Death is not an Option
Plot: Nico's birthday has come up, and since he is 17 now, Alex decides to get him a nice present. But when Percy and Jason ruin it with a jest, apologies lead to tears, comfort leads to interest, interest leads to romance, romance leads to passion, passion leads to the sexy-sex, the sexy-sex leads to drama, the drama leads to death, the death leads to more death, but then the first death wasn't really dead. And we have to deal with it and you're gonna be an emotional wreck, so get out if you don't want it here. AND I'M SORRY IF THAT SENTENCE DOESN'T WORK TOO WELL, I CAN'T EVEN ENGLISH WHEN MY FEELS ARE UP.
I hold no copyright on the Heroes of Olympus series (owned by Rick Riordan), or any of the characters, places, events, etc. referenced within this fan fiction. It is purely for the purpose of entertainment, and the only original work involved is listed in 'Defeat is not an Option: Character List'. I'm just playing with the toys, and I promise to clean them up all nice and swish before I put them back. They'll probably be better off with me instead of 'Uncle' Rick anyway.
NICO
Nico's birthday had sucked so far. 17 at last, and everyone still treated him like the little kid he had been a few years ago. Sure, he had been through a lot, but everyone kept treating him like he was broken. Well, he supposed no one could go through losing their sister and then Tartarus without ending up a little damaged. But what he couldn't stand was everyone acting like he was a fragile little china doll and couldn't handle himself.
And it might have been a little shallow, but wasn't it custom for at least -one- person to get you a gift on your birthday? He was the only one in the training pit this late at night, everyone else either sleeping in their cabins or preparing to do so. The summer night carried a cold breeze, teasing the beads of sweat dripping down his bare chest and back. He mind too terribly, though; the chill was kind of nice, to be honest.
He continued with his swordplay exercises, slashing at the dummies around him with his sword, the Stygian iron cutting through the hay like a knife through a wet paper bag. As he continuously circled, jumped, spun, slashed, and stabbed, the time continued to slip by until his PDA beeped. He paused midswing, panting slightly and growling in irritation at the interruption.
With an expert throw, he embedded his blade in the neck of a dummy and went to where his hoodie and t-shirt lay, digging his PDA out of the pocket and tapping in his password while he glanced at the time on the lock display. 23:15 and no recognition of the one day a year that was supposed to be all about him.
That's what hurt the most. His best friend in the world, Alex Dawneye, hadn't even bothered to stop by and bother him with one of his little quips. But he had been alone for so long, what was the point in even hoping that someone would think of-
"Hey there, mate."
Alex's voice scared the living Hades out of Nico, causing him to jump at least a good foot in the air. He turned on his heel and looked to where the son of Nike was perched on the end of Nico's sword, sitting delicately. Nico didn't want to brag, but the sword was apparently in deep enough that it counterbalanced Alex's slim frame.
Nico didn't consider himself attractive, especially when compared with people like Jason Grace or Percy Jackson, especially after his time in Tartarus. He was too pale, too thin, not muscular enough, and…well…the list went on. But Alex seemed to pull it off, his alabaster skin shining in the moonlight, though his red hair gleamed almost orange in the darkness. His shaggy hair dropped over his right eye, the left glittering a verdant green.
He sat in black skinny trousers, an orange t-shirt and a black bolero hoodie. But his mild attractiveness wasn't what drew the eye when someone looked at Alex. No, it was the giant sprite wings extending from his back, nearly transparent in the sunlight but clear at night. The orange and black gossamer appendages were folded and dropped at the moment, looking like a cape or something.
"I'm going to put a bell on your neck one day, Dawneye."
Alex grinned and hopped down to the ground, alighting gently and reaching behind his head to remove the sword from the training doll. "Oh, you do the same thing to everyone else. I am the only one in camp who can sneak up on you, Nico." Alex grimaced as the Stygian iron came into contact with his flesh, but unlike most demigods, he could stand it for a few minutes. "Take this, I do not feel like smelling like death."
As Alex tossed Nico the sword (which he caught expertly), Nico did his best to give his friend a puppy-dog look, trying to see if he could get Alex to remember his birthday without blurting it out like a desperate kid. "What's the matter, man? You look like someone kicked your hellhound." Alex was running his hand over the gashes in the training dummies, the wounds on them closing up where his fingers trailed.
"Are you kidding me, Dawneye? You're my best friend." He grabbed the towel he had brought with him, wiping away all the sweat so he wouldn't soil his shirt.
"Exactly, that means I get to see you shirtless and towelling off when other people get the scary eye. Probably because I treat you better than everyone else around here."
"Sure you do." He didn't mean to, but the sarcasm dripped off of his tongue like poison. He quickly shrugged his shirt on and grabbed his hoodie, slinging it over his shoulder. "Not like you haven't forgotten anything, recently."
"Oh come on, Nico. You are no fun since Tartarus. I wanted to play the Mickey some more before I gave you your present." That caught Nico's attention, and he whipped his head around to give Alex his patented 'you'd-better-not-be-kidding-me-Dawneye' look. "No, really, if I had not been spending all day getting it ready, I would have been by your side the entire time! I swear on by Nike's wings." Alex threw his arms up in a 'Y' formation, his signature "cross-your-heart" motion.
"You don't even have a package, though." Nico let the suspicion into his voice, though he hoped Alex could still catch the hope behind it.
"See, that is the kind of comment that gets you rubbish from Leo." Nico allowed himself a humoured groan, rolling his eyes at the innuendo he'd let slip. "But your present is not something that can be wrapped up in a box and handed over. If you want it, you are gonna have to follow me, Reaper." Alex rose into the air, his wings beating in a hypnotic, evanescent blur.
He darted towards the woods, going slow enough that Nico could keep up with him, but fast enough that the son of Hades would have to put some effort into it. "I hope it's worth the workout," he mumbled with an almighty sigh, beginning to chase Alex.
His friend led him through a complex series of twists and turns, sending friendly taunts back to goad Nico to catch up. Finally, he shot up in to the air, dashed forward and dropped into a spot that Nico knew housed a clearing of decent size. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he walked through the hanging willow branches to step into what looked like a picture out of his dreams.
All of the normal trees were replaced with pink cherry blossoms, a light scattering of the petals over the lush carpet of rabbit-moss. In the centre, where there used to be a gnarled, ugly stump, there sat a table for high tea, with four places set. Two of the chairs were already occupied, the closest high-backed piece of furniture in front of a place with a name card on it that read 'Nico'.
Percy and Jason were both there, sitting on either side of his place, and Alex flitted around with starlight streaming from his fingers, dotting the air around them with sparkling motes in all kinds of colours. He finished his circuit and moved to where he was eye-level with Nico, seeing as normally he was a good four inches below him, and pulled a silver circlet from some hidden pocket, gently resting it on Nico's head, pushing it tight against his brow. He giggled and back flipped, vaulting through the air to land in the seat across from Nico's, beckoning for the son of Hades to join them.
Nico paused for another moment, feeling wetness in his eyes at the amount of thought and care that had gone into this. Alex had probably spent all day moving dryads around and making deals with the satyrs to get that stump out and keep away all the wild animals and monsters. He blinked away the unformed tears and beamed at his three closest friends, moving over to take his seat.
"Happy birthday, Nico!" Percy brought out a gaudily wrapped box and set it next to Nico's platter.
"Yeah, happy birthday, di Angelo." Jason pulled out his own smaller parcel and sat it on top of Percy's.
"Happy Name Day!" Alex whistled sharply, and a train of presents floated in, at least twenty boxes piling up next to Nico's chair. "What with the series of tragic and unfortunate events you've suffered recently, I thought you needed some care and affection." He grinned cheekily, his pearly whites gleaming in the rainbow light.
"G-guys…" Nico couldn't help himself and teared up this time, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Y-you did-didn't have to do this."
"Oh please, we're your friends. It's what we're supposed to do." Percy reached over and patted the back of Nico's hand, smiling gently. "Besides, you should never spend your birthday alone." Instantly, Nico's eyes flashed to Alex, and he managed to catch the flash of sadness that ran over his face. "You've got to get used to the idea that people still care for you."
"Yeah, so when are we eating, Alex? You told us to skip dinner." Jason wasn't very good with sentiment, and Nico's stomach rumbled as if to agree with his statement.
"Oh fine, you people and your appetites. Eat up!" He clapped and lids appeared on the empty platters before them, covering them entirely. "You know the deal, just say what you want and lift the lid. It'll be there. Oh, before I forget….drink!" He twitched his nose and wine glasses appeared before them, a deep red liquid filling them slowly. "We can switch to something else later, but it's tradition that you get some wine on your birthday."
Alex actually had excellent taste in wine, and that was what had originally bonded them. When Nico had run away last year, he had managed to get a cheap bottle and was trying to drown his sorrows since everyone had forgotten he'd existed. Alex had found him, and fussed instantly, not at the fact that a 16 year old was drinking, but the fact that he was using such a cheap brand.
The rest of the month he'd spent with Alex in his mother's estate, sipping wine every night and slowly getting healthy from where he'd not been taking care of himself. He supposed it had to do with Nike being the goddess of victory, but that month in Nike's manor home had been enough to turn his life around, and Alex had adopted him, essentially, even going so far as to come back to camp with him.
"Ummmm, Alex could you mayb-"
"Oh, I'm such a foutu bordel, I forgot." He nodded his head at Percy's glass, and the red liquid turned a beautiful shade of cerulean, matching Alex's right eye when he flipped his hair to cover the left. He smiled, and motioned towards the plates. "Dig in!"
Nico couldn't decide on anything to eat, not that he wasn't hungry, he just didn't like to eat. But…what was that dish that Alex had served so often at his mother's? Alex seemed to know what was in his mind, though, and whispered into his hand.
Almost immediately following his finish, an echo of his voice sounded near Nico's plate. "Bouillabaisse et Tarte au Pistou" He lifted the lid from his platter and the stew and tart sat there, steaming slightly and igniting his stomach. You wouldn't normally expect a seafood stew and egg tart to taste well together, but through some sorcery, the French had managed to succeed. Alec leaned close to his own plate and whispered, lifting the lid to reveal an identical dish.
Percy opened his lid to reveal pizza and macaroni, where Jason opened it to reveal spaghetti Bolognese. Alex raised his glass of wine and stated, "A toast to Nico di Angelo, son of Hades and my best friend. May your name day be glorious, both now and for one hundred years! Victoire briller sur vous et votre acabit, et peut les étoiles briller sur votre nom!" The French was lost on Nico, though his knowledge of Italian was enough that he could guess it had to do with Victory shining brightly on him or something.
Percy and Jason drunk deeply as Alex sipped lightly at his glass, lowering it and inclining it in that particular manner that indicated it was now polite for Nico to drink. He took his glass and raised it into the air, accepting Alex's toast before taking a sip, the wine bitter on his tongue at first, but sweet going down and with a pleasant aftertaste.
"So why is it exactly that you speak French so well, Alex?" Percy wasn't above speaking with his mouth full, though blue pizza was entertaining to see being eaten. And his boorishness carried with it a certain manly charm.
"Victory is not a Greek concept, my dear Percy. It has existed since the dawn of creation itself, and as such, has always been present. Mother and I often use it to converse around others, seeing as few people speak it."
"But what do you do if you want to talk about something private around someone who's French?" Jason was a bit more polite, waiting until he finished his question to shovel another mouthful in.
"Oh, we speak every language. However, to address your question, we use Japanese, French, and Ancient Egyptian, mostly." Alex said it as though it were no big deal, delicately slicing his tart and forking small bites into his mouth. Everything about him looked delicate, as though his features would be more at home on a porcelain doll than a human being.
They chatted idly, their glasses never dropping too empty before refilling, the jokes getting slightly baudier as they began changing the food on their plates to desserts. It was about his third glass of wine when Nico realised that he was tipsy, which was an unusual sensation. Normally, he didn't hit this state for long enough to notice it, just shovelling past it in an attempt to get completely and utterly smashed. Percy and Jason, however, could not hold their wine, and were giggling at everything that Alex said.
Alex, though he couldn't have weighed more than 90 pounds, continued swirling the wine in his glass, Nico estimated it was about his eighth, speaking as though it were his first. Soon, the plates emptied, and the wine disappeared from Percy and Jason, replaced with a bubbling brown soft drink. Alex occasionally let his eyes slide over Nico, making sure that he wasn't too far gone.
But Nico could hold his alcohol pretty decently, and though this was an amasing wine that Alex must have nicked from Dionysus himself, he would decide when he'd had enough. The conversation began to die down, Percy and Jason busy chugging down their pop as though there was no tomorrow, Alex humming a complicated melody under his breath.
"H-hey, yyyyouuu." Percy pointed to the left of Nico, eyes slightly glazed. "Y-y-you should open y-your presents now." His words slurred slightly, and Jason belched an agreement.
"Well, it would not be a name day without it, would it?" Alex laughed, the sound seeming to draw silver lines through the air around them. "Go and open mine first, you should like them."
And Alex couldn't have been more correct. He received the latest Mythomagic expansion packs (the complete sets), a wide array of new clothes, a laptop and a top-of-the-line mobile (Alex swore they wouldn't attract monsters and would always work, that they were hotwired into his own personal wireless network), and then he had one more gift left from Alex, which the son of Nike still held in his hands, a small box carefully hand-wrapped.
The difference was instantly noticeable, as Alex did most everything with his magic, his wrapping skills were sub par, and an excess amount of tape had been used before being topped with the frilliest ribbon that Nico had ever seen. "Err, how about you two next? This is sort of a special gift." It was the first time Nico had ever seen Alex look embarrassed, a flush entering his ivory cheeks.
"S-s-sure, open miiiiiiiiine, Nic-y-nic-y-nic-y-nic." Jason laughed at his own words, Percy joining in and slamming the table with his fist. Alex rolled his eyes, but the antics drew a giggle from Nico…though that could have just been the wine talking.
Jason had given him a black pendant that he said had the power to summon shadows anywhere in the world once a day, at least that's what Nico thought he said. Percy gave him a silver scarf that he promised would make him invisible to monsters that couldn't already smell his rank pits.
Nico smiled at the thoughtful gifts, never mind the fact that his two friends were pissed as newts. They all stood and Jason and Percy wandered off to the side, entranced at some pink lights glittering just within their arms reach. As they began singing some sort of impromptu drinking song, Alex tapped his shoulder.
"Err, I have never wrapped a present before, so it is a bit tough to get open but…err…" Nico accepted the box and did something he couldn't have done without a bit of French bravery in his system, and kissed Alex's cheek.
"I never thanked you for being so *hic* nice to me and taking me *hic* in, Daw-*hic*-neye." The hiccups came on without warning, but Alex giggled, so Nico wasn't embarrassed, nor did Alex seem perturbed at the display of affection. Nico liked guys, but as for the three here, he could only wonder. Well, Percy and Jason had girlfriends, but they were always so suggestive in their jokes…
He shrugged it off and attempted to tear into the packaging, though it took him an entire two minutes to get the ribbon off. "Here, my little Reaper." Alex poked out his finger, which spat a small spark of starlight, almost like a box-cutter. With a grateful smile, Nico drew the extended digit along the tape in a passable attempt at a straight line.
He ripped open the box to reveal five feathers in five different colours resting on a bed of plush velvet, the downy gifts golden, silver, black, red, and white. "My mother has wings the colour of the rainbow, and she granted me these to give you. If you burn a feather, I will be able to come to you anywhere in the world and grant you anything your heart desires…up to my abilities, at least. No world peace or anything of that sort."
Nico couldn't trust himself to speak without making a royal fool of himself, so he pulled Alex up by his armpits, hugging him tightly with his hand clasped around his other wrist at the base of the son of Nike's wings. Immediately, Alex returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around Nico's neck. They stayed like that for a moment until they were greeted by catcalls from Percy and Jason.
"Hey, Ni-Nico, come give us a kiiiiiiiiiissssssssss!" Percy had his arm wrapped around Jason's shoulders, using him as a support to keep from falling. "Come on, you know you waaaaaant it." He waggled his hips suggestively, getting an uproarious laugh from Jason, but drawing a cold chill up the back of Nico's neck as he set Alex back down, hastily wrapping his arms around himself.
"Do not worry about them, Nico." Alex frowned, his wings folding and unfolding anxiously. "OI, YOU TWO! STOP ACTING LIKE LITTLE TWATS AND GET YOUR ARSES OVER HERE!" When Nico gave him a shocked look at the language, Alex offered an apologetic, sheepish grin. "I speak Drunk, too."
Sure enough, Jason and Percy managed to stagger over, but it seemed that Percy wasn't done. As soon as he was within striking distance of Nico, he lunged, grabbing Nico's arm and placing the son of Hades hand on his…
"PERCY!" Nico wrenched his hand away, feeling hurt and taken advantage of.
"Oh, shaddup, Nico. Little birdie told m-me your secret, he did." Nico felt his little buzz disappear entirely as his face drained of colour completely.
"J-Jason? Is-is he telling the truth?" The son of Jupiter looked abashed but nodded, too drunk to truly care. Nico had never felt more betrayed, and the food he'd just eaten roiled around in his gut, ready to come back up. "GO AWAY!"
The grass around him started to wither and die, the motes of effervescent light around him turning monochrome as he began to break down, his power escaping him. "Nico, calm do-" Nico swung his fist and managed to connect with Alex's cheek, sending the boy sprawling.
"GET! OUT!" His scream could probably be heard all the way back at the Big House, but he already realised he'd messed up. The look on Alex's face was like a dog that had just been kicked, a look of absolute betrayal and confusion. Of course, that only made him feel worse, knowing he had caused Alex to feel the exact same way that he did.
He didn't get a chance to apologise, Alex sprung up, his jaw already forming a nasty bruise as he darted into the air, taking hold of Percy and Jason and flying away. As soon as they had made it out of the clearing, Nico broke down, falling to his knees and sobbing, draining the life of everything in the clearing. All the trees shrivelled as their leaves fell to the ground and withered, everything turning the bleak shade of winter that didn't belong in summer.
Sharp stones rose around him, creating a small shelter he gratefully crawled underneath. As soon as the first tears escaped his eyes, the snow began to fall, gently coating the ground in a carpet of white. He wanted to care, but at the moment, he didn't. He didn't care if he ever made it back to camp, or if he died of hypothermia in the secret grove that was only known to him and Alex. Fat chance of him coming back, though.
He laid his head down and bawled, abandoning himself to the darkest parts of his mind.
ALEX
He lay in the floor of the Hecate cabin, the only cabin besides Hades and Athena he was allowed to sleep in. But…he could not bring himself to venture into the black building, and no one in the Hecate cabin looked at him strangely when he walked in at two in the morning with a bruised jaw and tear streaks on his face.
Hecate, one of his three godmothers, had always favoured Alex, and granted him supernatural abilities to rival that of Pasiphaë, the wife of Minos. But tonight, the sibylline whispers coming from the stones could not soothe him. All he could think about was Nico, his little Reaper, the son of Hades that was probably still in the clearing.
"Alex, something is wrong. Talk to me." Lillith, a daughter of Iris who shared this cabin until the Iris cabin was built, dropped from her bunk to sit next to where Alex was lying, picking up his head and laying it on her lap. "It's boy problems, I can tell." She had no problem with anyone, Lillith. She was born of Iris and a hippie woman who helped her run the co-op the goddess of light and rainbows was so famous for.
And so Alex told her, his voice low enough that only Lillith could hear. He told her about meeting Nico in an alley in London, taking him home to his mother's manor in Paris and slowly healing him and beginning to care for him as he did. When he attempted to describe his feelings for Nico, she giggled at his pauses and awkward phrasing, but he had no words to explain the tightness of his gut or the desire to keep Nico smiling. It was nothing he had experienced before. He told her that Nico was the reason he had come to Camp Half-Blood in the first place. He told her about the party tonight, and the disastrous events that had happened.
And Lillith never spoke, instead running her fingers through his thick hair, combing it out with her pianist fingers. She always emanated a small glow, the light shifting soothingly through the spectrum of visible light, making her a perfect nightlight. And when Alex finished his story, she sat him up, concern on her face.
"I won't lie, Alex. You need to go to him now. Something's making it cold out there, and he won't survive a night in it, child of Death or not." She held out her hand and a ball of red light formed, emanating heat in small waves. "I can't tell you what will fix it, but my intuition is never wrong. Go to him." She pushed the ball forward, and it floated forward until it entered his chest.
Lillith had never led him astray before, and he did not believe she would now. He jumped up, running out the door and immediately taking off, flying into the woods. He knew the way, and he knew he had to make it fast.
When he arrived at the clearing though, there was a giant lotus of obsidian stone emanating from approximately the location that Nico had been in last night, blocking any access but allowing the freak snow storm to fall through cracks, where it would freeze anything inside this stone death trap.
With a snarl, he raised his hand and summoned his pole arm, Starreach. The five-foot long ebony staff was tipped with two foot long blades of pure starlight on either side of it, and he wasted no time in slashing his way through. Nico may have acted without thought, and he may have struck Alex, but it did not effect the fervent blows that struck gashes through the fortress. The going was slow, but he continued as well as he could, intent on saving the boy at the centre.
At least two hours passed, and though he inched his way through, inches piled together. Finally, he cut through the last wall and found his target. The moonlight peeking over his shoulder showed Nico pale and blue-lipped, shivering fiercely. There was no way he would survive a trip back to camp, even if they flew. Alex had to make a decision, and fast.
NICO
Nico wasn't sure why he was warm. He knew it had started snowing last night, and the last thought he'd had before he had drifted off was that his face was turning blue. He didn't bother opening his eyes, maybe he was dead. Maybe it was all over. But this warmth was nothing he'd felt in the Underworld before, nothing he was familiar with.
Then something brushed against his front with a feathery touch and he knew he couldn't be dead. His eyes opened with a start, and he looked down to see a field of red hair. The gradual fortress of stone that had grown around him, guarding him from monsters and outside intrusion, had several holes blasted through it, leading straight to the middle where he lay.
He didn't remember Alex falling asleep with him, and he could only guess that he'd sieged the stone last night and found Nico near frozen. Alex was always warmer than usual, but this comfortable heat he was giving off was far more than his normal. But his attention wasn't on the fact that he was alive. His attention was on the fact that Alex had come back, and even snuggled into Nico's sleeping form, curling up so that Nico formed a protective curve around him, effectively warming them both doubly well.
Alex had come back.
Gingerly, Nico raised his head and grimaced when he saw the ugly bruise plastered visibly on Alex's cheek, though his face was serene. He didn't know what time it was, his presents were more than likely useless after the freak snow last night, never mind the fact that he'd killed everything in the clearing. His PDA was in his jacket…but Alex was on top of the pocket that held it.
He supposed that there was no harm in laying like this for a while, though he couldn't shake the incredible guilt that was pressing down on his shoulders. This was his best friend, but…not just his best friend. Nico had had a crush on Percy…basically since he'd met the guy. But Alex…with Alex it was just so easy. It was never anything forced, they went back and forth without any hesitation, any awkwardness.
And Alex didn't seem surprised when Nico's cover had been blown last night, as though he'd known the entire time. And when Alex had tried to intervene before anything bad could happen, Nico had hit him. He had hurt the one person he realised cared for him at least as much as Nico cared for him. "Why is life so difficult?" He muttered into the darkness of the stone around them, forgetting the sleeping figure pressing softly against his front.
"Because life is never easy." Nico gasped at Alex's voice, his eyes still closed though it was clear by his breathing that he was awake. "If you thought it was, then it is time you finally learned that it never was and never will be. I should know, I have lived long enough to experience more than my fair share of unfairness." Alex scooted backwards, pressing himself tighter against Nico against the cold.
"Wh-what're you talking about, Dawneye? We're the same age."
Alex laughed, but there was no mirth in it, just a cold sound that rang of bitterness and despair. "No, we are not. Nike has only ever had two children. Death is not an option for us, Nico. Death means defeat, and defeat simply is not an option." He squirmed uncomfortably. "I am sorry that I have made it so awkward between us now, but I suppose it is time that I explain everything properly."
He didn't turn to face Nico, his face still looking into the darkness surrounding them. "I was born a long time ago, Nico. Far longer than I care to admit. I am almost as old as your father." That drew a gasp from Nico. Alex couldn't possibly….he'd seen Alex grow older, he'd seen Alex age. "My sister and I share a strange immortality, but it is there.
"You see, Nike knew the cost of being such an important goddess. She knew that she could not have all of the children she hoped for, so she begat my sister and I before Zeus rose to power. After she sided with him in the war against the Titans, he ruled that she could never give birth, or side in another conflict, as she was simply too pivotal a piece for any one side to control fairly. But when he found out that she had already bore us, he flew into a wild rage.
"He attempted to destroy us countless times, but our mother gave us her truest blessing, and we would rise up again if we were to be destroyed. We could be killed, but we could not remain dead." Nico frowned at that, the thought of something not staying dead instantly bringing monsters to mind. "It is not the same as the monsters though, Nico. You see, I have not always been the boy I am now. Every time we are reborn, we are different. We have memories of our past lives, but we are not the same person we once were. Eventually, Zeus grew tired and ceased killing us, and my sister and I split ways.
"I remained as the Black Hand of Victory, and I cut down armies single-handedly. Those legends of an angel of death arising to wipe out an invading force? That is me. Until recently, I always took the same form for my mother, with black, feathery wings and a great flaming broadsword in my hand. However, she released me from service for this rejuvenation, determined to let me lead at least one life of my own free will.
"That is why I am not the tanned, black haired, perfect specimen the stories have always portrayed me as. It is why I appear as I do now. This is quite possibly the closest anyone has ever come to seeing my true form, even I." Nico frowned, but stayed quiet. "But my sister and I are linked, you see. If either of us dies, so does the other, and we are reborn.
"It is a terrible existence, Nico di Angelo. I have never let myself become attached to any mortal, for I am far too aware of the coil keeping you attached to this place of existence. I have seen your people come and go, while I always remain. I vowed never to let myself experience romance but…"
He trailed off, and Nico tightened his grip around his waist. "Th-that's horrible, Alex. I can't even begin to empathise…"
Alex chuckled warmly, "That is not even my true name. But I like it, so I have kept it for the longest time, and my sister humours me and keeps her name Alexis."
"It makes sense, though. You don't speak with contractions, and you know more than anyone possibly should, other than a god. You have this awesome magic, and you just…" The full capacity of Alex's speech finally hit him, and Nico was shocked into silence.
"H-how many times have you been rejuvenated, Alex?"
Alex squirmed uncomfortably, "I do not know, but I remember them all. I remember all I have ever been close to, from the first to my dear friend Agatha. She was my closest friend in my previous life, and an excellent mystery novel writer."
"I'm sorry, Alex."
"What for? You are at no fault in this matter, my little Reaper. The only thing you are guilty of is stealing more of my interest than I should have allowed, though you can not be punished for it."
"B-but…you can't love me if I'm going to die one day."
Alex sighed, "I can. It is…complicated, and I do not wish to speak of it now. But I have been alive long enough to gain my own sort of divinity, and am nearly as strong as the gods." The sky shook with thunder, but Alex was unrepentant. "You know I speak the truth of things, Zeus, and you know of what I speak. But I have never, and I do not believe I could ever."
The thunder boomed again, but was silent afterwards, leaving Nico confused as to what could have been discussed between the god and Alex. "So…where does that leave us?"
"I am not sure, Nico. I would like very much to live a life with you, but I do not think it would be fair to you, knowing now what you know." Alex spoke with an air of finality about everything, and Nico believed him when he said that he wanted to live a life with him. Alex didn't seem like the kind of person who would just enter something so serious light-hearted.
Nico had no answer that he believed would satisfy Alex's mind, at least none came to mind. Words seemed absolutely useless, especially now that he knew the truth. He'd always thought he was out of place in time, but Alex had it way worse than he did.
"Alex…" He didn't want to hurt Alex, but…he couldn't resist the feelings he had for him. "Look at me, please." At first the son of Nike refused to budge, but finally he slowly turned towards him. Nico wasn't the tallest person in camp Half-Blood, but Alex was one of the few here shorter than him, and it was shown when Alex buried his head into Nico's chest. "Please, Alex."
Alex refused to move, however, tucking himself closer to Nico protectively. Nico sighed, but it was adorable how Alex refused to listen. He managed to get his finger under Alex's chin and pull it upwards, forcing Alex to lock eyes with him. He caught his breath, tears were streaming down Alex's face, cutting streaks in the small layer of dirt that had formed overnight.
In the year he'd been friends with Alex, he'd seen him take gashes almost deep enough to cut all the way through his body, lose insane amounts of blood, break bones, and withstand direct blasts of magical energy. But he'd never seen Alex cry, and as he watched, the teardrops solidified halfway down his face to fall as diamonds onto the dead grass.
So, he pressed his lips against Alex's, and held them there. He pushed as much emotion as he could to the shorter boy as he could, feeling some of the crushing weight on his chest lift as he did. As he broke the kiss, he opened his eyes and saw Alex do the same, his hair finally falling down the middle of his face and revealing both of his eyes. A shudder ran through Nico's body as the mismatched colours locked with Nico's own brown eyes.
"N-nico, I-I…I do not-"
He hushed Alex with another kiss, this one gentler, just a gentle brush on the lips. "I don't care, Alex. I've hurt so long over Percy, but been completely fixated on him. I didn't even see what was right in front of me. You had no reason to bond with me, but you still did, and you worked your way into my heart."
And with a start, Nico realised he was confessing all of this as a shot in the dark. Alex had never admitted to liking boys, or really anything. Alex had always been an enigma, standing apart from normal people. Nico hadn't even realised how he felt about Alex until he woke up this morning, and that was just because Alex had initiated contact.
Alex was quiet, his eyes dropping back to Nico's chest. He was quiet for a long time, and Nico felt something like a lead blanket drape over his shoulders, and his mouth drooped. "I have never done anything even close to this, Nico. I have rarely made friends, and never have I thought of romance being a part of my life." His voice was a whisper, and Nico had to strain to hear it.
"I'm sorry, Alex, I understa-"
"-BUT." Alex interrupted. Alex never interrupted during a conversation. "I am willing, if you are, to explore this. I do not know how it will work, but I know that the going will be slow, glacial in fact. I do not even know how to address you, my Reaper."
Nico noticed the hint of possession in Alex's voice and smiled. Even without any knowledge of romance, Alex knew that Nico was his, and he was Nico's. And…Nico didn't mind. "How about boyfriend?"
Alex looked back up at Nico, "That would be…spectacular." And Nico kissed him again, Alex's soft lips melding almost perfectly against Nico's own.