Archive of Our Own ^beta

Without thinking, Jason had leaped in front of Percy, Arachne’s sharp nails clawing, caving into his shin. He gripped onto the edge, his other clutching his sword. An infinite pit of darkness loomed underneath him, pulling at his legs. Cold sweat slid down the side of his face. He shut his eyes. That was when he realized he was going to die. But there wasn’t any sensation of him falling. He glanced up, wincing. Percy was gripping Jason’s hand tightly as if he was trying to win a game of tug-of-war.

Jason’s brain was mush. By putting himself in danger, he had also put Percy in danger. He tried to loosen his hand, but Percy’s grip only got stronger. Percy’s mouth opened, yet Jason couldn’t make out a word he was saying, except for muffled white noise. His body succumbed to void, falling, falling, to no end. Darkness drowned his sight. He closed his eyes.

A sharp pain engrossed Jason. It spread across his entire back like a wildfire. His fingers twitched. He rubbed the blur out of his eyes and tried making sense of his surroundings. His heart dropped. Percy was sprawled against the floor, trying to sit up, but his elbows were giving out. A wave of guilt washed over Jason. If he hadn’t let Percy grab his hand, then Percy would’ve been safe. He would’ve survived. Even worse, they were in . . . Prickly chills crawled down his spine when he realized where they were. Tartarus.

“PERCY!” he managed to scream. He crawled towards the son of Neptune, examining his face.

Percy couldn’t respond with anything other than a groan. He wobbled as he tried to stand up, massaging the back of his neck. Despite the fall, he wasn’t hurt. His skin was still tan and smooth. He seemed dazed rather than in pain. Jason couldn’t help but worry. He felt responsible for wringing him in Jason’s own recklessness.

Mortals who entered Tartarus were destined to die. Tartarus was a place of suffering for beings and creatures that caused chaos. It was a hellfire for Pluto to dispose of wretched, unneeded souls. Being here meant peril. Danger was an inconvenience for everyone, especially demigods. He massaged his face with his palms, trying to fully wake up and face reality. His Gladius was gone. Another worry to add to his never-ending list of worries.

“Gods.” Jason sucked in a breath of air. “Are . . . are you okay?”

Percy stretched his back. “Could be better, really. I think I got another crack in my ass after that fall.”

Jason didn’t know whether to feel relieved, laugh, or cry. Percy was still his usual self, at least. He was starting to worry if that fall knocked a screw or two out of him.

“Hey,” Percy said, catching his attention, “don’t worry about me. I’m fine. What you did back there . . . it was brave.”

“Ha, brave,” Jason muttered wryly. He tried to get up, just to fall over on his side. He winced in pain. “More like rash.”

Percy ran his fingers through his own hair, pushing it back. He gave a hopeful smile a stretched a hand towards Jason.

“Just glad we’re alive, right?”

With a heavy sigh, Jason took his hand and stood up. His pain, to his surprise, was somehow already alleviating. “You shouldn’t have gone after me, Percy. Thank the gods you didn’t get badly hurt.”

“At this point, we shouldn’t even thank the gods anymore. And now we’re . . . oh.”

“Percy, I’m sorry-”

“Shh, you didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t be like that, okay?” His words were soft and hollow.

Jason didn’t want to admit it, but hearing Percy reassure him made him feel like their chance of dying was only 99% now. Not much, but it was progress.

In between the silence of their words, Jason could hear his breathing and the quiet humming from the terrain of Tartarus, like a huge refrigerator. The ground they were on was crimson and deathly. There wasn’t any sign of life. The land was more depressing than a funeral. The air was stuffy and suffocating. He considered breathing through his mouth, but he didn’t enjoy the idea of Tartarus air interacting with his teeth.

Stalagmites stuck out of the ground like huge jagged needles.  He kneeled down and peered over the edge of the cliff. Below was what appeared to be a rushing body of water, but it was just a big blur of blue and white to him. A faint sparkle caught his eye. He couldn’t tell what it was, but it seemed like it was a gold object, slim and long in shape. That must have been what he thought it was.

Percy loomed over him, placing his head on top of Jason’s. “And I believe that’s your sword.”

Jason’s heart jumped. “Yeah.”

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“We should . . . jump?”

Percy clicked his tongue. “Bingo!”

Jason shoulders dropped. A cold tingle wrapped around his neck. It was true that Percy was the son of the god of the sea (say that ten times fast), but he didn’t want Percy to get hurt. It was terrible enough that they were in Tartarus in the first place.

“So, how does it sound?” Percy asked and grabbed Jason by his armpits.

“Per—”

A small rush of heat lit up Jason’s face. His arms tingled, a funny feeling in his throat. He was ticklish there. Stifling a giggle, he took another glance at the river. The sword was already moving downstream. If he didn’t get down there quick enough, he wouldn’t be able to fight alongside Percy. Even if he was a bit worried about the idea, it wasn’t really far-fetched. Percy’s a son of Neptune, he reassured himself. Besides, I can trust him. He’s my friend.

And if Percy was willing to jump this far down, he did care about him. Even though Jason sort of already knew that, his mouth jerked into a smile.

“I assume that means, yes?” Percy said, his tone playful. “Up you go.”

He pulled Jason to his feet and stood beside him. He focused his attention on the river, humming a solemn tune. Jason glanced at him. Seeing Percy understand water as well as he understood an actual person was oddly refreshing. Jason couldn’t quite understand how that worked, but when Percy looked like he was understanding the words of each wave of water that danced around, that was impressive. Maybe it was from all the blue food he ate.

Percy turned his head to look at Jason, startling him. “You ready?”

“How are we doing this?”

“Well, I was thinking that we could . . .” Percy waved his hand around in the air.

“Hold hands?”

Percy responded immediately. “Yeah.”

A silence rang in the air. Jason stared at him blankly, eyes wide like an owl’s. This was normal, it should’ve been normal. Percy was a friend. Jason felt like his whole body was squishy. A sheepish smile formed on his face. He turned his head towards the river, as if he was scared it had disappeared.

Percy placed his hand on the back of his neck. “Well, it’s not like we have to.”

Jason squinted at the flowing water below once more. His poor sword was drifting away and away. He grabbed Percy’s hand and exchanged a look of confirmation.

“Are you scared of heights?” Percy teased.

Jason shrugged. “Can’t see too well from up here. Hey, you’re just lucky your sword just comes back in your pocket.”

He chuckled before saying, “I’m gonna count from three.”

Just breathe. You’ll be fine.

“Three, two, one.”

The two leaped off the cliff at the same time, free falling like birds with their wings spread out. Toxic wind slapped his face. Jason could feel the tightness of Percy’s grip. Warm and comforting, it was like a signal that Jason wasn’t alone. He felt grateful for at least that. He winced, trying to make out the image before him. The river’s image was a bit clearer now. They were landing several feet from his sword. Percy focused his gaze on the water, narrowing his eyes.

An enormous splash of water slapped Jason in the face. He felt the warmth of Percy’s hand fade away. He was slowly falling deeper into the water. He caught his consciousness like a feather. With a struggle, Jason attempted paddling towards the surface, only to find himself sinking deeper.

“Let the water consume you,” a deep, mellow voice whispered into his ear. “Feel the fingertips of the water.”

Jason heard deeper, enticing whispers sounding around him. They overlapped each other, and his head was television static. He was drowning in misery and melancholy. He was desperate to escape, to make it to the surface, but it was less of a bother to let the voices carry him away.

“Jason!” a familiar voice hollered. He peeked through his eyelids, light and water filling his vision. He couldn’t see much in the murky water, except for the worried expression on Percy’s face.

His muscles were getting weaker, mind blank, body immobile. He could barely twitch a muscle. His hair flowed in the water like strands of seaweed. He was descending from heaven, slow, steady.

“I’m coming for you!” a voice huffed, their breathing uneven. A shadow came at him, dispersing to show Percy’s worried, distressed face.

Don’t make that face . . .

Percy’s expression was despairing. His eyes were wide open, and his mannerisms were desperate. Jason had never seen anyone make that face before, such a frantic, desirous, hopeful expression. Percy was reaching for each little light of hope he had to save Jason.

Can’t you smile for me, please?

“Jason, think back to a happy time!” Percy’s voice screamed. “This is a river of despair! There are voices trying to take you!”

A happy time?

Jason closed his eyes, letting complete darkness flood his vision. He felt his soul leaving his body.

A bright image flashed before him. Jason was sitting underneath the cool shade of a tree, Percy’s head laying in his lap. A grin was plastered on Percy’s face, and Jason could even feel something tugging at his lips. Although he couldn’t hear what Percy was saying, he seemed to be reminiscing with Jason about sweet, tender moments in the past. He laughed, closing his eyes with a smile lingering on his lips.

What did he say?

The thought of never hearing what Percy said irked him greater than he had expected. Would he ever get to hear what Percy said? Would he say it again?

The image faded to white. With a jump, Jason’s eyes shot open. Percy was looking over him, a troubled expression on his face. He instantly jerked his head back and cleared his throat.

“Oh. Sorry.”

Jason coughed, a sharp pain stabbing his chest. Salty water dribbled out of his nose. He wiped it with his wrist and sat up, with the help of Percy. His back pain was so bad that he was practically an old man now. His soaking clothes stuck to his body like suction cups. Jason shook his head, water flying.

“Are you okay?” asked Percy. “Well, that was a stupid question. Of course not.”

Jason exchanged a glance with him in silence. Percy blinked before averting his gaze to the floor, a small frown on his face.

He looks like a sad puppy, Jason thought. He didn’t want to be an ass and let Percy think that it was his fault. Impulse took over him, and he ruffled Percy’s hair.

“What?” Percy asked, half-scowling. A grin came across Jason’s face, and he stroked Percy’s hair faster. “Hey, what—”

Jason let in a deep breath. He could taste despairing, salty water on his tongue. He scrunched up his face.

“Oh, um, if you’re wondering what happened, you almost drowned.”

“I think that was pretty evident.”

“Yeah?” Percy’s voice was quivery. “Well, good news is that you’re not totally screwed.”

As if he was presenting a holy relic, Percy grabbed a golden sword from the side and held it gently. He placed it in Jason’s hands, clasping his hands together. Percy closed his eyes, placing a hand on his chest. He exhaled, relieved.

“Hoo. Don’t go nearly dying anymore, okay?” Percy said, fumbling with his fingers. “Gods, you nearly gave me a panic attack back there.”

“Hey, Percy,” Jason called, mustering up his energy.

“Yeah?”

A wave of tension left him. “Thank you.”

Percy flashed him a smile and grabbed his hands. “Yup. Right, up we go.”

They helped each other stand, and warmth filled Jason’s hands again. An odd feeling built up in his chest. He wanted to see Percy smile and laugh. That vision he saw, where had it come from? His own desire? He blinked, embarrassed. Don’t be stupid. If it was selfish to ask for Percy’s happiness, he couldn’t tell.

Percy started wheezing, arching his back forwards. “Crap. It’s really hard to breathe.”

Jason’s chest dropped. “Percy, are you—”

He glanced at him. His eyes were slightly pink, and his eyelids were puffy. Percy groaned and shoved his forehead into his palm.

Jason walked forwards and felt his forehead. He inhaled subconsciously. “You’re burning up.”

“Hey, let’s just keep going forward, okay?”

“No, you need help.”

Percy rolled his eyes weakly. “Pshhh, I’ll be fine.”

He started coughing more, drops of blood splattering on the floor. He winced and said, “My bad. I mean—no—that wasn’t my fault.”

Jason sighed. “C’mon. We have to keep going. You can lean on me.”

“Really?” he asked, eyes widening. “I mean, okay. But you’re the one who nearly drowned earlier. I think that—”

Ignoring his sputtering, Jason grabbed his shoulder and tilted it towards him. Percy squeaked, obliging silently.

Jason couldn’t admit that he was feeling awful as well. His muscles were weak and sore, and he felt like he was screaming whenever he tried speaking normally. He didn’t want his voice to sound hoarse because of his desire to help Percy, no matter how much he protested.

And yet, why? He couldn’t come up with a definite answer for why he wanted to protect Percy. It just felt right.

That was where he’d leave it.

The pair ventured through the depths of Tartarus deeper. Each step they took was an invitation to death, and they were practically guaranteed to run into trouble sooner or later. That was the magic of being a demigod. But this nice feeling of letting someone he cared about lean on his shoulder was refreshing.

If it wasn’t Percy, he thought, would it be the same?

He tried imaging Leo leaning on his shoulder as platonic thing, but he felt nothing. He tried imaging him in a moment of peril, a near-death expression on Leo’s face. After a stress-inducing fight, Jason would give him a shoulder to lean on. He would’ve been more than willing to help him.

If I feel the same, then Percy isn’t a crush.

During his pondering, Percy collapsed on the floor, mouth slightly open. Jason caught him by te arm. Percy was muttering unintelligible words, eyes closed. Jason’s gut jumped.

“Percy?” he asked, desperate. “Gods, don’t tell me you’re dead. Please don’t tell me . . .”

No, Jason thought hopefully. He’s still breathing.

His breathing got heavier and unsteady. Blisters had appeared on Percy’s skin without him noticing. Was he trying to hide it? Jason slapped himself on the cheek at an attempt to try and stay focused.

“Water,” Percy mumbled under his breath.

“Water? Okay.”

Jason scanned his area and noticed a wine-red river nearby. It was calm and still, but a strange aura emitted from it. He felt uneasy looking at it. Even though it was supposed to be a river, its color oddly resembled a bonfire, like the one back at Camp Half-Blood. It could’ve been blood for all Jason knew.

Who knew how safe the water from this river was to drink? Besides, a river from Tartarus didn’t sound too tempting to drink from. Percy’s condition could’ve gotten worse. And if something awful were to happen to him, Jason would tear into pieces.

Percy was unresponsive. Jason took one last glance at him before inhaling deeply. His pulse raced faster, refusing to calm down. He walked towards the river and heaved a sigh.

It was a gamble. Either it’d quench Percy’s thirst, or it’d hurt him greatly.

Jason took sip of the river, proceeding to gag. It tasted terrible, like a mix of chili peppers mixed with water topped off with lemon and salt. He scraped his tongue with his teeth, but the flavor was persistent. Unexpectedly, his back pain was dissipating. He could actually walk without a limp now. He took a scoop of the water and rushed back to Percy’s immobile body, pouring it into his mouth.

He bit his tongue in anticipation, praying for the best. A couple of excruciating seconds passed by. To his relief, Percy opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times before sitting up and clutching his chest. He was hyperventilating.

“Gods, that is awful!” he shrieked weakly, patting his chest. He scratched his tongue. “What’d you even give me? Hades’ piss?”

“You’re alive.” Jason inhaled, light filling his expression. “Oh my gods, you scared me to death!”

Percy stared at him blankly. “Am I actually alive? Is this the Tartarus for Tartarus?”

Jason hugged Percy tight. He felt like crying a whole river because of how ecstatic and stressed he was.

“Can’t . . . breathe. I guess I am alive after all.”

Jason could hear Percy’s heart beating quickly. He parted from him and helped him stand.

“Should keep going?”

Percy paused. He rubbed his temples and spun around once, realization filling his face.

“Holy Zeus, the Doors of Death,” Percy accidentally hollered. He covered his mouth. “Crap, we’re supposed to close them!”

Jason flinched. After the events that had occurred during their time in Tartarus, he’d almost forgotten about Gaea and her awakening. Another worry to add to his list . . . He didn’t even need a list anymore.

“Percy,” Jason said, firm, “we can do this together. I’m pretty sure that—”

He glanced over at the river. Jason suddenly understood. That river was one of the five rivers in Tartarus. The one he had nearly drowned in was most likely one of them too. He wasn’t too good with names, but he could faintly remember the name of this one.

“—that’s the river of Feath—um—Phlege . . . Phlegethon.”

Percy cocked his head. “I think I’ve head of that before. No, wait, have I?”

“I think it might lead to the Doors of Death. We should—”

A shrill voice cackled from a distance.

Across the river of fire was a distraught woman, crawling on the floor. She was scrambling around, but when she spotted the pair, she forced another cackle, coughing shortly afterwards.

“We meet again, son of Poseidon!” she declared; her voice hoarse. “And you, the other nuisance! I’ll have you both know that I’m far from dead!”

With an effort, she stood up and twisted her mouth into a smile. Her skin was pale white, her hair long and messy like skinny strands of black wheat. She was trying to seem intimidating, but she came off as try-hard.

“Arachne,” Percy said, “it’s too bad you didn’t die the first time. Guess you want another sword plummeted through you?”

“Fool! I have been given one more chance at slaying you and that wretched girl!” she said, pointing a crooked finger at him.

Jason tightened his grip around his Gladius. “Yeah, right.”

“Wait, where is the girl?” screeched Arachne, frantic. She looked around, scrunching up her nose. “The girl hasn’t fallen?”

“Oh, she went somewhere over there,” Percy lied, pointing to a random direction. “Well, if that’s who you’re looking for, we’ll be on our way now.”

“Hold it,” she said, ire filling her voice. “You dare make a mockery of me, you insolent fool? I will deal with you first!”

She strutted across the river of flames, her torn dress flapping around like a dead raven’s wings. Percy pulled out his pen, a blade shooting out of the tip. It faintly glowed of sapphire, like moonlight.

“I will slay you and that lemon head over there before I kill that wretched, disgraceful girl,” she said, glaring.

In an instant, Arachne lunged at Percy. He instinctively moved out of the way and chuckled, tart. “Still slow on your feet, old lady?”

“Do not disrespect my age!”

She snarled and walked towards him. Percy started backing up, eyes focused intently on her. Then, he shared a short glance with Jason, as if he was trying to communicate something.

Jason understood and nodded. Arachne took another lunge at him, a wild expression in her eyes. She was a rampant monster, dancing around on her feet. Percy slit the side of her arm as she was mid-air, and she howled.

“You!” she spat, pure hatred filling her voice. “Once I kill you, that boy will be next!”

Percy gave her a taunting grin, beckoning her. “Then you can go ahead. Put all your anger into killing me.”

He tossed his sword into the river. Jason’s body became still, silent. He could hear his heartbeat in his throat, thumping loud as a drum. Arachne crossed her arms, giving a disappointed exhale.

“And you think I’d feel the most gratification from a slaying like that?” she said. She crossed her arms. “Not even in a million years would I kill you if this is the way you’ll die! I don’t let my enemies declare their defeat; I make them tasteit.”

He crossed his arms, imitating her. “Oh, boohoo, cry me a river, Arachne. If you don’t have the guts to kill me, you’re as good as a disappointment to the crochet industry.”

She gave him a deathly glare, gritting her teeth. “Don’t you dare call me that! My works were masterpieces! Motivating! Until that wretched goddess Athena challenged me and made a mockery of me! She was a sore loser! She couldn’t deal with her own loss. And I had to pay. Don’t you realize how much it would just hurt if I could get my sweet, sweet revenge on her by killing her daughter?”

Somehow, Jason could sympathize with her, but just barely. At the same time, it was pretty hard to be able to feel bad for the person trying to kill him. Murder wasn’t necessarily the best way to get revenge. Even after all of the wild, perilous situations Jason had been in before, the fear of death still lingered. He thought he’d be numb to it, but it was with him more than before.

If you expected death, you shouldn’t have been too surprised in a situation where there was a knife to your throat.

Percy spread his arms out like he was about to do jumping jacks. “Okay, hit me.”

“You mock me!”

“If that’s how you’re going to be, then I might as well just go to you.” he suggested. Arachne tensed up.

Jason feared the worse. There was no way Percy was actually going to do something that reckless.

He exchanged another quick look of confirmation with him. Jason tried to protest with his facial expressions, but Percy wouldn’t budge. He gripped his sword uneasily, inching forward. Arachne was focused on her enemy before her, awaiting his next move. If she was focused on Percy, Jason would have a chance to run up to her and strike. Still, the idea of Percy using himself as bait was less than pleasant.

Without warning he started running towards Arachne. Jason swallowed a lump down his throat, sprinting forward. Water dripped off the stalactites hanging from the ceiling, submerging into the river of fire. Wind wrapped around him like a blanket and danced on his skin, pulling the warmth from his blood. Jason’s heartbeat banged in his chest. Each step he took, he felt as if he could’ve fallen over.

Arachne plunged towards Percy.

Oh gods, oh gods.

Jason’s skin prickled up, chills scraping his skin head to toe. He plunged his sword into her, kicking her body to the floor. She clutched the ground with her fingers, mustering up the strength to get up.

“You scum,” she muttered. “I’ll kill you one day, you.”

Her fingers loosened up. She was lifeless, cold. Her body shriveled up into a pile of dust, blown away by a soft breeze.

Percy sighed and patted Jason’s shoulder. “Hey, I think we actually work well—”

He glanced over at Jason, smile melting away. “Jason?”

Jason outlined the hilt of his sword with one finger. “Oh, yeah. Good job.”

“Jason,” Percy said, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Did I . . . was I too much?”

“Too much?” Jason said, tart. He massaged the back of his head. “You scared me so much, Percy.” His voice was shaky.

Percy tightened his grip around Jason’s shoulders. Jason unconsciously started cracking his fingers, warmth filling his skin.

“Are you mad at me?” Percy asked, eyes averted from Jason’s. “Don’t lie.”

“Well, um, not really.”

“Come on.”

“I mean it. It’s not that big of a deal, so . . .”

Percy gave him a half-serious half-playful look. And if he kept giving Jason that look, he’d end up with messy hair the time they got out of Tartarus, assuming they ever survived this whole ordeal. Jason sighed. Percy probably knew what he was doing. He didn’t need to be watched over like a child.

Jason gestured with his index finger and thumb. “A little.”

“Okay,” Percy said. “Good. I like honest boys.”

“Thanks,” Jason said, having a staring contest with the floor. “I mean, good. I mean—I don’t know what I mean. So, what were you saying again?

“How about this? Slap me every time I do something stupid.”

“Uh, how often is that?” Jason asked.

“Depends. Your judgment is the best judgment.”

“Percy, you’re not stupid,” said Jason, shrugging. “I think that you’re smart sometimes. Like, even if what you did was really risky, it still worked.”

“Don’t say that,” he said, dropping his arms from Jason’s shoulders. A strange feeling filled Jason. Being comforted by Percy gave him a little energy to keep going. “I mean, what’s the point of the plan if I just, you know, scare you?”

“I was just worried. It’s just how I am.”

“Well, that’s how I am too! I worry about you all the— Ah, Grace, just slap me already,” Percy said, motioning to his left cheek. He closed his eyes and prepared for impact.

Grace, Jason thought, his stomach clenching up, that’s a weird nickname.

He placed a palm on Percy’s cheek. He pinched him lightly. Percy opened his eyes, blinking quickly before sandwiching his lips together.

“Not exactly what I meant by a slap,” Percy mumbled, gaze to the side. His face melted into a sly grin.

Jason’s eyes widened. His gaze dropped. “Percy, uh, about the Doors of Death . . .”

The pair followed the path of the River of Phlegethon, making sure not to spend too much time walking. Jason realized that the time he spent with Percy was fun, despite the place they were in. As long as Percy was right next to him, he was happy. The only thing he had to worry about was, well, everything else. And that really messed with him.

As they conversed, Percy seemed to be far away, even though they were just a couple of centimeters apart. His gaze was focused on something in the distance, but Jason could tell he was lost in his endless sea of thoughts.

“So maybe it really was a good thing we’re here, right?” Percy said. “I mean, now we get to close the Doors of Death and all of that. Nice.”

For someone pretending to be excited about being in Tartarus, Percy did an awful job of that. But Jason couldn’t blame him. The gods were especially cruel when you were in an awful situation, and then they would come swooping in at the very last second. That would’ve been the case for them, except for the fact that the gods refused to respond for the longest time, for whatever reason. Jason hadn’t received a blessing or even a letter from his dad in a long time. When Gaea struck, Zeus couldn’t even had cared less.

“I hope they’re okay,” said Jason, fidgeting with his thumb. “I don’t even know how long we’ve been here.”

Percy groaned. “Crap. A long time, huh? Hey, we’ll be fine, for now. I’m sure that everyone else is okay too. I mean, they have Annabeth. She’s smart, obviously.”

“Are you smart?” Jason said instinctively.

“In what department?” Percy asked. “If you’re talking about my intelligence, possibly. But if you’re talking about my attractiveness, I’m smart there.”

“I don’t know if you can be smart in being attractive.”

“Am I though? Wait, don’t answer that. Since you asked me, are you smart?” he asked, rolling his eyes playfully.

“Hmm, I’m not good at rating myself,” Jason admitted. “I don’t want to be too cocky and say I’m the smartest. But at the same time, I don’t want to be a liar and call myself dumb.”

“If calling yourself dumb is a lie, then you are smart,” Percy acknowledged.

Smartass.

Jason smiled. “Okay. But that’s too cocky to admit.”

“Well, I don’t care,” Percy said. “You shouldn’t care. You know, you’re the smartest guy I know. And I mean it.”

“Which ‘department’?”

“Basically, all of them,” Percy said blankly. “Crap, I mean— You know! Um, like when you killed Aracne.”

“But you told me to do that,” Jason said. “You’re smart too. You just aren’t confident enough to say it.”

“Neither are you.”

Jason grabbed the back of Percy’s neck and squeezed it gently. “Don’t try to be smart with me.”

He paused. Footsteps sounded behind them. He turned around, faced with a girl wearing a cheerleader outfit. She had wild, unkempt hair, and her gaze was deathly sharp. A group of girls who looked like her, except without the cheerleader outfit, stood behind her, making faces and pretending to gag.

“Oh, if it isn’t the renowned Percy Jackson, walking around in Tartarus,” the cheerleader said, flashing a smile filled with contempt. “How wonderful.”

Percy scratched his head. “Do I know you?”

“Excuse me?” she said, offended.

“Oh!” said Percy, slamming his fist into an open hand. “I know you. You’re, uh, the crazy empousai. Kellogg.”

“It’s Kelli, you idiotic brat.”

Jason scowled. “He’s not an idiot, you disgrace.”

“Oh my gods. Wait a minute,” the empousai squealed, placing a finger on her chin. She pointed to Jason. “He looks just like Luke!”

Percy couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh my gods, is that what you got from him?”

Jason stared like a lost child at a mall. “Huh?”

He had barely an idea of who Luke was, but he supposed Luke was probably their holy cow or something.

“Hand him over,” Kelli commanded, glaring at Percy. “Then I’ll spare you and we can both be happy.”

Great, another one to the list.

Percy wrapped his arms around Jason’s head, smushing his cheeks. “Sorry, no can do.”

Raging ire filled Kelli’s expression, which had twisted into an irritated frown. She looked like what Jason imagined a steaming kettle would look like (to be frank, she sounded like one too). Kelli’s minions whispered behind her conspiratorially, grins and gasps spreading throughout. Kelli silenced them with a ground-shaking stomp.

All Jason could care about was his pulse getting quicker. Was he sick, scared? Heat rushed to his face, and he wanted to melt. At least Percy had some sort of idea of what he was doing. Jason had to go with him.

“Percy Jackson, I swear, I’ll find a way to—”

Out of the shadows, a small cat leaped onto Kelli’s skirt and gnawed on it, scratching and biting. She shrieked, trying to shoo it away. Even more cats leaped from nowhere and attacked the rest of the empousai. They meowed innocently, but their bites and attacks said otherwise. Kelli trudged towards Percy, cats hanging off her cheerleading clothes.

“This is not the end,” she said, her voice stern. “I will kill you. And when I do, I’ll—”

A large cat pounced from the air, biting her back. While she was distracted, Percy let go of his embrace of Jason and jabbed her in the gut with Riptide.

She dropped to the floor, fading away into dust. Her empousai gang was already bonfire dust, floating into the breeze like snow.

Percy inhaled sharply, falling to his knees. He placed his hand on his chest. “My gods.”

“Percy,” Jason said, rushing to him. He knelt down to Percy’s level, getting a good glimpse at his face. “Are you okay?”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

The image of Percy with his arms around Jason made his heart leap. His breathing became uneven. “Yeah. I’m fine. Yep.”

“Come on, Grace. Your voice cracked.”

“It did?”

“Oh,” Percy started to say, his face reddening. He covered his mouth with a hand, eyes narrowed at the floor. “Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! Jason, did I make you uncomfortable? Are you—”

Jason got up and nodded rapidly. “Yeah. I mean, no. I mean, I’m fine. Yeah. Fine. I’m fine.”

“Jason?”

If he keeps saying my name, I might die of embarrassment.

“Anyways,” Jason said, quickly shifting the topic.  “What’s with the cats?”

“Oh, um . . .” Percy stood up and patted the dirt off his pants. He crossed his arms and examined the cats, watching them intently. “Hm, no idea.”

The kittens played, frolicking around, tackling each other. Jason wasn’t sure how he was going to take care of all of them or if he would be able to take them all back up to the surface. All of them were as small as half a car tire, but the big cat that had attacked Kelli was as big as the whole tire. It was grey in color, and scars were scratched on the side of its body.

A loud thud sounded behind them. The two turned around, swords wielded in their hands. They had to be weary of any more surprise attacks. Percy’s face turned into a wide grin.

“Bob? Wait, it’s really you!”

Bob smiled back, waving. The big cat that attacked Kelli hopped into Bob’s arms, snuggling on his shoulder. It fell fast asleep in a matter of seconds.

“Bob has come to retrieve Bob’s kitties!” he exclaimed.

The longer they walked down the path of the river, the more they conversed. Apparently, Bob was a friend of Percy’s, who also turned out to be a titan. During a lovely stroll through Tartarus, which didn’t sound so lovely considering Jason’s past circumstances in there, the titan had found an adorable, small cat stranded across a river. It had no way of getting across, so as the sweet soul Bob was, he saved it. But when that happened, for the rest of the stroll, more cats kept appearing. That was how he ended up with an entire litter of kittens.

The kitties weren’t a problem. They weren’t too shabby at attacking those empousai earlier, and their meowing drowned out the eerie humming of Tartarus. It also lightened up the mood a little, Jason supposed. At least they had more company and backup. Still, Jason wouldn’t be able to handle it if one of those kitties ended up getting hurt, or worse.

“So, what’re we gonna do with all of these cats?” Percy asked, eyebrows furrowing. “I mean, there is a lot.”

Bob cocked his head. “Hmm. Bob says we find them a home!”

“But,” interjected Jason, “do you think they’ll be safe by themselves?”

“It will be fine, Bob thinks,” he replied, optimistic. “The kitties have each other!”

Bob might have been right. Considering that the kittens had found Bob, perhaps they had been exploring the depths of Tartarus without any trouble for a long time. Finding them a home, it didn’t sound like that bad of an idea. It was the best option. They couldn’t take all of those kittens anyway. The idea slightly saddened him.

“So, I guess the only problem is finding them a home?” Percy said. He glanced around, eyeing potential homes. “Aha.”

He pointed at a huge cave close-by. If Jason had learned something from his trip to Tartarus so far, it was to not enter suspicious, big, dark places where your line of sight was limited. Worse, he was forced to stay aware of his surroundings. Every time he turned a corner, monsters were always prepared to ambush them. But, maybe if it was quick, they could tryto leave the kittens there.

The cave didn’t seem too promising. When they entered, a frigid drop of water from the ceiling landed on the tip of Jason’s nose. He wiped it off and glanced ahead, squinting. There was only a dark blurry shadow. Percy brought out Riptide which emitted a faint blue light. The cave didn’t go on too far, only as long as several feet.

Bob scrunched up his nose. “Hold on, Percy.”

Several people wearing dark gowns emerged from the shadows, levitating slightly off the floor. Percy raised an eyebrow.

“What the Hades is this?” he said, confused and disappointed rather than alarmed. “What do you think this is, a freakshow?”

One of them grunted, offended. Their voice was raspy and deep. “You say that now, but you shall regret it.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Right. Kill me, already.”

Jason gripped his sword for comfort, ready to stay at Percy’s side through it all. That was a reoccurring theme, Jason noticed.

Percy lunged forward, plunging his sword into one of them. It dissolved into dust, sinking into the floor. That was too easy . . .

Something wasn’t right.

Complete darkness swallowed Jason’s world. A sudden sharp jab stabbed Jason in the chest, his head lightening up. He felt like a leaking water pipe. He fell to the floor on his knees, gripping the floor. His breathing was heavy and desperate. His hands loosened.

“Percy,” he tried to say, his voice hoarse. He forced a lump down his throat. “Percy?”

An unpleasant giggling sounded. Jason couldn’t tell if the voice was close or distant.

Percy muttered something under his breath, probably a prayer to Neptune. Jason sprawled against the floor, running his hand across the ground to search for his sword.

“Bob will help!” declared Bob, determined. Heavy footsteps thumped against the floor.

Jason managed to find the handle of his sword. He clutched onto it, but the intense pain in his chest was burning. He wanted to rip his heart out of his chest. Jason bit his tongue to alleviate the pain, but it was already brewing a thunderstorm inside of him. His hearing was fuzzy, and everything that entered his ear sounded like what Jason imagined what blurry images must have sounded like.

A muffled shrill scream left Percy’s body. Get up, Jason thought, frantic. He tried to ignore the growing pain in his chest. It threatened to take over his body and consume him whole. He was gripping onto his sword for life. With shaky legs and darkness filled in his view, he used his sword as a support to stand.

“Titan,” one of the monsters said, “don’t you know your past?”

Get up, do it for Percy and Bob.

“What?” Bob said, the thumping halted.

“Is he really what you would consider your friend?” they suggested, hysteric. “Do you, perhaps, want the truth, Iaeptus?”

Percy had said nothing for the longest time. Jason bit his lower lip and finally was able to stand. Even though he felt like a single rush of wind could tip him over, he wanted to have the strength to be there for Percy, be his support, be a shoulder to lean on, sunshine in a storm. He didn’t care how much pain he was in. As long as he knew that Percy was alive and well.

“PERCY!” he yelled, using all of the air stored in his lungs. He muttered under his breath, “Fuck, don’t die, damnit.”

He could barely feel the impact of the ground when his body hit the floor. He slowly lost consciousness, and if there was a color darker than black, it was what he saw immediately after fainting.

Even in dark, Jason could feel a pair of eyes staring down at him. He forced his eyes open, only managing to lift his eyes barely. His face was reflected in a sea of deep green. Light bruises, bandages, and band-aids were plastered on Jason’s face. That was when he realized his vision was back. He jerked up, still staring into the eyes of a Percy Jackson in terrible condition. He had a deep scratch by the side of his lip, almost like the one Jason had when he tried to eat a paperclip when he was younger. Percy’s arms, neck, and cheeks were wrapped in square bandages, rolls of bandages, taped cotton puffs, anything you could possibly imagine a hospital would have for deep and bloody wounds.

Percy leaned back, slightly surprised. “Thank the gods. You’re alive.”

“I am?” Jason said. Percy’s face was soft and vulnerable. Seeing him like that was strange. Jason contemplated on what to say or how to breathe.

They were sitting on a bed in a desolate room. Jason glanced around the room. It was just him and Percy, alone. He felt a small spark light up in his brain. He shook his head, nervous. Don’t do anything stupid, Jason.

“Oh, yeah, we’re at Bob’s friend’s house,” Percy said, massaging his shoulder. “Damasen. That was his name. I think my back almost broke from carrying you.”

“You carried me?”

Percy’s eyes sneakily fell to the side. “Hey, no big deal.”

Percy was already badly hurt, but he had bothered to go out of his way to carry Jason. How he was still able to talk and act normal after that, Jason had no idea. Jason blinked a few times before placing his thumb on the scratch Percy had gotten by his lip. He rubbed it gently, examining it closely.

“What?” Percy said. “Is there something on my face?”

“You got hurt,” Jason acknowledged, a wave of sadness washing over him. “You could’ve died.”

Percy forced an awkward laugh. “Hey, I’m . . . Well, uh, yeah. But Damasen gave us ambrosia and nectar, so we’ll be fine, okay?”

Jason’s eyes drifted off to the floor. He brought his legs to his chest. Percy grabbed Jason’s arms softly and clasped them together.

“What, were you worried?” Percy said, half-teasingly. “I’m fine. I mean, the least I can do for you is carry you, even when we’re always in danger. Besides, I think I have a reason to keep on going, well, besides the prophecy and the Doors of Death.”

Jason rubbed the sweat and tension at the tips of his fingers. He focused on Percy’s eyes, an ocean with no end. A rubber band twisted in his stomach. He bit his lower lip softly, breaking eye-contact. In the silence that filled the room, he could hear each little movement he made, including Percy’s. He could hear his breathing, the blanket shifting, a ringing in his ear, his heart hammering in his chest.

“Then, tell me,” whispered Jason, “why do you keep on going?”

Percy’s eyes were wry. He fumbled around with his fingers. “Hard to say. Well, I guess that when you’re a demigod, you live a rough life. So, you just get used to it. And I guess—”

Jason placed a on his lips, shushing him. “Hey, don’t lie to me with that sappy stuff. I can tell when you’re saying random stuff.”

“Oh, and how do you know that?” he said, staring at Jason’s finger on his lips. His eyes were wide and keen.

It was easy. Percy wasn’t shabby at pretending to be fine, but Jason could tell when he lied. His voice would crack right when he was about to lie. He would find something to fidget with. Maybe it was because he liked looking at his face.

Heat slowly rose to Jason’s face. “Dunno.”

A small grin slipped onto Percy’s face. “You really want to know?”

The pair sat in silence. Jason dropped his finger, embarrassment seeping in his skin. He nodded once, waiting for Percy’s answer.

“It was you,” mumbled Percy, his voice soft and sweet. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. A lock of hair was hanging over his eye. He blew it out of the way.

Jason heard his heart thumping in his ears. It was beating loudly, like a drum. He didn’t really understand what Percy’s words meant at all, but for some reason, they made him happy. He glanced at Percy’s face. He was flushed, mouth slightly agape, staring off into the distance. The lock of hair fell back in place. If Jason had touched Percy’s face, it would feel warm, hot even. He realized it was impossible to lie anymore.

I like him so much.

Percy was right in front of him, burning up, evaporating. Jason couldn’t find the words to say. He wanted to die. He couldn’t move his muscles or even twitch them. He wanted to touch Percy, ruffle his hair, poke his cheek, anything.

Percy blinked a few times before saying, “Why’re you . . . looking at me like that?”

“What?” Jason said, sudden.

“You’re making fun of me,” Percy said, covering his face with his hands. “Gods, did I sound stupid again?”

Jason felt his face. He had accidentally been smiling the entire time. He relaxed his muscles, a strain relieving from his face. You weren’t supposed to do anything stupid.

“I’m happy,” Jason said.

Percy peeked through his hands. “I can tell. Why?”

“What you said—it made me happy.”

“It did?” asked Percy, squeaky. He put down his hands and messed with his hair. “So then, is it okay for me to be honest with you?”

“Yeah. I’ll listen.”

Percy took in a deep breath. “We almost dug our own graves here. I know we’re demigods and all that, and we’re practically always in danger, but still. I can’t bear to watch you die. You’re really special to me.”

Percy covered his mouth, his hand shaky. He inhaled.

“Shit. That was really embarrassing.”

Jason stared at him; his eyes filled with awe. Happiness filled his heart. He grabbed Percy’s hands. “I won’t let you down.”

Percy hesitated. Then, a smile grew across his face. “Okay. Let’s do this together.”

He brought out a clenched fist, and Jason shared a fist bump with him.

“Gods, let’s get pancakes after all of this,” Percy groaned. “Speaking of food, did you eat yet?”

“Huh? Not yet . . .”

“You know, Damasen made stew,” Percy said. He furrowed his eyebrow. “Um, long story short, he . . . cooked up monster stew. Whatever, that’s beside the point. I’ll spoon-feed you.”

“Ha-ha.”

“Not joking. Grace.”

“I’m not a baby, Jackson.”

“Sure.”

They both shared a laugh, something that rarely happened, especially when danger creeped up on them most of the time.

Jason wasn’t expecting anything much great from the deadly depths of Tartarus, but with Percy at his side, he felt as if he could’ve done anything. Even if the world had turned on them or left them cold and alone, they at least had each other to get through it together. And that was all he needed for now.

“You came!”

Jason broke out of his daydream when he noticed an ecstatic Percy Jackson. He was wearing a varsity jacket, the name of his high school swim team imprinted on it. Jason smiled back at him and patted his head affectionately.

I’m actually here. He’s actually here.

His brain became mush. Even after the whole circumstance with Gaea and the such, he was still tense and squishy around Percy. He squeezed the straps of his backpack for relief.

He cleared his brain. “Yeah.”

Jason took a seat in front of Percy, gazing out of the window. He took off his glasses, wiping a smudge with his shirt.

“Hey, I’m surprised,” said Percy, a hint of joy leaking out of his voice. “Your glasses suit you.”

“You think so?”

His stomach tightened up. He averted his gaze to Percy, putting his glasses back on. That comment made him way happier than possible. Getting to be alone with Percy and share a tender moment with him refreshed him.

“So, what made you choose a pancake house?” Jason asked.

Percy placed his hand on the back of his neck. “Aha, you know. I wanted it to be fancy after all that Gaea’s put us through. Still . . . I still worry.”

Jason knew exactly what he was talking about. Deep inside of him, there was still a feeling of uncertainty filling him, like a small drop of water dripping out of a sink head. He wondered if pancake houses were considered fancy. This was almost like a date.

He hoped Percy didn’t notice his face reddening.

Percy relaxed his expression. He sighed, fumbling with his knuckles on the finger. “There was a . . . haunting guilt in me when we left Tartarus.”

Jason nodded slightly.

“I didn’t tell you this back then, but a long time ago, Bob was a titan called Iaeptus. He fell into a river in the underworld that wiped his memories. So, I just . . .”

Jason placed a comforting hand on Percy’s. “Percy. He would’ve killed you. Bob saved us from dying.”

His shoulders dropped. “Jason . . . Thanks.”

A neatly-dressed woman came over and handed them two plates of pancakes, smiling. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Percy said. He eyed the pancakes keenly, sparkles in his eyes. The lady walked away, leaving the two alone. “Shall we?”

“Hold on.” Jason reached into his backpack, pulling out a clamshell container filled with shiny blueberries. He placed it on the table, opening it up. “Here you go. Just for you.”

Percy’s mouth opened, closed, opened again. He wrapped his hands around the container, shaky and nervous. He swallowed a lump in his throat down. “T-Thanks. How’d you know that . . .”

His eyes started growing red. Tears grew in his eyes, dribbling down his cheeks. He got up, motioning Jason to stand up too. When they were both standing, Jason took a good glance at Percy’s face. He was crying, but it didn’t make Jason’s heart cave in. He could tell that Percy was happy. Really happy. Percy wrapped his arms around Jason’s neck, embracing him in a hug.

“G-Gods, I’m really happy,” Percy sniffled, patting Jason’s back. “But I’m also depressed. What the hell?”

Jason’s heart jumped. “I mean, I knew you liked blue, but I didn’t think that you actually loved it this much.”

“It’s not that, Jason,” Percy said, wiping his tears. He pulled away from Jason, holding up the blueberries like a trophy. “Well, it is, but . . . Ah, this makes me so happy! I love you so much, Jason. Really, really, really—”

He paused. The two stared at each other, their faces growing scarlet. Percy rubbed his chin and placed the blueberries on the table.

“As I was, um, saying,” Percy said. “Forget what I just said. Forget I even said anything.”

Jason interjected immediately. “No! I, also, um . . . I like you, too.”

“You do?” Percy squeaked. “Ha, that’s . . .”

Jason nodded several times in a row. “I-I’ve liked you for a long time. All I wanted to do was . . .”

He stopped to think about the right words to say.

He let out the air in his lungs. “Percy, don’t stop smiling, okay?”

“Do you have to say something embarrassing?” Percy teased, flushing. He glanced at the blueberries on the table, sitting there. “Hey, Jason. I know I looked like a little kid, and I very much do still act like one, but when I saw these blueberries, I almost broke. I mean, it was like—”

Percy paused to breathe. “I was extremely happy and sad. I thought for a moment that we were normal teenagers, sharing a cute moment together. I thought we were normal for one second, Jason! Two regular teenage boys falling in love. We’ve been through so much with each other. So, I want to say this properly to you as, um, normal teenagers, okay?”

Jason ruffled Percy’s hair, holding back the tears and joy that were about to leak out. “Okay.”

Percy tapped his finger on the table. He blew his hair out of the way of his eyes and made eye-contact with Jason. He clutched his heart. At that moment, Percy was the only person in Jason’s world. They were underwater. Percy’s eyes had submerged him in an ocean full of peace and solitude. Being with Percy was as calming as listening to the shore kiss the sand or putting a seashell up to his ear. He clasped Percy’s hands together, ready for his confession.

Percy inhaled, exhaled. His breath was shaky. The words would leave his mouth eventually.

“I love you, Jason. I feel like I might die around you sometimes,” he whispered, gentle and sweet, as if he was singing a soft lullaby to the nightly shores of the ocean, basked in the caress of the moonlight.  Jason embraced Percy in his arms. Like a wave of water, Jason’s uncertainty and fears were washed away. He was in complete peace, underwater with the embrace of the sea.

He would never let go.