The small town came into view across the lake, buildings showing through the cracks in the trees and foliage. The road they were on would take them around the lake and into the heart of the town, where Will was destined to spend the rest of his teenage years.

That didn't upset him as much as leaving his parents did. But they had a trip to go on, had things to do, and this place was one of the most beautiful he had ever seen.

His cousin Poseidon was driving, having picked him up from the airport about an hour previously. Will would be moving in with him and his family until...well, he wasn't sure for how long. Until his parents got back.

Whenever that was. They had estimated a year or two.

"How do you like the quiet?" Poseidon asked. "Coming from a big city, it's going to be a change."

Will nodded. "A good change, I think. It's beautiful here."

As they wrapped around the lake and got on the main road into town, more buildings came into view. A church, a school, little shops and a gas station. Small dirt roads broke off and winded down into the forest, one in which Poseidon soon took. That's when Will saw the first houses, most covered by trees, their driveways just tire marks in the dirt.

Poseidon pulled into one and turned the car off, waving to his son on the porch before looking to Will. "Ready?"

The trees were like a blanket, everything felt at peace. Will didn't know why he hadn't moved there sooner.

"Ready."

They got out of the car and grabbed his bags from the trunk, the teenage boy from the porch running to help. Percy Jackson, Poseidon's son. Will had met him a few times in the past but never for long. Black hair swept from the wind, green eyes, tan skin despite the overcast of trees. He wore jeans and an orange T-shirt with a blue jacket.

"Will, long time no see," Percy greeted as he grabbed a suitcase. "Your room's right next to mine, and you'll have the same schedule as me at school."

"How'd you manage that?" Will asked, letting them lead him up the crumbling stairs and into the well-used house. Home. It smelled and looked like home and family and love.

"Dad knows the principle."

Percy led him up a small staircase that seemed squished against the back wall as if it was forgotten in the original plans and forced to fit. The wood creaked but didn't break like Will expected it to do as they walked up.

"Plus," Percy puffed as they got the bags to the top, "we never get new kids. Ever."

They seemed to have lost Poseidon somewhere in the move. The house was dark from lack of sunshine but the upstairs hallway was the worst. Percy threw open the door to what Will saw as the bathroom and flipped the light on, it softly illuminating their feet and the wood below them.

The darkness wasn't scary but made him sleepy. He could hear crickets and locusts.

"There's your room," Percy pointed to the last door in the hallway. "A little small, it was the little ones' playroom."

"Small is fine," Will assured. When they got back there, however, Will saw how small it really was. Tiny, more like it. Barely bigger than a closet or bathroom.

But that somehow made it more comfortable, tucked into the house, dark and warm, just his. His burrow.

He didn't realize he voiced this until Percy let out a loud laugh.

"The Burrow, that's what we're calling it from now on," Percy decided. He set Will's belongings on the floor and stretched. "You saw where the bathroom is, dinner will be in a little bit. I'll be in my room if you need me, but I'll leave you to get your things situated."

Will closed the door once he was gone and looked around his wooden burrow. One window above an air mattress, a thin crevice on the far side. Will decided to pull the mattress over to the crevice so it was surrounded by wall on three sides, having to squeeze it but getting it to fit. That left more room for his things, not to mention making it even more comfortable. He put his sheets, blankets, and pillows on, set his bed up before moving to his bags. He folded his clothes and stacked them against the wall, not having brought much because of the bag limit on the plane. Then there were toiletries, which he left in the bag, his phone and laptop going on his bed, some soccer posters that he put aside to hang up later.

When he was finished, Will laid back on his bed and curled up, smiled despite the major life move, closed his eyes, and dozed off into a peaceful sleep.

It was like taking a nap after spending the day in the hot sun, nothing but your sunburn to keep you warm, a soft breeze playing with the tips of your hair.

.

.

His blue eyes fluttered open to meet Percy's, that green so like the ocean he used to swim in. He wondered how long it'd take before he started to miss it.

Percy grinned down at him. "Dinner's done."

Will sat up and stretched. The crickets were definitely going at it now. The sky visible was a red blossom.

"I'm surprised this town's so small." Will followed Percy down the hallway and staircase. The bathroom light still illuminated their steps. "It's beautiful, you'd imagine people would flock to it."

Percy laughed, and it was one of those laughs that you couldn't help but join in. "Nobody comes here except if it's a case like yours. Small town, no opportunities, that sort of drift."

The dining room was connected to the kitchen by a half wall made of the same wood as the flooring. Will sat beside Percy at the table, recognizing Percy's parents along with his two little siblings, Estelle and Tyson.

They were twins, around five or six years old. Tyson was blind in one eye and was currently missing his front teeth, while Estelle had frizzy hair impossible to tame and a set of glasses always on her small face.

"It's good to see you, Will." Sally gave him a half-hug before continuing to make plates. Mashed potatoes, chicken, some other vegetables. The smell made his mouth water. "How are you liking Frostford?"

Will looked around the room. "I love it. It feels like home, even if I've never been here before."

"Wasn't he born here, mom?" Percy asked, already halfway done with his plate when Will hadn't even started. Tyson and Estelle were having a carrot war.

Sally nodded. "He's right, Will, you were. Then your parents found a way out, took you with them. You were only a couple weeks old."

Will accepted the new piece of information easily. "Their way out, it was dad's music?"

Poseidon pointed his fork at him. "Went on about it for weeks, he did, explaining the same story time and time again. Even your mom got fed up with it."

Will smiled at the distant thought of his parents. "Sounds like them." There was yelling outside, not too far away, and that also sounded like them. Especially after Will came out on a Sunday afternoon, the church bells still ringing, the sun too bright. His father had never treated him the same.

(Will tossed around the idea that his father's homophobic rationality was one of the reasons he was here and not with them. But this place already felt more like home than his house ever had)

Dinner was full of welcomed conversation, love, banter and innocent teasings. Will had a summer heart and this room was the sun.

.

.

"What are you planning on doing after high school?" Sally asked as he helped her clean up. Percy had left with some friends and Poseidon was getting the kids into bed.

"I'm deciding between a child therapist and a doctor. Both are saving people in their own way." Will brought the dishes to the sink and started to wash them. There was a window right above the sink, cracked open and letting in a cool breeze. The backyard was visible, some grass and toys before it merged into the never-ending forest. "But either way, definitely going to college. So I'll have to move out of here."

Sally began to dry the dishes he handed her. There was no dishwasher, no space for it. Water started to soak the cupboard. "Will...never let that decision leave your mind. Go to college, get out of this town. Percy...he's stuck here just like all those friends of his. They don't focus on school, don't try to get scholarships. He used to want to be a marine biologist. Now he'll probably end up working in town, and it's safe, but he could have been so much more. I don't want you to lose your opportunity, either."

The plates he washed looked as old as the house. He wondered how many generations they had been passed down. In his city, they'd be labeled fine china and put on display. "Staying in this town doesn't seem so bad to me. It's beautiful, it's home. Or, at least it is to all of you. It's peaceful. Living here with a family sounds pretty good, I have to admit."

"It's not the same when you grow up here," Sally stressed. "But thank you for trying to cheer me up." She put the dried dishes away before hanging her wet towel. "Maybe it'll be good for him, and I won't complain if it is. But you don't find that mindset on many people here."

The setting sun covered the counter in a red blanket. Orange mixed in here and there. "Is it cool if I go to bed, get mentally prepared for school tomorrow?"

Sally glanced at the clock before starting a pot of coffee. "Go ahead, Will. I know it must have been a long day. Let me know if you need something, I'll be up."

Waiting for Percy, he decided. She stayed up waiting for Percy to get back. Bags were under her eyes and he was sure that wasn't her first cup of coffee.

"Oh, and one more thing, if that's okay."

She smiled and gestured for him to continue.

"I usually get up early and take a jog. That's cool, right?"

Sally laughed. "Oh god, yes. If only Percy was doing things like that. But the only exercise he gets is swimming in that lake."

"It's fit for swimming?" Will asked.

She shook her head. "It's not even fit to be our water supply. But Percy likes to break any rules we set up for him."

He saw the stress in her eyes, the lie of her easy expression. He chose to ignore it.

Will bid her goodnight and went up to bed. The bathroom light lit the way.

It wasn't just his routine that got him up the next morning, it was the excitement at seeing the town he was falling in love with. His birthplace, his new home. He threw on clothes before the sun had a chance to rise and crept out of the creaking house.

They didn't have to lock the door here, he observed. And from the looks of it, he was pretty sure the lock didn't even work. Broken and worn like the rest of the house.

Will threw his headphones in and put his phone in his pocket, the flashlight lighting the way. After a quick decision, he headed further down the path away from town.

Dirt soon covered his shoes and rocks found their way inside. The houses he passed were silent, sleeping ancient beings. They only grew older and larger as the path continued on.

At the fork in the road, he took the left path, not thinking much but having years of muscle memory. An old friend of his always said to keep left in mazes, and it soon became their thing. Then that friend moved to California, keeping his movement left, never looking back.

Will never went searching for him. Maybe they weren't really friends, after all, just there to hang out when bored, to fill the empty space.

Houses turned to just forest. Only away from civilization did he start to hear voices.

He came to a clearing with overturned logs arranged in a circle and the remains of a fire pit, which wasn't really smart with everything around them. But the fire was out and nothing more than debris, and not even the grass around it seemed singed.

A teenage boy was sitting on one of the logs, brown hair flying everywhere and eyes that flashed as that fire once had. He was packing a bag with what looked like scraps of metal, a toothpick between his teeth. Dirt covered his cheeks and hands. "I'm just going to run these back to the bunker. Then we'll head out. But I need to get it all inside before it gets rained on. That's the whole reason we came out here."

The one he was talking to was shorter but around the same age, with black hair and eyes, pale skin covered in bruises, a cigarette in his mouth. He sat perched on a motorcycle, one foot on the ground, wearing an aviator jacket, black skinny jeans, and combat boots. "Dude, school starts in like two hours. I want food."

"And I'll buy you a burger, chill. Just one last trip to the bunker." Fire-Eyes looked passed Motorcycle Boy and caught sight of Will. Will was about to bolt, but that face only broke out in a grin. "You can wait here with shorter Jason."

"Shorter Jason?" Motorcycle Boy turned in confusion before catching sight of Will, his eyes narrowing. "Who the fuck are you?"

Will turned his music off and stuffed his earbuds in his pockets. "Um...sorry, I was just taking a jog. My name's Will Solace, I just moved in with my cousin."

"And your cousin is...?"

"Percy Jackson."

Fire-Eyes burst out laughing. He bent over and clenched his stomach, laughing so hard Will was sure he'd give himself a hernia. Motorcycle Boy, on the other hand, kept his face neutral but a vein seemed to pulsate in his temple.

"You're Percy Jackson's cousin?" he asked. "You're serious?"

Will nodded. "I, uh, will be living with him for a few years, until I go off to college."

That made Fire-Eyes laugh even harder.

"Leo, take your things to the damn bunker before I leave you!" Motorcycle Boy ordered, no doubt sick of the reaction, though Will still couldn't pinpoint why Percy's name had made him laugh so hard. But at least he got one of their names out of it.

"Will, you made my day," Leo declared, shouldering the bag. He grabbed a lit flashlight off the ground and pointed it at Will. "We're totally hanging out at school."

"No, we're not," Motorcycle Boy declined.

Leo huffed. "Hell yeah, we are. Will, I'll be right back. Don't let Nico get you down when I'm gone."

Then he was jumping through the foliage, disappearing from sight, even his flashlight beam becoming a memory.

Nico's eyes were black orchids, his upturned nose and sharp cheekbones a work of art. Will felt his heart quicken.

"Do you usually strike up conversations with those you meet in the woods?"

Will flushed. "Not usually."

Nico raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, instead grabbing his own bookbag and throwing it on. The key chain hanging from the bike was black with yellow smiley faces. His hair was a mess, parted but unbrushed, a silver hairpin stuck in there, looking like a wedding accessory for a woman more than anything else. A few braids were done in the back.

Strange, Will mused. But beautiful. Something about him just got to Will, just like the town had.

If someone asked about Frostford, Will would tell them to just take a look at Nico. The two became one in his mind.

"Told you it wouldn't take long!" Leo gasped as he ran back into the clearing. He jumped on the back of Nico's motorcycle, pulling a phone from his pocket and texting away.

As soon as Leo was on Nico gave Will a two-finger salute before driving off, leaving only a trail of upturned pebbles behind. The sound of the motorcycle rang in his ears before the silence of the forest took over.

The sun was starting to blossom. Will put his earbuds in and started the run home.

Will was out of the shower and in the middle of breakfast when Percy finally came downstairs, his hair a mess, dark circles under his eyes and a yawn escaping his lips. His blue hoodie showed that he was part of the swim team. His sneakers looked too big.

"Who were you out with?" Poseidon asked as Percy sat at the table, not angry but just curious. The lax parenting style was new to Will, no doubt, but it was refreshing. His own parents had never used to let him out of their sight.

"Annabeth, Pipes, Jason, the others," Percy shrugged. "I actually came back early compared to Nico and Leo. They were planning on staying out all night."

"I think I just met them," Will said. "I, uh, was jogging through the woods. Met them."

Percy gave Poseidon a look. "Told you."

Poseidon sighed into his coffee. "Those boys never sleep, do they?"

"They're going to crash one of these days," Sally commented as she set a mug of coffee in front of Percy. "They're just too young to realize it."

The sun was up. Tyson and Estelle were having a contest on who could chug their orange juice faster. The wood beneath them kept creaking.

"You ready, Will?" Percy asked, getting up from the table and grabbing his book bag. "Jason's going to be picking us up."

Will stuffed the remains of his food in his mouth before nodding, getting his things together. Sally was opening one of the windows, letting the fresh air and sunshine in, and Poseidon was finishing his cup of coffee.

A honk out front, Percy gesturing for him to follow. An old pickup truck was waiting, and instead of getting in, Percy hopped into the cargo bed where a couple other teenagers sat. Will hesitantly followed, hearing his mother's warnings in his ears but feeling the life around him.

"This is Will Solace," Percy introduced as the truck started down the path. "He's the cousin that moved in with me. Will, this is my girlfriend Annabeth Chase and one of my best friends, Grover Underwood. Jason Grace is driving with his girlfriend, Piper McLean."

Annabeth Chase had blonde hair and gray eyes, and a mountain of homework on her lap. Her eyes analyzed him immediately. Her coffee never left her hand.

Grover Underwood shook his hand immediately and seemed pretty cool upfront. Curly hair, a goatee, a couple of granola bars in hand, and more snacks spilling from his bag. His green eyes were the exact color of the foliage around them.

"It's nice to meet you," Will greeted. The wind blowing through his hair was heavenly. Every bump in the road reminded him he was alive.

Grover held out a granola bar. "Want one? You ever get hungry at school, I'll hit you up. Just five bucks-"

"Grover," Annabeth cut in. "You're not selling him or anyone else any food. Don't become the Stolls."

Grover rolled his eyes. "Way to kill the fun, Annabeth. I was joking."

Annabeth gave him a look that said he was definitely not joking, but let the topic slide as she turned to Will. "Where are you from?"

"Austin, Texas," he answered. "I was born here, though."

"Your parents got out?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"It's my goal," Annabeth conversed. "Get into a college, get the hell out of this place while I have the chance. Everyone says I'm insane for trying."

"No one gets out of here alive," Grover repeated. "That's what Nico says, at least."

"And when have you been one to listen to Nico di Angelo?"

Grover shrugged. "He's got some good points."

Annabeth sighed into her hands. "Grover Underwood, you are so close to getting thrown off this truck."

Percy was just smiling this stupid smile that showed how content he was. This was his safety blanket, Will realized. Surrounded by friends. This is where he felt like he belonged.
And it wasn't such a bad place to exist, Will could agree.

Preschool through junior high was held in a building in town, Will soon learned. But the high school was a little further out, a little older and a little bigger. The trees being paved away for a parking lot and football field ruined the whole image of town. The kids littered around didn't look much better.

As soon as they were parked Jason hopped out of the truck and threw himself onto the cargo bed. Blond hair cut short, a small scar on his upper lip, blue eyes. "So, this is Will Solace?"

Percy nodded, making no move to get up, but Annabeth was busy getting her things together. "Will, Jason. Jason, Will."

Will shook Jason's hand and then Piper's. She was beautiful in her own way, definitely of some Native American descent, and he wasn't quite sure what color her eyes were. They almost seemed to change with the lighting around her.

"Don't let these idiots keep you from your studies," Annabeth warned. "They barely pass, too busy doing whatever to actually pay attention in class."

Percy huffed. "It might be true but you didn't have to say it."

"Do you have your schedule, Will?" Jason asked as Annabeth climbed off the truck. "I can show you around if you want."

"Oh, it's okay, I have the same as Percy does," Will declined. "But thanks."

Jason nodded. "Please do your work. Don't let them bring you down with them."

Percy nor Grover seemed hurt by this, instead acting as if they heard it often.

"I'll try my best," Will assured him. "I do want to go to college one day."

A motorcycle pulled up next to them, the familiar forms of Nico and Leo greeting them. No helmets. Nico held a burger in one hand and a cigarette in his mouth. Leo was drinking an extra-large coffee.

"An all-nighter?" Percy greeted. "Really?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Valdez wanted to stay and work on his stupid machines."

"They're not stupid!" Leo argued. "Festus is twice the man you'll ever be."

"He's a metal dragon replica," Nico hissed.

"Yeah, I know. I made him."

"Guys, you're going to scare Will off," Jason scolded. "Nico, come on. We have first period."

Nico scowled. "What if I don't want to go-"

Jason grabbed him and dragged him into the building, barely giving him time to turn the bike off and prop it up on the kickstand. Nico turned into a blur of black hair and curses.

"That's Nico di Angelo," Percy said as he watched him go. "The boy you apparently met in the woods early this morning. Then-" He gestured to Leo. "Leo Valdez."

"We already decided to be friends," Leo insisted. "Percy's cousin, wants to go to college. That's great friend material."

"Uh...thanks?" Will tried.

"Don't thank him, he's being stupid," Percy said. "Come on, we'll go to class so you can talk to the teacher."

Will followed him off the truck and stretched. Grover didn't make a move to get up, and Leo was busy doing god knows what with a lighter. But with only a wave to them and nothing more, Percy started to lead him into the building.

As he started his first day at Frostford's high school, all he could think about was Nico di Angelo and the color of his eyes.