Percy

I didn't try to correct anything she said after that bicker in the tailors store.

Sure, mom was never excited about the fact that I'm gay or that Peter is bi or that Penelope never gave a fuck when we were younger. But I didn't really consider if she'd be homophobic. Our pastor isn't. After his daughter came out as bi, he changed a lot of his ways of now he viewed that.

But some people don't, and it never occurred to me that Mom wasn't okay with it. I mean, she brought us on a date when we were like 6.

Then again, she probably thought of it like a play date.

It made me feel really shitty, though. Like, he's my boyfriend. Gay marriage legal in New York now. Even if we don't married, I'm not marrying some chick because Mom wants us to be perfect LDS kids. That's not how this works.

Paul has been pretty cool about all of this. Nico and I and me being gay. I think he might've noticed it from the start, he never did ask me if I had a girlfriend. Just if I was dating. He's good friends with our pastor. He comes over for dinner here or there. His daughter used to until she went to college. Moved out. His wife is a sweetheart, too. They actually care about each other and love each other, and they had a blind marriage.

I wish my life worked like that. But it just doesn't. I'm not that lucky.

Mom talked to me after we got home and she wasn't happy, of course. She wants me to just be straight. Not be with Nico. Keep dating Annabeth. She loved Annabeth.

The problem was that I didn't.

So of course, it turned into a huge fight because I have a boyfriend and I won't leave him and it's wrong and I'm going to hell for all of this.

I don't blame the other two for staying in their room. Especially with Peter being bi.

I texted Nico about it, what my mom said and Paul was trying to calm her down now and I explained the whole LDS thing to him and how I'm supposed to go on a mission in three years and I don't want to because of this bullshit and then I'm supposed to marry a girl and it's not like we can just get married and cheat, because that won't end well.

He asked if I wanted him here and as much as I did, I knew it'd piss off my mom.

So I mean, I told him if he really wanted to risk pissing her off, sure. I called my dad, though. To talk.

"Hey, kid," dad said as he answered the phone. It was 8:45, still early. "What's up? Normally you never call unless it's an emergency."

The fact that my cheek still stung and so did my back made me feel like maybe this qualified.

"I know, but I need some help and Mom can't really help."

I could already feel the bruise on my ribs form, do that'd be fun tomorrow.

"Okay..." He said, sounding a little unsure about this. Which I get. I've never really come to him about it before. "What kind of problem are we talking about? Is it a guy or is it school or camp or...?"

"It's Mom," I explained to him, laying in bed, feeling shitty. "I thought being the church is cool with gay people, Mom would be. But she was talking about how I haven't gone to service and like I went missing, I can't help it, but she blamed it on me being distracted with Nico because we like just started going out and she went on this tangent because he's a guy and he's not LDS so I didn't even being seeing him which..."

I paused and took in a breath.

"That part didn't bother me, you weren't the happiest when it came to Annabeth." I went on. "Mom can't like everyone. But we got back home and she wanted to talk and so I said okay and she wanted me to call Nico and break up with him. And I said no, I'm not doing that. I don't want to break up with him. And she told me if I don't, I'm going to hell and I said okay and she slapped me and then like it carried on and she asked me why I'd want to be a freak and I said I didn't want to and she called me a list and then she paddled me and yeah. A couple time. Once on my ribs, a few to the back. And we're supposed to go to church in the morning."

Dad sighed.

"Your mom has never been open minded in that aspect." Dad told me, sounding a little stressed out. "I can't... Can you get to camp for the night or tomorrow or something? I can talk to your brothers here, they're just finishing up their dinner. Okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." I assured him. "I'm not expecting you to like take me in or whatever, but if mom calls and I'm gone..."

I heard Mom and Paul yelling at each other and that definitely raised my anxiety. Thoughts were starting to surface again and I didn't like it. My siblings are here. I can't... Not to them. They don't need to feel that.

"Now don't be rash." Dad insisted as I had been scratching away at my arms. I had tried to cut earlier, but Penelope was walking around and I didn't want to scare her. "Breathe, alright? We'll figure this out."

I just nodded my head he must've gotten the idea, because he felt safe to hang up and talk to my brothers.

But Nico showed up due to shadow travel, and my door was locked, thank gods. I don't want to do what would happen if mom walked in and he was here.

I'd never get to go to camp again, I know that much.

Leo

I had to run to the Big House for a few spare pillows being one of my siblings ruined a few of them after his partner broke up with him. I don't know who it was.

But I had asked Nico if I could stop by and get some, but he told me he was just heading out. Figuring where he was going, I asked if Percy was alright. He's known to surprise us.

He just told me that Sally freaked out on him, major. Hazel told me that he texted Nico about all this shit that Sally yelled at him and called him this, that, and the other thing and it was a mess. So if we were asked where Nico went, it's not to Percy's house. If like, Sally calls, that is.

Chiron had been on the phone when I got there, too.

"Who's he on the phone with?" I asked Mr. D, who weirdly reminded me of my last step dad. An ass at first, but he came around. I miss him. I should really call him. He was cool.

"Percy's mom, I think." The god told me, sighing and drinking grape juice. "I don't know how he deals with her. He's normally a sweetheart, but like once in a while she calls and she goes full on crazy with the dumbest things."

"She's a mom." I remarked.

"Hey, Leo."Chiron mentioned. "Do you know where Nico is by chance? Sally wants to talk with him!"

I shook my head, you know, like a liar.

And thanks to me, they never did get found and then of course, Nico called Mr. D probably ten minutes later. Freaking out because he had to hide in the closet, literally, when Sally started pounding on Percy's door and she went off the handle.

Percy told her that if this upset her so much, if she didn't want him and whatever else, which is what she had been saying (we listened to it, he called when it started) that he'd just kill himself. He's done it before. At least he had friends after he died. Already down there.

Sally said fine, she still has her two other kids and she's pregnant. It's one kid.

Because apparently everything he said about doing better and feeling okay? It all turned to bullshit.

Chiron told Nico to bring him back, after hearing what Sally told him. Pack a bag and get him out of there. He's killed himself before. With this, there's no reason he won't at least try to again. And that... Can't happen.

•••

The next morning, Nico looked exhausted and I don't blame him. Percy wasn't at breakfast. Which concerned Hazel and I. Being the only ones that knew about what happened.

"Is he alright?" I asked the son of Hades after he got his food and he shrugged, unsure. "I uh... I was in the big house during the call."

"Yeah, I know." Nico told me and sighed. "I don't know; he calmed down but... His mom fucked him up pretty bad. Emotionally and physically. I would've gone out, but she had him against the closet for a while, so I couldn't exactly do anything. He's asleep, Chiron's going to check on him now, I think."

"That's good." I remarked."well, it's not. But he's here, that's good."

"I know what you mean."

"Well when did you fall asleep last night?" Hazel asked her older brother, taking a drink of water. "It was late when you got back. I didn't hear you."

"The last time I looked at a clock it had been around 2:30." Nico told her, shrugging. "I don't know, I'm tired."

"Who's tired?" Frank asked as he joined us.

"Nico." I filled in. "He was up late last night."

"Doing what?"

"Making sure Percy wasn't going to try and kill himself." Nico was honest when it came to that, at least. "Sally freaked out on him when they got home, told him to go hell, among other things, wanted him to break everything up and then he called his dad and texted me and after that I went over to see what really happened and Sally came in again and I hid so I wasn't killed, but she was saying shit and he threatened to kill himself and he had Riptide and it was a mess."

"That... Sounds like a mess."

"Yeah, he's asleep here now." He assured us, slowly nodding. "I think Mr. D is filing against Sally, but I don't know. I went to bed at like... 3 maybe?"

It was rough. Breakfast was weird, too. I had gotten used to Nico being more talkative ever since he got back. Sure, a lot of it is about Percy, but he lets me go on and on about whatever I need to. That's how it works for him to me, too.

But now his boyfriend is suicidal, and of course he's worried sick. Anyone in their right mind would be. It's his boyfriend.

He already lost him once. Nico tried to kill himself because Percy died. If it happens twice...

I doubt we'd catch him this time.