Percy looked at himself in the mirror, making sure that the sweater he had pulled over himself covered the newly wrapped gauze on his arms. Everything looked normal, he looked a little flushed, but otherwise fine. He capped riptide and stored it away into his pocket, making it hidden from sight. As he did so, he heard the doorknob turn and ran for the bed, encasing himself in the sheets.
•••
"Okay, so I got-" I stopped myself as I saw Percy, back in bed, probably sound asleep. As I started to leave, I turned back to make sure Percy was asleep. Unfortunately, I must've been having an off-day because I was heard when I meant to be silent.
"Mmmm, smells good. What'd you get?"
"There's burger sliders, pizza slices, and all of your favorites. Take your pick."
"Yes! Thank you so much. You're a gods' send. I'm starving!"
I watched as Percy devoured all I had brought him, but that wasn't anything new. All of a sudden, I noticed that he was wearing wearing one of my sweaters; it was obviously too small for him.
"Hey, could you take off my sweater Perce? If you're cold you can wear one your size; you know, one you won't stretch out."
When I tried to come towards Percy, he backed away as if I was doing something somehow wrong.
"No, it's fine. Please, this one is so much softer than any of like and I just found out that I look good in black." Unfortunately for my sweater, he was right; he looked good in black and I didn't mind him wearing it all that much. As I looked over him in the sweater, my eyes glanced over at his arms and saw something sticking out from the sleeves.
"Percy, what's that?" I inquired as I grabbed his wrist to see the rest of his arm.
When I did, he winced and recoiled his arm from me.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Grabbing his arm again I said, "Percy, just show me what's on your arms."
We wrestled for a while with me trying to grab ahold of his arms while he squirmed away. Finally, I grabbed his wrist, and as he cried out, I pulled him closer and saw what was on his arms.
"Okay, why do you have gauze on your arms?"
"It's nothing." He stated as he tried to pull away yet again.
"No it's not, don't lie to me Percy. Now tell me what's underneath these wraps before I take them off myself."
"It's just a cut." It was an obvious lie, and I knew it.
"Down the entirety of both of your arms?" I noticed his pen, Riptide, sticking out of his pocket slightly and quickly snatched it from him.
Quickly, I took the cap off of it, and on the newly formed blade, I saw stains of red. Recent, too, by how it lacked discoloration I couldn't take my eyes away from the blade, but I could tell Percy was watching for my reaction with baited breath.
"Why? Percy, why would you?..."
"I don't know, but I...I liked it...Nico, I'm scared. I know it's supposed to be bad, but I don't think it is."
"But-"
"No Nico, I'm sorry, but it's the only way I can truly express myself."
"You have me, and you know you can tell me anything."
"I know, but..."
"Percy, I know you have some 'logical' reason for doing what you did, but it's not safe and it's not good. I don't want to lose you because my dad would be all too happy to keep you. Please, just talk to Chiron for me?"
"Only because it means so much to you. I'll talk to him tomorrow."