Satisfying Percy (boyxboy)

"Ask, Take, and Insist"

Percy waited until the courtyard was empty of other students and pulled his phone from his pocket. He was never very fond of talking on the phone but he needed to talk to Piper and this was the only way he could at the moment. He clicked her contact and listened to the ring tone in his ear. Three rings passed and the artist still hadn't answered so Percy hung up and stuck his phone back into his pocket.
Percy made his way to the small pond on campus and sat on a boulder on its bank. He shook his head as he looked out over the murky water. He tried to figure what Piper could have been thinking with all this but nothing came to mind. A part of him wondered if it was a sick joke, because she was growing annoyed with him. But things like this weren't in her nature. This was the kind of thing Jason, Leo, or Frank would do. Not Piper.
A short time passed and Percy was pulled from his trance when his phone rang. He shook his head and rolled his eyes when he saw Pipers name. Despite the fact he no longer really wanted to talk to her, he answered her call with a monotonous "Hello".
"Hey, Perce."
Percy sucked on his teeth a little. "Can I ask you a question?"
Piper knew very well where this was going. "Before you say anything, I want you to hear me out."
Percy silenced so Piper went on.
"I watched him for an entire day, trying to get to know him. I know you didn't like him at camp, but he's not the same kid. It's been four years Percy, and that's a long time. People can change and all I'm asking is that you give the kid a chance."
Percy shook his head. "Why are you pushing this one so hard?"
"You're being picky. You want something specific. And I feel like Nico will be exactly what you're looking for and more."
Percy shook his head again. "Why him? Out of all the guys at this university, and you go for him. Why?"
"Because, Percy, it's Nico. If you didn't know, he had a serious thing for you at camp and I can't imagine things changing too much."
Percy huffed. "I can't believe you would do something like this, after all the problems he caused for me at camp."
"Get over it, Percy." There was no pity in Pipers tone. "I know you blame your failed relationship with Luke on Nico and you always have but it wasn't his fault." She actually sounded kind of angry. "You would have broken up with Luke at some point anyway, so just let it go."
Percy shook his head again. "Whatever. I'm hanging up. Goodbye, Piper." Percy returned his phone to his pocket and stood from where he was sitting in order to head back to his campus apartment.

Percy spent the next few days ignoring pretty much everyone. Piper tried to call him a few times but he declined every call and even thought about blocking her number so they wouldn't come through anymore. He knew he shouldn't have really been mad at her, since he kind of asked for it, but he never imagined this happening. Piper knew how Percy felt about Nico, that he blamed his failed relationship with Luke on the boy, and he felt she really should have known better.
Percy planned on ignoring his friends, or at least Piper and Annabeth (since she knew and didn't tell him), for as long as he could. And that happened to be only a few days. The two girls put him in a situation that practically forced him into talking to them. He fought it and just listened to them talk for a while, but soon grew very annoyed with hearing the same thing over and over. Both of them kept saying that Nico had changed and that Percy should give the kid a chance. But Percy didn't care if Nico had changed and he had no urge to give the freshman even a half of a chance. So all their hard work to get him to see things from their point of view was pointless.
"Stop!"
Both girls had been talking at the same time and Percy interrupted them. He huffed into the newly formed silence and ran his fingers through his hair. Even with school, his step father, and everything else that had happened in his life, Percy had never felt as overwhelmed as he did at that moment.
Piper waited a few seconds and spoke, totally changing the topic to something a little more pressing. She spoke very quietly. "Percy, please don't be mad at us anymore. You're one of our best friends and neither one of us can stand to have you mad at us."
Percys mouth hung open a little. "Really? Do you even fully understand why I'm mad at the two of you?"
Both shrugged. Neither really thought that Percys anger was warranted but figured it had something to do with how loyal he was to his friends; maybe it was the fact that he felt he deserved the same loyalty in return and he hadn't been given it. Whatever it was, they knew there was a reason Percy had been made so upset by this whole thing, even if it was a poor one.
Annabeth stepped closer to Percy and spoke very quietly. "Percy, listen. I realize there is probably very little we can say to you right now that would make you understand our reasoning. But just trust that there is a reason. I agreed that Nico would be a good fit and I stand behind that. I didn't realize you were still holding such a grudge but you need to let it go. You need to open yourself back up again. You told Luke you wanted to make friends with Nico, and now we're giving you a chance and you're angry?"
Percy scoffed. "If you recall, I said nothing about a friendship. I want a body, and that's all. But I don't want Nicos."
Annabeth turned her face away and Piper shook her head. They were trying, they really were, to help their friend. He needed something and they would stop at nothing to get it for him, even if that meant upsetting him a little bit along the way so he would be satisfied in the end. Despite what Percy was probably thinking, the two were actually being loyal. But Percy still didn't want to hear it.
Piper decided, in the end, to drop the whole thing and try a new approach. She cleared her throat and rubbed her palms on her paint stained jeans before she spoke. "Will you give me another chance? Another chance to find you a guy?"
Percy shrugged. "Will you be smarter about it if I do?"
Piper smiled. "You won't regret this, Percy, I promise."
"You didn't answer my question, Piper."
Piper didn't plan on answering Percys question. She had a whole new idea forming in her mind and she smiled at just the thought of it. She latched her hand onto Annabeths wrist and pulled her out of Percys apartment and across the parking lot to their own, since they shared one.
Percy flopped onto his couch and prepared himself for an entire evening of shark shows and maybe even a couple hours of Finding Nemo. He thought about going swimming but the pool would close in an hour and he seriously doubted his mind would be cleared of everything plaguing it in that short of a time, so T.V. was really his only option.
After only a few hours, Percy fell asleep. He woke half way through the night and moved himself to his bed, though, which turned out to be a good thing. An hour before Percy would usually get himself out of bed, Piper called him and woke him from his sleep.
"Ya know, you have a serious problem with waking people up."
"I know, but this is worth waking up for."
Percy swiped a hand over his face. "It better be."
Percy could tell Piper was smiling as she spoke. "I think I might have found someone for you and I'm already ready for you to meet him face to face."
Percy yawned. "Wow, that was fast."
"I know, but he's a good one. He's smart, he's cute, he's available, and, unlike the guys Jason showed you, he's looking for a guy. And I am positive you're his type. And that's the reason I want you to meet up with him already."
"What do you suggest?" Percy was rubbing his eyes.
"Lunch today. Meet me by the fence and I'll take you to meet him."
Percy yawned again. "Fine. But can I go back to sleep now?"
Piper chuckled. "Go for it."
"Thank you." Percy hung up and face planted into his pillow and, before he knew it, he was asleep again.
After a forty five minute power nap, Percy hopped into the shower and got ready for classes, which seemed to fly by that day. He was unusually excited about lunch and that was probably just because his want was more of a craving at the time. He realized, even if the guy was a good fit, that nothing would happen right away but it was still slightly thrilling for him.
Lunch hour was soon upon the university and Percy quickly made his way to the chain link fence Piper told him to meet her at. She was already there, waiting for him while scraping dried paint off her nails.
"Hey, Piper."
The girl looked up. "Percy. I didn't expect you so early."
Percy shrugged as he burried his hands in his pockets and Piper smiled as she pushed herself off the fence.
"You ready for lunch?"
Percy nodded, trying to hide his growing excitement but Piper saw it anyway. She was happy about it and hoped it would be enough to outweigh the bad in what she had done. The art student led her friend to an area that was pretty secluded from everything else and told him to sit. She then rounded a corner of the school and came back with a boy in tow, although Percy wasn't paying attention.
"Percy."
The marine biologist turned and looked toward his friend but was distracted from her when he noticed the freshman boy in her wake. Percy stood from the picnic table and pointed to the boy.
"What is this?"
Piper smiled. "Percy this is a who, not a what. Maybe I should teach you your nouns. Anyway, this is Nico. I think the two of you have met before."
Nico was shaking his head in confusion. "What's going on?"
Piper turned to him and smiled. "Nico, this is the guy I said I thought would be good for you."
He was shaking his head even more after hearing that. "No. No way. Piper this is crazy. You didn't tell me it was Percy."
She smirked. "No, but I did say I knew you would like him, didn't I?" She paused for a second. "And you do, don't you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Percy was looking back and forth between the two but soon spoke up. "This is ridiculous, Piper, I'm leaving."
"Oh no your not."
Both Percy and Nico were a little taken aback by that. Percy didn't approve of Pipers bossiness and Nico was surprised by it, to say the least. She wasn't a big girl and yet, here she was, telling a tall, muscular guy what to do.
"You, sir, are staying right where you are. The two of you are going to have lunch with one another and if I see either one of you before this hour is up, I will escort you back here and sit with you. And while I'm here, the two of you will talk and you will get to know one another. Is that understood?"
Piper waited for a response but neither boy gave one, so she asked again. "Is that understood?"
Nico nodded, mostly out of fear, first and Percy rolled his eyes.
"Percy?"
Percy shook his head and said "Yeah, I got it."
"Good." Piper smiled. "Enjoy lunch."
Percy sighed and flopped onto the picnic table as Piper walked away. Nico stood back and studied him for a while. He didn't look much different but it was clear he had gotten older. He wasn't any taller or anything like that but his face was more chiseled and not so baby like and the rest of his features matched. Nico took a step toward the picnic table to sit but spoke before going too far. "I-is it okay if I sit?"
Percy shook his head. "I don't care what you do, kid."
Nico nodded and slowly stepped toward the table to sit opposite of Percy. He didn't look at the older and Percy didn't look at him, but that was okay to both. Everything was silent for a few minutes and Nico was about ready to put his ear buds in when Piper showed up again. She clicked her tongue a few times and shook her head.
"Really guys? Is it that hard to talk to each other? Am I gonna have to sit here and make you talk to one another?"
Percy dropped his head onto the picnic table with a groan. "Piper," He whined, "go away!"
"No!" She retorted. "Not until I see the two of you talking."
"Well, that's not gonna happen, so give it up."
Nico attempted to slip from the bench and make his way from the clearing as the two upper classmen argued but Piper put her hand and his chest smoothly and pushed him back onto the bench. She told him to sit and, from there, she made the two start a conversation. She would ask questions and make them answer to one another in the attempt to get the both to get to know the other.
Nico was clearly intrigued about Percys likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, and classes and didn't even bother trying to hide the fact. Percy, on the other hand, didn't seem so interested until he learned just how smart Nico was. He knew he had a crazy class load but he had no clue why. But, apparently, it was because the freshman was going to be a forensic pathologist.
"Wait, what's that?"
Nico smiled shyly at Percys interest. "You've seen CSI?"
Percy nodded.
"The medical examiners on shows like that are supposed to forensic pathologists, but what we actually do is really nothing like that."
Percy squinted his eyes. "Why would you ever choose a job where you'll work with dead people for the rest of your life? "
"Well," Nico began, wondering if he should really delve into it, "some state program paid for my education 'cause I'm a foster kid. They wanted me to become a lawyer or a doctor or something but I can't deal with people, so this is what I chose."
Percy nodded once, very sharply. As much as he tried not to, he was begining to find Nico pretty interesting. He was smart, he was pretty quiet, he seemed independent and calm and Percy could definitely tell he was a submissive but he still wasn't too pleased with the idea of the boy.
The lunch hour was quick to end and Percy and Piper went one way while Nico went the other. As they walked, Piper bumped into her friend on purpose.
"So, what'dya think?"
Percy shook his head.
Piper chuckled. "Are you saying you don't think?"
Percy glared at her as they walked and she bumped him again, pleased with herself. She knew, even if Percy didn't want to admit it, that there was a very good chance things were lining up.