Night came, and like all the nights before, it was chilling, with Draco Malfoy coming out of his dorm. He didn't have a special place to go or a purpose. The only reason for coming out was that his Dark Mark ached. He headed toward the restroom, but he remember Moaning Myrtle. So he went to the only place that would give him privacy, the Room of Requirements. He knew about the place from his fifth year, when Potter got in trouble for having a secret club.

Percy woke up startled. This was his first time doing so since the war. He sneaked out of his dorm and started walking. He didn't know where he was going, but he just kept walking. Percy started thinking of Draco. He thought of the pretty blonde's troubles. He knew from rumors that Draco was a Death Eater, which was a name that he and his team found distasteful. He also knew the wizarding world would be in a war soon with an evil man named Voldemort. Apparently, Voldemort was so evil that his name was unspeakable. If you ask Percy, he would say it's a load of bull; how terrifying can one man be.

Percy was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't notice he walked in circles or that a door opened with tiny sounds of sobbing inside. Percy snapped out of his thoughts as he recognize the voice; he knew that was the sound of his beloved. Percy walked in and the door behind him gently shut itself. He walked through pillows and bean bags that covered the floor until he reached Draco.

Draco was shaking from his sobbing, and Percy could hear his heart break when his beloved brought his tear-filled eyes to see him. Draco's eyes grew wider at the newcomer and tear drop fell down his face. He quickly brought his hand to his face to wipe all the tears, but Percy stopped him and pulled the sobbing boy to his chest. Draco was welcomed by a kind of warmness he had always wanted. He continue to sob into the boy's chest, and he started hitting the boy like all his troubles were the boy's faults.

"Why? Why are you here? Why can't you just leave me be? Can't you see, I am broken and pathetic. I am a Death Eater. The Dark Mark had branded me for life as a killer. You should be scared, you should run away from me! You should not say you fancy me!" screamed Draco.

The crying went on and on. Percy saw Draco's carefully constructed mask break and fall apart. Percy listened as Draco screamed at him all the faults in the world and how much he hated himself. Percy didn't say anything; he simply held the boy and let him cry. Draco calmed himself down and recollected his thoughts. He looked up at the sea-green eyed boy with his teary gray ones.

"Draco, please don't think of yourself that way. You're not a killer, you've never killed anyone. I know you think the world is against you and it might be, but just know that I am here for you," said Percy, "You're not alone."

Draco laughed bitterly, and pulled up his sleeve, showing the Dark Mark. The snake hissed at Percy and the skull seemed to mock Draco. Percy saw how much the Dark Mark hurt Draco, and knew the Mark was the cold, hard reality. Something that a love fairytale couldn't fix.

"Are you scared now, Percy? You should because it scares me. This is the truth. I am marked, and I am ugly," said Draco.

Percy looked into Draco's hopeless eyes and saw what had drawn him to Draco in the first place. It was the look of absolute despair, and it was the kind of darkness that Percy had felt during the war and missed. Looking into Draco's eyes now was like having that despair wrapped around his body, choking him until he too drowned in the despair. "I just want to die," said Draco quietly.

Percy felt a part of him die when he heard those words come out of Draco's mouth. Suddenly, Percy felt angry, not at Draco, but at the people who made Draco think like that.

"No, don't say that, especially not after I found and saved you," said Percy.

"When did you save me?" asked Draco.

"When I found you in the girl's bathroom bleeding from the wounds on your chest and healed you," said Percy.

"Well, you wasted your efforts. You should have let me bleed to death. It would have been less painful that way," said Draco bitterly.

"I didn't waste anything. I meant what I said in the afternoon. I love you, Draco Malfoy. Marked, broken, sarcasm and all," said Percy sincerely.

"You will regret it later," said Draco quietly so Percy would do as he said and love him.

Percy drew Draco back into his arms and held him there tightly as if to hold him away from death. Draco leaned in and buried his face into the strong chest of the handsome boy. They stayed like that until dawn.

Percy woke up and felt a warm pressure at his side. He looked down to confirm it was Draco. He watched as Draco stirred in his arms, rubbing his eye open.

"Morning, beautiful," smiled Percy.

"What are you still doing here? You should go," said Draco.

"I want to stay here with you," replied Percy. "I was serious last night. I do love you, but I won't hold you to the same thing. If this is a one sided love, then so be it. I would rather die knowing I love someone than die knowing I never had the chance. It doesn't matter who you are or who you think you are. I accept you, and I too have demons of my own that I don't like. It's natural, but I just want you to know. Even when the world becomes your foe, I will always take your side.

"Your words are pretty, but I don't believe them to be true. How can you love me when I can't even love myself?" Draco asked.

Percy stroked the side of Draco's face and extended his hand. Suddenly, water from corners of the room flew into Percy's hand, wiggling to form a shape. Draco's eyes grew wide with surprise.

"How are you able to do that? I thought you had no magic," said Draco.

"I don't have magic. This is something I was born with. You see, my dad is Poseidon, the sea god, and my mom is a human. That makes me a demigod, and I can control water. That's the whole reason we're here. My friends and I were chasing after a monster from America. We killed it, but we still have to find the demigod that the monster came for. After that, we go home to Camp Halfblood. I know what it's like to be in a war. I've fought in one, and I know it's not easy. It takes a lot, but I never forgot who I was. That's how I was able to go on," explained Percy.

Draco soaked all the information in like a sponge. He watched as the shapeless water began to take the shape of a Triton and hardened. Percy placed it in Draco's hands and closed his fingers around it. He looked into those grey eyes and smiled. Draco opened his hand to see the beautiful water crystal.

"This is my gift to you, beloved. I hope when you see this, it gives you the hope, courage and strength to do what you have to do. So no matter what, I want you to know I will always love you. I hope that when you hold this in your hand, you will feel me holding you," said Percy.

Draco held the triton to his heart and knew that this handsome stranger had managed to melt his icy exterior and steal his heart. Draco allowed Percy to see all the flaws in his mind and body. He gave literally everything to him, his forsaken love, his heart, body, mind, and soul. In return, Draco took Percy's acceptance, kindness, and understanding.

The two of them lay on top of the pillow and bean bags naked, completely exposed. Everything was slow and sensual. There was no barriers. They made love with their minds open. For the first time, Draco was proud of something he chose for himself without his father's influence. Draco felt where he belonged. He belonged in the arms of this handsome boy who understood him. In a long time, Draco felt safe.

They went their separate ways to meet up with their friends. Percy walked toward a smirking Annabeth, a scowling Clarisse, and a slightly disturbed Nico.

"So, did you do it?" asked Annabeth, while both Clarisse and Nico were disgusted by the question.

"Yeah, I did. I had a lot of progress. What about you?" said Percy.

"We figured it out who it was, but we can't take him back with us," said Clarisse.

"What? Why? He can't stay here. Not after his heritage has been revealed," said Percy.

"We told Charion that too, but he said we can't take him back with us because the dude's mom asked us not to," said Nico.

"So, what's this demigod's name and why can't we take him with us?" asked Percy.

"It's a student named Neville Longbottom. His mother is Demeter. She asked us to let him stay here and care for the plants of this place," replied Annabeth. "So, now we can go home. We're leaving now."

"Oh, that's so soon. Can't it wait a little?" pleaded Percy.

"Sorry, lover boy. That's impossible. We have to go back and help rebuild the camp. They need extra hands. Go say your goodbyes. We have to arrive there by nightfall," said Clarisse.

Percy ran toward the direction he had last seen his lover. He ran until he caught sight of the blonde and pulled him away from his friends. Draco smiled at him and looked at his sad face and realized that Percy need to leave. Percy took Draco's hands and left butterfly kisses on them before taking Draco's face and doing the same thing. The two lover held on to each other for a while before pulling apart.

"I am sorry. I have to leave. There are just somethings I need to do," said Percy.

"I understand. You don't have to explain to me. We all have our roles in life. I am just sad that you have to leave so soon," said Draco.

Percy hugged Draco and kissed him until they panted for air. Percy took one last look and whispered something in Draco's ear and left. The words that Percy whispered left Draco with a feeling he hadn't experience in a long time, hope.

The two lovers parted with one another to fulfill their roles in life. They will go through pain, loss, and longing for one another. Such emotions will make even, Aphrodite sigh and cry tears of sorrow, but Draco will hold on strong even through tough times. He will have to, until Percy fulfill his promised words of I will be back.

Author's Notes: I don't own any of these characters. Thank you for reading! I love the reviews. ~ S