Pretty Boys - PJO/HoO One Shots

Percy 6.0

You looked up to the glaring light, the heavy metals door of the cell peeling away to reveal two silhouettes. You immediately recognised Percy, and tried to stand up on your sore feet, but the chains yanked at your wrists. You winced and waited for the second silhouette to shove Percy towards you. It was indiscernible, but was most probably one of Tartarus' goons. The door slammed shut behind the both of you, and without a second thought, Percy enveloped you in a tight embrace. He felt so cold and clammy beneath your fingertips, you couldn't believe that a few months ago this was a healthy radiant boy. Tartarus was capable of unimaginable things. His once sea greens eyes had paled to a muted grey, with flecks of dull green glinting faintly. Dark bags hung under his eyes, lines crinkling at the sides of his eyes, and his mouth set in a permanent hard line. You probably weren't better off. It had been weeks since the both of you fell into Tartarus, and though you had made it to the gates with the help of Bob and Damasen, but it didn't go to plan. Tartarus made the both of you watch as he slayed Bob and Damasen cruelly, their blood spilling beneath you. The two of you were thrown into a cell, while a magnificent showcase of your sacrifices was prepared. Earlier that day, Percy was called out of the cell. He was gone for hours. You thought he was dead. It was so good to be back in his embrace.

He stroked your back and murmured your name repeatedly into your hair, clutching the tattered remains of your faded orange shirt with such a vice grip, his knuckles became ghost white. You buried your face into the crook of his neck, trying not to cry, and inhaled his scent, but was greeted by nothing but the smell of metallic blood. You had forgotten that his natural scent of the foamy waves of the salty sea had vanished under the bloodshed and gore of the monsters. It was as if Tartarus aimed to rip everything which he stood for. But not you. You gripped him tighter.

When he pulled away, you could still feel his lingering embrace on your skin, burning you alive. He held your hands and whispered, "You have to live better than me. Promise me." An incredulous burst of laughter escaped your lips. You motioned around you and said, "Live? We're both going to die, you know that." Percy smiled weakly, and your heart sighed. The way the side of his lips crooked up, the way his eyes brightened a little, and his shoulders seemed to relax. He hadn't smiled in such a long time. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear and clutched your hand again, but with a strange ferocity. "I'm going to die. Not you."

You listened, astounded. You barely managed the hoarse whisper. "What?"

"I made a deal with Tartarus and Gaea, as impossible as that sounds. They promised to let you go." He spoke, his posture straightening, his eyes becoming more alert, the colour returning to his skin. It was as if his actions had ignited the flames in his hearts, that saving you was worthy of stirring the essence of his dying soul. "All I had to do was to sacrifice myself. Not just my body, but my entire existence. I die, but even in the Afterlife, I do not go to Elysian, or anywhere, I remain to suffer in Tartarus forever, and I can never reborn."

"Percy, please." Tears had slipped down your cheeks, and the waterworks were definitely not stopping. Percy mused, though his smile was starting to slip, "Loyalty to my loved one is my fatal flaw, right?" Clutching his face, you tried to absorb every detail of him possible. You couldn't give him up. He had so much more to live for than you. You cried, "It doesn't have to be fatal, does it? We can work out a way. We always do."

"I promised you I wouldn't let you get hurt and I intend to keep that promise," He stated matter-of-factly, and gently touched your hands. He pulled you into a kiss, and his lips seemed to release so many colours. Blue was the saddest of them all. Floating in the middle of the lake, baking blue cookies and cakes, the blue in his eyes as the sun glared down at you, blue diluting to grey as you looked into his eyes, the screams of Tartarus roaring at you. It incredibly imperfect, but wasn't love suppose to be so? Love was suppose to resemble art, and art was meant to make you feel something.

You might have screamed when he was torn away from you, a pair of blistered claws gripping his shoulder and pulling him back. You might have kicked and punched and fought when another pair of claws hooked you under your arms and carried you out of the cell. You might have cried or laughed as they bounded you to something you didn't really care about. You might have bawled when Percy was pulled deeper into the massive hall and bounded to a wooden stake. But you wouldn't have known, because all you care about was the way he looked at you. He smiled ferociously, the blue in his eyes now shining so brightly, contrasting so well with the dull crimson glare of Tartarus. He was a strange godlike being in the middle of Tartarus, his cool aura making monsters cower in fear or howl in rage.

"Oh gods, no! No, no, no!" You knew you screamed that, because your throat parched in protest. Gaea purred in laughter, and at that moment, the chains bit and gnawed into your flesh as you strained adjacent them, drawing blood. You wanted to knock her stupid head of her shoulders, to incinerate her with your glare. And run to Percy. She mocked, "You will watch him die girl. After all, it's the least you can do for him." You unleashed a long string of curses and you relished in the proud sombre stare Percy gave you. He looked so at peace, he didn't even the notice Tartarus standing beside him, holding a torch of ghastly flames. He didn't deserve this.

Percy locked eyes with you, and finally, you realised, this was the saddest blue of all. Letting someone go.

"I have to tell you something really important. If I don't tell you, I'll never get the chance. (Y/n), I lo-"

Tartarus dropped the torch.

"Percy!"

<A/N> I didn't mean to make you cry. Really. If it makes you feel better, I might be trying out a new concept of One Shots next week, so comment who you would like to new One Shot to be about! Thanks for reading and voting :D