Hey! Its my first fanfic! Please review and hope you enjoy! ^_^
Please read the A/N at the end.
P.S: I don't own anything.
See You Again
Nico di Angelo was having a bad day already. On top of that, he was missing his dead sister Bianca….dearly. He couldn't quite pin point what made him miss her so badly today all of a sudden. It wasn't like it was her death anniversary or her birthday. Although he couldn't remember what he had dreamed about last night, he was pretty sure that it wasn't about her. Nothing around or about him had reminded him of her and yet…he just missed her. It was like one of those days when you just miss a person dear to you without a rhyme or reason. It's not like you are reminded about them in some sort of way and then you think about them and hence all the memories begin. No, not like that. You just….miss them. You miss not being with them. You miss their laugh. You miss their smile. Basically you just miss everything about them.
That was what was going on with Nico. He missed how she used to tease him by calling him 'little brother'. He hated being called little. Even though he was actually the younger one. He missed how she used to scold him for still playing mythomagic. He missed the talks he used to give her to stop covering her face with her cap and be confident like the mythology heroes. He missed how she used to brush her hand through his hair at this and tease him for acting all grown up. He even missed the times they had spent together in Venice. The memories were still fuzzy but clear enough to cause him heartache all the same. He remembered how she used to twirl around in that white dress of hers. He remembered the time that she became a Huntress. Sure it had pissed him off but he hadn't missed the new look of confidence with which she carried herself. He remembered thinking, that's how you should be Bi.
Nico felt a tear roll down his cheek. More like he just realised that he was crying. He touched the wet skin with his fingers but didn't bother to wipe it off, knowing that more were to follow. The dam had just broken after all. He was lying on his bed with a hand over his head in the Hades cabin. He turned to bury his face into the pillow to muffle his sobbing. The memories kept flashing before his shut eyes. He wondered idly, if he would ever get over his sister's death. Even though he had Hazel now, the answer was no. It wasn't that he didn't love Hazel. He loved her as much as he loved Bianca. But Hazel was Hazel, not Bianca.
He stayed like that, with his face buried in the pillow, for another few minutes or at least until he was sure that his tears had dried. He slowly sat up on the bed and looked out of the window. It was almost dusk. He felt a whisper of relief. The horrible day was finally coming to an end and Will should also be coming back.
He sat up a little straight at Will's name. A feeling of elation mixed with annoyance swept over him. Will was part of the reason his day was going bad. That dork had ditched him to go to the city to buy some new stock for the infirmary. Obviously, Nico had offered but his offer had been immediately vetoed. Will saying that it wasn't safe (he was the Ghost King for crying out loud!) and Chiron saying that a child of the big three will only attract unnecessary monster trouble (to which naturally Nico lost the argument). He had an inkling feeling that Will had somehow convinced Chiron to side with him, or else why would Chiron refuse an experienced fighter to accompany a group of healers? To say the least, that was how Nico's bad day had begun. He had stormed off to his cabin soon after Will, Kayla and Austin had left for their stock up "quest". After sulking in his cabin for a while, he had gone off to the sword arena to spar, it always helped him in letting off steam. Just his luck, he got a huge gash on his arm, courtesy of a son of Nike. Will is gonna flip if he sees this, Nico had thought as he made his way to the infirmary. Then he chided himself for thinking that because he was still mad at Will. Without the best medics, the most the rest of the healers could do was patch Nico up the regular mortal way and hand him a square of ambrosia to eat. He was fine with that much actually, it was always Solace who overreacted to his wounds and not him. Then Percy convinced him to canoe with him to cool off a bit. Nico had reluctantly agreed and that had been a huge mistake. Percy's idea to "cool off" was to throw Nico into the lake as a joke. After a lot of cursing and sending a few skeletons chasing Jackson's ass, Nico had made his way to his cabin for a change of clothes. By the time he had changed into dry clothes, the effect of ambrosia had worn off and the pain had flared once again. So instead of making way for lunch, he had just stayed in bed and then somehow, thoughts of Bianca had caught up with him.
Once again, he was brought back to lamenting about Bianca. One would think that after almost ten years, all you would be left with were the happy memories. Memories that you could visit without getting depressed. It wasn't that that didn't happen with Nico. It did, but very rarely. More often than not, he was left sobbing until Will found him in his own personal shell and pulled him out. But Will wasn't here right now. Gods knew when he would come back. He should have been back by now. They had left quite early and all they had to do was shop.
He flopped back down on his bed and pulled out the mp3 player that Will had given him on his previous birthday. Over the past years the Hephaestus cabin had really advanced in making monster-proof technology for demigods. Now all demigods could have phones and all kinds of tech. The mp3 had a few playlists already there, courtesy of Will. The rest of his friends had taken it upon themselves to make him more familiar with the 21st century music and trivia. So he had a playlist put on by almost every single one of them. He liked Thalia's playlist best because it had more metal and punk songs which he found more to be his type. Hazel had worked with him together and helped him create a playlist of Italian songs. Over the years, his Italian side had started to show up more. He liked to cook pastas in the little apartment, he and Will owned in Seattle, while Will attended his med-school. Of course Will had more than one playlist to his name. Nico had one full playlist dedicated especially to him by Will. The songs and the lyrics of that playlist sometimes made him blush and sometimes shake his head at his boyfriend's dorkiness and cheesiness.
Just wanting a little distraction, Nico put all the playlists on shuffle and closed his eyes hoping to drift off. After a couple of songs, a new song started blaring in his ears. Although the volume was low, the silence surrounding him made the song a little loud. He didn't realise what the song was but its lyrics caught his attention and his thoughts turned towards Bianca before he even realized. This time he felt himself tear up. He reached up to brush it off but another hand beat him to it.
Nico almost fell off his bed in surprise. Will Solace was kneeling next to his bed. He looked like he had been kneeling for quite a while. Nico looked towards the door. How come he hadn't heard the door shut?
"Hey….you okay?" asked Will, looking at him with concern set in his blue eyes. As Nico got over his shock, the fact that Will was right in front of him seeped into his sluggish brain. All of a sudden he launched himself into Will's arms and hugged him tight. He hadn't realised how much he had missed his dork in just that one day, especially since it was a bad one. Nico wasn't really a touchy-feely type person but he really needed a hug right now. What with it being such a bad day and then Bianca and his dork not being around too. Will seemed to understand that. He hugged him back. Nico ducked his head in the nook of Will's shoulder blades, as the dam broke again. Seriously, why was he crying so much today?! Will rocked him back and forth like a baby and rubbed his back, all the while not saying anything. He knew that at times like these, with Nico, words weren't required. Just being there was enough for Nico.
They sat like that on the floor for gods know how long. Nico had long since calmed down but neither of them had moved. It was already dark outside. It was probably time for dinner. They only broke apart when Nico's stomach growled. That set both of them laughing lightly in the dark room. Will's stomach followed soon after which really sent them into laughing fits.
"C'mon, let's go get dinner, Death Boy. I bet you didn't have lunch, did you?" Will said as he peered into Nico's eyes searching. Nico just stared back. Not bothering to come up with an excuse. "Hey…you wanna talk about it?"
Nico shrugged his shoulders and took a deep breath before replying. "Just…" he began, "…I was having a bad day, which started thanks to you actually." He punched Will lightly on the shoulder. The dork had the audacity to laugh knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"Anyways…" he continued, looking away from Will now, "it wasn't so bad until the usual happened." He started fidgeting with the hem his shirt. "It caught me off guard and that's about it."
Will just silently pulled him back into a hug again. He knew all too well what the 'usual' Nico was talking about. It's not like it had happened for the first time. Nico sighed into his arms. This is where he always felt calm even if a storm was brewing inside him. He hugged Will tighter. An idea started forming in his head. It was a very un-Nico like idea, he had to admit. But he felt like he had to do it all the same. Scratch that. He wanted to do it. For Bianca. He was sure he would not be able to live it down for a long time but he was also sure that it would be worth it.
He pulled back a little so that he could look at Will's face to feel a little more confidence for what he was about to do.
"Hey Will…I have this idea….and I need your help…"
Dinner was a not so quiet affair at the dinning pavilion. What with all the college kids staying at the camp for summer together and it being a Friday which meant Open-Mic Night. Most of the college kids were already together at New Rome. Others attended regular colleges and tried to stay out of trouble as much as possible. But it wasn't every summer that all of them who had fought in the two wars, had gotten together at Camp. They may have spent some time at New Rome but Camp Half-Blood was home. So yeah, that added an extra titbit of excitement this summer. Plus it was an Open-Mic Night. They still had camp fire sing-alongs. This was just an evolved version that took place at least once in two weeks or whenever requested. After the demigods started having a constant social life like the rest of the kids their age, the songs sung at camp fire got evolved a bit which later turned into a full-fledged Open-Mic. Mostly people just dressed up to sing on a stage with music blaring from speakers and the rest of the camp joining along.
For special summers like this one, a full table was dedicated to the seven and their friends. So naturally Nico and Will sat there too. Nico wished Hazel could have joined them for the summer but she was really concentrating in college work and wanted the extra time to improve. Being from a different time had made it tough for both of the underworld kids to catch up on their academics. Nico had taken up Forensics in the same college as Will just for the sake of it and obviously to stay next to him. He was nothing if not a hopeless romantic.
As everyone was making their way to the camp fire where the stage was, Piper pulled him aside.
"Hey, Will told me about your idea and asked if I could help him," she whispered excitedly. Nico looked aghast.
"That idiot! I told him not to tell anyone beforehand."
"Don't worry…. your secret is safe with me. I just wanted to help with the part Will added." She had that Aphrodite special devilish smile on her face. It's not a surprise that it filled the Ghost King with dread.
"What did Will add? I don't know anything about this. There is nothing to add!"
"Well if he did tell you, then you would have refused. That is why he sent me to kidnap you. C'mon, we don't have a lot of time." She winked and dragged him by the arm before he could even protest.
Nico looked in the mirror and almost didn't recognise himself. The person standing in the reflection was of the same height as Nico. He had the same olive toned skin. Yet he looked so different than the usual Nico. He was wearing a black homburg hat. His raven locks peeked from the sides, making the hat look just perfect on him. He wore a loose white full-sleeves collared shirt which was not tucked in and the sleeves were folded till just below his elbows. Over that he wore an unzipped black leather half-jacket. Piper had let him wear his signature skinny black jeans and black converse. On his left wrist was a sophisticated looking black leather band. His skull ring was like a cherry on top to the whole get up. Piper had also puffed some powder in his face and done what people call 'make-up'. He didn't have any dark shadows beneath his eyes anymore. Even though he was annoyed the whole time Piper had fussed over him, he had to admit, he liked the end result.
"You look great, Nico," Piper said, coming to stand behind him and looking in the mirror. "And I know you'll be great."
"I'll give it a try I suppose," Nico said, cracking a little smile. "C'mon, let's get this over with."
The Open-Mic was already halfway through by the time they arrived to the amphitheatre from behind the stage. Will was standing with his back to them. He turned around when he heard them.
"What took you so long? I was just about to-" Will choked on his words when he saw his boyfriend. Nico felt his cheeks burn when Will shamelessly gawked at him, his eyes traveling from his hat to his shoes. Will wasn't much better off either. Both the boys were blushing to the roots of their hair.
"Wow….Nico…you look…" was all Will could manage. Piper was just giggling at what she later called an 'aw….' scene. She left them alone with an "I'll catch up with you guys later."
They just stood there staring at each other when Will suddenly snapped his head up.
"Oh right, the show…we should…um…get going I think," he said, suddenly not being able to look into Nico's eyes. Nico sighed. They had been together for so long and yet acted like new love. Seeing Will getting all flustered did calm him though. He took a step forward, standing right in front of Will, who was still not looking at him and blushing a little.
"Will, look at me."
The tone of his voice made Will snap his head up again. He just caught the all-too-familiar gleam in Nico's eyes and he knew what was going to happen just as it did. Nico grabbed Will's collar and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Will was a little taken aback but returned the kiss with the same fervor as Nico as soon as he recovered from his shock. He hooked his fingers in Nico's belt loops and pulled him closer and deeper into the kiss. Soon they were gasping for air but that was not enough to stop them.
Someone cleared their throat from behind them and they broke apart, surprised, but didn't let go of each other. It was Lou Ellen and her smile was too mischievous to pass as just amused.
"Will, you are up next." She just said that and left. Will recovered first and let out a breathy laugh. He looked at Nico. He still had that gleam in his eyes. Slowly they let go of each other but held onto their hands. Will gave it a squeeze and urged Nico forward.
"C'mon, let's go and give everyone the shock of their lives," Will said, smiling back at Nico. "I can't wait to see the look on everyone's face."
Nico sobered up a little when he thought of why he had set out to do what he was about to do. He gave Will a light shove and said, "We'll see, you dork."
He let Will go on stage ahead of him, but not before he got a peck for good luck. He could see the crowd sitting around the fire and the stage. The people closest to the stage noticed him and started whispering excitedly.
"Hey guys!" Will said into the microphone to the crowd at large. "Tonight I have a special show for you. I'll be pairing up with someone tonight. Nico, c'mon up!"
The crowd burst into applause and cat-calls and wolf-whistles too. As Nico made his way up the stage, already regretting his idea, the crowd started buzzing loudly. They could now see Nico in the full light of the camp fire. Nico felt his cheeks burn again. He even heard some loud whispers of "is that really Nico? The Nico di Angelo?" He looked up at the crowd and felt his hands shaking a little. What was he thinking? He would never be able to face the crowd. He hated being the center of attention and right now everyone was looking at him. He wanted to drown in the shadows so bad right now. He felt someone take his hand and he looked up into the deep blue lagoons that were the eyes of Will Solace. He felt a little pressure in his hand and he calmed down considerably. He remembered the original reason why he had even considered going up on stage in front of the whole camp and he felt a little confident at that thought. He was doing this for Bianca. He looked back up at the crowd and found his friends waving encouragingly at him. Piper, Jason, Leo, Calypso, Reyna, Percy, Annabeth, Lou Ellen and Cecil, they were all waving frantically at him. Everyone sans Piper had a look of pleasant surprise on their faces. Nico took a deep breath and stepped up to the microphone. Will took his place next to him but a little behind him at the second microphone.
"Okay," Nico said into the microphone, "I only wanted to sing something for Bianca so here I am. And I dare anyone to say anything about it." He added, shooting his death glare at the buzzing crowd which calmed down a bit to his satisfaction.
He put one hand on the microphone and the other on the stand. His ring clanked a little against the cool metal of the mic. He closed his eyes and waited for the music to begin. The noise from the crowd had almost completely died down.
Nico opened his eyes when the music started blaring from the sound boxes. He took a deep breath and looked sideways at Will, who gave him an encouraging nod, before he launched himself into the song.
Nico: It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
Hey Bi, are you listening?
I hope you are because this song is for you.
Will: When I see you again
(Hey)
Nico: Dang, who knew?
All the planes we flew
Good things we've been through
That I'll be standing right here talking to you
'Bout another path
I know we loved to hit the road and laugh
How are you?
Are you doing well?
But something told me that it wouldn't last
Had to switch up
Look at things different, see the bigger picture
Those were the days
Hard work forever pays
Now I see you in a better place
I still miss you Bianca.
More than anything.
Will: (see you in a better place)
Uh
Nico & Will: How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gon' be with me for the last ride
You were the only family left to me…and yet you had to leave me.
I was all alone Bi.
I was alone and bitter for a long time.
Nico: It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
Nico & Will: When I see you again
(Aah oh, aah oh
Wooooh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Yeah
Nico: First you both go out your way
And the vibe is feeling strong
And what's small turn to a friendship
A friendship turn to a bond
And that bond will never be broken
The love will never get lost
For years I was roaming in darkness all alone and always grieving you.
But I want you to know that I'm not alone anymore Bi.
I have friends. I even found love! Can you believe that?
We even have a half-sister, Hazel. You would love her. I do.
But you are irreplaceable, you know that.
And when brotherhood come first
Then the line will never be crossed
Established it on our own
When that line had to be drawn
And that line is what we reach
So remember me when I'm gone
I want you to know that you don't have to worry about me anymore.
Sure, I still miss you like crazy and wish that you were here with me.
But hey, that's never going to change and we both know it.
Nico & Will: How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gon' be with me for the last ride
Even our Father checks in from time to time.
Time really does change a lot of things.
Although it heals at a very slow pace.
Will: So let the light guide your way, yeah
Hold every memory as you go
And every road you take, will always lead you home, home
Nico: It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
But heal it does.
I am happy now.
You moved on long ago.
It's time I did too.
Nico & Will: When I see you again
(Aah oh, aah oh
Wooooh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Yeah
It took me almost ten years to finally tell you all this.
Nico: When I see you again
See you again
When I see you again
Addio Bianca….
Will: (Aah oh, aah oh
Wooooh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Yeah
Nico & Will: When I see you again
…..until I see you again.
Nico felt tears pool in his eyes but he held them in. He knew he had done the right thing. He felt lighter than he ever had. As if he had always had the invisible weight of Bianca's death held in his heart.
He was only numbly aware of the shouts coming from the crowd. He was so immersed in his epiphany that he hadn't even noticed Will pull him into a tight hug until he found it hard to breathe.
"Will-can't breathe."
Will pulled back a little and Nico saw that he was actually crying.
"Will, what's wrong?"
Will shook his head smiling. "Nothing…I just really felt your song Nico. I felt your pain. Are you okay?"
"Actually….never better." Nico said with a huge grin on his face. It was obvious how genuine it was.
Nico was pulled into another bear hug from behind before Will could respond. His friends had come up on stage. All of them were shouting simultaneously so loudly over the noise of the crowd which in fact seemed to have gone wild.
"Dude you didn't tell us you could sing like that!"
"You put Apollo kids to shame, man! No offence Will."
"Oh Nico! That was really beautiful!"
"You are just a jar of secrets aren't you?!"
"Nico that was absolutely amazing!"
Nico couldn't even make out who said what. He noticed that the crowd seemed to have joined in a single chant. He broke free from Jason's bear hug and looked at the crowd. With so many gods, the camp population had really hiked over the years.
"What are they shouting?" He asked to the little group on stage.
"They are shouting 'Once More' Nico," Will answered with a proud look on his face. "You up for a round two?"
"Sure why not," Nico's reply surprised them both.
Their friends whistled encouragingly before heading back to their seats.
"So what song next?" Will asked.
"Oh this one's on me." Nico said with a devilish grin on his face. "Now get off the stage." With that he literally pushed Will off the stage, laughing at the look of absolute confusion on Solace's face. Something he wasn't used to doing in full crowd. But something had changed in him while singing that song before. He felt more confident and easy around people. It felt refreshing and he wasn't going to complain.
The noise from the crowd died down slowly as he took his place at the microphone stand again. This time with a confident smile. He had already made the arrangements for the next song backstage. He surprisingly liked singing for a crowd. Why hadn't he done it yet? The only times he ever sung before now was with Will, in the quiet confinements of their apartment.
"Hey dork," Nico said into the microphone, grinning, "this one's for you."
He winked at Will as the music began and once again he launched himself into a song that meant a lot to him.
When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the saints we see
Are all made of gold
When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail
Are the worst of all
And the blood's run stale
Nico surveyed the crowd as he sang. He was too caught up in giving a final goodbye to Bianca while singing the last song, that he hadn't paid much attention to the crowd. The crowd seemed to sway with every beat of the song. He wondered if anyone would be able to make the connection to him through the song. He knew that Will would catch on soon, if he hadn't already.
I wanna hide the truth
I wanna shelter you
But with the beast inside
There's nowhere we can hide
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Nico tapped his foot along with the beats of the song, thoroughly enjoying himself. He realised he had made an understatement before. He didn't just like singing for a crowd. He loved it!
Curtain's call
Is the last of all
When the lights fade out
All the sinners crawl
So they dug your grave
And the masquerade
Will come calling out
At the mess you've made
Nico looked over to where his friends were sitting. They were swaying to the beats of the song along with the crowd. All of them showed him thumbs up to encourage him more. He chanced a glance at Will who had joined the rest. He had an amused look on his face but besides that he too was swaying along with everyone else. Nico sent a smirk his way before he closed his eyes and all but drowned in the music.
Don't wanna let you down
But I am hell bound
Though this is all for you
Don't wanna hide the truth
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Nico looked up and locked eyes with Will, as he sang the next few lines.
They say it's what you make
I say it's up to fate
It's woven in my soul
I need to let you go
Your eyes, they shine so bright
I wanna save that light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how
Constantly holding their gaze, Nico tried to convey to Will how he had felt when they had first started going out. How he had literally saved him just by noticing him and bringing him into light. How grateful he had felt when Will would make time especially for him. He wanted to convey more but he realised he didn't need to as understanding gleamed in Will' eyes. He smiled, letting Nico know that his message was received. Nico smiled back and closed his eyes as he sang the final verse.
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
As the last music notes faded away, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers again. Nico opened his eyes and saw that Will was already sprinting towards him, the rest following him at his heels. The scene somehow looked so funny to Nico that he burst out laughing. He had just jumped off the stage when Will reached him and pulled him into a tight hug before letting go only to kiss him in front of everyone. Had it been any other day, Nico would have pulled away soon. But today it didn't bother him that they had an audience, which, as much as he could figure out before he lost his train of thought, had all but gone wild.
Ignoring them, Nico reached up and wrapped his arms around Will's neck and pulled him closer as he got lost in the blissful kiss.
A/N: So...how was it? Did you like the way Nico dressed up? And don't you agree that the song Demons just screams Solangelo! And how was Nico's first song? I mean...all the stuff he says to Bianca? I'm open for any discussions...you just have to PM me. I hope it wasn't too emotional. I'm a sucker for sad stories. Don't forget to review!
Also I have been informed that I'm not supposed to put on the full lyrics of any song that is copy right and not written by me. I understand that and I wish I could write this up in any other way but I can't because that would defeat the whole purpose of this story. I hope you understand. And once again...I don't own any characters or lyrics or anything. Just the story. And please to review or at least fav it so I know that at least someone liked it. ^_^