Through the Ice ― Nico di Angelo & Will Solace

―iii. snow in san francisco

ISAAC LED THE WAY INTO THE HOUSE, which looked and sounded empty. His mom would still be at the bakery, Delaney was obviously still shopping with Naomi, and Isaac assumed Adrien was hanging out with his friends. He kicked his shoes off and forced himself to not stomp into the living room, dropping heavily onto the couch. 

Nico followed cautiously, sitting down on the other end of the couch. He was quiet for a moment, watching Isaac, before he asked, "That was your... dad? I thought he was—"

"Dead?" Isaac finished. "Yeah, we like to pretend he is. He's not usually around to break the illusion." 

"I'm guessing he's not a great guy?" Nico asked, which was the understatement of the century. 

Isaac scoffed. "That's one way to describe him," he said. He sighed. "He walked out on us when Delaney came out as a lesbian—about eight years ago." 

"Oh," Nico said. 

Isaac took a long sip of smoothie. "I like to think all three of his kids coming out as queer was Venus's way of telling him to go fuck himself." 

"That sounds like something she'd do," Nico said. "So you were... seven when he left?"

Isaac nodded before letting his head fall back against the couch. "I don't even know what he's doing here—last we heard he was getting remarried to some mortal woman in Oregon. He doesn't come to New Rome much." 

He could feel Nico watching him. "Are you okay?"

Isaac pulled his feet up and buried his face between his knees. "'M fine," he mumbled, voice muffled. "I just hate seeing him."

"That's pretty understandable," Nico said. "He sounds like a dick." 

Isaac snorted. "'Dick' doesn't even cover it."  

"Why are you talking about dicks?" Adrien asked from the entryway. "Do I need to leave again?" 

Isaac rolled his eyes, lifting his face as Adrien walked into the living room. "Dad's back in town." 

Adrien's posture immediately straightened, like an animal with hackles raised. "What? Why?" 

"I didn't talk to him long enough to ask," Isaac said. "We ran into him downtown." 

Adrien walked over, ruffling Isaac's hair. "You okay?" 

"I'm fine," Isaac said. At Adrien's expression, he insisted, "Seriously. I don't care about him."

"He isn't worth giving a shit about," Adrien agreed. "Do Mom and Delaney know?"

Isaac shook his head. "Haven't had the chance to tell them." 

Adrien pursed his lips, contemplating. "I'll go by the bakery and warn Mom," he decided. "She shouldn't have to deal with that bastard without a head's up." 

As Adrien headed for the front door, Nico looked at Isaac and asked, "Do you want me to go?" 

The thing was, Isaac really didn't. He wasn't sure if he just didn't want to be alone with his thoughts, where the meager memories of his father could come back to haunt us, or if he wanted distraction. 

Either way, one of the last things he wanted was for Nico to leave.

He was too proud to say that, though, so instead he said, "You don't have to. We could watch a movie or—"

"Hey, guys?" Adrien called from the front of the house, cutting Isaac off. 

"What?" Isaac called back.