A/N: Yes so hi. Apparently I did not hate this as much as I first thought. So (behold!) I am here with a second chapter - which I can also almost guarantee is the last. I've grown very fond of this AU, and I really love Nico and Jason's friendship in this, but enough is enough. You have to stop while you still can.

It's a bit shorter than the first one, but I hope you like it nonetheless. Please read and review, fellas!

(And yes, Tom is named after Piper's Grandpa Tom. If anyone tries to tell me their first son would be named anything other than Tom I will find you and I will skin you. (No I won't.))

Nico is worried about Ciara.

Ever since the dinner with Will three weeks ago she has been a little distant. It's nothing big; just a little less talking and a little more silence between them than usual. She talks more about the things she wants to do with Piper and her school friends than the ones she does with Nico. She has asked to go to a sleepover three weekends in a row. Suddenly Ciara has developed an interest in reading every book in their apartment instead of talking to her father. And as for soccer… she has stopped talking about soccer altogether.

Ciara still looks happy to go to practice. She still works on her feints and shuttles and tackles in the yard every day after school. She's getting better, and during practice Nico can see that Will is praising her on her accomplishes just like she deserves. But when Nico doesn't make it to the practice and tries to ask how it was, she shrugs and quickly changes the subject.

Nico has a feeling it has to do with Will. It's hard to tell, though; she seems to like him just the same during practice, and when Will has been over at their apartmet a few times she talks to her coach like she always does, and laughs and jokes like any other day. She has a trouble of not calling Will "coach" when they talk about her schoolday, but other than that there doesn't seem to be a problem. To an outside eye everything seems to be fine, but Nico knows his daughter, sees the difference, and can't think of anything else that would make her that way.

"Maybe you're over reacting", Jason suggests over the phone as Nico shops for groceries. "Wouldn't be the first time, right?"

Nico sighs and stops at the end of the isle to check the list for bread. "Right." He remembers Ciara's terrible two's and his reactions to that all too well, and he knows how many times he has over reacted in the past. This could all be just a phase.

"I mean, it's not like she doesn't like Will. She talks about her almost more than you do, and really, that's a lot. Just last week she was going on and on about something Will had said during practice that she thought was hilarious."

"Really?" Nico arches his eyebrows even though Jason can't see. This is new. Nico thinks it's a good sign – although he doesn't really know how he feels about the fact that his daughter can talk about soccer and Will with Jason but not with him.

On the other end of the line, Jason sighs. "Yes, really. Stop over thinking things, Nico. Ciara loves you, and she really likes Will. She just needs a little time to adjust, that's all."

Picking up a bag of toast and dropping it to the cart Nico lets his shoulders drop in defeat. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right." He goes to pick up two cartons of milk. "Are we still up for the dinner tomorrow?"

"Sure. Piper's been waiting to try some family recipe her father sent her a few weeks back, so if it's gross please don't let her know."

"Duly noted."

"Do you want to bring Will?" Nico thinks Jason sounds a little hesitant, like he isn't sure if it's okay to suggest that, but it's impossible to tell without seeing the man's face.

Nico is slightly taken aback by the question. Does he want to bring Will to the dinner with the Graces? On a long run, the answer is a firm yes. Dinners with the Graces are the closest thing Nico has to family dinners, and he would very much like to include Will in those. But it's still kind of early in their relationship. They haven't been openly together for more than two weeks, even if they have been seeing each other for months. And with Ciara being distant, Nico doesn't think that another dinner with Will is what she needs right now.

Plus, the dinners with Jason and Piper can be a little too much even for someone who already knows them, let alone a new acquaintance. It's better to take it slow.

"Maybe some other time", Nico decides and pushes the cart aimlessly around the supermarket, wondering if he should by ice cream. He hasn't had ice cream for weeks.

"I hope so. I'm getting curious about this guy. You will introduce him to us before eloping, right?"

Trust Jason to always make Nico want to punch the wall. "Fuck off."

It is later that night that Nico lies awake in his bed and and stares at the ceiling that a severe thought comes to him. It hits him with a force that almost knocks him out, and he needs to sit up and count down from fifty before his breathing is back to normal. His hands start shaking and he tries to ball them into tight fists to keep them steady.

What if Ciara doesn't want him dating Will?

It's possible, Nico thinks, and the thought makes his heart ache. It hurts like hell, but Nico feels that it's possible. It has been just Nico and Ciara for all her life, and suddenly Will is there to make it three, and of course she's rebelling. But how far would her rebelling go?

And then Nico thinks about how he now has two people in his life who he loves equally as much, and how one of them may cause the other to leave one day. And Nico wants to think that Ciara would never be like that, that she would learn to love Will, and accept him. But Ciara is, after all, Bianca's daughter, and Nico remembers his sister all too well. He remembers what she was capable of.

If it ever comes to it, Nico is certain Ciara would be able to make Will leave. And that thought scares him more that it should, because he shouldn't even be thinking about this. He loves Ciara, and Ciara loves him, and she would never make Will leave as long as they're both happy. Nico knows this, and yet the thought has made a permanent establishment in the back of his head.

Before Nico knows it, he has reached for his phone, dialled Will's number and pressed the device to his ear. He has to wait for a minute, during which he considers hanging up, but Will answers before he can.

"Nico?" His voice is groggy and heavy from sleep, and Nico immediately regrets waking him up. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry, everything's fine." Nico rubs his face and feels like an idiot. It's past midnight on a Wednesday, and Will has an early shift at the hospital. He should get some rest. "You know that I love you, right?"

When Will replies, his voice is soft and warm, and Nico loves it and misses the way it feels against his skin. "I know. I love you, too." Nico can hear a ruffle of sheets, and imagines Will turning his pillow around to press his cheek on the cooler side. "You sure you're alright?"

Nico isn't sure. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just…" Just – what? Why has he called Will in the first place? What he says next makes him feel like a stupid teenager. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

Will's sigh is barely audible, but Nico still hears it and knows exactly what the man looks like at that very moment. "This is about Ciara, isn't it?" When Nico doesn't answer, Will continues, "She needs time, Nico. I'm sure it will all be fine, but she's in a delicate age. We can't expect her to welcome changes this big with open arms. We've talked about this."

"I know." Nico falls back to the mattress and almost hits his head on the headboard. "I know, and I feel stupid for worrying about this so much. I just… I love you both so much, and I want us to be happy, all three of us, but it feels so fucking hard right now."

"I know, love. It's going to be okay. I promise."

They both know that Will is in no position to make promises like that, but they pretend that he is. Hearing Will say it makes Nico feel a little better, if even for one night.

After a silence that could have gone on forever, Will sighs again. "Nico, I gotta get some sleep. Are you going to be okay?"

Nico rubs his face again and stifles a yawn. "Yeah. I guess. I'll talk to you later."

"Right. Love you."

"Love you, too." Nico smiles like a moron, because he still isn't used to the way the words slip from his lips. So casually, like he has been saying them to Will all his life. "Now go to sleep, idiot."

"Papa, can we go get ice cream after practice?"

Nico nearly stops breathing, and he has to make a conscious decision to keep moving and not stop in the middle of the street. Ciara hasn't called him papa for years, not since she heard her friends call their fathers dad. He wonders if this is just a one time thing, or if the name is making a permanent return. He realizes he has missed it more than he had thought.

He holds Ciara's hand just a little bit tighter and smiles. "Sure. I've been craving for ice cream all week, to be honest."

She doesn't say anything else, but Nico feels like this is an important moment. He should say something. He should ask her if everything's okay. He should make sure Ciara is comfortable with him dating her soccer coach.

"Ciara", he starts and pulls them to a stop just a block away from the soccer field. They're a little early, so he sits them down to a bench and makes her look at him before he speaks again. "You do know you can talk to me if anything is bothering you, don't you?"

Ciara's eyes drop to her lap, and Nico hates the way she avoids eye contact. She's never really done that before. But she's almost eight, and Nico wants to believe that it's nothing more than just a thing that comes with the age. That way he doesn't have to think about other reasons, the ones that make his chest feel too tight and hands numb.

"I know", Ciara says, and Nico tries to listen to her voice intensely, to detect any sort of resentment or anger. He finds none.

He waits for her to continue, but as she doesn't, he sighs and shakes his head sadly. "I hope that you understand that just because I'm with Will now doesn't mean that I love you any less."

"Dad – "

"No, let me finish." Nico takes a deep breath. He should have had this talk with her weeks ago. "I know that it's been just us for all your life. But that's not how I wanted it to be. I'm not saying that it hasn't been a wonderful life, because it has. And I love you more than you will ever be able to understand." He reaches out to move a strand of hair out of her face. She's made her braid herself today – she's getting quite good at it.

"I want you to be happy, and I want to be happy, too. And I strongly believe that Will can help us with that. What I need you to understand is that whatever happens with Will or with anything else, you will always be my baby girl. I will always love you, and I will always be your Papa. Got that?"

Nico feels old and sappy. But Ciara looks up at him, and her brown eyes are the exact same shade as his, and she looks so much like Bianca his heart aches, and she smiles.

"Got it, Papa", she nods before getting up and taking her practice bag from him. (Nico secretly wants to cry for the use of the name papa again, but bites the inside of his cheek to keep cool.) "Now come on, we're going to be late, and then Coach Will gets mad and won't kiss you for a week."

Nico gets up and rolls his eyes. "I'm not sure that's how this goes, but let's go."

For their six month anniversary, Will has made a reservation to a very classy French restaurant that has a waiting list for months. It's almost a shame that they don't make it to the restaurant – that they don't make it out of Will's apartment at all.

It's hard to balance his life between Ciara and work and Will, Nico has noticed. Will's hours at the hospital are irregular at best, Ciara has taken up musical theory and has piano lessons two nights a week, and Nico himself has had to stay late at work more often that he would have preferred. That part is fairly easy – the record store is close to Ciara's school, and she likes to come there after school. Nico is able to help her with her homework in the back room, and she likes to help him stock the vinyls.

But trying to add a relationship into that? That's the tricky part. There hasn't really been time for dates (not that Nico complains, he's really not a date person), and they see each other maybe twice a week plus the soccer practice. Will comes over at their apartment every other week to spend the evening, but it's the rare occasions when Jason and Piper are willing to look after Ciara that Nico has some real alone time with Will.

So when their six month anniversary rolls around and Ciara is spending the night at the Graces, Nico and Will both know they need to make the most of their time. Which is why all of their clothes are on the floor within five minutes from Nico's arrival.

"We're going to miss the reservation", Will pants against Nico's neck but doesn't seem to have any intention to stop. "I heard they have some really nice chicken."

Nico gets impatient and pushes Will's chest until the blond falls backwards on the couch over the arm rest. "Will Solace, you have to learn when to stop talking", Nico breaths to his mouth as he straddles him, hands finding their way to the golden locks of hair and hips grinding down in a slow, burning rhythm.

When a low moan escapes from Will's lips, Nico takes it as an agreement.

One thing that Nico has learned during the six months is that Will is extremely skilled with his lips. The small butterfly kisses Will peppers around his body leave him gasping for air. The curve of a smile against his own lips when they kiss after not seeing each other for days. The way Will's lips play with Nico's earlobe and make him squirm. The slow dance their lips have choreographed together to match their instincts, making them both slowly lose themselves into the kiss and each other.

But it's more than that. Will has a habit of pressing his lips against Nico's skin, not quite kissing but just keeping them there, holding still. The feel of those hot lips against his jaw, the small of his back, his inner thigh, his wrist, the nape of his neck… it has become one of Nico's favorite feelings in the world. He can feel Will's breath against his skin, hear his own heart beat loud in his ears, and it's like time is standing still until Will finally moves again.

As Will does that again later that night, pressing his lips softly against the sweaty skin of Nico's lower stomach, Nico wonders how something so simple can feel so huge. So good and intimate, and at the same time very innocent. (Nico knows by now that there is nothing innocent about William Solace, which makes this thought even more interesting.)

"Did I tell you I love you today?" Nico is still catching his breath as he tangles his fingers in Will's hair. He feels more than hears the laughter Will gives in response.

"Only a few dozen times", Will mutters as he starts kissing his way softly up Nico's chest. He doesn't stop until he can capture Nico's lips with his, offering a slow and thorough kiss that would have made Nico's head spin had he not been so completely exhausted already. "Happy six months, Nico."

Nico smiles and lazily traces a finger along Will's cheek bones and jaw line, committing every detail to his memory. "Happy six months, Will."

Will settles to rest his chin on Nico's chest, looking up at him and smiling. Nico holds his gaze, never looking away, and tries to recall time when he didn't know how blue someone's eyes could be. He doesn't remember.

They stay like that for what feels like hours. Nico strokes Will's hair gently and tries to count the freckles on his cheek, but gives up every time he gets to thirty-seven and looses count. Once the heat of the after-sex is gone the room starts to feel chilly to their skin, and they battle their way under the covers while staying tangled with each other. Will's fingers draw small circles to Nico's side, and Nico closes his eyes in contentment and wonders if it's normal to feel this much love towards one person.

At some point Nico is almost convinced that Will has fallen asleep, but then the blond scoots up on the bed to nuzzle his face into the crook of Nico's neck. Nico's fingers run up and down the other man's spine.

"We should probably try to sleep", Will whispers before settling down on his side next to Nico. "If my memory serves me right, we promised to take Ciara to the park tomorrow."

During the nights they have spent together, Nico has found it most comfortable to fall asleep with his head on Will's chest, listening to the steady beat of the man's heart and tangling their legs together until it's impossible to tell where one person ends and the other starts. They do this now, too; Will takes Nico's hand and laces their fingers together and hides his face to Nico's hair, and both of them let out an inaudible sigh that could be mistaken as a yawn.

"She has started to call me papa again", Nico says softly against Will's chest. He doesn't know why, but he feels that he wants to share this small change with Will. It might not even mean anything, but Nico loves hearing her use even one word of his mother tongue.

"Yeah?" Will squeezes his hand slightly. Nico squeezes back.

"She hasn't called me that since she was four."

The lips are there again, the extremely skilled lips, pressing against Nico's hairline. Not quite kissing, just holding still. Nico closes his eyes and listens to Will's heart, strong and steady under his head. He thinks he could listen to that heart every night before falling to sleep, for the rest of his life.

"Why do you think she started again?"

Nico doesn't know, but he's ridiculously happy she has.

Will moves in two weeks after the soccer season ends.

Nico still claims that Ciara is acting strange, but no one else seems to notice. Will tries to convince him that she's fine, tells him time and time again that she's acting completely normal, and slowly Nico starts to accept it. Maybe it's his own nerves acting up. Or maybe Ciara is almost eight, not that much a little girl anymore, and she's changing.

"Papa, I can't open my door!" Ciara yells from her room, trying to push open the door but failing miserably. Nico quickly starts to rearrange the boxes, pushing them around the hallway from blocking her door, but ending up forming a barricade in the archway that leads to the living room. "There's too many boxes."

She's right, of course. The apartment wasn't that big to begin with, but with Will's stuff there it feels just tiny. There's no way they will be able to live like this, the three of them. Nico locks his eyes with Will over the mountain of boxes and knows that the other is thinking the same.

They start looking, and after a few weeks of indoor parkour (that Ciara slowly starts to enjoy a little too much) Will shows Nico a few pictures of a beautiful three bedroom apartment just a couple of blocks away. It's close enough so Ciara won't have to change school, and Nico can still walk to work. It's twice the size of their current place, and it's spacey and inviting, with two bathrooms and an actual balcony that has a view over the city.

And it's for sale.

"You're going to buy an apartment?" Jason exclaims when Nico tells him over coffee, carefully placing his mug out of Tom's reach on the table.

Nico shrugs. "I don't know, maybe? I mean, we've talked about it, and there have been some pretty good arguments."

Jason looks at him funny, Nico wants to throw his coffee to his face. He doesn't like it when he doesn't understand Jason. "That's a pretty big commitment, Nico. Bigger than just living together. Are you sure you're up to that?"

A year ago Nico would have said no. He would have laughed at the person who had the nerve to suggest he should buy an apartment with his daughter's soccer coach. But right now, sitting in Jason and Piper's kitchen and watching as Tom runs around the room pretending to be a super hero… it's hard to even remember the person Nico was a year ago. And it's weird to think that this all started with him being sexually frustrated over Coach Will.

So Nico doesn't really have to think about his answer. Like, at all.

"Yeah", he says, and a soft smile makes its way to his face, probably (hopefully) taking Jason by surprise. "Yeah, I am."

On their first morning in their new apartment Nico wakes up to the sudden cold. He opens his eyes just a crack to see what Will is doing.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" he mumbles to his pillow and reaches out, but he's still too tired to move and Will's hand is just out of reach. "Back here. Now." He doesn't sound as bossy as he would like, but more like a whining child.

Will turns his head, and for a few seconds Nico thinks he's still dreaming. There's no way this angel has just crawled out of his bed. (Their bed, Nico reminds himself, and the thought still makes him giddy, no matter how long they have actually lived together already.) Nico fights the urge to pinch himself to see if he's really awake. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I was going to make breakfast."

They have yet to put the curtains up, so the morning light gets to the room unfiltered, making Will's messy hair shine in gold and orange and yellow and platinum. Nico has always thought Will is beautiful, but in this light he looks absolutely stunning. The freckled cheeks are still pink from sleep and the blue eyes are half shut, and the long lashes cast delicate shadows across the high cheek bones and make Nico wish he had a camera. Or that he knew how to take decent pictures.

Will isn't wearing a shirt, and Nico gets a good look at the toned chest that has freckles sprayed on it like paint on canvas. There's a red spot on Will's left side, right under his ribs, where Nico has bit down the previous night. The sheets pool around Will's waist, and Nico knows there aren't any clothes under them, which just makes the display all the better.

Nico is still staring when Will leans in and presses a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Go back to sleep, love. I'll wake you up with pancakes. Sound good?"

There really isn't any room for arguments, as Will slips out of bed before Nico can even open his mouth. The blond man starts looking for something to wear, but Nico truly enjoys watching the curves of his back and rear and thighs. What makes it even better is that Nico knows exactly how the muscles feel under his touch. And yet somehow Will still manages to look like something unearthly, something out of this world that takes Nico's breath away.

"You've been up five minutes, at most. How the fuck do you look that good?"

Will laughs quietly and pulls on last night's t-shirt while looking for his sweatpants. "You don't look too bad yourself." He finds the pants and (much to Nico's disappointment) puts them on before falling on the bed again, face only an inch away from Nico's. "And I've been awake for nearly half an hour. I've just been enjoying the feeling."

Nico closes his eyes and hums to the kiss. "What feeling?"

"The feeling of waking up next to the man I love."

Secretly, Nico actually loves it when Will says corny stuff like that, but usually he just brushes them off with sarcasm. Now, however… "Yeah, well. Get used to it, because I'm not going anywhere. I'm afraid you're stuck with me for the rest of your life."

When Nico opens his eyes again he sees Will's eyes staring at him in a strange way that makes the sky blue irises look almost turquoise. "I hope so." Nico's heart skips a beat or two.

Their lips connect again, and things could have escalated a lot if there wasn't a small knock on the bedroom door. "Dad? Are you awake?"

Nico sighs, pecks Will's lips one more time and sits up. "Just a second, Ciara", he says loud enough for his daughter to hear before finding his boxers behind a small pile of unpacked boxes. He slips them on quickly before calling Ciara to tell her to come in.

She steps in wearing the pajamas Jason and Piper bought her last Christmas, and Nico notices she's already growing out of them. (Mental note to tell Piper when she goes Christmas shopping.) She stands in the doorway with her hair half out of the braid Nico made her last night and rubs her face tiredly. It's eight in the morning on a Sunday, she's allowed to sleep as long as she wants. But unlike Nico, Ciara has always woken up before nine. It's infuriating.

"Good morning, Sunshine", Will smiles, and Nico loves the warmth in his voice when addressing Ciara. Will has limited the nickname Sunshine for strictly her by now, instead of using it as a general pet name like he did before. "Did you sleep well?"

Ciara nods and rubs her face in a way that Nico realizes she has learned from him. "Dad, can you show me how to make pancakes?"

Nico smiles. "Sure, sweetheart."

"I wasn't talking to you, Papa. Your pancakes suck."

It takes Nico ten seconds in total to register what Ciara has said. She said Dad. I wasn't talking to you, Papa. But she did say Dad, right? (He also chooses to ignore the fact that she thinks his pancakes suck and Will's don't. Nico is the one who taught Will to make pancakes in the first place, for fuck's sake.)

Ciara is looking at Will expectantly. Nico turns his eyes to the man just in time to see the same realization sink in Will, too. Dad. Nico's heart is beating faster and faster, and his eyes are burning and his throat feels tight. Dad. I wasn't talking to you, Papa. If Nico thought he was happy before, it was nothing compared to what he is feeling now.

All this time Nico has been worrying about Ciara not accepting Will as part of their little family. For months he has been having trouble sleeping because Ciara has seemed distant. Nico has fretted over this for well over half a year, having nightmares where he has to choose between Ciara and Will – and all that time he really has had nothing to worry about in the first place.

Ciara has called Will Dad. Bluntly and unceremoniously, like she does most things. She has just dropped the word sounding like she has done it a million times before, even though this is the first time. Nico can see Will's eyes watering and reaches for his hand.

"Yes, of course, Sunshine." Nico knows Will well enough to know when he's about to break, and squeezes the fingers a little tighter. Will squeezes back, and Nico feels how the hand shakes slightly. "Go wash your hands, okay? I'll be right there."

The first tear falls down Will's cheek the second Ciara exits the bedroom. Nico chuckles, still shocked from the new development, and wipes the tear away with his thumb. One of the things he loves most about Will is the man's inability to conceal his feelings. Will's smile is full of wonder and happiness, and Nico falls just a little bit more in love with him every time he looks at him. It's surreal to think that they have been together for well over eight months and Will can still make his head spin with the smallest of things.

Nico pulls Will's hand on his lips and kisses the knuckles. "I guess we now know why she switched back to Papa with me, huh?" he says softly, not really trusting his voice and trying to keep his own tears from falling. He can't remember when was the last time he wanted to cry of happiness.

Will looks like he wants to say a lot of things but can't find any words. He shakes his head in disbelief, the golden curls swaying against his forehead and his lips parted just a little. Nico lets go of his hand to cup his face, pulling him closer and pressing their lips together to the world's softest kiss that still causes volcanoes erupt and fireworks go off in Nico's stomach.

"I love you", Will whispers and smiles, and Nico smiles back.

"I love you, too."

After one more quick peck Nico leans back just in time to hear a loud crash coming from the kitchen, followed by Ciara's muffled "I'm okay!"

Will lets out a breathless laugh and rubs his face to get rid of rest of the tears. "I guess I should go there before she gets herself in trouble", he says and stands up, and Nico flops back on the bed and buries his face to the sheets that smell a little bit more like Will than him.

"Make sure the pancakes have chocolate chips in them."

"Jason, she…" Nico has to swallow hard and keep his eyes on the floor to keep himself crying. A wide, happy smile makes its way to his lips when he says, "She calls him her Dad, Jason."

Nico can't remember being this happy for years. He hides his face to his hands so Jason can't see the goofy smile and the tears that he can't keep from falling. It has been three days since the first time Ciara called Will her Dad, and there has been many times since that, and it's all sinking in slowly and surely. Nico is Papa. Will is Dad. And Ciara is their daughter, and it's all so good Nico wants to laugh until his lungs ache and he can't breathe anymore.

Nico can hear Jason take a few steps closer before an arm is placed on his shoulders. "It's okay to show happiness, Nico", Jason chuckles and pulls him to a hug. "And boy do you have reason to be happy. I told you that you were over reacting, didn't I?"

"Shut up, Jason." Nico sniffs and leans his head on his friend's shoulder briefly. "Let me have this." He can't even remember the last time he let Jason hug him at all, never mind actually leaning into the hug himself.

After a good while of just standing there in the kitchen, listening to the sounds of Ciara and Tom playing and Piper and Will talking about something that might have to do with Piper's dream of becoming a nurse, Nico pulls himself away and tries to subtly wipe away the remaining tears. The smile still stays on, and he isn't even sure he wants to hide it anymore. Why hide the fact that he's the happiest he ever remembers being?

"It feels really good to see you like this, Neeks", Jason says softly, and when Nico glances at him he sees the fond smile and shining eyes, like Jason too is about to cry. Jason never calls him Neeks anymore. Not since high school. "You seem more like the person you were before Bianca died. Balanced. Carefree. Happy."

Nico doesn't say anything, but he knows exactly what Jason means. He feels different, too. He has worked hard to block the painful memories about Bianca from his mind, but now that he's once again genuinely happy, he can't stop them from surfacing. He remembers being happy, back when he has at school and she was alive, and it felt awfully similar to what he is feeling now. The very thought of Will and Ciara and their little family makes Nico's heart melt and lips tug into a smile. He knows for certain he wants to be with Will for the rest of his life – and he can't wait for it to start already.

"I am happy", Nico finally admits quietly and slowly returns to his dishes. Will's laughter can be heard through the hallway, and it makes Nico's smile widen even more. "Very happy."

Annabeth has her baby in the early hours on New Years Day. When Nico wakes up in the morning he sees a text from her, with a picture attached. Will spoons him and looks at the picture while kissing his shoulder.

"He's beautiful", Will says, and Nico snorts.

"He's a baby. Babies are not beautiful, they look like babies." But he has to agree, the tiny baby with a small mob of black hair is beautiful. It makes him think about the time when Ciara was that small, and Ciara was gorgeous. And despite himself, Nico takes Will's hand and smiles.

Later that day, when the Graces come over for a late lunch, Will takes out a good bottle of wine to celebrate the new year. Piper smiles and drinks her water, and her eyes sparkle. She doesn't really have to say it, because Will is a doctor and knows, and Nico is not stupid, but she says it anyway, and it makes Jason smile stupidly with a happy glow on his face.

Nico smiles too, and he's genuinely happy for them. But his chest is tight.

The news of a new Baby Grace shouldn't shock Nico this much. He's seen the signs. He remembers Piper's complaints of swollen feet from when she was pregnant with Tom, and this isn't exactly a surprise. It's not like Jason hasn't been one big ball of sunshine and happiness for the past few weeks; he might as well have put up a banner over his head.

And maybe it's not even the news that cause Nico the slowly growing headache and irregular pulse. Right after Piper announces her pregnancy and the hugs are over and done with, Will is back in his chair next to Nico, reaching for his hand under the table. It's nothing new – they hold hands constantly during meals with friends. But there's something in the way that Will's soft fingers slowly lace together with Nico's that makes him wonder if Will is asking him something he doesn't yet quite know how to answer.

To: soccer mom jackson: [17:23] since i've never met percy i can't really say, but i think the baby looks a lot like you
To: soccer mom jackson: [17:23] congrats, you all
To: soccer mom jackson: [17:23] from ciara and will, too
From: soccer mom jackson: [18:45] Thank you! And he does look like me – although he has his father's nose. All of them do.
From: soccer mom jackson: [18:47] Happy New Year to you guys. Hopefully this year you'll be a little less dense!
From: soccer mom jackson: [18:47] (you know I'm talking about rings, right?)

Nico thinks there probably is a rule about it being inappropriate to be mad at women who have just given birth. But despite that he is going to murder Annabeth Jackson.

They haven't seen each other for three months, not since the soccer season ended, but she has still managed to mess with his head. Ever since New Year's all Nico has been able to think about is Will and rings, and it's crazy. It's absolutely fucking crazy, because he has been dating Will for less than a year and he doesn't even know if Will feels the same way about their relationship as he does.

(That's a lie – of course Nico knows, and of course Will does. But what if he doesn't?)

But of course Nico wants to marry Will. There's no question about it. When the idea was first introduced to his mind it never left, and it has been there for months now. Nico has probably thought about marrying Will since the day Will moved in and they finally shared a home. It has been a little less than three months now, and the thoughts about Will and rings are driving Nico crazy little by little.

Nico has been staring at Will for almost an hour now. It's late at night on a Sunday, and Will has just finished a double shift in the hospital. Ciara is fast asleep (she was allowed to stay up long enough for Will to get home and kiss her good night), and Will is curled up in a blanket at the other end of the couch, his legs tangled with Nico's. He has a medical journal in his lap and reading glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose, and Nico's heart is bounding against his ribcage.

Nico has long since abandoned his book and settled on watching the other man. How can someone focus on a fucking medical journal around midnight after a long day of work at a hospital? Nico admires Will's interest on the field, but more than that he admires the way Will's neck cranes when he tilts his head to lean on the back of the couch.

"Will", Nico says before he can stop himself, and his heart jumps to his throat when he realizes what he's about to do. Will makes a small sound of acknowledgement but doesn't look up from the magazine. Nico gets nervous, and he's afraid of losing his cool – whenever he's nervous he tends to lash out. "Will, I – Will, could you please stop what you're doing for a second and look at me? This is really important."

That makes Will's head snap up. During the ten months they have been together they have learned to read each other's emotions, and Nico knows that Will sees something's on his mind. Will's eye brows scrunch together, and a part of Nico hates himself for making the other worry like that.

"What is it, love? Is everything okay?"

Will's words make Nico laugh because honestly, everything's so much more than okay. "Yeah. Everything's great. And that's just it", he smiles at Will, and his chest feels tight. "Everything's fucking wonderful. And…" Deep breaths, someone who sounds a lot like Jason says in Nico's head. Deep breaths. It's going to be fine. He loves you, you idiot. "Will, I want to marry you."

The silence that follows isn't exactly what Nico was looking for. Sure, he wasn't planning on doing this now, or like this, or at all for the next few months or so, but still. Nico is so used to reading Will's face like an open book that the blank expression terrifies him more than anything. Nico feels panic rising up in his chest, squeezing all the air from his lungs.

Oh fuck, I've ruined everything. Will doesn't want this. Will doesn't want to get married, he wants things to stay the way they are. What was Nico thinking? Suddenly Nico is very happy he's acting on a whim and hasn't bought any rings yet. He doesn't want to be the guy in a rom com that has to bring the rings back to the store. I shouldn't have Annabeth's words get to me. Nico wants to hide in the shadows, melt into them and probably never come back up again…

"You just had to ruin the dinner beforehand, didn't you?"

Nico's heart stops right there. He blinks once, twice. Will's voice is soft and a little breathless, not angry despite of his words. "The – the dinner? I – what?"

"Dinner. Next Friday. In the French place uptown, where we were supposed to go once before." Will laughs a little while putting his magazine and glasses gently on the coffee table. Nico notices a nervous edge on the laugh, but is still uncertain about how to read Will in his current state. "Fuck, Nico, I've had a reservation for weeks. I've been shitting myself every time you walk into the room because I was so sure I was going to let it slip."

Will finally lets a smile spread on his lips and Nico holds his breath. Is Will saying… "I even spent a horrible day going through most of the jewellery stores in town. You know how much I hate shopping. It was a disaster." Nico is starting to feel dizzy, but he's not sure if it's about the things he's realizing or the lack of breathing. "All that, and you couldn't have waited for five more days. Dork."

All Nico can do is stare. The dinner. It took Will a whole month to get Nico to agree on going to that restaurant, and it's all Will has been talking about all week. They even had a small argument about Nico not making sure his better suit was all good. Nico remembers asking what's so special about this date anyway, and Will answering with his usual grin and, "I just want to spoil you a little. Is that really so bad?" Will had even gotten Ciara on his side, so it was two against one on the suit.

And all this time Will has been planning to… Nico feels his heart beat faster. Double speed – no, triple. Way faster than it should. Will's leg is pressed against his under the blanket, and Nico marvels on the warmth.

"So… you were going to – "

"Yes."

"Next Friday. During dinner."

"Well, after, most likely. You know, a walk in the park an all that. Kisses under the moon light and getting down on one knee. Very classy."

"Oh my god, Will, you're such a fucking cliché."

Will laughs and digs his toes to Nico's calf. Nico hears a thousand wind chimes in the sound. "I know. But you love me for it."

Nico laughs too and loves the way Will's eyes are shining in the dim lighting. The blond looks so damn happy it makes Nico grin like a fucking idiot. Who cares that both of their plans backfired (not that Nico really had much of a plan to begin with)?

"So", Nico whispers and leans his head on the back of the couch, mirroring Will. Their hands move in sync and find each other over the blankets. Nico wants to draw constellations with Will's freckles.

"So." Will keeps on smiling, and Nico loves the crinkles that form to the corners of the sky blue eyes.

"Can I take this as a yes?"

"Well, technically you haven't asked me anything just yet – "

"Will."

William Solace isn't naturally evil. He smiles softly and traces Nico's knuckles with his thumb, and really, that's pretty much all the answer Nico really needs. "Yes", Will still whispers, and the sound echoes in the quiet room and makes Nico feel like flying. "Yes, Nico, of course I will marry you. Kind of a stupid question, really."

And now, after everything is said and after his nerves have died down and he's able to breathe again, Nico has to admit that yes, it was a stupid question. Because he knows Will, and he knew what the answer would be, deep down. Will's hand tugs on Nico's until he's lying chest to chest with him, and Nico smiles down at Will before he presses their lips together in a slow kiss that says more than words ever could. He wonders why people bother with words at all.

Nico is honestly surprised that Will's lips could get even more skilled. Isn't there some point where you have learned everything you possibly can about moving (or not moving) your lips? There can't be that many things to learn, right?

Apparently there can, Nico thinks idly as he struggles to breathe under Will. The taller man is pinning him to the bed and breathing against his nipples, and Nico can't even remember his own name. The skilled lips are staying completely still, barely even touching his skin but still burning through it. Hot air makes Nico's chest tingle and he squirms, but Will's hold on him is strong and he can't really move. He loves it.

"I think I told you to lie absolutely still", Will whispers, and Nico feels the movement of his lips and lets out a strangled whimper. "And be quiet."

"Fucking impossible to keep quiet when you – oh fuck!"

Will chuckles slightly and repeats the flick of his tongue. "Should I stop, then?" he asks, letting go of Nico's arms and tracing the muscles of the man's upper body with the tips of his fingers. Nico looks at him with pained eyes and thrusts his hips upwards.

"Don't you fucking dare."

It's strange how emotional intimacy makes physical intimacy skyrocket. Everything feels exponentially more satisfying, every touch makes Nico's skin feel like it's burning off, every look makes his insides flip and turn to mush. For the few nights since their backfired engagement it has been a real task to keep his hands off Will, and he has had to constantly remind himself that there is a child in the apartment – something that he never has had to do before. It's like Will makes him a horny teenager all over again, the way it was a year ago during soccer practice. And Nico both hates and loves it with a burning passion.

The ring on Nico's finger still feels strange. It's a simple golden band with ornamental engravings on it, identical to Will's. It feels heavy and cold, but at the same time the mere thought of it makes Nico's heart beat faster and his lips curve into a smile. It feels strange in a way that sunlight after a day of rain does – it's warm and sweet and makes you happier than you thought it would.

They haven't told people yet. It's their own little secret for now. Ciara probably hasn't even noticed the rings yet, but Nico knows they have to tell her soon. She's eight and she's smart. And they have to figure out how to tell others, too, because they're having dinner with the Graces again on Sunday, and Nico swears Piper has eagle eyes.

But Nico isn't thinking about Piper or eagles now. All he thinks about is Will and those fucking lips tracing meaningless figures all over his skin and going lower and lower and fuck even lower…

"Fuck, Will", Nico all but moans, and Will is so close but feels so far it makes him crazy.

"Maybe later." Will is extremely skilled with his fingers, too, as Nico is once again proven when they make his back arch. He can feel the metal of Will's ring against his inner thigh briefly before the hand moves again. "This is all for you, love. Now relax – doctor's orders."

(Afterwards, when Nico is just a whimpering mess of sweaty limbs tangled in the sheets, he curses and then blesses the day Jason told Will about his thing for doctors.)

But the thing about knowing each other so well is that Nico can fully return the favor. He knows where to touch and how to get Will's eyes roll back in ecstasy. He has memorized the patterns his lips make that cause Will's chest heave and fists ball into the sheets. He knows by heart what he has to say to make Will completely lose it, mouth gasping for air in a silent scream and hips bucking involuntarily against his. Nico knows Will's mind and body better than he knows his own, and it's equally wonderful and terrifying, nerve wrecking and exciting.

Nico loves the way Will grasps for his hair and pulls it just enough for him to feel but not enough to hurt. He lives for the sound Will makes when he touches him there oh right there fuck. And when Will comes and chants Nico's name like a mantra, like his life depends on it, Nico feels like his body is weightless, like he's floating in the air surrounding them rather than clinging down to the mattress.

It was all wonderful before. But now it feels like a fucking heaven on earth.

Nico knows that Will is hyper sensitive after sex. He knows that the slightly older man enjoys the light strokes in his hair and soft kisses on his chest. Will is like a lanky sun cat, stretching in the sun and purring to Nico's touch, and Nico kisses the eye lids that flutter shut under his touch.

"Oh my god", Will pants, and Nico is unbelievably proud that he's the one that made Will like that. "Every time, Nico. Every single time."

Even if Will doesn't say it, Nico knows. Nico always knows. And that's why they're so good together, Nico thinks – they understand each other perfectly and work like a well oiled machine, seamlessly and without fault.

And it's not just the sex. It's the way they live; how they have fallen into a swiftly repeating cycle of who's turn it is to cook dinner and do the dishes and who picks Ciara from school; the smiles and light touches and post it notes on the fridge and other small gestures during the day, showing the other how much they are loved; the way Will wakes up first and has a steaming cup of black coffee waiting for Nico by the time he comes out of the shower; how listening to Will and Ciara's quiet chatter before bedtime has become Nico's favorite thing in the world.

Nico lies on his back and looks at Will. The blond's eyes are closed, but Nico know's he's not asleep; knows from the tender smile and the hand that holds his close to the freckled chest.

"I want us to be a family", he says and watches the eyes open again. "You and me and Ciara. I want us to be a real family."

Will has a strange look on his face. "I think we are pretty close to one already."

"I know. But that's not what I mean." Nico rolls to his side and leans his head on his hand while still holding Will's fingers with the other. "I want to make it real on paper. Official. After we get married, I want you to adopt Ciara so she can have two legal parents like she deserves."

Will's eyes are watering, like they always are when he's overwhelmed with emotion. Nico is once again reminded how beautiful the man is, how bright the blue eyes are and how amazingly mesmerizing it is to watch the tears roll down the cheeks. He leans in to kiss Will once, then twice, then countless of times more, and there may be some words exchanged too but neither of them can really tell.

Nico is happy. And so is Will.

Nico is getting married to his daughter's soccer coach.

It's the first practice of the season, and Annabeth is there with the tiny baby who she informs is named Fred after her father. Ciara has her leg in a cast after a nasty fall only a week ago, but she has still insisted on going to the practice. Will has backed her up, since it's the first of the season and they'll just be catching up for the most part. The parents sit in the first row of the bleachers and the kids are scattered around Will in the grass nearby, and Nico realizes that he has strangely missed the soccer field.

"Me too", Annabeth admits when Nico voices his thoughts, and Fred makes a small noise before continuing his sleep. He's a tiny thing, only four months old, and Nico kind of wants one. "I mean Isla has calmed down a lot since Fred was born, but she still needs her weekly dose of running around after a ball."

Nico hums and watches the kids, but his eyes quickly drift off to Will – like they always seem to do during practice. It's crazy how he still gets so distracted, even with so many days and weeks and months together. Even when he wakes up every morning to Will's quiet singing in the kitchen and falls asleep with the coach right there by his side. Even when he knows exactly how each and every one of those muscles flex and swift under his touch, and how it feels to run his fingers through the recently cut golden hair. Even when the ring on his finger is a promise to keep waking up and falling asleep and running fingers for the rest of his life.

And even when just that morning they have been arguing about where they're going to have their wedding reception.

A tall girl next to Isla Jackson starts telling about her off-season activities, and Nico tries to focus. All the other soccer moms are at least pretending not to stare at Coach Will. (Nico thinks he kind of has a right to stare, but stops anyway. He has plenty of time to ogle later.)

"So, what's it like, living with Will?" Annabeth asks after a while, and Nico turns his head to look at her. "It's been months and you haven't told me anything. I thought we were friends, di Angelo."

It hasn't occurred to Nico before that Annabeth actually considers him a friend. He hasn't got that many friends – basically just Jason and Piper, Reyna (who lives in Mexico and therefore he hasn't seen in years), and Cecil, who he's only met a few months back through Will and who still makes Nico really uneasy most of the time. Adding Annabeth to this small list of friends doesn't seem as difficult as he thought it would.

"It's good", he says, and even though he doesn't want to share his private life with people, he thinks he owes Annabeth a little more than that. She has, after all, encouraged Nico enough in the past so he had the guts to actually ask Will out in the first place. (Or was it Will that asked him? The whole memory is so blurry and awkward Nico doesn't quite remember, nor does he really care anymore.) She's worthy. "It's great, actually. He's wonderful with Ciara, and she loves him. And sharing a home with Will is surprisingly easy, we're really in sync on so many levels. I mean", Nico lets out a small laugh at the memory, "we did have to work on his decorating skills at first, but as long as he doesn't buy any furniture without asking me we're good."

Annabeth laughs softly, and Nico thinks he has sort of missed that, too. It's strange, missing a friend. "You two sound a lot like me and Percy on that one. I swear that man once tried to bring in a couch he found on the street because he said it had character." Nico shuddered at the mere thought, but laughed with Annabeth nevertheless. "But I'm glad everything's going so well. No major arguments yet? I'm guessing Will would be the one sleeping on the couch?"

Nico shakes his head. "We never let it go that far. Will has this policy that he never lets the sun set on an argument, so we always talk it out before going to sleep." It doesn't mean that things are forgotten just like that, but Nico has noticed how much easier it is to talk things out again after a good night's sleep. And he never sleeps well anymore if Will isn't there.

"Oh, you just wait. The wedding planning is going to make both of you crazy, I can already tell", Annabeth hums, obviously meaning it as a joke.

But Nico plays with his ring without even realizing it, and his mind wanders back to the fucking stupid argument they had about if they should invite Nico's distant cousins to the wedding or not. "Yeah, tell me about it."

It is two seconds later that he realizes they haven't exactly told that many people yet, and that Annabeth is once again looking at him with eyes the size of plates.

Oh fuck. Not this again.

"Are you telling me", she says and sneaks a peek at the ring on Nico's finger, "that you have once again failed to tell me about a major development in your relationship with Will Solace?" When all Nico can do is nod and keep his eyes on the ring, she sighs and shakes her head. "You wound me, Nico. I honestly have no idea what to do with you." A small silence, during which Nico realizes it's finally Ciara's turn to tell about her break. "But apparently Will does."

Nico looks at Annabeth, and sees that she's smiling. He smiles a little, too, and hears how Ciara tells her team mates that "I used to have only one dad but now I have two, which is just as cool as Hannah having two moms, if not cooler". He can feel other moms spare a glance at him, but he isn't bothered. A year ago he could have been, maybe, but not now. Not anymore.

"Congratulations, Nico", Annabeth says softly once the attention is turned back to the kids on the field. "So, spill. Who popped the question? Was it awfully romantic?"

"It was more of a mutual understanding", Nico mutters, not going into detail. Will gives him a quick look from where he's sitting in the grass while Ciara still goes on and on about how cool it is to have two dads, and Nico tries to keep his smile from spreading any wider. "And I don't know, I guess it had some romantic elements. Enough to convince me, at least."

Annabeth tries to pry more, tries to tell Nico that he actually owes her details, but he doesn't tell her. He hasn't told even Jason. It's not like there's some huge secret about the way they got engaged, but something about it feels too private, too personal to share. Nico already tells Jason most things about his life. This he wants to keep to himself.

When the practice ends, Isla drags Ciara to the bleachers by the hand to show off her new brother. The other moms seem to have surrounded Will in seconds, gushing about the ring and asking about his break. Will spares Nico a pleading look, and Nico smirks and thinks it's actually a good thing his black clothes make him despicable to the others.

"He's so tiny", Ciara sighs in wonder when Annabeth lets her hold Fred. Nico keeps an eye on her, but it seems like the girl is a natural when it comes to holding babies. He remembers when Tom was that small, and how even at five years old Ciara held him better than most adults did.

Isla strokes the black hairs on Fred's hair. "He's even tinier than Sally was when she was born, isn't he, Mom? That's what Dad says, anyway."

Little Fred opens his eyes, and Nico is in awe. He's never thought someone else's babies as beautiful as Ciara, but Fred's eyes are sea green. How can a baby's eyes be sea green? A part of Nico's mind makes a mental note to ask Will about that. Fred makes a small noise of surprise when he sees he's no longer held by his mother, but Ciara smiles at him and coos, and he calms down. She's like a fucking baby whisperer, Nico thinks.

They sit on the bleachers fawning over Fred until most of the others have left. Will is finally free from the obviously jealous moms, and he picks up Ciara's crutches before making his way to them.

"Ciara, what have I told you about running around without these?" he asks with a stern voice that makes Ciara smile sheepishly. They have had this talk way too many times during the past three days. "Do you actually want to have crutches for the whole season?"

Ciara shakes her head, careful not to disturb Fred who is once again drifting off. "Of course not. Sorry, Dad, I won't forget again." Nico knows she will. "But look! Isn't he cute?"

Will leans in a little, and his eyes are remarkably soft when he looks at Fred, who is now being transferred back to Annabeth. Nico loves that softness, almost as much as he loves Will. "He is", Will says, and Nico knows without looking that he gives him a meaningful look. It makes Nico's heart skip a beat. "Adorable."

"Papa, when do I get a little brother?"

Sometimes Nico wonders if Ciara can actually read minds. The words make him turn his eyes to her and his cheeks flush, and he can tell Annabeth is trying her best not to laugh when she straps Fred to the baby carrier. Nico is suddenly very aware of Wills presence, and he makes it a point not to look at him. He has always known Ciara to be blunt. He's never realized she's also cruel.

"I never knew you wanted one", Nico says, trying to sound like the question doesn't make his head spin. He's been thinking about it a lot lately, but they haven't exactly talked about it yet. "And you've always said Tom's your brother, right?"

He knows he's stalling, but he really doesn't want to have this conversation here and now with Annabeth of all people as their witness. He makes Ciara put on her jacket and makes sure the zipper's all the way up to her chin before he lets her speak again.

"It's not the same, Papa. You know it isn't. Besides, Tom is getting a little brother or sister, too." She turns to look at Will with those puppy dog eyes that Nico knows Will can't resist, and really, he has created a monster. Nico doesn't know if he should be mortified or proud. "Dad, please. Tell Papa I need a little brother."

Nico's eyes meet Will's, and he just knows that they're thinking the same. That Will wants a family just as much as Nico does. That it's not only Ciara who wants a baby in the house. That even though Ciara is soon officially both Nico's and Will's equally, they want someone who they can raise as theirs from the very beginning.

That neither of them want to discuss this here.

"We'll talk about it at home", Will says and gives the crutches to Ciara, who looks disappointed but takes them anyway.

They say their farewells to the Jacksons on the parking lot (Annabeth is still smirking knowingly and Nico has to remind himself not to hit her while there are kids around) before slowly starting to make their way home. Ciara is clumsy with the crutches, but when Will offers to carry her she strictly refuses because she can very well manage herself, thanks Dad. She goes a few steps ahead of them, making people sidestep from her every now and then and giving a few pigeons a heart attack. Nico straightens the bag on his shoulder and smiles.

When Will's hand finds Nico's and the fingers link together, Nico thinks about the matter of a baby again. He has a few arguments about it, things that have come to mind during the few weeks he has thought about it. Nothing major, mostly questions about the how and the when. But Will's hand is warm and calloused and familiar, and the slight squeeze makes Nico want to kiss the freckled knuckles. He knows it's never going to be easy, never going to be simple and one tracked and doubtless.

But Will has taught Nico how to be more than two again. They are already three.

And really, is four really that much more than three?

A/N2: There are a few things I would like to address about this story (or, more accurately, this chapter).

First, I know some may think it's strange how quickly Ciara starts calling Will her Dad. I take that from my own life. I was eight (Ciara's age) when my Dad started dating his soon to be wife, and I don't think it took me more than a few months to start calling her Mom. Kids are accepting and flexible when it comes to the names they call their family members.

Second, about the way Nico and Will are quick to get married. Another thing I took from my own life. My Dad married my aforementioned stepmom after dating her for less than ten months, I think. No one saw it as strange. I think it's quite natural, seeing as Nico and Will are both adults and know exactly what they want in the relationship and with their lives. Also with kids (or in this care, a kid) involved, it seems more logical to make their relationship seem more real to the outside eye, too. This is what's best for Nico and Will as a couple as well as for all three of them as a family.

Yes, I have given this a lot of thought. I hope you can agree with my reasoning.

Anyways, thanks for reading. Please review, and don't forget to check out my other stuff, too! I hope I'll be able to publish something new before New Year's, stay tuned.