Tumblr Stories, Headcannons, and AUs{PJO/HoO}

Wearing the wrong jacket

Wearing the Wrong Jacket

Percy doesn't understand why everyone is giving him looks. He's never been exactly popular, even after he made varsity swim as a sophomore his social status only rose a little. Now it seems everyone can't take their eyes off of him and he's not sure he's comfortable with it. He decides it's best to ignore everyone and keep his head down, so he grabs his books from his locker and goes to his first class.

He keeps hearing small comments being made around him. One girl who's never so much as acknowledged his existence tells him she likes his jacket and winks at him. Percy glances down at his same Letterman he's worn all year and shrugs it off. His second, third, and fourth class go by the same way. More whispering and stares and comments and Percy just about had enough of it. He's throwing books into his locker before lunch when it's nearly slammed closed on his hand. He yelps and jumps back only to be met by a pair of familiar electric blue eyes and for a second his breath catches. Then she starts tearing into him.

"So you're the pipsqueak my brother's so interested in?" Percy is thrown off guard. He knows of Thalia, that she's Jason's older sister and is currently a senior at their high school. He knows she's about as punk rock as it gets and that there is nothing she likes more than screwing with authority.

"What the the hell are you talking about?" He reaches for his locker again but she steps in front of it.

"I mean what's up with you and my brother?" Thalia gives Percy's shoulder a shove and he steps back up to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about now back off!" Percy's raised his voice and probably has the attention of the entire hall but his vision is narrowed on Thalia. He can feel his nails dig into the flesh of his clenched fists and his shoulders shake but before he can swing he hears Jason's voice echo off the metal lockers.

"Thalia! Back off!" Percy refuses to break eye contact with her even after the blond boy steps between them and pushes his sister away. Thalia pushes past her brother and steps directly up to Percy's face.

"Don't hurt my brother." Her tone tells him it's as much a warning as a threat and for the first time today everything starts to click together and Percy's face goes white.

"Thalia, come on." Jason manages to pull her back and she stops off leaving only the echo of her boots.

"How... how did she?" Percy asks while keeping his eyes fixed on the tile floor.

"Percy take off your jacket." Jason says quietly. Percy has no idea why Jason wants him to but he slowly pulls off his Letterman. What he thought was his Letterman. Instead of his own name being written across the back in large white letters it says 'Grace.'

"Oh shit," Percy mutters and slumps back against the wall of lockers behind him.

"Yeah, I guess you grabbed my jacket by mistake before you got out of my car last night." Jason says just loud enough for Percy to hear him.

All the looks and whispers make sense. Jason is the golden boy of the school, Quarterback of the varsity football team, is Mr. Popular, and manages to get straight A's. So seeing Percy Jackson wearing his Letterman jacket would be the fastest spreading news ever.

"Look, Percy. We need to talk about this but I have to meet with coach Hedge." Jason lets his hand rest on Percy's arm for just a second.

"It's not about this is it?" Percy asks quickly.

"No, I don't think Coach would honestly cared. As long as I'm at practice and not being a 'cupcake' it doesn't matter what I do."

"Good," Percy lets the relief wash over him. He has no idea what would happen to his and Jason's, well whatever they have, if he couldn't play football.

"I'll see you after practice." Percy feels Jason's hand brush against his faintly. He wants to push away and grab his friend's hand at the same time.

Percy eats his lunch alone in silence and tries to figure out what's going to happen from here. The bells rings and catches Percy halfway through his sandwich. He quickly cleans up his trash and heads for class, once again under the scrutiny of his classmates. He keeps his gaze level and straight ahead down the hall.

"Where's your boyfriend, Jackson? Not carrying your books for you?" Percy knows Drew's voice and bites his lip. He can't fight a girl and he doesn't want to give in to her jab.

"Hey Drew, why don't you keep your trap shut. Or do you need me to convince you?" Thalia appears like an unwelcome dark haired savior at Percy's side, but Drew keeps her mouth closed and heads off to her class.

"You didn't need to do that," Percy says without looking at her.

"If you're my brother's boyfriend then yeah, I did." Thalia's confidence shakes Percy.

"I don't know... I mean we've never... we're..." As usual Percy can't seem to find the right words.

"Look," Thalia says and shoves a smaller girls aside, one Percy realises is a close friend of Drew, "all I know is my brother smiles every time you text him. That's good enough for me."

"He- he does?" Percy wishes he could manage to say one complete sentence without sounding like an idiot.

"You're such an idiot. But Jackson," Thalia grabs Percy's shoulder and turns him to face her. "If you hurt him, I'll end you." Thalia doesn't give Percy a chance to say anything and storms off down the hallway once again. Percy realizes he's effectively been offered protection from Thalia, given her blessing, and told Jason is his boyfriend. Boyfriend.

Percy feels the heat rush to his face and hesitates in the hallway outside his class.

Boyfriend. Percy runs his hand over the football patch on his shoulder and smiles to himself. Maybe wearing the wrong jacket wasn't the worst thing ever.