Percy Jackson

Our first date.

We've been a thing for a few weeks now, two weeks to be exact,

The date was amazing long story short.

Clarisse la Rue

After a few weeks, camp gave up on giving out camp shirts and what not. Said you can wear whatever. And that's how Percy came out as bi. A shirt he has that said something about being bi, and then he had a jacket that made him look badass and it had a bi badge on it.

Leo was the one who pointed out how touchy Nico and Percy had been lately. Nico was out to most of camp. So when this started... Percy being bi and Nico being gay...

"Like, it works." Frank tried to explain it to us. "I don't know why, because it makes absolutely no sense. But there's something that like we don't know maybe that reflects their interaction with one another and just... It works."

"Things most people don't know about Percy and Nico?" Grocer remarked and thought for a second. "I mean, Percy wants to be a counselor. That surprised me. That's what he's going to go to college for in the fall."

"He..." I remarked and just looked at Grocer, confused and conflicted by that. "Why?"

Grover shrugged, not knowing.

So of course, later on we were all talking. And we're expecting acceptance letters in the next week. So we're all talking about it. And I got brought up. Percy going for counseling.

"Why, though?" Leo questioned Percy's life choices, which we've all done. "Like it's a good thing. But why? There has to be a reason."

He shrugged. Lying. Because there was a reason. He just didn't want to say anything for some reason.

"Oh, come on." Thalia retorted and punched his arm. "We're your friends. You can tell us why you want to be a counselor. Do you like camp that much?"

"Uh... No. I'm ready to leave this hellhole."

Nobody pointed out the fact that Nico and Percy were holding hands, by the way. I don't think they even realized they were doing it.

"So what's the reason?" Nico questioned as we all stopped walking and you could tell there was a reason. His expression made that obvious. There was a story behind it. The story that Frank is probably referring to. The thing we don't know that makes Nico and Percy just click.

Still didn't want to say it.

"I don't know, I've always wanted to." The son of Poseidon didn't tell a complete lie, I guess. "I like helping people. It's a nice feeling"

"Well, yeah, it is." Grover agreed with that statement as we sat down by the stream. Where Percy was first claimed. "But I mean, a reason dude. Like if I went into foster care, I'd like to. Why? My parents are MIA and probably dead. The reason behind it. The reason why you care so much about guiding somebody like that. You like the feeling of helping others. But you can help them a lot of different ways. A doctor, a teacher, a foster care person, so on and so forth. Why do you want to he a therapist?"

Once again, he shrugged.

"I don't know, dude." He was lying about this and it was obvious. "I mean, we could never afford therapy and school counselors were generally assholes. That's all. I mean..."

"Who couldn't afford to be sent to therapy?" Jason noted that pretty quick and Percy realized he shouldn't have mentioned that.

"I was younger. My mom should've gone, too." The son of Poseidon explained the situation to us and he started to open up to us after six years. "But I was priority because I was young and it could've messed up how I think and yeah. We never had​ the money. I should've started therapy when I was little, but I never did. Gabe thought it was pointless and when he was gone we didn't have the money. I started camp, too. Life got busy."

I didn't mean to say it out loud.

"Who the fuck is Gabe?"

I'm pretty sure his grip tightened on Nico's hand for a full 3 seconds. Because I should've kept my mouth shut. It took six years to fine.

But we found Percy Jackson hidden secret. He will go out of his way to not talk about himself. Percy doesn't like it. Especially stories prior to camp. I haven't heard many. A few about his mom. That's it.

And I did apologize for asking. I wasn't an ass about that.

"Oh, it's fine." That was his touchy subject. This guy named Gabe. "He was my mom's ex husband before he died. Mom had to defend herself and ended up using Medusa on him during my first summer here. I told her I wouldn't go home.if he was there. She did what she had to do."

She did... I wouldn't go home if he was there? What would he—

"What did he do?" Jason asked Percy, being cautious about the question. "Beat you guys or something?"

"If the or something helps your sleep at night, Jason," he didn't hide it, though. Which was kind of odd to me for some reason. "Sure. He beat us or something."

And you could hear a pin drop. The only sound was the slight rustle of the leaves in the wind and the water running along the stream. That was it.

Because six years.

We've known Percy for six years, some less. But we've all gone through the wringer with him there to help us and make sure we don't give up.

Never would I ever have guessed that Percy was abused growing up. And on top of it, that he never got to go to therapy for it. He had to pull himself out of that.

And that's a deep hole to climb out of with nothing to help you.

Plus, who knows what happened outside of being beat. It could be anything. Verbal, emotional, or dare I say, sexual harassment.

As a kid, and that's what you have as the only make role model in your life.

That's depressing.

Nothing else was really said about that. But Percy was called to the Big House for a meeting with Chiron and Mr. D. So we all started talking.

"Growing up like that.,. I can't even begin to imagine that." Annabeth remarked. "I mean, I didn't get along with my step mom and at times, my dad. But they never violent. They barely ever yelled. That would... And he never said anything to indicate..."

"That it happened." Nico agreed with Annabeth. "Which means he's been holding it in all these years..."

"I have an idea." Leo pitched in.

"What?"

"So, we all have a little bit of money to spare." He described his idea to us. "What if we find a therapist around wherever he ends up going to college and all pitch in and pay for his first session? He might only need one, but it's still good that he goes. To maybe get a feel for what he wants to do, too. To get that out of his system through a trained professional."

Nico di Angelo

That night, I slept in his cabin, and he seemed a little down. Distracted, almost.

"Hey," I said after sitting next to him on the bed and hugging him. "Are you doing okay? That's... That's some heavy stuff to carry around with you."

He just needed the hug before he started to cry.

"I..." It was hard for Percy to explain it, and I get it. I've never been abused. I have no way to understand it. But I could listen and sympathize. Support him. He's by boyfriend, after all. "I mean, I'm better than I was a year ago. And it's not like it used to be. It used to haunt me all the time and it doesn't really anymore. But dating Annabeth just messed up my confidence and everything like that. Where as now, it's coming back. I can admit to being bi, and I would've never done that when I was dating her. I actually managed to sort of talk about Gabe."

Percy paused for a moment, sighing as he pulled out of the hug and held my hands.

"I really haven't done that since his funeral." My boyfriend explained. "And I know it hasn't been that long. But you are helping me, Nico. Whether you mean to or realize you are or not. My confidence was at shit a few weeks ago and I mean, now I can talk about myself without feeling like an asshole again. But thank you. I feel like I don't say it enough. But I've been coming back out of this hole. And I'm getting there. I just.. yeah."

"Yeah," I agreed with that last statement. "I've noticed a little. You're a little less on edge now. You relax easier. And I'm glad you're getting better. If you're going to he a therapist, it's good to make sure your problems are taken care of."