Son Of Darkness

Chapter-12

The wind whipped through her hair from the speed of the boat as the Argo II and the rest of the fleet behind her cut through the waves of the Atlantic like butter. She was by herself, having sent the rest of the seven who had wanted to come to back to their various daily activities. She knew this would be a sensitive conversation.

All was silent, and at first it just looked like she was just going to stand there, letting the sun warm the back of her eyelids and the sea spray wet her face, but then she spoke.

"Are you okay, Seaweed Brain?".

There was no response, but Annabeth knew that he was listening. Subtle changes in the current and the waves, differences that you wouldn't notice unless you were looking for them. She continued on.

"I know that must have been difficult for you. I'm proud of you".

The water was calm and flat as glass. Annabeth looked down, and there, at the bottom of the ocean staring back at her with his captivating green eyes was her Seaweed Brain. He was just laying their, on his back on the seafloor, seemingly completely at peace. But Annabeth knew better.

She could see it in his tense posture and the way that his hands occasionally twitched, his battle instincts kicking in as they sensed the turmoil inside of him. He had a small smile on his face, probably just from being in the water at all, and his hair floated gently around his head like a black halo.

She knew he was listening, especially when he looked up at her and blinked twice before grinning up at her and giving her a cheeky wave.

It was quite odd, actually, the way his moods seemed to change so quickly and so suddenly, but Annabeth was slowly growing used to it. She was getting better able to tell when Percy's mood was about to change, getting better at recognising the signs before anything happens.

"Are you okay, Percy?".

His grin dropped from his face, and he turned his head so that it was no longer visible. The water seemed to grow choppier, and she could no longer see anything of him beyond a blurry form at the bottom of the sea.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain. I know you can hear me".

A moment of silence. Then another. Then finally bubbles began to appear in the water just in front of the still moving ship, and Percy appeared.

He was floating along in the same position that he had been in on the bottom of the sea, pulled along and keeping up with the ship with his own personal current.

His eyes were still closed, and both his hands were folded behind his head like he was completely at ease, but Annabeth knew better.

Despite knowing this, she took the hint. He didn't want to talk about it.

That was fine for her for now. But Percy would talk about his feelings. She wouldn't let him just bottle them up inside of him like he always did.

So instead, she began to talk about anything and everything. Her latest design ideas, the Stolls' best prank at camp since he had been gone.

Gratefully, she watched as his muscles began to relax, one by one, until he seemed almost completely at ease, and he opened his eyes.