Sealed Shut

Chapter Eleven

Monday had Percy sitting on his bed, text books sprawled out and bare feet knocking against each other as he crossed his ankles. His head was resting against the wall behind the headboard of his bed, legs stretched out toward the other end.  

He was alone today, Annabeth had to watch Bobby and Matthew, and he didn't have work. His phone was weirdly silent, but he just took the opportunity to get his homework at least started. The kids were all down stairs or taking naps, so he didn't even have to worry about that.

He could just sit by himself and think over this story problem.

Percy yawned, covering his mouth with one hand before letting it fall and rest on his bare stomach, he wasn't wearing a shirt thanks to the warmer day and him already being a space heater. No risk of anyone seeing him, so he didn't care.

With an irritated groan he shut his math book and let his head fall to the side, resting in the corner of the room.

Why was this so hard?

This is why he liked having Annabeth here to help!

Well . . . It wasn't the only reason but . . . That was a different matter all together.

Shoving his things to the side, Percy stood up and stretched, letting a small grunt escape his throat. What was he supposed to do now? 

It was a weird feeling, he always had a million things to do. Even the homework he had been working on wasn't due until the end of the week, so no rush. 

So Percy figured he might as well work out, he could have practiced guitar but he hadn't been exercising as much as he would have liked lately. 

Within a few minutes of warm-up Percy started to do his routine. 

Percy's mind fogged over a bit, like it always did with this, it was part of the reason he enjoyed it so much. It was just hazy, his mind focusing on nothing but counting and the burn of his muscles. 

He was on his third rep of sit-ups when his door opened. 

"I've been knocking and texting for-" Annabeth stood in the doorway, hair up, with a grey sweater on and black yoga pants. "Um." 

Percy blinked before sighing and standing up. 'What's up Wise Girl?' He asked while heading over to his dresser to pull out a black tank-top to go with his blue flannel pajama bottoms. 

"U-um, I was-w-was um, the boys-yeah! The-um-boys wanted to-to meet you." She stared at a spot on the wall, not letting her eyes even blink as she focused on the chip in the paint by the window. "I didn't hear you in here, so I thought you might have been sleeping." Annabeth swallowed the lump in her throat. 

That was not an image she was going to get out of her head for quite some time. 

And, she didn't mind that one bit. 

Percy stepped in front of her and started signing. 'When? Like now?' 

"Uh, yeah I guess, I thought they might also like meeting the kids downstairs. Jill is entertaining them while I came up here to get you." 

'Well then.' Percy gave his lopsided grin. 'I'd love to met them, I'll be down in a minute.' 

"Yeah, um-see ya downstairs." Annabeth shoved her hands under her armpits and turned to the door, she tried very hard to not just bolt out of the room and down the stairs. 

Percy did indeed join them, having pulled on a green t-shirt and some dark jeans. 

Bobby and Matthew were playing with a few of the kids, the others were either in their rooms or playing in a different corner. 

Annabeth tried to keep her face from heating up, that shirt might have been just a little too small for Percy, and called the two boys over. 

"Bobby, Matthew, this is my friend Percy." She explained, a hand on the smalls of the boys' backs. "He doesn't use his voice to talk, he writes things down. Like I explained before." 

"We know Annie," Bobby grinned up at the tall boy. The boys were twins for a reason, both had the same fluffy black hair, brown eyes, and round faces. They were even the same height and build. 

"Yeah Annie, we know." Matthew grinned too, a mirror to his brother as he leaned in the same way his brother had. "So, you're Percy?" 

Percy crouched down, green eyes warm as he pulled out his notepad and wrote down: "Sure am. Who's Bobby and who's Matthew?" 

Annabeth stepped in before the twins could pull a Fred and George things, like they so often did. "This is Bobby and this is Matthew." 

"Great." He wrote. "I hear that you two like music." 

That's how Percy held an impromptu concert for all the kids. It wasn't new for those who lived at the orphanage, Percy did it often. Sometimes, if you woke up in the dead of night and listened really carefully, you could hear him helping one of the kids back to sleep with the soft plucking of strings. 

Annabeth sang along to the songs he played on the guitar, even getting the kids to join in. Matthew and Bobby seemed to like it, if the stars in their eyes he could see meant anything. 

By the time the three half-siblings had to go, Bobby had taken residence leaning over Percy's right shoulder and watching his long fingers pick at the strings, and Matthew had taken to hugging his leg while letting his eyes drift closed to listen even more intently. 

"We have to go boys, your mom said no later than nine." Annabeth sighed, trying to peel Matthew away from Percy's calf. "Percy! Help me here!" 

The black haired boy grinned before setting his guitar to the side and wrapping one arm around either boy's waist. With a grunt he lifted them both up and stood, facing Annabeth with one of her sibling under either of his arms. He lifted an eyebrow. As if to say; 'Got 'em, now what?' 

Annabeth just sighed again, a stray honey blonde curl falling into her eyes before she blew it away. "Fine." She relented, "But you two hooligans are in trouble when we get home." She mussed their hair playfully before letting Percy carry them for her. 

The whole time they squealed in delight as he spun them a bit and they acted like they were flying.

Percy made the twins get into the taxi Annabeth had hailed, only a slight grumble on their lips as he raised an eyebrow when they started to back talk.

'That was fun, you should bring them around more.' Percy signed to his best friend.

"I know,  but Helen didn't even know about this . . . " Annabeth grimaced. Her step mom was all about appearances, hanging out at an orphanage didn't 'fit into her picture' or some shit.

'I get it.' He sighed silently, before poking her cheek and getting her to look at him, look him in the eyes, with his pointer finger on her chin. 'But it's good for them. Those two have latched onto each other, and that's cute and all now, but in the long run it's kinda unhealthy. They need more friends then just themselves.'

Boy, did she hate it when Percy went so philosophical . . . Who was she kidding, she loved it.

God help her pour heart.  

They parted with a hug and Percy waved the cab off before going back inside.