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Chapter Text

After two years of fighting beside him, Clarisse liked to think she knew Percy.

Despite their differences and their arguments, they were still demigods, still on the same team. Everything that had happened the previous year during the Golden Fleece quest proved her right, and as loathe as she was to admit it, Percy Jackson was someone you wanted on your team.

Clarisse prided herself on protecting those she cared about. Usually, it extended to just her siblings. As head of the Ares cabin, Clarisse was determined to make sure her brothers and sisters were able to feel confident and safe enough to express themselves.

Since returning from her quest, however, Clarisse had realized that the determination to protect those closest to her had been extended to Percy. Frustratingly, his help while she was working to find her father’s chariot had also exposed just how kind and caring Percy Jackson truly was.

Despite their history, despite the fact that Clarisse had barely shown him kindness in the two years they had known each other, Percy had not even hesitated to jump in and defend her from her two brothers. He had protected her and encouraged her, and had stood up for her in a way Clarisse had never experienced.

He told her his greatest fear, that his friends would die on Half-Blood Hill after he was unable to successfully complete the prophecy. He told her that she was one of those friends, that he viewed her as someone important enough to protect, important enough to mourn.

She hated how much they both had in common, hated that the reason they viewed the other as being similar was because of their respective relationships with father figures.

She would never, in a million years, admit that, but it was what changed her attitude towards the son of Poseidon.

He was everything her younger self had wished for in a younger brother.

She loved all of her half-siblings, but there was something about Percy that just… clicked for her.

He was snarky, sarcastic, strong, and infuriatingly kind. He forced her to look outside of her own small bubble, and was one of the only people in her life who could actually give her a challenge. He knew how she operated, how she behaved, and exactly how to get under her skin.

Clarisse knew the same, knew just how far to poke Percy before pulling back. Once Grover quietly told her, a few weeks after the trio had returned from their quest, about the kids who had bullied Percy, and who had tormented him, her own comments changed to be just teasing rather than aiming to truly hurt.

Percy was one of hers now, one of her siblings that she would protect.

It also helped that he was a head counselor.

All the demigods were close to one another, but it was unspoken knowledge amongst the campers that the head counselors had a special bond with each other. It was the fact that they were in charge of all their siblings, that they sat in on all important meetings that concerned the future of the camp, that they were the ones who carried so much responsibility on their shoulders.

Everyone else had siblings, people who understood their powers, their desire to appease their specific parent.

Percy was completely alone. Except for Tyson, who was there for one summer and the occasional Iris Message, Percy had no siblings to connect with.

To supplement that space, Clarisse sparred with Percy under the guise of having an argument with him. She challenged him during Capture the Flag to help him hone his skills, using their rivalry as an excuse for her attacks.

Her siblings noticed. They knew the way she behaved was the way she treated their younger cabin members. They were all smart enough not to say anything.

Clarisse never outright acknowledged how she saw Percy, not until Annabeth was kidnapped, and the Hunters of Artemis came to visit.

If there was one thing that all the campers agreed on, it was that they banded together when the group of silver-clad girls came to Camp Half-Blood.

So, when Clarisse noticed that Grover was doing all he could to make the Hunters comfortable, and Thalia was outright ignoring Percy, she knew something had to be done. She hated the empty look in his eye, the way he would stare at the Athena cabin, no doubt hoping that Annabeth’s disappearance was just a dream.

The day after the Hunters came, and Annabeth went missing, the head counselors gathered in the Big House for a meeting, clustered around the ping pong table in varying states of confusion and tiredness as they looked around.

Malcolm, Lee, Silena, Beckendorf, Travis and Connor, Katie, Castor and Pollux. Clarisse had all but threatened them if they did not come.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a head counselors’ meeting?” Lee asked, noting the missing members of their group. “Where’s Percy and Thalia?”

“Jackson’s hanging out with Blackjack, and Thalia’s not important to this meeting.” Clarisse said, stepping to the head of the table.

Beckendorf leaned forward, hands clasped. “This is about Percy, isn’t it.”

If Clarisse saw Percy as a younger brother, so did Beckendorf. He had a fierce fondness for the son of Poseidon ever since he came to camp, his open-eyed wonder and his ability to easily douse fires in the forge endearing him to the entire Hephaestus cabin.

“You’ve all noticed it also?” Silena asked, an almost relieved look in her eyes.

Clarisse nodded. “Annabeth’s gone, and he’s totally alone right now. Thalia pretty much blames him for what happened, and we all know how much Grover loves him, but he’s so focused on the Hunters.”

Malcolm hummed to himself, crossing his arms. His eyes were tired, having stepped up into the head counselor position with his sister’s disappearance, but there was determination on his face.

“Annabeth would be pissed if she came back and knew he didn’t have a support system.” He said.

“Even if she wouldn’t be pissed, he’s still one of us.” Katie said firmly. “He deserves to have us there for him.”

Travis shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Gods know he’s done enough on his own.”

They all regretted the way they had treated him the summer prior, the way they had treated him and Tyson. Instead of being happy that their friend had a sibling, happy that he found someone who could give him the love they all received from their siblings, they teased him. They made jokes, they steered clear, they completely abandoned Percy.

They should have been there for Percy, and they hadn’t been. They would be there for him now. Percy was one of them, and all the head counselors were determined to make sure he knew that he would always have a family in them.

Pollux spoke up, sharing a look with Castor. “We all need to help him. It can be in our own ways, but he needs us to help distract him.”

Clarisse nodded, happy that the others were having the same exact thought process that she was. “That little shit will never admit that he needs help, and he will never take it if we directly tell him he needs people there for him.”

“So we do it discreetly.” Beckendorf said, standing. He made eye contact with everyone. “Everyone go to him one at a time, do something that is usual for you, but make the excuse for him to join you believable.” He looked at Castor and Pollux. “You two might have the hardest job. Can you convince your dad to chill out on Percy, and give him some leeway with curfew?” Castor and Pollux immediately nodded.

“We can all do things like that.” Clarisse said. “For now, think of ideas. I’ve already got one, so I’m going to find Jackson.” She made her way to the stairs to leave the Big House, but a thought occurred to her, and she turned around, eyes instantly narrowing and a scowl appearing on her face. “If any of you breath a word of this being my idea, I will fry every single one of you.”

Silena raised an eyebrow, and Clarisse instantly knew her best friend saw right through the touch exterior she had just put up. Clarisse huffed, and relaxed, making Silena grin. “Sure, Clarisse.”

Clarisse stormed into the stables, spear crackling in her hands. “JACKSON!”

The other campers instantly yelped and scrambled back, but Percy simply turned, raising an eyebrow, the usual stormy look in his eyes. “Clarisse.”

“Arena, now.” Clarisse snapped, grabbing Percy’s arm and dragging him behind her. She ignored his yelp and his scrambling. “We’re sparring. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you get to slack off.”

“I will do a repeat of the Bathroom Incident.” Percy hissed as Clarisse dragged him through the camp. Clarisse paused, turning around to look at him with a raised eyebrow. They both knew he had much better control over his powers, and he would never actually cause damage to the camp. Percy met her look with one of his own, eyes narrowed, and Clarisse wondered how anyone ever found the little twerp intimidating. His anger was amusing, in the way that her siblings’ anger when someone stole their brush or pillow was amusing.

She waved her hand in an opening gesture. “Go ahead, Prissy.”

Percy looked at her for a moment longer before huffing and rolling his eyes. “I won’t.”

“That’s what I thought.” Clarisse said victoriously. She continued to walk towards the arena, this time with Percy walking with her side-by-side. She spotted Thalia out of the corner of her eye, the daughter of Zeus watching their interaction, but she kept her attention on Percy.

They made their way into the arena, and forwent the armor.

It was another level of trust that made Clarisse feel an annoying burst of fondness. Percy had opened up to Clarisse, how he clung to armor after Luke’s betrayal, that he was hesitant to completely let his guard down.

He only sparred without armor against two people.

Annabeth and Clarisse.

With Clarisse, it was new. It was not something he always did, just something he started after returning from the Sea of Monsters. Clarisse trusted Percy to pull his strikes, and vice versa. Clarisse graciously waited until Percy got his bearings and pulled Riptide out. She grabbed Maimer, and swung, electricity crackling along the blade as Percy ducked out of the way. Riptide extended, and the two bronze blades met with a loud clanging sound.

A crowd slowly gathered in the arena, as they always did when the duo sparred. Out of the corner of her eye, Clarisse spotted a few glimpses of silver, but she ignored them. Her focus was Percy.

As they fought, the blank, tired look on Percy’s face was slowly fading, replaced by the bright, fearless spark that Clarisse was used to seeing in his eyes. A wild, childish grin appeared, the infectious grin that even she was unable to resist matching.

Percy stabbed Riptide at her, and she dancing out of the way and moving to try and hook her brother’s sword out of his grasp. He laughed as he moved with her attack, and Clarisse allowed an amused huff to escape her.

Finally, she got the upper hand, snagging Riptide’s hilt with Maimer, and grabbing the sword so it would not return to Percy. She looked up with a wide smile, and was promptly splashed in the face with water.

Clarisse sputtered, dropping the two weapons in order to wipe her face, hearing the laughter from the stands. “Cheater.” She looked at Percy, and the annoyance at everyone laughing immediately faded as she looked at his carefree, beaming expression.

“Gullible.” He snarked back, moving his hand to pull the water off of her and dry her off.

Clarisse rolled her eyes, kneeling to pick up the weapons, and she spun Riptide around to offer it back to Percy. He took it gratefully, resting his hand briefly on Clarisse’s. She looked at him, and was shocked by the amount of gratitude that was reflected back at her.

She let her smile fade to something fonder. “Just talk to one of us next time.”

A sheepish look appeared on Percy’s face. “Thanks, Clarisse.”

“Anytime, Percy.” She shoved his shoulder, making him stumble back with a laugh. “Stop cheating, though.”

Percy capped Riptide, tucking it into his pocket before throwing his hands up. “We never said anything about not using powers!”

Clarisse made a mocking sound. “I don’t have powers, dipshit!”

“Excuses, excuses, La Rue!” Percy shot back, immediately letting out a yelp as Clarisse poked him with Maimer, a small shock hitting him.

She snickered, putting her spear on her back again before ruffling Percy’s hair, a fond gesture that had him freezing briefly in shock. He quickly relaxed, flashing her a warm look before running off, no doubt to return to Blackjack and brag about his win.

Annabeth was gone, but she was not about to allow her little brother to be on his own.

She would let him cheat during spars a thousand time if it meant hearing him laugh so freely.

Little punk.

Clarisse found the burst of affection in her chest much less annoying.

Chapter Text

Silena Beauregard knew the stereotypes that surrounded herself and her siblings. She knew people believed they were selfish, shallow, and only focused on romance.

What many of her fellow demigods forgot was that, while Aphrodite was majorly connected to romantic love, she was the mother of all different types, meaning that all her children held the different forms of love in high regard. Silena herself held her platonic relationships in high regard, and everyone who knew her knew she cherished her friendships close to her heart.

When Percy Jackson first arrived at Camp Half-Blood, Silena could automatically feel the deep love he had for his mother. His openness and awe at entering the new world endeared him quickly to Silena, and she could not help herself from reaching out and befriending him.

Percy was funny, genuine, and could not care less about who her parent was, and Silena loved him. He did not have any of the same preconceived notions about children of Aphrodite, and thus was more than happy when Silena reached out to him about taking care of the pegasi.

After his first quest of the summer, Percy ended up inviting the head counselors to his apartment in the city, and it was there that they met his mother.

The head counselors were the only demigods in the camp who had met Sally Jackson. She was the warmest, kindest person that any of them had ever met, and it was obvious to them all where Percy got his positive traits from. Sally welcomed all the counselors into her home with a smile, and treated them all like her own. She quickly became one of their favorite people to speak to, and it solidified Percy’s position as a member of their little secondary family.

Silena adored the funny, sarcastic side of Percy that was almost always on display, but her favorite version of Percy was the quiet, contemplative boy she would see spending time in the stables.

So, that was where Silena went to spend time with Percy after the head counselors’ meeting. She waited until Clarisse had finished sparring with him, making sure that he was settled back in at the stables. After Clarisse had walked out, Silena had made sure no one else interrupted, because she knew her best friend, and knew that, if anyone could break through Percy’s stormy behavior, it was Clarisse.

Silena waited until the crowd cleared, and she slowly made her way to the stables.

She spotted Percy standing next to Blackjack, the pegasus nickering quietly as his mane was gently brushed. She moved to pet Blackjack’s neck, keeping her eyes on him as she spoke. “Hi, Perce.” Silena gave him a warm smile. “Mind if I join you?”

Percy shook his head. “Not at all, ‘Lena.”

“How’s Mama J doing?” Silena asked quietly, reaching into one of her pockets for the sugar cubes she always stocked up on before visiting the stables. She handed one to Blackjack, who flapped his wings excitedly, letting out a whinny that made Percy snort.

“She’s good. She’s taking a writing seminar.”

Silena’s heart warmed. “That’s great!” The two went quiet for a few minutes before Silena let out a soft sigh, looking at the son of Poseidon. “How are you doing, Percy?”

Percy’s hand stilled where it was running over Blackjack’s forehead. “I… don’t know.” He suddenly looked extremely small as he made eye contact with Silena, as if she was going to scold him. “Is that okay?”

Silena could not resist stepping away from Blackjack and wrapping her arms around Percy as tightly as she could.

“Of course that’s okay, Percy.” She told him firmly. Her cheek was able to rest on top of his head, something that made her hold back a smile. He was yet to hit his growth spurt, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he shot up like a weed and towered over her. “Is it okay if we just sit together?”

“I’d like that.” Percy’s voice was quiet.

Silena’s heart broke in her chest, suddenly reminded of the boy who arrived at camp two years prior. She kept her arm around his shoulders, and walked to one of the benches just outside of the stables that overlooked the lake. They sat, and Silena shifted, looping her arm through Percy’s and leaning against him, resting her head against his.

She felt more than heard him let out a sigh, the tension leaving his shoulders, and her grip on his arm tightened comfortingly. “It’ll be okay, Percy.”

Percy leaned back against her. “Thanks, ‘Lena.”

Silena smiled to herself, threading her fingers through Percy’s, and holding onto him as they sat together, staring out at the lake as the sun began to light up the sky with warm pinks and purples.

She would sit with Percy in silence for a hundred days if it meant getting him to relax, and getting him to let his guard down for just a few minutes.

Charlie Beckendorf was someone who thought of himself as being very easy to read. He knew that, sometimes, newcomers saw him as intimidating, but he would not hesitate to make those who hung out around him feel completely at home.

Percy Jackson was one of those people.

The previous summer, Beckendorf knew he was one of the only people who actually showed kindness to Tyson when he came to Camp Half-Blood, and that had been the shift for his and Percy’s friendship. Prior to that summer, Percy mostly stuck with the members of the Hermes cabin, Annabeth, and Grover. He was hesitant to reach out to other cabin members to hang out, and Beckendorf couldn’t help but laugh at the memory of the kid’s nervousness the first time he approached him in the forge.

Percy became a regular when visiting and hanging out at camp, a welcome help when it came to errant fires and cooling freshly forged swords and armor.

Beckendorf was also one of the only people who really knew about Percy’s hesitant feelings for Annabeth. He knew that Percy and Annabeth were best friends, and the way that they had immediately clicked the moment they met. It was not until they returned from their quest to help find the Golden Fleece that Percy hesitantly sat with Beckendorf in the forge and told him about what had happened on Circe’s island.

Beckendorf loved having ammunition to tease Percy. Watching the boy’s face slowly turn red as fun was playfully poked at him was the highlight of the rest of Beckendorf’s summer, and he did not hesitate to continue to joke around with him.

Of course, when Percy turned it around and began teasing Beckendorf about his not-so-secret crush on Silena, then they both ended at a stalemate with equally red faces and promises to never do any of that teasing in front of the girls.

Beckendorf made his way through the camp, hauling a card of armor and weapons behind him as he scanned the area around him for his wayward black-haired friend.

He spotted Percy sitting near the pavilion next to Hestia’s brazer, and he grinned. “Jackson!” Percy’s head snapped up, and a slight grin appeared on his face. “I need your help, Perce.” He motioned to the cart behind him. “I finished some new armor pieces, and I need you to help test them.”

Percy sighed heavily, though Beckendorf knew he was just being dramatic. “Why me?”

“I want to see how fire-resistant they are, and you can put out fires.” Beckendorf replied, and Percy’s eyes immediately lit up excitedly.

“Greek fire?”

Their latest experiment over the summer had been how quickly Percy could help extinguish Greek Fire. It was something that the entire Hephaestus cabin had gotten involved in, and Percy had been delighted to see what he could do.

“Regular fire.” Beckendorf said, and Percy groaned. “Chiron’s put a stop to that aspect of it.”

“That sucks.”

Beckendorf began making his way to the arena, Percy following him. “I also want to see how the new swords I made stand up to you and Riptide.” He spotted Percy stopping out of the corner of his eye, and Beckendorf turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Seeing as how you’re the best swordsman, if my swords can stand up to you, then they’ll stand up to anything.”

Beckendorf loved bringing up Percy’s status as the best swordsman.

His friend was so infuriatingly humble that any possible mention of his sword-fighting skills instantly brought the brightest red flush to his face, and Percy would inevitably attempt to stammer out a list of campers who were more skilled than he was.

Beckendorf ignored his sputtering, and continued on his way to the arena, where he set up his armor prototypes and set out the swords. He gave Percy a moment to put on his own armor and get Riptide out, and then picked up one of the swords, giving it a test swing. “You ready?”

Percy fell into his usual opening stance, eyes lighting up as he lifted Riptide. “Ready.”

Beckendorf could not care less that every single sword ended up with at least one small chip in the blade, or that his armor ended up slightly scorched.

The light returning to Percy’s eyes as he used the blowtorch on the armor, and his laughter every time Beckendorf tossed away another sword with a groan was worth the extra time that he would be spending in the forge the next few days.

Chapter Text

Castor and Pollux knew that they were probably the luckiest demigods at the camp.

Being able to see their godly father every single day was something no other demigod experienced. Dionysus living with them and their mother growing up was a gift that was rare to have in a demigod’s life, and when their mother died, and Dionysus made sure that Castor and Pollux were brought to Camp Half-Blood, it was another layer of the silver lining. Dionysus, while not one to show favoritism, did soften just slightly when his sons became year-round campers.

Thankfully, while the other demigods recognized that Castor and Pollux were lucky, they did not expect the twins to use their privilege as sons of the camp directly to their own advantage.

As much as Dionysus kept his relationship with his sons separate from the rest of the camp, he did make a point to visit his children every night, sitting in the small cabin with them to talk about their day and simply just spend time.

When Percy Jackson came to camp, Castor and Pollux thought he was absolutely hilarious. Watching their father’s reaction to the son of Poseidon being the snarkiest, most unafraid demigod he had met in centuries made it hard for them to truly sympathize with Dionysus.

Considering that he was also the only one in his cabin, it almost made sense for Percy to befriend the twins.

After he returned from his first quest, Percy grew into the habit of joining the twins in the strawberry fields, making small trenches to help guide the water through the rows of strawberries.

It usually did not take Castor and Pollux long to help the strawberry plants, but neither of them minded when Percy sat down with them, digging his fingers into the dirt and pulling up little strands of water to play with.

The Percy that Castor and Pollux got to know was a sweet, quiet boy who was eager to keep those around him safe, often at the detriment of his own safety.

Castor easily connected to the younger boy because of their loyalty and protectiveness. Castor would do anything for his brother and father, happily, and Percy would readily do the same for his mother, Grover, and Annabeth.

Pollux got along with Percy because of his sense of humor and his fire. The hour or so that tending to the strawberry plants should have taken would extend into two, three, four hours as Pollux and Percy got into playful arguments about their favorite things, Pollux delighting in the sharp, witty comments that he would get in return.

Castor would egg them both on, violet eyes glinting with mischief whenever Pollux and Percy would whip around and gang up on him.

So, when Clarisse brought it to their knowledge that Percy was feeling lower than low, the twins knew exactly what they wanted to do.

They left the meeting, and immediately went to their cabin, Dionysus already waiting for them, looking at the framed photos they kept on the windowsill, photos of their childhood with their mother and father and their early days at Camp Half-Blood.

Castor made his way to his bed, sitting down cross-legged. “Dad, can we talk?”

“Of course.” Dionysus said, raising an eyebrow as he went to sit beside him.

Pollux went to his father’s other side“It’s about Percy.”

Dionysus immediately let out a heavy sigh, the usual annoyance on his face as he glanced towards the window, as if he could see exactly where Percy was in that moment. “Ah, yes, our dear son of Poseidon.”

“Dad.” Castor and Pollux spoke in unison, levelling their father with the same unimpressed look.

“Fine.” Dionysus said, lips twitching slightly with the rare smile that only his two sons could coax out of him. “What’s wrong with him?”

Castor and Pollux exchanged a look, and Castor began speaking. “It’s just… since Annabeth’s been taken, and everyone’s come here, he’s having a hard time.”

Dionysus hummed. “I have noticed that he’s much less annoying than usual lately.”

The twins both rolled their eyes. As much as Dionysus made it seem as though he detested every single demigod who entered Camp Half-Blood, they knew that he actually felt quite fond of them. His punishment from Zeus was what annoyed him, and they both knew the real reason he distanced himself from all the heroes.

The less connection that was created, the less it hurt when they died.

Percy was one of those demigods that Dionysus found amusing and impressive, but he would never in a million years admit that to anyone, not even his own sons. His sons, however, could see right through him.

“We’ve talked with the other head counselors, and we want to help him out.” Pollux continued, fidgeting with his fingers. He loved his father, but it was always relatively intimidating talking to him considering that he was a god. “But you know him, he’s too stubborn to actually ask for help.”

Dionysus reached out, catching Pollux’s fingers, giving him a gentle look that only the twins ever got to see. “What do you need me to do, boys?”

“Be a little more lenient with his curfew?” Castor asked, and Dionysus sighed. “Just an hour or so, that’s all.”

“Plus, with the Hunters, it’s hard for any of us to let our guard down.” Pollux added, knowing that he hit the nail on the head with the real source of his father’s annoyance when Dionysus’ shoulders fell slightly.

The twins both looked at their father, putting pleading expressions on their faces. “Please, Dad.”

“Fine.” Dionysus said, sounding like it was the most difficult decision he had ever made. However, he granted his twins a small grin. “But this is only because you two are asking me.”

“We know.” Castor and Pollux gave him identical, mischievous grins.

Their father huffed out a chuckle, reaching out to ruffle their blonde hair as he stood. “Menaces.”

Travis and Connor were proud to take the title of being some of Percy’s very first friends that he made at Camp Half-Blood.

Grover did not count, because Grover and Percy had a mind-meld friendship that no one could ever hope to replicate, but the Stoll brothers did take every chance they could to brag that they were friends with Percy before Annabeth was friends with him.

The entire Hermes cabin, even after Percy was claimed, considered the son of Poseidon their sibling. It was not uncommon, as the cabin that took in all the unclaimed, for the Hermes children to see their unclaimed members as siblings, no matter who their parent ended up being.

When Luke ended up betraying the entire camp and nearly killing Percy, Travis and Connor were both worried that it would change their friendship with him. They were heartbroken at their older brother’s betrayal, and knew there was a chance that the entire camp may turn on the Hermes cabin as a whole.

Percy was one of the reasons that did not happen. When he had healed, and was out of the medical tent, he never changed how he treated any member of the Hermes cabin. He happily hung out with Travis and Connor. He sat and talked to them about how they felt with Luke’s betrayal.

Travis and Connor could not help but be fond of the son of Poseidon after that summer.

Even his little joke about their last name being ironic for sons of Hermes was not as annoying as it was when other people pointed that out.

Percy showing up at their cabin with a little black-haired boy in tow was like a punch of deja vu for the Stoll brothers.

Nico DiAngelo was like the complete opposite of Percy when he arrived at Camp Half-Blood. Where he was excited, Percy had been wary. Where he was energetic and outgoing, Percy had been quiet and withdrawn.

Their wide-eyed wonder, however, was the exact same, and Travis and Connor had to do their very best to keep their reminiscing to themselves.

Percy not turning against the Hermes cabin was one of the main reasons that they did not feel ostracised after Luke’s betrayal, and Travis and Connor would always be grateful to him for that.

So, when Percy obviously began to become quiet and withdrawn after returning to Camp Half-Blood, Travis and Connor went down the same route that they used when he first arrived at camp and was dealing with his grief over his mother missing.

Connor pulled out a locked box from beneath his bed, unlocking it quickly to dig through the wealth of contraband snacks within. “Do we have any soda left from our last trip?” Travis pulled the loose floorboard beside the door up, and pulled out a six-pack of Coca-Cola, tossing it towards Connor, who caught it with ease. He stuck it into a random box he had pulled off of another one of their siblings’ beds, followed by a few bags of chips.

“I also have a stash of Mama J’s cookies left from our last visit to the apartment.” Travis said, ceremonially revealing the familiar container holding the cherished blue cookies. Usually, said cookies would be used as a trading chip between the head counselors, but, more often than not, they would be given as mood pick-me-ups when they were feeling down. Travis and Connor were more than happy to sacrifice their cookie stash for their little brother.

(It would just push them up the list of Sally Jackson’s favorite campers, and ensure that they would get more cookies in the future.)

“I think I’ve got some blue candy from when we put together his birthday present.” Connor said, continuing to dig through the box until he let out a triumphant sound, unearthing a slightly squished bag of various blue candies. He tucked those amongst the chips and cookies.

Travis pulled out a stack of index cards, and grabbed a pen. He sat beside Connor on the bed, handing his brother a few, and began to write out the corniest ocean puns he could ever imagine.

You’re super so-fish-ticafted.

You peli-can do this!

One thing’s for shore, we otter-ly love the ocean!

You can run, but you can’t tide!

Connor was snickering to himself as he wrote, handing over his finished cards to Travis so they could compile them together.

Are you squid-ding me?

You are sand-sational!

Let minnow when we’re going to the beach!

Are we kraken you up yet?

Travis finished writing, and made sure everything was put together in the box before looking at Connor. “Is he at his cabin?”

“I think Beckendorf stole him to practice in the arena for a bit.”

“Perfect.”

The brothers exited their cabin, Connor keeping a look out as they made their way to the Poseidon cabin.

Unlike the other cabins of Hades, Zeus, and Hera, Poseidon’s cabin seemed to welcome those who did not stay there. The head counselors had a hunch that it was because of Percy’s friendship and loyalty to his fellow demigods. The atmosphere of the cabin was always welcoming, with a warm sea breeze and an open door.

Travis and Connor entered the cabin, going to where Percy’s bed was pushed up against one of the walls, made up of three cots that they had helped sneak in for him. They placed the basket in the middle of the bed, made sure everything was visible, and then snuck out, undetected.

Percy, of course, knew that it was them, as evidenced by him approaching the Hermes table during lunch later that day, and handing a blue cookie to each of the Stoll brothers, who promptly let out loud whoops of joy and rubbed their treasure in the face of the rest of the head counselors as Percy laughed.

Chapter Text

Lee Fletcher officially met Percy Jackson on his third day at Camp Half-Blood.

He was a scrawny, shaggy-haired kid who was quite possibly the worst shot with a bow and arrow that Lee had ever seen in his entire life. He had sent an arrow into Chiron’s tail. Chiron, who had been standing behind him.

Lee had wondered, briefly, if for some reason his father had placed a curse on the new kid. It was almost concerning how bad Percy was with a bow and arrow.

When talking to the boy, Lee thought he was quiet, maybe a little angry, but he did not get a good read on him until after his quest to find the lightning bolt.

Percy had all but stormed into the medical tent, and asked Lee to help him learn about different parts of the body. He explained that part of his powers allowed him to heal himself with water, and he wanted to learn about injuries to see if he could help people who were not him heal.

Lee was ecstatic.

The fact that there possibly was someone else in the camp beside himself and his siblings who could help heal injuries, who could help to take the burden of being the ones that everyone ran to for help, it meant the world.

The night after Percy had told him about his possible ability, Lee had approached the campfire, scraping some of his food into the fire for his father, but also adding a little extra to Poseidon, something demigods rarely did. He felt he had to, both to ask for the god to help his son with his powers, and also to thank him for the demigod who was quickly becoming one of his favorite people.

As Percy spent more of the summer at Camp Half-Blood, the quiet personality began to fall away, and Lee was delighted to find out that Percy was a snarky, sarcastic kid who was nothing but kind and caring to the people around him.

Lee spotted Percy leaving the arena, and immediately bounded over to him. “Percy, my beloved friend and most favorite demigod in the whole wide world!”

Immediately, Percy’s face turned suspicious, and he raised an eyebrow. “What do you want?”

“I can’t just come and say hi?” Lee frowned, attempting to look as innocent as possible.

“Of course, but I know you, Lee.” Percy shot back, but there was a small smile on his face.

“Can we practice?” Lee asked, bouncing slightly in place just to make Percy snort with laughter at his elaborate excitement. “Just for a little bit, I won’t tire you out!”

The son of Poseidon let out a heavy, tired sigh, but anyone who knew him could hear how fake it was. “You have people who are injured?”

Lee’s smile grew even more. “Some burns from the lava wall, a bruise from the stables, and I’ve got two Ares kids who got into a fight with the Hunters that have a couple of nasty cuts.” “Fine.” Percy said, dropping the tired facade and falling into step with Lee, who threw an arm around his shoulders.

“You are a god amongst mortals, my friend.”

“You are so weird.”

Lee cackled, ruffling Percy’s hair fondly and ducking his lighthearted punch. “Onward!”

The two of them walked towards the medical tent, where Lee’s siblings were bustling in and out. They were preparing for Capture the Flag, which would take place in a few days. The Apollo cabin always made sure to have a stockpile of ambrosia and nectar, as well as the usual bandages and important medical equipment needed prior to a game. However, with the Hunters participating, Lee wanted to make sure that everyone was as prepared as possible, just in case.

“Start with the bruise, then the burns, then the cuts?” Percy said as they stepped into the tent, where a handful of demigods were sitting on cots.

“I think that’s the best course of action.” Lee turned towards his brother, who greeted them both with a small smile. “Mikey, can you take notes?”

Michael pulled a clipboard from seemingly nowhere, an almost manic gleam in his eye as he clicked his pen. “Yes!”

“You all are weirdly obsessed with this.” Percy said, shaking his head fondly.

Lee pointed at him threateningly. “Do I have to give you the rundown of reasons your abilities are unusual?”

Percy immediately threw his hands up with wide eyes. “Gods, no. The last time you talked about it, I was stuck in here for like three hours.”

Lee snickered, pulling Percy over to where Lacy was sitting, Michael following behind them. The ten-year-old daughter of Aphrodite had arrived at camp a few months prior, and was the definition of a sweetheart. Percy immediately sat down on the cot, and Lacy moved to sit against him.

“Hi, Lacy.”

“Hi.” Her voice was quiet, and Lee smiled warmly as he checked on her bruise.

Percy let out a hum, holding onto Lacy’s free hand. “Are you okay?”

Lacy’s bottom lip jutted out, but there were no tears on her face. “I got hurt.” She looked up at Percy with her big blue eyes, and Lee could literally see his friend instantly melt. “I was trying to help ‘Lena in the stables, but one of their wings caught me.”

“Did you cry?” Percy asked. Lacy shook her head fervently, making him grin. “Wow, that’s amazing, Lacy!” Her cheeks immediately became red, and Percy threw a look towards Lee, who handed him a bowl of clean water. As he talked, Percy took his free hand, and dipped it into the water. “You know, when I’m hanging out with Blackjack, and if I preen his feathers the wrong way, he throws the biggest tantrum in the world and doesn’t talk to me for the rest of the day.” Lacy giggled as Percy pulled a stream of water from the bowl, guiding it carefully to Lacy’s arm so that it surrounded the bruise. “I think he’s a big baby, and he’s going to get lazy from all the sugar cubes, but he tells me he needs them for his muscle.”

“Only you would have beef with your horse.” Lee said with a grin.

Both Percy and Lacy turned to him with incredulous looks, speaking in unison. “He is not a horse!”

Lee cackled as Percy rolled his eyes at him while Lacy stuck her tongue out at him.

“All done!” Percy announced, pulling the water away from Lacy’s arm, and sending it to the ground, where it immediately sank through the wooden slats. The bruise was completely gone, and Lacy squealed happily, throwing her arms around Percy’s neck.

Lee could not keep the warm, fond smile from spreading over his face, a fierce affection for Percy growing in his chest.

The head counselors were part of a select few who knew about Percy’s life prior to arriving at Camp Half-Blood. He told them about Gabe, just once, but it was enough. As he watched Percy joke with the son of Demeter who had gotten burned by the lava wall, their laughter filling the tent, Lee simply had to sit back and bask in the sound.

The observations about Percy’s abilities were nice and all, but hearing his laughter after experiencing so much darkness was just as good of a healing balm as anything else.

Most demigods tended to forget that Demeter was one of the first goddesses ever born.

They also tended to forget that Demeter was the sister of Poseidon.

Not Katie Gardner.

When Percy was claimed by Poseidon, Katie was elated.

While demigods did not always take into account their godly blood, choosing instead to mostly ignore the relationships between their parents, there was something different about being the child of one of the original six Olympians. They were the ones who fought against Kronos and the other Titans, and the ones who experienced being in Kronos for so long.

After his claiming, Katie instantly approached Percy, not as a fellow demigod, not as a head counselor, not as a rival, but as a family member.

They were cousins, and Katie was determined to treat Percy as the family they were.

It helped that they both were only summer campers, as then they could spend time outside of camp together. Percy and Katie would visit each other, hanging out and getting to talk to each other about non-demigod things. Outside of Annabeth and Grover, Katie was the first one who Percy introduced to Sally, who instantly took Katie in with a warm smile and a standing invitation to dinner every week.

Katie loved spending time with her father, but having family to spend time with meant the world to her.

When he was at camp, Percy quickly formed friendships with the rest of the Demeter demigods, and when he was not hanging out with Annabeth and Grover, he was sitting happily in the Demeter cabin, chatting with his cousins.

Katie liked to think that she knew Percy better than most people at Camp Half-Blood. Of course, there was nothing to compare to the friendship between Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, but she prided herself at being one of Percy’s closest friends. When he was not spending time in the fields, in the stables, or training, the two of them would often just sit together, talking and venting.

Percy was rightfully as upset about the Stolls continuously pranking the Demeter cabin, and Katie lost count of how many times she ended up in the Poseidon cabin, laying out on the floor while Percy played around with a stream of water, transforming it into different shapes and having Katie guess what he was making. Katie would sometimes do the same thing as well with her vines, and she and Percy would eventually end up in a mini competition over whose shapes could get guessed the fastest.

Percy was one of her favorite people in the world, and when Grover had contacted Katie, telling her what happened to Annabeth, she had wasted absolutely no time in catching the train back to Camp Half-Blood. Her father had understood, and Katie arrived at Camp Half-Blood not too long after Percy and his entourage had.

His expression had absolutely broken her heart. She had not seen Percy looking so despondent and empty since his first summer at Camp Half-Blood after his mother had been taken by the Minotaur.

She made a beeline for her cabin to drop of her backpack, greeting her few siblings who stayed through the year. She grabbed the succulent that had been sitting by her bedside table, pushed a little extra encouragement into the plant to help it thrive, and made her way to the Poseidon cabin.

She poked her head through the doorway like usual, spotting Percy sitting on the dock at the back of his cabin. “Hi, Aquaman.”

Percy turned, a small, surprised smile on his face as he took her in. “Hey, Ivy.”

“How’re you doing?” Katie asked, entering the cabin and making her way over to him. Percy huffed out a humorless laugh, shaking his head as he turned his attention back towards the lake.

“Can I lock my door and never leave?” The lack of humor in his voice made Katie pause, a small frown on her face.

She settled herself down beside Percy, hanging her feet over the docks. “Unfortunately, since you have friends who enjoy your presence, then you can’t.”

Percy grumbled. “Styx.”

“Can I hang out for a bit?” Katie asked. Percy looked over at her, something vulnerable and sad in his eyes, and she leaned into him, bumping their shoulders together. “No talking, just sitting with you.”

“Sure.”

“I brought you something.” She pulled out the jelly bean succulent, beaming as she handed it over to Percy.

“Another one?” He asked, raising an amused eyebrow. Katie rolled her eyes, and was rewarded with an actual quiet huff of laughter from her cousin. “Relax, I’m not complaining.”

Percy stood up, walking over to one of the windows of his cabin that was lined with small plants that Katie and other children of Demeter had given him. He moved a few pots around, and placed the red-tipped succulent down in the sunlight. He returned to his spot beside Katie, keeping their shoulders pressed together as they both looked out at the lake.

Katie reached over, holding onto Percy’s hand, and gently squeezing. “I was planning on going to encourage some of the smaller strawberry plants to last through the winter. Want to come with me later?”

Percy looked at her, and the small smile returned, warm and grateful. “Sure, Ivy.”

Katie was happy to stay quietly beside her cousin, offering him all the comfort and affection she could. It was the least she could do for him, and she was determined to prove to Percy that he was not alone, and she would always be there for him.

Chapter Text

Malcolm liked to think that there was a very, very special place waiting for him in Elysium after the past two years of having to deal with Percy and Annabeth’s yearning glances towards each other.

He loved his sister, he really did. She was one of his closest friends and confidants, his big sister (though only by a year). Malcolm had come to Camp Half-Blood a few years after Annabeth, so it was easy for him to connect with her. They were some of the only year-round campers, so the bond that they forged was strong.

Percy, however, took some time for Malcolm to fully connect with. He did not know much about the son of Poseidon when he had first arrived to camp. All he knew came from Annabeth rushing into the cabin late after the night that the Minotaur attacked, muttering to herself as she gathered a few pieces of medical supplies. From what he could pick from her mutterings, the newcomer had sounded brash and uncoordinated, something that Malcolm knew Annabeth did not like.

However, when he actually met Percy, Malcolm knew he had just found another good friend.

When he had been claimed as a son of Poseidon, Malcolm knew that technically, he was not supposed to be friends with Percy, but it really had not mattered to him. Annabeth was still friends with him, and Malcolm trusted Annabeth more than anyone else.

He continued to spend time with Percy, and the two had gotten along like a house on fire.

Malcolm had opened up to Percy about his struggles with focusing in school, before coming to camp. He told him about the teachers who spoke to him condescendingly, because they knew he was smart, but maybe he just needed to work on his focus. They had made it sound as though Malcolm was slacking, skating by because he was just naturally smart. It was the worst time for him, and after arriving at camp and finding out that he was the son of Athena, it almost made it hurt more.

Percy then told Malcolm about his own experiences in school. He told him about having to bounce from school to school, the six schools in six years. He told Malcolm about how, no matter how hard he tried or how good he behaved, something almost always seemed to go wrong. The reputation that Precy was building up as a trouble-maker was something he hated with a passion, because he knew he tried hard, and his mother knew he tried hard.

Malcolm found himself listening to Percy and wondering how on Earth mortals could be so incredibly stupid sometimes.

Anyone at Camp Half-Blood could see just how Percy excelled almost unnaturally at the demigod tasks given him. He bested Luke in a spar, was getting better and faster with the lava wall, and had taken down Clarisse during Capture the Flag.

Percy was one of the only people that Malcolm felt completely comfortable opening up around.

He had even told Percy about his parents’ deaths, how his father and his mother had never told him about Athena, and that a satyr had approached Malcolm not long after their funeral to tell him about Camp Half-Blood. It had been the shock of a lifetime discovering the secrets surrounding his family.

Funnily enough, Percy had lit up at Malcolm’s story, explaining his own similar one about the shock of finding out his father was Poseidon, and the story his mother had told him about how his father had been lost at sea.

It was extremely hard not to want to be Percy’s friend, and Malcolm was proud to be counted amongst the few true friends that the son of Poseidon had.

Being Percy’s friend and the brother of Percy’s best friend, however, meant that Malcolm had a front row seat to the rollercoaster that was Percy and Annabeth’s relationship.

He knew the second that Annabeth returned from the first quest with Percy that something was different. At just the mention of his name, her cheeks would tinge ever so slightly pink, and a tiny smile would flicker over her face.

After their quest in the Sea of Monsters, Annabeth had quietly told Malcolm about Percy keeping a photo of her in his binder at school, and Malcolm had to step away from his sister to scream into his pillow about their obliviousness.

Percy was no better, of course, and Malcolm could barely even mention Annabeth’s name before his friend would immediately duck his head, hiding his own grin.

Malcolm hated them both.

He still loved Annabeth dearly, and Percy was one of his best friends, but he would not hesitate to call them both idiots to their faces the second they actually acknowledged their feelings for each other. He longed for the day. He prayed for the day.

With Annabeth missing, it meant Malcolm had to step into the role as head counselor, and as such, was part of the meeting where Clarisse had drawn attention to Percy’s change in demeanor.

Malcolm had noticed the change immediately, and he wanted nothing more than to go out looking for Annabeth himself. If Percy asked him to go on a quest for her, Malcolm would not have hesitated before agreeing.

He also noticed that Percy was barely eating.

Malcolm decided to take it upon himself to make sure that his sister’s best friend, and one of his closest friends, didn’t waste away.

He walked to the Poseidon cabin as the rest of the demigods were walking to breakfast, and grabbed onto Percy’s arm as soon as he exited. “You’re joining us for breakfast today, Perce.”

“That’s not allowed, Mal.” Percy tried to protest, half-heartedly attempting to pull away from the son of Athena.

“If Mr. D really had an issue with sticking with our cabins, he’d tell us.” Malcolm shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Percy sighed, and Malcolm could see the exhaustion on his face, no doubt having been kept awake by the typical demigod nightmares. “I feel like it’s an unspoken sort of threat, and I don’t feel like getting turned into anything today.”

Malcolm paused, moving his hand to rest on Percy’s shoulder. “You’re my friend, and I want you to sit with us, Perce.” He still looked hesitant, but Malcolm squeezed his shoulder gently. “Please?”

“Fine.” Percy said, playfully groaning as he was dragged once more to the dining pavilion.

Malcolm sat Percy down beside him, and immediately set a plate of food down in front of him. “Now, eat.”

The two sat together in silence for a bit, eating their breakfast as the demigods around them chatted about their plans for the day, thoughts on the upcoming Capture the Flag game, and other niceties.

Finally, Percy glanced over at Malcolm. “How are you holding up, Mal?”

“I’ve been better.” Malcolm replied quietly. Percy hummed in agreement, another wave of exhaustion clearly washing over him as he stared down at his food. Malcolm leaned into him, pressing against his shoulder. “We’ll get her back, though, and that’s what matters.”

Percy smiled slightly at him, nowhere near his usual bright grin. “Yeah.”

Malcolm looked down at his plate, poking absent-mindedly at the eggs as he bit back a smirk. “Maybe when she gets back, you can finally get the courage up to ask her to the fireworks next summer.”

“Malcolm!” Percy exclaimed, head snapping towards him as his eyes went wide. He immediately turned bright red at the knowing smirk on his friend’s face, and he ducked his head down. “Shut up.” Malcolm just laughed, making an attempt to hide it behind his hand for Percy’s sake, who shot him a glare without any heat. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” Malcolm said in a sing-song voice. “You love me because I’m the brother of the girl you’re in love with.”

Percy took a deep breath, as if he was asking the gods for patience. “I will dump this syrup on your head.”

Malcolm just gave him an innocent smile, happily continuing to eat his breakfast, listening as Percy made quiet threats beneath his breath as he grumpily ate his own breakfast. .

He was making plans in his head, however, for when Annabeth did return, and she and Percy finally told each other how they felt.

He had a feeling the Stolls would enjoy his idea of utilizing the lake in their celebration when it inevitably did happen.

Annabeth knew that the length of her stay at Camp Half-Blood was unusual.

She knew that coming in, when Grover’s eyes had widened almost comically when they first met. She led a sheltered life at camp, with little to no contact with the outside world. The only time she ever left camp was to visit Mount Olympus on the days that the demigods were invited, but that was about it.

When Percy came to camp, it was a complete change in how things were done.

He and Annabeth were complete opposites when it came to their knowledge and experiences. Annabeth knew nearly everything there was to know about their godly side, the world of monsters and deities, while Percy was an expert on all things mortal.

Their parents were enemies, and everyone else, from the second Percy was claimed by Poseidon, expected them to be enemies as well.

Despite all of that, however, Percy became Annabeth’s best friend, her closest companion, and the person she trusted most in the entire world.

Losing Luke had been like a knife in the back. He had been her protector, her older brother, and he betrayed her and their home like it was nothing. Annabeth would have completely fallen apart had it not been for Percy and her cabin of siblings.

They kept her going, encouraged her and cared for her like it was second nature.

Percy, despite almost dying at Luke’s hand, never said a bad thing about him when Annabeth would quietly reminisce about their happier days when she was younger. He never opposed how she would ask him to walk with her to the brazen, standing at her side as she sent quiet prayers to her mother and Hermes to help Luke.

Percy was her rock, and when they were separated, Annabeth missed him like a piece of her had been cut away.

(Years later, when she and Percy would sit together telling the story to the rest of the Seven, Percy’s arms wrapped around her waist, Annabeth would tell them that it felt like her heart was ripped out of her chest, as though half of her soul was missing. She just had no idea what the exact feelings were at the time.)

Annabeth and Percy knew each other better than anyone else in their lives. So, when they returned to Camp Half-Blood after the rescue quest, and actually had the chance to settle, Annabeth immediately caught sight of the circles beneath Percy’s eyes, and the sadness on his face that was slowly being chased away by heartfelt relief at Annabeth’s return.

Annabeth was distracted from him by her siblings, Malcolm being the first to run and yank her into possibly the tightest hug he had ever given her. Annabeth clung back to him, feeling Zach and Bailey latch onto the hug as well. A lump formed in her throat, the thought that her siblings had very nearly lost her making her hold on a little tighter to them.

After Malcolm and Annabeth had coaxed their two younger siblings into bed, they sat together on the porch of their cabin, bundled in coats and blankets as they looked out at Camp Half-Blood.

Annabeth glanced towards Malcolm, who looked at her with a warm smile. “How were things?”

Her brother let out a tired sigh, eyes glancing towards the direction of the Poseidon cabin. “Between you being gone, the Hunters, and Percy and Thalia’s whole… thing, it was pretty tense.”

“What thing?” Annabeth asked slowly, already hating the possible answers she could receive. She had told Percy, when they had first begun opening up to each other, that he and Thalia would have either been best friends or the worst of enemies.

She hated the option that may have come true.

“Thalia blamed Percy for you being taken, and, well, you know how he is.” Malcolm said, all in a rush of breath and wincing slightly when he finished. “We were all struggling.”

Annabeth frowned. “He believed her?”

“Yup.”

Annabeth wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders, pulling her knees to her chest. She loved her best friend dearly, but his fatal flaw meant that whenever something that he was involved in went wrong, he took on all the blame.

It was frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time, and she knew that part of it stemmed from his experiences growing up. No matter what happened, he was always the one getting blamed, and it snowballed into him taking on responsibility for everything.

She and Grover had been working on getting Percy to not feel as responsible for everything, but they could only do so much.

Malcolm glanced at her, and snorted quietly. “I know you want to go over there, Annie.” He nudged her with his own blanket-covered elbow. “Just go.”

“Are you sure?” Annabeth asked, not because she did not want to go, but more because she also wanted to sit with her brother.

“Annabeth.” Malcolm raised an eyebrow, and she laughed slightly. “We’ll sit together tomorrow at breakfast and talk.”

She wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. “Fine.” She kisses his cheek, making him let out a faux-retching sound, and she kept her blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she quickly made her way to the Poseidon cabin.

She knocked on the door, trying to stay relatively quiet, and only had to wait a few moments before it opened.

Percy, looking as though he had not gotten any sort of rest, looked at her, startled for a moment. “Annabeth?”

“Hi.” Annabeth said quietly.

“Hey.” Percy replied, slowly blinking as he glanced around. “What are you doing up? It’s past curfew, and you need to be sleeping.”

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, making her friend flush as he was called out nonverbally on his hypocrisy. “Percy.”

Percy attempted to backtrack. “I’m serious, Wise Girl. You just got back. Malcolm, Zach, and Bailey are going to be worried.”

“Zach and Bailey are in bed, and Malcolm knows I’m over here.” Annabeth countered. “Can I come in? I just want to talk for a little bit.”

Percy looked hesitant, and Annabeth genuinely believed that, for a moment, he was going to tell her to go back to her cabin and shut the door in her face. Of course, that did not happen, and Percy stepped back, allowing her to step past him into the cabin.

For a moment, Annabeth paused, taking a deep breath and inhaling the sea breeze that always seemed to be blowing around the cabin. She caught sight of the fountain sitting in the corner of the cabin, the sound of the water bubbling a pleasant background noise.

“Where did this come from?” she asked, approaching the fountain and looking down at the drachmas within.

Percy came to stand beside her. “Tyson built it, and my dad put it in.” He looked away from the fountain, brow furrowing. “How are you feeling?”

Annabeth would have been annoyed at the disregard of her topic change had it been anyone else she was talking to. “I’m doing better. Lee’s been checking on me every day to make sure I don’t have any lasting effects.” Stepping away from the fountain, Annabeth made her way to the pile of pillows and blankets that sat in the opposite corner, a permanent fixture ever since the Poseidon cabin became a hub for the head counselors to crash and relax. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Wise Girl. I wasn’t the one holding up the sky for two days.” Percy said quickly, following her and settling down in front of her.

“You still held it.” Annabeth said. She couldn’t stop herself, and she reached out, moving slowly. Her hand went into Percy’s hair, brushing over the lock of grey that stood out so starkly against his jet-black hair. Selfishly, Annabeth loved the grey in his hair, and she loved the grey in her own. It was their own little sign, a testament to the fact that they had both endured the Titan’s Curse and survived. She ran her fingers through Percy’s hair, and pulled her hand back.

Percy’s eyes were on her own lock of grey hair. “I saw Luke trick you.”

Annabeth tensed. “What?”

“After you were taken, and we came back, I had a dream.” Percy began, voice quiet, and Annabeth winced. She knew his dreams were some of the worst that any demigod could have, and that he always seemed to get dreams about the quests that would happen. “He… I can’t believe he did that to you.”

“He took advantage of the fact that I still care about him, just a little bit.” Annabeth admitted, quietly. “I hate that I still do.”

Percy reached out, taking her hand in his and squeezing. “He and Thalia took you in, and he’s been with you since you were seven. I don’t blame you, Wise Girl.”

Annabeth gripped his hand back, looking up at him. “And I don’t blame you, Seaweed Brain.” Percy ducked his head down, something flashing in his eyes, so Annabeth repeated herself. “I don’t.”

“I shouldn’t have gone after him by myself, though. I should’ve waited.” Percy replied, shaking his head. “If I had, maybe we could’ve taken him down together.”

“Even if you had waited, there still would have been a chance I needed to surprise him like that.” Annabeth said with a small laugh. “Athena always has a plan, Percy, and that genuinely was mine from the start.” A small smile appeared on Percy’s face, and Annabeth counted that as a win. She tugged on his hand, getting him to look up at her, and she leveled him with a stern look. “I don’t blame you at all, and that’s what matters.”

The crooked grin that always seemed at home on Percy’s face, the one that turned her insides into butterflies appeared on Percy’s face. “You know me way too well, Wise Girl.”

Annabeth returned his smile with one of her own. “Cons of being my best friend, Seaweed Brain.”

“You’re really okay?” Percy asked, concern still on his face. “Honestly, Artemis is a goddess and she was exhausted, and I felt like my shoulders were on fire after only a few minutes.”

“Lee checked me over, and any injuries I did have, Apollo took care of on Olympus.” Annabeth said honestly. “He said the only thing I should feel is a little soreness for a while, but there shouldn’t be any lasting effects.”

That got Percy to relax, and his shoulders lost their tension. “Thank the gods.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Annabeth mused to herself about how much she appreciated Percy as a friend.

Despite the two of them having ADHD and hating to sit still, there was something about being with the other that kept them from wanting to move around and be busy. Annabeth liked to think that it was because they knew the other was safe. Their ADHD helped their battle reflexes, and being in a safe place meant they did not have to worry about being on guard.

Annabeth never felt more relaxed than she did around Percy, and she knew he felt the same way.

Percy suddenly let out a quiet sound of amusement, making her look up at him. “I think all the head counselors had a little secret meeting about checking in on me.”

“You missed me that much?” Annabeth asked with a laugh.

“Beth, Castor and Pollux got Mr. D to extend my curfew.” Percy replied in a deadpanned voice, making Annabeth’s laughter cut off as she stared at him in disbelief. “I definitely missed you.”

She shifted, moving closer to sit right next to Percy. “So, the moral of the story is that we’re not allowed to get separated, because then we both go insane.”

Percy snorted. “What do you mean?”

“Well, this time it was you having a hard time, and during the quest over the summer, we separated on Circe’s island, and I almost got brainwashed.” Annabeth explained, shuddering slightly when she thought of the island. Percy’s arm came around her shoulders, and she leaned against him further. “I think we need to make a pact to not go on quests without each other from now on, for the sake of everybody.”

“I agree.” Percy said, his voice completely serious, and Annabeth felt the affection she had for him grow so much it felt like her chest was going to explode.

“Are you going back home soon?”

Percy shook his head. “I talked to my mom. Christmas is around the corner, so she said I can stay here until Christmas Eve, then I’ll head home.” Annabeth felt a swirl of joy knowing they would actually get to spend time without stressing about quests. “How about you?”

Annabeth’s smile softened. “My dad’s staying in the city. My stepmom and the boys are coming up, so we’re all going to do Christmas up here.” She was looking forward to the holiday. It would be only her second Christmas with her father and stepfamily since going home, and after Frederick coming to rescue her, Annabeth was genuinely looking forward to the time she would spend with him.

“Do you… I mean, I can ask my mom…” Percy stumbled over his words, and Annabeth moved away, looking at him as he turned red, refusing to meet her eyes. “Would you guys want to come over for Christmas?”

Annabeth tried not to make her excitement too obvious, but Percy turning an even further shade of red told her that she completely failed. She had been invited to the Jackson apartment for dinner before, Sally extending a standing invitation for whenever Annabeth was around. She and Grover had been with Sally and Percy for Percy’s thirteenth birthday the year before, and for his fourteenth the past summer.

For some reason, Percy extending that invitation to Annabeth’s father and her stepfamily felt like it was something more than Sally’s standing invitations. It was something new, something that neither of them had ever talked about before.

“Really?”

Percy nodded, looking almost shy as he glanced towards her to gauge her reaction. “My mom’s been asking about you, just wanting to make sure you’re okay and all of that.”

Annabeth nodded emphatically, feeling like her face was about to split in half from the smile that was forming. “I’d love that. I’ll IM my dad later and check with him, but he’ll say yes. He’ll want to actually meet you and your mom properly.”

“Awesome.” Percy grinned, sea green eyes sparkling excitedly. Annabeth’s next sentence was stopped as she yawned, making him bite back his own laughter. “Seriously, you need to go to bed.”

Annabeth grumbled good-naturedly as Percy took her hands, pulling her up from the floor. They walked together to the door, and before she could step out, Percy tugged her close, hugging her tightly. Annabeth happily hugged him back, noting with amusement that she was still just an inch or so taller than her best friend.

“Good night, Seaweed Brain.” She said quietly, stepping away.

Percy let her go, something unknown in his eyes. “Good night, Wise Girl.” Annabeth wrapped her blanket back around her shoulders, and turned away from the cabin. She paused at the bottom as Percy cleared his throat. “I’m glad you’re home safe, Annabeth.”

Annabeth gave him a soft smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast?”

“I’m not going anywhere, Wise Girl.” He replied, his crooked grin softening around the edges like it always did around her.

“You better not.”

Percy’s laughter followed Annabeth as she made her way back to the Athena cabin, and she went to bed feeling warmer than she had in days.

Chapter Text

There were few things in his life that Percy Jackson was completely and utterly one hundred percent certain about.

One: His mother was a goddess amongst mortals, and the greatest person he knew.

Two: Blue food was and always would be superior to any other type of food.

Three: He was not good at making friends.

Four: Annabeth Chase was the smartest person in the world.

Five: Arriving at Camp Half-Blood was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.

The last two on his list did not fully kick in until the end of his first summer at Camp Half-Blood.

Annabeth Chase really was the smartest person in the world, and Percy was lucky enough to call her his best friend. She was smart, fearless, and so kind it kind of scared him to death.

While Percy did have a rocky start to his time at Camp Half-Blood, he came to realize that it really was where he belonged. He suddenly was thrust into a community of people who understood the things he found difficult, and helped him to learn more about who he was.

He found the other head counselors.

Being the only son of Poseidon meant that Percy was automatically made the head counselor of the Poseidon cabin, and he would have probably gone insane had it not been for the other counselors.

Somehow, without him even realizing it, they became his closest friends, his confidants, his favorite people.

Travis and Conner were no-brainers for him. They were the first demigods to ever be friendly with him, and they never once made him feel guilty for what happened to Luke. To them, Percy was their brother just as much as Luke was, and they treated him like one of their own. The Stoll brothers were the ones who bragged that Percy was the best swordsman that Camp Half-Blood had seen in years, and they were the ones who would stop people from comparing Percy and Luke. They checked in on him, joked with him, and never once showed any fear towards the son of Poseidon.

Katie was a gift Percy had never expected to have. His mother was an only child, his grandparents were dead, and Percy did not have any other immediate family. The demigods at Camp Half-Blood did not pay attention to how their godly parents were related in their messed-up family tree, but that was not the case with the children of Demeter. The second he was claimed by Poseidon, Katie wasted no time in calling Percy her cousin, and becoming the family he so desperately longed for. Even outside of camp, they spent time together. Percy met Katie’s father, and Elio Gardner became Uncle Eli, Sally became Auntie Sal, and once a month, Percy, Katie, Elio, and Sally met up to spend the day together and be a family.

Castor and Pollux somehow became the two demigods Percy felt like he could tell everything to outside of Annabeth. He was not sure if it was because their father was at the camp, or if it was because it was just the two of them, but Percy found himself confiding in the twins. He would tell them about the flashes of memories when Poseidon would visit him, how he hated that none of his other friends had support from their parents. Castor and Pollux agreed with him wholeheartedly, and the three would talk when they sat in the strawberry fields, about what they would do to change all of that if they could.

Beckendorf was the big brother Percy had always wanted. He was the definition of not judging a book by its cover. He looked terrifying, with burn scars on his arms from the fire, the slightly manic glint in his eye that all children of Hephaestus seemed to have when planning a new project, his bulky build from the hours of work he did in the forge. However, he was one of the kindest, most grounding people that Percy knew, and one of the only people who could pull Percy out of one of his spirals if he was overthinking things.

Silena had grabbed onto Percy after he returned from his first quest, and they had spent almost an entire day in the stables, talking to the pegasi and each other. Silena was calm, a graceful and gentle presence that seemed to calm any anxiety that Percy had. It was Silena who changed his thoughts on the Aphrodite kids, her determination and passion for the things she loved making him realize that her and her siblings were some of the fiercest demigods he had ever met. What had truly endeared Silena to Percy was the way she treated Tyson. The two adored each other, to the point that Tyson called Silena “Big Sister” whenever he saw her. Outside of Annabeth, Silena was possibly Percy’s best female friend, and he was one of the lucky few who knew about her feelings for Beckendorf. He could not wait to make fun of the two when they finally got together.

Lee was terrifying, calm, and passionate about medicine, and he was one of Percy’s favorite people in the entire world. He reminded him of Grover, his slightly frantic energy giving him a bit of a constant wide-eyed look. Unlike some other demigods who laughed, when Percy first practiced archery, Lee had never once laughed at him. He had even offered to give Percy lessons, and that was where their friendship had blossomed. He was encouraging and patient, something Percy was endlessly grateful for.

Malcolm was one of the reasons that Percy grew more confident outside of Camp Half-Blood. Their similar experiences in school, of struggling with teachers who expected too much, who believed just the surface level amount of things about them, it helped having someone to vent with. Malcolm was the friend Percy had always wanted in school, the kid he could sit with and talk to. He never had that, not in the seven schools he had attended in his life. Percy was always the odd one out, the one who got strange looks and whispers, the one who had to sit alone at lunch. Besides Grover, Percy never had a real friend in school. Being friends with Malcolm filled that absence, and made life that much easier for Percy.

Clarisse became the most unexpected addition to Percy’s group of friends. If anyone had told him, after his first summer at Camp Half-Blood, that Clarisse would become not just a friend, but a sister, he would have laughed in their face. Their shared quest within the Sea of Monsters had changed everything. Percy would have never seen Clarisse at her weakest, he would have never actually gotten to know her, to earn her trust, and for her to earn his. Had that been their only time together, they might have only been acquaintances, nothing more than passing allies at camp. However, when Percy helped Clarisse find her father’s chariot, that was when everything changed. He and Clarisse knew each other’s greatest fears, and Percy saw, unfortunately, how similar they were. That day, as they faced off against Phobos and Deimos, Percy knew a bond had been created between them, something forged from that trust and honesty. Clarisse knew Percy in a way no one else did, she knew his fears and his sadness, and he knew hers. They were each other’s shield, in a way, keeping up a front to make sure the other stayed safe. Percy never really understood how fiercely he could love someone in a platonic way until he met Clarisse, and just like Travis and Connor were his brothers, Clarisse was his sister.

Percy loved his friends, but he also knew that they were not, in any way whatsoever, subtle.

He knew exactly what they had done.

He knew the second that Clarisse had pulled him into a spar when they got back to camp, because Clarisse did not just pull him into a spar for no apparent reason.

Percy was attempting to think of a way to bring the topic up to his friends without completely letting them in on the fact that he knew it was them, and was given the opportunity a few weeks after the quest, when he was walking home from school.

Classes had been released early, and there was a light flurry of snow in the air, and Percy was content. As he walked, he felt a prickle on the back of his neck, but not in the way that he felt when there was a monster nearby.

It was the feeling he got when someone was at his back, someone he trusted.

He did not turn, he simply continued walking, and allowed Clarisse to fall into step beside him, their footsteps matching as a force of habit.

“Jackson.” Clarisse said quietly, hands shoved into the pocket of her army jacket.

“La Rue.” Percy replied. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “What do you want?”

Clarisse smirked at him. “Lunch.”

Percy let out a groan, rolling his eyes dramatically. “I guess.” He spun around, stepping in front of Clarisse to walk backwards, trusting her to tell him if he was going to bump into anything. She raised an eyebrow at him. “You were just in the neighborhood?”

“I asked Chiron for a day out, and he agreed.” Clarisse replied, sticking out her foot to try and trip Percy up, but he dodged, glaring at her lightly. “I saw your ugly face and thought I’d make you buy me lunch.”

“Rude.” Percy clutched his heart, shaking his head. “Doesn’t he give you a budget for a day out?”

“Your point?”

Percy snickered, turning back around as they approached one of the smaller burger places near his apartment. Before they went in, however, he reached out and grabbed onto Clarisse’s sleeve, causing her to look at him with surprise.

He took a breath, knowing that both he and Clarisse absolutely loathed getting mushy with each other. It was one of the reasons they were such good friends. “I wanted to say thank you.”

Clarisse froze. “For what?”

“You know what.” Percy shot back, giving her a knowing look. She immediately dropped her gaze to her feet. “Everyone helping me out while Annabeth was gone. I know that you’re the one who organized it.” Clarisse’s head snapped up, a fire in her eyes, and he quickly held his hands up placatingly. “No one told me, so please don’t go trying to kill anybody when you get back.”

A silence fell between them as Clarisse stared at Percy, something akin to affection on her face as she looked him over.

She then slugged him in the arm, making him yelp. “Next time, don’t go all sad and mopey, and I won’t have to do that.”

Just talk to us, idiot. You’re not alone.

Percy knocked his shoulder against hers in lieu of acknowledging her unspoken sentiment. “Sure, Rissy.” The nickname was rewarded with a supremely disgusted look from Clarisse as they entered into the restaurant.

“I will kill you in your sleep if you call me that again.” she swore beneath her breath, and Percy cackled, ducking under the arm that was holding the door open before she could shove him.

Clarisse never did end up making Percy pay for lunch, and he tried not to look too smug as she handed the cashier money from her wallet. He did not do a very good job of hiding his expression, and couldn’t help but laugh and duck as Clarisse moved to punch his arm with a scowl.

He saw the amusement in her eyes, however, and felt his own smile grow.

As it turned out, Percy was pretty good at making friends.

He needed to update his list.

The second that the battle was over, Percy promptly found himself swarmed by the other head counselors, unable to see anyone beyond his nearest and dearest friends in the entire world.

Katie was the first, flinging her arms around him, holding onto him so tightly that he thought his ribs would break. She pulled back, cupping his face between her hands.

“I swear to all the gods, if anything like this ever happens again, I will kill you.” she said, voice firm and eyes alight determination.

Percy pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling her into another hug. “I know, Ivy.” Katie took a shuddering breath, holding him tightly for a few more moments before stepping away, wiping her eyes.

Travis and Connor were next, attacking him from both sides and kissing him obnoxiously on both cheeks.

“We missed you, little fry!” the sons of Hermes cried, their humorous actions betrayed by the earnest and affectionate expressions on their faces, and their genuinely relieved smiles.

Percy squirmed as they hugged him, laughing slightly as he attempted to dodge their affection. “I missed you too, you weirdos.”

The Stoll brothers finally released him, and Percy took a dramatic inhale of air, shoving them away playfully. He soon found himself being hugged within an inch of his life by Pollux, the blonde not speaking as he clung to Percy.

Percy immediately returned the fierce hug. He and Pollux had only become closer after Castor’s death, being the only two in camp to be the only children of their parents. They would swap off sitting at each other’s table, and participate in activities together. Percy had even invited just Pollux to his apartment for dinner a few times, and Sally had absolutely doted on him.

“You okay?” Pollux asked quietly.

Percy nodded. “I’m okay, Pol.” The two separated, and the furrow in Pollux’s brow softened as he looked Percy over himself, seemingly pleased upon finding that his friend was, in fact, unharmed for the most part.

Malcolm did not say anything, just stepped forward and leaned against Percy’s side, and the older boy wrapped an arm around his shoulders, squeezing gently. Malcolm gave him a warm smile before moving to wrap his arms around Annabeth, holding onto his sister as they watched the rest of the reunions.

Clarisse was the last, storming up towards Percy, and yanking him close, resting her forehead against his as Percy held onto her the same way. His anxieties and worries instantly flooded out of him, slowly chased away as he was embraced by his friends, and finally gone when he was embraced by his sister.

Clarisse’s eyes were suspiciously wet as she looked at Percy. “You owe me a spar.”

He let out a watery laugh, moving back slightly, but keeping hold of one of Clarisse’s arms as they stared each other down. “You owe me ten bucks for paying for lunch before I got snatched by Hera.”

The daughter of Ares moved quickly, grabbing Maimer and giving Percy a zap in the side. He yelped, jumping away from her and punching her in the arm.

“Is this… normal?” Piper asked, leaning towards Katie, who was watching the interaction with fondness.

She nodded. “Yes, we try not to understand Percy and Clarisse’s friendship because it makes our heads hurt.” The other head counselors all voiced their agreement.

Percy and Clarisse stopped their antics, giving each other identical sharp grins, as Chiron stepped forward.

“The Romans will be shown to the cabins, don’t worry about them.” the centaur said, and his Greek demigods burst into a flurry of activity, each cabin finding their Roman siblings and splitting off to show them to where they would be staying.

Percy looked at Chiron happily. “Thank you.”

Chiron gave him a warm look, resting a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to have you home, Percy.”

“Come on.” Annabeth said, reaching out to take Percy’s hand. He squeezed back automatically, a line of tension that no one had noticed in his shoulders falling as he felt Annabeth’s presence beside him.

The two began walking towards the Athena cabin, and Malcolm called after them, snickering. “Do you need me to chaperone?”

Percy flipped him off without turning around. “Go away, Mal!”

Their friends’ laughter followed after them as Annabeth led Percy into the cabin to grab a few things to change into. While she bustled around, Percy looked at her bunk, noting with a wry smile the small succulents that were decorating the windowsill and her desk.

“Katie gave these to you?” he asked, picking one up and studying it. It was the same kind that Katie had given him during the quest for Artemis and Annabeth.

Annabeth looked at him, cocking her head. “How’d you know?”

Percy set the succulent down with an amused sound. “She gave similar ones to me when you were kidnapped that winter.”

“Did you also get a gift basket with-”

“Terrible puns? Yeah.” Percy said, laughing as Annabeth handed him some of the cards that the Stolls had written. Somehow, they had found even more terrible puns than the ones they had written out for him. “But they made me laugh, which was worth it.”

“They know us both way too well.” Annabeth said, affection and fond exasperation in her voice.

Percy nodded, setting the cards down. “I’m not complaining, honestly.”

Annabeth disappeared into the changing room of the cabin briefly, reappearing in a fresh camp t-shirt and what Percy automatically noted was one of his flannels, which made his smile grow.

He noticed something new on Annabeth’s wrist, and reached out, taking her hand gently and looking at it.

“Lacy made me a bracelet.” His girlfriend explained as Percy ran his fingers over the grey and green thread, and the grey and green beads at the center. “She said you’d get one when you came home.”

Percy loved the daughter of Aphrodite so much. His little dove was always a bright spot in the darker times of the war, and he made a note to give her an extra-tight hug when he saw her next. “What’d Clarisse do?”

Annabeth looped her arm through Percy’s as they made their way out of the Athena cabin, towards the Poseidon cabin. “She made me sit and talk.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it was kind of weird at first.” Annabeth said with a grin. Percy snorted, knowing Clarisse’s hatred for mushy conversations. It was one of the reasons most of their own deep talks consisted of metaphors and hidden meanings, so neither of them would become uncomfortable. “Then, I realized she probably also wanted to talk, so it helped us both at the same time.”

The duo paused outside of the Poseidon cabin, and Annabeth kissed Percy’s hand, letting it go so he could be the first to enter his home away from home. Percy took a breath, stepping through the door. He was greeted by the familiar smell of fresh sea breezes, and the sight of the fountain bubbling happily in the corner of the cabin.

His bed was made with fresh sheets that smelled like his mother’s detergent, and his own fresh camp t-shirt was laid out with one of his flannels. Percy couldn’t stop the grin as he grabbed the clothes, knowing that he and Annabeth would be matching.

Changed and feeling happier than ever, Percy took hold of Annabeth’s hand once again, and the two walked back to the dining pavilion, where dinner was being set out, and the picnic tables were full to bursting with a mix of purple and orange shirts.

The Poseidon table, to Percy’s delight, was already mostly full with the head counselors and the other members of the Seven, everyone squished together so they could all fit.

Percy did not sit, however, and instead made a beeline to Clarisse’s side, hugging her from the back. “Thank you.”

Clarisse scoffed, but reached up a hand to squeeze Percy’s wrist. “You two need to stop disappearing, honestly.”

“You act like it was our fault!” he protested, going to the empty spot between Annabeth and Grover.

Travis gave him a bright smile. “You have a naturally kidnappable face, Percy. Don’t let it bring you down!”

Percy stared at his friend, looking slightly concerned as Annabeth and Grover both choked on their own laughter. “What the Hades is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you were supposedly kidnapped when you were twelve, then you were technically kidnapped to go to Ogygia, and then Hera kidnapped you.” Katie explained, well-versed in her boyfriend’s thought process. Travis’ grin grew, and he nodded happily, wrapping an arm around Katie’s shoulders.

“Okay, the first time was a fake story, the second time was because I got blown up, and this time it was because Hera was trying to mess with us!” Percy protested, looking around at his friends for support.

“Just saying, you and Annabeth need to be handcuffed together or something, or not allowed to separate. One of you always ends up hurt or disappearing.”

Grover threw his hands up, shooting a grateful look at Pollux, the son of Dionysus looking unapologetically smug. “Thank you!”

Annabeth stared at him, jaw dropped. “Et tu, Grover?”

Percy changed tactics, giving the head counselors the warmest, most affectionate smile he could. “Why should we worry, when we have you guys taking care of us?” His words made it seem as though he was joking, but his tone was nothing but earnest as he looked at his friends.

“That was… profoundly sappy, Percy.” Frank chimed in.

“Thank you.” Percy said proudly, nodding to his friend.

Connor looked at the other counselors, raising an eyebrow. “Do you think Nico could bring up Beckendorf, Silena, and Lee’s ghosts? I want to see them yell at Percy and Annabeth.”

They all actually looked thoughtful, glancing towards the Hades table, where Reyna, Nico, and Will were sitting with Hedge and Thalia, all of them talking animatedly with each other.

“Oh gods, no.” Percy immediately protested. “I already had Silena yell at me before the war because I didn’t make a move after Annabeth kissed me in the volcano.”

Comically, as though they all had the same thought, everyone’s heads slowly turned back around to look at Percy.

"Seaweed Brain…” Annabeth slowly said, reaching out to take Percy’s hand as Malcolm’s face slowly turned red. “I think we should get ready to run.”

Malcolm slammed his hands on the table, looking at his sister with narrowed eyes. “ANNABETH LOUISE CHASE ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU ACTUALLY KISSED HIM AND DIDN’T THINK TO FOLLOW UP?”

Immediately, the dining hall went silent, and every demigod turned to face the Poseidon table. The ones who were around during the time prior to the Giant War were aghast, some hiding laughter while the others looked utterly confused.

“What?” Thalia squawked from the Hades table, jaw dropping.

“If it helps, I tried to get a kiss before taking on the Minotaur and she told me I’d get one if I lived.” Percy said, attempting to placate his friends with a sheepish smile.

Grover dropped his head down into his hands. “That does not help, Perce. It actually makes things worse.”

Malcolm shook his head, sitting back down at the table as he leaned against Connor. “Oh my gods. Oh my gods, you are both so stupid.”

“Malcolm!” Annabeth exclaimed.

“No! I had to deal with your bullshit for an extra year because neither of you could get your own heads out of your asses!” Malcolm shot back.

Greek demigods all throughout the dining hall were stifling their laughter. Some of the older ones were quietly explaining the history to their Roman half-siblings, and the grins and giggles were slowly spreading.

Katie stilled, looking at the other counselors around the table with a mischievous look in her eye. “Wait, we all know that Clarisse won the pool when you guys actually got together, but who would have won if they had gotten together after the labyrinth?”

Travis and Connor turned to each other, and whispered frantically for a few minutes. Travis produced a worn notebook from his jacket, and flipped through a couple of pages before landing on one. The brothers studied it, and their eyes slowly moved up, looking towards Malcolm.

He stared at them in silence before it clicked for him, and he let out a frustrated, wordless shout, his head landing down on the table. He went silent, and a moment later, shouted, “I WOULD HAVE WON THE POOL!”

Annabeth shook her head fondly at her brother’s antics, and Percy couldn’t hold back his laughter. He wrapped an arm around Annabeth’s shoulders, resting his cheek on top of her head contentedly.

They listened to Malcolm’s complaints, backed up by Connor and Travis’ own commentary, and Percy’s heart felt fuller than it had in months.

He loved the people around him more than anything, and he knew they loved him just as much.

He could relax, he could breathe without needing to be on guard.

His family had his back, they had Annabeth’s back, and that was all that mattered to him.

They were safe.