RiordanVerse One-Shots

The Boy Next Door // FierroChase

Alex was working on her latest pottery project. She smiled as the clay took shape in her hands. 

Then the doorbell rang. 

"Go away!" Alex yelled at the door. 

It rang again. 

"Ugh!" she grumbled and got up. She didn't want to leave her project, but she had to make her unwanted visitor go away. 

She threw open the door. "What do you . . ." 

Alex blinked at the boy standing in front of her. He was taller than her with dirty blonde hair that hung a little below his chin. He had grey eyes and an apologetic smile as he looked at the girl who'd answered the door. He wore a denim jacket over a simple t-shirt and jeans. She guessed that he wasn't from around here since she'd never seen him before. 

Still, she knew what he was thinking. With her green hair and flamboyant wardrobe how could he not think that she was strange and probably not right in the head. This was a very Christian neighborhood. And the fact that Alex was gender-fluid (she just felt female right now) didn't help her standing with her neighbors. Not that she really cared. 

"Um, hi," the boy said. "My mom and I just moved in next door and we're having a housewarming party." 

Alex didn't know why he was telling her this, but she let him finish. 

"So, my mom was trying to make a cake but we're short on flour. Do you have any by chance?" he asked. 

"Um, yeah," said Alex. She gestured for him to come in. 

"I'm Magnus, by the way," he said, stepping into the house. 

"Alex," she replied. She headed to her pantry to look for the flour. 

Magnus just sort of wandered around the house with no regard for what he was doing. If Alex noticed, she didn't say anything. 

"I hope I didn't interrupt something," Magnus called out. 

"Oh, don't worry," Alex called back, temporarily sticking her head around the corner to look at him. "You did." 

Magnus grimaced. "Sorry." Then he saw the half-finished pottery project. Magnus knew nothing about pottery, but he at least had the brains to know that it was harder than it looked. He inspected the vase that Alex had been in the middle of making. Then he looked around the room and noticed that there were more pieces of pottery spread across the room. 

"Did you make these?" he asked as Alex came out with the flour. 

She handed the bag to him, and their hands briefly brushed together. Alex tried to figure out the funny feeling in her stomach. She didn't notice the heat that had crawled onto Magnus's cheeks.

"Thanks," he said, smiling at her. Wait, no. Him. Alex was a boy now. Magnus didn't know how he knew but something told him that the person in front of him had changed from female to male. Though he was curious, he didn't say anything. 

Alex walked Magnus to the door. Before he could close it, Magnus turned around and asked, "Do you want to come to our housewarming party?" 

Alex was surprised at the invitation. Usually, people didn't want him around. It gave him an odd feeling. 

"Sure," he replied. "I'll be there." 

Magnus smiled as Alex closed the door. 

Alex stood there for a moment trying to figure out the mess of emotions he was currently feeling. He shook himself and went back to his pottery, though thoughts of Magnus still strayed at the edge of his mind.