Found Family (HoO, Mortal AU)

NICO DI ANGELO

With grief came anger. Nico was grieving and he was angry. In a way, he wanted to fight with someone. He wanted an outlet, mostly.
"Come on, Nico," Will sighed. "I'm not leaving you here alone."
"I don't want to go to Rachel's. We're all just trying to forget that our friend is dead by spending time with each other- I don't want to go."
"We aren't trying to forget him, we're trying to comfort each other."
"It's not working."
"Well maybe it's better than being alone for some people," Will said.

"Can you just go? Go tell them that I'm sorry I couldn't come or whatever."
"I don't want to leave you, Nico."
"I want to be left alone."
Will was hesitant. Nico just wanted him to go.
"If I go and come back early-" Will spoke softly.
"Sure. Whatever. Just go," Nico didn't want to argue, but he couldn't try to act calm and happy. "Please."
"Okay," Will stood up. "I promise I'll be back soon. Call me if you need anything."
"Okay."
"Love you."
"I.. love you too."

Will left. Hazel and Frank were already gone. For the first time since Jason died, Nico was completely alone. That's what he wanted, wasn't it? It suddenly felt scary. His room was too big. The house was too big. Everything was too big and he was small and alone. He pulled the duvet over his head and tried to sleep. It didn't work, so he rang Jules-Albert.

• • •

"Where do you want to go?" Jules-Albert asked Nico, being much kinder than usual, which Nico didn't know was possible.
He shrugged. "Anywhere. No- the graveyard."
"You usually walk there."
"I didn't want to be alone."
"I'd everything okay with Mr Solace?"
"You can call him Will," Nico sighed. "And yeah, I suppose."

• • •

Nico walked to Bianca's grave first. It was far away from Jason's, but closer to the entrance. There were new flowers on it. Percy was the only one who brought her flowers. He had been doing that since she died. Nico didn't really see the point.

He asked Jules-Albert to stay in the car, but being alone again made him think. Think about the dead. Until junior year, he was scared of making friends with people- including his own sister, Hazel- because he thought death followed him and killed all his loved ones. After making friends, he started to think that wasn't true. He'd been unlucky, but things were looking up. Getting better. Then Jason died and it felt just like old times. He knew he was going to end up pushing all his friends away- especially Will- to 'protect' them. What if they all died, too?

He eventually walked over to Jason's grave, where someone was already standing.
"Leo."
"Wh- oh. Nico."
"Shouldn't you be with the others?" He asked. "At Rachel's house?"
"I should. So should you. Clearly neither of us want to be there."
"Oh. Won't Piper be worried about you?"
"She will," Leo shrugged. "That's why I snuck out."
"They're probably all panicking about you right now, you know that?"
"Let them. I just wanted to be here."

Nico didn't reply.
"You know, all of them are being kinder than ever. Our friends," Leo sighed. "But I can't help but feel angry at them. It's not their fault. I don't know what's wrong with me."
"You're grieving. I was angry at Percy for Bianca's death for years. It's normal."
"I don't think anything is normal about this."
"No. No, not at all."

"Leo!" Someone shouted. Piper. "There you are-" she ran over. "Where have you been?!"
"I've been here," Leo shrugged.
"You can't just disappear like that- we were all worried-"
"I'm eighteen. I can go visit my dead boyfriend's grave if I want."
Piper sighed. "Leo- that's- you know I didn't mean it like that."
"I don't need 24 hour protection."
Piper hugged Leo. Nico felt kinda awkward.

"Everyone's just trying to be happy," Leo said quietly. "I don't want to pretend to be happy."
"You don't have to. No one expects you to be happy."
"I'm just angry. At everyone. For no reason-"
Nico was the same. He didn't want to talk to anyone but he didn't want to be alone. It was painfully confusing. He couldn't even imagine how hard it was for Leo.

"Come on," Piper said. "We should go home."
"I don't like it there."
"Rachel's?" She suggested.
"My house is free, either," Nico offered.
"I don't want to go anywhere. I also don't want to be here," Leo rested his head on Piper's shoulder. "I kinda just wish it were me instead of him."
"Don't say that. I couldn't live without you," Piper said, a tear falling down her face.

Nico definitely felt awkward.
"I can't live without him."
"Hah- look at the time," Nico looked at his watch, before realising how dumb he sounded. "Okay, I'm going to leave. I'll see you both soon."
Piper just nodded. Leo said nothing.

Once Nico got back to Jules-Albert's car, he saw Will.
"Please just tell me that Nico's okay-"
Jules-Albert raised an eyebrow and pointed at Nico, who stood behind Will.
"Oh- Nico! You can't just sneak up on people-"
"Hi," He said, not really knowing what else to do.
"Hi," Will replied. "Are you okay?"
"I don't much like that question. Hey, Jules-Albert, you can go. I'm going to talk to Will for a while."
"Okay, Sir. Call me whenever you need me."

Jules-Albert drove away, leaving just Nico and Will.
"So," Will muttered. "You okay?"
"You asked like three seconds ago."
"You didn't answer."
"No. Are you okay?"
"Not really, no."
"Okay. Want to go for a walk?"
Will nodded. "Yeah."

They started to walk in a random direction together, both of them not wanting to be the first to speak.
"How was Rachel's?" Nico eventually asked.
"I didn't stay for very long. Most people went looking for Leo. I decided to just go home- well, not home, but back to you."
"You could've stayed if you wanted."
"I was worried about you."
Nico shrugged. "I'm fine."
"You weren't in a good mood."
"I'm still not."
"I know I just mean- I don't know. You sounded like you wanted to argue or something."

Nico looked down. "I know. I don't want to argue with you but I'm angry. Not at you. At everything."
"I don't want to argue with you, either."
"Okay. Deal."
Will took a hold of Nico's hand. "I love you, by the way."
"I love you too."
"Let's go home."

———

Word Count: 1097

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A/N: boringish update but y'all will go crazy for Solangelo so yay

Talkin about Solangelo, a lot of the replies on that Google doc I posted about the rewrite talked a lot about how they wanted more Solangelo and yes I agree 1000%. Them getting together was definitely rushed because when I wrote it I was very unmotivated and wanted to end the fic sooner, so there was a whole 'slow burn' build up for an unsatisfactory ending but the rewrite will have better development for every couple, especially Solangelo since a lot of people want that :)))