Archive of Our Own ^beta

Nico’s not sure what exactly makes him pause at the entrance to the alleyway that mid-December night—maybe it’s the familiar smell of monster or a whimper from the kid or a stirring in the shadows—but pause he does. Through the dark, he spots a large figure looming over a much smaller one. The larger one has broad shoulders, horns, and is wearing what look like tighty-whiteys: the Minotaur. 

Nico draws his sword from his belt and slices the monster from shoulder to hip. Its essence is sucked into the Stygian Iron, leaving nothing behind. He is now face-to-face with a blond child, no older than eight. 

The boy’s eyes flit from Nico’s sword to his face and back again. “Are you going to kill me?” the kid squeaks. That jolts Nico, and he sheaths his sword. 

“Um, no, sorry. Just wasn’t expecting you to be so . . . young. Where are your parents?” Maybe Nico shouldn’t be surprised. This kid is clearly a demigod if he could see both the Minotaur and Nico’s sword, but usually demigods are a little older before they attract a monster as serious as the Minotaur.

The kid looks at Nico warrily. “They’re close. In the store.” The boy nods his head to the left.

If Nico hadn’t spent so much time on the streets, he might not be able to spot the bluff, but as it is, he’s used it himself. He learned quickly that it was best to act like someone who cared about him was nearby, act like a scream was all it would take for someone to come running. He sighs and squats down so he is closer to the boy’s height. 

“I’m Nico. I’m not going to hurt you, I swear on the River Styx.” A rumble sounds from the clear night sky. “You probably don’t know what that means yet, but it’s a very serious promise, and if I break it, I’ll be punished severely. I suspect you’re a demigod, like I am. It means one of our parents is a god; it’s why we could both see the monster. I bet you see them a lot?” 

The kid nods slowly, his eyes and stance still wary, like he is ready to bolt or scratch Nico’s eyes out if he needs to. 

“They’re scary, aren’t they?” Another nod. “Yeah, they frightened me a lot when I was your age, but then I learned how to fight them, to make them go away.”

“How?”

“Well, most demigods learn at a special camp. There are two: Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Has your parent ever mentioned one of them?” 

The boy shakes his head.

“Okay, that’s okay. Would you want to learn how to fight monsters, too?” 

The kid doesn’t respond at first, just looks Nico up and down with those too-wise eyes for his age. Nico tries to make himself look as non-intimidating as possible, although he knows that’s a losing battle. He may not look as ghost-like as he used to, but he’s very familiar with the effect his eyes can have on people, even when he’s being nice. 

“I’m not supposed to go with strangers.” 

Nico nods, “That’s very smart of you. I lived on the streets for a bit when I was a little older than you are, and I was always very careful about strangers, too. Have to stay safe, right?” The boy nods. “Tell you what, what if you hold my sword and we go to the park together? That way we’re in public and you can defend yourself if you need to.” 

The boy considers that option, eying Nico’s sword with interest. “Okay.” 

Nico unsheaths his sword and hands it to the boy by the hilt. It’s a little over half the height of the kid, but he takes it without complaint and sets it on his shoulder, flat side down, using both hands to hold the hilt. Nico smiles slightly at the sight, wondering if this is what he looked like the first time he held that sword. 

The son of Hades turns and walks out of the alley, listening for the little footsteps behind him. At the exit, he slows enough for the boy to catch up and walk beside him, silent as they go. Nico guides them to the nearest park, just a little neighborhood one with a small jungle gym and half an acre of grass. He takes a seat on one of the swings, and the boy takes the other. 

“How does the sword feel?” Nico asks to start them talking again. 

“Heavy,” the boy says, serious. 

Nico laughs a little. “It is, isn’t it? It’s made from a material called Stygian Iron, that’s why it’s black. Most weapons demigods use are bronze or gold, but I use this because I’m the son of Hades and it’s from the Underworld.” 

The child’s face scrunches up. “Hades? Like the Disney guy?” 

Nico laughs again, his dad’s usual rant about that particular interpretation rising easily in his thoughts. “Yes, just like the Disney guy.” He pauses for a moment and then, “Well, actually, he’s nicer than that movie makes him seem. And he really doesn’t want war.” 

“Hades is nice,” the boy says haltingly, thoughtfully. And then more words tumble out of his mouth than Nico thinks he’s heard this whole time combined: “What about the other gods? Are they nice? How many do you know? How many kids do they have? Do you have siblings? Do I have siblings?”

Nico blinks in surprise and does his best to remember all of the questions to answer them. “Um, some of them are nice, especially if they like you. I’ve met all of the Olympians, like at the Winter Solstice and on quests, and quite a few minor gods, too. I’m not sure how many kids they have, I’m not sure they know, either. I do have siblings—two sisters. And I don’t know if you have siblings, that depends on who your godly parent is and if they have any other kids right now.” 

“Who’s my godly parent? How do I find out?” The boy’s eyes are focused straight ahead, trained on a group of teens meandering around the edge of the park.

“The gods send a symbol to claim you. My friend Percy made them promise to do it before each kid’s thirteenth birthday.” 

“Thirteen? But that means I have to wait,” the boy counts on his fingers, “five years.”

“Well, it just has to be by thirteen. Maybe you’ll get claimed soon.” 

The kid slumps down, curving his back. “And I have to be alone until then?” 

“No! Oh gods, no!” Nico is horrified at the idea of this child continuing to be alone out here, facing monsters everyday without any training or weapons. Honestly, it was a miracle he’d made it this long, no matter how recently he’d wound up on the streets. “I can take you to a camp, if you’d like, or I guess . . .” Nico trails off and looks at the boy. In the light from the lampposts, he can see that the kid’s eyes are a bright blue. He can also see that the boy has scratches all over his face and is probably in desperate need of a shower and change of clothes. “Or I guess you could come live with me and my husband? You don’t have to do that, though! The camps are great. I just don’t want you to stay alone out here. But it’s your choice.” 

“You have a husband?” The boy’s eyes are open and curious, so Nico suppresses the defensiveness that automatically jumps into his muscles, even after all this time. Instead, he takes a deep breath and intentionally relaxes his shoulders. 

“Yeah,” he starts, trying to smile softly and encouragingly. “His name is Will. He’s a demigod, too, but his dad is Apollo. He’s really kind and funny, but you can’t tell him I said that!” The boy cracks a smile, and Nico does a little internal happy dance at getting that reaction from him. “We live nearby and work at Columbia as professors.” 

“Professors?” the boy asks, trying the word out in his mouth. 

“Like teachers for college students. You’ve been to school before?

Two small nods. 

“Are you in school now?” 

A shake of his head. For not the first time in his life, Nico wants to overthrow all of the systems that fail children so badly, godly and mortal alike. 

“Well, did you like school? Would you want to go back?” 

The boy looks down at his shoes. “I wasn’t good at it. I couldn’t read right and I couldn’t stay calm.”

Nico makes a noise of understanding and sympathy. “That’s very normal for demigods. A lot of us have dyslexia because our brains are wired to read Ancient Greek or Latin, not modern languages. And we have ADHD, which gives us quick battle reflexes. I know it makes school harder, but there are ways to work around it, and the camps teach in ways that help.” 

“Is camp . . . fun?” 

A tricky question for Nico. “Most of the time, for most people. Camp Half-Blood is more fun than Camp Jupiter, to be honest. Sometimes there are some dangerous parts, like the lava wall and war games, but the only monsters allowed are the ones stocked for practice. And there are normal camp things, too! Like canoeing in the lake, arts and crafts, archery, campfires, theatre.” Nico shuddered a little at the thought of the last activity, his brain conjuring images of CHB’s rendition of Oedipus. 

“Lava . . . wall?” 

“Yeah,” Nico sighs. “It’s a rock-climbing wall. Will petitioned to have it removed, or at have the lava turned off, but Mr. D—Dionysus—insisted it needed to stay to ‘build morale’.” 

Nico is impressed by how well this boy is absorbing all of the information. Nico had been overwhelmed even when he’d come in with so much Mythomagic knowledge, plus he’d been older than this boy. Before Nico’s brain can go too far down that train of thought, though, the boy’s stomach rumbles. 

“You hungry?” The boy looks at Nico sheepishly and nods. Nico smiles gently. “That’s okay. Let’s get you something to eat, as much as you want.” Nico remembers what it was like to be unsure where his next meal was coming from, what it would be, or how much food it would actually be. “Tell you what, Will probably has dinner ready at home by now, and I’m sure he’d be happy for you to join us if you’d like, but I also want you to be comfortable. If you’d prefer, we can also swing by my place, pick him up, and then all go out to dinner together so we can stay in public. I’d offer that just the two of us stay out, but Will gets worried if I’m gone longer than I say I will be.” 

“I think,” the boy starts. Pauses. “I think I would be okay with going with you. I think you would have hurt me by now if you were going to.” Nico’s heart breaks that this small child already has that concept of the world instead of getting to be filled with wonder and joy as he ought to be. 

“You can keep hold of my sword as long as you want to, too.” Nico pauses, considering. “But if a monster comes up again, maybe pass it to me then so I can take care of it. And then I’ll give it back to you.” 

The boy nods and gets off the swing. He’s so small, he has to jump a little to get down. Nico rises, too, and starts leading the way back to his and Will’s brownstone. 

“We have two cats, by the way, I hope you’re not allergic.” The boy shrugs, an impressive feat with the sword still on his shoulder. “Well, I guess we’ll find out together.” 

The rest of the short walk is spent in silence, Nico figuring the boy might need some time to let things settle in, and he himself is on the lookout for monsters. Blessedly, none show. 

The keys jangle around as Nico pushes one into the lock, turns it, and opens the door. “Will?” he calls, “We have a guest.” Nico holds the door open for the boy, who is looking around at the entryway with his mouth dropped open just a little. One of the pros of being Hazel’s brother and the son of Hades is that Nico can have a near-endless supply of wealth. He tries not to abuse it too much, but after years of homelessness, Nico allowed himself to splurge on where he and Will live now. It’s not outrageously grand or anything, but it’s warm and welcoming. 

Will pops his head out from the doorway to the kitchen. “A guest?” He steps out further, drying his hands on a dish towel. Nico’s shoulders instantly relax at the sight of his husband’s tousled curls, short scruff, and sky blue eyes. Will walks over, kisses Nico on the cheek, and then squats down in front of the boy. 

“I’m Will. What’s your name?” 

“Adam,” the boy responds, still gripping the sword tightly.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Adam. How did Nico meet you?” 

One thing Nico appreciates about Will is how he acknowledges the personhood of everyone he meets. Others might turn to Nico for the story, as the adult, but Will keeps his soft gaze on Adam, letting the child share what he’s ready to share.

“There was a monster,” Adam says, “and Nico got rid of it. And then he told me we’re demigods and offered to take me to a camp. He said you went there?” 

Will nods, smiling. “Yeah, Nico and I both went to Camp Half-Blood, and we have friends who went to Camp Jupiter. Can I ask, where’s your parent?” 

“Um,” Adam starts, and Nico can tell he’s fighting the urge to shut down or lie or flee. He can see it in the boy’s tense shoulders, his twitching fingers, his shuffling feet. 

“You don’t have to tell us until you’re ready, if you ever tell us,” Will says, clearly spotting the signs, too. “For now, why don’t we go have dinner? I made pizza.” 

Adam brightens at the last word, the first full smile Nico’s seen from him. “Yeah, okay. I like pizza.” 

Will chuckles and responds, “It’s the best, isn’t it? We have it every Friday.” 

Adam’s eyes grow wide as saucers at that news. Nico squats down beside Will to match Adam’s height, too. 

“So, we normally have a no weapons at the table rule,” Nico shares, “and I put my sword in that umbrella stand over there,” he points, “but we can make an exception if you’d like to keep it near you while we eat.” 

Adam looks between the two men in front of him and the umbrella stand a few times. He gives the men an appraising look, face to feet and back again, and then walks over to the umbrella stand. He drops the sword in as gently as he can. Nico’s insides do another little victory dance. 

Will and Nico rise and head toward the kitchen, Adam falling behind them. As they go, Nico reaches his pinky for Will’s and squeezes a thank you. Will squeezes back. 

Nico loads his plate up with pizza, encouraging Adam to take as much as he wants. The boy seems hesitant, glancing at Will and Nico after each piece he adds as if they’re going to yell at him about it. While Will serves some salad onto Nico’s plate, Nico drops a third slice onto Adam’s, shooting him a wink and a smile. Adam smiles shyly back. Will then loads salad on Adam’s plate, and Nico has to laugh to himself a bit at their behavior.

“What do you want to drink, kiddo?” Will asks, finishing up his own plate. “We have water, of course, milk, V8 juice, lemonade?” 

“May I have some lemonade, please?” Adam asks in a small voice. 

“Absolutely! Ice or no ice?” 

“No ice, please.” 

“Coming right up,” Will responds cheerily. Nico takes Will’s plate along with his own and leads the way to the table. He sets them down and then pulls out a chair for Adam, who carefully climbs on. Will joins them with lemonade for Adam and Nico and water for himself. Adam and Nico thank him while he sits down.

Will and Nico dive in so Adam feels like he can, too. It’s quiet for a few minutes as they all focus on their food. Nico glances at Adam, and the boy is looking around at the photos on the walls as he eats. They’re from throughout Will and Nico’s lives, and most are of or with friends from Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Some are also from vacations Will and Nico have taken, just the two of them. Nico then looks to Will, who is looking at Adam, too. We’re about to freak the boy out, Nico thinks. 

“Will, how was work today?” 

Will’s eyes snap to Nico’s, and he swallows. “Good! Foundations' practicals were good, and Clinical's disce–” Will’s eyes flit to Adam and then back to Nico, “anatomy lab went well, no fainting this time. What about you?” 

Nico snorts and launches into a story about one of his Mythology students completely misinterpreting the story of Apollo and Hyacinthus, arguing that they were “just friends” and Zephyros simply wanted to play with them and “didn’t mean” to make the discus hit Hyacinthus.

Will laughs and asks, “How did you respond?” 

“Well, I wanted to tell him that my father-in-law is really f-” right, language, “hecking bisexual and had it down bad for Hyacinthus and literally still writes poetry about the guy—love you, Apollo!” He directs the last part at the ceiling. “But instead, I had the whole class pull out their books and we did a close reading of Apollo’s courtship and how he submits to Hyacinthus’ wants.” 

“Oh, gods,” Will groans, “please don’t ever use my dad’s name and ‘submits’ in the same sentence again.”

Nico cackles but promises he’ll do his best.

“So,” Adam pipes up, and the men turn to see him looking at Nico, “you teach about the gods, your family, our family?”

Nico nods, “I’m a Classical Studies professor, I teach about Greek, Latin, mythology, things like that. Will is a medical school professor. Being the son of Apollo, he has a lot of healing knowledge and ability.” 

“Yeah,” Will teases, “and Nico is a Classics professor because he’s a huge nerd who loved a Greek mythology card game called Mythomagic while he was growing up and is now one of the world’s leading experts on myths.” 

“Mostly because your dad, my dad, and Mr. D won’t stop telling me stories, and Athena keeps sending me notes on my translations,” Nico grumbles. At the ceiling again: “Thank you, Athena! I’m grateful!” 

“I play Mythomagic,” Adam murmurs, eyes on his plate. 

Will lights up, literal beam of sunshine that he is. “We should all play after dinner! Nico could use some fresh competition, and I bet you’ll give him a run for his money.” 

Adam smiles slightly, shyly looking at Will and then Nico. “I’d like that, thank you.” 

Their plates are all now empty, but Nico asks, “Would you like any more pizza, Adam? Or other food?” 

Adam looks at his plate for a moment and then shakes his head. “No, thank you, I’m okay.” 

“Okay, no problem. We’ll clean up the leftovers and put them in the fridge, and if you want any more later, you can either help yourself if you want it cold or let us know and we’ll help you heat it up.” 

Adam nods. He’s so quiet and stoic—and Nico gets it, he really does, but it still breaks his heart a little all the same.

“How about some dessert? I just so happened to pick up some chocolate chip cookies at the store, and I think we have some vanilla ice cream in the fridge!” Will offers. When Adam smiles and nods eagerly, Nico smiles, too, his heart lightening just a little. Maybe it’ll still be possible for this kid to have some of the joy of childhood, maybe he and Will can provide that. 

Whoa, di Angelo , he thinks, don’t get ahead of yourself. Adam should get to make his own decision about staying or going.

Adam helps Will clear the dishes, only his head and shoulders clearing the counter. Nico follows to begin preparing the desserts. 

Their black cat, Fumo, shows himself for the first time that night, slinking into the kitchen. He sits and blinks his big green eyes up at Adam, his head tilted to one side as he considers the addition to the house. “Meow,” he announces. Adam whips around, clearly startled. His shoulders relax when he sees the cat, and Fumo makes his way over to rub against first Nico’s legs and then Adam’s. He doesn’t move when Adam slowly reaches down to pet him, running his small hand over Fumo’s silky back. 

“What, no love for me?” Will asks the cat with a grin, arms spread wide. He squats down and offers the back of his hand for Fumo to move toward, but the cat stays firmly in place. 

“Meow,” he says again, as if answering Will’s question with a “no.” Nico smirks.

Will huffs a laugh but stands back up to brush off the dishes and load them in the dishwasher. 

Dessert bowls now ready, Nico moves to the living room to grab the Mythomagic set. He brings it back into the kitchen so they can set up at the table. Once upon a time, he and Will would have sat on the floor on either side of the coffee table, but their backs and knees can no longer handle that as they once did. 

“Hey, Adam, wanna come help me set up?” Nico calls. Adam looks between Nico and Fumo but nods and walks over. Fumo follows at a trot, apparently having decided on a new favorite person. “You know, Fumo’s a good judge of character. He must be able to tell you’re pretty awesome.”

“Is that why he ignored Will?” Adam asks with a shy grin. He seems a little surprised by his own joke, but Nico cackles. 

“Oh-ho-ho, I see how it is!” Will responds, but he’s grinning so Adam can tell he isn’t taking anything personally. “See if I go easy on you now!” He joins them at the table, counters now cleaned up, with the dessert bowls in hand. He puts the fullest one in front of Adam. 

The three play a few rounds of Mythomagic. Nico wins the first one, but then Adam sweeps them both repeatedly. Nico notices Adam is yawning every few minutes during the last round, and Will must notice it, too, because after Adam wins and they’ve begun cleaning things up, Will gently offers, “Can I set up the guest bedroom for you, Adam?” 

The boy looks between the two men, disbelief clear on his face. “I-I can stay?” 

Nico’s heart shatters and melts all at once. “Of course you can stay!” He almost adds, “For as long as you want,” but he figures he should probably actually talk with his husband before making that offer, even if he’s pretty certain of Will’s answer. 

“Do you want to take a shower while I set up the room?” Will asks Adam. “I don’t think we have many clothes that will fit you, maybe something our friends’ kids have left, but we can definitely lend you a shirt for tonight and buy you some new clothes tomorrow.” 

Surprise is clear in Adam’s expression. “New clothes? For me?” 

Nico is going to break down and sob right then and there. This tiny baby with his bright blue eyes and scraped-up palms and horrifying experiences of the world. Nico resolutely avoids eye contact with Will, absolutely certain he will lose it if he sees the soft and heartbroken expression he knows he’ll find. 

“Yeah, kiddo, new clothes for you,” Will answers quietly, tears clear in his voice. Dammit. 

Nico clears his throat. “I’ll show you the way and see what I can find?” Adam nods and they rise and head up the stairs. Nico opens the door to the room Adam will be staying in. 

“This will be all yours, and you can use the hall bath. Let me see what’s in the closet.” Nico pulls down a couple of bins from the top shelf and rifles through them, relieved when he finds one of his old shirts (luckily, a plain black one rather than one with bones on it) from his skinny teen years and sweatpants and underwear he’s pretty sure once belonged to Percy’s son. How they’re here, he’s not sure, but they seem clean and they’ll do for the night. 

Pile of clothes in hand, Nico then leads the way to the bathroom. He sets the clothes on the counter and opens a cabinet to pull out a towel and some small guest soaps, toothpaste, and a new toothbrush. “Do you think you need anything else?” Adam shakes his head. “Okay. Well, I’ll be just down the hall, so shout if you need anything, alright?” Adam nods. Nico glances around in case he missed something and then nods back, heading out the door and closing it behind himself. He joins Will in the guest room to dust it quickly and turn down the blankets. 

Nico takes a deep, shuddering breath. “Thank you, Will, for everything. I know I very much sprung this on you, but I just couldn’t . . .” 

Will pauses in his work and pulls Nico into a hug. Nico buries his face in his husband’s shoulder and takes a deep breath of the comforting and familiar smell. “Of course, tesoro.”

Nico snorts. “Your pronunciation is still horrible.” 

“No. It’s just not Venetian,” Will defends. 

“Exactly, that’s what I said.” 

Will flicks Nico’s arm, but then he squeezes his husband tighter for a second before releasing the hug. 

“Hey, where’s Vito? I haven’t seen him yet tonight,” Nico asks, fluffing the pillows. 

“He came out for dinner, but I heard him run away when you were opening the door.” Will shrugs. “You know how he gets around new people.” Nico nods at that. 

They hear the water shut off for the shower, and a few minutes later, Adam comes in with his hair sticking in every direction, clearly towelled off and then left as it was. 

“Thank you for the shower and clothes and toothbrush. It’s . . . nice . . . to feel clean.” 

Nico nods, remembering that feeling. “Hopefully you can get some good sleep tonight. I suspect Fumo will want to join you in here, he likes to stay with guests. Will that be okay with you?” Adam smiles and nods. The cat in question runs in at that moment as if summoned by his name, jumping up onto the bed and immediately curling into a round void on the comforter. Adam crawls up beside him and begins to pet the cat; Fumo purrs contentedly. 

Nico is just thinking that they should probably leave the boy alone when Will asks, “Would you like one of us to read you a story before bed?” Nico is reminded in that moment that Will practically raised a cabin full of kids when he was between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, he’s probably well used to the first night jitters of a new place. 

Adam’s eyes move between them, looking surprised at the offer but not unwilling. “What, what kind of story?” 

“Well, we have a few picture books we read to our nieces and nephews, and then we have some chapter books like The Hardy Boys, Narnia, and Magic Tree House. Those were mine growing up. Or, if you really want to fall asleep quickly, Nico could read you one of his translations.” Nico scowls at Will at that, but Adam snickers a little, so Nico can’t be too mad. “If you want to look for yourself, they’re actually all over there,” Will adds, pointing to a short bookcase in the corner. 

Adam climbs out of the bed and makes his way over to the bookcase, kneeling to look everything over. He takes such care with the books, making a small pile beside himself of, Nico guesses, the ones that interest him. Sometime in the looking, Vito pokes his head around the door frame and Nico makes kissy noises at him to try to draw him in. It doesn’t work, but the orange cat does sit down outside the door to watch the scene. 

Once his choices are made, Adam picks up the pile of books—a good mix of picture and chapter books—and brings it over to his bedside table. Gingerly, he sets them down and then climbs back up on the bed. Will approaches the bed slowly, keeping an eye on Adam’s reaction, and sits down in front of Adam. The boy looks at Will with unreadable eyes, and then scoots over to the middle of the bed. He pats each side of himself, and Will shifts back against the pillows on one side, Nico moving around the bed to the other. 

“Which one first?” Will asks, looking through the pile. 

“My mommy used to read Where the Wild Things Are to me,” Adam says softly. 

“Mine, too,” Will responds, pulling the book out of the pile. He leans back against the pillows and opens one arm for Adam to snuggle against his chest and read along with him. Nico carefully scoots over so he can read the book, too, trying not to crowd Adam too much. 

“The night Max wore his wolf suit,” Will begins in a quiet rumble, “and made mischief of one kind and another . . .” 

Nico listens to Will’s soothing voice tell the story of Max and the Wild Things. He doesn’t have the same nostalgia Will and Adam clearly do for the book, but he still has fond memories of reading it to their nieces and nephews, and he loves the art. Halfway through, Adam reaches his little hand over to hold a few of Nico’s fingers and Nico sets his other hand on top. 

“-and into the night of his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him,” Will finishes, “and it was still hot.” 

Nico looks down at Adam, expecting to see him asleep, but instead he sees tear tracks on his cheeks. The boy’s lower lip trembles and then he releases a sob. Without hesitation, Will and Nico gather the child in their arms, forming a group hug and, they hope, a comforting space. Adams cries until he doesn’t seem to have tears left, until he is hiccuping and sniffling. He shifts and the men release their hold to give him more space. 

“I’m sorry I ruined your shirt,” Adam mumbles to Will, looking forlornly at the stain of tears and snot. 

Will waves a hand in the air. “That’s what the laundry machine is for, don’t worry about it.” 

Adam just sniffles again. Nico reaches behind himself to a box of tissues and grabs a couple for the boy. Adam takes them and blows his nose loudly. Will holds his hand out, Adam sets the used tissues in it, and Will angles so he can toss them into the trash can. Then they sit together quietly for a few minutes, both of the men with far too intimate an understanding of what the boy must be feeling. 

“Can I,” Adam begins, “can I get one more story? With Nico reading this time?” 

Nico half expects Will to say something about children needing their sleep, but instead he says, “Of course, kiddo. Which book would you like?” 

“The Emperor’s New Clothes? Please?”

Will fishes the book out and passes it to Nico. This time, Adam curls up against Nico’s chest, and Nico adjusts to Will can scoot slightly behind them both and wrap his arm around Nico’s shoulders. 

“Many, many years ago lived an emperor,” Nico reads, “who thought so much of the new clothes that he spent all his money in order to obtain them.” 

During a couple of spots, Nico’s dyslexia acts up, but he figures it might help Adam feel better about his own, so he just calmly corrects himself and continues reading. Adam giggles a little at the emperor’s antics and at the illustrations of his naked butt. Nico keeps expecting the boy to fall asleep, but as he reaches the last sentence, Adam’s eyes, although half-lidded in sleepiness, are still firmly on the page: “For the rest of his days, people joked about the time the emperor went for a parade with no clothes on, and he never lived it down.” Nico closes the book and passes it back to Will to put on the stack. 

“Okay, Adam,” Will starts, “I really enjoyed that, and I think it’s time for all of us to go to sleep now.” 

Adam nods and shuffles his body down into the covers. Nico helps adjust his pillow, and then he and Will both rise from the bed. Fumo is still curled in his little void puddle at the end of the bed, though he opens his eyes at the slight jostling caused by the men standing. Apparently Will and Nico aren’t very interesting, though, because his eyes slide closed again. 

Nico is tempted to lean down to kiss Adam’s forehead, but he doesn’t want to push the boy’s boundaries, so instead he reaches out and squeezes his hand once. “We’re just down the hall, and we’ll leave our door open so you can call for us or come in and wake us if you need anything, okay?” 

Adam nods once more and then murmurs, “Thank you, Nico. Thank you, Will. Goodnight.” His sleepy eyes slide closed and his breathing evens out. 

Will turns out the bedside light, and he and Nico make their way from the room, leaving the door open a crack so they can hear Adam’s voice if needed. Plus, that way Fumo won’t wake Adam with his yowling to get out for breakfast in the morning. 

Now that he’s not constantly focused on Adam and his well-being, Nico realizes just how exhausted he is. He yawns and stretches on their way down to their room, and Will rubs the base of his back for a moment. Nico gives his husband a grateful look, bumping their shoulders together. 

They get ready for bed quickly and quietly. Nico gives a sigh of relief when he’s finally able to crawl under the blankets, press a kiss to his husband’s lips, and lay his head and hand on Will’s chest. He’s almost asleep to the sound of Will’s steady heartbeat when he hears Will murmur, “I’m glad you brought him here, I hate to think of him on the streets. He’s so small, so young. It’s hard to believe neither of us was much older when we first went to Camp.” 

Nico sighs. “Yeah, and Annabeth was even younger. It’s so messed up that it all starts so soon in our lives.” 

Will hums in agreement. “Any idea who his godly parent is? His dad, it seems like.” 

“No, no guesses yet. Not Hades, I’m pretty sure, I think he’d tell me, but he looks like he could be one of your dad’s.” 

“I don’t know, he kind of looks like-” Will cuts himself off.

Nico furrows his brows, surprised at Will’s pause, and tilts his head so his chin is on Will’s chest and he can look his husband in the eyes. “Looks like who?” 

“Like,” Will starts, then sighs. In a quieter voice: “Like Jason.” 

Nico considers that for a moment, and Will is right, Adam does look kind of like Jason. “You don’t think he’s-”

“I mean, he could be! The pact ended.” 

“I’m too old for my uncles to have any more children,” Nico grumbles, rolling his head so his cheek is once again pressed to Will’s chest. 

Will laughs, and it’s a warm rumble under Nico’s ear. Will’s hand starts running up and down Nico’s back, and this time Nico does fall asleep. 

He dreams of a boy with electric blue eyes, lightning in his fingertips, and a horse of storm. He wakes to a scream. 

Nico’s sword is still downstairs, but he keeps a Stygian Iron dagger under the mattress, and he pulls it out. Will is out of bed just as quickly, a Celestial Bronze scalpel he had Nyssa forge years ago in his hand. 

The two men race to the source of the scream—Adam’s room. Nico bursts in first, eyes moving quickly to spot a monster and begin planning his attack. It’s just Adam in the room, though, and his eyes are filled with terror as they look at Nico and Will. Instantly, Nico drops the dagger to the floor, Will’s scalpel following. 

“Adam, hey, it’s okay,” Nico holds his hands in the air and moves slowly toward Adam’s bed. He pauses a few paces away to let the boy keep some space. “Remember my promise, yeah? On the Styx? I won’t hurt you. I thought there might be a monster in here, that’s all. But you’re safe. No monsters, and we won’t hurt you.” 

“I had-” Adam’s voice shakes, breaks off. His bottom lip trembles a little, but he pushes through. “I had a nightmare. I’m sorry I woke you up.” 

“Oh, kiddo,” Will says on an exhale. “Can I come in? Come give you a hug?” Adam nods and breaks down in sobs for the second time that night. Will moves quickly to the bed and scoops Adam into a solid hug, cooing comforts into his ear. 

Nico walks over to the bed, too, and sits beside Adam so he can rub the boy’s back in the space left empty of Will’s arms. Fumo joins the pile, curling up in Adam’s lap and bumping his head against Adam’s stomach. 

“It had her, it had my mommy,” the boy sobbed. “It was trying to get me, and she jumped in front of me, and she told me to run. It’s my fault! It’s my fault she’s gone! It wanted me!” 

“It’s not your fault,” Will coos. “It’s not your fault, it’s the monster’s fault. You did what you were supposed to do, and your mom did what she had to do to protect you. That doesn’t make it fair, but it also doesn’t make it your fault.” 

“But if I weren’t-!” Adam cries. 

It’s Nico’s turn to provide words of comfort. “Your existence, who you are, isn’t your fault. And I’m sure your mom was so glad she had you, she loved you so much to make sure you lived. It hurts, I know it hurts, to lose her, but it’s not your fault.”

They stay in their little bundle until Adam’s tears have slowed and Nico once again offers him some tissues. 

“Can you both stay?” Adam asks quietly. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” 

“Of course we can stay,” Nico responds. “I get it, I don’t like being alone anymore, either. Especially not at night.” And Adam doesn’t know what that means yet, but Nico hopes it provides reassurance that his request is understood.

They shuffle around until all three of them are under the covers, Adam between the two men. Fumo resumes his position at the end of the bed, and it occurs to Nico that it’s kind of like a guard post. 

It takes longer this time for Nico to fall asleep as he waits for Adam’s breathing to even out before he lets himself find his own rest. Somewhere on the edges of his sleep, Nico’s aware of Adam’s twitches and movements, but the boy doesn’t whimper or scream again, so Nico hopes his dreams are better. 

In the morning, Nico wakes to sunshine, which is odd because usually his blinds and curtains keep out the weak morning sun in their west-facing bedroom. And then the events of the last 18 hours rush into his head, and he understands why the sun is different this morning. 

Nico opens his eyes slowly, coming face-to-face with a still-sleeping Adam. Nico peeks over the boy’s head to see that Will has already left, and the scent of bacon wafting from downstairs tells Nico where to. 

The son of Hades carefully slips out from under the covers, trying to let Adam keep sleeping. Gods only know the last time the boy had been able to get a good night of sleep and there was no reason to wake him. The dagger and scalpel are no longer on the floor, to Nico’s relief. No need to scare the kid with them the moment after he wakes up. 

In the kitchen, Nico is greeted with a veritable feast: Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, multiple bowls of fruit, bacon, turkey sausage, and hashbrowns. 

“Will,” Nico teases, “he’s one boy, not an army!” 

“Yeah, but I don’t know what he likes! Or if he has any allergies!” Will’s voice carries an edge of frenzy and he runs a hand through his mop of curls, making a few stand up even more than before. “What if he can’t eat pineapple and potatoes! I want him to have lots of options and be able to eat whatever he wants in whatever amount he wants.” 

“Did you not run a scan?” Nico asks, surprised. Usually Will could sense allergies. 

Will shakes his head. “I thought about it, but I wanted to be able to actually ask him if I could do it first, and there wasn’t a good time last night. I also want to heal his scrapes, check him over for infections or anything.” 

“You,” Nico begins, rising on his toes to kiss Will’s cheek, “are a Consent King, and also so cute.” 

Will blushes, much to Nico’s delight. The red practically makes the man’s freckles glow, and his eyes stand out further in contrast. Nico wraps his arms around Will’s waist and presses his face into his husband’s shoulder. Will’s arms come up to wrap around Nico in return, his cheek resting against the top of Nico’s head. 

“I just remember what it was like learning about all of it and arriving at Camp. So many things were different and weird, and there were all these new rules to follow, and Lee did a great job making me feel welcome into it all. And I guess I just want Adam to feel welcome, and like he’s getting some say in all of this craziness he didn’t ask for.” 

Nico nods. “I know, tesoro. I want him to, I don’t know, adjust as well as possible, I guess. And we should talk to him about what he wants to do, go to Camp or-”

“Stay here,” Will finishes, and there’s no question in his tone. Nico can’t help his smile. He presses a kiss just under Will’s collarbone. 

“And here I thought we were going to have a full conversation about it.” 

“Oh. Um, I mean, we can,” Will hedges. “I guess we should . . . discuss what it would mean.” 

“I want him to stay here, I really do,” Nico reassures. “Last night felt so natural, and while it would definitely be an adjustment for us, we have talked about adoption before.” Nico feels Will nod above him. “But I also want to make sure Adam feels like he can really choose for himself. Maybe that’s Camp year-round and we become those obnoxious people who check in on him too frequently there, or maybe he lives with us for the school year and just goes to Camp in the summer.” Nico’s quiet a moment and then adds, “If you’re sure that’s what you want.” 

“I do,” Will answers instantly. “But no matter which option Adam chooses, we’re going to make sure he doesn’t land back on the streets, right?” 

“Right.” Nico can’t stomach the idea of Adam facing the challenges Nico faced all those years he was running around the world alone—or, worse, with only Minos for company. 

Nico isn’t sure how much time passes quietly in Will’s arms, at least ten minutes, before he hears Adam padding down the creaking stairs. They pull back from each other as the boy pokes his head around the doorframe. His bedhead is outrageous, blond spikes in every direction except for one flattened section. Nico smiles when he watches the way Adam’s eyes widen comically at all of the food that’s out, and the boy steps into the room as if drawn to the meal. 

“Good morning, kiddo!” Will greets brightly. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I, well, made everything I could. Although I could still make other things, like fried eggs and toast, if you want?” 

Adam looks up at the two men, his eyes still wide and his voice hesitant when he asks, “For me?” 

Nico feels like their synced nods are probably pretty funny, but as soon as he has confirmation, Adam’s eyes are back on the food. 

“Here, I’ll make you a plate,” Nico offers. “Anything you don’t want? Anything here you’re allergic to?” 

Adam shakes his head, and Nico begins fixing him a plate while Will pours a glass of milk for the boy and lattes for the two men. Nico settles on half a waffle, a medium scoop of eggs, a slice of bacon, a sausage link, a small scoop of hashbrowns, and a bowl of mixed fruit for the boy. 

As he places the plate on the table at what he already considers to be Adam’s place, Nico says, “If you want more after you finish this, all you have to do is ask, okay? And if you don’t like anything, that’s okay. You can just have more of what you like.” 

Adam smiles at him and says, “Thank you,” before digging in. 

Will and Nico fix up their own plates and join Adam at the table. Nico takes a long pull from his drink before he begins eating, and he considers offering a sleepy day in for all of them. That thought is shattered by Will’s next words. 

“I hope you don’t mind, Adam, but I washed your clothes this morning. They’re in the dryer right now. I was thinking maybe you could change back into them and then we could all go shopping for some additional clothes for you? We can make a day of it, get lunch out. Burgers and milkshakes?” 

It’s like Will is speaking a secret Kid Language, and Nico is getting a little worried about Adam’s eyes remaining in his skull by the end of Will’s offer. 

“Milkshakes?” the boy whispers. 

Will grins and nods. “Milkshakes.” Adam tucks into his food with a renewed fervor, which makes Will laugh. “Whoa, no rush, kiddo! Enjoy your breakfast, we have plenty of time to get to lunch and you’ll get a milkshake, I promise.” 

It occurs to Nico that they’re making Adam a lot of promises, but he can’t really find it in himself to be concerned about it. Twenty-four hours ago, if someone had told Nico he’d have a kid sitting at his table that he’d do anything for, Nico probably would have shouted for the Stoll brothers to come out of hiding so he could tell them what dumbasses they are, but now he just wants to see Adam happy and safe. Will’s promise works, though, and Adam slows back down to a mostly normal eating pace. 

“Before we go, I wanted to check with you about something that I hope will help you feel better,” Will says. “As a son of Apollo, I have medical powers, and if you’re okay with it, I’d like to give you a quick check-up and heal your injuries.” 

“You have powers? Like superpowers?” Adam is clearly in awe. Will, always modest about his abilities, shifts in his seat, so Nico takes over. 

“Oh yeah, Will has the coolest powers. Like he said, he can heal your injuries, and he can diagnose your sickness just by touching you. He can also produce an ultrasonic whistle that can deafen monsters for a bit. And, he can glow in the dark.” 

Adam’s head whips from Nico back to Will. “You can glow in the dark!?” 

Will looks a little embarrassed and scratches the back of his neck, but then he points to Nico. “He can travel anywhere in the world through the shadows, and he can raise skeleton armies from the earth and make cracks in stone. And he can make it really cold or produce fire. Plus! He can enter people’s dreams or make them fall asleep.” 

Adam’s head shoots back to Nico, and the man is a little worried about the boy’s neck. “You can make a skeleton army? That’s so cool!” Adam looks down at his hands. “What can I do?” 

“Depends on who your parent is,” Will answers. “One of our friends, Percy, the son of Poseidon, can manipulate water. Nico’s sister Hazel can pull gemstones and precious metals from the earth, and her husband Frank, son of Mars, can turn into any animal, although he’s a weird case for powers. Oh! And my sister Kayla can shoot any target with an arrow. Our friend Piper, daughter of Aphrodite, can charmspeak, kind of make anyone do what she wants.”

“Wait,” Adam’s brow furrows in though. “I know most of those gods, but who is Mars?”

“The Roman form of Ares,” Nico answers. “It’s honestly super confusing, but basically because the Romans adopted so many Greek Gods and the Roman Empire lasted for so long, a lot of Greek Gods have Roman doubles. Technically, Hazel is a daughter of Pluto, Hades’ Roman counterpart. The Roman kids used to only go to Camp Jupiter, and the Greek kids only to Camp Half-Blood, but that changed and got mixed up a while ago, so now it’s more based on where you live and what your mortal parent wants. Plus, Camp Jupiter has a university and city, so there are more demigod adults there.” 

“Why don’t you two live there?”

Will shrugs, “New York is less protected, but there are still a lot of demigods here, and it’s become home. Plus, Olympus is here, above the Empire State Building.” 

Adam’s jaw drops open, and Nico expects him to have a million questions about how a godly city is floating above a major American building, but instead he just asks, “Can we go?” 

“You have to be special invited, but usually we go at the Winter Solstice when we offer to chaperone the campers and take the chance to see our dads,” Will explains. 

Adam pouts slightly, but then he asks, more hesitantly this time, “Can I go with you at the Winter Solstice?” 

Will smiles. “That would be great, kiddo. We’d love that.” 

The two men try their best to answer the rest of Adam’s questions about what it’s like to be a demigod, what the camps are like, what their dads and other gods are like. Nico can feel himself skirting around a few topics, like the Battle of Manhattan and the War with Gaea and anything at all about Tartarus, but he figures there will be time for that later if it’s ever needed. 

They clean up breakfast together, and Nico smiles when he sees Adam sneak another slice of bacon as he bags it up. Good, the kid could use some more meat on his bones. And then Nico realizes he sounds like Demeter and is horrified with himself. 

Will directs Adam back to his chair for his check-up. The man kneels in front of the boy and holds out his hands, palms up, and Adam places his own on top. Nico watches as Will closes his eyes and emits a soft glow from his hands, performing his vitakinesis. 

“No sicknesses, no allergies, but a low-grade infection in the scrapes on your knees,” Will murmurs, half to himself and half to Adam. “I’m going to get rid of the infection and heal your injuries now, okay?” Adam nods, and Will closes his eyes again, beginning a hymn to Apollo. The scratches on Adam’s face fade into smooth skin. The boy pulls up one of his pant legs and marvels at his knee. 

“That’s so cool,” he whispers, awed. Will smiles and rises. He then grabs Adam’s old clothes from the dryer and sends the boy upstairs to get dressed. 

“You’re so good with him,” Nico observes. 

Will shrugs. “Lots of practice with my dad’s brood, unfortunately.” Nico snickers. While there was a time Will struggled a lot with not resenting the leadership role he was forced into at thirteen, Nico is glad he can kind of joke about it now. Apollo does have a lot of kids. 

“Come, let’s go get dressed for this excursion you’ve planned.” Nico takes Will’s hand and drags him upstairs. He can practically feel Will’s finger about to poke his butt, and he swats it away. Will huffs but doesn’t say anything. 

Nico gets dressed in his usual black and Will in jeans and, gods help him, a wool fisherman’s sweater.

“You’ve lived in New York for thirty years, William, and it’s fifty degrees out there. I think the sweater’s overkill, especially when I know you’re still going to put a jacket on.”

“I’m a Texan through and through,” Will responds primly. 

Nico rolls his eyes as he shrugs on his leather jacket. Will chooses a navy peacoat that Nico loves on him, but Nico warns him he doesn’t want to hear one word of complaint when— when—Will is too hot later. 

“Oh, shoot, Adam didn’t have a coat yesterday, did he?” Will asks. 

Nico thinks, frowns. “No, nothing. Gods, he must have been freezing.” 

Will makes a distressed noise in the back of his throat and begins rifling through the far end of the closet. “A-ha!” he calls, triumphant, and emerges with a puffer he’d insisted Nico get when they were teens and that Nico had absolutely refused to wear. “It’ll be a little big on him, but it’ll keep him warm, and that’s the most important thing right now. We can get him something else while we’re out.” 

“You’re a dork and a softy and I love you.” 

“Love you, too, tesoro,” Will responds with a smirk. Nico groans. Will learning what “tesoro” means was the worst day of Nico’s life, bar none. 

When the men arrive in Adam’s room, both cats are on the bed, purring loudly as Adam pets one with each hand. 

“Look at that! Vito likes you, too!” Will observes. 

“Vito?” Adam asks, eyes not leaving the cats.

“Yeah, it means ‘life’ in Italian; Fumo means ‘smoke.’ Nico insisted they needed Italian names, and I insisted their names needed to be puns, so here we are.” 

Adam cracks a small smile at the explanation and finishes his petting. He turns to Will and Nico and eyes the coat. 

“Oh, yeah! This is for you, for today. Or, really, for as long as you want. It was Nico’s when we were kids, and it’ll probably be a little big on you, but I want to make sure you’re warm outside. It’s going to be cold today,” Will finishes, shooting the last sentence toward Nico. The son of Hades sticks his tongue out in response.

Adam takes the coat with careful hands, far more careful than the twenty-plus-year-old Walmart coat merits, and slips it on. He gets one of his hands stuck in the armpit and Will moves easily to help him. Nico tries to ignore the pang of something in his chest at the domestic sight. They don’t know Adam’s feelings on staying yet, and there’s no need to get attached before then. Nico also ignores that it’s already too late for that. 

They decide on H&M, Old Navy, and DSW, at least as first stops. Nico kind of wants to push for better quality, warmer items, but he reminds himself that Adam will probably grow almost a foot within the next two years and there’s simply no way Nico won’t ensure Adam has everything he needs until he can support himself, no matter what Adam decides about living with them versus at Camp. 

Nico attaches his sword to his waist (honestly, he has no idea what the morals see, maybe an umbrella?) and walks down the steps of the brownstone with Adam as Will locks up. 

“Now, before we go, Adam, I need you to promise me something,” Nico begins, very serious. Adam looks up at him with wide, questioning eyes. “Anything you want, anything at all, no matter how small or silly or expensive or big or anything else, you have to tell us so we can get it for you. Because I can just,” he snaps his fingers, and an uncut diamond pops out of the ground. Not as large as Hazel’s, but certainly enough carats to buy almost anything Adam wants today. Adam’s jaw drops open as he picks up the stone with reverent fingers. 

“How did you do that?” 

“It’s a Hades thing. Control over the ground has its perks. But the point here is that we can afford anything you ask for, so don’t hold back, okay? Promise me?” 

Adam nods enthusiastically. “I promise, Nico.” Nico smiles and ruffles the kid’s hair. Adam hands the diamond over and Nico pockets it to sell to a jeweler later. 

“Alrighty, are we ready?” Will asks, now joining them. Adam and Nico confirm they are, and the three set off for the nearest subway station. 

Watching Adam people-watch on the train is pretty fun. He lights up at every dog he sees in a bag, actually laughing at the German Shepherd in the IKEA tote. He peers around at the ads and counts out the stops until their exit, his mouth forming the numbers silently. Nico mostly keeps an eye out for monsters, but Will talks to the boy about Mythomagic and his favorite ice cream flavors. 

At their exit, Adam grabs a hand from each of them and Nico melts. He swaps eye contact with Will above the boy’s head, and he can tell Will is no better. Adam leads the way up the escalator, still peering around at their surroundings. With a heartbreaking jolt, Nico realizes the boy is also looking out for monsters, not just taking in the world. 

When they arrive at H&M, Nico reminds Adam of his promise to choose whatever he wants. Will grabs a cart and leads the way to the Boys section. 

Will had the foresight to look at the sizes of Adam’s clothes when he washed them, so he takes charge of putting jeans and pants into the cart while Nico grabs a package of socks and one of underwear. He then tells Adam to choose at least five sweaters and five shirts he likes. Adam gravitates toward the blues and greens throughout the section. With that observation in mind, Nico snags a couple of polos and button-downs, thinking of the possible upcoming trip to Olympus. Will chuckles at him, but there’s only so far out of the 1930s you can take a guy, apparently. Will finishes off their selections with a couple of jacket and coat options, and then they’re off to the dressing rooms. 

Ever his father’s son, Will hypes Adam up and exaggeratedly gasps with delight at his outfit choices. Nico smirks when Adam puts a sweater over a button-down with slacks. Will elbows him in the side. 

They walk out with one pair of jeans, one pair of khakis, one pair of black pants, two sweaters, two long-sleeve shirts, one short-sleeve shirt, one button-down, and one jean jacket. 

“On to Old Navy?” Will asks, very chivalrously carrying their bags. Nico smirks smugly when he notices Will’s coat is in one of the bags, but he just nods to the question, and they head back out into the crowds. Adam’s hand finds Nico’s again and Nico squeezes gently. It’s a short walk to the second store and then they’re repeating the process. 

They have success at Old Navy finding a few more items in each category to fill out Adam’s closet, including a few sets of pajamas that match with some Will and Nico already own. At DSW, they get him a pair of casual sneakers, tennis shoes, waterproof boots for the winter slush, leather boots just for fun (Nico’s insistence), and a pair of dressier shoes. Maybe they’re spoiling the boy, but Nico can’t help but feel he should be spoiled. 

On their way to the Shake Shack in Penn Station for the promised burger and milkshake lunch, Adam’s hand finds Nico’s for the fourth time that day. It occurs to Nico that Adam has grabbed his left hand each time, leaving his right free to wield his sword if needed. 

“Did you notice I fight with my right hand the one time you saw me do it?” Nico asks before he really thinks through the question. 

“Uhh,” Adam responds, clearly not sure where this is going and therefore unsure how to respond. 

“That’s really observant of you, that’s really impressive!” 

Adam preens a little from the praise and pushes closer to Nico’s side. Will smiles at the sight and mouths to Nico, “We’re keeping him.” Nico rolls his eyes, but internally he’s hoping the same. 

At Shake Shack, they each get a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. Nico can practically hear the rant about cholesterol Will’s forming in his mind, but the blond only says, “I think I could have a strawberry shake every day and never get bored.” 

Adam shakes his head. “Oreo is the best.” 

“Well, I think you’re both wrong. Classic vanilla is clearly superior,” Nico quips. He’s met with almost twin looks of disgust. 

“How are you real?” Will mutters, and Nico frowns because that’s not how his husband usually asks that question. Or where, for that matter. 

“So, Adam,” Will starts, turning back to the boy, “I was thinking you might like to see Camp Half-Blood, just to check it out. We can all shadow-travel there tomorrow, and I can get a fresh carton of strawberries.” 

“Oh, just using my powers for your strawberry addiction, are we? I see how it is,” Nico teases. When he turns his gaze from Will to Adam, the boy is practically vibrating in his seat. 

“You can shadow-travel with people? Can we do it to go home?”

Nico chuckles, but his heart squeezes when he realizes Adam called the brownstone “home”. “Yes, I can travel with people, but it’s tiring compared to going alone, so I usually save it for special occasions, like letting you see Camp.” These days, now that he’s fed and healthy, it’s pretty easy to shadow-travel by himself, but with people is still a strain because he has to focus on holding them all together while the shadows want to rip them apart. 

“Will I get tired from it?” 

“No, just me. It can feel weird, though, so you might need to sit down after we arrive.”

Adam looks down at his fries, considering that. “Is it possible for me to figure out my powers before my dad claims me?” 

“Yes, absolutely. Percy made water explode out of the camp toilets and drench a couple kids before his dad claimed him.”

“The toilets??” Adam sounds equal parts incredulous and awed.

“Yeah, it was freaking inconvenient,” Wil pipes up. “We all had to truck up to the Big House and use the toilets and showers there for three days. After that, each cabin got their own bathroom, although Camp does still have the communal ones as backup.” 

On that cheery note, they clean up lunch and head back for the subway. The trip, blessedly, remains uneventful. Nico thanks any gods listening for seeming to keep monsters away from them today. Back at the brownstone, Nico recommends they start washing Adam’s new clothes, climb in PJs, and set up a movie nest in the living room. 

“We have Disney?” Nico hedges, unsure how familiar Adam is. 

“Can we, can we watch Hercules?” The boy’s eyes are uncertain about his request being met with a “yes” even after Nico’s been careful to agree to everything he asks for. 

Nico positively grins, thinking of their conversation the evening before. “Oh, we are most definitely going to watch Hercules.” Adam smiles brightly and races upstairs to change back into his PJs from the night before. 

“See?” Will asks, settling his arms around Nico’s waist and his chin on Nico’s shoulder. “You’re great with him.” 

Nico leans back against Will’s strong chest and hums non-committedly. He always enjoyed teaching sword-fighting classes at CHB, watching the kids grow. It was part of the reason he’d decided to go into teaching. 

“Thanks for carrying the bags.” 

“Thanks for paying,” Will responds with a kiss to Nico’s cheek. Nico rolls his eyes at the old joke, formed when he and Will started dating and Nico paid for most of the dates because he could actually produce money, almost literally. Will had protested firmly, saying that as a Good Southern Boy, he couldn’t possibly accept Nico paying for all of the dates. They’d compromised with lots of free dates at Camp and Will carrying anything Nico didn’t want to, including occasionally Nico’s own body. Their finances are long-since combined, though, so really they both paid today.

Will pulls back and Nico pouts. “Come on, let's get the laundry started like you suggested so Adam will have more clothes.” Nico grumbles at the loss of physical touch, something he wouldn’t have expected from himself twenty-five years ago, but follows Will into the laundry room where the bags are already sitting. Nico diligently removes the tags as Will sorts the items and preps the machine for the first load. Once the machine is started, the two men head upstairs to change. Nico isn’t paying attention to the first shirt he pulls out until Will looks at him and bends double with laughter. It’s Will’s “Promoted to Daddy” t-shirt, and he flushes red before he strips it off. He’s much more careful in his next choice of an old black Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

PJs on, all three demigods return downstairs. Nico goes to set up the couch into a giant bed format while Will and Adam gather snacks. When Nico hears popcorn in the microwave, he scowls. 

Arms laden with bowls, Will and Adam join Nico in the living room right after the movie is pulled up. Will places the popcorn between himself and Adam, the other snacks more central. 

“Isn’t Nico going to want popcorn?” 

“No,” Will responds, eyes full of mirth. “He got turned into corn once, and he’s been a little, uh, sensitive about the plant since then.” 

“You-” Adam looks at Nico with shock. “Into corn?” Nico just nods solemnly and starts the movie. 

Adam is snuggled between the two men like the night before, and during the discus scene, Fumo and Vito join them. Vito kneads one of the pillows like dough, purring contentedly, but Fumo makes it loudly known that he would like some pets, please and thank you. Adam obliges. 

Nico is . . . happy, he realizes. He already had a great life, more than he ever hoped for between the ages of ten and fifteen, but Adam with them feels right, feels more complete. And once again, Nico tries to shove those thoughts down, at least until Adam can decide for himself and let them know what he wants. 

He must fall asleep at one point, because next thing Nico knows, Adam and Will are loudly singing along to “Zero to Hero”. Nico smirks a little at the Movie Hades losing his cool over Hercules’ successes. He stretches an arm out and scratches the nape of Will’s neck. Will’s eyes fall closed and he smiles softly, still singing. And maybe Will’s voice isn’t as perfect as his mother and father’s, but it’s still clear and rich and Nico loves it all the more for the little warbles. Nico is entranced and so, so grateful he still feels this way about his husband after all these years. 

When the movie finishes, Adam turns to Will. “Nico says Hades is actually nice? Is that true?” 

“Hmm,” Will considers. “Well, he loves Nico, so he’s nice to him, and because Nico loves me, he’s mostly nice to me. He’s . . . intimidating, definitely, you can just tell that he’s powerful. I don’t recommend being on the receiving end of his frown. But, he’s not evil like the movie shows. He’s fought alongside the gods numerous times, he doesn’t try to unleash monsters like in the movie.” 

“A lot of the movie is wrong, actually,” Nico observes. “According to our friend Piper, Hercules is actually kind of an a-, a not nice person. But,” he adds, “the movie is still a lot of fun.” 

“Yes, very clear by you falling asleep,” Will teases, and Adam snickers. 

“Hey! I had a long week! I had to talk about your father’s love life, and it’s extensive.” Nico shudders, a little overdramatically just for effect. 

“You designed the syllabus,” Will lilts back. 

“I can’t exactly teach a mythology class and not talk about Apollo. He’s freaking everywhere. He and Athena both, just can’t stay away from mortals.” 

“They get it from their father,” Will notes. Nico makes a gagging sound and Adam laughs. The men smile at the boy and then Will asks, “Which movie next, kiddo?” 

“Umm, can we watch Cars or Meet the Robinsons?”

“We have all afternoon, we can watch both! Let me change the laundry over, I’ll be right back.” 

They watch Meet the Robinsons first because, as Will points out, they should watch the entire Cars saga. 

Nico’s never seen the movie before, and he’s entranced by Tomorrowland. “Why don’t we have those floating bubble pods yet? That would be so cool!” He can feel Will’s eyes on him as he reacts to each new discovery: singing frogs, a T-Rex, The Bowler Hat Guy as Goob (“That’s you,” Will says matter of factly after Goob says, “They all hated me.”), Doris’s evil plan, and Lewis as the dad. When Lewis is back at the science fair looking at his future adoptive parents and meeting his future wife, Nico feels tears in his eyes. He hurriedly tries to blink them away, but one falls anyway. Wiping it away draws Will’s attention back to him as well as Adam’s. 

“Aww,” Will coos. “You softy.” 

“Shu- Hush! He’s found a family and it’s cute.” Nico feels Adam snuggle further into his side, and he looks down in surprise, but neither of them say anything. Will is looking at them both with absurd amounts of fondness, his own eyes seeming a little wet now. Nico, because he is a nice husband, decides not to comment on Will’s tears, unlike another husband he could name. 

They stay curled together like that as the credits roll, but when they’re done, Will rises with the insistence that they should eat dinner while they watch Cars. Nico chuckles a little at Will’s constant need to feed those he loves, but he suggests the lasagna in the freezer as it still feels a little too soon after lunch and movie snacks for him. 

While Will shuffles off to follow Nico’s suggestion, Nico hesitantly reaches up and begins carding his fingers through Adam’s hair. He feels Adam relax minutely against him. This is as good a time as any, he guesses, to fill the boy in on what he and Will have been discussing. 

“Adam,” Nico begins, “Will and I wanted to offer you a couple options, for your future. We want you to give them both some thought, no need to answer right now, but with our plan to see Camp tomorrow, I thought now would be a good time to fill you in on our thinking.” 

Nico can feel how still Adam’s gone against him, maybe scared Nico’s going to say he has to leave. That makes Nico’s heart hurt, so he rushes onward. “Option one, if you love Camp, is that you go live there year-round. Will and I both did it, and it can be kind of nice to spend all your time surrounded by demigods and in a safe place. We’d still want to come visit you, if that’s okay, but you’d learn and train there, live in a cabin, all year for as long as you want. Option two: you live with us. You could go to school here, and you could still go to Camp in the summers, if you want. That’s when most people go, what most campers do. I could train you with a sword during the school year, Will could teach you archery, we can redecorate the room you’re in now to how you want it, and go on adventures.” 

Nico swears he’s trying hard not to push his agenda, but he’s not sure he’s succeeding. He rushes to add, “But like I said, we should go see Camp tomorrow before you make your decision, and we want it to be your decision. We’d love for you to live with us, but demigod life comes with a lot of things we don’t ask for, and we want your future to be one you choose as much as possible.” 

Adam doesn’t say anything, but Nico’s pretty sure he feels a small nod. 

“Okay,” Will announces, walking back in, and Nico half wonders if he was waiting outside the door until they were done. “Lasagna's in the oven, let’s get Cars started!”

They resume their trio—really, quintet with the cats—and Will pulls up the next movie. The blond sings a dramatic rendition of each song, and between that and Lightning McQueen’s antics, Adam and Nico are soon giggling together. When the oven timer dings, they all head into the kitchen to serve themselves plates and the cats their own food before returning to the bed-couch. 

The mood stays light for the rest of the movie and the next two, and when Nico looks down at Adam at the end of the series to ask his favorite part, the boy is fast asleep. Will smiles warmly at him and scoops him up to carry to bed. Fumo follows like a shadow. 

While Will does that, Nico cleans up the snacks and dinner before he begins folding the now-finished laundry. 

“Well ain’t you just the cutest domestic sight I’ve ever seen,” Will suddenly coos from the doorway. 

Nico rolls his eyes but leans into Will’s arms anyway when they wrap around him. “I want him to be able to choose from these tomorrow. Now, help me with the folding, Carebear.” 

Will does as directed, and together they make quick work of the pile and carry it upstairs in baskets they place outside of Adam’s door. 

“I hope he sleeps better tonight. Should we go in and check on him?” 

“Leave him be,” Will responds. “We’ll leave our door open again; he can come find us if he needs us.”

Nico nods slowly, not completely sold on the idea but unable to defend a different one. 

The men get ready for bed and climb in, both falling asleep almost instantly after their nightly kiss. About halfway through the night, Nico feels a little body crawl under the covers behind him, a small arm wrap around his waist, and a face press to his back. Nico waits for Adam to say something, but the boy’s breath evens out and Nico allows his to follow. 

In the morning, Nico wakes to a click and finds Will pointing a camera at him. “Sorry,” Will whispers, lowering the object. “You two are just so cute, I couldn’t resist.”

Nico grumbles half-heartedly but rubs the sleep from his eyes. Adam is still wrapped around his middle, so the man’s movements are stilted but apparently still enough to wake the boy. Adam lifts his head and looks around the room, and truly, his sleep-mussed hair is one of the cutest sights Nico’s laid his eyes on. 

“Hi,” Adam greets. 

“Hi,” Nico responds, smiling. “Sleep okay?” 

Adam nods and blinks blearily at Will. “Why do you have a camera?”

“Umm, no reason.” Will sets it on the nearby dresser, looking sheepish. “Breakfast time?” Nico and Adam brighten, making Will chuckle. “Whatcha in the mood for, kiddo?” 

“May I have waffles and bacon? From yesterday?” 

“Can I add fruit to that?” Will checks, and Adam nods. The boy climbs out of bed and follows Will downstairs. Nico debates falling back asleep, but then he remembers they’re going to Camp today, and he pulls himself out of bed to follow them. 

While Will prepares Adam’s plate, Nico feeds the cats and then makes himself and Will lattes. Once upon a time, Will drank more instant coffee in a day than Nico feels anyone should consume in their lifetime, but these days Nico refuses to keep anything but espresso in the house. 

Will takes the mug with a grateful smile and hums appreciatively during his first sip. “It’s better when you make it, I swear.” 

“It’s because espresso makes up half of Italian blood,” Nico responds with a small laugh, leaning against the counter for his own sip. Will bustles around to prepare their plates and join Adam at the table. “Still up for going to Camp Half-Blood today?” Nico checks with the boy, walking over and sitting in his chair. 

Adam’s cheeks are full of waffle with another bite already on its way to his mouth, but his hand pauses in its trip when he looks at Nico. He considers for a moment and then nods slowly. 

“It’ll be fun, I think. Will and I can tell you our stories, and you’ll get to meet Chiron and Mr. D. Although, don’t take anything Mr. D says too personally, he’s there because he’s being punished by Zeus. He likes me, though, so hopefully he’ll be on his nicer side for you.” 

“Nico, you’re gonna scare him,” Will chides as he walks over. 

“I’m not scared!” Adam protests. 

“Yeah, Will, he’s not scared! He’s really brave!” Adam beams at Nico, and Nico leans over to ruffle his hair. Gods, he really does look like Jason when he smiles like that.

Everyone tucks back into their food and a comfortable silence falls over the table. When they’re finished, Nico takes over cleaning while Will goes with Adam upstairs to put away his new clothes and pick some out for the day. 

Once everyone is dressed and Will has his trusty satchel with everything he thinks they might need on the day-trip to the fully stocked camp, they gather in the living room, currently the darkest room of the house. 

“Okay, like I said yesterday, shadow-travel feels pretty weird. If you need to sit down or something when we get there, that’s okay. Usually, I have to rest for a moment.” Adam nods to show he understands, and Nico reaches his hands out to Will and Adam. “Hold tight!” And then he walks them into the deepest shadow. 

They emerge in the shadow of Thalia’s tree, as they usually do, beside the Athena Parthenos. Nico, all these years later, still can’t believe he actually survived that trip. Adam stumbles, but Will helps steady him so Nico can focus on steadying himself. Peleus eyes them but then just snorts out a puff of smoke in greeting. 

“Hey, bud,” Will says to the dragon and then very seriously introduces Adam and Peleus to each other. 

Now recovered, Nico leads the way down to the Big House, where he can see Chiron (luckily, in his wheelchair) and Mr. D playing pinochle with a couple of satyrs on the porch. As they approach, Chiron raises a hand in greeting and Mr. D nods his head, an eyebrow raised. 

“Nico, Will,” Chiron begins warmly, “it’s good to see you both. And it looks like you brought someone new?”

“Yes, this is Adam,” Nico introduces. “I . . . found him. In New York. We wanted to give him a chance to see Camp and meet you both.” One of the satyrs is munching on a Diet Coke can while the other studies his cards between glances at the three of them, clearly nervous. 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Adam,” Chiron says. 

“You, too, sir,” Adam responds before turning to Mr. D. “And you, sir.” 

Mr. D grunts in what Nico has come to learn is his approving way. “Well, feel free to show the boy around, you know your way.” And that’s about as good a welcome as Nico could have asked for from the god. 

“Could he be my dad?” Adam whispers when they’re a few hundred yards away from the porch. 

“Um, maybe,” Nico hedges, “but Mr. D is actually a pretty good father and usually claims his kids early on.” 

“Let’s start with the cabins,” Will suggests. They come to Cabin 13 first, and Nico is suddenly nervous. The cabin’s interior is very different from their warm home, although not as horrifying as it was when Nico first moved in. 

“Well, uh, this was my cabin, the one for children of Hades,” Nico shares as he opens the door. He lets Will and Adam step in first, and Adam looks around the building with wide eyes. 

“Whoa,” the boy whispers, taking in the deep-jewel toned decor. In hindsight, Nico realizes the room has the color-scheme of an old gentleman’s club with dark reds, emerald greens, and velvety blacks. The style of furniture doesn’t help, and neither do the books of all ages in full-wall shelves. On the opposite side of the room is the double bed he and Will squeezed into whenever they could. “This was all yours?” 

“And Hazel’s, when she came to visit. The couch pulls out into another bed, and I took that so she could have the real one.” 

“Such a gentleman,” Will quips. Nico shoots him an embarrassed scowl. It was just the right thing to do for his sister!

Adam spends a few minutes walking around the room, admiring cool rocks laid out on tables and the spines of some of the books. “Hey, I can read some of these! The letters aren’t wobbling.” 

Nico nods. “Most of those are in Ancient Greek, some Latin, some Italian. As a child of one of the Big Three—Zeus, Hades, and Posiedon—my dyslexia is worse than most. If any look interesting, feel free to grab them, no one’s using them here.” 

Adam hesitates a moment and then pulls out a couple. As he eyes a few more, Nico tells him, “We can come back any time, okay? Take what you want, but this won’t be your only chance.” Adam looks at Nico and smiles shyly. He chooses one more and then puts them all in Will’s bag. 

“Can we read one of them tonight? Together, again?”

“Absolutely, kiddo,” Will answers. Adam looks around the cabin one more time and Nico looks, too, and realizes it’s cozier than he initially remembered. He relaxes just a little, less anxious now about bright, young Adam seeing this space.

They then head to Cabin 7, a much sunnier building, now painted a warm yellow. Nico notes the hyacinths still growing in the window boxes. Since Apollo came to camp as Lester, they’d stayed constantly in bloom like they were watching over his children. 

“Welcome to the Apollo Cabin!” Will announces. Nico swears there are even more beds in here than there used to be. But, given the time period it stood empty of all but three, Nico supposes there are worse options. 

Adam conducts an investigation again, although this one with decidedly less touching as if he recognizes this cabin is actually occupied, even if not fully. “Where is everyone?” 

“Probably one of their activities or classes. Usually the morning has lots of activities, then lunch, some free time, a few more activities, dinner, and capture the flag or a campfire. Then off to bed and it repeats the next day. During the school year, the activities are more like school classes, but there’s still some training.” 

Nico is anxious to know Adam’s thoughts on Camp vs. their home, but he’s also hesitant to ask because he doesn’t want to pressure the boy into a decision before he’s ready. 

When they’re back outside, Adam looks to the top of the circle of cabins. 

“The two at the end are Zeus and Hera,” Nico tells him, “Then Poseidon and Demeter and on down the Pantheon. When we first got here, there were only twelve cabins, but Camp expanded over our time. Unclaimed kids used to go into Hermes’ cabin, but now, with campers sending their children here and those children not necessarily fitting a specific god, that big building over there,” Nico points to a cabin almost the same size as the Big House, “is for those two groups. It’s dedicated to Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and home.” 

“So, that’s where I’d be?” Adam checks. 

“Until you’re claimed, yes.” 

Adam nods thoughtfully, his unreadable gaze on the building. 

“Wanna see the rest?” Will asks, and Adam’s nod becomes eager. 

They show him the archery ranges, where they do indeed find Apollo’s kids, the arena, armory, forges, Mess Hall, climbing wall, amphitheater, stables, arts and crafts building, volleyball courts, basketball courts, and finish off back at the infirmary in the Big House. 

“This is where I spent most of my time,” Will shares. “ And it’s where Nico and I first met.”

Adam looks up and between the two of them. “How?” 

Nico snorts. “I got injured on my first day sword fighting, and Nightlight here had to patch me up. It was my own fault, I was too enthusiastic.” 

“You were precious,” Will argues, “and super cool. But also a huge nerd as you rambled about Mythomagic.” 

Nico sends his husband a glare, to which Will is unfortunately immune, but softens his eyes when he looks back at Adam. “I believe Will requested strawberries, and you haven’t had the world’s best strawberries until you’ve had these, so let’s go berry picking after lunch, sound good?” 

Adam nods and they file out, Will with one more soft look at the cot where he first saw Nico. Just to prove he’s the more altruistic one, Nico decides not to tease his husband about it. 

On their way to the Mess Hall, they pass by the volleyball courts, and it all happens so fast. Nico hears a kid shout, “Heads up!” and sees a volleyball headed their way. Before either he or Will can send it back toward the campers, Adam shrieks and a strong gust of wind carries the ball off its path and harmlessly into the grass. Nico hears Chiron cantering toward them, and he turns to say everything is okay, but then he feels Will’s hand on his arm. Nico looks at his husband, who is gaping at Adam. Well—Nico discovers when he turns toward the boy, too—the air above Adam, where there now glows a lightning bolt. 

From behind them, Chiron’s voice booms. “Hail, Adam, Son of Zeus.” They all kneel to show their respect and deference. 

In his head, Nico has some choice words for Zeus, but he keeps them to himself out of care for Adam. The poor boy looks positively terrified, but Nico can’t tell if it’s from the claiming, everyone’s reactions, or almost getting hit by a volleyball. Nico’s the first to rise, opening his arms to Adam, who runs into them. Then Will is there, too, his wide frame surrounding the other two. 

If Nico’s being honest, he’ll admit he’d secretly hoped Adam was a son of Apollo, or maybe Hermes or Hephestus or anyone who has a few older kids to show the boy the ropes. Hell, he would have taken Dionysus; the cabin would be lonely, but at least his dad would have been close. Now, all Nico can picture is Adam alone in that huge, empty Zeus cabin with the glowering statue of his father. He can picture Adam small and alone at the Zeus table, even if Camp Half-Blood doesn’t really do that anymore. He can picture Adam wandering alone through activities or trailing behind some other cabin, feeling out of place. And, okay, maybe Nico is projecting just a little bit, but Nico can’t help feeling like Adam just got the worst possible outcome. Zeus sucks. 

Over the boy’s head, Nico meets eyes with Chiron, and the old centaur looks just as sad as Nico feels. Maybe he’s thinking of the other children of the king of the gods he’s trained and how much they seem to struggle with finding their happily ever after, so many dying before their time. 

“Well,” Mr. D drawls, “welcome to the family, brother!” 

Nico risks a smiting with the glare he directs at Mr. D, but the god just gives a kind of apologetic shrug before taking a slug of his Diet Coke and heading to the Mess Hall. 

The three demigods pull apart and Will tries to huff a laugh. “I suppose Dad and Mr. D must get their flair for the dramatic from their father— your father.” 

Adam doesn’t say anything as everyone trapses to the Mess Hall for lunch. Nico glares daggers at any demigods who look like they might cause the boy trouble or tease him, and it seems to get them to back off. 

Will, Nico, and Adam sit at the head table with Mr. D and Chiron. Will shows the boy how to make his offering, and then Adam kind of just sits there and pokes at his food. It’s the first time Nico hasn’t seen Adam eagerly eat everything in front of him, and that’s worrying. Will gently encourages Adam and talks to him in a soothing voice about one thing or another while Chiron asks Nico about their willingness to chaperone the annual Winter Solstice trip. 

“Of course, we’re happy to, as always. Adam actually . . . Adam asked to come with us, he wants to see Olympus.” Nico chances a look at the boy and is relieved to see Will has gotten Adam to work through his plate. 

“That will be . . . quite the introduction to our world.” 

“He’s strong. Stronger than he should have to be by his age,” Nico defends. 

“You all are,” Chiron replies softly. Nico can’t help his bitter laugh at that. He knows it isn’t Chiron’s fault, he’s done what he can during the millenia he’s been training heroes, but it seems like the understatement of the universe that demigods have too many expectations on them from far too young, especially children of the Big Three. 

“Well, it’ll be fun to see his reaction, at least. I’ve gotten kind of used to it all, his wonder is . . . refreshing.” 

Chiron’s eyes twinkle. “Imagine how I feel.” He has a point, Nico concedes. 

“Speaking of your age,” Nico starts, “I have some questions about the Trojan War.” That conversation fills the rest of the meal while Will and Adam keep talking and Mr. D looks over the Mess Hall with undisguised contempt. 

Lunch wraps up and the head counselor for Apollo approaches the head table and looks to Will, Nico, and Adam. 

“Excuse me, we were wondering if y’all would like to join us at the strawberry fields during free time?” 

Will smiles warmly at his sister. “That would be great, thank you.” Now that they have confirmation, the rest of the Apollo cabin approaches. A couple of boys, not much older than Adam, engage him in conversation as they all head to the fields. Nico is pleased to see Adam respond to their questions, seemingly out of his earlier funk. Friends would be good for him. 

The demigods all collect baskets and begin picking berries. Nico wipes one off on his shirt and hands it to Adam to try. The boy’s eyes grow wide and delighted at the taste, and Nico catches him sneaking berries while they pick. Hopefully he won’t end up with a stomach ache later, but at least he’ll be fed. 

The sons of Apollo from earlier keep talking with Adam, asking him if he knows his powers yet and showing the ones they know. One lights his palm up above a green strawberry and it ripens in moments. Huh, maybe he has some Demeter blood somewhere in his lineage. Will’s eyes widen and then he tries to do the same, but his light just burns the strawberry. Nico laughs at his husband’s pout. 

“Nico?” one daughter of Apollo begins, “Is it true you saved the world?” 

“Umm.” Nico glances around, distressed to see other children looking at him. “What do you mean by ‘saved the world’?” 

“By bringing the Athena Parthenos here. And also by convincing Hades to join the Titan War. And helping find and close the Doors of Death. And getting Percy Chase-Jackson to swim in the Styx so he would be invulnerable.” 

Wow, really just hitting all the highlights of his life. “Um, I did do those things, yes. That was me, Nico.” He hears Will snort behind him and he sends an elbow in that direction without looking. He’s gratified when he makes contact and Will lets out an “oof.” 

Another kid asks, “And Will, you really saved Annabeth Chase-Jackson’s life during the Battle of Manhattan? And took care of Dad while he was mortal? And gave Nyx hay-fever? And stole a pomegranate from Persephone?” 

Watching Will squirm is usually fun for Nico, but not over these questions. Will is still sometimes ashamed of his plague-powers and feels like saving Annabeth meant losing Michael, no matter how many times Nico’s tried to comfort him about both. The blond replies, “I’m only admitting to the first two questions. But I also saved Nico! After he got back with the Athena Parthenos. I figured out how to prevent the shadows from taking him.” 

That’s not the only time Will has saved him, but Nico lets it slide as the campers crowd in to ask about Will’s healing powers and what he can teach them. By this point, Adam is listening closely, too, and Nico wonders how much he caught about the other things. 

Nico lets the Apollo kids nerd out about medicine, and then a couple of them try to help Adam figure out his powers. Without an immediate threat, it’s always harder to see the breadth of skills, but the volleyball story must have traveled during lunch because they start throwing strawberries at Adam and he knocks them away with gusts of wind, laughing brightly. 

“Ooh, wait, what about this?” one of the boys asks, holding up a small shovel, and Will’s Head Counselor Tone comes out before anyone else can even react. 

“No, put the shovel down, that’s enough.” The boy does as told under Will’s stern gaze. 

There’s a chorus of “awww”s from the kids, Adam included, but they accept that the game is over. Free time is also nearly over, and after passing their baskets off to the satyrs for packaging, the Apollo cabin heads to Arts & Crafts while Will, Nico, and Adam put together a carton to take home before making their way back toward the Big House to say goodbye. On the way, they pass the cabins, and Adam stops short at the entrance to the circle, his eyes on the Zeus cabin. 

“Would you . . . would you like to go in? Check it out?” Nico asks, heart pounding again at the idea of Adam living there. People who think the Hades cabin is the creepiest one at Camp have clearly never been inside the Zeus cabin. Adam nods silently, grabbing a hand from each of them, and they walk together up to the grand building. 

Nico pushes the door open and they’re met with a dank draft. He glances at Adam a moment, the boy stoic, and then leads the way inside. 

It’s exactly as he remembers it from when Jason lived here: cold marble, echoing footsteps, and that huge statue. Adam stares up at the stone copy of his father’s face. Nico squats down beside him, drawing the boy’s gaze down with him, and squeezes his hand.

“Hey, I’d like to tell you about my friend Jason, if that’s okay. He lived here, although he was technically a son of Jupiter, Zeus’s Roman side. Can I tell you about him?” And Nico doesn’t talk about Jason often, hasn’t in a while for that matter, but this feels right. Adam nods, his serious eyes boring into Nico’s. 

The son of Hades leads the way to the alcove in the corner where both Jason and Thalia slept, away from Zeus’s stern visage. The walls still have photographs up: Jason, Piper, and Leo on the back of Festus; Jason and Nico at the Amphitheater; the Seven, taken sometime on the Argos II; Jason and Thalia outside of this cabin; Thalia and Apollo after Nico first arrived at Camp; Thalia, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover; and so many others. Nico sits on the bed first, and Will and Adam follow. 

Nico takes a moment to look around the cavernous cabin again before he begins, speaking slowly. “Jason was one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever known, and one of the bravest. He was my best friend. He defeated the titans in the west while we handled the ones in Manhattan, he freed Hera—Juno—from the giants, he helped defeat Gaea. But beyond his feats of heroism, he was kind and generous and loving, especially to those who didn’t know they deserved it. He was, he was-” Nico’s voice cracks on his rising tears. He starts to try again, but Will’s smooth voice cuts through. 

“Not just a great man, but a good one.” 

Nico nods. Jason deserved so much better than he got, and Nico will do anything he can to save Adam from the same story. “Adam, being a son of the king, whether that king be Zeus or Jupiter, can be a heavy burden, I can’t lie about that. People will have a million expectations, a million requests. They will see how far they can push you and then they will push you further just to see what happens, to see if you can handle it. I know what I’m saying is probably scary, and I promise I’m not saying it to scare you. I’m saying it because I want you to be ready, and because I-” Nico reaches over and grabs Will’s free hand with the one not still holding Adam’s, squeezing both gently, “ we don’t expect anything from you but for you to be yourself because we can already tell you’re a good person. You won’t ever need to be a ‘hero’ to prove that to us.” 

Adam’s lower lip trembles, he sniffs, and Will and Nico squish him in a hug. This is really more crying than Nico foresaw in his weekend, but he wouldn’t trade it. 

When the boy is calm again, Will and Nico gently guide him back out of the cabin. Nico could use the shadows in there to take them home, but he doesn’t want their last vision of Camp today to be that damn Zeus statue. Instead, the three head back to the Big House for a quick goodbye. 

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay for dinner?” Chiron asks, ever the welcoming trainer. 

“No,” Nico takes a look down at Adam and rubs between the boy’s shoulder blades. Adam leans into the touch just a little. “I think we’re better off going home.” 

“Take care, kid,” Mr. D says to Adam and then looks at Nico like he means it for him, too. 

The trio head up to Thalia’s Pine. They look over the valley: at the kids practicing with weapons and laughing on the dock and playing games on the courts. Will and Adam each give Peleus a pet, and then Nico pulls them all into the shadows. 

They reemerge in the living room and Fumo meows his hello before pointedly walking to his bowl. 

“Adam,” Will starts, “how would you feel about feeding the cats tonight while I get dinner ready for us?” 

“Yeah, okay,” Adam responds in a small voice, and Nico guides him on how to do it. 

Will is, Nico thinks for the thousandth time over dinner, the best part of Nico’s life. He’s so good at getting Adam talking, asking what he thought about the camp, what he liked and didn’t like, did he get along well with the Apollo kids? Adam says the strawberries were amazing, they were right, he wanted to learn sword-fighting and archery, the Apollo kids were really nice and had cool powers, and he liked the pegasi. 

“Our friend Reyna is a Horse Friend, you know,” Will says, a twinkle in his eye. “She met Pegasus and he declared it himself.”

“Pegasus? The Pegasus?” Adam’s face betrays that he thinks Will is messing with him, skepticism rooted in his eyes and brow twisted. 

“The Pegasus,” Nico confirms. 

Adam’s face smooths out into surprise and awe. “Whoa. You guys have such cool friends.” That makes Will and Nico laugh because the boy is right, but he also doesn’t yet know what dweebs they are. “Will I have such cool friends one day?” 

“Adam, you’re going to be the cool friend one day,” Will tells him, eyes serious but a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.  

Adam smiles at that and then launches into questions about their time at camp and their friends there and what those friends are up to now and do they have kids he might meet? Are their kids at Camp? 

When they go upstairs that night, Nico is no closer to guessing Adam’s decision, but the boy is smiling and saying how excited he is to read Nico’s books tonight, and Nico wants to savor this new reality as long as he can. 

After a shower and Will’s careful combing of the boy’s hair while Adam brushes his teeth, they curl up together on the boy’s bed for story time. Adam is fascinated and thrilled by his ability to read the Ancient Greek almost as well as Nico, a translation of Cuore Nico had purchased because it reminded him of when his mother would read it before he and Bianca went to bed. 

They get a few chapters in before Adam is yawning regularly and Nico insists it’s time for bed. Adam snuggles deeper under the covers, Will smooths the blankets on top of him, they exchange “goodnights”, and Fumo stations himself at the end of the bed. Will reaches for Nico’s hand as they leave the room, and Nico wraps his other one around Will’s bicep, his head on Will’s shoulder. 

Once they’re in bed, Nico is cognizant of the open door, but he kisses his husband a little deeper tonight, one hand on Will’s neck and the other tangled back in his curls. 

“Mmm, that was nice,” Will breathes when they separate. 

“I just wanted to say thank you and I love you and I’m so grateful you’re my husband,” Nico confesses, his dark eyes sweeping over Will’s freckled cheeks and nose, the scruff of his beard, his sky-blue eyes. 

Will melts and leans in for another kiss, which Nico happily grants.

“Well, I want to say that I love you, too, and I’m glad I get to do the adventure of life with you. We certainly keep it interesting,” Will replies with a grin. 

Nico presses one more kiss to Will’s lips and then snuggles down onto his chest. Will’s arms wrap around him, and Nico thinks everything is going to be okay. 

In the morning, Adam sneaks in after Will has left the bed and curls up into Nico’s side. Nico shifts so he can cuddle the boy closer and scritch at the nape of his neck. 

“Thank you,” the boy says quietly. 

“For what?” Nico asks just as softly. 

“Saving me.” And Adam’s voice is so small, the boy is so young, and Nico can’t imagine any alternative outcome. 

Nico firmly scrunches Adam in close, making the boy squeak and then laugh, but he says with full sincerity, “I’m so glad I did.” 

The son of Hades is also so, so glad it’s Reading Day and almost Winter Break when he and Adam make it downstairs because Will has pulled out the Christmas decorations and announces they’re going tree shopping, Adam’s choice. Breakfast first, though, of course. 

Will whips up some eggs, almost burns toast, and cuts fruit while Nico helps Adam feed the cats again and makes the drinks.

Once everyone is full and dressed, they decide on Will’s truck for this particular excursion. It’s a pain to drive in the city, but it’ll be even more of a pain to carry a tree back on the subway. 

“Hey, doesn’t Demeter have a tree farm just outside the city?” Will asks when they’re piled in but haven’t started the car yet. 

Nico raises an eyebrow. “Um, I’m not sure how happy she’s going to be to see me because, you know, son of Hades, and her daughter is currently with him.” 

Will waves away the concern. “I’ll cancel you out, she loves Apollo because he helps grow her crops. Plus the whole Meg thing.” 

“Hmm,” Nico considers, “well, I think Miranda runs it, so maybe we can avoid Demeter all together.” 

“It’s decided, then.” Will plugs “Demeter’s Tree Farm” into the GPS and they’re on their way. 

The trip is mostly uneventful, especially now that they’re heading out of the city instead of into it. Most of the trees have lost their leaves, and Nico hopes it snows soon so they can be beautiful in a different way. See, Demeter, Persephone being in the Underworld isn’t all bad. 

Nico is right about Miranda, and she greets them both with hugs when they arrive, as if no time has passed at all since they last saw each other. The parking lot is busy, which Nico is pleased to see for Miranda and Sherman’s sake.

“And who’s this?” she asks, smiling at Adam. When Nico had decided to stay at Camp, he’d managed to make friends with most of the other year-rounders once they learned he wasn’t actually going to regularly raise the dead. Miranda, in particular, made an effort to bond with him, although occasionally Nico suspects it was because she was so curious about Persephone’s garden in the Underworld. 

“This is Adam! Nico found him and he’s staying with us,” Will answers.  

“Well, it’s so nice to meet you, Adam, I’m Miranda. My daughter Sophia is about your age and is in the barn, up in the loft. Would you like to go meet her?” 

Adam looks up at Will and Nico for permission, which they give of course, and he runs off in search of Sophia.

With the boy now out of earshot, Miranda asks, “So, what’s his story?” 

Will winces, but he gives the short version. “He’s a demigod, son of Zeus. His mom died in a monster attack, and he was on the streets until Nico saved him from a different monster attack.” 

Miranda’s face fills with a familiar sadness and anger; those who don’t fit that story love people who do. “And you’re adopting him?” 

“‘We,” Nico starts. He looks at Will and then back to Miranda. “Well, we want to, but we want Adam to have a say. Obviously we’re not letting him wander around unprotected anymore, especially now that he’s been claimed, but we’ve given him the choice of living with us or at Camp full-time. We’re waiting for his answer.” 

Miranda hums thoughtfully but then collects herself. “Well, I’m guessing you’re here for a tree, not to tell me about your family planning.” 

“We are indeed here for a tree,” Will replies. “Got any good ones for old friends?” 

“Please, Will, it’s like you don’t even know me.” Miranda leads the way into the barn where trees are organized by height. It’s practically a forest in there, Miranda never one to go for the sloppy three-side containers most places prefer and instead supporting the trees with chords strung between posts. 

“Wow,” Nico sighs on an exhale and then breathes in the fresh pine and evergreen. He can’t wait for the smell to cling to their clothes after they finish here and with decorations. 

“We can also walk around the property if you’d like, let you chop your own tree and all that, but I figured we should start here.” 

“Is that where Sherman is? Chopping trees?” Will asks. 

Miranda huffs a laugh. “When we first moved here, I tried him at the cash register or helping people choose, but people kept getting into fights over the trees—you know, the Ares blood—so now he’s relegated to either chopping trees or staying busy in the house. His choice depends on his mood each day, which is mostly a win-win for me.” 

“Sorry we’ll miss him,” Nico says sincerely. 

“Well, we told Adam the tree is his choice,” Will volunteers, changing topics, “but maybe we could settle on some for him to choose between? This is overwhelming to me, and I’m like twice his height.” 

“Great idea!” Miranda responds. “What kind of height are you looking for?” 

“Umm, maybe seven feet?” Nico guesses. Usually, they’d do a five or six foot tree, just to add some festiveness to the season and capitalize on both of their childhood nostalgia, but he feels Adam should get something more magical. 

“Right this way,” Miranda says and leads them to the designated section. “You can choose between Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Concolor Fir, Canaan Fir, Turkish Fir, Grand Fir, Nordmann Fir, Scotch Pine, White Pine, Austrian Pine, Serbian Spruce, Blue Spruce, and Norway Spruce, all grown on property.” 

“Dear gods,” Will whimpers. 

“Yep! We have the widest selection in the country, and people come from all over to pick out a tree here. The tree at Rockefeller is ours this year, and we’re hoping we’ll become their source for all future trees.” 

“Wow,” Nico responds, not sure what else to say. Intellectually, he knew there were a lot of tree types, but being faced with just a fraction of the pine options was a whole new reality-check. 

Miranda takes pity on them. “Any pets? What’s your fragrance level preference? What kind of needles do you like? Do you have lots of heavy ornaments? 

“Uhh, two cats, I like the smell, and no heavy ornaments. Or breakable, for that matter. With the cats around.” 

“I like the thicker needles,” Will adds. “Everything else Nico said sounds good.” 

“And does Adam have any allergies?” 

“Nope.” 

Miranda nods and turns to consider the trees. How she can tell them apart, Nico has no idea, but he is thoroughly impressed. 

“I’m thinking a Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Canaan Fir, Fraser Fir, or White Spruce.” 

“Uh, pull one of each and we’ll let Adam decide?” 

Miranda chuckles, probably used to people being overwhelmed by her tree knowledge, or maybe she just thinks it’s funny that they’re pushing their tree decision onto an eight-year-old. She pulls what Nico assumes is one of each species and takes them into an empty back room. “This way we can make sure they’re safe until Adam is ready to make his choice.” 

“We appreciate this, thank you,” Will says. 

“Old friends, right? Besides, I owe my life and health to both of you multiple times over, this is the least I can do.” That makes the two men shuffle awkwardly. Once again, Miranda takes pity on them. “Would you like to go see the loft? The ladder is around the corner, and it’s really cute up there. Sherman put up string lights and built Sophia a little house with window boxes and everything, it’s really something.”

“Sure, why not?” Nico shrugs. 

“I’m going to stay here on the floor, but go ahead up and just find me again when Adam’s ready to choose.” 

The men did as she said and found a little wonderland at the top of the ladder. Adam and Sophia were happily chattering as they played with action figures—Sherman’s, once upon a time, if Nico were to guess.

“Will, Nico!” Adam shouts with a smile. “Sophia’s going to Camp Half-Blood for the first time this summer. She said her parents met there like you two did. She’s really nice, she let me play with her toys,” and he begins telling them about the game they were playing. Will and Nico join the two kids on the floor and then join in the game once they are all caught up on the story. 

Nico isn’t sure how long passes, but when the game seems to have reached a natural lull, he says, “We have some trees waiting downstairs for you to choose from, Adam, when you’re ready.” 

Adam might have completely forgotten why they were there in the first place because, after Nico reminds him, he lights up and races to the ladder. 

“Hold on, kiddo,” Will says, laughing. “Let me go down first so I can catch the rest of you in case you fall.” Nico frowns a little at the implication that he’d fall, but he supposes it’s mostly to convince Adam and lets it slide, just this once. 

Once Will is on the bottom floor, Adam scampers down, quickly followed by Sophia, who wants to help in the choice. Nico is last, and Will’s hands land on his hips for the last few rungs, making Nico flush a little. 

“I had it!” he protests. 

“And I was just looking for an excuse to touch my hot husband,” Will’s voice rumbles from behind him. Nico feels himself flush further, but he just rolls his eyes and begins walking toward the back room where the trees are. And, well, if his hips sway a little extra, that’s his business. Will jogs to catch up and capture’s Nico’s hand, giving it a squeeze. 

It seems like Miranda spotted their little procession coming down the ladder because she’s already back with the trees and the kids. Adam looks up at Will and Nico with wide eyes as they walk in. 

“I can pick any of them?”

“Yep, whichever one you want, kiddo,” Will responds. 

Adam turns his blue eyes back to the trees, and then his brow is furrowed as he studies them. Sophia provides some commentary and thought, too, and Adam nods along, holding his chin and clearly taking her words into consideration. Nico suddenly understands the grandma urge to pinch cheeks and tell children they’re “just so cute!” 

“This one!” Adam announces, pointing. 

“Ah, the Douglas Fir! A good choice,” Miranda praises. “Let’s go get this wrapped up for you all and loaded on your car.” 

Miranda picks up the tree and carries it to the wrapping station for a fresh cut, netting, and rope, then out to the pickup truck. Adam beams the whole time. 

Once Miranda and Will have lifted, loaded, and tied down the tree, Sophia addresses the adults: “Can Adam and I have a playdate some time? Before we go to Camp?” 

Nico sneaks a peak at Adam’s expression to gauge how he feels about the offer, and his jaw is dropped open, eyes wide and staring at Sophia. Nico wonders when this boy last had a friend. “I don’t see why not, if you’re okay with it, Miranda?” 

“Absolutely! It’d be lovely to have you back here, Adam, or meet up with you all in the city. Maybe once the holiday season is over?” 

“We’ll IM you,” Will offers, “set something up.” 

“I look forward to it,” Miranda says. 

Hugs are exchanged, including one between Sophia and Adam and another between Miranda and Adam, and then Will, Nico, and Adam climb into the truck and head home. 

They manage to park, haul the tree inside, put it in some water and cut the netting, and have sandwiches for lunch before Adam is bounding into the living room to check out the decorations, Will and Nico following behind. Nico sets up some Christmas music on the record player, always preferring the familiar tone it produces over CDs or streaming. 

Their ornaments are quite the collection: some from Will’s childhood (a large portion of which are Star Wars themed), some gifted by friends, some from trips they took together, and some from the thrift store because, as Will would whine, “It just looks so lonely, we have to take it home with us!”. Adam looks through them with careful hands, laying some out on the coffee table so he can get to lower levels. 

Will already set up the tree stand that morning, so he goes to grab the tree itself. Nico ends up being the one to screw in the holders, Adam still absorbed in the ornaments, and he feels Will’s foot tap his ass. He squeak-huffs and swats back at Will’s ankle. Will cackles a little from above him. 

“What’s so funny?” Adam asks. 

“Oh, Nico just didn’t get the tree supported all the way at first and it started tipping, but it’s all good now!” Will covers quickly. 

“Okay! Can we start decorating now?” 

“We sure can, kiddo! Give us a minute to get the lights on, and then would you like the honors of the first ornament?” 

Adam nods eagerly and waits for Will and Nico to wrap the three in lights before he picks up a glass pegasus Naomi gifted Will his first Christmas home from Camp. 

“That’s a great choice,” Nico tells him. “Let’s find a strong branch for it!” 

Adam is very meticulous in his search of the tree for the perfect branch. He finally settles on one just left of the front and hooks the pegasus on it. His smile is soft and proud. 

The three demigods work slowly through hanging the ornaments and filling the free. The men fill Adam in on stories (“the two princes would just not stop telling Nico about what happened to them, so we had to get a Beefeater to commemorate”, “Will got the first and only sunburn of his life there, I guess Apollo was mad at him that day or something”, “Nico made us buy that after I delivered Coach Hedge and Millie’s second baby, some absurd excuse about it being full-circle for us. I think he just wants to make me relive the trauma every year”) and sing along to the Christmas carols as they go, Adam joining in on the ones he knows. 

“Hey, what do you want for Christmas, Adam?” Will asks at one point. 

“Oh, um.” Adam looks down at his shoes, brow a little wrinkled. “I-I don’t need anything.” 

“It’s not about what you need, kiddo! It’s about what you want! Do you like Marvel? Legos? Star Wars?” Will says the last one so hopefully Nico almost laughs.

“What’s Star Wars?” 

Will gasps dramatically, his hand flying to his chest. “What’s Star Wars?? Oh, kiddo, we are giving you an education soon.” 

Adam giggles at Will’s theatrics and seems to loosen up again. Will lets his original question drop, but Nico makes a note to check back in about it later. Maybe books, Adam seems to like those. And he mentioned wanting to learn sword-fighting and archery, maybe they can get him started on one. 

When it’s time for the tree topper—a star because Nico simply refuses to blasphemy their tree with the statue of Apollo the god in question suggested once—Will hoists Adam up and the boy sets it on the top spire. That done, they all step back to admire their work. Will wraps his arm around Nico’s waist and places his hand on Adam’s shoulder. The boy leans back into them and Nico absentmindedly runs his fingers through Adam’s hair. 

The tree is perfect. Of course Miranda led them right with a beautiful, full pine, but decorating it with both Will and Adam this year feels like being back in Venice, Mamma and Bianca singing along to the Christmas music just like the three demigods did today. Nico feels his eyes growing wet and he tries to blink it away quickly. 

“Are you . . . crying?” Will asks, surprised. 

“No!” Nico responds, clearly lying. 

“Aww, come here my little ball of darkness!” 

And then Nico is squished in a hug between Will and Adam, and it turns out that feels even better than looking at the tree. 

“Are you sad?” Adam asks, voice innocent, soft. 

Nico’s done a lot of work on expressing his emotions since he was a teen, and while his first instinct is to simplify how he’s feeling or cover and say he’s happy, he wants to model better than that for Adam. “I’m feeling a lot of things, cucciolo. I’m really happy to be here with both of you, I enjoyed decorating the tree together, and it made me think of doing it with my mamma and sister as a kid, and that made me kind of sad because I miss them.” 

Adam nods against Nico’s stomach. “My mommy used to take me to the Rockefeller tree lighting every year, and this was the first year I went alone. I was really sad because the tree lighting always made my mommy smile. But I-I felt like she was with me, too.” 

Nico squeezes the boy tighter for a moment and then they all move apart. 

“What other traditions did you and your mom have?” Will asks as he takes Adam’s hand and leads them all over to the couch to cuddle and admire the tree. 

Adam settles back against Will’s chest and Nico curls toward beside them. “We made cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve,” the boy answers, “and we read a Christmas book every night in December before I went to bed, too.” 

“Those sound like pretty great traditions, kiddo. Would you like us to make cookies on Christmas Eve this year? Or would you like that to stay between you and your mom?” 

Adam sits quietly for a moment and the men let him think about the question. Eventually, Adam says, “I think I’d like to make cookies.” 

“It’s a plan, then. But if you change your mind at any point, that’s okay, you can just let us know and we’ll respect that,” Will reassures. “We want your memories with your mom to stay special, she’s important.” 

Adam sits up a little and looks between them, his eyes serious and calm and thoughtful. It’s a look Nico remembers so often seeing on Jason’s face, and the similarities between the two boys strike him once again. It hurts to remember that when Jason was Adam’s age, he was already being groomed into the perfect soldier. 

The boy doesn’t say anything, just leans back against Will’s chest and closes his eyes, letting Will’s arms wrap around him. Nico now understands Will’s urge to grab the camera the other morning because he wants this image to last forever. 

Nico’s not sure how long they all sit there—long enough that the record ends. Nico gets up to remove it and turn off the player, and he notices Will and Adam are fast asleep. He debates for a moment, but then he does move quietly to grab the camera and capture the moment: Adam’s little hand on Will’s chest, his knees tucked up against Will’s stomach; Will’s lips parted just a little and his curls spilling haphazardly over his forehead. 

The son of Hades moves to get dinner ready and let the other two rest a little longer, they both likely need it. He settles on preparing one of his favorite comfort foods: risi e bisi. 

Nico is just wrapping up cooking when the two blonds wander into the kitchen. 

“Bacon?” Adam asks, hopefully. 

“Prosciutto,” Nico responds, chuckling. 

Adam stands on his tip-toes and peeks into the pot. He pouts and asks, mournfully this time, “Peas?” 

“Peas are good for you, kiddo! They provide vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, fiber, antioxidants, and protein,” Will lists off. Adam looks up at Nico with a “Is he for real?” expression and Nico cackles. 

“This was one of my favorite dishes as a kid, back in Venice,” Nico tells Adam. The boy still seems pretty suspicious of the peas, but he helps Will set the table and get his milk and the men’s waters. Nico spoons the meal into pasta bowls and they all sit down. 

Will and Nico tuck right in, but Adam is just kind of pushing his food around, looking uneasy. 

“Okay, cucciolo, I’ll make you a deal,” Nico offers. “I want you to try it—at least three bites—and if you really, genuinely don’t like it, I’ll make you something else.” Will smirks at the almost-identical phrase to the one he used to use when getting Nico to try new foods. Adam looks at Nico for a moment as if evaluating his sincerity and then takes a bite. He chews, swallows, takes another. 

“It’s . . . good,” he tells Nico and then begins eating in earnest. Will shoots Nico a warm smile and fond look before returning to his own food. 

After a few minutes, Adam asks, “So . . . what is Star Wars?” 

Nico groans and Will launches into his explanation of the original series and then the prequels and then the sequels and the one-shots and off-shoots and whatever it is they’re called. Honestly, Nico listened the first few times, he swears, and he’s watched everything, but there were only so many times he could listen to anyone talk about Ewoks, even Will. But Adam looks fascinated and excited to watch everything with Will, so Nico supposes it’s not so bad. 

By the time Will finishes answering Adam’s questions without spoiling anything, the meal is over and Nico helps Adam get ready for bed while Will cleans up the kitchen. They’re part way through the next chapter of Cuore when Will joins them and curls up to listen to Nico’s voice. 

At the end of the chapter, Adam pipes up, voice small and unsure, “I, um, I know what I want for Christmas.” 

Nico closes the book, a finger still between the pages to hold their place, and waits. Will shifts a little to be more alert and attentive. 

Adam is staring fixedly at Fumo and Vito in his lap, the boy’s small hands gently twisting the cats’ fur. “I want to stay here, if that’s still okay. Live with you. And go to camp in the summer. And, um, go to school again I guess. If, if you still want me.” 

“Of course we still want you, cucciolo!” Nico exclaims and sets his hand on one of Adam’s.

Will adds, grin wide and pleased, “This is the outcome we were hoping for, kiddo.” 

That makes Adam look up at both of them and ask softly, “Really? Promise?” 

“Promise,” Nico responds with all the sincerity and seriousness he can muster, eyes locked with Adam’s. 

Adam throws himself into Nico’s arms and then Will’s squishing him from the other side and everything is right in the world. A few happy tears leak from Will’s eyes onto Nico’s shoulder, but Nico decides not to tease him about it just then because he’s pretty sure he has a couple of his own and his voice would betray him. 

After a few minutes, they pull apart, but Will brings Adam’s attention toward him and says, “You still have to choose real Christmas presents, though. Whatever you want.” 

Adam just wiggles his face into Will’s chest, and Nico understands that reaction. 

The tree demigods sit quietly for a moment, Will’s arms around Adam and Nico leaning his head on Will’s shoulder and spooning Adam.

“Would you like to read another chapter?” Nico eventually asks. Adam nods and they resume the book. 

When Adam’s eyes are drooping, Nico closes the book to resume the next night, presses a kiss to Adam’s forehead and rises from the bed with a “Goodnight, cucciolo ”. With the jostling, Fumo and Vito make grumpy sounds and move down to the end of the bed. Will helps Adam snuggle under the covers, kisses the top of his head, and follows Nico out of the room. 

“Goodnight, kiddo, sleep well,” Will tells Adam. 

“Goodnight. Thank you,” the boy responds. 

Back in their bedroom as they brush their teeth, Will says, “He’s just so cute I want to eat him!” 

“Whoa, there, Kronos,” Nico laughs around his toothbrush. “But, yeah, he’s precious and sweet, and I’m really glad he decided to stay.” 

Once they’ve rinsed and spit, Will asks, “It just feels right, you know?” Nico smiles and tucks himself into Will’s arms, glad he isn’t the only one who feels that way. The husbands stand together for a moment before Will observes, “Although we’re going to have to figure out a new sex routine, maybe see if our friends can take him for sleepovers sometimes, I’m already wilting without the glow of your attention.” 

Nico laughs. “You’re the one who glows, dumbass.”—Will makes an indignant noise at the nickname—”And we’ll figure it out, I believe in us.” 

Will pulls back just enough to put his hands on each side of Nico’s neck and draw him up into a kiss. And it’s easy after all these years, but still special, and wow, maybe Will is right about getting some time together soon. 

The next few days—exam week, for their students—pass in a warm, domestic blur. Around office hours and grading exams and essays, Will starts looking into schools for Adam, Nico plans some times for their friends and family to meet the boy, and Adam starts to make himself more at home, much to Will and Nico’s joy. The boy adopts the chore of feeding the cats, now having mastered the process. They continue nightly storytimes, making their way through first Cuore and then a translation of The Tale of Despereaux , one of Will’s childhood books. On his way home from his office hours one day, Nico picks up Legos, a couple action figures, and a Rubix cube so Adam will have a few toys to play with until he can get more on Christmas. 

On the day before the Solstice, final grades now in, Percy insists they all come over to his and Annabeth’s place so they can meet Adam before they’re all on Olympus, and Nico can’t argue the logic in that, so he agrees. 

Percy and Annabeth live in a beach house just outside the city, near Atlantic Beach. After the craziness of their youth, Percy had wanted a quiet place for their kids, while Annabeth had wanted to be near the city for architectural jobs. Mama’s boy that he was, Percy hadn’t argued with being close to his mom. 

On the drive, Will and Nico prepare Adam a little bit for meeting the other demigods and their kids. 

“So, their eldest is a girl, Penelope, and she’s 12 years old. Then they had a boy, Theseus, but he goes by Teddy, and he’s 9. Penny had her first summer at Camp this year, but Percy and Annabeth are making Teddy wait until this coming summer, so he’ll be there with you,” Nico tells him. 

“Penny and Teddy,” Adam repeats. 

“They’re super sweet, although they inherited Percy’s addiction to blue food.” Will adds.

“Blue . . . food?” 

Nico sighs. “To protect him as a kid, Percy’s mom married this awful guy, and he said there was no such thing as blue food, so Sally made it her mission to prove him wrong.” Adam looks a little overwhelmed at all of this information. “Look, Percy is . . . Will, how would you describe him?” 

Will snorts. “Reckless, well-meaning, loyal to a fault, occasionally frustrating, but overall a good guy, I guess.” 

Nico nods. “Yeah, all of that. But the point I’m trying to make is he’ll be welcoming to you, and he’ll get what it’s like to be the son of a Big Three, too. And Annabeth is great, crazy smart. When we go to Olympus tomorrow, she helped redesign the parts that were destroyed in a battle when we were kids. And they’ll be with us tomorrow with their kids, so this way you’ll have more familiar faces.” 

Adam is quiet, considering. Then he asks in a small voice, “Are there a lot of battles? In your lives? Demigod lives?” 

Will and Nico look at each other, neither sure how to provide both honesty and comfort. Finally, Nico tries, “There were a couple when we were kids, but the Greek Gods kind of follow cyclical patterns, and we seem to be in a lull right now, so hopefully that stays true.” 

“And like Nico said before, kiddo,” Will adds, “you don’t ever need to prove anything to us or put yourself in harm’s way. We want you to stay safe with us, learn what you need to so you can thrive, and live a mostly normal life if you can.” 

Adam doesn’t look certain about it all, and Nico can’t say he blames the kid. He turns around from the passenger seat to make eye contact. “We can’t—and won’t—promise that everything will always be okay in your life, but we can and will promise to always be there to the best of our abilities, to listen and give advice, and keep you safe as much as we can. And in exchange, we hope you’ll keep talking with us and telling us when big things are happening in your life and you need help.” 

Adam’s blue eyes flit between Nico’s dark ones and then he nods solemnly. He opens his mouth, closes it, and then asks, “Do you think they’ll like me?” 

“They’ll love you, cucciolo,” Nico answers emphatically. “Just as we do.” He reaches out and gives Adam’s hand a quick squeeze before facing front again. 

It’s not long after that they arrive at the house and Percy bounds out of the house to pull first Nico and then Will into hugs. Nico is grateful for Percy’s friendship, forged especially strongly after Jason died. Will struggled more with his relationship with the son of Poseidon at first, but he is close with Annabeth and eventually learned how to move forward in a friendship with Percy. 

“And this must be Adam!” Percy enthuses. He bends down in front of the boy and holds out his hand. “I’m Percy Chase-Jackson, pleased to meet you.” In his older age, Percy has lost some of his more trouble-maker-esque physical qualities, but it’s clear he’s trying very hard to make himself look as un-intimidating as possible in that moment. Nico isn’t completely sure he succeeds—there will likely always be a storm clearly coiled in Percy’s muscles, in his eyes—but Adam still shakes his hand. “Come meet Penny and Teddy, they’re really excited you’re here.” 

They follow Percy into the house and exchange “hello”s with Annabeth and the kids before Teddy asks if Adam wants to play Legos upstairs with him and Penny and the three young demigods leave. 

“He looks . . .” Annabeth starts, looking after the boy. 

“Just like Jason,” Percy, Will, and Nico finish. Percy and Annabeth look at the other two in surprise. 

“You’re not the first people to notice, it was one of the first things Will observed,” Nico explains. “He’s a son of Zeus, we think that’s why. Maybe his mom was blonde, like Beryl, and he got everything else from Zeus.” 

Annabeth hums thoughtfully. “That could be it. Demigod genetics are so odd. Malcolm is actually doing a lot of research on it right now, he might be interested in Adam as a case study.” 

Will and Nico look at each other, silently agreeing Adam will not become a “case study”, even though they know Annabeth doesn’t mean it as anything other than an academic practice to help demigods understand themselves better. 

“So, where’d you find him again? Something about an alley?” Percy asks. 

“Yeah,” Nico breathes out. “He was being attacked by your old friend the Minotaur, and then I took him home with me.” 

“Ghost King, you are a much better storyteller than that,” Will admonishes. Nico rolls his eyes but actually does recount the full story, including their plans for the future. 

“Oh man, I hope Adam and Teddy get along,” Percy says. 

“I hope they fight and Adam proves once and for all that Jason would have beat your ass in a fair fight,” Nico retorts. 

Percy pouts. “That’s not fair to Teddy, he didn’t inherit all of my powers but Adam is closer to Zeus, so his powers will be stronger.” 

Before Nico can reply that Percy’s just too chicken to admit Jason was stronger, Will butts in: “I guess that mystery will just have to remain, then. Annabeth, any chance I can impose on you for some water?” 

Annabeth’s eyes twinkle at Will’s redirection, but she and Percy get them all glasses of water and they go into the living room to catch up. Annabeth fills them in on the progress on a couple of her projects in the city, Percy talks about his work cleaning up the Hudson and East Rivers, Will shares how his research into music therapy is going, and Nico complains about ghosts giving him conflicting information about the Trojan War. 

“The trickiest part is that all of the main people reincarnated, so their memories are all jumbled, which just leaves these side people who most of the time got their information from rumors,” Nico whines. 

“I mean, isn’t that what most historians deal with? Conflicting narratives?” Percy asks. Nico glares at him, causing Percy to raise his hands in surrender and look genuinely afraid. The son of Hades smirks, reassured he’s still got it. 

“Dad!” Teddy shouts, bursting into the living room, followed by Penny and Adam. “Adam can make wind blow, it’s so cool ! Do you think we could make storms together like you and Uncle Jason used to?” 

All of the adults’ eyes grow, imagining the storms the boys would create. 

“Uhh,” Percy responds, “I think you should . . . ask Chiron about that when you’re at Camp!” Then, “Ow!” when Annabeth elbows him in the side. 

“What your father means to say, Teddy,” Annabeth says, “is that he and Uncle Jason only did that in a very dangerous situation when it was necessary in order for everyone to live, so it isn’t something you should do unless there is no other way to solve the problem. And there are always-”

“-lots of ways to solve problems,” Penny and Teddy recite. 

“Yes, listen to your mother,” Percy agrees. 

“Awww,” Teddy whines and pouts, throwing his head back and looking forlornly at the ceiling. Then he turns and looks at Adam, eyes wide and excitement back on his face. “Wait, can you make it rain? What about snow? Shoot lightning out of your hands? Fly?”

Adam shrugs, answers hesitantly: “I don’t know what else I can do yet, I didn’t mean to make the wind blow at Camp.” 

“That’s okay,” Nico reassures. “Percy, Will, and I all took a long time to discover all of our powers. Often you don’t know you can do something until you need to.” 

“Yeah, like when you needed to crack open the Mess Hall and send me to Hades early,” Percy mutters. 

“I said I was sorry! Besides, you deserved it.” 

Percy sighs. “Yeah, I suppose I kind of did.” 

Teddy looks delighted by this exchange, Penny bored, and Adam in awe. Annabeth and Will look at each other and roll their eyes, very used to this argument of their husbands. 

“So,” Annabeth says, “I was thinking BBQ for dinner? I have the Camp recipe, so Adam can try it.” 

Will whines—actually whines like a wounded animal—high and clear in his throat. “How did you get that from the nymphs? I tried for years!” 

Annabeth smirks. “They may not know they gave it to me.” She puts a hand up and Nico high-fives it. 

Will turns to Nico with an expression of utter betrayal. “Have you had the recipe this whole time, too?”

“I have really appreciated every compliment you’ve given me,” Nico responded primly. A distressed noise erupts from Will’s mouth. 

“Dude, they’ve had it since before Annabeth and I went to college,” Percy says, clearly holding in laughter. 

Will points an accusing finger at Nico and glares. “You used Underworldly Powers to get it, didn’t you?” 

“Um,” Nico looks around the room but at nothing in particular, “Annabeth wanted to be able to make it in New Rome and I knew you wanted it.” 

“But you didn’t actually give it to me!” 

“No, no I did not.” 

Will eyes narrow and then widen when he gasps dramatically. “You wanted me to stay dependent on you to make it for me!” 

Nico scoffs, “That’s ridiculous, Nightlight, I just, um.” He looks at Annabeth. “So, I’ll help you with dinner?” He can hear Will’s indignant spluttering behind him as he and Annabeth leave the room. 

“Dad, can we go outside and show Adam our powers?” Teddy asks, the last thing Nico hears before he and Annabeth are in the kitchen. 

They collect the pre-marinated meat and pull the sauces out of the fridge to start warming before they set up the stove-top grill. Through the window, they see Will and Adam down on the beach watching Teddy, Penny, and Percy fool around with the ocean water. Annabeth and Nico make idle chit-chat about mutual friends—Miranda and Sherman, Piper, Frank and Hazel, Rachel—as they cook and then call everyone up when the meat’s done. 

Penny sets the table while Teddy and Adam take the sides to the table. Will and Percy fix everyone drinks and then it’s time to eat. 

Will practically moans around his first bite. “This never gets old, I swear.” Adam looks similarly enthused with the meal, cheeks already full. 

“Slow down, cucciolo, I don’t want you to choke,” Nico teases. “I know it’s good, but you can always have more. You, too, Teddy.” 

Teddy looks up at Nico, his cheeks equally as full as Adam’s. He says something that Nico thinks was, “What? It’s good,” but sounds more like, “Whaisgoob.” 

“Teddy, no talking with food in your mouth,” Annabeth chastises.

Teddy swallows and then says, “Sorry, Mom.” 

“So, Adam,” Percy asks, “are you excited about going to Camp this summer?” Adam nods. “Any questions about it? Or have Will and Nico filled you in on everything?” 

Adam looks at Will and Nico, considering. His eyes are so thoughtful and focused, too wise for his small body. He looks back at Percy. “Is it true you can talk to horses?” 

Percy nods and starts to open his mouth, but Annabeth snorts and mutters, “The trick is getting him to stop.” Percy closes his lips in a pout. 

“Um,” Adam glances around the room a little and then back to Percy. “Nico said you went on a bunch of quests. What were they like?” 

The adults all look at each other, suddenly somber. Penny and Teddy are also attentive to the answer as their parents rarely talk about the quests, at least not in full. 

Percy clears his throat and then says, “They were . . . scary, to be honest. A lot of monsters and fights, and they had really short deadlines.” Percy swallows and then forces a chuckle. “Zero out of ten would recommend.” 

“Oh,” Adam says. He looks down at his plate, suddenly less interested in eating. 

Will reaches his hand across the table toward Adam. The boy’s hand isn’t in reach, but Will leaves his there. “Quests are scary, but that’s what training at Camp is for. Plus, the majority of Campers never go on a quest, and certainly not as many as Percy’s been on. And if you’re ever in a position you don’t like, you just let me and Nico know and we will help you figure it out.” About halfway through, Adam looks up at Will, and he nods at the end. 

Nico has a hard time believing he was only two years older than this kid when Percy brought him to Camp and he subsequently left and lived alone. Some days, he’s honestly not sure how he made it, but he’ll do anything to prevent Adam from being alone again. Gods, the boy’s feet don’t even touch the floor over the edge of the chair. 

“Well,” Nico starts after a moment of silence, raising his glass, “here’s to a new addition to the family. We are so happy to have you, Adam. Cin cin .” 

Everyone tries to repeat the cheer to various levels of success, making Nico smile. Will’s is perfect, but Nico will never admit that aloud. 

The conversation turns to easier topics after that: how the last semester went for Teddy and Penny, what they like about school, what they don’t like. Annabeth asks Adam what he liked in school and he talks about his art teacher and PE class. Percy pipes up with a few of his misadventures at his schools, getting the table laughing as he recounts dumping Nancy Bobofit in the fountain. 

“But you kids,” Percy says, looking at all of them, “can only use your powers for good, right? Not for bullies.” 

Nico shakes his head side to side slowly, making the kids giggle and Percy look at him, so he switches to a nod. 

“Dude,” Percy whines, “I’m trying to align their moral compasses.” 

“Oh, come on,” Nico responds with a roll of his eyes, “they’re raised by you and Annabeth, their moral compasses are perfectly aligned.” He stops short, a thought suddenly occurring to him. “Oh my gods, Will,” he looks at his husband, distressed. “We have to align Adam’s moral compass.” 

The table bursts into laughter while Nico protests that this is very serious, no laughing matter. 

“You’re Catholic,” Annabeth wheezes. “His moral compass will be just as strong as yours, he’ll be fine.” 

Nico grumbles but lets Will change the topic to the upcoming trip to Olympus and confirming the Chase-Jacksons will be there. 

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Annabeth reassures. 

“I’m only going to see Annabeth’s work,” Percy says solemnly, then grins widely and winks. “But don’t tell my dad that, he wants to see the kids.” 

“Have you two told Apollo and Hades yet?” Annabeth asks. 

“Not yet,” Will responds. “We’ve told our friends, siblings, and my mom, but we figured we’d let Hades know we’re living with a son of Zeus in front of other people and, er, gods.” 

“Hey, he loved Jason,” Annabeth points out. “ Way more than he ever liked Percy. Mostly because Jason was instantly Nico’s friend, but . . .” She lets the sentence trail off, pointedly looking at her husband and then her plate. Percy winces. 

“The important thing is that we’re friends now,” Nico says, a brief moment of softness for his long-time friends. “Otherwise I’d have to open the ground again.” 

Teddy’s eyes widen and he practically bounces in his seat. “Can you? I want to see that!” 

Percy whimpers. “Please don’t.” 

“Another time, Teddy,” Nico promises. “I think your neighbors might notice the earth opening.” 

They wrap up dinner, dessert, and then Will, Nico, and Adam are headed back into the city. Adam is asleep in the back seat by the time they arrive, so Will picks him up and carries him inside while Nico gets the door. Fumo and Vito immediately express their unhappiness about being left alone and having a late dinner, so Nico sets about fixing their dinner before he joins Will and Adam upstairs. 

Will is pressing a kiss to Adam’s forehead and murmurs, “Goodnight, kiddo.” 

Nico mimics the action and smooths down Adam’s hair while he says, “Goodnight, cucciolo, sleep well.” 

When Will and Nico are about to leave the room, from behind them, they hear a sleepy and quiet, “G’night, Dads.” 

Will makes a sound almost like a squeal and shoves his fist in his mouth, biting down on his knuckles. He looks at Nico with wide eyes, made glassy by the moonlight coming in through the window and maybe tears. Nico just nods frantically, trying to silently communicate, “I heard it, let’s freak out in our room.” 

They do indeed make it to their room before Will blurts out, “‘Dads’ ?”

Nico shakes his head in disbelief, his hand playing with an elastic on his wrist. “I didn’t know he-.” He’s not sure what else to say, but he’s also not sure his brain is still functioning right. 

“Do we, do we ask him about it tomorrow?” Will asks. 

“I, uh, I don’t know. Maybe not?” Nico runs a hand through his hair and then ruffles it. “I don’t want to put him on the spot or anything, what if he only said it because he’s tired and wasn’t thinking?” 

“I don’t think that’s the kind of thing you just say,” Will emphasizes, “but I suppose you’re right. Maybe let’s just see if he does it again.” 

Nico nods, but he still feels like his chest is going to burst, so he steps into Will’s space in the hopes his husband’s arms will hold him together. They just stand that way for a few moments before separating to work through their night routine. 

Once finished, Nico gives his husband a kiss goodnight, takes his place curled up with Will, and falls asleep easily. 

The next day, it’s Nico who wakes Adam in his bed, Will already working on breakfast so they can meet the campers at the Empire State Building on time. 

Nico pads into the room and settles on the bed next to Adam. He runs his fingers through Adam’s soft blond locks until the boy stirs. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead. We’re going to Olympus today. Are you ready to get up and have breakfast?” 

Adam peeks one eye open. “Five more minutes?” 

Nico chuckles but concedes: “Okay, I’ll go pull on my clothes and come back for you.” Adam nods, his eyes already shut again. 

The son of Hades does as he said he would, choosing a black suit, black button-down, and black dress boots. He then goes back into Adam’s room and makes sure the boy rises. In the kitchen, they have a quiet breakfast with Will, the son of Apollo being the only one of them used to being up this early. 

Since he’s already dressed, Nico helps Adam pick out a pair of navy pants and a button-down with his dress shoes. Nico also insists on Adam’s new dark green peacoat, gloves, a scarf, and a hat. Will meets them in the hall, dressed in gray slacks, a white button-down, a blue sweater, and his own navy peacoat. In his hands is Nico’s black wool coat, the one that reaches his knees. 

“Look at us!” Will exclaims and then presses a kiss first to Nico’s cheek and then the top of Adam’s head. “Shall we?” 

Nico loads up on his weapons before they head out the door, takes Adam’s hand in his, and then they’re off on the subway. While they could shadow-travel to save time, the power a little easier on the Winter Solstice, Nico has come to like the flow of people on and off the trains and watching them go about their lives. 

They get off the train at their stop, head out of the station, and make a bee-line for the Empire State Building. Inside, they exchange hello’s with Percy, Annabeth, Penny, Teddy, and Chiron. 

“Where’s Mr. D?” Adam asks. 

“He’s already upstairs,” Chiron responds, the old centaur squeezed into his magical wheelchair. A couple dozen demigods are meandering around the lobby behind him, head counselors trying desperately to keep their charges in line. 

“Man, I remember that,” Will reflects. 

“Can’t believe I was allowed to do it at eleven,” Annabeth responds. 

“Yeah, yeah, you were both the best camp counselors,” Penny grumbles. “Can we go see Grandpa now?” 

Chiron leads the way to the front desk, does the usual song-and-dance with the security officer, and walks away with the key-card. Percy offers to be the one to stay with the card in the elevator to take the various groups up. 

No matter how many times he’s done this, Nico doesn’t get tired of that first sight of Olympus, but this time his eyes are on Adam. The boy’s eyes widen, his mouth drops open, and he stands in the doorway of the elevator for a moment before Will gently pushes him forward onto the path. Adam lets Will take his hand, his head busy swiveling around to take everything in as fast as he can. They pass the Muses, cloud nymphs, and various other minor deities on their way to the palace. When they’re about to enter the door, Adam draws to a sudden stop, his mouth set in a firm line and his eyes tinged with just the smallest glimmer of fear.

Will and Nico wait for all of the campers to pass before squatting down beside Adam. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Will starts, “it’s a lot, isn’t it?” Adam’s eyes snap to Will’s face and he nods. “We can hang out here for a minute, no rush. They’ll all be busy for a bit, saying hello and all that.” 

“So . . . I’m going to meet Zeus?” Adam asks. His brows are crinkled together, maybe in thought, maybe in worry. 

“If you’re okay with that,” Nico tells him. “Probably at least a hello will be expected, but we can help keep the time short if you want.” Secretly, he wants to extremely limit the amount of time Zeus interacts with Adam. He doesn’t know anyone who found any conversation with the god enjoyable, and he’s not particularly interested in watching Zeus being an asshole to this child. 

“No,” Adam says, “it’s okay. I . . . want to meet him.” 

Nico nods and stands, taking Adam’s other hand while Will rises. Together, they enter the palace. 

Will was right that gods are busy saying hello to their children around the main hall. Nico waves to Hestia at the hearth and she sends him back a warm smile. He makes a mental note to introduce Adam to the goddess later. After a moment, Apollo spots them and makes his way over. 

“Will! Nico! So good to see you both! Wait,” the god holds his hands up in front of his chest and closes his eyes, “I feel a haiku coming on.” Nico groans quietly while Apollo clears his throat.

“Son and his husband,

Both so strong and powerful, 

They are the coolest.” 

“Thanks, Dad,” Will rasps, and it’s clear to Nico’s knowledgeable eyes that he’s trying not to grimace, but hopefully Apollo only sees it as a smile. “Um, we want you to meet Adam. We’re-, uh, he’s staying with us.” 

Apollo, ever the lover of children, smiles brightly (although, Nico reflects, do he or his children have any other smile?) and offers his hand to Adam, who takes it. “So pleased to meet you, Adam. Apollo, god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and all those other things.” 

“Adam,” Adam says, eyes a little wide and disbelieving that this is actually happening, “son of Zeus. It’s nice to meet you, sir.” And Nico is proud of him for saying it just as they practiced, not a single warble in his voice. 

“Ah, a brother! I always wanted more of those.” Nico kind of wants to smack Apollo for the remark, but there’s nothing but sincerity in the god’s gaze, so he decides he can let it slide. “Hades!” Apollo calls. “Come say hi!” 

Hades looks up and nods to them. He says a few more words to the demigod he’s speaking to—a child of Hecate maybe, because the goddess is there, too—and then walks over. 

“Son,” he greets Nico, and they exchange air kisses to cheeks. Nico’s not entirely sure when the tradition started, but he’s pretty sure it’s one of his father’s ways of saying he’s sorry about Maria and Bianca. The god of the Underworld then extends a handshake to Will, who takes it firmly. “William, a pleasure, always.” 

“For me as well, sir. I hope you are well.” They release hands and Will gestures to Adam, “Please, meet Adam.” 

Adam looks awed by the god in front of him, even more than he was with Apollo. 

“Adam,” Hades greets, not without warmth. “It’s very nice to meet you. As you heard, I am Hades.” Hades extends his hand and Adam shakes it. 

“Hello, Mr. Hades, sir. It’s nice to meet you, too.” And that response was a little less smooth than the one to Apollo, but Nico can hardly blame the boy. 

Hades releases Adam’s hand and grasps his own behind his back, his visage a little sterner than Nico would like it to be. “Son of Zeus, I heard?” 

“Y-yes, sir.” To Adam’s credit, he maintains eye-contact. 

Hades hums, looking Adam up and down. “Well, if my son approves of you, you must be okay.” Nico reaches out and squeezes Adam’s shoulder, trying to communicate that’s Hades’ way of saying he already loves the boy. 

“So, Adam,” Apollo asks, “what do you do for fun? Play any instruments?”

As Apollo, Will, and Adam engage in conversation, Hades turns his attention to Nico. 

“So,” Hades starts, “you found Jason again.” 

Nico looks toward Adam, at his regal features and blond hair and electric blue eyes. “Yeah, they do look alike, don’t they?” 

“No, you found Jason,” Hades remarks, more emphatically. 

Nico’s brows furrow and he looks up at his father. “I-, what?”

“He has the soul Jason had, reincarnated,” Hades explains. “You found him.” He looks firmly into Nico’s eyes, seemingly wanting to make sure his next words stick: “You saved him.” 

Nico looks back at the three blonds, jaw now dropped open. He doesn’t have long to ponder the news, though, because Hades mumbles, “Ah, Zeus is coming this way. That’s my cue,” and ducks away. 

Sure enough, when Nico looks over, Zeus is making his way through the crowd, straight toward them. Nico hears Apollo emphasize he adores the boy, say a goodbye, and also disappear, leaving just Will, Nico, and Adam waiting for the king of the gods. 

As he gets closer, Zeus’s form flickers from his Greek features—black hair and dark skin—into another form, this one with blond hair. The same shade, Nico realizes, as Jason and Adam. And there are other similarities too: the shape of their noses, the exact blue of their eyes, the high of their cheekbones.

“Jupiter,” he greets as the god approaches. He and Will bow, indicating Adam should do the same. 

“Nico,” Jupiter says, “Will. And,” he shifts his eyes to the boy, “Adam.” 

“H-hello, sir,” Adam says. His eyes are wide, his chest moving a little too quickly, but he stays rooted to the spot. 

“Adam, I’m. I’m very sorry about your mother,” the god says in a rare moment of admitting emotion, although Nico feels he could show it a little more. “But I am glad you found Will and Nico, they are excellent demigods.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Adam replies, and Nico is so proud of him for how well he’s holding it together. Personally, he kind of wants to sock Jupiter across the jaw for many, many things. 

They stand in awkward silence for a moment before Jupiter interrupts it. “Yes, well, I just came over to say hello. And, Will and Nico,” the god raises his eyes to the two men, “to tell you that you have my blessing to raise Adam.” Nico works very hard to hold in a snort, as if they need the old windbag’s blessing. 

“That’s very kind of you, sir,” Will responds. Nico just nods. 

“I’d also like to provide official adoption paperwork to you and the American government, or whoever needs it, so you can be Adam’s legal caretakers. Here is your copy,” the god offers Nico an envelope, and he takes it, tucking it into his coat pocket. Zeus waves his now empty hand vaguely in the air. “And the copies needed by the county, state, etc. are in their proper filing places.” 

“Thank you,” Nico manages to choke out. Jupiter nods and then turns back toward the rest of the visitors, shifting back into his Greek form. Adam tucks himself against Nico’s side, and the demigod pulls the boy in close. 

“Well,” Will says, “that was unexpected.” 

“Does,” Adam starts, pauses, starts again. “Does this mean I’m your son?” He looks up between the two men, eyes a little hopeful. 

Nico squats down and asks, “Do you want to be?” He still wants to be sure that this is as much in Adam’s control as possible. Adam nods enthusiastically. “Then you are,” Nico responds simply. He pulls Adam into a hug, Will joining them shortly after. 

“We’re so glad you’re our son,” Will emphasizes, perfectly summarizing Nico’s feelings. 

“Can I call you both ‘dad’?” Adam asks, voice small but hopeful. 

Nico melts. “We’d love that, cucciolo.” 

They stay like that for a few minutes, mindless of the rest of the crowd still moving around them. When the meeting is called to order, Will and Nico pull Adam back to the edges of the room to watch, all three still touching each other in some way. Blocking out the already-starting arguments of the gods, Nico reflects on the craziness of the last week and a half, not to mention the events of just a few minutes ago. 

Technically Adam is Nico’s Roman cousin and Will’s Roman uncle, which makes Nico’s head hurt, but he’s also now their son. And that sounds pretty great to Nico.