I don't own anything but the plot.
Warnings- Slash if you squint
He was running late and Issy was going to kill him but he didn't care. Benny let the cool breeze ruffle his hair and gently blast in his face. He just needed some air and wanted to go explore the ship a bit. Don't get him wrong, he was happy he was going to another country with some of his family but he always hated staying in spaces for too long, it was like he sometimes needed to be set free from a cage.
'The sea does not like to be restrained.'
Benny shook his head to get the slight fogginess out of it. That always happened to him, he felt like he was remembering some long lost memory or something and then the next thing he knew; he couldn't remember what he was thinking of and his mind felt foggy.
The young boy let out a breath and gazed out into the wind, the salty smell of the ocean filling his senses.
His dark blue eyes were absorbing everything he could see; which wasn't very much. It was almost pitch black outside even though there was plenty of light on the deck. But Benny wasn't really on the deck; he was off to the side of it, peering over the railing so he could see the water. He couldn't explain it but he always felt safe and at home the closest he was to it.
As he glanced down into the ocean, he could see the foam that the boat was leaving behind in its wake. The young boy wanted to see more so he leaned even more forward over the railing. The 10 year old boys' hands were tightly gripping the white, slightly rusted railings securely so that he wouldn't fall in… he really didn't want to die tonight. It seemed that the universe had other intentions though since his hand slipped a little, but the blue eyed child managed to catch his balance and regain himself. Benny's heart was pounding in his chest because he nearly fell in; it seemed stupid to be so worried, especially since he was fine but he was still shaking slightly from the small slip.
"Careful now." Warned a dark voice with an accent. Benny's head whipped 'round behind him to where he heard the voice. "Wouldn't want you to fall in now, would we?" Benny's big scared blue eyes searched in front of him but he saw nothing until a body appeared before his eyes. The small child couldn't believe it at first, thought he was just imagining it, but there it was in front of him; a body that belonged to a teenage boy. The way he appeared… it was like the shadows had just parted for him like a path. Right now though, the shadows just hovered and coiled around him, as if they were servants waiting for the command of their master. The older boys' dark eyes pierced Benny to his place, as if daring him to move away. "I um... I-" The younger one stammered. The dark teenager in the aviator jacket just smirked, his eyes sparkling with unspoken amusement.
"Yes?" The older one asked. "You're going to catch flies with your mouth hanging open like that." Upon hearing that remark Benny abruptly closed his mouth (which he didn't even know was open) and narrowed his eyes, glaring at the other boy.
"If you must know I was looking at the water." The hidden shadow boy regarded him for a moment before that god's forsaken smirk slid right back onto his face. "And you liked the sea so much that you decided to take a little swim?" The stranger asked with sarcastic mirth. The ten year old was lost for words at the rudeness of the older boy, so he just turned his head and held it up high with a small 'hmph' to voice his displeasure. The older boy just laughed at this and held out his hand with a small but genuine smile. "The names di Angelo, Nico di Angelo."
"Benny Clarkson." The blue eyed boy replied as he reached for the intriguing teen's hand.
"Yes…I suppose you are now." Nico mumbled quietly, almost so Benny couldn't hear. When he grasped the older boys hand he felt a sharp jolt, like electricity, of recognition flood through his entire body. He pulled back his hand, afraid he was electrocuted somehow. Nico frowned at Benny's action but said nothing as he too retrieved his hand, standing in the shadows.
They stayed like that for a few minutes before the youthful boy with the amazing coal black eyes spoke. "So ah, where you heading?" Nico seemed to grimace when he asked. "Mmm? Oh, Greece." The young child replied while bobbing his head, trying not to be anymore awkward. Benny just felt connected to this dark mysterious boy, felt like he could tell him anything. Benny felt like he could trust him. It was a stupid and dumb thought, he knew that, but he couldn't help it! And besides, no one would know…
Nico smiled from the answer with a strange twinkle in his eyes; like he knew something … a secret. "Well, I'm sure you'll enjoy the country." The youngest Clarkson turned his questioning gaze onto the older boy but before he could ask questions, his older cousin came up to the deck calling his name. "Benny? Benny?!" The dark haired girl kept calling until she finally spotted him. "Benny! There you are! Do you have any idea how worried I was? How I have been 'round the ship back and forth like a stupid yo-yo?!" His cousin marched towards him like she was on a mission and he will admit it, he was scared that his cousin Issy was going to flay him alive. It didn't matter that she was on the other side of the outside deck and that there was a good distance between them. Oh no, he swore he could see the murder and under-tone worry in her gaze. Benny turned to Nico to see that he too was looking at Issy.
"Who is that?" Nico's voice was neutral but his eyes screamed with a raw emotion that the blue eyed boy could not place.
"Oh, that's Issy, my cousin." Benny replied nonchalantly. He didn't know how but he knew Nico wouldn't hurt her. His cousin Issy was a beautiful girl from Italian heritage. She had lovely sleek black/brown hair and wonderful dark brown eyes. Her skin was an olive colour and she had freckles on her face like Benny. (But only under their eyes and across their noses.)
Issy stormed up to where Nico and Benny were standing and came to halt next to her younger cousin. There was no doubt in the young boys mind that Issy would have scold him like no tomorrow but just as she was about to let it all out on him, her eyes shifted to Nico (probably to yell at him too) but her words died in her mouth. Issy and Nico stared at each other, like there was a connection and Benny felt like he was intruding on a private matter. He was just shifting awkwardly on his feet and he decided to clear his throat so the tension would go away. This seemed to snap the other two out of the trance.
"Hi, I'm Nico di Angelo." Issy seemed to interrogate him with her dark eyes, so alike to Nico's own, until she decided he wasn't a threat. She was very protective over Benny; they were like brother and sister. "Nico to meet you, I am Isabella Ines Caito."
The older boy seemed to wince when he heard her name and scrunch his lips a bit, like he had a bad taste in his mouth. "So you're Benny's cousin are you?" Nico asked. "Yes, his older cousin-"
"Ah, by two years!" Benny protested.
"But we are as close as siblings." His cousin replied as though she had not been interrupted. Issy's eyes hadn't wondered from Nico's; gaze hard as she spoke and stood protectively in front of Benny, much to his protest. The ten year old didn't know what to expect from Nico, but he most certainly did not expect for the oldest to just shake his head softly with a small, affectionate and fond smile; like he was remembering an old but happy memory. But just as soon as the smile came it went and turned sad.
His older cousin seemed to pick up on the mood change too because she returned to Benny. "I came to bring you back inside to our family, the ferry will stop soon so we need to get back. It was lovely to meet you Nico." Her gaze stayed on the older boy, she seemed to be debating something within herself but she must have decided against it as she grabbed Benny's hand and all but ran to go back inside, dragging her slightly stubborn cousin away with her too. "Bye Nico! I hope we meet again!" The youngest shouted behind him, hoping with all his being that his new friend heard.
"Bye Percy, bye Bianca." Nico whispered dejectedly to the wind, and only when the other two were out of site did the shadow prince let his tears freely wash over his face.
"It is most unlike you to cry, nephew." Came a voice that sounded like waves were somehow crashing inside of the deep, smooth tone.
"Likewise uncle." The son of Hades turned to face uncle.
"Spying on your son again Poseidon?"
"No more than you conversing with Percy and your sister, I can assure you." Came Poseidon's gruff reply. The death lords' son snorted as a few stray tears slithered down his cheeks. "How do you do it? Watch over him but deny yourself the permission to interact with him?" Nico was far from stupid, he knew Poseidon watched over his son whenever he could, heck everyone knew but it wasn't like they weren't. If Percy wanted something, no matter what, a god (or more) would give it to him. No one talked or discussed it. It was just a silent rule that most followed but denied ever doing; like Ares getting Percy a new skateboard when his old one broke. Hestia had gently smiled at him and so Ares had felt the need to defend himself and his honour.
"It wasn't out of kindness!" Ares argued. "If the little punk is going to break his bones then he might as well do it on a skateboard!"
Nico always snickered at the memory, he remembered that he told the war god he could have just got an old skateboard, not the most newest and expensive one. (Ares had just kept on grumbling.)
Percy didn't know about any of this, of course. He was a mortal now, bye the name of Benny. The ghost kings face scrunched up at Percy's new name and don't even get him started on Bianca's! Her name was Isabella, Isabella! His older sister would have spat out her drink and chased him with arrows had he ever even attempted to call her that. It wasn't the name itself the Bianca didn't like, it was about some girls who had bullied her for their parents not being married back when they all lived in Italy and the ring-leader of that group had been called Isabella.
"I can't always control myself, sometimes I do interact with him but it seems to just break my heart all the more." Nico nodded solemnly, he understood where uncle was coming from. He talked to Bianca, his sister, and for her only to seem to recognise him for a moment then not remember him at all the next. "I miss them, both of them so much." His voice was scratchy and raw as he spoke but he didn't really care right now.
"Perhaps in time they could remember…" Poseidon trailed of in a whisper. They could only hope.
