The house felt full in a way it hadn’t in a long time.
Not crowded—just alive.
Laughter echoed off the walls, overlapping conversations filling every corner as familiar voices blended together like no time had passed at all. The table was still cluttered with plates from dinner, half-finished drinks, and the remains of something Percy had insisted on calling “perfectly cooked” while Annabeth had very clearly disagreed.
Will leaned back against the kitchen counter for a moment, just watching.
Percy Jackson was in the middle of some dramatic retelling, hands moving way too much as he talked, while Annabeth Chase—now Annabeth Jackson, technically—sat beside him, smiling in that fond, exasperated way that said she’d heard this story at least ten times already.
Grover Underwood was nearby, laughing openly, one leg tucked up under him like he’d never quite grown out of old habits. Clarisse La Rue argued loudly with Connor and Travis Stoll over something that didn’t matter, while Katie Gardner kept trying (and failing) to keep a plant centerpiece from being accidentally knocked over.
A few Apollo kids had shown up too—some older, some new—but they fit right into the noise like they always had.
It felt like camp.
Just… older.
Different.
Better, in a way Will couldn’t quite put into words.
His gaze shifted across the room—
And landed on Nico.
Nico stood a little off to the side, not isolated, just… comfortable in his own space. He was listening more than talking, dark eyes tracking conversations, occasionally adding something dry that made the people around him laugh.
He looked relaxed.
Really relaxed.
Will’s chest tightened, soft and familiar.
Gods, he loved him.
Will rubbed the back of his neck briefly, glancing toward Nico again—just for a second—before stepping forward into the center of the room.
“Okay, uh—hey,” he said, raising his voice just enough to cut through the noise.
Conversations slowed, then stopped, attention shifting toward him one by one.
“Wow,” Percy said. “He’s doing a speech. This is serious.”
“Be quiet,” Annabeth muttered, elbowing him lightly.
Will huffed a small laugh, shaking his head.
“Yeah, okay, I didn’t plan on making this a whole thing,” he started, voice a little uneven at first—but it steadied as he kept going. “I just… wanted to say something.”
His gaze flicked around the room.
Friends. Family. The people who had been there through everything—through camp, through battles, through growing up.
Through becoming this.
“It’s been a while since we’ve all been in the same place,” Will continued, softer now. “And I know life’s gotten… complicated. Busy. Different.”
A few nods. Quiet agreement.
“But this—tonight—it feels like…” He trailed off slightly, searching for the right word. “Like we didn’t lose any of it. Like we just… brought it with us.”
Silence settled in, warm and attentive.
Will swallowed, then smiled a little.
“And I think that matters. A lot.”
His gaze shifted again.
Back to Nico.
It stayed there this time.
“And there’s someone here who matters the most to me.”
Nico blinked slightly, clearly not expecting that.
A few people glanced between them, already catching on.
Will took a breath.
Then reached into his pocket.
The room went very still.
Even Percy stopped talking.
When Will pulled out the small ring box, the reaction was immediate—quiet gasps, someone muttering “oh my gods,” Grover straight-up clapping a hand over his mouth.
He dropped to one knee.
Nico’s breath hitched.
“Hey,” Will said softly, a small, nervous smile breaking through despite everything. “So… I didn’t plan a perfect speech or anything.”
A few quiet laughs, but Will didn’t look away from Nico.
“I just know that you’re it for me,” he continued, voice steady now, certain. “You always have been, in a way I didn’t understand at first—but I do now.”
“You make everything feel… right,” Will said. “Even when it’s not. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Will opened the ring box.
Simple. Perfect.
“Nico di Angelo… will you marry me?”