Do you know those nights where everything is drenched in starlight, where the sky is drenched in starlight and barley even seems dark anymore, where you're walking and you have your own little stars just next to you, contained in the city lights lining the streets? When you're with someone you love, or multiple people you love, and everything is just so perfect you're convinced magic simply has to exist because feeling like this is not possible without the influence of some higher power? Do you? I hope you do. And if you haven't, I hope that one day you'll go out at night with good company and feel it, that happiness that starts in your chest and spreads through the rest of your body until there's a hazy glow over everything. I really hope you do, because nothing can compare.

Will Solace knows of those nights. He's been so lucky to experience that special kind of magic, (different than the magic inside him, inside his father, inside the monsters. Simpler, but more complicated at the same time.) and every time he did, it was as wonderful as the last time.

Tonight is more special than the other special nights, though. For multiple reasons. The first one has to do with the fact that he's with Nico and every moment with Nico feels like their own brand of magic, so you can imagine how extra magical this night is (like he can feel the world spinning beneath his feet). The second is the weight in the pocket of his pants. It's probably imaginary, but it's feels really heavy. He held the little box before, though, and he knows it's in his head because it barely weighted anything.

He feels nervous and jumpy all through dinner. He spent a little more time than usual getting dressed, a minute longer on his hair, a couple moments extra on making sure the suit he's wearing isn't wrinkled, he's actually wearing a suit, which he's convinced were invented solely to torture him, but it' worth the little smile on Nico's face when he eyes him up and down appreciatively and approving. And later, the moment when Nico tears it off and his breath is hot on his skin when he whispers how good he looked, is also worth it. He just wants to be perfect for Nico tonight.

So he's nervous all night, waiting for the right moment. He doesn't want to do it at the restaurant, because he feels it's not something he wants to do while there are people all around, he wants to be able to disappear into their private little universe, the one they're only allowed to enter during moments that they're alone. So, he waits, suggests to go for a little walk. Nico nods and while they're walking, hands linked between them in comfortable silence, he notices the way Nico's eyes reflect the night sky and how it looks like the whole universe is living inside of him. The realization makes his breath hitch in his throat, because he still can't believe how beautiful Nico is sometimes, and he wonders if he'll survive it if Nico's answer isn't what he's hoping for.

'Why're you looking at me like that?', Nico asks softly, smiling a little smile, catching Will's gaze out of the corner of his eyes.

Will smiles back at him and swings their hands a little. 'I can see the moon on your hair. It's beautiful.'

Nico rolls his eyes, but he can't hide the faint pink creeping up his cheeks. 'You're such a dork.'

'So I've been told.'

The streets are empty, they're walking along a canal, there's just enough light to see each other and Will feels unbelievably happy.

'Wanna dance, Sunshine?', he says suddenly.

Nico looks at him and laughs softly. 'What?'

'Dance with me.' The boys stop walking and Will takes his boyfriend's hand in his. He pulls him closer and his arm wrap around his waist. Nico moves his arms too, like it's instinctual until they're basically hugging.

'We don't have music.', Nico points out. Will can't see his face, but he's pretty sure the boy is rolling his eyes or doing something that indicates exasperation.

'S'okay, I'll make some', and he starts humming a random tune he heard once. There's a definite possibility that's it's from a commercial or something like that, because this may be one of the most romantic things to ever happen to Will, that doesn't mean he knows any songs to slow-dance to. They move a little bit to the sound of Will's hums. It's kind of awkward because neither of them has any experience slow dancing or anything remotely close, but they manage to find some kind of pace anyway. Two boys pressed against each other, smiling and in love.

'This is weird.', Nico states matter of factly, but he rests his head on Will's shoulder anyway, so Will figures he doesn't hate it.

'I guess. But it's nice, isn't it?' Will's cheek is smutched against Nico's head.

It's quiet for a moment, before Nico says. 'I guess it's nice.'

And neither of them has noticed the humming had stopped the moment Will said something else, because it wasn't about that anyway. Not really. They just stay like that, enjoying each other's presence, inhaling the peacefulness that comes with the dark, exhaling love, feeling brighter than the moon. Will kisses the side of Nico's head and murmurs 'I have to ask you something, Nico.', because he can't take it anymore. He would've been happy staying like that for the rest of the night literally any other time but now. Because this question is taking up all the space in his head, it's ringing and beating inside his head, begging to be let out, begging to be asked.

Nico looks up at him, not letting go of Will's waist. 'Ask me then.'

'No, I – it needs to be done right.', he says. He detaches himself from Nico's body and takes a step back, takes a deep breath.

'Nico, you know I love you.', Will says then. His blue eyes, silver at night, are open and honest and a little scared, though Nico can't imagine why they are. Seeing Will twitchy like that, makes him nervous. He'd noticed all throughout the night that Will wasn't completely at ease, though Nico figured Will would tell him what was going on when he felt like it, the way he always does. So, he hadn't said anything. He put it away to think about later the very moment the both of them walked out into the night. Simply walking with Will under the stars like that, he had felt quiet inside and it's the best feeling in the world. He just kind of forgets everything and lives in the moment only.

But now he has to think of whatever it is that's bothering Will when it's clear that he's about to act on it. And Nico's scared of what it will be. There are only so many things that are important to bring up on a night like this, nervous like that.

'Yes, I – I love you too. What's wrong?'

'Nothing. At least, I hope nothing's wrong, but that's on you. I don't – '

'Will, just ask me whatever it is you want to ask me.'

'Okay', Will messes up his hair a little and takes another deep breath. Then he lowers himself on one knee and it takes way too long for Nico to understand what he's doing, for his eyes to widen, for his breath to get stuck in his throat, emotions blocking its path out. He already feels tears welling, even though Will hasn't even asked anything yet. So, he just bites his bottom lip, trying to will them back inside.

Will looks up at him from where he's kneeling on the ground and the blue of his eyes is dark and stars are reflecting in them, his own little skies, mirroring the one on earth. He remembers the tears that had streamed down his face the first time Will had told him he loved him, how he had furiously tried to brush them away and how Will had taken his hands and lowered them, had wiped Nico's tears away himself. Shouldn't I have said that? Too fast? Can I make it up to you? We can ignore it ever happened if you want. He was so worried he'd screwed up somehow and desperately tried to tell him to just forget about it and hadn't stopped until Nico had whispered I love you too. I just never thought I – never thought someone would ever – . He never finished his sentence, but Will had gotten it anyway and had pulled him close against him, stroked his hair, whispering quiet I love yous, while Nico tried to overcome his emotions.

Although he's gotten used to the feeling of loving and knowing you're loved in return, he still keeps every instance he and Will told each other they did in a little ancient box, stored in a drawer in his heart, to take out and look through when he seems to forget it's real. Like one would browse through and old photo album.

Now, Will is one knee and all those moments are kind of flying through his brain. But Will's not saying anything, and for an excruciating moment Nico wonders if maybe he's judged the situation the wrong way and Will is simply tying his shoelaces or something.

'For Hera's sake, please, no.', Will mutters then, after a minute of him rummaging through every pocket of his suit. 'I'll do it like this then.', he says before looking up again and taking one of Nico's hands in both of his.

'Nico', he says. 'You're probably expecting some poetic speech or something, me being the son of Apollo and all, but you and I both know I'm an awful poem so I'm just going to go straight to the point', another deep breath. 'Nico, will you marry me?'

And although Nico was expecting the words to come out of Will's mouth, he's not prepared for the feeling that overwhelms him upon actually hearing them be said out loud. The sound of Will's voice shaking is vibrating through his body, his heart is pulsating to the beat of those five words and it's all he can hear for a moment before the sheer happiness of it all manages to escape by putting a smile on his face. Before he truly intends to, he's furiously nodding his head and whispering yes yes yes. Will's face breaks into one of the brightest grin Nico's ever seen on him and that's saying a lot. He gets up and kisses Nico with an intensity that could tear the stars right off the sky and make them rain down on them like shining raindrops.

'Where's the ring, though?', Nico asks after they pull back for air, smirking.

Will gives him a little bashful smile and looks down at his feet. 'I kind of forgot the ring', he mutters. 'I hid it with all my medical things because I know you would never look there, but I forgot to bring it! I'm an idiot.'

'That you are. '

'But you're agreeing to marry me anyway. I'm an idiot, but you love me.'

'You know, I think I have to see the ring first before I give you my definite answer. It might not be good enough.', Nico teases.

'Not amused.', is the dry reply before Will swoops him into another kiss and leaves him breathless, for now and for all the days to come. Nico never thought he'd ever be happy, let alone marry a wonderful boy who's got all the light of the world in his smile and so much love inside him, a wonderful boy who's willing to share all that love with Nico. He would've never even dared to dream anything that came close to the amount of happiness replacing the darkness that used to exist inside him.

'I'm really happy, Will', he whispers and it echoes through the night, reaches the moon and lights up the stars.

A/N: Thanks for reading! The title's from Mayday Parade's 'Without the bitter the sweet isn't as sweet.'

Love,
Vlindervin