บท 74: DA : Chapter 74: Making Choices I
Nico flinched as his ears were assaulted by the combined voices of his queens, both looking at him as if he'd grown a second head. He couldn't really blame them seeing as how freaking random the whole thing was.
Still, after giving a mild glare while making a point to rub his ringing ears, both goddesses settled down with the grace to look slightly embarrassed though Hestia reached down and placed her open palm before him. The invitation being clear, he made a quick hop onto her hand before she lifted him up to their eye level.
"Sorry," Hestia said in a softer voice, knowing that their size made any tone above inside-voice painful for anyone of regular size.
"So … mind repeating that?" Rhea asked next as she leaned over the armrest of her throne to get closer.
He sighed with a nod. "Yeah … so Styx proposed to me."
"Why?" Hestia asked next as she narrowed her eyes slightly. "She does know that you don't swing that way right?"
"Not like I hide it," Nico defended while resisting from crossing his arms petulantly.
Rhea and Hestia shared a glance before Rhea asked, "So … how exactly did it go?"
He almost groaned at their obvious curiosity and need to settle their confusion. Hell, he was still confused. Regardless he told them …
....
The Night Before After Their Meeting
As the council members used their favored forms of teleportation, the king and his queens quickly dissolving into shadows and likely heading up to their home.
Jason going off to possibly hunt down his new 'target' and Thalia leaving to finally meet with Aeolus and two of the cardinal winds leaving the West Wind to still be found, Phoebe went to likely Delos as she still favored the island, and lastly Andromeda returning to her office for her project.
As Nico walked down his long flight of stairs to reach the throne room floor, he noted that Styx was looking directly at him.
He didn't find it odd considering she'd been glancing at him repeatedly for some time. He'd admit that it got him curious but he'd left her to approach at her own leisure. Now though, as he got to the floor she got up from her throne and slowly walked to him, shrinking with every step.
As she walked he couldn't help but admire her. Sure, he was firmly in the rainbow camp but it didn't mean that he couldn't appreciate feminine beauty and being in a council with arguably the most beautiful women on the planet tended to draw his gaze.
Rhea, the epitome of a queen with a regal stature and grace. Her body being the perfect, curvy balance of athletic performance and natural beauty giving homage to her domain of Nature and the ideal of a physically perfect woman.
Hestia, the embodiment of Fire making her a hot goddess mixed with her demure and gentle personality that could melt even the coldest hearts. Then there was Thalia, unyielding and fierce like her Storm domain. She carried a sense of danger and slight haughtiness that made her the center of attention without even trying.
Andromeda, in contrast to Rhea being nature's ideal, took on the ideal of what sentient beings, predominantly humans, wanted or unconsciously looked for. The curviest of the council, her every motion and stance screaming sensuality, her voice sweeter than honey even on a bad day.
It was at those times Nico thanked Chaos Andy's personality wasn't anything like Aphrodite, otherwise even he would be putty in the goddess' hands.
Next came Phoebe, whose domains culminated into the strands of Fate, who carried a natural allure to herself. Phoebe was not the most beautiful of the council, or the curviest, or fiercest but with her there was a supernatural and exotic appeal.
A sense of mystery, an ocean of unasked questions and hints around her, that mocha skin contrasting her glowing amber eyes that simply drew you in with the need to know.
And lastly was Styx, the most quirky of the lovely ladies of the council. Usually teasing, bordering flirty with any and all to the point she kept a tally of how many gods and goddesses alike she could make blush throughout the day.
Being a more petite beauty, Nico would usually describe the goddess as impish with her slim build and thin waist, modest bust and proportionally long legs leading to one of the tightest rears he'd ever seen.
Big doe eyes holding unusually sharp tones of venom green and onyx black in equal swirls, her long green and black streaked hair that always looked like she'd just showered barely a minute ago. If he was being honest with himself he found her more attractive than the other goddess.
Maybe it was her playful personality even though he could literally feel the darker aura hidden underneath thanks to her domain of Hatred that was so similar to his own as the heir of the Pit. Maybe it was that since he liked guys he really couldn't appreciate the soft, marshmallow goodness of big boobs.
It was a coin toss really.
Still, whatever the reason his eyes still watched as Styx slowly walked towards him, his eyes catching the slight sway of her hips shown by her snug chiton. She didn't stop until she was only a few feet away at best, now looking up at their difference in height.
They waited in silence, or at least Nico waited considering it was Styx that approached him since she obviously had something to tell him. However, she looked unusually nervous given by the slight shuffle of one of her feet and her hesitant glances. 'Odd, since when is Styx ever shy about anything?' he wondered before deciding to break the silence himself.
"So Styx," he started, already berating himself for sounding so bland. "Can I help you with something?"
"Ah well," she started, the momentary flash of relief passing her eyes thanks to him speaking first. "I just … wanted to ask you something."
Another odd pause ensued until Nico cleared his throat.
"Okay, shoot," he said casually, trying the make the atmosphere a little more comfortable.
Styx fidgeted with the rope tied around her waist.
"Umm … how are things with you and Will?"
That got him to start, not expecting that question in the slightest. Generally the others that have known him the longest simply talk to him in general and only going onto the subject of Nico's love-life if Nico brought it up himself.
"Ah, good. We're good. He just started his resignations from the practice in New York and will be ready to move here within the week.
He's over the moon since his focus was split between athletic traumas and child care thanks to being the resident doctor in the camp so long. I'm sure Leto will appreciate having such a friendly doctor on call," he answered getting a small smile from her.
"And are you going to give him an apple?" she asked softly.
Nico blinked for a moment in thought. He'd already broached the subject with Will in terms to their mortality. Nico was already partially immortal and he honestly didn't want to watch Will retain mortality and age on until passing. But he knew Will did have some reservations about immortality, partially in his respect to fair play and feeling like it was being given away rather than earned.
Another being that immortals tended to have really loose pants, as so eloquently portrayed by their extensive family tree. Nico knew Will was scared of potentially growing into something similar to Apollo even though Nico highly doubted it and then Will would always answer in an oddly pessimistic way.
'Sure, maybe not now or in even in a century. But that's immortality. There will always be enough time to change and possibly make that mistake.'
But Nico could understand his worries. It was the same reasons Percy had constantly rejected the Olympians and their demand of him joining them.
He didn't want to become separated and distant from the very mortals he grew up with and spilled blood protecting, fearing that immortality would change him. Still, shaking his head of the thoughts he refocused on Styx.
"Yeah, I was thinking of giving him an apple soon after he gets here. I would rather be assured that he'll be okay on the battlefields since I know he'll want to fight too and I don't know if I could handle him dying. At least as an immortal if he gets taken out I'll wait a few decades for him to reform in Tartarus."
Styx nodded at his answer before asking, "And have either of you thought of marriage?"
That got Nico to blush slightly before giving a hesitant shrug. "I ah … know that it's on his mind since I found some hints …"
"You found the ring and questioned him about it but he couldn't lie to save his life," she interrupted with a grin to which he gave a defeated sigh and nodded.
"Yeah but I could tell he wanted to do it at his own pace so I dropped it for now."
Styx hummed at that and looked towards the warm hearth for a while as Nico glanced at her again, noting how the flames seemed to reflect in her intense eyes.
"What about you?" he suddenly asked making her give him a side glance. "Have you considered marriage to anyone?"
Styx returned her eyes to the fire before answering, her voice surprisingly stern. "I have actually … but I find myself a little hesitant about the whole thing."
"Why?" he asked curiously as he shifted around to be standing right beside her.
"Hmm … mostly due to some personal quirks and preference. After all, it's no secret that I simply love flirting for the sake of flirting, even to the point I risked getting mauled by Rhea one time by getting a little close with Percy during a training session," she said with a grin.
"Pretty ballsy, I'll give you that," he agreed, knowing that Percy and Rhea were equally territorial of each other and given Hestia's actions lately, the fiery goddess was as well.
"Yep but that's just it. I like flirting but that doesn't mean I'm really interested in doing much more. Sure, there have been a few lovely specimens from time to time that give me that special itch but more often than not, I'm just not interested."
"So then why bother looking into it?" he asked. "If marriage is too much of a hassle then don't marry and if you get that itch once in a blue moon, than find that lucky guy (or lady) and scratch it."
"That's just it though, I don't want to sleep with just anybody," she said with a sigh. "I do want to have that special someone and have love but even then, I'm just not a sexual creature like our king and queens," she added with a snicker and he snorted in agreement.
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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
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