For the lovely RainyDays-and-DayDreams, who gave me the idea for this fic.
It is not my intention to offend anyone in any way, and if I do, be it through character portrayals or plot ideas, I am sorry.
Jason's story will be tweaked to fit my plot, along with the time constraints of their quest. I couldn't decide which ships to sail in this fic, so I am leaving that up to you, my dear readers. If you'd like a particular ship, let me know (through a PM or a review), and I'll see if I can fit them in.
To say Piper felt empty was incorrect. She wasn't sick; she wasn't angry or sad; she was the same as she'd ever been.
Jason's arms shifted around her body, and her musings were momentarily silenced, replaced with a slight discomfort. No, she wasn't empty or sick, but she would be lying if she said that nothing had changed. Her boyfriend's embrace didn't feel the same. It comforted her, engulfed her in love and warmth, but everything she felt toward him was platonic. She wasn't tempted to kiss him, not in the slightest. The thought hadn't even entered her mind until that moment, and, quite frankly, it repulsed her.
Smothering the urge to sever their contact, to jerk away from his suddenly suffocating presence, Piper remained frozen.
Surely her behavior was due to exhaustion. They'd been fighting monsters, after all, and Percy and Annabeth had just returned from Tartarus, their love for one another stronger than ever. Frank and Hazel were fine; even Leo had an air of love about him. The sensation she'd felt clinging to the son of Hephasteus indicated falling in love, versus sensation of potential love. That sensation clung to everyone, even herself, though over time, she'd learned to block it out. It was annoying; too many people had too many potential matches.
Nico reeked of unrequited love from the moment she'd clapped eyes on him, love she'd immediately connected with Percy. In an attempt to protect him and explain the strange glares the son of Hades shot at Annabeth or into an inanimate object whenever she was mentioned, she'd told Jason the boy was in love with the daughter of Athena. She felt that his love was his business and hadn't planned on mentioning it to anyone, but her boyfriend wouldn't stop pestering her about the son of Hades. To Piper's surprise, once Jason discovered the truth, he hadn't breathed a word of it to her, though she'd seen the difference in his behavior immediately. Subtlety wasn't Jason's strong point, not when it came to uncomfortable situations.
The act of protecting Nico was noble, admirable, but did Jason really think the daughter of Aphrodite wouldn't instinctively understand the son of Hades' (or Jupiter's) behavior?
Piper didn't know how to interpret her boyfriend's cluelessness. Being Aphrodite's daughter would be far more useful if she was gifted with the ability to understand her boyfriend, or any love interest beyond who they admired or possible interests; her inability to interpret Jason was maddening at times. Such was love, though. Confusing, complex, confounding.
It was worth it, right?
It should feel right, shouldn't it? Hadn't she yearned for his affection, for the Mist's distortions to materialize, for their own happy ending. Piper felt his love clear as day, though when she focused on his emotion, it dulled, hazy with a fervent desperation that had little to do with anything in regards to Aphrodite.
And around herself? There was nothing. She didn't care for anyone, even Jason, in such a way. Sure, she could see potential love interests for herself, but when it came to discovering whether she romantically loved or was infatuated with anyone, all the daughter of Aphrodite received was silence, ripe with purpose, though its focus was unknown. She didn't feel the remnants of love, just a vaguely uncomfortable awkwardness, a thin haze shrouding the silence.
"-looked good out there today, didn't he?" Jason asked, his questioning lilt ripping Piper from her thoughts. She was embarrassed to find that Jason had been speaking without her noticing. Usually, his voice hypnotized her with its warmth and subtle strength, though she never ignored his words or his voice before.
"Who?" Piper asked after a pause, infusing her tone with exhaustion, an easy feat considering recent events and previous musings. Hopefully, Jason would connect her ignorance with fatigue rather than indifference.
"Frank," Jason replied as he toyed with her hair.
"It was rather impressive. I've never seen anything like it before. I'm happy for him."
"Me too." Jason continued weaving his fingers through her hair, which remained nearly perfect despite the previous battle and Jason's inexperienced, thoughtless ministrations. He twirled a strand around his finger and released it. Piper couldn't deny that his actions sent waves of warmth and happiness through her body; however, it was a side effect of anyone playing with her hair, not a reaction to Jason specifically.
"I wish we could spend a weekend together, just the two of us," Jason said after a moment of silence. "No gods, no war, no prophecy; just you and me. We could go on proper dates, act like an ordinary couple."
"We can't," Piper blurted, far more emphatically than one who was supposed to be exhausted. Jason broke their embrace, removing his arms from her waist as he gently pushed her upright and spun her so that they faced each other.
"I would've thought you'd like something like that."
"Why, because I am a daughter of Aphrodite, and therefore I must have nothing better to do than wish I could be properly alone with my boyfriend? News flash, Jason: there's more important things to be concerned with now than our relationship!" Piper exclaimed. Immediately after the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
Jason's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't what I meant at all, and I think you know it. What's gotten into you? Is the thought of going on a date with your boyfriend really so horrible?"
Yes. "No! It just isn't my top priority right now. We have a mission, Jason, one that is far more important than our relationship! I refuse to be one of my siblings, and I-"
"I get it, okay? I get that the mission takes priority. I get that a break right now is clearly selfish. You claim to be different than your siblings, but you act just like them. You complain about everyone seeing you only as the daughter of Aphrodite, but that's only because YOU are constantly reminding everyone about it."
Jason's anger swept over Piper as his blazing eyes burned into hers. His hazy affection grew solid, a sour, tangible presence tainted with anger and familiar desperation. Shame, sharpened with fury and denial, stung Piper.
"If I am so horrible, then why are you still with me? Why are you so insistent on being together? Surely being stuck with me is worse than being alone," Piper snapped.
Jason clenched his jaw, and she braced herself for another harsh reply. Much to her surprise, however, his face fell as he relinquished his hold on her and looked away. "I don't know," he murmured.
It was the last thing she expected to hear, and it caught her off guard. Tears of frustration burned Piper's eyes as understanding dawned. "It's the Mist, isn't it? You're clinging to this because it's the first thing you remembered, even though it wasn't real."
Jason winced and lowered his head, his golden blonde hair obscuring his face. "It's the only thing that feels real anymore," he murmured after a pause.
Any remnants of Piper's anger were expunged. She didn't know how to react to this, to the disgust she felt toward her tampered mind (the repulsion no doubt magnified exponentially for him). Jason's voice, rough with pain and sadness, was a tangible presence, and the tense air, heavy with tears unshed, blanketed them like snow, concealing and preserving their previous altercation.
She hadn't wanted the argument to end like this, with white flags drenched in depressed dependency. She'd expected a battle, not this, not hopeless surrender.
"A general break from the quest wouldn't hurt," Piper offered. "We're all stressed and exhausted; surely the others would understand..." She trailed off awkwardly, trepidation mixing with bile that stung her throat and polluted the back of her mouth. I just want a break.
Jason stared at her, eyes narrow and mouth pursed slightly in concentration. "I agree," he replied. "A break sounds wonderful."
For a second, Piper thought, hoped, that he'd detected her deeper distress, but then he wove his fingers through hers, and his toxic love coiled around her. The daughter of Aphrodite sighed and allowed the son of Jupiter to embrace her once more, impossibly exhausted yet painfully aware of the Mist swirling around Jason, continuing to cloud his thoughts and memories despite his previous enlightenment.
She didn't know how much more she could take of this. A break from the quest was the last thing Piper needed.