it's [ l o v e ] , isn't it?
but when you hold me i'm not so lonely
Nico di Angelo wasn't much for destiny.
He tolerated his friends jabbering of 'everything happens for a reason', but never added to that topic.
Because it was simply to put: stupid.
But he questioned his decision to judge so quickly as he stared up at the angel on his school rooftop.
Well, that's what it seemed like to Nico—the boy's blond hair shimmered in the setting sun's light, his head tilted upwards as if he were looking for a wind current to whisk away on.
Nico had no idea what force was moving him so quickly, up up up the stairs of the school to meet the alleged angel, but he complied. He ran and ran, eyes narrowed in determination to meet the angel before it took flight and was never seen again.
He bursted through the door marked with "no trespassing" in a breeze, chest heaving in heavy breaths.
The angel paid him no mind as it set it's gaze upon something far below. He gasps and gasps for air, scared that the angel will leave before he can talk.
And as this thought entered his mind, he saw the angel (who looks no older than him, really) bunch their legs, warning him that he was about to be out of time and it was prepared.
At what seemed like the last second, Nico cried out "wait!" in a desperate gasp, begging for the other boy's attention.
He knew the angel heard, for it whirled around in a jerky movement, blue eyes wide and unprepared to be caught.
"W-What are you doing up here?!" Blue eyes accused in a low, threatening tone. Nico raised his eyebrow, wondering why an angel looked so...weary.
He definitely had the looks of an angel—golden blond hair, ocean blue eyes, a certain charm to him even when he was oozing with resentment.
Apparently the angel did not like the time it took for Nico to respond, for he scowled and glared fiercer than before.
"I said, what are you doing up here?" He grabbed onto the metal fence separating them, the metal fence you were prohibited being behind for fear of falling off.
A sudden thought clicked in his mind and Nico's entire face turned crimson red. Humiliation raced through his veins and made his heart pound rapidly through his small chest, brown eyes widening in a sudden revelation.
This boy is not an angel.
"W-What are you doing up here?" Nico spat back weakly in an attempt to conceal his embarrassment, though the other boy does not know this, and takes it hostilely.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" He muttered bitterly, blue orbs flickering to the ground in front of Nico's shoes. The pain that fluttered through them was familiar to Nico, and he felt as if a vacuum had sucked all the air right out of his lungs.
"Oh," Nico comes to another realization, cheeks ablaze. He dropped his gaze to the floor as well, missing the sight of the other boy blushing.
"Yeah." He grounded out, teeth clenching in suppressed anger. "Yeah."
Nico isn't much for talking. When he does talk, it is small, short sayings that lead to no further discussion. So to say that he is at a lost for words is surprising.
And he has no idea how to handle it.
Okay, so this boy was in fact not an angel, but a normal teenager attempting every day suicide.
Every day suicide? He scowled at the insensitive term floating through his mind, dismissing it without a second thought.
"Is that all?" The blond perked an impatient eyebrow before turning back around and assuming his ready-to-leap stance once more.
Nico is frantic. Honestly, he's been in that exact same location as the boy. He doesn't want to watch such a beautiful human being splatter onto the pavement below where he had dropped his bookbag earlier.
"Wait!" He called once again, reaching an arm out fruitlessly. Even if he tried, the fence would prevent him from reaching the boy.
Though this time, the blond does not turn around.
He is now more than frantic—he is panic-stricken.
"D-Don't do it! Cuz uh... I've um... I've always had a thing for blonds!" Nico began to spout ridiculous amounts of random, his heart pounding in his chest and his mind only focused on the angel about to unrightfully die.
And suddenly, the other boy paused. His bunched muscles relax and he finally turns, eyes wide and mouth agape.
Nico continued.
"It's just that—I um, I know you probably have a lot of problems and think that killing yourself will solve them but it won't and trust me I know I've been there but you're like hot and probably popular so you probably have a lot of friends probably and they'll probably miss you and probably care if you kill yourself so you probably—I mean shouldn't—kill yourself." Nico heaves a deep breath after rambling for what seemed like forever, his cheeks only turning redder and redder with each passing second.
The blond boy remained silent as he stared at the strange, strange kid, only making Nico's self consciousness worse.
And then suddenly, he heard it.
The most beautiful sound in the world.
An angel's laugh.
The blond tilted his head back and let loose the most boisterous caw the scrawny boy had ever heard, the laugh booming around the small open area.
"Ahahaha! Th-That's so—!" The boy can not speak through his laughing, and Nico began to sink into himself, feeling utterly embarrassed. He watched, and the closer he watched the more he noticed.
The blond was crying.
"hah... ha... h... it-it's so.. it's not fair..!" The glittering blue eyes of the boy close, a gut wrenching sob exploding from his mouth as he sniffled. Nico felt a sudden awkwardness shoot through him, not knowing how to comfort someone in tears.
"Why do my parents hate me?! I do everything—EVERYTHING they ask! And still... a-and still they.." He pressed his palm against his cheek, trying to wipe the overflowing tears with his wrist.
Nico smiled sympathetically, slowly offering his arms out to the unstable blond. "It's... it's okay. Just come over here," and get away from the ledge. Nico noted mentally, though didn't dare remind the boy of his original option.
He continued to sob and laugh bitterly in between, muttering scornful words about himself.
Nico released the breath he was holding when the boy enters his arms a sobbing mess, finally away from the long drop.
"Yeah...i—it's okay.." Nico promised awkwardly, patting the boy's back. He had no idea how to comfort someone suicidal, despite being in the exact same boat one year ago.
"I just—I got kicked from team and I know my dad is gonna, h-he's gonna..." The boy hiccuped before letting out a pathetic whimper, burying his face into the smaller boy's shoulder.
Nico just stroked his back silently, allowing him to get everything off of his chest. He talked about his father—a highly respectable business man who expected just a little more than the boy could offer. His mother—a drunk who had a scorching tongue and knew how to use it so that her words hurt and simmered for a while. His coach—a hateful, good-for-nothing scumbag that loved to pick at the team's weak spots. He spoke of these people and much, much more that had stressed him to his breaking point.
And when he had finally ran out of tears, he picked his head up from the boy's chest (which it had navigated to mid-way through), and smiled weakly.
"T-Thanks for letting me... y'know ..." He sniffled, blushing in shame. His face looked even more sunk in and tired than before, but there was a certain glow encircling the boy now, as if confessing of all his built up feelings had added even more beauty to him.
Nico felt anger flare through him when he identified the shame and self-loathe still remaining in the beauty's blue eyes, lurching forwards and grabbing him around the torso.
He latched on, shutting his eyes tightly as he opened his mouth to shout the most embarrassing but honest words in his life.
"Don't you dare feel bad! You deserve happiness, and you deserve to live. So don't ever feel bad for crying, because sometimes if you don't cry then it hurts even more." Nico confessed in such a non-Nico way he felt like gagging. His face was buried into the blond's shirt, but that didn't stop his ear-tips from turning the brightest red possible.
He felt the boy's arms wrap back around him once again, a quiet chuckle escaping him.
"Thank you, seriously." The blond showed his sincere gratitude with a heartfelt half-smile, his puffy eyes glassy as if he were about to cry again.
Nico could only smile in reply, lost in his current flood of emotions.
"Did you really mean it?" The boy suddenly spoke again, eyes guarded and voice low.
"Huh?" Nico tilted his head, caught off guard by the sudden question.
For some unknown reason, the boy's cheeks flood with a pink tinge.
"A-About... about having a thing for blonds?" Nico can feel the boy's embarrassment flow into him, brown eyes widening to a startling extent.
"O-oh! Uh—" He spluttered for a response, mind scrambling in panic.
Luckily for him, the boy laughs it off. His blue eyes twinkle with fresh determination as he stares down at the black haired boy, gaze warm.
"Let's start over. I'm Jason," He introduced himself, holding his hand out for a shake. Nico stared at it as if it were an alien before realizing what the blond wanted, shyly shaking hands.
"I'm Nico di Angelo." He muttered timidly.
"Nico di Angelo," Jason mused, eyes sparkling.
"Nico from the angels, how fitting." He grinned, causing the smaller boy to blush.
because so many fanfics make jason the rock, and sometimes he needs to cry too.
sorry for the corny fluff uvu
title based off of howl's moving castle.
please review. thanks~