Three Times ('Cause I've Waited My Whole Life)

FOUR

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the titles and songs mentioned in the story. Full credits go to Rick Riordan and the authors and singers. Any resemblance to real life is strictly casual I do not know a lot about American school and University system, I had researched it a bit for the fanfic, but not in depth: if you read something that is not correct about it, please let me know!

Note: English is not my first language, and this is just a story that I randomly start writing in English because I just felt like it. Please do comment in case you see any error. I do like some criticism and feedback.

Trigger Warning: mention of panic attacks and death.

I wanted to apologise for the delay. The story is almost complete, so it will be uploaded to its end. Unfortunately, I have experienced some personal problems and mental health issues in the past months, which distanced me from social media, publishing and even writing. I had some other university commitments to take care of, as well, but since classes started again, I have a little bit of time to focus on writing again. Now, I just need Fran to check all up for me, which means we are responding to her schedule. I hope you can understand, I don't want to rush her, because what she's doing is totally a favour for me.

PERCY

Tears come streaming down your face, when you something you cannot replace – Fix You, Coldplay

Percy picked his phone up once again, hoping that this time there would have been a text. He sighed when he read No new notifications on his screen. He stared at his lock screen. He lost himself in memories. Annabeth was still absent from his life, and he was still totally miserable.

Percy used to have a picture of the sea, taken by his father, as a lock screen. He had found the picture going through some photos of his mother, one day, when he was too bored to study but too lazy to get dressed and go out. He stayed in his room and picked up all those photo albums his mom had around the house and went through them one by one. There was one called Po's and he kept it last. He found dozens and dozens of pictures of sea life, fish and the ocean. It was spectacular and he had written down the name of every place the man took pictures at. His father had written the day and time on the back of every picture: Percy used his time to put those photos in chronological order. The closer he got to his birth year, the less pictures there were. The last picture was dated a few months before his birth, and it took him five minutes to realise it was the last picture he had taken, before disappearing. There was a little note for his mother, along with the usual place and time: I wish I was with you and the baby now. One last message from the man, before dying.

Percy imagined his mother receiving the picture, time after being told he was lost at sea, Percy still in her womb and feeling alone and scared.

The picture was beautiful: the sun was setting down on the ocean, nothing to see but yellowish water and the immensity of the world. He looked at the photo and imagined what his father and his colleagues must have thought, seeing that view before them. Did they wish they were home? Did they discuss about their lives? Did they know that was the last time they ever see the sunset? Did they ever regret their decision?

He scanned the picture day after day and for years it had been his lock screen. He would check his phone just to see the picture and remember his father, at times. The connection he was deprived of when he wasn't even born. Sometimes he dreamt about a warm smile and he always thought it was his father, even if it was impossible. He just liked daydreaming, imagining how it would be to grow up with one and not just getting one for his fifteenth birthday.