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sincerelyhecate · 8 months

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you (hit me with a broom and) set my heart ablaze

Title: you (hit me with a broom and) set my heart ablaze (chapter 6)

Pairing: Jason Grace/Percy Jackson

Length: 11k words

You can also read this on AO3.

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Jason was just as surprised as Percy when he felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He hastily wiped them away, but they were relentless in their flow; a trickle that quickly turned into a cascade. He couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out why his body thought it was a good time to cry then, even as his throat tightened with palpable sadness.

The second thing he felt as he walked away was shame. Shame that he’d thought he had the right to dictate what Percy should or shouldn’t do. Shame for thinking Percy’s decisions hinged on his feelings. Shame that he’d let his tongue slip and confessed he fancied him at the worst of timings.

But he kept on walking, even when an apology had formed on the tip of his tongue. Even when he knew the right thing to do was to turn around and take his words back, to at least try to reverse the damage his stupid mouth had caused. Instead, he just let his legs carry him deep into the castle aimlessly, without any destination in mind, just so he could take his mind off things. Off Percy.

Thankfully, Percy didn’t try to give chase. He's probably still reeling from shock at Jason’s audacity to tell him off for skiving. It was a bit of a relief at least, because he’d rather the boy not see how pathetic of an expression his face was making.

What’s even the point of crying? Why was he so prone to crying when it came to Percy? When did it even start?

He’d cried more during this term than during the entirety of his school career after Thalia graduated. It was so unbefitting of him, who was supposed to be the ever calm and collected Jason Grace. A Prefect and one of top students in his year. Someone who’d always faced any adversity or tribulation coming his way with a straight, determined face—never to easily lose his balance in the air or his footing on the ground.

But he’d cried from worry when he slammed into Percy. He’d cried from uncertainty when he came out for the first time. He’d cried from sadness when Percy decided to quit Quidditch. And now he was crying from loss that he’d never see that beautiful form riding a broomstick—so headstrong and unfettered against the wind—ever again, and from shame because he’d thought he, of all people, had a say in it.

He’d never felt the way he did after knowing Percy. After becoming his friend. After falling for him. Like Percy had unlocked something in him that was hidden and sealed away ever since he was a child; something that pushed him to do the improbable: succumbing to his emotions just because he wanted something so badly.

He’s ruining this friendship faster than he could savour it to the fullest. That elated and warm feeling of just imagining being Percy’s other half had never felt so distant. And now Percy would certainly loathe to see him after the rubbish he’d spouted, as if the boy wasn’t his own person—capable of thinking what’s good for himself without Jason’s unhelpful input.

He walked briskly through corridors and hallways, past classrooms and courtyards, his head ducked down so that people and ghosts alike wouldn’t see his awful tear-streaked face. At the very least, his pride had maintained that he had a reputation to uphold. What would people think of him when they see the little brother of the infamous Thalia Grace, hexer extraordinaire, walking around with red-rimmed eyes and a runny nose?

Of course, as soon as he thought of that—and of the fact that he should stop by a bathroom and fix himself to a more presentable appearance—he bumped right into someone in his haste.

“Watch where you’re going—Jason?” Nico’s voice went from irritated to surprised in less than a second. The boy immediately frowned when he saw Jason’s face; an easy feat for him since he’s much shorter and only had to glance upwards to meet his gaze. “What happened?”

Reyna appeared next to the Hufflepuff, peering at him intently. Her questioning tone was devoid of judgement—only of concern and curiosity—as she pointed out the obvious, “Wait, are you crying?”

“Jason, I was just looking for you—” Annabeth was saying to him before her words stuttered to a halt. Then, like she’d instantly known and was rightfully pissed, she growled, “Percy. ”

“What—no! Nothing’s happened, I think some dust got into my eyes—” he tried to protest weakly, giving them a shaky grin that would’ve fooled no one at all. Before he could finish, Nico grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room the three of them had just exited, with the girls following suit.

Great. Three of the last people he wanted to see right at the moment, at his most vulnerable and weakest. Everything’s just going so well for him.

***

And now they were back to square one.

Percy wanted to hit something. Or someone. Mainly himself.

He was rooted to the spot as he watched Jason’s retreating back getting smaller by the second, tongue helplessly tied, body torn between chasing after him or going straight to the pitch for practice. After 5 solid minutes, when it became useless to do the former anyway, he opted for the latter, his steps excruciatingly slow as if his ankles were chained down by his own heavy heart.

His mind was still buzzing incomprehensibly, unable to wrap itself around Jason’s last words to him before the boy took flight. And when it finally hit him, he’d never felt more dreadful.

Jason had said he fancied him. It would’ve been a dream come true, if he hadn’t worn an expression Percy had never wanted to see on his face. Like fancying him was a sad, disappointing thing.

He’d always dreamt of Jason confessing first, even when it sounded all but impossible, and it was never in his wildest imagination that it’d come true. It was supposed to send him off to cloud nine and over the moon. In the most ideal scenario, he’d have managed to say it back, leading to them appropriately kissing and becoming lovers. The way it'd always have played in his head.

Reality was not as pleasant.

Percy stormed into the Changing Rooms afterwards, changed into his Quidditch robes before riding his broomstick for some quick, reckless laps around the pitch to vent his frustration out. Nobody else commented on his tardiness, having seen how menacing his expression had looked and probably decided it wouldn't be worth it. Nakamura took one glance at him and thought he’d rather live another day, leaving him to his own devices as the rest of them focused on their various training routines.

He could’ve had Jason cheering for him then. If only he hadn’t the most ingenious idea to invite that Quidditch maniac to do something he’d totally disapprove of. Maybe he could’ve enjoyed how Jason would be sitting on the edge of his seat at the sidelines, spurring him on with that pretty smile.

The pang of that loss was unmistakable, as he glanced at the stands to find it empty of any spectators.

He didn’t see Jason afterwards, nor the next day, nor the day after the next. He’d arrived at the Great Hall for meals and didn’t see as much as a glimpse of that blond hair and tall stature anywhere. He’d passed through the hallways and didn’t see the boy’s figure walking down with that usual air of steadiness. He’d even looked into the classroom Jason would frequent with his friends, only to find no one at all.

He’s quite sure Jason was avoiding him. And it was killing him.

He should be getting mad. Merely skiving off practice shouldn’t have warranted this negative of a reaction, should it? Did Jason feel like there's nothing in it for them to be friends anymore, with Quidditch out of the picture now? His gut feeling reassured him how impossible the idea was—the boy was too considerate and loyal to cut off someone just for that.

Call him being helplessly, foolishly in love, but rather than being mad towards Jason, he missed the boy’s heavenly presence by his side more than ever. Oh, how torturous it’d felt to not see Jason’s genial smile at least once a day, that even his mum’s blue cookies had failed to appease the dread stubbornly clogging the inner cavity of his chest.

Relief eventually came, in the form of Leo and Piper.

He’d thought they'd be mad at him for whatever he did that upset Jason—after all, they were Jason's best friends and would've surely taken his side—but they’d only come to offer him with a pat on his shoulder (from Leo) and on his head (from Piper).

“Don’t worry, mate. Jason just needs some time to sort his head out,” Leo had said sheepishly.

“He’s being daft on purpose. He’ll get around eventually,” Piper had said nonchalantly.

That sorted out a bit of the jumbled mess his emotions had become, somewhat.

The negative reaction he’d received so far was surprisingly from Annabeth. She glared daggers at him all the while he was with her, but when he finally snapped at her to spill whatever her problem was, she only said, “One day, your kelp-filled head will lead to your downfall, and I won’t be there to pull you out of whichever hell pit you fell into.”

The January air was frigid and they were by themselves at the greenhouse tending to a green monstrosity—whose name escaped him—for a Herbology project they were working on as a pair. He didn’t have the energy, nor the patience, to decipher her cryptic, pretentious bullshit right at that moment. “What the hell are you talking about, Chase?”

“You dragged Jason to break into the Astronomy Tower together just to do your homework, Percy! That was one of the stupidest things you ever did, and you've done plenty already!”

Well shit. It was only a matter of time, but he’d rather she found out in a different circumstance, not this one in which he’s not on speaking terms with Jason. Rather than being scared of what she’d do to him—nothing she did could ever faze him at that point—he’s terrified of the consequence awaiting Jason as his bona fide accomplice (which was honestly just by being his company for the night).

“How did you even know that? Did Jason tell you?”

“He did, but I had a vague idea of what’s going on before Will and I had to grill it out of him. His mouth was sealed shut before I threatened to use Veritaserum on him, because he didn’t want to get you in trouble.” She let out a particularly heavy sigh. “Honestly, Percy, I didn’t have to be a genius to figure it out. Prefects are supposed to report back to the Head Girl and Boy after they’re done with their patrols. He mysteriously failed to show up that night, and you conveniently had your homework done the next day. Of course I had to investigate!”

She truly didn’t need to. “He’s… not in trouble, is he?”

“What do you think? He’s one of the Prefects personally handpicked by the Headmistress, Percy. McGonagall would’ve dismissed him right there and then if she knew about it, and you know how strict she could be!”

Percy felt bile creeping up his throat. He’d rather have a T for his essay if it meant he wouldn’t be inconveniencing Jason like this.

"Annabeth, please. Just give me double the punishment, or take 100 points from Slytherin, or just—anything! I was the one at fault—wait, does McGonagall know?”

“No, and you owe me so much for this, Seaweed Brain. I’ve discussed it with Will—and frankly, I think this is totally corrupt and I loathe doing this so much—but we’ve decided to sweep it under the rug because it’s Jason’s first misdemeanour, and his disciplinary record had always been spotless otherwise. I know it’s your stupid arse who got him into this mess, so I did it out of my goodwill and complete embarrassment as your closest friend—”

Her words were cut short when he hugged her.

“Get off me! Do you want to die?” She gesticulated at the green thing lying innocently in a pot. “This thing could kill us if we mishandle it!”

“Thank you so, so much, Annabeth. We may not be buried together when we die, but you’ll always be my Wise Girl.”

“Oh, shut up,” she snapped, but there wasn’t much heat in her words now. He knew she’s secretly pleased at the fond nickname he’d used. “I’m still mad at you. And you’d still be getting detention.”

“Noted. I'll get my mum to make an extra batch of sweets just for you. You love her lemon Sugar Quills, right?”

“Have you ever considered not to be so quick to trouble another person after you’ve already troubled one?” she glowered at him, but it didn’t look as fierce when she was bundled up against the cold like a cocoon. “And you better watch your back. Nico and Reyna are livid because you made Jason cry.”

She paused. “It’s actually surprising to see, considering how mild-natured he usually is.”

His heart, which had inched back upwards to his chest at the sheer relief that Jason wouldn’t have to face the worst consequence, plummeted to his stomach again instantly. Not at how two of the most fearsome people he’d ever met were looking to get his head, but rather at how Jason had actually cried because of him.

He felt a flash of anger towards himself when he remembered Jason’s dismayed expression before the boy had left him. He’d only managed to catch a glimpse—so brief it’s almost like he'd been imagining it—but Jason had definitely shed some tears as he turned away. A sight Percy had never wanted to see, and had never wanted to be the cause of it. It must’ve been bad enough if he now had two targets on his back.

“I’m giving you a chance to fix this, because I did say I’d be your wingwoman or whatever, so both of you will be doing detention together this evening. He still needs to be punished even if we decided to pretend he didn’t break any rules. If a staff member asks, we'll just play it off as him chaperoning you.”

Percy wasn’t going to let this window of opportunity shut right in front of him, even if he really thought Annabeth should've just let Jason go. With it at least, he could finally confront him. “Fantastic! Thanks, Wise Girl.”

“Never in my life have I expected to hear someone thanking me for detention, but here I am,” she deadpanned, before her tone softened. She levelled him with an empathetic gaze that indicated she’d all but let go of her annoyance at him. “He’d looked so confused and sad, Percy. I know you wouldn’t be so senseless to hurt him just because, but you really need to figure things out with him, and spare both of yourselves more unnecessary pain.”

“Alright,” Percy replied with pursed lips, hoping he’d be able to do it when he’d inevitably meet Jason later. His heartbeat picked up at the thought.

Despite her initial less-than-favourable reaction, he realised that his best friend had come through yet again to provide him with a solution. As they continued tending to their task carefully, he nudged her side fondly, his heart bursting with affection. “And just to clear it up, you were lying. You’d jump right after me if I ever found myself falling into a hell pit, and we’d work our way out together. Right?”

She didn’t entertain him with a reply then, but her silence said enough for both of them.

Annabeth and Will had arranged for them to polish every accolade awarded to generations of students in the trophy room the Muggle way. A classic form of punishment, since it's pretty much the detention of choice the school would usually impose on any misbehaving students. Rows upon rows of trophies, plaques, and medals were neatly arranged in crystal cases lining the walls of the room, and both of them were expected to wipe the golds, silvers, bronzes and occasional crystals until they shone in their original lustre.

Percy thought he’d arrive first, having only eaten a light dinner before going to the room, his appetite somewhat subdued by his nervousness. The door was unlocked as always—seriously, did nobody think of the risk of theft?—and when he pushed past it, Jason was already there, slightly bowed down in his seat as he dutifully wiped a medallion shiny with a ragged cleaning cloth. A pile of gleaming silver had already amassed on the table beside him, suggesting that he’d done quite a bit by the time Percy got there.

The boy only looked up slightly when he heard the creaking of the door, before doing a double-take and instantly stiffening when he registered Percy’s presence. It was unfairly endearing how his hand still continued wiping automatically, even as the rest of his body did its best to impersonate a statue.

Percy tried his hardest to maintain eye contact with those electrifying blue eyes, which had widened in surprise at the sight of him. His heart hammered against his ribs in his agitation, because finally—he’s able to see the object of his affections again after three long, torturous days. And he wouldn’t be letting him go before the night ended, not before solving whatever had happened between them.

He slowly inched towards Jason, as if the boy was a cornered animal about to flee at the slightest hint of provocation.

“Hi.”

The spell seemed to have been broken when Jason hastily looked away, his lashes fanning his cheeks as he blinked rapidly to school his shocked features. His lips were drawn into a tight line, and his jaw was set sharply against his pretty visage, as if he’s putting his guard up. After all the work Percy had done to make Jason comfortable with him, his heart ached at the sight.

“Hello, Percy. Will told me you’ve been given detention somewhere else.”

“Oh.” The Head Boy must’ve lied to him. “Well, guess you’re stuck with me.”

Jason gave no response as he gingerly placed a well-wiped medallion in the pile before he retrieved another, eyes stubbornly casted to the side. Percy took that chance to finally speak his mind.

“I don’t know what I did to make you hate me, but I’m sorry.”

Jason whipped his face back up to look at him, aghast as if he’s offended on Percy’s behalf.

“Percy—” he blurted, head shaking slightly in his rush to clear things up. “You’ve done nothing wrong! I’m the one who's supposed to be sorry.”

His voice dwindled to a forlorn whisper as he continued, “And there’s nothing you can do that’ll make me hate you.”

Percy summoned a chair lying nearby and set it next to Jason, mindful to keep a little bit of distance between them. It’d felt unpleasantly strange—since he’d always taken the opportunity to close the gap whenever they’re together—but he didn’t want to scare Jason away. He kept his voice steady, even when all he wanted was to burst out in frustration. “Then why have you been avoiding me, mate? You've pretty much vanished from my life after I invited you to skive off practice.”

Jason winced at his words, guilt written all over his face. It took him a while to reply to Percy.

“I just… needed some space. To sort my head out. To think back to myself and reflect, after I’ve said all those awful things to you. I’m sorry.”

Percy tasted copper in his mouth. His mind flashed back to Jason’s grim expression when he’d confessed. Did Jason actually think it’s a bad thing to like someone? To like him ? He couldn’t help the bitterness in his voice as he demanded, “What awful things? Like when you said you fancy me?”

Once again, Jason whipped his neck so quickly to stare at Percy in abject horror, his cheeks and ears flushed pink.

“N-No! Not that one—” he squeaked midway, embarrassed. Percy looked on, mystified, as Jason buried his face in his hands, visibly frustrated with himself. His usually immaculate hair had somehow stuck out all over the place, as if static electricity had just run through his body.

“The awful things,” Jason clarified in a tiny voice against his palms, Percy could barely hear him, “like when I told you off for skiving, and demanded things from you I don’t have any right to.”

He was quiet for a while after, posture bent forward as he hid his face, and Percy patiently waited for him to elaborate. When the boy didn’t, he concluded that their conversation wouldn’t be going anywhere if he didn’t actively lead the way.

"Jason, I won't be leaving until you tell me what's exactly going on."

A beat. Then, a muffled, "Annabeth would make you."

"Then—I'll cast a Permanent Sticking Charm on both of us together. See if she can separate us after that."

"She probably can."

Oh, that does it.

He was curiously met with almost no resistance as he carefully pried Jason’s fingers off his face, nearly jolting away at the way his skin seemed to be discharging electricity—was he so emotionally fraught, his magic had gone haywire?—before ducking down to meet his eyes. They were peeking at him nervously, while his lips contorted miserably as if he’d tried so hard to release those unsaid words in him, but to no avail.

Up until a moment ago, Percy would’ve never thought to associate his initial image of Jason Grace to the real one before him now. To him, Jason had always been the epitome of stoicism and self-composure, easily commanding everyone’s attention with his effortless charisma whenever he appeared in the vicinity. The Golden Boy of Gryffindor.

This one, trying to make himself smaller in his distress, hardly fit the previous title. Percy couldn't even bear to take a moment and consider if it’s his fault, because he didn’t know if he could ever forgive himself if it was.

He wanted so badly to wrap his arms around Jason to calm him down, even though that gesture probably would’ve had the opposite effect. The boy was clearly fighting a crisis within himself, and it pained him to know he couldn’t help much. He gently massaged Jason’s digits instead, trying to coax him into relaxation.

“Please, Jason? I won’t be mad, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

His soft, almost desperate tone must’ve pierced through the walls Jason had erected by quite a margin, because the boy wistfully replied, “I’m not worried about that. I’m just worried if… you won't be friends with me after this.”

“Says the bloke who avoided me for days. In case you still haven’t realised: there’s nothing in this world that can’t stop me from being your friend. You’re stuck with me for life, mate.”

Jason closed his eyes and took a deep breath, weighing the options in his mind that could’ve only been singular in nature. He’d either have to tell Percy or Percy would make him anyway. It’s just a matter of when.

As he continued his ministration on Jason’s fingers, Percy belatedly realised the boy was shaking.

“Please? ”

“... Alright. But you must promise me you’d stay, even after I say all this stuff that’d likely chase you away.”

“I just said I won't be leaving you, Jason. And I'm a man of my word.”

“... We’ll see,” Jason muttered, sounding uncharacteristically unsure of himself. He paused for another long while, and Percy was about to speak again when he asked in a very quiet, unknowable voice: “Do you know how you look when you win a game?”

Percy took a wild guess, and somehow felt the need to try and relate it with why Jason would run away from him. “Insufferable?”

“No, Percy.” Jason sucked in another deep breath through his mouth. “If you were, why would I… do that after you’ve won?”

“Do what? Wait—Oh!” He’s talking about the peck he’d given to Percy’s nose. Ignoring the lurch in his heart, Percy took another guess, trying to relate it to his last one. “... To make me look less insufferable?”

“Merlin, Percy, the only time you’re being insufferable is right now.”

“Okay, okay!” He couldn’t help it, but a grin was already breaking across his face. They’re slowly getting back to their previous rhythm of easy conversation and light bantering, and all he needed now was for Jason to smile at him again. “Fine. How do I look when I win?”

Please don’t say 'ugly', a small part of his brain hoped.

Jason lifted his head and straightened his back, as if he’s gathering all the courage within every particle of himself to finally speak his mind. His eyebrows furrowed as he levelled an intense stare at Percy, and his jaw was set in a way so sharp Percy was sure it’d be able to cut through glass. His blue eyes were unwavering, reminiscent of the way he’d gazed at Percy right before he clashed into him for the Snitch, in the very first match of the season.

Even right then—as Jason put on a show of admirable bravery befitting a Gryffindor, yet in a way so endearingly precious too—he still held onto Percy’s fingers that were stroking his own, like Percy’s hands were his lifeline.

“Beautiful.”

His voice was so small Percy wasn’t sure if he'd heard him correctly the first time. His confusion must’ve shown on his face because Jason reiterated more firmly, raising his volume a little higher: “You look beautiful when you win, Percy.”

Oh. “Oh.”

Jason, who’s finally able to voice out the thoughts he must’ve held back for quite a while, began in earnest, “I… don’t know if I could ever do justice in describing how you looked as just ‘beautiful’, but it’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen. When you won against me, you quite literally took my breath away.”

“... Ah.”

“A-And I’d decided that’s the sight I’ve been yearning for the most, and I wanted to see it again and again, finally learning how victory looked so lovely on you. The way your eyes light up your entire face, your smile so uncaringly free and bright, your triumphant laughter, your windswept hair…”

Jason’s voice wavered as he looked at Percy’s blank expression (he didn’t know how hard Percy was trying to process everything in his head). His already pink tinted cheeks flushed to bright crimson.

Percy just tightened his grip encouragingly, and that’s all Jason needed to continue: “That’s why I kissed you then. I’m sorry, I couldn’t contain myself enough. I was already looking forward to more of it, more of your winning expressions, knowing you’d blaze a trail of victory through all of your matches going forward. And I wanted to be there, right next to you as you do it. Which was why… I was so heartbroken when you said you’re quitting so soon.”

Percy gulped. He could gradually see the whole picture bit by bit.

“I couldn’t bear the thought that I’d never get to see that face again. I’ve seen you smile a lot, but none of those smiles could even compare. Ugh, I don’t know how to explain it without feeling like a complete oaf,” Jason groaned, frustrated, as he looked upwards to the ceiling. His voice thickened. “And I’ve been so selfish about it too! I saw how you’d moved on so quickly after that win, thinking of skipping practice and not caring for your upcoming games, so I stupidly thought I was entitled enough to call you out and demanded you to give me at least one more chance to see that look on you again. For that, I truly apologise, Percy.”

All semblance of Jason’s previous bravado finally crumbled as he poured his heart out for Percy, and it stupidly took him a while to finish comprehending every single word Jason had uttered. He couldn’t take his gaze off the boy in the meantime, transfixed at the way he looked when he spoke of all of those bizarre, wonderful things about Percy. Fascinated at the way his face slowly slipped off its mask to reveal an entirely vulnerable teenage boy underneath, just desperately holding onto something he’d found happiness in.

And Percy had snatched it away all too quickly.

It still took him a while for his brain to wrap around Jason’s (admittedly very bold) confession, so he could only stare at the boy in astonishment for a few long seconds after he was finished.

"Percy, please say something before I jump out the window."

And as it finally dawned on him that Jason had felt so strongly about him, Percy found himself on cloud nine, his heart soaring over the moon.

Jason fancied him. Jason thought of him as beautiful. Jason cared for him enough that he'd been sulking.

“Jason… you’re not selfish for wanting that. There’s no need for you to apologise at all.”

As he found his voice again, his heart doubled in size. He knew there was a stupid grin on his face by now, but he didn't care. After all, Jason had been upset with him because he liked him so much. The notion was so intoxicating in its blissfulness, it was a little dizzying.

“But—”

He placed a finger on Jason’s lips to cut his protests off.

“How was it selfish, when you’re only looking out for me? I’m actually grateful that you cared enough to call me out. I might be a stubborn arse, with an inflated ego to boot, but I would’ve eventually listened if you’d stayed. I would've gone to training right after if you’d just said the word. If I'd known then—how important it was to you—I would've done my best.”

"... Oh." Jason was truly looking at him now. "Honestly, Percy, rather than it just being about you quitting, it's more about me feeling like I was overstepping your boundaries."

"You're not! I'm used to being nagged at, mate. You're barely toeing past my nerves. Have you seen how Annabeth treats me every time I mess up?"

"She's your best friend. I hardly count—"

Really now? For all their physical intimacy, Jason could still be wondrously thick in the emotional department. "Merlin, we might as well be. I see you as mine, why don't you see me as yours?"

"I-I'd love to! But I’m scared I’m getting ahead of myself, and—"

"You're not. You know what? Let's just settle this in one go.” He made a show of clearing his throat. “I hereby declare: we are now best mates. Ta-da! Now you have nagging rights like Annabeth."

Jason gaped at him, lips trembling like he's trying to spin yet another counter-argument—just as stubborn an arse as Percy. But the corner of his lips were tugging upwards, which meant things were certainly looking up.

“Why are you making this so easy?”

“Because it's that easy, Jason. I’m a rather simple bloke.”

“... Then, why didn’t you just go after me? To clear things up?”

Percy let go of Jason’s hands to place his own on each of his shoulders. He massaged them gently, admiring how broad they were. “I was confused, and I didn’t want to make you more upset.”

Jason barked out a short sheepish laugh.

“I ran away because I didn’t want to trouble you further, and you stayed because you didn’t want to upset me further. How paradoxical of us,” he snorted, his head shaking at the incredulity of their situation. “We should’ve communicated better.”

Percy couldn’t help chuckling in reply. They made a rather silly pair, didn’t they? And—“ Finally, you’re smiling again. Phew. Three days.”

“Hm?”

“Three long days of not seeing your gorgeous smile, Jason.”

Jason rolled his eyes as he let out an exasperated sigh, but he was doing a shoddy job of hiding how pleased he was. His cheeks now flushed with a healthy rosy tint; an expression of contentment.

“Fuss over me more,” Percy requested earnestly. Their hands had sought each other’s again. “I don’t mind.”

In fact, do it to your heart’s content. Worry about me more. Care for me more. Like me more. Until I can fully, wholly belong in that special space in your heart, Jason, just like how you've found a permanent home in mine.

Jason was quiet afterwards, his gaze downcast. He appeared to be ruminating for a while, occasionally chewing on the scar on his upper lip in thought. Nodding slightly, he then looked at Percy through his lashes, a tiny smile perched on his lips.

“Okay. Then I won’t hold back.”

They exchanged sheepish grins, which signified things between them were mostly alright now. Percy was beyond relieved that they did, more or less, but…

… It couldn't hurt to finalise things in one go then, could it?

"And just to put it out there," he began again, his voice now shaky with barely restrained giddiness. It’s as good a time as any now, on a night they'd bare their hearts open to each other. Jason had his turn, and now it’s Percy’s, and he intended to go all the way. As he straightened his posture, Jason also did, sensing his seriousness and compelled to follow.

Percy declared, “Jason.”

A hesitant “Yes?”

Here goes.

"I—”

Oh, bollocks. His traitorous tongue actually twisted itself.

Again.

He licked his lips.

“I fancy you too!" he enunciated his words one by one as he confessed the feelings he'd been burying all this time, his voice lilting because he's just so damn happy, tapping on Jason's nose with a finger because he'd gone a little crazy, "AND. I've always been, ever since I was 12."

Jason blinked at him like he was an impossible existence sitting across him. Mystified, he slowly asked, "Since my first year in this school?"

Percy nodded with vigour, brimming with energy for no explicable reason. He’s actually doing it!

Before he knew it, his mouth went on an excited spiel as if his heart was a broken dam, gushing out all of its content within: "Actually, I've only just realised I like you—in more than a platonic way—after you’ve slammed into me. Like you've finally knocked some sense into my head.

"But I've been fancying you ever since your first day here, Jason. Ever since I first saw you sitting so adorably jittery on the stool for your Sorting. I clearly remember wishing so hard for you to be in Slytherin, because I wanted us to become friends so bad, even when the Hat shouted 'Gryffindor!' not even a second later.” Laughter spilled out of his lips. “You were just so lovely, I was smitten from the get-go."

‘Smitten’ wasn’t even an apt word to describe his feelings then, when he looked back in retrospect. It’s more like he fell in love at first sight.

"Oh, Percy,” Jason opened and closed his mouth a few times, head shaking as he tried finding his words. “I—was such a wuss back then, I don’t even know what you saw in me."

“Oi! Don’t you talk about my Jason like that. He got into Gryffindor for a reason! And he grew up to be quite the charming one too.”

“... ‘Your’ Jason?” Jason snorted in disbelief. “What, you’ve already staked a claim on me before we even became friends?"

Oh, he missed this sassiness too. “To be fair, it was all in my head. I was still too shy, back then.”

“Alright, alright. So…”

“We fancy each other.”

“Hm-hm.”

He didn’t even realise that they’ve long closed the gap between them as they talked. Their chairs were facing each other, and his knees were tangled with Jason’s. Their heads bowed down together, foreheads almost touching as they drank each other's delightful presence in.

He heaved in a deep breath. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. His heart had been steadily beating at a quicker pace than normal since entering the room, but now it's erratically hammering against his chest, as if demanding to be let out.

Soon, heart. You’d be let out soon.

“So. Jason." His voice felt the need to be formal for no reason. "My best mate. The bloke I like." The boy I love.

The barest hint of laughter, wispy like mist. Jason’s tone was indulgent when he replied, "Yes, Percy?"

Like he's offering his heart for Jason to do as he pleases, Percy asked, "Will you be my boyfriend?”

Nervous green eyes met with inscrutable blue ones, which steadily held the former’s gaze. The latter then searched Percy’s face, as if trying to find any crack betraying deceit, or perhaps to commit it to memory.

A few infuriatingly long seconds passed by.

Jason closed his eyes. Then, a wide, breathtaking smile bloomed on his face—the sweetest Percy had ever seen.

And, like he wanted to kill Percy, Jason tapped his forehead against his and breathed out a shuddery, “Okay."

His breath was minty. Percy wanted a taste.

"I’ll be your boyfriend, Percy,” Jason continued, solemn and sincere.

Percy’s heart tripled in size, threatening to burst, and he just couldn’t hold it in anymore. He gathered Jason’s entirety in his arms, burying his face on the crook of his neck, and held him tight in a desperate embrace. He’s so damn happy, his entire body was trembling. And when he thought Jason couldn’t make it any better, he returned the hug with the same kind of fierceness, wrapping his arms around Percy’s torso so snugly, so securely, his head resting against his.

“Thank you, Jason,” he breathed out, relishing in the warmth of Jason's shoulder, in the frantic thumping of the boy’s heart matching the pace of his own. He then dared himself to breathe in, and Jason's scent permeated through all of his senses. He smelled like clean sheets with a hint of petrichor, like the scent of freshly washed laundry hastily retrieved in the impending rain. Like a home Percy could take refuge in. Like safety.

“I like you so much.” I love you so much.

“I like you too, Percy. More than you could ever imagine.”

Almost six years of pining, one instance of a Quidditch injury, and they’re finally here in each other’s arms.

There’s only one thing left to do now. Something he’d wanted to do for a very long time.

He released Jason from his hug, his eyes seeking Jason's again in a tender gaze, unable to free himself from that bewitching shade of the cloudless midday sky. He cupped Jason’s cheek in his palm and stroked his soft skin, feeling so much love in his heart while hoping Jason wouldn’t notice his trembling.

“Can I kiss you?”

In reply, Jason leaned forward to close the distance between their faces. Percy caught his hooded eyes just before they met in the middle, and just like that, they were kissing.

This was the best day of Percy’s life.

It’s unbelievable how perfectly their lips slot together, like Jason was made for him to kiss. Percy kissed him as soft as he could, like he’s a dandelion liable to burst and scatter in a passing breeze. His lips brushed over Jason’s gently to coax him open, feeling over the teeny-tiny ridge that made up that beautiful scar. As their kiss deepened, he drank in the soft gasps and the littlest of moans spilling from Jason’s mouth like he was a thirsty man lost in the desert, taking delight in the plushness of his lips and the smoothness of his skin against his own.

Amidst all the feelings swirling in his head like shapeless cotton, his brain could only register this: Jason indeed tasted like mint.

"More," Percy growled as they broke off for a second, before diving back in.

He could feel Jason clutching at the front of his jumper with both hands, holding on for dear life. He realised that this was foreign territory for Jason, and despite him wanting it too, Percy knew how daunting it could be. His hands, holding Jason’s sides idly, crept up to hook themselves at the back of his neck, exerting pressure barely just. Trying to convey ease and comfort, a little reassurance of how well he's doing. He brushed his thumbs against Jason’s nape in soft repeating motions, in awe of the warmth it radiated, very sure of how red it’d turned.

After a while, he slowed down the pace of their kissing, biting Jason’s bottom lip with the barest hint of teeth, sucking it for a moment, before letting him take over the reins.

Jason took the opportunity gladly, angling his face in a way that his face hovered over Percy’s, letting go of the grip he had on Percy’s jumper before all but climbing into his lap, pouring so much wanting and desire into his mouth as Percy just leaned back and took it.

There was no tongue involved, even though Percy wanted so badly to sneak his own in and explore Jason’s sweet mouth. Sometimes their noses would bump awkwardly in Jason’s haste to feel him completely. It didn’t matter much, this slightly messy way of kissing, not when they’re both at the brink of their limits before they ventured into uncharted territory. And really, he'd never really kissed someone he loved before. Having that chance now, he wanted to do it right, and that meant not pushing Jason more than necessary.

But it seemed like Jason had other ideas.

Jason’s hand found itself cradling Percy’s jaw, staying there in a steady hold. He kissed him so slowly at first, content to graze his lips against Percy’s in perpetual, lazy motions. Then, like he’d been hungry for quite some time, their kissing turned ravenous as he incorporated teeth; nipping and dragging them against Percy’s lips, the corner of his mouth, the small part of his cheek.

“Percy—Mhm.” And he’d repeat Percy's name like it's a holy mantra; so needily, so reverently, alternating his minute pleas with desperate kisses until something stirred in Percy’s loins. In another feat of courage, Jason then let go of his reservations as he properly sat on Percy’s lap, arching his back as he encircled Percy’s neck with both arms.

Percy, as adrenaline-induced bravery rushed through his veins, clasped his hands together on the small of Jason’s back, pulling him in until their bodies melded into one.

Feeling Jason so close to him, in an embrace that was barely innocent, Percy became hyper-aware of just about everything: like the soft flutters of Jason’s lashes against his in the occasional butterfly kisses. The tip of his nose against his cheek. The swells and dips of his muscled torso through the layers of clothing separating their skins. The pleasant weight of his firm arse against his thighs, so dangerously close to his—

The door flew open as Will Solace entered.

“‘Scuse me, just checking up on you—Whoa!”

In the millisecond after they were walked upon, Jason’s body went rigid like a stone before he jumped off Percy, flying almost two feet in the air before landing painfully on his own chair. Despite the horrified shock on his face, Percy couldn’t help but feel proud at how thoroughly kissed he’d made him. His golden hair was delectably mussed, his lips were swollen red, and his skin basked in the afterglow.

Will slapped his hands together in a resounding clap, a knowing grin breaking across his face. “I see things are going very well then! Keep up the good work, boys.”

He then scurried out of the room quickly, slamming the door behind him.

Silence befell upon them for some time. Percy amusedly took note of Jason's hand immediately seeking his own in the meanwhile. He asked, “You okay?”

Jason looked at him, his lips pursed nervously as he seemingly processed what had just happened. Voice a little thin, he replied, “Yeah…”

Because Percy could never go long enough before spouting nonsense, he proposed, “Wanna continue where we left off?”

To that, Jason burst into soft, affectionate laughter. He turned his body to face Percy and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. “I’d very much love to, but we’re sadly in detention.”

“Damn it.”

With a resigned sigh, Percy then followed Jason’s example by starting his own share of the chore. Despite his happiness for the positive development of their relationship, being stuck in detention still spelled its own kind of annoyance, especially when all he wanted now was to get his lips and hands on Jason. But if he’s ever going to become a good boyfriend, he’s not about to inconvenience his boyfriend by leaving him to do menial, boring tasks alone.

He couldn’t wipe away the smile permanently fixed on his face even if he wanted to, as he conjured a handkerchief to serve as a cleaning cloth and stationed himself next to the nearest crystal case just so he could stay close to Jason. They worked in companionable silence, just content to bask in the presence of each other.

Jason is my boyfriend.

The thought felt a little surreal, even if it'd already manifested as an undeniable truth. He felt so warm all over, he thought he’d burst into flames at a moment’s notice. His heart steadily fluttered the more the thought solidified into the wonderful shape of the boy by his side, so real and true. He wanted to yell to the whole world that Jason was now his to love and cherish, that he’s allowed for this one beautiful thing because he’d been patient and good for so long.

Which begged the question…

“Jason?”

“Yeah?” His voice was still hoarse. Percy wanted to hear it right in his ear; begging, needy.

“Er, how do you think we should do this going forward? Would you be okay with going public, or would you rather keep things under wraps? I’d be fine with either, as long as you’re comfortable.”

He glanced at Jason to find his boyfriend fixing him with a gaze so fond, he had to resist the urge to jump him for another snog.

“I don’t think trying to keep us a secret matters much at this point, Percy. Half the school already thinks we’re dating anyway, no thanks to Leo.”

“Oh!” The way Jason said ‘us’ had Percy getting delirious in his happiness. “Right. So—”

“I’d be fine with dating you in public.” His blue eyes were glittering in the dim candlelight as he regarded Percy with a smile.

“Fantastic! Because I don’t think I can hold back the next time I see you.”

Jason bit his bottom lip in case more laughter came spilling out. “Please don’t hold back. I don’t think I can either.”

“But you just told me to," Percy reminded, petulant. "You said we’re in detention.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s take a break,” as if they didn’t spend at least 5 minutes snogging each other only moments before. He knew Jason was weak for it as much as he was.

Jason got off his chair and made his way to Percy before sitting on his lap like it was the most natural thing to do, slinging his arms around his shoulders like he’d done it a thousand times.

“Er. So… this is a thing now?" Percy asked, a little flustered. Was Jason doing it on purpose to rile him up? "You on my lap?”

“It’s pretty comfy. You don’t like it?” Jason asked back innocently, in a way that was meant to gauge if Percy’s fine with it.

He responded by wrapping his own arms around Jason’s waist possessively. “I love it! Feel free to make me your chair whenever you want.”

"I'm not going to treat you like a piece of furniture, Percy. I just feel like…" Jason trailed off in his shyness, before recovering quickly enough, "—like this is the closest I could be to you while sitting down."

His eyes then widened in realisation. As if it mattered at that point, he hastily reassured, "Not that I’d do it all the time! I'd only trouble you with lap-sitting when we're on our own."

Oh, but Percy would be fine with Jason doing it all the time, though? He’d gladly be Transfigured into Jason’s personal chair right there and then if Jason wanted so. But of course, baby steps. No encouraging extreme human Transfigurations just to please your newly-acquired boyfriend yet.

He tightened his hold, cheeks hurting from grinning so hard. "Do it whenever you like, Jason. So long as you'll let me use your lap to my heart's content too, of course."

They thus broke into giddy titters, oddly entertained by the silliness of their conversation.

Then, like he’s tracing the petals of a flower, Jason carefully tipped Percy’s chin upwards and pressed his mouth onto his. It was almost effortless for them to settle back into the familiar rhythm from when they first kissed, before the sudden crescendo of interruption when the Head Boy barged in.

God, he couldn’t stop marvelling at how Jason’s lips were so plush against his. A bit chapped, but overall very pleasant to the touch. He decided he could never get sick of this—the way his whole focus was redirected to and concentrated at that particular point of touch, unable to grasp anything else with his other senses. He loved it so much. He loved Jason so much.

Jason is my boyfriend! It looked like his brain wouldn’t be moving on from that thought any time soon.

“What if I tell you—this very moment of having you as my boyfriend? It feels way better than me winning against you in Quidditch,” he muttered against Jason’s slightly parted mouth.

“I'm glad if so,” Jason smiled as he leaned back, before fixing Percy with a critical gaze, as if trying to take in all of the sight before him, or perhaps to lose himself in it. He chewed on his scar again; a sign that he was deep in thought.

“What?” Percy asked when Jason intently peered at him a little too long, pale eyebrows knitted together in concentration. His question broke through Jason’s reverie, and his boyfriend chuckled a little as he reached up to brush Percy's bangs back.

“I’ve decided—I like this face better.”

“You didn't like my face before?”

“It’s not that, Percy,” Jason reassured him, his serious tone mellowing to a tender cadence. "I've always liked your face. You're always so devilishly handsome."

He continued carding his fingers through Percy's hair as he spoke. If Percy were a cat, he would've definitely been purring by then.

“But I meant to say I like this face—that you make after we’ve kissed— better than the one you made after you’ve won.” Jason planted a sweet kiss on his forehead, before laughing bitterly at himself. “Maybe this is the answer to my senseless anguish.”

“Hm? Then I promise to snog you every time we can, just so you’d get to enjoy how I look—after being thoroughly kissed by you,” he cooed, nudging his nose against Jason’s, “—all the time.”

The sweet ringing of Jason’s laughter was like firewhisky against his lips, fueling the flame that’d long engulfed his heart to burn its brightest yet.

Their original task was all but forgotten then, but they both couldn’t care less when it’s just so unimportant in the grander scheme of things. Right now, he had a boyfriend to kiss silly.

***

Jason woke up to the curious tingling sensation on his lips, in the wake of his first kiss.

He rose from his slumber and realised he’d been so tired last night, he’d forgotten to pull down the hangings of his four-poster before sleeping. Outside, the sun shyly peeked from behind the hills to welcome the arrival of dawn, casting its gentle rays to wash the room with a soft rosy glow. He stared out the window, captivated by the beauty of the morning, as his dormmates slowly roused from their sleep and milled about to prepare for the day.

It’s going to be a beautiful day for sure, and his heart sang in anticipation. Three days of self-rumination—amidst all the turmoil festering in his heart—had left him so exhausted, the shift of mood was very much welcomed. Coupled that with the good sleep he'd had last night, and now he felt like he could take on anything the day would be throwing his way.

He hadn't been sure at all how to face Percy in those three harrowing days. The more he’d thought about it, the more he’d believed the issue was a bit overblown on his part. What kind of bloke gets mad at someone for skiving before proceeding to avoid him for days? A very childish one, for sure.

Looking back in retrospect, the situation was actually salvageable had he played his cool and stood his ground. If his traitorous mouth hadn’t confessed and his treasonous eyes hadn’t shed any tears, he would’ve been able to laugh it off right after and drag Percy playfully to the pitch.

Alas, that hadn’t been the case. His shame had shifted to embarrassment and then to guilt before its final form of resignation, after much pondering. He'd been prepared if Percy wanted nothing to do with him anymore, after the poor behaviour he’d exhibited.

Oh, how wrong had he been on that part.

Yesterday had happened, and miraculously, not only had he managed to fix things with Percy, he'd gotten his first boyfriend out of it too. As trite as this would sound: it had been a magical experience. Maybe his sulking was a blessing in disguise—who knows how long they'd be dancing around their feelings for each other if they didn't sort things out together last night?

During one of their many snogging sessions (instead of polishing trophies like they'd been told to do) yesterday, he'd admitted to Percy how he'd become a little bit of a crier after knowing him. It was a sheepish attempt to brush it off as a newfound flaw of his character, so that Percy would know what to look out for—having him as a lover.

“Crying is not a flaw, Jason. It’s only human.”

He'd expected laughter at his expense, or perhaps a little bit of teasing, but he hadn’t been at all prepared for the rather sombre frown on Percy’s face, who even chastised himself, “Here I was, thinking so arrogantly that I was only capable of making you smile. Turns out I was the one who made you cry the most, huh?”

He’d almost protested, stomach clenching because of how unhappy Percy looked. It hadn’t been just because of his boyfriend per se, even if he was more or less the catalyst. He’d opted to reassure him instead, murmuring against his lips, “Well, maybe it’s because I care a little too much about you.”

“If you say so, Jason. But I’d rather you not cry because of me. I'd rather you snog me instead.” And they thus did, which—to Jason’s utter delight—quickly became one of his most favourite things to do with Percy.

The school term so far had witnessed quite a few moments of self-discovery for him.

They’d lost track of time as they immersed themselves to the warmth of each other’s body, giggling and making small talk against each other’s mouths, hands never really leaving their hold on the other’s skin. They’d snogged until Jason felt a little lightheaded like he had too much sugar from Butterbeer, until their mouths was all but swollen from uninhibited touching. Percy’s lips was almost blood red from being nipped too much, and Jason couldn’t help feeling a little proud of his handiwork.

It wasn’t until Annabeth had barged in on them—berating them to get to work before sitting at one corner of the room to monitor them like a hawk—did they continue doing their detention before returning to their respective dorms.

He’s pretty sure he’d seen a tiny smirk on the Head Girl's face as they filed out of the room, finally finished for the night. He’d wondered what it meant, and why Percy had discreetly winked at her in reply. He’d decided not to think too much about it then, as all his thoughts evaporated anyway when Percy gave him a good night kiss.

The first event of the morning was of him sitting next to Reyna at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, who’d beckoned him to join her before setting off for Transfiguration together. A peculiar thought about a chair somehow flitted through his mind for no reason.

“Good morning, Reyna!”

“Good morning, Jason."

“Lovely weather, isn't it?” His voice was a little tremulous in his good mood.

“It's freezing,” she humoured him evenly, her eyes piercing his in unreadable scrutiny as she sipped her black coffee. “Looks like you’ve finally stopped moping.”

Jason snorted, his mouth already forming a grin as he piled toasts and eggs haphazardly on his plate, his monstrous appetite returning with a vengeance after he’d managed to sort things out with Percy. “I wasn’t moping. It’s just been a rather stressful week! Sixth year has been pretty harsh so far, don’t you think? The Professors are already so ruthless, even though our N.E.W.T.s won’t be until next year.”

“They’re called ‘nastily exhausting’ for a reason, Jason. It’s a given that things would be rougher than they were pre-O.W.L.s,” she commented nonchalantly, rolling a piece of sausage around her almost empty plate. “But I know that’s not the actual reason you were moping.”

“Merlin, Reyna. I just said I wasn’t moping—”

Someone suddenly planted their entire face on the crown of Jason’s head, cutting his speech short. They then slung their arms over his shoulders as he felt them heaving in a deep breath.

“Mhm, you smell like peaches today. What kind of shampoo do you use?” a familiar muffled voice greeted amidst his hair.

“Percy?”

“G’morning, baby.”

He couldn't believe how fast he melted at the pet-name, the way his body drooped eliciting a chuckle from Percy.

“Good morning, Percy. Have you eaten your breakfast yet?” he replied, surprised at the tone of his own voice. Mellow and utterly lovesick.

Percy leaned in over his shoulder to meet his eyes, a sweet grin adorning his lips.

“Not yet. I need an appetiser first,” he quipped playfully, before tipping Jason’s chin and pecking him fully on the lips.

Even though he’d been thoroughly snogged last night, the tiny affectionate gesture still set his skin on fire. He dared not to look at the faces of the people around him—content to look straight in Percy’s pretty green eyes instead—in case their reactions would ruin the moment.

Were his lashes always this long?

He focused on the wonderful details that made his boyfriend’s gorgeous countenance—his lovely brown skin, the delicate curve of his Cupid’s bow, his nose as cute as a button—just to steel himself before the fact that they’re really doing this. Alright. He could do this. After all, Percy would be with him every step of the way.

He noticed Percy’s messy uncombed hair and reached up to pat down the stubborn waves with his free hand. It didn’t work—the curls pop right up like a spring. Percy’s hair still hadn’t dried completely, as if he’d gone straight to the Hall from the bathroom.

It felt impossibly domestic, as Percy preened under his touch with a lopsided grin. Jason wanted to spend all of his mornings like this from now on; fussing over his boyfriend and being rewarded with his adorable smile.

“It’s no use, I’ve been trying to tame my hair for years. I don’t expect you to be able to, either,” Percy explained easily, not quite sitting down as he propped a knee on the bench. A good call, in Jason’s opinion, since he could feel Reyna’s intense stare prickling at the back of his neck.

He couldn’t help chuckling fondly in reply, before nagging, “You look like you were just flying around on a broom. Do you need a comb?” and reached into his bag for one. Percy took it gratefully, but didn’t attempt to do anything.

“Say, Jason. Annabeth somehow managed to rope me into joining a study group with her at the library after dinner. Would you like to join us?” Percy asked him, before leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Maybe we can sneak off to a secluded section afterwards, and continue where we left off yesterday?”

He could’ve said he wouldn’t be of any help or contribution to the study group—the seventh-years would surely be dealing with syllabi more advanced than anything he’d learnt so far—but the opportunity for some time alone with Percy was too tempting to pass up. It was hard enough trying to hold back from touching him freely right now.

“I’d love to, Percy,” he agreed, unable to hide his enthusiasm at the invitation.

“Brilliant! It’s a date, then.” Percy winked at him before bidding him goodbye with a sneaky squeeze on his bicep, already removing himself from the bench to return to his own table.

His boyfriend didn’t make it very far when Reyna grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him towards her in a hard yank.

“Ow! Oh, hello there.”

Jason froze for a second, shocked by his friend's sudden, unsolicited manhandling of his boyfriend. As he realised what's going on, he then hissed hotly at her, “Reyna, what are you doing? Let him go!”

“Shush, Jason,” she brushed him off. She then levelled Percy with a fiery glare, her eyes even sharper when narrowed, her mouth pressed tight in a hard line.

“Hello, Jackson,” she returned Percy’s greeting coolly, her voice lowered just a tad. She was still twisting Percy’s wrist in an awkward angle. “Just a friendly word of advice: if I ever see Jason in tears again because of you, I will find you and kick your arse so hard, you won’t be able to sit properly for a week. I’m serious, Jackson. Cross the line again, and you won’t even know what’s coming until it hits you in your sodding face. So you better treat him right from now on, or else I will teach you how myself, and you don’t want to know how I’d do it.”

He could feel his ears burning from embarrassment. “Reyna, enough. You’re the one crossing the line!”

“It’s fine, Jason. She’s right.” Percy’s eyes were unreadable as he stared back at her easily, one corner of his lips lifting upwards in a challenging smirk. “I’ll take note of that. Don’t worry, Reyna—I’d be the first to kick my own arse if I ever hurt Jason again.”

Since when did his friends become so dramatic? Merlin, he’d make sure to never cry in front of anyone again after this.

“Good. Have a nice day,” she snapped as she let him go, returning to her own breakfast casually as if she hadn’t just threatened someone.

“You Gryffindors can be a little intense, huh?” Percy commented amiably, sending a tiny wave Jason’s way as he sauntered away. Even amidst his internal cringing, Jason still felt a spark of joy as he saw his boyfriend reaching up to try sorting his hair with his comb.

“What was that for?” he demanded Reyna. He couldn’t even look anywhere else, not keen to see the other Gryffindors’ reactions to the spectacle they’d made.

“Thalia made me promise to look out for you,” she replied, any trace of the previous hostility already gone from her voice. Of course. His sister just had to unnecessarily fuss over him despite her insistence to play the tough older sibling. “Sorry, Jason. I thought you’d be fine if I leave you be, because I know you’re tougher than most. But you were crying last time, so I had to warn him not to do it again.”

To preserve what was left of his dignity, he decided to forgo disclosing the fact that Percy didn’t make him cry. He did.

“But did you have to get so rough with him? He was rubbing his wrist as he left! Thanks for caring so much, but I’d appreciate it if you don’t overdo it. I’m not a baby,” he groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I really hope he won't have any second thoughts after this."

“He won't, if he truly likes you. And Jason, you would’ve done the same for any of your friends,” she reminded him airily, already grabbing her bag and swinging her legs over the bench. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”

He couldn’t even come up with a retort, because she’s right. Only that he'd be less physical and more verbal about it.

Sighing, he heeded her words and prepared to leave for his first class of the day. As he trailed closely after her, he glanced at the Slytherin table to see Percy merrily eating his own breakfast. His hair was tamed somewhat, and his gestures were endearingly animated as he engaged in a boisterous conversation with the Stoll twins, laughing along with whatever joke they made.

One of the twins—Travis?—nudged Percy before pointing Jason’s way. His boyfriend paused mid-laughter to glance at him, before smiling broadly and openly blowing him a kiss. His heart full of affection, Jason caught it easily with a pleased grin, before waving his boyfriend goodbye with the hand clutching the kiss as he exited the Hall.

Like a lovesick fool, he’s already missing him. He could feel the ghost of Percy’s lips as he brought up his clenched hand to his own, and he badly wanted to feel the warmth of his skin on his again.

Even though the day would probably be as lovely as he’d predicted, the long periods of classes wouldn’t surely be as much. Jason sighed at the thought. The evening couldn’t come soon enough.

#jercy #jasercy #jason grace #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #pjo #hoo #key writes #11k

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percyjacksonscookies · 4 months

Text

dude imma say it

the percy jackson tv show sucks so bad

and I have a lot of time to think at work when im not busy with my little tasks so imma rant about it

because my little brain likes to look for connections i guess

anyway

IT SUCKS SOOOOOO BAAAAAAD HOLY

S H I T

its a giant mix of things because of where we are in time

every major piece of media is a huge reflection of the times we live in so uh

it makes sense that this would suck too like every single other piece of media disney has released in the past decadeish (it comes down to taste so if u like a Disney thing, whatever)

but like?!?!

because of the times we live in where writers had to strike for better wages and a semblance of recognition (i dont know the terms exactly) it makes sense that they gave ol' Ricky boy a shot at screen writing cause they didn't really have to take a chance with a new writer. cause u know disney! wherever there are corners to be cut they will! gotta think of the poor ol' bottom line!!

BUT ALSO RICK RIORDAN'S QUALITY IN WRITING WENT DOWN S O HARD AFTER HIS FIRST SERIES WITH PERCY

heroes of Olympus and trials of Apollo do not have the same flavor as the original series and I know plenty of people will agree with me

and thats cause ol' ricky boy (might call him uncle rick ironically cause I have a big family so its in character of me to have beef with an uncle plus like.... cmon its for the bit, an homage to my cringey younger self, and to help me avoid stupid autocorrect on my phone, it works on so many levels, if u must, cringe away) lost the fucking heart of the original series

lost the whole point and charm of the 1st series

it started out as a fucking bed time story for his son for fucks sake!!!!!! so obviously it was going to be a story built on so much love you could feel it in every word he carefully knit together for his son to feel less alone in the world

and thats why I looked up to him for so many years!!!!

he inspired me to start writing!!! so that maybe some day I could also write stories that helped people feel less alone

because the best fucking stories are the ones with the most heart and genuine emotions you feel like you could be there

but uncle rick fucking lost it because i think after the massive success of his first series he saw it as a way to make money for his family instead of a way to lovingly craft something for the sake of it just existing

yet another thing capitalism has taken from us

I have yet to read his other work, as an adult, because percy jackson is such a comfort book for me and I've obsessively done so much research on it I remember him doing an interview once where he said his students found his other works and they were teasing him about the cuss words in the book because of course they were he taught middle schoolers and that is where he is stronger than I

but thats also another thing

since I haven't read his other works, I dont know if they're going to speak to me like percy jackson has, but probably not from the looks of his other series (ive read all of heroes of Olympus and some of trials of Apollo but thats just cause I adore nico)

but I can definitely say for sure without a shadow of a doubt

dude

uncle rick is NOT a screen writer

he SUCKS at it so bad

he definitely doesn't know how to build suspense in film or write around the obstacles that come with live acting

which is embarrassing man

ive been there

did a senior directed play in high school, wrote the script myself

and it sucked pretty bad

because I was a story teller not a script writer!!!! I didnt know what the fuck i was doing!!!!! whenever I wanted a new character I would just invent one out of thin air, what do you mean I had to have an actor for every new character I have?!?!?!?!

soooo grateful i tried that for the first time in high school cause its not that embarrassing when u suck at something as a teenager cause hey!!! ur learning new shit everyday!!

but this ties back into my point of this show reflecting the times

I will say, I prefer the movie of percy jackson over this weird show

and thats cause it had charm! zest! a screenwriter and people that knew how to make movies!

were at such a weird place in cinema

at least in the mainstream american/western media

I saw everything everywhere all at once last year and it blew my tits clean off

but thats because it was made by people who wanted to make art for arts sake!!!! for the love of creation!!!!!

thats why those movies are so successful now

cause there's really no formula to follow anymore so anything that seems original and made with love is so fucking insanely successful and big corporations can't fucking replicate that without taking chances and letting people tell honest earnest stories

which is why every Disney villain sucks now cause they have to also secretly maybe sometimes be a good person

oh no the circumstances they were given made them a villain

hmmm I wonder who helped with the capitalism of it all?? hmmmm such a mystery

I know we all miss when villains were just evil for fun and that was it

like Ursula, they didn't explain shit about her backstory she was just a woman in a cave that had a reputation and had a sick as hell design and that was all people needed to like her (shout out to divine) (also I don't remember much about the little mermaid I am basing this off of vibes)

where was i going with this.....

anyways the pjo TV show sucks

let Rick Riordan cook longer as a screen writer or let him be a co author of the script my god he sucks at this

get an expert screen writer in there asap phew!!!

today's adhd rant has been brought to you by:

this thing

#pjo #i have so muvh to say but im gonna stop #this is a monster of a post #this is definitely my longest post on tumblr and i am Afraid but percy jackson makes me want to talk forever so whatever #i dont have any percy jackson friends so my followers must endure sorry everyone #kinda #i did start out as a pjo blog and branched out but i never really stopped lmao #never shared my thoughts on here though so this is new #time to shout into the void of the internet #my schtuff

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halothenthehorns · 1 year

Text

Chapter 10: WE HITCH A RIDE WITH DEAD CONFEDERATES

I'm already half done with this book, they're much shorter than I remember.

This is a really weird chapter title because they don't show up until the next chapter which really should have been this chapter title. If Clarisse is still supposed to be a surprise, then I think this should have been called Dugouts and Donuts or something, but that's just me.

PJOPJOPJO

Nico hesitated before he started. His stomach was snarling with hunger and he sort of wanted to stop this time not because the thought of Percy staring at him, having his undivided attention for a whole chapter still sort of set him on edge, but also because he wasn't entirely sure of what was coming or a few things he'd missed and wanted to ask Will.

Honestly he just sort of wanted to talk to him in general, which was something he so rarely indulged in around camp he wasn't even sure how to get that started.

He'd hesitated to long, and Jason asked in concern, "you good?"

While Will leaned over his shoulder to see the chapter title and read it for him, "need a pass on this one Nico?"

Like he actually thought the idea of the ghosts was freaking him out? Did he come across as that pathetic? Setting himself stubbornly and reading at an actually normal pace, he ignored them both and told himself to get a grip, stop stalling, and hurry up to get out of here.

"Percy, I never took you for a racist," but Jason looked more confused as he snarked.

Nico snorted without amusement. If Annabeth had Italian decent like him or been any other nationality, he doubted it would have made a difference.

"Is that going to be anything like riding with those Weird Sisters?" Magnus asked, he didn't need anymore eyeballs being thrown around thank you.

"Gray Sisters," Thalia corrected, not understanding why Alex and Magnus were smiling at each other for some inside joke, but moving on. "I doubt it, but I'd get your bingo cards ready for Percy walking into some kind of trap."

"Hey," he frowned but couldn't even find it in himself to protest he was probably due for one after escaping the luxury cruise liner.

"Thermos!" I screamed as we hurtled toward the water.

"What?" Annabeth must've thought I'd lost my mind. She was holding on to the boat straps for dear life, her hair flying straight up like a torch.

"I would pay to get a picture of that," Will snorted.

"It's really a shame you guys don't have a rollercoaster of doom or something at Camp Half-Orphans," Alex nodded. "Between the melodramatic horse and drunk guy running the place, I bet you can swing it."

"Don't forget the cannibal," Magnus grimaced. "He might agree if we tell him it's run by goblins eating anyone who falls out and no seatbelts."

"You two are putting way to much thought into something that's not going to happen," Will cut in still laughing at the pair like he hoped they were kidding. The worst part was, Tantalus might have agreed to their terms.

But Tyson understood. He managed to open my duffel bag and take out Hermes's magical thermos without losing his grip on it or the boat.

"That cyclops is the real hero of this quest," Jason grinned.

"I swear you say that about everyone but me," Percy frowned at him even if he didn't disagree.

Arrows and javelins whistled past us.

I grabbed the thermos and hoped I was doing the right thing. "Hang on!"

"I am hanging on!" Annabeth yelled.

"Not to the right person- err, thing," Thalia said saintly, it was better than turning green at the idea of falling from so high up.

"Tighter!"

I hooked my feet under the boat's inflatable bench, and as Tyson grabbed Annabeth and me by the backs of our shirts, I gave the thermos cap a quarter turn.

Instantly, a white sheet of wind jetted out of the thermos and propelled us sideways, turning our downward plummet into a forty-five-degree crash landing.

Thalia couldn't help another wince at that description, but shook her head quickly when Percy gave her a curious look. The last thing she needed was to reveal the daughter of Zeus was afraid of heights on top of everything else she was dealing with in regards to Luke.

The wind seemed to laugh as it shot from the thermos, like it was glad to be free. As we hit the ocean, we bumped once, twice, skipping like a stone, then we were whizzing along like a speed boat, salt spray in our faces and nothing but sea ahead.

"Home sweet home for you huh?" Magnus smiled at him.

Percy inhaled deeply as he nodded his agreement, he'd remembered the feeling of confidence and energy he'd felt even on the Andromeda and even more so out in the open waters, but no matter how natural it had all felt his heart still ached for Camp and even his mom's apartment. He'd had Annabeth with him though, his home away from home.

I heard a wail of outrage from the ship behind us, but we were already out of weapon range. The Princess Andromeda faded to the size of a white toy boat in the distance, and then it was gone.

"I'm surprised you didn't see it sinking into the ocean as you left," Jason admitted. "Why wouldn't Neptune have trashed this thing already if it's literally carrying Kronos's spirit around? Your dad believes you about him."

"The gods already knew about this," Thalia reminded. "Hermes sent them there for Luke, but he could only redirect its course into Percy's path. They can't directly interfere, among other reasons," she finished with a frustrated sigh all the complications of who was on whos side interfering with every step.

As we raced over the sea, Annabeth and I tried to send an Iris-message to Chiron. We figured it was important we let somebody know what Luke was doing, and we didn't know who else to trust.

Will couldn't blame them, of course, and it's not as if anyone would bother to tell Mr. D if they could avoid it, but still he was a little sad for Annabeth's siblings or any of the head councilors who would have liked the update on rescuing the Fleece too. Then he remembered how easily word spread, how Selina might well have relayed that right back to Luke, and just felt sorry.

The wind from the thermos stirred up a nice sea spray that made a rainbow in the sunlight— perfect for an Iris-message—but our connection was still poor. When Annabeth threw a gold drachma into the mist and prayed for the rainbow goddess to show us Chiron, his face appeared all right, but there was some kind of weird strobe light flashing in the background and rock music blaring, like he was at a dance club.

"The important detail there is, is he in his wheelchair?" Thalia grinned. "If so, I bet he's getting the most action there."

"Not, needed, visual," Percy groaned with his hands over his eyes, and they'd only been able to see his top half, so he wasn't even sure.

"Nobody questioning why then?" Jason muttered. The idea of a centaur off being wild and reckless felt normal to him like Chiron never had, but still, if he'd stopped to wonder what the trainer of hero's had been off doing during his banishment, it wasn't this.

We told him about sneaking away from camp, and Luke and the Princess Andromeda and the golden box for Kronos's remains, but between the noise on his end and the rushing wind and water on our end, I'm not sure how much he heard.

"Percy," Chiron yelled, "you have to watch out for—"

"Dead confederates?" Nico offered helpfully.

His voice was drowned out by loud shouting behind him—a bunch of voices whooping it up like Comanche warriors.

"Would you rather have a ride from them or the dead southerners?" Alex grinned.

"I can't pick neither, can I?" Magnus groaned.

"Nope, never," Alex scoffed.

"Ugh, the Comanche I guess," he sighed, though he wondered how a centaur fit into their beliefs.

"What?" I yelled.

"Curse my relatives!" Chiron ducked as a plate flew over his head and shattered somewhere out of sight. "Annabeth, you shouldn't have let Percy leave camp! But if you do get the Fleece—"

"Yeah, baby!" somebody behind Chiron yelled. "Woo-hoooooo!"

Percy looked actually traumatized now as he wondered just how close to true Thalia's joke had been and sort of offended Chiron had used this time to scold Annabeth for helping him.

The music got cranked up, subwoofers so loud it made our boat vibrate.

"—Miami," Chiron was yelling. "I'll try to keep watch—"

Our misty screen smashed apart like someone on the other side had thrown a bottle at it, and Chiron was gone.

'Everything's circling back to Florida in this book,' Hearth signed uneasily, 'I hope Chiron isn't taken by Polyphemus too.'

Magnus barely had time to agree before Alex leaned in way close, his breath brushing right across Magnus's face as he asked looking right at him to show him all the signs Hearth had just used. Magnus did so blushing the entire time. Great, he was back to that.

An hour later we spotted land—a long stretch of beach lined with high-rise hotels. The water became crowded with fishing boats and tankers. A coast guard cruiser passed on our starboard side, then turned like it wanted a second look. I guess it isn't every day they see a yellow lifeboat with no engine going a hundred knots an hour, manned by three kids.

"How fast is that?" Jason asked, already impressed before he got the answer, though the mortals weren't the best judge.

"A hundred and fifteen miles per hour, give or take a bit," Percy said proudly. Man did he hope he kept that thermos! That thing plus a skateboard! It would make chariot driving look tame!

"That's Virginia Beach!" Annabeth said as we approached the shoreline. "Oh my gods, how did the Princess Andromeda travel so far overnight? That's like—"

"Five hundred and thirty nautical miles," I said.

She stared at me. "How did you know that?"

"Is she surprised or offended you worked that out before her?" Thalia snorted.

"A little of both," Percy grinned.

"I—I'm not sure."

Annabeth thought for a moment. "Percy, what's our position?"

"36 degrees, 44 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west," I said immediately. Then I shook my head. "Whoa. How did I know that?"

"That is creepy," Alex agreed, way to much experience with his mothers gifts being involuntary and part of him, but he'd worked to control them.

"Because of your dad," Annabeth guessed. "When you're at sea, you have perfect bearings. That is so cool."

I wasn't sure about that. I didn't want to be a human GPS unit.

"How can I speak something I don't know?" Percy still said distastefully.

Alex leaned over and whispered something to Magnus again, making him snort with laughter and say a bit louder, "if he had a scar it would be uncanny."

Nobody was apparently going to have a better answer for him, it was a part of his gift as much as breathing down here, so he let it go.

But before I could say anything, Tyson tapped my shoulder. "Other boat is coming."

I looked back. The coast guard vessel was definitely on our tail now. Its lights were flashing and it was gaining speed.

"We can't let them catch us," I said. "They'll ask too many questions."

"Keep going into Chesapeake Bay," Annabeth said. "I know a place we can hide."

Thalia held her breath and hoped Annabeth wasn't thinking what she was, or her little sister had left out yet another detail while recounting this, like where she had in mind. Thalia hadn't even shown the other Hunters any of these hideouts, she hoped Annabeth wouldn't risk it with Luke possibly right on their tail.

I didn't ask what she meant, or how she knew the area so well.

"I think if Annabeth appeared here now and told us the plan we'd all just go with it," Will shrugged. She had that effect on people.

I risked loosening the thermos cap a little more, and a fresh burst of wind sent us rocketing around the northern tip of Virginia Beach into Chesapeake Bay. The coast guard boat fell farther and farther behind. We didn't slow down until the shores of the bay narrowed on either side, and I realized we'd entered the mouth of a river.

I could feel the change from salt water to fresh water. Suddenly I was tired and frazzled, like I was coming down off a sugar high.

Jason was still pretty dang fascinated how just the change in water made such a difference to him. It was so weird to know without knowing why he'd never met anybody like Annabeth or Percy, let alone would go on a quest with a satyr or cyclops. He was positive this would all be new to him even if he had any memories, and he was so jazzed about it!

I didn't know where I was anymore, or which way to steer the boat. It was a good thing Annabeth was directing me.

Magnus sat forward in concern about why on earth she'd know this place. It wasn't hard to remember she'd been homeless like him, that Thalia and Luke had taken care of her on the way to camp, but it had never been said where all she'd traveled and how long she'd been alone.

"There," she said. "Past that sandbar."

Thalia was starting to fidget with her bracelet again, tugging on the links and twisting it around on her wrist. Jason got the sense from across the room that even gone, Luke hadn't left her thoughts.

We veered into a swampy area choked with marsh grass. I beached the lifeboat at the foot of a giant cypress.

Vine-covered trees loomed above us. Insects chirred in the woods. The air was muggy and hot, and steam curled off the river. Basically, it wasn't Manhattan, and I didn't like it.

"One of these days you might get a quest just to go to Coney Island," Thalia offered. She'd never had homesickness before, never having lived anywhere long enough unless you counted her 'treehouse.'

Percy got a strange cross-eyed look on his face like she'd just poked at a memory but nodded hopefully without comment.

"Come on," Annabeth said. "It's just down the bank."

"What is?" I asked.

"Just follow." She grabbed a duffel bag. "And we'd better cover the boat. We don't want to draw attention."

After burying the lifeboat with branches, Tyson and I followed Annabeth along the shore, our feet sinking in red mud. A snake slithered past my shoe and disappeared into the grass.

Will made a grumpy little squished up face that Nico had to bite his lip very hard at to stop himself from laughing. "Does this finally trump leaving camp for the buffet?" Will didn't answer but looked like he was debating the matter. "I'm pretty sure snakes don't pop up in the spaghetti section, I was kidding," he amended.

"Oh thank the gods," Will sighed as if this were a very serious concern of his and Nico lost his internal fight and began snickering. Will couldn't take his eyes away, the memory of Connor actually doing this to them one night causing him exasperating amusement didn't hold a candle to listening to Nico laugh at their personal joke.

Since he was supposed to be reading, the others watched in ever-growing bemusement why Will looked so pleased with himself he'd gotten Nico to laugh.

"Not a good place," Tyson said. He swatted the mosquitoes that were forming a buffet line on his arm.

Then both of them busted out laughing even harder and the others couldn't help joining in for the infectious noise even without getting the joke.

Thalia certainly wasn't going to be the one to stop them anytime soon, and indeed sighed with such remorse when Nico cleared his throat to continue Percy gave her an anxious glance and looked questioningly to the door. She should only have to shoulder so many bad things without a break.

She shook her head though and wasn't going to be the one to keep putting this off, it would all have to come out eventually.

After another few minutes, Annabeth said, "Here."

All I saw was a patch of brambles. Then Annabeth moved aside a woven circle of branches, like a door, and I realized I was looking into a camouflaged shelter.

The inside was big enough for three, even with Tyson being the third. The walls were woven from plant material, like a Native American hut, but they looked pretty waterproof. Stacked in the corner was everything you could want for a campout—sleeping bags, blankets, an ice chest, and a kerosene lamp.

"Cool!" Magnus blurted. Finally something about these half-blood's that didn't sound inherently evil and deadly! He wondered if any of those could be constructed in Boston.

"I would pay to learn how this thing was built!" Jason agreed with just as much enthusiasm.

There were demigod provisions, too— bronze javelin tips, a quiver full of arrows, an extra sword, and a box of ambrosia. The place smelled musty, like it had been vacant for a long time.

"Ah, never mind," Magnus sighed. How soon until those weapons were needed? Percy was absolutely going to set that place on fire and have to be rescued by dead soldiers.

"Don't know what you're talking about, those were the important details," Alex scoffed.

Jason somehow looked even more excited and Magnus was convinced he was the only sane person around here when Hearth signed, 'sounds like a great secret hideout.'

"A half-blood hideout." I looked at Annabeth in awe. You made this place?"

"Thalia and I," she said quietly. "And Luke."

All eyes turned to her when they realized why her somberness had lingered. She'd been lying to herself before and she knew it. Luke had probably forgotten all about these places and the only reason she hadn't wanted to hear of this again was because no matter how many centuries passed, she'd never forget. Luke and her talking about everything and nothing, Luke and her practicing with all those weapons, Luke pausing as he wrote in his diary to tuck an extra blanket around her...

That shouldn't have bothered me. I mean, I knew Thalia and Luke had taken care of Annabeth when she was little. I knew the three of them had been runaways together, hiding from monsters, surviving on their own before Grover found them and tried to get them to HalfBlood Hill. But whenever Annabeth talked about the time she'd spent with them, I kind of felt ... I don't know. Uncomfortable?

Percy was feeling that now, but for his friend, as Thalia clearly didn't want to be in the spotlight now and would not be honoring any questions about the how's and why's of this place.

No, he was feeling something else just like always when Annabeth's voice quivered over his name.

No. That's not the word.

The word was jealous.

Yep, that was it.

"So ..." I said. "You don't think Luke will look for us here?"

She shook her head. "We made a dozen safe houses like this. I doubt Luke even remembers where they are. Or cares."

Thalia winced as she felt every impact of those words come off the print without Nico's assistance, and he just sounded plenty angry at Luke's existence like all residents of Camp Half-Blood. She knew the rest, as intricately as Annabeth, possibly to many to name. Bitterness, hurt, longing...it went on and on...

She threw herself down on the blankets and started going through her duffel bag. Her body language made it pretty clear she didn't want to talk.

"Um, Tyson?" I said. "Would you mind scouting around outside? Like, look for a wilderness convenience store or something?"

"I don't think a convenience store has ever sold excuses before, but that wasn't a bad try," Will chuckled softly that was one way to get rid of someone. He would have jogged out too so they could have their moment.

"Convenience store?"

"Yeah, for snacks. Powdered donuts or something. Just don't go too far."

"Powdered donuts," Tyson said earnestly. "I will look for powdered donuts in the wilderness."

"Dugouts and donuts, what more could you ask for on this quest?" Jason grinned.

"Grover and the fleece to fall out of the sky on our heads," Percy sighed. He hated how split he felt, like he should be rushing Annabeth on without taking a break but also needing to talk to her and make sure she was okay.

He headed outside and started calling, "Here, donuts!"

"I love that guy," Alex said without a trace of sarcasm.

"I'll love him even more if he comes back with them," Magnus grinned, before bouncing up and excusing himself to go and collect some of those too. Nico waited patiently until he got back and ignored Will trying to pass him one when the plate went around.

His seat mate gave him another of those stubborn looks, the rebut right on the edge of Will's tongue he didn't care what got on the book while he ate and read, but Nico impulsively said, "we'll take a proper lunch after this, okay?" Just to make him let it go right now.

Mercifully, it worked, and yet he already knew he was going to regret that.

Once he was gone, I sat down across from Annabeth. "Hey, I'm sorry about, you know, seeing Luke."

"That wasn't your fault Percy," Thalia said fiercely at once, at the same time Nico had read.

"It's not your fault." She unsheathed her knife and started cleaning the blade with a rag.

"At least you didn't pull an arrow on me to prove your point," Percy smiled weakly.

"Besides, that was all Mercury's doing," Jason reminded.

"Chalk another one up to I can't decide if the gods are trying to help you guys or kill you faster than the monsters," Magnus muttered.

"He let us go too easily," I said.

I hoped I'd been imagining it, but Annabeth nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. What we overheard him say about a gamble, and 'they'll take the bait'... I think he was talking about us."

"The Fleece is the bait? Or Grover?"

"If he wanted Grover as bait he'd have just kidnapped him himself," Jason disagreed.

"Unless Polyphemus got to him first," Alex disagreed.

Hearth tapped Magnus on the shoulder and explained his idea of Luke even playing some part in helping Grover escape that cyclops the first time to live long enough and make contact with Percy. It all seemed connected together a little to well.

They all watched in fascination as Magnus translated what he could, had a few words refreshed to him, as well as clearly learned a few new one's when Hearth paused to finger spell some out.

Thalia didn't dispute the idea, she had no clue what Luke was and wasn't capable of anymore at that stage.

When Nico turned back to the book, Alex leaned in close again and said, "hey, I really want to learn this stuff, show me that first one again?"

Magnus said without hesitation, "you'd have to start at the basics, learn the alphabet."

"It's a date," Alex winked, "see you at lunch." He watched carefully, waiting for Magnus to scoff or freak out or anything so that he could laugh it off as a joke.

Magnus just kept staring at him with those same clueless doe-eyes. The gray color were like chips of iron waiting to be melded. He hadn't said no.

She studied the edge of her knife. "I don't know, Percy. Maybe he wants the Fleece for himself. Maybe he's hoping we'll do the hard work and then he can steal it from us. I just can't believe he would poison the tree."

Thalia could though, if he'd really thought he was saving her. It was a hell of a gamble for him, but in his twisted mind he'd probably really thought he was helping her.

The idea in theory and the act of going through with it though wouldn't sit side by side in her head.

"What did he mean," I asked, "that Thalia would've been on his side?"

Thalia's lingering anger for Luke's words driving her little sister to tears lashed out at Percy now. "And you thought bringing it up again would help! She already said she knew I wouldn't!"

Percy swallowed but didn't back down. Nico kept reading in the growing tension with an uneasy feeling he wouldn't feel so hopeful, yet ultimately dissatisfied with this fight. Already knowing he'd never have a chance with Percy even if he hadn't already had feelings for Annabeth no matter how many squabbles they'd had before he was even rescued wasn't exactly comforting.

"He's wrong."

"You don't sound sure."

Annabeth glared at me, and I started to wish I hadn't asked her about this while she was holding a knife.

"I have a fun feeling we're about to see how she chased that guy from the car wash off," Alex said in far to much anticipation in Percy's opinion.

"Percy, you know who you remind me of most? Thalia.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Percy beamed. Better than her saying Luke!

Thalia actually looked a bit flattered herself, mollified enough she wasn't thinking about whacking her bow over his head anymore.

She wasn't even here and she was breaking up their fights, Jason admired. He really was looking forward to meeting this girl.

You guys are so much alike it's scary. I mean, either you would've been best friends or you would've strangled each other."

"Some days it's still debatable," Thalia grimly agreed.

"Let's go with 'best friends.'"

"We haven't strangled each other yet," Percy agreed brightly, smiling even.

Annabeth was mad at him then and Thalia was now, and still all he wanted was some answers from his friends. Will would admire him if he wasn't a little concerned Percy should be running for his life.

"Thalia got angry with her dad sometimes. So do you. Would you turn against Olympus because of that?"

"No," Percy said at once, but he was looking at the cracks in the floor and the domed ceiling, the door that had only appeared after the Titan's remembered they existed after half a day. Was he locked up down here because his dad didn't trust him? Was Oceanus really just some hired babysitter until his sixteenth birthday came and went? He wouldn't turn against Olympus if he was just being pushed aside, but there was already a bubble of resentment waiting to spread in him if so.

I stared at the quiver of arrows in the corner. "No."

Thalia smiled again for a joke Percy couldn't possibly guess. Zoe had actually given her those when she'd tried to recruit her all that time ago. Percy had no idea just how on the edge of painting her future in that one moment was, how she'd finally found a balance of staying on her side of the fight, on her own terms by skipping out of the prophecy.

"Okay, then. Neither would she. Luke's wrong." Annabeth stuck her knife blade into the dirt.

"Round two of no such thing as too clean and polished," Jason snorted.

I wanted to ask her about the prophecy Luke had mentioned and what it had to do with my sixteenth birthday. But I figured she wouldn't tell me. Chiron had made it pretty clear that I wasn't allowed to hear it until the gods decided otherwise.

"What are they going to do if you ask?" Alex challenged. "Send zombies up after you?" He was waiting for those dead confederates to show up any moment, possibly with Tyson leading the way there as he ran for his life against the faction.

"Let's not tempt them," Percy muttered in some defeat of that for now. Thalia was still giving him a frustrated little scowl and Annabeth's knife was still within reach, and he wasn't done talking to her.

"So what did Luke mean about Cyclopes?" I asked. "He said you of all people—"

"I know what he said. He ... he was talking about the real reason Thalia died."

I waited, not sure what to say.

Annabeth drew a shaky breath. "You can never trust a Cyclops, Percy. Six years ago, on the night Grover was leading us to Half-Blood Hill—"

She was interrupted when the door of the hut creaked open. Tyson crawled in.

"I was joking!" Alex threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I warned you," but Percy looked just as amused as he was annoyed too at still not getting this bit of the story. Maybe the ignorant countrymen were going to show up, having seen the error of their ways in death and chastise her for stereotyping Tyson. Whatever that cyclops in the past had done to Thalia, his...well whatever Tyson was to him, he wasn't like that.

"Powdered donuts!" he said proudly, holding up a pastry box.

Annabeth stared at him. "Where did you get that? We're in the middle of the wilderness. There's nothing around for—"

"Fifty feet," Tyson said. "Monster Donut shop—just over the hill!"

"This is bad," Annabeth muttered.

We were crouching behind a tree, staring at the donut shop in the middle of the woods. It looked brand new, with brightly lit windows, a parking area, and a little road leading off into the forest,

"And I always thought those jokes about modernizing with coffee shops were outlandish," Alex didn't look sure if he was supposed to be laughing at this or expecting another fight.

'No where in Pan's domain is safe now,' Hearth uncomfortably agreed.

but there was nothing else around, and no cars parked in the lot. We could see one employee reading a magazine behind the cash register. That was it. On the store's marquis, in huge black letters that even I could read, it said:

MONSTER DONUT

A cartoon ogre was taking a bite out of the O in MONSTER.

"You have to pause for the adorableness of that though," Will grinned over Nico's shoulder.

"No I don't," Nico muttered, but he did so anyways as Will kept grinning at him. Just to put off getting to lunch. No other reason.

The place smelled good, like fresh-baked chocolate donuts.

"This shouldn't be here," Annabeth whispered. "It's wrong."

"What?" I asked. "It's a donut shop."

"Shhh!"

"Why are we whispering? Tyson went in and bought a dozen. Nothing happened to him."

"He's a monster."

"Aw, c'mon, Annabeth. Monster Donut doesn't mean monsters! It's a chain. We've got them in New York."

"A chain," she agreed. "And don't you think it's strange that one appeared immediately after you told Tyson to get donuts? Right here in the middle of the woods?"

"You know that warning about knowledge attracting them?" Jason looked like he was trying very hard to suppress a laugh. He wasn't doing well. "I think it works the other way too."

"Poor thing probably has a heart attack if she passes to close to a gas station with a certain energy drink," Alex nodded.

I thought about it. It did seem a little weird, but, I mean, donut shops weren't real high on my list of sinister forces.

"Now if they'd been selling cupcakes," Magnus couldn't even say that with a straight face and snorted.

"It could be a nest," Annabeth explained.

Tyson whimpered. I doubt he understood what Annabeth was saying any better than I did, but her tone was making him nervous.

"You're not paranoid if they're really out to get you," Thalia said quietly. She knew they'd all see the reality of what was fixing to come any second and didn't want to be the one to spoil their fun.

He'd plowed through half a dozen donuts from his box and was getting powdered sugar all over his face.

"A nest for what?" I asked.

Thalia was the only one not laughing as the others were still chuckling and waiting for harmless racist ghosts to show up, even Will didn't seem to know what was coming as he kept snickering to Nico he should try reading like that and was being ignored by the son of Hades pretending he was reading without listening.

She knew what was coming next though, and her ire at Percy vanished entirely even knowing he'd escaped the coming hydra. Annabeth had told her they'd gone straight from Luke's ship into a nest for this thing before Clarisse blew up everything, but she wasn't looking forward to hearing how bad it got before they were rescued.

"Haven't you ever wondered how franchise stores pop up so fast?" she asked. "One day there's nothing and then the next day—boom, there's a new burger place or a coffee shop or whatever? First a single store, then two, then four— exact replicas spreading across the country?"

"Um, no. Never thought about it."

"Percy, some of the chains multiply so fast because all their locations are magically linked to the life force of a monster. Some children of Hermes figured out how to do it back in the 1950s. They breed—"

She froze.

Magnus raised his hand. "That made no sense to anybody else too, right?"

"I'll give you that one," Jason agreed. "All monopoly corporations can't possibly be tied into Mercury," he didn't sound so sure by the end though, it would explain the weird phenomena she'd described. Yes it was plenty disconcerting he believed he'd been to multiples of the same store but had no memory of who, what, when, where, or why. He really hoped wherever this mysterious place Nico was taking him had a clue about him.

"What?" I demanded. "They breed what?"

"No—sudden—moves," Annabeth said, like her life depended on it. "Very slowly, turn around."

"Why couldn't the answer have been more fish ponies?" Percy groaned as adrenaline was already being dumped into his system and he didn't even remember what was fixing to kill him next! Where were the gun toting hillbillies already?

Then I heard it: a scraping noise, like something large dragging its belly through the leaves.

I turned and saw a rhino-size thing moving through the shadows of the trees. It was hissing, its front half writhing in all different directions. I couldn't understand what I was seeing at first. Then I realized the thing had multiple necks—at least seven, each topped with a hissing reptilian head. Its skin was leathery, and under each neck it wore a plastic bib that read: I'm A MONSTER DONUT KID!

"Ooh," Magnus drew that out in a concerningly long breath, finally forced to stop wondering what that wink could have meant and back to the ever present and more concerning question how Annabeth was still alive.

"That's a hydra," Alex finally sounded in awe for hearing of one of their most mythical, and deadly monsters.

"I'm never looking at donuts the same way again," Jason assured.

I took out my ballpoint pen, but Annabeth locked eyes with me—a silent warning. Not yet.

I understood. A lot of monsters have terrible eyesight. It was possible the Hydra might pass us by. But if I uncapped my sword now, the bronze glow would certainly get its attention.

We waited.

The Hydra was only a few feet away. It seemed to be sniffing the ground and the trees like it was hunting for something. Then I noticed that two of the heads were ripping apart a piece of yellow canvas—one of our duffel bags. The thing had already been to our campsite. It was following our scent.

'Hermes just dropped to the bottom of my list on gods I will ever trust,' Hearth shivered for that bright neon nightmare.

Magnus was pretty sure Hermes hadn't laced that thing with Hydra nip, but considering this was now two chapters back to back where his mess-ups were royally screwing over his cousin and Percy, he couldn't find it in him to disagree either.

My heart pounded. I'd seen a stuffed Hydra-head trophy at camp before,

They vividly remembered that being mentioned as 'junk' right before he'd had his first meeting with the oracle. The ADHD part of Percy's mind now wondered if this in fact was a part of the same severed being as his heart trembled.

but that did nothing to prepare me for the real thing. Each head was diamond-shaped, like a rattlesnake's, but the mouths were lined with jagged rows of sharklike teeth.

Tyson was trembling. He stepped back and accidentally snapped a twig. Immediately, all seven heads turned toward us and hissed.

Even with Percy's fear of Tyson getting scared and causing their deaths seeming to come true, the only noise heard in the room was a gasp of fear and shock for the big guy. Maybe from everyone at once. Nico didn't look up to check, his imagination was in overdrive of how Percy and Annabeth had gotten out of this one.

"Scatter!" Annabeth yelled. She dove to the right.

I rolled to the left. One of the Hydra heads spat an arc of green liquid that shot past my shoulder and splashed against an elm. The trunk smoked and began to disintegrate.

"It spits acid, of course it spits acid!" Jason groaned, clutching his coin in his hand and eyeing Thalia who looked way to calm over there. Even if she could shoot all seven heads at once and probably knew how they made it out of this, only half her attention seemed here. The rest was clearly back on Luke.

The whole tree toppled straight toward Tyson, who still hadn't moved, petrified by the monster that was now right in front of him.

"I wonder if Medusa would go easy on him too, but it wasn't a reminder I really needed right now," Will groaned. He still remembered the scratches on Tyson's back and wondered if a hydra had been what caused it. The poor guy needed a break!

"Tyson!" I tackled him with all my might, knocking him aside just as the Hydra lunged and the tree crashed on top of two of its heads.

"Where is a building to jump out of when you need one," Percy moaned. He wouldn't even be abandoning any tourist this time and would do his best to make sure Annabeth and Tyson survived that fall too.

The Hydra stumbled backward, yanking its heads free then wailing in outrage at the fallen tree. All seven heads shot acid, and the elm melted into a steaming pool of muck.

"Yeah, tell the tree to take that, not them," Magnus was trying his very hardest not to whimper.

"Move!" I told Tyson. I ran to one side and uncapped Riptide, hoping to draw the monster's attention.

It worked.

"Somehow your plans always do," Nico agreed. This here, was finally the Percy he'd always envisioned in his head. Taking on impossible odds and saving everybody. It had taken him some time to grow into it, but gods Percy really could do anything by the time he'd come to rescue his sorry butt.

The sight of celestial bronze is hateful to most monsters. As soon as my glowing blade appeared, the Hydra whipped toward it with all its heads, hissing and baring its teeth.

The good news: Tyson was momentarily out of danger. The bad news: I was about to be melted into a puddle of goo.

"Does the monster eat the goo, or is it just out of spite?" Alex asked.

"Are you sure you're not ADHD too?" Percy demanded.

"Nah, just curious," he grinned.

"Well I don't know, you'd have to ask Annabeth," Percy sighed as he turned resignedly back to the book still clutching his pen with all his might. There were no hydras underwater, his girlfriend was not trapped in a donut store without him, there were no hydras underwater...

One of the heads snapped at me experimentally. Without thinking, I swung my sword.

"No!" Annabeth yelled.

Too late. I sliced the Hydra's head clean off. It rolled away into the grass, leaving a flailing stump, which immediately stopped bleeding and began to swell like a balloon.

In a matter of seconds the wounded neck split into two necks, each of which grew a full-size head. Now I was looking at an eight-headed Hydra.

'I think literally everyone somehow knows that myth,' Hearth shivered.

'I don't want to get in a fight with a harpy, I won't be testing it myself on these things,' Magnus's hands were shaking just a bit as he signed. His eyes, as always, strayed to Alex to see him looking as cool as ever observing all this, his garrote hung threateningly at his side. The sudden image of him leaping up and trying to snare and take off all those heads at once popped into his mind and he nearly fainted.

"Percy!" Annabeth scolded. "You just opened another Monster Donut shop somewhere!"

"I'll make the bibs for the hydra if he goes there instead!" Will pleaded as he sat as far back in his seat as he could. Nico gave him a look of sympathy and mouthed he was almost done, which made him smile back for just a moment before he went to tugging at his ear and trying hard not to look at the book.

I dodged a spray of acid. "I'm about to die and you're worried about that? How do we kill it?"

"Fire!" Annabeth said. "We have to have fire!"

As soon as she said that, I remembered the story. The Hydra's heads would only stop multiplying if we burned the stumps before they regrew. That's what Heracles had done, anyway. But we had no fire.

"Oh great, a little spontaneous combustion, the one time Percy's ironic specialty won't happen," Jason groaned. "Any of you have a bad smoking habit?"

"I was twelve!" Percy huffed. "Got any flint in your pocket!"

Nico kept reading loudly over their squabbling with the last page in hand. Will was at the other end of the couch now and pursing his lips.

I backed up toward river. The Hydra followed.

Annabeth moved in on my left and tried to distract one of the heads, parrying its teeth with her knife, but another head swung sideways like a club and knocked her into the muck.

"No hitting my friends!" Tyson charged in, putting himself between the Hydra and Annabeth.

As Annabeth got to her feet, Tyson started smashing at the monster heads with his fists so fast it reminded me of the whack-a-mole game at the arcade. But even Tyson couldn't fend off the Hydra forever.

"The fact that he won't get any tickets for whatever prize he wants for his efforts is plenty commendable," Thalia nodded as she shifted uncomfortably around in her seat. She wished she'd somehow left her shield to her little sister in moments like these.

We kept inching backward, dodging acid splashes and deflecting snapping heads without cutting them off, but I knew we were only postponing our deaths. Eventually, we would make a mistake and the thing would kill us.

The water began churning around them again, Percy's sea-green eyes were burning with fury at the fate of his death on the horizon. If he could just lure it a few more feet back, he might not be able to drown it but could at least use the water to form some kind of barrier-

"Peace, Percy," Thalia gently reminded. "There's nothing to fight in here."

He exhaled and felt the water flow back around them more naturally as he grinned at his friend. Annabeth had been absolutely right about the two of them.

Then I heard a strange sound—a chug-chug-chug that at first I thought was my heartbeat. It was so powerful it made the riverbank shake.

"What's that noise?" Annabeth shouted, keeping her eyes on the Hydra.

"Steam engine," Tyson said.

Magnus fell back in his seat in relief as he finally remembered they were supposed to be getting a ride! He'd take a hand from any person at this rate who wouldn't try to eat them!

"What?" I ducked as the Hydra spat acid over my head.

Then from the river behind us, a familiar female voice shouted: "There! Prepare the thirty-two-pounder!"

"Clarisse!" Percy shouted, looking intently at Nico like he thought he was playing some trick.

"Well she was my second guess if you wanted to burn something, a Hephaestus kid was my first," Nico shrugged and barley looked up.

I didn't dare look away from the Hydra, but if that was who I thought it was behind us, I figured we now had enemies on two fronts.

A gravelly male voice said, "They're too close, m'lady!"

"Damn the heroes!" the girl said. "Full steam ahead!"

"Aye, m'lady."

"Fire at will, Captain!"

"I always hated that phrase," Will muttered. Kayla always said it during archery practice with a wink at him he only laughed at for her benefit.

Annabeth understood what was happening a split second before I did. She yelled, "Hit the dirt!" and we dove for the ground as an earth-shattering BOOM echoed from the river. There was a flash of light, a column of smoke, and the Hydra exploded right in front of us, showering us with nasty green slime that vaporized as soon as it hit, the way monster guts tend to do.

"Gross!" screamed Annabeth.

"She has a real problem with saying thank you!" Will now sighed in relief and fell back so flamboyantly into his seat, his arm fell across the back of the couch and brushed at the back of Nico's neck. "I will throw that girl a festival when we get back for ridding the world of one of those things at any time!"

Nico was blinking oddly down at the pages and had to concentrate for a few extra moments to finish the last lines as he felt how close he was and didn't have the urge to push him back out of his personal space, for some weird reason.

"Steamship!" yelled Tyson.

I stood, coughing from the cloud of gunpowder smoke that was rolling across the banks.

Chugging toward us down the river was the strangest ship I'd ever seen. It rode low in the water like a submarine, its deck plated with iron. In the middle was a trapezoid-shaped casemate with slats on each side for cannons. A flag waved from the top—a wild boar and spear on a bloodred field. Lining the deck were zombies in gray uniforms— dead soldiers with shimmering faces that only partially covered their skulls, like the ghouls I'd seen in the Underworld guarding Hades's palace.

"That was not worth the hydra escapades I never wanted," Magnus was wiping his brow in relief, "but that is a weirdly cool payoff and not what I was expecting."

"Could Clarisse do that this whole time?" Alex asked in fascination. "Like the war horses? Wait, why would she have picked these guys though? Is Clarisse a bigot?"

"No," Thalia chuckled, "I'm sure she'll explain, and I will if she doesn't later."

The ship was an ironclad. A Civil War battle cruiser. I could just make out the name along the prow in moss-covered letters: CSS Birmingham.*

And standing next to the smoking cannon that had almost killed us, wearing full Greek battle armor, was Clarisse.

"How I always picture her in my head honestly," Jason nodded along. "All geared up and about to kill you."

"Losers," she sneered. "But I suppose I have to rescue you. Come aboard."

"That moment when the dead assholes are better than the ship with the live ones we just left," Percy huffed with a still annoyed pucker to his mouth for the rescue that had saved his life.

"Lunchtime!" Will reminded at once before Nico could even think of trying to pass the book to him as he leapt out of his seat, "and if anyone tires to feed me gummie worms, I'll shove them up your nose!"

Nico had not been planning to do any such thing, but instead was already closing it and smiling at his bright cheer once more. "Talk about unnecessary violence."

PJOPJOPJOPJOPJO

* The CSS Birmingham is not named for a real warship, in case anybody ever wondered, and I spent a weird amount of time googling if you could legally name ships in fiction as it just seems random now.

The movie however, of all the details they chose to give credit to, seems to be based on the CSS Albemarle, a real Confederate War ship from North Carolina.

#PJO #Percy Jackson #Thalia Grace #Jason Grace #Hearthstone #Magnus Chase #Alex Fierro #Nico di Angelo #Will Solace #reading the books #fanfiction #HDYSG

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fanficlibraryposts · 3 years

Text

Percy Jackson Fic Recs

who even cares about reputation? by rubiesanddiamonds

She decides she really likes his laugh. And his voice. And his general aura. A lot.

*punk!percy and girly!annabeth*

what’s a god to a nonbeliever? by Almas

It’s not that he’s “hung up on The Menace” as Dionysus so delicately put it. It’s just that it’s a bad idea. Awful, really. Percy Jackson’s got off-limits stamped across his pretty little forehead. If Zeus had sent Dionysus to that demigod camp over a nymph, then Poseidon would certainly toss him into Tartarus if he went near his son.

*on hiatus*

To Make a Legend by WardofWinters (QoLife)

Percy was having a normal day at the beach, until he decided to try to waterbend like Katara from his favorite show.Problem is, he succeeds. Now he has to figure out how to waterbend, and keep the normal people from finding out they have a waterbender in their midst.Finding out he's actually a child of Poseidon will probably explain a few things. (Used to be named Avatar: The Legend of Percy)

*Is a series, should have at least have basic Avatar: The Last Airbender knowledge*

Silver Screen by herecomesthepun

in which Annabeth is a YouTuber with a penchant for Harry Potter sweaters and Percy is a rockstar who falls in love with the clumsy web star presenting his award. Percabeth, AU.

Of Gods and Men by plottingalong

The order of things are changing. Old rules are shifting, old gods awakening. Percy Jackson must come to terms with his own mortality, or rather, the lack of it.

And I will swallow my pride (In hopes of a final goodbye) by IzzyMRDB

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep." ~Robert Frost

Rhea thought the fight was over when she handed Luke that blade. The war she fought for others was over. She was wrong. Now a thousand miles and a thousand years from home, all alone with just the ghost of a curse to accompany her in her travels, she will only fight for the wars she chooses.

"I promise." It tastes like a lie, but I know I’ll do my best to fulfill it. How am I to make the gods listen when they don’t even know who I am?

Hold Tight and Pretend It’s a Plan by Rynna_Aurelia

Olympus has fallen. The second Gigantomachy has ended far differently than the first, and in Gaea's triumph, the world has been torn apart. But the Fates have seen what ends their failed meddling brought Western Civilization, look on at the dead—and undo what should never have happened the only way they possibly can. Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, is returned to his twelve-year-old self, memories intact and determined to save everyone he can. But he is not alone. The Moirai underestimated the strength of the Lord of Time when stealing his power, and there is something about this particular demigod brat that intrigues him. . .

Perseus Jackson came roaring to life with a violent gasp, green eyes wild. After a moment of panicked flailing and struggling to breathe, his fear-filled gaze settled upon a girl with blonde hair and stormy grey eyes, her face stern and unimpressed.

"You drool in your sleep."

Trading Tomorrow by Darkmagyk, loosingletters

Percy Jackson arrives at Camp Half-Blood bruised and bleeding, with the knowledge that he's the son of a god and his mother is dead. His little display with the Minotaur has caught the attention of the camp. But he’s not sure it is good attention, yet. Only the Hermes Cabin's not-quite Co-counselor Theseus, ‘call me Theo,’ doesn't treat him like a fascinating zoo exhibit. Which would be a relief, except he looks exactly like Percy: same green eyes, same trouble making smile, same black hair. The only differences are the fact that Theo is six years older, covered in battle scars, and the black tattoo on his arm. A trident and the letters SPQR.

Theo is eighteen, powerful, and unclaimed. And his resemblance to Percy could set a dangerous precedent.

*pretty much everything by Darkmagyk is amazing*

i could be your hero by sundaysabotage

“I just don’t get it,” he huffs to Will as they put up holiday decorations in the unusually quiet infirmary, “they talk to me like I’m supposed to know stuff. Like I’m the new Percy or something.” Nico expects Will to laugh at this, shrug off his concerns as unfounded and tell him he’s being over-dramatic like usual. He is wrong.

“Okay, babe, don’t take this the wrong way. But, you kind of are the new Percy.”

___ Based on a tumblr post I made about Nico being the obvious choice as Camp Half-Blood's unofficial leader when Percy leaves for college. (only no one bothers to tell Nico that)

*some solangelo and Nico being Tired(TM) for you*

Were I That Burning Star by californianNostalgia

An old panic gripped me—the breathless fear of being forgotten, being lost. Would anyone remember me when I was gone? Would someone think to lay a flower down on my grave and say some fond nothings like, “Was a pretty cool guy, that Lester,” while wiping off a single dramatic tear rolling down their cheek? Oh, who was I kidding. So what if no one remembered? There wasn’t much I was proud to be remembered by anyway.

After defeating Python and bringing down Nero, Phoebus Apollo reclaims his godhood. He is glorious once more. But for some reason, he can't quite make himself go back to how things were before.

(A Character Study of Various Gods, including but not limited to: Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Hephaestus, Dionysus, and maybe Zeus)

* absolutely beautiful, very philosophical, made me see the gods in a completely different way*

PJO Fic Rec Part 2

Disclaimer: The fanfiction above were not written by me for I am not nearly as creative. However, I am an avid reader and movie buff so these are some of my favorite fanfiction within the fandom. I politely ask that you read the tags attached the fanfiction beforehand so that you know what you are getting yourself into, there may be crossovers. If you don’t like it then don’t read it. In addition, I ask that there be no bashing, the fics are based on my preferences and what I like. Lastly, if there are any specific genre or fandom of fics you want me to get into let me know through my ask box.

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thebigqueer · 3 years

Note

Not sure how unpopular an opinion this may be, but my most recent reread of the original PJO has left a pretty sour taste in my mouth about the Hunters of Artemis. Aside from the general holier-than-thou attitude they have (at least in TTC and even accounting for Percy being an unreliable narrator), Bianca's recruitment is REALLY questionable to me. Artemis claims that Bianca is at the average, I repeat, AVERAGE age she recruits from, aka freaking 12. Artemis is imposing a massive life- (1/3)

altering decision on an impressionable child who cannot possibly have the maturity or wisdom to understand the full ramifications of her decision, all while her second-in-command regularly dismisses anything not of their group seemingly without reason (sure, we're shown that Zoe has very understandable reasons for distrusting guys, but this was before we knew that). Adding on that, again, the average recruitment age is six years younger than the MINIMUM for modern military service just (2/3)

makes it even more questionable. I'm sure it wasn't the intent, but Artemis's actions can come across as very manipulative, patronizing, and dare I say it, predatory. (P.S. sorry for the multiple asks, I have limited space to type. Also, not trying to start flame wars or anything, just stating an opinion.) (3/3)

I think there's definitely a lot to unpack with Artemis and her hunters. I once saw a post about Bianca's recruitment and how - as one person put it - the hunters of Artemis had a very cult-like attitude and impression on them. I wish I could link it here, but I can't find it.

In all honesty I never really perceived the hunters the way that you do, but after reading through various criticism posts I can definitely see where you're coming from.

In the post that I was referencing earlier, they talked about how Bianca really wasn't all that much to blame in abandoning Nico - she was almost brainwashed into joining them (in the person's interpretation). The hunters had a large impact on her "decision" to join, and this could be an argument supporting why she isn't to blame for leaving Nico.

But even then, you mentioned how "I'm sure it wasn't the intent" of Rick's portrayal of them, which I think was a nice addition. There's a large difference between the actual Greek gods and Rick's own interpretation and ideas of them, and that's an important distinction to make when judging where the hunters - and gods themselves - are coming from.

I'm not that familiar with Greek mythology to be honest, but from the little understanding that I do have, I know the hunters were seen as a haven for some people and it's still important to honor that. In terms of Rick's portrayal of them, I can see where you're coming from. I think he could have tried to make their portrayal a less harsh. What I think is he wanted a way to get rid of Thalia and Bianca, and in order to do that, he made Artemis and her hunters like that so that those girls could have some motivation to leave his narrative, but his way of doing that ended up coming off in a more negative way than it should have been.

Again, there are different interpretations of this situation. And, like you said, I don't think Rick really intended it that way - I feel like his portrayal of Artemis and her hunters were rooted in this more "girlboss" archetype and so his presentation of them came off in a harsher manner. The portrayal of them is probably extreme, but I also think it's important to recognize that their presentation comes off of Rick's own characterization of them. They are probably still considered a kind of safe-haven in actual mythology, but in terms of the PJO books, they do tend to present themselves with a more manipulative and patronizing effect.

#rick riordan #rr crit #rick riordan crit #anon tag #asks #hunters of artemis #long post

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fbfh · 3 years

Text

leo x reader relationship and intimacy hcs pt 2

As with all steamy/nsfw works all characters are 18+

1.2k

Sooo

Let’s get started ‘,:)

Aight i’m gonna say it if i haven’t before i genuinely don’t remember-

Leo and Nico are tied for first place in terms of stamina

Percy is in a close second and he’s very salty about it

And pretty much everyone else is within the reasonable to high stamina zone

So this boy could just

He’s non stop

Relentless

Insatiable if you will

Aka at least a little horny all the time

But like in a sweet way

He loves you so much it’s always coming from a place of wanting to be close to you and make you feel good

Loves to go down on you

A lot

Like could spend hours between your legs

And has at least once or twice

Goes apeshit when he’s going down on you and you grab his hair

I have a personal headcanon that he’s great at rapping seamlessly between spanish and english so uh

Do with that what you will

To quote min yoongi, Leo’s got some tongue technology

And knows how to use it

You never fail to return the favor though

The only word that comes to mind for him is euphoric

He’s come to the conclusion that he can’t compare which is better, when he goes down on you or vice versa

It’s apple orgasms with the hottest person in the world and orange orgasms with the hottest person in the world

They’re different but both fucking fantastic

He holds your hand a lot in the bedroom

Like he’s pretty grabby

We can all agree on this

But as soon as one of his hands finds yours, he doesn’t let go

The other one will kind of roam around jumping from place to place cause he can’t get enough of you

But his other hand will be locked with yours, fingertips brushing lovingly against your knuckles, thumb rubbing the side of your hand

Makes out with you a lot when things get heated

Like a lot

He’s very kissy

Doesn’t like positions or situations where he can’t kiss you nearly as much

If you get embarrassed or flustered by eye contact he kisses your neck and collarbones more

You being comfy is his top priority

Also I feel like I need to mention

Demigods either have massive horse choking schlongs or ultra gorilla grip coochies

Like “shouldn’t logically be able to fit but can bc of god magic” kinda dicks

I’m talking exclusively buying durex xxl xtra wide xtra long condoms

This goes for all the fellas

You can pry this headcanon from my cold dead hands

Or could if I was capable of being killed

Anyway

Shopping for stuff is always fun with him

You two end up laughing and giggling like middle schoolers in a sex ed class

Not in like a tee hee sex is scandalous way

But I feel like being able to laugh abt stuff w your partner is rlly important

Also sex doesn’t always have to be super serious all the time yk???

“raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” “sticking my dick in rotisserie chickens” is funny for a reason yk

Plus there’s not much you wouldn’t be able to laugh about with Leo

I ended up writing a one shot about last minute condom shopping with leo by accident so i’ll link it once it’s posted

God help me

He dances with you a lot

Does he feel you up and grind a little??

Or a lot???

Yes

More like a lot

Definitely a lot

Especially in the kitchen

He thinks dancing in the kitchen is really cute

You’ve gotten a lot better at dancing since being with him

He also likes giving you piggy backs cause you have full access to his neck

Do with that what you will

Especially if it’s neck kisses and hickeys

Any way shape or form he can be physically close to you he will

And he loves it

Still doesn’t 100% expect you to reciprocate his feelings

Little ones like loving to cuddle you and instigating it

Cause like

Have you met you

Thinks you’re so fucking beyond incredible

He still doesn’t really know how he got you

He can’t think about it too much or it freaks him out

He just ends up giving you a lot of attention when that happens

Usually pulls you aside somewhere to make out

If you get asmr tingles easily

He’ll take full advantage of it

He’ll whisper shit really close to your ears and you just like

Get anime spiky shivers all over your body

Emotional intimacy is also like a huge turn on for him

Like that one scene from new girl (2:10)

So like dirty talk is fun or w/e

But if you really wanna get him riled up

Just kinda run your hands up and down his chest

Rest your head on his shoulder

And whisper about how much he means to you

“I love being around you”

Leo: on

“You make me really happy”

Leo: on

“I dunno what I’d do without you”

Leo: on

“You’re so important to me”

Leo: on

Punctuate it with a kiss and nuzzle your face into the crook of his neck

Leo: fucking on

Make sure to take a lot of pictures and videos of him and the two of you

Cause he gets a lot of pictures of you

Like a lot

He likes using a polaroid cause he can physically hold them, yk

He has one or two physical pictures of his mom that mean a lot to him

Once you got a butt ton of copies of those two pictures made for him

“Just in case something happened, this is too important to lose”

He hugged you so fucking tight

He’s surprisingly good at photography and shooting videos

Like he has good instincts behind the camera

You’re really surprised when you notice there’s not one picture he’s taken of you that you hate

You each probably have at least a few hickeys somewhere at any given time

Also if I haven’t brought this up yet

Leo in just his boxers is uuuuuh

Really really nice

You usually see him like that one of three (or four) times

He’s either gonna be hovering over you with his hair in his face taking in the sight of you before things escalate further

Lying on his stomach tangled in your sheets first thing in the morning, still reeling and blissed out from the night before

His back muscles also look especially nice then

Or standing behind you kissing your neck while you pour some coffee, his hands on your waist under his shirt you’re wearing

Or, bonus, when you’re straddling his hips, his face bright red as you roll your hips just the right way to get him to buck up a little, and he stops biting his lip to tell you to stop teasing him

To which you happily comply

A lot

I’m gonna stop here or i’ll just go on and on forever and never stop

Just like leo

#Leo Valdez #leo x reader #leo valdez x reader #hoo #hoo x reader #Leo Valdez headcanon #HoO headcanons #leo valdez headcanons

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katsidhe · 3 years

Note

could you share the descriptions of the answers? I'm bad at answering these quizzes cause I always get like 3 answers that fit but in different circumstances so I like seeing all of the descriptions

Yeah sure! I too wish uquiz gave an option to see all the result descriptions... alas.

anyway here’s a wall of text, go nuts.

DEAN-CODED DEAN GIRL

You might just be the hero of a YA fantasy novel or an action movie, because you have Big Protag Energy. You’re self-centered and extremely giving at the same time: you expect and demand absolute loyalty, just as you provide the same. Your love can move mountains, but if you’re not careful that same love can be suffocating or controlling. You’re volatile: you’ll cut a bitch and you don’t care who knows it. You’ll kick their ass. You’ll kick their dog’s ass. You’ll kick your own ass. You have a one-liner for every occasion. Your friends like you but would describe you as “a lot.” You’re magnetic: your charisma and sheer bull-headedness mean you stand out in every room. You’re polarizing, and you know it, but that doesn’t bother you: you know you’re right, and even when you’re wrong, you’re at least entertaining. You’re very “do as I say, not as I do:” you’re a bit of a hypocrite, but, like, in a fun way.

Holotypes include: Dean Winchester (Supernatural), Thomas Jefferson (Hamilton), Sirius Black (Harry Potter), Kathryn Janeway (Star Trek: Voyager), Katara (ATLA), Vriska Serket (Homestuck)

DEAN-CODED SAM GIRL

You are a charmer and a people-pleaser. You’re charismatic to a fault, when you want to be: whether consciously or not, you have a razor-keen sense of how others see you, and you mold yourself to expectations. You can either talk circles around most people, or you come across as so fundamentally honest that you gain everyone’s trust without trying. Your affable persona is built on a rock-solid sense of purpose. You have a steadfast, deadset fixation on your goals, which you know in your heart to be worth any cost and any sacrifice. Armed with iron conviction, you’re a rebel with a cause. Is it paranoia if they really are all out to get you? When you inevitably win, the whole world will know your name. Your strong sense of self will carry you through any hardship. Your friends look up to you, but they don’t always “get” you.

Holotypes include: Lucifer (Supernatural), Eponine (Les Mis), Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Prince Zuko (ATLA), Samwise Gamgee (LOTR), Karkat Vantas (Homestuck)

DEAN-CODED CAS GIRL

Like all Dean-coded people, you are charming and affable, and you talk a big game. You might be the class clown or a popular athlete, or otherwise one of them cool kids, but underlying that public persona is a certain quiet idealism. You keep your strong convictions close to your heart, even when far from home or beset by strife. You’re fiercely loyal and you crave being around people, but you can see when your friends need space, and you can get along okay on your own. You’re not afraid to change your opinions if new information comes to light. Strangers find you easy to get along with: you tend to go along with the group, and you’re a team player no matter what needs to get done. Your chill-to-pull ratio is sky-high.

Holotypes include: Ahsoka (Star Wars), Meg (Supernatural), Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson), Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter), Boromir (LOTR), Jon Snow (Game of Thrones)

SAM-CODED DEAN GIRL

You come across as level headed, but you’re never more than an inch from going off the rails. Your highest values are love and personal loyalty, but you’re pragmatic about it, and you try very hard not to put unfair expectations on other people, with varying degrees of success. You spend a lot of time dealing with expectations; it’s something you either grapple with, or lean into to use to your own ends. You value your own sense of identity, but that identity can get subsumed by your loyalties. You can easily get pulled in or suborned by strong personalities. You keep secrets, both from yourself and from others. Who you want to be is at odds with how you see yourself. People meeting you for the first time might say you’re aloof. You have lots of strong opinions, but you usually keep them to yourself… unless provoked. Careful; you bite.

Holotypes include: Mary Winchester (Supernatural), Harry Potter (Harry Potter), Aragorn (LOTR), Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars), Julian Bashir (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games)

SAM-CODED SAM GIRL

Gifted kid (diagnosis). You were and maybe still are an outsider, and because of that you’ve had to learn to be self-sufficient and confident in your own abilities. You’re a fiercely independent overachiever, and you’ve fought hard for every inch. Somewhere inside you is a hot, long simmering rage born from the injustice of the world, but it’s buried very deep. You’d be more than content to be alone for long periods of time. You have sometimes crippling perfectionism: if you aren’t succeeding, it’s your fault for not trying hard enough. You’ll pick every kind of intellectual fight and throw yourself into playing devil’s advocate just to improve your understanding: you see the gray areas in everything. You’re aggressively big-picture. You want to, no, you MUST change the universe, but you don’t need to take credit for it. Your few friends might describe you as callous, but you know you’re just being realistic: you’ve got a harsh, clear-eyed sense of the world. No pain, no gain, and really, if you do the math, no single individual is all that important in the grand scheme of things.

Holotypes include: Kevin Tran (Supernatural), Jean Valjean (Les Miserables), Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars), Neville Longbottom (Harry Potter), Frodo Baggins (LOTR), Dirk Strider (Homestuck), Luke Castellan (Percy Jackson)

SAM-CODED CAS GIRL

You have a strong sense of how the world ought to be, but you have no overriding vision or big master plan: you take life day by day to fix the little things you can. You have very few close relationships, but those you have you treasure dearly. You support your few friends unconditionally, but you tend to be emotionally distant with acquaintances. You may be a bit of a pushover. You often find yourself put in the position of mediator. You loathe conflict, so you avoid it unless absolutely necessary--but once you’re truly angry, you’ll stop at nothing to see justice done. You’re a diplomat and an advocate: you are deeply idealistic, but you’re nevertheless strongly grounded in a pragmatic sense of achieving what you can. Philosophy is action, action is philosophy; you like meditation and self-improvement and have probably done at least one juice cleanse. Both friends and strangers describe you as quietly dependable. If you can’t see the trauma, the trauma can’t see you! That’s just science!

Holotypes include: Sam Winchester (Supernatural), BJ Hunnicut (M*A*S*H), Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Aang (ATLA), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson)

CAS-CODED DEAN GIRL

Much of your identity is tied up in a set of core beliefs - to the point where those beliefs might be strong enough to override your identity. You’re not beholden to any outside system. If you’re comfortable serving a larger common goal, it’s because you believe in it wholeheartedly. You’re action-oriented: you act first, and think later, or possibly never. You judge your friends solely based on what they do, and you tend to hold people accountable for any unforeseen consequences of their choices. You have strong personal loyalties. You’re not at the center of your social circle, but your friends trust you implicitly and the leader of your group tends to confide in you. You don’t seek power, but you’re also not afraid of taking charge, and you may find power thrust upon you. If you do find yourself in a position of leadership, you struggle with going too far or taking your friends in an unexpected direction. Whether you’re fighting in a war or making yourself a sandwich, you go hard in the motherfuckin’ paint.

Holotypes include: Castiel (Supernatural), Javert (Les Miserables), Captain Rex (Star Wars), Kanaya Maryam (Homestuck), Worf (Star Trek), Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter)

CAS-CODED SAM GIRL

I mean this in the nicest possible way, but you’re a bit weird. You are spacey or odd or otherwise out of step with how people think you should act, but that’s fine. It doesn’t matter what they think, because if you’re sure of one thing, it’s that you should never mold your unique identity to other people’s expectations. You live internally: you’re all about grand, world-changing concepts, whether they be philosophical, artistic, or mathematical. You are grounded in the reality that you are one person and one viewpoint among many others, but that doesn’t stop you from writing your nine-hundred page thesis on the topic you’re passionate about. You can justify just about anything by the virtue of your personal convictions arising almost entirely from within yourself. Your identity can get swept up in your big ideas. You’re easier to sway with logic than with emotion, but you don’t feel the need to confine yourself with such terms: you operate on both vibes and flowcharts. You move through the world with the assurance that you are the master of your own fate, and you are unburdened by worrying about the opinions of others. You won’t let yourself feel pinned down by one social group; you float in and out comfortably, depending on how you’re feeling. Friends and strangers describe you as “spooky.”

Holotypes include: Azazel (Supernatural), Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter), Aaron Burr (Hamilton), Princess Azula (ATLA), Yoda (Star Wars), Jadzia Dax (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Terezi Pyrope (Homestuck)

CAS-CODED CAS GIRL

You are chaotic and excitable. You’re swayed by the drive to explore: the greatest good is to understand the universe and your place in it. You’ve got big ideas, and you’re drawn to new experiences, but you don’t necessarily understand what’s going on. You might be a part of a bigger social machine, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be defined on its terms: you’ll self-actualize if it kills you. You identify new objects by licking them. You can see the strings of the world; what will you choose? You’ll take the reins and see where they take you. You say you’re following your own path. Your friends say you don’t know what you’re doing. Pragmatism? Never heard of her. A dream is a vision is a reality; ideas are the world writ large. You might be a prophet or a visionary. With your head in the clouds, you’re sometimes divorced from both reality and consequences. You’re usually on the outside looking in, and you don’t want to be. People think they understand you, but they definitely don’t. Your friends and enemies describe you as impulsive and mysterious.

Holotypes include: Raphael (Supernatural), Uncle Iroh (ATLA), Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter), Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars), Gandalf (LOTR)

#x coded y girl #i speaks #my quiz #long post for ts #why doesn't uquiz give that as an option?#and while we're at it why won't uquiz let me click one button to read all the text box responses ppl gave me :(#aromanticbristlefrost

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tessathaitea · 3 years

Text

To Think it Started With COVID-19

"Mr. Jackson, I need you to please introduce yourself to the rest of the class," his teacher Mr. Green asked through the computer. He sighed.

He and Annabeth had broken up, not on exactly mutual terms (by now he had moved on and they were both still very close friends). He held no grudge against her, for it was part of figuring out who she was, nor against the certain daughter of Aphrodite she had been crushing on.

Percy proceeded to type in the chat that he could not unmute, unless the class wanted to hear a bunch of pandemonium.

"Mr. Jackson, I assume you don't want to be failing class on the first day, am I correct?" Mr. Green asked (his name should have been Mr. Blue. That would be much better). Percy sighed, and hit the unmute button.

"Um, alright. Hello, I'm Percy Jackson and-" he started before being interrupted.

"GET OVER HERE YOU LITTLE PUNKS! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" a voice Percy later recognised as Clarisse shouted. A bomb-like noise then went off.

"Sorry about that. Okay, so-" another voice then shouted out, interrupting him for the second time in thirty seconds.

"Shut up you load of Minotaur dung!" it said. Another boom sounded. The Stolls must have been pulling another prank and went too far.

"Right, Mr. Jackson, you may refrain from introducing yourself. Now, please mute yourself. All that noise is going to end up giving me a headache," he said. Percy quickly muted himself, and then sighed with relief. At least he didn't ask where Percy was. It would be hard to explain as to why Percy was at a summer camp during the school year. He zoned out the rest of the lecture, making it when Jason snuck up behind him an even bigger scare.

"Hey," Jason said. Percy jumped in surprise, and he couldn't help noticing Jason's bright blue eyes staring right at him, and cursed himself for thinking. Turning his camera off, he turned towards Jason.

"Something you need? I think you know I'm in class right now," he smirked. Jason laughed. He gave Percy a sad smile.

"There's been a new quest issued for you, Nico, Thalia, and me," he said sadly, his smile gone. Percy's heart sunk.

"Right. I'll be there in a minute," Percy said. He told his teacher that there was a family emergency.

"I can wait," Jason said, sitting down on a bed. Percy smiled.

"Ha, no. You need to get your stuff ready. Now, shoo," he said. Jason rolled his eyes, but left the cabin.

After getting his work in advance for the next seven weeks from his teacher, he packed a bag of nectar and ambrosia. There was a soft knock on the door, and Annabeth came in.

"Hey Wise Girl. You get your crush yet?" he asked teasingly. Annabeth turned red, and glared at him.

"Shut up. You getting excited to be going on a quest with a certain blond haired blue-eyed Son of Jupiter?" she said. Percy turned around and pretended to continue packing, so the girl wouldn't see the light blush along his thoroughly tanned cheeks.

"I don't know what you mean Wise Girl," he said, fighting down the blush.

"Of course you do! You're always glancing over at him, and you sometimes even blush around him," she said, rolling her eyes and giggling uncharacteristically. He glared at her, forgetting about the blush on his cheeks. Annabeth's smile widened. As Percy walked out of his cabin, he told her something he would never regret.

"If you don't admit your feelings for Piper by the time I get back, you owe me twenty golden drachma," he called, and then bumped into the same daughter of Aphrodite he was talking about on the way out.

"Wait, what?" Piper asked. Percy winked at both of them.

"Don't start doing the deed in my cabin now, as I don't need more of a mess," he said teasingly. Leaving both girls a blushing mesh, he skipped out the door.

Once he arrived at the Big House, he was met with Thalia interrogating a flustered Jason, which Percy thought was sort of cute.

"You know that he's head-over-heels for you, right? I still don't get why you picked that-" Thalia continued ranting at Jason, until she noticed Percy was there. After Thalia saw him, she started to immediately change the subject.

"Are we all ready to go?" Nico grumbled. Percy suspected he had been pulled out of the infirmary after another round of 'doctors orders' stays. Percy bet that a certain Will Solace was just making excuses to fuss over Nico and spend time with him.

After everyone at least mumbled at yes, they all took hands. Percy later could have sworn Thalia nudged Jason closer to him. He realized with a jolt that Jason was actually holding his hand, and then cursed himself for thinking like a lovesick middle school student. He was jolted out of his thoughts by the sudden darkness of shadow-travel, and the burst of cold air that came after it.

There was a yell, and all of a sudden Nico and Thalia fell over the skyscraper that they had landed on.

"Thalia, concentrate on the winds and not anything else. If all else fails, Nico see if you can shadow-travel back to camp!" Jason yelled. Thalia concentrated, but only managed to stir up a miniature thunderstorm. Nico sighed, and touched Thalia's shoulder, trying to touch her as little as possible as they shadow-traveled out.

Percy sighed with relief, but then realized the situation they were in. They were on top of some sort of skyscraper with two antennae, and one was lit up red and the other lit up green. The city had an amazing skyline, but didn't look like anywhere in New York.

"Any clue to where we are?" Percy asked.

"Nico said we were going to start out in Chicago, but didn't say where. I'm guessing we're on the Sirius tower/ Willis tower," Jason answered. Jason had his legs dangling off the roof, and was staring at the skyline. Percy sat down next to him.

"You know, you guys never actually told me what we were doing on this quest," Percy said.

"We were waiting for you to ask," Jason said. Was it Percy's imagination, or did Jason move closer to him?

"Yeah, well I'm asking now,"

"It was for me to do something," Jason said. Percy had the urge to roll his eyes.

"Do what?" Percy asked. Jason turned towards Percy, his blue eyes sparkling.

"This,"

Jason grabbed Percy's jaw and smashed his lips onto Percy's own. Suddenly, the night's colors became sharper, and Percy's senses cheered. When they finally pulled away, both boys were blushing.

"You wouldn't believe how long I wanted to do that," Jason said, his fingers tracing one of the scars on Percy's face.

"Yeah? How long?" Percy asked.

"Since the day I met you," he said.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Are you sure you don't want me to sleep on the couch?" Jason asked. They were staying at a hotel room, and there had been a mix up in the room so that there was only one bed.

"Jason fucking Grace, I said it's fine. Now go to bed," Percy mumbled from his spot in the bed. He heard Jason sigh, and felt him lay down in the bed. Percy moved so that he was in Jason's arms, and sighed contently. He heard the equivalent from Jason a couple minutes later. For once, Percy didn't have to worry about anything from the mythological world.

TIMESKIPTOAFTERWHENEVERTHEIRSPRINGBREAKENDS:

"Mr. Jackson, could you please state the answer to this question?" his teacher asked. Percy sighed. He would have to spend the rest of the day correcting his other teachers.

"Fine. Also, it's Grace-Jackson now."

“COME BACK HERE! YOU DIDN’T TAKE A COVID-19 TEST!” shouted someone in the background. Probably Will hounding Nico because he shadow-traveled to Europe on accident again.

Oh, well. Camp Half-Blood was his family after all, and a great one at that.

#jercy #one-shot

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outoftimewriting · 4 years

Text

Imagine (based on the incomplete fanfic Son of the Underworld) (Son of Hades! Percy AU) (5/5) or (5/10)

Hey so, this is the last part of PJO - I follow into HOO, so before you read this, check on the masterpost - and read the warnings before proceeding :)) Good reading!

Annabeth comes to him, at the end of his fifteenth birthday party, and shows her Daedalus laptop. There's a document open in it, and it's labeled Achilles' Curse.

Percy doesn't read it - he hates reading, in any way or form or language - but she does, out loud.

"I'll think about it"

They have a year. Most of them, even those who aren't year-rounders, are going back to camp, to draw battle plans and stock on the armory.

He feels kinda selfish - for a whole five seconds before he remembers he'll probably die next summer, so he just shrugs it off - Percy deserves this year.

They all leave to go back to camp. Nico seems conflicted over something - but Perseus doesn't question it, there's enough bad blood between them.

Paola is really cool - and Sally really loves her. It's kind of bizarre at first, to see his Mom dating his teacher - and of a subject he hates - but Paola is calm and well-tempered and she laughs at his stupid ass jokes.

He visits Persephone afterward - and it really feels like he has three moms to fulfill his lack of a father - well, he is absolutely grateful for the women in his life.

Percy isn't truly in good terms with his father. The man doesn't really seem to care much for him as a person - he is much more of a trophy son.

Perseus loathes being a trophy son, but at least he has someone to help with his powers - not something a lot of half-bloods can claim.

So he goes back to school with Rachel, and they pretend everything is normal. He tells her about his quests - all three of them. He thinks she understands him better now.

He opens up to her. Tells her about Annabeth - the adrenaline-fueled kiss - and Rachel stops talking with him for a week.

She apologizes when she comes back. She needed to figure some things up - firstly, the redhead tells him she is probably asexual - and maybe aromantic too, but she is not certain because the internet wasn't really clear about that.

Then Rachel confesses that she is not jealous of him in a romantic way - she is envious of his friendship with Annabeth. Percy is her first genuine friend that really appreciates her.

This is the first grudge Perseus lets go for real before it even takes place - Rachel didn't leave him because of teenage drama, she ignored him out of confusion. Everyone is allowed space - he knows this better than anyone.

They don't kiss anymore. Not because Rachel doesn't like it - no, she is all for it - but because Percy is starting to think kisses should mean something - he is saving them.

They kiss once - when Rachel father calls for the first time this year - not to ask about her, but to tell Rachel he found this amazing all-girls school. To Percy, kisses mean comfort.

They cuddle a lot, though. These past few years of fear have made Percy very touch-starved.

It's sophomore year - and Percy is in five AP classes: Macroeconomics&Microeconomics, Statistics, Calculus AB, Physics 1, and Comparative Government and Politics.

He is planning on taking both AP Computer Science classes, Psychology, Physics 2, and Calculus BC next year; leaving only Electricity&Magnetism, Mechanics, Chemistry, and World History for his senior year.

If he lives, he is working on a tight schedule here. He doesn't know what he wants yet - and if he is in constant danger, it's already pretty lucky he can do high school - but probably something with Math.

Rachel says fourteen AP courses are ambitious - that he'll burn out. But math comes to him easily enough - it's in his blood.

She is also overworking: She is taking AP Environmental Studies, Art History, Drawing, 2-D Art and Design, and English Literature and Composition.

They complete each other. Rachel is planning on taking as many Art, History, and English courses as she can - he is taking as many Physics, Math, and Science as he can handle.

(She is also going to take on Japanese studies for some reason - probably for her GPA, but Perseus just teases her that she is getting too invested in anime)

Perseus doesn't care about languages anymore - the only languages that matter to him are C++ and JavaScript now.

They study together, they take naps together, they climb to the roof together, they flee school to visit Sally together - he is the Pinky to her Brain, the Scooby to her Shaggy, the Lois Lane to her Superman, the Robin to her Batman.

They look like troublemakers - They are honor roll students, but she is always with ripped pants dirty with paint, and he is always full of flowers everywhere, even in his muddy converses - a cliche to kill all cliches.

They're both nerds - he is the classic one, all polo shirts now, the first chair for every number-related class - and she is the artsy one - there's a brush behind her ear and her hair is so messy that half the time it covers her face.

Paola gifts him a pair of cheap frames without lenses once - saying it adds to the aesthetic - he totally uses them.

Persephone just makes him flower-crowns, and giggles when he matches them with his polo shirts.

When winter comes, he goes back to his hoodies and sweaters and gloves - to find out he doesn't miss them a lot.

Rachel introduces him to polaroids - and they look eerily pretty in the winter, her hair looking like blood spilling over the snow - and he loves it.

If he survives - he can feel Rachel slapping him - when he survives, his college credits will be remarkable. The idea of doing SATs makes him want to cry - reading always does - but he'll get somewhere good - he knows it. Perhaps Stanford. Or NYU. Or the dream of his life, MIT.

He is living his life to the fullest - he starts reading comic books, he gets really (really) into Tony Stark once Iron Man 1 comes out (even if he has to kill at least three monsters just to go to the movies), he plants trees and Rachel starts teaching him how to play her ukulele - but half his mind is still on the upcoming war.

Christmas vacation comes - and he goes to visit Camp Half-Blood, before heading back to his mom. It's quite memorable, if only by the fact that Nico Di Angelo freaking betrays him.

He tells Percy to come to the Winter Solstice with him. Most of the campers are not going - the war effort is in an all-time high - but Percy has never gone before. Hades will be there - it'll be great!

Perseus should absolutely be less surprised with the outcome - seeing that Nico is inviting him in Cabin 1, post-dinner, and they don't even stop to talk to Chiron about it.

But Percy goes. Because Percy wants to make amends.

There's no time to really talk to anyone. They travel in Blackjack for the Empire State Building - and it's fine.

They go up to Olympus, Nico shows him everything in the god's land, the temples are a work of art, if not kind of old, and the meeting is kind of okay, even if the gods are squabbling children.

Then the gods leave, and Perseus thinks they're leaving too.

"My father needs a word with you"

Perseus feels the betrayal claw on him. There are no shadows in the white hall, there's no way for him to escape. Nico looks apologetic - Percy wants to clock him in the face.

"He promised to tell me more about my mother" Nico pleads "He will tell me more about where I've come from. Please, Percy."

Nico is cute. He is, for a soon-to-be fourteen-year-old. But his pretty face and exquisite white eyes don't make him any less of a freaking liar. All his handsome male straight friends betray him - it's a worrying pattern now.

He muses for a second that they also all have a crush on Annabeth - gods, the blonde attract the worst types.

It's double-crossing - Percy ends up in an all-white cell that burns his retinas without any weapons because Zeus wants praise in the middle of this freaking war - doesn't matter if a hundred demigods die, if he only has the glory.

Nico ends up with barely any information - Zeus didn't promise anything. The god of the skies is a lying-ass motherfucker - literally.

And Zeus justifies it - He says Perseus is a criminal because he awakened Typhon. So Hephaestus issues a quest so he can save a hundred demigods, he destroys a powerful titan weapon of doom, and he is the villain? Sure, Jan.

Perseus writes this grudge in his heart - that's where trust will take you. To a cell. Betrayed by a "friend". Again.

He flinches when Nico comes into his cell, pins him to the wall and promptly begins to try and strangle him. He wants to melt in the boy's shadow - to go and never give him a chance to explain - but he looks so guilty Percy waits for his repentance.

The son of Zeus saves him, but Perseus is still pissed off. The god of thunder has threatened to kill him off at least two times now, what is to say he wouldn't have killed off Percy for the sake of glory?

He half hopes Zeus had killed him off. The war is close, too close - Nico wouldn't be the Prophecy's child. There would be no child. Olympus would fall - and Percy would have seen it all from his very comfortable couch in Elysium.

He wants Kronos gone - but he kind of wants Olympus to fall with the Titan.

Nico flies him down to the Earth - the elevator is monitored. Zeus has left, like many others - not to bother with the war effort against his main enemy, but to go to the human world mess with people.

Some gods are doing something - He has heard from Annabeth that Artemis is leading the widest hunt ever, with her brother by her side; Hermes (with Hephaestus help) is delivering Celestial Bronze, other metals, old schematics and a whole lot of fuel to Camp Half-Blood every few weeks; Poseidon is fighting his own war, in the ocean; Dionysus is at Camp - and this time, he is really helpful with the battle formations; Demeter is on the Underworld - Chiron seems to think his father is preparing for war, but Percy sorely doubts it.

Percy is taking some people with him to Sally's Christmas dinner. Just Annabeth, Clarisse, Rachel, Connor, Travis, and Charles - people who don't have a present family to celebrate it with.

Grover is coordinating the dryads up in San Francisco with his second cousin, Gleeson Hedge - they are the first to fall if anything goes wrong in Mt. Othrys.

"I think you should stay." He tells Nico.

"You don't trust me anymore." It's not actually a question.

Percy doesn't trust the boy. Not at all - it's the third time he does something shady to achieve his ends based on emotional turmoil. But he is a good person - it's just his father's cursed temper and his grief.

"It's not that. You're needed for the war effort."

Both of them know it's a lie. Percy doesn't care - he deserves to be bitter a little longer.

Percy goes back home. Christmas is amazing - even if Rachel asks him where Nico is because he is talking about making amends with the boy for a while now.

He goes visit Persephone - but she is occupied, so he wanders through the Underworld after Bianca di Angelo - someone he, for some reason, never been able to reach. It's a pointless endeavor by now.

He finds her. Or else, he finds a shadow of her - she is blocked from his view. Bianca doesn't talk to him - they weren't close - but she guides him to a girl.

Her name is Hazel Levesque.

She seems lost - like most ghosts - but something in Percy calls for her. It's the color of her skin and the sparkle in her golden eyes - Hazel remembers him of himself.

He promises to visit more - even though he doesn't think she'll remember it - and leaves to go back to the surface - he will finish the sophomore year.

And Percy does. After a very distressing break, he is doing his best. His grades drop a little in English because he can barely focus - half his mind is on the war and Nico's betrayal and Hazel Levesque's golden eyes.

Miraculously, his GPA doesn't fall - he still is taking a ridiculous amount of AP classes, and barely has time to breathe - dark circles grow under his eyes, and he looks like a mess - but now he is a Junior.

That's why, as soon as the year ends, Rachel takes him on a road trip with Connor. They go all the way to Boston, then Portland, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Syracuse, Baltimore, and Filadelfia, before going back to NY.

They are stopped five times by the police - because Percy is black, and it's Rachel driving the Camaro, because she has a learner's permit and Connor is, somehow, an approved license holder.

They are on a pier, enjoying the view of the beach. They did the last week alone because Connor wanted to go check on one of his cousins - at least, that's what he said, with an over-exaggerated wink that both Percy and Rachel ignored for the sake of their sanity.

She tells him about Clarion Ladies Academy - but that her father is at least mildly happy with her GPA this year, even if he disapproves of her Art focused AP classes. Percy thinks Mr. Dare would love him, with his APs on Economics and Politics, if only he was rich. And white.

This time, when Charles Beckendorf arrives in a Pegasus to tell him it's time, Rachel doesn't kiss him - she justs hugs him and makes him promise to call her.

Perseus doesn't go to the Andromeda Ship - he is needed in Camp. He is useless on the water - but they do need him to improve battle strategy.

Charles Beckendorf is dead. Thalia is the one to tell them - she was in her father's palace helping with a monster under her Lady's orders - he went on the mission alone.

Percy talks briefly with Beckendorf's ghost - is his worst developed power, and he can barely hold the "seance" for more than a few minutes. He does it with only Nico di Angelo for witness - the others are the way to close to the situation.

There's a spy passing information to Luke.

They look at him. Doesn't matter how much he does, he is always the first suspect - he is a son of Hades. He was friends with a lot of people on the other side. He was gone for a year and a half, who knows where.

Perseus wants to say that he has helped to save their asses four times now - that without him in the Labyrinth, they would all be dead right now - and that Charles was basically his older brother.

Then he points out he wasn't even here - he had no idea of any plans of anything - and he told him about the spy, so he is not the freaking spy, go point fingers at each other instead of him.

When they start yelling, he stops them - this is not the time, he was just angry at their accusations. They have to burn Charles shroud. Silena is inconsolable - Percy is not very far from it, but he is not a public crier. The last time he cried in public, Luke was dead on a cliff.

Percy speeds up the line for Elysium to Beckendorf - his brother deserves it.

They read the prophecy together - Perseus already read it last summer, he doesn't even care anymore. They look at him anxiously - no one has forgotten that he abhors most of the gods.

Clarisse and Michael Yew fight, but Lee Fletcher - with a mechanical arm built by Beckendorf himself, still re-learning how to shoot arrows and forever incapable of playing the guitar again (but the keyboard is not ruled out yet) - stops them: They can share the chariot. The war is more important - is not the time for petty fights.

Chiron shows them Typhon - and Perseus has a sliver of hope that they can destroy Kronos and be free of the gods at the same time - It's a horrible hope, because he loves Persephone and some of them are even okay sometimes, but he really wants Zeus to go to Tartarus for at least a century, so Perseus doesn't meet him again in this life.

But he also wants the gods to win, because there's a lot of dead people - innocents, people who have nothing to do with this war.

He dreams of Rachel. Rachel is painting Luke - and Percy wakes up crying, for the boy the gods took away.

Annabeth takes him aside and reminds him of Achilles' Curse. He is off to May Castellan's house - the last place Luke has been - for it's his best and only chance, its what Annie thinks. And she is scarcely wrong.

Perseus hates the gods. They wrecked a family - and for what? May Castellan - forever waiting for a son that will never come back, haunted by visions of his future, plates of burned cookies everywhere.

Perseus doesn't pity her - he rages against the gods, who brought madness upon this woman and then left her to it. Where was Apollo, the god of health? Dionysus, who is supposed to control mental health? Artemis, whose job is to protect women?

Hestia is kind - but she is still a goddess. She could've prevented this - but she hides in her hearth and abstains - and that's enabling. Hestia enables the other gods to do as they please, even when she is the oldest. She says they ignore her - oh well, she ignores them right back! He has no time for the laments of another all-powerful being.

So he goes to his mother and asks for her blessing. Then, just to be sure, he asks Persephone's too.

He thinks about his anchor - where does he want it to be in his body. He doesn't want somewhere in his back - where he can't see it - or in his gut - where anyone can stick a sword. He settles for the bottom of his back - where he can at least touch it and it's well protected by armor - and dives.

Perseus hates water - and he has an uncanny fear of drowning. He feels pain - everywhere, horrible pain.

His vision now doesn't have Annabeth's face - the blonde is his link to the demigod world, Persephone is his link to the Underworld and his mom is his link to childhood - but the person who grounds him is Rachel.

He is stronger. He feel his powers at his fingertips - Perseus feels the Underworld as a whole, and it's overwhelming.

Green flames explode from his hands. Flowers made of shadows curve around his ankles - he has been training since he was 12, but now his body can sustain all of his power. This is all his.

He goes meet with his father - Perseus manipulates him. He tells Hades he'll be the hero, but the god himself can be praised for more than being his father. That he should join the battle against Typhon - That's his chance of proving himself. Also, there's less paperwork for him if there are fewer dead people.

His father is amused with his blatant bribing, but he thinks about it, Percy can tell. In a way or another, he excuses himself and goes back to the surface where he is needed.

Persephone stalls him. She asks him to stay, just for this night. He can go back in the morning - he sleeps, and dreams of Rachel again, drawing in the sand. In greek.

He is scared for her - she is having demigod dreams, but she is mortal. Something is wrong.

Typhon is getting worse - and Kronos draws closer to NYC. It's time - he calls for Blackjack and leaves - Mrs. O'Leary, who has become more or less of a mother to his own hellhound, follows. Persephone promises to convince Hades.

They have about sixty campers able to fight heading for the Empire State Building, and five healers. The ones too young to lift a sword or string a bow stayed back at Camp with Argus - fifteen children between 5 and 9 years old.

Percy knows he looks different - he looks just like his father. He has gained a godly aura - he has no scars anymore, no imperfections. Perseus looms over all of them - he went from 5'7'' to 6'2'' - it's a weird view, from up there. It's still strange when they look at him with a mix of fear and admiration.

Perseus Jackson is officially their leader. He hates Olympus - but he will give his life to defend every single one of his demigods.

The vision Hestia shows him just makes him want to tear this throne room with his bare hands - Luke was a kid. He was a kid - and the gods corrupted him. Thalia was a kid - and the gods took her life, twice. Annabeth is still a kid - they all are - and she is here planning battle strategies.

Annabeth missed an extra year of formal education - while Percy is a Junior, Annabeth barely qualifies for a Freshman - because the gods took this from her too.

Percy rages. The ground of Olympus trembles beneath him - he wants to kill something.

Then Hermes appears - like this whole war is not his fault in the first place, the literal bastard - just to relay a message from Athena that gives them a plan that Annabeth was already putting into works and tells Percy to stay away from Annabeth.

Like she cares. Like Athena has ever, ever, done anything for Annabeth.

Perseus can't punch Athena, so he punches the messager (also, because he freaking guilt trips both of them about Luke). He has nothing to lose - he is going to die by the end of the day anyway, and they need him too much.

He has punched a god before - Ares, in a desert in the middle of Los Angeles - but this time, it's satisfactory. He feels good after it.

Hermes seems strangely resigned - He feels guilty about Luke too, but Perseus doesn't think it's enough. It'll never be enough, not while the gods leave their children to rot in a cabin of rejects and May Castellan bakes cookies for a son that will never come back.

Hermes leaves, ashamed. It's only fair, Perseus thinks. They all should be ashamed.

They see the city asleep - the prophecy is in the works.

Perseus executes their strategy - every cabin is covering a tunnel, with the exception of Dionysus, because Pollux is with the Demeter kids, and the Hecate kids stay behind to use spells to overlook the city. Lincoln Tunnel is getting covered by Ares - who, this time around, is actively participating.

The undetermined who didn't desert are with Hermes - and the minor god's children are divided by specialty - most Hypnos and Morpheus children follow him directly, but the two sons of Iris go with the Apollo Cabin.

Annabeth executes Plan 23, automatons, mounting on Mrs. O'Leary (who has strict orders to take Annabeth anywhere she wants without stopping to play around) - she doesn't need his help with this, and Percy has a tunnel to defend.

That left the rivers uncovered - until Thalia appears, with magical sand money, and made the rivers cooperate.

The hunters join the Aphrodite kids - who are half a dozen children between 11 and 19 - the oldest being Silena Beauregard, who uses a crossbow that looks exactly like her immortal half-brother's one.

His bridge is completely covered on skeletons - but no monster comes, even if he hears explosions. He leaves an English Lieutenant from the Battle of Yorktown in command of the bridge - with Tyene, the oldest daughter of Morpheus, to be in alert and don't let Clovis sleep through the battle. Because he did it before - and while it is funny, it can't happen right now.

Perseus mounts Blackjack - and go see where the noise is coming from. It's the Williamsburg Bridge - where are most of Apollo's Cabin.

They fight - and Percy almost cries when he sees Luke, who is not Luke anymore. Luke, who is a puppet controlled by Kronos.

Perseus kills the Minotaur and the weight of his stone spikes collapse the bridge - and Michael Yew dies. This time around, the bridge falls silently into shadows, and he doesn't bother about searching for the corpse - he saw the boy falling, and his screams will haunt all of them, forever.

This time around, Annabeth is not there to protect him - Ethan also doesn't try to kill him. The Son of Nemesis doesn't leave Kronos side for a second - but there's regret in his eyes.

After the bloodlust is gone, Perseus collapses - Will has to bride carry him back. Overuse of his powers - he summoned skeletons and produced shadows, melted enemy swords (with the bonus of incapacitating them without killing), and sprouted stone spikes everywhere - there's even a vine or ten that he used to hold his friends from falling.

Perseus doesn't sleep quickly enough to not hear the yell of anguish that comes from Lee Fletcher - the pain of losing a brother and not being able to fight beside him.

But he does sleep - and he dreams. He dreams of Hades killing Maria Di Angelo, not Hera, like Zeus told Nico. He dreams of Zeus cursing the Oracle - and he seethes, because he also sees what happened to May Castellan.

He keeps getting angrier and angrier at the gods - it's building inside of him. But his friends are still here, still fragile. He can't let them suffer more.

Perseus wakes up, checks on everyone - most everyone is either injured and/or exhausted, but he checks on every camper. He knows all of their names, their ages, their cabins. - and promises to sit up to talk with Thalia and Nico - war makes him prone to peace - and promptly goes back to sleep.

He dreams of Rachel. He wants to scream for her not to come: but she'll anyway.

Perseus dreams of a boy. He is his age - maybe a little younger. His hair is blonde and his skin is whiter - but Percy glances at his eyes, and there are waves in them.

There's a girl by his side - she is familiar to Percy, somehow. They're climbing a mountain.

The dream ends and Percy can't make heads or tails of it. He asks Thalia if she has a brother, but she says that she doesn't, looking wistful.

Prometheus is tempting - but he knows there's no Luke anymore, there's only Kronos. And the gods are horrible, vile and immature - but they never killed any of Percy's friends. Some of them died for the gods - but never by their hands, so for now, Perseus would toe the line.

He does want to punch Hermes again. He takes the Pythos - if everything goes wrong, he will not hesitate in going down for the sake of his friends - but there have been six deaths, and it's enough.

"Was it worth it?" He asks Ethan.

"Alabaster is alive" And it's all the answer Percy needs.

He dreams of Ethan and Alabaster. Alabaster is alive, yes, but he is missing half a leg - courtesy of Clarisse herself. Luke - Kronos - is indifferent, and Ethan curses the daughter of Ares - "The sword that took from us will take from you"

He contains Hyperion with his shadows. Then he helps Grover (who was half asleep, because of Morpheus) to make the Titan into a tree. It's a pomegranate tree - then he sets hellish fire to it and sacrifices it to Hades and Persephone.

A pig is in the sky - this time around, Annabeth and her frightening army of automatons kill it with Nico's help.

Perseus laughs - because Annabeth has about two hundred automatons under her command, Martin Luther King and Alexander Hamilton leading the charge with a giant bull being ridden by the Mad Hatter behind them.

It's weird to see historic figures Percy admires - like Jane Bolin, Sylvia Mendez, or Abraham Lincoln - fighting alongside people he downright despises - Thomas Jefferson and the goatfucker, herpes-ridden, Colombus. His Comparative Government teacher would have a field day.

Annabeth and Nico's pair up is amazing - They fight alongside like they have been doing it all life.

Nico is a force of nature, flying and commanding the winds to do his bidding - His eyes shine in the midst of the stormy clouds. His specialty is weather manipulation - he hasn't had much success with direct energy or electric discharges.

Annabeth has her mother's tenacity for war - and her clever mind for strategies. It's clear in her eyes - she is racking the weaker points of the Clazmonian Sow in her mind and destroying it. The automatons hold the pig in place - and she makes bacon of it.

Hercules couldn't do it. Nico and Annabeth can, because they have the power and the mind.

Perseus is still fighting off monsters - but they're too widespread, so they retreat to the doors of the Empire State Building.

Percy does a mental tally: of sixty-two campers, six are confirmed dead, twenty are injured and nine are out of commission on exhaustion. There should be 27 orange shirts here - but there's only twenty.

Percy wonders if the seven missing are injured, or dead, or under a pile of rubble somewhere with no one to help them. Is there someone being slowly eaten by monsters? Is there someone alone and injured and abandoned? He doesn't know.

He prays that those seven deserted them - at least that means they probably are alive and well.

Perseus looks at Phoebe's grief-stricken face, and he knows it's not probable - she had almost three dozen hunters with her, and now there's barely fifteen still fighting, Thalia nowhere to be seen.

They prepare for their last standing - Percy keeps conjuring skeletons, but they're no match for the sheer strength of the hyperborean giants. Nico is shoulder to shoulder with the Stoll brothers against a group of telkhines - Clarisse is bringing down a whole giant by herself.

After the Party Ponies save them - Chiron leads the charge against his own father, and Perseus is so proud of his mentor he can't even put in words how much - he goes to sleep. Fighting gets him tired quickly, and they'll come back.

He dreams of Dionysus. Perseus is not fond of any god who is not Persephone, but Dionysus is mostly okay sometimes. He seems to care about his children.

Perseus couldn't care less about the Western Civilization - but he'll care for Pollux. It's one of his demigods, after all, and Underworld people are possessive of theirs (i.e. Hades and Persephone).

He dreams of Thalia, in her father's palace, begging Poseidon to leave the underwater war and help with the invasion - His wife is none too happy with the presence of his immortal bastard daughter.

He wakes up to Rachel's helicopter falling - how is Rachel even awake, is a mistery.

The improbable pair Nico and Annabeth strike again: The girl knows how to fly helicopters, and the boy can fly himself. They save the redhead and the pilot - everything is fine.

"You're not the hero"

"Why did you risk yourself to tell me something I already know?"

Rachel doesn't explain - she can't. But she has a vision that says that he is not the hero. The hero of what? Perseus has no idea. But there's no way any of his cousins is dying for this stupid prophecy.

Suddenly, there's a drakon there. Rachel has another prophecy - Perseus fears she will walk the path that led May Castellan to destruction - that only a child of Ares will be able to kill it.

Bad news: All children of Ares are otherwise out of battle.

Clarisse is resting after a nasty concussion - and her brothers and Apollo's children are fighting yet again because Lee Fletcher is in no condition to stop them and Michael Yew is dead. Ares' side refuses to fight without the chariot - which Cabin 7 has hidden somewhere.

The best they can do is fend the drakon off until a miracle occurs. And it does: Clarisse, in full armor, manages to lead her brothers into battle.

Clarisse is dead. Something shatters inside of Perseus - and he leaves the drakon for the Ares' children to solve - he can't kill it anyway - and starts to vaporize the army behind it.

He is so caught up in bloodlust, that he almost misses Clarisse slaying a dragon. Clarisse, who has no armor. Clarisse, who is alive.

Ethan's curse rang true - Clarisse's weapon took something from her.

Silena is a traitor. She is also dead - which makes her a martyr, and probably going to reunite with her boyfriend in Elysium.

He remembers how easy is to fall for Luke's charm - he was - is - still in love with the guy. Percy thought the son of Hermes could do no wrong - and he wonders how much of his rage against the gods sprout from his influence.

Something evil inside of Perseus's mind tells him she deserved it. It tells Perseus that better her than Clarisse - but he shuts it down, and concentrates on his shining red friends.

He hates Ares. But he might just have an okay side if he can produce such a magnificent daughter.

Silena is the Patroclus to Clarisse's Achilles, and the Drakon is Hector - and the daughter of Ares is sure to parade its dead body.

It's the first time they feel like they are winning. It doesn't last - but as he hugs Clarisse tightly, he thinks he might cry of relief.

Clarisse looks tough - but she is a wonderful human being. She loves Silena with her whole heart - even more than she loves Chris, her best friend. Silena might've been in love with Charles - but she and Clarisse? They are soulmates.

The damned Pythos is following Perseus - and he is done with it. He knows where hope will survive best. Rachel wants him to give it to Hestia - but he owns the fire goddess nothing.

She has never interfered, not once, to help the dozens of demigods with no family that is abandoned in Cabin 11, and he won't forgive her for it.

He sacrifices hope to Persephone because that's what spring is. Spring is the hope of a new life. Maybe, Perseus thinks, it'll convince his father to come.

They go down to make their final stand against the forces of Kronos. There's not a lot of them - but they're not getting through those doors.

Well, his father doesn't come. But Poseidon does, with his whole army, Tyson and Thalia behind him, and the scales seem to turn.

And then Kronos cuts the barrier. Perseus can see his Mom (why is his Mom here with a handgun?!) and Poseidon fighting against the monsters under the eyes of extremely confused mortals.

Some are trying to break the barrier - but it's futile. Kronos has corraled them like sheep for the slaughter.

It's just him, Grover, Annabeth and Nico, fighting against Kronos vanguard - which is big, but not as strong as they are.

Kronos passes him without resistance - Ethan follows, but there's anger in his eyes - not for Percy, but for the monster he is leashed to. Alabaster is not there.

As soon as Kronos powers stop working on them, the four follow the titan - and some things never change, no matter the universe.

This time, it's Nico who falls because of Hera - it's her curse over all of her husband's bastards.

Ethan takes one look at Perseus, and they don't even need to fight. They have been friends for longer than they have been enemies - and they both loathe the gods, but Kronos is as much of an all-powerful controller being as any of the Olympians.

They battle against Kronos - Perseus has only his ax against his scyther - a true Underworld fight.

Ethan dies. And Perseus bloodlust consumes him - it clouds his eyes and he can only keep fighting.

"If... if we've had cabins... and they had thrones"

It's true, and more than ever, Perseus wishes Kronos wasn't such a bastard. He wouldn't bother killing the gods - but the titan is a way worse option.

"LUKE, PLEASE" It's Annabeth. He doesn't have her faith - she didn't saw his transformation. But he tries anyway because he loves Luke just as much as he hates Kronos.

"Luke, remember our summer" But his words are caught up in his throat when the titan throws him against the wall.

But the amalgamation of his friend and an all-powerful being looks confused, so props for his genius best friend.

Kronos shows them a rainbow message of Typhon - and that's where Perseus it's pretty sure he starts liking his father.

Because the Lord of the Dead opens up the earth and gets out in a black chariot guided by skeletal horses like a king. By his right side, is Persephone, in armor battle as a queen should be. By his left, is Demeter, who looks every single bit like the matron she is supposed to be.

Behind him, a hundred thousand dead roars. Charon is mounting Cerberus - and literal hell is unleashed upon the Father of Monsters.

The gods strike down Typhon, sending him back to be locked away - this time, in the depths of Tartarus instead of Mount Etna.

Kronos gets mad. Utterly, undoubtedly mad. He talks about burning Luke's body. Then he hurts Annabeth and breaks two promises in one fell swoop.

"Luke.... remember family" It's what Annabeth utters, but Perseus, already certain of their own demise, is crying now.

"That summer Luke, you promised to never hurt her again. You remember it? YOU PROMISED LUKE!!"

Annabeth's promise was already broken - he had hurt her, all those years ago, in Mt. Othrys. But the promise he made to Percy - that he would never hurt her again - is new and broken, in the river Styx no less.

Luke regains his own body, for a minute, and Perseus runs to him like a man in a desert with no water.

"Please, please tell me there's a way to undo this, Luke, please, please"

"There isn't one, Percy" And it's the first time he hears Luke call him Percy, Percy and not Perseus, in his own voice, in two years. Percy cries.

"We... we don't have much time, hellebore. Give me Annabeth's dagger. Before he... before he takes back"

Luke calls him hellebore and it makes him start crying all over again. He gives him the dagger - and Luke kills himself, taking Kronos out with him.

Luke doesn't need to ask if Percy has ever loved him - Percy kept loving Luke, one-sided as it was, even when Kronos was there.

He still crying over Luke's body when the gods arrive. Luke is dead. Ethan is dead. Silena is dead. Michael Yew is dead. Charles is dead.

He lost three of his best friends in two days. Ethan is dead. Luke is dead. Luke is dead.

Perseus can't stop crying. They take Luke's body away - but he can't stop. Annabeth explains what happened to the gods - most of it, anyway. Apollo says he is in shock - his father says he is a hero.

Perseus doesn't feel like a hero. Was this all worth it? Was it worth it the pain and the death and the suffering?

Persephone touches him - and he has no tears to cry anymore. She can't hug him here, but she'll do so later.

He stares at the walls, listening to his friends being awarded - compensated by their siblings and friends' deaths - with a blank stare. Perseus wants his mom.

They call for him. He raised his head but doesn't bother getting up. He just saved their asses - for the fifth time in a roll. He deserves to grieve.

They offer him immortality. A place between the gods.

He laughs. Zeus looks murderous, but he can't stop laughing.

"My apologies, but I have to refuse," he says. But in his mind, he is thinking about how could they even think he might want to sit between them and be an all-powerful being, be another god ignoring his children and messing with mortal lives while thousands die for him.

"Promise me, on the river Styx, that you'll give me the wish that I want."

They promise him, that if it's within their capabilities, they shall grant him his wish.

"I wish for every child at the age of twelve to be claimed. I wish for cabins in Camp Half-Blood, for every single minor god, and my own father. I wish for Calypso to be free, and to the demigods from the opposite side of this war to be given amnesty. It's not their fault. It's not any of our faults."

"You dare to-" Zeus begins, but Percy is really tired of Zeus.

"We fought your war, we won your battles. We, the unclaimed and rejected stowaways of Cabin 11. We, the children of minor and Underworld gods. We deserve respect. Just like my father deserves a throne, just like the minor gods deserve justice."

"Don't you fear us?" Athena asks, something weird shining in her eyes.

"I thought I would be dead today. At least if I die now, I'm dying for something I believe in."

It stays unsaid that he doesn't believe in them. The other demigods look at him worried - but he is not afraid of the gods.

They grant his wish. Some of them aren't happy with it, but they have to do it. He meets Calypso at the front gates of Olympus - and her smile can brighten the pits of Tartarus. He sees Alabaster talking with Lou Ellen - they are both crying.

He thinks it's the end - it's not. Thalia tells him Rachel left for Camp in her Pegasus - and his father has lift the curse, the Prophecy is gone, but he fears for his best friend.

Perseus is too tired for shadow travel - he does it anyway. He flickers, but anyway, he is too late.

It works. Rachel - his best friend - is the new Oracle. Someone jokes they can't be together anymore and Rachel lifts an eyebrow.

"We never were. Didn't you see the last few hours?" Well, he did out himself. Mostly - they might say it's just friendship, and he will hate the way they twist it. Luke wasn't a villain, and Perseus isn't a pure hero with a heart of gold.

Perseus is healing from lost love - and Annabeth is too. His crush on her was only a crush, he thinks - She is his best friend first and foremost. They cry together at the bonfire that burns away the shrouds of 43 demigods - from both sides - and 16 hunters of Artemis. Their souls all rest in Elysium now.

Alabaster comes back to Camp and helps his siblings to build the new Cabin for Hecate, full of spelled blocks and magic chimneys. Clovis and Tyene have their hands full with their own cabins - it doesn't help they keep getting sidetracked with naps.

Somehow, Nico, Thalia, and his bond over helping construct Cabin 13 - They are both way too invested in the goth vibe, mostly because Cabin 1 looks like a temple, and Cabin 3 looks like a beach cabin. And both of them are so over it.

Perseus doesn't want a goth cabin - he is fighting against the aesthetic for years - but sometimes, there are no arguments. His Cabin is made of black marble, and there are skulls everywhere, with torches shining with green fire. Outside, at least. Inside, it looks like Persephone's garden, with input from the queen herself. It's ready just shy of the end of summer vacation.

Rachel tells the next Great Prophecy. Perseus isn't such a positive person to think it won't affect him - he hopes at least it'll wait until he is done with High School.

That night, he dreams of the blonde boy again - it's his first night without nightmares since the battle. He has a scar in his lip, and his green eyes pierce Percy's soul. Perseus wonders if they'll ever meet, wonders if this boy is one of the Seven of the Prophecy.

But alas, Perseus lets it go. The summer is over - he is sixteen, somehow. He is alive and going to go back to his mortal life and his junior year, and grief. Not everything is fine - but eventually, it will be.

It's not the end. Not yet.

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