Life after (Solangelo Story)

Two black boxes (Prologue)

   Will didn't know how to propose. He wanted to be romantic, but Nico didn't like huge gestures. He was worried if he went too simple he might slight Nico, and wonder why Will didn't do more. In his panic, he called Piper Grace, who was the only child of Aphrodite he could think of that knew Nico. He dialed her number on his monster proofed phone (aka the "Demigod Daredevil Diabolical Cellular "As patented by Leo Valdez) and she picked up on three rings.

   "Oh hey Will, how's Nico?" He could almost hear her eyebrows wiggling. "Oh, uh.... he's fine, but I need your help!" After Piper listened to his dilemma she made a sound somewhere between a tea kettle on a stove and a humpback whales mating call." Oh my GODS you guys are so frickin cute!"

   Will blushed and fidgeted with his sweater (present from Nico for their 4 year anniversary) and cleared his throat."Um.. ok...well what do I do?"Piper laughed. Will could hear a muffled voice in the background. "JASON! WILL IS PROPOSING TO NICO!" He heard incoherent wailing in the background and the phone went dead.

   He was on his own then. He set his phone down and grabbed a notebook and pen from the bookshelf in their bedroom. He sat on the back porch and stared at the grass swaying in the wind. He really needs to cut it... Will tapped his pen on his temple, leaning forward hunched over the notebook.

    He had the night off from his health professor gig at the local college, and Nico got off from his mortician job. Will had tried to talk him out of it, but that's what Nico had always wanted to be.

——TIME SKIP——

   Will sat nervously at their usual table, fidgeting with a black velvet box that housed a plain silver ring. He knew Nico wouldn't want to wear anything too flashy, and the point of the damn thing was to get him to wear it, so plain it was. The door opened, and the love of his life walked in, bringing a gust of humid air with him.

   He saw Will and smiled, face lighting up like an olive Christmas tree."Hey babe, how was your day?" He seemed charged with a nervous kind of energy, fingering the locket Will had given him on their first anniversary, a picture with Will kissing his cheek as he furiously blushed.

   A waiter brushed past the young couple and make a coughing like noise that sounded suspiciously like the word fags. Nico looked at Will then the waiter and replied smoothly," I don't eat fags, I'll be having the salad." Will choked on his water as the waiter straightened and stormed away, muttering obscenities.

   "Gods Nico, that was amazing." Nico smile and looked up at his boyfriend."I love you." Will blushed and then looked down at his plate of rigatoni, missing the moment when Nico got down on one knee. It startled Will so much he knocked over his water glass, promptly spilling it all over Nico, who winced and said,"You're kinda ruining my moment for me, love."

   He tried again."Will you-" He was cut off by Wills hysterical laughter and felt a defensive blush rise on his cheeks."What? You don't have to embarrass me-" Will immediately felt bad and through his laughter he stammered,"No, no! It's just that..." he produced the black velvet box he planned to propose to Nico with.

   Nicos eyes widened and he started laughing too, still on one knee in the middle of an Italian restaurant, soaked from Wills water, clutching him.

   "Well will you?" Will looked into his eyes."Yes, yes, of course yes! I love you!" And that was why both of them had engagement rings.