Work Text:
Piper had been painting since her small uncoordinated chubby fingers could hold a brush. She had been painting since before she could talk. But there are some moments in life she knows no matter how talented or dedicated she is she would never be able to capture under her brushstroke, on the rough canvas. This here, with warm sun on her face and the soft purr of the car engine and the sweet laughter of her favourite people, is one of those moments.
Jason’s fingers are curled around Percy’s thigh, other hand wrapped solidly around the steering wheel. She can see the bright sparkle of joy in his big blue eyes from the rearview mirror. Percy is looking out the window, laughing at the cows they pass, naming them every variation of “Maybelle” he can possibly think of. And next to her, leaning on her shoulder, grey eyes sleepy but crinkled with amusement, is Annabeth. Piper’s own fingers are threading through their girlfriend’s blonde hair.
Some soft, smooth voice is playing low around them but they’re all so wrapped up in each other it’s hard to imagine even an earthquake would disrupt their little bubble. The sky, as they coast down the highway, turns the shades of an Aivazovsky painting: gentle blues, and soft pinks, and burning orange, and yellow, happiness yellow. She can't believe this is real. She feels as if she’s living a life far away from herself, as if in some parallel universe where everything is okay. Not perfect or terrifying or outrageous or too good. Everything is okay. It is more than she ever dared to hope and better than she ever dared to dream. She knows it's real and somehow it feels more fake because of it.
“Pipes,” Percy’s musical voice drifts over her. She can hear the smile in his voice. “You need to give me another name before Jason crashes the car from laughing so hard.”
“I would never put you guys in danger.” Jason rolls his eyes, but the reverberance in his tone makes it clear he’s deadly serious.
They know it. They know he’d fling himself into the mouth of their enemy before letting any of them get hurt. He knows they’d all do the same. It’s why they work. Why they understand. Why they’re here, driving down a highway, under a pink sky, laughing freely. It’s why they’re okay.
“How about Gertrude?” Piper smiles.
“That’s my great grandmother’s name,” Annabeth mumbles sleepily.
“Then you better start us off,” Percy giggles.
happy happy happy happy happy. real real real real real. okay. they’re so very okay.