#Give me more Nico Di Angelo content I will love and protect him with my life | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nicostolemybones · 4 years

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A prom date, you and I?

A collaboration for the @solangeloweek Spring Ball between me and my partner, @sanderssideburns so this is short but sweet and super super full of love. He writes as Will and I write as Nico for this!

Will stood trembling with excitement. His heart reminding him with every loud thump that it was the day he has been impatiently waiting for. He felt jittery and anxious as he straightened his tie, face all flushed and smile stretched from one ear to the other.

Prom day.

The one day of the school year where everyone came together collectively to enjoy a night with their friends and dates. The one day Will refused to be fearful of homophobic remarks hushed in not so friendly tones because today was the day Will got to scream from the rooftops that his date was Nico Di Angelo.

Nico was the only truth in Will's life, the only constant. The only person that would make him feel better without fail. No matter what, the one thing Will knew for sure, is that Nico was home. Will loved him. Will never wanted to be without a home again.

His blue eyes peered back at him from the window hanging over his sink, showing him just how nervous he really was. Will didn't want to be nervous but he couldn't help. Too many times in his life good things turned bad but... No, he willed the thoughts away and focused on Nico. Nico was excited for today and Will was excited to spend today with Nico. He would never let a few anxious thoughts keep him from having the best date with the love of his life.

With that Will smiles, leaning in closer to the mirror, and starts dotting the concealer on any of his blemishes. He wants to look perfect, he wants to feel confident, so he wouldn't have any worries while he held Nico close and whispered how much he loves him into his ear while they dance.

He can't wait to dance with Nico, arms holding his boyfriends hips as they sway around the dance floor. The rest of the world shrinking away as they float around on cloud nine. As they drift in each other's arms safely.

Will looks at his pink suit and smiles, noticing how it brings out his natural blush, and it makes him blush darker. He knows Nico is going to love how he looks, he knows that Nico is going to look amazing too. Nico always looks amazing. He flushes a bright red just imagining Nico in his black suit, his undershirt matching Will's suit. Will looks at his own undershirt, black, matching Nico. He loves that.

He loves that they feel safe together, comfortable with matching their prom outfits. It's pretty cheesy but the thought alone makes Will's nerves settle. Nico is choosing to be seen with him, he wants to be seen with him and isn't trying to hide it. He knows Nico will protect him and he knows he would do anything to protect Nico.

He doesn't need to worry, they'll be safe.

Nico always protects him, sometimes without even realizing. All Nico has to do is smile at times and Will's anxiety will ease. A single smile is all it takes sometimes for Will to feel safe. Will loves feeling safe because of Nico. Will loves feeling cared about because of Nico. Will honestly loves anything because of Nico.

Will giggles to himself and whispers, "I'm so whipped."

He continues with his makeup, adding a bit of glitter to his eyelids to make them pop, not enough to be obvious but enough for Nico to see when they're face to face. He wants his eyes to pop because he knows Nico loves his eyes.

He loves Nico's eyes too. How soft and familiar they are. Their warmth makes Will feel giddy inside. Everytime Nico looks at him with those gentle brown eyes, Will feels a little more in love.

Will loves everything about Nico. He loves his kindness, even when Nico doesn't always openly show it. Will loves his humor, his late night thoughts, and even his crude inappropriate jokes. Will laughs thinking about them. Will especially loves how genuine Nico is. How Nico is true with his feelings, he doesn't always show or talk about them, but when he does, Nico is truthful. Will loves that.

Will loves knowing he can trust Nico no matter what. He knows Nico would never hurt him, or lie to him about something important, or do something to break his trust. Will loves that stability. Will loves having something, someone, to trust with no doubt in the back of his mind.

Will trusts Nico, he loves him, and he wants tonight to be the most perfect night. Because Nico deserves that. Will likes to think he deserves it too.

After all the shit and pain they have gone through, a night of love and joy is just what the doctor ordered. Will should know, he's the one who wrote the doctor note after all.

He glances at his phone, beaming at his lockscreen that's a picture of them together smiling, and checks the time. It's still way too early to be dressed and almost ready to leave. It makes him flustered that he's so nervous.

The thing is, he can't calm down, because he's so fucking excited. He's excited to hold Nico’s hand, see him all dressed up, and spend the night dancing with him and loving him freely and without any fear.

Tonight is about having fun and Will refuses to let anything ruin that for them.

He runs a hand through his hair anxiously, thoughts going wild. He wonders how Nico is doing his hair, should he text him and ask? Maybe they should do matching hairstyles… No that's way too much. But he hopes Nico is happy with whatever hairstyle he chooses. Will looks at his hair, he should definitely keep it soft and fluffy, no hair products if he can. He wants Nico to be able to run his fingers through his hair… Will loves when he does that.

Will closes his eyes imagining it. He loves how warm Nico’s hands are. How soft they are when tangled in his wavy hair or cupping his cheek. Will feels his chest tighten in happiness.

He hopes they have a lot of moments like that tonight. A lot of embraces, kisses, giggles, gentle looks, blushes, and happiness. He hopes with everything inside him that tonight is everything he wants it to be, for both of them.

A loud snap makes Will jump, but he laughs loudly when he realizes it was just the comb falling off the sink. He picks it up and starts brushing his hair, giggling a little at how it fluffs out in funny angles.

Nico would tease him about it before running his fingers through it and kissing him, saying how much he loves Will. It almost makes Will tempted to keep it how it is but he decides against it quickly because he would rather Nico tease him in private. He would also love for Nico to see him and immediately know how much effort Will put in to make himself look good. He wants Nico to know he cares enough to put in that extra effort.

Will starts actually styling his hair now, brushing it back into a neat simple look. He isn't very good at hair anyway, so he's pretty happy with how it ends up. Even if it isn't very impressive.

He takes a deep breath and looks at himself fully, taking a step back. His pink suit is still crisp and fresh, the black shirt underneath ironed straighter than Will’s sexuality, and his face looks soft. He smiles, dimples popping up among the array of freckles. He can't help it, Will shoots himself finger guns, “lookin good Solace.” He says to himself with a semi confident chuckle. He feels good and he's more excited than ever for Nico to see him.

In a rush, Will leaves his room, triple checking anxiously to make sure he has everything he needs. Wallet, phone, stim toy… He pats himself down and runs out the door. He immediately runs back in remembering an extremely crucial thing he forgot, his shoes.

After slipping them on he's off again, practically running to where their prom is being held and he holds his breath upon entering.

Because there's Nico.

Nico smiles, eyes beautiful and staring at Will. Will can feel his heart speed up, but not with anxiety this time… but with love and warmth and all things good.

Will can't believe he was so nervous before, because now he's here, he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Nico seems happy and content. Will plans on doing everything he can to keep that happy look on his face.

Will loves him, he knows that, it's his single truth. But right now he can feel himself falling deeper and deeper in love the longer they stare at each other. Nico’s eyes warm, giving Will the reassurance he needs for the last bit of his anxiety to slowly melt off.

They're here, standing in the middle of their prom, and safe together. Will smiles and takes Nico in, his eyes, hairs adjourned with flowers, and suit. Will smiles at his suit. It's black and makes the pink undershirt stand out beautifully. Hell, everything is standing out beautifully because Nico is wearing it. Nico looks beautiful, more than beautiful. He looks gorgeous and handsome and… and cute?

Will can't think of the perfect word to describe him other than beautiful. Absolutely beautiful and he grows more beautiful somehow the longer he's smiling.

Nico is smiling and it makes Will glow gently, eager to be with him and hold his hand and dance the night away.

Because they can.

Because this is their night and their turn for that happily ever after they deserve.

He loved Will. Of that, he was sure. Out of all the things in all of the world, his love for Will was his only objective truth.

It was everything about him, from the way he smiled to the way he laughed. When Will would smile, the corner of his mouth would quirk up and his eyes would light up before his whole face would relax into a wide smile, one where the freckles on the bridge of his nose would crinkle, one where his cheeks would dimple either side in a way that had Nico wanting to grab his face and kiss them both before worshipping every last freckle on his face. Each freckle was like a star in the night's sky, constellations and nebulae, and Nico was a sailor lost at sea, guided home into Will's safe arms by the ever-constant freckles on his face. Love alters not. Nico couldn't help but think of sonnet 116 whenever he looked at Will. He was so sure of his love for Will. Will's laugh. Will's laugh was music, the best kind of music, full and loud. He wasn't a songbird when he laughed, rather he snorted and wheezed and giggled in a way that made him tear up, his whole body shook, the blood flooded his cheeks until they were a ruddy wine pink to the tips of his ears, until the blotchy blush spread down his neck and reached the constellations on his back and chest.

Nico had spent so long in the bathroom already, trying to figure out how to wear his hair- he'd scrubbed the gel out twice and given up, and he was about to grab the straighteners when his sister Hazel leapt up from her seat on his bed, reminding him that his curls were beautiful, putting two simple braids either side and tying them at the back, weaving in daisies. She still had her nightie and bonnet on- after all, it was five am and way too early for Nico to be getting ready and he was probably going to sweat too much and have to shower again and ruin his hair. Nico would do his best to return the favour, although he'd probably call somebody in to spend the time to braid her hair correctly.

And his suit, his suit was black, cut crisp and ironed out straight, tailored exactly to his measurements. It complimented his rich olive skin, and the baby pink shirt, pleated at the front, worked well. Nico wasn't one to wear pink, but it was going to compliment Will's suit, and if he was honest, it suited him, and he liked the colour connotations for himself. He'd decided on the bow tie, black, of course, with gold trimmings like the gold of Will's glow. But he quickly took it off- he wanted to match Will, wanted to be cheesy, so he put on his black tie and undid it and repeated the process for at least ten minutes before deciding it looked good.

He wore a small amount of eyeliner, just to bring out the deep glass brown of his eyes, and perhaps distract from the still reddened acne scars on his cheeks. He didn't mind them, of course, they were natural- he just loved his dark brown eyes, and wanted them to stand out the most today. He knew Will liked his eyes, loved the way Will would look him in the eyes, his blue ones scanning between Nico's eyes in search of Nico's feelings. And Nico would always melt under the concern and sincerity in them, would melt in the way Will's salt damaged curls felt beneath his fingers, dry, but so soft, like cat fur, but longer, and a sunrise blond.

Nico was nervous of everything about today, from the fact he was ready so early, to the fact he was arriving alone, and what if Will was late or what if Will was sick and couldn't make it-

He must have been pale with anxiety, because Hazel had made him sit down. He took a moment to look at the shake of his hands, attempting to will the shake away. His skin had finally lost the unhealthy ghostly tone- the way that his rich skin would seem to have a translucent mottled appearance, almost greyed with the sallow pallor that had taken over. He'd looked so ill, like a ghost, not white, but intangible, or like a corpse, like there was no blood beneath his skin, his tan faded enough that his olive skin looked dull. Not white, far from white- after all, his olive complexion was there to stay- but it looked ashen. His skin was a warm tan, the olive undertones seeming to almost glow with vitality now- like it once had when he was a child.

He was so happy.

He knew that the moment he arrived, he'd be unable to breathe. He knew- he knew he'd get that sudden surge of life inside the pit of his stomach, fluttering out of his chest like caged songbirds- he knew he'd be unable to help the goofy smile that crossed his expression as he found himself looking at Will. Because Will was stunning, Will was pretty, Will was handsome, and Will was beautiful. There wasn't many men that Nico considered beautiful, but Will? Will was beautiful. He was beautiful when he laughed so hard he hiccupped light butterflies and he was beautiful when he cried over puppies. And he was beautiful when his glow shifted into warm ambers and sunrise yellows, and he was tragically beautiful when they shifted into sunset oranges and dark ambers. Will was beautiful, stunning, acne scars to match Nico's own.

Nico wanted Will to know that he was beautiful, that his soft features were kind and reassuring, that his flesh was beautiful over every pound of flesh beneath, over every pale bone and every bloody muscle, over every thin tendon and every working organ. Nico didn't always have faith in the gods, but he believed in them with his whole being and vitality when he saw Will's baby blue eyes, the way that Will was so beautiful, so angelic, so goddamn handsome, that there was no way he hadn't been delicately crafted by the gods themselves.

Will was so kind, so loving, so tender, in the way he'd hesitate before every kiss and the way he'd cup Nico's jaw with the softest touch, to silently wait for Nico's consent before kissing him so tenderly, so lovingly, that Nico could feel every ounce of emotion behind it. Nico knew he was loved, in the way Will closed his eyes and sighed, in the way Will held Nico close long after the kiss had ended.

Will was so genuinely kind, so loving, so considerate and so talented. Nico had never been more sure of anything more than this as he slipped the gold ring inside of his jacket's inside pocket.

He looked in the mirror one last time, before changing back to the bow tie. Maybe he wouldn't match Will today, and maybe that wouldn't matter- because he knew- he knew, looking at his reflection, that the small accent of gold would be a comfort whilst he travelled, like Will was right there, always, close to his heart.

He'd never been more nervous, and he was sure he'd be more nervous in the future, but right now, he knew that his nerves were a precursor to something good, that today, he would unlock a future he once would have only dreamed of. He found himself not particularly caring what anybody would have to say. Will was his king tonight.

And he waited hours, hours until finally- finally, he was able to sit inside the slick black limo he'd hired, finally able to anxiously count down every second until he arrived. He was so wrapped up in his anxiety that he hadn't the chance to think- but as soon as he stepped out, as soon as he calmed his breath and looked up, everything stopped.

Will was ethereal. He was breathtaking, stunningly beautiful, stood there nervously in his baby pink suit and his black shirt. And their eyes locked. Nico felt as though his feet moved on their own, unable to think of anything, anything other than Will, beautiful, kind, loving Will- and he knew more than anything else in this world that he was going to love this boy with his whole soul, knew that he was going to hold this boy and never let go, knew that he was going to marry this boy.

Will was the sun, the sunrise, and the sunset. Will was the warmth across the shadows. Will was the embracing light and comforting heat of the soft golden glow of every morning and every evening, he was the fire that kickstarted Nico's heart, and he was the ray of light that bathed every worshipper in his luxurious golden glow- the giver of life. Being with Will was a religious experience.

"Hey," he punched out in a stuttered breath, reaching his hand out with a genuine, heartfelt smile, "care to dance, sunshine?"

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morsquiesa · 3 years

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𝐁𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐀 𝐃𝐈 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐎: 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄, 𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐒, 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘.

Since it is mentioned that Bianca has children, I thought it would be the time to elaborate on Bianca’s family since I realized my blog lacks the content. So up until to the point where Bianca resigns from the hunters and starts working for Hades as an ambassador, there are three alternate paths for her that I adore.

The first possibility is the most independent and ready to explore verse for Bianca, which is the one where after her resign, Bianca never properly returns to the surface again to live there, and over time becomes a permanent member of the underworld. I am looking forward to developing this path, because I find it quite interesting to study how Bianca makes herself a place in the underworld, what kind of a dynamic she has with Hades and Persephone, what kind of dynamics she has with the other residents and deities, what kind of a part she plays in the order of things and formation. In this option, the only family Bianca has left is her brother, Nico di Angelo, but since her joining to the hunters of Artemis their relationship is strained and they don’t talk to each other, so him making an appearance is going to be rare in the threads and mentions of him won’t be joyful ones. ( I will write another meta post about this, so it’s a more detailed conversation for later.) Her relationship with her mother, Maria di Angelo, is also another long topic that I will talk about in a different post. But to sum it up, she has no family members she is actively talking to or has good relationship with.

The second alternate is the same as the first one, but Bianca keeps living on the surface instead of moving in to the underworld for good. She is still not talking to Nico, she is refusing to live in the camp. ( Another meta post.) She has an apartment in New Manhattan that Hades blessed with protection for her, so when she is not on duty she is hanging out in New York. I don’t use this verse a lot, to be honest, because it is an incredibly lonely one for her. This is mostly for my mutuals with demigod or mortal muses to make it easier to interact with her. This is the most under-developed alternate. This version of Bianca is going to be hardest to talk to, because she has burned a lot of bridges and she deals with a severe sense of loneliness and feels lost as she tries to figure out where she belongs in the world she doesn’t recognize, existential and identity crisis hitting hard and heavy. In the means of family, she leans into Hades the most in this verse, because she doesn’t have anyone else left.

The third, also known as the most developed and softest alternate, affiliated with @mvndrvke and @nosestealer. This acts like the continuation of the second alternate, because Bianca spends three years living that lonely life in Manhattan before Hades calls Bianca and Nico for a mission in the underworld. Doors of death are missing once again, and they enter the labyrinth together to find it, and it is no easy feat going into one of the most dangerous places in the world with a sibling by your side you haven’t talked to in years unless you didn’t have to, when you’ve gone no contact after a terrible separation. Ghosts were seen, old books were opened, harsh things were said, some terrible truths unrevealed, but after two weeks ( which equaled to a few months in the world ) in the labyrinth, they come out of it with amends to make, and Nico asks Bianca to move in with him into the camp,. Bianca hesitates because he already has a stable life he tried so hard to built with a loving relationship and caring friends, but she eventually accepts because they both know they will have to get through the awkwardness and heal the wounds they’ve been avoiding for so long if they want to make actual progress. In my opinion, if it wasn’t for Nico they could never get anywhere because Bianca wouldn’t take the first step with the fear of rejection especially when Nico didn’t need her anymore with his ‘ picture perfect life ’ so shout out to Luna for Nico’s maturity. In 22th of March, 2014, at the age of eighteen, Bianca move into the camp with her brother to open a new page, and it’s when things start get better for her. ( Nico is now nineteen, a year older than her, and he never lets her live it down.)

It does get better, but also, things are painful for a long while because that’s what happens when you try to reconnect with a sibling when you are both dysfunctional with a lot of layers of miscommunication to fix: you fight. A lot. But despite these fights, Bianca meets Will Solace, who is Nico’s boyfriend at the time, then Cecil Markowitz ( mvndrvke ) and Lou Ellen Blackstone ( nosestealer ) , who are his best friends. Her expectations of them are low at first, because obviously they are Nico’s friends and she imagines the mentions of her wasn’t the brightest so she expects a judgmental approach. But oh boy, is she wrong. With Lou Ellen’s kindness, Cecil’s compassion and Will’s deep sympathy, Bianca finds herself the first family she’s ever had since the hunters.

Now, let’s talk about other good things that happened during this year. Cecil Markowitz is a good friend, he is the shoulder she seeks to cry on, he is the biggest reason of her bright smile, but a good friend is not the only thing he is to her. With his unapologetic kindness towards the world, his sense of security in who he is and who he wants to be, his relentless compassion and with the promise of safety he gives to Bianca by being by her side even when she makes it hard to be, Bianca falls in love for the first time in her life. It is both an endearing and funny process to watch her try to figure out what to do with this new feeling, because she’s never been in love before and she’s took an oath for eternal maidenhood when she joined the hunters of Artemis, and pushed aside the thought. So this is completely new territory, especially she knows for a fact that even Cecil feels the same way she does ( which she is pretty sure that he doesn’t ) she doesn’t think she can provide a kind of relationship he would expect, whatever that it would be- she doesn’t know how to date, and she definitely doesn’t know the 21th century. Also, Cecil is one of Nico’s best friends and the panic of ruining the dynamics she’s tried so hard to built is really there. So this feeling goes unspoken of for a year and a half, until it starts to seep from the cracks and eventually the truth is forced out there- and she is not the only one to blame, because Cecil has his own confessions to make. After an intense argument filled with panic and fear, the day ends with a kiss and mumbled “ I love you’s. 21st August 2015 marks the date as their anniversary, and they still celebrate it. Lou Ellen finds out first, then Will, and they are both ecstatic about it, which makes Bianca feel better. They hide it from Nico for a few months, giving themselves a while to see if they can make it work or not until Nico learns in a traumatizing way and never lets them live it down. But eventually he is happy with the outcome too, and is supportive of their relationship when he is not bullying them for it.

From that point on, it’s tooth rotting sweet Biancecil romance. After Bianca makes sure her bond with Nico is solid enough to remain steady and strong even when she moves out, she asks Cecil to move in with her to Manhattan. They both have their own reasons for not wanting to be a part of the camp any longer ( Bianca doesn’t feel accepted because in her opinion she’s never earned the justification to exist there with heroic actions like Nico did, and the stigma with hunters of Artemis is strong, even when they are former. Cecil struggles with belonging because he’s fought in the Kronos’ Army in the First Titan War. ) so after a year spent in Long Island, they move into her apartment in Manhattan. This is the first home they share together, and Bianca still holds those memories dear to her heart. They spend another year there, with Bianca keeping up the ambassador work, and they are traveling the world together, going on dates anywhere in the map they wish. A while later city of New Athens is completed, and they move there, buying a nice house and finally setting roots. After Cecil’s 22th birthday celebration in Lisbon, Bianca decides he is the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with. With a very romantic proposal in 16th December 2017, they get engaged. At the age of 23 and 24, they say their vows with their dream wedding in 19th May 2018.

This continuation upsets me, because just after a year of their marriage, Cecil dies in the entrance of New Athens with the attack of Lamia. His date of death marks as 3rd May 2019, and Bianca is devastated. Nico goes out to hunt Lamia where Bianca does the funeral rites of her husband according to his wishes, then she goes to the underworld. She’s lost so much in her life, she refuses to mourn him too. I want my husband back, she tells Hades. And I am going to get him back. While Hades doesn’t approve at first, with the pressure from Nico and Bianca he reveals a way. There is a ritual she can make to bring his soul and his body intact. She needs a red carnation from Persephone, Cecil’s thread of life from the fates, Orpheus’ lyre, blessing of Hades, their wedding rings, and with the possession she cares the most about. Bianca disappears from the face of earth with only Nico knowing what she is doing, and she starts her quest to search for these items. She sometimes visits her mother-in-law and checks on her, but she is the only person she sees except for Will and Lou in a few rare occasion. She completes this quest in eighteen months, a year and a half, and she brings Cecil back from the underworld 8th December, 2020.

Their life is not the same as they’ve left it, and while they are going through difficult times, they hold onto each other. While Luna and I haven’t decided on the exact dates, after a while spent in New Athens Cecil takes Bianca to a vacation in Cape Cod, and that’s where he proposes to her again to renew their vows, and gives her a list of houses he would live to buy for them from the area. At the age of twenty-five, they sell their house in New Athens and move into Cape Cod to build themselves a life there, a life they quite enjoy. Bianca is retired from ambassadorship, leaving her place to Achilles ( mvndrvke ) and taking interest in living off her retirement plan with caring for her garden at home. Cecil turns one of the rooms into his art studio and work there, and also work as the art teacher in the neighborhood elementary school. After many struggles and many discussions, they decide to carry on with their original plan of having children before he died. Their firstborn, tiny daughter Ludovica Ranieri Markowitz is born when Bianca is twenty-seven. She is named Ludovica because of Bianca’s fondness of the name, and Ranieri after her uncle, Nico ( it’s his middle name ). At the age of thirty, their son Alexander Steven Markowitz joins the family. He is named Alexander after his father, Cecil ( it’s his middle name ) and Steven after cap america on Cecil’s request. ( Don’t worry, Bianca made fun of him for it already.) Now they are enjoying their life being old, disgustingly in love, caring for their children and hosting great events at their house. Lou, Will and Nico are still a big part of their lives.

#long post tw #again and again and again. you said the anger would come back just as the love did. —— ⚜ meta & portrayal.#god this took so long

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solangelover · 5 years

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City Date

@solangeloweek‘s Nico di Angelo Birthday Event: January 27 – “Friendship / Relationship”

A/N: I’ve had this WIP forever, I’m so glad it’s finished! Based on this lovely video :) Will and Nico go on their first date in the big city.

Read on AO3 or FF.Net or Wattpad

As he left camp, Will felt freer than he had in a while. He loved Camp Half-Blood, no doubt, but it became stifling when he was constantly working in the infirmary and taking care of his siblings. Leaving camp for something other than a quest meant freedom from typical responsibilities. He always liked the shocked feeling of what life was like before he went to camp. Everything was so normal (mortal normal, not demigod normal) that it was both disorienting and refreshing at the same time.

Also, he got to leave camp with his boyfriend for the first time. That was definitely a plus.

He and Nico had been going out for a couple months, but they never had a date outside of camp. To Will, it almost felt like their first date. It would be the first time they’re together outside of camp without some sort of impending doom looming over them. Will knew it was a bit more risky to be with a child of the Big Three, but he knew Nico was more than capable of protecting both of them, and Will was confident in his own healing abilities if they were ever needed.

The boys decided to just walk around New York City and window shop. Nico hadn’t explored the city much before, at least not with the goal of enjoying himself. Will had become familiar with the city over the years, so he took it upon himself to act as Nico’s tour guide.

“And on your left, you’ll see the Empire State Building. Fun fact: the 100th floor is Olympus!” Will grinned as he put on his little act for his boyfriend.

Nico rolled his eyes, an amused smile on his face. “No duh, Will, not like I haven’t been before.”

“Well sOrry I wasn’t important enough to go along. Maybe next time?” Will winked.

“Uh, no, I’d rather a major event that requires me to go to Olympus not happen, thank you very much.” Nico looked around as they walked, his cheeks a light pink color. Will figured it was due to the slightly nippy breeze. Nico liked to think so too.

Will exclaims, “There!” as they come up to a coffee shop on the corner. “I used to go coffee shop hopping with my siblings for fun. They were really into the whole aesthetic thing before it was a thing.” Will shrugged and held the door open for Nico, who quietly thanked him as he stepped in.

The place was cute – small, but cozy. Lots of woodwork, fake vines lined the walls, little tables for two with succulents were scattered about. The smell of coffee was strong, but not overwhelming. Nico had never really been into this kind of thing, but maybe that’s because he didn’t have anyone to go with.

Will went up to the counter and ordered two hot chocolates for them as Nico grabbed a table near the back. Will probably would’ve liked to sit by the window, but Nico didn’t like having every passersby’s eyes on him. He was slightly on edge, probably because he kept expecting to be attacked. At least, that’s what Nico kept telling himself.

“Here we are!” Will chirped as he set down their drinks. Nico held his gratefully, the warmth seeping into his cold fingers. “So,” Will sipped his cocoa experimentally, “what do you want to do?”

Nico shrugged. He had no clue what to do in the city, let alone on a date. He didn’t know what he was doing, and that made him a little more anxious than usual. To him, New York City was a place where monsters lurked, where he had to stumble around and survive on his own. His memories of the city were darkened with war and solitude. What did Will expect of him?

Before Nico’s thoughts could spiral, Will cut in. “Well, there’s plenty to show you, but I’d rather not run around the city like tourists.” He smiled, and Nico felt a bit of tension leave his shoulders. “I was thinking,” Will leaned forward over the table. “We could just continue walking the streets and stop in random shops, try on silly things, and run out before we get kicked out.” Will grinned wickedly, and it was so foreign to see such mischief on his face that Nico snorted.

“Wow, the city changes you, Solace. And here I thought you were a goody two-shoes.” Nico smirked over his mug as Will leaned back and laughed.

“Hey, I can be a bad boy.” Will wiggled his eyebrows at Nico, who blushed and looked away. No comment back, Will noted. They’re conversation moved on from there and Will never thought twice on it.

As Will said, the boys continued down the busy street, Will pointing out random landmarks or places where he had been before to Nico, who noted everything with vague interest. His eyes kept darting around, tracking every person around them for a second or two before moving to the next person. Will kept telling him not to worry so much, that the monsters wouldn’t do anything crazy right out in the open, but Nico was still on high alert.

Even so, they still stopped at random little stores and looked around. Sometimes, they were genuinely interested in the items. Will picked out a few souvenirs to bring back for his siblings and Nico bought a couple knickknacks for himself. At other stores, they’d try on random hats on the rack and Will would strike silly poses, making Nico giggle. They tried on some sunglasses together and Will snapped some pictures with the digital camera he borrowed from Cecil. They didn’t get kicked out of any stores, much to Will “the bad boy”’s dismay. Will took Nico to a hotdog stand he and his siblings apparently always went to when they took a trip into the city. He didn’t claim it was the best, but it was decent and had good memories for Will, so Nico was content.

The entire time they walked, Will kept trying to hold Nico’s hand. At first, he tried to be subtle, looking away and letting his hand brush Nico’s several times. But Nico didn’t seem to notice, always moving his had to do something else. Then Will tried being more obvious, glancing down at their hands and hooking their pinkies together. But, again, Nico pulled his hand away and would scratch his head or something. Will frowned, starting to wonder if Nico didn’t want to hold his hand. They did it all the time at camp. Granted, it took awhile before Nico did it in view of other campers, but now it was normal. And, right now, he didn’t really think a bunch of strangers seeing them was worse than all of their friends and fellow campers.

After leaving another shop, Will tried again. This time, he directly grabbed Nico’s hand and chatted excitedly, trying to brush over the hand-holding. It worked for a little – then it didn’t.

Nico noticed Will grab his hand instantly, and he felt his heartbeat pick up. He tried to listen to what Will was talking about, but his eyes instinctively glanced around them. Almost no one paid them any mind, too focused on their own tasks, but a few glanced at them. Some of them looked directly at their linked hands. They passed by too quickly, but Nico could imagine the disgusted looks on their faces. He could feel his anxiety growing and subtly disentangled their fingers, moving his hands to adjust his jacket. Nico saw Will give him a side glance as he stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets – his hands were cold.

Something was off, Will knew it. At the next coffee shop they saw, Will pulled Nico into it, telling him that he was cold and wanted something hot to drink. Nico put up no protest, simply nodding his head and walking over to a table in the far corner of the shop, again. Will frowned after him, confirming his suspicion that something was bothering Nico. At this point, Nico was barely making any comments, letting Will carry the conversation. While this was pretty normal, Nico usually cut in with his sarcasm and dry humor every once in a while. Will couldn’t think of what could have gone wrong since their day started out so well, but he would find out.

Will brought their drinks back to the table. He thought about sliding in next to Nico on the bench, but Nico didn’t seem to want that. He took up as much of the bench as he could and sat pointedly across from the chair on the other side of the table. Will sighed as he sat in the chair instead.

“So,” Will started off casually. “Are you enjoying the city?”

Nico shrugged, “It’s cool, I guess.”

Will frowned. “Okay, um, well are you having fun on our date?”

At that, Nico appeared to tense up a little, his eyes darting behind Will’s head before returning to his mug. “Yeah, it’s great.” He took a tentative sip of his latte, but it’s still too hot to drink properly. He scowled at it, but Will thought he was upset at more than the coffee.

“Nico,” he sighed, “what’s wrong?’

Nico blinked up in surprise at the question. “Nothing?”

Will gave him an unconvinced look. “Then why does it feel like you’ve been avoiding me?”

Nico’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, though he was starting to catch on. “What do you mean, I’ve been with you all day.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” Will glanced down at his drink, slightly self-conscious. “You won’t let me hold your hand, or just stand close to you.”

Nico pressed his lips into a line. “You… know I don’t like PDA,” he stated hesitantly.

“But this is more than that. You seem,” Will searched for the word, “… distant.”

Nico looked away towards the front of the coffee shop. He scowled as more people came in the door.

“Are you… I mean, are we… okay?” That brought Nico’s attention back to the blonde boy in front of him. Will looked so worried and unsure that Nico felt guilty.

“What? No, I mean, yes, of course we’re good. Why would you think that?” Nico had given him good enough reason, he knew. He sighed, slumping down in his seat. “It’s just…”

Will waited. “Just…?”

“It’s just… hard, you know?” Nico glanced up before staring back down at his mug. “I see people look at us, and all I can think about is the horrible things they must be thinking. You would think I’d be used to it by now,” he scoffed.

Will’s uncertainty melted into understanding. Of course, of course this was a lot for Nico to handle. It was their first time out of camp together, the first time Nico has really been out in the world having come out to people, and now with a boyfriend. Will felt dumb for not considering his boyfriend’s feelings before.

Will reached for Nico’s hand that wasn’t gripping his mug, and for the first time all day, Nico didn’t pull away. Instead, he flipped his hand over and squeezed Will’s tightly.

“I get it, Nico. I’m so sorry for not thinking of that earlier.” Nico shook his head, but Will kept going. “No, I am sorry. It’s not something you should have to just get used to so quickly. It takes time.” Will smiled softly at Nico. “But I like you, a lot, and that’s what really matters here, not any random stranger on the street’s opinion. I just want to be able to show you off, and shove it in everyone’s face how much I like you.”

Nico chuckled, and Will counted that as a win. “Yeah, I know.”

Will grinned, his smile brightening up Nico’s mood, just a little. How could he be ashamed of who he is with this boy at his side?

“You know I like you, too, right? Like a lot.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Do I have to show it in front of all these people?”

Will squeezed his hand. “I’m just asking for small steps.”

“Those steps aren’t that small.” But Nico still squeezed back.

“I’m sure the Ghost King will manage.” Nico rolled his eyes and Will beamed. “Besides, I’ll be there with you the whole way.”

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rosesnvines · 7 years

Text

The Minotaur

Dawn came all bright and glorious the next morning, rousing everyone from their beds. Lucy merely groaned and rolled over, though her eyes were open so as not to knock off the little lion sleeping on her decorative pillow. She watched him sleep as she mulled over the conversation and events of the day before. To summarize, Hades had chosen her and two others to be superheroes! What fun! And the little lion that slept by her side, the Nemean Lion, as she found out, was the only way she could turn into a superhero. All she had to say was, Nemea, power up and the invincible hide of the lion would cover her in a super suit. Almost like Hercules! Except, she was a girl and Hercules was a guy, but Nemea told her that he liked her way better than Hercules already. She rubbed the Nemean Lion’s tummy, causing him to purr happily, while she thought to their conversation the day before. She learned that, besides the invincible coat, she could extend the claws on her gloves and even turn them into knives that could cut into anything; she could create illusions; she had enhanced speed, strength, and endurance; a super sonic roar that could push anything backwards; she could even create a magical shield, which she had done to protect herself and Ghost Hound from the Hydra’s flame; and her special power, which was basically to create a more detailed illusion showcasing whatever the monster wanted to see. She wondered if she’d in fact ever need to use that power, seeing as how Ghost Hound alone needed his powers to revert the monsters back into stones. She and Firebird were only needed to make sure that Ghost Hound was able to turn the monsters into stones and deliver them to Hades. Still, it felt good to be able to help. It gave her something to do to help the Narnians until she and her siblings became old enough to inherit the throne. Well, primarily Lucy had to be old enough for them to inherit the throne, but the four of them were really close in age, so it wouldn’t be long before they would ascend to the throne.

A soft knock was rapped on her door followed by her sister’s voice, “Come on Lucy, it’s time to get up. Mother and Father will be here soon.”

“Right! I’ll be out in a minute!” Lucy called back. She bounced out of bed and dressed quickly, softly explaining to Nemea what was going on as her movement had woken him.

“Will there be breakfast?” mumbled Nemea as he rolled over with a yawn.

“Only if you hurry it up and get those lazy bones out of bed,” teased Lucy.

“OK, OK, I’m up, I’m up.” Nemea took a couple of steps forward on the bed before plopping down again. “Nope, too tired.” His stomach growled. “And I’m hungry too.” Lucy merely chuckled as she walked back to the bed.

“Oh, come on, hop into my pocket. I’ll try and get you something to eat. But you have to be very quiet.”

“I’m so tired, I don’t think I could even snore.”

“Well, you were just a few minutes ago.”

“I was?”

“Yup, but I don’t think it was loud enough for anyone else to hear.”

“Oh good. Don’t scare me like that.” Lucy merely snickered before closing the pocket flap and leaving her room.

“There you are. What took you so long? Mom and Dad are practically here!” Susan berated her.

“Sorry, Susan, I had completely forgotten that I had already gotten my clothes set up the night before and was looking for them in the drawers.”

Susan sighed, “Of course, go figure. Well, go brush your teeth at least, breakfast will be ready in a minute, and Mom and Dad will be here any second.”

“Right!” Lucy dashed off into the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth. She rushed right back out, right as a car pulled into the driveway.

“Mom, Dad!” she called out as she rushed outside to greet her parents, followed by her siblings.

“Hello! How are you doing?” Mrs. Pevensie hugged each of her children.

“Since last week? Not bad,” quipped Edmund as he gave his mother a hug.

“Not bad? What about that report last night of a monster and superheroes arriving to save the day?” asked their father as he led the way back into the cottage.

“Oh, that, yeah, um, we’re still fine, thanks to those superheroes,” replied Edmund.

Peter chuckled before taking up the narrative, “No, we don’t know who’s behind the masks, but two of them, Lioness and Firebird, explained that Gaia was trying to take over Narnia by combining monsters with her gems to make them more powerful. Hades was the one who found out, and, with Hephaestus’ help, created the gems that gave the superheroes the power to defeat the monsters and hand them over to Hades for safe-keeping.” The family proceeded to sit around the table as Mrs. Pevensie helped Susan serve breakfast.

“Wasn’t there a third one?” asked Mr. Pevensie.

“Yes sir, Ghost Hound they said his name was, he was bringing the stone right away to Hades and had asked them to check to make sure that everybody was alright,” replied Peter. Lucy began picking at her food to prevent anyone noticing her sneaking food to Nemea. Was it the right thing to say? Ghost Hound hadn’t really asked them to per se, that was just what she had said to help put Ghost Hound in a better light to those who had seen him, and were wondering whether he was really a member of the team or not. Lucy also hoped to establish the fact that Ghost Hound was basically the leader of the group since, as Nemea had put it, Cerberus knew more about the whole situation. And yes, Cerberus was the three-headed guardian of Hades’ gates, but he was still a dog, and probably so much cuter than how many described him.

“And Firebird was openly flirting with Susan,” quipped Edmund.

“Ed!” hissed Susan.

Mr. Pevensie’s eyebrow went up as he glanced at his eldest daughter and asked, “So, does this Firebird seem like an excellent character?”

“You mean, besides his quips that reminded us of Edmund? So far so good,” replied Peter with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Which is funny, because he really reminds me of Leo Valdez, and I know Susan doesn’t care too much for Leo . . . man, wouldn’t it be really funny if the only difference was the mask,” quipped Edmund. He shot a glance at Susan, but she clearly caught on to what he was indicating, and refused to look at him to either deny or confirm his idea. Lucy shook her head, everyone knew that, though Leo flirted with every pretty girl who crossed his path, he always seemed to care the most for Susan. And who couldn’t? She was clearly one of the most beautiful girls in all of Narnia, and as a son of Hephaestus, Leo had an eye for beauty. Not to say that Lucy didn’t get caught with some of his corny one-liners, or anyone else for that matter, but Leo seemed to save the special ones for Susan in particular. And Edmund, of course, being practically his best friend along with Prince Corin of Archenland, tried his best to help his sister come to love the mischievous imp. It was a slow progress, but Lucy had noticed that Susan was warming up to him. And now with Firebird, well, if Lucy could find out that he was in fact Leo Valdez, she wouldn’t try to stop him as Lioness. But if it wasn’t, well, she just hoped that she wouldn’t have to use brute force with him. But now that Edmund had mentioned the similarities, Lucy was beginning to think that Firebird was in fact Leo Valdez. But then, who was Ghost Hound?

“Well, it’s good to know that at least Hades has our best interests at heart. I hope the Hydra didn’t mess with your Michaelmas celebrations.”

“Oh, if anything, it made it more fun!” replied Susan with a big grin. The others quickly chorused an affirmation, big smiles lighting up their faces.

“Oh my, now this, I have to hear,” quipped their father as he sat back in his chair with his arms folded and a big smile on his face. The children shot each other big grins before delving into the whole tale. Lucy stayed out as much as possible during the time she had been Lioness, mostly easy considering Peter had just about locked her in the safest room at the barracks, often nicknamed the panic room. Thankfully, he hadn’t actually locked her in, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to save Ghost Hound as Lioness.

“Oh, and we did get to meet Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades,” blurted Lucy.

“Hazel’s half-brother, right?” asked their mother. They had met Hazel before, but not her reclusive half-brother. The children nodded.

“He’s really not all that bad, mainly quiet. I think that’s mainly because so many others despise him merely because he’s the son of Hades. We watched as he pretty much made the rounds, trying to get people to talk to him,” explained Peter.

“We sent Lucy to fetch him to our table when he just about gave up trying to find anyone to talk to,” continued Edmund.

“Did they have any problems with him besides being the son of Hades?” asked their father.

The children shook their heads as Susan replied, “Well besides looking scary, they never really gave him a chance to open up to anyone. He really didn’t open up much to us either, but, he seemed quite content to be just finally included in something.”

“Is he really that scary-looking?” asked their mother.

“Oh, no more than a lion, and I think he became less scary the more we opened up to him,” blurted Lucy. “I think he was enjoying himself for the first time in years.”

“Oh, how horrible!” exclaimed Mrs. Pevensie.

“Well done! You made someone lonely feel wanted and cared for. Good job, all of you!”

“Thanks dad!” they chorused.

“Should we tell them, Frank?”

Mr. Pevensie merely smiled and replied with, “How about we show them?”

“Show us what?” asked everyone excitedly.

“Come with us, and you’ll find out.” That was all they could get out of their parents. With their curiosity aroused, they piled into the car and began the two hour trek to the seashore. Meanwhile , the children continued to give all they could recall learning about Nico di Angelo.

Mr. Pevensie surprised them with a question, “Do you think he would make a good advisor?”

“Dad?”

“As in, someone you can trust to give sound advice and wise judgment when you need it.”

“I think so. I mean, we haven’t asked him to advise us on anything, or judge anything, but I observed him as much as he observed us. He’s not stupid and he notices more than what others give him credit for. Though, now that you mention it, I would like to discuss a couple of battle strategies with him. Perhaps being a son of Hades, he might know a thing or two that could help turn a battle,” pondered Edmund.

“Compared to, say, Ares or Athena?” asked Susan.

“Well, they do have some good strategies, well, Ares has a few questionable ones, but, since Hades is the ruler of the underworld and all, he might have a few tips that only a child of HAdes could obtain.”

“Don’t make it the first thing you talk to him about.”

“I know, I know. We could probably connect over making fun of the school snobs.”

“Edmund!” berated his mother.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Learn about his interests, and go from there,” suggested their father.

“Yes sir.”

“Oh look, there it is!” exclaimed their mother.

“What is?” asked Lucy as the children all attempted to press against the right-side window.

“Ow! You pulled my hair!”

“Get off of me!”

“Hey! Stop pushing, will you?”

“Will you quit that? I’m not a jungle gym!”

“Everybody, sit down!” The four quickly sat down, a couple of hands still pinching at each other. “Give us a minute and you can get out to take a look for yourself.”

“Though you can see a bit of it through the front window,” added their mother.

“Wait a second, is that a castle?” blurted Edmund.

“Is that, our castle?” asked Peter.

Mr. Pevensie shot them a grin in the rearview mirror before replying with, “You got it. That’s Cair Paravel, just about fully restored. It should be completed by your coronation.”

“It looks magnificent!” exclaimed Susan.

“Wait until you see the rest of it,” blurted Mrs. Pevensie.

“Ooh! I can’t wait!” squealed Lucy.

“Well we can’t wait to show you!” said Mrs. Pevensie. In a couple of minutes, Mr. Pevensie had parked the car and everyone practically dove out of the car to get a good look at the progress on Cair Paravel.

“Whoa,” they all gasped. The sight was certainly breathtaking with the castle overlooking the sea.

“And to think that, long long ago, four kings and queens actually used to sit here,” muttered Edmund.

“Exactly, one of whom your brother was named after,” remarked Mr. Pevensie, indicating Peter.

“Yes, Ann, Martin, Rose, and Peter,” rattled off Lucy.

“Well, thank you for not naming us all after them,” quipped Edmund.

Mr. Pevensie laughed, “Now, now, we didn’t know we were going to have just four. Once Lucy was born, we had considered it for future children, but, well, you know your mother can’t have any more children.”

“Which is so sad. I wish I could have some younger siblings,” stated Lucy.

“I know, dear, but, you do have the rest of the country because, in a way, I am their mother as well.”

“But in a few years, that will be Susan and I, and the girls Peter and Edmund marry.”

“That is true, but for now, be their sister,” said Mrs. Pevensie as she hugged her youngest. The family got a quick tour of the first floor of Cair Paravel, the overseer not wanting anything to happen to the royal family. Once the tour was over, the family made the two hour drive back to Imiaimos, the entire time chatting away about how grand Cair Paravel was going to look once finished. As they got closer, a certain dread seemed to fill them, but only Lucy knew immediately what it meant, another monster had arrived.

“Hey, um, I think this same feeling came over me yesterday before the Hydra arrived,” quipped Edmund. His siblings echoed that the same had happened to them.

“Then that must mean that another monster has arrived. Let’s go see if we can help,” said Mr. Pevensie as the car was pulling into town.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Frank?” “They need us right now, Helen. Besides, if we can do anything to allow our superheroes to handle this monster without worrying about the safety of civilians, then that’s something, right?”

“I suppose so,” said Mrs. Pevensie, though she wasn’t too certain. Lucy, however, was itching to get out of the car so she could a hidden spot, become Lioness, and help her team. She had to make sure that the two of them were alright, especially Ghost Hound, he was the most important part. He alone could turn the monsters back into stones. Was Firebird looking after him effectively? She had to get out there, Nemea was the only one who could cut through anything and could shield them from the worst attacks. Thankfully, it didn’t take long before they came across people running from the monster.

“Everyone out! We need to get these people to the barracks!” called out Mr. Pevensie as he brought the car to a stop. Lucy tried desperately to think of some reason to get away from her family to turn into Lioness. Oh why couldn’t she tell them? Nemea said that no one could know, but it was hard having to keep secrets from her family. Aslan, help me, she thought desperately. A thought hit her to run towards the incoming crowd. She acted on instinct and rushed forward. In a matter of minutes, she was lost within the crowd and quickly took her chance to get to a secluded spot.

“Let’s do this! Nemea, power up!” The little ion flew out of her pocket and into the sunstone set in her barrette. The changes happened instantaneously, and Lucy was soon dressed in a leonide suit with the lion’s mane for a hood. She bounded off in search of her team, and it didn’t take long for her to find them. They were moving the monster away from the crowd, but this monster was proving to be rather difficult. Lucy gasped when she paused long enough to get a good look at the monster. It was a minotaur! And it was covered in dark armour! She slowed down her approach, yes, the original minotaur was a horrible monster, but, minotaurs in Narnia had become some of its greatest citizens. Even now, some were helping get the crowds to safety. One approached Lucy when he noticed her stop.

“Lioness, I appreciate knowing that you among so many see us now as friends and family, but please, help your team take out this minotaur. That is the original minotaur and was no doubt sent by Gaia to raise tension between our races. We may be descended from him, but we do not believe as he does. So please, for the love of Aslan, help your team destroy him!”

Lucy glanced at him, determination in her eyes as she nodded and said, “I will.” She took off, reaching Ghost Hound’s side right before the minotaur attacked and blocked the attack with her shield.

“What took you so long?” shouted Ghost Hound, relief evident in his voice at seeing her.

“Sorry, got caught up in crowd control. The royal family is helping get people to safety!”

“Say what?” Lioness nodded at Ghost Hound’s surprised expression. “All the more reason to take this beast down.”

“Right. Where’s the stone located?”

“Hey! No fair!” shouted Firebird as he went sailing over their heads and slammed into a tree.

“It’s on his chest, but be careful, he’s fast.”

“Well then, I guess it’s time for Nemea to show me just how good he is,” said Lucy with a wink. She pulled out a couple of the claws, the two turning into knives the instant they left her paw-like gloves, and rushed towards the minotaur. The minotaur bellowed as he rushed into her attack.

“Lioness, what are you doing? Stop!” called out Ghost Hound. But Lucy just kept on going, though she could tell that Ghost Hound and Firebird were following behind her. They were going to be a while, so she had to work fast, and work fast she did. She could hear Nemea’s voice suggesting a few moves, and she acted on them. She dove under the minotaur’s legs, came up quickly behind him, and thrust a dagger into his side. The minotaur bellowed in rage and pain as he swung out his arm to knock her over, but she ducked and thrust the other knife into his chest armour, cracking it. She jumped out of the way as his big hands came down on her, barely missing her by inches.

“Hey, Lioness, wait!” The sound of Firebird’s voice indicated that the two were coming up quick, but Lucy didn’t wait. She pulled out another claw and sent it flying into the crack. There was a silent pause as the minotaur’s armour cracked open and fell off him.

“Ghost Hound, now!” Lucy kept her eyes on the minotaur as Ghost Hound practically flew by her and brought his glowing scythes down on the minotaur’s chest. It screamed as it melted away into a stone.

“Wow, that was awesome, Lioness!” exclaimed Firebird as he raised his hand for a high five. Lucy gave it to him, big grins on their faces.

“Thanks!”

“Where did you learn to throw knives like that?”

“Oh, I’ve been practising,” replied Lucy with a shrug.

“Nice! Hey, Ghost Hound, aren’t you going to thank her, praise her, or something? She did just save our necks back there.”

“Uh, yeah, good job,” mumbled Ghost Hound as he offered his hand. Lucy shook it, but she began to wonder if there was something else.

“Something on your mind?” she asked. Ghost Hound let out a sigh, she hit the bull’s eye.

“Hades said we shouldn’t reveal our identities to each other, not yet. He thinks we should work on being able to keep our own identities hidden before learning each other’s.”

“Oh, OK.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“Is that what’s been bothering you this entire time,” asked Lucy when she noticed Ghost Hound’s surprised expression.

“Well, I mean . . .”

“What? You said we could at a later time, that’s not a never, man,” remarked Firebird.

Ghost Hound seemed to relax a lot as he said with a smile, “That’s true. I guess I just overthink things, especially things like this because you were really wanting to do it.”

“Well of course we really want to do it! But we understand what Hades is trying to get at. I am finding it rather hard to keep my identity a secret,” stated Lucy.

“Same goes for me,” remarked Firebird.

“Well, I’m glad you understand. Oh, I should get this to Hades, and you should check on the royal family!”

“Say what?” exclaimed Firebird.

“Yeah, Lioness told me that the royal family was helping with the evacuation.”

Firebird glanced at Lioness for confirmation, “Really?”

Lucy nodded as she replied with, “Yes, I saw them before I came over.”

“Then yeah, we’ll go check on them!”

“You go ahead, Nemea is telling me he’s exhausted and hungry, I’d better find the little guy some food.”

Ghost Hound nodded, “Good idea, the both of you deserve it. Good work today, team.”

“Yeah, for our second time at this, we’re pretty good!” grinned Firebird.

“Yeah, well, there was one other thing that was worrying me . . .” began Ghost HOund. He let out a sigh before continuing, “Hades says it’s only going to get worse.”

“Oh.”

“But he told me that Hephaestus is making more to help us when the time comes.”

“Wait, Hephaestus made these?” asked Firebird.

“Um, yeah, the two are clearly working together for our benefit.”

“Wow,” Firebird softly muttered.

“Well, now that we’ve got that cleared up, shall we part ways now? I can practically hear Nemea’s stomach.”

“Oh, right, sorry Lioness, yes. I’ll bring this to Hades.”

“And I’m off to check on the royal family,” blurted Firebird before taking to the skies. In the next second, Lucy was racing back to the barracks, ducking behind a tree for Nemea to change her back into her regular clothes.

“Oh, please hurry and find me some food. I am so hungry!” moaned Nemea.

“I will, but first, I have to get back to my family before Firebird gets to them!” It didn’t take long for her to find them, the all-clear had been given and people were filing out of the barracks.

“Lucy! Where have you been? Don’t ever run off on us like that again!” exclaimed her mother as she wrapped Lucy in a bear hug.

“I’m sorry, mom, but I wanted to see the superheroes in action. They were so amazing!”

“Well, now that your curiosity has been quenched, I hope, you won’t run out on us again,” stated her father. Lucy bit her lip, that was something she couldn’t fully promise.

“I’ll, I’ll do my best, sir,” she finally said. Her father seemed satisfied with the answer and gave her a hug.

“Oh good, you’re alright!” Everyone glanced up as Firebird landed gracefully. “Lioness saw you on her way to help us, and we got worried about you, so, I came to check on you.”

“What about Ghost Hound and Lioness?” asked Peter.

“Ghost Hound is taking the monster to Hades, and Lioness had used all of her power to defeat the minotaur, so she went home to recharge,” replied Firebird.

“That was kind of you to come and check on us,” remarked Mrs. Pevensie.

“And I know this is only the second time you guys have defeated a monster, but is Ghost Hound going to always avoid talking to us by using the excuse to get the stones to Hades?” asked Edmund.

Firebird shrugged, “I don’t know, but if this happens again next time, Lioness and I will have a word with him.” He then turned to Susan and bowed. “Is there anything else you require of me, your highness?”

Susan stifled a giggle before replying with, “Nothing for now, thank you.”

“If there’s ever anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” He took her hand and pressed it to his lips before shooting her a wink and flying off. Lucy noticed a slight blush coming to her sister’s cheeks.

“Oh boy, Leo’s got quite the competition,” muttered Edmund before the family turned to walk back to their car. Lucy and Peter glanced at each other before letting out soft snorts. Yeah, he did, but Lucy wasn’t too worried about it. If it was Leo beneath that mask, then Susan was falling for him. But if it wasn’t, well, things would eventually work themselves out, and Leo would get himself a new girl. Just, in that moment, Lucy was never happier to be alive, and a superhero.

#Guardians of Narnia #narniaweek2017 #narniaweek #Narnia #heroes of olympus #modern AU #superhero AU #super narnians

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supernarnians · 7 years