Archive of Our Own ^beta

Percy had always felt a little weird around Nico. The skeletons were off-putting, for one thing; Nico had more conversations with dead people than he did with living ones. But more than that, the kid had an aura. He carried himself with hunched shoulders and there was something ominous that hung around him, like a storm cloud following wherever he went.

Animals didn’t like him either, and kids tended to avoid him. Most people crossed the street when he approached, and from what Percy knew about Nico, he probably liked that. He liked to be left alone and hated to be touched, and he wasn’t much of a team player—though Percy had to admit, Nico was nicer around Reyna. Maybe he liked her.

Reyna was, after all, a very strong, self-assured alpha woman, and Nico had accidentally revealed that he was an omega upon going into heat a week before he was supposed to last year. He smelled nice, Percy had to admit; like rain and freshly turned earth. Nico hid his scent most of the time.

Still, he didn’t like hanging out with Nico, and he didn’t like working together. It made it more awkward when he shied away from Percy and Annabeth especially; like how he’d cast sharp glances at her when he was younger, though that had stopped now. Maybe he’d had a crush on her. A lot of people had. Percy couldn’t even fault him; Annabeth was an alpha like him, strong and smart and gorgeous, and he couldn’t say he didn’t understand where Nico was coming from.

It was better if Nico liked Reyna, he supposed, especially since he, Nico and Annabeth were stuck on a quest together down in Boston.

They were hunting down a nest of hydras, and unfortunately, it had turned out that the hydras had had several friends in the form of empousai and even some telekhines. It had taken them days to wear the things down, and their car had been absolutely totaled. It was thanks to Annabeth that they managed to sneak their way into the center of the nest, since Nico had blatantly refused.

“It’s not safe,” he said bluntly, frowning. Percy had thrown up his hands in exasperation.

“None of this is safe! We’re on a quest!” he said. “I thought the infirmary cleared you to shadow-travel months ago. Didn’t you shadow travel somewhere for like, a week? Six or seven times?”

“I stopped shadow-traveling on doctor’s orders almost four months ago,” Nico said firmly, glaring. “You don’t understand, Jackson. I can’t. It’s not safe.”

Percy had just shaken his head and turned to Annabeth, who snuck them through back tunnels and sneak attacks on small groups of monsters until they hit the center of the nest. Percy had done the most, though Nico had made quite a formidable small army of skeletons and even slashed a few hydras into ribbons with his ominous black sword, which sent shivers up Percy’s spine.

Finally, they managed to clear the nest and all the monsters hovering around it, and then came the dilemma.

Annabeth rubbed her temples. “We don’t have the money for a motel, Seaweed Brain,” she sighed, pulling out her blond hair to re-tie it. “We’re going to have to sleep outside.”

“No,” Nico said, shaking his head. “Not outside. I—”

“Didn’t you live in a sewer for like, two years?” Percy asked, bewildered. “Dude, we’ll find some grass, it’ll be fine for a night. I’m a little worried about monsters, though. We’re kind of a beacon and we’re all exhausted.”

Annabeth sighed and groaned. “Hostel?” she suggested. Percy reached for her hand and squeezed it. She looked exhausted, the poor girl. He loved her, even when she was battered and tired and covered in monster dust.

“Don’t you have to pay for hostels?” he asked, squinting. She shrugged.

“Some, and some are like cabins on the side of the road.” She paused. “Probably have to pay in the middle of Boston.”

“I was going to say, I have a contact,” Nico interrupted, looking down at what looked like a burner phone. He squinted, then grinned. “We’re good. He says we can stay up to five days. Let’s go, it’s not far from here.” He hauled himself to his feet, then screwed up his face and dashed behind a bush to vomit onto the ground. Percy winced.

“You good?” he asked. Nico reemerged, wiping his mouth with a deep-knit frown.

“Monster dust in my mouth,” he grumbled. “I think I swallowed some. Ugh.”

Annabeth put a hand on his shoulder and he shrugged her off, though not without a grateful nod. Then he grabbed his backpack and set off down the street, hips swaying smoothly with each step. Annabeth fell into step beside Percy a few feet behind him, hand slipping into his. Percy squeezed, and she returned it.

“The more he grows up, the more I wonder how we never figured out that he was an omega,” she murmured to her mate. “He’s getting to be incredibly beautiful.”

Percy wrinkled his nose in mild confusion, tilting his head. “You think?” he asked. Annabeth nodded.

“Look at him,” she said. “Silky, curly hair, big dark eyes, long lashes. He’s filled out, so he’s a little curvier now, not so bony and thin. He’s got high cheekbones and full lips and he’s finally got some color in his face. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was a child of Aphrodite. You can even see the Italian in his skin, now. He’s started glowing.”

Percy eyed Nico. He had to admit, the longer hair did frame his face well, and he did have a very pretty face. Nico had always had pretty eyes, but Annabeth had a point about the glow. He was still creepy, but he looked human.

“Okay, I see it,” he admitted. Annabeth grinned at him. “He does look like an omega, now.”

“He’s gorgeous,” she agreed, watching him.

“I can hear you,” Nico said dryly, and they both winced. “We’re almost there. You’d better not talk like that in front of my contact. He’s not gonna be happy if he hears.”

Percy frowned. “Does he have something against omegas?” he asked.

Nico turned, fixing him with a bewildered glance. “What? No, he—never mind.” He rolled his dark eyes and turned back around with the streetlight glancing off his smooth cheekbone. “Come on, in here.”

Annabeth stopped, looking up at the gate with wide eyes. Percy looked to her silently, waiting for her thought to make its way to her mouth. “This is Harvard Medical School,” she said. “Your contact lives here?” Nico didn’t look back.

“Yeah,” he called over his shoulder. “Come on, we don’t have all night.” He led them to a huge stone dorm building and pulled out his burner phone as they approached the door.

“Who’s your contact?” Annabeth asked. “One of the professors here is a demigod? That… makes sense, actually. Wow. I’ve never been here before!”

“No,” Nico said, then paused. “Well, yeah, a few of them—but no, my contact isn’t a professor. He’s in fourth year of pre-med, then he’s starting real med school next year. He’s interning at the hospital, too, so it’s a miracle that he’s here.”

Before either of them had a chance to respond to the longest sentence Nico had said to anyone since he was ten, the door swung open, and the brightest man Percy had ever seen stepped out to meet them, immediately enveloping Nico from a hug. To Percy’s utter shock, Nico allowed it, leaning into the contact before stepping back and letting the man turn to survey the other two. He was tall, somewhere over six feet, with broad shoulders and a strong build. He had bright, shining blond curls and brilliant blue eyes that sparkled with mirth as if he knew a secret. He was Nico’s exact opposite, but Nico seemed to relax at his side, shoulders falling and body language at ease. The brilliant man angled himself just slightly in front of the son of Hades as his open shirt slipped to reveal what looked like a sun tattooed across his chest.

“Apollo?” Percy blurted before catching himself. The man laughed, displaying two rows of perfectly white teeth, and extended a hand to shake.

“Close,” he said, voice warm and tinged with a distinct Southern twang. “Will Solace; his oldest son.” The pieces clicked in Percy’s mind and he shook the blond’s hand, offering a smile of his own.

“Oh, from the infirmary!” he recalled. He hadn’t spent much time there, given his ability to heal himself with water, but he remembered dragging a much younger version of the flustered blond off the battlefield to heal Annabeth many years before. “You saved Annabeth. It’s nice to see you again; you look good, man. Hey, again… thank you. I know I wasn’t really present enough to tell you back then, and I couldn’t find you after, but thank you. What you did that day… it means everything to me.”

Will nodded, smiling even bigger. He really did look like his father, but his eyes and demeanor were kinder. “It’s what I do,” he said, and turned to shake Annabeth’s hand, too. “You look good!” he greeted her happily. “I’m glad everything healed up alright.”

She beamed and thanked him, and he waved for them to follow him inside to an elevator. “Welcome back, Nico,” he said, offering a warm smile. Nico returned it, shocking Percy a second time. “Are you hurt? Did anything happen?”

“I’m fine, Solace,” Nico chuckled, stretching as they made their way out onto the fourth floor. “We’re fine. Just need showers and sleep.”

“Did you—”

“No, Will, I did not shadow travel. I promise. We found another way to get in.”

“Good. Just checking.” He stopped to unlock a door and let them in, one hand brushing Nico’s lower back as he passed. Percy and Annabeth exchanged a glance.

Will pulled out three ceramic bowls and put the kettle on, unearthing three packets of ramen from a drawer. “Now, I am a college student, but I can get you guys fed. Who’s hungry?”

“I’m going to take a shower,” Nico said, wrinkling his nose. “I’m disgusting. Can I borrow some clothes?”

“Yeah, always,” Will said, nodding at the drawers. Nico dropped his bag by the door and dug through the drawers until he had the clothes he wanted, then disappeared into a door on the far side of the room.

“I thought college digs were usually a twenty-square-foot bedroom,” Percy commented, and Will laughed. His smile was infectious, like his dad’s, and Percy wondered how the hell Nico had gotten to be friends with a man so different from him.

“I’m a fourth year and a junior RA,” Will explained, pouring the water into the ramen and covering the bowls with paper plates. “I blew up an air mattress for you two on the ground, there. You can stay with me for up to five days for free, and after that I have to pay twenty dollars a day for each of you.” He smiled. “I can cover ten if you two can give me fifteen dollars each, though.”

“I don’t think we’ll need to stay that long,” Annabeth said. “And I’m pretty sure Nico doesn’t have any money besides drachmas. But thank you.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ll cover Nico,” Will said, shrugging. “He has the hard part of this exchange. I send him money for food sometimes, too. When he wants somethin’ specific.”

“Exchange?” Percy asked, stirring with the water in his ramen. Will blinked.

“Oops, utensils,” he snorted, and detoured for some forks. “Here you go,” he said. “I mean, not really an exchange. He has a lot of pressure, and he isn’t feeling well lately especially, so I pay for things when he comes out to see me.”

“Yeah, he did throw up earlier,” Percy recalled, nodding. Will pursed his lips, a sad look on his face, and stood again to refill the kettle and make some tea.

“When did you and Nico become friends?” Annabeth asked, sighing contentedly as she took a bite of her ramen. “This is amazing, oh my gods. Thank you.”

“No problem,” Will said with his easy grin. “I made him stay in the infirmary for three days after the war because he was fading. He was pretty exhausted, and those werewolf scratches were infected, so he ended up staying an extra day. He didn’t mean to; he just fell asleep and I didn’t have the heart to kick him out, so I kept an eye on him instead. He had a nightmare, and I woke him up and sat with him for a while, and eventually, he cried a little.”

“Nico di Angelo cried?” Percy asked, incredulous. “I didn’t actually know he could do that.”

Will leveled him with a frown that was almost as devastating as Sally Jackson’s and Percy wilted. “Of course he can, and he desperately needed to,” said the blond. “Nico is still half human, you know. He loved a lot of people, and he lost almost all of them. He lost his mother, his home, his sister, his second chance at a home. His dad turned him away, he was manipulated by Minos, he was tortured in Tartarus, he was locked in a jar—and I am well aware of the debate y’all had about whether he was worth saving, thanks to Hazel, by the way—he fought in wars twice and transported the Athena Parthenos and two other people, nearly killed himself doing it. He helped unite the camps. If not for him, Reyna would have pulled out of Camp Half-Blood altogether. She respects you a lot, but Nico is like a little brother to her. On top of it all, he lost his best friend, was forced to admit something he wasn’t ready to admit, and still, no one would touch him or hang out with him or give him the time of day. Nico’s lonely. He was just a kid, you know that, right? He was a kid. He was just little, back then. He didn’t deserve any of that.” He shook his head. “Poor Nico. I got him set up for therapy with Mr. D and bought him a night-light for his cabin when he admitted that he was scared of the dark. He started hanging out in the back of the infirmary most of the time—away from the patients, but he liked cutting bandages and organizing things, listening to what was going on. Before long, we were hanging out all the time, and, well.” He shrugged.

Percy cleared his throat. “It’s a good thing he had you, man,” he said quietly—then he paused and frowned. “Did you say therapy with Mr. D? Like, Dionysus?”

“Yeah, why?” Will asked, stirring the third bowl of ramen to break the noodles apart. Percy blinked.

“You wanted him to talk through all the shit he’s been through… and your first choice of therapist… was the god of alcoholism?”

Will burst out laughing, flashing white teeth as he tipped his head back. “Nico said the same thing!” he said brightly. “He and Mr. D both think it’s hilarious, actually, but their love of dark humor, mildly disturbing puns and sarcasm actually brought them together really fast. It puts Nico at ease, and once he starts opening up, Mr. D is pretty good at helping him work through it and keeping the conversation lighthearted enough to stop breakdowns.” He smiled. “I was worried at first, but Nico is a tough guy. He’s really amazing. I want him to be happy.”

“You’re a good kid, Will,” Annabeth said softly. “No one really understands Nico at camp. He scares a lot of people, but he’s been a little brighter lately. Not so… gloomy, I guess.”

Will grinned. “Last four months or so?” he guessed. Annabeth blinked.

“Yeah, around the time he said he stopped shadow traveling,” she recalled. “I wonder if it’s connected at all. Do shadows collect on him?”

“Yeah, but that’s not why,” Will said, back to his sunny smile. The bathroom door opened and Nico stepped out, wearing a grey hoodie with red lettering and some soft-looking boxers. He yawned, plopping down on the floor next to the blond, and reached for his ramen. Will smiled at him. “Hey, sunshine,” he said. “Feelin’ a little better now?”

“Yeah,” Nico said with his mouth full. “This is good, thanks.”

“Sure. Percy said you threw up again. You doing okay? When are you mostly getting sick?”

“Mostly early in the morning, but sometimes if I eat something that tastes wrong or when adrenaline comes down,” Nico told him. “Oh my gods, I’m starving.”

“Okay. I don’t think you should go on anymore quests, okay? Not safe. I’ll get your tea,” Will said. He re-boiled the kettle, then poured the tea and stirred it before bringing it back over with the tea bag still in it. Nico took a sip and sighed, relaxing back against the bedframe.

“Thanks,” he sighed. “I don’t know if I can avoid the little quests, Will. I’m one of the Big Three kids. Sometimes there isn’t anybody who can replace me.”

“Yeah, but…” Will trailed off, looking at Nico almost pleadingly. Nico let out a long-suffering sigh and rolled his eyes.

“Alright, fine,” he relented. “I’ll talk to Chiron when we get back.”

“Thank you, Death Boy,” Will said, and threw an arm around Nico’s shoulders. Percy waited for him to shrug it off, but instead, Nico leaned silently into his side, letting his head fall to one broad shoulder.

“If you two want to shower, go right ahead,” Will said. “There are towels in there. I might have some pajamas around here somewhere.”

“You sleep naked and still have pajamas?” Nico asked, fixing the blond with a bewildered expression. Will rolled his eyes, ruffling Nico’s damp hair.

“I still—I told you to dry your hair, Nico, Christ, you’re gonna get sick—I still wear comfy clothes on lazy days!”

“I am not going to get sick,” Nico sighed, rolling his eyes. “I’m healthy as a horse, thank you. You’ve made sure of that. And, weird. You’re weird.”

“I am not weird!” Will spluttered. “And you’re healthy because I force you to be. Stay here.” He rolled his eyes and wandered into the bathroom, coming back a second later with a hairdryer. “Put your food down before I blow your hair into it,” he instructed, and Nico rolled his eyes and obeyed. Will sat behind him and Nico leaned back, tilting his head wherever Will positioned it. He closed his eyes as the blond carded through his hair, separating and drying it in sections. When he finished, he spent a minute or two petting through it. “Soft,” he remarked. Nico hummed. “Looks good. Have you actually been drinking water?”

“At least three full bottles a day,” Nico said. “I constantly have to pee.”

“Yeah, well, right now it’s only ‘cause your body isn’t used to this much water,” Will snorted. “But trust me, that’s only gonna get worse.”

Nico rolled his eyes again and returned to his dinner.

Annabeth stood. “Well, then, I’m going to go shower,” she said. “Thank you so much, Will. We really appreciate you taking us in on such short notice.”

Will smiled, settling back down at Nico’s side. “Yeah, anytime!” he said. Percy set himself to clearing their dishes, rinsing them in Will’s sink, and then unpacking his and Annabeth’s travel bags. One more set of clean clothes would be fine, he figured. They could get home tomorrow, if Nico could recover enough to shadow travel, and in two or three days if he couldn’t.

“How is…?” Will looked over at Nico, lowering his voice a little. Nico hummed.

“Good, I think,” he murmured back. “Demanding. I’m sick a lot, but no bleeding, no sharp pains or anything. Just nausea.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty common.” Will stretched, then helped Nico to his feet and gestured to the bed. “You should sleep. You must be exhausted after everything. Want me to make a nest?”

Nico paused, then hummed again. “Please,” he said, leaning against Will’s desk while he finished his tea. Will ruffled his hair and set to pulling all the pillows and blankets into a comfortable circle shape on his bed. When he finished, he draped a soft blanket over the top and stepped back to let Nico climb in, taking the empty mug from him. Nico flopped into the nest with a drawn-out groan, sinking into the blankets as he wriggled under them.

“Gods. You’re the only person who makes nests how I like them,” he mumbled. “It’s so comfortable. Thanks, Will.”

“Sure, sunshine,” Will said, amused, and took the mug to the sink. Annabeth emerged and Percy kissed her on the cheek, then took his own turn in the shower.

When he emerged, Nico was lying in the nest, shirt pushed up to his chest, and Annabeth was reading a book off of Will’s shelf while Will sat cross-legged next to Nico, one had spread over his stomach.

“Looks good,” he said, smiling widely. “Healthy and strong. I reckon the anxiety from your quest did a number on you both, but nothing terrible.”

Percy and Annabeth looked up at the same time, eyebrows lifting. “Both?” they chorused. Nico winced and sat up, lowering his shirt. Now that Percy was looking, he saw that Nico’s stomach was a little rounder than it had been—taut and curved instead of muscled.

“Right,” Nico said, chagrined. “I, uh, haven’t told anyone yet.”

“What!?” Will squawked, whipping his head around to stare at the son of Hades in disbelief. “You went on a quest without telling anyone!? No protective measures!? A need for your powers!? Niccolò Maria di Angelo, what were you thinking!?”

Nico cringed. “I’m sorry,” he said, tilting his head to bare his scent—was that a bite? Nico usually wore blocker patches over his glands, so Percy hadn’t seen them bare since he was a pup, but they were exposed now and there was an unmistakable bite mark situated directly over the one on his neck. That meant Nico was mated. Was Will Nico’s mate? Was that why Nico allowed him to touch and came to visit him? “I didn’t know how to say it. We aren’t friends, and I’m not even twenty, Will, they’re gonna think it’s weird.”

Will ran a hand through his hair with a strangled sound, obviously frustrated. Nico sighed.

“Percy, Annabeth,” he said, making eye contact with both of them, “You already know that I’m an omega. This is Will Solace: my mate. We’ve been together for just about six years, we mated when he left for university four years ago, and right now, I’m just over four months pregnant with his baby.” He crossed his arms and gave Will a look, and Will kissed his cheek. The death glare melted into something softer, and Percy looked back at his own mate in shock.

“You just took on an entire nest of hydras, telekhines and empousai,” she said slowly, putting down the book, “while you were four months pregnant?”

Nico cringed, shuffling closer to Will. That was a bad choice, as Will grabbed him by the arms and forced his gaze up into wide blue eyes. “YOU TOOK ON A WHAT!?” he hollered. Nico winced, letting out a low whine, and Will released him with a gasp. He ran his hands gently over the red marks he’d left on Nico’s arms and blew out a breath. “Oh—oh, honey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. Oh, I’m sorry, baby.”

Nico rolled his eyes and shrugged the older man off, squirming back towards the center of his nest. “Okay, I will ask Chiron not to send me on anymore quests, and I will get one of your siblings to give me check-ups once a week,” he sighed. “Good enough?”

“Yeah,” Will said, but he still looked worried. “And no shadow traveling and be careful about your powers. You know you can start fading and get sick or flicker out if you overuse them, and I have no historical record of children of Hades’ kids, so I have no way of knowing whether the baby will be okay. You hear me?”

“Yes, alpha,” Nico intoned, already curling into the pillow. Will softened.

“I love you,” he said earnestly. “You’re my mate, and you’re carrying our baby. It kills me that I can’t be at camp to take care of you. I just want you to be okay, Nico. I want you both to be safe.”

Nico reached for his hand and squeezed it, giving Will the softest, most openly adoring look Percy had ever seen on his face. “I love you too,” he said. “I’m careful. I love our pup as much as you do. I’d never let it get hurt. I promise.”

“You’re young to have a kid,” Annabeth said, frowning at them both. “Were you not using protection? Was this an accident?”

Nico blushed fiercely. “We usually do,” he said, “but Will put himself between me and a hostile older alpha and growled, then started yelling at him, and I’d never seen him get so pissed off. I was already horny, and that sent me into heat two weeks early.” He rubbed a hand over his temples, hiding his face. “We both lost it and I didn’t find out until two weeks later.” He frowned, looking down at his stomach as his hands drifted to it automatically. “But I wanted to keep it, and Will was so happy he cried. I couldn’t—even the thought of aborting made me feel sick to my stomach. I would rather die. He promised he’d always be there for me and that he’d get me whatever I needed, and he has. He’s a good alpha. And he’ll be a good father. He works hard, but he makes time for me, and he’ll make time for the pup, too.”

“I will,” Will confirmed, nodding. “Whatever it takes.”

Annabeth smiled and stood, making her way over. She pulled Nico into a hug, then Will. “I’m happy for you guys,” she said warmly. “Will, you’re a good match for Nico. He needs a healer.” She paused. “And he needs someone who won’t take his bullshit.”

“He has never been good at taking my bullshit,” Nico said dryly. Annabeth laughed and Will leaned over to kiss him—much to Nico’s delight, apparently, as a happy omega-sounding churr burst out of his throat and he wrapped his arms around his alpha’s neck.

“So—when are you having the baby?” Percy asked, leaning in closer. Nico shrugged.

“Five months, give or take,” he said. “Will doesn’t think I’m going to get too much bigger. He says I’m going to be a terror by the time it’s born.”

“You’re a terror now,” Will droned, flopping down beside his mate with a huff. “It’s bad enough that you’re going on quests with full mobility. I can’t even imagine the kind of shit you’re going to get up to when you’re cramping and constantly needing to pee. Am I even going to be there? I have no idea what’s going to happen. You are impossible to keep down when you want to move, even if you shouldn’t. I had to tie you to the bed on your first night in the infirmary.”

“I’m still not over that,” Nico muttered, and Will smacked his shoulder lightly.

“Well, you should be, because I’ve tied you down a good few times since with no protest,” he grumbled. Percy snorted.

“So… how do we get back if you can’t shadow travel?” he asked, sitting on the air mattress next to Annabeth. “It’s not safe to walk back if you’re pregnant. We’ve got to get you home safely.”

“Stay until the weekend and I can drive you,” Will offered. “Or if you wait until tomorrow night, Nico, you can probably summon Jules-Albert.”

“Who?” Percy asked, concerned. Nico snickered.

“I have a zombie chauffeur,” he said. “Dad’s birthday present when I turned fourteen. Guess he thought it was a good way to connect with his son.” A shadow of something flickered over his face. Percy didn’t catch what it was, but it didn’t slip by Will. The blond alpha set a hand over Nico’s and drew him into his arms, nuzzling his hair.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Neither of us are going to be our fathers. You understand? Our kid is gonna get all the love they deserve and more.”

“I never once thought Nico would have kids before us,” Percy remarked, slinging an arm around Annabeth. Will chuckled self-consciously.

“The original plan was to wait until I finished school and did my residency,” he admitted. “But the baby was a surprise gift, and I’m certainly not going to complain.” He grinned. “Nico talks to it, sometimes, even though it can’t hear him yet. He’s so excited it actually gets me high sometimes off the scent alone. He’s sweet.”

“Shut up,” Nico slurred, prompting three people to look down at where he was comfortably curled into his mate’s chest, eyes drooping, nose buried in Will’s collarbone. Will cooed.

“Awww,” he said adoringly. “Sleepy.” He kissed Nico, gentle lips-on-lips, and nuzzled him. “Go to sleep, death boy, you’ve earned it,” he said. “Sweet dreams.” Nico purred drowsily into his chest, snuggling closer, and Will smiled as he dropped a loving kiss to silky black curls. “You’re cute,” he said fondly. “I love you.”

“Go to sleep,” Nico said, but a gentle smile curved his lips and Percy felt his heart melting at the happy omega scent radiating from him. He curled in and purred deeper, relaxed and happy and well cared for in the nest his alpha had built for him. Will laid down next to him, wrapping his arms securely around Nico’s smaller body, and tucked the blankets tighter around him. Nico made a soft sound, something Percy hadn’t heard from him before. “Stop fussing, night light. I’m fine. The pup is fine.” He nuzzled happily into Will’s neck, lips parting to let him nibble on his mate’s scent gland. Will laughed.

“Percy, come lay down,” Annabeth said, and Percy blinked, turning back to his mate. She raised an eyebrow and patted the pillow beside her with a small smile. He laid down, pulling her into his arms, and buried his nose in her soft blonde hair. She smiled into his neck. “They’re cute,” she whispered. “I’ve never seen Nico so happy or free.”

“They’re adorable,” Percy agreed. “It’s weird. How are they planning to raise a pup?”

“I imagine they’ll figure it out,” Annabeth said, shrugging as she snuggled up to her boyfriend with a satisfied sigh. Percy liked her happy scent, like faded books on warm autumn nights. “Nico is notoriously good at figuring things out.”

“True,” Percy admitted. “And we’ll help if he needs anything, right?”

“If you’re not driving him to the hospital for every prenatal appointment, Percy Jackson, I’m telling your mother,” she threatened. Percy grinned, snickering into her hair.

“Sure, Wise Girl,” he said, amused. “One chauffeur, coming right up.”

“I don’t go to the hospital,” Nico called tiredly from his nest. Percy and Annabeth winced. “Will does my check-ups. I take buses down every week or two. And I’m going to start getting them from his siblings at camp.”

“Right,” Percy said. “But if you do need to go to the hospital, we can always take you. You know we have a car now. You don’t have to use your powers or take the bus down there, okay?”

Nico mumbled something and Will hissed something back. Nico sighed. “Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

“Anytime, man,” Percy said, and they fell silent.

Before he drifted off, Percy just barely made out a soft sound from the direction of the omega’s nest and strained to hear it. Upon figuring out what it was, he smiled and settled down into Annabeth’s arms.

Nico was purring.

They ended up staying for two days, and Will delightedly showed the two of them around while Nico trailed along at his side, smelling lazy and satisfied. His soft, rainy scent swelled every time Will touched him, so the alpha had an arm around his waist or shoulders almost constantly. Nico cuddled up to him every time they sat down somewhere—Percy noted that Will tended to choose tables in the dining hall with closely set chairs so his mate could lean up against him.

“Here,” he’d say, bringing a forkful of food to Nico’s mouth as Nico breathed in his scent with half-closed eyes. “Come on, death boy, get some food into you. You’re eating for two.”

Nico liked it when Will fussed over him. Percy had never thought of Nico as needy, or really anything at all but closed off and sour faced, but it was undeniable that he loved having Will’s attention on him. He all but melted every time the alpha set a hand on his hip or kissed his cheek or fed him a bite of food or stopped to check on him, and he spent as much time as possible snuggled up to the med student’s side, nosing at his scent gland.

Will and Annabeth got on like a house on fire, which felt a little awkward, but was mostly just cute. She eagerly pelted him with questions about the school and its architecture, which he happily answered, and followed him everywhere to find professors who were demigods and engaging them in deep conversation—most notably, a son of Minerva from New Rome who had worked with Reyna in the past and was delighted to meet his half-sister.

Nico leaned against the wall next to Percy, crossing his arms. “She’s super excited,” he noted, mild amusement tinging his voice with warmth. “Will loves it. He’s having the time of his life fangirling over everything with her.” He shook his head with a fond smile.

“You really love him, don’t you?” Percy said, fixing him with a look. Nico nodded.

“He wasn’t afraid of me when everyone else was,” he said softly. “He took care of me like he did anyone else. Everyone gave me looks, but if he caught them, he’d glare them down and then scold them right out of my room. He was never scared of me, not for a second. He just wanted me to be okay.”

“He’s a good man,” Percy said, nodding absently as he watched his mate and Nico’s go back and forth with the professor excitedly. “He looks after you better than anyone else has, that’s for sure. I’m glad you found him.”

“Me too,” Nico said. Then he stilled suddenly, eyes widening, and sucked in a breath as his hand flew to his stomach.

“What’s wrong?” Percy asked, immediately on alert. Nico shook his head.

“Will,” he called, and his mate turned to him in under a second, abandoning his conversation without a thought. “Come here.”

Will jogged over to where he leaned against the wall and took his outstretched hand. “Are you okay? What’s the matter?” he asked, brow creased. Nico took his other hand and pulled it to his stomach, pressing his palm down flat. Will’s brow furrowed further, and his palm glowed faintly.

“Stop it,” Nico whispered. “I’m not hurt.”

“It seems fine,” Will murmured worriedly as Annabeth and the professor joined them quietly. “Is something uncom—” he stopped, eyes widening just as Nico’s had a moment before, and his mouth hung open. “Was that—”

“Yeah.” A grin spread across Nico’s face, lighting up his eyes in a way Percy had never seen. “Yeah, it was.”

“Oh my gods.” Will pressed down gently and gasped. “It’s so early,” he breathed reverently. “Sixteen to twenty-four weeks is when babies start kicking, but you’re barely sixteen and a half weeks along.”

“It kicked?” Percy asked, surprised. “Holy shit.”

“Wow,” Annabeth whispered. “That’s amazing. Need a moment, you two?”

“Will, you’re expecting a baby?” the English professor asked, surprised. “I didn’t even know you were mated.” He reached out and shook Nico’s hand firmly, offering a pleasant smile. “I’m Will’s English professor,” he said. “Congratulations to you both.”

“Thank you,” Nico said, and then Will was pulling him into an aggressive hug, rubbing his cheek on dark curls until the omega was fighting back laughter and pushing him off. “Will,” he cooed. “Down, boy!”

The alpha scoffed and pulled away, but kept an arm around him. “I just felt our pup move for the first time,” he said dryly. “Forgive me for being a little overwhelmed.” His eyes were glassy, and he kissed Nico’s forehead, a long press of chaste lips. “We’re having a baby,” he breathed. Nico smiled, leaning his head against his alpha’s shoulder sweetly.

“Uh-huh,” he said, closing his eyes to take in Will’s happy scent.

He dozed until Annabeth finished her conversation with her half-sibling and Will kept him close when he took them out to dinner to celebrate. Percy insisted on paying—Will tried to protest, but when the bill came, he was accosted by a snuggly omega cuddling up under his arm and hugging him tightly, and Percy snatched it before he could get free.

“Thank you,” he said, amused, and turned to kiss and fuss over Nico until happy purrs and coos rumbled from the omega’s mouth.

The pup kicked twice more before bed, each time someone pressed on Nico’s stomach, and both Percy and Annabeth got to feel it moving under their hands. It was incredible, and Percy found himself near to tears at the feeling—so reminiscent of the days when his mom had been pregnant with Estelle, but so different in Nico’s smaller, younger body.

They went to bed happy, all four of them, and again, Percy could hear Nico purring madly into Will’s chest as he drifted off, warm and safe and happy in his mate’s capable arms.

Maybe he wasn’t so closed-off at all; maybe he liked having people around.

At the very least, he obviously adored his mate.

Nico woke slowly on their third morning with Will. Sunlight shone into the room from the half-open window, and the breeze drove him to snuggle deeper into his mate’s chest. Will’s heartbeat was strong under his cheek, steady and slow—he was still asleep, then. Nico lifted a hand to trace the ink sprawled across his pec and shoulder, running gentle fingers over each beautiful line and pausing with a smile on the looping cursive of his name, added shortly after they had bonded.

He took a deep breath, greedily sucking in Will’s summer sunshine and morning dew scent, and buried his face in his alpha’s neck as tears pricked his eyes. A soft whine clawed its way out of his chest. He hugged his mate around the waist and kissed the dip of his collarbone, trying to ignore the tears spilling down his cheeks.

Will stirred, heartbeat stuttering as he woke to Nico curled into his arms. A soft sound escaped his lips, and he brushed Nico’s cheeks with rough thumbs, gently clearing away the tears.

“Nico?” he asked worriedly. Nico shook his head and reached up to wrap his arms around his lover’s neck, clinging to him. “Angel, what’s wrong? Why’re you crying, baby?”

“I love you,” Nico whispered, nuzzling the underside of his alpha’s jaw. “I love you so much. I don’t want to leave you. I want to stay with you.”

Will melted, hugging his omega tightly. “Oh, my love,” he murmured, scenting Nico with his wrists as he dragged them all over his body. “I’m sorry. I want you to stay too, but it’s not safe for you to stay here all the time. It’s better for you to go home with Percy and Annabeth.”

Nico hid his face, sniffling. “I know,” he whispered, then paused. “I don’t actually know why I’m crying,” he confessed. “We’ve done this a hundred times.”

Will laughed, nuzzling Nico’s hair affectionately. “Hormones, babe,” he said, amused. “You’re pregnant and leaving your alpha today, right after our baby started kicking. It’s the hormones.”

“Disgusting,” Nico said, wiping his eyes determinedly. “I am not going to cry all day.”

“Good,” Will said cheerfully. “’Cause I packed your bag last night and while Percy and Annabeth are getting ready to leave, I am taking you out for breakfast. Sound good?”

Nico smiled at him, eyes soft and scent sweet. “Sounds good,” he affirmed, and then promptly bolted out of bed to make it to the toilet before he threw up his dinner from the night before. Will held his hair back and murmured to him, and for once, the sickness passed within a few minutes.

They got dressed and ready together—Nico decided on wearing eyeliner and lip gloss for his date, just because Will liked it when he wore makeup, and a borrowed t-shirt with his jeans to show off his alpha’s scent and the curve of his belly. That choice had Will giving him starved glances before he even made it to the door. Will called out for him to wait, which roused Percy and Annabeth, and handed him a sweater.

“It’s cold out there,” he murmured, kissing his mate sweetly as he helped Nico put it on. “Don’t want you gettin’ sick, huh, mama?”

Nico stood on his tiptoes and draped his arms around his alpha’s neck with a slow, easy smile. “Sure, alpha,” he said, and tugged until Will leaned down to kiss him again, slow and soft and entirely in love. He sighed happily.

“Shit,” Percy groaned, pushing himself up. He was shirtless, but the sight stirred nothing in Nico’s chest anymore. He had his own alpha, who was much kinder and sweeter and more affectionate, and who was even taller and just as fit, and who had a tattoo with Nico’s name in it inked across his chest. “Are we leaving? Annabeth, c’mon, wake up.”

She groaned, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”

“Six-thirty,” Will said, smiling. “Don’t worry. Nico doesn’t sleep much past six anymore, thanks to the pup. Probably my fault. We’re going out for breakfast. One little date before I drive y’all home later. Feel free to use the shower or whatever else you need. If you have to borrow clothes, Nico can bring ‘em back next time he comes down.”

He took Nico’s hand and led him out the door, and they made their way down the street to a café near campus that Nico loved.

By nine, the four of them were piled into Will’s orange pickup truck. Nico got shotgun as the self-proclaimed passenger princess, which left Percy and Annabeth chilling in the back seat while Will drove. Percy didn’t know where he’d gotten an orange pickup truck in Boston, but it was oddly on-brand for a Texan son of Apollo.

“There were a few kinds of orange trucks,” Will explained, “but Nico insisted on this one because it had black stripes and the previous owner put little skull decals in them. He liked the mix.” He chuckled. “It had a couple tune-ups to get done, but I got it for seven thousand and had Hephaestus cabin fix it up under strict supervision.”

“They still managed to sneak in the disco headlights,” Nico snickered, leaning back in his seat. His hand settled on his stomach, and Will cast the gooiest look Percy had ever seen at his mate, eyes soft and warm and a small smile on his lips. Nico turned back to their passengers. “The headlights flash to the beat of Carol of the Bells. Will hates it, but he is a favorite at Christmas time. They change colors too.”

“I got a ticket last year ‘cause some moron played it in the next car over with the windows down and my headlights went off the deep end in the middle of the highway,” Will grumbled, frowning. “Gotta get those assholes to fix that shit. Damn near caused a pile-up. Cops were not pleased.”

“Well, maybe they’ll fix it today,” Nico said, shifting in his seat. He groaned. “I want strawberries.”

“Well, another four hours, we can get you some good ones,” Will said, smiling proudly as he reached across the console to grab Nico’s hand and run a thumb over his knuckles. Nico purred, leaning over to lay his head on his alpha’s shoulder, and closed his eyes.

“You better,” he murmured, and sighed as he began to drift off. Will kissed his hair, never taking his eyes off the road.

“He’s started getting cravings more often,” Will said, chuckling to himself as Nico dozed on his shoulder. “Once, I had to make him a pickle-and-raspberry-jam-sandwich. I almost threw up, but I’ve actually never seen him eat something so fast. I did not kiss him until he brushed his teeth, though.”

Percy snorted and Annabeth giggled. She leaned forward. “He’s so cute,” she cooed. “At camp, he doesn’t talk to anyone unless he has to, doesn’t join activities, glares at everyone—I’ve never seen him act so happy. It’s adorable.”

“He loves me,” Will said proudly. “Took him a while to get comfortable with that fact, but he’s gotten pretty open about showing me. More so since we found out he was pregnant. He’s a sweetheart, always has been. Just shy and a little anxious, too. He doesn’t have friends at camp, but it’s closer to me than New Rome, so he wants to stay there instead of with Hazel and Reyna. I wish he was better at making friends for his own sake, but shy, socially awkward Nico was the Nico I fell in love with, so it doesn’t turn me off him.”

“I mean, now that we know, we can check on him,” Percy said, shrugging. “We thought he hated everyone, but it isn’t like we can’t drag him out to activities. Capture the Flag would be a lot more fun with him, and maybe he could teach classes in the arena.”

“Not a great idea, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth said, ruffling her boyfriend’s hair affectionately. “He’s four months pregnant, which means the baby is starting to get to be more fragile. Capture the Flag and sword-fighting classes might be good for Nico’s health, but not for the pup’s. They’re too dangerous. What if he ends up getting pinned by a myrmeke again? Maybe we can get him involved in overseeing crafts or running stealth courses instead of fighting.”

“That’s why you’re the brains,” Percy joked, kissing her forehead. She smiled up at him, laying her head on his shoulder and kissing his scent gland through the blocker patch. “Okay, what do you think, Will? Stealth classes, crafts, maybe archery or something?”

“Light exercise is good for him,” Will agreed. “I’d honestly say even Capture the Flag is fine as long as he goes with a partner, like one of you, so he doesn’t end up pinned. All he really has to be careful of is getting slammed into things; so hand-to-hand combat of any kind is a terrible idea, but if he wants to run slow sword drills on, say, the ten to twelve-year-olds, and then observe from a distance in pair exercises, that would be fine. It’s good for him to stay in shape, and good for the pup, too. It’s just not good for him to be wrestling, grappling, boxing, dodging weapons and fighting monsters. If the activity always results in at least three infirmary visits, he probably shouldn’t do them. The farther along he gets, the less mobility he’s gonna have.”

“Got it,” Percy said. “It’s a good thing his boyfriend is a medic.”

“Husband, technically,” Will said, smiling. “We got a license and signed a marriage certificate, but we’re waiting until after the baby’s born to actually get married and have a ceremony.”

“I’m sorry—Nico is mated, married and pregnant and no one had any idea?” Percy spluttered, shaking his head. “Will, you’re in charge of giving his friends life updates from now on, right? Does his sister know?”

“Not yet,” Will chuckled. “I’m coming back to camp for fall break in a few weeks, and Hazel and Frank are visiting with Reyna. He wanted to tell them in person, so we’ve been waiting for that. Nico keeps to himself, sure, but he’s been secretive about it on purpose. Too many people in camp like to gossip.” He frowned. “But I thought he’d at least have told Chiron and Mr. D. I can’t believe he’s been taking on quests, business as usual.”

“Nico has never been very good at self-preservation,” Annabeth said, nodding slowly. “We’ll make sure the camp directors know, and your siblings.”

“Thanks,” Will sighed. “I’m going to scent Nico’s nest and make sure he has everything he needs when we get there. The biggest thing that’s changed since he got pregnant is his sleep schedule. He can’t sleep past six, but usually ends up napping at least once or twice throughout the day, and he conks out around ten or eleven. He likes to unwind by himself or with just me for a couple hours before bed.”

Before either of the backseat riders could respond, Nico jerked awake and fixed a hand over his mouth. “Pull over,” he groaned. Will swerved onto the first exit on the right and rocketed up the ramp until he hit a place where he could pull off the road. Nico lurched out of the car, making it less than two steps before he was doubled over, vomiting on the pavement. In seconds, Will was by his side, holding back his hair and rubbing his back. Nico braced a hand on his knee and the other on his stomach, retching helplessly.

“That’s it, there we go,” Will soothed, still rubbing circles into Nico’s back. “There we go, baby. That’s it.”

Finally, Nico stopped throwing up, and after another minute, he groaned and straightened slowly. “Ow,” he mumbled pitiably. Will hugged him, uncaring of the smell, and kissed his forehead.

“I’ll get the mouthwash,” he said patiently, and squeezed Nico’s hand. He stood close by while Nico rinsed his mouth and gargled to clear his throat and helped him back into the car. “Come on, baby,” he coaxed. “We’re halfway there. Two more hours.”

Nico whined, sulky and tired, and curled up in the passenger seat. Will kissed his temple and tucked his hair behind his ear. “Do you still feel sick?” he asked gently, fingers combing Nico’s curls. The omega nodded slowly.

“Not like I’m gonna throw up again,” he said, both hands on his distended stomach, “but not good.”

“Poor thing,” Will murmured, letting Nico rub his cheek into his palm. “I can give you a Pepto-Bismol, if you want?” Nico nodded and Will got him the pill before making a U-turn and heading for the on ramp. Nico settled back, buried his nose in the collar of Will’s sweater, and took deep breaths. Will squeezed his hand, bringing it up to kiss the back of it. “I’m sorry, death boy,” he said sadly. “I wish I could make it easier.”

“You can’t fix the nausea?” Percy asked, curious. Will shook his head.

“I’ve tried,” he said. “But my healing focuses on repairing the source, and the source is that our baby is shifting around on his stomach and jostling his internal organs. To fix that, I’d have to, uh, take out the problem. Which, you know, is the baby. So there’s nothing I can do about it, unfortunately.”

“The kisses help,” Nico said tiredly, and Will couldn’t hold back his smile. “Also the medicine.”

“Right, the secondary helper, the medicine,” Will said seriously, nodding. “The kisses are definitely more effective.”

Nico shrugged. “I like being looked after when I don’t feel good,” he said. “I like feeling loved. It makes me feel better.”

Will squeezed his hand and raised it to litter more kisses across bony knuckles. “I love you,” he said with firm certainty. “So much.”

“I know,” Nico said with a tired smile. He yawned and leaned back, shifting to get comfortable, then grumbled. “Would you please settle down? You’re even worse than your father.” A spike of scent like summer flooded the truck. Nico snorted. Will blushed.

“Sorry,” he said. “Just—sorry.”

Nico leaned over and kissed his cheek. “It won’t stop moving,” he said. “More restless than you are when I’m feeling off.” He grinned. “It’s going to be a terror. Just like its dad.”

Will groaned, wrinkling his nose. “I certainly hope not,” he said dryly. “Mama says I was a screamer when I was a baby. She said she never slept through the night ‘till I was already one and a half.”

“Oh, gods, I take it back,” Nico said, cringing. “It’s going to be like me, because I was so quiet my mama thought I had died on at least five occasions. It’s going to be very quiet.”

“Do you guys know the gender?” Annabeth asked. “When can you find that out?”

“Around eleven weeks is the earliest, but it ain’t that accurate then,” Will informed her, smiling in the rearview mirror. “Nico’s in his second trimester now, so we can go to the hospital anytime and find out. We just haven’t had the time yet.”

“I haven’t bothered with the hospital,” Nico said. “He delivered a baby satyr in the middle of a battle. He can handle mine.”

“I am not licensed or trained for prenatal care,” Will said dryly. “All I can do is feel out its health and whether there are any injuries. I’m telling you, Nico, you should go to the hospital. Dumbass.”

“And I told you, if I think anything is wrong, I will,” Nico sighed in response. “There’s no reason to go to the hospital if I feel fine. Even you know that, and you’re obsessed with hospitals.”

“I am not obsessed!” Will objected, and Nico snorted.

“You eat, work and study in them,” he pointed out. “You’d sleep there if you could.”

“I prefer sleeping with you, actually,” Will grumbled.

“That’s how we got into this mess.”

“Nico!”

Percy burst out laughing and they both turned to look at them. Nico leveled him with a stare when Will turned back to the road. “What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Percy shook his head, still laughing, and Annabeth put a hand on his arm.

“You fight like an old married couple,” she said through her own smile.

“We are a married couple,” Will reminded them. “Technically.”

“Legally,” Nico agreed. “Didn’t want a wedding while I’m pregnant, but I didn’t want a baby out of wedlock.”

“Sometimes I forget you’re from the thirties, and sometimes the fact is blasted into my mind,” Percy said, amused. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” Nico assured him. “I get carsick easily since he knocked me up, but when he’s around, his scent helps my stomach settle.” He paused. “Well, his scent helps my baby settle,” he amended. “But the baby is the one brawling with my stomach, so.”

“Eating out has gotten easier,” Will said cheerfully. “The pup’s got my tastes. Nico is mourning the loss of fish and heavy cream in his food, but they make him sick now. He’s also taken a liking to more fresh fruits and spice.”

“He introduced me to gumbo, and I almost threw up looking at it, but I ate everything and almost licked the bowl,” Nico agreed. “And I ate around the shrimp. I thought that would be the part I’d like.”

Annabeth grinned. “Often, being pregnant can make the mother take on the characteristics of the father because the baby’s gene code is being determined by both parents,” she said. “Will’s genes are in there, which is mildly messing with yours. Sometimes the changes are permanent, like lactose intolerance, allergies or, say, curly hair.”

Nico wrinkled his nose and turned to his mate, glaring. “If I can never like seafood again, I’m going to cry for a week.”

“Is that all? I thought you’d threaten to rip my eyeballs out, shove them down my throat and hang me from my small intestine.”

“Too much work,” Nico said. “I’d rather just bawl my eyes out and watch you lose your mind with guilt because you can’t stand when I’m upset.” He leaned back in his seat and settled his hands on his stomach, stroking it. Will reached over, flipped him off, and then rested his hand over Nico’s.

“Shit,” he said, surprised. “Does it kick every time I touch you?”

“Yeah,” Nico said through a yawn. “It knows your scent. I don’t know if it’s because you make me happy when you touch me, or because the pup knows who you are, but it always moves when you touch me. Even before it started kicking.”

Will cooed, shooting his mate an adoring smile, and settled back into the driver’s seat, refocusing on the road.

Nico went to talk to Chiron as soon as they arrived, at his mate’s insistence, and Will headed for the Hades cabin to get some fresh bedding set up and make a nest for his omega. He stayed the rest of the afternoon, hanging out with Nico and his siblings, playing cards with infirmary patients, and even joining in with a guitar and a cheery voice at campfire.

“Can’t you stay the night?” Nico asked, standing at the edge of camp where Will was shouldering his bag. Will hugged him, and Nico buried his face in his alpha’s neck, soaking up his scent and aggressively dousing himself in pheromones.

“I wish I could, angel,” Will said sadly. “I love you so much; I miss you. But I have a seminar tomorrow at nine in the morning. I’d have to leave at four at the latest, and I don’t want to mess up your sleep schedule. You could be sick all day.”

Nico sighed, pushing his nose further into his mate’s neck. “I hate how far away you are,” he mumbled. “I hate that I can’t have my husband here when I’m struggling. I miss you.”

Will gripped the back of Nico’s neck gently, sinking his teeth lightly into the bond mark. “Gods, I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry, Nico. I wish I could be here with you; I really do. You have no idea.”

Nico whined softly into his neck, trembling as he returned the bite. He licked it, nibbling around the edges—grooming it, gentle and attentive. Will groaned.

“I don’t wanna go,” he admitted, voice muffled by Nico’s curls. “I hate not being here with you.”

“I hate it, too,” Nico muttered. “The baby doesn’t like when you’re gone, either, you know.”

Will rubbed a hand over his face, blowing out a breath. “Uh… okay. It’s barely October now. You’re due in February. Do you want me to take a semester off and come be with you two through winter semester? I can stay enrolled for two consecutive semesters off.”

“No!” Nico said sharply, pulling back with a glare. “You are so close. You’re graduating this year, William, you are not delaying that by another half a year! Not with what you paid for school. Not when you’d lose your scholarship. You’re so close, and you are going to do this. Do you hear me?”

Will leaned down and kissed him, arms sliding comfortably around his waist. “I hear you,” he murmured lovingly. “I hear you, Nico. I’ll stay in school, just—promise, promise me that you’ll call the second you need me, okay? I’ll come running.”

Nico leaned up into another kiss, cupping his alpha’s face. “I promise,” he said. “Now get lost, alpha. You have a seminar to get ready for and a long drive ahead of you.” He handed a small bag to the blond. “And, here.”

Will looked down and growled appreciatively. “Oh my gods, Nico,” he groaned. “You’re… insane.”

Nico grinned. “I was really horny,” he said, amused. “Those clothes are full of my scent, and some have my slick on them.” He kissed the alpha’s cheek innocently. “For when you want me.”

“Nico,” Will groaned again, and bit down on the gland a second time, pulling a gasp from his omega. “Gods, I want you. How are you this sexy?”

 “I have practice with turning you on,” Nico said, nonchalant. He kissed Will again and lightly pushed him back. “Go on, Will. I’ll be here when you come back for reading week in November.”

“Okay,” Will said. “I love you, Nico. Be safe while I’m at school, okay? Promise.”

“I will be safe, I will get check-ups from your siblings, I will not use my powers or do any quests, and I will call you if anything happens,” Nico swore, one hand over his heart. “Your child will be fine.”

“I’m as worried about you as I am about the baby,” Will said firmly. “Maybe even more so. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Nico said patiently. “Drive safe.”

Will kissed him one last time and left, and Nico reapplied his blocker patch to hide his scent gland.

Not much changed with Will gone. Nico was sour-faced and kept to himself, but Percy and Annabeth dragged him out to run sword drills and help teach the little ones about stealth. Nico got softer around the kids, and eventually admitted to Annabeth that it was good practice.

Chiron also set him up with Juniper to help with little Chuck, who loved him because he smelled like Will. Chuck was almost seven already, but still the youngest kid at camp besides little Daisy in the Aphrodite cabin, who was five. Juniper also managed to scrounge up little dolls and helped teach Nico how to change diapers and hold babies properly, especially newborns.

In November, Will drove up for the week, and Nico was the first to greet him. In fact, no one even knew he had arrived until he and Nico were walking up the hill together, talking animatedly with one another. Nico shoved Will good-naturedly and Will ruffled his hair with a laugh, and Nico’s scent grew sweet like rain.

Will spent the day with his siblings, but when dusk fell he disappeared into Nico’s cabin, and Nico sent Percy a wink before vanishing with him. Percy shot him a thumbs up and raised an eyebrow suggestively. Nico wrinkled his nose and shut the door.

He turned, expecting to see his boyfriend sitting on the bed, and was suddenly pressed up against the door by a searing kiss. He groaned, opening his mouth for his alpha’s invading tongue, and purred as he leaned back against the wood.

“I missed you,” Will whined into his mouth. “I need you, Nico. Can we?”

“Gods, Solace, if you’re not naked in the next three seconds, I swear—” Will stripped off his shirt and Nico followed, tearing off his clothes, and they fell into bed together, lightning thrumming through every place they touched.

Nico rolled over, panting, and sprawled on the bed. Will kissed his hair, sprawled out next to him, and rested a hand over his stomach.

“Wow,” he wheezed, head back against the pillow. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Will agreed, exhaling. “Wow.”

“Gods, I love having sex with you,” Nico sighed, curling sideways into his mate’s embrace. Will grinned and hugged him tight, strong arms closing safely around him, pressing him close. “I love having you inside me.”

“I love having sex with you, too,” Will said cheerfully. “Feels good, makes babies, keeps you close to me. Lot of positives, really.”

“We’re not having more babies until after you’ve done your residency,” Nico muttered, snuggling into him. “I kind of want to try and work a little, if only for my dad.”

“You don’t have to be a stay-at-home mom,” Will said, stroking feathery black curls. “We can get a babysitter, or have someone at camp watch them, or you could move in with me in the city and we can look at getting a nanny or putting the babies in daycare.”

“I want to stay with my baby,” Nico said firmly. “I don’t—I don’t want my baby to spend all its time with someone else. I don’t want someone else to be touching and feeding and playing with it, seeing its first word or steps—I want to be the one to do that.”

Will smiled and buried his nose in Nico’s hair, squeezing him tightly. “Me too, baby,” he whispered. “We’ll make it work. If you want to be a stay-at-home mom, you can. I’ll make it happen.”

Nico nibbled at his mate’s scent gland—freshly bitten, thanks to Nico’s rather mind-blowing orgasm. “I love you,” he mumbled, shifting happily.

“I love you too,” Will said, and pushed himself up. “Come on; let’s get cleaned up and call your sister. You’re five months in and she’ll kill me before long.”

Nico sighed and crawled off the bed. “Alright, alright.”

Hazel waved happily from the entrance hill, beaming. “Hi, Nico!” she exclaimed. “How are you? Oh, hi, Will! I haven’t heard from you guys in forever!”

She ran towards them and Will stepped in quickly, grabbing her in a hug that she returned happily, squeezing tight. Then she pulled back and hugged her brother a little more gently, given that Will had intercepted her running tackle. Reyna and Frank followed after her, grinning, and exchanged hugs with the boys. Will threw an arm around Nico’s shoulders and Nico took a deep breath.

“Can we go to my cabin?” he asked once they’d exchanged pleasantries and greetings. “Will and I have something we’d like to tell you.” He paused. “It’s nothing bad—and I want you to know now, we only kept it from you for so long because I wanted to tell you in person.”

Frank’s face fell into worry. “Are you… did you two break up?” he asked softly. “But you’re mated… what will you do?”

“No!” Nico blurted, scent spiking with the metal of alarm. “No, we didn’t break up! Never!” He waved for them to follow and the five of them made their way into the Hades cabin. Will gestured for them to sit down, and Frank, Hazel and Reyna took Hazel’s bunk while Will and Nico sat on Nico’s. Reyna wrinkled her nose.

“Air the place out a little longer, next time,” she advised. Will blushed, but Nico just rolled his eyes.

“So,” Nico said, taking another deep breath. “I guess I’ll just… get right to it. Hazel, Reyna, Frank… I’m five months pregnant. And Will and I are legally married—but don’t worry, we didn’t have a wedding. That’s going to wait until after the pup is born. I just didn’t want a baby out of wedlock.”

The three of them stared at him as the room filled with a thick, uncomfortable silence. Nico shifted awkwardly. Then, suddenly, Hazel burst into tears and crossed the room to wrap her brother in her arms. She pressed her cheek into his hair.

“You’re having a baby!” she sobbed. “I’m so happy for you, Nico! And Will!” She hurriedly brought Will into her embrace, and he hugged her back with a wide grin. “Are you taking a semester off? Who’s been helping? Is the sickness bad? Does it hurt or does it feel good for you? Are you taking it easy? Eating enough?”

Nico laughed, burying his face in her shoulder and returning her hug. “I’m fine, it feels pretty good, but I do get morning sickness. It’s not unbearable, though. Will wanted to take the semester off, but it’s his last year and I refused to let him delay his graduation by another year. Chiron and Will’s siblings have been helping me, and Juniper has been teaching me about caring for babies and newborns. And yes, I am eating fine. I’m eating fine for two people, actually. And getting exercise, and not pushing myself. I’m off quests and missions, I have regular check-ups, and Percy and Annabeth are on standby if I need anything.”

Reyna hugged him next, even reaching out to ruffle Will’s hair. “You had better be a good husband,” she threatened. “I will personally make your life and death a slow, painful ordeal if anything happens to him.” Will nodded solemnly and she smiled, eyes warm. “Congratulations, both of you. I’m so happy for you.”

Frank hugged him with extreme care, mindful of his larger size, and flashed them both a huge grin as he wrapped an arm around his teary-eyed girlfriend. “Congratulations guys,” he said happily. “You’re gonna be great parents, I can tell.”

The rest of their visit was tearful, overjoyed and fun, and when they left, Nico carried himself with a sense of pride and a small smile.

“Nico? You’re c—out. Wha—at?” Nico glared at his phone, frustration welling up inside him. He hissed at the device, baring his fangs, and whacked it against his thigh. The call blacked out and the phone buzzed erratically in his hand before dying completely—which was ridiculous, given that it had a full battery.

“Fuck!” Nico all but screamed, throwing the phone across the room. It crashed into the fireplace; the only stone apparatus in the room. Nico yelped and scrambled after it, stumbling to his feet with a hand under his swollen stomach. “No, no, no, no…” he grabbed the thing, pressing frantically at the buttons. It turned on, revealing multicolored lines across the cracked screen before slipping back into blackness. Nico let out a frustrated whine, throwing the thing aside as tears welled up in his dark eyes.

“Fuck!” he shouted again. “Fuck this fucking place! Fucking phones! Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

A knock echoed through his room and Nico struggled back to his feet, sniffling as he scrubbed angrily at the tears on his face. He opened the door an inch. “What?” he asked, trying to sound more annoyed than miserable.

Annabeth pushed the door open, poking her head in. “Hey,” she said gently. “I heard you screaming. What’s the matter? Are you hurt?” Nico’s lip trembled. He bit down on it and let her in, shutting the door behind her. She looked around with raised eyebrows. “Wow, it’s really clean in here,” she remarked. “Nesting stage?”

“Yeah,” Nico croaked. “I cleaned the baseboards.”

“Wow,” Annabeth said again. “That’s impressive. What’s going on?”

Nico gestured to the phone on the floor. “I was—I was calling Will, ‘cause I—I needed—his voice, I just—but the fucking call just kept—kept breaking up, and dropping, and then my phone went black and I was mad and I—I threw it too hard by accident and it hit the fireplace, and—and now it’s all cracked and there were colors and then it went black and it won’t turn on and I—I broke it, I didn’t mean to break it! And I can’t talk to Will anymore.” He took a shaky breath, scrubbing his eyes again.

Annabeth guided him to the bed and sat him down. Nico whined. “And my baby’s all restless because I’m so stressed,” he said mournfully. Annabeth pulled out her own phone, equipped with a couple of modifications she’d worked out with Leo.

“Do you know his number?” she asked. “I can try to call him on WhatsApp. Sometimes it works better than phone calls.”

Nico sniffled and relayed the number, and Annabeth called him.

“Hello?” Will’s face popped into the screen, brow creased. He set it up on his dresser and returned to what he’d been doing—grabbing folded clothes and shoving them into a duffel bag. “Annabeth, could you check on Nico for me? We were calling, but the line went out and he was having a bad day.”

She grinned. “Check on him yourself,” she said, and sat down next to Nico on the bed, handing him the phone. “He kinda needs his alpha, I think.”

Will stopped what he was doing and rushed back to his phone, worry written all over his handsome face. Nico felt the tears spill over at the sight of those pixelated blue eyes. His shoulders hitched in a soft sob. “Nico,” Will cooed, reaching for the phone as if he could cup his mate’s cheeks through the screen. “Honey, are you okay? What happened?”

Nico sobbed again, uncaring of the droplets running down his face. Annabeth had seen worse than a crying omega. Fuck it; he was pregnant and hormonal and having a very bad day. “I broke the phone,” he whimpered. “I didn’t mean to but I—I threw it and it hit the fireplace and broke.”

“Awww, Nico,” Will said sympathetically. “I’m sorry your phone is broken. I’m coming up, okay? You just sit tight and I’ll be there in a bit. Just firing off a couple emails and packing a bag.”

Nico’s eyes widened and he tilted his head like a confused puppy. “But you have classes tomorrow,” he said thickly. “You have to go to class.”

Will chuckled. “I get ten absences a semester, death boy,” he said fondly. “And you are so incredibly strong and patient and independent that I have only used one this semester. It is Thursday and my classes for the day are over. You are crying and stressed out, our communication was shut down, you miss me and I have nine absences left for each class. I am taking tomorrow off and driving up right now. You need me and I’m not leaving you alone. You’re eight months pregnant, you’re upset, you need your alpha. I told you, didn’t I? Call me and I’ll come running. I’m takin’ the goddamn truck and Imma be there in four hours, just you wait.”

Nico wiped his eyes. “I love you,” he said softly. Will cooed, and the sound pulled some of the tension out of Nico’s shoulders.

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he said, packing his laptop in the bag and throwing it over his shoulder. “I’ll be home before you know it. Why don’t you take a nap? You have some of my clothes from two weeks ago. Sorry I couldn’t make it up last weekend.”

“You had a huge test,” Nico said, sniffling. “It’s okay.”

“I shouldn’t have left you alone for two weeks,” Will said firmly. “I won’t do that again, I promise. I can study as well with you as I can by myself.”

“Are you sure you can miss classes to come up early?” Nico asked anxiously. “I don’t mind waiting. I don’t want you to fall behind.”

Will leveled him with a serious stare as he made his way through the parking lot toward his truck. “Nico, listen to me,” he said with a firm, gentle patience that eased Nico’s anxiety instantly. “You are my mate. My life partner. You. Come. First. You always come first. No matter what. If you need me, I will come to you.”

Nico whimpered softly. “I need you,” he admitted, and Will beamed.

“And you’ll have me,” he proclaimed. “I gotta go. No chance of keeping my eyes on the road with your pretty face on my screen. I’ll see you in four hours, lovebug. Have a snack and a nap, okay? Make yourself a nice, comfy nest and I’ll be there when you wake up.” He paused. “Well, as long as you wake up four hours from now, anyway.”

Nico sighed. “See you soon, Will,” he said, and Will ended the call. Nico handed the phone back to Annabeth, wiping his eyes on his sleeve again. They sat together for a minute, her hand rubbing slow circles into his back. He sighed tiredly. “He’s a good mate,” he murmured. “Better than I deserve. I hate inconveniencing him like this.”

Annabeth smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. He let his cheek fall against her hair. “You know how much he loves you, don’t you? I’m sure he’s jumping out of his skin with how excited he is to see you. Every time he comes up, he smells like puppy-love, you know that? I’ve seen that man nearly break his neck turning to look at you when you laughed. He trips over himself trying to impress you and he can’t stop smiling when you’re around him. He loves you. He loves being with you. He’d do anything for you and he probably can’t wait to get here and see you.”

Nico nodded and yawned. “He’s amazing,” he mumbled. “I love him.”

“He loves you, too,” Annabeth said through a smile. She lifted her head from Nico’s shoulder and he stood, stretching and then grumbling, rubbing at his stomach.

“I have to make a nest,” he said. “How long until dinner?”

Annabeth checked her watch. “An hour,” she said. Nico nodded.

“I can do that,” he said. Annabeth saw herself out, watching Nico set to straightening the bedsheets and blankets, fluffing the pillows and arranging anything fluffy in a huge, circular sort of walled structure. She was never going to be any less amazed by the sheer capability pregnant omegas had for building nests.

She closed the door softly and crossed the green to cabin three, where she invited herself in. Percy was stretched out on the bed, frowning at a book. He was working as a diver, and had taken a leave of absence for the last two months of Nico’s pregnancy. Annabeth had simply moved and was working with her half-siblings in New Rome and Camp Half-Blood to design the new Olympus, for which she was being paid handsomely for each new building she designed.

They’d decided together to move back to help their friend, since he was more or less alone up here—Hazel’s monthly visits aside—and had been struggling. Nico was independent enough, for certain, but Will was a worrier and so was Percy, so it had been an easy decision for everyone, not to mention how close it was to Sally Jackson. Still, the move meant that Percy occasionally had to hop on diving boats off the New York coast and report his findings, which often involved reading books and cross-referencing what the creature said it was with what mortals called it. Percy had found adorable little things named ‘Sam and Cathy,’ and it had taken an entire three hours to find out just what kind of jellyfish they were by mortal terminology.

He slammed the book shut upon noticing her and tossed it aside, holding out his arms with a wide grin. Annabeth crawled onto the bed and melted into his chest, nuzzling into the space under his jaw. He cooed, rubbing his cheek against her hair, and pressed a kiss to her temple. Then he sniffed at her hair, probably picking up Nico’s scent.

“You went to see Nico?” he asked, wrapping his arms tightly around her and trailing his fingers up and down her spine. She hummed. “How’s he doing?”

“He broke his phone and had a minor breakdown,” she said, smiling as she relaxed. Her mate was sweet with her, always down to cuddle. “I called Will on WhatsApp. He’s driving up from university now; took tomorrow off his classes. He said Nico was his life partner, and he always came first.”

“More than I needed to know about Nico,” Percy joked. Annabeth’s shoulders shook with quiet laughter, and she scraped her fangs reproachfully over her mate’s scent gland. He purred. “Jokes aside, that’s good. I thought they were a little young to be having a baby, but he’s a really good alpha. I have no idea how he manages to balance his relationship with Nico, the pregnancy stuff, his grades and the distance, but he’s got it down to a science.”

Annabeth hummed, nibbling on his shoulder lovingly. “Nico was crying, but I could see—he stopped hiding when Will was on the phone. He stopped trying not to cry, and then he started calming down. He really just melts as soon as he hears Will’s voice. They’re so sweet.”

“Mm,” Percy hummed into her hair. “They are. I’m glad Nico has him. He… he deserves to be loved like Will loves him. Unconditionally, above everything. Will is good for him.”

“Nico’s good for Will, too,” Annabeth said, rolling onto her side so she could snuggle up to her boyfriend’s chest. “Will loses himself in his work. He used to do it at camp, too. Nico calls him on a very precise schedule; always half an hour before mealtimes, so they can talk and so he interrupts Will’s studying at the very convenient moment that he should be eating. Nico keeps Will on a human work-life balance. If not for him, Will would study and work himself straight into his grave.”

“They’ve got it figured out,” Percy agreed, groaning as he squeezed his mate tighter. “They almost make me want a baby. Have you seen when Nico coos and squeaks at it?”

“Oh, it’s so cute!” Annabeth agreed. “The little chirps! He’s so excited. It’s adorable. We’re so lucky to get to see him so happy.”

“Yeah,” Percy agreed, closing his deep, sea green eyes. “Yeah, we are.” He hugged Annabeth, and she sighed, sliding her arms around his waist and closing her eyes. “I’m happy for them,” Percy admitted. Annabeth smiled into his shirt, listening to his heartbeat under her cheek.

“Me too,” she said.

“Nico…” Nico swatted at the tickle on his cheek, scrunching his nose up.

“No,” he mumbled, barely opening his mouth—and then the scent hit him. Sunshine, warm summer evenings, sun-warmed cedar trees. His eyes shot open and he sat up so fast he made himself dizzy. Warm hands clamped down on his shoulders, steadying him.

“Easy,” chuckled a familiar voice, and Nico stared wide-eyed at the oh-so-welcome sight of his freshly showered mate kneeling on the floor in front of him, blue-eyed and smiling as wide as ever. He yelped, something instinctive and happy and loud, and threw himself into the alpha’s arms as best he could with his fairly large stomach. Will laughed brightly and made a soft, groaning huff as he caught his mate. “Oh, hi,” he whispered, hugging Nico tightly. “Hi, baby, hi. I missed you too. You’re so sweet—haha, Nico, I can’t breathe!”

Nico backed off reluctantly, looking at his mate with shining onyx eyes. “Come up! Come up!” he demanded, too excited to form proper sentences. He felt like a puppy meeting its owner after work, and he didn’t even care. He tugged Will onto the bed and the blond laughed, crawling up into the nest Nico had built.

“Wow, this is incredible!” Will complimented, looking around. “This is the best nest you’ve ever built, Nico.”

Nico preened, shoving his face into the crook of Will’s neck to douse himself in his alpha’s scent. Will crooned at him, gently pressing him down into the folds of the beautiful nest Nico had made, lined with high, stable blanket walls and filled with soft, warm bedding and fluffy pillows. Nico had curled up under a weighted blanket with a soft blue cover and another one with soft, scratchable edges, the kind he liked to run his cuticles along.

“Wow, baby,” Will said, settling down next to him. “It’s amazing.” He wrapped his arms around Nico, calming him down enough to pull him in close to his chest and squeeze him. He laid a hand over the omega’s stomach and hummed happily when he felt a strong kick. “Good, healthy and strong,” he purred proudly. “Look at you, taking care of our baby even when you’re feeling so bad.”

Nico purred, nearly vibrating with excited joy as he snuggled in and tucked himself safe and sound into Will’s chest.

“You’re so warm,” he moaned, fangs finding the bond mark and biting down on it to reaffirm the connection. Calm washed over him, and he melted into the blankets and his mate’s firm embrace. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, Nico,” Will said, and pulled back just enough to kiss his omega soft and slow. “I won’t leave you alone that long again. I promise. I’ll come home every single weekend.” Nico made a soft sound and dug himself back into Will’s arms. Will stroked his back, fingers tracing each knob of his spine with gentle reverence. “You’re not as big as I thought you’d be,” he said, amused. “Guess our baby’s gonna be little like you, hmm?”

Nico shot him an unimpressed look, withering in its intensity. Will grinned. “You’re little,” he whispered adoringly, pressing tiny kisses all over Nico’s face. The omega tried to retain the expression, but his eyes melted into gooey little hearts and his scent was sweeter than a fresh rain after a twenty-year drought, so he gave up after a minute. “It’s perfect. You fit right up against me. I can wrap myself around you and tuck you into me. You’re nice to snuggle. I like that you’re little.” He kissed his mate again, and Nico hummed softly, curling into his touch.

“When I’ve had this baby,” he murmured, pressing his cheek against Will’s, “and my hormones are back to normal, and I’m not hanging off every word you say, begging for your touch, I’m going to get you back for that.”

Will laughed and hugged him, scenting him furiously with his wrists and his neck. Nico purred, strong and full, vibrations shaking his chest, and cuddled so close to him that Will wondered if they would fuse. “What would you get me back for, my love?” he crooned. “I love you. Your pretty eyes and your gorgeous hands, your hips, your tummy, your hair and how it’s always soft, the way you look at me and the way you blush when I praise you. I love you more than anything.”

“Will,” Nico groaned, dark eyes shiny and melty. “Shut up and come here, would you? Stop talking.”

Will laughed and kissed him three, four, seven times, relaxing into their nest as he curled protectively around Nico and their baby. Nico moaned into his mouth—not an aroused moan, but a soft, sleepy, contented moan. Like all of his bones had settled and his skin felt right on his body again, he’d once described it. Will thought that was an incredibly creepy way to say, ‘I feel comfortable and safe,’ but Nico was Nico and some things about him never changed. Will was grateful for it.

They snuggled up close and Will hummed a quiet lullaby, running his fingers through Nico’s soft hair. He pulled the blankets up, tucking them attentively and carefully over his omega’s smaller frame, and kissed his forehead.

“Sweet dreams, my love,” he whispered. Nico cooed quietly in the back of his throat. His eyes slipped shut, and he melted into Will’s warmth, peaceful and defenseless and sweet.

Will thought his second biggest accomplishment was that he had become the only person the son of Hades would let his guard down around completely—the only person Nico trusted to protect him.

His biggest accomplishment, of course, would be their child. He was going to be the best father in the whole world—no matter what.

Will tightened his arms securely around his pregnant mate, tucking him under his chin, and closed his eyes.

I’m going to take care of you, he vowed. He was talking to both of them.

Will bit his lip, staring at his exam. He circled a letter, moved on, and wrote down the short answer in the section provided. This wasn’t his most important exam of the semester, given that it was only February, but it was an important paper precursor to his practical exam in another month, so he focused on the words and gripped his pencil firmly, determined to get the highest grade he’d ever gotten.

BRRRRRRRRRRRR BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Half the class—including Will—startled in their seats as the loud ring echoed through the classroom. Will looked around for a second before realizing the noise was coming from his bag. He winced, hastily digging through his backpack to shut it off. How had it gone off? He’d put it on silent!

“Mr. Solace,” said his professor, crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow, “Do you want to explain?”

Will winced, declining the call without looking. “Sorry, professor,” he said, embarrassed. “I swear I put it on—”

BRRRRRRRRRRRR BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

He looked down as his phone rang again. “Oh,” he muttered. “This contact is whitelisted in case there’s an emergency.”

His professor rolled her eyes. “Well, go ahead,” she said, motioning to him. “Answer it, don’t be shy. Put it on speaker. Let’s hear what is so important that it couldn’t possibly wait until after class.”

Will answered the call, cringing as he hit the speakerphone button. “Hey, Nico, uh… what’s up? I’m in an exam right now, can it wait another forty minutes or so?”

“If you actually hang up this phone for another forty minutes, we are both going to die,” said a very frazzled Percy Jackson from the other end of the line. Will frowned.

“Percy? Why do you have Nico’s phone? Where is he? What’s going on?” he asked urgently, gripping the edge of his desk. “Is everything okay? Is something wrong?”

“Look, I was supposed to call you an hour ago, but I had to drive and everything was moving so goddamn fast and I forgot, and then you weren’t picking up, so I had to get Nico’s phone because there’s no way you wouldn’t pick up for him, and I’m so sorry I forgot to call you but he is SO MAD right now so DO NOT hang up this phone—”

“Percy!” Will snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What is going on? Why do you need me? Where were you driving?”

Percy took a long, deep breath. “The hospital,” he said, and chuckled nervously. “Nico’s water broke an hour ago. He’s in labor. You’re about to be a dad, Solace.”

Will’s whole world stopped moving as his classmates erupted in gasps and excited whispers. His mouth fell open. Then he spluttered, shoving his pens, pencils and erasers into his backpack and banging his knee in his hurry to fold in his chair-desk, accidentally dumping his exam on the floor. “Why didn’t you call me earlier!?” he demanded, swinging the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. “I’m on my way! Did he remember to ask for the epidural? He wants the epidural, but he cannot remember the name of the drug for the life of him. Is he safe? How close are his contractions?”

“Jesus, Solace, I don’t—Annabeth says she confirmed that he’s getting an epidural, but it’s too early. He’s shouting a lot of curse words and I don’t speak Italian, but I think he’s saying some, uh, not very nice things about me right now? He’s safe, set up—Annabeth says about twelve minutes between contractions. Listen, there’s just no way you could get here in that truck, so Nico called Hazel, and she sent Arion to go and get you. He should be there any minute, alright?”

“Got it, heading out now. Tell Nico I’ll be there as fast as I can.” Will hit the end call button and looked up with wide eyes, meeting his surprised professor’s face. A slow grin spread across her lips and she jerked her head at the door.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” she chuckled. “Give me your exam and get out of here! You can finish another day. Can’t reschedule the birth of your child! Congratulations, Will. Just email me when you have time to finish your exam—take as much time as you need. Newborns need a lot of attention, especially in the first few days because your wife will be out of commission. Good luck!”

“Thank you so much!” Will blurted, tripping over a stair and nearly faceplanting on the carpet on his way down. “Nico’s my husband—he’s an omega. Oh my god, I’m a dad. I’m gonna be a dad!”

“Go!” his professor urged, and Will shot out of the classroom like a bat out of hell. He slipped on the floor, crashing to the ground, but he ignored the exclamations of other students around him and launched himself back to his feet. He ignored the elevator, opting to take the stairs down four at a time (nearly wiping out yet again) and dashed through the halls. He shoved past a girl, accidentally knocking her down, and skidded to a halt just long enough to help her up.

“What the fuck?” she asked, exchanging a look with her friend. “Are you on drugs?”

Will sprang back to his feet. “Sorry!” he called over his shoulder as he ran. “My mate’s in labor!”

“Oh, shit!” he heard from her, and a few other people started muttering.

“Congratulations, man!” somebody yelled, and Will laughed as he crashed through the door and booked it down the street to the parking lot. Sure enough, Arion stood waiting right by his truck, pawing the ground in obvious impatience. He whinnied as Will got close, but Will didn’t waste a second.

“Hey, man,” he panted, securing his backpack and tightening the straps. Arion was a wild ride. “Long time no see. Big day, huh?”

Arion snorted, giving Will a look that almost matched Nico’s death glare. Sometimes, Will was really glad he couldn’t speak horse. He swung himself gracefully up onto the stallion’s back, aided by years of heading Pegasus riding lessons, and clutched hard at his flowing black mane.

Arion took off, and Will gritted his teeth, flattening himself to the horse’s back as he ran faster than the cars on the fucking freeway, fast enough to turn them into nothing but blurs of color—or maybe that was the whole world. It was hard to tell, with Arion’s speed. Will shut his eyes, stomach flipping with nerves and nausea.

At last, Arion slowed and then stopped, uttering a low whicker. Will sat up and shook his head, pressing a hand to his stomach to quickly heal his own queasiness. It wouldn’t do to show up at Nico’s side and then immediately vomit.

He dismounted, stumbling a couple of times, and then stroked Arion’s nose. “I’ll get you some gold later, buddy,” he promised, and then he set off on another mad dash to the hospital’s main entrance.

“Hi,” he blurted to the lady at the front desk. “My name is Will Solace—I’m here for Nico Solace? He’s my mate, he’s in labor. What room is he in?”

“ID?” asked the woman, eyeing him. He handed it over and she checked her computer before nodding. “Third floor, maternity ward,” she directed. “He’s in room 308.”

“Got it, thank you so much!” Will breathed, and took off. He kept himself to a run instead of sprinting and again opted for the stairs. It took some hunting, but at last, he found the room and opened the door, poking his head in cautiously so as not to scare his mate.

Nico was groaning, curled up in a ball as a nurse tried to coax him to lay down. He hissed at her, baring his sharp little fangs, and she backed off. “Sir, please do not act aggressively towards us. We are trying to help,” she said coolly.

“I am not giving birth on my fucking back!” Nico growled. “This is way less painful! Where is the big fucking needle!?”

“Sir, please remain calm. We’re trying to help you.” Will frowned and let the door swing shut behind him. Percy and Annabeth shot up from their chairs and Will tugged off his blocker patch, letting his scent permeate the room with a wave of affection. Nico whipped his head around, wide-eyed, and let out a helpless sound.

“WILL,” he keened. “Where have you been!?”

“On my way up from Boston,” Will said, crossing the room to envelop his mate in a huge hug. “Would have been here faster if some moron hadn’t waited an hour to call me.”

Nico hissed at Percy over Will’s shoulder and Will chuckled. “I am going to kill you,” Nico growled. Will kissed his forehead.

“For now, how about we get you laying down?” he suggested gently. “Just so they can get a proper look at everything, then I’ll help you get on your knees, okay? I know you didn’t want to do it on your back. I’m gonna help you get positioned how you wanna, but first they gotta see what’s goin’ on, okay, honey?”

Nico whined plaintively and Will rocked him gently, helping to ease him onto his back as he leaned over. “I’m here, I’m here,” he crooned in reply. Nico clutched at his arms, squirming in pain. Then he let out a sharp cry and doubled over, seizing up against Will’s body.

“You’re in proper labor now,” the nurse announced. “I’m going to go get your epidural ready. The doctor will be in soon. Just relax and wait for now.”

Nico made a miserable sound, something between a whimper and a groan, and curled up tighter. Will hushed him, circling the bed to help him lay down on his side. “Come on, sweetheart,” he murmured. “A few more minutes and you won’t feel anything at all. You’ve been through so much worse, right? You can do it.”

“I don’t think I have!” Nico snapped viciously. “I would actually rather be in Tartarus right now! This is fucking hell! Why the fuck did we do this!? This was a terrible idea! We’re never not using a condom again and you are getting a vasectomy or I am getting a hysterectomy!”

Will’s eyebrows rose. “Okay, different things, different purposes, not the same as having your tubes tied. I’m open to a vasectomy, but let’s put that discussion aside for when you’re not in mind-altering agony, yeah?” he said, and cupped Nico’s cheek to brush away a tear. “You can do this. You’ve got this, no sweat. You’re already almost done the worst of it. You’ll see; the epidural will help so much.”

Nico whimpered. “Can you tell me things about it so I don’t feel as bad when I’m doing it?”

“About the epidural?” Will asked, stroking Nico’s hair behind his ear. A tear ran down Nico’s face and Will wiped it away gently.

“About giving birth.” Nico nuzzled into his palm, burying his face in the scent gland on his alpha’s wrist. Will smiled.

“We’re gonna wait outside, okay?” Annabeth called, and Will gave her a nod as she and her mate exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind them.

“Okay,” he said gently. “Your water broke, you came straight to the hospital. You’ve been checked for dilation and now you’re at the point where you get the epidural. It’s gonna numb you right up, nice and easy. Then you’re gonna relax and wait, and once you’re dilated to ten centimeters, then you’re gonna start pushing. You’re gonna be numbed up, so it shouldn’t hurt too bad, but there’s still gonna be a lot of pressure down there. It might be scary, okay? But I’m not gonna leave you alone for a second. I promise.”

“What about—” Nico sniffled. “What about, like, embarrassing stuff?” He cringed as another contraction rocked through him—that couldn’t have been more than three or four minutes apart, Will thought.

Will hummed. “If you poop, you’re doing it right,” he said, smiling. “So don’t worry about it. It’s a good thing. Means you’re pushing the right way.” He chuckled. “It’s still your ass, but the baby’s not coming out your rectum; it’s coming out your uterus through the birth canal, which is right underneath, so you can absolutely do both at the same time, and it’s normal. Good, even.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Solace, but I have one hole.”

“No, you don’t,” Will said cheerfully, chuckling. “You have an asshole, which is how we usually have sex, but your slick comes from the birth canal—that’s why we sometimes have to use lube outside of your heats. That one is usually closed up so small you can barely see it, but during your heat, it opens up enough for us to have sex with it instead; there’s also a permeated membrane between that and your ass, so sometimes regular unprotected sex will cause sperm to get inside and up to your uterus as well. And when you’re ready to give birth, it dilates up to ten centimeters, just like a woman’s vagina.”

Nico huffed. “Okay, doctor, what else?” he asked, a note of disgust in his tone.

Will hummed, thinking. “The placenta is gonna come out somewhere between five minutes and an hour after the baby; that is going to be a big, jiggly flesh sac full of goo and nutrients, which is what’s been feeding the pup until now. And they’re gonna take it away to get it weighed, registered and cleaned while they’re getting you cleaned and stitched up as well. Then they’ll come back. It’ll take a couple hours or even days for your milk to come in, so we’ll be bottle feeding the baby for a bit. I can pick up some formula while you’re resting.”

Nico nodded as the door opened, revealing a doctor and a nurse with a cart—and there on the cart was the big needle. The doctor introduced herself and pushed the gown over Nico’s hip, exposing his back.

“Now, I’m gonna put this in on three, and I want you to exhale slowly,” she said. “You’re going to feel a lot of pressure and a sharp pain for about a minute.” Nico nodded.

“Do it,” he said, and gripped Will’s hand.

“You’ve got this,” Will murmured, cupping his omega’s cheek in one hand and holding his hand in the other. “You’re so strong.”

“One… two… three.” Nico tensed and cried out as the needle slipped into his spine, and Will let out a breath as his mate clutched his hand in a death grip.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay,” he murmured over and over, watching as Nico squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth while the needle depressed, sending the contents into the poor omega’s spine. “It’s okay, baby, it’s okay.”

“This is not okay!” Nico barked, and Will kissed his forehead and the bridge of his nose before backing up to give him space to breathe.

“I know, honey. You’re doing so well, though, you really are. You’re so tough.”

The doctor pulled the needle out. Nico winced, but remained silent. “Alright,” the woman said cheerfully. “We’ll give that ten minutes to get through your system and then come back and check your dilation.” She lifted her eyes up to Will and smiled. “You’re awfully calm, compared to most of the first-time dads I’ve had in here,” she chuckled. Will smiled.

“I’m a med student,” he explained. “I worked in an infirmary for a long time. I actually had to deliver a baby myself when I was fifteen because my senior was occupied.” He huffed in amusement. “And Nico’s about the strongest person I know,” he said lovingly, stroking his cheek as Nico tried to purr and choked off into a whine. “You see his back, right? He didn’t get all those scars from a soft life.” He leaned down and nuzzled Nico’s hair, kneeling beside the bed. The doctor smiled softly.

“I’ll be back in eight minutes,” she said. Nico groaned.

Will knelt beside him, heedless of the floor’s hardness, and whispered soft encouragements to him. Slowly, the pain of Nico’s contractions began to die down, and he breathed slowly through his nose as his body began to relax on the bed.

“I’m scared,” the omega admitted in a whisper. “What if it still hurts? I feel so weak.”

“You can do this,” Will told him, kissing each of his knuckles lovingly. “I’m right here with you. It’ll be over soon, and then we’ll get to meet our baby! Are you excited for that? Find out whether we get to have a son or a daughter? Hold our pup for the very first time and see its little eyes open? Meet our child that you’ve been carrying for nine whole months?”

Nico preened, leaning into his husband’s touches. “You always know what to say,” he mumbled. Will grinned and kissed him, then leaned down to groom the bite mark diligently.

“Not even a little bit,” he confessed. “I’ve been nervous about this since the day you told me—but we’re together, and soon we get to meet our baby, and no matter what, I’m going to be right here beside you. This isn’t so scary if we’re together, is it?”

Nico sighed, pushing his face into Will’s loving caresses. “No,” he admitted. “No, I feel better with you here than I did by myself. Annabeth is calm, but Percy is super hard to deal with in stressful situations. He’s used to killing the monster and saving the day, and there is no monster here.”

“Yeah, I know,” Will chuckled. “But he’s outside, and I’m in here. And I’m gonna keep my head and let you hold onto me the whole time, okay? The entire time.”

“I love you,” Nico said softly. “I really love you, Will. You’re a really good alpha and husband. You’re gonna be a great dad, too.” Will kissed him.

“I love you too, my darling,” he said sweetly. “We’re gonna be fine. All three of us.”

Nico beamed at that, dark eyes shining with teary warmth when they met Will’s. “Help me up,” he said firmly. Will helped him position himself in a squat, holding onto the headboard with his knees supported by the pillows. He groaned. “Oh my gods, that is much better,” he said. Then he slipped. “Woah.”

“Yeah, you might have to lay down,” Will chuckled. “You do have a pretty powerful numbing agent taking hold right now.”

“Merda,” Nico muttered, but allowed Will to lay him down and fluff up his pillows. “Look at you, pampering me. What a gentleman.”

“You’re having a baby,” Will said dryly. “I expect you to slap me if I don’t fuss over you.”

Nico snickered, then yelped. “Oh!” he gasped. “I felt it move!”

Right on cue, the door swung open and the doctor stepped back in with her nurse. She checked Nico’s spread legs, then smiled.

“You ready, mama?” she asked. Nico groaned.

By the time the baby came out, Will had decided that being on the side of the birth was significantly worse than assisting the birth. He held Nico’s hand and let him squeeze when he pushed, and Nico kept a brave face on, holding his gaze on Will’s the entire time.

Will coaxed him along, murmuring encouragements and praise as Nico’s body contracted and flexed, every muscle taut. He didn’t cry. Neither of them cried, and Nico admitted mid-push that he didn’t feel as much pain as he’d thought he would. Thank the gods for the big needle, he said.

It was nerve-wracking, being so helpless. Will had never liked being helpless, but right now, the only thing he could do was hold Nico’s hand and gaze and occupy him with sweet words while he pushed out an entire child. It felt maddening, every hair on end and every bead of sweat hot and tickling where it slipped down his temple and spine. He wondered how the hell Nico was even conscious, or if he was feeling as anxious as his husband. Maybe he was too preoccupied to be anxious. Maybe it was Nico’s job to focus and Will’s job to be anxious for both of them.

At last, Nico fell back on the bed, sweating and shaking and completely, entirely exhausted, but finished. He offered Will an exhausted smile—but Will couldn’t offer it back.

Their baby wasn’t crying. It wasn’t crying, and its little face looked more purple than pink. The doctor spanked it, then tapped on its back and checked its airway, but the baby didn’t cough or cry. Nico turned to look and cried out, weak and distraught.

“No,” he whimpered, tears slipping from his eyes. “No, no, no, that’s my baby! That’s my baby, what are you doing here!? What are you doing here!? Get away from my baby! No, no!”

Will followed his gaze and his heart dropped.

Thanatos.

The god stood in the corner, a sad expression on his face. Slowly, he stepped forward, unseen as the doctor and the nurse crowded around the baby. He reached out and a tear rolled down his face as Nico shrieked, unable to move. Will watched, frozen, held in place by an invisible force as the god’s hand approached their baby’s head, reaching for its soul.

And then long, pale fingers curled around a broad arm and drew it back, and a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, hidden by the Mist. The doctor closed her eyes, pressing her lips together, but the tall man drew Thanatos away from the baby’s limp form.

“Papa,” Nico croaked miserably. The god of the Underworld smiled, thin and drawn, and his beady eyes glistened with warmth. “Papa, please,” Nico sobbed. Will clutched his husband’s hand, but still, he was unable to move.

Hades hummed, eyes drifting to the baby. It couldn’t have been more than a minute, but it had to be dead by now. There was no way it could survive without air. Hades stepped closer, standing right next to the doctor and looking down at the stillborn infant.

“I hear it is customary to bring a gift to such monumental events in your children’s lives,” he said, deep voice resonating around the room. “I have brought no crib or toy, but perhaps this will be better.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to the baby’s head, exhaling softly. Then he stood up and smiled. “Congratulations, my sons,” he said, voice warmer than Will had ever heard it. “My granddaughter is the most beautiful child I have ever seen.” He took Thanatos by the shoulder, and the god of death offered them a toothy grin as the two of them disappeared into the shadows.

The baby coughed.

It coughed, tiny and weak, and then suddenly it inhaled and shrieked, loud and healthy and strong, and its face returned to a healthy, robust pink. The doctor and the nurse both exclaimed in relief, and Will and Nico let out matching cries. Will’s knees buckled and he fell to the floor, and Nico squeezed his hand as his eyes fell shut. They cried together, Will leaning into Nico’s shoulder and Nico clinging to his arm, shaking with sobs of pure relief.

“Congratulations,” the doctor said thickly, holding up their pup. “You have a beautiful new daughter.”

“Thank you,” Will sobbed, talking both to her and to his long-gone father-in-law. Nico just cried harder. “Thank you so much.”

“Nurse Katherine is going to go get her all cleaned up and checked out while I stitch you up, okay?” she asked. Nico sniffled and wiped at his eyes.

“Okay,” he said, and gulped. “Drew told me to ask for an extra stitch…?”

Will’s heart dropped. “No!” he snapped at the doctor, who looked taken aback. Then he turned to Nico, wiping his eyes clean of tears so he could speak clearly. “You talked to Drew about your pregnancy!? Why would you do that!? Nico, the extra stitch is medical malpractice! It’s called a husband stitch; it’s done to ‘make it tighter’ for the husband, but it’ll cause you an incredible amount of pain and it can impede healing and make everything worse, not to mention how hard sex would be! It’s illegal, and for good reason.”

Nico paled and reached for his alpha, and Will wrapped an arm around his shoulders to let him snuggle up and hide. “I didn’t know,” he said. Will kissed his hair and hugged him tightly, rocking just a little bit.

“I know, my love,” he breathed. “Don’t take advice from Drew. She doesn’t like you. Jesus, I can’t believe she said that. That’s not even a little bit funny.”

The doctor relaxed. “Should we get you stitched up, then?” she asked, amused. “The normal number of stitches.”

Nico laid back and leaned against his alpha in utter exhaustion, letting Will run his fingers absently through sweaty black curls until he fell lax on the bed, almost asleep.

“You’re a very good husband, you know,” the doctor said as she finished the stitches. “Not many men or alphas come in and stand there holding their mate’s hand and keeping them calm and present the whole time, not to mention holding their hand until the baby started breathing, explaining or talking them down from getting the husband stitch, and sitting by their side to hold them until they fall asleep.”

“Really?” Will’s brow furrowed in concern. “What the hell do they do? I feel like being here for Nico and keeping him from enduring any more pain is, like… bare minimum?”

“I’ve seen fathers not even show up,” she remarked as she gently cleaned the area, along with removing the placenta that Nico had pushed out at some point and wiping him down. She handed Will a damp cloth and he gently wiped the sweat from his mate’s forehead, shifting to sit beside him. “I’ve seen dads take a nap in the corner, or go out to get themselves some food. I’ve seen alphas show up and play on their phone the whole time, or joke about asking for husband stitches. You wouldn’t believe how common it is. I hate when they do that. It’s always the straight men, and the way their wives look at them is heartbreaking. You’re a good man.”

“Jesus,” Will muttered, leaning down to kiss his mate’s forehead. “I love Nico. He’s the love of my life. I’m already guilty that I showed up as late as I did, and I ran out on an exam to get here from Boston.”

“Boston?” The doctor’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Will grinned.

“I don’t want to know how many laws I probably broke getting here,” he said, thinking idly about Arion’s speed and destructive tendencies. “I couldn’t imagine leaving him alone for any of that. Nico is a tough motherfucker, but he was scared. I could never have left him to do this alone.”

The door opened, and Will looked up eagerly to see their baby wrapped in soft fleece blankets, cradled by a smiling nurse.

“Healthy baby girl,” she proclaimed. “5 pounds and 11 ounces. Tiny little thing, but still above what we’d consider undersized. Crying, breathing normally, thank God above, steady heart and a strong cry. What are you going to name her?”

Will shook Nico’s shoulder gently. “Nico, wake up,” he said eagerly. Nico groaned, but opened his eyes, blinking slowly. “Our baby’s here,” Will whispered. “We gotta fill out the birth certificate.”

Nico beamed, pushing himself up with Will’s help and then holding out his arms. The nurse lowered the baby into his embrace and he cradled her close, watching with delight in his eyes as she squealed and gurgled. He held her close, cooing softly down at her, and she reached up for him. Will leaned down, stroking her soft, tiny cheek with a smile and letting her wrap all of her fingers around his own. He choked on a soft noise, a tear rolling down his cheek.

“Hi, baby,” he whispered, watching as she cracked open her eyes. The two of them let out twin noises from the backs of their throats. “You’ve got your mama’s eyes,” Will cooed, and she sucked on his finger sloppily. He laughed, choked up.

“Maria suits her,” Nico whispered, petting her tiny hair wisps. They were pale, probably blond like her father’s but too early to tell. “Maria… Naomi? Maria Naomi Solace?”

“What about Bianca Maria Solace?” Will whispered. Nico looked up at him, overwhelmed. Will smiled. “You had a mother and a sister,” he said. “And I had two brothers. Maybe if we have a boy, we can name him Michael Lee Solace. But I think Bianca Maria suits her. Don’t you?”

Their daughter gurgled, big brown eyes drifting hazily around the room, and Nico beamed.

Percy jumped out of his chair the second Will walked through the door, looking sweaty and exhausted, but happy.

“Well? Are they both okay? Boy or girl? How’s Nico? Do you get to take it home today?”

Will chuckled. “We have a baby girl,” he said. “She was stillborn.”

Percy felt his heart sink as Annabeth, Kayla, Hazel, Frank and Reyna let out soft gasps and short cries. “Oh, gods,” Hazel whispered tearfully. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Will. We’re… we’re so, so sorry.”

Will smiled tiredly. “Thanatos showed up in the corner and Nico started screaming,” he said with a sigh. “But then his father appeared and pulled him back.” His voice thickened and tears choked his throat. “He—he said he’d heard it was a custom to bring gifts to your kids’ life events, and he pulled Thanatos away from her and kissed her forehead and she—she coughed, and breathed, and then she started crying. She finally started crying.” He laughed, brushing tears away. “She’s five pounds and eleven ounces, she’s got Nico’s eyes, and her name is Bianca Maria Solace.” He grinned widely. “And she’s gonna be just fine.”

Cries of joy and relief rose among their gathered family and friends, and they took turns engulfing Will in tight, hard hugs and tearful congratulations. Will laughed and cried, hugging them all back.

“Nico is okay,” he said. “Gotta have a talk with Drew—apparently, she told him to ask for a husband stitch. I shut that right down, but it ain’t funny. He and Bianca are both sleeping now. We can go home when they wake up. Bad news: Nico won’t be walking for a day or two. It was traumatic for him, between the epidural having a slightly muted effect on him—probably a side effect of being a demigod—and our daughter being dead for a minute or two. Good news: now that the baby is out, I can actually heal most of what’s wrong with him in a couple of nights, since it is now an actual injury and not just a side effect of being pregnant.” He sighed happily. “Oh my gods. Why am I tired? I didn’t do shit.”

Reyna wrapped an arm around him and Kayla hugged him tightly. “It takes a lot of emotional strength and energy to be someone’s rock through something so traumatic,” Reyna said patiently. Frank nodded, sitting down next to them with Hazel climbing into his lap.

“Especially when it’s someone you really love who’s in a lot of pain that you can’t fix,” he said.

“You’re a healer, Will,” Kayla told him earnestly. “Watching someone in pain has always been hard for you. And you love Nico more than anything, and you just saw your daughter dead right in front of you while he was in pain and screaming and scared. And then you guys got the overwhelming joy and the wonder and excitement of meeting her. Of course you’re exhausted. You’ve had a long rollercoaster of a day. You should rest, too.”

“Thanks,” Will croaked, rubbing a hand over his face as he leaned on his sister’s shoulder.

“Hello, hello!” called a familiar voice, and Will looked up to see Austin heading towards them, waving with Will’s keys spinning around his fingers. “Hazel lent me her demon-horse, I almost died, and I drove your truck up. Broke a few laws, but didn’t get caught. Took about three hours. It’s in the parking lot whenever you need it.”

“Thanks, Austin,” Will said, and hugged his brother tightly. Austin leaned back.

“So?” he prompted, and Will told him everything he’d missed. “Stressful day,” he remarked when his older brother concluded. “I’m glad you’re all okay. How pretty is my niece? Be honest.” He grinned as Will’s face lit up.

“She’s the most beautiful girl in the world,” he proclaimed proudly. “Nico’s eyes and I think she has my hair. She’s so tiny and pale and she’s soft and small and she smiled at me and I fell in love.”

Annabeth laughed. “Awww,” she said, smiling. “Well, I guess we’ll get to meet her once she’s a little stronger and has built up a bit of immunity, hmm? We’re so happy for you, Will.”

Percy wrapped his arms around the son of Apollo and squeezed tightly, grinning so hard his face hurt as Will returned the hug. “Congratulations,” he said warmly. “You’re going to be a great dad. And you’re a really, really good mate to Nico. The gods only know how much support he needed today, but you were right there the whole time. That’s going to be an unbreakable level of trust for him. Good job. I’m so happy for you.” He smiled. “Let us know if you ever need a babysitter,” he said. “I helped raise Estelle and Annabeth sure knows her way around a safety manual.”

Will laughed brightly, tipping his head back and flashing white teeth. “I’ll keep you in mind,” he promised. “I’m gonna go sit with my family until they wake up. Thank you guys so much for everything you did today. Hazel, I owe you so much for sending Arion to get me.”

“You owe me nothing,” she assured him with her bright, warm smile. “You were everything my brother needed today, no matter how hard. That’s more than enough.”

Will gave them all a last hug, then disappeared into Nico’s hospital room, already cooing over his daughter before the door swung shut.

The seven of them exchanged looks and dissolved into quiet, exhausted laughter.

It had been a good day.

Will wrapped his arms around Nico, pressing a kiss to his temple. Nico sighed, slumping back against his alpha’s chest. “You’re home.”

“I’m home,” Will said sweetly. “I got diapers, a pumping thing—bless the lady in the store who helped me find it—pads for you, and of course some ice cream. How’s the baby?”

“She’s a terror,” Nico said dryly. “Thank you, Will. I’m sorry to ask right after you got home, but I need a shower. Could you babysit for a little bit?”

“No,” Will said, putting his bag down. “But I can absolutely parent. Come on, give me my daughter. We can go look at the picture books your sister sent.”

Nico gave him a soft look and a kiss on the cheek. “You would have been unheard of in the forties,” he said affectionately. Will laughed. Nico shrugged. “You’re almost unheard of now,” he added.

“I’m a dad,” Will said. “She’s my pup, too. Hi, sweet girl!” He carefully took her from Nico’s arms, supporting her tiny head and body. She screamed, making them both wince, and Will chuckled. “Oh, gods,” he said. “She’s got my whistle. That’s gonna be fun.”

“I’ve heard your whistle and it’s way worse than that,” Nico said, rolling his eyes. “You’d better hope she doesn’t turn out like that, or I’m going to put her in the Apollo cabin. She will be your problem.”

“And here I thought we’d get an apartment together,” Will sighed, shaking his head. “No love at all in this house.”

Nico chirped, and they both grinned when Bianca mimicked him. “Fine,” he sighed. “But it has to have a bathtub.”

“I think we can make that happen,” Will said, bouncing the baby in his arms. “Go shower, honey, I got the kid.”

“Thanks,” Nico called. “I’ll make dinner when I’m out.”

“Why don’t we just go to dinner?” Will asked. Nico peeked back around the bathroom door and frowned.

“Because the campers here are like rabid animals and too many of them don’t understand no,” he said firmly. “She’s a week old, William, and she was stillborn. I don’t want to push our luck! She could get sick, or jostled, or someone could touch her or bump into me and make me drop her, or all the noise could hurt her ears or she could get overwhelmed—not to mention, it’s almost time for her to eat, too. We can’t mess up her schedule!”

“Okay, okay,” Will soothed. “We’ll eat here. Did you want anything specific? All I did was shop, today. You were looking after the baby. I’ll cook dinner.”

“I don’t want her in the kitchen yet,” Nico said nervously. “What if she squirms while you’re cutting something? Or flails around and gets a hand on the stove?”

“Nico,” Will said gently. “I know you love her and I know you want to protect her, but we can’t raise her in a bubble. She’s gonna get hurt and guess what? You’re mated to a healer. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up fixing herself up in a couple of years, and I’ll be here.” He grinned. “Fixed up your injuries enough times, haven’t I?”

Nico made a torn sound, but took a breath. “Okay,” he said, eyes drifting to their daughter. “I’m sorry. I just…”

“I know, Nico,” Will said, crossing the room to kiss his omega. “Me too, believe me. I’m not gonna let her get hurt. I’ll move her crib in next to the island and keep an eye on her.”

Nico exhaled, pressing his forehead into his mate’s and then leaning down to kiss his daughter’s cheek. “Alright,” he said. “Not near the stove or knives?”

“Nowhere near the stove or knives,” Will agreed. “Maybe we’ll try that in a couple months. You know, when she can hold her head up?”

Nico laughed tiredly. “Good plan,” he sighed. “Which shift do you want tonight?”

“I’ll take first shift,” Will said. “You look like you need the sleep.”

“You go back to school tomorrow,” Nico mumbled. Will smiled.

“Well, I go finish my exam tomorrow,” he said. “But I’m meeting my professor halfway, so I won’t be gone all day. Five hours, and Percy and Annabeth will be here if you need anything. Okay?”

“Okay,” Nico said, and ducked into the bathroom.

Will sat up with the baby, humming a lullaby as he bounced her. She cried, little mouth open wide as she bawled, and he lifted her up to his shoulder to press his ear to her chest, trying to figure out what was wrong.

“Hmm, you’re not sick,” he murmured, rocking her. “Gas, maybe? Is that what’s wrong, babygirl?” He turned her over and bounced her gently, patting her back. Eventually, she farted and burped at the same time, spewing a little spit-up onto her father’s pajama pants, and he sighed. “Well, hope that helps,” he said defeatedly. “We’re all gonna need a new wardrobe once you’re out of the baby stage, aren’t we?”

She gurgled, coughed weakly, and cried again. Will heaved a deep sigh, but took her away from the bed where Nico was sleeping (the soundproof curtain had been the best gift; Will was eternally grateful to Lou-Ellen for that particular enchantment) and put her on his shoulder, swaying side to side. He got a bottle out and put it in the microwave, wondering if she was hungry.

After testing it on his wrist, he swore under his breath and took the top off to let it cool down. They had a few bottles of formula and a few bottles from Nico, and Will couldn’t tell them apart. Nico preferred to feed her himself when he was up, but Will didn’t mind the bottles. Nico needed sleep, and badly.

Once it was cooled enough, he pressed the nipple to her lips—and, miraculously, she sucked on it, falling quiet. Will breathed a sigh of relief and muttered a prayer of thanks to the gods. She finished half the bottle and then gently maneuvered her up to his shoulder again, where he swayed in place and patted her back until—he winced as her spit-up trailed down his back.

“Fuck, I forgot the towel,” he mumbled. He burped her three more times and laid her down in her crib, petting her soft hair and sighing quietly. He changed quickly, and then a groan startled him. Nico was pulling open the curtain, rubbing his eyes. Will blinked, glancing at the clock. “Is it one already?” he asked, surprised. Nico nodded and yawned.

“Let me go pee and then I’ll come get her,” he mumbled. Will nodded.

“She had gas, but I fixed that, and gave her half a bottle. I’m pretty sure she’s finally ready to sleep a couple hours, but we’ll see. She likes you better.”

“Of course she does,” Nico muttered, leaning over the crib to kiss her forehead. She gurgled and he pulled her little blanket up over her pajama-clad self. “Hi, Bianca. How are we doing tonight?” She made a burbling sound and squealed, and Nico smiled. “Okay,” he whispered. “I’ll be right back.” He padded into the bathroom and Bianca burst into tears, wailing for him to come back. Will chuckled exhaustedly.

“Drama queen,” he murmured affectionately, lifting her up and poking playfully at her lips with his finger until she was sufficiently distracted. “Mama’s got needs, too. You gotta remember how tired he is. You were a lot of work, y’know. Still are.”

She chirped and he laughed, rubbing his nose against hers. “Silly girl,” he cooed, kissing her squishy cheeks. “Oh my gods, you are so cute. You squeak like your mama! You gonna take after him? You’ll be a cute kid but I bet we’re in for a hell of a teenage phase.”

Nico emerged from the bathroom and stood by the door for a second, watching Will lay her on her side on a pillow and roll her around playfully. She giggled, little tongue falling out of her mouth, and waved her hands around on the pillow until she caught it. Will stopped and looked up to meet Nico’s surprised gaze.

“She’s never grabbed on, before,” Will said, and grinned. “Look at you, getting so good at figuring out how you work! You’re good at grabbing! What a smart girl!” He lifted her up and kissed her, and then he handed her over to Nico, who narrowed his eyes and sniffed her. Will blinked.

“Oh, does she need a diaper change?” he asked. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Here, I’ll do it before I go to bed.” Nico leaned up and kissed him, tilting his head to slot their faces together. Will slid his arms around his mate’s waist and kissed his forehead. “Okay,” he whispered, and succumbed to a second kiss.

“I’ve got her,” Nico said in a soft, sleepy, low tone. “Go to bed. You have an exam to write tomorrow, no? I love you.”

Will stole a last kiss from his mate and left one on his baby’s forehead before trudging into the curtained area and drawing it shut, blocking out the noise. He sighed, dropped his clothes in a heap, and collapsed on the bed. He was asleep before he even registered being tired.

“So, is everything going well at home?” asked Will’s professor, crossing one leg over the other across the booth from him. Will sat down with a sigh, sipping at his coffee.

“I am exhausted,” he said, and grinned. “But she’s gorgeous. Look!” He pulled out his phone and proudly showed off all his pictures of the new baby. His wallpaper was his favorite—Nico, drowsy and softly lit in the orange of the lamp beside their bed, holding Bianca against his chest as she dozed with her little mouth open while he read her a story. There was drool on Nico’s black t-shirt and his hair was limp and messy, but he looked comfortable and happy, and Bianca looked content. Will took any chance he could to look at that one. “We’re doing shifts at night,” he said. “Nico sleeps from eight until one, and I sleep from one until six. It’s not perfect, but it works.”

“Best way to do it,” his professor agreed. “Would you like a quick recap of the notes, or would you like to get straight to the test?”

“That’s an option?” Will asked, surprised. His professor raised an eyebrow.

“I have two kids,” she said dryly. “Studying and newborns do not go well together. I took maternity leave for both, but I remember how tired my husband was. And he’s an office worker. He doesn’t have to study anything.”

“It’s been a lot of touch and go,” Will admitted with a tired laugh. “Bianca was stillborn and we both broke down when she finally started coughing and crying. We’ve been buying things we didn’t know we’d need, learning how pumping works—Jesus Christ, did we ever make a mess the first time we tried—figuring out how to deal with her overnight, feeding her and cleaning up after her, trying to help with the gas and stomachaches and all the crying—do they ever stop crying?”

“No, it just gets farther apart between breakdowns,” his professor said, chuckling. “What do you think?”

“It’s been tough,” Will said, nodding. “We can’t have her near others for another three weeks or so; Nico insisted, not until she’s a month old. He wants her to build up a little strength and immunity before we let people near her. But she’s beautiful, and sweet, and she has his eyes and she’s so cute when she laughs, and I’m… I’m in love with her. I love her so much. There is nothing that girl could do that would ever make me stop loving her.”

They talked a little while longer and then reviewed the notes, which was honestly a lifesaver, Will realized as he read them over and filled in all the missing gaps in his brain. He opened the test to the page he’d left off on and smiled.

The phone rang. He laughed, rolling his eyes as his professor shook her head with a smile, and answered it.

“Hello, hello?”

“The answer to number fifteen is C,” Nico said from the other end. Will glanced down at his test, flipped back a page, and raised an eyebrow.

“Fifteen is a short answer question, and also I already wrote it,” he said, amused. Is something wrong? I just started my exam.”

“The fuck have you been doing for the past hour and a half?” Nico asked, bewildered. Will grinned.

“Bragging about my omega and our new baby,” he said proudly. Nico made an embarrassed noise.

“Jesus, Solace,” he said, but his voice said that he wasn’t actually mad. “Sorry, I thought you’d be done by now. I just called to ask if you could pick up some food on your way home? I’ll go shopping tomorrow, but we have nothing right now and I am not figuring out how to put the damn car seat in yet.”

“I thought we’d ask Annabeth to figure out the car seat,” Will noted. “I’m pretty sure it takes a genius. Yeah, I can pick up food. Grocery food or takeout food? What kind do you want?” He paused. “Actually, just text me a list and I’ll get it. How’s the terrorist?”

“Dropped a national security threat of a bomb and has been screaming nonstop,” Nico sighed. “I think I’m gonna take a nap this afternoon. Hazel wants to babysit and I said yes as long as she showers before she comes in and doesn’t leave the cabin.”

“Okay, sounds good,” Will agreed. “Let me know if she wants food, too. I hope you get some sleep, honey.”

“Me too,” Nico groaned. “Okay, good luck. Sorry for interrupting you. I love you.”

“I love you too Nico. Bye.”

He hung up and tucked his phone into his backpack. “Have to get food because the pantry is empty,” he explained. “He thought I’d be done my test by now.”

“No worries,” she said, smiling. “Random phone calls are just part of it. From what I remember about my youngest, sometimes I’d call his father to ask him to pick up celery or something on his way home. I could have texted him, but I just needed to hear a voice that wasn’t a screaming infant.” She shook her head. “You’re taking me back. I love my kids, but I’m glad those days are behind me.”

Will laughed and turned back to his test, fingers curling around the pencil as something warm curled up in his heart.

“I’m home!” Will called, shutting the door behind him. It was quiet, and he squinted around. Hazel waved, drawing his attention from the rocking chair they’d put in, where she was currently sitting with Bianca fast asleep in her arms. Will’s eyes widened.

“How did you do that?” he whispered. She winked.

“A charm from Clovis, but don’t tell my brother. I only got it as a precaution, but he was nearly falling asleep on his feet. He promised me that you’ve been doing 50-50 around the house, but he looked so exhausted, I thought he was lying.” She eyed her brother-in-law, and her lips curved into a smile. “He clearly wasn’t. You look just as bad.”

“How long is that charm gonna work?” Will asked wearily, putting his bag down and toeing off his shoes. “I showered in Cabin Seven, just in case.”

“It’ll break when she gets uncomfortable, sick, needs a bathroom or has trouble breathing,” Hazel assured him. “But it takes hold again once she’s happy and feels okay and should hold another ten hours or so. I’ll put her down in her crib eventually. I just can’t bring myself to stop holding her! She’s so cute. She has your freckles and lips and Nico’s eyes and nose.”

“She has baby lips and a baby nose, you can’t possibly tell,” he said, grinning anyway. He crossed the room and leaned down, leaving a gentle kiss on Bianca’s forehead. “Thank you so much, Hazel. There’s food in my bag whenever you get hungry; Nico texted me your favorite. Is it okay if I go lay down with him for a bit?”

“Please do,” she said with a wide, sparkling smile. “I’m having quality time with my niece. I’ll spend the night so you guys can get some real sleep. And we won’t leave the cabin and I won’t take her into the kitchen, I promise. And no stomach sleeping and keep an eye on her at all times.”

“I see your brother briefed you,” Will said, amused. “Thank you so much. I owe you.”

“You owe me nothing,” Hazel said pleasantly. “I love her. Go sleep.”

Will ducked behind the curtain and fastened it behind him, then stripped his clothes off and climbed into bed behind his husband. Nico stirred briefly, dark eyes sitting open like a cat’s to focus on him. Will kissed his shoulder and slid under the blankets. Nico purred, snuggling back into him.

“Hazel has Bianca,” Will whispered. Nico nodded and rolled over, sliding his arms around his alpha’s waist.

“I do not have the energy to make a nest,” Nico mumbled into his collarbone, and Will laughed as he pressed a tired kiss to his omega’s forehead. He wrapped his arms snugly around Nico, tucking him close to his chest, and squeezed until the son of Hades melted into his embrace. Nico scraped his little fangs over the bitemark, and Will rolled them over, tucking his darling between himself and the wall.

“We don’t need a nest,” he whispered. “We have each other, and Hazel has our pup. Just go to sleep, my love. We can worry about everything else tomorrow.”

Nico purred softly, snuggling under his chin, and sighed a sigh that took all the tension from his muscles in one fell swoop. “I love you,” he said quietly. Will kissed him, smiling as he felt Nico’s lips curve up against his.

“I love you too,” he whispered, and settled down with his omega in his arms to sleep as long as he could possibly get away with.

“If this one isn’t big enough, I can get something better,” Hades said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. Will’s jaw dropped.

“You can’t be serious,” he said incredulously, looking around. “This is a seven room penthouse, there’s no way we could afford this!”

“I’ll be covering that,” Hades said, putting his hands in his pockets. “I am the god of wealth. My granddaughter needs a good place to live where she can be close to her parents.”

Will rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m going to move back to New York in April,” he said. “It’s already the beginning of March. I’m commuting to classes during the day and coming back at night—I can keep doing that.”

“You are leaving at three in the morning and driving eight hours a day, Will,” Nico said, poking his head in from the kitchen. “But he’s right; this is far too much for a month and a half of rent. A studio or bilocale is more than enough.”

“A what?” Will asked, turning to his mate. Nico hitched Bianca up in his arms.

“Two-room apartment,” he said. “More than big enough, especially with you still paying for a dorm room. You could stay there, and we could live in a studio apartment nearby. Father, is that doable?”

“I ain’t staying in my dorm room while you take care of my baby by yourself,” Will said firmly. “We both made the baby, we’re both raising the baby. She’s my daughter and I’m not leaving you two alone all the time.”

“What, don’t trust me?” Nico shot back with a grin, and Will’s eyes widened.

“Nico, I get what you’re doing, honey, but I am not joking, okay? You know I trust you with her. You’re her mom. But I am her dad. I understand that you grew up in a time when dad went to work and mom raised the kids, but you and I aren’t gonna do it like that. I am okay with being the breadwinner—I’ll be taking shifts at the hospital once she’s old enough to sleep through the night and I can look for a part time job online or with a nearby company over the summer when we’re back in New York. But I’m not just gonna live somewhere else and be away all the time while you’re trying to take care of a newborn twenty-four-seven by yourself. She doesn’t sleep much. You need to sleep. I’m your mate, okay? Please don’t joke about this with me. You and I are parents, and we are doing this together, and I’m not willing to negotiate that.”

Nico smiled and crossed the room to lean into his alpha’s chest, nuzzling against his collarbone.

“Do you see this man?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at his very bored-looking father. “Is he real or am I just hallucinating? He’s so sweet.”

“Nico…” Will sighed and hugged him, dragging his cheek absently over Nico’s hair. “I don’t understand why you keep telling me to stay at school. Do you not want me around? This is the fourth time you’ve told me to stay in school, not to transfer until I finish the semester and graduate, stay in the dorm, we don’t need an apartment… I’m getting to the point of genuinely thinking that you don’t want me to be around you and Bianca. What’s goin’ on? Why do you not want me to stay with you?”

Nico blinked. He held Bianca out and Will took her, cradling her as gently as glass in his arms. Then he leaned up and cupped the blond’s face, pulling him down into a gentle kiss. Hades sighed.

“Let me see my granddaughter,” he said. Will handed her over, kissing her forehead sweetly. Hades held her carefully—he’d been gentle with her since they’d met, and Hazel had mentioned that Persephone had been giving him lessons on childcare and how to properly hold, swaddle, soothe and settle a newborn. “We will be in the car. Come down when you’re ready and we can go somewhere more suitable.” He left, closing the door behind him. Will heard the tap of his shoes on the stairs and suppressed a smile—even for a god, elevators were just too dangerous for a newborn granddaughter, and shadow travel was out of the question. The Lord of the Underworld would be taking the forty-two flights of stairs.

He leaned back against the wall, away from his omega, and watched Nico frown as he stepped back. “We need to talk, Nico,” he said. “I know that you’re having a hard time keeping up with everything. I know that you just want to be there for her all the time, and I know that you’re struggling a bit since the pregnancy. I’m a med student, okay? I can see signs of post-partum depression. Mild, yes, but there. And I just need to know—why are you so hell-bent on keeping me away from you and from Bianca if you’re having a hard time with things? If these are jokes, why do you keep making them after I’ve told you they’re not funny? Do you really just not want me around you? What did I do wrong?”

Nico’s eyes softened and his lips turned down, a sure sign that he was near tears. He buried his face in his hands.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and Will’s heart stung, because Nico sounded weak. He sounded so near to breaking, like one word would shatter him into pieces on the floor. He took a shaky breath. “I—I want to be a good parent,” he said. “And I want to be able to—to do this one thing. You’re in med school and keeping up with classes. You get up at three, drive four hours to your classes at seven thirty, leave at five and get home at nine on a good day, sometimes ten thirty! And then you take Bianca for a while and you play with her, and you look after her while I sleep and wake me up at midnight or even one in the morning, and then you collapse into bed. You take your shower stuff to school so you can use the university showers and change into clothes in your dorm between classes. You nap in your truck for an hour or two at a time and you do your homework in your lectures or while you’re watching Bianca. You—you have no time to yourself, so why am I the one that feels like I’m falling apart?” He wiped his eyes and hugged himself. “I don’t deserve to be falling apart when you’re working this way. I want to make things easier for you.”

“So why push me out of our home?” Will asked anxiously. “I love you. You and Bianca energize me. You remind me why I’m doing this.”

“Because I’m a mess!” Nico said, tugging at his hair in frustration. “I’m—I’m useless! I have to get Hazel to help me with the baby, or Juniper, because I—I don’t know how to hold her all the time, or how to help when she’s crying, but she’s been fed and changed and doesn’t have gas. I don’t know how to make her sleep, I don’t know how to play with her—and I’m learning, but I shouldn’t need help with those things! Annabeth had to install the car seat. Leo had to baby proof the cabin. And you, you do everything. You do so much. But I’m—I’ve got all these people helping me, and I’m exhausted, and I’m skinny and bony, and I forget to eat at least twice a day, if I eat at all. I look pale and sunken and ugly, I feel miserable and I’m constantly exhausted, and upset, and she picks up on it and I… I…”

Will leaned forward and Nico raised his head, hopeless tears shining in his eyes.

“I don’t want you to see me like this again, okay? Not after… not after everything you did to save me back then, and everything you do now for Bianca and me. I want to be someone you can rely on. I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Oh, Nico.” Will stepped forward and pulled his omega into his arms, wrapping them tightly around his waist. He lifted him up, and Nico took the hint, wrapping his legs around the blond’s waist and burying his face in his neck as he returned the hug. “Oh, my Nico.” Will kissed his hair gently, leaving delicate pecks all across his face. “Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’?”

Nico sniffled and nodded, silent tears dampening Will’s orange t-shirt. Will swayed from side to side, rocking them slowly in place, and his mate tightened his grip, clinging to him.

“No one expects you to be able to do any of this alone,” Will whispered, pressing another kiss beneath his ear. “Least of all me. Darling, I’m exhausted. I’m not holding it together as well as you think I am.” He let out a breathless chuckle, nuzzling affectionately into raven hair. “I know you’re struggling, and it’s killing me that I have to be so far away from you. This is the hardest and scariest thing we’ve ever done.”

“We went through Tartarus together,” Nico mumbled. Will grinned.

“Tartarus involved fighting, which is your strong suit,” he said. “And it didn’t put our baby’s life on the line. You want to be a good mom, but you can’t be good to her until you’re good to yourself. I’m sorry I’ve been so absent. I know you appreciate me trying, but I told you that you came first and then put you on the back burner, and that’s not what I should have done. I should have transferred to New York or brought you down here, and I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Nico whined. “Please. It just makes me feel more pathetic. You’ve done more than anyone could ever have expected of you.”

Will hummed softly, guilt icing his heart. “Okay,” he whispered, backing up to the wall and sliding down. Nico adjusted to sit in his lap, tucking his face into Will’s neck and snuggling in tight against his chest. “I love you. You know that, right? I loved you when you were skinny and scarred and hated everything about yourself, and I loved you when you were healthy and sent me little smiles from the training field and when you arched your back to try and tease me and tugged me off to your cabin to kiss me and laugh into my mouth. I loved you when you were pregnant and nervous, when you got bigger and when you got scared and when you were holding my hand and looking at me with those Disney princess eyes of yours, waiting for me to tell you that you’re alright.”

He tucked a lock of hair behind Nico’s ear, stroking the skin of his neck with a thumb. “And I love you now,” he whispered. “Skinny and scarred and hating yourself. Anytime you start thinking that this is going to be what scares me off, Nico, I want you to remember: through all the versions of you that I have loved, this is the one I fell in love with first. No matter how many times we get back to this point, the only thing I’ll ever think is that I love you, and I want to be the one to make you feel safe again. I want to help you love yourself. I want to kiss you. I want to build you up and be your rock. I hate when you feel this way about yourself, but it’s also a chance for me to fall in love with you all over again.”

Nico sobbed, squeezing his mate so hard it almost hurt. Will bit down on the bond, drawing a quivering moan from Nico’s lips.

“I love you,” Nico whispered. “I—I’m sorry I pushed you away. I do want you around. I always want you around, all the damn time. But I get so scared and insecure, and I—I’m scared you won’t look at me the same way. I feel awful and I feel guilty about how awful I feel because you work so hard, and you’re such a good dad—I… I almost wanted to push you away because I was so… jealous.” His voice dropped to a whisper, and he ducked his head in shame. “I’m sorry.”

Will stroked his cheek, tenderly wiping the tears away. “Nico,” he murmured. “Postpartum depression is terrifying and hard. It’s not easy to separate from an entire soul. You know you had a person inside you for nine months, right? And now you are the sole parent for most of the day, and I only have her for a couple of hours. I devote my time to her outside of school, so I haven’t made any time for you or for us as a family. Maybe I’ve been a good dad, but I haven’t been a very good husband.” He kissed his mate’s forehead. “I should have noticed that you were going through this. I’m so sorry you’ve been dealing with it all alone. I love you more than anything.”

Nico nodded and snuggled into his chest. “This is nice,” he admitted. Will grinned.

“Yeah,” he said, running his hand up and down Nico’s back. “I don’t care if you’re pretty or energetic or active. I just care that you’re safe. You don’t have to be pretty. I didn’t fall in love with you because you were pretty. I fell in love with you because you were you. I think you’re beautiful, but honestly, I couldn’t give less of a shit how you look. You’re my husband, my mate, and the mother of my child. You could wear a garbage bag and paint your face neon yellow and I’d still kiss and hug you.”

Nico spluttered a laugh and dug his face into Will’s shoulder. “I missed you,” he said. Will’s heart ached.

“I missed you, too,” he said. “Will you let me be closer to you? Please? Let me help you and spend more time with you and Bianca as a family before we move back to New York in a month?”

Nico nodded. “Let’s go find an apartment for the three of us,” he said. Will kissed him, and Nico leaned into it so hard it stole the alpha’s breath from his lungs. Long, pale fingers wove through blond curls and tugged, and Will wrapped his arms around a slim waist, tracing Nico’s hipbones and leaning into his touch. He tilted his head, pressing against his husband’s lips as if he’d never have another chance to kiss him.

Nico moaned softly, licking into Will’s mouth and pulling him closer, and Will smiled into his kisses.

“Honey,” he whispered, pulling back. Nico hummed. “Your dad is waiting in the car. We should get going.”

“Five more minutes,” Nico pleaded, and Will buried his face in Nico’s neck, breathing in his sweet, relieved scent. He sighed, shoulders slumping as the tension bled out of him.

“Tonight,” he whispered. “We’re gonna have our own place, you and me and Bianca. And we’re gonna set up our bed this evening and Bianca’s crib, and just for tonight, I’m going to put Clovis’ charm on her so she can sleep through the night. And then you and I can have tea and watch a movie, and I’m going to hold you all night long. I promise, okay?”

“Okay,” Nico sighed. He stood, wincing a little, and Will reached for his back and slid a hand down over his ass.

“Does it hurt?” he asked gently. Nico grumbled.

“It’s not bad,” he said. “Not terrible. I guess it hurts a little.”

“Okay, well, we’re gonna be moving and sitting down a lot today,” Will reminded him. “We might not have time to lay down. Do you want me to heal it?”

Nico sighed again. “Yes, please,” he said. Will slid a hand into the back of his jeans and underwear, down his ass until he reached the slightly swollen hole. He closed his eyes and focused, and heard Nico sigh as his hand emitted a soft glow.

Nico relaxed and Will retracted his hand. “There. Better?”

“Yeah, much,” Nico sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

“I was worried I was going to have to announce myself, until you started glowing,” came a dry voice. The men jumped, turning to look at a very unamused Hades, standing in the door with a baby in his arm. “I’ve found you an apartment, put down the month’s rent for March and April, and had some furniture brought up from Nico’s room in the palace. Your daughter has a crib, as well. It is made of bone. I had limited materials and precious stones are far too sharp.”

“What?” Nico stepped forward as Bianca started to cry. “Thank you so much, I—I’m sorry we took so long.”

“No need,” Hades said dryly. “I don’t need to know.”

“Lord Hades, I was just healing him, I promise,” Will said. “He was in pain, and we thought we’d be moving furniture and in the car all day, so I just relieved the pain for him. We didn’t do anything else.”

Hades sighed. “I am aware,” he said. “I am familiar with that glow, Mr. Solace. I meant that I do not need to know what you talked about. You have made up, yes? Let’s go.”

“Hang on,” Nico said. “She’s hungry.”

Will moved to his side and helped him maneuver his shirt around Bianca, holding the collar open so Nico could see how to position her. Hades went back to the car.

Will pushed the crib into the corner and pulled the blankets up over his daughter. She gurgled, reaching up with her little hands, and Will leaned down into her touch with a smile, closing his eyes and letting her pat and grab at his cheeks. He kissed her forehead.

“Goodnight, babygirl,” he whispered. “I love you.” He pulled back and stroked her fluffy blonde hair, tucking the feathery little curls back. Nico leaned over beside him and kissed her cheeks and forehead, smiling as he nuzzled into her cheek and neck to scent her.

“Goodnight, mia vita,” he cooed. “Sweet dreams. Daddy and I will be here if you need anything.”

He laid the charm against her forehead, then tucked it under the sheets next to her. She let out a huge yawn, drawing breathy chuckles and coos from both of her parents, and then drifted off, dark onyx eyes sliding shut.

“She’s going to break so many hearts when she grows up,” Will murmured, wrapping an arm around Nico’s waist. Nico hummed, leaning into his side and tucking his head beneath his alpha’s jaw.

“I never realized I could love someone so much,” he whispered. Will smiled. “Not that I don’t love you a lot, just—”

“I get it, Nico,” Will whispered. “You’ve made me feel that once before, that I could never love someone like I love you, but her… it doesn’t matter what she does or what crime she commits. It doesn’t matter who she hurts or how broken she becomes. There is nothing she could ever do that would take away my love for her.”

“Yeah,” Nico breathed, sliding his arms around Will’s ribs. “That’s it.”

Will pressed his nose into Nico’s hair and inhaled deeply. “Glass of wine and some music?” he suggested. “That thing will wake her up if she needs us, right?”

“Yes, and Clovis adjusted it to chime if she’s in trouble,” Nico confirmed. “Like if she rolls over and can’t breathe.”

“Awesome,” Will said, and gently guided Nico out of the bedroom and over to the luxurious burgundy couch with its ornate black mahogany frame. “This is not the kind of furniture we should have for raising a small child,” he said dryly. “Are we getting older furniture?”

Nico waved a hand airily and sank back into the couch, letting his head fall back with a sigh. Will made his way into the kitchenette and dug out the bottle of red wine that Percy and Annabeth had given them when they’d moved out of Nico’s cabin. “I don’t care what happens to it,” he said calmly. “It came from my rooms in my father’s palace and those are way too lavish for my tastes. I certainly didn’t decorate.”

Will chuckled, handing over a glass of red wine as he sat down on the couch next to his lover. Nico sank into his side with a sigh, snuggling under his arm and leaning heavily against him. Will kissed the top of his head.

“Hi, lovebug,” he said sweetly. “How are you doing?”

“Every moment you’re here, I feel better,” Nico replied, sipping at his wine. “Also, this is good wine.”

Will sipped his own and nodded, humming appreciatively. “Agreed,” he said. “We should get them a card at least.”

“Mm,” Nico said. They lapsed into silence, leaning against one another and sipping their wine slowly until it was nearly drained. Will sighed and pushed himself off the couch, rummaging through the newly organized drawers in their bedroom until he found his Bluetooth speaker. He set it on the coffee table and paired it with his phone, and Nico smiled as the first notes of the song drifted through the air.

“Really?” he chuckled, draining his glass and setting it aside. Will extended a hand, taking Nico’s and pulling him off the couch.

“What?” he asked. “You like this song.”

“Mm,” Nico said, sliding a hand up Will’s arm to his shoulder. “Reminds me of you.”

“Reminds me of you,” Will countered, smiling as his arm encircled his omega’s waist. Nico leaned into him and they swayed back and forth, dancing to a gentle guitar. Nico’s eyes were half-lidded, either emotion or moving having left him exhausted, and Will bent his head to sing the words softly into the raven’s ear. A slow smile spread across Nico’s face, and he rested his head against his husband’s shoulder.

“Honey, just put your sweet lips on my lips; we could just kiss like real people do.”

The song died away, but for a moment, they kept swaying in each other’s arms. Nico nuzzled against the alpha. “We’re going to be okay, right, Will?” he asked. His voice was soft and small, hardly more than a whisper, but it echoed in the sleeping silence of the room. Will let go of Nico’s hand and wrapped both arms around him, hugging him tight.

“Yeah,” he said. “We’re going to be okay.”

Will typed away at his laptop, sighing silently as his professor talked on about proper end-of-life care for terminal or elderly patients.

“And when a patient signs a DNR, but is on hospice, a DNI is often added to the—excuse me.” Will glanced up as a knock rapped against the door of his classroom. It was April, now, and there were only two weeks left in his class. His professor opened the door and blinked at the figure on the other side.

“Hi,” came a familiar voice, and Will perked up in his seat. “Sorry to disturb you—is Will Solace here? Someone told me this was his classroom.”

“Uh—yes, but… I’m sorry, who are you?” she asked, blinking. How lucky—this was the professor who had allowed him to run out and attend his baby’s birth and then to retake his exam closer to home.

“Nico Solace,” Nico replied, peering into the classroom. “I’m incredibly sorry, but I need to speak to my mate.”

Will sprang up from his chair and made his way down to the door, where Nico met him with a frazzled look. “What’s wrong? You okay?” he asked, stepping out into the hall. Nico handed Bianca over to him and Will bounced her in one arm as he slung the diaper bag over the other.

“Frank and Hazel were in a car accident,” Nico said. “They’re both okay, but their car is totaled. Frank’s got a broken arm and Hazel’s got a mild concussion. I have to go pick Hazel up from the hospital while Frank is being treated and get them home. I’m sorry I didn’t ask first, but I panicked—I told them they could stay with us. That’s okay, right? I’m sorry, but I need to shadow travel and I can’t take Bianca with me. This is too short notice for a babysitter and she’s so little—I don’t want her in the hospital if she doesn’t have to be, plus the stress and who knows what kind of state Hazel’s in? Could you please take her for today? I know you’re in class, but—”

Will shut him up with a quick kiss. “Of course, I can,” he said. “Go get your sister and if you get home before me, the air mattress should be in the closet. Text or call me if you need me to get anything on the way home, and I can take a look at them both after school, alright? Doesn’t sound like anything too hard to fix.”

“Thank you so much,” Nico said in a rush. He kissed Will’s lips and Bianca’s cheek and then dashed down the hall. Will pushed the door open and headed back into class. The professor turned to look.

“Everything okay—oh! Is this the little one you rushed out to meet in February?” she asked, smiling. Will grinned and held her up.

“This is my daughter, Bianca,” he said proudly. “She usually stays with Nico while I’m in school, but he has to go get his sister from the hospital because she and her husband got into a crash. They’re okay, but hospitals, stress, babies, running around, you know. So, I get to parent during the day!”

He tucked her into his side and bounced her. She was already three months old and getting bigger by the week. She had a little mop of wild blond curls, just like her father’s, and shining dark eyes like her mother’s.

Will took his seat and put her in his lap, sitting her up and leaning her against his chest. She squealed happily, prompting a couple of giggles as he hushed her with a grin and a pacifier. Bianca played with one of his pencils while he took notes, but within fifteen minutes she was beginning to drift off. In the last couple of weeks, she’d been getting quieter and begun sleeping through the night. It had been a huge relief. They had only used the charm three times since she’d been born, including that night Hazel had gotten it, because they worried about abusing it and keeping her asleep for too long when she was supposed to be developing.

But she curled up in his lap and drifted off, drooling so much down her chin that he had to pause and wipe it off with his shirt a couple of times during the lecture. By the end of class, his shirt was a mess—but he didn’t care, because she was adorably sleepy. He bundled her into the crook of his arm and juggled his things until he could get his laptop in his bag and his things sorted out. With his backpack on his back, the diaper bag slung over his shoulder, and his daughter in his arms, he made his way out of the class and down the stairs to the main lobby of the building.

This building was one of the bigger ones on campus, and included a huge shopping center on the lower level. There were trinket stores, food courts, and clothing stores, among other things. Nico was particularly partial to the Hot Topic, but Will decided to steer clear of the overly crowded store while he had a bulky bag and a fragile baby.

Instead, he killed time with her in the hour and a half before his next class. He took her into a sunglasses store and tried on a couple pairs, looking down at his daughter. She gurgled—then he took them off and she shrieked with delight, clapping her little hands. A couple of women giggled and cooed in the corner and Will smiled at Bianca.

“You’re right,” he agreed. “I think they look better on the rack.” He winked at her and replaced them. They repeated the altered game of peekaboo a couple more times before wandering over to the food court, where Will got lunch. Halfway through, she started crying, and he sighed.

“What’s the matter, babygirl?” he asked, bouncing her gently on his knee as he shoveled his food into his mouth as fast as he could. “I don’t know your crying like your mama does, I’m sorry. Are you hungry? You want some food?”

He swallowed, wiped his mouth, and picked her up—then he smelled it.

“Ah. Well, that can’t be comfortable, huh? Come on, let’s go find a changing table.” He tucked her against his chest and carried her across the food court to the bathrooms. He tried the men’s first, but there was no changing table. He rolled his eyes. “Seriously? What about male omegas at the least?” he muttered.

There did not seem to be a family bathroom, and the gender-neutral one was just a handicap bathroom. No table there either. He stopped a woman coming out of the women’s washroom and cleared his throat.

“Hi, sorry,” he said. “Is there a changing table in there? There isn’t one in either of the other bathrooms and I really need to change her.”

“Yeah, there is,” the woman said, and shouted back into the washroom. “Guys! A man is coming in, don’t hit him!”

“What the fuck?”

“Why would a man be coming into the women’s washroom?”

Will covered his face and looked at the floor as he stepped into the hallway. “I’m a dad with a baby and I need to change a diaper!” he called. “And for some godforsaken reason, there are no changing tables in the men’s or neutral bathroom!”

“Can’t your wife do it?” one of the girls complained as he made his way into the main bathroom. Will beelined for the changing table.

“My mate is both a man and not here right now,” Will said. “How do they not have a changing table in at least the neutral bathroom? Male omegas exist, and what about dads? Come on.”

He laid her down and got to work with baby wipes and a clean diaper, wiping and changing her in a little under five minutes. He redressed her in her flower pajamas and washed his hands before picking her up again and kissing her forehead. “There. That’s better, huh?”

He hauled his stuff to the elevator and brought her down the third-floor hallway to his next class. The previous lecture was still going, so Will took a seat against the wall and bounced Bianca on his knee, playing with her hands in his. She giggled and he smiled, leaning down to kiss her head.

A girl stopped in front of him. “Aww,” she said, a hand over her heart. “How old?”

“She’s three months old,” Will said proudly. “February 19^th. Her name’s Bianca.”

“Hi, Bianca!” the girl cooed, leaning down close to the baby. Will pulled her back a bit. “Does she have—you know, a mom in the picture?”

“Yeah, Nico is picking up his sister and brother-in-law from the hospital, so I get to take Bianca to class with me today,” he said, smiling. “Oh, uh, please don’t lean so close to her—we’re a little paranoid about passing germs because she’s still so little, so if you could just move a little bit back? Thank you.”

“Oh, gosh,” she chuckled, moving back. “Wait—so your mate is a guy? So you’re babysitting today, how fun! Does she have any siblings?”

“Nope, she’s our first,” Will said proudly. “I’m not babysitting, I’m just parenting. Nico is a male omega, yes; he did carry and give birth to her, though. She’s got his eyes. He needed to be able to move around a lot and quickly today. His sister and her husband live up in New York, so it’s a bit of a trip, and he’s bringing them down here to stay with us until they heal up.”

“Oh, no, did something happen?” She fixed him with wide green eyes and twirled her hair around her finger, and Will squinted.

“They were in a car crash,” he said, zeroing in on her. Her hip was cocked out, body curved in a pretty s-shape, and her long auburn hair was coiled around her finger and spilling over her shoulders. She offered him a bright smile, blinking a little too fast.

Fuck.

She was flirting with him.

Will cleared his throat and snagged his things off the ground, scooping Bianca up. “Well, nice to meet you, but my class is starting,” he said firmly, and slipped through the sea of exiting students into the lecture hall. “Mr. Solace,” his professor said, raising a sharp eyebrow at his bundle of things. “What’s this?”

“My mate had to go pick up his siblings from the hospital in New York because they got in a car crash,” Will said. “So, I am the main parent today and Bianca’s gotta come to my class with me. Is that alright? She’s pretty quiet and I’ll step outside if she starts crying.”

“Very well,” the professor said, waving his hand in dismissal. Will fished out Bianca’s pacifier and took a seat in the front row. He leaned back a little in his chair, bouncing her on his knee, and teased her with the end of the pacifier, not letting her put it all the way in her mouth.

“Why are you doing that?” someone asked curiously. Will smiled, focused on his daughter.

“It helps with development,” he said happily, giving her a finger to grab onto while she waved her other hand to grab the pacifier. “Helps her figure out how to move her head and body, how to grab, how to hold onto things. Helps make her more aware of herself and what she can do.”

“Awww, how cute!” Will’s heart sank and he turned his head to see the girl from the hallway sitting next to him. She offered him a sweet smile. “I’m Elara, I usually sit in the back,” she said.

“Oh… not today?” Will answered weakly, offering up a polite smile. She shrugged.

“Well, who wouldn’t want to sit next to this sweet little girl?” she cooed, reaching a hand out for the baby. Bianca made a sound and Will pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

“Please don’t touch her,” he said firmly. “She’s only three months old. You could hurt her or expose her to germs that she doesn’t have an immune system to defend yet.”

“Oh, come on,” she pleaded, but then sighed. “Alright,” she relented. “You know, a girl should really have a female role model in her life, don’t you think? Here, put your number in my phone. You can call me anytime. She’s really going to need a woman around to take care of her and her dad—oops, I mean dads.” She winked, and Will felt sick.

“I am not going to put my number in your phone, and I am not going to put yours in mine,” he said coldly. “I am happily married to the love of my life. We’ve been together since we were young teenagers and I plan to live my entire life with him. He is not her other dad. He is her mother. He conceived, carried and gave birth to her and he deserves the respect of that title. Bianca has Nico’s sister and my sister, as well as our friends, for female role models. I am not interested, and I’d appreciate it if you stopped pushing my boundaries.”

The girl scowled and grabbed her bag with a huff. “Wow,” she said sarcastically. “And here I thought you actually looked like a nice, decent alpha with a good future. I guess you’re just like the rest of them, huh? Good luck with our boy-toy and his affair baby; I’m sure he’s got more than just you.”

Will growled at her, baring his fangs with a fierce glare. She sucked in a breath and stormed out of the room, taking her things with her. Will scoffed and soothed his daughter, turning to coo and click at her and rocking her gently in his arm as the class began.

Will shut the door behind him with a sigh. “Nico! I’m home!” he called. “Bianca’s been fussing for a few hours but I think she’s alright. I changed her twice between classes and gave her a bottle before we headed home. Are you here?”

“Hey,” Nico said, peeking his head out from the bedroom. He smiled and crossed the room towards them, reaching for Bianca. “How was sch—” He stopped dead, face falling.

“Nico?” Will tilted his head, but Nico just pulled Bianca to himself and stepped back, sniffing her hair. He growled, raising a glare at his alpha.

“Why do the two of you smell like another omega?” he asked in a low tone. Will’s jaw dropped.

“What?” he asked. “There’s no way! I was in classes with Bianca, then we went to the food court and I changed her in the women’s bathroom, then we went to another class and talked to a—oh.” He slapped a hand over his face. “The bitch from the hall.”

Nico relaxed, raising an eyebrow. “Bitch from the hall?” he asked, but he sounded less frosty and more amused. Will sighed.

“There was this redhead that wanted to see Bianca, and I was showing her off and then I realized the chick was flirting with me, so I grabbed our shit and headed inside. She sat next to me up front and tried to tell me Bianca needed a female role model in her life, called you her other dad, and then told me to put my number in her phone. So I told her exactly what I thought of her, assured her that she didn’t have to worry about a female role model, corrected her on you being Bianca’s mother, not her other dad, and then told her to knock it off and quit pushing my boundaries. She was huffy about it. I was so pissed off I actually growled at her, fangs out and everything. I even scared Bianca a bit. She must have rubbed some of her scent off on us when I wasn’t paying attention. Since we mated, omega pheromones don’t affect me anymore, so she might have been scenting me the whole time and I had no idea.”

Nico snorted, fully appeased, and bounced his baby in his arms as he rubbed his cheek all over her hair and face. “There, now, that’s better,” he crooned, clicking sweetly to her as she settled in his arms. “I bet that’s why you’ve been so restless, hmm. Were you upset that someone else was flirting with Daddy? Awww. I missed you too, baby.” He rocked her against his chest, swaying happily in place, and Will pressed up against him, nuzzling the back of his neck and down under his ear.

“Scent me, too,” he complained childishly. “I got covered in it, too. I want your scent on me, not some weird, pushy chick from my class.” He whined plaintively and Nico slumped against him with an amused, defeated sigh, shaking his head.

“You are such a big baby,” he murmured in amusement. “Alright, come here.” He rubbed his cheek and neck against his mate’s, and Will noted with amusement that his rainy, earthy scent was sweet and satisfied. His omega was very pleased with him.

“I love you,” Will murmured in his ear, arms sliding around his waist. Nico purred, leaning back into him.

“I love you, too,” he replied. “Hazel is asleep in the guest bedroom. I set up the air mattress and Frank is coming down with Jules-Albert as soon as he’s released. He should be back before too long. I’m going to get started on dinner. Want anything special?”

“Just you,” Will said. He spun Nico around, careful not to disturb Bianca, and kissed him deeply. Nico blushed when he pulled away and snickered.

“Animal,” he chided fondly. Will gave a wolfish growl and a wide grin, pulling his mate closer by the hips. Nico leaned into his kisses, smiling widely against his lips. Will hugged him and their pup close to his chest, arms tight around Nico’s trim waist. He wished they could stay like this forever.

“Bianca, don’t run, mia vita!” Nico called. It was useless; their daughter had the same extroverted puppy temperament as her father, and there was nothing that could stop her once she got going.

“Mama, voglio giocare al parco!” she called back.

“Okay!” Nico called back. “Don’t go far! Stay where I can see you, please!”

The six-year-old girl bolted off, blonde curls bouncing wildly behind her as she beelined for the monkey bars. Will took Nico’s hand and wandered over to the school itself, where several teachers and parents were conversing.

“Hi,” Will said. “Are you Ms. Azdel?”

The short woman looked up, a head of wiry gray curls bouncing around her shining eyes and crow’s feet. She smiled. “You must be the Solaces,” she said by way of greeting. “So, where’s the little one? Bianca, was it?”

“Yes,” Nico said, and gestured to the park. “The blonde girl hanging off the monkey bars, probably upside-down, if I had to guess.”

“Yep,” said the teacher. “And does she have any medications to take at school or things I should know about?”

“She takes Biphentin in the morning, but only ten milligrams and only once a day,” Will said. “She does have ADHD, but the meds should help with that and if we need to up her dosage, we can look at that. She has dyslexia, but she’s pretty good at puzzling through books on her own as long as she has a little extra time. She’s great at math, but we’ve noticed she sometimes does the wrong equation because the numbers get switched around in her mind—so if you have a sixteen plus twelve, don’t be surprised if she comes up with the answer to twenty-six plus eleven. It might be easier to have somebody work with her one-on-one, but we thought we’d see how she does on her own this year before we look at giving her additional support.”

“Awesome, I will note it down,” she said. “Don’t worry; double-digit addition is in the second grade curriculum. We may give her some work from there if her home education level is high enough to warrant it, but we’ll be focusing on single-digit addition, spelling, basic sentences and grammar, and a whole lot of art projects. Are you two new to New York?”

Will smiled and wrapped an arm around Nico. “Not at all,” he said. “We’ve lived here forever.”

“Amazing. And, if I could get the names of the places you both work, that would be awesome, just so that I can contact you in case of an emergency if your cell phones are not on your person?”

“Mount Sinai Hospital, trauma ward,” Will said. She nodded and scribbled it down.

“A doctor!” she exclaimed. “And a parent to a six-year-old. Very busy young man, you are. And you, sir?”

“Empire State Building, lower-level entrance,” Nico said. “It’s the number for the tourist entrance with the extension 6665 in front.”

“Excellent, thank you both very much,” she said, and tapped her clipboard. “Alright; shall we get the kids in? First full day of school! Very exciting!”

“Bianca, venga!” Nico called.

“Venendo, Mama, aspetta, aspetta!” Bianca came running in from the playground, holding hands with a dark-haired little girl. “This is Kara! She’s my new friend! We’re in the same class!”

“Nice to meet you, Kara,” Nico said, smiling warmly down. He crouched to give his daughter a big hug and then patted her on the back, sending her off.

Kara glanced back over her shoulder, fixing Nico with a confused look. Her pale face was flushed a little pink and her black hair fell in waves down her back. Her eyes were dark and haunting, and Nico felt a strange tingle go through him as she waved goodbye to her parents and turned to head into the school.

Will’s hand slipped through Nico’s. “Have we met that girl before?” he asked as they turned to walk back to the car.

Her dark eyes flashed across Nico’s mind—memories and moments from a very long time ago; perhaps two lifetimes, for her to have been the same age as their daughter, or perhaps a coincidence. “Yes, I think we have.” He chuckled. “We named our daughter after her.”

Will looked back over his shoulder at the school. The girls were gone. A smile spread across his face.

“I think our girl’s going to be just fine,” he said.

Nico smiled.