Hearts Need Love

Chapter 19

Will sat on the counter and watched as Nico chopped away at some onions, his feet swinging and kicking at the cupboard below him slightly. The guests would be here at any minute, bringing presents and other signs of the Christmas season. But all Will could think about was his amazing boyfriend.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Will asked for the second time. "I don't mind helping, I swear. I feel bad with you doing all the work."

"The only thing I need is for you to check Bianca," Nico said. "She's being a little too quiet in there."

Will sighed but nodded, hopping off the countertop. "But you don't need me to cut anything?"

Nico shook his head. "The last thing I need is for you to chop a finger off." Nico pointed the knife at him, strands of his hair falling out of his bun. "And that's something you'd accidentally do. Admit it."

Will grinned sheepishly. "You're not wrong."

Nico nodded and turned back to the food. "Don't worry, I can handle it. But I need you to keep an eye on Bi for me."

"I'm going now." Will left the kitchen and entered the living room, his smile widening some more when he saw the small girl. She was sitting in the center of the room, piles of toys around her as she watched Peter Cottontail on the TV.

"Hey, little bunny." Will sat on the couch and pulled her onto his lap. "What are you up to?"

Bianca stuck her fingers out and let out a garble of words before pointing to the screen. "Bunny! Love it!"

His smile wavered. "What'd you say before that?"

She huffed in frustration before rising to her feet, stomping them a few times on his lap. The only words he heard again through her excited babble were "bunny" and "rocks", the rest lost to the inability to understand.

Hades walked into the room with his briefcase close, his hardened eyes softening with one look at his granddaughter. "William, I have an emergency meeting I have to get to. Let Nico know that I'll be gone for some hours."

Will nodded. Ever since the incident with the fight and Bianca's hand...he knew Hades didn't approve of him as much anymore. "Okay, I will."

Hades reached down and ruffled Bianca's hair. "I'll see you later, Bi. Have fun."

Bianca waved her small hand before climbing onto Will's shoulders. "Grandpa bye-bye!"

Hades nodded and kissed her forehead before leaving, the front door bringing in some snow before he could close it behind him. Half of Will worried that they'd all be snowed it, it having been coming down all day with no sign of stopping.

"The snow's sure coming down, Bi." Will got up and peeked out of the front window, sighing as he saw how much it had piled up. "Maybe we can make a snowman tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Will smiled as he made his way back to the couch, setting her down on the floor again. "Help me pick up your toys? People are going to be here soon."

"Who?" Bianca pulled her stuffed bunny closer to her.

"Uncle Percy, your momma, the rest of your dad's friends." Will started to clean the floor enough for people to walk. "They're all coming over for a Christmas party, remember?"

Bianca tried to pronounce 'Christmas' a couple of times before throwing her bunny, it not making it far. "DADDY!"

Nico came running in, a towel thrown over his shoulder. "What? What's wrong?"

Will watched as Nico kneeled next to his daughter. "She...she was getting frustrated again."

"Her talking?"

"Yeah."

Nico sighed as he pulled her close. "Bi...you'll get better, I promise. We just have to keep working with it."

Bianca buried her head in her father's chest, her small hands clenching the front of his shirt. "Daddy..."

Nico ran his fingers through her hair before kissing the top of her head. "It's okay... We're going to have fun tonight, alright? Everything's okay. Uncle Percy's coming over, and so is momma. And Aunt Hazel will be back soon."

Bianca nodded but didn't let her father go. "Love daddy so much."

"I love you, too."

Will grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Bianca's shoulders. "Do you want your bunny?"

She nodded quickly. "Bunny and daddy and otter daddy."

Will grabbed her bunny and sat close to them, leaning his head on Nico's shoulder as he handed her the stuffed animal. "See? It's all okay, Bi."

Bianca wasn't technically his, and he hadn't known her for long, but every instinct of his was that of fatherly love, fatherly protection, and as he sat with her and Nico, a small bubble of anger grew in his chest. It wasn't Bianca's fault she had this, and here she was suffering for it. If only those doctors could do more...

"Bi, did I ever tell you what my job's going to be one day?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No..."

"I'm going to be a doctor," Will said. "It's going to be a lot of studying, but one day I'll be a doctor and I can help find something to help you talk, and other little girls like you."

"Like me?"

He nodded. "I'm going to help you, Bi. I promise. So don't worry. I'm going to help you and other kids through this."

Nico glanced over at him before kissing his cheek, giving him a soft whisper to not make promises he couldn't keep.

But Will intended to keep this promise.