JAWBREAKER

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚

The first thing Warren felt was snow under her back. It was soft and powdery, but the cold wasn't so biting anymore. Her skin was hot and her pulse was steady. Warren almost felt normal again.

She blinked her eyes open and immediately saw Thalia looking down at her, backlit by the glow of the moon. The raven haired girl smiled. "She lives!"

"I wasn't gonna die," Warren grumbled.

"Well, you made a pretty convincing attempt," Percy said sharply. He was sitting with his back to her, stiff shouldered and staring adamantly at the horizon.

"We all know Hades would have to take me kicking and screaming," she joked. But Percy didn't laugh. He wouldn't look at her.

"What, are you mad at me or something?" Warren asked, pushing herself into a sitting position. Her shoulder felt stiff, but it cooperated with minimal pain.

"I think you're an idiot," Percy said. "But I'm not mad."

"Then what's wrong? Don't tell me you're squeamish about a little blood, Jackson."

"No! That's not—" he huffed. "Thalia had to, you know..."

"What? She had to what?"

Percy was grateful for the moonlight, because he was sure his ears were burning. He mumbled, "She had to take your shirt off, and stuff."

Oh.

Warren glanced down and noticed for the first time that she was in nothing but her bra and jeans. Her bloodied shirt and jacket lay discarded in a shredded heap, like they had been cut away with a knife. Warren's shoulder was wrapped in a gauzy white bandage, as pristine as the fresh fallen snow.

"I couldn't dress the wound with your clothes in the way," Thalia said.

"And just ripping off my sleeve would've been too easy," Warren replied dryly.

"Look, do you want modesty or do you want to be alive?"

She rolled her eyes. "Alive. But I can't exactly walk around like this."

"Here," Percy said, his back still to her. He shrugged off his jacket. "Put this on."

"But you'll be cold," Warren protested.

"I'll manage."

"Ever the gentleman," Thalia whispered conspiratorially. Warren just scoffed and pushed her away.

"Hey! Watch who you're shoving."

"Yeah, yeah. Go talk to the pine cones."

Thalia flipped her off and walked away, but it was obvious that neither girl was actually mad. Warren grabbed Percy's coat and zipped it all the way to her neck. There was a tear in the sleeve from Thorn's attack, but besides that she was decent.