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"So when's your next class?" Percy shoots them one of his charming, shit-eating grins.
They roll haphazardly over on the grassy Green, groaning, "I have a 2.5 hour lecture in half an hour. Free me."
Percy merely pokes them with his foot. "You chose this major, didn't you?"
They swat listlessly in his direction, pretending to cover their ears. "IIIIIIII can't heaaaaaaaaar youuuuuuu–"
He swats back, starting a harmless cat fight. They both proceed to lightly smack each others' hands, subtly avoiding direct eye contact. Don’t need to think too hard about feelings if they’re playing around.
They throw their hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, fine! I lied! Quit smacking me! Hey, hear me out for a sec?"
Percy laughs lightly, leaving a pang in their chest from his boyish giggle. "You ignore me and then ask me for help? Who do you think you are, Elio?"
"Sorry, Elio. I'm officially dethroning him as your favorite." Percy amusedly raises an eyebrow, and they shake their head. "Anyways, I'm picking a song for that open mic in the student union later this month."
"No stand-up comedy? But our first meeting has so much potential," he draws out, smile bleeding into his voice. "How many others can say they crashed—literally—into someone's life?"
"I should've just let you fall back then," they playfully remark. "Maybe you should use that story for clout, instead of you trying to live vicariously through me, you little shit."
Percy adjusts his posture, propping himself up on his elbows. "So on a scale of Cameron to Celine Dion, what can I expect?"
They gasp in pretend horror. "How could you compare me to Cam! They're the love of my life. How dare you!" Rolling their eyes with a fond smile, they pull up a playlist on their phone. "Okay, seriously. I have a bunch of songs in here that I know the lyrics to, but I don't know what kinda vibe I'm going for."
"Don't people, like... haul guitars on stage?" Percy pantomimes strumming a guitar. "Are you going to do an acoustic cover?"
"Ah, yes. I'm going to serenade everyone with my great picking skills.” Their eyes sparkle with mirth. “Also, I don't know how to play guitar."
He shrugs. "Could've fooled me." His eyes twinkle, insinuating he’d believe anything they’d say.
They blink in surprise before shaking their head vigorously. "Not the point! Half the music I listen to is in another language, so I need you, your average college student, to tell me if something is socially acceptable." They wave their arms in an effort to really sell their point.
Percy peers over their shoulder, both of them feigning calmness at the close proximity. "Should I remind you I literally lived in Japan 'til I was 11?" He reaches out to scroll down a bit. "Some of these are real sad boi songs. Like, keshi? Wouldn't peg you for the type."
They scoff a little at his wording, then they jab a finger out accusingly. "And do you listen to his music, mister pick-up-lines?"
He grins a little and puts his hands up in a placating gesture. "Guilty as charged. But... you're not choosing one of his oh-my-god-they-left-me-and-now-everything-is-sad-as-shit songs, are you?"
They lock eyes with him and say with as straight of a face as they can muster, "Yes. I want everyone to feel heartbroken as fuck... Just kidding. Here, I liked this one a lot." They press play, softly singing along.
A few lines into the song, they glance over, unsure what Percy would think. Maybe they were actually as tone deaf as Cam...? (Sorry, Cam!)
He's looking at them with such a soft expression on his face, breaking out into a warm smile. "What the hell, bro? Since when could you do that?"
They laugh a little out of relief, emboldened by his praise. "I maxed out my charisma points, duh."
The second verse starts playing, and he nods along to the beat. After he shakes off his initial shock, he joins them in a duet.
Say you wanna talk 'til the sunrise
I don't really mind if we stayin' up
Say you got work, but it's alright
Hope I make you feel a little better
He lets them sing through the bridge as a solo, unwittingly staring at them fondly the whole while.
The song outro plays, and they sigh contentedly. "Singing is such good stress relief."
Percy starts to say something but doesn’t seem to find the words he’s looking for.
At the same time, they glance down at their phone and hurriedly stand up. "Oh, shit, my class is starting soon. Text you later? I'm holding you to help me narrow down a song!" Emitting anxious energy, they jet, for lack of a better word.
Percy blinks, and he's left staring where they were only moments ago. He looks up, dazed and eyes following where they cheerfully wave with a big smile on their face.
Of course, Elio picks that precise moment to come bounding up to Percy. "Hey, looks like I missed them! ... Bro, are you good?" Sunshine boy, bless his heart, is waving in Percy's face.
Percy starts, not realizing he was staring. And that's when he knows: he's cooked. Absolutely fucking cooked.