𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

19

Hadrian dreamt of Kira.

Thankfully in a normal dream way.

He dreamt he was fifteen years old

Hadrian was in the graveyard again. No matter what he went through, what he did, how hard he tried, he always ended up here. In that god damn graveyard.

It wasn't 1st November, not la toussaint, but at least he managed to visit.

No matter how hard he tried to run away, bury his past, it always found him. Like a noose tightening the more he tried to wiggle free.

Same white chrysanthemums as he had brought when he was thirteen.

Same clothes- dress shirt and ironed pants (though some of the older demigods had taken him to steal clothes that actually fit instead of torn hand me downs)

Same gravestone.

The words still swam, so did Hadrian's head. Two fucking years and almost nothing had changed.

He went from being an angry teenager, to an even more angry, frustrated teenager who could now shoot arrows. He'd quickly discovered that he wasn't great with a sword and once while training with Kira, he'd used her bow and found himself more than competent.

"Hads?" Her voice was probably the only one that could shock him out of his own thoughts.

"Hey, love, Jamie's getting impatient. I think we should get back before he blows up another mortal car"

"Can you read it?"

There were a thousand things he could have said, leave me alone, I'll find my own way back. Tell Jamie to go fuck himself.

"The gravestone" he pointed, just to make it clear what he was talking about.

They were next to him in two steps. He didn't know she was that close by. He had thought they were in the car with everyone else.

Technically this was supposed to be a drink run. Just in and out of some trashy bar where the Hermes kids took a few others to steal alcohol.

But then they passed the graveyard, and Hadrian asked them to stop for five minutes. He asked one of the Demeter kids to grow him chrysanthemums and walked in.

Two years and this was the second time he was visiting.

Should he feel guilty about it? Probably.

"Here lies Juliet Allaire, beloved Mother" Kira's voice was like a gentle touch, the sun rays during golden hour, warming your face. Hadrian of all people knew how her words could go from warm and comforting to a hot flash, fire flaring in your face. But she was gentle right now.

She looked like that too. A person made of light.

Two years later and a lot had changed with them. At sixteen, her hair was up to her shoulders, the bottom dyed a fading blue. Hadrian's own hair was a matching blue, surfers waves he would push back, and Kira would make fun of him for copying them.

She put a hand on his shoulder, he was a good head taller than them, but making short jokes with her was practically asking for an arrow shot into your ribs.

"Okay" Hadrian said.

What else could he say? Hey, Kira, remember my trashy mom?

Just for old times' sake, he scanned the graveyard. He half expected some karpoi to show up. Hadrian was itching for a fight.

Nothing happened.

"Okay" Hadrian repeated. "I'm coming"

"Hads?" She asked, "are you okay?"