Percy was pretty sure he would be sobbing within the hour.

He was graduating.

Like actually, no joke, cap and gown, graduating. He could see twelve years old him, big bright eyes and all, cheering and laughing. The one thing he'd managed to convince himself he would never see was happening right now.

Finally, he got to throw the cap, and then Annabeth was there, looking as gorgeous as always, laughing and crying, throwing her arms around him, and kissing his cheek. He held her close, and the tears came out.

They came apart a bit, both laughing and crying, delirious and happy. He pressed his forehead to hers smiling at her as he fought to catch his breath as his laughs settled.

"We did it," he whispered. "We did it, Annie, we really did it."

"I know," came her airy reply as she brushed her fingers on the curve of his cheek, her smile bright and her eyes gleaming like a new silver blade.

Percy pulled away a few moments later and was immediately assaulted by a hug from behind. He turned to see Hazel, who had come from California with Frank to see her friends and cousins graduate.

"Percy!" The now sixteen-year-old Hazel said, Frank, who was somehow seventeen already, trailing behind, his arm slung over the shoulders of Jason and Piper.

They looked so much older and matured from the two fourteen-year-olds Percy had first met, who could barely look at one another without blushing up a storm. Frank had gotten even taller, and Hazel was even more subtly mature than she had been.

Frank clapped Percy on the back, and Hazel hugged Annabeth, then Piper, before latching onto Jason and not letting go.

Grover came over next, practically charging into Annabeth and Percy. The friends huddled together in a tight hug, and the others let the long time friends have a moment alone.

At some point, Nico and Will made their way over followed closely by the parents, and soon after Thalia and Reyna. The large group milled around for each other, the teenaged friends all joking and laughing with each other.

Leo was the last to arrive at the group, the obviously exasperated Calypso trailing close behind. "Dude!" Jason said, "What took you so long?"

"I was getting your gift, Señor Grace."

"It's a brick." Calypso deadpanned.

The group roared with laughter as Leo brought out the gift, which was indeed a brick. Jason was blushing as he took the brick awkwardly and it was that moment their mortal friends made their arrival.

The sight must have been strange, a furiously blushing Jason staring at a brick, with Leos arm around him as he told him how to build a house with a brick, Percy and Annabeth arm in arm with Grover, Calypso looking ready to commit a crime, and just the all-around oddities of the group.

Piper noticed them first and introduced everyone. They vaguely remembered Leo, who asked where the dude he had talked to that day was. It was Annabeth who told him what happened, causing him to burst into laughter, having apparently never heard the story.

The groups intermingled, and more the mortal's parents arrived and talked with Sally and Paul who were watching with amused expressions. Then, Poseidon and Amphitrite arrived.

Percy felt glad Paul had left a few minutes before to talk to some teachers and that there was no awkwardness between his mom, dad, or stepmom. Poseidon went to catch up with Sally, but Amphitrite talked to Percy.

She gave him a tight hug, but when she pulled back she narrowed her eyes at his hair, "You need to cut your hair." she said plainly.

The group burst into another round of laughter, as Percy went red, spluttering that his hair wasn't that long. Thalia, deciding to rub it in, put a far to casual arm around his shoulder before drawling out a "Yeah Percy."

Percy elbowed her, which led into a shoving match. It was his father's gruff voice that broke up the small fight, "Hey!" They turned, plastered on some fake innocent smiles, and threw their hands up, because nope we weren't fighting. His father raised a brow at his son and niece, Sally clearly hiding her laughter as she watched.

"She started it." Percy blurted out.

"Percy..." Saly said. Percy gave her an innocent grin, to which she rolled her eyes.

"Don't fight you two."

"But you and her dad do it all the time!" Percy protested.

The sea gods lip quirked up a bit. "But I and her father are not role models. Cut it out." He said, before turning back to his prior conversation.

Percy shot Thalia a glare which she gladly returned, sticking out her tongue as she did. "Oh mature," Percy said.

"Percy..." Poseidon warned again.

"Yep. No fighting. Got it." Percy sent his father a thumbs up. Amphitrite walked over to where her husband was, joining the conversation between the adults.

"Dork," Annabeth said.

Percy threw an arm over his shoulder, "But I'm your dork."

"You two are possibly the most cringey couple I have ever met," A new voice said.

Percy and Annabeth whirled at the voice, to see Rachel Dare herself, one hand on her hip as she watched her friends.

"Awwww don't be jealous because you can't date, Rachel," Annabeth playfully jibed.

Rachel looked between the two, before glancing at Calypso watching Leo in exasperation. "I'm not."

"Rachel!" Sydney said. "I haven't seen you in years!"

Rachel turned, "Sydney Lise right? You were in my math class I think."

"Yep! How've you been?"

Rachels smile dropped for a moment. "Dad sent me to some finishing school up north. I hate it there." Sydney made a face at the sound, but Percy teased.

"Oh poor Rachel Dare, forced to learn etiquette! The horror!" He cried, dramatically putting his hand on his forehead.

"Oh, shut your mouth, Jackson. I'd like to see you try to sit through a Clarion class without killing the teacher." Rachel said, crossing her arms over herself.

"I'd pay money to see that," Thalia said.

"I'd pay money to see you there." Percy shot back.

Thalia just rolled her eyes.

The conversation continued, bouncing between topics as the groups intermingled and got to know one another. Finally, Piper brought up an idea, "Want to grab some lunch or something?"

Percy looked out on the group. Not counting the adults, there were already seventeen people. "I'm down," he said, "but we'd probably have to reserve for a group so big. Let's do dinner instead. Just us, no adults."

"Sounds great!" Piper said. "I'll send a text with some ideas later, and well choose from there."

The conversation was starting to lull by that point and the crowd was thinning out, so the groups left and separated, already excited for dinner together that night.

---

They had decided on some rather upscale restaurant in the financial district, thankful that Rachel and Piper had volunteered to pay for the dinner.

They had all arrived by around 6, and the night passed in a blur.

There were delicious meals and toasts aplenty. With such a large group, not once did the conversation and hum of the group lull, as people got to know each other better or reminisced on times passed.

The mortal group all ended up leaving earlier, having less freedom than their friends. That left the demigods alone and the conversation changed quickly.

Soon enough, the group lapsed into mixing between the languages they shared, words of English mixing with Spanish and Latin and Greek and even some French flying between Frank, Hazel and Piper.

Topics changed too, as they were suddenly free to discuss the gods. They made a toast to the gods, customary at any meal that they couldn't burn food. Prayers were muttered under their breath as the toast ended and they drank.

The seven were all at one end so while the other half of the group talked among themselves, they made one final toast to them, the seven. They all reminisced on their time on the argo.

The most interesting topic of conversation came from Percy, who was considering a tattoo. "What would you even get?" Hazel had asked him.

"Some waves maybe, some horses, I don't know." Hazel just shook her head, laughing lightly.

"Nico had me draw up a tattoo idea for him. He can't get one for a few years but he thinks he'll get it." Hazel told them, fishing out her phone to show them the design.

It was gorgeous; an intertwined drawing of skulls, crows, roses, and shadows. Percy looked at Nico, who had been listening in on the conversation. "You know like half these things represent death?"

Nico's gave a small smile, and he rose his glass towards his cousin, "That's the point." He took a sip of the drink.

Percy couldn't help but feel unsettled by the finality of the way he said it, and when the cup was put back unto the table, it almost sounded like a judges gavel, decreeing the end.

Percy pushed the thoughts away.

---

Do you know what one crow means?