A/N: This is it! Final update for this story. I really can't thank you all enough, and I hope you've all had as much fun reading as I've had writing this thing. :3

Four Years Later, Seattle, WA

...

Nico glared at the confusing words on the paper. His brain was trying to scramble them into Ancient Greek and failing. He bit his lower lip and focused, looking past the distracting, dizzying blur of words. He groaned and let his head fall to the table with a clunk. He was tempted to go to the Underworld, find the demented ancient Greek that invented math, and throw his notebook at him. But, that would require moving and he didn't feel like summoning enough energy.

Besides, he'd only get an earful later from the old ball and chain if he left without warning. Again.

He looked around the cozy apartment that he'd lived in for almost a year. It was small but it was home. As instructed, Nico had it furnished with the comfiest couches and chairs he could find with overstuffed pillows and lots of afghans. While Nico didn't mind the cold the winter brought, his boyfriend was undeniably a wuss when it came to cold weather. The walls were a bright color and the rest of the décor was rather beachy and relaxed. It screamed the classic first-time homeowner couple vibe. Again, Nico had pretty much lost all rights to decorate, having been told that if he did everyone would be too afraid to come in.

Nico had to admit there was a point to be made there.

He didn't particularly mind in any case. He decided he liked the open-feel of the apartment. It was like it was always summer there, just like his sunny boyfriend.

He took a sip of his coffee and glared back at the arithmetic on his table, which should be holding platefuls of Nico's almost-famous arrays of pasta dishes and over-the-top desserts and not this confusing slop. He almost gave up and marched to the fridge, where no doubt there was some ice cream or popsicles hidden away – a certain blonde would never let them run out of his beloved frozen treats – but then his attention was captured by the faded photograph held in place by a moon magnet.

Nico barely recognized himself in the photo. He wondered if he had ever really been that pale or that thin. It felt like a dream to think back to those days. Even if it was only four years ago, it felt like a lifetime. But, what really drew his attention was the person beside Nico. Will Solace was beaming up at him, arm wrapped around Nico tightly. He looked so much younger – lankier and less muscular – but the smile and eyes were the same as they had always been, warm and kind.

Just the sight of them together was enough to spike Nico's determination. He bent over his homework again and picked up his pencil, scribbling down the page as he worked out the problem step by step.

As he was finishing, he felt two strong arms close around his shoulders and immediately relaxed into them, breaking into a smile. A pair of lips took the opportunity to pepper kisses all along his jaw. Nico grumbled and leaned away from the touch. "You need to shave."

Will laughed and nuzzled Nico's cheek, letting the scruff tickle him. Nico half-heartedly tried to push him off, but Will just held him closer and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Are you still doing work?"

Nico hummed. "Almost done."

Will started to massage his shoulders. "Look at my big nerd working so hard so late at night!"

"What can I say? You must have finally rubbed off on me. Ow, that felt good."

Will snorted and applied more pressure to the knot in Nico's shoulder. "So tense."

"Blame Pythagoras and his theorems," Nico muttered, eyes fluttering shut.

"Ah, good ole geometry. Can I help?"

Nico shook his head. "I'm all right. There's just a lot of it."

Will kissed his temple. "Still proud of you. Getting your GED. I think it's a fantastic idea."

"You thought bubblegum toothpaste was a fantastic idea," he teased.

"Mmhm." Will kept rubbing Nico's back, periodically pushing kisses wherever his lips could find skin. "You've been at it for hours. Why don't you just come to bed and finish it in the morning?"

"Because then you'll just convince me to do it later and later until it never gets done at all." Nico reluctantly pulled away from Will's persistent distractions. "I know how you work."

He knew Will was pouting even though he couldn't see him. "Jerk."

"Spoiled brat."

"At least kiss me goodnight?"

Nico shook his head in exasperation but nonetheless turned his head to meet Will's lips in a quick chaste kiss. "Satisfied?"

"Not even a bit," Will replied, leaning in for a second quick peck. "But a deal's a deal."

Nico grinned. Four years together and they were still making deals and bets. Some things never changed. He waved Will away, trying to salvage his attempts at finishing his homework. "Buzz off, already."

Will chuckled and slunk away, but instead of leaving he moved to the counter and fixed himself a cup of coffee. He yawned as he trotted back over and sat down beside Nico. He let his head rest on Nico's shoulder with a hum. "Simplify your fractions," he reminded sleepily.

Nico scowled and erased. "What's the point of even knowing this stuff?"

Will shrugged. "To melt your brain, probably."

He huffed. "Did you put sugar in that?" He pointed at the mug nestled in Will's hands.

"Nope."

"Good." He snatched it away and took a sip before blanching. "Ugh. Maybe you should have."

Will laughed. "That's what you get, you thief." He probably didn't even notice Nico's deep glare. He just sighed and took his mug back. "Any idea what you want to do after you pass your test?"

"If I pass."

Will reached up and pinched his cheek. "You will pass. For the thousandth time."

"I haven't taken a test since 1940. A lot's changed."

"And you're adaptable, smart, and determined. You'll do fine."

Nico blew out a long breath but felt another surge of confidence at Will's words. Will always had that effect on him; reminded him exactly who he was and where he belonged. It was remarkable how much they had both changed over the years. The war with Gaea seemed like a distant dream, an old memory that still had scars, still brought pain sometimes, but Nico had found himself again. Will had been a large driving factor for that. He had patiently sat night after night, rubbing Nico's back and whispering endearments as Nico worked to separate reality from his nightmares. Nico tried to do the same even though he wasn't nearly as good at comforting as his boyfriend, but it seemed to work.

He didn't give much thought to the future. He hadn't thought he would even reach nineteen, let alone be with someone that was completely willing to share the years with him. It still made him feel a bit weak in the knees from time to time when he would walk into the apartment and find Will collapsed on the couch, textbooks in hand, asleep. Just the fact that he was there, that they were sharing a life together, filled Nico with a sense of completeness he never anticipated to have.

Nico thought about what he might want to do. He couldn't very well let Will be the only one that worked, even if he wanted to become a full-fledged doctor one day. He had a lot of experience helping Will in the infirmary during their camp days, and figured he might as well tag along with that. He risked a glance at Will's curious face and smirked. "Well, what about something medical? I could be, like, a nurse or something. You still have that uniform, don't you?"

As Nico had suspected, a red blush filled Will's face. "A n-nurse?"

"Oh my gods! I always knew you had a nurse kink!"

"What?" Will sat up. He was so red that Nico couldn't even see his freckles anymore. "I-I do not!"

Nico burst into laughter. "A nurse, of all things! What other fetishes do you have?"

"Shut up!" Will buried his head in his arms. "It's not like that at all!"

Nico rested his hand on top of Will's head. "Never said it was a bad thing, you know. Halloween is coming up anyways."

Will peered out from his arms suspiciously. "Oh?" The raw curiosity in his voice made Nico crack up again. Will flew to his feet. "That's it! I'm going to bed."

Nico shook his head. He wasn't going to apologize. "Good. You're distracting me." He dodged Will's half-hearted swat.

"Don't be too long," Will murmured before walking out of the kitchen. Nico turned to watch him saunter down the hall. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Will toss him a suggestive look over his shoulder just before disappearing into their bedroom.

Nico shook his head before trying to focus on his work. He took one glimpse of the problem and quickly realized he wasn't going to finish this assignment tonight. Dammit, Will.

"Working hard, I see."

The sudden voice nearly made Nico jump right out of his skin. His hand upset the mug of coffee Will had left behind and he hastened to stable it before it could stain his homework. He glanced up and was surprised – and also not – to see Hades standing in his kitchen, observing the cartoony magnets in apparent confusion.

Nico blew out an exhale. It wasn't the first time his father had popped in unexpectedly – won't be the last, either – but Nico found his 'routine check-ins' unnecessary. Then again, Nico would prefer that his father showed up instead of an indentured spirit or zombie. Once, Will had run into the living room, shouting that they were literal skeletons in their closet and Nico had to intervene, feeling a bit like a concerned parent while Will pouted behind him.

"Do I even want to ask why you're here?" Nico grumbled, dropping his pencil.

"I'm not here to recruit you," Hades grumbled. "I've got Hazel doing some chores while you catch up with… with this." He gestured to the schoolwork on the table.

Nico, remembering exactly the sorts of 'chores' Hades used to give, winced. "Is she okay?"

"It's nothing she can't handle." Hades eyed the kitchen critically. He slid a long finger along the counter, checked it for dust, and seemed satisfied. "You're serious about this."

Nico shrugged. "Looks like it."

"…And the Apollo sprout?"

"Will," Nico replied tiredly, "is great."

Hades nodded – two decisive bobs – before straightening the tie. He had the classic funeral-director-look, as he always donned when in the mortal world. Nico wondered what had really brought his father up of his throne and into his apartment, but Hades simply continued to look around the kitchen. Then, as if struck by an idea, he opened the fridge, and then closed it again.

"What're you…?" Nico trailed off as Hades checked the freezer. "Are you… are you doing an inspection?"

"Why do you have so many…?" Hades glared at a cardboard box in his pale hands. "Freez-E Pops?"

Nico flushed. "They're Will's."

"Does he really need three boxes?" Hades hummed. "I don't see much fruit."

Nico let out a scoff in disbelief. "What—?"

"Perhaps I should lend you my cook." Hades rubbed his chin. "I had no idea mortal values on food have dropped so severely."

"You are not resurrecting Chef Boyardee in my kitchen."

Hades hummed, obviously not going to give Nico a single say in the matter. Nico sighed and wondered if he would awake to a zombie flipping pancakes in the morning. He'd woken up to stranger things, he supposed.

"Dad," Nico huffed, which surprised the both of them. It was always 'Father' or 'Hades'. Never 'Dad'. Nico half-expected to either get sent straight to the Underworld or be subjected to the embarrassment of a lifetime.

However, Hades simply stared at his son for a few moments before giving a cut nod. "Fine. No zombies."

Nico groaned. He didn't need another 'want-to-know-my-son' thing. He still hadn't recovered from their last bonding trip, which were, unfortunately, becoming more and more common. Hazel said before that Hades missed how often Nico used to stay in the Underworld, but the thought was so preposterous that Nico couldn't even entertain it. "You couldn't stop by during the day to ransack the cupboards?"

"There's something else," Hades said. "I want you to come to dinner. Bring the boy."

"Will," Nico corrected again, "and, he can't eat food from the Underworld."

"I'll have something made for him."

Nico blinked. Gods, was he hearing this all correctly? Hades didn't actually miss him, right? He wondered what Will would even say to such an invitation. "I'll… bring it up," he said.

His father nodded. "Well, you seem to have everything under control. I just… wanted to be sure."

He raised an eyebrow and asked in a self-deprecating tone, "And the last eighty years didn't prove anything but that?"

Hades copied him. "I still can't ever tell if you're joking or not."

Nico's lips twitched upwards. "I am your son, after all."

Something in Hades's frozen eyes seemed to melt just a smidgen. "You are indeed." Then he cleared his throat. "Anyways, I'll wait for your answer."

"Right."

Hades nodded once more then – Nico wasn't sure if he was even surprised – reached back into the freezer to snatch one Freez-E Pop.

"I'm going to get blamed for that, you know," Nico muttered and Hades just shrugged and patted Nico awkwardly on the shoulder before disappearing altogether.

Nico reclined against his chair and rubbed his temples. Awkward exchanges like that had become almost a norm for him but not at all unwelcome. Their communication skills could still use some work, but, at the very least, Nico could talk to his father without feeling the slightest urge to kick him where it hurt most. He remembered another conversation they had – had it really been five years? – at the old monastery in Portugal and shook his head. Back then, he hadn't even allowed himself the privilege to think about his future. He wished he could go back in time, to those days he was simply wasting away, and tell himself, "Hey, guess what? You'll actually be happy one day."

A wave of contentment settled over him as he thought about his friends, his sister, even his father, and his boyfriend. His family. Perhaps he really would ask Will about having dinner with Hades. Maybe if he brought Hazel and Frank along it wouldn't be as intimidating. Still might give him nightmares for a few weeks, but nothing too traumatic.

He sighed.

But for right now…

Nico shook himself free of thoughts of the past and decided that procrastinating one little homework assignment wasn't going to kill him. He stood up quickly, the legs of his chair scrapping loudly against the tiled floor, and walked to his bedroom, where – as he always had been – Will Solace was waiting.

...

End