Percy was sulking.
Majorly sulking.
Life at camp wasn't the same anymore. Everyone tried to get his attention, everyone wanted to spend time with him. Though, nearly none of them because they were genuinely interested in his personality and self, but more so wanting their share of his fame. The ones that had been close to him were now out of his reach and he felt lonely.
Thalia was the head-huntress, she was off with the other hunters most of the time.
Nico was back at his father's palace, spending quality time with his family, ever since Persephone seemed to be nicer to him (he didn't know why, but he didn't question it either).
Grover was very busy as the new Lord of the Wild and even if he was around camp, he was mostly occupied by his girlfriend Juniper.
Tyson was at their father's and couldn't even find time to spend the summer, because he was promoted to be the general and scarcely had time for Percy anymore.
And Annabeth... was busy rebuilding Olympus; their relationship had been short-living. Two weeks of kissing and holding hands were enough for Percy to realize that he wasn't interested in girls in that kind of way. So it was only fair to break up with her. The girl was heartbroken and didn't want to see his side of the story; the whole Athena cabin seemed to hate him from that point on.
That was exactly where his problems were rooted. She had started avoiding him - his best friend had started avoiding him! And all his other friends had no time. And everyone else either wanted him because of his fame as the great hero, or bashed him because he came out as gay.
His life was reduced to nothingness; he felt empty and lonely and, to top it all off, useless. There was nothing to do. New cabins had been build, new demi-gods arrived, everything grew big and impersonal and quests were reduced to little mundane stupid tasks.
"Thalia had told me I could find you here."
The voice startled him out of his musings and he turned around. There, right behind him, stood a young girl, no older than twelve. Though she could not be confused with a camper.
"Lady Artemis? What are you doing here?", asked Percy confused.
"Like I just said, Thalia had told me you often come to the lake."
"Yeah, I understood that. But why were you looking for me?"
"Ah, I quite like you - for a boy, that is", smiled Artemis and sat down next to him.
"Uh, thanks. I guess I like you, too?", it turned out as more of a question than a statement.
The goddess laughed good-natured and shook her head a bit.
"Now, Perseus, I am here to understand, you see."
"No, I guess I don't see", admitted Percy uncomfortable.
"My lieutenant told me you have been quite sad these past few weeks and I felt obliged to check on you. Tell me, how are you, Perseus?", wanted Artemis to know.
She wrapped her arms around her knees and looked up at him with big, innocent eyes.
"I'm... not very well... There was a time when I felt like coming home whenever I returned to camp, but ever since the war had ended... it's like I'm out of place here. They... practically worship me, for crying out loud! Either they praise me, or they curse me. I can't stand it anymore, really, I just wish to be... I don't know..."
"Accepted? With others who feel like you? Who wouldn't judge you for your choice of lover? And who wouldn't fuss over you rescuing the world like that?", smiled the goddess understandingly.
