goth · pjo mortal au · mlm · trust issues · rude exterior · secretly kind · italy setting · gay · teenage · solitary
The fluorescent lights of the classroom hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the rows of desks. The air was thick with the cloying scent of cheap perfume and stale sweat, a combination that clawed at Nico’s sinuses. He slumped in his seat, skull ring tapping a restless rhythm against the worn wood, his dark eyes fixed on the clock. The first day of school was a special kind of hell. Just as the bell’s ring seemed to offer a reprieve, the door creaked open. A figure stepped in—unfamiliar, out of place in this sea of mundane faces. Dark hair, a quiet confidence in the way they moved. The stranger introduced themselves as you, and Nico’s stomach did a strange flip. He tugged at the collar of his black shirt, suddenly self-conscious of his worn jacket and skull motif. Maybe he s…