Cure for a Nightmare - Slash

Cure for a Nightmare
A Luke/Percy one-shot

There was something to be said about having someone sleeping next to you. They could be a source of warmth in the middle of the night when the blankets had been kicked to the foot of the bed because you kind of had that habit. In the middle of the night, maybe it helped to just listen to the sound of their breath as they slept, a little reminder that you weren't alone in the dark. Maybe, in Luke's case, they were there to calm you down after a nightmare that gripped you tight and refused to let go.

Percy was always there when Luke shot upright, a cold, cruel voice echoing in his mind and gold eyes shining in the blackness around him. While Luke's chest heaved, lungs burning and heart racing, Percy's arms were wrapped around him, holding him close, soft whispers reminding the older demigod that it was over. Kronos was defeated long ago, the Titan dispersed into so many pieces that it would take an eternity for him to return; there was no way that Kronos could possibly be in the small New York apartment the two of them shared.

Still, Luke shivered, memories of a time when the Titan Lord had condemned him a prisoner in his own body running through his mind. There were things that could never be forgotten and having to watch everything happen while Kronos controlled him was one of them; having to watch as his friends were hurt, as Ethan fell from Olympus, Annabeth hurt by Luke's own hands – controlled by Kronos or not. Luke had done everything he could to avoid that fate, following any lead he had to find a way to keep Kronos from using him as a host. He'd never wanted to be Kronos' host.

Percy had thwarted him every time and, while Luke had always been impressed, had found himself admiring the son of Poseidon and the skills he learned over the years, a part of him had hated the younger demigod for forcing his hand. Percy had been the reason Luke had run out of options, had been forced to swim in the Styx to prepare his body for Kronos. Percy knew it, too. He'd apologized to Luke for it, over and over, after the son of Hermes had recovered from his injuries and saved from what had seemed to be inevitable death. That’s when Luke had kissed him to shut him up.

Only part of Luke had hated Percy for what happened; the rest of him had fallen in love with the son of Poseidon long ago. It was because he'd fallen in love with Percy that he’d trusted the younger demigod when he'd offered Luke the knife that he'd given Annabeth so long ago; the blade cursed by a broken promise and the one thing that could have stopped him and Kronos. It was because he'd fallen in love with Percy that Luke had stubbornly refused to die, though it had taken a long time for him to recover. It was because he'd fallen in love with Percy that the two of them were here, after everything that had gone wrong and had been steered back in the right direction.

As his heartbeat finally slowed to normal and his breath steadied, Luke laid back in bed, pulling Percy over him with a kiss to the younger demigod's temple. He curled his arms around Percy, holding the son of Poseidon to him and just taking a long moment to be there, Percy warm in his arms, the younger demigod's breath lulling Luke in a calmer state.

There was something to be said about having Percy there in bed with him. Awake or asleep, the son of Poseidon was a comfort to him, in every way, when the nightmares of Kronos came to haunt Luke's dreams.