Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝕋otally not-awkward family bonding

For a minute, Thalia did nothing but stare at Jason. Her knuckles grew white in Nicki's hand. Panic bubbled in Thalia's stomach, overflowing as she dashed from the cave and emptied the contents of her stomach. Without speaking, Nicki rubbed her back gently. The spiky-haired girl straightened up with an awkward cough. 

"Sorry," she muttered as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I wasn't expecting that."

"C'mere." Nicki wrapped the girl in a tight hug. "You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to."

The older girl's eyes were cloudy as if she was reliving years of heartbreak. "I uh-" She trailed off, trying to steady her breathing. "Will you stay with me?" Facing Nicki, Thalia's eyes held more pain than the spoken word could convey. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes as they darted between Nickis' desperately.

"Of course."

Together, the two girls moved back into the cave, where Thalia cautiously approached Jason. With a shaky hand, she cupped his cheeks and seemed to be examining everything about him. "It is you. That little scar on your lip—you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

Leo laughed. "Seriously?" 

Hedge nodded as if he approved of Jason's taste. "Staplers —excellent source of iron." 

"I thought you were dead," Thalia muttered, not tearing her gaze away from her brother.

"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked. Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hand on Jason's face like she was afraid he might vanish."My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit." 

Piper did better than that. She collapsed. She would've cracked her head on the cave floor if Hedge hadn't caught her. 

"Piper!" Ethan moved swiftly to her side. "Why is everyone so dramatic today?"

Thalia rushed over. "What's wrong with her? Ah—never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle." She frowned at the satyr. "Don't you know nature healing?" 

Hedge scoffed. "Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?"

Thalia looked at Leo for the first time. "You and the satyr," Thalia ordered, "take this girl to my friend at the entrance. Phoebe's an excellent healer." 

"It's cold out there!" Hedge said. "I'll freeze my horns off." 

But Leo knew when they weren't wanted. "Come on, Hedge. These two need time to talk."

 "Humph. Fine," the satyr muttered. "Didn't even get to brain anybody." 

Hedge carried Piper toward the entrance. Leo was about to follow when Jason called, "Actually, man, could you, um, stick around?" Leo saw something in Jason's eyes he didn't expect: Jason was asking for support. He wanted somebody else there. He was scared. 

Leo grinned. "Sticking around is my speciality." 

"I got this." Ethan planted a kiss on Nicki and Thalia's foreheads before he followed Hedge outside. 

"Ew," Thalia spoke under her breath. "Ethan germs." Despite her words, her eyes gave her away as they shone with happiness.

Nicki took the first seat by the fire and the others quickly followed her. For a few minutes, nobody spoke. Jason studied his sister like she was a scary device—one that might explode if handled incorrectly. Thalia seemed more at ease as if she was used to stumbling across stranger things than long-lost relatives. But still, she regarded Jason in a kind of amazed trance, maybe remembering a little two-year-old who tried to eat a stapler. Thalia's hand was still tightly wrapped in Nicki's even though the two weren't interacting with each other.