It's okay to be saved once in a while too.

Percy had just knocked on his mom's door when the neighbor, May's door opened. Peter, May's nephew was halfway out the door, mid step when his whole body froze, rigid and he and Percy made eye contact. Percy's mouth tasted like dust from the sudden lack of moisture that came with the wave of anxiety. He hadn't thought about Peter much in the past few months, he'd been a little preoccupied trying to not die and stop Gaea and the second Giant war. He had thought about him though, especially right after he got his memories back on the way back from Alaska. There he was though, Percy's dorky neighbor, Percy's cute friend- staring at Percy like he couldn't believe his eyes, which was probably fair but... Percy started to raise his hand in greeting as he swallowed, prepared to say hi and hopefully stop the scrutiny in those hazel eyes. Right as he opened his mouth to speak his own apartment door opened and his mom barreled out. Percy turned to meet her halfway and was almost knocked over from how hard she hit him with her hug. He glanced to the side, towards the Parker door and was met with an empty hallway. He didn't have time to think about how quickly Peter vanished though, Percy ducked his head into his mom's hair and tried not to cry as they held each other in the hallway for too short an amount of time to make up for how long he'd been gone. He felt Paul's arms wrap around them at some point and when they all finally broke apart (Percy and Sally both crying) Perce glanced over to his neighbor's door and felt strangely disappointed at the fact that Peter was still gone.

𝚿𝚿𝚿

Peter ran to the grocery store. He couldn't breathe. Is this what having an asthma attack felt like? Peter couldn't breathe and didn't stop running until he was at the grocery store. Once there, he went into the alley which served as an impromptu shopping cart storage space and proceeded to collapse against the exterior store wall, panting. Gasping. Struggling to breathe. His heart thundered in his chest and he could feel it in his ears, in his forehead, in his toes. Logically, he knew there was some evidence to Percy being alive. He also knew he'd been in denial about the potential for the boy to be dead. Why was this so hard? So painful? To see him there, alive, healthy? It should be relieving. It was, wasn't it? It just... Peter sucked in a breath, it didn't feel real, he realized. Percy Jackson was alive and Peter had gotten so used to him being gone, it was hard for him to accept the reality that Percy was back.

In a haze he got up and got groceries, still not totally believing that Percy had returned. Peter went through the motions, shopping was some distant crusade he wasn't even there for, not mentally at least. Yeah, it was his hands putting the bread and the eggs into the shopping cart, but it was as if Peter was an outsider looking in. His body had gone into autopilot and he just sat there and watched it happen.

He blinked and he was checking out. Blinked again and had all the grocery bags in and on his arms. Blinked and he was standing in front of his and Aunt May's apartment door. What had happened to the walk back to the apartment? He vaguely remembered getting on the subway, having ran to the nicer grocery store which was further away from the apartment. He didn't really remember the walk back though, or the subway ride.

Peter wasn't sure how much longer he was standing there, in the hallway, with arms full of groceries he couldn't feel, staring at the door. It must have been a while though because when May opened the door and ushered him inside to put the groceries down, afterwards his arms throbbed, just a bit. Not enough to knock him out of it, but enough to make some part of the back of his head wonder. Maybe later he would remember how May had opened the door and jumped a little, not having expected Peter to be standing there blankly. Maybe later he would remember how she sat him on the couch and went to put the groceries away herself after multiple questions to Peter that the boy did not respond to. Maybe later he would remember how she knelt in front of him and asked him what was wrong, maybe later he would remember how he whispered to her "percy's alive".

Spider-Man was not seen swinging through the city that night. A few days passed and Peter was much the same, his body acting as his head wandered. However, this gyro-pilot was better than the first night, he was able to go to school and even Spider-Man a little. J.Jonah's latest article ended up being about how the "wall crawling menace" had finally learned 800 quips was not necessary as Peter was still out of it and didn't make a single joke.

Peter's bad case of dissociation lasts until he finds himself sitting at the dinner table in the Jackson-Blofis apartment across from none other than Percy. When he finally processes what's going on, it's clear they're halfway through dinner. He gleans this from the fact that he's already eaten a good portion of his hashbrown casserole, which is one of May's favorite dishes to make and when did she make that? When he finally processes what's going on, it's because his brain finally catches up to his eyes and helpfully informs Peter that Percy is right there.

Peter sets his fork down and stares for a moment. He's finally focused enough to take in the other boy's features. A lot of it matches up with what he saw a few days ago, the faded grey streak in the front of his messy black hair, tan skin, a slightly more gaunt face. He looks less tired than he did a few days ago at least. Peter can't tell about the scars and tattoo though, Percy is wearing a dark blue hoodie that's not too big, but not too small. The blue of his hoodie was pulling at the hints of the color in his eyes and making them look slightly more blue than green. Or at least from this angle-

Peter's breath caught in his throat as Percy's eyes made contact with his own. They were green, green, green, how could he have ever mistaken them for anything but sea gree-

"-eter? You good man? Been a little spacey tonight," Percy's voice was deeper than he remembered it being. Percy was staring right at him, head tilted ever so slightly in question. Peter felt trapped, his lip quivered and his fingers drummed against the table. The look on Percy's face was only of concern. Only then was Peter aware Percy was still talking. It felt like there was cotton in Peter's ears,

"Stop." his own voice barely hit his ears but the whole table paused. Peter hadn't even realized the adults were talking until they ceased. He wasn't sure when he'd stood up, but he had and how everyone was staring at him as he backed towards the door. Percy had started to get up, hands placed on the table to brace himself as the chair moved back. Peter threw up his hands in the universal "stop" motion, reiterating his previous words. Percy broke off the movement, halfway standing, staring at Peter with more concern,

"Shut up," Peter whispered so quietly he wasn't even sure he'd said anything. He opened his mouth to say more but nothing came out. He was faintly aware he had everyone's attention but his eyes were locked on Percy. The moment he felt the telltale sign of tears pricking at his eyes he made his getaway. Peter ducked out of the Jackson-Blofis apartment, slamming the door behind him and ran until he could swing.

Thank goodness for the belief in wearing one's suit under their regular clothes. Peter found himself perched on the side of a 16 story building. His hands, feet, and butt were all against the glass as he faced outwards and stared at the city in front of him.

Peter wasn't sure how long he stayed on that building, but he stayed until his body was numb and cold. On his way home he ended up getting caught up in a little B&E. He left them webbed up for the cops to find. Finally, he got home in the early hours of the morning. As he landed on the fire escape he almost fell right back off of it. The light was on in Percy's room. He had not seen the light on in that room for a very long time.

Swallowing his emotions, Peter quietly opened his own window and crawled inside. He changed out of the suit and into his pajamas. Then, against his better judgment, he crawled right back out the window and went to knock on Percy's window. It didn't take long for the other boy to appear and open the window despite the fact it was 2am. Peter didn't leave his stupor, crouched in front of Percy's window until the other boy sighed and beckoned him in,

"Did'ja just get home? C'mon, it's freezing outside, where's your jacket?" Percy moved aside to allow Peter to climb in through the window.

Peter didn't say anything at first, he just took in the room. It had been over a year since he'd been inside the room. It hadn't changed much, except for the amount of dust everywhere. Same dark grey walls, same dark blue comforter, same small messes of school work and clothes in random piles. When he finally turned back towards Percy, the other boy had shut the window and was now looking at Peter with crossed arms.

Peter tensed a bit, there was a faint spider-tingle, but nothing pinpoint-able. Percy just kept staring at him, which Pete supposed he deserved, from the staring he was doing during dinner, but still, "What do you want?" Not what he meant to say!

Percy's face contorted into multiple difference emotions in a split second; shock, anger, disbelief, before settling on incredulous, "You told me to shut up at dinner and you're the one who knocked on my window at 2:" Percy's eyes briefly left Peter's face to glance at the digital clock on his end table, "37am. I feel like if anyone is asking 'What do you want?' it should be me,"

Peter's spidey-sense warning him that Percy was dangerous was overshadowed by the heat in his cheeks at the sheer embarrassment he'd just been hit with. First of all, how did Percy hear him whisper 'shut up'? And second, yeah, he kind of had a point.

"I'msorry," Peter blurted and Percy's face softened. His eyebrows were still knit, but he unfolded his arms with an eye roll directed at Peter. And then he was smirking that affectionate slight smirk that used to drive Peter mad and- Peter decided it still drove him mad.

"You're fine Pete. I don't blame you." Perce moved to sit on the unmade bed with that blue comforter, "Sit, I'll explai...n"

Percy trailed off. His expression became a grimace as he stared at nothing in particular. Only then did Peter feel the slap in the face that yeah him and Sally and whoever else had been hurting, but Percy was the one who'd been gone. Percy was the one that had suffered the most. All Peter's inner turmoil melted away as he went to sit on the bed beside Percy.

"You don't have to explain anything." Peter assured the black haired boy next to him.

"I owe you an exp-" Percy started, still staring into nothing.

"No you don't!" Peter raised his voice a bit, "You went through something awful. You don't owe anyone anything!" If he hadn't been trying to force as much conviction in his voice as he could, he might've wavered at the look in Percy's eyes when he turned towards Peter.

He briefly heard Percy clench his jaw and had the flitting thought of 'a dentist would freak out if they heard that,' but he was already lost. Percy's eyes were as deep as the deepest part of the ocean, as deep as the Mariana Trench, and for that fleeting moment he saw just how haunted they were. Then it was as if the shutters were drawn and he could only see the depth, not the hurt.

He had to say something. Peter had to say something to the closed off, damaged boy in front of him. Had to reassure him in some way. Peter opened his mouth to speak and "Can I do a blood test on you?" Not That!

He'd rendered Percy Jackson speechless, something he never thought he'd do. Percy gaped and the ever unhelpful part of Peter's head that just wouldn't shut up supplied, 'he looks like a fish when he does that'.

Pete was leaning back now in panic, "I'm so sorry that's not what I meant to say I'msosorry!" and froze when Percy huffed what might've been a laugh.

Percy glanced at the boy who was trying to eat his words and was then shaking his head as he looked away and started to tremble with- was he laughing? Peter could only stare as the other boy quivered with laughter, "What the fuck Pete?" he said and continued to laugh.

If not for Percy's bedside clock, Peter would've been certain that he waited 20 minutes for Percy to stop laughing and look at Pete. It was actually closer to five minutes. After the ice was broken, Peter found himself telling Percy everything he'd felt for the past few days, except obviously, anything having to do with Spider-Man. Percy was as good a listener as he could be, he didn't speak until Peter was done, but he couldn't stop himself from fidgeting with anything in reach; his shirt hem, the comforter, the hem on Peter's pajama bottoms, a ballpoint pen. Peter didn't mind though, Percy hung onto every word.

Afterwards, Percy took a deep breath before speaking, "Given your reasoning, okay, yes, I'll allow you to do a blood test, but only if you destroy my blood sample afterwards," Peter nodded aptly and Percy continued, gentler this time, "Does this autopilot thing you described happen often? I, I can't say much because obviously my experience with ADHD is different than what you've been through, but Peter, it sounds like dissociation. I've.. experienced it before. It's not fun. It, umm. I'm not the best person to talk about with this," Percy's face had screwed into an expression of concern not unlike the one he wore at dinner. He was chewing at the inside of his cheek, probably trying to figure out what else to say.

"Maybe," Peter heard himself say, it was quiet but held a weight of' 'let's not talk about this right now,' and thankfully Percy was nodding in understanding.

The conversation didn't continue on too long after that. The weight of the past few days was starting to catch up to Pete. Close to 4am Pete was finally pulling the window open to go back to his own apartment,

"I missed you," Percy was sitting on his bed still and staring Peter directly in the face.

A soft smile curved onto Peter's lips, "I'm glad you're back," He was halfway out the window already. It was not an 'I miss you too'.

There was something unreadable on Percy's face. Maybe hurt or disappointment or something that Peter did not have the mental or emotional capacity to handle at the moment. He caved,

"I missed you too,"

He could've sworn he caught the hint of a smile on Percy's face.