Nico still remembered the day one of his tutor had explained to him that the royal house of Hades had a custom of having two spouses. The law itself was written in such a way that there was no actual limit, so long as all involved parties consented to the union; but to the Kings and Queens of Hades, it had always been two consorts.
At the time, Nico had been scared to hear it. He could hardly imagine himself marrying one person, let alone two. What would happen when they realized Nico killed everything he touched? Would he be twice a widower? Would he even be able to give his kingdom an heir?
Such were the thoughts of a young, teenage Nico. Now, a few months after his coronation—after he'd learned that his magic only killed people because he'd been poisoned by a ghost, after that poison had been taken out of his system—he couldn't help but feel a very different kind of worry.
Loving Will had been as easy as falling back into an old habit—because it was, in a way. Loving Jason had been more sudden, more difficult and confusing. He'd once wondered if his love for Jason wasn't stronger, but he'd come to the conclusion it was impossible to really tell—his feelings for the two men were different, and that was that.
But knowing that didn't help with having spent thirteen years almost alone. Only a select few servants and tutors had been allowed to interact with him, and they'd always kept their distance. Nico had certainly never had any opportunity—or desire—for romance, or even just hook-ups. He was barely getting used to kisses and gentle, intimate touches; how would he be able to manage his wedding night?
An awkward thought to have when servants were fussing around you to adjust your suit right before you walked down the aisle.
Nico had made sure this one was more practical than what they'd made for his coronation. Less ridiculous flourishes and colorful embroidery; this one was sleek and black, with hints of golden embroidery—that Nico hadn't been able to get rid of, for some reason. They also placed the crown of Hades on his head, the ring of silver and gold adorned with obsidian, and Nico didn't even protest at that. He'd grown used to it, strangely enough. At least partly because Will had been the one who gave it back to him.
Finally, the servants took a few steps back, clearing Nico's view of himself in the mirror. He didn't look like much, in his opinion, but at least he was…himself, he guessed. If he was sure of one thing, it was that that's what Will and Jason would want to see. Everyone else and their decorum…they could be disappointed. This day was just for the three of them, at least in Nico's mind.
"Your Majesty?" a voice called out from outside the chamber. "It is time."
Nico took one last a deep breath, then walked out. Normally, the Prime Minister should escort him to the temple, as the closest thing he had to a parental figure—even though he barely knew the man. But these were not normal circumstances.
"I'll be right here," Nico replied. Then, to the servants: "Thank you, you can leave now."
When he was alone, he focused on the magic that coursed through his veins. He had gotten better at calling ghosts, at helping them take shape, over the past few months. In mere moments, his father, his mother, and his sister Bianca—forever ten years old—were standing in front of him.
"Hi," Nico said.
Bianca jumped in his arms. "I'm so happy for you," she said.
"Thanks," Nico said, fighting back his tears. "I just wished—you could be there."
"Well, I will. Isn't that the point?"
Nico paused to meet her eyes, to make sure that she understood what he meant. Her sad expression was all the answer he needed. Of course she understood. She'd been the first victim, when the poison had made Nico lose control—and she'd been the one to find out how to get rid of it.
He finally put Bianca down on the ground and turned to his parents. Pluto looked every bit like Nico remembered him, strong and proud—of him. That last part was new. As for Maria, Nico barely remembered her, but he saw a lot of himself in her now: short, with fluffy black hair and a thin nose, all of which Nico had inherited. She'd been barely older than he was now when she'd died.
"I know it's unorthodox, but it's tradition that the parents would—"
"We know," Maria said. "It'd be an honor." She walked up to him, needlessly straightening his collar, and added in a softer voice, "You look handsome. And you've found some fine men to marry. I wish you the best."
Pluto joined them. "You've grown into a fine king, Nico. And they will make excellent consorts for you."
It was strange, hearing they approved. Nico had never really stopped to consider it; and yet, as he received his parents' blessing, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulder that he hadn't noticed before.
Nico walked out, followed by the ghosts of his family, meeting the guards waiting outside. They had known what to expect, yet still showed a moment of shock at the sight of Nico's parents. It hadn't been long since the city was overrun by ghosts like them, looking just like people safe from the otherworldly glow that shone from within them. Nico understood, but he would not pass on the opportunity to have his family attend his wedding.
They walked down the corridor to the main entrance of the palace's inner temple. One of the guards entering first, and music poured from inside the temple—strings and hints of trumpets, almost an orchestra's worth of them, Nico knew. His name was called by a herald, and his father nudged him forward.
Nico walked in the temple slowly, taking in the sight of the crowd gathered on either side of the aisle. This felt like a disturbingly familiar sight, like he was going through his disastrous coronation all over again. Most of the guests were probably the same, too. That none of them had considered ghosts taking over the city a diplomatic incident was a small miracle, in Nico's opinion.
He kept walking forward, his parents one step behind him, but Nico affected a slow pace on purpose. Not to stall—more the opposite. He didn't trust himself to walk any faster without running to the altar and being done with this.
When he reached the middle of the aisle, twin sets of doors opened on either side of the altar with a loud rattling. Only Jason's name and titles were called out by the herald—Will was a commoner, at least for a few more minutes—but both of them walked in at the same time, Will by the door on Nico's left, Jason by the one on his right.
If it hadn't been for his parents at his back, Nico would have stopped to gape at the sight of them.
Will entered the room with Master Apollo, the court physician—and Will's father, though he had never acknowledged him, until now at least—along with his mother. He had been dressed in a white suit, contrasting with his tanned skin, decorated with golden embroidery that looked like it had been made to evoke the color of his hair. His eyes were fixed on the altar, his jaw set in an expression that could have looked hostile, if Nico hadn't known better—if he hadn't caught the tiny glance Will had cast his way, the light reflecting in his teary eyes. He was nervous, probably as much as Nico himself was.
As for Jason, he was followed by a woman with long black hair and dark olive skin that Nico didn't know. She wore an ornamental armor, but Jason had once more gone for a midnight blue suit, as he'd worn at Nico's coronation. This occasion was more formal, though, and Nico noticed the purple at the hems and on his shirt—the color of the house of Olympus. More interestingly, there was also gold on his suit, and that was when Nico puzzled it out: all three of them were wearing the same patterns. A symbolic design by one of the seamstresses, and Nico felt touched by it. Jason held Nico's gaze with a smile, nodding towards the altar—or Will, or both. Nico wasn't sure what he meant, and it didn't matter. His smile was enough.
They reached the altar at the same time, and Will and Jason both turned to the priest. Nico almost regretted this tradition that forced them to turn their backs on him, while he was forced to stand back because this stupid altar was in the way.
The priest droned on, and even though Nico had promised himself to listen, he couldn't. It was his first time attending a wedding, sure, but curiosity couldn't win over the nerves of being watched by hundreds of guests while both the men he loved were just there and Nico couldn't even reach out to touch them.
He started when two servants knelt on either side of him, carrying each an ornamented pillow. Each had been made specifically for the occasion, mirroring the colors that Will and Jason were wearing, respectively, and on each rested circlet made of interweaved silver and gold, like a lesser version of the crown resting on Nico's head.
The priest stopped talking, and Nico knew what came next. On the altar in front of him, rested the kingdom's sacred icons, a helmet and a scepter. He placed his right hand on the helmet first, and pronounced his vows.
"I, Nico di Angelo of the house of Hades, take you both, Will Solace, Jason Grace of the house of Olympus, as my husbands, and vow to stand by your sides until shadows come between us." With his left hand, he grabbed the scepter and raised it, holding it horizontally, each end pointed at Will and Jason. "Vos semper amabo."
His heartbeat felt like it had doubled in speed by the time he had pronounced the last word, but at least, he was done now. Two hands clasped around his left—Jason and Will, taking hold of the scepter for him as they placed their other hand on the helmet. Nico let go of both icons, turning to the servant on his left.
Will said his vows, the same as Nico's, then turned to finally face Nico. He didn't dare hold his gaze more than a second, though, because he could see the nervousness in Will's eyes, and he felt like one of them would break down. Slowly, Nico took the circlet the servant was presenting, and carefully placed it on Will's head, before kissing him. He was supposed to be brief, but he couldn't help but deepen their kiss a little when he felt Will clinging to his collar.
He couldn't keep kissing Will forever, though, and finally took a step back, not missing Will's disappointed whimper. Hopefully no one else had heard it.
Will didn't let go of the scepter, waiting until Jason said his own vows. Nico took the other circlet and repeated the ritual with him. Jason broke off their kiss before Nico could think of anything, but winked at Nico before he turned back to the priest.
The ritual didn't leave room for Will and Jason kissing—it had been designed with the idea that multiple spouses could want to share the same person without being attracted to each other as well—so they moved on to the final words. Will and Jason placed the scepter back on the altar, and the priest sealed the ceremony once and for all.
"You are now united, in the eyes of the laws, the people of Hades, and the deities. Nico di Angelo, Will Solace, and Jason Grace, King and consorts of the house of Hades."
Nico took another deep breath, and turned back to face the guests, who broke into polite applause. His only relief came when Jason and Will took a step forward to stand by his side, find his hands with theirs.
It took about one more hour to vacate the temple, as each of the privileged and esteemed guests who had been granted the authorization to be here came to congratulate the newlyweds. The hardest part for Nico was saying goodbye to his family, but he understood that they could not stay forever.
When, finally, the last of the guests had left, Nico left through a side door, Will and Jason following close behind, until they reached an inner garden.
"We have some time to breathe before the feast," he said.
"We know," Jason pointed out. "We've all planned this, Nico."
Nico sighed as he took in the sight of his lovers from up close. A memory at the back of his mind came unprompted, of his coronation, when Will had found him in this very garden. Then, he'd been worried as his own powers killed the grass near him and turned it to dust; now, he had no such worries as he stood in the sunlight. He felt a smile come to his lips, too large and goofy, and he didn't care. "I can't believe this just happened."
Jason chuckled and pressed a kiss to Nico's forehead. "You'd better not forget it, though," he teased.
"Never." He turned to Will, only to find him shifting uncomfortably. "What's wrong?"
Will started. "Nothing." He looked up to find Nico and Jason staring at him with matching inquisitive gazes, and sighed. "It's just—I'm wondering if you didn't make a mistake by including me. All these nobles, back there, they didn't care about me, they only wanted favors from you two. I don't mind—I'm not highborn, I know—but…I don't want to be holding you back."
"You really think you're holding me back?" Nico said, reaching out to cup Will's face with a hand. "I've got my political marriage right there," he added, nudging Jason with his free hand, "I don't need another. My mother was a commoner too, and she was loved by everyone in the kingdom. And I'm sure they'll love you too. Just like I do."
"Yeah, I'm still not sure why that is, when you have your true love by your side."
Nico sighed, but it was Jason who answered. "Do I need to remind you who kept me alive when the poison was about to kill me?" He wrapped an arm around Will's shoulder and planted a kiss on his cheek. "We love you, Will. It's really not the right time to question that, you idiot."
Will chuckled. "I guess…"
"You'd better believe it," Nico said, reaching up to kiss him. Will pulled him closer still, kissing back with a hunger Nico had never seen in him before. Before Nico knew it, Jason's other arm was wrapped around him, bringing all three of them together, and Nico felt Jason's lips on his throat.
A ringing bell interrupted them. "The feast's about to start," Nico said. "We should probably go. It's our feast."
Jason shrugged. "We could be fashionably late."
Nico scoffed. "I'd rather not. Let's have one feast where everything goes right, for once."
Nico would lie if he said he hadn't enjoyed the feast at least a little. Sure, no one knew which couple should have the first dance of the ball—eventually, Nico let Will and Jason have it, because they'd never danced together before—and Nico could feel anxiety rising as the evening progressed into night. And yet, it was also Nico's very first feast where he didn't risk killing anyone. Where he could socialize—to the extent of his ability.
Jason introduced him to the woman who had escorted him in the temple, a general from Olympus named Reyna, who had come as a representative of Jason's father. Jason didn't seem to mind the king of Olympus' absence; if anything, he sounded happy that Reyna had taken his place.
Finally, bells rang once again at midnight, and the music died down. Nico was already with Will and Jason on the dais, and after a few words of thanks to their guests, they left the great hall together.
Nico was barely holding himself together as they navigated the hallways and staircases that led to the royal chambers. And yet, when he found servants inside, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment that they weren't alone just yet. "You can leave us," he found himself saying, before he realized the implication of his words. Neither Jason nor Will teased him, though, and when he looked back to them, he found them standing as awkwardly as he was.
"So…now what?" he asked.
Will started at the sound of Nico's voice, while Jason shrugged. "What do you want to do?"
Nico shifted under Jason's gaze. "I'm—I'm ready. Are you?"
Jason's calm briefly wavered, but he nodded. "Yeah. Will?"
"S-Sure." Will's face was red, but Nico didn't dare tease him, because he was sure he was blushing just as hard.
They remained immobile for a moment, none of them daring to make the first move. Eventually, Nico decided he should be the one to do it. "Come on, the bedroom's this way." Without looking at them, Nico headed for the bedroom's door, only pausing once he was on the other side. Before he could turn around to see if the others had followed, one hand clasped his shoulder—then another on the other side. They had followed all right.
Nico let them take off his jacket before he turned to face them: Will to his left, Jason to his right, mirroring their positions in the temple earlier. Chuckling, Nico couldn't help but repeat the ritual, kissing Will and removing his jacket in one smooth motion, then doing the same to Jason. He let them fall to the floor, returning to immobility for a brief moment.
Jason and Will exchanged a glance, meaningful in a way Nico didn't understand—half a grin here, a shrug there—and suddenly crashed against each other, kissing hard, as they always did. Nico would usually be content to just watch, but not this time. Remembering what Jason had done in the garden earlier, he closed the distance that separated them, reaching up to press his lips to Jason's neck. Immediately, they made room for him in their embrace, breaking off their kiss so Jason could capture Nico's mouth with his lips while Will moved to suck on Jason's jaw.
Nico felt hands caress his body—he wasn't even sure whose—and he accepted them, letting his own hands run free. Before he knew what he was doing, he had untucked Jason's shirt, sliding both hands underneath. He froze at his own boldness, but Jason hummed encouragingly against his lips, and Nico just kept going, pushing Jason's shirt up until he had no choice but to break their kiss so Jason could lift it over his head and get rid of it.
He was barely free for a moment that Will pulled Nico to him for another kiss, deeper than the first, with this same needy hunger he'd shown in the temple. Nico gave in to it, this time, following Will's movement until he was pressed against a bedpost, Will's hands running over his chest and working to undo the buttons of his shirt. With a frustrated groan at his fumbling, Nico just tore at his own shirt, ripping the remaining buttons off. Surprised, Will broke off their kiss—and was caught in Jason's arms from behind, who lifted Will's shirt over his head unceremoniously.
Nico froze at the sight of them, Will firmly held in Jason's embrace, both shirtless, Will's lean muscles and Jason's more defined ones contrasting each other, yet working together as Jason kissed and sucked at the base of Will's neck. Even if he hadn't wanted those two before, Nico definitely wanted them now.
Before he could overthink this, he threw himself at them, meeting Jason's lips, then trailing kisses over Will's chest. He stopped over one of his nipples, noticing Will's sharp intake of breath and pausing to kiss and suck on it as he pressed their bodies together, feeling the hardness in Will's pants matching his own. Will bucked his hips at the contact, and Nico let one of his hand trail down Will's body, over the outline of Will's erection.
A hand caressed down Nico's back, and it took him a moment to realize it was Jason's, slipping under the waistband of Nico's pants—just an inch, just enough to drive Nico nuts. He broke away from Will, looking up to find Jason's eyes staring at him. "Don't stop there," he said, his voice suddenly hoarse as he challenged Jason with his eyes.
Jason took him up on it, his hand slipping further down—and, Nico noticed, his other hand was making its way down Will's belly. Nico refused to be completely outdone: he stopped teasing at Will's erection and pulled at his waistband, just enough to get him out of Jason's embrace and to let his hand down the front of Will's pants.
Will gave a small whimper of surprise when Nico wrapped his fingers around his shaft and moved his hand, running it up Will's length just once, tentatively. Will's knees bucked and he rested his head against Nico's shoulder, like this was too much for him to take, and Nico reveled for a moment at the power rush of being the one who did this to him.
Distracted by Will's reaction, he barely registered Jason's hand leaving—or how the man had let go of Will completely, and was now pressed to Nico's other side. He only noticed when Jason's hand came back, pressing against Nico's erection through the fabric. He gasped, and turned to face Jason, to see that he'd removed his pants and shoes while Nico and Will were busy, and stood in his underwear, tenting with his own arousal.
Nico nodded at Jason to get behind him, and he did, unbuckling Nico's belt while Nico pulled Will's pants and underwear down in a single, awkward motion, stroking Will's dick all the while. Will fumbled to get his shoes out of the way, then kicked his clothes away, and crashed against Nico again just as Jason freed him from his own pants and wrapped a hand around Nico's dick. Suddenly dizzy at the overload, Nico let Will's momentum carry him backwards, and they all fell, right down on the mattress.
They froze, Nico on Jason's lap, Will sprawled naked on top of them, and burst out laughing. "We really need to get more methodic," Nico said.
"I don't know, I like the impromptu so far," Will retorted, closing one hand around Nico's around his cock, and the other around Jason's, stroking Nico together.
Nico let out a moan and lay back against Jason, feeling his erection digging into his back, and snapped out of it. "We can't ignore you," he said, gently pushing Will off of him and rolling to lie on top of Jason. Slowly, he pulled Jason's underwear down, taking in the sight of his cock as it came free.
He reached out, but before he could wrap his hand around it, Jason pulled him down, pressing them together as he kissed him, sweet and soft and—and Jason bucked his hips, rubbing their dicks together, and Nico moaned into his mouth. Nico felt like he lost his balance, trying to hold himself up, but his hand landed on Will's body instead of the mattress.
Blindly, Nico caressed down his torso, finding his hip to pull him closer, then wrapping his head around Will's dick again and giving a stroke. Will rested his head on Jason's shoulder, and Nico broke away from Jason to kiss at the corner of Will's mouth, reaching through Will's daze just enough to get him to turn his head and kiss him back.
Jason didn't stop moving under him, rubbing their erections together, and his hands had settled on Nico's ass, squeezing his cheeks in a way that felt strangely enjoyable. Then, Jason shifted his hips slightly, and his cock was pressing against Nico's crack, still moving up and down with the movements of Jason's hips.
Nico had expected this—dreamed about it more than a few times, too—and he couldn't help but feel anxious, too. But before he could do or say anything, Will pulled his head back, with a cry, and he came in hot spurts between Nico's fingers. Nico didn't let go of his cock, pumping him through his climax, until finally, Will rolled on his back, out of reach. "Um—sorry."
Jason chuckled. "Don't be. That's the goal, isn't—" His sentence ended in a strangled moan as Nico gently bit at the base of his neck, in the spot where Jason loved to tease him all the time. It was just a guess, but it paid off—the moment his lips closed on the soft flesh, Jason's voice climbed up in pitch and volume, and his movements became more frantic and desperate.
One of his hands moved from Nico's ass to his dick, and his strokes were irregulars just as the thrusts of his dick between Nico's ass cheeks became stronger and stronger, his muscles tensing further with each movement. Finally, his entire body tensed and he came wordlessly under Nico.
Satisfied, Nico finally let go of the base of Jason's neck, who pulled him up for a brief kiss. Then, he pushed Nico, rolling him on his back and making him land right between Jason and Will. Immediately, both of them were above him, each pinning one of his arms and legs to the mattress as their hands joined around Nico's dick.
Only a few strokes were enough to send him over the edge, in his state, and he came louder than he was willing to admit, closing his eyes and letting his orgasm crash over him.
"Um—Nico?" Jason's voice was slightly tinged with worry, and Nico opened his eyes—except he couldn't see. "I think you killed all the lights."
Nico chuckled. All the candles in the room were extinguished, blown out by Nico's magic in the wake of his orgasm. "Sorry."
"It's fine," Jason said, kissing him on the cheek as he pressed himself against Nico on the mattress.
"I just hope it was only in this room," Will teased as he let himself fall down, draping himself over both Nico and Jason's bodies and settling his head over Jason's chest. "It would be awkward if the entire court could tell when exactly the King is coming."
Nico was suddenly glad for the darkness, because he knew he was blushing furiously. "Hopefully, yeah."
"You'll get it under control," Jason said, amused. "You just need practice."
Nico chuckled. "Are you offering? Because I just might take you up on that offer."