Just The Way You Are [JASPER]
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of its characters. They belong to Rick Riordan. I also do not own Just The Way You Are. It belongs to Bruno Mars.
I've removed the lyrics so as not to break any rules set by this website. Click the links on my profile if ya want to see the lyric version!
Oh if any of you fellow readers like a pop punk version of this song, there's a cover by Pierce The Veil! Search up "just the way you are pierce the veil" and click on the FIRST cover.
On another note, this one-shot costed 10 MS Word pages LOL.
§ § §
As he watched her spar with a Demeter kid, he could not help but marvel at her beauty. It was fairly hot today at Camp Half Blood and despite not wearing any makeup and sweating madly, he still found her beautiful nevertheless. It was like every time he looked at her, there was always something new he would discover. Either he realised that she was more beautiful in a particular way, or that he found a certain habit of hers adorable.
Clad in an orange Camp Half Blood shirt, brown khakis and gladiator sandals, Piper gripped Katoptris tightly as she wiped the beads of perspiration that formed on her forehead while in combat with a Demeter kid. It was clear that she had won, from the defeated slouch of her opponent and the triumphant smile on her face. Despite her victory, she still crouched down and offered a hand to her opponent and pulled her up. She even taught the new kid some moves, seeing as she was two years younger than herself and she had a lot to learn.
That was another thing Jason loved about her. She was humble, constantly trying to learn new things, yet at the same time she did not hesitate to impart knowledge.
Everything about her is beautiful, Jason thought. Her kaleidoscopic eyes were windows to her soul. The colour of her eyes matched the mood she was in. Brown, almost black when she was angry; green with golden flecks when she was happy; grass green when she was sad. Even though her hair was choppy as a result from her cutting her own hair, Jason thought that her hair still managed to fall in every right place. Most girls would have mistaken her hair for being actually carefully styled in choppy waves that gave off a messy look, but the truth is far from that. Piper's ponytail swished sideways as she gestured animatedly to her new friend.
Even though Piper was Aphrodite's daughter, she certainly did not act like one. She did not cake her face with makeup or flirt with guys. The only guy she flirted with was Jason, and he was grateful for that, because if anyone else dared to flirt with her, he would not hesitate to electrocute them. Perks of being a child of Zeus. Piper wore minimal makeup (the only time he saw her with makeup was at formal gatherings or when she was forced to) and Jason loved her that way – natural, not forced.
Making sure that her new friend had left and was out of earshot, Jason walked up to Piper and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. Piper sighed and leant back into him.
"I just finished combat practice. Aren't you afraid of my body odour?" Piper joked with a small smile, tilting her head and facing him.
"You're right, Pipes. Ew ew! I almost forgot about that!" Jason joked back as he pulled away from their embrace.
"Hmph! I see how it is then," Piper turned away, pretending to be hurt.
"Just kidding, Pipes. You're still beautiful even if you have body odour," Jason reassured her, standing in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders.
Piper sighed, "Jason, you know that-"
"Yeah, yeah I know. You don't want me to call you beautiful because you don't believe it. But that's the truth, I promise!" Jason cut her off, and cupped her cheeks.
"Who says I don't believe I'm beautiful?" Piper mused, winking. She then took off towards the lake and yelled over her shoulder,
"Catch me if you can, Lightning Boy!"
Jason smirked. It was glad that Piper had a sense of humour. Another thing he loved about her. That's why it was difficult for the couple to have a serious conversation of more than ten minutes, unless it was something concerning life and death.
But Jason could not help but wonder whether Piper really could see what he saw in her, whether she truly thought she was beautiful in the way Jason thought of her. Sure, he knew Piper was not like those teenagers who starved themselves just because they think they were not skinny or pretty enough for the society. He made sure Piper would never have to feel this way.
As he ran to catch up with his Cherokee girlfriend, he decided to let all thoughts slide and just enjoy the thrill of running and the wind rushing against his face.
§ § §
It was winter at Camp Half Blood. After much persuasion, Mr D once again let snow fall upon Camp Half Blood, and granted all campers a break of one week. Jason walked to the arena, which was covered in snow, with a bounce in his step. He was excited for his date with Piper as this time it involved snow. The last encounter he had with snow was an unpleasant one, when he met Boreas. He shivered as he recalled that experience and decided to push nasty thoughts out of his head and just focused on his date with Piper.
As though he could feel her eyes on him, he looked up and was instantly met by those mesmerising kaleidoscope eyes. Green with a little more golden flecks than usual, he thought. Piper jogged up to him, her side braid swaying to the momentum with a huge smile on her face.
The couple embraced right in the middle of the arena just like in any cliché movie but things with this couple are unpredictable. As quick as the embrace started, it ended. And no, the couple did not stay close and whisper sweet nothings into each other's ears. Being a demigod, everything was always unexpected.
And so, when Jason felt a hard and cold object hit his face, he was not surprised to see Piper holding a hand to her mouth, laughing. Laughing, not giggling. Not like other girls.
And oh, her laugh, Jason thought. To him, it sounded angelic, like little bells ringing. A silly grin made its way to his face and to others, he might be staring at her like a love-struck idiot but he couldn't care less.
Jason was so lucky to have her. A girl who is unique yet nonetheless beautiful. A girl who could have any guy under her spell but she chose to be committed to him, unlike some of her other siblings, who chose to go through some stupid rite of passage to prove that they were worthy children of Aphrodite's.
She was amazing, just the way she was. He certainly wouldn't have it any other way.
After Jason retaliated with a snowball of his own, the couple engaged in a serious snowball war, complete with fortresses and armouries.
§ § §
Jason looked at himself in the mirror one last time to make sure that his attire was suitable. His platinum blonde hair was swept to the side, with a minimal amount of gel – as he did not like the uncomfortable feeling of gel – and he straightened his tie for the umpteenth time. He wore a white dress shirt underneath his black coat, and black dress pants, paired with a soft blue tie, which brings out the many different shades of blue in his eyes. He literally looked like a penguin with a blue tie. He pondered for a moment whether he was overdressed but dismiss that thought as according to Percy, dressing formally was considered "romantic". If he made a fool out of his attire in front of Piper, the daughter of the goddess of love and beauty, he would be sure to strangle the son of Poseidon the moment he saw him.
"You can do this Jason. You love Piper. You can do it. You're the son of Jupiter for goodness sake!" Jason reassured himself, as he fumbled with the little velvet box in his pocket. That box literally contained his future and a most part of his man pride. Once opened, there was no turning back.
Jason wiped his clammy palms on his palms once more before patting his pocket as if to make sure that the box was still there. He then walked towards the door of his apartment, his black shoes clicking against the polished marble floor.
Throughout the short ride to Piper's apartment, he reminisce the times he spent with her, from their teenage years in Camp Half Blood to when they were old enough to live by themselves. Piper was definitely a beautiful girl, both appearance wise and personality wise, and he was sure she was the one for him.
Arriving at Piper's apartment, he hesitated a little before he knocked. He did not understand why he was so nervous. It was like any ordinary date where he would pick Piper up or she would meet him at one of their common places.
Maybe it's the fact that she might say "no". Jason thought negatively. He slapped himself and tried to focus on the positive thoughts and it was in that moment when Piper's door opened, revealing a girl more beautiful than the love goddess herself (not that he would ever say that allowed, for fear of getting blasted to pieces by his future mother-in-law).
She was clad in a strapless, knee-length dress, which was white at the top, but gradually darkened to a light blue at the bottom. Silver sequins were randomly splattered across the bottom of the dress, denser at the very bottom, and slowly decreasing in numbers as it goes higher. Small navy blue flowers wound around her waist, forming a simple belt. Silver stilettos adorned her feet. Her hair was curled in loose waves and it tumbled loosely on her shoulders. Jason could see a small braid at the side and a white butterfly clip securing it in place. Piper made an effort to wear slightly more makeup, which included eyeliner, mascara, thicker blush and pencilling her eyebrows. Her pale peach eyeshadow made her kaleidoscopic eyes, which were green with golden flecks today, pop out and although she applied slightly thicker blush than normal, she managed to pull off a natural look. Her lips were a pink colour, as she refused to wear bright red to spoil her "natural" look. Overall, Jason was stunned – and mind you, he rarely had such reactions as he found them impossibly cheesy and this is the second time, the first being when she got a makeover from Aphrodite at Camp.
Piper waved her white clutch in front of Jason's face, chuckling, "Cat got your tongue? Take a picture it lasts longer."
Seeing Piper's carefree attitude, he relaxed a little and reminded himself that there was nothing to be nervous about as he would only mess up if he weren't himself. Jason smirked, batting Piper's shoulder lightly, leading her to his car, not before complimenting her, reminding her that she was beautiful.
"Thanks Jason. You don't look too bad yourself too. But I why do I have a feeling that you're gonna be extra cheesy tonight?" Piper joked.
"That's for me, and only me to know and for you to find out," Jason answered with a smug smile as they drove to their destination.
When they reached the place, an involuntary gasp left Piper's lips. They had arrived at a secluded area, right beside a lake. A few trees dotted the grassy area and there were faint outlines of mountains in the background. Christmas lights were hung messily around the few trees that were present, illuminating the area. The enchanting moonlight together with the lights made the lake sparkle and gave the place a mysterious and magical feeling. Everything was so peaceful and serene, and Piper felt that any little disturbance could just break the calm atmosphere. The water in the lake rippled and the reflection of the moon was so clear such that it could be mistaken for something real. Distant chirping of crickets could be heard and the rustling of leaves too, when a light breeze caressed Piper's cheeks, lightly blowing at her hair. She was left speechless at the breath-taking scenery in front of her. It was as if Jason had brought her to a place that popped out from fairy tales.
Nearby one of the largest trees are a table and two chairs. Piper walked closer to the table, Jason trailing nervously behind. China cutlery and crockery were laid out nicely on the table, complete with a bottle of red wine, two wine glasses and a candlestick in the middle. It was everything like a romantic dinner in the town's finest restaurant, except for the fact that they were probably in the middle of nowhere. Everything has a natural touch to it, just like Piper liked it, just like Jason knew she would.
"Did you… Did you do this all by yourself?" Piper asked, astonished.
"Erm… Well, the idea was mine and all but Leo did help me with setting up the lights…" Jason trailed off nervously, then added hopefully, "Do you like it?"
"Like it? Like it?! I love it Jason! Thank you!" Piper exclaimed, hugging Jason tightly. "Even though this whole dinner concept is a little cliché, I'm really impressed that you managed to find a secluded area like this to make the experience more unique."
"Then come, m'lady," Jason imitated in a posh British accent, taking Piper by her hand and leading her to the table. Piper giggled and swatted his arm, saying how bad of an imitation that was. Jason then pulled out her chair for her, making sure she was comfortable before scurrying off to the trolley of food behind the large tree.
He came back with two bowls of macaroni and cheese. Placing them in front of Piper, he announced, "Your appetiser, lady."
Piper smiled widely at him, saying, "Really, Jason. Really? Mac and cheese?"
"Well you know how 'great' of a cook I am, so don't complain," Jason retorted, air quoting the word "great". That million-dollar smile of hers released butterflies in his stomach. It was these types of smiles he loved the most, where there would be crinkles at the side of her eyes from smiling too widely, where her dimples would show fully. Even after six years of dating her, he still never fails to admire Piper's smile.
He eyed her carefully, watching her every move, eager to know what she thought of his sloppy cooking.
"Mmm… Not bad for an amateur…" Piper mused.
"Not bad? Not bad?! I spent a whole freaking day cooking and you said not bad? Don't I deserve better?" Jason whined at the end and pouted a little.
Piper chuckled, "We'll see your other dishes first, Master Chef Grace."
"Oh, now we're on last name basis eh Mclean?" Jason joked, as he poured the wine into the glasses for both him and Piper. He then went back and brought out the main course.
"Instant noodles?!" Piper asked, albeit a little shocked as it stuck out like a sore thumb in this romantic environment.
"Just eat. It's Master Chef Grace's creation," Jason said as he dug into his uneaten Mac and Cheese.
Piper laughed, "You sure know how to cook your meals."
"You have a beautiful laugh," Jason complimented, as he smiled at her. His smile grew slightly wider when he saw Piper's cheeks becoming a light shade of pink.
"Let's just eat, shall we?" Piper said.
"Alright, alright, lady." Jason defended, raising his hands in mock defence.
There was a brief silence where no words were spoken. The occasional chirping of the cicadas, the rustling of the leaves and the sound of water from the nearby lake filled the silence. The candlelight flickered, dimly illuminating the features of the couple. At this moment, they were a normal young adult couple, who were madly in love with each other, dressed formally and having a romantic candlelit dinner, and not two demigods, whose lives were constantly threatened, having instant noodles in the middle of nowhere.
Seeing as they almost finished their main course, Jason excused himself and went to the food cart to get their desserts, which were half decent this time. They consisted of a mixed fruit platter with a brownie he definitely did not bake.
As the couple munched on their desserts, they made small talk about their jobs and reminisce about their old days at Camp. Jason couldn't help but notice the way her lips would curl up slightly when he made a bad joke or the way her full lips move as she articulated every syllable clearly. Last but not least, he couldn't help but notice the amount of golden flecks in her eyes, today being quite a lot, which reflected the happiness that was bubbling inside of her. Jason felt really contented at this moment and he was very sure of what he wanted to do.
He made sure Piper was nonchalantly eating her brownie when he got out of his seat, kneeled in front of her and took out the small, velvet box that he had been fidgeting with before he picked her up. Hey, it's normal for a guy to feel nervous before making such a gesture right?
"Piper Mclean, I have loved you since the day we've started dating and I can assure you I will continue to love you forever if you let me. You're beautiful in ways you don't even see and I'm really glad you chose to be with me when there are other better guys out there. As you know, I'm not very good with such speeches so will you spare me the embarrassment, and let me take care and love you for the rest of your life? All you have to do is slip on this ring and say 'yes'. So, will you marry me?," Jason stated confidently, as he opened the box to reveal a silver ring with a single diamond perched on top. Sure, it had cost him a fortune, but he was willing to spend any amount on Piper, because she was literally priceless.
Piper gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. She seriously wasn't expecting the proposal. Sure, she did have thoughts about spending her future with Jason but she did not dare to bring them up for fear he would object. Furthermore, she was happy with their current relationship status so she did not want to push things too far. She originally thought that Jason had a burst of creativity and wanted to use it on this date.
Happy tears streamed down her face as she managed to keep herself from trembling, squealing, "Yes. YES! I will marry you, Jason Grace."
And it was in that moment when everything was perfect. Every trouble, threat, worry was gone from their lives, only pure happiness was present in the air. Sure, not everything worked out for this couple, as do other couples too. Furthermore, them being demigods just complicated their journey. But it was through these ups and downs that led them to grow closer together, to be by each other's side through thick and thin. Everything worked out.
Jason slipped the ring on Piper's delicate fingers before engulfing her in a tight hug, unintentionally lifting her and twirling her around, which resulted in a squealing Piper and a laughing Jason.
He placed her down, one hand cupping her face gently as if she were a China doll, and the other snaking around her waist, pressing her tightly against his chest.
"I love you," Jason whispered, although there was no need to. It was as if he would destroy that atmosphere if he spoke too loudly.
"I love you too," Piper declared, both of her hands winding around Jason's neck.
Slowly but surely, Jason leaned down and kissed Piper gently on the lips. Piper kissed back almost immediately and through the kiss, they conveyed their happiness, passion and every other emotion they were feeling then, even though it was gentle and soft, not rough and needy.
Both Jason and Piper felt sparks fly – heck, they felt fireworks because of their immense joy – when they kissed, even though they had done this many times. They say it is true love when you never get tired of that person.
'Cause girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are.
Jason pulled away, a megawatt smile on his face and his smile grew wider – if that was even possible – when Piper's facial expression mirrored his. Their cheeks were flushed and their eyes were filled with unexplainable joy and excitement for their new life, together.
Jason kissed Piper gently on the forehead before asking, "And may I have this dance, m'lady?"
"Yes, you may," Piper giggled, giddy with happiness.
And just like that, the imperfectly perfect couple waltzed underneath the night sky, which held the glorious moon and the many shimmering stars speckled randomly. Even though there was no music, the couple swayed side-by-side, chests pressed against each other, holding onto each other as if they would lose the other if they let go. The moon shone brighter tonight, as though Artemis, a virgin goddess who despised most men, herself was beaming for the happy couple underneath the night sky. And we could all bet that Aphrodite would probably be running around Olympus, cheering for the fairy-tale ending of her daughter, and perhaps one of her favourite couples.
Because nothing was perfect or expected for demigods. They had to just go with the flow and see where life would take them because their lives were still being threatened on a daily basis. As for now, Jason was very contented with where he was, right beside his soon-to-be wife. Piper was indeed amazing, just the way she was. Besides, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Mrs Piper Grace," Piper whispered, a smirk evident in her voice, "I could get used to that."
"You'd better be," Jason replied, bringing his lips close to her ear to whisper. Then, he planted his lips on hers and the couple shared yet another passionate kiss.
Sometimes we don't believe in fairy-tale endings and this might be too cliché for our own good. But surely our lives would have unexpected events, just like the instant noodles and mac and cheese on a formal, romantic date. However, it all works out in the end, just like this couple. So believe in yourself and create the future that you want and everything will all just work out.
§ § §
When I wrote the prep for the date part of this story, just the way you are so happens to come on the radio.
Completed: 19 December 2013
Update: This is a re-upload. I reread what I wrote last year and I cringed. I'm sorry for the cheesiness (cos there's mac and cheese #geddit). In all seriousness, this piece of work isn't one of my best and I apologise. There are a few reasons.
1. Sorry to all Jasper shippers. I DO NOT ship Jasper. I only wrote this one-shot because a fellow user requested it. But hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and ships so no hate! :)
2. I was just introduced to pop culture back then last year so the songs I use are kinda mainstream. I promise the one-shots I'm gonna write are going to be better songs! Most are my personal favourites :)
These one shots are part of a bigger compilation (PJO Couples Song-fics). At first I had a book for all these one-shots but then i separated them. Hope y'all will still continue to support me! Thanks :)