Narrator's POV
"Leo,how do you do that?" Percy stared as the claw dropped 4 toys in the box where Leo could collect them. He grinned.
"Valdez is useful." he said happily as he pulled out 2 stuffed pea pods,a monkey, and a dinosaur. He started giggling like a child as he hugged them all. "I have some ideas for THEM!"
Before Percy could question what he meant by that, Apollo smacked my back,laughing. "Dude,I bet you 20 bucks if you can throw ten balls in the hoop continuously." he said,pointing to the game. Smirking,he replied,"You're on."
Jason returned to the table with some food,looking around. "Where are they? Oh forget it,more for us." He shrugged. Nico nodded silently.
"Nico,everything good?" Jason asked,putting his sandwich down. The Italian boy's skin was pale as ever,with dark bags underneath his eyes. His hair looked like he had just rolled out of bed.
"I'm good Jason. Just...didn't get enough sleep." he muttered,unwrapping his sandwich.
"Hey,you can tell us anything you know." Jason frowned, wishing that the guy would open up more,be a little loose. But he was uptight as ever,engulfed in his own thoughts and shadows.
"It's just..my family." he said,almost a little too quickly. Jason turned towards Nico,shock written on his face. Never,not even once had Nico ever talked about his own life,his family. He felt guilty that he had never really bought about it.
"I uh..you know what,I gotta go." he said,leaving his food and getting up. Jason blinked "Nico wait-"
But he walked away through the crowd,as if stepping into the shadows. He almost considered running after him,but before he could,the others came back.
"Game over Solace." Percy snickered,pocketing a 20 dollar bill. Apollo sighed in defeat,grabbing a sandwich,while Leo dumped a bag of prizes on the table. "Finally something I'm good at! Hey,where's the little man?"
"He left," Jason hesitated "Said he wasn't feeling good."
"Something's off with him these days," Apollo mused "He's more silent than usual. Piper told me that he might have a crush on Annabeth."
Percy blinked "Hey,that might explain why he always gives me and Annabeth weird look.."
"Speaking of you and Annabeth.." Apollo smirked,nudging him "Looks like someone finally stayed on one girl!"
Percy gave him a knock on the head,making them all laugh even harder. Cheeks slightly flushed,he said "It's going good."
"Just good? Puh-lease Water boy,we all see the way you stare at her,with your big cutie eyes-" He widened his own eyes,leaning towards Percy and using a falseto voice "Hi Annabeth,I luuuuuuub youuuu!"
"I do." Percy muttered,before instantly regretting opening his mouth. Jason,Leo and Apollo stared at him,eyes widened.
"What?" they asked in unison.
"I-" Percy choked. He'd only known her for a short amount of time. But everything they'd gone through,the late night sneaking out,the things he'd told her that he'd never told anyone,the way she always gave him that hard cold stare when he'd done something stupid..and the way he always felt alive when they were together-
"I love her." He said quietly. For a moment,the boys were silent,until Apollo and Leo burst into a song of cheer and whooping that made heads turn.
"He's in love, he's in love!" Leo whooped,dancing around like a maniac while Apollo slapped his back. Really,the guy enjoyed slapping people's backs. "Way to go man!" he grinned,making Percy laugh. Jason simply grinned,yet it looked almost pained. Suddenly he shot up straight,his face blank.
"Nico. Oh gods..." He muttered,the pieces colliding.
"Huh?" Percy asked,confused. Jason shook his head.
"Uh..I'll be right back." He said,dashing away in hopes to find his friend.
Nico
"Stupid,stupid,stupid." I cursed myself softly as I put my hands in my pockets and walked. A few elderly people stared at me,some faces filled with shock and some with worry. I wasn't scared of the streets,or the dark. I was used to it.
Without noticing,I accidently bumped into someone. "Sorry." I muttered,until I looked up and saw his face.
No.
"Nico Di Angelo." He sighed,an unsettling smile spreading on his face "What a surprise."
"What do you want?" I asked firmly,trying to look straight into his eyes. But the truth? I balled my fists inside of my pocket,trying hard not to tremble. Memories flashed through my mind,words erupting from the past.
"You really think your sister would still love you if she found out?"
"Why are you leaving me?"
"She's gone,and it's all your fault,Di Angelo."
"I'm sorry Nico..I love you."
Without a moment of hesitation,I started running. I ran and ran,praying to the gods to just get me away from him. Let a car hit me,I pleaded silently. Anything to escape. My eyes started burning as I raced ahead. Judging by the heavy footsteps behind me,he was following. I ran into an alley,twisted through the dark walls.
"You'll never escape Di Angelo!" he yelled,his voice echoing. "You can't run from the past."
I wanted to yell,but I saved my breath. Panting heavily,I turned to a corner,only to reach a dead end...except someone else was there. A familiar face.
"Nico?" Jason asked,running forward. He looked like he'd been running too "I heard someone yelling,so-"
"Jason you need to go." I urged,panic surging through me. Before he could reply,I heard a voice.
"And you have a friend! Excellent!" he laughed,as if he hadn't been running at all.
"Nico,who-" Jason started,but I wasn't listening. It was a nightmare come to life.
"Oh,you haven't told him about me? I'm offended." he said,sighing sadly. My fists started shaking,but I couldn't move. I was powerless.
"Leave me alone." I muttered, loud enough for him to leave. He laughed. "Leave? Not now."
"Why," I asked,my teeth gritted "Of all times to corner me,why now? Where were you?"
"Where you least expect it," he cooed "As love always is."
"Wha-" Jason asked,but I stepped on his foot.
"Love is all around," he said softly,stepping closer. "And on the side of no one. Do not ask what love can do for you."
"Excellent." Jason huffed "Now he's spouting tumblr quotes."
I closed my eyes,my eyes burning more than ever. I prayed for something, someone. A cop maybe,someone to interfere and take him away. But nobody came. Blood pounded in my head. He might hurt Jason.
"You don't scare me." I spat.
"I scare you very much. Look at me. Be honest." he replied,his voice thickening around me like quick sand. I couldn't escape. I couldn't run. I was trapped in the worst way possible,visible for Jason Grace to see.
"Okay,that's enough." Jason said firmly "I don't know who you are,but I'm sick of your
jokes."
"Jokes?" He asked,anger seeping into his voice. "Love is not a joke! It is not the softness of flowers! It is hard work, a quest that never ends. It requires all of you, especially the truth. Only then will it give you rewards."
"Nico," Jason turned to me,confusion and fear written on his face "what does this guy want from you?"
"Tell him, Nico di Angelo," he taunted, "Tell him that you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him the real reason you never feel a part of your friends, and why you are always alone."
I let out a gutteral scream,putting my hands over my ears and shutting my eyes tightly. My legs gave away and I fell to my knees. "Shut up!"
"Will you hide among the dead,like you always do? Tell me,why do you run from your friends?" he questioned. Jason knelt down next to me,clearly in confusion.
"I-I left for love. Annabeth..she.." I choked,wishing for the ground to open up and for him to tumble down. Away from everyone,away from my own emotions.
"Still hidiing!" He sang. Jason's expression melted. "Nico," he managed to say "Everything is fine. I understand."
No,no you don't.
Jason stood up in anger and turned to look at him "Leave him alone! So he has a crush on a girl,big deal!" he yelled. I let out a sigh,tears forming in my eyes.
"Jason..." I muttered,shaking my head. Jason turned to look at him. He held a soft smile,as if he was saying 'put the pieces together. It all makes sense.'
"Leave him alone," Jason complained "This isn't..." he stopped in his tracks,his anger morphing into confusion again,then realization. I looked away,a tear forcing itself out. He'd see me for the freak that I am. His eyes locked with mine. I gulped,
"I..I wasn't in love with Annabeth.."
"Everyone thought you were. But..you were jealous of her. And you didn't want to be near her..Especially not when she was with..." he stopped,figuring it out. Trembling,I stood up,facing him..him and his calm face.
"I hated him. I hated Percy Jackson."
"But why?" He asked softly,his eyes gleaming. I gulped,my throat raw.
"I had a crush on Percy." I said out loud,my legs shaking again. "That's the big secret. Happy now?"
His expression changed to a sympathetic one. "I wouldn't say Love always makes you happy." His voice sounded smaller. "Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you've faced it now. Nice doing business with you Di Angelo." with a faint smile,he turned and left.
Jason turned to me,his eyes wide "Nico.."
I stood straight "If the others found out-"
"Then there would be more people to support you,more people with you. You don't have to be alone. But the decision is yours," Jason added. "The decision whether to share it or not. That's all I can say."
I don't feel that way any more," I muttered,trying hard not to cry "I mean… I gave up on Percy. I was young and impressionable, and I, I don't…" my throat clogging up,a tear running down my cheek.
"Nico," he said gently, "I've seen a lot of acts of courage. But what you did: that might be the bravest of them all...but..you need to fill me in. Who is he?"
I wiped the tears away and took a shaky breath. "His name is Eros."
'She's gone,and it's all your fault Di Angelo.'
I blinked,trying to erase those words away from my mind. Away from my past. "We were at boarding school together."
"You-"
"Yeah. I stayed at a boarding school. Me and my sister..Bianca. Bianca Di Angelo." I said,closing my eyes,picturing her smile "The school had organaized a camp. Except..it lasted for 8 months. Certain people from school would be selected for a once in a lifetime chance to explore the world. They could even win scholarships. And Bianca...she was one of them. She had a chance to study at Switzerland."
"And that meant that she had to leave you behind." Jason stated.
I nodded,a coppery taste in my mouth "She said she was taking it. She didn't want to leave me alone,but she wanted to be free. She was that kind of person. She hated the indoors,hated responsibility. She loved to be free..."
I sighed,kicking gravel "She had been taking care of me ever since we were little. It made sense that she wanted a break. She promised that she would come back for me. We could start a new life. But we argued. I told her that she..she was everything to me and that she couldn't just abandon me."
Why are you leaving me?"
"I'm sorry Nico..I love you."
"But...what does that have to do with Eros?"
"He was a...weird kid. Later on,we found out that he had schizophrenia and was supposed to get treatment and hospitalized. One day I'd caught him kissing another guy and..he saw me. I never told anyone,but the rumour spread out. He blamed me and lost it." Memories flashed through my mind. I remembered the way he screamed,his brown eyes tinted with red. His hands closed around my throat and squeezed..
I shook my head "He was taken away to some camp,but he broke out. I don't know how,but he kept tracking me down wherever I went. He found out everything about me. He knew that I hung around with you guys...but I didn't know that he knew about..about Percy."
"Nico..you don't think that he's accociated with Anubis do you?"
I shook my head again "No. He's a psychopath. I don't know from where he gets his information and I don't care."
"Right,yeah. He's gone and that's what matters. But what happened to your sister...Bianca?"
I flinched. "She never found out the truth about me. She left but..her plane crashed. They never found her body."
"She's gone,and it's all your fault,Di Angelo!"
"Nico," Jason shook his head gently "You've kept all this inside for years?"
I shrugged "I tend to keep things to myself. My thoughts,my words. The last exchange that me and Bianca ever had...we fought. She gave me this-" I pulled out a little miniature action figure "-it was part of this game that I used to play when I was little. I just threw it on the ground and yelled at her. That was the last I ever saw her."
Silence crept among us. I felt hollow,more hollow than I had ever felt before. But there are a tiny part inside of me that felt relaxed. It had melted away the hard shell around it. I was free. Jason looked worried,as if I was about to break,but whatever he was going to say was interrupted by me.
"It's okay Jason. I made peace with it. What's done is done." I said. But as I said it outloud,I realized that I wasn't fibbing. I really did make peace with it. Jason gave me a tiny smile.
"Ready to go home?"
"I need some of Penny's cookies."
TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY SMEINRNE YOU'RE WELCOME! I felt bad for keeping you guys on your toes all the time,so here you go! This chapter was an emotional rollarcoaster,I almost cried :") Lil bb Nico came out woo hoo! Anyways short note.
You do not have to be scared to come out. You do not have to be ashamed to be who you are. The LGBT community stands with you :") What matters is that you have a kind soul and a good heart 33
