#percyjackson

You and a couple more campers from other cabins sat with the Aphrodite kids, just talking about anything and everything. The main rotation of the topics was about clothes, makeup, skincare and general self-love rituals, because whether you liked it or not the Aphrodite kids knew their stuff. You could overhear a couple of campers straying from those as well, talking about poetry or about the current political scene. Your head started to slowly be overwhelmed from all the conversations happening at the same time around you.

“Okay, now that our circle got smaller, let’s talk about the really important things.” Fellow Aphrodite son mused with a smirk plastered on his face. He was correct, quite a lot of campers left the circle of your conversation during the moment of you zoning out. Some probably left after getting the answers they needed, while others had something better to do than chat away the afternoon with Aphrodite kids. Something that was way too easy to do, if you were not careful. “What’s the ideal type of guy? Speaking of looks, of course. And before any woman lovers gathered here scowl at me, you will get your turn in a second-!”

It was a typical question, one you hear often among teenagers. Do you like guys with blond hair or black? More lean or muscular? What about eye-color?

Everyone had their preference or at least they had some kind of example, for example a old classmate or celebrity that they had a crush on, in the past or currently. From all the years of hearing this question, statiscally the ideal guy looked like that:

Dark-haired. Dark eyes. Toned with muscles. Tall.

The last one being oddly the most important out of all. Everyone liked the tall guys, and of course you understood this phenomen. The height difference gave this physical sense of protection, they are larger than you and that is associated with the fact they can physically protect you well.

Some girls were going as far as saying they would never be with a guy that is close to their height, let alone shorter.

A tad bit too demanding, if you were to ask me that is.

Before you got to speak of your own preferences, everyone got called for dinner. Unlike most campers who sat at their respective cabin’s table, you were frequently sitting at Poseidon’s table alongside Percy. One, because you are a long-term friend of his and two, because it is always sad to see him sitting by himself, when Tyson is not visiting.

He was already there by the time you grabed your food, plate full of variety and blue coke in the cup. Percy had surprisingly well-balanced diet, probably something his mother has instilled in him. You will never catch him eating any seafood though, which is understandable for the son of Poseidon.

You plopped right next to him with a greeting to which he replied with a nod and small smile, due to having his mouth already stuffed with way too much food.

“You gonna choke, if you will continue eating like that, you hamster.” You snickered toward him with soft smile.

Percy took a second of chewing and a sip of his coke before he responded. “I haven’t eaten anything since morning. I’m starved, leave me be.”

“I told you that you were going to be late for lunch if you will go canoeying that late.” You half-laughed half-huffed from the sheer audacity of him not listening to you.

“And you were correct. As always. That’s why you are the brains and I, the muscles on every quest.” Percy pointed a fork at you with his crooked smile. The troublemaker smile you have fallen irreversibly in love with.

Or so you at least thought.

You have never been in love before and any love you have gotten was given to you with a price tag. You don’t know how love felt, but from description of others, what you felt for Percy was the closest thing to be called love you have experienced so far.

Percy went on storytelling you about the mentioned canoeying, specifically about how he had to fish out one of the younger campers out of the water, and you couldn’t help, but to admire him as he was lost in the story.

His hair were going into every direction possible, some of those waves going slightly over his eyes. The sea green eyes which changed shade depending on the lighting, something that made them similar to the sea even more. Some freckles were sprawled across his face, but also on his shoulders and arms. They are barely seen on his tanned complexion unless you really look at him, you still remember that he didn’t use to have them. They showed up after all those summers spent at camp training or swimming in the Sun. Percy was well-toned and muscular, the difference between his waist and shoulders being distinct. Strong enough to carry you with ease, if it was needed. However, that aspect was often hidden behind hoodies and oversized tshirts he mostly wore.

Before you even realized both of you were done with your food and the dinner time was over. The two of you placed away your dirty dishes and went off to sit at the docks until the sing-along at the campfire in the next couple hours. As you walked through the camp, passing majority of the campers by, you couldn’t help, but notice - Percy was pretty short.

Most guys at the camp - and a lot of girls as well - were so much taller than him. Compared to some Ares sons he was comically small, which only adds to the comedy that he can easily win all of them over in the battle. Or to pullverize them with his sharp words. Percy was capable of both.

“What’s up with you tonight?”

Percy’s voice pulled you back to the reality. He was laying back, hands under his head and legs dangling off the edge of the docks. You were sitting next to him, cross-legged and something worse - zoned out staring at his face. And now he was staring back at you, because apparently you haven’t noticed the moment when he stopped talking.

“Uh, nothing really…” It was a bad lie, or was it? You were just pondering about whether the fact your bestfriend’s height being on the qualification of short dimnishes his attractiveness. It is not nothing, correct?

“You are terrible liar, not as terrible as Grover, but still terrible.” Percy stated with a neutral expression, although the corners of his mouth moved slightly upward.

You snorted at his comment. “Said Mr.Oblivious.” That was the thing about Percy, he was perceptive and a smartass, he truly was. But not when it meant to believe in himself or when that said observation was including him in the equation.

“I’m not oblivious.” Percy countered his brows furrowing, but a smile sprang on his face.

“Yes, you are.”

“Well then, tell me something I am oblivious about.” Percy rose slightly, resting his entire weight on one arm which caused him to lean your way. A movement that shouldn’t cause a reaction of any kind in your body, but it did. Although, you would prefer to have him even closer to you. Maybe even touching you in some sort of way - your legs brushing, maybe the shoulders or maybe him fidgeting with your hands.

“That half of the camp has crush on you, maybe?” Perhaps me included? You shifted your weight just a little, you haven’t moved any closer to him though.

Percy laughed, but it wasn’t exactly that happy laughter that caused the warmth in your chest. It was bitter in nature. “Nah, it’s not true.”

“It is!” You exclaimed, but you knew you are on a losing position here. Percy will never believe that. “You are just oblivious to that fact.” Percy shook his head in a disagreement.

Right. Half of the camp was crushing hard over Percy, especially this summer it became somehow more intense. Perhaps it is caused by the fact Percy lost most of his boyish look in the past year and is starting to look more and more like a man. Yet, you did hear some campers talking between themselves that Percy might be handsome, but is just too short for them.

Let’s also forget the aspect, that even though this wave of crushes has been going on for years now - nobody has asked Percy out. Like ever. Not in camp. Not at school.

“I saw you talking with Aphrodite kids recently. No offense, but I do not see you exactly spending that much time with them without a reason.” Percy’s face softened, he wasn’t inquiring exactly. More like checking in. His eyes found yours and the only thing you could find is soft ‘Are you alright?’ in them.

Percy was the first and the only person you have confided in regarding your self-esteem. Percy had this steady aura around him, one you haven’t found in anyone else. He made you feel safe enough to open up the darkest corners of your mind to him. And Percy being Percy was extremely kind and supportive. He didn’t leave, but didn’t push either. He was there regardless of whether you opened up or not.

Perhaps that’s why you never cared about his height (or his looks in general, although we all know he is a snack for the eye). Percy made you feel safe on a much deeper level. Not to mention, that he was very much capable of protecting you physically as well. Even better than the guys taller than him.

“I am alright, Perce. Just needed a little advice on my skincare routine, that’s all.” It wasn’t a lie per se. A half truth really. You really needed that advice, but the fact you were also eavesdropping on the campers who asked for advice in love department as well was another.

Percy nodded, seemingly less worried now. Although his body movement was oddly tense out of a sudden. “Right. That’s great.” Percy blurted out.

Now it was your turn to get suspicious. “Something wrong?” You have spent enough time with Percy to know when his mind was going into places he is not very fond of. This was one of those moments.

“Nope. Not at all.” The answer came out of his mouth faster than he probably prefered. Percy leaned back resting on both his arms, staring out the lake not daring to look you in the eye. The golden light of the sunset hitting him just right to make him seem like he was shaken out of magazine with special chapter about surfers.

Honestly, Percy during sunset was a sight that you could engrave in your head forever. Even better if he was straight after swimming, maybe covered in sand just a little. With the water droplets running down his muscles…

Oh yeah, you are so fucked.

“If you say so, pretty boy.” You might as well be double-fucked. Who cares at this point.

Well, apparently you. You felt your body warm up and your heart feels like it will jump out of your ribcage, because that was in fact too bold. And your body knew it was. You didn’t dare to look in his direction, eyes locked on the horizon of the lake.

Percy’s eyes widen before he whips his head in your direction with bewildered expression. Fortunately for Percy, the sunset was covering the blush that blossomed on his cheeks and ears. It’s not like you could see it, since you were not looking anyways.

Before any of you pulled yourself together to say something more, Grover appeared at the beach. “Guys! Come to the campfire!” He shouted from where he stood. Thank the gods (or the empathy link) for the rescue. “Help us with setting it up!”

Both you and Percy scrambled to get up, not saying anything more than what was already said. The walk to the campfire was knotted with something neither of you wanted to say.

You cursed yourself out for being this bold. Almost going as far as apologizing and assuring yourself that you haven’t made Percy uncomfortable with that. He is your friend after all. Just a friend. Well he was pretty. Beautiful even. And also you snickered toward him, it was just a first nickname that came to mind. Surely, it cannot be that bad. Also, you haven't insulted him either, right? The tangent of your thoughts could trip someone over with the speed it was ramming through your mind.

Percy, on the other hand, was experiencing overload. You called him ‘pretty boy’. Him. Out of all the guys in the camp he was the pretty boy in your eyes. Someone get some ice, because he is about to boil.