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rubysun | Parenting 101 | AO3
As new parents, Nico and Will were convinced that Bianca and Lee were the brightest, most powerful legacies in the world. Compared to their friends’ kids, they were little angels, sleeping through the night and barely making a fuss as babies. But if there was one thing they learned, it was this: Be careful what you wish for.
When the twins were six, they slowly began to manifest their inherited powers from both sides of the family. Bianca, despite being a carbon copy of Papa Nico with her olive skin and dark black hair, learned from an early age that she can heal her own boo-boos, and if she thinks hard enough, she can crack the earth open and summon skeleton friends from the underworld.
On the other hand, Lee Michael, who looks a lot like their Daddy, Will, with his tan skin and curly, untamed blonde hair, knew that with enough concentration, he could create pictures by bending light a certain way, kind of like an illusion, while also inheriting shadow traveling from his Papa.
That summer, the Solace-di Angelos decided to take a break from the hospital and visit Grandma Naomi in Austin. It would be a welcome change of pace, and Bee was especially excited to see the ponies Naomi cared for so lovingly.
“Neeks, its too fucking hot in here. Maybe we should go to the park and cool off or something.” Will says, sprawled on his mother’s sofa as he practically melts.
“Hmmm, and what, pray tell, would compel me to leave this perfectly cozy spot in the chair to go outside?” Nico says from the other side of the sofa without lifting his head from the book he was reading.
“Because you love me, and I can see sweat on your forehead,” Will says with a smirk
“Fine, sunshine, but you're driving. Get the kids in the car.”
They eventually found themselves on a random park bench, with Nico lost in the pages of his book. The twins, full of energy, raced around the park, chasing each other in a game of tag, while Will sat beside Nico, keeping a watchful eye on them. Then, out of nowhere, the familiar jingle of the ice cream truck rang out, echoing through the park, instantly drawing their attention.
Bianca and Lee immediately ran towards their fathers
“Papa, Papa!!”
“Daddy, Daddy!!”
The twins chorused in unison, their voices filled with excitement. “Can we get ice cream, please?”
Will chuckled, giving them a gentle smile. “Oh, darlings, as much as your father and I would love to, you know that ice cream before dinner makes your tummies a little upset.”
Nico nodded, adding with a soft laugh, “Your dad’s right. But how about we get some cookies when we get home, after dinner?”
The twins sighed in unison, their excitement deflating, but they reluctantly agreed. They wandered over and plopped down beneath a tree next to the park bench.
“Hey, Mikey,” Bianca said, using the nickname she’d given him when they were six. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Oh, no, no, nope,” Lee responded quickly, shaking his head. “You’re not making me do one of your crazy plans again.”
“First of all, my plans are not crazy,” Bianca retorted, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “And second, it’s a perfectly thought-out plan I just came up with… like, five minutes ago.”
“So, you know how you can make those weird illusions, and I can summon skeletons to help clean my room without Papa and Dad catching on?”
“Well, what if you make an illusion of us just sitting here, talking under the tree while I summon a skeleton to borrow Daddy’s wallet and we sneak around the back to the ice cream truck?”
“…I don’t know, Bee… it sounds kinda… dangerous.”
“Do you want ice cream or not?” Bianca shot back. “Look, the truck’s about to leave, and we’ll be quick. Pinky promise.”
“Well, a popsicle does sound pretty good… Fine, but if we get caught, I’m blaming you.”
Bianca couldn’t help but cheer inwardly as she saw Lee’s hesitation turn to agreement. Together, they began quietly plotting their next move.
“I can sense underworld magic,” Nico muttered, lowering his book and scanning the park around them. He had felt the energy shift—Bianca’s magic from earlier still lingering in the air.
“I don’t see anything out of the ordinary, babe,” Will replied, his eyes sweeping the park for any sign of trouble, half-expecting a monster to pop up.
“I’m telling you, there’s something off,” Nico insisted, his gaze sharpening.
Will paused, squinting in the direction of the twins. “Now that you mention it… doesn’t Mikey look a little... strange to you?”
Without another word, Will stood up and began walking toward them.
Nico’s eyes widened in sudden realization. “Oh no… Will, it’s an illusion! The kids are gone!”
Without missing a beat, Nico and Will sprinted around the park, both of them instinctively knowing where to look, the ice cream truck. And sure enough, there they were: the twins, sitting on a bench, happily munching on ice cream, counting out money to buy more. God only knew how many scoops they'd already eaten.
Nico and Will were still adjusting to the fact that their kids had powers, but one thing was clear: the twins knew exactly how to control them. Nico and Will weren’t sure whether to feel proud or downright furious.
“Bianca and Lee Michael Solace-di Angelo!” they both shouted in unison, their voices sharp with anger.
The twins froze and looked up, wide-eyed, only to see their fathers standing there, red-faced and livid.
“Do not ever run off like that again,” Will said, his voice stern and uncharacteristically sharp. It was rare for their dad to get upset. Usually, it was Papa who did the scolding, so the twins immediately knew this time was different. They were really in trouble.
“Seriously,” Will continued, his tone hardening, “I thought you two knew better.”
The twins exchanged a guilty glance, both of them suddenly aware of how serious the situation was. Bianca, always the brave one, tried to defend herself, though her voice wavered slightly. “We just wanted ice cream, Papa. We didn’t mean to”
“Don’t ‘Papa’ us, young lady,” Nico interrupted, his tone cold but still tinged with concern. “You used your powers without thinking. You’re lucky nothing worse happened.”
Lee Michael shifted uneasily on the bench, his fingers still clutching the ice cream cone like a lifeline. “We… we just wanted to be quick. We didn’t hurt anyone.”
Will sighed, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. “That’s not the point, Lee. You can’t just use your powers like that without thinking about the consequences. And what if someone else had seen you? What if a monster appeared and decides to take matters into their own hands?”
Bianca opened her mouth to argue, but Nico cut her off. “You both know better than to act impulsively. We’ve told you time and time again, you need to be careful, especially since you come from one of the bigger Gods.”
The weight of their fathers' words hit them, and for a moment, neither twin knew how to respond. They had been caught up in the excitement of their powers and the ice cream truck, forgetting the rules and the responsibilities that came with their gifts.
“Listen,” Nico said, his voice softening slightly, “I know you both are still learning, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks. We can’t always protect you if you put yourselves in danger.”
Lee Michael looked down, guilt flooding his chest. “We’re sorry,” he muttered, not meeting their eyes. “We won’t do it again.”
Bianca nodded too, her eyes wide with remorse. “We promise. We just... we didn’t think it through.”
Will crossed his arms, his expression still stern, but his heart softened at the sight of their sincere apologies. “I hope you mean that. You don’t want to be the kind of people who can’t control their powers — or who don’t think about the consequences when they use them.”
The twins nodded quickly, both feeling the weight of their fathers’ words.
“Alright,” Nico said after a long pause. “We’re not going to make a big deal out of this today, but understand that next time, there will be major consequences.”
Bianca and Lee exchanged a look, silently agreeing that they’d learned their lesson. As much as they hated being scolded, they knew they were lucky their dads weren’t more upset. With a final, weary glance at their ice cream cones, Nico and Will finally let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Now,” Will added, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “how about we head home, no more magic, and get you both cleaned up before you turn into walking ice cream stains?”
The twins grinned, relieved, and nodded in unison.
“Okay, Papa,” Bianca said, her voice much softer now. “We’re sorry.”
“Yeah,” Lee Michael added, “next time we’ll just walk to the truck like regular people.”
As they all started walking back toward the park exit, Nico and Will exchanged a knowing look. They both knew the twins were powerful, and they needed to learn how to defend themselves before any monsters could sniff them out.
“I don’t know, Will,” Nico said quietly. “Sometimes I wonder if we’re doing enough to prepare them for what they can do.”
Will glanced down at the twins, who were quietly walking ahead of them, hands stuffed in their pockets. “I know, I’ve been thinking the same thing. But we’re still learning, too, right? We’ve got to find a way to teach them without making them feel like they’re walking on eggshells.”
Nico nodded, his brow furrowed. “Yeah, I don’t want them to be afraid of their powers, but I also don’t want them to be reckless like I was. They need to understand that there are consequences to power, especially since theirs seem much stronger than normal demigods.”
Just as they reached the park gate, Lee Michael tugged at Will’s sleeve, his voice hesitant. “Daddy, we didn’t mean to upset you. We just... we thought it would be okay.”
Will softened, placing a hand on Lee’s shoulder. “I know, Mikey. I know. You’re just excited to get some ice cream. But you’ve got to be careful, kiddo. There’s a world out there that doesn’t understand what we can do, and if you’re not careful, you could hurt someone or, worse, draw unwanted attention from monsters.”
Lee looked up at his Papa, nodding slowly. “We’ll be more careful, I promise.”
Bianca, who had been quietly reflecting on the whole situation, spoke up. “We just wanted to have some fun... but I get it. We’ll be more responsible. No more surprise magic stunts, okay?”
Nico smiled down at her, his voice gentle but firm. “I appreciate that, Bee. But remember, fun doesn’t mean ignoring the rules. Your powers are gifts, not toys.”
“Got it, Papa,” Bianca said with a mischievous grin, though she made sure to keep her tone serious.
Will chuckled softly at her expression. “Let’s just make sure the next time we get ice cream, it’s because we all agreed to go, no illusions, no skeletons involved.”
The twins laughed, their earlier tension dissipating. “Deal!” they chimed together, holding out their pinky fingers to seal the promise.
As they made their way home, the evening sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the park. The sounds of children’s laughter and the distant hum of the ice cream truck’s jingle faded into the background, and for a moment, the Solace-Di Angelo family simply returned to Naomi’s in quiet harmony.
That night, the twins lay groaning on the living room couch, clutching their stomachs dramatically as if the world had ended.
“My tummy hurts,” Lee whined, rolling over to bury his face into the throw pillows.
“Mine too,” Bianca moaned, her hand draped across her forehead tragically.
Nico sat across from them, arms crossed, watching their children suffer the natural consequences of eating FOUR ice creams each before dinner. Will, checking them both, had tried very hard to feel sympathetic, but after the chaos at the park, it was a losing battle.
“I warned you,” Will said, trying but failing to sound stern instead of amused.
“We both warned you,” Nico added, much less sympathetic, flipping a page in his book without looking up.
The twins only responded with matching whimpers.
Will shook his head and kissed Nico on his forehead before sitting beside him. In a low voice, he said, “Next summer... we’re sending them to camp.”
Nico looked up sharply, a rare smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “I guess it’s about time after today’s fiasco.”
“Someplace where summoning skeletons for ice cream is normal,” Will continued, barely containing a laugh. “And someone else gets to chase them around when they cause trouble.”
“Camp Half-Blood?” Nico suggested, raising an eyebrow. “Or maybe even Camp Jupiter if they want a little discipline.”
Will laughed under his breath. “Honestly, darling? At this point, I’ll send them to both.”
Across the room, Bianca sat up with a groan. “Hey,” she said weakly, “no secret plotting. We have enhanced hearing, you know.”
“Good,” Nico said, standing up and gathering the empty water bottles scattered around them. “Then you heard us loud and clear. We are sending you to camp next summer. No arguing.”
Lee Michael peeked one eye open. “Does camp have ice cream?”
Will chuckled. “Only if you earn it.”
Bianca sighed dramatically. “Fine. But only if we can summon skeletons at camp, too.”
Nico smirked. “Trust me, sweetheart. You’ll fit right in.”
And as the twins groaned and complained from their nests of blankets and pillows, Nico and Will exchanged a look, part exasperation, partly amused, knowing that sending them to camp next summer might just be the best decision they'd ever make.
