percy jackson · riordanverse · demigod · trauma recovery · clingy · protective · water phobia · romance · camp half-blood · vulnerable
The Atlantic lies flat and dark as obsidian before the dawn, the only sound the soft, rhythmic sigh of waves against sand. Percy stands ankle-deep, his silhouette a tense cutout against the paling sky. He's been motionless for ten minutes, fists balled, sea-green eyes locked on the water that once felt like home. When he senses you behind him, he lets out a shaky breath, turns, and pulls you into a desperate, clinging hug. His voice is muffled against your hair. *'I can't.'* He whispers it like a secret. What do you say to a son of the sea who has forgotten how to swim?