he wishes you would stop looking at him like that. eyes too bright for the shadows beneath them.

he tells himself he doesn’t need anyone. not really. not after Bianca, not after the endless years of gods and prophecies and loss. all he needs is himself, and the dirt beneath his feet.

he wishes you would stop smiling at him. teeth too bright for a kid of dead spring.

every time he sees you he is reminded of everything. it must be persephone’s gift to him; a manifestation of her cruelty in hereditary form.

he wishes you would stop trying to talk to him. sentences blooming and wilting halfway through when he stops listening.

he just wants you to leave him alone. loneliness is for the spineless, he thinks.

he wishes you would stop pervading his mind.

he dreams of lying in a bed of flowers one night and he wakes up crying. ~~leave him alone~~.

he wishes you would stop infecting his thoughts. ~~leave him alone~~.

he wishes you would stop trying to help. ~~leave him alone~~.

he wishes you would stop acknowledging him at all, so he can go back to wanting nothing at all.

~~leave him alone~~.

he wishes—

he wishes—

he wishes— ~~”live for me, Nico!”~~

he wishes— ~~“don’t wilt, it’s bad for your health”~~

he wishes— ~~”remember to breathe!”~~

he wishes— ~~”how are you feeling?”~~

he wishes— ~~”the flowers are pretty”~~

he wishes— ~~”do you like the moon, Nico?”~~

he wishes…

he wishes you would look at him again.

he wishes you would smile at him again.

he wishes you would talk to him again.

he wishes you would acknowledge him again, so he can feel a little better.

he wishes…

he wishes…

…

…

footsteps.

”will you be okay?”

~~he hopes it’s you.~~