How Icarus Fell From the Sun (a Solangelo fanfic)

nico's perspective of hoh chap 36, will's face on jason's body, and tears

Will took his step forward and stumbled, disoriented from the trip that they themselves had not taken. His mouth moved as if he was trying to speak, but his voice remained stubbornly silent. Nico tried, and found that he couldn't speak either.

"Yes, mortal bodies are terribly bulky." Favonius commented, sitting down on the remains of a wall nearby, fruit basket in hand, wings spread out towards the sun. His voice was disoriented, as if it was coming far away. His picture, however, was crystal clear.

Nico closed his eyes. He had lived through this moment one too many times. Will had not, however, and before shutting his eyes, Nico could see him, wide eyed, staring out at the ruins at what had once been.

"Welcome to Salona," Favonius said. "Capital of Dalmatia! Birthplace of Diocletian! But before that, long before that, it was the home of Cupid." Nico gulped, opening his eyes. Will was staring at him, confused.

"Cupid?" He mouthed.

"Oh, he's not like that," said Favonius.

Jason's voice began to emanate from Will's face, his eyes widening in shock. "You can read my mind?"

"I don't need to." Favonius said, throwing his bronze hoop in the air. "Everyone has the wrong impression of Cupid...until they meet him."

Nico felt as though he was going to fall, or faint, or be sick, or all three, but he immediately found he was no longer able to move his body, instead, he could only take the exact steps, make the exact movements as he had that day. Even so, his next logical step in both instances were to tremble, and steady himself against a broken column in the ruins.

He couldn't breathe. This could not be happening. Not again.

"Hey, man.." Jason's voice called out from Will. Will only watched, wide eyed, as he was forced to take a step towards the pale demigod. Nico felt himself wave Jason- or, Will- Holy Hephaestus, Jason-Will, away. He watched the grass brown at his feet, unable to look Will in the eyes.

"Ah..." Favonius nodded. "I don't blame you for being nervous, Nico di Angelo. Do you know how I ended up serving Cupid?"

Nico felt his mouth begin to move on it's own. Stop, he pleaded to every god he could name. Please, make it stop. Instead he began to speak. "I don't serve anyone," he muttered. "Especially not Cupid."

Favonius ignored him. "I fell in love with a mortal named Hyacinthus. He was quite extraordinary."

Again, Jason's voice came from Will. "He...? Oh..." As his mouth was shut closed, Nico could swear he saw Will roll his eyes at Jason's remark.

"Yes, Jason Grace." Favonius said, with the arch of an eyebrow. "I fell in love with a dude. Does that shock you?"

Will braced himself. "I guess not. So...Cupid struck you with his arrow, and you fell in love." Nico could almost see the moment where Will decided to stop fighting, and let the dream, let the memory, progress. Nico decided he would as well. As painful as it would be. He just needed out.

Favonius laughed. "You make it sound so simple. Alas, love is never simple. You see, the god Apollo also liked Hyacinthus. He claimed they were just friends. I don't know. But one day I came across them together, playing a game of quoits—"

"Quoits?" Jason asked.

Nico attempted to explain, although his voice was harsh and his legs were trembling. "A game with those hoops," He pointed at the bronze hoop in Favonius' hand. "Like horseshoes."

"Sort of," Favonius said. "At any rate, I was jealous. Instead of confronting them and finding out the truth, I shifted the wind and sent a heavy metal ring right at Hyacinthus's head and...well." He let out a lovesick sigh. "As Hyacinthus died, Apollo turned him into a flower, the hyacinth. I'm sure Apollo would've taken horrible vengeance on me, but Cupid offered me his protection. I'd done a terrible thing, but I'd been driven mad by love, so he spared me, on the condition that I work for him forever."