I woke up and immediately went to check on Percy.

He was lying in his bed. His face wasn't showing any emotion, but he was biting his bottom lip so hard that it bled.

I knew that he was probably in pain.

I saw a bunch of cuts (some pretty bad ones too) appeared all over his body, and heard snaps like bones breaking.

I held Percy's hands, hoping he'll wake up.

I was worried for him (obviously).

Then his eyes shot open and he sat up. He looked frantically around the room. He seemed to visibly relax when he saw me.

"Hi Nico," he said.

"Hi Percy," I replied. I walked away for a second and came back with some stuff to help heal Percy's wounds.

"I hate that place," Percy said.

I nodded. I didn't need to ask know where he was talking about.

If Percy hadn't gone down there the second time, I could just pour some water on him and he would heal.

But, of course, if none of this had happened, we wouldn't even need to heal him right now. . .

"I'll be okay, Nico," Percy said.

"But you aren't right now," I replied, healing his wounds as best I could.

"I can act like it though," I heard Percy mutter.

"I know you can, Percy," I said, "you do it all the time."

"I've done it my whole life."

"Wait, your whole life?" I asked, confused. "But when I first met you --- that wasn't --- that couldn't have been ---"

"It was fake," Percy said, smiling sadly. "I pretend because I need to. I need to pretend, no matter how much it hurts me inside."

"Percy, I know I can't control your decisions," I said. "I can't control what you decide to do in front of other people. But what I request is that you at least let go of that facade when you are alone, or in front of only me."

Percy stared at the wall.

"Percy, I am always here for you," I told him. "Remember that. But right now --- please just show me why you're really feeling. Please remember that you are not alone."

"But I need to be strong for you too," Percy said, looking at the floor, or the bed.

I put my hands under his chin so that he would look me in the eyes.

He did.

"Percy, you are a strong person," I told him. "Only a strong person with a strong mind would be able to survive what you did. Torture? In that place? Its a wonder you are only partially insane.

"But if you need to break down every once in a while, that doesn't make you not strong. You are, and will always be, the strongest, bravest person I know."

He looked me in the eyes for a second more, then took my hands in his and pushed them away from under his chin, but then kept hold of them.

He smiled weakly at me, then looked down.

"Thanks, Nico, but I'm not."

"Yes you are," I protested.

"No I'm not," he hissed. He looked up and his eyes seemed to erupt in flames. "The brave people are our friends who died. Don't you dare insult their memory."

I leaned away from him, startled.

His eyes turned from angry to sad faster than a person could blink.

"And now I scare you too," he said miserably looking down.

I put my hands on top of his.

"It's okay," I told him. "I was just startled by how quick you switched emotions. You never used to do that."

"That's the point," Percy said quietly. "No one can be the same after going through that place."

"I know," I said. "I went there too."

"I know," Percy whispered. He shut his eyes tightly. "I just don't want to about that. I don't want to think that anyone else had to go to that place."

"You've been there twice," I said.

"I know I have," Percy said. "But still. I need to act like I've never been there at all. I need to pretend to be the person I used to be, even if I'm not."

"Okay, Percy," I said. "You can pretend in the public. But please, be who you really are now when you're with me."

He looked up and stared into my eyes for a second.

After a few long moments of silence with Percy staring into my eyes, his mask melted of his face.