Since We Met (Percy Jackson Fanfiction) AU

Ch. 9- Hate to See Your Heart Break

-Paramore

September 1, 2009 (12/11 years old seventh grade; Percy)

Eventually, Nico and Percy finished fifth grade. That summer, Leo Valdez didn't visit his aunt's house. Nico and Percy didn't know why, and they had no way to contact him. Besides that, they didn't know what to do about their own relationship. Since Bianca died, there'd been a tension between the two. They both got through sixth grade. Nico had immerged himself in books and Mythomagic as a distraction- though he'd thrown away every statue- and Percy started going to the lake more often. They didn't visit each other very much.

They still walked home from school. They still talked. But they weren't as close as they used to be.

"Is he always that quiet?" Annabeth asked at lunch. Percy looked up at the blonde beauty and cleared his throat. Annabeth was a girl he'd met that school year. She was pretty. She had soft, bouncy blond curls, stormy gray eyes, and she was smart. He was assigned a seat next to her- it was the first year he and Nico didn't sit together- and he didn't really mind. He found himself getting slightly nervous around her, and realized with a start, that this might be his first crush. It definitely cleared whatever odd ideas Percy had a few years ago when he kissed Nico.

Percy looked over at his best friend. His raven hair had grown past its usual length, and he had the glasses he'd needed for a while now. He was bent over Mythomagic cards and had two books stacked next to him. Percy winced slightly, knowing that none of these things helped his rep as the school nerd. "Yeah," he answered.

"Why?" she asked.

Percy sighed. "He's been through a lot. He prefers to stay quiet. He's always been really shy, and going through what he has... it just made it worse."

Annabeth nodded and eyed Nico sadly. "He seems like a nice guy." Percy smirked, knowing she was just saying it because they were friends. "I mean it," she said seriously. "How long have you known him? I've lived around here for years and I've never seen either of you two." Annabeth followed him as he sat down.

"I've known him since we were five. We're best friends. We have been for about seven or eight years now." He glanced at Nico. The younger boy pushed his glasses into place and continued to thumb expertly through his stack, dealing them at astonishing speed.

"It doesn't seem like it," Annabeth said softly. Percy glanced at her. "I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just... I've never seen you try to go talk to him. And he never tries to talk to you."

Percy chewed the inside of his cheek. "I know. There's this weird rift between us, and I don't know why. I don't know how to fix it."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "How about going to sit with him?" she suggested. "I'll sit with Thalia. You get your best friend back."

Percy smiled, but he felt bad. He knew that he hadn't honestly tried to reconcile with Nico. Though he didn't know why they had to reconcile. Still, Percy cared for his best friend, and he didn't want to leave him alone at lunch... again.

Percy got up and moved to the table Nico sat at. At first Nico tensed, until he realized it was Percy. "Oh. Hey," he said awkwardly.

"Hey," Percy answered equally awkward. It didn't used to be awkward. Except.... "What's up?"

"Not much. Mythomagic. Lunch. You?" Nico hadn't looked up at him.

Percy regarded him for a while. "Nico, what happened to us?" Nico stopped dealing and stared at the table. "We were so close before.... What happened?"

Nico sighed and gathered his cards. "There is no 'us,' Percy. It's you and me. We're still best friends aren't we?" Percy nodded. "Then? What do you want from me? You want the weekly sleepovers again? You're twelve and I'm eleven; I really don't think we should still be having those. Especially if we would...." He stopped and glanced to the side where a group of eighth graders were staring. They looked away and Nico sighed. "Sleep in the same bed," he whispered.