Chapter Text
“Remember when you told me to chill out?” Jason says. He’s looking way too smug for Nico’s liking. In fact, Nico has half a mind to stomp over there and snatch the cookie from Jason’s hands. But then he’d get crumbs all over the couch, and Olive would gladly hoover them up. And she was technically on a diet. As it was, she was laying in Jason’s lap, purring loudly as Jason massaged her neck, licking crumbs from his sweater.
“Remember when you almost slapped me for saying that?”
Jason snorts. “I do. But as a more matured and lived man, I think that it was excellent advice.”
“I can’t believe I let you eat my cookies and steal my cat just to throw that back in my face,” Nico huffs.
“Seriously, just do something simple, right? I mean, Christmas already comes with all of the festivities, so it’s not like you’ll have to try very hard. Plus, we all know Will’s head over heels for you. I bet he’d say yes if you asked him when he comes home today.”
“But I’m not asking today. I’m asking on Christmas. Or Christmas Eve. I haven’t decided. And his family will be there.”
“Why don’t you just do it before?”
“Because it’s already the fourteenth! We’re leaving on Saturday.” Not to mention both of them were working and often tired in the afternoons. They had both finally graduated, but this was Nico’s first year of full-time teaching. Honestly, his timing could have been better, but he knew that Will had been hinting at getting married. So he wants to do this. Plus, he really wants to get married, too. He’d been envying Jason and Piper’s matching rings for years.
“Look, people put so much pressure on proposals. It’s really just for you guys, right? So do it however you want to. Give the ring to Olive. I’m sure Will would still cry.”
“She’d probably eat it.” He eyes the cat in Jason’s lap. She’d gained some pounds since Nico had first moved in, but she still held all of the grace and dignity she always did. “Or forget to give it to him.”
“Do you even have a ring yet?”
Nico shrugs. “I have one, but I don’t know. Do you think he’d like a ring? He doesn’t really wear jewelry.”
“Nico, seriously?” Jason asks. “Will would love a ring. If he can’t wear it on his finger, he could always wear it on that necklace you got him.”
Nico smiles at the thought. He’d gotten Will the necklace for their first official Christmas together, and Will hardly took it off. Since then, they’d had several Christmases together, but this one felt more special. It was their five-year anniversary, and though they’d said they wouldn’t do anything too outrageous, Nico thinks this is the perfect time for a proposal.
“I know I’m overthinking it, but I don’t want to take over Christmas or whatever. Or have the ring be the only gift. Like that’s lame, right?”
Jason shrugs. “You told me the ring would be enough, and honestly, there could be a little more than the ring. If you know what I mean.”
Nico blushes, rolling his eyes. “Sex doesn’t count as a Christmas gift. It’s not like I’m wrapping myself with a bow.”
“I think he’d like that.”
“We’re staying at his mom’s house. With his siblings. None of what you’re implying is happening.”
“I’m not implying. Simply stating. Did I tell you about how Piper—“
Nico waves his hands around. “Nope, nope, nope. Not listening! I don’t want to know!”
Jason laughs. “Just go with your gut, man. Cook for him or something. Will is always raving about your food.”
Nico supposes he could do that. It’d harken back to the first gift he’d ever given Will. But was that lame? Just fixing him a meal and popping the question? Nico cooked for Will all the time. And how easy would it be to get Will alone for a meal? This wasn’t their first Christmas with Will’s family, but it was the first time they’d be staying through the holidays. They usually went earlier and came back before the actual holiday, but Nico’s school schedule prevented them this year. Nico supposes he’ll have to get used to shorter breaks again.
“It’s just hard not to overthink it,” he says. “Like, I want it to be perfect, and there are a million things I could do but not all at the same time.”
“That’s why Piper and I decided not to set our wedding date anywhere near a holiday. Though double-dipping isn’t a bad idea. We’re gonna miss you at the party, man.”
Nico would miss it, too, but he’d probably also be too busy freaking out about proposing to Will to not miss it until afterward. Honestly, if they’d had the party, that might have been an even worse time to propose. Nico didn’t need all of his friends giving him looks throughout the night.
“Have you asked his mom?” Jason asks.
“Not yet. I want to ask her in person.” Even though that would mean waiting until a few days before the proposal. And what if she said no? Or what if Will overheard and didn’t want to get married? Jason was clearly being no help since he was more focused on eating all of Nico’s cookies.
Nico’s saved from more overthinking when the front door opens and Will appears.
“Hey, baby! Guess what I found for us,” Will says. Nico lets Will kiss his cheek before groaning.
“Tell me it doesn’t have any glitter.”
Will rolls his eyes. “I ran out. But I think you’ll like it anyway.”
Nico can see Jason perking up, interested in what Will’s brought home. Nico’s eyes zero in on the bag in his hands. The logo is from the local grocery store, so either Will actually bought food or he’d grabbed a random bag from their stash underneath the kitchen sink.
“I’ll like it a whole lot more if it doesn’t have glitter.”
“Glitter is amazing. But, look! I thought they’d be fun for our family picture!” He opens the bag, pulling out two ugly Christmas sweaters. Nico’s picked up that it’s a Christmas tradition in the Solace family, but he has yet to actually wear one. He’s never understood the appeal of wearing something purposefully ugly and garish.
“You’d better have gotten that for Olive,” Nico says.
“Oh, no, you’re wearing one this year. Especially since we’ll be there for Christmas Day. Besides, Olive already has one. C’mon, try it on. Please?” Nico glances away from Will. He’s never been able to say no to Will’s puppy dog eyes, especially around the holidays. He’d only been able to say no the past years because they’d never actually been around for the family photo.
“Couldn’t I have just borrowed one of yours?” Nico asks. Will had more ugly Christmas sweaters than Nico thought necessary. He didn’t know when someone would need five ugly sweaters. Their ugliness only increased exponentially anytime there was more than one.
“I made sure to pick one I think you’ll like.” Will unfolds it, and Nico has to admit that it’s not entirely ugly. Jason’s smirking as Nico grabs the sweater and pulls it over his head. It was big on him, though most sweaters were. “What do you think?”
“I think it looks adorable,” Jason says.
Nico flips him off. “Don’t enjoy this,” he says.
“Oh, I’m definitely enjoying it.”
“It’s either the cat or the reindeer,” Will says. Nico covers his eyes when Will unfolds the next sweater. This one definitely fell into the ugly category. Nico has no idea where Will even finds these. The sweater was made of different colors of fabric, each laid out in a way that sort of hinted at a reindeer. The antlers stuck out from the sweater, and the nose lit up. There was also a healthy amount of glitter sprinkled around in a way that Nico guesses are supposed to be snowflakes. “And wait, the best part!”
“I can’t even look at this. It hurts my eyes.”
“Look! It comes with rings! So you can try to hook the ring over the antlers! Like horseshoes. But Christmas edition.”
“You want people to throw rings at you all night?”
“Why not? It’s fun.”
Nico sees Jason winking at him. He looks away before he gives himself away.
“Fine. I’ll wear the cat one.”
Will does a little happy dance, clearly pleased that he’s succeeded.
“We’re gonna look so cute in the photo!” Will says. “Mama said she’d send us extra if you want to give some to your own family.”
“My family will never see this if I can help it.”
“Not even Hazel?”
“Nope. I know she seems sweet and nice, but she can be evil, too.”
“Wonder where she learned it from,” Jason mumbles.
“Bianca.”
Jason laughs. “Uh-huh.”
Nico pulls the sweater off, folding it up so he can’t see the cat’s face staring into his soul. It probably wasn’t too bad, but he did have a reputation to hold on to. And even though it made Will smile like that, he was not proposing in an ugly Christmas sweater.