Drew was giddy with excitement. The wide grin spread across her face was almost unnatural. Piper didn't mind. She'd spent enough time with her half-sister to know about her fan-girling. And Piper couldn't blame her. She was fan-girling, too.

They were wearing the disguise shirts. Piper had the cameras. And Drew… she held the most important item in her hands. The mistletoe.

"Is Operation Mistletoe ready?" Piper asked. Drew wildly giggled, twirling the plant in her hands.

"Oh, yes, darling," she said. "We've been waiting forever for Christmas Eve! It's finally here."

"We've had this plan since Thanksgiving!" Piper agreed.

"Oh yes."

Piper sighed. "I wish Jason was here."

"That's why we have the cameras."

"Yes, and if this plan works, he will see a lot more of their kisses."

"Let's pray to Mom this works!" Drew squealed. "Hi-5?"

The pair slapped hands. "After you," Piper said as they walked out of the cabin door.

To hide, the sisters had chosen a tree a few yards from the dining hall. Their victims subjects were currently dining inside. It was snowing, because Chiron had allowed it. What fun is Christmas without snow?

Piper, the stronger one, slowly helped Drew into the tree. Then she herself ascended the trunk. They had chosen the lowest branch as their sitting place. Obscured by leaves, but still capable of reaching down to hold the mistletoe.

Piper giggled. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Nico had never liked Christmastime. It was always a constant reminder of Bianca's death. He also disliked the parties and people. The whole holiday was something he avoided. Yet here he was on Christmas Eve eating dinner instead of hanging out in his cabin. Moping, Will called it.

It didn't help that the blonde had been chatting with him nonstop all dinner. It also didn't help that Piper had been grinning at them mischievously, before she left twenty minutes before dinner ended. Or that Nico was blushing the whole time this happened.

For months, Jason had been giving small hints to Nico. Slow winks whenever Will was around, mentions Nico could use someSUN. Piper and Jason giggled when they saw Nico talking to Will. It infuriated him that they did that. What right did they have to bug him about his crush? Well…they said it was obvious.

It wasn't Nico's fault Will was cute. Gorgeous. Completely better than Nico in every way.

Nico poked his food with a fork. Will frowned. "Death Boy, you need to eat SOMETHING," he complained.

"Or what?" Nico challenged. Will frowned at him. Over at the Hephaestus table, Leo let out a loud laugh. Nico glared at him, but even Calypso was smirking.

Nico returned to his food. Dinner was nearly over, anyway. What did it matter? By now, he was only waiting for the ending bell to ring.

RING, RING. Nico shoved his remaining food (nearly all of it) into the flames for his dad. He picked up his coat and left the dining hall.

It was colder outside. He trudged through the white snow (at this point, he was very close to Piper's tree).

"Nico, wait!" Will, the damn idiot, was waving at him from in front of the dining hall. He ran toward Nico until he was right next to him. "Thanks."

Nico rolled his eyes. Will, you idiot, Nico thought to himself (At this point, Piper and Drew are having a silent fan girl freak out. It's a Christmas miracle Will and Nico can't hear them).

They had stopped walking now, and Nico leaned against the trunk of a tree (The tree). Will suddenly looked up. Something had brushed the top of his head (Drew was freaking out as she leaned her arm down. Piper was already filming). He suddenly blushed.

"Look," he said slowly, "it's mistletoe." He ran his hand through his hair, embarrassed. Nico's eyes were wide. He wasn't sure whether to thank Aphrodite or kill her.

Will didn't notice that Nico was also looking at the mistletoe. So he definitely didn't notice him leaning in.

Nico pressed his lips into Will's, clumsily. He had never kissed anyone before. Will's mouth tasted of chocolate and strawberries and sunshine.

He pulled away almost a second later, blushing as red as a cherry. Will eyes were open wide and his face was even redder. Will was frozen in the snow.

Nico was suddenly angry with himself. Will was probably straight. He was probably horrified and didn't want to be near Nico now.

So Nico ran. Back to the Hades cabin. Tears were suddenly streaming down his face. He let out a sob, shadow traveling as soon as possible. He melted into the dark and reappeared next to his bed.

He locked and bolted the door. Still crying, he collapsed onto his bed. He was angry now. He tore the shoes off his feet and threw them. One at the door, one at the wall.

Nico let out a long scream, tearing out his hair.

Will didn't know why, after the kiss, he just stood frozen in the snow. After that Nico had ran crying, and Will felt bad. When the two girls fell out of the tree, he was scared.

It was Drew who fell out first, wearing a coat with glued leaves. She fell from the lowest branch. Piper fell out with a small scream. She landed on top of Drew, causing both girls to shout in pain. They were covered in leaves and twigs. Piper had a camera, and Drew had…the mistletoe

Will didn't understand. After both girls sat up, both began to cry. Drew was full on sobbing, while piper rested her tear-streaked face in her palms.

"I feel like an asshole," she moaned. "Probably ruined your life, ruined Nico's life, uuugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh." She let out a long groan, while Drew sobbed in agreement. Will was just standing two feet away, sad and confused.

Piper finally stopped crying. She sat up a little straighter. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm such a shitty friend."

"We just," Drew continued, "thought this would work. Nico has had a crush on you for like…"

"Forever," Piper added.

"And Lou Ellen said it was pretty obvious you liked him back…"

"That we thought you should get together…"

"Because Nico is totally in love…"

"We know because…"

"We're daughters of a love goddess…"

"And even if we weren't…"

"It's so frickin' obvious."

"It's ridiculous," Piper finished. Will stared at the rambling sisters.

"I do...I do like him," Will said at last. "I had hoped he liked me…"

"Well now he's upset and crying!" the girls exclaimed in unison.

"So now you have to go to his cabin," Drew said, "give him a hug, and ask him out. Class dismissed."

She stood up and brushed off her dirty skirt. Then she pranced away, humming Christmas tunes. Piper and Will just watched her with a Seriously, Drew? expression.

Piper then turned to Will. "She's right," she said standing up as well. She ran to catch up to Drew as she walked to her cabin.

Will stood there, frozen in the snow, and agreed, silently, with them.

So he ran to the Hades cabin. It was actually quite far away.

The door was locked, Will realized. Bolted, as well. So he knocked.

"Who is it?" a voice grumbled from the other side.

Will paused. "It's Will…?"

His response was a scream. "AHHH! Pleeeeeaaase go awayawayawayawayaway AHHHHHHHH!" Then Nico started crying.

"Please let me in…."

The crying continued.

"Please Nico, I need to talk to you."

Magically, the door swung open. Will stepped inside. The walls were painted a dark gray, the ceiling black. There were only two beds. Nico's, which he was lying on, and Hazel's. He assumed that because of the untouched sheets. Both beds were dark gray with plain white sheets. Nico's had a skull patterned quilt.

The quilt was currently covering Nico completely. When he ripped it off him, he saw that Nico was still wearing his winter coat ,and currently screaming into the pillow.

"You probably hate me," he groaned. "You probably are straight and never liked me as anything but a friend."

"I don't hate you."

"I won't blame you for-Wait, you don't?"

"Nahp."

Nico bit his lip and sighed into the pillow. Will leaned over him and took it away. Nico barely attempted to stop him. "Ugh."

"Oh come on, you're so dense," Will complained. "I'm giving you a hug."

"Noooo…"

Will picked Nico up so he was now sitting on the bed. Will sat down next to him. Will wrapped his arms around Nico and hugged him tight. "Please don't crush my ribs," Nico said flatly.

"Death Boy, you are the most wonderful person I have ever seen. I've had a major crush on you since we met. I believe it's more than a crush. I am in love with and have been for a long time. And why wouldn't I be in love? You're brave, better than me. You're nice to others, even when you try to be avoid them. I know you hate people and having friends because you fear not being accepted. But you're funny and smart and brave and beautiful and nice, and we all accept you. Lou Ellen, Cecil, Percy, Annabeth, Kayla, Nyssa, Malcolm, Jason, Piper, Drew, and me. We're your friends. I accept you and love you so much. I pray and hope every day that you're happy and well. I have hoped that you, too, would love me.

Christmas is a time for love and giving. I want to give you my heart. I would do anything for you. You make me so happy and I would lay down my life for you. When you kissed me I wasn't horrified but astonished. Astonished by the fact that you would want to kiss me. I admire you! You're my hero, Nico, and I am in love with you. "

Nico was silent for a moment in Will's arms. Then Will realized it was because he was crying. H was blushing as the tears streamed down his face. He had a small smile, a beautiful smile.

"Damn. Damn you, Will," he said. "Damn you to hell Will, I love you."

Will kissed Nico. Full on the lips. It barely startled Nico this time, and he kissed back. Nico's first real kiss tasted of strawberries and chocolate and sunshine. Will tasted honey and dark chocolate and shadows.

After a minute, Will stopped and rested his head on Nico's shoulders. "Guess I did get what I wanted for Christmas," he murmured.

"A new boyfriend?" Nico asked.

"Oh, no, I actually wished for just a kiss. But a boyfriend's good, too." He replied.

Nico was too to happy to even scold him.

Bless Hermes for allowing my Internet to work for a few minutes to upload this. Merry Christmas and bless all of those who read this, reviewed it, and rated it. Follow me on tumblr, and deviantart by the same name.