'Till Death : PercyxLeo Fanfic PJO

Chapter 4

Leo sat up in bed, cold sweat dripping down his neck. Sure enough, Percy wasn't in his bunk.

He cussed aloud, dismantled his armchair trap in record time, and still in pajamas, he darted out of the Poseidon cabin streaming curses. It was 9PM, but it was still bright out, the summer sun setting in the distance.

He ran towards the woods, where he knew Percy was. Where Nemesis had placed him, for her own games and entertainment.

"Leo, where the hell are you going?"

Who was standing in his way? Rhea, the angry Athena girl who had checked on them, who was currently so angry she didn't even censor herself with 'Asphodel'. He tried to push aside her, but she didn't move, her glare remaining.

"I need to get to Percy." He again tried to shove her aside, but couldn't.

"What you need to do is tell me what the hell is going on." She outstretched her hands, and prevented Leo from dodging around her

Leo stomped and yelled in frustration, but Rhea didn't move. "Fine! I- Nemesis has him!" He pressed his hand into his forehead, rubbing at his eyes. "Dreams. Demigod shenani-what's-it-called. You know."

"What?"

Leo finally managed to get around her and began sprinting for the woods, but he yelled behind him, "And Annabeth- she's dead!"

"What the fu-"

He was already out of earshot.

Rhea stared after him in shock. Is that demigod insane? She hesitated only for a moment before turning around and sprinting for the Athena cabin to get help.

***

The woods were oddly dark, despite the daytime light trying to reach through the canopy. He ran through them regardless, shoving through bushes and shrubs, ignoring the dryads yelling at him.

He couldn't quite explain how he knew where he was going, but he did. He headed straight for the clearing where Nemesis had brought him, despite only having been there in his dream.

He burst into the clearing where Percy knelt, staring blankly at Annabeth. Or rather, her abandoned corpse after being used by an eidolon for months. Annabeth's corpse.

Percy flipped around, eyes red, nose running, his face and shirt soaked in tears. Leo ran towards him, arms wrapping around his neck, squeezing him as tightly as possible, like squeezing a sponge to get rid of all the water inside.

He hugged Percy tightly, trying to rid all the bad in him that was so prevalent. And Percy was too stunned, too shocked, too empty to try and return his embrace. Instead, he lingered in it, sat in it, took sanctuary in it. Somewhere where he could stop for a second and be still.

He was always moving, moving, trying to escape everything. This was a place he could be, if only for a moment, alone but not lonely, resting but not neglecting, safe but not useless.

But doubt began to creep back in through the embrace. Am I not lonely? I can't seem to keep anyone alive to stay with me. Am I not neglectful? Annabeth- He choked on his tears, and Leo hugged him tighter. Annabeth is dead, and I didn't notice. That's neglect. And of course I'm useless! I let Annabeth die. I let her die. She died. And I didn't notice. I never noticed, for months and what feels like years.

So useless, so neglectful, so lonely.

But then he felt Leo's embrace, and the thoughts disappeared again, like fire burning away the doubts, the horrors, the sadness. They remained like that for two more hours, Leo sitting there, until the sun had set and Artemis watched over them. And when Leo finally pulled away the slightest bit, the bad in him had calmed.