Work Text:
Lester would like to say he didn't let that picture bother him for long. It was just something that caught him by surprise but it wasn't that a big deal. That he didn't let it torture him for close to a week.
But of course, he’d be lying.
He couldn't stop himself from going back to Percy’s page almost every hour to stare at the picture of his girlfriend with another guy, the two of them looking like the perfect couple you'd see on the cover of a shitty teen novel you only picked up because the leads are hot.
He also couldn't stop himself from going over and stalking Luke’s page. There wasn't a lot there but Lester found out enough. Most importantly the fact that Luke is 18, at least if he ever makes a move on Percy Lester can call the cops so there's that
God, is this how Hera usually feels? Now he understands why she’s such a bitch
Obviously, Percy didn't cheat or do anything even close to betraying him the way his father does with his stepmother, but imagining her and that tall, handsome guy together is killing him
And add salt to the injury, Luke Castellan has perfect, sandy, blonde hair
Even though he’s angsting and feeling as he assumes his Stepmother must feel on a regular basis, Lester knows that what he’s feeling is not Percy's fault. She’s never done anything to make him think she’d ever cheat on him, hot friend or not. The issue just so happens to be the fact that Luke Castellan is the manifestation of every insecurity Lester ever had.
It also doesn't help that Luke most likely knows Percy a lot better than Lester, seeing that the brown-haired boy only found out his girlfriend's first full name is Persephone last week
Overall, Lester is not feeling so great and lesser men would have been crushed by those feelings, but all he sees is an opportunity to up his game. Yes, he’s not as attractive as Luke and doesn't know Percy as well as he does, but he’s watched enough romcoms to know getting desperate and insecure is the last thing he should do at the moment if he doesn't want to end up as the boyfriend character in a hallmark movie
Instead of doing the usual insecure boyfriend routine that’ll surely get him dumped, Lester will use this opportunity to woo Percy, make her like him even more so she doesn't ever let her eyes wander and realize Luke Castellan with his pretty blonde hair is right over there
With that in mind, Lester allowed his mind to wander to more pleasant thoughts, like planning his next date
Parking in front of Mayfair, Lester checked everything while he waited for his girlfriend. Today, he was taking Percy for a picnic at the park. He packed everything, there were snacks and drinks, he even made sure to pack the blue gummy bears Percy likes in a cute heart-shaped container, a bit on the nose but Lester argues she’d appreciate the gesture. He’s even brought a picnic blanket and basket for this occasion
Hopping out of the van after making sure everything was in place and he hadn't forgotten anything, Lester went to wait in front of Mayfair’s main gate. He didn't have to wait long though before he was awarded the beautiful sight of his girlfriend running in his direction
“Lester!” Percy called from a distance before stopping right in front of him “Had to come back to my dorm to grab this” she shook a Tupperware full of what seemed to be cookies “Did I make you wait for too long?” She asked in an apologetic tone, tilting her head in the way she does whenever she asks a question
God, she’s so cute, thought Lester before giving her a quick kiss “Don’t worry, I just got here” he said, happily watching a flush spread across her cheeks “You look great” he complimented, and she did
Knowing they were going on a picnic today Percy had commented she was going to keep things simple but even so that didn't stop her from looking like the dream he never wanted to wake up from. Never had a simple blue knitted halter top paired together with a black mini-skirt looked so good in Lester’s humble opinion.
“Charmer” Percy replied, still a bit flushed before continuing “You look great too, i like what you did with your hair” She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the parked van
Not knowing how to react to the compliment, Lester simply thanked her. Besides his mother, Percy is the only person who ever compliments him on his looks and not to sound any more lame than he already does, it catches him by surprise every single time
Giving her another quick kiss just because, he opened the passenger seat's door for Percy before quickly making his way to the driver's side
The drive to the picnic spot was a pleasant one, being able to talk to in person after spending an entire week pining over each other over the phone was just what they needed
So of course everything had to go to shit
Even though Lester had checked the weather every day of the week when he planned for this date, by the time they had gotten there the universe decided to send another “fuck you” his way by throwing a rainstorm their way as soon as they got to the park
After he made sure to find a safe space to park, Lester said “I’m so sorry, I swear that I checked the weather forecast—”
“Hey, c’mon. Don’t blame yourself, it’s not like you can control the weather and stuff” Percy simply said, smiling at him as if to make sure he knew she was not upset
Calming down a bit, Lester said “Ok, I’m just feeling bad because we only see each other once a week and I just had to go and ruin it”
Rolling her eyes, Percy said “You didn't ruin anything, the weather and maybe global warming did” Then she looked around and said “We can still have our picnic”
Tilting his head in confusion, Lester asked “How?” the rain wasn't stopping anytime soon and while he’d do anything for Percy he wasn't too confident about driving under heavy rain, especially with her inside the van
Instead of giving him an answer, Percy simply started climbing through the little window that separated the front seats from the bench and the rest of the van. Quickly looking the other way so he didn't accidentally catch a glimpse of his girlfriend's underwear, Lester had no idea what she was doing until he heard her mumble “Yeah, this is what I thought”
Lester's van was a spacious thing, he knew and liked that fact. The van was big which meant he could relax inside it whenever he felt like it. Besides the bench seats that were pretty much attached to the driver's and the passenger's seats, it also had a second set of very reclinable seats that almost directly faced the sunroof, which was perfect for sunbathing when you don’t want strangers possibly staring at you.
So, logically Lester knew his van was big but it wasn't until he stared at Percy, who had set up the picnic blanket on the van’s floor, that he realized how big it actually was and how their picnic date could continue
“God, I L-like this girl so much” thought Lester as he also climbed through the little window to join his girlfriend in the back of the van, ignoring that little L-word slip for now
Having a picnic with Percy was as fun in practice as he imagined it’d be as he was planning the date. Sure, he didn't plan for that picnic to happen inside his van while it rained cats and dogs outside, but maybe people who say ‘It doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it with the right person’ had a point
He knows he has the right company.
Even as the storm dwindled around them, Lester had no desire to leave this little cocoon of happiness. After finishing eating their snacks they moved on to a game of “Who can throw this gummy bear into the other’s mouth better?”, which he was winning by the way
Holding the heart-shaped container, Percy said “ I want a rematch, you rigged this game”
“And how would I have rigged It, my dear?” Lester asked, trying to hold back the smile threatening to rip across his face
“By looking at me with those eyes whenever it’s my turn so I mess up my throws”
“Really? My apologies then, should I get blindfolded next time?”
“I know you’re making fun of me, but yes, you should”
“I’m not making fun of you, love” ok that was a slip he hopes she didn't think too much about
Percy looked like she was going to respond, but that was cut off by her yawning “Sorry, not used to waking up this early” she apologized as if getting sleepy was some type of crime
“That's fine, the storm has settled down by a lot, want me to drive you back to Mayfair?” He didn't want the date to end so soon but Percy's rest came first
“No, just—” she tried explaining then just shook and said ‘You know what? Just push me off, if you want”
“What—” he was going to ask before Percy just climbed over to his side and just…snuggled against his arm
“Is it ok?” She asked, both her face and voice shyer than he had ever seen or heard from her before
Trying to commit this sight to memory, Lester said “More than ok” in the softest tone he ever remembers speaking. Hoping to make her more comfortable, he gently raised the arm she was holding and put it around her now giving her more access to his entire left side
Percy didn't respond, she just snuggled against him further now resting her head against on top of his chest and even though their height difference is not that much, with her being taller, never has Lester felt bigger
“Are you comfortable?” Lester asked, still maintaining that soft tone as if he was afraid he’d spook her if he spoke any louder
“Yes, you’re very comfortable. I really like spending time with you”
“Me too”
Lester was planning to woo his girlfriend in a way that made her like him even more, but now, with the two of them snuggling in the back of his parked van as rain drizzled around them, he realized he was the hopelessly wooed one
Is three months too soon to say “I love you”?