Don't Fall (PJO FF)

24.) I Hate You

C H A P T E R  T W E N T Y - F O U R

NICO

"What's the deal with the two of you?" Jason asks as he swings his sword at me.

"Two of who?" Jason rolls his eyes as he rolls out the way from a swing I sent him.

"You and Percy."

"What do you mean?"

Jason lifts his sword and I block a swing before twisting it and placing my sword at his neck.

"The two of you hated each other for a while then you were friends, I think? But then you guys started ignoring each other and now you're acting as if you've been friends for years."

I ran a hand threw my hair that was getting in my eyes.

"It's...complicated."

"Yeah. That's why I'm asking about it."

I sigh and we both walk out of the arena. "I mean, I want to be his friend, someone who's there for him, but he has his mind set on if he stays away from people he'll be better off. Or maybe he thinks others will be better off. I think that with some of the stuff that happened in his past made him very untrusting."

"So you want to be friends, but he doesn't?"

"Uh, that's not it either."

Jason groans. "Dude, what are you talking about."

"It's just...complicated. Like I said. It's hard to explain, really."

"It's complicated to watch," Jason mutters.

We walk over to the pavilion. My eyes land on Percy laughing with Will. They lean close to each other, almost like two magnets being attracted to the other. I noticed that over the time he's been here, he and Will are almost inseparable at times and when they are together they seem to just stay close to each other. I watch with a blank stare as they get closer to each other before they both put a hand over the other's mouth.

"Different," I mumble. Jason raises an eyebrow at me.

"What?" He follows my gaze until his eyes land on Will and Percy. "What are they doing?"

"Not kissing." I pointed out.

"No shit, sherlock." The two simultaneously take their hands off the other's mouth before they both start laughing again. I stared as I watched Percy's eyes twinkle in amusement. The sea-green eyes that had been dull the day before were brighter. I noticed that too. Some days his eyes would be dull with sadness or with nothing at all and then the next they would be shining brightly like a star.

"Are you sure you just want to be friends?" I shake my head to clear my head and look at Jason in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're staring." I sighed.

"No, I'm not. I'll talk to you later, Jason." I was over to the table where the pack was slowly starting to sit down.

I kept remembering that conversation I had with Percy. He had said something about 'bond feelings' and how they were different from normal feelings. At first, I didn't understand. I thought it was weird how there could be two different types of feelings.