Always You - Nico di Angelo x Reader (Oneshots)

Matter to Me

A/N - hii i haven't been posting in a hot minute, have i?

That's because SO many things have happened in the past few weeks that I can't work on any oneshots :(

But now that I'm back, I'm happy to announce that requests are back open!

Enough from me, happy reading!

- Third Person's POV -

The first time you met Nico di Angelo, you thought he might actually be a ghost. He appeared in the training arena without a sound, shadows clinging to him like a second skin, his dark eyes wary as if the entire camp was made of threats instead of demigods like him.

You had heard whispers, of course. "The son of Hades." "The one who walks with the dead." His name was often spoken in low tones, followed by a nervous glance toward the forest—as if summoning him by accident might mean your doom.

But you weren't the type to be frightened easily. The daughter of G/P is never afraid of a little chalenge.

"Hi," you said simply, offering him a smile.

Nico blinked, taken aback, as though no one had ever dared to greet him like a normal person. His mouth opened, closed, then he muttered, "Hi," back, eyes darting away like sunlight burned.

That was the beginning.

Nico never sought people out, but you noticed how he sometimes lingered nearby—sitting alone at the edge of the dining pavilion, walking just behind groups on their way to the stables, leaning against a tree while others sparred. Always close enough to watch, never close enough to belong.

So you made a choice. If Nico wouldn't come to others, you would go to him.

You sat across from him at meals, even if it meant enduring awkward silences where he stared at his plate. You joined him at the edge of training grounds, pretending you also preferred the quiet shade to the center of attention. Slowly, Nico's guarded walls softened.

"Why do you keep sitting with me?" he asked one evening, his voice sharp, suspicious.

"Because I want to," you said, shrugging. "Because you're you."

Nico frowned as if you'd spoken a language he didn't understand. But he didn't push you away.

Weeks passed. You learned little things about him, carefully given like rare treasures: he liked Mythomagic cards, though he claimed he'd grown out of it; he preferred night air to daylight; he carried the weight of things unsaid, heavy as the Underworld itself.

One night, you found him at the edge of the woods, hands buried in his pockets, eyes cast skyward. The moonlight caught in his hair, and the sight was so hauntingly beautiful you forgot to breathe for a second.

"What are you doing out here?" you asked.

"Thinking," he murmured.

You stepped beside him. "About?"

He hesitated, then whispered, "About whether I'll ever really fit. I've seen too much... lost too much. Sometimes I think I'm... wrong. That I'll never belong, not here. Not anywhere."

Your chest ached. You wanted to reach for his hand, but you knew Nico—too much, too fast, and he would vanish into shadows. So you chose words instead.

"You don't have to fit into everyone else's shape, Nico. You're not wrong. You're just you. And that's... more than enough."

His eyes flickered to you, wide and uncertain, as if no one had ever said those words to him. For a long time, he said nothing. Then, quietly:

"Why do you care?"

You smiled faintly. "Because you matter. To me."

The silence stretched, and for once it wasn't heavy. Nico's shoulders loosened; his expression softened, almost shy. When his hand brushed against yours—barely there, like a shadow testing sunlight—you stayed still, letting him choose. Slowly, carefully, he let his fingers rest against yours.

It wasn't much. Just the smallest touch. But to Nico, it was everything.

And to you, it felt like a promise: that even in the darkest shadows, there could be warmth, light, and someone who cared enough to stay.

A/N - I'm sorry if my oneshots are getting kind of cheesy and weird, I promise I don't usually write like this.

But nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the story anyway. See ya'll very soon!

P.S. My novella will come out around in September. I hope you guys are ready for it!

721 words

Lots of love,

- FantasyDemiWitch