𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍° ! percy jackson

𝐢.𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢 - 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 (𝐩)

In reality, he really knew nothing about Aurora, but he was determined to change that. After all, she was the one who told him to be stubborn, though she was targeting that towards his fighting.

"I won't miss you, Castellan." Aurora responded, but her tight embrace against the blond said otherwise. She cleared her throat, pushed him off of her, and stuck up her middle finger.

"War?" Percy uttered in panic, staring at Aurora through his big blue gaze. "What war?"

Aurora shook her head with a small grin. "It's an inside joke. A long time ago we watched the slime tutorial of Hamilton, this Broadway musical, on YouTube and it's one of the lyrics. Luke hates Hamilton. So much."

"Oh," Percy said, staring at Aurora as she skipped away. Clearly, whatever Luke said—whatever it meant—made her overjoyed. Percy wanted to make her overjoyed.

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Argus drove the four out of the countryside into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth sitting in the passenger's seat and Grover and Aurora sitting next to Percy in the back as if they were normal carpoolers.

After two weeks at Half Blood Hill, the real world seemed like a fantasy. He found himself staring at every McDonald's, every kid in the back of his parents' car, every billboard and shopping mall, like it was some foreign concept.

Right next to him, Aurora's eyes widened and narrowed, murmuring incantations of "I didn't want to be here, fuck this quest, I'm going to die."

"You're not going to die." Percy interjected, nudging Aurora. He tried for a friendly smile, but the girl's face was cold as she glared at him, like it was his fault.

"It's bad luck to talk that way, Shark Boy." Aurora muttered, rolling her eyes and repositioning her knees toward Grover.

Frustration flared in Percy. We were friends two seconds ago. Why are you being so weird?

"Do you hate me? Because it sure seems like you hate me." Percy's voice cut through the hushed silence like a knife. Aurora blinked twice at Percy. The boy looked distraught, like it was something he had been pondering on for ages.

"Hate you?" She frowned. "Why would I—I barely even know you. Why would you care, anyway?"

"You... I thought we were becoming friends at camp. But now you're so—" You're so mean to me.

Percy faltered, glancing furtively at Annabeth and Grover. He was way too embarrassed to admit that. "You don't like me. You claim that you don't know me, but you don't like me. It's okay to admit it."

Aurora shrugged. "Jackson, I knew you for like, what, a week before we went on this damn thing? Yeah, we were getting to know each other. I was being nice to you. And then you asked me to go on this thing? It was never gonna last, you and I. Our friendship. I mean, you're you. If we weren't on a quest, if you hadn't made me come along, I'd probably be your best friend."

Percy scowled. Aurora raised an eyebrow at his response. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with a quest?" Percy pushed, annoyance rising in his stomach. He chose her because he thought she'd want that. She was so strong. Didn't every demigod want that?

Aurora sighed. "Do you really want me to spell it out for you?"

"Please, Flower Face."

"You're annoying. Insufferable. Impertinent. You're insane. You're sometimes so earnest I want to rip out my hair. You try so hard, it's so fucking irritating. You believe too much in the good. You're... you were raised like a child, and I hate that." Aurora said. "Was I being nice to you at camp, yes. Was that because I had to train you and you were being shunned by everyone else because of who your parent is and I can relate to that, yes. But we weren't friends. And we aren't friends."

"Jesus christ," Percy grinned like the annoying kid he was. His heart beat faster at all the words she had just used to describe him. Yes, some of them stung, but Sally Jackson always taught him to see the best in everything. Half of his words were satirical.

"You don't hate me. You're in love with me." His voice was taunting and gloating, but somewhere deep down in his heart, something fluttered like Luke's shoes. 

"Oh my gods, I will kill you."

"I'm not really hearing you deny it." He smirked, the troublemaker kind of smile that got him in so much trouble at school.

"I'm not in love with you, you idiot! Ew, that's disgusting. I have chills." Aurora shuddered for dramatic effect. "Gods, your brain is actually full of kelp."

"Try again, that wasn't quite as convincing as I'd like it to be."

"Would you like to be maimed with a sword, a bow, or my bare hands?"

Grover cleared his throat, sending a warning signal to Percy with his beady eyes.

In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked at Percy. 

ೀ⋆｡🌷 notes ...

word count: 1483

date published: february 18, 2024

thoughts: the quest has officially started!! i forgot how much annabeth had a crush on luke...