Part Two.
Pairings: Ethan/Alabaster/Percy (main), Ethan/Alabaster, Octavian/Percy, Reyna/Annabeth, Lou Ellen/Miranda, Malcolm/Katie(mentioned), Luke/Percy (past/mentioned), Jason/Nico(mentioned), Leo/Piper(mentioned).
Have You Heard?
He's a Stranger
Percy hadn't thought much on it when Annabeth asked him to come to her apartment. Usually, on days that the both of them didn't have work or school, he would end up over there with the girls. It was mainly them eating junk food and watching movies. It wasn't much, but offered him some form of release. He didn't have to feel trapped anymore. He could feel normal again.
He didn't even have the chance to walk to their door this time. He spotted Reyna leaning on their car, Annabeth in the back seat. He raised an eyebrow in question at that. She didn't say anything, just opened the door and waited for him. Without question, he slid into the car.
No one spoke for a long time. They had driven into the city before Percy finally questioned anything. "Where are we going?" He asked. "And why is Annie sitting in the backseat instead of up there with you?"
Neither of the girls answered right away. "We're heading to your mom's for Christmas," Reyna finally explained. Her dark eyes darted to the review mirror, catching Percy's green ones, then immediately looked away.
"What do you mean...?" Percy was skeptical. His arm went for the door, ready to jump out, but Annabeth caught his hand. He looked down at her and, for the first time, noticed all the pain in her eyes. Instantly, he stopped struggling. She was in pain? "What's going on?"
Closing her eyes, she took a breath. "I know about Octavian. I know he's hurting you. I've seen your bruises...and this is me helping. Reyna and I cleared out our guest room. You're moving in with us when we get back."
Annabeth expected anger. She expected Percy to be angry and hate her. She expected him to scream and shout, demand to be taken back because nothing was going on. He wasn't being abused again. That wasn't what she got, though. In the calmest voice, Percy said, "What took you so long?"
Reyna nearly lost control of the wheel as she heard that. She pulled over to the side of the highway, spinning around to look at them. "What?" She had become so protective over this boy since she had started dating Annabeth. She had learned about his past, about the abusive stepfather and how unlucky he was with relationships, and thought it her job to protect him from that. Like Annabeth, she wanted to close Percy away from the world and keep him from the bad.
"It's not abuse," Percy stated calmly. He looked both girls in the eye. "It's not abuse if I don't object. It's not abuse if I don't complain. It's not abuse if I hurt him back."
"It is!" Annabeth insisted, staring at him with pain filled gray eyes. "It doesn't matter if you didn't object or complain. It was still abuse with Gabe and you didn't object or complain." Pain flashed across Percy's face and then all the emotion was gone again. "I shouldn't have brought him up. I'm sorry."
Giving a stiff nod, he sighed. "It's different this time Annie. I basically asked for it. The pain...it was good. I got off. I didn't have to think about the world anymore. I didn't have to think about how happy Malcolm and Katie were together. I didn't have to remember that all my friends are happy except me," Annabeth opened her mouth but Percy only glared at her. "You have Reyna. Nico has Jason. Leo has Piper. You're all happy and I'm just here!"
The blonde couldn't argue that. She knew how true it was. She knew how alone her best friend felt and knew that she couldn't do anything about it. This was what she hated. "...I know, but that's why we're doing this. You just need some time away, some time to think. Please, take this. Clear your head."
Percy was tempted to object. He was tempted to tell Reyna to turn the car around, that he was happy the way things were, but something stopped him. Something that twisted his stomach and made his skin crawl. So, he sighed and sat back in his seat. "Fine. Just for a little while. After break, I'm going back."
Have You Heard?
Two weeks later
Percy stared blankly out at the ocean. It was the middle of December, leaving him completely alone. Annabeth and Reyna were Christmas shopping with his mother and they thought he was doing the same. That was what he had planned to do, had told them that was what he was going to do, but he had gotten distracted and went to the beach instead. He hadn't had the chance to go once since they had gotten to his mother's house. But, he needed to. The beach allowed him time to think and he needed that more than anything at the moment.
He wasn't sure what to do about the Octavian problem as of yet. On one hand, Percy liked it. It was a huge stress reliever and made him forget about his obsession. Annabeth was worried, which couldn't happen. The blonde girl seemed scared every time she saw a new bruise or scar. She had looked completely frightened at hearing was really happened. Plus, he knew his mother would be mortified. He was thankful that the girls hadn't told her anything...the only condition was that he move in with them and avoid Octavian, which wouldn't happen. The annoying blond wouldn't give up on him that easily, he knew.
With a loud groan, he dropped back to lay on the sand, eyes closing. "I hate this."
"Hedwig!"
Percy blinked just as a little white dog jumped on his chest. He frowned as it started licking his face, clearly settled and not willing to get up. "What the hell?"
"Hedwig," came the same annoyed voice. Percy glanced up. Coming his way was a Japanese boy that looked about his age. What caught Percy's attention was the black eye patch over his left eye. "Hedwig." He repeated with a growl, scooping up the little white dog. "Sorry about that. She's overly friendly."
He shook his head, pushing off the sand and standing up. "It's fine," Percy couldn't help as the smile came to his face. "She seems sweet enough. I'm Percy Jackson, by the way." He offered his hand hesitantly, not sure what was drawing him so much.
The other man offered a small smile, shifting Hedwig in his arms so he could shake Percy's hand. "Ethan Nakamura. Again, sorry about her. She's my husband's pet and he refuses to train her to not attack people...even if licking them to death can't be considered attacking."
"Husband." Percy's smile instantly fell after repeating the word. Of course. Any nice, cute guy he ever met had to be married or unavailable. It only discouraged him further. "I bet that's nice, being married and being in love. It must be paradise."
Ethan snorted, shaking his head. "In no way is it paradise. Alabaster and I fight all the time. It could be about simple things like where we'll get dinner or me working too much."
By now, Ethan had hooked Hedwig on a lease and started walking him again with Percy following. He had a smile on his face, one he hadn't felt in a long time. It was nice, not having to fake all his emotions. "Really? What's your job?"
"I'm a lawyer. Alabaster gets mad because I spend all my time at the office working on cases," he explained. The most loving look was on his face, as if he could spend all day talking about his husband. To Percy, it was the sweetest thing he ever saw and what he wanted more than anything. "I moved an office into our house so I could be home more. He liked that a lot."
"That's the sweetest thing I have ever heard," Percy said truthfully. His eyes were wide with admiration as he stared up at Ethan, not being able to help but be jealous of this Alabaster. "I wish I could meet someone like you, but I have horrible luck."
The Japanese-American frowned, looking down at him. "There is no such thing as bad luck, Percy. Given, there is no such thing as luck in general. It all simply depends on how you look at the situation. If you see things with a negative outlook, then it's 'bad luck' while a positive outlook can see things as 'good luck.'"
Percy only shook his head, smiling brightly. "I don't see things like that. I like to believe in chance, and luck, and fate. That way, I know all these bad things are happening to me in hopes of leading me to a better fate. If there is no reason behind it, then what's the point of living like this..." He blinked, stopping.
"What is it?" Ethan frowned, stopping his steps as well.
Licking his lips, Percy looked up at him with wide eyes. "It's nothing. I just realized how much of a hypocrite I've been lately. Maybe...just maybe, the universe has a plan for me. I need to start believing that again."
There was a hint of a smile on Ethan's lips now, more so than he had before. "Really now?" The smile grow and he began walking again, knowing the younger would follow. "Perhaps we need to explore that possibility."