"Nico?"

Shifting, the raven-haired boy groaned, slipping off the warm blanket that cradled him comfortingly in his short-term sleep. 

"Nico!"

"I'm coming!", he yelled back, his voice awfully uncomfortable and hot because the weariness was still clinging onto him for dear life, refusing to admit it was morning.

*   *   *

When he stepped through the gates of his new school, a feeling of dread washed over him. It sank to his stomach and stayed there like it was trapped in some hollow bottomless pit.

Seeing the unease in her paternal half-brother's eyes, Hazel grasped Nico's left hand and soothingly rubbed circles into the palm. "Hey, look at me. It's going to be okay." she comforted him, giving him the most genuine and warm smile ever.

Though the fact that Hazel was his little sister and that she was reassuring him instead of the opposite, Nico still silently thanked her with a flash of gratitude replacing the usual pain in his gaze. Blinking thankfully at the brown-haired girl, he held her gaze softly, hoping she would stay with him until they had to go to class.

But to his dismay, as soon as his sister's eyes landed on the 'very pretty' boy she met at the coffee shop, she ran off to find him.

Sighing in exasperation, Nico trudged off to the front desk of Jupiter High, eyeing every student's movements. Unlike his old school, they seemed noble and proper. Their shirts were neatly ironed and spotless. Their hair were properly trimmed into a neat line. Their skin were clear and silky smooth. Basically, all the contrary features of Nico.

Clearly being put in unease, he studied the polished marble floor, coming to a halt at the front desk. At it was, surprisingly, a female student. She smiled at him, though he could tell that it was practiced and weary.

"How may I help you?", she asked in a honey sweet voice, but her words were like daggers piercing through his comfort zone.

His vision landing onto the name tag put lopsided onto her dirty white blouse, reading 'Reyna', Nico raised an eyebrow. And only then did he realize the stark contrast between Reyna and the rest of the students. She had dark circles under her eyes that were barely noticeable under the deep tan covering the entirety of her body. Her dark hair was braided into a beautiful french braid, yet a few loose strands wandered around the neatness of the hairstyle. Her almond eyes cut right through skin.

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Uh, first of all, you don't have to force yourself to be nice to me. And believe me, I don't want to be here as much as you do. Secondly, can I get my locker keys and class schedule?" he asked matter-of-factly.

Not waiting for a response, Nico looked around him, noticing a girl with electric blue eyes and choppy black hair. Hope tingled beneath his skin. It's Thalia!

Nico snapped back to reality when Reyna raised an eyebrow at him, then raising her hands up in defeat. "Okay, you win.", she said, her voice full of life this time, not monotone and fake. "What's your name...?"

Nico couldn't stop the smile spreading on his lips. "Nico di Angelo.", he replied, his very slight  Italian accent amplifying for some reason. But Reyna didn't seem bothered, so he watched her shuffling her papers, searching for his name in the student sheet. 

When her eyes lit up faintly, Nico knew she found his name. She rearranged her papers into a neat pile. "Leaving for college in two years, huh?" Nico looked at her, waiting for her to make a remark or something. "Well, same for me.", she said, not waiting for a reply. Nico felt a strange desire to have her as a friend.

She handed him his locker keys, the number 128 on it, and a sheet of paper with his schedule printed onto it. "Thanks. To next time.", he said, nodding, unaware to the fact that these were the rare moments he was being unintentionally sympathetic. Reyna grinned brightly, which left a tingling sensation down his spine. He had a feeling he should feel lucky for seeing her smile.

Leaving off, he marched down the slithering corridors, scouring for the number of the key that felt unusually warm in his hand. Halfway to his destination, a voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "Hey."

It was that awfully endearing yet annoying voice that used to charm him into staying at summer camp when all he wanted to do was run away and never look back. Full of affection yet full of stubbornness as well.

"Will." he said, gritting his teeth. Allowing himself to look at him, he was taken aback. Will Solace was standing in front of him, with his usual laid-back expression. His shaggy blonde hair was longer than usual, which looked even better than before. He was wearing his casual t-shirt and khaki shorts. His blue eyes sparkled even more brightly than how Nico remembered them, tugging onto him, dragging him into the spiraling ways to his pupil, the shades of blue getting darker and warmer. Gasping, the black-haired boy broke at the surface of its sea, trying not to drown in the gaze.

"Hey Nico", the blonde boy said nonchalantly. "Hey Will", he responded, looking at him straight in the eye. The blue-eyed teen shrugged off the glare, like he always does. "What do you have first period?" he asked with the same determination in his eyes.

Unsure, Nico took out the schedule Reyna handed him earlier. "Art."

A grin sparked onto Will's face. "Same! I can't wait."

Suddenly, a boy with unkempt, tousled, brown hair walked by them, his deep sparkling blue eyes keeping his attention straight in front of him.

Only after did Nico realize the blush spreading onto Will's face. "Who's that?", he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"Connor Stoll.", Will replied dreamily, swooning.

Letting out a groan, Nico snapped his fingers. Startled back to reality, Will's face became even redder, if that was possible. He took a sudden interest in his unlaced Converses.

"Let's head to class, shall we?", asked Nico, obviously tired of being with him. "Yeah, let's go.", Will agreed in a barely audible whisper, his blush now attaining his ears.

His flustered attitude reminded Nico of how he used to act around Percy. Even though this wasn't the time and place to think about him, the green-eyed boy found a way to permanently implant itself into his mind, without his consent. How rude.

Shaking off the red tint that was threatening to appear onto his pale olive skin, Nico accelerated his way to art class, Will Solace at his heels.

*   *   *

Coming back from the first day of school, Nico immediately plugged in his earphones into his phone. Frank, Hazel's 'friend', suggested him a song playlist so he decided to try that out just because his sister told him to try to do an effort. Nico was probably going to listen to 3 seconds of the first melody and consider his job done.

He looked at the name of it. Soldatino by Paola Bennet. Recognizing the Italian for soldier, Nico braced himself for how it would sound. Hopefully, pleasurable enough.

Close your eyes, I know what you see
The darkness is high, and you're in ten feet deep
But we've survived more terrible monsters than sleep
And you know I will be here to tell you to breathe

Immediately, Nico's mind went straight to Bianca, his lost sister with her sleek dark hair and deep black eyes. He couldn't help feeling the tears stinging his eyes as he thought about his mother as well.

Tu sei il mio soldatino 
La ragione per cui vivo 
Non ti scordar di me 
Io veglierò su di te 

Stumbling lost, the last choice of all that you meet
It's the cost of ruling those 'neath your feet
Paths you've crossed, and trust you're trying to keep
You're exhausted, listening for a voice that can't speak

Ma Nico, mio caro...

Tu sei il mio soldatino 
La ragione ho vissuto 
Non ti scordar di me 
Io veglierò su di te 

So you run, through shadows you roam
Seams undone by the love you thought you could own
But he's just one of many that you might call home
And maybe someday, the bitter will fade from your bones

Forcing himself to stay calm, Nico tried to ignore the bittersweet feeling in his heart as he thought about Percy. Percy, with those dazzling sea green eyes, Percy, with that unkempt jet black hair, Percy...

Eri il mio soldatino 
Ora un principe oscuro 
Ma anche per te, c'è una luce
Che ad un'altra vita ti conduce

Tears streamed down his face as the song ended on the last poetic note.

hey guys

have this

now bye

-drakonator