Percy Jackson

We had to beg Goode to let me come back for my junior year.

I got home a few days before swim practice, and those few days were super busy. Appointments between doctors and the school admin and even with my swim coach to talk about a plan for me coming back and what I could and couldn't do.

Thankfully, I was allowed to swim this season but if my grades dipped below a C- in a class that was required to graduate, I couldn't swim.

Which meant that I'll probably be able to swim for summer swim and maybe the first week or two of classes.

My swim coach didn't like it and tried to negotiate it to just passing but that's like, already a normal standard so... I have to get at least a C-.

Which doesn't seem harm but... For a lot of classes I get Cs, and there's always one or two that I get a D in and then one good class where I manage a B. The classes I actually like.

That's how it's always been.

That D is usually math or science, where my dyslexia easily fucks me over.

But whatever. It's a battle that will come in it's own time.

So that got sorted and I had a mental health screening and that went terribly although we don't have results back yet and one those come back I have to set up and therapist and like...

It's been a lot and the one thing we haven't been able to do yet is replace my phone and I wish we could because I miss my boyfriend and I want to talk to him after not being able to for a very long time even if he like, moved on.

He probably thought I died, so I get it.

But Percy I thought you were dating Annabeth!

Well, you see, it's called a lie.

Not a lie directed at Annabeth. It's a lie that we share, you see. Everyone always suspected we'd get together and be together forever and that we we're like, star crossed lovers or whatever because of our parents and...

To be fair, I'm not out. At camp. My parents know and most kids at school know as well but it had never come up at camp before (mainly because I was too terrified to tell Beckendorf about the crush I had on him).

So I have a boyfriend or maybe had one, I guess I'll find out but... We started dating freshman year, the winter before I turned 16 and it was a big part of why I told them I wasn't staying at camp that summer. Between him, my parents, and Rachel I just... Wanted to put off facing death as long as possible.

Which, really, you can imagine how happy I was to not die that day. In a way that wasn't all that obvious I had said goodbye to him and...

Then I didn't have to.

But after the war Annabeth did kiss me, and then she seemed let down before I could even stutter a response to tell her anything.

'Sorry,' Annabeth apologized as we were still seated next to each other. 'hearing everyone talk about me made me curious. I don't like... Like you or anything, though, Seaweed Brain, don't worry. Lips are soft, though.'

'Thanks?' I had responded, confused by what just happened. It definitely didn't spark anything in me, either. 'I use chapstick, that's probably why. Um... Yeah, I wasn't too worried, I don't like you like that, either, Wise Girl.'

'Oh, thank gods,' she had said as I could see a weight lift off her shoulders. 'I wasn't sure if you did or not, hearing other people talk can... I guess I've never heard you talk about anyone you like so I wouldn't know how you'd act around them. I'm not in a rush to date, anyways. Unless I really find somebody but... I don't know, I keep lying to my grandparents because they're like, Catholic or... Mormon maybe? I don't know, we don't talk with them a ton because my dad defected from whatever church it was but they still want me getting married super young. It's stupid so I just lie and tell them that I'm focusing on school or... Yeah.'

'Well if you ever need a fake boyfriend, I can provide,' I offered to the daughter of Athena, catching her off guard.

'You're joking.'

But I shook my head.

'Serious,' and I offered out a pinkie. 'I pinkie promise that if you need me to be, I'll be your fake boyfriend.'

She chuckled and locked our pinkies.

'You sure it won't upset your girlfriend?'

'My what?'

'Rachel?' Annabeth had said it as if it were obvious we were dating when we... Weren't. 'I guess now that she's oracle it's probably different and whatever but... This won't upset her?'

But the difference from Rachel to myself was one key thing.

'Rachel's a lesbian, Annabeth.'

Now to me, somebody who befriended Rachel due to circumstance but also because we had classes together over the course of nine months, this felt obvious. Hell, she went to New York pride in June.

This was not apparent to Annabeth.

'She is?'

And I just... Nodded my head because what else am I supposed to do?

'Yeah,' I confirmed for one of my best friends. 'So I doubt she'll care. I don't have a girlfriend so... Nobody should care that I'm your fake boyfriend."

'Okay, good, but... What if we develop feelings?'

And I just shook my head.

'Are you sure?' She double checked.

'Positive.'

'Then fake partners,' Annabeth declared as we shook pinkies. 'Do you want to do a photoshoot for proof?'

And then Clarisse saw is taking those photos and rumors spiralled from there.

Rachel cornered me after hearing and that was one hell of a story for her.

Don't worry, my boyfriend does know. He actually thinks it's fucking hilarious that people assume I'm straight and dating Annabeth because she's sweet and nice and a great friend but she's far from my type. If I weren't gay, even.

Speaking of my boyfriend, though, I'll give a short summary of him: his name is Rome Ramirez and he's four months older than I am. He's on the swim team and he's also a volleyball player and he's like two or three inches taller than me (which I do love) although he's a little lankier than me and he has curly black hair which was getting longer the last time I saw him and he has like, a soft blue for eye color and he has freckles and wears a lot of rings and looks like he's ready to overthrow the government at any minute and personally? I think that's hot.

Anyways, I was at the school again, but this time it was for our first practice of the season and I got there early because I was anxious about seeing everyone again and how people react and—

"—that we even got past sections," somebody's voice interrupted my anxiousness. It was a kid in the grade above me, I think. "the fact that Derek's even captain because Jack left kind of sucks, though, because he doesn't know how plan worth shit so I have to do it."

"Yeah, but who knows how far we'll get this year," I did know the other voice for sure, it was a kid in my grade named Logan. "especially without Percy to help boost our time average. Did you hear if Rome's swimming this year or not? I know he finished the season last year but like... He was super out of it at state, I know."

"No shit he was out of it," the older dude, I think Quinn responded as I heard him open a locker. "The only way he was able to do anything was Blowfish telling him that Percy would want him to get out there and do his best because they were at state. And he was on the roster for the year so I'd assume he's coming."

Rome got to state last year?

I'm going to cry because of how proud I was that he still swam that good after I fucking disappeared.

"True, he's had more time now," Logan agreed. "I keep hoping that like, he'll just magically appear one day, not just for Rome's sake but like... I mean aren't the stats that once it's been like three days, they're gone?"

Did they miss me?

"Yeah, but he also did like, call in January or whenever it was," Quinn added on. "but I think I heard my mom say something about last month they were pretty sure he was gone. Something happened that my mom didn't really know, but it was something like that, would've been fucking insane to survive. I don't know, I guess his dad is involved with some weird shit, so there's... Yeah. I'm sure if he's not here, they'll tell us in class on the first day if there's going to be a service or anything."

And really, what's a better way to interject?

"They're not having a service," I told Quinn and Logan from the other side of the lockers and could sense how still they fell as my voice was familiar but something they hadn't heard in a while.

The two of them, half undressed, just about tripped over themselves coming to the other side of the lockers to see me. Having been here the whole time.

"Y— you're alive!?" Logan exclaimed, seeming... Shocked. Excited.

"Yeah!"

"How!?"

"I don't really know!"

"And we didn't hear about this from your boyfriend because...?" Quinn questioned and I let off a nervous laugh.

"My phone's destroyed and i think in an ocean," I explained. "i have only seen my parents and a doctor and admin since I've been back. It's also been... Three days. I did try going to his apartment yesterday, but... Nobody was home."

"So he... Doesn't know?"

I shook my head.

"Well we're super glad that you're alive and here," Quinn insisited, which was nice to hear. "I'm going to get dressed and get out to the pool because I might cry if I see your reunion."

"You're so soft, Q," Logan insisited as they walked back over to their lockers.

"And it's better than being heartless, jackass."

That sounded familiar. Those two always bicker it feels like. Kind of like Clarisse and I do.

It's all in good fun, though.

Well... It is now. It used to just be mean.

After a minute or so, they were out of the locker room, bickering about something with yogurt, I don't know.

But a few moments after they left and silence has covered the lockers room once more, as I'm currently just redoing my locker because I had things in it that got taken out, I heard the door open.

"Yes, Mom, it'll be fine," and because he's generally anxious and always nervous about running late, Rome was here early. "I'll let you know, calm down, I have to go, I just walked into the locker rooms, okay?" "Mhm. I know, yup." "Love you, too, Mom. "

Hearing a sigh, I froze because fuck I haven't put a lot of thought towards this.

"Pull up my lock combo..." Rome quietly said to himself as he turned the small corner to our row of lockers of which it's just us because it's the last aisle and the other two that used to share with us don't swim anymore.

I wonder if he ever for lonely with his locker back here.

And he looked up, his hair bouncing into place as he took his last step, phone in left hand, swim bag in right, and then I'm just...

Standing here. Not sure what I should or could do.

And Rome's right in front of me. Eyes widening I think out of shock as he definitely dropped his bag and luckily his phone has a case on it because that's on the ground now, too.

But then the realization came and it hit him like a wave.

Rome opened his mouth just a little as tears pooled in the corners of his eyes and his lip seemed to tremble before he was able to get anything out of it.

"P... Percy?"

Walking towards me, slowly, trying to take it in, Rome lifted his hands up and I said the only thing I could.

"Surprise."

This ball of anxiousness sitting in my stomach was slowly going away, curtosy of Rome cupping my face with his hands because now I'm going to cry and like...

Being pulled into a hug so desperately cut off my train of though, as small as it was because I was just focused on him and the feeling of his hands on my face and now he's hugging me like there's mothing else in the world.

Hearing him cry broke my fucking heart.

So you know, I also cried, but it wasn't quite as hard as he was. I was still able to talk and he... Couldn't.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here now," I told Rome as I returned the hug because fucking duh, I missed him and I missed being able to touch and hold him in literally any capacity ever. "This is real, I'm actually here. You're awake, you're not dreaming. It's okay. Please breathe, okay?"

The fact that nobody walked in during that minute or two where we were a mess and he was just at a loss was kind of a miracle. It was still just us.

After that minute or so, he pulled back from the hug to cup my face again and I was more than here for it. It's like one of my favorite little things that he does a lot.

"I missed you," Rome told me as I wiped a tear away for him. "so much."

"I missed you, too," I said in return, smiling up at him and he smiled back. "i don't have a phone otherwise you would've known sooner but... I tried coming over yesterday but you weren't home."

"Yeah we went school shopping yesterday," he responded as we just stayed where we were. "How long have you been back? Paul was like, keeping us updated while he was finding things out."

"Just three days," I said and that seemed to relieve him a bit. "Yeah, just long enough to talk the school into letting me come back after being gone last year. The only reason they didn't expell me was because I was officially filed as a missing person, apparently. Paul also threatened to like, leave if I couldn't attend here."

He cracked a smile which was followed by a chuckle and it was really cute.

"Good, I'd also threaten to leave," Rome told me as his thumb rubbed along my cheek. "I missed you a lot. Grieving is exhausting."

"You grieved?"

I was going to melt in his hands.

"Well of course! You went missing out of nowhere!" He insisted. "Your parents were like, freaking out. After a while it just like... It sucked. Because most people don't survive going missing like that and... Then you called so I had some hope and then last month they were saying that you might be gone but they weren't sure and... Now you're here!"

Nodding my head, I was able to indeed confirm that I'm here.

"I'm here," I repeated and he smiled and gods I fucking love that smile. "I'm alive and I'm here. Did... Um..."

Is this a stupid question?

He's cupping my face, after all.

I should still ask.

"You're not seeing anyone else, are you?" I asked just like... As a precaution because I'm afraid to initiate anything if I don't know. "I'd completely get if you are, it's been like forever, but..."

It was a stupid question.

"Am I... Percy, everyone, myself included, still calls you my boyfriend," Rome told me and I smiled because I like that reminder. "No, I'm not seeing anyone else, I was waiting for you."

"Oh thank gods."

And as that weight lifted, I saw my boyfriend's eyes light up a bit as he let out a laugh at my visible relief.

"What? I just wanted to make sure,"

But he rolled his eyes and tilted my head up just a little. Just enough to make our line of eye contact a straight line.

And then my boyfriend and I shared our first kiss in... A long... Months and I just felt like jello in his hands.

"I love you," Rome reminded me. "Is that reassurance enough?"

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Would you look at that, I'm still alive and writing. I've been working on this for a while between classes and work and what not! If you guys have any fanart you want featured in these chapters, I'd love to boost it! I hope you enjoyed this because there's like, more to come.

It's good to be back!