Rise (Percy Jackson x Reader)

four

rewritten: april 16, 2021; edited: august 2, 2023
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"You're saying that's . . . mine?" Percy asks, staring at the item on his bedside table. 

Grover nods in affirmation, walking over to pick up the Minotaur horn and looking at it with a kind of reverence. The satyr distractedly runs his finger over the dried blood of gold. With an apparent jolt of awareness, he pulls his hand back, rubbing his fingers together to dust off the dried flecks of ichor. 

"It's a spoil of war," Grover explains. "You can keep it, if you'd like. It might be a cool memento to have." He shrugs, holding the horn out to Percy. The boy hesitates, and Grover widens his eyes and nods in encouragement for him to take it. Percy reaches forward, pulling the horn from his best friend's hands and turning it around as a series of emotions run through him.

Amazement. He'd managed to kill a monster.

Terror. He hadn't known what he was doing, nor did he understand what his life had led to.

Despair. His mother was gone. He wasn't sure how, wasn't sure what truly happened, but she was gone.

"I'm not sure about all of this," Percy breathes, setting the horn on his lap and looking up at Grover. His shoulders slump as he tries to consider everything, feeling completely defeated. "What- what is this place, Grover? Why was it so important that you brought me here?" 

Grover sighs at his helpless tone, pausing for a second before asking, "Are you feeling up for a tour?"

Percy bites the inside of his cheek, thinking about his situation.

He could learn more about this place, but that would mean he had to come to terms with the fact that his only family was truly gone—that she risked her safety and her life to bring him here.

Or he could remain in this infirmary, try to go back to sleep, and hope he wakes up back in the smelly apartment with Gabe stomping around and demanding his beers and hitting her when things didn't go his way.

Maybe was better that she was gone. For her own sake.

She wouldn't have to put up with that abusive pig, she wouldn't have to prioritize Percy's well-being over her own, she wouldn't have to be miserable and hide it anymore.

Sally never knew that Percy had found her once, before sunrise, sobbing into her hands to make sure no one could hear her. She never knew that Percy was just around the corner, his heart breaking at her muffled sobs before they faded away.

And his heart broke even more when she took a deep breath, zipped up her emotions again, and put a smile on for the rest of the day.

Percy couldn't be sure, but he had a feeling that she did that every morning in the dark, before the light seeped in through the dingy apartment windows. That she took a moment, no longer than a few minutes, to break down before staying strong for her son.

And no matter how much it hurts him to make his decision, he doesn't ever want her to spend another morning in sorrow. Even if it means he'll spend all of them that way.

"Yeah," he answers, swallowing thickly before taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm okay with a tour."

Grover notices Percy's change in demeanor, and he forces a smile onto his lips before nodding. "All right," he says, trying to sound unaffected while clapping his hands once, "I'll get your bag and then we can get going!" 

Percy nods, savoring his moment of privacy when Grover walks off and turns the corner. The boy glances at either side of his bed, grateful for the canvas drapes as he drops his head into his hands. His shoulders gently bob with restrained tears, and he grits his teeth, willing himself to be strong.