He is a special kid

aftershock

Time skip: percy is nineteen.
After the war against Gaea
Percy POV

Finally. After seven years, I could finally go home and stay there for a whole year. I wrote Tony a letter, telling him that I was coming home. After five years of fighting, I could finally have some time with the avengers. I was nineteen now. Maybe Tony would let me join the avengers team. I know that I was young, but I've been through a lot lately. I have only visited the team for a few days every time I came home, because there was always monsters that I needed to defeat and my half brother, Tyson, sometimes needed my help inside the ocean so I could never stay at home for more than a few days. Poseidon was with me. He helped me a lot, but also sent me around a lot.

And, to be honest, I was getting usee to it. I Didn't get homesick like I used to. But this time was going to be different. I was going to focus on the team. On my home.

I packed my duffle bag and waited outside camp for Tony's car to arrive. When he did, I dumped my bag into the trunk and climbed into the car excitedly. Pepper was also there and she kissed my forehead. Tony smiled and playfully hit me on the shoulder.

On the way home we talked a lot, but when we got there I almost immediately fell asleep on my bed.

I still had scars from Tartarus. Scars that gave me nightmares. Nightmares of the things looming down there, waiting to come back up. That kind of nightmare made me wake up screaming in the middle of the first night back at the tower.

Tony came rushing In and calmed me down after ten minutes of struggle. I was drenched in sweat and my eyes were bloodshot. Fortunately for me, I was wearing a shirt. So Tony couldn't see the fresh cuts and the old scars. Thankfully, none of them started bleeding again while I was thrashing around in bed.

"Percy! Are you OK? " asked Tony.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." I stuttered. Tony put his hand on my shoulder.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I just need some air." I got up and left Tony alone in my room. Normally, I would go to the pool, but that fear of suffocation was still haunting me. I went out to the balcony and stared at the sun rising. I wanted to see Annabeth, but she was in San Francisco with her dad.

Tony's POV

Look, I know that Percy has been through a tough time, though I'm not sure how tough. He hasn't told me much about it. Only his friends at camp, the ones who kidnapped him a few years ago, and he told me about one of his quests, but I think he's holding something back.

Now, I respect his privacy, but it is unlike Percy to wake up in the middle of the night because of a nigntmare and go to the balcony instead of the pool. He almost never goes out to the balcony. And when he does, it is usually for a very good reason, because he is very afraid of heights.

That was the moment that I realised that something was very very wrong. Something happened in camp that made him this way. Maybe one of his friends did something to him?

I stepped out of Percy's dark room and walked up to him as he watched the sun rise. I looked at him. His eyes seemed so broken. As if he has aged a hundred years in the last five years.

I put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched. Did I touch someplace that hurt? Or was he just startled? He turned around quickly with a terrified expression, but when he saw me, he relaxed and smiled.

"I'm sorry, I just...." he sniffed. I grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug.

"There is absolutely no reason for you to be sorry!" I felt hot tears on my shirt. He was shaking.

"I just dont know what to do anymore! Everybody expects me to be strong, but the more I try, the more I realise that I am limited. I can't always be the hero! No matter how hard I try. I lost people, Tony. If I had been faster, they'd still be here. Theres been wars that I couldve helped more, but there's only so much a guy can do. I don't want any more deaths on my hands! People expect me to be the hero, to be the strongest, but the truth is, I don't know how to be a hero." He sobbed. I realised that he had been through a tougher time that I thought. People died. And he blamed himself.

He didn't realise just how much of a hero he's been.

"You don't have to know how to be a hero to be one, Percy. Of all the people I know, you are the strongest one. You are my hero, Percy. I love you." I held him tighter. Because I didn't know when I might be doing it again.

"Alright, alright! Let's go make some blue food. Lets try blue Pizza." Said Percy as he let go. Then he ran off. Probably to the kitchen.

But when I got there, his back was facing toward me with flower in his one hand and three eggs in the other. I could see his frown from where I stood. Was it possible that flower and eggs reminded him of something?

I put my hand on his shoulder again, and for the second time in two hours, he flinched at my touch.

Finally, he sighed andput his hand on the counter as if he ws stabilising himself. Then his other handcovered his face.

Okay, i know Percy well enough to know that when he makes that gesture, that something was bothering him. Something big.

Finally, I spoke up. "Percy? What's wrong?"

I almost laughed out loud at his response. "Thor is a god."