Always You - Nico di Angelo x Reader (Oneshots)

Shadows

A/N - I just led my first school event as the Student Council.

It was terrible.

But hey, my team was incredible. And that was all that mattered <3

Here's a oneshot to celebrate ya'll!

- Third Person's POV -

The campfire crackled softly, sending sparks into the night. Most of the other campers had already gone to bed, leaving only a few stragglers chatting in the distance. You leaned against Nico di Angelo's shoulder, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing.

Being close to Nico had once felt like trying to hold on to a shadow—slippery, fleeting, always half a step away. But now, with his arm around you, it was like the shadows themselves had chosen to rest.

"You're quiet tonight," you murmured.

"I'm always quiet," Nico replied dryly, but you caught the tiny quirk at the corner of his lips. He still didn't smile much, but when he did, it felt like a gift.

"More than usual," you teased, tilting your head to look up at him. His dark eyes softened when they met yours, and he sighed, shifting slightly so you were tucked closer against him.

"I was just... thinking," he admitted. "About how I never expected this."

"This?" you asked.

"You. Us." His voice was low, careful, as though speaking the words aloud might make them vanish. "For a long time, I didn't think I'd get something like this. Like you."

Your chest tightened, and you reached up to brush a strand of hair from his face. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of miracle."

"You are." The words came without hesitation, without irony. His gaze didn't waver. "You don't know how much you've changed things for me."

Silence stretched between you, but it was warm, not heavy. You rested your forehead against his, closing your eyes as the campfire popped softly in the background.

"I love you," you whispered.

Nico's breath caught, as if those words still startled him, no matter how many times you said them. Slowly, carefully, he cupped your cheek in his hand, his thumb tracing lightly over your skin.

"I love you too," he said, steady and sure.

Later that night, you walked hand in hand through the empty camp, the moonlight casting long shadows across the grass. Nico's fingers were cool against yours, but his grip was steady, grounding.

"You know," you said with a grin, "people keep staring at us."

"Because they can't believe anyone would willingly date me?" Nico muttered, though there was no real bitterness in his tone—just that dry humor of his.

You bumped his shoulder playfully. "Because they can't believe I managed to steal the heart of the son of Hades."

"You didn't steal it," he said, glancing at you. "I gave it to you."

That stopped you in your tracks. Heat rushed to your cheeks, and for a moment, words failed you. Nico noticed, and the faintest smile tugged at his lips—his rare, precious smile.

"Don't look at me like that," you whispered, flustered.

"Like what?" he asked, feigning innocence, though his eyes gleamed in the moonlight.

"Like you just said something that's going to keep me up all night replaying it."

He chuckled softly—a quiet, rare sound that made your heart flutter. "Good," he said simply.

When you finally stopped at the edge of the woods, Nico tugged you closer, his hand settling at the small of your back. Shadows curled faintly around his feet, answering to him as always, but they didn't feel cold or frightening. They felt like home.

"You're my light," he said suddenly, his voice almost a whisper. "Even when everything else feels... dark, you're the one thing that isn't."

Your throat tightened. You kissed him then—soft, slow, but full of every word you couldn't say. Nico held you close, as if you were the only thing anchoring him to the world.

And maybe you were.

Because for Nico di Angelo, love wasn't about grand gestures or endless words. It was about this: quiet nights, soft confessions, and the certainty that no matter how deep the shadows went, he would never be alone again.

A/N - Just a little update about the personal life of your favorite author:

I'm finally starting a small business! I'll announce to you guys, this wonderful community, once it's officially opened.

See you next time!

729 words

Lots and lots of love,

- FantasyDemiWitch