Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Leo sat on the desk, his hands on his lap as he looked at the police officer with disdain.
“You can take a glass of water, if you want–” The man said and gestured towards the cup in front of him.
“I want a lawyer,” Leo said, tapping a rhythmic pattern on his leg. “This is not fair, I didn't even try do anything from another world–”
“Speak correctly, first of all” The man said, and Leo could swear he heard something about immigrants and their idioms. He had to restrain himself from strangling the guy “and we already called your lawyer, kid, he's going to take a while, so in the meantime, cooperate”
Leo looked away, and he was met with his reflection. He looked… like shit, his hair tousled, his eye swollen, and one of his teeth split in half. And that without even looking at his bloody knuckles and the cut on his leg the policemen had to wrap up for him because he was unconscious.
He silently cursed Mark for leaving him there when the police sirens blared, couldn't they had just carried him? No, no they couldn't Leo, then all of you would be in the police station.
“What do you want me to say? Hm?” Leo asked as he turned back at the police officer. The man looked like he had a sunburn, a silent reminder that wherever Sun shone, white people were not welcomed by it. So much for immigrants and their idioms, but Leo didn't look like strawberry icecream when Sun hit him for more than ten seconds.
“So tell me, Leonardo–”
“Its Leonidas” He corrected bitterly “Leonidas Samuel Valdez Papanikolau, It's literally on the paper in front of you dude, are you illiterate or something?”
“Look, Leonidas, I've seen many kids like you sit here and be as disrespectful as you are being” The man said and leaned forward “That smart mouth won't serve you much use once you're in juvie, kiddo”
Leo's eyes widened. Juvie. He had heard of it a lot, tales from the other kids about how they threw people inside washing machines or something. It was scary to hear, even for Leo.
“So tell me, Leonard– Leonidas, what happened on Mayhem street today?” He asked once again.
The man must have asked a thousand times before, but Leo had kept his mouth shut. But… juvie… the thought made Leo shiver in fear.
He might be a con, but he was only sixteen after all. Between blades and guns still lay a kid, a child who felt responsible for his mother's death, a child who only wanted to be held by the same arms that coddled him as a baby. If he went to juvie his record would be stained forever, and people would not only shame him for emigrating, for having a loud mouth, or for being a bad kicker, but for being a criminal.
“I…” Leo started, the memories flooding his brain like a tank with each time less oxygen.
Him and his buddies, Mark and Jake, had robbed a store. I know, bad, boohoo. But it was a lousy 24 hour market with a loud neon sign and long empty aisles, it screamed money in a way they couldn't describe, and they went looking for copper and found gold. Turns out the owner was a richass guy with money to spare, so they figured it was a good idea. They slipped through the darkness, their reflection on every glass discreet, their steps silent. The three of them pointed their guns at the cashier, and gestured to keep quiet. As Jake pointed the gun at the man, Leo stuffed the money in bags, from bills to coins to even pennies.
Mark was supposed to guard the door, but he joined the two other boys to stuff the money faster, and probably take a sneak peak at the action.
Mark had gotten distracted, the three of them had, and before they knew it, punches flew and blood slipped everywhere when Carlos’ buddies showed up.
They owed them money, yes, but it was only like– a thousand dollars they were planning on recovering soon, but soon wasn't enough for Carlos. They kicked and punched and hit them, but there were too many. Leo was knocked unconscious, and when he woke up, he was told by officers that the cashier had run away and called the police, and he was the only one who didn't escape.
He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of the water, but finally spoke.
The words left his mouth with practiced ease, he spoke as if he was ashamed of himself, making up things as he went. He didn't tell them they owed money, he didn't mention he had a gun at some point, he didn't say anything that could get his friends detected, in trouble obviously, but they would go right past the radar. He hoped.
Just as Leo was done speaking his lawyer arrived. His lawyer was a tall, lean man, with glasses and brown-ish hair, he struggled to keep the papers on his hands and his glasses kept falling to the tip of his nose.
"Good night, Leo” He said and sat down “Excuse me for being late, I had a couple problems, but it's all sorted out now”
Leo drifted off as the police officer droned about paperwork and laws. He fiddled with his shirt, his leg bouncing in a rhythmic pattern as he looked to the side.
“...Leo, what's 754 multiplied by 753.9 divided by two?” His lawyer suddenly asked.
“284,220.3” Leo replied in a heartbeat and turned to him with furrowed eyebrows “Why?”
“That could had easily been prepared so you could fool me” The policeman said, ignoring Leo's question.
“You ask him, then” The lawyer replied and looked at Leo, and silently asked him to comply.
The officer turned to Leo and narrowed his eyes, and Leo shifted uncomfortably in his seat under the man's gaze.
“8165 multiplied by 175” he said as he took out his phone and opened the calculator app.
“1,428,875” Leo replied before he could type the first number. His confusion deepened as he leaned forward “Why do you keep asking me shit?”
“You just answer, kid” The policeman said and pressed the equal sign on his phone. “How much did you say again?”
“1,428,875” He said again “you have the retention of six year old”
The policeman was stunned to silence for a couple seconds, and Leo thought he had stepped a line, gone too far, and he would get clocked for being a smart mouth yet again. But the man just… laughed.
“I'd have to ask my superior but im sure we could do that, if he behaves in this school then it should be fine” He said. “What was the name again?”
“Well, it's a boarding school in New York, Long Island specifically” The lawyer said and pushed his glasses up again. God Leo desperately wanted to tighten the screws on them. “It's called Harmony heights, it's a very famous school and kids from all over the country travel to study there, I submitted a test Leo did and he got a scholarship”
Leo's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. A school, for rich kids. And a test? So that was the paper the lawyer had made him do last month! That was a violation of everything, had someone asked him if he wanted to go there? No! But on the other hand… juvie.
“So… when are we leaving?”

Chapter Text

Nico sat on the bed.
The bed.
It wasn't his, it never would be, it was just a bed with itchy sheets and uncomfortable pillows he would be forced to sleep in. His mind wandered as he looked around the bright room. The light bled through the too thin curtains, the atmosphere uncomfortably hot inside, and when he had asked for a fan to fight against said heat, he had been given a dusty and broken one. The space itself was incredibly small, the bed was a tight fit, and the closet (where also barely fit his clothes) clashed against the door, making it difficult to open.
He felt like Harry Potter, living under the staircase of the house, because no matter how grateful he was his aunt Beryl had taken him in, there was no denying he was very uncomfortable.
The odd looks, the pitying stares, the careful words, almost like everyone in the house was walking on eggshells around him and his sister.
Their mother had died, yes, but it had been over a year ago, there was no need to keep on being this careful. It still hurt, a lot, but being reminded that he would be nothing more than ‘The emo kid with the dead mother’ was infuriating.
“Brats! Dinner's ready!” Thalia yelled from the kitchen.
Nico slowly sat up and begrudgingly left the bed, fighting with himself to take a few steps to the dinning room, his mind working slower than his body thanks to the heat. He hated warmth, he was cold himself, so freakly cold the few people to he allowed to touch him joked about how he resembled the cold of a morgue. But the case is, he hated everything heat, he gets sunburnt too easily anyway.
He set the table with Bianca, and he had to hide his expression when he saw what Thalia had cooked.
Mashed potatoes and boiled chicken.
“That's… nice” He said, trying to look less disgusted than he felt as he stared at the chicken, seasoned with probably prayers, and salt if he was lucky.
Jason soon joined them, he approached the pot and as soon as he saw the food he smiled widely “That looks delicious” He said and sat down in the farthest corner of the table.
Nico wondered if Jason's words were nothing more than a lie to please his sister, or he genuinely liked that atrocity they called food.
“Gli piace davvero? È pazzo o...?” Nico whispered to Bianca, his expression confused as they all sat down.
Bianca shrugged “Americhe” She said simply and served herself a spoonful of mashed potatoes.
They all ate their food in silence, until Jason spoke up.
“I heard they kicked Ethan and Alabaster out, so the scholarships are open again for this year” He commented as he took a bite of the unseasoned meat “I heard the candidates are having an interview next week, I wonder who'll be the new kid”
Nico hummed in understanding. He, too, wondered who would be new, maybe a girl who could be friends with Bianca or another jock to join the football club, it was hard to tell, but most scholarship kids weren't brilliant, or so he heard, every single one of them was kicked out within the first month. Odd, isn't it? Nico wondered if they were forced by their parents to get in or they were just careless enough to get caught doing something forbidden. Probably both.
He ate in silence, the sound of the cutlery clashing against the dishes deafening as he took a sip of his water.
He looked at Jason, he wore his football clothes, two streaks of the school's colours painted on his face as he munched on the plain chicken. A couple days ago, while Nico sat in the living room, he had heard him and Thalia talking about an important game, one against some rival school. Maybe he could attend it later.
…
Better not, he didn't want to withstand Jason's friends poking fun at him.
“So, how's it going with Annabeth, huh?” Bianca asked out of the blue, with a sly smile. Nico choked on the water, and it fell through his nose.
He had almost forgotten that. He had told Bianca that he had a crush on Annabeth, he panicked when she asked who he liked and just said the first name that came to mind.
On his deathbed he would admit he didn't like the blonde, but in fact swooned every time her boyfriend passed by, and attended every swim competition just to see Percy. He just looked so good when he held up that trophy, who could blame him? He looked like a Greek god, and don't get him started on that smile on his face…
Nico quickly realized his mind was wandering again, damn him and that stupid Percy.
He cleaned his nose and rolled his eyes.
“Why do you care?” He said and shoved another spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.
…
The evening passed by quite quickly, soon enough the blinding light of the summer turned into the golden hue casted by the sunset.
Nico laid in his room again, staring up at the ceiling like he had been for the past two hours, so many things to do yet no energy to do them. He sat up, and fought with himself just to take a couple steps to the bathroom.
He picked up the toothbrush and brushed his teeth, the action so draining he wondered if running a marathon would be easier.
He hadn't brushed his teeth in a while.
A long while.
And he figured that Bianca would notice it if he kept it going on for longer. He looked at his hair, he wouldn't bother brushing it, it was a mess, so tangled no brush could get through it, so messy it would take hours to even attempt to return it to its previous state, and after so many months without even trying to was a lost cause.
He finished brushing his teeth and looked in the mirror. He attempted a smile, but it looked so fake he didn't even try and do it again.
“Stop staring at me like that” he muttered to his reflection. He put his palm against the mirror, the glass cold beneath his hand, them staining it, leaving a trace of fingertips on the mirror.
Gods he needed to get a grip of himself.

Chapter Text

Leo's alarm blared, and he groaned in annoyance. He cleaned the drool from his cheek, and pointed his gaze at the number on the clock, 6:00 AM it read. God he hated waking up early. You know what else Leo hated? Classists, nepo babies and rich brats, and that day he was going to come face to face with a whole lot of them.

Leo, since being caught by police, had lived in a house with other foster kids under constant surveillance, they called it ‘foster house’, but deep down every kid in that home was aware that it was a modern orphanage. Leo sat up, the thoughts of bratty kids lingering jn his brain, and with heavy steps, made his way to the bathroom.

He took a quick shower and brushed his teeth, then, with the towel still wrapped around him, looked disdainful at the uniform. It was your standard school clothing: a white polo, light green vest, and pants the same colour, along with a jacket with a small emblem over the heart, it read ‘HARMONY HEIGHTS, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL’ in a very serious looking font.

He already hated the place.

He put everything on on, struggling to slip in his binder, which he probably should had put on once he was dry, but Leo was stubborn as a mule. As he brushed his hair, he couldn't help but reminisce older times, ones in which he was only a kid, times in which nothing bad had yet happened to him.

“Mira papi, when you meet someone important, always look presentable” His mother had once told him, he must have been around five or six. He remembered it clearly, almost as if it was yesterday, she had said that because Leo refused to wear an uncomfortable shirt to a family dinner. After that he had never seen any of them again. “if you look badly when you first meet someone, they won't be able to look at you any other way”

God, he missed his mother.

He put on his crappy cologne and wrapped a scarf around his neck, it was dark wool, perfect for this time of the year. Climate change was each year worse, and despite it being only September some days it was cold enough to freeze your lashes and others hot enough to melt your flip flops, Leo wasn't taking chances and it was already raining outside.

He grabbed his suitcase and carelessly stuffed all his things inside, then went out of his room and was met with the rest of the foster kids eating breakfast.

“Oh, good morning dear, you want some breakfast before you leave?” One of the caretakers asked.

“Uh, no thank you, I'm off to… you know, school” He said that last word as if it was some sort of curse, as he dragged his suitcase behind him. “It was nice being here, I'll sneak out someday and bring y'all something nice” he said with a smile.

He heard the sleepy cheer of a few of the kids, and the shake of the caretaker's head as he left for his lawyer's car. He covered his head with his free arm to avoid getting too wet, opened the trunk and carelessly put the suitcase inside, the annoying scarf falling off his shoulders as he did so, and then closed the trunk with a small jump to reach the door. He hopped inside the car, happy to finally be warm, and fastened his seatbelt. He soon realized his lawyer looked like he hadn't slept in years.

“You okay man…?” Leo asked and tilted his head “you look like shit”

“I had a case that took me all night and… It doesn't matter, we have a two hour road trip ahead of us” He said and started the car “I have already spoken to the principal, he knows about your… situation, I plead you to behave, this is your last opportunity”

Leo nodded awkwardly, and looked straight ahead, patting his legs in a rhythmic pattern.

The first hour was filled with a strange stillness, Leo fiddled with the strings from his scarf in an attempt to ignore the tense atmosphere, and his lawyer kept tapping the steering wheel with his ring in a way that made Leo want to rip his hair out. He looked outside, softly muttering the words on the road signs as his fingers drummed against the lower part of the window.

“So… why didn't I have to do that interview?” Leo asked in hope to make his lawyer's tapping stop “I read on the school’s web that everyone has to do an interview”

“Because doing an interview with you would be like asking Einstein to solve a seventh grader's math homework” He said “they care about whether or not you are intelligent, and that you can behave to an extent, to which I hope–”

“Yes I will behave, I will be a little snobby boy who speaks like his nose is clogged and his hands are sticky with something all the time” He said, speaking in that voice and making a small ‘eww that is SO gross’ to strengthen his point.

His lawyer chuckled softly “Alright then, that's what I wanted to hear” He said and a more comfortable silence followed them on the highway.

…

About thirty minutes later, they reached the school. It was a tall building with light bricks and a grey roof, it resembled a castle, Leo thought, or the school from Young Royals. Not that Leo had ever watched Young Royals. Why would he do that? Pff… him? Young Royals? That is absurd– Anyway.

The driveway was busting with kids, many of them greeting their friends, probably since they hadn't seen eachother since the start of summer.

He suddenly felt self conscious, this school felt like it was a pair of shoes too big for him, it was… big, and full of people he didn't know, he had to behave, he knew it, but he had a hunch he might beat up some lousy kid trying to play cool.

His lawyer got out of the car, and as he walked to the trunk, Leo took the opportunity to stuff the box of cigarettes that laid on the drawer. He got out of the car, an innocent smile on his face as he received back his suitcase.

“Thank you” He said and looked at the school “are you sure there aren't any other options…?”

“Your mother would have wanted you here, Leonidas” His lawyer said “It was on her will, but the youngest people can inscribe is at twelve” He stopped and pushed his glasses up “and we both know why that couldn't be sooner, but she would be proud either way”

His mother.

Leo's eyes stung at the mere mention of his mother, her soft smile and short curls, her tanned skin and that gleam in her eyes whenever Leo made an equation correctly, now lost in time by the hand of fate. Was it really how we all ended? Nothing more than a name on a gravestone, doomed to be only loved in conditions? 5 out of the ten people in his mother's funeral left because it started to rain.

Maybe he found comfort in knowing his mother would be happy people moved on.

Perhaps not.

He blinked away the tears threatening to fall and he looked at his lawyer, he slowly reached over and took his glasses, then from his pocket he pulled out a small screwdriver, and tightened the screws of the glasses. He handed them back.

“Thank you” He said, looking at him. The words fell heavy on his tongue, he didn't remember the last time someone had been this… nice to him, this free of judgement. Perhaps it was the beauty of advocacy, you had to defend your client whether you shared their beliefs or disagreed with their morals. Leo liked, despite not seeing him as someone completely genuine, his lawyer a lot.

He smiled and soon started walking to the school.

This was going to be a long, long, way.

Chapter Text

They ran over a bump, the car shook over the uneven path and Nico messed up his eyeliner. “Can you be more careful? Maledetto americhe” He said to Jason, who was driving as carelessly as one can, Bianca stifled a chuckle and Jason drove over another bump on the road.

“Im not sure what that means, but it doesn't sound like a compliment” Jason said, pulling his tie a bit looser around the neck, and turned on a curve at atleast 130 km/h.

It was the first day of school, they had woken up late since dear Thalia had forgotten to wake them, despite promising she would do it. Nico was seated on the passenger’s seat, Bianca in the back and Jason driving (only because he was the only one with a driver's license, if it was Nico's choice Bianca would be the one in his place).

He continued looking in the mirror, applying the eyeliner on both his eyes. He was cranky, a bit stressed, and a whole lot anxious since all his schedule had been moved. He had been a bit anxious all summer if he was honest, but now he was back to soon soak in the comfort of the little boxes in his calendar, telling him what was supposed to be done each hour of the day.

They reached the school, and hurriedly unloaded the trunk, grabbed their suitcases and went to the main patio. There was to be held a welcoming ceremony, one Nico hated.

Kids were in little groups, and soon Bianca and Jason were too, each in their respective one. Bianca sat in one of the last rows with Drew, Katie and Chiara. Jason on the other hand sat with Piper, Frank, and Hazel. He sat on the first spot he saw, several kids moved a couple rows behind or in front, Nico was used to it, kids avoiding him for his black eyeliner or deathly aura. All except one.

A boy he had never seen before, unruly curls and brown skin, a black scarf wrapped around his neck and a small suitcase in front of him, not the kind that a wealthy kid would take to a boarding school, too small too old too worn out too scratched. Nico couldn't help but stare at the boy's eyes, dark as night staring straight ahead with a small glimmer of anticipation. If you looked closely enough you could probably see the universe through his iris, count the stars and let each planet whisper to you its secrets.

“Jeez, everyone's movin’ away, do I really smell that bad?” The boy said with a smile and turned to Nico, who looked away like he hadn't been staring. “Your eyeliner's cool, oh– and im Leo by the way, Leo Valdez”

Nico was silent for a couple seconds, processing the words took him a bit longer than he expected, and he turned to face Leo. “Thank you, I… I like your scarf” He said, his grip on his leather suitcase tightening a bit “And the kids are moving away because I sat here”

Leo chuckled “What are you, some sort of plague?” Leo asked with a smile

“A necromancer and satanist” Nico said bluntly “or at least that's what rumor says”

“Ooh, that sounds cool, maybe I'll die just so you can revive me” Leo said with a smile, he looked like he was about to say something else, but just as he opened his mouth, a man stepped on the stage and cleared his throat on the mic.

He was in his late 40s, had a few grey hairs, a kind and welcoming smile decorated his face “Welcome students of Harmony heights to yet another school year! I would like to thank you all and the school staff for joining us today in this welcoming ceremony, in this school we hope to…”

The man droned about the school's morals and their way of teaching, and Nico's eyelids grew heavier as minutes passed. He saw as the boy next to him –Leo– yawned without even bothering to cover his mouth.

“Boring?” Nico asked hushedly. For some strange reason, he didn't feel as cranky anymore.

“Boringsisisím” Leo whispered back.

“What is that even supposed to mean–?”

Leo smiled “So… I didn't quite catch your name, or should I just call you Death boy?”

Nico smiled a tiny bit, and looked at Leo again. “Nico” He said “Im Nico DiAngelo”

“Nico DiAngelo… Angelo is angel in Italian, isn't it? Of angel” He said and his eyes ran over Nico's features “seems fitting”

Nico scoffed and looked away “flattery will get you nowhere” He said and took a quick glance at him “or talking to me, you will ruin your reputation if you try to be my friend”

Leo stayed silent for a couple seconds, before looked at his suitcase and rummaged between its content for something.

“Do they bother you?” He asked quietly.

“Who, them?” Nico replied and gestured to the rest of the kids in his grade. “Sometimes, but I often just Ignore them or something”

Leo took out a lollipop, it was wrapped in a red plastic that read BonBonBun, and words in a language far too similar to Italian. He offered it to Nico, and albeit surprised, he took it, opening it and putting it in his mouth.

“Well then I don't care what they say” Leo said and ate one of his own, putting his feet in the chair in front of him. “Bothering people based on their looks is no better than threatening them at knife point”

Nico chuckled softly.

“I think we might disagree on that, Valdez,” He said, looking at him with the hint of a smile, leaning on the heel of his hand.

Leo looked back at him, their eyes met for a couple seconds too long, before Leo spoke up “Let it be the first of many, DiAngelo”