Nico paced for next hour while shuffling his deck of Mythomagic cards. Frank, who had ran into the room a few minutes after the challenge had been declared, was doing his best to encourage Nico but it didn't seem to be helping. Hazel joined in but even with both the children's efforts, the ex-prince was still anxious.
The game was going to be played online so that neither of the players could cheat. Nico only had his cards out so he had something to do with his hands. The deck he was holding was one he already had set up online, and was also the one he was planning to use during the tournament later that month.
"You can do this, Nico!" Frank repeated for the tenth(?) time. "You're the best Mythomagic player ever."
"Yeah," Hazel agreed. "The bestest."
"Thanks, guys, but I'm still worried."
Will frowned. He wanted to do something to calm his boyfriends nerves, but he couldn't think of anything that would work.
Time came for the game to begin. Nico took a deep breath, handed his cards to Frank who, promised to look after them with his life, and whipped his palms on his pants.
Hades was already waiting when Nico entered the room. Two laptops were set up on a table with wires hooked up to a few broadcasting systems; no doubt this was being televised all over the country.
Will caught Nico's hand before he sat down, giving his a quick squeeze. Nico turned to give the blonde a kiss. When they parted, Will wished him luck, letting go of his hand.
Nico took the seat opposite of his opponent. On the screen before him was the game's page. There was a pending request, obviously from Hades. Bracing himself, he clicked on the notification and accepted the invite, glancing up at he did. Hades was looked at him, a grin plastered on his face.
The sound of virtual cards being shuffled was heard and the game started.
Hades got to go first, choosing to place two land cards. Nico, unfortunately, had no land cards to place, so he had to discard a card of his choosing and pick the first card off the deck. Now his turn was over.
Hades took the opportunity to set up a druid on one of his lands, ready to attack once Nico gave him the chance. Luckily, the boy had drawn a land card, and already had a stone wall to protect said land card. It wasn't the best defense, but it was all he could do for now.
The game went on like that for the first ten minutes. Nico was having no luck when it came to drawing cards, meaning his father had the upper hand. That was, until a miracle happened.
The black haired boy just so happened to pick up a stunning spell for the wizard that he had on the battlefield. The stun would only work of certain creatures, two of which Hades had playing right now. So he did the most logical thing and played the stunning spell. Nico smirked, knowing that he was safe from two enemies for three rounds. Hades, however, was irked by the action.
The playing field started to level out. Both boys had different cards but with the same attack damage. The game slowed down a bit, making them think more strategically than before. Nico had to extra careful because Hades had a higher health bar than he had.
And, as if the gaming gods heard his prayers, Nico drew two healing spells; one for his soldiers, and another for a land card. By using both at the same time, his overall health went back up 80 points. Now he was the one with the better health.
And then it all took a turn for the worst, as most things with Nico do.
Hades played all the most powerful cards he had in his deck at once, dropping Nico's health points down to 105. Everyone, even those who didn't understand the game, gasped. Obviously, 105 HP wasn't a good thing.
"Your turn, kid," Hades smiled. An evil smile.
Luckily, thurns weren't timed. Nico had all the time in the world to process what had just happened.
"You know you can forfeit," Hades reminded him, a glint in his eyes. "Save the little pride you have."
Nico narrowed his eyes, fixating them on the screen again. There was no way he was forfeiting, especially if that's what Hades was hoping he'd do.
He clicked to pick up two new cards, nearly gasping as he did. There was no way of missing the hopeful look Nico had. Grinning, he looked up at his father, using the same words against him.
"Are you sure you don't want to forfeit?"
"Why would I do that?" Hades inquired. "I'm winning."
"You had your chance," the boy warned.
Nico played the two cards, hitting the 'confirm' button. Hades gasped and Nico leaned back, allowing himself to enjoy as his father panicked.
"I knew you had Asclepius but how did you get your hands on Death's Favor?"
Nico watched the animations on the laptop, very pleased with the results he was getting.
Asclepius went through Nico's discarded deck, tossing three cards back into his playing deck. Meanwhile, a reaper appeared, swinging his scythe once. All of his father's creatures and soldiers died and his land was badly damaged. The reaper vanished, laughing menacingly as he went.
Nico's HP was still 105, but Hades had dropped all the way down to 25.
"Sure you don't want to forfeit?" Nico mocked. "Save what little pride you have?"
Hades glared and Nico held it there. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the old man's face fell and turned, defeated, towards his screen. Two words followed his actions:
"You win."
The whole room erupted with cheers. Nico jumped from his seat and into Will's arms. Bianca barreled into the two of them, hugging and crying tears of joy. Other's joined the hug but the boys could care less.
They won. Love won.
☀️💞💀
Even though there was no wedding, everyone went to the reception. There, the two love birds sat in the seats of honor and dined with the rest of the guest who chose to attend.
The dance floor was cleared for dancing. Nico dragged Will out, making them the first there. His cousins and sisters weren't too far behind. Since the days events had changed, so did the music. Instead of love songs, it was nothing but Nico's punk/rock music and Will's 60's through the 90's playlist. Most people didn't have a problem with this. Others did but nobody cared about them.
Nico slipped away with Bianca for about twenty minutes and re-entered the room again wearing the wedding dress that had been tailored for him. Will's face reddened when he saw his boyfriend but laughed along with everyone else.
Cake was brought out and cut. By that time, Nico had changed back into suit, claiming that dresses were heavy and a hassle to deal with. Will sympathized from the day he had to wear one, and the girls simply shook their heads. Neither of them had to deal with it as often as they did.
Will managed to sneak off. Nico was just about to question where the blonde had gone when the music suddenly faded out and a path started to clear way. At the end was Will with a ukulele, strumming the chords to a familiar tone. When he sang the first line, Nico recognized it instantly and fell even more in love with him.
"She asked me, 'Son, when I grow old
Will you buy me a house of gold?
And when your father turns to stone
Will you take care of me?'"
The first song they ever shared together. The first real bonding moment they had while listening to this song. The day Nico came out to Will with this song playing.
Needless to say, the emotions starting hitting Nico. He laughed and he tried to stop the joyous tears as they came. Will smiled, continuing on with the song until he couldn't handle seeing Nico so happy. He couldn't fight the urge to embrace him and kiss him any longer.
"Surprise," Will whispered in his ear.
"Best surprise," Nico said. "I didn't even know you knew how to play the ukulele." Will laughed.
After that, the night started to slow down. Will and Nico were swaying along to a slow song when the blonde noticed the other dozing off on his shoulder. It was cute but not the best position to fall asleep in.
Will picked him up and carried him to his room. Nico's room had been cleared out and was in no way ready for another person to stay the night in. Hopefully Nico wouldn't have a problem waking up with his boyfriend.
He had just set Nico down when there was a knock at his door. Will went to open it, hoping that whoever it was wouldn't need anything. He was tired and just wanted to cuddle with the black haired boy on his bed.
Apollo stood outside the door, looking just as tired as Will felt.
"Is Nico in there?" his dad asked. Will nodded.
"That's okay, right?"
"Yeah, of course. I just wanted to see if you'd like to come with me on a car ride."
Will bite his lip, considering his options. In the end, he chose to go with his dad, sensing the car ride was more than what the other was letting on.
☀️💞💀
Will was a little shocked to see his dad get into the driver's seat. He knew his dad knew how to drive but they were royalty. They had people to drive them around. Without further questioning, the hopped into the passenger's seat and asked where they were going.
"To the flower shop," Apollo answered.
Will knew where they were going afterwards but chose not to say anything. Luckily, he didn't have to. Apollo started up a conversation that had nothing to do with the car ride, just simple things.
At first, he asked how Will was doing with his music and that he liked the song he played for Nico earlier. Then he asked if he'd seen anything worth watching lately and Will mentioned the movie he and Nico went to see a few days ago. He didn't mean for it to slip out that he and Nico had a day out, but Apollo didn't seem fazed by it. Maybe he knew already.
"Your mom and Persephone were the ones who set up the wedding crash," his father told him. "I'd recommend getting them flowers while we're there."
Will grinned. "I will."
Apollo smiled, ruffling his son's hair. "I'm happy for you two, but we're going to have to have a talk later. I'm sure the women will want to set some boundaries since you two are so young," he teased.
"Dad! Ew, no. We're not old enough for that."
"The legal age here is 16, so really you're both old en--"
"Stop!"
"Okay, okay," Apollo chuckled. "But we will need to set a few boundaries and figure out what to do with you guys."
"Why's that?"
"Nico's no longer a prince. Now, that doesn't mean he can't stay at the palace, or you two can't be together, but it does affect how your education will go. That can discussed later, though."
Will wanted to argue more but they pulled into a parking spot. The blonde looked up to see they were outside a flower shop, which was still open despite how late it was. On their way in, Will glanced at the hours sign to see that the place was actually a 24 hour flower shop that was closed on Wednesdays. Strange but also convenient unless it was a Wednesday.
A bell rang as they entered and the woman at the cash register looked up from her magazine, smiling when she saw Apollo. The smile was something more than what an employee would give to a customer.
"Almost thought you weren't showing up this year," she joked.
"Oh, Katie, you should know me better by now."
She laughed, turning her attention to Will. "Who's that you've got with you?"
"My son, Will."
Katie offered a hand. "Nice to meet you, Will."
"Likewise."
Apollo disappeared into the back of the store to get the flowers he needed before sending Will to find his flowers. While he was off doing that, Apollo chatted with Katie, catching up on the past few months. They only saw each other twice a year when he stopped by, but Katie had always been understanding of his situation.
Will came back with two healthy bouquets and two small potted plants, one similar to the plant Apollo had pick out. The other was some sort of lily that he was planning to give to Nico in the morning. Once they had paid for everything, they thanked Katie and got back in the car.
It was another ten minutes before they got to the graveyard. The gates were still open and Will wondered if that's because they always were or if his dad had something to do with it.
Apollo parked the car, picking up the little potted plant he had purchased and started leading the way. Will couldn't help but notice how quiet it was. Sure, there were the normal street sounds
and bugs making noise but it all seemed more distant. Apollo was silent, making him feel more aware of his surroundings.
It was dark out, obviously, since it was night. Street lights lit parts of the graveyard, but only the outskirts of it. Luckily, Apollo came prepared with two mini flashlights for them to see.
There were hundreds of headstones. Will read the names on some of the ones they passed and whatever else was on them if he had time. Some had a symbol of honor engraved into the stone, leaving Will to wonder if they had died serving or if they were veterans that had it put there so people passing by would know.
Finally, Apollo stopped and turned down one of the lines of headstones before coming to a halt in front of one. Will looked down and saw they were there.
The headstone was made of some sort of white stone, polished to look smooth and shiny. There was a flower made of glass in the stone, no doubt that is was something Hyacinth found symbolic or meaningful in a way. The words engraved were in black, reading:
Here lies Hyacinthus Ánthos
The best partner anyone could ask for,
And a man who died too young
---
"I hope that someday, everyone can walk down the
streets holding hands with the one they love
without fear of judgement."
Will felt a tear run down his cheek but quickly wiped it away. He glanced up at his dad who was standing and staring at the grave with a sad smile. Apollo set his flowers down first with his son following his lead.
"So this is Hyacinth," Will said. It came out timidly.
"Yep," Apollo confirmed. "Will, this is Hyacinth. Hyacinth, this is my son William, though he prefers to be called Will."
Was it a little weird talking to a headstone? Yes, just a little, but Will understood. It was a way to feel connected to those who passed, and although he'd never met Hyacinth, he knew he must've been a good guy. The way his father spoke about him and the way his eyes softened... it was impossible to even think elsewise.
Will listened as Apollo spoke to Hyacinth. He talked about how happy he was for Will and Nico, diving into the details of today's events. Will laughed at the ways his dad described certain parts, nudging at one point. After forty minutes, Apollo's laughter died down and he sighed.
"Twenty seven years," the man stated. "Twenty seven long years... can't believe it's been that long."
There was a long silence. Apollo seemed to be searching for the right words, only to find himself holding back tears. So Will took it upon himself to say something.
"I... I didn't know who you were till a week ago," he said aloud. "But my dad told me who you were and what happened. He told me after he found out I was sneaking around to date my fiancé's brother."
Apollo laughed a little, and Will smiled.
"I don't know much about you, Hyacinth, but it seems like you really wanted people to be loved by whoever and have that be acceptable. Hopefully I can help make that happen."
Will heard his dad sniffle before he got his hair ruffled again. The blonde leaned into his dad's side, comforting him that way.
"That sounds that a great idea, kiddo. And don't worry, Hyacinth. I'll be helping out too."
They said their goodbyes before heading back to the car. Apollo didn't speak the whole way back to the car or on their way to the palace but Will could tell he was more at peace. Tired but still at peace.
☀️💞💀
Will woke up the next morning with Nico trying to hide his face further into the blonde's neck. He knew Nico must've been awake in order to so. Will silently moved his hand up into Nico's hair, running his fingers through it.
"Where'd you go last night?" Nico asked.
"I thought you were asleep."
"I was but the light from the hall woke me up for a second."
Will kissed Nico's head. "My dad wanted me to go on a car ride with him. Nothing bad. Just a car ride."
"Oh."
They fell back into a nice morning silence. So silent, that Will dozed back off and when he woke up again, he noticed someone had brought breakfast up and saw that Nico was stepping out of the bathroom. His hair was dripping and he was wearing Will's clothes.
"Morning, Sunshine," he grinned, coming to lay by the blonde. Will leaned up to kiss Nico but was stopped. "Ew, no. You haven't brushed your teeth yet."
"You're no fun," Will told him.
"I'm plenty of fun."
"Sure you are."
"Is that a challenge?" Nico grinned some more.
"I don't know. Is it?"
Nico tackled him, kissing his boyfriend. Will melted into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of Nico's mouth against his.
"I love you," Will mumbled as they parted.
"I love you more."
"Who's the one challenging now?"
Nico laughed, bringing their lips together again, wishing they could stay like that forever.
☀️💞💀
Two weeks later, Will stood with Nico on the steps of the palace, saying their goodbyes to each other. It wasn't a final farewell, just a temporary one. A lot of things had changed over the past two weeks.
Persephone filed for divorce and custody of Hazel and Nico. Hades agreed to conditions that Persephone had offered and signed off on the papers, watching the woman he loved walk out of his life. He later said that he was willing to let her go if it made her happy, and that was that. Now Nico was moving in with Persephone and her mother which was a long drive. Almost sixteen hours.
"I'm going to miss you," Will mumbled, leaning to kiss Nico again.
"I'll miss you too," Nico assured. "But I'll call you every night and visit whenever I can."
"I know, but still."
Nico laughed as Will buried his face into the smaller boy's neck, his blonde hair tickling him slightly. They stayed wrapped in each other's warmth for what felt like hours, but it wasn't enough. Hazel was sent to pull them apart and bring Nico to the car that they were taking home.
"I love you," Nico smiled, pressing their lips together again.
"I love you too," Will replied, grinning. Nico giggled, kissing him again before heading to the car. He looked back before stepping into the car, waving to Will. The blonde, of course, waved back, but it was obvious he was trying to fight the urge to run and hug him again.
"I'll text you," Nico told him.
Then he got into the car and the driver took off. By the time he was buckled in, he saw he had one text from a very special someone.
Sunshine ☀️:
I miss you already 😘
Nico rolled his eyes, blushing like and an idiot.
Ghost King 👻:
It hasn't even been 5 min. Will
But I miss you too
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now that's the end, kiddos.
OR IS IT!!!!???
There's still epilogue, but that won't be out for a few days, so please be patient.
Unrelated to this, or anything PJO, I have two important announcements for two different fandoms in case you've missed something.
1) Yuri!!! on Ice
The yoi movie is titled 'Ice Adolescence' and will be coming out next year.
2) Voltron
Voltron will only have 78 episodes. We currently have 43 and that leaves us with 35 episodes for the rest of the show. Think about that.
CHARACTER ASKS ARE BEING POSTED SHORTLY AFTER THIS!!!
Thank you all for reading. I'm glad that you all of read this far and it's thanks to you I kept writing this story. I'll be posting later a bigger thank you and how I came up with this story and a few parts that no one asked about. I hope that you guys read that as well because it kind of means more to me than you'd expect. I'm proud of this because of the few things I was able to slip in.
But anyway, thank you all again. I hope you liked the story and keep your eye out for the epilogue.