Solangelo One-Shots

Last Day of Summer - Solangelo

Even though Summer was supposed to be winding down, it was still unbearably hot and sticky—and the giant fire pit wasn't helping anything. Nico had more feelings swirling around in him than he could place. He was excited because this was his first bead ceremony. He was sad because Percy and Annabeth would be leaving tomorrow. He was scared because he'd have to stay here alone until next summer, every year until he was an adult, really, and then what? He was happy because he finally had a home—he was confused because when he pictured home, he didn't see himself sitting alone at an empty table for every meal, surrounded by people he was too far away from to talk to.

The fries from his plate sizzled when they hit the flame, turning into a delicious smelling smoke that filled the air for a moment before the kid behind him made their offering and the scent changed from salty to something that was definitely apple flavored. He bit the inside of his cheek and trudged back to the Hades table.

He'd barely gotten a fry from the colossal heap in front of him to his mouth before there was a tap on his shoulder that made him jump.

Will solace stood directly behind him, green flannel tied around his waist and the sleeves of his camp shirt rolled up to his shoulders. His hair was frizzing up like crazy.

"Absolutely not," Will said. "I'm sick of seeing you sit alone with a plate of fries every night—you're going to die of loneliness if heart disease doesn't get you first."

"And what exactly do you want me to do about that?"

Will rolled his eyes. "Come sit with me."

Nico blinked. "I don't think that's allowed."

Will sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right. I forgot you follow the rules—you're the only one who's watched the orientation film since the '80s."

Nico was glad the cast from the fire hid his heated face. "Whatever—I don't want to get yelled at." He turned back to his fries and ignored whatever Will was doing to make that scratching noise.

Will knocked him on the shoulder. "Okay." He clicked the pen and slid it into his mass of curls. "Come on."

Nico took the slip when Will's fingers pushed it into his. It took a minute to make out though Will's scrawl and the letters messing him up, but he managed.

Doctor's Note

Nico di Angelo will be sitting at

Table 7 to avoid any more

Zombie incidents

- W. Solace

"I don't summon zombies on accident anymore."

Will had a sly grin. "No one else has to know that."

Nico accepted he wouldn't win this one. The other Apollo kids didn't bat an eye when he sat next to Will, just another face at merry table 7.

He did look different, though. A couple months of sun and his skin was starting to look less translucent, he realized if he let his hair grow it'd start to weigh down the parts that permanently stood up. Even with his new tan (nothing compared to Will's) he still didn't fit in. Apollo's kids were by no means carbon copies of him, but you could tell they were family. Some of them shared the curly hair, some of them had the broad shoulders, the nimble fingers, some of them looked like they could almost belong to another godly parent—and then they'd speak and it'd be with perfect rhythm and meter, all coming from a sure and confident mouth. Nothing like him. Nothing like what he'd inherited from Hades. He wanted to think about something else.