Chapter Text
When someone meets their soulmate, they get a small soulmate mark on their wrist. The mark can be anything, but their soulmate will have a matching one.
— ☀️⭐️ —
The overwhelming chatter of everyone made Nico want to cut up his ears and put them in a blender. So far, first day of senior year was NOT going well for Nico and it was only third period. The girl he was sat next to kept trying to talk to him even though Nico made it clear he did not want to talk to her.
“And then Cecil hit him over the head with a stick! A STICK!”
God this girl was really going to talk Nico’s ear off wasn’t she? Nico sighed and turned to her.
“Sorry but who are you?” He asked.
Nico tried to remember the girl. He thought she looked kinda familiar..maybe from Junior year?
“I’m Lou Ellen? I sat behind you in Sociology ALL of Junior year?” She said with a disappointed look.
Nico squinted and tilted his head. Nope. The name didn’t ring a bell. He turned his attention back to the teacher who was explaining something about a war. The girl seemed to finally get the hint and stopped talking, instead deciding to doodle all over her arm. Nico tried to pay attention but zoned out after five minutes of the teacher talking.
Soon enough, It was end of class and Nico started to pack away his things. The girl from earlier tapped his shoulder.
“Nico right? Well you seem pretty cool! Wanna sit with me and my friends at break?” She asked with a huge grin on her face.
Nico thought he made his opinion on her very clear but apparently not. He doubted he would find Hazel in the twenty minutes they had for break so he decided to just go with the girl. Hopefully her friends wouldn’t be as annoying as her. He replied with a quick sure and followed her out of the classroom and down the hall. She was still talking but Nico tuned most of it out as he followed her. She stopped in front of a classroom door and pushed the door open. Inside two boys were talking expressively, the brunette guy was standing up talking with his hands whilst the blonde guy was sat on a chair listening to him.
“Hiya guys! This is Nico and he sits next to me in History!”
The brunette guy stopped talking and turned to Lou Ellen and Nico. He smiled and waved.
“Hi! I’m Cecil, the totally cool and amazing one and This is Will, the guy who spends his Friday nights reading medical textbooks instead of partying!” He said pointing to himself then to the blonde guy.
The blonde guy, Will, rolled his eyes and shot a quick smile at Nico. He had bright eyes with an equally bright smile, his blonde, curly hair looked unruly but it somehow suited him. He looked as if he was literally Apollo himself. Cecil and Lou Ellen quickly got into an argument about…Minecraft? Nico decided to ignore it. He turned his attention to Will.
“They’re always like this. Glad to not suffer alone anymore though.” Will said with a bright smile.
“Good to know.” Nico muttered as he took a seat next to Will.
“So, do you have any hobbies?” Will asked, probably trying to make small talk.
it just happened to be that Nico truly did not really have any hobbies and he was horrendously bad at small talk.
“Uh..I like to read sometimes. I also like Greek Mythology.” Nico said, not making eye contact.
“I love Greek Mythology! I only really read biology textbooks but I also play guitar. Not really good at it though..” Will replied.
Nico nodded as Will rambled on about how he wanted to be a doctor and how his siblings wouldn’t shut up about soulmates. Nico zoned out, he really shouldn’t have but he hated talking about soulmates.
The concept that the universe would just so happen to pick the love of your life was so baffling to Nico. Some people don’t even meet their soulmates! What’s the point of picking soulmates if you can’t even meet your soulmate? Hazel always said to believe in the impossible but Nico truly believed it was impossible for him to have a soulmate. Even if he did, they probably wouldn’t like how blunt Nico was or how sarcastic he got. Nico’s hand subconsciously went over his wrist, where a soulmate mark would be if he had one.
He was reminded that he was currently talking to someone and he probably shouldn’t zone out when he’s trying to have a conversation. He glanced over to Will who was still rambling.
“It’s just stupid. Anyway, enough about me. Do you have any siblings? Hopefully they’re not as annoying as mine..” Will sighed.
Nico stared at Will for a second. He really should get better at small talk.
“Uh yeah. I have two. Bianca is my older sister she’s nineteen so she’s in college. She spent the summer in Florida though, and Hazel is my half sister but she’s sixteen. They’re both really nice people.” Nico explained.
That might’ve been the most he ever talked to someone who wasn’t his family! Well apart from Lou Ellen but he didn’t think she counted as he barely said more than ten words to her.
“They seem nice! Does Hazel go to this school?”
“Yeah but she’s a sophomore.”
Will nodded. He seemed genuinely interested in what Nico had to say which would be a first. Sometimes even Hazel didn’t listen to Nico ramble on about Mythomagic or Greek Mythology.
Just then, Lou Ellen slammed her palms down on the table Nico and Will were sat at.
“TIME TO SETTLE THE DEBATE! Do you guys play Minecraft on peaceful or normal mode?”
“Normal all the way.” Will replied curtly.
“HAH! See Cecil! You’re just a coward who is scared of endermen!” Lou Ellen stuck her tongue out at Cecil.
“WAIT! Nico hasn’t given his answer yet.” Cecil looked over to Nico pleadingly.
Nico hesitated. He had no clue what Minecraft was.
“What’s Minecraft?”
Cecil’s jaw dropped and Lou Ellen gasped. Will just stared at him.
“You shouldn’t have said that..They’re really passionate about Minecraft.” Will whispered.
Nico furrowed his eyebrows. With the way Lou Ellen said ‘play’ he could only guess that Minecraft was a video game. Nico didn’t really know much about video games or pop culture.
Lou Ellen started explaining how Minecraft works and Cecil commented every so often. Nico was so lost. Why could he only mine ‘obsidian’ with a diamond pickaxe and not wood? They were both pickaxes. Nico glanced over to Will who was listening in on Lou Ellen’s explanation. He had a sympathetic expression as he patted Nico’s shoulder and said,
“You dug your own grave there.”
Nico sighed. This was going to be a long day.
— ☀️⭐️ —
The rest of the day wasn’t so bad.
For lunch, he had failed in finding Hazel so he resorted back to the chaos that Lou Ellen’s friends were. More like Cecil and Lou Ellen were chaotic, Will had this calming aura that made Nico feel safe. Although Lou Ellen had basically forced Nico to play Minecraft over at her house with Cecil and Will on Saturday.
For sixth period, Physics, Will was in his class! Although they sat on opposite ends of the class it was nice to have someone he knew in his class.
Nico was currently trying to do his physics homework. He really hated physics. Why had he even picked to do it?
Suddenly Hazel burst into his room. She had a huge grin on her face. Nico didn’t even speak before Hazel’s wrist was shoved in his face.
On her wrist was an outline of an arrow going through a heart. Her soulmate mark.
“Oh my god! Look Nico look!” Hazel squealed.
“I’m looking.” Nico said, slowly pushing Hazel’s wrist away. “So do you know who it is?”
“Yep! His name is Frank and he’s like soo nice! I had to ask him on a date since he was too scared but it’s okay!” Hazel beamed.
“Where you going? On a date I mean?”
“We’re going to the cinema to see this horror movie I’ve been talking about seeings for AGES! He’s picking me up at 4pm on Saturday!” Hazel sighed wistfully.
“I want to meet him. I trust your decisions but I kinda want to meet the person my sister is meant to spend the rest of her life with.” Nico said.
“Of course! By the way I couldn’t find you at break or lunch. Were you alone?” Hazel asked, he tone switching to concern.
“No actually. I made some friends. They’re quite annoying though.” Nico replied with a smile. He hadn’t really had any friends in his high school life so it was a pretty big achievement.
“I also made some new friends! Obviously Frank but theres also..”
As Hazel was talking, Nico realised he had been doing homework for the past hour without breaks. He often did this when he was really focused on something. He was still wearing his aviator jacket that he wore at school and only now felt how hot the room was. He shrugged off his jacket.
“And then this guy Octavian, such a bitch by the way, was like-“ Hazel suddenly stopped speaking and gasped.
“Are you okay Haze?” Nico asked concerningly
Hazel pointed to Nico’s arm. He assumed it was probably a spider or something crawling on him. What he did not assume was a soulmate mark.
On his wrist, a soulmate mark was staring back at him. There was the outline of a sun and a star. Nico was dumbfounded. He had spent the whole day without realising?!
Hazel immediately smiled and started firing questions at Nico.
“Do you know who he is? What does he look like? Is he nice?”
“I don’t know.” Nico replied quietly.
Hazel made a small ‘o’ with her mouth. Nico didn’t really want to talk about it. He had somehow met his soulmate today. Whilst he didn’t have many friends the chance that his soulmate was some random guy he bumped into was high. Nico changed the topic.
“Have you told Bianca yet?” Nico asked.
“No! I wanna tell her tomorrow in person because she’s going to come visit. She said she’ll arrive while we’re in school though.” Hazel frowned.
“It’s fine, tomorrow is Friday anyway so you will have the whole weekend to talk with her. Well not the whole weekend, since you’re going on a date.” Nico smirked.
Hazel squealed and started explaining all about how Frank was ‘super totally nice and pretty’.
— ☀️⭐️ —
Nico collapsed on his bed as soon as he got home. Fridays were seriously not good for his social battery. All day, he was paranoid that someone somehow saw his soulmate mark despite it being covered by his jacket sleeve. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to find his soulmate, it was that he really didn’t want to find his soulmate.
On top of that, Will was busy with chemistry all day meaning Nico had to survive Lou Ellen and Cecil’s chaotic personalities all alone. He didn’t even see Will in his sixth period class! How busy could someone be with chemistry?
Nico sighed and closed his eyes. Bianca messaged saying that she would be a bit late due to traffic so she wasn’t here yet. A notification came through on Nico’s phone which made him jump.
He picked up his phone and checked to see who it was, it most likely was Bianca since Nico didn’t have friends who were close enough to text him. Or so he thought.
You have been added to a group with Will Solace, Cecil and Lou Ellen.
Cecil: Hi Nico :)
Lou Ellen: Hiya Nico!
Will Solace: Hello!!
Nico: Why am I here? Also why did you use your full name for ur contact?
Will Solace: We like you so we’re keeping you and why does everyone have an issue with my contact name?
Nico: cos it sucks
Nico: change it
Cecil: oh damn
Will Solace has changed his contact name to Will
Lou Ellen: I’VE BEEN BEGGING U TO CHANGE IT FOR AGES NOW?!
Will: yeh but i’ve been friends with u for like years so it doesn’t count
Cecil: wait were getting off topic
Lou Ellen: right. Anyway r we still meeting at my house for minecraft tmr?
Cecil: yep
Will: ya
Nico: sure
Lou Ellen: great! I’ll text u the address Nico since the other two idiots already know it.
Lou Ellen indeed did message him the address. The group chat kept talking but Nico ignored them because he really wasn’t bothered to reply.
He heard the front door open and Hazel running down the stairs. Bianca probably arrived. He stood up and walked downstairs.
Hazel was giving Bianca a hug that looked like it suffocated Bianca while Hades stood next to them with a small smile on his face. Bianca had always been his favourite.
Finally, Hazel let go of Bianca.
“Jeez Hazel I’ve only been gone for like three months.” Bianca rolled her eyes.
Whilst Hades wanted Bianca to stay home for the summer, she desperately wanted to spend the summer in Florida where her college was. Hades caved in and let her stay at her friend’s house in Florida for the summer.
Bianca glanced over to Nico and smiled.
“Hi Nico! Did you have a good summer?” Bianca asked as he hugged him.
Nico nodded and let Hades talk.
“I am going to go get some food from that one restaurant in town. I’ll be back in an hour.” Hades said.
All three of them nodded, they waited until Hades left the house before talking.
“Okay Hazel now what is SO important you had to tell me in person?” Bianca asked.
Hazel grinned and sat down on the sofa. Nico sat down next to her and Bianca sat on the armchair next to the sofa.
Hazel didn’t speak, just squealed and rolled up her sleeve holding her wrist out to Bianca. Bianca’s eyes widened as she looked at the soulmate mark. She immediately leapt into questions asking who he was and what he was like.
“Yep! And that’s not all!” Hazel glanced over to Nico. Her gaze turned to Nico’s wrist as if to ask him if he was going to say anything.
Nico sighed and rolled up his sleeve. Bianca gasped as she stared at the soulmate mark on his wrist.
“Do you know who he is?” Bianca immediately asked.
“No.” Nico said bluntly.
Bianca furrowed her brows but nodded. She asked Hazel about Frank some more and Nico was really glad she changed the topic. Nico zoned out again until Hades came home with food.
After that Bianca, Hazel and Nico watched home alone despite it being September. They watched it every time they watched a movie that it became tradition.
Then Nico went to bed. Well he tried to. He couldn’t stop overthinking about his soulmate. Why had the universe cursed him like this? The chances that he will find out who his soulmate is so astronomically low that it’s just cruel. He didn’t really care about the fact he had one but he would definitely prefer not to have one at all. He knew he would never fall in love in his life so he felt bad for whoever the poor unfortunate soul his soulmate was.