Another family one shot based on the prompt below. All chapters titled Home Is Where The Heart Is will have to do with Will, Nico, and Casslin. When I have more, I might stick them in a separate story but for now, they will stay here.

16: "Give me a reason not to turn around and walk away now." (Requested by @nmknmp9708 )

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"I'm not going to make it home tonight, sorry love."

Nico closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Will, I haven't seen you once this week. Isn't there any way you could possibly get someone to cover, or even just come home for lunch?"

"I'm sorry, we are so incredibly short staffed this week. I-" Will was cut off by Casslin's screams. "I'd better let you go, I love you."

"I love you too." Nico let his cell drop onto his bed, taking a moment to change his mindset before standing up and walking to his daughter's room. "Oh vita mia, it's okay. Are you hungry?" Nico stepped around one of the stray balloons left from her first birthday and picked her up from where she was sitting on the floor, balancing her on his hip and heading into the kitchen to place her in the highchair.

"Do you want mela? An apple? Or you could have pera? A pear?" Nico grabbed the pair and began cutting it up into small pieces and put the bowl in front of Cass. He and Will decided to raise her bilingually, and when Will had the time he was learning a few words himself.

"I have to pay bills." He narrated as he opened his laptop. "You don't know what that is because you're just a baby. You lucky girl." What? Nico stared at the charge on their credit card. A week's stay at the hotel closest to the hospital.

His gut tightened as his brain automatically jumped to Will having an affair before shaking that thought out of his mind. He just needed to talk to Will. There had to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. "You want to go for a drive?" His voice was tight as he talked, and Cassie frowned, sensing the emotion in the room. "You want to go see Daddy, vita mia?"

Once Cassie was done eating, he grabbed her diaper bag and walked out to the car, buckling her into the back. Traffic was light and they only lived five minutes away from the hospital. Emma was at the front desk today. "Hey, where would I find Will?"

"How's this little cutie doin? I keep telling Will he needs to bring her around more." Emma squeezed Cass' toes before turning and punching some keys at her computer. "Sorry sweetpea, Will's not scheduled until tonight. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. I really need to just write down his schedule." Nico laughed before waving goodbye. He waited until he was in the car to start worrying. "There's a reasonable explanation for this." He told Casslin, but even he didn't believe it.

It took quite awhile to get the young man at the front desk to tell him which room Will was staying in. After showing him idea and photos of their wedding and a credit card in both their names, he finally conceded. "Room 417."

"Thank you." Nico walked as calmly to the stairway as he could manage, but once the door was shut behind him he began taking stairs two at a time. When he stood outside the room, he had his fist raised to knock on the door, but it didn't make contact.

"I can't do it, vita mia" Nico whispered, hugging his daughter closer, not having any idea what to expect on the other side of the door. What if Will had a whole other life he knew nothing about? Before he lost the nerve he knocked on the door, planting his feet firmly on the ground so he wouldn't chicken out and bolt. Better to know than continue living a lie.

A groggy looking Will opened the door, shock spreading across his face as he registered what was happening. "Nico?"

"Why?" Nico choked out, holding Casslin to chest as a barrier. Will leaned forward to touch him, but he stepped back. "Don't."

"Nico it's not what it looks like, I swear." Will stepped back and allowed Nico to step inside.

"Then what is it? Because there is no possible explanation that could make this okay. You lied to me." Cass started to whimper and reached for Will who grabbed her. Nico felt betrayed in every way possible.

"It's just been me here, I'm not sleeping with anyone. We can check security footage if you don't trust me."

"Why did you lie to me?" Nico pushed.

"I'm sorry, this wasn't supposed to happen but-"

"Oh! I'm sorry for finding out about your lies, you deceiving little-"

"Not in front of Cass." Will chided, but Nico simply scoffed.

"Don't you dare." Nico spat, face red. "Don't you dare try to parent her when you stay in hotels for weeks at a time instead of being with your family. I'm the one who has been there for her. I raised her. Gods, do you think it's easy for me to be home with her all day?" Nico curled his fists in frustration. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't just walk out of here now." Nico had his hand on the doorknob, ready to leave.

Will ran his free hand through his hair, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry. I've been exhausted and it's affected me at work. Cassie never stops screaming. I just thought if I could get a few good hours between shifts-"

"Oh! I'm sorry you have a family." Nico shot sarcastically. "Don't bother coming home unless you're ready to be a part of the family." He grabbed Casslin from Will's arms and spun on his heel, slamming the door shut behind him. Her whimpers had now turned to full blown screams.

The entire drive home was filled with screams from Cass asking for her Daddy. "I know, vita mia, I know." Nico's eyes burned as he fumbled with the key, letting them into their home. "I miss him too."