Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Look, Percy didn’t mean to lose his little sister.

One minute she’d been there, her tiny hand clutched in his own as he’d attempted to decipher the spinning, jumbled words on the information board in front of him. Then, the next minute she was nowhere to be seen.

How he hadn't noticed, Percy had no idea. What use were his demigod reflexes and hyper awareness if he'd somehow missed the sensation of Estelle's hand as she’d slipped it out of his or the sound of her footsteps in an otherwise quiet indoor space?

The answer to his own failings didn't matter, not when his little sister was missing somewhere hopefully still inside a New York museum.

He moved frantically to the next room, deeming the one he'd been in empty of his half-sister’s form. The new room was filled with some abstract paintings Rachel most likely had an opinion on but he paid them no mind.

Estelle was as mortal as mortals get yet it didn't bring him any comfort when that room also came out empty. Some mortals were worse than any mythological interruption and there was a statue in a different museum that proved that very point.

Percy pushed the past memory out his mind with gritted teeth and feet that continued to walk forwards except it didn't help.

As he passed through a corridor linking the exhibitions together, Percy’s stomach sunk with a wave of nausea. He couldn’t lose her. Not her precious smile or the pure joy of her innocent little mind and the bubbly laugh that came with it.

Maybe someone had heard his prayer as that very laugh flooded through his ears.

His footsteps sped up to as close to a run as he could get and when he turned the corner into the next exhibition room he exhaled. Relief flushed through Percy's system, relief only measurable to when he was still a teen, still on quests for the Gods and finding out Grover, Annabeth, Nico, any of his friends were still alive.

Estelle's brown hair, that had been pulled into pigtails and tied off with pastel purple bands that morning by Paul, bounced up and down as she spoke to the blonde man in front of her.

Wait.

Percy's heavy footfalls sounded in the otherwise quiet room and they only came to a stop when he reached out and pulled Estelle's small arm close to him.

Her deep blue eyes widened at the sight of him and the grin remained on her face. "Percy!"

She was safe.

"What has mom and your dad told you about running off?" he scolded.

Estelle pouted. "You were too long."

Percy resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course it was his fault.

“And what has mom and your dad also told you about that?”

She rocked back and forth on the heels of her feet, staring down at them in a way Percy knew he wasn't getting an answer out of her. She'd reached that stage of childhood where she was eagerly learning the definition of independence and Percy honestly needed to start giving his mom more credit. Estelle was enough to handle as it was and she didn't have haywire demigod powers, ADHD and hungry monsters after her on top.

There was the sound of a deep chuckle to his other side. Oh, yeah, Estelle had been talking to someone.

“I’m so sorry about her,” he rattled off as he turned, yet, as his eyes caught blue, the rest of his apology was lost.

Those eyes, swirls of various shades of the blues found in the sky and oddly familiar, were framed in gold, rectangular glasses. The pale blonde hair he'd initially noticed was cropped at the sides but left longer at the top so it curled slightly on the ends and fell over the top of his forehead where it rested just above the man's eyebrows.

The man smiled and Percy's chest fluttered a little.

He looked to be a similar age to himself, somewhere in his early twenties, and Percy was by no means small given both his height and muscle mass he’d developed over the years of fighting for his life but the stretch of the man’s shoulders definitely beat his own.

He would have said military if it weren't for the man's clothes that threw off the assumption. A pale blue, knitted sweater hugged the man's wide frame with a white collared shirt that poked out the edges. His legs were covered in dark grey fabric in the same style of formal trousers his step-dad wore to work. Even the man’s shoes were similar to Paul’s.

Blonde, looked like he could challenge Percy in a fight and most likely academic given the clothes? There was no chance at Percy denying that the stranger wasn't his type.

"Don't worry about it, man," the stranger responded.

He had a tilt of an accent to his voice, different to Percy's own but clearly still American.

His eyes briefly glanced to Percy's left where Estelle stood. "Your sister, I presume?"

Percy nodded. He probably should have said something and even though he was way past the era of voice cracks (much to Clarisse's dismay) he suspected if he spoke he'd find some other way to embarrass himself.

“I like this part and he was drawing,” Estelle chimed in as if that explained why she’d ignored every single one of her parent’s stranger danger lessons.

Percy hadn't noticed it initially, too focused on Estelle and the man it belonged to, but resting on the bench the stranger was sat on was an open sketchbook. Clearly used too with what looked to be a partly finished charcoal drawing of a ceramic pot.

A Greek one at that.

He looked over the top of the man's blonde strands and met the sight of Medusa's decapitated head.

Percy retained the groan from leaving his mouth.

Of course it had to be the Greco-Roman section of the museum that Estelle had led him to. No matter what Percy did, no matter how much he'd remained in the mortal world and refused the will of the Gods since Kronos had fallen he just couldn't escape them fully.

He gave the statue a scowl before he turned his attention away from the marble snakes and drifted his eyes back to the strangers sketchbook.

Now, Percy was no artist, his countless frustrating, fruitless attempts in the arts and crafts room at Camp Half-Blood had told him enough, but he didn't need to be one to know the man's art was good.

"He's really good!"

Percy hummed his agreement. "You're right about that one, Stella."

The strangers - he really needed to get his name - cheeks flushed with a dusting of pink as his eyes averted. Cute.

"Ah, thank you," he spoke. "This is just a simple warm-up sketch though."

Their eyes met again and Percy produced a non-audible gulp. The look behind the man’s eyes was almost challenging, a hard gaze as if he was attempting to analyse if Percy were a threat. It was a look he knew too well - one that had been on his own face as well as his fellow demigods at camp more times than he could count.

What had life thrown at this man to cause him to give a fellow stranger and his little sister such a harsh glare? He wanted to know.

He didn't ask though. Percy had at least learnt one thing as an adult and that was how to work his mind to mouth filter just a little better. At least in front of strangers anyway as his scolding from Annabeth last time they'd been on Olympus told him he hadn't improved in front of the Gods.

Percy must have passed whatever the test was though as the look behind the man's eyes softened once again.

"By the way, I'm Jason."

Jason.

Percy imprinted the name into his mind as if the Oracle of Delphi had just given him a prophecy.

"Percy, but I guess you already knew that."

A beat of silence fell and Percy knew he should have been bidding the man goodbye with yet another apology for bothering what had clearly been a peaceful drawing session before Estelle and then Percy had butted in.

He knew yet he didn't want the conversation to end.

Plus, from the way Jason's eyes still hadn't left his face, maybe Jason didn't want it to end either.

"Jason!" Estelle exclaimed, and Percy's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't even realised she'd still been listening. "Percy tells the best stories. You need to listen."

Jason's eyebrows shot up his forehead and a brief flash of panic crossed his features before it settled back to neutral.

Maybe Jason just didn't have much experience with small kids but the action appeared forced, covered up as if Jason had manually forced his own features to not show his true emotion. Maybe Percy was just making things up, fabricating a life for the stranger in front of him, but it made no difference to the urge to learn more about him and the true reasons behind all of Jason's little behaviours.

Jason hadn't been fully successful though as mixed in with the swirls of his eyes an edge of the panic had remained.

A small smile tugged at Percy's mouth. He could imagine how Jason's time with Estelle had gone before he'd stepped in - Estelle jabbering her thoughts at him ten miles a minute and Jason staring at her blankly not knowing what to say.

Percy had saved Jason that time. He could save him again.

He turned his attention back onto Estelle and asked playfully, "Since when did I promise a story?"

Her shoes echoed through the room as she jumped up and down in one spot. "Tell him the one about you!"

Percy frowned before he registered what Estelle was going on about.

"I've told you before he's not me," he sighed.

There was a questioning gaze burning into his skull from Jason. He no doubt had questions about the scene in front of him but Estelle didn't give him the chance to ask any.

"I want to hear the story!" she exclaimed. "You tell it better than daddy."

Oof. That was something Percy was not telling Paul.

Jason let out the lightest of laughs, gentle and soft just like how the knitted material of his jumper looked, and Percy's heart skipped a beat for a different reason. The corners of Jason's eyes had crinkled, his pink lips parted and there was a scar intercepting the flesh of each lip that tugged slightly under the stretch of Jason's smile. Percy wondered how it had got there, if there was an interesting story he could discover about Jason's life.

Focus, Percy.

"With that enthusiasm, I must admit I'm curious," Jason said, lips still curved at the edges and the glint of amusement present in the blues of his eyes.

Percy admitted his defeat.

"The full name's Perseus," he explained then he pointed behind Jason at a statue that took up a good portion of the middle of the room.

Jason followed the action of his hand as he twisted his waist to take a look before he turned back to Percy.

"That's the original Perseus defeating Medusa," Percy continued. "My mom named me after him and Estelle's got it in her head because we share the same name that I also defeated Medusa."

He had but neither Jason or Estelle needed to know that.

Jason's eyes widened behind his glasses slightly. "Do you know about the Argonauts and the quest for the Golden Fleece?"

"I'm familiar," Percy replied.

Annabeth had mentioned the myth once sometime after their own quest for the Golden Fleece. It had been one of those times Percy had actually asked, prompting her to spill her knowledge onto him in an attempt to distract her from ruminating over Thalia’s return.

Then it clicked.

"Wait, the guy who led it was called Jason."

Jason nodded and Percy held out his fist with a grin. "For both being named after Greek heroes."

Jason met his fist bump with his own, paler fist. He could have sworn there was the small buzz of an electric shock when their skin had touched. Although, maybe it had just been his mind getting carried away as nothing about Jason's face or body language had indicated he'd felt it too.

Estelle tugged on his arm.

"Tell me the story!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Please," she added after a pause.

Percy detached his gaze from Jason with a little fake sigh that made the other man smile again and leaped into his retelling of Medusa's myth. He left out certain details, his mom or Paul wouldn't appreciate it if he gave her the more… unsavoury parts. Also, considering they included his own dad, neither did Percy so he happily obliged.

Estelle hung onto his every word, eyes bright and smile widening the longer Percy went on. It was cute, the way she only viewed Percy's stories as that - stories. She never needed to know the characters he spoke about actually either still existed or once had. Medusa's myth happened to be Estelle's current favourite but Percy was pretty certain it was only because the hero shared the same name as her older brother.

As he brought the story to a close, Estelle's attention still locked onto him, he caught Jason's face.

He was smiling a soft smile that reached his eyes and Percy's heart stuttered in his chest. There was also a hint of disbelief in there, one that Percy had got used to reading on Annabeth's face on the rare occasion Percy had said something smart on one of their quests.

Although there was a shine behind Jason's eyes - one that was completely different to Annabeth's hard gaze but it made the stutter in his chest turn warm all the same.

"Since when did you know Greek mythology?" he quizzed, the disbelief present in his tone as well.

Since I started living in it and learning the myths became a method of survival, Percy wanted to say. Instead, he shrugged.

"My dad's Greek," not necessarily a lie, "I grew up on them."

Jason made a facial expression that Percy could only define as impressed. Why he was pulling such a face at him though, Percy had zero clue. Medusa’s myth was a first summer at Camp Half-Blood type of myth to learn even when said summer didn't include personally chopping her head off and mailing it to the Gods.

"Any other secret talents I should know about?" Jason asked, tone teasing but not in a way that felt negative.

Percy raised his brows just as he released his grip on Estelle slightly and let her hand finish wiggling from his. He kept an eye on her as she wandered over to a painting of Aphrodite, stopping in front of it and peering her head upwards. Percy wasn't willing to go through the heart-attack inducing hunt for her again if she wandered off.

"No smart man gives away all his secrets in the first meeting," Percy responded, matching Jason's tone and turning his attention back onto him.

He ignored the twang in his chest at the thought this would be their only meeting.

There was something captivating about Jason. Something that had drawn Percy in, acquired his usually short attention span and made him want to soak up anything the other man would provide him with.

It looked as if Jason was going to answer that very want as he opened his mouth and Percy's eyes followed the movement of the little scars on each lip.

"Are you-"

"Jason!"

The scars met again as Jason's mouth snapped shut and as Percy turned to the new voice he ignored the disappointment the interruption lodged into his rib cage. There was a young man with shoulder length brown hair and one arm in plaster cast who had popped his head around the arch that led into the exhibition.

Jason clearly knew him though as Percy's attention zoned back onto him when Jason held up a hand in greeting. "Charlie. What's up?"

"Teach says we need to regroup. Remember, we have that workshop upstairs or-" Percy caught the intruder’s dark eyes- "did you forget?"

Jason let out a small, irritated sigh. So small that if Percy hadn't been right by Jason’s side he wouldn’t have heard it.

"I'll be there," Jason responded, tone clipped and tight.

There was a salute before the other man turned and left the way he'd come from.

"Sorry," Jason said as the weight of what was coming lodged itself into Percy's chest, "but as you heard, I've got to leave."

The weight sunk and a painful ache joined it. He'd known there had been an unavoidable end to his time with Jason but Percy hadn't been ready for it to end so soon.

He'd only just got to know him and now Percy had a taste he wanted to keep consuming. He wanted to soak up anything Jason would provide him and slowly figure out who he was. He may have only just met him, hardly knew anything more than his name but he'd dragged Percy in as if he were Annabeth faced with a riddle that needed to be solved.

He did have something else to add to the bank of information on Jason though: he was a student and given the location and the sketchbook, most likely on a creative, art related course.

Jason slipped his now closed sketchbook into a brown leather satchel that Percy hadn't noticed before by Jason's feet. It looked well-loved and as Jason slung it over one wide shoulder, it really completed the cute academic look he had going on.

"Thanks for the company," Jason said with a small curl to the corners of his mouth.

Percy's eyes tilted upwards. Jason had a couple inches on his own height which was somewhat unfair.

"Anytime," Percy replied.

A look Percy couldn't decipher flashed across Jason's face, minimal as if he'd once again attempted to cover it but it was there. Percy wanted to call it longing but that was most likely just his own emotional bias talking. Before he could resist the pull again, he caught the swirls of various shades of blue that appeared to call his name.

What he'd do for a way to remain in contact with him, what he would do to give the man in front of him a phone number so he wouldn’t become one of the many faces that blurred together in New York. Percy added 'lack of phone to keep in contact with handsome museum strangers' to his long, ever growing list of reasons why being a demigod sucked. At least he had Jason’s face burned into his mind to the point even when he shut his eyes later Percy knew he’d remember the curve of his cheekbones, the blues of his eyes and that little scar on his lips.

"Say goodbye to your sister for me."

"Will do."

He didn't want this to end but with the way Jason was also delaying the inevitable, Percy was pretty convinced neither did Jason.

"I'll see you around," Jason eventually spoke, voice a tone quieter than his usual. It felt almost as if it were only for him to hear, not Estelle or the countless pieces of art that reflected the very much still alive Gods around the room. "Bye Perseus."

Percy cracked a grin, unable to stop it from forming and rolled his eyes. "Dude, don't start that. You'll make me feel as if I'm about to get told off."

Jason smiled back though so being full-named was worth it even if it had been accompanied by the goodbye Percy had to reciprocate.

"See ya, Jason."

He gave him one small nod of his head before Jason turned, adjusting the strap of his satchel in the process and Percy was faced with the expanse of Jason's wide back as walked towards the archway that led into the rest of the museum.

Although, he briefly stopped, turned his head and stared at a bust of Zeus' inaccurate face (inaccurate because he had way too much hair and didn't look annoyed enough). Jason gave the marble a frown that didn't sit right within Percy but he couldn’t place why before finally, he disappeared through the archway.

Percy stuck his tongue out at the bust and if the sky crackled with thunder afterwards it was simply a coincidence.

That exact moment something tugged on his shirt and Percy prayed Jason had been far enough away or that Zeus had for once done him a favour so that Jason hadn't heard Percy's yelp in surprise.

"Where's Jason?" came Estelle's voice and as Percy turned his head to her he met wide, puzzled eyes staring up at him.

Percy's gaze wandered back to the archway Jason had vanished through.

"He had to go," Percy replied, the hint of ache in his chest about that fact showing through. "He told me to tell you goodbye."

"Oh," Estelle replied, the disappointment clear as day. "I liked him."

"Me too, Stella," Percy exhaled.

He cupped her hand into his again and as he let her pull him along in whatever direction she craved to go next, he shot a look at the Aphrodite in the painting Estelle had been looking at.

If this is you, let me see him again.

There wasn't a response but Percy hadn't expected one.

Chapter Text

A bell chimed above Jason's head as he pushed the door open and the warm buttery smell of freshly baked pastries flooded his nostrils.

For a split second it was as if he were back in that one bakery in New Rome. He hadn't been able to sneak away often, even if it had gotten easier the higher ranked he'd become in Camp Jupiter, but the kind older woman who ran the place had always made sure to save him a middle piece of her chocolate brownies. Jason blinked the memory away before it could settle.

He squinted his eyes over the dark head of hair of the man in front of him in an attempt to read the menu pinned to the wall behind the cashier. He seriously needed to get his eyes re-checked.

The man stepped forwards.

"Hey. Can I get a cinnamon-"

The rest of the man's order was lost to Jason's mind. He knew that voice.

He also knew those wide shoulders and the messy black hair yet there was now a skateboard tucked under one arm, a blue backpack that had clearly seen some years of use and a baggy uniform that told Jason he clearly did some form of physical labour.

"Percy?" he called out before he'd even realised he'd opened his mouth.

The person in front of him spun around and those uniquely coloured eyes of shades of green and blue Jason hadn't managed to remove from his mind widened. Percy's mouth parted before he grinned.

“Jason,” he replied, the disbelief clear in his voice.

Jason could sympathise in the disbelief - what was the chance that he had once again met the man from the museum in the sea of people that made up New York?

Something about Percy had tugged at Jason's mind. Something about him had made it so Jason hadn't wanted to part from him even though the workshop in the museum had been something he'd been looking forward to since the day it had been announced. Something about Percy that had left him distracted in said workshop, so distracted that Charlie from the other side of the table had leant across and attempted to tease him about it. Attempted because Jason had shot him his well-developed wolf stare and the other man had promptly shut up.

It then clicked he'd been staring at Percy without saying anything so he scrambled his mind to find something to fill the silence.

“What are you doing here?” Jason asked.

“Probably the same reason that you’re in a bakery,” Percy's snarky tone replied and Jason's heart beat a little quicker in his chest.

He deserved the teasing though. It had been a stupid question.

"I meant in the area," Jason attempted to save. "New York's a big place, I didn't think I'd see you again."

"Me neither, dude," Percy replied then he brushed the hand not holding the skateboard over his uniform. "I work not far from here. This place is on my way home."

Jason was about to ask where Percy worked, maybe it would have solved the curiosity of how Percy had been free on a weekday afternoon to babysit his little sister, but the cashier called out for his order.

He hadn't got that far. He hadn't even deciphered the menu. He'd been too distracted by the idea of seeing Percy again with his unique eyes and freckles that adorned his tanned nose and cheeks.

"I recommend the Maple and Pecan Plait," Percy chimed in from next to him.

Either Percy had somehow tuned into the hopefully disguised panic on Jason's face or he had a talent for reading minds.

"I've tried most of the menu in here," Percy continued, "and that one never disappoints."

The cashier chuckled. "We're going to have to start designing new items soon enough thanks to you Percy."

"Do you take recommendations? If you do, I say make it blue."

The cashier - name tag reading 'Sam (they/them)' fastened to a beige apron - rolled their eyes playfully in Percy's direction before a smile was directed in Jason's way.

"Would you like to try Percy's suggestion?"

"Yes, please." Jason quickly scanned the display case of baked goods before his eyes settled on something familiar. "Do you have any of the middle brownie pieces left?"

Sam scurried away to check his request just as one of their co-workers handed Percy a large brown paper bag. Percy thanked the person before he leant his skateboard against the counter and slung his backpack off his shoulders with ease.

"Yes, we do," came the return of Sam's voice and Jason snapped his eyes away from Percy. "Would you like to add that to your order? Also, can I get a name for when your order is ready?"

Jason nodded. "Yes, thank you, and it's Jason."

He paid and stepped aside just as Percy swung his backpack back onto his shoulders and picked back up the skateboard, resting one end on the toe of his boot. The paper bag had left his hands, presumably now in the backpack, and Jason attempted to ignore the disappointment that wedged itself inside of him that it most likely meant Percy was going to soon announce his departure.

Instead, Percy caught his gaze.

Jason hadn't quite found the name for the colour of Percy's eyes. Sometimes they looked emerald green, other times cerulean blue or the swirls mixed and produced a dark cyan or teal. Unique in a way Jason knew he wouldn't be able to find in a pre-bought tube of paint.

"I'm going to take a guess that this is your first time here?" Percy asked.

Jason tore his gaze from Percy's eyes.

"Oh, yeah," he responded with a mental curse at how undignified it had sounded. Where had all that public speaking training from Camp Jupiter that had been drilled into him gone? "I'm from California. San Francisco more specifically."

Percy blinked as if the mention of San Francisco had brought up a memory. "One of my best friends' families lives out there."

Jason raised his brows. "Ever visited?"

"Once or twice," Percy replied, although he appeared hesitant to provide anymore information. Jason wasn't going to ask but he couldn't prevent himself from wondering the story behind it. "You're not going to win me over though, I'm a New Yorker through and through. What brings you as far as the East Coast then, Jason?"

Jason adjusted the bag strap on his shoulder. "I transferred-"

"Jason!"

Sam's co-worker - tag reading 'Katie (she/her)' - was holding another paper bag yet smaller than Percy's over the counter. Jason reached out and took the bag with a thanks. Although, before she left, Katie nodded at Percy who nodded back.

"How's Sally's new book coming along?" Katie asked.

Jason had no idea but Percy apparently did.

"Pretty good," he replied. "She's aiming for an end of summer release which Paul thinks is crazy with Estelle around."

Sally… she must be Percy's mom.

Maybe he should start coming to this specific bakery more often in the chance he'd bump into Percy as he was clearly a regular with the way he spoke to its workers.

Katie disappeared to a call from her co-worker and Jason peered into the bag, the sweet smell of maple and rich chocolate instantly drowning out any other scent. If they tasted as good as they smelt he owed both Percy and his roommate a thanks.

"Do you have time to sit down?"

Jason lifted his eyes to find Percy staring at him. He'd done that back in the museum too but strangely Jason hadn't minded.

The question took a moment longer than it should have to process but then it clicked what Percy was asking of him.

Percy didn't want to leave yet.

Jason had an essay waiting for him once he returned. It might have only been assigned that morning and the rest of his classmates probably hadn't even debated starting it yet but Jason knew he should have been going back to it.

Although his essay would still be waiting for him later or tomorrow. Percy wouldn't be.

"Yeah, I do," he replied.

Percy smiled, it reaching his eyes and crinkling the corners, and Jason followed him to an empty table near the window. Percy slung off his backpack again as they sat, plonking it on the floor next to where he'd propped his skateboard up against the table.

Jason wondered if he were any good at it - the skateboard. He'd seen fellow students whip around on them, jumping over stairs and sliding along railings. Jason had a feeling if he'd tried to do what they did his power over the winds would be the only thing keeping him upright.

Percy though, he clearly carried the board with ease, moving it around in a way that didn't make the object feel out of place. It was also clearly scratched with the pale wood showing through and the upper side dirty from Percy's shoes. Could Percy do what he'd seen those other people do?

The table jolted as Percy propped his elbows onto it. "You didn't get to answer my question. What brings you to Manhattan?"

"I transferred colleges," Jason explained. "I used to go to one back in San Francisco but I needed a change. The other side of the country felt appropriate for that."

It wasn't a lie.

He'd originally been offered a place in New Rome University and the logical option would have been to take it. Except to everyone's surprise, he'd turned it down. There was an entire world to explore outside of the borders of where he'd grown up in Camp Jupiter and New Rome and he'd leapt at the chance to do just that.

Percy grinned. "I thought you were a student," he said, sounding pleased with himself. "Let me guess, you study something art related."

Jason rolled his eyes yet there was a curl to his lips. "You're right there but, dude, you met me in an art museum while I was drawing. I think that's obvious."

His decision of major had caused a stir too. Everyone had expected him to do Politics, Law, even History. That's what he had been raised to do yet his calling had been in those quiet moments by himself where he'd got to sit with a sketchbook and pencils.

Reyna had brought him a paint set one year back in Camp Jupiter - a paint set he had carried parts of to the other side of the country - and suddenly his sketchbook had been over filling with colour. He'd trained, led, ordered, disciplined and fought as a Son of Jupiter but with his sketchbook he'd simply been Jason Grace.

Percy cracked a grin. "Okay, maybe it was obvious but give me some credit, man," he joked. His eyes briefly turned to look out the window but they soon returned. "About the museum, Estelle…"

Percy's eyes glistened in a way Jason was sure didn't have anything to do with the light coming through the window as he spoke about her. It sent a warmth through him that heated up his very core as if Percy were able to transfer the love he had into his little sister into him.

Maybe that was just the way Percy was when he spoke.

Jason hadn't known what to think about him at first. Initially he'd been simply grateful he'd turned up to take the small girl in front of him off his hands. Jason had heard her footsteps before she'd spoken but her wide eyes had been in his face before he'd had the opportunity to stop her.

Then the talking had begun. Her little voice had sounded so loud in the otherwise quiet room. Thankfully she'd been content with Jason simply nodding or the occasional hum until Percy had stepped in. His dark hair and tanned skin had caught his attention first, then it had been the colours in his eyes before finally his arrangement of freckles and the little scar that bridged his nose.

They still had his attention even now as Percy continued to talk about how Estelle had found a case of dead butterflies and had now decided butterflies were her new thing.

Percy was good at that - telling stories.

If Percy's face had initially grasped his attention, it had been his voice that had kept it locked in. Back then in the museum and now in the little bakery Percy's voice lulled him in and demanded Jason's full attention. He'd occasionally trail off topic, commenting on something else before going back to the main topic, but his actual voice was clear. There was also the New York accent that came through on certain words but he managed to emphasize the right words so that even though he was only telling him about his own trip to the museum, it kept Jason hooked.

He couldn't help but wonder if Percy had ever needed to publicly speak, draw the attention of a crowd or lead an army.

He doubted that last one but it was the only comparison he could fall back on.

Percy's arms waved as he spoke and Jason busied his own with finally digging into his paper bag and pulling out the pastry. His brownie was for later, a reward for once he'd finished planning his essay, but the pastry was a demand from his roommate who had initially recommended the place. Apparently he'd looked 'too stressed' and 'needed a break' so he'd been kicked out and told to go eat something.

Not that he was complaining. He'd got to see Percy again.

It almost felt like a date with just the two of them opposite each other, a small table to separate them and the cosy feeling to the bakery.

Whoa. Hold up. Jason wasn't quite sure where that thought had come from.

"- and then Estelle accidentally stole a pencil from the gift shop."

Jason snorted just as the buttery, sweet and nutty taste of the pastry exploded in his mouth. He mentally cursed. Percy had been right.

"Dude, this is so good," he commented after he'd swallowed and Percy nodded in agreement. "At least your sister did it by accident, I have a roommate who steals my stuff on purpose."

Percy eyebrows shot up in alarm and concern mixed into the blue-greens of his eyes. Jason would have been touched if his words hadn't been misinterpreted.

"Not in a mean way. Connor always gives whatever he steals back and it's only ever things I leave out," he added. "I'm convinced he thinks it's a game to see how long it'll take me to notice and I'm just his unlucky contestant."

"Connor?" Percy queried, his head cocking to the side, mimicking a dog, and eyebrows pulling together. "Last name Stoll by any chance?"

Jason nodded. Did Percy know his roommate?

Percy grinned, a sparkle in his eye that rang mischief and Jason's chest flipped at the sight. Percy was presumably around Jason's own age yet the grin had made him look younger in a way that reminded Jason he was also barely an adult.

"If you want him to stop," Percy said, "tell him Percy Jackson will make his time showering absolute hell next time he's at camp."

Jackson.

Perseus Jackson. It had a nice ring to it.

The rest made no sense though. Not the fact Percy somehow knew his roommate or the whole thing to do with whatever Percy meant about the showers. It must have been because it was the last thing Percy said that Jason fixated on that part.

"Camp?"

The grin was replaced with a soft smile, one similar to the one he'd given Estelle back in the museum. It made his dark eyebrows relax on his forehead and the look behind his eyes lighten.

"Your roommate and I went to the same summer camp," Percy replied. "I've dealt with the Stolls - he has a brother, if you didn't know, and they're just as bad as each other - where was I?" Percy paused, then his eyes widened, "yeah, I was a victim of their pranks multiple years in a row as a teen."

Percy may have used the words 'dealt' and 'victim' but his words were laced with fondness and Jason suddenly wanted to know more about this camp. He'd had his own version of a camp but it certainly didn't provide him with the warmth that Percy's so clearly did. Jason had disappeared to the other side of the country to avoid his.

Percy leant back in his chair. "Pro tip, do not let Connor do your laundry even if he asks nicely. Your clothes will come back a different colour."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Jason's mouth. "Speaking from experience?"

"I own a singular purple hoodie and it was definitely not purple when I first bought it."

Jason let out a chuckle. It reminded him of the children and legacies of Mercury back in Camp Jupiter. They'd always been up to some form of trickery that had been entertaining when Jason had simply been a member of his cohort yet a headache once he'd been promoted to centurion and then praetor.

"I got him back though," Percy continued, smirk returning. "I dyed their entire cabin's bedding bright pink."

He wanted to commit the smirk to memory, pull out the small sketchbook that lived in his bag and sketch the sight in front of him. Could he do Percy justice? Would he finally be able to work out the name for the colour of Percy's eyes?

His peripheral vision caught movement and his head snapped towards it just as Percy's hand retreated.

"Percy!" Jason complained.

He couldn't be truly mad though, not when Percy's eyes shone as he popped the stolen pastry piece in his mouth.

There was a crumb on his lower lip and Jason wanted to reach across the table to wipe it away with his thumb. That would be weird though so instead Jason opened his mouth to tell him so except it snapped shut when a shadow cast over their table.

"Percy." It was Katie. "There's been a-"

Jason met her brown eyes in a quick glance before she continued to speak to Percy yet Jason had no clue what she was saying. She'd switched languages.

Percy seemed to know what she was saying and he let out - from what Jason could tell from his body language and tone - a swear in the same language before he continued in his reply.

Alarm bells rang in Jason's mind, his blood pumped a little faster as the adrenaline already began to kick in and his hand searched out his trouser pocket. A sense of reassurance flushed through him as he found the familiar solid, circular weight. He didn't believe Percy or Katie were a threat but he'd been trained better than to be unprepared.

It wasn't the language that made him uneasy. What made him uneasy was the fact they'd clearly switched to leave him out the loop.

Percy's shoulders had tensed and worry had weaved its way into those blue and green waves in his eyes. Whatever Katie was telling him clearly wasn't good news and it only set Jason on edge more.

"Sorry Percy." She'd switched back. "I can't dip out of my shift."

Percy waved her off, an act that should have been casual except the tension hadn't left his frame.

"You're lucky I stopped by," he commented. "You go back to work, I'll handle it."

Katie gave him her thanks and spun back around, hastily walking over to the counter and returning to handling orders from Sam. Jason's attention didn't remain in her direction for long though because Percy's chair scraped the floor as he stood.

"Sorry to cut this short," he said, not meeting Jason's eyes. "Unexpected family business always loves to get in the way."

Jason's heart continued to hammer yet his mind had clung onto Percy's tone - sarcastic in a way that instantly clued Jason onto this was not the first time this had happened to Percy and he was not happy about it then or now.

"Family?" he asked.

Had something happened to Estelle? Maybe Sally or, who Jason was presuming to be his step-dad, Paul?

Percy's backpack returned to his shoulders and the skateboard to his hand. "Katie's my cousin on my dads side," he explained.

Jason felt like an idiot. Percy's dad was Greek. He must have spoken in Greek.

He finally caught Percy's eyes and there was something deeper, more guarded, behind his expression. An expression he'd witnessed countless times around Camp Jupiter.

He couldn't be a demigod though. Jason had been aware of everyone around his age who had passed through camp and Percy hadn't spoken in Latin. He was attempting to reach a conclusion in a place that didn't have it.

Percy's eyes softened around the edges slightly. "Maybe we'll get a third time lucky," he said.

He didn't offer a goodbye or give Jason the time to give his own. Percy simply disappeared behind him and the door chimed to signal his exit. Through the window Percy's skateboard hit the floor, already moving by the time he skilfully jumped on it, and was gone and out of Jason's sight before he even had the chance to blink.

Chapter Text

"I'm telling you, how small is the world for him to be roommates with Connor Stoll of all people?" Percy chatted as he followed next to his companion.

"I wouldn't be questioning that, Percy," she replied. "I'd be questioning how your mystery man is staying sane. Either of the Stolls would be near the bottom of my potential roommate list."

Percy stepped across the pavement to avoid a lady and her small dog. "They're not that bad."

The ponytail of ginger curls swished as she turned her head and Percy caught green eyes that clearly demonstrated an unimpressed glare. Her eyebrows raised in a way that told him she didn't believe him.

"Rachel, come on," Percy said. "If you had to pick between living with one of the Stolls or Clarisse, tell me you'd say the Stolls."

Rachel let out a short laugh. "I'd take Clarisse, no competition."

Percy pouted at her although it was cut off short when her hand tugged on his jumper sleeve.

"Percy? I need to quickly go in here," she stated and Percy allowed himself to be pulled through the now open door.

The warmth hit him first, grateful for the indoor heating as he'd misjudged the rapidly cooling weather outside, and then it was the smell. It smelt like the Athena cabin - of paper, both new and old.

Of Annabeth too as the smell had always lingered on her clothes.

"Follow me." Another tug to his sleeve before she let go of the fabric. "There's a specific book I'm looking for."

Percy blinked away the memory of his ex-girlfriend and followed Rachel through the bookstore he'd been dragged into. He didn't frequent many of them, just how bad his dyslexia was made them pointless to Percy, but Rachel had clearly led him into one of the smaller business type establishments.

Books of various ages lined every wall as well as rows of shelves throughout, stacks rested on the floor where the shelves overflowed and the lights glowed a warm yellow. The space between the shelves was small and the floor occasionally creaked under the weight of his feet as Percy weaved in and out of the books and other shoppers in an attempt to follow Rachel deeper into the store.

With the early-afternoon weekend traffic and tight space he shouldn't have been surprised when suddenly there was no longer the sight of Rachel's ginger curls and brown pinafore dress in front of him.

Thankfully he'd known her long enough to predict the sections she'd most likely be found in. Unfortunately all the signs around him were a jumbled mess of letters.

He must have looked lost as a teenager with purple hair, a name badge that was definitely printed too small for Percy to decipher and what Percy presumed to be the bookshops uniform popped up next to him.

"Can I help you with anything, sir?" they asked, the voice polite.

A quick flash of alarm crossed the employees face and Percy hurriedly put on a smile.

"Yeah, I've lost my friend," he said, voice light. "She'll either be in the Art or History sections, can you direct me?"

The employee rattled off the information before Percy bid them a thanks and headed for the stairs. As he did so he caught a flash of blonde and pale blue and his head turned automatically before he even had the chance to debate it.

Percy let out a disappointed sigh.

Just a random person.

It had been eight weeks since he'd first met Jason in the museum and two weeks since the bakery. Not that Percy was keeping count.

Had he stopped thinking about those blue, golden framed eyes, the little scar on the other man's lip or his soft looking jumpers in that time though? Percy would try and deny it but there was no point.

Percy had been back to the bakery multiple times in those two weeks but if Jason had returned, he had missed him each time. He'd kept going though with the small hope that time would be the one except each time he'd left with disappointment in his chest and a few less dollars in his wallet.

Jason never truly left his mind, even now as he trudged himself up the stairs to the second floor in search of Rachel. One of his co-workers had even teased him for the apparent dreamy look on his face and asked who the new girl was.

Was he really that obvious?

Yes, Seaweed Brain. You are.

Percy kicked the voice of Annabeth out of his mind. He hadn't even told her personally, Rachel had spilled the information last time they'd hung out as a group not long after Percy had first met Jason in the museum. Grover had teased him over his apparent type in strong blondes (give a guy a break, G-man), Annabeth had fixed him with one her knowing stares of silent support and he'd made Rachel get him his favourite blue milkshake as payback for revealing his secrets.

Fortunately the upper floor of the bookshop was less crowded with people at least. The towers of books continued but Percy weaved through them reiterating the employee's instructions he'd been told in his mind.

He turned round the corner of a bookshelf yet his feet came to a dead stop.

Was that…?

"Jason?"

The blonde strands top of his head swished in the sudden movement and Percy was faced with those familiar blue eyes.

His chest did a flip inside his ribcage.

A moment of silence passed, the sound of fellow customers and the traffic outside muting in to the background, and Percy couldn't quite believe his own eyes.

"Percy!" Jason smiled, a leather-bound book frozen in one hand.

Percy instantly felt his own face pull into a smile to match.

He almost hadn't recognised him, doubting the sight in front of him. While the last two, and only two, times he'd seen Jason he'd been dressed in knitted jumpers and slacks, this Jason had dressed himself in a comfortable looking light grey and blue hoodie, a pair of dark, slate grey jogging bottoms and some well-worn trainers to complete the look.

Not that it was a bad one with the way the jumper hugged his wide shoulders and the trousers just a little too tight around Jason's thighs.

Percy snapped his eyes back up to Jason's face.

"Dude, I've been hoping to bump into you," Percy's mouth ran before he realised that maybe sounded a bit stalker-ish. "Sorry for having to rush off last time," he added in an attempt to explain.

Jason gave him a dismissive wave with the hand holding the book. "Don't worry about it. Is your family okay?"

Legitimate concern laced through Jason's tone and it tugged at Percy's chest. Yet at the same time it acted as a reminder to why he couldn't let himself get carried away. He was a demigod and Jason wasn't - their lives could never combine more than the meetings they had now without Percy having to constantly lie.

His mom had gotten lucky with Paul but Percy's track record of luck when it came to the Gods was not one he could fall back on.

He'd entertained the idea of telling Jason countless times though, even more so since the incident with Katie in the bakery. Something like,

Hey Jason! Did you know the Greek Gods are very much real and they suck ass?

Or,

Hey Jason! You know all those myths about Greek Gods hooking up with mortals? They're still doing it today and you're looking at the result of that.

Although Percy doubted any of that would go down well. Jason would probably just look at him like he was crazy and then never want to speak to him again.

He didn't want that.

The mere idea of it forced a heavy, aching weight to consume him.

"Yeah, it's fine, been dealt with," he replied instead.

The gryphon that had been stalking a young demigod had in fact been dealt with - Percy sending said gryphon to Tartarus and the young girl to Camp Half-Blood.

Jason let out a small exhale. "Oh, that's good. I'm glad."

Silence fell and Percy shuffled his feet under him. As much as he'd thought about seeing Jason again he had no plan of what to say other than the apology he already had given out. He almost wished Estelle was with him to breach the gap of awkwardness but Percy didn't like to protrude on the mortal side of his family's life anymore than he already was by still living with them.

"Are you looking for anything specific?" Jason's voice asked, breaking Percy's thoughts.

It took a moment for it to click that Jason was asking about the books.

"Oh, no, I don't read much," Percy said. Then a light bulb flashed inside his mind and he added, "Rachel!"

Jason's head cocked to the side and his eyebrows pulled together a little, the confused expression clear in his eyes. It was kind of adorable in the way it was similar to how Mrs. O'Leary looked at him when she hadn't caught what he'd said.

Gods, he needed to stay on track.

So, Percy hurried to explain, "Rachel, she dragged me in here but I lost her when we came inside."

How could he have forgotten why he was stood between towers of books?

Well, the answer was right in front of him staring at him with pale blue eyes.

The scar on Jason's lip twitched. "Do you often lose who you're with?" he asked, the tone teasing.

Percy groaned, heat rising in his cheeks. "Swear to the gods this isn't a thing I do regularly."

Jason sniggered, bringing his empty hand to his mouth in an attempt to keep his laugh hidden but failing, and Percy couldn't help but grin himself.

He'd suspected, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom after meeting Jason in the museum, that the other man had walls up. The way he had covered his panic around Estelle, clearly uncomfortable yet not unkind around her, his initial hesitance to give Percy his name, the short form, seemingly practised response to how he'd come to Manhattan and, maybe worst of all, the way Jason covered up his smiles. It only made Jason more interesting to Percy though and chipping away, uncovering the Jason that lived under the surface act only made Percy want to know more.

"I'll help you look for her," Jason offered as he pushed the book he'd been holding back onto the shelf.

A smile tugged at Percy's cheeks. "Thanks, man."

Percy relayed the information he'd told the employee downstairs adding a physical description of Rachel to it and Jason informed him he was already in the art section and he hadn't seen anyone matching Rachel's appearance. It must have not been Jason's first time in this specific bookstore as he motioned for Percy to follow him and, as Jason stepped around him, Percy noticed the addition of a bag strapped to Jason's back.

It was black, tear-shaped, which was an odd shape for a bag, and a sport logo was printed along one edge but Percy couldn't pinpoint the sport such a bag shape would result in. He was almost tempted to ask but his eyes caught something else.

There was a blue 'G' and an 'E' either side of the thinner end of the bag at the top of Jason's back.

Oh, how Percy wanted Jason to remove the bag as Percy would put drachmas on those letters making up the beginning and end of Jason's surname.

"I passed your threat onto Connor, by the way," Jason said as Percy followed his back through the bookstore. "He laughed so hard he fell off his chair."

Percy let out a huff of laughter, eyes still focused on Jason's back. Of course Connor hadn't taken him seriously.

"I would have paid to see that," he responded. "Remind him about my first incident with Clarisse and he might take that laugh back."

"Do I even want to know?" Jason asked lightly.

Percy grinned. "Probably not."

Mostly because Percy wasn't sure how he could explain he'd blown up the toilet plumbing without Jason thinking he was insane.

Silence fell between them again and Percy wondered if Connor had said anything else about him. As much as he had dirt on the Stolls they had plenty on him too and he wouldn't put it past Connor to embarrass him.

Oh gods, he was going to have to threaten Connor with more than the showers at camp if he even got a wind of Percy's… developing feelings for the blonde in front of him.

He'd been nervous to ask Jason to sit with him back in the bakery. The time in the museum had been down to Estelle and even if Percy had been tempted to ask Jason if he'd wanted to join them as they walked around, he'd never gotten the chance.

Except Jason had said yes and he'd listened so intently with a small smile tugging his lips and that little scar the entire time Percy had rambled off about Estelle. Not once had Jason looked bored or told him to shut up which in Percy's life was pretty rare.

"How's Estelle's butterfly interest coming along?" came Jason's voice from ahead of him.

Percy blinked. It was silly how something as simple as Jason remembering an off hand comment about his little sister made his insides warm.

"Oh, just great," Percy replied. "She somehow managed to catch one the other week and then we all had to try and get it out the apartment."

Jason let out a soft, short laugh - yet another halted before it had the chance to blossom - then he turned around another stack of books, stepping by a browsing customer as he did so and Percy followed in his steps.

Now Jason had offered to help him find Rachel and voluntarily decided to spend part of his weekend off from his studies with Percy.

Percy let out a sigh. Two years of being single and here he was, throwing his heart at the next attractive blonde who happened to pay attention to him.

Suddenly something knocked into Percy's upper arm and he yelped as he spun around.

"Rachel, holy Hades, you scared the life out of me," Percy exclaimed.

She had two books tucked under one arm that hadn't been there before and a look of relief behind the greens of her eyes.

"Oops, sorry," she apologised. "Where did you get to? I've been looking for you."

"So have we."

Rachel's eyes squinted behind him. The only presence he knew to be behind him was Jason, overly aware of just how close the other man was standing to him, and Percy wanted to know why Rachel was giving him such a strange look.

"Jason, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," came Jason's voice. "Thank you for the talk last week, it was super interesting," he continued, "I'd never considered the impact of digital versus traditional art before, although, after I thought about it, it makes total sense."

Percy's head flitted between them. It was as if he were back at Camp Half-Blood as a teenager with everyone discussing the Great Prophecy around him but not actually telling him what it was just presumably less deadly or world threatening.

Rachel laughed lightly. "It sucked in school when teachers wanted you to use specific colours and I was left reading the labels on pencils or paint tubes." She shrugged. "Now I get to paint what I want, people don't seem to mind as much."

Percy felt the puzzle pieces click together in his mind.

"Hold on a second. You two know each other?"

He'd been joking around when he'd mentioned how small the world was for Connor to know Jason but Rachel too? He hadn't thought Aphrodite had heard his prayer in the museum but Percy couldn't help but question if something was pulling his life towards Jason's on purpose.

He kind of hoped something wasn't. The Gods had mingled with his life enough as it was, they didn't need to get involved in whatever he had with Jason.

"You know those talks I do? The ones about being colourblind but still pursuing art as a career?" she asked and Percy nodded. "I did one for Jason's college." Then her eyes zoned in on him. "How did you meet him?"

"The art museum with Stella."

With the way Rachel's eyes widened and almost shone under the lighting Percy knew he was screwed.

"Oh," she grinned, "Jason's your mystery museum man?"

Jason made a short splutter that he definitely attempted to cover and Percy? He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come back out of it.

"Rachel," he hissed.

"Nice to put a face to the name even if I already had a pretty decent picture of yours from how much Percy's spoken about you," Rachel continued, clearly directing her words at Jason and ignoring Percy's warning.

He could feel the heat burning into his cheeks and this was the exact reason he'd been happy that none of his close friends were yet to meet Jason.

"I haven't mentioned you that much," Percy tried to reason, turning himself in the direction of Jason.

Jason's own cheeks were ever so slightly more coloured and his eyes wide, a look buried under there that Percy couldn't figure out. There was also something different about them but Percy didn't have the capacity to figure out what when Rachel was the other side of him threatening to continue to embarrass him.

"He has," Rachel chimed in. "He thinks your-"

Percy cut her off by spinning around and fixing her with a glare as his ears burned.

"How about I tell Annabeth you have a collection of drawings of her?" Percy half-threatened but the look of horror that flashed through Rachel's eyes he knew he'd hit the mark.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Don't test me, Dare."

There was the sound of amusement - Jason's amusement - from behind him and Percy found himself turning back to the noise.

The tint to Jason's cheeks was still there, resting on his cheekbones and making him look overall softer. Even though the sound had been short, the amusement still remained on his face with the slight curl of his lips and the crinkles next to his eyes.

It suited him and Percy felt a sudden need to place that joy on Jason's face more often even if it was at the expense of himself.

He still hadn't placed why Jason's eyes looked so familiar even if it had bugged on his mind since the museum. He'd hoped staring across at him in the bakery and with the way the light through the window had made the pale, sky blue look sharper would have made it click but it still scratched at Percy's mind without an answer.

Although, there was definitely something different about Jason's face this time…

"You're not wearing your glasses!" Percy suddenly concluded before he realised he'd blurted it out loud.

Jason blinked slowly at him and for a moment Percy thought he'd scared him off even more than Rachel's comments probably already had.

"Contacts," Jason explained to Percy's relief. "I have tennis practice later and my glasses get in the way."

Tennis… the odd shaped bag on Jason's back must contain his racket.

Percy couldn't help but wonder if Jason was any good. He was clearly on an official team going by the hoodie and he was tempted to ask until he was beat to it.

"You any good?" Rachel asked.

She was so doing this on purpose and Percy wasn't sure if he wanted to thank her or curse her.

Jason's hand reached to scratch the back of his neck. "Not bad, I guess. I made my college team this year."

"Dude, you must be pretty good then," Percy complimented, his full chest behind it. "Congrats."

Jason stared at him for a moment, eerily still and the blues caught in his own sea greens. Something about the reaction didn't sit right but before Percy could contemplate it further Jason appeared to find his composure and the contact broke.

"Thanks, man."

Percy could almost imagine it, Jason on a tennis court. It wasn't something he played but Paul liked to watch the matches on the TV so he'd seen enough in passing to get an idea. Jason's brows pulled together in focus, the muscles in his arms flexing as his hit the ball, his exposed thighs from the shorts, the look of satisfaction on his face when he won…

"Percy-"

Percy's thoughts snapped closed and he refocused, catching Jason's form only to realise he'd definitely just been staring.

Jason offered him the smallest of smiles though that served to warm his insides and kill any possible awkwardness Percy had just created.

"-and I are going to a café a couple blocks over," Rachel continued. "Do you want to join us?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to interrupt. Anyway," Jason started before he pulled up his sleeve slightly to show a leather strapped watch.

Then Jason cursed in a different language - one that sounded oddly familiar but Percy couldn't place why - before he caught their eyes again, "I need to go to practise or I'm going to be late."

As much as it meant Rachel couldn't tease him anymore than she already had, it didn't stop the disappointment of Jason leaving wedging itself inside of Percy. His meetings with Jason were always too short, always interrupted by something out of their control and Percy wanted to selfishly reach out and tell Jason to skip his tennis practice.

He didn't.

Instead he gave Jason a smile.

"You best get going then," he said, even if his heart wasn't in it.

Jason's eyes flickered down before Percy caught them again.

"Yeah," he exhaled. "It was nice seeing you again, Percy, and you too Rachel."

Percy returned the statement and Rachel chimed in with a version of her own from next to him before Jason gave them both a small wave. He turned, Percy losing Jason's face to be replaced by the taunting two letters on his back until he disappeared far too quickly around the edge of one of the bookshelves.

Suddenly Percy's mind clicked.

"Did Jason just curse in Latin?" he asked out loud.

Percy had learnt a bunch as a kid out of pure boredom in school and as much as most of his Latin knowledge hadn't stuck, those had (much to Chiron's disappointment).

Rachel sounded just as confused as he did, "I think so?"

It was as if each time they met Percy thought he'd cracked something about Jason except each time there was also another layer of mystery added onto the other man. Why did Jason know Latin and use it as easily as Percy swore in Ancient Greek? How had he learnt it? Was he fluent or like Percy and only knew small bits and pieces? What were the rest of the letters of his last name? Why was the shade of his eyes something Percy recognised yet still couldn't figure out where from?

Would he see Jason again and hopefully figure out the answers to the questions in his mind?

He hoped so even if his meetings with Jason were a plan of some upper force.

There was a nudge to his arm and Percy's attention turned to it's source. Rachel was giving him another one of her looks that Percy would put down to her prophetic powers if it wasn't for the fact she'd done the same before she'd got buddy with Apollo and his Oracle.

She'd read his disappointment about Jason's leaving as if he were one of the books on the shelves that surrounded them.

She grinned. "So, that's Jason then?"

Percy groaned. "Shut it. You owe me another milkshake," he grumbled.

All he was met with though was Rachel's laugh and the feeling as if there was a presence missing from next to him.