"Percy," Tyson started, and broke off with a sniffle. He didn't want to cry. Percy didn't cry. He did not want to cry. Especially not over what a camper said. He stood up a little straighter (and he was already towering-- just look at him go) and crossed his arms. "Percy. Don't say anything to them, okay?" He could do it HIMSELF.
Percy knew that Tyson wasn’t always treated very well, despite his best efforts to keep the campers in line. He had struck up an immediate bond with the Hephaestus cabin, yes, but some of the other campers still had some... judgement issues. And Percy couldn’t be everywhere. He couldn’t be Tyson’s personal bodyguard.
“Hey, hey,” he murmured, rubbing a hand over Tyson’s broad back. He led his little brother into the cabin, guiding Tyson to his bunk and sitting down next to him. “Tyson, I can’t let other campers bully you, it’s not fair.” He knew Tyson wanted to prove himself, wanted to one day measure up to whatever ridiculous standard the young cyclops held Percy to, but -- gods, he was just a kid.
“I’m your big brother,” he reminded, leaning his cheek against Tyson’s shoulder (the highest he could reach). “And I’m a head counselor. It would be totally in line with my job description to give those kids a good ass-kicking. Or just shitty chores for the next month.”
He’d led the Greeks in battles with the fate of Western civilization at stake. Percy hated feeling helpless about something as small as Tyson crying.