Luke stopped running. Stopped running from family, from home, from monsters, from pain.
He found a new way out. Stay and you won't get left. Heal and you won't get hurt. Make them smile and you'll smile too.
A way to stop the pain.
So yeah, he's been always running, but it's different now. He never had a reason to stay anywhere. Now, he has Leo.
~~~~~~~~~~
Nico stopped hiding. Stopped hiding from Percy, from the world, from help, stopped hiding from everything.
He found a way to where the shadows stopped hurting. He found a place where the only place he could be himself. The only place he couldn't get hurt.
Of course, that meant people realized he was there. But was that really that bad? It wasn't like speaking would hurt you, it was the only way to really heal.
And now, he has Percy to help him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Percy stopped lying. How are you doing? Not that good. You need something? Yeah, actually. Wow Percy, you help me so much, you need any help? Yeah.
It doesn't have to be that way. The years of lying because of Gabe stopped. He could now talk about it with his friends, and he didn't need to push people away.
Plus, the entire camp was starting to be normal. His attempt to end his life wasn't forgotten but it was forgiven.
Honestly, he was glad he didn't have all the attention. He could be who he wanted, nothing fake or different.
And Nico was always there if he needed someone.
~~~~~~~~~~
Leo stopped faking. Stopped covering up the pain with a smile. When he laughs, it's a real joke. When he smiles, it's not fake.
No one treated him differently once he smiled again. He could crack a joke or two, and actually feel happy. He had everyone and everything when he stopped faking it.
And, he didn't have to worry about being caught. He could take off the weight of the world. It was easier this way, no little voice telling him he was worthless.
He's finally stopped faking, and it feels so much better now that Luke and the rest of them know the truth.
~~~~~~~~~~
And they were all glad that Always didn't last forever.
