#nico is not a scary person

[lilislegacy]

Percy at ease

Percy calm, but a little on edge

Percy when mildly angry

Friendly reminder that Percy jackson - our beloved silly adorable seaweed brain - is absolutely terrifying. When he’s angry, when he’s scared, when he’s on edge - he’s not warm and fuzzy.

No other character gets that reaction from people. Jason (the sweetie) is perceived as calm and in control, nico (our favorite self-outcasted outcast) is perceived as solemn and creepy, reyna (girlboss queen slay) is perceived as confident and assertive, and annabeth (our girl) is perceived as fierce, clever, and formidable. They are all intimidating to an extent.

But not like Percy. No. Becasue even when he’s at ease, he’s described as wild and disobedient. And when he’s not at ease, even if just little bit, he’s perceived as powerful, dangerous, and scary. Someone who NOBODY wants to mess with. Nobody even questions his power. One look from him has literal gangs running the other way. One look from him has Leo so scared that he’s literally shaking, and feeling the same innate fright and alarm that he does when jason summons an ear-piercing, earth-shaking, deadly bolt of lighting.

like… HELLO??? can we all just sit on that for a moment?? good lord

One angry look from percy has people thinking one thing: Run.

Percy is, canonically, the character that people find the most frightening and intimidating.

And unless he’s in a good mood - which you better hope he is - the reality is that most of us would be completely terrified of him if we met him.

[mkzmerryfriend]

*cracks knuckles* we know Tyler isn’t the original Clancy right? Y’all caught that? Clancy’s bishop was Keons, Tyler’s is Nico, and now “Clancy” is Tyler. Because “scaled and icy” is an anagram for “Clancy is dead” and that album was the one where dema was using Tyler’s popularity for their own purposes. Clancy failed to stop the cycle on his own, and despite already being used as a figurehead for dema, Tyler decided to take up the role of “Clancy” in the wake of what seemed like a total collapse of the Banditos. Their leader had been taken out, and now they had no one to organize them.

But Tyler taking on the name Clancy isn’t him taking on the role of leader or even organizer. He is showing us (the Banditos) that we all can be our own inspiration, we don’t need a figure to follow, we don’t need a leader to lead us. We can do this, fight dema, ourselves.

Y’all got that, right?

[moongothic]

I LOVE your crocodad theory I'm an obsessed believer but did u ever get romantic vibes from crocodile & robin business relationship? Many people get lover vibes from them & I never understood why. They seem VERY strictly business/stab each other in the back relationship. (Plus crocodile is TERRIFYING).

I think Croco/Robin as a ship exists kind of like... out of circumstance? Kind of?

Quick disclaimer, I only got into OP in like 2008~ish at the age of 13, I can not comment what it as like being in the fandom before that because I wasn't there (and when OP began in 1997 I was like two whole years old). So whatever I say here doesn't come from like, a fandom veteran who knows the entire history of the OP fandom or anything. I'm just attempting to rub my braincells together here

Like in the year of our lord 2023 we have many wonderful Crocodile ships to classify as OTPs and NOTPs etc, but if we go back to like 2006 or so, long before the Summit War Saga was even a thing, try to think about what characters you would have shipped Crocodile with? Because for a long time, the only canon material Crocodile had appeared in was just the Alabasta Saga (+one brief cover story), and we don't really see Crocodile interact with that many characters during the story. Like. Really the only character Crocodile has multiple, extended interactions with aside from Luffy and Vivi is Robin. All the other characters he interacts with maybe once or twice for very brief scenes, so based on canon material alone, there isn't much for fuel for shipping purposes.

It really wasn't until Marineford when we finally started getting other characters to ship with Crocodile, mainly the Ever Loyal Daz who seems to be willing to follow Crocodile anywhere (romantic as fuck) and Doflamingo after he and Croc tried to kill each other twice at Marineford (people seem to love a tsundere Croc) And now with Cross Guild we also have Mihawk (and Buggy) as far as shipping options go. And of course there's MORE than just these ships, there's the more crack-leaning ships (like Dragodile and whatever you'd call the Cobra-ship) and some others (Jinbei, Whitebeard, Ivankov, Galdino, Luffy even) etc etc

The only difference is that Croco/Robin got to kind of be like, "the default Crocodile ship" for like 8 years without major competition. And because the ship has "history", even when new ships pop up the one that has been around the longest will still stick out. Not to mention, although we have options now, even those have very little canon material to actually work with when compared to Croco/Robin. Like Dofuwani exists because the two had like three whole pages worth of interactions, but compare that to the screentime Croc had with Robin? It's not even a competition

Not to mention, Croco/Robin is just. Like it's kind of the mandatory het ship. Like there aren't many straight options with canon material to work with, and there's gonna be people who really want to have a het ship with Crocodile if you know what I mean. But also, let's be real. There's a lot of straight women who're horny for Crocodile. Valid as fuck. And Croco/Robin could have like, a self-insert-y quality to it, like some people might be able to see themselves in Robin? Also valid. And that can apply to some straight men too, like I'm sure there's cishet men who look at Crocodile with that "god I wish that were me" energy, who love seeing Crocodile ship fanart with Robin, as they can project onto Crocodile etc. This is also valid. Point is that the ship appeals to cishets by simply being a het ship, but also it might make for an easy ship for a lot of straight people to project onto for one reason or another.

But to be fair, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I think Croco/Robin has the potential to be a really interesting ship. Like they ARE the Baroque Works Boss Pair, literal partners in crime, the most powerful members of the secret criminal organization who run the whole operation, they worked together by themselves for four whole years, Crocodile protecting Robin by allowing her to hide under his wings. They were together, ready to take over an entire country and obtain a weapon of mass destruction And then Robin betrays him. And Crocodile admits he never trusted her to begin with.

Like on paper alone, this is great material for a juicy romance.

Especially now when we understand why Robin was on the run and why she feared being betrayed, and how looking back at Crocodile's reaction when Robin "reads" the Poneglyph for him, he genuinely seems a little sad about her betraying him (mystery trauma etc). This is a genuinely interesting character dynamic, like even without any romantic context I would love to see Crocodile and Robin meet again in the storyline and like, see what Crocodile thinks of Robin having joined the Strawhats vs what Robin thinks about Cross Guild, how the two might interact etc. They are interesting to me

Like personally, I agree, I don't think the two were actually ever romantically involved with each other (frankly I don't think Crocodile trusts anyone anymore enough to let them get close him like that, dude's been voluntarily celibate for like two decades lmao), their relationship was surely just business-only. And while the ship doesn't personally interest me (just kinda "meh" for me), I do understand why the ship appeals to others and why it's popular to this day

But yeah, I do think a lot of the reasons Croco/Robin is as popular as it is due to circumstance. It's been around the longest, it still arguably has the most canon material to work with, it appeals to lots of people. God knows shippers don't actually need the characters to like each other, otherwise people wouldn't be shipping Croc with Buggy as we speak

[gardenof--eden]

i'm sick of the mischaracterization

[decaffeinatedpartymuggoop]

The mischaracterization of people from PJO is so funny, but ESPECIALLY from HOO onward like.

“Hazel’s such an innocent little angel. She’s always nice and kind and confused.”

Hazel, who’s always ready to fight in the same way Percy is? Hazel, who made it explicitly clear she probably would’ve rocked Octavian’s shit had he not been blackmailing her? Who gets so angry on behalf of the people she loves, to the point where she doesn’t forgive those who have wronged them? Who Percy described as cursing up a storm in one of their first interactions? Who’s been shown time and time again to be FAST to anger? That Hazel?

Or Nico, who’s “a misunderstood emo. A small bean. Cute like a wet cat and innocent like a bunny.”

Nico, who’s cannonically described by most characters as “scary and unnerving?” Nico, who, for a long time, is one of the angriest characters in the series? Who’s only sassy and sarcastic because it took him FOUR YEARS to mellow out? Who’s described as being one of the most powerful demigods, who a lot of people still consider the scariest? Who’s come into his own as a character from TTC to TSATS? That Nico?

Or Annabeth who’s, “cold and calculating. Doesn’t show emotion or express herself”

Annabeth, who’s the most expressive person in the series? Who cries in EVERY book in the OG series? Whether it be for Luke, or Thalia, or Percy, or Chiron, or a literal DOG? Who expresses passion like no other when it comes to architecture and her other interests? Who’s expressed compassion for people she didn’t know? People who at times posed a threat to her? Who isn’t afraid to be angry, or happy, or snide, or rude, or excited, or scared, or ecstatic? Who’s been unapologetically herself since the moment the series started? That’s who doesn’t show emotion? That’s Annabeth?

[oasis-of-stars-4]

okay since the PJO show is coming out soon, thought dump: evan is probably a child of Aphrodite, but I could see Apollo or Poseidon just as much tbh. regulus, I feel, could be a child of Hades, Athena, or Nike, but I also think it'd be really funny if he was a child of Iris or Nemesis. barty is either a child of athena or of hypnos. that is it. wait actually maybe zeus, I can See it. (it's funny because none of these are even the headcanons that follow me day and night. this literally just popped up in my head randomly)

most of these combos work work anyway for a trio, as long as no 2 have the same parent

found family my beloved

[theemporium]

[11.6k] when in desperate need for a date to your friend's wedding, the last person you expected to step up was nico hischier. then again, he didn't step up as much as he was thrown into the mess by jack.

inspired by 'the spanish love deception' by elena armas

.

“Come on!”

“When I said a favour, I didn’t mean this!”

“You said you would do anything!”

“Yeah, like help change a flat tire. You know, the normal things!”

“Do you even know how to change a flat tire?”

“Well…”

“Jack.”

The boy let out a noise mixed between a laugh and an exaggerated groan as he threw his head back. He was just fresh out of the shower after practice, hair still dripping and cheeks flushed red, when you found him by the trainers’ kitchen grabbing a protein shake. 

Your friendship with Jack Hughes was one made through the bond of joining the New Jersey Devils together. He was newly drafted and feeling the pressure of being first pick, whilst you were freshly entering the real world on your own two feet with no real plan in your head. It was by chance that a friend of a friend had managed to pull you a job with the hockey team. And it was by chance you ended up befriending the new hot-shot player in a sport you honestly didn’t know all that much about. 

Still from the first day, after a very awkward meeting on both parts, you and Jack Hughes had been the best of friends—which was exactly why you thought he would help you out on being your plus one to a wedding. 

“I don’t get what the big deal is,” Jack whined, leaning against the counter that displayed all the blenders and ingredients for the players’ protein shakes and smoothies. “Isn’t it your friend’s wedding? Why do you need a plus one, it’s not like you won’t know anyone?” 

“That’s not the point,” you huffed out, feeling like a disgruntled child as you crossed your arms over your chest and resisted the urge to pout. 

Jack raised his brows. “So, what is the point?” 

“I—” You paused, something bitter and nostalgic twisting in your chest before you shook your head. “Can you do it or not? It’s not like you are running off to the Bahamas on your week off. You said yourself that you were free.” 

“The Bahamas sounds better than a wedding in South Carolina,” he grumbled, his lips twitching upwards when you knocked his shoulder with your own. He looked like he was about to say something else before he paused, his eyes brightening. “So, you really need a date to this thing?”

You shot him a look. “Did the last twenty minutes of me begging not give it away?”

His grin widened, something quite unsettling in the smile. “So, you’re desperate?” 

You frowned. “Well, I wouldn’t say desperate—”

“Nico is free this week!” Jack announced loudly, his grin reaching scary levels of taking over his face before his eyes glanced over your head. “Aren’t you, cap?”

Your eyes widened a little as you whirled around, finding the Devils captain standing a few feet away from the two of you. He was dressed similarly to Jack, in a team-branded hoodie and sweatpants, with his wet hair tucked under a beanie. He looked a bit caught off-guard as he glanced between the two of you, though his eyes lingered on Jack.

“Uh, yeah,” he cleared his throat, standing a little taller. “I guess. I didn’t have any plans—”

“Brilliant!” Jack clapped his hands together. “Nico can be your fake boyfriend to your friend’s wedding.”

Your head snapped around to glare at your friend. “I just needed a date—”

“Yeah, your date is your boyfriend,” Jack retorted.

Your glare hardened. “And I asked you—”

“And I’m busy,” Jack said with a shrug, almost as if he was saying ‘what could you do?’. “But Nico is free and you know each other. It should be an easy solution, right?” 

You finally had the courage to face Nico, who looked a bit stunned himself. If it were any other day, you would have laughed at the fact that the captain looked so lost and unsure of himself, so unlike himself. But right now—with the tightening band around your chest that felt like it would crush your ribs—you couldn’t find yourself to even smile.

“You don’t have to,” you said eventually, when you finally found your voice again and your thoughts were coherent. “Jack is just—”

“I’ll do it,” Nico blurted out.

You blinked.

“I mean,” Nico paused, looking a little flustered at his own sudden announcement. “If you need someone, I can help out. I don’t mind, really.” He paused again. “We’re friends, right? This is what friends do.”

“Yeah, friends,” you repeated, clearing your throat a little before giving him a strained smile. 

And just like that, Nico Hischier—captain of the New Jersey Devils—was your wedding date.

…

You decided that after this wedding was over and done, you were going to kill Jack Hughes.

In your mind, Jack would have agreed to help you out with your predicament, you would have gone to the wedding and had a laugh together. This would be one of those memories that you two would joke about for years to come, like when he almost burned down your kitchen making boxed macaroni cheese or when you called him sobbing because of a spider in your bathroom. 

You didn’t think he would throw you under the bus like this.

And maybe that was a bit dramatic, but it felt necessary after Nico left the room with the promise he would message to sort out the details of your plans.

Your issue wasn’t with the fact Jack didn’t want to do it. If that was the case, you would have understood. Your nagging and begging was mostly just a bit of friendly banter, and you thought he was reciprocating. 

He was reciprocating. 

But then, instead of being a normal human and telling you he didn’t want to do it so you could find someone else to help you, he just threw a solution at you. 

An—in the kindest way you could put it—unwanted solution.

It wasn’t that you hated or even disliked Nico Hischier. Not at all. Your relationship with the captain was just…non-existent, in a sense. Very superficial, if you were being honest.

When you were new to the team, you didn’t really talk all that much to any of the players. Jack was the exception, someone who was just as lost as you—though his extroverted personality hid it far better. But weeks passed and slowly you began to see some of the players beyond friendly acquaintances. 

But Nico just…never really left that label. 

It wasn’t like he was rude or mean to you, quite the opposite. Even though he was the captain to only the team, that caring and kind personality extended to everyone who worked for the Devils—you included. 

He was a good guy. He was sweet and thoughtful and loyal and kind. He cared more than any person should. He was the kind of person people write in books and movies. 

And it was intimidating, in a weird way. 

There was no logical explanation for it. But something about Nico Hischier felt too perfect for your shit show of a life. He was confident and put together and everything you weren’t. 

Jack knew that. Jack knew how you felt. Jack had laughed about it more than once before reassuring you that there was more to Nico than you realised. 

You just wish you could’ve discovered that side of him during a team night out rather than at your friend’s wedding out of state. 

And because Nico was the perfect guy, it was no surprise when he messaged you that the two of you could take his car down to Charleston, South Carolina with him taking the first shift. 

“I thought you’d be sick of being on the road,” you said to him as you stood outside your apartment complex, bags in hand as you walked towards where Nico had parked his car. 

“It’s a part of me now,” he joked as he reached for your bags, not giving you a chance to say anything before he placed them in the back with his own. “I go crazy if I’m not locked in a moving vehicle for more than three hours.” 

You snorted, turning your face away so he didn’t catch the way your cheeks burned in embarrassment at the noise. 

“I’ve also never been to Charleston,” Nico continued, shrugging his shoulders. “Thought it would be a nice chance to take it all in if we drive.” 

“I really don’t mind driving the whole way,” you said, chewing on your bottom lip nervously as you eyed his car. “You’re already doing me a favour, the least I could do is—”

“It’s a long drive, I wouldn’t want you getting tired behind the wheel,” Nico said, his brows furrowed together. “It’s fine. I promise.” 

“Okay,” you relented and took your spot in the passenger seat for the first stint of the drive. 

…

It was around two hours in when the small talk shifted into something deeper. 

“So, what’s the deal??”

You glanced over at the boy in the driver seat, your lips still wrapped around the straw of your slushie you bought at the last service station. Nico had gaped at you being able to drink something so sweet and cold so early in the morning, but you just grinned and shrugged. You didn’t get much of a chance to say anything before he was paying for it anyways, along with the coffee he got for himself. 

Sensing your confusion, he continued. 

“With the date,” he said, risking a glance at you before his eyes returned to the road. “You just seemed…”

“Desperate?” You supplied.

His lips twitched. “I was going to say insistent,” he corrected. “But yeah, desperate works too. Is it really such a bad thing if you go to your friend’s wedding alone?” 

“Well,” you started, still hesitant to say your thoughts out loud when you knew it sounded immature. “Not really. Lucy wouldn’t care if I brought a cactus with me, she would just be happy I was there for her big day.”

Nico huffed out a laugh. “So, why am I here instead of a cactus?” 

“I’m not a big fan of pricks,” you joked and, to your credit, he did smile. But the look he shot you told you that deflecting wasn’t going to get you very far. “My ex will be there.”

Nico didn’t say anything for a few moments. “And you’re…still in love with him?”

“What? No!” You quickly shook your head, your face scrunched up in a grimace. “God, no. Not at all. Never again.”

“Oh,” Nico murmured, though there was still a look of confusion on his face. “What’s the big deal if he’s there then?”

“Our breakup was…messy,” you confessed, wincing a little as the memories you tried to block out returned like an unwanted slap to the face. “It was ages ago and I’m over it. But the last time I saw a lot of these people was just before the breakup and I just wasn’t in a good place.” 

Nico didn’t say anything, letting you continue. 

“He cheated on me.” you said eventually because there didn’t seem like much point in beating around the bush, especially when Nico was helping you out despite being thrown into the deep-end unwillingly. “It got messy within the friend group and I ended up moving away after we broke up to get a fresh start. Not just because of him, but it was nice to get away from all the mess and drama.” 

“So you came to New Jersey,” Nico finished. 

“So I came to New Jersey,” you confirmed with a nod.

“And having a boyfriend when you see these people will…” he trailed off, his brows furrowed together once again. It was the same expression you saw on his face during games, when he was trying to work out plays in his head before they happened.

“I was originally planning to come myself,” you admitted to the boy. “But then I was on the phone with Lucy and she kept asking if I’d be okay with everything and I just imagined everyone asking me the same thing and,” you paused and shrugged. “I just ended up blurting out that I was using my plus one.”

When you turned to look at Nico, you were surprised to find a sympathetic smile on the boy’s face. 

“If you showed up alone, nobody would’ve thought you moved on. But if you came with someone, people would believe you were actually okay,” Nico finished for you, and it should have been unsettling how well he understood. But his empathy and insight were one of the many traits that made him captain.

“It sounds stupid but I just wanted to come here and enjoy my friend’s wedding,” you said with a dry laugh. “The pitying looks were bad enough the first time around, I don’t need them again.”

Nico hummed, nodding his head. “So, what’s our story?” 

You turned to him, frowning. “What?”

“Our story,” he repeated, a kind smile on his face that made your chest feel tight. “You know, like how we got together. Surely people will ask, no? We should have a plan.”

Your lips twitched upwards. “Can’t keep away from the strategies, can you?”

Nico laughed, smiling. “Guess you can’t take the captain out of the man or whatever the saying is.”

You snorted, shaking your head before you settled back in your seat. You thought about his point for a few moments, contemplating your options. 

“I don’t think we have to overcomplicate it,” Nico said, interrupting your thoughts. “You have that look on your face that says you’re scheming.”

You raised your brows. “How do you know that?”

“It’s the same look on your face you get when you plan a prank with Jack,” he responded, smiling a little wider at your shocked look. “Neither of you are subtle. Or quiet.”

“I was just trying to think of an interesting story,” you defended, narrowing your eyes at the boy. “We can’t just have a basic co-workers to lovers situation, that’s boring.”

Nico laughed. “Boring?”

“Yeah!” You laughed back. “We have the chance to make up the craziest love story ever, why not take it?” 

Nico shook his head. “What do you suggest then?”

“A puck was flying at your head and I saved you,” you joked. “Full on spidey sense moment, just caught the puck with my bare hands and you were lovestruck after that.”

The full belly laugh Nico let out made your smile widen. “Caught the puck?” 

“Bare hands,” you nodded. 

“I am sure everyone will believe that,” he teased.

“You clearly haven’t seen me in the net,” you mused. “I have insane reflexes.”

“I’ll let the team know the next time we need a goalie,” Nico retorted. 

In the end, you decided to go the ‘boring’ route. It felt safer to stick with almost-truths, it prevented any possible slip up if the two of you were interrogated separately. And, much to your surprise, there was something quite fun about fabricating a fake relationship with the captain you barely knew. 

…

You arrived in Charleston, South Carolina just after seven o’clock.

The address Lucy had given you was for a massive house by the beach she was renting out for the week. It was gorgeous, over three storeys high and looking like it had been plucked straight out of a postcard. The beach house was slightly secluded as well, far enough from the closest neighbours for all the main wedding party to park their cars outside with no bother.

It felt a little surreal. 

You didn’t even get a chance to step out of the car before the front door swung open and Lucy came running out, squealing as she opened her arms and wrapped them around you. Your chest tightened at the closeness, at seeing one of your closest friends in person after so long of being apart. 

“You’re here!” She exclaimed as she pulled back, her bright eyes finding yours with an understanding shining in them. She missed you as much as you missed her.

“And you’re getting married!” You retorted, watching as her grin—somehow—widened. 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Lucy murmured before she brought you into another hug. And you let yourself sink into the embrace, to forget everything else until your friend let out an intrigued hum. “And I’m guessing this is your plus one?” 

Your eyes widened a little when you remembered Nico standing a few feet behind you and quickly pulled back, glancing back at him before turning to Lucy. Something deep in your stomach twisted at the idea of lying to your friend but there was no going back now. 

“Nico, this is Lucy. Lucy, this is Nico,” you said as you gestured between each other, hesitating for a moment before continuing. “My boyfriend.” 

Lucy’s shock was clear. “Boyfriend? You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend! You just made it seem like your plus one was a friend over the phone!”

You gave her a shaky smile. “Surprise?” 

Nico, seeming to somehow pick up on the way the guilt was starting to take over you, stepped in and offered his hand to your friend. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. And congratulations on the wedding. It’s an honour to be here, even just as a plus one.” 

Lucy’s brows raised in surprise, her eyes briefly finding yours as she shook his hand.. “Wow, you are a…gentleman.” 

“I guess I upgraded,” you joked, wincing a little when you saw her face scrunch up in guilt. 

“Are you sure it’s not weird that he’s here? I know Tom wanted him here but—” But you didn’t give her a chance to continue as you shook her head, reaching out to grab her hand and squeeze softly. 

“It’s fine, Luce, I promise,” you said, though you weren’t totally sure if she believed you or not. In an attempt to solidify your point, you turned back to glance at Nico with a smile. “I’ve moved on. I’m happy. And I want to be here with you to celebrate your wedding. It probably won’t even be that awkward, it’s been years since everything happened.”

Lucy nibbled on her lower lip. “You’re sure?” 

“Positive,” you nodded.

“Okay,” she said before smiling. “Well, I’ll let you two settle into your room. You’re on the top floor but I can get Tom out to help with your bags. Let me go get him!”

You didn’t get a chance to say anything before Lucy ran back inside but you were hit with a sudden realisation that had you turning to face Nico, an apologetic look painted on your face.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” you blurted out, your cheeks warming as he gave you an inquisitive look. “She asked if I only wanted one room and I said yes because I thought I’d be with Jack and it wouldn’t be that bad, but I forgot to tell her it’s changed. We don’t have to stay here! We can get a hotel nearby or—”

“Hey,” Nico stepped forward, his hands placed on your shoulders to ground you for a moment before you started pacing. “Take a deep breath.”

You let out a shaky breath in response. 

“It’s fine,” he told you, and you could hear the sincerity in his voice. “It would have been weird if we were in separate rooms anyways.”

“I can take the floor,” you suggested.

Nico shot you a look. “I’m not letting you do that.”

“But—” 

Nico’s look hardened. 

“Fine. No floor,” you grumbled before you flashed him a sheepish smile. “I really am sorry though. I feel like you have just been thrown into this whole thing and—”

“I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t want to be here,” Nico assured you, squeezing your shoulders before nodding towards the house. “C’mon, we should go inside and freshen up. Then you can tell me everything I need to know, starting with who Tom is and if we like him.”

And that was enough to make you snort, momentarily ignoring the problem of the one bed for now. 

…

You didn’t bump into your ex until later that night.

In retrospect, you should have expected to see him sooner rather than later, but a stupid part of you was still in denial about having to spend the week with him living under the same roof as you. Another part of you was also hoping he just wouldn’t show up, that he would bail on the whole event or maybe even just show up on the day of the wedding. 

But you knew that would have never been the case. Because as close as you were with Lucy was just as close he was to Tom, Lucy’s future husband. In fact, Lucy and Tom had met because of you two, because of the fusion of your friendship groups which now just felt like the biggest joke ever. 

At least someone benefited out of the relationship.

You weren’t even expecting some big confrontation or horrendous outcome when you expected to bump into your ex. You were just expecting to be a little more prepared, to have time to put yourself together. You knew you would see him at dinner that night, that much was inevitable. But you thought you could at least have the upper hand by walking into the room, hand in hand with Nico. 

What you weren’t expecting was to see him for the first time in years when you were waiting by the stairs for Nico (since being the gentleman he was, he had let you go refresh in the bathroom first). 

“Look what the cat dragged in!”

You hated the way your body instantly tensed up at the sound of his voice. You hated the way he was smiling at you like the last time you spoke he hadn’t shattered your whole world. You hated the way you felt so caught off-guard, so unprepared for a meeting you were expecting to have the upper hand in. 

“Jackson,” you managed to grit out as you gave him a strained smile. “Nice to see you again.” Lie. Lie. Lie.

“Yeah, it’s been a while, huh?” He said, so lighthearted and casual and dismissive. 

You had to bite your tongue when the urge to say something a little more snarky came up, but you would hate yourself if you created a scene. You were doing this for Lucy. You were here to celebrate a momentous moment in your friend’s life. You weren’t here to get petty revenge on something that happened years ago—at least not in the form of bitter remarks. 

“A couple of years or so,” you answered with a shrug of your shoulders. 

“I was surprised when Lucy said you were coming,” Jackson told you.

You frowned. “Why would that be a surprise? She’s one of my best friends.”

“Yeah but,” Jackson waved his hand like that explained everything. “You haven’t visited since you left.” 

And the underlying words went unspoken. 

You haven’t visited since everything that happened between us. You haven’t visited since you had your heart broken. You haven’t visited so people just assumed you were still hurt and inconsolable after we broke up. I thought that was why you never came back.

“My job keeps me busy,” you stated simply, swallowing the acidic taste in the back of your throat. “Lucy knows that.” 

Something quite like amusement shone in his eyes. “Ah yeah, Tom mentioned something about you working in some ice rink in New Jersey. That sounds super busy.”

You bit your tongue. He was goading you again. You knew that. But fuck, you just wished you could have—

“I would hardly call The Rock just some ice rink,” a voice spoke from behind you and you turned to find Nico settling into the spot next to you, his face remaining very…neutral. 

Jackson stared at the boy, his lips agape as recognition clearly hit him. He blinked and then turned to you. “You work for the Devils?”

“Last time I checked,” you said, a twinge of satisfaction sparking inside you at his disbelief. 

He puffed his chest out a little. “When Lucy said you were bringing a plus one, I didn’t think she meant a co-worker—”

“She didn’t,” Nico interrupted, a look on his face that reminded you of his post-game interviews after the team lost. Before he continued, he wrapped an arm around your waist, making sure the boy saw the movement. “I’m her boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend,” Jackson repeated. 

“Yes, that is a word Americans still use, no?” Nico retorted. 

“Of course, man,” Jackson said with a laugh, but it felt forced and strained. He tore his eyes away from Nico to look back at you. “Well, I should be heading back. I’ll see you two down there.” 

He didn’t wait before he turned around, heading down the stairs to the dining room where the rest of the wedding party were probably starting their dinner. A few moments passed between the two of you before Nico finally broke the silence. 

“So, that was your ex,” he said.

You snorted before you winced. “I was blinded by young love.”

Nico laughed at that. “I didn’t realise blondes were your type,” he admitted, something different in his voice that he couldn’t quite work out.

You rolled your eyes before you sighed. “They usually aren’t, to be honest. But Jackson was…Jackson.”

Nico seemed oddly pleased with the response. 

“And he’s a hockey fan?” He questioned, his brows furrowing together like Jackson was a rival team’s game strategy he had to study. “He knew who I was.”

A slow grin spread across your face. “His family are from New York.”

Nico raised his brows before he laughed. “Islanders or Rangers?”

“Rangers,” you said with a proud look on your face. 

“That’s why you originally asked Jack,” Nico mused. “You wanted to rub it in that little more.”

“You bet them in the playoffs, I just thought he would like a nice reminder,” you retorted with an innocent look.

He laughed—that full belly laugh once again—before shaking his head in amusement. Before you could say anything more, he was intertwining your hands together and starting to make his way down the stairs Jackson had disappeared down a few minutes ago.

“C’mon, they are probably waiting for us,” he said. 

And honestly, you couldn’t find it in yourself to pull your hand away. 

…

Dinner was uneventful, though you did enjoy watching Jackson bitterly stew from the other side of the table. 

A sense of familiarity and nostalgia washed over you as you sat at the dinner table, enjoying a meal as you laughed and chatted to a group you once saw daily but now hadn’t properly seen in years. It felt so easy to slip into old dynamics, to laugh at old jokes and tease each other as Lucy and Tom were the first to take such a monumental step from the lot of you.

Nico fit in so well, it almost made your chest feel tight if you thought about it too hard. He didn’t seem to mind the countless questions thrown at him about his job and the team. If anything, you thought he was milking his answers a little just to see Jackson squirm—especially when asked about playoffs. 

Eventually the day-long drive finally caught up with the two of you and you wished everyone goodbye before returning to your room on the top floor. Despite trying to play the gentleman card again, you allowed Nico to go to the bathroom first and tried not to stare too hard when he came out in a tight shirt and flannel pyjama bottoms. 

It took an embarrassing few minutes to hype yourself up in the bathroom mirror before you finally headed back to the room, only to pause at the doorway when you saw Nico lying on the ground by the bed with a pillow under his head and blanket over his body.

“What are you doing?”

Nico frowned a little. “Uh, sleeping?” 

“Why are you on the floor?”

His confusion growed. “Because that’s where I’m sleeping?”

“You’re not sleeping on the floor, Nico,” you sighed as you shook your head, walking into the room until you paused by his feet. “You’ll fuck up your back. Let me take the floor.”

Nico smiled softly. “My back will be fine. Take the bed, schatz.” 

You ignored the way the nickname made your stomach flutter. “I’m not the one who needs to stay in good shape for hockey, captain. The fans will murder me if you can’t play because you have a stiff back. Now take the bed.” 

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Would you have made Jack take the bed?”

“Yes,” you answered instantly before wincing. “Well, I probably would have shared the bed with him.”

“You would?”

“Yeah, like a sleepover,” you said with a shrug. 

“Then we can do that.”

You blinked. “Huh?”

“We can share the bed like a sleepover,” Nico said as he stood up, failing to hide his groan as he stretched his back (and ignoring your pointed look). “We’re friends, right?”

You swallowed. “Yeah.”

“Then we can share,” Nico said simply. “Either you take the bed alone or we share. It’s your choice.”

“We may be friends but I am also doing this because the fans scare me and I don’t want to know what they would do to be if I broke their captain’s back,” you said with a pointed look before you climbed into the bed, ignoring the way your heart was thumping as he settled on the other side.

Nico huffed out a laugh. “I wouldn’t let them hurt you.”

You rolled onto your side to look at him, your eyes narrowing slightly. “You better not move to the floor when I fall asleep, Hischier.”

Much to his dismay, he blushed at your words. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I know.”

You let out a sigh, allowing yourself to stare at the boy for a little while longer before you rolled over to fall asleep.

“Thank you for helping me,” you whispered.

Nico’s soft smile returned. “It’s what friends do.”

“Goodnight, Nico.”

“Goodnight, schatz.”

…

It took a solid thirty seconds after you woke up to realise you were practically lying on top of Nico Hischier.

As your body started to wake up, you realised how warm and comfortable you were. You snuggled further into your pillow, into the warmth and hoped your body would just fall asleep for a little longer. 

It took longer than it should have to remember that pillows weren’t warm before you opened your eyes and found yourself settled on Nico, your legs tangled together and one of his arms loosely wrapped around your waist. 

You didn’t give yourself a chance to live out a waking nightmare and risk waiting for him to wake up in the next ten seconds, so you pulled yourself away from him and then hid in the bathroom for fifteen minutes freaking out.

By the time you came out, Nico was awake and sat up against the headboard. His hair was ruffled and dishevelled, his eyes still hooded and a sleepy smile on his lips that made you want to turn on your heels and have another bathroom freakout. 

Instead, you smiled back and told him the two of you had to be outside in the next hour for the brunch Lucy had planned before both wedding parties went off to do their last fittings. 

Thankfully, no more bathroom freakouts were required. 

The brunch Lucy had set up looked like something straight out of a Pinterest aesthetic board. It was set in the house’s back porch with a stunning view of the beach and morning sun beating down on the sea. The table was set with plates of pastries, fruits and other brunch dishes, all topped with the morning mimosas Lucy demanded was a part of the experience.

Nico barely gave you a chance to settle down in your seat before his hand reached for the leg of your chair, dragging you closer to him until his arm could settle along the back of your chair comfortably. From the corner of your eye, you could see Jackson watching the two of you. Nico had noticed too.

If anything, it just made him smirk. 

One by one, everyone had made their way from their rooms to settle down at the brunch table like you all had done the night before. However, unlike yesterday, you noted an empty seat next to Jackon that hadn’t been beside him last night. 

Before you could even ask, a high-pitched voice shrilled from inside.

“I’m here! I’m here! I promise I’m not late.”

You turned to look at Lucy, your eyes widening in response but your friend only mouthed an apology before she turned to the door just in time for a redhead to wander out onto the porch. 

“Bryce! Happy to finally have you here!” 

You watched the two of them hug but your whole body had locked up, an unwanted flurry of memories washing over you. And just like that, it felt like another situation in which you should have been prepared for but didn’t get the chance to. Another rug pulled from under your feet. 

“What’s wrong?” 

You could feel him lean closer, hear the concern in his voice. And yet, you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the redhead talking to Lucy a few feet away.

You knew. You knew Jackson had a plus one, it was the whole fucking reason you showed up with one of your own because you didn’t want to look like the loser who hadn’t moved on. You had been warned that he was bringing someone else. 

You just never assumed it would be her.

“That’s the girl my ex cheated on me with,” you managed to mumble under your breath to Nico, managed to finally turn your head to look at him. 

His expression was some mix of surprise and anger and, honestly, you would have laughed at the seriousness on his face if it weren’t for the fact you felt the exact same. You didn’t care about your ex and you had moved on, but it was still a bitter sting to know he was still with the woman he cheated on you with all those years ago.

You tried to relax your shoulders and act as unaffected as you could as Bryce rounded the table to take the seat next to Jackson—the seat across from you. But any hopes of the brunch going as smoothly as the dinner yesterday went out the window when her eyes landed on you.

“Oh my god,” Bryce let out a laugh and smiled at you, a smile you were sure was meant to be friendly but just made your skin prickle. “I didn’t know you would be here! Luce didn’t tell me.”

Luce. That was your nickname for her, not Bryce’s.

“I guess we are both surprised then,” you replied with a strained smile.

Nico couldn't help but snort, not even trying to hide his reaction.

Her eyes snapped over to him, calculating. “And this must be your plus one. Your friend?” 

“Boyfriend, actually,” you corrected.

“Hm, how sweet.” 

You still felt on edge as the brunch continued. Nico’s arm around the back of your seat was a comfort but it didn’t help the fact Bryce’s gaze on you felt like daggers against your skin. You ignored both her and Jackson for the most part, listening to the stories exchanged amongst the group and Lucy raving about the final dress fitting later that day. It was easy to zone out until the conversation seemed to focus back onto you and the boy by your side.

“So,” Lucy grinned as she glanced between you and Nico. “What’s the story? How did you meet? When did it happen? I want details, I can’t believe you’ve been holding back on me!”

You flashed her an apologetic look. “You were busy with the wedding, I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Well, you can tell me now,” she retorted with a wink. 

“It’s really not that interesting,” you said, shifting in your seat when you felt everyone’s eyes on you. As much as you joked about having an insane love story, the idea of even saying the boring one right now with everyone’s attention directed on you made your skin prickle with discomfort.

But even if everyone else was oblivious, Nico wasn’t. 

“To her, maybe,” he spoke up and everyone’s focus shifted to him, even your own. But he was used to this. He was used to many eyes on him and attention directed towards him. “I still get teased about it by the boys.” 

Lucy’s smile softened. “Really?”

“Oh yeah,” Nico laughed, his eyes briefly looking at you before his gaze returned to your friend. “I had a huge crush on her when she joined the team. Like, embarrassingly huge. Jack used to tease me all the time on how I seemed to forget how to speak English around her.”

Your stomach dipped and, for a quick second, you almost believed him with everyone else.

“She always did play a little hard to get,” Jackson mused and something visibly changed in Nico’s expression. 

“And she was worth every second of it,” Nico retorted, the same camera-approved smile he gave the journalists during interviews. “Unlike some people though, I have no plan to lose her.”

Jackson clenched his jaw. 

“How long have you been together then?” Bryce jumped in, her narrowed gaze glancing between you both.

“A few months,” you and Nico replied at the same time.

Bryce’s eyes gleamed. “And how long is a few months?” 

“Six,” Nico answered simply before he turned to smile at you. “Best six months of my life.”

Your face warmed in response. “He’s a little cheesy.” 

“You mean romantic,” Lucy teased, but there was something approving in her expression. It warmed your heart a little at the idea that she would have approved of Nico if he really was your boyfriend. “She isn’t used to that.”

Jackson stiffened. 

Nico’s grin widened and before you could even realise what he was doing, he was taking your hand in his and placing a kiss along your knuckles. “I’m honoured to be the one to spoil her, then.”

Thankfully, Jackson and Bryce didn’t say much for the rest of the meal.

…

You felt like you were in an odd routine over the next few days, but you found that you actually quite enjoyed it. 

The wedding frenzy was in full effect but there was something grounding about having Nico by your side for it all. 

Every morning, you woke up first and found yourself tangled in bed with the boy. It also meant the bathroom freakouts had become a part of your routine, but it was worth it to wake up and enjoy the warmth of Nico Hischier’s hold for a few minutes. You two would end up lounging in your shared room, just trying to fully wake up before Lucy dragged you into last minute wedding nonsense. 

But even at night, you found yourself settled into a routine with the boy. He would go first to the bathroom and you’d go second, and then the two of you would be settled against the headboard, rambling away until one of you yawned and the other one turned the lights off for the night.

It almost made you laugh that there was ever a time you were intimidated by the captain—even when that time was just last week.

And yet, for the first time since you arrived in Charleston, there was nothing for you to do. The rehearsal dinner was tomorrow, the wedding was the following day and it was like you were facing the calm before the storm took over your lives. And it was the first time you could all enjoy the beach without a deadline looking over your head.

“C’mon, it will be fun!” 

Lucy snorted. “For you, maybe.” 

Tom grinned down at his future wife, lightly tugging on her hand but she remained sat on the deck chair. “It’s just a friendly game of soccer. Boys versus girls. Come on.”

“Football,” Nico corrected under his breath, making you snort.

“That is hardly fair,” Lucy argued. “You’ll have a professional athlete on your side!”

“Nico is a hockey player!” Tom retorted.

“Same thing,” Lucy waved off and Nico’s expression was enough for you to snort again. “Fine, we play but with mixed teams.”

Tom contemplated for a moment before agreeing. “Deal.”

“And I get Nico on my team,” she added, watching in delight as her fiance gaped.

“But—” He paused, lifting his head to find your gaze. “You’re on my team then.”

“She’s my best friend!” 

“You took the athlete, I get your best friend. That’s the deal.”

“Do we get a choice in this?” Nico murmured to you and you just laughed, shaking your head.

After more arguing and bickering and negotiating between the future married couple, the teams had been decided. Goals had been marked in the sand, a ball had been acquired and the game began. It was stupid and harmless and it was meant as nothing more than a little fun. 

But Tom and Lucy were more competitive than they let on. And it certainly didn’t help the fact Jackson seemed to have it out for your boyfriend before the match even began.

“Think you can handle tackling your boyfriend?” Jackson asked you. 

“I don’t think it concerns you how well I handle him,” you retorted, feeling the weight of Nico’s gaze on you from across the makeshift pitch like a comfort.

“He doesn't seem like your type,” Jackson continued, always sticking close enough so he could keep talking.

“My type is none of your business,” you stated bluntly.

“I mean, a jock? Really?” Jackson shrugged. “Just didn’t think you went for the airhead.”

You snorted, unable to help yourself. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing when I considered what I saw in you.”

He huffed. “You—”

“Don’t want to continue this conversation, Jackson,” you shot him a look. “I’m happy with Nico. I don’t care what you have to say about it. I’m here for Lucy, not you. Don’t get it twisted.” 

“You’ll never have what we had with Nico,” he said. 

“One can only hope.”

…

You were stupid to think Nico wouldn’t be competitive in a friendly game. He was a professional athlete. It was literally written in his DNA.

And honestly? You felt bad for anyone who played against the Devils because you couldn’t imagine how intense Nico was to play against in a proper game when this was how seriously he was taking a stupid football match that meant nothing.

“NEXT GOAL WINS THE GAME!”

The group had been playing for the last hour, the game was tied and you knew that you would have to head back into the house for lunch soon. But neither team wanted to leave the game until there was a clear winner.

Any semblance of friendliness went out the window as the last leg of the game continued. You weren’t too bothered, more than happy to watch Tom and Lucy mostly fight over the ball and constantly try to tackle each other. 

But your stomach dipped a little when you saw Lucy kick the ball back to Nico. And the feeling only got worse when you saw Jackson making a beeline towards the boy, determined to tackle it out of his hold. Before you even knew it, you and the rest of the party were watching the two boys race down the makeshift pitch.

However, no matter how hard he tried, Jackson could never match Nico’s speed. 

You watched as he kicked the ball, right through the makeshift goal that had been created in the sand. The group broke out into a mix of groans and cheers alike, people clapping and whooping as Nico ran back towards you with a massive grin on his face. 

You barely had a chance to react before he was right in front of you, crouching down enough for his arms to wrap around your thighs before he hoisted you over his shoulders. 

“Nico!” You let out a noise mixed between a scream and laugh.

“We won, baby!” He cheered and your cheeks burned at the nickname. 

Your hands tried to hold onto him for balance but a part of you knew he would never drop you. You patted his back and Nico seemed to catch the hint as he slowly dropped your back to the ground, though his arms remained wrapped around you to keep you close.

“You won,” you corrected. “We are on different teams, remember?”

Nico shrugged. “My win is your win.” 

You snorted. “That was cheesy.” 

“Didn’t like it?” He teased, and your cheeks burned warmer. 

“You make it work,” you admitted, the band around your chest tightening when you saw his face brighten at your words. 

“Yeah?” 

For a moment, you forgot that you were surrounded by people. For a moment, it was just you and Nico stood on this beach, smiling and laughing and alone. For a moment, you could have sworn his eyes dipped down to your mouth. For a moment, you thought he was going to kiss you.

A big part of you wished he did. 

“C’MON, LOVEBIRDS! LUNCH IS READY!”

You blinked, tearing your eyes away from the boy right in front of you and instead turned to look at the others. Some of the group were already making their way back to the house, but a few lingered on the beach. Lucy was grinning at you like a madman with Tom looking equally as happy. However, it was hard to focus on them when Jackson stood a few feet away, glaring at you and Nico.

You cleared your throat, hoping your smile seemed normal as you turned to Nico. “Ready for lunch?”

“Hm,” Nico hummed, looking like he wanted to say more but ultimately just nodding. “Yeah, I’m starving.”

“Scoring the winning goal really does knock you on your ass, huh?” You joked.

Nico just laughed, throwing his arm around you before the two of you began to make your way back to the house. “Running in sand is much harder than skating.” 

“Didn’t stop you from achieving the win.”

“I’m a winner, baby,” Nico grinned. “I don’t like losing.”

…

The football game had sucked the energy out of most of the group, so it was no surprise everyone started to head to bed before the clock had even reached ten.

You were dragging your feet as you followed Nico to your shared room, doing everything in your ability to stay awake as he went into the bathroom first. Every one of your moves felt lethargic and sluggish and you wanted nothing more than to curl up under the duvet to sleep forever.

It was like a cruel joke from the universe that the second your head hit the pillow, you couldn’t fall asleep. And it took a solid ten minutes of twisting and turning before Nico spoke up.

“Are you okay?”

You froze before letting out a heavy sigh, settled on your back as you stared blankly into the dark room. “Just can’t sleep.” There was a pause. “Sorry if I woke you up.”

“I wasn’t asleep yet.” he assured you before he shuffled in his spot until he was facing you, even if he couldn’t really see you in the dark. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Your lips twitched upwards and maybe it was the exhaustion, but you couldn’t even stop yourself from letting out a laugh that echoed through the room.

Nico let out a noise of amusement. “What?” 

You shook your head, feeling oddly giddy as you spoke. “Nothing, it’s just,” you paused for a few seconds. “I just remembered Jack telling me how the team joked that you took on the role of the therapist before you became captain. That after bad games, you went out of your way to ask them how they were doing and being the shoulder they needed to cry on.”

Nico frowned a little. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Not at all,” you answered as you turned to look at him, imagining the features on his face even if you couldn’t see him. “It’s just funny that I knew what you were like this whole time but still…it took me experiencing you to realise how stupid I was.” 

His confusion grew. “Stupid for what?”

“For thinking you were scary,” you admitted in a whisper.

Nico didn’t say anything before he let out a laugh. “You thought I was scary?” 

“Well, not scary,” you corrected, but you couldn’t help but laugh with him. “Just…intimidating.” 

“Is that why you never spoke to me?”

“I spoke to you,” you argued.

“Hardly,” Nico mused. “I don’t think we had a proper conversation until you had almost been with the team for a year. I had to ask Jack if I had done something to piss you off because you seemed to get on with everyone else but me.”

You couldn’t hide your surprise. “You asked Jack?”

“I wanted to apologise if I had done something I didn’t realise upset you,” he confessed, and something in your chest tightened at the thought.

“Oh god,” you murmured, letting out a groan as you raised your hands to cover your face. “Now I feel like even more of a dick.”

Nico huffed out a laugh before he reached over, his palm warm and comforting as it rested on your arm. “It’s fine. We are friends now, right?”

You sighed. “Yeah but—”

“Hey, don’t feel too bad about it, okay? We were both being stupid,” Nico’s words washed over you, his thumb gently rubbing soothing circles on your skin. “And without that, you could have been here with Jack or someone else instead and I would have missed out on a pretty fun week.”

“You’re having fun?”

“Of course I am. I’m here with you,” he murmured, voice thick and full of sincerity. It made your heart race in your chest to the point you almost swore he could hear it. “Plus, it’s pretty funny seeing how pathetic your ex-boyfriend is.”

You snorted. “Not my finest decision in life.”

“As much as I wish you never experienced that kind of pain, I’m glad it happened,” Nico whispered, his hand lightly squeezing your arm. “It meant you moved to New Jersey. It meant that I—that the whole team got to meet you.”

Your cheeks burned but you smiled, even if he couldn’t see it. You placed a hand over his and squeezed back. “I’m glad I met you too. All of you.”

“Bet you wouldn’t have had this heart-to-heart with Jack, huh?”

You let out a breathless laugh. “No, he probably would have fallen asleep before I even left the bathroom.”

Nico laughed but didn’t disagree. 

You don’t remember exactly at what point you fell asleep that night, but you spent a little longer in his arms the next morning. 

It was a risk but you had lost time to make up for with Nico Hischier, even if it meant making up those moments tangled in bed with him.

…

The rehearsal dinner was where everything really hit you.

It had been running smoothly, though you expected nothing less from Lucy. You knew she probably had the day planned down to the minute, and even if the plan deviated, she would have five back up plans that were ready to go. It was just the kind of person she was.

It was held outside on the beach, the slowly setting sun casting the skies orange and pink over the venue. The tables were set to perfection, the fairy lights decorated across the borders and you had truly never seen anyone happier than Lucy and Tom in that moment. Your heart soared at the idea of the two most deserving people finding the happiness they earned.

It was gorgeous. It was perfect. It was the last fucking time and place you should have been hit with the fact that you were maybe, kinda, most definitely falling in love with Nico Hischier.

Lucy had just wanted a calm, laid back rehearsal dinner. The wedding party was just meant to practise walking in and out, before eventually sitting down to enjoy the nice meal set for the occasion. It was nothing intense, nothing high-stress or extreme. 

It was meant to be fine.

And it was, all things considered. Everything ran smoothly, everyone stood where they were meant to stand and there wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s head that the wedding itself would run smoothly. 

But it didn’t feel fine in your head. 

You had taken your place in the line of bridesmaids, waiting for your cue to start walking down the makeshift aisle. You had stepped out right on beat, you kept your gaze forward, you stood on your marked spot and then you turned to wait for Lucy to make her way down the aisle. 

Except your eyes shifted away from the bride and found Nico’s gaze. 

He should have turned his head to look at the approaching bride-to-be like everyone else was. He should have been watching the ceremony, enjoying the love shared between the happy couple you were all here to celebrate. He should have been looking the other way.

But he was looking at you. 

He was looking at you with a soft smile—one that only widened the second he realised you were looking right back. The skin around his eyes crinkled with his smile, his chain was peeking out the open collar shirt and the soft breeze was making strands of his hair flutter down onto his forehead and—

Fuck. 

You were falling for Nico Hischier. 

The realisation hit you hard and fast, it almost felt like you were winded by the thought. It was a small blessing that everyone was focused on Lucy, that they were far too preoccupied to watch the way you stumbled slightly in your spot at the weight of your sudden realisation. 

Well, everyone except Nico.

He frowned a little, a crease forming between the brows and you could see the concern in his eyes even with the large distance between you. You could see the way he tilted his head slightly, the silent question hanging between you as you just flashed him a small smile and nodded your head. 

You had to tear your eyes away from him before your lungs caved in or your heart burst out of your chest. You had to force yourself to remember to smile and focus on the rehearsal dinner. You had to force yourself to remain normal.

Because he was Nico Hischier. 

He was captain of the New Jersey Devils. He was your colleague. He was your newly-made friend. He was here doing a favour after Jack practically threw him in the deep-end. He wasn’t here to witness your sudden and mind-boggling realisations. 

So, when the dinner was starting to be served and he found your side again, you didn’t hesitate to lie through your teeth. 

“I’m okay,” you told him, a kind smile on your face that you hoped was believable. “Trust me, Nico, I’m fine. Just got a little dizzy, must have low blood sugar or something.” 

Because you were here for your friend’s wedding. And he was here to help you out. 

There was no place for your newfound feelings.

…

To absolutely nobody’s shock, the wedding went through without a single hitch.

The ceremony ran through smoothly with pretty vows and sweet kisses exchanged between the newly married couple. As the reception rolled around, speeches were given, laughs were shared and dinner was served as the guests all enjoyed the union of Lucy and Tom and their love. 

It was sweet. It was perfect. It was everything your best friend deserved for her wedding.

It didn’t take long after the dinner for the first dance to commence, a soft smile in place as you watched Tom and Lucy softly sway to their chosen song. They looked lost in their own world, so caught up in each other like they forgot everyone else existed. 

A pang of longing hit you but you shoved it away. 

It was somewhere between your third and fourth glass of wine when Lucy found you, dragging you towards the dance floor with some halfhearted rambles about wanting to get pictures of all the bridesmaids and groomsmen dancing before you all got shit-faced drunk.

It was your unfortunate luck that the photographer paired you with Jackson before you had the chance to disagree, to escape the way Bryce was glaring at you like you had chosen him.

“She isn’t you.” 

You tried to keep your eyes anywhere but his face, to try and focus on something other than his hands on your waist. You thought you could zone out and that maybe the song would pass quickly, but the universe had other plans for you.

“It’s not like how it was when I was with you,” Jackson continued. 

“What do you genuinely think this conversation is going to achieve?” You asked him, gaining the courage to lift your head to look him in the eyes. You kept your voice down to avoid attention, to avoid creating a scene. “We’re done. We were done years ago when you chose to throw our relationship down the drain. I’ve moved on, you should too.”

Jackson shot you a look. “Tell me you haven’t felt it this week. Tell me you don’t feel the pull—”

“I don’t,” you stated bluntly. “And I have no interest in what you’ve felt this week. I don’t care.”

He frowned. “Because of your lil’ hockey player?”

“Little isn’t the word I’d use to describe him but no,” you answered honestly. “Not because of him but because of you. You ruined things, Jackson, and I moved on with my life. Accept that.” 

Jackon’s frown only deepend. He opened his mouth and you could only imagine what he was going to say, could only imagine what bullshit he was about to pull out of his ass. But before he got the chance, a firm hand landed on his shoulder to halt his movements. 

“Mind if I cut in?” 

Jackson glanced over his shoulder to see Nico standing there, smiling like nothing was wrong, like he wouldn’t happily put Jackson in his place if he disagreed. And maybe your words got through to him or maybe Jackson accepted it was not worth arguing with a man over fifty pounds heavier and four inches taller than him. 

He turned to look at you, saying nothing as his jaw clenched in response before he wandered off. 

Nico hardly wasted any time in taking up Jackson’s spot, one arm wound around your waist and tugging you close whilst the other intertwined with your hand. He looked down at you, eyes full of concern, fondness and something else as he noted how tense you were.

“You okay?” His voice soft and quiet but, fuck, it was exactly what you needed to hear. “He didn’t say anything, right? Because I can—”

“I handled it,” you assured him with a soft smile, squeezing his hand to punctuate your point. “But thank you for being my knight in shining armour.”

“Selfishly, I wanted to do it the second the dance started,” Nico admitted, and if he hadn’t been drinking all night, you would have assumed the pink flush to his cheeks was a blush. “I mean, you’re my date after all. Surely first pick dancing rights go to me, no?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “First pick in the draft, now in dancing…you’re quite the man, Hischier.”

“I’m consistent,” he retorted, tugging you that little bit closer until you had the excuse to rest your head against his chest. 

And for a moment, with your cheek pressed against his shirt and his presence engulfing, you let yourself pretend this moment would last forever. You let yourself enjoy the last day Nico Hischier would pretend to be your boyfriend and imagined a world where it wasn’t really pretend at all.

…

Lucy wasn’t happy that you had to leave early the next morning, but she understood that both of you had to return to New Jersey.

It was dreadfully early—far too fucking early with how late you stayed up the night before—to start an eleven hour road trip, but Nico had just smiled and told you to nap the first few hours whilst he drove the first stint of the journey. 

You knew he was right, that you should have rested and gotten a little sleep but you couldn’t bring yourself to stay asleep for long. You felt like you were wasting time, you were wasting precious hours in this little bubble you had created with Nico that would burst by the time you both returned to Newark. 

So, you did what every normal and sane person did and stocked up on coffee and energy drinks at the next service station stop to keep you fuelled through the drive.

It was no different to the drive down to Charleston except for a shift in the energy. It was easier, in a sense. On the way down, Nico was essentially a glorified stranger to you that you had only shared a number of conversations with. But it felt different now, it felt like you actually knew the boy in the seat beside you. 

And it was bittersweet in that sense, too.

Because you loved this. You loved how easy it was to talk to him. You loved how you got to see the side of Nico Hischier that enamoured the fans, the team and the league. You loved that you got your own special version of him in the last week. And you didn’t want to lose that, you didn’t know if you would ever see this version of Nico again once you reached New Jersey. 

And as the hours passed and the closer you reached your destination, it felt like Nico realised the same. The car was tense and thick with tension, one that went unspoken but reeked of longing and the desire to cling onto the bubble the two of you created over the last week.

It was there, lingering and stewing and, yet, neither of you said anything about it once you reached your apartment complex.

“Thank you,” you said for what felt like the millionth time that weekend, but it was necessary. It had to be said. It meant so much more.

Thank you for coming with me this weekend. Thank you for backing me up. Thank you for being a good friend. Thank you for showing me who you really are even if it’s going to fuck with my head for the rest of my life. Thank you for being you.

“Any time,” he said, the words just as heavy as yours. You wish you knew what he meant by them. “Do you need help with your bags? I can—”

“I’ve got them,” you assured him.

His brows furrowed together. “Are you sure? I—”

“I’m sure,” you said, clearing your throat and finding the courage to finally look at him. You pushed away the stupidest and strangest urge to cry. “Well, see you on Monday then?”

Nico frowned a little but nodded. “See you Monday.”

It felt harsh being so blunt, so straightforward and direct. But you knew you needed to get out of that car as quickly as you could. Because you had spent the last week with Nico by your side the whole time, basked in the warmth of him as a person, and you knew all it would take was a few more moments alone with him for you to blurt out something stupid.

You knew you needed to get out of there and just be alone. To lock yourself in your apartment over the next twenty-four hours before you had to return to work, to attempt to wrap your head around the flurry of emotions bursting inside of you. You knew you needed to get behind that door before you had the urge to run back down to his car.

You couldn’t even bring yourself to look back at his car, to see if he drove off, as you reached the door of your apartment complex. You forced yourself to keep your gaze ahead, to put one foot in front of the other until you reached your apartment. You felt your body moving on autopilot as you unlocked the door, stepped inside and dumped the bags you had dragged up. 

And then, the overwhelming realisation and memories of the last few days washed over you. 

Fuck. You were in love with him. You were properly in love with him. You were going to have to go into work on Monday and see him there and pretend everything is normal. You are going to have to pretend for the rest of your life or until your feelings go away. You were going to—

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

You paused, the heel of your palm pressed to the centre of your chest as you tried to regulate your breaths. You had half the mind to ignore the knocks, to hope the person on the other side of the door just left you alone so you could curl up onto your couch with a fluffy blanket and a tub of ice cream.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

But you had a nagging feeling this person wouldn’t leave.

You avoided the mirror in your hallway as you headed back towards your front door, twisting the handle and pulling the door back with the full expectation of seeing one of your neighbours on the other side. 

Instead, it was a panting and breathless Nico.

“Nico?”

“I can’t pretend anymore,” he blurted out, beyond the point of caring whether he was too blunt or straightforward. “I can’t pretend because I have spent the last few years pretending and I’m tired of it.”

Your brows furrowed together. “What are you—”

“I wasn’t lying when I told your friends,” Nico continued, his eyes never leaving yours. It was almost like he was afraid to look away. It was like he was scared you would disappear if he did, or he would lose the confidence he had to say what he had been feeling since he first saw you. “I had the biggest crush on you when you joined the team years ago.”

Your lips parted in surprise, but no words came out. No words were needed as Nico continued.

“And Jack knew. Everyone fucking knew how I felt about you,” he admitted with a laugh, one that was a little dry and self-depricating. “They knew how I felt about you before you even spoke to me. And then Jack saw the opportunity and he tried to help me but it just made everything worse.”

Your heart twisted at his words.

“Because it showed me what life would be like if I was actually yours,” Nico whispered, voice cracking and emotions raw. “It showed me what it would be like for you to hold my hand and call me your boyfriend and introduce me to your friends like I’m this huge part of your life. And now it fucking sucks that it’s not true, that it’s over. And I can’t just keep going on in life and seeing you at work on Monday and acting like I’m still okay with pretending—”

You kissed him.

He was standing at your doorstep confessing a million different things at once, confessing things that had your head spinning and your brain racing to catch up with. But he was standing there and he felt the same way and you just couldn’t help yourself but to grab his face and kiss him.

Nico sunk into the kiss like it was what his body was made for, like an instinctive reaction to grip your hips and pull you closer. Your arms slowly wound around his neck, tugging him down to deepen the kiss as every racing thought in your head stopped and there was just him, him, him.

“I don’t want to pretend either,” you murmured against his lips because you genuinely didn’t have it within you to pull away properly, to put any more distance between you.

You could feel him smile against your lips. “No?”

“No,” you swallowed harshly as you lightly nudged his nose with your own. “I don’t want to go back to the way everything was before the wedding. I don’t want you to become a stranger in my life.”

“Never, schatz,” he murmured softly before leaning down to press his lips against yours again, slow and purposeful. 

You let him slowly lead you back into your apartment, listened to the way he kicked the door shut with his boot as he led you towards the coach in your living room. You could feel his smile against your own as you fell back onto the cushions, his body a comfortable and familiar weight on you as memories of your mornings together flashed through your mind.

“Oh god.”

Nico pulled back, holding his weight on his elbows as he looked down at you with a frown. “What?”

“Jack is going to be so fucking smug,” you grumbled, playfully groaning whilst the boy on top of you just laughed. 

“You’re something else,” Nico murmured with a grin.

You raised your brows. “Good something?” 

“Best something,” Nico corrected before he leaned down to kiss you again. 

.

[theghostsarefriendly]

ok but can we talk about how funny frank being scared of nico is? because id like to think it never really went away. he likes frank but hes still the very powerful son of hades and his girlfriends brother who would no doubt kick his ass if he EVER did anything to hurt her.

in house of hades he was really just super depressed and lashed out at anyone who tried to get too close, which frank did for hazel during the cow fight thing. it added on to his base scariness and frank is just generally very tense around him.

like. i need a frank pov fic where he doesnt see nico for a long while after blood of olympus and he swings by camp jupiter to visit hazel, will in tow.

motherfucker is dating the most smiley, caring, seemingly relaxed person at camp half blood who loves him dearly. and nico is so OBVIOUSLY whipped for him and keeps looking at him with the most love in his eyes and smiling between the bouts of good-natured bickering. nico actually kisses him once before leaving for like 5 min to do something and frank is in SHOCK.

frank once thought in hoh that he had a difficult time imagining nico acting out of love for anybody except hazel, and here he is so obviously loving someone else.

like yes, nico is even more powerful than he was in house of hades, and hes still emo and shit. but hes also being nerdy and flirting with his boyfriend who seems to be his polar opposite in every way and the LAST kind if person frank thought nico would like.

it shouldnt work. it works SO WELL. they're rivalling percy and annabeth in the Perfect Couple Awards.

hes also just?? healthier?? taller, less thin, more color in his skin.

and eventually frank realizes nico isnt going to bite and they become much better friends because frank isnt tiptoeing around him. hazel and will are watching with binoculars and cheering them on. (they got along literally within 5 seconds of meeting each other. this whole ordeal has been very funny.)

[mikkomacko]

Suspect Gone Wrong

A little Mob Nico blurb inspired by @angelinethompson 🫶

____________________________________________

“Where’s Nico?”

You turn to the open patio door, smiling at Jack standing there, hair damp from a shower and the clothes he slept in last night thrown back on.

“Went on his morning run.” You reply, looking back out towards the yard where Moose is roaming around. Pawing at the fresh soil you and Alex spread throughout the flower beds, nose twitching and sniffing. Nico always tries to take the poor things on runs with him, spend some father-puppy time together but Moose isn’t a running dog. He’s get him down the block maybe and then have to carry the giant pup back to the house.

So he stays with you, who also hates running.

“Lame,” Jack comments, joining you on the top porch step. You watch Moose mosey around the yard, note the budding trees and sprouting flowers that are growing with the warmer temperatures. Jack scrolls through his phone for a moment, then turns to you.

“Wanna make a TikTok?”

~~~~

Giggling, you aim the camera at Jack. He’s stretching out his muscles in a low lunge, eyebrows furrowed in concentration and you hit record, nodding for him to go.

He springs into a jog, you following him and trying to hold the phone steady. “Suspect’s biggest fear is getting something in his eye.”

Jack stops, turning to look at you wide eyed. “I can’t do eyedrops!” He defends, and you pause to switch places with him. You run this time, ducking around the bare branches of the backyard trees.

“Suspect treats her dog like he’s her son and it’s really scary.”

“Hey!” You laugh, already grabbing at the phone. Jack chuckles, getting into place and you hit record.

“Suspect got his license taken away by his boss and now has to passenger princess with his baby brother.”

His face immediately turns red, excuses falling from his mouth that you can’t hear over your own laughing. Jack ends up just ripping the phone from your hands, grumbling for you to go.

“Suspect went to an Ivy League school but gets love dumb every time her boyfriend is around.”

You bust out laughing, not at all taking Jack’s jab seriously but by the way he just grumbles at you, you think the intention was to bug you. Hesitantly, you swap places, thinking carefully about your words.

“Suspect has a longer hair care routine than me.”

Jack doesn’t laugh, but he smirks proudly, tousling his messy hair with a wink at the camera. “Worth every penny, now hand it over.”

You guys switch again. “Suspects whole personality is her boyfriend.”

“It is not!” You argue, pointing at him. “I have a dog too!”

Jack snickers, swapping with you again and you bristle. Any feelings of sympathy or playing nice has quickly faded.

“Suspect has a boy crush on my boyfriend and copies everything he does.”

Jack gapes, the two of you exchanging heated glares as you hand off the phone.

“Suspect doesn’t even have a real job but sleeps like she pays the bills.”

That ticks you off even more, anger and offense growing between you two with each role reversal.

“Suspect will give drinks to five girls every night and still end up going home alone with his baby brother.”

“Suspect gets one drink in her and is bending over in public for her boyfriend!”

“Suspect says he’s 5’11 but is actually 5’9 and a half!”

“Suspect has one friend and it’s because he gets paid to follow her around!”

You falter, heart hammering painfully in your chest and almost immediately tears sting at your eyes. Staring at Jack, the wicked gleam in his eye slowly fades as he realizes you’ve got wet eyes and your cheeks and neck have turned a splotchy red.

“Wait, no-“

“S’fine,” you cut in, yanking your phone from his hand and locking it. Then you turn, hastily crossing the yard to head back inside. You can hear Jack yelling after you, scrambling to keep up and Moose rises from his slumber on the porch as you near.

You duck into the house, Moose growling behind you and you hear Jack mutter a “damn dog.” But he doesn’t follow, most likely to smart to challenge the dog Nico trained to protect you.

Sniffling, you curse yourself for not being able to just take the fucking joke. You’ll be fine and you can shake it off in a bit but it’s too embarrassing to face Jack right now. You just need a few minutes to hide.

Unfortunately any attempts at hiding in the house are ruined when you run smack dab into Nico’s damp shirt.

“Whoa, whoa what’s going on?” He steadies you by the elbows, “what happened?”

Looking at his feet, you try to stealthily wipe at your eyes but he’s already seen your tear stained face. Nico grabs your chin, makes you look up at him. His hair is darker than usual, damp with sweat and his cheeks look all ruddy and shiny. His eyes search your face, worried and sympathetic.

Your lip wobbles and you can’t help it. You fall into his chest, curling in on yourself when he immediately wraps you up in his arms. He doesn’t smell great, not at all but you don’t care.

“Jack hurt my feelings.” You sniffle, and Nico strokes your hair.

“What did he say?”

“That Timo is only my friend because you pay him to be.”

You can hear the sharp inhale Nico takes, arms tightening just the slightest bit. Somewhere behind you, Jack has gotten back into the house.

“It was a joke Nico!” Jack pleads, that nervous pitch raising his voice. “For TikTok, I didn’t mean to-“

“Out,” Nico orders firmly, effectively quieting Jack. “Go home.”

Embarrassed, Jack mumbles “I can’t drive.”

It would be funny if you weren’t still upset about his comment. Nico doesn’t think it’s funny either by the way he sighs in annoyance. “To your room, now.”

You hear Jack scramble to get away from Nico, disappearing up the large staircase.

“I’m just being a baby,” you mutter sadly. “It was a joke but I-“

“It’s not a joke,” Nico assures, “that’s not a joke. He’s lucky you cried and didn’t swing for the jaw instead.”

Wetly, you giggle. Nico pecks a kiss to the top of your head. “Musli,” he calls softly, “guet hund.” Th dog pads away happily, pleased with the affirmation from Nico.

“You really need a shower,” you say into his shoulder and he snorts.

“Alright, let’s go.”

~~~~

Two days later you and Jack are fine. He apologized, you accepted it and told him you were just caught off guard. Nico glared at him, thumped him on the back of the head just once and then everything went back to normal.

Well almost normal.

“What are we doing Nico?”

He stops at the end of the large hallway, flicking on the light. “Making a better video.” He says casually.

Your heart warms, filling with love to the point that it almost hurts. “You want to be in my TikTok?”

Nico chuckles. “Not regularly but I’ll do it for this one, ok?”

Not wanting him to change his mind, you dig out your phone. He knows how the video works having heard about and seen yours with Jack. So he starts recording, urging you to jog down the hall with a nudge to your hip.

“Suspect is so pretty men will trip trying to hold a door for her and she’ll still say they’re just being polite.”

“They are!” You laugh, butterflies swarming your gut when Nico giggles too.

He just grins, the two of going back to the end of the hall and switching places.

“Suspect is so handsome his workers copy his haircuts and style.” You tease, and Nico shakes his head in amusement.

“What can I say? I have good taste.” He takes the phone from you, resetting for the next clip.

“Suspect has the best ass I’ve ever seen. I mean smile, the best smile.” Your cheeks flame, eyes widening in shock as you look to Nico. He’s grinning like a fool, eyes crinkled and dimples in his cheeks and you think you’re gonna melt just looking at him.

“Keep it PG,” you scold halfheartedly, willing away the blush in your face and taking the phone.

“Suspect has the prettiest baby cow eyes and dimples but refuses to smile in public.”

Nico doesn’t even argue, shrugging as if it’s common knowledge but you can see the slightest tints of red crawling up his neck.

He motions for you to go, clearing his throat and hitting record. “Suspect owns a hundred pajama sets but only sleeps in my clothes.”

“They’re warmer!” You laugh, bubbly and infectious. He laughs with you, pinching at your cheeks teasingly. Then he’s lining up, lightly jogging ahead of you.

You press record, glad you set the video to ten minutes before starting. It seems Nico is pretty good at this. “Suspect eats three servings at dinner and still has room for dessert.”

“I’m a big man,” he defends with a chuckle, patting at his belly through his shirt. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“Suspect will say the most inappropriate words I’ve ever heard and then flash her Bambi eyes to get away with it.”

Hunch over into the wall, you laugh and clutch at your cramping side. Maybe you get away with saying crazy things to Nico in public by batting your eyelashes at him, but he plays the same game.

“You’ve never even seen Bambi,” you pant, breathless from laughing and fake jogging. Nico scoffs, handing you your phone.

“I know what he looks like though,” he scoffs.

Still fighting back giggles, you take your turn. “Suspect says he didn’t go college because he’s stupid but is somehow fluent in four languages.”

It’s his turn to laugh, holding his stomach and shoulders shaking as you two swap yet again. His next one has you clinging to the wall again, that blush in your cheeks returning ten fold.

“Suspect has a lethal face card.”

“Suspect has a lethal everything.” You compliment back, looking him up and down as he laughs, like you’re proving your point. Which you are, to be honest.

Nico takes his spot, eyes lovingly looking over your flustered and smiling face. Fighting your overwhelmed grin, you move down the hall again with Nico trailing.

“Suspect doesn’t know it but she is perfect and makes everyday easy.”

He’s still recording when you stop, turning to him with moony eyes and a dropped jaw. “That’s so sweet,” you say in awe, ducking around the phone to hug his waist. Nico turns the phone, arm at an awkward angle to still record you two and he kisses the top of your head.

“Suspect is a big ol’ teddy bear and I love him.” You say sweetly, rising to your toes to kiss his jaw. He grins, bringing the phone back down and blinking at you with those pretty brown eyes.

“I love you too.”

[spookedbees]

Solangelo headcanons? 👀👀

Uhhh lemme think…

Will likes morbid things from a more scientific perspective while Nico likes them philosophically

This actually annoys them a bit at first (especially pre-dating) but over time it becomes one of their favorite qualities about each other because they like hearing the other’s perspective

Will can vibe with any kind of music but he prefers more alternative stuff (anything from alt country to heavy metal, he’ll eat it up)

Meanwhile Nico’s music taste is the weirdest mix of older classical songs, punk rock, and hyperpop (he also enjoys pretty much any song Will puts on)

Halloween is their favorite holiday (they go all out on goofy stuff for the younger campers and scary stuff for the older kids)

One of Will’s hyperfixations is space so Nico helped him map out different constellations on the hades cabin ceiling (it was darker than the Apollo cabin and they had more room)

Sometimes they’ll swap fun facts about the constellations while cuddling (Nico shares mythology tidbits and Will gives space facts)

I know Nico gives Will his skull ring in tsats, but I personally prefer the idea that Nico only has Will hang onto it whenever he has to leave camp - it serves as a promise that he’ll come back and that he trusts Will to keep it safe

They have two main cuddle modes - little spoon Will with Nico hanging on like a backpack OR Will just grabs Nico like a teddy bear

[atmospheral]

straw hats saying Bad Words ranking

- luffy: doesn't really swear in general. if the situation's calling for it it's still 50/50 on whether he'll say fuck. chances are higher if he's mad and he feels like the other person isn't understanding the extent of his anger. 2/10

- zoro: surprisingly does not swear that much despite his time with johnny and yosaku. will definitely say it when the situation calls for it but prefers to fight with his swords rather than cursing the opponent out bc he thinks it's a waste of breath. prefers calling sanji stupid nicknames and physically fighting instead of cussing him out, which makes sanji even more mad. 5/10

- nami: swears so much when she's with her crew bc of her childhood (pirates + belle-mère was an ex-marine and definitely was not holding back on the swears) but does a 180 when talking to strangers in order to seem more "ladylike" (easier to charm/steal/bargain). 11/10

- usopp: normal civilian amount. generally a polite guy bc he doesn't want to unnecessarily anger ppl but he will be swearing when the situation calls for it. he also likes to save his cursing for comedic moments and he's very good at it. 4/10

- sanji: most of his childhood that he cherishes was on a pirate ship AND a restaurant kitchen. he knows more swears than the rest of the first 5 crewmates combined. thankfully 99% of his ire is aimed at zoro (and sometimes luffy) who has completely tuned it out after the first few "wtf are you saying. you could make a dialect out of this" moments. 1000/10

- chopper: he definitely knows swear words but doesn't say it unless the situation really really demands it. and due to its rarity of him saying a Bad Word it's inadvertently very funny. gets more comfortable w swearing after timeskip (teenager moment). 3/10 → 5/10

- vivi: very polite and diplomatic due to her upbringing but she definitely knows a lot due to playing with the sand-sand clan. basically like chopper minus the humour. it's not funny when vivi swears bc it means some shit is going down. memorably cussed the fuck out of crocodile in rainbase and it was top 10 epic anime moments of all time. 2/10

- nico robin: very very rarely but she always makes it count. 1/10

- franky: grew up with shipwrights and labourers and then was a gang boss. doesn't curse as much after joining straw hats and is generally much more positive. does swear up a storm in combat. 9/10 → 4/10 (12/10 when he was peak annoying teenager or in a stressful fight)

- brook: regular pirate amount (ie a lot) before he died and joined the straw hats and was to their surprise very gentlemanly. does swear when situation calls for it. 8/10 → 3/10

- jinbei: regular pirate amount with his own crew but a lot less with the straw hats bc his captain doesn't really swear. he reverts back to it in heated combat and it's actually very scary to witness. 8/10 → 2/10 (10/10 in combat)

[leaentries]

late nights | nico hischier

summary: soft kisses with nico and his girl

warnings: none (this is insanely sappy)

a/n: sorry if this was too cheesy, i was in a mood

the captain’s girl masterlist

The night was peaceful, inky black coating the once blue sky. The curtains to the balcony were slightly open, letting in a soft breeze. A single lamp on the corner table provided a warm glow to the room.

A soft hue provided by the dim light of the TV flashed over the back wall, behind the couch where you rested, straddled over Nico’s waist comfortably. His hands held your body to his, as if he was scared you’d disappear. Your own tangled themselves in the soft, dark locks at the nape of his neck.

You softly tugged at them, mindlessly occupying your fingers. Nico’s deep brown eyes poured into your own, love dancing around the both of you. Lovesick smiles wore down your mouths. A welcomed silence adorned the apartment, neither of you wanting to disturb the intimate moment.

His chest rose slowly, meeting your hoodie-clad body with every breath. Your nose brushed his as you brought down your forehead to rest on Nico’s. Shutting your eyes, you relished in the bliss that was Nico Hischier. Everything about him was intoxicating. The way he talked, the way he smelled, even the way he would tease you. You could never quite get enough of him.

Not that you’d ever want to.

Loving Nico was the single most greatest privilege you could, or would ever have. Having him like this, body pressed against yours so tightly was a blessing. You were convinced Nico was made just for you.

He loved you, cared for you, but most of all, he understood you. Being able to release every emotion or thought without the worry of being judged was something that came so naturally with him. Loving him was as easy as breathing, and you needed him like you needed air.

You knew you could never love anyone else. Nico occupied your entire heart, mind, and soul. He was your person.

Nico’s nose nudged your cheek gently, pulling you from your thoughts. It was almost scary how easily he consumed you.

You opened your eyes, looking into his warm awaiting ones. He flickered down to your lips, silently signaling what he wanted. An amused smile found home on your face, before leaning in to slot your mouths together softly.

Nico kissed back immediately, quietly humming in satisfaction.

Although Nico was your everything, it could be argued you meant more to him. His entire world spun for you, and without you he wouldn’t exist. You were the sun, being able to brighten his life by just simply being. He would fall in love with you a million times over if he could. He would choose you in every lifetime.

He never understood what it was like to be able to bare your soul to someone until you. Nico honestly didn’t know if he could survive you, but his heart was having a hell of a time doing it. You took over every aspect of his life in the best way, Nico finding pieces of you in everything he did. There was something so beautiful, so everlasting about the way he loved you. The expanse his heart goes for you is infinite.

His love for you is infinite.

Your lips moved against his in a soft rage. The warmth of his lips spread from your head to your toes, igniting a wonderful dull flame in your belly. His face chased yours every time you slightly moved, not wanting to lose the tingling sensation you brought to him.

You swallowed every sigh that left his throat, drinking him up like he was the last drop of water. He was addictive, and you were hooked.

Eventually, you pulled away to regain your breath. Nico’s chest heaved slightly, matching you. His lips were red and swollen, his face stuck in a blissed-out daze. No doubt you looked the same. He brought a hand up to your jaw, pulling your head back to him.

If Nico was water then you hoped you didn’t know how to swim because, oh, how you wanted to drown in him.

[bratphilia]

── ★ ˙ strawberry charm ̟ !!

note ✧.*‎  hello hello hello welcome to scream meets fnaf. randomly got this idea after rewatching scream, like, why don't i combine one both franchises in the only way i know how? william afton as ghostface coming into your house and fucking the shit out of you!! and here we are. i spent a lot more time on this than i usually do writing fics so i seriously hope ppl enjoy it. i'm also on break starting today so i'll be pumping out more content from now on going into the new year!

pairing ✧.*‎‎ steve raglan / william afton x reader

cw ✧.*‎‎ college au and scream au, reader is college aged, william is her robotics professor, ghostface!william afton, reader is girly, vibrators, multiple orgasms, perversion, mentions of stalking, descriptions of gore, choking, consensual non consent, break-in, approximately one lick to the pussy, rough sex, dumbification, glove kink, slapping, slight daddy kink, cockwarming

taglist ✧.*‎‎ @dilfity @kissingrhi @iikyutee @ghoulsgraveyard @cemeteryry @gh0stsp1d3r

synopsis ✧.*‎ a man calls you up wondering what your favorite scary movie is.

you hold back a deep sigh at the low-quality horror movie being showed on the big screen in front of you. no, it's not the most important thing in the world, to see something "cinematically excellent" every time you go to the theater, but shit, wouldn't that be nice? anyways, that's not what you're here for. you're here for a date with this guy in your robotics class, specifically. 

he's handsy, but so are you. one arm is slung around your shoulder, you're cuddled against his chest, knees drawn upwards, and his other hand coming around to rub circles on your thigh. yes, it's your first date together, after weeks of study "dates." yes, you were cuddling, very heavy emphasis on pda. what about it? it made up for this movie being fucking terrible, so why not. 

you have to laugh. nico, your date, had promised chills and shivers up your spine and hoped for your head pushed into his shoulder at the scary parts of the movie. rotten luck for him. you want to laugh at that. and you accidentally snicker, causing him to look towards you. "what?"

"oh, nothing," you say, nodding back towards the movie. 

he says nothing, thank god. 

finally, there's a good part of the movie. the main character, a ditzy blonde with big tits is tied to a tree while the film's slasher rips her boyfriend's head from his body with a chainsaw. your muscles clench, not in fear, but in delight. you've always been a sucker for gore. and fuck, it gets something else clenching too. you seriously wonder if nico can feel you throbbing when he rests his hand under your chin, gently forcing you to look at him. he leans in for a kiss. no tongue, just lips to lips. it's nice. you notice he put on chapstick and you can taste the buttery popcorn on his mouth. 

however, you're interrupted by the creaking of a chair behind you. the sound of someone getting up and leaving. you didn't pull away in time to catch their face, but the noise frankly startled you than any other part of the movie. 

the film ended shortly after that. no, the person who left never did end up returning to their seat behind you, but that had long since left your mind anyways. nico drove you home in his silver convertible, the top down creating a nice breeze through your hair. the car ride was silent but content. date successful, in your opinion, shitty movie aside. 

"well, goodnight," he says when your door is barely cracked open and you're halfway inside. you silently leaned up on your tippy toes and pecking his lips once more. you ignore the crackle of twigs in the foliage surrounding your house, blaming it on the wind. 

the door shut behinds you. you live in a campus house, but your roommates just so happen to be out of the house for the weekend. this has meant nothing but trouble for you — meaning you snuck your friend lacey's vibrator out of its drawer and had yourself some fun. over and over and over. pastel pink with a pretty bow on the hot glued on the end for decoration (the two of you might have done that together). but don't worry about how you know where her vibrator is, that's none of your business! 

while you're washing off the facial cleanser from your face in the shower as conditioner sits patiently in your hair, you think about nico. specifically whether or not you're actually interested in him. sure, he's a nice guy, romantic. bad taste in movies but clearly cares about what you like since he picked out a horror film to take you on a date to. and yet, that nagging thing in the back of your head, the one that told you not to commit to a relationship for fear of being stuck in one, had you snap back to the reality of relationships. you'll never be free to just date who you want, whenever you want. it made you frown. 

you get out of the shower eventually, still undecided about the future of your dating life, and you decide to put the topic to rest and relax with a classic: nightmare on elm street. or maybe something else? suspiria,  the thing, or evil dead? you browse your collection, and stop at freddy vs. jason. speaking of shitty horror movies and sticking to the freddy theme, you think with a smirk. 

you slip the cd into the player. super retro, i know right? 

you're popcorn'd out, to say the least, so you skip on making a bowl. your movie is interrupted shortly by the buzzing of your phone. the caller id just lists a phone number in your area. usually, you wouldn't pick these up, but you do it anyways. stupidly. 

"hello?" you call out into your phone. 

"hello." comes a man's deep voice.

you scratch your head, careful not to chip your manicure. "who is this?"

"who is this?" he mimics you, emphasis on this.

you scoff, already annoyed. probably a prank call. "i asked you first."

"look," he mediates, probably sensing your forming annoyance, "all i have is a question to ask."

"alright..." you say. nothing wrong with that. "shoot."

"what's your favorite scary movie?"

you pretend to contemplate. "hereditary," you say finally. of course it's your favorite. it's had your heart since you first saw it in theaters. anyone who knows you knows not to bring it up if they don't want to hear you go on a tangent about it. "it's the right amount of atmosphere with the right amount of gore." 

"isn't that the one where the little girl gets decapitated after slamming into a telephone from sticking her head out of a car window?" the man on the phone drawls, testing you.

"yes!" you practically exclaim. you hope you found another fan. not many other people shared your enthusiasm for the movie as you did.

he hums. "that's an interesting choice. i don't hear it enough. a little depressing, though."

"you mean you call other girls asking them what their favorite horror movie is? that's a new level of game i've never seen before," you tease, abandoning the movie to get up mindlessly and head to the bathroom to put your hair up.

"not just any girl," he says with a chuckle.

"oh?" you say, "so i'm special?"

"you could say that."

you smile, staring back at your reflection. you get it now. "you know, you could've just come inside earlier, nico. no need to put on the act."

"i'm not nico," he corrects you sternly. 

you scoff and roll your eyes, putting your device down and switching it to speaker phone so you can multitask. "right," you say, unconvinced.

you sort through your collection of hair clips, picking out the right one — "the one with the strawberry charm, huh? that one's my favorite. 's sweet like you."

you nearly drop the accessory. how the fuck? a shiver shoots up through your spine. your head snaps towards the direction of the bathroom window. searching desperately for an answer, anyone that could've just been watching. but no one's there, of course!

"that's not funny, nico," you snap. you're pretty sure you've worn this hair clip to a study date over at his apartment, right? and he might've even complimented you on it. yeah, you try to convince yourself, he's seen it before.

but that doesn't explain how he knew —

"i told you already," the man on the phone's voice is agitated, "i'm not nico."

"then who the fuck are you?!" you ask in a shrill voice, ready to hang up on this motherfucker. you steadily twist your hair upwards and secure the claw around it, letting your remaining hair fall in a ponytail.

"i'll prove it to you," he tells you as if it's the simplest thing in the world. "check the backyard."

you shockingly decide not to hang up for your sake. you would rather keep a close eye on the situation rather than just let something happen to you. you creep towards the sliding glass doors, gulp, then switch on the light, only to be met with monstrosity. 

nico's on his knees; you can hear him whimpering from inside, scrambling for his amputated arm that lies in between him and the sliding door. you open your mouth but you can't scream; the only thing you can feel is a shudder that shakes you to your very core. you feel almost weak in the knees, desperate to keep yourself standing on your two feet. there's blood, so much blood. all the backyard porch, your roommates will be so mad and concerned about what happened? how can you even begin to explain this? 

you try to do the only sane thing you can think of: hang up and call the police. the thought of this being one big prank pulled on you crossed your mind, but you were too scared not to act. a beat passes after you pressed that little red button on your phone, and the door bursts open. this time you scream. 

in a dark blur, you're pressed roughly against a mirror that frames the wall behind the dining table. a gloved hand wraps around your throat. "you stupid bitch, hanging up on me."

you meet the mask of your captor: the damn mask from that slasher movie stab. you were never particularly fond of the franchise. "lame movie reference," you manage to choke out, and you instantly eat your words. he slaps you across the face and loosens his grip at the same time, watching you fall to your side on the hard ground. 

you can barely gather your thoughts — your head is fucking swimming — before he's dragging you by your ankle with a strong grip in the direction of your bedroom. you hate how you slide so easily across the smooth floor. you try your best to break free, to run, wriggling your leg violently to shake him away to no avail. when he's dragged you successfully inside the bedroom he closes it behind you, bends down and manhandles onto lacey's bed. 

tears spill down your cheeks. this is it. you're going to die. but he doesn't take out a knife, or any weapon, actually, to fatally harm you with. instead, he's rummaging through the drawers in front of the bed. and then it dawns on you and you sit up. that's the drawer where lacey's —

"ah, found it," the man says triumphantly, turning back towards you, pastel pink vibrator in hand, toying with the ribbon. "what a cute little thing. do you know how many times i've watched you get off to this little device? what a fucking sight you make."

your eyes narrow. "who are you?"

he chuckles, then uses a hand to remove his mask, revealing the face of your robotics professor. him? how is it possible you've managed to capture his attention? when throughout the entire course he's done nothing but ignore you, treating you like you didn't exist. always ignoring your questions. shit, he's the reason why you started going to nico in the first place for help in his class: because nico was like his golden-star-student. 

"i don't get it," you say, lip trembling as tears well in your eyes. "why me? what did i do—"

"to captivate me?" he finishes your sentence, turning on the vibrator. you gulp like it's your impending doom. professor raglan kneels onto the bed and you wish you could back up but you only hit the headboard behind you. "well, for starters: you were always so eager for my attention. and it hurt me not to give it to you. couldn't blow my cover, sweetheart."

you still didn't understand, but you didn't have anymore time to contemplate or question him. he was spreading your legs, splitting open a space under your short, pink skirt for him to gain access to the area between your legs. you fumble with the sheets, holding them in a death grip. you definitely ruined your manicure. once your skirt bunches up around your hips, it reveals your panty-less mound. of course. you didn't think to wear anything after your shower because it wasn't like you were going out. 

your professor whistles lowly, pupils dilating in desire. it's perverted, the way he puts down the vibe, and grabs your hips upwards so he can get a closer look at your pussy. you throb subconsciously, making him look back up at you with a quirked brow. he leans forward to blow air on you, eyes still steady to gage your reaction. you whimper and wriggle in his grasp, face heating up in embarrassment. "you just have the cutest little cunt," he comments when he pulls away, then sticks his tongue out to lick a stripe up your pussy. "mmm, even sweeter, too. sweeter than the little strawberry in your hair."

"ohh," you coo. you hate to admit how good it feels, but here you were, arching your back in his touch and moaning.

"yeah?" he asks, taking his mouth off of you for a moment. "my baby like it when i eat her dripping pussy?"

you sniffle, not answering. you can't find it within you to be able to. "no? maybe i'll stop and move on then." you want to cry, fuck. a feeling of relief settles back in when he takes the vibrator back in his hand. the low hum grabs your attention — not like you could zone out at a time like this anyways.

when the device meets your needly clit you groan, flex your fingers at the sheets. "oh, fuck," you whisper. his eyes never leave your face, and every time you regrettably look at him, he's breathing heavily, open mouthed, like he just can't get enough of you. so you avoid looking at him, going through stages of keeping your eyes closed or looking up at the ceiling, praying for sweet release to whatever cruel deity is looking upon you getting fucked by this old man.

the vibrations against your clit are a little too good to be true. you can't help but feel like there's a price, one you'll specifically have to pay with his dick inside you. you wonder if it'll be lame like the other guys you've had, but honestly? you could get off to the thought of this situation, and you'll definitely remember this for future masterbation-sake. you're a freak like that.

raglan presses down on your stomach, iliciting a hiss from you through your teeth. "want you to come all over my arms," he tells you, "coat my gloves, you'll make me so happy."

fuck, then you get an idea. the gloves inside of you. you throb once more at the thought. "i-inside," you murmur, hoping he'd get the message.

"huh? what's that, baby?" he asks mockingly, but you know damn well he heard you. please don't make me said it, you think.

you reach down to touch his free hand, guiding it towards your entrance. "want my fingers inside you, hmm? baby needs something inside her to feel satisfied?"

"mhm," you hum with a nod of your head. he slowly slips a gloved finger inside you, the fabric deliciously creating friction that makes you grind on his hand. he looks up at you with a dirty smile, then reaches forward to kiss you as he pumps his fingers in and out of you ever so slowly. it's perfect. the stimulation of the vibrator combined with the feeling of his clothed hand is enough to make you burst.

and you do gracefully. so much that he pecks your cheek, tells you how much of a good girl you are for him, as lewd 'ah's tumble from your lips uncontrollably. you buck against his hand until he pulls is out of you, whining at his removal.

"i know, sweetheart, i know," he sympathizes after you, "daddy's cock's gonna be inside you soon, though. then you'll have something else to play with."

you're already exhausted from your first orgasm, somewhat unsure of how you're going to take the next, but you can hardly think about that now. you're drunk off the atmosphere between you two, nico's amputation is far forgotten. you can't even remember what you were doing before this. your hair is tussled in a way that has your hair clip drooping down the side of your shoulder loosely, but you don't have any energy to fix it. all you can think about is daddy's — wait, when did he become daddy? — cock inside you, and that's all that matters.

raglan begins to grind his bare cock against your entrance, having discarded his black slacks moments ago. he rubs the tip against you, purposefully bumping against your click, drawing out a symphony of noises — babbles along the lines of "please, just put it in, i can't take it anymore" — as your face contorts in a sob and tears fall down your cheeks again.

"my girl is such a crybaby," he chuckles, then slowly guides your hips to slide down on his cock. he fills you up by the inch, making you feel every ridge and vein. the stinging sensation of not being adjusted to his length washes over you in a surprisingly pleasurable wave. "so fucking tight," he gasps. he lets out his respective groans once he's fully sheathed inside of you.

then he starts moving; then things start to get good. you're not fully adjusted to his length, but the way you're leaking around him makes for perfect lube. what's a little pleasure without pain? it could be worse, you could be on the floor writhing in pain with multiple stab wounds, but instead you were being stabbed by his dick inside of you, so you weren't in a position to complain.

raglan leans down so his body is on top of yours, keeps himself steady by planting one hand to the side of your head as he aggressively snaps his hips into yours. you realize, in this moment, just how desperate he's probably been for this. not like you could do much thinking, but the way he was pistoning inside you said enough about how he felt. and god you felt good, clenching and unclenching around him, making the prettiest noises he's ever heard.

one particularly hard thrust has your head swimming, like it did when he slapped you. you want him to slap you again, so you initiate it in the only way you know how; reaching forward to land a weak hit across his face. he stops moving for a second, shocked. then with a swift whack across the face, he's back to thrusting inside of you, even harder this time around. "wanted me to hit you so bad, you could've just asked you dumb little slut," he growls into your ear.

"''m sorry," you have the audacity to giggle, "couldn't tell you."

"yeah? am i fucking you that stupid?" he asks, "'course, i don't expect you to able to answer that."

he flips you over suddenly so you land on your stomach, putting himself back in, fucking you with reckless abandon. the way his cock is hitting your g-spot right now has you plummeting over the edge. you wriggle your hips backwards to help him get off too, which he does right inside of you, filling you up to the brim.

he doesn't pull out. he's waited too damn long for this to do so. he's gonna enjoy a nice, long time inside of you, whether you like it or not. he collapses on his side, pulling you close to him so that he's spooning you. the most important thing to him in that moment, is your half-awake form rising and falling with each breath against him with his cock buried deep inside of you, strawberry charmed hair clip discarded somewhere by the pillows.

[cynthiav06]

Question. do you think Percy should have stayed Single? Or ended up with somebody other than Annabeth? I Really think he should have stayed Single. Because I personally don't Like Percabeth, I don't Ship Percabeth and I don't Like Annabeth at all because of the way the Shippers act, or The way the characters themselves in Canon Act, like how Percy just does whatever Annabeth says, or how Percy is scared of Annabeth, Or how fans make it seem like Percy would become an Emo Edge Lord if something happened to Annabeth, Or How much she Belittles and Degrades him (I hate the nickname Seaweed brain), Especially since she acts like Percy cant do anything without her That moment when She and Reyna were talking about how ("Percy Couldn't find his way out of a Paper Bag without you")Made me SO mad it made me Dislike Annabeth even more and Dislike the Percabeth Ship as a Whole, I even hated when she Pretty much Restricted percy of using his powers You Know? "The sea doesn't like to be Restrained" well here it is.. being restrained...Exactly what it hates, and I hate how the Fandom makes Percabeth a Godly Ship saying they are the "It Couple" which they aren't and how They treat anyone who doesn't like Percabeth or Ships Percy with someone else other then Annabeth, but the one thing I HATE the most is how they make EVERYTHING percy Does Romantic for Annabeth like she's the only person who matters to him (Percy Only Remembering Annabeth (a Girl he's Known for only a couple years) Instead of The woman Who RAISED him by a goddess who isn't even the goddess of Love Made me SO MAD and Even when Annabeth made Percy remember when he was in the River Styx when it should have been his Mom made me mad) which is why I mostly believe that Percy Should have just stayed Single (I'm all for an Aromantic Percy) or At least Give him a Love interest who he can be Comfortable around and doesn't have to Constantly walk on Eggshells around her (I wished he Dated Rachel) or Hell Even make him Gay i've saw characters who have Better chemistry with Percy then Annabeth IMO but this all just my opinion.

You honestly don't know how long I could rant on this exact subject.

It's partly Annabeth's fault, and it's partly Rick's fault.

Anyone and everyone who has read the Pjo and HoO series should have noticed how illogical Percy's personality change was.

Percy Jackson, the hero of Olympus and the strongest demigod to ever live, sassy as can be, laid back but scary beyond measure if you cross him and an absolute menace to his enemies and loyal to death.

That's who he is, and Rick remembered that initially, and even till Son of Neptune then he just forgot how Percy someone he himself wrote to be this way is.

It's like Percy has no identity of his own, and he is only significant if he is with Annabeth. Like hello, he's the main character people, is the Fandom seriously going to degrade the main character, especially when the said mc is Percy Jackson???

Percy, despite his own issues, is and will always be foremost in helping people. He would be the first person to help keep the seven together. He would be the first to try and make a bond. He wouldn't have some stupid and illogical and totally ooc beef with Jason. Instead, he would help Jason be more sure of himself to stand up to Jupiter and for himself.

He would help Leo personally to bring back Calypso and they would both shit talk Olympians and how fickle their oaths are.

He would literally do anything to save Nico. Like hello, are you telling me that the boy who at 14 took it upon himself to bear the Great Prophecy, which he thought who end up killing him just to save Nico from that fate????? He would go absolutely madly feral to save Nico from the Giants.

If Piper and Reyna had their screws all properly fit they would see that Annabeth and literally everyone else would be all left to die if it wasn't for Percy. Percy gets himself out of everything by his own efforts and his own strategies. (Annabeth's rarely work). It's time the Fandom acknowledges that the best strategist in the verse is Percy, no questions asked and finally give him due credit for all HIS efforts.

Percy would never ever leave Sally unless it was for a quest, especially not when she was pregnant and absolutely not to go to college, something he hates especially when it concerns New Rome.

Here's a thing about Percabeth shippers they care about Annabeth's plans and her dreams, not Percy's. It is literally so out of character for Percy to want to live in New Rome a place that invests in a child army, a place that despises his father and wouldn't even build him a decent temple, a place so extremely cut off from the sea.

If Percy wanted to live in peace and grow old, he would do it in a place of his choosing close to his mother, Paul and Estelle, and close to the sea. But here's the thing about Percy.

I don't think people get this, but Percy can't just up and leave, nor would he want to. His damned fatal flaw is LOYALTY. He would never ever leave demigods or anyone helpless by leaving Camp Half Blood. Sure he would take less quests on but he would ALWAYS stick around and Rick did him so dirty by making all his thoughts revolve around Annabeth and insinuating he would let others suffer just fine to be with Annabeth.

Percy gave up immortality because he took Sally's teaching to heart as she did so too when she denied Poseidon's offer. He did it for himself for demigods it didn't have shit to do with Annabeth, but of course, he would look at her because she represents his life as a demigod.

Rick making Percy see Annabeth near the Styx and making him remember Annabeth instead of Sally is just him bullshitting. We all know Percy is a mama's boy, and he would do right by Sally always, so him giving a girl who he has known for barely long enough has no basis to it.

And Percabeth stans literally can't take a mention of a single alternate Percy pairing that alone is the biggest red flag. Because they know their ship is toxic and that Annabeth is the root of it.

For the PEOPLE IN THE BACK aka toxic stans:

Annabeth's fatal flaw is HUBRIS, and she is by nature controlling and condescending, and her character had the chance to GROW and CHANGE, and it would have been the most epic character growth sequel but she did not and she is CONTROLLING, DISMISSIVE , DEMEANING.

The newest Read Riordan entry literally has Annabeth saying that she needs to catch up to Percy cause he scores a better grade than her in school (even there Percy is smarter folks there you have it) and she literally says if she doesn't catch up Percy might start calling her SEAWEED BRAIN. So it is a demeaning nickname she gives Percy and continues calling him that even after knowing how Gabe similarly verbally abused Percy.

This is the fandom's IT couple? Wow. Percy literally is going against his own nature of being free and unrestrained like the sea because of Annabeth's controlling nature.

The worst of her behavior is when she blames Percy for his disappearance when she dismissed him when he was talking about his trauma induced by Gabe, her beyond toxic treatment of Rachel, especially when she unreasonably asked Percy to supress the use of the very power that got them out alive (she is scared naturally but she cannot force her own fear on Percy when he did nothing wrong).

So yeah, Percy Jackson with anyone but Annabeth. I am all for aromantic Percy, but personally, I find Perachel to be more appealing.

Trust me, I could rant about this for hours, especially how Rick butchered Percy's personality and made it full of Annabeth, especially how he threw Percy's insecurities and trauma and PTSD out of the gutter post tartarus.

[sweethischier]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

Word Count: 7k

Summary: Back in Jersey, you poured all of your attention into your new internship and tried to forget about everything that happened in Switzerland. A bad date leads to you confronting the one person you had been avoiding, and you were left with a choice

Warnings: angst (lots of it), cursing, reader has a date with a shitty guy, heavy make out sesh at the end

Note: Thank you guys for all of the love and support on this series. It truly means the world to me. This is for all of you.

Series Masterlist.

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐍 was supposed to be fun, a time for you to let loose and forget about the worries of your life back in Jersey, but this year was different. Ever since you arrived at the familiar house, all you could think about was what happened in Switzerland. What happened with Nico. He plagued your every thought more than he ever had before, and it was hindering your ability to fully enjoy your time with the people who had always been able to bring you out of your shell. You hated it.

Jack noticed the second he picked you up that something was off, and he tried talking to you about it a few times, but his efforts were in vain. You always found a way to change the subject, or it seemed as if fate was on your side and someone always interrupted him. When he asked Charlie about it, she would simply tell him that it wasn’t her story to tell and that you would tell him when you were ready to. Though Jack had never been one that took pride in his patience and he was seconds away from asking Nico himself, but that idea faded the moment he saw you sitting by yourself late at night.

It was nearly eleven when you managed to slip out of the back door undetected, wood creaking beneath your feet as you walked to the end of the boat dock. Trevor’s incessant flirting had particularly overwhelmed you earlier that night, and you needed to get away before you let your emotions get the best of you and said things you didn’t mean. The last thing you wanted to do was sour the mood more than you already had, especially given your time at the lakehouse was much shorter than years prior. 

The sound of footsteps approaching you echoed off the quiet water, but you kept your gaze in front of you and paid your expected visitor no mind. You admired the way the moon was cast across the lake, the way the water rippled with each passing breeze, letting the sounds of nature soothe the nauseating anxiety that was constantly washing over you. You didn’t need to turn to see who it was that took the spot next to you. You could tell by his walk.

“Hey,” You mumble, voice tired and flat.

“Hey,” He breathes out, his eyes staying trained on the side of your face, “Can you please tell me what’s bothering you? You’ve been off all week and I don’t know why. I’m assuming it has something to do with Nico, and it had to have been bad judging by how you’ve been acting.”

You squeeze your eyes shut, keeping the welling tears at bay as your body shudders in the crisp Michigan air. Jack quickly notes your subtle shift in emotions, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his side as he peers down at you with worried eyes. Your hands stay grasping the wood so tightly that you can feel it cutting into your skin, but not even the slight pain from that compared to what you had been feeling over the last week.

“What did he do,” Jack tries again, delicately speaking your name as if saying it too harshly would push you over your breaking point.

“Nothing,” You finally whisper, loosening your grip on the dock to wrap an arm around his waist, “He didn’t do anything, Jack. It’s just– It’s a lot right now. I’m so overwhelmed with everything. My internship, the apartment lease, going out into the ‘real world’. Everything’s changing and it’s a little scary.”

You had never lied to Jack before, your friendship thriving on the ability to always be honest with each other no matter what, but this was different. Jack had always been fiercely protective of you, especially when it came to boys mistreating you, and the absolute last thing you wanted to do was cause a potential rift between himself and his captain. You would eventually get over Nico’s mistreatment towards you, but the same couldn't be said about your grudge-holding friend. 

“So, Nico didn’t do anything,” He carefully presses, not believing you in the slightest.

“No,” You shake your head, “We kissed once but we both agreed we’re better off as friends.”

Jack still didn’t believe you, not even for a second, but he didn’t try to force the truth out of you. If you were keeping whatever had really happened from him, he knew you must’ve had a good reason to do so. Instead, he was going to focus on putting you in a better mood because he, and everyone else, wanted you to have fun before going back home. 

𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

Being back home allowed you to throw everything into your internship, leaving little time to think about Nico and the events of your trip. You found yourself picking up any extra work or projects that they offered to you so that you could keep your mind busy while you were home. You knew that if you let yourself relax for too long, you would start overthinking everything that had happened between you and Nico, and you would begin to wonder if any of it was real to him.

When the season neared and the team started up their usual gatherings after a long summer, your attendance was scarce. Nearly every time an invite was extended to you, you declined with whatever excuse you could think of. Your presence, or lack thereof, didn’t go unnoticed by anyone, and several girls and guys alike had tried to reach out to you, but you gave them the same excuse. ‘Just busy with the internship’. No one believed you, especially not those who had seen you and Nico in Switzerland together, but they kept their lips sealed. At least they did when it came to you. When it came to pressing the matter with Nico, that was another story entirely.

You knew you couldn’t avoid Nico forever, not with him playing on the same team as your best friend, but you wanted to prolong it as long as you possibly could. You weren’t ready to face him, to face the reality that you had been nothing but a meaningless fling to him when it meant everything to you. It was easy to avoid get-togethers that you knew he would be at, but missing the home opener was out of the question not only in Jack’s mind but yours as well. Your support for him wasn’t going to be tainted just because you let yourself get hurt by his team captain. 

The boys ended up winning against the Red Wings by one, and despite how badly you wanted to go home immediately after, Jack had scored two goals and you wanted to congratulate him in person. You pushed the likelihood of seeing Nico to the very back of your mind as much as you could, choosing to put all your focus on Charlie as she boasted about her now, and finally, boyfriend. Talking to her and the other girls provided a welcome distraction from the nauseating anxiety forming in your chest, at least it did until you felt an all too familiar gaze on the side of your head.

The second Nico saw you standing with Charlie, it was like the loudness around him disappeared and you were all that was left standing. You were the only person who didn’t fade away with the rest of them, and it made him hurt. He watches the smile fall from your face and he knows that it was his fault, that you knew he had seen you and your once light mood was now dull and empty. No matter how badly he wanted to pull you away, to plead for your forgiveness and make a million promises that he would go to the ends of the earth to keep, he turned away and joined the group of people furthest from you. He kept his distance until you were gone, an act that absolutely no one missed. When he went home that night, he felt worse than he had when he left you alone in his bed that morning. 

Seeing Nico after the game sent you into a spiral of complicated and confusing feelings. You weren’t sure if you were happy that he stayed away from you and that he didn’t try to even glance in your direction, or if you were disappointed that he acted like you weren’t there at all. You had told yourself that him ignoring you was for the best, but you had yet to actually convince yourself of that. Deep down, a small part of you wished he had said something. Whether it was something as simple as a hello or the apology you’d been dreaming of for the last two months, you just desperately wanted to hear his voice again even if it brought you more pain than relief.

As the days came and went, it was more often than not that Nico occupied your thoughts no matter how much you tried to keep yourself busy. Your focus would drift into the fantasy you had before everything happened, lingering possibilities of what could’ve been if he hadn’t completely abandoned you after admitting that everything the two of you had been skirting around for years was true. At least, he led you to believe it was. Endless scenarios and wishful thinking would plague even your dreams, leaving you to wonder if you were ever going to get past this as long as he was somehow involved in your life. You knew letting yourself dwell in your own hand-crafted hell was going to bring you more heartache, so you decided that you were going to try and move on. No matter how much it hurt. 

When you agreed to go on a date with the man in front of you, the last thing you expected was for it to be this awful. After he had picked you up at your apartment and sent you a text letting you know he was in his car waiting, you tried to brush it off and give him the benefit of the doubt. It was raining, after all. You hadn’t even made it the entire twenty-five minute car ride of him talking about nothing but himself before you were ready to go back home and watch trashy TV for the rest of the night. He never once asked you about yourself, and he didn’t even open the car door when you pulled up to a bar. Of all places to go on a first date, a bar wasn’t exactly that high on your list, and by the time you had sat down, you were already devising a plan to get you out of there as soon as possible. 

“Sup,” Jack’s voice came through the speaker as you stood in the bathroom stall.

“Hey, are you busy,” You ask, trying to keep your tone calm and steady in order to not worry him. While you weren’t in any danger, you were insanely frustrated and Jack had always been a frantic worrier. 

“No, but I’m in Minnesota with the team. Everything okay?” You can hear the voices in the background slowly fade until they were almost gone, and you knew he had stepped away from everyone. 

“Shit, I forgot about that,” You groaned, letting your forehead fall into the palm of your free hand, “Everything’s fine. I’m just on the worst date possible with no way home since he drove me here. Charlie’s out of town for work and it’s raining too hard for me to walk to the train, so I’m stuck. I’ll be fine, though. I think I can make it through the night.”

“Absolutely not,” Jack scoffed as if it were him who had been subjected to your date the whole night, “I’ll see if someone can come get you, okay?”

“Jack no—”

“Sorry, you’re cutting out,” He yells over you, “Talk to you later, love you, bye!”

The line disconnects immediately after, leaving you stunned as you pull your phone away from your face. Realistically, you should’ve expected that from him. He never asked you to give him a reason when you needed a sudden escape plan, and he never would. The second he heard you needed his help, he was immediately in action to free you from whatever situation you were in. Slipping your phone back into your purse, you lightly shook your head as you stepped back into the empty bathroom and washed your hands before heading back out to Brad. 

You can practically hear Jack’s voice ringing in your ears now. “Why the hell would you go on a date with someone named Brad?”

When you got back to your table, he was so focused on his friend, who just so happened to show up, that he didn’t even notice you had sat in the seat. You decided against saying something to him, letting him do whatever seemed more important to him while you sat there in silence. Not even the sound of your phone going off was enough to gain his attention again. You let out an unamused chuckle as you pulled your phone out to see a text from Jack telling you that your rescuer was on his way. When you asked who he was, all he sent you in return was a smiley face.

Your eyes kept darting to the door every time it opened, hope filling your veins that it was your savior before it was snuffed out when you didn’t recognize whoever it had been. By some miracle, Brad eventually realized that he had brought you out with him, but it was only to let you know that he was going to step away to play ‘a quick round of pool’ with his buddy. He either didn’t notice, or he didn’t care about the harsh tone of your voice when you responded because he walked away without another word. 

The sound of the main door opening again, briefly letting the claps of thunder echo throughout the bar unfiltered, pulled your annoyed stare away from your date. Once your eyes settled on the new patron, you nearly choked on your own tongue. Nico stepped into the dimly lit bar, his hair and clothes damp and stuck to his skin from the rain. His eyes were bouncing from person to person, swimming with worry until they finally found you sitting alone at a table with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

Of all the people you had expected Jack to send to your rescue, Nico was so far down the list that he might as well not have been on it. You knew that he was currently out with a concussion and subsequently wasn’t traveling with the team, but the idea of him showing up never even crossed your mind. Not even for a second. Seeing him made your head spin and your mouth go dry, your heart nearly beating out of your chest as time around you seemed to still and Nico finally made the move to approach you.

“Shit,” You muttered to yourself, forcing your eyes away from Nico to nervously glance back at Brad. Unsurprisingly, he was far too engrossed in his ‘quick game of pool’ to bother looking back at you.

Nico’s never felt so nervous in his entire life. Not when he was getting drafted, not when he played his first NHL game, not when he became captain, not even when the Devils were going into the playoffs for the first time in five years. None of those compared to the skin-crawling anxiety he was feeling now as he gets closer to you, his eyes staying trained on you even after you look away from him.

“Hey,” His voice rumbles when he’s finally standing less than two feet away from you, his hands shoved into his pockets.

You meet his gaze, swallowing thickly before you take in his slightly disheveled appearance. It looked like he had quite literally rolled out of bed and thrown on whatever was closest to him. He was wearing wrinkled gray sweats, a loose-fitting, slightly dirty t-shirt, and a black puffer jacket that had droplets of rain rolling down the sleeves and onto the floor. His hair that was stuck to his forehead had been attempted to be pushed back, but a few strands had made their way back into his face in a way that you had always found to be cute.

“Hi,” You meekly greeted, and suddenly you feel like the same eighteen-year-old girl who stood in Andy Greene’s living room as she saw twenty-year-old Nico Hischier for the first time. “Jack call you?”

“He did,” Nico clears his throat, letting his eyes rake over you to take in your outfit.

You were wearing a shirt he hadn’t seen before paired with a skirt he knew was something you only ever wore when you were going out, but he was still unsure of exactly what it was that you were out doing. Jack made a point of avoiding the question when he asked, so Nico had no choice but to let his mind wander to every possibility he could think of. When he walked in, he didn’t see any of your friends standing around or at the bar, and he knew they wouldn’t ever leave you alone if they were there. The only other reasonable explanation he could think of was that you were on a date, and the idea alone made him sick to his stomach.

“He didn’t tell me what was going on,” He nods, awkwardly shifting his weight on his heels, “Only that you needed a ride.”

“Of course, he didn’t,” You shake your head in mock annoyance, “It doesn’t matter, anyways. I just want to go home.” 

Nico kisses his teeth, desperately wanting to ask for more information, but he’s smart enough to keep his questions to himself. After everything he had done, the last thing you owed him was any sort of explanation into your personal life. In fact, he considered himself lucky on the fact alone that he was still standing there and you had yet to tell him to fuck off.

”We should probably hurry,” Nico suggests just as a loud clap of thunder rips through the building, “The rain’s only going to get worse.”

While being in Nico’s presence wasn’t necessarily something you wanted to do, you dreaded the idea of being subjected to any more of Brad’s treatment, or lack thereof, more. You gave him a curt nod before grabbing your purse from the chair next to you and following him to the exit without so much as a glance back to your abandoned date. 

Nico shrugs his jacket off his shoulders as he stands near the door, silently, and nervously, holding it out for you to take. You swallow thickly as you glance between him and the jacket, mouth slightly drying as your mouth drops open in an attempt to form the right words to say. Your hesitation was clearly etched on your face, but Nico wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“It’s cold and raining outside, and you’re wearing a white shirt,” Nico points out, his eyes pleading as he slightly extends his arm further towards you, “Just take the jacket, please.”

“Fine,” You mumble, eyes dropping to the floor before grasping the material in your hand.

As you shrugged the jacket on, keeping your purse underneath it, you quickly recognized the familiar scent of his cologne that faintly lingered on the nylon and you freeze in place. The intoxicating smell dizzies you, bringing forth a flash of memories you wanted to forget ever happened. You had tried so hard for so long to scrub your mind of every time Nico pulled you into his chest, of every time he kissed you, and knowing that all it took was a vague reminder of a scent to unravel everything frustrated you to no end. You had gone out tonight to move on from Nico, not be shoved all the way back to square one.

You hear Nico quietly call your name, his tone soft and careful, forcing you out of your thoughts and back to reality. You involuntarily meet his eyes, like you always do, and you take a deep breath, the rise and fall of your chest being almost invisible from his jacket swallowing you. He was looking at you like he always had before, but this time there was something else swimming within the depths of his dark irises that was unreadable, unrecognizable, and it confused you. 

“Let’s go,” You say, hoping he missed the way your breathing faltered.

Nico opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but he remains silent instead. He pushes the door open and you were instantly met with the torrential downpour that had been going on for the last hour. You step around him, briefly pausing as you mentally prepare yourself to step out into the rain, but the feeling of Nico’s hand on the small of your back breaks your stream of focus.

“C’mon,” He simply instructs, gently pushing you out of the bar.

His hand stays on you as he carefully but promptly guides you down the sidewalk, cold and heavy droplets of rain pelting every surface of your skin they could find. No matter how many times you wiped at your eyes, water clouded your vision, making it harder for you to keep track of where, or even how far, you had to walk. It didn’t help that nearly half the street lights were broken, only the signs and windows from the businesses providing any sort of light around you.

As Nico’s car finally comes into your field of vision, you take the opportunity to quicken your pace so that his hand falls from your body. You hear the soft beeps from him unlocking his car, and you waste no time slipping into the car before you slam the door closed behind you. Your breathing is heavy as you close your eyes and press the back of your head into the seat, allowing yourself a few seconds of peace before he’s right next to you. Just him. Just you. In his car.

Neither of you say anything to the other as he starts the car. You don’t trust yourself to pretend like nothing had happened between the two of you, and Nico doesn’t trust himself to keep everything he had been thinking to himself. You clasp your hands in your lap, keeping your gaze in front of you as your body shudders from the rain that soaked through your clothes. Nico worldlessly reaches to his center console and turns your seat warmer without sparing a glance in your direction before he puts his car into drive.

The tension that filled the small space was so thick and palpable that it was nearly suffocating. You tried to busy your mind by watching the streets pass by, but you couldn’t even do that. The rain was coming down so harshly and so quickly that it made everything through the window appear as if it were a blurry, wet oil painting; all of the colors bleeding together as they ran down the glass.

Despite the best efforts of Nico’s wipers, they were doing almost nothing as he coasted down the road at no more than thirty miles per hour. Every rapid swipe at the windshield lasted all of half a second before it became hazy all over again, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t getting a little scared. While you wanted to put faith in Nico to get you home safely, you knew that it wasn’t smart for anyone to be driving in these kinds of conditions.

“Nico, you can barely see the road,” You worriedly point out, eyes squinting as you try to make out any of the pavement in front of you.

“I know,” He grits out, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white, “My apartment is one block over. We’ll just go there until the rain lets up.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. 

Being alone with him in his car was bad enough, but going back to his apartment? That’s an entirely different situation that you’re not sure you could survive. 

Your heart was racing. You felt like your throat was closing in on itself. Your stomach was twisting itself into knots. Your mind was running a mile a minute, trying to think of any possible way to get you out of this, but your efforts were futile. Even if it weren’t for the weather, there was no one you knew you could call to get you away from facing the one person you’d spent the last two months avoiding. All you could do was hope and pray that Nico would treat you the same way he had been. Like you didn’t exist.

By the time Nico was pulling into his parking garage, you managed to calm yourself down enough to outwardly appear indifferent. You sloppily folded your anxiety and locked it in a box somewhere in your chest, but you knew it wouldn’t stay there for long. Especially never did when Nico was involved.

He glances at you when he puts his car in park, watching as you pick at the ends of your skirt and bite at your bottom lip. Habits you picked up when you were trying to appear calm when you were anything but. Every part of him wanted to reach out to you, to take your hand in his own and tell you that everything was okay, but he knew better than anyone that that was a lie. After all, it was his own irrational decision that put the two of you in the position you were in.

You were the first one to get out of his car, wanting to escape the overwhelming apprehension that was hanging in the air. You let the car door shut behind you, filling your lungs with as much air as you could before letting it out in one long breath. You wanted to attempt to keep your emotions regulated until you were able to put distance back between the two of you and you could break down in solitude. After all, if he’d had any interest in what you were truly feeling, he wouldn’t have put the two of you in the position you were in. 

“‘M sorry about your seat,” You hushedly apologize as you come around the back of the car to follow beside him.

“No worries. It happens,” He awkwardly assures you as he passes you a small smile, though you weren’t looking at him.

You hear Nico let out an almost inaudible sigh as he starts walking, making you knit your brows together in confusion, but you quickly shake it off and catch up to him. The material of his jacket rubbing against itself was the only sound that could be heard between the two of you while you made your way up to his apartment. It was uncomfortable, sticky, and awkward in a drastically different way than you were used to.

When you finally reached his apartment, he remained quiet as he pushed the door open for you to pass through, but this time you were brave enough to meet his eye. The expression on his face was unreadable, almost like he wasn’t even sure what he was thinking himself, and a part of you wanted to ask him. To pull out all of the information you had spent countless hours losing sleep over. However, you say nothing as you slip his jacket off, step out of your shoes, and move away from him.

“Do you want anything to drink,” His voice roughly slices through the silence, pulling your attention towards him as he hovers behind you.

“I’m fine,” You deny, forcing a tight-lipped smile to your face, “Thank you, though.”

He nods in response, turning to walk towards the kitchen before he comes to an abrupt halt. You watch the sharp rise and fall of his shoulders, and suddenly there’s a heavy feeling in your chest. Nico turns to you with a look of determination on his face as he takes a few steps in your direction, stopping when there are only a few feet between you. Your eyes are wide, nerves burning at your skin as you wait in nauseating anticipation for his next move.

“Were you on a date,” Nico breathes out.

His question visibly caught you off guard, but you answer him anyway. “I was.”

“That’s good,” He responds almost instantly, but his tone of voice contradicted his sentiment. It was hard and strained, almost like the words were getting stuck in his throat. 

“It is,” You let out, not bothering to hide the slight annoyance laced in your words.

“Yeah,” He swallows, “It’s good that you’re uh– That you’re dating and stuff.”

You can’t help but let out a dry laugh, but you also can’t stop the frustrated tears from lining your eyes either. His blatant apathy towards you being on a date all but confirmed everything you had been telling yourself since you left Switzerland. 

“Good to know you think so,” You jeer, “Not sure why I expected anything else.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” He quickly tries, your name falling from his lips like a desperate plea, “I’m happy to see you getting out there after what happened between us.” Lie. Nico hated it. He hated it more than he hated anything in the entire world.

“Are you joking right now,” You incredulously ask, narrowing your eyes at him, “Do you even care?”

“Of course I do,” He rushes out, throwing his hands up, “But we both need to move on.”

The last two words rang in your ears, your head pounding and jaw clenching as you held back a flood of tears. The last thing you wanted to was let him see how much everything truly affected you. Even more so when it seemed to have none on him at all.

“Then please. Please tell me how to move on,” You beg, looking at him through bleary eyes, “Tell me how to stop loving you. Tell me how to stop caring about you. Tell me what I need to do to spare myself any more heartbreak, Nico. Because I’m trying, but it’s not easy! It’s not easy to let go of someone you’ve held onto for years wishing they would come around. It’s not easy letting go after you thought all those wishes came true, only to find out it was all a lie.”

Silence hung in the air around you for far longer than you were comfortable with. Your shoulders deflated, your eyes casting to the floor as your brain battled with your heart. You should’ve known better; you should’ve known that saying something like that wasn’t going to change anything, but you had to try. You needed him to understand that you were trying to give him what you thought he wanted. 

“It wasn’t a lie,” He finally whispers, his voice wavering and unsteady as he keeps his gaze on you, “None of it was a lie.”

“Bullshit,” You scoff, shaking your head in disbelief, “That’s fucking bullshit!”

“It’s not,” He stresses with unshed tears shining in his eyes, “It’s real. All of it. I mean everything that I said and did.”

You don’t miss the way he says everything in the present tense like he still meant it, but you refuse to accept that as an answer. “Do you really expect me to believe that after you left me alone after we had sex? After you left with no explanation and then ignored me for months?”

“No, I don’t,” Nico admits, screwing his eyes closed as he lets out a heavy breath, “I don’t expect that at all, but I had a reason.”

“A reason? What reason,” You sneer, stepping forward so there is only a fraction of space between you, “What reason could you possibly give for ghosting me?”

“I–,” He pauses, sighing as he runs a hand through his hair, “Please, understand that it wasn’t you. It was–”

“Nico, I swear to God if you say the words ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ I will walk out of that door into the pouring rain and never speak to you again.”

“It is me,” He yells, his voice is desperate and thick with emotion, “It is! Your career, your life, is just starting, and you deserve someone who can be there for you every step of the way. You deserve someone that can always be with you to celebrate your accomplishments no matter how big or small they are, and I don’t know if I can give that to you. I’m gone so much, and even when I am home, I don’t know that I’d be able to be there as often as you deserve.”

“It was never your place to decide what I do and don’t deserve, Nico! And it especially wasn’t right for you to assume that I wasn’t okay with what you can give me,” You snark, angry, thick tears spilling down your cheeks, “My best friend has been playing hockey since I’ve known him. I know how busy your life can get. It was never a problem for me, and if you think it was, you never really knew me at all. I would’ve done anything to make things work with you.”

Nico stood there in silence, not knowing exactly what he was supposed to say. He felt the twinge he’s had in his chest since he left you worsen to the point where it was almost unbearable. He could tell you were giving up the longer he stayed quiet, but, for the second time in his life, he was clueless. There wasn’t anything he could say to fix what he’d broken, but there was one thing he did know. He would do anything to make things work with you, too. If you’d let him.

“I think I should just go,” You mumble, gnawing on the inside of your cheek, “Thank you for picking me up, but I’ll find another ride home.”

Before you were able to turn around, Nico’s hand reached out to grasp your wrist and gently tug you into his hold. You let out a startled yelp as your palm flies to his chest, keeping yourself from face-planting into it. Your heartbeat increases tenfold as you stare at the material of his damp dark blue shirt, not trusting yourself to meet his eye. You knew that the moment you did, it would be over for you. You would be putty in his hands all over again.

“You’re right,” He quietly says, dropping your hand to cradle your jaw in his palm. He delicately tilts your chin so that you have to look at him. “It wasn’t up to me, and I’m sorry I took that choice from you. I thought I was doing a good thing that day, but I was wrong and I will spend every second of every day making that up to you.”

You peered at Nico through your lashes, tears steadily falling down your cheeks in a constant stream as you choke out, “How will I ever know if you’re telling the truth?”

Nico felt his heart shatter inside of his chest. It was a question he should’ve seen coming, yet he wasn’t prepared with an answer. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure there even was an answer to that. 

“I don’t know, baby,” The nickname slips through his lips by pure accident, but he doesn’t take it back, “I wish I could tell you. I wish I could go back in time and take that morning back, but I can’t. All I can do is wish that you let me spend the rest of my life proving how much I love you.”

“You love me?” Your words come out in a gasp. 

You knew taking his word was a gamble, that you would be putting your already tattered heart on the line for him again. Were you willing to take that risk? Were you willing to give Nico the chance to prove himself to you? Or was the possibility he meant it worth the chance of putting yourself in the same position you had been in for the last two and a half months? Despite the sense of dread that was still lingering in the back of your mind, you knew what your answer was.

“I do,” He softly smiles, his thumb brushing at your cheek, “I love you.”

“Nico,” You whisper, shuffling forward to make the already small gap between the two of you even smaller, “I love you, too. I have for a long time, but this isn’t going to be easy for me.”

“I know,” He frowns, “I’m ready to work for it and prove how much you mean to me. If you’ll let me.”

You stand on your toes, brushing your nose against his own as your eyes flutter closed. You can feel Nico’s hesitation to make the first move in the way his hand was tensing against your cheek, so you do it for him. Your hands slide up his chest, looping around his neck as you close the last millimeter of space between your lips. 

Nico’s reaction was instantaneous, the hand that was cradling your jaw slipping to cup the back of your head and deepen the painstakingly desperate kiss. His other hand is flat against your back, pulling you even further into his chest as his hot mouth moves against yours, unyielding and full of the kind of desire that you’d been chasing since that night in his bedroom. You’re kissing him with fervent need, you’re fingers tracing the nape of his neck until the were wound in his hair, delicately  tugging at the roots.

A groan rumbles against your mouth, and you take the opportunity to take the kiss to the next level by slipping your tongue into his mouth. Nico’s hands drop to cup the backs og your thighs, giving them a gentle squeeze as a signal for you to wrap your legs around his waist, which you do without question. 

He carefully walks you towards his overly expensive dining room table, carefully settling you onto the cool, thick piece of glass without breaking away from you. You use the leverage you have on him to slot him further between you, and you can feel his bulge pressing against the inside of your thigh. Nico’s hands hesitantly push up the material of your shirt, the tips of his fingers dragging against your sides in a way that send a shiver down your spine. 

“Nico,” You breathe out, “Take me to your bedroom, please.”

He pulls way from you, his eyes stormy with reluctance, “Are you sure? I want to do this right. I don’t want you to think you have to d–”

“Nico,” You repeat, cutting him off, “None of this has been done the right way, and I want to. I really really want to.”

That was all he needed to hear before he was reattaching his lips to yours and walking you down to his room.

Quiet pants echo off Nico’s walls as you lay against his naked chest, his skin damp with a combination of sweat and remnants of the rain you had endured not that long ago. You traced the curves and dips of the muscles on his torso as your mind began to drift into the same place it had been before now that the high of emotions began to die down. What if this was all a ruse to get you back into his bed? What if Nico knew that all he had to say was a few words and you would be at his will all over again?

Nico hadn’t taken his eyes off of you for the last five minutes, and he quickly notices your shift in demeanor. Your brows were scrunched together and you were chewing on the inside of your cheek, both being habits you developed when you were thinking too hard. He had an idea of what was going on, and he was determined to stop it before you convinced yourself of the last thing he wanted you to believe.

“Hey,” Nico calls out, tightening his hold on your waist, “Tell me what’s going through your head.”

Nico’s voice brings forth an involuntary rush of tears to your eyes, your body shuddering under his hold as you squeeze your eyes closed. A wave of panic washes over Nico, his mind kicking into overdrive in search of what he was supposed to do. Your name tumbles from his lips, strangled and broken as he searches your face.

“I’m sorry,” You sniffle, bringing your hand up to your face, “I’m just–”

“Scared,” He finishes for you, swallowing thickly.

“Yeah,” You weakly nod against him, “I’m scared. I wish I wasn’t, but I am. I know you had your reasons, even if it doesn’t make sense to me, but what if you find another reason to– To leave.”

“I won’t,” He urges, his fingers pressing into the flesh of your hip, “I know what I say doesn’t mean a lot, but I will do whatever it takes to show you. If down the line, you don’t think you’ll ever believe it, I’ll let you go. If that’s what you end up wanting, I’ll do it no matter how much I don’t. You’re worth the work,  and so much more.” While both of you knew it was going to take a lot more than a heated confession of love to fix everything, Nico was more than willing to spend every waking moment proving that he wants you. He’ll worship you the way he always wanted to. He’ll treat you the way he always thought you deserved to be treated. He’ll reassure you that he was insanely and undeniably in love with you for as long as you’d have him, and you would let him. After all, you weren’t going to miss out on the opportunity that all of your wishes came true. For real this time.

[starryriize]

any nicholas fluff thoughts pls 🥺 ppl often depict him as some kind of tsundere bc of his looks but he's actually such a sweetheart and the members have said he's a genuinely kind and caring person. he said he even tried smiling more growing up so that people wouldn't find him so intimidating oh i want to protect him with my life 😭

delulu thoughts | nico

╰┈ ⋆｡˚ 🪼genre: fluff!!

╰┈ ⋆｡˚ 🪼author’s note: i agree nonnie 🫶🏼 he deserves the world!! anyways, i hope you enjoy this love :(( hehee i giggled while writing this 🤭

🫧laur’s taglist: @chiiyuuvv @kehnarii

⋆⑅˚₊ the type of bf to have a small smile as he watches you work! or just the look of love when he sees you do anything :((

⋆⑅˚₊ plays piano for you and sometimes puts on music as he takes your hands, leading you in a slow dance in the living room (stop he would do this idc)

⋆⑅˚₊ the type to pout but smile when you call him cute!! he knows that he can come off with the vibes of "big scary dog" but like most big dogs, he's a total softie 🥹

⋆⑅˚₊ strikes me as the type to pick you up randomly and just give you big hugs!! he gets all smiley while hugging you too :((

⋆⑅˚₊ when you feel sad, he's by your side in a comfortable silence as he gives you a reassuring look 🫶🏼 words aren’t always necessary when his eyes speak a thousand words to you

⋆⑅˚₊ “why did you do that?” and “because i care” type of relationship!! he cares so much about you that he always remembers the tiniest details about you :((

⋆⑅˚₊ he’d take you on really cute dates and a lot of them are pure fun!! would buy the matching souvenirs and play games for you so he can win you the biggest prize 😌

⋆⑅˚₊ the type to always reach for your hand!! he just loves knowing that you’re his makes him feel like he saved a world in his past life🥹🫶🏼

⋆⑅˚₊ loves it when you play with his hair and let him lay down on your lap :((( it’s so comforting to him, especially after a long day in the practice room

⋆⑅˚₊ when you dress up together for a fancy occasion and you tell him that everyone's staring at him because he looks so handsome, he replies, "no love, they're staring at you." (argh stop i'm giggling even thinking about this) 🤭

⋆⑅˚₊ the type of romance that you only read about and used to dream of having! he entered your life and made you believe in true love :( the way he puts you first no matter what too :(( please it's so incredibly sweet

⋆⑅˚₊ his friends most definitely tease him when they catch him staring at you so lovingly, saying things like, "nico, when are you going to propose??" and he just stops. he secretly knows that you're definitely the one for him.

⋆⑅˚₊ often asks you why you love him because he fears that his intimidating looks might cause you to leave one day, but you always reassure him 🥹 you love him for who he is and that he has the most genuine soul and a pure heart :((

⋆⑅˚₊ he regales you with stories of his childhood and his time on i-land as you listen to each and every tale!! and then asks about your childhood while he's giggling at every word you say 😭 (he's so cute pls)

⋆⑅˚₊ KARAOKE DATES!!! hear me out when i say that he loves nostalgia and fun like...the carefree vibes! when you start dancing while singing off-key, he bursts out laughing, and at this point, both of you are just enjoying the vibes 😭😌

⋆⑅˚₊ when you're sad, he's holding you tight and letting you cry on his shirt! he's willing to listen if you want to and he holds your hands to reassure you that he's not going anywhere! through thick and thin, he'll be by your side 🫶🏼 (he gives forehead kisses too)

⋆⑅˚₊ overall, a green flag!! he's a gentleman and kind-hearted so please don't ever break his heart <3

🫧join laur's taglist!