wow. That I’ve never been called.”

“I find that hard to believe. Don’t you have pet-names with your girlfriends?”

Nico furrowed his eyebrows. “Girl…friends? Like, girls who are my friends?” Reyna’s words came back to him in full force, as he watched Will tilt his head to the side. “You mean like a…a…?”

“A romantic partner who is a girl?” Will tried. His eyes roamed around the room, before setting back on Nico. He tapped his fingers on the table, at the same rhythm as the music passing on the radio. “Don’t you have one now?”

Nico turned red in less than a second. “I don’t. But, like, I also won’t. Never. I won’t ever have a girlfriend.”

“Oh my God, do you still do arranged marriages?”

Will seemed outraged, and for a moment Nico wondered if he was being serious. Was he always so dense? It took him a moment to remember that yes, he was. With no doubt at all.

“Will, I’m gay.”

Will’s eyebrows shot up so fast they should have fallen from his forehead. “Oh.”

He furrowed his eyebrows even more. God. God, had Nico fucked up? Why did he have to listen to Reyna of all people? What did she know? God. Fantastic. Perfect. He would never, ever–

“Is that how you know French?”

Nico looked at him for a long moment. Will, and the smile he was trying to suppress, his lips half-upturned but not completely, and his eyes, they shone so bright, and–

“Oh my God, are you being serious right now?”

And Will laughed.

 Will threw himself over Niccolò on the couch. He could start thinking about the future the next day, or the day after. They had turned on the lights on the Christmas tree, and they were now flickering with red, green and yellow.

Niccolò huffed, letting his hand fall between Will’s shoulders blade. “God, are you always so hot?”

Will put his chin on Niccolò’s chest, batting his eyelashes coyly. “Are you always such a flirt?”

“I–” He turned red, his Adam apple going up and down. “I meant warm. Not, like, hot as in sexy. I mean. I mean, you–it’s not like-”

Will laughed. “Sometimes I forget you’re shy.”

Niccolò’s whole face transformed into a frown. “That’s because I’m not. Fuck you, Will.”

Will laughed some more. Niccolò was avoiding his eyes, so he propped himself on his elbows, getting in Niccolò face with a blinding smile.

It was almost anticlimactic the way it happened.

Will was laughing, until he wasn’t. Niccolò was sputtering, until he wasn’t. They had been on their own, until someone had thrown them together, closing them in a house in Livigno. They had been strangers, until they weren’t.

Will had despised the idea of soulmates, until he hadn’t. Because with Nico, with Nico he could envision it. Waking up together, planning a life together. Having a dog, and then another, maybe even a cat. Walking down the streets together, holding each other’s hand. Traveling Europe train by train, without having a route.

For once in his life, he could imagine it all.

Nico had a light stubble from the day, and Will wanted to touch it, run his fingertips over the curves of Nico’s face. Touch his skin where it wasn’t so perfect, where Prince Niccolò met Nico. Remind himself that, after all, Niccolò was just Nico, who liked black coffee and sputtered when he was nervous.

And then they were on the ground. Will’s arm had given in under the weight of his body, and he fell to the ground. Nico’s limbs were tangled with his, so they fell together. Nico’s head touched the carpet with a loud thud.

“Oh my God!” Will shrieked. He tried to stand, but only entangled himself further in the blanket that had been covering Nico. “How’s your head? Oh my God, can you even hear me?”

Nico groaned, making no move to stand. He covered his face with his hands. “With the frequencies you’re speaking at, I’m also probably losing my hearing.”

“Fuck, I’m getting you some ice.” He bolted to the kitchen, and a new sound of despair echoed through the house. “Do we even have ice?”

 Nico took his phone out of his pocket, and sent a message to Reyna.

I almost kissed him and fucked up.

She responded after a few moments.

I bet you didn’t talk about it.

Nico huffed.

You don’t say.

With some dizziness, he stood and reached the kitchen. He sat on the counter, watching Will roam through the freezer, and only come back with a bag of iced peas.

He must have not heard Nico, for when he saw him sitting there he completely paled, almost dropping the peas.

“Careful, those are sacred around here,” Nico said.

Will nodded, with a little smile on his lips, that didn’t seem natural at all.

Nico chewed on his lower lip. How did he bring it up? Sorry I tried to kiss you, I was just vibe checking? Was that something normal kids these days said?

“You know about the soulmate ceremony?” Nico blurted out, reaching forward to take the bag of peas from Will’s hands.

“Yeah?” Will prompted, sitting on the other stool and swinging his feet.

“Well. We’ll have to choose a color palette. One day. When we actually have it.” Nico nodded. “Well, that was it. All I had to say. Yep.”

Will snorted through his nose. “Is that really all you have to say?”

Will leaned forward, taking the wrist of the hand in which Nico was uselessly holding the bag, and brought it to Nico’s temple. Nico adjusted his grip on it. Will’s hand seemed to linger forever, and if Nico were honest, he would have admitted he wished it would.

“No.” Nico’s heart stopped beating. It literally stopped beating, then did so hard it broke his chest. “It’s not all I have to say.”

“What else is there, then?”

Oh. Oh, Will’s eyes. They had resumed their puppy resemblance, or maybe puppy eyes should have just been called Will’s eyes, because Nico was pretty sure he had invented them. There was no other explanation of why he would ever look so good with them.

“Before the ritual, we have to decide what we should be. Platonic or romantic.”

“You’re gay, I’m bi.”

Nico’s breath resembled a sob. “Yeah.”

“But you’re a prince.”

“Yeah.”

Will’s eyes were still so sweet, even with the hurt so clear in them. “We don’t really have a choice then, do we?”

“I can’t offer you a relationship.” Nico shook his head; he couldn’t bear Will’s knowing gaze anymore. He looked away. “If I keep seeing you, then I’ll fall in love. But even then, we’d have to sneak around, keep being in secret.”

“Just–I just have a question. Why can’t you be gay? Are your parents homophobes?””

“Not my parents. They know. But it would cause problems if I were to create a scandal. My sisters, my mother, my father’s past… everything would be thrown right back on journals. I have to keep quiet, so I can live peacefully. And I can’t ask that of you. You deserve to be loved in the open.”

Will’s smile turned bitter. “So do you.” Slowly, oh so slowly, his hand covered Nico’s. His skin was soft and warm, much like he was. “You deserve to be happy.”

“Our happiness doesn’t overlap, does it? I’ll be a prince for the rest of my life, famous forever.”

“I know.” Will gripped his hand tighter, and Nico let the peas bag fall to the counter. He tried to smile again. It looked more like a grimace. “Star crossed lovers, aren’t we, my darlin’?” He tilted his head to the side, causing the blonde curls on his head to move, and the perfume of his shampoo to expand through the air. “If you could be selfish just for this one moment, this one night, what would you do?”

Nico didn’t hesitate. He stood, and cupped Will’s jaw. Was Will’s mark pulsing as his own was? Could he feel the sparks where they touched? Nico leaned forward, and kissed him. The first kiss was little more than a lingering peck, but it was followed by another, and another again. They separated, keeping their foreheads resting against one another’s. One of Will’s hand was on Nico’s shoulder, the other on the small of his back.

Their breaths mingled. Nico was sure that, if he looked away, he’d never have the force to meet Will’s eyes again. So he didn’t. He didn’t have to either, because Will kissed him again, and it was heated and perfect, and their marks were really pulsing this time.

 Spending Christmas Eve with a stranger hadn’t been on Will’s to-do list. As he lays in bed later the same night, he wonders whether Nico has ever been one at all.

 25th of December

Will has never spent a Christmas quite like this. He sits in front of the TV, with Nico’s chest against his back, Nico’s own back against the sofa.

“What time is the flight, again?” Will asks. His voice is low, a bit raspy.

“Five in the afternoon. They’ll come pick us up around three, I think.”

Will rests his head on Nico’s shoulder, dropping a little to the ground, and looking up at him.

“We have to open the gifts,” Nico says. He makes to move, but Will is quicker, and puts his hand on Nico’s knee, stopping him mid-movement. But Will doesn’t know how to start when his heart is beating like this, and Nico looking at him like this. “Will?”

“Remember when I said my name wasn’t William?” he asks.

“Yes. What has that to do with now?”

YouTube is open on the TV, and Taylor Swift’s Christmas Tree Farm playing quietly. In the music video are some photos of her childhood, and Will finds the force of turning to look at Nico by seeing little Taylor fall in a pile of snow.

“If I tell you the truth, will you forgive me for not telling you sooner?”

Once again, Nico doesn’t hesitate in cupping Will’s cheek with his hand. His touch is so tender it shouldn’t be legal. Eve and Adam must have felt like this, when they ate the forbidden fruit. “Everything that happened between us, happened with me knowing you were keeping something from me.”

Will nods. “But I–it might change what you think of me.”

“Unless you tell me you’re an assassin sent to kill me, then I don’t think we’re in that kind of trouble.”

“My name.” Will wraps his fingers around Nico’s wrist, keeping it there. He wets his lips, almost laughs at the way Nico blushes. “You know Apollo’s real name?”

Nico furrows his eyebrows, tilting his head to the side. He still seems so confused. “No? Don’t they say it’s one of Hollywood’s best kept secrets?”

The warmth of Nico’s skin against his and the softness of the carpet underneath them are the only things keeping Will’s head above the waters his mind has turned into.

“Lester Papadopolous. That’s his name.”

Nico still doesn’t understand. “Were you a groupie or something?”

“God, no, I–listen.” Will sits straighter, without even thinking of letting Nico go, with the fear of his touch never coming back. “People don’t know where his children ended up, right? But he had a lot.”

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t really keep up with Hollywood gossip or whatever, but I don’t get where you’re going with–”

“My name,” Will interrupts him. “My name now is Fitzwilliam Andrew Solace. But it used to be Fitzwilliam Andrew Papadopolous.”

Nico is silent for a long moment. His hand slips from Will’s cheek, passing through his fingers, wrapped too loosely, and to the ground. It makes the same thud his head has the night prior. His face is unreadable.

“You are his son,” he finally says.

God. Why is his voice so carefully blank? Will doesn’t want them to be careful around each other, not after they’ve got so far.

Will nods. “His and Naomi. They–I didn’t really want to stay after what happened with Lee and Michael. I had a big fight with my father.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it makes sense.”

What? What makes sense? Will wants to scream, tear his own hair out, but he can’t. He’s not a child anymore.

Will sniffles. “Well, we can open the gifts now that that is in the open, anyway.” He claps his hands, willing the knot in his chest away. When he can’t, he starts ignoring it. “Just felt like you should know and everything.”

He uncrosses his legs to stand, but Nico’s fingers wrap around his wrist. This time it’s him trying to keep Will close.

Nico takes a deep breath, and talks so fast he could be an undercover rapper. “You know I don’t think any different of you for that, right? And I hope I didn’t do anything to make you feel pressured to tell me, although I am glad you did, and I think it might help to know in the future.”

Will stares dumbfounded at him. “Future.”

“Yeah. I still want to know a lot about you.” He turns as red as the jumper Will has found in the back of the wardrobe, and forced on him. In Will’s defense, Nico hasn’t put up that much of a fight, and red really suits him. “Even when we go back to platonic. You’re wonderful as Fitzwilliam Andrew Solace, I’m sure you were wonderful as Fitzwilliam Andrew Papopolous.”

Platonic. They were good when they were, so the thought shouldn’t hurt Will so much.

“Papadopolous.”

“Yeah, that.”

Will laughs. And then he cries.

 It’s dark outside when a car pulls up in the driveway. They have already brought their luggage downstairs. Nico’s phone pings with a new message, and after he checks it, he stands in front of the window to wave at the driver. In silence, they put on their coats. Will has left his gloves in the pockets. Nico takes one of the scarves from the coat hanger, and then puts the other on Will. They stand there for a long moment, looking at each other, no one wanting to go out, meet the outside world again.

“I’ll miss you,” Will says, so quietly he isn’t sure Nico will hear.

“So will I,” Nico responds. And then it’s silent again.

Will wraps his arms around Nico, and the other reciprocates. Will swallows, shutting his eyes and willing the tears away. Why does it feel so much like a goodbye?

 26th of December

Will’s siblings and Drew are waiting for him at the airport. He smiles, laughing at Drew and Kayla’s intertwined hands, wishing he and Nico were allowed to do the same. He looks down at his finger, the way the artificial light catches on the ring Nico has gifted him. As they pass the Brooklyn Bridge, he looks East, and in the way the sun shines on the surface of the river, he almost thinks he will forget Nico.

[iggy-dearest]

His Mothers Day...

Trigger Warning: toxic thoughts

You got out of bed and stretched, if you were correct it was the tenth of May. 

Mothers day. 

Vergil had slipped out earlier this morning, probably with Dante. You felt like leaving them be for today. It would most likely pull some strings for them. 

You sat in bed for half an hour just staring at the ceiling for no reason, and then decided to get up for the day. 

Upon reaching the kitchen you decided on toast with egg whites for yourself, maybe you’ll have some tea as well. You should probably hurry to the office since Dante and Vergil won’t be there and Lady and Trish are elsewhere. You wonder if Nero’s going to call. Maybe you should call Kyrie, would she think that‘d be weird? Would she think it’d be rude if you didn’t call? Maybe you should call...

You check your cell phone, no calls or texts. A frown settles itself on your face. 

Quickly shaking it off you lock the door to your shared apartment you quickly made your way to Devil May Cry. You don’t feel like being at home today. 

~~~

Opening the heavy door to the building a stench makes its way to assault your nose. How in the name of hell could it stink this much I was just here yesterday, you wonder incredulously. Flipping the light switch on your eyes zero in on the bastard who assaulted your nose. Fucking pizza, you glare the open box with a look of steel. 

Sighing deeply after hanging your bag on the rack you got years ago. You turn around and tie your hair with a stature that screams determination. 

Time to get to work

~~~

Vergil hears his brother sigh deeply as he lays the roses down gently on the ground. He sympathizes..even though he’ll never say it. 

Such a beautiful day, he believes..she would have loved it. 

She would have loved you too. 

Similar to how he does. 

He stepped back therefore giving Dante the space to let his flowers rest. 

Standing there in comfortable silence, one not often untense with the twins. 

Both taking their time to gather themselves before heading back, having spent half the day with their mother already. 

~~~

You smack your hands together to get the dirt off as you open door to the back. Finally getting rid of that awful stench in the trash, pulling out your phone you check your messages and calls.

None missed.

Letting your face droop a little you wonder, what if he forgot? 

What if he just thinks I’m a horrible mother?

What if I am a horrible mother?  

What if I’m a horrible mother and he thinks so too?

You set yourself down on the couch and let your own toxic thoughts consume you.

I am a horrible mother. 

You decide. 

After all you couldn’t stop him from growing up alone...

Nor could you stop him from fighting his father...

Or his uncle..

I’m so useless..

A useless mother...

~~~

Nero steps off of the fairy and stretches his limbs, a yawn grabs his attention. “I don’t get why you wanted to come” he tells his partner in crime, “didn’t you say that you had to pick up the cake by 3” she tells him. Wanting to avoid the real reason why she wanted to tag along. “Did you tell her we were comin’” she asks shaking off the lag of being stuck in one place for too long.

Why couldn’t they bring the van again? 

“Why couldn’t we bring the van again” Nico asked, finally feeling limber. “Cause she would of recognized it and I don't know for sure if she’s at the shop or not. And no I didn’t call her, it’s supposed to be a surprise remember” he reasons with her. Nero you’re a fucking idiot, Nico deadpans inwardly “So you didn’t call your mom on Mother’s Day and you didn’t tell her we were coming. You don’t think she has any other plans” she says striking a pose as if to say ‘are-you-stupid-or-some-shit’. “Don’t gimme that look and Dante said that she didn’t have any plans” that he knew about, Nero also left out the fact that he had talked to Vergil for this.  “You got the card right” Nico feels like she has to double check since Nero can be forgetful sometimes, kind of like you. “Got it” he confirms  holding up a pretty pastel blue card picked out by him and Kyrie. Well mostly Kyrie. “Let’s get going we’re supposed to meet Dante” he says as he already starts walking ahead of Nico.

~~~

“Why are we at the library” Dante asks his brother. Vergil doesn't answer it was already embarrassing enough having to pick up a gift for you with Dante of all people.

He should’ve picked it up yesterday. 

He takes a glance at the clock it’s already 2pm. His eyes narrow, he wants this to go by faster.

Its Mothers Day, the mother of his child should not be alone.

“Thank you for waiting” the overly enthusiastic cashier said to Vergil, who had remained impassive. He silently completed his purchase, usually he would just read it in some corner, not at all interacting with people as he preferred. Doing this was mildly out of his comfort zone, but you were worth it. 

~~~

You let out a breath taking a look around, finally starting to look like the way I left it, you believe. After putting the mop and broom back in the small closet you went to check your phone, having little faith. 

Nico (1 Message)

Your eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, why would Nico be texting you? Opening your cellphone regardless you checked her message. 

Nico: Where r u right now? 

Y/n: Dmc

Y/n: ???

You answered her, maybe she’s in town and needed something, you brushed it off and went to grab the book you had in your bag so you could sit your ass down and read. You’re almost done with it and there’s supposed to be a second book, maybe if you’re lucky you could get your hands on it. 

~~~

Nico sped ahead of Nero so that she could get the door for him, mostly because she doesn’t want anything to happen to your cake. She stepped to the side when she heard her phone bing. Good you texted her back! 

Nero looked at her with an annoyed look plastered on his face. “Nico” his tone of voice sounded so irritated, who can blame him he’s trying to balance a cake in his hands.

Children, he can do.

Swords, no problem.

Cakes, Huston we have a problem.

“Right, sorry. She said she’s at DMC” Nico relayed the message while opening the door for him. “Got it, take the phone out of my pocket and call Dante” call Dante cause it’s still too awkward to talk to Vergil. “Which one, you have like 30” she exaggerates, “Just” he moves his arms to while trying to keep the cake leveled “here take this” he says as Nico takes the cake. Reaching into his pocket for the cheap flip phone he presses numerous buttons to call his uncle “Yeah, she’s at dmc. No we’ll meet you there” Nico hates listening to half conversations, it’s always so confusing. “See you later” she said not wanting to intrude on his family time. “Yeah” Nero said preoccupied with the cake.

~~~ 

“You guys, got everything” Dante asks, they all met up at the end of the block to make sure you couldn’t see or hear them. “Yeah, s’in there” Nero motioned to the plastic bag in his uncles hand. “Booze, can’t be a party without booze” he explained. “Did you call her at all today” Dante asked while they made their way down the block and towards the office. “Why does everybody keep asking me that” Nero wondered aloud as they approached the steps. 

~~~

You hear the door creek open and without looking up from your book you say just loud enough for whoever came in to hear “we’re closed”. “Hey sis”, well that’s not a customer, you look up and are immediately surprised with who entered. “Hi” you drawl out sounding just as confused as you felt “welcome back” you say still confused. “Close your eyes” Dante says,

???

“what” you ask, looking at your lover. 

Who has come to stand behind you, “gotta surprise for you” Dante lets on. You’re still confused but you oblige anyway “no peeking” he says as you close your eyes and fee Vergil's hands come to cover them, just to make sure. 

You heard the door open you started to open your eyes but then willed them to stay closed. 

Nero set the cake down on the pool table and slowly but carefully took the cake out of its boxing. He silently made his way over to where Vergil had his hands over your eyes. 

Vergil slowly lifted his hands off of your eyes so that you could see...your son. 

First you saw the smiling face of your son and then you saw a cake? 

“Happy Mothers day” they all said in unison. Your gaze softened..and your eyes glossed over. You didn’t realize it then but this is your first Mothers Day with all of them together.

“Mom are you crying?!?!” 

“No!!!”

~~~

An hour later while Dante and Vergil play pool albeit a bit freakily since apparently Dante can’t count. 

You and Nero sat on the couch watching them. You with a calm yet loving gaze to the men in front of you. “Mom” his voice softer than normal, maybe it’s the booze or maybe it’s the fact that this is his first Mothers Day with booth of his parents. “Yeah” you answer to taking your eyes off of Dante and Vergil. 

“Happy Mothers Day” he says, voice as light as a feather, right after that you feel a weight on your shoulder.

A happy Mothers Day indeed. 

[winryofresembool]

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 23

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: Halloween chapter, part 1.

A/N: This is the first part of possibly a long-ish Halloween 'arc' that is to come. I have to warn you that I only have 1 more chapter as a draft version and the said chapter is a mess and has caused me a lot of insecurities so... I'm not entirely sure how long it will take me to work through the issues that chapter has. I still hope I will have something to post next Friday! Please be patient with me, I promise I have every intention to continue and finish this story.

Thanks for all the lovely comments the previous chapter got! You guys are the best :) And keep them coming because that is literally the best reward I can get :)

Words: 3200+

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / AO3

...

“Hey Sunshine, you ready?” Leo asked her flatmate one November Friday as he was pulling his winter coat on in the hallway.

“In a minute!” Calypso yelled from her room. “Just… One final touch up!”

Leo checked his watch. “Okay, as long as it’s really a minute! You know Argo II isn’t waiting!”

“You do know that Argo II doesn’t have feelings, right? It’s a car,” his non-understanding flatmate argued.

“You better hope he didn’t hear that!” Leo protested. “He may just not turn on at all if you claim such things.”

“Oh my gods, Leo. Sometimes I wonder if you care about your machines more than people.”

Leo didn’t respond to that. To himself he mumbled. “At least I know how to fix them. And can’t hurt them.”

The flatmates were getting ready to leave for Jason and Piper’s late Halloween party. Most of the members of their friend group had been busy doing their own things on the real Halloween weekend but they had decided that they’d still want to have a small gathering at Jason and Piper’s house on a later date. Percy and Annabeth would be there, as well as Jason’s sister Thalia, her ‘friend’ Reyna, and Jason’s friend and a distant relative Nico. To Calypso Leo had told, that he had only met Nico a couple of times, because apparently Nico was a bit of a lonely soul and he wandered around the country doing who knows what. That fall, though, he had apparently met someone who had managed to keep him rooted to his home, so Leo suspected that there was a possibility that Nico really would show up this time.

Leo snapped out of his thoughts when Calypso’s door was pulled open, revealing the girl in her costume. His mouth opened involuntarily as he took her in. She was wearing a white chiton like dress with golden decorations around the neckline and accessories that matched the theme. Those included a golden headband and a belt, a bracelet made of real flowers, strappy leather sandals and since her own hair was short now, she had gotten a caramel colored wig that she had braided to one side, reminding Leo a lot of the hairstyle Calypso had had when she had moved in. She smiled at Leo shyly. “Well, what do you think?” She asked, lifting the hem of her dress slightly to show it off better.

“You’re… you’re…” Leo felt the words escape him again. With frustration he wondered how one person could do that to him. Leo Valdez never ran out of words.

“Calypso?” she tried to guess what he had wanted to say.

‘What?” He asked with confusion, unable to follow Calypso’s track of thoughts. In his mind he had answered her question ‘prettier than greek goddesses’ but he realized too late that she had meant that she was dressed up like the Calypso from the Greek mythology. “Oh, now I got it. Must have sniffed too much machine oil or something…Anyway, I see you have some self irony, dressing as your name sake.”

“That was kind of the point, Valdez. A girl named Calypso who studies Greek mythology? People comment on my name so often that I decided it’s time to make it clear that yes, I’m aware of that coincidence.”

“Ooh, the great revenge,” Leo chuckled. Suddenly he noticed that Calypso had turned more serious, her hands fiddling with her purse.

“Really, though, what do you think of this? I made this dress and these bracelets myself. And my mum gave me this before we moved here,” she pointed at her headband. “Apparently it’s something that’s been running in our family; my grandma wore it in her wedding picture and so on…”

“Oh… Well… that’s cool,” Leo said, mentally cursing the ‘error’ message on his brain. “You did a good job. I mean… I once saw a painting of Calypso in the Indianapolis Museum of Art and I think you look nothing like her… in a good way!”

“Aww, thank you.” Calypso seemed happily surprised about Leo’s comment, and he swore the expression made her even cuter. He also wondered if he should have a doctor check his heart because it seemed to do funny things in her presence...

“You’re welcome?” he replied stupidly.

“So, where is your costume?” Calypso asked curiously, apparently only now paying attention to the fact that he indeed wasn’t wearing one yet. “I thought you said we’re in a hurry.”

“I can’t drive in mine, it’s difficult to see from under it,” Leo explained, returning to his room to get a huge sports bag where he had packed his creation a bit earlier. He had spent several days making it and he was kind of proud of the final result. Although, seeing Calypso now, for a moment he still wondered if he had made a mistake with his costume choice, but it was too late to change his mind now. “I’ll put it on when we get there.” He gestured towards the bag.

“Okay,” Calypso nodded while changing her shoes into more fall suitable ones. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you have come up with.”

“Good, because it will blow your mind,” Leo claimed.

“I will refrain from forming any opinions before I see it,” Calypso noted, putting her keys into her pocket. “Now, come on, mister Mysterious, I hear Argo II isn’t very patient.”

Leo secretly loved it when Calypso attempted to joke back, and he grinned at her as he held the door open so she could leave first.

“Let’s go then, Sunshine.”

…

The drive to Jason and Piper took about 20 minutes so Leo and Calypso had a lot of time to talk about whatever came to their minds. At first Calypso gave Leo pretty short answers and he got worried that something was wrong between them again, but eventually Leo got her curious about the guests at the party that she hadn’t met yet.

“The Hunters are traveling a lot because of their competitions so I haven’t met Thalia that often. She’s a little bit scary, though. She has this edgy look going on and I’ve heard she is super strong; she’d ninja throw me on the floor before I’d have time to say Festus if given a chance. I’m trying very hard not to give her any reasons to do that.”

“Ouch. She sounds like something else,” Calypso said.

“She is,” Leo confirmed, almost getting chills only thinking about her. “She can be nice if you get to her good side, though.”

“Is it just me or does someone have a crush?” Calypso asked teasingly.

“What? No!” Leo exclaimed, glancing at Calypso’s reaction briefly. “Alright, maybe I used to have but that was when I didn’t know what was the best for me. But that was a long time ago. Besides, she’s totally dating someone even though they won’t admit it.” ‘And I wish I was dating someone else as well’, he thought, but left that unsaid.

“Oh? Will I get to meet that person today?” Calypso asked with curiosity.

“I think you will. From what I know Reyna’s always with Thalia. They claim they are only best friends but Jason has told me that they are keeping a low profile because it’s forbidden inside their team to date their teammates.”

“That sounds like a basis for a tragic love story,” Calypso said while staring out of the window with a dreamy expression. “I don’t even know these people but as a hopeless romantic I hope they will find some solution.”

Leo thought Calypso was very cute when she talked like that “Yeah. I hope.”

“So, do you know this Reyna personally?” she asked then, distracting Leo from his thoughts.

“You could say that,” Leo answered, trying to focus on the road instead of the girl next to him. “The team visits Waystation regularly because Jo and Emmie used to coach them back in the day and as a fellow Spanish speaker Reyna has always paid special attention to me. I swear, sometimes she treats me like I was his little brother…”

“Aww, that’s kind of sweet in my opinion. What is this team you were talking about, though? Did you say Hunters?”

“Oh, yep. The Artemis’ Hunters, named after the Greek goddess Artemis, naturally. It’s an archery group… Hey, is everything alright?”

Leo couldn’t help but notice that Calypso had shifted uncomfortably on her seat and adjusted her seatbelt a bit looser around her shoulder when he had said the name.

“Yeah. Don’t worry. I just… used to know someone who was in the Hunters as well, so I was surprised they have some connections here, that’s all.” Calypso turned her head to stare out of the window, sending Leo signals that he should drop the topic. He decided to push it a little bit further, though.

“You did? But you said ‘was’. Is she not in it anymore?”

“No,” Calypso shook her head, but didn’t elaborate.

“OK.” Leo sighed. A few moments earlier Calypso had been smiling and teasing him about some old crush and now she was acting cold again. Clearly the Hunters were a painful topic for her, but Leo couldn’t figure out why. Had something happened to the person Calypso had known? And why did she have to be so secretive? Leo wanted so badly to be able to help her and understand her, but when she was not opening up, it was very hard to do anything about it.

“Any guesses about what my costume may be?” He decided to change the topic. That seemed to cheer his flatmate up a bit.

Calypso closed her eyes while thinking, a tiny smile forming on her face. “Hmmm, I imagine it’s probably something flashy. But knowing you it could also be your work coveralls and working boots. I know how much you love those, after all.”

“It’s flashy, alright,” Leo said, his grin returning back to his face. “I’ll give you another hint: it’s a character from one of my favorite TV shows or movies.”

“You have a lot of those,” Calypso reminded him. “Ooh, now I know!! You’re Dalek! That’s why you would have a hard time seeing from under the costume.”

“No,” Leo shook his head, “But now that you say that, that would’ve been cool! Why didn’t you give me that idea earlier?”

“Because you already had an awesome idea? Or that’s at least the impression I got,” Calypso reminded him.

“Well, yeah. I still like my current idea. Maybe next time I’ll make a Dalek.” Leo had a goofy smile on his face as he imagined building a Dalek costume from the scratch.

“Sounds like a plan. So, will you reveal to me what you will be this time?” Calypso asked.

“Nah, you’ll see soon. Good things are worth waiting for, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Calypso shrugged. “Although our opinions on what’s good tend to differ a bit based on our previous TV watching experiences.”

“Yeah, but that’s why it’s good we are flatmates. It’s good to broaden your horizons sometimes and learn about different things that other people like,” Leo pointed out.

“Maybe you’re right,” Calypso admitted. “But are you saying you have learned something from me? What could that be?”

“That olives taste bad? That sometimes Venusaur can be more useful than Charizard?”

“Not exactly what I was looking for, but I’ll take that.” Leo turned his head just enough to see a small smirk on Calypso’s face.

“I was just messing with you because I think you secretly like it,” Leo said with a grin. “But really, you have taught me a lot. That we shouldn’t let fears control the direction of our life. That Greek mythology is actually pretty fascinating even if tía Callida made it sound boring as hell, and we should all learn to understand different cultures better. And, you know? There’s no way we can know every single thing about someone else so we just need to learn to trust and give them a benefit of the doubt sometimes. And finally, I shouldn’t underestimate your Mario Kart skills.”

Calypso snorted at the last part. “Sometimes you do surprise me, Repair Boy. That was a good answer.”

“I can feel my reputation as the Bad Boy Supreme getting shattered to pieces. What about me, though? Have I taught you something?” Leo asked. If he was honest to himself, he didn’t want to know because what could he possibly teach to a smart girl like her?

“You taught me that chilis are evil and you should never eat them the way I did,” Calypso replied, and Leo was fully prepared for more teasing. But it never came.

“You have also shown me sometimes persistency can be a very good thing – otherwise we probably wouldn’t be friends now. We also shouldn’t judge a book by the cover – I’m just saying that when I first saw you I was kind of prejudiced… but since learning to know you better I realized I was wrong. And remember that time when Jo and Georgina were visiting us and you came home a bit late? Jo told me some stories about you before you arrived and that made me understand how far hard work can sometimes take us. You’ve come a long way… and while there are always things we can work on and improve, I think it’s important to be proud of the things we have already achieved, even when looking ahead.”

“Wow… those are some really nice things you just said there…” Leo stumbled to find the right words. Especially the last point had hit him hard because he had had a very hard time with his self esteem recently. He still didn’t know if he would be allowed to retake his lab test – and more importantly, if he was even capable of trying. That was just the tip of the iceberg; it definitely wouldn’t be the only time he would have to face his fear during his studies and later on in the work life, and he would eventually have to make the difficult decision whether it was worth going through. He did want to get over his fear, but with her own issues on her mind, he hadn’t wanted to ask her to help until the situation was better.

“Hey,” Calypso squeezed his knee gently and Leo was afraid he’d accidentally brake so fast they’d crash somewhere. Thankfully he managed to contain himself. “I know I nag and tease you sometimes, but I hope you know despite that I actually care about you and respect you for the things you do. I’m… glad you’re my flatmate.”

Leo was very thankful that it was dark in the car because he was positive that he was redder than a chili pepper. After swallowing hard, he managed to croak: “Yeah. Thanks. You’re pretty neat too.” “Pretty neat?” Calypso asked, cocking her eyebrow.

“Argh, sorry, you can’t expect a guy to be able to think straight after you tell them something like that!” Leo exclaimed. “But, uh, I mean, I think the same way. That it’s nice that you’re my flatmate.”

“Glad we have that established.” Calypso smiled at him. Again Leo wondered what it was about that smile that made his heart go crazy. He had had a couple of short term girlfriends before Calypso had moved in and even though he had liked them, there was something different about how Calypso made him feel. But now that Leo thought about it, he realized that for example Khione, his first girlfriend (who had turned out to be quite an ice queen in the end) had had a smile that had never quite reached her eyes and made him wonder what was truly going on in that head of hers. His second girlfriend, Echo, had been a sweet girl but something about her smile had said that she’d rather be free of relationship bonds. Leo thought that he had probably sensed that from pretty early on because it had been a smaller shock for him than his first break up. But Calypso’s smile? It made Leo want to see it over and over again, and instead of wanting something from him, it seemed to give him more energy. It made him feel restless, but in a positive way.

When Leo snapped out of his thoughts, he realized that Calypso was staring at him weirdly, as if he had been in his daze for a while.

“What?” he asked a bit nervously.

“You just completely missed my question,” Calypso stated, frowning a little.

Leo tried to shake his head to clear his mind a bit. “Sorry, I was just… remembering something. But what did you ask?”

“I asked if there’s any news from your professors about your studies. It’s been a while since you’ve said anything about that.”

Leo gulped. “Yeah. Right. Um, at the moment I’m continuing to attend the classes except the lab one. I guess I should ask the lab professor if he would still let me redo the test at some point. But the other problem is, I’m not sure if I can. You know, if I have it in me to get over my stupid fear.”

“It is not a stupid fear, Leo. You have your reasons. But I do believe that you can get over it. And I want to help you. We should start working on it soon, how about tomorrow or some time next week?”

“Tomorrow is fine to me.” Leo started tapping his fingers against the wheel, a sign of him feeling anxious about the topic. “I… really appreciate your help. Is there something I can do in return?”

“You already did!” Calypso said to his surprise.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Remember that flower shop you mentioned to me?” Calypso asked. “I guess I’ve been so busy this week that I forgot to mention this but it looks like I’m getting the job! The interview went well and the boss invited me to see how they make their flower arrangements and they even let me do this.” Calypso showed him her flower bracelet that had some small roses and several other flowers the names of which he didn’t know. “She will make her final decision on Monday but I might start working there already next week.”

“That’s awesome news! Congrats!” Leo said, genuinely happy for her.

“Thank you! And sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, it seems we have both been rather busy this week, I feel I’ve barely seen you…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I was useful for something! But look, that’s Jason and Piper’s place.” He nodded towards the building in front of them.

Leo looked from the corner of his eyes how Calypso would react to seeing the house. From what he knew Calypso hadn’t been there earlier; she and Piper had hung out more at their flat due to the closeness of the university. He wasn’t disappointed when he saw Calypso’s mouth open a bit.

“I know, pretty impressive.” Leo said.

“I have seen big houses before but this looks way nicer than the ones I know…” Calypso noted. Leo wanted to ask more about that but he knew that the friends were waiting so he decided to leave it for later. Once he had parked the car, some strange instinct told him to rest his hand on hers for a moment before he gestured to Calypso to step outside.

“After you.”

[missingrobin]

Unconditional (part one) Hope

part 2

Description: Love. Lies. Heartbreak. A recipe for disaster. When you move to Riverdale you have to face your dark past and a possibly hopeful future.

Pairing:Sweet Pea x Reader, Jughead x Reader 

Warning:language, mentions of death, drugs,violence, underage drinking (just don’t get triggered)

Word Count: 2127

A/N: Hi my loves this is my first fanfic and I’m so excited to dive into this series with you. I poured my heart and soul into this so please give it a read I’m so proud of it. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to send me an ask.

The night was finally starting to set in. Owls called  in every direction. Violent  trees shook their leaves. On a long paved road Y/N was driving to start her new life in Riverdale…

Your first stop was at a large bar on the wrong side of the tracks. You knew immediately that this was the rough part of town by the trailer homes that marked the road and the motorcycles lining the bar. It was obviously a bad idea to stop at this bar but you had no choice. It was either this or get stuck in the copious amounts of rain pouring down.  Even though the rain was not ideal for this situation you couldn’t get over the sweet smell and the dewy weather, it was the best . As you pulled into the grimy parking lot you noticed tall figures standing in front of the bar door, The figures were wrapped inside jackets marked with a snake. You parked your 2008 Mustang Bullitt and got out. The heel of your boots clattered loudly as you  walked toward the figures, you were automatically met with force. One of the taller boys moved toward you with purpose; he flicked a switch blade from out of his jacket pocket and pressed it against your chin. You weren't phased though you had your fair share of violence in your life and you knew that if it came down to a fight you would be the one walking out. The tallest boy quietly spoke with fiery passion.

“What are you doing around here pretty goulie,” questioned the boy.

Confusion marked your face you’d never heard that term before. 

“I’m sorry asshole but I don’t know what the hell a goulie is,” you replied. 

The boy obviously knew you weren't a goulie by you parking your car in their lot and walking over alone but he was testing you to see if she could handle it.

“Well if you’re not a goulie then who the fuck are you?”

Behind the boy you heard an older man call out.

“Sweet Pea what the hell are you doing just bring the girl inside I’m sure she doesn't mean no harm.”

The boy who was called Sweet Pea was obviously annoyed that the older man corrected his behavior. A look of irritability washed over his face and he rolled his eyes and put the knife away.

“Follow me princess” says the one called Sweet Pea 

You flash a quick and passive aggressive smile toward him and walk through the bar doors. The bar was awfully dark inside. Pool tables were scattered around the floor and with many people surrounding them, dart boards were in use and other people resided at the bar where a short girl with pink hair stood and made drinks for thirsty patrons. It looked as if she flashed you a smile on your way in. When you finally stopped looking around you came face to face with a tall dark haired man with the same leather jacket on.

“My name’s FP Jones I’m in charge of this bar, who are you and why are you in our part of town, girl?”

You took slight offense to this since you were turning 18 in 3 weeks and You’ve been on your own since you could remember.

“I’m Y/N,  I’m new to town and I was just trying to find a place to lay low till the weather calmed down if that’s alright with you,” you said with a slight snark in your voice.

That response amazed FP and all of the other members of the Serpents because no one ever dared come in their bar and talk to them like that. They immediately knew they liked this girl.

“Hey is it alright with yall if Ms.Y/N stays?” FP hollered

“Hell Yeah” responded most in the bar except Sweet Pea.

Sweet Pea had been glaring at you since you stepped out of your car. He didn’t trust this interesting new girl that just happened to step foot in his bar.  

The crowd settled and Y/N took a seat at the bar where the pink haired girl greeted her with a smile. 

“HI I’m Toni Topaz,” 

Hi I’m Y/N L/N, What's his deal?” you ask as you point to Sweet Pea who has been glaring at you  for the past 20 minutes.

“Oh, Sweet Pea has issues with new people.” Toni sighed 

“Well he needs to get over himself I didn’t do shit to him.” you spit rapidly 

“Hey girl chill I know don’t get all worked up, lemme get you a drink” Toni replied trying to ease your obvious anger.

The whole drive here has been a shit show. First you ran into some trouble with a gang on your way out of California, then you lost your keys for 20 minutes when they were just in your cup holder, now this. All you wanted was to start a new life away from the gangs, the lovers, and the danger but somehow you’ve already fucked that up by landing in this shit hole.

“Strawberry Daiquiri please,” you finally came out of your hase of thought and emotion.

“Alright, anyways what's going on with you Y/N what's your story?” Toni eyed you 

A tear rolled down your cheek, you quickly wiped it away so she wouldn’t notice but she did.

You broke into everything that you’ve been holding inside. You were definitely scared to say these things out loud but talking about it lifted a weight off of your chest. By the time you were finished with your drink you had told Toni your whole life story. The good. The bad. And the very very ugly. You even told her about the night you lost your parents and little brother in a car crash and the night you left for Riverdale to escape your fucking psycho ex boyfriend Nico You didn’t realize that a tsunami rolled down your face but at this point you didn’t care you were done with lies.You didn’t know why you trusted her but you just did you knew that she wasn’t as judgmental as the girls in California.

“Holy Fuck Y/N” Toni exclaimed 

Toni jumped over the bar and came to give you a huge hug. You wanted to keep your strong bad bitch persona but all of the shit you’ve been dealing with came crashing down in that moment. 

“Bad bitches cry to Y/N it's okay there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Toni whispered as you continued to cry on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry Toni I don’t know where all that came from” you whimpered wiping the tears from your face. 

Mascara smudged all down your cheeks. Toni looked up at you and giggled. You took out your phone to look at the damage you had done. You giggled as well

1:11 am your phone read

The rain hadn’t slowed at all so you came to terms that you would be spending the night at the bar. You didn’t care that your makeup was fucked so you just continued talking to Toni like nothing just happened. 

“Hey you know if you need anything I’m always gonna be there for you” Toni smiled and grabbed your hand.

“Thanks Toni I really appreciate it.” you remarked 

“Where are you gonna be staying for the time being” Toni questioned

“Well I was just going to rent a room at that bed and breakfast up the road till I could find a place” you replied.

“If you want you can stay with me, I have my own trailer over by that road into town” Toni remarked

“Wait are you serious?”

“Yeah I’m serious dork.” Toni replied with rolling her eyes 

“Yes oh my god yes that would be amazing!” your whole mood perked up with the thought

“Okay great cause it gets really lonely not having another girl around.” Toni sighed

“Wait, you don’t have any other girl friends?” you questioned

“Nah I don’t, but I have Jug, Sweet Pea, and Fangs and now you I guess haha.” 

You really liked Toni. You trusted her immensely. She was kind and genuine from the start. You both chatted the night away at the end you were basically best friends. Toni caught glances from other serpents as you laughed loudly. She also explained all the Serpent and Goulie drama that you’ve stepped foot in. You were hella anxious what this new city would bring and who it might bring along but you were ready to face anything head on.

Then suddenly Sweet Pea walked over to you and Toni.  

“Hey Y/N I’m sorry for giving you such a hard time. I just don’t take it well when new people just start showing up.” Sweet pea sighed 

He was obviously gorgeous and you’re type but that doesn’t change the fact that he pulled a fucking knife on you.

“It's fine” you replied coolly 

“Alright then.” 

Oh you were sure that you didn’t like this asshole but you were just going to get used to him.

You continued your conversation with Toni and learned secrets that she hadn’t told anyone. You told Toni about Nico and your relationship with him and how manipulative he was.

“I met him a few months after my family's accident, he was the kindest and sweetest person I had ever met. He took care of me when no one else was there for me. I fell for him immediately. I was always a hopeless romantic but with Nico it felt like it was instant. He had the most beautiful hazel eyes, he looked like he was carved by the gods but there was one problem he was a possessive crazy drug dealing psycho. He didn’t let me go anywhere and once when I was talking to one of his guards he screamed at me and ordered his men to get rid of him. I never saw him again. After that I knew I had to get away by any means necessary, that night I went to his safe and stole a shit ton of drug money, I grabbed all my personal items, and I got the hell outta there.” you finished your story

You didn’t realize that the bar had gone silent while you were telling your story. You looked up to find all eyes on you and everyone was in shock. 

“Holy fuck” you heard some man exclaim. 

FP came to the front to talk to you.

“Y/N we’re all here for you, As long as you’re with the serpents you have protection no one’s gonna fuck with you.” FP said with complete confidence 

“They’re dangerous FP and Nico’s a fucking maniac he will look for me and when he finds me he’s gonna kill anyone who trys to stop him” you said sadly 

“We’ll worry about that when it comes, for now just get settled in town are you in school?” FP asked 

“Yeah I am I registered at South Side High yesterday, and I have a job interview at Pops on Monday.” you responded 

“Forget pops you can have a job here if you want it would be a hell of a lot safer.” FP remarked combing back his sleek black hair with his hands.

“I’d love too thanks FP” excitement rolled over your body

You were so confused why people were being nice to you it was odd after all the months of torture you just went through. Life was finally starting to work out somehow and you were so thankful for it. Love and support surrounded you, a feeling that was lost 7 months ago.

People started slipping off to sleep all around the bar. Toni drifted to a slow slumber on a couch near a FP was off somewhere talking to his son and you were left to your own devices till the brutal Sweet Pea graced you with his presence. 

“Hey Y/N” he mumbled, taking a seat right next to you at the bar.

“Hi Sweet Pea” you were still annoyed about his behavior but you were way too tired to be pissed off at the moment.

“I’m sorry for being such a dick I didn’t know your life was that fucked haha” he laughed quietly 

“It’s okay not many people do.” you replied 

You broke into conversation with Sweet Pea. The sun came up and the rain slowed, your new life was finally starting and with a bang. You napped to prepare for the new adventures ahead. Will there be love? Will there be loss? Will Nico come for you? Will you make it out alive? 

Who knows I guess you have to continue reading to find out ;)

[solace-sun]

Not the Typical Way You Meet A Soulmate (Solangelo) - Chapter One

Preview: Nico had his fun for the night. It was time to go home. Which would've been easier if the ground beneath him isn't spinning. The world was moving in ways it shouldn't. He wasn't sure which direction was home. The street was now solely lit by the harsh streetlights towering above him, and the sidewalk seemed to slip from under his feet.

At the current moment, Will Solace hated just about everything he could see. He hated his shitty car for breaking down, and he hated the empty refrigerator in his kitchen. He hated how he had to walk to the store, and he hated his broken arm that hindered his ability to adequately carry his groceries home from the store. He even hated the lady at the checkout for only giving him two bags, which teemed to the brim with his groceries. He hated the way the sun reflected across the pavement and trees around him. The sun filtered the colors of the earth's surface in such a painstakingly gorgeous way, one that seemed to mock Will's current mood.

Needless to say, Will was pretty pissed.

Lost in his own hatred for the world and everything on it, Will failed to see the growing tear at the bottom of one of his bags. The bag broke and groceries tumbled onto the cement before he could even notice the hole.

Now, Will really hated his groceries. He almost thought about just leaving them on the ground as they lay, in an utter defeat. Before he could walk away from the wreckage, someone approached him from behind.

"Do you need any help there?" A voice came from behind Will. He turned to find a dark haired man standing behind him, clutching the straps of his backpack. Will's expression softened.

Now there's something I don't hate.

"That would actually be so great, thank you," Will sighed with relief.

"It's no problem. I was raised to always help the crippled when they're in need," the man joked, referring to Will's broken arm.

"Do I really look that sad?" Will asked with a laugh. The man shrugged before bending over to pick up the spilled groceries.

"We can use my backpack to carry what fell out," he offered, opening the bag for Will.

"Thank you so much," Will replied, "What's your name?"

"Nico. And you?"

"Will Solace."

The two placed an assortment of fruit, ramen, and frozen meals into Nico's bag.  Before hefting his bag onto his shoulders, he flashed Will a thin smile. The pair began to trudge through an uncomfortable silence down the sidewalk. Just before the silence became too thick, Nico spoke, driven by curiosity.

"How'd you break your arm?" He asked.

"Oh, I broke it during a lacrosse game last week," Will responded.

"Lacrosse?"

"Yeah I play at the school here. Or, well, I used to, I guess," Will responded.

"You quit because of your arm?"

"Yes and no, I guess. Getting injured kinda made me realise there's more important things I could be doing. Better places to put my time, y'know?"

"Makes sense," Nico agreed flatly.

"Yeah, guess I'll be spending more time focusing more on school, for right now," Will replied, "I'm here for pre-med."

To which Nico's response was a stifled snort.

"What's so funny?" Will demanded.

"I've never seen a doctor in a cast and sling before. I don't know, I just think it's funny. Did they let you wrap your own arm?" Nico joked. Will gave a sardonic huff and rolled his eyes.

The two continued their walk down the sidewalk. Will took a turn and gestured towards an apartment complex.

"Looks like we're here," He spoke. Nico followed him up a flight of stairs and watched as Will fumbled with his keys in the shadow of his front door.

While Will opened the door, Nico had gathered an armful of groceries from his bag. He placed them into Will's arms.

"Hey man, thanks for everything," Will thanked.

"It's all good," Nico gave a wary smile as he zipped his bag shut. He gave a wave to Will, and turned on his heel, starting for home

Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was who Nico had just met, but that day, Nico felt lighter than usual. A feeling from the pit of his stomach that made his head feel airy. The feeling continued his entire walk home.

His mood only improved when Hazel told him about a party happening the next night. Parties were Nico's favorite pastime, as the life of a dead end, part-time job weighed on him from time to time. Besides getting utterly and totally wasted on a weeknight, Nico had no real purpose. He needed some sort of distraction to get him through to the next day.

He opened the door to his painfully dull apartment, to see his step sister Hazel finishing up her ramen noodle dinner, with her head stuck in a textbook.

"How's it going?" Nico asked, greeting his sister.

"Someone's in a good mood," Hazel responded.

"What? I can't ask my sister, whom I love very much, how her day went?"

"Someone like you? It's pushing it dude," she joked, "Seriously though, the past week you've barely spoken a single word. What's up?"

"I don't know," he tried. And, in all honesty, he truly didn't know.

Hazel gave him a look of confusion, "Alright then, keep your secrets," She paused to shove a bite of noodles into her mouth, "Also, I've got a friend who's throwing a party tomorrow night. I gotta do some homework tomorrow so I won't be there, but I'd figure I'd let you know anyway." She said through a bite of noodles.

"Oh god, you don't know how happy that makes me," Nico smiled.

"Yeah, I know. Just, be careful. Please?" She bored her eyes into his. He turned away.

"Yeah, got it."

The next night, Nico managed to find himself in the corner of some shitty frat house, nursing a less than adequate bottle of vodka. But his head was swimming, and nothing else really mattered. Barely cognizant of anything, disillusioned and unaligned with the world around him was how he liked to be. The quality of whatever drink was in his hand at the moment didn't really matter, so long as it made the room spin. His favorite distraction to life was working just as well as it always had.

So when he saw a familiar blonde face, he thought he was seeing things. Will, apparently, thought the same, based off the double take he made when he saw Nico in the corner of the room. Nico flashed a grin.

"Hey, I know you!" Nico exclaimed, waving the bottle that was in his grip. Will made his way over to Nico, and settled down across from him on the gross, germ ridden couch. The unnaturally hard texture of the couch's fabric made Will wonder if the thing had ever been washed. He pushed the thought out of his head before he fell down a rabbit hole of thoughts he'd rather not think.

"Funny seeing you here," Will said.

"Eh, I mean, not really," Nico slurred, "Just crashing some party at a school I don't even go to."

"How did you even get in?" Will asked with a smile, tilting his head making his blonde curls fall over his eyes.

"I just told the shithead at the door I was a 'brother' from Delta Lambda Phi. He totally bought it," Nico shook his head and laughed.

"I'm impressed," Will admitted, "But why spend your time at a college frat party?"

Nico shrugged, "Free drinks. I could be asking you the same thing. Didn't you say something yesterday about focusing on schoolwork?"

"Gotta have fun somehow," Will shrugged.

"Then how come you've got an empty hand?" Nico inquired, motioning to Will's lack of alcohol and sober status. He offered Will the bottle of vodka in his hand.

"Oh, no, I'm good, thank you," Will refused, pushing the bottle away. Nico shrugged.

"Tell me why I'm not surprised that the smart, pre-med kid won't let loose at a party?" Nico teased. Will shot him a displeased glance.

"What? I'm joking!" He reached over and took a light punch to his shoulder, "I'm sure you're the funnest guy here."

"Funnest isn't a word," Will corrected.

"You're gonna make me take back my statement," Nico deadpanned. Will threw his good hand up, defeated. The other hand remained cradled by his side, bound by cast and sling.

"Give me the bottle," He demanded.

"There we go!" Nico applauded, "See? Now you're acting like a real jock! What was it you play? Football?"

"... Lacrosse."

"That's right, lacrosse. What the fuck even is that? Like, honestly, it wasn't even a thing in Italy."

"Italy?" Will inquired.

"I grew up in Italy. Moved here when I was thirteen? Fourteen?" Nico explained.

"Oh. Wow," Will spoke.

"You didn't answer my question," Nico prodded.

"Huh?"

"The fuck is lacrosse even?"

"I'm mean its just another sport," Will reasoned, "Y'know? You got your stick and the ball, and you try to make the goal."

"How long did you play for?" Nico asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I started when I was a freshman in high school, so... seven years?"

"Damn, that's a long time. You gonna miss it?"

Will gave a huffy laugh, "Parts of it, for sure."

"Wait okay, I'm lost," Nico started, "How do you break your entire fucking arm during an over-glorified game of catch?"

"Got a nasty body check," Will explained. Nico gave him a blank stare in return; Will's words obviously did not mean anything to him.

"Someone body slammed me during the game," Will explained, "Fell back landed on my arm."

Nico made a pained expression, "Sounds like that hurt," he emphasized.

"It's not that bad," Will reasoned.

"How long to heal?"

"Only a few weeks."

Nico nodded, but before he could respond, a voice boomed from across the room.

"Solace!"

Will whipped his head around, to see another man trudging towards the two, shoving past a pool of party-goers and drunk bodies. His stride was confident and almost loud. Nico watched as he made his way over, unable to stop himself from taking an immediate distaste for the guy.

"Where have you been, dude?" the stranger asked.

Will averted his eyes, maintaining eye contact with the ground instead. He shrugged as a response before cautiously meeting the other man's stare.

"How come you don't come to lacrosse anymore? We miss you man!"

Nico couldn't decide if his words were authentic. His tone seemed to be genuine, but his condescending smirk and the arrogant gleam in his eyes wanted to tell of something different.

"I don't know," Will started. He turned his gaze to the floor and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Just come back to the team!" he exclaimed, his arms open.

"Man, I just... Just gotta think about it," Will reasoned, giving a sympathetic smile. In the shadow of the man he looked small. Maybe even vulnerable.

At this point, Nico had enough. Maybe his head wasn't quite where it was supposed to be, but his heart was. Before anything could be said, Nico interjected.

"God could you fuck off?" Nico barked, "Anyone with a pair of fucking eyes can see that he doesn't want to talk to you."

Will's head shot up and his eyes grew in shock.

"I'm sorry," the man laughed, "You talking to me?"

"Yeah man," Nico snapped, "Why don't you just leave him alone?"

"Don't you know your place?" The man retorted.

Nico was now riding on a high of his favorite drug; adrenaline. He cocked his head to the side and matched the stranger's confident energy.

"You wanna show me my place? Be my guest," he invited, standing up, a little shaky from the vodka. He tried to hide his stumble.

Will shot him a pleading look, "You don't have to do this," he whispered.

The stranger towered over Nico, "Who the fuck do you think you are?" the man snarled.

The room's atmosphere changed, voices began to hush and more eyes turned to watch the show. Nico stared down his opponent, undeterred from any distractions.

"Nico, c'mon, give it up, it's not worth it." Will persisted. But his pleads fell on deaf ears, Nico was too caught up in finishing what he had just started.

"You need to know your fucking place, fuckin' little shit," the man seethed, his shoulders rolling up and his face sneering. Before Nico could respond, a punch was thrown.

Luckily for Nico though, he had become skilled in the art of dodging fists through his years of picking drunken fights with strangers. This was nothing new for him. Instead of sucker-punching Nico in the gut, the man missed and lodged his fist into the drywall behind Nico. The crowd voiced sounds of excitement, shock, and concern. Nico could feel like anger blooming in his chest, pumping through his veins. If there was one thing he hated most, it was entitled, rich white frat boys. His hands turned to fists, but before he could commit to the final act, he felt Will tug on his arm.

"Don't do it man," He pleaded, with soft, sad blue eyes. Nico looked to the ground, trying to use his brain for the first time tonight.

"Yeah, okay. Party fucking sucked anyway," he cursed, "And I'm taking this with me!" He announced, pointing an angry finger to the bottle he had claimed earlier. He stumbled away from the scene, away from the hungry eyes of party-goers, away from the man he didn't even know the name of, who was now shouting obscenities to Nico's back. Away from Will.

Nico had his fun for the night. It was time to go home. Which would've been easier if the ground beneath him isn't spinning. The world was moving in ways it shouldn't. He wasn't sure which direction was home. The street was now solely lit by the harsh streetlights towering above him, and the sidewalk seemed to slip from under his feet.

Then he heard a voice call his name.

"Nico!" It was none other than Will, "That's your name, right? It's Nico?"

Nico smiled and nodded.

"Where you going, man?" Will asked.

Nico shrugged, "Home, I guess."

"You're not driving, are you?"

"God, no," Nico shook his head, "I don't even own a car. I was just gonna walk home."

"How's that going for you?" Will inquired, sarcasm hidden in his tone.

"It'll be fine, once the floor stops moving," he waved a dismissive hand.

"Let me walk you home," Will prompted.

Nico's brow furrowed, "What? Why?"

"Just a way to say thanks," Will shrugged.

Nico thought for a moment before he nodded. The two started off, absorbed in the sound of the quiet night.

"I'm sorry," Nico spoke, puncturing the veil of silence between the two.

"For what?" Will turned to Nico.

"I don't know... It probably wasn't on your agenda for tonight to piss off... Whoever that was."

"One of my teammates. Or, an old teammate, I guess," Will informed, "Don't feel bad about it though, I actually enjoyed watching you tell him off."

"Oh yeah? I could just tell he was making you uncomfortable. I can read you like a book," Nico flashed a cocky grin, proud of his "emotional intelligence" skills.

"Like a book? Is that so?" Will teased, "What am I feeling now?"

"You're probably wondering how you got into this mess, walking a drunk stranger home and all."

"You're not a stranger, we've met before," Will joked.

"Can't argue with that," Nico agreed.

The silence returned, but the two were comfortable in its wake. Will kicked at rock as they walked, while Nico struggled to place one foot in front of the other. In a cruel joke played by God or maybe fate, he stumbled and fell, only to catch himself on Will's good shoulder.

"Woah, there," Will laughed, holding Nico's forearms as he regained himself, "Do I need to carry you home?"

"Oh, yes please," Nico replied. Maybe drinking a whole bottle of vodka by himself was a bad idea.

"Alright then," Will said, moving an arm to secure Nico's balance.

"Wait, no I was joking-" Nico started.

"Yeah sure, you're gonna be joking until you fall and bust your ass on the concrete," Will retorted, "Don't make it weird," He said with a laugh, slinking his good arm around Nico's torso, with a gentle squeeze.

Oh.

Okay.

Don't make it weird. Got it.

"I'm not making it weird," Nico quipped.

"Great," Will shrugged. Will's curls brushed against Nico's cheek, and Nico was almost positive that Will could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Hey, wait a minute," Nico wondered out loud, "How come you aren't shit faced?"

Will gave a breathy laugh, "I'm more of a babysitter than a drinker. I was watching over a few friends tonight, but then I guess you could say I had more pressing matters to tend to."

"A stranger was more important than your friends?" Nico questioned.

"Well, when a stranger tried to pick a fight and stumble home completely wasted -- by himself, I might add, then yeah. Also, my friends know how to take care of themselves."

"Are you saying I don't know how to take care of myself?" Nico demanded.

"Maybe," Will confessed, failing to sequester the laughter spilling from his chest.

Nico found Will's laughter to be contagious, something that couldn't be escaped, and he discovered himself chuckling along with him. Maybe it was the buzz, but Nico felt the warmth in his chest again, a cozy feeling from inside. He felt at home in the feeling.

As their laughter died down, the two came up upon the backside of an apartment complex. Even on the backside, the complex stood tall and elegant, the siding expensive and tasteful.

"Looks like this is my stop," Nico announced.

"Wait, but there's no entrances back here," Will noticed.

"What a gentleman, wanting to walk me to my door," Nico teased.

"I just want to make sure you get home safe," Will protested.

"I know. It's just that... I've got this roommate, whose fucking batshit -- like absolutely crazy. Hates when I bring people home. Doesn't even matter if they drop me off at the door. It's always an argument. Says it's always too noisy when I come home with people."

Will gave a dejected look to the ground, "Oh."

"I'm sorry," Nico tried, slipping out of Will's hold.

"Wait, hold on. I'm gonna give you my number. Text me when you get back safe," he prompted. He fumbled in his pocket and took out a crumpled receipt and a pen, and scrawled his number on the backside, "Here."

Nico smiled as he took the number into his own hands, "Thanks, Will. I feel like I owe you now," He laughed.

The pair separated, following their own individual paths. Except Nico didn't head towards the complex he had claimed to be his. Rather, once he was out of the spotlight of the streetlamps, he crossed the street, heading towards a less impressive complex. His home. His tiny, dirty home.

He knew lying was wrong, but his shame for his poorly house outweighed the moral balance in his mind. He had also had lied about the crazy roommate. Just another excuse not to let someone in, keep them at a comfortable distance; knowing all too well what would come once they knew what he really lived like -- the pitiful looks and gross expressions.

It was embarrassing. But it was all he could afford.

Nico hated the pity. Rather than confront it, he would create himself a false life. Call it lies if you like, but for Nico it was just protection.

He fumbled with his keys for a minute, wracked his brain with the task of trying to figure out which one was the key to the front door. When he opened the door he felt the cool dusty air hit his face. He cracked the door open and coasted inside, careful not to wake his sister sleeping in the room across from his, who had better things to do than getting wasted on a weeknight.

His least favorite part of the nights like these was coming home. No longer did he have his distraction, his escape from his sad apartment, from his own racing thoughts and feelings.

When he came home he was forced to confront it all. No more running, and no more hiding.

Nico found his way to his room, the door creaking open. His empty room greeted him and the cool air nipped at his skin. The cracks in the ceiling welcomed him and his creaky bed frame embraced him as he collapsed into his mattress.  Nico hated its grasp, but right now he couldn't protest; sleep called his name too loud to ignore. When he lay the room was still spinning. He pulled his phone from one pocket and a crumpled receipt from the other. He copied the number from the receipt into his phone.

Will received a text on his walk back to the party.

its nico mabe it h ome safe. thbanks for caring abt me lol

[astranne]

Crossover Harry Potter/Heroes of Olymp

Next idea. But in the beginning, I have to say, I didn’t read the Harry Potter books at all and never really saw a whole movie. Shame on me. And I never really have the time, I mean yes, I could watch it now and so, but I want to do a marathon, it isn’t really the smartest idea, but who cares? So all the stuff I know about Harry Potter is because of Fanfic and Google. I love Draco Malfoy Fics, just because. And this one is too gonna be about Draco. I think Draco became a death eater in fifth year, if I calculated it correctly. But eh, it’s midnight, and I should be sleeping because I’m tired as fuck. Do I care? Nah, not really. Okay so, prepare for long idea and pure mindblow. And another information, Percy Jackson is female (I love these fics) and is called Rhea Atalante Jackson. 

So, let’s get started. First, Lucius Malfoy blood adopted Draco. Now you ask, who is his real father? Motherfucking Jupiter. Narcissa knows and raises Draco with stories about the myths. So basically, the reason why Lucius is such an asshole to Draco is because he’s not his trueborn son. To please his father and fool all the other purebloods families, Draco acts like a brat. He still isn’t the biggest fan of muggleborns, but doesn’t hate them. He would really like to be friends with Harry and Hermione, because they are smart and loyal and all the stuff. Ron not so, but yeah, he has to act like they way he acts.

Anyway. When Draco became ten, his mother brought him to Lupa, he passed the test and went to New Rome. There he learned to fight, met his half brother, Jason, and did all the roman stuff they do there. So basically he’s in the summer holidays with his roman family. When he’s twelve, his real father gifts him with a ring. If he pulls it of his finger, it becomes a sword. If he turns the ring right (still on his finger) it becomes a spear, and if he turns left, the ring becomes a bow. 

Because Draco went to Hogwarts, he ‘missed’ the Second Titan war. His mother doesn’t want that Dumbledore discovers that there are half bloods. But he still sneaked out and helped the romans as good as he could. And yeah, everything happens a year earlier, so in the Second Titan War, Rhea is fifteen. 

Anyway, Voldemort rises and he asks for help. And he knows exactly who. 

When the gods are bored, they go to the mortal world and they are often bored. So there is no surprise, when the gods made themself a name in the wizarding world. A random first name and as the family name Olýmpios. Which means olympian. How creative (*cough* I just don’t have better ideas *cough*) Anyway. The stories say, that magic started in greece, with the godess Hecate. And these  Olýmpios are descendants of gods. As an example, Poseidon just says he’s a descendant of Poseidon and he’s really good with potions and all water spells. You get it? So, everybody knows, that the greek and roman wizards are the most powerful ones and also have the biggest population. Because they don’t care about this pureblood shit, as they say, for them it’s just important, that the family grows and that they have a heir. Ouf- now let’s go to Voldemorts plan. 

So, Voldemort asks for help, and the olympians (well, Zeus, Hades and Poseidon) tell him to fuck of. They had a war, tell him this, and they don’t want to go in a other one. When Voldemort then asks just for like three wizards, like the children of the big three, Poseidon nearly explodes. Because no, his daughter deserves a break! Voldemort almost pisses himself. Well, not almost. He did piss himself. Hades surprisingly is the diplomatic one and says him, he can come a year later. But then Zeus finds out, that Voldemort wants to make Draco a death eater and warns him. If he marks children, they will be at war. Voldemort doesn’t really take him seriously and just nods. Because he’s dumb and thinks he’s the greatest.

So anyway, the whole shit for the Secon Giant war starts, the two camps prepare. Draco finally meets Rhea and the everyone starts betting, when the world ends (destroyed) or they two come together. Draco helps as good as he can in the war, but still has to be careful with Dumbledore and Harry, especially, when Dumbledore molded Harry in the perfect little hero. (Personally, I think Dumbledore is a manipulative litte shit) 

Anyway (so many anyways)

The war ends after the fifth year in Hogwarts. Voldemort wants to make Draco a death eater but he informs his father. Mysteriously it storms in England for nearly a week. So, the big three come to the Malfoy Manor (I think Voldemort stays there?) and burst in the middle of a meeting. (Snape is no part of this) Rhea, Jason and Nico are also there, dressed as former preator, ‘priest’ and ambassador of New Rome. The three gods stare Voldemort down, the death eaters just look at the six with wide eyes, until Nico casually says, that Voldemorts soul looks really sick.

“Father, his soul... it’s broken... he should be dead, but... there are missing peaces...” Most of the death eaters understand what he means and don’t really care.

“Say, Voldy... how did you manage that, when you’re not even a part of a purebood family. As I know, there is no way, muggles can split souls in six? Seven parts?” 

Slowly everybody turns to Voldemort, who begins to sweat. Now he fucked up. He sees, how the Olýmpios are glaring at him, but the girl just grins. So he does the most stupid thing and attacks her, uses the Imperius Cruse, well he tries. He orders her, to kill her family and she slowly takes out her pen, it becomes her sword and looks with a blank face at her father. Voldemort grins smugly, but then sees, that her father doesn’t try to defend himself. Before he knows, Rhea attacks him. His followers watch helplessly, how he’s dying. 

“Never, never try to control someone with the blood of gods, you stupid, ugly, noseless bitch.”

Voldemort is wheezing, but Hades doesn’t let him die. The Olýmpios are summonding all the Horcruxes and destroy them before his eyes. But the final blow was, when Voldemort tried to make one of the Olýmpios against his will to a death eater. Within minutes, Voldemort lost all the support he once had. When all his crimes were exposed, Rhea rammed Riptide in his neck. 

Naturally now everyone wants to know, who the other Olýmpios is, so Draco stands besides his brother and father. Zeus explains everything in short words, glaring at everyone, especially at Lucius.

But now the former death eaters have a problem... what to do now? Rhea suggests that they just pretend to be death eaters, until they come up with a new plan. They imidiatly agree, because she was the one who killed Voldemort, resisted an Imperius Cruse and is an Olýmpios. Basically the next Dark Lady.

ugh- I already wrote so much, but I’m not even in the middle, I think...

The three brothers brainstorming (sure a funny thing) and then explain their plans to their children. The magic world is pretty fucked up, this whole pureblood shit is just one thing. But the biggest problem, the idea that the light wizards are good and the dark ones are the bad. Which is not true. Every wizard and every witch is born with a core and this core has a color, between black and white. When you have a dark core, dark spells and rituals are more powerful then the light ones. The same thing with the light cores. And a grey one is just in the middle. Magic is not bad, magic just exists. Use it for good or for bad. Use it for selfish reasons or help others. So, the three gods want the wizarding world to realise that. 

Jason has a job to do, Hades wants Nico near to him, which leaves Rhea. She doesn’t want another quest, but when Darco said, he would help her, she just shrugged. So, why not?

Rhea will now attend to Hogwarts, the sixth year. Together with Darco she expands her power and the power of her family and operate in the shadows. (spooky and mysterious) Before Zeus goes back to Olymp, he gifts Draco with a dragon, saying every wizard should have a familiar. (It’s basically Toothlees frome how to tame a dragon, but like twice the size)

So, Rhea begins plotting and in this fic I think, that Rhea is still the cheery demigod but after Tartarus, there is something underneath that. Naturally she tries to hide it, but now, in the middle of politics and all that stuff, she can be ruthless and destroy everybody, who stands in her way. And if something goes wrong, Draco was still near and he can hold up with her. (because he’s a demigod and has magic, so he’s nearly or as powerful as Rhea) 

She let’s all the former death eaters swear on styx, that they will never reveal something about the Olýmpios, not without their permission. And then she let’s the biggest bomb drop. She’s the daughter of Poseidon and Draco the son of Jupiter. The wizards and witches are losing their shit, because they have been in the same room with three fucking gods and then the most powerful ones! So, Rhea tells about her world, who she fought, who she pissed of and so on. Draco is grinning like a cheshire cat, when he realizes, that the respect her more, than anybody else. And she didn’t even really realize it, until he told her. 

So... Rhea and Draco are pulling strings, making their group bigger and even get some trustworthy ‘light’ wizards and witches in. Slowly but steady they began to expand, word travels fast, after all. And then the 1st September came. Hecate blessed her, giftet her with a wand, but told her she wouldn’t really need it. Poseidon gifted Rhea with a hawk, because owls still hate her (yk, Athena) and brought her to the King’s Cross Station. For the first time Rhea saw her father in a suit, which was totally weird for her. But her father wanted to play with mortals, showing their powers of and such. (a little bit Drama Queen style, but who cares?) So, there is a tall, muscular man, good looking and totally rich and has a gorgeous daughter at his side. She’s wearing a blue woman suit (she began to love them, she looks really badass in them) on her shoulder a hawk and smiling at Draco Malfoy. Nearly everyone observed the Malfoys interact with the two strangers. When then also Blaise Zabini with his mother came and greeted the two, even more tried to listen their conversation. Well, tried. Rhea said good bye to her father with a hug, nodded to the other three adults, while they muttered ‘my lady’. She forced herself to smile, oh how she hated, when someone called her my Lady. 

So the three of them stalking of to the train like royality, which they are... well, Blaise was a grandson of Aphrodite, but yeah. So, the three talking in ancient greek, because they are sure some of the students understand more then just latin spell words. Naturally we need some drama, so one Pansy Parkinson please. She asking, who the bloody Merlin this girl is. 

“Oh, my apologies. My name is Rhea Atalante Jackson, pleasure to meet you.” Pansy naturally sneered. 

“You gather yourself with a mudblood?” Darco is smirking, while Blaise just chuckles. 

“Bold of you to asume, that Rhea is a muggleborn, Parkinson.” 

“The Jacksons are a small but wealthy pureblood family in America”, which was true, but her mother had been adopted, nobody needed to know that.

“And it is the name of my mother. I am sure you saw my father, no? Well, he is one of the heads of a big greek and roman family.” Pansy paled, she knew exactly, what Rhea hinted. 

“But it is good to know, what people truly think, when they see a normal person, no?” Rhea grinned her famous wolf grin, the other girl just fleed. 

Word spread like fire and when they arrived, everybody seemed to know, that an Olýmpios was now going to Hogwarts. Well, almost everybody. The golden trio didn’t know. And here comes the next drama. The three are whispering about the new girl, after Ron pointed at her. 

“I’m sure, she’s just another pureblood who hates muggleborns”, said Hermione stifly. Rhea smirked and walked next to the three.

“My mother never knew, she had magic, because her parents died, when she was very young and she was adopted, so I lived like a muggle. I had an abusive step-father and was seen as a freak. I meet my father in age of twelve and was nearly killed by my uncles. In age of fiften I fulfilled a prophecy, this summer again. I lived through two wars, lost many friends and loved ones. I am not just another pureblood... I am from the pureblood family. My father is a descendant of Poseidon and so am I. I am an Olýmpios, a descendant of the big three. I have more power than any of you. And we Olýmpios don’t hate muggleborns, we are open minded, not like you, Miss Granger. Prejudices do not help you in the world, I am sure, such a smart witch like you should know that. A good day.” Rhea grinned at Draco, while she walked to him. She hated to talk so formaly, but hey! She also loved to be sassy and piss people off. 

The next thing full of drama was her sorting. She would’ve really appreciated, when they did this in private, not when the whole school watched. Because... she also pissed of the sorting hat. Somehow. She told him, not to dig too deep into her memories and not to judge her, but did he listen? No, he saw Tartarus and yelled (the whole school heard it) “What in Merlins name did you down there? Girl, are you mad?” 

“Hey! I told you not to-”

“And this! You fought against-” Rhea wanted to kill the hat, while he babbled more. 

“Oh, girl! Either you are really really dumb or just too loyal for your own good. It runs probably in the family.” Rhea decided to ignore the comment at the end.

“Well, somebody once told me, I would destroy the world for a friend.” The hat frowned, while the whole school watched. 

“Or you would kill yourself, dear Merlin-”

“You nearly killed a bloody go-” 

“Don’t! Just tell me, where the Hades I should go!” 

“Hmmm... interesting, rather- oh!” Rhea pinched the bridge of her nose by the dramatics of the sorting hat.

“Soo... you are the most loyal witch I ever saw! You are also very brave and smart! But Ravenclaw isn’t the right thing, you are more into battle strategies... hmmm... now... the Gryffindors wouldn’t really survive you and the Hufflepuffs are too proper for you... SLYTHERIN!”

“Thank the gods, fuckin’ talkin’ hat, I swear to Hades, this is just my dam life”, she muttered, while she walked to the Slytherin table. Her housemates cheered loudly, they had an Olýmpios in their house after all.

Hogwarts was Rhea’s favourite school. Nobody tried to piss her off, the headmaster was shit but didn’t talk to her, most teachers were alright or even good. Magic was a funny thing and oh- how she loved, that many teachers were pissed but also impressed that she wrote in ancient greek. But she decided to play nice and wrote in Latin, which impressed her teacher even more. Her and Draco often snuck out in the middle of the night to train and to spend time with Blackjack and Dracos dragon, Nightwing. They killed some monsters, spoke with some centaurs in the forbidden forest and planned new steps. 

So. And while all this shit happens there is some sexual tension between Draco and Rhea. Both don’t realise it, until Blaise literally shouts in their face, that they should finally kiss. They do. After some cute awkwardness.

Oh boy- so much... anyway

The two finish 6th school year as a couple, after some drama with other girls. In summer Rhea and Draco hold some meetings and explain, what exactly is their goal. Like, plan the fall of Dumbledore (who still didn’t realize Voldy is dead) and his followers, beat some sense into Harry and spread the Olýmpios’ way of magic through the wizarding world. 

And then comes the final year. Probably much drama and some helpless golden trio, which has no idea, what the fuck is going on. Rhea doesn’t care, she watches how the chaos unfolds. In the meanwhile, some of her followers work together with Rita Seeker, to expose Dumbledores crimes. It takes some time, to find all witnesses and proofs, but in the middle of the school year, there is a big article from Seeker. It hurts Dumbledores reputation pretty much, the world finds out, that their hero was placed with abusive muggles and so on. 

Dumbledore tries to reduce the damage, but then comes again an article. And again and again. Dumbledore watches helpless, how he looses all his power and followers. Well almost. Hermione can’t belive it, Ron just doesn’t care but Harry has his doubts. He dugs a little deeper and finds out, that the parents never have been notified, when something happend in the school. Harry distances himself from his friends and Dumbledore, who now panics. The hero of the magic world won’t follow him anymore! Rhea takes a swing and talks with him, about nearly everything. He asks about her prophecies and how war really is, how it is to kill someone and all this deep stuff. And he decides, that this Rhea Olýmpios really isn’t like other purebloods. She’s kind, nice, friendly and a talented witch. Slowly, he spends more time with her, which leads automatically to be with other Slytherins, like Draco or Blaise. But Harry doesn’t care anymore. And he sets something in motion, now every house tries to connect more with the others. Well, they try, but Gryffindors are mostly jerks. Harry also admits, before some people, that he would be in Slytherin but asked the hat to sort him with his friends. Word travels fast and now everybody thinks, that Slytherins aren’t that bad. I mean, the hero of the britain wizarding world and an Olýmpios are in this house, so it can’t be that bad. 

Dumbledore finally has a talk with Rhea, where she tells him, that Voldemort is dead. He doesn’t belive it, but she just shruggs and tells him, she was the one who killed him. After all, he tried to control her and wanted her to kill her family. Dumbledore is absolutly taken back and has no idea, what to do now. All his hard work, for nothing! While he panics, Rhea just smirks and watches again the chaos to unfold.

Rhea goes again to Rita Seeker and makes an interview. She tells the world, that she killed Voldemort, because he threatend her family and wanted to go at war with them, just because they didn’t support him. She also tells, that she had been already in two wars and doesn’t wants another one. The witches and wizards are losing their shit, everyone tought it would be Harry who would kill him. But then an Olýmpios and just ends this? She also tells about the Olýmpios way to use magic. Many agree with that, Dumbledore and his closest followers just panic, while many literally begin to worship Rhea. It gains her even more respect, when she tells them all to fuck off, she killed Voldy, it’s okay now, please move on. 

So, we’re nearly in the end. 

When almost the whole magic world follows the way of the Olýmpios, Rhea reveals the final truth. Gods still exist and one of them is her father. They like it, when people burn food for them and so on. Zeus is satisfied, that now more mortals belive in the gods. 

Rhea and Draco become the abassadors of the godly world and represent their fathers. They turn the whole wizarding world upside down, improve the politics and all this stuff. And they marry some years later. 

Ugh, I’m finally finished. I wrote so much- 

Anyway, if there are some mistakes, I wrote this in the middle of the night, I’m swiss and can’t really speak english ._.

If someone wants to make a story, tag me, so I can read it!

Masterlist

[wiebkesf1paddock]

Stuck Inside

A/N: Well hello there everyone!

Due to this isolation-Corona-situation I finally decided to come back to writing fanfiction after like 4 years.  So, please don't expect the best of writing, but I am surely trying my best!

This time I'm around with formula 1 oneshots. I do take requests (if I get some) and will try to do all of them (again, if there are any).

I will write solely about F1 drivers (and Nico Hülkenberg because I love him). Fluff imagines or oneshots literally about all of them, nsfw-stuff not about: Kimi, Seb, Perez. I simply don't feel comfortable with that.

If you have any requests, any constructive criticism about the plot or the style of my writing, please let me know! English is not my first language and I will try to improve wherever I can.

I hope I can get you through this shitty time with this. Have fun reading! Love you!

I hope you enjoy this first one with Charles. I was inspired by the movie 'Two Night Stand' for this one. I know that a government probably won't be this harsh with their rules, but let's just ignore that for the sake of the story. This one will probably have like three parts.

Wiebke :)

Warnings: none

Word count: 2328

Part 1

You woke up and looked around. Okay. Fuck. You were not in your own bed. Means that something bad besides your hangover happened last night. When you turned around in the bed, you found yourself face to face with a sleeping guy. A quick look under the blanket showed you that he was only in his boxers and you only had your top and some knickers on as well. You couldn’t remember going home with someone, only the kisses you shared with some dude last night at the party at your friends’ house. But you couldn’t tell whether it was the same fella or not. He was very handsome though; you could not deny that. Just as you wanted to slip away from under the blanket, his eyes opened, and he looked at you with a soft smile.

“Good morning there,” he spoke, and you could make out his French accent pretty well.

“Er…yeah good morning…” you were embarrassed that you did not remember his name.

“Charles,” he said, as if he was able to read your mind. “Strange…last night you knew my name pretty well. I actually think everyone in Monaco knows it now,” he teased a bit with a smug grin on his face.

You rolled your eyes at his remark but could not keep the blood from rushing to your face. “Well, it can’t have been this good, because I actually don’t remember any of it at all,” you countered and were pleased to see that that actually hit him off-guard.

He quickly gained his confidence back and grinned at you. “Touché. That was a good one. So, you are hungover, yes?”

The way he was speaking was so cute you actually had to shoot him a real smile. “Yes, a bit. And I actually have no memory of what happened last night. Sorry.”

Charles sat up and smiled warmly at you. “No problem. You can lie down again if you want and I get you some pain killers and water.”

“Oh. Yeah. That would be nice. Thank you. And after that I will go, I promise. Normally I don’t even stay this long.”

Charles cocked an eyebrow at you as he got up: “Normally? So, you do that very often then?” In that moment you could have slapped yourself for saying that. It sounded like you were having one-night stands on a regular basis. Which was not the case. Actually, it was the first one you had, since you and your ex broke off over one year ago. But what angered you even more was that Charles had the audacity to think that he had the right to judge you.

“What if? You just had a one-night stand as well. Who are you to judge me?” you snapped at him and he held up his hands in defense.

“Sorry. Relax. It was just a joke.”

He exited the room and you got up from the bed and took your phone out of your purse. You had ten missed calls from your best friend and some messages also from your family.

“What the hell?!” you mumbled to yourself as you sat down on the bed again to look through them.

Your eyes widened when you read what she wrote:

 Y/B/F/N: Girl I hope you had a good night! I sure did and your fella was so handsome! But call me as soon as you wake up if you haven’t read the news yet!

 Dad: I hope. You are fine and staying safe! We will try to get you back here as soon as possible! But you have to stay inside with Y/B/F/N!

 These messages didn’t make any sense and you thought that the best thing to do was to call Y/B/F/N. She quickly picked up the phone.

“Hey Y/N! So glad you called me! Are you safe?” she asked sounding concerned.

“Yeah I am. Are you? I am still at the flat of my one-night stand. Still deciding whether he is a jerk or not.”

“Well I hope he is a good guy, because you have to stay with him for a little longer. We all are not allowed to go anywhere right now. Monaco is on lockdown.”

“What lockdown?! What is going on?” You started to panic a bit not understanding what exactly your friend was talking about.

“Yeah lockdown! Because of the Corona virus. Someone tested positive here and now everyone has to stay inside for at least 24h so that they can test the relatives and friends of the person. First Corona case here. The government went completely nuts.”

“Oh shit, what?! No, no, no. Do you know how fucked up it is to stay with your one-night stand? Like…what am I supposed to do? Oh no.”

“You will have to deal with it, Y/N. I’m so sorry. At least he is hot. So, you could get it on a couple more times.” You could almost hear her smirk through the phone.

“Not helpful, Y/F/N!” you whisper-shouted; in that moment you saw, that Charles was approaching the bedroom. “Right, I got to go. We will speak later, okay? Stay safe!”

“You too! Call me if he turns out to be a creep! And remember to use protection!” Y/F/N laughed, and you rolled your eyes but had to laugh as well at the silly joke before ending the call the moment Charles entered the room, holding a glass of water with some aspirin already dissolved in it.

You put your phone away and tried not to blush at the sight you got. Charles was still only in his underwear and you hadn’t noticed before how fit he really was, but now his trained body was on full display and your friend was right. He was really hot.

“As much as I like that you are checking me out, I think you should check out this aspirin in water first. It will make your head less heavy.”

Instantly you felt the need to roll your eyes again. He was so nice to you but on the other hand he kind of acted like a douchebag.

“Thanks,” you said as you took the glass, he handed you. He had gotten himself a glass of water as well and sat down next to you on the edge of the bed.

“So, you know how I said that I would be leaving after having the aspirin?” you began talking, after downing the entire thing.

Charles nodded and looked at you, waiting for you to continue talking.

“Well…there is the first official case of Corona here in Monaco and we are not allowed to leave the flat for at least the next 24 hours. I talked to my friend on the phone and she said that the government went completely crazy and no one is allowed to go out for now,” you told him what your friend had said, “and I guess what I am trying to say is that I actually have to stay a bit longer.” You blushed again slightly when you looked at him because it was so uncomfortable for you to say that.

“Oh shit, what? I did not know that! I did not look at my phone yet. Of course, you can stay here! And just so you know, I did not ask you to leave right away anyway. So, I suggest I make a hangover breakfast and call my mother and brother and ask them if they are okay, and you can go and take a shower if you want. Towels are beneath the sink. I think I might also have a spar toothbrush in the cupboard next to the mirror. You can use that. And then we can talk about everything over breakfast?”

Now he was so nice again. You also weren’t sure he wanted to say that he actually did not want you to leave as soon as possible. But it sounded that way.

“Extra toothbrush, huh? So, you do this on a regular basis then?” you grinned and raised an eyebrow at him.

Charles chuckled lightly and shook his head. “I apologize for saying that okay? Let’s not bring this back. I make breakfast and you can get ready.”

“Alright. Sounds great. But I could help you with making breakfast. I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you or am using you,” you replied.

He shook his head and smiled. “Don’t worry. I would not think that. You go and take a shower and then we can eat. The bathroom is down the hallway on the right side” he said and motioned in the direction where the bathroom was supposed to be.

You nodded and smiled at him while getting up and grabbing your phone.

“Alright, then…I will see you in a few minutes” you said while putting up a hand to wave at him.

Charles laughed and waved back, getting up from the bed as well moving towards his dresser. You turned around and exited the room. You couldn’t believe you waved at him. Waved! What was the matter with you today? Maybe the hangover had gotten into your head. You looked around the flat while going the way to the bathroom that Charles had described, and your eyes grew wider with each step you took. This boy had to have some money. His flat was actually really big, you had guessed that it was quite large because his bedroom was already huge, but the part of the apartment that you got to see on your way was even more impressive. It was really bright, and his furniture and decorations were chosen tastefully. When you found the bathroom, your breath hitched in your throat because, as you had already expected, it was big. There was a massive shower with a showerhead that was rainforest-style, there was also a big bathtub and it just looked all so beautiful and expensive that you were actually afraid of touching anything. You found a towel for yourself and took off your underwear. You turned on the shower and put it to a chilly temperature to wake yourself up and make yourself feel less shitty. It felt amazing to feel the water on your skin even though it was a bit cold, but you already could feel the dizzy feeling from your hangover fading off slightly. You looked around the shower and after some contemplating chose to use some of his shower-gel to wash off the smell of the previous night.

Just when you had gotten out of the shower and dried off the water that remained on your skin, and had brushed your teeth with the spare toothbrush, you remembered that you of course had no spare clothes with you because you didn’t plan on staying longer. However, you also did not want to put on your clothes from the previous day. You would have to ask Charles to use his laundry machine and probably remain in the towel in the meantime. Or maybe Charles could lend you some clothes. But that would be a bit strange. He wasn’t your boyfriend or anything and you did not want to creep him out. It was already so kind of him to let you stay at his apartment (although there was no other choice to be fair). You wrapped the towel tightly around you, took your dirty clothes and tapped out of the bathroom and followed the hallway. You heard some whistling and followed the sound, guessing it was Charles. You entered a living room that was connected to a big rooftop terrace, which could only mean that you were in the penthouse. You looked around to find that the living room was also included an open kitchen and dining area. Charles was hustling in the kitchen with a pan on the stove. He had not noticed you yet and was concentrating on preparing pancakes. “Erm Charles? Could I use your laundry machine to wash my clothes? Of course, I did not bring any spare clothing and I don’t want to put on the dirty laundry,” you said, and he turned around when he hard your voice.

His jaw dropped a bit at the sight of you only wrapped in a towel some drops of water you didn’t catch still glistening on your skin.

“I…yes of course. I will wash them of course! Do you want some clothes from me? I mean…I wouldn’t mind you staying in that towel but maybe that won’t be too comfortable for you,” he shrugged and had this boyish grin on his face again.

You felt a rush of heat shoot up your cheeks all the way to your ears at his remark and could not even say something back. Instead you just chose to nod your head.

“Right, let me get some clothes for you and give me your dirty ones. In the bedroom was some more right? I will take that too, okay? You look after the pancakes and I will be right back!” he said coming over to you and taking your top and panties out of your hands and rushing out of the room already before you could say something.

A few minutes later Charles came back with a t-shirt and some sweatpants for you.

“I don’t have women’s underwear, sorry. But yours will be ready in like two hours. So, I hope this is okay?” he asked while handing you the clothing.

“I mean I hope you don’t!” you laughed and took the garments from him. “Thank you so much though, Charles. This is all very kind of you. I will definitely pay you back for everything!”

“No, don’t worry about that! I am actually glad that you are still here! Now put on the clothes and I finish making breakfast. Do you want tea or coffee?”

You grinned and took the clothes from him. “I will go with tea, I think. It’s easier on the stomach.”

“Tea it is then.”

[ohmyhera]

Kindergarten

Welcome to fic installment one of the childhood best friends au

Today marked the first day of Will’s favorite month of the year, October. Well it wasn’t actually the first day, but it was just as exciting. So many good things happen in October! The leaves started to change colors,he got to wear all the sweaters his nana made him,Halloween and not one but two birthdays! His mama’s and his older brother Michael’s. That meant double parties and double cake, and he got to see his sister Kayla at both! He loved birthdays so much, he just had one not too long ago! He was now a proud six year old, one of the big kids. Well, at least that’s what he told Naomi.

“I’m one of the biggest kids ever now mama!”He cheered, “I’m even older than Auntie Nat’s baby!”

“That’s right baby”She said with a fond smile, “Hurry up now and finish that banana, we gotta get your shoes on so you can catch the bus”

“Can daddy drive me like he does sometimes?”He asked.

“Now baby you know your father has work just like I do”She said.

“Work is stupid”he huffed, “I miss you guys driving me”

“I know you do pumpkin”She said, “But it’s only until next month, then i’ll be driving you to school and picking you up everyday”

“You promise mama?”He asked.

“My word is good baby, now go get them shoes on so you can make your bus”She said. He jumped off of the chair and raced into the living room looking for his rain boots. October didn’t always bring good things, but it did bring rain and rain brought worms. Will loved worms. He could barely wait for Naomi to zip up his raincoat before he was bounding out of the house. Just as he went to pick up a real wriggly one he heard a loud honk.

“Aw man”He pouted. Naomi chuckled and handed him his backpack.

“That’ll be your bus baby. Mama couldn’t pack you a lunch today so you’ll be eating at school. You remember your number?”

“212256!”He exclaimed.

“That’s right Will, good job”She said, “I’ll see you later, I love you”

“I love you too mama!”He said and made his way up the stairs of the bus. Being a big kid was weird now. When he was in Pre-K he didn’t start school until 9:00am, now he was on the bus with all the big kids, even the fifth graders. But, lots of things got weird when you got older so it was okay. He took his seat and began to daydream, hopefully the rain will stop by Recess so they can play outside today. Don’t get him wrong, he liked indoor Recess as much as the next kid but it was getting boring. You could only do so much with coloring and hand games.

-

The bus pulled into the lot and Will’s excitement only grew. There were so many puddles to stomp in! He grabbed his backpack and yelled a quick goodbye over his shoulder to the bus driver. His teacher was already here! He wonders how she always managed to be on time, did she sleep at the school? The possibilities were endless, maybe she was a superhero who flew to school every morning. He squinted his eyes a bit and shook his head, definitely not a superhero, what superhero would want to be a teacher? Before he could hypothesize any further he was ripped out of his thoughts.

“Good morning, Will,”she said with a smile.

“Good morning Miss. O’Conner”He said politely, “What are we gonna do today?”

“Well aren’t you curious?”she mused, “You’ll just have to find out when class starts”

He huffed. She always said that! Maybe one day she’ll finally give him an answer. He simply nodded his head and lined up with the rest of his classmates. They all seemed to be chattering about something and he wanted in.

“What’s going on?”he asked. The group turned to him and they all seemed to speak at once.

“We got a new student-”

“-yeah yeah and he’s from-”

“-italy! Isn’t that cool, Will?-”

“-yeah! Isn’t that so cool!”

He blinked once. Then twice as he processed what was going on.

“New student?”He asked, “But it’s October? Don’t we get new ones in September when school starts?”

“I dunno”one of the kids shrugged, “maybe he’s special”

Yeah, he thought, maybe he is special.

“Come on class”Miss O'Connor said, “We’ll be heading inside now”

The group of kids all but raced after her. The avalanche of children almost knocked her down as they approached classroom 104. It was one of the smaller classrooms and it was all the way down a long hallway past the cafeteria. It was kind of spooky looking on rainy days, but it was October after all so Will would accept the spooky. Once the door was opened the chatter stopped and the kids stood silently. There was a woman with long dark hair covered with a bandana, she wore a very pretty dress, kind of like the ones Naomi wore to church. To her right was a small boy clutching her dress with one hand and a stuffed bunny with the other. Will frowned, he looked sad.

“Class”Miss O'Connor addressed, “as some of you may know, this is our new student. Would you like to say your name sweetheart?”

He shook his head and pulled on his mother's skirt, she leaned down and they both whispered a few things that Will couldn’t understand. When she finally stood back up fresh tears were in the boys eyes and he fully faced away from the class. 

“I am sorry”the woman said, “He is ehm...he is a little timid”

She had an accent he’d never heard before, is this what italy people sounded like? This was so cool!

“That’s quite alright”Miss O'Connor said, “I understand that it’ll take some time for him to adjust”

“Thank you”the woman said quickly, she leaned back down and whispered a few more hurried words and then she was gone. The small boy of course protested but was ultimately left alone, tears and all. A few students began giggling and Miss O'Connor sighed.

“Class, this is Nico di Angelo.”

-

The days went on and Nico was still as frightened as before, if not more. Once the other students realized that he wasn’t going to talk they quickly lost interest in him. He only minded a bit, he didn’t want to talk to them anyways. They were all too loud and made him like the room was fuzzy and that he couldn’t breathe. So he sat alone and colored his way through the day until he could see his mama. That lasted about two days until he got bored of it, I mean you can only color so much, people. The blonde boy who smiled at him the first day caught his interest, he wanted to say something but his accent was funny-well, at least that’s what the other kids said. He frowned, he spoke English as good as the rest of them, his tutors made certain of it and so did Papa. so he said nothing. He just watched and waited, until that got boring too.

He started off by sitting next to Will during storytime and was delighted when he didn’t scoot away. Then he sat with him during art time, a few other kids moved tables but Will didn’t. Of course Will was confused, but he was flattered that Nico chose him of all people so he just went with it. He was also happy that he could make Nico smile without them even talking, it was like he had magic.

This went on until the early days of November. The two sitting in solidarity and working on whatever task they were given. Will was patient, but patience only lasted so long when you were six years old. During yet another indoor recess he noticed Nico sitting at one of the tables thumbing through a picture book. He sat down and built up the courage to say something, anything. He noticed two little white ears sticking out the pocket of Nico’s overalls and grinned.

“I like your bunny rabbit, what’s its name?”he asked. Nico grinned back and pulled the bunny out lifting it up proudly for Will to see.

“Bianco!”Nico exclaimed. Will giggled and shook his head, what were those other kids talking about? Nico didn’t talk funny at all.

“Bianco...I like it!”He said.

-

The days grew warmer and indoor recess became a thing of the past. They unlocked all the hula hoops and jump ropes and even brought out the kickball. It was getting closer to spring and pleasantly warm, Will was happy. He loved the sunshine. He was playing catch with one of his other friends and out of the corner of his eye saw Nico walking away from a group of boys, he looked sad.

“Hold on Danny”He said and without another word ran over to his friend. Nico was crying but at the sight of Will quickly tried to wipe his eyes.

“What happened, neeks?”He asked.

“N-nothin”Nico sniffled, “not important”

“Were they being mean?”He asked, before Nico could answer Will was already stomping over to them. He was hopping mad, so mad that he wanted to yell, so he did.

“You guys better stop picking on my friend!”He shouted, balling up his fists. “It’s not nice! Miss O'connor said we gotta be nice to everyone!”

“But he’s weird!”One of the boys shouted back, he got a chorus of agreement. Will stomped even closer and dug his nails into his palm.

“I’m never playing with you guys again”He said, “You’re just meanies!”

He turned back on his heels and walked back over to Nico who had since stopped crying. He looked at Will in awe who was still trying to calm himself down. Those boys were such jerks, he wanted to hit them, but that’s also not nice.

“That’s okay Nico”He huffed and looked over his shoulder, “the sandbox is for babies anyways! We can go play on the swings instead”

“B...but I like the sandbox…”Nico said, quiet as a churchmouse. Will frowned and pulled the sleeve of his shirt to his wrist to wipe Nico’s tears. He hated seeing his friend so sad.

“Then I'll buy you a bajillion sandboxes! Just so you don’t gotta play with meanies”He said.

“A whole bajillion?”Nico whispered.

“A bajillion and one!”Will promised, “my word is good”

“What does that mean?”He asked. Will shrugged.

“I dunno, but my mama says it whenever she makes a promise”Will said, “now come on!”

The two giggled and ran to the swing sets hand in hand.

-

As the year dragged on the two grew even closer, much to everyone’s surprise. They had started sharing a mat together during nap time because it was the only way the two could sleep. Will tended to worry about his friend when they were separated, he knew Nico’s biggest secret and didn’t want him to get teased. Nico was now one of the big kids and he still sucked his thumb, but that was okay. He had just turned six so it wasn’t a big deal, he was still little. So Will made it his duty to make sure no one knew.

They also shared snacks during snack times. Nico’s mom always brought him yucky healthy stuff so it was also Will’s duty to introduce him to the finer things in life. He pulled out his lunchbox and held it above his head lion king style, song and all.

“You’re so silly!”nico giggled and Will did too, finally putting it on the table. He pulled out the sacred snack and placed it before the brunet.

“Here neeks, try this! These are called dunk-a-roos!”he said

“Dunk-a-roo?”Nico said slowly and scrunched up his nose. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this word...words? He didn’t know. It’s a little clunky and the letters are stressed in the wrong places but will still gave him a big smile.

“Yeah you got it!”

-

As Nico grew more comfortable he began to open up more. Will found out he had two sisters who he loved fiercely. Bianca who was in the second grade and Hazel who was in the other kindergarten class. If he loved talking about one thing it was those two, and Will listened intently.

“And-And yesterday after school Bee made us a tea party!”He exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

“Woahh with real tea?”Will asked.

“Yes!”he said, “me and Hazel and mama and papa and Bee all got dressed up and went into the garden!”

“You guys have a garden?”Will stressed.

“Uh huh!”He said, “maybe mama will let you come over sometime”

As much as he was fond of Nico, he was also a bit jealous. He wished that he got to see his siblings everyday like Nico did, but it was okay. His mama said that every family was different and she wouldn’t lie to him. He still got to see Michael and Lee during christmas and his birthday, and Kayla went he spent the weekend at daddy’s house. He loved his different family, even if Nico’s seemed perfect.

And sooner than later, he became a part of it. With the constant begging from Nico, Bianca accepted Will as another and very blonde little sibling to take care of. It made him happy to finally have a sibling to see everyday, and he’d always wanted an older sister. Two older brothers were too much, and a new little brother was coming. He scrunched up his nose, too many boys.

-

At the end of each day his favorite thing was to hop in the car,get some chicken nuggets and tell Naomi everything. So with the warm April breeze on his back that’s just what he did. He said goodbye to Nico,Bianca and Hazel(who was still a little shy) and hopped into his mama’s minivan waiting to spill. He was practically buzzing with excitement as he was strapped into his carseat.

“Hey baby!”She said and she tightened the last buckle. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

“Hi mama! I missed you!”He exclaimed. Her laughter could be heard from outside the car as she got back into the driver's seat.

“I missed you too Will”she said, “now, who’s that little boy you’ve been playin with?”

“His name is Nico, mama! He’s this big and he’s from italy and he still sucks his thumb durin’ nap time—but that’s okay right? Cause he’s still little?”

“That’s right baby, we should have Nico over for a play date sometime”

-

The next day after school Maria and Naomi got talking, Maria was so happy that she cried. Although a little surprised Naomi was quick to act and pulled her into a hug. It may have been a bit of an odd sight to see two women crying in a parking lot, but it was one of the least weird things most teachers had seen all day. When Maria had finally regained her composure she clutched onto Naomi’s hand like her life depended on it.

“I...I apologize, Nico just...the other kids are mean to him”she sniffled. “As his mother it is hard to see, I am so happy that he has Will.”

“Oh sugar don’t you apologize”Naomi said and pulled her into another hug. “I could say the same about my Will, he talks about Nico all the time”

“Nico loves him”She said and pulled away to wipe her eyes, “Nico loves him so much.”

“I could say the same”Naomi chuckled, “Will loves him fiercely.”

“Please, come over for dinner”she said, “I’m making Risotto-”

“-Oh Maria you don’t-”

“No no, I insist!”Maria exclaimed, “it is the least I can do. Your son has brought a new light to Nico’s eyes”

And from the sincerity of her tone, how could Naomi say no?

“It’s a deal”

As Naomi walked back to the car, the pride that filled her chest was soaring. Will was still so little but his heart was so big. It was amazing how he could do so much good and still not realize the gravity of the situation, how complicated it was. But it wasn’t complicated to him, he simply saw someone who needed a friend and became the best friend he could be. One day he would understand the good he did in its entirety, one day he’d be able to feel the same pride that she did. But they were still so little and that day was years away, so she would let them be little.

-

The school year came to a close and the two had grown exceptionally close. This of course called for a celebration from the di angelo family. Maria and Naomi set up the garden tables, while Hades fired up the grill, making small talk with Apollo. Will,Bianca,Hazel and Nico busied themselves by playing chase as they waited on the food. 

“Come on Neeks, you’re too slow!”Will giggled as he darted across the lawn, “Me and Bee are getting away!”

“Nu uh!”Nico cried out and pumped his legs even harder trying to catch up. Poor Hazel being the smallest had given up a long time ago and resigned to sit at Maria and Naomi’s feet watching. Eventually Bianca tapped out too and decided that coloring at the table was more her speed. That left Will and Nico laughing madly and running circles around each other.

“It’s nice, huh?”Apollo spoke, poking the jaded man. “Seeing him so happy”

As Hades listened to his child's laughter, a sound even he wasn’t too familiar with, something swelled inside him. He hadn’t seen Nico this happy since they were in italy, and even then he wasn’t this lively. The telltale sign of tears crept up his chest and burned at his nose and throat. 

And he let them fall.

He had seen a lot of beautiful things in his life.

But Nico’s happiness was the most beautiful of all.

a/n this was the first one y’all! I really hope you enjoyed it and leave a comment if you did. I really enjoyed writing these two kiddos, makes my heart warm