Snowfall

Sunday Supper

It was a dreary Sunday afternoon. There had been a storm over Manhatten since sometime in the night and it was bad. The sky hadn't gotten any lighter than it was at midnight. So when Percy heard a knock on the door, he was so surprised he practically fell off the couch.

"Well? Go and get it!" Sally called to her son. Percy scrambled onto his feet and made for the door. He opened it and was extremely surprised to find Thalia, shivering and soaking wet standing on his doorstep. Sally peeked out from behind him and her eyes widened. "Thalia! Come on in, dear, we'll get you cleaned up."

Thalia stepped inside gratefully, tightening the parka further around herself. Percy rested a hand on her shoulder and dried her off. She gave him a weak smile and Percy closed the door behind her, following after his mother. Sally offered Thalia a blanket, to which she happily accepted. "We were just about to eat," Sally said. "You can tell us what happened over some food."

Percy sat Thalia down in a chair by the table and took her dish, as well as his own, over to her. "Thank you," she said hoarsely, her voice shaking. Percy looked at her in sympathy and sat down next to her. Sally took her seat across from the two and both looked to Thalia.

She took a bite of her food, cleared her throat and spoke with a slightly raspy tongue. "The hunt was ambushed. It came out of nowhere, attacking our camp. Artemis was on Olympus and couldn't protect us so we were on our own. Myself and the older hunters tried to drive them off but it didn't work. We decided to retreat and I got separated in the chaos. They chased me halfway across New York until I lost them and this was the closest place I knew to go."

"You were right to come here. You can stay as long as you'd like," Sally said with a motherly tone. Thalia simpered and continued to eat her food. The silence was a bit awkward so Percy took the time to look Thalia over. She was still visibly shaking even though she was no longer wet and her skin was so pale it looked unhealthy. He was relieved when it was over.

"Why don't you find her some warmer clothes, Percy?" Sally suggested. Thalia didn't even care that they would be his, she was so exhausted from running the entire morning and so cold from being out in the dew that as long as it was warm she would accept it. Thalia dragged herself from her chair and followed Percy to his room. He dug through his closet and tossed her a pair of sweatpants, a shirt and a sweatshirt. He exited the room and left Thalia to change.

She dropped the cover that was still around her shoulders and shed all her clothes except for her underwear. She put on the warm, clean clothes and sighed as their warmth touched her skin. She called to Percy and stumbled over to the bed. She pulled herself onto it and sat leaning against the wall. Percy sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Thalia leaned into him, letting his body heat seep into her skin like a blanket. She tucked her face against his shoulder and sighed as her face almost immediately began to warm. She was so tired that it was impossible to keep her eyes open. Percy kissed the top of her head lightly and she drifted into a doze, sitting between wakefulness and unconsciousness, blissfully unaware of her surroundings.

She eventually fell asleep to his soft murmurings with a soft grin resting upon her face. She was happy she came.