Percy Jackson x Male Reader The Titans Curse

We Run Into A Dam Problem

Percy's POV

At the edge of the dump, we found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so we decided to borrow it. 

Thalia drove. She didn't seem as stunned as the rest of us.

"The skeletons are still out there," she reminded us. "We need to keep moving." 

She navigated us through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at. Zoe sat up front with Thalia. Grover, Y/n, and I sat in the pickup bed, leaning against the tow wench. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca. 

My hand closed around the card that had cost her life. The sleeve over it was so dusted you couldn't read the writing. Y/n had asked me to take it out, but I told him I wanted to wait. Nico should be the one to see it first.

Oh, gods... what was I going to tell Nico? I wanted to believe that Bianca was still alive somewhere. But I had a bad feeling that she was gone for good. 

"It should've been me," I said. "I should've gone into the giant." 

"Don't say that!" Grover panicked. "It's bad enoughAnnabeth is gone, and now Bianca. Do you think I could stand it if..." He sniffled. "Do you think anybody else would be my best friend?" 

"Ah, Grover..." 

He wiped under his eyes with an oily cloth that left his face grimy like he had on warpaint. "I'm... I'm okay."

But he wasn't okay. Ever since the encounter in New Mexico—whatever had happened when that wild wind blew through—he seemed really fragile, even more, emotional thanusual. I was afraid to talk to him about it, because he might start bawling.

At least there's one good thing about having a friend who gets freaked out more than you do. I realized I couldn't stay depressed. I had to set aside thinking about Bianca and keep us going forward, the way Thalia was doing. I wondered what she and Zoe were talking about in the front of the truck. 

I looked over at Y/n who had stayed silent the whole trip. He was just sitting there with his jacket wrapped around him, as he stared out at the landscape. He didn't look like he was in the best place either.

"Y/n, you okay?" I asked.

He wiped away some moisture from his eyes, "Why didn't I talk to her Percy?"

"What?" I asked confused.

He let out an uneasy breath as he continued, "I just had to hold on to my stupid grudge. Feel angry at her because she just wanted to live her life. Why didn't I talk to her, why didn't I apologize, why didn't I do anything?"

I looked at my friend sympathetically, despite how intimidating he could be, how powerful he was, how courageous he could be. Under all that Y/n was one of the most soft-hearted people I knew. He cared so much about everyone around him, that sometimes he forgot to care about himself or let anyone care about him.

"Don't beat yourself up about it." I said, "Bianca's gone, but you can't let yourself get hung up on what you didn't do. She wouldn't want us to do that, she'd want us to keep going."

Y/n sniffled a bit as he responded, "I know, it's just hard to accept she's gone."

He turned his gaze from the horizon back towards me, holding eye contact. Something he rarely ever did.

"But thank you, Percy. I'm glad you're here."

I offered a light smile, "You can't get rid of me, Bending Bros stick together."