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The day Leo heard Percy Jackson’s name, he immediately thought that he recognised the name. The day he saw his face he knew he looked familiar but couldn’t tell if he actually knew him or if he was being to hopeful.
You see, Leo knew someone of the name Percy Jackson. A Percy Jackson from New York. This Percy looked very similar to the Percy he knew now except the one he used to know was a lot smaller, quieter and paler. He had always thought that maybe this Percy was that Percy, but they never really had a moment alone on the Argo II. So he never asked. Didn’t want to embarrass himself asking in front of everyone else.
He didn’t want to ask in front of everyone because he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. The way they met was, well, quite depressing really. He had met that Percy in a psych ward called Sunshine’s Youth Psychiatric Hospital. Ironic name considering how half the patients got in there. Anyway, Percy was his roommate who got admitted three days before Leo got there. The two boys immediately became best friends. They had both been admitted for the same reason. A suicide attempt.
Percy was 11 years old and Leo was 10. Leo was in his third foster home and it had been his worst home so far . They hurt him physically and basically ignored his basic human needs like food and water. His foster parents made him do everything and he just couldn’t. He missed his mom so much and he gave up. They lived in an apartment so he climbed the railing of the balcony and jumped. A stranger found him and called an ambulance, next thing he knew he was admitted to Sunshine’s.
That’s when he met him. Percy Jackson, laying upside down, his legs on his bed and body hanging of the end. They immediately hit it off, and were inseparable for the four months they were there. Leo loved him like a brother. They lost contact once Percy left and Leo had to stay for a few more days. He had cried when he left, like he had a complete breakdown and screamed and cried. The nurses sent him to his room and he accidentally set his bed on fire.
Percy was the only person who he trusted since his mother died. His many foster homes either ignored or hurt him. He had some nice foster homes, but he was never in them long because the foster system sucks and liked to take him out of places that might almost make him feel safe.
Leo had only told one person about his foster homes. Percy. Not even Piper knew and she was basically his sister. He has more scars from homes and himself than monsters. It’s why he always wears long sleeves.
Percy has also shared things about his home life. He lived with his mom Sally who he spoke very highly of (no seriously, he never shut up about her, kinda made Leo miss his mom even more). Percy also lived with his mom’s husband, Gabe Ugliano, or Smelly Gabe. He said that Gabe was basically an abusive asshole who absolutely hated him. We bonded a lot over having abusive families. Percy has said that it was after a fairly bad beating he had self harmed but had lost too much blood and almost bled out in the bathroom. It wasn’t till his mom came home that the ambulance was called.
Anyway, Leo was walking towards the beach of Camp Half Blood, after Nyssa forced him to take a break from their newest project. He spotted Percy sitting on the sand by the water, water bending like that one girl from Avatar.
“Hey if we got Jason to air bend and a Demeter kid to grow plants or whatever they do, we could be like, the 4 nations from Avatar.”
Percy jumped and turned his head. “What?”
“Y’know, Avatar The Last Airbender? The nickelodeon show?”
”Oh, I never watched that.”
“Well it’s a show about a kid who— never mind it’s not important you were just doing something similar to what on of the characters does.”
He sat down next to Percy and crossed his legs. Leo then thought of something this is my chance to ask Percy if he knows me.
“Hey Percy, weird question, have we met before?”
“What?”
“I don’t know, I mean, I knew someone with the same name who was my roommate in a psych ward.”
Percy’s face changed from confusion to shock and he froze. Like he just remembered a repressed memory.
“W-Was the psych ward called Sunshine’s?”
“Y-Yeah....Was—Was that a-actually you?”
Percy turned to face Leo and with teary eyes. Leo looked back and tackled him in to a hug and Percy held him tight.
Leo was feeling so many different emotions but he was mostly happy. After 6 years he finally had his brother back.
“I knew—knew i recon—recognised you! When I saw that video you sent, I knew it was you!”
The two boys pulled apart to look at each other. They had tears running down their cheeks and grins on their faces.
Leo playfully slapped him in the arm. “Well why didn’t you say anything water boy, I spent months questioning if it was you or not.”
”I thought you might’ve forgotten i guess.”
Leo rolled his eyes and smiled, “I never forgot you and I don’t think I ever could, brother.”
Percy laughed and grinned back. “I could never forget you either Lion, now we have lots of catching up to do.”
“Um, fuck yeah we do. D-did you and your mom ever leave Gabe or is she still—“
“Oh he’s long dead.”
Leo looked shocked. “Dead! Wh—how!”
“Basically you know how on my first quest I had to kill Medusa, yeah? Well I gave her head to my mom and she used it on Gabe and turned him into a statue. She sold him to a museum and used the money to go back so college.”
“Woah, that’s—that’s crazy. I love your mom already and I haven’t even met her.”
Percy laughed along with Leo before his face fell. He looked at Leo with a more serious expression.
“Did—Did you ever try again?”
Leo looked down and fiddled with a loose string on his shirt. He didn’t want to tell the truth but had a feeling he would know if he lied. So, he told the truth.
“Y-yeah, three more times. The last time was at the Wilderness School but y’know, mist Jason stopped me. I-I haven’t felt like that since though! I’m—I’m better! Uh...have you?”
“No, a few months later I ended up at camp and then Gabe was dead, camp really saved my ass. Have you—have you hurt yourself since?”
Leo knew that question was coming. He really didn’t have a good answer. Leo had relapsed three days ago after a stupid argument with his half sister Nyssa. He doesn’t even really remember what it was about, all he knows was that it was his fault. Of course, they both apologised a few hours later after they had both cooled down. Either way, Percy would find out if he lied.
“I—ye-yeah...It’s just, i’d been to so many foster homes and most of them were terrible and never looked after me and—and I had no one, You were—were gone and just—I feel useless sometimes! On the Argo II, everyone was so much bet-better than me! Everyone—everyone hates me because I can’t do anything. I was only there to fix the ship and me and Nyssa had an argument a few days ago and we made up but she—she still probably hates me and it’s just too MUCH I CAN’T I—“
Percy has pulled Leo back into a tight hug. and was rubbing circles into his back.
“Hey, hey I get it, it can be really hard sometimes, I mean hell, I've relapsed as well. But we’re going to get better, we have each other now and all our friends. None of us hate you and you are not useless. If you weren’t on the Argo II, the ship would be boring and sad all the time, we would fall apart. You keep the morals high, you kept us from falling apart. So don’t you dare say you’re useless because it’s not true.”
“I—I didn’t know you could give such a good pep talk aqua man.”
“Ok now just because we’re having a moment doesn’t give you the right to call me aqua man.”
The two boys laughed and Percy threw his arm around the smaller boy. They walked towards Percys cabin laughing and chatting just like old friends.
They had each other again, and that’s all they needed.