Hearts Need Love

Interlude

It was the first Christmas party Will had ever been to. His parents had never cared enough to host one, and friends had never exactly been... his thing. Back in Texas, things were completely different. 

Texas was like a reoccuring nightmare you had as a child. It was a sore, a bruise on his memory, something that made him wince whenever it came to mind. But it wasn't reality anymore. He didn't need to face it each day he dragged himself out of bed.

That heavy load Texas was had been lifted from his shoulders, and as he sat in Nico's living room and heard the sound of laughter and songs...he felt free, lighter. That's just what love did to you when it was used right.

If only it was always used right.

Days went by, then weeks, senior year finished in a blaze of memories. There was graduation preparation, Nico's fear of failing, his relief at passing, Will moving into Nico's house for good, Bianca's doctor's appointments, graduation day, jumping into that cold lake with beers in a cooler and music blaring, fights and love and relief and love and pain and love.

Bianca was five when she was called ugly for the first time. She came home from kindergarten with tear stains and pleas for her mother. When Drew arrived, all Bianca could do was beg for makeup to cover her natural face.

Nico went off in a fit of rage and came back with bruised knuckles and a fat lip from a bar fight.

Will promised her again that he was becoming a doctor, and he'd make everything right.

Drew didn't know how to tell her child that she was growing to look nothing like her mother.

Will graduated from medical school with a diploma of sleep deprivation and a lease to his new house, to be with Nico in, to raise Bianca in, maybe even to marry in. Bianca sat with Nico and Hazel during the ceremony. Even Hades came for part of it.

And then the hard years started up again. But what more could you expect from a life like that?