Hearts Need Love

Chapter 15

An: fuck this is dark sorry

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Will watched the wood break down within the fire, the burst of flame it sent before crackling into its demise. It lived to burn, died to warm. The room was still cold.

Nico was seated by the fireplace, his back to the brick and a warm blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His eyes were on the large window, the snow falling outside and it's persistence. The warmth of the flames tinted his cheeks pink.

Another crash and crackle, the fire needed tending.

"Hot chocolate!" Hazel announced as she entered the room, a tray of mugs in her hands as she joined them. Bianca was crawling after her, keeping close to her aunt's legs and close to the drink her aunt possessed.

Nico grabbed a mug and his daughter before leaning back against the brick, his black eyes dancing as one with the flames. "So, Christmas party."

"Christmas party." Hazel sat beside Will on the couch and gave him his own mug before setting the tray on the coffee table. Ever since Thanksgiving, he seemed to have melted into the di Angelo family for good. "I'm thinking we'll have it the Saturday before Christmas Eve."

Bianca grabbed her bottle of lukewarm hot chocolate before snuggling into the blanket her father had wrapped around them. "Unca Percy!"

"Yep, Uncle Percy will be there." Nico eyed Hazel. "Why are you so excited for one this year?"

Hazel tugged on the strands of her hoodie. "We have two new additions. Will and Drew. And…" A large smile overtook her face. "I think Frank's planning something."

Will frowned at the realization that he had, in fact, never spent Christmas with Nico and Bianca before. He didn't even know Nico's middle name, didn't know his birthday or favorite food. But he had given himself up in the daylight of Thanksgiving with the smell of turkey creeping into the room.

Nico was frowning. "And what, exactly, is he planning?"

Hazel shrugged. "Apparently he asked Annabeth if he could be my secret Santa. Then talked to dad but dad won't tell me what about."

"He spoke to dad…" Nico grabbed his phone and sent a quick text. "I'll try to figure it out. I don't like the sound of it."

Hazel rolled her eyes. "It isn't anything bad."

"And you know that how?" Nico asked.

"It's Frank," Hazel said. "Enough said."

Nico rolled his eyes but set his phone aside. "Fine, we'll let Frank do his thing. Let's plan the party."

Hazel grabbed a pen and notebook. "Secret Santa, food, drinks, maybe some punch."

Will watched her scribble ideas onto the paper. "You know what makes good punch? Vanilla ice cream, Sprite, tropical punch, and orange sherbet ice cream."

"You're going to make it, since you seem familiar with it." Hazel jotted the ingredients down. "What about a main course? Nico?"

Nico nodded. "I'll do it."

Will looked over at him. "You cook?"

Hazel grinned. "He's the best cook ever. He just doesn't like to do it much. But he does for our Christmas party every year."

Nico rolled his eyes. "It's not that I don't want to, I'm just lazy and preoccupied with Bianca."

Will couldn't help but smile at that. "But you do cook?"

Nico nodded. "Apparently my mama used to. She left all her recipes behind and I...picked it up."

Bianca burrowed deeper into the blanket and Nico's chest, her dark eyes on the fire and dancing flames, a hint of fear overtaking her face at the sight.