Chapter 59: Special Chapter: The Wedding

AN: This was written by my friend bmattny. This part was first published in wattpad before but for some personal reasons she had to delete her account so I decided to transfer it here.

Will's POV:

Long, white curtains hung from the tops of the open windows in the wedding hall and stopped a foot from the ground, pushed to the side and letting in beams of sunlight. Bunches of beautiful yellow and light orange sunflowers in clear vases sat on side tables under the windows, giving the place color. Scented white candles sat next to the vases and let off an intoxicating smell of pine and cotton, their flames still burning bright even though a nice breeze blew through the windows, making them flicker every few seconds.

Around the wedding hall, friends and families-all dressed up in a variety of white, black, yellow, or grey dresses and suits-of the two soon-to-be husbands chatted and laughed loudly, their voices traveling across the room. Some children-also dressed in fancy clothes-ran around chairs in the far back corner of the room, playing hide and seek or tag to keep them occupied until the wedding began and to also keep them away from the lit candles.

On the right side of the hall, five rows of chairs were set up to hold all of Will's friends and family. Lou, one of his best friends, sat in the second row with her parents and siblings, while Will's younger brother, Austin, sat at the front with Apollo Charleston, their dad. Dr. Kayla Knowles and Dr. Lee Fletcher from Will's work at Jupiter Half-Blood hospital both sat in the back with their enormous families, filling up the rest of the rows.

On the left side of the hall, another five rows were set up to look identical to Will's side. All of the chairs weren't completely filled, unlike Will's, but most were fortunately taken. At the front, Jason Grace and Percy Jackson both sat next to each other, two seats beside them unoccupied due to Hazel and Reyna helping Nico get ready. Their own families took up the two rows behind them, while the last row had no one.

One voice could be heard only by one person at the front of the room where the pastor was standing behind the alter, patiently waiting for the wedding to begin with a gentle smile on his face. Cecil Markowitz, Will's other best friend and best man, calmly stood beside a freaking out Will, his face of one of amusement as he watched his pretty-much brother pace in front of the alter.

His eyes lazily scanned over Will's appearance, not in a I'm-checking-you-out kind of way, but an admirable way. His best friend was actually pretty hot in a white suit and white button-down undershirt. The collar of his suit, his vans, and his bow tie were black, though, to give it a better contrast to all the white he had on. His tan complexion, blonde curls, and bright, sky blue eyes contrasted pretty well with his outfit.

"I'm really nervous, Cecil," Will said, running a hand through his messy blonde curls. Nico had told him to not style it because he loved Will's curls just as they were and didn't want anyone making them look different. "I don't want anything to go wrong. I'm marrying the love of my life today-wait, what if he doesn't say 'I do'?" Will stopped his pacing and looked up at his best friend with fear in his eyes. "What do I do then? What if he doesn't go through with it?"

Cecil rolled his eyes and gripped Will's shoulders to keep him from moving as he stared him down. "Will, you gotta stop doing this to yourself. It's normal to be nervous, yes, but this is just crazy. You're actually doubting Nico's love for you and that's not okay."

Will stayed quiet and his eyes dropped to the empty floor between them. "I know," he whispered. "I'm just scared, okay? I don't know what to do if anything like that ever did happen."

Cecil lightly laughed and gave him a smile, squeezing his shoulders before crossing his arms over his chest. "Neither do I, man. I'm not married. But I know for a fact that you don't try to twist every good thing you have into something bad and think of all the horrible things that could happen. Let everything play out as it should, and try to relax."

Sighing, Will gave his best friend a small smile. "Thanks, Cecil."

"Anytime, Will. Now let's get you fixed up for your man," Cecil said as he adjusted Will's rumpled collar and lopsided bow tie.

Will laughed.

Nico's POV:

Nico stared into the dressing room mirror as he allowed his half-sister, Hazel, and close friend, Reyna, fuss over his hair and suit. His eyes and expression were completely calm, his posture not as fidgety as he thought it was going to be. He was surprisingly untroubled by the fact that he was going to be marrying Will today in front of all their close friends and family.

A small smile bloomed on his lips as he thought about Will. His beautiful fiancé and soon-to-be husband waiting just outside in the main room, probably smiling at everyone around him but also freaking out because of what was about to happen.

Reyna stood in front of him, blocking his view of himself in his black suit and white vans. She lazily adjusted an undone button on his also white undershirt and straightened his black bow tie as she hummed to herself. Nico wasn't much for dressing up and wearing fancy things such as a suit and bow tie, but it was his wedding day, and if he was honest with himself, he looked pretty damn handsome.

Hazel messed with his black hair that reached his shoulders behind him, brushing it out before pulling the top half of it into a half-up, half-down type of style. She mumbled to herself as she loosened it just perfectly to where it wouldn't fall out but made it look nice and fluffy at the same time.

"How are you so calm about this, Nico?" she asked as she walked around to re-check what Reyna had done with his clothes. She pulled a piece of black lint off his white shirt but other than that she seemed to be pretty satisfied with it. "You're going to be getting married in just a few minutes and you're not even nervous. No stutter in your speaking, no jitters." She looked up at his smiling face then. "And you're smiling! Why and how are you so calm about this?"

"Because, Haze," he said, his voice soothing as his smile grew and his dark chocolate brown eyes twinkled. "After everything that we went through, if I'm honest, this is nothing compared to that. I'm not saying that I'm not nervous on the inside and don't have butterflies floating around in my stomach right now, but I just think this isn't something that I should be worrying myself over. I know Will loves me, and I love him. I don't know if everything will turn out as planned, but I have faith that it will.

"And in a few minutes, when those doors open," he pointed towards the closed doors over his shoulder, not turning his head around to see where he was pointing at since he could see them through the mirror behind his shorter sister. "I'm going to go out there and marry him; my solace, my life, and my best friend. I'm finally going to fulfill my promise to him."

Hazel stared at him for a moment before her lips twitched into a smile and her eyes started to water, moved by how loving her brother sounded as he spoke about his fiancé. "When did you get so grown up and so romantic?" she teased, her voice now a light whisper.

Nico only smiled and kissed her forehead.

Reyna had stepped away to give them privacy as they had their small moment, and was now smiling fondly at them both, her arms crossed over her own black suit that hugged her curves perfectly. "You ready?" she asked, drawing their attention.

Nico exchanged smiles with her before nodding. "Ready."

Third person POV:

Apollo checked the time on his watch, realizing that the wedding was about to finally begin. He quickly sent a "Got to go, kiddo." to Austin before making his way over to the nearby piano, giving a calmer-looking Will a thumbs up and a bright smile as he passed. Will smiled back before continuing on talking with Cecil, who stood beside him in his "best man" spot for the wedding.

Apollo pulled the seat out from under the piano and sat down, adjusting his coat so he wasn't sitting on it. He opened the piano up and placed his fingers over the keys, lightly tapping them to get a feel for the music.

He cast a look to the side where Reyna was supposed to appear and let him know to start playing, finding her already there. She gave him a small smile and a light nod before walking out of sight, reappearing at her seat next to Jason a few moments later.

Apollo closed his eyes and immersed himself into the sound and feel of the piano music. He moved his hands professionally across the keys, smiling at how amazing the music sounded. He was quite proud of himself for coming up with and memorizing such a beautiful song. He was glad his son and soon-to-be son-in-law counted Inside Out as their song. He loved the piano version of it, though he much rather preferred to play it on his guitar. That would come later, of course, at their after party.

As he continued on playing, everyone around him noticed the music had started and sat in their respected seats. Some grabbed their children and pulled them into their laps so they wouldn't move and disrupt the wedding.

Will and Cecil seized their conversation with "Good luck, man!" from Cecil before Will turned towards the closed doors that Nico would be coming out of with Hazel. He clasped his hands together so he wasn't awkwardly holding them by his side and stared intently at the doors, willing them to open sooner rather than later.

Once everyone was settled, the doors slowly opened, and a breathtaking view was presented to Will.

His eyes instantly started to water, and he allowed the tears to fall down his cheeks as he watched Nico walk down the aisle, his arm hooked around Hazel's.

Hazel, of course, looked beautiful as always in a knee-length white dress and black heels that accentuated her chocolate skin tone beautifully. Her caramel-colored curls were pulled back in a high bun and her golden eyes that Will adored sparkled with happiness for both Will and Nico.

But Nico, on the other hand, was a completely different picture. His hair was pulled back, showing off his slightly tan complexion and a small hooked nose. His dark brown eyes bore into Will's as he continued walking down the aisle, already half-way to the alter. His suit looked perfect on him and Will was glad he had chosen the one he did, rather than the light grey one Will himself had picked out a few months back.

Only a few more steps.

Nico finally stood before him, a smile on his face and tears in his eyes, though Will noticed he was trying hard not to let them fall. He turned to Hazel and gave her a big kiss on the cheek, which she happily returned before giving him a hug and taking her place as Nico's "best man".

Will's hands were unfortunately extremely sweaty but Nico didn't seem to mind as he grabbed them and held them close, taking a step forward to be in the center of the alter with Will.

"Hi," Nico whispered, a smile on his lips.

"You look amazing," Will responded with instead of a simple greeting, his voice semi-breathless, as he scanned over Nico's outfit. A couple of "aw"s came from around the room, and they both chuckled-Nico's more of a giggle rather than a laugh.

"Thank you, so do you."

Will gently squeezed his hands.

"We will now begin the wedding," the pastor said to them, his voice soft.

Will spared him a glance and nodded before resuming staring into Nico's eyes, getting lost in them.

Time passed pretty quickly after that, unfortunately, and fortunately. Will would've loved to stay in the position he was already in forever but he also didn't want it to take too long so he could finally kiss his fiancé.

"Will," the pastor said, drawing his attention. "You may now say your vows."

Will hadn't even noticed it was time for the vows until the pastor said something to him, earning a few laughs from around the room and from Nico, and a dark blush on his cheeks.

"Right, thank you," Will said, sighing. He turned his attention back to Nico. "Nico, ever since I met you, my life took me to a whole new level." Nico chuckled, knowing exactly what he meant. "But whether it was good or bad, I'm glad that I got to experience everything with you. As cliché as it may sound, I can't imagine my life without you, Nico di Angelo, in it. Our lives are tangled together for better or for worst, and I am always going to be with you and by your side, even in the afterlife. I love you more than anything in the world."

Around them, others were crying, quickly wiping and dabbing at their eyes so as to not mess up their makeup and appearance, though Will didn't notice since he was so occupied with staring at Nico.

Nico finally couldn't hold the tears back any longer as they spilled down his cheeks, his smile growing a little bit more.

Hazel came up beside them and handed Will Nico's ring on a small grey pillow.

The ring itself, as well as the smaller, but matching one that was sitting next to it, was a beautiful gold band with one strip of silver wrapped around it, signifying the "angel" part of Nico's name and the "Solace" part of Will's name.

Will turned to Nico and carefully slipped the ring onto his left ring finger, finding it was a perfect fit. "With this ring, I take you, Nico di Angelo, as my husband, who I shall cherish and love for all eternity."

Nico admired the ring for only a moment before using his free hand to wipe at his tears. He retook Will's hands in his and prepared to say his own vows. "Will," he sighed, sniffling. "We've been through a lot. Well, I guess that's what happens when you're in a committed relationship." They, and a few others, chuckled. He sighed once more, taking a deep breath. "With that being said, I can't promise you that every single day will be sweet. The struggles and arguments that we'll face will never be over, but if there's one thing I know, it's that I will always be there by your side no matter what happens because you're a part of me and I'm a part of you. Forever, even in the afterlife." Will smiled at Nico's repeat of his own words. Nico's smile softened and he gently squeezed Will's hands before bringing them both up to his lips and kissing his knuckles. "I love you so much," he finished with, his voice barely above a whisper as another tear fell down his cheek.

He turned to Hazel, who was silently crying and smiling at them and took Will's ring from the pillow. Hazel went back to her spot as he resumed looking at Will and shakily slipped the ring onto Will's left ring finger. "With this ring, I take you, William Solace as my husband, who I shall cherish and love for all eternity."

They both continued holding hands, tighter than before, as the pastor ended the wedding with, "You may now kiss the groom."

Nico smirked. "May I steal my first kiss as your husband or do I need to ask for permission?"

Will's smile grew, his eyes crinkling at the corners and lighting up from the sunlight seeping in through the windows as he was hit with a sudden wave of déjà vu. He didn't say anything as he gently held Nico's face in his hands and leaned down to kiss him.

Nico smiled into the kiss and responded with moving his lips just as slowly, enjoying the feeling of his husband's lips against his own.

Cheers and loud hollers-that were more than likely from Jason and Percy-started around the room as they kissed, pulling away a few seconds later.

The pastor closed his Bible and smiled at them, holding out his hand for Will to shake. "Congratulations. I hope you two have a wonderful life together."

Will smiled and shook his hand. "Thank you very much."

Nodding, the pastor turned and walked away, a fond smile on his face from seeing yet another lovely couple join in holy matrimony.

Will grabbed Nico's hand and pulled him down the aisle, anxious to get into the limo waiting outside so he could kiss his husband some more. Sunflowers were suddenly being thrown over them as they walked down, and flashes of light from the professional photographer they had hired shown brightly in their eyes. They laughed and turned their walking into a run so as to avoid the flowers.

They were just about to walk out the doors when movement caught Nico's eye in the dark corner of the room. He stopped and turned toward it, realizing his father, Hades, and a death angel, who Nico noticed was Bob, stepped out of the shadows.

"Will," Nico whispered to his husband, gesturing toward his dad and the death angel.

"How are we able to see Bob? I thought we couldn't anymore after what happened?" Will asked.

"I don't know," Nico said, shrugging, as they walked over. They stopped in front of the Lord of the Underworld and Nico tipped his head so as to not draw attention to them like he would have if he had bowed. "Father."

"Nico," Hades said, also tipping his head.

"How is it we're able to see Bob right now?" Will asked again. "And how is he as tall as us and not as tall as the building?"

Hades sighed and rolled his eyes. "He never got to say goodbye to you guys and asked if he could come to wish you good luck before he completely vanished from your eyes forever. As for his height, being a god has its pros."

Will nodded, and they both turned toward Bob, who was eyeing their joined hands with a smile.

"Congratulations," he said, his voice rough.

"Thank you," Will said. "It's good to see you again, Bob, even though it's the last time."

Bob nodded, his smile still on his face but his eyes sad. "Yes, indeed. I hope you two are happy together."

Nico suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the death angel's shoulders, taking all of them by surprise since he didn't normally show affection so openly. "Thank you, Bob, for everything," he whispered, his eyes watering again. "I have hope that we will see each other again one day." He pulled away, a small smile gracing his lips.

Bob wiped his own tears away and sniffled. "No, thank you. You and your sister were the kindest to me out of all the death angels so I thank you for that."

Nico hugged him one last time before Will did, and, right before their eyes, the death angel vanished in a puff of black smoke as Hades snapped his fingers.

Nico's tears streamed down his face as he stared at the spot he knew Bob was still standing in, though they couldn't see him anymore. "Goodbye, Bob," he whispered, knowing he could still hear him.

Hades awkwardly cleared his throat, feeling a bit uncomfortable from the emotion his son was emitting.

"Well, it's time for me to go, too," he said as Nico turned toward him. "Congratulations on the wedding and everything, son."

"Thank you, dad," Nico said, wiping his tears away once more as Will hugged him into his side.

Hades held out his hand for Will to shake, which Will reluctantly did. He gave his son a quick hug and pat on the back before saying one last goodbye and also vanishing in a puff of black smoke.

"We'll see Bob again," Will whispered in his ear, trying to soothe Nico with his words. "One day." He kissed his forehead as he pulled him out the doors.

They received many congratulations and teary smiles as they made their way to the white limo parked by the curb. They both earned themselves hugs and kisses on their cheeks, too, and Will was handed a bouquet of sunflowers from Hazel as well as a threat in case he ever hurt Nico, which he happily replied with, "Never".

They were finally at the limo door and were just about to step inside when yet another disturbance popped up.

Right beside Nico, an adorable little girl who looked exactly like her stood beside him, a purple dress draped around her body. Nico stared at her with wide eyes, his eyes quickly scanning over her facial features and hair. Her straight black hair was pulled back into a side braid, and her nose was slightly hooked. Her dark chocolate brown eyes bore into his, examining him as well. There was no doubt in his mind that this was her.

"Why are you guys dressed like that, mister?" she asked Nico, her voice soft and angelic.

Nico couldn't find the words to respond, not knowing what he was supposed to say to her look alike.

"Is there a dance party going on?" she asked, a bright smile breaking out on her face as she jumped up and down.

Will snorted, his face scrunched up in a weird way.

"Hey, your face looks like a walrus', mister!" she laughed, pointing at Will.

Nico couldn't help the laugh that tore out of his throat as he looked over at Will's surprised and taken aback look on his face. It was then that he realized Will hadn't seen what he saw when she first showed up until now. He wondered why it had only kicked in now when she called him a walrus, and mentally noted to ask him about it later.

Nico bent down to be at eye-level with the little girl and smiled fondly at her.

A woman came running up behind her and stopped, breathing heavily as she grabbed her hand. "I'm so sorry she disturbed you," she said to them before turning her attention to the little girl. "Riley, you can't just run off like that. It's not safe."

Nico's heart fluttered at the name.

"I'm sorry, mommy," Riley whispered, her smile falling off her face.

Nico smiled up at the woman. "It's alright, ma'am. She was just curious about why we're dressed up." He turned his attention back to Riley who was staring at him with her big dark brown eyes. "We're dressed up because my husband and I just got married," he said, gesturing to Will behind him with his head. "We needed to be dressed up for our wedding, didn't we?"

"Oh, really?" Riley squealed, her smile returning. "That's so nice! I love weddings!"

The woman smiled at Will and Nico. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," they both said, returning the smile.

"Congratulations!" Riley slowly said, trying to pronounce the long word. Nico laughed as her eyes crossed and her nose scrunched up in thought.

"Thank you," he whispered, saying it for two very different reasons, though Riley only knew it as a thank you for her congratulating them.

"Well, we have to go now. But I hope you two have an awesome day. Congratulations again," the woman said, turning around with Riley.

"Bye, misters!" Riley shouted, waving behind her as she trailed after her mother who was still holding her hand.

Nico waved too as he stood up. They both watched them until they disappeared from their sight.

"Riley," Will said, testing the name on his tongue. "I really like that name."

"I do too," Nico whispered. "Did you see it?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Will said, nodding. "She has the same looks, and her voice actually kind of sounded the same, though much softer. Do you think it's her?"

"Yes."

Will and Nico exchanged looks before stepping into the limo, taking their seats next to each other.

The windows were tinted and the small window in-between the passengers and the driver was thankfully closed.

Will pulled Nico into his lap without hesitation and rested their foreheads together, smiling at his husband.

"Hey, I have a question for you," Nico said.

"Shoot."

"When Riley showed up, you didn't notice that she looked like her until after she called you a walrus. Why's that?"

Will sighed. "Well, remember when I was in hospital after... that... happened?"

Nico nodded.

"Well, she came to visit me right before you got to my hospital room one day and basically threatened to turn me into a walrus if I ever hurt you."

Nico laughed. "That does sound like something she would do."

"Mhm," Will hummed, closing his eyes.

Nico stared at him, noticing his smile had slowly fallen off his face. "Hey," he whispered, grabbing Will's face in his hands. He waited until his husband looked at him to ask if he was alright. "What's the matter?"

"I'm thinking about my mom."

"Oh," Nico said, his happy mood immediately deteriorating.

"I wish she could've been here."

"I know, I do too."

Nico wrapped his arms around Will's neck and held him close as he silently cried into his shoulder. "We'll see her again. One day," he said, repeating Will's own words.

Will pulled away, a small smile on his lips.

Nico brushed Will's tears away with his thumbs and stared into his eyes. He couldn't believe Will was finally officially his.

"Will?" he whispered.

"Hm?" Will hummed.

Nico swept forward and gave him a passionate kiss, moving their lips slowly together before pulling away and holding him tightly to his chest.

"Thank you for coming into my life."

Will smiled and pulled him into another passionate kiss, a similar wave of déjà vu like from earlier hitting him again, though he ignored it.

They continued showing their love for one another as the limo made it's way to their after party.