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Three young teens all had one thing in common: They read Percy Jackson and the Olympians and loved it. The same three teens also enjoyed something else—crack pairings.
Combine crack pairings, PJO, and Allie, Prophe, and Sole, and what do you get?
You get In Canon We Trust.
Republished. Because we had to delete it earlier.
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Note: PJO collab crackfic written by Sole, Prophe, and Allie. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Achilles' Ghost, Percy, or the River Styx.
Chapter Rating: T.
A/N: Allie here! Writing the wonderfullest pairing ever! Don't read it if you're a loser who is allergic to gay pairings, 'kay? Thanks. On with the chapter.
Achilles x Percy
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Help You Love Again
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Seventeen-year-old Percy Jackson lay on the muddy banks of the river Styx, his eyes locked on the churning water. How could a river do so much? he wondered, tearing his eyes away from the white water to stare at his unbreakable skin. Irreplaceable damage…
Damage was the wrong way to think of what the river had done to him, but in a way, it wasn't great being almost completely able to be unhurt. There was that one spot, on his back, for example. If that small part of him was stabbed with a sword of Celestial bronze, he'd be done for. But the rest of him never even so much as got a scratch on it. Hopefully that wouldn't be too noticeable throughout life, that he never got hurt.
Now glaring back at the water, a thought struck Percy. Could this be undone? By going back into the water? He army-crawled forward putting forward a cautious hand. As Percy was about to dip in the tips of his fingers, a voice said behind him, "I wouldn't do that."
Startled, Percy rolled over onto his back and jumped up. "Who's there?" he cried, instinctively aiming his back toward the river so that no one could get to his weak spot. He yanked Riptide from his pocket and pulled the cap off, now wielding his sword, pointing it outwards.
"It is only I," the voice replied softly, and a pale figure shimmered into place before Percy's eyes.
"Achilles?" he said, taking in the bloody heel, the sorrowful look of the man.
"Achilles's ghost," the man replied, smiling. "Percy, you do not want to go back in there. It will hold fates worse than Hades."
"Like what?" asked Percy bitterly, biting his lip. What could this ghost do to help him?
"I can help you, Percy," Achilles said, as if reading the teen's thoughts exactly. "Come here, and let me look at you."
With a guarded air, Percy walked towards the ghost, his eyes troubled. He pointed Riptide shakily at Achilles. "How?" demanded Percy. All of the troubles of years past flowed through his mind. Losing Thalia to the Hunters, losing Rachel to the Oracle, losing so many other things. Friends lost. Horrible betrayals. After all that, Percy didn't know what to feel.
"I can help you love again."
"What?" said Percy, his eyes flashing. "How?"
Achilles stared at the young man with a sad, knowing smile for a moment, then tucked a misty hand beneath Percy's chin. "We're connected," Achilles informed him. "You and I are connected in a way no one else is."
Percy raised his eyebrows in confusion, surprise, and something he only recognised to be disbelief that masked hope. "How so?" he questioned cautiously. "Because last time I checked, you're dead, and I'm not." Slowly, he was lowering his sword and capping it, and then, finally, placing it in his pocket again.
The ghost-man let out a light laugh. "Oh, Percy," he said. "We're connected through the River Styx. We both bathed in it; we're both strong from it."
Vaguely, Percy was wondering where this was going, but he didn't say anything. He ground his teeth together while waiting for the old ghost to continue. But Achilles seemed to be done for the moment, so Percy spoke up with, "So, you and I are linked? How are you going to help me love again?" He could feel the ghost's hand beneath his chin, so oddly solid, almost warm. It sent an electric tingle through his body that he couldn't explain.
But instead of speaking back, Achilles's other hand reached out, and they both gripped the sides of Percy's face like a vise. He leaned forward, planting a long kiss of the teen's lips.
Percy was surprised, yes. Baffled, yes. Excited, yes.
He returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around the ghost. Then Achilles pulled back and began to fade away again.
"Wait," said Percy, holding out a hand, "Achilles, don't go."
"I must, my boy," Achilles replied quietly. "Have I helped you?"
After pressing his lips together to think a moment, Percy answered, "You have. But you can't go now." Percy leaned forward to kiss Achilles again, whispering, "I love you, Achilles."
"I love you, too, Percy," said the ghost, staring into Percy's intense sea-green eyes, and the boy looked into the ghost's gray ones. He let Percy place his open lips against his own. Percy's hands tangled in Achilles's hair.
After making out for what felt like was a few minutes but was actually at least a half hour, Achilles pulled away gingerly. "Percy, I must go."
"But, Achilles…."
The ghost held up a hand to silence Percy. "Son of Poseidon," he said, "Now it's time for me to go. I cannot stay much longer."
"Why not?" demanded Percy. He'd been so depressed, then so suddenly happy, and now Achilles was leaving him?
Achilles looked saddened. "I can only stay here when someone is about to go into the River Styx, which is what you were about to do."
"I'll try to go in again!" said Percy. "I will! Just stay!"
"That will not work," Achilles replied. "It cannot." He stared back into Percy's shining eyes. "Have I helped you?"
Percy nodded. "Yeah, you've helped me." He swallowed. "The way no one else could."
Satisfied, Achilles nodded and began to fade again, this time not solidifying when Percy asked him. Then Percy turned around and lay back down on the muddy bank. His eyes looked at the water but didn't see it, and his hand drooped downward, nearly dipping in the water.
Achilles hadn't really helped him. He only had temporarily.