Does the sun shine in Tartarus?

12 - My Sea Glass

TW// suicidal thoughts are implied.

"I mean, if you're alive, then he must be too, right?"

Percy had no clue how tight he was holding onto Apollo as he leant on the sun god for some much needed support. His heart raced, and his breathing quickened as his mouth went dry. "Damasen, answer me!!"

He couldn't lose Bob now.

~~~

Apollo looked at Percy with concern, and quickly set him down on the Giant's huge couch. "Perce, focus on my voice, okay? Breathe. You're alright."
"I know I am!" The demigod snapped. "Damasen, answer me!"

With a sigh, Apollo shot a glance to the Giant, who seemed to be on the verge of breaking down into tears. His heart sank.

Shit.

~~~

When Percy didn't receive his answer, he reached the conclusion himself. "He's dead."

~~~

The Giant sat down next to Percy, and the whole couch dipped. "I am sorry. My siblings - the other Giants - were merciful to me. It's not my fault I am peaceful, I am the opposite of the War God." Ares. "But Bob's siblings, the Titans, were not so. The Giants spared me. But Bob?" Damasen's voice broke. "Bob was not spared."

Small Bob mewled melancholically as he crawled onto Percy's lap, bones slightly chipped from Apollo's arrow. Percy let out a small, broken sob and he once again leant into Apollo for support. Apollo, ignoring his racing heart, wrapped his arms around the son of Poseidon.

"He's dead." Percy repeated, his voice strained. It was obvious he was struggling to hold himself together.
Apollo gently wrapped his arms around the demigod, murmuring a hymn he and his children often used to calm and numb patients at risk of slipping into hysteria. He couldn't take the chance of losing Percy. Not now, not ever. "Perce..." he whispered. "Oh, my sea glass..."

"S-sea glass?" The son of Poseidon asked, looking up with tearful, beautiful green eyes that Apollo could have drowned in.
"Yes, sea glass. Unique, and beautiful, worn down after years of pressure but still strong and impossible to break." Apollo explained, reddening like a beetroot all the way to the tips of his ears. What was he thinking? It had felt so right to say... but maybe it was the wrong time.
Percy sniffled. "I... I like it."

Apollo sighed, and pulled Percy into his chest as he looked over to the Giant. Damasen was sitting thoughtfully, looking at the pair with gentle eyes.
"Be careful with Percy Jackson's heart, okay?"
Apollo blushed more. "Oh- okay, Bigger D."
"Bigger D?"
"W-well, I call Dionysus Big D, and you're bigger than him but your initials are the same so..."
"Ah."
"Yeah.

At this, Percy groaned. "For the love of all things holy, Sunshine, don't call Damasen Bigger D. Nor- nor Mr D Big D."
"You know you love it, water boy." Apollo flashed a smile, happy to see that Percy seemed to have calmed down after a few moments of hiding in Apollo's chest. The demigod moved away soon after though, leaving our own sunny boi with a cold feeling in the very spot Percy was. He resisted the temptation to pull the other back in.
"Yeah, yeah." Percy muttered, wiping his eyes and running a hand through his hair. "Hey, Damasen, we really should be on our way..."

"Your way to where, Percy Jackson? You never told me what you were doing back here, anyways." The Giant frowned.
"Ah, well-" Apollo cleared his throat. "There was a new great prophecy..."

"Bullshit there was." Percy said suddenly. "Think about it. Great prophecies are meant to be rare, yet I've been a part of three, all within about 5, 6 years. No, somethings up. Apollo, you're literally the god of prophecies. You of all people know this isn't normal. The Fates have rigged it all. They hate me."
At this, Apollo sensed Percy was about to slip away, just like he had done after that first nightmare at the fire. He couldn't let that happen again.

"Percy, listen to me. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think something was up. But please..." Apollo begged, voice cracking in desperation. "You gotta deal with it. You have help, I'm here. You're not alone, but you can't slip away again. Will and Nico need you. The world needs you. I need you."
Percy sighed heavily. "I'm- I'm-" he struggled for the right word. "I'm so sad, Apollo. Sad, and tired. I don't want to do this anymore."

"Then let's just get it done. Then life can go back to normal..."
"Normal? There's no more normal, Apollo. I lost almost everyone I love. I might lose the camp if I don't save the world - again. Maybe you can get back to some form of normality back on Olympus. You'll grieve for children you never really new, sure. But you'll get over it. You'll have more children. Up there, literally on top of the world... you live the life. But I don't. So don't try to tell me I can go back to normal, because if normal means an almost empty camp with all my loved ones dead, then I don't want it. I don't want life anymore, I don't- Annabeth-"

Apollo shut Percy up with a kiss.

(873 words)

So sorry. This is a very short one, by my standards, but I wanted to leave the chapter there. Why?

✨cliffhanger✨

anyways I wasn't expecting that chapter to turn out that way. but those two... *shakes head* they have a mind of their own.

sorry I haven't updated in a while. I hope this was worth the wait.