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Percy Jackson was sixteen years old, and scared to death.
Because, the thing was, he was supposed to be deciding the Destiny of the Entire World. At least, that was what they had recently learned, after his best friend Thalia had sneaked into Camp Half-Blood to talk to the little girl she spoke of as a sister (and that was a tree for quite a while, sometimes Percy’s life sounded like a terrible joke).
He was scared, and he was also extremely pressured because, well, Thalia has gone through her sixteenth birthday (and then seventeenth, and then…) and had no surrendered to Kronos.
…not like Percy. Percy got why they were demigods aligning with Kronos, as they were others still going to serve the gods. He was simply glad Thalia (a complete rogue agent) and her protector/friend Grover had found him. Just as he was glad they had found the Di Angelo siblings that one time they ended up in the Lotus Casino, or his former almost-girlfriend (apparently, it wasn’t a good idea to be an Oracle and dating) Rachel Elizabeth Dare.
He was scared as shit, and also nervous because he was about to get Thalia’s kind-of-sister back to the daughter of Big-Asshole (Zeus) from, well, her other surrogate sibling.
Kronos’ first in command, Luke Castellan.
Percy had never faced him one-on-one (and the last time he believed the other demigod had truly noticed him he was like twelve, and still processing horses talking to him was not a sign of insanity), and he felt kind of respectful fear of his abilities (he was one of the very few people to have severely injured Thalia -and Thalia was certain he had restrained himself, just as she had done-).
“You are not a kid” the voice behind him sounded genuinely surprised.
“Neither are you” he replied, incapable of coming up with a better quip, as he turned, holding Annabeth’s small boy unconscious in his arms.
Fuck, he was handsome.
Really handsome, disturbingly so. Suddenly, he wasn’t in such a hurry for Blackjack to come save the day.
“Leave Annabeth on the floor, now” suddenly, Percy knew he wanted him to keep commanding him in that tone, for as long as possible. Good for everyone involved, Percy’s winged friend came to the rescue, crashing a window and picking both of them without a moment hesitation.
As they left, the pegasus commented on the frame he had interrupted:
“You are blushing, boss”.
Next time he saw Luke, it was mid-battle to keep them from finding some sort of superpowerful Titan weapon (Percy didn’t care much about the magic-y details), and somehow they ended up fighting on their own in the middle of the forest.
No one around to see them, and they began talking. And, then, Percy understood: he got his anger, he got how Kronos got to him, and, most important, he got that he wanted out.
Maybe it was because he was only sixteen, maybe it was fucking Eros’ throwing arrows at them, but he thought there was only one thing that could convince this young man that had too much in common with him (while he couldn’t be more different, WHO STILL CARED ABOUT HONOR AND GLORY IN THE 21ST CENTURY?!). He disarmed him, and, before he could attack again, pulled him closer and kissed him…
…and Luke kissed him back, before begin trying to asphyxiate him with his bare hands.
Percy pushed him away, and, without saying another word, they both run in opposite directions.
Luke knew this couldn’t go on much longer. He knew his meetings with Jackson in the middle of nowhere were doomed. Debating, sword fighting, kissing, doing…other stuff (including commanding the younger boy, apparently, his angry voice was a turn, who could have said?).
Kronos would notice, would eventually find out, and, then, maybe he completely took over the demigod; it had never be easier to get Percy Jackson.
(Also, he was marginally conscious about the fact that sleeping with a minor was kinda illegal and amoral; if that mattered in the face of his other crimes).
And, yet, he was willing to make it last as much as possible.
He simply hoped Percy was able to come with a good excuse of the chocking marks on his neck.
Thalia Grace could be even scarier than Kronos.
Written by a human in Ellipsus.