What Kills You (Percico)

Chapter Eleven

Percy

"So you didn't try to kill yourself?" Peter asked me as we were all in our cabin. Shit was going on with the gods, were on call. It'll pass, hopefully.

"Uh, no," I assured him, throwing a shirt on to sleep in. "I didn't. I haven't since before I died. Or technically when I died. I think Hades made a barrier so I can't anyways or like so I won't? I don't know how it works. I just slipped and yeah. Hit my head, I don't know what happened after that. Must've blacked out. Sorry if it like scared you guys."

"It kind of did," I confirmed and sighed, relieved to hear that he's okay like mentally now. "Especially with like how that call ended. But I'm glad you're alright, this last week was kind of freaking out a lot."

Percy nodded his head.

"Yeah, I figured it would be." My brother said, now leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "But... I don't know what to tell you, Peter. I was done with Mom beating the shit out of me and making me feel like I don't matter. She wanted me gone, so I left. You could've called sooner, I would've answered."

"Probably, yeah." I agreed, shrugging. "But I didn't think of that."

But we got everything in order and while I was in the shower, Nico showed up. By the time I got out and dressed, they were asleep. Left the door open. I looked in and smiled when I saw them.

They're cute. I'm glad he didn't listen to Mom last week. He kind of seems happier here. Just a little bit.

Nico seems to make him a little happier, too. There was potential. It could last.

"What are you looking at?" Penelope asked me as she wandered over. "It's not like in the last week he's started sleeping with—"

"Someone." She finished her sentence.

"Oh, come on." I insisted, in a mood to cuddle now. "You have to admit that they're cute. And it's not that hard to get a date around here, from what I've heard."

"You're pathetic." Penelope insisted, rolling her eyes. "Sure, they're kind of cute. Are you that desperate, though?"

"I mean, no, but..." I reasoned with my sister, shrugging. "There's a lot of single people here. Who said we can't have some fun?"

She just rolled her eyes again and went back to her room.

The next afternoon we got back from school (yes, Percy had to go being Paul now knew of his location), and while he had been at dance for their first class, which he was excited for all day, I got to hang out with his friends. When Nico had been pulled by his sister, we brought it up.

"So when did Nico and Percy like... Become a thing?" Penelope asked out of the sheer hope that they knew about it. And thank God, they did.

"Oh, uh... Like two weeks ago?" Jason guessed, shrugging. "Somewhere around there."

"Only that long?" I questioned, knowing they knew each other better than that. "How long have they known each other, then?"

"Um... We brought Nico and Bianca here in..." Grover thought out loud. "3 years ago just about? It's been 3 years."

"So what took them so long?" I asked, knowing if my brother likes someone, he won't hesitate. He's always been pretty up front in that aspect. He's gay, he's not ashamed of it. Never has been.

"Well Nico's sister died," Grover explained to us as we got ready for dinner. Percy should be here soon. "So he left for a while, lived in the streets. Nico didn't want anything to do with Percy for a while, miscommunication and what not about what happened to her when she died. Once that was over, Nico was still very much so in the closet and Percy had a girlfriend. He hadn't had his sexual awakening yet."