Fix You (Percy Jackson Fanfiction) (boyxboy)

It Hurts

It was a gradual process for Leo-becoming aware of his surroundings. The first thing he could tangibly identify was the pain. The dull ache in his muscles, the sharp pain in his ribs, the stinging pain from open wounds on his back being pressed into...a soft bed. It was that realization that sent waves of panic throughout his being. You see the last time he woke up in a soft bed he thought rescue had come. But he was strikingly wrong. Leo knew pain and loss. The "your life must really suck scale" didn't quite reach his height of adversity. But this, this was something else altogether. This wasn't a murder. This wasn't a stab wound. This kind of pain assaults your mind. It sabotages your ability to feel. This kind of pain crushes you.

Not long after his kidnapping Leo had awoken to the feel of a nice warm bed. But no matter how lovely your bed is, it isn't worth waking up to a sinister stranger smirking down at you. It isn't worth the stroke of a foreign finger. It isn't worth the ogling gaze of a man who isn't your lover. Leo had frantically scrambled away from the vile man the moment the situation registered in his mind. And when the man crawled towards him with a deep throaty chuckle, mocking his fear, Leo hit the opposite wall where the bed had been pressed against. And when a large meaty hand grasped his thigh, Leo had grabbed the man's face with blisteringly hot hands. And when the wounded man fled the room in agony Leo had wretched on the carpet. The next day he had woken up on the floor of the warehouse once more.

So you can see why Leo's muscles were clinching in terror. But he knew they had come to save him. He knew he'd seen Nico fighting his abductors before the darkness took him. But the "what-ifs" were too much to bear. What if they'd failed? What if he was back in that wretched chamber? What if the man had taken precautions against Leo's flames? What if Nico and Percy and Annabeth and Thalia and Hazel were now facing what he had endured?

His hands began to tremble uncontrollably. Fear was present. Anger was present. Horror was present. Shame was present. The moment a hand touched Leo's he lost control.

"Don't touch me!" he screamed as his limbs flew every which way. Kicking and scrambling he backed up until suddenly he was free falling. As his bum struck the carpeted floor he immediately continued his attempt at escape. As he hit the wall the tears flowed. Curling up into as tight a ball as possible, sobs wracked his ailing frame. "Please don't. Please don't. I don't love you. I don't love you. I don't love you. I don't love you," he ranted incoherently.

Leo failed to see a stunned son of Hades retract his outstretched hand. Leo failed to see a hurt son of Hades stumble back. Leo failed to see a broken son of Hades flee the room. Leo simply begged the empty room to leave him be. And it did.

Twenty minutes later the door slowly opened and Percy peeked inside. Both shocked and concerned at the vacated bed, his eyes surveyed the room only to find the fire-bender curled in on himself on the floor.

"Oh Leo," Percy whispered as he crept towards his friend. Careful not to wake the curly haired lad, Percy gingerly pulled him into his arms before tucking him into the bed once more. "You're gonna be alright Valdez. You're gonna be alright."

Annabeth and Hazel had been perched on a bed chatting when their door wrenched open and Nico rushed in. Slamming it with a resounding bang he fell against the door and slid to the floor burying his face in his hands. He was heaving as his lungs failed to function properly. On the verge of hysteria he slammed his head back against the door and pulled at his hair.

The silent exchange between the girls was brief. They knew this had to do with Leo. But they didn't know how to approach the issue. It wasn't long before Nico was bookended by the two girls. Hazel softly pulled him into her shoulder by the nape of his neck and Annabeth leaned forward to rub soothingly circles into his back. Nico didn't cry. He'd cried and wept and sobbed over the past few weeks. He was done crying. Nico was empty. After his breathing had slowed Hazel decided to be bold. She pushed him up off her shoulder and secured a hand in his thick hair so he couldn't slouch down and shy away.

"What's going on Nico?" his sister asked. The question came softly, yet firm. The pale demigod took a steadying breath before replying.

"He freaked out. I grabbed his hand and he just...freaked out. And then he started yelling at me and, and, and he kept saying," Nico's voice caught in his throat. His head pounded behind his eyes and his neck stiffened. An unpleasant shifting occurred in his stomach. He could feel his heart physically wrenching within his chest.

"What was he saying Nics?" asked Annabeth and all of the awful feelings increased. Hands trembling Nico whispered, "I don't love you. He said it over and over and over again. He said it till I left and maybe I should've known this would come, but I just didn't."

The Italian bit his lip and curled in tighter. "It hurts," he whimpered, "why does it hurt so much?"