Picking Up the Pieces (percico/pernico)

chapter 5: No One Can Know

I reached my cabin and slammed the door close. I felt my heart beating faster than normal, my breaths coming out loud and uneven. This is not the cause of an out of breath kid. This is a panic attack in the making.

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NICOS POV:

Calm down, calm down, calm down. I kept chanting to myself in my mind. I held my breath for five seconds before letting it go and repeating the process. I slid down the door, resting my head on my knees.

I counted the seconds between each breath as my mind took over.
They're all right,
You're just a pathetic lonely loser.
How could you ever think that you would ever be accepted here?

"No, stop it," I whimpered, holding my head.

Even you're own dad admitted it. You should've died. Bianca deserved to live.
What is your little saying? Sometimes it's better to hide my feelings? Do you honestly think that will work?
You're just a sad, lonely, outcast. You will always be an outcast.

"Shut up!" I yelled lifting my head. My heart was pounding but it was no longer from panic, just pure anger. I stood up my hands shaking. "No one can know," I mumbled to the mirror that was on the far wall. No one can know I'm broken, no one can know how I feel. So I do what I do best. I run, I hide, I flee from my feelings.

HADES POV:

(A/N: Don't hate on someone till you have the story behind their actions, mkay?)

I paced up around the throne room, Persephone crying on her throne. "He probably hates me!" She wailed, I tugged at my hair in fustration. "No, he won't hate you, he'll hate himself. He hates himself because he thinks everything is his fault. Why did I say those things?!" I cried out.

I had no control over what I said to my son, Nico. "I don't think he's worthless, I love him to death. He's the son I always wanted." She sobbed. Just the other day I had kicked Nico out, as soon as he left I seemed to lose contact of him.

I don't know where he is and I don't know how to reach him. I didn't mean any of what I said. It was almost like something was possessing me, but that's impossible because nothing can possess any of the gods.

"I just want my baby boy back," I muttered. Persephone walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me. I pulled her into a hug. We both missed Nico. I would never wish for his sister to have lived in his place, she would never have accomplished what her brother did.

Somethings going on in the mortal world, and somehow it affected the gods.

NICOS POV:

(I'll try to make this the last POV change mkay?)

I had changed into a plain black shirt with my aviator jacket and ripped black skinny jeans.i grabbed my jansport bag and headed to the pavillion. When I got there everyone was already waiting. I grabbed already pomegranate and took a bite from it.

Piper came up to me, "are you going to tie your hair up?" She asked. I sucked on the seed not looking over at her as i headed to the Hades table. "Nope," I answered, everyone from the quest took a seat with me.

"Nico," she said I rolled my eyes, "Piper, " I mocked. "Put your hair up," lacing her voice with charm speak, I glared at her as my hand moved to the elastic band that was on my wrist, I formed a fist, "nope," I said, the other four demigods Percy and Jason included watched amused.

"Put. Your. Hair. Up." She said separating her words. I grabbed the band, "I hate you," I told her, "nah, you love me," she joked happy that I complied putting my hair up. "That's debatable," I muttered causing the group to laugh.

We all finished our breakfast and the five demigods from my group parted to say bye to all their friends. After the first three that were leaving came back I dropped my bag and held onto them as I stepped into the shadows.

The shadows took us to an alley in Greenwich. Jason and Leo peeked their head out of the alley looking around, "here, take thing one and thing two to the café over there. Wait till we come back." I told Annabeth handing her a $20 just I was about to leave she spoke up.

"I took it too far yesterday, I'm sorry Nico." She apologized. "Don't be, you were right. Lord Hades did throw me out, it's not your fault for being right," I told her then shadow traveled to camp.

Percy had both of our bags and Piper had hers. Just as I went to reach for their hands I was tackled to the floor, "What the hell!?" I yelled out immediately regretting it when I looked into those familiar golden eyes,

"Hazel?" I asked. "They said you were leaving." She mumbled hugging me."How'd you get here?" I asked she pointed to the open portal that we installed to get to and from camp Jupiter. "Don't leave me." She cried. I wrapped My arms around her, "non piangere princepessa, you're too good for those tears." I told her wiping the tears off her cheeks, we stood up and I handed her a Hades mythomagic figurine that was in my jacket pocket. "I love you" I told her and kissed her cheek. Saying the words Bianca never got to tell me.

"You'll come back right?" She asked, "that's not important right now. what is important is that you know I love you." I said and pulled her into my arms."I-I love you" she choked out. I pulled back and forced a smile. "Teach Frank mythomagic okay?" I asked, causing her to smile and nod.

I grabbed the two demigods hands and focused on the alley in Greenwich. Everything was going fine till I was pushed out the shadows halfway across the Throgs Neck Bridge. "Nico, are you okay?" Piper asked, no, I thought but nodded and grabbed their hands.

Again, I was pushed out of the shadows, my knees buckled making me fall to the floor. We were in Fairfield, Conneticut. Three cities over from Greenwich. "Nico! Stop it, you going to hurt yourself!" Percy told me. I stood up shakily. "When we get there the others will be at a cafè across the street" I told them and grabbed their hands.

"Nico, you're going to-" "understand?" I cut Piper off. They both nodded and i enveloped them in the shadows making it to the alley. I stepped out the shadow and tripped on my feet. My face greeting the floor for a 'gravity check'. I welcomed In the darkness but got Bianca instead.

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I'm kind of mad at myself for not updating sooner, but even now that I'm writing this I'm still pissed that it's so short only 1154 words. Ughhh I have a lot of plans for this story but I don't know how to add everything in there. Grrr

-Tyler, the author of gay fanfics