I DO

Nico never expected to catch the bouquet.

Neither did Will.

Nico hates weddings.

He just doesn't understand the concept. Also, he hates that he has to wear a suit for the occasion, that he has to act all fancy and erase all of his liberation. It gets even worse when he hears a sharp cry at the row behind him. He eyes the young lady sniffling with her handkerchief. Her eyes are red, and her lips are puckered. Nico blinks before he turns back at the altar, drily rolling his eyes when the young woman doesn't stop.

"Dammit," he mutters, covering his face when the cry gets louder. So, this is what second-hand embarrassment feels like.

Bianca leans against him to whisper in his ear. "Try not to judge too much."

He swallows a groan and removes his hand from his face. He tries to smile at his sister. "I'm trying," he says, the frustration evident in his voice. "I'm trying very hard."

If it were his choice, he would never attend a wedding. He thinks it's pretty useless. People get divorced all the time. It's practically a hobby now. So, the whole concept of "I do" is just an overall lie, something that he never wants to be a part of. He wonders if the Priests ever catch up with these people once the ceremony is over. Huh. Probably not, since most marriages end up the same – down and under.

He watches his father insert another diamond ring on his new stepmom's finger. The woman beams up at him, her eyes springing with tears. Hades gives her an endearing smile. Nico licks his lips, clutching the fabric of his pants. His gaze turns to Bianca, who has a small smile on her face. He can tell that it's genuine. He knows that she's really happy for their father, but even until now, he can't understand why.

Everything has been all right until that woman came along. After that, his father decided that his time with his children wasn't as important as his time with his future wife – the fourth, to be exact. If Nico were an owner of a Bachelor magazine, his father would on the front-page every single damn time. It does help that Hades is a rich man, and he can provide his family fully well. He lets his kids do whatever they want anyway, as long as Bianca doesn't get pregnant, and Nico doesn't get anyone pregnant. Right.

Thank God it's over, he thinks, as he watches his father and his new stepmom cheerily join their lips together.

Happily ever after.

The reception is located in a large and beautiful garden near the mansion. The grass has just been trimmed this morning. The food is located at every corner of the area. Flower decorations are placed at the center of every table. Hades and his new wife are alone at the first aisle, smiling as their guests sit down at their respective seats. Nico sticks close to Bianca, hoping that he's shrunk himself enough that their relatives won't notice them.

Nico tries his best to hide.

"Try to be happy, at least," Bianca chides. "I mean, just look at him. He looks ecstatic."

Nico huffs. "Yeah, wait until their honeymoon is over. I'm giving it a week before he files a divorce."

She shoots him an amused smile. "Two weeks. Winner gets twenty." She extends a hand, and Nico gives it a tiny slap.

It isn't long before the food arrives. The waiters deliver the food to the table. Nico fumbles with his napkin, his face turning dark when he sees his father give his stepmom another kiss. He turns to Bianca. "What's her name again?"

"Melissa. You better remember that for the next two weeks."

"Nope. I still give it one," he muses, tugging harshly on the napkin. He nearly rips it apart when he suddenly jerks his arm backward, his elbow hitting something soft. He swerves around, alarmed.

On the ground is a blond, clutching his stomach. The tray is lying on the grass, and his food and his beverage is spilled. He immediately hops down his seat to give the guy an apologetic pat on the back.

"I'm sorry," he manages. He can hear Bianca snicker behind him, and he gives her a dark look.

"Wow," the guy wheezes. "You've got some elbow there. Remind me never to sneak up on you again."

"You were sneaking up on me?"

The guy finally looks up. He lifts a playful eyebrow. "That was a joke." He starts to laugh, but his face contorts again into pain, and he doubles over. Nico hesitantly reaches out to pat him again, but the guy looks up at him. He draws his hand back, biting his lip. The guy has ridiculous blond hair, catching the sunlight, and his eyes look like the reflection of the sky. He looks good in his clothes, too. Not that Nico has noticed.

His eyes wander to the guy's nametag: Will. Beside his name is a sloppy drawing of the sun.

"Why do you have a sun on your nametag?"

Will looks down, his eyebrows crinkled together in confusion. It's kind of cute. "Oh," he says. "I'm Will Solace. Get it? Solace? Sun?"

Nico only narrows his eyes, hoping he doesn't look as stupid as he feels.

"Right. So, uh." He scratches his jaw. "I gotta go clean up my mess."

"Right. Right." Nico heaves himself up, rubbing the grass off of his clothes. The guy follows after, fixing the plates and glass in the tray. He clears his throat when he walks away. Nico sits back down on the table, trying to hide the growing blush on his neck. He nervously rubs his collar.

"It's pretty hot, huh?" He says to Bianca.

His sister shoots him a gleaming smile. "Sure is, Nico. Sure is."

The blond guy arrives a few minutes after. Thankfully, Nico doesn't shove his elbow at the guy's face, but he does jump when the waiter accidentally brushes their hands together.

"Have a nice meal," the guy murmurs, backing away.

Nico can't help but smile as he inserts a forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth. And he also can't help, but throw a piece of mac and cheese at Bianca's face, just to stop his own from blushing.

Nico rolls his eyes when his father calls for a toast.

Hades is tapping his spoon against the wineglass, grabbing the attention of the guests. The noise fades out when he begins to speak. Nico drops his napkin on the floor, getting ready to leave, but Bianca places a firm hand on his arm. Nico breathes a sigh, crossing his arms as he leans against the back of the chair.

"Good morning, everyone," Hades exclaims, a large grin on his face. "Thank you all for coming!" He raises his wineglass, and everyone else does the same. Nico finds himself lifting his own.

Even if he does hate his dad sometimes, Hades is very compelling. There's just something charismatic about him, which is probably why he's so successful today. Too bad he can't make his wives stay long enough for them to see that. The pit in Nico's stomach rumbles with warmth. He doesn't want to admit it – not to Bianca, not even to himself – but he does want his dad to be happy.

"I want to express my gratitude to you all for coming to this marvelous celebration." Hades smiles fondly at his new wife. "I know my children are hesitant about this." Bianca and Nico shift awkwardly in their seats. Nico tugs on his collar. "But I know that they're also showing their support. Am I right, Nico?"

Nico snaps his head in surprise. His face burns when he feels everyone's eyes looking directly at him.

Hades chuckles. "Come here, son. Why don't you give a little speech?"

At first, he doesn't dare to move. His feet are stuck to the ground, and his ass seems to be permanently glued to the seat. He's actually wishing that something pulls him down to avoid this moment; anything is better than having to make an impromptu speech in front of hundreds of people. But Bianca shoves him out of his seat, urging him to go.

He hesitantly grabs the microphone. He looks at the crowd in front of him, swallowing his nervousness. He shifts his eyes to Bianca, who's giving him two thumbs up. He looks at his dad and at his new stepmom (who he still can't recall the name of). He chews on the inside of his cheek when he catches Will's eyes amidst the crowd. Will smiles at him cheekily.

Nico finally takes a deep breath. "Right. Hi. So, uh, my father got married today. Obviously," he mutters. He hears a laugh. "This is his fourth marriage." He turns to his stepmom – Melissa? "And hopefully, the last. I hope . . ." He pauses, his eyebrows furrowing. "I hope that you make him happy, at least."

He clears his throat. "I'm still going to win the bet, though." With that, he returns the microphone to the stand, his father's laughter overpowering the swift thumping of his heart.

Hades waves him over. "How much did you guys bet?"

"Twenty."

"You should have made it fifty."

Nico shrugs, and then he grins. "Who knows?" His expression softens. "I'm happy for you, dad. Really."

"Yeah? I am, too."

He gives his father one final smile before he returns to the table. Bianca gives him a light push.

"That wasn't so bad, right?"

Nico rubs the back of his neck. He's still burning up. "Yeah. I mean, I didn't just embarrass myself in front of his guests or anything."

"You're overreacting," Bianca points out. "Go drink some wine to cool off. You look like a tomato."

He takes Bianca's advice with no complains. He proceeds to the wine section, where, ironically, Will Solace is working. He grabs a glass and brings it to his lips, grimacing when he almost drains the entire thing.

"Nice speech, di Angelo."

Nico jumps at the voice. He turns to see Will Solace shrugging off his black suit. "How'd you know my name?"

"Guest list," Will replies, like it should be obvious. Will wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead, patting his handkerchief on his neck. "It's hot, isn't it?"

Nico tries not to stare, but his white shirt is clinging to his stomach.

I'm not looking, I'm not looking, he insists to himself, feeling another blush creep up his cheeks. "Yeah. Really hot."

"So, fourth marriage, huh?" Will asks. He leans against the table. "That must be pretty harsh for you guys."

"I guess?" Nico's not sure where this is going. Even if his dad is a total jerk sometimes, he doesn't want a pity party. But looking at Will, it doesn't seem like it at all. "Bianca and I get used to it. Besides, I get more money that way."

"Oh, so that's what you meant by bet. Pretty clever there, di Angelo."

Nico raises an eyebrow. "It is, Solace."

Will just laughs. He stares at Nico as the black haired boy drowns the wine down his throat. "Are you even legal enough to drink that yet?"

"I'm eighteen," Nico informs. "And this is wine. It's not like I'm going to get drunk because of this."

Will shakes his head. "Nope. You're still not legal enough." He steals Nico's glass, even though it's already empty.

Nico looks at him curiously, like he's not sure whether he should smack Will on the face or on the lips. No, definitely on the face. "And how old are you?"

"I'm twenty one." Will pours the glass full. "And I'm perfectly legal." He takes a sip to prove his point.

"You know what? There are plenty of glasses here. I can just take one, and you can't do anything about it."

To his surprise, Will laughs again. It's a hearty laugh. Full. Kind of like the sun.

Nico's attention is diverted when he hears a chorus of screams. At the center of the garden, where the tables are cleared, women are gathered in a crowd. Melissa is holding a bouquet in her hands. She's standing a few feet away from the crowd of girls. Nico can even see Bianca among them.

"Hey, you should join," Will teases, pointing his glass in their direction. "Maybe you'll get married next."

Nico lets out a laugh. "Right. Like that's going to happen."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll meet the right girl and – watch out!"

The impact is sudden, like a bomb has made its way to Nico's stomach. Will stumbles against his weight, his hand grasping the bouquet. When Nico looks down, he can feels his own fingers curling around the stems. They look at each other, their eyes wild with surprise. The gap between them is narrow. Nico can feel Will's hot breath on his face.

Nico swallows. "I'm not interested in girls."

"Yeah?" Will breathes. "Then, who are you interested in?"

Nico shrugs half-heartedly. "Well, why don't you stick around to find out?"

The silence is piercing, but when they finally let go of the bouquet, Nico feels a certain kind of warmth in his stomach. Kind of like the sun. But better.

"Is that an offer?"

Nico's chest is heavy and light at the same time. "Only if you want to."

"I guess I . . ." Will rubs the back of his head, a pink tint making its way on his cheeks. Nico's pretty sure that he looks the same. "I guess I do."

A/N: Hi, this is Angel, and I hope this doesn't suck too bad. Tell me what you think. ~