A/N: Ah, the spirit of the season... This piece is actually written for peachyrush on Tumblr - pleasure doing business with you! Anyway, I know it's short and kind of really pointless, but I do, in fact, like the way it turned out. (The fluffiness was fuelled with Yuri! On Ice which I just sort of binged on one sitting... I might have developed a serious crush on Victor.) Please read and review, especially if this is so fluffy it makes your teeth hurt. Happy holidays!


As soon as Nico's dreams lose their fogginess and he starts gaining consciousness he groans in distaste. Nico hates mornings. Absolutely loathes them. He buries his face deeper into the warm pillow and drags the sheets over his head, and behind him someone lets out an adorable little laugh that makes Nico want to gag.

"Morning, Sunshine. Sleep well?"

"Still sleeping, so shut up."

Nico feels an arm sneak around his waist and a body press against his back. Will is warm and familiar, and even though Nico hates mornings with a burning passion, he can't help but smile a little. Not even enough to call it a real smile, really. Soft lips grace the skin on his shoulder under the sheets, the firm arm pulls him closer to Will's chest, and their feet tangle together into one big pile of limbs.

"Come on, love", Will whispers, and his breathing leaves goosebumps on Nico's skin as he nuzzles the sleeping man's neck. "Time to wake up. Christmas dinner. Lots to do. The Graces are coming, remember?"

Nico wishes he didn't remember. He wonders what kind of a dark power has possessed him and made him invite Jason and his family over for Christmas.

It's not that Nico doesn't like Jason; they've been friends since the war, and for the past few years he has started to think of Jason as one of his best friends. And Piper – well, you can't exactly not like Piper. It took Nico years to admit that she is probably the most fun to be around, and Jason is probably still bitter about that. ("But I'm fun, Nico!") And you can say anything you want about Nico di Angelo, but he loves little kids, and the two baby Graces have had him wrapped around their little fingers since the moment they were born.

But this is Nico and Will's first Christmas in their new apartment. Sure, they have spent many holidays together, and this isn't even the first apartment they share. But it is the first time neither of them has to worry about school or work. It's the first Christmas they have managed to avoid invitations from the Jacksons and from Will's family in Texas, and even Hazel and Frank are having a quiet holiday in New Rome.

And the new apartment is warm and cozy and homey. It's nothing like the rat hole they lived in six years ago. It's three times the size of their second apartment, and it's the first one big enough to even host a dinner party. And it's also the first place they have both called home.

A large part of Nico has been wanting to spend the holiday with Will. Just the two of them. But Will had asked what he thought about inviting friends over for Christmas, and Nico… well. Nico can't really say no to Will.

Nico rolls over so that he's facing Will, and his hands find the muscles in the blond's lower back. "We could just tell them not to come", he mumbles against the freckled chest and is awarded with one of those soundless laughters that vibrate through both of their bodies.

"No, Nico, that would be rude. We've been over this." Will's lips start a slow pilgrimage up his neck towards his face. "I thought you liked having them over?"

"I do", Nico sighs and enjoys the feel of Will's butterfly kisses. He turns his head a little to get a proper one. "Just not right this moment."

And then he gets his kiss, and suddenly waking up doesn't seem all that bad after all. Will's lips are soft and warm against his, and they know every way to make his toes curl and eyes flutter, and Nico will never ever admit it to anyone but Will's kisses are so good they could probably cure cancer. Nico's own lips are chapped and cold, but he tastes coffee and tooth paste on Will's and wonders how long the other has already been awake.

"Okay, get up", Will mutters while making no real attempt to stop kissing Nico. "Coffee's waiting."

"Mmh, nope." Nico extends the kiss to last a little longer, moving his lips lazily against Will's. "Fifteen minutes."

"Five, tops."

Nico pouts, then tries to look as adorable as he possibly can. He knows Will can't resist that. "Ten. Will, it's Christmas."

It almost seems to work – for three seconds. Nico takes advantage of the fleeting moment and starts kissing Will's neck softly, knowing exactly where to press his lips to make a point. "Nico, you don't even like Christmas."

"I do when it means I can sleep in. Now shut up and kiss me."

Will does. And like always, he does it well. Their ten minutes quickly turn into fifteen, and Nico celebrates his victory by nuzzling into Will's neck and letting out a very contented sigh. These are the moments Nico loves best, the quiet ones with just him and Will when time doesn't exist at all. But gods forbid if anyone found out…

Nico is warm and content, and he's halfway drifting back to sleep. He watches with half closed eyes as Will leans back a little and just looks at him. Will has a small, happy smile on his lips and it's almost like his eyes are glowing, and after what seems like forever Nico sees something in his face switch – like Will has made a decision right there and then.

As it turns out, Will did.

"Close your eyes", the blond whispers before tracing Nico's face with his fingertips. "I've got something for you."

Nico furrows his brows and pouts, but sits up and closes his eyes anyway, because he knows that resistance would be pointless. He feels Will get up. "Come on, Will. I thought we agreed that no presents before the Graces leave tonight."

"We did, but this is a bit different. I promise you'll have the proper present later, too." Nico feels the mattress shift again as Will sits down next to him. "Now, open your eyes."

The first thing Nico notices is the strange look on Will's eyes. Well – it's not as strange as it is unfamiliar. Nico feels like he should know that look, but he can't quite put a finger on it. It makes him frustrated, but then again, so do so many things about Will Solace that Nico has long since stopped caring.

Then Nico sees that Will is biting his lip. Years ago, back when they were teenagers, Will used to do that a lot – especially when he was nervous. Is Will nervous now? Nico has never told this to anyone (especially not Will), but when the son of Apollo bites his lips like that it more often than not makes Nico want to kiss him silly. (More often than not he does.)

Finally Nico lets his gaze drop down to Will's hands. That's when his heart stops and his breath gets stuck in his throat.

"Will, what is this?" he asks, even though he knows exactly what it is. His voice is smaller than usual, and when his heart starts beating again, it's going way past speed limit.

Nico can imagine the small smile on Will's lips as the blond man places the velvet box in his hands. "Open it. Please."

Nico does.

At first glance the golden rings seem identical. Simple, delicate, and beautiful, with several gems on them. But Nico soon sees that while the other has tiny diamonds on it, the other has onyx stones the same size. The onyx ring is slightly smaller, too, and there are engravings on the gold around the stones in both of them – so small that you have to look very closely to see them.

"I was planning on doing this later", Will says, and Nico just looks at the rings. The unbelievably beautiful rings that are so them. "Like, during the dinner with the Graces. I know you consider them family, so I was going to make the big cliché show if it. Get down on one knee and all. But, I don't know, it doesn't feel right. I mean, sure, grand gestures are fun and even you said you enjoy them every once in a while, but this..."

Will sighs and Nico takes his eyes off the rings to look at him. The bright blue eyes are staring something somewhere around Nico's right shoulder, and there's a light tint of pink that covers half the freckles on Will's cheeks. And Nico loves him.

"This is way too personal for that", Will continues, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes flicker to Nico's face and then back to the shoulder, and Nico hasn't seen him that nervous in years. "Because I've wanted to marry you from pretty much the moment I realized I love you, which is crazy because we were stupid teenagers back then. But I love you so much, Nico, and all I have been thinking for the past forever is waking up next to you every day for the rest of my life, and – "

"Shut up, William." Nico's voice is so amused he surprises himself, and Will's lips snap shut. "Gods, you really need to learn when to shut your mouth." Nico reaches out one hand and strokes Will's cheek until the other man looks at him in the eyes. "I want to marry you, too."

Nico thinks he should have been expecting the tears that start to pool Will's eyes. "Yeah?"

"Yes, you idiot."

And for a good while, it's all just smiles and soft kisses and silent whispers of I love you. Nico smiles brightly against Will's lips, and Will's hand on his neck pulls him a little closer, and he holds the rings in the box tightly in his hand, so afraid of dropping them that his knuckles turn white. Nico can sense that Will is doing his best not to cry, but still a tear or two make their way down the cheeks, and Will is beautiful.

Will's hands treble when he slides the onyx ring on Nico's finger. Nico would like to say he was perfectly stable himself, but the truth is that he almost dropped the ring when placing it on Will's. They are a perfect fit. Nico marvels on how surprisingly natural it feels to have a ring on his finger. He is about to comment on it somehow when he sees that Will is still fighting the tears, slowly losing the battle.

"Oh, come on", Nico grins and wipes the tears away with his thumbs. He leaves his hands there on the sides of Will's face and leans in to nuzzle their noses. "You're such a big baby sometimes."

Will lets out a silent laugh, and his breath hits Nico's face. "A big baby you just agreed to marry."

Nico smiles once more and presses their lips together in a slow, lazy kiss. "That I did", he whispers without breaking apart. "And I would do it again."


AN2: (I'm a big fan of Will getting all teary-eyed when he's overly emotional so shush.) I am now realizing that I actually have an idea for a sequel for this? So if you want I can maybe try to get you a second chapter for Christmas. Let me know! This works pretty well on its own, though.