"Right through the red doors?" Jason asked with his monster-proof phone held up to his ear by his shoulder. It was an awkward angle that made Jason's neck hurt, but he couldn't use his hands at the moment. They were occupied by large posters of encouragement for his boyfriend.
The parking lot behind him was filled with cars, but the lot was vacant of people. Inside the building, he could hear people cheering. He wasn't sure what for, the competition hadn't started yet. Maybe morale? A small part of him tried to shout that he was late, but the anxiety-fueled thought was crushed by his constant affirmation he received from Sally. 2 pm at the red doors, her voice said from the phone. It helped, having her reassure him that the meet hadn't started yet. He didn't have this problem before, the doubt and overthinking, but after he was shot with what seemed like dozens of arrows helping out Apollo, his senses were always on edge. And thus, so was his confidence.
Jason walked through the doors, using his hip to push them apart as the stench of chlorine flooded the atmosphere. A warm gust of wind came from the room. The school always made sure to crank up the heat in the pool area. The water was cold and Percy had told Jason that he heard too many students complained until they got heat.
Jason scanned the room. Rows of bleachers surrounded the pool. The bleachers were a rusted silver and crowded with families. The swarms of heads made Jason loose track of what row he was suppose to be scanning for. Sally had hung up on him, his phone now wedged in the weird angle to try and hold it. Every step he took felt like his arms were cramping.
"Jason!" He heard through the murmurs of the crowd. He looked around. A family was sitting near him, their daughter laughing at something her dad said. A gaggle of blondes with necks long like the ones you'd see on a flock of geese.
There was a large pool in the middle. It was still, with the swimmers lining up behind a diving board. The pool divided into 7 lanes, each equipped with their own diving board and a small ladder. Jason turned away and scanned the crowd again.
"Jason!" Estelle screamed while making the sprint to him. Sally went after her telling her not to run as the girl crashed into Jason's legs. Jason locked his knees to keep himself from falling down, her forehead brushing against his hand.
"Jason!" She repeated with a delighted expression. Jason felt himself smile, he ruffled her hair and Paul had come to take the posters out of his way. The three year old held onto Jason's pants like it was her lifeline, Sally throwing out a few apologies with a fond smile.
"Alrighty Ms. Stell-Bell, we gotta go back to the stands." Sally chided in. Jason felt his grin widen as he saw the oversized shirt on Percy's little sister.
It was a lightning blue Jersey, lined with navy colored seams. It was large on her small frame, running down to her ankles. In a bold white was the number 7 and the name Jackson above it.
"It's for bubba!" Estelle exclaimed when she noticed Jason staring at her new shirt. Jason nodded along.
"We got one for you too." Paul said as he led the group back to their spots. There were a few towels on the seats. A flowery-purple one marking Estelle's spot that she was sharing with her Ariel doll and a plastic shark. He tugged at Jason's hand but he gently told her to wait as Sally handed him a jersey.
"There's a changing room if you need one," she said once he unfolded the shirt. Estelle was tugging on his jeans pocket now. She was rambling about a mermaid adventure and how Percy was going to swim like Ariel. She held up her doll as emphasis on, what Jason managed to get from her mix of whispers and screams, how Percy would be in the water.
Sally sat herself down and Paul went to grab a few waters from concession. Jason looked and saw in the furthest lane from their seats was Percy. Estelle had pointed him out once Jason had taken a seat on her towel. She climbed in his lap, pointing an accusing finger at who she claimed was "the winnerest winner of all!"
"Put it on! Put it on, Jason!" She encouraged again. Jason took a minute to realize she was talking about the Jersey Sally handed him. He pulled it over his head and Paul made his way to his seat. From the corner of his eye, Jason saw Percy get ready at the board.
The whistle from the coach blew and he dove in. Cheers erupted from the stands. Jason joined and heard Paul shout a "Let's go, Percy!"
Estelle jumped up and down on her seat and Sally stood up to give a few cheers. The person next to Estelle took her jumping as an attempt to start the wave in the stands. Jason felt a bit silly participating in the wave as his boyfriend swam, but it was all in good fun.
Jason's throat dried and made tears come to his eyes. He screamed out a few more praises before taking some water offered to him. The other swimmers didn't stand a chance, even if Jason could tell that Percy was holding back.
A buzzer went off and Percy's score appeared on a big screen. He had finished first. This made the Jackson's section go wild. Although they hadn't expected anything different, the bunch were cheerful nevertheless.
Sally waved her hands in the air and Estelle have shrieks of excitement.
Paul did that weird dad holler that Jason also hears from a few other dads who's kids scored high. They all looked like the type who plan cook-outs the minute the weather hits above 50°.
Percy looked back at them. He smiled in a way that Jason still swooned over. He waved at his family, grabbing a towel as he held up 3 fingers. It wasn't the hunger games symbol, but rather his pinky, middle, and index finger pointed to the sky. Jason didn't know what it stood for, but Sally, Paul, and Estelle did it back. Maybe it was a family thing? Jason's brain was half muffled by the gay panic of wearing a Jersey with Percy's last name on it.
There were a few more races, Jason cheering for his boyfriend even if he did let a few kids beat him. He couldn't do too well- he already had a big advantage from the godly side of his family.
"Are we gonna see bubba soon, Mama?" Estelle asked with a small tug on her mother's hand. Sally nodded with a warm look as her daughter fiddled with her wedding ring.
"We'll get to see your brother soon, little star." Paul said with an affectionate kiss on the forehead. That diverted her attention from her mother to her father. She climbed all over him, as a three year old does, and Jason couldn't help but notice how nice the jersey he had on felt.
It was soft on the inside, a lot looser than the wife-beater top he wore to the game. It was almost like waves, flowing over his shoulders and reaching just past his fingertips. It was big, but it almost seemed to be made for him. Jason shook his head, it was wishful thinking.
Jason noticed that once the scent of chlorine was taken away from the atmosphere there was a lingering smell of what Jason would describe as Percy. It was dumb and logically Jason realized there was no way the chlorine from the pool had left the room, but the Jersey didn't really smell of anything other than his boyfriend.
After the stands started to empty was when Estelle (and admittedly Jason himself) had become restless. Percy shot them a wave and walked over. Estelle escaped the hug from Paul and ran to her brother. A life guard of some sort had yelled at her to walk and Jason started to jog to him.
"Bubba! You went fast in the water!" She cried as Percy picked her up. She hugged his chest and he laughed.
"Yeah, did you see my time?" The girl replied with a nod. Percy's eyes met Jason's. He looked his boyfriend up and down, Paul and Sally were folding up the towels.
"You should keep it," Percy said. Estelle was put down, and Jason was officially confused.
"Keep what?" He asked. This made Percy let out a short huff, smiling as he lifted his arm.
He gestured to Jason's chest.
"The Jersey?" Jason replied. He was still confused, was this not something the family expected back? Why would he keep it after the swim—
"My last name," Percy clarified.
Jason felt his cheeks go bright red. He tried to stammer out a response but found himself sounding like a fish out of water.
Percy winked with the crooked grin he always wore.
"M-maybe I will," Jason said all in one breath.
"I'd– uh, I'd be down for that." Percy's eyes were wide and his cheeks began to darken. A blush ran up his neck and the two looked at each other. Their eyes were glued to another, not in the awkward stare they found themselves in with others, but it gave them both a source of comfort. They were quiet, both still a bit pink when Estelle ruined the moment.
"But that's your last name, bubba. Instead of giving Jason your name we should get ice cream!"
The demigods found themselves laughing hysterically. Percy put his arm around Jason while Sally and Paul caught up to them. With a towel to her hip, Sally looked at her babies.
"So, what's on the agenda tonight?" Paul had an all-knowing grin on his face.
"You up for ice cream, Superman?" Percy asked him.
"Yeah, I'm in if you are."
"As long as you'll keep it." Percy told him. Jason rolled his eyes and tried to fight the blush.
"I'll think about it. After all, I always assumed you'd be the one keeping my last name."