Alternative Modes of Transportation - A Nico/Rachel fic
Title: Alternative Modes of Transportation
Characters/Pairings: Nico/Rachel
Summary: Or "How Rachel Dare exploited the resource known as the son of Hades."
Rating: PG
A/N: Written for the Rachel/Nico Holiday Challenge at rachel_nico to lovelysolitude's prompt: "You can't get a cab on New Years." Sorry it isn't longer, 'bby.
Ring. Ring. Ri-
“Hello?”
“Where the hell are all the cabs in Manhattan?” Rachel said, just as as a particularly cold breeze blew by. She scowled and wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck in a futile effort to feel warmer.
A voice scoffed over the phone. “It’s New Years, Red. You can’t get a cab on New Years.”
“Yes. I am aware of that now, Nico.” She snapped back. “I’ve been trying to flag one down in front of the Louis Vuitton boutique on Fifth Avenue for an hour already.”
“Why are you even near that store? You hate it there.”
“I was buying a birthday gift for Jacques - you know, my mother’s demon poodle? It’s picky about brands and- that isn’t the point here! The point is I can’t get a cab home and I’m turning into an icicle.”
“Well, what do you want me to do about it, woman?” He retorted.
“You’re a son of Hades!” She exclaimed rather loudly, catching the attention of the man beside her. He looked at her oddly before not-so-subtly moving away. She ignored him.
Nico snorted. “Acute observation; but I still don’t see what that has to do with getting a cab.”
Rachel huffed and rolled her eyes. “Two words, di Angelo: Shadow. Travel.”
“No.” He replied immediately. She could practically hear him shaking his head through the phone. “No way.”
“Why not?” She all but whined. The afternoon was getting colder, and for someone who absolutely abhorred the cold like Rachel, that wasn’t good news.
“I am not going to be your- your transportation.”
“I’ll pay for your half of the rent this month.” She tried bribing him. “I’ll stop waking you up at ungodly hours in the morning to cook me food. Gods, I’ll never doodle on your Mythomagic card collection ever again! Just get me out of this damn cold.”
There was no answer. She let out a huge sigh, and then said: “Please, Nico. I am freezing my ass off here.”
The call ended abruptly with the loud hum of the dial tone. Rachel stared at her phone incredulously, unable to believe that the son of Hades had hung up on her. She groaned in frustration and hung up as well. Another gust of wind blew by, causing the Oracle to shiver despite her thick coat. She cursed. With nothing else to do, she went back to unsuccessfully trying to hail a cab.
Five minutes later, a hand gripped her shoulder, causing her to jump. She whirled around, only to find Nico di Angelo bent over, trying to catch his breath. She slapped his arm.
“You scared the shit out of me.” She said, frowning. Then, almost as an afterthought, she slapped him again. "That was for hanging up on me."
“Yeah?” His biting retort was ruined because of his panting. “Well, a manticore almost beat the shit out of me because of your phone call, so we’re even.”
When he finally caught his breath, he straightened up and took a good look at the Oracle, from her coat, scarf, knit hat, and mittens to her tightly crossed arms and slightly chattering teeth. The twenty-year-old son of Hades smirked. “You aren’t looking too hot, Red.”
She glared at him. “Shut up and get me out of here.”
“Alright, alright. Come on.” He looked around, making sure that nobody noticed them, before grabbing her arm and pulling her into the closest alley.
“So, how do we... do this?” She asked, gesturing between them. As a reply, Nico hooked his fingers through her belt loops and tugged, pulling her closer until their bodies were flush against each other. Rachel stumbled forward, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. Her face burned as she felt his arms wrap around her, one hand resting on the small of her back and the other on the nape of her neck.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” She accused him. She felt his smirk more than she actually saw it.
“Just trying to keep you warm, Red-”
“Sure you are.” She muttered. She shivered again, but this time, she knew it had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the son of Hades' hot breath tickling her ear.
“-by the way," Nico continued on, "you might want to hold on tight. Don't want you getting misplaced in the Hudson in the middle of winter, do we?”
She scoffed and pulled back far enough to narrow her eyes at him. “Cheeky bastard.”
Just before they disappeared into the shadows, he felt her arms wrap around his neck and her cheek rest against his chest. And, though neither one was aware, both their lips curled upward into smiles.
(The next day)
Nico and Percy were watching a rerun of The Walking Dead ("Seriously, dude, why don't they just use silencers?") at Percy's apartment when-
Ring. Ring. Ri-
“di Angelo.”
“Nico,” A voice complained. “I can’t get a damn cab.”
Nico sighed. “Where are you, Red?”
Once Rachel finished telling him where she was ("What the hell are you doing in a junk shop?" "I was looking for parts for my sculpture!"), the son of Hades hung up, ruffling his hair. With an annoyed groan, he stood up from the couch and shrugged his coat on. Still on the couch, Percy snorted.
“Dude, you are so whipped.”
Nico finished putting his scarf on and then gave the older demigod the finger. “Shut up, Perce.” He said. With that, he headed towards the dark corner of Percy and Annabeth’s apartment and shadow travelled away.
Idly, Nico wondered how often he'd be playing chauffer to the Oracle, now that she knew how much faster it was to travel via son of Hades. Knowing Rachel, he was in for an exhausting year.
Characters/Pairings: Nico/Rachel
Summary: Or "How Rachel Dare exploited the resource known as the son of Hades."
Rating: PG
A/N: Written for the Rachel/Nico Holiday Challenge at rachel_nico to lovelysolitude's prompt: "You can't get a cab on New Years." Sorry it isn't longer, 'bby.
Ring. Ring. Ri-
“Hello?”
“Where the hell are all the cabs in Manhattan?” Rachel said, just as as a particularly cold breeze blew by. She scowled and wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck in a futile effort to feel warmer.
A voice scoffed over the phone. “It’s New Years, Red. You can’t get a cab on New Years.”
“Yes. I am aware of that now, Nico.” She snapped back. “I’ve been trying to flag one down in front of the Louis Vuitton boutique on Fifth Avenue for an hour already.”
“Why are you even near that store? You hate it there.”
“I was buying a birthday gift for Jacques - you know, my mother’s demon poodle? It’s picky about brands and- that isn’t the point here! The point is I can’t get a cab home and I’m turning into an icicle.”
“Well, what do you want me to do about it, woman?” He retorted.
“You’re a son of Hades!” She exclaimed rather loudly, catching the attention of the man beside her. He looked at her oddly before not-so-subtly moving away. She ignored him.
Nico snorted. “Acute observation; but I still don’t see what that has to do with getting a cab.”
Rachel huffed and rolled her eyes. “Two words, di Angelo: Shadow. Travel.”
“No.” He replied immediately. She could practically hear him shaking his head through the phone. “No way.”
“Why not?” She all but whined. The afternoon was getting colder, and for someone who absolutely abhorred the cold like Rachel, that wasn’t good news.
“I am not going to be your- your transportation.”
“I’ll pay for your half of the rent this month.” She tried bribing him. “I’ll stop waking you up at ungodly hours in the morning to cook me food. Gods, I’ll never doodle on your Mythomagic card collection ever again! Just get me out of this damn cold.”
There was no answer. She let out a huge sigh, and then said: “Please, Nico. I am freezing my ass off here.”
The call ended abruptly with the loud hum of the dial tone. Rachel stared at her phone incredulously, unable to believe that the son of Hades had hung up on her. She groaned in frustration and hung up as well. Another gust of wind blew by, causing the Oracle to shiver despite her thick coat. She cursed. With nothing else to do, she went back to unsuccessfully trying to hail a cab.
Five minutes later, a hand gripped her shoulder, causing her to jump. She whirled around, only to find Nico di Angelo bent over, trying to catch his breath. She slapped his arm.
“You scared the shit out of me.” She said, frowning. Then, almost as an afterthought, she slapped him again. "That was for hanging up on me."
“Yeah?” His biting retort was ruined because of his panting. “Well, a manticore almost beat the shit out of me because of your phone call, so we’re even.”
When he finally caught his breath, he straightened up and took a good look at the Oracle, from her coat, scarf, knit hat, and mittens to her tightly crossed arms and slightly chattering teeth. The twenty-year-old son of Hades smirked. “You aren’t looking too hot, Red.”
She glared at him. “Shut up and get me out of here.”
“Alright, alright. Come on.” He looked around, making sure that nobody noticed them, before grabbing her arm and pulling her into the closest alley.
“So, how do we... do this?” She asked, gesturing between them. As a reply, Nico hooked his fingers through her belt loops and tugged, pulling her closer until their bodies were flush against each other. Rachel stumbled forward, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. Her face burned as she felt his arms wrap around her, one hand resting on the small of her back and the other on the nape of her neck.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” She accused him. She felt his smirk more than she actually saw it.
“Just trying to keep you warm, Red-”
“Sure you are.” She muttered. She shivered again, but this time, she knew it had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the son of Hades' hot breath tickling her ear.
“-by the way," Nico continued on, "you might want to hold on tight. Don't want you getting misplaced in the Hudson in the middle of winter, do we?”
She scoffed and pulled back far enough to narrow her eyes at him. “Cheeky bastard.”
Just before they disappeared into the shadows, he felt her arms wrap around his neck and her cheek rest against his chest. And, though neither one was aware, both their lips curled upward into smiles.
(The next day)
Nico and Percy were watching a rerun of The Walking Dead ("Seriously, dude, why don't they just use silencers?") at Percy's apartment when-
Ring. Ring. Ri-
“di Angelo.”
“Nico,” A voice complained. “I can’t get a damn cab.”
Nico sighed. “Where are you, Red?”
Once Rachel finished telling him where she was ("What the hell are you doing in a junk shop?" "I was looking for parts for my sculpture!"), the son of Hades hung up, ruffling his hair. With an annoyed groan, he stood up from the couch and shrugged his coat on. Still on the couch, Percy snorted.
“Dude, you are so whipped.”
Nico finished putting his scarf on and then gave the older demigod the finger. “Shut up, Perce.” He said. With that, he headed towards the dark corner of Percy and Annabeth’s apartment and shadow travelled away.
Idly, Nico wondered how often he'd be playing chauffer to the Oracle, now that she knew how much faster it was to travel via son of Hades. Knowing Rachel, he was in for an exhausting year.