the gift of life |leico|

nico VIII

"Leave me alone." Nico grumbled, except Leo still advanced because Nico no longer remembered that he was supposed to be scary. He was basically a big softie.

    "Nico, you went through so much. You went to frickin' Tartarus. Remember how scary I told you it was?" Nico nodded. Leo sat down beside him on the bed. Nico leaned into the warmth of the -slightly- taller and relaxed.

    "I'm so scared to fall asleep. What if I don't like who I am? What if I wake up and hate you? I don't want to be him, I want to be me? Nobody knew him- me, I was an idiot who hid myself. It only hurts to do that. " Leo frowned and Nico felt tears well in his eyes.

    "Don't you want to remember your family? And all of the good things you saw. Don't you want to remember why you 'hated' me?" Nico smiled a bit and looked up at Leo. His curly hair was everywhere and his skin seemed to emit golden rays. Nico smiled up as he looked over Leo. It seemed that his freckles created their own constellations.

    "You're so cute." Nico said and Leo gave a cheesy smile.

    "Quit staring at me, weirdo." He whispered as he looked into Nico's eyes. Nico's heart pounded against his chest everytime Leo looked at him like that. Like he wanted to know everything about him. Because Nico was sure that no one had ever wanted that from him. Leo's face moved closer to his until their lips were together. Nico swore he heard Leo groan because right after he felt his body turn to jello.  Leo pulled back slightly enough to speak.

    "You can go to sleep. I'll be right here if anything scares you." Leo looked at him sincerely and Nico nodded. He had to admit that he was sort of curious to remember.

    Leo laid down with him and Nico melted into his front.

    "Don't leave." Nico insisted and Leo chuckled.

    "I won't, unless I have to go to the bathroom like super bad."

    "Really bad."

    "Huh."

    "It's really bad not super bad."

    "Vete a dormir, hermoso."

    Everything Nico ever knew came to him in a flash. Like looking through an old scrapbook beginning to end. Except the last memory taken from him, one that was [particularly in his interests, made his blood boil like no other.

"Eros, I will fucking kill you!" Nico growled at tossed his obsidian-like sword between his hands. His eyes were set on the insignificant, minuscule, useless god ahead of him.

    "I wouldn't put it past you. We all know you kill things. Ruin things. You're probably the reason your sister left. I mean which sounds better, dying, or coming home to an insufferable disappointment of a brother like you. I'd choose to be crushed to death over you anyday." Eros growled in a deadly tone.  There was a playful look in his eyes, a sick, demented pleasure in torturing the young demigod. Nico's eyes filled with rage. His vision turned red and his sword hissed in his left hand. A dark aura emitted from him as he advanced toward the god.

    "Touch me and I'll make sure no one loves you ever."

    "Good luck, no one loves me anyway." Nico hissed and rushed forward. In an instant he was thrown back. As he faded to shadows he heard Aphrodite screaming.

    "You imbecile! The boy's father will have your head if you kill him!"

    Nico awoke with a start and gasped for air. Leo rubbed his back but didn't cradle him. He was being careful not to make Nico feel like he was suffocating. From experience Leo knew how bad that felt.