Percy's Guide to Surviving Suspicious Quests (Pro Tip: Don't Mention the Kiss)

It was the last week of summer at Camp Half-Blood, and Percy Jackson had two main goals: avoid chores and avoid thinking about the kiss that had happened a few days ago.

He was failing at both.

The chores were expected—someone had to clean up after the pegasi—but the kiss? That was unexpected. One minute, he and Thalia were sparring, the next... well, things got complicated. And now, Camp Half-Blood felt a lot smaller when you were trying to dodge a girl who had kissed you, glared at you for it, and then pretended nothing happened.

Not that Percy was dwelling on it. Definitely not.

Except Thalia wasn't making it easy. She'd still been dragging him into sparring matches like nothing had happened—except everything about them felt different now. Every jab felt sharper, every glance lasted a second too long, and every accidental brush of hands seemed deliberate.

And the campers had noticed.

He caught the looks. The quiet whispers that stopped when he passed. The suspicious glances whenever he and Thalia walked out of the arena together—bruised, sweaty, and way too silent for two people who claimed to just be sparring.

Even Annabeth had given him a look—half curious, half like she was trying to figure out when Thalia had managed to steal the attention she usually got.

Which was why Percy had a bad feeling when Chiron summoned both him and Thalia to the Big House. Together. Alone.

Yeah. Nothing suspicious about that.

Percy leaned against the porch railing, watching as Thalia made her way up the steps, her expression unreadable. She wasn't glaring at him—technically an improvement—but she wasn't exactly smiling either.

"You get dragged here too?" he asked, trying for casual.

Thalia didn't slow down. "Dragged? Please. I figured Chiron needed someone competent."

"Guess that explains why he called me, too."

Thalia snorted, brushing past him. Their shoulders bumped—a casual touch—but Percy stiffened anyway. He wasn't thinking about the kiss. He wasn't.

But from the quick glance Thalia shot him—sharp, unreadable, almost curious—maybe he wasn't the only one failing at that.

Thalia pushed open the door to the Big House without waiting for him. Classic. Percy trailed after her, forcing himself to act normal—even though "normal" felt like a foreign concept lately.

Chiron sat in his wheelchair form near the fireplace, looking way too calm. That alone made Percy suspicious. Chiron only got that look when he was about to drop something no one wanted to hear. Like "I'm afraid you'll have to fight a Titan" or "By the way, your summer's about to get way more complicated."

"Ah, Percy. Thalia. Good, you're here," Chiron said with a polite smile.

"Would've been harder to miss if you'd called half the camp," Thalia muttered, crossing her arms. "What's the emergency?"

Percy stood beside her, pretending not to notice how close they were. Focus. Not thinking about the kiss. Definitely not.

"No emergency," Chiron said smoothly. "Just a small task."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "A small task?"

Chiron folded his hands, all teacher-like and composed. "There's a certain flower—Silphium noctis—that blooms only during the last week of summer. It's rare, magical, and essential for some... camp rituals."

"Let me guess," Thalia said flatly. "You need us to get it."

"Together," Chiron confirmed with an annoyingly calm smile.

Percy felt his stomach drop. He glanced sideways at Thalia. She was scowling again—business as usual—but there was a flicker of something else there. He couldn't tell if it was irritation or something closer to nervous. Not that he'd ask.

"And the flower just happens to grow…?" Percy prompted.

"Not too far," Chiron said, pausing for effect. "On Sunset Hill."

Percy stared. "Sunset Hill?"

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "The one with the perfect view of the ocean? Popular spot for—" She stopped herself.

"For what?" Percy asked, glancing at her.

Thalia crossed her arms tighter. "Never mind."

But Percy knew. Everyone at camp knew. Sunset Hill was the place where campers went when they were, well, trying not to be seen. It had the whole romantic package—panoramic ocean view, a nice breeze, and enough distance from camp for privacy.

The room went quiet.

Percy looked at Chiron, who seemed to be enjoying himself far too much. "You're serious? You need a flower from there? At sunset?"

Chiron nodded, all calm wisdom. "The flower only blooms at sunset. It's a delicate process, and I trust you two can handle it."

Thalia made a noise that might have been a snort or a cough. "Right. Totally not suspicious."

"And no one else can do this?" Percy asked, squinting. "Like... literally anyone else?"

"I'm afraid not," Chiron said smoothly. "This task requires... a specific balance of skills."

Thalia shot Percy a look. "Balance of skills? What's that supposed to mean?"

Percy shrugged. "Guess you're the skills, and I'm the balance?"

"Oh, you're definitely something," Thalia muttered, brushing past him again.

Percy frowned. "What's that supposed to—hey, slow down!"

Thalia didn't slow down as she pushed the door open and strode off the porch, her boots crunching against the gravel path. Percy jogged to catch up, still replaying Chiron's words in his head.

A flower that blooms at sunset. On Sunset Hill. With the perfect view of the ocean.

Great.

"So," Percy said, falling into step beside her. "Sunset Hill, huh? Nice view."

Thalia shot him a glare without breaking stride. "Don't start."

"Start what?" Percy grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm just saying. Chiron sends us on a sunset hike, after a week of sparring sessions, alone. Real subtle."

Thalia didn't respond.

"Bet the Stoll brothers are already placing bets on how long it'll take us to come back," Percy added.

"Probably betting on how long it'll take me to zap you," Thalia muttered.

Percy laughed, kicking a small rock off the path. "You wouldn't. Who else would keep you entertained?"

Thalia gave him a sideways glance, her mouth twitching like she was fighting back a grin. "You think you're that entertaining?"

"Admit it. You'd be bored without me."

Thalia rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

The woods closed in around them, tall pines stretching toward the sky, their shadows long in the late afternoon light. The air grew cooler, and the sounds of camp faded behind them.

Percy shoved aside a low branch and glanced at Thalia. She was quiet, jaw tight, eyes fixed straight ahead.

"So," Percy said, breaking the silence, "I've been meaning to ask—why me?"

Thalia glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"For the sparring," Percy said, waving a hand. "You could've dragged anyone into the arena. Literally anyone. But nope, you pick me. Repeatedly. Should I be flattered or concerned?"

Thalia scoffed. "Don't read into it, Jackson. You were available."

"Ouch." Percy clutched his chest dramatically. "Crushing my self-esteem here."

"Don't be so sensitive."

Percy grinned, nudging her with his elbow. "Seriously, though. You could've picked Clarisse for a real challenge."

"Clarisse is too predictable," Thalia shot back. "Besides, she'd probably try to kill me for real."

"Can't argue with that."

They walked a few more steps in silence. The path narrowed, forcing them closer together.

"Still," Percy said after a beat, glancing at her, "you never answered the question. Why me? You seemed pretty mad during those sessions."

Thalia didn't look at him. "Maybe because you were holding back."

Percy winced. "Oh. That again."

"Yeah. That."

"I already said I wasn't—"

Thalia shot him a sharp look. "Percy."

He stopped. "Okay, fine. Maybe a little. But can you blame me? You'd just come back from... you know, being a tree, and I didn't want to push too hard. We've already gone over this!"

Thalia stopped walking just long enough to give Percy a look—one of those looks that could fry a mortal on the spot. "Gone over it? Percy, you dumped a bucket of water on me in the middle of a fight."

Percy scratched the back of his neck, glancing away. "Technically, it was a tactical move."

"Oh? Tactical?" Thalia snorted, stepping over a fallen branch. "Because drenching your opponent is a valid strategy now?"

Percy grinned. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "Did it? Because if I remember correctly, you were the one who looked like you'd seen Zeus himself when I got in your face afterward."

Percy's grin faltered, and he rubbed the back of his neck again. "Yeah, well... you were pretty intimidating. All soaked, glaring at me like you were about to fry me on the spot."

Thalia smirked, side-eyeing him. "But you didn't just look intimidating. You also looked like... flustered."

Percy stumbled over a root but caught himself quickly. "Flustered? Please. I was just—uh—caught off guard. Big difference."

"Oh, off guard, right," Thalia said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Was that before or after you said I was hot when I was mad?"

Percy's foot caught on another root, and this time, he fully tripped, barely managing to stay upright. He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Oh gods, you're never letting that go, are you?"

"Not a chance." Thalia slowed her pace, turning slightly to face him. "Seriously, Percy. 'Hot when you're mad'? Couldn't come up with anything less cliché?"

Percy huffed out a laugh, trying to regain his balance—both physically and conversationally. "Yeah? Well, at least I didn't kiss you and then act like it never happened."

The words left his mouth before he could stop them. He'd meant it as a joke—a light jab to keep the banter going. But as soon as they hung in the air, he knew he'd messed up.

Thalia froze mid-step.

The teasing glint in her eyes vanished. Her smirk faltered for the first time, replaced by something unreadable. She turned her face away quickly, but not before Percy caught the faintest blush creeping up her cheeks.

Percy's stomach dropped. Oh, no.

"I mean—" He scrambled, waving his hands like that would somehow fix the moment. "Not that—I wasn't trying to—"

Thalia didn't look at him. She crossed her arms tighter, gaze fixed on the path ahead. "Forget it."

Her voice wasn't sharp or sarcastic this time. Just quiet.

Percy cursed himself internally. Smooth, Jackson. Real smooth.

The woods seemed a lot quieter all of a sudden. The breeze that had been pleasantly cool now felt awkwardly cold.

Percy glanced at her, searching for some sign that he could joke his way out of this. But Thalia kept walking, her steps just a little faster now, like she wanted to outrun the conversation.

He quickened his pace to catch up. "Hey, Thalia. I didn't mean it like that."

She didn't slow down. "It's fine."

But it wasn't. Percy could tell by the way she wouldn't meet his eyes.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The teasing, the easy back-and-forth—they'd tripped over something too real.

Percy shoved his hands deep into his pockets, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "You know, we don't have to pretend like it didn't happen. The kiss, I mean."

Thalia slowed but didn't stop, her boots crunching against the dirt path. "Yeah, well… maybe pretending is easier."

Percy winced. "Easier for who?"

She didn't answer. The silence stretched again, broken only by the sound of the wind stirring the trees. The path ahead started to slope upward, the faint glint of the ocean visible through the thinning treeline.

Percy sighed, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "Look, I just meant... I don't know. It was a moment, right? I mean, you kissed me. That's not something you just brush off."

Thalia finally stopped at the edge of the hill's incline, her back still to him. "It wasn't—" She paused, shoulders rising and falling. "I wasn't thinking. It just… happened."

Percy stepped up beside her, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. "Yeah. And then you acted like it didn't."

Thalia turned her head slightly, her profile sharp against the orange tint of the setting sun. "And what was I supposed to do? Make a big deal about it? 'Hey, Percy, remember when I kissed you because you said something stupid?'"

Percy shrugged, forcing a small grin. "Could've at least mentioned it. I mean, not gonna lie, it kinda scrambled my brain."

Thalia finally looked at him, and for a second, the teasing glint almost returned. Almost. "Scrambled your brain? Wow. Didn't know I had that much power."

Percy smirked but didn't look away. "Guess you do."

The teasing died on her lips. She stared at him for a second too long before turning abruptly. "C'mon. We're almost there."

They reached the top of Sunset Hill just as the sun began its slow descent toward the ocean. The view was breathtaking—waves glinting gold, the horizon painted in soft purples and oranges. But Percy barely noticed.

Because there, right in the middle of the hill where the flower was supposed to be, was something entirely different.

A picnic blanket.

A whole picnic blanket, complete with a basket sitting neatly on top.

Percy blinked. "Uh… did Chiron forget to mention this part?"

Thalia stopped dead, staring at the setup with wide eyes. "What the—"

Percy stepped forward, pointing at a folded piece of paper resting against the basket. "Hey, there's a note."

Thalia squinted. "Don't tell me that flower transformed into a picnic."

Percy snorted, picking up the note and unfolding it. His eyes scanned the familiar, messy handwriting.

"Uh-oh."

"What?" Thalia leaned over his shoulder, their heads almost touching.

Percy cleared his throat dramatically. "'Dear Percy and Thalia—'"

Thalia groaned. "Oh no."

"'By now, you're probably wondering where the very rare, totally real flower is. Spoiler alert: there isn't one.'"

Percy paused. "Wow. Off to a great start."

"Keep reading," Thalia muttered, crossing her arms.

"'You see, after weeks of watching you two spar like it's the end of the world and pretending you don't have ridiculous amounts of unresolved tension, we decided to take matters into our own hands.'"

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I'm going to kill them."

Percy kept reading, his grin growing with every line.

"'It's honestly painful watching you two stomp around camp, pretending you're just sparring partners. So, we figured you needed a little... push. Enter: Sunset Hill, complete with a picnic—because nothing says "talk about your feelings" like a killer ocean view and sandwiches.'"

Percy choked on a laugh. "Sandwiches? Seriously?"

Thalia snatched the note from him. "'P.S.: You can thank the Stoll brothers for the idea. Chiron agreed you both needed "quality bonding time," whatever that means. So congrats—enjoy your surprise date! – the campers."

Surprise date was underlined twice.

Thalia lowered the note slowly. "I'm going to murder them. One by one."

Percy bit his lip to hide his grin. "Well… they do have a point."

Thalia shot him a glare. "What point?"

Percy gestured around them. "I mean, look at this. Sunset, ocean view, romantic picnic. We're basically living a cheesy romance novel right now."

Thalia groaned, dropping onto the blanket with a thump. "Unbelievable."

Percy sat beside her, glancing at the basket. "Well… since we're here, might as well see what they packed."

Thalia rolled her eyes but didn't stop him.

Percy opened the basket and pulled out two neatly wrapped sandwiches, a bottle of nectar, and—he held it up with a grin—"Is this… ambrosia cake?"

Thalia squinted. "They baked for this?"

Percy grinned wider. "Guess they really wanted this 'date' to work out."

They sat in silence, the fading sunset stretching gold and purple across the ocean. Percy picked at the corner of the picnic blanket, glancing at Thalia out of the corner of his eye. She hadn't moved much, her arms still wrapped around her knees, gaze fixed somewhere far away.

For once, she didn't look sharp or ready for a fight. She just looked... thoughtful.

The quiet stretched on. Percy considered cracking a joke about the ambrosia cake or the Stoll brothers' handwriting, but something about the moment made him stop. The usual banter didn't feel right anymore.

Thalia let out a breath—soft, almost inaudible. "It doesn't feel real sometimes."

Percy turned his head. "What doesn't?"

Thalia didn't answer right away. She reached down and brushed her fingers through the grass, pulling at a stray blade. Her expression stayed unreadable, but there was something in her voice when she finally spoke—something quieter.

"Everything."

Percy didn't say anything, waiting.

Thalia tugged at the blade of grass until it snapped. "Camp. The sky. All of this." She made a vague gesture toward the ocean. "It still feels... off."

Percy frowned. "Off how?"

"I don't know." She shook her head, looking frustrated with herself. "Like I'm still catching up. Like I missed something important, and now I'm supposed to just act like I haven't."

The breeze stirred again, lifting her hair. Percy stayed quiet, watching her profile—how the fading light softened the usual sharpness in her features.

"I guess that's why I keep dragging you to spar," she muttered after a pause.

Percy blinked. "What?"

Thalia glanced at him, then looked away quickly. "Forget it. I'm just—this place makes it easy to talk too much."

"No." Percy leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "You can't drop something like that and expect me to forget it."

Thalia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's stupid."

"Try me."

She hesitated, jaw tightening. Percy thought for a second she wouldn't answer at all. But then—slowly—she spoke.

"It's because you're... solid."

Percy stared at her. "Solid?"

Thalia winced. "Ugh, not like that. I mean—you're grounded. Reliable. You're always there, and you always come back."

She rubbed the back of her neck, clearly uncomfortable. "When I'm sparring with you, it's... easier. Everything slows down. I don't have to think about how much I missed or how weird it feels being back. It's just... you and me, fighting. Simple."

Percy's mouth felt a little dry. "So, you keep beating me up because... I make things feel normal?"

Thalia laughed under her breath—no sharpness this time. "Guess so."

Percy leaned back, glancing up at the first stars beginning to peek through the darkening sky. "Well... happy to be your personal punching bag."

Thalia shot him a sideways look, but there wasn't as much bite in it as usual. "Don't make it weird."

"I'm not—I'm just saying." Percy smiled, softer this time. "If it helps, I don't mind."

The breeze settled again, the sounds of the waves below filling the quiet.

Thalia didn't respond right away. She stared at the ocean for a long moment before finally murmuring, "Yeah. It helps."

Percy glanced at her, and for the first time all day, she met his gaze without looking away.

They sat in comfortable silence, the distant sound of the waves filling the air as the last traces of the sunset faded into twilight. Percy handed Thalia a sandwich without a word, and to his surprise, she took it without her usual sarcastic comment. They ate quietly, the cool evening breeze brushing past them.

For once, neither of them felt the need to fill the silence. The tension from earlier had eased, leaving something quieter, more fragile in its place.

Percy took a bite of his sandwich, glancing sideways at Thalia. Her gaze was distant, still fixed on the horizon. The breeze stirred her hair, and the faint glow of the stars reflected in her eyes.

"This isn't so bad," he said eventually, breaking the silence with a soft grin. "Not exactly the quest I imagined, but… peaceful."

Thalia snorted, glancing at him. "Don't get used to it. Next time I drag you into a sparring match, I'm not holding back."

Percy smirked. "Right. Because you've been going easy on me."

Thalia didn't respond, but the corner of her mouth twitched. They sat for a few more moments, finishing their food, the quiet stretching again.

Finally, Thalia brushed the crumbs from her hands and stood up, dusting off her jeans. "We should get back. The camp's gonna get suspicious if we take too long."

Percy sighed, pushing himself to his feet. "Yeah. Wouldn't want the Stoll brothers spreading any more rumors."

But when Percy stood, he didn't realize just how close they were.

Thalia had turned slightly, and when Percy stepped forward, they ended up almost chest to chest. Neither of them moved.

Percy froze.

Thalia did too.

The space between them was practically nonexistent. Percy could feel the warmth radiating from her, the faint scent of pine and rain clinging to her clothes. He could see every detail now—the faint freckles across her nose, the way her lashes caught the last glint of the sun. Her blue eyes, usually sharp and guarded, looked softer. Vulnerable. Steady. For once, there was no teasing glint, no sarcastic comment ready to defuse the moment. Just her.

He hadn't meant to get this close—it just... happened.

Percy swallowed. His heartbeat was too loud in his ears.

"Uh…" He cleared his throat, but the words stuck. He didn't step back. Neither did she.

"We—" Thalia started, her voice quieter than he'd ever heard it. She blinked, glancing down for a second before looking back up. Their faces were barely inches apart.

"Yeah," Percy said, but he wasn't sure what he was agreeing to.

Neither of them moved.

And then, like the moment had been waiting for them to stop thinking so hard about it—it just happened.

Percy wasn't sure who leaned in first. Maybe both of them. Maybe neither. All he knew was that one second there was space between them, and the next there wasn't.

The kiss was soft. Hesitant. Like both of them were testing it.

Thalia's hand brushed against his arm, and Percy felt his breath catch. The world seemed to still—no waves, no breeze, no sounds from the forest below. Just them.

When they finally pulled back, it wasn't sudden. It wasn't awkward either.

Thalia looked at him, searching his face for something—maybe a reaction, maybe a reason. Percy didn't know.

But he smiled, a little breathless.

"So…" he managed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess we should, uh, head back?"

Thalia stared at him for a heartbeat longer before a small, genuine smile tugged at her lips.

"Yeah. We should."

Her voice was steady.

And when they started walking back down the hill—this time side by side—the distance between them felt a lot smaller than before.

Okay, so… funny thing—I was totally planning for this to be a one-shot. Like, Percy and Thalia tension, a little banter, a kiss, boom, done. But then these two had the audacity to have chemistry and unresolved feelings that wouldn't leave me alone. So here we are. I just had to add more. Honestly, it started with "Haha, wouldn't it be funny if the campers tried to set them up?" and somehow that spiraled into feelings and romantic sunsets. Classic.

Anyway, I guess I'm sticking with this for a while. Let me know what you think—and if Percy and Thalia should continue suffering through more "totally not a date" quests. Thanks for reading!