Percy's head throbbed.
That was the first thing that he could think, the first thing he could really focus on, the first thing he could really feel.
His head, throbbing. Like he'd just gotten kicked headfirst down a flight of stairs. It pounded and ached and made him want to throw up, pulling from his sleep pretty damn quick and making Percy open his eyes with a low groan, blinking as he focused on the room in front of him. His room. His bedroom. He was laying in his bed, tucked away under his sheets as the sun poured in through his window.
He stared for a second at his wall, the one at the end of the bed, and for a second, wondered. Was that all real?
He pondered it for a second, really going over just how absurd the last, what, three days had been? Maybe he'd roll out of bed and waltz into the kitchen and he'd still be alone in his home, and everything would have all been a dream. Zoe would still be drawing her maps, Freya would still be sitting in her office chair, Annabeth would still be a country away...
He was corrected when a fist came down and smashed into his stomach.
He let out a groan, sitting up as he doubled over in bed and grabbing at his midsection. He groaned and turned over to see who his attacker was, his gaze softening as he did.
It was Zoe. She was standing over him by the side of the bed, wearing her favorite of his sweaters. Her breathing was heavy, her fists were clenched, her eyes were soaked in more anger than he'd ever seen from her. There was a chair behind her, one of the ones from his kitchen, but it was knocked over on the floor, probably from when she'd stood up.
She looked pissed, pissed enough for him to swallow audibly. He took a deep breath and leaned back into his pillow, keeping his eyes on her as he did.
"Hi."
Her breathing got a little heavier, her eyes a little more angry, her fists clenched a little tighter as she raised a hand, pointing a finger towards him and slowly jutting it forward.
"You."
He let his breathing hitch as he pursed his lips, fear pretty evident on his face.
"Me?"
She clenched the fist in front of her face, her knuckles cracking as she did so. She spoke, her voice starting as a whisper, but pretty clearly turning into a scream.
"You dumb, idiotic, moronic, dense, fucking moron!" She snapped her finger back in his face, "What did Thor say, hmm? What did he say when he brought Freya to us? One of his children must be present. He said that, didn't he?"
Percy let out a terrified nod as she stomped to the front of his bed.
"So what do you do? You wander off into the woods like some suicidal moron!" She practically screamed, "You just had to be the hero, again, didn't you, Jackson?"
He swallowed nervously as she glared at him, opening his mouth and letting out a small, "I guess..."
She breathed harder, feeling her rage boil over as she raised her finger and pointed it at him.
"You..."
She grit her teeth, grumbling to herself as she stomped over to his door. His eyes followed her, listening closely as she walked into the slight alcove where his door was, and feeling his face pale when he heard his lock go click.
She walked back over, eyes still furious, body still tense as she jammed her finger at him again.
"You..."
She tensed, gritting her teeth as her breathing got a little lighter, her eyes got a little softer, and her body loosened up a bit. She let out a sigh, softening her stance as she dropped her head, staring at the floor as she mumbled something out.
"Why do I even bother?"
He couldn't even get a response out before she leapt across his bed, landing on his stomach before she pressed her lips to his.
It was aggressive. Very aggressive. Aggressive and angry and frustrated and impatient and all the things that kisses from Zoe usually were. She grabbed his hands, pressing him, no, pinning him to the bed as she deepened the kiss.
He was a little frozen, and a little more shocked, and a lot more scared, before he loosened up and smiled against her lips. She must've felt it, because she let go of his hands, bringing her palms to his cheeks as he slipped his under her arms and rested them on her back.
He was in heaven, if only for a moment, before she separated and rested her forehead on his, letting a deep breath sigh over his face.
"If you ever do something like that again, Jackson?" She said, opening her eyes to stare into his, "...I'll chain you up in our basement for the rest of your life. Got it?"
He let out a shaky breath as a small smile spread across his face.
"Got it. Loud and clear."
She let out a breath another sigh that slinked out of her as she laid her head on his chest, scooching down a pit so she was just a mound of girlfriend on his midsection.
He was silent for a moment, before a smile drew across his face.
"Our basement?"
She sighed from his chest, "Yes Percy. Our basement, in our house, with our kitchen, and our stupid doormat."
He smiled at her words, leaning forward to kiss her head.
"Thank you for letting me keep the doormat." He mumbled into her scalp.
They laid there for a moment, Zoe pressed against his chest as she listened to the soft, gentle beat of his heart. It was all very, very perfect until Percy felt reality creep back into his mind.
He stirred a bit, looking around as he tried to move around, or sit up.
"Zoe, where-"
He stopped talking when she pressed her palm over his mouth, silencing him in an instant.
"I locked that door for a reason, Percy." She said, mumbling it up from his chest, "Now you are gonna lay here and let me let all of this... love out. Or else." She said, nearly gagging at the word.
He let out a chuckle and leaned back into his pillow, running a hand over Zoe's back as he breathed in deep breaths.
"You got my hat?"
She snapped her gaze up to him, a ridiculously unimpressed look on her face as she did.
"We just saved the world and you're asking about a hat?"
He shrugged, "Yeah. I kinda want to get rid of it now, all things considered..." He said, as his memories flashed back to the sheriff. To Loki.
She lef out a sigh as she rested her head back on his chest, "If you don't want it, then I'm keeping it."
He let out a breath, "You sure? The sheriff's the one who gave it to me."
She let out a sigh, "Doesn't make it any less cute."
He chuckled, "On me, or on you?"
She brought her hand up to his mouth, clamping it over his lips as she did.
"Just shut up and hold me, Percy."
He didn't object, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight as he closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his heart beat in his ears. He took a deep breath, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling.
"Leif's really gone, isn't he?"
Zoe nodded into his chest.
"And Annabeth?"
Zoe looked up at him, "Well... I'm not sure. She hasn't really talked about it, or said much of anything. I swear, she's just been thinking the last six days, Percy."
Percy nodded, letting his arms wrap tighter around her shoulders, breathing a sigh into her hair as he did. He went back to listening to his heart as he thought about her, about Annabeth. Sure, she'd only known Leif a few days, but there was something there, something small for sure, and even if she'd just said what she'd said to comfort the man as he laid there dying, if probably wasn't fun to go through that. Plus, six days isn't a lot of time to process-
He stopped, dead in his tracks as his eyes popped open and he stared at the ceiling. Zoe must've heard his breath hitch or felt him tense, because she lifted her head up to look him in the eye.
"Percy?"
He lifted his head, and gave her a look somewhere between shock and fear.
"Six days?"
She let out a sigh, one that was letting on a lot more than it was saying as she pressed her hand to his chest.
"Percy... there's a lot that's happened..."
He tried to sit up, but felt pain shoot up his leg. Right, his leg. The one he'd broken like a dumbass. Whatever, he'd grab his Tylenol later.
"Zoe, we need to get up. There's... there's things we need to do..." He grimaced as the pain in his leg grew. Way more than a broken bone should've.
Zoe pulled her face into a sad look.
"Percy. You need to take this slowly..."
He turned to her with a confused expression as she slowly got off of him and walked to the end of the bed, grabbing something for him.
A pair of crutches.
He winced at the idea of limping around his house for however long it took the leg to heal.
"Did they say how long I'll have the cast on?" He joked, cracking a smile at the the idea of everyone signing it.
Her face didn't change, neither did her tone.
"Percy..."
His smile fell, slowly. It fell, before it turned into a frown. He felt at his blankets, grabbing at them as he pulled them off his body, all while Zoe watched with a sad expression on her lips.
He pulled them away and stared at it.
The stump, right below his left knee. Right where a leg should've been, but wasn't. He stared at it in stunned silence for a moment, before his gaze shifted over to Zoe who was still standing near the end of the bed.
"I..." He got out, but the rest of the words died in his throat. He just stared at it, at the stump, and the bandages that covered it. He stared at it while he wiggled his non-existent toes around.
"Zoe..." He breathed, trying to get any words out.
"We barely got you down the mountain, Percy..." She said, her voice a quiet whisper as her face lost just about all emotion, "We couldn't flash you down, the mountain doesn't let gods do things like that, and Thor wasn't about to take you on one of his hammer flung rides through the sky..."
Her gaze dropped as she stared at the floor, her words barely coming out as a gentle whisper.
"It took us two days to get down, Percy. Then a other four for you to..." She gestured at him with a crutch, "...wake up."
He stared at her for a moment, his mouth hanging open a bit as he took soft, deep breaths. He turned back to his leg, taking in the sight again. It was gone from maybe an inch below his knee, and the bandages that were wrapped around it looked fresh, like they'd been changed recently.
He ran his hand over the stump, tensing slightly as it throbbed with pain. He hissed through his teeth as he let his eyes wander back up to Zoe.
She had tears in hers.
He breathed in, and out, letting himself breathe as slowly as possible as he kept his eyes trained on her.
"I..." He said, trying to find words. Words that would comfort her, or support her, or just cheer her up so she'd stop crying. He couldn't really find any, so he found a joke instead.
"I... guess I'm gonna be a pirate this Halloween, huh?"
She stared at him a moment, her eyes a shocked and confused expression as she stared into his eyes, letting what he'd just said sink in as she stared at his goofy, grinning face.
She brought one of the crutches up and cracked it over his shoulder.
He let out a grunt as he brought his hand up to his shoulder, rubbing the wound as he shot her an unimpressed look.
"You idiot..." She said, glaring at him from the foot of the bed, "You almost die, you lose a leg, you fall into a mini coma, and you're making pirate jokes?"
He shrugged, as he put a hand over his eye and held the other one up with his index finger curled.
"How do I look?"
She felt her upper lip twitch as she crossed over to him, pushing the crutches into his hands as she did.
"You look exhausted, battered, beaten, and like you haven't showered in six days, because you haven't." She said, as his eyes widened and he took a sniff under his armpit, making her roll her eyes.
"You look..." She said, her gaze softening as her tone did the same, "...cute. So damn cute, Percy."
He smiled, "That's why you love me."
She shook her head with a sigh, "No. I love you for your cooking. Now get up." She said, grabbing his collar and pulling him up as he quickly settled on the crutches. It was a little tricky at first, but he figured it out pretty quickly.
"Damn." He said, feeling his weight settle on his arms, "This... is not fun."
Zoe pressed a hand against his chest, helping him balance as he practiced walking on one leg. "Well, I'm sure the Hephaestus cabin will make you some crazy, magic, super leg to have in no time."
He smiled at her words, before the smile fell a bit. His mind heard the word hephaestus and it immediately thought Leo.
Zoe once again sensed her boyfriend tensing up and looked up at him. He met her gaze with look so glum that it should've been there when he learned he'd lost a leg.
"I missed his funeral pyre didn't I?"
Zoe gave him a look, a soft one, that slowly drew into a smile. He had a look on his face all his own, one of confusion, and was about to speak before she clamped her hand over his mouth.
"About that..."
Ow.
That's really all there was to say, or think, or express, or feel.
Ow. Yowch. Damn, that stings. Any combination of those words could perfectly describe how Leo felt, how he was feeling, and how he'd probably be feeling for a while.
To be fair, ow was a lot better than the alternative. The alternative was nothing, then again, nothing probably burned a lot less than the fires of Hel.
He didn't regret it. Not one bit. Didn't regret anything about the decision he'd made. He didn't regret that was the last time he'd see Percy and Nico. Nope, and neither did he regret he wouldn't be there to help end this quest. Oh man, and never seeing his family again? Why would he ever regret that?
He could joke all he wanted but his body didn't lie, and neither did the tears that streamed down his cheeks, floating into the sky above him as he fell. He regretted this. So damn much. He knew he didn't have long until he smacked against the floor and became a Leo-pancake right on Surtr's doorstep, so he spent it going over how stupid he was in his head over and over.
He thought about Calypso, too. He thought about Esperanza. He thought about their little home they had at New Rome, the one they'd mad sure to keep a super secret from the daughters of Venus. He thought about how he'd never meet the baby that was still inside his wife. How he'd never get to see them be born.
He thought about how he didn't even know if it was a boy or girl, and probably never would.
He closed his eyes, whispering out a silent apology to no one as he fell, waiting for the ground to hit him.
It never did. What happened was he landed with a splash into molten magma.
He broke out of it, treading water (treading lava?) as he did. He let out a silent sigh as he swam through Hel, realizing that he more likely than not was about to get squashed or torn apart or eaten by the big demonic bastard they were trying to kill.
That's not what happened at all.
No, what happened was the bomb went off, and the ice fell, and he watched it as it did, spinning down and down into the pit with all the water that came with it until it struck Surtr and the pit, and it blew.
Blew the top off the damn mountain, with Leo along with it.
He felt his body go limp pretty much immediately. He clamped his eyes shut as he felt himself lift into the sky, up and up and up and damn, if he'd been in a mess of pain before, he was in a world of it now.
He spun through the air, flying high into the sky as the geyser of steam lifted him up and up.
At some point during this flight he assumed the g force got too high, or the shock got too him, or hell, maybe his brain just decided he wouldn't have to watch his death play out in real time, because he passed out.
He had a nice dream. One about Calypso, and Esperanza, and whoever the little.one inside her was going to be. One where he was sitting on a couch with his wife and his two children while they watched some movie on the TV. Callie was curled up on his chest and the kids were sat on either of his knees. He looked like a dad, a proper dad, not the goofy clown he'd been when he'd met her.
It was nice. So nice he almost slept through the feeling of waves tickling his feet.
He kinda just laid there for a moment. Eyes closed, limbs sprawled, face buried in a pile of sand. He laid there and wondered if this was it. Elysium. Maybe he'd gone ahead and made enough of an argument to just skip the lines, skip the judgment, and the gods had just plopped him down in salvation.
Then he realized two things, the first was how stupid that was. He didn't even like himself enough to do something that nice. The second thing he realized was less a realization, and more his thoughts making connectionsin his brain. Sand. Sand usually meant a beach. He rolled over with a groan, laying on his back as he stared into the sky.
The perfect blue sky. The sky he recognized as soon as he saw it.
He snapped up immediately, sitting up straight with a look of shock on his face. He snapped his head to the left, then the right, before he got up and sprinted down the beach, as fast as he could.
He needed to know, needed to be sure, and if it was here then he was sure. He ran faster and faster and faster until he saw it pull into the horizon, and the second it did, he froze.
He fell to his knees and brought his hands up to his face as the most annoyed groan he'd ever let out poured from his mouth.
The broken table. Then same one he'd landed on five years ago laid on the beach, worn out and faded from 5 years of tides, but it was the table all the same, still shattered into pieces from where he'd landed.
Ogygia. He was on Ogygia.
Again.
He stared up at the sky, a look of frustration across his face as he glared up into the sky and let his anger flow out of his in the form of very frustrated screaming.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" He roared at the sky, "AGAIN? YOU SENT ME HERE AGAIN? HEY, NEWS FLASH, SHE AINT HERE TO GIVE ME A MAGIC BOAT THIS TIME. HOW EXACTLY AM I SUPPOSED TO GET HOME?"
The sky was silent, as it probably should have been to be fair, but it wasn't what Leo wanted to hear. He sighed, shifting himself so he was sitting, legs slightly tucked and hands on his knees so he could stare at the ocean.
He huffed, letting his head drop slightly between his legs as he listened to fhe soft sound of the waves lapping on the shore.
"Alright." He whispered to himself, pressing his hands against his knees as he rose to his feet
"Alright." He repeated, turning back towards the island, "I'm hungry." He said out loud, before turning towards the sky, "So there'd better be food here still!"
The sky was quiet. No thunder, no lightning, no flash of a gods presence. He sighed, as he started wandering towards the mainland, hoping that his wife's residual gardening magic had remained, even though she'd been gone for half a decade.
He walked along the path towards the main cave, taking note of how overgrown everything had gotten. The plants had evidently not taken kindly to the lack of their magical gardener, and for the most part had wilted away into dry shrubs, with only inedible shrubbery scattered about. Leo sighed, realizing that there was a strong chance that he'd be surviving off roasted seagull for the next few days.
Or weeks.
Or months.
He steadied himself, continuing forward towards the main cave, towards Calypso's old home, the home he hoped would have a magic fridge or a magic pantry or maybe a magic phone so he could call up a magic restaurant and order some magic tacos. He sighed to himself, realizing how stupid it was and that he should just get used to the flavor of burnt seagull as soon as possible.
That's when he heard it.
It saw soft, and gentle. Like a summer breeze blowing through the trees, or a gentle song playing on the radio. It was quiet, unbelievably so, but he heard it, and recognized it immediately.
Humming.
He stopped walking, freezing in place immediately, before he took off, sprinting as fast as he could down the path. His feet stomped along as he got closer to the cave, closer and closer as the humming got louder and louder. He got to the entrance, spinning around it, and there she was.
Calypso. Standing there in her sleeveless white dress, with her loose braid in her hair, and her thin headband and just... she was there, standing right in front of him, gently scooping a spoonful of stew into his daughter's mouth as she babbled from a high chair.
Leo froze, completely still for a moment as his wife caught a glimpse of him and turned, beaming a smile at him. He wanted to melt, he wanted to laugh, he wanted to cry. She was here, right in front of him, back on the island they'd met and fallen in love on. She was right there in feeding his daughter some stew as she giggled at her father from her seat. A thousand thoughts shot through Leo's mind at that moment, but he focused on one in particular.
He pulled back his hand and slapped himself in the face as hard as he could.
He grunted as he did, feeling his face heat up and turn red as he snapped his gaze back to his wife, who'd already started rolling her eyes.
"Ow." He said out loud.
She gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look.
"Ow?"
"Yeah... Ow..." He said through deep breaths as he stared at her, "...this is real, right?"
She gave him a slow nod, and he sputtered out a laugh.
"You promise? Because I can always slap myself again if-"
He stopped talking when she crossed over and kissed him. He shut up, pretty immediately, and returned the kiss, also immediately. His hands went to her hips, pulling her tight as she ran her hands up the side of his neck.
She tasted sweet. Just like she always did.
He pulled away, taking a deep breath as he did.
"How is this possible..." He breathed, as she ran a soft hand over his cheek.
"Simple..." She said, snapping her fingers as a bowl of stew floated over to them, "...you were falling, this island only let's heroes land on it... and I've still got some magic, Leo."
He breathed out a laugh as he beamed a smile at her, "Yeah, you don't say."
He turned away from his wife when he heard his daughter, giggling from her seat. Calypso smiled as she slipped her hands from his body when he almost subconsciously moved over to his daughter, picking her up out of her chair and holding her up in front of him.
"How's my little girl." He said, in a sing song voice.
Esperanza giggled and reached towards his hair, giving it a soft tug as she did. He smiled and pulled her close to his chest, wrapping his free arm around his wife as they both turned to the mouth of the cave. He let out a deep, happy sigh, as Esperanza tugged softly at his shirt.
"How long have I been here for?" He asked, to which she chuckled.
"You hungry?" She asked him. He smiled at her.
"Starving. But really, Callie, how long have I been here for."
She grimaced slightly, "A day..." He let out a small laugh, but it died when he noticed his wife's face.
"A day's not that bad." He offered, but she shook her head.
"Leo, you've BEEN here a day." She said, taking a deep breath before she continued, "You were falling for a week."
He felt his jaw tighten at her words as he squeaked out a response.
"A week?"
She shrugged with a smile.
"More or less."
He stared out the cave at the beach, listening to the waves break on the sand as a single, pounding thought repeated in his head.
They probably think I'm dead.
Calypso must've read his thoughts, because she gave his hand a light squeeze.
"Don't worry..." She said, smiling at him when he turned to her, "... I let them know you're alive."
He breathed a sigh of relief, before he turned back tonhis wife, a nervous look in his eye.
"They're alive, right? They stopped the prophecy? They won?"
She gave him another shrug.
"More or less."
He sighed at her non-answer as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder again, watching as a few sea birds flew past the cave and thanking whatever God's were watching that he didn't have to make them his dinner.
There moment was, of course, interrupted when something popped up in front of them.
An Iris message.
Leo felt a bit of panic shoot up his spine as he turned to his wife, a hesitant look in his eye as he did. She looked back at him, confused as to why he didn't accept it right away. He smiled at her.
"They know we're okay, right?"
Calypso nodded, "I made sure of it."
His smile grew a bit, "Good."
He turned to the iris message and spoke to it. "I'd like to leave them a message, thank you."
The message shifted a bit as it changed to a reflection, showing his and Calypso's faces as he held his daughter.
"Hey guys." He said, doing a little wiggle with his shoulders, "...yeah, I lived. All thanks to this one." He said, squeezing Calypso's shoulder as he planted a kiss on her cheek.
"I lived, and you guys beat the prophecy, so now do me a favor... no more quests. Ever."
Calypso smiled, and planted her own kiss on his cheek when he said that. Leo blushed, and felt it get hot where she'd kissed him.
"Furthermore..." He continued, cooking an eyebrow at the message as his wife laughed at his facial expression, "... we're gonna stay here a bit, gonna spend a little quality time with each other."
He raised his hand, about to swipe the message, before he paused, and leaned into the message.
"Also, please don't tell the Aphrodite kids where we are. They'll find us. I just know they will."
With that, he swiped his hand through the message and it vanished. He smiled, before it fell a bit as his gaze wandered off into the sky.
"I wonder who that was..."
Calypso grabbed his hand and pulled him into the cave.
"Who cares?"
He smiled at her words as she brought him to the table, taking a seat and putting his daughter back in her high chair, before he turned to his wife with a look of confusion.
"Wait a minute... If I remember correctly you weren't exactly the biggest fan of this place."
She sighed as she snapped her fingers, a bowl of stew floating over in front of him.
"I wasn't, but..." She shuddered slightly as she closed her eyes, "... it's the only place we can escape Aphrodite's children."
He shook hisnhead with a laugh, before his eyes settled on her and his face tightened with emotion.
"I thought I'd never see you again." He said, his jaw tight, "I thought that was it. That's I'd never see you, or Esperanza ever again."
Calypso let out a soft sigh before she moved towards Leo, taking a seat in his lap as she stared into his eyes.
"There wasn't a chance I'd let that happen..." She said, before a small smile pulled across her lips, "... hothead."
He shook his head with a laugh as he wrapped his arms around his wife, taking a moment to stare into those caramel orbs he'd fallen in love with all those years ago.
"So... what's the plan for today?" He asked, poking his daughter in the face as she giggled with delight, "Gardening? Maybe some swimming? Or we could always have a picnic on the beach? Then again..." He wrapped his arms back around her waist, "...we're not in a rush. How about all three?"
"How about..." Calypso said, smiling as she leaned into his ear, "... we finally pick a baby name."
He felt his eyes widened as his wife pulled away and looked him in the eyes.
"Boy or girl?" He asked her in a quiet tone.
"Boy." She said, letting her hand softly rub his cheek.
He stammered out a laugh as he felt his mouth gape open like a fish. He thought he'd be able to say something, to make some clever joke, but all he could do was beam a smile at his wife as she gently stroked his cheek.
"That being said..." She added, turning to the cave entrance, "...I could go for a picnic."
Leo grinned as he lifted his wife up and gave her a peck on the cheek, before scooping his daughter into his arms.
"Got food already?" He asked. She smiled, snapping her fingers as sandwiches assembled themselves and floated into a basket, before the whole thing floated into her hand.
He took her hand in his as he held his daughter to his chest and they started to walk towards the beach.
"How does a week sound?" He asked her, to which she let out a small sigh.
"Maybe a month?" He replied, and a small smile pulled across her lips.
"How about two?" He added, and he felt her squeeze his hand, her smile growing. He smiled to himself because, truth be told, he didn't know if he ever really wanted to leave. Hell, that was a lie, he knew there'd be a time where he'd want to go back, back to their real home in New Rome, so they could have their nice dinners and their cozy movie nights and then fall asleep in their big cozy bed, that along with getting the nursery ready with the right color paint. But for now?
He planned to take all the time he needed.
Percy sighed as he watched the iris message play in front of him, playing in the mist from his ensuite shower. He watched as Leo's sly grin let him and Zoe know he was just about done with prophecies before he told them not to let the Aphrodite cabin know where they were. Percy couldn't help but smile at his friends request as he started to make his way out of his bathroom. He stopped when Zoe sprinted in front of him, hands on her hips with a frown.
"Where do you think you're going?" She demanded, to which he let out a small shrug.
"Well, I've been in bed for four days, my love..." He said, as she involuntarily blushed at his words, "And, frankly, I'm starving."
She held her position for a moment, before she sighed, letting her hands fall to her sides as she didn't really have an argument to his excellent point.
"Need me to get the door?" She grumbled, he grinned at her.
"Yeah. Doors ain't so easy now that I done did lost me leg." He said in a hokey southern accent. She shook her head with another sigh and went over to open the door for him.
Only to reveal Annabeth there with a tray of food in her hands. A tray of food that clattered to the floor when she saw him, breaking Percy's heart when he noticed they were pancakes.
She stared at him for a moment, her mouth opening and closing for a moment, before a frown drew across her lips.
"Took you long enough."
He offered her a soft smile as he awkwardly shuffled over to her, leaning on his one leg as he put one of his hands on her shoulder.
"How you doing?" He asked her, to which she crossed her arms and looked down.
"Not great." She whispered.
He frowned a gentle, caring frown. "You wanna talk about it?"
She shook her head as she looked up at Zoe.
"Not right now, Percy, and frankly you should be talking to this one right now. She's the one who slept on the floor for four nights you idiot."
Percy felt his eyes widened a bit as he turned to Zoe, who had a bit of a blush on her cheeks.
"Four nights? On the floor?" He asked her. She shrugged.
"Didn't want to bother you."
Percy let out a sigh as he turned back to Annabeth and looked down at the floor, back at the pancakes. He let out another groan as he realized they were blue.
"I really wanted those..."
Annabeth shook her head with a sigh all her own, "There's more in the kitchen."
His head snapped up and he beamed a smile at her before he turned to Zoe and reached out his hand.
"Coming?"
She smiled, taking his hand as she did.
"Of course I am."
The pancakes were incredible, and not just because they were blue, although that did help.
Percy did not waste any time, devouring them the second he'd gotten a fork and knife in his hand all while Artemis watched him from the table in a mix of shock and disgust. He glanced up at the goddess as she stared, a forkful of pancakes freezing in the air halfway to his mouth as he did.
"What?" He asked her, "I haven't eaten properly in 6 days, Artemis."
She sighed as she leaned back in her chair, shaking her head as she did.
"You do not seem like someone who just lost his leg, Perseus..." She said, catching his look and correcting herself, "... Percy."
He shrugged, "Yeah, well..." He began, glancing down at the wound which seemed a little sadder now that he had food in him and could think properly, "... at least this means no more quests." He said with a sad smile.
She let her expression fall a bit as she leaned into the table, "Most likely, but..." She let a small smile spread across her face, "... I'm hoping this doesn't mean our visits will end."
He let a smile spread across his own face at her words as he put the fork down on his plate and reached across to softly hold her hand, "Don't worry. I meant what I said the night before we headed out, about you guys visiting. Just promise me one thing..."
She looked up at him as he cleared his throat, "...kill something and bring it for me to cook next time. We went through a week of venison in three hours, and it ain't cheap."
She sighed, shook her head, and stood up from the table, all as Percy tried his best to hold back laughter behind his smile.
"Well make sure of it, Percy." She said, as she went out side to join the rest of the group, who'd left Percy alone while he devoured his meal.
Percy leaned back in his seat for a moment, taking another good, long look at his leg as he did. It started to set in, his leg was gone. Like, not hurt, or in a cast, but gone. Gone gone. He ran his hand up and down his thigh as he did, just taking in the sight of it while he did, until a voice spoke up behind him.
"Hey."
He turned around, about as well as he could from his position, and smiled when he saw Annabeth standing there, another plate of pancakes in her hands.
"Hey yourself." He answered with a smile, which she returned. She put the plate down on the table in front of him.
"I assumed you wanted seconds." She said and was a little surprised when he pushed the plate away.
"No, probably not. I think I'll need to go on a diet, all things considered..." He said, poking his stump with a grimace, "... don't think I'll be jogging any time soon."
Annabeth let out a sigh, "I do not understand how you can be so positive about this, Percy."
He shrugged, "That's just me. Plus, I think this might be my permanent ticket out of quests."
She shifted on her feet, "You're probably right about that."
They were silent for a moment, her moving over to the table and taking a seat while he continued to stare at his wound, partially thinking about what kind of prosthetic he wanted and partially thinking about, well...
"You liked him, didn't you?" He asked her, making her turn to him with a sad look in her eye. She was quiet for a moment, before she let out a deep sigh.
"I don't know."
He cocked his head from side to side, "You seemed pretty confident on the mountain." He offered, to which she shot him a half hearted glare.
"He was dying, Percy. What was I supposed to say?" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up a bit, "Hey, I know you're dying, but I just figured things out with my ex so I'm in a bit of a weird spot right now, but don't get me wrong, you're really cool, and handsome, and really sweet, so I'm just gonna give you a maybe and... and..."
She dropped her head, letting out a small breath.
"...yeah." She said, "I did. At least a little bit. Enough for it to hurt."
Percy let out a breath, reaching over to squeeze her arm, "There's nothing wrong with that, Annabeth."
She sighed, "I know..."
"And, I mean..." He paused, thinking of the right way to say what he wanted to say, "When I got here, it didn't take too long for me to think Zoe was... pretty cool." He said, cringing slightly at the words his brain chose.
She sighed, raising her head to look at him.
"Pretty cool?"
He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "Look, all I'm saying is if he'd lived, and you'd went ahead and taken him to Astrids when we got back for dinner..." He let out a breath, "... There wouldn't have been anything wrong with that."
She gave him a look, one that started as annoyed, before it morphed into a sort of sad acceptance.
"Thanks Percy..." Her expression fell, as she let her head dropped a bit, "... I wish he was still here."
"Yeah..." He said, reaching over to squeeze her shoulder, "... I know. He seemed... like a good man. I would've liked to have gotten to know him."
They were quiet for a moment, listening to the soft sound of wind outside his window. Percy let out a breath, standing up on his leg and grabbing his crutches as he did.
"Who's outside?" He asked, "Is Freya still here?"
Annabeth nodded, "She didn't leave, wouldn't even entertain the idea, but a few days ago this giant red haired guy did show up..."
Percy felt his gaze snap upwards. Erik was here, and if Erik was here he'd probably be asking a lot of questions and not be too impressed at Percy's... heroic reason for losing a leg.
He sighed, turning to Annabeth who offered him a sad smile.
"Need me to get the door?"
He sighed, as he stood up, grabbing his crutches as he did.
"Yes please."
Percy was not ready for the hug. For the crushing, almost suffocating embrace that Erik pulled him into the second he saw him. He also wasn't ready to be picked up off the ground either, letting out a nervous laugh as he was, much to the amusement of Zoe who was sat on his patio furniture.
Erik plopped him back down, giving him a pat on the shoulder as Percy sat down on the couch next to Zoe. She leaned into him, Making sure not to bump his leg as she did.
"So..." Erik began, pointing st the leg, "... I'm guessing this means you'll be taking the week off?"
Percy let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Probably the month. Even if I still had both I don't think I've been this tired in a while."
Erik laughed, before grimacing. "Yeah, I heard how you lost the leg you dumbass." He wrapped his arm around Freya, "Cannot believe you just left em all behind, especially her!" He said, pointing at Zoe.
Percy awkwardly cleared his throat as he gave a slight glance in Zoe's direction, who was giving him a steely glare as he did.
"Yeah, and why don't you tell Erik who ended up killing the stupid dog, Percy?"
Percy let out a breath as he turned back to Erik, "Well..." He looked over at Freya, and Erik's eyes followed, before they widened. She grinned, reaching behind her seat and pulling out Mjolnir. Percy felt his mouth fall open a bit at the sight of the hammer.
"You've still got it?"
Freya grinned, "Honestly? Might not give it back." She gave the hammer a little shake as a small bolt of electricity zapped off it, striking Percy's patio table. Percy sighed.
"Well if you're gonna keep the thing, please don't blow up our house." He said, knowing a smile was spreading across Zoe's face at the words our house without even looking. Freya grinned at him.
"I'll think about it. But speaking of this hammer, and it's owner..." She turned to his yard, "...you've got a conversation that needs to be had."
Percy followed her gaze down to his yard and saw him, standing there. Thor, the God of thunder, watching as the wind blew his grass about and the hunters lounged about around their campsite they'd put up again. Percy felt his jaw tighten a bit as he shifted in place, glancing at Zoe who already had her eyes on him, frowning as she read I need to get up off his face. She grabbed his hand.
"Be quick."
He shot her a smile, "We'll have all the time in the world once I'm back, just so you know."
She let her eyes squint a bit, "Yeah, well I'm counting the seconds, and you're wasting precious Percy and Zoe time. So hurry up, Jackson."
Percy sighed and got up as Freya and Erik both held back laughs, watching as Percy made his way over to the God of thunder.
They got next to each other and, for a moment, both were silent. Just standing in the grass, watching the breeze roll over the slight hill that led into the woods that bordered Percy's home. Percy shifted a bit before he turned to the God, breaking the silence.
"I've only got one leg now, y'know. Standing ain't as easy as it used to be."
The God sighed, before he turned to Percy.
"Then I'll make it quick. I'd like to congratulate you Percy, for preventing Ragnarok."
Percy shrugged with a slight smile. "Least I could do. Plus, you should be thanking your daughter, and also working on getting that hammer back..." Percy leaned in a bit as he whispered, glancing at Freya on his porch, "...She's a little scary when she's got it."
The thunder God chuckled as he shook his head. "I'll think about it, getting the hammer back I mean, I've already thanked Freya for whooping that dog's ass." He glanced up at Percy's confused expression and shrugged. "
"Ragnaroks been prevented, Percy. At least for another few centuries, hopefully. Ive got no heads to smash, plus..." He glanced up at his daughter whonwas laughing as Erik tried, and failed, to lift the hammer, before she grabbed it and spun it in the air, "... I think she's enjoying being the hero."
Percy grimaced, "Yes, well... let's try not to make a habit out of sending her on these heroic quests, eh?"
Thor gave a nod, "She's made it very clear to me that, though this was fun, she won't be repeating it. She also made it clear that it was by your convincing words that her questing was a one time affair."
Percy grimaced ever so slightly, "We had some conversations, about some topics. Namely how the whole hero thing ain't all it's cracked up to be." He glanced at his leg, "For her, or for me. I'm thinking I'm done after this one."
Thor turned back to Percy, "Yes, I heard about your epiphany on the mountain. Though I'm normally a bit glum when heroes decide to retire..." He offered Percy a small smile, "... I think you've earned it."
"Yeah, I'd have to agree." Percy said, as he wiggled his stump around. Thor smiled, before his face took on a serious look.
"Percy... the Asgardians, they've been thinking about you, and..." He said, as Percy looked up to meet his gaze, "They want to reward you for your service."
Percy was quiet for a moment, only the sound of the wind and the hunters chatting quietly rolling over the hill, before he let out a small laugh, "It had better not be godhood." He said with a small smile, "Already gotten the offer before, and thanks, but no thanks."
Thor shook his head, "Not quite, but it is a gift." He said, drawing a look from Percy, "... a wish."
Percy let his eyes pull back into a questioning glare, "A wish?"
Thor nodded, "A wish. Anything you want. Our reach is far, and our magic vast. There are few limits to what you could ask for."
Percy didn't hesitate with his first question, "Is Zoe already free?"
Thor chuckled with a slight shake of his head, "Ever the gentleman..." He looked back up at Percy, "Yes. She was freed just about as soon as Ragnarok was prevented, Percy. "
Percy let out a breath and a small laugh. He wouldn't lie, the idea that her and him might head out, travel the world, see new places without having to battle gods? Didn't seem like a bad idea to him. He paused for a moment as his eyes clouded with thought. He looked up at Thor.
"Anything?"
The thunder God smiled.
"Anything. So long as it's... reasonable, let's say."
Percy clicked his tongue and thought about it. His eyes pretty immediately drifted down to his stump. He looked at the wound, at the lack of his limb, and thought about it. He could have it back, just like that. With a simple wish, he'd chuck those crutches aside and be back on his own two feet. He thought about it, before something caught his attention.
Annabeth.
She was walking along the forest line, nearly out of sight of him, but her face was turned to his, and he could see that she really, really didn't look good. He knew she probably didn't feel good, either, and probably wouldn't feel good for a while.
He thought about what she'd said in his kitchen, what she'd said when he'd admitted he was okay with it, with her feelings that she'd felt up on the mountain.
...I wish he was still here.
Percy paused for a moment, staring at the daughter of Athena as she walked along the forest line. He looked back at Thor, who had a curious look in his eye as Percy opened his mouth to speak, a slight smile on his lips.
"I know what I want."
It was a short drive, just like it always into town, made even shorter by the fact that Zoe had to drive.
It was... interesting, to say the least. Percy had led Annabeth and Zoe to his truck pretty immediately after his chat with Thor and, upon remembering that he didn't have both legs, shot a grin at Zoe.
"Wanna drive?"
A look of clear panic shot through her as he held the keys up and gave them a jiggle.
"I mean it." He said, "And you know how much I love my truck."
She looked at him for a moment, before sighing, taking the keys, and hoping in the driver's seat.
Gods almighty it was terrifying.
Every few feet she slammed on the breaks, before hitting the gas and accelerating downhill before slamming on the breaks again. Didn't get much better at the turns and got way worse at speed bumps.
"I thought you had your license!" Percy said through nervous laughter as he white knuckled the armrests of his seat, flashbacks of Apollo's bus playing in his mind.
Zoe grit her teeth and glared at him, "I drive maybe once a year, Jackson, and it ain't your big ass truck I'm usually driving!"
He snapped his eyes back forward as she did too while they pulled over the small bridge into town, making their way down the streets. Percy directed her as she drove, ignoring the honks from drivers and opting to turn his lights on. Less as a threat and more as a warning, as to say mountain hermit girl driving, keep your distance.
They weaved through the streets, making their way to their destination as Zoe slowly learned what a blinker was and how to shoulder check and how to turn on the windshield wipers.
They pulled up to their destination and Zoe parked the truck (pretty badly, but meh, what can you do) before Percy shifted it into park and put on the e-brake. They hopped out, Percy making sure Annabeth was following him as he led her to the beach.
They walked along the sand, Percy somehow keeping a faster pace than the two of them despite having half their amount of legs. He kept moving as they fell behind, getting farther and farther up the beach, before he froze in place, a smile drawing across his mouth, as he found himself staring at exactly what he'd been looking for.
A man in a black coat, a man with curly black hair. A man who had a very nasty looking tear through said coat. A man who groaned as he sat up on the beach and blinked his eyes, trying to focus on the man that stood in front of them as he stood up.
Leif. He was here, shaking seawater off as he wiped sand off his face. He was alive. Just like Percy had asked for.
The man stumbled up to Percy, slowly approaching him with his hand outstretched as he prodded Percy's face. Percy kept still as the man gave his cheek a poke.
"Percy?" He asked, Percy smiled.
"In the flesh."
Leif took a breath, spinning around in a slow circle, before he focused back on Percy, a serious look on his face.
"You didn't die too, right? This isn't Valhalla? Because I don't think Zoe could stand that, not after how angry she was in the cave." He said, with alook of genuine worry on his face.
Percy shook his head with a smile, "No, Leif. I'm pretty sure this..." He said, gesturing to his stump as Leif's eyes widened, "...wouldn't be missing if we were in Valhalla."
Leif's mouth fell open as he felt et his chest, looking for a wound through the clothing and realizing he couldn't find one.
"How... how is this... how am I..." He struggled to find words, but Percy simply put a hand on his shoulder.
"I wished it. Thor gave me a wish, so I brought you back."
Leif felt his jaw drop a bit, a pang of shock going through him, before his body lost all control and he stepped forward, pulling Percy into a tight hug. Percy smiled, wrapping one of his arms around the man as he did.
Leif pulled back, giving Percy a questioning look. "You didn't wish for a new leg?"
Percy shrugged, "The Halloween costume potentials are now endless for me," He said with a grin, "plus, it's been heavily implied that there's no more quests for me to hop off to." He added as he reached down and slapped his shinless thigh.
Leif let out a breathy chuckle, before he looked at Percy with a soft look.
"But... why? Why me, Percy?"
Percy just smiled, as he glanced over his shoulder. Leif's gaze followed as he stared at the two figures that had caught up to Percy.
Zoe and Annabeth.
Well, he really just focused on Annabeth, who's mouth was hanging open as she stared at him.
He turned back to Percy, opening his mouth to talk, before Percy raised his hand.
"Leif." He said.
"Percy?" He replied. Percy smiled.
"I think you know why I brought you back."
Leifs face was still for a moment, blank of all emotion, before a smile pulled across his lips. He opened his mouth to speak before Percy raised his hand a little more.
"If you say you can't help being a hero, it's in your nature, I'm gonna kick your ass, one leg or not." He said with a slight glare. Leif chuckled, and offered him a kind look.
"I was going to say thank you, Percy. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
Percy smiled, before he turned slightly to look over his shoulder at Annabeth, who was slowly walking towards them. He turned back to Leif.
"Well? What're you waiting for?"
The man gave him one last smile before he started walking, over to Annabeth as she did the same. They stopped on the beach, a ways away from Percy, who'd been joined by Zoe at that point.
They were silent for a moment, just staring at each other as the waves gently broke on the sand, before Annabeth spoke.
"Hi." She said. Leif smiled, and rubbed the back of his head.
"Hi." He replied.
They were quiet for a moment, a very long moment, before he cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry."
Her eyes snapped up to him, a confused expression on her face.
"What in the hell are you sorry for, Leif?"
He shrugged as he looked at the ground. "For... unloading all that on you. While I was on the mountain."
She was silent for a moment, before she let out a sigh. "You died. You died in my arms, and you're apologizing to me."
He blushed a bit and shifted on his feet, "Yeah, I..." He paused for a moment as he raised his eyes to meet hers, "... it probably wasn't easy to deal with all that."
Annabeth let out a gentle sigh as she looked at her feet.
"Well, it's not the first time something like that's happened to me, but..." She raised her eyes to meet his again, "...you're right, it wasn't easy."
They were silent again, Leif shifting uncomfortably on his feet, before Annabeth spoke up again.
"Leif... I think we started all this a bit too quickly."
He looked up at her, a hurt yet understanding look spreading across his face as he did.
"I... I understand. I asked for much on that mountain, and promised quite a bit too." He let out a gentle breath as he awkwardly rubbed his forearm, "I'm sorry for forcing all that on you." He said, in a genuine tone that made Annabeth look up at him. He started to turn away from her, towards town, towards... whatever was up there because, honestly, he had no idea where he even was. He stopped when he felt her hand grab his.
He turned to her as she stared into his eyes.
"Hold on." She said, as he turned back towards her, "I know I said we started things a bit fast, but..." She let out a breath as a small smile spread across her face, "...doesn't mean we can't... try again."
He was still for a moment as he processed her words, before a small smile spread across his face. He reached out with his other hand, taking hers in it before he let the smile grow a bit.
"I'd love to." He said, turning to the beach, and the soft sand that ran along its length.
"Would you like to... walk with me?" He asked. She let out a laugh as she shook her head.
"Wow... you are really bad at asking a girl out." She said with a chuckle. He smiled all his own, as he ran a nervous hand through his hair.
"Well, to be fair, I haven't done it in around four hundred years." He admitted, realizing that it had really been that long.
She shook her head with a sigh, as she led him towards the water.
"Then I guess we're gonna have to get some practice in." She said, as they strolled down the beach together, "Maybe we can have a double date with Percy and Zoe." She offered, tapping her fingers on her chin.
Leif shuddered a bit and she noticed, "What? Don't tell me you're scared of him?" She said with a smile. He looked at her with a nervous look in his eye.
"Not him, Zoe..." He said as her smile grew, "...She's terrifying, and I have no shame in admitting that."
Annabeth laughed, facing back forward as she did, "Yeah, apparently she was even scarier as a hunter." She said to which Leif let out a soft breath.
"Her as a hunter would make me run for the hills."
Annabeth laughed again, a bit harder this time, as her and Leif kept walking down the beach, talking about each other with each other, content in their conversation as they did so, not even realizing their hands stayed clasped the entire time.
They were so content, they hadn't even noticed when Zoe and Percy had left them to their walk, hopping back in Percy's truck and leaving a note with a phone number pinned to the post where they'd been parked.
The drive back was somehow even scarier, and it wasn't even necessarily the fact that Zoe was still driving, it was the fact that Zoe was somehow driving even faster this time. Percy swore they got to his cabin in record time, with his truck screeching to a halt in his driveway before they both got out of his truck. Zoe wasted absolutely no time jogging up to his front door and sifting through his keys as he hobbled his way up the steps.
"Thanks for the hand." He grumbled.
"Oh don't even start." She replied, finding the right key and slipping it in, "You left us in the dust on the beach, Jackson. Which, by the way, that little move you pulled with Leif..." She turned to him with a soft smile, "...that might be the sweetest thing you've ever done."
He let out a shrug and a smile. "All my other dead friends are in Elysium, and I don't think they'd give that up for Alaska, if I'm being honest." He said.
Zoe shook her head with a sigh, "Well..." She let her eyes drift back up to his, " Alaska... grows on you."
He smiled as she opened the door, "Grows on you?"
"Yeah." She said, kicking the door closed behind her, "Grows on you. Now get your ass on that couch, Jackson."
He swallowed as he hobbled over his living room and plopped down in the seat. He was a little nervous, to be honest, as Zoe dropped his keys in the key bowl and wandered over to his kitchen, shuffling around in his cupboards as she did. He heard a familiar noise, his microwave running, before it beeped.
"What're you doing in there?" He called, in a tone more nervous than he'd wanted it to sound.
"You'll see..." She called back, as he heard her walk out of the kitchen and back to the living room, holding a massive bag of microwave popcorn.
She stood there for a moment, putting single pieces of popcorn in her mouth as she stared at him from under drooping eyelids.
"So..." She said. He gulped.
"So." He replied.
"So... how long you planning on taking off time from work?" She asked, chewing a piece of popcorn. He sighed as he wiggled around the stump.
"Probably a month, all things considered." He said. He watched her face as her lips twitched into a smile.
"Perfect."
"Perfect?" He replied, she nodded.
"Perfect." She walked over to him, getting on top of his lap and straddling him, all while still holding the popcorn, "That should give you plenty of time to get me moved in."
Percy couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as she ate another piece of popcorn, before letting a smile spread across her own face and offering him a piece. He smiled, and held open his mouth, before she flicked it in and he chewed it with a grin. She sighed and let her hands settle on his shoulders, putting the bag on the couch as she looked him in the eyes.
"I want you to promise me something Percy."
He lifted his gaze as he was about to shove more popcorn in his mouth, as a tender look passed over his face.
"Anything." He said, staring into her eyes.
She traced her thumbs across his neck, taking a deep breath as she did.
"Promise me... this thing, that we've got here..." Her onyx eyes flicked up to his, "Promise me it'll never end."
He was silent for a moment, before a soft smile spread across his face. He raised his hand, gently rubbing her cheek.
"I promise, Zoe. Till the end of time."
She smiled, a little glint of a tear in her eye, before she leaned in to give him a kiss. A soft, gentle, sweet kiss. One that she didn't want to lead to anything, or take them from anywhere. One that said everything she wanted him to hear without so much as a whisper.
I love you.
She pulled away, giving his face a gentle slap and running her hand through his hair.
"So..." She said. He grinned at her.
"So." He replied.
"So... movie?" She asked with a smile all her own.
He let out a chuckle. "How about Mr Bean? Never got a chance to watch it before we had to save the world."
She smiled, before she leapt off him and jogged over to the DVD player, sifting through his piles of dvds before she found his Mr Bean one. She popped it in his DVD player and hit play before she hopped back on the couch, wrapping her arms around him as she leaned into his chest.
Then they sat, they sat for a long while and just watched their show. Happy, content, and satisfied. No more quests, no more gods, just the two of them. Watching another one of Percy's movies as they held each other on his couch, Zoe listening to the soft beat of his heart.
Together. As they should be.
Yeah, I know. I'm a sappy, sweet, son of a bitch.
I'm also not done yet.
I've still got a couple loose ends, a couple more storylines to wrap up. There's some character who havent quite finished their arcs (namely a certain son of hades) and I don't like leaving stones unturned.
My break was nice. I mean, it lasted all of maybe 12 hours before I was chomping at my phone to get to writing again, but still.
Still.
I gotta be honest. Doing this? Writing this story or, shit, just fanfiction in general? This last month I've been doing it has been one of the most mentally stimulating and happy months I've had in a while. If anyone's worried about this being a one and done thing for me, writing fics I mean, don't be. Frankly I've already got 2 stories cooking up on the back burner and you all know how fast I can write by now.
That being said, once this is done, expect a gap before the next thing goes up. Some dime for me to really refine whichever story I choose to write because, I'll be honest, I go back and forth daily on which one I want to write, but we'll see.
See you guys soon.
-Bronzeandsteel