"The moment I met you,
I held my breath.
And you've been taking
it away ever since,
Nico di Angelo."
[ NICO DI ANGELO x MALE OC ]
[ PERCY JACKSON SERIES ]
[ HEROES OF OLYMPUS SERIES ]
cover by @humaneity !
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0004. | THE WEREWOLF AND HIS UNDERWORLD IN-LAWS
The assorted legion unnerved Vela. They were organised in rows, shoulder to shoulder, dressed for war in their golden armour that glistened in the evening sunlight. Vela scanned his sharp eyes over the various weapons they carried. Mostly, they bore sheathed swords and daggers, but few had longer-range weapons like bows and spears. Vela shuffled nervously, pawing the ground at the sight. Even with his identity protected, he didn't trust these Romans in the slightest. He felt constantly on edge.
He had since phased back into his wolf form, but even in his predator body, Vela wasn't comforted. Even the way the Romans looked at him, unaware he was a Greek, freaked him out. They had a way of making his skin crawl that only Nico's presence could soothe.
Nico was stood close to him, lingering close enough to draw curious glances but Vela knew Nico wasn't just doing it for the sake of protecting Vela's fading form. The boys had missed each other more than they were brave enough to admit. Spending time with one another, even silent and estranged, was the comfort they both needed after so long apart.
Vela quickly caught sight of Percy who was already looking at him. He was stood aside from everyone else, alone. His black hair was wet from the baths and his clothes had changed. He no longer donned the familiar orange CHB t-shirt, now Percy Jackson was in full Roman attire, but it did nothing to bother his grin upon seeing Vela arrive. Something shone in Percy's eyes, maybe relief that Vela was still as he knew him—as a wolf. He figured Percy had become familiar with Fluffy, attached to him. He figured Percy wouldn't yet want to find out that Fluffy was a strange lycanthrope with a whole life without him. At least, in any case, Vela could preserve that desire for Percy—they were family, whether Percy remembered it or otherwise.
They were doing roll call for each cohort when Vela and Nico reached Percy. Percy greeted them, immediately giving Vela an affectionate scruff behind the ear once he got close enough. "Hey, boy," he grinned. "I missed you."
Vela nudged his nose against Percy's shoulder out of instinct, silently telling him the feeling was mutual, but he didn't miss how the corner of Nico's lips turned upwards slightly at the interaction. Vela withheld from rolling his eyes. He knew the whole pet Fluffy thing wasn't going away for a long time.
Percy glanced at Nico who was yet to say anything. "Needed a full moon, huh?"
Nico stared at Percy blankly, a slight furrow in his dark brow that gave away his confusion. "What?"
"'Cause he's a werewolf..." Percy said, looking embarrassed that he had said anything at all. "To change him back, you'd need a full moon..."
