Chapter 13
Natasha POV
All of them enter the dining room with Percy's arms around their shoulders and small smiles on their faces. I immediately gesture the others to not ask Percy any questions. He looks happier than I've seen him. Sure he's still quiet but he's opening a bit more and actually smiling and he's also eating though a little reluctantly.
I watched the amusing banter between the three cousins. Thalia starts by saying, "Kelpie pass the jam."
Percy without even looking up throws the jar in her general direction saying, "Here you go pinecone face." But instead of catching it Thalia accidentally swats it at Nico. It hits him straight on the face he just glares at her. His glare is pretty scary but Thalia starts laughing nudging calling out Percy, "Hey Seaweed brain look at Corpse breath." What is it with the nicknames?
Suddenly they all as one freeze both of them look worriedly at Percy who has his gaze turned on the floor in front of him. I can see his shoulder shake ever so lightly but then he takes a deep breath and faces Nico and Thalia again giving them a strained smile.
Thalia whispers a soft apology under her breath. Percy simply waves her off saying, "I need to get over it Thals might as well start somewhere just… y'know she was no, is the only one allowed to use it. You have your own trademark name."
I can see by the pain in his eyes that it's a painful memory so I keep quiet but Tony obviously isn't and bluntly asks, "What was that about Percy?"
Thalia and Nico turn their glares to him and he cowers back. Percy sighs exasperatedly and says, "Σταμάτα ρε παιδιά." They have a rapid discussion in the weird language and Thalia and Nico eventually relent meanwhile we keep looking back and forth between them like a tennis match.
Percy sighed and said, "Seaweed Brain was what Annabeth called me." I didn't miss the use of past tense though I didn't point it out. There were two options either it was a very bad breakup or she had died. By his tone I could tell it was the latter option.
Tony presses on desperate for some information, "Why seaweed brain?"
A wistful smiles crosses his face as he replies, "I love the water and she thought I was an idiot, it started out as an insult but it soon became the nickname which I've had since I was 12."
We all smile at the way he speaks his voice full of longing and love. It was really obvious that he truly loved Annabeth.
Then it was Clint who asked wiggling his eyebrows, "So who is Annabeth?" Shit. Wrong question.
I saw him tense and pull the emotionless mask on. Thalia and Nico glanced at each other with worry as he replied in the same blank voice, devoid of any emotion, "She was my girlfriend."
Apparently the men were really dumb and asked him what had happened. Tony asked if it was a bad breakup. Percy abruptly stood up, excused himself and left. Though before he left he told Thalia, "You can tell them."
Thalia POV
Thalia continued burning holes into his back as he left his head down. Thalia looked up and bluntly said, "He and Annabeth didn't have a bad breakup. She died, recently, like 3 weeks ago. Percy blames himself for her death. They knew each other since they were 12. At first they hated each other, then they became sort of friends and soon they were inseparable best friends. Everyone at camp shipped them together. It was obvious they liked each other to everyone except themselves. They would bicker like an old married couple and annoy literally everyone. Even our head teacher shipped them together. Finally on Percy's 16th birthday he asked her out and they kissed then the whole camp who was spying on them got out and we threw them into the lake and they kissed underwater."
I take a moment to breathe. It was Aphrodite's favourite OTP since any she'd ever seen.
I can see that they look ashamed of themselves but they're hanging onto my every word. It was practically a camp legend, the amount of love they had for each other. Both gave up immortality for each other and went through Hell for each other. Children listened to it with open mouths dreaming about their own love.
I then continue, "They were happily dating for 3 months before Percy was kidnapped again. We didn't find him for 8 months. Once Annabeth found him they went through hell together as they fought to get back but Annabeth was stabbed and she died right in his arms."
I finished the story and sat back looking at their faces. They all look deep in thought. Steve looks like he understood how Percy was feeling. I guessed he had lost his love too. Nico and I then left to go to Percy's room. The pep talk needed to be continued.
I slowly pushed open the door to Percy's room. It was empty but then I noticed that the balcony door was ajar and I saw him sitting on the swing an album in his hands He was tracing the pictures in it.
I was pretty sure it was the 'Percabeth' album which was given to him by all of us campers. It contained pictures since they were 12 and all through their quests and the wars. Someone had even captured their reunion at the Roman camp. It was beautiful. Percy and Annabeth standing between the demigods around them with their mouths open as they kissed and Annabeth judo flipped him.
We slowly approach him but as we get closer I can see by that he has a smile on his face. I sigh in relief and we continue towards him. I drop down in a chair in front of him.
He doesn't even notice us. He has his attention trained fully on the picture in front of him. It was of their date for their one month anniversary and he had taken her to Paris. They usually made me gag with their lovey dovey stuff but sometimes even I had to admit they were really cute.
His hands are tracing Annabeth. I know he misses her too much. For Gods' sakes they were soul mates I had never seen a love as strong as theirs. But right now I needed to talk to Percy.
I snapped my fingers in front of his face. He didn't even jump. He didn't even look up as he said, "What do you guys want to talk about now? I'm pretty sure I told you everything."
I snatch the album out of his hands slamming it close. He gives me a half- hearted glare and I order, "Percy I think there are some things you skipped out on."
Percy pales slightly but his voice doesn't betray anything as he says, "What? I told you everything."
Nico finally deciding that enough is enough bluntly states, "We aren't dumb Percy, we saw those scars and brands on you. We also saw the dream you had yesterday and the injuries you got after it. Your dad saw it too and it was he who healed you. Using that freaky water voodoo you do."
Percy stared at us mouth agape stuttering, "B-but how did y-you guys fin-find out about t-t-that?"
I shake my head, "That doesn't matter, now tell us everything." And so he did. He told us how when they were wandering through Tartarus they were captured by the Primordial of Pit himself. They'd chained both Annabeth and Percy and were mercilessly torturing them. Soon Annabeth passed out from the pain and Percy told that he would take her tortures even twice of it but she should be spared. Time flows differently in there so he felt like he'd been there for months.
Most of the times, Tartarus would kill him and then bring him to life just to kill him again endlessly.
Then he said that when his mind is weak and body is tired Tartarus can drag his subconscious down there again and do whatever he wanted and his body would feel it too.
By the end of the story I was a sobbing mess. I crushed Percy in a hug pulling Nico along with me and we piled together in a tangle of limbs. No words were needed just being there was enough for us and soon the exhaustion of the day carried us into sleep.