AMANTI, nico di angelo

XXIV. the power he didn't know he had

0024. | THE POWER HE
DIDN'T KNOW HE HAD

           Vela dreamt of Nico. They were alone, or rather, Nico was alone, in the bedroom where they had last been together. He was sat on the edge of the king sized bed. He looked tiny compared to the vastness of the canopy bed like he needed someone to share it with, and his hand rested on a spot of wrinkled duvet spread; the spot where Vela had sat when they reunited after his return from Ogygia.

           Nico's head was bowed down. Vela was sure he wouldn't be able to see him. His black hair looked longer than he remembered, dangling with his dropped head, and his hands were covered with the cuffs of Vela's green jumper that he still wore.

          Vela's heart rattled just seeing him then. He felt like he lost all breath seeing Nico, especially knowing now how his lips felt against his, how he held his breath when they kissed, how he had held onto him so tightly like they were afraid of letting each other go. Vela had never felt the connection between them so strongly before, and that was evident from the glowing threads that connected them always. Heart to heart, hand to hand.

            Just seeing him was enough for Vela to forget all that had happened last night. To forget the lives he had taken, the souls he had returned to Tartarus, the immortals he had disrespected. His hands may not have been clean, but they were still ready to hold him as if he'd never hurt a thing in his life.

But all those thoughts crashed when he saw something drop from Nico's face. Something small, glinting in the firelight that came from the burning hearth. It looked like a diamond had dropped from his face, but Vela's heart sank when he saw it was a tear.

"Oh, Neeks..." Vela muttered, absolutely crestfallen to see him sad and not able to do anything about it. This was only a dream, just a vision of his crying boy.

Or so he thought. At the sound of his name, Nico's head snapped up and his dark, watery eyes met Vela's like obsidian on silver and his bottom lip wobbled lightly as if he was trying to swallow back the tears but the sight of Vela only made them want to fall more. It had barely been hours since they had last seen each other but it felt like years with how Nico looked at him; like he had been waiting a lifetime to see him again, not a nighttime.

"Vel?" Nico's voice was thick with tears. Vela stood shocked. How could Nico see him? This was only a dream, unless... unless their soulbond had strengthened since their kiss. Perhaps them recognising that affection between each other had solidified a link so that despite not being together in reality, in sleep they could be. Like their subconsciousnesses were fighting to keep them together. Vela liked that idea.

"Hey." Vela said. "Miss me?"

             Nico choked on his laugh, sounding relieved that Vela was even there. Vela rarely saw Nico cry. It was a once in a lifetime occurrence but Vela still knew well enough that despite Nico's instinct to push people away, he did need comfort when he cried.