Light in the Darkness - Nico X Reader

Chapter 4 - Shoot! (Pun intended)

Well, my first day of training. Yay?

Shortly after lunch at the Athena table, and checking on Annabeth to see if she was okay, which she was. We headed off to training. Annabeth and Percy were walking down chatting along the way. Annabeth looked strong, even better than before falling into the lake. We gathered by the shed next to the archery range to collect our bows. While waiting for the other cabins to arrive, I saw the Hermes kids run down the hill, grabbing weapons from unsuspecting demigods and sneaking drachmas out of pockets. One of the kids reached for Annabeth's pocket. After sneaking her wallet out of her pocket, he made a run for it.

Annabeth was way too smart to be stolen from.

As he ran across the range, he suddenly stopped dead, and rebounded all the way back to Annabeth. He crashed into a tree and lay there groaning. She stuck her hand up and her wallet flew into her hand. A thin spring was attached to her wallet, rare earth magnets were put on as well in case the spring snapped. The spring would stretch a certain distance before flinging the wallet, and whoever was holding it, back to her. The demigods laughed at the stupid scene as the son of Hermes sheepishly walked towards the range. I spotted Jason running to catch up with Percy and Annabeth, and in the corner of my eye, a boy materialised from the shadows. Nico.

Kayla Knowles, one of the best archers in camp, was leading the session. "Breathe in and relax, close one eye for a direct view of the target, loosen up your shoulders and move your drawing hand next to your cheek," She demonstrated. Her green hair billowing in the wind. "Draw the string, aim, and let go," Her arrow hit dead center, splitting the arrow that was already there. There was a silence, and the campers applauded her. "Okay, 3rd grade archers guide the new campers and 1st grade archers, 2nd grade practice on your own and help each other out. Remember to assess each other and give advice. I'll be going around and checking if you need any help,"

The campers split into 3 groups. Most of the Apollo campers were in the 3rd grade bunch, while I was obviously in the 1st grade group. Guess what? Nico was one of the 3rd grade archers. Is there anything he isn't good at? Emma was a 2nd grade, so we couldn't partner up.  The 1st grades went and grabbed a bow 3/4 to their height and went to find a target and a partner. I awkwardly stood alone by the target second to the right, waiting for a partner or a guide. Kayla saw me standing alone. "Hey Austin!" She yelled across the range, beckoning for a tall African-American boy, with cornrows shaped like a double helix to come over. "Be- sorry, what's your name?" She asked. 

"Anira, Anira Ash," I answered.

"Be Anira's partner for the day," She told him. 

"Sure," He replied. I doubt he would have said anything else anyway, Kayla was the one in charge after all. "So," He started, "Any experience with a bow and arrow?" He asked. 

"Nope, none at all," I sheepishly said. 

"That's not a problem," He grinned, "Show me a shooting pose, one that feels most natural to you," He said. I mimicked Kayla's confident pose, relaxing my shoulders and drawing the string back, moving my drawing hand to my cheek. I closed one eye and took a deep breath. "Not bad, not bad," He said. "Definitely better than Percy's. You should stand at least 20 meters away from him before he even picks up the bow," He whispered.  

"Is he that bad?" I asked, in between giggles.

"You wouldn't believe it until I sho-" He was cut short from a Hermes girl running up to him. 

"Connor has been... shot... and... it doesn't... look good," She said in between gasps for air. She must've ran all the way here. "Oh gods," Austin muttered. "Anira stay here while I bring him to the infirmary," He said, "Hey Nico! Can you guide Anira?" He asked. There it goes again. My luck. Before Nico could say 'no' Austin ran off with the Hermes girl to find this so called 'Connor'. Nico sighed. "I guess I'm stuck with you again, Little Miss Clumsy," He muttered. 

"Since I'm so clumsy, I might accidentally shoot you," I shot back, not even bothering to be sarcastic. It was true after all. Nico sent me a death glare, which was quite intimidating since he was a child of Hades. "Hey, I'm being genuine," I blurted. His gaze softened, he looked around to make sure no one was watching, and his lips curved into a small smile. I guess he wanted to keep his smiles a secret, after what happened by the lake. "Well, lets see what you've got," I posed the same way I did a moment ago. "Hmm, not terrible, but could definitely use some improvement," He observed. 

"Well what can I do to improve, Zombie Master?" I chuckle softly at the stupid name I gave him.

"First, don't call me that, and second," He lifted my arm slightly. I was startled from the touch. I jumped back slightly and instantly cursed myself. "What, do you think I have a death touch or something?" He asks sarcastically. 

"No, it's just... Never mind," He proceeded to move my bow arm up slightly.

"Don't let your arm droop down, or you'll just impale the lawn. I doubt Demeter would appreciate you killing her wheat," He grumbled. He drew your drawing arm back slightly, "More power, or you won't even hit the target," He advised. "Okay, now release when you're ready," I drew in a deep breath, careful not to change my pose and let the arrow fly. It hit the middle of the target, on the small black circle. "Oh my gods," I muttered. Only then did I realise we had gathered a small crowd. There was a moment of awed silence before Kayla walked up to us and started clapping. The small crowd followed suit. There were whoops and whistles. I don't think it was all that amazing, after all, Nico deserves most of the credit. I turn around slowly to face Nico. "I guess you're not all that clumsy, Little Miss Clumsy," He admitted. "It did hit DEAD center after all," Putting emphasis on the 'dead'. I laughed at his stupid joke.  A wide grin spreads across his face. This time, the entire range went silent. The tension filled the air. 

"Oh my gods Annabeth," You hear Percy utter. "Your sister just made Nico di Angelo smile." 

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A/N Well that was a chapter. Again, thanks so much for reading this chapter and my story! It means a ton to me. I'm actually quite proud of how the ending of this chapter turned out. Tell me what you think so far and how I could improve in the comments! Remember to vote if you enjoyed it! Thank you all so much! <3

P.S: New update coming soon. (Either later today, or tomorrow!)

~BlueFandoms~