𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

93

As they started down the cliff, Percy concentrated on the challenges at hand: keeping his footing, avoiding rockslides that would alert the empousai to their presence, and of course making sure he and Hadrian didn't plummet to their deaths.

About halfway down the precipice, Hadrian said, "Quick break?"

They sat together on a ledge next to a roaring fiery waterfall. 

"First date idea" Hadrian joked, "Annabeth would have loved this place"

"I don't like her" Percy sounded irritated for some reason, why was he irritated? Hadrian had been making jokes about setting the two up together, going as far as to calling them 'Percabeth'. So why did it bother him now? "Just- just leave it"

Hadrian held up his hands defensively. Percy had sighed, annoyed at himself for snapping. Tartarus was leeching his very essence. He could feel it. The longer they stayed down here, the less Percy felt like himself. 

He closed his eyes and leaned against Hadrian. Hadrian was solid, Hadrian was real. Hadrian was... gods, he was acting strong. Percy could hear his heart beat going crazy. He could feel the shakiness in his breath, the tremble of his voice. 

Hadrian put an arm around Percy. "Sorry"

Percy wanted to pass out. His stomach felt like it had shrunk to the size of a gumdrop. If they came across any more monster carcasses, he was afraid he might pull an empousa and try to devour it.

At least he had Hadrian. They would find a way out of Tartarus. They had to. He didn't think much of fates and prophecies, but he did believe in one thing: Hadrian promised he'd get Percy back to his mom.

"Things could be worse," Hadrian ventured.

"Yeah?" Percy didn't see how, but he tried to sound upbeat.

"Imagine if we fell into the river Lethe" Hadrian said, "Lost all our memories."

Percy's skin crawled just thinking about it. He'd had enough trouble with amnesia for one lifetime. Hera had erased his memories to put him among the Roman demigods. Percy had stumbled into Camp Jupiter with no idea who he was or where he came from. And a few years before that, he'd fought a Titan on the banks of the Lethe, near Hades' palace. He'd blasted the Titan with water from that river and completely wiped his memory clean. "Yeah, the Lethe," he muttered. "Not my favorite. Had to dunk a Titan in it"

"Wait seriously?"

"Yeah, Uh... Iapetus. He said it meant the Impaler or something." Percy snapped his finger, "I gave him the name Bob after his memory was wiped. Bob the Titan"

Hadrian grimaced, "That's a shit name"

Percy snorted. That was such a Hadrian answer. "Please do keep going on about how things could've been worse, it's actually making me feel better"

 So Hadrian thought a little more, "What if Jason had swooped down instead of you, I think I'd just die of humiliation at that point"

"Jason could've flown you to the Doors of Death though" Percy pointed out, "Faster than this"

"Jason wouldn't have laughed at my jokes" Hadrian shrugged, Percy's head was on his shoulder, so he moved when Hadrian did. "Plus his jokes aren't even that funny"

"I saw you spit out water onto Leo at one of his jokes"

"Yeah, cause he was talking about Coach Hedge's sex appeal"

Percy blinked, not sure if he'd heard right. Then he burst out laughing. "What?" He wheezed. 

"I have no idea" Hadrian shook his head, resting his cheek on Percy's head, "He's a weird guy"