Working Class Hero [Percy Jackson and the Olympians Fanfic]

You Can't Follow Their Rules

Percy tiredly got ready for bed in Cabin Eleven, and then decided to sneak off. He sat near the water, dipping his legs into it as he looked over the ocean and hummed a song.

“It’s curfew, Percy. If you’re caught out, you’ll get into trouble,” his new counselor, Luke he remembered, told him in amusement.

Percy looked over at him and just stared. Then he gave a small sad smile and shook his head.

“I’m dying, Luke. What does it matter?” and then Percy completely submerged himself into the waters, curling his legs and just floating there for hours, thinking about his life.

Luke inhaled sharply from the nonchalant confession and from the abrupt departure of the boy, who startled him from the submersion but after remembering this was potentially the Son of Poseidon he forced himself to calm down.

Instead, he settled himself down at Percy’s former seat and waited for him to come back, even as it felt like his whole world had just shift and turned on its axis.

Sometime later, Percy’s head popped up over the water and tilted to the side, staring at him curiously.

“You hungry?” Luke asked simply.

Percy smiled and nodded enthusiastically. He followed after Luke quietly, and the two of them ate an early breakfast.

“What are you dying of?” Luke stared at him intensely, but Percy was used to people becoming extreme towards him once they knew he wasn’t going to live long.

Percy shrugged, “Leukemia. I was eight when my doctor told me I had cancer. Eleven last year when he said I was going to die at sixteen. Sooner if it keeps worsening.”

“You don’t look bothered by death.”

“My mother’s dead, Luke. I’m going to die. I only tried to live for her. Without her?” Percy shrugged again. “I don’t have anything to live for. Nothing matters anymore.”

Luke shook his head, “You have plenty to live for. You’re only twelve, Percy. You’re young, you can live through this.”

Percy frowned and an irritated look crossed his face. That is, until Percy doubled over coughing, covering his mouth with his hand. Alarmed, Luke stood up and tried to come closer, but Percy held up his other hand to stop him. After a few more seconds of Luke hearing Percy cough painfully, Percy straightened up and stared at his hand. Luke stared at it too.

It was covered in blood.

Percy winced and tried to discretely wipe his hand on the hem of the back of his shirt.

“You look,” Luke swallowed and tried again. “You look pale. And you’re sweating a lot. Are you okay?”

Percy shook his head, “I-I got to go. I’ll see you later, Luke.”

The younger boy ran away and Luke reluctantly went back to their cabin to wake everyone up and gather them for breakfast.

Luke didn’t see Percy back at the cabin and he didn’t see him at all until that night. Percy had gone through dinner quietly, praying silently to any god and then had sat at his small space at the Hermes table, eating slowly. Luke watched him closely and went looking for him during the sing-along, only to find the younger boy wasn’t anywhere near. He left the sing-along and trekked to the cabin, and found his charge already sleeping, sweating as he tossed and turned in his sleeping bag but still shivering.

Quietly, Luke took his blanket and put it over the younger boy and periodically wiped at Percy’s brow as he got ready for bed. Hesitantly, he slid into his own bed and tried to go to sleep, instead lying on his side as he stared over at Percy.