Chapter Text
It was a Thursday evening when Nico and Toby arrived at the hotel their wedding would be held at.
The place was cottage-like; everything was sweet and cozy; it was so romantic.
Toby's eyes widened as he walked through the door.
"Nico, this place is… gorgeous."
Nico smiled and held Toby's hand. He twirled his taller fiancé around. "And, Mio Tesoro, it is all for us…"
"I think I like the sound of that…" Toby muttered with a sly grin.
"Oh really?" Nico raised an eyebrow.
"Really."
The two smiled and began to lean in for a kiss.
However, their momentary joy was interrupted by their… well, their carpool partner.
"Damn, this place is fancy…" Doby excitedly called out. He then whistled. "Hey, Jules, you wanna come and check this place out?"
Doby had… befriended (befriended? Became endearing to?) the zombie chauffeur almost immediately.
Nico groaned.
They hadn't had a moment of privacy in hours.
There were three full days left until their wedding, and they wouldn't see each other much on one of them.
So the pair needed to take advantage of every second that they could.
Toby cleared his throat.
"Uh, Doby. How about you go and help Jules bring in the bags, while we go and… sort out our room."
"Oh, uh… okay. Do you want me to bring them up for you?"
"No!" Both yelled out at once.
"No…" Nico calmly said. "We can pick them up once our keys are delivered."
The two forced a calm smile onto their faces; Doby examined the pair carefully.
Finding no flaws in their proposal, Doby nodded and grinned widely.
"Okay!"
With that, the proxy ran out excitedly, leaving Nico and Toby alone for the first time since they had picked him up.
Toby snaked an arm around his fiancé's waist. He pulled Nico close. Nico chuckled and rolled his eyes. He pressed a kiss to Toby's jaw, and then one to his cheek.
Toby returned the affection with a peck to Nico's forehead.
"I love you," he pledged. Nico took Toby's free hand in his. He looked at the ring that shone on his finger. Then, his eyes met with Toby's.
"I know. I love you too."
Toby smiled and pressed another kiss to Nico's nose.
And with that, the pair finally had a moment of silence between themselves.
…and then that moment ended.
"Who in their right minds has a wedding all the way out in Kettering, New York of all places?!" The familiar voice of Arianna Rodgers asked.
Nico groaned. Toby gave him a quick glance. Then, his eyes settled on the door.
"There are plenty of nice places in Florida for them to get married."
"Now, lovebug, this is their choice. They wanted to have a nice, quiet wedding by the woods. We have to respect that."
Toby's smile brightened at his grandfather's voice.
The two older people walked forward, into the lobby.
"Grandma!" Toby untangled himself from Nico. "Grandpa!"
"Zis kartofl!" Tomas enveloped his youngest grandchild in a hug.
Toby accepted the childish nickname of "sweet potato" and chuckled.
"We're so excited that you could make it."
"Of course!" Arianna smiled. "I wouldn't miss my youngest grandchild's wedding for anything in the world. Now we only need your cousin to set-!"
"What cousin…?" Toby asked.
Nico took a few steps towards his fiancé, hoping to get in on the news.
"Oh, Tobias. You didn't hear? Your mother never told you?" Asked Tomas.
Both Nico and Toby shook their heads.
"Oh, sweetheart, well this isn't easy to say, but… your cousin, Aaron, is… he's getting divorced again."
"What?!" Toby and Nico gasped at once.
"Why? I thought that he was happy with Jessie."
"Everyone did." Arianna sighed. "And nobody knows why."
"So I take it he isn't coming?" Toby asked.
"I don't think so, honey." Arianna looked at him sadly. "But, such is life - Oh, and I know what he got you as a wedding present."
Tomas nodded. "Five hundred dollars of… well, the gift."
"And your grandfather has his present for you for after the rehearsal." Arianna squeezed Tomas' arm.
"I hope that this is what I think it is," Toby smiled.
Nico gave him a confused look. Toby waved off his concern with a quick "I'll tell you later".
Arianna and Tomas gave the pair one last hug, and then the married couple wandered over to the reception.
The smell of nicotine caught Toby's nostril.
"I'm gonna go out for some fresh air. Check in for us?" Asked Toby.
"Sure." Nico gave Toby one last kiss.
Toby crept out the front door.
"Masky?" He asked.
"Oh, hey, little man," Masky smiled. He took another drag of his cigarette. "Never thought I'd see the day."
"What day?" Toby asked.
"Your wedding."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Masky nodded. His cigarette had nearly finished. He dropped the end on the ground and stomped it into dust. "I mean, you weren't the most social kid, and you were a bit… excitable. I figured you'd just… never settle."
Toby tilted his head.
"I mean, I never saw you as the kind to do this, be all grown up and get hitched, ya know?"
"Sure."
Nico smiled as the keys to the room were placed into the palm of his hand.
He took a few steps out into the front of the hotel.
"Toby, we've got our keys!" He called out. "Big suite! Right above the dining room!"
He fell quiet when he saw Toby with his arms around Masky. He knew that the pair had an almost familial connection.
His lip curled into a small smile.
The pair parted.
"Oh, hey, Nico," Masky waved. "Congrats again on getting married."
"Thanks," Nico nodded curtly.
"Babe!" Toby ran at his fiancé and pulled him into a hug.
"Honey, it's only been a couple minutes!" Nico chuckled.
"I know, but I'm just excited to see you."
Nico rolled his eyes, but still returned the embrace.
"You wanna head up to our room?" He asked.
Toby caught the light suggestion under Nico's tone and nodded excitedly.
He had been waiting for a moment like this all day…
"Finally," Toby whispered. "We're alone…"
The pair could barely get a moment alone their entire way up the stairs.
Toby's Grandparents were chatting their ears off about this, that, and the next thing.
The employees were asking a bunch of questions about room service and if they needed anything.
Luckily, in their quiet, secluded room, they had absolute quiet and control.
The entire place looked gorgeous, with soft bed sheets and paintings of local wildlife and scenery.
It was their own secret little woodland paradise.
His eyes washed over Nico; his hand began to crawl under the ghost King's shirt. Nico shivered at his touch.
The two drew close. Their lips met. Nico's fingers interwove themselves amongst Toby's hair.
They took a few steps back - towards their bed. It bumped against Nico's legs.
They were a tangled mess of limbs.
The noises that erupted from Toby's throat were delicious. He wanted him to make more - to be putty in his hands, to make this sweet music for nobody else but him.
If he could stop everyone on the planet from hearing Toby's sweet whines, he would. They were too valuable for anyone else to hear.
They were his; only he could make Toby sound like this.
Toby tugged at the bottom of Nico's shirt. He was desperate to feel him, to show him how Nico made him feel.
Nico had just began to slide the garment up, when-!
Knock, knock, knock.
The two pulled apart. The moment was over.
"Just thirty minutes of peace…" Toby grumbled. "That's all that I ask…"
Nico groaned. He flopped back into their mattress with a dull thud.
"I don't ask for a lot of things - a jacuzzi inside a Lamborghini, a nice chicken sandwich, a new axe, or just thirty minutes of peace and quiet alone with my fiancé."
Toby got up and padded over to the door.
Now, what the couple didn't know was that behind their bedroom door, an altercation was taking place.
And it all had to do with what Toby said to Masky in the lobby of the hotel.
"Yeah… we're just... wanting some time together," Toby explained with finger quotes. "Would you be able to keep us from being interrupted? That'd be really great."
"Yeah, sure," Masky waved off his pseudo-nephew. "No problem."
And at the time he had said it, he really thought that he had meant it.
"In fact, I think that I can keep a lot of troubles away for you throughout the whole five day weekend."
"Really?"
"Absolutely!" Masky smiled. "Consider it an early wedding present."
Toby smiled.
"Thanks."
He gave the older man a hug.
And that was exactly when his fiancé came out with their room keys.
To give him some credit, Masky had been almost amazing at keeping the room clear. He stood by his own door and warded off any would-be mood killers. That was, until he had to go for a drink.
He had only been gone a minute - he had went into his room to grab a water bottle - when he heard the knock at the door opposite his.
So, he did what any good wedding guest would do: he sprung into action.
He leapt out the room, and tackled the person he saw; the pair fell out of sight.
The door opened; Toby looked both ways and saw nobody.
He groaned something and went back into the room. Then, he managed to find a sign for the door and slid it on.
Doby squeaked when the man landed on top of him.
"Doby? What are you doing?" Asked Masky in a hiss.
"I just came to talk with Toby and Nico. Why the Hell did you tackle me?!"
"Doby, listen, this is the weekend of their wedding." Masky got up and clasped his hands together. Doby nodded. "And the two of them won't get a lot of time together on the actual day of their wedding. Which means, in the build up to this day, they will take any chance they have to… how shall I put this?"
Doby got up and dusted himself off.
"They're gonna fuck like bunnies. They'll do anything to jump each others bones - pun intended." Masky counted out different euphemisms on his fingers. "They're forming the beast with two backs. They're-!"
"I get it!" Doby snapped. "The two of them are frisky bastards. Jeez, this is just like your safe sex talk."
"Hey! At least Toby actually listened to that."
Doby turned bright red.
"Anyway, we're getting off topic here," Doby shook off Masky's ire. "This is about those two horny bitches."
"Need a cold hose to separate them," joked Masky.
Doby chuckled.
"At least you didn't have to share a house with them," Masky shuddered.
He still remembered the noises.
Oh gods, the noises…
He had nightmares about those sounds.
He didn't even know that humans could make those kinds of sounds…
"Well, you didn't have to share a car with them. I swear, if I wasn't there, they would've just… holy shit."
Doby's eyes widened in realisation.
"Yeah… okay. I'm gonna head to my room, and take a long, cold shower."
Doby shuddered.
"Good idea." Masky was half tempted to do the same.
"So, you're not gonna tackle me again, right?" Asked Doby hesitantly.
"I don't know. I mean, I'm here to help out with the wedding. It's very likely that that won't be my only tackle of the weekend."
It most definitely wasn't.
"Who was at the door?" Nico asked.
Toby muttered something and dove his hand into their bedside drawer. He pulled out a "Do not disturb" sign and looked at it.
He had really hoped it wouldn't come to this, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
And, by the gods on Olympus, he was desperate.
So desperate…
The door clicked shut, and he chuckled.
"Nobody, honey," Toby said. "Probably just someone playing a prank - or knocking the wrong door."
Nico nodded. He patted the spot on the bed next to him.
Toby sat himself down next to his fiancé. Nico's arms wrapped themselves around Toby and pulled him close. Toby shifted himself to be on top of Nico, supported by his arms.
"Hi," whispered Nico.
"Hi." Toby whispered back. He pondered for a moment. "Where were we?"
Nico hummed. "I think I remember…"
Toby grinned. Nico began placing kisses up and down his neck line.
Oh, how he loved this man…
Somebody knocked on the door.
Nico rolled over. Toby tried to pull the covers over his head.
The clock stared right back to Nico's face.
7:00 a.m.
It was seven o'clock in the morning.
On a Friday.
And somebody was knocking on their door.
What kind of insane individual got up so early?
He sighed and sat himself up. How Toby was able to sleep through it, while he hadn't was beyond his knowledge.
"Lucky bastard…" Nico muttered.
He threw his pyjama t-shirt on and padded over to the door, eyes screwed up in exhaustion.
"Hold on!" Nico called to the person knocking. "I'm up."
He twisted the doorknob and pulled the door towards him.
"Surprise!" Two incredibly happy voices called out.
Nico stared at the pair with a straight face.
Frank and Hazel smiled back with wide eyes and excited hands.
Nico blinked coldly.
"We made it!" Hazel wiggled her hands.
"I see."
"Sorry if we disturbed you," Frank said.
"Don't be. Toby's still asleep. You just woke me up." Nico's voice was tired and cold. "But really, I'm glad you could make it."
A smile had worked its way onto Nico's lips.
"How long have you been here for?"
"Not long," Hazel explained.
"Just checked in this morning. Figured we'd pop on by."
"Long drive?"
"Long train ride."
"Frank slept nearly the entire time - he was half tempted to be a fat dog and curl himself up on my lap."
Nico nodded. He chuckled.
"Would you like to join us for breakfast?" Hazel asked sweetly.
Nico nodded. "I'm sure that Toby would be delighted to."
Toby picked at his breakfast sleepily. He was trapped in a world of his own. Somehow, the wholewheat, chocolate chip pancakes didn't look as good as they sounded.
Nico gave him a gentle squeeze on the hand. Toby looked up. He smiled at his fiancé.
They shared a quick peck and went back to their breakfasts.
Doby scooped up spoonfuls of incredibly sweet cereal.
"So, Frank, did you see the argument I sent you?"
The table erupted into groans.
"What?" Toby asked in a whine. "It's a good idea!"
Everyone looked away from him.
"What's with that look?"
"Toby, Mio Cucciolo," Nico gave Toby's shoulder a soft squeeze. "I love you, and you have a lot of amazing ideas, but this one… just isn't one."
"How? How is Operation Frankie Bab a bad idea?"
All table guests sat nervously. None could find the words to say.
Nico was the only one brave enough to begin the discussion.
"It would scare your family." Nico suggested.
"It could lead to possible destruction of property." Hazel added.
"He could crush someone if he steps on them." Doby concurred.
"Also, I just don't want to." Frank folded his arms.
"But you've seen my PowerPoint, like, seven times already!" Toby pointed accusingly at Frank.
"I don't think that the wedding scene from How I Met Your Mother counts as a PowerPoint."
"It was on one!" Arugued Toby.
"It was a YouTube link!" Protested Frank. "Besides, I just don't want to be a bear at your wedding. And I don't want to be trusted with your rings either. I could drop them!"
"But you could be the ring bear!"
"Ring bearer!" Nico reminded.
"No, he'd literally be the ring bear!" Toby protested.
Frank face-palmed in sync with Hazel. Nico sighed and rolled his eyes. Doby just shook his head. Toby held his hands out towards Frank.
Everyone shook their heads.
Toby relented.
"Alright. Fine. Operation Frankie Bab is officially shelved. But, if we ever renew our vows, I swear, you'll be a fucking grizzly bear. Even if I have to make you a onesie myself!" Toby pointed at the larger demigod.
Frank sighed.
"Fine. Your… if you renew your vows on your, say, twentieth anniversary, I will be a bear and bring your rings down the aisle. Happy?"
Frank stretched out a hand. Toby shook it quickly.
"Very," Toby grinned. "Pleasure doing business with you."
Nico chuckled and shook his head.
"All it costed was my dignity…" Frank grumbled.
Hazel gave him a kiss on the cheek, and he immediately perked up.
Toby pulled out his phone and checked it. He sighed as he saw the number of messages growing.
"What's wrong?" Nico asked.
Toby sighed. "My mom is running late for the wedding. She doesn't think that she'll be here until Saturday night, at the earliest."
"Well, at least she's making an effort to be here, right?" Nico asked.
"I guess," Toby shrugged. He took a sip of his coffee and shivered.
"So, that's a no on the bear thing, or…?"
Everyone around him burst into complaint, while Toby laughed at the mayhem that he had a hand in creating.
This wedding was going to be fun.