Chapter Text
Percy blinked twice, and the man who looked like Luke pressed his lips into a thin line. He looked back to the menu above the man’s head and tried to remember what he was going to order before his brain was completely derailed by the fact that he was sure he was going insane, because Luke was dead. He peeked back to the man, and he still looked like Luke. Percy nervously rubbed at the side of his nose and cheek. What a random Tuesday afternoon to go insane.
“Can I get a pistachio blender?” He sounded nervous to his own ears, and the man raised an eyebrow, but pressed the order onto the computer in front of him,
“Your total is going to be 6.58.”
Percy tried to keep his breathing normal, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and pulling his fancy credit card he got from Poseidon out and taped it against the card machine. It beeped instantly, telling him he was approved, and then he walked back to his table, failing at sneaking his glance back. The man was staring at him, and he turned back to his set up with a shake of his head. He thought the guys had sounded like Luke too.
Percy wondered if Dionysus had found him, and was making him see shit so he would go running back to one of the camps so they would know where he was.
He sat down heavily in his chair, pulling his backpack across the table towards him, pulling his laptop out and opening it back up to the notes he was going back over again. He stared at it intently, the words swimming, and he shrunk the window down so he could open up his word document as well. The line to start his writing blinked in and out of existence while he stared. He knew it was pointless, and that he wasn’t going to get anything done, and he knew that within six seconds of having it open. He closed both windows, and opened YouTube, pulling his earbuds out, but only putting one in to watch some videos.
He was only a couple minutes into his video when he heard the guy who looked like Luke shout he was going on break, and a hand holding a cup appeared on the table in front of him. The Luke-alike dropped into the empty chair across from him as Percy paused the video and pulled his earbud out too fast. They stared at each other for a moment before the man a crossed from him sighed,
“Ok Percy, how’d you find me?”
Percy blinked at him again, and he, Luke? Sighed again, his eyebrows furrowing,
“Seriously? Fine, what do you want from me?”
Percy tilted his head in confusion, Luke scowled back at him.
Percy shook his head, his fingers picking at a piece of tape on the side of the table,
“I think we just accidentally chose the same hiding spot.”
His voice was mumbled, and he didn’t look back at Luke for a long moment. When he did Luke looked as frozen as he felt.
“You weren’t looking for me?”
“I thought I was going insane until you just said my name, and even still I’m slightly convinced I’m talking to myself,” Percy said. He knew his voice had a slight desperate edge to it as he spoke, but he didn’t want Luke to think he was lying.
Luke just looked at him, not saying anything, not moving much either. So Percy just pulled his coffee closer to himself, fingers playing with the condensation on the side, and then he took a sip. He made a surprised little noise, cause he honestly wasn’t expecting to like it, hating coffee with a passion, and Luke let out a surprised little laugh, Percy slightly glared at him, but it melted as quickly as it came to his face,
“What, it's good. I don’t normally like coffee.”
Luke grinned and something about it made Percy’s stomach flip,
“I’ll take that as a complement.”
Percy looked back up at him, ‘Luke made this’, but the thought was fleeting.
He didn’t know how long they sat there, just looking at each other. Percy didn’t know what Luke was thinking, maybe he was thinking that Percy was crazy, but Percy was thinking about how his biggest heartache was sitting across from him. His biggest ‘I wish I could have saved you’ was alive. And apparently making amazing coffee everyday.
Luke’s watch beeped, making Percy jump just slightly and he sighed as he stood up, stretched his arms over his head, and walked back to the counter.
Percy didn’t watch him after that, he sipped his coffee, shook his arms out and pulled his laptop back to him. He brought back up his notes and got to work, the only thing disturbing him every now and then was Luke shouting names for orders. The first time he heard it he felt like shit and wondered if he had called his name and he didn’t hear it. But then he thought about what it would have been like for Luke to just shout his name randomly and he shoved both his headphones in so he could concentrate better.
He must have hyper focused, because what felt like ten minutes later, his shoulder was being grabbed, and he was sure he almost jumped a foot in the air. Luke let go almost immediately, but his touch hadn’t been harsh, and Percy almost regretted making him think it was the reason he jumped, and then he felt dumb for thinking that.
Luke ran his hand through the back of his hair,
“Sorry dude, we’re closing.”
Percy just nodded, shoving his laptop back into his backpack, noting how much he had gotten done, and standing from the table. He scooped up his trash, dumping it in the full bag that out of the can by the door, he turned, a goodbye on his lips, but Luke was sweeping by the tables and Percy’s words stuck in his throat.
Luke looked up when he didn’t hear the door, and Percy felt his face flush, so he quickly waved and ran out of the building.
-
Percy slightly hoped Luke wouldn’t be there when he walked through the door of the coffee shop again. It was probably too soon to be back, the Friday afternoon of the same week, but he was a college student running on coffee and spite, sue him if he wanted to go to the one shop that didn’t seem to play awful loud music all the time.
The line wasn’t long, and just his luck, Luke was at the counter again. Percy sighed, and resigned to his fate, cause it would look crazy for him to walk out now. It wasn’t like he was avoiding Luke, but it still felt weird. The last time they talked, besides the immediate last time, was what he thought was, probably in a way had been, Luke’s dying wish. And he hadn’t done a great job of keeping that wish. He grimaced to himself as he read the menu, wondering if he should just get the same thing, or something else.
The line moved too fast, and he was at the counter before he had time to really think on it, and he sighed, pulling his wallet out and ordering the same as the last time.
Luke nodded, and typed his order into the computer, and Percy tapped the machine with his card.
He walked over to one of the booths in the corner, one with a charging port, pulling out his cords for his laptop and his phone. He didn’t open anything up, trying very hard to listen for his name, but Luke appeared again, pushing the cup to him, and sitting across from him with a sigh, running his fingers through the front of his hair,
“Well, what brings you back to this neck of the woods?” He leans his chin on his folded arms on the table. Percy sips his coffee, and he sighs as he pulls his laptop near himself,
“Homework.”
Luke chuckles, “can’t do it at home?”
Percy shrugs, “can’t make coffee.”
Luke laughs again, “there are hundreds of coffee shops around here. Miss me that much already?”
He grimaces after he says it, and Percy lets him have his moment of embarrassment, even though Percy has missed Luke longer than just here lately.
“It’s quiet here.” Percy says instead. His voice was soft, and it was too full of emotion for him, so he stopped there, before he could say something dumb.
Luke nods, rubbing his cheek on his arm.
Percy drags his laptop closer to himself, plugging it in, and popping one of his ear buds in.
Luke stayed at his table while Percy set up his notes and research. He honestly let him be in the background, and slightly jumped as Luke’s alarm went off. He got up with a stretch, and Percy watched him walk back to the counter. The guy that was there sighed in relief as Luke walked up there, and Luke turned to the line that was slightly backed up. Percy wasn’t sure how he hadn’t noticed it, but he shoved his other earbud in and only let himself watch as Luke sighed and then smiled brightly at the customers, and pointed to the other computer. The line shifted, and Percy went back to his homework.
He did manage to hyperfocus again, and he sighed, and stopped himself from sending a prayer to anyone, a habit he was trying hard to break.
He noticed Luke approaching him this time, and he pulled his phone close, sighing as he rubbed his eyes and started putting his laptop away.
Luke slapped the towel in his hands on to the table and sat down across from him as Percy zipped his bag up. Luke looked tired, but Percy tried not to watch him as he rubbed his face.
“So, you’re gonna be around then?” Luke asked him, his hand cupping his face as Percy stood up.
Percy paused midway through pulling on his backpack, and he slowly pulled the straps into place,
“If you don’t want me around, I’ll find somewhere else.” His voice was thick with no use, and he sipped water from his giant water bottle that he went everywhere with. Piper’s voice whispered ‘emotional support water bottle’ in the back of his mind, he pushed it to the side and looked back at Luke.
Luke had his eyebrows furrowed, his fingers were slightly digging into his scar.
“No Percy, you can come back here. Whenever you want.” His voice wasn’t harsh but there was a slight edge to it that Percy couldn’t understand where it came from. Percy just nodded, and gave Luke a tight smile.
He headed to the door, dropping his cup into the full bag that was beside the trash can. He turned around to wave, but Luke had followed him to the door this time, and Percy jumped. Luke paused and took a step back, Percy just grimaced and shook his head slightly, not meeting Luke’s eyes. Luke took a small step forward, and Percy sighed as looked back up at him.
“See you later?” He said as he backed into the door, opening it with his elbow, Luke nodded,
“Yeah, see you later Percy.”
And then Percy was out in the cool night air, he breathed deep, filling his lungs with it making them ache. The nights were getting colder, and for the first time in a long time, Percy was looking forward to the fall.
-
When Percy walked in Monday afternoon, the line was long. Percy sighed, finding a table at the back and placing his bag on top. He made sure it was in view as he walked back to the line, and he watched the table as the line moved.
Luke wasn’t at the counter, and Percy asked for something different, something carmel, trying to branch out and not get sick of the same thing. When they asked his name Percy almost blanched, but he gave his name with a tap of his card, and walked back to the table. His bag was where he left it.
He sat and pulled his laptop out. He didn’t actually have much to work on, but he decided to stay ahead and re-read one of the chapters they were working on. He didn’t pull his headphones out, listening to the names being called, and he jumped when Luke sat across from him, Percy’s caramel coffee put down in front of him. Percy smiled slightly at him, and pressed his fingers to the condensation to try and quiet his nerves. Luke smiled tiredly back,
“You confused me this time, you know? I almost shouted your name and when I saw it was your drink I stood there for like three seconds with my mouth open. Seth is never going to let me live it down.”
Percy just grinned, sipping the coffee. His eyebrows scrunched together, and he pulled the drink back to look at it. It was definitely caramel, he took another sip and decided he liked it, but it wasn’t as good as the other.
“What's wrong with it?” Luke asked, and Percy looked back to him, shaking his head,
“It’s just different.”
Luke laughed, “Yeah you ordered something else? Of course it’s different, it’s a different flavor.”
Percy scowled, but just shrugged, “I know. I’m just still finding what I like.”
Luke nodded, and watched the rest of the shop, his eyes flickering to the other customers. Percy took a moment to actually look at Luke, and let go of trying hard to not look at him. He was wearing a cream colored shirt, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, on his wrists where leather bands and a watch that looked right out of the 90s, his apron was a dark navy color, and his name tag was a muted orange, his name in the same color as the apron. Percy hadn’t seen it until then, Luke had always been covering it. ‘Luke’ was in neat block letters, and there were star stickers beside it.
“What, did you forget my name?”
Percy’s eyes snapped back up to Luke’s face, and Percy realized Luke might have thought that was actually the case, cause even though he had a teasing smirk on his face, he had a concerned look in his eyes. Percy rolled his eyes, and shook his head,
“It’s been a few years, you could have started going by your middle name or something, Luke.”
Luke must have seen through him, cause his teasing smile turned soft, and his eyes stopped being concerned. He had actually been secretly thinking to himself that Luke could be going by another name, just to distance himself from the past, and Percy didn’t want to call him something he didn’t go by anymore. Percy took another sip of his coffee.
“More homework?” Luke asked him, sitting back and crossing his arms against his chest.
Percy shrugged, “Kinda? I’m just rereading something for class.”
Luke nodded, “College?”
Percy bit at his bottom lip, nodding, hitting the spacebar a couple times to have something to do with his hands. He swallowed and said the first thing that came to mind,
“Do you not like coffee?”
And he almost hit his head against the table, but Luke just raised his eyebrow, like he was saying ‘explain what your brain is thinking Percy’ but not in a condescending way, in a ‘I actually want to know’ kind of way, so Percy shrugged, tapping at the spacebar too fast,
“You don't ever have any, sick of it?”
Luke shook his head, a smile on his face as he looked towards the door as the bell made a sound,
“No, I have like, two cups in the morning at home just to wake up, and I work the afternoon and closing shifts, so I just don’t need it while at work really.”
Percy nodded slightly, showing he was listening, he had stopped tapping the spacebar, and was moving the mouse around, watching his finger. His lip was still between his teeth, and he forced himself to let go before he bit too hard and started bleeding. His mind was moving a mile a second.
He looked back at Luke, and his watch beeped, signaling the end of Luke’s break and making Percy jump and click a random link on his laptop. Luke sighed, standing and stretching his arms out,
“Back at it then. See ya Percy.”
And he walked back to the counter. Percy didn't mean to watch, but his brain took note of Luke’s dark jeans, and that his back pocket had something in it, looked like a pack of cigarettes, and his pants were stretched tight against Luke’s-
Percy forcefully turned his head back to his laptop, took a deep breath and sighed big. He could feel the tips of his ears turning pink as he squashed down thoughts about Luke looking nice.
He pulled his laptop fully in front of himself, and made himself concentrate on the chapter.
He didn’t stay until closing, his alarm on his phone making the whole table buzz about an hour later, letting him know he had to get home in twenty minutes to be able to get on a video call with his mom, step-dad and sister. He packed up his laptop, shoving it in his bag, and pulling on the bag as he stood up.
There wasn’t a line, so Luke watched as Percy passed the counter. Percy dumped his trash in the can and after checking that no one was coming to the door, he turned around and waved before leaving. Luke waved back.
Percy pushed through the door and took a deep breath. He looked at his phone, cursed under his breath as he saw the time, and started jogging to get to his apartment on time.
-
Percy walked in on Thursday afternoon, his backpack on one shoulder, his eyes scanning the tables to find a good one, and then he looked to the counter. Luke wasn’t there. He listened hard as he waited in line, but Luke wasn’t the person making drinks and calling orders in the back.
Percy tried hard not to be disappointed, he didn’t come to this place just to see Luke, but Luke was a plus that Percy hadn’t noticed he had started looking forward to. He need to squash that down before it became a problem.
He ordered a pistachio blender, tapped his card, said his name and went and sat down at a booth.
For the first time someone shouted his name there, and even though he jumped when they did, he felt he wasn’t super awkward as he went up and got it from the counter.
He sat back in his booth and got to studying.
He was brought out of his hyperfocus by someone, he thought it was Seth but he couldn’t see the name tag, calling for his attention.
“Dude, we close in like, twenty minutes.”
Percy looked up and around, and nodded, putting his laptop back in his bag, zipping it and pulling it on. He looked at the clock and saw that it was about 40 minutes before he normally left. He put his trash in the can, the bag wasn't out of it yet. He just thought they closed at eight thirty, not eight. He walked out the door, pushing his fingers through the front of his hair, and wondered why Luke let him stay late, while he was apparently meant to be locking up.
-
Percy walked into the shop on Friday afternoon, the line wasn’t too long and Percy’s favorite booth was open. He felt uncomfortable coming in two days in a row.. But he liked coming here after his classes. It was refreshing to not have to go back to an empty apartment, but not have to worry about it being too overwhelming for his brain.
He watched the menu, and stumbled along the line, not bothering to try and save his table this time. Everyone was staying in the to go area of the store, so he felt safe that his booth would still be there when he got done.
Too soon he was at the front of the line, Luke smiled slightly at him, and he asked what he wanted today. Percy just sighed as he looked at the menu,
“Tough choices?” Luke asked, and Percy just shrugged,
“Too many.”
Luke nodded, and it was thoughtful for some reason. Percy asked for a hot latte with caramel. Luke tapped his order into the computer, and Percy tapped the card machine.
Percy went to his booth, sighing as he pulled his laptop out, and sat with one leg under the other. He listened for his name, but Luke showed up at his spot not six minutes later, gently setting a hot coffee in front of Percy.
Percy looked up at Luke, a small smile on his lips as he pushed his fingers against the warm cup. Luke smiled back, slightly more relaxed than any of the smiles Percy had seen from him up at that point, but still just as tired.
Percy pulled his laptop open, his paper blinking at him, and he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with the side of his finger.
Luke tapped his fingers against the table, and Percy tried hard not to track the movement with his eyes but it was almost impossible not to. Luke laid his hand flat against the with a little slap sound, and Percy looked up at his face.
Luke looked slightly hesitant but excited about something, and when their eyes met, he smiled,
“So. Seth texted me that ‘my regular’ showed up yesterday without me. Sorry you missed me, but I don’t work Thursdays. And obviously we are closed on weekend afternoons”
Percy didn’t register what he was saying for a moment, and when he did, he just pressed his lips together tight, not sure what Luke wanted him to say. He just shrugged.
When he looked up, Luke was watching him, and Percy just shrugged again,
“I know I’m probably coming by too often-” He voice had been quiet, and he almost jumped when Luke reached out and grabbed his wrist, making Percy pause his rambling,
“No Percy, you do not come by too often.” Luke said it in a rush, like it had gotten knocked out of him. He gently squeezed Percy’s wrist, ‘not enough to hurt or anything like that, but to make sure I’m paying attention’, he thought, so Percy looked back up at him, at his face, at his eyes, so bright blue they almost always made Percy gasp to himself, away from where his eyes had been watching Luke hold his wrist. Luke rubbed his thumb over the back of Percy’s hand,
“Seth was teasing me, I don’t do this with just anyone you know? Your the only reason I actually take a full break these days”, he grimaced as he said the last part, like he didn’t mean to say it, and he let go of Percy’s wrist, putting that hand over his mouth, and rubbing at the end of his scar with his finger tips. Percy pushed the ache in his chest down, the want of Luke to put his hand back on him was probably just from being touch starved, he told himself. He forced his attention back on Luke.
“I’m sorry if I made you think otherwise. Sometimes I think I can just tease you like you're one of my coworkers, but then I remember.” Luke trailed off. He suddenly straightened up, his hands falling to his lap,
“I’m not bugging you, am I? Do you want me to leave you alone?”
Percy blinked at him a couple times, and then he shook his head, probably too fast, he made himself a little dizzy,
“No, you're not.”
Luke nodded, and sighed, bringing his elbows back up to the table, resting on his arms again, and Percy smiled slightly. Luke smiled back.
“I don’t care how many times a week you come around Percy. Though your stomach might hate you for it.” He said it with a slight laugh in his tone, and Percy’s eyebrows furrowed at him. Luke laughed outright, although still soft,
“Percy, they are full of sugar, that's probably why you like them. You’re lucky you don’t have more than one when you come around or your stomach would really ache.”
Percy frowned, his fingers warm around his drink, and he took a sip of it, even though it was still too hot,
“You're supposed to sweeten coffee?”
He said it mostly to himself, but Luke laughed softly.
His watch beeped a few minutes later, and he got up with a stretch, making Percy notice his dark gray waffle shirt, and the chain of a gold necklace that was tucked under his shirt. Percy forced himself to finally turn to his computer before he got caught watching.
“Later Percy.” Luke said as he walked back to the counter. Percy made a small affirmative noise that he wasn’t sure Luke even heard.
By the time Luke came over to tell him he was locking up, Percy had only gotten a few more paragraphs done, and he was feeling like shit. But when Luke dropped down in the booth across from him, he diligently started packing up, although a little slower than normal. He zipped his bag, and looked to Luke,
“Why do you let me stay late?”
Luke looked at him, he had been watching something out the window. He smiled slightly,
“I’m adhd too Percy, and I know what being a college student is like. I see when you get hyper focused, and I want you to be able to study as long as you can. If it’s one small thing I can do for you, then so be it.”
Percy watched Luke for a moment, and then looked down at the table, he nodded slightly,
“Thank you Luke.”
Luke scoffed, but Percy started to get up and walk to the door. Luke spoke as he did,
“It’s actually the reason we don’t play music here you know? I said we should be sensory friendly, and at first everyone brushed it off, but we have other neurodivergent people in here all the time now. It’s cool.”
He nodded to show Luke that he was listening. He put his cup in the full trash bag that was out by the container, turned to find Luke a couple steps behind him, his hand finishing pushing through his hair and resting on the back of his head. Percy pulled on the sleeve of his shirt, so it was around the palm of his hand,
“See you next week?”
Luke nodded a small smile still on his face, and Percy slipped out the door, into the cool night air.
Percy watched where he was stepping, his mind wandering back to when he had looked into Luke’s eyes. He was never going to tell Luke that the small flecks of gold still in his otherwise crystal sky blue eyes just made them prettier, even though Percy was probably the only person who knew what it meant. But he would probably never have told him his eyes were pretty anyway.
-
Percy walked in Monday afternoon. The line was short, but his booth was full, so he eyed one of the tables at the back. He felt better than he did on Friday, having finished his paper and the professor giving them a small break and only having them take notes and read another chapter. It was nice, and he was in a good mood. The line moved faster then Percy was prepared for, so before he knew it he was at the counter, smiling brighter then he probably had in the last few months at Luke,
“You're in a good mood today,” Luke said, and Percy nodded, he looked back at the menu, resigned to his fate of knowing if he looked at Luke too long he would start blushing hard.
“So, do you trust me? I’ve got a drink I think you’ll like-” Luke cut himself off, and Percy’s eyes had shot over the moment he started talking so he saw the frown that immediately darkened Luke’s face, the way his eyebrows dropped, the way he clenched his hand into a fist by his side, “what am I saying of course you don’t trust me.” The last part was said to himself, almost quieter than a whisper, and Percy was sure he wasn’t meant to hear, but he didn’t stop himself when he said,
“Of course I trust you. And yeah, make me whatever.” He said it with confidence, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth he felt so nervous he wasn’t sure he could open his mouth again. But he said it with the same smile on his face, and he left that happy smile on his face as Luke looked at him, shocked, his hand loosening in surprise by his side.
Percy just pulled out his card, and Luke still looked shocked as he typed in the order. Percy didn’t even look at the screen when he tapped the card, making sure whatever it was that Luke was making him was a surprise.
Percy made his way over to the table, sitting his bag down on it, his stomach doing little loops. He didn’t know what had made him say that, but it was true. He did trust Luke.
He pulled his laptop out, and opened his notes. He usually took them in ancient Greek, so he started going over them and translating them into english. It was something he discovered a few weeks ago that helped him remember things, even if it was convoluted and took longer. It worked for him, and that’s what counted.
Luke appeared not long after he started, and Percy shoved his laptop to the side as Luke sat a large blended coffee down in front of him. Immediately it didn’t matter what Luke had made, cause right on top were blue sprinkles, and Percy had to blink at it a couple times. He swallowed hard, and looked up at Luke.
Luke was watching him, his hands folded on the table in front of him. He raised an eyebrow, and motioned to it, and Percy reached forward, dragging the drink to himself, and he took a sip. He smiled at Luke, cause he was right it was really good. Luke grinned big at him,
“Good. It's a white chocolate mocha, I thought you’d like it. Not too sweet, but not like a full on mocha where it tastes like dark chocolate.”
Percy nodded, and took another sip.
“Homework?” Luke asked as he leaned onto his arm. He was wearing a warm brown long sleeved shirt today, and Percy dragged his eyes to his laptop with a nod to distract himself from how good it looked pushed up Luke’s arms.
“Just have to read a chapter this week though. And go over some notes.”
Luke made an ‘ahhh’ sort of sound. Percy wondered what Luke had studied, but he didn’t want to open that conversation, his own studies were something he was keeping private even from his mom and step dad.
They lapsed into silence, and for the most part it was comfortable. Luke’s alarm went off, and Percy didn’t jump, which he was happy about, it added to his good mood.
Percy pulled his laptop back over and got back to translating his notes.
He was done a few minutes before Luke came over and sat at his table again. He dropped the towel in front of him, and leaned back in his chair, his apron was off, and Percy tried not let his eyes linger on how his sweater hugged his chest as Luke stretched his arms above his head and sighed.
Percy started putting his computer into his bag, he paused before zipping it, looking back to Luke.
Luke had left his arms in the air, and was staring at the ceiling. Percy laughed softly, and Luke looked back down at him. Percy hoped his smile showed that he wasn’t making fun of Luke, but it seemed it did cause Luke smiled back at him.
Percy zipped his bag, his eyes tracking the movement intently.
“Um,” he started, but paused and Luke dropped his arms, scooting forward and giving Percy his full attention. It made him a little self conscious. But he just sighed and tried too keep his voice steady as he asked,
“Do you think there's anything else I’d like. That you can make, coffee wise I mean.” He slightly cringed as he looked back up at Luke, but Luke had a soft look in his eyes,
“I know a couple others. I’ll surprise you next, yeah?”
Percy nodded.
He got up, put his cup in the trash, and turned back around to Luke.
“Bye Luke.”
“See you later Percy.”
-
Percy sighed as he walked into the shop, it was raining, and the place was mostly empty. One customer sat at the back completely absorbed in something on their laptop, and Luke and one of his coworkers, the girl he knew worked twice a week, he thinks her name is Marina, were at the counter, laughing about something that had been said before he got in the door.
Percy stomped on the rug that had been put by the door, trying to not be creepy as he thought about how nice it was to hear Luke actually laugh loudly, not like his quiet chuckles and softer laughs that Percy got out of him weren't nice, it was just that Percy was still learning how to be around Luke, and their conversations where so short. Percy took a deep breath. His thoughts running in circles was making him tired.
He pushed his hood down, noting how it was wet but his hair was dry. He hoped no one noticed, Luke would just roll his eyes though, and he walked up to the counter.
Luke smiled as he saw him come up to the counter,
“Hi Percy.”
Percy smiled, “Hi.”
It had been almost two months since Percy started coming in, but he came in often. Almost three times a week, usually in the afternoons after his morning classes. He had only ever asked Luke the one time if he was coming in too often, but even with that reassurance he felt like he was here too much. But he didn’t come just because he wanted to see Luke, he came because he really did like the place, as evidenced by the fact that he came almost every other Thursday after class even though Luke wasn’t there.
“Surprise or Pistachio today?” Luke said, as he hovered a hand over the computer.
Percy smiled, “surprise?” He always said it like a question, but Luke would just nod his head. He had a list of things he would rotate through to make for Percy. Usually with blue sprinkles, but those just started showing up in his drinks no matter what if Luke made it for him.
Marina leaned against the counter as Percy taped his car against the machine, leaning over it so she was on her elbow looking up at him, and as he was trying to walk away, she spoke to him,
“Hi there, cutie.”
Percy blinked down at her, one eyebrow raised at her. Luke flicked her on the arm and then went to make Percy’s coffee, he didn’t go far, so he was in on the conversation.
“So, how long have you known Luke?” She asked him, batting her eyelashes at him.
Percy blinked a few times, and then laughed,
“I’ll be honest, I’m shit at math.”
Luke laughed. And Percy smiled at the sound,
“We met when I was twelve, and I just turned nineteen a month ago, so. There's that. But in all honesty, we haven’t spent any time together between then and now.”
Marina’s eyebrows scrunched together.
“Where in the world did you two meet?”
Percy looked at Luke over the top of her, and Luke was looking back at him. He shrugged, so Percy sighed, and looked back down at her, he rubbed at his nose, nervous that he would say the wrong thing,
“We met at a summer camp? He was a counselor, I got stuck into his group. He quit the next year, and now we kinda met by chance again I guess.”
Luke scoffed, “I got fired, but thank you so much for trying to defend me.”
He was holding Percy’s coffee, and he tilted his head towards Percy’s favorite booth, and so he went to it, a half wave toward Marina on the way.
Percy sat his bag down, but waited til Luke handed him his coffee before pulling his laptop out. Percy smiled at the blue sprinkles, and took a sip. He made a little ‘hmm’ sound, and nodded his head when Luke asked if it was good.
Percy cringed, and looked to Luke, lowering his voice and leaning in a little,
“Was what I said ok?”
Luke raised one of his eyebrows looking around, and leaning forward to Percy, mimicking his posture,
“Was what ok?”
Percy pressed his mouth in a tight line,
“About us meeting at a camp, was that an ok thing to say?”
Luke grinned slowly, his eyes brightening up just slightly,
“Yes Percy, it was fine. I don’t talk about my past in any way of course, so Marina will probably try and pry stuff about me out of you, but what you said was fine.”
Percy leaned back in his seat, and nodded. He sighed, and ran his fingers through the condensation on his cup.
A chair scraped against the ground and Percy’s shoulders raised up toward his ears as Marina pushed the chair to their table. Luke looked actually mad, something that made Percy’s stomach swoop uncomfortably in two different ways, as he told her,
“No, go work at the counter.”
She scoffed, “No, no one is here or coming in except your boy. I only have one question anyway.”
Percy could tell the tips of his ears turned pink when she called him Luke’s boy, but he just took a sip of his coffee, and watched the table.
“Seriously, just one and then I’ll leave you guys alone.”
Luke sighed, “if he doesn't want to answer it then he doesn’t have to.”
She puffed air out of her mouth so it blew her bangs out of her face, and then she turned to Percy,
“What is Luke like around kids? He’s ok with them here, but obviously that’s here, and not one on one. And you guys met at a camp, so-” She dragged out the so, and Luke rolled his eyes at her. He sighed, but looked to Percy, as if he was curious about what Percy was going to say too.
Percy tilted his head to one side in thought. He shifted his coffee back and forth in his hand,
“I was having a real shit year, when I met Luke, and it was only the one summer. But, if he’s anything like he was with me, with all kids, then he’s great.”
He looked to Luke at the end, hoping it was ok for him to say that, but Luke just looked shocked.
“I knew it!” Marina said, as she got up and shoved her chair away, “Thanks Percy!”
And then she was gone, behind the counter right in time for someone to walk in.
Luke hadn’t stopped looking at him. Percy wondered if he had coffee on his face, and he turned to pull his laptop out of his bag.
“What did you mean?” Luke’s voice was quiet, and Percy dropped his shoulders completely, resigned to knowing he was embarrassing himself today, even if it was something he wanted Luke to hear.
“I mean, you were the only person at camp who ever made me feel actually welcome. You got me stuff, you sat with me when I was inconsolable cause my mom was dead. I know, what was happening in the background, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that you were the only person who was actually talking to me.” Percy stopped talking, feeling like he had talked way too much, that it was the most he had said in a long time, and Luke was looking at him, his mouth pressed into a tight line.
Percy pulled his laptop to himself, letting Luke deal with his confession on his own. He didn’t have much to do that day, just some more notes to go over.
When Luke’s alarm went off, he stopped it without getting up. He sighed, reaching across the table and pressed his finger tips to Percy’s wrist, and then got up with a stretch and got back to work.
Percy didn’t stay till closing that day. He had a video call with his mom again, but when he left instead of just leaving with a smile and a wave, he went up to the counter, there wasn’t a line, which he was glad for, as he tugged on his bangs, and Luke walked over to him.
“See you Monday?” He was actually asking. If Luke made any indication that he didn’t want to see Percy on Monday, Percy wouldn’t show up until Friday.
Luke just smiled gently at him,
“Yeah Percy, I’ll see you Monday.”
Percy nodded and then backed up a couple steps before turning and walking out of the shop, the bell ringing behind him, and as soon as he passed the windows of the shop he broke into a jog to get to his apartment on time.
-
Percy sighed as he walked through the door, the bell ringing above his head, and his coat hugged close against him. Class had been let out early that day, the professor needing to be somewhere else, and Percy just wandered to the shop. He didn’t want to break routine, even if he had never met any of the morning baristas. He waited in line, and when he got to the front, he ordered his usual and for the first time since he started coming he ordered a sandwich.
Percy couldn’t get to his usual booth, but one of the two person tables near the windows in the back was free, so he sat up there, listening hard for his name with all the people in there. He understood why Luke liked the afternoons in the shop, as he had mentioned one time. It was crazy for the lunch rush, and Percy had never seen anyone here for dinner.
He went and got his coffee and food when they called his name. He settled into his new spot, and took a hesitant bite of the sandwich. It was good, and he was glad. His relationship with food the last few months had been rocky, settling into a new schedule always made food not settle well with him. He ate it and then pulled his laptop open, not wanting to get crumbs stuck in it’s keyboard just yet. He sighed at the notes in front of him. The coursework was getting a little harder, which was nice in some ways, and frustrating in others.
He started working on it, and he fell into the rhythm of it. He noticed when people started leaving, and he heard Luke’s voice as he walked in. He didn’t look up, too focused on his work, and thinking Luke would find him eventually.
‘Eventually’, didn’t happen though, as another wave of customers came in, as soon as Luke pulled his apron on, not like Percy was watching.
Percy got up after they left, threw his trash away, and started back to his spot. When he turned back, Luke looked at him and almost jumped a foot in the air, and Percy snickered, hand coming up to hide his grin as he started back to his spot. Luke followed him, much to Seth’s disappointment if his comment about Luke just getting there was anything to go by.
Percy sat at his spot, pulling his laptop closer to his side of the table so it wouldn’t be in Luke’s face, as Luke sat at the other chair.
“Dude, how long were you hiding back here? Who made you coffee?” He grabbed the very offending cup of coffee and pointed the straw at Percy, making him laugh. Luke stopped, and sat the cup back down in front of Percy. A little smile on his face.
“Class let out early. I got here at like eleven.”
Luke made a face, “Yuck, the busiest time of the day.”
Percy smiled, taking a sip of his drink, and taping at his space bar.
Luke shifted forward, looking at Percy’s laptop, and Percy froze, smile falling off his face, and Luke raised an eyebrow at him after to took in some of what was on the screen,
“Are you taking your notes in Greek?”
Percy nodded, “It’s easier to learn when I take fast notes in it and then translate them later. Makes me concentrate on it twice.”
Luke nodded, eyes back on Percy’s notes, his mouth pulling down on one corner, “That’s pretty smart dude. I wish I had come up with that.”
His eyes flickered over the words on screen, and then he stopped. Stopped nodding, stopped blinking, his face carefully blank and then when he finally breathed his took a deep breath,
“Are you taking classes on greek mythology?”
Precy just took a sip of his coffee, taped at the space bar, and then when Luke looked at him just nodded.
“Why?”
Percy shrugged, his voice almost meek, “They lied a lot.”
Luke sat up straight. He leaned his chin on the palm of his hand, and leaned his elbow on the table. He sighed, the action caused his hair to move around,
“They sure did.”
Percy nodded, solemnly.
Luke was quiet for a long moment, and then asked something Percy had been dreading he would ask for a long time now,
“Percy,” he paused, making sure Percy was looking at him when he asked, “why are you hiding?”
Percy sighed. There were so many reasons. Toxic ex-girlfriend, parents who never listened but meant well, gods not keeping promises, demigods dying for no reason on quests and prophecies that were pointless, falling into literal hell and still not getting a break, a toxic abusive ex-girlfriend who wouldn’t have left him alone if he had stayed, but he thought that one already.
He looked to the ceiling, counting spots on one of the wooden beams that was exposed against a cream backdrop, and then when he looked back to Luke he let all his walls drop, he let himself feel the tiredness that had soaked into his bones and let it show on his face; and he knew what that looked like, had stared at it in the mirror, and he saw Luke’s entire being tighten up with concern.
Or maybe when he let go of it all Percy made the temperature drop. That had happened with him before.
His voice didn’t even sound like his own, sounded haunted and thick and unused when he said,
“I’m so tired Luke.”
They were still for a long moment. Luke’s eyes flickering around Percy’s face, and Percy trying to piece himself back together after letting his emotions out in full for a moment. He closed his eyes, squeezed them shut hard and took a deep breath, pulling it all back in. He knew he was still a little raw, but definitely better than he was just a moment ago when he opened his eyes and looked at Luke.
Luke reached over, and closed his fingers gently around Percy’s wrist, and Percy twisted his hand so that his own fingers could curl a little over Luke’s wrist in return.
They sat like that until Luke’s alarm went off, and then he was up and behind the counter. A look like he wanted nothing more than to turn around and go right back was on his face as he gave one last look at Percy from over his shoulder.
Percy didn’t stay long after that. He couldn’t concentrate on his notes. He got up, and for the first time in the three months he had been coming here, he was going to take his cup of coffee out the door with him. He was half way there when Luke caught up with him, clasping his shoulder, which made Percy slightly jump, but turn back around to face him. Luke let go of his shoulder, and looked slightly guilty, a heavy sigh leaving his chest,
“I’ll see you on Friday?” Luke asked him.
Percy stared at him for a moment, and then he looked around the coffee shop, the only person with them being Seth, who was turned around making something behind the counter. Percy stepped forward and grabbed onto Luke’s shirt sleeve. He didn’t know why he did it, he felt like he had too, cause all he could manage at the moment was nodding his head. He looked up at Luke after, and Luke had a look of understanding on his face. He nodded again for good measure, and Luke said,
“Ok Percy, I’ll see you on Friday.”
Percy walked out of the shop, but he felt like he was leaving something important behind, even though he could feel his laptop against his back, his phone in his front pocket, his wallet in his back pocket, and his coffee in his hand.
His other hand, the hand that had grabbed Luke’s sleeve, was almost like it was tingling. Like he could still feel the soft fabric against his skin. He clinched it into a fist and started walking faster.
-
Percy walked into the shop, the sky was dark gray and snow was falling slow but steady. It was too early for snow, or maybe Percy just wasn’t used to snow in October yet, and that was normal here. Luke and Marina were behind the counter, both of them were watching the snowfall, Marina with a look of someone who had seen this all the time, and Luke with the look of someone who was only just getting used to it.
Percy stomped on the rug, shaking snow off his boots, wondering if he would ever be over how pretty snow was to him, how it made his chest ache with how much he could just look at it for hours. It would never beat summer, which he longed for even at that moment, but something about snow made him feel like the world was saying ‘look at this pretty thing I made!’ He just wished he didn’t have to walk through it.
Luke smiled at him when he looked up. Percy smiled back, bright. He could feel how pink the wind had made his cheeks and nose, so he didn't have to bother trying to hide a blush.
When he got up to the counter, Luke started typing in an order, and Percy’s smile softened,
“Hot today?” Was the only thing he said, and Luke just nodded, and Percy taped his card against the machine.
Percy got his favorite booth, pulling his laptop out of his bag, and setting it up. Work was light that week, and he was grateful after how much he had to get done the week before.
Luke rounded the counter, heading his way, Marina trailing behind him, but she was whispering to him about something. If Percy hadn’t been trained to pick up on things he probably wouldn’t have heard her,
“Seriously Luke, your apartment hunting now?”
He shrugged, and passed one of the tables, and she stopped. She shook her head and walked back to the counter.
Percy watched Luke approach, set the coffee down, and then sit in the booth across from him. He sighed as he stretched his arms out, his green sweater tugging across his shoulders. The gold chain always present was peeking out from the collar. He had on gold rings today. Percy looked down to his coffee, taking the lid off so it would cool faster. There were blue sprinkles on top. He smiled softly at Luke. Luke smiled tiredly back at him.
Percy took in how tired Luke looked, his smile turing to something thoughtful, and he pushed his laptop to the side.
“Are you ok?”
Luke smiled ruefully, eyes wondering over Percy’s head to the snow outside,
“I’m sure you heard Marina. I’m apartment hunting.”
Percy taped his fingers against the table top,
“Why?”
Luke shrugged. Then sighed, then looked across the room to Marina, who was busy on her phone, and then looked back to Percy,
“The heats broken, and I don’t know when it’s gonna get fixed.”
Percy sat up straighter, opening his mouth, he knew what that was like, but Luke cut him,
“I’m fine for right now, I know how to stay warm, and it’s ok, I have walls right now at least.” He sighed, dropping his chin into his hand.
Percy gripped his hand gently around his cup, and really it was Luke’s fault, getting him used to just saying what’s on his mind, for what comes out of his mouth next,
“You could move in with me?”
Luke’s eyes shot up to meet his, and Percy knew he couldn’t hide his blush behind a wind burn in that moment.
“I mean.” he swallowed hard, feeling like his nose was going to fall off with how fast blood rushed to it, “I have a spare room, and it’s not too far from here. It’s just a suggestion of course.”
He trailed off, looking up at Luke through his bangs.
Luke was blinking at him, and then sat back with a sigh, running his hand up and through his hair.
“Percy” Luke started, and Percy thought ‘oh no. This is it, this is the moment he’s going to tell me to fuck off and never come back.’ But Luke said, “I really appreciate it, but I don’t want to bother you with it.”
Percy tilted his head, confusion so evident on his face he could feel it,
“I wouldn’t have offered it if I didn’t mean it Luke.”
Luke sighed, dropping his hand to the table, his fingers clenching into a loose fist,
“I’d have to look it over first, of course. And I’m not saying yes, I’m saying I’ll check it out.” Luke said after a long moment, finally meeting Percy’s eyes again.
Percy stared at him for a moment, and he could feel excitement bubbling up in his chest for the first time since he drove to this town. He nodded, trying not to smile too much, letting one side of his mouth come up.
Luke sighed, “Ok, let’s meet up in front of the campus library on Thursday? I don’t have plans in the afternoon, so we can meet up at two, like we normally do here I guess.”
Percy nodded again, and Luke nodded back, the corner of his mouth turning up as well. He ran a hand through the front of his hair with a big sigh, and his watch sounded his alarm. It made them both jump this time, which made Percy laugh a little.
Luke got up, and waved as he walked back to the counter. Percy waved back, and sighed as he got back to his laptop.
He got up a couple hours later, his weekly scheduled call with his mom in half an hour, and Luke met him at the door,
“See you Thursday?” Luke said, almost hesitant, but Percy nodded,
“See you Thursday.”
He walked out into the snow, and it was at that moment, he realized how much he was in love with Luke. He continued on his way to his place, not knowing how he hadn’t noticed till then, and not knowing how he was going to deal with it if Luke decided to stay.
‘Doesn’t matter,’ he shook his hair out as he walked through the lobby of his building, ‘Luke is just a friend, and that is how it’s going to remain. I’ve loved friends before and I didn’t completely humiliate myself then. This will be fine.’
When he got into the elevator he leaned against that, and sighed while putting his head in his hands.
-
Percy nervously pushed the toe of his boot against the step he was standing on. The two days between the making of plans and the day of had felt so sluggish, even his classes had dragged by. He had found himself the night before wondering if Luke would stay for dinner, and what to make and if he needed to prep. It was already embarrassing, because if Luke didn’t stay for dinner, he knew the crockpot chicken and lentils in his kitchen was going to last him three days.
He was definitely early, it was only one forty-five, but he had started pacing his apartment. He had tried tidying up a little, before he showed Luke the room, but it honestly hadn’t needed it, which surprised even him. Between classes, hanging out with friends from said classes and going to the coffee shop, he hadn’t spent all that long in his apartment, meaning there were no huge messes for him to clean up.
So now all that was left to do was wait.
He sat on the step, off to the side out of the way, and he watched people walk around. The fountain was turned off, and it was filled with snow. There were little bird footprints out in the middle of it all. People were talking and laughing, he caught a snippet of someone asking their friend if they were going home for Thanksgiving, and Percy felt a pang in his chest. He wanted to see his mom, but he didn’t want to deal with anyone else outside his immediate family. He felt guilty for not wanting to see his friends, but he knew there would only be pity in their eyes for the first few times they saw each other.
He wondered if he should start video calling Hazel and Frank. If Nico would be willing to talk to him. He pushed the thought aside to think of later, if he remembered it, and went back to people watching.
Luke showed up a couple minutes later, almost missing him on the steps, he waved instead of walking up to Percy, and so Percy walked down to him.
“Hi.” Luke smiled at him, he was wrapped up in a scarf, and Percy smiled at him. Luke motioned for him to lead the way, and so Percy started their walk to his place. Living so close to campus was convenient, but when they legit only went a block and stopped in front of the fanciest building on it, he felt a little embarrassed.
He opened the door for Luke, and they walked to the elevator, the inside was shiny and their reflections looked like they were looking into carnival mirrors and he pushed the third floor button. They were both silent, and Percy could tell it was awkward, but he didn’t know what to say, so he just led him from the elevator when it stopped, to his door. He pulled his keys from his hoodie pocket, unlocked the door, turned to Luke, and sighed, to try and let go of the tension in himself, as he pushed it open.
It opened up to a dark green hallway, the smell of food cooking hitting him full force. His shoes were stacked by the door, and he paused to kick the ones he was wearing off, which Luke copied, and Luke hung his coat and scarf on the rack by the door. Percy took his off, but he held onto it, he always put it on the kitchen chair closest to the entry. Percy started pointing to different areas in the apartment,
“Living room,” it was to their right, it opened up to a nice big space and Luke peeked his head in. Percy wondered how it looked to him, how the whole place would look to him. He had splurged with the place, and he knew it. He wondered what Luke thought about the plants in the living room, and the color of the walls. The giant tv that was almost always on, but muted. Percy forced himself into the kitchen.
“Kitchen,” to the left, the doorway exactly across from the living room, and Luke just turned and looked in it, as Percy walked in, it was clean, he had done the dishes the night before. He put his coat where he always left it. And then he walked back to the doorway, leaning out into the hall and pointing,
“Bathroom,” it was at the end of the hall. The place was pretty big, the rooms were very big, as it was the size of half the building, but it still was just a hallway with rooms leading off it. He liked the layout though, it was why he picked it.
“My room” The one on the left, the door a little ways passed the kitchen. They walked down the hallway, and Percy knocked on the sliding doors that were before the door to his room,
“Laundry.” He crossed the hall and knocked on the sliding doors that were up from the room he was showing Luke, “storage, not much in there right now.”
Luke just nodded to all of this. Percy wondered if he was rambling too much, but he just went to the last door, to room that Luke was here to see. He stood in front of it, waiting for Luke to stop beside him, and then he opened it up, his voice quiet as he mumbled,
“Other room.”
Luke stepped past him inside of it. He stood in it, and it was empty, so it looked huge around him, Luke’s footsteps had echoed as he walked in. Percy looked around him, seeing that Luke was looking out the window. The window that had a view of the library they had just come from, and part of the campus. Percy sighed,
“Yeah, I know the view isn’t the best-”
Luke whipped around to face him, “Percy the view is amazing? The college is beautiful, I loved going there. Why didn’t you take this room?”
Percy looked up at him, and saw the big grin stretching across Luke’s face. He didn’t have the heart to tell him the main reason was because sometimes pretty buildings reminded him of her, so he just took Luke’s sleeve and pulled him across the hall to his room.
He opened the door and heard Luke gasp. His room was kind of a shock, covered in plants, the walls a dark almost black blue, his desk covered in papers and books for class, just like the coffee table in the living room; but he walked past it all, passed his unmade bed, to the window which he opened the curtain of. The view was of the park, the trees just tall enough to hide the fact that they were in the city, the lake just peeking out from between the trees. His window was right up on it, almost like he was in it.
Luke came up behind him, and he sucked in a quiet breath. They stood there for a long moment, and then Percy closed the curtain again.
“Yeah,” Luke said, “I see why you chose this room.”
Percy wondered if he really did. If he knew that it wasn’t the trees that Percy loved, but the fact that he could hide in here and pretend the world outside didn’t exist. But maybe Luke knew a thing or two more than Percy did about that.
He walked out of Percy’s room, back across to the extra one. He turned around in it over and over again, looking at the walls, which had remained unpainted by Percy so they where a light cream, looking at the ceiling which was a shade lighter then the walls, and then he stopped, looked out the window again for a long moment, and then turned back to Percy, a bright smile on his face,
“When’s a good time for me to start moving all my stuff over.”