Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun’s light was warm, basking the world in a golden glow. Will walked through the park, Charlie skipping by his side, jumping over cracks in the sidewalk. She was talking about her class - she truly believed that she was the smartest in her class, and she was, and her teacher hated her for it. Will chuckled at his daughter’s complaints.

She stopped her rant to shout, “Puppy!” And then her little hand slipped out of Will’s much larger one. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, and Will did his best to follow her, but, as a grown man, he was much less nimble than his seven year old daughter.

By the time he caught up, Charlie was standing in front of a large Rottweiler, which was wearing a vest that read “SERVICE DOG: DO NOT PET” printed on its side. A little boy, younger than his daughter stood between the dog and Will’s daughter. A young man held the handle coming from the dog’s best, seemingly confused by the situation.

“Charlotte!” Will scolded her. “You can’t just run off like that. And you can’t pet this dog,” Will said, kneeling next to his daughter, taking hold of her hand. “He’s a service dog,” He turned to the young man. “I’m sorry about my daughter - She didn’t know,”

“It’s okay,” He said. He reached out his other hand. “Dante? Come here,” The little boy moved to the young man’s side. Will put together that he was blind. Beyond that, something about him was familiar.

“Have I met you before?” Will blurted out, before mentally kicking himself.

The young man sniffed the air and frowned. “Will Solace?” He asked. “I’m Nico - Nico di Angelo,”

“We were in biology together back in high school,” Will laughed, all the pieces falling into place. “What’s been going on? Is this your son?”

Nico’s face turned red. “Yeah, this is Dante. And you have a daughter?”

“Yep! I’m Charlie!” His daughter said proudly.

“Confident little thing, isn’t she?” Nico laughed. “What about you, Solace? Anything else new in your life? Ever become a doctor like you dream back in high school?”

“Yep, and I’m almost done paying off student loans, too” Will chuckled. He stood. “Anyway, where are you two headed? We could walk you there if you want,”

“That’d be nice, but we’re just taking a walk. Dante wanted out of the house and so did Cerberus.” Will assumed Cerberus was the dog. “The company would be nice, though,”

“Then we’ll join you,” Will smiled, then remembered that Nico was blind. “I’m smiling.”

Nico laughed, “Good no know. I bet its’ a beautiful smile,”

Will felt something in his chest twist up. Then he was hit with the same feelings he’d had back in high school. He was in love with Nico di Angelo.

Nico hadn’t forgotten Will Solace - he never saw the older man, but from his scent and voice, he knew he was beautiful. He was always kind and helpful, assisting anyone who asked. He was confident, even when he was wrong, he’d sound so sincere, it just felt right.

Now he was sitting side-by-side with Will Solace, listening to him describe their children playing. Nico was mostly worried about Dante, with his size and age compared to other kids.

“So how did you get Dante?” Will asked.

“I gave birth to him,” Nico deadpanned. “I am an Omega,”

“I-I know that!” Will stuttered, obviously embarrassed. “I meant, who’s his dad? Back in high school you always seemed to hate everyone.”

“I didn’t hate everyone,” Nico sighed. “I especially didn’t hate you,”

“How sweet,” Will chuckled.

“Everyone liked you, Will, grilled crushed on you, guys were jealous but still admired you. Teachers adored you, even the worst of them.” Nico hummed quickly. He closed his eyes, though it did nothing. “Is Dante okay?”

“He’s alright, he’s playing with a couple other little boys, maybe five or so.” Will told him. “What about his dad? Does he treat you two alright?”

“His father isn’t around,” Nico said stiffly. “What about Charlie?”

“Her mom died while giving birth,” Will sighed, his voice heavy with heartbreak.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.” Nico cringed, hating himself. “I’m sorry,”

“It’s okay.” Will said. “It’s just - It’s been seven years, and it still hurts to think about,”

“Heartbreak doesn’t heal easily or easily, and sometimes, not at all. It’s been over ten years, and I’m still grieving my older sister,” Nico reached out, resting his hand on Will’s knee. “It never really goes away. Nor does the love you felt for that person. You just learn to live with the grief and you always remember. Never forget the ones you love,”

Will reached around Nico and brought him into a tight hug. “Thank you,” He said as Nico’s nose filled with the Alpha’s sweet scent.

“No problem,” Nico choked out, his face hot. When Will pulled away, Nico had a game of tug-of-war in his head - one side relieved to be let go, while the other (controlled by his inner Omega) wanted to be back in Will’s surprisingly strong arms. “What time is it?” Thank gods his voice didn’t shake.

“Ah,” Will hummed. “Almost four,”

“Damn,” Nico said quietly, standing up. “I have to get Dante home so I can get him ready for a Doctor’s appointment.” He held out his hand and Cerberus’ handle was at his fingers.

“I’ll get the kids, you stay here,” Will told him, and Nico sat back down, rubbing his dog’s head, letting him savor the attention. “Got the kids, you ready to go?”

“Yeah, but you and Charlie don’t have to go, too, you can stay,” Nico held his hand out and little hands wrapped around his fingers.

“I’m here, Papa,” Dante said, and Nico smiled at him.

“And there is no way I’m letting blind man loose in the streets. I’ll take you and Dante home, then to his doctor’s,” Will said. “Come on, I’ll drive,”

“Well, Cerberus and I certainly can’t drive,” Nico shook his head. “Lead the way, Doc,”

“Gladly,” Will said, and set his hand on Nico’s back, guiding him through the park, to his car. He helped Charlie and Dante into the back, apologizing because he didn’t have a carseat for Dante. Nico assured him it was alright, as long as he was as safe as he could be. Cerberus was let into the back seat with the kids and Nico was assisted into the from passenger seat. After Will got behind the wheel, Nico told him his address and they were off.

“Mr. Nico, can I pet your dog?” Charlie asked.

“You can pet him now, but when he’s helping me walk, you can’t,” Nico said.

“Why not?”

“Because, is he gets too distracted, I could get hurt. He’s my eyes,” Nico explained.

“Cerbie and Papa have a mind connect,” Dante said. “They read each other’s thinks! Cerbie knows when Papa’s sad or scared and thinks to him until he’s happy!”

“Kind of,” Nico laughed, smiling at his four year old’s ideas.

“Seeing eye dog and emotional support? What’s next, he can split in two and be used like a Swiss army knife?” Will joked.

“He’s also a guard dog,” Nico said. “He was for my dad, at least, but we got him trained and now he helps me function in day-to-day life.”

Will chuckled. “Good boy, Cerberus.” The dog responded with a bark.”He’s loud,” Will hissed.

“He is, but he’s a teddy bear,” Nico heard the dog’s heavy breathing. He reached between himself and Will’s seats and found Cerberus’ head. “Aren’t ya, buddy,” Nico asked, scratching his chin.

Will chuckled and repeated, “Good boy,” Nico felt his arm brush against Will’s.

He smiled, everything always felt right with Will Solace.

Chapter Text

A few days after their reunion, Will asked Nico to come to dinner with him. Nico agreed, obviously, but quickly asked about Dante.

“I’m paying for a baby sitter, my neighbor’s sixteen year old is agreeing watch both kids for a hundred dollars total,” Will had told him over the phone. “Which is pretty good, because it’s about twenty bucks an hour, because the restaurant is a town over and I was hoping to do something fun afterwards, maybe take a walk or something.”

“That sounds alright. What about the restaurant? Do they allow service dogs?” Nico asked, chewing on his lower lip.

“They don’t, but I’m willing to pay for a dog sitter if you need,” Will told him.

“It’s okay, my neighbor can watch him,” Nico hummed. “He’s done it before,”

“Okay, so Friday at seven, I’ll pick you up and we’ll head out then,” Will’s voice held an excited tone.

“Right,” Nico smiled, Will’s excitement was contagious.

“Papa?” Dante came into the room. “Are you talking to your friend?”

“Yes, honey, I’m talking to Will,”

“Is that Dante? Tell him I say hi, please,”

“He says hi, Dante,” Nico passed the message along.

“Hi!” He said loudly, climbing into Nico’s lap. “An’ tell Charlie hi, too!”

“Dante says hi, and want you to tell Charlie hi as well,” Nico said, though he was sure Will had heard the four-year-old.

“I’ll be sure to let her know when she gets home from school,” Will said. “So, Friday at seven?”

“Yep, I’ll see you then,” Nico chuckled.

“No, you won’t, but I’ll see you,” Will laughed. “Bye, Neeks,”

“Bye, Will, I’ll talk to you later,”

“Tell Dante to behave and that I miss him,” Will said, and Nico relayed the message.

“Do you miss me?” Nico asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Every second I’m away from you,” Will said softly. “I gotta go get Charlie, I’ll talk to you later,”

“Bye,” Nico said quietly, his face warm, and his heart fluttering in his chest. Will hung up. “What did you need, Tesoro?” He asked, setting his phone down.

“I wanted a cookie,” Dante said. “But I can’t reach,”

“Alright, I’ll get you a cookie,” Nico stood, holding his son on his hip as he walked through his apartment to the kitchen.

Nico shifted in his seat. He never really went anywhere without Cerberus or especially Dante, since he was born, so going to dinner in the next town over while Dante stayed with a stranger and Cerberus was back home made him uneasy.

“Hey,” Will rubbed his hand. “It’s going to be okay,”

“I’m just worried about Dante,” Nico sighed. “I’m not usually away from him like this,”

“When he starts going to school, I swear you’re going to have a panic attack every day,” Will joked. “But really, it’s okay, I’ve have Paisley babysit Charlie before, and she’s done great.”

“Yeah,” Nico swallowed, flexing his fingers around the handle of his cane. “Promise you’re not going to abandon me out here?”

“Why would I do that?” Will asked. “We’re here, by the way,”

“I’ve been abandoned before, you know,” Nico sighed, rubbing his neck anxiously.

“I would never do that to you. Give me a sec and I’ll help you out,”

Nico nodded, listening as Will hot out and closed the door. He unbuckled his seatbelt and let Will pull him out. “You never told me what restaurant we were going to - not even what kind of food it is,”

“It’s Italian, I did a lot of research and this most authentic Italian place around,” Will said. “And you’re Italian, so I figured you’d like it,”

Nico wanted to hug him. “That’s so sweet of you,” He opted to say instead, embarrassed that Will had gone through so much trouble to find a good restaurant.

“I made a reservation on the balcony so it’ll be quieter,” Will said. “I figured you’d rather not be surrounded by so many noisy people. So you can keep your bearings and all,”

Nico felt his face heat up again. “How are you the most sensible and sweet Alpha to ever live?”

Will was quiet. “I don’t know,” he said at last. “I honestly blaming my mother for raising me to be a gentleman.”

After the waiter guided them to their table, Nico took in the scent - it smelt like well-aged wine, fine traditional Italian cuisine and honeysuckle, sweet and nostalgic, and that underlying feeling of home. “Will? What does it look like?” He asked, reaching for Will’s hand.

“The sky is nearly black, because the sun is almost down, so you can still see some pink and orange where it’s setting, it’s beautiful and I think you’d just adore it. I can see so many stars - tiny and twinkling, and there’s not a cloud in the sky. I can see several constellations - Orion, the Big Dipper and I think Leo is visible this time of year, too. The restaurant is designed to look authentic and the balcony has little antique-looking fairy lights and there are so many plants - small little handing ivies and ferns and flowers. It looks like the pictures of  Venetian balconies, really. The balcony is over looking a garden full of trees and flowers and ponds, and sometimes I can see fish swimming in the water. It’s like everything is blooming with life,” Will explained. “I wish you could see it, Nico,”

Nico smiled. “I do too, but I also wish I could see you,” Will didn’t respond for a moment after that statement.

“Uh, I don’t think they offer a braille menu - I’ll try to read the options,” Will finally said. “Is there anything you’re in the mood for? Pasta?”

Nico smiled, thinking for a moment. “Just a piadina would be fine,” He had had a good flat bread in a while.

“What?” Will asked.

“It’s an Italian flatbread - it’s really good,” Nico explained. “I don’t think they’ll keep it in the entree section, though,”

“It’s just an appetizer - you should eat more,” Will sounded concerned. “Please?”

“Okay, do they have fettuccine Alfredo?”

“I don’t see it,” he responded after a moment. “Anything else?”

“Can’t you read me the menu?”

“Nico, I will absolutely mispronounce every single word on this menu,” Will sounded so serious, Nico couldn’t hold back the laughter bubbling up in his chest.

“Okay, okay, do hey have Sarde in Saor? It might be listed under fish,” Nico said once he could breathe again, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Yeah, they have it. Sardines? Really?” Will must’ve read the ingredients.

“Yes, really, it’s a Venetian classic, and my mom made it a lot while I was growing up.” Nico smiled at him. “Sue me for liking it,”

“Okay, I, on the other hand, am going to get a normal spaghetti,” Will hummed. “I’ve never had a lot of Italian like you,”

“Eat what makes you happy, Will.” Nico grinned. “Maybe I can get you into Italian?”

Will sounded like he was choking on something for minute, stuttering out several apologies until the waiter showed up again, asking if they were ready to order. Will attempted to tell him, but promptly failed at speaking the Italian dishes. Nico butted in and told the waiter their orders with a teasing smile to his companion. After the water left, Will groaned. “I’m so sorry,”

“Why?” Nico wanted to reach over and grab his hand, but he didn’t know if there was anything on the table or if Will even wanted to old hands.

“Tonight was supposed to romantic, but I can’t even even say the name of the restaurant.” He groaned, his voice partially muffled. Were his hands over his face?

Nico blinked. “Romantic? Was this supposed to be a date?”

“Yeah, I was going to ask to date you, but I can understand if-“

“Of course I want to date you!” Nico interrupted, unable to control his mouth. “My gods - I had the hugest crush on you in high school,” Nico felt his face heat up at the confession. “I just thought you’d never want an Omega like me,” He added quietly.

“What do you mean, an ‘Omega like you’?” Will asked, his hands wrapping around Nico’s.

“I’m - I’m abrasive,” He started slowly, taking a deep breath. “I’m not the normal, submissive Omega everyone expects me to be. I’m rough around the edges and a bit broken.” He gripped Will’s warm hands tightly. “On top of that, I’m blind,” He said it as if it were a curse, a disgusting disease he was forced to deal with.

“So? You don’t have to be submissive, you don’t have to be sweet and innocent. You don’t need to be see in order to be you. Nico, I fell in love with you not your secondary gender.” Will told him. “You’re kind and caring, even if you seem rough around the edges. I don’t care what what everyone else things you should be, because I love Nico di Angelo, not the Omega they want you to be. You shouldn’t care either, and you shouldn’t strive to be anyone other than yourself.”

Nico smile grew. “Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?”

“I-uh,” Will stammered, his moment of poetry over as the waiter brought their meals. Nico assumed the waiter has left when Will finally responded. “I’ve heard it a lot, but you’re the first who actually made it sound like it was true,” He said quietly.

“Really? Don’t believe your parent?” Nico smirked, clumsily taking his fork to his Sarde in Saor. “Or Charlie?”

“Or my teachers and peers,” Nico heard Will sigh. He frowned, he’d never thought once that Will Solace of all people would have self esteem issues. He was the closest thing to real perfection Nico had ever seen, so to speak.

“Hey,” The Italian said. “Will, look at me,”

“I’m looking,” Will said, quietly letting Nico know.

“You are amazing. Don’t ever forget that, okay?” Nico smiled softly. “You’re smart and strong and brave and I - I love you,” Nico felt Will move from his chair. Nico didn’t know what to expect. A hug, maybe, but certainly not a nose full of Will’s sweet scent that reminded him of summer and the nearly suffocating feeling of his soft lips against Nico’s own.

Nico pulled away slightly, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Will stiffened. “I’m sorry, I should have said something. I’m so sorry,”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, Will, I promise,” Nico stood up and slowly reach up to his - was Will his boyfriend? He wasn’t Nico’s Alpha, he was Will - His will and cupped his cheeks. “I just want you to kiss me again,” and he did. They kissed for several minutes, or hours, Nico didn’t know - he only knew Will’s warmth, and Will only knew Nico’s body against his own.

Unfortunately, Will finally pulled away. “We should finish dinner,” He stuttered, reluctantly. “It’s a lot of money and really good food. I don’t want to put it to waste.” He sounded lie he was trying to  to convince himself that it was the better option.

Nico cleansed his throat. “Yeah, you’re right, Do you want to try my sardines?” Nico asked him mockingly. Will sighed and helped him back into his seat. No, Nico was not helpless, he’d been blind his whole life and learned to take care of himself, but he enjoyed the attention Will gave him. He head the fork his his plate as Will cut himself a piece. Nico hummed expectantly.

“That’s actually pretty good,” Will mumbled, his mouth still full of food. Nico smacked his side lightly.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full of food, William.” He chided.

“I am not Dante,”

“Of course you’re not. My Dante knows better than to talk with his mouth full.” Nico smirked at the Alpha. “You’re just a heathen,”

“What happened to ‘you’re amazing and I love you’?” Will asked, as he took his seat across from him. “I liked that Nico more,”

“Maybe I changed my mind,” Nico hummed, taking another bite of his food.

“Maybe you’re just being mean.” Will huffed.

“Stop being a baby, Will,” Nico rolled his eyes. “I’d rather be on a a date with a charming Alpha rather than one of my son’s friends from daycare.”

“I’m not a baby,” Nico could hear the pout in his voice. He didn’t need eyes to know his arms were crossed over his chest and he was frowning - no pouting.

“Says who?” The Omega teased, pointing his fork.

“Me,” He countered defiantly.

“How cute,” Nico purred. “Now eat your dinner, caro,” He tasted. “We don’t want it getting cold now, do we?”

“I am not a child,”

“Then stop pouting like one,”

“You’re a mean little Omega, you know that?”

“I thought you loved me for it,” Nico grinned. “Now eat your spaghetti.”

Chapter Text

Nico hummed, moving through the apartment almost as if in a trance, quickly skimming his fingers over things to check for dust or misplaces objects.

“Papa?” Dante’s little voice appeared next to him. “Is you okay?”

“Yeah,” Nico smiled, reaching down to ruffle his son’s soft hair. “I’m just expecting company,”

“Who?”

“Will and Charlie,” Nico said. “Do you see anything out of place?”

“No, things fine,” Dante said. “When they be here?”

“What time is it?”

“Uh,” Dante moved away, and Nico heard his little feet running. He came back and grabbed Nico’s hand. “The littler stick is at the number after the number all the way on the right and the the bigger hand is past the one on the top and the little red one is moving really fast!”

Nico took a moment to process what his son said. “Four o’clock,” He mumbled. “They should be here soon,” Nico knelt down and squeezed his son’s soft face. Speak of the Devil, there was a knock on the door. Nico pulled away from Dante, and moved to the door, opening it just a crack. “Yes?”

“Hey, Neeks, it’s Will and Charlie,” Will said. “We brought dinner, too,”

Nico opened the door more, hearing Will’s voice assisted in calming his raging nerves. “Come on in. You can set the food on the table,” He stepped back, hearing Charlie run into the apartment to Dante. She was three years older, but still was forming a strong friendship with him. Will closed the door for Nico before pressing a kiss to the Italian’s cheek.

“How’ve you been, Nico?” Will asked.

“I’ve been good, you, Will?” Nico responded, following him close behind to the kitchen. 

“Kind of stressed because of work, but good, you?”

“You already asked me, dummy,” Nico grinned. “What did you get? Fast food?”

“Charlie bullied me into getting McDonald’s,” Will sounded defeated, but pulled Nico into a hug. “Hope you don’t mind, I got you a ten piece chicken nugget meal and Dante a Happy Meal,”

“That works,” Nico hummed, leaning into Will’s touch. Then there was a crash from the living room, and Cerberus started barking. Loudly. Nico tensed up, pulling away from his boyfriend. “Gods-“ He said softly. “Cerberus! Quiet!” He raised his voice, hoping the dog would obey, but Cerberus didn’t stop. Nico’s head pounded as he rested his hand on Will’s arm, feeling the panic rise in his throat. He tried to swallow it back down, but it formed a hardy lump in his throat. Will helped him sit in a kitchen chair, holding his face gently in his hands. Nico vaguely registered Will telling him something, but his brain didn’t quite process what he’d said, then Will’s warm hands were gone. He heard people talking, and Cerberus finally stopped barking, though Nico’s head still pounded and ached with his fast heart-beats. Nico tried to breathe, but the air kept getting caught in his throat. He felt Cerberus come up to him, licking his hands, and Nico shakily held his head, resting his forehead against his companion’s. The dog was warm, and Nico tried to focus on his hot, panting breaths. He didn’t know how long it was until he could breathe again, but eventually he could, and Will was once again by his side.

“Nico? Are you doing alright?” He asked slowly, gently resting his hand on Nico’s shoulder.

“Y-Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. I’m sorry.” Nico began to sit up, still holding Cerberus’ head in his hands. “It was just - I think it was too much too fast, you know? I just got overwhelmed?” Nico took several deep breaths to slow his racing heart.

“It’s okay, everything is okay. Except your lamp, I guess. The kids accidentally broke it.” Will said. “I’ll clean it up, I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you need anything, Neeks?”

“No, I’m okay.” Nico stood up. “Where are the kids? Were they hurt?”

“No, they weren’t hurt and they’re right here.” Will said.

“Let them come eat while we clean up.” Nico said. “You two need to be careful,”

“I’m sorry, Papa,” Dante stammered, sounding on the verge of tears. “We didn’t mean to!”

“I know, tesoro mio, it’s okay. Just come eat dinner, okay?” Nico told him softly.

“Okay,” Dante murmured, though he still sounded hurt.

“I’m sorry, too, Mr. Nico - It was my fault,” Charlie added, her voice cracking.

“Charlie, I promise it’s okay, your Dad and I are going to get things cleaned up,” He told her. “And I promise you, we’re not mad at you. It was just an accident.”

“Okay, I’m still sorry, though,”

“It’s okay, dear,”

Nico assumed Will was helping the kids get in place with their food, so he moved to the living room, but he was grabbed and pulled back. “Be careful!” Will told him. “You’re barefoot and if you stepped on a shard from the lamp, you’d have to get stitches,”

“I was fine, Will,” Nico protested, frowning at the older man’s words.

“No, you weren’t,” The Alpha guided him around the room, away from the mess, presumably. “Just sit here for right now, okay? You can hold this,” Will sat him down and handed him an object. Nico frowned at the thin fabric texture beneath his fingers.

“Did you give me lamp shade?” He asked.

“You can’t hurt yourself with a lamp shade can you?” Will teased. “You can go eat with the kids, if you want,”

“It’s okay, Will. I want to help - it is my lamp,” Nico tried to stand up, but will quickly pushed him back into the cushions with a gentle hand.

“Nico, I don’t want you to get hurt, so please just sit down.” Will sighed.

“Okay,” the Italian sighed in defeat, pulling his legs to his chest. “Keep an eye on the kids, please,”

“Of course,” Will hummed. “I’ll help you find a new lamp, later,”

“It’s okay, I was never really bothered by the lighting,” Nico chuckled dryly. He closed his eyes. “Will?”

“Yeah?”

“Come here,”

Nico felt the couch dip next to him beneath Will’s weight. Nico leaned against his side, yawning. Will wrapped an arm around the Omega and kissed his forehead.

“You’re cute, you know that?” Will asked, squeezing his shoulders.

“If you really think so,” Nico hummed. “I’m just tired,”

“Want me to watch the kids while you nap?” Will offered.

“No, it’s okay,” Nico purred, burying his face into Will’s neck. “You’re warm,”

“You’re cold,” Will chuckled, his throat vibrating as he spoke tickled Nico’s nose. “C’mon, we gotta eat and I’ve gotta finish cleaning up. We can cuddle later,”

With a groan of dissatisfaction, Nico sat up, pulling away from the Alpha’s warmth. “Okay, but how Much longer are you going to be cleaning?”

“Just another minute or two, Neeks,” Will stood and set a kiss to the smaller man’s forehead. “Do you want to eat now?”

“No,” Nico said. 

“You’re going to eat, though, right?”

“If I didn’t, you’d get mad at me. I’ll eat with you,” Nico stuck his tongue out in the direction of Will’s voice.

“Because you’re so skinny! You’re barely more than skin and bone,” Will told him. “You could get hurt if you don’t eat more, and I don’t want you to get hurt. You shouldn’t want to get hurt either,”

“I’m okay, Will, I promise. I’m eating and drinking, it’s not my fault that I have a high metabolism.” Nico sighed, letting his head fall backwards.

“Well, to make up for that high metabolism, you need to eat more.” Will semi-scolded. “Okay, it’s cleaned up. I’ll vacuum after we eat so I get any smaller pieces I missed.”

“Okay. Help me to the table?” Nico held out his hand, and Will took it, helping him up so he could stand. Will led him around to the kitchen, where Charlie was telling Dante about what to expect from kindergarten. She made it sound fun and easy, and Dante seemed so excited for it.

“Eat, you two. It doesn’t taste as good if it’s cold, you know,” Will chided as he helped Nico sit down, setting his food in front of him. “Your food is in front of you,” Will told him.

“Thank you,” Nico reached out, setting his hand on the box, pulling it to himself. He took a moment to open the box, but got it.

Will sat next to him, opening his own box.

“Daddy?” Charlie asked after a few minutes.

“Yeah, kiddo?” Will looked over to his blond child.

“Are you and Mr. Nico in love?”

Nico choked on a chicken nugget, coughing. Will rubbed his back, handing him his coke. “Wh-Where did that come from, Charlie?” Will asked, staring at his daughter.

“You two are close like Lucas and Mari in my class, and they say that they’re in love with each other. So I wanna know if you and Mr. Nico are in love,” She explained, as if it were obvious.

“It’s - It’s a lot more complicated than what your classmates have,” Nico said once he could breathe again. “Uh, but yes, your father and I are in a romantic relationship,” He said awkwardly.

“Why did you say it like that? We’re dating,” Will laughed as his boyfriend colored. “So, the answer is yes, Charlie.”

“What’s being in love?” Dante asked, looking at his Papa and Will, then to Charlie.

Will smiled. “Do you want to try to explain? He’s your son,”

“Yeah,” Nico took a deep breath. “Uh, you know Mickey and Minnie Mouse?”

“Uh-huh,” Dante responded with a nod.

“You know how they kiss and hug, and stuff?” Nico waved his hand vaguely. “They’re in a relationship, and they really care about one another. Will and I care about one another, like Mickey and Minnie,”

“But you and Mr. Will are both boys,” Dante looked down. “I thought that boys could only like girls, and girls could only like boys,”

“No!” Nico said quickly. “No, no, honey. Boys can like boys or girls or whoever they want. And girls can like whoever they want, too. It doesn’t matter if they’re a boy or a girl or anything else.

“What if they have different skin?” Dante asked. 

“That doesn’t matter, either, tesoro mio,” Nico said. “Love is… confusing. And more often than not, it’s blind,”

“Like you!” Dante interrupted.

“Yes, love is blind like me, and you can end up loving someone you’d never expect, because no one can control love. It comes in a lot of different forms, too. Like you might love a friend or a family member.”

“Do you love me?” Dante asked.

“Of course, I love you, Dante!” Nico chuckled. “You’ll understand love more when you’re older, okay?”

“Okay!” Dante nodded as he took a bite of one of his apple slices from his Happy Meal.

Nico let out a long breath through his nose. He reached toward Will and the Texan held his hand. “Kids are hard,” The Italian whispered, shaking his head, his dark curls bouncing.

“I know, Neeks, I know” Will pulled Nico’s hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. “Love you,”

“I love you, too,” Will saw Nico’s lips curl into a small smile.

“Papa,” Dante announced. “I think Mr. Will is good!”

“Why’s that, dear?” Nico hummed. 

“He makes you smile - and smiles means happy!” The four year old gave Will a big, toothy smile.

“How sweet,” Nico smiled wider, and Will couldn’t hold back his own grin. “I think you have Dante’s stamp of approval,” The Omega whispered.

“That’s good, but the real question is if Charlie likes you,” Will hummed back. Then, louder, he asked. “Charlie, what do you think about Nico?”

The little girl put a fry in her mouth and blinked at Will, and then stared at Nico. “Jury’s still out,” She said with a shrug,

Will blinked. “Where did you learn that?”

“My teacher. She said that after I asked her how her day was once. I think it means something like ‘I don’t know’ or something,” Charlie explained. “Am I not supposed to say that?”

“You can, but second graders don’t normally that turn-of-phrase.” Nico said. He rested his hand on Will’s arm. “She’s smart,” He whispered.

“I know,” Will smiled, proud of his daughter.

“You know what?” Charlie asked, her voice somewhere between cocky and curious.

“I know I have a smart daughter,” Will told her as she beamed in pride.

Nico laughed. “Even if the jury’s out for you, Miss Charlie, I think you’re a great kid.”

“What about me, Papa?” Dante chirped.

“Well, hmm,” Nico pretended to think really hard about his pup’s question. “I think I’m biased on this, but I’ll say you’re the cutest kid I’ve never seen,”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Charlie piped in. “You can’t see,”

“No, I can’t, which is why I said ‘never seen.’” Nico told her. “It’s just a play on words.”

“Oh,” She said. “Okay,”

Nico chuckled and squeezed Will’s hand tightly. Kids and family were hard, but he was glad he had Will by his side.

Chapter Text

Will was warm. Nico didn’t know why, but the Alpha was always so much warmer than everyone else. Nico didn’t mind it, in fact, he enjoyed his warmth, especially in those quiet moments, wrapped in one another’s arms. The kids were asleep in the living room, hiding in a blanket fort Nico was hesitant on letting them make, but Will assured him it was okay. While they kids slept in their fort, Nico curled up on his side with Will wrapped almost protectively around him.

Nico rarely felt safe with other people, but Will somehow managed to be an exception from the get-go. The Alpha made him laugh and feel loved unconditionally, and Nico couldn’t get enough of it.

The Omega took a deep breath, inhaling Will’s scent, letting the feeling of security wash over him like a hot a bath. He fell in love with Will all over again in that moment - his warmth, the steady rhythm of his breathing, his scent - everything.  Nico loved it. He loved Will.

“Mm, Neeks?” Will’s gravelly voice broke through the silence that hung thick in the air. In that moment, he would have given anything to wake up with Will again and again.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled. “You good?”

“Yeah, come here,” Will said, despite being closer to Nico than anyone else had been in years, and pressed a kiss to his head. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

Nico scoffed, but sad nothing. He didn’t know what he looked like. Will shifted behind him, pushing Nico onto his back, his hands pressed on either side of the Omega’s head, caging him in. Nico sucked in a sharp breath.

“Don’t scoff - you’re gorgeous, Omega,” Will told him, his voice nothing but gentle, but the words still echoed in Nico’s head.

You’re gorgeous, Omega.

Nico pressed his hands to Will’s chest, pushing him away. Will moved easily - so much easier than the other Alpha had. Nico sat up and moved away from his boyfriend, his worked still reverberating in his head, twisting into words of torment and cruelty.

You’re gorgeous, Omega.

Nico stood from the bed and easily found his way into the bathroom before locking the door behind him. He splashed water on his face. Soft knocks came from the other side of the door as Nico washed away his panic.

“Nico, is everything okay?” Will asked, his voice heavily laced with worry. Nico dumbed with the lock before opening it. Will stepped inside and rested his hand on Nico’s forehead, then his cheek. “Are you feeling alright?” Will whispered. “Did I say something to upset you?”

Nico swallowed, and wrapped his arms around the Alpha’s neck, Will’s strong arms slipped around his waist, holding him close, protecting him. Nico blinked away his tears and searched for the right words to say.

“Dante,” He choked out, hesitant. “Dante is the result of a man - an Alpha - uh, forcing himself on me,” He took a shaky breath, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’d just moved here, to my apartment, and my dad went back home because of work, and he finally trusted me enough to be able to stay on my own. One of my neighbors who lived across the hall was a nice enough man, but we rarely spoke or interacted. Ah, one day, I had started my heat early, or I’d lost track of it, I’m not sure, but I wasn’t at home. So I tried to get back as fast as I could, but when I got here, I couldn’t get my keys to work - and he showed up and helped. He got me inside and to my room, then he locked the door. He -“ Nico cut off with a sob, his mind tortured by the memory, the sensations and the fear. He couldn’t bear it.

“He raped you,” Will whispered the rest of Nico’s sentence. “You had Cerberus, though, right? Why didn’t he do anything?”

“He locked the door, and Cerberus couldn’t get in,” Nico shuddered. “He was barking the whole time. He growled and barked. When the Alpha finally left, Cerberus attacked him immediately.”

“My gods,” Will murmured. “I’m so sorry,”

“He tried to sue me and get Cerberus put down,” Nico continued, shaking, but he needed to get this off his chest. He needed to talk about it to someone. “But my dad’s a lawyer with a big firm. We  found out I was pregnant a few weeks into the case, and we managed to win. After everything, he was arrested for assault,”

“Is he still in jail?” Will asked.

“Yeah, and when he gets out, he owes a lot of money to my dad, the court and even more to me and Dante. We fought to get child support,” Nico gave a heartless chuckle, not feeling particularly amused at the moment.

Will’s hug tightened in that moment. “Thank you for trusting me with this. I know it must’ve been hard to talk about. I’m sorry I upset you,”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know,” Will’s neck was warm, and Nico leaned against it, breathing in a sweet scent of summer and sunshine.

“Is there anything I can do to avoid upsetting you in the future? Like anything I shouldn’t do or say?” Will asked, one of his hands drifted up Nico’s back, settling on the back of his head, his blunt fingernails gently scratching at the Omega’s scalp comfortingly.

“For one, don’t say that again,” Nico said. “And please, don’t pin me down or cage me in,”

“Say what? That you’re gorgeous?”

“The whole sentence - I - he said it a lot and I just - It makes me feel, I don’t know. Disgusting. Like I have maggots and worms crawling around in my stomach and lungs, eating away at my heart.” Nico swallowed and took a deep breath. “What time is it?”

“Ah, about two in the morning, I think,” Will told him. “Want me to check on the kids?”

“Please?” Nico asked, pulling away slowly, his hands sliding down Will’s arms until they entwined with the Alpha’s larger, warmer hands. “I want to make sure Dante is okay,”

“Is that why you’re so protective of Dante?” Will asked suddenly, his hands squeezing Nico’s.

“I - A bit, I guess. According to his doctors, he’s an Omega - like me. And I just -“ Nico worked his jaw, trying to find the right words.

“You don’t want him to get hurt like you did?” Will offered, leading him through the apartment to the living room.

“Yeah. And there’s only so much I can do for him - I’m blind, after all. And an Omega, at that. I - I can’t protect him the way I’d like to. I can’t let him have the freedom that most kids his age have, because he could get hurt, and there’s nothing I can do about it. If I left him on his own at the park, like other parents do their children, he could get hurt or kidnapped and I would never know.” Tears burned Nico’s eyes, fear gripping his heart with painful, icy talons. “I - I just want my baby to be safe,” He whispered at last.

Will’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, squeezing tightly. “That’s why I’m here,” He told him. “I can keep an eye on Dante for you, if you want,”

Nico sniffled, and smiled softly, though his heart still ached with fear. “Thank you,”

“Anything for you,” Will’s lips pressed against Nico’s head. “Here, Dante’s asleep here. Just sit down,” Will’s voice was soft and deep.He kept his hands on Nico’s back until the omega was sitting next to his baby.

Nico reached out slowly, his hand bumping into Dante. “Where’s his head?” He asked Will, his voice hushed as not to wake the children. The other man took a gentle hold to Nico’s arm and moved it toward the left, guiding his hand to Dante’s cheek. “Thanks,” Nico hummed, his fingers gently running over the soft, malleable planes of his son’s face - rubbing his cheek and forehead, his fingers slipping through his soft curls - or knots, Nico couldn’t tell. “Will?”

“Yeah?” Will’s hand rested on Nico’s shoulder, a reminder and a reassurance that the Alpha was there for him.

“Does Dante look anything like me?” Nico asked,

“He does. You both have the same curly black hair - though, yours is a lot longer. And he has your smile, too. Oh, he pouts just like you do, a little wrinkle forms between his eyebrows and he sticks out his bottom lip, just like you,” Will’s finger brushed up the middle of Nico’s forehead, and the Omega assumed that was where his so-called wrinkle formed. “His eyes though, they’re more of a honey brown or a hazel color. Your eyes are much darker, more like chocolate or coffee,”

“Hm,” Nico’s thumb brushed over Dante’s cheekbone. “What about you? What do you and Charlie look like?”

“For one, we’re both blond - curly hair, though much more tame than yours. She looks a lot more like her mom, though. Both of us have blue eyes. Oh, and I have a wonderful jawline.” Will hummed. “Nice cheekbones, too. I’m very handsome. If you could see, you’d swoon like a schoolgirl,”

Nico stifled a laugh as his partner leaned against him, nuzzling his hair and holding him close with kind hands. “Shut up, you toad!” Nico hissed, pushing him off. “You’re going to wake them,” He shook his head as Will moved away, though not very far. “Come on, I’m tired,” Nico yawned. He dropped a kiss to Dante’s cheek before standing up. Will wrapped an arm around his waist and guided him back to his bedroom.

“Hey, Nico?” Will asked, closing Nico’s door as the Omega climbed into bed.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” Will sighed, sliding into bed with the smaller man. “For trusting me, I mean. I know that that was probably really hard for you to talk about - to relive. But thank you for trusting me with the information. I’m going to be here for you no matter what,”

“I don’t think I’ve ever trusted someone the way I trust you,” Nico cupped his cheek in his hand, his cold fingertips a stark contrast against Will’s heated skin, before he leaned in and kissed him. “I love you, Will,”

“I love you, too,” Will’s cheek moved as the Alpha smiled, nuzzling into Nico’s touch. Will guided Nico to lay on his chest, and the Omega went willingly. “Night, Neeks.”

Nico hummed and was asleep in several minutes. Will grinned, feeling so much love and affection for the small man on his chest, and soon followed him into the depths of sleep.

Chapter Text

When Nico awoke, he knew he was alone. His bed was cold, despite the fact he remembered falling asleep next to Will. Curled up with Will. Nico pushed the comforter off his body and set his bare feet against the floor. He heard voices in the apartment, and he tensed up. He slipped through the hall, his fingers brushing the rough texture.

“Sh, you two, you’re going to wake Nico if you keep making so much noise,” He recognized the voice talking. Will. He sighed, his nerves relaxing.

“It’s okay, I’m already awake.” Nico said, stepping away from the wall.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” He heard Will say from somewhere to the right. “I was making breakfast while those two tried to clean up the living room.” Will kissed Nico’s cheek before running his fingers through Nico’s hair. “You’ve got crazy bedhead.” He chuckled.

“Oh, shush,” Nico swatted his hand away and shook out his hair. Suddenly, his arm was being pulled down and Nico went with it, sucking in a sharp breath. Little arms wrapped around his neck, and Nico took in his son’s scent. “Morning, Dante,” He hummed, scooping up his little boy. “How did you sleep last night? You didn’t stay up all night, I hope,”

“No, we fell ‘sleep,” Dante hummed, nuzzling Nico’s neck. “We was sleepy,”

Nico crooned happily as he held his son close. “My sleepy boy,”

Dante giggled out, “Not sleepy now, Papa!” As the Omega bombarded his baby with kisses. Nico heard Will laugh.

“I”m going to finish up breakfast, okay?” Will kissed Nico’s forehead. “I’m making pancakes.” Nico nodded before setting his pup down. Nico heard his little feet running, hopefully to go help Charlie finish cleaning. Nico followed, leaning on the back of the couch as they cleaned.

Nico heard Cerberus bark out a greeting of sorts, and felt him head-butt Nico’s leg. The Omega scratched his dog’s chin, hearing his leg hit the floor in a steady rhythm. “Hey, Will?” Nico called.

“Yeah what’s up?” Will’s voice filtered from the kitchen.

“Did you feed Cerberus?”

“No, I didn’t - I wasn’t aware he was fed this early,” Will’s voice was clearer - presumably because he entered the room.

“It’s okay, listen, there’s a box in the cabinet above the counter next to the fridge. It’s the dog food, and his bowl is over by the window if the kids didn’t move it,” Nico said. “Oh, and could you check his water too?”

“On it,” Will said. “How do you know where everything is?”

“I put it there, and if it’s always in the same spot, I can find it. That’s why the layout of my apartment hasn’t changed since I moved in.” Nico smiled, unsure if Will saw it.

“That’s really smart,” Will chuckled, pressing a kiss to Nico’s forehead as he passed and Nico had to resist the urge to lean into the Alpha’s touch. Will moved away, and Cerberus followed the smell of his food.

Nico sighed and rolled his shoulders. “Have you two finished cleaning up?” He asked.

“Yes, sir!” Charlie said. “We need to put the cushions back on the couch, but they’re too big and heavy,”

“I’ll take care of them, don’t worry,” Will hummed before Nico could say anything. “There’s a few pancakes on the counter. Nico, could you get them for the kids?”

Nico hummed his agreement, stepping away from the back of the couch. He walked to the kitchen, opening that cabinet with the plates and pulled several out. He slide his fingers over the counter top until they bumped into the warm plate holding the pancakes. He reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out forks, he used one to move the pancakes to the plates for the kids. “Just one for both of you?”

“If we want more when we’re done, can we have more?” Charlie asked, her voice right next to Nico.

“After everyone’s gotten food, yes,” Nico smiled. “Go sit down, I’ll bring it to you,” He picked up the plates and forks and set them on the table. “I’ll get the butter and syrup,” He told them. He turned back to the kitchen, and immediately ran face first into something, knocking him off balance.

That something was Will, who caught him before he fell. “Hey, careful,” He said. “I can get everything,”

“You made breakfast, let me help,” Nico frowned, resetting his balance on his own feet. “Besides, I know where everything is,” Will was silent for a moment.

“I rolled my eyes at you,” He said quickly, and Nico snorted a short laugh before easily slipping around the Alpha. He quickly grabbed everything from the kitchen as he heard Will set his plate. “Hey, Neeks, how many do you want?”

“Ah, two is fine,” Nico hummed, returning to the table, setting the butter and syrup on the wooden surface.

“Papa? Can help me cut pancakes?” Dante asked, his little hand caught onto Nico’s shirt, holding tightly as if Nico would disappear.

“Of course, mio caro,” he smiled. “Can’t promise you it’ll be perfect, though,” He quickly spread a bit of butter on the food before (more than likely) sloppily cutting it - he couldn’t tell how well he was doing, but hoped the pieces were small enough.

“Here’s your syrup,” Will added, and Nico heard the pop of the cap. “Nico, you go ahead and start eating, I’ve got these two,”

“Will-“

“Sit and eat,” Will insisted, though his voice was far from forceful. “I’ve got things taken care of. I promise,”

“I - Are you sure? You know I’m not helpless,” Nico frowned.

“Yes, I’m sure. Now eat your pancakes,” Will semi-scolded him in a tone that reminded Nico of the one he’d used back on their first date. He shook his head at the memory and took his seat nonetheless. “You’re food’s in front of you,” Nico’s skin prickled with yet another wave of deja vu.

“Thanks,” He felt for his fork. “Pass the syrup when you’re done, please?” Will handed him the bottle before sitting down - Nico heard him pull out the chair. He poured a generous amount of syrup onto his breakfast before setting the bottle on the table once more. As he began to eat, Will spoke.

“I was talking to my mom on the phone a few days ago, and she wanted to know if I would be able to come home for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I have to work then, but I told her I’d have time off in December, so I could visit for Christmas. She said that’d be fine, and so I’ve been wondering, Nico, if you and Dante would like to come with us,” Will offered. “It’s a bit way off, but I figured it’s be polite to ask early.”

Nico nearly choked on his pancake. “You want me to meet your mother?”

“My whole family, really. My aunt and uncle, my grandparent, my great-grandmother. My dogs,” Will rambled. “You can say no, if you’re not comfortable with it, or have different plans.”

“No - No plans. My family lives in Los Angeles, and I don’t want to fly across the country with nothing but a four year old.” Nico said. “I’d love to meet your family, on the condition you meet mine first,” He couldn’t stop the grin forming on his face.

“Oh?” Will stuttered. “I think I saw your father once. Back in high school.”

“And?”

“He was terrifying.” Will said with such sincerity, Nico laughed.

“He’s not that bad. But he and my mom are going to be visiting for Thanksgiving - partially because my dad has some work here to do. We’re planning on meeting at my sister’s. Would you two like to join us, assuming you’re not working in the evening?”

“No, I’ve got the morning shift - six to three, I think.” Will said. “I’ll go with you, though I may be dead on my feet,”

“I’ll be sure you won’t have to do much,” Nico smiled. “Speaking of work, do you have to go in today?”

“This evening yeah,”

“Need me to watch Charlie?”

“Already arranged a babysitter.” WIll’s hand wrapped around Nico’s.

“Okay, I was just making sure,”

After breakfast, Nico took his time cleaning up and washing dishes. He hummed an old song his mother used to sing as Will played with the kids in the living room. After Will turned on the TV for them, he entered the kitchen,

“Hey,” He hummed, wrapping his arms around Nico’s waist. “Need any help?”

“Do the dishes look clean?”

“Yeah,”

“Then, no, not really. Thank you, anyway. Are the kids doing alright?”

“They’re watching Disney Channel,” Will hummed, his chin resting on Nico’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m good, do you really want to help me?” Nico asked, and Will hummed a positive. “Could you start putting the clean dishes in the drainer?” Will let go and picked up a dish to presumably do as Nico asked.

“Can I ask you a question?” Will asked, almost randomly.

“You just did, but go ahead,” Nico chuckled.

“Do you work? I mean - I know you’re blind, but there have to be jobs that blind people can do, right? And you’ve got to take care of Dante and -“

“Will,” Nico laughed. “Yes, I work, and I don’t live off my parent,”

“Where do you work?” Will asked, his voice quiet, almost timid. 

“I’m currently working at a small law firm. Nothing fancy, just a secretary job while I’m working on getting my law degree,” Nico mused. “Just following in Dad’s footsteps,”

“Mr. Nico di Angelo, a lawyer,” Will laughed. “I never thought you’d want to go into law.”

“It’s mostly to get a stable pay. Personally I’d rather go into music or art,” Nico sighed through his nose, holding out a clean plate for Will to take.

“You’ve never struck me as the artistic type,” Will took the plate. “Honestly, you’re more like the type of person who’d work at a cemetery or a funeral home,”

“Oh, shut up,” Nico laughed, flicking warm, soapy water towards Will’s voice.

The Alpha laughed and gently hit Nico with a dish rag. “You always wore those skull shirts, Neeks. How could someone not assume you’d end up working with dead bodies, or making dead bodies,”

“You thought I’d kill someone?” Nico blinked incredulously. “I’m not stupid - back in high school I was short and scrawny, not to mention blind. How, pray tell, could I kill people?”

“Voodoo,” Will said without skipping a beat. “A lot of people thought you gave up your sight in order to control supernatural things,” He sounded dead serious.

“What about you? Did you believe it?”

“Honestly? For a long time I did, but then I saw you accidentally run into a wall and I figured you weren’t so bad,”

“You-You saw me run into a wall?” Nico felt this face heat up, trying to remember the occasion. When had he run into a wall at school?

“It’s okay, don’t panic,” Will kissed his temple. “I promise, Death Breath,”

Something in Nico’s stomach twisted into knots. “Death Breath? Really?”

“I think it’s cute,” Will protested.

“I hate you,”

“No you don’t,” Will was grinning, he had to be. Nico splashed more water onto him and then he felt Will’s strong arms wrap around his waist, easily lifting him off the floor.

“William!” Nico hissed, his throat tightening in slight panic.

“Say you love me, ad I’ll put you down,” Will laughed, his hold tightened protectively.

“Put me down,”

“Say you love me!”

“William Andrew Solace!” Nico snapped. “Put me down!”

“Nico di Angelo, admit you love me,”

Nico slumped against him in defeat. “I love you,”

His feet touched the floor and be breathed out a sigh of relief, and Will pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you, too,” He said quietly, sweetly.

Nico sighed and wrapped his arms around Will’s torso, his cheek pressed to his warm chest. The Omega nuzzled into the soft fabric of Will’s shirt as he listened to his steady heartbeat.

Chapter Text

Will paced his living room, chewing on his thumb nail. He was about to officially meet Nico’s family. He’d gotten a glimpse of his father when they were back n high school, once. Nico’s father had been tall and imposting, so unlike his small, scrawny son.

“Daddy?” Charlie asked, sitting on the couch. She’d decided to wear a red knit sweater underneath her beloved overalls with poorly sewn patches in the knees. (Will could not sew, but at lease the holes were repaired!) “Is something wrong?”

“I’m just nervous,” He admitted to his daughter. He checked his watch, sucking in a sharp breath. “We’ve gotta go. Come on, Kiddo,” She jumped off the couch and followed him to the door. “Sure you don’t need a jacket?”  He asked as he pulled one over his shoulders.

“I’m fine,” She said, her tiny hand slipping into Will’s. “Now go, we can’t be late,”

Will let out a breath. “Right as always, Charlie,” He laughed.

Wen they were situated in the car, Will was about to pull out of the driveway, but then remembered the cheese cake he’d bought. He told Charlie to stay put before running inside. He pulled it out of the fridge as his phone began to ring in his back pocket.

Without looking, he answered, distracted. “Hello, Dr. William Solace speaking,”

A laugh filtered through the phone. “I know who you are, Will,” Nico chuckled. “I was just wondering if you were on your way,”

“Yeah, Charlie and I were about to head out, but I forgot the cheese cake. We’re leaving now.” Will said, locking his house’s door before making his way back to the car.

“You made cheese cake?” Nico sounded surprised.

“You over estimate my cooking abilities, Nico,” He said, setting the cake in the passenger seat before buckling in. “I bought it,”

“I figured as such. Cheese cake is hard to make,” Nico sighed again, then said something away from the phone. “Dante says hello,”

“Tell him we say hi back,” Will chuckled, continuing down the road.

“Oh, I should say, my brother-in-law, Frank, he’s lactose intolerant.” Nico mentioned. “Well, brother-in-law to be. He and Hazel are engaged.”

“Will I be your date to their wedding?” Will teased.

“Well, I’d love you too,” Nico’s voice held and edge of humor and embarrassment.

“Then it’s settled. But, right now I need to focus on driving, so we’ll talk more about this later, okay? I should be at your place in maybe fifteen minutes?” Will hummed as he turned a corner. “Ten, if traffic’s good,”

“Alright, see you soon,”

“See you. I love you, Neeks,”

“I love you, too,” He hummed before Will hung up.

“Hey, Daddy?” Charlie asked. “Can I ask you a question?”

“What’s up, kiddo?” Will glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

“Are you and Mr. Nico going to get married?”

Will almost choked. “Where did that come from?”

“You mentioned someone’s wedding, so I was wondering if you two would get married.” Charlie explained. “You love each other, don’t you?”

“Yes, we do love each other, but marriage is a big deal. And an even bigger step in our relationship. We both need to be ready for it.” Will tried to explain. Would he like to marry Nico? A million times, yes. Does Nico want to marry him? The answer scared Will.

“Did you marry my mom?” Charlie asked, becoming uncharacteristically quiet. “Did you love her?”

“Yes, I did.” Will said. “And I still do.”

“Do you regret marrying her?”

“No, nor do I regret having you.” Will hummed. “I love you, Charlie,”

“Love you, too, Old Man,” She giggled, returning to her normal self as if nothing had happened.

“Oh, hush,”

Will knocked on the door four times in rapid succession. It was a little sign to let Nico know who was there. The door opened slightly, revealing Nico’s messy black hair.

“Will?” He asked, slowly sniffing the hair.

“The one and only,” Will chuckled. “You guys ready to go?”

“Yeah, let me feed Cerberus before we go. Could you get Dante, please?” Nico opened the door more and stepped away, allowing them room to enter as he called his dog for feeding. Will stepped into the apartment, Charlie at his heels.

“Hi!” Dante called from the couch, smiling widely. Apparently, Nico has decided to dress him in a green sweatshirt and overalls, very similar to Charlie, Will mused. It was cute.

“Hey, Buddy, you ready?” Will asked, scooping up the little boy and balancing him on his hip.

“Yessir!” Dante continued to beam up at him. “Papa? Got Cerbie?”

“I got him, mio caro. Will, are we ready to go?” Nico asked, rubbing his dog’s head while leaning on his cane.

“Yep, let’s go. You’re going to have to tell me the address again, though,” Will said as he helped file everyone out of the apartment, turning the lights off and locking the door behind them.

After everyone was settled in the car; Nico in the passenger seat, holding the cheese cake in his lap, and the kids in the back seat while Will was driving, Nico gave him the directions to punch into the GPS on his phone and they were off.

The ride was peaceful enough, mostly in silence. Though, once, Nico had said, “We were supposed to turn there,” and Will almost panicked before he remembered that the cackling Omega was blind.

“You are horrible, Nico. Absolutely terrible. You’re setting a bad example for our children. Now, they’re going to grow up and be rebellious punks and they’ll be in jail before they graduate high school -“

“TURN LEFT IN ONE MILE.”

“Shut up,” Will told the GPS. Nico’s laugh was light and happy and Will’s heart soared in his chest, and he couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his own lips. He loved it when Nico laughed, and he’d do anything to make him do it again.

Will’s nerves were on fire, buzzing with fear and anxiety. Nico wrapped his arm around Will’s.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Nico smiled at him, Dante was sitting on his hip, his little hands bunching up his Papa’s shirt. Charlotte was tucked into Will’s other side, looking as nervous as Will felt.

“Yeah, okay. Okay. Should I knock?” Will asked.

Nico sighed and unwrapped his arm from Will’s and knocked on the door. A few moments later, a young woman opened the door, her skin the color of chocolate. “Nico!” She swept the young Omega up into a right hug which he returned gratefully.

“Hi, Hazel,” Nico chuckled. “I hope we’re not too late,”

“Oh, no, no, you guys are fine. Now, come in - you need to introduce this tall blondie to everyone,” She grinned, pulling away, then turned her attention to Dante. “There’s my favorite nephew!” She cried, pulling him away from Nico.

“Don’t hurt him, Hazel,” Nico shook his head. “Come on,” He held Will’s hand as they went inside. Dante laughed as Hazel played with him, babbling happily. Will held the cheese cake in one hand, and Charlie held his arm. Nico pulled away slowly, sniffing the air. “Hazel? Where is everyone?”

“They’re out back, Dad’s helping Frank with the grill,” Hazel smiled. “Your mom, I think is in the kitchen.”

“Thank you,” Nico said. “Will, could you take me to the kitchen? I haven’t been here in a while,”

“Yeah, here,” Will took Nico’s arm again and guided him through the house to the kitchen, which was thankfully easy to find and smelled heavenly. In the kitchen, a woman stood over a bot on the stover, her long black hair was tied into an intricate bun, softly streaked with silver.

Nico sniffed the air. “What’s for dinner? Spaghetti?”

The woman turned around, surprised. “Nico!” The woman abandoned her pot and rushed toward Nico, wrapping her arms around him in such a tight hug, Will feared his ribs would break. “How have you been?” She pulled away, holding Nico’s face in her hands. “You’ve been eating and sleeping well?”

“Yes, Mama,” Nico laughed, nuzzling into her touch. “What about you? You haven’t been overworking yourself, have you?”

“No, no, your father has made sure I haven’t been taking on more than I’m capable of,” She kissed Nico’s forehead. “And who are these two, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“This is Will Solace, we’ve been dating for several months, and his daughter, Charlie,” Nico said, then turned toward his companions. “And this is my amazing mother, Maria di Angelo,”

Will held out his hand, and Maria took it, smiling kindly. “It’s lovely to meet you, Will. I hope you’ve been taking good care of my son,”

“Of course, and we brought cheese cake,” Will said, lifting the box as if to present it like a prize on a game show.

“That’s lovely, I’m sure there’s room in the fridge,” Maria smiled. She was such a kind woman, Will felt all his anxieties melting away and he was smiling back at her with ease. As he moved to pt the cheese cake in the fridge, Maria began taking to Charlie, and very quickly, his daughter came out of her shell. “Will, you have a wonderful daughter,” Maria commented.

Will grinned, closing the refrigerator door. “And you have a wonderful son,” He found himself saying without much thought. When he turned, Nico’s face was bright red with embarrassment.

“Well, aren’t you sweet? Do you want to help me cook, Charlie?” The little girl nodded enthusiastically, her blond waves bouncing. “Is that alright, Will?”

“Yeah, that’s alright. If she gets hurt, let me know,” Will said. “Sometimes she gets herself into unwanted trouble,”

“Of course, but I’ll do what I can to prevent her from getting hurt. I raised Nico, after all,” Maria chuckled.

“Mama!” Nico somehow managed to turn a deeper shade of red. “I was not a problem child,”

“I didn’t say you were. Now, go talk to your father. Also, where is my grandson?” Maria frowned at them.

“Dante’s with Hazel. She kind of stole him,” Nico sighed. “Will? Are you ready to meet my father?”

“Nope.” Will leaned against the fridge with him arms crossed. “I think I’ll stay right here with your mom. I think she likes me,”

“Oh, Hades isn’t that bad,” Maria laughed. “Besides, I’m cooking and Nico needs someone to help him out back,”

“Alright, but if I don’t make it out alive, Charlie goes to my mom and Nico gets all my worldly possessions,” Will sighed. “Well, let’s go,” He pushed off the fridge and rested his hand on Nico’s shoulder. “Where do we. . . “

“There’s a sliding door in the living room.” Maria said. “You can’t miss it,”

“Thank you,” Will said as he guided Nico through the house. He still used his cane, though he relied on Will mostly. Will slid open the door and helped Nico stepped onto the back deck. Hazel had Dante bouncing in her lap while a tall chubby-muscular man stood next to an outdoor grill, trembling next to an even taller, pale man dressed in all black.

The man in black turned, his dark eyes landed on Will and the blond felt as if his soul was going to be torn from his body. The stare only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. The man stepped away from the grill and approached the duo, and Will thought he was going to die.

“Nico,” The man said, resting his hand on his son’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you,”

Nico grinned. “Why are you being so formal?” Then he hugged, the man, and his father smiled softly. 

“Who is your friend?” Hades asked, those endless black eyes once more landed on Will.

“This is Will, my boyfriend -  his daughter, Charlie, is in the kitchen with Mom,” Will said, pulling away. “Will, this is my Father, Hades, one of the best lawyers in the world.”

Hades held out his hand. “Hello, Will,”

Will took his hand, then without thinking, said, “Howdy,” He smiled, but he felt his soul shatter, torn apart by panic and humiliation. Nico stifled a laugh.

“You’ll have to excuse him. He’s from Texas.” Nico laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.

“I see,” Hades withdrew his hand. Will wanted to die. He’d told Nico’s father, one of the most intimidating men he’d ever met, “Howdy.” “Well, I’d better get back to helping Frank before he sets something on fire. Again.” He turned away, back to the other man at the grill.

Will nodded, trying to remember. “Frank is Hazel’s fiancee, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico replied. “He’s an Olympic archer. He also a war veteran, but he wasn’t in for too long.”

“Ah,” Will nodded. “I see,”

“He’s a sweet guy,” Hazel popped in, holding Dante. “You want your kid back?”

“Yes, please,” Nico took Dante from his sister.

“Come on, I’m going to get some drinks. You guys relax for now, okay?” Hazel said.

Nico agreed and Will helped him sit in one of the chairs at the table. Will sat next to him as Dante babbled about something he and Hazel had tased about. The Alpha tried to ease his nerves by taking in several deep breaths. Nico cocked his head, frowning.

“Are you okay, Will?” He asked, reaching out.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just nervous about the impression I’m making on your family. I think I messed things up - especially with your dad,” Will ran a hand down his dace, his voice dropping into a nervous whisper.

“I doubt that,”

“You didn’t see the look he gave me. It felt like he was staring straight into my soul.” Will shuddered, glancing to Hades and Frank, who’s backs were still turned to them. “I thought he was going to kill me,”

“Oh, he’s just like that,” Hazel said as she reappeared, holding a tray of drinks. “Tea? We have sweet tea and Maria mad one with pomegranates and lime,”

“Gimme,” Nico held out his hand. “I want a cup before Dad drinks it all.”

Hazel chuckled as she passed the cup over. “Here’s a normal sweet tea for Dante,” She set a plastic cup on the table in front of them. “Will? What would you like?”

“I’ll take a sweet tea, please,” Hazel easily passed it over, He took a sip and sighed at the familiar taste. “My mom used to make tea like this,”

“Maybe, it’s a southern thing,” Nico hummed, setting his pomegranate tea down. “Hazel was born in New Orleans,”

“I lived there most my life, then Alaska, then California, where I met Frank, and now I’m here,” Hazel nodded.

“Texas, born and raised, then California for high school.” Will  said. “Then New York for university and med school. Now I’m here,”

“It’s a southern thing,”  Nico chuckled again.

“Whatever you say,” Hazel shook her head, her curly hair bouncing around her head.

“If you don’t mind me asking - how are you two related?” Will asked. “I mean, do you have different moms or is Hazel adopted or something? I’m sorry, that’s probably insensitive -”

“Same dad, different moms,” Hazel said. “Dad always said it was a drunken affair or something, he paid child support and such when he found out I existed. When we were living in Alaska, my mom died - and I was sent to live with Nico and his family. Maria was very forgiving and she has always treated me like her own daughter. She still does,”

“Wow, Maria sounds like a wonderful woman,” Will smiled.

“She is,” Nico, Hazel and Hades all said. Will saw Frank nod his head in agreement out of the corner of his eye.

“Who is what?” Maria asked, stepping outside, Charlie right behind her. Maria set some pitchers of tea on the table as Charlie all but ran to Will’s side.

“You’re wonderful,” Hades smiled at his wife, and for the first time, Will wasn’t scared of him.

“She really is,” Charlie told her father. “She’s so nice and smart and she’s really, really good at cooking. So much better than you,”

“Charlotte,” Will sighed. “I’m not that bad at cooking,” He turned to Nico. “Am I?”

“You could do better, if you wanted to,” Nico his his grin in his drink. Will let out a sigh. “You lack the passion, Will,”

“Passion? In cooking?” The blond snorted.

“Yes,” Maria said. “You have to love what you’re making. You need to put your heart and soul into each recipe, or else it will come out bland and heartless. Also use the right seasonings.”

“Right,” Will nodded. “Don’t want to use the wrong seasonings,”

It was probably the most unconventional Thanksgiving dinner Will had ever been to - As it turned out, Maria and Nico were both born in Italy and never celebrated the American holiday; Hades was from Greece and Frank was Chinese-Canadian. The only reason the whole family was there was because of Hazel. Will found it sweet that so many people would do something for someone, just because they were family.

Maria had made a wonderful pasta that wasn’t spaghetti, like Nico had teased when they first arrived. Will didn’t know what it was called, but it was delicious, and he asked if he could get the recipe. Nico told him that I was a secret family recipe - one of hundreds, apparently - and as Will was far from being in the di Angelo bloodline, he’d never be able to read them.

“Technically, they go to me, next. But I’m blind, and they’re all written down in Italian. Dante will be the real next in line,” Nico told him. “It’s tradition, Will.”

“I get it, tradition is tradition.” Will nodded, understanding the importance.

Frank and Hades had grilled the turkey, for no traditional reason, other than Hazel wanted to try it. Will thought it was delicious, smokey and juicy. He’d never grilled a turkey before, but he found it greatly enjoyable.

After the main course of food, Maria and Hazel went inside to get dessert - Will’s cheese cake, an Italian cream cake and a peach cobbler. Everything except Will’s cheese cake was dairy free, which Frank found disappointing, because the cheese cake looked good.

“I’m sorry, man. I didn’t know you were lactose intolerant,” Will apologized. “Next time, I’ll try to find a dairy free one,”

Frank shook his head. “No, no it’s alright. I promise,”

“But I insist,” Will smiled.

“Oh no,” Nico groaned. “We’re stuck in a never ending cycle of nice guys,” Will felt his face heat up.

“You’re the one who invited me,” Will poked Nico’s side.

“Yes, but I didn’t expect you and Frank to get in an infinite loop of being nice to each other,” Nico sighed.

“Well, I don’t want to be rude to your family,”

“Is it even possible for you to be rude?” 

“Well,” The blond stopped. “My mother taught me to be kind to everyone.”

“My point, exactly.” Nico waved his arm.

Will sighed in defeat. “Alright, you win,”

“Thank you,” Nico smiled, and Will’s heart melted a little.

“Honestly,” Hazel piped up. “I don’t remember the last time Nico smiled this much,”

“You know, I think the last time he did, he was ten,” Maria said. “I’m glad you’re making him happy again, Will,”

“He deserves all the happiness in the world,” Slipped from the Texan’s mouth before he could think. Nico turned red and hid his dace in his hands, grumbling something Will didn’t understand.

“Perché se cosi, Will?” Nico groaned. “Come stai così dolce senza provarci?”

Maria laughed. “Penso che sia meraviglioso. Non dare per scontata la sua gentilezza e generosità,” 

“Non preoccuparti, mamma, non lo farò. Sono solo sopraffatto da quanto sia carino, a volte.” Nico sat up, his cheeks still red. “Sono più che certo di amarlo.” 

Hades raised an eyebrow as Maria’s grin widened. “È meraviglioso, Nico! Sono contento che ti renda felice. Come ha detto, ti meriti la felicità.”

“Se ti fa de male, figliolo, dimmed e me ne occuperò io.” Hades said. “Sarò sicuro Che non ti farà man più de male."

“Papà!” Nico groaned, his head thrown back. “Per favor, non ucciderlo. È illegale!” 

“Che non mi ha fermato prima,”

“Hades,” Maria scolded. “That’s enough - we shouldn’t leave everyone out of the conversation,”

“How about we change the subject all together?” Nico suggested, and Will found it cute how his voice still held an accent. “Frank, Hazel, have you two come up with any wedding plans? Set a date?”

Frank’s face went red. “N-No dates yet, we’re still trying to figure things out. Budget, where we’d want to be married, where we’d honeymoon,”

“The guest list is still being worked out, you know? A lot of stuff,” Hazel added, equally flustered, fanning her face with her hand.

“I am a wedding planner,” Maria said. “If you two need any help, I’m here,”

“If you need any help, you’d be the first person we’d go to,” Hazel smiled.

“I can send you two some images of previous venues I’ve worked on. Just to give you two some ideas if it helps?” Maria offered.

“That would be wonderful, thank you so much, Maria. We’d really appreciate the help,” Hazel hummed, sipping some of her tea. “Oh, Nico, do you think you two will ever get married?”

Will nearly choked on his bite of cheese cake, his face heating up, and a glance in Nico’s direction proved that he was also bright red.

“Listen - I - We h-haven’t thought about - we’re not even planning -“ Nico stuttered, waving his hands. “I-I mean - I don’t know if we - it’s like -“ Nico dissolved into a mess of embarrassed stuttering.

“What he means is we’re too early in our relationship to make any big decisions like marriage. We haven’t even begun to consider it,” Will stepped in, though his face was burning. He rubbed Nico’s back until he composed himself once again.

“So, we’re not going to be hearing wedding bells any time soon?” Hazel asked, almost pouting.

“No, unfortunately not,” Will said. Nico nodded slowly, agreeing silently. “Who knows, maybe one day,”

“Who knows,” Hazel grinned, her golden eyes shining with mischief.

Will fell back onto Nico’s couch. He sighed, closing his eyes. Nico’s family was nice, really, they were, but the Alpha still just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to mess up and do or say something wrong. Especially around Hades. The man was terrifying in so many ways, on several occasions, he’d give Will that looks - like he was staring into the blond’s soul, judging it and picking it apart to find any and all weaknesses to exploit - and Will would think he was about to be killed, but Hades would instead ask a simple question, “What do you do for work?” “Where did you go to school?” “How did you and Nico meet?”

Hazel and Frank were both sweet and Will found himself more at ease with the,. Though Hazel would sometimes be overbearing in the way protective sisters are, but Will never once felt like was about to be murdered, though he didn’t doubt that Hazel could very easily kill him.

Nico’s mother, Maria, was by far the most welcoming and gentle of Nico’s family, thought she quickly and easily threw insults and sassy comments as needed. Which she did a lot when they spoke of Will’s university, where Maria has attended for her business management degrees. Apparently, she’d had some of Will’s teachers when she was attending, and they quickly bonded over their hatred for one of the old deans, whoo had retire in Will’s third year due to heart problems.

Maria, upon hearing that news, had commented, “I can’t believe that old fat cow actually has a heart!” Nico had choked on his drink while trying not to laugh.

Now, Will and Nico were back at the Omega’s apartment, Charlie half asleep while Dante was out cold. Nico had taken the time to tuck Dante in while Will and Charlie waited in the living room.

“Hey,” Nico hummed, leaning on the back of the couch to Will’s right. His small, delicate hand rested on Will’s shoulder. “You guys want to stay the night?”

Will sighed. “I’ve got work in the morning.

“Charlie can stay here, I’ll take care of her while you’re at work, if you’d like.” Nico offered. “You think that’d be okay, or do you want to take her home?”

Will thought for a moment. “I’ll take her home, but I could drop her off before work. It’d be early, though,”

“That’s okay,” Nico nodded. “I’ll be up,”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am,” Nico smiled sweetly.

“Alrighty then,” Will stood and stretched his arms above his head. “I guess we’ll see you in the morning,” He turned to Charlie, who’d dozed off on the recliner. Careful not to wake his daughter, Will scooped her up, her head resting against his shoulder.

“I’ll see you two in the morning,” Nico smiled again. “And Will?”

“Yeah? He asked, stepping toward the door, Nico close behind him.

“Thank you for coming and meeting my family.” Nico smiled before kissing him goodnight.

Chapter Text

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas flew by very fast. At least, they did for Nico. Most of the time, it was him trying to plan a trip to Texas with the help of a four year old and a seeing eye dog. In other words, Nico was trying to plan a trip to Texas and failing miserably. He’d voiced that to Will once, and the Alpha had kissed him, and told him not to worry about anything; that everything would be taken care of. Nico tried to protest, insisting on helping, but Will assured him it was fine. In the end, Nico reluctantly relented. 

Now, it was about a week before Christmas, and Nico was running around, trying to make sure he had everything. Will had to sit him down and help him calm down before running through a checklist of everything.

Suitcases with proper clothing for Nico and Dante? Check.

Legal papers to allow Cerberus to fly? Check.

Legal papers signed by Nico’s father allowing Will to take him to another state without it seeming like Omega trafficking? Check.

Presents for Will and his mother? Check. (Nico didn’t know what to get his whole family, so he just got gifts for those who were most important.)

Presents for Charlie and Dante? Check.

“Is that everything?” Will asked. “Because the flight leaves in an hour and a half,”

“Yeah, I think so,” Nico nodded. “The kids? Where are they at?”

“They’re in Dante’s room,” Will said. “I need to get them,” Will kissed his forehead. “I’ll be right back,”

“Okay,” A few minutes later, Will returned with the kids. Dante immediately rant to Nico, climbing into his lap. “Hey, mio caro, you two ready?”

“Uh-huh,” He mumbled, yawning. “When we leave?”

“In just a few minutes, Will’s got to put some things in the car.” Nico rubbed his soft hair. “Charlie?”

“Yessir?” Nico held out his hand, and she took it. As it turned out, she’s inherited Will’s ability to always have warm hands.

“Are you ready? Do you need to get anything else?” He asked.

“I am, and Dante is, too! We’ve got everything,” Charlie said confidently. Nico couldn’t help but smile. Charlie was such a sweet girl, her confidence and positivity were as contagious as Will’s.

“Hey, you guys need anything else packed in the car?” Will’s voice was a bit away, near the door, as far as Nico could tell. “We’ve got Cerberus in, as well as our luggage.”

“I think I’ve got everything - My wallet and legal papers should be in my carry-on, right?” Nico asked, standing up, holding onto Dante.

“Yes, they are.” He hummed. “What about you two? Do you think you’re going to need anything else? Books or something to do on the plane,”

“I’ve got things,” Charlie told her father.

“I got color books!” Dante nearly shouted in excitement, his little hand smacking Nico in the face as he threw them up. “Sorry, Papa!” He said immediately.

Nico sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around his baby. “Watch where you swing your arms,” He said. “Okay?”

“Ok’y, Papa,” Dante said, much quieter.

Will cursed under his breath. “We’ve got to go,”

“Watch your language, William,” Nico frowned “There are children here,”

“I’ll watch my language when we’re not running late,” He teased, his voice moving about the room, likely picking up their carry-on luggage and whatnot. Then Charlie let out a yelp, and Nico tensed, frowning. “I picked her up, don’t worry. Do I need to carry Dante? Here’s your cane,” Nico reached out blindly, his hand waving in open air before Will set the cane in his hand.

“I’ve got him, don’t worry.” Nico shook his head, shifting Dante on his hip. “Is there anything I can carry?”

“I’ve got everything,”

“Will, let me help,” Nico insisted. “You don’t need to do everything yourself. I don’t want you to overwork yourself trying to take care of all of us.”

“I’ve got it, Neeks,” Will sighed. “I promise,”

Nico let out a deep sigh. “Will, please, this is your vacation, you’re supposed to relax. Let me help,”

“Okay, okay,” Will moved around and there was a small thump. Nico felt Will pull his hand over to a much smaller one. “Hold Charlie’s hand, don’t let her run off,”

Nico breathed out through his nose, but held the girl’s hand nonetheless.

The airport was loud - too many people going here and and there, Nico was shaking the entire time. He kept Dante close, holding Cerberus’ harness tightly while walking beside Will. He asked for Will, but there was no response other than the loud bustling of the crowds. Panic bit into Nico’s heart when there was a tug on the back of his coat.

“Mr, Nico, it’s Charlie. Daddy stopped walking and you kept going. He got scared when you weren’t there, he sent me to get you,” Charlie said, taking his hand. “C’mon he’s this way,”

Nico couldn’t bring himself to say anything to he simply let her to guide them back.

“Nico!” Will’s voice was breathless with relief, and Nico was swept into a tight, protective hug. Nico pulled away to set Dante down before pulling Will back against him, taking in his sweet summery scent and burying his face in his warm neck. “We’re holding hands from now on,” Will whispered in his ear. “I don’t want to lose you again, even for a minute,”

Nico couldn’t hold back the breathless noise he made, whether it be a laugh or something else, he didn’t know. He picked Dante up once again and tucked himself under Will’s arm as they got Cerberus into his crate. Nico didn’t like the idea of Cerberus being locked away like that, but they couldn’t let him in the cabin. Nico rubbed his head as he fed him a treat, whispering that they’d have him out of there as soon as they could.

Nico held onto Will’s hand, gripping it tightly as they made their way through the aisle. Dante was still balanced on his hip, holding Nico’s folded up cane. As far as Nico could guess, Charlie was  either in front of Will or between the two of them.

“Okay, right here. Nico you take the window seat. Then Dante sits next to you. Here, let me get your bags-“ Nico shrugged off his and Dante’s carry-on bags and let Will take them as Nico wedged himself into the seats, setting Dante down before sitting himself. “I’ll sit next to Dante and Charlie, you get the aisle seat,”

“Why?” She asked.

“Because I need to get to Nico if he starts panicking,” Will responded.

“Why would he panic?”

“When I was a kid I got into a plane crash with my mom and sister,” Nico explained, chewing on his lower lip. “I over think things sometimes.”

“Oh,” Charlie quieted. “I’m sorry,”

“It’s okay, dear,” Nico smiled toward the sound of her voice. “Just listen to your dad, okay?”

The girl hummed her affirmative, and Nico relaxed back against the seat. Will dean his fingers through his hair once, before he mumbled that he was going to get their seatbelts buckled.  He heard a click before he felt Will lean over and pull his belt over his lap, then another click. “There you go,” Will cupped his cheek, brushing his thumb over the skin beneath his eye. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah, just nervous,” Nico sighed, nuzzling into Will’s warm hand. Purring contentedly as the Alpha’s comforting presence. “You’ll be hear the entire time, right?”

“If I leave to use the restroom, I’ll tell you,” Will chuckled, pulling away. Nico immediately missed the warmth of his touch.

“How long is the flight?” Nico asked.

“Anywhere between four and five hours,” Will said. “Do you need anything?”

“I have a book in my carry-on, if you’ll grab it for me?” Nico hummed.

“Yeah, one sec,” He heard Will rifle through the compartment above their head. “Damn,” Will hissed. “This is heavy,”

“The pages that Braille is printed on is usually thicker than normal paper books are printed as.” Nico explained, taking the book from Will’s hand. He ran his fingers over the edges of the book. He frowned. “Where’s my bookmark?”

“Here,” Will opened the book for him.

“Thanks,”Nico hummed, setting the book in his lap before running his fingers over the Braille cells.

“How,” Will began to say. “How do you read Braille?”

“Well,” Nico began, but a flight attendant started to speak about the safety procedures they’d have to follow in case of an emergency. Nico stayed quiet, listening to her speak. When she was done, he sighed. “You need to know the letters before you actually start reading. Like, okay, there’s a different pattern for each letter,” Nico frowned, trying to explain it. “Each letter is in a cell, which is normally six little spaces, oh - here, give me your hand,” Nico slipped his fingers over the page before finding the letter A. He took the Alpha’s hand, guiding it over the letter. “This is A, I’m sure you could find some beginning books, if you’re looking to learn. I doubt I’d be a good teacher. You just need to memorize what each letter feels like and go from there,”

“I see,” Will hummed. “How long did it take for you to learn how to read Braille?”

“How long did it take for you to learn how to read?” Nico shot back.

“Touché,” Will chuckled. “Are you going to teach Dante how to read Braille, even if he’s not blind?”

“If he wants to learn,” Nico nodded. “Dante? Are you alright?”

“Uh-huh,” Dante yawned. “Sleepy,”

“Oh, poor baby,” Nico crooned, his lips curling up into a smile. “I’m sorry we had to get up so early, tesoro mio, you can nap now, if you’d like,” The pup mumbled something in his tired little voice, before he tried to lay against Nico, though the armrest was in the way.

“Here,” Will said, and Dante’s weight was lifted from his arm, then returned against his thigh. “I put the arm rest up so he can lay down,”

“Thank you,” Nico smiled, running his fingers through Dante’s hair.

The rest of the fight went by slowly, not to mention mostly uneventfully. Once, when Nico was coming out of the restroom, someone pulled him out of the aisle into their lap. They started to say something before Will intervened, pulling him up and helping him back to their seats. Will kept a strong hold on Nico’s hand for the rest of the flight. By the time they landed, Will had relaxed his protective hold on the Omega’s hand, but did not let go for a second. Will even kept Nico and the kids close as they got their bags and Cerberus.

Nico had immediately dropped to his knees and rubbed his beloved dog’s face when he was let out of his crate. Dante tucked himself under Nico’s arms and put the dog as well. It took several minutes for Will to convince Nico to get back to his feet so they could head out to find Will’s mother, who had said she was going to pick them up from the airport. Nico finally sighed, allowing Will to fasten the harness around Cerberus’ torso.

“There we go,” Will said. “Come one, Mom should be waiting,”

“What? You think she just wouldn’t come pick is up?” Nico chucked, pulling Dante up onto his hip before taking the bar of Cerberus’ harness in his free hand. Will guided them through the airport, Will vaguely explaining that he didn’t want his mother waiting for longer than she had to. When they got outside, the air was biting and cold, the wind piercing trough Nico’s coat. Dante buried his face in Nico’s neck like he always did when his little face was cold. Will wrapped his arm around Nico, both keeping him warm and guiding him.

“Where is she?” Will murmured. “I thought I told her the right time we were landing,”

“Maybe there was traffic?” Nico tried to offer. “Or she got a new car that you don’t recognize?”

“Mm,” Will hummed. “I don’t know,” He pulled his hand away, and Nico frowned. “I’m going to call her, don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere,” Nico nodded, desperate to be close to the Alpha again, but stayed silent as Will called. “Hey, Mom, we just landed,” Silence. “Yeah, we’re outside.” More silence. “Yeah, that’d be good,” Will laughed. “Thanks, Ma,” Will’s arm was wrapped around him again a moment later. “She’s going to be driving up here in a minute. She decided to park a little bit away.”

“See, there was nothing to worry about,” Nico smiled. “What did I tell you?”

“That she was stuck in traffic?” Charlie asked.

“I did say that,” Nico laughed, tucking Dante’s head under his chin. “But I meant that there was a rational reason she was late,”

“You’re right,” Will pulled away as Nico heard a car pull up. “Mom!” He called, ad Nico was left standing there, cold and awkward as the two talked, catching up as quickly as they could, Charlie piping up every now and then.

“Alright, Mom, this is Nico, and his son, Dante.” Nico felt Will’s hand on his arm, pulling the Omega closer to him. “Nico this is the one and only, Naomi Solace, my mother,”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Solace,” Nico shifted Dante on his hip and held out his hand, and Naomi took it.

“No Mrs., I never married.” Naomi laughed. “Besides, you can just call me Naomi,”

“Oh, sorry,” Nic mumbled, embarrassed. “It is nice to meet you, though, Naomi. Will’s told me a lot about you,”

“Well, I hope I can live up to the legends,” She laughed again. “Now, c’mon y’all. We’d better get back home before Nana tried to cook again.”

“She needs to stop,” Will shook his head. “Especially after last time.”

“What happened last time?” Nico asked.

“She started to boil some water for something and set the kitchen on fire.”

“Oh, wow. Even I’ve never done that,” Nico laughed nervously, rubbing the handle on Cerberus’ harness.

“I hope your rottie is friendly,” Naomi commented. “We’ve got two golden retrievers back home,”

“Oh, Cerberus is very playful,” Nico said. “I don’t doubt that they’ll get along just fine,”

“That’s good. Here, I’ll get your pup in the car,” Naomi said, and Nico hesitantly let her take Dante from him to place in the car.

“Do you want to sit up front, Nico?” Will asked. “It’ll e less cramped - extra leg room and such.”

“If you’re alright with it. I know you’re taller than me,” Nico nodded, but Will helped him up into the front seat anyway. Nico buckled himself in as Will closed the door.

“Cerberus is going to be in the back, okay?” Will said, his voice coming from somewhere behind Nico.

“Yeah, that’s okay,” Nico nodded, though he assumed it was pointless to do.

“Is he good in cars?” Naomi asked. “Your dog, I mean.”

“Oh, he’s great. Only barks when he sees other dogs and stops when he can put his head out the window.” Nico said.

“That’s good, he seems very well trained,”

“He used to be a guard dog. Now, he’s my eyes and emotional support,” Nico explained. “I - uh, tend to have panic attacks, sometimes. I’ve been through some stuff and it’s even harder to work with when you can’t see,”

“Oh, you poor dear,” Naomi brushed her fingers over Nico’s cheek. “We’ll try to make things easy for you back home. I can’t promise it’ll be perfect, but we’ll try,”

“Thank you, but you don’t have to go through so much trouble. I just need to be able to walk around without running into anything.” Nico chuckled, his stomach twisting oddly.

“Hey, Ma?” Will butted in. “Do you know if Pop Pop is going to try to shoot off fireworks again?”

“We told him not to bring any, especially after last New Years,” Naomi sighed. “Why do you ask?”

“Loud noises trigger panic attacks,’ Nico explain. “And Dante doesn’t like them, either. He cried during the fourth of July fireworks show we watch on TV,”

“Oh,” Nico heard Will croon, possibly to Dante. “If he tries to set any off I’m going to dump water over his head while he’s sleeping,”

“Why?” Nico asked.

“Because,” Will laughed. “It’s fun,”

“Or we could throw him in the river again.” Naomi laughed.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to meet your family, Will,” Nico said. “They sound like they’re, well, a lot,”

“Oh, trust me, we are, but its all in good fun,” Will’s warm hand rubbed against Nico’s shoulder in a comforting grasp. “If you need a break, we could go hiking for a bit. There’s an easy trail near the farm, if you want to go. Or we could just relax in a cornfield,”

Nico found himself smiling at the idea of walking alone in nature with Will, while relaxing in a cornfield seems creepy, he was certain that the Alpha wouldn’t let any harm come to him. “That sounds really nice,”

“Yeah,” Will hummed, almost dreamily.

“If you don’t mind, could you run through the family again? Just so I know who I’ll be meeting,” Nico asked.

“Yeah. Well, you’ve met my mom. Isn’t she the best?” Nico hummed his agreement. “There’s Pop Pop and Big Mama, my grandparents. They’ve been staying with Mom for maybe ten years now? They’re really sweet, though Pop Pop smokes a lot and listens to bad news. Nana has also been living with Mom for as long as I can remember.”

“Is she your grandmother on your dad’s side?” Nico asked.

“No, no, she’s my great-grandmother.” Will said. 

“Then Aunt Josephine is visiting,” Naomi said. “We weren’t expecting her to be able to make the trip, but Darren and Latricia manage to get her over here. Oh - Darren and Latricia are my cousins, by the way, Nico,” Naomi added.

“Are Austin and Kayla visiting, too?”

“They are,” Naomi said. “They arrived a few days ago.”

“Who’s Austin and Kayla?” Nico asked. 

“Ah, depending on how you look at it, they’re my siblings and my cousins.” Will said. “My father - ah, he got around a lot. Had a kid with mom - me, obviously. As well as with Darren, Kayla’s dad and one with Latricia, and that’s Austin.”

“Did he know?” Nico was astonished, he couldn’t wrap his head around how a man could be so unfaithful. He knew his own father wasn’t perfect, but Will’s father seemed to act like some horny teenager.

“As far as we can tell, no,” Naomi sighed. “He never stuck around to find out he had kids with any of us,”

“Fannullone,” Nico murmured.

“What?” Naomi asked.

“Ah, nothing, nothing,” Nico chuckled nervously.

“Was that Italian?” She asked, pressing on.

“I- Yeah. I was born in Venice,” Nico fiddled with his coat’s zipper. “Me and my parents talk in Italian a lot,”

“Nana was born in Florence,” Naomi laughed. “But she spent most of her life in Sicily. I’m sure you could understand her stories better than the rest of us,”

“I’ve always wanted to go to Sicily,” Nico smiled, bemused.

“I think Nana is going to like you, Nico,”

“I hope so,” Nico leaned back in his seat, trying to relax before meeting the rest of Will’s family.

Nico held Dante close, trying to make sense of all the new scents and sounds. There was a lot of people and animals running about, talking and catching up. Nico had allowed Cerberus to mingle with Will’s dogs - Camper and Bailey, who were twins according to Will. Dante was too scared to try to talk to anyone, so he chose to cling to Nico’s chest, who held back and allowed Will to do all the talking and the answering of questions. Nico had eventually taken his seat on the couch, Dante in his lap, holding his shirt in a vice grip.

“Hey,” Will set next to him. “How are we doin’?”

“Anxious, nervous, confused,” Nico responded, his voice a little shaky.

“Scared,” Dante added. “Sleepy,”

“Is it too much? Are you going to have a panic attack?” Will asked. “We can go somewhere else if you need,”

“No, I think I’m okay. But going somewhere else might be a good idea,” Nico sighed, leaning against Will’s warmth.

“C’mon, we’ll go up to my old room, okay?” Will hummed softly. “We’ll relax and maybe unpack,”

“Okay,” Nico nodded, sitting up, and standing. “Is Charlie going to be okay?”

“Ah,” Will made a sound like he was trying to suck air through his teeth. “Yeah, I think she’ll be okay. Mom will keep her out of trouble, I’m sure” Will pulled Nico gently through the room, and Nico could feel Dante wrapping his arms around his neck. The Alpha helped him up the stairs, Nico carefully took each step up, until Will said they’d reached the top. “My room is the last one down this hall,” Will mumbled to him. Nico pulled one hand away from Dante and ran it along the wall, feeling where there were doors and pictures and such until  his fingers reached the corner. Nico pressed his hand to the cool wood in front of him.

“This one?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Yep,” Will said. “Mom said she cleaned it up a bit since I was here last, so I don’t know how much it’s changed.”

“What about Charlie and Dante? Will they sleep with us or in another room?” Nico found the doorknob and twisted it, pushing the door open.

“They’ll be in the room next door,” Will said. “I already asked my mom about that,”

“Okay, good,” Nico nodded. “I don’t want him too far away,”

“Of course,” Will kissed his forehead. “Dante, bud, do you still want to take a nap?”

“Uh-huh,” Dante mumbled, yawning.

“Here, I’ll put him down for a nap, okay?” Will carefully lifted the pup from Nico’s arms. Nico leaned toward him and pressed a kiss to his pup’s soft hair. Dante mumbled something, and Nico felt Will move past him. “We’ll be next door, in the room to the left, okay?”

“Okay," Nico nodded. When he thought Will was gone, he carefully walked through the room, brushing his fingertips over the surfaces of the dresser, feeling the objects that lay on top - a hairbrush,  a glass jar that could’ve been a candle or a small vase or a pencil cup. Nico slowly made his way around the room, taking in the new surroundings the best he could. He sighed, finding the bed. He allowed himself to lay back on the soft covers. Nico felt something grab his leg, and he jerked, kicking at whatever was there in a panic.

“Nico, Nico, it’s me, It’s Will, calm down,: Will’s voice said as his foot was caught in strong hands. “It’s okay, I was just going to take your shoes off. I’m sorry I scared you. Are you okay?”

“I- Don’t do that,” Nico breathed deeply, panting as his fear ebbed away. “Come here,” He held out his arms and Will was there, pressed close to him, and Nico wrapped his arms around Will’s neck. Nico pressed his nose into Will’s warm skin, purring as his summery scent washed away the last of his panic. He loved Will, more than anything. He wished he had the words to tell him how much the Alpha meant to him, but Nico was always at a loss for words. “I’m sorry,” He whispered after several minutes. “I didn’t mean to kick you.”

Will chuckled. “Its okay, I snuck up on you. I should’ve let you know I was here,” Will rubbed Nico’s back in slow, methodical circles. “Are you okay?”

Nico hummed, nodding into his neck “Just tired, Will,”

“Do I need to put you down for a nap, too?” The Alpha teased.

“No, I don’t think so. Thought I wouldn’t mind laying here with you for a bit longer,” Nico mumbled into his boyfriend’s touch. He felt the Alpha’s chest shake with gentle laughter.

“Will you take your shoes off?” He poked Nico’s sides.

“Of course,” Nico pulled away reluctantly, taking off his shows and dropping them onto the floor. He laid back, letting Will join him. The Omega nestled into the Alpha’s side, once again melting into his touch.

It wasn’t much, but just laying there, tucked against Will’s side, made Nico so indescribably happy. The little things, Nico mused. The little things always matter the most. The ways Will made him happy were plentiful and every time Will’s warm, gentle hand brushed against the kids on his hand or for sent shivers down his spine. When Will held him, Nico always felt safe, like nothing wrong could ever happen to him, because Will was there.

“Hey,” Will murmured into his hair. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking. Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m great,” Will chuckled. “This is really nice.”

“It is,” Nico smiled. “Can I ask you a serious question?”

“Of course,”

“Lately, I’ve been thinking about things. Us, specifically. What we are, you know?”

Will tensed in his touch. “Yeah?”

“I think our relationship has been going really well, and it’s almost scary,” Nico rubbed Will’s shoulder, massaging his muscles, trying to help him relax.

“Are we breaking up?” Will asked, tensing up even more, sitting up and pulling away. “Did I do something wrong? Is it my family?”

“No! No, no no,” Nico reached out, managing to cup Will’s cheek in his palm. “No, Will, I’m not breaking up with you. I love you too much. I love you more than words could ever say.” He kissed the Alpha, holding him close, trying to steal his warmth and swallow his breath. After several moments of their lips moving against one another, Nico pulled away, just a few inches. “I love you, so much, Will,”

“I love you too, Nico. What - What was your question?”

Nico kissed him softly. “Will you marry me?”

Chapter Text

Nico waited patiently, Will’s face still in his hands and the silence crushing them in its overbearing presence. Will continued to say nothing for several agonizing minutes and Nico felt scared. When he was about to pull his hands away, he felt something cold and wet fall over his skin. Nico blinked, was Will crying?

“Will?” He asked quietly. “Are you okay?”

“I-I don’t know,” The Alpha sobbed, his forehead falling against Nico’s. ”Are you being serious? Really?”

“I was going to ask on Christmas,” Nico chuckled. “But who doesn’t like getting their presents early?”

Will didn’t say anything, only pulled Nico into another kiss, and Nico wiped away his tears. “I love you, so much, Nico. It would be an honor to marry you.”

Nico felt heart soar at the words. He’d begun to worry that will was going to reject him, but he didn’t. “Could you hand me my carry-on bag?”

“Yeah, one sec,” The Alpha dropped a chaste kiss to his forehead before his presence pulled away. Thankfully it was only a moment  before he was back, setting the back in Nico’s lap. The Omega patted the side pockets before unzipping one of the pouches, producing a small, velvet covered box with a small plastic ribbon stuck on top.

“I’m sorry it’s not very decorative, but here,” Nico passed it to the Alpha. A second later, he heard a gasp from the doctor.

“Nico, how did you get this?” Will asked, breathless. “It fits me,”

“Before my parents left town, back during Thanksgiving,  I asked if they’d take me to a jewelry store and they helped me buy it. It’s nothing fancy, it’s just the engagement ring,” Nico ducked his head in embarrassment.

“What are the actual rings going to be if this is nothing fancy,?” Will asked, pulling Nico into a tight hug.

The Omega laughed. “You’ll see,”

“But seriously, how did you get this in my size?” Will asked.

“It’s dumb,” Nico shook his head.

“Tell me,”

“The ring sizer thing they had, I held it between my fingers until I felt like I was holding your hand,” Nico said, his face warm.

Will made a noise in his throat, something happy, and held him closer, pressing kisses all over Nico’s cheeks and face. The Omega smiled, feeling Will’s kisses against his face. He felt his heart swell up like a balloon full of helium and soar above the world. He felt a purr and a laugh bubble up in his chest and he grabbed Will’s face, kissing him until they were breathless. Nico didn’t want to let go of Will. He felt bubbly and happy with him, more so than he could ever remember being. He smiled against Will’s warm skin, drunk on his love for the Alpha - his Alpha.

Nico purred louder at that thought, hugging Will close. Will was his Alpha. In the past, Nico could never truly imagine himself settling down with someone, becoming someone’s Omega. But with Will? He wanted nothing more than to wake up to his scent surrounding him, his warmth enveloping him, his love filling him from his feet to his head.  He wanted to be with Will every second of his life, and he hoped that Will felt the same way.

“Nico?” Will chuckled. “You okay?”

“I’m happy. It’s just,” Nico buried his face in Will’s neck. “You have made me happier in these past few months than anything else has in years. Honestly, I don’t remember a time when I was happier. It’s - It’s hard to put into words. I just - I - “ Nico took a deep breath. “There are thousands of languages, millions of words in each one and there is no possible way for me to string together the right words to explain how much I love you and how much you mean to me.”

“I-“ Will started to say, but stopped himself. He held Nico closer to him. “I love you,” He whispered in his ear.

Nico grinned. “I love you, too, Will. You mean everything to me,”

“You mean everything to me,” The Alpha laughed.

“Hey,” Another voice chirped, and after a second, Nico recognized it as Charlie. “What about me?”

“Oh, hush. We’re having a moment,” Will sighed, barely pulling away from Nico.

“If you’re having a moment, expect me to ruin it,” Charlie huffed. “Were you crying?”

“I-“ Will began.

“Did you hurt him?” Charlie pulled on Nico’s hand, her voice angry.

“No, no, Charlie, honey.” Will said. “Nico just made me so happy I cried,”

“What did he do?” Her tone was still accusatory, as if she didn’t believe him.

“He asked me to marry him,” Will said, squeezing Nico with the arm that was still wrapped around his waist. “Of course, I said yes.”

“Aw,” Charlie crooned, her anger seemingly disappearing. “Do I get to be the flower girl?”

Nico laughed. “Certainly,”

“Good,” Charlie huffed, proud.

“We’ll figure out everything later, though.” Will said. “Wedding take a lot of planning and money,”

“Doesn’t Nico’s mom work with weddings?”

“Yeah, she does. I’m sure she’d help, but I don’t want to stress her out.” Nico sighed, resent his head on Will’s shoulder.

“I get that,” Will hummed. “But we’re going to need help sooner or later,”

“Yeah,” Nico chuckled. “But that’s a thought for another day.”

“A day I can’t wait for,” Will pressed a kiss to the Omega’s temple.

Over the next week, Nico got to know Will’s family more, and he didn’t know if that was a particularly good thing.

The Alpha’s cousins/sibling, Austin and Kayla were alright enough in Nico’s book. They were still in high school, though Kayla was in her senior year while Austin was a year younger. They both talked a lot, and Nico almost couldn’t keep up with their seemingly endless stories. Kayla did some kind of Olympic sport, though the topic was only touched upon, do Nico didn’t remember which one she did. Austin, on the other hand, dabbled in music - Nico thought he’d said something about playing saxophone, but he wasn’t sure.

Their parents were very similar to them. Darren - Kayla’s dad - was an archery teacher (he’d gotten a kick out of hearing that Frank Zhang was Nico’s brother-in-law, because he’d given him some lessons before he went to his first Olympics.) and Latricia - Austin’s mom - was a music professor at a university in Ohio. Naomi seemed to be the only one who hadn’t pushed her passions onto her child. She used to be an alt country singer before taking over her family’s farm after her parent couldn’t take care of it anymore. 

Will’s grandparents and great aunt were difficult to understand with their thick Texan accents and slurred speech. Will’s great-grandmother, who spoke stiff, broken English, and flowing Italian was much easier to understand. She and Nico had long conversations in Italian about everything they could think about; food, the differences between Italy and America, and she’d told him stories about Will when he was growing up. That was something Will’s family had a plethora of - baby Will stories.

The thing that surprised Nico the most about the Solace family was how open they were with him - about everything. Nico had to excuse himself (and by extent, Dante) from the room on multiple occasions due to the sheer amount of graphic stories they told. On the other hand, they didn’t seem bigoted against Nico, with him being a single Omega with a pup. They weren’t even upset that he’d proposed to Will. In fact, they all supported them and congratulated them on the engagement, making so many suggestions for wedding ideas. Dates, themes, flower displays, music selections.

By the time Christmas passed and it was time for Nico and Will to head home, the Omega was so much more comfortable around the Solace family; but he was happy to head home nonetheless. Will seemed just as relieved to be head back. Charlie and Dante, on the other hand, both wanted to stay - they’d said they’d loved Naomi’s cooking so much and they both loved the farm

“Charlie, you have school and friends back home.” Will had told her when they had started to back her things. “What are you going to do about that?”

“I can go to school here! And I can make new friends!” She protested.

“Charlotte, you’re not staying. You’re coming home with us.” Will said, his voice growing a warning edge.

“But I don’t want to!” She shouted.

“Charlotte.” Nico interrupted. “Do not yell at your father. You going home with us because you are seven years old. You are a child and you are under your father’s care.” He told her, his voice stern. “You’re going to listen to him and follow his tules. Are we understood?”

“Yes, sir,” She’d mumbled in defeat, her voice holding a small waver.

“Apologize for raising your voice at your father.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t do it again.” She said.

“It’s okay, kiddo. You just need to understand you can’t yell at people. And you’re not always going to get what you want.” Will told her, his sweet voice once again gentle. “Got that, sweetheart?”

“Yeah,” She mumbled.

“Charlie,” Nico said, holding out his hand. He felt Charlie’s small hand wrap around his fingers. “You understand why we got upset with you, right?” He hear a small affirmative. “You know we both care about you, and we know you can behave yourself. Just know I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, okay?”

“Okay. I am sorry though,” She said, gripping Nico’s hand tighter.

“I know, dear. I know,” Nico smiled softly.

Thankfully, Dante didn’t put up a fight as much as Charlie. Nico mentioned that he wouldn’t be staying with him, and his. Pup was immediately in his arms, begging him not to go; not to leave him alone. Nico held him close, telling him, “I’ll never leave you, mio caro,”

From there, everything ran smoothly. The kids were packed, then Nico and Will. Naomi helped hem get everything into the car. Nico, once again, sat in the front seat while Will, the kids and Cerberus somehow manage to fit in the back. The drive to the airport was quiet, except for Dante and Charlie’s conversation and the dull voice on the radio sining some melancholy tune. Nico leaned back, his eyes closed, relaxing for the first time in days. He felt something touch his shoulders, and he jerked forward, his shoulders tense and hunched.

“Just me, Neeks,” Will said, and Nico sighed in relief. He should’ve known that. He leaned back once more and felt Will’s strong hands once more grasp how gently, holding him as if he were trying to hug him through the seat.

They sat in silence for about fifteen minutes before Naomi spoke up. “Oh, I think Bailey’s pregnant,”

“What?” Will asked. “Are you sure?”

“Not entirely. She was acting odd, so up looked up what was going on - it sounds like she’s pregnant. We’ve got a vet appointment in a few days. I’ll let you know then,”

“Do you think it was Cerberus?” Nico asked.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Naomi sighed. “I’ll let you know when I know,”

Nico nodded, letting Will’s massage away the tension in his shoulders. The rest of the drive was spend with Charlie and Dante begging for one of Bailey’s puppies, if she was pregnant. Nico explained that they already had Cerberus, but Dante would not let up. In the end, they agreed, if the kids would behave themselves and take care of the puppies.

The flight, as well, was uneventful. Nico leaned against Will’s shoulder until he fell asleep. He did not wake up until the plane had landed and the Alpha shook him awake. It was late, according to Will so they chose to stay at Will’s house that night, rather than take Nico and Dante home. It was closer ti the airport than the apartment, so Nico had no complaints in the matter.

The Omega found that he liked Will’s house. He did not know what it looked like, or where to go, but it smelled like his Alpha. Sweet and summery and bright.  Of course, it had hints of Charlie in it as well, but all Nico could think of was Will. He felt himself be guided by Will’s firm hands, his silky voice explaining where the furniture and walls were. Nico allowed himself to be led upstairs - Will’s  house apparently had two floors. Will stopped, saying goodnight to Charlie and Dante when they reached the girl’s bedroom.

“Charlie, let Dante have the bottom bunk. He can’t climb the ladder,” Will told her. She called her affirmative before saying goodnight, Dante echoing her.

“You have one child, and she has a bunk bed?” Nico frowned. 

“I had a bunk as a kid, and I’m an only child,” Will laughed, guiding him once again. “Here, this is my room.”

“Thanks,” Nico stepped unto the room, guided by his Alpha. “It smells like you,” he chuckled.

“Is that a bad thing?” Will teased, helping Nico sit down on the bed.

“No, I like it.” Nico felt his face warm up as he pulled off his shoes. He heard Will chuckle. “What?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Will sighed, kissing his forehead, warm hands holding the Omega’s face. “Come on, change your clothes so we can get to bed, okay?”

Nico nodded, then frowned. “I left my bags downstairs.”

“It’s okay, I have spare pajama pants and shirts,” Will said. “Here, these are soft, and they’ve got a string so you can tighten it,” Will set a soft cloth in Nico’s hands. “Do you want short sleeves or long sleeves?”

Nico shook his head. “It doesn’t matter,” He quickly changed out of his jeans and into Will’s pants, tightening the drawstring until they didn’t fall off his slim waist. He vaguely hoped Will hadn’t been looking.

“Here’s it’s a hoodie,” Will said. “It’s got a logo on it from my old summer camp, but I’m sure you don’t care about what it looks like.” Nico took the thick fabric from him smiling softly.

“It doesn’t matter,” He chuckled. “You get changed, too, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,’ Will pressed another kiss to his forehead.

Nico smiled as he pulled off his sweater, his. Face warm with embarrassment. He was about topple the hoodie over his head when Will’s warm hand grabbed his hip. “Will?” He stuttered. “Is something wrong?”

“You have stretch marks,” He mumbled, rubbing his thumb over the skin at Nico’s waist.

“I was pregnant,” Nico’s lips quirked up into a slight smile. “Is that all?”

Will was silent, his hand almost burning against Nico’s skin, thought not in a painful way. Will didn’t hurt. He was gentle, even in the silence of the moment, everything with him was sweet and gentle and loving. Will’s hand was hot - not like a fire, not like being burnt; it was more like laying outside and being warmed by the sun. Prickling in the natural heat, but comforting. Nico couldn’t stop the smile from forming, pulling his face.

“You’re like the sun,” He whispered. “So bright and giving. You’re gentle and strong at the same time. You’re hands are warm, they heal and fix things that are broken. You are the sun that the plants reach toward. You are the light I reach for,” Nico reached out, cupping Will’s cheek. “Never once in my life have I wished to see something more than how much I wish to see your face right now,” he pulled gently, and will moved easily, eagerly into the kiss.

Nico woke up surrounded by warmth, something he’d grown accustomed to back in Texas. Will was laying on his side, spooning Nico from behind, his chest rising and falling evenly. Nico smiled and leaned back into his Alpha’s touch. He held Will’s hand against his stomach, their fingers awkwardly twisted together; Nico’s small palm on the back of Will’s hand, small fingers tucked between the Alpha’s. Will had fallen asleep without a shirt on, and the hoodie Nico had planned on wearing was long forgotten. They didn’t need clothes to stay warm, not when Will was a living space heater.

The Omega was halfway asleep once again when there was a loud crash, and he jerked up, Will moving right next to him. Nico was about to ask what was going on, when a small weight moved over his lap.

“Daddy, Daddy,” Charlie was chanting. “We want eggs and bacon for breakfast,”

Will sighed, and Nico heard and felt him flop back into bed. “Honey, Daddy just woke up.”

“I know. We woke you up,” Charlie said, matter-of-factly. “Can we have eggs and bacon?”

“No, Daddy’s still sleepy,” Will said through a yawn. “I’m going back to bed. Neeks? You joining me?”

“Is Dante here?” Nico asked.

“Right here, Papa,” Dante said. Nico leaned over, and Dante grabbed his arm. The Omega pulled him up and laid down, keeping Dante’s head under his chin. “Yeah, back to sleep,” Will pulled Nico close and he felt Charlie wriggling between them, whining about how it was time to wake up.

“Charlie, Charlie, honey,” Nico sighed. “We’ll make you eggs and bacon later, but right now we sat to get some sleep okay?”

“But I’m hungry,” She whined.

“Give us an hour, okay?” Will said. “I promise I’ll make breakfast.”

“But-“

“Charlotte,” Wil sighed “If you keep at this, you can have a bowl of cereal for breakfast.” Nico heard her whine, but she didn’t protest anymore. They once again settled back into bed and Nico felt his eyes droop down, heavy with sleep.

Nico rolled over in an empty bed. He stretched, feeling no one. Will and the kids had probably gone down to get breakfast, leaving the Omega to sleep in. He shifted, wiggling out of bed, setting his feet on the cold floor. He patted around the bed, eventually finding the discarded hoodie. He pulled it over his head before searching for the bedroom door. He kept his hand on the. Wall as he carefully moved downstairs. The odd thing was that he couldn’t smell food cooking. Maybe they hadn’t started yet? Nico swallowed his unease and kept moving through the house. He didn’t have his cane and he didn’t know where Cerberus was and he certainly didn’t know the layout of Will’s house. He felt panic rise in his throat. He tried to convince himself that everything was okay. Everything was okay. Everything was okay. Everything was-

“Nico?” Will’s voice called, appearing from somewhere behind the Omega. “Are you okay?”

Nico could not bring himself to speak, so he nodded, turning to the comforting sound of his Alpha. He reached out, wanting to be held.

“Can I talk to you about something important?” Will asked.

Nico swallowed back his voice, nodding again. Will’s hands were cold on his, setting something even colder in Nico’s palm. “I don’t want this,” Will told him as Nico realized was the ring. “I don’t want you. You’re not good enough, Nico. You never were. I’m surprised you didn’t realize that I was playing with you this whole time,”

“What?’ His voice, finally back in his throat, wavered and cracked. “Will?”

“I don’t love you, Nico. I never did. I never will.” The Alpha sneered. “I don’t ever want to see you or your disgusting child again,”

“Wait - Will,” Nico couldn’t hold back the tears.

“Don’t. I’m not your Alpha. I’m not your boyfriend. You mean nothing to me.” Will’s voice was dark and angry. Disgusted. “Get out of my house,”

“No, Will, I thought-“

“I doesn’t matter what you thought!” Will shouted. “You’re just a stupid, blind whore. You don’t know anything,”

Nico sobbed, reaching out toward him, though he knew his attempts were futile. He was scared, and he wanted his Will. “Please,”

“Beg all you want, you are still nothing to me.” He growled, his voice too hard. Too angry. ‘Now get out.” Nico felt a force against hi, pushing him back and he fell and fell ad fell.

He screamed, sitting up.

“Nico? Nico, what happened? What’s wrong?” Worried.

“Papa?” Scared.

The Omega sobbed, burying his face in his hands, shaking. Warmth wrapped around him, soothing words were whispered in his ear, but he was deaf to all of them. Slowly he uncurled from himself and instead lean din into the warmth, burying his face into the warm skin. He felt the mass rumble as it spoke, but he didn’t understand what it said.

Finally, the mass pulled Nico away from it. The Omega looked up, blinking tears from sightless eyes. “I’m sorry,” He choked out.

“It’s okay, Neeks, I promise.” Warm lips pressed against his forehead. Will.

Nico was scared. “It’s not. It’s not.”

“It is, Nico. I promise. Nothing’s going to hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.” Will’s voice was smooth and sweet like honey. “Are you okay?”

Nico shook his head, wiping his face with the heel of his palm, sniffling. He must’ve looked terrible. Sobbing and puffy-eyed, tears running down his cheeks and snot all over his face. Will pulled away more, and Nico choked back a sob.

“I’m not going anywhere, I’m still here, don’t worry.” Will said. Nico clutched his Alpha’s hand desperately. “Here, I was getting tissues.” A think, soft paper wiped away Nico’s tears. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here here.” Will told him, continuing to clean his face. Nico tried to take deep breaths, but it got stuck in his throat, and he coughed, hunching over. Will offered to get him a cup of water.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” Will promised gently, kissing him. “Do you want me to send the kids back in so you’re not alone?”

“No,” Nico whispered, shaking his and and pulling his knees up to his chest. “Please hurry,” He mumbled. Will kissed his forehead again, promising before disappearing. Only a coupe minutes passed, Nico knew, but it was unbearable - He wanted Will t come back. He didn’t want to be without him, not with the thoughts of abandonment still fresh in his mind.

“Hey, I’m back,” Will’s voice was gentle, but still it startled him. “It’s okay,” Will was once again at his side, pulling him close, kissing his temple. Will carefully set the glass of water in Nico’s shakes hands. Nico tried to lift the cup, but almost dropped it. Will held the cup and helped him drink. “Are you okay? Feeling any better?”

Nico swallowed and Will pulled the cup away from his lips. “I don’t know. I-“ He swallowed back a lump in his throat. “I’m sorry,”

“Nightmare, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico sighed. He had too many of those.

“Wanna talk about it? It might help,”

“I-“ Nico closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “I woke up alone, so I went downstairs trying to find you and the kids, but I couldn’t find you. Then you showed up and gave me the ring back. You - You said you didn’t want it, that you didn’t want me. You said you never loved me. You said you never loved me.” He sobbed. “You yelled at me, you were so mean,”

“I’m so sorry,” Will whispered. “I promise you, I do love you. I would never leave you, Nico. I - Here,” The Alpha took Nico’s hand and rested it on the back of his. Nico felt his warm, smooth skin, and he felt the smooth metal and rough gems of the diamond on his finger. “I never took it off. I don’t plan to, either.” He kissed Nico’s forehead, then his lips. “And I certainly don’t plan on leaving you,” Nico kissed Will, desperate to keep the Alpha close.

“Promise? Promise you’re not going to leave?” He whispered.

“I promise, Nico. I’m all yours,” Will rested his forehead against Nicos’ and the Omega felt his lips pull up into a smile. “I love you, Nico.”

“I love you, too, Will. Let’s get breakfast okay?’

Chapter Text

Will rolled his shoulders, stretching the sore muscles. He was called in to perform an emergency surgery and had spent hours on his feet. He needed to pick up Charlie, head home, shower and get himself ready for his date night with Nico. As they had planned on bringing the kids, he needed to make sure Charlie was ready as well.

He pulled into his normal spot, his eyes chasing the rain as it fell onto the window. He watched the grey sky as it lit up with lightning, a deep rolling thunder following close behind.

Finally, the bus rolled up, and about five children got off, running to cars or up the road to their houses. The back passenger side door opened and Charlie climbed into the backseat, her hair shining with droplets of rainwater.

“Hey, Daddy,” She grinned. “It’s raining.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Will chuckled. “How was school,”

“It was pretty good. We took a math test, though,” She shrugged, buckling in. Will waited for the bus to continue on its route before pulling out of his spot.

“How did you do?” Will asked.

“Dunno, pretty bad I think. Division is hard.” She groaned. “Are we still going to Nico and Dante’s?”

“Yeah, we gotta get cleaned up first. You were at school all day and your shoes and pants are covered with mud.” He glanced at his daughter through the rearview mirror.

“That does seem to be the case,” She nodded, looking down at her muddy pants. “How long will it take?”

“However long it takes for you and me to clean up,” He told her. “Nico isn’t expecting us for a few more hours.”

“Why do you need to clean up? I thought you had today off work?” She asked.

“I was called in - there was an emergency,” Will explained. “They needed me to come in because no one who was working there could do the operation.”

“Oh,” Charlie hummed. “Do you think you could help me with my math homework today?”

“Of course,” Will said. “Is it some division work?”

“Yeah, I just don’t get it,” She groaned again.

“I’ll explain it later, okay?” Will offered, finally pulling into the driveway. He turned off the car. “Come one, be quick, kiddo. Inside.”

Charlie hummed an affirmative before jumping out of the car with all of her things, running to the front door. Will followed behind her, as quick as he could. He unlocked the front door and both fell inside, and Will closed the door behind them.

“Okay, kiddo, here’s the plan,” He said, dropping the keys into a small bowl on the table next to the door. “You go take a bath and change your clothes. I’ll go take a shower and when we’re done, I’ll help you with your homework.” He glanced at his watch. “We have a couple of hours before we need to head out.”

“Yessir!” She pulled off her shoes and ran upstairs. Will chuckled, he’d have to try to convince her to join some kind of sport when she was older, whether it be soccer like he’d done, or track and field or something else. She was too fast and had too much energy to go to waste.

He walked upstairs, quickly gathering clean clothes and slipping into his bathroom. Will turned on the shower and waited until the water was warm enough to step in, cleaning himself under the hot spray of water. When he was done, he climbed out of the shower and towelled off. He pulled on his clean clothes. He shook the water droplets from his curly hair before exiting his room. He walked down the hall and knocked on Charlie’s door.

“You in there, kiddo?” He called, leaning against the wall next to the door.

“Yeah, I’m getting clothes on!” She responded.

“Alright, just checking in,” Will said. “I’ll be downstairs.”

“Okay!” She called back.

Will pulled away from the door and padded downstairs. He was sitting on the couch, looking at news on his phone when Charlie came down. “Hey,” He said as she sat down at the coffee table, placing a piece of paper on top of it. “Math?’

With a scowl, she nodded solemnly. Will almost laughed - she was too young, but she looked like a hardened warrior about to face an enemy who had wronged them. Math had done nothing to her. They spent the next half hour on the homework. Will explained the mathematics of divisions the best he could until she understood enough to finish the work on her own. When she was done, Will stood up and stretched.

“Alright, kiddo, you ready?” He asked.

“Yeah,” She said, standing up as well.

“Put  your homework in your backpack and get some clean shoes on.” He told her. Will picked up his own shoes as she did as she was instructed. He opened the door and Charlie held his hand. For the moment, the rain had stopped, though the sky was still heavy with near-black rain clouds. He led his daughter to the car and helped her his before climbing into his own seat, buckling in before starting the car.

“Hey, Daddy?” Charlie asked.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

“When are you and Nico gonna get married?”

“We don’t know yet, kiddo,” Will told her. “We have a lot of planning to do,”

“Okay,” She said. “So when you do get married, what would Nico and Dante be to me?”

“Nico would be your step-father, and Dante would be your step-brother,” Will explained. “You don’t have to call Nico ‘Papa’ or anything unless you want to.”

“Mmhm,” She said. “Would he be mad if I called him Papa now?”

Will grinned. “I don’t think he’d be mad. You can ask him when you get there.”

“Okay,” She said, facing out the window again. Will turned up the radio to deafen the silence. They didn’t speak as the rain began to fall again. Will finally parked outside of Nico’s apartment building, waiting for the rain to calm just enough to get out. While he was waiting, he felt an odd sense of unease and worry wash over him. The anxiety got to the point where Will didn’t care if he was soaked by the rain.

“Come on,” He told Charlie.”Let’s head inside.

“Okay,” Charlie said, following him quickly into the building.

They came to Nico’s apartment and Will knew something was wrong immediately - the door was halfway open. “Charlotte. Stay in the hallway. I have a bad feeling about this.”

She didn’t say anything, but nodded, frowning, looking almost as worried as Will felt.

Will slipped into the apartment, straining his ears to pick up on anything - he heard voices coming from the back of the apartment. He kept as quiet as he could as he moved closer to the bedrooms. The voice speaking wasn’t Nico’s and certainly wasn’t Dante’s. He stood outside of Nico’s room, listening for a moment to the conversation.

“C’mon, Omega, you don’t have any reason to be scared.” A male’s voice all but snarled, slow, in a fake sense of comfort. “Just come here and everything will be okay. Your Alpha would never hurt you,”

“You’re not my Alpha!” Nico snapped, his voice shaking. “Get out of my apartment!”

“If I’m not your Alpha,” The man sneered. “Then who gave you that precious little pup you’ve got there? Hm?”

“Leave him out of this,” Nico snapped again. “I’m not going to let you hurt him.”

“No one said I was going to hurt him. But that’s not a bad idea,” The Alpha’s laugh was rough like a dog’s bark. Dog’s bark. Where was Cerberus?

Panic rose in Will’s throat. He stepped into Nico’s room and finally got a look at the scene in front of him. Nico was holding Dante to his chest, his back against the wall while an Alpha with a mop of greasy brown hair stood across the room from him. Angry, pond scum green eyes turned to him.

“Stay away from him,” Will said, his voice calm despite the anger and fear that swirled in his stomach. “I don’t know who you are or why you’re here, but I’m not going to let you hurt Nico. My Omega.”

“Will -“ Nico started to say.

“Really, Omega, replacing me so soon? Honestly, I’m hurt,” The Alpha barked out another laugh. It was sadistic; cruel. “Even so, he looks pathetic - even if you could see, you’d definitely choose me over him.”

“I don’t need to see in order to know that Will can act like a decent human being. I know you’re horrible, Bryce.” Nico was visibly shaking. Dante wiggled in his arms, and the Omega held him closer. "Get out. You’re breaking the restraining order.”

“I don’t give a fuck about any piece of paper that says where I can and can’t go.” The Alpha - Bryce, Nico had called him - scoffed. “It’s just that. A piece of paper.”

“You’re still breaking the law,” Will said, stepping forward, putting himself between the Alpha - who he was beginning to think was the Alpha who had raped Nico - and his Omega. “It’d be best if you left.”

“Why should I? And what are you gonna do about it, eh, Blondie?” Bryce sneered, his face wrinkling, ugly and spotty. Will noticed the odd bend in his nose - it’d been broken at least once, he assumed.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect my Omega.” He said, stepping toward the other Alpha. “We can go about this nicely, or we can get a little rough.”

“Well I like it rough,” Bryce cackled.

“Nico, get out. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Will said, not taking his eyes off of Bryce.

‘Don’t fucking move.” The other Alpha shouted, and Will heard Nico whine - his Omega was scared, and it was up to Will to protect him. The blond took only a moment to look at Nico, just to make sure he was okay - and that was his mistake.

The second he turned back, the green-eyed Alpha was brandishing a gun he’d seemingly pulled from nowhere. Will never studied guns, so he didn’t know what kind it was. He knew, though, that it was real enough to cause major injuries. Bryce gave him a crooked grin filled with yellow teeth. The look in his eye was cruel and twisted, and he pointed the gun at Will.

“What? Scared of a little pistol?” He barked out another laugh.

“Nico. Out. Now.” Will began to move, working on half strung-together thoughts. If he kept Bryce’s attention on him, Nico and Dante would be safe. Bryce obviously did not want to work with Will’s hastily formed plans, as he rearmed the gun, and shot - loud and piercing, it stopped Will in his tracks as Nico screamed. He turned around, terrified, jumping to the worst conclusions. Thankfully, though, there was only a hole in the wall and no visible blood. Bryce laughed. He was in charge of the situation - a cat toying with mice.

“What? Scared?” He cackled.

While he was laughing, Will lunged forward, taking hold of his arm, twisting it until he dropped the gun. He moved behind Bryce and kicked his knees, causing him to fall to the floor. Will pressed his knee against the centre of his back in order to keep him pinned against the floor.

“Nico, are you ok?” Will asked, not wanting to take his eyes off of Bryce. “Are you hurt? Is Dante hurt?”

“I - I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.” Nico sobbed.

“Nico, you need to calm down,” Will told him. “Deep breaths, okay? Nico, you need to take deep breaths and calm down the best you can.” He did his best to keep Bryce’s head down, doing his best to keep him still as he tried to calm his own breathing. Nico, slowly, began to breathe halfway normally. “Needs, where is your phone? You need to call the police.”

“No worries, I already did.” A woman said. Will glanced to the doorway, a middle-aged woman stood there, Charlie right behind her. Shit. Charlie had been in the hallway. “ I heard shouting and a gunshot. What is going on?”

“A lot. Charlie, are you okay?” Will asked, and his daughter nodded, though she looked visibly shaken and scared. “Can you take them into the living room?”

The woman helped Nico stand and move into the other room. Will kept Bryce pinned to the floor in the bedroom, not trusting him to let the other Alpha go. Maybe fifteen minutes later, the police arrived and got the story of Nico about what happened before Will got there. Nico had no idea what happened to Cerberus, but he was microchipped, so they should be able to find him. Bryce had broken in - Will hadn’t noticed that the door hand had been broken when he arrived - and cornered Nico and Dante in the Omega’s bedroom. He’d threatened Nico and Dante multiple times with rape and death before Will had stepped in. Will recounted what he’d witnessed and done to the officers while they collected Bryce and his gun. The middle-aged woman was Nico’s neighbour from across the hall, she’d heard Bryce’s shouting and came out of her apartment and saw Charlie. The gunshot had gone off while she was calling the police. She had grown concerned and came to investigate - which might’ve been a bit of a ridiculous idea.

The police took all of their stories and arrested Bryce. He’d just gotten out, too. Will would’ve felt bad for him if he hadn’t just tried to kill his Omega. Once all of the police and Nico’s neighbour left, Will sat next to Nico, who still held Dante close, on the couch.

“Hey,” Will whispered, kiss the Omega’s temple. “Are you doing okay?” He held him tightly, trying to make him feel safer. Nico didn’t say anything, he just shook his head, his grip on his son tightening. “Hey, he’s gone. You can let Dante go. He’s safe. You’re safe.”

“I - I know.” Will heard Nico whisper. “I’m still scared.”

“I know.” He whispered. “I promised you I wouldn’t let you get hurt again. I promise and I have no intention of going back on the promise. Do you need anything?”

“I think I need to leave,” Nico whispered, so quiet Will almost didn’t hear him. “I-I don’t feel safe here. It’s not safe for Dante anymore.”

Will bit his lip. “Do you want to move in with me and Charlie? Will that be better?”

“Maybe,” Nico sighed, slumping against Will’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“I ruined date night.”

“No,” Will was surprised? Shocked that he would even think that. “You didn’t. You didn’t ruin anything. You got caught up in a shi -  bad situation. Do you want to stay here? Or do you need to get out for a while? Do you think that will help you calm down?”

“I don’t know, Will.” Nico shook his head. “I don’t know. You keep asking me these questions and I just don’t know how to news them. I’m scared. I want to protect my son. I want to feel safe. I want to cry, I want to note have ever met Bryce Lawrence. I don’ know what to do. I don’t know if I can protect Dante. I don’t know, Will, I don’t know. “ He sobbed, burying his face into Will’s chest, shaking with his sobs. It broke Will’s heart seeing him like this. He held his Omega to his chest, letting him cry, despite the heartache. Nico had been through a lot and needed to get it out. 

Charlie pulled on Will’s hand. The older blond moved his arm so she could cling to Nico’s shaking form as well. “It’s okay to not know. It’s scary, sure, but it’s going to be okay. You are safe because Daddy loves you and he wants youth e safe. He protects me and he protects you and Dante because he loves us all. Daddy won’t let that ugly guy hurt you anymore. You don’t have to worry about him anymore, Papa.”

Nico blinked, releasing Dante from the constricting hold of one of his arms, and pulled Charlie close. “You are wonderful.” He told her, kissing the top of her head. Will smiled as he pulled all three to his chest.

“I’m not going to let any of you get hurt again,” Will said. “I love all of you so much.”

Will wiped the sweat from his forehead. He knelt down and opened the box. ‘Hey, Neeks, this box looks like a bunch of knick-knacks,” He called. “Where do you want me to put them for now?” He clanged up to his Omega, who was sitting on the couch, cradling a sleeping Dante. It was late, so he wasn’t surprised the four-year-old was dead asleep.

“Just put it out of the way for now. We can go through them tomorrow.” He yawned.

“Daddy?”Charlie asked, wrapping her arm s around Will’s neck from behind.

“What’s up, sweetheart?” He asked.

“Is it bedtime?” She pouted.

“Bedtime? Don’t you normally hate bedtime?” He laughed.

“But I’m sleepy now! I’ve been helping move Papa’s things all day!” She protested.

“And you were a great help, Charlie, thank you.” Will stood up and stooped her into his arms. “And it is late, so I don’t see why not.”

“Thank you,” She slumped back into his arms, a dead weight.

“We’ll finish unpacking tomorrow,” Will said quietly, helping Nico stand up. Dante whined in his arms but didn’t wake, thankfully. Will led them upstairs and settled all the kids in before guiding Nico to his bedroom. He took off his shoes and simply fell back against the pillows. A few moments later, Nico settled against his side.

“You should shower,” Nico mumbled. “You stink.”

“I’ve been moving your stuff all day, Nico. I got sweaty and tired.”

“And you have work in the morning,” Nico said. “I’m sorry I’m putting so much stress on you.”

“It’s okay. You’re not stressing me out, I promise.” Will told him. “I offered to let you move in. You needed to feel safe, so I gave you a safe place to stay. I knew what I was getting into.”

Nico nodded slowly. “Are you going to shower, though?”

Will groaned, exhaustion overtaking his muscles. “Fine, I’ll be right back.” He kissed his Omega before getting up. “Love you,”

Chapter Text

Nico rolled over, tucking himself into the warmth of Will's chest, purring softly. He hadn't planned on waking before the Alpha, but he didn't mind. At least he wasn't waking up alone.

"Mm?" Will groaned. "Nico?"

"Right here," The Omega hummed, wrapping his arms around his torso.

"Good. You sleep okay?" The Alpha yawned, pulling Nico close.

In truth, Nico hadn't slept too well, nightmares plagued him. Rather than worrying Will with that fact, he simply said, "Yeah, what about you?"

"I woke up to a beautiful Omega cuddling me. How I slept doesn't matter." Will chuckled, squeezing Nico tightly. The smaller of the two let out a laugh, though much quieter.

"Do you have to get up soon?" Nico asked, tucking his head under Will's chin.

"Unfortunately. My alarm should be going off any minute now." Will yawned again. "Do you wanna stay in bed? Or will you wake up with me?"

"I'll get up. Someone has to watch the kids," Nico pushed himself up and stretched, feeling the bed shift as Will did the same. "I'll get them up, if you llc start getting breakfast together,"

"Sounds like a plan." Will said as Nico slipped out of bed, feeling the nightstand for his walking stick. Once he found it, he opened it and did his best to move to the bedroom door. Just as he left, he heard the beep-beep-beep ing of Will's alarm, which quickly went quiet. "Sorry," Will laughed.

Nico smiled, moving out of the room, guided mostly by the wall to Charlie's room, where both children were sleeping. He knocked quietly on the door, waiting for a response. When he didn't get one, he knocked again, a bit louder. After a moment, he heard the door open with a soft creak.

"Morning, Papa," Charlie yawned.

"Good morning, Charlie. Is Dante awake?"

"No, he's still sleeping. Did Daddy go to work?" She took Nicos hand and guided him into the room to Dante's side. "No, he's downstairs getting breakfast. You head downstairs, too. We'll be right behind you." He told her. He heard his little footsteps retreat.

Nico scooped up his sleeping pup, gently shaking him awake. Dante groaned, slowly rising from his sleeping state.

"Mornin', Papa," Dante mumbled. "Sleepy. "

"I know, bambino, but it's time to wake up now." Nico told him. "Will's making breakfast. Don't you wanna see him before he goes to work?"

"Yeah," Dante mumbled, resting his head on Nico's shoulder. "But still sleepy."

Nico laughed quietly as he carefully backtracked into the hallway. He used his cane as he made his way downstairs and into the dining room.

"Good morning," Will said, taking Dante from Nico as the Omega sat down. "How'd you sleep, Dante?"

"Wanna go back," The pup pouted.

"Just like your Papa," Will laughed. Nico was grateful Will hadn't moved away, so he could smack his arm.

"Shush." Nico huffed. "I didn't go back to bed today."

"I know," Will kissed the top of his head. "But still."

"Anyway, Will, what time do you need to head to work?" Nico asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Here in a little bit. And I've got to drop Charlie off at school." Will said. Nico heard something be set in front of him. "Cereal," Will offered.

"What about the bus?" Charlie asked.

"You'll be fine. Unless you want to ride the bus." Will said.

"NO!" She yelled, panicked. "I'll ride to school with you."

"Hush, Charlie. Don't raise your voice." Nico lightly scolded her.

"Sorry," She said sheepishly.

“Hurry up and finish your breakfast and get ready. If you’re not ready by the time I’m leaving, you’ll ride the bus, okay?” Will told her.

“Yes, sir.” She said.

“When do I go to school?” Dante asked, his small voice innocent.

“Next year,” Charlie told him, her mouth stuffed with food.

“You’ll start in August.” Nico added, hoping to add some clarity to ‘Next year.’ “Because it’s the middle of the school year, it needs to finish, then there’s summer break.”

“Oh,” Dante said it as if he understood, but Nico figured he really didn’t. Before Nico could say anything else, the phone rang.

“I’ve got it,” Will said, and the ringing stopped. “Hello?” He asked. “Yeah, this is his fiancé,” Silence. “Okay, that’s good, great even.” Again, silence. “When can we pick him up?” That silence, once more. “Okay, I’ve got work until three, is between three-thirty and four okay?” Nico waited, straining to hear the other person. “Okay, that works. Thank you so much. Have a good day.”

“What was that?” Nico finally asked.

“That was the vet office. They found Cerberus.” Will said. “He’s okay, but his leg is broken. I’ll be picking him up today after work.” Nico felt an invisible weight lift from his shoulders, one that had been weighing him down for several days.

“That’s great. I don’t know what I’d do if they never found him, or if he’d died.” Nico shook his head. “Much less if my father found out anything happened to him.” He gave a halfhearted chuckle. He knew his father loved that dog as if he were another one of his children. “He’d kill me if he knew,”

“No, he wouldn’t.” Will laughed. 

“You underestimate my father’s love for that dog.” Nico said, though his lips still quirked up.

“Does he love Cerberus more than you?” Charlie asked.

“I’m not sure,” Nico admitted. “I’d like to think that he loves me just a bit more.”

“I’d hope so, you’re his son. ” Will kissed the top of Nico’s head. “I’m going to go get dressed. Charlie, don’t take too long.”

“Yessir!” She spoke.

Nico continued to eat; hearing Charlie get up. He listened as she put her dishes into the sink before she pressed a kiss to his cheek and ran off. “Dante, are you doing alright, topolino?”

“Uh huh, jus’ sleepy.” The pup yawned.

“How about this, after Will and Charlie leave, you and I go take a nap together?” Nico offered. “Does that sound good?”

“Yeah, can I sleep with you?” He asked. “Please?” He asked - well, whined would’ve been a better word for it.

Nico grinned. “Of course, you can, but you need to finish your breakfast first.”

“Okay!” Dante yawned. Nico kept his smile on as he finished the last of his breakfast. Dante, at some point, decided to climb into Nico’s lap in order to finish his own food.

“Alright, we’re heading out. Nico, if you guys need me at all, just call, okay?” Will said, resting his hands on Nico’s shoulders. The Omega nodded, raising his head so he was facing his Alpha. Will bent and gave him a soft kiss. “I love you, sunshine.” The Alpha hummed.

“I love you, too.” Nico smiled. “Where’s Charlie?”

“Right here!” The young girl said, sounding vaguely out of breath. Had she run downstairs, and Nico not heard it?

“Come here,” Nico held his arm out, and she tucked herself into his side. He kissed her forehead. “You have a good day at school, okay, passerotta? Be good and do your best.”

“I will, Papa, I promise!” She squeezed him tightly.

“I love you guys,” Will said as he and Charlie pulled away. “Remember-”

“If we need anything, we’ll call.” Nico promised. He heard Will laugh as he closed the door behind him, and the house fell silent.

“Papa?” Dante asked, his voice small. “Is naptime?”

“Did you finish your breakfast?” Nico asked. 

“I ate most…” The pup’s statement carried off.

“All you could?”

“Yeah,”

“Okay. Let Papa clean up then we can go naptime.” Nico smiled. “You can start heading up now, if you want to,”

“Want Papa to carry me.” The boy said bluntly.

“Okay, okay.” Nico laughed. He stopped, setting Dante on his feet. He picked up their dishes and did his best to find the sink, before Dante pulled on his shirt as means to guide him, as he’d done a few times before. “Thank you, topolino .” Nico said as he set the dishes in the sink.

“‘Course, Papa. Now carry?” He asked. “And naptime?”

“Yes, yes, of course. Carry and naptime.” Nico sighed as he scooped up his baby. He carried him all the way up to the bedroom he shared with Will. He laid down with Dante on his chest, the same way he’d done when the pup was first born. “ Sogni d’oro, mio caro.” He whispered.

“ Notte notte, Papa.” Dante mumbled, already falling asleep to the sound of his Papa’s heart beating against his cheek.

Will pushed open the door to the veterinary clinic. He walked up to the secretary. “Excuse me? I’m here to pick up my fiancé’s dog.”

“Name?” The secretary, who looked very young, didn’t look up from her phone.

“Mine, my fiancé’s or the dog’s?” Will asked, slight annoyance building in the back of his mind.

“All three, I guess?”

“The dog’s name is Cerberus; he should be listed under my fiancé’s ownership - his name is Nico di Angelo. My name is Will Solace. I was the one who called and reported him missing several days ago and I was called this morning to pick him up.” Will said.

“Right,” she finally set down her phone and typed instead on her computer. “How do you spell the dog’s name?”

Will spelled it. “He’s a rottweiler, if that helps at all.” He felt his eye twitch involuntarily. This girl was far from qualified for this position.

“Here. I’ll go talk to one of the vets, alright? They’ll call you when they get him, okay, Mr Solace?” The girl raised an eyebrow.

“It’s Dr Solace, and of course.” He gave her a forced smile and took a seat in one of the stiff waiting room chairs. He’d spent the better part of his day dealing with several patient’s idiotic family members, so dealing with this was just the icing on the cake. At least ten minutes pass before the vet comes out from a back room, calling out to him, holding the leash of Cerberus’ harness. His back leg was in a large cast, and his collar was a large plastic cone.

Will stood up and made his way over to them. “Oh, you poor thing,” He cooed, kneeling as he pet Cerberus. “Is he alright?” He asked the vet, looking up to him.

“We had to remove a bullet from his leg, and his cast can come off in about six weeks, so he should take it easy. According to the records we have, he works as a seeing eye dog, is that correct?”

“Yes, he guides my fiancé.” Will stood, taking the leash. “Should he go without Cerberus until his leg’s healed?”

“While it may be difficult, it is what I advise.” The vet said.

“Of course. Thank you. How much do we owe?” Will began to reach for his wallet.

“No need. Cerberus is still listed under Mr. Hades di Angelo when it comes to medical procedures - he would be related to your fiancé then, correct?”

“Yes, he’s my fiancé’s father. Thank you,” Will nodded, trying not to think about Hades finding out.

“Now, here’s his medicine. Two doses a day every day for the next three days - they’re just painkillers. And we’ll schedule an appointment to have his cast removed, is the eighteenth alright with you?” The doctor asked.

“Yes, I’ll make the time,” Will nodded.

After everything was all said and done, and appointments made, Will finally made it back to his car, helping Cerberus into the backseat, where he promptly laid down. “Good boy,” Will patted his side before climbing into the front seat, beginning the drive home.

The drive was easy, and Will only stopped once to get Cerberus a treat, as something between an apology and a means to cheer up the dog. When he finally pulled into the driveway, the rottweiler barked excitedly.

“Yeah, Nico’s in there.” Will laughed. “Come on.” He helped the old dog out of the backseat, and moved slowly, guiding him inside. “We’re home,” He called, and Charlie and Dante came running.

“Cerbie!” Dante cried, hugging the dog. Will closed the door before unhooking Cerberus’ leash. He looked up from the kids to see Nico in the kitchen, holding his phone to his ear. Will rubbed the kids’ heads as he passed them, making his way to Nico’s side.

The Omega, much unlike the pups, was not happy about their arrival. He had a look of worry and stress pressed into his features. His sightless brown eyes were rimmed red and wet with unshed tears. Will wiped away those tears, leaning in close to kiss his cheek. In doing so, he heard what was being said on the other side of the phone. It was Hades, angrily lecturing Nico about taking care of Cerberus. He must’ve gotten the bill for Cerberus’ trip to the vet. Will knew Nico had planned on not mentioning it to his father, but fate seemed to be against them this time around.

“Hey, let me talk to him,” Will offered quietly, but his Omega shook his head, turning away.

“I know, Dad,” He said. “Yes, sir. Okay.” Nico mumbled. “It’s okay. Everything and everyone is okay.” He was quiet. “We will. I promise. Bye, Dad. Tell Mom we said hi and we love her,” He set his phone down on the counter, leaning against it for a minute. Will hugged him from behind. The Omega wiped his eyes on his sleeves.

“Are you okay?” Will whispered in his ear.

“Yeah. My dad can say some rather… upsetting things when he’s angry. His lectures get aggressive real quick.” Nico took a deep, shaky breath. “Where’s Cerberus? Is he okay? Why did he need surgery?”

Will cupped Nico’s cheek, his hand feeling warm against his pale cheek. “In the living room. He’s in as good condition as he can be. And the vets had to remove a bullet from his leg. He’ll be okay, but the vet’s recommending that he’s put on the sidelines when it comes to guiding you. He needs time to heal.”

Nico nodded. “Okay. It’ll be harder in public, but I’ll be fine.” He sounded as if he were trying to convince himself of that fact, as if he hadn’t grown overly reliant on Cerberus’ assistance.

“You want to check on him or stay in the kitchen all day?” Will asked. He rested his hand on Nico’s shoulder before he could agree. Moving through the living room, Will guided him to the dog, who barked loudly upon seeing Nico approaching. The kids laughed as Cerberus attempted to run into Nico’s arms, but his footfalls were heavy,clunky and slow due to the cast. Nico knelt as the dog ran into him. He held his pet close.

“I miss you, too, Cerberus,” Nico laughed as the dog licked at his cheeks and face. He couldn’t remember a time when he was happier to see the dog. He hadn’t realized how much he had truly missed him until he had Cerberus back. “You’ll be okay,” he told the rottweiler. “We’ll all be okay.”

Chapter Text

In the coming days, Will noticed how Cerberus got used to his cast. He still tried to help Nico, but each time, Nico or Will would tell him to lay down, dismissing him as means of trying to let him heal. The dog, it seemed, was far more stubborn than either of them had initially realized.

Will did his best to help guide Nico, but with his sudden increase of hours - due to several of his now ex-coworkers being fired for a plethora of reasons - he wasn’t home as much as he’d like to be. Of course, Will didn’t want to leave Nico unguided. The kids shouldn’t have to be his guides, even so, there was only so much they could do. The Alpha’s brain wandered sometimes and tried to come up with something that would be able to help his fiance. The best ideas he had were either getting Nico a new seeing eye dog (though he figured that Nico wouldn’t have agreed with that one) and hiring a human guide to help Nico. When Will voiced this idea, Nico didn’t react the way he imagined.

“You’re insane.” A dark, bitter tone creeped its way into Nico’s voice. “I have told you a thousand times, I can take care of myself. I understand, Will, you’re worried about me. You want to help; you want to make sure I’m safe and whatever. But I’m not a child. I don’t need supervision twenty-four-seven.” He pulled away from Will’s touch. “And right now, you’re treating me as if I were some helpless child. I am an adult, Will. I don’t need a gods damn guide.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Will cringed, mentally kicking himself. “I just-”

“You want to help, I know.” Nico shook his head, sighing. “But I don’t need a babysitter, I don’t need a guide. I can take care of myself. I’ve been blind my entire life, I’m used to living my life like this, and I don’t need to be babied. You’re my fiance, my Alpha, you’re supposed to trust me and know that I’ll be fine on my own.”

“I know, but-”

“But nothing. Will, you have to understand that this is a ridiculous idea. You have to understand that I’m not helpless. Please, when you’re stressing like this, it drives me insane. It feels like you don’t trust me. It makes me feel like you don’t think that highly of me, like you’re not seeing beyond my blindness.” Nico ran his fingers through his hair. “I thought you were different,” His voice got quiet, hurt and broken.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Will whispered. “I didn’t, I’m sorry. I - I hadn’t realized that I was acting that way. I’m sorry.” He ran his hands over his face, silently screaming at himself for being so insensitive, racking his brain of all his memories of Nico, picking out all the other times he was the same way. “I do trust you, and I do think highly of you. I just - I wanted to help. I don’t want you to worry or stress and I’m only giving you more stress, aren’t I? I promise you; I’ll work on this.” He turned back to Nico, gently cupping his Omega’s cheek. “I’ll be less insensitive about this.”

Nico leaned into his hand, kissing his palm softly. “You better.” Is all he said.

“I’ll back off with all these crazy ideas and let you take care of yourself. But promise me; if things get too difficult, you’ll tell me, right?” Will asked softly.

“If I magically stop being able to function, I’ll let you know.” Nico shook his head and pulled away. “But I don’t want to talk about this anymore, okay?”

Will nodded. “Right. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.” Nico’s shoulders were still tense, but he leaned against Will’s side, nonetheless. “Where are the pups?” He asked, his hands curled into tight, white-knuckled fists before stretching out to their fullest width. “Are they still upstairs?”

“They haven’t come down, so probably.” Will stood up, resting his fingers on Nico’s shoulder. “Come on, we’ll go pop in on them.” Nico nodded and stood as well, his hand wrapping around Will’s bicep.

It had been far too quiet for far too long, in Will’s opinion. It was the weekend, and they had two young kids and a rottweiler. It shouldn’t have been silent. The two of them moved upstairs, Nico’s pale hand still wrapped around Will’s arm. The blond knocked on Charlie’s bedroom door before pushing it open. Inside, he found no sign of the pups; only Cerberus laying in the middle of the room. His ears perked up when the two entered, and that was all the greeting they got.

“Huh,” Will said, frowning, his brow furrowed.

“What is it?” Nico asked, cocking his head to the side. “Dante?” He held out his hand, as he normally did when calling his son. “Charlie? Where are they, Will?” He seemed to be pushing back the tone of panic that laced his words. His grip tightened on the Alpha’s arm.

“It’s okay. Everything is okay, Neeks.” Will turned to Nico, cupping his cheeks in his palms.

“That makes it sound like nothing is okay!” Nico hissed, his voice quiet, but panicked and strained. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking around though not seeing anything.

“Sweetheart. Sunshine. Baby, ” Will said. “ It’s okay. ” He hugged Nico close, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. He pulled away from Nico, though holding his hand, pulling him further into the room. The Alpha let go of Nico’s hand as he walked to the bedroom closet. He pulled it open and looked down at the two pups sitting on the floor. They looked back up to him, blinking owlishly.

“Hi, Daddy,” Charlie gave a small wave.

“You two scared your Papa.” Will sighed. “Come here.” He held out his hands, which they both took. He pulled them up and guided them out. Dante let go and ran to Nico, his arms wrapping around his waist. Nico fell to his knees as he hugged his pup tightly. Charlie soon joined them, pulling away and throwing her arms around Nico’s neck. Will shook his head. “The two of them were hiding in the closet.”

“Why?” Nico asked. “Why were you hiding?”

“We wanted to play a trick on you…” Charlie mumbled. “We didn’t mean to scare you, honest!”

“I know.  I just worry about you two,” Nico held both children tight against his chest. “Everything is okay,” Will heard him whisper.

Will smiled, making his way over to join his family in their hug. Nico purred as Will managed to wrap his arms around all three of them. He pressed a kiss to Nico’s head. “I love y’all,” Wil said, his voice slightly muffled by Nico’s dark curls.

Nico snorted, possibly due to the blond’s use of the word “ y’all”. But before Will could question him, there was a loud knock from downstairs.

“Who’s that?” Nico asked. “Were you expecting someone?” He pulled away, though his arms were still wrapped around the pups.

“No, I wasn’t. Come on, we’ll go see.” Will stood up, watching his Omega stand, looking for a sign that he needed help. He didn’t need any though. Will did help him downstairs though, before pulling away to open the front door. On the other side stood a young woman with dark cinnamon-colored curls.

“Hi, Hazel. What’s up?” Will asked. “Would you like to come in?”

“I can’t, we’re in a bit of a rush.” Her gold eyes moved to look behind Will. “I was just delivering this,” She handed Will a purple envelope. “Where’s Nico?”

“Right here,” Will felt Nico’s hand on his back. He looked over at him, a smile pulling at his lips. “What were you delivering?” He asked, reaching out. 

“An invitation,” She said, pulling Nico into a tight hug. “Open it, Will,” she told him, and he did, flipping open the paper flap. He pulled out the card, which read:

‘Save the Date for Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang’s Wedding! June First.’  

“You guys finally have a date set?” Will laughed. “Congratulations! I’m really happy for you guys,”

“A date?” Nico asked. “For your wedding?” He smiled. “When?”

“June first,” Hazel smiled. “I hope you two can make it. I’d really appreciate it if my little nephew could be an adorable little ringbearer?” Will watched as Nico’s lips quirked up into a smile. “And my niece-to-be could be a flower girl, if she wants to?”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Nico’s smile only grew. “We’ll definitely be there. Right, Will?”

“Of course! We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Will agreed. “Just let us know the things - what colors to wear when rehearsals are and what not. All the important details, right?”

“Of course, of course. I’ll call you guys later with all that information, but right now, I’ve gotta dash.” She hugged Nico once more, then Will was also enveloped in a tight squeeze. “Give the pups hugs for me, and I’ll talk to you guys later. I love you!” She held up her hands in the shape of a heart before dashing to the car. Will pulled Nico back inside and closed the door.

“It was nice that she delivered it in person.” Will smiled. “It was good seeing her, too, right?”

“I didn’t see her,” Nico laughed. He held out his hand and Dante ran over, gripping his hand in his small ones. “But it was a pleasant visit. Though I’d like to know why she was in such a rush.”

“No clue,” Will shook his head. “We can ask her later.”

“Yeah, we can. Besides, right now, we need to figure out a lot of stuff - but first we need to figure out what we and the kids are going to wear.”

Nico hated shopping for clothes. He couldn’t see, so he didn’t know what looked good or bad or whatever. That’s probably why he hadn’t gone clothes shopping for himself since before Dante was born. Having Will there certainly was a great help.

The Alpha worried about how everyone looked while Nico tried to figure out a wedding gift that would make both Hazel and Frank happy. He was considering a fine China set or a linen set, he wasn’t sure. Will stood next to him, talking to Charlie while Dante sat on Nico’s hip. The Omega frowned. What would they appreciate more?

“Will?” Nico asked. “What do you think?”

“About what? The kids’ clothes are good for the wedding, and we’ve got our suits, as well.” Will said. “If you’re talking about the gift, I’m not sure - I don’t know Hazel and Frank that well.”

Nico hummed. He shifted Dante closer and closed his eyes. “Get the China set.” He finally decided. “Please?” He figured a linen set would be too boring for them.

“Got it,” Will said. “Do you wanna grab anything else?” He rested his hand on Nico’s lower back. “A card or something?”

“You can pick one out.” Nico said, leaning into his Alpha’s side. “Just let me know what it says. I don’t want to give them something dumb.”

“You think I’d pick something dumb?” Will asked, astonished.

“I guess I could blame it on the kids,” Nico laughed. “I just want something that’s perfect for them.”

“I know,” Will kissed his forehead. “I’ll try to pick out something good.”

Nico hummed, leaning closer to his fiance. “Alright, I trust you.”

Will kissed his head again as they set off to finish their shopping. The card they finally landed on was sweet and meaningful enough to have Nico’s approval.

The drive home was easy as it could be with two young pups in the backseat. Nico wasn’t going to complain though. He loved his family and that thought alone made him smile. His family. For the longest time he thought that he’d never get to have this, a loving Alpha and the sweetest pups. He had thought that he was going to suffer alone for his whole life, but Will walked into his life and turned everything up on its head in the best ways possible. Having this life of love was everything Nico could have ever asked for.

When they finally got home, Will got a head start on putting everything away while Nico set about making the pups a simple lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and apple slices. He even snagged an apple for himself to snack on.

“What, I don’t get anything?” Will joked when he arrived in the living room to see the three of them eating.

“I didn’t know if you were hungry.” Nico said. “Want me to make you something?”

“No, no, I’ve got it. Are you just going to eat an apple?” Will asked.

Nico grinned. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

“You don’t love me anymore?” Will said in an obviously fake pained voice, before chuckling to himself. Nico couldn’t help but laugh with him. “Will you eat something more?”

“If you make me something, yeah I will.” Nico hummed.

“Okay then,” Will pressed a kiss to the top of his head before he disappeared into the kitchen, setting about making what quickly smelled like grilled cheese. Dante and Charlie pulled Nico into the living room to watch cartoons. While Nico personally hated the cartoons his pups watched, they enjoyed it so he endured the high-pitched voices and annoying sound effects. Besides, he’d never give up this precious time with his pups.

After about ten minutes, Nico felt a tap on his shoulder and he reached up behind him, as Will carefully set a warm plate in his hand. “Be careful, it’s still hot.”

“Thank you, amore mio. ” Nico said softly. He held his plate in his lap while Will situated himself. The Omega picked at his food until it had cooled down enough for him to eat. He ate slowly, savoring the meal that his Alpha had made him.

“Papa?” Dante asked, curling close to Nico’s side. “I’m sleepy,”

“What time is it?” Nico asked.

“I dunno…” Dante mumbled, burying his face into Nico’s side.

“It’s just after two,” Will piped in. “He can nap for a while if he wants to,”

“Okay. Do you want Papa to tuck you in?” Nico asked, wrapping his arm around his baby.

“No,” Dante yawned. “Wan’ Daddy to,”

Nico couldn’t help but grin at his little one’s words. “Does Daddy want to?”

“Of course, I do.” Will said. Nico heard his straps as he got closer. “Come on, buddy,” Nico felt as Dante’s familiar weight was lifted from his side. “Do you need a nap, too, Charlie?” Will asked.

“No, not sleepy.” Charlie said, ``But I want to get a book from my room.” She stood up. “We’ll be back, okay, Papa?” she asked.

“Of course, Passerotta, ” Nico smiled.

“Okie,” She said.

Nico listened as she took off upstairs, Will right behind her, chuckling softly to himself. With a deep breath, he set his plate on the coffee table in front of him before leaning back, relaxing into the soft couch cushions. He sighed, smiling up at the ceiling.

Then this phone began to ring. Nico fumbled for it before answering.

“Hello?” He asked.

“Hey, Nico!” Hazel greeted, more bubbly than usual. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing good, what about you?” Nco asked as Will’s familiar weight settled next to him.

“I’m good. Great, even! I wanna tell you why I was in a rush earlier - Which I’m really, really sorry about, by the way!” Hazel said. “I was late for a doctor’s appointment, and I’ve got great news!”

“What is it?” Nico asked, resting his hand on Will’s knee.

“Frank and I are having a baby!” Hazel all but squealed through the phone.

“You’re pregnant?” Nico asked, smiling. “Congratulations! This is amazing! Who else knows?”

“Thank you! You’re the first person we - well I wanted to tell. I don’t even know how we’re going to tell Dad about this, or Frank’s grandmother, or any of our friends,” Hazel rambled. “This is really exciting, but at the same time it’s scary - promise me you’ll be there when I’m giving birth?”

“Of course, I promise - I’ll be there as often as you need me.” Nico promised.

“Thank you, so, so much!”   Hazel said, sounding relieved.

“Anything for my sister,” Nico smiled.

They continued to catch up for several minutes before they hung up. Nico set down his phone and leaned against Will.

“So… Hazel’s pregnant?” Will asked.

“Yeah, she’s really excited about it, but no real word on how Frank feels - I bet he’s anxious about it, though.” Nico hummed thoughtfully.

“What have your parents said?”

“Dunno. I was the first one she told.” Nico chuckled.

“I think Hazel and Frank will make good parents,”

“Me too.” Nico hummed. After several minutes, he quietly asked, “Do you think we’re good parents?”

“I think we’re doing a pretty good job,” Will said.

With a hum, Nico agreed.

Chapter Text

Nico shifted, pulling uncomfortably at his suit sleeves. He was nervous - logically, for no reason. This was Hazel’s wedding, and yet he felt as if he were going to pass out. Will wrapped his arm around the Omega’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to his temple.

“It’s okay, Darlin’. You have nothing to worry about,” Will told him. “This is Hazel’s big day, so what’s got your pretty head so worked up you’re about to have an anxiety attack?”

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” Nico sighed.

“Do you want to talk to your parents? Will offered after a moment of silence.

“Yeah. Is my mom still with Hazel?” The Omega asked.

“Last I checked, yeah, she was. Do you need my help or are you alright?”

“Are the kids okay? Maybe we should check on them first.” Nico chewed on his lower lip, fidgeting with his sleeves again.

“If it eases your mind, your cousin is watching them, gently pulling the Omega along.

“ Which cousin?” Nico asked.

“Uhh,” Will hummed. “Alpha, dark hair, green eyes.”

“Blind.” Nico sighed. “But that sounds like a general description of Percy.”

“And the girl he’s with?” Will asked.

“Annabeth, his wife.”

“And the little girl who’s with them is their daughter?”

“No,” Nico snickered. “That’s probably Estelle, Percy’s little sister. As far as I know, they’re not planning on having kids.”

“I see,” They approached the couple and the children.

“Hey, Neeks,” Came Percy’s voice. “And it’s Will, right?”

“Yep,” the Alpha said.

While they gave mild, somewhat tense, chit-chat, Nico held out his hand until Dante’s little ones wrapped around his fingers. He pulled the pup close to him, scooping him up off the floor.

“Are you doing okay, Topolino ?” Nico mumbled into his hair.

“ Si, Papa. E anche Charlie sta bene, ” Dante responded in stumbling Italian. Nico made a mental note to speak Italian more at home to help increase his fluency.

“ Bene, ” Nico hummed, pressing a kiss into his forehead. “Are you two okay with Percy and Annabeth? Papa wants to go check on Aunty Hazel and Nonna,”

“We’ll be okay, Papa,” Dante said. “If we need you, we’ll tell Percy and Annie,”

“ Bene. Ti amo cosi, Topolino, ” Nico pressed another kiss to his head.

“ Ti amo anch’io, Papa. ” Dante purred out.

“ Dì a Charlie che la amo anch'io.”   Nico said, setting Dante on his feet.

“ Lo farò, Papa ,” Dante said, and Nico heard him run not too far off to tell Charlie. The Omega turned back to the trio of Alphas, reaching towards Will’s familiar scent, which currently held an unfamiliar aggression.

“Hey,” He butted in, hoping to diffuse the tension that had been building up. “Can we go see Mom and Hazel now? The pups are okay.”

“Yeah.” Will said slowly. “Yeah, let’s go. It was nice meeting you guys.”

“It was nice meeting you, too, Will.” Annabeth said. “I’m sorry about Percy.”

“It’s okay,” Will sounded as if it really were okay, but Nico could smell the strain in his scent. “We’ll catch up later,” he said before leading Nico away.

“What is wrong with you?” Nico snapped as soon as they were out of earshot.

“What do you mean?” Will asked.

“Why did you choose now of all times to pick a fight?” Nico huffed. “You’ve met other Alphas in my family, so why Percy, and more importantly, why at Hazel’s wedding? ”

“First of all,” Will began. “I was not picking a fight. Second, Percy and I are very different people, from what I could tell. I promise you, there is nothing to worry about.”

“I’d hope so. If you cause a scene at my little sister’s wedding, I’m going to beat the shit out of you.” Nico growled. “And neither of us want that.”

“No, no we don’t.” Will said. “I won’t fight or cause a scene. I promise.”

“Good.” Nico sighed, relaxing into Will’s side.

The two finally arrived at the room Hazel was getting ready in. Will knocked, and a moment later, the door opened with a quiet squeak.

“Oh, it’s just you two.” Maria's voice came through clearly. “Do you need something?”

“I just wanted to check in on you guys,” Nico said. “See how Hazel’s doing and whatnot.”

“Of course, come in, come in.” Maria ushered them in. “I’m surprised you’re not with the pups.”

“I made sure they had someone responsible looking out for them. I wouldn’t dare leave them alone with Percy. Annabeth’s there, too.” Nico grinned. Before his mother could scold him for being rude to his cousin, he greeted his sister. “How are you feeling, Hazel?”

"Nervous, excited, terrified." Hazel's voice sounded flustered, and Nico could smell the anxiety oozing through her floral perfume. "Honestly, the list goes on."

"Are you going to call off the wedding?" Nico asked, though he genuinely doubted she was going to.

"Absolutely not." Hazel said quickly. "I promise you, that's not going to happen." She said, ending with an almost anxious giggle.

"Well, at least you made up your mind about that," Nico chuckled. "Are you ready?"

"I think so," Hazel sighed. "How do I look?"

Maria and Will chimed in their approval - a small chorus of 'you look Beautiful's. Nico grinned.

"Personally, I have no clue, but I'm going to trust Mama and Will in saying you look stunning. But in the end, I think Frank is going to love you no matter how you look." Nico said. "So, how do you think you look?"

Hazel was quiet for a moment. "I think I look perfect," She finally said in a hushed tone, as if astonished. "I'm ready. I'm going to get married."

"Good," Nico's face hurt from smiling so wide. "Today is going to be perfect for you."

"I know." Hazel said, nothing but confidence and pride in her voice. If you were to ask Nico, he'd say that Hazel was so sweet and kind, she deserved every happiness in the world.

Will kept his hand wrapped in Nico’s, watching as Hazel and Frank gave their vows. He did his best to keep his  focus on the bride and groom, but Nico’s smile was so beautiful, he just wanted to look at his Omega. He wanted to see him smiling not because his sister was marrying the love of her life, but because he was marrying Will .

The blond was shaken from his thoughts as Nico rested his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes. Will blinked and just smiled, squeezing his hand. As Hazel and Frank finished their vows, Nico sat up, squeezing Will’s hand back tightly.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Nico whispered, close to Will.

The blond leaned in, whispering in Nico’s ear. “Dante’s got the rings, they’re on a dark purple pillow with a gold trim -”

“I don’t care about that pillow.” Nico huffed.

Will stifled a laugh. “He’s walking up to Hazel and Frank, and he’s got the biggest smile on his face. So cute. Frank picked up the ring - oh, he almost dropped it.” He said as a quiet laugh echoed through the crowd. “I think he’s nervous. He’s putting the ring on Hazel’s finger - she looks so pretty and happy. She’s got Frank’s ring on. Dante’s still standin’ there. C’mere, buddy.” Will pulled away from Nico to call the pup, who toddled over quickly, clutching his pillow tightly. He tried to climb into Nico’s lap for a moment before the Omega pulled him close.

The officiator went on with his speech, having Hazel and Frank both repeat “For better or for worse, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part.” Finally ending with “You may now kiss the bride.”

Will clapped as Frank pulled Hazel into a kiss, and he could tell how much Frank cared from that one gesture alone. He saw how Frank treasured Hazel, but he didn’t dare treat her like she was fragile or weak. Will voiced all these thoughts to Nico as watched as his Omega’s face fell into a look of pride and happiness for his sister.

Nico hummed to the music as he sipped his champagne. It was an old song - probably from the 1920s or -30s. Hazel, like him, had always been an old soul. All the while, Will was out dancing with the pups, Nico had chosen to stay back. He didn’t know how to dance and didn’t want to look like some fool. Not to mention the risk of a panic attack from being surrounded by people…

“Hey,” Hazel’s sweet voice cut through the sound of the music and partygoers. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I’d like to think the lights are too bright for my tastes,” Nico shrugged, setting down his glass.

“Are they-?” Nico grinned. “Oh, you.” Hazel reached over and smacked his arm. “I hate when you do that.”

“Why? I think it’s hilarious.” Nico laughed. “So how does it feel? Being married?”

“I think it’s lovely so far, thank you. But I haven’t even been married for twenty-four hours. It’s hard to say how the future will be. But I'm hoping everything will end up okay.” Hazel said wistfully.

“Personally,” Nico began. “I think you deserve your best life. I bet Frank is going to spend the rest of his life doting on you and your children.  He will do everything in his power to make sure you’re all safe and happy. You two are going to live a long happy life together.” He squeezed his sister’s hand. “And if he hurts you or your pup, not only will I kill him, so will Dad.” He grinned.

“Please don’t,” She laughed.

“Don’t what?” Will asked, carefully depositing Dante in Nico’s lap. Nico listened as the other chairs at the table were pulled out and he and Charlie took their seats.

“Kill Frank.” Nico said. “We’d only do it if he hurt Hazel.”

“Don’t kill Frank - He’s a good guy.  He takes care of your sister after all.” Wil said. 

“I’d like to second that.” Frank added. Nico stiffened. He hadn’t heard or smelled his approach. He assumed it was the amount of noise and people in the large room mixed with the two glasses of champagne he’d had. “Besides, I already promised that I’d never hurt Hazel.”

“I know, but I like to keep the knowledge fresh in your mind.” Nico smiled.

“Oh, goody,” Frank said, though he sounded less than enthusiastic about having his death looming over his head like the sword of Damocles.

Aside from the playful interaction, the reception went smoothly. Nico had a lot more fun than he thought he would, especially when Will pulled him onto the dance floor for a slow dance. He had rested his cheek against his Alpha’s strong shoulder, allowing Will to guide him through the music. Will had held him close, protecting him, even though there was no danger. Nico had loved every second of it; the safety that his Alpha brought with the gentlest of touches.

Nico felt like the luckiest Omega in that moment - beautiful children who he loved whole-heartedly and an Alpha who would throw everything aside for him. And Nico would tear apart the whole world for Will. His Alpha and his pups were everything and he loved them all.

It was late when they got home. Charlie and Dante were fast asleep in the back seat during the ride home. Nico hummed while Will drove. The Alpha smiled, loving how his Omega curled up against his shoulder. When he finally pulled into the driveway, Nico was out cold, just like the pups in the backseat. As much as he didn’t want to pull his Omega out of his much-needed slumber, he figured that there was no way he was staying asleep while he pulled the kids out of the car. So, Will took a deep breath and gently shook the Italian’s shoulder until he stirred.

“Mm?” Nico yawned. “What’s up?" He asked, sitting upright, stretching the best he could within the car’s cramped room.

“We’re home, Darlin’,” Will said quietly, grinning. Nico’s hair was sticking up where he’d been leaning against Will’s shoulder. “Help me bring the pups in?” He reached over and brushed his fingers through the messy curls, trying to tame them.

“Yeah,” Nico yawned again, leaning into Will’s touch. He fumbled with his seatbelt for a moment before it clicked.

Will unbuckled himself and climbed out of the car into the cool night air. He opened the backseat and carefully pulled Dante from his car seat. The pup grumbled something that Will didn’t understand before settling back. The Alpha crooned as he handed the sleeping pup to his Papa. Will moved to the other side of the care to pull Charlie from her seat. She rested easily against his shoulder as he guided Nico to the door.

As soon as Will had the door open, Cerberus was barking. Charlie whined and Dante let out a sound similar to a sob. Poor pups.

“Cerberus!” Nico snapped, “Down!”

“Bad Cerbie!” Dante wailed. “You woke me!”

Will helped Nico in as the pups whined about being woken, and Cerberus finally settled down. Dante had tucked himself into Nico’s neck, his little body wracked with sobs. Charlie pouted, reaching for her brother. Will moved to Nico’s side, guiding him to sit on the couch. As soon as they were seated, Charlie was hugging Dante. Nico, it seemed, wasn’t panicking like his son. Will made sure quickly that his Omega was okay before returning his attention to the wailing pup.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Charlie said. “Cerberus didn’t mean to be a meanie,”

“Hurt,” Dante sobbed, covering his ears. Nico crooned, nuzzling into Dante’s dark curls. Will sat on the floor in front of the pups. He pressed a kiss to Dante’s cheek. “Hey, buddy. You’re okay, Cerberus was just doing his job,”

“What job?” The pup sniffled, starting at him with big, sad eyes.

“He was protecting the house while we were gone. He didn’t know it was us. He thought we were bad people -”

“Who steals snacks?” Dante mumbled, and Will tried not to laugh at how cute the pup was. 

“Yeah, bad people who steal all your favorite snacks - he keeps them all away. He barks really, really loudly to scare the bad people, but he didn’t know it was us. He didn’t want to wake you up.” Will gave a small smile, cupping the boy’s cheek, wiping away his tears.

The pup mumbled something as he settled back into Nico’s chest, his sobs subsiding into small sniffles.

“What was that, Topolino?” Nico hummed, running his fingers through his hair. 

“Wanna sleep with Papa and Daddy,” The pup said, yawning.

“Me, too!” Charlie added. “Please? Papa, Daddy?”

“Why not?” Will sighed, smiling. “Come on, let’s get you two comfy in PJs.”

“Okay!” Charlie grabbed Dante’s arm and went to pull him upstairs, but he whined, and she let go. “Dante?”

“Let him stay with Papa,” Will told her gently. “Go on, start getting ready for bed.” Will urged her. “You don’t need Daddy’s help, do you?”

“Unzip my dress, please?” She asked, turning her back to her father. Will pulled the zipper down easily. “Thank you!” She held the dress as she ran up to her room, quick as a bird in flight.

Will turned back to Nico and Dante, who were talking together in hushed Italian. He rested his hand on the pup’s head.

“Are you okay, kiddo?” Will asked.

“Just scared,” he mumbled, tucking himself further into Nico’s chest.

“It’s okay, mio bambino,” Nico crooned. “Dolce topolino, Papa and Daddy are here to keep you safe. We’re always going to be here for you.”

“Thank you,” He mumbled. He reached for Will, who pulled him up, easily taking him from Nico’s arms.

“You got him?” Nico asked, standing up, a look of worry crossing his porcelain features.

“Yeah, I’ve got him,” Will pressed a kiss to Dante’s forehead. He wrapped an arm around Nico’s waist, guiding him upstairs. At the pups’ bedroom door, Nico pulled away. Are you going to be alright while I take care of Dante?”

“Yeah, I can change myself.” Nico chuckled, kissing Dante’s head, mumbling something in Italian before he moved down the hall to their shared bedroom.

Will knocked on the bedroom door. “Charlie, honey?”

“Yeah?” Came her muffled response.

“Can Daddy come in so he can help Dante get ready for bed?” He asked.

“Uh, one sec,” she said. A couple minutes later, she opened the door in her pajamas. “Okay, now you can go.”

“Thanks, honey. You can go to your Papa now - knock on the door before you go in, okay?” Will ran his fingers through her blond hair. She nodded before darting off. 

Will stepped into the room, setting Dante on the bed, kneeling in front of him to unbutton his little suit. “Did you enjoy your Aunt Hazel’s wedding?”

“Uh-huh,” Dante yawned. “Zio Frank is makes Zia Hazel happy.”

“He does, he loved her a lot.” Will stepped away to grab his pajamas. “Mickey Mouse or Thomas?”

“Bones.” The baby mumbled, pouting so cutely, Will couldn’t help but be reminded of Nico.

“Skeleton onesie,” Will chuckled. “It might get hot, bud,”

“Bones.” He said with more severity than necessary.

“Okay, okay,” Will chuckled. He helped Dante into the onesie, zipping it up to his chin and kissing his nose.

“Papa loves you lots,” Dante mumbled. “He told me a lot. You make him happy. He feels safe with you.”

“I love your Papa lots, too. He’s one of the three people who make me the happiest. Do you know who the other two are?” Will asked, scooping him up with the stuffed rabbit he often slept with.

“Who?” he asked, blinking owlishly.

“Charlie,” Will smiled. “And you,”

“I make you happy?” Dante asked quietly, like he didn’t believe it.

“You do. You’re my baby boy, just as much as Charlie is my baby girl.” Will told him, squeezing Dante close. “I love you, buddy,”

“I love you, too, Daddy. Make a promise?” Dante asked, holding out his pinky, starting up at him with big, doe-like eyes. So much like Nico.

“Of course, buddy, whatcha need?” Will stopped outside the bedroom door.

“Promise you’ll always take care of Papa. Promise you’ll always make him happy.” Dante stared at him so earnestly, Will thought he was going to cry again.

“I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Papa is safe and happy - and you and Charlie, too.” Will hooked his pinky finger in Dante’s, kissing the little boy’s forehead. “Now, let’s get to bed, okay, buddy?”

He nodded, relaxing against his shoulder, as if a huge weight had been taken off his little shoulders. Will knocked on the door to the bedroom as he entered, finding Charlie curled up on Nico’s chest.

“Hey,” Nico hummed softly.

“Hey, yourself.” Will said, smiling. He carefully set Dante next to Nico, giving the boy room to snuggle up to Nico’s side. “Give me a few minutes to grab a shower, okay, Neeks?”

“Mmkay, don't be too long. We might -” Nico broke off his sentence to yawn. “We might be asleep when you get out. He settled back against the pillows, the pups settled on his chest.

“I’ll be quiet, don’t worry. You get some sleep.” Will pressed a kiss to Nico’s lips.

“I love you,” Nico hummed.

“I love you, too,” Will smiled, kissing him again. And again. And again.

“Will!” Nico giggled - actually giggled . “Go take a shower. Let me sleep!”

“Okay, okay,” Will pulled away, collecting his pajamas and clean underclothes before slipping into the bathroom. He had originally planned on a quick shower, but after about five minutes, the door creaked open. He pushed the curtain out of the way just enough to see who had come in. “Nico? What are you doing?”

The Omega stopped undressing, giving a catlike grin. “Joining you. Is that a problem?”

Will gulped, his eyes darting over Nico’s exposed skin. “No - but the pups-”

“The pups are asleep. And besides, I’m pretty sure we can be quiet enough not to wake them.” Nico hummed, continuing to remove his clothes. “What do you say, Alpha?”

Fuck. Nico was going to be the death of him.

“Come here,” He sighed, and Nico’s grin widened.

Chapter Text

“I was right, you know,” Will chuckled. “I knew you were going to freak out on his first day of school.”

“I know,” Nico sighed, hugging himself. “I just -”

“You’ve always had him close by. This is going to be the longest and farthest away from you that he's ever been. “Trust me, Darlin’, I understand.” Will leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “It’s okay to worry, just remember he’s not going to get hurt.”

“I know that, Will. I just - I can’t stop thinking about the bad things that could happen - what if the other kids bully him? What if no one likes him? What if there’s a school shooting? You know those are getting more and more common.” Nico rambled, waving his hands around, unable to keep his nervous energy to himself.

“Who the hell would shoot up an elementary school? It’s the teenagers who are the assholes here…” Will grumbled, though he tried to sound light and joking.

“Will. That's not funny!” Nico snapped.

“I know - I know it’s not something to joke about. But my point still remains - no one is going to shoot up an elementary school, especially on the first day. I know your anxiety is on overdrive, and it’s gonna make you think crazy things.”

“Trust me, I know.” Nico sighed, slumping against his seat in defeat.

“You know that’s why I’ve got today off. I’m not scheduled to come in and I’m not even on call. I’m going to be right here, with you all day.” Will held his hand in a comfortable squeeze.

“Thank you, Will. I’m really lucky to have you,” Nico leaned over, hugging Will’s arm. After a moment, he asked, “Were you nervous on Charlie’s first day?”

“Of course I was,” Will said, beginning to pull out of the parking spot. “Before that, I was in a similar situation as you. It was just the two of us, and it drove me insane, leaving her with babysitters, and on her first day, I had to call out because I was so scared. Shit - I almost checked her out of class several hours early!”

Nico laughed. “That seems really overdramatic - worse than me!”

“It was, if I hadn’t called my mom, I would have. She - thankfully - talked me out of being a psycho, over-protective dad.” Will laughed, reminiscing. “She told me something that’s kind of stuck with me over the years - Charlie is her own person. By holding her back at such a young age, at such a crucial time in her development, in her life , I’d just be setting her up for failure.”

Nico was quiet. Will spared a glance at the Omega to see him looking puzzled. Will assumed that he was mulling over what he’d just said. 

“I understand that Dante needs to learn - both his education and his social skills need to grow.” Nico began slowly, as if carefully choosing each of his words. “I know he has to go to school, but I’m still worried for his safety. I’m worried for his emotions and how he feels.”

“And that’s okay .” Will smiled, even though he knew Nico couldn’t see it. “You’re always going to worry about Dante. Just like I’m always going to worry about Charlie. We’re their parents. It’s what we do, Darlin’.”

“You’re still worried about Charlie?” Nico asked, hugging Will’s arm tightly.

“Way more than you think, Darlin’.” Will chuckled. “She’s my baby girl, always will be, and nothing is going to make me stop working for her. Or Dante. Or you.”

Nico purred, resting his chin on Will’s shoulder. “When we get home can we go back to bed?”

Will laughed. “Of course, Darlin’,”

Nico was disappointed when he woke up alone. He had fallen back asleep with Will wrapped around him protectively. Now, he was sitting in an empty bed wonder where the fuck his Alpha was. He threw the blankets aside and stood up, stretching. He walked through the house until he could hear Will’s voice downstairs. Nico made his way carefully down, trying to hear him.

“-n’t care, Linda, she’s not going with you.” Will sounded - not upset, exactly, but tired? Exhausted? Exasperated? Like he’d repeated himself far too many times. “She’s seven years old. She is in school - it’s the beginning  of the school year! She’s not going on a European cruise with you!” Silence. “I don’t care - she’s my daughter. I get the final say- '' Again, silence, and Nico approached. “Do not bring her into this. She is dead . She wouldn’t want this either.” Nico frowned, resting his hand on Will’s shoulder.  The Alpha wrapped an arm around him protectively. “No. The final answer is no. And if you try anything, I’ll call the police.” Then he hung up.

“What was that all about?” Nico asked after several minutes of silence.

“Charlie’s grandparents - they’re… a lot, I guess you could say. Lindsey - Charlie’s mom - wasn’t so fond of them either. She tried to cut them off all the time, but, like weeds, they kept coming back. After Charlie was born, they fought for custody.” Will sighed, resting his chin on Nico’s head. “Obviously they lost, but they still try to treat Charlie as if she were their property. They think that if they spend a shit ton of money on gifts and surprises and European cruises for Charlie, she’ll love them more and want to move in with them.”

“Yeesh.” Nico said, at a loss for words. “And they’ve always been like this?”

“Yeah, I’m almost tempted to get a restraining order.” Will pulled Nico gently onto the couch, laying down with Nico on his chest.

The Omega sighed deeply, taking in his Alpha’s scent. “Restraining orders are just papers. There is no guarantee they’ll stay away just because you said they can’t.” He said carefully, trying not to think back to the incident with Bryce.

“You’re right. But at least legal action could be taken…”

“Will, tesoro, you’re acting crazy.” Nico laughed. “Listen, we'll talk to the school so only you and I can pull Charlie out of class. And if her grandparents try anything, they’ll notify us.”

“I can’t believe this is coming from you, the guy who almost had a panic attack because his son was going to school.” Will laughed, pulling Nico into a tight embrace. “I love you,”

“I love you, too, Will.” Nico purred, settling into Will’s warmth. They stayed there, wrapped in eachothers arms, simply enjoying one another’s presence. “How can they even afford a European cruise?” Nico asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Old money, and Albert served like 30 years in the military.” Will shrugged. “They’ve always done big trips. Lindsey told me once, they took a trip to Sweden just because she wanted some chocolate.”

“That’s horribly excessive.” Nico snorted.

“It is!” Will laughed. “As terrifying as your dad is, he’s nowhere near as bad as they are.”

Nico laughed, pressing a kiss to Will’s lips. “No, from the sound of it, they’re absolutely insane.”

“I think they are.” Will hummed, brushing his fingers through Nico’s hair. “Hey, do you want something to eat?”

“Sure, I could eat.” Nico smiled. “Ii don’t know how we’re going to get food, though.”

“I’ll go make something,”

“Not while I’m laying on top of you you’re not.” Nico grinned wide, slipping his arms around his Alpha’s neck. “And you wouldn’t break your Omega’s heart by making him get off.”

“You little shit,” Will laughed, pressing kisses to Nico’s lips again and again. “Okay, hold on tight,”

With that, Will sat up, standing with his arms wrapped tightly around Nico. With a laugh, Nico wrapped his legs around Will’s waist to support himself.

“You good, sweetheart?” Will asked him.

“Very,” The Omega laughed, resting his head on Will’s shoulder. “Don’t drop me okay?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Will pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I love you too much to hurt you.”

“I love you, too. But can you cook while holding me?” Nico asked.

“Probably, but, as I just said. I don’t want to hurt you. Is it okay if I put you down for right now?” Will asked, rubbing Nico’s back.

“Yeah, for now. I want more cuddles later.” Nico hummed, as Will carefully set him on his feet, taking his hand.

"Anything for you, Darlin’, now what’re you thinking for food?”

“Whatever you want to make.” Nico hummed, once again tucking himself into Will’s side.

Will watched the Omega out of the corner of his eye. Nico was nervously tapping on his knees, shifting in his seat.

“Hey,” Will said, taking one of Nico’s fidgeting hands. “Are you doing alright?”

“I think so,” Nico swallowed. “Better than this morning, I think,”

“That’s good. Just remember you’ll see Dante soon enough - well, you’ll be with him.” Will laughed quietly.

“Yeah, and I’m not going to let go of him until morning.” Nico said, squeezing Will’s hand.

“You’re going to have to give him some space, you know.” Will said. “I know you wanna keep him close, but if you don’t give him space, he’s going to really pull away when he’s older.” Nico nodded, but Will wasn’t entirely sure if he was sold on the idea. Will squeezed his hand as he pulled up in the pick-up line of the school.

“Alrighty, what’s your child’s name?” The pick-up official asked through Nico’s window. The Omega flinched at her sudden appearance. 

“We have two kids,” Will leaned over. “Charlotte Solace and Dante di Angelo. Third grade and kindergarten respectively.”

“Alrighty,” She said.

“Nico, cover your ears.” Will said and Nico did as he was asked, just as the teacher yelled through a small megaphone to call out the kids. Nico tensed, regardless, his shoulders hunched up. 

“Ow,” He grumbled, scowling. Will squeezed his hand in sympathy, watching as Charlie led Dante to the car, holding his hand. He smiled, proud of what a good big sister Charlie was being.

After the kids were buckled in and the teacher gave the go ahead, Will pulled out of the school parking lot.

“How was your first day, Dante?” Will asked, glancing back at the kids. He had to ask, because he knew his daughter would’ve gushed immediately about her day, giving Dante no chance to speak.

“It was great!” He said excitedly.

“That’s wonderful, bambino!” Nico purred, reaching behind himself the best he could, and Will saw out of the corner of his eye as Dante grabbed his Papa’s hand. “Did you like your teacher? Did you make any friends?”

“Yeah! Miss B is really nice and she reads us stories! And i made friends with Anthony and Claire and Mikey and Josh and Mary and -”

“Are you going to name everyone in your class, Topolino ?” Nico laughed.

“Yeash! ‘Cause they’re all my friends!” Dante giggled. “Everyone’s so nice and cool!”

“That’s awesome bud! We’re so happy to hear you had a good day.” Will smiled. “Charlie? What about you, pumpkin?”

“It was okay.” She said.

“What happened?” Will asked, his smiled dropping quickly. “You’re usually very excited about school.”

“I got stuck with a bitch of a teacher.” She huffed.

“Charlotte!” Will did his best not to yell, despite how angry he was. “We do not use that kind of language, young lady. What has gotten into you?”

“I’m not wrong!”

“We didn’t say you were. But you’re still not allowed to use that word, Charlie.” Nico said, his voice stern. “Not at your age and especially not in front of your little brother. Your father and I try not to use bad words around you two. Do you know why?”

“No…” She said quietly.

“Because we don’t want you two saying those bad words.” Will told her. “Listen, I’m going to be nice - this time - and let off without punishment. Next time, you’re going to sit with soap in your mouth. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” She mumbled. “I’m sorry.” When Will glanced back at her, she was slumped in her seat, staring dejectedly out the window.

His heart shattered at the sight of her looking so upset. “Seriously, Charlie, what happened, sweetheart?” He asked her gently, wanting nothing more than to wrap her in a tight hug and not let go. But that could wait until they got home.

“My teacher is really mean. She was rude and strict - like stupidly strict.” She huffed. “She gave us homework. On the first day! And we have to take tests tomorrow !”

“Tests? You have to take more than one?” Nico asked.

“Yeah - one for every subject she said. Math, science, English - even art and P.E.! I don’t think I'm ready for all of this.” Charlie whined. “We weren’t even allowed to go outside for recess! We went to the library and got books and had to read!”

“I thought you loved reading. What’s wrong with it?” Will frowned. 

“Well they don’t have recess in middle school, right? I’ve got to enjoy the outdoors while I can!”

“You say that like we don’t regularly go to the park,” Nico said. “Or have a yard you can play in.”

“Recess is different, Papa!” Charlie huffed again.

“I know that, Passerotta,”   Nico hummed. “Will, is there any way we can change her class?”

“Probably,” Will said. “Listen, Pumpkin, stay in this class for the rest of the week, okay? Get settled a bit, get to know your teacher, and maybe she’ll tell you why she teaches this way. After this week, if you’re still not happy, we’ll have a meeting with her and talk about everything and if we need to, we’ll see about getting your class changed.” He told her. “There are going to be a lot of people that you’re going to meet that do things in ways you don’t like. You’re going to meet so many people in life and you’re not going to like all of them.”

“I know, and I’ll try, Daddy. I promise.” She said, but still sounded so miserable, Will’s heart broke all over again.

“Would getting some McDonalds or something help cheer you up, Passerotta?” Nico offered, reaching over to rest his hand on Will’s thigh

“Maybe,” She said, but Will noticed how she seemed to perk up a bit at the idea.

“Dante, do you want McDonalds?” Nico asked.

“Pretty please?” He asked cutely. “Ti prego, Papa?”

“Hm. Daddy’s the one driving.” Nico chuckled. “You two people better ask him.”

“Ti prego, Babbo?” Dante asked, well begged would’ve been a better word for it.

“Please?” Charlie asked. “I promise I won’t say bad words and I'll be nice to my teacher,”

“You better keep that promise.” Will chuckled. “Alright, we’ll go to McDonald’s.” Will said. He had decided that he was going to go the moment Nico rested his hand on his leg; he wanted to cheer up daughter, after all.

Will was tucking Charlie into bed, running his fingers through her long blond hair.  “Hey, Princess.” He said softly. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah,” She said quietly.

“I’m sorry you had a bad day at school.” He told her. “And I’m sorry I got mad at you.”

“It’s okay. You’re my dad, you get mad when I do bad things.” She shrugged. “It’s what you’re supposed to do.”

“But I don’t like getting mad at my baby.” Will smiled softly at her, brushing his thumb over her freckled cheek. “I don’t like fighting with you, or yelling at you. I hate seeing you upset like this, and I hate it even more when I’m the one who made you upset. Daddy’s supposed to keep you happy, not sad.”

“I know.” She smiled, though Will could tell it was forced. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too, Charlie. Are you sure you don’t want to sleep with us?” Will asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, I want to sleep here.” She nodded.

“Alright, Princess.” Will smiled, He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart. You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

“Thank you, Daddy. Night,” She smiled softly, settling into her blankets.

“Sweet dreams, Pumpkin.” Will sighed, brushing her hair back once more before pulling away. He turned her bedroom light off, glancing back to her once more before leaving the room.

In his room, Nico was setted in with Dante fast asleep on his chest.

“Hey, you,” Will smiled at the two of them.

“Shh,” Nico hummed as Will leaned in to kiss him. “Dante’s asleep. Is Charlie alright?”

“I’m not sure. She said she’s ok, but she’s not herself.” Will sighed. “Give me a second to get changed, okay?”

“Yeah,” Nico murmured, pulling Will in for one more kiss.

Several minutes later, Nico was standing in the bathroom, holding Will around his waist as the Alpha brushed his teeth.

“Will?” Nico asked so sweetly, tucking his head under Will’s chin. “Can we talk about something important?”

“Mm?” Will asked, gently moving Nico out of his way to spit. “What’s up?” He asked, rinsing out his mouth.

“I know we already have two kids.” Nico started carefully, slowly. “But how do you feel about having another? Like - a kid that’s yours and mine?”

“I - why do you ask?” Will asked, running to his Omega, who only smiled at him. “Nico.”

Chapter Text

Will sat in one of the two chairs in the room. His knee was bouncing nervously, near violently. His eyes were trained on his Omega, who was sitting on the examination table, shifting uncomfortably, just enough to make the paper crinkle.

“Will?” Nico asked, kicking his feet gently. “Are you nervous?”

“A little. What do we do if it comes back and you are pregnant? What are we going to tell Charlie and Dante? What’re we going to name them?" Will ran his fingers through his hair “Am I going to have time to put together a nursery? How are we going to tell our families?”

“Will, Alpha. Come here, you smell so anxious. Please,” Nico held his arms open expectantly. Will stood and crossed the short distance to his Omega. Nico wrapped his arms around Will’s waist, resting his cheek on the Alpha’s chest. Will wrapped his arms around Nico, holding him close. “It’s okay. We’re not alone. We’ll be okay.” Nico murmured quietly, and Will knew he was reassuring the both of them, but it still didn’t ease all of his worries.

“I’m still worried.” He admitted. Will didn’t want to keep anything from his Omega. “What if it happens again?”

“What if what happens?” Nico asked, his fingers drawing patterns into Will’s back.

“What if you die giving birth? I - I don’t think I could stand it. I can't lose you . You’re - I love you too much, Nico, I can’t lose you.” Will could barely speak above a whisper, he was so scared of the possibility.

Nico pulled away, reaching up to cup Will’s face in his soft hands. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve had one pup already. I’m not going to die on you. I’m not leaving you.” He pulled Will down to him, sealing his quiet proclamation with a deep kiss.

Will wanted to say that Nico’s words were enough to wash away all of his fears. Will wanted to smile and trust that Nico wasn’t going to die. But he couldn't - his mind worked against him on overdrive. Negative after negative - thoughts and scenarios where Nico died; where the pup died; where they both -

“ Alpha. ” Nico murmured, kissing Will again. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m sorry.” Will sighed. “I’m sorry, Darlin’,”

“Don’t be sorry, Will.” Nico ran his fingers through Will’s hair, his hands coming to rest at the base of his skull, massaging softly. “I know you’re worried and that’s totally okay. I know it’s hard to look on the bright side of things when you have all of these voices and fears screaming at you that everything is going to go completely wrong. I know with your past experience, it’s going to be hard moving forward, but you just need to trust me, okay?”

“I do trust you, but -”

“That sentence should never end with ‘but.’” Nico laughed. “C’mon. Do a thought experiment with me.”

“Okay?” Will laughed half-heartedly.

“Close your eyes.”

“Okay, they’re closed”

“Look for a silver lining. Look on the bright side. Just for a few minutes.” Nico whispered, continuing to massage Will’s neck and shoulders.

“What’s the bright side?” Will asked dejectedly.

Nico burst out laughing. “ We’re having a pup.”

“It’s not set in stone…” Will couldn’t deny the smile tugging at his lips.

“ Amore mio ,” Nico sighed. " I’m trying to look on the bright side.”

Will was quiet for a minute. “You really want to have a pup with me?”

Nico’s chest rumbled with a loud, deep purr, obviously pleased with the idea. “I want as many pups with you as you’ll give me.” was his quiet answer. “Charlie, Dante, this one,” He pulled one hand away from Will to rest upon his stomach. “And however many more you want.”

Will couldn’t stop himself from smiling, even if Nico couldn’t see it. “How did I get so lucky? Such a sweet Omega.” He kissed his fiance deeply. “I love you,”

“I love you, too,” Nico purred, leaning up into the kiss. 

There was a knock on the door, and Will pulled away just as the doctor entered the room. He stayed close to Nico, though, not moving out of his arms.

“Sorry about that wait, you two.” He said with a polite smile, glancing between the two of them.

“Do you have good news?” Nico asked, cocking his head to the side. “Sorry for being blunt,” He chuckled. 

“Well, that depends on what you consider to be good news.” The doctor said. “The tests came back good - no STDs and all of your blood work looks good.” The doctor said, glancing over his clipboard.

“But am I pregnant?” Nico asked, frowning. Will had to hold back a laugh as the doctor almost dropped his clipboard, looking flabbergasted.

“Sorry, he’s a bit blunt.” Will offered him an apologetic smile. “We’re really looking forward to the results.”

“I understand. Omegas are usually obsessed with the idea of pups.” The doctor said, recomposing himself. “And today, luck is on your side, Mr di Angelo.”

“I’m pregnant?” Nico perked up, squeezing Will’s arm tightly. “Really?”

“Yes, you are.” The doctor confirmed as Nico broke out into a purr that filled the room.

Will smiled, unable to hold back his excitement. Sure, he was terrified about losing Nico, but knowing that they were having a pup . . . it was an addicting high. A happiness that no one could pull him from. He looked down to his Omega, seeing his beautiful face split with the biggest smile he’d seen his Omega wear. Will couldn’t help but surge in to meet Nico’s lips in a deep kiss. The blond couldn’t hold back the purr that rumbled in his throat, matching his Omega’s.

Maybe there was a silver lining, after all.

Will took a moment to lean back in his seat, exhausted. After he’d taken Nico home after his appointment, he’d had three surgeries to perform at work. Two were minor - both didn’t take more than six hours total. The third took over eight hours alone. It had been a car accident victim that he was thankfully able to save. He’d only had a moment to call Nico that he was going to be coming home late before he was sent in for the operation.

But he was exhausted. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to sleep with his Omega, who was at home, probably tucked in and fast asleep. Will took a deep breath and started the car. He didn’t want to keep Nico waiting, after all, even if he was asleep. He knew his Omega adored cuddles, even if he wouldn't admit it.

The drive wasn’t eventful, and with it being the middle of the night, there weren't that many drivers on the road anyway. Will sighed as he pulled into his driveway, feeling like he’d gotten home in record time, attributing the feeling to the lack of traffic. He didn’t bother grabbing most of his things as he got out of the car, just his wallet and keys. He could get his paperwork in the morning, anyway. He did his best to be quiet as he unlocked the front door, finding all of the lights to be off, as he’d expected. Will pulled off his shoes before making his way upstairs, making a quick stop in the pup’s room to check on them.

The kids were fast asleep, and Will couldn’t help but smile. They were his whole world, and his world was about to get a bit bigger. His heart swelled at the thought, and he had to force himself from running to Nico’s side. But he did move just a bit quicker. He slipped into his room, finding Nico curled up in bed, his fingers brushing over a book, a small smile resting on his lips.

“Hey, Darlin’,” Will whispered, crossing the room to his Omega’s side. “I’m home,”

“Will!” Nico gasped, pushing his book aside, and opening his arms for a hug. Will allowed himself to fall into his fiance’s arms, holding him tightly. “I missed you, Alpha,” he purred.

“I missed you, too, baby,” Will hummed, tucking his nose into Nico’s neck, taking in his scent - clove and cinnamon, something that reminded him of autumn. It always made him smile, and made him feel like he was home. The pups may have been his whole world, but Nico was his sun, moon and every star in the sky.

“You’re awfully cuddly,” Nico teased. “You really did miss me, huh?” he smiled at Will, running his fingers through Will’s hair, playing with soft curls.

“I did, I wasn’t expecting to be home so late. And I wasn't expecting you to be awake.” Will mumbled, pressed soft kisses against Nico’s warm skin.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Nico admitted. “Maybe I missed you too much to sleep.” He teased. “Maybe I missed you more than I thought.”

“Maybe.” Will mumbled, peppering kissed across Nico’s neck and up to his face; kissing his cheeks and his nose and forehead before landing on his soft, plump lips.

“I like it when you kiss me,” Nico hummed breathily. “Makes me feel special,”

“You are special to me.” Will muttered, kissing Nico’s fluttering eyelids, his hands roaming over Nico’s beautiful pale skin. “You’re everything to me,”

A purr rumbled through Nico. “You’re my everything, too,” his lips curled into a smile as he kissed Will back. “No one has ever made me feel so loved; so important. No one could ever make me feel like a real Omega like you do. No one could make me want to be a good Omega like you do.”

“You’re more than a good Omega.” Will told him, holding him close. “You’re the most perfect Omega.”

“You’re a sap,” Nico giggled, but didn’t stop Will’s renewed kisses. “I love you. I love you so much, Alpha. I can’t believe we’re going to have a pup together .”

“Neither can I,” Will finally forced himself away from Nico. “Have you told Charlie and Dante yet?”

“No, I wanted to tell them together. I don’t think I could explain it to them.” Nico laughed. “I don’t think they’d understand, not entirely.”

“They’re kids, what would you expect?” Will pulled away from his Omega, leaning over to pick up the discarded book. “I’m moving your book to the nightstand, alright?” He said.

“Yeah, that’s fine, just mark my page, please?” Nico asked, flopping back into the pillows. Will hummed as he did as he was asked.

“I’m going to take a shower, okay?” Will said, and Nico’s response was simply to pout and whine. “You can join me, if you’d like,” he chuckled.

“Yes, please,” Nico sat back up quickly, and Will stood to help his fiance out of bed. He knew Nico could get up by himself, he knew Nico wasn’t helpless, but he figured that the gesture was simply polite. “You’re so good to me,” Nico hummed, tucking himself under Will’s arm as they entered the bathroom. “You’re always taking care of me,”

“I just want to make you happy,” Will purred, kissing the top of his head. “I want to show you all the love I can,”

Nico purred in response. “I wanna do the same,” he hugged Will tighter, gently pulling at his shirt. “Now come on - we’re showering.”

Will snorted, but obliged, pulling his shirt over his head, before carefully taking Nico’s shirt off as well. There was something so intimate about undressing his Omega, even if they weren’t going to have sex. Will found that simply being close to Nico with no barriers between them was enough. It was like they didn’t need to have sex to feel close, to feel like their relationship had substance.

He hoped that Nico felt the same way, and in moments like that, laying themselves bare to the other was everything that they needed. To simply touch and be close to one another was everything they needed. They only needed one another, and nothing could take them away from one another.

“Alpha, you’ve gone quiet again,” Nico hummed, brushing his soft fingers over Will’s bare skin. “Is everything okay? You smell…” He tucked his nose to Will’s neck to take a better sniff. “You smell happy, but you’re not talking.”

“Do I need to talk? Do I need to tell you that I love being close to you? That I love having nothing between us? That I love you so much, and that I trust you more than anyone else?” Will smiled, holding Nico’s face in his hands, brushing his fingers over his Omega’s soft skin. Nico’s pretty pink lips curled up into the sweetest smile.

“You don’t need to. But that doesn’t mean I don't like hearing it.” He smiled, closing his eyes as he rested his head in Will’s hands. “I like hearing how you love me.”

“I like hearing  how you love me.” Will teasing, ducking down for another kiss. “I love being in love with you. It feels like home, like everything is right and good.”

“I love being in love with you, because I don’t have to be strong all the time. Because you love me when I’m abrasive or blunt, just as much as you love me when I’m gentle. I love you because you don’t try to make me something that I’m not. You love me just as I am,” Nico murmured. “And that makes me feel so happy , so loved .”

“Who’s the sap now?” Will laughed, kissing Nico again. And again and again.

Chapter Text

The birds chirping outside woke Nico before anything else. He rolled over and felt the empty bed next to him, still lingering with the warmth of his Mate’s body. He spread his fingers over the sheets, carefully breathing in that summery sunshine scent, wishing Will was still next to him.

“Hey, beautiful.” Came that familiar voice, as if quietly summoned by Nico’s thoughts. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” Nico smiled, rolling onto his back, towards his fiance. “I missed you,”

“Aw, baby, I’m right here,” Will’s weight settled in next to Nico and he immediately pushed himself up into Will’s arms, breathing in his scent like his life depended on it. Will’s throat rumbled deeply with a purr and Nico couldn’t help but smile at the feeling. A purr of its own rumbled in Nico’s throat, harmonizing with Will’s. Like they were meant to be.

There was something beautiful about being in love with Will Solace that Nico never wanted to lose. “I love you so much, you know that right?” He asked quietly, nuzzling deeper into Will’s neck, as if trying to bury himself in his warm skin. He carefully pressed kisses into Will’s warm skin.

“I know, and I love you, too, Darlin’.” Will kissed his forehead, rubbing his cheek against Nico’s head. The Omega couldn’t hold back his laugh.

“I can feel your stubble.” He smiled. 

“Yeah, I need to shave,” Will hummed thoughtfully. Nico could hear the gentle scratch of it, as if Will was rubbing his chin.

“You don’t have to, I like the way it feels. It scratches nicely.” To emphasize his point, Nico rubbed his cheek against the scratchy hairs on Will’s jaw. “I like it,”

“Ok, ok I won’t shave just yet. Maybe I can grow it out…” Will said thoughtfully, playfully.

“Oh, no. No. A little stubble is one thing. You’re not growing a beard.” Nico pulled back, scrunching up his nose. Will burst out laughing.

“Okay - okay, no beard gotcha.” He chuckled, wrapping his arms around Nico’s smaller frame. “Anything for my baby. My Omega,” He pressed a deep kiss into Nico’s lips, and the dark haired Omega leaned into it, melting into his Alpha’s careful grasp.

Finally, they pulled away, just enough to speak. “We should get the pups up,” Will murmured, “I know it's Saturday but they don’t need to sleep the day away.”

“What time is it anyway?” Nico asked, reluctantly pulling himself out of Will’s warm embrace, slipping out of bed, he made his way to the dresser where his clothes were neatly folded.

“Almost ten.” Wills said. “Do you want to tell them today?”

“I don’t know,” Nico walked to the bathroom to get dressed, and brush his teeth. He heard Will’s footsteps follow him. There was no escaping the conversation apparently. 

“We can’t not tell them, love.” Will said. “You know I’m right.”

“I know, it's just. I don’t know if they’ll understand. A newborn needs a lot more attention and care. I’m not sure how they’ll react. Charlie isn’t used to that kind of younger sibling, and Dante is so used to being the baby, I don’t know if he’ll handle it well.” Nico sighed, dressing himself.

“We can explain to them that a  baby needs more attention. Just because we’re focusing more on the new pup doesn’t mean we love them any less. Obviously we’ll make time for all of them.” Will said, his words  were carefully selected. Nico sighed as he brushed his teeth.. “It’s been a couple weeks, you haven’t told anyone. Not even your parents. We need to start somewhere.”

“Okay, we’ll tell them today.” Nico finally conceded. “Wanna tell them over breakfast? That way if they have any questions we have time to answer them.”

“That works with me,” Will kissed Nico’s forehead. “I’ll go ahead and get breakfast started, can you grab the pups when you’re done here?”

“Mhmm,” Nico hummed, nuzzling Will’s neck once more before his warmth receded.

Nico rolled his shoulders before finishing his morning routine. After depositing his dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, he made his way quietly through the hallway to the pup’s bedroom. He knocked on the door, quietly listening for any movement inside. After he heard nothing, he opened the door enough to poke his head inside.

“Are you two awake?” He asked, his voice just a little quieter than usual.

“Uh-uh.” Came Charlie’s sleepy negative while Dante just let out a little whine. 

“Come on, you two. Daddy’s making breakfast.” Nico stepped inside, carefully stepping through the room, feeling his way around  a few toys on the floor. He sat down next to Dante, rubbing his back. “Forza, tesoro. È ora di svegliarsi.”  

Dante whined, but sat up, climbing into Nico’s lap, his arms wrapped tightly around his Papa’s neck. Nico stood up, holding his pup close. He reached over the top bunk’s railing, until he felt Charlie’s shoulder. He carefully rubbed up and down her arm. “Sweetheart, come on. Wakey, wakey.”

“Papa,” She whined. “Pretty please, can I sleep more?”

“Honey, it’s getting late. Not to mention your Daddy and I need to talk about something with the two of you.” Nico rubbed her back.

“What is it?” She asked carefully. “Are we in trouble?”

“Oh, no, no. No one’s in trouble.” Nico smiled at her. “I promise, come on. Daddy’s waiting for us.”

“Okay.” She said and Nico pulled away to give her space to get up on her own. Once she was down on the floor, she took Nico’s hand and helped guide him back out of the room. He smiled at the thoughtfulness of his daughter. He set Dante on his feet, hoping the walk down to the dining room would be enough to get him out of his sleepy stupor. 

The three of them did not speak on the quick trip downstairs, and as they sat down Will gave them each a dish. “We’ve got toast, and cereal. I can’t cook like Papa can. But I can pour a mean bowl  of cereal.”

At that comment, Nico heard Charlie snort. “Papa said you guys had something to tell us,”

“That we do.” Will rested his hands on Nico’s shoulder. “Do you want to do the honors?”

Nico took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He had nothing to worry about. These were his pups, and he had his mate right there with him. “Recently,” he began slowly. “Daddy and I found out that we’re going to have a pup.”

“Another one?” Charlie asked. “Isn’t two enough?”

Nico’s lip twitched. “For some people, yes. But we wanted to have a pup together .”

“But you already have both of us.” She pushed. “Do you really need another one?”

“Charlie, sweetie, it’s okay.” Will said. “Aren’t you happy to have Dante as a little brother?”

“Yeah, but that’s different.” She pouted.

“It’s not, though.” Will rested his other hand on Nico’s other shoulder.

“Besides, there’s a chance we could have a girl. Don’t you think it’d be nice to have a little sister?” Nico offered.

“Can’t you get rid of it?” Charlie asked.

“Charlotte!” Will’s voice became tight.

“Honey, we’ve already talked about this in depth. We’re not getting rid of the pup.” Nico reached up for Will’s hand, squeezing it supportively. “I know this might be hard, but I promise we’re not going to stop loving you. Did your Daddy stop loving you when he and I started seeing each other? Did he stop loving you when we moved in?”

“No…” She said quietly.

“This isn’t that different from that. We’re just growing our family. There isn’t going to be any fighting for love, because there is going to be more than enough to go around. I understand that this is scary, and it will be a big adjustment, but I promise you we will not stop loving you two.” Nico reached over and took her small hand in his. “We love you, and no one could ever replace the two of you in our hearts.”

“Where’s the pup?” finally came Dante’s comment.

Nico smiled. “The pups in Papa’s belly.”

“Did you eat it?” Nico heard Will laugh at the question.

“No. bambino, Papa didn’t eat the pup.” He could feel his lips quirk upwards into a smile.

“How did it get in your belly then? Did I come from your belly?” The little boy questioned.

“Yes, you did come from Papa’s belly. Like Charlie came from her Mommy's belly.” Nico offered.

“Why?”

“That’s just how it is, bud.” Will said. “You’ll learn more when you’re older.”

“But I wanna learn now. ” The little boy whined.

“I know, amore mio, let me see.” Nico hummed, leaning forward onto the table. “Well, like they say, when two people love each other a lot and they decide that they want to have a baby, they’ll come together and they’ll, uhm, they’ll hug and kiss and a baby appears in the Mommy’s - or in our case the Papa’s belly,”

“But why?” The pup asked.

“Because the universe decided that they deserve to share the love they have for one another with a child.” Nico said, smiling, silently praying that the pup dropped it. “It’s a lot more complicated than that, but I hope you can understand that.”

“I think so,” Dante said. “I want a little brother. Have another boy.” He finally said definitively. Nico laughed.

“ Topolino, Papa can’t choose if the new pup will be a boy or a girl.” Nico said. “We just have to wait and see what the universe has given us.”

“I think the universe is mean. I don’t want another sibling.” Charlie huffed. “Why do you want one?”

“Because Daddy and I love each other, and we want to have a bigger family.” Nico said.

“Why don’t you like the idea of having another sibling?” Will asked, his voice gentle. “Don’t you want to be able to teach them things? Like you do Dante?”

“Just - because.” She sighed. “I don’t know.”

“You know we will always have time for you. We’ll always make time for you and we’ll always be here for you no matter what. We’ll love you no matter what.” Will told her, a concerned tone filling his voice. “Is it too fast for you?”

“I think so,” She mumbled. “Last year it was just us, Daddy. Now we have Papa and Dante… and a new pup? It’s...I don’t know.”

“Overwhelming.” Nico offered. “You’re not used to having a big family all the time. It’s okay, Passerota. Like we said, we’re not going to stop loving you. I know it can be scary, but I promise it’s going to be okay."

She was quiet for a moment, before Nico heard a small sniffle. Will’s hands were quickly removed from his shoulders, and Nico heard him quietly comforting her. Charlie let out a small sob. “Wh-What if you have a girl.. And you don’t want me any-anymore?”

“Oh, oh, bambina.” Nico crooned, standing to move around the table to her. “I promise you, I promise, no one could ever replace you. You are one of a kind and we’re not going to stop wanting you. You’re our daughter and nothing is changing that. We love you so much, nothing and no one could ever replace you in our hearts.” He reached out, until he could feel her. He carefully knelt down in front of her and hugged her tightly, letting her cry pathetically, heartbreakingly, into his shoulder. 

“Baby girl, we’re always going to want you. Having you was the best thing to happen to me. Like your Papa said, we’re always going to love you and be here for you.” Will wrapped his arms around the two of them, holding them in a tight, protective embrace. A small hand touched Nico’s arm and he pulled Dante into the hug. “I’m sorry this is scary for you. Just remember Papa and I are right here with you.”

“No matter what, we’re always going to be here for you. Even when you get older and think you don’t need us, we’ll be here.” Nico kissed her soft hair, nuzzling into the curls in what he hoped came off as comforting for his little girl as it was for him.

“Always, princess. Always,” Will agreed, holding his whole world in his arms.

Later, after Charlie was able to calm down and come to terms with the situation, Will watched as the two pups played in the back yard. They were pretending to be pirates searching for treasure. Nico was settled next to him, lost in his own thoughts.

“Darlin’.” He mumbled into his fiancé's dark hair. “You still in there?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Yeah, I am. I’m worried. I don’t think Charlie is as ok as she says she is.”

“Me neither. Like you said, this is overwhelming for her. In like a year her entire life has been turned completely upside down. Do you think we’re moving too fast?” Will asked carefully. “With the pup, I mean.”

“Maybe, but I don’t want an abortion. I want this pup with you. I know we could have more in the future, but I want this. Do you?” Nico’s question was quiet. Scared. 

“Of course I do. I do. It's scary for all of us, but I know we’ll be okay.” Will pulled Nico into a deep kiss. “We’ll figure things out. All of us. It’ll be a big transition, a scary one for the pups.”

“And for you,” Nico nuzzled into his scent gland. “I know you’re still scared about me giving birth.”

“I am. Can you blame me?”

“No, I can’t. I know what you’ve been through. And yet here you are. You survived that. And we’ll survive this.” Nico smiled oh so sweetly and Will felt his heart melt all over again.

“I love you.” He said, bringing his omega into another kiss.

“I love you, too, Will.” Nico's smile widened as they pulled away, his white teeth flashing.

Before he could say anything else, Will’s phone began ringing. Nico’s smile faded. “What’s that?”

“Work, actually.” Will frowned, staring at the contact.

“ I thought you weren’t on call today.”

“I’m not. Give me just a second,” He kissed Nico’s cheek. “I’ll be right back, baby.” Nico hummed a positive, before he settled back into his seat, smiling, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Will walked back inside, answering. “Dr William Solace, how can I help?”

“Dr Solace, sorry to bother you on your day off.” The familiar voice of his supervisor, Susanna,  came through. “But I have some great news for you. We can go over more of the details when you come into work next.”

“Great news? What do you mean?” He frowned, glancing out the window to see his family where he had left them. The pups playing, and Nico lounging drinking water.

“We just got word from one of our sister institutes saying that they needed a new head of surgery. We reviewed our staff, and they chose you.” Susanna said, her voice chipper. “They’ve spent the past few weeks reviewing your records and after contacting your professors in college - all of which gave glowing reviews - and they’ve decided that you were the best option. You should be getting an email at some point today going over a lot of the more specific details, but I felt this was news that needed to be delivered personally.”

“That’s amazing.” Will said, surprised. “Is this a promotion?”

“Yes. There will be a significant pay increase, but also an increased work load. You will have a lot more power there. I know you work well here with our team, but I think this transfer is a great opportunity for you and your career.”

“I agree, it’s a shock, really. Especially since I’ve only been with you guys for a few years. I don’t have a lot of experience. Are you sure I’m the best option? There must be more experienced surgeons and doctors who can take this position.” Will leaned against the wall, running through the emotions in his head, forcing his voice to remain steady.

“There are more experienced staff. We discussed them over our last meeting and in the end they were adamant about choosing you. A lot of the experience you need you will get on the job. They have a lot of resources that will be at your disposal.” Susanna continued. “I’d say the hardest thing is the move. This hospital is located in Los Angeles, and you’d have to relocate to be on site. I told them that this may throw you and that you’d probably need some time to think over your options.”

“Los Angeles.” He sighed. “That’s a huge change.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll need some time to talk this over with my mate and kids. We’re already stressing about the new pup on the way, and this is a lot.”

“Take your time, Will. There’s time to make a decision. If you decide against it, we have a second choice set. You can email me or call me when you do make your choice.”  Susanna told him. “Thank you for taking the time to answer my call, and congratulations on the new pup.” 

“Thank you, Dr Killian. Really. This is an amazing opportunity. I’ll be in touch with my final decision soon.” Will said. “Have a wonderful day.”

“You, as well, Dr Solace. Take care.” With that, she disconnected the call.

Will put his phone down and breathed out, laughing. This was a crazy opportunity. He made his way back out to his mate.

“Hey,” Nico said, sniffing the air. “Do you need to go in?”

“No, no. I don’t need to go in.” Will sat next to him, allowing the small Omega to snuggle into his side. “That was my supervisor, Dr Killian. She wanted to personally tell me about a promotion I’m up for.”

“A promotion!” Nico smiled. "That’s amazing.”

“Yeah, a sister institute is looking for a new head surgeon.” He said. “I’m supposed to get an email with more details soon. There is a downside, though.
“More hours? Is it out of town?” Nico asked.

“More than likely, and yeah. It’s really far out of town.” Will said carefully.

“How far? A few hours?”

“No. It’s in Los Angeles.”

“Los…Will, we’d have to move .”  Nico hissed quietly.

“Yeah, we would.” He nodded. “I haven’t made a decision yet. I wanted to talk to you and look at that email first.”

“Definitely look at that.” Nico nodded in response. “Are you going to take it?”

“I don’t know yet. I don’t want to stress you out and this is a lot on top of the new baby.” He rested his hand on Nico’s belly. “Not to mention the pups. I don’t think they’d like this. Not in the middle of the school year. Not while Charlie is struggling to understand and accept this.”

“I understand where you’re coming from.” Nico said. “And I wouldn’t blame you for not taking it. You’re an amazing mate and a wonderful father, I don’t think anyone could be mad at you for choosing to put your family first. Do they have anyone else to take the position?”

“My hospital has another candidate ready in case I don’t take it.” Will explained. He let out a long sigh. “I gotta see what that pay raise is going to look like. Not that money is everything. I just need to see if it’s worth it. The relocation and such. Your parents live in L.A., right? What’s the housing market like there? Rent and stuff?”

Nico frowned, huffing. “Dunno, expensive? I’ve got a cousin in real estate - well he’s an architectural director, real estate is his side gig. Last I heard he was still in Berkeley - outside San Francisco. I can try to call him and see what he can do to help. Gods, I haven’t been to California in a long time.”

Will laughed. “Neither have I. I think it’d be nice. A new job with a raise, a new house…It’d be hard saying goodbye to this place. There’s a lot of good memories here.”

“Again, no one would blame you if you didn’t take it.” Nico rested his head on Will’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t.”

“I know, baby, I know. I just need to look at the fine print and think about it for a few days.” Will kissed his head, looking out to the pups, who were still playing, oblivious to how things could change if he took this job.

“Dr Solace!” Dr Susanna Killian smiled as Will entered her office. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I wanted to talk to you about that position I was offered.” He said, taking a seat in front of her desk when she gestured. “I had a few questions before I gave my final answer.”

“Of course, of course, I was sure you’d have some for me.” She smiled kindly, leaning forward on her desk, her perfectly pedicured hands folded. “What would you like to know?”

“First, I’d like to know, if you, by which I mean the hospital - or if they will assist in any travel and moving fees.” Will said, putting on the most professional poker face he could muster. “Second, I was curious if they could hold the position for a few months.”

“We can see what we can do about handling the cost of travelling, but I’m not sure what we could do in regards to temporary housing. Why would you want to hold the position?” She asked, already beginning to type on her computer. Will assumed she was writing an email to her supervisors.

“I don’t want to pull my kids from school just yet, especially where my youngest, Dante, just started kindergarten. I don’t want to upset their education or development. My mate just found out he’s pregnant and I don’t want to put the stress of moving on him. I don’t want to risk the life of my unborn pup.” He told her. “It’s just until the end of the school year, at the longest it’s until the new pup is a few months old.”

“That’s completely understandable. I’ll get in touch with Dr Robert Fenne, the head supervisor and see how long they can hold out. I’ll push for May or June, if they can.” Susanna was typing furiously on her keyboard. “Is that all for now?”

“For now, yes. Depending on what you can do with Dr Fenne, I’ll give you my answer. If he can’t respect the fact that I will always put my family first, I won’t work under him.” Will told her, a strong note of finality in his voice. “If he's willing to work with me on this, I’ll gladly take this position. You can go ahead and forward him my email and phone number so we can talk personally,”

“Of course. If you have any more questions, you can always email us, or you can find me here.” She smiled at him again. “I am really happy for you, this is an amazing opportunity for you. You’ve come such a long way in such a short time, it’s astonishing.”

“Thank you, Dr Killian. I appreciate that. And I appreciate all that you’ve done for me since I started working here.” Will let his face relax into a kind smile. “I’ll be in touch with more questions, if I have them.”

“Of course. You have a wonderful day, Dr Solace and good luck on that surgery you have later today.” She smiled. “Go on, you have work to do.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you again.” Will gave her a nod before standing up, leaving the room. 

Hopefully things worked out well.

Chapter Text

Nico took a deep breath as he pressed the call button on his phone. He lifted it to his ear as it rang, once. Twice. Three times, and on the fourth ring, the call was answered.

“Nico, how are things, bambino ?” His mother's sweet voice filtered through, delighted.

“I'm good, Mama.  I just wanted to tell you and dad something. Is he home?” Nico shifted back into his seat, hugging a pillow to his chest.

“He is, give me just a moment. He is working right now so we'll have to bother him.” She sighed. He heard her talk indistinctly away from the phone. “Alright, Nico, you're on speaker with me and your father.”

“Hi, Dad, how's work?” Nico offered in greeting.

“It's work.” Was his father's gruff response. “What did you need?”

“I don't need anything.” Nico sighed. “I wanted to tell you guys some good news.”

“Oh what kind?” His Mama asked excitedly. 

“Well, Will's up for a big promotion, which is exciting. It'll require us to move out to Los Angeles, though. Right now he's working on getting someone to hold the position long enough for the pups to get through the school year.” Nico absent mindedly rubbed his hand over his stomach, carefully thinking about whether or not he should tell them.

“So you're coming home?” His father asked.

“We'll visit, yes. I'm going to get in contact with Jason to help us look for a good place to stay. I know it's out of his way, but he owes me.” Nico laughed.

“I'm sure he'll be willing to help. You are his favorite cousin.” Mama laughed. “Is that all, amore? Did you just call to tell us about coming home?”

Nico took a deep breath. “No, no there's one more thing. Will and I are expecting.” He added. “Together.”

“You're pregnant?” He heard his father ask. “Are you sure about this? You two haven't been together that long.”

“I know, but we've talked abundantly about the topic. We both want this. The pups are a little apprehensive. Worried, I think. Dante doesn't quite understand what it means. Charlie is scared we're going to stop wanting her.” Nico told them. “We've tried telling them everything we could to ease their minds, but I'm worried it's not enough. Especially with Charlie.”

“Give her some time. She's a good big sister to Dante, give her some time and she'll come around. Maybe have her be more involved with things regarding the new baby. Have her help pick out toys and clothes, maybe.” Mama offered. “That's what I did with Bianca when she found out I was pregnant with you. And you know how she adored you.”

Nico smiled at the memory. Every moment of his early childhood had been spent by his big sister's side. After they lost her…Nico withdrew. He wasn't the happy kid he used to be. His heart hardened and he was more alone and isolated than ever before. He stayed that way for a long time. Now, Will had broken down his walls and melted his frozen heart. “I know. I'll do what I can. I'm hoping she comes around to the idea before the pup is born. I don't think she'd try anything to hurt the baby - she's far too sweet to hurt anyone - but I don't want her to be miserable and have the pup grow up in that kind of environment. It could be damaging for their development.”

“She'll come around, just give her time.” His father offered, almost sympathetically.

Nico hummed in agreement. “What about you? Is everything going well?”

  “Things are good, mostly business as usual.”  His father said. “What about the children - How are Dante and Charlotte? Other than struggling with the idea of a new pup, of course”

“They’re good, Charlie is excelling at school and Dante is learning how to write. Will and I are doing what we can to help them. I’m a little worried, though. We got an email saying Dante was struggling with his letters, and they think he might have some kind of learning disability.” Nico sighed. “They’re keeping an eye on him, though.”

“Your sister had dyslexia.” Mama said. “Hades, didn’t you say that it runs in your family?”

“It does.”  Nico’s father agreed.

“Next time we talk to his teacher, we’ll let her know that. Hopefully that’s all it is.”

“Hopefully, please keep us updated on our grandpups.” His mother scolded. “We barely hear from you.”

“I’ll call more, I promise. And I’ll keep you updated.” Nico smiled.

“Oh, and how’s Will?”  She asked. 

“He’s good. He’s doing a lot of work getting ready for this promotion. I can tell he’s excited, but this is a big change for all of us. I know he’s stressed.” Nico chewed on the inside of his cheek. “He doesn’t want me to stress about it, so he’s not going to talk in detail about it.”

“Communication is the key to a healthy relationship, Nico,” His father told him. “I understand where he’s coming from, but he shouldn’t completely shut you out.”

“I know, and he doesn’t. He just tells me enough where I know what’s going on, but won’t tell me the specifics. I’m trying to get him to open up more, because I can take it. I’m not as fragile as he thinks I am.” Nico’s face scrunched up in distaste.

“I don’t think he thinks that.” His Mama offered. “I don’t think you think that either. You know he just wants to take care of you.”

Nico sighed audibly, not because he disagreed with her, but because she was right. “No, I don’t think that. He’s just worried - Charlie’s mom died in childbirth. He’s just worried that the same thing will happen to me. We’ve talked about that at great length. I think he’s over compensating, trying to keep me as stress-free as possible.”

“Because he loves you.” Mama said.

“And he doesn’t want to lose me,” Nico smiled. “You’re right, Mama.”

“I know.” She laughed.

They continued their conversation for roughly another hour before his father needed to get back to work. “Niccoló. I have a question for you before we hang up.” His mother said, leaving her husband to do his work. 

“What is it, Mama?” Nico asked as he made a sandwich for lunch.

“Do you want me to start putting together a portfolio for your wedding with Will?” She asked carefully. “I don't want to overstep, but I had a couple ideas we could go over whenever you get here. It might be challenging to pick out colors and decorations with you being blind, but I will do what I can to make it easier for you both.”

“I’d love it if you did. If I'm being honest we haven't done a lot of planning yet. We might just do a courthouse wedding and have a small reception with friends and family. I don't know what Will wants, though.” Nico said. “Go ahead and get it put together and we'll review everything when we get out to L.A., okay?”

“Wonderful. I'll make sure its perfect for you two.” Nico could hear the smile in her voice.

“Thank you, Mama. I love you. We'll talk soon, okay?”

“Of course. I love you, too. Please take care of yourself, okay?” She said.

“I will. Bye, Mama.” He said.

“Ciao tesoro. Ci sentiamo presto.” His Mama said before hanging up the phone. 

Nico sighed as he set his phone down. He was proud of himself, if he were honest. He really didn’t think he could tell them about the pup, and their reactions were a lot more positive than he was expecting. His Mama had probably forced his father to be nice about it, knowing her.

He took a bite of his sandwich and leaned against the counter. The house was quiet, far too quiet for his taste. Will was at work and the pups were at school, and Nico was alone. After the incident , he couldn’t mentally handle work, and had rather unprofessionally quit his secretary job, and pretty much put a pause on his online classes indefinitely. He regretted that decision now. Nico did feel bad, with Will being their only source of income…sure he made a lot, and was the Alpha of the family, but Nico hated being…helpless? Useless?

He let out a deep groan.

He needed to get a new therapist. After Bianca had died, his parents put him in counseling, and it didn’t particularly help. She had been too…clinical for Nico’s tastes. He always heard her scribbling on paper or typing on her computer, taking notes. All of her questions were…scripted, rehearsed. It made him want to talk to her less than he already did. He only went to her a small handful of times.

If he took the time to find a new therapist, he wasn’t going to make Will pay for it, though knowing his Alpha, he’d try to insist on it. So, Nico started a list in his head.

First, a job. Then therapy. With the extra income, he could help pay for the new house, the bills - Nico did not want to think about that right now -  building up college funds for the pups. Three college funds would be expensive. Maybe he should start working on his classes again…he knew his father made good money, but he also owned a small chain of funeral homes. There wasn’t a lot to go off of there. 

Nico groaned, finishing his food before returning to the living room. He wasn't sure what to do then. The house was far too quiet for his tastes. Just the sound of Cerberus breathing as he slept in the corner. The ticking of the clock on the wall. He would turn on the tv, but he found the noise overstimulating. With a sigh, he reached for his phone. He patted the couch, but couldn’t find it. He patted his pocket before sighing deeply. He has left it in the kitchen. He was quick to retrieve it, asking the voice-activated assistant to play his Italian playlist, which mostly consisted of songs his mother had sung to him when he was a little kid.

Tucking his phone in his back pocket, Nico hummed along with the song, carefully moving his way back upstairs, quietly finding his laptop and settled himself on his and Will's bed. He made sure his Braille keyboard was plugged in before searching for his university website. With a deep breath, and the robotic voice of the text-to-speech, he started up where he started up where he left off.

Will groaned. He let his head fall to the steering wheel and he took several long, deep breaths. He didn't lose a patient - he hadn't done that since his second year working post-doctorate - but he had to be there when explaining to a car accident patient that their child, who had also been in the car, didn't make it. He held her hand while she screamed and cried. It was heartbreaking, having to deliver the news. It made him think about Charlie and Dante - Will genuinely didn’t know what he’d do if something happened to them.

He sighed deeply, peeling his forehead from the steering wheel. With the pups in mind, he started the ignition and pulled out of the parking space. He drove out of the faculty parking lot in order to go pick them up from school. Halfway through the ride, his phone rang through his car speakers. At a red light, he reached over and answered the call.

“Hello?” He asked, turning left as the light changed to green. 

“Hi, is this Mr William Solace?” Came the almost concerned voice of a young woman. “I’m Elizabeth Gordon,  the main office coordinator at Golden Oak Elementary. We just had an unauthorized person try to check your daughter Charlotte out of class early, just before the day ended.”

“What? Who was it?” Will’s heart jumped into his throat. There was only one person who would do that. He prayed to whatever power that would listen that it wasn’t Linda. 

“She refused to give her name, but she was an older woman claiming to be Charlotte’s grandmother.” Elizabeth told him. “As per your updated list, only you and Nico di Angelo can check her out, so we turned her away. But I don’t think she’s left the school premises yet.”

Will bit back a long string of profanities. “Good. She is Charlie’s grandmother, but she is supposed to be no contact. Please, don’t let her try to pick up Charlie in the school pick-up line. I’ll be there shortly. If you could, could you keep her and another student - Dante di Angelo - in the office? I’ll come inside and pick them up. Dante is my stepson, I should be authorized for pick-up and check-outs, you can double check his file if you need to.”

“One moment, please.” She told him. A moment later, “Alright, I was just checking Dante’s file to confirm what you’re saying, Mr. Solace. I’ll go ahead and have their teachers let them know to come to the office rather than their usual pick up lines.”

“Thank you so much, Miss Gordon. I really appreciate that. And, please, keep me updated if that woman comes back in the future. I’m working on getting a restraining order for her to keep her away from Charlie.” Will told her.

“I’ll go ahead and put that in Charlotte’s file, and if she comes back, we’ll have our resource officers remove her from the premises.” She said, thoughtfully. 

“I’m not sure if it’ll happen, but there is a gentleman who might try the same thing - her grandfather. Would you make note of him as well?” Will asked, passing a yellow light right before it changed to red. He breathed deeply, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.

“Of course, Mr. Solace.”  Miss Gordon told him. “Alright, everything has been updated. And I’ve sent emails to Charlotte and Dante’s teachers.”

“Thank you, Miss Gordon. I’ll be there shortly.” Will said gratefully.

“Of course, have a great day, Mr. Solace. Bye bye, now.” With that she hung up, and Will let out a loud “Fuck!”

He did his best not to speed, but every muscle in his body screamed to get there as fast as he could and see with his own eyes that Charlie was okay. Almost ten minutes later - ten minutes too long - Will pulled into the school, and instead of pulling into the pick-up line, he pulled into a visitor parking spot. Before he walked to the building, he glanced around at the cars, looking for something familiar. He saw the gold Lexus and sighed through his nose. He clenched his jaw and closed the car door, choosing much rather to ignore them. He walked up the sidewalk, smiling and waving at the usual pick up teachers, who waved back in recognition and continued with their work.

Will pushed open the front door to the school and saw the kids sitting next to one another, talking quietly to one another. Dante held a colorful  picture book in his hands, and Charlie was helping him sound out the words. She looked up and saw him. “Daddy!” She jumped from her seat and ran over, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. “Why couldn’t we go outside?”

“We’ll talk about that in the car, okay, Princess?” Will knelt down to kiss her forehead. “Let me talk to the receptionist and get you guys checked out first, alright? How about you help Dante get packed up while I do that, yeah?”

She nodded, darting back to her little brother to help him. Will smiled fondly, approaching the receptionist, quickly checking the two out, apologizing for the inconvenience of changing their usual routine.

“It’s no problem, Honey,” The receptionist, Deborah, as her name plate stated, smiled at him. “Your kids are absolutely delightful. You three have a wonderful rest of your day.” She smiled sweetly.

“Thank you, and you as well.” He smiled, as the two appeared at his sides. “You two ready to get home?”

“Uh huh.” Charlie nodded.

“Yeah! I wanna tell Papa about the book I’m reading.” He smiled up at him, his teeth showing.

“That’s awesome, buddy. We’ll get home and you can tell him all about it.” Will smiled, ruffling his hair. He guided them outside, taking their hands in either of his. His eyes darted around, a majority of the students had been picked up and most of the cars left in the parking lot were faculty.  That damn gold Lexus was still parked in the same parking spot. The strange part was, there was no one inside. Will’s gut twisted uncomfortably.

He tried to quickly lead the kids to their own car, but the sight of Linda standing at the hood while Albert knelt next to the driver’s side wheel made him stop in his tracks. “Charlotte.” He said coolly. “I need you to do Daddy a huge favor.”

“What is it?” She asked quietly, as if recognizing the urgency in his quiet words.

“I need you to take your little brother back inside and tell the receptionist to either send out the school resource officer or call the police. There are people here who are doing bad things. Don’t run, I don’t want you to catch their attention.” He told her. “Don’t come back out until I come get you.”

“Yes, sir.” She nodded, taking Dante’s hand from Will’s before leading him back inside.

Taking a deep breath he pulled his phone out of his pocket and started, subtly recording the two of them - at this point there was going to be a court case. As he approached them, he heard Linda telling Albert to cut the tires.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Will asked as he got close.

“Oh, oh nothing!” Linda smiled sickeningly at him. “Albert thought your tires looked flat and wanted to make sure they were good.”

“Uh- yes. Yes.” Albert roughly stood up, using the car to get himself back to his feet. Will saw the knife in his hand.

“You two aren’t supposed to be here.” He said. “Neither of you are allowed to pick up Charlie.”

“Who said anything -” Linda started, but Will cut her off.

“The main office called me, saying you were trying to check her out.” He said. “I’ve told you before, you’re not allowed near her.”

“She is our granddaughter!” Linda snapped, her fake sweetness falling away quickly. “We have the right to see her!”

“Not after this you don’t. This isn’t the first time you’ve tried pulling this crap, and now I’m putting my foot down. Lindsey didn’t want you near her, and I don’t want you near her either.” Will told her. “I don’t want her on European cruises, I don’t want her on Swedish skiing trips. I don’t want my seven year old wearing Prada or Gucci or whatever expensive brand you buy. I don’t want her to be crushed under the weight of your expectations like Lindsey was. I don’t want her in years of therapy from the abuse you would put her through. I’ve been civil before. Now, I’m taking legal action. I’m getting a restraining order. Neither of you will be allowed anywhere near me or her.”

“You cannot do that! We will have the best lawyers! They will make you seem like the unfit parent you are!” Linda was all but screeching now. Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw the resource officer approaching, and other parents had their phones out, recording this old woman’s temper tantrum.

“I am not unfit. You were the one who spent your daughter’s entire life piling impossible expectations on her shoulders, starving her because she put on a few pounds, you taught her how to hide her bruises with make up.” Will hissed. “You were a horrible mother who ruined her daughter’s life. I will not allow you to do the same to my daughter.”

“Is there a problem here?” The resource officer finally approached them.

“Yes! This man is abusing his daughter! And accusing us of doing the same to our dead daughter.” Linda began screeching, fake sobbing. “We just want to protect our granddaughter from this monster!”

“Hey,  Jim.” Will said. At the beginning of the school year he had taken the time to introduce himself to all of the faculty. “This is my ex-mother- and father-in-law. They are trying to kidnap my daughter. I asked her to tell them to call the police.”

“The police have been notified and are on the way, Dr. Solace.” Jim nodded. “I’ll go ahead and escort these two back to their own vehicle, but they will not be allowed to leave without an official statement to the police.”

“Thank you.” Will nodded, turning off his camera as the two were guided away, Linda still screaming and crying, Albert silent and fully compliant to his wife’s antics. Will sighed, approaching his car, looking at the tires, taking pictures of the cuts. As he finished he walked over to Jim and his in-laws. “I’m going inside to check on Charlie, I’ll be right back.” He told Jim, who nodded in understanding.

“I wouldn’t worry too much, Doc. I think you have a good case on your hands.” Jim told him. “The man had a knife on him. Illegal to have on school property.”

“Wonderful.” Will said dryly before running back up to the doors of the school. He saw his pups sitting next to each other once more. “Hey, you two. Are you alright?” He asked.

Dante nodded as Charlie said,  “Yes, sir.”

“Good, come here.” He approached, kneeling down with his arms open to hug them. Both sprang into his arms, holding him tightly. “I’m sorry,” He murmured, kissing Charlie’s head, then Dante’s.

“It’s okay, Daddy.” Dante murmured.

“Who are those people?” Charlie asked. Of course, she would ask the hard questions.

“Bad people.” Will said slowly. “They’re your mom’s parents, and they are not nice people.”

“What?” She asked.

“They hurt your mom a lot when she was growing up, and she always told me that she didn’t want you around them. She didn’t want to risk them hurting you, too. I don’t want to risk it, either.” Will told her.

“Okay,” She frowned. “Did they-” She stopped, looking sideways at Dante. “Were they like that man with Papa and Dante?” She said finally.

“Kinda, yeah. But your mom didn’t have anyone to help like Papa did.” Will told her. “Listen, Daddy needs to call Papa and let him know what’s going on. Then when the police officers get here, I need to talk to them about everything. This could last a while. So I need you two to be good and stay here, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.” Dante nodded. “Charlie, can you help me with my book?”

She looked at Will again, her blue eyes unreadable. “Yeah, I can help.”

Will smiled softly. “I’ll be right outside, but in the meantime, be good for Miss Deborah.”

The two offered words of agreement to him before Will stepped back outside. He pulled out his phone and pulled up Nico’s contact. On the second ring, his Omega answered sweetly.

“Hello?” Nico asked.

“Hi, baby.” Will felt every muscle in his body relax at the one word.

“Will! Hi, how are you? Do you have the pups? Are you on your way home?” Nico asked, his voice smiling. “There’s a few things I wanna talk about when you get home. Oh - I told my parents I was pregnant, by the way. They were really supportive.”

“That’s great, baby. Hey, listen, there’s an emergency here at the school. Can you call anyone to come bring you here?” Will asked. “Linda and Albert showed up here, they tried to check Charlie out, then slashed my tires. Police are on their way.”

“What? Oh, gods, are Dante and Charlie okay?” Nico’s tone fell right into panic.

“They’re okay. I promise. Can you get a ride here? I don’t want to have them sitting here all night.” Will told him.

“I’ll call Hazel, I’m sure she could help. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Nico said. “Tell the kids I love them. And I love you, too. Stay out of trouble, Alpha.”

Will almost laughed. “I’ll do my best, baby. I love you, too.” He watched as two police cruisers pulled into the parking lot, now devoid of parents and students. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck, I think you’re going to need it.”

Chapter Text

Nico’s knee bounced aggressively, he was beyond anxious. He fell back into his habit of chewing on the inside of his lip to the point where he tasted blood. He was quick to replace it with his thumb nail.

“Are you okay?” Frank, who was driving him to the school, asked. “You haven’t stopped fidgeting since you got in the car.”

“Honestly, no. I’m terrified . I’m worried about Dante.” Nico sighed, he always worried about Dante, “I don’t know what’s going on - I just hope Will and the pups are okay. Will hasn’t told me a lot about Charlie’s grandparents, but I know they’re a lot to deal with. I’d never thought it’d get so bad that the police would have to get involved.”

“Well, some people are difficult.” He offered. “Do you think Will is going to press charges?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. I feel bad - I’ve told him a restraining order might not work. I’m not sure how well they’d obey it. I mean…” Nico sighed, pushing down the memory of Bryce. He was different from them, right? He was cruel, a criminal. What were they? An older couple with money? “Who says they’d listen to it? Who says they can’t afford a better lawyer?”

“Well, your dad owns, like, four law firms.” Frank said. “Thought ethics may prevent him from being Will’s lawyer. You guys can still use his firm, I’m sure.”

“More than likely. I’ll have to talk to him about it.” Nico nodded, as he felt the car turn. Frank parked the car, but left it running.

“We’re here.” Frank said, slowly. “I see Will with an officer. Do you want me to walk you over?”

“If you could.” Nico offered a small, strained smile. “I’d really appreciate it.”

Frank got out of the car while Nico did the same. He unfolded his cane as Frank came around, resting his hand on Nico’s shoulder in order to guide him along. As they approached, Nico could smell his Alpha. Will was stressed, angry - no, he was more frustrated than angry. He didn’t smell the pups though.

“Will?” Nico asked as they got closer. 

“Nico!” Will’s voice filled with relief. In seconds, Nico was swept up into a tight hug. Will kissed him. “I am so glad you’re here.” Somewhere on the other side of the parking lot, Nico heard a woman screaming. He flinched into Will’s touch. “It’s okay, it’s just Linda.”

“Oh.” Nico sighed. “Are you okay? Where are the pups?”

“The pups are inside. I don’t want them to be part of this.” Will told him. “I need to finish talking with the officer. He’s good to take the kids home, right?”

“He should be. You said they didn’t see anything, right?” An unfamiliar voice asked. Nico assumed that was the police officer.

“Yes. They barely saw Linda and Albert. I’m sure they’re just scared. Oh - are they okay to get the carseats out of my car?” Will asked the officer.

“That’s fine. As long as that’s all they take.” The officer responded. 

“Thank you.” Will told him. “Frank, could you get Nico inside? I’ll work on getting the carseats out. They’re not difficult to put in.”

“I’ve got you.” Frank told him. “You good, man?” Will was quiet, but Nico felt him shrug.

“Alpha.” Nico said. “It’s going to be okay.” He reached up and held Will’s face, carefully bringing him down into another kiss. “I’m going to take the pups home. You can take all the time you need.”

“It might be a while - they did slash my tires.” Will’s tone grew distasteful. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way home. I love you. Omega.” Will brought him into a tight hug.

“I love you, too, Alpha.” Nico nuzzled himself into Will’s neck, breathing in his scent. “It’s going to be okay.” He repeated. Will purred softly in response. Nico didn’t want to let go of him, he wanted to stay next to his Alpha. He didn’t want to leave him alone. But the pups needed him, so he reluctantly pulled away, squeezing Will’s hand tightly before fully letting go. 

Frank rested his hand on Nico’s back, silently guiding him up the sidewalk and to the stairs, where Nico took the hand rail, helping himself up the stairs at a hurried pace. If he just took the time to focus on getting the pups home, he wouldn’t overstress about Will. When his cane hit the door, Nico reached out, pulling open the door and he stepped inside, Frank right behind him. After barely a few seconds, he heard the pups.

“Papa!” Dante’s voice came first. “You’re here!”

“Ehi, topolino. Sono qui ora. Stai bene?” Nico murmured as his pup practically attacked him with a tight hug. He knelt down in order to hold him tighter. 

“Charlie, passerota? ”

“I’m here.” She said, her small hand coming to rest on Nico’s shoulder. Nico pulled her into the hug, squeezing her tightly. “I’m okay.”

“And I’m okay, Papa.” Dante’s arms wrapped around Nico’s neck, and Nico easily scooped him up into his arms. 

“Good. Daddy still needs to do some grown up stuff, so your Uncle Frank and I are going to take us home. Do you two have everything?” Nico asked, reaching out to rest his hand on Charlie’s head.

“One sec, I’m going to put Dante’s book back and I’ll grab our backpacks.” She said, her head slipping away.

Nico silently nodded as she bustled around. She was quick to return, all anxious energy and movement. “Papa?” She asked quietly.

“Yes, passerota ?” Nico held out his hand, which she quickly took.

She stayed quiet, as if she were carefully choosing her words. “Do we need to be scared? Cuz I’m scared.”

“You don’t need to be scared, love. I understand that this is a scary situation, but Daddy and I will take care of everything.” Nico told her. “There’s no shame in being scared. Just remember you’re not alone.” He pulled her into a tight hug. “We love you so much.”

Charlie’s arms wrapped around him as tightly as she could. “I love you, too, Papa. Can we see Daddy before we leave?”

“Of course.” Nico smiled. “Dante? Are you ready?”

“Yep!” His little voice came, right next to him.

“Good. Dante, stay close to your Uncle Frank. Charlie, you can hold my hand.” Nico told her. “Frank, go ahead and take Dante to see Will, we’ll be right behind you.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go first?” Frank asked.

“Yeah, I’d rather you go first so you can see anything unexpected. It feels like a precaution.” Nico tried to explain. He didn’t want to risk having Charlie’s grandparents approaching him unexpectedly, trying to force Charlie from him. Having Frank between them felt like armor.

“Alright, come on, Dante. Hold my hand, please.” Frank said gently. Nico smiled softly. He was always gentle with Dante, and he knew deep down that he would make a great father for his and Hazel’s kid. Nico squeezed Charlie’s hand in what he hoped was a comforting way. As they stepped out into the parking lot, Nico could hear the shouting - that same shrieking from the woman Nico could only assume was Linda. Then Will shouting back. 

Nico swallowed deeply - he had never heard Will shout like that. There was a sense of fear that was climbing its way up his throat. His instincts screamed at him to grab his pups and run as fast as he could. He forced that down, trying to think logically. Will would never do anything to hurt him or his pups. He was always the safest person around. Nico knew that Will never resorted to violence or anger, but that voice in his hindbrain screamed to get to safety, forgetting that Will was safe to Nico.

With a deep breath, he forced down his instincts. Nico tightly gripped Charlie’s hand, and forced himself to take a step towards the commotion. He could smell Frank nearby, focusing on that. As he got closer, he allowed himself to stop - their shouting was echoing through the parking lot. A third voice joined in, stern but still much calmer.

“Will.” Nico called, his voice coming out much steadier than he was feeling. Shockingly, the voices stopped when he spoke. “The pups wanted to say bye before we headed home.”

“Right, right. I’m sorry.” Will said, breathing slow and deep. Nico heard his footsteps approach them. He took Nico’s hand, cane and all, and squeezed tightly. “I’m so sorry.” He pressed a kiss to Nico’s head before turning his attention to Charlie, talking to her quietly, his sweet voice back- not that shouting that shook Nico to the core. He felt his entire body relax as his Alpha returned to his usual self. Nico didn’t process what they were saying, his mind running a mile a minute. 

After Will was done he took time to talk to Dante, his words just as sweet as when he spoke to Charlie.

“You’re going to be good for Papa and Uncle Frank, right?” Will was asking when Nico finally pulled himself out of his silent panic.

“Uh-huh, I will. I promise.” Dante agreed.

“Good. I love you, buddy.” Will said.

“I love you, too, Daddy.” The pup said, and Nico could hear the smile in his voice.

Unfortunately, the sweet moment didn’t last. A sharp, bitter scent filled Nico’s nose. He had to force himself not to gag, the smell was terrible. It actually took him a moment to realize that the smell was a person. If he was honest, he didn’t realize until Linda spoke that she was the sour smell of hatred and spite.

“Is this what you’re surrounding our granddaughter with?” Linda snapped. “This life you’ve chosen is nothing but sinful. ”

“Linda. Stop.” Will’s voice took a dark warning tone. “Say whatever you want about me, but leave my family out of it.”

“Family?” She sounded on the verge of screaming again. Nico pulled Charlie behind him and reached for Dante. His small hand quickly found its way into Nico’s, seeking comfort. “This is not a family! This is - This is pure filth! Sin! You are ungodly. You took our daughter from us! Now you’re holding our precious Charlotte hostage!”

“I am not holding anyone hostage.” Will growled. “I am protecting my daughter from your - your immaturity.” Even Nico knew that Will wanted to say something far too inappropriate for the pups to hear, but he censored himself.

She scoffed, and Nico was ready to run. He let go of Charlie, still keeping her behind him. “Will, we’re going to go. Where’s the police officer?”

“He’s already gone. He took the last of our information and told them to leave, but they’re not going anywhere without a fight.” Will grumbled. “It’s impossible to ignore them.”

“I can tell.” Nico huffed. “Are you going to come with us?”

“I wanted to get my car towed first. I’m not leaving while they’re still here. I’m not risking them making things worse.” Will sighed deeply. He reached up and cupped Nico’s cheek, softly rubbing his cheekbone. Nico leaned into his loving touch.

“Do not ignore me.” Linda screeched. “William, get that thing away from my Charlotte. I don’t want her to end up a cripple like it. For all we know, whatever it’s got is contagious.”

Nico stiffened. “Excuse me?”   He asked sharply. Before he could say anything else, Charlie finally spoke up.

“Stop being mean to my Papa!” Her words were loud, as if an uncontrollable anger was boiling over. “You’re a mean old lady. You’ve done nothing but yell and scream! You’re throwing a tantrum. ” She huffed. “I’m not yours. I’m a person and so is Papa. I don’t belong to you. I don’t even know you.”

“We’re your grandparents.” Linda said, her voice dripping with false sweetness that smelled sickening to Nico. “We’re your Mommy’s Mommy and Daddy. You can call us Gram-Gram and Pop-Pop.”

“I will not.” She interrupted. “You’re a mean old witch and he’s an ugly troll.”

“Charlotte Anne!” Linda snapped. “That was disrespectful. William, how can you allow her to behave like this! I knew you were incompetent! I knew you couldn’t handle raising our granddaughter.” 

“That’s not her middle name.” Nico deadpanned. “How could you claim Will is incompetent when you don’t even know her name?”

“I don’t need sass from a faggot like you.” She snarled.

“Watch your language.” Nico snapped. “I will not have you and your closed-minded bigotry around my children.”

“Charlotte is not your child!” Linda’s voice began growing in volume.

“Yes, I am.” Charlie said. “He’s my Papa and you can’t change that. ” She grabbed Nico’s hand. “I want to go home.”

“You can come home with us.” Linda’s voice was growing closer, far too close and far too fast for Nico’s liking. He immediately put himself between the two of them.

“Do not lay a hand on my daughter.” He snarled. “Will’s told me some of what you’ve done to her mother, God rest her soul. I will not allow even a fraction of what happened to her happen to my daughter.”

A sharp smack resounded through the parking lot. It took a moment for Nico to register the pain. Realization dawned on him that she had hit him. He said nothing, just faced straight ahead once more, his jaw set.

“‘But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.’” He recited the Bible verse with a sharp memory, despite not having gone to church in over ten  years. “You call us sinful, claim we’re going against God. But God would hate your behavior and words. He doesn’t hate people, but He would hate you.” Without another word, he took Charlie’s hand gently in his and guided her away.

Nico heard several pairs of footsteps behind him, and the sweet sound of silence from, as Charlie had to gracefully put, the old witch.

That night, Will climbed into bed next to his Omega, a million thoughts running through his head.

“Yeah. Apparently Frank was recording the whole time. He said he got it on video.” Nico said, on the phone with his father. He had been discussing the whole situation with him for the past two hours. “Mmhm, we could add assault charges for that.”

Will watched him, his eyes taking the time to memorize every piece of his face - every line, every freckle, every eyelash. Nico reached over, patting the bed softly until Will offered his hand over. Nico’s slim, cold fingers wrapped around Will’s warm hand, fingers interlocking perfectly. He smiled softly, bringing Nico’s knuckles to his lips in a soft kiss. He watched Nico's pretty pink lips quirked upwards into a smile.

“There was a mark, yeah. We got pictures.” Nico hummed in affirmation. He was quiet, his lips pursed. “I have an idea - I don’t know how credible it would be in court.” He laughed quietly. “I need to ask Will about it first.”

“What’s up?” He asked, propping himself up on his elbow.

Nico pulled the phone from his ear. “Do you have anything from Lindsey we could use as evidence of the abuse she endured? Any journals or messages or anything describing in detail what happened?”

Will frowned. “Are you going to use my dead wife as a witness?” The idea was almost laughable.

Nico laughed. “It’s as ridiculous as it sounds. We’re actually going to use anything like that as evidence against Linda and Albert. Any kind of testimony we can get from her would be great.”

Will sighed. “She went to a therapist. I can call him up and see if he had any notes from their appointments. I’m not sure what he could legally disclose, though.” He pushed himself up. “She did keep journals, though. She asked that I not look at them, though. I never did. Not even after she died. I once asked her about them, and she told me that her therapist recommended journaling all of her experiences, as a means of processing everything that had happened to her.”

Nico took a moment to put the phone on speaker. “Do you still have them?”

Will almost laughed. “Yeah, I do. They’re in a box in the attic. I’ll pull it out tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” Nico leaned in and Will met him with a kiss.

“William, do you mind if I’m recording this call?” Nico’s father asked through the phone. “I’d like to ask you some questions about what you know about your deceased wife’s experiences.”

“Go ahead. I have nothing to hide.” Will nodded, fully sitting up, wrapping his arm around Nico’s waist.

“First, I’d like to ask what you know. Has she told you about her experiences with her parents?  Just a list, we can get into more details later.” Hades said, his words carefully selected.

Will glanced at Nico, squeezing his waist. Silently searching for approval. Nico nodded, leaning into his shoulder. “Well, for st a rters when she was a child she was forced into a lot of beauty pageants. She told me how her mother was strict about her calorie intake - she was being systematically starved for years. I have her medical reports in the attic describing her eating disorder. Linda had her training for hours - waking up before the sun came up, and long after the sun went down. And she was barely given time to study for school, but if her grades slipped even a little bit, she was physically beaten” Will took a deep breath, remembering how Lindsey had cried when she told him. When they first started dating, she warned him that she was damaged - too much trauma. Rough around the edges. Will smiled softly. Apparently he had a type. “I’ll go into more about those later. Her parents were very critical of any friend she brought over. They made her feel ashamed - She told me that they would shame and openly criticize them. They isolated her and kept her reliant on them. She once told me that when she went to college, she was finally free.”

“Is that where you met her?” Hades asked.

“Yes.” Will said simply. “We met in our advanced biology course - we started as study buddies but, you know,” Will glanced over at Nico, hesitant. “It kinda just grew from there.” He leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, Nico.”

“It’s okay.” He said softly. “I know you loved her - I wouldn’t be surprised if you still do.” He nestled himself deeper into Will’s side. “I don’t blame you for that. I know you love me, and that won’t erase how you feel about her. I can leave the room if you need me to.”

“No, no it’s okay.” Will held him close. “Having you here makes it easier. I just don’t want you to feel bad about everything. I don’t want to make you sad.”

Nico let out a laugh. “I’m okay, I promise. ” He pressed a kiss to Will’s lips. “Keep going.”

“Alright, now could you explain more about the details of her physical abuse?” 

Will blinked, almost forgetting about the conversation they were having. He took a deep breath. “I don’t know all of the details, but I’ll tell you what I can.”

They sat there for another hour discussing everything. By the time they were done, Will was exhausted. He fell back into bed with a deep sigh. 

“Are you okay?” Nico asked, settling in next to him. Will breathed deeply, taking in Nico’s sweet scent. He’d noticed since he got pregnant, Nico’s scent had gotten sweeter, gentler, even. He still smelled of clove and cinnamon, but more like a fresh-baked cookie or a warm coffee.

“I’ll be okay. It was a lot to talk about, that's all.” He pulled Nico closer. “I love you so much. I know it was probably hard to be part of that conversation. No one really likes hearing about their partner’s exes.”

“That’s the thing, though.” Nico let out a small, breathy laugh. “I don’t consider her your ex. She is a loved one who has passed on. Your love for her won’t fade, I know that. But you’ve grown enough and your heart has healed enough for you to continue to live your life. You’ve healed enough to love me, the same way you love her.”

“I’m so happy that I have you. I don’t think I could get through this situation alone.” Will pulled him close, into a deep kiss. “I’m glad I get to sleep holding you every night.”

“I’m glad you’ve let me be part of your life.” Nico smiled that beautiful smile of his. “Thank you for loving me.”

“Thank you for being part of my life.” Will kissed him again, pulling the blankets up over them both. They fell asleep like that, wrapped tightly in each other's arms. Sleep came quickly and sweetly for them, safe in the lives they’d built together.