Hope everyone enjoys the new chapter :)
It was a mistake, a stupid mistake to fall again. Again, please not again. The second I lost my footing, trapped in the stupid cobwebs, I was so sure I was going to be gone.
Everything happened in a matter of seconds, but it dragged on forever in my mind.
I tried to focus on those last few moments of my miserable life. Darkness surrounded me as the entire world crumbled, pillars and stones crashing to the ground. Deafening. The Athena Parthenos, tall and imposing, loomed over the ever increasing hole, edges collapsing inward.
The Seven ran around frantically, trying to escape the madness. Leo had employed Frank and Jason to help him attach ropes to the giant statue, it had to be saved if this war was ever to end. Hazel and Piper were attempting to carry Annabeth back to the ship, her ankle unable to hold her weight, her exhaustion too great to move much. But out of the corner of her eye, I think Hazel saw me slip.
But there was nothing she could do. She couldn't shadow travel nearly fast enough.
She couldn't save me. It was hopeless.
I was hopeless.
I was going to die.
So I fell, weightless for those few moments, listening to the moans and animalistic noises emitted from the pit. I assumed I would die. No…I hoped. I hoped I would die immediately, upon impact. Hoped I would drown in one of the rivers. Hoped I would never see the horrors of Tartarus again. I closed my eyes, waiting for death's embrace.
But I felt something yank at my arm, a firm hand grab to my wrist. I was hanging over the abyss, weightless but being held by someone.
I opened my eyes, expecting to see Hazel. I wanted one last look at my sister before I shook myself free. I could't let her fall too, but I wanted a good bye.
Instead, I saw Percy. His face pale white from dust and illuminated by the dim sunlight that managed to find its way down here, his black hair dusted with cobwebs. He grimaced, strain obvious behind his eyes but triumph on his face. He managed to smirk down at me, teasing me ever so slightly for my mistake. Silly Nico, always messing things up. For a fleeting second, it was like everything was going to be alright. He was going to pull me up, and we would make a run for the ship.
But of course not. Nothing was ever alright. Nothing was ever easy.
Percy's smile faded in an instant as the ground beneath him began to crack, zig-zag faults forming. I flinched as the pit widened, rocks tumbling down around me as the only ground holding Percy up came tumbling down.
A shower of dust and small rocks covered me, a large one bouncing painfully off my shoulder. Somehow Percy held on.
If it hadn't been for his quick reflexes, we would have both been goners. His hand shot out, and he managed to grab hold of a cliff. He looked down at me, shock and fear on his face. He was terrified. By now, Hazel and Piper had run to the edge of the pit, peering over cautiously but frantically searching for us. I could hear Hazel shouting for help, but it was no use.
I knew what Percy had to do, and I'm sure he understood as well.
He had to let go of my wrist. It was the only way he would survive this. He couldn't hold on to me much longer, I could feel his grip slipping already. There was no way anyone could help us either. When I looked up, I could see that Percy had managed to grab a ledge that was a solid ten feet away from the new lip of the pit. No matter how quickly they ran, there was no way they could get back with a rope in time.
There were plenty of ledges above us. If Percy let go now, he could manage the short climb, at least long enough for someone to help pull him up.
"Just let go," I screamed up at Percy, pleading. I was ready for this. He had to live. He just had to. He couldn't meet his end like this, dirty and scraped up.
He was amazing. Perfect. A hero. Everyone relied on him to save them, the world needed him.
They didn't need me. Nobody did.
They all needed him.
But the look on his face was enough to tell me he was never going to do that. He was so stupidly loyal. It was his fatal flaw, and of course it would be his downfall, literally. I meant so little to him, but he still couldn't bring himself to drop me, leave me behind and condemn me to a horrible death.
He looked down at me, face white with the effort of keeping both of us hanging. He looked conflicted, pained, like he wanted to hold on just a little longer…
He opened his mouth to say something to me, but grimaced. His grip was starting to loosen rapidly, and he was trying desperately to keep it. He looked up and turned his attention to Hazel, who knelt over the edge ready to scramble backwards at a moment's notice.
"You're gonna have to meet us at the other end," he screamed over the din of collapsing stone. I would imagine Hazel's eyes widened at this.
So I was right. Percy meant to fall with me, travel through the depths of Tartarus, and come out the other side.
The plan was suicide. There was no way it was going to work. We could never survive this, I could never survive this. He'd seen me after the rescue.
I could hear disjointed shouts of protest from Hazel. She knew the plan was insane too. I heard her begging him to keeping holding on, that Frank was on his way right now with a rope.
"Please, just let go of me. Y-you need to…" I sobbed as I slipped farther into the pit, whimpering, pulled in slowly by its gravity. No, he couldn't do this. There was still a chance for him. He could still make it if he just let go.
But he shook his head in dissent as his fingers finally slipped from the ledge.
And we fell together.
Into the darkness.
Into hell.
I woke up in a cold sweat, scream threatening to tumble past my lips, memories still flying through my mind. I expected to be in the Hades cabin like usual, tangled in black and gray blankets too soft for comfort. Alone, my only option being to cry myself back to sleep in the cold silence, all because I couldn't bear to text Percy and wake him.
Tears threatened to spill as the nightmare scenes and memories of the day flashed in front of my eyes before I even had the chance to figure out where I was. Hazel…fucking Hazel. But nothing came, no matter how restrictive the choking feeling got. I don't think I had any tears left.
But I quickly realized I wasn't in my own bed. I was in Percy's, my head buried in his navy cotton-clothed pillow that smelled like him, of salt and fresh air. Twilight filtered in through the half closed blinds, illuminating the familiar room. Soft blankets piled on a low bed, a cluttered desk, darkly painted walls covered by posters, the haphazard pile of bronze armor, the bookcase stacked with tattered paperbacks and vinyl records.
I could hear the soft murmur of television through the thin walls. Percy was on the other side of that door. Surely I could have a moment with him, just a reassuring touch, before someone walked in on us. Then I could politely excuse myself, apologize for crashing in Percy's bed, and run off back to camp. Maybe I would IM later.
I stayed down for a moment, composing myself, trying to breathe deeply before I swung my legs over the edge of his bed. I caught sight of myself in the black framed mirror hanging on the back of Percy's door.
I stood for a moment, taking in my appearance. Swollen eyes juxtaposed with hollow cheeks. Hair a mess, sticking up in every direction. I stubbornly rubbed at my face, trying in vain to get rid of the puffiness, and tried to flatten my hair. I ultimately gave up. I deserved to look like shit at this point, there was no helping it. Hopefully Sally wouldn't notice and start asking questions.
I stepped into the living room illuminated by soft lamp light, where Percy and I had shared many a movie date. He was sitting on the couch, feet folded under himself, watching tv. Sally sat curled in an armchair, reading a book. I stood there awkwardly, rubbing my wrists.
The both of them looked up when they heard my footsteps.
Sally got up, placing her book on the coffee table, and smiled at me in a strained kind of way. "Hello dear. Are you hungry? I'd be happy to fix you a plate, you just missed dinner," she began.
"That's sounds like a great idea," Percy insisted before I could tell Sally I wasn't really interested. He looked pointedly at me as Sally walked away. Even though I had zero appetite, I knew it was no use protesting.
When Sally left the room, he got up and hugged me tightly, placing a soft kiss to my forehead.
"How are you holding up?" he murmured.
It simply shrugged and wrapped my arms around his waist, not wanting to talk about it. Instead I just sighed and leaned my head against the bulk of his shoulder, content with those few moments of peace.
"I um…told my mom about us," he added uncertainly.
I shot back, pushing him away with open palms, surge of emotion flowing through me. I could already feel my face going red. The panic was immediate and strong, followed by anger and embarrassment. How could he do this? He knew that I'd had a nightmare of a day. He knew that I couldn't do this right now, not after everything that happened with…with Hazel. I was already upset enough, he just had to make it worse!
"What? You can't be serious! I-I can't b-believe you," I hissed, eyes drifting over to the kitchen where I could hear Sally puttering around. Gods, she was probably just being nice, hiding her real feelings. I'm sure this whole thing was making her feel awkward. There was no way she could be okay with her son dating a guy, especially me. I crossed my arms across my chest, and seriously considered running back to Percy's room to grab my jacket. I could just leave now. I should just go before things got worse.
Percy grabbed at my wrist as I started turning, moving so that we were facing each other again.
"C'mon, don't do this! What was I supposed to do, keep it a secret while you slept in my freaking bed? I just wanted to help, and y'know what? Everything is completely fine! My mom honest to gods doesn't care that we're together, and neither will Paul. It's not like…like earlier," he tried to reason, grasping at straws to keep me standing in front of him.
"No, y-you have no idea what happened, no idea!"
"Nico! Could you come here?" Sally called from the kitchen before I could say anything back.
I was torn. I could make some excuse, say that I had to go. It would save me a little heartache, I imagined. I could just go back to camp, where I could be alone. But if Percy really had told Sally about us, was there really a point to that? What was the point of running if she already knew?
I might as well deal with this. Leaving now would just come off as rude, and I really couldn't afford that. I had to be as polite as possible if things were ever going to be okay between the two of us. Sally meant the world to Percy, and I couldn't go pissing her off any more than I already had.
Swallowing hard, I tore my arm away from Percy, still furious at him for telling her before I had a chance to decide what I wanted to do. I gave him one final glare before walking into the kitchen and didn't look back. I wasn't ready to forgive him just yet.
When I got there, she presented me with a plate piled with food and motioned for me to sit down at the table. She pulled up a chair to sit next to me.
She held herself awkwardly, hands folded in front of her, obviously not sure what to do or say in this situation. Percy had probably told her what happened earlier. What was she supposed to say? I'm sure as a mother she wanted to promise me everything would be okay, but there was no guarantee.
There was obviously some dread present in me. Situations like this, the "honest" talks, always made me want to run, and in my mind there were only two ways this conversation could go. Part of me assumed that Sally was going to tell me she was going to tolerate my relationship with Percy. Not embrace it, but tolerate it because it made Percy happy in the short term. I expected her to say that he would dump me sooner or later for someone…better? Another part of me thought she would try to talk to me about Hazel, and I really wasn't ready for that.
"I just wanted to let you know that you're always welcome here, whenever you want. You're a part of this family now, there's no reason to feel out of place," she reassured. Despite everything, her smile seemed to have become more genuine.
"S-so you're not…weirded out?" I asked, eyeing her warily. How could she possibly be alright with this? Her only son was dating a guy (and a weird guy, at that) after exclusively dating girls. She'd probably always imagined her son's wedding day, watching him walk down the aisle. She thought was going to be a grandma one day, surely, and now that was never going to happen…
"Of course not," she chuckled. "I was surprised at first, but it was… a good kind of surprise. Percy was so miserable when he came home that it was a shock to see him happy again. Now that I know it was because of you, I feel like thanks are in order."
Nobody ever thanked me, or at least it felt that way. I'd done so much, and faced such little admiration. But here Sally was, someone who was collectively respected by everyone who knew her, thanking me for helping her son, for being there for him when she could offer nothing. She was accepting me as a part of her life now, not some begrudging addition. Not something to be tolerated but ignored.
She wanted me around. To her, I was a whole person. I was a welcome addition.
I found myself staring blankly at the checkered placemats, wondering how in Hades I'd ever convinced myself that Sally would do anything less than that. She was a wonderful woman. The few times I'd met her, she'd welcomed me, a kid with nowhere to call home, into her own. So she already didn't hate me. And Percy…she loved Percy so much. I'd only seen her once during Percy's disappearance, just to brief her on what little information I'd found. She was a wreck, inconsolable but still trying to hold things together.
Why would she reject her son over something like this? People like Jason and Annabeth accepted whatever we had going on, so why wouldn't she?
Perhaps my pessimism was just a defense mechanism. If I always assumed the worst from people, nothing could hurt me too much. At least they would meet expectations that way. If I always resigned myself to "dealing" with something, never excited, never overly willing to do something, I could never be disappointed.
I swallowed hard and shyly thanked her because honestly, she deserved the thanks. After the day I'd had, I'd really needed this, the unconditional support from a surprising front. Knowing that Sally was alright with me not only because I made her son happy, but because I was me…Well, it made me happy.
She got up and placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing softly before giving me another encouraging smile. She walked out, and I heard a door close a few seconds later.
I picked at my food (which was delicious, as expected) before giving up and shoving the plate away. I felt like an asshole for how I'd acted towards Percy…and I needed to make it right.
I got up, taking the time to put my half finished plate in the sink, and turned back into the living room. Percy was still there, curled on the couch. His elbow was resting on the low arm of couch, his cheek resting on his open palm. He stared blankly at the television, not really paying attention to whatever program was on. He seemed lost in worried thought, an admittedly rare occurrence.
I dropped down on the couch next to him, which he immediately noticed. He sat up properly and looked over at me, but didn't make a move to touch me. He obviously didn't want to set me off again.
It was like he didn't want to break me.
"I'm sorry," I murmured, eyes flicking over to him. "I was being irrational and stupid and just…I'm sorry."
"No, I get it. After the day you've had…I really should have waited to talk to you about it first. But do you at least understand what I was trying to do? I wanted to make things better," he questioned, the worry slightly slipping from his face.
I nodded simply before being enveloped in a hug, something I'd gotten used to in the month since this whole adventure started. Before, I would have freaked out, pushed him away. Nobody hugged me, nobody even so much as touched me. Percy had be mercifully slow getting me used to it.
By now, I embraced him back, sighing from the momentary content I was able to feel. Everything seemed to melt when we were together. Worry, thought, negativity. They were all gone. With him, I was able to forget.
"Everything's going to work out. We'll sort through all this together. We'll figure out what to do about Hazel. It's all going to be fine. I promise, okay?" he whispered in my ear once more.
I wanted so badly to believe him. I wanted to think that in a few weeks Hazel would magically treat me like I was an actual person, like I was still her brother. I wanted to believe that I would never have to feel that heartbreak again, and I wanted to believe that Percy would never have to deal with it either. He was always so damned optimistic. He couldn't lose that.
But no, now was not the time for that. There were movies to watch and boyfriends to cuddle. Tonight, I could lose myself in him and forget about all the shit that life would have in store for the both of us.
There were more than enough distractions. At least for the moment.
Next up: Valentine's Day and their first "real" date!
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