robinnest | Children of Hades

[Nico blinks, confused and then absently reaches for his head for no reason whatsoever, patting his hair down because she's probably talking about his hair, right? (She's definitely not but his hair is a mess from the crown so he's glad he checked it anyway.) When he finally follows her gaze his mouth opens in a silent "oh."]

I twisted my ankle. [And he shrugs like it's no big deal because, well. It's no big deal.] Will can take care of it when we get back.

When did you…

[ she remembers her pushing past him. then him coming back up the stairs. from the nearest landing. ]

I didn't— [ she looks stricken. ] I am so sorry! I'm so sorry, Nico, I swear I didn't mean —

[Nico looks startled at the reaction and he shakes his head and shrugs again.]

It's not a big deal, it's fine. [He holds his hands up in emphasis.]

I barely even noticed. [Which is true because he'd been far more concerned with getting to Mal. He does pause then in thought, remembering her pushing him behind him (and down the stairs.)]

Um, you do know I can fight though, right? I fight monsters like that all the time. You don't have to worry about protecting me in a fight.

[ NOT NOTICING DOES NOT MAKE HER ANY LESS RESPONSIBLE, NICO. ]

I'm so sorry, [ she repeats, holding her hands in front of her mouth. which part she is apologizing for is up for debate. ]

I didn't think. I just saw it going after you, and I— [ she has pressed back against the car door, her expression marred by guilt. waiting. ]

[With all of his experience with people who have been beaten down by life, Nico has no experience with this. The way she shrinks away, looking for escape, and the fear and guilt in her eyes. None of the campers he knows have reacted this way (even back when they did shrink away from him in fear.) Intuitively, he softens his expression and lets Mal have her space. After a moment, he reaches out with one hand (low, palm up) and tugs at her fingers until he can close his own around them.]

It's okay. I know. [It was an overreaction, sure, but he'd never misunderstood her intentions to keep him safe.]

It was the first time you saw a monster like that. It's always a lot.

[ mal shakes her head, throwing her purple hair into a tizzy. in auradon, she would have half the populace ( those that were starting to like her ) turning away from her. on the isle, her mother would never have tolerated such a shameful display before a petty beast. she is mal, daughter of maleficent. she does not let anything or anyone get the better of her. ]

I shouldn't have reacted like that. [ another apology. a self-censure. ] I know. I'll do better.

[ mal fights to free her spell book from her bag. ]

Here. I can find something to fix it.

Mal, No. [And where the scolding had been absent from his voice before, it makes itself known now.]

You literally passed out a few minutes ago from using too much magic. [He places a hand on her bag, not with enough strength to actually stop her if she isn't listening to him.]

[Softer] Will can manage it and it doesn't hurt.

[ mal narrows her eyes at him before giving in with a defeated sigh. she pushes the corner of her book back inside the wristlet and zips it shut. that last spell took too much out of her. she has never felt this empty. how did her mother manage to cast spells like this and remain standing? were it not for the piece of ambrosia, mal would still be half-faint.

crossing her arms in front of her, she leans back into her seat and glares out the window. her fingers find the gold dragon pendant around her neck. mal fiddles with it in anxious gesture. guilt, embarrassment and shame war for dominion. shame wins.

when she was little, her mother used to say mal was just like her father: foolish, weak, human. that stopped when mal learned the truth about her father; instead, maleficent pointed out how disappointing mal was, how much shame she brought her mother and her father both — for why else would he have left her as an infant?

her mother was evil and delighted in being cruel and would never hesitate to lie. but she was right about mal's father. hades had taken steps to protect nico and bianca, likely bothered to look in on hazel. he never cared to protect mal. hasn't contacted her, not even an acknowledgement that he is aware she is in the mortal world. and why should he? she's the failure, the girl who botched trying to be good, the girl who tried to protect her brother and instead got him hurt.

she would not want her close, either. ]

[Nico watches her, knowing his words are hitting her the wrong way and unable to find the words to fix it. He won't take it back or let her burn herself out more on such a minor injury, but he shouldn't have said it the way he did. He should have found a better way. He frowns, watching her fingers curl around her pendant and wishing he was brave enough to reach for her hand again.]

...you know I've never seen anyone go back and fix the damage they caused. That was really cool of you.

It’s not, [ she answers flatly, her green eyes turning to him. ]

I broke it. So it’s my responsibility to fix it.

[ otherwise she is just…her mother. ]

[When she says it like that, it sounds simple, but Nico knows it isn't. Unwilling to let it lay there, he continues.]

Not everyone would do that. [Pause.] And the werewolf is to blame anyway. You'd think monsters would be better about attacking us somewhere deserted but it's like they always find the most crowded places.

[ lucky us, mal thinks. out loud, she asks, ] Are we going back to camp?

[ she can appreciate what nico is trying to do. it does not make her mood any more receptive. mal lets her head drop back against the seat, watching the buildings slide by. ]

[Having failed to reassure Mal, Nico deflates a little, nodding up and down in response before he realizes she isn't looking at him.]

Yeah. But we're making a—[Stop, is what he begins to say just as the car begins to slow down.]—I did promise. [Even if she hadn't needed the incentive.

Once the car has comes to a full stop, Nico shifts to his window to roll it down to reveal a McDonald's drive through. He places a (rather large) order and leaves it to Jules-Albert to do the rest, rolling up the window again.]

I thought we could eat? I ordered a bunch of stuff so you can have whatever you like.

Thanks.

[ when they get their food, mal helps herself to a big mac and an order of nuggets. she grabs another of the wrapped sandwiches and a box of fries and knocks on the divider. once it has rolled down, she offers both to jules-albert. ]

Don't eat 'em too fast, big guy.

[ leaning back in her seat, she opens the box of nuggets first. she grabs two of the pieces in her hand. a little furrow forms between her eyes as she concentrates. mal tries to recall the moment when she ran forward, the sensation that boiled within her. with a pleased little gasp, green flames bloom across her hand, incinerating the nugget. she looks over at nico with a little smile. ]

Might as well get into the habit.

[ and she hopes their dad and hestia like nuggets. when mal snaps her fingers, the flames die. she turns her hand over. as before, her glove and jewelry are untouched. they don't even feel warm. ]

[Even before Mal offers the nugget to the gods, Nico is grinning at her and has been since she offered the food to Jules-Albert. The zombie can't or doesn't eat, Nico honestly isn't sure which, but he decides to tell Mal that later. Between the sweet gesture and the offering, Nico's quickly coming to the conclusion that despite some of her bluster, Mal is probably one of the kindest people in the world. He grabs a box of nuggets for himself and holds one nugget out to Mal.]

Will you do one for me?

[ corner of her mouth tilting up, she snaps her fingers again. the flames breathe back to life, flickering merrily. mal smirks proudly. she holds out her hand to him, palm up. ]

Consider me your portable heat and light source.

[He nods, hiding his smile and grabbing a large fry.] Thanks.

Maybe we can have another sight seeing day? Since we only got to see one sight today.

How about we get your foot fixed first. I can't look at it without feeling a twinge in my ankle.

[ a pause, and she lowers her food to her lap. ]

I really am sorry I got you hurt.

[This time he does reach for her hand to give it a soft squeeze.]

I know you are. [He lets go and swipes a nugget from her box of nuggets just because he can, popping it into his mouth before she can take it back.]

And if it makes you feel any better, some of my friends have accidentally injured me way worse. One of my friends electrocuted me once. [And he is incredibly amused by this fact.]

Were you stealing his food? [ as flat as the salar de uyuni, the flattest place on earth ( and an actual salt flat. ) ] Because on the Isle, you'd get killed for it.

[Without any shred of repentance]

Good thing this isn't the Isle then. [And though there's laughter in his eyes and a smile on his lips, Nico means it from the depths of his heart. Good thing she's not there anymore. She'll never have to go back.]

Touch my fries and you'll see where you are. [ thus threatens the girl near tears earlier from accidentally shoving him down the stairs.

by the time they get to camp, mal is ready for a shower to get all the remaining werewolf off of her, and then a long date with her bed. first is nico, though. she wraps an arm around his back so he can lean on her while they limp up the hill. her plan is to get him directly to his healer boyfriend, but fate has other plans. at the big house, chiron rolls out, his horse-half replaced by a wheelchair. he invites them in where the television is turned to the news: an apparent bomb scare at the statue of liberty led to the evacuation and subsequent closing of liberty island, and the mortals are busy investigating what happened though initial reports reveal no damage to the statue or its visitors.

on the screen, one christian knowles is gesticulating wildly as he speaks: "—we were supposed to be in the crown. if not for those tickets, we could have been trapped there. it's scary stuff—" beside him, jessica nods along.

chiron looks at mal and nico who both shrug. weren't anywhere near. didn't hear. when the centaur then asks about nico's leg, mal steps in. ]

Bike messenger, [ she supplies. her expression does not so much as twitch through her bald-faced lie. ] They have no fear of god or pedestrians.

[ and that is how chiron blinked first and finally waved off one (1) injured demigod and his still werewolf-decorated sister in the direction of the infirmary.

the end. ]

Children of Hades

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