WILLIAM VEIL:

Selena's was a cozy-looking café with a minimalistic interior design, themed with white and baby blues; soft and easy in the eyes, added by the pleasant aroma of brewed coffee and freshly baked bread. It was a hidden gem of a café that just recently opened a few months ago from what he had known when he chatted with the pretty barista.
The shop was located a few blocks away from his old university's campus and just a few minutes’ drive from their summer home.
Although he didn't mind the fact that he had to actually drive all the way here, William was a bit disappointed that the place hadn't been available when he was still a student. If it was, it would have been a pretty cool spot to hang out with what little friends he had managed to make during that time.
Ah, good times...
From what he had observed, Selena's was open 24/7 and was filled with a decent amount of customers that were a mix of students and teachers busying themselves with their paperwork or laptop even if it was nearing 11 pm. Majority of the customers was just about anybody who could appreciate and needed to pump their systems with strong caffeine to get through the night. And as a monster mercenary, William Veil was a definite example of that.
Also, the coffee's divine.
Okay, he lied.
Well not... the part about the coffee.
It was some high quality coffee bean.
So… maybe attempting to spy on his sister's first date is not a really good excuse for him to be here and this was just karma collecting her debt but hey, William just wanted to be sure that the werewolf's not going to do anything remotely... funny.
(He still thinks Alastor Nyx is definitely sus.)
But no amount of good coffee could lift William's spirits up when he had come to realize, he even fucking checked the backroom that the two weren't even remotely anywhere near here!
He had been sitting here, having ordered two cups of espresso for fucking two hours straight and both didn't even bother to show up!
What… what the hell is up with that?!
Had his sister somehow clocked on that William had followed after he pestered her for details? Or had they moved on to another place without him knowing?
Seriously, what the hell?
Where are they?!
A hand suddenly pinched on his face, tugging at his cheek too-roughly and William was instantly jolted out of his thoughts, scowling and raising a fist to punch the idiot who seriously dared to–
“I dare you to hit me,” a smooth, baritone voice resounded dangerously close to his ear, a hint of a blade hovering dangerously close to his ribs, “...I double dare you.”
And William immediately felt himself turn into a various shades of gray in a span of a second before he turned his head to gawk at the older man now chuckling and moving to sit across him, “What are you doing here, Nick?!”
Silver eyes gleamed knowingly behind black-framed spectacles, “…I could ask you the same thing, Veil.”
“Cut the bullshit, Cayden,” William groaned, wiping at his face tiredly with both hands, “I just know you were the one who ratted out our place to that werewolf.”
“Sharp,” the son of Athena simply smiled appreciatively at him.
“Dude,” William stared at him imploringly between his fingers, a disapproving frown etched on his lips, “Why did you even do that?”
Nick fixed his glasses, “To answer your question, I suppose I was just, let’s say... curious to see how things would go between them. I mean the goddess of monster hunters and a werewolf? Kind of a terrible match, wouldn’t you say?”
“You moron, she's so going to get back at you for this when she find out,” William sighed, reaching for his already cold cup of coffee, intending to gulp it down in one go.
“If she finds out,”
William's tone was dry as a biscuit when he glared at his friend past his cup, “It's definitely a matter of when.”
Nick waved a dismissive hand, looking so completely unconcerned by his fate, “Whatever, so on a scale of one to ten, how did it go?”
“How did what go?” William grumbled, giving him the stink eye, “The house? It's still standing, no thanks to you… idiot.”
“Uh, excuse me; I’m way smarter than you and who cares about the house? Let’s talk about the werewolf and Proserpina!” Nick's eyes gleamed excitedly, “Give me details. Come on, man! Are they doing the, you know... nasty?”
And William proceeded to choke on his coffee, coughing and hacking up a lung so loudly like a drowning cat that everyone in the café actually turned to look to see if someone's dying.
The life-saving glass of water Nick hands over to him... after deciding to recover from his fit of laughter–this fucking traitor– is enough to grant William a few, blessed seconds to regain his much needed composure as well the remnants of his fleeing sanity as he greedily gulped down his literal saving grace.
And no thanks to Nick, William's throat felt like it was burning with the promise of a sore throat, his chest aching from almost worming his way into one of the dumbest ways to die.
William has hunted and killed monsters; he refused to die because of caffeine. Besides, his sister would never let him hear the end of it should she retrieve his soul in the underworld once she finds out what happened to him which he was so sure she definitely will do. Oh... and he’s also got one, nosy demigod still staring at him expectantly.
Nick looked like he was trying his very best not to burst out laughing at William again... which he was kind of failing at, by the way, while waiting for an answer to his quite frankly, mind-fucking question.
And William was having so many issues with that question right now; he doesn’t even know where to start. Hell, in the first place, he’s not a fucking nun but he didn't even want to think about what those two are up to right now!
As if to make matters worse, his sister's voice rang clearly in his head: ‘Alastor and I... we might have fooled around a little.’
Excuse me, what.
WHAT.
For what seemed to be like a hundredth time in his very short mortal life, William wishes he has the ability to edit and delete some very specific memories again... because he is pretty sure that he's never ever going to be able to look at his sister and Alastor Nyx the same way.
Ignorance sure is bliss.
He was also sure he had done absolutely nothing wrong to somehow earn this kind of bullshit. After all, William was just here to check on his sister and then go straight home to watch Badanamu to shower his brain with pure wholesomeness, okay? What's the harm in that?!
See?!
This kind of shit is what he gets after trying to be a good little brother for once! “Nick,” William began, trying and failing to keep his voice even, “...please be honest, have I ever done something bad to you?”
The fucker has the audacity to even look pensive, “Well, other than throwing the wolves to me on my day off... none that I can recall. Why do you ask?”
“That's my line!” William gritted out, still having the slightest sense to keep his voice level lest they actually got kicked out for causing a scene, “Why are you fucking with my head like this?!”
A student who happened to be seated directly behind William took one tired look at Nick, then at William before hurriedly grabbing her stuff to move. Meanwhile Nick blinks at the question, bringing a hand to his chin, letting out a long, contemplative hum.
And–
“What the hell, man?!”
No, for real–what the actual fuck?
Why the hell is he still thinking up an answer?!
The son of Athena suddenly clasped his fingers together and nods decisively as he rests his chin on his intertwined fingers, smiling brightly like he had thought of something brilliant, “Well... why the hell not?”
William let out a loud, exasperated noise at the back of his aching throat that somehow sounded like a dying wheeze.
Seriously, why is he surrounded by a bunch of mind-fuckers?
“I don't know, Nick... and I don't really want to know,” William grumbles as he buries his face on his arms at the table. He needs new friends.
A gloved hand rests on his shoulder, “Know what, my darling?”
William felt a sudden chill running up and down his spine; goose bumps instantly forming on his skin as he slowly raised his head from his arms... and in front of him, at the face of his sister and their patron goddess, and Nick stared with wide eyes.
“Know what?” Proserpina prompted when no one gave her an answer right away. And thanks to the years of being singlehandedly raised by yours truly, William knows by now that his sister already knew just what the two of them were just talking about and was simply waiting for someone stupid enough to actually try to lie to her face so she could have a proper excuse to give them a beat–
“Are you finally breaking up with William to be with your mate?”
William was torn between feeling admiration and horror at hearing that being spoken out loud. This... suicidal bastard actually has the guts to ask her that in the face?!
Meanwhile, his sister barely reacted at such an ungodly question, “Not at all.”
“Ah, I see,” Nick intones, smiling stiffly at her, “So I take it that you decided to reject your mate in favor of William? Smart.”
“Huh?”
Wait... what?
“For the last time, Nick!” William hissed, completely mortified, this guy was like, supposed to be the smartest in their group, so how the hell did he even come up with such an idea? “Wi–I mean, we are not in a relationship!”
“Then why are you two living together?” Nick squinted at him, skeptically, “…don’t you think that’s kind of sus, buddy?’
William was suddenly tempted to pull at his hair. He swears he was this close to screaming. Winters and her dog were sus, not him!
But he could feel rather than see the tension radiating off of his sister in thick waves as her gloved hand subtly squeezed his shoulder in warning lest he blew up their cover–which he thinks wasn’t worth it at all if this is what he gets–still, he obediently pursed his lips shut, staring hard at his friend meaningfully, and half-wishing for Nick to take the hint and just fucking drop it.
If not, then William sincerely wishes lasers will come out of his eyes and disintegrate the demigod’s big, fat mouth.
“Why do you ask?”
“N–no particular reason,” Nick blinks, and to his credit, he looks unafraid... only uneasy–which is fair, “Just curious,”
Winters smiles... or more like, baring her teeth in challenge, “There's a saying about curiosity, is there not?”
“Curiosity kills the cat,” Nick quotes, thankfully having the sense to be wary with where this conversation is going, “...but satisfaction brought it back.”
William tries to lighten up the mood.
Key word: tries, laughing weakly and it sounded so stiff and so damn fake in his ears, “He's not a cat person, though,”
“Yet this one happens to be the metaphorical cat,” his sister says, her tone borderline sinister… it wasn’t even funny at this point.
William knew he had failed.
Taking a single, step forward, Winters easily rounded the table to reach Nick's side, standing dangerously close to him, their legs brushing, her unnaturally wide smile freaking not only Nick but also William the fuck out.
Out, William decides–he wants out.
"Say Nicholas, you were responsible for Intel so you wouldn't happen to know how Alastor Nyx found out my location,” she tilts her head slightly to look down at him, “…would you.”
That wasn’t even a question.
It was almost impressive how Nick doesn't even blink, “No.”
... And William screwed his eyes in resignation as he bit his lips to keep himself from screaming at the idiot to start running.
His sister can tell when someone is lying, after all.
As a last ditch effort to save his friend, William silently prays for her to be at the very least merciful to Nicholas Cayden.
‘No.’
….at least he tried.
William hereby silently bids his final farewells to his friend. The son of Athena will not be forgotten. Hopefully, the next life will be kind to him.
Meanwhile, bringing her hands to intertwine them behind her back in a gesture that can only be the definition of the word coy, his sister bends slightly so that she can purposefully invade the demigod's personal space even more.
“Son of Athena,” the goddess of shadows says with a grin that screams of danger, “I don't really like liars...”


...
“I do solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”
–J.K. Rowling
....
NICHOLAS CAYDEN:

Nicholas Cayden was one of the three demigods permitted to live after the Righteous purge, all thanks to his mother, the goddess of wisdom's mercy.
He was fourteen when the orphanage he had been at was devoured out of nowhere by a sink hole (that wasn’t supposed exist) and would have been killed just as hundreds of demigods had been hunted down by the monsters brought forth from the Underworld–and all the other gods–if Athena hadn't intervened, hadn’t led her remaining demigod child to the newly turned goddess Proserpina and directed him to become a monster mercenary to have not only one but two goddesses on his side, for his own safety.
Ever since Nick had trained to become a monster-mercenary, he had observed that his patron goddess was someone who likes to keep to herself. And as her title claims, literally prefers to be in the shadows, moving in the background; an unseen entity blending amongst the darkness but always there.
For an entire decade, he had only seen her from afar or only in passing.
And in all occasions, the goddess of shadows was always around or near William Veil, one of the renowned and one of her youngest mercenaries... who also happens to be one of Nick’s closest friends.
It stands to reason why a goddess like her would favor a mortal like William. His friend is a capable one after all, preferred to keep to himself and like most mercenaries, has no living kin to ask questions about the second shadow trailing in his waking hours. What he couldn't understand is why William keeps on denying or keeping his mouth shut about their relationship that had been one of the longest going rumors in their midst.
Even no matter how much Nick or anyone tries to wheedle something out of his friend, William wouldn't say anything else about him or the goddess...
Shrugging off his thoughts that might as well ultimately led to this very moment, Nick swallows in a very visible manner and tries to lean some more as subtly as he can away from the goddess crowding in on him, her shadow looming menacingly over him.
Think rationally.
There’s no way Nick can escape, but maybe if he moves very, very slowly...
He briefly wonders if Proserpina will let this slide, will find it funny if he suddenly decided to pass out and play dead.
What?
It worked on a bear!
“I am a very private person, Nicholas Cayden. I don't appreciate having some things out in the open. So do tell me,” the goddess of shadows continues, lips curling into a frown that looked strangely a lot like William's up close, “...is this what I get in return for helping your cause?”
Nick feels the slightest bit of shame at that, “N-no, ma'am.”
She suddenly smacks her hand on the table, causing William's cup to rattle at the impact, “I have taken you under my wing...”
William winced, tugging at the end of her ponytail, “That's quite enough–”
The goddess suddenly spun on her feet and jabbed a finger to his face, nearly poking him in the eye, making William yelp as he clumsily stumbled back to his seat, “...and I raised you with my own two hands!”
Nick blinked, looking at William then at the goddess, confused.
She... couldn't be his mom, right?
Because if that's the case, it would make William a demigod–which he isn't–and now that she said it, Nick realized that... well, they actually kind of resembled each other which seriously does not make sense at all.
He (and several others, if he was being honest) had often assumed after all this time that the two of them were lovers since the goddess always seemed so agitated on that one or two times William was involved with someone else during his college days and one way or the other, had been responsible for William’s falling out with his girlfriends.
Not to mention, she personally finances William's expenses and they freaking live together, what else do you expect for the other mercenaries to think about that?
But with Alastor Nyx showing up in the picture out of the blue... and personally observing from the way she acted around William now closely, Nick reluctantly dismissed the idea that they were romantically involved with each other. Not even friends with benefits act like this.
So what gives?
Are they related or what?
But... but then, how?
Damn, Nick couldn't really help himself. It's in his nature to want to know about anything and anyone. He coughed, feeling like he was missing something very important, “Um…”
Her gaze snapped to him.
And with it, her attention.
Nick wished he could melt in his seat.
He really should have kept his mouth shut.
Having been cornered against the wall with no possible escape routes to get out of this, Nick suddenly feels like a piece of meat being weighed for its worth right before it was about to be devoured. Surely... the goddess of shadows is not going to kill him for something like this?
Well come to think of it, throughout history, the gods have actually killed mortals for less. Ok brain, not helping.
Proserpina brings a hand up to one of her gloves and tugs it off in a slow, very deliberate manner that feels more like a threat as the cloth falls to the table with a barely audible thud, her gaze never leaving his as her pale hand marked with what he thinks is supposed to be a spider lily on the back suddenly reaches for his face, deceptively caressing his cheek in a gentle manner, never mind the way he stiffens at the icy feeling of her skin or the way her nails feel like they were carving in on him.
Black eyes that made Nick think of what the void would have looked like stared down at him, looking like they can see past him, through him and was now judging all that he is, all that he was worth for at the same time.
Shadows began to move at her feet, almost hungrily.
“Start praying,” the goddess of shadows tells him, cold fingers digging painfully on his jaw as she leans ever so closer until all can see was a never-ending black, “...you better start praying right now.”