Signs of a Storm

Chapter Fourty-Six

Chapter 46: New Years, New Troubles

"What to do, what to do..."

Alone in my cabin, at about twelve o'clock at night, I was trying to figure out a master plan to not only save Leo, but also to solve what this new prophecy meant. This task proved to be harder than the trials themselves.

16 days until my birthday.

A cold rush went through me, and immediately I knew that Nico di Angelo was outside of my cabin. I didn't quite know how I knew; it was just something that popped up. Also knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep, I opened my door.

Nico stood there; hand in midair, holding something in his palm. I didn't recognize it as anything I knew of. "Couldn't sleep?" I asked.

He nodded, "After everything else? Don't think I can."

We stood in silence for a bit, unsure of what to do, when he stuck out his hand, and I saw what he had been holding. "It's uh... something from my um- my father...no wait, my step-mother's, oh forget it. I got these from Hade's palace." In his open palm, Nico held out two jet black roses. They seemed to sparkle in the moonlight, giving off a dark fragrance.

Carefully, I picked them from his outstretched hand, and blinked uncertain. This was unlike him, but it was such a sweet and simple kind act. If it were daytime, I'd be as red as a tomato. "They're uh- they are absolutely... amazing. They're beautiful. I love them." I sputtered out. I cursed myself in my head for saying something as low as that.

"I kinda feel bad for ignoring you earlier." He rubbed his neck, "It's just hard for me accept that there's already another quest that's going to be carried out, and I just think that if we stayed out of each other's way, that it would be better for the both of us."

I was as worried as him, and the lines in the prophecy didn't sound pretty, but I wouldn't let that stop him from finally being happy. I was as broken as him. But I wasn't going to let a few angry gods, and an undisturbed oracle tell me what to do.

Without thinking, I leaned forwards and pecked Nico on the lips.

"I'm not letting that stop my happiness." I told him.

Gripping the two dark, black, roses, I turned and set them on my dresser in a vase. They would stay there, and keep as a reminder that we were choosing our own destinies. I went back to the doorway, where Nico was standing, absolutely still.

"We choose our own fate." I said, while gripping his hand.

He looked down at our intertwined hands. A worried look crossed his face. He looked back up at my face. His eyes glinted in the light of the moon, and his hair seemed to have an angel's glow around it. But in truth, he was. Nico di Angelo may not have been the happiest, or the most outgoing person in the world, but in truth, he was perfect to me.

Nico rested his forehead against mine, and grabbed ahold of my other hand. Our noses touched, and for a brief moment, I felt like nothing could ever ruin this. It all seemed like a cruel fairytale that taunted me around every corner. But right now, that didn't matter. This was real. And it was something that I knew I had to hold onto, before it got away.

"I'm not letting you go; we're going to live in that future, no matter what it takes, you hear me? We're going to build our own world." he whispered softly.

I didn't say anything as a nice silence ensued.

~*~

"UP AND AT EM'."

I jumped from bed as a loud voice echoed throughout my head.

It had been about a week since the incident with Nico and I, and New Years had passed as quickly as I thought it would. Nothing had changed, we just had a little down time, and that was about it. There was about one week until my 17th birthday, and I was happy for anything but that.