𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐢━━Nico di Angelo

53

Four days. They had been stranded for four days.

"Quit. Moving. Around"

Ajax slashed his sword through the air madly. In the mornings, they worked on the ship, in the evening, he trained with the girls and when night fell, the prince of darkness would dance with him.

Nico appeared in front of him, just to vanish into the shadows. Ajax was really regretting training at night. Nico would melt through the shadows, appearing wherever he wanted to. It was irritating.

Ajax imagined the mist curling around him, the white glittery fog he had seen around his mother. He imagined what he wanted Nico to see. Ajax swinging his sword like an idiot.

He slipped back into the shadows as well.

His mist form looked around disoriented. One second Nico was behind him, and the other Nico was trying to land a hit on him. His mistform dodged it, barely.

"So merciless" Fake Ajax laughed, "Are you flirting with me?"

Ajax saw Nico's breath hitch. The son of Hades chuckled and drove his sword through the mistform.

It parted like a curtain, leaving nothing but Nico alone on the deck.

"Ajax!" His voice came out panicked. Ajax knew it looked bad, Nico would probably yell at him for it later, but he had to admit it was funny. "Ajax?"

"Right here, love"

And suddenly Ajax was behind him. So much for Nico trying to confuse him with his powers. The tip of Ajax's sword was pressed against Nico's back. But Ajax was close enough that his hot breath on Nico's neck made the boy falter.

"Give up?"

It took him embarrassingly long to gather himself.

"Never"

With his left hand, Nico smacked the sword away as he turned to face Ajax. Not giving the other boy time to recover, he brought down his sword.

Ajax blocked it. But his sword was magic. Nico's stygian Iron sword slipped off it, causing him to stumble forwards.

He tried to get back up and practice a maneuver he had learnt from Percy, but Ajax's sword slipped past his defense.

Ajax pressed the flat part of his sword against Nico's chest. With the momentum he had, he pushed Nico back until he banged against the railing.

Nico's eyes widened in surprise.

For a moment, neither moved. Too shocked, too disoriented.

Ajax's eyes traveled to his lips.

They breathed in sync. Ajax couldn't tear his eyes away from Nico's slightly parted lips.

"You win this round, Ajax"

Nico's lips said his name like that's all he ever wanted to say.

Ajax. Ajax. Ajax.

Like that's all he was meant to say.

Just his name.

They looked a little chapped from the dryness, but pink nonetheless. Ajax wanted to run his tongue over Nico's lips.

The two boys breathed in sync, their chests rising and falling as they tried to breathe normally again. Ajax loved training with Nico. It always gave him a thrill. He could feel his blood rushing madly under his skin, the thumping of his heart louder every time he looked at his opponent.

He loved the adrenaline of the fight, the way Nico would taunt him, the way they would start off playful and end up at each other's throats.

He loved all of it.