Chapter 15: Glow

Katherine was the only one who hadn't leapt from their seat. The only one who was silent.

Nico and Will had waded into the crowd to face the onslaught. The blond had expected something terrible to happen—for someone to disclaim him or say that he had dishonored the family name or something extreme like that. But it was quite the opposite.

Apollo had slapped him proudly on the back. "That's my boy! Taking after your father, as always."

Kayla, to be expected, had been jittery with excitement. "Why do you look like a deer in the headlights? You finally outed yourselves, you dolt! So don't you be missing any family reunions. You hear me, di Angelo?"

Michael seemed a bit uncertain at first, but otherwise acted pleased. "If Clare loves him already, that's good enough for me. Welcome to the family, bud," he said. He gave Nico a hearty slap on the back, just like Apollo.

Artemis seemed to be the least pleased of them all, her nose upturned and her posture stiff. Her words, however, had contradicted with her manner entirely. "I'm not too fond of men. You and your brother are about as much as I can handle. However, if you think you love this man, then I won't fight you about it. Perhaps he can help screw your head on a little tighter. That way, you at least won't end up as air-headed as your bachelor geezer of a father."

Apollo had gasped, his hand grabbing his shirt right over his heart. "Artemis, please!"

Those more at ease in the group chuckled a bit at that.

Everyone else, in turn, voiced their joy about the situation. None of them had insulted either of them, which was a plus for Will. He had expected more out of that moment. Something worse—something violent. But even Travis had come up to them with good words, even if those had been to "use protection, kids!" with an accompanied wink. It was really starting to calm Will down. He had nothing to fear. Everyone accepted them—they even seemed to like Nico and his son. He breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged warm glances with Nico. It would be okay.

Then Katherine finally made her presence known.

She coughed from her seat and stood gracefully, wading into the crowd to give her ex-husband a cool look. "William," she said, her voice cutting into the noise like a jagged blade. Her entire persona was calm. Too calm, rather—it was steely. Will's senses went on high-alert again.

Nico stepped closer to him as Katherine stopped. Their hands found each other, lacing comforting fingers.

Katherine seemed to size Nico up with her eyes. Her mouth turned down in a thoughtful frown. "Your name," she began. "It's Nico, right?"

"Nico di Angelo, yes," the Italian replied, his own voice guarded. He raised his chin, making himself seem taller. "And you are Katherine Stoll?"

Katherine nodded. "I am. I suppose you've heard of me, then."

"Plenty," Nico replied vaguely.

Silence stretched on between them.

Apollo coughed, breaking the strained moment. "Son," he spoke to Will, gesturing toward Katherine with pointed eyes. "Introduce him."

Will cleared his throat awkwardly. "But Father, she already knows…"

He received a glare from his father and a small chuckle from Nico.

His eyes darted to the latter. "Don't make fun of me," he complained.

Lights were dancing in the werewolf's eyes. He gestured his head, black locks of hair falling over his cheeks, and smirked up at the blond. The look was playful, innocent. "Go ahead," he murmured. "Introduce me."

Will sighed. "Alright, fine," he said. He turned back to Katherine. "This is Nico di Angelo, my boyfriend. Nico, this is Katherine Stoll. Happy now?"

"Hardly," Nico said, but he was smiling. He butted his head against Will's shoulder affectionately.

Katherine looked the two of them up and down. Slowly, she said, "I figured you would have preferred a woman."

Easy enough to suppose—all Katherine knew of his romantic life was when he was with her. Will shrugged. "I've never really been someone to prefer any one gender. I'd rather choose based on character."

She didn't look convinced. "How long have you two been together?"

"It hasn't actually been too long," Will admitted. He looked at Nico. "What was it? Three months? Four?"

"Something of that nature," Nico replied.

Will scratched his jaw thoughtfully. "I'm not too sure when we decided it was official. There was a long gap there where I wasn't certain if it was actually happening or if you were playing with me."

"Playing with you?" Nico asked, eyebrows rising. "Why, did I confuse you that much with that moment in the hospital? I know it was meant for your coworkers to believe, but I never intended for you to be confused."

Will huffed, embarrassed. "I wasn't talking about that!" he defended himself. "I meant after. After!"

Nico's eyes were teasing. "If you say so."

Clara giggled, and Will looked down to find his daughter and Nico's son next to them. Aaron was at Nico's side, and Clara was at Will's side, bouncing on her heels excitedly. She looked like she was borderline ready to burst out into a story about the two of them. Will was quick to make sure that didn't happen.

"Anyway," he said just as Clara opened her mouth. He earned a pout. "Even though it really hasn't been very long since we got together, I'm happy being with him. I think that's what counts."

"I'm happy with him, too!" Clara added cheerfully, raising a hand.

"Me too," Aaron mumbled into his father's shirt.

Will laughed and patted his daughter's head. "Yes. That's what matters most."

She beamed up at him.

He smiled gently and turned back to Katherine. "You see? That's what's best."

His ex-wife looked accusing, which caught the man off guard. "I figured you would have told me of this sooner."

Will cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes, well—I was going to. That is, I really was going to until you started making it seem mandatory that I find a good woman to take care of Clare. Then it kind of ended up as a…joke."

Nico chuckled. "You're right about that," he stepped in. A mischievous smile curved his lips. "The fact that I was not a woman at all—I had wondered how exactly you would react to that, Katherine. I wanted to see that reaction in person, however selfish it was of me. Either way, I had never met you before now. This makes for a bittersweet meeting, doesn't it?"

Katherine looked stunned. "Bittersweet, you say…"

"Yes," Nico replied. His smile took a vicious turn, but it was so subtle that only Will noticed. Nico pulled his son closer to himself, a motion that Will knew was to protect Aaron from knowing what his father was thinking. After a moment, Nico forced his face to soften. He looked over at Katherine's husband and children in the crowd. "You have a lovely family. Will told me all three were a bright bunch."

Katherine looked at Will, suspicious. "…They are."

Nico's voice sounded innocent enough, but there was a hard light to his eyes. "And those children are a handsome two. Are they yours?"

Katherine didn't even hesitate. "Yes. They are."

The Italian tilted his head and lifted his eyebrows. "Is that right? How nice. They look like you. How old are they?"

Katherine was still looking at Will. "Six and nine."

Nico's eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline.

Will flinched. He quickly hissed to the werewolf, cutting him off from whatever else he was about to say. "Er, Nico, it's best not to mention—"

"Is it?" Nico said cooly. He looked at Katherine. She had paled considerably, but she was keeping up a calm demeanor. "Is it really?"

"What's wrong, Nico?" Clara asked, blinking up at them innocently. Even she didn't seem to catch the meaning of the exchange.

In fact, none but Nico, Will, and Katherine herself seemed to catch on.

Nico cocked his head in the other direction. He was starting up an angry tic that his wolf form had, where he moved his head from side to side with every statement someone said. This one said: you think I'm an idiot, but I'm on to you.

"Please," Will whispered. "Let this one lie. It's been so long, and we're not even together anymore…"

Wearing her own poker face, only Katherine's eyes said anything. Her gaze was almost as fierce as Nico's. "Is something the matter?" she asked, voice strained.

Nico's head tilted the other way. He looked at Will, to Katherine, and back. He didn't look happy.

Taking in a deep breath, Will mouthed, not today.

Clara would learn in her own time, after all—just not on her birthday. Not with all of the family around to know. Not with so many around that not only Will was humiliated, Clara would be too. She didn't deserve that. Not on her birthday. His father would tell her eventually, but not on her birthday.

The werewolf's eyes cleared. He had read Will's expression flawlessly. "Fine," he said. He turned back to Katherine. "Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all. I was merely comparing—my son and Clara have a similar difference in their ages. Eight and five."

Thankfully, Will's relatives came to the rescue. "Aaron is five?" Kayla said, stunned. "But he looks Clara's age!"

"He's quite mature for his age," Nico murmured.

Aaron ducked his head, embarrassed.

Katherine looked down at the boy. Even with the tension emitting in her, something else seemed to soften. "He's a beautiful boy," she commented softly. "And healthy. He seems to love you very much."

Nico's hand on his son's back stiffened. "…Thank you, Katherine."

"You'll treat Clara with that kindness as well, won't you?"

"She is like a daughter to me," Nico said. His head twitched. "I never intended to treat her any different."

With that, Will's ex-wife finally seemed to relax. She straightened and looked the Italian straight in the eye. "I trust that you'll also treat William the same?"

Nico's head tilted, but the movement was gradual. He was calming down some, as well. "If it means anything, you have my word."

Katherine and Nico exchanged looks for a long stretch of silence. As Will watched, he witnessed an uneasy truce form between them, marked from the moment Katherine huffed and turned back to her family and Nico turned back to Will, eyes triumphant if wearied.

"Anyway…" Apollo broke into the silence. "Isn't it about time for presents?"

"Presents!" Clara cheered immediately, waving wildly. "Oh—and cake! Cake too! C'mon Daddy and Babbo, let's go eat some cake! Hey, Aaron! I'll race you to the kitchen!"

And as Clara and Aaron dashed off, the party began.

~ΨΩΨ~

A few hours later, all of the guests had left satisfied and full of cake. Will excused himself as well while Clara played with some of her gifts with Aaron. Not waiting for a positive from the distracted children, he snuck out to the courtyard.

The silence was a blessing after all of the shit that had gone down during the party. Will breathed a sigh of relief and watched the sky darken minutely.

"You did a good job," Nico said, suddenly beside him. Startled, the blond spun around to face him and opened his mouth to speak, but Nico placed his hand over Will's lips, stopping him. The werewolf was smiling with soft eyes. Even in the dying light, the dark rings under them seemed somehow less pronounced, making him look younger. "It must have been difficult for you to speak to her like that."

Will tried again to speak, but Nico didn't let him.

"Don't talk, Will. Let me say my piece."

He waited until Will nodded; then he tapped the blond's mouth and moved his hand over to his cheek. Nico's hair was in his face again—a ruffled mess that stuck up every which way. It had become an endearing look to Will over the months, and Will didn't know how he could have survived without it for so long.

Nico's smile waned slightly, but the warmth was still present. "It really hasn't been very long since we first met each other," he murmured, features thoughtful. "And yet so much has happened in that time. I wonder sometimes what it was that triggered this, but I realize that it was a chain of events. It's like wandering in a labyrinth—you choose which doors to walk through, and you hope that your choices were the best ones."

He examined Will, seeming to look right into his soul. Will tried not to squirm from the intensity of his gaze.

"I'm glad I chose to stay with you and Clarina," he declared. He raised his chin, looking up at Will with pride gleaming in his eye. "My pack might not agree with me—but they do not own me. There is not a day in which I regret deciding to stay. So, despite the pains we have all suffered, I hope to live with you for a long while. With your consent, that is."

Will couldn't believe what he was hearing. His lips tugged upwards. "Really?"

Nico gave him a positive.

"I—er—me too," Will mumbled, cheeks warming.

The answering smile Will received was a laugh and a promise for more all wrapped into one. "Good," he almost purred. "Because I intend to make the most of every spare moment we have."

A stupid "oh?" was all Will could muster.

Nico's smile took on a devilish turn. With utmost care, he wound his fingers through Will's hair and drew the blond down almost to his level. "I did say I would see what all of the fuss was about," he whispered, his lips struggling with his smile. He was trying to stifle it, but to no avail. "It's about time I figured it out."

Gentle as the breeze itself, Nico leaned up and kissed him.

Will's mind all but short-circuited after that. All he remembered clearly was curling his own fingers in Nico's hair, Nico's laughing during the kiss, and hearing the most embarrassing moan that had ever come out of his mouth. Will had a feeling Nico had been laughing because of the noise he made.

Everything else happened in a flash of warmth—too fast. He regretted not being able to remember more after Nico pulled back. He wanted to treasure that moment, however brief.

His disappointment died when he saw Nico lick his lips, as though tasting the flavor of the kiss. The werewolf was still smiling. "Pretty good," Nico commented, looking up at Will through dark eyelashes. "For a first try."

Will swallowed. He was sure he looked like an idiot: staring at Nico like a love-struck fool. Words practically flew from his mouth. "It's a practice thing."

Lights danced in Nico's eyes. "Is that right?"

Trying his best not to look too enthusiastic, Will nodded.

Nico's smile widened. It seemed he saw right through Will's mask of indifference. "We'll have to do something about that, then." But right when Will was sure Nico was going to kiss him again, the Italian sighed. "Yet we should probably head back now," Nico murmured, looking over Will's shoulder. He sounded hesitant, as though he didn't quite want to leave yet. Butterflies fluttered in Will's stomach.

However much Will also wanted to stay for a little longer, he knew the Italian was right in the end. The kids were bound to start wondering where they were—and start wandering. He didn't want to start getting caught in embarrassing situations any time soon.

With a disappointed sigh, he turned to head back to where Clara and Aaron were playing in the living room. She was quite happy with the wolf plush Katherine had given her—she had been playing with it just as Will and Nico had snuck off to be alone. He expected to see her exactly the same the moment they walked back in.

"Hey, Will," Nico said suddenly.

Will turned back to the Italian, raising an eyebrow.

In his hands was a tiny box covered in silver wrapping paper—Clara's birthday present. It was the only one she hadn't opened yet. "I want you to be the one to give Clarina this," Nico said to Will.

Will was taken aback. "Shouldn't you be the one to…?"

But Nico was already shaking his head. "I think she will be happiest if she received the gift from you, Will."

Uncertain, the blond took the present from the werewolf and weighed it in his hand. It was light—but the gift was more valuable in symbolism than anything. Somewhere inside, a small crescent moon hairpin was nestled in a bed of fabric. "But I figured that you and Aaron would give it to her…"

Nico touched Will's cheek. "You know why we got this for her," he said warmly. He leaned up and kissed the stubble starting to grow along Will's jaw. "And none of this would have been possible if it wasn't for you, Will. I owe you my life, and so I give it to you. I give you my spirit, my life—my ghost."

Will couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, Clare," Will murmured, sitting down with his daughter on the edge of her bed. She was tucked in to sleep, but her eyes blinked at her father's words. She was wide awake. "I've been wondering… Why did you decide to name the wolf Ghosty? Is there a specific reason?"

Clara grinned up at him and giggled. She loved to talk about the wolf. "Of course there is, Daddy! Ghosty is the name I gave him because of that first night we met him. I remember that while I was following him as he limped through the woods he was as dark as the shadows. But when he fell in that clearing, he had seemed to glow silver. It was only the moonlight, but I remember the shock I had felt. He had been dying—and I felt as though I had just seen his ghost leave him. But he was brought back when we heard you coming after me. He had been a ghost in the moonlight, Daddy. But then he was brought back to life. He was Ghosty."

Will leaned down and kissed Nico on the head. He smoothed down the werewolf's hair, but it did little good. "I love you," he announced, smiling uncontrollably down at Nico. "God, I can't believe how quickly it's gone, but…I hope this lasts a long time. I've been so happy with you, with Clara, and even your little Aaron. I don't know how I was so blind to forget about family."

"We all stumble as we walk through life," Nico said. "But it's a matter of if you get back up when you fall, or if you allow yourself to wither away. I almost gave up. It was because of you and your daughter that I didn't. And I don't intend to give up now."

They kissed again, a warm presence on Will's lips.

"I love you too," Nico murmured. Then he drew back. His dark eyes were filled to the brim with emotion—and Will was sure he was the same. He felt elated. "Why don't we go and give Clarina her present now?" Nico suggested. "Then we can finish what we started here."

"Finish?" Will asked. Despite himself, he could feel his cheeks warming at the prospect. "Finish what?"

Nico drew him down and kissed him a third time—slow, sensual. "Not sex, of course." The Italian winked and smirked. "I've never had the urges for sex, so you can calm down about that. However…I believe I told you once about the rituals werewolves have for marking their mates. Do you remember?"

Will's cheeks burned worse. He didn't breathe a word—the werewolf could see everything he was thinking on his face.

Nico chuckled lowly. "It's about time I follow tradition."

He kissed him on one cheek, then the other, and took Will's free hand to lead him back to where Clara and Aaron were waiting. The moon shone down on him for one instant, highlighting his hair in silver, and Will was struck with the memories of the few months they had really been together. It seemed like years had gone by.

Even if Nico was a werewolf, Will loved him to the core. He had become precious to the blond, and to Clara, and he wasn't ready to let him go. Like Nico had said, it was time he finished getting up from his fall and start living his life to the fullest.

Living life with his new family—

And with his new partner.

His Ghosty.

*End of Ghosty*

~ΨΩΨ~

A/N: I thank each and every one of you for sticking with me to this moment. Originally, I had planned to write more for this wonderful story, but I realize now that I have other things I should work on. So, let us end here for now on a good note. See you all again!

~FaiK