Disclaimer: I don't own PJatO. If I did, Nico would have a girlfriend and we would have a legit ending to the BoO book.
NOTE: THIS IS NOT A NICO/REYNA FIC. JUST BROTHER SISTER HAPPINESS.
-»
Nico di Angelo sat on a rocky precipice jutting over New Rome, staring at the setting sun. His eyes were dark and dim. A bitter December breeze blew by, and he shuddered. He brought his knees up to his chin in an effort to stay warm and continued to glower at the red sky. He sat in desolate silence, waiting for nightfall.
Today had been a bad day.
Through the chattering off his teeth, Nico heard footsteps, treading softly behind him. He didn't bother to turn, or acknowledge that he noticed. If it was a monster, it wouldn't have waited to kill him, and it would've been a heck of alot louder about it. The steps came to a stop just to his left. Whoever, or whatever it was, stood silent a bit, then quietly settled next to him.
Out the corner of his eye, Nico saw that it was Reyna. The praetor gazed out at the sun, not bothering him with chatter. Nico made no move to shoo her away. She was one of the few people he cared for, and her understanding of him made her that much more… tolerable.
The chilly wind wafted by again. Nico wrapped his coat tighter around himself, shivering, but it was weather-beaten and thin. It did pretty much nothing against the breeze. He glanced at Reyna. She wore her armor as usual, but that couldn't be any warmer than his jacket. Somehow, she still looked as if the cold didn't affect her. Maybe it didn't. She could stand pretty much anything.
Nico looked back out at the sunset. Another winter gust, and Nico edged into Reyna's side, curling up against the icy wind, resting his head against her armored shoulder, shuddering.
Reyna said nothing.
They sat in silence for a while, the sun sinking deeper into the sea. The blustery weather continued to blow, and Reyna wrapped an arm around Nico's trembling shoulders. Nico bit his lip in gratitude. Reyna was one of the few people who showed him this kind of care. The small things; the things that seemed insignificant, but often held the greatest impact. It was almost like having his big sister back, to ward off the cold and make him feel warm again.
Nico managed a meager, grateful smile.
"Thanks, Reyna…"
Reyna squeezed his shoulders and rested her head against his.
"Anytime."
-»
A/N: I thought of this one day as I sat alone in the cold. (On my front porch, of course, but no one needs to know that.) Nico is always in the cold, and associated with cold, but in reality, he's just human. Cold gets to him, too.
P.S. – I made a comic of this first. Unfortunately, I have no way of displaying it, so sorry. I'll figure something out.