(inspired by the song forgot to breathe by GRAHAM)
Percy had been staring at his laptop for what felt like hours, vision swimming as he blinked blearily.
There was a knock at the door, startling him out of his homework-induced stupor. He lurched upright, and called hoarsely, "come in!".
The door creaked open, and his mother stood in the doorway, smiling tiredly.
"Hi," Percy greeted her, rubbing his eyes.
"How's the work going?" Sally asked, eyes crinkling at the corners.
Percy shrugged. "Fine, I guess."
She nodded, still smiling warmly, before stepping backwards to reveal Annabeth.
Percy jumped out of his chair, a grin immediately stretching across his cheeks. "Annie! Hey!" he exclaimed cheerfully, bounding towards her.
Annabeth's curly blonde hair was yanked up into a ponytail, and her grey eyes were as stormy as ever, but she was pale, and bruises hung under her eyes.
"I'll leave you two, then," Sally said, shooting them one last smile before heading back to the kitchen.
Percy pulled his girlfriend into his room, raking his free hand through his hair. He dropped onto his bed, and she sat softly down next to him.
"What bring you here?" he asked, still grinning.
She summoned her own tired smile. "I just wanted to see you."
"That's all, huh?" he teased, raising an eyebrow. "Since when do I take priority over homework?"
And that was all it took for Annabeth's smile to drop off her face, leaving her looking wan and exhausted.
Percy's own grin melted away, replaced by his eyebrows knitting and his mouth drawing into a tight line. "What is it?" he asked, concerned.
She traced her tongue across her dry lips, before opening her mouth and inhaling. Then she shut it again, seeming unable to speak.
"Annie?" Percy prompted after a few seconds. She was twisting her fingers in her lap, eyes trained on her scuffed trainers.
"Annabeth," Percy tried again, when she still didn't look up at him, more serious this time. "What's wrong?"
Finally, she met his gaze. He was shocked to see tears prickling against the corners of her grey eyes. His hand fell to his lap, and then snaked across their laps and took hers, rubbing smooth circles onto the back of it.
"It's J-Jason," she said, voice catching.
"What about him?" Percy responded.
"H-he h-had an-" she started, before biting her lip, eyes drifting over to Percy's desk. He'd stuck photos of their friends up there, to motivate him while he was working.
There was a group shot from one evening when they all went out to dinner, Piper flashing a peace sign, Leo tripping over his undone laces. There was one from when they'd gone ice skating, Frank wobbling along, clutching onto Hazel, and Nico in stiches of laughter because Will was splayed out on the ground, the blonde grinning as he rolled his eyes. There was a landscape shot of camp from one time when the Stolls had snuck in an illegal camera. Percy had captured the mountains bordering the lake at sunset, and Jason was in the foreground of the picture, beaming with that fond smile he always wore.
That last photo clearly didn't help Annabeth deliver her news, because she sniffed, loudly.
Percy was puzzled. What could be so bad she was being nearly reduced to tears?
"What is it?" he insisted. "It can't be that awful. Just spit it out, and-"
Annabeth whipped to face him, ponytail flying, gunmetal eyes filled with tears.
"He's dead," she shot out, before burying her head in her hands, soft whimpers escaping.
There was a pause.
"Funny," Percy said hesitantly. Annabeth didn't move, staying huddled where she was. "Good one."
There was a pause.
"You're joking, right?" he said slowly. And still Annabeth didn't jump up, yelling "got you!" or "you should've seen your face!". She stayed with her head in her hands.
Percy considered shaking his girlfriend, but he didn't have to, because she retreated from her ball, tears dripping down her pale cheeks.
"I'm not joking, Percy," she whispered, voice wobbling. "He's dead."
And Percy forgot how to breathe.
The world suddenly felt too tight, too small, too restricting. It was squeezing the air out of him, physically hurting him.
His breathing was fast and out of control and his head was hurting. He could distantly hear Annabeth saying something, but her voice was muffled.
Jason couldn't be dead. Not Jason, the most stoic out of all of them. Not Jason, the most comforting presence during anything, even in the heat of battle. Not Jason, one of his best friends.
"No," he managed to choke out, Annabeth's face swimming into view, a tear dribbling off her chin. "I don't believe you."
Her eyes filled again hopelessly. "I-I don't know what to say," she croaked, and Percy's throat constricted further. If even Annabeth was lost for words, his wise girl, then it was bad.
He gritted his teeth, trying to keep his own tears at bay as he fought for breaths. "Take it back," he muttered, fists clenched.
"Take what back?" Annabeth swiped at her nose.
"He's not dead," Percy gasped out, his whole chest aching now. He knew Annabeth was telling the truth, but he couldn't accept it, he just couldn't.
Annabeth's huge grey eyes widened further. "Percy, he is. I'm so, so sorry."
Percy shook his head desperately, a lump rising up his throat. His chest was tight, too tight for comfort. Gods, how did he breathe? How was he supposed to? How could he, now that his world was crumbling?
They sat in silence for a moment, Percy struggling to regain control of his breath, Annabeth staring morosely at his carpet, sniffing occasionally.
Then she started to speak. "Piper told me. She wasn't doing too well, either." She paused, knuckling her eyes. "He was doing something with Apollo, or Lester, I guess-"
That got Percy's attention. "W-what?" he blurted, voice protesting at the effort. "That little-"
He trailed off, green eyes flashing with anger, the curse words he'd intended to use for the god slipping off his tongue. His anger was simmering below the surface, but his chest constricted again. Jason just couldn't be gone.
"Yeah," Annabeth said, a sigh escaping her lips, and Percy knew they were thinking the same thing, that they'd lost too many friends to the gods. "A-apparently, he was hit by Caligula's spear. Caligula's a Roman emperor," she added, as Percy slowly opened his mouth to ask that very question.
Percy dropped his head again. "So Jason was killed by some random emperor, probably taking the hit for Apollo? He died protecting an immortal god?" he said quietly, tone dangerous.
"Apollo isn't immortal, remember? He's trapped in human form," Annabeth reminded him quickly.
Percy nodded, and the memories of Lester and that little girl coming to visit their apartment flooded back. What was the girl's name? Molly? Mia? Meg, that was it. He'd driven them to camp – or as close as he could, before they were attacked by nosoi, those disease spirits. "Right," he said hoarsely.
"Yeah," Annabeth repeated, voice quavering. "He died in battle though, Percy. He died honourably. It's how he would've wanted to go."
"He wouldn't have wanted to go at all," Percy countered, voice acid-sharp.
"He died a hero," she offered.
"He shouldn't have died, period," Percy spat. His girlfriend ducked her head, no remark springing to mind.
They sat in silence for a while, Percy's heart beating uncomfortably fast.
Annabeth was right. Jason had died a hero, protecting a defenceless mortal, no matter if that mortal used to be a god. He didn't have to go, and this was what Percy was struggling with the most. But, if the Fates had snipped his life thread, then there was nothing that he could do; there was nothing any of them could do.
And Jason had died a hero, Percy told himself again. Maybe if he said it enough times, he'd start to believe it.
"Where is he?" he asked eventually.
"What d'you mean?" Annabeth replied tiredly.
"Where's his- his body?" Percy said, voice breaking. He swallowed thickly, trying to keep his tears at bay, like the dangerous creatures they were.
"I-I'm not sure," she stammered out. "But we can find out?"
Percy sighed, a deep, pushing himself off the bed. He held out a hand to Annabeth, which she accepted and then he pulled her up and into an embrace.
Her head was tucked onto his shoulder, tendrils of her blonde hair tickling his neck.
The grip around Percy's chest had loosened, and he was able to breathe properly.
In through the nose. Out through the mouth. In. And out. In. And out.
Annabeth stepped back from the hug, air whistling out her own mouth.
"We've got someone to visit," Percy said softly. He started walking towards the door, but Annabeth caught his hand before he'd even moved a few steps.
"We're going to be okay, right?" she asked, voice small. She looked so vulnerable, even though Percy knew she was far from it.
He nodded, wiping the drying tears on his face. "We'll be okay."
Percy may have forgotten how to breathe for a moment, but it was flooding back to him now, as well as memories of Jason.
He clung onto those snippets as he gripped onto Annabeth's hand with a pincer-tight grip.
All those times Jason had been the most amazing friend he could ever wish for, or when he was so annoying Percy wanted to punch his face, because they were human, and everyone gets like that from time to time. All those times when Jason rushed into battle, sword held above his head, the golden hilt glinting off his glasses, or when he laughed so hard he snorted milk out of his nose.
They were going to be okay.
For Jason.