“Mom… I think… I think we overdid it,” Percy said as he slumped on the kitchen counter beside his mother.
“You think so?” Sally asked absentmindedly, steadily rotating the cake stand while piping the buttercream in perfect swirls on a green birthday cake.
“I know so,” Percy answered, burying his face in his hands in embarrassment.
“I think you’re exaggerating, honey,” Sally said, resting the piping bag carefully on the counter before stepping back and admiring her progress. “It can’t be that bad-”
“Oh,” she breathed as she finally raised her eyes to assess her son’s work. “Oh,” she repeated, subconsciously taking a step back from surprise. “We didn’t overdo it. You did.”
Balloons in various shades of green, and black, were scattered around the room while streamers, pom poms and garlands of the same colors were hung on the walls and other strategic locations. Glittering green and black confetti were sprinkled on the floor, adding a touch of fun. Opposite of the - currently empty - dining table and hanging off of the ceiling was a large, customized banner in green and black that read, ‘Happy 17th Birthday, Nico!’ Honestly, Sally wasn’t sure what surprised her more - that Percy accomplished this much in a short amount of time, or that he was expending so much effort for what was supposed to be a simple and intimate gathering.
“You told me to set up the decorations!” Percy whined.
“Percy, I told you to decorate. That doesn’t mean you should use up all the decorations in the bags,” Sally clarified in between giggles. “Also, why did you only use green and black? We’re celebrating Nico’s birthday, not St. Patrick’s Day.”
“Nico!” Estelle cheered from Percy’s back before he could respond, wiggling inside her baby carrier.
“He’s only visited a few times, but she’s grown incredibly attached to him,” Sally noted fondly, watching as her daughter’s eyes excitedly darted around the room in search of said son of Hades.
“That’s a few more visits than he paid me,” Percy said sourly.
“Are you jealous of your baby sister?” Sally teased her eldest.
“I’m not!” Percy denied. Sally had to smile at her son’s stubbornness.
“Anyway, Nico’s favorite color is green. I thought - with how he always wears black - that it would be great to have those two colors together a-and… Mom! Stop it!” Percy’s entire face lit up with embarrassment when his mother started laughing out loud.
“Oh, Percy. You don’t get less adorable as you get older,” Sally sighed fondly, patting one of his cheeks affectionately. “Don’t worry about it. I think you did a wonderful job.”
“Do you really think so?” Percy asked, sounding hopeful.
“I know so,” Sally repeated his earlier words. There was a playful twinkle in her bright blue eyes as she then continued, “I’m sure your crush will appreciate your effort.”
Percy groaned almost immediately in response to her comment. Placing a hand on his face, he rubbed it in an attempt to will the blush that was slowly coloring his cheeks pink. “Mom, we’ve been through this; we don’t talk about that.”
“How come?” Sally questioned. She took the piping bag once more to add finishing touches to the cake. “There’s no harm in talking about it. Didn’t you tell me that ‘it’s just a crush’?”
Percy leaned forward against the kitchen counter while tilting his head up towards the ceiling. A self-deprecating smile curled his lips as he said, “I’m with Annabeth. He’s with Aeon. Talking about it won’t change that.”
“You know I don’t approve of that: you being with Annabeth despite having feelings for Nico,” Sally clarified, her lips pressed into a thin line. She paused for a moment, stepped away from the cake once more to briefly assess it, before she resumed.
“I love Annabeth, mom. Nico’s just a crush,” Percy stressed for the umpteenth time.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s just a crush, honey. What matters is you’re with Annabeth for the wrong reasons. Yes, you do love her, but you’re not in love with her,” Sally said.
There was a time when Percy was; a time wherein Sally herself envisioned a future of the two of them together. At the time, it was… inconceivable, the thought of them separating. But, Sally supposed, nothing was truly impossible in the face of love.
“I won’t tell you what to do. You’re old enough to make your own decisions,” Sally continued. “But as your mother, I can’t help but worry about you. You’re not happy. Right now, you’re… settling.”
“I am happy,” Percy insisted, wincing as Estelle yanked on his hair as if to call him out. “I am.”
His mother simply smiled at him, patting his cheek gently once more. “If you say so, honey.”
Sally supposed Percy was - at the very least - happier than he was a year ago. He seemed to be in a better place mentally; he was…present andwas even smiling and laughing almost as often as he did before the demigod life claimed him. However, there was a limit to his happiness; an invisible line he subconsciously dared not to cross. Perhaps it was his way of protecting Nico’s happiness: by denying his own.
Percy might be in denial about his feelings for Nico, but to her, as an onlooker, they were as clear as day. Truthfully, she had a hunch from the beginning - that Nico harbored romantic feelings for Percy, and Percy harbored more than just a sense of responsibility towards Nico. But at the time, they were both so young, and Percy and Annabeth’s attraction towards each other was mutual, which was why Sally never saw a need to address what she assumed were mutual passing interests. Seeing Percy’s current state, she had to consider, was it a mistake that she didn’t? Had she chosen to address it, would everything be different now?
“... Do you think Nico will like his cake?” Sally asked, dismissing her earlier thought as she presented the cake to her son. It was a single tier rosette cake, frosted with buttercream of different shades of green and adorned with white chocolate pearls.
“I know he’ll love it, mom,” Percy assured her. He was confident in his mom’s cooking and, well, the fact that Nico adored his mom as much as she adored the son of Hades. “It looks amazing. You making it for him makes it extra special.”
“That’s sweet of you to say, Percy. I really hope he loves it,” Sally said with a bright smile as she carefully stored the cake inside the fridge. “He’s a good, young man. He deserves to have nice things in life.”
Percy couldn’t agree more. Nico deserved the nicest things in life. Percy just wasn’t it.
“I thought this was a birthday party?”
Sea green eyes twitched in annoyance.
“It is.”
“So how come it’s decorated like St. Patrick’s Day?” Alabaster questioned, taking off his winter gloves with his teeth.
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, you can leave,” Percy grumbled, crossing his arms, to which chartreuse green eyes sparkled with amusem*nt.
“Oh, believe me, I want to. But I was told by Hazel that my presence would mean a lot to the birthday boy,” Alabaster said before gesturing with a tilt of his head towards said son of Hades.
Alabaster was never one for crowds. He preferred to be alone, and if not, he was only truly comfortable being around Nico at most. Today though - and guiltily, at almost any occasions where Nico was involved - he was willing to make an exception. It was well worth it, just to see the genuine and comical look of surprise on Nico’s face at that moment.
“Hazel was right - you would forget that today’s your birthday,” Aeon said, sounding amused. He enveloped his still stunned boyfriend in a hug before pressing a loving kiss to the side of his head. “Happy seventeenth birthday, love.”
“Today’s the twenty-eight? I’m seventeen?” Nico asked, utterly dumbfounded. Everyone simply smiled at his question. “Wait, how did you plan all of this? We were together the whole day.”
“I didn’t plan any of this - your friends did. My only role was to keep you preoccupied until everything’s ready,” Aeon admitted. “Fortunately, you already made plans, so I just went along with it. But Alabaster coming with us to Alaska? That was completely unplanned.”
“I appreciate your honesty,” Alabaster said with a scowl, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“You’re welcome,” Aeon naturally replied.
“You can now unhand my brother, thank you very much. You’ll have him back at the end of the night,” Hazel teased Aeon while looking pointedly at his arms that were currently embracing Nico from behind. With an amused smile, Aeon obliged, allowing her to pull her brother into a tight hug.
“Happy birthday, Nico,” Hazel greeted Nico, kissing his cheek.
“Thanks, Sis,” Nico murmured, returning the gesture. “You didn’t have to do any of this, you know. I’m aware that you’re busy at Camp Jupiter.”
“I don’t have to, but I want to. We want to,” Hazel corrected herself. “Seventeen - that’s something worth celebrating, given...”
Nico simply nodded, squeezing her tighter. She didn’t need to complete her sentence; he understood what she meant completely. After all, she herself, and Jason…
As if on cue, the son of Jupiter cleared his throat and stepped forward with his arms outstretched, a bright expectant smile on his face. Hazel pouted, glaring playfully at Jason for interrupting her moment with her brother, but she stepped back nonetheless, allowing Jason to wrap Nico in a tight hug.
“You’re old, man,” Jason teased, lifting the son of Hades off of his feet.
“S-Says the adult…!” Nico gasped, patting Jason’s back repeatedly. “Too tight! Can’t breathe…!”
Laughing, Jason set him down. “Happy birthday, Nico,” Jason whispered softly, refusing to let him go just yet. “I’m glad I’m here for it.”
Nico swallowed the sudden lump that formed in his throat as his hands gripped the back of Jason’s shirt just slightly tighter. “Me too, Jason. I’m glad you’re here.”
In a different timeline- no, Nico mentally shook his head and berated himself for entertaining a ridiculous thought. There was only ever one timeline, and this was it.
“I’ll be here for all your other birthdays too,” Jason promised before slowly pulling back. “And you’ll be here for all of mine.”
“Duh,” Nico naturally agreed, barely suppressing a melancholic smile. Of course, Nico would be there - that was never in doubt. He would be there for all of Jason’s birthdays, and Hazel’s, and Percy’s, and Alabaster’s… However, the same couldn’t be said for the other way around.
“Do I get a hug too for my decorating efforts?” Percy teased from behind Jason.
“Alabaster’s right there. You can ‘hug’ him like you did last Christmas,” Nico suggested playfully.
Both sons of Poseidon and Hecate gagged at the memory before simultaneously glaring at each other. Though both were victims at the time, they had an unspoken agreement that it was much easier to hold the other accountable than blame Nico himself.
Grinning, and surprising everyone, Nico stepped forward and hugged Percy. “Thanks, Percy. Might be the wrong holiday, but thanks.”
“It’s not! You said your favorite color was green!” Percy groaned but embraced Nico in return, burying his face in his slightly damp hair. His body subconsciously relaxed as Nico’s scent filled his senses. “Happy birthday. One more year, and I can’t call you a kid anymore.”
“You never could,” Nico huffed, pulling away too quickly, much to Percy’s dismay. “Technically, I’m eighty-four.”
“Well, dam, grandpa. You look fine for your age,” Percy said before pinching his cheeks.
“Stop it. Not funny,” Nico said with a roll of his eyes as he effortlessly swatted Percy’s hands away.
Percy simply smiled in return. He wasn’t kidding though. Nico at seventeen was gorgeous. Percy was no poet, but in attempting to put into words how beautiful and radiant Nico looked at that moment, he just might be. He’ll ultimately fail; no doubt about it. But only because there weren’t enough words to encapsulate Nico.
“You mentioned you were in Alaska before coming here?” Percy asked casually, briefly glancing at Nico’s winter wear.
“Yeah. Routine check,” Nico admitted while stripping off his winter coat. “Bringing fresh supplies too. We were actually with Erebus before coming here.” Nico then turned to Aeon to inquire. “He’s not coming?”
Aeon shook his head. “Neither is Phanes. They promised to celebrate with you at a later date though.”
“But why is Alabaster with you?” Hazel asked. “Don’t you two visit separately?”
“Twin children of Hecate showed up. It made sense to bring him along,” Nico explained vaguely.
“You know what makes sense as well? Leaving him in Alaska. Just for a week or two,” Percy murmured.
Alabaster casted him a dirty look but said nothing in retaliation. There was a place and time for everything; he would hex the bastard later.
“Congrats on aging, Gremlin,” Alabaster said with a smirk, pointedly ignoring the son of Poseidon as he approached Nico. He placed a hand on top of his head and messed up his already disheveled hair. “You know, once you hit eighteen, unless you hit a sudden growth spurt, that will be your height forever.”
“You could have just stopped at ‘Congrats’,” Nico huffed. “Or better yet, you could have just done the same as the rest and greeted me with a hug. But no- you just had to be dramatic.”
“I prefer the term ‘creative’,” Alabaster drawled. “Besides, we don’t do hugs.”
Nico opened his mouth, a counter on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t given a chance to retaliate as Alabaster suddenly embraced him. Alabaster’s discomfort was palpable - all of them were well-aware that he despised physical contact of any sort - but he ignored it in favor of indulging Nico’s request. “But maybe I can make an exception just this once.”
“Why do you always have to be dramatic, you piece of twig?” Nico rhetorically asked, hesitantly returning the gesture. Alabaster got one thing right: they weren’t one for hugs.
“Hey, you wanted this, so stop complaining. We can’t all be as bulky as Jason,” Alabaster countered, rolling his eyes. All too soon, he let Nico go and stepped back. He wasn’t as shameless and masoch*stic as Percy and Jason to take advantage of the occasion to cling onto the son of Hades.
“Can we greet Nico now, or are there still others in front of the queue?” Sally inquired from behind the kitchen counter, her bright blue eyes shone, and her lips curled in amusem*nt.
“Nico!” Estelle flailed her tiny hands in excitement - now laced with impatience - while reaching for Nico, much to her parents’ amusem*nt. “Nico! Nico!”
Grinning, Nico hurriedly crossed the room and carefully scooped the willing toddler into his arms. He laughed merrily when her tiny arms wrapped eagerly around his neck, clinging tightly onto him.
“I swear you’re all she wants these days,” Sally claimed with a soft, fond smile. “Happy birthday, dear,” she greeted, hugging Nico from the side.
“Thank you, Ms. Jackson.”
Paul stepped forward as well, patting Nico firmly on the back. “Happy birthday, son. I think you should consider moving in with us since Estelle’s become so attached to you,” he joked.
“Thank you, Mr. Blofis. But no, thanks. I like my freedom too much to stay in one place,” Nico said truthfully. Estelle patted his cheeks, demanding his attention, and he turned to her with a smile. “How about I just take you with me, princess?” Nico joked, pressing kisses on Estelle’s chubby cheeks.
“I never thought there’d be a day when I see four adults be jealous of a baby,” Paul whispered to his wife, to which Sally simply smiled.
Percy, Jason, Alabaster and Aeon’s reactions weren’t glaringly obvious, but the progressively-getting-less-subtle downward curve of their lips with each press of Nico’s lips against Estelle’s cheeks were enough for her to discern their (increasing) displeasure. Especially Percy: he was an open book to her. ‘Just a crush’, he claimed. If it was just a crush, why did he look like he wanted to take his baby sister’s place?
Surprisingly, it was Nico’s boyfriend who looked least displeased amongst the four of them. Sally discreetly glanced at the god’s direction. The resemblance was truly remarkable; it stunned her. Had she not been informed of the god’s identity, she might have entertained the possibility of having birthed another son.
“Oh, right.” Nico soon noticed the inquisitive look in her bright blue eyes that was directed towards his boyfriend. Remembering that they had yet to formally meet, he quickly introduced them. “Ms. Jackson, Mr. Blofis, this is Aeon - my partner. Aeon, that’s Percy and Estelle’s mother, Sally Jackson-Blofis. We call her Ms. Jackson because we’re used to it. Beside her is her husband, Paul Blofis.”
“It’s nice to officially meet you,” Aeon greeted them, politely extending a hand towards the mortal couple out of courtesy. “I’ve heard much about you from Nico. Thank you for the care and kindness you have shown him.”
“Good things, I hope,” Sally said, grasping the outstretched hand firmly.
It didn’t escape her notice that Nico addressed him as not his boyfriend, but his partner. There was something concrete about it, and whether it was intentional or not, it was clear to her that Nico’s heart was, at least, decisive in what - who - it wanted.
“I’ve heard stories about you from Nico too.”
In truth, she had known a long time ago that Nico’s heart had already settled. But she hoped-... Sally mentally shook her head. At that moment, she gained some clarity towards Percy’s denial of his feelings for Nico. He had to have known as well that Nico’s heart had found what it wanted and needed. What right did they have to hope that it could be swayed otherwise?
“Good things, I hope,” Aeon returned the reply with a small, knowing smile.
“And that beanpole over there’s our friend, Alabaster C Torrington,” Nico continued, trying to sound nonchalant, but some trepidation slipped into his voice when said son of Hecate frowned.
Alabaster didn’t look comfortable being introduced all of a sudden, which made perfect sense. He was on edge, to begin with, as he found himself in the residence of his enemy-turned-somewhat-acquaintance. To then be introduced to the mother of said demigod he had sworn to kill in cold blood at some point… Alabaster just wasn’t sure how to react. Nico and the rest of them claimed that Sally Jackson was an amazing woman, and while Alabaster didn’t doubt it, coming from Nico, he also didn’t doubt a mother’s love.
Unsure of how to address the woman, he merely offered an awkward and curt nod in greeting, instinctively placing Jason between him and the rest of Percy’s family.
Sally didn’t take offense, offering an amiable smile instead.
“Nice to meet you, Alabaster. It feels like I’ve already met you though, since Nico and Percy talk about you at times.”
Sally decided to be open and truthful. In response to her statement, Alabaster stiffened, his hands reflexively flexing as something akin to his fight-or-flight response kicked in. He subconsciously glanced at Nico who immediately assured him, mouthing, ‘It’s okay’. It worked to some extent, but he remained cautious as Sally continued.
“I made sandwiches. Percy mentioned they’re your favorite,” she said, gesturing towards the dining table. “Though he didn’t say specifically what type of sandwich - just that you don’t have any food allergies - so I made a bunch,” she added sheepishly.
Alabaster paused, uncertain how to respond. He wasn’t expecting Percy’s mother to accommodate him, let alone be a hospitable host towards him. Her kindness was genuine - that much he could sense - and it made being in her presence increasingly unbearable, knowing what he had been prepared to do to her son at a time gone by. Sensing his increasing unease, Hazel took initiative, wrapping her hands around one of his arms before pulling him towards the dining table.
“Come on. Let’s have Nico blow out his candles so we can all eat,” Hazel said, subtly patting Alabaster’s arm in reassurance. For a moment, he allowed a tense yet grateful smile to curl his lips as he turned to her.
“Right.” Jason clapped a hand over Alabaster’s shoulder, helping Hazel out. “Do you want to stand beside Percy or-”
“Opposite him,” was Alabaster’s immediate response. “After last Christmas, I don’t trust any of you to not pull the same prank,” he added, frowning.
“Hey, we were both victims!” Percy complained, walking behind them. As expected, Alabaster ignored him, but he did pause just a few feet away from his mother and lowered his head respectfully.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Jackson,” Alabaster said warily.
“You’re welcome, dear,” Sally said pleasantly. She expected his response; Nico and Percy did warn her that Alabaster had difficulty trusting new people, especially those that showed him kindness. However, that didn’t mean that he was less deserving compared to everyone else. “Come! Four of you surround the table. Nico, dear, please come to the head of the table to blow your candles. Aeon, please stand beside him or on either side. Paul, please take Estelle.”
“Okay, Ms. Jackson,” Nico obliged. He tried handing over Estelle to Paul, but she immediately protested, making pitiful noises and stubbornly turning away from her father, much to the latter’s disbelief. “Umm… I don’t mind holding her.”
“Sorry to trouble you,” Paul smiled sheepishly, feeling slightly betrayed that his own daughter refused to go with him. He was left to simply accept Estelle’s (hopefully current) favoritism as they approached the table.
“This is looking like a family picture,” Hazel teased as Aeon and Nico - Estelle in his arms - stood at the head of the table.
“In a year, it just might be,” Aeon answered smoothly before Nico could. Grinning, he embraced his lover from behind and pressed kisses against one side of his neck. “Maybe in two, we’d even have our own child since Phanes has been insisting on having a younger sibling-”
“No,” Percy, Jason and Alabaster snapped at the same time, glaring daggers at Aeon who smirked in response.
“Behave, you four. It’s my brother’s birthday, and you’re making him uncomfortable,” Hazel chastised the four of them while Sally lit the candles on the cake.
“We’re going to revisit this conversation later,” Nico mumbled to his boyfriend, his cheeks slightly flushed. This was not a discussion he thought he would have on his birthday, or ever, for that matter. Especially not in the presence of his friends and family.
“Of course, love,” Aeon easily relented, pressing a lingering kiss on his nape before pulling back just enough to offer him space.
As soon as all the candles were lit, they started singing happy birthday to Nico. Laughter parted his lips as one side obviously sounded much better than the other, with Percy’s terrible singing voice dominating over everyone else’s. It still felt foreign to him - being happy - but he welcomed it with open arms, nonetheless.
“Don’t forget to make a wish,” Sally reminded him once the song finished.
What do I have to wish for? Nico wondered. It wasn’t in his nature to want beyond what the universe presented to him. This happiness… It’s enough, isn’t it? He mused as he glanced at their smiling faces.
Please, I wish to keep this simple happiness. With that wish in mind, Nico closed his eyes and carefully leaned down to blow out the candles.
Nico sensed something changed before he could acknowledge what it was. As he opened his eyes, he looked unsurprised as he noticed that - apart from him and Estelle - everyone was frozen in place, in time. Arching one of his brows, he turned his questioning gaze towards the culprit who softly smiled at him in return.
“I know it’s ill-timing, I apologize. But there is someone else who wants to greet you on your birthday,” Aeon explained while brushing Nico’s hair back behind his ears.
“Really? This isn’t some excuse to have some alone time?” Nico asked, leaning against his boyfriend’s hand.
“... I’d prefer not to see - much less be in the know - of your… activities behind closed doors.”
Startled at the sound of a voice that was neither his nor Aeon’s, Nico almost jumped out of his skin as a portal of darkness materialized in the middle of the apartment. A familiar figure stepped out from it, causing Nico’s eyes to widen in surprise.
“Father…” he breathed as eyes that glittered like frozen tar bore into his. Hades briefly glanced around the room, his expression calm and content, before he seated himself on one of the couches and wordlessly beckoned for his son to occupy the available space beside him.
“I’ll take the child for now,” Aeon offered, reaching for Estelle. Nico didn’t even hesitate, passing the baby to Aeon. Surprisingly, she stared at the primordial only for a brief moment before going to him, albeit with mild reluctance. “Take as much time as you need. I’ll be right here.”
“Thank you,” Nico murmured, pressing a chaste kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek.
Steeling himself, Nico slowly approached his father, occupying the opposite end of the couch. There wasn’t much space between them since it was a three-seater, but it was adequate for comfort, Nico supposed, and an adequate representation of their relationship as father and son.
“Seventeen…” Hades started, looking up at the banner. “It might seem like you still have a lot of life ahead of you, but when you’re a demigod, that’s considered the peak of your existence.”
“Are you here to deliver a premonition - on my birthday of all days - that I’m about to die soon?” Nico asked, frowning. “Not going to lie - it’s probably the worst gift I could ever receive on this occasion.”
Surprisingly, his father laughed, as if he heard an absurd joke. “You’d likely outlast your own father. Which, I suppose, is how it’s always supposed to be.”
His tone was almost gentle as he continued, “I’m tired of mourning for my lovers, let alone my children. I’m… pleased that I don’t have to do that with you.”
Nico silently pondered over his father’s words. He didn’t feel particularly pleased hearing them as there was the implication that, at some point, he would have to bury his friends and family, and that his father was no exception. He was well-aware of the ramifications of his choice; Aeon was transparent about everything. But this was the life he had chosen for himself - he wasn’t going to change his mind.
“But I’m not here to talk about that on your birthday. I’m here to give you your present.”
This piqued Nico’s interest. “Is it another zombie chauffeur?”
“You underestimate your father. I'm far more creative and original than that; I don’t use the same idea twice. No, what I intend to give you is something much more meaningful. Something that I know you’d appreciate more than anything else I could ever offer,” Hades stated before he carefully pulled out something from the lapels of his jacket - an old photo, by the looks of it - and placed it face down on the seat between them. “Here.”
Curiously, Nico took it and flipped it over. It took a few seconds, but a lump gradually formed in his throat as he recognized the people in the image. It was a picture of him - perhaps when he was three or four - with his family: his Mamma, Bianca, Nonna, Nonno, and surprisingly, his father as well. All of them were smiling in the photo, even his grandparents and father, albeit with more restraint in comparison to himself, his sister and his mother. Bianca and Mamma both looked equally radiant in the photo. Divine. Alive.
“That’s the only photo we have as a family,” Hades murmured, reaching across to brush the tips of his fingers against his son’s cheeks. Belatedly, Nico realized that he was crying. He hastily wiped his tears away. “I want you to have it. It’s much safer in your hands and, knowing you, you’d treasure it more than I ever could.”
“Thank you, Papà,” Nico breathed. He meant it with every fiber of his being. His father was right - this gift, to him, was far more precious than anything his father or anyone could possibly offer.
Hades’ lips twitched slightly in amusem*nt. “If I knew all it took for you to call me Papà was that photo, I would have given it ages ago.” Nico couldn’t tell whether or not his father was joking. In the end, he decided not to comment on it.
“Listen, son. I know you’re aware of this, but I have to remind you that our future interactions will be limited to this for as long as you remain a mortal. Regardless, I want you to know that I’m always watching over you - you and your sister - even if I am physically absent from your lives,” Hades said, placing a hand briefly on one of Nico’s shoulders.
“I know.” Nico truly did. He was old enough to know that; old enough to believe that Hades was protecting them in the only way he knew how, which was by keeping his distance.
“Know that I’ll support your decisions as well. Even that one,” Hades grumbled, gesturing with a tilt of his head towards Aeon’s direction.
Nico looked over and laughed. Somehow, Estelle had gotten a hold of a marker and Aeon was presently guiding her tiny hand to enthusiastically draw all over Percy’s face. In the short amount of time that Nico and Hades were chatting, Estelle had already scribbled across Jason and Alabaster’s faces. Gods, Nico hoped that marker wasn’t permanent.
“He’s an interesting one. But I suppose you could have done worse,” Hades stated, pointedly glancing at the sons of Poseidon, Jupiter and Hecate. Or - as Persephone and Demeter addressed them - Nico’s minions.
“I somehow doubt that,” Nico said. “There’s no comparison to be made. He’s the only one for me.”
“So it seems.” In truth, it didn’t matter to Hades whether it was by Fate’s design or the Universe’s that his son and the primordial were bound together. As long as his son was happy, the circ*mstances were irrelevant.
“I’ll get going now,” Hades announced, rising from his seat. “I don’t want to hold your celebration for much longer.”
“You’re not going to stay a little longer?” Nico asked as he stood up as well, unable to mask his disappointment.
“We shouldn’t risk it,” Hades said, facing his son. “Let’s enjoy this period of peace - you and I. Especially you. You earned it.”
A cold hand rested on top of Nico’s head, briefly ruffling his hair before it lowered to cup one of his cheeks and forced him to look up at his father.
“I have always wondered what your story will be,” Hades admitted. “As my child, were you to suffer the same tragic fate as the rest of your siblings? Or were you, if fortunate, bound to a life of mediocrity? I meant it when I said that I would like to see you be an exception and find happiness in life, but truthfully, I held little hope, since death and misery followed you all your life.”
“Just this once, I’m glad to be proven wrong. Your story is what you make it to be, against all odds, against fate. I… I’m proud of you, Nico.”
Nico swallowed. Rarely did his father voiced his approval of him and his actions, but when he did, Nico could tell that he genuinely meant it.
“Be happy, my son.” Instinctively, Nico’s eyes fluttered close when cold lips pressed awkwardly yet firmly against his forehead. He didn’t open it until he sensed a portal opening a mere few feet in front of him and his father subsequently leaving.
“Wha-”
Opening his eyes, Nico turned to see everyone staring at the head of the table, all looking equally confused at his sudden disappearance. His friends and sister looked around for him, their expressions twisted in equal parts confusion and concern when they finally landed on his profile standing in the middle of the living room area.
“Percy, Alabaster, Jason… What’s on your face?” Sally asked in a startled voice, a horrified look on her face as she stared at the three demigods. Blinking, they looked at her for a short second before turning to one another.
“AHHH!!!”
Nico burst into a fit of laughter as the three of them pointed at one another’s faces, swiftly putting two and two together. Their eyes darted around the room in search of the supposed culprit, their eyes simultaneously landing on Aeon at the corner of the room holding onto a happy Estelle who was waving a marker in her tiny hand.
“T-That’s permanent!” Percy gasped in horror as his sister brandished the marker excitedly, looking every bit accomplished and a culprit.
“I initially had doubts, but I think we’ll get along, child,” Aeon murmured, looking pleased at the baby in his arms.
The three demigods quickly dashed towards the bathroom, each one wrestling to enter the room, in the off chance that they could still scrub the markings away. Nico knew it was futile, but it was entertaining to see them struggle.
“Nico, are you okay?” Hazel asked as soon as their friends dispersed, walking towards him, her expression still twisted in concern. It was his turn to look confused for a second before Hazel reached a hand towards him, brushing a stray tear from his cheeks.
“I’m fine.”
He was surprised that he meant it. From the bottom of his heart, he truly was fine. Lifting his hand, he stared at the photo of his family, his lips twisting to a melancholic smile. They would always have a place in his heart; that would never change. But for now… He gently pressed his lips to it before tucking it into his pockets with utmost care.
“Come on.” With a genuine smile, Nico reached for one of Hazel’s hands and pulled her towards the table - towards their family. “Let’s start this party.”
