𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑮 𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬 || 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝒐𝒄

a guide to giving up

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A swirl of emotions ran through Maisie as she weaved through the uneven dirt and towards the shore.

Percy's sight of her was breached when somebody was suddenly in his face. "Percy!" Connor said again, in front of him now. "You're back! What happened? Oof—" Connor let out a sound as Maisie's shoulder, unintentionally, sent him flying sideways.

Percy held his breath when Maisie's hands grasped his shoulders. She looked him up and down. When he appeared uninjured, brown met green, and their gazes locked again. "Hi."

Percy swallowed. "Hi."

"You're okay? Not hurt?"

Nod.

Maisie nodded to herself then. Her hands went slack and started to slip from his shoulders, but before they could fall, Percy reached up with his own and grabbed them. He slowly guided them down to the space between their waists.

Maisie's stared at her hands in his own, wanting to hold onto the feeling. But when Percy lightly ran a thumb over her knuckle, she inhaled sharply and tore her hands back to run them through the part of her hair.

Percy's hands fell flat at his sides.

"So what happened?" Connor said again, brushing the tree leaves off his clothes. "Where's Beckendorf?" He read Percy's change in expression immediately. "No..."

Maisie gently brought her hands to her mouth. "Oh, Percy."

And then, she was hugging him. But now, Percy didn't know if he was welcomed to hug back. But he didn't stop himself from laying his head in the crook of her neck, tears welling up.

"Oh, man. Poor Silena," Connor mumbled. "When she finds out..."

Percy pulled back and cleared his throat. "I'll tell her."

"It wasn't your fault," Maisie whispered.

Percy gave a grateful, but solemn smile. "You weren't there."

Maisie's felt her face fall even lower. She sat with that for a moment, guilt clawing at her stomach.

Percy stared at her, trying to read her face. She eventually looked back at him and said, "I don't have to have been there to know nothing was your fault."

With no rebuttal to that, together the three of them climbed the sand dunes. A hundred yards away, people were already streaming toward them, smiling and excited.

Percy's back, Percy figured they were probably thinking. He's saved the day! Maybe he brought souvenirs!  They were about to be extremely let down.

"People were worried about you," Maisie said, keeping her gaze in front of her as she walked next to him.

Percy lips turned up wryly. "Yeah?"