Liam and Scott looked up as Percy walked on to the field with Stiles.

"How violent is this game?" he asked.

"Kinda, why?" Scott replied.

Percy gestured to the kit he had borrowed. "Seems kind of overkill," he said. The truth was, the pads felt like almost as much armour as he'd wear for a game of capture the flag at camp. Where people used lethal weapons and had to be reminded not to kill or maim.

"You'll get a bit of a taste of it later," Scott said, a slight smile on his face. "We'll go easy on you though, since it's your first time."

"We will?" Liam said, earning a look from Scott, who mouthed something at him. He was facing away from him, so Percy couldn't see what he said.

"All, I can say is good luck," Stiles said. "Those two are our best players."

The next half an hour consisted of Scott and Liam teaching him the basics. From what they told him, it seemed like the game primarily consisted of reflexes, hand-eye coordination, running, barging and aim. Check on four of the five. He'd never been much good at archery, though aiming a ball at a net should be easier.

Scott had to admit the he guy was good. He should definitely try out for the team. It had taken him less than an hour to master the basics.

"Right," he said to Percy. "We're going to put some of that into practice. Take the ball. You're going to try sand get past Liam and I, and score." He turned to Liam. "Remember, no werewolf powers." Liam just glared at him.

"Ready to get your asses handed to you?" Percy asked.

Scott caught Stiles giving him a look from the sidelines. He shook his head slightly. "Oh, really? You've been on the field less than an hour and you think you can beat the second ever sophomore first line captain and second ever freshman to make first line?" he said to Percy.

The other boy just looked at him strangely. "He's a freshman?" he said. "And you're a sophomore? I thought you were Lydia's age."

Scott was taken aback. Percy had completely ignored him and changed the subject like…like Stiles. "You have ADHD, don't you?" he said.

"Got me. Looks like you do to, can you answer my question?" Percy said.

"Sorry. I'm a senior now and Liam's a sophomore. And I'm not ADHD, I got distracted by how similar you are to Stile. He does have ADHD." Scott said.

"I know. So, shall we do this?" Scott nodded.

Percy scooped up the ball and paused. He seemed to be assessing what he and Liam were going to do. Scott looked at Liam and nodded. They both started jogging toward Percy, coming slightly closer together. Percy stood his ground for a moment, then began to jog diagonally. Towards them but also to his left. They adjusted their course to cut him off. Percy didn't alter his course or his speed. Did he not realise that they were going to be to cut him off. Everything felt strange. It was very slow paced for lacrosse. Liam glanced at him and they nodded. They needed to charge him. By this point Percy was slightly to their right and about twenty feet from them. Before they could charge, he broke to his right. Before they could react, he was to their side, but still more than ten feet away. They ran toward him, but Percy sped up, skirting around them to the edge of the field, before changing direction and sprinting for the goal. Before they could catch him – Scott was telling himself that they were catching up, because the idea that Percy could have outrun them that easily didn't seem plausible.

"He's good," Lydia said. Stiles practically jumped out his skin.

"Where in hell did you come from?" he exclaimed.

"I've been here for five minutes. I was going to offer to give Percy a lift home," she said.

"Why?" Stiles said.

"Because he's staying with my mum and I. He doesn't have anywhere to live at the moment," she explained.

At that point, Percy jogged over. "So, are you going to try out tomorrow?" Lydia asked.

"I don't know," he said.

"You don't know?" Stiles spluttered. "You just beat our two best players and you don't know if you should try out?"

"I just really need to focus on school this year. Annabeth would actually murder me if I didn't get into college," he said.

Stiles looked at Lydia for back up. She shrugged at him, not sure what she could do. Stiles glared at her. "Look," she sighed, "just think about it? The team could really use you."

"Yeah, sure. I'll think about it. Could you hang around for a bit while I get changed, Lydia? I don't know how to get to your house," Percy said.

"You have a car?" she said. Percy gave her a funny look.

"How did you think I got here this morning?" he said.

"I…hadn't really thought about it, I guess," she said. "And yeah, I'll wait for you. You can follow me home."

"Thanks, I'll be quick," he said, and jogged off toward the locker room.

She noticed that Stiles was watching him. "Does that guy walk anywhere?" he asked.

"He did say he'd be quick. And most of the guys jog to the locker room after practice," she replied.

"I guess. I just think there's something really strange about him," he said.

"Stiles, you do realise that I'm the supernatural metal detector, not you. You're just bored and what something supernatural to happen. I'm telling you, Percy isn't the answer," she said.

"Why does he smell like the ocean when we're nowhere near the coast?" he asked.

"Cologne, Stiles. Cologne. You know…that thing guys spray on themselves to make themselves smell good," she said.

"And he looks like he's just walked off a beach. Again, do you see any beaches?" he said.

"Seriously, Stiles, you're clutching at straws. You don't need to have just walked off a beach to look like that. Besides, maybe he's always spent a lot of time at the beach," she said. She wasn't sure why she was even bothering to explain this. Stiles would pretty soon realise that his logic was totally illogical.

"Beaches? In Manhattan?"

Lydia sighed in exasperation. Stiles really was being stubborn. "Maybe he moved to Manhattan from LA or Florida or somewhere. We don't know anything about him!"

"Exactly. We don't know anything about him! Doesn't that seem suspicious?"

"For a guy that we've known for less than twelve hours? No, Stiles. No, it doesn't. Suspicious would be if he'd told us his whole life story. Suspicious would also be asking for his whole life story, so don't get any ideas," she said.

"Everything alright?" someone said. Lydia turned around to see Percy.

"Wow, you really were quick," she said. "Stiles was just being stubborn, as usual."

"Well I'm glad to know I'm going to have some competition," Percy said with a smirk.

"Oh god, not you as well," Lydia said. "Come on, let's go. We'll get you through that biology homework."

"Ugh, don't even remind me. Who in their right mind invented words that are that long?" Percy sighed as he turned to walk back to the parking lot.

"So, you don't like long words," Stiles said. He seriously needs to tone down the suspicious. It's weird.

"I'm dyslexic. I can just about read short words, but long words I'm just like…nope," he said.

"I know the feeling," Stiles said.

"Are you dyslexic?" Percy asked, looking at Stiles as if he'd suddenly become very interesting.

Stiles didn't say anything for a moment. He isn't dyslexic. He just couldn't read when he got possessed by a nogitsune. I answered for him. "No, he isn't. He suffered from insomnia a while back and struggled to read."

"Dreams?" Percy asked. Why was this so interesting for him? He'd been drumming his fingers against his leg as we walked – the ADHD no doubt – but he'd stopped.

"Kind of. I never really knew when I was awake and when I was dreaming. That's why I couldn't read. Did you know you can't read in dreams?" Stiles said.

"I can't read easily when I'm awake so I can't say that I've ever noticed," Percy said.

"What do you teach at summer camp, Percy?" Lydia asked. She wasn't comfortable about how this conversation was skirting around the supernatural. Percy seemed nice, but they couldn't trust him with their secrets. Maybe at some point, but definitely not yet.

"Fencing," he said, after a bit of hesitation, "and climbing and canoeing."

The three of them walked the rest of the way in silence. "Dude, what happened to your car?" Stiles said when they reached Percy's car. There was a large dent in the bonnet.

"Oh, err…my horse," Percy said.

"You have a horse?" Stiles said.

"A horse did that?" Lydia asked. "How?"

"Oh, well, he's not really my horse, as such. He lives at the summer camp, but he's the only one I ride," Percy said, completely ignoring Lydia's question she noticed. He seemed really uncomfortable so she didn't press it.

TIME SKIP

Percy went to bed early that night. He'd had a long day, since he'd driven to Beacon Hills from San Francisco before school, and he wanted to talk to his girlfriend. Lydia followed not long after, and heard a conversation in the bathroom. The shower was running, but she could hear Percy's voice and a girl's voice she didn't recognise. She assumed that was Annabeth. She didn't think anything of it until Percy came out of the bathroom in the same clothes he'd been wearing, and with completely dry hair. When she went into the bathroom herself, she saw that the towel her mother had put out for him was completely dry. If he hadn't showered, then why had the shower been on? Deciding she'd think about that in the morning, she sat down to concentrate on her Latin homework. She had to admit that she was surprised Percy was taking Latin. She'd have thought that dyslexia would make it even harder than it was, but her thoughts were interrupted by a crash from next door. Percy's room. What the hell?

"Annabeth!" Percy sounded absolutely terrified.

She knocked gently on his door, but there was no response, so she pushed it open. Percy was thrashing around of his bed, muttering to himself.

"No. Please, no. I'm sorry. I should have made sure, I'm sorry. Please." Even though he was asleep, tears were streaming down his cheeks. He was having a nightmare – a bad one by the looks of it. Lydia decided that she should wake him up. He was clearly suffering and it wouldn't be fair if she left him. She shook gently and said his name, but he didn't respond.

"Percy, wake up! It's just a nightmare," she said more loudly, and shook him harder. Suddenly his eyes snapped open, and he pushed her on to the floor, hands around her neck as he knelt above her. "Percy," she croaked. She tried to scream to push him away, but she couldn't get enough air.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "What have you done to her? Tell me! Or I swear to the gods I will kill you!"

"It's me, Lydia," she whispered. She could barely breathe enough to talk. But despite how terrified she was, she noticed something. Percy's eyes were open, but he wasn't awake. He was still dreaming. He probably didn't know that he was strangling and threatening a real person. She tried to kick him, like Parrish had taught her, but he didn't even flinch. She pushed up with as much of her failing strength as she could muster, but he was too heavy and she couldn't budge him. She could feel that she was going to lose consciousness. "Percy. Please wake up." Barely any sound came out of her mouth.

"Liam! Get up here now!" someone shouted. She looked at the door and thought she saw Stiles, albeit there was three of him. Suddenly, Percy was thrown off her, cracking his head on the other wall. He staggered to his feet, and she saw him register her lying on the floor gasping for air, and the furious faces of Stiles and Liam standing between him and the door.

"I- I'm so sorry…" he stuttered, quickly putting on a pair of shorts. He grabbed a pair of shoes and jumped out of the open window.

"Percy, no!" She shouted when she realised he was going to jump. He'd break his legs from that height. He didn't listen.

"I'm going to kill him," Liam snarled, going over to the window.

"Liam, don't," Lydia said.

"Why not, the bastard tried to kill you?" he said, disbelieving.

"He didn't know what he was doing," she said.

"Lyds, he was strangling you. I won't lie, I thought he was going to rape you," Stiles said.

"No," she said, sitting up. "I think he was asleep."

"I'll say it again," Stiles said. "The guy was strangling you. People don't do that in their sleep."

"He didn't know who I was," she said. "You didn't see his eyes. There was nothing there. I mean nothing. Why are you here, anyway?"

"We did some digging," Stiles said.

"I didn't even fall in a hole this time," Liam added, and despite everything, Lydia laughed.