OCD is so fun, because I will just be living my life and my brain will be like, âHuh, you havenât had any good anxiety attacks lately, and your life seems to be going relatively happy⊠let me MAKE UP A REASON for you to have an anxiety attack.â
Summary: After the lawsuit, Buck isnât on the best terms with the team, at least not with Eddie and Bobby. To make matters worse, he gets sick and ends up homeless, he keeps it a secret, not wanting to see the pity on their face. Of course, life always has different plans.
Prompt: Donât You Dare Pity Me
Note: This is a post-lawsuit fanfic. You donât have to read it if you donât want to.
Word Count: 2,081
***
He tried calling Eddie, only to be answered with a snippy, âWhat?â
Buck said, âEddie, I know youâre mad-â
âBuck, no offense, but I donât want to hear your apologies right now.â
And with that, he hung up the phone.
Itâs okay, he lived out of his Jeep once, he could do it again.
Except, living out of a Jeep while on the road and traveling seemed to be a bit different when he had a job, when he lived in one place. Coming in early to shower and cook breakfast became his new routine. Still, part of him wanted to come in, when people werenât giving him cold stares or snippy glances, for people to realize how tired he looked, how drained he was. He could explain the situation, but he couldnât stand the looks of pity they would most definitely give. He wanted them to care, but he didnât want their pity.
He heard his phone ding. A text from Maddie, Thanksgiving at your place this year?
Buck froze. He didnât tell Maddie about his⊠situation, knowing she would tell Chimney, and, of course, knowing that Chimney couldnât keep a secret to save his life. Still, he felt guilty about keeping this a secret, so he messaged back, I donât think I can, at least not this year. Iâm have not been feeling the greatest lately, and I donât think I would be up for hosting
It wasnât completely a lie, Buck thought. His throat felt sore, and his nose was starting to run. Still, he didnât know how else to tell Maddie that Thanksgiving couldnât be at his place, because his place was nonexistent, right now. Maddie had enough to worry about than the problems he was facing.
Oh no, do you want me to come by and bring you some soup?
Shit, that was not what he wanted.
Iâm actually going to the doctor today. I donât know what time Iâll be home. It was a lie, but he couldnât let Maddie find out that his apartment was vacant by just showing up.
Okay. If you change your mind, let me know.
And that was the conversation. In a way, he was glad that the conversation was over, that he didnât have to explain his situation, but he also felt a little bit sad that Maddie didnât question him more. They werenât as close as they were before the lawsuit, and while Maddie didnât really cut him off, they hadnât been communicating as much.
StillâŠ
***
âDammit!â Buck hissed, when he was in the locker room, smacking his hands against the locker. Another apartment application just fell through, after they took one glance at his credit score. He could not catch a break, it seemed, and even worse, Bobby had just yelled at him for the way he organized the ambulance.
âItâs like youâre not even trying, Buckley.â
Buck tried not to snap back at him for that. To make matters worse, his head had been killing him, and he had difficulty swallowing anything, his throat hurt so badly. Still, he was here, because he had to be, and because he was not going to find anywhere to live by not working.
âBuck, are you okay?â
Shit. He thought he was alone, but sure enough, behind him stood Chimney, whose face exemplified feelings of concern and confusion. He looked at Buck taking a deep breath- it wasnât exactly like he could just lie and say he was fine.
âYeah⊠Just a lot going on, and I got some news that made it worse.â Buck said.
âYou arenât dying⊠are you?â Chimney said. âBecause you donât look too good, and, um, I donât want to have to be the one to tell Maddie.â
Buck shook his head, âNothing like that⊠I just have a cold, I think.â
âOkay⊠if you say so.â
***
Buckâs cold got worse. He still struggled to swallow anything, his headache persisted, and he was shaking like crazy. He overheard a conversation, in passing between Chimney and Eddie.
âIâm worried about BuckâŠâ
âWhy? He did this to himself.â
âEddie, donât be like thatâŠâ
âLike what? Why should I care if Buck is alright?â
Buck was too tired to feel anything about that⊠too tired to cry, yell or anything. He just sat at the table, sick as hell, scrolling through apartment listings. There were places in other areas of LA, they were sketchy, but somewhat affordable. He looked at them, mind foggy, shutting the laptop as Hen walked in, looking Buck up down.
âYou look like you got hit by a bus.â
âI wish.â Buck muttered
Hen turned abruptly, âWhat was that?â
Buck blinked, âI said, âIâm sickâ.â
Hen gave him a look, âDo you need to go home?â
What home? But Buck couldnât just say that. He looked up and shook his head, âIâll just drink fluids and⊠that should be enough.â
Hen shook her head, but didnât push him anymore. Bobby walked in and glanced at Buck, âI need you to dust the ceilings today.â
Buck narrowed his eyes, âDust the ceilings?!â
Bobby glared, âI know you heard what I just said. Donât make me repeat myself.â
Hen looked at Buck as the captain left, âYou know, you should ask to get off and go to the doc-â
Buck shook his head, âNo doctors.â
Doctors are part of the reason he is in this mess to begin with. He canât afford to go to the doctor, and if he went now⊠he was never going to get out of his predicament. He would just push through this⊠it had to go away eventually, right?
***
Buck didnât know exactly when he passed out. He remembered climbing the ladder to dust, and next thing he knew, feeling a bit lightheaded. Next thing he knew, he was tumbling down, hearing someone in the distance yelling his name.
Then, he woke up in an ambulance, Eddie above him, talking to someone else. Buck lifted his head up, only to be pushed down abruptly by a pair of hands. Buckâs eyes teared up a bit. Great. A hospital visit and an ambulance ride. He was never getting out of debt.
âFever is 103.2.â
Buck winced. Maddie was going to kill him.
Eddie turned to glare at him, âWhat the Hell were you thinking? Working while youâre that sick?â
âEddie, now is not the time.â Hen snapped.
Then the world went dark again. Next thing he knew, he was laying in a hospital bed, surrounded by⊠well, everyone. Bobby, Eddie, Hen, Maddie⊠Athena. For a moment, he wondered where Chimney was, but then realized he had nothing better to do.
Buck sat up, not knowing what else to say to everyone but, âHey.â
âHow long have you been sick?â Eddie demanded.
Wow. Straight to the point.
âA couple of days.â
Maddie looked at home, âYou told me last week you werenât feeling good.â
Fuck.
âA week? Youâve been sick for a fucking week?!â Eddie snapped.
Bobby glared, âEddie, we agreed we werenât going to do this right now.â
âNo, what was the point? Are you trying to find a new reason to sue the department?â Eddie snapped.
The room went silent for a moment. If Buck wasnât laying in a hospital bed, he would have smacked him. Right now, however, he lay there, unable to say anything, luckily, Maddie spoke for him.
âYou need to get out until you can control your emotions.â Maddieâs voice was low.
Eddie looked around, as if asking for someone to jump in, but then sighed, leaving the room. As he walked out, Chimney walked in, giving Eddie a look as their paths crossed.
âWhatâs his problem?â Chimney asked.
âHe was being a dick, so Maddie told him to leave.â Hen said.
âAh.â Chimney said, before sitting down, looking at Buck, âOh good, youâre awake, I have to tell you something.â
Buck sighed, âWhat is it?â
âI met Britney.â
Buck was genuinely confused- who was Britney and what did she have to do with him. He was trying to remember everyone heâd ever met and whether or not the meeting would be casually mentioned to Chimney,
âLike⊠Britney Spears?â
âNo, Britney Turner, the woman who now apparently lives in your loft.â Chimney said. âWhere you apparently donât live anymore.â
Shit. Now everyoneâs eyes were turned to look at him, and just like that, the carefully constructed lie he had built for the past three weeks crumbled around him, all because of a careless mistake.
Maddieâs eyes flickered with sadness, âYou told me you couldnât host Thanksgiving because you werenât feeling good. Where have you been living?â
Buck sat there, looking at Maddie. He didnât know how to tell her, how to explain that he had been suffering all these weeks alone. Still, Maddie knew him better than anyone.
âPlease donât tell me youâve been sleeping in your Jeep.â Maddie pleaded.
Buck couldnât meet her eyes, âI wonât tell you thenâŠâ
The room fell silent a moment, as everyone looked at him, Buck almost scoffed at this.
âNo, donât you dare pity me.â Buck snapped. âNone of you bothered asking, so I didnât bother telling you. You obviously had your own shit going on, and you were mad, so I didnât tell you.â
âBuckâŠâ Maddie said.
âI did want to tell you Maddie, but I donât know, I thought I could figure it out.â Buck said. âBut now, I have even more medical debt than I had⊠so I guess Iâm even more screwed, arenât I?â
Eddie, of course, chose that exact moment to regulate his emotions and come back, and looked around at everyone. âWhatâs going on? Why is Buck more screwed?â
And for a while, nobody said anything, or at least it felt like that. He saw Hen whisper something to Chimney, and Athena and Bobby talking. He sat there, trying to process everything that just happened, but he couldnât. Then the doctor came it, a woman with curly blonde hair placed in a bun atop her head.
âEvan Buckley? You should have come in sooner.â The doctor said.
âYup. That has been established.â
âSo you have strep, flu A, and you likely passed out due to a high fever or dehydration.â The doctor said. âNot to mention, you now have a mild concussion after falling from that height.â
Buckâs breath hitched. He didnât mean for things to get this bad, didnât mean for everyone to be here right now.
âI will prescribe you with amoxicillin to treat the strep, as well as Tamiflu, and I will keep you overnight to monitor your concussion.â The doctor said. âWho is taking you home tomorrow?â
Before anyone could respond, Bobby responded, âWe are. Me and my wife.â
Buck gave Bobby a weird look. The doctor nodded, before telling him some things, and then leaving.
âYou donât have to take me homeâŠâ Buck said.
Athena glared at him, âAnd let you go back to living in that Jeep of yours? Absolutely the fuck not.â
âWait⊠your Jeep?â
Buck rolled his eyes, âYes. I didnât leave work, not because I wanted to sue you guys, but because Iâm already in debt, and quite honestly, the station was the only place I was getting shelter, food, a shower.â
The room fell quiet.
âI just thought if I could⊠you know⊠figure it out, everything would just be fine.â Buckâs eyes filled with tears. âI know Iâm⊠a lot⊠and I know you all deserve to be mad at me-â
âSo you deserve to be homeless?â Eddie asked.
âNatural consequences.â Buck muttered.
âListen, I was mad, I still am mad, but, I would never want this for you, none of us do.â Eddie said. âAnd if they do, I will fucking kick their ass.â
A few of them muttered in agreement.
âNow, we have to go buy you some clothes. Chimney tried to go to your apartment to grab some, but-â
âYeah, I know.â
Bobby looked at him, âI really am sorry Buck.â
Buck nodded. Maybe things wouldnât be awful after all.
There has to be something poetic about the fact that Buck was raised to believe he was a problem child, thinking his parentsâ neglect was his fault , then he grows up, raises a child just like him, only to realize he was never the problem.
Fandom: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Summary: A year after Aunt Mayâs death, Peter is living with Tony Stark, an old friend of his momâs, hiding a secret from him: he is Spider-Man. However, the truth always has a way of unraveling, and when Peter gets a concussion in the middle of a patrol, the truth manages to unravel rather⊠quickly.
Prompt: Knocked Out
Word Count: 1,210
@badthingshappenbingo
What time is it?
This was the third time this week that Peter had missed his curfew, and he knew this time, Tony would not be as forgiving. Man, they had just gotten to a good place in their relationship as well, and then he just had to ruin it by getting bitten by that stupid spider. Peter sighed. Harley would never do this.
That was always the way, at least since Harley came into their lives and Morgan was born. Peter was the screw up, the charity case. He was there because his aunt died, nothing else. Harley was the intern, the college kid, and Morgan was their real child.
Peter sighed, as he flipped through the air, landing on a building. He hated this, hated being the least favorite, hated having to hide this from his father, and yet, here he was. He looked up at the sky⊠the Stark Industries Tower stretching above the other skyscrapers, still miles away. God, he wishes Aunt May or Uncle Ben were here.
Then he kept swinging. Would they even notice if something happened to him? Probably not. He swung from building to building, bitterly. He should just disappear, not bother going home, but then what would that accomplish?
He took a deep breath, before shooting the webs, but as he turned around, he didnât see the giant light pole in front of him, until he slammed into it, knocking him out.
***
As Peter came to, he had two observations; one was his head was throbbing. He cannot believe his dumbass was stupid enough to swing straight into a fucking pole, and the second thought was, if Tony wasnât going to kill him before, he was sure as Hell going to kill him now. Yet, as he stood up, he felt wobbly on his feet. Fuck. He was not going to be able to walk home like this, and he thought of who to call. Tony? No, heâd be pissed. Ned? Was most likely asleep. MJ? She was out of town. Pepper? He would just tell Tony. Fuck, there was one person he could call, and he wasnât particularly eager to call him. Still, he didnât have any better choices.
âKaren?â He said. âCan you call Harley?â
His phone started ringing when all of a sudden a groggy voice sounded through the speaker, âPeter? Itâs 2 am, what the fuck? Werenât you supposed to be home like⊠four hours ago?â
Fuck. He didnât realize it had been that long.
âH-hey Harllley.â Peter said.
âAre you drunk?â
Great. That was another thing he had to worry about.
âNoooo, I-I ran into a pollâŠâ
He heard shuffling on the other side of the phone, as he was presumably getting out of bed, and throwing on his shoes.
âPeter, how- never mind, donât answer.â
âIâm going to take a nap while I wait.â
âPeter, no. No naps.â Harley scolded.
Peter sighed exasperatedly. That is so unfair. âYou never let me do anything fun.â
âYeah, yeah, I know, Iâm checking your location.â Harley said. âWhy the hell are you in the Brooklyn?â
Peter looked around, âThatâs where I am?â
Harley sighed exasperated, âFuck⊠just stay right there.â
***
Staying awake was easier said than done. He had to change out of his Spider-Man outfit, but he did feel like he forgot something, as he shoved his suit in his backpack. It wasnât until he heard a car pull up and heard Harley yell, âPeter Benjamin Parker, where the fuck is your shirt?â
He looked down. Thatâs why it felt so cold.
Harley got out of the red Audi that he definitely borrowed from Tony, and helped Peter into the car. âPeter, what the heck were you thinking? Youâre lucky I managed to sneak past Dad, or do you know how much trouble you would be in?â
Peter looked at Harley. At any other moment, he would cry, but he had a hard time keeping his face in focus at all. Still, he let Harley lead him to the car, as Harley slammed the door shut. Moving to the other side of the door, he opened the door, triggering the lights, which caused Peter to scream at the top of his lungs, making Harley jump.
âPeter? What the fuck?â Harley observed his forehead. âThat is a pretty nasty bump, we might need to tell Dr. Cho.â
Harley raised his eyebrows after Peter simply shook his head. âNo? Why?â
Truth be told, the last time he got a major injury like this, Dr. Cho told Tony, and that was the closest he had ever gotten to his identity being revealed. If she told him this time, there was no way that he would be able to explain his way out of this. However, he got hit with a wave of nausea as he opened his mouth to speak, and before he could speak, bile rushed out of his mouth.
âOh my god, Tony is going to fucking kill us.â Harley gasped. âAre you high?â
âDefine âhighâ.â Peter said.
âDid you take drugs?â
âWhat the fuck, what kind of person do you think I am?â Peter snapped.
Harley eyed him, as he put the car in drive, âWhat did you think I meant?â
âI meant high in the sky, which, I was, like, two seconds before I hit the pole.â Peter said.
Harley stared at him, âDid you jump off a building?â
Peter thought for a moment, âI mean not for the reasons you probably think I did?â
Harley stared at the boy, âYouâre delusionalâŠâ
âNo, Iâm Spider-Man.â
And before he could hear Harleyâs response, everything went dark.
***
The next time he woke up, it was in a lab⊠or was it a hospital? He shot up, when he realized, he was back in the tower. He told Harley no Dr. Cho. Then he remembered Harley. The last thing he remembered was telling Harley about Spider-Man, and now⊠he looked around, seeing the boy in question staring forward, expression blank.
âYou are a fucking idiot.â Harley said.
âI know.â
âAll this time⊠you were Spider-Man?â
Peter considered lying, claiming he only said that due to the brain injury, but that would be hopeless, and Harley would see right through it. He looked at him, thinking of an explanation.
Peter winced, âYou remember the field trip to Oscorp that I wasnât allowed to go on, but went on anyways?â
Harleyâs eyes widened, âThe one that was six months ago?â
âSo, I got separated from the group and got bit by a radioactive spider.â Peter said.
Harleyâs face paled, âWas that why you were so sick?â
Peter nodded his head, âIâm sorry, I wanted to tell you, but⊠I didnât think anyone would care. Honestly, we barely talk⊠Tony doesnât acknowledge me unless I get in trouble I just⊠didnât want to bother anyone with this.â
âSo you risk your life every night and decided to not tell anyone?â Harley demanded.
Peter shrugged, âI told Ned.â
Harley rolled his eyes, âOf course you told Ned, well when Tony finds out-â
âDonât you dare tell Tony!â
âTell Tony what?â
Both boys whipped their heads around to see Tony Stark in all of his glory.
Summary: Nico finds out about his mother in a different way than he did in the books, instead going straight to Zeus after a fight with his father which of course ends badly.
Prompt: Struck by Lightning
Word Count: 2,871
Note: I am not doing Percy Jackson for all these prompts.
@badthingshappenbingo
Nico knew how pathetic he looked right now, he really did. He had just had yet another disagreement with his father, Hades, which seemed to be all they did. It was strange, Nico had never imagined having a relationship with his father, especially not one like this, and yet, despite being the god of the dead, he didnât quite understand the pain associated with death, what happens when loved ones die.
At least not in the way Nico did.
Mortality was fragile, easily broken, and once it did break, so did the world around it. He remembered his sister, Bianca saying something like that once, and the irony was not lost on him. Bianca had chosen immortality- she could have lived forever, and yet, she was the first to go between the two of them. Nico was sure that was never what Hades wanted- Nico was supposed to be the expendable one, not Bianca. She was supposed to be his savior, the one that changed peopleâs views on him.
Though, we canât always get what we want, can we?
Now, one might wonder why Nico was currently in a cab, smelling of synthetic air freshener, sitting diagonally from a driver who definitely should not have a license. As the cab driver weaved through New York traffic, Nico was observing the concrete jungle pass by him. Skyscrapers towered over them, as seas of people walked through the streets and the sidewalks. It was amazing how carefree people could be, how impending doom never seemed to bother most people, even people who, unlike Nico, donât know what happens after death.
Still, you lose so many people in your life⊠and reality begins to sink in.
He looked around. He wondered for a moment if Percy resided in one of these buildings, knowing he lived in Manhattan. Then Nico closed his eyes bitterly, thinking, I donât care.
Or so thatâs what he told himself, as he tried so much to hate Percy Jackson. He was gripping his seats, so lost in thought, that he didnât realize the cab had stopped, until the driverâs gruff voice interrupted his thoughts.
âKid? This your stop?â
Nico shook his head before reaching into his pockets, and grabbing the drachmas, shoving it into the manâs hand and getting out of the car quickly, before the man either realized the money wasnât real, or realized Nico was a demigod and they had a whole other thing to worry about.
He stared at the Empire State Building, towering above him. He did some research before coming here, learning it was built in the 1930s, something he had in common. However, he wasnât here to observe the building- he was here for what sat above it.
He took a deep breath, before stepping forward. Did he really want to do this? He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering his fatherâs words moments before he left.
âI told you everything I know, Nico, now leave me alone!â
âBut you didnât. You told me she died, which I knew, and you told me Zeus did it, but you didnât tell me why Zeus did it.â
âI donât know why Zeus does anything, go ask him your damn self.â
He knew his father wasnât 100% serious about it, but he needed answers. Not just asking Hades, and him acting as if it were unimportant. Not just vague replies, or things he didnât know, real answers. And if the payment for that was pissing off the king of the gods? So be it.
***
Olympus was so beautiful that it pissed Nico off.
How could these gods be blessed with so much light and color, while leaving those in the underworld to wither away in shadows, live in darkness?
Nico didnât even know how he managed to get up there. He remembered requesting an audience with Zeus, the person at the front desk not even bothering to look up to tell him that Zeus was busy. Nico told them that he had details on Kronos, and somehow, that was convincing enough for the man to let him up, and Nico wondered for a moment if he was even paying attention to what he was saying, but still- he made it here, didnât he?
Nico stepped up the stairs made of shiny gold, taking deep breaths. This was basically suicide for a Hades kid, but Nico hardly cared. One way or another, he would end up in the Underworld tonight, and at least if he did die at Zeusâs hands, heâd be less likely to have a conversation with his father.
As he made his way up the steps, a million thoughts came to him. Zeus wouldnât actually kill him⊠right? Yes, he killed his mother, and yes, he despised his father, but it would be hypocritical of him to kill a forbidden child after bearing one of his own. Then again, with everything Nico knew about Zeus, he somehow doubted the god really cared about coming across as hypocritical.
As Nico entered the room, his thoughts became mesh as anxiety filled his chest. Was he actually going to die here? Despite everything that was just said, he didnât actually want to die. Still, he was already here, and Zeus undoubtedly sensed his presence, it was too late to back down now. Nico entered what looked to be the throne room, twelve glorified chairs towering over him, none of them filled, but one, and that throne was filled with a large man, with an angry face.
âSon of Hades.â The god spat. Man, donât let this be Zeus.
Nico gulped, âAre you Poseidon?â
âDo not insult me like that, boy.â
Had this been anyone else, he would be offended, would have yelled. The way this god called him boy sounded eerily similar to his father. Spoken to him like he was a burden, an inconvenience, rather than a human being. Except, this wasnât his father- this was the king of the gods, someone who had no relevance to him other than his motherâs death and his fatherâs family. Someone who saw every mortal as a burden and an inconvenience. âCanât you do one thing right, boy?â âYou had one simple task, boy-â
âSir, I mean, your majesty Iâm-â Nicoâs heart raced, as he spoke, âNico di Angelo.â
âI know who you are, and you are lucky Iâm in a good mood or Iâd blast you at the door. â Zeus growled. âYou have two minutes to speak before I change my mind.â
Nico sighed. Right. Though, if this is what his good moods looked like, heâd hate to see his bad moods. Although, all of Greek Mythology seemed to just be Zeus in a bad mood, so, who knows.
âListen, I am here about my mother.â Nico explained. âMy father said you tried to kill her, and I want to know why.â
Nico didnât fail to notice a slight falter in Zeusâs intimidating demeanor. Was it shock? Guilt? No. In Nicoâs short experience with the gods, they didnât feel guilt. They killed, they cursed, they had their reasons, but hardly ever felt guilt.
Zeus stayed silent for a moment, âWhat did my idiot brother tell you?â
His voice seemed rather accusatory, but Nico ignored it.
âHe just told me that you killed my mother.â Nico said.
Zeus scoffed, âOf course he told you that. Did he tell you who I was actually aiming to kill?â
Who he was actually aiming to kill? What was that supposed to mean? Still, something about the way Zeus said that made his skin crawl with realization.
âMe?â Nicoâs voice was shaky.
Zeus narrowed his eyes. âAnd your sister. Brianna was it?â
âBianca.â Nico growled. âWhy?â
âMy brothers and I made an oath, and he broke it.â Zeus responded.
âWe were already born.â Nico snapped.
âYou still shouldnât exist.â Zeus snapped back.
You shouldnât exist. Those words lingered in his mind longer than they should have. He thought of every good thing heâd ever had in his life. Bianca died trying to get a stupid figurine for him, and he had blamed Percy Jackson for it, at least for a while, because it was easier than acknowledging that Bianca died for him. Hell, even his father didnât seem to want him around unless it was to run errands or something.
âSays the man who had a child with a mortal, several decades after the prophecy.â Nico muttered.
Zeusâs scowl darkened, âYou better watch who youâre speaking to, boy.â
âOr what? Youâll finish the job?â
âDidnât anyone teach you how to speak to your superiors, boy?â
Nico glared, failing to notice the electricity that shot from the godsâ hand. Instead, he kept talking- perhaps he had spent a little too much time with Percy Jackson.
âNo, they didnât, because you killed my fucking mother, my father hates me, and the only person who was there to raise me was fucking twelve, so thanks for nothing you pretentious asshole!â Nico yelled, and before he could process anything else, he saw a flash of light coming towards him, and as the light hit him in the stomach, he felt every bone in his body crumble in pain. He saw a figure jump in front of him, but before processing who it was, he passed out.
***
It had been a shitty day from the start. He had to run an errand for Hades, and of course, he chose the fast way over the safe way. Shadow traveling from four places in a span of an hour was definitely not how he wanted to spend his day. Still, his father kept piling tasks on top of each other, and Nico was convinced he was trying to kill him.
âYour sister would get this done faster.â Hades sneered, but did not give him another task to complete.
Then, there came an uncomfortable silence, and a lingering conversation that Nico suspected was the real reason Hades had been piling tasks on top of him.
âYou said you would tell me about my mother.â
Hades face remained unchanged, but he refused to make eye contact with his son, âThat I didâŠâ
Nico sat down, awaiting the conversation, only to be met with silence, however.
âWell, I mean, she diedâŠâ
Nico waited for more, but noticed his face falter. He was trying to come off as cold, but he failed miserably.
âShe was killed by Zeus when you were very young, and I took you and your sister to the Lotus Casino.â Hades told him.
Nico waited for more. Zeus killed his mother? He tried to understand, but couldnât- why would Zeus want to kill his mother? His mother wasnât a demigod, she wasnât apart of some prophecy, so⊠why?
âWhy would Zeus want to kill her?â
Hades scowled, âBecause he is Zeus, there is nothing else to say about it.â
Nicoâs stomach boiled in anger. He looked at his father, a picture of calm rage. He wasnât like either of his brothers, who created storms or tidal waves when angry. No. Hades was calculated, quiet, and for some reason, that made him scarier, and then it dawned on him. Hades was particular about the details he was giving here, purposeful. But why?
âWhat are you not telling me?â
Hadesâ scowl darkened, âExcuse me?â
âYou know more than youâre telling me.â Nico said
âI told you everything I know, Nico, now leave me alone!â Hades said.
âBut you didnât. You told me she died, which I knew, and you told me Zeus did it, but you didnât tell me why Zeus did it.â Nico argued.
âThe details donât matter.â Hades said. âI donât know why Zeus does anything, go ask him your damn self.â
Nico darkened, âThey donât matter to you, because you donât care.â
Hades clenched his jaw, âBoy-â
âYou donât care if people die, I mean they all come here anyways, right?â Nico didnât realize how hard he was clenching his fists. âYou wouldnât care if I die, you sure as hell donât care that Bianca died.â
Hades kept his face steady, âIs this what this is about? You donât think I wish every day that Bianca was here instead of a weak little brat who refuses to listen to what I say?â
Nico froze. There it was- the truth was out at last. Hades wanted him dead, or at least preferred him to be dead instead of his sister. Nico looked at Hades for a moment, and simply said. âFine.â
As he turned around he heard his father says âAnd where do you think youâre going?â
Nico shook his head, âFollowing your advice. I will find out more about my mother one way or another.â
***
Nico woke up in a somewhat familiar room- not a room that he had spent a lot of time in, but a room that he had passed through a few times. It took him a moment to realize he was at camp, in the infirmary. As he sat up, a couple pairs of hands pushed him down, but not before a sharp pain shot through his body.
âEasy there.â He looked to the owner of the voice. Michael Yew.
Nico looked around, âWhat the hell happened?â
The other boy there, one with blonde curls and blue eyes, glared, âYouâre an idiot is what happened.â
âWill Solace,â Michael scolded, âwhat have we said about mouthing off to patients. But yeah, Hades brought you here, saying that you had confronted Zeus about something and got struck by lightning.â
Oh shit.
âHow the hell did I survive?â Nico said.
Michael shrugged, âI think Zeus knew that if he killed you, Hades would wreak havoc on his child.â
He wouldnât. Nico thought, Hades didnât care that much, or maybe he would, but not enough to kill Thalia, or whatever love child Zeus potentially had out there. Nico sat up, and came face to face with Will Solace.
âWhyâd you confront Zeus?â
Wow. Straight to the point.
âI needed information about my mother.â Nico replied. âZeus killed her, and I guess⊠I donât know, I got emotional and forgot who I was talking to.â
Willâs face softened, âDamnâŠâ
âWill, language!â Michael scolded, turning his attention back to Nico. âHe did break a few bones, but youâll survive. You are lucky Zeus went easy on you.â
Easy on me. It didnât feel like Zeus went easy on him, but he was alive, and that had to count for something. He looked up and sighed.
âWhereâs my father?â
Will and Michael exchanged a glance, before the older brother chimed in, âHe left⊠said you belonged here anyways.â
Nico rolled his eyes, âRight. He just didnât want to have a really awkward conversation.â
Both children of Apollo exchanged a glance, but did not push any more than that.
Michael Yew looked at the child of Hades, a soft expression on his face, and said, âI am going to go check on other patients, do not leave this bed. I mean it, Nico.â
And with that, Michael walked away, leaving Nico and Will sitting next to each other. Will simply stared at him, but he couldnât comprehend the expression on his face. Still, a silence stretched between them.
âYouâre going to run the second I leave, arenât you?â Will said.
Fuck. Nico wasnât used to people being able to read him like a book. Even Bianca, he felt, never truly understood him like this, she was twelve, after all.
âI- thereâs nothing left here for me.â Nico said. Honestly, there was nothing left anywhere for him.
âThatâs bullshit.â Will said. âYou have friends here, the Stoll brothers, Percy Jackson-â
âI donât care about Percy Jackson.â Nico snapped.
âI thought you guys made up?â
âWe donât. Doesnât mean I care.â
Will rolled his eyes, âYou are impossible.â
And with that, Will left, but not before saying, âYour father left you this. Thought youâd might want it.â
He handed Nico a book, a photo album, it looked like, a note attached to it. Nico - Your mother would be proud of you. An apology of sorts, at least the best apology he would probably ever get from his father.
Then he opened it, a picture of a woman, who looked almost identical to Bianca, with a man who looked to be his father, but happier. Me and my love, it read, and Nico realized the hand writing was different from the note. It was his motherâs. Tears formed in Nicoâs eyes, before hearing Will Solace sigh.
âListen, I understand your reservations about staying here, I do. Being a child of Hades⊠that cannot be easy.â Will said. âBut you need people, human people, people who understand you, not just ghosts.â
And with that Will left. Nico then stared at the ceiling, a familiar voice filling his head, Nico, I know I may be harsh, but I do care about you. I should have never pushed you, but I do think the child of Apollo is right. You need people who can understand your situation, and I cannot.
Nico sighed. He knew the words were supposed to be comforting, but he stared at the ceiling. Another person who abandoned him, another person who gave up on him.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Characters: Nico di Angelo, Will Solace, Clarisse La Rue, Percy Jackson, Kayla Knowles, Original Demigod Character(s) (Percy Jackson), Bianca di Angelo (mentioned)
Additional Tags: Nico di Angelo Needs a Hug, Fluff, Humor, Fluff and Humor, Angst, Gremlin Nico di Angelo, Someone give Will Solace a break, Hidden Injury, Non-Graphic Violence
Series: Part 1 of Tumblr Requests (Percy Jackson)
Summary:
It was a quiet day in the infirmary, until the silence is disrupted by Willâs idiot boyfriend, who decided it would be a good idea to pick a fight with the Ares kids and get stabbed.
as someone who doesnt watch a lot of tv shows but does watch a lot of video essays, there is nothing more exciting than a popular tv show ending badly. its like a whalefall for my youtube recommendations. thank you stranger things also sorry that happened
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