Fuck You, I Can Be Charming

by Sodamnbored

Since Love Languages are all derived from Latin, Jason gets it into his head that he - due to his Roman (Latin) heritage - must be innately charming and romantic. Percy disagrees and Jason takes that personally, insisting he puts the Roman in Romance. Alternatively, Jason flirting with Percy out of spite, until it's just for fun. Based on a Tumblr post and turned out to just be a

"She turned you down again, huh?"

"Yep," sighed Leo heavily. "I think she's got her eye on someone else, actually."

Percy and Jason muttered their sympathies while Leo gloomily swirled the liquid in his cup. Leo wasn't exactly surprised Hazel wasn't interested in him; it was pretty much the story of his life. Just another pretty girl that didn't want anything to do with him. Exactly his type. Of course, he had noticed her right away – pretty much the moment she'd set foot on his ship. Shockingly, she hadn't noticed him at all at first. When she did eventually take note, she had seemed more weirded out by him than anything. Again: shocking.

The seven demigods, along with Coach Hedge, had been stuck together on The Argo II for more than a week now on their way to find and defeat Gaia. Obviously, Leo was as preoccupied with their quest as the next demigod but that hadn't stopped him from attempting to get Hazel's attention. She seemed to have gotten used to him at least, possibly even warmed to him a bit. But she definitely didn't see him as anything more than another of the seven. And it wasn't hard to see how she and Frank had been getting closer since they had first set off on their quest.

She had politely reminded him of that during her watch on deck while Leo had been manning the controls and tried his luck again. Feeling a little dejected, he had let Hedge take the controls for a bit and drifted down to the mess hall, where he found Percy and Jason. They were considerate enough to listen to his tales of dating related woe.

"She definitely likes Frank, I'm sure of it," he lamented, propping his chin on one hand. "I don't know how he's done it. Why is he a better option than me?"

"I know buddy," nodded Percy, patting his shoulder comfortingly. "Roman demigods don't exactly seem like the romantic sort, do they?"

"Not even a little bit," sighed Leo in agreement, glad to have someone in his corner.

Jason had been nodding along sympathetically from across the table but stopped abruptly to frown lightly at Percy.

"Um, excuse me, but what is that supposed to mean?" he cut in, with thinly veiled offence. "I'll have you know that romance is in our heritage – our freaking nature as Romans."

Percy's lips twitched as he fought back a smile at Jason's apparently very strong feelings on the subject.

"Well I'm sorry, but I just don't think 'romance!' when I think of the Romans. Conquering empires and Christians in colosseums is more what springs to mind."

Jason flushed a little red and sucked in a deep breath at that. Leo supposed that side of their history didn't feature heavily New Rome's tourism campaigns.

"For your information," replied Jason, indignantly, "all those 'love languages' out in the world: they all originated from Latin. You know, what they spoke in Rome. Which I happen to be fluent in, just for the record."

Jason looked a little smug as he finished his mini tirade. Percy and Leo shot each other unconvinced looks.

"That's great and all man, but I don't think that actually proves anything," said Leo, enjoying how fiercely his friend was defending the Roman reputation. "Just cause some people think a few languages have something to do with romance and those languages happen to come from Latin doesn't mean anyone that speaks it has anything special going for them. I mean, just look at me and Frank. If you were right, his Canadian wouldn't stand a chance against my Spanish."

Jason stared at him across the table like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Before he could accuse Leo of betrayal or something equally dramatic, Percy pitched back in, looking just as amused as Leo, to push Jason's newly discovered buttons.

"It's just, Frank's one thing," Percy said, cocking an eyebrow and barely controlling his grin. "But you don't exactly support the argument yourself, do you?"

"Excuse me – I AM the argument!" he said, almost choking from the insult. "Original Romeo right here buddy!"

Percy huffed in amusement. He sat forward, his tongue passing over his lower lip thoughtfully as he considered what he wanted to say.

"Look, honestly? You seem like the least likely to be good at flirting – and I'm including Leo in that." Percy looked back at Leo apologetically. "No offence, Leo."

"None taken," shrugged Leo, diplomatically. "I'm used to non-believers."

"But the point is," continued Percy, returning his attention to Jason. "I'll see it when I believe it.

Jason threw his hands down on the table, outraged. "Yeah! You will!"

Percy and Leo shot each other another dubious look before Leo nodded at Jason charitably in pity.

"Whatever you say buddy."

Jason gaped at them. He looked so offended, Leo and Percy wouldn't have been able to hide their amusement even if they had felt like trying.

"I'm SUPER romantic! I have all the moves!" he shrieked insistently. He stared them down over the table as he continued vehemently. "You don't even know the kind of moves I've got going on. If I laid some of my charm on you, you'd fall for me so freaking hard."

Leo and Percy glanced at each other and promptly burst into laughter. They fell over each other and the table for quite a while. Jason, still slightly red in the face with indignation, sat glaring at them in frustration, arms crossed, waiting for them to finish. When they finally did manage to pull themselves together a bit, Jason continued to make petty comments about their lack of faith and boast about his own romantic prowess for the rest of the afternoon.

Jason was still sulking by the time the others joined them for dinner. Coach Hedge had elected to stay at the helm, assuring that if any monsters came their way, or any pigeons looked at them funny that he would sort them out. Somehow, that didn't fill any of them with confidence.

Percy's attention was quickly diverted from Jason's pouting as the others began filling them in on anything important that had happened during their last watch. It had become a fairly typical way to spend their meals; giving reports on the state of the ship after any damage they had taken, the distance they had travelled and how far they still had to go, updates on anything anyone had been researching that might help with defeating Gaia and the Giants. It wasn't always light conversation exactly, but mealtimes were one of the only occasions they still managed to get together, since they were generally so busy during the day on different watch shifts and tied up with chores. And it was becoming Increasingly often that they weren't even able to eat at the same times.

"The monster attacks are definitely getting more frequent," said Hazel. "There were four at once in that last attack."

"And it's only going to get worse the closer to Greece we get," continued Annabeth. She looked tired but was hiding it well. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were multiple attacks each day from now on. Gaia certainly won't make it easy for us to get through. She'll send everything she's got after us. The worst Tartarus has to offer, I expect."

"Oh great," mumbled Percy sarcastically. "That's everything I ever wanted."

Jason, who was sitting next to him, stopped poking at his food and looked round at him. "You're everything I ever wanted."

The table went quiet, everyone doing confused double takes, wondering if they heard that correctly. Percy simply stared back at Jason baffled. Jason gazed back at him with an odd intensity, his blue eyes large and earnest as he had spoken. Almost immediately, however, he looked away; returning his attention to his meal, using his fork to play with his food. The rest of the seven exchanged brief puzzled looks whilst Jason speared a piece of meat with his fork and continued to eat without a second glance at anyone, as if nothing had happened.

Annabeth caught Percy's eye and when he turned to her, she jerked her head towards an oblivious Jason. Percy knew that look. 'What was that about?' Percy stared back at her wide eyed, shrugging and shaking his head bemused. 'How should I know?'

"Er, yes, well anyway," said Piper, getting back to the job at hand. "Obviously getting there is going to be tough, but we still need a plan for what to do when we do get there."

"If all these monsters haven't managed to tear us apart by then," grumbled Frank.

"Don't you worry, buddy. My ship can stand up to any stupid old monster," boasted Leo, proudly.

"Well, actually I have an idea about that," Annabeth said, addressing Piper.

She told them about the last conversation she'd had with her mother and the quest she was given to find the Athena Parthenos. She didn't look at all happy about it and Percy made a mental note to speak to her about it later, but it did give them a place to start at least.

"And you think we can, what, use this statue thing as a weapon?" asked Leo, perking up. "I gotta say, Annabeth, getting your giant stone mother to blow up some giants is a pretty sick plan."

"I don't know for sure what it can do or how we can use it," replied Annabeth, somewhat unenthusiastically. "But I'm sure it's important that we find it. I'm sure it can help us somehow."

"Stop me if I'm wrong," pitched in Hazel, "but didn't the Romans hide it when they stole it? Isn't it lost?"

"Yeah, that's right," answered Jason, nodding. "Nobody knows where it wound up for sure. There aren't even any records of it in New Rome."

"I know how to find it," said Annabeth, abruptly. "There's a map."

Everyone listened in interest as Annabeth told them more about the hints her mother had given her about the existence of a map leading to the hiding place of the Athena Parthenos. She had apparently been researching it tirelessly since she first heard about it. It had supposedly been hidden inside a temple built by a high-ranking Roman officer, who had allegedly been a key player in the initial seizure of the statue. The temple had been part of the officer's estate when he retired and had later been converted into a crypt, becoming his final resting place as well; the map having been entombed with him along with his other possessions. According to Annabeth the temple was on the island of Corsica, which, coincidentally, was on their way to Rome where they were confident the Parthenos would be.

Leo agreed that he could make a stop there no problem. Percy had to fight Annabeth on it, but he insisted that just because the quest had been given to her didn't mean she had to do it all by herself. They would help her. He didn't like how strung out she already seemed about the whole thing. She was hiding it well, but he knew her well enough to see that she was close to a burn out. He was sad she hadn't confided in him or asked for his help before now. Percy knew that despite her caving in and accepting their proffered help, as soon as they hit Rome and had any idea where to look, she would insist on handling it herself. So he put his foot down and told her that he would go and get the map for her. They couldn't have the brains of their operation frying before they even started after all. She was as stubborn as always, but there was gratitude in her voice when she agreed to let him look for the map without her. One less thing off her list.

"You're not going alone though," she insisted. "Just because I'm not going doesn't mean you won't need help."

"I'll go," volunteered Jason easily, still picking at the last of his meal absently.

"You sure you've thought that through?" teased Annabeth, beginning to lighten up. "Could take a long time to search an entire temple. Can you put up with this idiot for that long? You could be there all day."

Jason looked at Percy, with the same earnest doe eyes from before. "Nobody I'd rather spend it with than you, Percy."

Again, his strange intensity only lasted the briefest moment before he looked back to his plate, amusing himself with chasing around the last dregs of his dinner with his fork, completely casually. The table fell silent again, everyone even more confused by Jason's odd behaviour the second time around.

"Okay, what is happening? What was all that about?" asked Piper, bemused.

"Oh, nothing really. Just Percy here doesn't think I can be romantic, is all. He said he'd believe it when he sees it," Jason answered her breezily. He glanced back at Percy haughtily. "Well believe it bro."

"Oh for the love of =" Percy huffed, rolling his eyes. He couldn't believe Jason was still being so petty about this. "Let it go, man. You're never gonna change my mind."

"I'm sorry, I think I'm still missing some vital info here," pressed Piper, looking deeply amused.

Percy exhaled deeply, massaging his temples. "Jason here seems to think that the Romans are somehow tightly tied to romance and that that somehow means Roman demigods, like his good self, are naturally talented in the romance department. Which – based off what I've seen from him since we started this quest – I'm disinclined to believe."

There were some nods of agreement from around the table, which pleased Percy but seemed to irritate Jason, who looked dangerously close to staring to pout again. Surprisingly, it was Annabeth who offered an argument in support of the blond.

"But, to be fair, doesn't the word 'romance' itself etymologically derive from Roman or something?"

"Very good, Annabeth, I'm impressed," replied Frank, smiling at her. "The word was originally an adverb of Latin origin: romanicus, meaning "of the Roman style". So, in a sense, the Romans did have a hand in the invention of romance as we know it."

There were murmurs of surprise and intrigue around the table. Frank had surprised them all with his random wealth of knowledge on the subject. Percy supposed he must've really been hitting the books back at Camp Jupiter. Hazel, who was sitting beside Frank, was looking particularly impressed. Percy was pretty sure he could see the barest hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"Wow, Frank, that's cool. You're really smart," she complimented shyly.

Frank didn't quite manage to verbalise his thanks for the acknowledgement. He just blinked at her with wide eyes and gave a sort of jerky nod before taking a leaf out of Jason's book and focusing on his plate, poking at his leftovers with his fork distractedly. Percy grinned when he noticed how red his friend's ears had gone, and the tiny smile Frank couldn't hide by ducking his head. Percy was really rooting for those two.

He was quickly distracted, however, by Jason slamming a fist down on the table, making his plate and cup clatter as they bounced.

"Ah-HAH!" Jason cried triumphantly, whirling round to grin with a slightly maniacal glint in his eyes at Percy. "I told you!" Jason slammed a hand against his chest emphatically. "Ultimate romancer right here!"

"I just can't believe there's actually a connection," said Leo, shaking his head. Then he grinned at Jason slyly. "Though that still doesn't mean I believe you personally are capable of being anything close to smooth, Jay."

Jason raised an eyebrow at him, staring him down imperiously. "Oh? Do you find the possibility that I could actually be quite charming…shocking?"

With a mischievous grin Jason thrust across the table with his fork at Leo, tapping it against the hand Leo had resting on the table beside his cup. As soon as the metal connected with the back of his hand, a spark went through it giving Leo a little jolt. It wasn't enough to really hurt all that much, just enough to startle him and to sting annoyingly. Leo jumped in his seat, snatching his hand away with a yelp.

"Not cool – that's an abuse of power!" he complained, cradling his hand protectively against his chest and glaring sullenly at Jason.

Nobody else raised any complaints; they were too busy laughing. Leo felt better after throwing his spoon at Jason.

Over the next few days, Jason was absolutely relentless. It seemed that everywhere Percy went, there was Jason. Even when Percy was sure he wasn't around, Jason always managed to pop up out of nowhere to warp the conversation into some terrible, terrible line. Percy was convinced he had some sort of sixth sense for flirting opportunities. The boy had become an absolute menace.

Percy had assumed, foolishly, that the topic of romance had ended at dinner the night before. So it was the furthest thing from his mind the next morning when they spotted the first monsters of the day as they navigated through the clouds. They were winged creatures that couldn't confidently be identified from that distance but would clearly be bad news if they chose to attack. There must have been at least seven in the flock, circling about a hundred metres below the ship.

"We shouldn't draw attention to ourselves if we don't have to," insisted Annabeth, watching the creatures circling. "They haven't noticed us yet and we're almost past them entirely."

"But if they do spot us, they'll be much harder to fight when they swarm us," argued Frank. "We should use the element of surprise while we've got it and fire on them while they're not looking."

"Relax. We'll be out of sight in a few minutes. We can make it," said Percy, confidently.

The Argo II continued its course, the three demigods watching the monsters getting further away, just waiting for them to start chasing after the ship. Frank was shifting anxiously from foot to foot.

"They're going to turn around – they're going to see us."

"They won't," assured Percy, hoping he was right.

As luck would have it, the monsters took no notice of them at all and soon enough they were clear completely. The trio breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Well, that went well," grinned Percy, clapping Frank on the back cheerfully. "Lovely."

"Not as lovely as you~!"

Percy leaned around Frank in surprise when Jason hollered across the deck. Jason was standing on the other end of the deck with Piper, who looked just as startled at the shout as Percy and the others had been. It seemed Jason had interrupted his conversation with her just to yell a compliment at him. How he had even managed to hear anything they'd been saying, Percy had no idea. It quickly became apparent to Percy, and everyone else on board, that Jason Grace was never one to pass up an opportunity to flirt.

Even cleaning out the stables didn't distract Jason from proving his point.

"Sunrise at New Rome. Sunset at Camp Half Blood. Percy Jackson's smile," listed Jason idly, as he swept up stray hay.

Percy's head popped up to look at him over the wall of his stall. He swiped his forearm across his brow, exhausted from cleaning and frowned at him in confusion.

"What're you talking about?"

Jason grinned at him playfully, propping himself up with his broom. "Just things I'd really like to see soon."

Percy made a face at him and threw a handful of old straw in his face. Percy could hear his barking laughter through the divider as he bent back down to keep working.

And Percy still hadn't forgotten the first time Jason really managed to embarrass him – not that he'd admit that to any of the others. He'd fiercely denied it every time they had tried to tease him about it since.

He'd been up on deck towards the end of the day, just minding his own business, enjoying the fresh air. Jason had been hanging around the controls with Leo since before Percy had arrived, but Percy hadn't paid him any attention. Or, he had tried not to at least.

He could feel Jason staring at him. It made his neck tingle. He had ignored it for a while, but when the feeling of being watched didn't let up, Percy had been compelled to glance back at Jason to see what he was doing. The blond was bent over the control array, propped up on his elbows, gazing intently at Percy. He didn't let up at all even when Percy glared at him in challenge.

"Dude, what?" he finally asked, hassled. Jason merely tilted his head in question, smiling at him calmly, blue eyes still glued to Percy's face. Percy jutted out his chin peevishly. "Why do you keep staring at me?"

Jason's small smile only grew, his eyes glinting in the low evening light.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I couldn't help myself. I just can't believe that you're here," he replied, voice soft with just a touch of awe.

"Excuse me?" said Percy blankly, arching a brow at him.

"It's just, aren't masterpieces supposed to be kept in museums?"

Seriously, what was this guy's problem? Who just says stuff like that? Percy couldn't be blamed for being speechless. Really, what is anyone supposed to say to something like that? He wound up just sort of gaping at Jason, vaguely appalled, like an idiot, not quite managing a retort.

Jason watched him gleefully and even Leo, who had been doing a terrible job of pretending he wasn't watching, was smirking at Percy's reaction. He had just been caught off guard is all! Embarrassed, Percy spun on his heel with an indignant huff, and stormed across the deck to the safety of the lower floors, shoulders hunched by his pink tipped ears.

"Fucking hell," he muttered heatedly, his pitch rising humiliatingly high, so it came out slightly strangled as he heard the other two boys laughing quietly behind him.

Not even Percy's breaks had been spared from Jason's ridiculous campaign. When Jason came sauntering into the mess hall, Percy seriously considered forgetting his break and making a hasty exit. Jason's eyes zeroed in on him instantly and a sly grin lit up his face as he made his way over to join Percy by the cabinets. He leaned back against the worktop comfortably as he made small talk. Of course, it wasn't long until he started to be weird again. Percy resigned himself to his situation and let him do his thing, sipping his drink blankly and watching Jason's tricks unimpressed.

"You know when you look at me like that," grinned Jason, "sparks fly."

The blond threw out a hand, little sparks of electricity spitting from his wiggling fingertips, thankfully fizzling out before they could set the place on fire. Percy could feel the air prickling with the charge. When his little sparkler stunt didn't get the reaction he was hoping for Jason only pouted for a moment before trying again.

"I don't think you're giving me a fair shot here, bro. I feel like if you'd give me the chance I could really –"

Jason tapped the small light fixture on the wall by the sink and it burst into light with a low buzz.

"– brighten up your day."

"Show off," snorted Percy, rolling his eyes but not without amusement.

Jason smiled for hours after that. Percy regretted encouraging him. It only made him even more obnoxious over the following days.

Percy had found himself cornered on deck one morning after they had been forced to take to sea for a while. Percy felt a little guilty for being glad of the change when he thought of poor Hazel taking it easy below deck, but he really was happy to be out of the sky and back on the water. He was quite literally in his element. He stood by the prow, basking in the breeze and the smell of salt water, the endless blue ocean spanning as far as the eye could see in all directions. So far, they hadn't run into any horrifying sea monsters and it was looking like a pleasantly calm morning.

A wolf whistle from behind him let him know that his pleasantly calm morning was about to be under attack after all.

"Hey beautiful, where've you fin all my life?" asked Jason cockily.

"Where have I fin? Come on, that was awful, even for you," teased Percy.

Jason arched his eyebrows and smiled confidently.

"Is that a challenge?"

"No. Definitely not –"

"Are you an octopus? Because you octopi my thoughts."

Percy made a face at him and Jason laughed, waving him off.

"Only joking, of course. With a face like that, if you were a fish, you'd be an Angelfish for sure."

"That – that might be worse," grimaced Percy. "So corny."

"I'm sorry, I must be distracted," continued Jason, undeterred. "I can't decide which is prettier today: The sea, the sky, or your eyes."

"You're terrible at this. Please stop," pleaded Percy, even as he fought back a laugh.

"I can't help it! You're so hot even the sun is jealous."

"I wonder if Hazel's seasickness is contagious, I'm feeling a little queasy myself now."

Jason laughed, light and airy, not bothered at all by Percy's jibes. He leaned against the side of the ship, probably thinking he looked pretty cool. Percy wasn't planning to give him the satisfaction of looking at the dork to see if it really did make him look cool. Perhaps the lack of attention bothered him because Jason went quiet for a little while. Eventually, he smirked arrogantly at Percy and made a sweeping gesture out to the water.

"You know, there are a lot of fish in the sea, Percy," he began casually. "But you're the only one I'd like to catch and mount back home."

Percy choked violently. He had certainly not been expecting that. He gawked at Jason, positively floored.

"I knew that'd get your attention," chuckled Jason slyly, eyes bright with amusement.

"Oh, hah hah," grumbled Percy, wryly. "Fine, you got me with that one."

"Oh, well in that case," beamed Jason, looking delighted. "Tell me, Percy, do you like whales?"

Percy peered at him suspiciously. "I'm afraid to answer."

"Oh, go on," prompted Jason, playfully. "It's just a question. Do you. Like. Whales?"

Percy exhaled deeply. He just knew he was going to regret this. "Yeah, why?"

Jason's eyes flashed excitedly. "Because I was thinking we could humpback in my room."

Percy's reaction was loud enough to grab the attention of everyone else currently on deck, who looked over to them startled, just in time to watch Percy pummelling Jason while the blond wheezed around his own laughter.

When Percy finally felt satisfied with Jason's punishment for one of the worst things he'd ever heard anyone say, he relented. Jason had taken it like a champ and was still looking extremely pleased with himself. Perhaps Percy had it wrong and his goal wasn't to flirt, but just to scar Percy mentally. Well mission fucking accomplished.

"You know, I'm glad you were so excited about the offer, Percy, but damn you really let me have it," laughed Jason.

Percy felt his cheeks heat up in response. He wasn't excited. Had Jason always had such a big head?

"You sure aren't shy, I'll give you that," said Percy, dryly.

Jason winked at him and gave him a two fingered salute. "Just call me Nemo."

Percy cocked his head, perplexed. "And…Why am I calling you Nemo?"

Jason glanced around furtively and leaned in towards Percy to murmur to him secretively.

Very seriously, he replied: "Because I'm never afraid to touch the butt."

And before Percy knew what was happening, Jason slapped his ass with a bark of laughter, his face splitting into a wide grin.

A little further down the boat Annabeth and Piper had just returned to their conversation when they were distracted again by Percy and Jason causing another scene.

"What are those two idiots doing now?" sighed Annabeth.

"What they do best, I suppose," answered Piper. "Being idiots."

The girls looked at each other in sympathy for the morons they had to babysit. They watched casually as Percy ran across the deck with his hands clamped over his ears, yelling his head off at Jason ("Those are terrible, Jason! Don't tell me anymore!"),who was pursuing him enthusiastically, laughing his head off ("No, wait! Don't go – I have more! Lots more!"). The girls shook their heads, deciding to leave them to it. Some of them had work to do.

"No, no, no" cried Percy. "Duuude. Stop!"

"But Percy – I whaley love you!" wailed Jason, gleefully.

Percy was able to at least take comfort in the fact that, although Jason seemed to be channelling all his attention to Percy, the others still had to suffer with him. He was pretty sure a few of them might've reconsidered signing up for this quest had they known it would involve being trapped on a boat with Jason after a massive ego boost. Although voicing their dissent to the constant soundtrack of cheesy pick-up lines wasn't enough to even slow the blond down – Jason was unstoppable – Percy was glad they could at least suffer as a united front. That's teamwork.

"You know, Percy," mused Jason, idly twirling his fork in Percy's direction over lunch. "If you were a vegetable, you'd be a cute-cumber."

There were mumbles of displeasure from around the table as the seven ate. Jason merely grinned at him like he was god's gift.

Jason was in the process of organising himself a sandwich (the magic plates from camp that Leo had brought along could've just made him a complete sandwich, but for some reason beyond Percy's comprehension, Jason preferred to simply summon the elements and make it up himself) when he wiggled his eyebrows at Percy, sprinkling a handful of cheese onto his sandwich pile.

"This may sound cheesy, but I think you're grate."

There was a louder chorus of grumbling in response to that. Percy shared the sentiment, wrinkling his nose at Jason's idea of a joke. Leo snorted into his cup and nearly choked on his juice. At least somebody was on that fool's wavelength.

"Yogurt. Cereal. Percy Jackson," murmured Jason absently, sizing up his completed sandwich, which had way too many layers and looked like something out of Scooby-Doo to Percy.

Percy occupied himself with his own lunch, pointedly shoving an enormous mouthful into his face. He remembered cleaning out the stables with Jason a few days ago. He wasn't going to ask; he wasn't going to acknowledge; he did not want to know.

Unfortunately, Hazel didn't get the memo.

"What was that?" she asked curiously, leaning over the table slightly to look round at Jason.

Jason smiled, pleased. "Things I'd like to spoon."

Hazel didn't know how to respond to that and just sort of looked at the others helplessly. Piper slapped a hand to her face, shaking her head slowly; Annabeth looked up to the ceiling exhaling heavily, perhaps praying for the strength to make it through the meal; and Frank seemed to lose the will entirely, laying his forehead against the table and just slumping with a groan. Leo was the only one who didn't look completely disgusted. He gave Jason a look of what Percy could only hope was not respect, and a little nod. Jason, gods help them, preened under his reaction, head held high with a smug smile plastered on his face.

"Why are you doing this to me?" whined Percy, woefully. "Are you actually trying to charm me?"

"Is it working?" asked Jason, beaming gleefully.

Percy just looked around the table at the others in misery. He gestured at the blond next to him, struggling for words that could accurately describe how very much it was not working. "Look at this. What am I supposed to do with that? See what I have to put up with?"

The others looked at him sympathetically. Jason just arched his eyebrows at him, grinning in satisfaction.

"That wasn't a no."

Percy looked pleadingly at Frank. "What's no in Latin, maybe that'll work."

"I can't help it that I'm so terribly charming, Percy," said Jason, haughtily. He grinned slyly. "It's in my nature."

"Does that mean even if I gave in and agreed some Roman demigods might be good at this stuff – though clearly not you – that you wouldn't stop?" asked Percy, miserably.

"Face it, Jackson: I put the 'Roman' in romance," winked Jason.

"Shut up and eat your sandwich, you dork," grumbled Percy, rolling his eyes half-heartedly.

They managed to move onto other topics for a while, more planning and what not, and Percy thought he'd be spared anymore of Jason's attention for the rest of lunch. But when there was a lull in the conversation, everyone feeling relaxed and full, sitting in comfortable silence together, Jason glanced at him casually, resting his chin on one hand.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. I've been meaning to congratulate you," he said.

"For what?" asked Percy, puzzled.

"For pulling off the perfect crime, of course," said Jason earnestly, like Percy should know what he was talking about.

"I did what now?" Percy blinked at him blankly.

Percy was pretty sure he'd never told Jason about some of the trouble he'd gotten himself into at school, or that misunderstanding during his first year at camp when Smelly Gabe had most of America convinced he was some kind of terrorist. He wasn't sure what supposed crime the blond could be referring to. "What crime?"

Jason gave him a small coy smile, fluttering his lashes at him innocently. "You stole my heart."

The seven rose up in rebellion at that point. The table exploded in noise and a flurry of action. There were choruses of booing, dramatic retching, aggressive groaning. Jason just sat there and beamed, looking thrilled with himself, laughing even as he was pelted mercilessly with torn off bits of bread and stray French fries.

Unfortunately, it seemed to Percy that Leo was slowly coming around to Jason's new flirtatious habits. More and more he seemed to be enjoying the show and Percy was concerned he may start actively encouraging Jason – and that was the last thing any of them needed.

Percy had gone down to the engine room just to make sure Leo wasn't about to accidentally blow up the ship. Leo had said he was going down to do some "experiments" and see what improvements he could make. Since then, they had been hearing what sounded like only mild explosions and chaos, but Percy thought he'd feel better if he checked in on their little Captain, if only to stop him from getting carried away.

He found Leo huddled on the floor over a portable mixing vat, which was smoking lightly and making vaguely concerning snapping noises whenever odd sparks flew out of the mixture inside. The son of Hephaestus had his goggles over his eyes and was surrounded by various bottles and beakers of who knew what, which he was carefully examining before pouring his selections into the vat and stirring.

Jason was sitting cross legged opposite him, watching happily and handing him beakers as requested. Percy wasn't surprised to run into him; he couldn't go anywhere these days without Jason popping up for a drive-by flirting.

"What're you doing?" inquired Percy, after a few moments of watching him work.

Leo set down a beaker and leaned back from the vat to look up at him. He slid his goggles up into his hair, his eyes glinting with excitement, and gave him an impish grin.

"Chemistry, bitch," he said playfully.

Percy grinned, amused. "Well, as long as you know what you're doing then. Try not to blow up the ship though, yeah?"

"No worries, Boss-man," saluted Leo, reminding Percy somewhat of Blackjack.

Percy was about to turn and leave when Jason reached up and took his hand. Percy blinked down at him, raising a brow but the corner of his mouth was already curling in further amusement.

"What's this?" he asked, swinging their hands gently.

"Chemistry, bitch," smiled Jason cheerfully.

Maybe he was just too tired to be annoyed but Percy found himself laughing and shaking his head at the blond, not really minding him being an idiot on this occasion. He'd go back to grumbling next time. He turned to leave, giving Jason's hand a brief squeeze before letting go. It wasn't the worst line he'd used after all.

Percy's fears were confirmed to be justified the day he was cornered by both Jason and Leo. When he asked why Leo was joining in with Jason's ridiculous scheme, Leo told him that he had to help his bro out and declared himself "The Ultimate Wingman Supreme". Percy was forced to endure the cheesiest lines from two fronts, Leo giving a sales pitch on why Percy was so lucky to have Jason's attention, and Jason and Leo occasionally forgetting about him entirely in favour of bro-ing down together and complementing what excellent wingmen they both made.

"Oh, yeah!" cheered Leo, pumping his fist enthusiastically after another barrage of "smooth talking" Percy. "I thought I was good on my own but teamed up with my boy Jason – we're unstoppable. Nobody can resist us, isn't that right, Percy?"

He shot Percy a wink. Percy wasn't sure if teaming up really made either one of them irresistible, but it certainly did wonders for their confidence. He'd never seen either of them parading around so arrogantly before; though he had to admit, Leo was funny when he got to be arrogant, and Jason wore it well too.

Jason laughed and gave Leo a meaningful look. "Well, you know what they say: To storm or fire the world must fall –"

"– IN LOVE!" they yelled in unison, giggling and whooping like idiots.

"Boo-yah!" grinned Leo, as they high-fived in celebration of their own awesomeness.

Thankfully, Percy was rescued by Frank at that point for their shift on deck watching for monsters.

Things did not improve for Percy. One by one, the others were succumbing to Jason's charms, leaving Percy to suffer alone while they enjoyed the show and laughed at his pain. With the others no longer booing him every time he opened his mouth, and instead encouraging him more and more, Jason became much, much worse.

He stopped Percy one morning, peering at him in apparent complaint. Percy had been minding his own business, taking care of his jobs for the day. It was a busy day, everyone coming and going on deck. On his way past, Jason grabbed his arm to get his attention. Percy blinked back at him wondering how he could've managed to upset his number one fan without even speaking to him so far that day.

"Um, Percy? I personally value my breath, so it would be nice if you didn't take it away every time you walk by."

It took Percy a moment to wrap his head around that but as soon as he did his mild concern turned into exasperation. Leo, who was manning the controls just a few feet behind Jason, let out a squawk of laughter, abandoning his navigation equipment to turn to them.

"OH! Smooth!" he called, throwing his hands up, hyping his best friend. "My boy Jay really does have all the moves!"

Jason stood tall and nodded appreciatively back at him. He looked at Percy smugly like: 'I told you so'. Percy crossed his arms stubbornly. It was going to be another long day.

Frank, who had been speaking to Jason before the interruption, was nodding his head slowly in respect and gave a low whistle. Percy shot him an appalled look. How could Frank of all people get on Jason's side instead of his? They were supposed to be friends! This was an outrageous betrayal.

"You gotta give him his dues, that one was pretty good," said Frank, giving him an apologetic smile.

Jason gave Frank a high five. He could not look more pleased with himself if he tried. He blew Percy a kiss teasingly and sauntered off to take care of his own chores. Percy watched him actually strutting away arrogantly, chest puffed out, head held high. He shook his head slowly but couldn't stop a small smile. Jason was an idiot for sure, but he did feel a small burst of affection for the giant blond dumbass. He turned to give Frank a weak glare.

"You see what you've done? You've given him a big head now," he scolded lightly, waving an arm after Jason.

Frank gave him a sheepish grin and a helpless shrug.

Percy was occupying himself with checking their coordinates the next time Jason accosted him. He knew that, thanks to his father, the coordinates that came to mind would be correct, but when there was nothing else to do, he liked to double check his guesses against Leo's navigational set up, like a game of sorts. He was engrossed in the display when Jason seemed to materialise beside him like magic; a technique he had perfected over the last week.

"Oh no, Percy. I think you must've accidentally sat in some sugar," he said, in mock concern. He leaned in a little closer when Percy frowned at him, distracted. "Cause you've got a sweet ass."

Percy put his hand over Jason's face and pushed him away which only made the blond giggle.

"Surely my turn on deck is nearly over now so I can leave," he sniped, not that it seemed to bother Jason in the slightest.

"Who's got the time?" he asked hopefully, addressing everyone. They all spared him amused looks as they worked.

"I've got the time if you've got the place, baby," muttered Jason with a wink, leaning back against the control array attractively.

"As soon as we hit land, I'm getting a restraining order on you," said Percy, dryly.

Jason backed off a bit until the afternoon, when Percy was listening to one of Leo's stories with a few of the others. He'd just started drinking his bottle of water when Leo made an unfortunately timed hilarious joke. Their small group burst into laughter and Percy struggled simultaneously not to choke on his mouthful and not to spray it all over the others while he fought back his laughter. Hazel and Frank laughed at him as he turned red and Leo, who was standing directly across from him, took a half step back and raised his hands defensively.

"Oh, please don't spit that on me dude," joked Leo. "I know I make it look effortless, but this hair takes a lot of work."

After managing to force it down, Percy waved him off breathlessly. He grinned and said, "No, no, it's okay. I swallowed."

Jason had been a few feet behind the group, hoisting up some rigging. He continued to pull on the ropes and without missing a beat he said, breezily, as if speaking to himself: "Glad to hear it. I'll remember that for later."

Frank and Leo ducked their heads or looked to the side trying to hide their grins at the comment. Hazel looked quite scandalised, but Percy thought he detected a hint of amusement in the twist of her mouth. Percy just threw his arms up, done with the whole ordeal.

Later in the evening, Jason and Percy were finishing up their watch while Coach Hedge handled the controls. It had been a quiet shift with minimal attacks. Despite his constant teasing, Jason wasn't really a bad watch partner. He was good fun and when needed, reliable in a fight. But Percy was still looking forward to getting to go below deck for dinner when their shift was over.

Jason was standing next to him, relaxed, head tilted to the sky. After a while of silence, he spoke.

"Do you ever just think about all the fucked-up things in the world?"

Percy eyed him curiously. He smirked. "What? Like a bunch of kids being sent to the other side of the world to kill some giants?"

Jason huffed, amused, still looking up thoughtfully. "Nah, I mean like how there's a D in 'fridge', but no D in 'refrigerator'."

Percy blinked at him for a long moment. Then very quietly he said: "Shit, you're right…Wow."

Jason's glanced at him from the corner of his eye, chuckling at the way Percy was still slack jawed at the realisation. Then he grinned wolfishly at him.

"You know there's no D in 'Percy' either – but I think I can fix that."

"You do realise that our chaperon is right there, don't you?" teased Percy.

The others really weren't helping matters either. They seemed to delight in feeding the chaos. Percy and Annabeth were busy sweeping up the dust from the aftermath of their most recent battle. They'd been mobbed by monsters and the entire crew had been required to save the ship. Even Coach Hedge and his bat had been vital, much to the satyr's delight. The fight had left most of the deck covered in miniature dunes of monster dust and Percy and Annabeth had volunteered to take care of it.

They had swept up the worst of it while the others took five. Percy was listening to their conversations absently as he worked but rarely had much to contribute.

"Hey Jason," said Piper sweetly, grabbing the blond's attention. "Do you think Percy's cute?"

Percy's grip on his broom faltered slightly. He tried to pretend he wasn't listening but caught Piper's eye when he couldn't help glancing at her. She was grinning at him, clearly enjoying herself far too much. Without noticing, Percy had swept himself only about arm's length from Jason. The blond had his back to him, and Percy quickly averted his eyes, refocusing on the deck and sweeping more aggressively than before as he felt a slight heat prickle his cheeks.

Jason turned to look at Percy after smirking at Piper.

"Do I think Percy's cute?" he repeated thoughtfully, looking Percy up and down as he continued to sweep, steadfastly ignoring them all.

Percy risked a glance upwards to find Jason giving him a lopsided smile. He shot Jason a warning look meaning 'don't you dare –' but Jason was already reaching for him. Before Percy could back up out of reach, Jason had an arm wrapped tightly around him and had pulled him in tightly against his side.

Percy's stubborn squirming against his hold coupled with Jason's refusal to let him escape left them in something closer to a headlock than a hug. Percy tugged at Jason's ridiculously strong arm around his neck but was quickly accepting that he wasn't going to get away until Jason was done with him. He puffed out his cheeks and scowled at the others while they all sniggered at the two of them. Jason ruffled Percy's hair with his free hand and nuzzled into him happily.

"I think Percy's adorable," he laughed in a gentle rumble.

The others all started giggling and nudging each other, looking positively delighted at the spectacle. Percy's face was on fire and he wondered if he'd somehow developed Leo's ability to literally steam. He snarled his embarrassment and managed to shove the blond off. Jason, like the others, took one look at his bright red face and his, admittedly somewhat cute, lopsided smile from before only grew as he tried to coo at Percy for being shy.

Percy squared his shoulders around his ears and stomped away from the cackling demigods who called after him teasingly about how cute he was and how there was no need to be shy. Perhaps Percy would be better making friends with Coach Hedge. He didn't think Hedge would be the type to buy into Jason's campaign to humiliate him in front of everyone. Stupid flirt.

Well, this was new.

Percy had just finished cleaning up an oil spill in the back of the engine room and was on his way out when Jason – quite literally – caught him and pulled him back into the maze of pipes and machinery by the wrist. Jason backed him up into a fairly secluded alcove among the machinery, leaving Percy with his back literally against the wall. Percy found himself with no more room to back up as Jason edged closer to him, leaving less than a foot between them. It was cosy to say the least.

"So," said Percy casually, after a long moment of silence and awkward blinking at the blond. "What's this about?"

"Nothing much," answered Jason, smiling. "It's just so busy around here, I thought it'd be nice to have some time just the two of us."

Percy gulped, unsure what to say. Perhaps he looked nervous because Jason's smile turned sly and he crept ever so slightly closer.

"What? You don't want to be alone with me?" he asked, feigning being hurt at the thought. "Is it because I embarrassed you the other day?"

Percy felt himself flush at the mention of it and he prickled with indignation. He balled his fists, ready to try and save whatever was left of his pride, but again, Jason knocked him off kilter when he slid an inch further into his space, tilting his head coyly.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, Percy," he said sweetly. "It's just that you're so cute when you get flustered, I couldn't help myself."

Percy instinctively leaned back, looking to retreat, but there was nowhere to go and all he accomplished was bumping the back of his head off a pipe. Jason smirked, eyes narrowing like he was looking at prey. He was very close now.

"You don't need to be nervous around me, you know," he practically purred, voice low and soft.

Percy scoffed, although he wasn't sure it came out quite as derisively as he had intended. "Yeah, right. I'm not nervous."

"Yeah, right," teased Jason, with a gentle laugh.

Percy collected himself enough to shoot the blond an unimpressed stare. He'd feel a lot more comfortable if he could even just cross his arms in front of himself, but Jason hadn't left enough room between them for even that. It left Percy feeling wide open and claustrophobic at the same time. Because he was staring Jason down, Percy couldn't help but notice the moment blue eyes glanced down at his lips before quickly meeting his gaze again. Jason's roguish grin implied he didn't mind being caught looking at all.

"Can I borrow a kiss?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet and soft, so only the two of them could hear. At Percy's answering squeak of surprise (it was a hum, okay? A very manly hum of surprise. So what if his voice might've cracked just a little, that didn't make it a squeak – Percy Jackson didn't squeak.), Jason added lightly: "I promise I'll give it back."

"What are you even talking about?" laughed Percy weakly. He cleared his throat, shaking it off. He wasn't going to let Jason's silly games get to him. "Don't be stupid."

Percy thought he saw a flicker of something in his blue eyes – Sadness? Disappointment? – but he didn't look surprised and blinked it away as quickly as it had come. He gave a minute shrug and another winning smile, brushing Percy's dismissal off easily. He counted off on his fingers.

"My toe on the table in the mess hall. The bottom of the nearly empty shampoo bottle in the shower. And you, Percy Jackson."

Percy did actually try to work that one out but genuinely had no idea what those things might have in common. Thrown for a loop, he looked inquisitively at Jason.

"Things I plan to bang later," explained Jason cheerfully.

Percy snorted at that one. "You really are keen on innuendo, huh?"

"I'm keen on being in your end-o," quipped Jason smoothly, wiggling his eyebrows at him and making Percy laugh.

"Slow down there, Romeo," chuckled Percy, feeling a lot more relaxed than before, grinning back at the blond. It was strange, but he was kind of having fun now.

Jason opened his mouth to respond eagerly but never got the chance. Instead, Leo's voice interrupted, calling out from somewhere further into the tangle of pipes that made up the engine room.

"Oh, Jason~" he called, half singing. "I could really use a hand on this repair please."

Jason made an unhappy face, grumpy at being called away. It was kind of cute. He glanced at Percy, still caught between himself and the wall.

"Can it wait?" he called back over his shoulder, distracted.

"Not if you don't want the ship to explode~" came the lilting – and entirely too casual for the apparent level of urgency and danger – reply.

Jason grumbled and rolled his eyes. He looked back at Percy regretfully. Then he took a steadying breath, and his smoulder was firmly back in place.

"Well, I'm loath to go, but," he purred, holding out his hands like what can you do? "Duty calls."

He brushed his fingertips along Percy's jaw, taking his chin gently to direct Percy's gaze up to meet his eyes.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow," he sighed wistfully, taking a step back.

Percy blinked, slightly dazed from the sudden expanse of elbow room compared to the close proximity of a moment ago. Then he frowned, processing what Jason had just said. He shook his head, smiling, astounded by the blond's nerve. That asshole actually just quoted Romeo and Juliet at him. His ego was out of control.

"You are unbelievable, Jason Grace."

"So they tell me," winked Jason, clicking his tongue and shooting him double finger guns as he backed out of their alcove.

Before turning the corner, he rounded on Percy for a final time, dramatically brandishing a finger at him. Most people would've looked quite foolish in that wide stance, arm straight out, pointing in someone's face; and Percy supposed Jason did look a little funny, but he somehow just made it work.

"I may have to leave, but we're not done here," he declared confidently. "Percy Jackson, I will seduce you!"

And then he just left, before Percy could say or do anything. Jason was gone, disappearing into the heavy machinery to help stop the ship from blowing up, leaving Percy alone and slightly bewildered among the pipes, unsure what had just happened.

Corsica was pretty much everything Percy had expected it to be. There were remnants of Roman history dotted around the island, the remains of an amphitheatre, bathhouses, etc. All things that diverted the attention of mortal tourists. This was good news for Percy and Jason as it left them plenty of room to work without worrying about sneaking around under the mortals' noses.

From what they could tell, the remains of the temple-turned-crypt of the Roman officer was not of as much interest to tourists as the other sites. Tourists probably weren't even aware of its existence and the locals didn't seem to think it was really worth preserving or bothering with at all; so it had largely just been left alone to decay quietly in the surrounding woods.

Unfortunately, because of the expanse of trees surrounding the building, it hadn't been possible for Leo to drop them off right on the doorstep. Instead, they were forced to walk from farther out. Percy didn't mind this at all, glad to be back on the ground and stretch his legs for a bit, even despite the ever-present danger the ground now presented. The Argo II was waiting for them somewhere miles above, a small dark shape occasionally visible through the parting clouds. Far enough away that it wouldn't draw any unwanted attention, but close enough to reassure Percy that backup was only moments away if needed.

He hoped they wouldn't need it. He was confident that he and Jason together could handle any threat that may come their way; but it was safe to say that Jason was still a little distracted, so it was nice to have options. Just in case. When they had set out that morning and Percy had brought up the issue of how best to actually get onto the island, Jason had simply smirked and said – brazenly, in front of everyone – "you can ride me if you like."

They had little choice other than for Jason to fly them down, so Percy had been forced to spend the descent pressed up against the smarmy blond while they clung to one another for dear life. Safe to say Jason enjoyed it. Percy greatly suspected that Jason had undersold his abilities and how fast he was capable of going, just to prolong the experience.

Now that they had finally touched down, just inside the forest before where the trees grew too closely together, Percy was taking a moment to refocus on the task at hand. Annabeth was counting on them after all.

"Oh, that looks heavy," came Jason's voice from behind him. "Here, let me hold it for you."

Percy had barely glanced over his shoulder before Jason had glided up to his side, and slipped his hand into Percy's, holding it contentedly. Percy blinked down at their hands and then up at Jason. Jason just beamed back at him happily.

"You dork, that was so lame," laughed Percy, after a moment. He didn't try to pull his hand away though. If Jason, wanted to be cute, fine.

Jason smiled even brighter, giving his hand a little squeeze. "Come on then, we've got a map to find."

Jason set off through the trees, leading Percy along by the hand, cheerfully swinging their connected arms as they went.

The temple itself was mostly demolished. Even less of the original structure remained than of the Wolf House. Percy worried the map might've been damaged or destroyed entirely if the state of the building was anything to go by, but Jason was confident that the crypt would have been built under the temple and therefore might've had a better chance of surviving. They just had to find a way down.

They were picking their way through the half-collapsed pillars when the floor gave way under Jason's foot. He toppled forward into the newly exposed pit with a surprised yelp. Percy, who had only been a step behind Jason, barely heard the thud of him hitting the ground before the floor under his own feet crumbled, sending him tumbling face first into the darkness as well.

Jason had landed flat on his stomach and face. Luckily, the drop hadn't been all that far, but it was still a pretty hard landing. He'd just gotten his knees under him and made to push himself up when Percy landed heavily on him with a grunt. His arms went out from under him, leaving his chest crushed to the floor again and his knees trapped under his stomach, which unfortunately left his rear rather embarrassingly raised. Percy's chest was flush against his back, hips against his rear, leaving them in a rather compromising position.

"Well," groaned Jason dryly. "Can't say this is exactly what I had in mind. But I'm always willing to try new things."

He felt Percy's snort puff against the back of his neck, while he shifted around. "Calm down, I'm getting up."

"Oh, are you now?" teased Jason. Percy could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Gods, you're out of control."

"Oh, come on. Just admit you like it and you've got the hots for me. No one will blame you for falling for my natural charms."

Percy gagged dramatically. "Sorry, the thought of your natural charms was enough to set off my gag reflex."

It was too dark to see him properly, but Percy felt Jason smoothly slide into his space, pressing his chest against Percy's back. His breath tickled Percy's ear when he murmured: "Maybe I can help you get over that particular reflex sometime."

"You're a menace, you know that right?" said Percy, rolling his eyes with a smile. At least in the dark it didn't matter if his cheeks felt warm or not.

Percy felt around in his pack for one of the candles they'd included in the supplies for just such an occasion. He busied himself with the candle and matches, distracting himself from the feeling of Jason getting comfortable in his space, wrapping his arms round Percy's waist and resting his chin heavily on Percy's shoulder.

After lighting the small candle, they could see that Jason had indeed been correct about the crypt being preserved underneath the temple. There were braziers and torches in place around the room. After getting Jason to hand him the closest torch, Percy lit it with the candle to give them more light. In an effort to save the rest of the candle, Percy blew it out and returned it to his pack.

"If I pretend to be a candle, will you blow me too?" asked Jason.

"Shut up, Jason," sang Percy lightly, shrugging him off to start looking around for the map.

Jason kept up with his quips as they searched, while Percy brushed them off with amusement. He got his own back on the blond when he pretended the zombie of the Roman officer was standing behind him, laughing hard when Jason whirled around, sword raised looking startled.

"Oh, hah hah," Jason said, sarcastically, pride wounded.

"Aw, I'm just pulling your leg," teased Percy.

Jason grinned at him slyly: sword down, smoulder on. "I've got something else you could pull instead."

"Jason."

Jason whistled merrily to himself as he organised Leo's tools. Leo was a brilliant engineer and could do amazing things with the ship, but his ADHD left him prone to leaving his many tools and half-finished inventions laying around all over the place. It was worst in the engine room since that's where Leo spent most of his time when he wasn't steering the ship and where he used most of his tools. Leo didn't mind the mess, said it made the room feel more homey. Perhaps it was the Roman in him, but seeing wrenches and wires left lying around everywhere made Jason a bit restless with the desire to tidy it up. He also thought Leo would be much more likely to lose things like that than if he just put them all away properly when he was done. Leo shrugged him off and said, "That's what the magic toolbelt's for, baby."

Jason took his point of course, but if the belt only summoned new equipment whenever he needed it and he kept leaving it all laying around instead of putting it back in the belt, eventually they'd be drowning in screwdrivers. Jason also felt good about putting it all away for Leo because he wasn't even half as good at fixing things as his friend. Every day Leo was patching up damage or adding improvements to keep The Argo II going so they could complete their quest. It was a big job and Jason could only offer limited help with that. Tidying up after the engineer let him feel like he was contributing something.

So as soon as he'd gotten some free time, he'd come down to the engine room, collected everything off the floor and was just finishing up organising it all on the shelves and little compartments they had above a workbench in one corner of the room.

He was so distracted by finding the right section to put a hammer that he didn't even notice Percy until he had hopped up onto the workbench and flashed him a smile.

"Hey man, I'm sorry to bother you," said Percy earnestly, grabbing Jason's attention, "but do you possibly have any room for an extra tongue in your mouth?"

Jason fumbled with the hammer as he dropped it into the right compartment. He stared back at Percy; eyebrows raised in surprise. Percy grinned back at him, swinging his feet happily. Jason had noticed Percy loosening up lately whenever Jason flirted with him, even seeming to enjoy the attention – but he'd never approached Jason first before. Not like this.

Jason regarded him carefully, unsure of what Percy might be up to. Well, if Percy wanted to play games, who was Jason to deny him? He straightened up, putting his hands on his hips and cocked a brow at him.

"What's a nice boy like you doing in a dirty mind like mine?"

Percy's smile sharpened, his eyes glinting slyly as he made a show of looking Jason over. "Are you a beaver? Cause dam."

That surprised a laugh out of Jason. He could feel excitement bubbling up at the prospect of Percy actually flirting back at him.

"Damn, Jackson," he said appreciatively, grinning with delight. "So you do have some moves after all. I'm impressed!"

Percy looked quite pleased with himself.

"I have plenty in mind I'd like to tell you, but I remember you accusing me of using to many innuendos before," continued Jason. "I'm trying to stop making innuendos, but it's really hard."

"Just because I'm not as big on innuendo as you," said Percy, raising his hands defensively, "doesn't mean that I don't like to slip one in every now and then."

"Well now. That's actually something I can get behind," grinned Jason.

"Do you want to play Titanic with me?" asked Percy, giving him a coy smile, batting his eyes innocently, and (definitely not innocently) subtly spreading his thighs where he was still perched on the bench. "You be the boat, I'll be the sea, and you can go down on me."

Jason grinned slowly and stepped a little closer. He put his hands on the tabletop either side of Percy's hips, leaning forward ever so slightly so their faces were almost level, with Percy's knees bracketing his own hips.

He nodded towards Percy's pants. "You got a phone in that back pocket? Cause that ass is calling me."

Percy gave a small chuckle and tilted his head to the side. "You must work for UPS, right?" He looked down, right at Jason's crotch. "You have a fantastic package."

"Why thank you. But no, no UPS," said Jason graciously. He gestured to the neatly packed tools behind Percy as he continued. "But as you can see, I am on top of things round here. Would you like to be one of them?"

"Huh," said Percy thoughtfully. "Is your name Medusa? Because I am rock hard."

Jason leaned in closer, his eyes practically glowing looking between Percy's eyes and mouth. "Well, in that case, you might be interested in the sale going on in my room right now," he murmured lowly. "Everything is 100% off."

Percy edged further off the bench, his thighs brushing Jason's hips, hardly any space at all left between them now.

"I may not go down in history, but I'll go down on you," he purred invitingly.

Jason gave a deep rumble in approval but before he could say or do anything else Leo came clattering loudly down the hallway shouting reminders to everyone that their planning meeting for their arrival in Rome tomorrow was about to begin. He ducked a head round the door as he passed, not surprised to find them both there at all. They were still closer than could strictly be considered innocuous, but they'd leaned out of each other's spaces just enough that it didn't look outrageously scandalous either.

"Yo, Lovebirds, stop flirting. Meeting should've started five minutes ago, let's haul ass," he called, with a wide grin, and disappeared into the hallway again.

Sighing, Percy and Jason grudgingly followed behind him to the mess hall. Leo swaggered into the room, throwing his arms wide and loudly proclaimed, "Dread Pirate Valdez has arrived!". Jason leaned forward to murmur into Percy's ear just before they followed Leo inside.

"Maybe after this we head back to my room and play Pirates too? I'll be the pirate and you can give me the booty."

They were the last to arrive; the three of them really had been late to the meeting. Jason and Percy nodded sheepishly at the others, apologetic for keeping them waiting and made their way to the two remaining seats around the table. Jason made a bit of a show of pulling Percy's chair out for him and pushing him in, still in high spirits from their little rendezvous in the engine room. Percy let him be all goofy and charming about being a gentleman, still in a very good mood himself.

As Jason scooted his own chair in under the table beside Percy, he leaned in and muttered, "You know, I may not be a chair, but you can still feel free to sit on me anytime you like."

Percy winked back at him cheerfully. They had already planned their route into Rome according to the map Jason and Percy had brought back but that still left them with two big jobs to do once they arrived tomorrow. They'd have to decide who would be going to retrieve the Athena Parthenos and who would be seeking out the Giants and trying to rescue Nico. And how exactly they were going to accomplish all of that.

It wasn't that Jason wasn't paying attention – he was; he just also happened to be very good at multitasking. Consequently, he was able to focus on the strategizing, while also letting part of his mind be distracted by Percy sitting next to him looking all serious and fine. His mind kept wandering back to the engine room and what might've happened if they hadn't been interrupted. He was itching to pick up where they had left off. From the slight tension in Percy's jaw and the way his green eyes kept glancing at him sideways, Jason figured Percy was thinking the same thing.

Jason felt like he was back in school: bored and restless. Taking in the important information, sure, but eager to goof off at the back of the class with his friends at the same time. When his focus on the meeting wore a little too thin in favour of thoughts of what he could be doing with Percy instead, Jason nudged Percy covertly to get his attention. Better he let out a little steam now before it was all he could think about – just so he could better focus on what the others were saying, of course.

"What's the difference between a Ferrari and an erection?" whispered Jason stealthily, leaning into Percy's side slightly so as not to interrupt the others.

Percy continued to face forward as well, but he glanced at him, eyebrows raised in question.

"I don't have a Ferrari."

Percy's face split into a grin that he couldn't squash, not for lack of trying. He made a muted sort of snorting sound in amusement and that set Jason off too. They grinned at each other, trying to stifle their giggles and keep straight faces, but it was a losing battle. They didn't realise how extraordinarily conspicuous they were being until Annabeth pointedly cleared her throat and they looked round to find the rest of the seven and Coach Hedge staring at them judgementally. Hazel had been in full flow, still on her feet, but had awkwardly petered off when the two boys at the other end of the table had started their giggling fit, going red in the face trying to stop their shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

"Do you two mind?" Annabeth scolded them, looking very unimpressed. The boys hung their heads sheepishly, muttering apologies. Annabeth smiled at Hazel encouragingly. "Go on, Hazel."

Hazel picked up where she'd left off on her plan and Percy and Jason made a point to behave themselves, despite breaking into wide grins any time they caught each other's eye.

Jason risked Annabeth's wrath again when Piper weighed in with her thoughts. Paper and pens were readily available on the table as always during their meetings, even though they were rarely made use of. Jason carefully inched a piece of paper towards himself, eyeing the others surreptitiously to make sure no one was paying him any attention so he wouldn't get into trouble again. Nobody seemed to notice or care as he silently wrote his short message and subtly inched it in Percy's direction. He nudged Percy's knee under the table with his own after a moment. Green eyes turned to him, and he indicated with his own eyes at the paper in front of them.

Taking the hint, Percy read the short note:

If you were a dinosaur, you'd be a Megasoreass ;)

Jason watched Percy's eyes crinkle as he sank lower in his chair and pressed his knuckles to his lips to hide his smile, hoping nobody would notice him if he stayed low. Jason wiggled his eyebrows at him cheerfully.

"Jason, do you have anything to offer?" asked Annabeth dryly. Jason looked back at her quickly, wondering if he'd been rumbled again or if she was still just crabby about the last time. Her grey eyes were very hard to read.

Luckily, Jason was nothing if not prepared. He stood up to say his piece, slipping back into the familiar position of making speeches and having all eyes on him from his Praetor days. He hadn't exactly missed the pressure of a Praetor. One of the things he'd most enjoyed about his time as one of the seven was exactly that: that there were seven of them and they were all equally as responsible for the success of failure of the quest.

Percy listened to Jason make his suggestions and outline his proposed plan, fascinated by the instant switch the blond had been able to make from goofing off with him like an idiot to, well, a leader if Percy had to describe it. He was still smirking over their teasing as he listened, and every time he caught Jason's eye, he could see an answering spark of mischief. Percy winked at him while no one was watching, big and obnoxious and was thrilled to see the corner of Jason's lips quirk up in amusement.

It might've been a poor choice on Percy's part to encourage him, because although Jason managed to rather impressively stay on topic, he began changing up some phrasing that Percy was positive could not have been in the first draft. "Go in hard and fast…Really get on top of this…"

It seemed to go over some of their heads, but Percy could see some of the others looking exasperated and knew they were picking up what Jason was putting down, even if it was really only intended for Percy. Percy was really in no position for Jason to tease him so bluntly. He was glad he was getting the chance to stay seated for this meeting, otherwise there may have been a very obvious problem. He was certainly getting restless, fidgeting in his seat, eager for the meeting to be over so he could get Jason somewhere where he would be able to tease the blond back.

After Jason took his seat again, he and Percy had more or less completely run out of attention for the plan, confident they were already as prepared as they'd ever be, and very distracted by each other. They spent the rest of the meeting making eyes at each other while the others stubbornly pretended not to notice the mounting tension at their end of the table. As soon as the meeting was called, the two were out of their seats and tripping over each other as they hurried out into the hall.

It was barely two minutes later before they were tumbling into Percy's room, Jason kicking the door closed behind him, both boys already wrapped around each other as they backed into the room. Distracted by their attempts to discover just how far they could stick their tongues down each other's throats, they only came to a stop when Percy's back bumped against the wall opposite the door. Too eager from the tension they had built during the meeting, not even an inch of space was left between them. They were a mindless tangle of groping limbs, sliding tongues and grinding hips.

Jason's hand found its way between them, cupping Percy through his increasingly tight pants. He squeezed and rubbed him through the fabric, letting Percy roll his hips and rut into his palm eagerly. He couldn't get enough of the way Percy looked; flushed, swollen lipped and a little dazed but at the same time wired with all his remaining focus zeroed in on their points of contact. Jason imagined he probably had a similar look himself.

He bit at Percy's jaw, the arm around Percy's waist brining him flush against Jason. Percy made a soft sound of pleasure, fingers digging into Jason where they clung to him. Jason sealed his lips below Percy's ear, feeling Percy's panting breath's puff across his cheek past his own ear.

Percy's hands slid down his sides to his hips, briefly hooking into the belt loops of Jason's jeans, trying to pull the blond's hips against his own. The hand Jason still had on Percy's crotch was in the way but too good to forfeit, so Percy began fumbling for Jason's fly instead. Jason brushed the clumsy hands away, and again when Percy grunted insistently and tried a second time.

"Ah ah ah," murmured Jason, against Percy's neck. "Not until you admit it first."

Percy, pulled his head back enough to study him quizzically, hips on autopilot in Jason's hold. "Admit what?"

"That I'm the ultimate romancer of course," grinned Jason, cockily. "I wanna hear you say it."

Percy rolled his eyes with a heavy exhale. "Shut up and come on already."

"Well it worked on you didn't it?" replied Jason, just a little sulkily.

"Hardly," snorted Percy, a tease to his small grin.

"Funny, I'm hearing no from you, but I'm definitely feeling a very big yes down here," smirked Jason, giving the bugle in Percy's pants a firm squeeze.

Percy gave a wonderful bitten off little moan in response, a shiver visibly going through him. Percy's eyes fluttered and he breathed deeply, reigning himself in a bit as he fixed Jason with a blank, innocent look; even as his hips kept rocking lightly, his fingers curled tighter in the sleeves of Jason's shirt and the red in his cheeks persisted.

"I don't know what gave you that idea," he said, sarcastically.

"Come on, Percy. Haven't I successfully seduced you?" pressed Jason smoothly. He raised his eyebrows and grinned playfully. "Or do you want me to keep trying? Are you a sea lion? Because I sea you lion in my bed tonight."

"Oh no, not more crappy pick up lines," winced Percy, but he was clearly fighting back a smile.

"So what do you say, can I crab that ass or what?"

"Okay, okay, consider me seduced," conceded Percy around a giggle, raising his hands in surrender. "You are the ultimate romancer – so you can stop now. Please."

Jason's smile lit up his face and he gave Percy a kiss, smacking his lips emphatically. "Thank you. I'm glad you see things my way."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't let it go to your head," grumbled Percy affectionately. "It's big enough already."

"What if I let it go to my other head?" asked Jason, wiggling his eyebrows.

Percy smirked at him. "Well now, that I think I could work with."

Percy made for Jason's jeans again but paused, glancing up at him. "You're not going to slap me again if I try and get your dick out, are you?"

Jason tipped his head grandly in permission. "I'll allow it."

Percy shook his head lightly, huffing in amusement at how much of an idiot the blond could still be, even in this situation. He took Jason by the hips, thumbs pressing in eagerly, and marched him backwards until Jason fell back heavily into Percy's desk chair. He didn't hesitate at all to get onto his knees between the blond's open thighs. Percy made quick work of Jason's button and zipper, and soon had his admittedly impressive erection in hand. Jason had been taken by surprise when he was pushed back into the chair and was still staring at Percy a little blindsided but impressed by him taking charge.

"Percy, are you sure you want to? You don't have to do that," breathed Jason softly.

Percy appreciated the care in his voice, but the eager anticipation in his eyes and the tight way he held himself too still in the chair, along with the touch of breathless excitement in his voice told Percy just how keen he was on the idea. Percy felt pride and satisfaction glow in his chest, his own ego inflating, knowing that the sight of him on his knees was enough to tempt someone so effectively.

"Well I did sort of promise, if you were paying attention," Percy pointed out. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip subtly, looking back down to the cock in his hand. "And I had to sit through pretty much that whole meeting thinking about it."

"Well then I think you've earned it," smiled Jason, voice low and approving.

Percy winked and shot him a grin before wrapping his lips around the head of Jason's cock. Jason gave a small grunt of pleasure as his eyes slid shut and he tipped his head back, positively melting into the chair as Percy worked. Percy opened his throat and sank down, taking as much of Jason's length as he could, curling his tongue around the underside of his shaft, stroking with it on the way back up. He had his arms curled around Jason's legs, but that didn't stop the blond rolling his hips gently, eagerly sliding in and out of Percy's mouth but trying not to thrust too harshly or deeply and choke him. Percy didn't mind at all, humming encouragingly when a hand slipped into his hair, combing through tenderly at first but then gripping firmly.

"What's the difference between me and medicine?" panted Jason quietly, almost not paying attention to what he was even saying, too busy enjoying Percy's attentions.

Percy made a sound of disbelief, almost choking while he deepthroated the blond. Jason still had his head tilted back lazily, so Percy gave a soft grunt, trying to communicate his thoughts of: 'Really? You're actually still telling cheesy lines while I literally have your dick in my mouth?' But Jason must have misinterpreted it as a sign of curiosity and a cue to continue.

"You don't need a spoonful of sugar to swallow me."

Percy groaned in dismay, meaning 'Oh my god that was terrible, how could you?' But it quickly dissolved into a giggle that he didn't bother to try and hide. Jason honest to god whined and his hips jerked forward into Percy's mouth reflexively before he could stop himself. Jason breathed deeply, reigning in his control and cracked an eye open, looking down at Percy. He found Percy still on his knees between his own thighs, green eyes bright and crinkled as he smiled around his shaft doing his best not to bite him, for which Jason was immensely grateful. He'd had to stop bobbing his head because of his fit of giggles, and Jason was amused to see Percy simply sitting there laughing around his dick. It was certainly one of the stranger sights he'd seen in his life, but Jason found himself grinning back at Percy, chest warm, happy to have made Percy laugh.

"Hah, you know it feels seriously amazing when you laugh," he groaned, slightly breathless from arousal.

Percy just wiggled his eyebrows at him smugly like 'I know' and went right back to work. He hollowed his cheeks as he bobbed his head quickly on Jason. Percy's sharp eyes flicked up to watch Jason slowly but surely coming apart before him. His cheeks were an attractive shade of pink; his generally neat hair was looking slightly ruffled in a very nice way; his lips were parted just a little, just enough to let Percy hear each groan and his increasingly tight breathing. Percy locked eyes with him and gave an extra hard suck, moaning enthusiastically as he did so. Jason's breath hitched as Percy felt the cock in his mouth twitch against his tongue.

He redoubled his efforts, determined to push Jason harder and harder until he broke. They kept their eyes locked as Percy sucked furiously, harder, faster, and Jason gripped his hair like a vice, whole body beginning to tremble minutely. And then he was coming all at once, taking them both by surprise.

Jason whimpered with the force of it, high and keening and hands down the most attractive thing Percy had ever heard. His hips shot forward against Percy's lips, burying his cock in the back of his throat; Percy taking it like a champ. He quickly dissolved into soft, satisfied grunts, hips rocking in a gentle roll as he came down from his high.

"Sorry," he breathed apologetically, smiling sheepishly at Percy as he melted, boneless into the chair. "Did I hurt you?"

Percy popped off his softening dick audibly and gave him a wide, happy smile. "Are you kidding? That was great." He assured, even though his voice was admittedly a little raspy and he could feel a distinct ache slowly setting in at the back of his throat.

Jason huffed, still winded but amused. "You don't need to tell me that. You're ridiculously good at that, you know."

Percy preened, smirking at him arrogantly. "Oh, I know."

Jason chuckled before his expression shifted ever so subtly. He patted his thighs and lowered his voice to a deep rumble. "Come here. It's your turn now."

Percy didn't need to be told twice. He let Jason pull him up and onto his lap, straddling his lower thighs. Jason took hold of his hips firmly and dragged him closer to a much more comfortable position, sending excitement through Percy like an electric current. Percy was still rock hard and tense with anticipation that had only increased while he sucked Jason off. He got the impression from the way Jason was eyeing him up that the blond knew as well as he did that it wouldn't take very much to push him over the edge.

Jason didn't make Percy wait any longer, pulling him free of his pants and underwear smoothly and stroking his cock firmly. Percy shuddered at the contact, moaning lowly through clenched teeth. He felt fingers brush his jaw and a thumb stroke over his lower lip tenderly. He opened his eyes and glanced up at Jason, head still dipped reflexively at the stimulation.

"Don't be shy, Percy," cooed Jason quietly, which only made Percy listen even more carefully. "Don't try and hold back. Let me hear it all."

Percy felt his face burn but didn't fight it when Jason's hand coaxed his jaw to relax and his lips to part slightly. He wasn't exactly embarrassed. Percy had never really been shy when he fooled around with people. He knew he was good at it, so he had no reason to be embarrassed. There was just something about the intense way Jason was watching him, catching every sound, every movement, every minute reaction. His blue eyes had turned keen and just a shade darker, almost predatory. Percy liked it – he liked it a lot – but it was like looking at the sun: wonderful but powerful and there was only so long you could look before you had to glance away, otherwise you might burn up. It was a startling shift from just moments ago when Percy had felt distinctly in charge and Jason had been putty in his hands, sweet and keening. Percy couldn't decide which he liked better and was glad Jason seemed willing to show him both sides.

Jason's hand jerked his cock tightly and rapidly, effectively shutting down Percy's brain until all he could do was cling to Jason's shirt and thrust up fervently into his fist. Jason's lips were curled into a sharp, satisfied smile as he watched Percy shiver and moan on top of him. He leaned forward to press a hard kiss against Percy's lips. Percy panted against him briefly before enthusiastically kissing back. Jason sucked Percy's tongue into his mouth, sucking on it just as attentively as Percy had on his dick moments before. Percy was slamming his hips up energetically to meet his fist with every stroke, just beginning to show signs of struggling to keep a rhythm as his need to come grew more insistent.

Jason twisted his wrist expertly and nipped at Percy's lip. He gripped Percy's hip with his free hand, fingers digging in tightly to keep Percy steady as his movements became more erratic. It wasn't long before Percy gave a stuttering, broken moan against his lips, body locking up in a final upward thrust, quaking under Jason's hands as he came.

Percy sagged against him, giving him a slow, bright smile after coming down a bit. Jason held onto him, stroking up and down his sides and along his thighs mindlessly, too enthralled by the view to really care what his hands were doing.

"So, can I consider that a preview for the main event?" asked Percy coyly, smirking at him from under his lashes. "Which I hope I won't have to wait long for, by the way."

Jason grinned back at him, just as keen. "I should hope not. Not when the preview was that good."

"Just give me fifteen and maybe some Gatorade and I'll be good to go," winked Percy tiredly, giving him a brief kiss.

"As much as I would enjoy that," sighed Jason, stretching and blinking the drowsiness from his eyes. "It's a no go for now. Our turn on watch tonight, remember? It's probably almost time already."

Percy's shoulders slumped a little and he grumbled in disappointment. He had forgotten. Time flew when you were fooling around with one of the hottest guys on board. He could only imagine how fast it must've seemed to Jason. Jason smiled at him affectionately.

"Come on," he said cheerfully, patting Percy's thigh. "We'd better go get cleaned up a bit before heading up there."

Percy grumbled again, feeling too sated and sleepy to be enthusiastic about having to move from his very comfortable position, let alone fight monsters all night. "Okay. But before we do, there's something I have to know."

Jason looked at him curiously.

"Do you run track?" asked Percy, looking at the blond seriously.

Jason blinked, puzzled.

"Uh…" he said eloquently, thrown by the question.

A small frown appeared on his face as he tried to formulate a response and wonder what on earth that had to do with anything. Before he could muster any proper response, Percy's face cracked into a grin and he continued, through a laugh.

"Because I heard you Relay want this ass."

Jason's laugh sounded like thunder, deep and booming and Percy loved it. He grinned at him delightedly, swingling a leg off Jason's lap and hopping onto his feet. Before he had the chance to step away, Jason's hand connected with his rear in a playful slap.

"Absolutely I do," agreed Jason, with a lopsided smile.

"How about after this shift?" smirked Percy, as he and Jason righted themselves and their clothes.

"If there's time," promised Jason, zipping his fly.

Percy's smile faltered just a bit at the thought of what was waiting for them tomorrow when they arrived.

"Rome in the morning, huh?" he mused, apprehension settling in his gut, not quite brave enough to look at the blond.

"Rome in the morning," agreed Jason, looking equally subdued. Then he caught Percy's gaze and held it. He smiled reassuringly. "It'll be fine."

Percy offered a small smile in return. They didn't discuss it, but they were both on the same page. They had to believe they would all be fine and complete the quest without incident. They had a plan; they'd prepared for this. But they were fully aware that this was one of the biggest and most dangerous quests that any of them had ever been on and there was so much at stake. Percy had no idea what might happen tomorrow. They had to find the Athena Parthenos and Nico. Two separate goals. They had no choice but to split up, but Percy really didn't like it. He would feel a lot more comfortable if he could keep an eye on everyone the whole time. If something happened to any of them while he wasn't there…

The look on Jason's face told him that the blond had exactly the same worries on his mind. Not to mention possibly the most unsettling line of the prophecy they had been given: To storm or fire the world must fall. They didn't mention it much. Everyone had a pretty good idea of what it implied but the idea that a result that awful was already predetermined was too terrible to acknowledge. They were all risking their lives on this quest, but they at least felt like the had a chance, even if they only got by on luck. If either Jason or Leo were truly intended to die on this quest and there was nothing they could do to stop it…If it happened tomorrow…

Percy didn't mean to let his concerns show on his face but apparently Jason could read him like a book. Jason's expression softened sympathetically, as if it were Percy with the possible death sentence on his head.

"We're going to be fine," he assured. "Me, Leo, all of us. So don't worry so much."

Percy nodded and put more effort into his smile. "I know," he said softly. "Let's get going before we're late for the second time today."

Percy headed to the door and then out into the hall with Jason following behind him. Jason watched Percy's back as he led the way from the room, still concerned that he was too caught up in his own head about things they couldn't change and may not even fully understand yet. Jason grabbed the handle to close the door on his way out but hesitated.

"Hey," he called. Percy paused, halfway down the hall, glancing back over his shoulder at him. Jason smiled warmly at him. "Live long. Laugh hard. And you, Percy Jackson."

Percy's face brightened a little more, one side of his mouth lifting in a genuine smile. "What's that?"

Jason grinned at him.

"Things I fully intend to do."