Before I Die (Split Souls part 1)

2: You Have Gained A Broken Rib!

Percy PoV

It's 4 am and I've given up on any form of sleep. Anything deeper than a doze is inviting dreams.

And Annabeth isn't here.

We can't sleep without the other. The first night at camp when we had to sleep separately was a nightmare, literally.

Annabeth had scared her cabinmates. When they came to my cabin for help, they weren't expecting me to be awake.

I had run with them back to the Athena cabin. Annabeth was curled up in a ball, shaking.

I ended up scooping her into my arms and carrying her back to the Poseidon cabin.

She fell asleep in my arms, listening to my heartbeat. I only fell asleep because I could feel her breathing against me.

Annabeth stayed in my cabin with me from then on. The other campers didn't say anything about it, wisely.

I could only hope for how her night had been.

I leave my room in search for the kitchen. I'm surprised when I'm not the only one awake.

My Uncle is in there talking with a buff blonde dude.

I walk in and lean against the doorway.

"I still can't believe you have a nephew." Blondie says, shaking his head.

"I know. I'm an uncle. I went from being the only one and suddenly, boom, nephew." My Uncle says.

"I'd like to think I didn't make anything explode," I say from my spot against the doorway.

They jump.

"Percy. Didn't see you there." Uncle says.

"What are you doing up?" Blondie asks, his brows scrunched together.

"Couldn't sleep." I shrug, walking over to the fridge. "Why are you up?"

"Tony doesn't sleep much." Blondie says.

I nod. "What about you, Blondie?"

My uncle grins at the nickname.

"Steve. I'm an early bird." Blondie introduces himself.

"Steve." I say. I look over him briefly, and turn to the clock on the fridge. It's still 4 in the morning. "Bit early for you though, still." I say to myself and frown.

"What do you mean?" Steve asks.

"Well, don't you guys usually get up at like oh-six-hundred or something?"

"How do you know that?" Tony asks me.

"Movies. The army guys get woken up at oh-six-hundred by the angry yellling guy." I say, looking through the fridge for something that looks good.

"Movies." Tony says.

"Mhm." I continue looking through the fridge.

"How did you know I was in the army?" Steve asks me.

"Um." I scrunch my eyebrows together. How did I know that? I look up at Steve, my face still confused. Then I see his posture. "Oh! Your posture." I pull the milk out of the fridge and set it on the counter, closing the fridge behind me.

"My posture?" Steve asked.

"Yep." I say, and look for the cereal. They have to have cereal, right?

"Wait, did you size him up without realizing it?" Tony asks me.

I look over at him, then Steve. "Huh. Guess I did. Sorry, Steve."

"Where'd you get that scar, kid?" Steve asks me suddenly, breaking the silence.