Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"You know I love you right?"

Percy rolled the tips of his fingers across the table that sat between them. He was full of nervous energy. Sitting across from him Annabeth was oblivious to his plight. Her eyes moved quickly across the pages of her book. Distracted from it by the sound of his voice, Annabeth looked up to Percy. She took a moment to parse his question, and then laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

This was going to be an incredibly difficult conversation for Percy to have, and like most difficult conversations it was proving even more difficult to start. Her gray eyes shone in amusement. Then she noticed Percy's nerves and raised her eyebrow in silent question. Percy didn't respond, waiting for her to answer his first question instead. After a few quiet seconds, Annabeth realized this and answered.

"Yes?" She offered, the answer almost its own question. Her tone was confused and amused in turns. Percy nodded. It was a stupid question to ask. Of course Annabeth knew that he loved her. They'd been sharing 'I love you's for months. Still, it could be helpful to remind her of that considering what he wanted to discuss.

"I love you." He repeated, starting again, his stomach twisting from nerves. Annabeth set her book down to watch him curiously. "And you know I do. And I would do anything for you. I- I never want to hurt you."

His leg was shaking, bouncing up and down beneath the table. Annabeth's amusement was slowly fading only to be replaced with concern.

"Percy." She said quietly, stopping him in his tracks. He looked at her, almost afraid. Had she somehow guessed what he wanted to say? Had he screwed this up already?

"Is something wrong?" She asked. He let out a breath. She didn't know. Of course she didn't. She was only worried about him, or because of him, because he was acting strange.

"I'm fine." He assured her, taking a deep breath afterwards and releasing it. He was careful not to say the words too quickly. He wanted Annabeth to know he meant it. He was fine, or he would be if he could just get this off his chest.

She stretched her arm out across the table for him, her hand open and asking for his own. He reached out and their palms met, fingers intertwining. She gave his hand a small squeeze, encouraging him to continue and he gave her a weak smile. He was glad for the comfort, though it made it harder to meet her gaze.

"I was just thinking. I mean. You're perfect. And beautiful." He was quiet for another moment, steeling his nerves before pushing forward.

"Do you think it's possible to love two different people?"

Annabeth was surprised by the question. She still didn’t know where Percy was going with this. Some people might be offended by the implications of such a question, but Annabeth noted (with some surprise even) that she wasn't. She didn't think Percy was breaking up with her or cheating. The very notion struck her as ridiculous. Instead she treated his question like the hypothetical she suspected it was.

"I think so." She responded, thinking it over. "There's different kinds of love in the world. Love for family, love for a friend."

She considered that further, sitting up in her chair as her mind worked over the possibilities.

"Platonic love isn't limited to one specific person, so it makes sense that romantic love could be similar."

She wondered if there had been studies on this topic. Reading others' points of view could help her in formulating her own response.

“In ancient Greece there were different terms for different kinds of love. Their concept of romantic love was a little different from ours, but- I’m not sure if they thought one could feel eros for multiple people simultaneously, but philia, agape, and storge weren’t monogamous, so why should we assume differently for eros?”

Percy looked at her then with such open affection that she stopped talking, suddenly self-conscious, and maybe just a little pleased.

“What?” She asked, sounding defensive despite her smile. The affection in his eyes only grew at her question and she huffed in embarrassment before looking away.

When she looked back to Percy he seemed more serious. His nervous energy from before was gone. That was what sent that first spike of fear running through her heart.

“Percy… Is there someone else?” She asked.

Her voice quivered and she hated that. Percy’s brow creased in concern. He thought he'd hurt her. If he cared about hurting her, then he still cared about her. That knowledge helped calm her, though just a bit. He had started this conversation by reassuring her that he loved her after all.

“No.” He said firmly, holding her gaze with his own, answering her question. “It’s always been you, Annabeth. Always.”

She believed him. She felt relief coursing through her. She truly didn’t know what she would do without him, who she would even be.

She could tell he felt badly for upsetting her. She could already feel him pulling away, preparing to abandon their conversation, but now she wanted to know. She needed to see whatever it was that he had begun to. She had to understand.

“Percy, please tell me.”

He looked away and she knew that whatever he said next would be the truth.

“I was just thinking,” He started, running a nervous hand through his hair. “About our friends.”

He trailed off, not sure how to continue, but forced himself to keep speaking regardless.

“When we were fighting Kronos.” He said, and Annabeth took a deep breath, preparing mentally to revisit those old memories.

“People died. And I missed them. And I still do. But when I think about some of the people I'm friends with now… It’s different.”

He looked to Annabeth then, eyes searching for something, an answer she didn't have. This wasn’t even close to where she had expected their conversation to go.

“I love them.” Percy said, voice certain. He looked like he was in pain just saying it. He’d never felt comfortable discussing his feelings. Annabeth knew that, she usually felt the same. She knew Percy felt extremely uncomfortable saying this kind of thing out loud, but they both knew it needed to be said.

“But… If that’s a friendship kind of love then what did I feel for Beckendorf and the others? Was that not friendship?” He continued. He was frustrated and confused. He’d been thinking about this for a week now, trying to put his feelings into words and make sense of them and still hadn’t succeeded.

Annabeth felt like there was still something else he was trying to tell her, but she couldn’t quite grasp it. She crossed her arms in front of her, studying Percy deeply. As she looked at him he felt seen, and that made him nervous. He knew he didn't need to be. He knew Annabeth wouldn't reject him. Still, it was hard not to squirm when her gray eyes turned on him with that intensity. They took in every part of himself, every strength and every weakness, but he trusted Annabeth. Percy let her see him, and after a moment she spoke.

“You think you didn't feel strongly enough for the campers who died.” She finally said, more a statement than a question. “You wonder now if the feelings you had for them before weren't really feelings of friendship, or if they weren’t as strong as they should have been."

Immediately she realized exactly what Percy wasn't saying. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Or you wonder if the way you feel about a friend now is too much. If it's something more than friendship.”

His shoulders slumped as she perfectly described his confusion. Now that she knew, he felt nervous. He didn’t know what she would think or what her reaction would be. At the same time, he felt relieved. She knew what he had been feeling. She understood. It was a strange combination of feelings. Honestly it was making him feel a little sick. He folded his arms in front of him, placed them on the table, and then rested his head on top of them looking glum.

“Yeah, I guess that’s the long and short of it.” He said.

Annabeth didn't know how to feel about this. She thought she should be jealous. Instead all she felt was fear. She was afraid of what this meant. She was afraid of losing Percy. If he was more than friends with someone who wasn't her, then how could the two of them stay together?

As though hearing her thoughts Percy reached out for her, stretching his hand across the table just as she had done before.

"Beth, please." He said quietly, desperation clear in his voice. "It's not the same as with you. I need you. I don't-"

He cut himself off, looking away as he tried to work past the knot in his throat.

"I'm confused, and I'm worried. I don't want to hurt anyone. You're the only person who can help me figure this out. Please."

She was having a little trouble forming words, but she nodded, hesitant at first, and then again eagerly.

"Yes." She said, the word burst forth as though taking her by surprise. She wiped unshed tears away and sniffled. "I- I want to help, I just. It's a hard thing to make sense of."

He let out a short watery sounding laugh. "That's what I've been saying."

She laughed too, just as shakily, her mind still trying to fit all of the pieces together.

"Just one of our friends?" She asked.

He hesitated, before raising his hand and waggling it a little. She understood his meaning. Mostly centered on one person, but not necessarily only one.

"Do you… Want to kiss them?" She asked.

He wrinkled his nose at the question, trying to figure out how to answer.

"It's not like I think they're hot or anything… But… Well, sometimes it feels like it might help."

That response confused her.

"Might help?"

He rolled his head to the side, sighing in annoyance as he tried to think of a way to explain it.

"It's like. Sometimes this person feels like they aren't worth much. And I want to tell them that's bull manure. But they won't believe me. And I feel like if we could kiss or something they'd understand. But uh, it's not like I'm getting all hot and bothered thinking about them."

Annabeth blinked in surprise. He was blushing a bit when he finished, but he wasn't trying to hide from the truth of it. She had a pretty good idea of who Percy was talking about now that he'd said that. She was also sure that she'd never once experienced the feeling he'd just described to her.

She knew Percy cared a lot about people, that he had a strong desire to protect. Maybe whatever he was feeling now was some further reaction to that, something inspired by the care he gave to anyone who showed him even the slightest bit of kindness. She knew then that this wasn't about seeking pleasure for Percy. It was about communicating something the only way he knew how, through action.

She looked to her boyfriend, seeing how stiffly he sat, as though awaiting her judgment.

"I'm sorry Percy." She said after a moment and his shoulders sank, "I don't know if that feeling is romantic or not."

He sank further into his seat figuring that answer might as well confirm that it was. Afterall, if there was even a possibility that what he was feeling could be romantic then he had to stop it. He didn't want to, but he didn't want to betray Annabeth's trust in him even more. If the only way for him to do that was to distance himself from this person, then that was what he was going to do.

But then what if it happened again? He felt this way most strongly about one person right now, but he'd had similar feelings for others in the past. What if his feelings for a different person grew into something like this too? Would he have to cut off contact with them as well? He didn’t want to do that. He didn't understand why he felt this way. It felt like he was doing something wrong, like he was wrong.

"Percy." Annabeth called loudly. Percy looked up to her, only realizing then that she'd been calling his name for a few seconds now.

"-It's okay." She assured him, speaking firmly. Her expression was soft and understanding. "Whatever you're feeling right now? It's okay. We can figure it out together."

“How?” Percy asked, looking at her. She met his gaze steadily.

“Maybe I can be nearby while you two hang out together?”

She felt guilty suggesting that. It felt like she was imposing some restriction on him. She didn’t want to be the jealous girlfriend. but she knew that if she didn't ask to do this now her worries would get the better of her. She had never been good at dealing with jealousy, but she wanted to be better. She thought that seeing this, seeing the way Percy acted with this person might help.

“That actually,” Percy started, speaking slowly as he thought it over. “That might help.”

In fact, just knowing she would be there made him feel so much better. He wanted Annabeth to be a part of everything he did. She was a part of him. This way she could see what he had failed to describe to her. She could tell him if what he thought was feeling was something he actually needed to feel concerned about.

She was glad he wasn't upset by her request. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“Okay.” He started, taking a deep breath before leaning forward. “So we’ll just… Hang out with him, like normal and I won’t do anything weird and then you can tell me what you think and we can figure it out.”

He looked to her for confirmation, only then realizing that he’d never actually told her who he was referring to at all.

“I think that’s a good idea.” She responded, “As long as Jason doesn’t mind me being there.”

As she said Jason’s name, Percy blushed. He pulled back from the table, patting down the hair on the back of his head as he looked away from her, embarrassed. She laughed, knowing this meant she had guessed right.

"Yeah." He said, wondering how the heck she had known who he was talking about.

“He is pretty handsome.” She said, teasing.

“Shut up.” He replied, looking annoyed for half a second before giving her a smile. He'd been dreading this conversation, but maybe it had turned out alright. Maybe they could figure this out.

"Love you, Seaweed Brain." She said quietly, and he answered in kind.

Chapter Text

Jason was having a weird day. Actually, Jason was having a weird week. He'd been at Camp Half-Blood for a while now and had easily fallen into a new routine. As another member of the Solo Cabin Club, Jason had ended up scheduling most of his activities to coincide with either Nico's or Percy's. Sometimes Percy shared his time block with the Athena cabin instead, but usually he was free. Meanwhile Nico scheduled almost all of his time with the Apollo kids. In the end, this meant Jason ended up spending more time with Percy than with Nico, but that was fine. As long as Jason could avoid hanging out with 'couples' he was happy. As all of his friends were dating except him, couples could be difficult to avoid. The only one of his camp friends who didn't have a partner physically at camp was Piper, and being alone with her was awkward for its own reasons.

Nico and Will were probably the most difficult to be around. They were obviously in love and ridiculously cute together. Jason wasn't mad. Nico deserved this after everything he'd been through, but that didn't make it any easier for Jason to spend time with them. Leo spent most of his time at the forge, and when he wasn't there he was with Calypso, who had been allowed to attend camp to work on her magic in the Hecate cabin.

Despite having been together the longest, or perhaps because of it, Percy and Annabeth were probably the easiest couple to be around. They didn't feel the need to be constantly touching or make jokes only the two of them could understand. They communicated their feelings mostly in looks, and they were small glances instead of longing stares. It could still be uncomfortable to be around them, but Jason didn't have to listen to them constantly flirting and for that he was grateful.

Jason knew he should be trying to get over his aversion to couples. He didn't like avoiding his friends. He wanted to be with them. He did not enjoy feeling like the third wheel. It was frustrating. It was like he forgot how to talk normally around them. He spent most of their time together trying not to think about the partner he didn't have. Which was why Jason was so grateful to have Percy to hang out with. Of course Percy was still in a relationship, but Percy also tried to hang out with Jason when Annabeth wasn't around. At least, Percy had been doing that until last week. Then Percy had randomly decided that he wasn't 'feeling it' anymore and had begun ignoring Jason completely.

Jason wasn't sure what was wrong. Percy didn't seem upset. He didn't act mad or appear to be dealing with anything important. He'd just announced he wasn't interested in whatever activities they currently shared together and peaced out. Jason tried not to feel angry about this. No one was obligated to spend time with him. People could do whatever they wanted.

Telling himself that didn't make it hurt any less.

Needless to say he was equally surprised when Percy came up to him, without warning, and asked to spar. Oh, and could Annabeth come too just to watch or something.

Jason was confused. He didn't know why Percy had been ignoring him and he definitely didn't know why he'd decided to stop. He didn't understand why Annabeth was coming, but again she could do what she wanted. It wasn't as though Jason didn't like Annabeth. Technically he had known her longer than he'd known Percy. Still, it felt weird having her there just watching them. Jason tried to ignore the feeling.

Across the arena Percy was acting completely normal. He was stretching, getting ready for their fight with a lazy smile on his face.

"Missed this." He commented, confusing Jason even more. "Beating you might actually pose a challenge."

Percy was getting excited, and it was easy to tell from the almost manic grin on his face. It made Jason forget his awkward confusion and laugh. Percy's energy could be contagious.

"I'm always happy to take your ego down a notch." Jason replied.

Percy shook his head. "I said you were a challenge, not that you were gonna win."

Now Jason was really ready to kick Percy's ass.

They finished with their warmups and the two boys turned to face each other, swords at the ready. Percy was still smiling and Jason was grinning right back. Neither of them counted down. They didn't need to. They both knew exactly when to start.

Percy charged, ducking into a feint. Jason, familiar with Percy's attacks by this point, saw it coming and blocked. Percy stepped back, letting Jason follow through with the motion. Jason swung his gladius at Percy's front, but the other boy had already moved out of reach. Percy moved to strike at Jason's side, but Jason moved just in time to block the blow a second time.

Percy had fantastic offensive capabilities, but Jason had the strength and forethought to defend against his attacks. Jason could see the moves Percy would make before they happened and intercept Percy's blade before he was hit. The only problem with this strategy was it made it impossible for Jason to find an opening to attack.

Percy flowed from one strike into the next, never hesitating in his attack and Jason kept defending. After a while his arms started getting sore. The clang of sword on sword echoed throughout the arena. Percy was getting tired too. His constant offense kept him moving, and it wasn't long before he was breathing hard. Still he kept smiling, looking like he was having the time of his life and Jason smiled with him.

In an attempt to mix things up, Jason summoned a gust of wind, sending it towards Percy to try and knock him off balance. As Percy felt the air tug at him he let out a sharp bark of laughter before using the extra push to shift his momentum and swing his sword in an entirely different direction. Jason fell back, and before he could recover felt the tip of Percy's blade pressed to his chest. A killing blow. Or it would be if this weren't just practice.

Percy dropped his sword to his side. Both boys were panting from exertion, but both of them were grinning widely.

"Gotta do better than that, Grace." Percy said, holding his hand out in front of him. Jason took it, accepting the help as he moved to stand.

"That was just a warm-up." He answered back before moving to the starting position.

"Sure it was." Percy answered with a laugh, getting back into position himself.

The two of them fought for an hour, starting again each time one of them got the finishing blow. As usual Percy filled the silence with flippant remarks, mostly about Jason's skill or lack thereof. Jason answered in kind some of the time. Mostly he let his sword do the talking. By the time they were finished they were both tired, but not exhausted. Jason had forgotten Annabeth was even there.

"Good practice." Jason commented, breathing deeply as he started to loosen his armor. "We going back to the usual schedule?"

He tried not to sound too hopeful. He wasn't desperate for company. He glanced at Percy nervously to see the other boy's brow furrow uncertainly. The elation Jason had been feeling slowly started to sink.

"Did I do something?" Jason asked quickly, before Percy could respond to his previous question. He immediately regretted asking as Percy's expression crumpled into something hurt.

"No dude. You didn't do anything."

That response only made Jason feel worse. If it wasn't something he'd done then it wasn't something he could fix.

"Right. Well, thanks for the exercise." He replied, careful to keep his tone even before turning and walking away. Percy watched him go, guilt burying into his chest. He wanted to stop Jason, wanted to explain, but he didn't know what he could say. He looked to Annabeth then, acknowledging her for the first time since earlier that night, and he knew from her expression that she understood.

He moved towards her, before taking a seat beside her.

"It is different." She said quietly, referencing their conversation from the previous day. Percy sighed, leaning his head back as he looked towards the sky. He was afraid she would say that, but he'd known it was the truth all along.

"Yeah. It is." He agreed.

"Percy, don't avoid him again."

"Well, what else can I do about this stupid feeling?" Percy asked, annoyed mostly at himself. He didn't want to hurt Jason, but he didn't want to have an emotional affair either.

"I think… I think we can make this work." Annabeth said quietly, causing Percy to look at her in surprise. She met his gaze and smiled weakly.

"I still think I want to be around, when you're together. At least at first. But. If you want to act on your feelings, it's okay with me."

Percy stared at her, trying to make sense of what she was saying. When he'd first brought this up to Annabeth, it was only because he didn't know if what he was doing was cheating. When she confirmed his relationship with Jason was different, that it wasn't just a regular friendship, Percy thought it meant he'd have to stop 'being friends' with Jason. Now Annabeth was saying they could make it work, but Percy didn't understand what that meant.

"You mean, you think I should…?" He trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.

"I'm saying if you want to date Jason it's okay."

Percy frowned at that, considering. Did he want to date Jason? He knew he wanted to spend time with Jason. He'd like to be close to him, if Jason would let him. Percy guessed that was all dating really was, but still it felt weird to think of it that way.

"Or really," Annabeth started, correcting her previous statement. "I'm saying we can date Jason. Together."

She took his hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. Percy considered that. Him and Annabeth dating Jason together. For some reason that felt right. It felt better than him dating Jason alone anyway.

"How'd you think of something like this?" He asked. Annabeth didn't look away, but she did blush.

"I was looking up atypical relationships after our last conversation. Have you heard of the term romantic friendship before?" She answered.

"Uh, no." Percy admitted, feeling a little embarrassed now. He didn't know what the heck a romantic friendship was, but it felt like a pretty accurate way of describing what was going on between him and Jason. She laughed at his expression and let go of his hand in order to wrap her arm around his waist instead.

Percy wondered for not the first time how messed up his life would be without her. As though she could tell what he was thinking she smirked.

"Athena always has a plan."

Percy pretended to frown.

"Please don't talk about your mom when we're discussing our love life."

She laughed loudly, before pulling him in close.

"Okay, but what exactly does us dating Jason mean?" He asked after a moment, still not quite clear on how this was going to work.

"Well… We'd take him on dates, together."

"Yeah, but what about." He cleared his throat, feeling awkward. "You know."

She looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Are you asking me about physical intimacy?" She asked, a teasing smile in her voice that was absent from her face. Percy turned bright red and looked away.

"I just mean- Okay, like if we did date him, then if just two of us make out, is that cheating?"

"I don't think so. But we'd probably have to decide together what we're okay with."

"And the whole,” He hesitated. He knew what he wanted to say, he just didn’t want to actually say it. “The whole ‘only wanting to kiss him sometimes thing.’ Isn’t that going to be a problem?"

She looked at Percy again, studying him intently. He sounded nervous and uncertain. Annabeth was also nervous. Ever since their first conversation about Jason she’d been nervous. She was afraid of losing Percy. of their relationship ending. Though they both wanted to stay together, though she had a plan, that fear still lingered. Maybe that was why she was only now realizing that Percy was also afraid, afraid of a feeling he didn't understand.

Percy looked away, feeling as uncomfortable as he normally did at being seen, at feeling vulnerable.

"Percy. Do you want to do this?" She asked. And that was the real question, Percy realized. What did he want?

He knew what he didn't want. He didn’t want to avoid Jason. He didn’t want to cheat on Annabeth. There were lots of things he didn’t want, but when it came to the opposite; when it came to wanting he, there he was lost. Wanting things felt wrong to him, like it was something he wasn’t supposed to do. (That probably spoke to some deep seated trauma he wasn’t aware of having, but he really did not want to examine that feeling too deeply right now.) If things continued as they were, none of the things he didn’t want would happen. He could hang out with Jason. Annabeth was seemingly okay with whatever was happening here as long as it didn’t progress without her. That meant he didn’t need to worry about accidentally cheating on anyone. If it didn’t progress, if things stayed the same everything would be fine.

He didn’t want that. He didn't want things to stay the same. He could do it if he had to, stagnate, but he would never like it. Maybe some part of him had known that from the beginning, a part of him he didn’t know how to listen to yet, maybe that was why it had taken him so long to understand.

“I want to do it.” He finally said, surprise and conviction both coloring his voice.

“If you do,” He amended quickly, looking at her nervously, “And, if he does.”

She smiled at him, and nodded.

“I do.” She answered.

He laughed, looking away again, feeling almost giddy and nervous simultaneously.

“I don’t…. I still think I’m not even attracted to dudes?” He laughed again because of how ridiculous that sounded. “The idea of having sex with a guy is not appealing to me, but yeah. I want this.”

She still smiled watching him, shaking her own head at that statement. It did sound a little strange, but after everything Percy had told her she didn’t doubt it. It wasn’t typical, but neither were they. That didn’t mean it wasn’t real, that what he felt wasn’t real.

“Then, let's do it.” She said quietly, and he smiled at her.

“Okay.”

Chapter Text

The next morning Annabeth stopped at the Zeus table to ask Jason if they could talk after breakfast. Jason didn't know what Annabeth wanted to discuss, but regardless he agreed. He wondered if maybe he would finally learn why Percy had been avoiding him. He couldn’t think of any other reason Annabeth would want to talk to him. Despite thinking this, he was still surprised later when Annabeth knocked on his door to see Percy standing beside her.

Jason blinked, focusing on Percy before looking to Annabeth again.

"Uh, hey." He greeted, noting the determined look Annabeth wore. Percy, meanwhile, just looked nervous. Jason didn’t know what to make of that, so he ignored it, gesturing them both inside before closing the door behind them. For a moment everything was quiet. Jason stared at Percy. Percy avoided his gaze. It was all very awkward. Then, finally, Annabeth spoke.

"Jason,” She started, voice strong. “Percy and I would like to date you."

Jason stared at her, baffled. He couldn’t have heard her properly. What he thought she said didn’t make sense.

"What?" He asked.

"We want to date you." She repeated. "Romantically."

No. Nope. That couldn't be what she meant. She said the words, sure, but they must have meant something different. The idea of Percy or Annabeth wanting to date him was ridiculous. The idea of both of them dating him even more so. Jason looked to Percy, waiting for him to explain the joke, but Percy just stood there, watching Jason nervously.

A small spike of irritation surged through Jason at that. He tilted his head to the side as he closed his eyes, doing his best to ignore the feeling. This wasn’t anything to get upset by. It was just some kind of practical joke. He didn’t know why Percy or Annabeth would play this kind of a joke on him, but that’s all it was. Retaliation for whatever he’d done to push Percy away.

"Look. If I did something to offend you-"

Before he could even finish speaking, Percy interrupted.

"I like you." He said, meeting Jason's gaze intensely. For some reason, this only made Jason’s (miniscule) annoyance from earlier grow.

"You like me?" He asked, disbelief clear in his voice. "You have a girlfriend."

He wasn’t sure why he even had to explain this. He gestured towards Annabeth, just in case Percy had forgotten she was there.

"I know that." Percy answered, sounding defensive.

Jason stared at him, not knowing what to say. Not knowing what to even think. Why was Percy doing this?

"Do you even like guys?" He asked suddenly, bewildered.

Instead of responding Percy looked to the ceiling. He looked like he was asking a higher power why he was being made to suffer through this conversation. Since Percy was the one who had instigated this particular conversation, Jason thought that was a little unfair.

"Jason," Annabeth interrupted, pulling both boys’ attention towards her. She glanced from him to Percy and back again. "We aren't trying to mess with you."

She could say that, but Jason definitely couldn’t believe it.

"Why would either of you want to date me? You’re a couple." He felt like he didn’t need to explain this to either of them, and yet here they were.

"We know that." Percy responded, clearly annoyed now. Good, Jason thought, that made two of them.

"So then why are you in here saying you like me?" Jason demanded. Percy stepped forward, into his space, but Jason refused to back away.

"Stop being stubborn." Percy demanded. Jason's jaw clenched as he tried not to spit out the only retort he could think of (no you) and instead glared at Percy.

"Is it that hard for you to believe that someone- that I- might actually like you?" Percy continued, suddenly quiet.

The shift in volume hit Jason like a shove. He startled, seeing the fierce intensity in Percy’s eyes, and had to look away. He saw Annabeth look at him with pity, and that was worse.

"You're a good person Jason.” Annabeth said, voice loud in the quiet that had filled the room as Percy and Jason grew silent. “Whoever you end up with will be lucky to have you."

Jason couldn't face that sentiment, so he looked back to Percy. Percy, who was still watching him defiantly, still a little too close. Percy’s eyes flicked up to Jason’s own and Jason only realized then that Percy had been staring at his lips. That finally made Jason flush and step away. He looked down at the ground, anywhere, but at the demigods in front of him.

Percy liked him? And Annabeth too? She hadn’t said that, but why else would she be here doing this? He wanted to look at her, as though to visually confirm it, but he didn't.

“Do you like me too?” He said quietly, only then looking up to Annabeth. She blinked, trying not to show how much the question caught her off guard. It really shouldn’t have, considering the circumstances.

She struggled to think of an answer, though outwardly she appeared as calm as ever.

"...I want to be closer to you." She finally answered, expression guarded, but just as determined as before.

"You're important to Percy." She added, looking to Percy. He looked back to her for only a moment, but took her hand in his, silently offering his support. They fit together so easily. It made Jason’s heart ache.

“I want to know why. I want to understand what he sees in you." It made Jason feel like an experiment, like she wanted to poke and prod at him until she found out what made him tick. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling.

"I… I need to think about it."

Annabeth nodded.

"Just, let us know?" Annabeth asked after a moment, and Jason nodded back.

"I will."
Annabeth looked at him, her grey eyes searching for something before she pulled away. Percy’s hand was still in her own, and he followed after her, both of them leaving Cabin 1 behind. Jason waited a minute before leaving himself, giving them time to get further away. He needed to think right now, and he really did not want to do that next to a giant statue of his father.

He headed to the forest and then kept walking. He wanted to be alone right now, and heading to the woods was the quickest way to ensure he would be. Jason knew he was being a little dramatic, wanting to be alone just because someone, some people, had confessed they liked him. Most people wouldn’t even consider that a problem. They’d probably be thrilled to be asked out by one person, let alone two.

Jason didn’t feel happy about it, instead he felt apprehensive. His decision should have been obvious: a no-brainer. He should have told them no. Dating two people, two people who were themselves dating, was just strange. It sounded like the kind of thing some sexual deviant would do and Jason was not a sexual deviant. He couldn’t be, he'd never even had sex! Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t become one. Clearly, in order to protect himself from this outcome, his answer had to be no.

His heart sank at the thought. He didn’t want to say no to them. He only realized it then, and the realization startled him. He felt like he should say no, but he really didn’t want to. He stopped suddenly, trying to make sense of that. Was this why he felt so stressed out by their sudden confession? Could it be that he actually wanted to do this?

He thought about how spending a week without Percy had sucked and about how instantly better he'd felt when they were together again. He thought about Percy stepping in close, daring Jason not to believe his confession. He thought about Percy’s eyes flicking to his, about realizing Percy had been thinking about kissing him and about how Jason kind of wished he had. Jason liked Percy, and he never would have even realized it if Percy hadn't invaded Jason's space and admitted to liking him first.

If Nico ever found out about this he would tease Jason mercilessly.

Jason sighed, holding his head in his hands. This was why Percy had been avoiding him. Percy had realized something was going on between them and had pulled back. Jason felt like a bit of an idiot for not realizing it sooner. He had been mad at Percy for withdrawing from him when Percy had simply wanted to be a good partner to Annabeth.

He shook his head. Could he even still be friends with Percy if he said no to this? No, probably not. If that happened he couldn’t trust himself not to mess things up. If he said no to this then he'd be saying no to Percy too, which would suck. Then everyone would ask him why he and Percy were avoiding each other and that would suck too.

Of course if he said yes he would still have to think of a way to explain things to people, but then he would have Percy and Annabeth beside him. He could spend time with them both, get to know them better. What Annabeth had said about wanting to study him had been uncomfortable at first, but thinking back on it now the statement was almost cute in an awkward out of touch sort of way. It wasn't even out of touch really, getting to know someone was sort of the point of dating! It was just the way she said it so serious and determined that felt odd.

Thinking about it like that, it was almost like it would be stupid not to date Annabeth and Percy. The only downside would be the gossip that was sure to follow. Did he really care about that? After joining the fifth cohort, Jason had thought himself immune to gossip, or maybe not immune, but resistant. Rumors could still hurt and hinder, but Jason hadn't let that stop him. He didn’t let it stop him then and he wasn't going to let it stop him now. If he wanted to do this then he was going to do it. He quickly realized he did want it, as long as Percy and Annabeth did too, as long as they really truly wanted it.

Jason knew Percy and Annabeth were strong. They were capable demigods, and capable of making their own decisions. Still, he couldn’t help feeling that if they dated him it would mess things up for them. He didn’t want to destroy whatever Percy and Annabeth shared. If he could know he wouldn’t, if he knew for sure they really wanted this, then maybe just maybe they could make it work.

Decision made, Jason continued about his day. He couldn't stop feeling nervous as he thought about confronting Percy and Annabeth again later. Probably it was these nerves that made the lunch horn signal much sooner than he felt it should have. He hurried to the dining pavilion, but didn’t walk inside. Instead waiting nearby, hoping to catch Annabeth and Percy as they walked by.

Percy hardly looked around as he approached, mind clearly focused on one thing (food), but Annabeth noticed him and pulled Percy over to meet him. He was surprised to see how nervous Annabeth seemed. Something about realizing she was also nervous helped calm his own nerves. Percy, on the other hand, looked stoic. He must have been sure Jason was going to say no. Jason actually smiled weakly as he realized it. Percy had confessed fully expecting to be shot down. It took guts to do something like that, but considering it was Percy, Jason guessed he shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Look. I don’t know exactly what you guys were thinking when you asked me what you asked me, or how it would really work logistically.”

He looks away, his nerves from before coming back in full force. Percy and Annabeth are both watching him intently and it makes his stomach turn.

“I just… Are you sure this isn’t going to mess things up between the two of you?”

Percy and Annabeth looked to each other as they processed Jason’s question. It sounded to them almost like Jason might actually want to do this. That thought makes Percy smile, though it’s guarded. He’s still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Annabeth was smiling too, and she was the one who responded.

"Jason, whatever happens between me and Percy will be because of us, not because of you."

Jason frowned, not quite believing that to be true.

“But-”

Percy interrupted him again, and Jason frowned, already irritated by getting interrupted by Percy earlier that same day. Percy almost laughed at the look on Jason’s face, but managed not to.

“She’s right.” He said, instead, voice firm, but soft at the edges. "You don't need to worry about that."

His hand was in Annabeth’s again and he gave it a squeeze, before smiling at her, the affection clear in his gaze. Jason saw it and felt his heart skip a beat. Normally he would say it was jealousy making him react that way, and maybe it still was, but there was an expectation now too, a feeling like hope.

“But how do you know?” He asked, voice insistent. Though he didn’t want to argue, he wanted to know with certainty that he would not be the cause of their potential break-up. Annabeth studied Percy, but Percy didn’t return the look, instead looking at Jason as though debating what he was comfortable revealing to him.

"It’s hard to explain.” Percy started, stumbling across the words, his brain struggling to find the right ones. “I still don’t have a label for it, for what I’m feeling, but I’ve felt this way before about some others. And they're my feelings, not yours so if- If things have to end because of that, then that’s on me. Not your fault in the slightest.”

Jason felt bad for asking that, for forcing Percy to share. Percy clearly felt uncomfortable saying that, but felt like he had to in order to help Jason understand this. Annabeth tugged on Percy’s hand, forcing him to look at her.

“Even if they are your feelings,” She started, “They’re only a problem if I let my jealousy make it that way, right?”

Her voice was stronger than either Jason’s or Percy’s had been this entire conversation.

“I know what you feel for me is real, just like I know what I feel for you.” She continued, voice quieter, but no less firm. “I love how much you care about other people, Percy. I won’t ask you to stop doing that.”

Percy wanted to kiss her badly in that moment, but they sort of had company, so he didn’t. For his part, Jason was a bit amazed by the strength of their relationship. They were standing here arguing over whose fault it would be if they broke up because of this. Annabeth was telling Percy she liked the very quality that made him feel strongly about someone who wasn’t her. It was sort of mind boggling. Percy squeezed her hand tightly.

“Admittedly I don’t know what kind of relationship this will be like with us three.” He said, turning to Jason again, studying him once more. “But I think I want to try.”

Annabeth nods. “And so do I.”

And what the hell is Jason supposed to say to that? Percy and Annabeth clearly loved each other, but they were also willing to make room for him. This wasn’t something either of them knew how to do, but they wanted to try. Jason couldn’t see that generosity and refuse it, he didn’t want to, no matter how strange and unknown the journey seemed. Standing beside them was the best he’d felt all summer long.

“Okay.” He said, smiling weakly (shyly) and Annabeth’s eyes widened in shock. A wide grin slowly stretched its way across Percy’s face.

"Yeah?" Percy asked, and Jason shrugged, but he too was smiling.

"I mean.” Jason began. “Neither of us really gets what's happening here, but you like me and I like you and Annabeth’s amazing so, as long as we're all on the same page."

Jason let his words trail off Percy looked ecstatic. Annabeth was smiling now too. Her eyes were watering, and she refused to let either of them see, so wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze, but she was smiling. Without warning Percy threw his arms around both of them and pulled them into a hug.

He laughed, heart full and light all at the same time, and Jason and Annabeth laughed too.

“Alright.” He said, like he’s just won a prize, and Jason and Annabeth borth echo his sentiment.

“Alright.”

Chapter Text

Percy pulled back to look at them both. Maybe it was stupid, but he couldn't stop smiling.

"So," He started, trying his best to act casual despite his excitement. "Did you want this to be public knowledge or?"

He glanced at Annabeth, not sure if she had an opinion on that. Jason frowned, thinking it over before shrugging. "People are going to find out. I doubt it's the kind of thing we can really keep hidden."

Percy and Annabeth both nodded. It was impossible to keep things like relationships a secret around here. Other campers were always around, it just wasn't really possible to have privacy at camp.

"I don't really care if people know." Percy said, sharing his own opinion. "And… I don't really feel comfortable keeping it a secret. We're not doing anything wrong."

Jason and Annabeth both smiled at that, understanding and appreciating the sentiment even if they didn't feel the same.

"It might just be more convenient not to talk about it for now." Annabeth added, causing Jason and Percy to look at her.

"I mean, we're still figuring this out for ourselves. It might be harder to understand what we mean to each other if everyone else is trying to share their opinions. They nod, quiet for a moment as they think that over.

"I know what you mean to me." Percy said quietly, both Jason and Annabeth's attention turning back to him at the statement.

"I love you." Percy said, green eyes staring intently into Annabeth's. Her eyes were locked on his, unable to look away. Slowly they inhaled and exhaled together. Then he looked to Jason, without moving away from Annabeth, and the look in Percy's eyes made Jason shiver.

"And I like you. A lot." Percy said quietly, voice pitched slightly lower than before. Percy's eyes held Jason’s own, his attention solely focused on the boy in front of him.

"Percy." Annabeth said softly, breaking the spell. Percy’s attention shifted, and as soon as Percy turned to face her she pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. It was only for a moment, but watching them sent heat running through him. He recognized the feeling immediately: want.

Annabeth pulled back quickly, smiling wide. Her eyes were on Percy, but then looked Jason's way. Her smile turned slightly mischievous, something teasing in her gaze, like she could tell what that just did to Jason and she wanted to do it again. He flushed red, backing away from that feeling.

"Annabeth's right." Jason said, words coming out a little less firmly than he'd have liked.

"About it being easier." He clarified at Percy's questioning look. Percy frowned slightly, but nodded.

"Well I guess I'm willing to keep things quiet for now. But, I'm not going to act any differently." Percy conceded. Even when giving in, he was still defiant, making demands. It was amusing, and endearing. There was a challenge in Percy’s eyes, but his expression turned sheepish when he glanced at Jason.

"If that's alright." Percy said uneasily, the statement more of a question.

Jason was still flushed red from before, but he smiled. "Well, I'm not a big fan of PDAs."

Percy shrugged, unbothered. "Yeah, but like, holding hands and stuff is okay, yeah?"

Jason tilted his head to the side, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt by the idea of holding Percy’s hand in front of others. It didn’t necessarily bother him with Piper, so he felt like it was probably some form of internalized homophobia that he’d have to get over. At the same time, even hugging Piper for too long around other people made him a bit uncomfortable.

“I just prefer to keep my private life… Private.” He answered, worried that response would bother Percy. To his surprise, if anything Percy just looked a little worried, but he nodded in understanding. Jason was happy to leave it at that, they could figure it out as they went.

“Well Beth’s the same way.” Percy said with another shrug, “So I guess I can live with it.”

Annabeth lightly slapped his arm at the tease and he just looked to her and grinned. Jason thought about that statement for a moment, before something occurred to him.

"Didn't the two of you make out in front of all of New Rome at one point?" He asked, eyebrow raised. Annabeth looked embarrassed by the reminder, but Percy just laughed.

"That was after not seeing each other for nine months. Someone could have grown a whole person while we were apart!"

It was such a ridiculous comment that Jason and Annabeth both had to laugh.

Percy glanced around to make sure no one was looking their way. Then he took Jason's hand in his own and gave it a small squeeze before letting it go.

"Sit with me for lunch." Percy said to Jason as they turned to finally head towards the dining pavilion. "Chiron won't care, not like with the multi-people cabins."

Annabeth snorts out a laugh.

"Is that what we're calling the other cabins now?" She asks lightly.

"Not all of them. Damian and Chiara are in the Solo Cabin club with us."

Jason shook his head, amused and excited for the first time in a long while.

Their first date ended up being less like a meeting than a date. Which wasn't to say it was unenjoyable, though Percy didn't look particularly pleased. It was just that a relationship like theirs required more groundwork than a conventional two person one would. Annabeth had even written up an agenda for them, which Jason thought was kind of cute. Percy was trying his best not to be grumpy about it. He understood that needless over-preparation was Annabeth’s love language and appreciated what the agenda meant even if he resented having to discuss his feelings about their relationship in a formalized manner.

"So. The first thing I think we should do is discuss our expectations." Annabeth said, calling their first meeting to order. Percy and Jason stared at each other for a moment in confusion.

“... Do you mind going first?” Jason asked, not really sure what sorts of expectations Annabeth was referring to. Annabeth looked slightly nervous, but she agreed.

“Well, I guess I wouldn’t really want you guys going on dates without me knowing about it beforehand. Within reason.” She blushed, but didn’t look away.

Percy nodded and Jason did too.

“That seems reasonable.” Jason added.

“I mean, you’re still okay with us hanging out together without you, right? Just not going on dates or anything?” Percy asked, and Annabeth nodded.

“I don’t even mind if you guys want to go on a date without me, I just want to be kept in the loop.”

“Yeah, of course.” Jason said. Annabeth nodded, clicking her pen as she moved to write the agreement down. Percy shook his head, watching in fond exasperation and Jason smiled.

Percy tried to think through his own expectations. He thought of his worries from before. He’d talked it through with Annabeth and felt a lot better about the fact that he didn’t really know what he wanted his relationship with Jason to be like, but he still felt like he owed Jason some kind of explanation. He just hated talking about stuff like this. Admitting he didn’t understand something as simple as his own feelings was even worse, but he owed it to Jason and if they were already talking about expectations maybe this was a good time to bring it up.

Annabeth could tell he was deep in thought about something. Gently, Annabeth placed her hand on Percy’s leg, trying to offer him her own silent encouragement.

“I guess I just.” Percy started, forcing himself to talk even though he still didn’t know what to actually say.

“I don’t really know what I am doing?” He offered sounding as uncertain as he felt. “Like with dating a guy?”

Was that clear enough? Probably not. He quickly glanced to Jason, trying to gauge his response and felt even more embarrassed when he noticed the other boy looked amused.

“And you think I do?” Jason asked, clearly entertained by the idea.

“No.” Percy quickly shot back, trying to fight his own embarrassment. He wasn’t trying to imply anything about Jason’s level of experience, or lack thereof (whatever the case may be). “I just mean-”

He cut himself off abruptly, realizing he was being too loud. He lowered his voice before continuing. “I just mean, I never liked a guy before and I don’t know what I’m going to be okay with.”

He looked away from both of them, face feeling hot with embarrassment. Jason’s amused look from before had faded away, replaced with surprise, and then as Percy continued to look away from them both, sympathy. He hesitated for only a moment before he reached out to place one of his hands over Percy’s.

“It’s okay Percy.”

Percy didn’t look at him, and if anything he seemed more upset by Jason’s reaction. Was comfort not what Percy needed right now? Had he messed up already? Jason glanced at Annabeth, who nodded at him encouragingly.

“I won’t be offended if it turns out there’s something you’re not comfortable with.”

At that Percy’s scowl lessened. He glanced at Jason before his shoulders seemed to relax and he finally looked at Jason again. Jason smiled weakly, glad he’d done what he could to help. Percy just took in a breath and let it out slowly.

“It just feels like with relationships there’s an expected end-game when it comes to stuff physically.”

Jason shook his head, not even needing to think about that to know he disagreed with it whole-heartedly.

“The only end-game in a relationship is both people being happy and healthy.” Percy met Jason’s gaze and nodded.

“Okay.” He said firmly, and Jason smiled before responding in kind.

“Okay.”

Annabeth smiled too, writing something else on her agenda, causing Percy to stare at her pointedly.

“Don’t write that down too.”

Annabeth shrugged, a smirk covering her features. Percy snatched the paper away.

“Hey!” She called out, but she didn’t reach out to retrieve it, or even look bothered that Percy had taken it. Instead she watched as Percy studied it carefully, trying to read her atrocious handwriting. Once he did he rolled his eyes, before shaking his head in fond exasperation.

He gave the sheet back to her and she handed it to Jason to read. Below her first bullet point on the agenda she had scribbled the words: happy + healthy

Jason smiled at her. “Sounds like a good expectation to me.”

Percy shook his head again. “What about you? Any expectations?”

Jason thought about that for a second before shrugging. “Not that I can think of?”

Annabeth nodded.

“Okay, what about dating people outside the three of us?” She asked without looking up from her paper. Percy looked confused by the question, and so did Jason.

“For example?” Percy asked, hoping she would explain.

“Like, if I wanted to date someone besides the two of you, would that be okay?”

The question honestly made Percy feel a little sick, which he knew was hypocritical because he’d been the one to start falling for other people. He still felt kind of bad about it, though Annabeth swore it was okay.

Jason just shrugged. “I guess I’d be okay with it?”

But Annabeth was focused on Percy, giving him a small sad smile.

“I’m guessing you don’t feel the same?” She asked, and Percy looked to her, hesitantly

“I… Don’t. I know it’s kind of hypocritical to say. But I guess the thought does kind of bother me?” His answer sounded like a question, as though it didn’t even make sense to him. Jason watched them curiously.

“Percy, I feel the same. Why do you think I want to be involved with this?” Annabeth said, skipping the attempt at comfort and jumping straight to telling Percy he was being an idiot.

“Well…” He started, but she wasn’t finished.

“What if I came to you, like you did me and told you I was feeling something and not sure what to do about it?” She prompted. He thought about that, about Annabeth starting to feel something for a friend, one of their friends, and suddenly the idea wasn’t so uncomfortable to him. Reluctantly, he agreed that in those circumstances it would probably be okay.

“It’s just different with you Beth.” He finally admitted. She nodded.

“I know. I feel the same way. Seaweed Brain” He smiled fondly at the nickname.

“So you all think we should talk to each other if there’s someone else we’re interested in?” Jason asked, wanting to make sure they were on the same page. Admittedly, while the thought of Annabeth asking someone else out on a date didn’t really bother him, he felt a bit differently when it came to thinking of Percy dating a third person.

Annabeth nodded and after a moment's thought Percy did too.

“But just to be clear none of us are looking to add to the collection, right?” Percy asked, suddenly concerned this was going to become some sort of world record attempt for largest number of romantic partners or something. Annabeth and Jason both laughed at the idea.

“I didn’t even know I liked you.” Jason admitted, looking just a little embarrassed at doing so.

Percy smiled fondly at the admission as Annabeth shook her head. “Regardless I think we’re all pretty clear on the expectations.”

“Does that mean we can go have a real date now?” Percy asked, suddenly eager. Annabeth studied her agenda going through things. They’d already discussed public displays of affection and physical intimacy. They talked about dates and expectations for them. That seemed to basically cover everything she’d thought of. She folded up her agenda and put it and her pen away in her bag.

“Let the real date begin.” She said, fondly, turning to give Percy a kiss. He returned the gesture happily, taking Jason’s hand in his own.

“Alright.” Percy said, feeling for the second time this week like he’d won the lottery.

Chapter Text

It's a while before anyone notices something is different. Percy and Jason hang out just like before. At first, not much is different. They stand a little closer, they’re more inclined to say things quietly enough that only the other will hear. Jason doesn't feel comfortable showing signs of affection around others at first. Percy does his best to respect that even though Jason knows it isn't his preference. Jason isn’t sure how he missed it before, but he realizes that Percy is a very physical person. It’s not even that he touches people a lot, though he does, it's that he always needs to be moving.

Jason knows ADHD is a demigod thing, but it can manifest differently. There are different ways of coping with it. Percy’s way seems to be by fidgeting, a lot. It doesn't matter what he's doing. Percy is always always moving. He bounces his leg when he sits. He taps his fingers on the table while he eats. He pinches his camp half-blood beads with his fingers when he's speaking. He’s so constantly full of energy that it’s a little overwhelming at first. Jason doesn’t know if that’s because they’re spending more time together, or because Percy is just more willing to be himself around Jason now, but he likes it. He likes seeing Percy without his walls.

He doesn’t know how Annabeth deals with it.

“You can watch how if you like.” She says suggestively when he asks. Jason had also come to realize that Annabeth likes to tease him. Jason knows Percy said Annabeth was opposed to PDAs. Jason thinks that might have been true at one point, but it certainly isn’t now. They're near each other all the time, pulled to the other's side like the opposite ends of a magnet. If Annabeth was originally shy, it's not hard for Jason to see how and why that changed. Percy was so full of energy that when he finally stilled it got your attention.

For all of his energy, for all of his chatter, for all of his movement, when Percy focused on someone he paid them complete attention. The first time Percy and Jason were alone together there was a moment where Percy just stopped. There were no fidgeting hands or bouncing movements, just Percy watching him. It made something tighten in Jason's chest. He couldn't look away. He reached out, pulling Percy closer without a thought and press their mouths together.

Even when they are around others there are times when Percy will just look at Jason. Percy's attention would focus on him, and Jason would be pulled in, like lightning towards the earth. Like Annabeth, his discomfort with displays of affection was being forced away by a growing desire to always be close. He reaches out to take Percy's hand more frequently. He sits so close to Percy their thighs touch.

The more Jason instigates the more comfortable Percy feels doing the same. He throws his arm around Jason's shoulder. He leans in close to speak in his ear. One day someone gives them a look, and Jason only then realizes that his arm is wrapped around Percy's waist. He's embarrassed, but he can't bring himself to pull away. He'd rather be embarrassed and have Percy's warmth beside him. There's a light in his eyes when he looks at Percy and Jason knows his original assessment was right. This relationship is going to be impossible to hide.

Jason starts to look at Annabeth differently too. It's less intense with her, but sometimes even more tender. She understands something about him in a way no one else can. There's an intimate kind of recognition in their eyes when they see each other, a knowledge of the ways they fit together and with Percy in a way only they can. When they're together Percy watches them with open adoration. Just seeing them both happy and together makes his heart swell with affection.

When Annabeth notices Percy watching them, her smile grows into a smirk. She leans in close to Jason. Putting a hand on his leg she says something quietly in his ear and he laughs, eyes flicking to Percy. Percy doesn't even know what they're talking about, but he wants them, badly. They're just talking and they're driving him crazy. Percy doesn't know what he was thinking giving two people this power over him, but he doesn't regret it, he can't, not when they make him feel like this.

The slow creep of their affection means it's a while before anyone's caught on. Nico thinks he’s the only one who's noticed. At first he thinks he must be imagining things. Percy and Annabeth are so in love. There's no reason for Percy to be looking at Jason like that. He tells himself he's reading into things, seeing something that isn't there. He can make himself believe that until he sees them at the campfire together.

Nico's sitting with Will, but he's looking for Jason. Jason has started sharing more time slots with the Athena cabin lately. It means Nico has been seeing Jason less. He was hoping to be able to spend some time with him tonight. That's the only reason he notices it. When Jason arrives it's with Percy and Annabeth beside him. He sees Percy's hand in Jason's and sees Annabeth's arm wrapped around Percy's waist.

Percy says something to them that Nico can't hear and they laugh. Annabeth pushes Percy away. He releases Jason's hand and stumbles to the ground dramatically. Jason rolls his eyes, but he's smiling as he offers Percy a hand. When they touch there's a moment, less than a second of time, where their eyes meet and something passes between them. Then Percy stands and the moment is over. Nico forces himself to look away.

Nico has spent too long hiding who he is to not notice the ease with which they touch. He's embarrassed at having seen it, to have witnessed something that feels private. His brow furrows. He doesn’t know what he’s feeling, but he knows he doesn’t like it. He leans against Will, shoving the feeling away. He pretends he hasn't seen anything. He can unpack whatever this is later, or maybe never if he's lucky.

In the Athena cabin, Annabeth is pretty sure Malcolm has pieced some of what’s going on together. He's smart, of course he is. He's one of her closest siblings. She doesn't want to believe that’s why he's started pulling away. There could be any number of reasons for his behavior. She knows that. The timing is just a coincidence. It’s hard to believe that when he looks at her like she's a stranger. It hurts more than she cares to admit.

She could just tell him what's happening. She considers it. She knows if she asked Percy and Jason they would say it was fine. Percy would even mean it, but Jason she's not so sure about. It's incredibly easy to fluster him. Annabeth tries not to, mostly. Sometimes she can't help it. His reactions are just too entertaining. Sometimes he even responds in kind, turning things around on her. That is her favorite outcome. He's especially inclined to try when Percy is watching them. Annabeth is pretty sure she knows why too. She's seen the way Percy looks at them.

It isn't just something physical either. She's starting to see what drew Percy towards Jason. There's something about him, a quiet kind of strength that Annabeth doesn’t have a name for. There's a sense of acceptance in his gaze, as though you could share anything with him and he wouldn’t bat an eye. It's comforting. And he's funny, his jokes somehow stealthy. He'll drop a witty comment while acting like he hasn't said anything even remotely funny. It's spectacular.

He's good for Percy too. Sometimes that realization hurts, makes her feel like she wasn't enough. Most of the time it makes her glad. Love isn't a panacea, she knows that. It would be foolish to think she alone could solve all of Percy's problems. When she reminds herself of that, the hurt goes away. It barely even comes anymore. She and Percy were just too similar sometimes, both of them afraid of being hurt and lashing out. Jason's influence is calmer. She gets the sense that even if he were furious, he wouldn't shout. Even when he disagrees with something, he listens, willing to hear out both sides. It's a kind of strength she hasn't seen before and she admires it. She admires him.

Leo hasn’t noticed anything unusual about Percy or Annabeth, but he has noticed a change in Jason. He isn’t sure what it is. At first it just seems like a good mood, but when Jason's good mood persists, Leo knows something must be happening. He’s been asking probing questions when they hang out, to the extent that Jason has given him more than a few strange looks. Calypso is annoyed by it, but Leo can’t help it. He needs to know!

Presumably it’s something good, so he doesn’t see any problem with prying. Jason sits nearby as Leo fiddles with something at his workbench. He thinks about what it is about Jason that has changed. He definitely seemed happier, but that wasn’t the only difference. He looked more comfortable, maybe even relaxed

An idea hits him suddenly, and a grin slowly spreads across his face. He steals a glance at Jason, who is starting into space. Oh, Leo knows what's going on here.

He takes a breath, makes sure he's not working on anything delicate or dangerous, and then looks back to Jason.

"Jason, I'm your best friend, right?"

This gets Jason’s attention immediately. He looks at Leo, clearly suspicious. "Yes?"

"And best friends tell each other things, right?"

Jason doesn’t answer. He watches Leo, and as the silence persists, folds his arms in front of himself. Leo is familiar with this posture, it’s Jason’s ‘I am about to give you a lecture’ stance. Leo decides to avoid that by interrupting him before he can start..

"Are you getting some?" He asks, sounding smug.

Jason is so confused by Leo’s question that he loses his stance. Success, Leo thinks, smile brightening.

"Some?" Jason asks, not sure exactly what Leo is referring to.

"You know." Leo answers, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Unbelievably, the look on Leo’s face does give him some idea of what Leo might be talking about, but Jason is really hoping he’s wrong.

"Are you doing it?" Leo continues, emphasizing the last word as though it has some special significance. "The special dance? The horizontal tango?"

Jason’s tries very hard not to look embarrassed by this question.

“No.” He hurriedly responds, looking around nervously to see if anyone has noticed their conversation. Leo just smiles wider. He thinks he’s found the truth, finally. Even if Jason says no, he wouldn’t react like this unless there was some truth to the question.

“You are so getting some.” He says again, partly just to needle Jason.

“I am not.” Jason repeats, looking flustered. “Why would you even assume that?”

What Jason really wants to ask is why Leo would even ask that, but Leo has been asking him strange questions for the past few days, so Jason has given up entirely on finding the reason for them.

"You come around all mellow and think I don't know what's up?" Leo responds.

“You gotta tell me. Who is she?” Leo says, leaning in close to make sure he can hear Jason in the noise of their workroom.

For a long moment Jason is silent. He isn’t mad, not really, just embarrassed. What Leo has assumed isn’t true, for multiple reasons,c but Jason knows he has been happier lately and he knows it’s because of the time he’s been spending with Percy and Annabeth. He considers lying briefly. Leo would act mad if Jason refused to tell him, but he wouldn’t actually be angry.

Percy and Annabeth and him had all agreed at the start of this that they weren't going to keep it secret. They weren’t telling anyone unless directly asked. Leo was sort of asking about a relationship. Maybe telling Leo would be alright. Jason also realizes that he wants to tell someone about this. He feels good about what’s happening. He wants to share that with someone.

"Okay," Jason starts, his decision made.

"First of all, I haven't- I mean we haven't… There's been no special tango." He finally admits, lowering his voice. "The truth is that Percy and Annabeth kind of asked me out."

Leo's eyebrows raise so high they disappear beneath his hair.

"Percy and Annabeth are doing the freaky deaky with you?"

“We’re just dating.” Jason responds, feeling that Leo has to be teasing him by this point. “There’s nothing freaky about it.”

Leo gives Jason a look like that clearly says he thinks Jason is crazy.

“There’s nothing freaky about two people who are already dating asking a third person out?” Leo questions back.

“I mean, it doesn’t usually happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s freaky.” Jason answers back, starting to feel a little defensive.

Leo is still looking at him like he’s lost his mind. It’s making Jason feel incredibly self-conscious.

“It’s been really nice.” Jason says haltingly into the silence. He doesn’t really know why, the look Leo is giving him is making him feel like he needs to defend himself. It’s like Leo is rethinking everything he ever knew about Jason.

"How do you even actually date?" Leo asks, still trying to process the logistics of a three person date.

Again, the question baffles Jason.

"Uh, Same way you date just one person really."

Leo studies Jason. This is weird. This is really weird. This is like writing a letter to Playboy level weird. It feels wrong. Suddenly Leo feels concerned for Jason. Were Percy and Annabeth taking advantage of him? They couldn't really be interested in Jason, not when they had each other. Maybe they were trying to test each other's loyalty? Maybe it was some kind of shared booty call situation?

"So." Jason suddenly starts, deciding he’s done with this conversation, “If you could keep this quiet, we’d appreciate it.”

The statement makes Leo's eyes go hard. They wanted Jason to lie about it? Dating his best friend was something to shout from the rooftops, not something to hide.

"I can't believe them." Leo says, mouth pressed into a thin line.

"What?" Jason asks, confused by Leo's abrupt change in mood.

"How could they do that?"

"How could they do what?” Jason asks, feeling lost.

"Jason, man, they are using you."

The statement comes out of nowhere. Nothing Jason had said should suggest anything of the sort. He had barely told Leo anything about them. He doesn’t understand how Leo could have arrived at this conclusion. It’s so surprising that for a moment Jason actually wonders if it’s true.

"What are you talking about?" He asks.

"They're already a couple. Why would they need to bring in someone else?"

Jason stares at Leo. He doesn’t know why Leo is saying any of this. It’s honestly upsetting to hear. Jason’s even starting to feel a little angry, mad at Leo for assuming something about him and his partners. His anger shows on his face for just a second, before he shoves both feelings away.

“I’m going.” He says suddenly, voice steady. He doesn’t like how he feels right now, and the easiest way to deal with that problem was to just walk away. He doesn’t wait for Leo’s reply before standing to leave.

"Jason!" Leo calls after him as he walks out the door, making some of the other Hephaestus kids look at them curiously. Jason ignores them, closing the door of the building behind him.

Chapter Text

Jason made his way towards Percy and Annabeth as soon as he left the forge. Though they were still finishing their Greek lesson, he knew he needed to speak to them as soon as possible. Deciding to wait nearby, Jason moved to sit in the shade of a tree. His heart was beating quickly. He felt jumpy and on edge. He knew he was reacting this way because of the argument he'd had with Leo, but that knowledge didn’t help him feel any better about reacting this way.

Jason knew he wasn't in any danger. There were no monsters waiting to attack nearby. He’d just had a personal disagreement. He wasn't even mad at Leo. Jason felt annoyed more than he felt angry, but that didn't matter. For some reason their argument had triggered a flight or fight response in him and that was so embarrassing. It hadn't even been a real argument, just a difference of opinion. Still, here Jason was forcing himself to calm down over nothing.

People were always going to find out. Jason knew that. They had only avoided telling people so they could figure things out first. They hadn’t wanted to keep this hidden forever. They just wanted some privacy until things were stable. Now they were. They understood where they stood in relation to each other, so there wasn’t any need to keep things quiet.

Jason would still have preferred to tell people about this on his terms. He wished he had talked to Percy and Annabeth about it first. They should have decided together to tell people, instead of everyone finding out because Jason had messed up. Still, it wasn't that big of a deal if they did find out, and Jason thought the odds of them finding out were more likely than not at this point. Sure, Jason had asked Leo not to tell, but with the way their conversation had ended Jason hadn’t really expected Leo to do that.

He still didn’t understand how Leo could think Percy and Annabeth were in the wrong here. All Jason had told him was the truth. Leo was friends with Percy and Annabeth too. He should have known that the two of them would never take advantage of Jason. For Leo's first reaction to be so negative, it surprised Jason. Leo was laid-back. He was logical. Leo was smart. It made Jason wonder for a second time if maybe, just maybe Leo was actually right.

Jason thought about the time he'd spent with Percy and Annabeth. He remembered Percy’s confession. He remembered watching Annabeth scribble ‘happy + healthy’ onto a piece of paper that was all about them. Last campfire Percy and Annabeth had sat beside him, joking and singing and looking at him like his presence was something special.

He didn’t think those feelings could be fake, but maybe he only wanted them to be true. Maybe he was seeing something that wasn’t really there. He had thought that Piper's feelings for him were genuine, but he’d been wrong. He'd been fooled before, so he really had no way of knowing he wasn't being fooled now.

Then again, his relationship with Percy and Annabeth was turning out to be very different than his relationship with Piper had been. It wasn't just the amount of people in the relationship that was different either. Percy and Annabeth understood things about the other no one else did. They helped each other without needing to be asked. Every decision they made, whether apart or together, was made knowing what the other person would want. They knew when to change the subject, and when to push. They shared their affection not just with words, but through action. Percy had told Annabeth he liked Jason and they were still together!

Maybe the closeness they shared should have made Jason feel insecure. What Jason shared with them definitely wasn’t as deep, not yet at least, but instead Jason just felt included. Percy and Annabeth had a bond that Jason couldn't even name, and yet they chose to share that bond with him. It was astounding. Jason still didn’t understand why they even wanted to do that, but they did.

It was then that Percy and Annabeth emerged from the building, halting Jason’s train of thought. They were talking quietly to each other and Jason smiled when he saw them, despite his previous concerns. When Annabeth noticed him she smiled widely before getting Percy's attention. She gestured towards Jason, and when Percy spotted him his entire body brightened.

Jason let out a quiet laugh as Percy eagerly pulled Annabeth towards Jason. As they stopped in front of him, Percy was bouncing on his feet. Jason could tell Percy wanted to hug him, but was holding back for Jason's sake. It was something small, but Jason couldn’t stop the small surge of affection he felt after he realized. He knew then that Leo was wrong. There was no way this could be fake.

Despite Jason's newfound confidence, his shoulders sank as he remembered the reason he was here. Percy and Annabeth both noticed the change in his demeanor immediately. Percy reached out to take Jason's hand in his own while Annabeth leaned in closer to look at him.

"Everything okay?" She asked, studying Jason carefully. He was quiet for a moment, working up the nerve to tell them the truth.

"I told Leo about… Us." He finally said, feeling guilty. "He uh, he didn't take it well."

The change in their body language was instant. Annabeth entered strategy mode. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her eyes studying Jason intently. Percy's posture stiffened before he carefully crafted his expression into something blank.

"What did he say?" Percy asked, anger tinting his voice despite how he tried to suppress it. It was a little jarring for Jason to see Percy's mood change so quickly. It threw Jason, and for a moment he forgot to respond. Their expectant gazes reminded him they were waiting for an answer.

“He said you guys were using me."

"Is that all he said?" Annabeth asked, still focused on the problem, on finding a solution while Percy stood ice cold beside her. Jason nodded.

"I left before he could say anything else. I didn't feel like listening to that."

Annabeth's gaze softened, her expression changing into something concerned.

"It's not true." Percy said before Annabeth could. He still sounded angry, but there was worry there too. Without a word Annabeth shifted closer to Percy, pressing the side of her body against his. The action grounded Percy, and he wrapped his arm around her in return.

"I know." Jason responded, giving them a small, but genuine smile. Annabeth returns it with a smile of her own and Percy's shoulders relaxed.

"Well, good." Percy said, feeling calmer. Part of him was still upset, but he could ignore it now if he had to. "Where does Valdez even get off saying something like that?"

Jason shrugged, honestly struggling to understand Leo’s response himself.

"I don't know. He didn't even let me talk about it really. Just started telling me it was wrong."

Annabeth nodded, staying quiet for a moment as she considered that.

"I'm not trying to justify Leo's response, but I feel like we should recognize that Jason didn't trust our intentions at first either."

Her statement surprised both Percy and Jason. Jason thought back, remembering how he had responded when Percy and Annabeth first asked him out. He realized suddenly that Annabeth was right. At the same time Percy didn’t understand why Annabeth was even bothering to compare the two events.

"That's different." Percy said simply. Annabeth looked at him, amused by his quick response.

"How is it different?" She asked.

"Because Jason didn’t have any reason to believe us back then."

"But Leo does?"

"It doesn't matter if Leo does or doesn't. It's not his relationship."

Percy knew his Wise Girl was just playing devil's advocate here. She was trying to help them think this through, to see the problem from multiple sides. It still annoyed Percy to acknowledge Leo's point of view. Annabeth just kept smiling at him, unbothered by his aggravation. She understood Percy’s anger, even felt some anger herself. That didn't mean she wouldn't argue Leo's point and try to make sense of it.

"It's normal to doubt someone when they say they like you." Percy continued, "Jason had a right to question us. Leo didn't. We didn’t ask Leo to out. He doesn't get to decide if we're being honest or not."

Jason frowned at that explanation. He didn't necessarily disagree, but he didn't really agree either. Annabeth shook her head.

"I actually agree with you, Percy. In this case Leo should trust Jason's judgment. But I also think Leo might just need some time to adjust."

Jason had needed time to get used to the idea too. It made sense that the same might be true with Leo. Percy frowned, clearly not happy with Annabeth's answer, but recognizing her point all the same.

"Don't worry about it. He'll come around." Jason said, trying to reassure them and himself. Jason didn't want to start a new relationship only to lose a friend.

"And if he doesn't." Annabeth added, as though reading Jason's mind. "I'll talk to him."

Though she was smiling, the threat in her voice was clear. Jason looked surprised at the implication, while Percy laughed.

"You're definitely the most intimidating of the three of us." Percy said, which made Jason smile and shake his head.

"You guys are just too soft." Annabeth responded, making all of them laugh this time.

"Does this mean people know about us now?" Percy asked, the three of them starting to move on to their next activities.

"It's not like we were ever being particularly subtle." Annabeth added. Percy and Jason both grinned.

"I did ask Leo not to mention it," Jason responded, "But I have no idea whether he's going to actually do that."

Annabeth nodded, thinking that over. She slowed to a stop. Percy and Jason stopped too, watching her curiously.

"I think…" She started, "If people know about this, then there's some things I need to take care of."

Percy and Jason watched her. Then Percy's confused expression cleared, becoming doubtful instead. Annabeth gave him a weak smile and he sighed looking defeated.

"Good luck." He murmured and she stepped forward to give him a quick kiss goodbye.

"I'll see you in a bit." She commented, before stepping towards Jason. Knowing he wouldn't appreciate a goodbye kiss she put a hand on his arm instead, squeezing it lightly before turning to leave. As she walked away Jason watched her, still feeling confused.

"Do I want to know ?" He asked hesitantly, glancing at Percy.

"Probably not." Percy responded, shaking his head. "She'll find us when she's finished."

Annabeth made her way back to the Athena cabin at a slightly hurried pace. Her mind was working through different possibilities as she walked, seeing different possible outcomes to people knowing about them. There was one person in particular she was worried about reacting poorly, but before she can find them she had a note to send.

She grabbed some paper from the supply table before going to a desk for a pen. Finding one, she clicked it open before putting pen to paper and beginning to write.

Mother,
I am writing to inform you that I have started dating Jason Grace, son of Jupiter.

No, I am not leaving Percy. No, I am not being taken advantage of or tricked.
Please do not threaten, intimidate, or coerce either of my partners in any way.

I am happy,
Annabeth

Nestled among the shelves of books and supplies in their cabin was a small shrine to their mother, Athena. Annabeth lit the candle that sat there, using it to set the corner of her note aflame. As the edge of the note began to burn she set it into the small metal bowl kept there for this purpose.

With that taken care of she hurriedly left her cabin, beginning her search for the Aphrodite group's whereabouts. There was one person she had been wanting to talk to ever since Jason had joined her and Percy's relationship. Annabeth thought of Piper as one of her best friends. She was also Jason's ex.

Annabeth tried not to get too nervous as she made her way over to Piper. It was hard to stop from feeling anxious as she searched. After only ten minutes of wandering Annabeth managed to find Piper at the archery range. Instead of practicing with a bow, Piper was taking aim with a blowgun. Tentatively Annabeth approached. Piper glanced at her, but didn't turn away from her target.

Annabeth stood watching as Piper took careful aim. Then, using only her breath she hit the target very close to the center. Annabeth raised her eyebrows, impressed. Without reacting, Piper began to reload her weapon.

"I can't imagine what you might be here for." Piper said, still facing away from Annabeth. When Piper spoke her tone was even, giving none of her feelings away. Annabeth winced.

"Have you talked to Leo already?" Annabeth asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. Piper rolled her eyes, still focusing mainly on her task.

"Leo came and talked at me." She said dryly, loading another dart into her weapon. Despite Piper's cold attitude, Annabeth smiled at the her description. Leo did have a habit of talking at people instead of with them.

"Do you believe him?" Annabeth asked. Finally Piper turned to look at her.

"Are you saying it's not true?"

When Annabeth hesitated to respond Piper turned away, shaking her head.

"I know you're not taking advantage of him or whatever it is Leo thinks." Piper said, her voice raising slightly. She waved her hand through the air as though to dissipate Leo's theory. "I'm just mad that you thought you couldn't tell me."

It was clear, had been clear from the moment they started talking, that Piper was upset. Guilt sat heavy in Annabeth's stomach for hiding the truth from Piper. It made Annabeth feel sick.

"I wasn't trying to hide it from you." Annabeth said truthfully. She needed Piper to understand that. "We just all agreed to keep things quiet at first."

Piper put her mouth to the blowgun, suddenly shooting. The dart lands further from the center than before. Piper cursed quietly before glancing at Annabeth again.

"Is that really why?" She asked.

"Yes." Annabeth answered, sounding earnest. "I never wanted to keep it from you."

"Did Jason?" Piper asked, and for the first time during their conversation, Piper sounded uncertain. Annabeth was surprised by the question, which of course meant she actually had to stop and think about it for a second.

"I can't speak for Jason,” She said, “But I'm fairly certain his decision didn't have anything to do with you."

Piper studied Annabeth, as though she could discern the truth of Annabeth's statement just by looking at her. After a tense moment, Piper turned away again.

"Okay.” Piper said, sighing. “I believe you."

Piper started reloading her blowgun again and Annabeth’s shoulders slumped with relief.

"Now, tell me everything." Piper said, taking aim at her target for a third time.

Annabeth smiled, settling in next to Piper. Annabeth normally wasn't keen on discussing her relationship with others. She was a private person. She didn't like it when people stuck their nose in her business. She hated when people assumed she cared about their crappy opinions.

With Piper it was different. Piper actually cared about her. She wanted Annabeth to succeed and Piper was insightful. She could actually pick up on things Annabeth didn't. Annabeth trusted Piper not to share anything private they discussed with others. She trusted Piper, full stop.

She still wasn't going to give Piper every intimate detail, but that probably wasn't what Piper wanted anyway. Honestly, Annabeth just needed some validation at this point. She needed someone to tell her she wasn't making a huge mistake. Annabeth already knew she wasn't making a mistake of course, it would just be nice to hear someone else thought that too.

"I think we need to go somewhere a little more private before I can do that." She finally responded, glancing at the campers that surrounded them. Piper nodded, standing and turning to address her cabin mates.

"Drew, you're in charge. Annabeth and I are going on a walk."

Chapter Text

None of the other Aphrodite campers seemed to have any problem with Piper's announcement. Drew waved Piper and Annabeth off as the two of them began to walk away from the archery range. Their destination wasn’t really important. Walking around during activities was just the easiest way to dissuade people from listening in on their conversation.

"Now spill." Piper demanded, clearly hungry for information.

"Okay. Well it started a few weeks ago. Percy and I were talking." Annabeth trailed off then, realizing just how much she’d have to share about Percy for this conversation to make sense. She also knew he would hate that. She glanced at Piper, feeling suddenly uncertain.

"Piper, if I tell you this, you can't tell anyone else."

Piper winced, knowing that meant their conversation had been pretty difficult.

“That bad, huh?”

Annabeth nodded, hesitating again. “You promise to keep it quiet?”

“Promise.” Piper responded, drawing an x over her heart to show how serious she was about it. Despite herself, Annabeth smiled weakly.

She proceeded to tell Piper a very truncated version of events, leaving out as many details as possible. There were some things she had to explain for the story to make sense. Percy’s confusion over his feelings for Jason being one of them.

"So he asked me if he needed to stop being friends with Jason on the off chance that it was maybe something more." Annabeth explained.

Piper stared at her in disbelief. Even though Leo had told her what Jason had said, and she had accepted it as truth, it was still hard for her to believe that Percy had been the one to instigate all of this. Of course, she found out only moments later that she had been right. Percy had started the conversation, but the idea of it becoming a threesome had been Annabeth’s.

"I mean really, I was just thinking about how I didn't want to lose Percy. But then I could see it was affecting Jason too and I didn’t want to be the reason whatever they had ended."

Annabeth told her this, and Piper shook her head in disbelief and awe.

"That must have been so hard. For both of you." Piper shook her head. She couldn’t even imagine most couples still being together by the end of a conversation like that.

“I just… I couldn't tell Percy to stop caring about people either. That's what I love about him most." The concern and the affection Annabeth felt came through in her voice as she spoke.

It was moments like these that made Piper’s heart swell with joy for her friend. Annabeth wasn’t the kindest with her words, but the admiration and love she had for Percy, and that he had for her, were unlike anything she’d seen in other couples their age. She was so glad Annabeth had that after everything else she’d been through.

"So you hung out with Jason and Percy together?" Piper asked, pulling out of her thoughts to help move the conversation onward.

"I watched them spar."

Piper actually laughed at this. "Did you pick the activity most likely to generate sexual tension on purpose?"

Annabeth laughed.

"That's what they do together." She exclaimed, throwing her hands out in front of her. "I wasn't just going to watch them eat lunch or something."

They were both laughing now.

"And you're still okay with things?" Piper asked once they had calmed down.

Annabeth looked at Piper, her gaze considering. Piper tensed a bit, honestly not sure what Annabeth would say.

"Is it weird that I think I am?” Annabeth asked after a moment. “I thought it would be hard at first, but it hasn't been. It almost feels like this is the way things are supposed to be.

"I mean, at first sometimes I'd think something like why wasn't I enough? But I know one person isn't supposed to be enough! That's why we have friends and family. And this thing we’re doing, it's been really good for Percy, and for Jason too. Maybe even for me. I can see this other side to both of them and it makes me happy."

Piper watched Annabeth smile as she spoke, and soon she was smiling back, unable to return the happiness she saw in her friend..

"I'm really proud of you, Annabeth.” Piper said softly once the other girl was finished. “That sounds like a really difficult situation, and you handled it with wit and grace. I'm glad you're happy. You and Percy both. You deserve that.”

Piper took a breath before continuing as Annabeth watched her, eyes shining with emotion.
“I know this might sound like an insult considering my attitude towards her, but I think my mother would be proud of you."

Annabeth wiped her eyes. She wasn’t really crying, but she was emotional. Talking to Piper about what had happened made her realize just how hard going through all of that had been. There had been a million ways for everything to go wrong and they hadn’t.

"Thanks Piper. That means a lot to me. I'm really glad you aren’t angry."

Piper shakes her head, her temporary annoyance at being left out of the fold long passed.

“Honestly? I’m just glad he’s happy” She said, and she didn’t need to specify that the ‘he’ she meant was Jason. The expression on Piper’s face was fond. Annabeth wasn’t surprised to see that. She knew Piper still cared about Jason even though they had broken up.

“I think he is.” Annabeth commented, reassuring her friend. Piper didn’t look at her, but she nodded and her smile brightened a bit.

"Good. That's all I want for him."

When Annabeth made it back to the Athena cabin she was surprised to find her Mother there waiting for her. The goddess of wisdom was facing away from Annabeth, examining the books stored on the cabin’s shelves. Annabeth didn’t bother announcing herself. She was sure her mother wouldn't even be here if she hadn’t known Annabeth would be the next person to walk through the door.

Instead Annabeth sat at one of the work tables that filled the center of their cabin. She took some time to make herself comfortable as she waited for her mother to talk. Surprising absolutely no one, her mother didn’t even turn around before starting to talk.

"A Roman, Annabeth? Really?” She said drolly, and Annabeth rolled her eyes. “As if the son of Poseidon weren't bad enough."

"His name is Percy." She answered, unable to keep the annoyance from her voice. Her Mother finally turned to face her then, raising an eyebrow at her daughter.

"It's Perseus, actually." Athena corrected. Annabeth shook her head at the triviality of the correction. She decided to skip right to the point.

"Why are you here, Mother?"

Athena watched her daughter, before moving to sit at the table beside her.

"I received your message."

Annabeth waited for her mother to continue, assuming that was not the entire explanation. Her assumption was proven correct when her mother began to speak again only a moment later.

"Are you really happy?"

The concern was clear in her mother’s voice, and it surprised Annabeth. Her mother watched her carefully, trying to discern some kind of answer from her daughter’s silence. After a moment’s consideration Annabeth met her mother's eyes and answered.

"Yes."

Athena searched her daughter's face, as though trying to discern the truth of her statement through looks alone. Whatever answer she found, she nodded.

"Then I'll leave you to it." Athena answered, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. She wasn’t happy with her daughter's choice and Annabeth knew that, but Athena did want her daughter to be happy.

"Know that no matter what you do, I am proud of you."

Annabeth pulled back from the statement feeling as though she’d been shoved. She was not expecting, never could have expected to hear her mother say such a thing. Athena reached out to Annabeth, putting her hand on top of her daughter’s own.

"It's taken me a while to realize it," Athena started again, "But the people you love won't change how I feel about you. I'm sorry for not seeing that sooner."

Annabeth looked away, her eyes watering. She still didn’t know what to say. She could hardly believe this was real. For a moment she was enveloped in warmth. When she looked back up her mother was gone.

Annabeth tried to collect herself. She wiped the tears from her face. She hadn’t even begun to process what her mother said until later that day when she was with Jason and Percy once more.

Jason shookchis head after she'd told him the whole story.

"Didn't I hear someone call Percy the Savior of Olympus once?" He asked, the smallest of smirks on his lips. Without missing a beat Percy punched Jason in the arm, hard, but Jason only laughed in response.

"I'm just saying, shouldn't she be happy that you're dating someone like that?" He continued, honestly not really believing what he was hearing here.

"And that's how I know you've never met Annabeth's mother." Percy started, his casual bitterness surprising Jason. "She is never happy."

Annabeth shook her head, a small smile on her face. She didn’t notice the concerned look Jason gave her before he spoke again.

"I guess I'll probably never meet her considering the whole Roman thing."

"I don't know." Annabeth responded, wrapping her arms around herself. Percy threw an arm over her shoulder, holding her close as both boys watched her in concern.

"It sounds like she's going to leave us all alone at least… That is what you wanted, isn’t it?" Percy asked, watching her closely.

Annabeth shrugged, and then she shook her head.

"It is. I just… She said she was proud of me."

"She should be." Percy insisted, a tinge of that all too familiar anger seeping into his voice. Jason took Percy's other hand.

"Everyone who knows you would be proud." Percy continued, voice just as firm but without the anger now. Jason nodded in agreement.

"You're amazing, Beth." Jason said. It was the first time she'd ever heard him call her that, and judging by the look on Percy's face, it's the first time he'd ever heard it too. If Jason was embarrassed at having used Percy's nickname for her, it didn’t show on his face. He only looked concerned, concerned that Annabeth wouldn't agree with a statement that to him was so obviously true.

"I tell her that all the time." said Percy, watching Annabeth with a smile. She rolled her eyes at them both.

"You think it's amazing when Grover eats twelve servings of cheese enchiladas." She told Percy flatly.

Jason laughed loudly as Percy began to protest.

"That’s amazing too!”

Annabeth smiled sweetly at him and he moved his hand to gently shove her. She laughed, before leaning back into him a second time.

"I just never expected her to act that way." Annabeth said finally. For so long every interaction she had with her mother had been a test. At first she relished the opportunity to prove herself to the goddess. Annabeth could and would prove her worth. Athena had been the only parent who cared. She only realized when she saw Percy with his own mother what true unconditional love could be.

When Annabeth thought she had lost Percy she had been devastated, and yet her despair had been nothing compared with Sally's. Alone in her room and missing Percy deeply, Annabeth had wondered if her father had ever grieved for her like that when she ran away. She already knew her mother never would. Athena had sent Annabeth to her death.

Now her mother said she was proud, and honestly it hurt Annabeth. Why was Athena only proud now? Why hadn’t Annabeth's past accomplishments been good enough? Why wasn’t being Annabeth good enough?

Annabeth's eyes started to water. She turned to hide her face in Percy's chest. He wrapped his arm around her again as she blindly reached out for Jason's and felt it slide into her grasp.

"You never had to prove a thing, Wise Girl." Percy whispered to her. The tears she’d been holding back fell down her cheeks. She shook her head, not denying his words, but rather the feeling of overwhelming sadness that was welling up within her.

She stayed there for a moment, and then she pulled Jason closer leaning on him for a bit instead. Jason’s arms wrapped around her, and Percy’s breath caught in his throat. After a moment, feeling calmer Annabeth realized Percy was watching them. It shook the rest of her melancholy mood away. She glanced back to Percy without moving away from Jason.

"Have you noticed how he acts when we do things like this?" She asked in a stage-whisper. Her question was directed at Jason, but she never once looked away from Percy. Percy's face turned red, his eyes flicking between her and Jason.

"Yeah." Jason said, voice just a bit deeper and with a hint of a smile. "I have."

Annabeth shivered.

"Think we should torture him a little?" She asked, starting to sound a bit breathless despite herself.

"Sounds fun." Jason answered back, and Annabeth pulled away just enough to kiss him. Annabeth's arms wrapped around Jason's neck as his arms moved to encircle her waist. She didn’t know if Jason was stronger than Percy, but he was certainly broader and she let herself enjoy that difference as she pressed their chests together.

When they finally parted they both turned to look at Percy in perfect synchrony. Percy made a choking sound in the back of his throat, his entire face red. He ran a hand over his face, trying to calm down though the image of them kissing and then looking directly at him expectantly wouldn’t leave his mind.

"You two are going to kill me one day."