Anger Management
Note: Finally, huh? Don't yell at me. Thanks for all the positive reviews, by the way. This isn't really about anger, per se, seeing as it's on envy. But what else am I supposed to do?
III. Envy - desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation
Envy is a certain sin appointed alongside others such as jealousy, greed, and even possibly desire. Envy allows one to feel a sort of longing for someone or something else. It is not a favored sin – but then again, which sin would be favored above others? – for it causes one to die in that pit of despair in which their whole life they never life.
Envy destroys people. It breaks them.
Nico comes in from work, papers falling from every which binder he is carrying. "I'm home!" he calls, rather cliché. He expects the kids to come running down the hall like they did when they were younger, screaming his name is joy. But they do not. After all, they are five and seven now – too grown to show love to parents who were undecidedly not "cool".
He doesn't know why he is disappointed. They have been like this for some time. Still, it disappoints Nico.
Especially during dinner time. They eat dinner as a family – a normal one, perhaps – and it's become routine that they talk about their day. However, they always address their mother. "Mommy," they say, "guess what I did at school today?"
Nico is a bit jealous of Thalia Grace (or is di Angelo a bit more fitting?). Damn her and her ability to raise children; damn her stupid motherly instincts. Because never do Nico's children ask their father or tell him anything.
"It's because they're scared of you," Thalia confessed once. "Remember that time they saw you banish that ghost who wouldn't leave you alone?" (Really, Nico was only – technically – making the ghost leave. Everything he did was – supposedly – legal.)
"Scared my fucking ass!" he had screamed – later, however, he had come to regret it, but what did it matter? "They know that we're different; that they're powerful, too. Why does this now all of a sudden come as a shock to them?"
So maybe Nico di Angelo does envy his wife for being the "parent" of the family. Who the fuck cares?
(Oh yeah, he does.)