#but it makes me laugh to myself thinking of apollo being like. w my shirt

[noxtivagus]

good morning zz ( not morning anymore technically bcs it's 12 smth but.. i woke up like an hour ago so i can still say gm 🥺 )

[4haechie]

son of apollo!donghyuck

pairing: son of apollo!donghyuck x child of athena!reader genre: fluff, comedy, some adventure/action, pjo au, e2l au words: 3,173 warning: couple of curse words here n there a/n: i reference a bunch of pjo characters in this so if u haven’t read pjo *crowd booing*

so donghyuck’s the son of apollo right

there’s like no arguing when it comes to that

he’s extremely talented at singing and making music, dancing, rapping, songwriting, so he’s no doubt apollo’s offspring

and he’s naturally gifted at archery as well

you can’t spell haechan without ACE teehee

u on the other hand

you’re athena’s child

you love to read and write you’re incredibly smart ofc

you love competing and winning and taking part in strategy making to bring your opponents DOWN 💅🏼

athena’s the goddess of wisdom as well as warcraft so needless to say you’re exceptional in both fields

you’re not just textbook smart, no no, you’re able to apply all the knowledge you learn…well…irl

not to mention you’re good with all kinds of weapons

ur fave weapons include swords and spears :D

you’re okay w knives too!!! and daggers!!! you’re not picky

but you’re better w longer blades just cuz u have more experience w them

fun fact: you’re the head of the athena cabin and donghyuck’s the head of the apollo cabin

you’re both great leaders, always doing your best to make the best strategies to win capture the flag, the chariot races, and other fun activities chiron plans for the campers 😁

but . you guys are Sworn Enemies

actually the better term to use would be “rivals”

you guys r So competitive to the point where you actually developed a rivalry during your first few years at camp half-blood

donghyuck LOVES to win but so do you… so obv he’s gonna go out of his way to make sure he/his cabin wins

that doesn’t mean you’ve ever backed down from his challenges…

if he’s competitive you’re twice as competitive

one day after breakfast during your fifth year at camp when you’re both about 18, chiron decides to host a good old game of capture the flag

u know . for old times’ sake 😼

once he makes the announcement you immediately turn to your cabin mates

“we have to win no matter what”

“y/n, it’s just capture the flag. we’re not fighting gaea”

“bitch are u in or not”

the entire dining hall is buzzing with excitement

nothing makes a demigod’s day like a capture the flag announcement 😌

chiron suddenly grabs the megaphone again and calls out “this time however there’s a little twist,” he chuckles as everybody goes silent

you raise an eyebrow

“you’ll be in teams of course. everybody has to play. there’s twenty cabins, so there will be ten teams of two cabins each. i’ll pair you guys up myself. each pair gets a flag–so there’s ten flags in total. the game will be won by the pair who manages to collect all flags and brings them back to their base before anyone has the chance to steal their own flag.”

the demigods burst into intense chatter and discussion once more

you turn your head back to your siblings and tilt your head in slight confusion

you’ve never played capture the flag in teams before

“anyone but apollo. i’m literally begging. sam, pray to athena right now”

“y/n RELAX”

“i think if we’re partners with apollo’s cabin i’ll actually jump into tartarus”

“…”

“what? percy and annabeth survived” 🙄

chiron pulls out a scroll and calls out the pairings one by one

poseidon and demeter, hades and ares (good luck to them), so on and so forth

your heart keeps racing . athena’s name has not been called out yet

and just like that your worst fear comes true

“athena cabin with apollo cabin. the game will commence in thirty minutes, which is how much time you have to prepare. good luck and stay safe!”

you drop your head into your palm (aka head in hands meme jpg)

“this is the worst day of my entire life”

“y/n, you’re hands down the most dramatic person i’ve ever met”

maybe it’s just you–bc your siblings seem fine with the apollo kids

they have so many apollo cabin friends :(

curse u and donghyuck’s little rivalry that the entire camp and chiron knows about

so him putting yall together definitely was not a coincidence cough cough

can u blame him

🌤🌈 he just wants all of u to get along 🌈🌤

he’s seen w his own two centaur eyes what happens when demigods fight between themselves

it’s not healthy

he needs u guys to get along bc u and donghyuck are some of the best demigods at camp rn

ur quick wits and amazing sword skills

his position as the camp’s best archer

imagine how powerful yall would be if u two worked together

if only you got along from the start.. but nooooo

ur egos r just too high F

but anyway, back to the present

you’re sitting there, head in your hands, dreading this already when some of the apollo kids swagger over to your guys’ table

donghyuck is in front of them as he scoffs after seeing your dreadful state

“why the sad face, y/n?”

you lift your head up to see him hovering over your seat and roll your eyes

you get up and your siblings follow

you’re just gonna have to make do. you don’t have time to complain

the thing is

you’ve only lost capture the flag once 👎🏼

a few summers ago the apollo cabin defeated the entire camp leaving everybody speechless

it’s true they didn’t defeat JUST you but somehow you thought it was personal

you had the PERFECT record 😕

zero losses . only wins

but bc of the apollo kids your cabin’s record was tarnished

which is sorta why you started hating them (esp donghyuck their leader) so much

donghyuck caught on immediately and made it a point to compete just as hard as u

so yea. that’s how you became rivals

he knows how much ur gonna hate working with him but u don’t really have a choice now do u :/

so he knows exactly why u have a sad face

but this is donghyuck we’re talking about

just bc yall r “rivals” doesn’t mean he’s not gonna tease u 😂😂😂

(or maybe he teases u bc he thinks ur cute and he hopes one day u realise him teasing is actually donghyuck for flirting 🤭)

“you know damn well why, lee donghyuck”

“oh c’mon i think it’ll be fun! if we combine our skills, we definitely have a hundred percent chance of winning”

you cross your arms and glance at your siblings who just shrug in agreement

you sigh loudly

“don’t even think about fucking this is up, donghyuck. and just so we’re clear, i’m in charge”

he laughs, “yup! got it”

so you start talking strategy

you only have 30 minutes so you need to make the best of it

you divide the two cabins into pairs so that an athena and an apollo kid will be paired together and in charge of smth diff

you have plenty of people on your team – 5 in athena’s cabin and 5 in apollo’s cabin

some will handle weapons and safety gear, some will handle mapping out the playing area which was basically the entirety of the woods, some will be setting up traps near your team’s flag to prevent others from coming close

30 minutes quickly pass and after dividing the work and planning your strategy with donghyuck and friends you turn your attention back to chiron who has his megaphone in hand

everyone’s told to gather outside the dining hall at the open field before the game commences

you, donghyuck, and your teammates briefly talk strategy once more . just to make sure everybody knows what they’re supposed to do

“let the game begin!” chiron blows a loud whistle and the demigods scramble out of the field, going to their designated flag locations

your spot is near a little creek, but the forest around your flag is quite dense so u figure it’s relatively hard to locate

it’s not that late so the afternoon sun makes your skin glisten with sweat

“damn, can you tell your dad to chill tf out for a while,” you tell donghyuck jokingly

he just rolls his eyes but on the inside he’s kinda glad you’re being casual with him rather than 😡😡😡😡😡 like u normally are

u don’t know what it is about him today but u swear he’s acting different around u

he wasn’t… as annoying while discussing strategy ????

he actually ?????? listened ?????? to what u had to say 🤔🤔🤔🤔

he didn’t argue, he didn’t even throw around witty burns like he usually does w/o hesitation

u were like… is he ok

little do u know!!! he actually l*kes u 🤭🤭🤭

well… it’s not a 100% fact that HE himself knows as well

but his siblings caught on to his weird behaviour n figured smth was up

mark being one of hyuck’s closest friends n siblings in the apollo cabin, realised he was acting weird ever since yall got grouped together

he seemed nervous ⁉️ which he never ever is

he’s like the most confident person mark’s ever known

so mark was like *thinks*

after putting two and two together mark came to the conclusion that he might have a small crush on u

bc hyuck kept glancing over at u, kept talking abt how ur a good leader (he’s never gonna tell YOU that tho. he crossed his heart on that one)

mark was like i didn’t even ask but ok

mark was confused at first tho cuz everybody and their mom knows about your guys’ rivalry so why tf would hyuck have a crush on someone he considers his rival

mark decides not to get ahead of himself bc hey!!! maybe he doesn’t have a crush, maybe he just thinks ur a good leader

like that’s it u know?

LMAO 🤫

so anywayz where was i

ah right

the flag

OK SO ur team’s flag is yellow ! :D

it’s like the colour of sunflowers

you and donghyuck r in charge of guarding the flag while ur team members scout around for the other flags

easy peasy

you and donghyuck are at your base now, weapons drawn just in case

the flag is hung on a poll couple feet taller than you

you’re dressed in ur usual training clothes – a pair of washed out shorts, a very old orange camp half-blood shirt; your sword’s sheath hanging from one of the belt loops of your shorts

donghyuck’s dressed similarly – a pair of blue ripped jeans, the same orange camp shirt tucked into them, but he has a purple flannel on, which he takes off and ties around his waist

“it’s so freaking hot,” he says, mentally agreeing with the comment u made about apollo earlier

“tell me about it”

there’s a silence that follows, the only sound heard is the subtle flow of the creek water

you’re thankful for the silence

it’s easier to keep an ear open for opponents on their way to steal your flag

just as you think about it, an ares and a hades kid approach your base

they’re on the other side of the creek, less than ten to fifteen feet away

“hi y/n,” the hades kid you’re kind of close to says

you shoot him a fake smile before holding your sword in front of you

donghyuck pulls out an arrow from his quiver and nocks it in his bow, aiming for the two demigods in front of you

the creek isn’t that deep, so the two demigods cross it with ease

they have their weapons drawn; they’re now a couple of feet away from you and more importantly the flag

no words are said as donghyuck lets his arrow fly and knock the hades’ kid sword out of his hands

he didn’t use an arrow with a sharp tip, you note

the hades’ kid stumbles backwards, imbalanced after he gets unarmed

you stand your ground as the ares’ kid scrambles forward, attacking you with her sword

your blades clash defiantly

you continue to spar with all your might

from the corner of your eye you see that the hades’ kid, sword back in hand, is battling donghyuck on your left

the flag is right behind you and donghyuck; you can’t let the two demigods get near it

you and the ares kid are still battling each other, putting all your strength into making sure she surrenders

but u should know better

ares and athena kids have many similarities like their love for winning, their confidence in battle, etc.

it’s like looking in a mirror

you don’t have anything against this particular ares kid, though

“c’mon, y/n, give up already”

that REALLY makes your blood boil

you never give up, no matter what

with one final blow of your sword, you knock her sword out of her hands, making her think she distracted you with her words

she goes flying back, half her body landing in the creek water

her sword lies in between you and her, but you doubt she’ll have the courage to fight again

the hades kid sees this and quickly scrambles away from hyuck, picking up the ares kid’s sword and giving her a hand up

“this is why i hate you and your siblings–your huge ego always gets in the way,” you hear the hades kid grumble to his partner as they run away from you, shame written all over their defeat

hyuck laughs and wipes sweat from his forehead

you can’t help but laugh either

you love it here at 🧡 camp half-blood 🧡

a few moments pass as your teammates emerge from the dense woods, each pair with a different colour flag held between them

you smile in victory

you quickly bring down your flag from its pole and give it to hyuck

“me? it was your plan…”

“yeah, but i couldn’t have done it without you, hyuck”

he almost passes out at your choice of nickname

back at the main hall, chiron announces your team as the winner, and that the prize yall being excused from doing chores all week long!!!!

it’s not much, but hey, at least you and hyuck ended up working together and winning the game, right?

later, hyuck pulls you aside from your cabin mates, and walks you to the lakeside

you two sit at the deck, side by side, watching the water doing nothing in particular

you watch as hyuck swings his feet lightly, his toes barely touching the water

“y/n, do you hate me?” donghyuck asks out of the blue

you’re like 😳 what

now that he asks you that . like straight up . it makes u think

do u REALLY hate him

or do u just hate losing to him

“why would i hate you?” you question back

“i don’t know? i guess because of our, um, rivalry thing i thought you can’t stand me”

you play with the beads of your camp necklace

“i don’t hate you, donghyuck. i just hate losing. i guess it’s the athena in me,” you laugh at how lame you sound

“i hate losing too, but i don’t hate you, in case you’re wondering.”

he takes a deep breath

“i know we started going against one another ‘cause of that one time my cabin won capture the flag, but i don’t want things to stay this way,” he pushes his hair back

“i guess what i’m saying is… i like working with you.” he pauses

“yeah,” he says, as if more convinced now, “and i would really like to get to know you better,” he clears his throat, very clearly embarrassed

you laugh at his flustered state

“stop laughing at me,” he stretches the last syllable as he lightly shoves you with his shoulder

you’re trying even harder to not laugh now, but for his sake, you hold it in

“that’s probably the cutest thing you’ve ever said”

he crosses his arms, “i’m always cute”

you’re like. THE NERVE?????? 😒😒😒

“how ‘bout we go slow? i mean, we just became un-enemies, we’re gonna need to be friends first, right?” you poke his shoulder

“you make a good point”

“i’m literally athena’s child, but okay”

“shut up!”

✨ time skip ✨

both u and hyuck stay at camp over the holidays which means more bonding time!!! yay!!!!!

a year has passed and u and hyuck r basically bffs, attached at the hip, and everybody except mark is surprised as fuck

rmb the days when hyuck thought u were “cute”?

welp 🤭 he’s at that point where everything u do makes his heart flutter

yeah… he likes u Like A Lot

u have no clue abt his feelings for u and he has no clue abt ur feelings for him either

exactly a year after the iconic capture the flag game, ur both seated at the deck by the lakeside, side by side, again

“y/n…there’s something you need to know”

“if you’re gonna tell me about the mixtape you’re dropping with mark, i literally don’t want to hear it”

“THAT WAS ONE TIME”

“YOU GOT THE ENTIRE CAMP’S HOPES UP FOR NO REASON”

both of you burst into fits of laughter

after calming down, he shoves your shoulder lightly with his shoulder, like he always does (only to u tho)

“no, seriously, i need to tell you something”

“what’s up?”

“i,” he pauses, clears his throat, “like you. a lot–i have for a while now.”

you swear your heart stops beating and your brain explodes

HE? LIKES? U?????????

he continues, “i don’t know if you like me back, but i’ve been wanting to tell you this for so long–guess i didn’t have the courage until recently,” he lets out an airy laugh

you’re looking at him in the eyes now; a subtle shimmer of the afternoon sun sparkling in his eyes

“hyuck, i like you too. how could i possibly not?” you chuckle at his shocked expression

he goes :O

he’s genuinely speechless when you lean forward and press your lips ever so softly onto his

you literally feel him freeze, which worries you for a second, but your worry is washed away when he slowly kisses you back

you melt right then and there

he takes your hand in his, interlocking fingers, as you pull away, a faint pink blush painting both your cheeks

“wow”

“really, y/n? that’s all you have to say? what happened to being wisdom’s child, huh?”

“donghyuck, i SWEAR to ALL THE GODS–!”

your sentence is cut off when he presses his lips onto yours again, you smile into the kiss which causes him to smile with you

he kisses you again and again, and then again, until you’re both a giggling mess

“let’s stay like this forever, yeah? what do you say?” he says, bringing his lips to your forehead, lingering there for a moment before pulling back and looking at you

you look at your intertwined hands, and then back up at him, “i’d like that”

[flightfoot]

A Convergence of Apollos Chapter 7 - END

God!Apollo’s POV

We arrived at the Empire State Building shortly before sunset. On the one hand, I was afraid that maybe the demigods (and satyr, and... me?) had already completed the quest, and my counterpart had fled. On the other hand, I was grateful I didn’t have to wait long for them to show up. I have a tendency to get lost in my own head when given the opportunity to think while stressed, and right then, I had nothing BUT time. Well I suppose I COULD have practiced for my concert (which at this rate I’d probably have to cancel, I didn’t think I could deal with performing at the moment) but there’s no way I could concentrate on it.

So I paced.

I was grateful that Artemis believed me enough to come at least. My tale was absurd; I KNEW that. If I’D heard another god spouting about a time-traveling mortal version of themselves, I’d assumed they’d either been tricked or was crazy.

But I COULDN’T write off what I’d seen. I’d felt a vague sense of familiarity while looking at the boy, something that said ‘Look closely and THINK.’ But another, louder part of me had screamed ‘DON’T LOOK. Don’t listen. Not if you want to maintain your worldview. If you look too closely, even you won’t be able to hide from the truth of what you’ll see.’

So I tried to avoid looking. I invented a somewhat plausible-sounding reason for why they might have appeared out of thin air. I tried to maintain my careful facade.

Then my other self smashed it to pieces.

“Do not harm her.  Don’t you dare harm ANY of them.  LOOK AT ME!  REALLY LOOK AT ME, DON’T JUST STARE THROUGH ME LIKE WE ALWAYS DID, DON’T PRETEND PEOPLE FEEL THE WAY THAT’S CONVENIENT FOR US, FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, TRY TO UNDERSTAND! “

I couldn’t stop myself. I did as he asked and looked closer, into his essence, into his SOUL.

What I found shocked me. But I can’t say I was truly surprised. Part of me had already known what I’d find.

It was my own essence. My own self. Only a bare sliver, but undeniably there, and undeniably ME.

I’d freaked. I couldn’t help it. And I did what I always did when in emotional turmoil. I went to my family.

I glanced over at Artemis. She stood stock-still. To someone who didn’t know her, it might have looked like she wasn’t doing anything. I knew better. That was the look of a hunter waiting for their prey.

If my other self HAD been a trick, I would’ve felt sorry for them. Most gods knew better than to get on my sister’s bad side, myself included. We might mess with each other a little, but it was very, VERY rare for us to do something that would truly, deeply upset the other person. The times that’d happened...

I shoved the thought away before it could fully manifest. I had enough going on with my current internal crisis. No sense picking at old wounds.

I heard the sound of rapid footsteps. I glanced up.

My mortal self charged towards my sister, a look of desperate NEED on his face.

How long had he - had I - gone without seeing Artemis?

Was Zeus truly that cruel, to deny me from seeing my twin?

Who was I kidding. Of course he was.

My mortal self SMASHED into Artemis, sending him sprawling to the ground. I winced. That HAD to hurt.

He scrambled back up, winded. My sister - HIS sister - helped him up.

I looked at Artemis’s face. The look of concern and shock in her eyes... clearly she’d realized that I hadn’t been tricked or mistaken. This boy was somehow, impossibly, ME.

He babbled brokenly into Artemis’s shoulder, tears running down his face and soaking Sis’s shirt. I watched silently. I was NOT about to get in the middle of this. For one thing, my other self NEEDED this. For another... well, who WOULD? Honestly if I could reasonably give them privacy I would, but we were in the middle of New York City right near the Empire State Building, and it didn’t seem like either of them were thinking about the location at the moment. I also hoped to hear more about what my future self went through. Maybe if I knew I could prevent it, or at least make it less traumatic.

Then Artemis checked him for injuries. And things got so much worse.

At some point along my journey, I’d been injured BADLY. Really, REALLY badly. And I seemed almost ASHAMED about it.

What my other self hinted he’d done - how he hinted about these other people being held captive, with his own life as the only bargaining chip he had - it chilled me to my core. Had he done what I thought he’d done? Nearly killed himself to help save a handful of demigods?

I didn’t quite know how to feel about that. I’d never had that level of resolve. I’d never been put in a situation where I’d had to choose between my own life and someone else’s.

If I was, could I make the choice my counterpart had?

Maybe... maybe if it was Artemis or Leto. But for a handful of demigods? They were disposable. I tried to help my own children at least, but even then I didn’t always realized that they’d died until years later. I’d been striving to get better on that front, but I still wouldn’t put myself in mortal danger for them.

The closest I’d come was with my favorite son, Asclepius. When Zeus struck him down, I’d been FURIOUS. But even then, I didn’t go up against Zeus directly for fear of being destroyed. I’d taken it out in the Elder Cyclopes instead. I was still punished, but it would’ve been MUCH worse if I’d outright attacked Zeus.

What had happened - what had he - what had I - been through, that had caused me to put the lives of a few demigods above my own?

Why did he care so much?

I refocused on my other self. Maybe I could glean some answers from him.

I listened to his description of what Medea was going to do to him. What she HAD done.

I nearly threw up.

I stumbled to the nearest light pole and slid down it until I was sitting on the ground.

I- I’d nearly been destroyed. COMPLETELY.

Death was one thing, but THAT? That was MUCH worse.

And Zeus! He must have seen this. We weren’t omniscient - not by a long shot - but he would be watching me already, if only to laugh at my suffering.

He didn’t do anything.

Of course he didn’t. He didn’t even want me to help Artemis when she was captured, why would he intervene on MY behalf?

Because he would be partly responsible for your destruction, I answered myself. Because this goes beyond just sitting back and not helping. He would be the reason I was vulnerable in the first place. He would be responsible for it.

Oh who was I kidding. Zeus would just shove the blame onto someone else. Or maybe he’d just argue that I deserved it and it was my own fault I wasn’t tough enough to survive.

“I- I w-was saved. I- I- regained some of my memories. But n-not all. I- I...! ”

Wait, WHAT?! I hadn’t regained all my memories afterwards? What did I forget...?

No.

PLEASE NO.

PLEASE ZEUS, PLEASE.

“I- I- I forgot you, Artemis. I forgot you existed.”

Not seeing my sister was one thing. But forgetting her entirely?

That- that went beyond anything I could’ve imagined.

I couldn’t - not without my sister - how - how had my other self even had the strength to CONTINUE? When something so fundamental to myself was ripped away?

I could survive with being mortal. I’d done it twice before.

I didn’t know if I could survive without being able to even REMEMBER the person I was closest to.

Artemis knew me best - perhaps even better than my mother. She was my rock.

To have that swept away...

“I’m- I’m so sorry Artemis. I for-forgot you. I’m a horrible-”

From my outside perspective, I knew it wasn’t his fault - MY fault - that he’d forgotten Artemis.

But I also knew that in his shoes, I’d blame myself too.

Maybe we weren’t so different after all.

Artemis wasn’t having ANY of it.  “NO. Apollo, you are NOT a horrible ANYTHING, least of all for something you have no control over. YES, I’m shocked and angry, but not at you. NEVER at you. At our Father, at Caligula, at Medea, yes. BUT NOT AT YOU.”

Artemis... what had I done to deserve such a wonderful sister?

I teared up as my other self collapsed into my sister’s arms.

Artemis... she’d known just what to say. Of course. She always did.

After awhile, my other self calmed down enough to speak.

I almost wished he wouldn’t. That I’d never have to learn what had caused him such pain. But I needed to know. I needed to UNDERSTAND.

My other self finally said how, EXACTLY, he’d gotten that wound.

So this... this was why he’d changed. Why I’d changed. Jason... he’d been willing to die without a complaint, because he couldn’t stand someone else dying in his place.

No gods had come to his aid. But a demigod HAD.

Jason had been more willing to help, to put himself on the line, then any of my divine brethren.

Of course that’s what heroes do, a voice whispered in my head. Jason is hardly unique in that way. But you never cared about that before. So why are you being affected now?

Because it’s me, I answered myself. It was always someone else before. It wasn’t me, so I wrote it off. I wrote off all those demigods and I HADN’T CARED.

My other self’s tale wasn’t done.

It got worse.

Jason at least was a demigod hero. I would at least EXPECT heroic actions from him, even if I hadn’t fully appreciated such heroics in the past. And from the sound of it, he hadn’t just sacrificed himself for me. It had mostly been for Piper.

But Crest?

It took me a moment to even remember what a Pandos WAS. I wouldn’t have expected much of anything from one of them. And from the sound of it, Crest was a child.

And yet...!

He’d... this kid... he’d not only gone against the orders of one of the cruelest people I’d ever known in the hope of getting some music lessons, but had continued to help my other self beyond ANYTHING he would have asked for.

He hadn’t stopped either. He’d sacrificed himself for me. He’d had SEVERAL chances to leave me to my fate, and yet he’d chosen to save me even if it killed him. Even though it killed his dream.

He didn’t even KNOW me.

Abruptly I realized that I’d stopped thinking of this as happening to some other version of me, and had started thinking of it happening to MYSELF.

I couldn’t help it. Hearing what had gone down, I connected more closely with this other version of myself. I saw how I’d gone from being me to being him.

We weren’t any different at our core. Of course we weren’t. We were the same person until very recently. It was only his recent experiences that distinguished him from myself, and hearing what he’d been through, I at least had a shadow of his experiences.

I didn’t think I could ever become like this other version of myself entirely, never reach the sheer depth of his understanding and compassion for the mortals that I’d been neglecting for so long.

But I could try.

Maybe that would be enough?

Watching my other self collapse into my sister’s embrace for the third time, I decided that it would HAVE to be enough. I had to become someone worthy of the help my other self had been given. Someone worthy of those sacrifices.

I- I wanted to be a better person. A GOOD person. I didn’t know whether that was even possible. I’d done some horrible things in the past, and allowed others to occur in my ambivalence.  But I would TRY.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My other self calmed down enough to continue speaking again after a few minutes.

He turned to me, seeming to just remember I was here. I couldn’t blame him. With all he’d been through, with all he’d lost, I’d get tunnel vision too.

He stared at me for a moment, seeming to search for words.

“Do you understand?” he asked at last, seeming to look into my soul.

“I- I think so,” I replied, my mouth suddenly feeling dry.

He seemed to consider what I said for a moment, then nodded. “There are some things you need to know. I told Percy a lot of what happened, what’s GOING to happen, so you can ask him for more information later. But there’s some things I didn’t go into. Some things I wanted to tell you in person.”

I nodded, trying to hide my anxiety.

“Our kids - ALL of them... try to be there for them more? When I went to Camp Half-blood, they- they tried to make me feel comfortable. Tried to help me feel like I belonged. Even though I barely knew them. Even though I’d only visited them in person a handful of times, spoken to them in dreams a dozen more. They still tried SO HARD to help me. They cared about me SO MUCH. They deserve better.”

Guilt twisted my stomach. I’d always felt that I should spend more time with my children. But I was afraid of what the other gods would say, ESPECIALLY Zeus. He preferred us to be hands-off if possible. I couldn’t do what he was asking...

Oh who was I kidding. It was true that Zeus didn’t like us spending too much time with our kids. He might notice if I vastly increased the amount of time I spent around them in-person, but he wouldn’t be paying as much attention to dreams, especially right now, when he had bigger things to worry about.

And I could probably sneak in a few more visits to Camp Half-blood than I did before. I’d just have to come up with some sort of excuse, like needing to talk to Chiron about something, or needing to drop off some stray demigod Artemis found who didn’t want or was unable to join the Hunt.

“I’ll try my best,” I said.

My other self sighed, “Good. Sometimes that’s the best we CAN do.”

He fell silent for a moment, his face twisting up a little. “There’s also the matter of one of my Legacies. Octavian.”

I tensed, glancing at Percy and Grover. He was talking about the Romans HERE? Now? In front of some Greeks? Sure he’d mentioned Jason before, but he hadn’t said anything to give away that he wasn’t Greek. Just MENTIONING the word ‘Legacy’ was a tip off that something was different about Octavian.

My other self noticed the look on my face and explained. “I already told Percy and Grover about the Romans. They’d need to know soon anyway, since Gaea is awakening and the Greeks and Romans will need to unite.”

I choked. Gaea was WHAT!

I opened my mouth to speak, but my other self cut me off. “I already told Percy most of what he needs to know, you can ask him for details later. I don’t know how much time I have and I don’t want to repeat myself too much.”

He took a breath and let it out. “So, Octavian. I think... he’s kind of like Commodus. I was enamored with Octavian’s promises, his vision of a future where I was head god of Rome. I fell for his flattery, ignoring any warning signs, just like I did all those years ago. Octavian, he... something’s wrong with him. I’m not sure what. Not exactly. But he REALLY hates the Greeks. I’m not sure why. You’ll have trouble forging peace between the camps if he’s in a position of power, at least as Octavian is now. Octavian... I think he’s ill somehow. After an unfortunate incident that led New Rome to believe the Greeks had attacked them - again, ask Percy - he went kind of crazy. Manic. He refused to listen to reason, and believed that anyone who questioned him would stab him in the back.”

“I don’t know whether he can be saved. I wasn’t able to save Commodus. But maybe... maybe if you catch him early, you can stop him from deteriorating too far. It’s worth a try. There’s no chance of success without TRYING.”

“Just make sure he’s not in a position of power or influence right now. He needs therapy, or medication, or SOMETHING. But if he’s able to retaliate... well, I don’t think he’d even believe ME telling him that he needs help. I can see him believing that I’m compromised or tricking him or something. And if he believes that there’s a threat, he’ll try to neutralize it. Probably fatally.”

“I don’t know whether you could get him the help he needs. Maybe there’s no saving him. Maybe there was no saving Commodus. But you HAVE to try.”

I flinched, thinking of Commodus. I HAD to kill him. The alternative was too horrible to withstand.

That didn’t make the guilt lessen.

If I could avoid having that situation again, I would.

“I’ll try. I’ll look in on Octavian, try to find some sort of help for him. I think I’ll take a closer at the Romans in general, I haven’t spent much time with them lately. I think I’ll try to get to know Jason better as well. After what you’ve told me... well, I want a chance to know my little brother for more than a few hours. I’ll visit my children as often as I can get away with, considering Zeus and the War. And I’ll try to find Crest. Teach him to play the ukulele. Even if he’s never met me in this timeline, I still feel like I owe him for what he was willing to do in yours.”

My other self smiled at me, a bit of hope entering his eyes. “Thank you.”

I felt something snap into place, threads of destiny coming undone and reweaving themselves into a new tapestry. I could tell my other self felt it too.

He blurted out, “Find Meg! She was captured by Nero, She’s in-”

The air started twisting around them. My other self cut himself off, looking back at Meg in a panic. I had a distinct feeling he didn’t know WHERE Meg was, and he didn’t have time to ask.

Meg read his look. “Albany!” she blurted out.

CRAAAACK

The air untwisted, turning shimmering shades of green, then returned to normal.

There was silence for a moment.

“What just... happened?” my sister asked.

Oh yeah. She was the only who hadn’t seen this happen before.

“That’s what happened when they arrived. Except, you know, they appeared instead of vanished. Presumably they’re back in their own timeline now.”

I turned to Percy and Grover. “We need to talk. But it can wait until tomorrow. I need to hold this concert - can’t cancel without a lot of people wondering WHY, and I don’t want to divulge what happened to everyone just yet. Not before making plans. And I’m sure you two are tired after everything that’s happened.”

Percy smiled at me slightly. “Thanks. I’ll need to tell Annabeth, she can help.”

Grover suddenly looked nervous. “Um... Lord Apollo...” He gingerly returned my lyre.

I looked it over, noticing the reason for his anxiety. A large scratch on the shell. Nothing that would impact the quality of its music, but I HAD said “not a scratch”.

That seemed like a lifetime ago.

I gave him a small smile, hoping I looked comforting. “It’s fine Grover. I should have expected it to get a little banged up, with you bringing it into combat.”

His face collapsed in relief. Percy gave me a weird look... awe? Understanding? I wasn’t sure. But he seemed happy with what I’d done.

As they walked away, I called out, ‘Oh, and Grover?”

The satyr looked back at me questioningly.

“Happy birthday.”

His face broke out in a smile. “It has been.”

I stood there for a moment, savoring this brief period of peace. Tomorrow I’d have to meet with Percy and Grover, find out what else my other self had to say about the future, what else should be changed. Tomorrow I could go looking for Meg and Crest.

But tonight, I had a concert to get to.

“You coming Artemis?” I asked my sister.

“You have room for all my Hunters?”

“I think something could be arranged.”

“I’ll see you there then.”

I vanished as the sun set on one of the most important afternoons in Greco-Roman history.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N) So that’s it for this fanfic! I’ll probably write a sequel showing what happens in this new timeline, but I don’t know when I’ll start it. I might work on something else first. Oh, and in case anyone’s wondering, Meg and Apollo reappeared back in their own timeline back in the room with the cloth. This uses a divergent timeline model of time travel, so nothing that happens in the past will impact them.

[mrneighbourlove]

Filling the Emptiness: Ch 3. In Each others Thoughts

Leere ran back home, the biggest smile on her face. She waved to Luimaya, the young princess walking back to her chambers getting ready for bed. “Hello dear!”

Luimaya smiled and waved back. She wondered why Leere was so chipper. “Hello auntie Leere. You have a good day?”

“I had the most excellent day. Go get lots of sleep. It’ll help for the day tomorrow!”

Rinku had only recently gotten back from her monster hunting trip. Seeing Leere though, her energy quickly returned. She was excited to hear how the date went. “Hey Sis! How’d it go?”

Leere fluffed the hair out of her eyes, her body slightly shaking from the excitement as she turned to Rinku. “Really, really well.”

Rinku paused. “You gonna see her again?”

Leere paused as well, and after a moment of suspense, slowly nodded her head. “Yeah.”

Rinku broke out into an excited scream, Leere joining her in giggles of wonder. “OH MY GOD! THAT’S AMAZING! I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!”

Leere laughed as Rinku spun her around. When her blonde sister got happy, she tried to express it with physical hugs.

“It went so well! She was patient and understanding with me. She also has the cutest accent ever!”

“Really? Tell me more!”

“She works for the Lon Lon Ranch. I think she’ll even inherent the whole business soon!”

“That’s cool! You got yourself an amazing catch!”

Covarog and Zelda came walking towards all the racket that was keeping them up. Their mother squinted her eyes at the two ladies. “What is all the commotion for?”

Rinku grinned to her brother and mother, giggling with excitement. “Leere’s got a giiiiiiirlfriend~”

Zelda held surprise on her face, her wrinkles squishing. “Really? Is that so?”

“Yes. Her name’s Sunny. She works at the Lon Lon Ranch and does so much work for the kingdom. She’s very passionate and has a kind soul.”

“Wait, is she Hylian?”

“Yes. Her family owns the Milk business. And we’re going to see one another again.”

Zelda took note of that. A tiny part of her always hoped Leere would come around to marrying a royal of Danjur, but the old Queen was still extremely proud of her daughter. She could see the passion Leere held as she talked about this Sunny woman.

Covarog ran up and gave his elder sister a deep hug, engulfing the tiny woman in his arms and chest. “I’m so happy for you! You finally found someone in your life!”

“C-Cov! You’re suffocating me!”

Taking Leere out of his chest she was red face as she caught her breath. Putting her down he patted her head. “Sorry about that. But seriously Leere, this is great! When are you bringing her over?”

That took Leere off guard. “W-what?”

Zelda nodded, agreeing with her son. “I’d very much like to meet her too.”

Rinku snapped her finger in agreement. “And Dad will want to see her too!”

Leere gulped. Ganondorf could have the potential to be a tad overbearing. “I-I’m sure she’ll love to come over when we have the time…”

“Oh come on, sis. Everyone would love to meet her! You aren’t embarrassed of us are you?”

Leere felt sweat drops as all three of them leaned in. The peer pressure made her squeak out a response. “N-no. Of course not.”

“So we can see her soon right! I want to met the woman who ensnared my sisters heart.”

Covarog grinned mischievously. “Careful Rinku. I think you might be ‘embarrassing’.”

Leere glared at her siblings. “You can see her soon. So stop being overbearing about it.”

“But what’s soon?!” Rinku was much older now, but she always held this free air about her, even now. When something was on her mind, it was hard for her to be patient about it.

“Soon-soon.”

The Zelda shook her head, pulling Rinku back by the scruff of her shirt. “We are all looking forward to it Rinku, but Leere needs sleep. In fact, we all do.”

Rinku sighed heavily and overdramatically. “But that will take forever. Surely you’re as excited as I am.”

“You beat I am.” Covarog rubbed his darker haired sister’s cheeks in teasing fun. “Our little Leere has grown up~”

“Covarog I swear to god, I will string up a body in your room. Somewhere.”

Covarog patted Leere’s back, chuckling in worry. “Oh come on, we’re all just having good fun.”

His sister waved her hand from her eyes to his. “Better watch out. I may be small, but I can still get you to scream any time.”

“Please don’t.”

“Both of you, enough.” Zelda shook her head. Even as full grown adults, they still acted to immature with each other. “Bed. Now.”

All three children nodded. Leere felt her smile return at going back to just thinking about Sunny. Rinku picked up on Leere’s energy and felt a deep happiness for her.

~

Sunny yawned as she awoke, stretching her limbs out. She had gained a good nights rest and her thoughts went to Leere as soon her brain started to wake up. She was going to be dating a princess. How insane a concept was that? Applying some fairy jell to her skin to keep it clear, she splashed some water to soak it in, and changed into her work clothes. Once she was prepared to conquer the morning, she opened her door to the rest of the ranch. It was a beautiful day out, and lots of work had to get done. She waved to a few of the other farmers letting the horses out of the stables to get some air.

Checking on the cucco’s first, she distributed enough bird seed for them all. The pigs received loathes of cabbages. Checking on the cows she found her brothers pumping out the milk.

“How’d your day go yesterday Sunny?”

“Really good Apollo. I had a date.”

Her second brother, Cosmo, shouted from behind his cow. “You did? With who? Some bar girl?”

Sunny giggled. “No. I had a date with Princess Leere.”

Both brothers exploded in shock. One of the cows mooed loudly as Apollo pulled too hard on an utter. “YOU HAD A DATE WITH WHO?!”

“SHE SAID IT WAS WITH THE PRINCESS!!!”

“WHAT’S SHE LIKE?!”

Sunny giggled more at their surprise. Checking the barrels and jars for milk were clean she continued her conversation with Apollo as Cosmo ran to get his other sisters. “It was really pleasant actually. She’s fiery, but also has a lot hurt in her heart. I don’t think she gets out often.”

“Isn’t she supposed to be really old? I saw her perform at the Brazier once, she looks really young instead. You think she has the same fairy products as you to keep her skin fresh?”

“Now Apollo. It’s rude to discuss a ladies age.”

“I’m just asking, geez. So how’d you meet?”

“At the milk bar actually.”

Cosmo burst in with his two sisters, Galexia and Luna. Galexia had finished stacking all the boxes to be shipped out to town, and Luna was cleaning returned milk bottles when their brother had ran in excitedly. Each one of them had gotten married by now, Galexia and Apollo even having kids of their own, but Sunny never managed to found anything that stuck. Between the job and her being gay, they wondered if she ever would.

Galexia stared in disbelief at Sunny from the news that Cosmo could barely get out. “You managed to date Princess Leere?”

“Yes. I did.”

“She’s gay?”

Luna, the youngest, nodded. “I saw her at a bar trying to hit on some of the waiters once.”

Sunny’s brothers and sisters gathered around. They wanted to know all the details. “Leere is a very interesting woman. She’s a real go getter.”

“So you said you both meet at the Milk Bar?”

“Y-yes. It was a fun night.”

Galaxia squinted her eyes as she read Sunny’s tone and expression. Her eyes exploded with emotion as she saw through her sister. “You slept with her?!”

The others reacted in a chain reaction as Sunny burned bright red.

“WHAT! NO WAY!”

“HOW COULD YOU JUST HAVE SEX WITH THE PRINCESS?!”

“OH MY GOD WHAT?!?!”

Sunny frowned as her younger siblings were losing their collective minds. “Yes. We had sex. Then afterwards, we planned for a date.”

Galaxia was utterly shocked that it could be that easy. “You sure it was really her?”

“Red eyes, dark hair, and pale skin. It was her Galaxia.”

Her sister took a moment to contemplate on this. “…Tell us more about her.”

“To be honest, a little weird, but I think there’s something special about her. Something good.”

Luna shrugged. “She can sing from what I’ve seen, but there’s something dark about her. Scary even.”

Sunny simply smiled. “I agree. But I also think people don’t look past her initial image to see something better. I don’t know how it will work out, but I have a good feeling.”

“You sure sis?”

“Yeah. I am.”

“You think you can balance dating a princess with everything else in life?

Sunny put her hands on her hips. “All of you are married, living happy lives. You didn’t have to continue working on the ranch, yet here you all are. We’re a family that can manage the biggest things thrown away. Our reach goes as far as the stars, and our passion for new desires burns as bright as the sun, and like the comets in the sky, our wishes can be seen right in front of us.”

The siblings went a little somber. That last sentence was a sentence their mother told them as children, a woman obsessed with space and the eternal beauty of the night. Sunny took a breath. “I think this is just another path open to me. Yes, I’ll be careful, but we’re all adults here. And just like I helped all of you with your love lives, I’ll ask if I need help myself.”

Apollo nodded, giving a light smile to his sister. “Ok Sunny. We can do that. Just wish I could something along the lines that if they hurt you, we’ll come after them. Hard to do when they’re a princess though.”

Sunny chuckled at her brother’s protection. “Duly noted Apollo. Now then, all of us should get back to work. We’re the Ingo Family! The hardest working family in Hyrule!”

Sunny was a born leader out of the five of them. After their mom died, she always did her best to guide her siblings down safe and happy paths. She placed her hand in the middle, her brothers and sisters nodding and putting their hands in with her. Throwing them up they cheered together. “TEAM LON LON RANCH!”

The five of them got to work. Sunny went to the horses, making sure they were fed and to give one of the workers a break. Wearing her sunflower hat she patted a red stallion’s side, who had apparently been spooked by something in the field. “♩ Easy, my child. Let your worries go. If you believe in me, I’ll make it so. ♩”

The horse calmed down to her lullaby, and followed Sunny back to the stables. As she was walking, one of the ranchers ran over to her. “Ms. Sunny! Mr. Ingo wants to talk with you!”

Sunny piped up, excitement filling her. “Ok! Take Pepper here back to the stable for me!”

The blonde woman ran to her father’s office, her braid flapping in the wind. Maybe this was her big chance!

Inside his office, Luigi Ingo ruffled her mustache as he observed the latest ratings. The Ranch and it’s outer branches had made a 2.3% increase in the last month. If only he could find that level of increase in his balding head. He smiled as Sunny came in. “Ah, Sunny! Working hard?”

“Of course Father!”

“Good. I want you to sit down dear.”

Sunny nodded and pulled up a chair. Her father took a deep breath as he took out a pen and paper. “Sunny. Don’t think I haven’t seen the effort you put into the ranch. You ability to keep up with deadlines is impressive, but I’m more impressed by your ability to keep moral up.”

Sunny kept calm, hopeful on where he was going with this. “I simply try to have everyone do their best, myself included.”

“That’s what I love about you Sunny. You have my sharp determination and heart, but you got your mother’s soul.” Scratching his head, he chuckled to himself. “Gosh. You look more and more like her everyday you know.”

“I know father.” Sunny gave him a kiss on his cheek.

“Now, with that said, there’s a business proposition I need to discuss with you.” He paused as Sunny braced herself. “I’m going away to observe the other branches. Lon Lon Milk has found success at the border of Danjur, as well as multiple ranches in Hyrule. Overseas, we’ve opened a branch in Termina.”

Sunny was taken aback by that. “Termina! You’re going to Termina?!”

“Yes. As the observer, I won’t be able to perform my duties as C.E.O. Which means I need someone far younger, outgoing, and intelligent to lead in my place.”

Sunny’s mouth hung open. It was really happening. “You mean me?”

“Yes. I do.” Her father smiled proudly at his little girl. Sunny would do just fine. “Do you accept?”

The woman nodded her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “Yes. Yes I do!”

“Good. Very good.” He held out two documents, his face more neutral than Sunny expected.

“What are these for?”

“Well, there’s a new policy. Our shareholders have a say in who is elected in as C.E.O. They can’t change the candidate at will, or take anyone out, but you need at least half of them in your favour to take the position.”

A board? Sunny never really looked into the political aspect of the job, always focused on taking care of the animals, the product, and the workers first and foremost. “Who are our shareholders?”

“The Hylian Royal Council. I’m a little worried given your… taste in lovers, that they might be prejudice against you.”

Sunny clasped her hands together and held them to her mouth. Her mind calculated on how she could reach the votes she needed. “That does complicate things, but I think I might have an answer to that.”

https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/180427678001/filling-the-emptiness-ch-2-sunny-days-ahead Previous Ch.

https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/183811908896/filling-the-emptiness-ch-4-in-love Next Ch.

[karenninaaa]

Chapter 4 - The Clash of the Dead and the Living

Read it on ffn

IV - NICO

"You're a death angel."

"You are glowing."

Nico and Will stared at each other. Nico was taken aback by the glowing light that the blond radiated. It was Nico's first time appearing at Jupiter Half-Blood Hospital after being assigned to New York. Nico noted that Will was wearing a green surgeon's scrub and white lab coat. He thought that the blond looked too young to be a doctor.

"You are a doctor," Nico added.

"Yep. I'm having my first-year residency here. Anyway, this was the first time I have seen you here. I pretty much know most of the death angels roaming around the hospital but you're new to my eyes." Will stated

Nico knew some gifted people who can see their kind roaming in this world so he was not surprised by that. However, it was his first time seeing a mortal glowing literally.

"Why are you glowing?" Nico asked.

Will shrugged. "You can call this a special ability but I discovered that your kind hated it when I glowed. Because when I glowed I can save a person literally from the dead and that means no soul for you."

For the first time in Nico's death angel career, he was stunned. He had seen a lot of things in this world and some were way beyond mortal's comprehension. He thought that nothing could ever surprise him by now. But this blond doctor in front of him proved him otherwise.

"I-It's impossible. You can't cheat death." Nico stuttered.

"That may be true, but there were times that I was able to sneak up behind the death. I can feel who can respond to my power and be saved no matter how slim the chances were. You can see it for yourself later." Will said.

Nico continued to stare at the blond who was still glowing. The blond was smiling back at him. It was a sight to behold. As if he was looking at something magnificent that did not belong on the plain and boring existence of the world.

Will sighed. "I know you are going to hate me too sooner or later but my name is William Solace but I go with Will and you are?"

"Nico. Nico di Angelo" Nico said dazedly.

Will nodded as he smiled. Nico couldn't decide which was brighter, the blond's glow or his smile. The doctor continued to speak. "Nice meeting you, Nico. Don't hate me too much okay? I was just doing my job."

For one beautiful moment, Nico thought about how he could hate this guy when he seemed so nice. But of course, the world flipped and Nico received his first punishment for not reaching his own quota for souls because of Will's glowing.

The punishment was too painful and hard to forget. He was still wincing from the mere thought of the punishment as if the pain was still living in him. The first punishment was always designed to be brutal so they will be reminded that they wouldn't dare make another mistake. Only Bob Iapetus seemed to tolerate those punishments. The evidence was his scarred and almost mutilated body. Thankfully, it was Nico's first and last punishment. Nico swore that William Solace was an enemy who always messed with his job. He decided that Will was trouble and dangerous.

The next day, when Will grinned at him, all those angry and unpleasant thoughts about the blond were thrown out of the window in an instant. It was like a switch on and off of thoughts when it came to Will Solace. There were times that Nico hated the Hades out of him and there were times that he was just not… Years later, those high and low frequencies about Will started to annoy him, then he started to ignore it, and he just focused that Will was going to be a forever enemy no matter what. The trick worked for him for a long time, even though Nico had realized and learned that Will was a big head-scratching distraction in the form of a human.

Nico gasped and his eyes snapped open. Then he had found himself plummeting. He remembered falling asleep while lying on a ledge of the rooftop of a building. He remembered dreaming about a certain blond. He also remembered that he was waiting for his next soul when he fell asleep and now he was falling from the rooftop.

Inches before he hit the ground, he vanished in a cloud of black smoke. He reappeared in the rooftop just in time his pocket watch vibrated, so he dissolved in the thin air once again. Nico found himself standing in front of an old apartment building in the middle of a busy street of Manhattan in broad daylight. Nico thought that the place seemed near at JHH, a couple of blocks or so. He knew that his next soul will be inside of that building, in the rooftop. So he went inside and climbed the stairs.

From time to time, Nico liked using his own limbs and not relying solely on his power. He liked to experience some of the mortal's everyday routine because it somehow amused him. Either walking downstairs of any place or riding the subway towards his destination or simply entering a revolving door. It was also entertaining when he kept walking circles on a said revolving door annoying those mortals who couldn't get in or out. There was a revolving door in JHH and he was toying with it once in a while.

He reached the rooftop as his thoughts flew on revolving doors. He found a girl, a teenage girl standing dangerously near the edge of the rooftop. There was a very low cemented barrier on it. But Nico thought that it was useless since you just have to step on that barrier and you were already free-falling on the ground. Nico leaned on a steel post and waited for the girl to jump, and then her soul would be the next one he needed to escort towards the Underworld.

The girl continued to stare down way below. She was not moving, just standing there. Nico was growing impatient, he had other souls to pick and this girl was not helping on keeping Nico waiting.

Suddenly, the door of the rooftop burst open making the girl jumped in surprise and looked back at the door. Nico just turned and- why it didn't surprise him anymore to find Will Solace on places he least expected the blond to be at. Will seemed to be fresh out of the shower because his hair was damped. There's a white towel around his neck and he's wearing an orange t-shirt and cargo pants.

"Oh great," Nico said sarcastically to Will. "Of course, you are going to stop her from jumping, right?"

"My duties to save a life doesn't end in the hospital, death-boy," Will said but his eyes never left the girl who was standing frozen, near the edge. She was looking at Will with wide, terrified eyes.

"W-what did you just call-" Nico sputtered then hissed. "Do not call me death boy, you idiot."

Will ignored him and walked towards the girl slowly. The girl seemed to gain her senses back.

"S-stop right there." She raised her trembling hand. "Or else, I will really jump."

But Will did not stop. "Okay then, let's jump together."

The death angel and the girl were stunned to silence.

"Solace," Nico gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into a tight fist. "What are you doing.."

Will was still ignoring Nico. The blond took advantage of the stunned girl, as he successfully managed to get closer to her. They were now standing side by side at the edge.

"I am Will Solace and you are?" Will said and turned his head towards her. He sounded like it was just a casual day, strolling on a park and happened to meet someone.

The girl swallowed looking at Will "S-Silena Beauregard."

"Nice meeting you Silena, and what do we owe this pleasure of jumping off the rooftop?"Will asked.

Silena's expression changed and she seemed pissed. She looked down "Just leave me alone."

"Not a chance, I told you, we are going to jump together." Will hummed

"Why do you care, my parents don't care so why should you, you're just a stranger."

"But the point is, there's still someone who cares even if it's a stranger." Will leaned forward as if to check how high they were. Nico's throat constricted and as if there's a fury clawing on his chest. The death angel cursed under his breath.

"Oooh, high," Will immediately stepped back. Then he faced Silena "Are you sure you want to jump? Because your face is lovely to be smashed on a concrete floor. Besides, I am a doctor, I have seen lots of grotesque corpses and I think it was still better to look good until the end. Don't you want an open coffin at your funeral?"

"Stop!" Silena wailed raising her hands. "I was momentarily confused okay. I don't even know how I got here. I was hurt and I hate my life."

"If it's physical hurt, I can mend it easily but of course, it does not mean that I cannot be in help to you. My service extends to almost everything so why don't you try me?" Will raised an eyebrow at Silena challengingly.

But Silena just snorted. "Can you convince my parents to send me to a drama school rather than to some stupid business university?"

To Silena's surprise, Will laughed. "You reminded me of myself when I was your age." Then he sat on the low cemented barrier.

One wrong move, Will was the one who's going to smash his face on the concrete floor below.

Nico hissed. "Will you at least sit your butt down on the floor instead, Solace. You are one fall away from the Underworld."

Will must have heard him since he changed seat and sat on the ground and Will's back was against the barrier.

Meanwhile, Silena looked down at him bewildered. "Why?"

"My dad did not want me to be a doctor. He wanted me to choose music over medicine." Will answered wistfully.

Silena did not look convinced. "You're just saying that because you don't want me to jump."

Will stared up at her "YOU are the one who doesn't want to jump, as you have said, you're just confused. Besides if you don't believe me, ask my father Apollo Charleston."

Silena's eyes widen and she dropped into a crouch next to Will. "No way!"

"Yes way, you want DNA testing?" Will raised an eyebrow at her.

Silena was dumbstruck. "Your father is one of the greatest musicians in this world. I adored his classical music a lot! And yes... I kind of see the resemblance to the both of you..."

Nico already knew who Will's father was but he never met the musician much less see Will meet his father. He wondered if they were still getting in touch.

"Now we have the physical evidence. As I was saying, I like to marry medicine but my father who was supporting my education that time didn't want me to get pre-med and I couldn't just rely on my mom since she was also having issues financially. So I didn't have a choice but to find my own way of going into a med school and proving him that I can be a great doctor instead of a musician."

Silena just stared at him "W-what did you do?"

"Med schools are expensive so I have to work my butt off on different part-time jobs and scavenge every scholarship grants I could apply. With some luck, I got in a med school and here I am now, a licensed doctor. You know, hard work can move mountains, just prove your parents wrong by working hard on the passion you have chosen." Will smiled at her.

Silena blinked. "Isn't it faith that can move mountains?"

"Nah, hard work's better for me, what's the use of faith without action. I can sit all day having faith that I am going to be a millionaire someday and what will it get me? My eyes are going white and still, there won't be a drop of a dollar in my lap."

Silena giggled.

"So what I am saying, Silena just because you are having a hard time doesn't mean you will choose an easy route away from the hard times. Life is full of hard times and an easy way out is not always an answer."

"All my life, I have obeyed my parents. I let them control my life on how they wanted it to be. They never asked once what I really wanted so it really sucked when they wouldn't let me have the only thing I wanted in life." Silena looked down at the floor hugging her knees.

"Then this time, you just have to take over your own life because you are the original captain of it."

Just like that, Nico's soul was out of his hands… again... He's going to have a headache.

Nico was glaring daggers at Will's back as they all climbed down the stairs. While the blond, on the other hand, was chatting merrily with Silena. Will invited Silena to his apartment downstairs to have lunch and Nico was just… following. But the hell he cares on gatecrashing Will's apartment when he snatched the death angel's soul again.

Will's apartment was small but it was neat and clean. It was a simple studio type with one-bedroom.

"My apartment is not big but welcome abode," Will said and he went to the kitchen.

Nico looked curiously around while Silena followed Will. The two chatted in the kitchen. It was Nico's first time going in Will's apartment. He originally thought that blond was still living in Brooklyn with his mother. Guess, he moved here in Manhattan to be closer to his job. Nico was in the small living room and he was looking curiously on the small photographs hanging on the wall. Will was either smiling or grinning with his friends in all pictures. Then his eyes landed on the closed door which obviously led to Will's room.

Nico glanced at Will whose back was turned to him. He was still busy talking to Silena. Maybe a little peek on Will's bedroom wouldn't hurt and hey, Nico was still pissed so he's going to do gate crashing at its best.

He passed through the closed door and stood in a brightly lit bedroom. It was small too and narrow. The sun was streaming down the curtained glass window situated above the bed. The sound of honking cars from the street below could be heard loudly in the room and he briefly wondered how Will could sleep in this noisy place. The bed was on the left side wall with a light blue bed sheet on it. On the right side wall were a light brown closet and next to the closet was a light caramel colored desk with several medical books neatly arranged on it. The desk and closet were both facing the bed. In the middle was a thin walkway. The walls were light yellow and the floor was white vinyl tiles. Everything around was light for Nico's taste. But of course, nothing was dull with Will.

He walked towards the bedside table where a picture frame was standing. It was Will and his mother, Naomi Solace. They were both smiling in the picture. There's nothing alike between Naomi and Will since all Will's features must be inherited from his father. Nico had seen Naomi once when he tried to go to Will's house to investigate a little, and that was a long long time ago.

Nico lay down on Will's bed. He was at the edge so his one leg was bent and his foot touching the floor while the other leg was on the bed and his other foot was slightly dangling at the edge, so the bed sheet wouldn't get dirty with the sole of his boots. He put his arm under his head. His next soul wasn't due in three hours so there's nothing much to do.

He lost count of time as he stared at the ceiling when the door opened.

"Oh my gods!" Will exclaimed in shock leaning back on the door with his hand still on the doorknob "I thought you already left!"

Nico barely moved, his eyes still glued on the ceiling. "I am assuming that your visitor already left since you're loud and that visitor happened to have the soul that I was supposed to take, and of course you meddled again."

Will sighed. "Yeah, Silena left a little while and we all know that I couldn't just stand there while she's plummeting on her death."

"How did you even know that she was there and thinking suicidal?" This time Nico sat up and glared accusingly at him.

"I saw you climbing the stairs of the rooftop when I opened the door briefly to let out a stray cat. I already knew that you were not there for the view of the chaotic streets of Manhattan. So I got dressed and went up there." Will explained.

Nico said nothing. Instead, he plopped down on the bed and closed his eyes. What else could he say or do? No matter how pissed he was, he couldn't just strangle Will Solace.

"I am sorry." Will continued earnestly. "I know you're pissed and all but I am letting you lie on my bed just to make it up for the soul I snatched again because normally, I don't let someone easily lie on my bed much less letting someone in on my room without my permission because I am a very private person. By the way, I also really appreciate that you're not putting your shoes on my sheet."

Nico inwardly sighed, eyes still closed. What am I going to do to you Solace?

"You asleep? Okay, you can also sleep on my bed just to make it up for pissing again the hell out of you."

This time, Nico couldn't help but to open his eyes and sit upright again. He complained. "How can I sleep when it's too noisy down there? Seriously, how can you sleep here?"

Will just grinned. "Hey when you're sleep deprived, you will just sleep through the noise. And I am used to it. This was the only available apartment near the hospital. It was just a walking distance or running distance to the hospital when I'm late which is always.."

"Whatever, I'm still pissed," Nico muttered.

"Since you're already here, why don't you eat lasagna, I'm known best for my lasagna, and there's also a pepperoni pizza which I can reheat…"

Nico sold out.