I should have retired at this point...

❝ ..although i should have retired at this point.❞ Niccolo "Nico" Tagglieri 38 • son of hephaestus • sideblog affiliated with

[tiredanvilandmace]

BASIC INFO

full name — Nicolo "Nico" Tagglieri age — thirty-eight (february 5) gender — cis male, (he/ him/ his pronouns) orientation — bisexual occupation — blacksmith deity connection — hephaestus  donkey name — aj (apple jack) significant other — daniel coleman (deceased), kit garrow, lev rojas weapon — custom-made maul + chainshirt clothing style/ armor — casual, fitting (illegally well)

PHYSICAL INFO

face claim — DJ Cotrona hair — dark brown / eyes — scotch height — five foot & ten inches build — broad furry chest, strong arms, generally fit scars — deep, big scar on the side of his right thigh, some battle scars tattoos — (magical) roman camp + time served like so piercings — no special characteristics — will work in the forge/workshop all day to fiddle with armor or weapon improvements, flirt up a storm if given the chance, loves to geek out over history sexual preference — top switch

PERSONALITY

alignment — chaotic good positive traits — focused, charming, protective, resourceful negative traits — reckless, unsocial (unless put in the position not to be), annoying hobbies — training, blacksmith-ing, being a hermit

MEDICAL INFO

mental — mommy issues physical — deep, big scar on the side of his right thigh, some battle scars, otherwise healthy phobias — fear of being abandoned by loved ones eyesight — 20/20 dominant hand — left hand drug use — nop alcohol use — sometimes diet — nothing special, the world rejoices when he eats because he tends to forget, will enjoy home-made food

BACKGROUND

birthplace — long island, NY parents — alessandro & oriana tagglieri siblings — half siblings due to hephaestus being his father, micah reid (younger sibling; oriana & lochlan reid (affair)) pets — aj, his donkey education — high school graduate notable skills — v talented blacksmith and trap builder, history/lore memory

BIO

Hephaestus didn’t keep him waiting long. His twelfth birthday was marked with the revelation that he was not his father’s son, but actually the child of the God of the Forges. He couldn’t say that the news of who his siring father truly was did any good for the relationship he had with his father.

Nicolo couldn’t say that his father was a bad father. If at all, he was a role model. Treated his mother with kindness, provided to their house, and still made time to play with him. However… After he found that out and a few weeks before his school year was over, there was an incident that, to this day he still doesn’t know how to explain but cost him his return the following year. His father, although resistant at first, finally changed his opinion and urged his mother to send Nico to the camp for the summer. It would be best for him and he would be safe there.

The trip to Long Island was unexpectedly uneventful. His father still wasn’t happy with him but he knew it would be for the best and it would only be for the summer. Come the school year, he’d be back with his family and everything would be alright again.

Or so he told himself. Time and time again.

And although it was only for three months, it was… Interesting to learn about his divine inheritage. And about the forge. Sure, three months would not be enough to get him in any decent shape. But as the following years rolled around, he found himself learning how to balance the both halves of his life. It wasn’t an easy path but he would make his father proud. And would try and not become a disappointment to Hephaestus.

For the next 5 years he would find himself in a very comfortable cycle. Going to and from camp in summer, working the forge and during his senior year at high school the main talk with his father was about where he’d be going to college the next year. He was excited to follow in his dad’s footsteps but there was one variable that his mother would not let either of them forget. Nico’s blood father. His powers. And everything else that came with that side of his life. Including the weird and unexpected visitors that would show up in the middle of the night. Asking for shelter… Or reinforcement. And the weapons Nico carried with him. Bade by himself. How was he supposed to attend college across the country so far away from them? From help in case he got into trouble?

Unfortunately… The decision was taken away from him. As his father drove him to camp for that summer they were also chased by monsters. Well, Nico’s father was intent on making sure his son would reach safety whereas Nico could not let his mortal father stand in harm’s way. That wouldn’t do. So… After some arguing and some yelling, Nico’s father finally agreed to let him go and turned the car around to leave as Nico made a run for the hill that would lead him into the camp, hoping that he’d be able to distract the monster for long enough so his father would be able to put a safe distance from the monster. But the mission that he was assigned that summer only served to prove that he was a growing source of danger to his mortal family and he’d spend the next three years with his focus only on training and forging. And maybe a certain distraction, to make things less dull.

And said distraction took the shape of a boyfriend. A son of Apollo, Daniel, who seemed to spend every waking moment trying to get into Nico’s nerves and when he finally caved, he came to realize that he was not as annoying as he once thought. And Nico had honestly thought that it would be a good idea to take Daniel along with him to spend Christmas with his family. Especially since it would also be his father’s 50th birthday. Not to mention that he was scared out of his mind, afraid that Daniel and his father wouldn’t get long… Little did he know that their celebration would be overrun by monsters, following the scent of two delicious demigods. Sure, they had been trained to deal with monsters, but in a suburban neighborhood and surrounded by mortals that they should also protect, they were quickly outnumbered.

Nico, resourceful as he liked to think he was, created a diversion so he could escape with his mother while yelling to Daniel to help his father and run. What he did not expect… Was that there would be cyclops waiting for them and he’d have to stand there, helpless, as he watched the two most important men of his life be taken away from him in a single motion. All he could do was get his mother out of there and not succumb to despair. An herculean task in and of itself.

And as a result… He lost connection with his mother… And with himself. Without his Father and Daniel he felt like there was not much he could live for and that made him quite reckless in battle, charging forward without a plan or strategy, only wanting to put down as many monsters as possible. Until a nearly fatal wound brought a new perspective to his life.

He was not a leader. And he was no longer a fighter. Hell, he had failed as a protector. What else was there for him? Well… The answer would be in his forge.

Creation. 

Traps. Weapons. Armos. Shields. Gadgets. He’d create and develop the deadliest toys he could think of. And then his fellow demigods hopefully would make it safely back to camp. Hopefully, he’d prevent the ones that never left camp from losing their own Daniels as they went on missions.

Hopefully.

[waterforlorn]

"maybe we try it another way." instead of throwing the ice across the field... he could throw himself... in a way. something closer to him, so his aim - which wasn't good with his powers, really - wasn't going to be an issue. he was still not that skilled with it & honestly... most of the time he was just glad he managed to summon water at all. especially with the rather non-existent relationship with his father.

it did work though, the ice ball froze again, although it didn't quite go where he wanted it to. "yeah. wouldn't wanna hurt the hammers' feelings by playin' around in their home." lev chuckled softly. nico was right, though - this wasn't exactly the place to do this. "we ain't gotta do it right now if you don't wanna."

[tiredanvilandmace]

"You know... Possibilities are endless now. Besides... By blood... We were born with ways to cheat physics." He grinned and bumped Lev's arm with his fist. "As for our combined aims... Just like your new needed stance... It has room for improvement and we will have to work on it." His eyes had that gleam of focus they got whenever his mind locked onto anything that presented a challenge.

"Well... I do try not to piss off the tinker fairies when I'm occupying space here... Since here there are more options of tools here than in my workshop..." He commented. and working at the forge at least got him to leave the cabin. Which... He could hole up into for days at the time if distracted by the right project. "Nonsense. Arena. Now." He said gathering his things and motioning at Lev to follow him there.

[waterforlorn]

"hm. i see." it'd been an idea, but if nico didn't think it'd work - lev would make do with what they had available. this would be a powerspike for them both regardless, something to really make an impact with & in lev's eyes - that was win enough. lev had been feeling a little useless lately, but this... would definitely help & he'd lie if he claimed it wasn't fun watching that ice ball fly. he'd assumed it'd drop once frozen, which .. brought him to another idea. could he move normal ice? why had he never tried before?

he watched nico fiddle ... with something, although when he spoke, the little movement he did made sense. watching others use their powers was .. fascinating, especially one like nico's, which was practically invisible most of the time unless someone interacted with it. raising his hand again, palm up, lev summoned a ball of water in his palm again & after eyeing it quite closely for a while to fix its shape into a form he liked, he threw it at nico.

[tiredanvilandmace]

In any moment Nico thought he was dunking on Lev's idea. He just wanted to explain to the son of Poseidon that the risk would maybe be too high and potentially not enough for the pay off. And that was exactly why they were trying again like that. It was always a weird feeling to manipulate the molecules like that but he was confident enough that he managed to release his powers just as the water ball approached and he continued to follow it with his eyes just as it solidified.

He didn't know where Lev had aimed exactly. But he saw that the trajectory had changed just a little bit. "Maybe we could train more and find a way to work around and compensate it... Although it would best if we went to the arena and used the dummies instead of simply throwing ice balls around in the forge." He commented but he was optimistic.

[waterforlorn]

“easier to deny what the mortal eye can’t see, ain’t it?” a shrug. he was used to the humans ignoring the most trivial things - especially those that slapped them across the face. humans were good at that, exceptionally good as he’d had to learn in the army. the hard way. which was around the same time he decided to only rely on himself from now on even if he aimed to keep his platoon alive wherever they went. he’d never have wanted to be caught with his life in their hands - not when he could look after himself & them instead.

“yeah, that. the later you do it when i attack, the more of a surprise it’s gonna be.” less chance for counter-play, too. they definitely had to experiment with that. well, after that. he had a huge ice ball to toss around. it… floated still, which fascinated him - truly. upon permission, lev glanced around to find somewhere sturdy enough. the ball did do as he wanted it to, he let it fly & sink, let it roam around them until he tossed it as a free space on the wall. the ball burst - as was the be excluded. “interesting.”

[tiredanvilandmace]

Nico watched the trajectory that the projectile made and there was something to be said about Lev's aim. It was a little off, but then again, Lev didn't seem to trust his divine inheritance and Nico wasn't much of the habit to use his one in a more aggressive manner since it didn't always bore him the results he wanted it to. So that would demand some training on both their ends. Very well.

"That would demand... More focus. You see... I would have to calculate the trajectory of your water ball and find the perfect point to turn it into ice. But then again the change in the water's state could interfere with the air resistance causing a slight change in the trajectory and maybe missing the target completely." He pointed and started slowing the molecules between his hands and held them above his head as if he was holding a ball. "Toss an water ball through this area. It should be enough to freeze it again."

[waterforlorn]

"that sounds like something they'd have told us in the army." little scoff. it'd been a long time since he thought about his time in the army. best damn time of his life. "if they'd had forges." & magical creatures. nobody would believe him if he told them, which was most likely for the best. let the humans live their human lives, troubling them with gods & destruction.. yeah, that wouldn't go over well, surely.

"won't. if you promise the same when i succeed." two could play that game & lev was not too good to play, especially when nico was the other party. the one person in camp he trusted - banter or not. "tell that to your face, puppy." all happy & smile-y. lev almost wanted to punch him for it to stop, but... his self-control was better than that & besides... then he'd give nico proof he was, indeed, getting under his skin.

the cold hit him & his eyes shot from the ball to nico & back. oh. interesting. "strange. surprised i can still lift it." he thought liquid water was his thing & only that. then found out he was very much able to whirl hollie around. "but good. how quickly can you do it? if i was to throw it... could you freeze it mid-flight?"

[tiredanvilandmace]

"I mean, its not like you guys being in the army isn't fucking profitable to the government so I don't think they'd want you guys making your own weapons..." He mused distractedly, a little accent seeping into his words. "But I don't doubt they'd have some children of Hephaestus or Volcano in their paycheck... I mean... We've been around for all the wars... We've influenced a lot of the ocidental history... They just don't like to acknowledge our true existence to the mortals." He shrugged.

He hummed and watched the ice ball fluctuating above Lev's palm. "That would depend. Are we talking freeze it in its tracks to not attack me or freeze it so it's now a deadly ice projectile?" He asked tilting his head to the side and motioning at Lev to hurl the iceball at something just to see how it feels to control and throw.

[waterforlorn]

"can't call me grumpy if i don't, so i guess we just gotta accept each other's ways of dealin' with defeat." & there it was... the hint of a grin on his lips. nobody thought they'd ever see the day. "suits you, though. anger ain't lookin' good on ya." he glanced over at him, content to watch him work for a little while. if that's what nico wanted. lev was oddly content following his lead. sometimes.

"pfffh, please. i've dealt with guys a lot more annoying than you. you're gonna have to try harder to get under my skin." lev shot back with a shrug & lips curved at the corners. his words reminded him why lev had come to the forge in the first place & he sighed softly. "i wish. who can scold a damn puppy?" damn near impossible to scold him properly when he was looking at him like that. his request... piqued his interest. "can do." he took a few steps back, raised a hand & just ... focused on it for a moment, watching water pool in his palm & above it until he'd formed a ball, kind of. "how hard?"

[tiredanvilandmace]

"Sounds like a deal to me." He nodded at the son of Poseidon and couldn't help but shot him a grin of his own. "Anger is not a good look on us, children of the forge. He have to keep a level head if we are to work improvements for our brothers and sisters in arms." He commented, remembering the words of one of the sons of Volcano back in camp Jupiter. He wondered how they were doing there. If they had defeated Urania already.

"Oh well, don't go getting all prissy on me when I do succeed, alright?" He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I'm too old to be a puppy, Red." He narrowed his eyes and focused on the water gathered on Lev's palm, blue coming into his eyes as the heat around the water dispersed and the waterball became an ice sphere, the ripples becoming rough edges. "That will do. How does it feel. " Start small. And see how it goes.

[waterforlorn]

he could shoot back that it wasn't all the hits, because lev always tried to make it out of fights unscathed, but that didn't always work out & lev knew that if nico had his back - while he had his, their chances were much better. "stop lookin' so happy, geez." they got their asses handed to them, lev.. didn't feel that triumphant tonight. although, he couldn't deny that... being with the other ... did lift his spirits a little. ugh.

"she really did." they would've most likely lost at least a handful of the group if not for the quick escape. "won't be as enjoyable as you might be picturin' it."

[tiredanvilandmace]

"No need to look so glummy either, grumpy. We lost, sure. Got our asses handed over to us. But still we survived and got the chance to get better. Get stronger. Get creative. So... Yeah. I'll look happy." He pointed his hammer over at Lev and then resumed working.

"So long as I'm getting under your skin, Red, I'm having some harmless fun." He teased with ease but then a thought crossed his mind and he looked at Lev with wide eyes and a growing smile behind his beard. "If you're done scolding me for being impusively stupid, I need you to use your powers and throw a water ball at me."

[waterforlorn]

"pfffht, barely got a scratch until the end." he shot back, following the sound through the forge slowly until he found him. nico, always working on something & when it wasn't armor or weapons, it was his own demise. "we did pretty well t'gether." he couldn't deny they made a good team, even without using their powers together, which.. was an option he considered, but ... would rather sit on for a little while longer. he still didn't quite trust himself with them.

"i wasn't kiddin'. i warned ya. what you do with it's up to you." because lev didn't do jokes, or threats. just promises. "what's the damage like?" lev himself was doing okay, although he couldn't help wondering how the next fights would do. they had to train harder. he had to train harder. train of thought back on that little dare, "pfffht, you underestimate me." lev could be bold, would be. when it was necessary.

[tiredanvilandmace]

"Exactly my point. You took all the hits the other time. We just have to take turns playing target." He shot the male a bright smile and a thumbs up. "That we did. Maybe our training is paying off." Nico has been holding back on using his own powers in battle but he figured that maybe, just maybe, combining it with the others would help them in the battlefield.

"Again, I'm more of a actions speak louder than words guy so... I'll have to take your word for it." He popped his neck and elbows. "Nothing Ambrosia couldn't fix. Godiva had perfect timing. And I don't underestimate you. I just... Am curious to see how you hold up your promises."

[waterforlorn]

"could you blame me? didn't exactly look after yourself last fight, did you?" lev chased the voice to find nico working on his armor. huh. curious. was he upgrading it? could lev drop his off, too? because he'd like an upgrade as well, please & thanks. not that it wasn't good, but after heracles' finishing blow…. he felt paranoid that it didn't do as it should. nico had done great work, so he wasn't worried about the armor itself… per se. maybe he was just generally worried. they'd almost lost half their team there & he barely made it out, too. scary shit.

"next time you decide to not dodge ever and sit on those damn potions, i'm gonna feed you one and it won't be safe for kids to watch." did he hope threats worked? yep. did he …think they would? nope. he was full-on expecting to mouth feed a potion into nico next time they fought & at this point in time … he would. he had no qualms getting into nico's personal space anymore.

[tiredanvilandmace]

"I mean you were doing a pretty solid work about that yourself, old man…" He retorted with ease giving Lev a source to follow as he continued working, hand steady as he hammered away at his armor.

"Cam was playing us. Either I took his hits or you did. And since I'm just a big boy as you, old man, I took the hits no problem." He retorted unbothered pausing the hammering to study the chainshirt for a few moments, testing its weight on his hands and then spreading it back over his anvil.

"Don't act like the kids are too innocent. Although… I'd like to see you try and be that bold." There was a glint of mischief in his eyes when he said that and then resumed to work on his armor.

[waterforlorn]

@tiredanvilandmace; i ...never did 002?

it'd been less than a day since they'd escaped the fight at the mansion with the help of elvira. they'd..mostly made it out alive, but unscathed .. was not quite true. nico had regained his sight after they triumphed over heracles, which had definitely been a winning factor in their fight at the games at the mansion, but it still hadn't quite been enough... he felt. some of them had taken quite the beating. including nico, who got himself beat up to the point that lev would've fricken' force fed him a potion if he'd kept on refusing to take one himself.

but alas, they'd got very lucky & while he didn't like running from a fight ever, he had to know when it was time to retreat & with the kids having been near death... retreat had been their only option. back at camp, he'd made sure to check on folks, including... yep, nico. they'd spent a lot of time together over the past few weeks & while he sometimes was annoying as hell, lev enjoyed the time spent with him. kinda.

& there was always something to do at the forge. be it weapon improvements or watching nico work, which he'd found out - but would never tell anybody, was something he enjoyed. he always only saw his side. use weapons. he never quite considered the other side. now that he did.. mad respect. not that nico would ever know.

gentle knock. once. twice, then he pushed inside the door. "hey, brat. where you at?" there were a few things he had to say. then, they could move into more fun topics.

[tiredanvilandmace]

Nico tried not to let things hold him back. Or at least… Keep him from moving on. Sure, he had taken blows before and he had recovered so… Even if he didn't make it out unscathed, at least he made it out alive and could make sure they wouldn't die on the next combat. And sure… Cam had been a tough nut to crack and break, but at least maybe him and Lev keeping the male busy, gave the kids a fighting chance against the enchantress and the other one.

Well… They needed more firepower. So… Back to the drawing board.

He was reworking on his chainshirt. Trying to better its defenses without it costing his mobility. He knew that there was a way around it. He just hadn't found it yet.

And since it was a well known fact that he could be found in the forge, was it really hard to find him? No. So… it was no surprise when Lev showed up but… His tone… Told Nico more than Lev would probably have liked he figured out. "I am having flashbacks from when you came in and scolded me for getting myself blinded…" Was his greeting.

[waterforlorn]

if it wasn't a problem, then what was the problem? why was he acting like this? what was he thinking about? was it even something lev knew about? what if he had a secret he didn't tell lev? pffhht. nico not telling him anything, what a joke, but then again .. he was quiet today & lev was still trying to figure out why exactly. nico never … refused to tell him what lev wanted… no, needed to hear. this one time lev needed him to share…. he didn't. or rather, only bits & pieces that seemed to not make a lick of sense. at least not in their current situation.

"told ya." it wasn't like lev had been very subtle about his annoyance about nico's carelessness, but at this point… he'd somewhat accepted it - like nico had to accept lev's foul moods or something. they both came with baggage, with quirks… with… stuff they didn't like about each other, surely. but that wasn't reason to give up, so ..what was it? "but that ain't news, so what's the problem? i… ain't stupid. what's botherin' ya?" because lev could handle a lot of things, he could take beatings, he could curse up a storm if nico deserved it, but this silence… was eerie. it worried him more than … he thought it would, which made his requests for nico to shut up a little funnier in hindsight.

still, he just wanted to know what he was thinking. or where this way going. soft kiss to nico's jaw, letting his lips linger, though he retreated again & got comfortable on the blacksmith's chest - assuming.. this would take a while with the amount of information he got per pull.

[tiredanvilandmace]

His mind was still spinning. But... It wasn't as... fast. It wasn't as maddening. Although it was still unsettling. Why did he let his mind go to one dark scenario after another? Well... Maybe... Maybe if he let it, it would quiet down enough for him to make sense of himself. To explain to Lev... Or maybe just... Not feel like he would be lying if he said that he was feeling better. A finger... Raised and tentatively touched that spot between Lev's eyebrows. The first and main sign of any shifting in the soldier's mood. And he started moving his finger in a circular motion, almost a massage. "Not a problem." He repeated again. Looking down at the soldier resting so comfortably on his chest.

The son of Poseidon. Lev. His comrade in arms. His Lover... His. Lev... Lev had referred to Nico as his when they faced the witch. And although Nico had been in a... Completely deplorable situation back then... Lev still staked his claim. Nico felt like... They haven't been dancing around the topic... Because... Well... Both have actively been avoiding the topic. And Nico, for once, didn't thin that words were truly necessary until now. It was comfortable. Simple. But still... Again... The forest had put things in perspective to him. And now... A lot of things... Made new sense. And he also knew he wasn't making a lick of sense to Lev. Which... Was funny. In a sense. So obvious to him... And yet..

"You... Well you didn't quite say I'm full of shit but... I wouldn't blame you if you did." He began, the hand that was massaging Lev's eyebrow now lifting the male's chin and holding his gaze. He didn't make use of his italian drawl but... His words were slow. He was biding his time. He was organizing his thoughts. Once they were voiced... He wasn't going back on then. He wasn't quite striving for perfection. But... He did want to make sense and avoid confusion."When I said I wanted this... You, me... Us. Sunset in New Rome... I meant it, you know?" He commented casually, his thumb resting on Lev's lower lip. "But... I can't have it if... If I lose you. I... Can't have it if we don't make it back from the twilight lands." Could Lev feel the way his heart started to speed up, even as he tried to keep himself from panicking or rambling. But yeah... His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest at any point.

"A... Very selfish part of me... Is... Choosing you, Lev. Over... Them. If you'll have me." Over Twilight Lands. Over an entire kingdom that asked for our help. His other hand moved up, combing through Lev's dark locks, brushing them out of the way so he could keep his eye contact with the older male. "I..." Don't get tongue tied now. So close... "I love you, Lev." And I would lose my goddamn fucking mind if I lost you simply because I'm being foolish, impulsive, reckless, stupid... You name it.

[waterforlorn]

lev wasn't oblivious to the blacksmith's struggles. he knew nico had been having a hard time even before the forest. that one… just emphasized his struggles - in a way. although, admittedly, they'd never faced an enemy like those two before, so they'd gone in blind & with kit out of the equation… lev had been the next best healer they'd had & lev.. wasn't a healer. at all. he'd prayed to his father for help after the first time he saw his teammates. & himself, too - struggle. but he only had so much power to shield his team. he actually felt … okay about himself. he knew he went into this with a disadvantage given his age & absence, but … he was making progress, even if slowly.

nico.. had not been the luckiest, unfortunately & lev knew it bothered him & … he was thinking of ways to help him overcome that struggle, because lev himself had been through the same many times in his life. nico had to know it would get better. they could do a few extra sparring sessions, work on his concentration. he'd find a way & get help if need be. but he still didn't understand what he'd seen during their fight that got him to give up. just like that.

lev let his eyes roam the other slowly, lingering on his lips - he missed the never-ending chatter already. when nico pulled him in, he didn't fight. he didn't refuse. he let himself be held. eyes fluttered shut, his own breaths slow & steady, soft sigh shared only between them. he… assumed nico needed time. they had that. he could wait, he refused to be anywhere else but here. the moment nico spoke, his chest vibrating gently with every word, lev glanced up at home, unfazed. "so what?" was… that a problem? lev thought he'd made it quite clear why, unless …nico changed his mind? about them? no, he wouldn't be hugging him, would he? "what's the problem? we're stronger t'gether."

[tiredanvilandmace]

It was... Embarrassing. To say the least. Nico's been doing this his whole life. Sometimes he wondered what it would have been to just... retire once his roman years of service were done. And never answer to Hephaestus' call. Because... He's been swinging maces left and right. Fought monsters. Went on missions and survived. He was done surviving. He wanted to live a little. But he didn't think he could reach the living part of his plans if he kept doing poorly in the battlefield. He was a grown ass man and he should be able to pick up his own pace and carry his own weight. Be dependable and not a fucking burden.

Maybe because he never... Knew another life, never tried to live away from the influence of the gods. Away from camp... He didn't know what it would feel like to have to deal with another learning curve. But... To feel like he was stuck in the same place? That was... Terrifying. He... He was ashamed to admit out loud but... Something broke inside of him when he found himself so close to Baba Yaga and the point of no return. And... He had yet to piece everything back together. But... Could he even show it? His struggles? He was no son of Zeus. Leadership was not his mantle to carry neither was it his crown to wear. And yet... There he was, advanced in age, surrounded by young heroes and trying to keep a strong facade. Not for their sake. No. For his own. He didn't want to admit that he knew Lev could see through that. How weak he was.

"Not a problem." He responded but his tone implied that he still had things to say. And his jaw worked over them. Weighting his words, trying to make them make sense, his own eyes locked on Lev's, back to their natural shade, his body still tense but back to a more tolerable temperature. "You've been putting up with me from day one..." And he was well aware that he hasn't made the task any easier for Lev.

[waterforlorn]

lev was not a stranger to defeat, he'd been subjected to it most of his life. he's always had the anger & the rage on his side, sure - it worked on children his age & maybe those slightly older. it also worked on other occasions - sometimes, but many... many times did he wake up alone after a fight, his face & body bruised, bones broken on occasion. he.. was not a stranger to the gut-wrenching feeling of a lost battle. but lev had learnt to never give up, never surrender. always get back on your feet. defeat was not an option. if he did, he tried again. and again.

sure, they'd ....been somewhat helpless against charlie, but after his last fight with him, he... knew their odds were... not good, but he'd wanted to practice. since the forest, lev had upped his training in the hopes of improving enough to keep them safe.... safer. but he wasn't sure if his training had come to fruition. maybe sparring with charlie of all people had been a bad idea. no, it definitely had been. but if they didn't try.... they couldn't be surprised, right? nico was struggling in battle & he'd rather fix his mental in a spar than when their lives depended on it.

was he hurt? was it aftereffects... of... his almost-death? he was cold. almost too cold & that...brought memories lev didn't really want in his head back. "charlie wouldn't have. it was jus' sparring." like he & nico tended to do. but this wasn't about the sparring.... was it? "uh." he wasn't good at this. the tub.. was practically ready. lev tugged off his own clothes, then nico's - no, that was not debatable. he made sure nico climbed into the tub first so he could follow, letting the warmth of the water surround them. maybe it could calm nico's nerves.

"what's goin' on with ya?" lev ...had been talking & talking, but nico didn't want to listen. now.... he was worried? what changed? what the hell happened? soft peck to his lips, but lev didn't ... chase for more. not now. instead, he leaned against his chest, fingers gently brushing across the fur on the other male's chest. "tell me.. what's goin' on...? i'm... i can't follow."

[tiredanvilandmace]

Nico... Didn't partake in sparring. Not often. Sure he watched his fellow demis fighting. He paid attention to them as they gave it their all so he was not a stranger to their abilities when time came for them to band together in the battlefield.

He knew that Charlie was ruthless and Kit could become an issue to any enemies if he set his mind to it. Hell, Lev was a force not to be messed with. And Nico was so fucking proud of the three of them for their own merits. But he... He had been fucking useless in the battlefield. It felt fitting that a volcano wouldn't bother the skies or mother nature in her glory.

His mind kept going back and forth. The memories of the forest revisited but perhaps now seen through a new perspective. Lev's concern when Nico went out to meet with the stranger and then fetch her a book. It all... Made sense anew to him. Tub was full and Lev was leading in into it. And Nico did. But he did not lower his body. Not yet. Instead he remained standing and waited until Lev joined him. His brain was in the middle of a hurricane and yet... His jaw... Was locked. The usually rambler blacksmith... Was silent. And he didn't know if he would make sense if he tried to voice his thoughts so... Instead of trying he just... Pulled Lev against him. Held the son of the seas against his chest. Buried his face in Lev's neck. And just... Breathed.

He didn't move any further than that. He just held onto the other and tried to make sense of that chaos that was going on within his mind. "You always follow. Even when you shouldn't..." He said finally after what it felt like an eternity. Although it could be a short time. Nico wouldn't know.

[waterforlorn]

"nico..." he was quiet. no, silent. silent nico was never a good sign, lev .. knew that much. he observed him, watched his every move even inside the poseidon cabin, watched his eyes flicker & glow. what was he thinking? what came over him? they could've ... tried, couldn't they? lev had yet to try out his new spell - after he'd prayed to his ... father for it & nico went back on his plans. not.. that lev had been unhappy about it, really. he... was relieved. he just... wasn't ready to face danger alone like this - not that he didn't trust nico with his life... no. he didn't trust himself to be able to keep the other alive.

"nico." lev grabbed his wrist to pull him closer, hands roaming up to cup his face, forcing the forge's son to look at him. "talk t'me. what're you thinkin'?" what... went on inside that big-ass brain of his? lev was sore, bruises & cuts scattered across his body. he was ready for that damn bath, but .. not before nico shared. "please."

[tiredanvilandmace]

The first time Lev called him, Nico ignored, eyes locked on the faucet, incapable of looking at the other. It was... A bless and a curse to have a demigod's brain. Because he could take important decisions in the middle of the battle in a split second but it also helped him to keep his focus locked on a target or an objective. However... It also made it so he could visit several scenarios and possibilities that could spiral south real fast if he couldn't keep himself in check. What if Nico kept on with his incredibly stupid idea of saving the Twilight Lands and lost Lev in the process just because he couldn't fare the thought of losing anyone again? Sure Kit was back and alive but... How many times had Kit alone managed to keep Nico from dying and still made sure he survived his most impulsive plans. How many times had Daniel exerted his own light to keep Nico up so he could keep on ditching attacks until their enemies went down.

Sure he and Lev could be a force of nature but they were no match for someone like Charlie and his two great swords, especially backed by Kit. Nico knew from experience what it felt like to have Kit renewing your strength in the middle of the combat. And he knew that his shovel could be just as intimidating as his command over plants. And all of that power had been locked and target at Lev. While Nico had to watch because his own attacks barely seemed to faze Charlie. The shield he had sent Lev's way had only been enough to hold one attack. His presence in that combat had been... Nearly useless.

Nico was so lost in the whirlwind of thoughts... That he actually didn't hear Lev the second time until the son of Poseidon pulled him in closer. And if it were anyone else, Nico might have used whatever energy he had gathered around him to push the person away. But Lev... Lev would have the sight of Nico's glowing blue eyes with a shadow of fear and guilt lurking in there. And the feeling of how cold Nico's skin felt to the touch. Maybe as cold as it had been when Nico first woke up after that fateful combat. He was having a hard time accessing his own source of warmth.

"I could have lost you out of sheer stupidity and I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself." The stars knew that Daniel still weighed on his heart from time to time. Nico hadn't been strong enough then. Fast enough. And he still didn't think he was now. Age... Suddenly weighed heavier on his shoulders as if... as if that wench had touched him again.

[waterforlorn]

@tiredanvilandmace

"we forfeit."

we what? lev was clearly surprised to hear those words from nico, ever. nico almost died several times in the past & didn't even consider surrender despite lev scolding him & expressing his concern. no, nico kept pushing & chasing danger. now they were sparring, practicing & he …. surrendered? why? lev had been the one to take the beating, had even found himself knocked out - if only shortly. charlie .. just hit insanely hard. some of those kids just.. lev would never get used to seeing charlie fly at him with two fuckin' greatswords in his hands.

but lev… followed quietly - wheels turning & mind wandering. he was bruised & definitely had a subtle limp on him, though the most severe source of pain currently was… his pride. it wasn't until they were back at the poseidon cabin that lev spoke up. "y'wanna tell me what that was about?"

[tiredanvilandmace]

Never in his twenty something years between CHB and Camp Jupiter did Nico forfeit a match. And yet... There he was. Heading over to Poseidon's cabin, shoulders square, Lev in tow. No words out of his mouth and yet his brain... Wouldn't shut up. He knew he should take Charlie's greatswords at some point to upgrade them. But he suddenly felt... A little resistant to do so...

They passed by the large fountain and once again ended up in the bathroom, Nico turning the faucet to get the tub filled. His eyes flickered blue as he tried to reign in his thoughts and failed to keep himself from getting lost in the 'What if that was the outcome for them should they set foot in Twilight Lands just the two of them.' "Not particularly, no." He said willing his jaw to unclench enough for words to come forth.

[waterforlorn]

lev wasn't .. a cuddler, he thought. at least he didn't think he was. he'd not seen the appeal in it before. he hadn't really felt ... it was for him, although the reason for that might've been the lack of empathy he'd held for those that he shared intimate moments with. not that... they had been.. very intimate in the first place. but with nico... he was.. well, he felt the tides changing & that.. was definitely an unexpected turn of events. but when he flopped down in that lap again, with the blacksmith's arms around him & his warmth all around him - comfortable & sweet... he felt like he finally found his home in the place he last thought viable.

moving against him, but not breaking the kiss - not even for a split second, not .. at all, lev snaked his arms around nico, holding him close - he he held him close in return. when he did pull away from nico's lips to let them both breathe, he ..let their eyes meet. he hoped that the other understood, that nico felt what it was that he felt between them. because lev didn't have the words for it. he didn't think he ever would. but so long as nico knew that lev didn't mean to hurt him.. he was.. okay. they'd be okay. whatever this was between them. he didn't mean to figure it out in the middle of the hephaestus cabin, not because he was shy, but because it seemed like nico preferred privacy.

lev respected that. so he'd enjoy this, he'd …ride him - yes, with their clothes on, but lev was determined & very, very eager to keep their lips locked.

[tiredanvilandmace]

Nico had... A decision to make. They could make use of the opportunity of an empty cabin since everyone would be out either training or working in the forge and that time would be the least likely that anyone would be here. Unless someone came looking specifically for his work. And... Well... He wasn't sure if he wanted to catch him naked on the workshop's couch with Lev. And the issue wasn't the company. But... Himself. He was a bit of a prude and one well aware of that. Daniel had been the adventurous little shit back then.

Lev's lips firmly and hungrily locked against his own sure were presenting a... Challenge for his own rationality as he felt it slowly slip away from him as his body melted against the soldier's strong torso. And it only got worse when he shifted his grip around Lev in a flimsy attempt to try and lift both himself and the older male but... All he managed was to embarrass himself in that failed attempt. So... No better time than now to swallow his pride and try to string at least two words together.

"My bedroom?"

[waterforlorn]

lev had no complaints about their first night together. he'd enjoyed himself greatly & while he might've dipped after the exchange of … pleasantries (it was cuddling), he didn't .. mean to leave the impression that he didn't. sure, it might've moved forward a little slow at times, but … lev - surprisingly hadn't minded too much in the long run. he … it was fine. utterly & completely. no, it was better than that, but lev wasn't going to go & tell him that. not … in words. or anything that nico might properly understand, because lev wasn't the type of person to do that. then again, he thought he wasn't the kind of person who hooked up with the same guy twice & yet here he was.

& it wasn't nico who chased this. it was him. "nah. ain't gonna carry your lazy ass anywhere." not if he fainted because he'd been stupid, which lev intended to fix, so.. apparently he'd taken quite the task upon himself. none he would step down from, mind you. lev didn't surrender. he never had, he never would. he was born a fighter & he always knew he'd go down one. admittedly, he thought it'd be the army to take his life, but … it seemed like another war would be the cause of his demise sooner or later. "hm." he knew kit was … a healer more than anything, their protector & lev was grateful for that, but his mind couldn't quite wrap around the shovel part, no matter how hard he tried. it wasn't his business, though, so.. he didn't push the matter.

part of him had worried nico would push him away after how things went. he'd not have blame him for it, either - not at all. but alas, he didn't & lev soon found himself pressed against the son of the forge again, their lips engaged in a fiery dance. it felt like coming home. fuck. shit. why? what was wrong with him? why was now the time his brain decided to change its course? because it definitely couldn't be his heart. this time.. it was lev's turn & he had a very clear idea of what he wanted to do. after he did something else. something he'd been wanting to do equally badly ever since their first hook-up.

he definitely didn't think of nico while avoiding him, no. without releasing the other's lips, lev got up & carefully moved closer, around & climbed back on top of the other male, once again planting himself in his lap - straddling it, not only to grind their groins together, but also to ensure their chests were flush - nico's hand between them went ignored & squished as he deepened the kiss.

[tiredanvilandmace]

It wasn't always that Nico admitted... Although it was a bit on the nose to anyone that bothered to pay attention to him... But he was a tactile person. The texture of his weapons was never off to his senses because he took his time with maintenance. And further more... When it came to touching another person...

He relished in the opportunity to exchange warmth with someone else. Because not everyone inspired him enough trust so he'd allow himself to be open and vulnerable. But Lev... Nico didn't go for hook ups. And sometimes he didn't even seek sex. Just... Cuddles. No matter how others might make fun of him for being a softie but... He did. And there was something about Lev... Like... Get him into his embrace, not like trying to taming the ocean but like... Becoming one with a gentle current and let himself float adrift.

Sure Nico prided himself in having a body that was great for cuddles but Lev wasn't that far behind with his broad chest and strong arms. Let's face it Nicolo... You can't help but wear your heart on your sleeve... He thought to himself as Lev stranded his lap. And that weight... Felt far too familiar. To the point that he found himself sighing happily as his arm snaked around Lev's sinful waist and pulled him close. No space allowed to exist between their bodies. Only then his hand let go of Lev's shirt but just so he could join the other arm. Ye... Maybe he wanted to hold the seas in his arms... It wasnt too bad a feeling if he was being honest with himself.