"Agh, with all that rain outside, I should probably drive you lot to school."

Snapping his head up, Nico stared incredulously at his father.

Hades di Angelo? Showing kindness?

Maybe the tables have turned.

*   *   *

The ride to Jupiter High was calm, but certainly not peaceful. The serenity lacked, it was obvious.

Electric tension sparkled in the air as the bearded man drove in silence, sometimes casting seldom glances in his offsprings' direction.

Hazel sat quietly, her breathing barely audible. Her cinnamon brown, almost golden curls of hair dangled onto her shoulders, complimenting her purple-and-gold shirt and navy blue jacket. She bit her plump lower lip and stared out the windshield with her stunning eyes of the color of molten gold.

Her half brother, having nothing else better to do, simply studied her dark complexion. Nico loved the way her skin looked like a roasted coffee bean in the dim lighting of the hazy sunlight hid by the raindrops. He sighed and stared ahead, careful to avoid eye contact.

Anxious to break through the ice, their father coughed.

Both Hazel and Nico whipped their heads towards him with blinding speed at the same time.

"Uhm, I think I have to apologize to you two." Hades croaked out, as if the words were burning his tongue. Nico couldn't believe his ears. Hazel looked as shocked as he felt.

His hand still on the wheel, he glanced at the rearview mirror. "I've been pretty tough on you two. I-I guess it wasn't fair of me." He took a deep breath. "I-I've just been... my mind was on... other things. Your mothers' deaths... it was too much for me. I-I know its sounds off, since I've been acing quite apathetic... but I mean it. I loved them with all my heart. I'm sorry f-for acting like such a bad father. I just wanted to tell you that... I love you."

Jaw dropping, Nico stared at his father from behind. His father had tried to become more present lately... but him? Apologizing? It seemed to good to be true.

The unsettling silence was broken by Hazel placing her hand onto her biological father's shoulder, opening her mouth to say something. "I-" She glanced back tentatively to her older brother. "W-we forgive you."

Hades di Angelo seemed to smile in sorrow, but Nico was so unfamiliar with the expression that he couldn't tell. His ghostly white fingers held the wheel tight as he veered left, stopping in Jupiter High's parking lot.

Turning around, he looked at his daughter and son with his head down, almost as if he was scared of the action. "H-have a good day at school... I've heard the exchange student is coming today." he finished off, holding Hazel's hand in his, yet deepening his eyes in Nico's.

His eyes grew twice in size. Nico stumbled out of the car. "See you... Dad." he breathed out, his eyes on the imposing building the whole time. 

The exchange student... In the midst of all the family drama, Nico had completely forgotten about him. Hurrying off without Hazel, he rushed through the hallways of Jupiter High, twisting his skull ring absentmindedly in anxiety.

Despite his encounter with Percy the other day, Nico didn't like the idea of him being the dreaded exchange student. The mere sound of his name sent shivers down his spine, unnerving him completely.

Silently praying it wouldn't be him, Nico stumbled onto someone. "Watch where you're going!" he snapped, his mind clouded by his apprehensiveness.

"...Nico?"

Stepping back, Nico looked at the poor guy he had just collided with. His close-cropped blonde hair looked ruffled, and his electric blue eyes were wide with alarm. Those unsettling eyes always seemed to hold deep sadness that was hid by the toughness of his gaze. The regal appearance of his face seemed a little less than it used to be, or maybe it was just Nico that couldn't appreciate his beauty anymore.

"Jason."

Nico wasn't sure how to feel. Happy? Afraid? Angry? Upset? His last encounter with him hadn't been the most eventful, as always. And he haven't exactly been thinking about him lately, which seemed strange, even to him.

His questions were answered as Jason broke into a dazzling grin. "Oh, man! Seeing you here feels so weird! Sometimes I forget you're attending Jupiter High." he spluttered out. His words seemed to be hiding a deeper meaning.

"...Nice to see you too, Jason."

Ruffling Nico's hair playfully, Jason smirked. "I can't believe I'll be seeing you everyday from now on."

Swatting his hand away with the same amount of mirth, Nico smiled as well. "You seem very enthusiastic to see me here." he replied suggestively. 

As a response, the blonde teen just laughed wholeheartedly.

When he opened his eyes again, Jason's expression seemed to say that he knew more than Nico. The black-haired teen wasn't sure how to react to that, so he just put on a lopsided smile.

"Well, I've got to go. Office stuff and all." Jason breathed out, looking beyond Nico's shoulder. Not knowing if he was mocking his height or not, Nico whipped his head around, only to see Reyna kissing Thalia.

Looking back at the blonde boy, Nico noticed a kind of wistful flame in his eyes. It was the sort of flame that would never die out, the sort of flame that owned a shadow, even though it's impossible.

"What are you looking at?" Nico asked innocently, trying to hide his growing curiosity.

Jason seemed to snap back to reality. "Ah, well... I was simply looking at my sister and her girlfriend. It feels kind of weird to see her kissing another girl when last year she's been pressing on me that she was straight."

"Thalia? Straight?" Nico spluttered. He glanced back at the couple, just in time to see Thalia open her eyes, the stormy electric blue of it matching exactly Jason's. 

He let out a loose laugh. "That girl reeks of lesbian energy. I didn't even know she considered herself straight the first time I met her." Nico's smile wavered, wondering if Jason's wistful tone meant that he wasn't exactly heterosexual either.

Jason seemed to read his mind. "I know. We don't feel very similar. I get that comment very often." he said nonchalantly. "But like her, I'm starting to wonder if I'm straight or not."

And on that note, he rushed off, waving at Nico and pushing Thalia's arm playfully on the way to the main office.

Nico smiled.

He walked to his locker and grabbed his art sketchbook and strolled off to the classroom, meeting Will and his boyfriend Connor at the art department.

"Hey, Will. Hey, Connor."

"Hey, Nico." the brown-haired boy greeted him. He grinned crookedly, his smile seeming to tell you he was going to drop a firecracker down your shirt. His troublemaker attitude contrasted so much with Will's easygoing one, it seemed strange, even to them, how they could have possibly matched.

Probably because they're both so stubborn, Nico thought.

"Have you met the exchange student yet?" Will interrupted his thoughts, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Ugh, no, Will. Shut it." he replied, rolling his eyes halfheartedly.

Instead, the blonde-haired teen and his blue-eyed boyfriend shared a mischievous look before breaking down into a loud laughing fit.

Smiling tentatively in their direction, Nico wasn't sure what was happening. Why was everyone acting like they knew so much more than him?

As the strident sound of the bell rang, Will and Connor jumped off the pile of boxes they were sitting on and threw their bags over their shoulders, heading to class.

Their teacher, Ms. Herophile, stood patiently, waiting for them in the doorway. Her long auburn hair was gathered up into a donut braid, and her eyes resembled black pearls, gleaming in the harsh lighting of the classroom.

When everyone arrived, late or early, the twenty-looking woman felt indifferent, waving everyone inside. She had a beautiful singing voice, but for unknown reasons she preferred to talk less, which everyone found somehow mesmerizing and repelling at the same time.

Once all the students were inside, she went in front of the classroom. "Okay, class! Settle down please. The exchange student will be visiting each class today, but we have the honor to be the first." she announced, her voice not elevating a single bit. She was a calm, collected and brooding teacher that hated having to raise her voice.

She waved towards the door, signalling to whatever people that were outside to come in. The first person to step in was Mr. Terminus, in all his principle glory.

"Greetings, students! I have the pleasure to welcome our new exchange student. Here, we love to greet everyone with open arms. Isn't that right?" he called out, his voice screaming controlled sympathy.

Students grumbled in agreement, and Ms. Herophile clapped her hands halfheartedly.

Coughing into his fist, Mr. Terminus turned his gaze towards the open doorway. "Please, come in to present yourself."

Ms. Herophile nodded in encouragement as well.

Stepping into the light, a boy that Nico was all too familiar with waved awkwardly.

Nico gasped as he recognized the face.

That beautiful face.

heyy

i just want to shout out @nico_da_man_jello for all the support :D

6 days to christmas... are y'all in vacations yet?

-drakonator