Ghosts

I sat on the couch, watching Sally sing along word for word with the songs of the movie. She had long ago left her seat, giving us a proper performance. Percy chuckled, and my head moved with the movement of his chest, jerking me from my trance. I twisted around to look at him. He was watching his mother with a fond smile.

She calmed down up until the scene where Jack and David were talking on the fire-escape. She lunged towards us, grabbing her son by the wrist and trying to pull him out from under me. He tried to resist, but this was Percy Jackson. No way in hell would he ever decline a request from his mother.

David climbed back through the window into their apartment, and Jack started making his way down the steps, a piano playing the first notes of the next song.

"So that's what they call a family. Mother, daughter, father, son. Guess that everything you heard about is true. So you ain't got any family. Well, who said you needed one? Ain't ya glad nobodies waiting up for you?" Percy sang along. Sally sat back down and watched her son with the biggest smile I've ever seen. His cheeks tinted pink as he started singing louder.

"When I dream, on my own, I'm alone but I ain't lonely...for a dream a night's the only time of day...when the city's finally sleeping, and my thoughts begin to stray, and I'm on the train that's bound for Sante Fe..."

"And I'm free, like the wind, like I'm gonna live forever. It's a feeling time can never take away...All I need's a few more dollars, and I'm outta here to stay...Dreams come true, yes they do, In Sante Fe..."

"Where does it say ya gotta live and die here?! Where does it say a guy can't catch a break?! Why should you always take what you're given?! Why should you spend your whole life living trapped where there ain't no future? Even at Seventeen? Breakin your back for someone else's sake? If the life don't seem to suit ya, how about a change of scene? Far from the lousy headlines, and the deadlines in between?"

This is where the dance routine kicked in. I couldn't help but smile as Sally, all but cackled. Seeing how happy she was, I understood why Percy did it. Percy followed Jack Kelly's movements to a tee. Who knew Percy could kind of dance. As Jack jumped on a horse, Percy jumped on me and judging by Sally's laughter; she enjoyed the show.

"Sante Fe?" Percy sang, throwing his head back. He stared back at me, smiling before he continued. "Are you there? Do you swear you won't forget me? If I found you, would you let me come and stay?" Yes, to all of the above.

"I ain't getting any younger, and before my dying day...I want space, not just air. Let them laugh in my face I don't care. Save a place. I'll be there..." He slowly lowered himself onto my chest, his head slotting comfortably into the crook of my neck.

"So that's what they call a family...Ain't you glad you ain't that way? Ain't you glad you got a dream called Sante Fe?" He kissed my jaw before he settled back underneath me, pulling me back into his chest.

The movie continued. The newsies went on strike in song form, of course. As Jack Kelly broke a stick over his knee, I heard a quiet groan come from Percy. I shifted to look back at him. As I moved, I felt something push against my lower back. I raised a questioning at him.

"What?" he asked in a whisper. "I told you the movie turned me gay." He pulled me closer, nuzzling into my neck. I caught a glimpse of Sally glancing at us with a smirk. We watched the movie further with Percy and Sally singing along. As the end credits rolled, Sally got up and excused herself to bed. She gave both Percy and I a kiss on the cheek as she left.

"So, what'd you think?" Percy asked as we started cleaning up. He turned off the TV and took the popcorn bowls from me, making his way to the kitchen.

"It was good," I answered, following to the kitchen. "Why is it your mother's favourite?"

"My mom's parents died when she was young. Her uncle adopted her." He put the bowls in the sink, turned back towards me, and pulled me closer by my waist. "When he got cancer, she dropped out of school to take care of him. He was the only family she had, after all."

"What happened to him?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"He died right after she turned eighteen." Percy let his eyes fall to the ground. "The little inheritance she got had to pay the medical bills. So eighteen, no high school diploma, no money, and then she met my father. He helped her out of a tight spot, and they got married," he shrugged.

"That's not really the best reason to get married," I frowned at him.

"I know it isn't, which is probably why it didn't work out, right?" I shrugged in answer. "Problem is, that when they split, she was right in the same boat. No high school diploma, no money, with the addition of an ADHD, dyslexic kid. She was desperate. Enter Gabe."

"Percy," I didn't know what to say.

"The point is, she knows what it feels like to be down on her luck, knows what it feels like to be disrespected and trampled on." I was starting to understand. "I think she always wished she could, you know, seize the day and rise above it, and she did. Throughout the whole fiasco with Gabe, she got her GED while working two jobs, and now she's working on her English degree."

"That's amazing," I smiled at him, and he smiled back. What was it with this family and bouncing back from horrible pasts.

"Ready to turn in?" he asked, and I answered with a nod. He pecked my lips before he pulled me to his room. I pulled pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt from my bag to change into. Percy looked baffled.

"What?" I asked at his confused state.

"Why the shirt?" he asked. I immediately understood his confusion. I never wore a shirt to bed. It felt suffocating to me, and Percy knew that.

"Decency?" I looked at him like it was apparent.

"My mom wouldn't care, babe," he shrugged. "And we both know you're not gonna get a wink of sleep wearing a shirt."

"Maybe we can find something else to do, seeing that I'm not going to sleep..." I wiggled my brows at him, and he burst out laughing.

"So, you don't want to be shirtless, but you want to be naughty?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me, a smirk on his gorgeous face.

"Well, I was a dick to you, and I still need to make it up to you," I drawled as I lightly pushed his chest. He fell onto the bed, and I straddled his hips.

"Jason, my mom's in the next room," he said, and I silenced him with a kiss, hands reaching for his belt.

"We both know you can be quiet, Perce." I kissed his jaw as I unbuttoned his jeans.

"Jason." I kissed his lips again, slowly slipping my hand past the waistband of his underwear.

"Hush," I whispered in his ear. "We wouldn't want your mother to hear."

"Jason, stop!" Percy went utterly rigid. "Get the fuck off me!" he spat.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling back to look at him. Percy looked seriously panicked. Percy shoved me off him, and I landed on the floor. He scrambled to the far end of the bed, where he hugged his knees to his chest and started rocking slightly. "Percy?"

Percy shook his head, refusing to look at me. I was incredibly confused. I've had enough panic attacks to know one when I saw it. Why, though? He's never had one before. What set him off? Then a thought hit me.

"Percy, did you guys move, you know, after...?" Percy shook his head, tears streaming down his face. Shit! "Percy, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of...him." I tried to crawl closer to him arms reaching for him.

"Don't touch me," he spat. I sprang back. "Don't look at me." I turned around, sitting on the edge of the bed.

I didn't know what to do. What were you supposed to do when you reminded your boyfriend of his abusive stepfather in the same room the said stepfather raped him. I clutched at the sheets, my knuckles turning white. What was I supposed to do? I forced myself not to hyperventilate, forced myself not to cry. I had to stay calm. Percy needed me now more than ever; I had to be reliable. I heard him sobbing behind me, and it broke my fucking heart.

It felt like ages before I felt a hand on my shoulder. Percy pulled me down onto the bed, where I lied on my side, back still to Percy. I felt him lightly press his head in between my shoulder blades. He let out a shaky breath. The hand on my shoulder was still slightly shaking.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. I whipped around and instantly felt like trash when he flinched.

"What on earth are you apologising for?" I asked, tears pricking at my eyes.

"For being so fucked up," he answered, pulling into himself. I tentatively reached out to him. When he didn't object, I gently pulled him into my arms.

"Percy, it was never your fault." I rubbed circles into his back. "And you never have to apologise for it. If anything, I have to apologise for triggering you." He raised his head and looked at me. "I'm sorry."

"Please don't apologise, Jason," he whispered. "It's not your fault either. It's just...being here, I kind of still see him floating around like a ghost."

"Why didn't you guys move?" I asked.

"We can't really afford to, seeing that both my mother and I are college students," he shrugged. "We've tried to fix it up, you know, erase him. My mother and I spent my whole senior year spring break, pulling out the carpets, and sanding down and varnishing the wooden floors along with the kitchen cabinets."

"Okay, I can take one positive from that." He raised a questioning eyebrow at me. "You're handy with tools?" Percy chuckled.

"Yeah, kinda," Percy smirked at me. "I actually built this bed frame...after I burnt my old one. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm useless." Percy burst out laughing.

"How can you be useless?" he asked, eyes twinkling. I was just so relieved he was okay again. Well, as okay as anyone in his shoes could be at least.

"We just always paid someone to fix, install or build things for us." I shrugged. "To be honest, my father rarely went through the trouble of having anything fixed. He usually just bought replacements for whatever broke."

"So when I move in with you, I'll need to be your handyman?" I bit my lip. The thought of Percy in a tool belt, putting up drywall got me kind of hot.

"We should really get some sleep," I mumbled, and Percy yawned in response.

"Yeah..." he mumbled as he stripped down to his underwear and got under the covers. I got dressed in the pyjamas I had brought. I pulled out my contact lens case along with the solution.

"Could you help me put my lenses in their case?" Yeah, I could get the first one in just fine, but the moment the second lens was removed, I couldn't see shit and would generally have to put my back up glasses on to find the fucking case.

"Of course," he said, patting the spot next to him on the bed. As I sat down, I popped one lens out and put it in the case. I then handed the case to Percy, not trusting myself not to spill the lens solution or drop the case. I popped out the second, and Percy guided my finger to where it had to go. He placed the caps on and set the case on the bedside table.

"Take off your shirt, Jase," he ordered, and I felt him pull the piece of fabric over my head. He then pulled me down into his chest, where I snuggled in for the night. I have come to really appreciate our nights like these. Seeing that I was practically blind, my other senses seemed to heighten.

I felt the heat radiating off Percy in waves, heard his heart beating steadily underneath my head. The patterns he was drawing on my back was almost discernible. I tried to match his deep, even breaths.

"I love you, Jason," Percy whispered into my hair.

"I love you too."