Nico POV
"Ugh" I rubbed my eyes and reached for my phone. I read the labeled alarm I had set. 'see mom and Bianca again' I got on my tuxedo that I had brought for this specific occasion. I can't quite stress just how much the jet lag has effect on me right now. I think Persephone's being really cool about this whole situation. While my dad loves her he will always love my mom too. She's been nothing but supportive and I really love her for that. She's like a second mom to me. Dad tells me stories of mom as I was only three when she died whereas Bianca died he was ten.
(A/N Nico was three and Bianca was five when Maria died so when Bianca dies and she's twelve that means that Nico would be ten and yes I know how old they were cause I'm obsessed and I wanna die when I think about Nico's horrible past.)
My mom died when an intense earthquake hit Venice, Italy and Bianca died when there was a shooting at her school. A teacher, two front desk operatives, and Bianca were shot when Bianca was at her locker because she forgot her science folder and her teacher had to get her back in the room because the PA system was under repair for one day and that happened to be that day. We had moved shortly after that. My father won the lottery and we flew to New York to live in a mansion on the outskirts of Long Island where my father could take the job offer to move his lawyering experience to a Long Island lawyering firm. He said the schools would be better and the lottery money wouldn't last forever so he had to take that job. I see the reasoning now but at the time I just didn't want to leave mom and Bianca. We haven't visited them since because I wasn't ready. Now I am or at least I think I am. My father is going to pay the required 4,000 - 6,000 dollars per grave to move it back to Long Island. My father's getting new coffins too, nicer coffins then just what we could afford at the time. He won't tell me these things, I only know the moving cost because I googled it.
Dad wants to go together but I can't wait. I get in my car and drive to a local floral shop. "Potrei avere due mazzi di giglio?" I ask the worker and she nods back at me. Lilies were their favorite. "Nico! Sei tu? Non ti vedo da così tanto tempo! preferiresti parlare inglese? Ti sento parlare quella lingua più comunemente in America." I turn to see my old friend from elementary school. Sofia has changed quite a bit from elementary but at the same time she could not look more similar. She has short, straight black hair, she has amber eyes, she is now slightly taller than me. She has peach colored skin and as always her face is completely devoid of freckles. "Sofia! Yes, that would be best. I'm afraid I haven't had time to brush up on my Italian in a while." Sofia nodded and cane closer so we weren't conversing across the small store. "So... Flowers, tux are you going to visit your mom and Bianca?" She met my eyes when I didn't answer. "Oh, Nico." She hugged me. "After you go meet up with me. This is my new number. Text me when you're done and we can get some coffee or a snack." She said to me as she handed me her number.
(End of POV I can only handle so much)
He bit his lip. 'They're not really here it's not like they're gonna judge you.' He said to himself as he stood in front of his mother and sister's soon to be former graves.
"Hey, mom, Bianca... I uh... I've been doing good... more than good actually... I'm in love with a boy, his name's Will Solace and he has curly blonde hair and the most beautiful blue eyes above a million freckles. Yes, it's a boy because I'm gay. I wish you could've been here to know the real me. I regret a lot of things I've done. I've been rude to people so they could feel my pain of losing you two. But Will's showing me that everything's going to be okay. He's always there for me and he makes me feel like I matter. He's not the only one though. Hazel is my little half sister and she's as protective of me as you were Bianca. Dad fell in love again mom and from what he's told me of you I know you'd be happy for him. I know you watch over us in heaven and I hope you like what I've become. Later you'll meet Hazel and you'll see dad. Persephone will be with him and you'll get to meet her, she's his new wife. I've made new friends. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, Calypso, Frank, Will, Lizzy, Lou Ellen, Mitchel, and a few others but those are the best." He pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture of Will. He turned his phone so the picture was facing the graves. "That's Will." He pulled up a picture of him and Will kissing then a picture of him and all of his friends. "I guess you know all of this already because you watch over us but I wanted you to hear it from me. Now that I've told you about me and Will I'm gonna tell everyone else." Nico stepped forward and set down the flowers on his mother's grave. "I love you mom." He set the other bouquet on Bianca's grave. "I love you Bianca."
When Hades got there with Hazel and Persephone Nico left to give them privacy.
Where should we meet? ~ Nico
Pizzeria Bar Al Cupido, we can split a pizza. It's close to the ferry that'll take you from the Isola di San Michele cemetery back to the main land part of Venice. ~ Sofia
Okay, sounds good. My treat. ~ Nico
"Hey Nico, how're you holding up?" Nico shook his head as he sat down. "Can we talk about something else?" Sofia nodded but kept staring at him. "Sorry, but have you been working out?" Sofia asked, licking her lips. Nico has been hit on about twice. The first by a girl that he just brushed off and the second was from Will. Nico had been taking MMA classes per Hades' instructions and he had toned muscles and he looked quite attractive in his tux. He had taken off the jacket and tie and left them in his car. He had also fixed his hair for once. Persephone had been up earlier and took a picture of him. Will would later insist to see it. "Yeah, I guess." Sofia nodded and crossed her arms to make some things appear... bigger. "You're a lot different than the boy a I used to know Nico. You're deeper and more thoughtful. You're hotter. I used to have a crush on you and now, well look at you." Nico almost choked on the pizza he was eating. "Um... I uh-" He was cut off when Hazel came up to them. She was worried about her brother and used his GPS to find him. "I'm sure his boyfriend agrees with you." Hazel said crossing her arms. "Oh, you must be Hazel! Um sorry about that I guess I just really missed you Nico. So are you gay or bi or what? Perché se sei bisessuale puoi lasciare quel ragazzo e divertirti con me se vuoi." Nico was starting to get mad at Sofia and he stood up. "This should cover the pizza." He pulled out twenty euros and set them on the table. "Voglio che tu sappia, io sono gay e amo la persona con cui sto uscendo e non lascerei mai quella persona per te. Addio Sofia." He grabbed a slice of Pizza and stormed out.
"Here, thanks for saving me." Nico handed Hazel the slice of Pizza as they got in his car. "I'm guessing you took a cab so we can leave in my car right?" Hazel nodded. "So, what you said back there... you sounded pretty angry." Nico didn't respond. He kept his eyes on the road. "You know how Will and I are dating?" He glanced over at her to see her nod. "Well, we um... we said we loved each other." "Oh." Hazel grabbed Nico's free hand. "Nico that's great! When did this happen?!" Nico blushed at the memory and couldn't stop himself from smiling. "I had just told him I was leaving for Italy. I felt cramped in that school and I didn't want to leave Will. I don't know, it was like he read my mind. He lead me outside and after we got our bags he took me to a field of flowers and we exchanged 'I love you' s." Nico was blushing throughout the story. He glanced nervously at his little sister when she didn't respond. At first he thought she was having a panic attack until he saw the smile on her face. She was curled in a shaking ball with the biggest grin ever. ( fangirl attack ) "NICO THAT'S TOO CUTE!" Hazel had exploded out of her ball and was now jumping in her seat. Nico had to laugh at this behavior.
"Hey mom?" Hazel always calls Persephone mom. Persephone was there when Hazel was a baby. "Yes, Hazel?" Persephone turned her attention to the girl in front of her. "Can I borrow your laptop to check on my grades?" Persephone laughed at the pouty expression on her stepdaughter's face. "Okay, okay. No puppy eyes Hazel." Persephone said with a laugh while handing her her laptop. Hazel's app wasn't working for some reason.
Hazel was about to press the icon when she saw a folder that was labeled 'Party'. She pressed on it and watched the footage of Nico and Will making out while they were both drunk at the end of the party. The only people who were still there were Calypso, Hazel, Will, Nico, and Hades and Persephone apparently. "Oh my god! I can't believe Calypso knew this whole time! I need to send this to Will!" She took out her phone and plugged her phone into the device and downloaded the video on her phone before sending it to Will. She glanced at the time. It was around 1:00 PM which meant it was around 7:00 AM in New York. "Oh shoot." The video hadn't gone through and she realized her airplane mode was on because she had been playing a game that had too many adds so she had turned it on to play her game in peace. Hazel was glad it hadn't gone through. She should talk to her brother first.
Hazel went into the room that was her brother's for the stay and saw him with a little smirk on his face as texted someone. "Hey, who're you texting?" Hazel asked. She knew who it was before she even asked. "Will." He replied glancing up up from his phone to look at her. He texted out one last thing before turning his phone off and sitting upright on his bed to look at his sister. "Why do you look so... giddy?" Hazel took out her phone and pulled up the video. "Looky what I found!" She showed him the video as he groaned and fell back on the bed. "If you showed that to Will I'll kill you... Send it to me and delete it off of your phone please." Hazel sighed but did as he asked. She felt guilty she had tried and failed to to show Will and this was a way of clearing her conscience.
Did you think I forgot about this? Never! I had been waiting for the perfect moment to bring up the party and this was as good as it gets without getting too carried away. I had to do a lot of research for this chapter. Tectonic plates under Venice, cemeteries in Venice, ferries to get to the cemetery, restaurants near said ferry boats, google translate and double checking that translation, and flowers associated with funerals, It was a lot but totally worth it. Here's the tectonic plate info if you were wondering; "These two manmade events caused subsoil compaction and the rapid sinking of Venice. ... However, Venice is still subsiding at a much slower rate due to a natural process - tectonic plate subduction. Venice lies on a plate in the Adriatic that is being forced downwards and underneath another Italian plate."