Since this is the first fic for Harlia, I'd appreciate a small mention if you wrote them, thanks. :)
Disclaimer: The Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus cast belongs to Rick Riordan, not to me.
Please enjoy this one shot!
-8-
The first time he saw her, his eight-year-old mind was full of Harley Davidson motorcycles and tools. He wore a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and necklace, sandals, and khaki shorts.
Julia's six-year-old mind was full of dresses, helping Terminus, and looking up to her role model—Percy Jackson. She wore a pretty flowered dress, her two front teeth were gone, and she had cute pigtails that emphasized her impish features.
But now Julia had gone from pigtails to long, flowing hair. The gap where her two front teeth had once been missing had filled in with a pretty, impish smile. Her cunning eyes radiated the peach color of her dress, which made Harley blush, for he couldn't help but stare at her loveliness.
Harley stood outside the city walls of New Rome and gave his belongings to Julia. Terminus looked at him as he walked past, the life of Camp Jupiter always new to him. Harley moved to the end of the line as he entered the city and Julia passed him his things. He stood a head taller than her, but he felt smaller in her presence as he felt she might play any of a thousand tricks on him.
Julia took note of his bashfulness and checked out his scrumptious outfit. He sported a leather jacket and a t-shirt these days, with jeans and nice kicks. Julia grinned a little evilly as she handed him his screwdriver. She knew it was his lucky screwdriver, for he'd always built her little gizmos when they were younger.
"I see you still have this, Harley. It's been a while. Why did you stop visiting?" She circled around the son of Vulcan, or "Hephaestus" as he called it on the Greek side. She wanted to put him on edge; after all, it was in her blood to be shrewd.
"J-Julia! It's been a while, I know. It's gotten so busy, y'know. But how come you've never Iris-messaged me?" he asked, this time getting the better of the trickster as he turned her own queries on her. He circled around her, and she put a hand to her face. He smirked, knowing the trickster had been momentarily rendered speechless. But he stopped in his tracks when she laughed and wiped a tear from her eyes.
"Been busy, too. You haven't changed, Harley. Have you got your motorcycle license?" she asked, smiling with a tilt of her head, looking full of curiosity and wonder.
"As a matter of fact, I do." He took out his license as proof, and she "ohh'd" and "ahhh'd" as he handed it to her.
"You have a funny picture here. You look so serious, like the ending of a motorcycle movie where the biker rides off into the sunset after a long journey." She held the card and twirled around. She was lithe on her feet, and her dress tried to catch up to her movements, but she was too much of a trickster to let it.
Harley laughed as she gave him his card back.
Julia's mouth formed an "O" shape as she poked at his hands. They were large, and one could tell that he worked hard building for the gods. "So what are you doing here, son of Vulcan?" She tore her eyes away from his hands, seeking a new subject. She stood on her tiptoes to meet his face, and enjoyed drawing her fingers over his stubble.
"Taking a break from building things alongside the Hephaestus Cabin this past summer for any upcoming war. Also, this semester's been busy with school. I came down for the holidays, and I'm here to visit some friends, including you, Jules." He poked her cheek, and a little color burst onto her cheeks.
"This calls for a celebration!" she announced then. Julia went behind Terminus and produced two party hats. She gave Harley one with a motorcycle, and she wore a matching one.
Harley put on his hat and looked to Julia. "How do I look?" He flexed his muscles—which Julia wouldn't have minded seeing—and cuffed his leather jacket.
"Perfect, Harley." Julia curtsied and looked up to him in their moment as they paused.
"Oh, come here already," he insisted. He held out his arms, and she jumped into them.
The two laughed as they gave each other a big reunion hug. It was nice knowing that the two could continue where they'd left off. "I've missed you, Lee! I've kept you in my thoughts," she whispered so only he could hear. She hugged Harley tighter and he matched that by hugging her even more tightly.
Terminus "ahem'd" to the two, and they broke away from each other.
"I have to get back to my job, but I'll see you around?" She pushed back her hair behind her ears and kicked a rock on the ground to Harley.
"Sounds like a plan—you should give me a tour of the place this weekend." Harley winked as he handed her a robotic flower he'd built. "Keep in touch, Jules." He winked again as he went towards the city to catch up with his old friends.
She held the flower to her chest and replied with a big grin, "Definitely!"
-8-
Julia took Harley's hand, as she used to when they were little kids. Once again, they were walking through the streets they'd ran through whenever Harley had come to visit Camp Jupiter with his brethren.
"Remember when we got hot chocolate after you had a fight with Octavian? I remember you were just a little kid, but you scared him with your lizard robot," she said, and she laughed as he nodded and took in her smile.
"So are you going to school here?" he asked, pointing to the college.
"Yes, I am. I'm studying Greek Drama and Theater, even! I love it. I want to be a teacher or maybe a writer, or work in a drama troupe. Oh, so many choices!" Her eyes gleamed as she talked.
Harley smiled as he clutched her hand and squeezed it to indicate to her that they were still holding hands. Her face popped in surprise as she quirked her eyebrow, knowing that he indicated the two were still holding hands. He loved to tease her, he loved to see her face pop in surprise, and he loved to give her gizmos.
"I am soo glad it's winter break, though; this semester's been busy," she sighed, and he sighed with her, fully understanding how demanding schoolwork could be.
"I know. Being a communications and film major is tough. But I hope to work for TV or in film, since my dad's always inspired me with Hephaestus TV." He looked at his surroundings and twirled his screwdriver absentmindedly in his free hand.
"That's so cool!" Julia swung their hands in the air as they bought some hot chocolate from the café and the two walked towards the gardens. The sun was setting and there was a chill in the air as they sat on the benches overlooking the whole camp.
"Do you also remember when we fell asleep here and your parents were worried sick the next day? Man, this place brings back such memories. It was so fun to tease Terminus, especially since he doesn't have arms." Harley stretched and peered at Julia. "Also, this is where we had our first kiss, Jules." He grinned, and his voice lower, as if telling a secret no one else should hear. The sunset glow made him look cozy and handsome.
"I know, Harley." Julia raised her eyebrow. "As if I could forget. You were going back to Camp Half-Blood, and you were crushing major on this girl and you confided in me about it." She put her cup down and leaned in towards Harley.
"Please, continue—it's been a while since I've heard my best friend's voice." He took off his jacket; his t-shirt emphasized all the right places…as if Julia wasn't tempted enough already to smooch the guy. He wrapped his jacket around her and pulled her towards him. She steadied herself against his chest, which felt nice since her body just fit against his so well.
"Well, I got defensive and I didn't want to hear about this crush." She looked up at him, and he put his nose and forehead to hers.
"Why?" His voice was barely a whisper, but it was sexy pretending what was going to happen next even though he knew it very well.
"It's because I liked you, duh." Julia rolled her eyes, laughing into his neck. The two made each other warmer not only with their body heat, but with their long-lasting attraction to each other.
"Continue," he insisted. She could tell he was resisting the temptation to kiss her because she was doing the same, as well.
"I told you that I didn't want to hear about her, and you knew why. You could read—and you still read—me like a book. You said that she was impish, she was still growing in some missing teeth, and her pigtails were cute. I got so mad; I didn't even realize whom you were talking about. Right then and there, I fell into your trap. I said, 'Hold on! There can't be another girl, because I like you.'" Julia paused and chuckled as Harley put his arms around her body and stroked her back, the two so comfortable in each other's arms.
"You just kissed me and I realized what you did. I kissed you back and that was that. You were—what, sixteen? I was fourteen? It was a big change for us, so we never mentioned it again because we didn't know how to handle it. The next day you had to leave to head back to Camp Half-Blood and only now are we seeing each other again…" Julia rested her head against Harley, knowing she could never get mad at her soul mate.
"Jules. You and I got caught up in life, and it's gotten really busy. There's more monsters than ever these days and I don't even know where to begin…I'm sorry." He hugged her, and she knew that he was sorry; he really meant it, otherwise why else would he be there?
One day he had been sitting at the dining tables of Camp Half-Blood and he'd looked at the world around him. He'd seen laughter and smiles, and time had passed. He had often reminisced about Julia; the unfinished business he should have finished with Julia long ago had always stuck with him. He knew now, though, that enough was enough and that it was time to see Julia. So here he was, with his best friend of many years, his soul mate for life, and now…
He held her as if he was never going to let go, and Julia and he were giving each other wordless apologies over and over again. Julia looked up to his eyes and said sorry so many times. He looked to her and knew that hugging wasn't enough. They were being too modest, and Terminus shouted from below:
"That's enough! Now just get together!" His voice rumbled throughout the city, but his presence was everywhere, since he was the god of boundaries.
Julia and Harley laughed and looked to one another.
"So, Julia…" He stroked her smooth legs gently, and she rubbed his stubble slowly.
"Yes, Harley?" Her eyes shot up to his, and they stared into his soul, fully aware of what he was going to say next.
"How about you be my girl?" he proposed, the blood red sun melting into the blue-violet palette of the night.
"I don't know…" Julia bit her lip and created room between him and her as she moved away from him.
"Oh, it's okay. At least…tell me why?" His eyes were preparing for rejection, and he tried so hard to hold back so many questions.
"Because I like you, duh." She rolled her eyes and grabbed him by his shirt and kissed him.
"J-Julia! You little prankster!" he scolded between luscious kisses. She kissed him fast like a hummingbird, pulled back, and dove in for the nectar again on his lips.
He ran his large hands through her long hair and the son of Hephaestus returned the kisses as though he was built for it. His hands knew her body too well as he poked her stomach and she laughed into his mouth as they were locked together. The world was too right with this joker. He massaged her neck and she "mmm'd" into the crook of his neck as she kissed it and sent a fire into him that was equivalent to Hephaestus' powers.
"I like this." He laughed as he cupped her cheeks in his hands to give her one last kiss.
"I do, too," she said as the two hugged each other once more.
-8-
"Looks as though someone's on the late side, Julia." Terminus looked to her sternly as he glanced between Julia and Harley the next morning.
"Just this once…or whenever Harley comes around. Please, Terminus!" She winked, and he sighed and nodded his head.
"About time you two are together. I watched you two grow up, you know. I feel like a father watching his daughter mature," he sniffled.
"You mean it?" Harley grinned.
"Depends, Harley. You better take care of her." Terminus' laugh boomed throughout the city, and Harley and Julia stood together until they began to walk towards the city gates as Harley nodded back ay Terminus.
"Well, looks as though I'll be seeing you off, Harley," Julia said as she held his hands in their last few moments.
"I wish I didn't have to catch a plane back to New York," he said as he hugged her and kissed her neck.
"Me, too. But we have things to do and people to save. But you better come back or I'll come and visit you." She gave him a mischievous look.
"Oh, I can show you my bunk and we can…" He kissed her and she kissed him back.
"Can't wait," she breathed. She took his hand, and he looked towards the distance.
"See you soon, Jules," he said as his hands slipped through hers and she watched him leave New Rome to get to his next destination.
She returned to her job with Terminus, who gave her a sympathetic smile. She grinned, though, knowing that she was now the girlfriend of Harley—her childhood best friend, and her long-time soul mate.
-8-
Hello, hello! I think Julia and Harley are perfect for one another. In the series, we don't know who Julia is a Legacy of, but I think Hermes because she is an imp and works for the god of boundaries. Hermes being the god of roads and all, boundaries make sense when it comes to Julia. She is six in the book and Harley is eight. Here I made them older where she is eighteen and he is twenty. This takes place probably long after Percy's story. I don't really know what book it's after since the series isn't yet finished, but I wanted to make them older. And there's always trouble in a demigod's world, so I can tell you that there's turmoil. I think these two are a good match because they are some of the youngest demigods in both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter.
Tell me what you think by slipping in a review, thanks. ;)
Thanks to mew-tsubaki for beta'ing.
