"Please." The boy begged, gesturing wildly to the sickly teen and small toddler. "Don't take her. The boy doesn't have a chance without her."
Nico swallowed, clenching the dark blade in his hands. "It's her time, the Fates have commanded it. You know how it works."
"Forget the Fates!" He yelled, knelling next to the shivering girl, her dark skin glistening with sweat. "It's just pneumonia, I can heal her in a second and no one has to know!" He yelled, running a hand through his messy blonde hair, "No one has to know." He repeated his voice dropping.
"Her time is up." Nico whispered, signaling weakly towards the girl, "Everyone has to go sometime."
The boy – the angel – whipped towards him, his eyes glowing menacingly, "That's bullshit and you know it!"
Nico clenched at the thick silver ring on his hand, his hands starting to shake. "I can't just not take someone back."
"Just don't take her." He begged, smoothing the girls bangs away from her forehead.
Nico dropped his gaze and shifted his weight – but kept quiet.
The other boy, at the visible sight of Nico's indecision, began to work. "She doesn't have much time," He muttered under his breath.
Nico almost rolled his eyes – of course she didn't have much time – her sickness was scheduled to force the last breath of out her in less than a few minutes. That's how Nico came to be here - he was called to this dingy homeless shelter in order to collect her soul and guide it to the Underworld. And as the Fates have made it, an aging mother was called to give birth a few floors down, where an Angel – the boy – guided the new soul into its new body. He was just about to collect her vibrant soul out of the poor, weakened version of her own body when the boy came crashing into the room as only an Angel of Life could – too much light and noise and just about everything else - and yelling for Nico to stop.
And now, with Nico's hands shaking violently, the other boy's hands danced above her flickering aura. Her aura dimmed, almost completely out, and she set out a loud, defining cough. The small boy lying next to her, barely five his instincts told him, woke up with a start at her rough cough. He rolled over to face her causing the small bed they shared to wobble and creak.
The Angel, glowing with gold and white and every single color at once, seemed to get more confident with every passing moment as he worked to heal her destroyed body. He sang a familiar yet strange under his breath. Closing his eyes every few moments before finally, finally smiling widely and opening his eyes, both eyes completely gold, the whites, pupils, and all.
The hairs on the back of Nico's neck stood to attention. The girl relaxed under his hand and woke slowly, her eyes fluttering and lungs exhaling without a hitch. She looked exhausted, but managed to give the boy a loose, tired smile. "She's going to live." The boy whispered, sounding more surprised than Nico was comfortable with. He turned and beamed at Nico. "She's going to be okay!"
Nico gave him a tense lightening of his lips which, if an emergency, could be classified as a smile. He could feel his time running out, his original mission suppose to be long finished by now. He knew he should leave soon, but he just had one question…
"And her son?" he asked, his voice rough but finding himself unable to pull his eyes away. "How will he be?"
The Angel gave him a strange look, "That's her little brother." He corrected him, "and he's going to be fine. Thanks to you."
Nico ducked his head away from the Angel but kept his eyes on the siblings. Knowing this, he could now be satisfied in the knowledge that he somewhat believed in his decision.
"Will," the other boy said suddenly.
Nico turned to him, a suspicious and questioning look on his face, "Will I what?"
He laughed, running a hand through his mob of messy hair, "My name. Will. My name is Will."
Nico nodded, tucking the corners of his mouth up very slightly, "My name. Nico. My name is Nico." He teased.
Will smiled, a blinding sort of thing that should have been accompanied by the handing out of sunglasses or in the least, a warning. "Hello Nico, it's nice to meet you."
Nico hummed under his breath, "Being an Angel of Death, you don't really hear that a lot so I will truly take that to heart."
Will laughed, a nice, full, happy sound that Nico wouldn't mind to hear for the rest of forever. The sun was just beginning to play chicken with the horizon, flickering new colors out into the sky. They settled into the quiet for a few moments before Nico began to feel the pull to his next assignment even more strongly. Nico let out a sharp breath, gathering a last look at the decision he wasn't sure was a mistake siblings slept soundly, snuggled together on the small bed.
"I've got to go." Nico muttered under his breath, slipping the unused blade back into its holster.
"I'll see you around." Will smiled casually, like life and death assignments overlapped commonly in their area.
Nico just nodded, holding a hand up in return to Will's wave as he melted into the shadows.
Later, when he was faced with the one glaring soul missing from his charts, he traveled the bleak journey to a death ridden city with too many people and too much violence. Knowing that as much as the Fates loved to play around with their threads, the most they knew about that particular clip of scissors was that they had cut the life of an African American woman who lived in the more sketchy parts of Brooklyn.
So later that night, when his shift was long over, he was forced to take the life of an old, bitter woman who's chain-smoking would have stopped her lungs once the harsh winter came along but was nonetheless cheated out of her last few weeks.
Even remembering Will's glittering eyes didn't seem to restore his own confidence in his decision.
Images of blond hair and a perfect smile drowned his dreams. A hearty laugh echoed in his mind. Nico lost sleep and gained exhaustion. Long days and even longer nights dragged by, slugging on and on for so long that Nico even replaced his watch several times, convinced that it couldn't just be him.
But, as it always turns out, it was.
"What's wrong with you." A tray slapped the space across from his, the apple on the tray bouncing from the force and rolling towards Nico.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He responded stiffly and high pitched, catching the apple and handing it back to its owner.
Hazel huffed and threw herself into booth across from him. "Nico. You haven't slept properly in days. You reek of insomnia and last time I checked, sleep was your one true love.I swear to the gods if you don't tell me what's up I'll turn your entire lunch into rubies." Hazel smiled, seeming satisfied with her threat, pointing a threatening finger in his direction. Nico held his burger out of her reach and began to stuff his fries into his mouth.
Hazel wrinkled her nose, "Okay ew, please stop, that's absolutely disgusting." She made a retching noise at him before unwrapping her own burger.
"What are you doing here anyways?" She asked him after he slowed his habit of shoving whole meals down his throat,"You only come here when you're upset."
Nico gave her a dry look, "It's McDonalds Hazel, this isn't exactly my happy place."
She held up his Happymeal box and shook it around, "Looks happy enough." She observed, pulling the toy out before Nico could snatch it back. "And look!" she squealed with fake joy, "It's a yo-yo!"
Nico rolled his eyes, as long and hard as he could without injuring himself before snatching the box back, shoving his garbage in. Hazel laughed at her own joke, doubling over. Nico decided not to mention the stray French fry in her calmed herself and shoved her fries over to Nico in her form of a peace offering. Nico considered it for a moment before pulling the grease covered napkin towards himself.
"Talk to me." Hazel told him, halfway ordering him and halfway begging him. She leaned towards him before asking in a low voice, "Is this about the Life Angel who keeps asking about you?"
Nico, who was just beginning to tear ketchup packets open with his teeth, froze half-way rip to stare at her with wide eyes.
Hazel, taking this as an affirmative, leaned back and watched him very carefully before asking the next question. "Does he make you uncomfortable? Do you want me to take care of him?"
Nico sputtered, sitting up suddenly, "Hades, Hazel! No! Gods, what were you planning to do? 'Take care of him'?" he exclaimed, making finger quotes around his words. "What the Zeus does that even mean?"
Hazel sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, "What? I run into some random Life Angel when I was at a hospital the other day and he starts asking a lot of questions about you and you haven't even mentioned him and that can come off as kind of creepy! And Frank and I were talking and we both agreed that it was worth looking into!" She said deafeningly. She held her hands up in surrender, but her voice was defensive, "So-rryfor being worried about my brother!"
"He asked a lot of questions about me?" Nico demanded, "How many is a lot? Like three or four or like thirteen or fourteen?"
"What?" Hazel questioned, sounding bewildered. A soft red brushed across Nico's cheeks, but he didn't reply.
Hazel gasped, "You like him!" she accused, standing suddenly.
She began collecting their things and dragging Nico out of the booth and into the nearest splotch of shadows. "I wasn't done eating," Nico whined, throwing his head back. "Where are we even going?"
"The Palace," Hazel shot him a glare, "I can't believe you didn't tell me. I tell you everything about me and Frank."
"I know." Nico winced. "Sometimes your siblings don't need to know everything."
Hazel blushed but ignored the comment otherwise, "It'd be different if you told me something you know."
She grabbed his hand before he could respond and threw them both into the shadows.
Being Prince and Princess of the Kingdom of the Underworld, and with Nico doubling as the Ghost King, they received the welcome they just about expected.
"My children!" Hades boasted, holding his arms out to curl a cold hand around each one of their shoulders, "You are home! You should have sent warning. I fear that I do not have any celebration prepared! Well actually if you both wanted I co-"
"It's okay." Both siblings interrupted, shooting each other looks.
"We're just stopping by for a moment." Hazel clarified, shooting a look at the skeletons bending down before her. One skeleton in particular held up a bowl full of round, plump purple grapes, another with a tray of assorted canned sodas. Emeralds bounced out of the earth around her feet.
"A moment?" Hades questioned, ignoring the bowers, "May I inquiry what this moment shall be spent doing?"
"Oh you know, the usual. Brooding in dark corners, writing angsty poetry, maybe visiting the garden." Nico shrugged, "Nothing special." Hazel elbowed Nico in the side,
"What he means," She elaborated, "is that we're just dropping in for a quick visit, nothing out of the ordinary, but we can't stay long because both have a shift in the morning." One of the skeleton butlers was now kneeling in front of Hazel collecting all the rare gems in a wide wicker basket. Nico stifled a laugh that Hazel and Hades choose to ignore.
Hades nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer but, let's be honest, you can never know with that man."Good, responsible children. Do what you came to do. But remember," He smiled, a wide, slightly crazed looking sort of smile, "I know everything." Both children nodded before turning away from their father.
They dismissed the bowers with a wave and quickly sprinted into the palace before more worshiping dead folk could hear of their arrival.
"Oh. Hello." A cool, dry voice greeted them once they slammed the heavy doors shut. "I did not realize you two would be stopping by. What a delightful surprise." Persephone stood, regal and beautiful as always, at the foot of the staircase. She shot them a look of disdain, as always.
"Hello Persephone!" Hazel greeted faux warmly.
"You have a French fry in your hair and you smell like grease." She observed, her expression deadpan. Hazel's hands flew to her hair, patting all around before Nico grew pity on her and picked it out. She shot him a quick glare when she realized it was in his line of sight the entire time but said nothing.
"If you'll excuse us..." Hazel said politely, tugging Nico away
"You're excused." Persephone responded quickly but seriously.
They both nodded before scurrying away up the staircase, cursing why Hades couldn't just get an elevator already I mean there's like 40 floors why the Hades not invest some money in a good cause seriously holy shit.
While the commentary was done mostly by Nico, in a futile hope to redirect Hazel's attention to something that wasn't their conversation in that rundown McDonalds, he proved to be entirely unsuccessful.
Hazel pushed him against the wall before falling back against it herself. She said cross-legged and waited for him to join her, shooting him a strict look.
Nico sighed, "What do you want to know?" he asked. He was always terrible at hiding stuff from her. He's pretty sure she already knows what he's getting her for her birthday for NEXT year.
"How do you know the Life Angel?" She asked, cutting to the chase. She leaned her head on the back of the wall, her breathing still rugged from running up the stairs.
"We worked a job together." Nico told her, glancing away. He knew Hazel was waiting for him to go on but he refused – especially in his father's kingdom where he had ears everywhere. Hazel huffed out a sigh before nudging his shoulder.
"I have it on good authority that his name is Will." She told him. Nico kept quiet, instead focusing on wringing his hands together. Hazel continued, "And by good authority I mean me. I made him tell me after his fifth or sixth question." Nico ducked his shoulders, shaking his head so his hair fell over his face so he could hide his smile. Although he already knew the angel's name just imaging his tiny sister interrogating the tall boy he had to resist the urge to bark out a laugh.
"What did he ask?" Nico finally questioned, lifting his head to look at his sister.
"Oh you know," She smiled up at him, "just stuff."
Nico shoved her causing her to erupt in a fit of giggles, "Okay!" she laughed, "Fine! I'll tell you!"
Nico waited and tried not to blush. He was a son of Hades, god of the Underworld. He was the Ghost King and one of the most powerful Death Angels around. He was not going to get all blushy and giggly over a boy.
No matter how blond and cute he was.
"He asked your full name." Hazel told him, holding out her hand and counting away the questions."He asked if I knew you, and if you were always that sassy. He asked if I knew your schedule and he asked if I thought you were cute, which, um ew. And then he asked if I knew a way he could talk to you and that's when I thought he was a major creeper and got the hell out of there."
"Did you answer of his questions?" Nico demanded, shooting her a look.
"I gave him your first name." She told him, "And I told him I knew you. But he has no idea we're siblings – or even that you're the son of Hades probably." She stuck her nose in the air. "I still think he's kind of creepy. I don't think you should try and meet with him again."
Nico stayed quiet for a few moments, thinking it over before asking quickly, "Did you happen to get his schedule?"
"Dammit, Nico!" Hazel exclaimed, throwing her head into her hands.
And because Hazel is the best sister ever and as she said "of course I managed to get his schedule I'm not incompetent you know!" an hour and a half later Nico stood in a sterile hospital. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he slouched forward. For obvious reasons, hospitals were mainly where life/death crossovers happened. Hazel managed to switch his shift for the afternoon so the only soul he had to collect was an elderly man's who's only enemy was his own aging body. Nico made quick of the process – as peaceful and quick as he could make it – before sending the soul off to the Underworld. He was just finishing the chants that would lie the man's soul to rest when a pleasant tune played over the hospital intercom – a common mortal signal of a new baby being born.
He found Will quickly, quicker than he expected. He found the Angel in the nursery, smiling down at a baby girl – less than a half an hour old – and singing charms. He watched the Angel for a moment, soaking in the beauty and pureness of him. Nico cleared his throat but Will didn't even jump or look surprised or anything, he just turned and beamed at him.
"Come look!" Will whispered. Nico took a step forward, leaning over Will's shoulder to stare at the sleeping baby. Will spun another set of protection spells upon the infant, his fingertips burning a bright yellow and purple and blue and green. Nico stared in amazement as Will traced symbols in the air.
"I am done." Will breathed and straightened up. He smiled at Nico. "You found me."
Nico blushed, glancing away to look at all the other babies. "Uh, Hazel told me you were asking about me so I um, am seeing why?"
Will laughed, "Well, yeah, I was curious. You left so suddenly you forgot to give me your number." He stopped, thinking for a moment. "Death Angels have cell phones, right? It's not just us? I mean I know Leo has a cell phone but I think he might have just made that on his own?" He cut himself off, as if to think this over, and spoke before Nico could get a word in. "Do you want to give me your number? If you have one, I mean. If you don't have one and you don't want to give me your number that's totally cool I just thought you were really cool and kinda cute I mean-" Will interrupted himself, turning a fine red. "I mean, I didn't mean to say that."
Nico's face, equally as red, hurt from the wide grin that stretched across his face. "Word vomit." He agreed, "It happens to me all the time." Will smiled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. A nurse came in the room to tend to the babies, not noticing the two Angels in her nursery.
"I have a cell phone." Nico confessed, fishing it out of his pocket. It was a clean, sleek piece of useless technology that Hades had given him months ago, insisting every teenager needed one. Will beamed as Nico read off his number, and stumbled over the numbers as he read his own aloud.
"I'll see you around?" Will asked hopefully, shooting one last look at the babies sleeping soundly.
"I'll see you around." Nico agreed, smiling.
He could feel the pull on his gut as he was needed as his next assignment. This time though – instead of a wave – Will settled for a smile. One that Nico felt he could most defiantly return.