Aphrodite's little secret. (A Percy Jackson x reader)

it's okay to cry.

We both laugh. 

I sit up on the bed and Percy pushes himself up too. The top of the sheets on the bed are cool when they touch my legs.

"Iris message her. Like as soon as we get you back to your cabin." I tell him.

"I don't know if she'll..know what that is...you know? Like I'm sure I could explain but like..." he says.

"Yeah, yeah I get that." I respond. 

"It'd be funny to just see someone appear in your kitchen with no context." I giggle.

He laughs too. "But what if she was doing something that I wasn't supposed to see?? Like wrapping a birthday present or something." He says, eyebrows raised.

"Woahhh. That's lowkey scary." I say.

"I can't wait to see her." He says. He looks sad.

"Hey...you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He says, quieter than before he turns his face away.

"Thanks." He mumbles.

"Percy..?" I ask.

He turns back to me. He looks like a kindergarten child on their first day of school. I can tell he's holding back tears.

"Sorry..." he doesn't make eye contact with me. 

"For what?!" I ask.

"Being a baby." He looks up at me. 

"Percy. You are not being a baby. It's okay to let your feelings out sometimes..." I tell him.

He's about to speak but his mouth is just left open. He wraps his arms around me and I told him tight.

He starts to cry into my shoulder. I stroke his hair.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I messed everything up." He says as his cries become sobs.

"Percy you did not mess anything up." I tell him.

"I did! My-my mom got t-taken away a-and I-I almost g-got the-the girl I'm in l-love with k-killed! L-luke t-tried to k-kill me and-and it's all my fault!" He's nonsensical at this point.

(Me when I try and write what it sounds like crying but it's j stuttering 😿)

"None of this is your fault Percy." I hear him gasp for air a few times. "You didn't ask to be a Half-Blood. You didn't ask for any of this." He stops crying so hard and just rests his head on my shoulder. His face is warm on my neck.

I play with his hair and it seems to help calm him. My fingers glide through it and I make little curls with my fingers.

"I love you so much." He mumbles.

"I love you too Percy." I reply

He pulls his face back at looks at me. His eyes are watery and his cheeks are red. I cup his cheek with my hand.

I use my thumb to wipe away a stray tear. "It's gonna be okay. You get to see her a soon as you're better."

"Yeah...yeah okay..." he sniffs. It hurts to see him so upset.

"And you'll come too?" He checks.

"If I'm allowed." I tell him.

"Wait...what about your family?" He asks.

"Um...that doesn't matter." I look away.

"Oh." He says quietly. "Sorry."

"You're good." I respond. "Why don't you try and get some rest?" I ask.

"Okay...what time is it anyway?" He asks.

"It's uh..." I look over at the  clock. "10:26PM." I tell him.

"Oh...so like...bedtime?" He laughs.

"Yeah, bedtime." I smile.