Trigger Warning: SA & depression

Nico laid in his bed, blankets intertwined with his legs and head on his pillow. He sighed, staring at his walls. He didn't have the energy to leave his room.

When his boyfriend, Percy, came in, he glanced up at him and tried to force a smile, but he couldn't.

Percy sat down at the edge of the bed, "Hey, Neeks. You should come to the living room and watch the game with me."

Nico hummed, "I'm okay... I don't like sports."

Percy reached for Nico's hand, taking it gently. "Shower with me, then."

Nico shook his head, "I'm greasy. You don't want to, trust me."

"I do," Percy responded lovingly, "I don't mind. You know I love you."

Nico didn't reply to that. Logically, he knew Percy loved him, so he kept quiet. But his thoughts were loud inside his head, telling him that Percy was just saying that, but he didn't truly mean it.

"Percy, I..." he started, needing to say something to drown out the thoughts. But he didn't have anything to say.

All he could think of was how unfair it was that he was this sad. And why he was this sad. And how those thoughts made him even sadder.

"Yeah?" Percy urged after a few moments of silence.

Nico's eyes jumped between Percy's hand in his and the bare wall beyond them. Maybe he should tell Percy.

Tell him, Nico, his thoughts sang. He was scared, but it'd been months now. Shouldn't his boyfriend know?

"I just..." Nico started, but he couldn't find the words.

How would Percy even react? Would he know how? Would it be too much of a burden? What if he didn't believe Nico? Or worse, what if he pretended that he believed Nico, but didn't really? What if he said the wrong thing because he's an adorable idiot but it digs a dagger so deep into Nico's heart that there's no coming back from it?

He took a deep breath, getting lost in all the noise inside his mind.

Percy rubbed his thumb across Nico's knuckles, "I'm here."

Nico glanced up at his face, see Percy's pursed lips and worried, furrowed eyebrows. Percy did truly care about Nico, didn't he?

He swallowed, feeling how dry his mouth and throat were. "Percy, I..."

"I'm here," Percy reminded Nico again, Nico realizing how much he really needed to hear that only after he did.

"I need to tell you something."