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Nico leaned back against Will’s chest, his reading glasses fogging up with the steam from his hot cocoa. The tiny pink and white marshmallows placed in a heart on the top were melting slowly, and so was Nico’s heart. He was wrapped up in one of Will’s oversized sweaters, and a pair of his sweatpants. They were two sizes too big, but comfortable and warm, and more importantly, they smelled like Will, like cinnamon and citrus and antiseptic, a hint of deodorant and musk from sweat. Will had his arms wrapped around Nico’s waist, occasionally pressing soft kisses onto the top of Nico’s head. They were right by the fireplace, curled up together in a nest of blankets and pillows on the floor, propped up by the coffee table. The warmth from the fireplace felt good through the fluffy socks they wore- after a long day in the snow, it was nice to finally be curled up warm and dry.
The Hades cabin was quiet like this- the only noise was the soft sounds of the TV and the occasional sound of children’s laughter from outside- a snowball war seemed appropriate, given the weather. The cabin was decorated with jack-o-lanterns, each one with scented cinnamon and orange candles inside. There were cinnamon buns and cinnamon rolls baking in the oven, and fresh warm Halloween cookies on a plate beside them. They were still warm enough to be malleable and melt in the mouth. There was orange and black tinsel everywhere- and Halloween presents under the tree, Halloween candy decorating the branches. Christmas could sometimes be triggering for Nico given the proximity of Bianca’s death and spending several Christmases on the streets trying to stay alive, but Will loved Christmas. Which is why they’d come up with the perfect solution- doing the traditional Christmas festivities, like the tree and presents- on Halloween instead. Nico was sure Will would love his Halloween present this year. He was currently resting his chin on Nico’s head, reading a book. It was Winnie the Pooh- although a children’s book, the characters all represented very real struggles that they could both relate to, and it held fond memories. Nico had learned to read recently with the books, thanks to his father and Will, and Will had grown up with the books. They both held very fond memories of the stories, so it only seemed appropriate to read them together.
So everything was peaceful, tranquil, an atmosphere of relaxation and domesticity. Both boys were relaxed, and probably settled for the night. They often stayed together in the Hades cabin for cuddles anyway, especially when it was cold. The Apollo kids tended to be a lot more gloomy in the winter, and Will often sought Nico’s comfort. The Apollo cabin was large, full of people, full of noise and drama and teen angst and trauma. But the Hades cabin was muted, calm, quiet, and aesthetic in a completely different way. Nico was his calm chaos, his escape from the everyday mania of the Apollo cabin, an escape from the bright lights and loud instruments and overwhelming everything; a dark and muted- sometimes morose- but always welcoming cabin. The only thing Will didn’t like, however, was the occasional feeling that they weren’t alone, that feeling that you could always feel on the back of your neck when paranoia set in. Sometimes things in the Hades cabin were a little bit on the creepy side, but Will knew it was haunted, and that some days they would be sharing the room with a corpse. Will didn’t expect today’s surprise, however.
Something tapped his thigh, and Will screamed, clinging to Nico’s bicep, clamping his eyes shut. Nico chuckled, reaching over Will and placing whatever it was in Will’s lap. Will squealed, and Nico took his hand until Will’s squeal faded. “Nico please do not let that be a spider or I swear to the fucking gods I will end you!”
“Just take a look,” Nico said calmly, and Will could hear the smile in his voice. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, and looked down to his lap.
He immediately started glowing bright amber, gasping. “KITTY!” Nico chuckled, rubbing the head of the skeletal feline currently kneading Will’s thighs and settling on his lap, and Will squealed in delight, flapping his arms in his excitement. “KITTY!”
“I thought you might appreciate the kitties,” Nico smiled, kissing Will’s cheek. Will gently petted the skeleton cat, gently running his fingers over the delicate bones. The texture was both rougher and smoother than he expected, and the skeleton kitty vibrated with a silent purr, making Will giggle.
“Nico, can we keep him?”
“Of course,” Nico replied with a smile, guiding Will’s hand to a position between the eye sockets that made the cat purr harder and lean into his touch.
The cat remained comfortable on Will’s lap for easily an hour or so, before stretching out and headbutting Nico instead. Will couldn’t help but mentally compare the cat to Nico, who was basically a cat anyways. Nico seemed nervous though, and Will wasn’t sure why. He seemed to have something on his mind.
Nico was aware that Will could pick up on his anxiety- after all, the bouquet of halloween flowers on the side was starting to wither and decay, and Nico felt a little guilty for that- the black and orange flowers had made his day, and now they were wilting because he was anxious. He felt like the sword of Damocles was above him, so he decided to wait no longer. “Hey Will?”
“Hm? Are you okay, Nico?”
“I uh… do you wanna open your Halloween present now?”
“Is that what’s got you so anxious,” Will asked softly, “because if you’re nervous about whether I’ll like what you’ve got me, I can guarantee I’ll love it, because it’s from you. Anything you buy me will be special to me.”
“You’ll understand,” Nico dismissed, holding the present out to Will. Will beamed at Nico, childlike excitement filling his eyes at the prospect of opening a mystery gift. Nico had wrapped it in so many layers of tape, it took a good ten minutes for Will to manage to unwrap it, at which point there was a small box. Will frowned in curiocity, guessing it must have been cufflinks- probably expensive.
“How much money did you spend-”
“Just open it,” Nico interrupted anxiously, and Will gave a nervous smile, slowly opening the box.
“It’s empty,” Will said, examining the box to try and figure out where the contents were. He didn’t stop examining the box until Nico cleared his throat, and Will finally looked over. His breath caught in his throat. Nico was down on one knee, holding out a simple golden band with an embedded yellow diamond. “Oh… my gods,” Will gasped, covering his mouth with his hand, grinning wildly.
“William Solace, will you do me the honour of becoming my husband? Will you marry me?”
“Oh my gods,” Will repeated overwhelmed with joy to the point of happy tears.
“Oh no, you hate it, I- I’m sorry, it’s too soon and-”
“Yes!”
“I know, I’m sorry-”
“No, I mean yes, I will marry you!” Nico looked up and the realisation slowly hit him, his anxious features relaxing into a soft smile, before breaking out into a grin and laughing fondly. Will wrapped him in a tight hug- although not for too long, because he knew Nico was touch averse and he knew where Nico’s boundaries were. Nico cupped Will’s cheek delicately, leaning forwards and softly capturing his lips in a tender kiss, before sliding the ring onto Will’s finger. Will giggled, leaning in for a continuation of the kiss with his fiance. Nico happily obliged.