Percy Being a Big Brother
The next morning when Nico woke up, the first thing he saw was Percy and Annabeth walking along the strawberry bushes.
His heart stopped for a brief moment, but it wasn't as bad as before.
The satyrs were playing their pipes. They were enjoying themselves. Grover Underwood was among them.
At the distance Nico saw Annabeth leaving for the Athena cabin. Percy looked really smug about something.
'Come to the lake at nine o'clock precisely, okay?' Annabeth said.
'Sure, wise girl,' Percy replied. Annabeth gave him a look and left. Nico turned to leave, but he heard his name. it was Percy, he was calling Nico. Nico walked towards him.
'Fancy a walk?' asked Percy. It might have been awkward walking with him alone. But this was not just another guy. This was Percy. He can be in any mood any time he wants.
'Well, the you-have-a-crush-on-me thing, it's over right?' he asked just naturally.
'Hmm… I suppose yeah,' Nico said. Percy looked convinced. First of all Nico didn't know why he likes this guy next to him so much.
'I mean, he's cute and all, but why?' he asked himself. Not just once, a hundred times, maybe a thousand? He didn't know.
Percy put his hand around Nico and steered him towards the Poseidon cabin. The cabin was brighter and a bit smaller than his cabin. It smelled of seaweeds. Nico sat on a chair while Percy sat on his bunk.
'So, little bro, have you heard from Hazel lately?' Percy asked.
Well actually just once. She seemed to be happy with Frank, the guy who could turn into a bulldog or even a dragon if he wanted to. Nico told Percy about the Iris massage he received yesterday night, while he was staring at the skull on his favorite T-shirt, somehow it seemed to entertain him.
'You know, the first day we met, you were driving me crazy asking questions about Annabeth and I' Percy said. 'Actually I thought you have a thing for Annabeth.'
Nico was staring outside the window and sighed. 'Sometimes, I can't understand myself,' Percy came over and sat next to him. 'I was left out and alone when Bianca died, I was scared of the society, I was afraid of what people will think when they know who I am,' he said this really fast and broke into tears.
The first time he really cried in front of someone else. Percy put his arm around his shoulders and held him tighter, Nico's head in his chest. Percy felt like a big brother to Nico. Nico was sobbing and shaking all over. Tears streaked down his pale face. Percy looked at Nico and wiped his tears off with his own hands.
'I'll help you, whatever your feelings are,' said Percy. "If you think you have no friends, you are completely wrong. You have I, Piper, Jason, Hazel, Frank, even Annabeth and Leo.' At the word Leo, Nico remembered how he had died.
Percy got up and dragged Nico along with him. Just before opening the door, Percy kissed Nico's forehead and said, 'Always remember what I told you…' then he opened the door and went towards the lake, where Annabeth was waiting. Nico stood there and thought.
He remembered all the people who were his friends. He remembered Bianca and Hazel, his sisters. He remembered Leo, who had died in the last battle with Gaia. He remembered Jason and Frank, Frank was not so close to him, but Jason was the first person who got to know his secret and he didn't tell it to anyone. He remembered Reyna, the first person who felt closest to him, the satyr Gleeson Hedge, who had been a maniac and helped him get his health back from all the shadow travelling. He remembered Piper, who had been sincerely nice to him on the last few days. He remembered Percy and Will, and even Annabeth no matter what, you can't stay mad at Annabeth. It just won't happen.
And at last, he remembered jade Cruiz, the newcomer, who touched his heart as a girl for the first time in his life