Prompt by KJD_Books.
Mix a Percy crush with capture the flag.
Percy breathed a sigh of relief as his team got into their positions, he himself doing the very same.
Once in place, he waited barely thirty seconds before the conch horn - signalling the start of the game - blew.
For tonight's game, Percy had located himself in a far more relaxed roll, encased in a shield of water, spinning rapidly in a strong blur. About a foot behind him, a large flag stood embedded in the ground.
On the flag was a god's symbol, as per usual. This time, the symbol was a large, black caduceus. Just Percy's luck, working in the same team as his crushes. Working for his crushes' team.
And wasn't that amazing, Percy's crushes' cabin had requested him for capture the flag. (They had also made him team captain, annoyingly. Those Hermes kids really did love messing with him.) Even stranger, Percy's crushes had had the most authority in this decision.
Percy stood, the water still twirling around him, for what seemed like twenty minutes, before the sound of the conch horn blowing a second time reached his ears.
With a quick look behind him, he confirmed that his team's flag was still there. Which meant his team won.
Percy grinned brightly, happiness and pride exuding off of him in waves.
Slowly, the whirling water began to calm, soon making way for a - to Percy - breath-taking sight.
Behind the wall of water stood Travis Stoll, his face alight in disbelief. He met Percy's eyes, mouth dropped open.
Percy couldn't hear the footfalls, but he could see Luke heading towards them from his left.
Unlike Travis, Luke didn't seem so shocked, walking towards them with a proud smirk; boldness further proved by the confident way with which he held himself, his steady steps.
As the shield Percy had put in place began to fade, heavy footsteps (as if someone was running) reached his ears. Just after the footsteps became audible, loud pants reached Percy's ears, directing his attention to the teen running towards the three of them, coming from behind Travis.
The teen stopped just next to his brothers, all of them now facing Percy.
There, Athena's flag in hand, stood Connor Stoll, his signature smirk tilting one corner of his mouth up.
"We won. I told you we'd win."
Percy laughed shortly. "You did."
Later that night, Percy lay in his bed in Cabin Three, staring up at the ceiling with uncensored sadness.
A certain thought had hit him on his way back to camp, surrounded by Hermes children left and right. (As well as those in front and behind him.)
He had three crushes, three. None of which knew he liked them, one of which had a girlfriend. Another one was aromantic, whilst the third one was currently seven years too old for him.
Sometimes, Percy wondered how he was even capable of getting into situations like this.