ιммσɾтåℓѕ ♡

ħєу уåℓℓѕ!

it’s cc, back with another fanfic for the arryn club. this took quite a long time and is a bit late, but hopefully it’s worth it. our prompt was leo’s reaction to the events of the burning maze, and i resorted to songfics yet again.

word count (lyrics subtracted): 1100

trigger warnings: death, gore

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ ѕσмєтιмєѕ тħє σиℓу ρåуσff fσɾ ħåνιиg åиу fåιтħ ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Where’s Jason?”

The question had seemed so innocent. It had been eight months since I’d seen him, eight months since I’d died so my best friend didn’t have to.

But seeing the faces of my friends, I realized it had been for nothing.

Not that I wouldn’t change what had happened. It gave Jason eight more months with his girlfriend, eight months to begin fulfilling his promise, eight months after finding his identity to live the life he chose to lead instead of constantly trying to outrun his destiny. Not to mention it brought me back to Calypso, gave me the chance to bring her home.

Still, I never got to say goodbye when I died. I never expected to need another chance to.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ ιѕ ωħєи ιт'ѕ тєѕтєđ ågåιи åиđ ågåιи єνєɾу đåу ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I went down to the beach that night when I thought everyone was asleep. I needed some time to think, to process. I had tried to tinker with Festus for a while, but my mind was too restless to think, so I just sat down and started chucking rocks and shells into the water. That was nice; it kept my hands busy and the ‘plunk’ of the projectiles hitting the water was fairly satisfying. I hoped I wasn’t hitting any fish.

I had seen too much death.

My mom had been bad enough. No seven-year-old should have to live with the knowledge that they killed their own mother. Learning the truth had given me some closure, but there are things every day that remind me of her, from the words I speak to the messages I tap out to Calypso every night.

I survived a war, while dozens of others died, hundreds of families lay broken. All the people close to me survived, but we were the lucky ones. How many parents, children, siblings, friends, loves had been lost to a war that may be proven pointless?

And now knowing that another friend was gone. Another hero, another boy who didn’t deserve the fate he got.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ ι'м ѕтιℓℓ çσмρåɾιиg уσυɾ ρåѕт тσ му fυтυɾє ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The world around me was spinning, so I closed my eyes and searched for something to hold me steady. I could feel myself slipping, falling into the water in front of me, its cool embrace washing over me, the inky darkness swallowing me entirely. I felt my arms moving to swim, my lungs burning for air, my fingers and toes tingling and finally going numb.

I wasn’t scared. If I was going to die, so be it. I hadn’t chosen it, but I had made very few choices in my life, and most of them went against me in the end. At least I’d see Jason again.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ тħєу мιgħт вє уσυɾ ωσυиđѕ вυт тħєу'ɾє му ѕυтυɾєѕ ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When I opened my eyes, I could see him smiling at me through the thin veil of water that separated us. He was smiling at me, the way he always did when I told a stupid joke.

I reached out to hug him, tears springing to my eyes. “Jason, oh gods, I’m here.”

He grinned. “I was wondering why you weren’t down here too. It’s good to see you again, even if it’s just a dream.”

I felt my heart stop. “A dream?” My voice was cracking like crazy. It all made sense now, why he was so hard to see, why I couldn’t feel anything when I touched him.

He nodded. “I’m sorry. But it’s the best I could do, better than nothing. Thank you for saving my life back there.”

I nodded, even though the tears had slipped onto my cheeks. “I never got to say goodbye,” I muttered.

He shook his head. “We’ll see each other again, I promise. Goodbyes don’t have to be forever.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ ι åм тħє ѕåиđ ιи тħє вσттσм ħåℓf σf тħє ħσυɾgℓåѕѕ ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I woke up to a cold metal snout nudging me. I sat up and shook the sand out of my hair and touched my head, it hurt like crazy. Had that been real, or all in my head? I was perfectly dry. So it had just been a dream.

I felt another nudge on my leg. Festus had awoken me. For a moment, I was angry, he’d ruined my last chance. But then he turned his head to face a shadow-veiled form in the distance.

“Leo?”

Piper.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ ι тɾу тσ ριçтυɾє мє ωιтħσυт уσυ вυт ι çåи'т ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

We slowly closed the distance between us until she was in my arms. “I’m glad you came,” she whispered. “Even if you were a little late, you couldn’t’ve known. But I’m glad I’m not alone.”

I nodded. “I’m here, okay mi amor? I’ve got you.”

We sat down together on the beach, and started chucking more rocks into the water in silence, leaning up against Festus, who had curled up around us.

“Are you gonna be okay?”

“Are you?”

I wasn’t sure. I doubted she was either.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ 'çåυѕє ωє çσυℓđ вє ιммσɾтåℓѕ, ιммσɾтåℓѕ ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Piper and I woke up with the sun, Festus still curled around us. Her head was on my shoulder, but I didn’t say anything. I knew there was nothing romantic between us, after all, she had just lost her boyfriend. But best friends could still be there for each other. She was breathing out in little puffs, until her eyes slowly fluttered open. She rubbed her back. “I’m cold.” I put my arm around her; Calypso had figured out that I was really warm and a good hugger. Piper sighed to confirm. “I’m going home,” she finally said.

I frowned. “Already? And where’s home for you these days anyway?”

“Back to California,” she responded. “And then Oklahoma when we sell the house.”

I nodded. “You’ll be alright?”

She nodded back. “It’ll always hurt, but life has to go on at some point. May as well be now.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ ʝυѕт иσт fσɾ ℓσиg, fσɾ ℓσиg ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I walked her to the bus stop. I wasn’t sure if I had missed her or was just being paranoid, but I didn’t want to leave her alone.

When the bus pulled up, I hugged her tight. “I’m always an IM away if you need a friend,” I reminded her.

I felt her squeeze a little tighter and smile softly. “I know. And for what it’s worth, I hope everything with Calypso goes well. It’s about time one of us caught a break.”

I cracked a small smile too. “That sounds good.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ ѕσ ℓινє ωιтħ мє fσɾєνєɾ иσω, ρυℓℓ тħє вℓåçкσυт çυɾтåιиѕ đσωи ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

She broke down crying in my arms, the storm of emotions overcoming us again. We had been in the eye of the hurricane for a moment, but the moment had ended and we were once again lost. “I can’t say goodbye,” she sobbed softly. “I’m not ready to let another friend go.”

I surprised myself by smiling, despite the weight trying to drag me down once again. Jason had one last message to Piper after all.

“Goodbyes don’t have to be forever.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝ ωє çσυℓđ вє ιммσɾтåℓѕ ❞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

thanks for reading!

tpl art credit

g off,

the arryn club

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

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