Alone Again (Percico/Pernico AU)

Chapter 42

Heyoooo, lovelies! Sorry for taking ten years to update. I made my school's varsity volleyball team, so I've had practice every day. And then I'm just super tired because of it and can't really bring myself to do anything afterwards.😂😂

But anyways, this chapter is really kind of a mess, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway, whoops.

Everyone was unpredictable.
*****

After Grover returned from his phone call, Clarisse and the Stolls left him, Percy, and Nico to talk on their own. As soon as the former three were a safe distance away, Clarisse shot a death glare at Travis.

"What happened to not talking about it around them?" She asked with a roll of her eyes.

Travis shrugged. "Does it matter? Kid's just as oblivious as Percy as."

Connor glanced over at the other group of people in the room. "I'm not entirely sure Percy is as ignorant as you two think he is."

He received scoffs from both of the others. Clarisse shook her head at him incredulously. "Then why wouldn't he just tell us?"

"I think...," Connor sighed, "you won't get it."

"Just say it, Stoll."

Connor looked over at his brother, who seemed to be just as confused as Clarisse was. "Have you guys ever thought...maybe he's scared?"

"Why the hell would he be 'scared' to tell us? He's known all three of us for, what, five years now?" Clarisse protested against Connor's proposal.

Travis, on the other hand, thought he understood what Connor was hinting at, and decided it was easiest to tell Clarisse straight out. "He's talking about Gabe."

Connor nodded. "He hasn't gone into detail about him with me or anything, but just imagine the things he probably said to Percy. And why are you guys so certain he likes Nico anyway?"

"Do you have fucking eyes?" Clarisse asked him with an eye roll. "Travis hasn't even seen them around each other for a while, and he still thinks so."

"When did you last see him interact with more than, like, two people that haven't been here at some point or aren't already dating someone?" He asked her.

She quickly opened her mouth to shoot a response back, but stopped herself when she realized that Annabeth was most likely the solidest answer she had. Regardless, she still stood confidently with her opinion, muttering a rather quiet and cliché, "Percy never looked at her the same way he looks at Nico."

"They're different people, Clarisse," Connor pointed out. "And I haven't seen Percy and Annabeth near each other for three years."

"She came and saw him in the hospital," Travis said, providing Connor with a fact he was already aware of.

"Well, yeah, but-"

Clarisse interrupted, "Wait, I didn't know about this."

Travis shrugged. "Didn't know you cared."

Clarisse wave it off and returned to the topic at hand. "Do you not see how much happier he is when Nico's here?" Her question was directed mostly at Connor, considering Travis had been missing in action for a bit.

"Clarisse," Connor sighed, "I...he probably thinks that his feelings, if there are any, just don't matter if Nico doesn't feel the same way."

"Guys, he's been pining after the boy since he first told me about him. You've gotta trust me on this one," she said.

"Is Nico gay?" Travis asked, scrunching his eyebrows.

Clarisse shrugged in response. "Like hell we know."

"Yeah," Connor finally managed to agree with Clarisse, "all I know about him is that his sister got murdered, and I think he might live with-"

"Why are we talking about Nico?" A new voice interrupted, causing all three of the conversation's participants to nearly jump out their skin before looking over at Percy.

Clarisse looked around the room before retuning her eyes to Percy. "Where the hell did your friends go?"

"Had to leave," he answered, "Thalia needed Nico for something at home and Grover had to go to work."

Connor bit back a laugh. "I'm surprised Nico actually left."

"Yeah, I would've thought he'd be here the whole day like he normally is," Clarisse agreed, really just to annoy Percy.

Percy rolled his eyes at them. "He isn't here all day. There's this thing called school, you know."

"What is he? A junior?" Travis asked, to which Percy nodded.

"Aw, you two could've been in the same class," Clarisse poked Connor's shoulder.

"Nah, our mom put him in a year early because of his birthday," Travis informed, "would've been in the same class as all of us."

"So many people would think you guys are twins," Clarisse stifled a laugh.

Connor sighed. "Everybody already does, we might as well be." Travis nodded in agreement.

"Anyways," Percy returned to his original question, "why are we talking about Nico?"

"Why, wanna join us?" Clarisse asked with a smirk.

He shot a small glare at her that, to her slight aggravation, indicated that Connor's theory might've been true. "Depends. What are we talking about?"

"Nothing specific," Connor said, mostly lying even in his extremely vague answer.

Percy shook his head, not really having the energy or desire to deal with the other three. "Sure. If something important comes up in your secret talks about him though, you'll let me know, right?"

Clarisse gave him a gesture of affirmation before Percy struck up a separate conversation with Connor, who he always had (and probably always would) found the most bearable of the three. Travis acted like Percy was a second obnoxious little brother; although, in his defense, he kind of was.

And Clarisse was Clarisse.

Meanwhile, Travis and Clarisse silently exchanged looks before traveling a reasonable amount of space away.

"Hm," Percy said to Connor, "they're gonna talk about us now?"

"Probably," Connor sighed.

"Fantastic."

Y'all I just watched the end Infinity War and I don't wanna say anything specific bc I don't wanna spoil it for anyone that hasn't seen it yet.

But oH MY GOODNESS.

I am properly shooketh.

Anyways, have a great week and start of school everyone.

Rip.