Pairing: Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo [where Percy is a regular junior with no inclination to music other than modern and popular ones and wherein Nico is a sophomore violinist]

Note: This story does not follow their age difference. Percy would be seventeen here while Nico is turning sixteen.

Annabeth Chase - cellist (17 y.o.)

Hazel Levesque - pianist (16 y.o.)

Summary: The first time Perseus Jackson chanced upon Nico di Angelo was purely coincidental, and perhaps – in the complex perception of the former –magical. And for a second, just that second, Percy could delude himself that those eyes were staring at him before they fleeted away.

RECOMMENDATION: Listen to Norihiro Tsuru's Last Carnival while reading. It is what I listened to while writing this story.

Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and its characters solely belong to Rick Riordan..

This story may consist of four parts.

This story can be found on Tumblr.

Chapter 1 : Hydrangea

Hydrangea: heartfelt emotions.

It can be used to express gratitude for being understood.

In its negative sense hydrangea symbolizes frigidity and heartlessness.

The first time Perseus Jackson chanced upon Nico di Angelo was purely coincidental, and perhaps – in the complex perception of the former – magical.

Music holds a form of surreal and captivating enchantment, of kaleidoscopic variations, dependent on the musical genre or of emotions a chosen, crafted piece might invoke. Varying from chording that invoked exhilarating accompaniments, to bittersweet melodies that tugged heartstrings, it is a vast field of open doors; of endless forms to be explored. Music is a complex form of art that holds no concrete meaning, whichever piece it might be, as dozens of depictions might be drawn depending on what they invoke or how highly one would value it in their hearts.

Perseus Jackson, commonly and preferably addressed to as Percy Jackson instead, perceived music in no such manner. True, it is almost improbable to find any individual not inclined to music of any variation, but Percy was the epitome of the typical teenager – all lean and tall physique of tanned skin, tousled raven-black locks, and vibrant sea-green irises – who is much inclined to modern, popular music. Percy had never been a fan of classical pieces and neither had he held a scintilla of interest when it came to a bunch of chording with no lyrics attached to them. No, that was not his inclination. But that was the inclination of one of his closest friends, and he was never one to divulge his disinterest on what highly mattered to his companions.

Annabeth Chase, said close friend of his, is a natural blond teen with an evenly proportionate body, disheveled locks that just seemed to frame her features perfectly, and captivating eyes that seemed to swirl with the hue of stormy gray clouds. Though an inspiring architect, she held just as much passion for music; specifically, the cello. Percy questioned the inclination to the said instrument, though his exact words were actually, 'It looks like an oversized violin. I figured you were a flute person.' which promptly earned him a harsh whack on the back of his head.

The first time Percy had heard Annabeth play the instrument, it was then did he understood of his companion's choice. Though much of the sound it produced were low, it held a certain mellow quality to it, and the sounds seemed to flow with such consistency to it that undeniably matched the teenager's personality. But the movement of her right arm and the graceful flexes of her wrist, the subtle shifts in her body as she dragged the bow along the instrument's strings and as she constantly changed chords, it was as if the instrument was a part of her body; that they were one and the same.

Percy never repeated his words since then, and had been very much supportive of his friend's musical inclination. But he was not the least bit interested as the blond teen was; not by a long shot.

That is, until he chanced upon Nico di Angelo.

'Chanced upon' might not actually be the most accurate description of their encounter. It was not as if they met face-to-face the first time that Percy did really notice him.

Goode High School was one of those academies that placed extremely high priority on student excellence, and the music department was not exempted from that high pedestal as it was one of the prided few. Recitals occurred on a regular occasion, and such was the case when Percy found himself outside the school auditorium. Annabeth had been one of the few exceptional students that had been chosen to perform compositions during the winter recital, and Percy had to extend his support by coming to watch the preparations. With due honesty, this was not how he would rather spend his after school hours, but he would rather not break a promise. Not when he had made one.

Suppressing a long sigh that was threatening to spill from his chapped, pale lips, Percy quietly pushed the one of the double doors open, just as the sensuous sound of a violin started to play.

Percy could never forget that enchanting melody that reverberated throughout the entire auditorium, of the harmonious chording within a bittersweet tune that had his heart pulsating almost painfully. A violin always held such an impact to him, if he were to ever admit it. A surreal grace and undisputed nobility that was ingrained to the instrument alone. But the rich yet bittersweet melody that were induced as bow hair glided along the bow strings, were utterly breathtaking that he found himself pausing for almost a minute by the open door, listening attentively to the sound as his heart constantly fluttered in such a complex way that he could hardly define for himself. He vaguely registered a piano and a cello – Annabeth – playing along with the violin, for his ears were so subconsciously attuned to the rich sound from the violin.

When the sound of the violin drifted off, to be replaced by the cello, only did Percy found himself snapping back to reality. With a ragged intake of breath, he hastily walked to the side of the auditorium where the shadows pooled the thickest, leaning against the slightly rough surface of maroon carpeted walls, eyes immensely focusing on the stage.

There were a total of three students atop the stage, basking underneath the warm yet gleaming rays of the stage lights. Various equipment such as microphones and adjustable music stands were strategically placed on the stage, aside from the grand white piano that was already situated atop, where an African-American female teenager – most likely a sophomore – was seated behind, slender fingers dancing elegantly along the keys. The pianist had a rich cinnamon brown curly hair pulled back to a loose ponytail, and her eyes – underneath the glaring lights – seemed to gleam like gold from afar. There was a soft expression adorning her features that utterly reflected the sounds the piano was producing as an accompaniment, and it seemed like an odd yet fitting mix between sensuality and innocence.

With the cello, junior student Annabeth Chase was playing with that same expression that Percy saw back when she had played for him for the first time, though with a tad bit more sensuality, focus, and grace towards her movement. Her head seemed to follow the movements of her bow, though less subtle and with a little more sway to it. For a second, Percy could not see the architect that she always aspired to be. Rather, there was a professional cellist.

But what captivated him most was the violinist, a male teenager – presumably a sophomore like the pianist – with a lean and fairly tall build, of naturally disheveled jet-black shoulder-length locks that curled at the tip, framing his soft features delicately. Underneath the stage lights, his skin almost appeared ghostly pale – perhaps more to an albino – that made the teen much surreal in his eyes; an angel, despite the all-black get-up. And his eyes, those eyes, seemed to glint with a hint of topaz within them. His jaw firmly rested along the chin rest and the lower back of the violin rested delicately on his peeking collar bones. His left hand rested perfectly in position along the top part of the neck of the violin, while his right hand was along his side as he rested, awaiting patiently for his parts to come to play.

When it was his time to play once more, Percy observed with such fascination how the bow glided smoothly along the strings, and the graceful and fluid movements of delicate fingers as they shifted from chord to chord. The violinist would flex his wrist in an elegant motion that was entirely too natural and too perfect in the eyes of the male junior student. The male sophomore had his posture fixed to a straight back, yet his body would often sway or dip in movements that would accentuate how he was getting lost within the music and would simply further captivate Percy's eyes. Those eyes that gleamed with the barest hint of topaz hues seemed to swirl like molten lava even from afar, expressing the purest emotions that its melody expressed. There was passion and affection along with the sensuality, and the barest hint of remorse that supported the bittersweet tune that was of the music.

For once, Percy was captivated; truly captivated. For once, he found himself inclined towards that bittersweet melody that reverberated within the auditorium. If he were to close his eyes – one he would rather not risk at the moment – he could feel the music with a much higher intensity. He would feel that rich music of the violin sensually caressing every inch of his soul in fleeting, butterfly touches. He would feel the bittersweet tune tugging at his heartstrings, forcing his heart to palpitate erratically in an uneven rhythm.

When the music ended and the violin played its last note, the violinist carefully raised his head against the chin rest, glancing up with those eyes that still remained glazed with a raw emotion that seemed to take his breath away.

For a second, just that second, Percy could delude himself that those eyes were staring at him before they fleeted away.

Percy Jackson could never forget the intensity and the raw burning passion within those eyes.

If he had not allowed for his eyes to fleet away, Percy might have seen that barest hint of remorse that clouded dark brown eyes for a split second, before it faded away.

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Continua