chapter 8 was posted today as well; enjoy the double update!!
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"Perseus Jackson."
Taking a deep breath, the demigod walks up the three steps that guide him onto the stage. His head is held up high, his spine is straight, and a crooked smile hides his nerves. The folds of his graduation gown hide the hands fidgeting by his sides, and he comes to a stop in the center of the platform. The faces in the audience behind the graduating class are almost indistinguishable, but Percy can make out his mother holding her phone up with a wide smile.
"Percy has been a student here for four years," the principal speaks into the microphone on the podium, and Percy discreetly drums his fingers along his thigh, a nervous habit developed over time. "He competed in our swim team for the past two, ultimately winning first place at the state championship."
A few claps and cheers sound from other members of the team, and a quiet chuckle escapes his lips. "Percy plans to major in marine biology —"
If they seriously think that Percy is going to college right after this, they've got another thing coming their way. Maybe after a gap year or two.
"— and his favorite memory of high school is the junior year trip to the history museum, which is where he discovered a love for the complex cultural histories of ancient civilizations."
Oh, if only they knew just how important that trip was to him. Percy tries to hide the knowing, and possibly geekish, smile that begins to creep onto his face.
"Percy says, 'Senioritis is something that I definitely can't describe without it being inappropriate —'" chuckles come from the audience, and the tension in Percy's shoulders lessens, "'— so I'll leave it at this: ew.'"
The light sounds of amusement are replaced by a roar of laughter, and the principal pauses to allow it. Percy shakes his head to strengthen his point, prompting more noise from everyone. When it quiets down, the principal continues to speak:
"'And now, after it seemed to last forever, it's all done. I want to extend my thanks to my closest friends. Grover, (Y/N), and Annabeth, you are the reasons I somehow kept my sanity in times when I should have lost my mind.'"
Percy grits his jaw to keep it from trembling, and he puts on his go-to lie of a smile.
"'I also want to thank my English teacher, Mr. Blofis.'"
Paul blinks in surprise.
Percy searches for him in the teachers' section, grinning when he meets his eye.
"'Your constant help has been incredible and so helpful. I definitely wouldn't have made it onto this stage without it.'"
Paul sends a thumb's up in Percy's direction, feeling the familiar gaze of Sally Jackson on him, and he turns his head to the side. She smiles at him, mouthing a 'thank you' from behind her phone.
"'But most importantly,'" the principal continues in Percy's words, "'I want to thank my mom. You've supported me through everything, and I couldn't be more grateful. Late-night cookies and math tutoring definitely paid off.'"
Percy can tell that Sally has a few proud tears rolling down her face, and he sends a genuine, comforting smile in her direction. She wipes her cheeks, making sure her phone is held steady as she records the moment.
"'I love you, and I cannot thank you enough for all the help you've given me. Please send me weekly batches of cookies when I'm gone. That is all I ask.'," Sally laughs, shaking her head in amusement as the rest of the audience chuckles. "'Thank you, Mom.'"
The principal pauses (for dramatic effect, Percy assumes) before finishing, "Perseus Jackson."
Loud applause and cheers come from the graduating class and their parents, and Percy walks across the remaining half of the stage for his diploma. He shakes the principal's hand with a firm grip, carefully makes his way down the three steps on the opposite end of the stage from where he walked up, and strides across part of the football field to Sally. Paul pats his back when Percy passes him, and the boy sends his now-former teacher a quick smile.
He wraps his mom in a tight hug as she whispers into his ear, "I'm so proud of you, kiddo."
Humming in appreciation, he squeezes her a bit tighter before letting go, walking back to his seat with the graduates. His foot lightly kicks the turf as he stares at his diploma. He doesn't pay attention as the three remaining seniors receive their moments of acknowledgment, distractedly clapping along as he focuses on his strange gut feeling.
It still hasn't disappeared since it formed in the parking lot earlier. He can't seem to wrap his head around the significance of a flash of black in the sky. It makes no sense to him.
Caught up in his thoughts, Percy is brought back to reality as the graduates around him begin to stand, and he immediately snaps his attention back to the present. He joins them with eagerness, taking his cap off with the others before the group tosses them into the air with triumphant whoops and cheers.
He chuckles softly while smiling at the fifty-two graduation caps against the sky's background.
This was the end of his high school career.
He did it.
He finally did it.
The graduate beside him whoops loudly, turning to Percy and grabbing his shoulders, "We're done with this hellhole!"
Percy laughs, cheering with him, "I know!"
The boy lets go of Percy's shoulders, and the demigod bends down to pick up his graduation cap from the turf. He tucks it under his elbow as he holds his diploma, weaving through the graduates to get to his mom. Sally pats his bicep, rubbing it comfortingly as Percy smiles with a hint of sadness.
"There's someone who wants to talk to you off the field," Sally offers with a smile Percy can't decipher, nodding towards the mass of people clustered together for the post-ceremony meet-and-greet. "I'm gonna find Paul, and we can leave in a bit," she finishes while taking Percy's diploma and cap to hold on to, and he nods, slightly confused.
Sally lifts onto her tiptoes, ruffling her son's hair as she kisses his cheek. Percy playfully scrunches his nose up, and the two laugh before going separate ways. He smiles at and talks to a few people as he walks through the crowd, but he doesn't linger for too long. There's no one here that he's really too close to, and his mom's mysterious claim keeps nagging at him.
When he breaks through the edge of the loose group of graduates, parents, and their friends and family, he comes to an abrupt halt.
"Shut up," he breathes out, staring at the fence.
'There's no way.'
Percy takes a few hesitant steps forward, trying to close some distance to get a better view of the girl standing on the track. Her head is tilted downward, looking at a dandelion as she twirls it in her fingers. She hasn't cut her hair, which has grown out in the past seven months, and some of it is pulled away from her face while the rest remains loose in its beautifully natural state. Her dark grey jeans are accompanied by lightly-scuffed combat boots, a royal blue tank top, and her signature leather jacket.
But what catches Percy's eye the most is the pure white seashell hanging from her neck, the sun's glow falling on the gold accents and producing small rays and sparkles of light.
Still doubting himself, he takes another step forward. He only finds reassurance when his heart instinctively begins fluttering.
He continues to walk to her, increasing speed with each second. His face breaks out into a smile when the girl hears him, finally making eye contact. She looks up with a knowing grin on her face, taking a few steps forward and opening her arms as Percy increases his speed to a full-blown sprint.
He doesn't stop until he reaches her, locking his arms around her waist as hers close around his neck. He lifts her off the ground, spinning around as she laughs, and her legs wrap around him to hold on even tighter. Percy rests his head on her shoulder, and she buries her face into his neck.
They remain oblivious to the few people smiling at their reunion from afar, the only thing important enough to have their focus being this very moment in time.
Neither of them let go for the next few minutes, each revelling in the feel of the other. "Gods, I missed you," he whispers, and (Y/N) smiles, leaning back to look at him.
She chuckles while reaching up to run her fingers through his messy black hair, slipping the dandelion behind his ear, "I missed you, too."
Percy carefully sets her back down on the track, keeping his arms around her waist as he leans down to press a kiss to the top of her head, hugging her once more. His eyes begin to sting, and he groans, annoyed, before taking a step back. (Y/N) furrows her eyebrows as he turns his face to the sky, fists clenched in frustration. "You all good, Blue?"
"I said I wasn't gonna cry today," he complains, blinking furiously. (Y/N) laughs, and Percy drops his head down to look at her.
"Aw," she chuckles sympathetically at Percy's glossy eyes.
"Don't laugh!" Percy whines, trying to hold back his tears.
He's really doing the best he can to keep from crying, and it warms (Y/N)'s heart immeasurably to know how much this means to him. She tilts her head, giving him a gentle smile, "This is a big day, Blue. You're allowed to cry, it means you care."
"I know that, but I don't want to."
She rolls her eyes, smiling, "Gods, you sound like a child."
Percy narrows his eyes at her mocking comment, lightly stomping his foot, "I do not."
(Y/N) raises an eyebrow, amused, "You just stomped your foot like one."
"What?" Percy's head snaps down to look at his feet, and (Y/N) laughs.
"And you're done crying now," she says with a 'ta-da' sort of tone, doing jazz hands when Percy looks up at her again.
"I wasn't crying to begin with."
"But you were about to."
"But I didn't."
"Because of me, thank you very much."
When Sally walks up to the two demigods, she rolls her eyes at their playful banter. "I'm gone for— what, ten minutes?— and you're already getting into arguments."
"He started it!"
"She started it!"
They point at the other accusingly, and Percy whips his head to look at (Y/N), finger still jabbing out to her.
"Aha! Now who's acting like a child?"
"You did it, too!"
"But it wasn't just me that time!"
"Oh, so you're agreeing with me, then?"
"... I never said that."
"Hm, I think you did."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Kids!" Sally interjects, amused. The seventeen-year-olds turn to her, one fighting a smile and the other defensive.
"I'm almost a legal adult, Mom," Percy frowns, and (Y/N) snickers.
"You don't act like one," she says, and Percy turns to her as a low growl sounds in his throat. Sally folds her lips inward to keep from laughing as Percy narrows his eyes at his best friend, cheeks tinted slightly pink in annoyance.
"You're younger than me," Percy tries to defend, but (Y/N) scoffs, stepping closer to him.
"That may be true, but I can still make you cry like a baby."
"And that's where we'll end this conversation!" Sally places herself in between the teenagers, not wanting a duel to break out.
(Y/N) and Percy share an amused glance before the daughter of Persephone looks at the concerned mother in front of her. "It's all in good fun, Ms. Jackson," she reassures, and Percy walks behind his mother to sling an arm around (Y/N)'s shoulders.
Sally chuckles, slightly relieved, before walking towards the door of the fence, "Come on, we should get going. I like your flower, by the way."
Percy chuckles, pretending to toss his hair. "Why, thank you." (Y/N) laughs, and Percy smiles down at her.
With a small moment of hesitation, he plucks the dandelion from behind his ear, tucking some flyaways behind (Y/N)'s and leaving the flower there, instead. She playfully rolls her eyes, but Percy can see her bite the inside of her cheek to contain her smile, making his stomach flip with joy. After noticing that Sally is a good ten yards ahead of them, the demigods rush to follow, bumping into each other playfully as they walk.
"Mom, was this your doing?" Percy asks, referring to (Y/N)'s visit, and Sally shrugs.
"Not exactly."
Percy furrows his eyebrows, and (Y/N) chuckles. "Chiron sent me," she explains, "I'm here as his informant and your personal escort to camp when you decide to go."
He scrunches his nose up in thought, "What about your important quest?"
(Y/N) and Sally both share an amused glance at his obliviousness, and (Y/N) looks up at him, "Oh, I finished it, like, an hour ago."
Percy's eyes widen, full of surprise, "Really?"
(Y/N) nods, completely serious, "Yep. It was super dangerous, but I got it done. I remembered your graduation was today on my way back to camp; it was inconvenient, but Chiron figured it'd be best if I stopped by."
Percy nods, trying to hide his hurt, "Oh."
(Y/N) rolls her eyes, gently elbowing him, "The important quest was coming for your graduation, idiot." At this, he immediately brightens, and his arm around (Y/N)'s shoulders becomes more relaxed as he lets out a relieved chuckle. "You really do have seaweed for a brain," the girl mumbles, to which Percy scoffs, bumping his hip into hers.
She chuckles, raising her hands in surrender, "Okay, okay. Kidding."
When they arrive at the car, Percy tosses the keys to Sally, opening the back door for (Y/N) to get inside. She thanks him, and he smiles, closing the door before walking around the car and getting in beside her. "You don't want shotgun?" (Y/N) asks, confused, and he shrugs.
"Nah."
The three share multiple different stories during the drive to the Jackson residence, and (Y/N) stares in awe at one of Sally's.
"'The Poker Player'?" she asks, eyes wide at the story.
Sally chuckles, "Yep. Selling it let me pay for the new apartment."
"'The Poker Player'," (Y/N) repeats in disbelief, shaking her head before looking up at Sally's reflection in the rearview mirror. "Ms. Jackson, you are an absolute queen."
Percy laughs as his mom smiles in appreciation. When they reach one of the intersections, he drifts away from the conversation, tilting his head up to look at the sky from his window. (Y/N) notices his furrowed brow, "You all good, Blue?"
"Yeah," he mumbles, shaking his head before turning back to her, "Yeah, I'm good."
(Y/N) eyes him with concern, giving him a look that clearly says, 'I don't believe you, but whatever you say'. He sighs, knowing that she won't stop thinking about it unless he explains, "I saw this weird flash of black in the sky on the way to school, that's all."
Much to his surprise, (Y/N) bites her lip, humming in thought before shrugging, "That was probably me."
Percy furrows his eyebrows, "Sorry?"
"It was probably me that you saw," she repeats, and Sally chuckles at her son's confusion.
"You'll see, Percy," she says, mysteriously, "It's really cool."
"Do you two just want everything to be a surprise? Have you planned all of this out?" he asks, slightly frustrated, but (Y/N)'s laugh calms him down.
"Relax, Blue," she jokes good-naturedly, "You'll find out when we get to the apartment."
"Okay," he sighs, giving up on his skepticism.
When they reach their destination, (Y/N) leads Percy to the roof of the building, looking around to make sure no one is walking past. "What are we doing here?" he asks, confused, as (Y/N) sends him a mischievous glance.
Without saying anything, she wolf whistles, waiting for a few seconds before running to the edge. "(Y/N)!" Percy cries out in fear as she jumps off, sprinting after her and skidding to a stop before he falls.
No one is there.
Suddenly, a black creature shoots upwards in front of his face, sending him stumbling backwards. He falls back onto the roof, staring up at the creature in the sky. His eyes go wide at the Pegasus and its laughing rider, captivated and in awe at the sight.
(Y/N) relaxes her hold on the Pegasus's mane, straightening her back as her steed lands on the rooftop. "Percy, meet Hesperos," she dismounts, waving between the Pegasus and amazed demigod, "Hesperos, this is Percy Jackson." Hesperos neighs in greeting, tossing his salt-and-pepper mane, and Percy chuckles in disbelief as he stands up.
"That is so cool."
'Thank you.'
Percy stumbles backwards, letting out an exclamation of surprise as the voice sounds through his head, and (Y/N) rushes forward as he trips over his feet for a second time. She steadies him underneath his left shoulder blade before he falls, pushing him back up to stand properly. "What the fuck was that?" Percy frantically turns to (Y/N) with wide eyes, and she sighs.
"H., I told you not to startle him."
'Sorry,' the Pegasus meekly ducks its head, letting out a quiet snort of apology.
A high-pitched sound escapes Percy's throat, and he points at (Y/N), speechless, before turning to Hesperos with his finger jabbed out, swiveling between the two while even more strange whines come out of his mouth. (Y/N) chuckles, resting her hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down, "Percy, it's okay. You can hear him because of your dad."
The boy's left eye twitches as he just stares at her, and (Y/N) tries to explain before he faints of shock. "I forgot you don't know, sorry. Poseidon isn't just the god of the seas and earthquakes; he's also the god of horses. It's weird, but since they're his subjects, you can communicate with them."
Percy's mouth opens and closes like a fish, and Hesperos takes a step forward. The Pegasus bends its front leg, dipping its head and folding its wings back in order to bow to Percy. 'You have my apologies, Master.'
"'Master'?" Percy is taken by surprise, finally able to speak, and (Y/N) chuckles, glad that he hasn't been rendered completely mute.
"You also have divine authority over them, it seems."
Percy just accepts it in the midst of his confusion, looking back at the Pegasus. "Um, you don't have to call me 'Master'," he scratches the back of his neck, uncomfortable with the idea, "'Percy' is fine. Plus, if anyone's your master, I guess it would be (Y/N), right?"
The girl in question waves it off, "He wanted to be my servant, but I didn't like that. We're buddies."
Hesperos snorts in slight disapproval, 'She saved me from torture but didn't want me to be indebted to her. I am her friend and her steed, but I have a duty to serve you, Percy Jackson, shall you ever need it. It is only customary.'
Percy blinks, "Oh. Um... thanks... I guess."
(Y/N) chuckles as Hesperos huffs in acknowledgement. "Wait, how can you speak to him?" Percy asks, turning to face his best friend.
"Demeter can talk to animals. Persephone... kind of can, too," (Y/N) shrugs, "It recently got much stronger, so maybe your dad has also taken a liking to me, who knows?"
Something clicks in Percy's mind, and he gasps at the memory, "Oh!"
Percy turns to walk out of Olympus when Poseidon reaches for his arm. "One more thing," the god says, and Percy faces him again.
"Yeah?"
"That girl who was travelling with you, the good fighter... what's her name?"
"Annabeth?" Percy offers, "Brown hair, grey eyes, about yay tall?" He holds a hand up for reference, but his father shakes his head.
"The other one," Poseidon says, "Persephone's daughter, I believe? Kind of scary?"
The boy chuckles, "Oh, you mean (Y/N)." This earns a nod from Poseidon, and Percy furrows his eyebrows. "Why are you asking?"
"Well," the god starts, shrugging as a light smirk forms on his face, "I just want you to know that if you consider her when you choose to start dating, she has made gods think of Tartarus as a playground."
Percy groans, squeezing his eyes shut in embarrassment, "She's a friend. That's all."
"You blushed when you met her."
"I was scared! She had just beaten up, like, twenty campers in front of me!"
"Sure..." Poseidon wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and his son scoffs.
"Just... stop. Stop. It doesn't even matter because I don't like her like that."
"Oh, so you do like her?"
"As a friend! You know, why do you even care, anyway?"
Poseidon's smile fades, his expression replaced with one that is completely serious. "She saved your life."
Percy sighs, voice solemn yet full of reverence, "Yeah, she did, and I owe her mine."
Poseidon nods, reluctantly, "It is only reasonable. But please don't risk your life just to save hers."
Percy furrows his eyebrows, "Why does this matter to you so much?"
Poseidon's eyes flash with hurt for the umpteenth time, "You're my son, Percy. While I may not be present, I do care."
Percy rubs the bridge of his nose, "Yeah. I know."
"Look," Poseidon steps forward, placing his hand on Percy's bicep, "I don't want you to put yourself in danger, unlike (Y/N), who chooses to face it in order to save others. She can take care of herself. You are still learning."
"And?"
"And, because of this, it would be an unnecessary sacrifice if you died fending off something or someone that (Y/N) is fully capable of handling on her own."
Percy pauses, knowing that he's right.
"B- but I have to repay her somehow," Percy stammers, shaking his head.
Poseidon nods, "I know. But you don't have to do it alone."
"What do you mean?" Percy furrows his eyebrows at his father, and the god continues:
"I owe her a debt for the same reason that you do. She saved my son's life," he gives Percy a strained smile, patting his arm as if to reassure himself that the demigod is, indeed, still alive, "You may give her my thanks."
Percy stares at his father in confusion, "Is that it? You're repaying her with a 'thank you'?"
Poseidon chuckles, a smile on his face as the sea-green eyes he shares with his son twinkle with knowledge. "It is what I ask you to do on my behalf. The rest is godly business. You can trust me."
Percy nods, hesitantly, "Okay." This earns another pat on the arm from his father.
"Good."
"You okay?" (Y/N) asks, her eyebrows furrowed as Percy stares off, distant, "What is it, Percy?" He snaps back to attention, looking at the concerned girl in front of him.
He relays the conversation from the encounter with his father at Olympus (excluding everything about Percy possibly liking (Y/N), because she's just his friend who is super nice, despite being terrifying when fighting; and, gods, when she's smiling or looking up at him with those gorgeous (Y/E/C) eyes that the sun always lights up from within, it's almost as though the rest of the world doesn't even — 'Stop getting off-topic, idiot,' he shakes off his thoughts. She's his friend.), and he shrugs as he finishes:
"He wanted me to thank you— sorry, I totally forgot about that after I got back to camp; Poseidon says, 'thank you'— and told me that the rest was 'godly business'. It seems like he did take a liking to you."
(Y/N) pauses before nodding, "Huh. Okay, uh, that's good to know... I guess."
Percy shrugs again, "Yep."
"That would explain the wet ankles," (Y/N) mumbles, making Percy's ears prick up at the unexpected comment. He furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
"What?" he asks, slightly concerned, and the daughter of Persephone just laughs.
"It's nothing. Anyway, come on," (Y/N) gestures to the stairwell, "Your mom's probably waiting for us."
Hesperos lies down, knowing that many people don't actively search rooftops for Pegasi, as (Y/N) and Percy take the stairs to get off the roof and into the main apartment building. When they reach the desired floor, they silently get the mutual idea for a race, and Percy takes off running the second his foot hits the floor.
(Y/N), determined, sprints behind him, reaching her arms out to grab his shoulders. Using her momentum, she pushes herself to swing up and over Percy's head (nearly crashing into the ceiling but avoiding it by an extremely narrow margin), continuing to run immediately after she lands.
(Y/N) laughs at Percy's annoyed, "Not fair!", before coming to a stop outside the apartment door. Percy catches up to her, nudging her with his elbow as she sticks her tongue out at him in victory. "Childish," he mutters, teasingly, and (Y/N) scoffs.
"Sore loser."
"Cheater."
"Sore loser."
"Annoying little bitch," Percy turns to her, leaning down so his face is directly in front of hers. She hums before leaning closer, their noses almost touching as she stares into his eyes.
"Sore. Loser," she repeats, lightly flicking his forehead with her index finger before walking into the apartment.
Percy rolls his eyes, entering after her and feeling grateful the second the air conditioning hits his warm skin. "Mom?" he asks in confusion as she walks in, a small duffel bag on her shoulder.
"So, I've packed the things I think you're going to need, I'm not sure about all of it, though," Sally states, setting the bag on the floor in front of Percy. "You might wanna check your room and put stuff in your backpack before you go, too."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on," he stops her from continuing, brow furrowed, "Before I go? Wh- where am I going?"
"Back to camp," Sally states, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"Right now?" Percy asks, surprised that his mother is okay with him leaving this soon.
"Well, yeah," she shrugs, "I figured you'd want to see your friends as soon as possible, so I started getting some stuff together. Again, you'll have to double-check and make sure I haven't left anything behind, but-"
Percy cuts her off by pulling her into a hug, squeezing her with excitement, "Thank you!"
He lets go a second later, running to his room as (Y/N) and Sally share an amused glance. Percy rushes around, stuffing items into his backpack— apart from the rose on his nightstand, which he very carefully sets inside— and ensuring that he has all of his essentials. Patting his pocket to check if Riptide is still there (it is), along with his phone (it isn't, and he freaks out until noticing that it's on his dresser), Percy scans his room for anything else before slinging his backpack onto his shoulder and closing the door behind him.
When he re-enters the living area, (Y/N) is facing a wall, nodding her head with a smile before reaching forward to wipe away a small patch of a rainbow. "Chiron?" he asks for confirmation, and the girl turns around.
"Yep."
Percy nods in acknowledgement before turning to Sally. He thanks her profusely, giving her a long hug. Sally chuckles, rubbing his back before pulling away, "Just let me know when you decide to visit." Percy instantly agrees to her terms, and she smiles, "Good. I love you."
"Love you, too, Mom."
"Take care of him, (Y/N)."
"Of course, Ms. Jackson," she responds, a warm smile on her face as she steps forward, her hand stuck out for a handshake. Sally pulls her into a hug instead, and (Y/N) pauses in surprise before gratefully returning the gesture.
"All right," Sally pulls away, smiling at the two teenagers, "Be safe."
"We will," they respond in unison before exchanging goodbyes once more and exiting the apartment. Percy turns around before the door closes to wave, and (Y/N) lifts two fingers to her forehead, pushing them forward to salute a final goodbye.
They take the stairs back up onto the rooftop, where Hesperos is patiently waiting. (Y/N) gets on first, taking Percy's duffel bag and setting it in front of her. Hesperos kneels down so Percy can climb on behind (Y/N), and he tentatively places his hands on her shoulders. "You ready?" she asks as Hesperos stands up properly, and Percy gives her an unsure nod.
"All right. We're gonna take it easy, boy," she tells the Pegasus, patting his neck, "Let's go."
Hesperos stretches out his wings before becoming airborne, and Percy tightens his hold on (Y/N)'s shoulders, leaning closer to her as their altitude increases. "Here," (Y/N) lets go of Hesperos's mane and the bag, removing Percy's hands from her shoulders. She wraps them around her waist, "This is probably better for your first time flying. The air gets pretty thin and without regular adjustment you may get lightheaded. I don't want you to fall off."
Percy's cheeks flare red.
He keeps his arms loose, hoping to be respectful, as (Y/N) holds onto the bag with one hand and the mane with her other. However, Percy instinctively tightens his grip as they start flying faster, hugging her from behind. (Y/N) cringes as her hair blows into Percy's face, "Oh, sorry."
Again, she lets go of her hold on Hesperos to pull her hair over a shoulder, and a tendril grows from her palm to keep the (Y/H/C) locks together. "How do you not need to hold on?" Percy asks, amazed at her confidence.
She shrugs, "I just trust him. I know that he won't try to hurt me."
'It's a mutual feeling,' Hesperos adds, startling Percy for the briefest second, 'I trust her, too. And since I do, I trust you, Percy Jackson. If you trust (Y/N), then you can trust me.'
Slowly, Percy's fears of being so high up in the air fade away, and he loosens his grip on (Y/N)'s waist. The air of stress clears, and Hesperos increases their height, taking them above the second layer of clouds. "Wow," Percy exhales, looking out as rays of sunlight burst from the spaces in between them, almost as if heaven has broken through the Earth's atmosphere.
"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" He just nods in response, reaching a hand out to touch one of the clouds.
"It's more beautiful in the mornings. When the sun is rising," the admiration in (Y/N)'s voice is clear as she speaks, and Percy hugs her closer, both of them enjoying the moment of comfort. "The sky is painted with the most beautiful oranges and golds. It's like fire," she describes, smiling at her mental picture, "It's warm and tranquil and just... home."
"I'd like to see that one day," Percy mumbles, resting his chin on (Y/N)'s shoulder as he looks ahead of them, and she hums.
"Yeah. If you learn how to ride, we could go on morning flights. I think that'd be nice," her words end as an almost-shy whisper, and Percy smiles.
"I think so, too," he says, and (Y/N) leans back to rest against him, both of them admiring their view of the sky.
After a few minutes of peaceful conversation, Hesperos begins to lower, and he soon breaks through the clouds. He flies over the treeline, passing the camp's barrier and continuing his descent in order to land in a clear area. As they fly over Camp Half-Blood, Percy chuckles lightly in awe at his view of campers training and fooling around.
(Y/N) smiles at him, and he returns it with the utmost joy.
"We missed you, Percy," she tells him, and he squeezes her in a hug, looking out at the camp he was desperate to return to for the longest time.
"Welcome home."
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in this book we fucking stan sally jackson
😤