Hearts Need Love

Chapter 13

It was weeks later when Will found himself at Nico's house, helping Hazel and Persephone cook Thanksgiving dinner. Percy and Jason's shouts rang in from the living room, the TV blasting some football game that Will had never found any interest in.

"Will, you don't have to help them if you don't want to," Nico said. He sat at the table eating from a plate of cookies, Bianca in his lap.

"I want to," Will assured him. "Cooking's satisfying."

"And he wants to show off for you, Nico." Hazel nudged Will as she passed him, emptying a pile of chopped onions into the pan.

Will's ears turned red, and it wasn't because the oven was heating up the large kitchen. "I didn't say that. I just...I just want to help cook, is all."

"Leave him alone, Hazel," Persephone said. "At least he's not another Percy Jackson."

Nico grabbed another cookie from the plate, breaking it in half and giving a piece to Bianca. "You and dad were so happy to find out Percy and I wouldn't ever end up together. If we had, I'm sure dad would've had a heart attack."

"Was it going to?" Will asked.

Nico shook his head. "He's straighter than a ruler, Will. No worries."

Hazel gave Nico a look before tossing Will a green pepper. "Cut that and add it to the onion. Same size pieces."

Will took the cutting board and sat by Nico as he started to cut the pepper. "Did you...did you like him, though?"

"He was what made me start realizing I was gay," Nico admitted. "But it was just a little crush and I got over it. We're just friends. Brothers, if anything."

Will nodded once as he stared down at the knife and green pepper. "Promise?"

"Promise." Nico nudged him. "What? Are you jealous?"

"Maybe a little," Will admitted. "But you can't blame me. You and Percy are so close."

"Cause we grew up as friends. Not boyfriends." Nico held a cookie out. "Want one?"

Will hesitantly took it. "Don't eat too many, you're going to make yourself sick."

Nico rolled his eyes. "It's Thanksgiving. I can fill up on cookies if I want. I'll even have pie later, change it up a bit."

Will's eyes caught Nico's, and a small smile lit up his face. "I love you, Neeks."

"Love you, too." Nico broke another cookie and offered it to Bianca. "Thanks for coming, today."

"I was happy to," Will replied. "Spending the holiday with you and Bi is everything."

"But were your parents upset that you aren't with them?" he asked.

Will shook his head. "They understand. Besides, we usually just order any fast food place that's open."

Nico dunked a cookie in the glass of milk he shared with Bianca before showing it to his daughter. "Try this. I promise it's good." He looked to Will. "Fast food, huh? I thought that was my thing."

Will grinned. "It usually is. But we weren't wanting it every night of the week."

"I don't see why not." Nico's eyes landed on Hazel and Persephone as they cooked, his expression softening as he took in the sight of his family. Persephone wasn't Maria, and Hazel wasn't Bianca, but they were themselves and were there for him and were more than he could ever ask for.

"Do your friends always come over for Thanksgiving?" Will asked as he continued to chop through the green pepper.

Nico nodded. "We have our dinner at noon. Percy comes for an extra dinner before going home to his own, that's why we have ours so early. Sally's is at 4-ish. Jason comes to ours because his family is trash. Leo's on the same boat as Jason, Piper with Percy. Annabeth hates her step-mother's cooking. Frank came to spend time with Hazel. Drew's going to be new this year."

"She's coming?"

Nico nodded. "Closer to when dinner's actually ready. She wants to spend the holiday with her daughter."

"Momma!" Bianca chimed in, her small hands grasping the doll in her lap as she looked up at them.

"Yep, she's coming." Nico rustled Bianca's hair before looking back to Will. "What about your half-siblings? Are they doing anything today?"

Will nodded. "Kayla and Austin are, in quote, planning to 'drink until they can't think'. Apparently that's tradition."

"Sounds like a fun tradition."

Will elbowed him. "No drinking, Neeks. You don't need that in you."

"I know, I know." Nico stood up and sat Bianca on his shoulders, her giggles lighting up the room. "I'm going to go sit with them, let Bianca play with her toys. You continue to take forever on one pepper."

"Hey, I'm doing pretty good," Will defended. "Especially since I've never cut one before. What? You think you can do better?"

"No, I just like messing with you." Nico kissed his cheek before taking Bianca to the living room. Their friend group was splattered over the couches, talking or watching football or playing cards. Leo seemed to have a betting pool going, but Nico couldn't tell right away what it was for.

"Drew here yet?" he asked, sitting beside Percy on the couch.

Annabeth shook her head. "No...but are you sure you want her to come? You've really been getting along with her okay?"

"Momma!" Bianca yelled again.

Nico nodded. "Bi loves her, and she loves Bi. She's really changed. And she can babysit and I'm open to as many babysitters as I can find. Especially since I'm dating Will."

"Otter dadda!" Bianca clapped her hands together and jumbled the words, but they all knew exactly what she meant as soon as it left her mouth.

"Your...other dad?" Nico leveled her eyes with his. "Bi...did you just call Will your other dad?"

She stuffed a hand in her mouth but nodded, her dark curls bouncing along and her chocolate eyes mirroring his own.

It was silent, only the sounds of the kitchen leaking into the room along with whatever commentator was talking about football. Nico couldn't look away from his daughter, couldn't get the words out of his mind and the sound of her saying them.

"Holy shit, Bianca..." he grinned. "Did you hear how well you just talked?! You're getting so good!"

Percy let out a little breath of air. "Damn, Nico, I thought you were going to flip."

Annabeth's grin grew. "But he didn't. That means he wants Will as her second dad."

Nico looked over from congratulating his daughter to stare at his friends. "What are you going on about?"

"What she said," Annabeth said. "She called Will her other dad, and you liked it. You want him to be her parent."

"Okay...?" Nico furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I also like Drew to be her parent, what's the big deal?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Drew's her biological mother, of course she's her parent. But the only way that Will will be her father is if you two get married."

"..." Nico twitched. "It's...it's Bi that came up with it, not me. And I'm not going to tell her otherwise. Besides, it's up to Will if he wants her to call him that or not. These past weeks...he has been acting like a dad, yeah, but it's still his decision."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Just ask him, Nico. I'm sure he'll say yes. And you can get me a cookie when you're in there."

Bianca stood up on her father's lap at the word "cookie" and pointed to the kitchen.

"You've had enough, munchkin." Nico ruffled her hair before setting her in Percy's lap. "I'm going to go talk to Will. Watch her."

The walk to the kitchen never felt so short. As he tried to prepare himself on what to say, all he could think about was how much Bianca had been improving. Because it didn't matter what she called Will, as long as she was happy. And even though it didn't matter how well she could talk, he knew that each word sent pride shooting into his heart.