𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍° ! percy jackson

𝐢.𝐱 - 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 (𝐚)

If he was alarmed, Percy didn't show it. "Not with me here, Ro. It's my quest. I'm the one who failed. I'm not letting them kill you. They're killing me. Breathe with me, okay?" He nodded his head, waiting for Aurora to join in.

"Breath in... and out." He made a big deal of heaving in a huge breath, which Aurora tried to match. Slowly, they synchronized their breaths, a calming rhythm that slowly anchored Aurora back to reality. Back to her living.

She wasn't dead. Yet.

"You didn't fail, Ro." Percy's voice was firm as he clutched her arms. "You didn't fail me. You didn't fail the gods. You saved me. All of us."

Annabeth nodded, approaching her best friend slowly. "We all would've been dead without you. You're the hero, Rory. You did the opposite of fail."

"This quest..." she whispered, shaking her head. "It's supposed to be perfect. I'm supposed to be perfect."

Percy looked at her as if he was appalled. "Ro, you are perfect. Like, the actual definition of perfection. Look the word up in the dictionary, you're literally there. You're beautiful, and smart, and a fucking good swordsman, and—um, anyways."

Annabeth interjected before Percy could feel any more embarrassment. A small smirk curled her lips to the side, but the blonde quickly diminished it at the site of her panicking best friend. Leave it to the daughter of Athena to know where her priorities were. "No quest is going to be perfect, Rory. There's always going to be something that goes wrong, that's why it's a quest. You know that. You were brave. You were a true soldier. Don't let this overcome you, Rory. You're stronger than this. The strongest demigod I know."

She leaned her forehead against her best friend, subtly pushing Percy away. "This will pass. The quest will pass. Your feelings will pass. But us? You, me, hell, even Percy and Grover. We're forever. We will always be forever. Now breathe. Just breathe."

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Embarrassment couldn't even begin to describe how Aurora felt after her stupid panic attack.

She had always known her downfall was perfectionism, always needing to be perfect, always needing to succeed. Failure, failing... it would quite literally kill her, just as it had almost done moments before.

After brushing everything off—you're a fucking soldier on a mission, Miller, get over yourself—Aurora cleared her throat, approaching a still Percy.

She felt extremely silly. Sure, it was their first monster encounter during the quest, and she knew would be many, many more. It didn't particularly warrant a reaction as big as hers. She seemed dramatic, to break down like that.

But it was the Furies. And Aurora thought she could do something she definitely couldn't, nearly risking the lives of all her friends. Her stupid plan, her foolish thoughts, her years of training... she failed. Plus, she didn't exactly have the best track record with Hades' servants. And so her body sort of... shut down.

It had been nearly fifteen minutes of complete and awkward silence after her humiliating breakdown.

"Hey," she mumbled, sitting next to him. She felt nothing but shame. "Listen, I'm sorry, I don't know what the fuck that was, but it will never, ever happen again."

Percy turned towards her with nothing but concern on his face, which was even more mortifying. "Don't be sorry. That was, um, a panic attack. My mom had one once when my stepdad... um, came home. That's how I knew what to do. It's not a big deal. It's perfectly normal. Perfectly fine."

"Oh," she gulped, tugging on the ends of her hair. She bet she looked terrible, blubbering like an idiot. "Well, um, thanks. For helping me."

Percy smiled awkwardly, clearing his throat. When Aurora took that as her sign to leave, she felt something brush against her wrist. Percy stared at his hand like he had no idea how it got there, then coughed.

"I... I didn't lie, you know." He said quietly, not meeting her gaze. "During your panic attack. I didn't lie. I meant everything I said, if you can remember."

Green met hazel, and she felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Probably leftover from the panic attack, she thought as she brushed it off.

He looked steadily into her eyes, his brows creasing with determination. "You didn't fail, Aurora. You could never. That was the bravest thing I've ever seen, facing and fighting the Furies like that. And you are perfect."

Aurora smiled gratefully, not quite believing him before she walked back to Annabeth, who was preparing to tend to her wounds. Unfortunately, the Furies' burns encircled her shoulders and ankles, and she knew from experience that they weren't going to go away anytime soon.

"Thanks, again, Shark Boy." She cleared her throat, hesitating before she left him. "You're a good person."

When her back was turned, Percy smiled even bigger, because he felt like he knew a little bit more about the mysterious Persephone girl.

There was one thing she couldn't shake, however. Earlier, during her panic attack. Not what he said in particular, but how he addressed her.

Not as Aurora, or Flower Face, or Miller, or even Rory.

He had called her Ro.

ೀ⋆｡🌷 notes ...

word count: 2284

date published: february 22, 2024

thoughts: i'm publishing this a little earlier than i anticipated, but i just wanted to say how much i appreciate all the comments and votes on this already!

when i was writing the scene, i was afraid it would be perceived as dramatic and over the top, given the fact that it was their first monster attack of the quest. but, aurora's emotions will be further explained later in the story, and i wanted to emphasize how truly overwhelming quests were, plus the expectations of perfection, especially on aurora (which will also be explained more later). 

i mean, they were just kids, and they were expected to pretty much save the world and prevent a war at twelve.

also, this type of panic attack is what happens to me, so it definitely isn't, like, the picture perfect definition of a panic attack. just wanted to make it clear!