Will half expected Percy when he went down to the beach of the lake, after all, Percy loved the water and water loved him the way it seemed to shine and sparkle when he was around. What he wasn't expecting was an upset Percy without an Annabeth insight to comfort.

Percy wasn't someone he expected capable of crying much more actually sobbing. Will contemplated running and finding Annabeth to deal with him. He sighed and sat next to Percy "Percy" he said.

Percy raised his head from his knees, damn the boy was even gorgeous crying. Percy reddened and sniffed "um hi Will" he furiously wiped his eyes but it seemed futile as the tears just returned. Percy seemed to be trying to stop and it was breaking Will's heart to see him so distraught.

"What's wrong?" Will asked.

Percy blinked his eyes, stopping the tears for a second "um" he croaked "I don't know, I just came here and it's like everything rushed at me" he said, eyes welling up again.

Will considered this, Percy had been through a lot, from the first war with Kronos to getting kidnapped then traded with a Roman camp and falling into Tartarus. "Do you think you could talk to me? Sort your feelings out or would you rather get Annabeth?" Will asked.

"I don't want Annabeth to see me cry" Percy looked mortified, seems even Percy had pride there.

"Okay?" Will said, waiting for Percy's response to whether or not he wanted to talk.

Percy sighed "Nico told me he used to have a crush on me and I feel guilty," he said, Will blinked.

"Me too," Will said and Percy gaped "Percy, half the camp has had a crush on you at some point in time. Don't get a big head about it but your kind of crush-worthy. Hero of Olympus, powerful son of Poseidon, kinda ridiculously gorgeous. You get it" he waved.

"No I- I don't get it" Percy replied, uh oh Will was sensing self-resentment.

"Okay, why are you feeling guilty about Nico's crush? Why him specifically when there's a lot of people who've crushed or at least admired your looks. I'm pretty sure even Piper's swooned at you before" Will asked.

"When I first brought Nico to camp, it was with his older sister Bianca. She immediately joined Artemis as one of her huntresses. Now that I think about it, it's probably something she regretted in the afterlife. It left Nico completely alone, he was just a little kid with an obsession with Mythomagic. When we left for a quest, he made me promise to protect and I- I failed." Percy's hands were shaking and he breathed deeply.

"When I came back and told Nico, he ran from camp. The fatal flaw of children of Hades is their ability to hold a grudge. For a long time, I figured his distance to camp and coldness towards me was because of his sister. But now that I know it was because of a crush I feel horrible."

"Yes but why?" Will repeated.

"In Tartarus, I learned that there were a lot of people I let down. Especially, Nico. I should have pushed harder for him to feel welcome at camp. I should have noticed something" Percy put his head in his hands.

"Nico wouldn't have listened anyway though, it seems to me that he came to some sort of self-acceptance recently" Will replied and Percy raised his eyes. "Percy, he's staying at camp now, I think to talk to him would help you a lot. And I think you shouldn't let guilt control you if it needs action then do whatever needs doing."

Percy stared at him "I can see why you'd make a really good boyfriend to Nico" he said and Will spluttered and flushed. "I think I really do need to talk to him too, I don't want him to think I'm avoiding him" he added.

"Isn't that what you were doing?" Will pointed out and Percy shrugged then paused then pulled Will into a hug. Will squeaked, sure Percy wasn't the object of his affections but this was like getting hugged by a celebrity basically.

"Thanks for listening, Will" Percy mentioned then pulled away and Will blushed.

"You are so unfair, Percy, how am I supposed to compete with his first crush?" Will ground out then stood, pulling Percy's elbow up with him.

Percy laughed "can you play Mythomagic?" he asked.

Will blinked "my cousin has a deck of them, I could borrow them from him," he said.

"He might take some convincing but he's a total nerd on the inside, still, or at least I'm pretty sure. Just tap into that and you'll have his heart all wrapped up in Mythomagic cards" Percy added.

Will rolled his eyes but silently promised to learn the rules that night.