𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

44

"What happened with Porky?" Hadrian paced in Percy's room as Percy tried on a few t-shirts. He had long since wiped his tears away. Every time he saw Percy shirtless, Hadrian would turn the other way and continue to pace. "And don't give me any bullshit, Jackson"

"Oh so it's back to Jackson now?" Percy pulled down a sweatshirt over his head and put his arms through the sleeves. It was a pink sweatshirt with a flower stitched over Percy's heart. It fit him like a glove.

"Would you prefer pretty boy?"

"I would actually" Hadrian didn't have to turn to know Percy had a shit eating grin on his face.

"So Jackson," He continued. "What the fuck happened in the tank?"

"It was a demigod proof tank" Percy shrugged, "Couldn't break though"

"Percy, you looked like you saw a ghost"

"So it's back to Percy?"

"Don't change the subject" Hadrian frowned, "And don't lie"

Percy sighed. With shaking hands, he went to pull off the sweatshirt, but Hadrian said quickly, "Don't. It looks good on you. Makes you look... " Why the fuck did he open his mouth?  "You always look ready for battle, pink makes you look soft"

So Percy didn't take it off.

"The water... it was" Percy looked like he was having a mental fight with his brain, "It was too much. When I went with Hazel and Frank for the quest to Alaska, Ella had said a prophecy- falling from ice, the son of Neptune shall drown"

Hadrian tried not to shiver. He had changed into dry clothes hours ago, but it felt like a drop of water was trickling down his spine. He couldn't help but remember his dream about him drowning with Percy and Jason.

"Did you?" Hadrian asked, "Did you drown?"

"I fell from the ice but..."

"Just hearing that must have been scary"

"Most demigods are like that, scared of what they should be able to control" Percy swallowed and sat back down on the bed. "A son of Poseidon who's afraid of drowning, a daughter of Zeus who's afraid of heights, a pacifist son of Mars..."

A son of Eros who's afraid of loving. Hadrian realized with a start.

Years ago, Hadrian had been sent on a quest where they had come to face sirens. He had insisted Kira should stay below deck on the small ship they commanded, but Hadrian so desperately wanted to know his own fatal flaw.

So he told Jamie to plug his ears and not let him go no matter how much he begged. Jamie, the sadistic asshole, hadn't even argued.

When Hadrian finally returned to his senses. He knew it.

Love.

His fatal flaw was fucking love.

That may not sound too bad, but he knew the lengths he would go to for the ones he truly loved. And for all his life, the only person he ever loved was Kira. Sure, partners came and went. But they were it for each other.

Hadrian had killed for his first boyfriend, slashed through the pleading, pathetic monster. But for Kira? He would burn the world down without any other thought. And that scared him a little. So he vowed to himself, after his second partner, that he wouldn't fall for anyone else romantically.

"You were scared of drowning" Hadrian said instead, "In the tank"

"I can breathe underwater, but for some reason, I-" Percy took a deep breath, Hadrian could see his anguish, "I thought if I was scared, I wouldn't be able to breathe. Just because I believed I couldn't breathe, I'd drown"