I fell for the lord of the dead's son!
By The Graveyard Girl
A/N: Takes place after TLO.
"Well...Miss Stibbons. What have you to say for yourself?" Mr D asked in a bored tone, holding his diet coke to his lips and taking a small sip. I could tell he was angry. I would be too if someone did what I did for fun. But that's just it...I didn't do it for fun. I did it because I was simply bored.
My names Nikki Stibbons. I'm fifteen years old and a daughter of Hermes. I have curly, mahogany brown hair with matching mahogany brown eyes. I'm not like the rest of my cabin. They actually don't like me very much. I guess I'm a social-idiot. I've never been in one group for more than a week and the last time I was was before I came to Camp Half-blood. I guess I could say they hate me but to me...that's okay. I couldn't care any more or any less.
I was standing in Mr D's office because of the results of my latest prank. I had decided to replace the water in the showers with honey and as campers came running out of the shower, drenched in honey, I threw stacks of feathers at them. In my defence, it wasn't a very good prank. It was weak! Even an Aphrodite girl could have done it! And that's saying something! I've done worse in the past. Like the time I pretended to be dead and scared everyone at the 'funeral' by getting upright and shouting 'Why are you holding a flaming torch above my face?'
Or like the time I made that Ares kid lead his entire cabin into the forest and pretended to be a ghost. That was funny, though. Spears and swords flung everywhere.
I still didn't understand why this was the one that got me in trouble.
"Why only this prank? This is the only one I've been punished for! What about that-" I started to launch into the story of the time I pretended to be dead but Dionysus put his hand up to silence me.
"Spare me your silly little tales," He sighed. "Miss Stibbons. This is because of all your pranks."
"Oh..." I said out loud.
"I've had enough of people complaining about you!" He said it as if he actually cared but I knew he would never care.
"That last one was weak though! Even the dumbest campers could have pulled it off!" I protested.
"That may be so but it's rather annoying!" Mr D raised his voice causing me to back down and almost huddle into a small ball.
"Yes sir," I squeaked.
"I suppose I could turn you into a dolphin..." Mr D mulled it over.
"Please no!" I don't like dolphins.
"Or..."
"Or?" I asked eagerly.
"I suppose you could take up that position of Postmaster General of Camp..." Mr D sipped his diet coke.
"But no one wants that job! Its basically sitting in a shed and sorting through letters and packages then getting up early to give them to people who have been waiting ages for said letter or package!" I said out loud.
"Great! You know what your doing! Being the daughter of Hermes, it fits well," Mr D drank in the irony. "You shall start next week. When the summer campers start to arrive." And just like that, Mr D vanished in a puff of purple smoke that melt of grapes. I sighed and made my way out of his office. Chiron was starting the archery lessons now... Yay!...not. I suck at archery. Much better with a pair of knifes and a shield strapped to my arm.
I went past all the cabins and just sat there on a rock in the sunlight. The orange of my camp t-shirt reflected on to my skin, giving me an eerie orange glow from my tanned skin. How was I going to get out of this? If I don't then I'll be made a mockery off! I thought.
The last few days before the summer campers started arriving flew by. People started arriving in all different manners. That Percy kid I heard so much about came by hippocampi with his girlfriend, Annabeth, from the beach. Most kids came by car or van. A few Demeter kids arrived on a tractor but the most interesting and amusing was when one of them arrived on a sheep! I was beside myself laughing!
That first day was the day I got swamped with letters and packages. Some were from other campers to another camper and others were from parents (both mortal and immortal) to their children.
"Argh! How in Hades gym socks am I going to sort all these out in time?" I shouted inside my small little cubbyhole that was deemed the 'Camp Post Office'. "There are just too many!" Letters and parcels mountain above me." Somehow, three hours later, everythings sorted into bags.
"Delivery time, Nikki," Chiron calls from outside my cubbyhole.
"On my way, now, Chiron," I burst out.
"I found the old Postmaster cap. I suppose its Postmistress now," Chiron smiles.
"Thanks, Chiron," I take the hat and place it on my head. "How do I look?"
"Official," He grinned.
"Thanks. Well, off I go." I delivered to every cabin but Artemis, Hestia, Hera and Zeus for obvious reasons. The final cabin to deliver to was cabin thirteen. Right next to the Hermes cabin. Great...
"Hello?" I call as I knock on the door. "Package for a Nico Di Angelo. It's from the underworld." The door creaked open.
"Come in." A voice came from inside. "I'm decent."
"Good to know..." I said in my didn't-need-to-know voice. I stepped into the obsidian cabin.
"Hi. I'm Nico," A voice startled me from behind. I turned. A tan boy, about my age, with dark hair and eyes. Wow! I thought.
"Uuh..." I pulled out my clipboard and pen. "Sign here please." I handed them over. He signed a neat signature with curls and rigid lines. All of it screamed the words 'Nico Di Angelo'.
"There you go," He smiled. It was a dazzling smile. One I could never forget.
"Thanks," I put the clipboard and the pen away.
"Its Nikki, right?"
"Yeah. I'm Nikki Stibbons," I offered my hand. \he took it and shook it.
"I don't think I need an introduction now, do I," He asked with a smirk.
"Nope," I shook my head.
"Son of Hades," He acknowledged the cabin around us.
"Daughter of Hermes," I smile.
"I noticed. You wear a similar hat to his," He pointed at the hat.
"I suppose... Um.. I have to go now. Nice to meet you Nico," I called over my shoulder as I walked out the door.
"You too, Nikki," He called back. I sighed as I got back to the cubbyhole to drop off the bags. I seem to be floating on air. When I look down my shoes have sprouted wings! My favourite dark blue converses with black laces have sprouted pearly white wings.
"They'll useful, you know," A voice startles me for the second time today. This time a loving voice. One filled with emotion. I turn. Hermes in all his tracksuit glory stood before me.
"Useful?" I ask, surprised for two reasons.
"For the messenger job that Dionysus so kindly gave you," His gaze didn't look aside. I couldn't believe how alike we are. The same stance. The same smile.
"It was either that or be turned into a dolphin," I smile.
"Indeed. It is his animal. Even if it is a sea creature," Hermes smiled back. "I have to go now, Nikki. Remember: I love you." And he's gone. Just like that.
The next day is easier. Six parcels and twenty letters. Two letters and another parcel for cabin thirteen, Hades' cabin. The rest for the Aphrodite cabin (five letters, three parcels), Hephaestus cabin (three letters and two parcels), Ares cabin (one letter), Poseidon cabin (two letters), Athena cabin (six letters) and Apollo cabin (one letter).
"Hello? Nico? I've got two letters and another parcel for you," I call to the Hades kid.
"Behind you," I turn and bump into Nico. Letters go flying and I start to fall. I don't actually hit the ground because Nico's caught me. His hands around my waist and my nose inches from the ground. "Are you okay?" Nico asks me hurriedly. Just at that moment my nose lets go of a huge gush of blood.
"Yeah, I'm good. I don't think bloods meant to come from my nose but I'm good," I smile up at him.
"Why do you look so happy about having a nose bleed?" Nico knits his eyebrows in confusion.
"Because. Its funny. I don't feel a thing!" I smile some more.
"I'll be honest...It is funny," Nico grins at me. Oh wow! I'm in his arms and he's smiling at me! I don't know where those thoughts come from but I don't mind them. "You have a nice smile." He adds.
"Uh...Thank you," I'm stunned. He said my smile looks nice!
"Let me help you," He sets me down on a rock and pulls out a tissue from his pocket. "Keep that on your nose. I'll collect all the letters." He takes two minutes collecting and re-sorting the letters. "There. Now, lets get you to the infirmary." He puts the letters into my bag and helps me get up from the rock. I don't need support but he keeps his arm around my waist in case I fall again.
"Why are you floating?" Nico asks all of a sudden, bringing me back to reality. I look down. The wings have appeared from my converses.
"Maia!" I call at them. They disappear and I fall to the ground. Nico catches me. "Sorry. They seem to have a mind of their own." I blush sheepishly. His arms still around my waist. When we get to the infirmary, one of the Apollo kids usher us to one of the beds and place one hand on my nose.
"This may hurt a little," The Apollo kid smiles sweetly. It does hurt. It hurts me so much I start to cry. Damn! Girls look ugly when we cry! I scream in my mind. I try to stop making the faces a girl makes and cover my face. All the kid had to do was stop the blood!
"Its okay... Its just a bit of pain," The Apollo kid smirks.
"Thanks but I think you intended to hurt her," Nico looks at the kid angrily. The kid shuffles away in fear of the older boy.
"I'm used to it..." Nico puts a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.
"Its not something you should be used to," Nico whispers to my ear.
"Even my own cabin makes fun of me," I tell him.
"Why haven't you told Chiron?"
"Why should I bother? I have a bad reputation with him and Mr D. I cause trouble..."
"Bullying is serious. Even if you are the trickster of camp, he still has to take your words into consideration," Nico takes my hands from my face and cups my face in his hands. "You look fine now. A little red and splattered in blood but fine. Let me help you off the bed." He lifts me off with ease. He just holds me though. As if I've stunned him. He just stands there, me in his arms, looking down into my eyes. I stare back into his. Neither of us move.
"I think I should finish the deliveries..." I mumble.
"I'll come with you. Don't want you falling again, do we?" He smiles. His smile lifts up slightly in the corner. A cute and crooked smile.
"Nico?"
"Yes?"
"Can I have my bag back now?"
"Sure."
"Where is it?"
"Back at my cabin."
"That's nice."
"Yeah."
"Wait! What! We better go get it before something happens!"
The rest of the day we deliver the mail and ask each other questions.
"Favourite colour?" He asks me.
"Electric blue," I answer. "Yours?"
"Red," He answers. "Favourite book?"
"'Going Postal' by Terry Pratchett," I smile. "Yours?"
"Michael Mapurgo's 'Private Peaceful'," Nico replies. "Favourite food?"
"Dessert pizza."
"What's that?"
"Its pizza with marshmallow topping and instead of tomato purée on the base its chocolate spread."
"Sounds disgusting!"
"It's nice actually. What's your favourite food?"
"Cheeseburgers. Favourite movie?"
"Avatar. Yours?"
"I like Avatar too!"
"Cool!"
The day rolls away with constant questions. Even at dinner we ask each other questions. We sit next to each other at the camp fire. Chatting constantly. We learn so much about each other.
The next week, he's at my cubbyhole.
"Hi! Thought you'd like some help."
"Sure." I unlock the door and we walk in. There's more parcels than yesterday. Less letters but more parcels. It was easy to sort. We were done with the deliveries by noon.
"Wanna head down by the lake?" Nico jerks his thumb behind him. I nod, smiling.
"Let me go get my swimming stuff and I'll be right there." I rush off to my cabin.
"Look. Its the freak!" One of my brothers laugh as I rush by. I get changed into my electric blue tankini and wrap a towel around my waist. I step into my blue flip-flops and climb out the window. I almost trip as I get by the lake but a pair of tan hands catch my shoulders.
"Nice swim suit!" Nico smiles at me. Oh gods! He has muscles! I think in awe. He's wearing red pair of swimming shorts. The kind surfers wear. His top half of his body only wears his camp necklace. He has two beads on it. One a small metal Empire State building with names written on it and the other a piece of clay in the shape of a bow and arrow.
"Thanks. Nice shorts," I smile up at him. "I don't remember that bead."
"Chiron gave it to me. Its from the year I first came here with my sister. I'm one of the only ones in camp that has one," He looks sad for a moment before returning his attention to me. "It's to commemorate the deaths of two hunters: Bianca Di Angelo and Zoë Nightshade."
"I'm sorry... I really am," I put a hand on his cheek. "I know what its like to lose someone close to you. It sucks."
"Who died?"
"My mother. Lucille Stibbons," I say. "But I don't feel so bad anymore. The fates ordered it and so it shall be."
"I wish I had your outlook," He admits.
"You will soon enough. As some hippies might say: Time heals all," I smile. He laughs.
"There's something I want to try... Would you mind closing your eyes, Nikki?" He asks me. I nod and do so. I feel his hands on my face bringing it closer to something. I feel the warmth of his skin. Then I feel his lips on mine. A ghost of a kiss. My eyes flutter open. Nico's staring at me. His face less than an inch from mine. His hands still on my face. He leans in again and kisses me more urgently. I kiss back. I can't believe it. I'm kissing Nico. I really cannot believe it. We break apart.
"Nico..." I murmur.
"Nikki..." He murmurs back.
"Is the world meant to be going black?"
"I don't think so..." Nico looks at my face.
"Am I dying?" I ask frowning.
"No. Your not," He laughs.
"Then I think I'm fainting," And I'm out like a light.
A/N: I first wrote this when I read PJ and the Titans Curse. I just adjusted it to after TLO. I know the plots jumpy and strange but but I wrote this when I was 12. 14 now BTW and tops in my english literature class! Lol! Just call me a swot and get it over with shall we? Supposted to be a one-shot but I could update it if I get a few reviews. So currently completed.
GG out! ;)