Chapter Text
The moon and the stars always reigned as one of Nico’s top fascinations. For as long as he could remember, the moon served as a powerful presence that drew him in.
At first, he thought it had to do with Bianca- her life force and very essence tied to the moon and the stars. Yet, even after she died, he still loved the nightscape; even if it did have bitter memories attached.
All those nights after her death he would stare at the dark sky as he tossed and turned. He silently whispered to the stars, wondering deep down if she could hear him- if she was even listening. Alone in a world out to get him, Nico held onto the night like a safety net. Sky the same color as his hair, it was a dark blanket that kept him whole. The night protected him from losing himself and where he felt safest.
At nighttime Nico thought that he didn’t need anyone. That he was better off alone in this world. Knees curled to his chest, he trembled and shook with the ground as his emotions bubbled and stirred. Because while he may have felt most safe at night, the darkness couldn’t save him from the cruelness of his own mind.
The voices filled his head and screamed insults at him. Calling him disgusting, annoying, and every other derogatory word he could think of. They blamed him for Bianca’s death and were so convincing that eventually he began to believe it too. Darkness was his escape but also his downfall, a double-sided sword.
Once he began attempting to reconnect with others, the thoughts started to quiet down. By one point, Nico couldn’t hear them at all on his best nights. That was short lived though, quickly replaced with nightmares of Tartarus. Instead of hearing his own demons, the eerie cries of monsters in Tartarus and punished souls rang throughout his mind.
The night, moon, and stars no longer served as an escape for him. They were a curse, tied to all the worst parts of his past. Each time he looked at the stars he saw the same twinkle that was in Percy’s eyes. The moon’s light was Bianca’s ethereal glow. In Nico’s world these things were harrowing, a constant reminder of his past.
That was until Will came along.
The first time that Nico told him about his fear of the dark and dislike of Will’s aunt, Artemis, was late after a campfire. The two walked back to the Hades cabin as they did each night, bickering light-heartedly. As they approached the cabin, Will poked a joke about Nico being afraid of the dark causing Nico to freeze.
Noticing his response, Will drew back and gazed at him with a confused expression. The two of them stood under the night sky. The moon shined like a spotlight onto them, the full, white celestial body illuminating their surroundings. The green fire on the brazier outside the Hades cabin mixed with the white light, casting them in an ethereal glow.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” Will breathed out quietly, hands fidgeting with the hem of his camp shirt. His bright blue eyes were locked with the ground, refusing to meet Nico’s.
Nico let out a breath, his own nerves kicking in. He wasn’t a fool, he knew how he felt for the son of Apollo. Which only made every interaction harder. He felt like a kicked puppy watching Will look so guilty and thought about all the money he would pay to never see that look on Will again. “It’s fine, Solace. Like you said, you didn’t know.”
Will’s eyes met his own finally and he offered a shrug, slight smile tugging at his lips. “Cool. Thank gods I was scared- I thought that you would hate me,” Will rambled. Nico rolled his eyes before shushing Will, who stopped speaking mid-sentence.
As they stood there, under the light together, Nico couldn’t help but observe how good Will looked. His face had a faint red tint to it, only visible if you were truly studying him. His curls were more muted under this light and shined platinum instead of their usual golden. His eyes twinkled with an emotion Nico couldn’t place, and as he redirected his gaze from Will’s face to the stars he saw something new for the first time in years. It was no longer Percy’s eyes that Nico saw in the twinkle of the stars, rather now it was Will’s. Will’s beautiful, big, blue eyes.
Realizing that there had been a stretched silence between the two, Nico cleared his throat. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you one day, maybe.” He offered a wry smile at the blond who beamed back at him with ten times the enthusiasm.
“I look forward to hearing it, di Angelo.”
“Whatever. Good night, Will.” Nico smiled and waved to the boy before jogging up the stairs to his cabin. He shut the door behind him and rested in place for a second.
Damn this boy and his stupid perfectness.
Nico decided the night wasn’t so bad as long as he had Will there with him.