Perfect Little Blue Boy (Percy Jackson)

Chapter Seventy One

Paige

I finally had a date, and I was excited for this. It's the end of August, our birthday was actually today. Percy and Nico were here, going out for lunch as I was. Patrick and Clarisse live in New York. Clarisse is going to burst soon. Go into labor.

But we were going to meet my mom and dad at the apartment. Which, I didn't expect Dad to be there. At all.  I had a feeling that Mom and Dad would argue a lot. But either way, this is how they were meeting my boyfriend.

We've gone out before, yes. So this wasn't new. New place, though. We go to Michigan State, and he's never been in a huge city like Manhattan. Says he's always wanted to. So when I offered he come out here for a few weeks with me, he jumped at the opportunity.

So it's his first day here. Only for a week, though. And then we have to head back for college. But he seemed excited to meet my parents. He knows that they're split up and what not. So he won't try to make it awkward.

By the time we got to Mom's place, Patrick, Clarisse, their kid, Mom, and Dad we're there. And Susan, of course. And Tyson. Which, also meant Grover. But I'm not complaining. They're cool people. Kind of make a cute couple.

But Gordon showed up with his wife and kids. And then maybe ten minutes after Gordon got here, Percy and Nico showed up. And we were told everything was at the Empire State Building. Not here.

And I haven't explained to Ajax, my boyfriend, that my dad is a used to be god. Making me a demigod. So when we went to Olympus...

He got confused and leaned closer to me.

"Why are we on Olympus?" Ajax asked me, which had my attention. "I thought you only had two brothers, too."

"I don't know why we're here." I was honest about that. "And I have 3. Tyson is just my half brother."

"No, I knew about Tyson." He told me. "Who's the guys with Nico?"

"I, uh..." I answered his question. "Percy. The last triplet that you haven't met. How do you know Nico?"

Ajax is bisexual, I am well aware.

"He's my ex boyfriend."

And if that not awkward, I really wasn't sure what was.

"Well he hasn't recognized you yet." I pointed out as we got to the main BS room on Olympus. Which is where this party was, apparently. Somebody wanted to make a huge deal out of our birthdays, because everyone was here and it was like a party dance sort of thing.

Ajax was a year younger than me, yes. And I'm still not sure about Nico's age. I think he's a year younger but Bianca and Nico might be twins. I'm not sure.

But as people start coming around and telling me happy birthday, they meet Ajax and I talked to a lot of people before Percy walked over and handed me a bag with a card. My present.

"Percy," I yelled over the music so he could hear me. "You didn't have to get me anything! It's your birthday, too!"

"Considering you got me something, I was obligated to get you something." He joked with me. "No, don't worry. I had to get you something. You put up with me for 11 years straight. Did you get something for Patrick?"

"Yeah," I assured him, taking the bag, which had some weight to it. "He's hard to shop for, though. Where's Nico?"

Percy shrugged.

"Not sure, talking to people." My brother told me and saw Ajax. "Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

"Oh, shit!" I remembered that these two don't know each other. "I'm sorry. Percy, this is Ajax. We go to college together. Ajax, this is my brother, Percy. He lives in Minnesota. Goes to the University of Minnesota."

They shook hands and Percy was... He says it to everyone. He even said it to Clarisse. And Dad.

"Nice to meet you." Percy was nice enough in those regards. "Break her heart and I'll break you in half."

"Percy!" I exasperated, knowing Percy scared Ajax.

"I'll... I'll believe you." Ajax told my brother. "You already look scary. Do you get in a lot of fights?"

Percy shook his head.

"Not anymore." He said, which calmed down Ajax. Relieved him. "And when I did... I mean, they beat the shit out of me and I didn't do anything for years. If you don't get on the abusive road, don't worry about me coming after you. Don't hurt her and I could care less about what you guys do."

"Sounds about right." Ajax could agree to those terms pretty easily.

Nico walked up from behind Percy, and scared us more than his fiancé (I still think it's weird to think about that Percy is getting married first out of the three of us?). But he gave Percy something to drink and Ajax recognized Nico 100%, but Nico didn't even try to act like he recognized Ajax.

"Oh!" Percy realized he needed to introduce them. "Nico, this is Paige's boyfriend, Ajax. They go to college together. Ajax, this is my fiancé, Nico. We live in the Twin Cities."

Ajax

Oh...

And when I asked Nico if he ever planned on getting married he told me he'd did first when we first met. I mean, I was under the assumption that he was straight. But either way, he didn't seem big into settling down and having a family. Not for a long time, at least.

But he's my age. He's 19, and he's already engaged to a fine piece of man with an amazing sister.

Kind of offended that he never told me, though. I mean, we haven't talked for quite a while. Basically... Almost 3 years? 2½ years probably.

He was single the last time we talked. I was, but I was trying to talk to this one girl. She turned me down right away, though. That was my first thing for somebody after Nico and I broke up. Which, there wasn't a real reason behind our break up aside that he was leaving. Long distance is messy. He made it sound like he'd never come back. So we ended it there.

Nico's a good friend, though. We just stopped talking, though. Life got busy. He was there to talk to in person. I just stopped thinking about texting or calling him.

If memory serves, he had one boyfriend that I knew about after we broke up. And the only reason Nico said he won't our with the guy was because he felt bad for him and thought it'd only be one date. And one date turned into 9 months before he found out the guy cheated on him with a friend of his girlfriend. Well, not friend.

I don't know, Nico said that was a totally different thing. It was complicated. What was his name? It started with... I don't think he ever told me his name.

Regardless, he seemed happy and that's all that mattered.

That asshole didn't recognize me, though. Not even after hearing my name.

"We already know each other." I assured Paige's brother, who took that as a surprise. And so did Nico.

"We do?" Nico questioned that statement.

"Nico," I said my ex's name for the first time our loud in... A long time. Aside when I asked about Percy earlier. "Ajax. Ajax Woods."

Nico gave me a long, hard look. It was no secret that I never wanted us to break up in the first place. He broke up with me is what it came down to. But he remembered something that I never forgot.

"You still owe me ten bucks from that bet."