Nico di Angelo

You want to know what's kind of shitty for somebody to do?

Break up with you over Snapchat text without giving a reason and then posting on their Instagram that homosexuality is predatory and confuses other people and that he was victim to being confused but he figured it out and cleansed himself with some chick that I guess he cheated on me with and hooked up with a few times, the most recent being not last night but the one before and now they're dating.

That's how I got broken up with.

That's what Jace thought was acceptable to do.

So I'm at home and it's a Sunday. Bianca is on a date with Thalia right now and like, camp has a big meeting today for people there so I was left with like one of the last people I wanted to talk to simply because of relation.

But I called Percy none the less because I felt like shit and was calling him as a friend, not his brothers ex boyfriend.

"Hey, Nico, what's up?" The son of Poseidon answered my call. It was almost lunch time and I haven't left my bed yet. Mom was at work. Her and Bianca assumed I was still asleep when they both left. "Jace is grounded is you're wondering why he's not answering or something like that. Mom took his phone this morning."

Percy didn't sound upset or anything, though, which led me to believe that he didn't know. Which... His anniversary was yesterday with Luke. I saw them make a few different posts throughout the day about it, it was cute.

I hope they stay together. Get a happy ending.

Percy really deserves it, and Luke deserves the peace. They deserve it.

"Oh, okay, I wasn't..." I started off, wanting to cry because it's a stupid break up with an asshole. But it meant a lot to me. "I was actually wondering what you were doing today."

"Oh!" Percy responded, sounding almost happy to hear that I was still interested in him as a friend. "Rome and I are just getting lunch right now close to the mall I always go to!"

Who?

I thought for a second.

"Rome?" I asked, not ringing a bell.

"Oh, sorry, uh—" Percy paused for a second before clarifying. "Andrea. They just came out as non binary the other day, go by Rome now. But yeah, were just shopping around, getting them some new clothes and what not. Why? Do you want to hang out or something?"

"Uh, yeah," I figured, being Jace wasn't with them. "Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Alright!" Percy figured and was silent again for a second, maybe saying something to uh... Rome. That's their name now. My brain wasn't working. "Do you want to hop on our shopping adventure or for me to pop over later? I could get you a few things for your birthday if you wanted. I uh, had amnesia and so I don't really have much for a present for you. Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay, I didn't expect you to get me anything," I assured him, sitting up. "You had amnesia, you can't control that. Uh... Yeah, I can meet you guys there. I'll have to look up the train schedule for that way, I normally don't look."

It was silent again for a second.

"No, don't worry, we'll come pick you up!" Percy insisted, which was really nice. "It's cold out today, and I know you can shadow travel, but still. Do you want anything from Panda Express? We're almost done eating so we can get you a meal to eat in the car if you haven't had lunch yet."

"Percy I can make some toast—"

"Nico, do you want Panda Express or Noodles and Company?"

I sighed and gave him my order for Panda Express because it sounded really good and he sounded like he was in a persistent older brother mode today, which is what I needed.

He told me they be here in ten or so minutes so I got dressed and threw my hair up in a bun because I didn't want to even try. Splashed some water on my face to look less depressed. Didn't work very well. Made me look a little less tired, but that was about it.

Hearing him pull up, I left a note for my mom and Bianca before heading out, grabbing my mini backpack that had my wallet and stuff in it. I love it, Bianca got it for me.

"There he is!" Percy said, sounding like he was in a good mood, which was good. He didn't like that mental hospital place. I visited him and he absolutely despised it. So I'm sure he's happy to be out. Percy put the car in reverse, and Rome was really nice and had let me sit in shotgun, but I'm sure the desk was because they had the aux. "what is—"

He looked at me and noticed that, despite the fact that I was glad to be in the car with them, I looked like shit. Still felt like it.

"What happened?" Percy asked, his tone shifting from hype to concern. "You haven't looked this worn out, from what I've seen of you that is, since like this summer."

Did he...

Has he not seen anything because he was at Luke's?

"What are you..." I started off, a little confused. "Percy, please don't act like you don't know and coax me into telling you something you already know."

"What... Nico, if I knew what you were talking about I also would've brought some sweets with or something," he insisted. "I haven't talked to Jace in like... Three days or something just because we haven't been home at the same time, if that changes anything. I was busy the last few days, Grover was in town and then anniversary stuff. So... What's going on? Things okay at home? You and Jace doing good?"

"Things at home are pretty good, yeah," I assured Percy, sighing. "Bianca just got a job so between that, school, and Thalia we don't hang out a ton, but we reserve like Thursdays for hanging out. A family night if mom isn't working, sibling night if she is. So that's cool."

He gave me a knowing look.

"And you and Jace...?" He asked again, with a tone that gave away that he really just didn't know. "I know I'm his brother but it's not that awkward, I promise. You guys doing good?"

"Hm?" I responded. "Oh, uh..."

Shit.

"Yeah, no," I corrected his late statement, which caught him by surprise. "I guess he decided that being gay is wrong and hooked up with some chick and didn't tell me anything besides that he wanted to break up because it wasn't working for him which I respected until I saw the post he made before Sally took his phone that talked about how he wasn't confused anymore and he was victimized but now he has a girlfriend I guess, so that's cool, you know? Didn't hurt at all to see that pop up on my feed this morning."

And for a second, understandably as this was news to him and I'm sure also to Rome, he didn't know what to say.

"I... Wow, alright," Percy said and at first I thought he was going to be upset with me just because its family. Even though Jace came out as homophobic essentially, I was still concerned Percy would side with him despite being in the like best relationship I've ever seen and being gay in such. "yeah I've heard that he's been... Just kind of an asshole these last few days. Him and we had a disagreement because he wanted to go to a party but he's failing a class and not trying but he snuck out anyways and then sniped at Rome after coming out and I haven't talked to him, haven't personally been there, but..."

His voice drifted off for a moment.

"I'm still here for you, man," Percy insisted, messing with my hair a little, cracking a smile. "There you go, that's what I like to see."

"What?" I asked in return. "my smile?"

Percy shrugged.

"I mean, yeah," he figured. "I worked really hard for you to smile again after you were temporarily without family for like, three years. I'm proud of my work. And trust me when I say, and this also applies to you, Rome: boys ain't shit."

Rome and I shared a look before looking at who is essentially our older brother.

"Percy." I said.

"Hm?"

"You have a boyfriend." Rome reminded their oldest sibling, just pointing that little fact out. "What do you mean boys are shit?"

"Luke was a very different person when we first met," Percy said, making it sound like they were an old married couple. Which they could be, eventually. "He also died for a while and what not. He underwent character development before we started dating. At one point in time, he wasn't shit, either. Now I love him to death and you guys know all of this stuff. Boys when they're like, just getting their license? Mean as fuck for the most part. Sophomore boys and eighth grade girls are the meanest people in the world. You're an exception, Nico. You're valid."

"Yeah, that's true," I could agree with what he said. "And also, thanks. But yeah, they suck. I just want to have some fun and not think too much about it."

Percy smiled and I was happy to know that this wasn't going to hurt our friendship.

"We can make that happen."