Drowning in the Siren's Song

Chapter 43

Percy weaved through the forest with quick steps, following the direction from where he heard the crying voice. Though the forest was loud in its own way, and his heart was louder, he was able to clearly trace the faint sound of sadness.

It had been a while since he'd felt these emotions. The slight clamminess of his palms, the unusually elevated breathing, the itching urge to grab the knife on his hip; It all felt foreign but so familiar. 

His focus tunneled, his eyes set only on the ground in front of him while his ears strained even though he was getting closer. The fierce protective instinct he'd developed and the crammed up fear swirling inside him all wanted to show itself but Percy buried it deep inside. 

He hated it. 

He hated seeing the ones he held close to him hurting. 

An awfully familiar sight greeted him when the cries became the loudest. Jason, with his forehead rested on the rough bark of a tree had thick, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. He had a palm covering his mouth, trying to muffle himself while his other hand was in his lap, fisted tightly.

The way he looked so small, so helpless, reminded him of a sight he'd tried to forget. His mother, who'd fallen to the ground after a hard slap from Gabe had looked awfully similar in his hazy memories. Trying to look strong but failing. 

The echoes of his past threatened to overwhelm him. He shook his head, reminding himself to look straight. There was nothing he could do for her now, but at least he held the ability and opportunity to do something for Jason. 

 He purposely walked without hiding himself, alerting Jason to his presence naturally. He didn't want to startle the poor boy, especially since his emotions were already high-strung. As he walked closer, he could feel the agitated winds and electricity running in the air. 

Finally, when he was in arm's reach of him, Jason looked up, giving him a clear sight of his eyes which were now swimming in tears, making them seem similar to the ripples in clear blue springs he'd see in spring. 

"Percy..." Jason breathed out, reaching out to him. He responded immediately, shuffling closer, letting Jason grab his shirt and dig his fingers in the fabric. He gathered him in his arms meanwhile, pushing his head gently on his shoulder. He didn't say anything, letting the boy cry in his neck.

He periodical stroked his head, a habit he'd developed after being around animals but noticed that it calmed him down significantly. For minutes, they both sat in silence and darkness, Percy running his fingers through his hair, interrupted by an occasional hiccup from Jason.

The stars seemed brighter that day.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He murmured softly, asking him. Though the Latin language sounded curt, Percy's tone made it seem the opposite.  

Jason shook his head without moving, still buried within his embrace. Percy was slowing getting more and more worried, especially after feeling the beat of Jason's erratic heart through his chest and the growing wetness on his shoulder.

"Okay then." He kept stroking his head. 

He had absolutely no clue what to do. How do you comfort a person? He had no idea, not even a slight inkling. While his mind was scrambling around, he didn't show his panic outwards, making sure his heartbeat was steady. 

He tried to recall his own experiences. He had been alone most of the times when he'd broken down, but he had hazy memories of when he was younger, when Sally comforted him after the bouts with Gabe. 

All of the times when he had been upset, singing was the thing which lifted him up. Sally had hummed to him as she clasped his shivering hands. He had turned to singing when Sally had died, repeating the songs she'd sung, committing them to memories. He'd fallen at the roots of Oak when he was afraid, singing until his throat was raw. 

Singing was the way he could express himself and singing was the thing which gave him comfort. 

Though he knew that Jason would not feel the weight as Percy did, he desperately wished that Jason would be able to feel the warmth that he felt when Sally had hugged him with her gentle voice. 

Percy began singing. 

He opened his mouth and sung the very song that Sally had hummed to him. It was a lullaby, a rhythm for children, but Percy didn't care. It was, after all, one of the few things Sally had left behind. 

But this time, he sung it differently. While reminiscing about his mother, he poured in his emotions into his voice. The feeling similar to being surrounded by a warm blanket, or the smoothness of cool water after hard exercise, or the spreading heat from a bonfire at night, it was a simple feeling but much too complex to describe. 

He had used his powers as a Siren after a very, very long time. 

He tried to make it as subtle as possible, charming him only to the extent where he'd calm down. He didn't wish to force Jason to talk to him, nor did he want to manipulate or control him. All he wanted was to ensure that the blond head he was seeing would stop shivering.

He pulled Jason in tighter, letting him feel the vibrations of the music. Steadily, he grew quiet, growing limp in his arms. He grew surprised when Jason loosed the grip on his shirt, letting him see the creases the bundled fabric had made in his palm. 

Time flew as Percy kept singing. It was so easy to get lost in the sweetness of what they were hearing. His voice was completely androgynous, but it portrayed emotion strongly. The tune he sang spoke to him better than a thousand words could.  

Just as Percy suspected that Jason had fallen asleep, he moved away, siting just at hand's reach away, leaning his back on the tree trunk, still listening with closed eyes. Percy suddenly felt cold from his absence, but felt happy. At least Jason was feeling better.

Seeing Jason's peace, Percy decided to just keep singing, bringing comfort to both himself as well as his hurting junior.