RiordanVerse One-Shots

The Boy in the Alley // Solangelo

(keep in mind the characters are like 10-11 in this one and that they are demigods, but there is no Camp Half-Blood or Pact of the Big Three) 

Will was walking home from school when heard someone crying in an alley. Being the sweet, lovable guy he is he went to see who was crying. 

He found a boy of around his age curled up in the alley. He had black hair that partially covered his pale face. Will couldn't quite make out the boy's eyes, but he could tell that the boy had been the one crying from his tear-stained cheeks. 

Will carefully approached the boy. As he got closer, he realized how frightfully thin the other boy was and that he was holding something. He was holding a piece of shattered glass and the edges had blood on them. 

Will suddenly realized what was happening, and he rushed forward. He knocked the glass out of the boy's hand. The boy didn't even look up. Will noticed that ripping the piece of glass out of his hand had left jagged marks on the boy's palm. 

"Oh my gods, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, dropping to his knees in front of the boy. He took the boy's hand in his. He inspected the cuts and grimaced at the cuts the boy had already given himself. Will pressed his hand over the wounds. 

Will gave the boy a pitying look. The boy's gaze was firmly point at the ground, refusing to look at Will. 

"I'm going to help you," said Will. 

Will had discovered his parentage from his mother and since he had been experimenting with his healing abilities. 

Will closed his eyes and began to sing. He could feel his magic start to flow into the boy's wounds. 

The blood flow began to slow, and the cuts started to stitch themselves back together. 

Soon the boy's skin looked good as new. The boy looked down at his wrists in wonder. Then finally he looked at Will. "You magic?" he asked in broken English. 

Will smiled at him and nodded. "I'm Will. Are you okay?" 

"Will," the boy repeated quietly. Though with his accent it sounded more like 'Weel' but Will didn't mind. In fact, something inside him fluttered at the sound of the boy saying his name. 

"Nico," said the boy, pointing to himself. "Nico di Angelo." 

Will smiled at Nico. "Nice to meet you, Nico." 

Nico just nodded and looked at the ground again. 

"Are you okay?" Will asked. 

Nico shook his head. 

"What's wrong?" 

Nico met Will's eyes again, his starting to fill with tears. 

"Alone," he said finally. 

That single word shattered Will's heart and he wrapped the boy up in his arms. Nico cried into Will's t-shirt. Will rubbed circles into the boys back. 

"You don't have to be alone," said Will. "You have me now." 

Nico pulled away and shook his head. 

Will looked at him confused. "What's wrong?" 

Nico pointed to Will and said, "Good magic." Then he pointed to himself and said much more solemnly. "Bad magic." 

"You have magic?" said Will, completely ignoring the part where the boy had said 'bad magic'. "Can you show me?" 

Nico grimaced and held out his hand to the side. Will watched in amazement as a crack appeared in the ground and out crawled a little skeleton cat. 

Will gasped and Nico winced. 

"Can I pet it?" Will asked eagerly. 

Surprised, Nico nodded. Will grinned hugely as the skele-cat came closer. He held out his hand and the cat rubbed its head against it. 

"I love it!" Will explained. He looked at Nico who was giving Will a confused look. "Is something wrong?" 

"Most people are afraid," Nico explained. 

Will smiled. "Well, I'm not." 

"Not a little?" 

Will shook his head. "He's adorable," said Will. Then before he could stop himself, he said, "Just like you." Will blushed when he realized what he'd said. 

Nico smiled at him. The cat walked up to him and rubbed its head against Nico's leg. 

"I can call monsters too," he admitted. "When I'm scared." 

Will looked at the younger boy sympathetically. He pulled the boy into another hug and simply held him close. 

"Your magic doesn't make you bad, Nico," he assured. "It's how you chose to use it that shows who you are." 

Nico let go of another wave of tears, once again soaking Will's shirt.