Cosmic Love [A Nico Di Angelo Love Story]

"M-O-N-S-T-E-R!!!"

Pietra's P.O.V

"We have to go up into the mountains today." Nico stuffed a spoon of 'Cinnamon Toast Crunch' cereal into his mouth, before running his fingers through his hair.

"Um, okay." I swallowed some cereal before dropping the spoon back into the bowl. "If you don't mind me asking, uh, why?"
Nico looked up at me, sighing with frustration before putting his spoon back in the bowl. I raised an eyebrow at him. Sorry Mr, but if you're gonna drag me up the mountains in the freezing cold weather, I need an explanation.

He glanced back up at me. "I have a dream-
"that one day, this nation will rise up and live out-"
I was cut short by Nico's death glare.
"Sorry." I gulped at Nico's expression. "Continue."
"I have a dream" he narrowed his eyes at me, "that I need to tell you about. It was about me falling off a mountain." He swallowed his last spoon of cereal, before dropping his spoon back in the bowl. I cleared my throat. "Well, that sounds like fun!" I replied enthusiastically, with a hint of sarcasm. Okay, maybe a little more than a hint.
"Yeah, sunshine and rainbows all the way." He rolled his eyes at me, but I could see the glint of amusement in his eyes. "Anyway, it started off with me being alone in a cave and my wrists were handcuffed and restricted by a chain. I managed to get free from the chain and when I did, I walked out of the cave over to the edge of the mountain. It was really stormy and windy. I was pushed over by a gust of wind and I fell to what would have to be my death."
"That's fun."
"Hm." He agreed, shaking his head.

Although he was trying to act like he didn't care about this dream, I could tell that he was pretty shaken up. Hesitating, I reached around my bowl of cereal and put my hand on his. "Do you think that's where Lucas is?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Unfortunately, yes." Nico paused for a second, deep in thought. You know, one day, I wish our quest would be to go find someone who was going to order us a drink at Starbucks, instead of having to risk our lives from freezing mountain tops.
Nico murmured something, shaking me out of my thoughts.
"Sorry?"
"I was thinking that maybe I should do this alone."
Oh, okay.

Wait- what?
"Right, like how in your dream you fell off a mountain on your own? To, what was it? Oh, right- to what would have had to be my death." I mimicked him. "Sounds reasonable."
He glanced to our hands before returning back to my gaze. "I just don't want-"
"Sorry," I interjected, "But I'm coming with you, no matter what crap you pull."
He shook his head, before running his fingers through his hair. I noticed that my hand was still stuck onto his. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want anything bad to happen." Nico said, avoiding my gaze. "And nothing will." I said, giving his hand a quick squeeze before letting go and picking up my bowl.

I stood up, kicked my chair in, and strolled over to wash my bowl at the sink. "Please, what's the worst that could happen?" I called out to Nico.
"Don't say that! Whenever a demigod says that, something bad happens!"
I rolled my eyes, "We'll be fine..."
"That too!"

---

Nico's P.O.V

Pietra walked through the doorway, her hair slightly damp and backpack swung over her shoulders. She smoothed out her grey t-shirt that clung to her body, before throwing off her backpack and pulling a black, thick 'batman' hoodie over her head.
I glanced down at what I was wearing, a t-shirt, jacket and skinny jeans that were all black, before grabbing my beanie and pulling it over my head. I picked up my backpack, and threw Pietra's to her, before opening the door to our room and letting Pietra walk through before me.
What?
I can be a gentleman if I want to.
As well as a badass Son of Hades.
Don't judge.

Anyway, we went down the stairs to the lobby, before exiting and making our way into the cold. "So, what's the plan?" I asked Pietra, as we stopped at the bus stop outside of the hotel. "I thought that was your job!" She said with disbelief, putting her head in her hands. "Come on...you were the one who wanted to come, you make up the plan!"
"It was your dream!"
"Good point. Okay, this is what we'll do," I twirled my skull ring around on my finger. "We'll have to find out what mountain the one from my dream was, and- Hey! You aren't even listening!"
I hadn't even noticed that Pietra was busy on her phone, completely ignoring everything I was saying.
I elbowed her in the ribs, and she returned the favour. "I'm just trying to find what mountain the one from your dream was! And...." she tapped on the screen again, "found- I think?"
She turned her phone so it faced me, a smug look on her face.
On it was a Google Earth satellite view of a mountain located in Greenland. Not just a mountain, the mountain.
"Okay, I admit, I'm impressed." I said, nudging Pietra with my shoulder. "How are we gonna get there though? I mean, I would shadow travel, but I don't think I should be wasting my energy considering we're gonna have to scour that mountain." I glanced down at Pietra's phone, her fingers almost a blur as she tapped on the screen. "Okay, we just have to take this bus as far as it can possibly go, and then we'll have to make plans from their." She said, glancing up from her phone. "It'll take about 3 hours to get to it from here."