What would you have done if you had known that one little decision could impact the rest of your life?

He had been told a few times about the theory of infinite universes. One of the first few times he heard it was when he was attending that stupid military academy. Apparently, there was something oddly appealing if the students were well cultured into the ambiguous arts of the sciences. Of course, the first few words that Nico spoke when he heard that, he had said, "Does that mean I'm a superhero in another universe?" He was kicked out of the classroom and reprimanded harshly. Not that he cared that much.

The next time Nico had heard of it was when Bianca had last spoken to him…right before she left to go on that adventure that would end her life and would start his sad, cold-filled one. She had pulled him aside, but he was already filled with the need to lash out and strike her down. He was already stuck in a world that could easily kill him, a place where all the kids were far more knowledgeable, and he was left to rot without his sister at his side to comfort him. She had even gone to far as to abandon him for this stupid Hunters and their stupid leader! However, as much as he hated to admit it, common sense told him that he should wait and see what Bianca had come to say.

Clearly, Nico remembered that she fingered the green beret on her brunette head. Her cheeks were flushed in the darkening rays of the afternoon and she continually chewed her lips. The words were threatening to spill over and Nico was seeing that. He always saw whatever she was about to do, what she was about to say. With patience that only a ten year old could have, he motioned for her to get on with it because he had far better things to do…like sulk in a corner of the camp because of her blatant betrayal.

Finally, she placed her hands on her shoulders and spoke.

"Remember that theory of parallel universes that one of our professors spoke of?"

He nodded mutely. He couldn't trust his voice right now.

"I don't know how to explain it, but there are some reasons why I want to go with the Hunters, but," she cried out before he could move from her," I don't hate you. I love you! I really, really do! More than you can ever imagine. I know that this must be hard on you, but think about the possibilities of making friends and going out on quests when you're older, getting claimed…Don't you want to do those things here in Camp Half Blood?"

All of these things did sound enticing to the impressionable ten year old.

Reluctantly, the Italian boy nodded.

"I suppose…but wouldn't it have been better if we were to do it together?" His words carried a childish plea as he took her hands within his own. Tears fell from his eyes as he dared to show the emotions that were threatening to explode over from just repressing all memories that were connected to that event. His fingers began to tighten around her wrists, the warmth both reassuring and provoking at the same time. "Just like old times?"

And with that plea, Bianca began to remember all their games of hide and seek, tag, and all those video games they were allowed to play back in the casino. Those were good times, pleasant, and if she were to go back in time just to relive those memories, then she would have done so within a heartbeat. However, her decision had already been made when she said yes to her Lady's question. There was no reason to turn back now.

"I-I can't." Her voice uncharacteristically cracked as small droplets of water fell from her eyes. "I can't just turn my back on my Lady and I can't just abandon the quest that I decided to undertake with Percy and Zoe."

"But you're willing to abandon me," Nico sullenly muttered.

"Nico…please don't make this any harder than this has to be. All my life I had to take care of you and look at you! You should have outgrown me by now!" She gestured towards him with a faint smile with hollow humor as her younger brother chose to stare back with little to no emotion. She sobered for a second before closing her eyes for a few seconds. After getting her thoughts back in order, she straightened her back as if she was back in that militaristic school and looked down at her brother. "You should know…becoming one of the Hunters is like a once in a lifetime kind of deal. If I didn't take it, this will haunt me the rest of my life. I-I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"But you can live with herself if you leave your own brother behind," Nico harshly whispered.

An angry sigh filled the air as Bianca tried in vain to keep her anger in check. If there was something the two had in common, it was that they always tried to hold petty information available as revenge.

"Maybe in one of those infinite universes we would have stayed united, but in this one…" Her eyes, always changing in color and intensity, had softened to the point where Nico felt the urge to cry and lean into her body. He was once again behaving like a child with the mindset of never letting go. However, he was a big boy now; he didn't need to be coddled anymore. Instead of leaning into her implied embrace, he merely looked away in resignation.

Although not quite satisfied with his response, the brunette smiled softly as she placed a ring in one of his hands and brushed a few wayward strands of hair from his forehead. Curiously, Nico looked down at the bauble, but Bianca shook her head.

"You might need it later."

After that moment in his history, Nico had always assumed that it was all pure coincidence. That the skull ring she had given to him was something that she had merely found and she had hoped that it would bring him happiness and reassurance. Back then; he thought that she had been teasing him and that the ring was just to show that he should stop being gloomy and sulky. But as time went on, when he found out that he was the son of the infamous Lord Hades, the thought that maybe she had known nagged at the back of his mind. As it was, he could no longer question her.

The third time he heard about the theory of parallel universe, it was a few months after Gaea's defeat. It was a chilly evening, but everyone was getting ready for the grand celebration just waiting to happen in a mere hour. All of the members of Camp Half Blood and visitors from Camp Jupiter were busy mingling with one another and chatting. As usual, the son of Hades kept to himself in the shadows. Even though he was well integrated into Camp affairs, he still had the habit of watching other people interact. Call it a bad habit, but he loved watching his comrades have fun with one another. It's not like anyone would miss him from the proceedings.

"Yo, Nico!"

Too late.

The young man rolled his eyes at the sky. Just why was Fate so hell-bent on screwing up his life? He was perfectly fine with just staying out of the way and making nice with the shadows in the corner. In the past, he would have ignored that voice and probably left the premises immediately; however, he mustered a wane smile before smiling toothily at his friend.

"What's up, Annabeth? Did the Stolls finally break out the booze?" Most of what he asked was meant to be a joke, but there was a rumor that the entire Hermes cabin was going to do something…completely drastic for the countdown. Even though he was pretty close to Cecil (one of Hermes' sons) he kept his lips tight on the entire matter. Not that it would matter; that was pretty much of the main reasons why he chose to stay out of the way for this little shindig. The other reason…was far more personal and he would like to keep the lid on that can of worms shut.

The golden blonde girl shook her head as she sat on the ground with Nico. After his impromptu confession to Percy a few months back, their relationship had continuously grew and expanded to the point where Nico could confidently regard her as being one of his best friends. Of course, there was still some hidden regret whenever he saw Annabeth and Percy lip-locking, but for the most part, he grew out of his childish dreams.

"Dear gods, did you see them carrying body bags?"

Nico nearly spit out his mouthful of punch that he had made sure was free from any toxins.

"I think the real question of the evening is why you're asking if they have body bags? I mean, they wouldn't do something too flashy and ddangerous would they?" He had heard of many pranks that the Hermes cabin had plotted throughout the years, but he had never thought that they would resort to anything drastic.

Annabeth solemnly shook her head as she leveled the partygoers a firm glare. For the evening, she was in her battle ready mode. Nico didn't notice, but he finally saw that she was wearing sturdy jeans, a knee length coat the shade of dark blue, and that her head was being dwarfed by a white beanie. Unlike most of the other participants—most notably, the Aphrodite campers—she was wearing an outfit that was strictly for business purposes rather than for looking the part of a partyer.

"I wouldn't put it past them to spike the glasses or anything really. My brothers and sisters have reported nothing fishy going on…but that's if they're actually speaking the truth. For all I know, some of them could actually be double crossers."

Nico blinked owlishly.

"Should I be concerned that you're taking this too seriously? It's not a game of capture of the flag."

"…I suppose that you're correct, but it's New Years! The least that they could do—" Her grey eyes narrowed in absolute mortification when she saw two boys causing an explosion of sorts in the middle of the campgrounds. "Never mind," she conceded sullenly as she saw that there were literally dozens of campers putting out the fire that consumed one of the tables. She chose to ignore the fact that the fire was a deep green and that her boyfriend was an integral part of the fiasco.

(She was totally going to kill him later.)

"If you want, I can kick his butt for you," Nico offered. He was partly amused at her murderous glare, but he was willing to grant a Percy a quicker death because Annabeth looked ready to destroy people. He may not have harbored any feelings for the son of Poseidon, but he would be really sad if Percy were to die.

Contrary to what he thought was going to occur, Annabeth shook her head sadly.

"I'll deal with him later. I actually want to get away from everybody and have a decent conversation at least with one person here."

"Why me? I know that Hazel and Piper are celebrating at Camp Jupiter, but there are plenty more candidates to choose from." A sensation that Nico was fully familiar with ran down his spine. The favored child of Athena wasn't planning on doing something to him, was she? Despite his initial suspicion, there was a telltale feeling of warmth that out of all the people at the party, she still had chosen him to converse with. My, he had indeed come a long way.

"Are you saying that I can't talk with a friend about welcoming a New Year?" She rolled her eyes at Nico's affronted expression as she fingered the glass of punch in her hands.

Nico couldn't help but smirk at the confident smirk that bloomed on Annabeth's rosy cheeks. Besides Hazel and Reyna, the girl definitely knew how to push his buttons to get him arguing with him.

"I'm just saying that most people chatting at this moment are couples; it would be really romantic to be with your significant other as the countdown begins."

"Wise words and I fully agree with you. However, a person shouldn't be alone…"

"You are not implying what I'm thinking that you're actually implying, are you?" It was his turn to roll his eyes at the blonde girl. He had spent many evening alone, what was the difference if he spent this night alone? He didn't need to have someone at his side just to celebrate such an insipid celebration. "I already told you…I don't think that kind of relationship would work out between…you know." A violent blush the hue of the bloodiest rose in Persephone's garden in the Underworld blossomed quickly on his face. Out of shame, he turned away from the young woman and held his cup towards his lip to mask his feelings. Even now, he still was reserved around personal matters.

Annabeth, on the other hand, wasn't having any of it.

"Think rationally, Nico," she scolded gently. "Why do you think he rejects other people's offers and he continually sticks up for you? Don't tell me that you two fight about your health like an old married couple just for kicks!"

"He's annoying," he carefully ignored Annabeth's smug face, "and he doesn't know when to stop hassling me about my health. He thinks that my digestive track is going to explode from all of the McDonald's I've been eating. Pfft…happy meals have never failed me before."

"That's besides the point."

"And what point are you trying to make on this fine December 31st I wonder?"

"How Will puts up with your sarcasm, I will never understand."

"I question your sanity whenever Percy's mouth opens."

"Touché, but don't think that you're getting anything out of this unscathed. Don't look so frightened, I'm not going to force you at knifepoint to go talk to your pseudo-boyfriend—although I would like to—"

"I already told you—"

Annabeth continued despite Nico's blatant intrusion into her little spiel.

"—but haven't you had this once in a lifetime decision that you know is going to affect your life?" She asked with a passionate tone. "You know, that if you didn't do it, things would be drastically different?"

Nico stopped for a second. When was the last time he had heard those exact words? When was the last time he had pondered what life would have been like if he had made a different decision?

"What do decisions have to do with anything? Asking Will out," he held out a hand so that Annabeth wouldn't interrupt, "in theory, is not going to do anything in the grand scheme of things. If anything, it would probably be another decision that I will regret in the future."

A hard glint of determination appeared in Annabeth's eyes.

"But you don't know that."

Nico decided to use a different angle to attack the argument. There was no way he was going to admit anything to her. Especially since this was a subject that he desperately didn't want to think about this time of year.

"Are you sure you're Annabeth Chase?" Come to think of it, were her words slurring after a while? He had to give the Hermes kids credit if they were behind the Athena child's sudden ability to become in tune with her inner Aphrodite. "The resident bookworm with a penchant for war strategy and logical thinking?"

"Call back another time. She just left a few hours ago after she drank some punch given to her by a Hermes kid."

Was she always this sarcastic?

"And I have to deal with the end result." Nico sighed. A thought occurred to him, causing him to glare at Annabeth dangerously. "Did somebody put you up to this?"

"Yup."

"Who?"

"Can't tell. Besides," she dismissed the entire matter of who actually put her up to this, "I want to talk about you and the consequences of your inaction if you don't do something about your pining for our resident doctor."

"I'm a guy from the forties; I don't pine."

"Keep on saying that, maybe I'll believe you."

"How about we get back to the original point you were trying to make?"

"Multiple universes based on the decisions that we make every single day of our lives. I'm asking that you make a decision to do something that will probably give you happiness for the rest of your life."

"Keyword being, possibly."

"Come on! So many decisions and so many options that you could choose from! Don't you want to be happy?"

"Again, why are you acting so…happy?"

"Possibly got drugged a few hours ago or something."

Nico was about to call her out on being way too straight faced to joke, but that would make sense. He did see some Hermes campers hanging way too close to the punch and Dionysus was acting way too lenient this evening. Nico had initially chalked this up to just enjoy the festivities, but maybe the god gave the Hermes campers the go ahead to do something…special to the drinks. That would also explain Annabeth's slight slurs and her irrational comments this far into the conversation.
"Ah…If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go hide in the shadows and get some medical help for you."

"I'm all good, but if you're going to get medical help…get Will! And—"

"If you demand that I ask Will out, I will tell the entire Hermes population that you broke into their cabin for a reconnaissance mission."

A slight pout decorated her face.

"At least think about what I said."

Nico waved a hand signaling his departure as he moved into the brightly lit area of the campgrounds. While the party was originally in the Amphitheater, it was safe to say that the celebration had expanded into most of the Camp. Even Dionysus was enjoying in the excitement of the festivities as he lounged in a lawn chair decorated in grapevines. Aside from the kids jumping around and singing horribly off-key to pop songs from the current year—minus the Aphrodite and Apollo campers—it would have been a much more peaceful night.

As he walked towards the Big House because he knew that Will was there, he thought about what Annabeth was trying to say to him. Although he knew that she was being a great friend and all, he just felt like maybe…maybe he shouldn't listen to her. When was the last time someone had ever looked at him in complete trust after knowing that he was the son of Hades? After the events of Gaea's defeat, the outcome left him with loyal friends and comrades who were willing to lay down their life. It was a better ending than what had transpired after the rise of the Titans. However, the brooding young man still felt the aloofness of other people, the small acts of discrimination.

People may not have fully realized what they were doing, but Nico always knew that deep down they shied away from him. Of course, the supposed alienation from other people wasn't as gloomy and gut wrenching a few years ago, but Nico couldn't help but feel a sliver of anger shoot through him. However, his small group of friends had advised him not to care about these small instances of discrimination. Hazel, Reyna, and others had told him that all he should care about are his friends and that the harshness of other campers did not need to play a role in his life. Nico had gratefully taken than advice and he was more than happy to see that none of his friends were perturbed.

Even his newfound acquaintances, Cecil, Lou Ellen, and Will, whom he thought companionship would just last for a few weeks, were still friendly towards him. In fact, if he weren't the type to shy away from celebrations and the like, he would have been partying with those three. A small frown appeared on his face as he thought if he had done that. If anything, both Cecil and Lou would accidentally leave him and Will alone. Nico wasn't stupid enough to not know that the son of Hermes and daughter of Hecate were trying to get the two demigods together. At first, Nico had been alarmed; he thought it was all an elaborate prank. But after confronting Cecil, he realized that what they had been doing was only for the purest of intentions.

His lip twitched when at that.

What good could come out of a same sex relationship? He had neglected to tell other people about his preferences and he would prefer to keep it that way. He was already the poster child of being the spawn of Hades; he didn't need other things to hold him from the rest of the crowd. Besides, it wasn't important information, just a sad little reminder that he was different. Was acceptance so difficult to obtain in society? If he were to announce his feelings to Will, would he be rebuffed? The Italian wouldn't be able to handle such heartbreak.

But maybe…

"Yo Nico! Having fun at the party!" Cecil laughed wildly as he swung Lou Ellen around in a mock rendition of a waltz.

"Not as much fun as Lou Ellen," Nico pointed out. It was true. While most would have ended up vomiting after a few twirls by the rambunctious little trickster, Lou Ellen managed to keep a bright smile on her face as she allowed her friend to lead.

"What bring you here to our humble dance circle," Lou Ellen asked as she managed to stop swaying from the ceased twirling. Cecil managed to help her out by holding her forearm in case she fell. "You wouldn't be looking for your favorite medic, now would you?"

In a remarkable test of wills, Nico managed a small grin at her attempt of getting him to think about dating Will before replying.

"Yes, I am. Before you ask, it's for Annabeth. Apparently, she's had a bit too much of the punch." He narrowed his eyes to glare at the nearest son of Hermes—that is, Cecil. "You wouldn't have anything to do with it, would you?"

"Me? I'm just a humble demigod with a penchant pretty girls with magical abilities!"

"You're making me regret being your date for the evening. Besides," Lou Ellen spoke to Nico, "Will's in the Big House. Some people managed to get themselves sick over the holidays, the nerve."

"Yes, because that obviously deserves a special spot in the Fields of Punishment."

"Good to see that you agree with me."

"Bye, Nico! Kiss Will for the both of us!"

The son of Hades mentally noted that he would have to kill Cecil tomorrow.

Hurrying away from the giggling couple, the dark-haired Italian briskly strode towards the Big House. Just like he had expected, the entire building was decorated with leftover Christmas decoration and banners reading New Year's greetings. Inside, various lights lit up the entire area as Nico stepped inside the threshold. It appeared that nothing had changed ever since Percy had saved him from his teacher a few years ago. As such, he wasn't surprised to see that it was nearly empty and that the coughing of Will's patients were the only jarring sounds. Following the trail of muttered curses and heavy breathing, he reached the infirmary's doorframe.

For a second, he steeled himself in front of the door. He didn't see the son of Apollo at the angle he was looking in, but he was pretty sure that he was in there. The sound of cabinets opening and closing could be heard as Nico smiled to himself. Will was a magnificent doctor, but there were times, especially when it wasn't in the war time, that he sometimes he slipped and forgot to do something. Will could be self-conscious about his tiny flaws; he always wanted to prove himself, but Nico knew that he was more than adequate.

Will Solace was a great friend.

Will Solace was a great doctor.

Will Solace would make a great boyfriend.

Nico resisted the urge to scowl as he opted to keep his neutral expression.

Even if Will accepted who he was—which he had—and befriended him—which he definitely did—then who was the stop him from accepting Nico's sexuality? The answer: the rest of the world. It broke Nico's heart, but there was still discrimination lurking within the modern century and he didn't want the blond to be subjected to public cruelty. He wasn't an unkind person; he just wanted what was best for his friend. If he could just isolate those feelings that swelled beneath the surface and squashed them…then maybe he had a chance of becoming normal.

But was it really worth it?

He had already been beat up Cupid—pretty badly. Who was to say that the god of lust and love wouldn't hound him again?

Really, the only way to avoid getting into that situation again was to—

Was to—

How bad could it be if Nico confessed his feelings to Will? Most of his friends seemed to be all gung ho for this petty affair. In fact, the only person closest to him who didn't know was the object of his affections. Every day, ever since they met during the siege against Gaea, Will would always smile at him and engage in conversation. At first, it had been annoying but as time went on…it seemed that all the pent up frustrations and love for Percy had strengthened, but it was all for someone else. Sometimes, Nico would be so happy just seeing the blonde actually acknowledge him and thus, making him laugh with joy that he hadn't felt in years.

Nico wouldn't lie; he wanted their relationship to become stronger and a touch more intimate.

But then, Nico shook his head in self-disgust.

Now was not the time to be thinking about that. If anything, he should be getting ready to tell Will—

"Shouldn't you be at the party?"

By the gods…was he really that tall? Nico immediately backed away from the doorframe once he realized that Will was practically on top of him. The thought almost brought a blush to cheeks, but he managed to school his expression into one of apathy before replying.

"Annabeth needs you. Hermes cabin struck before she had any chance," Nico solemnly stated.

Will sadly shook his head at the news. Having been at the Camp for many years, he of all people knew what the Hermes cabin was capable of. Without hesitation, he grabbed his coat from a nearby coat rack and a first aid kit before joining Nico.

"They just never learn do they?" Turning back to the doorway, Will peeked inside and shouted, "Kayla, you know the drill."

"Whatever, I hope that you have fun out there." The two teenagers shared a small smile at Will's younger sister's attitude before they looked away. For some odd reason, their seemed to hold this silent, charged conversation. For Nico, it felt too intimate for platonic friends.

Their breaths produced small puffs of steam as they moved towards their target. As they did so, Nico made sure that he was a respectable distance away from the blonde.

"So…New Year's huh?" Will began awkwardly. Nico looked at him curiously. Since when was the blonde looking so shy and bashful?

"Not yet, we still have around fifteen minutes," the son of Hades surmised.

"Ah, really?" The blond scratched the back of his neck in an effort to look composed. His bright hair began to look mussed, but still retained the silkiness that Nico suspected would feel pleasurable when running the locks between his fingers. Not that he entertained those thoughts. "Well, have you thought about any resolutions for the new year?"

"Not really. What about you?"

"Well…I have been thinking about this one person for a long time now. I think that if I get the timing just right, I might just land a date and a promise to stay by this person's side forever."

Were all the sons of Apollo this wonderful with words?

And were they always using flowery words just to cause pangs of self-hatred, nausea, and anger in his heart? Nico should have known that this thing he wanted to pursue with the son of Apollo would only backfire on him. With a deep, calming breath, he reasoned that this was for the best. It's not like he had staked a claim on Will Solace, no matter how much he wanted to do so.

"Oh…is she pretty?"

"Not really," Will paused a moment in recollecting the person's features before relaying them to his friend. A hint of an upturned lip clearly displayed how happy he was to have met this person. "The person I like is a bit like a sleeping dragon. Wanting always to brood, hide away in the dark, and scare the pants off people."

"A Hermes girl?" Nico thought incredulously. Since when was he looking at Hermes' kids? "I didn't know that you were into pranks and such." If he had known that, would it have made it a difference?

"Nope. This person I like has been a spending a lot of time with me for a few months now, and it's safe to say that we're both head over heels in love with each other."

Now that was just plain strange coming out of Will's mouth. Nico was pretty sure he would have met this strange girl who peculiarly sounded a lot like him. Besides, if anything, Nico was the one who spent the most time with Will! Not that he should care, but still. Something just didn't add up to Will's likely story.

"Well, I wish the both of you luck with your new relationship." A bitter tone laced Nico's statement as he tried to lengthen his pace and not continue this awkward conversation. What was the reason behind Will's tiny confession that he was crushing over this girl? It was like Fate decided to drop several drama bombs on Nico's head and decided to use him as a verbal punching bag. Mind you, Nico thought that Fate did this quite often.

"That's great! There's only one problem." Will's voice took on a wistful quality, causing Nico to slow down in his tracks and look towards his friend—unfortunately.

"This person doesn't take too kindly to surprises, Will slowly explained. A sheepish blush dusted his features and Nico couldn't help but melt at the sight of so much affection in that one expression. Why couldn't he be the one to be on the receiving end of that? "So if I spring this little proposal now, well…I might just end up with my head rotting in the middle of Hades."

"What makes you say that?" Nico frowned. "If that's the case, I'll make sure to keep you safe from any girl who wishes to torture you for 'springing' the idea."

Will's blushing face leaned down towards Nico's; there was a smile of hope on his lips. For some odd reason, their proximity between each other had almost dissipated, leaving Nico breathless and confused. Since when did they begin to subconsciously edge towards each other?

"Is that a promise?" Low, husky, and Nico felt that he enjoyed Will's tone of voice.

It was only out of years of self-control and discipline that he stayed in place.

"Hmm? I guess if you're that desperate." The brunet answered in a coy fashion. The way Will was looking at him, as if there was no urgency…something just wasn't quite right. Didn't he have a girl to please?

"So say it then."

"Say what?"

"Say that whatever happens in the next fifteen seconds that you'll protect me from the clutches of Hades and that this person I'm about to talk to won't kill me. Do you promise?"

"Yes, of course, now go find your—"

Nico felt a pair of warm lips cover his own.

All he felt was the warmth that Will was emitting from that gentle pressure on his face. It was like feeling the sun on his face after years of an endless winter. Instead of feeling burned, he just felt light and airy. As the kiss deepened and Nico felt his knees buckle, he could hear the cheering of New Year's. After a few more seconds, even though he hesitated to do so, Nico felt himself stiffen and pull back from Will's gentle touches.

So much love and devotion were on Will's face. So much, that Nico felt that he could just burst from joy knowing that this look was reserved only for him. But still, confusion still lurked in his mind.

"I thought you were going to talk to a girl," Nico breathed out.

"Looks like you're going to need a doctor to check your hearing. I never specified the gender." Suddenly, Will's face became troubled. "You're not going to send me to the Fields of Punishment just because I kissed you, right?"

Nico gave a dark smirk before he tugged on Will's collar, which brought his ready lips on his.

So what if he was a little bit different? So what if this decision might impact his life negatively? All that counted was the here and now, this moment that he was currently spending with what he could feel was what going to be his boyfriend. Right now, the past didn't matter and whatever followed he would be sure to work through with it. There might have been infinities upon infinities of universes, but in this one, he was going to make the most of it.

And with that thought, the two demigods held hands and celebrated the New Year together.

Just a few feet in front of them, Annabeth, Cecil, and Lou Ellen took a swig from their drinks and high fived one another.