Solangelo Oneshots

FOURTEEN

Inspired from the blurb above. Please don't hate me because this isn't Solangelo, but I really wanted to write this. It's not Pernico either so YAY to that!
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Percy was doing the thing again.

You know when you're staring at something but you're not really staring at it? Like when you look at something in the distance and suddenly remember that time you and your girlfriend got trapped in hell and almost died?

Yeah, Percy was doing that.

Nico just so happened to be the thing that Percy was not-really-looking-but-still-looking- at. Nico hadn't noticed but it was getting unbearable now that he'd glanced over and seen Percy just staring at him. So he walked across all the tables and sat in front of Percy, whose breakfast was left untouched in front of him.

"Percy?"

Nico waited for a response. Percy's deep green eyes stared at the space in front of him without moving or showing any sign of hearing anything.

"Percy!" Nico tried again, Percy looked up in worry and then relaxed as he saw Nico, "Hey Nico. What's up man?"

The son of Hades replied, "You were staring at me from across the room, is something wrong?" Nervousness shifted in Nico's eyes, he was afraid something was happening to Percy.

"...," Percy picked at his food with a blank expression on his face as he spooned some cereal and dropped in back in the bowl again, "It's just... I was just.. thinking. Yeah, anyways I have to go spar with Piper for a while. You know, she'll only get better if she defeats the best!" He said cheerily. Percy flashed a quick smile that didn't quite reach up to his eyes and left.

The bowl of cereal remained untouched on the table and Nico suddenly noticed how much thinner Percy had gotten in the last couple of weeks. Sure, he was still pretty fit but he was thin to the point where people would start to worry.

Nico left the table and went to his cabin to collect a few things, he had a plan.

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Percy faked a jab to the left and struck on the right as Piper moved to block him, he caught her in the hip and removed his sword. "Woah, are you okay Piper? That was really close." Piper nodded with a set look of determination.

"One more time, Percy. Then I'll leave you alone for the rest of the day." Percy smiled at her willingness and started once more.

Some of the campers were going around with cleaning supplies to get ready for lunch as they began sparring once more, Piper swept her sword underneath Percy's legs as he jumped up to defend. His sword slashed down to try and hit Piper's shoulder but she turned at the split second and raised her sword to keep Percy's away. She was bent at the waist, leaning backwards as she pushed up with all her strength.

Suddenly, Percy swung his sword around two times and Piper's went flying off. Piper looked wide eyed and then instantly grabbed a broom from a passing by camper, running towards Percy.

Percy froze.

Memories of Iapetus ( Bob the Titan ) came rushing back, he saw stars in his mind and his eyes welled with tears. With Bob came memories of other Titans that tried to kill him, the feeling of weakness that overcame him when he faced Tartarus himself.

Percy was on the ground with a broomstick on his chest and his sword sprawled beside him.

"Great job Piper, that was amazing!" He tried half heartedly, he had to leave. Now.

"I have to go but keep it up, soon enough you'll be the janitor master," Percy faked some karate moves and then started to fake sweep with an intense expression and pointless "hi-ya's". Piper giggled and waved goodbye, thanking him while leaving.

Percy's smile faded and he made it to his cabin before sitting on the bed and putting his head in his hands, crying.

Tartarus held the worst experience of Percy's life and now, he would never be able to forget it. Not anytime soon, anyway. Percy looked at the stars hologram he had Leo make for him on the ceiling and lay down completely, staying like that for a few moments.

Nico came into the room half an hour later to find Percy staring at the ceiling. He sighed, "Percy, get up." Percy got up in confusion, startled that he hadn't heard anyone come inside. Nico gestured for him to sit down on the floor, Percy did. Nico sat down in front of him and brought out some cards and statues. He took the Tartarus card and lay it down flat in between them.

"We've both been to Tartarus, Percy," Nico slid the Poseidon and Hades cards underneath the Tartarus one. "One thing I learned after getting out is that I'm not going to forget some of the things I saw in there. We both aren't. We can't do anything about that, but we need to stop living in the past and try to move on. Are you listening to me?"

Percy nodded, his eyes watery.

"I'm sorry about what happened in there. For both of us. It was hard and I know you felt weak and useless in there because so did I, but you're here now and that's all that matters. You're strong because you made it here, Percy. We had to grow up too soon and I know it's unfair, but you know what else?" Nico handed Percy the Poseidon statue while looking straight at him. He took the Hades statue and placed it right on top of the Tartarus card.

"Someone once told me that it was okay to be a kid once in a while."

Percy gave him a small smile, tears falling down his face. He looked at the statue in his hand for a second, then he put it on the card, beside Hades.

He looked up at Nico, "Yeah, it is."