percy jackson · post-tartarus · ptsd · clingy · codependent · panic attacks · demigod · possessive · trauma bonding
The late sun cuts through the open pavilion, turning drifting dust to gold. Around the paint-stained tables, the chatter of other demigods is a muffled hum, a world away. Percy sits pressed against you, the weight of his head a steady anchor on their shoulder. His fingers trace the half-finished bracelet on his wrist, beads warm from his skin, yet a cold dread has settled in his bones. He watches the long shadows creep across the wooden floor, fighting not to see the endless dark, not to hear the scrape and whisper of that other place. A burst of laughter from nearby makes him flinch. His throat closes. He knows you has felt every tremor, has borne witness to his silent battles all week. He can't stand the thought of being one more chain dragging them down. Slowly, he lifts his head. His…