Angst upon angst upon angst. I am so sorry.
::
He's tired and irritated and he just wants to sleep.
But he doesn't.
He doesn't think he can.
knock knock knock
Who knew a knock could break your heart?
He gets off the couch to answer the door, wondering who could possibly be at his apartment at two in the morning.
He throws it open and his eyes widen.
He doesn't think he's ever seen someone look so broken.
"He's dead."
There's only one person that she could be talking about, but he can't focus on that now.
Not when Annabeth Chase is standing on his doorstep looking like she's about to fall apart. And honestly, it kind of terrifies him.
If the strongest of them all breaks, is there any hope for him?
Nico doesn't think so.
::
"What happened?"
She ignores his question. "I know you loved him too."
Out of all the things he was expecting to hear, that was not one of them.
"That's why I came here. It's not the same...but you understand better than anyone else."
He nods, the news beginning to sink in.
His eyes fill and he blinks furiously, tucking an arm around Annabeth as she crumbles.
"I'm sorry."
It's the only thing he can think of to say and he knows it's not enough. It will never be enough.
He may have loved him just as much as she did, but Percy loved Annabeth too.
...and that makes all the difference, he thinks.
::
He was the bravest man Nico had ever known.
And now he's gone.
Isn't it kind of ironic that Percy saved the Gods a dozen times, but they couldn't save him once?
He thinks it's kind of disgusting.
::
"Annabeth?"
The blonde doesn't answer and he begins to get worried.
She hasn't left his apartment since she arrived and he can usually see her curled on the couch.
But he can't right now.
And that scares him.
He had finally gotten her to talk about what happened and he understood why she was so inconsolable.
They had been visiting Camp Half-Blood. Hellhounds attacked and Percy did what he always did before. He jumped in front of Annabeth when one of the monsters leaped at her. He was dead a minute later.
Nico thinks he sees the guilt in her eyes growing with every hour, but he can't seem to think of anything that will fix it.
Except the one thing he can't give her.
Except Percy.
::
The longer he goes without sight of Annabeth, the more terrified he gets.
He searched his entire apartment twice, a dark feeling of dread in his chest the whole time.
He checks the hallway again and finds it empty (he figured as much) but the stairs catch his eye.
The dark feeling gets a little bigger and he takes the steps two at a time, running as fast as he can to get to the roof.
The door slams shut behind him as he steps onto the concrete and feels his heart stop.
"Annabeth? What are you doing?"
The blonde doesn't turn away from the edge of the building. She just laughs, a noise that sounds far too dark to come from someone as bright as the daughter of Athena.
"I know it hurts, but you can't do this, Annabeth."
She rounds on him angrily, her gray eyes blazing. "Why not? He did! He left and he's not coming back! We aren't kids anymore, Nico! There's no amount of praying or ambrosia that can fix this!"
Her shoulders slump as she screams herself hoarse and he feels himself grow cold when she shakes her head. "We aren't kids anymore. We were supposed to have outgrown monsters and battles. We were supposed to be done with giving up everything for parents that don't give a darn about us. I guess that was a lie too."
"Annabeth... please. I can't lose you too."
He's practically begging now, chancing a step closer to her.
She blinks, her usually stormy eyes astoundingly blank.
"I'm sorry."
And she jumps.
::
He is tired and desperate and he just wants to sleep.
He lost two of his best friends in the span of seven days.
He lost two people he loved.
Maybe he was always meant to be alone.
After all, he is the son of Hades.
::