=Chapter Thirty-Three=
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It's 3 am
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Friday, 27th of September

I awoke to my stomach growling.

I realize now that I had fallen asleep and skipped dinner. I had yet to open my eyes and get up, but I was unusually warm. And really really comfortable.

I snuggled into my pillow, which seemed a bit firmer than usual, but I didn't mind because my whole bed radiated warmth.

The hand laying comfortingly on the back of my head shifted down to my neck-

Wait a second—

My eyes shot open as I realized I wasn't in my bed, I was on the couch.

"Good morning." Jason mumbled sleepily below me, his voice a lot deeper than normal.

I lifted my head from his chest, my face flushing in embarrassment.

"You stayed the night?" I asked, a hit of guilt slipping into my words.

"Yeah.. I didn't mind. You're a nice blanket." He grinned.

"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have fallen asleep.." I let my chin rest back on his chest. I wasn't sure how to get up at this point.

His hand that was on my head now raked through my hair gently combing it. "I'm glad you did, Percy. It's not often I get to hold a beautiful woman in my arms all night."

I slapped his arm, rolling my eyes. "Shut up."

He chucked. "What time is it?"

"I dunno. It's still dark.." I turned to look out the small window.

"You can always go back to sleep.." he hinted.

"..as comfy as you are, I think the couch is not an ideal resting location." I pushed up and Jason relented, helping me sit beside him as he sat up and slid his legs back towards the floor.

He reached down to the floor beside the couch and picked up his phone.

"It's 3 am.." he chuckled.

I gawked. "What? Seriously?"

"Seriously." He nodded afirmativly, showing me his screen, although that didn't help much since I found the screen both too bright, and the numbers blurring together.

It seems that my glasses abandoned me once again.

"Agh.. where are my glasses?" I looked around, finding them on the side table on the other side of Jason.

He noticed my distress and picked up my glasses.

I held out my hand to receive them, however he paused, staring at my face for a moment.

"What?" I asked, an incredulous expression painting my face.

"Nothing." He bypassed my hands and placed the glasses on my face, his fingers brushing against my cheek softly.

I could've sworn his touch lingered a second longer than normal.. but it was only a second.

"Shall we have some breakfast?" He asked, getting up.

I watched him stretch, his muscles tightening underneath his t-shirt.

I cleared my throat. "Oh uh yes. That sounds good.."

Jason seemed to notice I was staring and grinned at my avoidant gaze. "Great.." he walked away out of sight to my kitchen.

I heard cabinets opening and closing and then a heavy thud.

"Jason? You okay??!" I leaned forward, trying to see inside my kitchen.

"Percy, all you have is ingredients for cookies, and spaghetti!" He rambled.

"You can make pancakes with those ingredients!" I defended myself.

"Sure, but do you only eat spaghetti and cookies?"

"No...!" Yes?

Jason came back in view, standing before me with a disappointed expression on his face. "Sheesh Percy, go shopping.."

"I will! We've just been so busy it's hard to leave to get groceries.."

"Percy. Just have them delivered."

"What?" Whaaaaaaat?

"That's a thing?"

Jason sighed. "You live under a rock. Yes, you can get anything delivered."

"Wow, that's.. nice."

"Great now pass me your phone..." Jason's voice trailed off as he recalled that I currently did not have a phone.

He sighed, "never mind. But once we get your phone back I'm installing some apps."

"Okay, okay." I relented, grinning back at him.

He passed me his phone. "Huh? Why.." I asked, taking it curiously.

"Make a list of things you need, and I'll order it when the nearest store opens up." He said, leaving to go back to the kitchen, abandoning his phone in my hands.

I swiped at the screen, but was halted at the pin pad. "Uh Jason? It's locked." I called.

"0816!" He yelled, not bothering to walk back to tell me.

I entered the pin and the phone unlocked.

I wasn't about to snoop or anything, so I went straight to the notes app and started tying everything I thought I would need. Of course I'll pay him back, money isn't a problem right now and there was no way I'd take anything for granted.

Holding his phone I felt slightly uneasy, like it was more powerful than mine.

It reminded me of how lucky I've been to only have one monster attack so far, and only time would tell before something else came after me.

Luckily my dreams remain more or less just nightmares, so I have no reason to believe anything is after me yet.

It's been a while since I've used my powers too. I've begun to feel like a normal person here, even though every once in a while I get the urge to pour a bucket of water on some certain people, or wash my dishes in 3 seconds simply because I can.

It truly is torture to sit through a full healing process without using my absolute OP life hack called taking a bath and letting my wounds disappear.

If I just accidentally unconsciously bounced my knee the wrong way, I'd send a jolt of lightning that in the moment, I'd claim was just as bad as Thalia's zaps when we get into arguments.

Speaking of Thalia, it's been a while since I've seen her. Since I've seen everyone, to be completely honest.

All my friends back at camp, my mom and Paul, Estelle.. it's been months. They don't even know what I've been up to. Luckily they've been respecting my wishes to remain uncontacted unless in a case of emergency, (which pained me to ask, I love them all, truly.)

But for the sake of research or more accurately, a huge break from the Greek world, I needed this time. I wanted to find my peace, wherever it may be.

Although I really hope once thanksgiving comes around, I can plan to run by and see everyone, it gets lonely with only 3 friends, one of which is too young to relate too, the other too old to be anything but an adoring grandmother, and Jason..

Anyways... Jason was a really amazing friend.

I mean look at him! He loves to read, he's got a motorcycle, which he made me ride- both the most exciting part of my new life and also the most terrifying- and he's taking care of me.

He's got a wonderful laugh, I love how his eyes are green, I mean they show so much emotion.

"Here."

Jason's voice snapped me out of my mid rambling zone out as he placed a plate in front of me.

I looked to see that he made pancakes and eggs.

"They're not blue." I pouted jokingly.

"Do they have to be?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh yeah. Of course they do." I nodded, although I still took the plate from the coffee table and took a bite, the pancakes light and fluffy, despite the lack of syrup available.

"Why is everything you make blue anyways." He asked, sitting beside me.

"Oh. Well to be completely honest, it's like an inside joke between my mom and I." I admitted, my mouth full.

"Can I be in on it too, or is this a Percy family only club? You won't believe the length I'd go to be apart of it." He grinned, and I decided not to ask what he meant.

"It's not a secret.. basically my mom was married to this guy.. anyways we didn't like him very much. He argued that there wasn't such a thing as blue food, and to spite him, she went out of her way to make everything blue if she could." I explained, although simplifying mom and smelly Gabe's relationship as thin as possible.

"And let's be honest, everything tastes better blue.. so everything's gotta be blue."

"You're like.. an adult toddler." He shook his head in amusement.

"Haha, very funny." I huffed, scarfing down the last of the remnants on my plate.

"..so.. this guy your mom was married to.. is he your dad or something?" Jason asked tentatively.

This made me nervous. It was one thing to talk about my mom and joke about smelly Gabe, but i could tell in the tone of his voice that he wanted to know a lot more than the basics.

"No.. he's not my dad." I finally answered.

"So why didn't you like him?" He asked, his eyes boring into mine.

"Oh.. he just was a walrus. You know, the one that smokes and plays poker. That kind of stuff." I shrugged.

"..right." He glances down to my plate in my hands, and I also look down to my plate.

He reaches forward and slightly touches a mark on my wrist.

"He wasn't nice, was he." He asked in a low tone.

He presumed exactly what it looked like. I didn't even realize my sleeve was lifted enough he'd notice such a small... old scarred burn mark.

"..no. He wasn't." I sighed.

"..where is he now." He asked, his voice suddenly cold.

I look up at him, surprised by the change in the tone of his voice.

"He's.. missing. Presumed dead." I answered, setting my plate on the coffee table.

Jason's eyes relaxed slightly.

"Good." He muttered.

"..anyways.." I look away, embarrassed by the topic. I didn't really tell anyone about Gabe. Specifically what happened when mom wasn't around. Even she didn't know. It was oddly comforting to know that Jason had my back, even though I had never specifically told him anything. Our communication was purely through some form of understanding.

"..you gonna eat anything?" I asked, clearing my throat.

"I did." He answered shortly, his mind seemingly elsewhere.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask.

"About finding that bastard who hurt you and making sure he really is dead." He replied quietly.

"Oh." That was all I could really say in the moment.

"He's really gone. I promise." I assured. "It's been years."

"Okay." He responded dismissively, and I had a feeling he'd probably still make sure.

"Another movie?" I asked, changing the topic, also finally passing his phone back to him.

"Sure." He nodded towards me to get comfy. And I took that as a sign to scoot closer and snuggle up beside him. I felt addicted to his body heat, it was amazing.

Jason didn't reject my advances. Letting me curl up beside him as he wrapped his arm over my shoulder.

He chose a new movie and quickly we were focused on the film.

•*•

hihi!

Tis me with a longer chapter than normallll woot woot!

Hope you all are doing well, and enjoying the increasing bond between our lovely characters. I've decided it's time for them to start showing affection for each other so at some point they'll come to agreement that there is indeed feelings lol 😅

No platonic friendships allowed here!!

Anyways, have a phonetic day!

Toodles!

💙🍪