Alone Again (Percico/Pernico AU)

Chapter 40

Y'all this chapter is pretty boring, just warning you beforehand.😂

"Talk soon, di Angelo."
*****

After declaring Connor the playing cards master, the deck was put back into the box and transported with the aforementioned 'master' back to his cell. Clarisse returned to hers momentarily after Connor, aware that Nico came to see Percy and not her. Nico was glad to be around her and the Stolls (although it was currently just Connor) every day as well, don't be mistaken, but he did tend to gravitate towards the person that he'd started going there to talk to in the first place.

Percy hoisted himself off the floor before taking Nico's outstretched hands and pulling him up to his feet with him.

"So," he began, "Clarisse talked to you about me being alone in three months?"

Nico met Percy's eyes, a bit shocked. "How did you...?"

"She's predictable and you're readable," Percy shrugged, "Plus, it's hard to not think about it."

"You said you'd be alone," Nico pointed out. "Won't Connor still be here?"

The green-eyed boy shook his head. "He's free on probation in two months."

"And the other two turn eighteen," Nico completed with the obvious answer for the other two.

Percy sighed, looking down the hall away from Nico. "They want to transfer me to Albany."

"Albany? That's, like, two and a half hours away!" Nico protested.

"I know, Nico. NYPD doesn't think I'll be stable enough to be in isolation here all the time," Percy explained.

Nico shook his head, throwing his arms around a bit as he spoke. "But I'm here half the time!"

"Yeah, and you're not supposed to be. Remember that you're only meant to be here for an hour on Sunday's," Percy said, gently taking Nico's flailing hands in an attempt to calm him down somewhat.

"Hey, listen," the older of the two kept talking, "I'll only be there for two-ish months, and I'm not going anywhere until Connor's out. And look on the bright side: you won't have to get dragged into all of my nonsense here."

"But I like all of your nonsense," Nico said dejectedly, knowing he couldn't win this battle without fighting the entire police department.

Percy provided a hint of a smile. "Sure you do."

"I mean, I at least tolerate it."

"There you go," Percy said with a nod.

Nico checked his phone for the time, sighing as he realized he should leave to get back to the Graces' in time for dinner. He looked back up at Percy, "Can I hug you again?"

Percy playfully rolled his eyes, cautiously opening his arms up to the other boy. He leant down a bit and rested his forehead on Nico's shoulder. "Thank you...for earlier."

Nico nodded. "Let me know if anything like that happens again, okay? I'm here to help."

"I know."

*****

Nico strolled into the apartment shared by the Grace siblings and himself at around six in the evening. Jason looked over at Nico from his spot on the couch. "Thalia went to get food, and I've been told to tell you that 'you're not allowed to complain about what she gets you because you're never here to tell her' or something like that."

Nico nodded. "Noted. Hence why texting exists. Anyways, I moved into the hugging phase today, Jason," he said, plopping on the opposite side of the couch as the blonde.

"Gods, you and your rebellious gay crush," Jason replied with a joking roll of the eyes.

"Whatever," Nico didn't even bother trying to defend himself, as Jason was convinced that Nico did, indeed, like Percy. "But it's confirmation that he doesn't still hate me from when...you know."

"And why is that?"

Nico shook his head. "He's just not a fan of physical contact, but he seems to be getting used to me."

"You know I'm still just a bit unsure about you and Percy talking-"

"Fuck y-"

"But-let me finish, di Angelo- I'm glad that you're at least getting somewhere. And maybe he really is a good person, like you keep telling me."

The younger of the two nodded. "I know he is, Jase. I'm going to get him and the rest of you guys to realize that, too."

"I haven't seen you this determined to do something since the Chik-Fil-A opened near school," Jason retorted.

Nico gaped at him with fake offense. "You know, Jason, it's not my fault the place is literally-"

"A gift from the gods," Nico and a new voice said in unison. The two boys looked over to see Thalia draping her coat over the rack near the door with a bag of Chinese takeout in the other arm.

"Hey, losers, I brought food," she said, setting the bag on the table.

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, couldn't tell."

Thalia smirked at the boy's remark before asking how his time with Percy went.

Jason took it upon himself to answer in an mockingly fake tone of happiness as he made his way over to the table, "Hugging phase, Thalia."

"Oh, really?" She questioned, holding back her laughter as Nico tried to disappear into the couch, "How scandalous."

"I hate both of you," Nico muttered as he finally walked over to the other two.

Thalia shook her head. "Can't hate me, I pay your rent."

"But can I still hate Jason?" He asked, feeling obligated to annoy the other male.

"Oh, yeah, feel free," she shrugged.

Jason tossed his hands up in exasperation. "Why am I always teamed up against in this household?"

"Because you're basically just the middle child," Thalia told him, handing him one of the boxes and ignoring the blonde's following eye roll.

Nico decided to withhold his information about Percy's probable transfer. He'd dwelled in enough unpleasantness for one day with what happened with his first interactions with Percy. And he definitely wouldn't be sharing any stories about those with Thalia and Jason. Nico was sure Percy wouldn't exactly be the happiest if everyone knew his secrets.

Even if it was a secret Nico likely couldn't handle by himself.

Out of the 1000-ish words in this chapter, only like fifty of them are actually important.😂

But I hope you guys enjoyed it somewhat, whoops.

Byeeee, have a great day/night!