Assemblage of Jercy

Day 1 Challenge: Getting Lost Somewhere

Genres: Humor, Angst, Friendship

Rating: T (for language)

Wandering around nature is a great way to relax and find yourself; think more about your place in the world.

Unless you're driving a Prius along an unmarked path in Missouri with Jason Grace holding a 1990s edition atlas.

"Oh, for the love of all that is blue and holy," Percy snapped. He took his eyes off the path to glare at the idiot next to him. "Why are you holding it sideways? It's not going to magically show us the way—"

"Shut up, Jackson," the demigod interrupted. "I'm holding it like this because we are going West, so it will be more accurate this way." Jason pushed his golden framed glasses up and squinted. "Why don't you carry a smartphone so we could use GPS?"

"Have you gone stupid?" Percy's hands flew off the steering wheel with incredulity and annoyance. He uncapped a water bottle and took a quick drink before setting it in the cup holder.

Jason shrugged. "Guess stupid is contagious."

The son of Poseidon screamed, and the contents of the uncapped water bottle exploded. Percy didn't allow it to drench his clothes, but the blonde in the passenger seat wasn't so lucky. Nor was the atlas.

"Great!" Jason exclaimed. "Your spaz attack just ruined the only directional information we have in this god forsaken vehicle." He tossed the book into the backseat, landing with a wet smack on their duffle bags.

Percy rolled his eyes. He could easily draw the water from the pages, but it wasn't like Jason could read it anyway.

They were officially lost, annoyed, and had a low fuel level light on.

Damn! How many miles had it been on?

That was what he got for trying to "driver seat navigate".

And within a few seconds, Percy felt the accelerator giving way, the car felt like it was trying to drive through wet tar.

Jason narrowed his eyes at him. "Jackson, what did you do?"

Percy prayed to whatever god had power over gasoline that they would somehow give them a little more gas. Just enough to find a road sign!

"This thing is a hybrid, right?"

"Right," Percy answered. "Which would be so helpful if the car was charged."

The Prius was feeling very heavy and slow, crawling it's way along the dirt road. Percy pulled the steering while to the right and pulled past the shoulder to a tall deciduous tree that had alrighty lost all of its leaves for the season.

Percy slumped into his seat as the car came to a gentle rolling stop and promptly died.

From over in the passenger seat, Jason was fuming. But being the "natural leader" that he was, he contained himself.

"Alright, we have shelter in the car, battery life, a cooler of water bottles and gatorade, duffle bags with clothes, $300 in cash, a coin bag of golden dra—"

"DUDE. Shut up. We aren't stranded."

The blonde demigod's eyebrows darted up, and he slowly blinked. "Really, Jackson, because it looks like we are pretty effing stranded in Missouri. Just my luck that I'd get stuck with you."

Percy unbuckled his seat belt and turned sideways to better face the passenger seat. "And here I am sitting over here thinking that there's no one else I'd rather be with in the Land of Misery."

Jason looked shocked. "R-really?"

Percy feigned sadness for a second longer and then shouted, "Hell no! Screw you, Grace."

"Oh, that's mature of you!"

"Whose fault is it that we get summoned to New Rome?"

At this, Jason snapped his head and looked out the window. He had him there. The blonde sighed dejectedly.

"Okay, okay. I think this trip has been really taxing on both of us mentally. I've never been in a car this long, let alone with another person." He stared down at his fidgeting hands.

The raven haired demigod looked like he still wanted to pick a fight, but after a few seconds his shoulders relaxed and he let out a breath of air that he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Sorry, man. I thought I'd leave behind all of my moodiness in my teenage years, but maybe it's just a demigod thing."

Jason snorted. "Or it's an "us" thing."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Jason unbuckled his seat belt and faced sideways towards the driver side. "Whenever we're together, we always end up getting into it, one way or the other."

Percy mulled this over. It was true. Annabeth called it Alpha Male Syndrome. Both he and Jason were always going toe-to-toe. Whether intentional or not.

"Hmm. Guess it is an "us" thing."

They stared at each other for what felt like a moment too long. Percy swallowed.

"Bros?" He extended his hand towards the blonde.

Jason nodded in agreement and took his hand. Firmly.

"Bros."

This is Day 1 complete for my 30 Day OTP Challenge. Rating will go up to M in much later chapters, and the story information will reflect that, as well as individual chapter warnings. Each chapter will have new genres which will be posted with the notes at the top. Some chapters will be connected with the previous or following chapter, others will not. Thank you for reading!

Until tomorrow...

-A.M. Williams