Love is No Game (Nico Di Angelo x reader)

Break (Chapter 24)

Dean's POV
'I knew there was a reason I stayed behind, it was to keep an eye on Kylie. So that's what I'm gonna do!' I thought as I made my way to the Hermès cabin to meet up with her.

I arrived at the front porch and sat and waited until she came out. I didn't exactly tell her I was coming...

At that moment Kylie came walking towards me from a distance in the yard. She looked tired, like she hadn't had sleep for days, and something was on her hands, was it...dirt?

"Hey Kylie!", I called, trying to hide my growing concern.

"Oh, Dean, what are you doing up so early?" She hid her hands behind her back and tilted her head to the side. I assumed it was to avert my attention to her face instead of my eyes following her hands.

"I just thought it'd be nice if we spent the day together, seeing how it's Saturday and all?" I hesitated for a moment before I asked, "Are you alright Kylie?"

She looked thrown off by my question, as if I shouldn't have noticed how bad she looked. I would've been less worried if she was bleeding, at least then I could've chalked it up to some kind of overdone training. This was the effects of a bleeding mind, something was off and I could feel her slipping away from me.

Nonetheless, she smiled and merely replied, "I've just taken a late night stroll and fell asleep on the beach, you know how I am with the stars Dean."

"Right" I said as she strolled past me and made her way into the door entrance, all the while without turning her back to me. There was a smudge of dirt on her face.. or was it a cut.. but no, it was black... "You'd tell me if you needed anything, right? I know you've had problems with nightmares in the past, even before demigod ones."

Her face dropped. But as easily as it did, she picked it back up again, " I thought you'd have forgotten about that" her eyes seemed to be shadowed even though she made no movement to lower her head. "I'm just fine Dean, really, now you must let me wash up. I'll see you later?"

"I'll be at breakfast then, okay?" Before I even finished the sentence she had already begun to swing the door shut, blocking me out physically this time. I balled my fists, "I'll get to her, whatever she's dealing with, she won't have to fight it alone. I'm here for you Kylie" I whispered the last part as I strode away, reluctantly.

Kylie's POV
As I closed the door behind me I let out my breath and sat down. "He is too perceptive for his own good" I thought, I touched the cut on my cheek, what was I becoming? Then I examined my hands. They were covered in dirt from digging next to Zeus' fist.

"And why there?"  I asked silently, I could never understand why mother was asking me to dig at Zeus' fist of all places, it didn't make any sense. "It's got to be for a good reason, or mother would never make me do it."

"How can you stand there and look so pitiful, you're no daughter of mine! A disgrace! Nobody loved you anyway, not even your mother!" The voice of my father rang in my ears, I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.

Nico's POV
"You never change, do you?" I remarked at Reyna, as she stood in the same armor, the same cape, and I'm sure the same hairstyle as the last time I saw her. "In both senses of the word..."

"Shut up Nico, what the hell are you doing here anyway?" She glared at me, a look that told me I should tell her now or forever lose my lunch from a punch in the stomach.

I cleared my throat, " I brought a friend here in need of help" I gestured to Y/N on the cot, who smiled and waved a hand.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Reyna, my name is Y/N"

Reyna seemed stumped at Y/N's direct politeness. She hesitated before saying, " I hear you are in need of help, I hope Levi has taken good care of you?"

At this Y/N went to answer, "Ye..s" but I cut her off mid-word.

"You mean blue-jeans over there, yeah, he's been mediocre" 'Probably should go back to the Survey Corps, or wherever he came from'

"Nico!" I heard from behind me, "he was very kind to attend to me Ms. Reyna, don't listen to Nico"

Reyna looked amused, "I never listen to him anyway, now, please, enlighten me and I shall try my best to help you." She too smiled a small smile.

Y/N slipped out of her cot and took a slight glance at Jayden in the next bed over. "Thank you Ms. Reyna, over here is my friend Jayden who has come along with us. But you see, the problem is, the way we got into this state... it's because of me...because I'm the daughter of Zeus I... have this power..." Y/N's eyes seemed to become glassy as she tried to proceed with her story, but Reyna cut her off.

"Please, if you will, Y/N, I'm feeling rather tired at the moment, if you will accompany me to the pavilion I should like to sit down." As she finished, Y/N had a slight look of relief reflected on her face and she followed Reyna out the door.

The only thing was, I knew Reyna well, and Reyna Ramirez-Arellano doesn't get tired that easily, she took Y/N away for her own sake; so that she could hear her story, but give Y/N the ability to let go of the pain she seemed to keep so locked up. I was ashamed to think that, instead of me, Y/N might open up to Reyna instead, someone she just met...

"Well that blows" I heard from across the room. Jayden had sat up on his elbows and watched Y/N as she left the room, "I was really hoping she might let go in front of friends this time..." he whispered the last part only to himself as he laid back, but I still heard.

I turned to look in his direction, "I guess that's one thing we agree on then, son-of-a-war-monger"