Doused

(I ain't no genius like Rick Riordan, so none of this is mine.)

The table was absolutely silent. The air was filled with far away music, laughter and chatter about topics that, the now 9 teens sitting at the table, would never know. The lights surrounding the dining pavilion burned with a faint golden glow. The air
smelled of ripe strawberries.

At last Leo broke the silence, "Okay, so, err, who knew Will was gay?"

Piper, Annabeth and Hazel raised their hands.

"Oh please, honestly, how could you not know? He has been crushing on Nico for a while now." Piper said.

"So you knew what he was gonna do?" Jason asked, while playing with a plume of Piper's braided hair.

"Yes. No. Maybe? It was a hunch."

"Well what do we do now?" Reyna asked, while tracing the rim of her goblet with her finger.

"What do you mean 'what do we do now'?" Percy asked. "Don't we just let them be? They'll figure it out right? I mean it's hardly our place."

"Oh," Hazel pouted, "But that's hardly any fun! Come on let's just nudge them a little? And besides, do you really think that Nico, Nico di Angelo, would make a move of any sorts?"

"I agree, I think that we should lend a helping hand." Reyna chimed in.

"Exactly!" Piper held up her hands for Hazel and Reyna to hit, Hazel and Reyna obliged. Sending a stunning smack through the air.

"All right, let's vote. All in favor of lending a helping hand to the two?" Annabeth asked.

Piper, Reyna and Hazel were the first with their hands up. Then Annabeth, Calypso and Jason raised their hands too. Slowly and unsurely Percy, Frank and Leo eyed each other. An understanding passed between them. Finally they too, raised their hands.

"All done, then. Case closed." Piper said, "Jason your turn to ask."

"Oh, were still playing?" Jason asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, we'll start tomorrow."

How had Piper, Jason, Percy and Annabeth ended by the water? Ask Percy. And Annabeth for that matter. After Chiron came to the dining pavilion a couple hours ago, telling everyone it was time for curfew. The 9 teens had begrudgingly obliged and said goodnight
to each other. Percy had laid tossing and turning in his bunk when the door to his cabin had creaked open.

He had immediately sat upright, Riptide unsheathed, ready for action. But he had founded that he hadn't needed it at all. There in his cabin stood Annabeth Chase, her invisibility cap in hand. Her face streaked with tears and red rimmed eyes.

"I c-couldn't s-sleep. C-c-can I stay-y with y-ou-u?" She asked.

Percy immediately put Riptide away. "Of course, what's the matter?" he asked. Alert and very aware that she had snuck into his empty cabin.

"She sat down next to Percy holding her head in her hands. "I-I-I just kept thinking of Bob. A-a-nd how he-e-e ha-had sacrificed him-se-self for us." Her last word almost inaudible as her voice had become softer and softer. Annabeth wasn't a crier. At
all.

Percy slowly took Annabeth's hands in his own. Slowly he shushed her with calming words like "I know, I know. He was very brave wasn't he?" Which earned him a full on sob from Annabeth.

Percy slowly pulled the fragile girl into him, thinking he could console her with his warmth and presence.

"I'm s-s-sorry for crying." Annabeth tried to calm herself down.

"Hey, hey," Percy took Annabeth's face in his hands, he wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Don't apologize, you're safe here. We're here. We're good here. Okay?" He kissed her forehead. He hugged her tighter to his chest. Oh Annabeth, he thought.
What would he do if he was sad? He would go down to the sea.

"Annabeth?" He whispered, she nodded into his shoulder. "Do you wanna go swim?" Annabeth looked Percy over. "Okay." She said. So Percy took Annabeth's hand and they went down to the sea.

While walking ever so silently down the rows of cabins Percy saw Piper and Jason sitting together on the roof of Zeus's cabin. They spotted them too. The four teens froze mid-action. Slowly the four smiled at each other. Percy pointed at the sea then
at the four of them. Do you want to come? Was the silent question. Yes. They answered. So Jason controlled the winds and he and Piper soundlessly flew towards the sea.

When Percy and Annabeth made it Piper and Jason already stood in the calm waters. Piper's pajamas were soaked up to her knees. Jason stood next to her, his golden framed glasses askew on his nose.

Jason's hands rested on Piper's shoulders, she leaned into him. It was a nice picture Percy guessed. The salt air of the see smelled so nice he wanted to punch the air. He wanted to run as fast as he could into the water. But he didn't because he was
afraid to let go of Annabeth's hand. And that they might be heard. The Harpies would surly kill them all.

Percy guided Annabeth into the water. Now the four teens stood next to each other in the water.

"Couldn't sleep?" Jason asked, a smirk on his face, as he looked Percy and Annabeth over. His smirk slowly faded as he saw Annabeth's blotchy eyes.

"No couldn't sleep, I had some…thoughts." Annabeth said, noticing that Jason saw her cry-eyes.

Piper smiled understandingly "Me too." She simply said. And with that all seriousness was forgotten. Percy willed a small wave to douse Annabeth. Her face turned from shock to mischief.

"You're on, Seaweed brain." She splashed some water on to Percy's face, causing no damage at all as Percy willed to stay dry.

"That's unfair, dude." Jason said as he smiled at the idea of a water fight. His smile disappeared as Piper kicked salt water into his mouth.

"I'm a son of the sea god. What can I- woah" Percy lost the rest of his sentence as Annabeth hurled herself at full speed at Percy's chest. Losing all focus Percy fell into the water, now totally drenched in water.

When the four teens finally decided to return to their cabins it was nearing dawn. Not one of them were dry. Not one of them wasn't smiling.

More?

θαυμάσια λόγια. Αντίο σε όλους.