WHISPERS • A PERCICO AU

• Prologue •

Flames.

As the fire roared higher and higher into the evening sky, tinting the clouds in shades of red, orange and yellow, the startled black-haired boy stepped back.

The man in red, which he assumed was a firefighter, dropped him to a reasonable distance from his once large imposing house. "Stay here. Don't move."

Rushing back in the now crumbling mansion, the firefighter screamed orders to others, his hand wrapped around the water hose.

Another man ran out of the ashes, holding onto a familiar black-eyed girl. Bianca.

"Bianca!" Nico cried out, tears welling up in his eyes. "What his happening? Where is mamma?"

His sister crouched down next to him, wrapping her slender arms around him in a reassuring manner. "Shh... it's going to be okay." she soothed him, rubbing circles onto his back.

Letting the tears loose, Nico soaked Bianca's shoulder. He weeped silently, trying to ignore the flames tearing apart their house. He ignored the cries, the screams, the yells. He just held on tighter on Bianca, trying to suppress his whimpers.

"Bring her out!" a man in red shouted, waving towards other firefighters that were holding onto a vaguely humanoid figure. "Quick, quick!" Her dark hair wasn't tied back anymore. Her sparkling brown eyes dimmed. Her life force was slipping out as fast as a rushing stream.

Blood and burns were scattered onto her skin, wearing out her body in the most painful way possible. Standing there, Nico couldn't help feeling an excruciating feeling shooting through his heart.

"Mom!" he screamed, his guttural cry piercing through the night air. Removing himself from Bianca's comforting embrace, he ran towards his dying mother, now put on a stretcher.

Tears streamed down his ash-smeared face, purifying the darkness covering his cheeks. "...Mom?" he whispered.

The beautiful woman slightly opened her dim brown eyes, her eyelashes fluttering in the wind. "Mio caro..." she said faintly.

She coughed out, her voice betraying her immense weariness and pain. "T-the best and most b-beautiful things in this... world cannot b-be seen or even h-heard, but must be felt w-with the h-heart..." Maria di Angelo breathed out shallowly, the light in her eyes shutting out. 

"Remember..."

Her hand went limp and cold in Nico's embrace.

Nico fought back more tears. He refused to believe it. The firefighters put her body in the ambulance. They carried her far, far away...

Bianca approached her four years old brother, tear streaks marking her freckled face. She put a hand on his shoulder, silent.

The only sounds heard were the firefighters shouting, screaming for more water as the once beautiful house crumbled to ashes.

And as the ambulance sirens faded away in the distance, Nico knew from that moment on that he would never speak again.

Not even one word.

∆ ∆ ∆

hey guys!

so here is my new percico story, i hope y'all like it...?

here's a late happy new year/decade to you! <3

-drakonator