Why hello there, beautiful readers. Sorry for taking our entire lives to update. Y'all already know I take forever anyway, and it doesn't help that I was in Florida without my writing device for a whole week. Anyways, enjoy the chapter in its typical hot mess fashion.

He needed to help Perseus Jackson.
*****

"Jason, I need the answers for our math homewo—where's Jason?" Leo let himself into the Grace household. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion upon seeing a woman he didn't recognize sitting at the table with Thalia and Piper.

Thalia looked over, unamused with the boy as always. "Sleeping. It's ten in the morning, Valdez, I'm surprised you're awake."

"You underestimate me," Leo waved her off, making his way to the stairs, "I'm gonna go bother him, I'll be back soon."

"Leo, I don't think he really wan–"

The boy, although Thalia genuinely couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, ignored her as he went up the stairs. She simply sighed, rolled her eyes, and engaged in a new conversation with Piper and Sally.

Leo strolled down the hall to Jason's door and gave a light warning knock before barging in to see something he hadn't exactly expected. He was only partially surprised his best friend sleeping next to Percy, though. He briefly considered letting the two continue to relax, but then decided his overdue math homework was more important than Jason's beauty sleep.

He swerved around to the side Jason was closer to and tapped his shoulder, attempting to only wake up his target. The blonde began to stir, grumbled something Leo couldn't comprehend, and craned his neck around to see the other boy practically radiating energy at his bedside.

"Morning, sunshine," Leo whispered.

Jason narrowed his eyes at Leo before turning his head back around and burying his face in Percy's shoulder, silently praying that Leo would give up after the one try. Much to the taller boy's dismay, Leo was persistent. He tapped the blonde again, trying to appear as pathetically desperate as possible before their eyes met.

Jason sighed, muttering, "What do you want?"

"Harsh, Jase," Leo mockingly put a hand on his heart but dropped it upon seeing Jason's tired glare, "I, ah, need answers for the trig homework from Wednesday."

The taller of the two sighed, lazily pointed to his backpack in the corner, and quietly told Leo to get out of his room. He'd really been looking forward to sleeping after being stressed out about the Jacksons the entire previous night. Leo nodded and walked out after finding the paper he needed, smiling at how peaceful the two were together when he wasn't annoying one or both of them.

Once he got downstairs, he pulled Piper aside from the other two at the table. After getting to a mostly out of earshot location, he pointed above them.

"Since when are they a thing?" Leo questioned, highly confused considering he thought Jason told him everything.

Piper stifled a laugh and almost sent her phone flying across the room at the pace she pulled it out of her pocket. She swiped rather aggressively for a few moments before tapping the screens turning it to Leo. It was the picture of them on the couch.

She shrugged at Leo's question but didn't seem too bothered. "I don't think they are a 'thing' right now. They're cute, though, and Jason's happy when he's with him. It's, like, the best friend job description for us to bother him until he sees that."

Leo nodded in agreement, attempting to switch the topic. He didn't have much else to say on the matter. "Who's in the kitchen with you and Thalia?"

"Oh, that's Sally," she smiled before elaborating, "Percy's mom."

Leo vaguely remembered the fact that he'd seen Sally from some of the times he'd crossed paths with Percy at their therapy office. However, he had no recollection of her appearance or, quiet frankly, anything else about her.

"She's the sweetest person ever. Thals and I are trading her for Jason," Piper said, pulling Leo to the kitchen with her.

*****

Meanwhile, Percy was slowly trying his best to coax Jason out of bed. The former had woken up about ten minutes after Leo had gone back downstairs and, as comfortable as he was, figured he needed to get back to the apartment now that Gabe had enough time to get drunk and forget why he was so angry the previous night.

"Come on, Perce," Jason whining was muffled when Percy tossed the blankets on his face, "five more minutes."

Percy merely rolled his eyes at Jason before standing with the support of the bed frame. He glanced back at the blonde, who was slowly but surely moving out of the bed. After a couple more minutes of poking, prodding, and practically dragging him around, Jason was ready to go downstairs. Jason shot a small wave to everyone before going to find something to eat, while Percy just sat in the empty chair next to his mother and listened to Thalia, Piper, Leo, Sally, and now occasionally Jason speak with each other. He zoned out more than he'd like to admit, thinking about what the situation might be like when he returns home with his mom. Jason knew what was happening, which probably meant everyone in the room did.

He didn't want them keeping track of Percy in fear that they'd get caught up in it all. He even partially regretted telling Jason in the first place. He wanted to open up to Jason, but now there would be consequences and Percy knew it. Percy had tried his best to convey that he didn't particularly want Jason telling people like police about it yet, though he was sure that if anything major happened to Percy at home that would be ignored.

He could only hope Jason didn't need to be the hero.

Hey y'all, sorry for the bad chapter whoOPS. It's kind of a filler, I guess, because I have some plot planned out for the near future here. I know, what a surprise.

Anyways, hopefully I'll see you in less time than it took for this one. Excuse my half-asleep grammar mistakes and have a great week everyone!