𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐚; percy jackson

𝟐𝟎 | the consequences

Grover stood frozen, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of Meara and Percy, tangled in a tight hug on the floor. His surprise was palpable, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice hovering between curiosity and incredulity.

Beside him, Annabeth's eyebrows arched, her gaze sharp, scrutinizing the scene.

Meara scrambled to her feet, brushing off the awkwardness and trying to create some space between herself and Percy. Her cheeks flushed a subtle pink, the warmth creeping up to match the sudden intensity of the moment. "Uh, long story," she muttered.

Percy rose slowly, his smile dazed, still lingering from the unexpected closeness they had shared. "Yeah, it just kinda... happened," he said, his voice steady, though there was a trace of something more beneath the casual words.

Annabeth crossed her arms, her gaze narrowing with suspicion. "You two have some explaining to do," she said, her tone demanding and sharp, as if she could sense the quiet tension building between them.

But before any more words could be exchanged, Percy staggered back, clutching his chest with a sudden, strained gasp.

His breath came in ragged bursts, his face twisting in discomfort as he fought to stay upright. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed Meara's arm, his grip tight, steadying himself.

Grover and Annabeth rushed forward in an instant, concern clouding their features. "What happened?" Grover asked, his voice edged with panic as he surveyed Percy's condition.

"I think the stinger was poisonous," Percy gasped, each word a struggle, his pain evident in the sharpness of his breaths.

Annabeth's eyes hardened with determination as she moved into action. "I have an idea. Come on, help me," she ordered, her voice unyielding as she quickly positioned herself at Percy's side.

They rushed to the fountain outside the temple, water splashing as they soaked him in the cool liquid, desperate to see it work the same way it had back at camp.

"Come on, come on," Annabeth urged, her voice steady but tinged with urgency. "The water healed him before; it should work for poison, too, right?"

Percy, fighting through the haze of pain, managed to crack a faint, pained smile. "I think it's... working," he said between labored breaths, his voice a raspy whisper of relief. Then, with a sudden jolt of weakness, he collapsed back into the water with a splashing thud. "Or not."

The sharp sound of a loud crash pierced the air, jerking their attention toward the highway. A car had flown across it, landing with a violent thud that sent the ground trembling beneath them.

"We need to get back inside!" Annabeth shouted, her voice a command that cut through the chaos.

"What about him?" Grover asked, gesturing at Percy, whose eyes were glazed with pain, the bloodshot hue of his gaze a testament to the agony he was enduring.

"I'm fine!" Percy protested weakly, his voice strained but defiant. "Just—"

"Oh, you're fine?" Meara interrupted, her voice rising with frustration. "You look like you just wrestled a hydra! Stop pretending—It's okay to need help sometimes!"

Percy's eyes flared, a challenge in his gaze despite the pain. "Oh? Since when do you care?" he shot back, his voice brittle but with an edge of something deeper.

"Guys, not now!" Grover shouted, trying desperately to calm the simmering tension. "What about the fact that you two were completely okay with hugging each other just minutes ago?"

Meara's gaze hardened, and she locked eyes with Percy, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "You think I care?" she bit out, her voice low but intense. "I just can't stand the thought of you dying on me! It would ruin my—"