Rattling Bones (Nico Di Angelo Love Story)

Chapter 20

A sudden hiss and a hum of understanding rang from the group, and he couldn't quite place who they came from.
        While they talked, he steadily lowered himself onto the floor, sneakered feet squeaking against tile. He spent a little while considering names that fit him, words and languages that weren't his own. He needed the new identity. The one he should've been born with.
         사랑, Amor, любить- Love. 바다- Sea. 나무- Tree. кошка, 고양이- Cat. 별- Stars. 달- Moon. So many wonderful words and not a perfect one he could place, to weave into his being. Nothing just right. 
      "What're you thinking about?" The Ariana lookalike blasted through his ice pointless attempts to come up with a meaningful name with a slow blinking of her eyes and a ferocious tone. Her blinking was the only slow thing about her, really. Everything else seemed wired, like she had spent too much time with Leo Valdez and caught his restless attitude, her bouncing up and down on her heels and lips opening and closing and eyebrows expressive in their wiggly way. Nothing was slow about her besides her cat like blinking.
         The other boy was still and quiet, long eyes questioning and directed away as if shy in front of the newcomer.
      "Just names. What names I could pick. You have any suggestions?"
     The ginger shut her eyes again. Reopened. Two seconds closed, but her mouth started moving before her eyes even opened again. "I don't know you. How would I know what name you'd like?"
     He shrugged. But he heard and saw Piper neck the girl rather violently.
"I guess you can call me by my last name," he drew his eyebrows together. Not the best idea to come out and say the only lady name he has is the same as Nico's. "Wait. maybe not .. Yeah I'm not sure I'll figure it out later. If you need me just scream 'Dude' or something."
Piper glanced around the room.
"Introduce yourselves guys."

"I'm Rian," the boy he thought was shy spoke aloud, with a voice that promised sweet summers, gardening in damp soil, sunlight.
The redhead ripped her body line away from where it leant into Piper and sidestepped so that Rian was between the two girls. She extended a freckled and sunburnt arm and grasped his hand in a firm handshake, nearly shouting her greeting, "I'm not into my first name. Call me Ruby." He dragged his eyes along the trio of Aphrodite children and couldn't help but smile at the differences between their personalities and even the alterations of the same outfits.
Those stupid orange shirts, paired with black leggings on Ruby, some jeans on Piper, and mid thigh lime green Bermuda shorts on Rian.
     "I like your shorts," he complimented, only having to wait two seconds for a quick thanks in response, and a heavy exchange of eye contact between the three campers again.
      "So Piper, am I getting all dolled up or what?"
A snipping of scissors being waved through the air answered without a second's pause.

Hey I'm sorry I've been gone, but I'm not super invested in this story anymore! I don't know if I'll continue it tbh, but if you want more recommendations for PJO or Nico stuff, I've got reading lists full. And ao3 is pretty good. Hope everybody is staying safe if you're being affected by COVID19.