**Hey, I wanted to apologise for taking ages to update :( Speaking of, there probably won't be an update for a bit after this (like, a week, max, though) but just so you guys know :3

TW: blood**

~4~

Nico finally found out who "Luke" was, and it wasn't good.

Nico shivered as he remembered the blond's stare from his first night.

"What does he and Percy talk about?" He asked the girl sitting in front of him. Hazel, the Level Two girl who had been spying on him, had finally caught Nico's attention long enough after lunch for them to introduce themselves. Hazel was petite, her frizzy hair being her biggest feature, followed by big cocoa eyes. She shook her head in response.

They were both curled up on Nico's bed, and were talking about their lives before Lake's Meeting. Hazel's, alcoholic, druggie mother and abusive father, had been kicked out of her life by Child Protection Services. Unfortunately, Hazel's parents had done too much damage for Hazel to go to mainstream schooling, or mainstream anything. She was soon sent to Lake's Meeting Home, which specialises in younger and older patients. Hazel spoke of Reyna, the counsellor Nico hadn't met, in high regard. It was obvious Hazel thought of Reyna as on older-sister figure, and Nico was almost jealous.

"No one really knows, but it seems like Luke dumps his emotions crap on Percy, and is mean to everyone else," Hazel said in that cute little voice of hers. Nico nodded understanding, but his mind was elsewhere, thinking more about Hazel's background. He was snapped out of it as a figure filled Nico's doorway.

Frank looked at the tall, lanky, pale, mature, raven-haired boy talking to a small, prudish, chocolate-coloured, brunette girl. Hazel.

Frank wasn't jealous or anything, just curious as to why Hazel was in Nico's room. On his bed.

Catching Frank's look, Hazel quickly exited the room, ignoring both males on her way out.

The two boys glared at each other. Finally, Frank spoke.

"Percy wants you- I'll… Show you his room."

Nico frowned but followed, suddenly suspicious as to why Percy wouldn't get Nico himself.

~ O ~

It was a good hour before dinner when Frank went to get Nico. Now, it was nearly time to go, but Nico could barely stand the thought of leaving Percy's side. The older boy gently explained again how one night's disappearance wouldn't freak out the nurses, but Nico had to go or else they'd both be in trouble. Nico looked again at Percy's bloodied shirt that lay on the floor.

Frank had just stood in the doorway once they'd reached Percy's room, which unnerved Nico. Frank was acting a horrible type of calm— the calm when you know your calm is about to be ruined. Nico had peeked into Percy's room, first of all shocked by the fact that it was just as barren as his. Second by the fact that his friend was on his stomach on his bed, his back covered in blood. Nico had rushed forward and started cleaning up his wounds, used to blood since he was a cutter, but not used to it in this extent. It seemed like Percy had been whipped, but Nico knew the tell-tale cuts of a knife. Someone else had done this. He'd sworn at Frank, then at Percy, then at himself. Frank wordlessly helped out, holding Percy down as Nico cleaned his back. Their friend silently cried and panted through his teeth, the muscles that lined his back tensing and spasming as Nico tried to be as gentle as possible. Nico had tears freely flowing, but Frank looked apathetic. Eventually, the Chinese boy told Nico Percy preferred it when he just got it over with, throwing the last shreds of comfort out the window. Nico did just that, and though Percy tried to bite back tiny wails of agony, Nico just shut it out and kept going, only talking when Percy managed to ask if it was Nico cleaning him up. The worst part was when he saw how many scars lined Percy's back along with the newest cuts.

Eventually, Percy's back was fee of blood and Nico was grateful to see they weren't as bad as he'd thought, but an obvious question was screaming in his mind. Percy had clearly passed out from blood loss or exhaustion, and Nico turned to Frank.

"How did this happen?" He whispered. It was at that moment one of the guards was doing rounds, and walked past Percy's open door. Nico caught his eye and was about to demand some medical supplies, but the guard answered first. Octavian, as it said on his name tag, laughed wistfully once he saw Percy, and walked away.

He laughed. And walked away.

Nico had never been so angry and confused in his life. What is this place?!

Nico was prepared to run after the guard and break his neck, but Percy caught the boy's attention first.

With a groan and a gasp of pain, Percy tried to push himself upright, but Frank and Nico were holding him down in a second.

"Percy, what happened?" Nico asked. Percy gingerly turned his head to look at the younger boy. Percy was two years older than Nico, and Frank was about the same, but in that moment, Percy looked so young and vulnerable Nico wanted to cry,

"Remember the Fives?" Frank said for Percy, and Nico nodded his head.

"Well, they're psychopaths. At least the girl is, blondie is just her muscle. Our old friend Piper has an affinity for knives and she…" Frank's face fell downcast, "Was preying on the older folks here to get off, but when Percy came… Well, you know Percy. Piper was more than happy to accept him as a full-time substitute for when she feels the need to, ugh, "play"."

Nico looked back down at Percy, tears freely streaming down his face.

"You haven't told a guard… Or someone?" Nico whispered, almost in shock of the craziness of it all, but especially his friend's bravery.

"That douche that just walked past? Head Guard. There's nothing anyone will do because it has to go through him, and sometimes we think he likes it too."

Nico didn't realise he was pacing like mad and scratching at his arm until Percy's quiet voice told him to sit and stop it. Nico did just that, determined to prove he could be as strong and brave as his friend.

"This time it was bad though— I'm pretty sure she got carried away, or something."

Nico was still crying as he sat next to Percy on his bed.

"He didn't say why he wanted you here, but he asked for you before I could clean him up… Sorry, Nico." Nico shook his head, and just looked at Percy as he fell back asleep. Frank eventually went over to Percy's bookshelf, grabbed a roll of bandages and gauze, and wrapped up the worst cuts.

Later he left, saying he was going to explain to the nicer guards that Piper got carried away and that Percy would be skipping dinner. He came back and gave Nico, who was now sitting on the ground watching Percy, his tray of food, saying the nurses said he had to have his pills. Nico nodded and Frank left again.

Eventually, Nico worked up the nerve to swallow the pills and start eating his now-cold food.

God, how could this happen to Percy? He was obviously too loyal to his friends, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the guards that were ignoring it. Still, Nico had only spent a day there and probably didn't know how a lot of things worked. Even if he did get a message to someone who cared, he was a patient there! They'd brush him off and give him hallucination pills. He wasn't hallucinating, nor had he ever. He'd only ever cut and on the rare occasion been a little psycho, but never hurt anyone! Only himself.

Nico looked down at the scars on his arms, and remembered when he'd done each of them. Soon, he felt the familiar itch. He almost laughed as he wondered if this was what Piper felt like. Sneaking a glance at Percy, Nico saw he was still asleep. Good— Percy had seen enough blood for one night.

Nico grabbed his spork and pressed it on an angle against the concrete floor. It broke, and the snap echoed. Nico, wincing, looked at Percy, but he was thankfully still asleep. Nico looked at what he'd made. The handle had formed the perfect point and edge. A plastic scalpel, if you will.

Nico started at the inside of the top of his arm, and sighed with the familiar sting and ache.

Nico had never hallucinated, but he did have to make sure this was real. That he was still real, and that he was here, on the ground, looking at his friend, who had been hurt.

Closing his eyes, Nico lay his head against the wall. He knew he wasn't passing out from blood loss— it hadn't been that bad, but he soon drifted off to sleep.

~ O ~

When he woke up, it was morning, and Percy was shaking him awake. With a gasp, Nico shot to his feet and told Percy to lie down, to which the older boy responded with a smile and laugh.

"I'm alright, Nico, really. They weren't that bad and I wanted to tell you something."

Nico nodded, still struck from how Percy was even standing. Perhaps the cuts weren't as bad as his tired eyes had seen last night.

"I know this was a big shock, and I know you'll want to help me get out of the deal I made with Piper, but I'm telling you not to, okay?"

Nico just stared at him. Was Percy a masochist?

"She loves the newer people who come here, and if you try to change or get me out of the deal, she'll come after you."

Nico wanted to say he wouldn't mind it if Percy got some freedom, but the older boy pulled him into a hug and and kept speaking.

"Because I can't have you getting hurt, alright?"

Nico was speechless. How could Percy want to do that for him? He'd only been here twenty-four hours!

Before he knew what he was doing, Nico hugged Percy back and was sobbing into his shoulder.

He may not have known why Percy was doing this, but Nico knew why he was crying— no one had ever put him first before. To do that, someone had to be thinking of you, but Nico had never had that either.

When the pulled back, both boys were smiling. A sudden wave of guilt and shame washed over Nico when Percy's smile dropped.

"Oh, Nico," He said, and ran into his tiny bathroom to grab a towel. Nico looked down and saw the cuts he'd inflicted on himself last night had bled down his arm. Percy came back and started wiping at his arm.

"I'm sorry Nico, I didn't think there was that much blood…"

Percy though it was his blood from last night? Before Nico could jerk back his arm and make up an excuse, Percy wiped away enough blood to see the gashes. They both stumbled back, Nico backing up to the wall and Percy dropping the towel and staring at Nico's arm.

"What…" Percy began.

"I'm sorry…" Nico mumbled, hiding his bloody arm by pulling it against his chest. In a flash, Percy had stepped forward, and had hand on Nico's shoulder, holding his against the wall. The other hand had grabbed Nico's wrist and was holding his arm up to the wall. Percy leaned forward and looked at the scars and newer cuts on Nico's arm. Nico couldn't tell if he was disgusted or interested. Finally, Percy noticed just how close their faces were.

He dropped his hold on Nico, who almost tumbled to the ground.

"Why would you do that to yourself?" Percy's voice was filled with hurt, and it almost made Nico want to cry again.

"It's just…" Nico lost his words when he realised he hadn't fought Percy back. He'd usually never let anyone see his scars. Nico mentally scowled. He'd been uncharacteristically sloppy to fall asleep in Percy's room. How had he hidden cutting from his mum for four years and Percy finds out in one night?

The answer, at the back of his mind, was painfully obvious. Nico wanted Percy to find him, and see his arm and all the scars he'd ever done. Because, without knowing fully why, Nico could trust Percy.

Trust. It was a strange and definitely new feeling for Nico. Still, Percy's accusatory gaze didn't sway Nico's feeling of "I-Can-Tell-Him-Everything" that Nico currently held.

Upon Nico's silence, Percy stepped forward again, and Nico instinctively stepped back, forgetting that he was still backed up to the wall. Percy was gentler as he grasped Nico's wrist, looking Nico in the eye as he pried the younger boy's arm away from his chest. Nico took a ragged breath and tears met his cheeks again, but Percy didn't stop and Nico didn't make a move to tell him to.

Ever so gently, Percy wiped at Nico's arm, only touching him to hold his wrist away from his chest. When he was done, Percy just stood back. The bleeding had stopped hours ago, but Percy counted five big, and three smaller cuts on Nico's arm.

Percy had never had the urge to hurt himself, even in his dramatic lows. He would freely talk about how he was feeling, which actually tended to freak most people out. It was part of the reason why he ended up in Lake's Meeting, but looking at the younger boy in front of him, Percy could tell Nico was hiding a lot of hurt.

"Was it my fault?" Percy asked, and Nico's head snapped up to meet his gaze.

"No, no way," He said quickly, "it's just sometimes I… Everything goes numb and I have to remind myself I'm still here."

The words were out of Nico's mouth before he could control them. Percy's expression filled with pity and Nico was suddenly angry. Luckily for him, Percy didn't comment anymore, only speaking to say they should head for lunch. The anger in Nico's chest quickly ebbed. Percy had just seen his scars, and was still more or less treating him normally. Nico had never told anyone this, and probably never would, but if he was ever to find something that would make him happy in life, it would be someone simply accepting him for what he was. Namely, a cutter.

Nico stared at Percy as the older boy grabbed a shirt on pulled it on with a hiss. He'd said the cuts weren't terrible, but Nico still felt bad that Percy was in pain at all. Here he was, scarring himself every night, and there was Percy, being scarred every night, but for the sake of others. Nico suddenly felt unworthy.