Nico di Angelo

The Roman and The Greek

"...Nico. I—"

"I really don't need your fake sympathy, Grace."

The son of Hades cut him off sharply, his dark eyes swirling with restrained fury as they locked onto the blonde demigod in front of him. There was no hesitation in his glare.

Only warning.

Sharp and unrelenting.

"You don't know what I'm capable of." Nico continued, his voice low and dangerous. "So you better keep that mouth of yours shut."

Jason inhaled slowly, steadying himself. He had faced storms, monsters, and even gods—but this? This felt different. More fragile. More dangerous in a way that had nothing to do with power.

"I won't tell anyone." Jason said firmly. "About Cupid... and him. I promise."

Nico's expression didn't soften.

"You better not." he replied coldly. "Because, I promise this to you Grace, I won't hesitate to kill you. Zeus be damned."

Jason flinched, not out of fear of the threat, but from the weight behind it. Nico wasn't bluffing. That much was obvious. Still, Jason held his ground, meeting Nico's gaze with quiet determination.

"It's just... if you ever need someone to talk to," he began carefully. "or a shoulder to lean on... I'll be here."

Nico didn't respond.

Instead, he walked past him, brushing his shoulder without even sparing him a glance.

"...Hurry up." Nico muttered. "Stop wasting time on useless talk. The world still needs saving."

Jason stood there for a moment, watching the boy walk away.

He looked... small.

Not weak.

Never weak.

But alone.

Jason followed without another word, unaware of how Nico bit the inside of his lip, stopping himself from saying something–anything–that might have betrayed the turmoil buried deep within him.

---

The war ended in fire, blood, death, and exhaustion.

When Gaea finally fell back into slumber, the battlefield grew quiet in a way that felt almost unreal. The air, once thick with chaos and destruction, now carried something fragile.

Relief.

Around them, demigods cheered, cried, collapsed into each other's arms. Some celebrated survival, while others mourned those who hadn't made it.

Jason stood among them, chest rising and falling heavily, his body aching from the battle. But his mind was elsewhere.

Searching.

Always searching.

"Nico!"

His voice cut through the noise.

For a brief moment, everything else faded.

Then...

There.

Across the field, sitting on the ground with his back slightly hunched, was the son of Hades.

Their eyes met.

Electric blue collided with deep, endless brown.

Jason didn't think.

He moved.