Chapter Text
Percy can feel the burn of divinity in his veins, but he pushes it back down as best he can. Keeping Luke alive last night cost him more than he wants to admit. It was worth it though, especially since he knows it's going to happen eventually, anyways. He'd like it to wait a few years still, but it won't be the end of the world if it doesn't. He came to terms with it years ago, after all. For now though, he'll just sit here on the edge of the pond on the balcony, legs submerging in the saltwater. The Sea won't completely take away his exhaustion, but it certainly helps.
"Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth's voice makes him look up, and the knowing look on her face makes him sigh.
"I'm fine," he tells her with a shrug, looking back down at the water.
"You're exhausted," she counters firmly.
"I'm sorry," Thalia speaks up from where she leans against the balcony railing.
"I know, T," Percy replies quietly, leaning back and letting himself slide further into the water.
The water wraps around him like a soothing blanket as he settles into the carved out section of the pond-stone created for this exact thing, and he lets his eyes close. With Luke and Chris in the bedroom—Chris asleep and Luke no doubt sitting vigil—they probably have a little while at least before either one makes a reappearance.
"When are you going back?" Annabeth asks, and Percy knows she's talking to Thalia.
"Whenever someone can get me to wherever they are, I guess," his friend mutters lowly. Percy opens his eyes to glance at her.
"I'm not going to get a threatening lecture for letting you leave before you're supposed to, am I?" He asks pointedly. Thalia rolls her eyes and shoots him a half-hearted glare, and Percy returns it with a half smirk.
"No. Besides, when was the last time you got a threatening lecture from Artemis? She actually likes you," Thalia snorts, and Percy chuckles dryly.
"You don't think I'm gonna get a lecture for this?" He counters with motion towards the apartment with a pointed look.
"Maybe if she wasn't already aware of it and didn't know you so well. But she was aware of it before Annabeth told me, and honestly I don't doubt she knew he'd end up here, too," the Huntress says with a look that makes Percy shake his head.
"Oh believe me, there will be a lecture," Percy tells her. "Probably a threat or two," he adds.
"You know it won't be serious threats, though. Even if she didn't like you as much as she does, even Lady Artemis won't cross Lady Styx," Annabeth pipes up, making Percy roll his eyes and close them again, relaxing into the water once more.
"Yeah, no one would dare," Thalia adds, and Percy can hear the amusement in his friend's voice.
"Perseus is well equipped to handle his own battles, but of course I will assist if it is required," the quiet, smooth voice has Percy's eyes snapping back open in an instant. Now perched on the rocks across the pond from his "bed", is the goddess Styx herself, obsidian eyes glittering warmly. "Rest, my little Oath Keeper," she adds, and Percy frowns, glancing at Annabeth and Thalia, then at the goddess.
Ever since he and Annabeth got back from Tartarus, Styx has been a fairly constant presence in Percy's life. Especially after they discovered he was burning through his mortality, and that he would share one of his future domains with her. Usually, she doesn't appear here at the apartment, but with everything that's happened in the last week, Percy is honestly surprised it's taken her this long to check in on him—or rather, on Luke.
"I don't think he's ready, My Lady," Percy says quietly, and the small frown that forms on Styx' lips tells him that he guessed correctly.
"You helped him wash away my blessing," she replies slowly, and Percy nods.
"He needed it gone. You know the…condition he was in when he took it," he tells her, and the goddess frowns deeper before her lip curls into a sneer.
"He is mine as you are, little Oath Keeper. Time was a fool to think I would allow such a soul to burn away under my watch," the vitriol and venom in the goddess' words makes Percy's blood run cold despite the fact that he knows she would never hurt him. "He is mine," she repeats—this time low and protective—and Percy relaxes as she leans forward and runs a cool hand through his hair—her touches are rare, but always gentle. "Remind him that it is not I who hurt him so, Perseus," this time, her tone is soft, and he nods, letting his eyes fall closed yet again.
"I will," he agrees easily, sinking a little further into the water.
For a moment, he feels the icy burn that he knows well by now, and finally, his body stops having to strain against the impending divinity. Percy sighs again, this time a deep, relieved breath, and he feels Styx's gentle caress in his hair again. Crisis averted, he supposes, though the surge of divinity wasn't really a crisis, more just an inconvenience.
"Thank you, My Lady," Percy murmurs. He's not sure how long the goddess will stay, but he has a feeling she's going to make sure he actually rests.
Sure enough, everything starts to fade into darkness around him a few seconds later, and sleep finally claims him.
When he wakes, the sun has nearly set, and he's still laying in the pond. The only difference from before is that he's alone, now. A yawn stretches his jaw as he slowly climbs out of the water, pulling the water from his clothes and hair as he does so. He can hear quiet voices coming from inside, so he follows them through the open balcony doors, mildly surprised to find his mother in the kitchen with Annabeth.
"Mom?" He glances around, but it's just Annabeth and his mom.
"Estelle dragged Luke off to her room to play with her," Annabeth supplies with a smile, and his mom nods.
"Practically the moment we got here," his mom adds, a soft lilt of amusement in her tone. "And Paul took Thalia to Camp," she continues, and Percy doesn't know whether to laugh or groan at the thought of Thalia stirring things up at Camp even more than they probably already are.
"How long did Lady Styx stay?" He asks, glancing between the two women.
"She left as soon as Mom got here," Annabeth tells him, and he nods slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"Luke?"
"There was a…brief moment when he walked outside before I could stop him, but she didn't push when he came back inside, and I didn't have to talk him out of a panic attack, so it went okay, overall."
A breath of relief escapes him at Annabeth's words, and Percy glances towards the hall for a second. He considers going to check on the other man, but he doesn't do it. Estelle probably has the situation under control—his baby sister always does. Instead, he decides to help his mother make dinner, since that seems to be what she's doing. He can check in with Luke later.