Chapter Text
Group Chat - This Is A Gays Only Event (9 members)
YOUR president (Annabeth Chase) - hows thanksgiving going, kids
Heterodon’t (Nico di Angelo) - terrible
YOUR president (Annabeth Chase) - does it help if I say my dinner table was on fire about three minutes ago
Heterodon’t (Nico di Angelo) - jfc chase what the fuck
Mclesbean (Piper McLean) - being the gay cousin AND the tattooed cousin is honestly a full time job
Heterodon’t (Nico di Angelo) - rt rt
Clark Can’t (Jason Grace) - whats up Nico
Heterodon’t (Nico di Angelo) - casual homophobia and racism escalated into an argument about the confederate flag
YOUR president (Annabeth Chase) - ew
Clark Can’t (Jason Grace) - same here kinda
Mclesbean (Piper McLean) - is Percy dead
Mclesbean (Piper McLean) - haven’t heard from him in like three hours
Mclesbean (Piper McLean) - for him that’s a record
Not a furry (Frank Zhang) - hes still having dinner I think
Clark Can’t (Jason Grace) - what the fuck its nearly midnight
No One Knows I’m A Lesbian (Reyna Arellano) - you’ve clearly never been to a latinx family gathering
I’m trans and ur gonna catch these hands (Leo Valdez) - rt rt rt
Aquaman (Percy Jackson) - GUYS
Aquaman (Percy Jackson) - I FUCKED UP
YOUR president (Annabeth Chase) - of course you did
Not a furry (Frank Zhang) - what did you do this time
Aquaman (Percy Jackson) - my cousins were harassing me about my nonexistent love life and well uh
Aquaman (Percy Jackson) - i may have lied about having a bf
No One Knows I’m A Lesbian (Reyna Arellano) - oh fucc
Aquaman (Percy Jackson) - and now they want to meet him for Christmas
No One Knows I’m A Lesbian (Reyna Arellano) - OH FUCC
Mclesbean (Piper McLean) - HAHAHAHAHAH
Aquaman (Percy Jackson) - FUCK YOU PIPER IM GONNA DIE
YOUR president (Annabeth Chase) - omg
YOUR president (Annabeth Chase) - but wait didn’t they ask you for a name or smth
Aquaman (Percy Jackson) - no we were interrupted and I managed to run away but I definitely said I was dating a guy
Not a furry (Frank Zhang) - its fine dude they’ll probably have forgotten by the time christmas comes around
A week before Christmas break, Percy’s cousins did not forget about his mystery boyfriend.
“I’m screwed,” Percy declared as he ran inside the university’s cafeteria, sliding onto the bench across from Jason and Nico. “They keep commenting on my Instagram and sending me texts to know more about it. I’m going to be embarrassed into outer space.”
Piper put down her milkshake and sighed. “Dude, just find someone to be your pretend boyfriend. There’s even websites for shit like that.”
Percy made a face. “I’m only gonna find weirdos on that type of thing.”
There was a small pause. Jason took another bite from his burger.
“Seriously, guys, what do I do?” Percy turned to Annabeth. The corner of her lip quivered with amusement as she faced Nico.
“Nico, what are you doing for Christmas?”
Piper snorted. Nico ate the last fry on his plate and brushed the salt away from his fingers. “No. No way. I’m staying at Will’s, and there’s no fucking way I’d spend my break pretending to be your boyfriend.”
Percy’s desperate eyes turned to Frank. His eyes widened and he shook his head so quickly Jason worried he would cramp his neck.
“I’m going to my mom’s house in Canada.”
Jason realised he was the only guy left at the table, as Leo hadn’t joined them that day. He swallowed.
“Jason, please tell me you don’t have plans for Christmas.”
Jason took a beat too long to respond, giving Percy the answer he needed. The boy rushed to his feet and kneeled next to Jason.
“Please be my pretend boyfriend.”
The whole group of friends was now staring at Jason. He frowned. “What? No.”
“Please,” Percy repeated.
“Why would I do that?”
Percy seemed almost offended, unclasping his hands to cross his arms. “Um, because I’m the greatest friend you’ve ever had?”
“That’s Leo.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Jason sighed. “Percy, come on.”
Percy reached for his back pocket. “I’ll give you-” he paused, opening his wallet and pulling out a few bills, “fifty bucks! And a pack of beer when we get back.”
Jason didn’t take the money, but glanced at it with new interest. Percy seemed to realise it and pushed it a bit further towards him.
“You’d get free food, housing, and two weeks in Brazil! Come on, Jay!” Percy gave him what their group of friends called The Face: baby seal eyes and a pout. Jason gave it some thought. He really did not have plans for Christmas break- he expected to spend his holidays with his cat, ordering pizza and binge watching TV shows. Thalia was out of town until January, so meeting with her was out of the question.
He sighed, briefly glancing at Piper and Annabeth for their input. The two raised their eyebrows and shrugged in a nearly identical manner.
“Fine.”
Percy whooped and put the money down on the table. “Thank you!” He exclaimed, walking back to his previous seat.
“I’m so going to regret this,” Jason muttered, putting the bills in his pocket. Percy only grinned.
“Starting Thursday, we are officially-” he raised his glass of Coke- “fake boyfriends.”
“Oh, this is going to be great,” Piper chuckled, raising her milkshake to meet the rest of her friends’ drinks at the center of the table. “Cheers!”
On Thursday morning (does it count as ‘morning’ if the sun isn’t even up yet, Percy had wondered), they were off to Brazil.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t let me pay for the plane tickets,” Jason muttered as they walked through the rows of seats. Percy shrugged in front of him.
“You’re the one giving me a hand, I’m not going to make you pay for that,” he reasoned. Jason still didn’t agree, but refused to argue. Percy found their seats and slid into his chair, tapping the one next to him as Jason lifted his bag into the compartment.
“Come on, Jay, we have nine hours to go, and then five more.”
Jason was glad the flights were so long; college was draining his energy, and he had a lot of sleep to catch up on. Percy didn’t seem to agree. Every time Jason would open his eyes and glance at his friend, he would be watching a different Disney movie on his screen. After a little over six hours, Jason woke up for good and stole one of Percy’s earphones. He was halfway through The Emperor’s New Groove, but Jason didn’t mind. He had seen the movie a good three times before. Once it ended, Percy disconnected his earphones and faced Jason with a smile.
“So how are we doing this?”
Jason blinked. “You mean the relationship?”
Percy nodded, and Jason shrugged in reply. “This was your idea, man. I don’t know.”
Percy seemed to have forgotten that. “True. Well first of all, we have to establish limits, right? I mean, we don’t have to be huge on PDA because let’s be real, it’s terrible when couples do that, but what would you be okay with?”
Jason thought about it for a minute. “Well holding hands is okay.”
Percy nodded. “Kissing?”
Jason felt his cheeks burn despite himself. “Right, uh, on the cheek is okay. Lips, I guess it depends on the situation.”
Percy nodded. The girl sitting on the row in front of them gave them a strange look, and they lowered their voices.
“If it’s to say hello, like good morning and stuff, a peck is fine?” Percy asked. Jason nodded.
“Okay, good. That’ll make it more believable.”
There was a pause.
“What about pet names?”
“If you call me ‘sweetheart’ in front of your family, I will end you.”
Percy laughed. “Noted.”
Jason gestured at the screen. “Do they have Moana?”
They landed in São Paulo, Guarulhos right as the movie ended. Their second flight to Natal was only a half hour after, so they rushed through the airport and got to the check-in with about five minutes to spare. The plane was a lot smaller, and Jason felt squeezed between the window and Percy’s shoulder. Luckily, the flight was a lot shorter, and he fell asleep for most of it. By the time they got off the plane in Natal, it was a little past nine in the evening. While Percy hadn’t let him pay for the airplane tickets, Jason insisted on at least paying for the cab ride to Percy’s house. He reluctantly let it pass, sitting on the passenger seat and having what Jason assumed was small talk with the driver in Portuguese. Jason was too distracted by the city to listen to music of his own, but he swayed lightly to the tune of the radio.
Natal was almost exactly like Jason had imagined it from Percy’s descriptions- skyscrapers, crowds, thin white sand and kilometers of beach. The Jacksons lived a little ways South of the city, where everything seemed quieter and more peaceful than in the heart of the state. When the cab took a turn right to reveal a long street full of multiple-story houses, Percy’s smile was so wide Jason was able to see it in the rearview mirror. The driver pulled to a stop and Percy pulled out his wallet. Jason was faster, putting a pile of bills in the man’s hand. Percy chuckled and put away his money.
“You’re too nice.”
Jason shrugged as they got out of the cab, luggage in hand. “I’m already staying at your house for free, let me do one thing for you.”
The house Percy led him to was one of the tallest in the street, three floors towering behind a large metal gate. He rang the doorbell, the sound echoing inside the house. They heard excited voices, a dog barking loudly, and someone picked up the line.
“Filho?” Came a woman’s voice. Percy grinned.
“Eu.”
The gate opened in a buzz and Percy stepped in, gesturing for Jason to follow. They started walking up a pathway made of stones in the direction of the house. Jason saw a garage to the left, leading to what seems like an outdoor kitchen behind it. On the right, a small storage unit, a line of coconut trees, and the glimpse of a swimming pool. They didn’t make it too far before an enormous dog tackled Percy to the ground. Jason snorted.
“It likes you.”
Percy sat up and wiped the drool out of his face, the black dog’s tail slamming against the ground in joy. “Jason, meet Mrs. O’Leary.”
Jason barely had time to react to the name of the dog. A group of people emerged from the house, rushing towards Jason and Percy. Sally Jackson (Jason recognized her brown skin and kind eyes from a picture on Percy’s wall back at their dorm) came forward and hugged her son tightly. They exchanged excited words in Portuguese as the others waited behind them, and Jason didn’t really know what to do with himself. Percy pulled away from the hug and turned to Jason. The blond took a shy step forward.
“Mom, this is my boyfriend Jason,” he announced, his hand resting gently around Jason’s shoulders. Sally smiled and pulled him into a hug. Jason couldn’t think of the last time he had received such a warm, motherly embrace. He immediately felt at ease.
“It’s great to meet you,” she said, a soft accent around the edge of her words. Jason loved it.
“It’s great to meet you too.”
A small child tugged on Jason’s sleeve and he looked down. Percy’s sister grinned at him, revealing her missing front tooth in all its glory. Her black hair was halfway up with a pencil, the ends of her strands covered in what looked like yellow paint. Jason chuckled and waved.
One by one, Percy introduced him to his family members. There was his stepfather Paul, looking very much like the English professor he was in a button-down shirt and moccasins at his feet. Sally’s father Jim slapped Jason’s shoulder in a friendly manner and shook his hand so hard he thought he would get a cramp. Then there were the cousins Lara and Elias, aged sixteen and fourteen, and their parents Felipe and Miranda. Lara looked almost like a copy of her mother, with tanned skin covered in freckles, and thick brown hair down to the bottom of her spine. Her brother had a darker skin tone, but they were still very obviously siblings. They had the same crooked smile and mischievous look to them. Felipe wore glasses and was older than Sally by a few years, Percy had told him. It showed in his graying hair, but nothing more.
“Come on, let’s get you settled inside,” Paul said, reaching for Jason’s bag. He thanked him and followed the rest of the family to the living room.
“Welcome home, boys,” Percy’s stepdad smiled as he pushed open the glass doors. The living room was clearly large enough for a dozen people, with an L-shaped maroon couch against the back wall facing a TV screen, an open kitchen on the right with two dining tables, and a counter lined with silver stools. A large wooden staircase on the left corner led to the higher floors. There was a small door on the right that had been left ajar and revealed a bathroom. Between the kitchen and the TV stand was a narrow, circular atrium filled with plants, that seemed to go all the way up to the roof.
“Wow,” Jason commented. Percy was grinning.
“I knew you’d like the atrium. Nerd.”
The family had already had dinner before they arrived, but Sally kept a pizza for each of them. They ate around the kitchen table while talking to Percy’s parents about their trip.
“So how did you guys meet?” Paul asked, balancing little Estelle on his knees. Percy glanced at Jason. Luckily, they had rehearsed this in the plane beforehand.
“In freshman year, during orientation. We became friends a while after that though,” Jason said, which wasn’t a lie. He hadn’t considered Percy his friend before they attended a party with their mutual ones, Annabeth and Nico.
“Yeah, we were friends for about a year and a half, and then we started dating this October,” Percy smiled. Lara gave an exaggerated awwnn from the living room, and Percy glared at her. Sally and Paul laughed.
“Well great, I’m glad you make each other happy,” Sally said with a smile, picking a sleepy Estelle up in her arms. “Percy, can you take your stuff upstairs? We got you and Jason settled in your bedroom.”
“On it.”
Percy insisted on carrying both of their bags, which was followed by clever comments on Lara and Elias’ behalf. Jason went ahead of him and opened the door Percy indicated once they reached the first floor. The room was painted a light shade of yellow, with a wooden floor matching the rest of the house. There was a door on the back wall leading to a private bathroom and shower. Directly on the left was Percy’s bed (large enough for two, thank the gods), under a framed picture of his graduation. A white desk was on the right side of the room, pushed against the same wall as the hallway door, and the right wall was nonexistent, replaced with a glass screen leading to a balcony. Jason stepped inside so Percy could follow him and drop the bags with a grunt.
“I could have carried that, you know,” Jason shook his head in exasperation.
“And have my family think that I’m not a gentleman to my boyfriend? Never.”
Jason chuckled and, seeing Percy taking off his shoes, stepped out of his own. Percy threw himself backwards on the mattress and sighed loudly.
“I missed this place.”
“It’s beautiful,” Jason commented, taking a look outside. The room had a direct view over the ocean.
“You can open the door, if you want,” he said. Jason slid the screen to the right and crossed over to the balcony. Percy was quick to follow him. It was longer than he expected it to be, reaching off to the sides of what Jason guessed were other bedrooms. There was a straw-colored hammock folded over a chair.
Percy leaned over the wooden balustrade next to Jason, arms crossed. He unfolded them to point to a blue light on the left side of the beach, considerably far from them. “That’s a restaurant we used to go to a lot, they make great rabanada. I can take you, if you want.”
Jason had no idea what rabanada was, but he nodded. The slight breeze on his face smelled of salt water.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed being near the ocean.”
Percy looked at him, recognition in his eyes. “Right, you lived in California before New York.”
Jason hummed in agreement, cursing himself for bringing up his previous life. A time when his home wasn’t a college dorm, when he didn’t spend his holidays alone, when his mom was still alive, when Thalia was still with him.
“Yeah. I’ve only seen the Pacific once, and I was really little. It’s cool to be in New York because I’m still close to the same ocean.”
Jason thought about his words and blinked in surprise. He hadn’t realized the water he was seeing then was the same ocean that he saw when he travelled to the beach on the East coast with his friends. “It feels weird. Travelling for almost an entire day, and still being connected somehow.”
Percy nodded. They remained silent for a moment, until Percy took a deep breath and stood up straight again. “We should get ready for bed, it’s past midnight already.”
Jason followed him inside. They took turns using the bathroom, and before he knew it he was half asleep in Percy’s childhood bed. He chuckled at the high school pictures on the walls as Percy rolled over on the mattress next to him.
“I’m gonna have to take a better look at those tomorrow,” he joked. Percy grunted in response.
“Sure. Goodnight, boyfriend.”