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Nico hated birthdays more than anything. Specifically, his birthday. A day where the attention never left him and he had to entertain his closest friends and family? Absolutely not. So, when the time came for that fateful day each year, he tried to do what he did best: run. If he ignored and avoided the date, then nothing would happen.
That was until he met some of the most stubborn people in his life.
Jason Grace. Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. Hazel Levesque. And his meddling, troublesome boyfriend, William Andrew Solace. These people drove him up the wall, while also making him feel loved and cherished.
It was no secret that prior to his time on the Argo II he considered himself to be an outcast. After everything with Bianca, he wanted nothing to do with the demigod life–although it always found a way to bring him back. Whether it be his father or the infamous Percy Jackson in need of something, he always got dragged back into the lifestyle.
The demigod life was the one thing in his life he couldn’t outrun. Well, that, his friends, and his boyfriend.
Following Bianca’s death, he fell into a pit of grief so deep he never expected to escape it. During that time he could barely function, let alone celebrate something as insignificant as turning eleven. January 28th passed like every other day and the world moved on as per usual.
Turning twelve wasn’t much fun when his time was spent being manipulated by an evil spirit and barely eating enough to survive. When the line between dead and alive blurred so harshly people weren’t sure if they were seeing a ghost. When the complexion of his skin paled so much from the lack of sustenance and grueling winter temperatures.
Thirteen, the start of the teenage years. He never had high hopes for his teen years growing up, but he never imagined his life to be this distraught. Harboring a crush for a guy and taking him to the River Styx in hopes that it would make them fall in love. Meanwhile, he hadn’t even begun to accept his sexuality. Fighting a war and finally getting accepted, only to be ostracized once more after the adrenaline rushes wore off. Having his heart twisted and pulled in so many directions he didn’t know what to do anymore, so he resorted back to the one thing he knew how to do: run. He spent his thirteenth birthday huddled in some random forest, once again alone. But, the zombie chauffeur was a plus at least.
His fourteenth birthday passed without any recognition or celebration, too busy being spent searching for the missing Percy Jackson. Maybe, just maybe, he thought, if he found Percy things could be different between them. He could win Percy’s affection and attention. He never found him, rather Percy found him six months later, but he never stopped looking. And never stopped worrying about him.
Fifteen happened to be the first birthday he felt even the slightest bit different–in a positive way. It occurred right before the arrival of Apollo, when he felt he finally had a place at camp. Or, rather, he was getting more comfortable with the possibility of it. He didn’t want to run anymore or be this broody teenager everyone saw him as. He wanted to be accepted by someone other than the dead and have a stable home.
His relationship with Will developed close to his birthday, only blossoming into something romantic in late November. Things between them were awkward, as teenage relationships were, and he still feared being exiled from Camp, but most moments were good. Will never made him feel like he had to be someone that he wasn’t, and in turn he began to be more comfortable with himself.
After revisiting the annual grief of his sister in December, he figured Will would call it quits. But he didn’t, and Nico never completely understood why. He was grateful, but he couldn’t wrap his head around it. So, he figured not mentioning his birthday would be fine–they could avoid another emotionally exhausting day and go on with their lives.
That plan was foiled the second he got an Iris Message from Hazel.
He sat at lunch with Will, bickering lightly about something of no importance. The image appeared above the table directly in front of him, vivid and loud. “Happy Birthday, Nico!” Hazel squealed, face lighting up in the frame.
His body tensed and he felt Will’s eyes staring into his soul, but he refused to turn and make eye contact. So, he decided to humor his sister, instead. “Thank you, Hazel.” He gave her a smile before picking up another forkful of food.
Reyna came into the frame then, face set in the affectionate manner reserved only for him. “Happy Birthday, Nico,” she said, but a hint of a smile could be seen on her face. “We’ll let you get back to your meal. Enjoy your day.”
With that, the image disappeared. He turned slowly to face Will whose expression looked a bit hurt but also confused. “Why didn’t you tell me it’s your birthday? I would’ve planned something!”
“That’s exactly why. I haven’t celebrated in years and I don’t want it to be some big thing.” He pushed some food around on his plate with his fork to avoid watching Will’s expression fall.
“Oh, well you could’ve said that. We could have done something just you and me, but if you really don’t want to do anything special we don’t have to.” Will smiled down at him, eyes beaming brightly.
He smiled back and leaned in slightly, allowing himself to absorb some of Will’s warmth. “Thank you.”
So, they did nothing special. Will hung out with him and sang him a poorly done rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ before the campfire, and that was that. For the first time since he was a kid, he felt like he could appreciate his birthday without feeling guilty or self-loathing. For once, he had friends to celebrate it with.
Apparently, turning sixteen was a big deal in the 21st Century. He didn’t really understand it–none of them could drive or do any of the cool things mortal teenagers did, but Camp Half-Blood still made a big deal of it. As the days drew closer, he prayed to whatever Gods would listen that he would be spared from the over the top celebrations.
None of them decided to listen.
It started small: him begging Will to not make a big deal of his birthday this year. Will said he would try, but couldn’t make any promises. Then, he found Jason and Will talking one afternoon outside the Big House. The second that he walked towards them they panicked and fled without a word spoken to him. He knew something was going on when he walked into Jason’s cabin one afternoon after sword-fighting practice to find him, Will, Hazel, and Reyna all talking via an Iris Message.
He sighed and slammed the door shut behind him, storming off to his cabin to sulk and plot his revenge. The final straw was when his father of all people showed up to Camp the day before his birthday with a request. The Gods rarely appeared to their children, especially Hades, so any visit made him skeptical. His father asked that he come to the Underworld tomorrow morning to handle some rowdy souls in the Fields of Asphodel, not even bothering to mention his birthday.
“Which one of them asked you to do this?” He laid on his back on his bed, kicking his feet in the air as Hades spoke.
“What are you talking about?”
“My birthday is tomorrow and my stupid friends are trying to plan something so they need me gone and distracted. So, which one prayed to you asking for help?”
His father scratched his head and stared at the ceiling. “I have no idea what you are referencing, Nico,” he sighed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, the God disappeared and Nico collapsed face-first into his pillow, letting out a disgruntled sigh.
The task for his father was as mundane as he expected considering it could be classified as busy work. He walked into his father’s throne room upon completing it, notifying him that he would be returning to Camp. Hades stopped him as he turned to leave, a box appearing in his hand. “Take this. Happy birthday, Son.”
He took the box carefully, handling it as if it would explode at any minute. Nodding, he thanked his father and shadow-traveled back to his cabin, where he set the box on his bed. Time in the Underworld worked differently than in the real world. What only felt like two hours to him had been nearly eight in the world of the living, meaning dinner would be soon.
The box was medium sized and colored scarlet red with a small black bow on the lid. He gingerly opened it, only to find a book inside. It took everything in him to not roll his eyes, but he pulled the book from the box and set it on his bed carefully. His breath caught when his eyes landed on the cover, a sepia-toned picture of four people, two adults and two young children, with ‘Di Angelo Family Album’ written across the top in neat calligraphy.
Flipping the pages slowly, he found hundreds of photos, ranging from his mother pregnant with Bianca up until her death. A tear slid down his cheek as he went through the book, hands slightly trembling. Occasionally, the same neat calligraphy laid underneath pictures to describe who was depicted and what was going on.
A picture of him and Bianca caught his eye, the two of them sitting outside along the streets of Venice and playing with sticks. Writing below made him break away from the photo and take a deep breath. ‘Bianca (6) and Nico (4) playing, 1936.’
He continued flipping until he reached a set of pages with no photographs, only writing. On one page was a note addressed to Bianca, and on the other a note addressed to him. Both in his mother’s handwriting. Steeling himself, he gripped the book tightly and focused on the words in front of him.
My dearest Bianca, the perfect daughter and big sister. The world is a mess right now and I do not know what will come of it. I pray every night to God that you and your brother will not be caught up in it, because I do not know what I would do with myself if so. I also pray every night that you do not get dragged into the life and family of your father. While he loves you both, there are bigger and better things destined for you. He warns me that things may get worse from here on out, but I have accepted my fate. I just hope that I can change yours. Know that whatever happens, I love you so very much and always will. You are my most wonderful gift and watching you grow into a strong young woman both breaks my heart and heals it. Love, Mama
Nico, Bambini, I can not believe that you are nearly ten years old now. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday you were a young baby, chewing on everything in sight and fighting with your sister. You are so incredibly special and will do great things– I can just tell. Never lose what makes you unique, and never lose yourself. No matter what happens, know that your father and I love you very much, and we will forever cherish you. I thank God every day for giving me you, my most wonderful son. I will always be with you, no matter where I am, and just know I love you and am so proud of you. Always. Love, Mama.
The tears were flowing freely now, streaming down his cheeks and falling into his lap. Sobs wracked through his body as he stared down at his mother’s handwriting and pictures of his family–the last surviving relics of the di Angelo lineage. He was the last surviving member, meaning that he was the only one able to continue this documentation of their life. So, he said a prayer of thanks to his father and wished for a disposable camera that hopefully wouldn’t break, deciding the legacy needed to be continued.
The dinner bell rang just as he managed to collect himself, so he trudged to the dining pavilion and plopped in his seat without even looking up. He felt the air rustle beside him as someone sat down, and he turned his head slowly to find Will staring at him with his signature goofy smile. “Hi, there.”
“Hi,” he grumbled, placing his head onto his folded arms.
“I feel like I haven’t seen you all day. Are you avoiding me?” Will gasped after his question, feigning betrayal and hurt.
“Shut up. Tired.” Will only laughed before tapping his shoulder to signal dinner was being distributed. The nymphs dropped a plate of spaghetti in front of him, which he scraped a portion off into the fire with a quiet prayer to his father. Returning to his seat, he dug into the pasta and chewed happily.
“So, how’s the big day going?” Will sat next to him after completing his own offering, then shoveled a bite of food into his mouth. “Crazy that you’re sixteen now. Well, actually you’re what, ninety? Can’t believe I’m dating an old man.”
He lightly jabbed Will in the side as he chewed another bite of his pasta. “Eighty-eight if we’re being technical, but, just like every other year, I am biologically a teenager. Therefore, sixteen.” Rolling his eyes, he twirled noodles around on his fork. “My dad gave me a gift.”
Will’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. “Oh? What was it?”
“A photo album my mom made starting when she was pregnant with Bianca and continued until she died.” He paused. “It’s nice to have something to remember her by and to have pictures of Bianca.”
Will nodded before reaching under the table and lacing their hands together to offer an affectionate squeeze. “That’s really nice. One day, if you’re okay with it of course, maybe I could see it? I bet you were an adorable kid.” He flicked his nose before giggling lightly.
“Maybe. Depends how much you annoy me.” He shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring the pout Will directed at him.
The rest of the meal was filled by small talk, but as he began to walk away a pressure wrapped around his wrist. He turned to find Will’s hand there, holding him in place. “Come with me?” His pleading tone and wide eyes made Nico’s heart melt to the point where he would feel bad saying no.
“Fine,” he huffed, allowing himself to be dragged along. Will led him in silence through Camp, all the way out towards the Big House. They walked up the stairs quietly, only stopping right before the door.
Will turned to him with an expectant look, so he sighed and closed his eyes. He knew what was coming so he braced himself as best as he could, smiling when Will squeezed his hand. They pushed through the doors and Nico opened his eyes, expecting people to jump out and scream ‘Happy birthday!’. The main room of the Big House was empty, not a single hair out of place. Chiron sat in his wheelchair reading a book, only nodding at their appearance.
A giggle came from his right and he found Will snickering slightly. Before he could speak, the blond was dragging him down the hall towards the Infirmary. Will covered his eyes as he swung the door open, only letting his hand drop after a quiet chorus of ‘Happy Birthday!’ rang out around them.
He blinked away the floaters in his vision, trying to adjust to the shift in lighting. The entire crew of the Argo II sat around the room wearing paper party hats and blowing into noise blowers. Jason, Hazel, and Reyna stood at the front, smiles adorned on each of their faces and eyes filled with excitement.
Will stepped around him to join the other three, throwing up his hands with a ‘Surprise?’. Nico laughed and rolled his eyes before looking around the room. “You’re all here? For my birthday?”
“Yup, consider it a blessing, di Angelo,” Percy yelled from across the room, sitting with Annabeth on a cot.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world, bro,” Jason chimed in, still grinning from ear to ear like the dork he was. However, the smile was contagious because he felt himself grinning slightly as well.
“I don’t even know what to say…”
Will walked up to him and took his hands. “So don’t say anything. Just enjoy it.”
Leo crossed the room with a cake in hand, beginning to sing Happy Birthday to him. The others joined in, and soon enough there were tears dotting his eyes. This part he hated the most–all the attention made him cry and he found it so embarrassing. But, for these people, he figured he could let it slide for one day.
He wiped his eyes as they finished the song, then blew out the candles. “Did you make a wish?” Frank asked, but he just shook his head.
“What? Why not?” Piper gasped as she sliced into the cake and began to plate it.
“I don’t need to. I have everything I want for the first time in years and I just want to take a moment to be thankful for that.” He smiled at them all, shocked by his vulnerability and cheesiness, but just pushed past it. “Now, cake?”
The room filled with laughter as they chatted, catching up on life. Gift exchanges were brief and small, but still made his heart swell nonetheless. They played a couple of games before calling it a night and saying their goodbyes. He hugged each of them before lacing his hand with Will’s and walking back towards the cabins. When they reached the Hades Cabin, Will pulled him into a hug and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Happy birthday, Nico.”
“Thank you for all of this.”
“I’m glad you liked it. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
So, while Nico may have hated birthdays more than anything, this one might have changed his mind. He discovered that when celebrating with the right people, even the most unbearable of things can become enjoyable.