Beauty from Pain (Leico/Valdangelo)

Match Made in Heaven

Chapter 1:Match made in heaven

Nico wasn't a bad kid, he just had some issues he had to sort out. He didn't deserve to be sent here and he sure as hell didn't deserve his step mother patronizing him the entire ride there.

"It'll be fun! Don't think of it as a punishment, think of it as an opportunity." She would say in her artificial, wannabe mother voice that Nico loathed. "I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends, anyway."

Nico snorted, "You really want me making friends with boys like that?" Persephone sighed and stopped smiling a smile that had never quite reached her eyes.

"Listen Nico, I know you really don't want to be here and I understand that..." She trailed off when the car pulled in to the car park. "But you have no choice. So why not try and enjoy yourself? I honestly don't care if you make friends with an axe murderer for gods sake! As long as you're happy."

Nico cocked an eyebrow at the unfamiliar lady. Now she decides to be nice. He muttered a quiet thanks, grabbed his bag and got out of the car. He slammed the door as Persephone was about to offer him help with his bags (bag actually, Nico didn't plan on staying long).

As he entered Camp Half Blood he was immediately greeted by a short man with a permanent scowl on his face, "What's your name, kid?" The short man asked, not looking up from his papers.

"Nico Di Angelo."

"Okay, Di Angelo, you're in cabin 3. I'm Coach Hedge welcome to Camp Half Blood blah, blah, blah now please hand over all electronics you may have on you." Coach Hedge held out his hand, peering at the earphones sticking out of his jacket.

"What? No way!" Nico jerked back.

"Rules are rules, kid." He rolled his eyes as if he gets this all the time, "You either give me that, whatever the hell you got, or I get one of my buddies over there to come over and force you too." He pointed over to a couple of big guards walking around, waiting for trouble.

Nico sighed and handed him his phone. "Camp meeting's at 4, cabin 3's that way." He gave him directions and Nico headed off.

Camp Half Blood wasn't that bad looking for a camp that was intended as an alternative for jail.

He walked into the cabin and saw about four guys inside. He didn't have much time to really look at any of them until a tall boy with green eyes and black hair walked up to him, "Hey dude, I'm Percy. Never seen you before, first time?" He asked, holding out his fist for a fist bump. Nico rolled his eyes and ignored it, "Okay... This is Jason, Frank and Octavian. We've all been coming here since we were, like, twelve." Nico didn't care, he just wanted to put his heavy bag down. Percy obviously noticed, "So there's a spare bunk over there but I'm pretty sure Leo's coming again this year so you'll be sharing with him."

As soon as Percy finished talking the door opened again and a scrawny boy with curly black hair waltzed in. He fist bumped Percy and walked over to the spare bunk and turned to look at Nico. "Okay dude, I always top."

"What?" Nico asked confused.

"I get top bunk," He winked at Nico, "Not like sex or anything but if you're interested I'm tota-"

"Leo! Stop!" A blonde boy yelled covering his ears.

Leo smirked at the boy and brought him in for a hug, "Missed you too, bro." Nico felt uncomfortable and his face was burning.

He proceeded to put his bag on the bottom bunk and turned around awkwardly when the talking behind him had stopped. There were suddenly five guys looking at him curiously.

"I'm Leo." Leo smiled. Nico nodded at him.

"Yeah, I figured."

Nico felt his eyes wandering back to the green eyed boy who had first greeted him. It was the first time he realized how attractive Percy actually was. His skin was tan and his strong arms were visible because his camp t-shirt only covered his broad shoulders. He tried to stop looking at him but he couldn't stop himself. Finally, he turned his attention back to the blonde boy that had hugged Leo.

"I'm Jason." He smiled at Nico and went back to whatever it was he had been doing. Jason wasn't wearing a Camp Half Blood t-shirt like Percy and Leo. Maybe the shirts were optional? Nico stayed hopeful.

"Why are you wearing that huge jacket, it's summer?" The other blonde boy, who was thinner than Jason and Percy, asked. Nico shrugged and decided he didn't like the boy, too curious. Blondey huffed and left the cabin.

"Ignore Octavian, he's creepy." Leo whispered to Nico. Nico nodded half-heartedly.

The last boy, who looked strangely familiar, stepped forward. "Uh hey, I know you..." He mumbled awkwardly.

Nico furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. He knew the boy was familiar but couldn't think where he had seen him before.

"Uh, I met you at Hazel's birthday party. I'm Frank. Remember, her boyfriend..." He said awkwardly. My eyes widened.

Suddenly his memories of Hazel and her boyfriend awkwardly holding hands and fumbling over each others  feet on the dancefloor at her 14th birthday party had come rushing back to him. But why was he here? Nico remembered Frank as the shy boy who tripped over his own feet on the dance floor. Why was he in a place like this?

Nico nodded at him and tried for a smile but it came out as more of a strained, impassive grin.

Frank trudged off and Nico turned back to Percy, "So how are we supposed to know the time if they take our phones?"

"Dude! You let them take your phone?" Leo laughed as if Nico was an idiot, "Amateur move, bro. Didn't even try to hide your phone from Hedge? Not gonna last long here." Leo pulled out his phone, "3:30, okay we have enough time to give the newbie a tour."

Percy smiled, "Yeah okay but first I gotta call Annabeth. I'll catch up though."

Leo dragged Nico out of the cabin and led him around the camp. Nico didn't really pay attention to what Leo was saying about a big house or the dining pavilion. It all just looked like a bunch of old buildings to him. When they reached the volleyball courts Nico winced.

"Not a fan?" Leo asked.

"Hurts." Nico replied.

"Your arms will get used to it."

"No they won't..." Nico stopped and looked away, Leo dropped the subject.

Leo was just about to start rambling about the other structures but Nico interrupted him with a question he's been wondering, "Who's Annabeth?"

"Percy's girlfriend. Goes to the girls camp up the road. They're a match made in heaven." He shrugged like it was nothing. Nico slid his hands into his aviator jacket. He trudged behind Leo to the amphitheater where the camp meeting was being held. Leo's hand touched Nico's as they walked and Nico felt a strange jolt of warmth.

Without thinking he spoke, "You're so hot."

"Thanks." He smirked and walked ahead before Nico could realise what he just said.

"No! I meant, god dammit, Leo."