Chapter Text
“Are you coming to the party tonight?”
“Gods no,” Percy shivers, face pulling into a look of distaste.
“Why not I heard Annabeth is gonna be there,” Leo’s eyebrows waggle, earth eyes sparkling.
He wants to laugh, to cry a little too. If only that is the blonde he is so infatuated with.
“Nah bro those parties always end up much wilder than they need to be and nine times out of ten they’re shut down by the cops.”
“That’s half the fun Jackson!” Leo’s smile widens.
“I’m good thanks, my idea of fun is sitting here playing Playstation and gorging myself on M&Ms.”
“Will you at least promise to come on the trip this weekend?”
“I don’t know man,” He shakes his head, “I’ve got a psych test to study for and there’s like three assignments due by the end—”
“Oh excuses, excuses Jackson you haven’t gone out once since we started. It’s gonna be winter break soon and we won’t see each other for at least a month.” Those brown eyes are puppy wide.
He sighs, half-ready to give in, “Who’s gonna be there?”
“The usual gang. And Jason finally gets to come this year! His dad is on a business trip so he isn’t spending the weekend for once.”
Percy’s ears get hot and he hopes they don’t look flushed, “Oh that’s nice I guess. If you leave me alone tonight I’ll come on the trip.”
Leo’s answering whoop is enough to make him laugh. When he collapses on the couch, after waving goodbye to his friend, there is a warmth blooming in his chest.
Three hours, five packets of M&Ms and a stream of curse words at the TV later, he finally decides to head to bed. But as he’s shoving on a pair of sleep shorts there’s a knock at his door. He frowns, considers ignoring it but his mind whirls with all the possibilities.
What if someone got hurt? What if someone needs his help? What if someone is….oh gods he doesn’t want to think about it. He brushes his fingers against the wooden headboard, rubs at his head, grabs his elbow and then he takes a deep breath and opens the door.
“Peerrccccyyy,” A slurring, smiling Jason Grace stumbles into him.
“Jason?” He grabs hold of the blonde’s arms and pulls them both into his apartment, “What are you doing here?”
“I came over because–” Pearl white teeth flash, “Wow you’re so pretty.” Those golden hands grab Percy’s chin, pulling their faces together until there is nothing but tension and breath between them.
“What are you doing?” He swallows.
“Has anyone ever told you your eyes look like emeralds glistening at the bottom of a river?”
“Uh no can’t say they have,” He wants to laugh but Jason’s lips are so close and his hand is still on Percy’s face and oh gods he needs to move before he does something he shouldn’t.
“Have we kissed before? No I’d remember that.” Eyebrows scrunch, “I think you have a beautiful mouth.”
“I think—” He inhales sharply as Jason’s fingers dance along his collar bone, “I think we should get you to bed.”
“Aw,” Full pink lips pout, “But we are having so much fun.”
“I think we’ll have more fun when you’re sober.”
The blonde giggles, “I’m not drunk silly. I only had like… fifteen shots of vodka.”
“Jesus Grace how are you even standing?”
“When you’re this tall it takes forever for the liquor to do its thing and you need a lot of it otherwise it all goes to your toes and you never get drunk.”
Jason is frowning again and all Percy wants to do is kiss the crease in his forehead and pull him closer. Instead he tugs him by the hand and guides him to the bed.
“Where will you sleep?”
“I’ll take the couch.” He pushes the blanket aside and let’s the blonde fall into the sheets.
“Are you sure? You can always stay with me?” Those blue eyes are bright and big and so full of, of, of… “I promise I won’t kick you. I stopped doing that in first grade.”
He can’t hold in his laugh this time but when he recovers enough to reassure his friend he’ll be fine he is greeted by the peaceful sight of a sleeping blonde. He shakes his head softly, allowing himself a moment to take in the scene. Tangled white sheets, golden hair, soft deep breathing, a tiny splattering of freckles, and the wonder of tomorrow carried on the wind that stirs the chiffon curtains. This moment will live within his soul for the rest of his life. Of this, he is certain.
***
The treadmill beeps incessantly indicating the end of the session and the end of Percy’s day. He’s about ready to pass out from exhaustion and he couldn’t be happier. The days are long and blurry and he would do anything to escape the weight on his chest. A blue-eyed, golden-haired weight. He snorts at the innuendo. If only the actual person was sitting on his chest, entertaining each other. But no it’s just the feeling, the emptiness, the lack of anything weighted. His eyes shudder closed as he steps into a red-hot shower and let’s the memories of his last meeting with the blonde wash over him. There is a time, mere months ago, where Percy would have scoffed at these feelings. Would have told himself it was ridiculous and stupid and there were much more important things to be focusing on than some boy. But every interaction with Jason Grace feels like the middle of a fireworks display, feels like crawling into the sun, or falling off a cliff only for the water to catch you. Every interaction feels electric. And he cannot help but overanalyse each touch, smile, lingering look. Are they for him, or for the world? Jason had always been easy. He could make you feel like the most important person in the world just by glancing at you. It was beautiful, magnetic, but it also meant Percy never really knew if anything they did was genuine. If the extra squeeze when they hugged was as a friend or something more. If those blazing eyes over the campfire was a trick of the light or… But tomorrow it’s their annual WastedWinter trip and at the very least he can look forward to a few nights of bad decisions and sinful delights.
The day dawns bright, cloudless, and icy cold. He breathes in the fresh winter air and lets the sting travel through his lungs. There are few things as lively as the winter morning air. With a look through his apartment window to see the birds flying and the wind shaking the trees awake he ducks into the shower and gets ready for the trip.
At exactly eleven a knock echoes through his apartment. He clicks submit on his assignment and races over to throw the door open.
“Good morning Jackson! You’re looking especially radiant this find day.”
“Must be the seaweed face mask I put on last night.”
“Oh,” Annabeth Chase frowns, “And here I thought you got down and dirty with someone.”
He snorts, stepping aside to let her in. “No such luck Princess, I’m down and out on laundry.”
She smacks his arm, grey eyes sparkling, “I hope you know you’re driving for most of this.”
“Is this because I’m the only one who can be trusted to get us there in one piece,”
She gives him an incredulous look and then turns her nose up, “No Jackson it’s because the rest of us want to get wasted and you don’t drink.”
“Ah, glad to know I’m of some use to the group.”
“Oh you’re plenty useful,” She winks.
He laughs at that, mind flashing to the fling they had at the start of their undergraduate years. Both had realized pretty early that life was leading them in different directions and it would be better to stay friends. But tumbling in the sheets with her had been fun while it lasted.
“Alright who’s in our car?”
“We got me, you,” She starts tapping her fingers, “Leo, Jase and Rey,”
“Great so I’ll be talking to myself for most of this trip.” He rolls his eyes.
“Why do you say that?”
“Well Leo and Reyna will fall asleep about five seconds after we start driving and you and Jason will talk incessantly about gods knows what, which leaves poor old me.”
“We will not!” Annabeth’s ears go pink as she glares at him.
“Mhmm okay Princess.”
“Shut it.” She grumbles, shoving him.
Some minutes later they’re all piling into the car: Percy driving, Reyna in the front, Leo at the back on the left, Annabeth in the middle and Jason on the right.
“Hello everyone ready to roll?”
“I didn’t get nearly enough sleep last night,” Leo mumbles and then he’s fluffing his pillow against the door and closing his eyes.
“What was he doing?”
“Engineering project,” Jason grins, “He forgot and had to sit up all night to submit before we left.”
“I’m also out,” Reyna throws up an uncharacteristic peace sign and settles into her seat, eyes already shut.
“And her?” He asks, a little sore his right-hand passenger is ditching him for dreamland.
“No idea,” The two blondes shrug.
Percy refrains from rolling his eyes and puts the car in gear. With a final check to make sure everything is in its place he pulls onto the road and starts the long journey to Lakeside Lodges.
The music is soft, some pop song that everyone is raving about, and the city is alive with the lunch hour rush.
“Jason,” Annabeth starts, “What are you doing for the structural—”
Percy tunes them out, content to let their university talk become background noise. He glances at the rear-view mirror and sees shining blue eyes staring intently into serious gray ones. He looks away, focuses his attention on the road.
Sometime later they leave the city behind, the sound of cars and sirens and endless people fading into calmer, more lilting noises. The quiet of the empty road, and the crackle of the radio, and the soft chatter from the backseat. He cannot help but feel at peace, feel as if the world is balanced just right.
Annabeth giggles, catching his attention and he watches in the mirror as Jason lays a hand on her thigh and laughs into her shoulder. Quickly he adverts his eyes, swallowing the sinking feeling and turns the music up to distract his thoughts.
“Percy,” At tap on his shoulder. “Pers?”
“Yea what’s up?” He smiles and it feels like surgery with no anaesthetic.
“Did you hear what Jase said? It was such a stupid joke I said you’d appreciate it.”
He shakes his head, “Wanna tell it again?”
“Nah,” Jason mumbles, “Won’t be as funny the second time.”
“Aw come on Jase,” Annabeth pouts, “For me?”
He watches from the mirror as those blue eyes light up, “What do you mean for you? I thought I was telling the joke for Mr Driver?”
She giggles, shoving at his arm, “That’s what I mean.”
Percy isn’t sure he can’t take anymore of their whatever it is so he clears his throat and asks them for a pack of Sour Patch Kids.
“Oo I love those!” Jason gasps, rummaging around in their snack bag. A packet drops into the cup holder and he thanks the blonde.
“Jase throw them at me, let’s see if I can catch!”
The six gummies shoved in his mouth turn bitter as he watches the two giggle and joke and share space. By the time Jason throws the last gummy Annabeth is practically in his lap to catch it. Percy wants nothing more than to get out of this damn car. His skin is hot and he’s sure his blood is about two degrees away from boiling. The stones in his stomach are stacking up like rock scultputres. Pretty but destructive. Nothing can get passed but nothing can leave either. And the heavy, sinking feeling certainly doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Finally though they arrive at the lodges and after check in he practically vaults himself out of the car and disappears into a bathroom.
There staring in the mirror he can see his misery reflected back at him. His green eyes are stormy, and there seems to be a permanent crease in his forehead. His mouth is down turned and his hair is in a state of complete disarray. Tugging at it when he’s frustrated is an unbreakable habit.
He stays in the little bathroom for longer than he thought because he is sharply pulled to the present by a rap on the door.
“Percy?”
“Coming,” He sighs. He straightens his back, attempts to tame his hair, and plasters a smile on his face.
“You good?” Frank frowns when he walks out.
“Yea sorry, drank one too many slushies.”
His friend laughs, “Tell me about it. I think my tongue is going to be stained red for a month.”
“I mean that’s your fault. Blue is clearly the superior slush.”
“Blue is the worst flavor,” He scrunched his nose, “It isn’t even a flavor. They somehow managed to give colour a taste.”
“Well red is nothing but iced medicine.”
“Hey guys,” Frank waves their friends over, “Percy thinks blue slushies are the best flavour, care to tell him he’s wrong?”
There is a pause amongst them and then everyone is talking at once.
“No,”
“I mean I kind of agree.”
“Green is obviously the best.”
“There is no way, it’s red all the way.”
“What about-”
“Okay!” Annabeth shouts, “Let’s settle this WinterWasted style,”
Leo rubs his palms together, a gleam in his eyes.
“Everyone who says red stand on one leg, everyone who says blue stand on anything but the floor.”
They all shuffle around, pushing each other over and generally causing chaos but soon they’re in their spaces. Everyone observes the room.
“That’s four to red and three to blue.” Leo announces.
Jason, Percy and Hazel are standing on the couches and counters. Piper, Annabeth, Leo and Frank are on one leg in the middle of the lounge.
“Yes! We won.” Frank smirks, “Alright losers you know the drill.”
“No!” Percy yells, “We’re missing a person. If Reyna joins us then we’re even and we go into death round.”
“Okay Jackson, I see you can’t take the loser title sitting down so we’ll get Reyna’s opinion. But if she chooses us you guys have to drink and jump.” Frank’s black eyes sparkle with mischief.
Percy narrows his own, pinning his gaze on his friend, “Deal Zhang.”
Just then Reyna walks in and seeing the odd scene sighs heavily. “What are we trying to settle? We haven’t even had lunch yet.”
“First of all it’s six o clock so it’s a little late for lunch and secondly are you Team Red Slush or Team Blue Slush?”
She scoffs, looks over them and grins, “I’m Team Purple because grape is obviously the only valid flavour.”
Everybody groans, cursing her.
“Grape is the absolute worst Arellano.” Leo gives her a look of disgust.
“Mhmm,” She simply smiles.
“Well if you had to choose between blue and red which one?” Percy asks.
She taps her head for a moment and then looks to the ceiling in exasperation, “Guess I’ll choose Red.”
“Hell yes!” Frank whoops, laughing as the blue team groans. “Guess who’s doing the BigFalls jump tonight!”
Percy grumbles but there is a light in his eyes and as he swats away a hand ruffling his curls he decides it was worth it, even if his friends are wrong.
That night they all stumble to the GreatCliff, an area that had witnessed many a fall, kiss, and confession. Most importantly a place that held some of their favourite memories.
Percy, being the only fully sober one, constantly counts his friends, making sure none of them have gone over-cliff or landed in a ditch somewhere. Soon enough they make it to the clearing and lay down the picnic basket and their towels.
“Alright losers,” Piper smirks, “You ready for this?”
Hazel pouts, “Do we have to?”
“Yes!” Annabeth exclaims, blonde curls bouncing as she jumps up and down in excitement.
Jason whispers something in her ear and she dissolves into giggles. Percy looks away, refuses to let their closeness ruin his night, weekend, forever.
“On the count of three,” Frank starts.
Reyna takes off her sarong and settles down on the blanket with a smirk.
“One…”
Hazel bounces nervously.
“Two…”
“Don’t get hypothermia,” Piper laughs.
“Three!”
Jason, Hazel and Percy are sprinting, racing for open air. With a yell they jump and then they’re free falling, flying, screaming.
Percy hits the water in a neat dive, barely flinching at the icy temperatures. When he comes up for air the world is noisy with laughter and cheering. He waves to his friends at the top of the cliff and checks to make sure his fellow jumpers are okay.
Hazel is grumbling about being fully sober again and Jason’s teeth are chattering but there are smiles on their faces and stars in their eyes and Percy knows the weekend has just begun.
They all swim up the stream and climb all the way back to the cliff where a small fire is crackling and their friends are dancing sporadically to a bawdy ukelele tune being played by Leo.
“Oh gods,” Jason groans, “How are we already at this stage of the night.”
“Whatever Pipes put in the punch is going straight to our lungs,” Annabeth giggles.
Reyna shakes her empty glass in confirmation and request. Soon everyone is hopping and bouncing and singing badly around the fire. Percy settles into the blanket and watches his friends. They are full of life and magic and he can’t help but tear up at the love he has for them. Even Reyna is joining the revelry, laughing bright and beautiful at something Hazel says.
His attention catches on the twirling figure of Annabeth. And then Jason grabs her mid spin and pulls her to him.
“Dance with me,”
“Of course Mr Grace,” She bows.
They draw together, his hands on her hips, her head on his chest, swaying slowly. Annabeth mumbles something and Jason’s shoulders shake with laughter. She looks up, their eyes meeting. Percy can’t stand to watch anymore. Abruptly he gets up, throws the blanket aside and stalks into the trees.
“Pers?” Someone calls. He doesn’t bother to respond.
He hears scattered conversation and then footsteps are running towards his retreating figure.
“Percy wait!”
He manages to hold in a groan as he realizes who followed him.
“Pers slow down, what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” He grits, “I just needed some air.”
Jason laughs, “We are literally in the middle of a forest how much more air do you need?”
They’re still stalking through the woods, dead leaves cruching under their feet.
“Come on, what the hell happened? You just up and left?”
Percy stops in his tracks, whips around to face the blonde, “I’m surprised you noticed.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve been so wrapped up in Annabeth all day I wouldn’t be surprised if you forgot to breathe unless she told you to.” He spits.
Jason’s face crumples, “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Percy instantly regrets his words but he can’t take them back, “Just nevermind. I’m going to the cabin. Be careful walking back.” He turns to walk away but a golden hand on his arm yanks him back
“Um no, you’re going to explain right the fuck now because this isn’t like you at all.”
“Isnt like me?” He laughs sharply, “What isn’t like me?”
“This,” Jason motions up and down, “You walking away, being angry with us? What is going on?”
“I’m just tired,” He sighs, “Can we drop this?”
“No Percy. I’ve seen you tired. I’ve seen you so exhausted you couldn’t even see straight. I’ve seen you sad and angry and frustrated and happy and excited and calm but I have never seen you so… volatile. So just tell me—”
“I’M JEALOUS OKAY!” He yells, “I. Am. Jealous.”
Jason reels back, lightning eyes blinking, once, twice, widening, “You’re jealous?”
“Yes,” He breathes, “And I’d appreciate it if we stopped talking about this.”
“Oh,” Is the blonde’s intelligent reply.
“Yea oh,” He scrubs at his face, running a hand through his hair.
“You’re jealous of me? If you liked Annabeth why didn’t you just say so? I wasn’t flirting with her, we were just being dumb. I’ve had a few too many tequilas and she’s hilarious and gods I’ll back off I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ll even hype you up to her if you—”
“You are such an idiot,” Percy growls and then he grabs the blonde by the t-shirt, pulls him in and sears their lips.
Jason tastes like the sky, like winter breezes and lightning storms and home. He tastes like home.
When they break apart Jason is gasping, mouth opening and closing.
“Do you get it now?”
“You- and I- and we- and Anna- and just- and-”
“Are you speechless because you don’t know how to let me down easy or because I took your breath away?” Percy winces.
He needs to know. Needs to understand if this is a one-sided thing, if he’s been dreaming up their dynamic all these months.
“Do that again,” The blonde breathes.
A slow smile spreads across his face and then Percy Jackson cups Jason Grace’s cheek and comes home at last.