Fight to the Surface (Sea Prince Trilogy #2)

Chapter Eleven

Percy groaned as he opened his eyes. Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in closed curtains. His head throbbed for reasons he couldn't understand. At least he'd slept alright, his head feeling too empty to properly dream.

Another thing he noticed, was how uncomfortable and stuffy he suddenly felt. It was a new sensation.

Something caught his eye. Thrown over his torso was an arm and it most definitely wasn't his.

The arm lead to a very familiar figure.

Percy yelped and leapt into action. Loki woke up to the sound, a look of alarm on his elegant features. He felt himself being flipped over, his arms suddenly pinned above his head, being straddled by Percy in an attempt to restrain him. Percy was breathing heavily, confused on the situation.

"What the hell are you doing in my room!?" He exclaimed.

"Shhh!" Loki hushed. They didn't need to be heard right now.

"Don't you 'shhh' me! What the hell, Loki!?"

If Percy wouldn't shut up, then Loki would make him.

"I didn't know you were into this kind of thing." Loki said with a wink causing Percy to realize the position they were in. He shot out of bed away from Loki, spluttering and red-faced.

"Screw off," he muttered.

"I'd rather screw you if anything. But that's not the point here. I need to talk to you." Loki couldn't resist the tease. Percy scowled at him, cheeks blazing.

"Not if you keep saying things like that. Where the hell did that even come from!?" Percy harshly whispered. This was a topic that didn't need to be shouted out for the rest of the house to hear.

Loki himself wasn't sure where it had come from, but there was time to ponder it later. There were more important matters at hand.

"Okay, okay. Fine. Just- calm down." Loki rose his hands in surrender. Percy didn't sit back down, opting to lean against the wall, but he was still listening. Loki reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture. He beckoned Percy closer. If the demigod's previous reactions to having his memories forced to the surface were anything to go by then this house wasn't the safest place to do this in. But if he took Percy out now, Blyke would become far too suspicious for comfort.

Percy's curiosity overruled his former annoyance at the god and so he sat beside Loki.

Loki was prepared for the moment Percy looked at the picture.

"What do you remember?"

Three smiling faces stared at him from the image. They were three people he should've recognized. He did recognize them. Somehow.

But why?

Who were they?

Loki watched Percy go still. Then the hand holding the photo began to tremble. The demigod couldn't tear his eyes away from the photo.

There was a little girl standing between two adults, clearly her parents.

He knew them.

Why?

Why?

Percy tensed up, pain splitting through his head. Loki pulled the demigod's back to him, one arm around his torso to keep Percy from sturggling and falling off the bed while his hand covered Percy's mouth, muffling his cries of pain as he tried to remember. The move also restricted Percy's breathing, limiting it to his nose, forcing him to calm down and think about breathing rather than the pain he felt. It would force him to calm down. It didn't however, stop the guilt Loki suddenly found himself feeling.

Percy's hands gripped Loki's arms, digging his fingers into Loki's flesh as he strained to get out of Loki's hold.

It took a minute or so, but eventually, Percy calmed and sagged against his chest.

Loki released the immortal demigod and he took several gasping breaths. Percy wiped the sweat off of his face, running a hand through his black hair. He sat forwards, now facing the Norse god. Percy didn't like the look of pity on Loki's face. Percy looked worn out even though he'd woken up not long ago. Despite his disheveled appearance, Loki could see a little more life coming back to his oceanic green eyes.

Percy let loose a heavy breath, memories of the three crystal clear in the front of his mind. "Why would I forget them? Gods, Estelle, Mom, Paul. Why would I-?" Percy began to ramble. He recalled the first time he'd seen Estelle, the first time he met Paul, the last time he saw his mother- wait... that was at the graveyard? And there were these two people. They were on his doorstep not long ago. The last time he visited his family. But why? Who were they? Did he know them? Did they know him?

Loki placed his hands gently on Percy's shoulders, a spike of guilt shooting through him when he noticed Percy flinch slightly. The demigod stopped talking.

Loki decided to take the blunt route.

"Percy, you've been brainwashed."

~~~~

Holy Styx. I was doing some planning for a story I have in draft called "Time Turner" and once I finished figuring out where I want the plot to go I wrote an alternate ending for it that makes it tie in with the events of Sea Prince and co, tweaking one or two small things in the plot and now I'm dying 😂😂.

Peace,

BTSWD
Borntosingwithdrama