Chapter Text
“Hey Nico, we’re going to the bar again today,” Piper told him across his kitchen counter. “You should come with us. If you're done with what you're doing, of course.”
Nico looked up from his computer where he was typing one of his essays. He didn't always go to their meet-ups, but having Reyna with him always made it better. He shrugged. “Sure.”
Reyna glanced at Nico from where she was sitting next to him at his dining table. “Is it fine if I don’t go with you, Nico? I’m tired, and it’s too loud there,” she asked. Nico hesitated. “But don’t don’t make it keep you from going,” Reyna told him.
Piper looked at Nico expectantly. “Fine,” he said after a while. Piper cheered, then plopped down cross-legged on the chair across from Nico, putting the cards on the table away, before pulling out her phone. She and Reyna had been playing Speed, but had gotten bored.
Reyna turned to Nico. “Nico, do you want me to drive you there or are you gonna go with someone else?”
“Nah I’ll hitch with Piper” Nico said, grabbing a chip out of the bowl in front of him. “You look tired. Is your job really busy?”
The alpha shook her head, then hesitated. “Well, a bit. I’ve been stressed out, though; little things.”
Nico reached over and squeezed her arm. “I hope you feel better. Getting enough sleep helps with that too. Maybe a good book.” Reyna smiled at him.
“Speaking of stress relief,” Piper piped up across the table. “Look!” she said, grinning and turning her phone around to show them the screen. There was a video of a dog, one of those try-not-to-laugh videos.
Reyna grinned and chuckled at the video. Nico smiled, and Piper turned back to her phone.
“It just feels like life has been shitting me this whole week, and I couldn’t feel it at first, but I can really tell that I am stressed out now,” Reyna says, bowing her head and running her hands through her hair harshly.
“Hey, Reyna. It will be okay. You’re the strongest person I know,” said Piper gently. Nico patted Reyna’s shoulder, in what he hoped was a comforting way.
Reyna shook her head and sat up straight. “It’s not that bad, if I think about it. I’m just stressed out. It’s not even as bad as it feels,” she said. Nico got the feeling that she was trying to convince herself.
“Don’t downplay your feelings though, Reyna,” he told her. “They are very valid, and like Piper said, you are one of the strongest people we know; I don’t know if anyone could make it through what you have.”
Reyna gave him a weak smile. “Thanks, Nico. I’ll be okay, you’re right. I just need a proper night’s sleep.”
Nico opened his mouth, but before he could respond, Piper squealed and covered her mouth. “Oh my gods, my friend just found her soulmate!”
Then her face went slack, her eyes flying up to Nico’s. “Oh gods I’m so sorry Nico, I totally forg—”
“No Piper it’s fine.” Nico cut her off. Piper looked exceedingly guilty. “Like I said before, I’m not sad about it.”
Reyna glanced at Nico, and through her tiredness, Nico could see that it was a calculating look, filled with the fact that she could totally relate to him.
Reyna had never found her soulmate; she didn’t have one. Most people found their soulmate before they were eighteen years old; all of Nico’s friends had found their soulmates. Reyna was now twenty-six years old, and even though some people found their soulmate after eighteen, this was rare, and by twenty-six it was clear that Reyna was meant to be single.
According to Reyna, however, this was fate; and if she had no soulmate, then she wouldn’t be sad, because she hadn’t been made to have a soulmate, therefore would not want one.
Nico told himself that he felt the same; but he secretly wondered if Reyna, again, was just telling everyone and herself that to hide the fact that she was disappointed that she didn’t have a soulmate. When Nico’s eighteenth birthday had come around, everyone had seemed so sorry and disappointed that he hadn’t found his soulmate. Nico was convinced he did not have one.
But a small part of him had still hoped that maybe, he would still find her. But as time went on, he resigned himself to the fact that he was almost nineteen and a half, and did not have a soulmate.
Sometimes, looking around at all his friends, laughing happily with each other, he felt a small bead of anger and heartbreak in his chest. That he did not have someone to love him like that, and never would. How had he been singled out by fate to be one of the few without a soulmate?
But life wasn’t fair, and after Nico cried himself to sleep, he woke up with a hardened heart and an indifferent facade, and locked thoughts of a soulmate in a chest, tucking it deep into the corner of his brain.
If he didn‘t think about it, he wouldn’t be sad.
Nico looked back at Piper, and smiled as genuinely as he could. “It just makes me more like Reyna, and I would give anything to be like her.”
The beta’s mouth twisted, and her eyebrows furrowed, as though contemplating all the possible meanings or reasons Nico said that, but eventually, Piper nodded. “Still, sorry, Nico. I-I'm sorry. Do you want me to leave?
Nico snorted. “Piper, you’re good. It’s not a sensitive subject. Do you want to watch a movie? I finished my homework,” he stated, slightly untruthfully, closing his laptop and pushing it away from him. “I can make some popcorn.”
Piper’s face immediately brightened. “Ohh, yess! Your popcorn is the best, Nico.”
Nico grinned and stood up from the table. “It’s sad that popcorn is the only thing I’m known for in this friend group.”
Piper laughed, and Reyna let out a small chuckle. “I’m picking out the movie!” Piper called, dashing into the living room as Nico headed for the kitchen.
He set a pan on the stove and turned on the stove to warm up the oil. He didn’t notice when Reyna followed him and leaned her against the doorway.
“Nico.” He jumped, a few corn kernels spilling onto the counter with a sharp tinkle.
“Yeah?” he said, glancing over his shoulder and gathering the corn he dropped.
Reyna walked closer and lowered her voice. “Does it really not bother you when people talk about soulmates?”
Nico frowned, wondering why that was all everyone ever talked about. But this was Reyna, this was far from everyone. “I mean,” he hesitated. “I don't like thinking about it. It’s kind of unfair, isn’t it?” he burst out. “Why can’t I be happy like everyone else?” He didn’t really think that, but fuck if his heart acknowledged that. Reyna looked at him with an odd expression on her face.
She walked forward and wrapped her arms around Nico. He buried his face in her shoulder. The alpha didn’t say anything; they both knew there was nothing to say. “But I really hate it when they say something then look at me like I’m going to start throwing things or crashing out.”
Nico felt like he should say that he might just not have met her yet, but he knew that wasn’t true. He was just giving himself false hope, and Nico never wanted to hope again, just for it to be dashed, in shards like his heart.
He laughed self-deprecatingly. Like his shattered heart, patched and glued together, seemingly good as new, yet he knew that it was much too fragile, that it was just a matter of time before it broke.
Reyna pulled away and gave his shoulder a squeeze, hesitating for a second, before leaving the kitchen.
But it wouldn’t break. He would not think about it again, and with time he would get over it.
He locked that chest with a much stronger lock, promising to throw the key down the nearest well.
Nico turned to the stove, and poured corn kernels into the boiling oil at the bottom of the pot. A few minutes later, they began to pop, and Nico shook the pan so the popcorn wouldn’t burn.
When the white kernels filled the pan and stopped exploding, Nico turned off the heat and moved the white popcorn to a large bowl. He cut a chunk of butter into the pot, the leftover heat quickly melting it. Nico inhaled; he liked the way the butter turned into deep gold and expanded, the cream color disappearing, getting smaller and smaller.
He poured the popcorn back into the pan, mixing it thoroughly with the butter, before adding salt and some of his secret seasoning, mixing everything together.
Nico transferred everything into the bowl, before joining Reyna and Piper on his couch. Piper had decided on “The Notebook,” and immediately reached out for the popcorn. Nico sighed. He should have made more, knowing how much Piper liked it.
“Nicoooo, c’mon, tell me what your 'secret seasoning' is…” Piper begged, moaning as she popped a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
Nico smirked. “Nope, it’s a secret, imagine that,” he quipped, reaching for some popcorn himself.
Piper groaned and plopped down sideways on the couch, throwing her legs over Nico’s and resting her head in Reyna’s lap. Nico raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing.
Nico must have fallen asleep during the movie, because when he woke up, it was to Reyna gently shaking him. He blinked groggily.
Piper’s voice sounded from the door. “Hey Nico, I gotta go home now. I’m going to get ready for the party.”
Nico blinked at her, frowning. “That’s in like, two hours. Why do you have to leave now?”
“Cuz,” Piper responded ominously. “I’ll be back in an hour an’ a half to pick you up, with reinforcements. Don’t be late!” She closed the door behind her.
Nico rolled his eyes, not without a fond smile.
“I can stay for a bit longer,” Reyna told him. She picked the last little shreds of popcorn out of the depths of the bowl. “Then I gotta go and pass out for the rest of the weekend.”
Nico smiled at her. Thanks, Reyna. You’re the best, I knew you would never give up on me.” She grinned at him. “You wanna watch another movie? Some horror maybe?”
Reyna hummed. “No, my eyes are tired.” She got up and walked back into the kitchen, placing the empty bowl into the sink and washing her hands. “Can I pick out your clothes for you?”
Nico rolled his eyes. “It’s not any fancy occasion. We do this every other week.”
“Yeah, but I’m bored and this is fun,” Reyna retorted, heading towards his bedroom.
Nico groaned and dragged himself off of his couch after her. He cocked his hip against the edge of his doorframe, watching as Reyna pulled item after item of clothing out of his closet and tossing them onto his bed.
“You know you’re putting all that shit back when you’re done, right?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.
“Of course, dumbass,” Reyna responded, not looking up at him. “Speaking of which,” she pulled his normal clothes to the side, revealing a suit hung in the very back of his dresser, “You aren’t wearing this to your sister’s wedding, are you?”
“What?” Nico asked, confused. “Of course I am. I don’t have anything else to wear.”
Reyna turned to face him, brandishing the suit at him. “Nico, you’ve had this thing forever. You got it when you were sixteen, for gods’ sake! You can’t wear this,” she said, tossing it aside. “You got to get a new one.”
Nico spluttered. “What am I going to wear then?”
Reyna rolled her eyes at him. “Get a new one. It’s not like you don’t have enough money.”
Nico thought about this for a second. “I mean, yeah, but what’s wrong with this one?” he asked, picking his plain black suit and looking at it.
“It’s too old and small, Nico. This is your sister’s wedding, you idiot.” Nico sighed. Reyna went on, “And the theme is blue, anyways. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”
Nico rolled his eyes again. “Don’t I always?” He really needed to stop doing that, it had to be bad for his eyes.
“Okay, Death Boy. I’m taking you shopping next time. With Piper, because she has the best fashion sense, and she’s helping with the wedding.”
Nico sighed, but let it go. Reyna was right, of course. As always.”
He flopped down on his bed. Reyna turned back to flipping through his closet. “Here,” she said, tossing a shirt at him. It landed on his face.
She rummaged through his drawers a bit, before something heavy landed on his face. “There. Your normal jeans should be fine.”
Nico wanted to point out that he hadn't worn this particular pair of jeans in months, due to the fact that Piper had decided to modify it a bit, and now was 'stylishly ripped.'
He sighed. “Yes, ma’am.”
Reyna pulled him off of his bed. “Yes, yes. Now go change,” she ordered, shoving him towards the bathroom.
When he came out, Reyna glanced at him, before nodding. Nico was wearing a short top with fishnet sleeves, and the pair of ripped jeans. “Nice, Nico.”
“Perks of not having a mate: no one to tell you what to wear,” Nico joked.
Reyna smirked. “Relatable, Death Boy. Now come on. I’m putting makeup on you.”
“Woah, what?” Nico held up his hands. “I did not sign up for this!”
Reyna ignored him and hoisted him onto the bathroom counter. “Stay,” she said, yanking his drawer open, and taking out the box hidden behind a box of wipes. Nico frowned, wondering when on earth he had shown Reyna his secret makeup box.
“Reyna, you’re acting like this is some fancy party; it’s not, it’s just a small get-together,” he complained.
Reyna opened the box. “You haven’t gone anywhere in weeks. This is fancy for you.”
Thirty minutes and Nico giving up on struggling later, he stood in front of his mirror. In addition to eyeliner and the tiniest swipe of mascara and blush, Reyna had slightly curled his hair around his face and painted his nails with black polish— the only color he would allow. She wasn’t complaining, it went with the outfit.
Nico glanced at Reyna in the mirror. “I’m not your doll, Reyna. You had way too much fun dressing me up.”
“Aw, Nico, don’t be like that,” Reyna grinned. “You look adorable.”
“I look gay.”
“Andddd… what’s wrong with that? You’re an omega, for gods’ sake.”
“That’s worse,” Nico scowled. “I see why Fate couldn’t find anyone to be your soulmate. No one would be able to stand being mated to you.”
Reyna rolled her eyes, grinning. “Are you talking about me, or you?”