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"And he thinks we shouldn't be friends."
Annabeth had sat in agony of Percy's hour long story and she was confused. Why did Percy even care so much?
"Percy can I ask you a question?"
Percy nodded.
"Why do you care? Why does Nico not wanting to be you're friend upset you so much?"
Percy shrugged. "I dunno."
Annabeth sighed. "Is that it? Can I go back to Amity?"
But Percy wasn't listening to her. "Do you think we shouldn't be friends?"
"No. I don't. I think Nico made the best decision he could have made for himself."
Percy stared at her. "Really? Why."
"It's toxic Percy. You're relationship has always been toxic and messy. I think Nico was being very smart."
Percy nodded. "I guess. I just- I don't know."
Annabeth put her hand on his back in a friendly manner. "I get it. Maybe it isn't to late. Maybe you could try to build a healthy friendship."
Percy smiled. "I'll ask tommorrow. Him and Will are on a date and you know how that is."
Annabeth laughed. "They really are sex machines aren't they."
*************
Percy plopped down right beside Will and Nico at breakfast the next morning.
Nico looked up at him with his eyebrow raised while Will just smiled.
"What are you doing here?"
Percy shrugged and turned to Will. "Knife?"
Will nodded and handed him the knife. "Doesn't matter, does it? Nice to have a friend for company."
"He isn't my friend."
Will looked a little annoyed like he'd been hoping Nico wouldn't go there. "I still think that's ridiculous."
Nico was getting a little angry now. "Well it isn't up to or about you Will."
Percy heard the obvious tightness in the ghost kings voice. He was trying his hardest not to fight with Will.
Percy suddenly felt very guilty. "I can go. I don't mind, really Will it's fine."
Percy went to stand up but Will shook his head. "Sit back down. It might not be but that doesn't mean it's any less stupid."
"You don't get to decide that Will! Percy go!"
Percy got back up to go.
"Sit back down! I know I don't but you should stop being petty!"
Nico's lip was such a thin line Percy almost couldn't see it. "So now I'm just petty! Five fucking years of trauma and I'm petty!"
"You holding grudges isn't helping anyone heal!"
"Percy just fucking go!"
Percy got up to leave. He had made two steps when Will grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the chair.
"Why can't he just fucking sit here!"
"He has a whole dam table over there to sit at! This isn't fucking about Percy is it!"
"No it isn't!"
"Then what the fuck is it about Will!"
"You dam it!"
Everyone in the great hall were staring at them now. Most of them looked sympathetically over at Percy.
Others seemed to have chosen sides in the argument.
The Ares kids apparently had chosen Nico's side because they nodded along to everything he said.
The Athena kids had taken Will's side because they shook their heads at whatever Nico said.
"See this is your fucking problem! This isn't fucking about you!"
"It is about me because I'm affected! He's my fucking friend!"
"If you like him so much be his fucking boyfriend!"
And with those shocking words Nico got up and stormed out of the great hall.
Will looked back over at Percy. "Shall we eat?"
Percy looked at Will. "You're not going after him?"
"No. I'm fucking sick of it. I'm just done you know. It's really hard to be his boyfriend sometimes."
Percy was a little uncomfortable. Had they just broken up because of him? He had come over to prove to Nico that he wasn't a toxic friend. Had he just proved Nico's point by ruining his relationship?
Will ate a piece of bacon. "And he is just so stubborn! I can never be right. I guess that's something I like about him."
Percy put down his fork and sighed. "Go talk to him. The longer you stay down here the more he's going to feel like you don't care."
Will sighed and put down his fork too. "Should I?"
Percy nodded.
Will thought about it for a moment then picked his fork back up. "No. I shouldn't. I just can't deal with it anymore."
Percy almost cried. He had come over to prove to Nico that he wasn't toxic and along the way had ruined the relationship Nico chreished most.
**************
Nico and Will hadn't spoken in three days.
Will had went back to the Apollo table and he had also cleaned all his stuff out of the Hades cabin when he was sure only Bianca and Hazel were there.
Percy had never felt worse. If he thought Nico hated him before he had reached a whole new level.
He glared straight at him multiple times.
He had also left a few booby-traps by the lake. Percy had been lucky to notice something was wrong.
Bianca and Lou Ellen had banned together to trick Nico and Will back together.
They had sent Nico flowers and pretended they were from Will only to discover Nico had thrown them out.
They had given Will a note of apology in Nico's handwriting but he hadn't even opened it.
It seemed like it was real. They were done. It couldn't be. It absolutely couldn't. Right?
