Stone Walls (Jercy AU)

PERCY

Percy sat in Thalia's car absolutely mortified. What if he said he took part in some underground fight club? Would they believe that? Okay, Percy definitely knew they wouldn't believe that. Percy hates fighting and he's not even swift enough to do all this kicks and flips and other stuff he didn't even know about.

But there Percy was, in Thalia's black Honda, feeling completely naked and exposed. He didn't even know what to say. Jason's words kept running through his mind over and over, We know what's going on. 

Percy took a deep breath before working up the courage to talk without sounding like a sad chipmunk, "How do you guys know?"

Thalia turned backwards in the driver's seat to look at Percy. He could see her bright blue eyes were now tear filled and gloomy like the clouds in winter. Percy wasn't sure if he had ever seen Thalia look so hurt, so vulnerable. Ever since he met her in middle school, she was tough and barely showed emotion, much less cried.

"Always had a feeling it was your stepdad," she said softly.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Grover asked, as he slowly looked up at Percy. Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw Jason turn around to look back at him too.

Percy took this moment to really look at them. His eyes grazed over Grover's face. Grover wasn't looking at him. It was like he couldn't even bring himself to look at Percy. All Grover was able to do was sit there, so far from Percy it looked like he was trying to kiss the door. His legs were together and his hands rested in his lap while he fiddled with his bracelet.

As Percy's eyes glanced back over to Thalia, he felt a pang in his chest. His heart actually hurt seeing her like that. She didn't take her eyes off of Percy. Her eyes seemed to drill holes into Percy's mind like they were looking for answers, searching for what she needed to hear and all Percy could think was if he would give the answers she needed to hear.

Then, Percy snuck a look at Jason. He was still surprised to see the Golden Boy sitting there. How could he have known? Why would Thalia tell him she found out what was going on? Unless Jason was the one who figured it out? Jason was turned to Percy too, but his head was lowered and his eyes were staring down at the mats of the car. Percy couldn't quite make out what he looked like. Pain? Pity? Guilt?

"Perce?" Grover asked again, breaking Percy out of his thoughts. "Please tell us why it took so long for anyone knew."

Percy took a deep breath, trying to gain some kind of composure. "After my mom died, he was the only family I had left. He was always a dick, but I didn't expect it to get as bad as it did."

"Have you ever thought about leaving since it got worse?" Jason asked quietly, as if he was scared to ask. To Percy, it almost sounded like he genuinely cared.

"I've thought about it," Percy said, "but he never let me. He scared me out of ever having the courage to run away."

Percy could feel his eyes swelling up with tears. He felt absolutely exhausted. The bruises painted onto his body seemed to all hurt at once, making him feel even worse. As he felt a single tear roll down his cheek, Grover put his hand on Percy. And Percy felt so relieved, so comforted. For the first time in years, he felt safe.

"We were thinking you could talk to my mom about this," Jason suggested.

Percy looked up at him a bit shocked. "You would let me ask your mom about it?"

"Of course, Percy, you don't deserve this."

And for a second, just a second, Percy felt something for this Golden Boy. He always thought Jason was attractive. Even though Thalia and Grover knew Percy was gay since high school began, having even the slightest affection for Jason would be wrong. He was Thalia's brother, and not even gay. Wasn't he dating that Piper girl anyways? Percy thought.

Percy took a deep breath before saying, "I'd like to talk to your mom, Jason."

♡♡♡

The drive to Thalia and Jason's house seemed to last hours, when it was only 20 minutes. But Percy just felt so scared. Where would he even start? What abuse story would he tell Mrs. Grace first?

Everyone had got out of the car, but Percy just sat there, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. He was so caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't realize Jason had opened the door on Percy's side. "You ready for this, Percy?"

Percy's head shot up to look at Jason's calming face. "I - I don't know. I've only ever dreamt of the moment I'd be able to get out."

"Well, it's time to make it come true," Jason said, giving Percy a small smile and Percy couldn't help but smile back at him.

Percy got out of the car and walked towards the house, Jason trailing behind him. Thalia and Grover were already inside. When Percy came into their kitchen, he saw Thalia and Grover talking quietly to Mrs.Grace. Percy stood at the doorway, not wanting to interrupt. Jason stood at the doorway next to Percy. Jason nudged Percy with his shoulder and smiled at him again, as if giving him the I know you can do this motivation.

After a few moments, Mrs. Grace's eyes met Percy's and she immediately got up to wrap her arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Percy," she whispered gently. Percy hugged her back, feeling happy to be hugged this way after so much loneliness. He hugged her back, remembering the way his mom used to hug him whenever he wasn't feeling his best.

Mrs. Grace let go of Percy and excused herself from Thalia, Grover and Jason. She asked Percy to follow her to her home office. As Percy walked out of the kitchen, he glanced back at his friends and Jason one more time. 

Beryl Grace's office was neat and tidy with brown polished wood floors and maroon walls. An average sized desk sat towards the back, two small windows on either sides of the desk. She had two tall medium bookshelves filled with law books. On her desk, she had a picture of Thalia and Jason, and a picture of her and her husband, Zeus.

Mrs. Grace sat on one of the two chairs that were set in front the big desk for her clients and asked Percy to sit in the one next to her. "So tell me, honey, what's been happening since I last saw you at your mother's funeral?"

Percy started with the night his mother died. He had spent all night at the hospital, bawling his eyes out while Grover and his mother tried to comfort him. Percy told Mrs. Grace that as soon as they got home from the hospital, Gabe started drinking. He explained it was only verbal abuse at first, where Gabe would call Percy worthless or useless, and a lot of other words Percy's didn't feel entirely comfortable saying out loud. He explained how the beatings started only a few months after his mom passed. That they started as just punches or slaps, but then escalated into being beaten with belts, clothes hangers and getting remotes or beer bottle thrown at him. He told Mrs. Grace he barely yet, couldn't join the swim team and keeping up with school got harder. But then he told Mrs. Grace how much he missed his mom. He missed her sweet smile, gentle laugh, blue chocolate chip cookies, going to the beach and watching Finding Nemo. He just missed his mom so much.

When Percy finished, he was crying. Tears streamed down his face like a river. His eyes were puffy and his face had a pink tint to it. The only things that were going through his mind was his mom and how he finally told someone about Gabe. Percy couldn't help but breakdown. He let out sobs and cries, finally being able to let everything out. Percy couldn't believe he was finally getting out. He was finally getting out.

Mrs. Grace reached over and wiped Percy's tears with her thumbs gently, whispering "Your mother would be so proud of you, it's going to be okay".