Work Text:
Eight years ago, on the banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana
BEFORE
Jason Grace is down on one knee staring up at the love of his life. There are tears in his eyes that reflect the lit up night sky– fireworks for Mardi Gras sweeping clean overhead. The ring box is shaking slightly in his hand and the wet of grass is seeping through his jeans, making his knee cold.
Annabeth Chase is staring down at him and there’s tears in her eyes too. She’s not a crier but she’s crying now. Sobbing in fact.
It’s a little heart breaking actually.
Jason Grace smiles at her through his own tears, encouraging, ever the patient boyfriend. He’d wait lifetimes to hear her respond. He’d let his whole body be engulfed by the Mississippi River when it floods if it meant waiting for her.
“You have been the calm in the middle of all my storms. The only one I want to grow old with. Get bitter with. I want to spend our winters in tacky matching pajamas by the fire and our summers reading to each other at this very spot. I love you Annabeth Chase.”
She’s still crying, her shoulders shaking. She hasn’t put her left hand out for him. She hasn’t really moved. The lighting here isn’t quite right. With the street lights across the bank and the stars bright but f ar away. The fireworks keep basking them in reds and greens and hanging-light yellow.
“Jason–“ She heaves out. It’s her first words since he got down on one knee. His heart is pounding through his shoes. The fish in the river are going to think there’s an earthquake.
“Annie,” He smiles so wide his cheeks ache. This is it. They’re in love and it’s going to last forever.
“Jason I can’t marry you.”
“Oh Annie I’m so excited to spend the—“ Jason Grace loses his speech. It drowns in the Mississippi River.
“I love you.” She is gasping for air. It drowned in the Mississippi River. “Fuck of course I love you. But I can’t marry you. I can’t– I can’t do it I just– and there’s no– it just– you’re not who I want to marry.”
His knee is so wet. Maybe he caused a drought soaking up all this water on the bank of the river.
24 years old. A little young for marriage. How do you know what living means if you are so ready to settle? But Jason is marrying the love of his life. He will live with her as he loves her. As she loves him.
“Who do you want to marry?” He is hoarse. The drought. Oh he has found it. Oh it has found him.
“Not you.” She’s crying as if she can replace all this water. She’s crying like she’s the one drowning.
“Who?”
“I’m not answering. I can’t. Thank you for the years. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for letting me love you.”
For the years. For the years when they were friends or after? After? For the years they were Lovers? For all of it?
The sky cracks overhead, fireworks in the shapes of hearts crackling down, obscuring the stars, becoming explosions themselves. There is nothing obscuring his vision. No body standing in front of him. He see these hearts and how they fade. How they do not break. How they just fade. One moment there and the next smoke and nothingness. Just the loud sound still ringing in his ears.
Annabeth Chase kisses him on the cheek. It’s wet from her tears. Warm.
Jason’s knee is so wet from the grass. Cold.
He falls on his back, uncaring for the white dress shirt that is now messy with river silt and chlorophyll.
The Mardi Gras fireworks boom above him in colours that blur against his tears. There on the banks of the Mississippi River, Jason Grace’s life cleaves in two. Before. After. AFTER .
Now, heading towards the banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana
Jason Grace checks the watch on his wrist—2:15pm. Right on time. If he can just remember the exact tree that Leo wanted to meet at…
Gods why did he have to chose a tree as a landmark? Of all things? Surely the park bench, or the boat dock would have been an easier option? But Leo has never been one for easy. Fun yes. Challenging yes. Easy? It had a change of number unfortunately. It’s dry here. The rain had not been kind to them recently. Giving wind the chance to leave dust and falling fauna all over the place. Even the grass by the river banks is dull. Drought, people have been throwing around. Whispering it so maybe it won’t come true. Maybe it won’t be true.
He’s not looking where he’s going. He’s not processsing the world around him. He’s not—
“Jason?” A voice. So devoid of sobbing. But the cadence stays the same. The way it curls around the syllables of him. Jay-son.
He looks towards… towards the After.
Annabeth Chase stands before him. Loose jeans, looser shirt. Her hair in braids. Protective hairstyle. She must be busy, no time to worry about hair in the morning. Her dark skin has a glow to it. Glow that says happy. That says free. She smiles at him. And the dazzle in it catches him in the eye. He blinks and he’s blinded by a ring, comfortable on a left hand, sits comfortable on a pram handle.
“Annabeth,” The word collapses in his mouth.
She’s looking at him and it’s like she’s seeing him for the first time. But not as he could be. Just as he is. She’s seeing him and she’s understanding all the ways it went wrong. He wonders what it’s like.
“Hi,” Soft.
“Hi.”
“Uh–“ Someone speaks up next to her. “I’m Reyna, I’m Annabeth’s wife.” She’s holding out her hand to shake his.
He’s standing there like a statue made by amateur hands. Folding in on itself because it’s not strong enough to stand.
“Sorry,” He clears his throat. Picks his clay up. “I’m Jason, Annabeth’s…”
“Ex boyfriend.” The woman in question offers. “She knows— she uh knows everything.”
Yes because that’s what you do when you love someone for a lifetime. You let them know everything.
He tries to smile. His lips wobble. He stops trying.
“And who’s the little one?” The pram is covered by a light shawl. Cotton fabric. Breathable but useful in this hot summer air.
“Oh this is Hestia,” Annabeth is smiling wider now, fondness dripping across her skin. She’s glowing like she’s the fireworks. She lifts the cloth up. A little girl, maybe one maybe less, is lying there looking at him with big black eyes. Her little hands are opening and closing as if she’s trying to feel the air. She doesn’t make a sound, mouth slightly open, big eyes blinking and blinking.
“She’s beautiful,” He smiles. It’s better this time. No wobble.
“We adopted her just over a year ago.” Reyna is looking down at her daughter, love so evident in the way she stands. Leaning into Annabeth, brightening her eyes as she stares at Hestia.
“How have you been?” His ex-girlfriend asks.
He swallows down all the things he has hidden within him these long years.
“I’m good.” He nods. Voice even. “Fine. Nothing exciting to tell.”
His mouth feels dry. What is he supposed to say? I’ve been great. I’ve been well. I pulled myself out of a grave I dug all on my own and have been trying to forget what the dirt under my nails feels like ever since.
“Jason!” Leo Valdez’s unmistakable holler catches the moment.
“I uh—“ He looks past them, to where Leo is leaning against a small tree. The trunk is bowing with his weight. His lips twitch. Of course it’s the smallest fucker on the block. “I got to go. It was— it was nice seeing you Annabeth.”
She is looking at him again, trying to gauge… something. She won’t find it.
“You too.”
“Reyna.” He nods his head.
“Goodbye Jason.” They call.
He’s gone. Blinks away the dryness in his eyes. The wind blows a flower blossom past his face.
“Leo!” He grins.
“Took you long enough!” His friend claps him on the back, pressing a hand into his shoulder. They’re walking… away… somewhere. “What was the hold up?”
“Just stepping aside for that family.” He turns back. Their hands are locked, pram rolling gently along. How do you know what living means now that you’ve settled? Keep going.
“You ready for the fireworks?”
“Hell yea!” He laughs in delight, dropping an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “And what are we doing after?”
“After?” Leo looks up at him. “Why do we need an after? Let’s just start with right now.”
The sunlight shines against the Mississippi River, bright and welcoming.
Before
.
After
. Right Now.
They stop under the shade of a much bigger tree.
”Here for tonight?”
“This is the spot!” Leo claps his hands, staring out at the banks.
Something shiny catches Jason’s eye. He falls to his knees, frowning as he picks it up. A piece of tin. From a can.
”Dude!” His friend laughs, pointing to his jeans, “You made your knees wet.”
He swipes a hand over the denim. Laughs along. “It’ll dry.”
“Everything does in this heat.” Leo groans, “Come on let’s get a drink. We don’t want to be late to meet the others.”
“What are you getting?”
”Mississipi Molotov, of course!”
”Make it two.”
Right now. Jason Grace watches the stars start to appear in the sunset sky. He sees these stars and how they do not fade. How they twinkle and shine from so far away.
Leo nudges a cool glass into his hand. Grins at him. Never fading.
But how far away?