Saving Him.

Chapter Four.

**Percy POV**
I woke up with my eyes burning still. My lips were cracked and I felt so tired that I just stared into oblivion waiting for a reason to get up out of bed. This life was not one that I wanted and maybe if I laid there long enough, it would all go away.  The monsters and gods would not be real. I would not know how to even hold a sword, let alone fight with Riptide. Maybe if I waited, I would wake up to my baby sister screeching for attention. I would get up and hold her, and take her to my mom, who always made her blue, blueberry pancakes on the mornings I was home. I just wanted to be home, to be in my room I shared with a baby sister named Daphne (A/N I like clashing some bits and pieces of my fan fiction) even if she was screeching all night. But I wasn't even close to that.

I shut my eyes tight and thought about the night before Nico had been more understanding and caring than Annabeth had been in months. But beyond just comparing him to Annabeth, Nico had given me something I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt like someone was actually there for me, not just nodding their head dumbly and only hearing the words they wanted. We sat on that pier, with me crying my heart out, and he sat and listened. I screamed that I didn't want to be a demigod...and he agreed with me. I screamed that I hated Annabeth, and he told me how much he hated Will when they first broke up.

"Heartbreak...it's  just a manifestation of every feeling in existence. It is all that anger, sadness, betrayal, and pain frosted with that terrible thing they call love.  It is literally the worst feeling in the world and you just hate everything and everyone and, especially here at camp where you see that one person everyday, it's so hard to move on."

"Is that why you left, Nico?"

"....honestly...yea. I knew...Will-that night, he really really hurt me. I knew seeing him would absolutely hurt...so I just...I just left."

"Do you think I could just up and leave too?"

"Who? You? Never. You are Percy Freaking Jackson. You are brave and strong. If anyone can handle all of this, it is you."

I opened my eyes again. There was my reason to get out of bed.
____

**Nico POV**

My reason to get out of bed was to haphazardly shove clothes, weapons, and secret stashes of nectar and ambrosia into one of Bianca's purses (my backpack had been lost in the hellhound attack) as quietly as I could. Once all I needed was there, I took another glimpse around the room. It was not like saying goodbye to a childhood home, because I had no memories of youth in this room. But it did hurt, because some of the best memories I'd had were tied to the one boy, sleeping soundly on my pillow. I felt myself tearing up. I wouldn't tell Will goodbye. He'd try to make me stay and knowing him, he just might convince me. But I didn't want that. I know that it doesn't makes sense; if I could have the person I craved more than anything why not stay?

Well, I love him. I could never say I don't or that I ever stopped. But along with the immense amount of love I feel when I see him, I can still feel the sting of his slap when his loved turned sour.

I closed the door behind me, and turned, only to see Bianca standing there, red eyed. Her mouth dropped a little as her eyes went from my face, to the large black purse over my shoulder. I could see the disappointment in her eyes as she swiped hair from her eyes.

"You just got here," she whispered, crossing her arms.

"Come with me, Bianca." I murmured. "It could be just like the old times-"

"I won't wake Will on my way in," she interrupted, shoving past me, her focus fixed on her feet.

"Bianca-"