"Hi," The new reporter shyly extends his hand, dreamy sky-blue eyes twinkling behind the lenses of his thickly-framed black glasses. He has military-cropped golden-blond hair and a smile that makes the scar on his upper lip stand out. He looks like a Roman statue come to life, except for the well-fitted navy blue suit that showed off his broad shoulders and muscular frame. He looks like he belongs on the runway or on TV, not here in the drab, gray office of a news company. "I'm Jason Grace."
"I'm Nico di Angelo," Nico takes his hand and – oh the gods – feels the spark of electricity dancing from the man's fingertips to his. He looks up, startled, to see the new reporter smiling down at him. Nico huffs, turning to walk back to his cubicle.
Yes, Jason Grace does look like a supermodel, but he is Nico di Angelo – dammit – the news anchor of the Daily Olympus! It is his job to chase after Olympolis' most famous superheroes while they chased after the monsters that were attacking the city. It is his job to crack them down and break them in. Super-people aren't new to him!
Nico presses his fingers to his forehead. He has dealt with superheroes before. He has handled that (gorgeous) annoying Aquaman and that pesky Yellow Archer time and time again. Why should one lowly, new reporter give him a hard time?
"Wait!" Jason calls out after him, hand reaching out to pull him back by his elbow. "The executive editor, Mr D. said you'd show me the ropes!"
Nico curses under his breath.
There was that damn spark again.
Tall, dark, and super man
He puts papers in his briefcase and drives away
To save the world, or go to work
It's the same thing to me.
"So you know nothing about him?" Nico asks again, sighing. He had been sitting in this coffee shop for four straight hours, calling out all of his contacts for any information on the newest superhero in town – Superman, a blond, blue-eyed dreamboat who suddenly appeared the other day and began zapping the dracanae terrorizing Othrys Boulevard with his thunderbolts. The women swooned, the men clapped, and Superman was flying away before Nico could snap a single picture. "Nothing at all?"
"No, nothing. I don't think he's from around here," Yellow Archer shakes his head, his shaggy sun-kissed hair falling around his blue eyes. He is dressed in a Hawaiian tee and shorts, his surfboard leaning on the wall behind his chair. He isn't wearing his trademark yellow mask, nor does he have his trademark yellow arrows. Today, he is just another person sitting across another person in a coffee shop. "But if you want to hang out again, I don't know, maybe we could – "
"Yes, Will, I'll call you again, okay?"
Will smiles, picking up his surfboard. He makes his way out of the coffee shop, looking back over his shoulder at Nico. Nico waves at the hero, before he resumes tapping his notepad with his pen. Well, four hours, twenty-five minutes, seventy-eight contacts, eleven cups of espresso, and what did he have? Nothing.
Nico has no other choice. He scowls at his phone, imagining all of the regret he knows he is going to feel later, and dials his number.
Minutes later, the door to the coffee shop swings open, and Nico cringes when he smells the familiar scent of the salty ocean. He tries to relax himself, as the hero Aquaman came to a stop before his table and took up the chair Yellow Archer was sitting in a while ago.
"What's up, Nico?" Aquaman smiles. He looked like he always did, sea-green eyes you could drown in, dark hair shot through with streaks of emerald. Like Will, he isn't wearing his trademark superhero suit. Instead, he is wearing cargo pants and an Ocean World shirt. Nico's heart is skipping beats and he hates it.
When Nico had first been promoted to news anchor, Mr D. had assigned him to then-rising star Aquaman. Nico had made it his job to learn everything about the hero – what he liked to eat (blue pancakes), what his hobbies were (swimming and more swimming), where he liked to go (the ocean). Aquaman taught Nico how to swim, showed Nico his underwater castle, introduced Nico to his hippocampi. Before Nico knew what was happening, he was in love.
And then Aquaman got married to Wonder Girl.
Nico almost quit when Mr D. assigned him to cover the super wedding and the super reception. But of course he didn't, no sir, he was Nico di Angelo, news anchor of the Daily Olympus, so he picked himself up and held his head high as he stomped into the building (designed by Wonder Girl herself!) where the reception was held. He interviewed the groom and the bride as professionally as he could (which wasn't much), he nitpicked every single detail (Why is everything blue? Why are you wearing your masks with your wedding outfits?), and when his job was done, he got so wasted he passed out on his way home.
That was how Yellow Archer found him, drunk and hysterically crying by a dark, back alley two blocks from his apartment. The two had been friends ever since. Unfortunately for Will, that was also the night Nico vowed not to get too close to any superhero.
"Let me guess," Aquaman tips his head to the side, snapping Nico from his reverie. "You want to ask me about that Superman."
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I've asked everyone else about him," Nico sighs. "And I've got nothing."
"I've never anything like him before. I mean, did you see what he did at Othrys Square? BOOM. BOOM. Thunder everywhere!"
Nico laughs at Percy's 'thunder' noises. Pretty soon, the hero is laughing along with him, their chuckles bouncing off the walls, and Nico can't help but wonder why Percy hadn't chosen him. He squashes the unbidden thought as soon as it came to his mind. He's over this.
"I haven't seen you around, you know," Percy suddenly says, his voice serious and a little bit lonely. "My friends miss you."
"By 'my friends,' do you mean the dolphins? Because I don't really think they like me that much."
"Well yeah, they think you're scary and all," Percy shrugs and the action looks strangely forced to Nico. "But I miss yo – "
Percy stops, his eyes fixed on a spot above Nico's head. Before Nico has a chance to turn and look, there is a hand on his shoulder and electricity is running down his spine. He shudders involuntarily.
"Nico," Jason walks up to their table and smiles. "What are you doing here?"
"I was trying to get info on Superman," Nico motions to Percy, who stares curiously at Jason.
"You want to know about him." Jason's face stretches into a wide, triumphant grin.
"Of course! If I get this scoop, it's going to be big!"
Jason laughs at that. He turns to Percy, extending his hand for a handshake, and stops. For a tense moment, there is silence as Jason and Percy lock eyes, as if sizing up each other. Nico opens his mouth to ask what the problem is, but his phone rings.
"Hey, Hazel," Nico answers the phone. He hears the voice of his fellow reporter on the other line and his eyes go wide. He casts a discreet glance Percy's way. "Basilisks have appeared along Ithaca Street. Got it."
Percy nods his understanding and takes off, bumping into a few people on his way out of the coffee shop. To Nico's surprise, Jason, too, suddenly runs out of the store. Nico chases after the blond, stuffing his notepad and pen into his sling bag.
"Where are you going?" He shouts after Jason.
"To – uh, I… um, I'm getting this scoop!" And then Jason disappears into the crowd of people on the street.
Nico stops for a minute and curses loudly. He wraps his bag around himself tighter and begins running to Ithaca Street.
When he gets there, the women are swooning, the men are clapping, and the basilisks are dead. Everyone is looking up at the sky. Nico follows their gazes and sees a man, wearing a red cape, flying away from the scene.
Moments later, Aquaman arrives, looking as confused as Nico.
Tall, dark, and beautiful
He's complicated, he's irrational
But I hope someday he'll take me away
And save the day.
"Good job, Grains," Mr D.'s voice is dripping with sarcasm. He slams his glass of Merlot on his cherry desk and throws a couple of photographs to the floor. "You got a thousand photos of the monsters and none of the hero. The people are going to absolutely love this."
"It's Grace, sir and, um, Superman flew away before I could… uh, take a photo." Jason scratches the back of his head.
Mr D. turns to him and Nico tenses, waiting for the executive editor to blow up at him. The scolding doesn't come. Instead, Mr D. brings up a bottle of Chardonnay from inside his table and dismisses them with a wave of his hand.
"What were you doing? I thought you said you were 'gonna get the scoop!'" Nico hisses at Jason when they are finally outside. "We're lucky Mr D. didn't kill us!"
Jason merely laughs and walks off to his office. When he turns, Nico notices a bunch of weird-looking white spikes attached to the back of the man's suit. Now, where has Nico seen those before? He goes to his desk and opens his laptop. He looks up basilisk on Google and the suspicions start forming in his head.
Something in his deep, brown eyes has me saying
He's not all bad like his reputation
And I can't hear one single word they say.
When Nico finally gets the chance to meet this Superman, it's because he's about to die.
A few days after the basilisks' attack on Ithaca Street, the Ketos Troi or the Trojan Sea Monster appeared on the Aegean Sea. Booster Bronze had arrived on his mechanical dragon, Festus, to confront the beast, but he had been defeated.
Percy swam halfway across the world when he heard. He called Nico and asked him to help evacuate everyone along Aegean Street and warn everyone to stay away. Nico did as he was told, before he ran right back to where the Ketos Troi was. Nico knew he was an idiot, doubly so for being worried about a hero, but he didn't care. This monster brought down Booster Bronze. Who's to say it can't do the same to Aquaman?
The streets are mostly empty now. The winds are strangely strong and it feels like a storm is coming. Here and there, billboards and posters are getting torn down. Nico keeps on running, his hair whipping around his face.
Finally, he gets to the edge of the street. He leans over the steel railings and gasps. The ocean is tossing and turning, the huge waves making it impossible for him to see anything. He shields his eyes. He can make out the faint shadow of the sea monster, the long, silvery, slippery body trashing about, threading in and out of the water.
"Percy!" Nico begins shouting, overcome with worry. "Percy!"
His reply comes in the sound of the crashing of the waves and Nico feels fear squeezing his chest painfully. He places his palms on the railings and stands on his toes, craning his neck to see anything. Instead, he sees a wave thirty feet above sea level, about to crash into where he is standing.
"Oh gods."
Nico is rooted to the spot. He closes his eyes, unable to do anything else. This is the part where his life flashes before his eyes, right? Nico thinks he doesn't have any regrets… no wait, yes he does! If he knew he would die this early, he probably would have confessed to Percy, ruined his wedding, 'stop-the-vows' and everything. It would have made headlines!
Alas, he didn't know he'd kick the bucket this soon, so now here he was, about to die with the wind whistling by his ears. For some reason it smells like burnt ozone and Nico feels like there is electricity coursing through his veins and – ah there we go, another one of his regrets. He never had the chance to find out who Superman really was.
Nico sighs.
Where in Olympus is that damn wave?
He opens his eyes, and sees electric blue eyes staring down at him.
"You're alive!" Superman exclaims. "Gods, Nico, what in Zeus' name were you doing!?"
They are almost forty feet up in the air and Superman is clutching Nico to his chest in a bridal carry. Nico thinks it would have been embarrassing any other time, but right now, he's just happy to be alive. At least he can still confess to Percy…
"Nico, talk to me! Are you alright?"
"I – I, yeah, I'm, uh okay," Nico takes a shaky breath. He clings to the stylized, red letter 'S' inscribed on the hero's blue costume. "Is… Is Aquaman alright?"
"That's why you're here!?" Superman nearly growls and for the first time, Nico notices the hero has a scar on his upper lip. Now where has Nico seen that before?
Superman casts him an angry, unreadable look, and Nico frowns. Why, he's never seen a grumpy hero before! This is certainly going to make headlines!
The hero flies them to the alley behind the Daily Olympusoffice, scowling all the way, and Nico decides to shut up because he doesn't want to be electrocuted. Nico's skin is tingling where the hero touches him and when Superman sets him on his feet, Nico can't quite stand up straight.
"Look, I really need to interview you," Nico says as the hero turns to leave. "Can we set a schedule?"
"No," Superman grunts, running a hand through his unruly golden-blond hair, before he takes off.
Nico watches as Superman flies away, and he wonders how the hero knew his name.
And you'll leave, got places to be
And I'll be okay
I always forget to tell you I love you
I loved you from the very first day.
"You're Superman," Nico declares, grin on his face, hand on his hip. "I've got it. I've got you, Grace."
"Um, are you alright?" Jason gets up from his chair and closes the door behind Nico. His office is sunny, walls painted in blues of the sky and wide, wide windows. He adjusts the glasses on his face and motions to the empty chair by his oak desk. "Would you like to take a seat?"
"The grumpy persona, the electricity, why you're always disappearing, and don't even get me started on the basilisk spikes I found on your suit!" Nico walks slowly to the desk and then shoves some documents in Jason's face. "Your articles are unreadable, you don't do interviews, I'm pretty sure your photographs are horrible too, but Mr D. can't fire you because you're Superman!"
"Are you sure you're alright? Hazel told me you were involved in that… uh, sea monster thing last week?" Jason chuckles awkwardly. "And the reason Mr D. can't fire me is because my dad owns the Daily Olympus."
"I knew it! You are – huh?" Nico lets the words sink in. He takes a step back. "Y-Your dad owns… the D-Daily Olympus?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Y-Your dad is… the billionaire playboy who owns almost all of Olympolis, Zeus Olympia!?"
"Um, yeah?"
"Which means… your grandfather is the owner of Titan Corp., Cronus Titania!?"
"How did you know?" Jason laughs happily, oblivious to the shock on Nico's face. "You're amazing!"
"Grace, we really need to set a schedule." Nico wants to faint now, but he knows he can't. He has an interview to snag! He takes his notepad and pen from his sling bag and slams it down on the table. "Date. Now."
"D-Date!?" Jason stutters, arms flailing around. "Really? I mean, yes! Yes, of course!"
"Great!" Nico starts scribbling his number and the address of a fancy restaurant on his notepad. He can't believe his luck! To get an interview with the son of Zeus Olympia, successor of the Olympolis magnate, and alter-ego of the most-talked about hero Superman, the gods must be smiling at him right now!
Suddenly, the door swings open and Mr D. steps in, waving a couple of photographs in the air. For once he isn't holding a bottle of wine. He pushes Nico to the side and takes Jason's hand, shaking it vigorously.
"Finally, Grey! A picture of Superman!"
Nico recovers quickly and he grabs the photos from Mr D.'s hand. He flips through the photos, which are slightly blurry from the water droplets on the lens of the camera. They are taken from where he was standing one week ago, by the steel railings on Trojan Street. The photos show the Trojan Sea Monster half in the water, half in the air, wrestling with Aquaman, who is dressed in his sea-green, scaly costume, standing to the left in a whirpool. To the upper right is Festus without his rider, breathing red hot fire. In the middle of it all is Superman, his arms around the beast, as if to drag it completely out of water.
Huh. That's weird. Nico peers closely at the Superman in the photo. If Jason really is Superman, then who could've taken the photo? Is Jason not Superman? Where was Booster Bronze? Nico watches as Mr D. continues babbling his praise and Jason merely smiles. He can't be wrong.
You'll smile and say, "How are you?"
And I'll say, "Just fine."
I always forget to tell you I love you
I'll love you forever.
"So you just graduated from Jupiter University at the top of your batch – wow – and to prepare for taking over the corporation, your father is having you take different jobs." Nico taps his chin with his pen thoughtfully. "Is that right?"
"Yep, that pretty much sums up the past two years of my life." Jason leans forward, away from his ribbon-back chair, and rests his elbows on the rich mahogany of the dining table that is separating them. The bright light from the chandelier overhead makes his hair looks like molten gold. He is wearing a plain white button-down dress shirt with a midnight blue silk tie and dress pants, and still he looks like a model about to take the runway.
"So how is it? Jumping from one job to another?"
"Well, at first it was tough, I mean, I was a manager for the Magical Mortal Malls and then I was a craftsman for Hephaestus' Forge and then I was a waiter at Tantalus Dining and then – " Jason takes a sip of his red wine and the waiter immediately comes to refill it. " – next thing I know, I'm a reporter for the Daily Olympus!"
Jason's laugh is contagious and Nico is laughing along before he can jot down everything the other has said. Nico thinks their dinner is going quite well. The food is exquisite – it has to be, his steak cost him 300 drachmas! – and the service is perfect and Jason is turning out to be fairly likable company.
By the end of the night, Nico is full and happy and he's almost forgotten today is Aquaman and Wonder Girl's first wedding anniversary. A year ago, he would've sworn he'd spend this day alone and drunk. Nico waves over the waiter and motions for the bill.
"I got it," Jason smiles.
"It's alright. I invited you, so I pay," Nico wants to accept the other's offer – this place is expensive – but he doesn't want this to look like a date anymore than it already does.
Nico is surprised when the manager approaches Jason and bows.
"Sir, why didn't you call to tell us you would be dining here today?" The manager asks. "We would've prepared only the best for you and your partner."
Nico tries not to blush at the word 'partner.' Thankfully, Jason doesn't notice. He talks to the manager for a couple of seconds more. Then the manager is pouncing on Nico, shaking his hand, congratulating him – congratulating him!? – and shoving a box of Godiva chocolates into his lap.
Jason offers to drive Nico home and Nico doesn't say no. He climbs into the other's Aegean Blue Bentley and Jason plays some jazz music. The ride home is short, but Nico doesn't mind. Jason drops him off at his apartment and the blond almost falls over himself trying to get the door for Nico.
"I'm not a girl," Nico snorts and Jason has the decency to look embarrassed.
Nico waves at Jason one last time before he closes the door behind him and runs up the stairs to his room. In the safety of his house, he turns on the speaker connected wirelessly to the transparent, weightless, tape-like listening device he attached to the back of Jason's neck. He can hear the jazz music playing in the other's car and the sound of humming. Nico smiles.
Time to find out who Superman really is.
He's got his mother's eyes, his father's ambition
I wonder if he knows how much that I miss him
I hang on every word you say.
"I'm going to jump!" Nico screams and he hears the panicked murmurs of the crowd that had gathered thirty metres away from him. He is standing on the edge of Behemoth Bridge, over the golden railings that were supposed to keep him from there. Nico notices one of the policemen slowly walking towards him. "If you come any closer, I'm really going to jump!"
The policeman backs off and Nico breathes a sigh of relief. His knees are shaking – he really isn't a fan of heights – and if he gets any more scared than he already is, he really might throw himself off the bridge.
The crowd is shouting about 'calling heroes' now and Nico thanks himself for taking the time to call them about his little plan for tonight. Yellow Archer had been very worried and Nico had to assure him that no, no he's really not planning on jumping. He still wants to live, confess to Percy, and figure out who Superman really is, thank you very much.
Minutes later, large ripples begin forming on the water seventy-five feet below him. Nico squints, praying to the gods that that isn't what he thinks it is.
The gods, of course, let him down.
"Nico!" Aquaman's head appears from beneath the water. "I've got you, okay? Stay there; don't move."
Nico wants to scold himself for not informing Percy of his plan, but how was he supposed to know the hero would be in town? It was his first wedding anniversary for crying out loud! He was supposed to be sailing the Caribbean with Wonder Girl right now!
"Don't worry; I'm here," Aquaman murmurs softly, the whirlpool he is standing in rising steadily towards Nico.
"Stay away Per – Aquaman!" Nico hisses, trying to hold onto his crumbling resolve. The hero's voice is both worried and comforting and this time, Nico really does think of jumping into the water. If he threw himself a little to the left, maybe he could fall right into Aquaman's arms…
Suddenly, the wind starts picking up. The crowd is shouting a name, but Nico can't hear it over the sound of his rapid heartbeats. Thunder rumbles overhead and Nico, startled, loses his footing. He soars through the air, weightless. He watches the play of emotions on Percy's face as the wind carries him farther and farther from the hero.
He closes his eyes.
And opens them.
He isn't know if it is the atmosphere that's making him feel brave, the wind whipping his air, the taste of the ocean on his lips, or the fact that he is hurtling towards the water, but one thing's for sure: He isn't going to die without confessing his feelings to Percy.
He parts his lips and cups his hands around his mouth.
"I love yo – "
And then he is flying and the moon looks a little bigger, the clouds are slipping through his fingers, and when he looks up, there are electric blue eyes staring down at him and he is tingling all over and Superman has him in a bridal carry and – hasn't this happened before?
"What were you doing this time, Nico?" Superman asks, voice tired. "I can't believe you'd go this far to get his attention. Honestly."
"Th-Thank you for saving me," Nico clears his throat, because no matter who the interviewee is, pleasantries are always the way to start. And besides, being electrocuted and dropped from a height of almost a hundred feet don't sound very appealing.
"I get that you're desperate, but next time, can you do something a little less dangerous?"
"E-Excuse me?" Nico can't believe this Superman is grumpy and offensive. Wow. "I am not desperate!"
"Could've fooled me."
"For your information, sir, Aquaman is married!"
"Oh?" Superman merely cocks an eyebrow.
"Don't you watch the news? I covered the wedding and reception in a four-hour special!"
Superman swoops down and Nico is surprised to see rows and rows of buildings. He hears the honking of cars, the sound of traffic. He recognizes the place: Athens Square. They are almost at the office of the Daily Olympus.
"If you don't mind, can you drop me off at my apartment?"
"Whatever." Superman grunts. He pauses and uncertainty clouds his blue eyes. He looks at Nico. "Where is it?"
"You should know. Didn't you drive me home an hour ago?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Superman replies stiffly.
"Of course you don't," There is a teasing lilt to Nico's voice. He reaches up a hand to the back of Superman's neck and peels off the tape-like listening device there. "But what is this?"
"I don't know."
"This, Superman, is the listening device I stuck to you on our little date a while ago," Nico holds up the little piece of tape triumphantly. "I heard the jazz music from your car and then you heard about me from the radio and then you said you gotta change clothes – "
All of a sudden Superman is pushing Nico from his chest and Nico is stumbling on his feet. He steadies himself by placing a hand on a concrete wall. They are at the back alley behind the Daily Olympus.
"You called me out on a date for this?" There is hurt in the hero's eyes.
"No, actually, I called you out on a date because I found out your dad is – "
"You just wanted to know who Superman was?"
"Well, yes, but like I told you – "
"I thought you liked me too!" Superman slumps against the concrete, his face in his hands. His red cape becomes caked with dirt and mud.
"What do you mean, I like you too!?" Nico stomps over to Jason – because Superman is Jason and Nico is of course correct – and he runs a hand through his dark, tousled hair helplessly. "What are you talking about, Jason!?"
"I thought you finally recognized my feelings!" Jason cries.
"What feelings!?"
"I've liked you ever since we met!"
"Wha – " Nico swallows. He kneels beside Jason and gently pries the hero's hands from his face. "Look at me, Jason. You like me?"
Jason nods miserably. His electric blue eyes are brimming with unshed tears and his lips are quirked downwards. The scar on his upper lip looks translucent in the moonlight. For once, his golden-blond hair is standing in spikes.
"I… I didn't know… I'm sorry, Jason," Nico scoots closer to the hero, who pulls him into an embrace. Nico doesn't resist, only rests his head on the hero's shoulder. He doesn't know what to say, so he closes his mouth. They stay like that for a couple of minutes and Nico thinks Jason's arms don't feel so bad. In fact, they feel rather nice and comfortable and pleasant and…
"Jason," Nico pulls back and places his palms on the hero's cheeks. He presses a chaste kiss on Jason's lips and the blond's blue eyes go wide. "About that second date… ?"
I'm far away, but I'll never let you go
I'm love-struck and looking out the window
Don't forget, don't forget where I'll be.
The bed dips and Nico feels the blankets being pulled from under his chin. He is on his stomach, clutching a pillow to his chest, when he feels the bite of cold air on his bare shoulders. He groans and sits up, eyes still closed.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Why are you up so early?" Nico mutters. He feels the bed dip again. There is a hand gently cradling the side of his face and then there is a pair of soft, insistent lips on his. Nico sleepily kisses back, smiling when the other's chuckle resounds throughout the room.
"Robbery in Demeter's Market."
"Alright," Nico murmurs as he is tucked into bed and kisses are peppered on his shoulder. "When will you be back?"
"In time for breakfast."
"You have a busy day today, huh? Okay, go save the world," Nico whispers, half-asleep now. "I'll be right here on the ground, when you come back down, Superman."
Forever and ever.