The oppressive air of the ancient shrine pressed in on them, thick with dust and the weight of millennia of secrets. Jason and Percy moved cautiously through the darkened passageways; their footsteps barely audible over the slow drip of water from the crumbling stone walls. Despite the adrenaline still coursing through their veins from their earlier fight with Octavian, the oppressive stillness in this forgotten place made their movements more measured, as though the very air itself demanded reverence.
"Of all the things I thought we'd be doing this summer," Percy muttered, his voice low as he scanned the shadows with a wary eye, "finding a long-lost statue and uniting both camps was not on my bingo list."
Jason huffed a humorless laugh, keeping his eyes forward. "Yeah, well, I am just as surprised as you. It is not every day that you find out the fact that the Gods that sired your kind have split personalities."
The dim light of Jason's sword, glowing faintly with electricity, flickered off the walls, casting long, eerie shadows. Percy grimaced, his nose wrinkling as the faint scent of rot and decay reached him, intermingled with the musty, damp smell of old stone.
As they cautiously moved deeper into the shrine, the atmosphere seemed to thicken, each breath weighted by the ancient magic and treachery that filled the air. The tunnels have changes into passageways, that turned into a maze of illusions and traps, each one more insidious than the last. The walls shimmered, flickering between reality and something far more dangerous, making it impossible to distinguish what was solid from what was simply a trick of the monster's deceptions.
"I hate spiders," Percy muttered under his breath, his eyes darting to every corner as small spiders and tarantulas crawled.
Jason shot him a sideways glance. "You hate a lot of things."
"Yeah, well, when you've had to fight monsters of all kinds, you develop a strong opinion on their mundane counterparts."
Jason couldn't argue with that. The place had him on edge too. The shadows seemed to move in unnatural ways, twisting and bending like they had a life of their own. His grip tightened on his sword, the faint hum of electricity from its blade barely enough to dispel the growing unease.
Just as they were about to step forward, Jason's foot hovered dangerously close to a pressure plate hidden beneath a thin layer of dust. His heart lurched as he realized what it was.
"Jason, wait—" Percy's voice cut through the air, sharp and urgent.
Without thinking, Percy grabbed Jason by the arm and yanked him back with more force than necessary. They tumbled to the ground as a barrage of spiked webs shot out from the walls, piercing the spot where Jason had just been standing. The webs sliced through the air with deadly precision, their gleaming tips glinting like serrated knives.
For a moment, all Percy could feel was the rush of relief at having pulled Jason out of harm's way. Then he became acutely aware of the fact that Jason was now sprawled on top of him.
"Uh," Percy started, the awkwardness of the situation hitting him all at once, but he couldn't seem to get the words out.
Jason's blue eyes widened slightly as he registered their position. The pressure of his body against Percy's was a little too close, a little too intimate, but for some reason, neither of them made a move to get up.
Time seemed to slow, the sounds of the shrine—the dripping water, the faint echoes—fading into the background. For a brief second, there was only the sound of their breathing, shallow and uneven, and the unmistakable tension that had been building between them since the start of this cursed quest.
Their eyes locked, the air between them thick with the weight of everything unsaid—uncertainty, rivalry, tension, and something else neither of them had dared to acknowledge until now.
And then, before either of them could fully register what was happening, their lips collided.
It wasn't planned. It wasn't graceful. It was a clumsy, startled kiss, their lips smashing together with the force of all the unspoken things that had simmered between them since the moment they'd first met. Jason froze for a second, as if his brain was trying to catch up with what his body had just done.
But then Percy kissed him back.
That moment of hesitation vanished, swallowed up by the heat that surged between them. Percy's hand instinctively moved to Jason's back, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened, as though all the chaos of their world had collapsed into this singular point. Their mouths moved together, a tangled mix of desperation and confusion and something neither of them fully understood.
For a heartbeat, the world outside disappeared—there was no statue, no looming quest, no deadly traps waiting to spring. No Nico.
It was just the two of them, tangled together, lips pressed hard against each other, breathing each other in like they were both drowning, and this was the only way to survive.
Jason's hands found their way to Percy's shoulders, his grip tightening as he kissed back, all the tension between them melting away in that shared moment of reckless abandon. But it was there, too—the confusion, the mess of emotions they hadn't even begun to untangle. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't part of the plan. But for once, neither of them cared.
The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity—an eternity where everything made sense, and nothing did at the same time.
And then, as abruptly as it had started, reality came crashing back down on them. The sounds of the shrine—the faint skittering of spiders, the distant creak of stone shifting—flooded their ears once more, pulling them out of the moment like a cold wave of water.
Jason pulled back first, his breath coming in quick, shallow bursts, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and something else—something he couldn't quite put into words. Percy stared up at him, equally breathless, equally stunned, his mind scrambling to process what had just happened.
"Uh," Percy said again, more awkward this time, his voice breaking the thick silence between them.
Jason blinked, as if finally realizing he was still on top of Percy. He scrambled to his feet, almost tripping over himself in his haste to put some distance between them. His face was flushed, though whether from the kiss or the adrenaline of the near-death experience, Percy couldn't tell.
"Sorry," Jason muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared at the floor, avoiding Percy's gaze like it was Medusa herself.
"No, it's... it's fine," Percy said quickly, still lying on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, his heart pounding in his chest.
For a long, uncomfortable moment, neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. The kiss hung in the air between them, heavy and awkward and impossible to ignore.
Finally, Percy pushed himself up to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes. He cleared his throat, his eyes darting toward Jason, who still looked like he was one heartbeat away from bolting out of the shrine.
"So, uh... that happened," Percy said, trying to sound casual, but his voice came out more uncertain than he intended.
Jason nodded, his eyes still fixed on the floor. "Yeah... it did."
Another stretch of awkward silence followed. Percy wasn't sure if he should say something else or just pretend it hadn't happened at all. The latter seemed impossible, but so did having a conversation about it right now, with deadly traps and spiders lurking around the corner.
Finally, Jason shook his head, as if shaking off the lingering effects of the moment. He took a deep breath and straightened up, forcing himself to meet Percy's gaze. "We should, uh... focus. On the quest. Right."
"Right," Percy agreed, though his voice was still tinged with the aftershock of the kiss. He reached for Riptide, gripping the sword tightly, needing something to ground himself.
They stood there for another second, the air between them still thick with unsaid words, before they turned and started moving deeper into the shrine, the tension from the kiss lingering like a shadow over them. Neither of them spoke about it.
Not yet.
"Let's move," Jason muttered, his voice hoarse and strained. His eyes flickered between Percy and the entrance to the next tunnel, clearly struggling to process what had just happened but knowing that staying here would get them killed.
"Yeah... yeah," Percy replied, running a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the lingering tension. His heart was still pounding, but this time it wasn't just from the kiss. They had bigger problems.
The ground rumbled beneath them again, this time accompanied by a distant shriek that reverberated through the cavern's walls. Jason shot Percy a look, and for a brief second, Percy thought he might say something about what had just happened. But instead, Jason's jaw tightened, and he turned on his heel, marching toward the next section of the shrine.
"Come on, we don't have time," Jason said, his voice firm but with an edge that wasn't there before.
Percy followed, not bothering to argue. His thoughts were a mess, but he forced himself to focus on the task ahead. Save the statue, survive the quest, get the hell out of here. That was all that mattered right now.
But despite his best efforts, his mind kept replaying the kiss. The way Jason had reacted—startled, sure, but also like he'd wanted it. Like there was something between them that had been simmering under the surface all along, and they'd both been too stubborn or too blind to see it.
"Snap out of it, Percy," he muttered to himself, trying to shake off the distracting thoughts. Focus. Spiders. Death. Big statue.
They navigated through the shrine, the flickering light casting long, eerie shadows against the walls. Jason led the way, using his powers to feel out any more traps that might be lurking ahead. Percy stayed close behind, gripping Riptide a little tighter than usual, his senses on high alert.
Every now and then, their eyes would meet—fleeting, uncertain glances that neither of them seemed ready to acknowledge. The tension between them was thicker now, no longer the playful rivalry it had once been. It was something else entirely. Something Percy wasn't ready to name.
The next part of the shrine opened up into a wide chamber, and they froze at the entrance. Suspended in the center of the room was the Athena Parthenos, still cocooned in thick webbing, but glowing faintly with a divine light. It was as if the statue itself was waiting, watching, knowing that its time had come.
"Whoa," Jason breathed, his eyes wide as he took in the sight.
Percy swallowed hard. "Yeah. No pressure or anything."
The chamber was huge, the ceiling high and domed, with strands of webbing crisscrossing above like a deadly spider's nest. Every inch of the space felt alive, and yet, there was something awe-inspiring about the statue, even in its trapped state.
"There's only one monster capable of this," Jason grimaced. "Arachne."
Percy cursed under his breath. "Of course, it is the fucking Spider Queen. Why was I expecting anything else?"
Jason moved forward cautiously, his eyes scanning the webbing for signs of movement. "We need to get it down," he said, his voice low. "Before she comes back."
Percy nodded, already running through the plan in his head. "You think we can cut it loose without triggering every trap in here?"
"Not without setting her off," Jason admitted. "But we don't have much choice."
As they approached the statue, the ground rumbled again, more violently this time. Dust and small bits of debris shook loose from the ceiling, and somewhere in the shadows, there was a faint skittering sound that sent a chill down Percy's spine.
"Time's running out," Jason said, glancing up at the webs above them. "Let's cut it down."
Percy nodded, gripping Riptide tighter. Together, they moved in sync, slashing through the thick webbing with calculated precision. The statue started to shift, the heavy weight of it straining against the last few strands holding it in place.
Just as they were about to free the final thread, a loud, bone-chilling shriek echoed through the chamber, followed by the unmistakable sound of something massive moving toward them.
"Oh, great," Percy muttered, his heart racing. "Here comes the spider queen."
Jason's eyes narrowed, his muscles tensing as he readied his sword. "Get ready."
A chilling voice echoed through the cavern, slithering across the stone walls like a whispered curse.
"Foolish little demigods," Arachne taunted, her voice a mixture of silk and venom, dripping with disdain. "You really think you can take what belongs to me? I've outlasted your kind for centuries. You'll be nothing but flies in my web."
Percy shivered, though he'd never admit it. He hated this kind of psychological warfare—Arachne was trying to worm her way into their heads, make them doubt themselves. Jason's jaw clenched beside him, but the son of Jupiter wasn't backing down either. The tension between the two had been intense before, but now it was different—more focused, more resolute. Maybe they hadn't figured out everything between them, but right now? They needed to survive.
"She talks a lot for someone who's spent, like, forever in a cave," Percy muttered, trying to mask his own nerves with sarcasm. He tightened his grip on Riptide, his senses on high alert.
Jason snorted softly, his voice edged with tension. "You noticed that too, huh? Typical evil monologue. She'd fit right in with all the monsters we've taken down."
A skittering sound echoed from the shadows, the sound of Arachne's many legs moving across the rocky surface. The webbing in the chamber glistened faintly, stretched so tight it almost seemed to hum.
"Stay sharp," Jason whispered. His eyes were scanning the room, but it wasn't just sight he was relying on. His connection to the air was helping him feel the subtle shifts in pressure, the tiny gusts of wind that hinted at danger just around the corner. "There are more traps. I can feel them."
"Good," Percy replied, moving cautiously alongside him. "I'll deal with the ones you can't see."
Water had always been Percy's element, but in a place like this—where the air was thick with tension and danger lurked around every corner—he found himself relying on the river running beneath them. Every drop of moisture, every ripple in the underground water, was his ally now. He could feel the flow of the water tracing the cavern's edges, like veins beneath the stone, alerting him to hidden dangers, submerged traps, and subtle movements that Jason couldn't detect.
A low laugh echoed through the cavern. "You think you're clever, don't you? But all it takes is one wrong step, one moment of hesitation... and you'll be mine."
Percy scowled. "Man, I am so over this." He flicked his wrist, summoning a small, controlled stream of water from the underground river. It slithered across the floor like a living creature, seeking out hidden pressure plates and sneaky tripwires.
Jason, meanwhile, used his powers over the air, scanning for slight changes in pressure—something no ordinary person would ever notice. Between the two of them, they navigated the treacherous chamber, avoiding the snares that Arachne had laid for them. But the atmosphere was growing more oppressive, more dangerous. It felt like Arachne was toying with them, as if the entire cave was part of her trap, slowly closing in.
"Getting really tired of this place," Jason said through gritted teeth, stepping lightly over a patch of floor that Percy had identified as a hidden pressure plate. "Does she really think we're going to walk right into her trap?"
"She's delusional," Percy replied, eyes flicking around as he scanned for more dangers. "She's probably been down here so long, she's forgotten what a good fight looks like."
The taunting laugh echoed again, but this time it was closer. Arachne was moving, stalking them from the shadows, waiting for her moment. The room felt alive with her presence, like the very walls were watching them.
"Stay together," Jason said, his voice firm. "She's trying to get in our heads. Don't let her."
"I'm good at ignoring creepy voices," Percy quipped, though his heart was pounding faster than he wanted to admit. His instincts screamed that they were running out of time.
Just then, the air around them shifted. Jason froze, his eyes narrowing as he felt a disturbance. "Percy—"
A massive webbing shot out from the corner of the cavern, streaking toward them like a missile. Without hesitation, Percy reacted, thrusting his hand forward and summoning a torrent of water from the underground river. It slammed into the webbing, forcing it back, but not completely destroying it.
"Nice save," Jason muttered, quickly creating a gust of wind to blow the remaining strands away. "She's getting desperate."
Percy nodded, his gaze darting toward the shadows, where he could feel Arachne lurking. "We need to find her before she decides to stop playing around."
Another rumble echoed through the chamber, but this time it wasn't the cavern collapsing—it was Arachne herself. From the darkness, the monstrous spider emerged, her grotesque form even more horrifying up close. Her many legs clicked against the stone as her human-like upper body twisted unnaturally, eyes gleaming with malice.
"Did you really think you could outsmart me?" she hissed, her voice sending chills down Percy's spine. "I've devoured hundreds like you. You will be no different."
Jason stepped forward, electricity crackling from his sword. "We're not like the others."
Percy was right beside him, Riptide gleaming in the dim light. "Yeah, we've got a habit of taking down monsters who underestimate us."
Arachne's laugh was sharp and grating. "You will fall, just like all the others. I will enjoy watching you struggle."
Jason and Percy exchanged a quick glance—a silent agreement. Whatever happened next, they'd handle it together. The rivalry that had simmered between them earlier was gone, replaced by a sharp, focused determination.
"Together?" Jason asked, his voice low but steady.
"Together," Percy agreed, a small smirk tugging at his lips despite the danger.
With a battle cry, they charged. Arachne screeched, her many legs moving in a blur as she lunged at them, her fangs bared and dripping with venom. Jason was the first to strike, his sword crackling with lightning as he slashed at her, forcing her to retreat. Percy followed up with a sweeping arc of water, sending a crashing wave that slammed into her from the side.
But Arachne was fast—faster than either of them had anticipated. She twisted and dodged, her legs a blur as she spun her webs, trying to trap them in a deadly snare.
"Watch out!" Jason shouted, using his powers to manipulate the air, sending a gust of wind that blew away the strands of webbing before they could ensnare them.
Percy ducked and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding Arachne's sharp legs as they slammed into the ground where he'd just been standing. "That all you got, Spider Lady?" he taunted, though his breath was coming faster now, the effort of the battle starting to wear on him.
Arachne hissed, her eyes narrowing with fury. "I will rip you apart, piece by piece!"
Jason took the opportunity to strike again, his sword flashing as it connected with one of Arachne's legs, sending a shock of electricity through her body. She screeched, the sound reverberating through the cavern, but she wasn't down yet. Not by a long shot.
Arachne's voice was like nails scraping against stone, a sickening blend of arrogance and fury. Her web spun faster than their eyes could track, strands gleaming like steel in the low light. "This statue will never leave my lair. You are nothing but prey, caught in my web. Do you truly believe you can escape?"
Jason's sword sparked with electricity as he held it in a defensive stance. "We've escaped worse things than you," he spat, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes as he took in the sheer size of her, the impossible speed with which she was weaving new traps.
Percy wasn't much more confident. He could feel his pulse pounding in his ears as Riptide gleamed in his hand, but the weight of Arachne's presence was crushing. "I've had enough of creepy spider-monsters to last a lifetime," he muttered under his breath. But even his usual sarcasm felt flat in the face of the monster before them.
Arachne lunged suddenly, her legs slicing through the air, her webbing snapping toward them with terrifying force. Percy and Jason barely had time to react, throwing themselves out of the way as the webs hit the ground where they had just been standing, sending cracks splintering across the stone floor.
"She's too fast!" Jason shouted, rolling to his feet and blasting a burst of lightning toward Arachne. The electricity hit her, but it did nothing but momentarily disorient her. She hissed, eyes glowing with renewed fury.
"Great," Percy muttered, pulling himself up and dodging another swipe of Arachne's razor-sharp leg. "So, we can't fight her head-on. What's Plan B?"
Jason's eyes darted around the chamber, his mind working fast. "We outsmart her," he said, breathless. "She's expecting us to rely on brute force. We play her game instead."
Percy arched an eyebrow, still avoiding Arachne's strikes with increasingly narrow margins. "You want us to... play dumb?"
Jason grinned despite the danger, his eyes flicking to Arachne as she recoiled, preparing for another strike. "Exactly. We make her think she's winning."
Percy blinked, then a smirk crept across his face. "Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this."
With that, the plan snapped into motion.
They began to feign mistakes—letting themselves stumble into her traps, getting tangled in her webs just long enough to look helpless, only to escape at the last second. They moved more erratically, making themselves appear desperate, clumsy, like they were losing control of the fight. Jason tripped over a stray rock and fell into a web, feigning panic as Arachne laughed, her voice thick with glee.
"Struggle all you want, little demigods," she sneered, her legs moving with the precision of a predator toying with its prey. "There is no escape. You are mine."
Percy watched from the corner of his eye, waiting for just the right moment. "You know, I feel like I am repeating myself. But man, you talk way too much," he called out, his voice carrying a careless edge as he pretended to trip over one of the sticky webs. "Like, is this a spider thing? Or are you just lonely down here?"
Arachne's many eyes flared with anger. "Silence, insolent boy!" she screeched, her focus narrowing on Percy as she prepared to launch another web at him.
Jason saw his chance. With Arachne distracted, he used the wind to cut himself free from the webs that had "trapped" him. The tension between them had evaporated in the heat of the battle, and now they worked in seamless coordination, moving like a single, unified force. Jason glanced at Percy, giving him a nod.
Time to finish this.
"Hey, Arachne!" Percy shouted, scrambling backward toward the Athena Parthenos. "You know, I get why you're so angry. You're clearly talented and, uh... really into interior design. But if you think you're gonna win this, well..."
Jason, now standing on the other side of the chamber, sent a gust of wind through the lair, disorienting Arachne's webs and causing them to flutter violently. The monster paused, confused, as the pressure around her changed.
Percy smirked. "You're wrong."
With a swift motion, Percy summoned a powerful torrent of water from the underground river, sending it crashing into Arachne with the force of a tidal wave. She screeched in fury as the water slammed her into the far wall, but Jason wasn't done. With a swift movement, Jason called upon the wind, a fierce gust that caught one of Arachne's own webs and whipped it back at her with incredible force. The thick, sticky strands snapped toward her like a deadly net, wrapping around her torso and limbs with a satisfying thwack.
Arachne's overconfidence vanished instantly, replaced with shock and fury. "You insolent brats!" she screeched, her many legs thrashing as she tried to rip herself free from her own web. But it was too late. Percy was already in motion.
"Time to clean up this mess," Percy muttered. With a flick of his wrist, he manipulated the water into wrapping itself around Arachne's legs, coiling tighter like serpentine chains. The more she fought, the more the water constricted.
"I'm done with spiders," Percy growled, his voice laced with frustration as the water tightened its grip, pulling Arachne closer to the ground. "Especially ones that like to weave dramatic speeches."
Arachne hissed in outrage, her eyes blazing with fury as she twisted and writhed, but her own webs betrayed her. Every thrash of her legs only tangled her further, the water working in tandem with the sticky strands to trap her in place.
Jason grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "You're a lot quieter now that you're all tied up," he quipped, his tone light despite the intensity of the moment.
Arachne screamed, venom dripping from her fangs as she struggled against the bindings, but even she knew it was hopeless. Percy and Jason weren't just strong—they were clever, and they'd used her own arrogance to bring her down.
"While she's busy screaming, let's grab the statue," Percy said, nodding toward the massive Athena Parthenos that loomed behind Arachne, still partially covered in sticky webs. It shimmered in the dim light, almost otherworldly in its beauty and grandeur.
"On it," Jason replied, already moving toward the statue. He pulled out his sword, using the blade to slice through the remaining strands of webbing that still clung to the ancient relic. Percy joined him, using jets of water to wash away the smaller, stickier strands that Jason's sword couldn't quite reach.
As they worked in tandem, cutting and clearing the webs, Percy found himself sneaking glances at Jason. Together, they pulled the last of the webs away, finally freeing the Athena Parthenos from its sticky prison. It stood tall and unblemished, a testament to the power of the gods—and a reminder of how high the stakes had become.
But before they could even begin to figure out how to transport the massive statue, Arachne let out a final, earsplitting shriek. The sound reverberated through the chamber, and for a moment, the ground itself seemed to shake.
"Percy—" Jason warned, eyes darting to the collapsing ceiling as bits of rock and debris began to rain down around them.
"Yeah, yeah, I see it," Percy muttered, quickly forming a protective bubble of water above their heads to shield them from the falling debris. "She's not going down without a tantrum."
Arachne's legs kicked wildly as the chamber began to collapse around them, her screeches growing more frantic as the webs tightened further, immobilizing her completely. But even in defeat, she was dangerous.
"She's gonna bring this whole place down!" Jason shouted over the growing noise.
"Well, let's not stick around for the finale!" Percy shot back, grabbing one end of a long rope they had prepared. They quickly wrapped it around the base of the statue and pulled with all their strength, the ground rumbling beneath them as they moved.
"Jason, wind—now!" Percy called.
Jason raised his arms, summoning a gust of wind that surged through the chamber, giving them just enough force to start dragging the statue toward the exit. The two demigods heaved and strained, their muscles burning with the effort, but they couldn't afford to stop—not with the entire chamber about to cave in on them.
Arachne's wails faded into the distance as they hauled the Athena Parthenos through the narrow tunnels, dodging falling rocks and webs as they went. The exit was close, but the weight of the statue was immense, every step a grueling challenge.
"Almost there!" Jason shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
Percy's heart pounded in his chest as he pushed forward, refusing to give up. "Come on, we've got this!"
With one final pull, they managed to drag the Athena Parthenos through the entrance and into the relative safety of the open tunnel. They collapsed against the stone walls, gasping for breath, their clothes soaked with sweat and dust.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, their bodies too exhausted to do anything but breathe.
Jason was the first to break the silence. "Well... we didn't die."
Percy let out a breathless laugh, leaning his head back against the wall. "Yeah, I'll call that a win."
They sat there for a while, the tension between them no longer hostile, but not entirely gone. They had survived—together. And while there was still plenty left unsaid, both of them knew they had earned each other's respect.
But as they caught their breath, the thought lingered in both their minds: what would Nico think of their success? And, more importantly, what would he think of the kiss that had happened amidst the chaos? Neither of them was quite ready to unpack that yet.
There was a pause, heavy and thick, the kind that made Percy want to dive headfirst into the River Styx just to avoid it. They had fought monsters, faced down Gods—but this? This was terrifying.
Mrs. O'Leary appeared beside them, whining softly, her massive form shimmering from the shadow-travel magic. Percy was grateful, if a bit startled, for her presence. It was a nice distraction from the fact that Jason was right there, not saying anything—and neither was he.
Jason opened his mouth like he was about to say something more, but then he hesitated, his brow furrowing. It was like he wanted to address the thing between them, but at the same time, he wasn't sure how to approach it.
Before Jason could say anything, Percy broke the silence with a grin. "Well, that was fun. Remind me to never fight a giant spider with you again."
"Yeah, I'll put it on our never again list." Jason snorted, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. "So, what now?"
"Now?" Percy repeated, because apparently that was the best his brain could come up with. "Well, now we get back to Elysium Prep. You know, with the giant statue of Athena that could stop a war between the camps. That's kind of a big deal."
Jason nodded, grateful for the excuse to change the subject, but there was still an awkward tension between them that neither could shake. Percy could feel it, humming in the air like the static charge before a thunderstorm. They were skirting around the real issue—the kiss. But Percy wasn't about to dive headfirst into that conversation, not when there were bigger things to worry about.
Like, say, Nico di Angelo.
The thought of Nico made Percy's stomach flip in a way he wasn't entirely comfortable with. Nico, who had been his friend through so much. Nico, who had been there for him when it mattered most. What would Nico think if he knew about this?
Jason must've been thinking the same thing because he suddenly blurted, "Nico."
Percy's head snapped up. "What about Nico?"
Jason's face flushed, which was definitely not something Percy was used to seeing. "Uh, I mean... I just—I don't know how he'd feel about all this. You and me. That kiss."
There it was. The elephant—or rather, the awkward, post-battle kiss—stomped into the middle of their conversation, waving its trunk and making itself impossible to ignore.
"Yeah," Percy muttered, scratching the back of his head. "He probably wouldn't... I mean, it's complicated, right? Nico's... well, he's Nico."
Jason let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, he is." There was a pause, the silence stretching between them once more. "I care about him, you know."
Percy shot Jason a sideways glance, noting the genuine expression on his face. Jason wasn't trying to one-up him this time, wasn't trying to make some bold declaration. He was just... being honest.
"I know," Percy said, softer than before. "Me too."
Jason nodded, and for the first time since the kiss, the tension seemed to ease just a little. It wasn't gone—far from it—but there was a mutual understanding now, a silent agreement that whatever this was between them, it was complicated. And that was okay.
But before they could delve any further into the conversation, Mrs. O'Leary's shadow-travel took full effect. The world around them dissolved into black mist, pulling them through the shadows as the familiar cold of the underworld magic wrapped around their bones. For a moment, Percy forgot about Jason, forgot about the kiss, forgot about everything except the strange sensation of being weightless in the shadows.