Briefly expressed in the summary, this is a Punk!Percy one-shot.
Beginning as a friendly challenge set out between me, parallaxyt and DeadDredd to write a punk Percy one-shot (each with different pairings), this is what I have come up with, so please do check out the aforementioned authors and spread the love!
As always, Enjoy!
-LostHouse
19th July
Camp Half-Blood
Percy POV
''Ahh, what a beautiful day!'' I joyously exclaimed to no-one as I lay day on the beach, watching the gentle roll of the waves as the summers breeze enveloped my body and caressed its ghostly fingers through my messy hair.
Turning away from the entrancing scene before me I whipped out my phone (which was a hushed gift from the Stoll brothers) and began swiping through my music library as I searched for a single song which could express my rebellious attitude.
Hmmm, where is it?
Finally managing to find the Green day song I was searching for, I put in my headphones and turned up the volume to max as Welcome to Paradise by Green Day began reverberating throughout my head, littering goosebumps down my arms as my mind slipped away into a different world.
Closing my eyes and resting my head onto the warm sand sprinkled finely below me, I started humming the electrifying tune of the song as my fingers began snapping away to the beat, my mind blank whilst I simply basked in the sunlight without a single care in the world, feeling untouchable.
''P...cy!''
Unable to withhold myself any longer, I joined in and started singing the lyrics.
Pay attention to the cracked streets
And the broken homes
Some call it slums
Some call it nice
I want to take you through
A wasteland I like to call my home
Welcome to paradi-!
''PERCY!''
Leaping into the air with a shriek as I felt an unnecessary amount of volts course through my body, I ripped the headphones out of my ears as I stared at the intruding blue eyes of a certain son of Jupiter, who was laughing away to his heart content within the safe confines of an Iris Message.
''Wha-Jason?! What wrong with you!''
''Haha, I bring urgent news!'' He wheezed out between laughs as he put on a serious tone at the end, wiping away all the previous signs of a smirk.
''Urgent news? Is something wrong?''
''Wait...did you seriously forget Perce?'' He asked me with a shocked expression, ''Do you even know what day it is?''.
''Um...Summer?'' I tried weakly before realization slapped me across the face.
''Gods dam it! How long do I have?!''I exclaimed as I my heart started pounding at a hundred miles per hour.
''About 18 hours Perce, so I suggest you hurry up!'' Said Jason before he swiped through the iris message with his hand, leaving me to stand alone and pale at the intruding thought of my pending trip to San Francisco.
I'm in very, very big trouble...
Running towards the camps stables as my black boots echoed my pounding thoughts, I continuously facepalmed at forgetting the daughter of Bellona's birthday, to the point where my ears were ringing and my hand stinging.
Seriously, how can I forget such a date!
Reaching the stables in record time, I gave my loudest NYC taxicab whistle as I prayed that I still had some left-over Krispy Kermes lying around in my cabin. Watching the shadow of Blackjack as he made his way towards me through the clear blue skies, I once more began humming the upbeat tune of Welcome to Paradise as I failed to control the impatient bounce of me feet, twisting my skull ring around my middle finger.
Landing swiftly besides me, I leapt straight onto Blackjack as he curiously called out within my mind.
Where to, Boss?
Without hesitation, I replied ''San Fran. And yes, I will give you more doughnuts than you could ever consume, and yes, I will let you 'mingle' with the other Pegasus in camp Jupiter, just take there already!''
Upon hearing my words, the pure black Pegasus that unintentionally matched my blacked out fit, lifted into the domain of Zeus with a powerful flap of his wings as he began to loudly practice his first cheesy pickup line of our long journey.
Did you sit in a pile of sugar? 'Cause you have a pretty sweet ass!
Simultaneously cringing at the line and praying for the safety of the Pegasus at camp Jupiter, I sighed and closed my eyes as a daunting thought escaped my mind and my heart fluttered at the image of a certain girl with volcanic eyes.
Just 18 more hours of hell to live through...And this time I will do it.
Time skip to Percy's arrival
20th July
''Blackjack! Can you please stop being so fucking weird!''
But Boss! I need to know if Scipio would be down from a threeso-
''NO! No, he won't!'' I shut up the mouthy Pegasus as we began our final decent onto the vast field of mars that seemingly spread out towards the horizon itself.
Immediately upon the very first second of touching the ground, I rolled off Blackjack, straight onto the soft grass below and whimpered at the excruciating pain my lower back was currently burning in as I tried to rub it away.
''Percy?'' Voiced an incredulously surprised voice as I cranked my neck to look at the source of the sound that called out to me.
Watching the gentle sway of Reyna's hips as she approached me with Scipio by her side, I tried my hardest to avert my gaze from her legs to her face as I replied, ''Yo! How you doin' Rey?''.
Lending me her hand to help me up, I jolted at the electricity that coursed through my arm at the contact as she laughed at my current situation, a subtle pink flush glinting onto her cheeks.
''Well, unlike a certain green-eyed man I'm doing relatively well.''
Swaying steadily on my two feet, I quickly looked her up and down and came to realize that we were the complete opposite, but in a good way. She was wearing a casual white summer dress with copper lace-up sandals, which only further made her black eyes stand out and intoxicate anyone who gazed deep upon them, whilst I was wearing black combat boots, cargo pants and a tight black shirt which hugged my toned body, letting my silver chain sparkle like a diamond amongst the mass of the darkness. Like a glittering star.
The human embodiment of Ying and Yang...
Getting caught up in observing the smiling girl before me, I was about to ask a pointless question about the weather, but was suddenly interrupted by the reunion between Blackjack and Scipio as they did a weird fist bump (Hoof bump?) and galloped off into the distance, meanwhile shouting something about threesomes and jiggly cake they want to grab a taste of.
''Hm? I wonder where they're off to?''
''Trust me Reyna, you don't want to know.''
Letting my feet get used to standing on solid ground, I cracked my back and winced at the pops that made their presence known as I enjoyed the warm weather.
''As much as it is great to have you around Percy, what is the point of your visit?'' She asked me quizzically whilst staring deep into my green orbs. Thinking up a quick lie, I responded ''Jason called and asked me to...lend him my Green Day album?'', my statement coming out more like a question as I prayed she bought the shameless lie.
''Oh...Is that all?'' She wondered as her expression fell and a subtle sad look took over her pristine features.
Feeling bad for lying to the cute girl, I tried to lift her mood but was once again, interrupted. But this time, it was by a high-pitched scream from Leo who was frantically running in circles as he was being chased by some random girl who was brandishing an Imperial Gold gladius and screaming bloody murder after the fleeing man.
With an exasperated sigh from Reyna, she muttered ''What did the idiot do now?''. Giving her my fifty cents, I smirked and said ''I can bet you 5 doughnuts that he tried to do the Valdez shimmy, which If stand correct, means he pretended to be blind and in the literal sense shimmied against her.''
''Firstly, that's weird. Secondly, how long will you be staying?''
Returning my gaze onto the pointed look from the daughter of Bellona, I put on my thinking face and lifted one finger.
''I'm heading back to camp half-blood in the evening.''
As her saddened look returned once more, I gently grabbed her hand and said, ''But hey! Why not make the most of it, eh?'' I popped out before dragging her into the direction of New Rome.
With a gentle smile adorning her features, she squeezed my hand and flushed with a glitter of pink whilst saying,
''Why not?''.
-Meanwhile-
Jason POV
''Dam it! Where's Leo!?''
''Following Reyna to make sure she doesn't walk in!'' Shouted Piper over the loud racket within the house as she popped her head out of the kitchen door.
Nodding in understanding, I carried on blowing up the assortment of colorful balloons in preparation for the surprise party we had planned for the birthday girl.
Turning back to piper as my head grew light from the lack of oxygen, I was about to ask if the cake was ready when Leo burst through the front door and slammed it shut, proceeding to lean against it and slide down onto the glittering golden floor which was covered in layers of accidentally fired confetti.
''Sh-she's crazy!'' He exclaimed once he caught his breath. Raising an eyebrow at the man who was sitting meters away from me, I guessed at the reason behind his panicked expression.
''Did the Valdez shimmy fail yet again?''
Shaking his head and rubbing the slowly forming bruise on his cheek he corrected me, ''The Valdez shimmy did NOT fail! She just wasn't the one from me!''.
''Sure-sure Leo, whatever helps you sleep at night.''
''Oh, shut up Jason!'' Was his only reply, before his eyes grew wide and he jumped to his feat whilst shouting at the top of his lungs, ''EVERYONE! Percy is distracting Reyna! So, HURRY. UP!''.
As his high pitched voiced echoed over the racket within the small house, everything came to a halt and eight faces peeked out from all around the different rooms and stared at Leo to check he wasn't joking. Those eight faces including Nico, Thalia, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Gwen, Dakota and Michael, before they all quickly turned back to their current assignments and the racket increased tenfold as everyone vigorously returned to their preparations.
As Leo himself got to work on setting up the Mini Karaoke stage in the living room, I looked at a clock on the wall and guessed at how long we have left before the party began.
Three hours! I hope Percy can keep her busy! I thought to myself as I returned to the cursed pack of 200 balloons, my head swimming laps in my mind at the horrid sight.
-25 Minutes before the surprise party-
Percy POV
Overlooking the setting sun whilst playing with my silver chain I thought to myself,
They should definitely be ready by now...
Turning to the cute girl whose shoulder was brushing lightly against mine as we watched the illuminated golden horizon I gently asked, ''Its growing late, Rey.''
Staying silent but her happy mood quickly vanishing, I carried on before she could speak.
''You mind if I walk you home before I take my leave?''
Twisting herself towards me as we sat on a lone bench on Temple Hill, she threw me a cheeky smile worthy of my own.
''Never knew you were a gentleman, Percy.''
''I will never be a prestige gentleman such as Leo, but I like to think I'm still something special.''
Standing up and gently pulling up Reyna after me, I began a slow-paced stroll down a scenic path through New Rome that lead in an indirect route her apartment, hoping to spend as much time together as physically possible.
''You're special Percy, don't you worry, but please don't do the Valdez shimmy any time soon.'' She laughed out before running away with a screech as I began doing the jazz hands and purposely bumped into her with an accurate representation of Leo's shimmy.
After her fits of laughter died down and her melodic voice ceased to chuckles, she once more grew a distant look in her eyes as the setting sun's rays emblazed her volcanic black orbs whilst we walked in a comfortable silence. Taking peeks from time to time at the wishful look upon her face, I decided on a risky move to get closer to the stunning lady besides me.
Gently grabbing hold of her hand, I interlocked our fingers as she looked at me questioningly and a light blush creeped onto her visage as I felt my own face do the Irish jig at my forward action.
''I had a lot of fun today, Percy. So, thank you.'' She whispered into the wind as we gently swung our interlocked hands back and forth, looking like a forbidden romance between a devil and an angel.
''Me too, Rey. Me too...''
After a few minutes of light conversation, we reached the front doorstep that lead to the entrance of her home and paused, the both of us incapable to portray our true feelings with all sarcastic jokes within my mind already being long gone.
''Pe... Percy, It's my birthday today...'' She started slowly as she gripped tightly onto my hand, seemingly summoning courage to say the next words as I in turn flexed my hand in hers to show I was listening to her every word.
''It's my birthday but I had no plans to celebrate...So would you...Celebrate with me?''
Opening my mouth to reply to her hopeful, glistening eyes, I was quickly forced to lock my jaw shut as the door flew wide open and viciously sent me sprawling onto the grass of her front yard.
''SURPRISEEE!'' Came the deafening roar from within the home as confetti showered the shocked girl in a hurricane of gold and silver.
Whipping her head from the people assembled within her house to my slowly rising figure, I congratulated her with a happy tone as she beamed a wide smile.
''I'm yours for the night, Rey. Happy Birthday.''
Running up to me and engulfing me in a tight hug, I returned the gestures just as strongly before we were both dragged inside the door by a joyous Leo as Punks Don't Dance by Crystalyne started blaring from the speakers and everyone joined in for a group hug, throwing endless streams of congratulations at the birthday girl.
But her glowing eyes never left mine.
-2 AM-
After hours of shameless dancing and countless Green Day songs performed by Thalia and Nico during Karaoke, the party was coming to an end as mostly everyone was now passed out in various positions across the house except for me and Reyna, the both of us stuck in a nail-biting game of Truth or Dare and the two children of Zeus who have been fighting over a signed shirt by Billie Armstrong for the past 10 minutes, their argument reaching a Crescendo as signs of a physical fight started making themselves known.
''I won fair and square Thalia, so give it back!''
''Shut up Jason! You cheated!''
''WHAT! It was YOU who was cheating!'' Exclaimed an annoyed Jason as he shoved Thalia into the wall.
Forced to duck under the flying figure of Jason as he was flung across the room by a sudden drop kick from Thalia, I felt my hand being pulled and later dragged up a set of stairs throughout the confusion by a certain girl, my face cringing at the resounding crack of lightning from the living room which was closely followed by a stupidly high itched screech from Leo as he was roughly awoken and thrown across the living room, audibly face planting into the wall as the whole house shook for a short second.
Prior to reaching the end of the stairs and climbing on a ladder through a hatch that led to the roof of the complex, I heard a final scream before their voices were muffled out by the haste closing of the said hatch.
''SWEET FIDDLESTICKS AND UNICRONS, WHAT THE FU-'' Leo's screeched out before I could hear no more.
Shaking off the previous fast-paced events, I turned with a confused expression to the girl that dragged me all the way to the roof during the squabble down below and opened my mouth to voice my thoughts, before a soft finger gently closed my jaw shut and rested on my lips.
''Percy...'' She started as she began playing with the hem of her shirt with a loose hand, not meeting my eyes as a gentle gust of wind molded her hair into curtains of silk.
Anticipation gripping my heart, I raised her head with a slow hand and forced our eyes to meet as time seemed to dull to a stop and everything around me became a blur, my pacing heartbeat nearly becoming audible to the whole world.
All I saw, was the beautiful girl that stood before me as her melodic voice trapped me in a trance I had no wish to escape from..
''I wanted to properly thank you for today...You're the best birthday present I could ever ask for.''
Lost for words as my mind short-circuited, I was further thrown off guard as she quickly leant in and kissed me on the lips as sparks erupted around us, the kiss itself being short and sweet before she sadly broke off and brought me into deep hug. Showing no signs of letting go anytime soon.
And so we stood in our heartfelt embrace on the roof, basked in silver moonlight while the stars gave me subtle winks as I rested my head atop of the alluring girl before me, drinking in every second as three words from my favorite song randomly popped into my head.
Welcome to Paradise!