#pjo xreader

You groaned as you added another tab to the amount of research tabs you had open. You really were trying to get this paper done, but nothing was working. Your computer had already crashed twice, resulting into you crying and your eyes felt dry and painful. There was a dull pain in the back of your head and you were sure that you hadn’t had actual silence ever since the first time your computer crashed, because that’s when a constant beep invaded your ears and mind.

It was going great.

You sighed, clicked on the next google result and grabbed your neck in the hopes of massaging some of the stiffness away (to no avail). You blinked once, twice, and looked away from the computer. Why was your brain not working right now? How did people write? What were words? And why did you have to write this stupid paper today of all days, when the people from Camp Jupiter were visiting?

You really, really needed a big hug from Frank, but you knew if you left your cabin right now your paper would be doomed. The thought of seeing Frank made your heart jump in ways it should not, you were sure. It might have been the caffeine too, or the sleep deprivation. It must have been too much, asking for some good old cuddles with your boyfriend, because you still could not find the information you needed. You sighed as you put your head in your hands, slowly rubbing your eyes.

You heard the door open and wished whoever just entered away. You knew you were not far away from breaking down, and you did not need someone worried about it. You were aware this behavior was bad – you needed a break, but school did not give you one and it sucked.

‘(Y/n)?’ the person carefully spoke up and you groaned in response. You knew this was not one of your siblings, because those voices you knew by heart. ‘You alright?’ A comforting presence next to you made you shake your head. You closed your eyes, feeling the little resolve you had for holding back disappear. Softly someone put their hands on your shoulders and slowly started massaging them. You sat up, and looked at the person, seeing Frank standing there.

‘Hi,’ he softly said as he smiled. You felt a tear escape your eye as you looked at your boyfriend. His eyes widened when he took in the state that you were in. You figured you might have been seeing things at this point, but Frank was here, in your cabin, and you wanted comfort.

You abruptly stood up and turned to hug him. Burying your face in his chest as you slowly felt him put his arms around you. You sighed softly as you took in his smell and felt more tears on your face. Frank rubbed slow circles on your back in an effort to comfort you. You felt your shoulders loosen and you acknowledged the release of tension in your jaw.

‘I love you, you know that, right?’ Frank softly whispered and you nodded slightly, not letting go of him.

‘I missed you.’ You mumble as you tighten the hug you were giving him. Frank softly laughed as he tightened his grip on you too.

‘You and I both know Nico wouldn’t want a party Will.’ You sighed as Will grabbed your hands and shot you a pleading look. ‘I know, but-‘ ‘No. Just, -’ why were his eyes so convincing? ‘I guess we could do something small.’ Will’s face lit up. You knew you had promised Nico to not do anything for his birthday, but you did agree with Will. Surviving as a demigod for a year should be sort of celebrated.  

‘So, what’s the plan? Invite some friends from Camp Jupiter?’ You squeezed Wills hands, noticing how they were warmer than yours. ‘He hasn’t seen Hazel or Reyna in a bit, but it would be hard to get them on a short-term basis. Given their jobs and all.’ Will reasoned and you nodded slowly. ‘How about we still try, and otherwise go out for some McDonalds?’ you suggested, and Will smiled. ‘Sounds like a plan,’

It honestly was too easy hiding the little surprise party Will and you were planning. Either Nico noticed and he decided not to ask questions, or he was genuinely unaware.

However, Nico did know something was going on. Sure, you and Will sometimes go out together – that is fine- but the past week you both seemed busy. Also, not unheard of, if the infirmary was busy Will was busy and you often chimed in. Nico personally did not want to be around the infirmary too much, afraid of accidentally bringing death upon it. He was getting suspicious though, because there are not that many campers at the moment and as far as he was aware there wasn’t an outbreak of any sorts.

If anything, whatever was keeping you busy, Nico wanted it to be over because he lowkey missed being around you two.

So, when Will offered to take him out for the day he might have been a bit too eager to accept, but Nico was not going to voice that to his boyfriend.

Meanwhile, you were setting up the chaos of a party you managed to create. It first started out as just inviting Hazel, but she then asked Frank, he informed Reyna, and so on. It’s not as if the whole of Camp Jupiter showed up but you were honestly unaware of the amount of people that call Nico their friend. This just meant a bit more people to help with the party, however you really hoped Nico would be fine with it.

You could always sneak away with him if needed and go to plan B.

Anyway, you hoped that the timing was right and got everyone to quiet down. Will could arrive at any minute now, with Nico.

‘So, Nico, are you enjoying yourself?’ you heard Will ask in the distance. ‘Just- what are you hiding Will.’ Nico’s response came. You shot a look at Hazel and she smiled back.

Honestly, you were a bit nervous for Nico’s reaction. It’s too late to go back now.

‘Surprise!’ everyone shouted as Nico entered the clearing. His eyes were wide open as he just stood still.

‘What,’ he looked around slowly, ‘is this?’

‘It’s a surprise party!’ Will said as he moved to stand in front of Nico, ‘For your birthday!’ you heard the smile in his voice as you walked over to the pair.

‘My birthday?’ Nico asked and he shot you a confused look. You nodded and you saw the corners of his lips rise just the slightest. ‘Why?’

‘Because, my love,’ at the nickname he scrunched up his nose, ‘a demigod who survives another year should be celebrated. Especially a demigod like you.’ You took his hand and pulled him past Will. ‘Besides, we thought to take this opportunity for you to see some old friends.’

You pretended not to notice the smile on his face as he greeted the people at the party. Perhaps this was a good idea after all.

--

‘Having fun?’ you asked Nico who was sitting alone.

‘It’s-,’ he sighed, ‘it’s a lot?’ You shot him a concerned look. He did look tired, but that was often his default look. The bags under his eyes seemed to be better than usual actually, but perhaps he was just feeling overwhelmed with the amount of people. Gods, you should have invited less people, or just Hazel or –

‘But I am enjoying myself, thank you.’ Nico looked you in the eyes, ‘It must’ve been hard to get this many people around or to get Chiron to agree.’

You sat down next to Nico and looked at the party goers. ‘Well, it’s uh-’ you looked at Nico again, ‘it’s worth it. As long as you’re happy I would go through hell and back again.’ ‘Please don’t, it’s awful.’ Nico said. You laughed.

‘Honestly? The worst part was keeping it a secret.’ You moved a bit closer to Nico, and you felt your shoulders touch his. ‘I missed hanging out with you – but time zones and all make planning hard.’

Nico had missed you too. The moment you took his hands at the party, his soul left his body and his heart turned to mush. Even after dating you for a while, he was still so soft, and he wasn’t complaining. Right now, you sitting next to him was among the best moments of the day and Nico wished to savor it.

‘Hey, (Y/n), may I kiss you?’ he softly asked.

‘If you want to.’ You answered and you faced him.

His lips were chapped, but you had missed them. A warmth feeling infiltrated your body and you felt your insides turn to mush a bit. As soon as the kiss started, it was over too and you rested your head on Nico’s shoulder, smiling and not noticing the way his eyes softly lingered on your face.

--

Will was chatting with Jason as he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Hazel and Frank standing there.

‘Uh Will- we, uh,’ Frank started and Hazel sighed.

‘We saw Nico and (Y/n) kiss just now and weren’t sure if you knew. We know Nico and you are dating, but you should be aware that he kissed someone else?’ Hazel said as she shot Will a concerned look.

‘Huh?’ Will looked at his partners sitting next to each other and smiled softly, ‘Oh, we’re dating.’ He stated and he looked back to Frank and Hazel.

‘You’re dating Nico?’ Hazel slowly asked, as Frank seemed to get it and his face turned slightly red.

All that was needed now was to get Sadie.

‘Hello, beautiful,’ you greeted Sadie with a grin as she shot one back. ‘Hello, (Y/n),’ she shot you a look, sitting up from her comfortable position on her bed. As soon as she was sitting up you grabbed her arm and started dragging her somewhere. ‘Where are we going?’ Sadie did not resist at all. Sure, she minded getting up, but she did not mind the mischievous look in your eyes or the way you seemed to suppress a grin forming on your face. This just made her heart skip a beat, and she looked away to save herself from your face. ‘To the roof.’ You simply stated a smile breaking on your face.

‘Just, sit here and wait!’ you excitedly said as you set her down and started moving around to get the spell started.

As you cast the spell you became more focused on the spell than on Sadie, which she did not mind. She adored the way you tried your hardest to be romantic for her, and she loved the concentration in your eyes. Sure, she might have asked for a romantic gesture in the past few weeks, but you didn’t have to do this, although she was not complaining, eyeing your form up and down as the magic did it’s work.

As soon as you were in the sky you shot her a grin full of pride, looking at her expectantly.

‘Impressive.’ she said as she gestured for you to sit next to her, ‘Carter helped?’ She laughed as you guiltily nodded. ‘Carter actually came with the idea,’ you rubbed your neck as Sadie sent you a teasing look. ‘Couldn't you think of something romantic enough yourself?’ You just shot her a smile as she sighed, ‘Next time you can just ask me.’ she said, Sadie didn’t need Carter to brag about knowing her well enough.

‘But I wanted it to be a surprise!’ you exclaimed and Sadie moved closer to you. ‘You always manage to surprise me, (Y/n).’ She whispered as she pecked your cheek.

You both settled down in the bubble you had created, leaning against one another. The world around you was shifting, buildings big and small. Sadie pointed out that the people looked like ants, and you pointed out that the clouds looked like mermaids earning a laugh from Sadie.

Nico di Angelo and William Andrew Solace were the reason why you loved and hated life so much right now. Every time you saw them you wanted to hold them, tell them to love you, please! But why would they ever love you? How stupid could you be not just loving one, but two guys? Leave out the fact that they are already dating each other. You were hopeless, oh so hopeless.

“Hey, (Y/n), we have a favour to ask you.” The golden boy occupying your thoughts interrupted the waves of text that were going through your head. “What’s it? Need me to cover your shift at the infirmary again?” “Well, no, but Nico and I wanted to do a movie night in the Hades cabin and-“ Wills eyes shifted seemingly to look anywhere but to you. His hands fumbled a bit and a blush rose to his face. “And we were wondering if you would like to join us?” You looked him in the eyes. A fuzziness invaded your upper chest, but you pushed it down. “Do you need me to chaperone your date night? I know Chiron forbade for 2 people to be alone in a cabin but sure you can find a way around it,” you shrugged, “And I wouldn’t want to be the reason why you two can’t be comfortable. I know Nico isn’t that used to me.” And third wheeling the two boys you liked for an entire night just did not seem good for your mental health.

“It’s not chaperoning us (Y/n), we want you there. So, please?” No, you were not going to do this. There is no way – You looked at Will and he had this begging look, there is no way you could resist is there? “Alright, where do we meet?”

You felt odd, like you were not supposed to be in this room. You weren’t – apparently Nico and Will had still not asked for Chiron’s permission, so you had to sneak into the Hades cabin. Nico was all settled in his pillow fort of a bed, Will standing right in front of you. How were you three ever going to fit there with all these pillows? Better yet, how did these boys obtain all these pillows? “Alright, (Y/n), just go sit next to Nico, I’ll be right with you. Just have to grab the snacks!” Will shooed you towards his boyfriend. Oh right, his boyfriend. Not yours. You slowly made your way to the bed and carefully sat down next to Nico, who was all propped up against the wall. Was it just you, or did Nico seem more tense then usual? It was probably you; you were the reason he was tense.

“Uh, sorry.” You mumbled as you accidently touched his hand. You retracted your hand and look away.

You did not notice how Nico had a small blush. Inner Nico was scolding himself for being so tense. He and Will had revised this plan, and now you’re here and he just- why did you have to accidently make him feel so loved? His hand was still warm from your touch and the way your shoulders brushed had his heart beating out of his chest. It was Will idea to put you in the middle of them, and gods bless and curse his boyfriend for this.  If only he could just relax and tell you to not be sorry and it’s fine, you are allowed to hold his hands if you want. Nico would love that.

“Snacks have arrived, now scooch over! I still need to fit on here.” The sunshine boy finally showed his face, holding a bag which presumably was filled with food. “Are you sure it will fit?” You asked, “I can just sit on the groun- OOF” Will, at that moment, had decided to sit down more on you than on the bed. Oh gods you were getting squished by your crushes – why? A cold hand grabbed your arm, and you were pulled up from underneath Will. “You alright?” Nico asked you, still holding on to your arm. You nodded as you felt your head empty itself from any thought. Instead of letting go, Nico’s hand found its way down to yours and his cold fingers intertwined with yours. You looked up from your hands to see a very small, shy smile adoring Nico’s face.

“Ah, sorry (Y/n)! Didn’t mean to squish you! Are you alright?” Will asked you as he scanned your body for any signs of injury. “I am fine doctor. Just don’t jump on my like that again!” You managed to bring out. Will’s face seemed to turn red, however it was getting harder to tell in this lightning. “Sorry!”

“Why would they enter the basement!” You screamed out. Will laughed loudly, “Mortals can be so stupid sometimes.” Somewhere between the start of the movie and now Will had manged to get a hold of your other hand, and in addition to that your whole arm. This left you in no position to move – not that you ever wanted to leave the embrace of these two boys. Nico had cuddled up to your side, his head on your shoulder. Every time you talked you could feel his hair move against your neck. Out of your sight Nico was smiling constantly, a contend look on his face.

Will however had taken the job up of feeding you candy every now and then, for with the two boys holding you tightly, there was no way for you to grab anything yourself. “Come on (Y/n), open up that beautiful mouth of yours.” Will said as he held a candy worm up to your lips. You opened your lips and he put the worm in. His hand lingered on your lips as he moved away. Although this may have been your own thoughts making up facts.

For Will this night was going great. Sure, it was no longer the vibe he wanted to confess in but he was holding you so close and feeding you? His fingers so close to your lips if only he could find that last bit of courage to put his hand on your cheek and kiss you. The frustration in your eyes whenever the people in the movie did something stupid, the way you felt free enough to share these frustrations with them. And then – oh.

The way his boyfriend looked so, so in love right now. Nico looked so comfortable cuddled up to you and it all seemed such a perfect fit. You, him, and his boyfriend. If only they could call you theirs. The bright laptop light seemed to get brighter every time you laughed.

“Hey, Will, why are you glowing?” the boy had fed you a worm and next thing you knew he was, how would you describe it, glow-in-the-dark? You felt Nico stifle a laugh and Will only seemed to get brighter. “Uh – I- Ah,” The yellow light started to turn red. “Oh my gods, Will I didn’t- “and you burst out laughing.

Your laughter was the best thing that happened to these two boys all night.

Will looked at you, sitting with your siblings at the Aphrodite table. The way you smiled as Piper told you a fun story made him sigh a bit. It was unfair how early in the morning you were already occupying his mind. His heart stammered as you glanced over to him and gave him a piece sign. He waved back, wishing to just kiss you there and then.

It was unfair, how one smile of you could make his day, and he felt so lucky to be able to call you his. Your eyes widened as Piper pointed out he had been staring at you for the whole of breakfast and you shot him another look, more questioning.

‘I love you’ Will mouthed your way and you looked to your side. Geez, this man really did stuff with your feelings.

‘Hey, William, are you going to eat any food?’ Kayla asked him as she nudged the boy out of his dreams.

‘Uh- I,’ Will looked at his sister in bewilderment, ‘yes. I just-‘

‘We know you love (Y/n) with all your heart and other intestines, but I am sure your little love would want you to take care of yourself.’ Austin interrupted him, sending Will a mocking grin. Will sighed, knowing it was a lost cause denying any of that.

‘You’re just jealous that I at least have love.’ Will huffed as he grabbed his breakfast and began eating, his face warm from the teasing. Austin just laughed at his brother’s remark,

‘Yeah, I sure am.’

 After breakfast Will wanted to go to your table, have a quick chat before he had to leave for his shift at the infirmary. However, when he looked at your table you were nowhere to be found. ‘Must have something to do then.’ He thought as he walked out of the pavilion, only to see you walking away with Alabaster. Son of Hecate. You seemed to be busy talking and Will didn’t want to interrupt the two of you. However, he really wanted just a quick hug. Or just to look you in the eye for a second? But your eyes were on Alabaster and he was needed in the infirmary. Guess he would have to wait.

The shift was hard. It was summer and therefore there were more campers, and more campers meant more injuries. Especially on the days where lava wall climbing was mandatory. Will already thanked the gods that capture the flag would be tomorrow and not today, because he did not want another shift after this. His eyes were tired, and his brain was low functioning, only having one goal; holding you in his arms, putting his face in the nook of your neck and letting him recharge for a bit before the campfire tonight. Yeah, that would be great.

Will walked around, trying to find you. He had already checked with your siblings, but they told him they hadn’t seen you after breakfast. He then checked the training grounds and did a general walk around camp. He really hoped you wouldn’t be with Alabaster anymore, for Will just wanted you for himself right now. Sure, you were allowed to talk and be with other people, but sometimes he just wanted some private time. He sighed as he moved to the Hecate cabin and he knocked on the door.

‘Anyone here?’ Will asked as he slowly pushed the door open. There was no answer, but he could hear hushed voices come from within the cabin. He carefully made his way into the cabin, and he saw you and some Hecate siblings sitting around in a circle. You laughed at something Alabaster had said.

‘You sure you need an Aphrodite child to make this work?’ you asked as Alabaster put a hand on your knee.

‘More than sure, (Y/n), we just need to put in some love here.’ He wriggled his eyebrows and Will felt disappointment and irritation set in his stomach. Why were you two so close? You seemed busy -not with making him feel better- and you didn’t even notice him. You smiled widely -that smile should be for Will, he thought, just wanting to hold you close- and you nodded.

‘Alright then, let’s get started.’ You spoke. Alabaster moved right in front of you, a bit too close for Will liking.

‘Okay, so what-’ Alabaster started, but got interrupted by Will clearing his throat. The blonde glared at Alabaster, having enough of this man being so close to you.

‘I hope I am not interrupting something?’ Will harshly said as he took a step forward. Alabaster's eyes widened, scared by the doctor’s glare. Luckily for the son of Hecate, Alabaster moved away from you, because Will was ready to hit him.

‘Oh, Will! You’re done with your shift?’ you asked, turning around. Seeing your beautiful face made his gaze soften and he nodded. You turned away from him, looking at the boy in front of you.

‘Let us do this spell some other day than? I promised you my time until Will was done after all.’ You nodded towards Will.

‘Uh, yeah that’s fine. I’ll see you later, (Y/n)’ Alabaster stammered out as he stood up, slightly shocked from Will’s intense stare. You smiled at the boy and stood up, grabbing Wills hand and walking away.

You maneuvered your boyfriend towards the edge of the woods, trying to find a good tree to sit by. ‘Jealous, Solace?’ you asked as Will silently stumbled after you. You couldn’t see him nod, but you knew Will well enough that after intense shifts he was just a bit more needy. You stopped by a tree and Will sat down, pulling you into his lap. It was perhaps a bit warm in summer to hold each other too close, but neither of you cared.

Will put his arms on your waist and you felt him nuzzle between your shoulder blades. You let out a laugh at the ticklish feeling his hair left on your neck. When he finally stopped, he put his face on your shoulder.

‘Missed me, huh?’ you inquired, and Will hummed. You smiled softly as you turned your head and pressed a kiss on his cheek. Will turned his head to press a kiss on your lips, bathing in your presences. When he pulled away, he smiled widely.

‘You missed.’ 

This was not what you had planned at all. You never wanted to meet  Perseus Jackson, you never wanted to see him up close so you could look in his rumored sea green eyes, you never wanted to see his stupid face in your mind. 

And yet, that idiot was there, all the time. It was stupid, you, a child of Aphrodite, to fear love, to fear him. And yet you had all the reason to be. This was not part of your plan. But perhaps, if you got him crazy enough, he would join you. 

Percy was facing the same problem; he did not want to admit that your face made his heart stammer. He did not want to admit that it wasn’t only your Aphrodite charms working on him but also your character, the way you carried yourself. He was never going to admit to the fact that he wanted you a lot closer to him than you were right now. 

No, that was all stupid, and weird, and not him. 

So, Percy being the boy he is figured the best way to get over the weakness in his knees, the sweating of his palms, was to challenge you. Sure, this was all just a weird fear of you, right? This would bring it all to an end as soon as he beat you. 

‘And what’s in it for me?’ You asked him, cocking your eyebrow, ‘I mean, surely you understand how this battle would be unfair right?’ Why was your gaze so intense to him?

‘I mean, we would not be fighting each other, just different monsters-’ you interrupted him,

‘Only one of us was dubbed the best swordsman of camp?’ you rested your hand on your palm, knowing full well the looks your fellow cabin mates were sending you. Percy’s eyes widened as he realized what you meant. 

‘Well, I could- uh’ he stammered, ‘I could have a handicap of some sorts?’ he suggested, feeling his composure falter under your gaze, and the glares your cabin mates had started sending him. ‘Or we do two challenges? This one is yours and I pick another one?’ you glanced at your siblings, seeing a few mischievous smiles form on their faces. Sure, you could trust them to come up with a good one. You had no idea as to why Percy was asking for this challenge. Well, you kinda had a suspicion, but you were praying to be wrong. Still, if you were right, you had to make sure he wouldn’t win.

Percy seemed to be thinking.  What would you challenge him to? It could not be much worse than fighting monsters, which he was sure he could win. His fingers twitched a bit, and he balled his fists to get a grip. He nodded and looked back at your -uh not beautiful at all- face. ‘I agree, what will you challenge me too?’ you looked at your cabin mates, smiling. ‘Any suggestions?’ you asked them, looking around. 

‘What about-’ Drew started, but you cut her off. ‘No. Anyone else?’ Drew glared at you and scoffed, sure it might’ve been unfair, but you didn’t want to do a fashion show of some sorts. ‘What about the nervous game? We could empty out the cabin for that?’ a voice piped up and you nodded. 

‘What’s the nervous game?’ Percy asked tentatively. It might not have been a suggestion by Drew, but he didn’t know it and he wasn’t about to go in blind. ‘You’ll find out, Jackson. You agree?’ You extended your hand, and your gaze once again made his insides turn to mush. It was time for Percy to get over his fear of you, it was time to face you in your evil game, whatever it would be. He nodded and shook your hand. 

The dumbass.

-

‘Okay, the rules are that whoever gives the vital blow to the monster wins! You’re allowed to use any and all resources from within the arena, however you are not allowed to attack each other, is that clear?’ Chiron announced. Of course, a fight between the son of Poseidon and anyone else would become a special occasion, you cursed under your breath. 

‘Beat him (Y/n)!’ you heard Clarisse scream from the tribunes. You were sure that she would gladly have taken your place. This was excessive, you thought, especially now you wouldn’t be able to use any dirty tricks to get Percy down. Gods, why did you ever think this was a good idea? 

But this needed to happen. Both you and Percy nodded and turned to look at each other. ‘May the worst swordsman win,’ you said as you extended your hand. Percy let out a laugh, ‘May the best swordsman win, indeed’ you shook hands and readied your weapons. 

‘Alright, release the chimera!’ Chiron’s voice boomed through the arena. The cheering got louder than ever. This was going to be fun. 

As soon as the chimera was released you felt the rush of adrenaline kick in. You charged forward, trying to slash at the chimera’s head. You missed and side stepped before the chimera could lash out at you. It bared its teeth and was solely focusing on you now. However, you now saw that Percy was trying to sneak around and attack it from the sides. Oh, Hades, he was not going to get out of this easy.

You ducked under the chimera’s goat head and ran straight to Percy, successfully getting the chimera to focus on him. However, you weren’t paying attention and stumbled and fell. ‘Fuck-’ suddenly the chimera was on top of you, its weight holding you down. You felt the cold metal of your necklace pressing against your skin, your stomach dropped with dread. This can’t end like this, you could do this, you had to fight back.

Percy’s eyes widened, realizing the danger you actually were in right now. You gasped feeling a claw slash your right arm. 

Percy let out a scream as he charged straight at the chimera, this successfully got the beast of you, and you gasped for air. This man would NOT be your rescue, after all the things you’ve gone through to be where you are, Percy Jackson, out of all the campers there, would not end up being your hero, you swore as you stood up. You did now see that the chimera was facing away from you, and Percy was backed against a wall. Grabbing your sword with your left hand you silently and swiftly made your way to the beast. His snake tail focused on you, but you quickly chopped it off and immediately stabbed the chimera in its back. The beast let out a loud howl as it turned to dust, and you sent a shit eating grin towards Percy. ‘Seems like the worst won, huh?’ 

Percy grimaced, now he had to win your game, whatever the rules were. 

-

‘Okay, so the rules are simple. You need to touch the other person’s body - PG-thirteen places, mind you- and ask if they’re nervous. If they say no, you may continue, if they say yes, you need to stop and it’s their turn.’ you stated. Percy had expected a lot, scares, heart opening stories, but not some stupid couples game. Alas, it was too late to back out or he would immediately lose to you, and he would never again.  

‘So how do you win?’ he asked, trying to mask his disgust, and nervousness. He knew that the ‘symptoms’ he had around you would make this a hard one. ‘Well, whoever lasts the longest, I guess.’ you half smiled at him. 

You both were seated on the floor of the Aphrodite cabin. Much like your siblings promised, they had given you an alibi and an empty cabin. People weren’t allowed to be with only two in a cabin, but if half the Aphrodite campers can’t be found outside, where else would they be? 

The perfume smell was suffocating Percy, and he wanted to say that the location was an unfair advantage for you, however he figured that this game was best done without an audience. The pink in the walls made him want to puke, or the nerves in his body. ‘So, who starts?’ 

‘I guess that since I’m the host today, I should show you how it’s done,’ You smirked.

Silently you eyed him up, Percy cursed in silence, you weren’t even touching him and he was already breaking. He took a deep breath, ready for whatever you were about to do.

Your hand made its way to his forearm, one finger slowly tracing the veins downwards until you reached his wrist, Percy’s heart was hammering, for a brief second he wondered if you’d be able to feel his pulse, even though your fingers were merely hovering above his skin. 

You couldn’t though, soon your hand was making its way back to his bicep and your fingers disappeared under the fabric of his short sleeve, he could feel the warmth of your digits pressing against his shoulder, and he had to stop himself from making an embarrassing sound, his eyes fixed on his own hands trembling with anticipation.

‘Are you nervous?’ You asked after what felt like the longest time.

He composed himself, throwing a small, but confident smile your way. ‘Nah. My turn.’

As Percy fingers slowly traced up your arm, his hand seemed to stop shaking. He carefully touched your shoulder, and his eyes met yours. ‘Are you nervous?’ you shook your head, your heart beat picking up. His hand moved to your neck, slowly hovering up. His fingers brushed your neck and you shivered a bit. Then his hand started moving downwards, going towards the necklace you were wearing. Your heart beating fast, and as Percy touched the leather of your necklace and his face inched closer to yours, you backed away. Too close, Percy was just too close.  

 ‘Nervous already?’ Percy looked at you. You shook your head. ‘No, no, it’s uh,’ you swallowed, gods why had you let your guard down? ‘I am not too happy with, uh, those parts? Of myself?’ you looked down at the floor. 

‘Huh?’ Percy looked at you in bewilderment, ‘You? Insecure?’ Your head shot up as you glared at him. ‘Yeah, make fun of it alright,’ you spat as you sat up. ‘No, that’s not-’ Percy stammered. ‘Sure it isn’t. An Aphrodite child can’t have problems huh? With how they look or how they feel?’ You felt a slight burning in your eyes, fuck- ‘Just because mom has it all worked out does not mean we do, Perseus. Just because you’re like your daddy, does not mean everyone else is.’ You blinked as you felt a warm tear slip down. You opened your eyes to see that Percy was silent and staring. Didn’t this guy have anything going on behind his beautiful eyes? 

You stood up, and made your way to the door. ‘You win this round Jackson, do what you want with it.’ you sighed as you walked out. You needed time, that’s all you needed. 

--

Ever since Percy ‘won’ the nervous game, he could not dismiss this icky feeling whenever he saw you. He started paying attention to the way you smiled and laughed, he started looking at your eyes. He noticed how often the emotions you portrayed were not the ones you were feeling. Your eyes didn’t lit up when your face did. Your lies didn’t add up to the times you actually were fine. 

He did not enjoy seeing you suffer. You might have been a fear of his, but not anymore. He now saw that you needed a friend, and that’s something he could be. Percy Jackson made it his job to not rest until you were genuinely happy. Well, he would sleep of course, but you get the point. 

‘Hi, Y/N!’ He welcomed you as soon as you walked past the arena.

You frowned a bit but returned the greeting. ‘Hi?’

‘Want to train with me?’

You looked around, wondering if you were the only camper available. You weren’t, lots of people were walking around with nothing to do, then you looked back at him. 

‘Why?’

‘After the moves you pulled during our challenge I think I might need to learn a thing or two from your book,’ He grinned. ‘C’mon, I hate training in silence! We could chat, get to know each other?’

You froze in your spot. Get to know what? What could he possibly want to know about you? There were lots of things you could tell him about yourself, but you doubted any of them would help you get a date with the son of Poseidon. 

‘Uh, maybe later, okay?’ You smiled tensely, you weren’t ready. ‘Promise.’

Percy’s smile faltered, but his stare remained soft. ‘Oh, yeah okay, no worries.’

And there you were, wondering if the way Percy now treated you was better or worse than before. Was this really what you wanted, or was it only what you thought you desired? You needed the answer, but you weren’t getting it.

Besides, this was just too dangerous to keep up. Sure, having him wrapped around your finger technically could make things a lot easier for you, if not better. But what if this was all a trap? What if he didn’t actually like you? What if he’s just trying to get close and comfy so then you’ll feel safe enough to let your guard down? You’ve gone through enough disappoints me in this lifetime, you can’t let him get in the way.

--

‘Everything okay in there?’ Silena nudged your arm playfully. 

‘I’m well enough,’ you shrugged, ‘You know, the general peachiness?’ you looked at your sister. She shot you a knowing smile. 

‘It’s about Percy, isn’t it?’ she asked softly and you let out a sigh. ‘Perhaps, Silena. Perhaps not.’ You sort of sneered. You really weren’t in the mood to talk about this. You looked at your fellow cabin mates who were readying themselves for the day. Silena studied your face and put a hand on your shoulder. 

‘I am sure it’ll go well, (Y/n),’ she squeezed your shoulder, ‘He won’t hurt you, you know that right? Harmless sea puppy. The way he’s acting... I can assure you he has feelings for you, things will go great.’ You looked down, took a breath and looked at Silena,

‘But what if he likes, I don’t know, Annabeth? They’re close and we barely talk at all. Besides, Annabeth has so much more than I do!’ you exclaimed, feeling despair crawl up your spine. 

‘Stop that,’ Silena said severely, ‘Look at you, (Y/n), don’t doubt yourself. We are the children of one of the most powerful goddesses, you got this.’ You nodded silently, leaning closer into Silena’s shoulder as a way of comfort. ‘Next time you see Percy just go ahead and ask him. If he says no, then that’s it. But if he says yes you can move further!’ you glanced in Silena’s eyes, a weird courage building up in your mind. 

‘I will, I promise.’ you said as you removed yourself from Silena’s grip. You would just need to confront Percy. 

‘Good. In the meantime, you keep yourself busy. Don’t get too caught up in your mind, okay? Don’t overthink, just do it.’ Silena’s frown deepened and your heart squeezed. 

‘I know.’

---

It was hard enough, sitting through breakfast while trying not to stare at the son of Poseidon. It was even harder to see Annabeth go to his table and just sit down. The audacity! That was against the rules, and you wanted any reason to get her away from Percy. But you saw how they conversed, hushed and secretive. And you saw the smile Percy got from whatever Annabeth said, and you realize your mistake. You should never have convinced yourself that this would work. 

A soon as breakfast was done you locked eyes with Percy. He seemed to want to talk, but you couldn’t, not now. You went back to your cabin.

Silena told you not to overthink, but it was hard not to. You couldn’t do it, you weren’t good enough for your own goals, and you certainly weren’t good enough for Percy. It felt as if the weight of the world was on your shoulders. Why were you so tense? What were you playing at?

It was too much, the weight on your shoulders had spreaded all the way to your chest and throat and now it felt as if you were suffocating. The weight became a burning sensation, the pain stopping you from breathing properly. Your blinked and your sight was blurred, your hands were clammy and tense like never before. What was happening? 

You slammed the door close and fell against the door, covering your mouth with one hand in an attempt to control your breathing. You heard yourself gasping for air, yet you felt nothing enter your body. Your own gasps were painful to your eyes and a loud buzzing invaded it. You needed to focus, anything. Your palm felt ice-cold against your lips, and you felt your breath fawn against it. You closed your eyes, realizing this had to be a type of curse sent from above, the gods could see right through you, they were judging you, your plans, your longings…

Someone knocked on the door but it was enough to startle you. You jumped back to your feet and stumbled further into the cabin, crashing your back against one bunk bed. Your sobs were stopping you from speaking, but the person at the other side of the door spoke first.

‘Y/N?’ 

‘Don’t come in,’ You replied, but it came out so broken even you couldn’t tell exactly what you were saying, or if you even spoke out loud. The buzzing noise was still there, and you were sure you were being burned. 

The doorknob twisted and soon enough Percy’s sea green eyes were staring back at yours.

‘Holy shit– are you okay?’ He stepped further into the cabin, thinking that maybe you were hurt.

‘Don’t!’ You demanded again, looking down and doing your best to hide your face.

‘Gods, Y/N, what happened?’ He remained a few feet apart from where you were standing, not quite sure of what was going on.

‘What are you doing here?’ You asked in distress. 

‘I came to… I just wanted to ask if you wanted to train now but i heard someone crying and i thought you… Please, Y/N just tell me what’s wrong.’

You just shook your head. What was wrong? What wasn’t wrong? Everything was wrong! The war, friends leaving camp in the dead of night without anyone knowing, and you. You, and your stupid heart. And Percy, with his annoying loyalty and his godly looks. What was wrong? Life was wrong. This was wrong, you couldn’t have him, you were not good for him and what he was destined to be.

But maybe, just maybe, you didn’t have to be so strong all the time. Maybe showing a bit of vulnerability was exactly what you needed. And perhaps, you could even pretend everything was right just for a moment.

Messy as you were, broken and anxious beyond your own capacity. You gave in. You sobbed harder, letting the stress pour and drown you. It didn’t take long before Percy decided to close the distance, not before making sure you were alright with it. As soon as he felt you initiating contact, he wrapped his arms around you.

‘I’m sorry,’ You mumbled against him, ‘I’m sorry I can’t be good.’

‘What?’ You heard him, you could almost sense his frown.

‘I’m not worth it, Percy. What do you want from me? I’m so, so tired…’

‘Not worth it?’ He softly whispered in disbelief. ‘Y/N, what are you saying?’ he gently tightened his hold on you, hoping to ground you and let you know you were safe.

‘Oh please,’ You sniffed. ‘Look at me. Look at… at Annabeth. She’s got everything. Skills, looks, brain… and you. Or course she’s got you.’ He felt your body stiffening, as if you were trying to lessen the contact between the two of you.

‘I mean, I got her back, yeah… she’s my best friend,’ Percy started. ‘But that’s… I mean, you shouldn’t try to compare yourself to Annabeth. It’s like trying to compare a pegasus with a seahorse.’

You couldn’t help the little trembling laughter that came out then. ‘What?’ your eyes seemed to finally find focus again, as you looked at the son of Poseidon. You saw how his face flushed. 

‘I just- uh,’ Percy stammered, ‘What I mean is that you’re amazing, and great. Just in different ways,’ he let out a small laugh, ‘Like, sure Annabeth is great, but in different ways. You’re both great people, but you are also both different.’ Percy looked up, and he smiled to himself. 

‘And between the two of us? I think I like you better.’ he said as he shifted his hold on you, looking into your eyes. His heart was beating out of his chest, but he knew he shouldn’t tell you right now. What you needed was support, not a love life. 

You send him a small smile as you close your eyes. You let your head rest against his shoulder and sighed. ‘I’m sorry you had to see this, Percy,’ you apologized, only for Percy to shake his head. ‘Don’t do that, I am happy I could help you, you shouldn’t go through stuff like this alone.’ You hummed in reply. 

‘How about we go off the floor now, and find somewhere more comfortable.?’ He suggested and you nodded. To your surprise, he just lifted you up, and sat you down on your bed. As you both got comfortable you felt a droopiness take over your eyes. 

‘Thank you, Perce.’ You softly said as you let sleep take over. 

Percy smiled softly at your sleepy form. He really wished he could have told you how much you really mattered to him, he wished he could’ve whispered sweet nothings into your ears. His heart stammered and he pulled you close. If you loved him back, he would sure be the luckiest man alive. 

As you shifted, something hung out of your shirt. He noticed and grabbed the leather string to put it back. Carefully, he pulled the necklace softly and soon enough he was staring down at the little charm hanging from it. He froze.

Percy stared at the scythe attached to your necklace in horror. 

----

You woke up, feeling warmth surround you. Someone was holding your waist and the smell of the beach woke you up completely, you slowly opened your eyes.  The events of the day before flushed into your mind and you realized - oh Gods, Percy was holding you. Your heart picked up its beat as you bathed in his presence, smiling and knowing what he thought of you. As you shifted closer to the boy, he spoke up. 

‘Hey, (Y/n),’ his voice sounded cold, and you moved away to look at his face. There were bags under his eyes, and he seemed pale. ‘Gods, Percy, you look sick!’ you exclaimed, moving your hand to his face to check for temperature. He caught your wrist before you could touch him. 

‘I’m fine, I just had to,’ he paused, ‘think.’ you shot him a confused look and gestured him to continue. In reply he just shook his head. He got out of the bed you two shared and you sat up. ‘Did everyone leave for breakfast already?’ you asked the boy in front of you. 

He didn’t reply, as Percy felt his stomach get heavier with every passing second. The scythe doesn’t have to mean you are the spy. You don’t have to be the traitor. You could just be his, his love and nothing more, right? He looked into your eyes, and swore he saw actual care in them, actual feelings. You, the wonderful amazing (Y/n), would never betray your friends? Why would you? 

‘Perce?’ you slowly stood up, ‘Are you alright?’ Percy’s eyes looked at you, but you felt like he was looking through you. ‘Percy?’ your started to feel anxious, heartbeat going faster. Something was wrong, but what? Had you overestimated Percy’s feelings? ‘Do you,’ you carefully picked your words, ‘did you not want to be with me?’ you softly asked. 

Percy wanted to be with you, and he wanted you. But could he trust you?

‘Your necklace.’ a painful look crossed his face at the sound of his own voice, ‘where did you get it?’ 

You gulped, your throat closed and a buzzing invaded your ears. When did he-? Shit. Of course he’d seen it, you spent the whole night together. And you’d fallen asleep first.

‘It’s- I- I got it from a friend,’ you brought out as you reached for your necklace. It was still there, thankfully. 

‘A friend?’ Percy’s cold voice chilled your bones, ‘Who?’ 

Who did give you the necklace? It wasn’t Silena, and you knew Percy would read you like a book. Saying any name now would make him look into them- would arouse suspicion. 

‘Why do you want to know, Percy?’ you shot back, stepping back and feeling your bed against the back of your knees. You were cornered by your love and your loyalty. Your heart stammered and you were sure he could hear it. 

‘Was it Luke?’ you could see a storm in his eyes, as the water was dripping from them. The sea was overflowing and this was your fault. You should’ve known he would find out - you should’ve known that you would fall for him and fail.  

But he couldn’t know, and honestly, he did not want to know. The way your face changed when he asked about the necklace told him everything, the way you dodge the question and the way your beautiful eyes were now looking at him like he was a chimera you needed to beat. 

‘Please, (Y/n),’ Percy’s facade cracked and he felt angry, ‘Just tell me.’ it sounded rough, it sounded painful. The hurt on his face was killing you, and you wanted to cry. You wanted to yell, resign from the army and live a happy life. Forget you ever made mistakes. But you could never go back, not now. 

‘I won’t lie to you,’ you coldy said, ‘I don’t want to hurt you, Percy.’ You took a deep breath, the air only weighing you down.

‘Then don’t,’ Percy moved forward, ‘You can join camp, stop serving Kronos,’ He reached for your hands and you tried to step back, but instead you sat down on the bed. 

You realized that Percy would never betray the camp. He wouldn’t do it for love, he wouldn’t do it for you, he would never do it. You had realized it countless times between jokes and laughs, when he trained the newer campers or went on quests. His loyalty ran deeper than any possible feelings he could have. He wore his heart on his sleeve, but his duty was deeply rooted inside him. And yet you wanted him, you wish you could have willed him to leave camp, and he would never. 

‘You’re such a fucking dog, Jackson.’ you said and you stood up pushing him out of the way, ‘Oh so loyal to this stupid camp.’ you grabbed the emergency bag you kept next to your desk. You needed to get out of camp before Percy turned on you. ‘A dog of the gods. You think they’ll love you for it– Wake up,’ You turned and glared at the only person you ever loved, ‘Why won’t you see that they’ll never care for you?’ 

You once again pushed Percy aside, this time to reach your sword. Percy grabbed your wrist, trying to stop you. You couldn’t leave him, nor camp. He did not want to lose you, he wanted to hold you, to remove this cold exterior you put up. He knew this wasn’t you, this was merely a mask, one crafted carefully around your true beautiful face, he couldn’t blame you, people do things in order to survive, and you, like all the others, were doing nothing but your best. But you needed to know, surely you had to know by now… you didn’t have to face things alone anymore. 

‘You don’t have to go, (Y/n).’ Percy pleaded, ‘I know it’s hard, and the gods aren’t always there, but you can stay,’ his voice quivered, ‘you can stay with me. I won’t tell anyone and we can work this out. Together. I won’t let them take you.’ 

You wished, but you had sworn yourself to the cause. Perhaps it was you who had become Kronos’ dog, but you didn’t care. You needed out, you needed air, you needed time... you needed Percy, but you could not get any. You ripped yourself from his hold and grabbed your weapon. You moved to the doorway.  

‘C’mon! Please, (Y/n),’ You could hear the heartbreak in his voice. ‘I… I love you, don’t do this! I know we can work it out!’

You stiffened in your pace, guards down, face lowered. You loved him too, with all your heart. Percy was all you wanted. 

‘...If only the feelings were mutual, Jackson.’ 

And you were gone. 

Percy cried as much as he had to, but he did it alone. He told you he wouldn’t tell anyone, he didn’t want you to be in danger. That didn’t stop the sick feeling in his stomach. He wanted to hurl, to scream. This was his fault, of the gods, of the world... He needed you, and he was going to try everything in his power to get you back. You were lying to his face, he just knew it. This wasn’t you, you wouldn’t use him like this. You were surely just scared of what Kronos could do. But he would take care of that.

He might have lost you in this battle, but he will return with you from the war.

-----

Requests: Hi I’m not sure if you’re writing imagines still, but can you do a percy x reader for the nervous game? I really loved the one with Leo :)///Hi! Can I request Percy Jackson reacting to reader falling asleep in his arms? Can be fic or headcanons. Gender neutral. Fluff. Thank you!///i saw that request were open and i was wondering if you can do an imagine with a really confident girl and she's just really sure of herself and she's the daughter of aphrodite but Percy and her both have crushes on each other but both are too stubborn to admit it to each other ?? sorry it's so long and confusing !!///Hi i loooooove your blog!! Can i have a Percy x reader where the reader is a shy quiet bookworm, and then she has like a panic attack because of a car crash that happened a long time ago and hes like “its okay” and it ends in fluff? Please and thank you! ( you dont have to do it tho)(i would like it if you did tho)///Can you do one where the reader (is female) is really insecure about her looks and her smarts and fighting skills. She’s been best friends with Annabeth for like ever making her feel so small. But Percy tells her that she is perfect! Lots of fluff ///can I request a Percy × Reader story. Also, warning, I suck at plots. So, (Y/N), is, of course, damsel in distress, Percy comes to save her, bUt ThEn, PERCY gets in trouble and (Y/N) ends up saving both of them! ///Can you do an imagine were the reader is really insecure about like her body and Percy tells her that she is beautiful?///I was wondering if you could do a Percy Jackson x reader where the reader is the spy, thanks! 😊😊

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but it happened. You were on your way to Bunker 9 when a monster attacked you. You came out alive, but not unscratched. You were distraught to say the least. A buzzing sound had invaded your ears and you were sure that it didn’t come from whatever attack you. You had hit it hard, it must have turned to dust or fled. You were not sure, though. Your vision was dark, black. You could not open your eyes? The monster had spit something in your face and it burned. 

Suddenly you felt yourself get hoisted up. Panic took over as you pulled yourself away, falling backwards into a tree.

‘(Y/n), it’s me, it’s Leo,’ the faraway voice of Leo called, ‘Gods, you’re hurt let me help.’ You didn’t move this time as he helped you up, ‘Here, put your weight on my shoulder, I just- What were you doing out here?’ He exclaimed. 

You wanted to answer him, tell him you were looking for him but with every movement pain flashed across your face.

‘I was going to you,’ you took a deep breath, ‘Ah! It- hurts,’ you choked out as you lifted your hand to your face. Your wrist was quickly caught by Leo.

‘No, no, no, amor, don’t do that right now. Whatever is on your face should not be touched more. C’mon we need to get you to the infirmary.’ You followed his lead, putting some more weight on his shoulder. 

‘Leo?’ Will asked, trying to bring the poor boy to his senses. 

‘How is (Y/n)?’ Leo inquired as soon as Will got out of the infirmary.

‘I am not sure. Whatever hit them it burned their  eyes. We need to see if they’ll be able to see again, however (Y/n) will live.’ The blonde said carefully.

‘They might go blind?’ a beep invaded Leo’s ears.

‘We’re not sure.’ Will answered looking at the latino with sympathy, although he realized that this would not help much. 

It was his fault. 

His.

Fault.

If it was not for him, you wouldn’t have been in the forest. If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t be in the battle. If it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t have been hurt.

‘Can it be fixed?’ he whispered.

‘I’m sorry? What was that?’ the beeping in Leo’s ears got louder with the second. He was going deaf while you might go blind. He should have picked you up, taken the hit. He should have been there. 

Would you though? Will you even forgive him for letting you go into the woods alone? Should you even forgive him? 

‘Can it be fixed? Their vision.’ Leo looked at Will and saw the doctor's eyes widen.

‘(Y/n) might not go blind, you know. But if it happens, we won’t be able to fix it here. You will need actual surgery or some magic.’ Will explained, slowly moving towards the boy, ‘But most of all, if anything happens, (Y/n) will need you, alright.’ Will put his hand on Leo’s shoulder and squeezed it. 

No. He does not deserve that. You were better off before him, not looking for him, not in the forest on your way to bunker 9, his bunker. 

As he moved the curtains, the first thing he saw were bandages. Most of your head was bandaged, which shouldn’t be surprising yet it shock filled Leo’s body. He gasped as he saw redness seep through the bandages. When did it become so hard to breath? 

‘Hey, man, how about you go see if (Y/n) is awake?’ Leo was vaguely aware of the fact that he nodded and Will left. The latino walked into the infirmary and looked for your bed.

‘You’re here for (Y/n), right?’ Austin asked him, and his face must’ve told him that he was because Austin pointed towards a bed surrounded by white curtains, ‘For some privacy.’ Austin explained, but it fell to deaf ears as Leo moved to your bed.

‘Leo? Is that you?’ your voice softly rang out. Leo shook his head, closing his eyes. This was his fault, everything was his fault. His mom- and now you and- 

He did not take care of you, as he always wanted to. He was cursed only to bring pain to his loved ones. 

Leo turned around and ran away. He couldn’t be here, not now. He did not want to lose you, he did not want you to be hurt, he did not-

He gasped for breath as he entered bunker 9,  closing the door behind him he fell on his knees. 

---

‘Hey, Lee, how’s your project going?’ You walked into Bunker 9 looking for the latino boy. Perhaps he was not here after all? Though Nyssa seemed pretty sure he would be here. ‘Everything is coming along nicely,’ The answer echoed from behind a set of iron bars. Walking towards the sound you saw the mess it was. How could he find anything in this mess? 

‘Good to hear,’ you turned the corner ‘You know you should really-’ ‘Look out!’ You hit your head on the ground, while all the air got knocked out of your lungs. ‘Oof,’ You smelled something burning. 

‘Shit, are you alright?’ you felt Leos hands help you up and you looked him in his eyes. ‘No, why would I be?’ 

Leo was quick to look you over, checking for any bruising. You let out a laugh, finding the panicked look in his eyes just wonderful. ‘Don’t worry Valdez, I am fine. I can take more than a hit from your creations.’ ‘Don’t scare me like that, (Y/n).’ he scolded you. 

‘Well, if anything you scared me.’ you stuck out your tongue, ‘Anyways, as I was saying, You should really take a break.’ Leo turned around to look at what he was working on. ‘I mean, probably.’ He turned back to you, shooting you an impish grin ‘But aren’t I supposed to be taking care of you instead? Be the loving boyfriend for once?’ You feigned a thoughtful look, tapping your finger on your chin. ‘Well, you could try, but you can’t take care of me without taking care of yourself, ya know.’ 

Leo let out a laugh. ‘Perhaps if at some point you're in worse shape than me, I will get my chance.’ ‘We’ll see about that, McShizzle.’ 

---

You weren’t fully blind, you could only see the world in orange and black contrasts. It could very well have been worse, however this did still leave you a lot to get accustomed to. Leo promised to be there every step of the way.

‘Hey, (Y/n), let me just get the shirt right.’ Leo stopped your arms from moving any further, before he pulled the shirt all the way down. ‘There we go, have you brushed your teeth yet?’ 

‘I want to help you!’ Leo exclaimed as he softly grabbed your hands, his warm fingers feeling soothing against your skin. 

You let out a sigh, feeling heavy in your stomach.

‘I didn’t but you don’t have to help me Leo.’ you said as you sat still on your bed. 

‘Well, I have to learn to do this eventually on my own, Valdez,’ you shrugged, ‘and you shouldn’t be doing this because you are feeling guilty. It was not your fault.’ This is a conversation that happens often now. You knew he felt guilty for letting you down, and he knew you wouldn't want him to.  

‘I don’t want to, mi vida,’ Leo’s hands moved up your arms as he slowly moved to hold your face, ‘(Y/n), listen to me. I know this is hard, but I want to be here, okay?’ Leo’s voice cracked slightly, and he took a deep breath, ‘I need you to understand that what happened was hard, but it is harder on you than on me. I need you to know that I am doing this because I love you, I want to, and I want to love you. So please, just let me help you.’ His warm hands cupped your face, and you felt them slowly move as you nodded. 

‘I am not doing this out of guilt.’ You could just imagine Leo’s shoulder slump, ‘I am doing this out of love.’

‘But you were doing it out of guilt, and you are doing it out of guilt and-’ you felt a stone settle in your throat, ‘and I am not worth your love anymore. You can do better than this, you can move on.’ you took a deep breath, trying to press down the tears you knew where coming. 

‘Alright, let’s get you ready.’ he softly said, as he pressed a kiss on your forehead. You smiled lightly, somehow feeling blessed that through all this you had Leo at your side. Somehow, knowing he would help you until you could actually fetch for yourself, and then he would only strengthen you. Life would never be the same, but luckily for you love is blind.

‘Well, this is my first time to be asked on a double date by a sword.’ you laughed, as Magnus’ face flushed. ‘Gods, I am sorry, ‘it’s just, Jack would not keep his mouth shut.’ ‘Does he even have a mouth?’ you rested your chin on your hand, ‘I mean he is a sword after all.’ Magnus let out a sigh, but forgot to hide the small smile forming on his lips. 

Meanwhile, Jack was going off, uh, flirting with your sword. ‘Is it just you, or is it hot in here?’ You sided eyed the couple, wondering if he knew that your weapon, in fact, could not talk. 

‘So, if this is a double date, we should get to know each other, right?’ you asked, ignoring the quick stammering in your chest. Sure, you have known Magnus for a bit before now. Both of you met on the streets, Magnus disappeared without a trace, there was a funeral. You met his cousin at the funeral, Annabeth. 

And then he had the audacity to come back, right as you were cornered on the streets by wolves. You didn’t know how the wolves got in Boston, but what you did know is that you were glad to have gotten an heirloom that, apparently, turned into a sword. 

Although, you were sure that if Magnus had not saved you with Jack’s help, you might not have been here. 

‘Yeah, uh, sure,’ Magnus stammered, apparently slightly uncomfortable under your sharp gaze, ‘What-’ 

‘How did you survive?’ you shot him. Magnus’ eyes widened. This man should really work on his poker face. ‘You died, you had a burial. I saw your body Magnus.’ You sat up right and straightened your shoulders, ‘and now you just come back, with a talking sword, mind you. What is going on?’ You send Magnus your sharpest glare. 

You didn’t notice the conversation of Jack and your sword fall silent. The whole of Fadlan’s Falafels was muted for you, because the only thing that mattered was finding out how he survived. Magnus opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Abdel putting food down in front of us. 

‘Now, now (Y/n),’ Abdel let out a hearty laugh, ‘I don’t know what you asked this poor boy but you could be less hard on him.’ he winked at you as you laughed at him. ‘Well, eat up and be on your way.’ Abdel said as he walked away to help more customers. 

As you turned back to your interrogation subject, he had already buried his face in the falafel. You decided to, for a moment, drop the conversation and take a bite. As you swallowed it, you figured you had given Magnus enough of a break.

‘So, why did Abdel not care for the flying, talking sword, and how did you survive?’ you inquired again, as you took another bite. Magnus tensed, but he quickly figured that if you were hunted by wolves, saw Jack and had your own weapon, you would not be safe for long, left in the dark. 

‘Okay, I will tell you, but you’ve got to promise not to freak out.’ he said, already having finished his falafel. This man just inhales it or something. You nodded, continuing to eat. 

‘The real basics are, I died. And I went to Valhalla, where I became an einherjar.’ he looked at your face, which only seemed confused. ‘A what?’ you asked, having finished your meal. ‘Warrior of Valhalla, we’ll fight in Ragnarok.’ Magnus explained and you both stood up to leave the place. As you walked into the Boston winter cold you let out a breath.

‘And the wolves? The talking weapons?’ you asked, not bothering to look at your -undead- friend. ‘The wolves were after you?’ Magnus’ reply sounded more like a question, ‘I think at least. The magic weapons are a, uh thing indeed. Got mine through a quest. How did you get that sword?’ You could feel his gaze on you as you tightened the grip on the hilt. ‘Family heirloom. It was a ring, but now here we are.’ you shrugged, ‘So, the thing with Abdel? A prophecy?’ you finally turned your gaze to the blond. 

‘Some kind of magical mist, uh, normal people can’t see the stuff we do. The prophecy is a long story.’ Magnus explained. ‘But I can see what you’re doing?’ ‘You’re not normal? I, I don’t know what it is. Perhaps you are a demigod of some sorts?’ You squint your eyes, looking forward into the masses. ‘Hey aren’t that Hearth and-’ 

‘Oh, they’re probably looking for me. Good to see you (Y/n), stay safe!’ and Magnus ran off. He did not explain anything, but at least he was alive. Or undead, or something.