A/N

Part one. Part two next week. Set after the Battle of Manhattan.

cheers,

combatwombat14

Enjoy!

The two sat at the Hearth of Camp Half-Blood, alone. They'd always liked it better this way, anyways.

"Hey."

"Hey."

A comfortable silence.

"Why aren't you up there? You know, on Olympus."

"I could ask you the same thing."

Thalia snorted before smiling a little, the corners of her mouth twitching up slightly at the familiar banter between her and her cousin.

The one and only Perseus Jackson. Saviour of Olympus. They guy who'd just turned down Godhood barely a few hours ago. For Annabeth.

He hadn't said so, sure, but Thalia knew all the same.

"Well, I don't feel like celebrating right now."

The Son of Poseidon sent a questioning look her way. "That's all. No explanation or anything? Is that it?"

Thalia just sent him a look that said end of story.

Percy shrugged in indifference. "Hey, just asking."

"How about you, then? Shouldn't you be celebrating? You know, surviving the prophecy? Defeating Kronos? Getting the girl?"

Though the Daughter of Zeus was a Hunter, she couldn't deny a sharp pain that inflicted her chest upon asking him the last question. Thalia shrugged it off.

To her surprise, the normally clueless Son of Poseidon snorted. "Sure. I love to celebrate the deaths of tons of teenagers, and how a bunch of Fifteen year old demigods had to defend Olympus from an entire fucking army. Cheers to that!"

Thalia raised her eyebrows, hearing the blatant sarcasm in Percy's voice. He was no stranger to sass, of course, but he sounded so... bitter.

Like Luke.

Then, her cousin sighed heavily and placed his head in his hands, groaning. "I watched so many people die, Thalia. And for what? A bunch of Gods celebrating their deaths – not even as heroes, they're just a means to an end."

The Daughter of Zeus grunted, before reaching into her Hunter's kit. She pulled out a large glass-bottle filled with a golden liquid, which swirled around hypnotically with every movement of her arm.

Percy regarded his cousin sceptically, surprised by the appearance of alcohol. "Where the hell did you get that?"

Thalia shrugged before pulling around another two glasses and uncapping the bottle of whiskey. Godly-strength too, probably, seeing that she'd nicked it from Olympus, so there was no question the two demigods would be absolutely smashed by the end of the night.

"Want some?"

Now, Percy was in no way near the legal age. Sure, he was of age when it came to the Great Prophecy – note the sarcasm there – but the Son of Poseidon doubted he could take alcohol without getting blackout drunk.

As such, he grabbed a glass from Thalia gratefully and downed a shot immediately.

"Fuck. That burns."

Thalia groaned in agreement, but almost immediately refilled her glass. Contemplating for a second, Percy shrugged and held out his hand, letting his cousin refill his.

"You know," Thalia said, her words already slurred, "you're a role model. You shouldn't be underage drinking."

Percy giggled, his head kind of hazy. "As a role model I think everyone should drink more. This feels pretty... pretty..."

He lost his words as he turned to Thalia, looking into her eyes. A pure blue, and electric blue that seemed to pierce his soul found his sea-green, and Percy inwardly wondered why the hell he'd never found her so attractive.

Well, he kind of did, but repressing his emotions was something Percy was intimately familiar with. After Thalia joined the Hunters, well...

Percy shook his head, though it was under the pretense that he was clearing his head of the alcohol-induced haze. Silently, he reached his arm out again, looking for another drink. Thalia raised an eyebrow, but acquiesced and filled it once again. Feeling the drink fill his glass, Percy silently nodded in her direction before bringing the golden liquid to his lips.

It felt good, he had to admit. It clouded his head, for sure, but that was exactly what he needed right now.

A silence ensued as Percy sipped at his drink. It felt much better like this, he had to admit. It burned less but still managed to make him drowsy enough to be content.

"Thalia?"

The comfortable silence was broken by Percy's call of her name. The Daughter of Zeus was slightly startled, but obliged.

"Yeah?"

"I never got my girl."

Thalia blinked, momentarily too shocked to respond, before turning to face Percy, whose face was blank and who seemed unfazed as he kept sipping at the alcohol which sat in his glass, tipping the container at his lips, allowing the golden liquid to flow between his lips and into his mouth.

"What?"

The Son of Poseidon kept sipping at his drink, dragging the now unusual silence out as he did so. Then, he gently placed his glass, still half full, onto the ground and slowly turned to face her.

Thalia's breath caught, seeing his face. There was a scar that ran down his left cheek, one she – Thalia – had made after a particularly brutal spar. His eyes were as hypnotic as ever, and in the dim lighting of the Hearth beside them the shadows that were cast onto his face created a mysterious look that sat within his stoic features.

He was beautiful.

"I never got my girl."

The Daughter of Zeus looked questioning as she replied. "Anna-"

"You."

Surprisingly, Thalia wasn't surprised. Her heart started fluttering and her stomach felt... butterfly-y and her cheeks heated up as blood rushed towards them.

"Percy." The Daughter of Zeus took a deep breath. "I'm a Hunter."

"I know."

Percy's eyes held a grim determination, but she could see a clouded look within his sea-green eyes. He was clearly being spurred on by the alcohol, clearly wasn't in the right mind –

"Thalia. I'm serious. My head is clear and I want you."

The demigoddess looked on at the Son of Poseidon, not knowing what to say.

"I... I..." For once, words escaped her. Actions escaped her. Everything escaped her.

"I don't know what to say."

Percy just nodded, his drink back in his hand and sipping at the golden liquid.

"I don't expect you to. But we'll be talking in the morning. Good night, Lia."

With that, the demigod left, leaving Thalia sitting by the ever-decreasing Hearth, dazed, confused, tipsy, and most of all, hopeful.

Hopeful that maybe this could work out.

Fin.