Percy Jackson

It still wasn't easy to say goodbye to my friends over by the Big House, but I missed my mom a lot, and I knew I'd see these guys again. Some of them sooner than others.

Nico, of course, offered to shadow travel me home, which meant he shadow travelled to the nearest subway stop and we walked together to the apartment building because he was insistent on not interjecting in my reunion with my mom, which I kind of appreciated because I do want a day with just her soon. Maybe tomorrow, if we can.

So we stopped outside the apartment building, and I think he was the one that pulled me into the hug, and we stayed there for a minute.

We've been around each other every day for like two months now, sharing a room and everything. It's going to be a little weird to sleep alone again and to not have him, or even anyone else all the time.

I know it's good, though, that he isn't over constantly because I don't want to become dependent on him. We're a couple, and I love being with Nico so much and he makes me less sad.

But we are our own people, too. Individuals, and if we were so closely interwoven with each other that we became dependent on each other and knew every single thing about each other, I don't think it would end well, and I love him too much to want to risk finding out. We're w couple, not one person.

We have to go back to our own lives, and meet those two lives where we choose is fit for them to meet.

"Are you going to stay at Camp Half Blood this year?" I asked as we remained in the hug, and I was relieved when I felt him nod.

"I'll definitely have to visit Camp Jupiter to see Hazel, but I'll let you know when I go in case you want to come with to see everyone, too," my boyfriend promised me. "I'll mostly be at Camp, though. Or here, after a few days, of course."

"And I'd love to have you over," I told my boyfriend, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "make sure you eat dinner, okay, Neeks? Love you."

"I don't think anyone at that camp would let me get away with missing dinner. I love you, too, Sweets."

With that, we pulled away from the hug, I squeezed his hand, and walked into the apartment complex.

It's time to go home.

I stood outside the door for almost 3 minutes, my anxiety being stupid about knocking on the door because I wasn't given my key when I went missing and I don't think we have a spare because my copy was the spare.

But eventually, I raised my fist and knocked on the door three times before hearing footsteps.

Swinging the door open, I was faced with my mother, still in her pj's even though it was like 4pm, almost immediately being hit with shock at the sight of me.

Because, I'll admit it: I didn't look amazing.

Between Tartarus taking a small toll on my body, having just finished two battles (although thanks to the lake, I wasn't as dirty as I was earlier), on top of the suicidal thoughts I've had lately, the depression, and the anxiety, I probably looked borderline horrifying.

"Hi," I said after taking a second to muster up the courage to actually say something, in a slight shock myself. "I uh... I'm home."

And almost as soon as I said it, my mom pulled my into a desperate hug and began to sob.

But you know what? I cried, too.

That was okay, though, because if I didn't cry when we hugged, there would be probably be something wrong with me that isn't already fucked up.

I haven't been home in nearly 9 months. I missed Christmas and New Years and Nico's birthday and our six month and Fourth of July and Mom's birthday and so many other important things that I'm never going to get back, so it was okay that I cried.

After all, I missed my mom.

But now I don't have to miss her, because she's right here.

I missed my home, but I don't have to anymore. Because I'm home.

And maybe that's going to be the hardest thing to get used to again. Not having to miss it anymore.

Either way, it didn't matter, because right now I'm back in my mom's apartment, hugging my mom, and those are the only two things that mattered to me right now.

I'm home.

"I missed you."

The End.