The beginning (Mortal AU Valdangelo)

My life without him

Leo's POV

OmgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgNicoisgrabbingmyhandomgomgomgomgomgomg. Ok I really need to calm down. We're heading to my house and Nico is still grabbing my hand. I think I'm freaking out.

'Focus Valdez' , I scolded myself,  'You won't let your best friend since childhood make you act like a teenage girl! Omg he intertwined our fingers! Omgomgomgomgomgomgomg! Geez! Chill!'

I don't know how long I've been like that, but it must be a lot because we arranged at my house already. I heard Nico sighed beside me, "What's wrong, Neeks?" I asked and comfortingly squeezed his hand.

"I just..... it looks the same as I remember" he said, and looked at me with sad eyes.

I looked at him softly, knowing he was remembering that when he last came here it was to say goodbye, "Is ok, you're not getting away from me, ever" He smiled.

I opened the door, and entered the house with Nico. I heard mom in the engineering room and shouted, "¡Mamá ya llegué de la escuela! ¡No vas a creer lo que pasó!" (Translation: Mom I come from school! You won't believe what happened!)

I heard her answer, "¡Hola mijo! ¿Qué pasó en la escuela?" (Hello my son. What happened at school?)

Nico was extremely confused because he doesn't know spanish, I smirk at him "I missed seeing you confused when I speak spanish" he playfully glared at me, "Non credo tu sappia l'italiano" (I don't think you know italian) he said and smirk at my face of confusion. But dang, that was hot. I rolled my eyes at him with a smile on my face, "Fine, you win. I don't understand you either. Let me continue calling my mom"

"¡Mamá será mejor que vengas para que te cuente lo que pasó en la escuela!" I shouted, (Mom it would be better for you to come here so I can tell you what happens at school!") She shouted back, "Voy en 10 minutos" (I'll come in 10 minutes) "Okay!"

"What did she say?" Nico asked, "Well my darling Neeks, she said she's coming in 10 minutes" I answered. He looked at me weirdly, probably because I called him 'my darling', but still nodded.

After 10 minutes, mamá came. "A ver mijo, qué pasó en la esc-" (Ok my son, what happened at sch-) she froze, staring at Nico. He awkwardly waved his hand, "Hi um, A-Aunt Esperan-oof!" My mom crashed him in a hug, "Oh my sweet Nico! You're alive! We missed you so much! But how?!" Nico hugged her back and explained what he explained to me.

Mamá continued to hug him for who knows how long and finally broke the hug and smiled sadly, "Is good to see you again Nico, you've grown to be a wonderful young man. I bet your mom and sister are proud of you" Nico got tears in his eyes and nodded, then hugged her again, burying his face on her shoulder.

She broke the hug again, "Now go with Leo, I'll make dinner." Nico and I nodded and headed to my room. As soon as I closed the door and went to sit on my bed he said, "Tell what have happened since I left"

nodded and took a deep breath, "Three days after you... left. I woke up and went downstairs to be with my mom" he nodded, telling me to continue, "When I entered the kitchen, I saw mamá crying, reading a newspaper. I got really worried and asked her what was wrong, she made a lame excuse but I didn't believe her. So she gave me the newspaper" I stood up and headed towards my drawer and took out the newspaper.

Recently news: Two planes crashed with one another
Two days ago, a New York plane that was heading to Italy, crashed with a French plane that was heading to Canada. No one is sure what happened, but there were many injured and others who didn't make it. If you had family or friends check down here, if their name appears, I'm sorry, it means they're gone.

I immediately got tears in my eyes, remembering all the sadness and pain I felt when I found their names in the newspaper. I felt Nico's hand on my shoulder, "Lee-lee, what's wrong?" I started crying and gave him the newspaper. I saw him reading it, I was desperately trying to stop crying, wiping my tears but they kept falling, suddenly he dropped the newspaper and looked at me with a horror expression.

"Oh Leo, I'm so sorry." He said and gave me a hug, I hugged back and buried my face in his shoulder and kept crying. After I calmed down, I broke the hug and gave him a watery smile, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I was crying. You're here, alive" I choked back a sob, "Y-You should b-be the one c-crying, I-I'm sorry"

"No Leo, no. Is okay to cry, I know how you are. You never had a moment to properly grieve, I did. So just," he hugged me again "Just let it out."

And I did, I cried and sobbed, until my throat was raw and my eyes were bloodshot. Remembering all those times I faked a smile, all the pain I felt when I saw two best friends together, all the sadness I bottled up. Remembering my life without him.

Nico kept saying sweet nothing, "Is ok Lee, I'm here now." I nodded and broke the hug. "Thank you Neeks" he gave me a smile "Anytime. Now what happened after you read the newspaper?"

I told him everything, how I cried, the funeral, me skipping a week of school, the hope I always felt that at the end crushed, the sadness of seeing other people with their best friend, even my first day when I met Hazel, everything.

Then he told me what happened with him, waking up in a hospital, telling them the news, all the pain and sadness he felt, his suicidal thoughts, the memory that always stopped him from taking something sharp, meeting Hazel and Marie, homeschooled, and thinking he was still in New Orleans, only today finding out he was in New York.

We talk about our lives without each other, still hugging. Until mamá shouted, "Time for dinner! Sorry for how late I finished!" I laughed, because I forgot that mamá was making dinner, "Look at me, I'm a mess. Let me wash my face and then I'll join you ok?" I said. Nico nodded, saying that if I come late he'll throw my plate at my face, and left the room.

I smiled. Is good to have Nico back in my life.

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Hi! I apologize if the italian was wrong, I'm not very good at that language. Thanks for reading, I hope you like it! Bye!

-Susy_Valdez21 (1147 words)