Warning: Mentions of abuse and character death. Implied sexual content.
This is an idea from daughter_of_olympus's Story Plot Shop book.
This one took a while because I'd been doing odd bits of research for it here and there.
It's slightly different from the original idea because my research sucked and I really wanted to write this idea so I just did lol.
Luke Castellan.
Luke Castellan was a name known by many, feared by many.
From the age of ten, Luke had started acting out. Up until that point, he was the village favourite.
He was adored, worshipped, loved.
The entire village knew who he was. Knew of the goodness in his heart.
They watched him kick a ball around with the other boys his age, laughing and joking.
What they missed was the way the smiles dropped. The way his eyes grew dark.
He often helped out around the village. He looked after a lot of the younger kids, helped a lot of the older ones. He was like a brother to many.
But nobody saw the burning envy in his eyes. Nobody saw the hatred bubbling up within him.
At ten, everything he had built seemed to crumble.
Havoc became something he loved causing.
It had grown too much for the other villagers.
Luke Castellan became the name of a banished boy. Of a boy without love.
He left, mind bitter and heart cold.
On his travels, he met a girl called Thalia. She was two years younger than him with an exterior just as tough, if not tougher.
They travelled together for about a week, two lost souls trying to find a place to call home.
They stumbled across a girl, Annabeth, who'd been running from a cyclops when they found her.
Together, they tricked the cyclops, taking cover in a cave somewhere.
It was then that they actually found out her name was Annabeth.
She was a seven-year-old girl from a few villages over.
She was lost, just like them.
So they took her with them.
~~~
Percy Jackson was a seven-year-old boy with a heart of gold.
The boy was never seen without a smile.
Not because he was always happy, but because there was only one person he trusted enough to be himself with.
Will, a six-year-old boy with a soul just as kind, was Percy's best friend.
The two young boys had grown up together. Their older brothers were friends, brought close by the deaths of their fathers.
Will was a happy boy, able to find the bright side to anything.
He'd never known his father. The man died before he was born.
That didn't mean he never missed him however.
Despite being only six, Will was a very mature boy. Most people expected him to be an excitable, overenthusiastic little monster.
Instead, they were met with a dependable, curious young man who was very polite.
Percy, on the other hand, was an excitable, overenthusiastic little monster.
But when he was with Will, he was himself. With Will, he was a shy, quiet boy, bubbling with repressed feelings.
Whenever they hung out, they often sat cuddled close, arms wrapped around each other to ground them
Unlike Will, Percy's father, Poseidon, was found dead on his first birthday.
Their fathers died trying to protect the other, their hardwork proving useless.
Percy, having been young, only remembered snippets of his father. When he thought hard enough, he could see a warm glow, his fathers face wrapped in gold.
No matter how hard he thought about him though, the image was always blurred, his fathers face obscured by that same golden glow.
He sometimes caught the harsh glares from his brother, or the expectant stares of his mother.
It was too much. Too much for a seven-year-old to handle.
He looked a lot like his father - apparently - and so, sometimes, his mother forgot that he was only a child. That he was her baby. Her baby she expected too much from. She expected him to be like his father, expected him to follow in his footsteps.
How was he supposed to follow in the footsteps of the father he didn't even remember?
Triton, his brother, couldn't help his glares. His brother loved him, he knew he did, he was his baby brother.
But, having lost his father at ten, he sometimes forgot that it wasn't Percy's fault.
He just needed something to blame.
As long as it helped his brother, Percy was happy enough being that thing.
~~~
Percy sniffled, his face hidden in blonde curls.
He was at Will's house, again.
The eight-year-old didn't mind this, he loved Percy and his older brother adored them both. How could he say no to them?
This time however, Percy was staying the night because of what was happening at home. Gabe, Percy's stepfather, was drunk. Again.
Despite being so young, Will already knew what would happen if Percy stayed home tonight.
Besides, Percy would just show up in the morning anyway.
His small body would be bloody and bruised, his eyes tired.
But as soon as he saw Will, his eyes would light up in that way. The way that was solely reserved for Will. Will, his best friend.
~~~
Luke hated running. Hated hiding.
But it was all he'd done for the past two years.
No rest, no escape.
No love.
~~~
Sometimes, Percy felt like Will was the only person who liked him.
Will, his best friend, who he loved.
It had been a recent discovery. After all, Percy had always misplaced his love for Will as brotherly. To know that love was something more was...
Absolutely terrifying.
Percy wasn't supposed to love boys.
He was meant to love the girls who were mean to him, picked on him.
He was meant to love the girls who called him stupid, ugly. The girls that did nothing but laugh at him and his misfortune.
Why did Percy have to love girls?
Why couldn't he love boys? Boys like Will who were so nice to Percy. Boys who made sure he was included. That stuck up for him whenever girls were around.
Why couldn't Percy love boys? They were so much nicer (and prettier) than girls.
Why couldn't Percy love Will?
~~~
Luke grunted as his body hit the ground, momentarily winded.
They were running again, from what, he couldn't remember. All he knew was that they were cutting it a bit close to the borders of his old town.
Luke couldn't help but stop running as he heard a giggle, the sound pulling him in.
Nothing mattered except that giggle as he ducked tree branches, jumped over logs.
His feet were silent as he walked, having two years of practice under his belt.
Luke felt his breathing speed up as he spotted a young boy, an unfinished flower crown placed loosely on his lap. Beside him lay an array of yellow and white flowers Lule couldn't name.
He stared in wonder as the small boy completed the crown, a proud smile on his lips.
Luke saw him bite his lip, his expression turning unsure.
"I hope he likes it."
Luke was sure he stopped breathing as the boy looked up, glancing a peak at green eyes. At least, Luke decided they were green. It was hard to tell, what with the way the green fought blue, his eyes like nothing Luke had ever seen before.
Luke's eyebrows furrowed as he heard another boy call out, presumably to the beau- boy in front of him.
The green-eyed boy stood, his black hair falling down across his forehead.
The boy seemed unable to stand still as another young boy came bounding over, soft blonde curls dancing with each step.
The boy's eyes were blue, like the sky. Sure, Luke thought they were pretty, but they had nothing on the green-eyed boy's.
The two boys grinned at each other, expressions loving.
The blonde boy raised an eyebrow at the flower crown, his lips tilted at the corner.
The green-eyed boy coughed, his eyes downcast.
"Made this for you." He mumbled.
Luke watched on, confused. Why did the scene make his fingers twitch?
The blonde smiled, his face slightly teasing as he spoke.
"So, are you going to just stand there or are you actually going to put it on my head?"
Luke didn't know how to feel as he watched the boy's arms cross, the green-eyed beau- boy infront of him blushing.
"Right."
The boy's arms shook slightly as he leaned forward, delicately placing the crown atop blonde curls.
Luke tilted his head to the side, examining the blonde's appearance.
The blonde was a beau- boy. The blonde was a boy. A very pretty boy who took ahold of another pretty boy's hand.
Luke watched as they ran off giggling, faces pink.
Luke blinked, surprised, as he heard a snap come from in front of him, finding Thalia standing there with an annoyed expression.
"Huh?"
"They're gone, if you were wondering. No thanks to you by the way."
"Uh-huh, yeah. Carry on."
Luke nodded as he walked forward, spotting a small flower amongst the hundreds of brown branches. He crouched in front of it, reaching out slowly, afraid almost. He picked it up carefully, inspecting it.
As far as Luke could remember, it was a daisy, one of the flowers the boy was using to make the crown for his... friend?
The word made Luke's fingers twitch, again.
Luke stood, turning around to find both Thalia and Annabeth staring at him weirdly.
In response, all he did was roll his eyes, quickly pocketing the small flower, mindful of the fragile petals.
~~~
Percy pouted, his arms crossed over his chest.
His school was doing the yearly height and weight check ups for its students.
Percy hated them.
They always seemed to happen at a time when Will was taller than him, even if only by an inch.
This year, Will's results had come back after Percy's. There was usually about a day or two between the arrivals of their individual results seeing as they were in different grades.
Percy had felt oddly proud of his height up until he heard the results of everyone else in his grade.
Percy was at least two inches shorter than everyone in his grade, something all of the girls - especially Nancy Bobofit - found hilarious.
He found out the next day that he was also shorter than about half of Will's grade.
Even Will was currently an inch taller than him. He'd spent at least ten minutes pouting before Will told him he'd heard from Apollo - his older brother - that he may be the shortest now, but during puberty, he'd shoot right up.
Apparently most girls were taller at their age anyway and that he'd be sure to receive a growth spurt soon.
Percy had stopped pouting at that point, hoping Will would stop laughing at him.
He also pretended he knew what puberty was as Will babbled along.
~~~
Luke sighed, relieved. They'd finally managed to steal some clothes that fit him.
Due to all of their changing heights, they often had to steal clothes about twice a year.
It was always a long and tiring process as they were never sure how many sizes up they'd have to steal.
This had been their fifth steal, the majority of them caused due to Luke.
If it hadn't been for Thalia, a lot more of the steals would've had to of been for Annabeth too.
For now, the two just made do with each others clothing. Their wasn't much between the two anyway, only about a couple of inches on Annabeth's side.
~~~
Percy hated Nancy Bobofit. He really, truly hated her.
As a treat, both Percy and Will's grade were taking a trip into the next town over.
Both grades were packed onto one of their school's ridiculous old yellow buses, not a single second of silence.
Percy and Will, obviously, were sat right next to each other. Unfortunately, they were sat in front of Nancy Bobofit and her crew.
Earlier that morning, Will and Percy had made the small walk to their school. On the way, Percy had spotted a beautiful pink flower and had decided to give it to Will.
Will had only sighed with a fond smile on his face as he let Percy rest it behind his right ear.
As soon as they'd arrived at school, they'd been pushed to the ground, as usual.
But then one of Nancy's friends had spotted the little pink flower behind Will's ear and made her way over, snatching it up.
Percy could hear his blood pumping loudly, sounding like a wave crashing against the shore repeatedly.
They'd both watched, shocked, as Nancy plucked the flower from her friend's hand, only to chuck it to the ground and jump on it, her evil cackles echoing around in Percy's head.
And here they sat, hand in hand on an obnoxious yellow bus, trying not to cry as Nancy littered the crushed petals over their heads.
If it wasn't for the touch of the other, both knew they would have already jumped out of their seats and attacked the annoying girl.
Instead, they just held on a little tighter, blocking out the world around them.
~~~
Luke blinked, confused, as he watched an old yellow school bus pull up to the curb. He watched the kids, around thirty eleven to twelve year-olds, run off the bus and follow the grumpy looking teacher in a leather jacket across the road.
His breath hitched as, lastly, two small boys stumbled off the bus, hand in hand.
Both had small pink flower petals sprinked in their hair, something that didn't seem to bother either boy.
They seemed so engrossed in conversation as they followed slowly behind the other kids that neither noticed the large red truck heading their way.
Luke didn't even think about it. The next thing he knew, he was stood in front of a large red truck as the driver tried to stop, too in shock to bib his horn.
Luke felt his body relax slightly as he watched the two boys get across the road completely, running to catch up with the others. Still hand in hand.
Luke ignored the twitch of his fingers.
~~~
Triton had decided to take Will and Percy, along with Apollo, on a boat ride.
Will knew Percy was really looking forward to the trip, to getting to spend that quality time with his older brother.
Plus, Will would take any time with Percy away from Gabe that he could.
The four planned to spend a few weeks out in the ocean. Since it was summer, Percy and Will were off school.
They were going to take the Princess Andromeda. The Princess Andromeda was a small yacht that Triton had fought hard to keep in their family. It had been their father's, something he'd took great pride in owning. (Partly because of how much he loved the boat and partly because it was the only valuable thing their small family owned.)
Currently, Will and Percy were laying on the floor of the boat on some blankets they'd laid out. Subconsciously, their hands had become entwined as they stared at the sky.
They were waiting for Triton and Apollo to return with the last of their stuff. The two friends had decided to give them a break from lugging their stuff to the docks but both boys knew it was because they secretly wanted those last moments of peace before spending two weeks alone with their younger brothers.
Percy jolted up as he heard a bang, Will not far behind.
In front of them stood a teenage boy, about sixteen, a small daisy in his hand.
Percy went to call out, to protest, explain about how that flower was for Will. But then he saw the desperate, confused look on the older boy's face and relaxed, a small smile on his face. He gestured with his head for the boy to leave, watching his face contort into an expression of relief.
When Will turned to him, worried, all he did was shrug. He did however grip a little tighter to Will's hand, needing to know that he was indeed still there.
~~~
Luke didn't know what he was thinking as he jumped the side of the small boat, landing silently.
Lying atop a blue rucksack, Luke had seen a single daisy. The flower never failed to make Luke's heart flutter, something he didn't understand.
Grinning, he carefully took the flower between his finger and thumb. He turned, prepared to head back to Thalia and Annabeth when he saw the two familiar boys lying on the ground.
He stumbled, accidentally kicking the blue rucksack, wincing as it skidded across the floor, making a small thump noise in the process.
The black-haired boy was the first to react, jolting up into a sitting position rather quickly. His blonde friend wasn't too far behind.
Luke had felt oddly guilty as sea green eyes stared him down, looking upset.
But then the boy smiled and gestured for him to leave.
And Luke was off, daisy clutched delicately in his hand.
~~~
Gabe was gone.
He was gone and Will had never felt happier.
Percy, his Percy didn't have to live how he did before. Scared, angry. Small.
The two friends were sat opposite each other on Will's bed, soft smiles on their faces.
Despite how quiet Percy's voice was, Will could tell he was happy. Relieved.
Percy was going to stay the night again, despite having no real need to anymore.
He just wanted to spend more time with Will.
"So, you know, now that he's gone, we don't have the money coming in that we did before."
Will's eyebrows furrowed as he nodded, confused about where this was going. Percy head was tilted to the side slightly, his hair falling down across his face. Will was unable to see the eyes he so wanted to.
Slowly, Will reached out to cup Percy's cheek, moving his head so he could look him in the eyes.
At Will's look, Percy removed his lip from between his teeth, a bad habit he'd developed over the years.
"I applied for a job at the stables."
Will felt his heart drop a little but he had to keep a straight face.
He moved his hand from Percy's cheek to his hair, rubbing circles into the skin just above his temple.
"You sure?"
Percy didn't look at all sure.
"Yeah. Triton's busy with the last of his studies and mom already works at the diner and the laundromat. Besides, I like horses, you know that."
Will didn't know what he was doing when he leaned in to place a kiss on Percy's forehead that made them both blush.
"Just be careful, yeah?"
Percy smiled, feeling relaxed due to the hand in his hair.
"Of course."
~~~
Luke pulled back the cover to their cave before turning around and heading off into the woods once more.
He'd just walked in on Thalia and Annabeth kissing and didn't plan on seeing it again. The two were like sisters to him.
Realistically, he should have seen this coming. The way they looked at each other when they thought no one was looking. The way they could block Luke out for what felt like hours as they talked amongst themselves. The way their familial cuddles never really seemed familial when it was just the two of them.
Luke had apparently missed all of the very obvious signs.
~~~
Will sighed from his spot on his bed next to Percy.
Percy had come to Will straight after his shift at the stables. Apparently, there had been a fight between two stallions that left Percy - an unqualified fifteen year old - frozen in shock.
He'd been close to the actual fight when it happened and had been unable to move. Consequently, he'd been thrown backwards by one of the horses.
They both considered Percy rather lucky. Fortunately, he'd only received a rather hard nudge to the ground.
That didn't mean his back didn't hurt from when he landed on it.
Seeing as Apollo had recently finished his medical studies, he'd offered to take a look for him.
Pretty much the whole of Percy's back was a bright red colour, guaranteed to bruise within the next day or two.
Percy lay shirtless on his stomach on Will's bed, Will kneeling next to him as he stroked a hand through his hair.
Due to being best friends with Triton, Apollo knew all about Gabe. He'd been in a similar place to Will when he was younger, letting his best friend stay the night as he cried into his arms quietly.
That didn't stop Apollo from grimacing when he caught sight of the scars on Percy's body, all hidden under the fabric of his t-shirt.
Even after the many times he'd seen Triton's scars, Apollo wasn't sure what emotion to feel at the sight.
In the end, after giving Percy some medicine and checking if he was okay, Apollo went to go spend time with his own best friend.
Percy turned his head from where it was buried in Will's pillow, smiling up at Will with that smile that made his heart melt.
"Hi."
Will smiled back down at him.
"Hi."
"So you gonna explain why you haven't kissed me better yet?"
Percy's expression changed immediately after he said it. His face went bright red and he turned to hide his face in Will's pillow.
Will, shocked, removed his hand from Percy's messy hair and used it to lightly tap the back of his head.
"Hey. You can't just ask me to kiss you and then not let me."
Percy just groaned, burying his head a little further into Will's pillow.
Will continued to poke the back of Percy's head.
"Oi. Let me kiss you."
Slowly, way too slowly in Will's opinion, Percy turned his head to look up at him once more.
Will smiled, and Percy just couldn't help the small smile that rose to his lips.
Will moved his hand to wipe away the few tears on Percy's cheeks before leaning down to place a peck on his lips.
"But Gabe-"
Rolling his eyes, Will leaned in to place another kiss on Percy's lips.
"None of that."
All Percy could do was nod as he stared into sky blue eyes.
~~~
"Nope."
Luke turned swiftly and walked back the way he came, refusing to walk into their shared motel room.
He did not want to find out what that groan was about.
Ever since Annabeth and Thalia had gotten together a year ago, Luke felt like he couldn't do anything, go anywhere, without almost walking in on them.
Luke liked their current room as well. The wallpaper was a light creamy colour with little daisies on it.
Sighing, Luke sat down on the bottom step of the motel's stairs, deciding to wait out whatever it was they were doing in there.
~~~
Percy walked back into Will's room, his face a bright red.
"Never again."
Will looked up from the book he was reading, one eyebrow raised. Percy didn't even have to look at the cover to know it was another one of Apollo's medical books.
"What?"
"They were- he was- did you know-"
"Breathe, Percy. Now, what happened?"
Will patted the space next to him on his bed, gladly entwing his hands with his boyfriend's as he sat down.
"Triton and Apollo- in the bathroom. What were they doing?"
Will's eyes widened before his face slowly took on a light shade of pink.
He assumed Triton had given his younger brother The Talk, just as Apollo did.
Apparently not.
"Percy, sweetie. I love you, but no."
~~~
Luke lay on his back in an unfamiliar bed.
There isn't much from the night before that he remembers clearly. Most of it is just one big blur.
He knows they'd been looking for a place to stay the night after a lucky month at the motel.
They'd bumped into a couple boys about Luke's age - eighteen - who offered to let them stay the night as they lived alone, having already moved out of their parents' houses.
They'd accepted the offer, far too exhausted after a day of travelling.
Luke faintly remembers sitting and chatting with the two boys as Annabeth and Thaila went to sleep in the spare room.
It was nice, talking to someone his own age. Even though Thalia and Annabeth were both only a few years younger than him, it just wasn't the same.
Luke remembers there being a bottle of alcohol that they shared.
After that, everything is just blank.
He turned on his side, sky blue eyes meeting acid green.
Brown hair was mussed, splayed out across the pillow.
The boy in front of him raised an eyebrow, not quite judging him.
"My name's Alabaster, in case you forgot."
Luke nodded, turning his head to look behind him briefly.
"And that is...?"
"Ethan." Came a groggy voice behind him.
Luke nodded, feeling oddly calm despite the situation.
"Did we?"
Alabaster smirked, his green eyes sparkling.
"We did. You seemed to know a lot after all. From what you told us, I expected you to be a complete prude."
Luke's face flushed a pale pink at the other boy's words.
It seemed to really sink in then.
He wasn't a virgin anymore.
~~~
Triton tried to look unbothered as he took a seat next to his lover on the couch.
He could only think about what would have happened if they'd been caught by his boyfriend's mother instead of his little brother. Luckily, she tended to be away for long periods at a time due to work.
He'd never been more thankful for something in his life.
"Right, so."
Triton looked over at the two teens sat on the opposite couch. Will was leaning back against it with his arms crossed over his chest, an eyebrow raised as he stared at them expectantly.
Triton couldn't help but turn and give his boyfriend a dirty look. In return, all he received was a sheepish smile.
Sighing, he turned back to look at the two boys.
Percy looked extremely uncomfortable. His face had calmed slightly but still remained a light pink colour, and he seemed unable to look either man in the eyes.
"Okay, so about what you saw Percy-"
"What were you doing? Why were you both," Percy paused as he looked around, as if searching for someone. His voice came out in a whisper as continued. "Naked. And why was Apollo on his knees? It looked like- like he was," he looked around again, "sucking your, you know."
The poor boy genuinely looked so confused, a stark contrast to his boyfriend next to him. Will had moved to sit forward now, his head buried in his hands. His face felt hot but there was still a small smile playing at his lips.
"Percy, what you saw-"
~~~
"You were having sex. You were not packing so don't even try and lie to me."
Luke's words came out harsher than he meant them to. He was just feeling a bit... he didn't he know. All he knew was that he'd definitely just been scarred for life.
"Come on Annie," Thalia ignored the quiet 'don't call me that' as she continued. "There's no point in lying. He knows what he saw."
Luke grimaced, muttering a quiet 'sadly'.
"Yeah- but- ugh, fine."
Thalia smirked, succeeding in making Annabeth flush a darker red before she turned back to Luke, her voice teasing.
"Yes. We were having sex."
"Well I know that!"
~~~
Percy pouted from his spot on Will's bed. Instead of sitting on in it normally - like Will had suggested - Percy sat with his legs against the headboard.
He sighed loudly, exaggeratedly, hoping for Will to give him some attention.
Percy's eyebrows furrowed when Will ignored him.
He made a humph noise as he moved around until his head was dangling off the bed.
"I want attention."
Will tried not to smile as he dug himself further into his studies.
"Really? I never would have known."
"No need to act so surprised."
"How can I not be surprised? You never want attention."
They both knew he was lying. But they both also knew that he meant it in a playful way. After Gabe left, Percy had slowly started becoming more comfortable with both wanting and needing things, even if it was just attention that he wanted.
"Can I at least have a kiss?"
Will turned, only to find that yes, Percy was indeed pulling the baby seal eyes on him.
Will smiled up at his boyfriend.
"Of course."
~~~
Luke stared down at the little daisy in his hands.
It had been seven years since he first saw those boys in the woods and yet he still couldn't help but pick up a daisy whenever he saw one.
It had taken him years to figure out the feeling that he'd had when he saw those boys was attraction, and he'd admit, he was a little jealous too.
He'd figured it out the day after his shared night with Ethan and Alabaster. Luke had befriended the couple rather quickly after that night and they both willingly let them stay the night whenever they needed. Longer, if necessary.
Usually, they did end up staying longer. Being on-the-run thieves didn't really give them a lot of options.
At least now he's able to connect the twitch of his fingers to jealousy.
~~~
Percy had officially been working at the stables for three years now. That was the longest someone had ever gone without an... incident.
Percy was pretty sure the only reason he hadn't had an incident yet was because of his friendship with Blackjack, one of the stallions.
Blackjack had actually been the stallion who knocked Percy to the ground two years ago.
The fight was between him and Tempest, a stalllion who really seemed to have it out for Percy.
If it wasn't for Blackjack and Arion - one of the other stallions - Tempest could have caused some serious harm to Percy.
Blackjack seemed to see himself as Percy's protector.
Who was Percy to deny his protection?
Arion, on the other hand, seemed to think himself Percy's brother.
It never failed to confuse Percy's bosses. The stud usually cared for nothing but the mares, but as soon as Percy showed up for his shift, he started acting like an excitable foal.
Will however, had only recently started his medical apprenticeship with his brother. It was far easier getting into their town's small medical department when your older brother was the best doctor they had.
~~~
Luke stared up at the sky from his spot on the ground.
He tried to appear as if he wasn't sulking, something both Thalia and Annabeth knew he was.
But how could he not?
Annabeth had just sassed him. It was something he expected from Thalia, not Annabeth.
He looked down at the small flower clutched lightly to his chest.
He hadn't seen either boy for years. He wondered if he'd get to see them soon.
~~~
Will sighed as he continued to patch up Percy's arm.
He refused to look at his boyfriend as he finished wrapping the wound.
"Are you gonna kiss it better now?"
Will just raised an eyebrow at him before smiling slightly as he leant down to lightly kiss the dressing.
"How do you always manage to get hurt?"
"I dunno. But it wasn't my fault this time!"
Will turned to look at his boyfriend, his face saying: really?
Percy nodded wildly as he watched Will slide his first aid kit back under his bed.
"Uh-huh. I was on my way back when I spotted Hazel Levesque, you remember her right?" At Will's nod he continued. "Well she was picking flowers again and I spotted a handful of daisies in her basket. It made me think of that boy from years ago."
Will nodded, his expression thoughtful, as he came to sit on the bed next to Percy.
"And how does that relate to the large cut on your upper arm?"
Percy looked down, blushing.
"It doesn't."
~~~
They'd snuck in through the borders of Luke's old town, their guards still up high.
Despite having left over a decade ago, Luke still knew his way around the place.
Annabeth and Luke were in charge of coordination this time, Thalia being stuck on look out.
Ethan and Alabaster were with them too, as their way in. They were also there in case any distractions became necessary.
Luke left their room at the B&B alone, ignoring the fact that it was nearing nine at night.
He took a route back to his old house, unable to place in his mind the reason why he was doing so.
He stood in front of the small hut for a good ten minutes before he just left, completely bottling any course of action he'd thought of taking.
It was on his way back to the B&B that he passed the stables.
He remembers a friend he used to have that always spent her Sunday mornings at the stables.
He wondered if she finally got the job she wanted.
It couldn't hurt to have a look right?
He made his way inside, the sound of giggles and shouts reaching his ears.
He stopped, awkwardly standing there as he waited for either of the teens in front of him to notice him.
It was when they'd both shouldered their bags and turned to leave when the blonde caught sight of Luke.
He gently elbowed the other boy, gesturing with his head towards Luke.
Luke's breath had caught in his throat as soon as they turned around, his mind making the connection between them and the two boys from years ago.
"Hi, can I help you?"
Luke blinked repeatedly, trying to find the right words to respond with as he tried to avoid staring.
"Erm, I'm an old friend of Silena Beauregard. I was just passing through for a few days and I wondered if she still worked here."
"S-silena?"
Luke nodded, watching on in confusion as the blonde turned to comfort his friend, who looked like he was trying not to cry.
The blonde turned to look at Luke, his friends head buried in his neck.
"There was an... incident, a few years ago, between a couple of the horses. Silena, well, she tried to stop it."
Luke wasn't dumb. He could make the connection between the boy's words and his friend's reaction, the way he gripped onto him a little tighter as he explained.
"Beckondorf?"
This time, the blonde too looked close to tears.
"There was an explosion in the forges, about a month before the incident."
Luke closed his eyes, unsure which emotion he wanted to feel.
He opened his eyes to see the two boys still hugging, feeling his fingers twitch briefly.
"R-right, sorry. I'll be off then. Thank you for telling me."
Luke's voice shook slightly at the start, everything else coming out clearly however.
Just as he turned to leave, Luke felt an arm grip his wrist lightly.
"Wait. You knew Silena and Charlie?"
Luke nodded.
"Do you, do you think you could tell me more about them, from before?"
One look into the boy's eyes and Luke found himself unable to say no. He nodded.
The other boy snorted, shooting Luke a knowing look.
"I'm Will by the way." The blonde boy said. "And this is Percy."
"Luke."
~~~
After Percy had locked up, they headed off to the small field a few minutes walk away from the stables.
It didn't take long after they sat down for Will and Percy to cuddle together, their arms wrapped around each other.
Luke ignored both the twitch of his fingers and the shiver of his spine at the cool night air.
Luke, upon Percy's request, started reciting as many memories he had of Silena and Beckondorf that he could remember.
As he finished, he looked up to find Will and Percy laying entangled on their sides, their hoods up to protect their ears from the cold breeze.
This time, the twitch of his fingers was only slight, barely noticeable. A small smile spread across his lips, somewhat shocking Luke.
Luke wiped at his eyes quickly before taking off his coat at the sight of the two boys shivering. He leaned over quietly, gently placing his coat over both of them before settling back down onto the grass.
Luke awoke to the sound of hushed whispers, opening his eyes to find the two boys - Percy and Will - sat opposite each other on the grass, their legs crossed.
Luke felt his breath catch in his throat as he gazed upon Will, a soft pink and purple flower crown placed upon his head.
He felt his heart start thumping a little louder as he watched Percy get up, dancing about with a small white flower in his hand.
Luke was well-accustomed enough with the flower to know its name by now.
And so he stared on in awe as Will too stood, placing a similarly made flower crown atop Percy's black hair in exchange for the pretty daisy.
Percy's crown sat slightly tilted, causing him to stand as still as possible, his arms held out dramatically.
Will laughed, pecking the tip of Percy's nose shortly, practically collapsing to the ground.
"Dork."
Percy pouted, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like ''m not a dork'.
Luke stretched exaggeratedly, acting as if he'd just woke up and only caught the end of their conversation.
"I mean, you seem pretty dorky to me."
Both boys jumped, staring at Luke in surprise. As bad as it sounded, they'd completely forgotten he was there.
"Luke! And to think I was going to give you my daisy."
Will smiled mischievously, the smile that Percy was solely responsible for, whether he chose to admit it or not.
"What, you mean my daisy?"
As he said it, Will spun the flower between his finger and thumb, staring up at Percy's stilled figure innocently.
"Hey, no. It's mine! We agreed we got to keep the flowers we found, and I found that daisy!"
"Yeah, but, it's in my hand now, therefore it's mine."
"But..."
"Oh, Luke. I found this daisy earlier and I remembered you saying you like them last night." Will reached his hand with the daisy in it out towards Luke. "I want you to have it."
Percy's jaw immediately dropped and his eyes widened as he stuttered out varying protests.
Luke had to fight the urge to smirk as he accepted the flower.
"Wow, Will. That is so thoughtful of you."
Luke's voice was overly grateful, both him and Will fighting back smirks as they smiled softly at each other.
"Hey, no, you can't do that!"
Will looked up at Percy, his eyes sad.
"I can't? Oh. I'm sorry Luke, I'm not allowed to give you the daisy. I'm going to have to take it back."
Luke sighed loudly, slowly reaching out to hand the small flower back.
Percy's eyes fitted between the two blondes on the grass, his lip between his teeth.
"Ugh, fine. You can give him the daisy, Will."
Will smiled brightly, handing over the flower very enthusiastically. Luke didn't understand how someone could be so excited so early in the morning. Well, he assumed it was early morning anyway.
"Here, Luke. From Percy."
Percy couldn't help but grin proudly, his chest puffed out a little bit.
"Aww, thank you Percy."
That was all it took for Will and Luke to burst out laughing, leaving Percy to adjust his flower crown as he stared down at them confused.
"What's so funny?"
They both just shook their heads, only laughing harder when Percy let out a little humph as he sat down on the ground, his arms crossed.
The action caused his crown to slip, the flowers falling down over his eyes.
Luke subconsciously reached over to sort it out, his fingers pushing a bit of Percy's hair out of his face.
He made eye contact with Percy, accidentally getting lost in his eyes, admiring the way the green swirled with blue.
Before either of them knew it they were both leaning in, their lips brushing slightly before they both pulled back, looking over at Will immediately.
"That was an awful kiss. If you're going to kiss my boyfriend right in front of me, at least do it well."
Bewildered, they both watched as Will leant up to give Percy a quick kiss on the lips before he moved over to Luke, giving him time to move away before their lips met.
After they pulled away, Percy and Luke continued to stare at Will in shock before he finally spoke up.
"That is how you kiss someone."