The stark taunts from his classmates rang on repetition in his head, bouncing back and fourth again and again with each thought fighting to retain his attention. Nico clenched his hands and dug his too long nails into the soft skin of his palms.

"Nico?" Bianca's soft voice questioned. He refused to look up to his sister - to her pitying eyes and sad smile and her wavering voice that assured that everything is uphill, Nico. Bianca did fine with her classmates, she was pretty enough to keep the bullies off her back but too quiet to gather any real friends from her peers. But, considering what Nico dealt with every meal time from his peers he would gladly take silent ignorance over the latter of the raucous hate he was hit with.

"Nico." Bianca repeated more firmly, sitting down next to him. She took a moment to smooth her uniform skirt over her knees before she leaned back onto the cold cement wall. "Look at me."

A small rebellious part of him wanted to refuse, to stand up and stomp away because I am 12 years old thankyouverymuch and I can most definitely take care of myself and I don't need my older sister to play protector and-

Nico met Bianca's delicate gaze and he absolutely did not start crying.

"Shh," Bianca whispered as Nico sobbed harshly into the rough material of her wool skirt. "I know, I know. It's okay, my brother."

Bianca ran her fingers through Nico's tangled locks until his hair laid straight and flat against her uniform. She sang gently under her breath, an old Italian song that Nico didn't realize he knew.

"Hey." his sister cut herself off mid-song to whisper. Nico calmed himself down to a slight whimper but the hot, wet tears continued to trail down his face.

"Hey." he answered, his broken whisper a far cry from Bianca's firm and steady voice. She smoothed his hair back from his forehead and patted his back.

"What did they do this time?" she asked quietly

Nico resisted the urge to sniffle before answering, "Thomas - the bigger one - kept calling me stupid names and he pushed me in a wall and he tore up a few of my mythomagic cards and -"

Nico cut himself off before his voice could break. The tightening in his throat matched the tightening of his hands. Bianca, seeing this, tsked before taking one of Nico's fists in her hands and uncurling them. The small, half moon marks left by her little brothers nails glowed an angry red before fading.

"It's okay Nico," she reassured him, unfolding his other hand as she said this, "We'll get you some new cards. You were talking about a new expansion pack the other day?"

"Minor goddesses and heroines packet." Nico reminded her, his voice quiet.

"Perfect, we'll get you some next outing alright?" Bianca gripped Nico's shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position.

Nico wiped at his eyes, a flush of embarrassment running through him. "Yeah." Nico answered, leaning against the wall, "That sounds perfect"

Just something to get me back into the fic writing business. And I enjoy actually seeing Bianca as a good sister so this was a little indulgent of me :)

Thanks to Danielle for beta-ing!

-Haley