trigger warning (Percy Jackson au)

Chapter 21: Wreckage

Chapter Text

XXI

Wreckage

Warning: strong language, mentions of suicide, mentions of immolation, mentions of murder.

"-and I don't know why I'm telling you all this because you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Percy, stop apologizing. It's okay." Jason was growing more and more worried at the sounds of choppy breathing on the other end. Lord knows how many conversations they had that he felt like he was going to break down himself. "It's alright, I'm listening."

Percy didn't reply, still trying to focus on his breathing.

"Did she say anything?"

A shaky breath was drawn. "She didn't have to. Everything was in the article, my mom's suicide, the fire, the incarceration, and she didn't have to say anything because it was all there."

Jason had gone completely white. He had brought a hand up over his mouth to muffle his gasp and barely managed not to drop his phone at the admission. After a moment, he pulled himself together to help the person who actually needed help. "It's alright, she won't tell anyone. She knows that you don't want her to."

"I can't believe. I can't believe she, she found out. Of all the people who could possibly have - why, why now,"

"Percy," Jason wished he could just be there right now, instead of in a suite at a hotel someone else had paid for. "Nothing is going to happen. It's okay." He didn't know what had happened to Percy, but it sounded like it was a lot worse than he had originally thought. But "it's going to be okay."

"No matter how many times you say it, you didn't see her face."

Jason knew they weren't talking about Reyna, but he had no idea who the subject actually was. "I didn't, but you have to trust me, Percy. I'm not going to lie to you."

"Please stop saying that." He breathed, breathed, breathed.

"Everything is going to be okay." Jason checked the time. Almost one in the morning, which meant it was four back in New York. "What are you doing right now?"

A deep breath on the other end. "I'm sitting on the bed. Reyna just dropped off Tyson, and he's sleeping in my lap." That explained why Percy was whispering.

"That's good," Jason nodded. "Can you try laying down next to him? It'll be more comfortable for the both of you. You can put him on your pillow." There was some rustling and quiet breathing, and then finally a sigh. "Is he still asleep?"

"Yeah," Percy himself sounded more relaxed. "He's still sleeping. I can see him breathe."

"Alright. I'll stay on the phone with you until you sleep, too. Is that okay?" More rustling on the other end. He assumed that Percy was nodding. "Okay."

He sat back down at the desk in his room and opened up a new tab on his laptop. His fingers froze on the keys as he rethought about what he was about to do. Percy hadn't told him for a reason, hadn't given him the full story for a reason, but. He was going to do it anyway, because. He was going to ignore Percy's privacy because. He was going to violate Percy's trust because.

J-A-C-K-S-O-N S-U-I-C. Google autocorrected the rest of the statement for him. The article explaining the details of the death of a Mrs. Sally Jackson opened automatically, showing a picture of a woman with brown hair and brown eyes and Percy Jackson's killer smile. The caption read, Found dead at 37 years old. The cause of death was leaping from a bridge.