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The setting July sun cast a beam of golden light on Jason as he sat alone on the boating dock. He wasn’t a stranger to this. Over the past month, it had more or less become his nightly routine; After dinner, while the rest of the camp was singing by the campfire or playing beach volleyball or doing whatever else they did, Jason would come here just to sit and think.
He did a lot of thinking.
He thought about the war, about the battles he’d faced, about the friends he’d lost. He thought about…
Well, the rest of it didn’t matter. (That’s what Jason tried to convince himself, anyways.)
A gust of wind came at him like a brick. Wind, carrying the sweet scent of the Long Island Sound. A smell that reminded Jason of… Him.
Him, with shaggy brown-almost-black hair. Him, with hardened sea green eyes that had seen too much yet lived so little. Him, with a crooked smirk that seemed innocent enough, until it didn’t. Jason had seen that expression on him a few too many times, but he still never got tired of it.
Him.
Percy Jackson.
The thought of him wasn’t pleasant nor unpleasant; It was neutral. And still, over the past few months, Jason had become accustomed to the soft flip it brought his stomach whenever the boy was mentioned.
Looking back, Jason could not identify a single moment in which the realization hit. Perhaps it was that day at the lake; Perhaps it wasn’t for another week.
It simply wasn’t, and then it was. He regarded it logically, as a fact; After all, that’s what it was.
A fact.
That he, Jason Grace, the savior of New Rome, was in love with Percy Jackson.
- - - - - - - - - - -
One evening, much like any other, Piper stopped him before Jason made it to his usual spot.
“Hey, Jason,” She said.
Jason looked up. “Hm?” He asked.
“Could I join you tonight? You know, by the beach.” Piper asked it as if it were a question, although Jason had a feeling his answer wouldn’t matter; She would follow him either way.
“Sure.”
They walked together in silence, though neither minded. Jason, though he would never admit it, enjoyed the company of Piper. She was kind, and strong, and never let anyone stand in her way.
Jason liked to think that if he had fallen for a girl, it would have been her.
All too soon, they reached the spot Jason had grown so used to. The boating dock. The pair sat in silence for a few seconds more, before Piper cleared her throat.
“So,” she began, startling him. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
A flush of embarrassment rose to Jason’s cheeks. “What?”
“Oh, come on!” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Anyone with eyes can see that you’re totally lovestruck. Is that why you’ve been chilling here by yourself for the past, like, month?”
Jason shook his head, unsure of how to formulate words. “It’s not- I don’t…”
“Your secret’s safe with me. I won’t tell a soul.” She mimicked locking her lips and throwing away the key. Then, she smiled at him - a genuine smile. Piper sat on the dock for a moment longer before standing up and dusting off her legs, leaving Jason alone once more.
He did a lot more thinking that night.
- - - - - - - - - - -
His secret was not, in fact, safe with Piper. (Though evidently, it wasn’t her fault.)
“Hey, dude!” Leo exclaimed the next morning at breakfast. “I heard the news. So, which girl is it?”
Jason almost choked on his orange juice. “What do you mean, ‘which girl is it?’”
Leo shrugged. “I guess some Aphrodite kid heard you and Pipes talking down by the lake last night. Said something about you liking some girl at camp. So, who is it?”
Jason shook his head. This was not happening.
“They must have heard wrong. There’s not - I don’t like any girls here at camp.” (Technically, not a lie.)
He gave Jason a knowing look. “Yeah, okay, sure. There’s ‘no girls’ here at camp you’ve got your eye on. Okay, man, whatever you say.” Leo winked over his shoulder as he walked back towards the Hephaestus table.
Gods, this was going to be a long day.
- - - - - - - - - - -
As the day wore on, Jason found himself hiding from the unforgiving heat in the shade of the cabins. Many campers trekked past, on their way to rest and wash up before tonight’s game of capture the flag.
One of these campers just so happened to be the one Jason both least and most wanted to see.
“Hey, dude,” Percy said walking up to him.
Jason nodded, but didn’t offer a verbal response. Percy reciprocated the action. Slowly, Percy walked over and sat in the dry grass next to him. Jason ignored the butterflies in his stomach, as he now did all too often.
Percy set down a still-unsheathed riptide. Jason noted that he must have come from a sword fighting lesson.
(The thought of Percy in battle plagued his mind. Armor and all, with sweat dripping down the side of his face and a scowl that said I’m not giving up yet. Jason would never in a million years admit that he found the image slightly attractive.)
“So,” Percy said, breaking their short silence. “What’s all this I’ve been hearing about you and a girl?”
Jason internally facepalmed.
“Look, I don't know what you’ve heard, but trust me. There is no girl at this camp I’m into. Like, seriously.”
Percy laughed, but there was something else to it that Jason couldn’t place. “Dang. Well, don’t let the Aphrodite kids say that - They’re all placing bets on who they think it is. You know Drew Tanaka? I’d say there’s at least a hundred dollars on her right now.”
Jason groaned. “Seriously? Why do people think they’re just allowed to get involved in my love life like that?”
Percy shrugged. “I dunno, man. We’ve all been through it, though. For a while, the entire camp was arguing about whether or not Annabeth and I would get together. I guess you’ve just gotta put up with it until it dies down.”
Jason nodded. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Against his better judgment, he then added: “Just out of curiosity, who did you place your bet on?”
Percy looked away, and if the sun hadn’t just begun setting, Jason would have seen the growing blush across his face.
“Oh- I actually didn’t, um, place one. I thought- Well, I didn’t think you… Nevermind. But no, I didn’t place a bet.”
“Oh.”
Jason, somehow, took comfort in that fact.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Dinner came and went. Teens of assorted godly parents assembled in the woods, at their team’s designated base. Jason considered joining them, but he ultimately decided against it. He was sure someone, somewhere, would notice his absence, but frankly, he didn’t care.
Sitting on the boating dock, as he had so many times before, he heard distant shouting and screaming. Part of Jason wished he could be there with his peers, but he stayed rooted to the splintered wood below him.
The snapping of a twig behind him brought Jason back to reality. He drew the short dagger he carried around, holding it at the ready. Expecting a monster, Jason called out “Who’s there?”
An agitated groan came from within the trees. “I’m armed! Who’s there?” He called again.
Instead of a monster, though, tumbled out a disoriented Percy Jackson.
“Jeez, someone should trim those branches, huh?” He joked.
Jason stared in shock. His stomach flipped.
“Percy? Uh, shouldn’t you be with everyone else playing capture the flag?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” he responded, brushing off a few leaves. “Why’re you just sitting out here alone?”
Jason pursed his lips. He debated his answer before deciding on the truth.
“I don’t want to be around everyone else right now. With everything, and the rumor, I just…” He trailed off.
Percy nodded in understanding. “Makes sense. Some of them were really pushing it.”
Jason let out a sigh, and patted a space on the dock next to him, motioning for Percy to sit. He obliged.
Jason would be lying if he said it didn’t tingle when their arms brushed.
“So it’s really not true, then?”
“It’s…” Jason paused. “Not true. Not really, anyways. I really don’t like any girls.”
“You don’t like any girls,” Percy repeated. “But you do like someone.”
Jason felt the air rush out of his lungs. He only now became aware of just how cold the night had become.
A look of understanding passed between the two boys.
“I…” Jason started, but never finished.
“It’s okay,” Percy looked at him. “You don’t have to… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’ll-”
“Wait,” Jason cut him off. “No. You’re right. I do… like someone.”
It was Percy’s turn for his breath to hitch. “Oh?” He asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah,” said Jason, keeping the same tone. “Yeah.”
“Um,” Percy tried. Words were caught in his throat. “Cool. That’s cool, man.”
“Yeah,” Jason said again. Since when had there been a lump in his throat? Why was he so close to crying? “I… I don’t… you’re the only one that knows. Please, don’t tell anyone. Please.”
Percy wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I won’t. Of course, I won’t.”
“Thanks,” Jason croaked out.
“I know I shouldn’t ask this, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want, but… who?” When Percy looked up, there was a glimmer in his eyes - was that hope?
Was Jason going to do this? Was he really going to do this?
“You.”
Yes. He was.
“Me?” It was Percy’s turn for his voice to crack. “You like… Me?”
“Yes.” Jason said quietly. “You. It’s you. It’s always been you, Percy.”
A few moments passed between them. No one spoke. Even the shouts across the lake had quieted - the game must have ended.
Jason felt something brush against his arm. It was Percy. Even without looking over, Jason could feel his presence.
“Per-”
Before Jason could even finish the word, a strong hand grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss. Seconds later they pulled apart, both gasping for air.
“What?” Jason asked, an expression of shock still clouding his face. “You- what?”
Percy smiled at him. “I love you. I have loved you, I do love you, and I always will love you.”
They sat there, holding on to each other for the first time. Soon, the other campers would arrive, and they would need to break apart and continue on with whatever else the others wished of them.
But for now?
This was enough.