The Deep End

Chapter 12: Part 4

Nico
The boys left Percy's apartment, and Nico was relieved to feel the cold embracing him. Percy gave him an old winter coat, but they were still in there pajamas. Nico couldn't care less as the let the cold dance around him sneaking it's way through his jacket as he breathed in the fresh crisp air. He followed Percy to his pick-up truck and hopped in the passenger side.
Once Percy clicked in the keys, Nico immediately changed the channel from the old country song that was currently playing, "Thanks, that was like nails on a chalkboard," Percy joked causing Nico to roll his eyes, "Who likes country anyway?" "White people," Percy said bluntly, "You got a point there," The two of them giggled, and Percy clicked the gear into drive, and the boys drove into the bright city.
Nico rolled down the window to see the city better, and feel the cold breeze. The wind blew through Nicos hair blowing it out of his face causing it to curl more than usual. When he breathed out he saw his breath dance into steam. The lights whooshed by as the car drove relaxing Nico. He wondered if he could ever see the countryside where he grew up. After he left Italy when he was 11 he thought he would never be able to see the beauty of the stars again, but when he looked up, and saw the passing of street lights it tricked his mind as he got lost in the yellowy color. To Percy the scene was more beautiful than the stars. The black hair that was pulled back by the wind curling at the edges exposed the the pale face the Percy could stare at for hours. As the wind sliced at Nico eyes they started to tear up, creating a glossy effect to the beautiful face. Percy could tell Nico had been through shit from his childhood with his stormy eyes. They told a story. He realized he was driving and turned his attention back to the road. Stupid ADHD distracting him. Maybe it wasn't his ADHD making him lose focus. As, he concentrated on the road trying to not get into a crash looking at Nico, a thought popped into his mind. A single thought that could ruin his friendship, a single thought that could hurt him more than he could ever think. He might like Nico di Angelo. Fuck.
Percy
   As he was driving Percy's mind was thinking of ways how he could be wrong. Like this could all just be one idea in his head and Nico means nothing more than a friend to him. Nothing. Nothing could convince him that the boy in front of him wasn't amazing in every way. He kept thinking of the dangerous eyes, and the forgotten smile Nico had plastered to his face, and it just got worse. Luckily, Nico knew about Percy's mental disorders, so if he looked strange he had something to blame it on. "You okay?" Nico voice startled him, Nico rarely talked which made Percy think he over talked, but Nico never said anything negative, and if he was the one to start a conversation, it would be because he's wondering if Percy was okay. Maybe that's why Percy liked him so much. He was a good listener too. "Yeah, fine I'm just think about penguins." "Penguins?" Nico didn't sound convinced. "Yeah! Did you know they mate for life, and the man gives the woman a stone, kind of like proposing," Percy smiled. Nico just nodded, then rested his chin in his hand looking out the window.
             *******

As the car drove through the dark city, street lamps cascaded a warm glow every few seconds onto Percy's pickup truck. Nico di Angelo rested his arm onto the car door, with his head in his hand. The drive was quite things were still, but you could cut through the tension with a knife. There was a thing called comforting silence, but this was deafening, awkward, and uncomforting. "So, this is your first 7/11 experience huh?" Percy joked. As a response Nico just rolled his eyes. "I guess I'm popping your 7/11 cherry," Once his sentence finished he winked causing Nicos checks to turn dark red almost as if they were cherries.
The car pulled into the parking lot. The fluorescent lighting cascaded a dull hue of green and white onto the blue car. Percy's door opened with an audible click. Once he jumped out the vehicle, the wind nipped at his neck where his hair was short enough to make the skin exposed sending shivers down his spine. He walked to the sidewalk to be greeted by the dark brooding boy, but also wearing a orange letterman jacket that was oversized. He looked like he came out of a vintage thrift shop.
The bell chimes as Percy pushed onto the cold metal door. The boys entered the store the ocean eyed teen speed walked to the slushee machine. "So, what'd you think of your first 7/11 experience?" Nico shrugged, "What the fuck is a big gulp?" I'm Nicos hand was a large plastic cup for the machine. "It's like there sizes," Percy answered causing the smaller boys eyes to roll, "if it's going to be a generic size chart why don't they just call it venti now?" Percy chucked, shining his white teen. "I mean seriously though why the sizes at Starbucks in Italian? Like, there company started in Seattle they aren't even Italian!" Nico argues causing the taller boy to chuckle again. "Come on angry boy, let's get some snack or something before you start throwing those cups at the cashier." Percy joked placing his hand on Nicos soft, dark, slightly, curly hair, though there was a hit of seriousness in his voice. The poor dark haired boy dropped his shoulders as Nico pushed the back of his head toward the snack aisle, "What would you like edgelord?" Percy teased. "Do they have xxtra flamin hot Cheetos?" Percy giggled lowly his voice cracking when he asked why. "Anything spicy I'm here for it," Nico turned his head and heaven to say the least was in front of him. Takis, Cheetos, Doritos, and Funyuns (all extra hot may I add) were in his arms. "You sure you don't want anything to drink with all th-" "I think I'll handle it." Nico interrupts making his way to the checkout. Before he reaches the counter Percy grabs a box of pop tarts, a couple bottles of Nesquik milkshakes, and haagen dazs coffee ice cream (2 tubs to be exact). Like he can handle spicy food, but damn.
Percy walked up to the dark haired boy placing his arm on Nicos shoulders in a friendly bro kind of way but it still made Nico stiffen at the touch. The taller boy thought nothing of it, maybe Nico just isn't a touchy guy, so he let his arm fall off Nico. He seemed to relax after that, but you could almost see disappointment in his midnight eyes. "Next!" The cashier said breaking Percy from his thoughts. Nico on the outside looked normal, but on the inside he was bubbling with excitement. I mean come on they're hot cheetos.
The doorbell chimed, and the two teenagers stepped outside into the cold city night. With their seatbelts clicked, and doors locked, the car pulled out the parking lot, and the fluorescent white, and orange light dimmed dissolving into both their memories. "Why did you buy ice cream it's like negative degrees out?" "Well, it's not negative degrees in my apartment, plus I would be eating ice cream in Antarctica if I could." Nico rolled his eyes. "What do they not have snow in Italy?" "Yes, there's fucking snow in Italy," Percy presented to gasp, "Jeez, keep it PG alright," Nico rolled his eyes questioning why he still liked the guy. Obviously it wasn't hard to come up with ideas. "Nico!" Percy yelled snapping the boy from his mind. "What!" "I've said something to you like 5 times!" "Oh my gods I thought you crashed the car or something," The small boy let out a slow breath, a sigh of relief escaped his lips. He grabbed the bag filled with snacks causing the plastic to make an irritating crunch sound, then he pooped the door of Percy's truck open, and for the last time that night the cold hugged against his pale thin body.