𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

137

"Er- I threw up in my bed again?"

"You're a terrible liar, just come in"

Hadrian wasn't sure when they went from whatever they started as to this. He wasn't sure if he ever wanted it to change. He cracked the door completely open and grabbed Percy's arm, pulling him in.

Hadrian had been waiting for him to knock, he was going to go insane if he just stayed alone. Percy always showed up to his room these days.

Then the sharp sound came— knuckle on wood. And Hadrian had to force himself to wipe his smile, to stop himself from flying across the room and throwing the door open. Instead, he took his sweet time and lazily opened the door.

"I'm tired" Percy whined as he fell on the bed. "Sometimes I just want to go to sleep for a really long time, forget about the world"

"I don't think I can forget about the world" Hadrian chuckled as he put on a record and music filled the room.

"You overthink too much" Percy mumbled, his voice muffled because his face was pressed into a pillow. "I don't think I can forget about the world because the world has you"

Hadrian was going to jump out of his cabin. Why would he say that? Literally why? Oh gods he wanted to shadow travel to literally anywhere else.

But Percy just looked up and grinned.

Hadrian wasn't sure how he landed here, in his room with Percy fucking Jackson looking as heavenly as he did right then. In the dim light of the lamp, he seemed to glow. Hadrian knew Percy had been offered godhood at sixteen, and for a second he wondered if Percy had accepted it. Because surely no one could look that divine and still be mortal.

He was bursting at the seams to blurt out his feelings. But there was a graveyard in his mouth filled with the words that died on his lips.

"I saw my mom's ghost," He said instead.

That got Percy's attention and he propped himself up on his elbows. Hadrian really wanted him to stop looking at him like that- like he ever stood a chance. "Are you okay?"

"Jason's mom's ghost was there too," He said casually. After Tartarus, nothing seemed to faze him. "They were trying to make us stay there with the ghosts"

He sat down on the bed next to Percy and facing away, took off his t-shirt. "Scooch and get in the bed or I won't tell you what happened"

Percy snorted but did as he asked. He slipped under the covers, he looked like a turtle with its head popped out of the shell. Of course, Hadrian knew he must have been cradling the rainbow fish to his chest. Hadrian grabbed the shark and turned to face Percy.

"I- she looked exactly like she did the last time I saw her alive," Hadrian told him, "But she was an ara or mania as Jason called them. I thought they would kill us if it came down to it, I- I had to shoot both of them"

"That's okay," Percy said softly, "You just said it wasn't her. And even if it was, she treated you terribly. Don't feel guilty about it"

"It's just—" Hadrian buried his face in his pillow, "I thought— I thought she might have changed, she'd say sorry. But she didn't do anything like that. Sometimes I wonder if she ever loved me"

"Her loss" Percy said, "Anyone would be a fool to not love you"

Too late, Percy realized what he'd said.

"Thanks" Hadrian said instead, thankful that Percy couldn't see his face. "It's the eros charm"

"No, Hadrian" Percy mock scolded, "You're an amazing person, charm or no charm"