While writing this I listened to the song "A Match into Water" by Pierce the Veil.
Trigger warning: Attempted suicide.
This one got rather sad somehow, but I hope you like it anyway! I'll try to write something fluffy again soon.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything (of course, or else I would make Valdangelo hella canon ;D).
Nico di Angelo stood at the shore of the canoe lake in the dark. His black sneakers were wet and he could feel the icy water soaking his jeans, but it didn't bother him. His thoughts were far away, once again longing for his sister.
Nico's eyes filled with tears as he thought of Bianca. The smell of her soft hair, the sound of her voice when she sang Italian lullabies to him, how she had always ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead…
He missed her so fucking bad. What was live worth for him if his sister wasn't with him? Of course he had Hazel, who was really nice to him, and the rest of the Seven.
But no one could ever replace Bianca.
The young demigod waded further into the black water. It was almost up to his waist now, and his legs were starting to feel numb.
Nico didn't notice. He didn't feel anything at all. His heart was as numb as the rest of his body.
He hated everything. And everyone.
His deadbeat father, who didn't cared for him at all.
Zeus, who was responsible for the death of their mother.
And Percy, who had let him down.
Percy, who Nico hated, yet still loved.
But most of all, Nico hated himself. He hated being like this, feeling all these things.
It had once been different.
Once, when Bianca had still been there.
The feeling of longing and regret was so strong. Nico could feel it pulling him down, towards the water. There, on the ground of this lake, he would find peace from the voices inside his head. If he just ended it, they would finally shut up.
The Son of Hades pulled a small box out of his pocket and looked at it, contemplating. A few of these pills together with the frigid water and the fact that he never learned how to swim…
Nico could end his life right now, but he still hesitated.
But then his thoughts travelled back to Bianca once again, and suddenly he knew exactly what to do.
The boy opened the box and took a few of the pills. When they glided down his throat, he felt relieved.
Soon all of this would be over, finally.
He was already becoming dizzy. Slowly, Nico waded deeper into the lake, further and further away from the shore and the light of the cabins.
The light and laughter and warmth…
His eyelids fell down and complete darkness surrounded him. But he didn't manage to let himself fall, not just yet.
To his surprise, the cold was fading. The young demigod actually felt a pleasant heat rushing through his body. If dying felt that good, he was glad he did it.
The water reached up to Nico's chin now. He could feel his strength fading. Images of his sister flooded his mind, and finally his legs gave in.
Nico felt his body collapsing and sinking into the water, but he wasn't afraid.
In his memory, Bianca smiled at him one last time. Then he lost consciousness.
Leo saw Nico standing in the lake. He saw his body disappearing, and he waited.
But when Nico didn't come up again, the Son of Hephaestus didn't think.
He ran towards the lake and threw himself into the water.
Later, the boy knew it had been only seconds before Nico would have died. But for now, this didn't matter. Nico was here, on the shore, in Leo's arms.
The younger one was coughing and throwing up water mixed with the dissolved sleeping pills. He had probably caught bad hypothermia, but he lived. And that was all that mattered.
Leo carried the shaking Nico back to his cabin, helped him get changed and lied down on the bed beside him to warm him up.
He knew that Nico wasn't okay, but neither was he. And after all, he thought, maybe they could be not okay together. Maybe their broken lives could be glued together somehow to form a complete one.
Yes, Leo thought, maybe it was possible for them to fix each other. With that thought, he fell asleep, his arms tight around Nico's waist.
And that was the story how Leo and Nico ended up together.
Thank you all so much for reading!