Chapter Text
Percy knew something was up as soon as Rachel offered him some of her coffee.
Well, obviously, anyone would know, right? Like, as a college student, you don’t just buy expensive food and not hoard it to yourself like a stingy dragon.
He didn’t drink the coffee, because he knew that if he did, he’d be essentially signing a binding contract that would most certainly end in his prolonged discomfort.
“Rach,” he started, but didn’t finish, as Rachel pressed her pointer finger into his lips.
“Sh,” she said. “Not yet. Let me make my case.”
Percy sighed. He spoke against Rachel’s finger, “…Go ahead.”
Rachel removed her hand. She said, “I have a psychology project.”
Percy’s heart sank. He thought maybe—just maybe—this once it would be something simple, like loaning Rachel his car. Or his limb. Or his soul. But it was never that simple. It was never, ever that simple.
“I already talked to Jason,” Rachel continued. “He agreed to do it.”
“Okay,” Percy said. “That just totally convinces me—do what, Rachel, what?”
Rachel rolled her eyes, blowing a corkscrew clump of hair out of her face. “My psychology project, asshole.”
Percy crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s the project, Dare? Because I’m not interested in being blindfolded again.”
Rachel shrugged, almost like she was unsure. “I mean, it wouldn’t be anything unlike that.”
“Details, details.”
“It involves disabilities. In… in a sense. But it’s mostly to see how much interaction someone can take before they…” Rachel trailed off, almost shrugging. “Y’know, snap.”
“I don’t like how this sounds.”
“Well, think about it,” Rachel said. “If goody-two-shoes Mister Jason Grace approves, what’s to stop his outgoing best friend?”
Percy looked at her, annoyed. “ ‘Outgoing’? You flatter me.”
“C’mon,” Rachel said. “It’s just a couple of weeks.”
“A couple of weeks? Rachel, what the hell are you making us do?” Rachel got that gleam in her eyes—the gleam Annabeth got when she talked about architecture, or Percy’s mom when she talked about writing—as she broke down the rules of the project. “Okay, so you know how you can’t really hang around people for more than a couple of days without kind of wanting to kill them?”
Percy shrugged. “I guess. I’ve hung out with you and Jason for longer than that before, though.”
Rachel beamed. “Then you two’ll do great!” She got serious again, suddenly. “But really. This project is designed so I can measure exactly how long it takes. I’m making it so my test subjects literally can’t leave each other’s sides.”
Percy suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Rachel made a ‘pfft’ sound. “Of course not.” She grinned. “The question is, are you in?”
“Do I get compensation?”
“A contribution to the world of science.”
Percy scoffed. “Psychology isn’t real science.”
“Says the genealogy major.”
Percy wasn’t going to lie to himself and say that Rachel was wrong. “I’m not even going to try and argue with that.”
Rachel smiled again. “Great! So you’re in.”
Percy shrugged, although they both knew he would end up agreeing. “I still don’t really know what’s—”
“Meet me at my room at… eight tonight. I’ll explain everything.”
Again, Percy didn't bother to argue.