Dead in Love (Nico x Reader)

Game, Set, Match

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of a familiar head of impossibly dark hair. I whirled around just in time to see him twist my sword arm behind my back and knock the respective sword from it.

  "Game, set, match," Nico Di Angelo sais smugly in my ear.

  "Get over yourself," I sneered back, "this is the first one you've won all day."

  Nico released me. "It was all or nothing, remember?" 

  I rolled my eyes, sighing as I picked up my sword. "That just means you fight better when your prides on the line, and that, may I remind you, isn't a good trait to have."

  "I think you're just a sore loser," Nico shot back.

  "Say what you want, I'm still a better sword fighter than you."

  "Well, what do you say we settle this once and for all?" Nico offered with anything but good intentions in his head. "How about we invite the whole camp for one final match, best of 3 wins." Nico held out his hand to me. I considered it skeptically, but I took it in mine and shook it.

  "Best of 3," I repeated before turning on my heel and leaving Nico smiling still smugly after me.

-------------- 2 o'clock--------------

  "Best of 3 wins?!" My half-sister repeated.  I nodded for the hundredth time as Megan paced anxiously around behind me. She'd come angrily to me after lunch and started lecturing me about not coming to her before I made 'such a foolish decision' in her words. I think she was just mad that I didn't tell her about the fight instead of letting her find out about it like the rest of the camp.

  "I get the feeling that you don't think I'll win," I stated, not looking up from my two daggers and sword that I was sharpening and polishing.

  "No!" She protested, "I just don't trust that Di Angelo kid. You should have talked over the rules before you agreed."

  I sighed. "We didn't need to talk over the rules because neither of us cares about any rules other than no killing or mortally wounding the other person."

  "(Y/N)!" Megan exclaimed.

  "What?" I looked up from my work.

  "You're being stupid. No daughter of Athena should act like this."

  "What's new?" I asked sarcastically, "Now I have to go and warm up unless you want me to talk over the rules of that with Nico too."

  Megan still had her hands on her hips as I walked out of the cabin and started off toward the arena, weapons strapped to my back. Megan didn't normally act like she just did, and it set my nerves on edge. Why was she so anxious about this stupid fight?

---------------3 o'clock---------------

  By the time 2:59 rolled around, the bleachers in the training arena were packed and I could feel the adrenaline starting to pump through my veins. Nico had entered around 2:30 with the intention of warming up like I already was, and the tension between us had been building since. People had started filing in at around 2:45. Some campers even decided to get some cash out of this increasingly more official match by selling candy and other snacks. It might have been a good idea to charge admission.

  Currently, Nico and I were on opposite sides of the arena, stretching and the like, eyeing each other. I could tell the observers were loving the ever-building and obvious tension.

  "It's 3!" Someone- Leo Valdez- yelled impatiently from the crowd, "get on with it!"

  Drawing my shining sword, a smile glinted across my lips as we both started advancing toward each other. I could see all the muscles in my rival's body tensed and ready to spring. There was no smile on his face as we drew closer, swords ready for anything.

  "Why so serious?" I taunted him.

  "Why aren't you?" Nico replied, clearly annoyed by my banter.

  "Because just imagining the out come of this is hilarious to me," I said with fake innocence.

  "Let me guess what it is; you're groaning on the ground in pain," Nico said, more at ease.

  I was about to shot back another witty remark when that same annoying voice (still Leo) called again. "Stop flirting and get to fighting!"

  "As you wish," I quoted Princess's Bride.

  Nico tried an experimental jab at me, even though we both knew the other's fighting style and favorite tricks. It was more of a tease than anything else. Each of us threw a few more stabs and swipes accompanied by easy blocks from the other. 

  I got bored with this and went for his sword arm. Nico anticipated this and tried to knock the sword out of my hand, but I also knew exactly what he was doing. It was one of his favorite things to do and anyone who hadn't fought him at least 3 times a week for 6 months would have been caught off guard by this. I, on the other hand, wasn't in the least, and I moved in a way that threw him off balance. I'd done this before to him, but he still hadn't figured out a way to keep his balance after it.

  Taking the opportunity, I quickly drew a concealed dagger and cut it across his defenseless sword arm. He cursed at the pain, once again surprised. After that, it was an easy fight to win. Knocking his sword out and twisting his arms behind his back was easy and I rested my dagger against his throat.

  "Game. Set. Match," I whispered mockingly in his ear, letting his arms go. He ignoring me and got up, barely glancing at the minor cut oozing blood down his arm.

  "Ready, (L/N)?" Nico posed himself to fight again after retrieving his sword. 

  "Are you ready, Di Angelo?" I smiled cheekily back.

  Done with snide comments, Nico launched himself at me. I was a little caught off guard by his offensive start, so I barely had time to dance away from his biting blade. He kept coming, clearly annoyed by how easily I had beat him only minutes before. His sword nipped my ankle once when I wasn't quick enough the either deflect or doge it. I sucked in my breath, giving Nico the advantage he needed. With his own leg, he knocked my injured foot from under me. I fell into a roll, jumping up not quickly enough. Nico had his sword pointed at my throat.

  "Game-" he started, but I knocked his sword away.

  "One to One," I lept up and started circling him, "You ready to lose, Death Breath."

  He scoffed. "In your dreams."

  "What did we say about flirting!" Leo yelled from the stands.

  "Shut up, Valdez," Nico and I snapped back at the same time, neither of us missing a beat.

  Once again, we jabbed unnecessarily at each other before I made the first move. I don't remember exactly what either of us did, but I know he tried to knock me over. My first instinct, which I followed, was to wrap my arms around his neck so he would fall too, he'd be surprised and I could get on top and pin him. He apparently had a different idea because his arms were around my waist. In the end, it looked like we had been dancing and Nico dipped me.

  We both froze. Our faces were close, too close, and the tension in the air was like a spring fog. My mind told me to do one thing; kiss him. I had nothing else to do, so I did.

  It seemed we thought very alike because when I stretched the little distance up to kiss him, we met in the middle. For a second, you could have heard a pin drop, then some whistled (must have been Leo) and everyone else started clapping and cheering.

  Nico and I broke apart, utter confusion on both of our faces. I short-circuited and did the only thing I really knew how to do. I slipped out of his arms and ran for the exit.

  I wasn't running from Nico though, I was running from what I thought was a rivalry, but I actually love.

I don't know how to write fight scenes, okay. Mumford and Sons were really lit and it felt right to write this. K bye.

~Di Angel