La Douleur Exquise: a Percico Story

Chapter Eleven

P e r c y

"Hey, you okay?" Percy jogged to match Annabeth's timely gait. It was now just past dinner, and the only time Percy had to speak to his technical girlfriend.

His day was packed with energy-draining tasks, including no-armor combat. His limbs felt like extra logs protruding from his body that he was forced to drag along with him. Almost as an added non-beneficial factor to his day, Percy hadn't once seen Nico. It was like a strenuous torture to not know where the son of Hades was and why he wasn't with him.

Percy consumed his whole plate at dinner, then nearly fell asleep. Percy's head was laid in his arms, eyes shut as he dozed off without any regard to the campers around him. An elbow nudged him, drawing his head up groggily. Percy had to blink a few times before labeling the elbow as Nico's. He looked concerned with Percy's fatigued state, though didn't say anything about the matter.

Earlier that day, at breakfast, Annabeth seemed a bit off. She turned a cold shoulder towards Percy for most of the meal, then hurried off when the conch horn sounded. It wasn't a normal attribute of hers, and Percy wanted to find out what was troubling her.

They were walking to the treeline of the forest where the camp usually gathered to discuss the teams and rules for capture of the flag. Annabeth glanced at Percy, "Yup."

Percy knitted his eyebrows together in confusion, "You sure?" She seemed so...agitated before.

"Yup." Annabeth repeated her initial answer, crossing her arms sternly over her chest.

She drifted off towards her siblings in her cabin, leaving Percy alone to his pondering mind. He didn't do anything wrong, despite a few moments with a certain boy, but those didn't count. In Percy's opinion, his feelings for Nico and Annabeth were completely separate. Annabeth was a girl, and Nico a boy. Though he felt emotions for Nico he once felt for Annabeth, at one point.

Percy looked away, brushing those thoughts aside to be scrutinized on a later date. He didn't want to think about that now. Nico was different than Annabeth seemed to be the mantra he repeated to himself, though feared to elaborate on it. For if he did, a realization will surface that Percy simply didn't have the courage to face just yet. He's been through plenty of situations where he had to muster all his bravery, but none like this.

This time, he was battling himself.

Percy moved towards the front of the group as an older camper of Hermes was divvying up the teams determined by cabin. Percy was sorted into the red team, handed a helmet with red hair going down the back. Percy always found these horrendous and completely unnecessary, but it added an authentic tone to the American game and wouldn't be removed.

Annabeth was put onto the blue team, as she typically was. The two were never apart of the same team. Nico was, much to his detriment, on the blue team as well. Percy pouted like a child at the announcement, peering over the enthused bodies for the boy.

"Looking for someone?" A soothingly familiar voice inquired knowingly. Percy couldn't contain the grin that pushed its way onto his face.

He turned around, nearly cracking up at the sight of Nico with the oversized Greek blue helmet sat crooked over his scowling face, "Nice, Nico. Real fitting."

"Shut up, Jackson," Nico grumbled, adjusting the slightly rusted metal probably used during the Trojan War, "Not everyone can pull anything off like you."

Percy felt uplifted at the compliment, though played it cool and patted his shoulder, "It's alright, you're a close second."

"I really don't wanna do this." Nico proceeded to complain, rolling his eyes.