***Note- I do apologize in advance. This story will have a slow beginning. I want a realistic story, so heartbroken Percy will be mopping around for a while. I will update as fast as I am able.

Important thing to note... This will be yaio (boy-boy) eventually. Don't like? You do not have to read.

Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus series. (One can dream though) All rights go to the proper parties.

Percy POV

It took me hours to finally fall asleep.

I woke up exceptionally groggy. For a moment I couldn't remember as to why I felt like I had been hit by a passing bus.

When I opened my eyes however the previous day came slamming into my mind. Annabeth, I grimaced at the pain. My chest ached with the knowledge that she was gone. I couldn't get up and face the day knowing that she wouldn't be at camp.

There was no way in Hades I was willing to repeat last night's fiasco at breakfast.

Dinner last night had been a living nightmare. The whispers and glances served as a constant reminder that the one I loved most wasn't there. I couldn't face the campfire. I had come directly back to my cabin and spent most of the night either crying or feeling completely hollow. I don't know when I had passed out but the sun had already started to rise.

I was lying on my bed looking at the ceiling, unable to find the energy or will to get up. My brain couldn't seem to process that she was really gone. That Annabeth, Don't think of her name... I winced, was who knows where doing who knows what, and that I would not see her for who knows how long.

I was lost in thought. I do not know long I laid there before I was interrupted by a knock on the door. I glanced at the clock on my bed side table. It read 6:00 pm. My brain started to wonder as to how I kept loosing the day. That was twice in as many days.

Someone knocked again but I decided to ignore it. I couldn't face the camp right now, not like this.

"Percy? ... Percy, open the door already." I groaned, as Piper continued to speak. "Percy you have been in there all day. Come on its time for dinner."

I laid there trying to decide my best option. I could continue to lay here or I could open the door and tell them that I am not hungry. Whether or not that was a lie, I didn't know. I knew I usually would be starving as I had only had one meal in the past two days but the thought of food was really unappealing. Dinner last night turned my stomach. I could barely choke down the food. If I hadn't thought that Nico would force the food down my throat, I wouldn't have eaten anything.

"Come on man, unlock the door already." Jason called.

I hadn't realized he was out there, at least that made my decision easier. If I opened the door he would be able to drag me to the dining pavilion. So I decided to continue ignoring them.

I hoped they would leave me alone soon. I really did not feel like talking. The knocking finally stopped. I figured they had gone to dinner without me, until I saw a movement in my peripheral vision.

I jumped a little as I saw Nico step out of the shadows. "Get up Percy. It's time for dinner."

I sighed. What good was it to have a lock on the door if your friend could shadow travel into your cabin whenever he felt like it. "In case the locked door was to subtle for you, I would rather be left alone."

I felt a little bad about being rude but I wasn't in the mood to play nice. However my words seemed to aggravate him rather than offend him. He walked over and pulled the pillow out from under my head.

"That's nice, now get up."

I was shocked. Why would Nico care if I skipped a few meals or chose to lock myself in my cabin? "Why do you care so much?"

Nico looked away from me and grumbled, "I don't."

"I find that hard to believe. This is the second time that you've come to bring me to dinner." I shook my head and lay back down. "I am fine Nico. I'm not hungry. You might as well go without me because I am not coming and there is nothing you can do to make me."

Nico raised an eyebrow at me, "Do you really believe that?"

"Yes, I do."

Nico smirked at me. "Okay, so be it."

Before I had time to react Nico grabbed my mattress and flipped it, and me, onto the floor. I jumped up and turned to face him. "What the hell Nico!"

"Good, now that you're up, you have two choices. You can either go, get changed, and come willingly, or I can just shadow travel you there as you are. It's completely up to you."

I just gaped at him. I wanted to call his bluff on it, but the look he was giving me told me that he was not joking. I debated taking a swing at him but I had a feeling that he would kick my ass. I may have been angry, but regardless of what people say about me, I am not an idiot.

"Fine!" I grabbed my clothes and went to the bathroom.

I quickly changed my clothes and ran a brush through my hair. All it took was a quick glance in the mirror to tell me that I looked as bad as I felt.

I stepped out of the bathroom to see that Nico still had that smug look on his face. When he saw me looking at him he raised an eyebrow, "Ready to go?"

I rolled my eyes and walked past him out of the cabin. Piper and Jason were waiting for us.

"Are you both okay?" Piper asked nervously, "We heard a crash and then someone yelling."

"That was just Percy being an idiot," Nico replied.

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe him. "You're the one who flipped my bed over!"

Nico smirked at me. "You are the one who said, and I quote, there is nothing I can do to make you come to dinner."

"That wasn't a challenge!" Jason and Piper started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Come on fish-face, it's time for dinner." It took all of my limited self-control not to punch him out.

ΩΩΩ

Like yesterday, when we got the dinning pavilion all eyes turned to me. I briefly considered retreating back to my cabin but Nico must have read my mind. "I would just drag you back." I glared at him and walked away.

After I had burnt my offering to the gods I went and sat down at the Poseidon table. I thought yesterday had been a nightmare. I guess I should have known that hiding in my cabin was only adding more fuel to the fire. Not only did I have to put up with the whispers and eyes watching me, but I had to put up with all of the people who came to give me their sympathies.

I must have told people a dozen times that she would be coming back. Either they did not believe me, or they just wanted to ignore me. At least I discovered that I really was hungry today. I managed to eat my entire dinner between the members of the rumor mill coming up to me. I know they were just looking for more information on why she left. I had not interest in telling them. That was not my place, it was hers.

I tried to sneak away after dinner but Nico caught up with me right outside of my cabin.

I tired to stay calm but I also still really wanted to hit him.

"Are you happy now? I ate dinner. Now, will you leave me alone?"

Nico avoided my gaze. "Yes I saw that, I was there after all." He bit his lip and looked at me, "I am sorry about everyone bugging you. I didn't mean for that to happen."

I exploded, "What did you think would happen?" He glared at me and looked away.

Dam it, why can't this kid ever have a normal conversation with me. One where he isn't trying to help me? It would be so much easier to be mad at him if I didn't know he was trying to be nice. I would be able to yell at Jason without feeling like a jerk.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Listen, I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to help me. I do appreciate you guys looking out for me but I just really want to be alone."

"I know how you feel." My eyes locked with his, "After I lost Bianca... I wanted nothing to do with anyone." I winced at the mention of his sister. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I told you before Percy. I don't blame you for that anymore. But that's not the point. The point is, I wanted to be alone, and so I left. But being alone didn't help me. All being alone did was give the pain more time to fester. I didn't start to heal till I found a reason to move on. I'm not an idiot, I know that you're not going to wake up tomorrow morning and be fine. Annabeth left, and that hurts you. But I know you are strong enough to get through this. And fortunately for you, you have friends that are here to make sure that you don't turn in to a useless mess. Now get some sleep, because whether you like it or not, I will be here tomorrow morning to pry your butt out of bed."

With that said he disappeared into the shadows. I had never heard Nico say that much before. I had begun to think one of the powers of Hades must be the one sentence reply. I was surprised by how much Nico seemed to care. He said that he didn't care and Poseidon knows I believed that most days. But Nico truly was a good friend. He always seemed to be there for me when I was at my lowest.

I stood there like an idiot for a few minutes before I went inside. I fixed the mattress and fell into bed and tried my best to fall asleep. I had no doubt that Nico meant what he said, if I didn't go to breakfast tomorrow he would be there flip my bed over again.