Happy Christmas Eve, everybody! :D

I'd just like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you- all you lovely shippers who share my passion for these cuties, to all my fabulous tumblr followers as well as all the lovely people on here who always leave such lovely reviews. You guys have all been completely wonderful and supportive and you're all fantastic!

In appreciation of your fabulousness, I have a special festive gift for you- a super special Valdangelo fic! Special in that it's Christmas themed, not prompt-based, and most importantly it's in three parts! This is the first part, the second will be uploaded tomorrow as your Christmas present from me to you, and the third part will be uploaded on New Year's Eve- what better way to end the year than with Leico? :3

Hope you enjoy it! Obviously I have no one to blame but myself if it's terrible since I haven't been taking prompts for it, but I thought I should try and come up with my own plots for once XD

All these characters/settings belong to Rick Riordan, as usual! (Except Nat- she's all mine, but don't worry she's not in it that much. Not 'til chapter 3 at least!)

Chapter 1: Christmas Eve

"Deck the halls with skulls and spanners, fa la la la la, la la la la!"

Leo paused mid song, his brow furrowing in concentration and his hands hovering over the fireplace, the glittering tinsel he'd specially customized with brightly coloured cardboard bones and tools hanging loosely from his grip.

Nico looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow. "You can't think of a second line to rhyme with 'spanners', can you?"

The son of Hephaestus shrugged and continued arranging the glittering rope. "It'll come to me."

Nico shook his head and turned back to the book, but he couldn't stop a little smile creeping onto his face. His hyperactive Latino boyfriend was ridiculous year-round, but his silliness levels shot through the roof the second he opened the first door on his advent calendar. The past twenty-four days had been a whirlwind of tone-deaf carols and tinsel. Nico had learned it was best to just stay on the couch while Leo bustled around him, occasionally calling on the help of Nat or the Stolls with the tree and the lights. As long as Nico stayed still they tended to forget he was there (this wasn't always a good thing; Nat had accidentally sat on him a couple of times). Occasionally Leo would try and taunt him out of his stupor by sprinkling glitter in his hair or hanging baubles on his ears, but the son of Hades just glared at him until he went away. He wasn't exactly a festive person.

"You know, there's a lot of decorations still left to put up," Leo called from the fireplace, casting a meaningful look over his shoulder. "I could sure use some help… hintedy hint hint."

Nico glowered. "Then go ask Nat."

Leo pouted. "Maybe I want your help. Anyway, Nat's back in England for Christmas- said she wanted to see some old friends."

Nico smiled knowingly. "Which friends?"

"Matt, Jenna, some other guy called Peter. Think she said she had some kind of medical appointment…" he frowned, a new thought dawning on him. "Now I'm thinking she just wanted to go watch Doctor Who when it first airs…"

Nico chuckled. "Well done, you got there in the end."

Leo tutted, shaking his head. "Well, seeing as we've been one-upped by a fictional time-travelling alien, looks like you have to get up and help me!"

The pale boy glared at him from behind his book. "Why are you even bothering to decorate the place? I thought we were going to Percy's tomorrow, we're not even going to be here!"

The Latino smiled and strolled over, dropping a spare strand of tinsel over Nico's grumpy head. "I'm just getting in the festive spirit! You should join me over here on the fun side- we have cake and cookies! Literally, Nat made us some before she left."

He picked up the tin from the coffee table and handed it to Nico, flopping down on the couch beside him. The son of Hades lifted the lid and frowned. "What are they supposed to be?"

Leo leaned over and peeked in, chuckling. "Gingerbread cybermen," he laughed, scooping one up and taking a bite.

Nico groaned. "Of course. I don't know what I was expecting," he closed the tin and handed it back. "Leo, don't you think celebrating Christmas as kids of the Greek gods is a little… insincere?"

Yeah, like that's the real reason…

The son of Hephaestus shrugged, smiling. "Ah, come on, even Atheists have Christmas spirit, why can't we? We don't have to celebrate the birth of a magic baby, we can just give presents and see friends and eat our body weight in chocolate- there's only three times a year it's culturally acceptable to eat junk food in excess, and we've already blown past Easter and Halloween. I have to get my fix somewhere!"

Nico gave him a withering look. "As if you need more sugar in your system. You eat one more candy cane and I'm going to have to scrape you off the ceiling."

Leo laughed and slouched back against the armrest, crossing his ankles and resting his feet on the disgruntled Ghost King's lap. "Complain all you like- we both know you find my vivacious charm irresistible," he said, taking another bite of the cookie and winking.

Nico blushed and hid his face behind the book, cursing inwardly at the unfairness of Leo being able to look sexy even when taking bear-sized mouthfuls of biscuit.

Why must there be such injustice in the world?

His blush deepened as Leo chuckled, prodding him in the stomach with his foot. "Lighten up, Casper, it's Christmas! A time for laughter and family and sunshine and puppies and other such fluffy, sparkly things!"

Family…

Nico's eyes darkened. "You know I don't have time for sunshine and puppies."

"Your enthusiasm is contagious," Leo said drily, rolling his eyes.

The younger boy shook his head and tried to turn his attention back to the book, but the words seemed to swim off the page.

Leo sighed, setting the cookie down on the table and resting his head on his hand. "You know I don't need you to sing and dance and laugh like an over-caffeinated Santa or anything but… I don't know, you could at least smile from time to time," he watched Nico's face and gave him a small smile, his warm eyes shining. "Smiling suits you."

Nico bit his lip and lowered his book, his dark eyes staring ahead. "I know, Leo, it's just…" The mechanic watched him carefully, frowning.

You need to tell him…

The son of Hades stood up, walking slowly over to the Christmas tree. He stood with his arms crossed over the tight feeling in his chest, his eyes wandering up to the angel at the peak, the moonlight shining through the pale feathers on its wings, the glow of the tree lights illuminating the delicate features on its feminine face.

He flinched as he felt the first icy coils of grief twist in the pit of his stomach, growing tighter as he contemplated each ornament, each glimmering light and gleaming bauble a reminder. He sighed, not turning round as he heard Leo come up behind him, hanging back a few paces. "I haven't celebrated Christmas since…"

He closed his eyes, feeling his throat contract and his breath catch. Five years on and he still couldn't bring himself to complete that sentence.

Since Bianca died.

He didn't need to say it. He felt strong arms wrap around his waist from behind and warm breath on his neck. He uncrossed his arms and rested them on Leo's, twining their fingers as the Latino pressed a soft kiss against the pale skin of his jaw. Nico let out a long breath and relaxed back against the older boy's chest, his eyes fluttering open and settling once again on the angel. Leo followed his gaze and rested his chin on his shoulder, nuzzling his face against his neck.

"It feels…wrong without her," Nico whispered, lowering his eyes to the floor and biting his lip, blinking back tears. He tightened his grip on Leo's hands.

"You said yourself that Christmas is a time for family," he said slowly, fighting to get the words out. "What are you supposed to do if you're the last one?

He felt a tug on his arm, and he allowed Leo to pull him round and retake his hands so they hung loosely between them, Nico standing with his back to the tree and his face to the fire that flickered in the hearth, casting its warm light on the repair boy's face and dancing in his eyes. It glowed in the darkness of his dilated pupils and crackled in the burnt brown of each iris. He smiled faintly, and the Ghost King felt warmth flooding his being, the simple gesture gradually dispelling the chill in his bones. Leo's gentle eyes flickered downwards to rest on their linked hands, his tongue flicking nervously over his dry lips before he spoke.

"I know she meant a lot to you…" he said falteringly, struggling for the right words to say as usual.

Not good with organic life forms…

He took a deep breath and looked up, his fingers tightening around Nico's comfortingly. "I know… when you lose your family it stays with you," he said quietly, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Nico's and closing his eyes. "It's not the kind of thing you just forget- I still think of my mom every day when I'm working the forges. I still see her in every circuit board and mechanism, and every time I see her I wish I could have saved her…"

He sighed, opening his eyes and leaning back. "But I know that she wouldn't want me to live in the past. If she could see me tormenting myself over her, she'd shake her head and tell me to stop crying over cracked cogwheels. She never would have wanted me to hurt over her… I never met Bianca, but the way you talk about her…"

He shrugged gently, his lips quirking up into a tentative half-smile. "I don't know, I guess I just figured she'd be the type of sister who'd want you be happy."

Nico looked down at their joined hands, his sallow skin paling against Leo's tanned, calloused fingers. It wasn't until the two colours started blurring together at the edges that the son of Hades realised he was crying.

He felt his hands drop as Leo released them and draped his arms around Nico's narrow shoulders, enveloping the cold boy in a hug. Nico pressed his face into the crook of Leo's neck and let himself cry, wrapping his arms around his chest and pressing his hands to his back as warm tears dripped onto the mechanic's skin.

Leo rested his face against Nico's head, smiling as his soft hair tickled his cheek. "I know I'm never going to be a replacement for your real family; I know I'm nowhere near enough to fill that gap. But… well, I can try!"

Despite the tears, Nico felt himself smile. He threaded his fingers through the Latino's tousled hair and turned his face to kiss his neck gently. "You're doing great…"

Leo grinned. Without warning he slid his arms around Nico's waist and picked him up, spinning him round and making the Ghost King yelp loudly in surprise. "Well, I'm glad to hear you say that, 'cause I'm not going anywhere!"

Nico couldn't help laughing as his feet touched the ground and he flopped back against the mechanic's chest. "Dork!" he gasped between giggles.

The son of Hephaestus just chuckled, ruffling the younger boy's ebony hair lovingly. "You love it!"

Nico bit his lip to put a stop to his giggling fit. If he laughed anymore he'd get an embarrassing attack of hiccups again. He looked up at Leo's face, and the older boy grinned triumphantly. He always knew when Nico was forcing a straight face.

"See?" he said cheerily, raising his hand to stroke Nico's cheek. "Christmas can be fun!"

Nico smiled, his eyes wandering over Leo's beaming, elfish face. "I don't know- so far we haven't done anything particularly Christmassy…"

Leo raised his eyebrow, amused. "Well, then, Mr. Grinch- what do I have to do to make your heart grow a few more sizes?"

Nico matched his expression and added a flirtatious smile for good measure. "Surprise me."

The son of Hephaestus cast his eyes around the room, eventually letting his gaze come to rest on the ceiling behind Nico. He grinned and started walking towards it, shuffling Nico ahead of him as he went, coming to a stop after a few feet and gesturing upwards. Nico followed his gaze and smiled.

"Mistletoe?" he said, rolling his eyes but failing to hide the blush that coloured his cheeks. "Isn't that a bit cliché?"

Leo chuckled, giving Nico a happy grin that sent his heart thumping. "Could've been worse- I could've forced you into a ludicrously fuzzy Christmas sweater!"

Nico winced. "Oh gods, you don't have one of those, do you?"

"Of course not!" Leo laughed. "I've got two!"

"What?!"

"One for you, one for me!" he explained cheerily, ignoring the Ghost King's horrified expression. "But those are for tomorrow!"

"You can't be serious!"

Leo wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh, can't I?"

Despite his revulsion at the idea of fluffy matching jumpers, Nico couldn't help laughing at the absurdity of the Latino's expression. Leo grinned again- he knew he'd won. As usual.

"Don't mean to interrupt your adorable hysterics," he said smoothly, his eyes flickering upwards. "But I can't help noticing that we've been under this mistletoe nearly two minutes and neither of us has been kissed yet…"

Nico smiled wider as he felt more heat rush to his cheeks. "Outrageous."

He leaned in and pressed his cold lips to Leo's, shivering as he made contact with the older boy's fiery skin.

He felt like everything cold and hard inside him started to melt and fade away, replaced by comforting warmth.

He felt his heart hammer and his stomach flutter.

He felt himself come alive.

As usual, Leo was warmth and light and hope. He was the spring, creeping in and melting the ancient, smothering frost that had settled over his candid heart.

They pulled apart in unison, their breaths rapid and their faces hot. Leo grinned, letting his warm hands slide back down to Nico's waist, tracing small circles on his skin beneath his t-shirt.

"Christmassy enough for you, Scrooge?" he said playfully.

Nico smirked, leaning in again.

"Humbug!"

Well, that's your lot for tonight! All reviews welcome, and keep an eye out for your next present tomorrow! ;)

Nighty night, my darlings!