Nico

He's still cute but you can't tell him I said anything.

Also, he's bi.

We started to talk more after after that, I think. Between me just noticing little things and asking if he was alright to him actually texting me a few times in the middle of the night when he either just had a bad dream and needed to tell someone or if he was a shitty night, to say something about it.

I do think it helped. And I didn't think about it until somebody else actually said something.

"I'm glad that Percy's getting better." Frank remarked, bringing that to attention after Percy went to go orientate a kid. "I don't know if you guys have noticed, but he's got more energy and stuff now. Less grumpy."

"Yeah!" Piper agreed. "I did notice that. Whatever he started or stopped doing did him well. I wonder if Annabeth was that bad to him."

"Either way, he's less grumpy now." Leo figured. "and did you guys see the triangle pin he had? Because I did but I didn't want to ask."

"Oh, the pride one?" Clarisse asked and he nodded. "He's had that forever. Did you guys not know that he's bi?"

"Percy's bi!?"

That answered that.

Clarisse just nodded slowly. Saying he's had that pin for years. He's never properly come out, don't be offended. He just has it and yeah.

When people heard that, it was almost like a threat because now guys can ask him out.

And they did. Let me tell you, come lunch, they did.

I almost felt bad when he turned down a date from Tyler, an Apollo cabin kid.

Almost.

I got a text from him later, of course.

Jackass 💙: why am I likable?
Jackass 💙: Like I don't want to sound egotistical or whatever, but like did you see how many people I had to reject today? It was insane.
Jackass 💙: I don't need that many people liking me. I have my own crushes and people I like to worry about
Jackass 💙: ...do you like someone?

Well shit.

Ghostie: it was insane
Ghostie: and also kind of absurd
Ghostie: but I mean, yeah, I guess. I don't guess, I know. But I mean they're not really interested and so I'm just gonna live with it for now. I have for a while. Plus, they're kind of dealing with bigger problems than getting a boyfriend rn.

Fuck. Fuck. And fuck.

Jackass 💙: fair enough. Me too. I mean, not going through shit anymore. But not really interested. Also I'm too chicken shit to even try and ask him out.
Ghostie: big mood
Jackass 💙: now you're starting to sound gay.
Ghostie: GOOD
Jackass 💙: I think that that alone might be the best thing you've ever said to me.
Ghostie: well shit you really are setting the standard low, aren't you?
Jackass 💙: you know it ;)
Ghostie: I'm not going to look into that...
Jackass 💙: good, cause apparently I'm a flirt but I mean¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ghostie: 😂😂😂

After that, Leo asked if I could help him with something so the conversation was abandoned and it was a nice afternoon.

We all met up at dinner again, as we do every meal. And people like left him alone more. After all the rejection, they figured it just wasn't worth it.

Until a certain Demigods comes.

Will. Who isn't supposed to be here in the first place. Especially after what happened last April.

We were still dating at the time. It was actually the reason we broke up. Went on a date. It was a good night, for sure. Kind of like a last hope to save our relationship. We both knew it was starting to fall apart.

I had come to terms with that. After the date I was going to talk to him and just say it wasn't worth it. We tried.

But he wasn't ready to let it go.

He let me into the cabin and we were in his room. Relaxing. And when I brought the topic up, he interrupted me, saying the date was amazing and this was perfect.

Which, I get that he did like me still and he wanted to save it. But a one way relationship isn't right.

So he kissed me, if wasn't a big deal.

Until he wouldn't let me say anything. And he had sat on me, holding me down after he zipped his pants down and he grabbed my pants and he was stronger than I was, you know? So I'm resisting.

He didn't get my pants off of me. But he left bruises, scrape marks before I threw him off of me and left. Knowing it was late, I just went to my cabin, locked the door, and told Chiron about it the next day.

Because that wasn't the first time he tried to force me into that. I'm still a virgin. I'm in no rush to do that.

So he's not supposed to be here. After his ex girlfriend reported him once, and I did twice, he was kicked out on terms of it's that or jail.

"Will!" Leo and Will got along last summer, though. He wasn't here when we got together. He left before that. But still. "Hey, man, I thought you were gone for the summer. What's up?"

"Oh, I'm just here for a little bit." Will explained and I was going to either kill someone or myself. "I have to drop off some forms. But I heard about the break up, Percy. Sorry about that."

He's being too nice. And Frank noticed that I was on my guard.

"But I was wondering," Will added and I noticed where his hand went. A little too close to the crotch of his inner thigh. Being Percy was on the outside. "If you'd want to go out tomorrow night? I'm in the city for a few days with my mom."

"Uh..." Percy was uncomfortable.

"Hey, Will, why don't you back off a bit." I was dead set okay with embarrassing him. I was the victim, right? "He just got out of a relationship. And after those three sexual assault accusations that got you kicked out of here? Are you sure you really want to go around just asking people out?"

He knew he didn't want to deal with the hell I would give him, so he removed his hand.

"Exactly." I concluded. "So why don't you just turn in your paperwork and head on out before you have a trial on your hands."

So what did he do? He walked away, calling me a bitch in the process.

Would rather be a bitch than raped.

"Thanks." I barely heard Percy say it, but I heard it well enough.

"What was that about?" Leo had every right to ask. "With you and Will and the... Assault...?"

"Oh, he's just kind of a prick once you get to know him." I reasoned with them, shrugging. "And then he got accused of three separate accounts of sexual assault and got kicked out of camp. They said if he comes back, the case is tried, so... I don't think Percy wants to deal with a dude that comes a little too close to groping him just asking him out."

"I... Yeah, I really don't." Percy agreed. "I'd like to avoid that."

Frank

Later on, I was talking to Austin along with Leo. On the way to campfire. And we brought it up.

"Hey, Austin." I said, remembering he'd be in the same cabin as Will. "You stay here all year, right?"

"Yeah! Why?"

"Do you know if anything happened between Will and Nico this year?" I asked him, curious. "Will had to like drop something off apparently and he came over and said hi and then like be was kind of weird but whatever and he asked Percy out and before Percy responded Nico like said no for him and like accused him of sexual assault and like... What happened? They didn't even talk last summer."

"Yeah." Leo agreed. "It was weird. Is Nico like homophobic or...?"

Austin laughed a little harder than he should've.

"Sorry." The son of Apollo apologized. "He's not homophobic. They started talking in like September more and then they started dating in October, I think. And I mean they seemed like a good couple at first. I know Will really like him. But like, he started to get clingy and Nico didn't like that and they were still fine and I think they had a really big fight in like sometime after the new year and Nico stayed with his dad for a few days and they got over it but then in April it was like, done. Will was trying way too hard and so he had this plan that after this date they had planned and I don't know what happened but they went into Will's room and I don't know, Nico was like starting to raise his voice and tell him no and then he told Will they were over and he left in a hurry, and he went somewhere and the next day Will was called down and kicked out. Sexual Assault..."

Austin thought about it for a minute.

"It could've been " Austin figured. "I mean, Will was needy with relationships. He always needed more and more. Nico was a virgin, I think he still is. But like, Will wanted it. That would explain the series of increasingly frustrated no's. Also, why he would jump on something like Will hitting on Percy. Especially if he was touchy."

"He was... Wait." Leo said and paused. "Nico's not straight?"

Austin's jaw dropped.

"He hasn't told you guys yet?"

"N— no. He hasn't."

Nico

I got weird looks from Leo and Frank the entirety of campfire.

"Did you tell them your deepest darkest secret or like...?" Percy asked me as we walked around after campfire. It was our second night of doing this. It was nice. "Like, they looked like they were either trying to make sense out of you or imagine you naked. I don't know."

"I didn't." I answered, shrugging. "I mean, I don't have a lot of those anymore, though. The biggest like thing is that I'm gay and people are finding out, so... I don't care about that. I wonder... Will probably said some bullshit to them."

"I mean maybe." Percy sort of agreed. "But also, what happened between you guys? You said he was a friend the last time we talked. Well, before summer."

"Yeah, he was." I didn't deny that. "But we dated for quite a while. And last January he tried to get in my ass at New Year's and that sucked and so I stayed with my dad for a few days and then it was fine until April and we went on our last date and I was gonna break jonejrh him and he wouldn't let me talk and he for in me and tried to strip me as I helped at him that it wasn't okay and he kept trying. So I threw him off of me and left and yeah. Trust me. You don't want that."

"Oh..." Percy remarked. "So that's what you mentioned earlier. What's the third time, then?"

I shrugged.

"Something with the chick he dated before me. I don't know."

"Oh, fair enough." Percy said again paused. "You're going good, though, right? Mentally and all?"

"Yeah!" I assured him, smiling. "Will pissed me off today, but I'm good. Are you hanging in there?"

"Getting there, yeah."Percy agreed and returned the smile.

He was so cute.

His lips were soft and tasted like a mix of his mom's baking and pinch of salt.

It was definitely something neither of us saw happening. And it only happened the one time.

"Uh, yeah." Percy said after our exchange. "I'm good. I think I'm going to head back to my cabin and sleep, though. It's been a long day."

"Yeah, me too." I responded, still hiding a smaller smile. "Goodnight. If you need anything, just text, alright?"

"Alright. But you better, too, if you need anything." He agreed. "Goodnight, Ghostie."

Ghostie?