ELYSIAN, the riordanverse

28

Soulmate AU where all you can see is black and white. Until you find the one person who helps you see color.

***

Nico was bored. Driving aimlessly through the streets was a pastime for him. It's what he always did and today was no different. 

He blew the hair out of his face and sighed, turning a corner. Looking out of the window, his eyes saw black and white. As usual, black bark, white leaves, black houses, white fences. The boy knew he was never going to find his soulmate, the whole idea of it was stupid anyway. 

How did you expect someone to just find this special someone in a sea of people? What happens if they're a state away, a country apart or so close but yet so far?

Nico shook his head and revved the engine, trying to clear his head. As the traffic signal went red and the black car pulled up to a stop, the boy rolled down the windows and looked outside again. 

Even though colors weren't there, the breeze, the birds, the people... For now, they were enough. He gazed out at the row of houses and his eye caught the back of someone gardening. Sunflowers, Nico realized. He scoffed lightly, sunflowers... they meant adoration, loyalty... as if he would ever have someone who would love him with so much dedication. 

He sighed again and was about to turn back to the front window and honk at the car in front of him but he caught someone's eye.

A boy who looked about his age. 

Nico didn't have enough time to look at the boy any longer because slowly, very slowly... color was appearing.

From the boy's pupil, color spread to his irises.

Blue. Nico realized as if he'd grown up seeing colors his whole life.

Gold. The boy's hair.

Red. The shirt the boy was wearing.

Brown. The boy's shorts.

Red again. The boy's shoes.

Nico looked around his car, grey and blue. He looked outside, fascinated.

Yellow. The sun was yellow. And orange and red and it looked amazing.

The grass was green. The trees were brown and green. 

He looked down at himself, he was wearing a light pink shirt.

And black pants.

Nico looked up at the traffic signal, it was green. He had to move.

Nico glanced at the boy outside the car's side window. The boy was staring at him, as if he was in a trance. Nico stared back.

Someone started to honk at Nico.

And Nico hit the gas pedal, driving forward. He turned the corner and pulled over.

Never in his life had he felt such exhilaration. And such... want.

He wanted to go to the boy.

He wanted to go talk to him.

He wanted to know who the boy was.

Nico got out of his car, slamming the door shut. He locked his car and ran onto the sidewalk.

He ran past two houses until he saw the boy again.

Gold. Blue.

Blue.

Blue.

Gosh, blue. The boy's eyes were blue. Bright, vivid blue and they seemed to be the only thing Nico could see.

Nico stopped running right in front of the boy.

'B-blue...' Nico breathed, trailing off as the other boy smiled a little.

The boy pointed to Nico's lip ring, 'Silver.'

Nico gulped, the boy's voice was... wow.

He'd just found his soulmate.

His soulmate. In a sea of people, Nico had found his soulmate.

'So, um... I'm Will Solace.' The boy said, smiling a little wider this time.

Nico smiled too, the boy's name was nice. 'Nico di Angelo.'

'Nico... nice name,' Nico smiled, 'I guess we're soulmates then?'

'Yeah, I guess we're soulmates.'

And for some reason Nico couldn't fathom, he burst out laughing.

He'd found his soulmate. In a whole goddamn world of people, he'd found his soulmate.

Gosh, this was great.