Chapter Text
It's been two and a half weeks since Leo died last
Jason is positive he's not handling it well. He's never handled any of them well, but the fact that he heard Leo die this time makes it different
Every other death there had been no sign of the other, just Piper and whatever bullshit they have gotten themselves into. But the last time, standing at the exit of the Sphinx's maze listening to Leo get crushed to death just out of his sight line had been horrible . Piper had had to hold him back from running in after him
So Jason taking off right after he had his sob fest might have been an asshole move to Piper on his part, but he couldn't stay there. They are getting closer, he can feel it. The spacing of the deaths is getting shorter, and that little window where they are both alive at the same time allows them to get closer to each other each time. Jason can feel that they are in the last push, that it's any day now and he might actually see Leo
Can he handle that, he doesn't know. It doesn't matter anyway, he's still going to keep trying
Currently, Jason is trying to reverse tree the other man. Zuse has turned so many people into plants that Jason is pretty sure it can be done in reverse. He spent over a week in research and flying about, finding the original trees people have been turned into and taking cuttings. He's hoping that he can draw energy from them and have Leo detreed back to life somehow
He's made a home base at the Baucis and Philemon shrine to his father. The place is set in a lovely grove of Oak and Linden, with the two lovers' trees twinned together behind the temple. The temple is guarded by what feels like half a million Canadian Geese, and Jason once again hates that he speaks bird
Like there's nothing wrong with birds per se, but they are loud, and opinionated, and rude. And also most of what they talk about is food and fucking, at great length and volume, which is not the most fun to listen too
Jason is down in the wildflower patch under the temple, a big clearing made by a long-ago flood. He's carefully flatted down the Jewelweed and Forget-me-nots like that one documentary on crop circles he watched with Will forever ago, bending the plants but not breaking the stems, it's a holy site after all
Around him are the cuttings of the people plants he's been arranging into piles. Hyathsenth, Fig, Apple, Myrtle, Olive, Fir, Weeping Myrrh, Cypress, Walnut, Laurel, Popular, and of course Oak and Linden
“Godling, that bad place for nest,” a goose says as it toddles up to Jason through the wildflowers “Gramcracker can show you water if you need. Gramcracker built good nest with Cheerio by water, hatch many eggs”
“It's not a nest,” Jason tells the waterfowl
“Look like nest” Gramcracker observes, tilting his head “Sticks in circle. Not good nest, need better structure, try layering sticks not in piles”
“It's not a nest,” Jason explains “I'm trying to bring someone back”
“Back from where?”
“The dead”
“That fool errand”
“I've done it before” Jason sighs “I just gotta try something new this time”
“Ah” the goose nods “Lucky mate then”
“He's not my mate”
“Don’t, understand “ Gramcracker questions “Why build nest if not for mate?”
“It's not about him being my mate,” he sighs again “He can go have a life with someone else if he wants to, I just want him by my side”
“As mate?”
“Yeah,” Jason looks over at the goose “But he doesn’t have to be if he doesn’t want to”
“Make no sense then,” Gramcracker questions “Why build nest not for mate, no do dance yet?”
“Yeah, we haven't done a dance yet,” Jason snorts out a chuckle “But I'm making this so maybe he can come back and we can do the dance”
“Nest first then dance smart move,” the goose complements, sitting down next to him and tucking his little bird legs away “Did same with Cheerio worked very well”
“Are you happy with your Cheerio?” Jason asks him
“Very much!” Gramcracker flufflels himself out in contentedness “She's good mate, we hatch many eggs”
The goose sits with Jason as he works, simply watching his apparently atrocious nest-building
“Why this one as mate” Gramcracker eventually asks “Many other birds on lake, less crazy godling work”
“Because he's, everything at this point,” Jason says back “We have been doing this for so long, I don't think I can stop now”
“Sunk fowllacy”
“It's not just that, it's that he does it back. We haven't known each other for so long , but every time I go he calls me back again. He doesn't have to, but he does. It makes me want to do the same in return”
“Because love him?”
“Yeah” Jason smiles to himself “Because I love him”
“how long since been with mate”
“Three years”
“Three years ” Gramcracker squawks “That too long”
“You don't get it, you're just a bird” Jason twirls the cutting of Apple in his fingers “I heard him the last time, in the maze as it collapsed. He was there ”
“Gramcracker may be just bird,” the waterfowl ruffles himself in discontent at his answer “But Gramcracker know how to be good mate. If mate is in there you go to them”
“This is me going to him,” Jason tells the bird “If my ‘nest’ works I'll be closer this time. This time maybe I can actually see him”
“All this just to see ?!“
“We get closer each time,” Jason says, looking down at an intertwined twig of Oak and Linden “And the deaths are getting sooner. If we keep at it we might make it”
Gramcracker gives a contemplative honk “Strange curse on your mate godling”
“Yeah” Jason checks his notes again “but we'll break it eventually, we have to”
“Here idea,” the goose tells him ”Gramcracker know where good berries are, good roots. When break curse, come to Gramcracker. You two hatch many eggs then”
“Thank you friend,” Jason says laying out the last of the twigs “I might take you up on that”