Invisible

A/N: Aaaaand… I'm back from a long break! I might be a little rusty, so just bear with me a bit while I struggle to write XD Annabeth's really annoying sometimes lel, sorry if I made her too insane. I only like her when she's off with Reyna or Piper XD I hope you like this chapter, and I'll try to update soon~

Warning: Cheesy lines because I don't know how to write them okay. I mean I haven't dated before (really) and I have like totally no experience. So please bear with me T.T

This chapter is dedicated to the lovely Tokiic on Wattpad! I hope you like it!

Chapter 6

Was that… real?

Nico could still feel the tingling sensation of Percy's lips on his cheek, and his cheeks immediately reacted, burning at the replay of that certain scene.

It was just a simple kiss-on-the-cheek.

Fireworks and blooming flowers seemed a bit too cliché, and that couldn't really describe what actually went through him.

Nico, at that moment desperately wanted to find a hole and hide into, because it was too embarrassing. His face was burning, really hot, and he was pretty sure he was really red, and his face was really hot.

I wonder what Percy thought of me at that time…

Then there came the overwhelming surprise and maybe…

Joy?

Damn, that was just…

What the fuck are you doing, Nico?

Nico shook his head, trying to get the thought out of his mind. It'd look odd if he went home with this sort of dreamy and in-love expression, or with a tomato-red face.

Though maybe… if Percy hadn't liked me in the first place.

~.~.~.~

It was a bright, sunny day with sunlight streaming through windows and all that fanciful, cheesy descriptions.

Sure as it was, Percy was waiting in front of the school gate for Nico, keeping the promise he had made yesterday.

No shit no shit no shit, what do I do now? Do I wave? Do I say hi?

Hyperventilating, Nico blushes furiously, looking down at his shoes.

A shadow casts over his feet, blocking out the light, and for a moment, Nico thought it was going to be Annabeth –

Annabeth who was here to take her anger out on him.

"Hey Nico."

"Percy…?" Nico asks, unsure, keeping his gaze firmly on the black, gravelly road.

The older boy ruffles his hair lightly, and pulls Nico in an embrace. "Who did you think it was?"

Muffling his face in Percy's shirt, Nico takes in the salty scent of the sea that seemed to be always present.

He loved it, no, adored this scent that Percy constantly wore. It reminded him of so many things, so many things.

Like when he still had a proper family, a time when his father was still alive, a time where his mother smiled, a time when…

A time when his sister hasn't died.

I have Percy now.

Here, with me.

Percy pulls away, and Nico complies reluctantly, but not before Percy intertwined his fingers with Nico's.

The warmth of Percy's hand was comforting, and maybe just that little bit electrifying. It gave him a sense of security, a form of affirmation, something that assured him that Annabeth –

Annabeth

Wasn't coming –

going

to come –

hunt

him down.

Simply to put, he felt safe.

There was a general sense of surprise, wonder and curiosity, as they walked past the little cliques gathered here and there and into the school, though no one said anything, or asked anything.

Everything carried on as per normal, nothing changed.

Maybe except for the new couple, fingers threaded, walking into the school.

~.~.~.~

Annabeth felt the need to step up everything.

"Clarisse!" she shrilled, holding up her phone screen. "Look at this. This, is downright outrageous. I can't believe Percy would dare to do this in front of everyone! Look at this, it's all over Instagram, all over! Everyone's going to laugh at me now, especially that Piper! The hell does Percy think he is doing?"

Clearly, with just brawns and a few brain scraps, she kept quiet and looked at Annabeth, eyes glinting with a certain cruelty.

The blonde was trembling, trembling with anger and fury and excitement. She was going to hurt Nico, hurt Nico so bad he wouldn't dare to offend her anymore, make him fear her.

Fear was the best tool when it came to controlling others.

"Do you think what I'm thinking, Clarisse?" Annabeth lowers her trembling voice.

The other girl gave a small nod, lips contorting into a smile.

"Definitely, Annabeth."

~.~.~.~

It wasn't the first time Nico had found the lock to his locker picked and his locker smeared with odd clear, jelly white substances and dead carcasses of animals in the midst of his books.

It stunk like shit, and Nico knew he had to clean this up again. It was a tedious process, and although he knew who did all these, there was no way that he could protest or say anything.

Who else?

A hand slammed next to his head, making Nico jump.

"Hey Nico," a familiar smooth voice says –

Annabeth

"I want to make an agreement with you." And she throws her head back and laughs, sounding almost insane. Then, without any warning, she backhands Nico across his cheek, her nails drawing red, angry streaks down his face.

"Actually no, you'll have to agree with me."

Nico tries to stare at her, mustering all the courage he has got, but nothing came.

I'm mild. I'm scared. I'm not brave enough.

He didn't want to feel this useless. He doesn't want to be that damsel in distress just waiting for that prince in shining armour to come and save him. He wants to try to stand up, to fight back.

He wants to hold on to what he has, to what he loves, to what he treasures.

No, he doesn't want to lose them anymore.

The boy's hands balled up into fists, knuckles turning white, angry.

Angry at himself, angry at Annabeth, angry at Clarisse for picking on him, angry that he could never do anything to protect himself, to gather up enough courage just to go pursue and believe something he always had, to be dare to love someone he always has.

"…so how? Do you agree?" "

Nico didn't hear one word of what she said, not one word.

"Did you even hear me speak?"

No I didn't, and I don't want to.

"How dare you -"

The boy kneed Clarisse in the stomach and smashed his book over her head, knocking her to the ground.

Somehow, there was a newfound strength in him that he didn't know where it came from.

Annabeth was furious. She should have known to tell Clea that this was more important than the date with her girlfriends.

She didn't expect the boy to retaliate. She thought –

thought

he would compromise with everything she told him to. She thought she could beat him into submission.

"Annabeth, before you say or do anything to me, remember, I won't agree with you unless it's something I truly believe in," Nico says in an unyielding voice, eyes firmly staring into the girl's grey ones.

"Please, don't ever try what you think will make me fear you. I might have used to fear you, but now, I don't. I've thought it through, and you aren't going to make me scared anymore.

"You do clearly know that Percy doesn't like you anymore, to begin with, he was hardly in love with you. No point hanging on, Annabeth."

Annabeth was surprised at this sudden change of attitude in the boy. "So what do you think you can do if I continue to bully you hmmn?" Grabbing his hair forcefully, she slams Nico's face right into the locker, and the boy could feel a thick, metallic liquid flow down his upper lip and into his mouth.

Blood.

"I'll come back soon. You just wait, Nico. Let's go, Clarisse."

Nico could hear the soft thuds that their footsteps made echo and then disappear down the hallway. He pushed himself up, pretty sure he got a broken nose after touching his swelling nose and the blood flowing out from it.

First, he was going to clean this mess up. Two –

He was going to solve this without the help of Percy.

~.~.~.~

A/N: Shit I'm done. WHOOOOO~ But eughhh don't you find that character change in Nico a little odd and a bit too sudden? Whoops. Sorry.

Idk anyways I hope you guys liked this chapter okay. I really do. I'll try to errr write soon. (Right)

Please, if you have comments on this story, please leave a review! I haven't been writing in such a loooooong while I don't know if it's still up to my former standards T.T