A New Start- A Solangelo Fanfic

Chapter 7

Nico

He thought he was ready, but he wasn't. It was like the last time he shadow traveled. He could feel his body slipping away from him into the shadows, turning to mist. Hold it together di Angelo. He thought to himself, you command the shadows. Get a grip. He gasped and found himself standing in the middle of the strawberry fields. He collapsed on the ground and struggled to stay conscious.

As he drifted in and out, images quickly went past him as he floated though his mind. But some stoped, for him to re-watch again.

The first one was when his mother was killed, the first time he ever felt abandon, not by choice, he reminded himself. But then when his sister left him not only to join the Hunters of Artemis but to leave him at Camp Half-Blood with no one there who he knew. And then when Percy came back and told him his sister was dead. He felt even more alone.

The second showed him, his younger self, pale and blindly following a ghost, trying to bring his sister back. No one cares about him, his company was the dead, but not by choice, it was his will they were following. The only person who cared was Percy, but not the way Nico wanted, so instead he ran, ran back to his past.

The third was the look of betrayal on Percy's face and the mistrust on everyone else's before the Titian War. For a bref second, a feeling of acceptance before loneliness struck him, when campers jumped when he was around and looked at him with disgust.

The fourth was bringing Hazel to Camp Jupiter, finding a family, someone who accepted him. Even though the she couldn't fill the hole Bianca left, behind. But he always felt like an outside and continued to bounce between places, never quite fitting in.

The fifth, he saw himself stumbling along in Tartarus, feeling his body being pulled towards the heart. Finally collapsing from the strain on his body, he then found himself without air, slowly suffocating. Only surviving because of pomegranate seeds. After having to watch the boy his liked, plummet into Tartarus and promising him to lead the others to the House of Hades. His fear of losing everyone he loves surfaced.

The sixth was him fighting his feelings and the love god, Cupid. He felt at war with himself and it didn't help that Jason was there too, witnessing his humiliation. He was forced to admit his crush and his sexuality. His fear of never being accepted and loved arose.

The seventh was him travelling from Greece to Camp Half-Blood, shadow traveling to different parts of the world and finding danger at every stop, until they reached Camp Half-Blood. He found companionship in two different friends. With their support, and ability to work together and never leave a person behind, he made a decision to stay at camp.

The eighth image showed him, some moments Will. When they were bickering with each other, about Nico's health. How Will took his hand and how it sent an electric shock down his arm. When Nico pronounced he wasn't staying at either camp and how Will strongly opposed that idea. The surprise on his face when Nico let Octavian kill himself. And then the happiness on his face when he agreed to stay at Camp Half-Blood.

That's what I'm fighting for, for Will. For us, the relationship we could have. Get up, wake up, don't lose the battle now. Nico snapped back to himself laying in the fields.Breath. In. Out. In. Out. Nico steadied his breathing and shakily got to his feet.

"Nico? Nico!"

Nico turned around to see Percy running towards him.

"Will told us that you disappeared into the shadows. And that if we saw you, he wants you to know he's sorry."

Percy reached Nico, and leaned over panting. While Nico looked down at him and frowned.

"How long were you looking for me?"

"For a while, Will was worried about you and after you disappeared he got Annabeth, Jason, Piper and I to come and help find you. You have to come back, everyone's been worried about you," Percy said, still out of breath.

"I can't," Nico said, looking down.

"What do you mean Nico? You said Camp Half-Blood was your home now. You said you wouldn't leave."

Turning away from Percy, Nico said, "I-I don't think I can face Will."

"What happened? He told us you ran off, but didn't tell us why," Percy questioned.

"We fought, I told him that didn't want his help or promises. I also told him that I hated him and to leave me alone," Nico said sinking down to the ground, putting his head on his knees.

Sinking down too, Percy put his hand on Nico's shoulder and asked, "Why would you say that? 

When we talked before, you were going to tell him you liked him."

"I-I got defensive and snapped at him. He-he was asking if I still liked you, I think he was listening to our conversation. We shouted at each other and when Will tried to apologized, I lashed out at him and then ran away."

"I think you both need to talk to each other, without fighting."

"But I-"

"Trust me Nico, I know it's hard for you, but you and Will like each other. All you need to do is clear things up with him"

"Okay, I'll try," Nico said reluctantly and stood up. Percy and Nico, walked back to camp and hopefully towards a future for Nico and Will.