Sealed Shut

Chapter Thirteen

Percy bit down on his lip as he walked out of the elevator. Annabeth kept pace beside him, smile and twitching hands giving away her excitement. 

He was excited too, don't get him wrong, but he also was just so terrified. 

What if they didn't really want him back, and where just stringing him along? What if they thought Annabeth was better off without him? What if he had changed so much they didn't recognize him? What if they found his muteness off-putting? What if-

"Seaweed Brain." Annabeth's voice cut through the haze of thoughts rushing around his skull. "You've been talking to them for awhile now. And I can personally vouch that they are the same as you remember. So, don't worry about this. You're family, and if there is one thing I know about those four . . . If they love you, there's no getting rid of them." She chuckled, and Percy smiled in thanks. 

Shaking his head, straightening his shoulders, and lifting his chin, Percy knocked on the hotel door. 

Suddenly there was loud banging coming from inside, clamoring and shouts, before the door was thrown wide and bodies came tumbling out. 

Annabeth stepped to the side as Percy was dragged down by four other people, all shouting in joy. His bag getting thrown to the side in the commotion. 

"KELP HEAD!" Thalia cried out as she clung to his neck, shoulders shaking in repressed sobs. Hazel held her cousin's waist, legs up to straddle his hips as she buried her face in his chest, mumbled words muffled by his shirt fabric. Nico had taken the other side of his neck as he silently shook, leaving Jason to wiggled between Hazel and Thalia as best as he could. 

When the four new teens had calmed down slightly they finally registered the tremors of the body under them. All of them glanced up, only to find Percy smiling so broadly it must have hurt as tears rolled down his cheeks. 

"Come on you four, get up so we can go inside." Annabeth spoke softly, offering a hand up. They all shuffled inside, Annabeth getting her own tight hugs in greeting. The two newcomers left their coats, shoes, and overnight bags by the door with the others.  

Thalia and Hazel sat down on one of the queen beds, Nico and Jason taking the other. Annabeth sat down beside Thalia while Percy smiled as he sat by Nico. Silence overtook them, all just looking at each other for a few minutes and taking in the changes. 

Hazel was the one to break the quiet, surprisingly. "Percy, we missed you so much." Her soft whisper seemed to be too much for the boy, who only opened his arms. The youngest of them all didn't waste anytime in jumping up and crawling into his lap, folding herself into his chest. 

Thalia was the next to move, coming around to sit on her knees behind Percy as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck. 

Percy curled around Hazel, shoulders shaking again as one of his hands buried into her curls and the other held her to him. He had missed them all so much . . . Hazel had only been in primary school when he lost contact. God, she was still so small . . . But no longer did she wear frilly dresses and pigtails. 

Thalia had dyed the tips of her pixie cut, electric blue . . . like her eyes. Nino had grown out his hair to the point that he could pull it all into a messy ponytail. Jason was taller than him now by an inch or so . . . 

God, he missed them.

"Perce," Jason's voice caught in his throat, and Percy looked at him as he seemed to collect himself. "We are so sorry for not finding some way to reach you before this. We tri-tried so hard, so hard, but no one would tell us anything and it-it just . . ." The blonde's voice cracked a bit. 

Letting the hand that had been holding Hazel's waist move, Percy reached out and took hold of Jason's hand. Sea green met lightning blue, gazes holding so many unspoken words. Words that, even after all this time, they could understand. 

"We are never letting you go again," Nico spoke up. "so get used to us, fucker." 

Percy hiccupped before smiling as he nodded. 

Thalia sucked in a steading breath as she pulled back enough to speak to everyone. "Okay, so today is designated to sappy shit. Tomorrow, though, we're going to have some fucking fun!" 

"Sounds good." Jason nods. "How about I order us some pizza, we put on a movie, and we all cuddle enough to make up for what time we couldn't?" 

Hazel broke her silence again, "Only if Percy does my hair!" Her outburst received chuckles from the group, Jason shaking his head as he got up to grab his phone.

Percy shuffled so he sat in the middle of the bed in front of the TV, Hazel still in his lap as Thalia sat to his right. Nico sat on his left, Jason the next over. Annabeth sat beside Thalia, both girls wrapping their arms around the other as the blonde placed her head on the other's shoulder.

Hazel hummed as Percy's fingers ran over her scalp, debating on what to do.

"Can you braid it?" Hazel asked, looking at him over her shoulder. Her cousin smiled, green eyes glittering as he nodded.

Thalia bit her lip, taking out her phone and opening the note app to type.

"I know you said he was mute, but I just," She trailed off, letting Annabeth read the screen. Annabeth smiled up at her sadly, nodding for her to continue. "He used to be so loud, constant jokes and stories! The closest I can think of a comparison is Leo, but even that isn't right."  

Now that surprised Annabeth. The blonde took the phone, deleting what Thalia had written and starting her reply. 

"We'll just have to bring back his voice."