HI! I wrote this all yesterday and I was too impatient to wait to post it. I've already got chapter 5 written too, so that'll go up tomorrow. This one is more emotional, and it was my first time properly writing and finishing a very emotional scene. I had a sort of emotional scene in my previous fic, You Know Me, but it wasn't as long or emotional as this, so I hope it's not too crappy.
Chiron decided to put the three boys in one room and the girls in another. Jason and Will went to the arcade with the rest of the group, but Nico stayed behind. He logged into Skype, and called Bianca. Those few seconds of Nico staring at Bianca's smiling face in her profile picture as the computer rang were the most tense moments in Nico's recent memory. Her face popped up on the screen.
She looked so different since he'd last seen her, four years ago. The last he saw her, she looked lively and excited. Her hair was braided to the side and she wore her silver school jacket. Now she looked older and more tired. She was skinny and was wearing an oversized grey sweater over a loose tie dye shirt. Her brown hair was hanging loosely on her shoulders, looking frizzy and unbrushed. She was alone, and looked like she was about to be sick. There was a moment of silence.
"Bianca, I-"
"I fucked up, Nico." She said.
"What..?"
"I fucked up," She repeated, "and I am so sorry." She was crying a bit, and she rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand. "I'm so sorry!"
"Bianca, don't, it's alri-"
"No, it's not alright!" She snapped. "Nico, can't you stop being so fucking sweet and get mad at me? I left you when our mother died, and I knew how much you needed me. But I was so fucking selfish. I just could deal with the thought of watching. I couldn't watch dad cry anymore, Nico, I just couldn't. You- you didn't see it. He wanted to save you, he wanted to keep you whole. He didn't want to break you the way watching her die broke him. But Nico, he would cry. He would come into my room and cry, and cry, and cry, and I just couldn't take it anymore!" She had tears streaming down her face now, and Nico felt tears well up in his eyes.
"B, you don't have to tell me this if you-"
"But I do!" She cried. "I owe it to you. I owe you and explanation. It is the least I could do for letting you suffer. I let you feel so alone, and so horrible, but I did nothing!"
"B, you- you couldn't have known..." Nico said, feeling tears rolling down his cheeks.
"But I did! I know you, Nico. I- I knew you, and you weren't the same. I saw you growing up though pictures on Dad's Facebook, and fuck it was like a punch in the gut to see you so different. You were falling apart. You wore all black, and looked like you weighed less at fourteen than you did at ten!"
"But I'm better now!" Nico cried. "My friends, and Hazel. They've all helped me. I'm alright!"
"But I didn't help you! I knew you were sick, and I did nothing. Do you know why?" She sobbed. "Because I couldn't watch you cry."
"Bianca..."
"You were my little brother, and you were so happy. You never once seemed to think she was going to die, but when she did... I couldn't watch. You cried, and cried, and the sound broke my heart. You were my baby brother, my Nico! I just couldn't watch you mourn her. I barely made it through her funeral." She said. She was breathing heavily, and didn't seem to be able to look at the screen. "You know, I applied before she even died. I knew this was going to happen. There were days when it was all too much, and you were the only person that could make me smile. With your chubby cheeks and your figurines. My sole purpose became to keep you a child. To keep you happy. But I knew that when she was gone my job would be obsolete. So I applied. My acceptance letter arrived on the day of her funeral. I- I knew you needed me, but I was a coward, and I fled. I tr-tried to help. I sent you the little figurine that you aways wanted, but I- I couldn't face you. I couldn't lie and tell you I was great, not to your face."
"Bianca, I forgive you."
"But why?" She sobbed. "I've done nothing to deserve it."
"Because, you're my sister, and you're part of the fucking family, godammit." Nico replied, laughing lightly.
"But I'm so fucking horrible." She insisting, smiling a bit. "I don't deserve you guys."
"Hazel's mom was a witch, Percy has been in more fights than I can count, Thalia is an anarchist, Jason switched between the same two schools four times before the two merged, Dad is a total mess as always, and I can't look at a pomegranate without wanting to projectile vomit. We're all fucked up. Join the club." Nico said, laughed. Bianca laughed too. They kept laughed until they could barely breath. Bianca dabbed her eyes with her sleeve.
"So, how've you been?" She asked.
"Good. I've been good." Nico said, rubbing his eye a bit.
"So, tell me about your friends." She said.
"Well, you know Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia." She nodded. "They're the same as ever. Percy and Annabeth are officially a couple as of about a year or two ago."
"Who would have guessed?" Bianca said sarcastically. Nico laughed.
"Yeah. Jason is Thalia's little brother. He's tall blonde and a goody two shoes. Hazel is the sweetest person ever. Piper is hilarious, and her and Jason are also a thing. Leo is Piper and Jason's best friend. He's a joker. Frank is just a big teddy bear, and he and Hazel are dating."
"Yes, and tell me about this Reyna." She said.
"Reyna is a badass, and she is very organized and structured, but she's also the nicest person ever when you get to know her enough. I met her through Jason. They went to school together, and when the two schools merged Jason introduced us." Nico said.
"Hm, and what was it about this Will guy?" She asked with a knowing smirk. Nico felt his cheek reddening.
"He's just a guy in my class. He hates me. I have no clue why." Nico said.
"You don't look particularly approachable, Neeks. You wear all black, a skull ring, and the same aviator jacket from when you were ten. And it's still big enough to fit two of you." She said. Nico rolled his eyes at her. "By the way, how tall are you now? 4'9", 4'10" maybe?"
"I don't like this topic." Nico crossed his arms.
"Ooh, did Nico hit 5 foot? Oh my god! What a miracle." She teased.
"I'll have you know that I am 5'1"." He said.
"Nico, you're 15."
"Shut up."
"So anyway, what's this Will guy's deal?" She asked, leaning on her hands.
"He just doesn't like me for no reason. Because of that I may or may have not given him a reason, BUT only AFTER he started hating me!" Bianca rolled her eyes.
"Do you hate him?"
"I guess..." Nico said weakly. She cocked and eyebrow. He sighed. "I hate his stupid bright blue eyes and his musical talent, and I hate that I wish I could just stare at him long enough to count every stupid freckle on his stupid face. I hate his stupid smile and his fucking laugh, oh his laugh. I hate that they make me stare, and I hate how contagious they are. I hate that he's so fucking tall, cause it just makes me want to yank him down by the collar and kiss him until our lips go blue and we're seeing stars. He just makes me so angry because he's the only thing I can ever fucking think about."
"Nico...?" Nico's head shot up, and his eyes found Jason and Hazel, who were stood by the door, Jason hugging crane machine prizes to his chest, and Hazel holding a giant rainbow slinky. Nico covered his face and hid it in his knees.
"Did you guys hear all of that?" He asked. They nodded.
"You haven't told them?" Bianca said. Nico shook his head meekly.
"Nico, who are you talking to?" Jason asked, stepping forward and tossing his prizes onto his bed.
"Is that-" Hazel started, sliding in next to Nico, "Bianca!" Hazel's hand flew up to cover her face. Nico chuckled, feeling his eyes prickling again. Bianca was sniffling and smiling widely.
"You're Hazel?" Hazel nodded animatedly, smiling widely and tearing up. "Oh my god... I have a little sister. I've always wanted a little sister!" Hazel laughed, dabbing her eyes.
"I've heard so much about you!" Hazel said. "You two look so much alike."
"Yeah, but you've got Nico's smile." Bianca said. "I've missed that smile so much." Nico and Hazel laughed. Nico looked behind Hazel, where Jason stood just out of shot. He gestured for him to join them.
"Jason, c'mon." He said. Jason reluctantly joined them.
"Hi." He said to Bianca, who smiled and waved.
"So this is Thalia's little Jason." She said. Jason smiled shyly. "She wouldn't stop going on about you for her entire junior and senior years. She's really proud of you." Jason smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "You better be watch out for my baby siblings."
"Bianca..." Nico said.
"No, I mean it. I'm still at a friends house, but her family is going on vacation next month, so I'l be back within a week. I'll be at home before you guys get back. 'Til then I want you lookin' out for them. I haven't been the best sister in the past, and I'll be damned if something happens to you two before I can fix it." She said. They chuckled.
"Speaking of fixing things..." Nico said, clicking a few things. He added their dad to the call, and he answered before Bianca could even begin to protest, "you two, talk, if I get back and you're not both reconciled, I will be angry." Their dad looked frozen, staring at the screen. Nico turned off his camera and muted both himself and his computer. He turned the laptop around, and faced Hazel and Jason.
"Go ahead. Now is your time to bombard me its questions." Nico said.
"Will?" Jason asked simply. Nico nodded. "But he hates you."
"And that kills me." Nico muttered.
"Nico, I- I thought you hated him..."
"I hate that I can't look at him without wanting to punch him or kiss every freckle on his face." Nico deadpanned, not able to look either of them in the eye. He stared at the door, praying that no one was listening. "I hate that I can barely ever be in the same room as him with think some dirty twisted thought. I hate that I can't hate him. I hate that I've been in love with the guy since the sixth grade."
"Oh, Nico..." Hazel said, hugging her brother tightly. She buried her head in his shoulder, and he leaned his forehead on the top of her head. Jason hugged them both too after giving them a few moments for just a brother sister hug. They let hims go, and Nico as crying a little again. It was such an emotional night.
"I should check on them." Nico said after a few moments of silence. He turned back to the laptop, and turned it to face him. He unmuted the computer and turned his microphone back in, along with his camera. Bianca was crying again, and their dad looked like he was seeing his newborn child for the first time: ecstatic.
"Everyone all good here?" Nico asked, smiling. The nodded, eyes still full of tears.
"We're good." Bianca said.
"This is the best day of my life." Their father said quietly. "Thank you, son."
"It was the least I could do. You two needed to talk." Nico said.
"I'll be home within a week, dad. I've got to go pack. Love you, guys." Bianca said.
"Love you too." Nico and their dad said. She ended the call. Nico closed his laptop, and turned. Hazel and Jason just tackled him with yet another hug. They'd just released him when the door flew open, Will entered the room, still babbling with his friend, who were continuing down the hall to their room. He had a stuffed snake around his neck and a shit ton of candy in his hands. He looked at them and fell silent.
"Hazel, you should go back to your room now, it's getting late." Chiron said, ducking his head in for a moment. She sniffed at rubbed her eye.
"Alright, bye Nico." She said, hugging him. He kissed her on the cheek. She said good bye to Jason, and then she waved to Wil, as she exited. Jason went to go brush his teeth in the bathroom, leaving Nico and Will in the room alone. Nico hugged his arms to his chest and ducked his head. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his shoes.
"Nico, are you crying?" Will said as he dropped his stuff on his own bed.
"I've had an emotional night." Nico said, smiling simply and wiping away the drying tears that streaked down his cheeks. Will looked a bit uncomfortable, like he had no clue what to say. He hated Nico, but he was a nice guy and didn't like seeing people upset.
"Umm, are you ok...?" Will asked awkwardly. Nico chuckled.
"I'm alright. Great, actually."
"Uh, ok. Good." Will said. He smiled a little, and Nico felt his stomach doing a gymnastics routine.
I hope you enjoyed, both my beta and I liked how it turned out so I hope you did too. Also, if you're wondering why Nico wasn't more angry when his fatal flaw is rage, it's because I have a headcanon that Nico never could really stay mad at Bianca. Like, he may have felt angry while writing the email, but he couldn't stay mad at her when he actually saw her. I also headcanon that it's because she looks nearly exactly like their mother.
