love is embarrassing | j. grace

xxv. possessed

twenty-five. possessed

WHEN JASON WOKE UP, HE was back on the Argo II. Percy was sitting up in his berth and able to talk in complete sentences. Jason follows suit. His memories were fuzzy of what had happened. When Piper had finished describing their duel on the highway, Jason winces.

"Knocked out twice in two days. Some demigod," Jason glances sheepishly at Percy, "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to blast you."

Percy's shirt was peppered with burn holes, "Not the first time. Your big sister got me good once at camp."

"Yeah, but . . . I could have killed you," Jason continues.

"Or I could have killed you," Percy says.

Jason shrugs, "If there'd been an ocean in Kansas, maybe."

"I don't need an ocean — "

"Boys," Annabeth interrupts, "I'm sure you both would've been wonderful at killing each other. But right now, you need some rest."

"Food first," Percy begs, "Please? And we really need to talk. Bacchus said some things that don't — "

At the mention of Bacchus, he looks around for Ivy. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. Jason frowns.

"Bacchus?" Annabeth raises her hand, "Okay, fine. We need to talk. Mess hall. Ten minutes. I'll tell the others. And please, Percy . . . change your clothes. You smell like you've been run over by an electric horse."

"Um, where's Vee?" He asks, slowly rising to his feet.

"She ran to her cabin the minute we got back on the ship," Piper tells him, "She won't let anyone in."

Jason frowns. Piper helps him out of the infirmary and up to his cabin, he glances down at Ivy's cabin.

"I'm sure she's okay," Piper reassures him.

Jason thinks about her and Bacchus' stare down, the episode, her crying. He can only nod.

Piper pats his shoulder and he disappears into his room.

He heads to the bathroom, eager to shower and change his clothes. In the mirror, he catches a glimpse of the locket he keeps hidden beneath his t-shirts. He opens it up, smiling at the picture of he and Ivy that hid inside.

"Happy birthday!" Ivy jumps onto his bunk. The others around shush her, but Ivy only raised her middle finger.

She would definitely get stable duty.

"How is it being fifteen?" She asks curiously.

Jason, who was struggling to wake up, responds with an unintelligible "uhhh."

It's not until Ivy presses a kiss to his lips that he fully wakes up, pulling her closer.

"Typical," Ivy says as she pulls away.

Jason smiles.

"I got you something, I had help from some Vulcan kids," Ivy whispers and she sits up, he follows her lead. In her hand dangles a small silver locket. "Do you like it?"