August Slipped Away Like A Moment In Time

by clowningstar19

Summary:

Jason really doesn't want to go to his dad's beach house for the summer. But he's glad he did, since he got to make new friends, and meet the boy he really does love. But they can't stay together after summer... can they?

Notes:

hello everyone! I am so glad you decided to read this, this is one fic I'm very excited to work on and make. I would like to thank my beta readers @iwannascreameureka and @queer-alienbean on tumblr and ao3 ! For future reference, I will be editing tags as I write, and I'll be trying to update once a week/once every two weeks. I have the next couple chapters set up since I do have school and tend to get busy, so I wanted to be prepared.

thank you again for reading, and I am so glad you clicked on this. you can find me and more information about this @erosjournal on tumblr!

- eros

Chapter 1: Jason

Jason frowned as he found himself in front of a set of huge gates, pulling enough luggage for the entire summer. He stopped and turned around. Thalia waved, giving him an apologetic smile.

“Don’t die or something dumb like that, loser.” She smirked and Jason smiled back, but her words had a hint of sadness. He really didn’t want to say goodbye to his sister, not for a whole 3 months. Their mother had died about a year ago and now she was all the family he really had left. She waved once more, then started out of the driveway.

Jason sighed and looked back at the house. Past the black gates was a giant two-story mansion. First thing he noticed was the beautiful garden in front of it. It was full of green shrubbery, with trees that lined a stone path to the house. There was a great variety of color; pinks, blues, and all the others sprinkled in. At the far end of the path, there stood the house. Its exterior was made of wheat colored bricks and easily stretched the length of two normal sized houses. It was accented with white and gold, the roof a dark, dusty blue color. 

Jason fumbled with the padlock on the gate, trying his fastest to spin the code his father had sent him through the mail. The letter his dad had sent was buried in his pocket. It kept poking him as if to remind him of the dreaded day that now had come. Once he’d managed to unlock it, the gates creaked open and he walked down the path. He glanced at the beautiful garden, marveling at the beauty it held. 

Once he got to the front, he walked up a set of marble stairs and stood in front of the matching dark blue door. Jason raised a hand, hesitating. 

His father, Jupiter, had sent him a letter about a week ago, inviting him to stay at his beach house for the summer. Jason was surprised to see it, seeing he hadn’t seen his dad since his mom’s funeral. And he felt this was an awkward invitation since his ‘step-mom’ would also be there. Jason and his sister were born out of an affair and found it weird for him to be there at the same time as her. 

He knocked on the door using the heavy door-knocker, which was a golden bolt, and waited. A minute later the door opened. Standing there was his father. Jupiter was a respectable man. He had his mix of grey and black hair gelled back and wore an expensive looking business suit.

“Jason,” his voice boomed. Jason flinched a little and bowed. Why did he do that? What else was he supposed to do? Go ‘Hey Pops’? 

“Hello, Father.” Jupiter looked him up and down, frowning. As Jason stood back up, he saw a woman behind his father, who must’ve been Juno. Juno was his wife and she had dark, brown curly hair that swept over her shoulders. She was wearing a white summer dress that reached the ground, which made it seem like she was floating as she walked.

“Jason! It’s so exciting to see you!” She grinned. Jason never expected his step-mom would be so happy to see him, seeing he’d be a product of his fathers infidelity, but nonetheless she was. Juno cared more about Jason than he’d known. Jason blushed and waved weakly in her direction.

“Hi…” He hesitated. What do you call the person who isn’t your step-mom, but more like one than not? “Juno.” She smiled, pushing past Jupiter, who really didn’t seem to like that, and wrapped him in a hug.

“It’s great to finally see you! Your father has told me all about you.” Jason blushed again. His father talked about him? His father barely even saw him. It wasn’t like they were close, and his father made sure he knew that. He thought it was one of the reasons his mother had been driven to madness. He’d never wanted to be involved in the family that he’d created.

Jupiter cleared his throat and Juno stood back, still beaming. “Well, Jason, let’s get you inside and we can talk.” Jason startled at his voice again, which seemed to boom with each deep word. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Jason was standing in the room he was supposed to be staying in, which was as intricate as the rest of the interior. It was that same wheat color, with dark red and blue details adorning the walls. His room was the size of a garage, all the furniture spread out. And the ceiling was tall, painted with scenes from history and mythology. He felt so out of place, in his purple hoodie and jeans instead of a suit and tie. He sat on his bed and pulled out his phone. He sent a text to Thalia, letting her know he was safe as he could be in his dads care.

Seconds later, there was a knock on the door. He got up and opened it, seeing his father standing there.

“Jason,” his dad said awkwardly. “Let’s have some dinner and converse, hm?” It didn’t sound like a request, so he nodded and followed his father down the stairs. He was surprised his dad was just as uncomfortable as he felt.

Once in the dining room, Jason wished he hadn’t accepted the invitation. The table was long, for starters, and had the same decor as the rest of the house. He sat down, the table itself intricate with roses and other flowers carved into it. His plate was white with gold design. Jupiter sat across from him, and Juno sat next to him. A man came out with meals for them, and they ate in silence for a bit.

“You’re probably wondering why I invited you to stay with… us,” Jupiter said, and Jason’s head shot up. Of course he was. “Well, I thought you shouldn’t live with a college student all of the time, and it’d be beneficial for you to live with real adults. So you’ll be staying here this summer, and you can go back to… Thalia afterwards.” Jason felt his stomach churn. Thalia was a great caretaker, and technically had legal custody of him. 

“You will be getting a weekly allowance, you can thank Juno for that,” He looked over to see her flash him a sly grin, “And can go where you please. The beach is wonderful this time of year. I personally avoid it, but it seems to be a place teenagers, like yourself, enjoy. The only rule is you must be out of the house from 9-2, and your curfew is 9. Other than that, you should enjoy your time here.” He finished, and went back to eating. Jason felt like a brick of information had hit him in the face. This was why? Because Thalia wasn’t a ‘good enough’ parent? 

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll have your freedom to do whatever you want. 9-2 is your fathers working hours, so he’d like to have his personal time.” Jason thought about the many rooms in the house, knowing that some of them had to be for mistresses. Poor Juno. He barely talked the whole dinner. He quickly excused himself to his room. Taking two stairs at a time, he couldn’t help but hate this whole situation. It was much for him.

Once he’d gotten there, he laid down and just quietly teared up. He didn’t like this one bit. His father hadn't even wanted to spend time with him. He fell asleep soon after that, hating that he’d even come here in the first place.

Chapter 2: Jason

Summary:

Jason get hit in the head again. And makes some friends.

Notes:

AAAHHHHAH!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING !! I LOVE THIS FIC SM AND I HOPE U DO TOO, I LOVE THEM SM

extra special thanks to my beta readers, @iwannascreameurekaa , @queer-alienbean , and @justlikearat on tumblr !!

thank you all for supporting this :DD

- @erosjournal

The sun shone brightly through the blinds of Jason's room and he cursed Apollo for waking him up. Gods, he felt terribly dry and groggy. He rolled over and he turned his phone over to check the time. 7:47 AM. He frowned, groaning . He did not want to get up. But if he didn't, someone would come any second, banging on his door. And all because his father needed his ‘work time’. So he sat up and dangled his legs over the edge of his bed and hopped out. He stumbled and decided to get ready.

As he walked down the stairs in his sneakers, jeans, and blue shirt, Jason heard voices whispering.

“Love, go on up, hm?” The voice of his father quietly said. Then giggling followed. 

“Of course~” A woman's voice replied. Not Juno’s. Oh brother. His dad could not keep it in his pants, could he? Jason headed straight out the door, attempting to avoid his father and his mistress.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Once he’d gotten past the gates, he kept walking until he got to a small town. It was lined on each side with markets and the ground was made up of wobbly stones and pebbles. The very far end of the street had the entrance to the beach. It was mildly warm, but cloudy enough that surfing would be disastrous. Going down the pathway, he stopped to look into each little shop.

The first one was a small boutique that had a variety of colorful shirts and pants. The next was a cafe that was decorated with cat stickers on its walls. The third was a little newsstand, where there was a boy thrusting newspapers into passing pedestrians' hands. There were more, but the one that caught Jason’s attention most was at the end.

It was a small restaurant, called Esperanza’s .  Out of it wafted the smell of tacos and other delights, a mix of different foods. He peeked his head in and spotted someone. A boy about his age with curly black hair, and he was wearing an orange and white apron that had food stains. 

The boy had a mischievous grin and was currently occupied with a table of teenage girls. Jason watched him for a bit, entranced at the way he quickly worked around the place… Until the boy looked up. Their eyes met for a split second, and the boy seemed to smile wider. Then Jason jetted off, embarrassed. His cheeks flushed bright red. 

Dang it, did that guy notice how long he’d been staring? Jason hoped he hadn’t looked like a creep or anything. 

He finally made it to the beach and the smell of saltwater attacked his senses. Jason didn’t particularly enjoy the beach. Sand gets everywhere, and the water always was too cold to go swimming. It was a mildly warm day and clouds painted the sky. He felt very out of place, his jeans definitely not for the beach. 

Damn. The beach reminded him of home. Jason lived in California, right on the Berkeley hills, where his dad lived in New York, on the water though, of course. He remembered the summers where he and his friends would go surfing, even though he sucked at it. His close friend, Nico Di Angelo, would watch from the beach as Jason fell in the waves. Nico traveled often to New York. Jason wondered if he’d been to this exact beach before. And his other friend, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, was always attempting to teach him to fight in the ocean, which Jason thought was a terrible place to do a sparring match. 

Then there was Piper McLean, his previous girlfriend. She was amazing. She had grown up in California her whole life and had always taken a liking to the ocean. She’d surfed with her dad often and was really good at it. Hell, she was the one who’d taught Jason in the first place. Jason could recall her short choppy hair and one skinny braid she kept long, her eyes that were a golden brown, always seeming  to be change  in the light. Piper was very well known at their school, head of the women's rights club, the drama club, and the debate club. He always felt proud to be her girlfriend.

When Jason and Piper had broken up, it was mostly because they’d been drifting and they decided they should talk about it. Piper had come out realizing she was queer and felt more romantically attracted to women. Jason was relieved, since he’d realized he was bisexual and felt more attracted to guys. They mutually broke up, still being good friends.

“Watch it!” Jason heard someone yell, knocking him out of his thoughts. His head whipped around to figure out where that voice had come from. Before he knew it, he’d gotten hit (really hard) in the side of the head and felt really dizzy. He stumbled before falling face first into the sand. 

“Shit, Percy! I told you not to throw the volleyball that way!” Jason lifted his head to see where the ball came from, as he did he noticed next to him were two people about his age. One was a girl with long blonde braids that were tied back in a ponytail. Another was a boy with dark black hair. The girl was talking to the boy, while motioning towards Jason’s head, and  The boy was holding a volleyball. 

“I didn’t know he wouldn’t duck! I thought he’d hear me!” He argued. The girl sighed and Jason rolled over to look up at them, coughing out sand from his lungs. 

“Wha-- Who--?” He tried, his brain too fuzzy to make out words. The girl smiled.

“Hi, I’m Annabeth.” She gave him a reassuring smile, but her face was hard to make out. He kept blinking, his vision blurring. Where were his glasses? “This doofus is Percy.” She motioned towards the other boy, who was grinning too. He looked embarrassed, but also like he hoped Jason would forget he just hit him in the head.

“Yeah, sorry dude. I hope you don’t hold it against me.” Percy shrugged. Jason sat up, propped up by his elbows. 

“No worries, it’s not the first time I’d have a head injury.” He glanced around, looking for his glasses.

“Oh, here ya go. I didn’t want them to break or anything.” Annabeth held up his glasses. He sat up more properly, and she handed them over. He cleaned them with his sleeve before putting them on. Jason blinked a couple times and looked at the two. Annabeth had a dark complexion, and her eyes were dark brownish-grey. She had blonde hair that stood out against her skin, but it worked well. She had a blue hoodie on. Percy had a surfer's tan, and his black hair was like a mop on his head. He had sea green eyes that startled Jason. He also had freckles split over his face. He was in swim shorts and a tank top. The two had matching blue streaks in their hair. Jason felt his heart flutter a little now that he could see them both clearly. 

“Thanks.” Jason responded, and they all sat there awkwardly for a second. Percy then eyed him, as if he was looking for something.

“Are you new to town? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” He asked. Jason blushed, realizing now that he hadn’t even offered his name to them. Clearing his throat, he nodded.

“Yeah, I’m new. My name’s Jason. I’m not moving here, but my father wanted me to stay with him for the summer.” He supplied. Percy nodded. 

“That’s cool.” He looked at Annabeth, and they locked eyes. It was like watching a tennis game, them communicating back and forth with just their darting eyes. After what felt like forever, Annabeth nodded. She looked over at Jason.

“Hey, since you’re new, do you wanna hang out with us? We’d love to make more friends.” She offered. Jason thought for a second. He’d prefer having friends and not being alone all summer. Why not? 

“Sure I’d like that.” Jason responded. Percy and Annabeth stood up, and Percy stuck out a hand to help him up. Jason grabbed it, then was pulled up to stand by them. 

The three decided to walk along the beach and actually get to know each other. “So, Percy, what were you doing with that ball?” Jason asked, motioning to the volleyball he was carrying. 

“Oh. Well, Annie—“

“Don’t call me that.”

“And I were playing volleyball with some other kids on the beach, before they decided to fucking cheat !” Percy growled. Annabeth put a hand on his shoulder with an apologetic smile towards Jason. “So I was a little upset about that, and threw the ball…” He traced the air where the ball had gone, ending where Jason’s body had been. Jason winced, and nodded.

“I see. Are you guys good at it?” He asked. Percy scoffed.

“Yeah, I’m on the girls JV team, while my boyfriend,” She patted Percy’s shoulder. Jason made a mental note. “Plays for fun with the other boys. Our school doesn’t have an official boys club, so they just rally with each other.” Percy nodded along as she spoke.

“Yup. What about you, Jason? Play sports?” Jason hesitated.

“Well, I do football and basketball, but I also participate in theatre and band.” He admitted. The two kids just shrugged.

“That's rad man. I wish I could play an instrument. Only the recorder.” Percy sighed dramatically and Annabeth laughed.

“Well, Jase, can I call you that? Anyways, I was wondering if we’d know what school you go to. Where are you from?” She said, looking at him as if he had a secret he wasn’t sharing.

“Erm– sure, you can call me Jase. It's normally reserved for close friends only though. I go to New Rome High School... in California?” Percy and Annabeth paused before looking at each other, both shocked. “Why? Have you heard of it?” Percy’s head whipped back to Jason.

“Heard of it? Dude! We know a ton of people from there because our schools have, like, the biggest rivalry.” Percy burst. He raised an eyebrow. “Our schools have been neck and neck in sports. I know New York and California aren’t right next to each other, but the schools go way back. We go to Olympus High?” He offered. Jason blinked. Oh. They really were rivals .

“Oh.” He blushed. He thought about the times he’d beat and been beaten in his respective sports. “Well, I hope we can still be friends and all,” He looked at them and Annabeth clapped his shoulder.

“Of course! A petty rivalry between our schools won’t stop us from hanging out with you.” She assured him. Percy frowned, eyeing him.

“Unless you try to sabotage us or something.”

“Percy!” 

“What? I’m just laying out all the possibilities. You never know who could be an enemy…” Annabeth rolled her eyes, teasingly punching him in the shoulder. Percy theatrically winced and rubbed the spot. Jason let out a snicker and smiled to himself. Maybe this summer wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Chapter 3: Leo

Summary:

Leo realizes he's gay. And he has silly time with his family !

Notes:

hello ! tysm for reading this im so sorry it's taken me forever to update !! i am here to spread leo is emilio propaganda ! jk , but i did decide that would be his full name . also , nyssa and harvey are his siblings AND (if you squint) theres a little nyssa x drew <3

i hope u enjoy and see our sillies sillying

also im still sick and sorry if the chapters suck + my knowledge of spanish comes soley (idk how to spell that damn) from google translates . i take french guys , not spanish :(

also credits to my followers and my very amazing beta readers ! they r credited on other chapters , so go check em out !

- eros @erosjournal on tumblr

“Emilio, can you go over to that table?” Nyssa said, a spoon in her mouth as she was pouring a pot full of soup into bowls. “They need someone to place their orders.” Leo looked over at where she was, frowning as he wiped his hands on his apron. 

“Hey, only Mom gets to call me that.” He grumbled, and Nyssa just shot him a look saying I’m trying to pour hot soup, please just go . He rolled his eyes and compiled. “Yes, sis.” 

“Oh, also try to find Harley, will you? He’s running around somewhere.” Leo adjusted his apron and walked out of the kitchen. The restaurant wasn’t super big, it was the size of a cafe. With 5 booths and 3 tables, it was enough for people to enjoy homemade meals. He strolled over to table 2, and it was packed with a group of 6 girls. They were about his age. They were all really pretty, and one seemed to be the leader. Leo knew her, Drew Tanka. She was always teasing him, but he shrugged it off. It wasn’t like she was someone who really bothered him.

“Hello, ladies. What can I get you started with today?” He said, showing off his usual flashy grin that was reserved for customers. He opened his pen pad. The girls giggled as they watched him.

“I’ll take a cream soda.” Drew sighed. The girls settled their giggling, and one of them spoke up.

“What would you recommend?” She asked, a smile on her face. Leo wanted to scowl. He was trying to make tips, not flirt with girls. But here he was. He thought for a second.

“Well, I would go for our house coffee, especially because the weather isn’t so warm outside.” He offered. The girls giggled again and nodded.

“We’d all like one of those.” Drew groaned, dropping her head in her hands. Leo nodded, writing it down. 

“And for food, any idea what we want?” He said. 

“Whatever you’d think we’d like.” Another girl piped, winking at him. Leo nodded. Drew frowned.

“We’ll all take the tofu tacos, mkay?” She sounded exasperated with these girls, like she didn’t wanna be here. Please, hurry up , her eyes said. Leo almost felt sorry for her. Almost. As Drew was arguing with the girls about the food choice, Leo looked around the restaurant. It had all of their usual's sitting in their spots, but his eyes lingered at the door.

Standing in the enterance was a boy he’d never seen before. He was tall, for one, and had blond hair that looked like it was trying to be kept clean, but failed. He had golden rimmed glasses and was wearing a blue sweater. He looked flushed, and his bright sky blue eyes stared at him. Leo let his grin grow bigger. He felt his own cheeks warm up, and then he watched the boy run off. That was odd. Leo wondered if he should run out and ask the boy if he wanted anything from the restaurant, but he knew he was probably gone.

“Okay, we’ve settled on the tacos, right ladies?” He glanced back at them, and the girls looked upset while Drew looked triumphant. She nodded, and Leo grinned, writing down on his paper. “Great choice, my personal favorite. I’ll be back soon with your drinks.” He said, before turning on his heel to head back to the kitchen. 

Nyssa was now stirring a pot of stew while little Harley was circling and running around her legs. She kept yelling at him in Spanish. Leo, on the other hand, was too busy thinking about that boy. He wondered who he was, where he came from, why he stopped in the door but didn’t come in.

“Hola Mijo,” A woman’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, and he grinned. 

“¡Hola mama!” He responded. The woman was his mother, Esperanza Valdez herself. She had a big head of curly black hair, and wore an oil stained t-shirt and jeans. She held him tightly. 

“What’s cooking in the kitchen today?” She said, letting go to look over Nyssa's work. Nyssa looked over at her, smiling as a kiss was pressed on her head.

“Hola mama, I’m cooking up some stew. It’s been pretty popular today.” Nyssa explained, her free hand flipping through a cookbook. Esperanza’s eyes sparkled and she nodded.

“That’s amazing, mija.” Harley gripped tightly onto Esperanza, grinning. He started rambling on about some of the kids he got to hang out with, while Nyssa tapped on Leo’s shoulder.

“What did those girls want today?” She asked, pointing to Drew’s table. Leo smirked.

“Technically, me.” Nyssa groaned and flicked Leo playfully. He rubbed the spot. “But since I’m not up for order, they decided on tofu tacos and coffee. Except for Drew, who wanted a cream soda.” Nyssa nodded. 

“Well, it’s your turn to cook, Chef Valdez. I’ll go handle their table.” She said, pulling Leo’s pen pad out of his pocket. He frowned, but rolled his eyes. 

“Fine. You know I’m the better chef anyways.” He went to the station Nyssa was previously in, and kept stirring the pot. Nyssa walked out of the kitchen over to where the girls were, who now looked very disappointed. Except for Drew, who seemed more flustered and nervous around Leo’s older sister. 

As he cooked, he thought about that boy from before. Would he ever see him again? He felt his cheeks flush as he thought about him, and shook the thought out of his head. Ew. No. It’s not like he liked this boy. Harley came over to Leo and stood next to him, tapping his hip.

“Leo, can I try some?” He asked, with his big puppy dog eyes. Leo sighed, and spooned some into his little brother’s mouth. Harley took a sip, smiling. “Don’t tell Nyssa this,” He said, taking another taste. “But you really are the better chef.”

Chapter 4: Jason

Summary:

Jason and Leo finally meet.

Notes:

dayumn i rlly need to write for this fic !! i've been busy w/ school and such but i hope u enjoyed this chapter ! (ik its short lmao)

as per usual , ty to my beta readers , and u can find me on tumblr at @erosjournal !

- eros <3

“Man, what time is it?” Percy said, stretching. It was now early afternoon. Jason lifted up his wrist and Annabeth glanced at his watch.

“It’s around 1 PM.” She said. Jason was surprised. He looked over at her, motioning to his watch.

“You can read military time?” He asked. Annabeth nodded, smiling proudly. 

“Yeah, my mom made it a habit of teaching me early.” She grinned. Jason nodded, then Percy leaned a head on his shoulder. He felt himself fluster again as Percy frowned.

“Guys, we should go get something to eat. I’m actually starving.” He sighed, and Annabeth nodded.

“Yeah, I am too. Should we walk downtown to look at restaurants?” Annabeth offered. Jason thought, the image of Esperanza's popping into his head.

“I saw one that looked pretty good. Esperanza’s?” He supplied. Annabeth grinned and nodded. Percy sat up, smiling as well.

“That sounds good. Actually, our friend works there.” Percy said. They agreed to eat there, and started walking back into town. Each of the stores were thriving now, not like how dull and empty they were in the morning. There were pedestrians and visitors filling the shops and cafes. Jason hoped the restaurant wouldn’t be too busy. 

Once they arrived, it was packed. Two servers, a woman and a teenage girl about a year older than him were taking orders from all the tables, rushing around with plates of food and drink. There was also a little boy running around, helping people get to their tables.

“Oh dang. This place is really popular, huh?” Jason muttered. Annabeth shrugged. 

“Local treasure, the best restaurant in my opinion. People like to come here when visiting.” She answered. Jason’s eyes scanned the room, looking for that boy from earlier. Percy’s eyes met his, then followed his gaze.

“Are you looking for someone?” Jason’s head whipped to him, blushing. He hoped it wasn’t that obvious that he was looking for him.

“No, just… who’s the friend you know? Is it that girl over there?” Jason asked, pointing at the muscular girl with her curly hair pulled back with a red bandana. Percy looked and shook his head.

“No, that’s his older sister, Nyssa. The boy we’re friends with isn’t there at the moment.” He shrugged. After a bit of waiting, the littlest boy came. Percy crouched down next to him. “Hey Harley!” He said, high fiving him. Harley had a toothy grin and his hair was also pushed up in a bandana. 

“Hi Percy!” He said. Annabeth gave him a fist bump, then his eyes settled on Jason. “Who are you?” 

“I’m Jason, new friends of Percy and Annabeth.” He supplied. Harley nodded. 

“Cool! Well, follow me. I’ll be taking you three to your table.” He started walking off, and Percy got up to follow him. The three tried to keep up with Harley, weaving through families and other groups of people waiting to be seated. Inside the restaurant was much different than outside, Jason noticed. It was much louder and it seemed to be bursting at the edges with the amount of people inside. It smelled amazing though. Finally, Harley sat them at a booth in the corner. They slid in, Percy and Annabeth together and Jason by himself, when he told them that a server would be with them shortly. 

“Thanks Harley.” Percy grinned, fistbumping Harley again. Harley gave him another smile before skipping off. Percy turned to the other two, and he handed out the menus sitting at the end of the table. “They have a lot of really good food here, my favorite is the tofu tacos, personally.” He informed Jason. Usually, Jason didn’t get tofu, but he trusted Percy’s judgement. Jason’s nose was still buried in the menu when a boy came to their table. He looked up, and his face flushed immediately.

The boy had a dark tan complexion, his curly black hair a mop on his head. He had dark brown eyes that glittered in the light of the room. He was wearing his outfit from earlier, a dark orange shirt with a tan apron on top, still splattered with soup. Freckles littered his face and arms. He held up a pen and paper, giving them a toothy grin that matched Harleys. He had a gap between his teeth, but Jason thought it made him even more pretty. 

“Hi! My name’s Leo, and I’ll be your server.”

Chapter 5: Leo

Summary:

Leo takes their order. Nyssa wonders if Leo has a crush.

Notes:

double chapter post ! i need to write more so expect it to take a while for more fic to come but dw i am working !!
i hope u guys enjoyed :D we have leo and jason being extremely in denial !
as always, ty to my amazing beta readers !! if you want to check out my tumblr, it's @erosjournal !

- eros <3

Leo was finished with making 3 batches of stew when his mom tapped him gently on the shoulder.

“Hm?” He said exasperatedly. She gave him an equally tired look. She pulled the pad of paper and pen out of her pocket and handed them to Leo.

“The lunch rush hour is almost over, take your final serving shift, mkay?” She sighed, grinning. Leo nodded and stepped away from the pot as his mom swapped in.

“Okay, ma. Which tables do you need me to cover?” His eyes glazed over the crowd of people, which always ended up overwhelming him a bit. The sound and everything was just difficult, but he was gonna work hard for his Mom. She turned to look out at the crowd and pointed at a table.

“That one that was just seated, they’ll need someone to get their orders.” Leo nodded. He recognized the two people facing him in the booth, his friends Percy and Annabeth.

“Gotcha.” He readjusted his apron before heading out of the kitchen. Once he got closer to the table, he felt his heart jump in his chest. It was the blond from before.

The boy was hidden behind his menu, but he could still tell it was him. Sand was sprinkled in his messy blond hair, and his sharp blue eyes were shining behind his glasses. He had lines between his eyebrows, like he frowned often. He was frowning then, actually, at the menu. Once Leo was at their table, the boy looked up. They locked eyes for a second, a second too long.

“Hi! My name’s Leo, and I’ll be your server.” He introduced himself. The blond's eyes were tracing his outline and he hoped he wasn't noticeably red. He decided to focus on his job instead and turned to face Percy.

“Hey man!” Percy grinned. Leo smiled back.

“Hey Perce!” They fist bumped, then he gave another one to Annabeth. “Annie,” She rolled her eyes, still smiling. Then he turned to look at the other boy. “Hi! What’s your name?” The blond flushed and opened his mouth to talk.

“My name’s Gason Jrace-- Wait no, Jason Grace.” He stuttered, then groaned, leaning back as he covered his red face with his hands. “My name’s Jason.” Leo let out a little laugh. Jason had a nice voice, like a leader. He also had hints of a faint British accent in his words. Hot.

“Jason. That’s a cool name.” He grinned. Jason nodded in his hands. He opened them a little to peek his eyes through. Percy and Annabeth watched them, then glanced at each other. They shared a look before turning to Leo.

“We’re ready to order, if you two lovebirds are done flirting.” Annabeth said, a teasing tone playing in her voice. Leo frowned.

“We’re not flirting!” Jason and Leo said in unison. Leo huffed. “Whatever. What would you like to order? The usual?” He opened his pad of paper to a fresh page, putting his pen to write down their orders.

“Yup, I’ll take the tofu tacos and a soda please.” Percy said. He folded his menu as Annabeth glanced up and down hers. “Annabeth, you order the same thing everytime. Tofu tacos as well.” He sighed. Annabeth shook her head.

“Well, what if I want something new or something?” She argued. Percy and Leo shared a unified laugh. 

“Annie, I’m all for trying new things, but you’ve been getting the exact same thing here for the past 3 years. I think I know what you want.” Leo said, writing down their orders. Annabeth, surrendering, put down her menu.

“I’ll take the tofu tacos.” She stated, her cheeks tinted with embarrassment. Percy put an arm around her shoulder, grinning. 

“Got it!” Leo said, finishing up their orders. Then he turned to Jason. He was still flushed from his previous conversation with Leo. “Do you know what you want?”

“Erm…” Jason’s gaze shot up, then he started looking from the menu to Leo. After a bit, he put it down. His eyes drifted nervously away from Leo’s eyes. “I don’t actually know. What would you recommend?” He looked up and Leo’s heart skipped a beat. Jason looked so nervous and timid, it made his chest stutter.

“Oh, well,” Leo said, crouching down to point at the menu. Percy and Annabeth were still looking at each other, as if communicating with their eyes. “Personally, my favorite is the tofu tacos, one of our best sellers, but I do make a mean enchilada.” He grinned. Percy nodded.

“Yeah, our friend Grover really likes them.” He offered. Jason thought a bit, then settled.

“I’ll take the tacos. Is that all right?” Jason asked. Leo stopped himself from laughing. It was a restaurant, of course it was all right. 

“Yup.” He started jotting it down, then looked back at the three. “I’ll be back with your orders soon, okay?” They all nodded, then he walked back to the kitchen. He felt like he was glowing, his face grinning as hard as ever. He felt as if he was drunk on adrenaline. He wasn’t even sure why.

“Emilio, why are you smiling so hard?” Nyssa teased as he walked to the counter. He sighed. 

“I dunno.” She raised an eyebrow, noticing he hadn’t reacted when she called him ‘Emilio’, then went back to the stove. 

“Who’s that boy?” Leo’s head whipped to look at Nyssa, frowning.

“His name’s Jason. I think he’s new. He’s friends with Percy and Annabeth, so I think he’s cool.” He looked at Nyssa and saw her face. “He’s just a boy, Nyssa.” He said defensively. Nyssa put her hands up in mock surrender and smirked.

“Hm. Yeah. Just a boy.”

Chapter 6: Jason

Summary:

Jason, Percy, and Annabeth are all queer.

They also talk about Luke, Annabeth's step-brother.

Notes:

AHH GUYS SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED IN A WHILE, I WILL NOW GUYS DWDW

TY SM FOR STILL READING THIS, AND AS USUAL, U CAN FIND ME ON TUMBLR @erosjournal

AHSLDFJALSKDJF TNAKS :D

(js some notes, yes, luke is annabeth's step-brother. yes, luke and thalia were friends. yes, jasons bi, percy's bi, and annabeth's pan. and yes, i dont think it's been beta read, and i havent read this in like, 3 months ... heehee... hee )

As Leo left, Percy looked at Annabeth then Jason. He wiggled his eyebrows at him.

“So…” Percy stuck his hand out and dropped it limply, while Annabeth laughed. Jason was confused for a second. He recognized the motion… Oh. He threw his hands up to his cheeks to hide his flushed expression.

“W– what!?” Jason stuttered, his face turning a deep shade of red. “No! I--” He took a deep breath, sighing as he exhaled. “I mean, I’m bi… But I don’t like him ! Like, nothing against him of course , but this was the first time I’ve even talked to him.” Jason rambled nervously. Annabeth tapped her fingers along the table, the sound seemed to raise his anxiety. They were both silent and Jason felt himself grow more worried. Maybe they were homophobic or something…?

“Welcome to the club. Percy and I are both part of that community, don’t worry.” She grinned. “I fell for this doofus simply because he has a good heart and he’s pretty smart.” She teased, causing Percy to poke her in the sides. She elbowed him, which seemed like a reflex at this point, and he muttered a mock apology. “So I’d say I’m pan.”

“And I’m bi. Gods, you have to see Annabeth’s step-brother. He’s like a male version of Annie!” He raved. He was squealing like a little girl and Annabeth rolled her eyes. Jason guessed she had to deal with this often. “You probably know him, he’s an alumni and tended to visit New Rome High often… Luke Castellan?” Jason felt himself grimace as he nodded.

“Oh yeah. Thalia was friends with him back in their high school years. I heard he pulled a ton of pranks that got him in a lot of trouble…” Jason trailed off as Annabeth’s gaze seemed to harden. It didn’t feel like she was upset at him, but at Luke. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” He quickly added. 

“No, it’s fine. He really was a difficult person. He pulled one too many dumb pranks and now he’s in Juvie,” She quietly admitted. Percy rubbed her shoulder, nodding sadly. Jason felt surprised. He cursed him silently for bringing that up. He should’ve just nodded and continued the conversation.

“Oh gods, I’m so sorry Annabeth. You didn’t have to tell me that, I seriously just shouldn’t have said anything.” He apologized. She took a deep breath then shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. It’s not my proudest moment, but I’m not ashamed.” She assured him. Annabeth let out another sigh as she dropped her head in her hands.  “He deserved it.” Jason didn’t fully believe her. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself the most. “I still love him, and he really was someone I thought I could trust. By the time he’d graduated… he’d become a different person.” She shrugged. Jason nodded. 

After the pressure Thalia had endured in High School and with their mum, he always thought she’d developed faster then other kids. She’d grown up too quickly. He was glad that now she was doing better as a part-time college student. And she had her good friends, who called themselves the Hunters of Artemis.

“Yeah, I understand the feeling. Thalia grew up quicker than she should’ve, and it definitely has impacted her now.” He responded. Annabeth looked at him and gave him a comforting smile, as if they now shared this piece of solidarity. 

“I think it’s great you two are bonding.” Percy said suddenly, rubbing Annabeth’s shoulder again. Jason watched as they kissed and felt himself smile. “He’s still hot though, for someone who’s a prisoner.” Annabeth laughed, a laugh that Jason guessed Percy had memorized at this point. She playfully punched him then leaned her head on his shoulder. He was surprised at how similar yet different they were, from each other and him, and yet they’d all met and became friends. 

“You get tacos, and you get tacos, and you get tacos!” A figure with three plates up their arms came into view. It was Leo holding all of their food. Each plate had 5 tacos on each one. He placed them in front of each person and started up a conversation with Percy. Jason could’ve heard it, but he was too focused on other details. The way Leo’s hands held Percy’s as they shook. The way Leo’s lips split into a huge grin when Percy told a joke. The way Leo’s eyes turned into crescent moons when he saw how happy Annabeth was with her food. Then those eyes looked at Jason. “Enjoying your food?” Jason felt himself warm up once Leo looked over, hoping he hadn’t been caught admiring him again. 

“Yeah, thank you so much.” He said. Leo stuck out a hand to shake it and Jason flustered up. He slipped his hand into Leo’s, which were warm and softly calloused. Leo gave him a firm shake and it felt like that moment was forever. Grins on their faces and their hands in each other's. The moment was broken when Leo pulled his hand back. He cleared his throat and clapped his hands together.

“On the house, since you guys have a new person with you and because you're my friends.” He declared as he placed napkins on their table. Annabeth shook her head firmly.

“No, we can’t possibly do that. Here, how much is it?” She said, pulling out her wallet. Leo shook his head as well.

“It’s seriously okay,” Jason could’ve sworn Leo’s eyes glanced at him. “Just giving your buddy Jason here a taste of good food.” He bowed then turned and left before Annabeth and Percy could argue with him further.

Chapter 7: Jason

Summary:

Jason walks into a bookstore and finds an old friend there.

Notes:

i am SO SORRY I HAVENT POSTED LIKE AT ALL ON THIS *sobs* I AM WORKING AGAIN ON THE CHAPTERS TRUST !!! I HAVE LOTS OF IDEAS AND I AM LOCKING IN I AM SO SO SORRY. PLS ENJOY THIS BREADCRU

- eros

After they’d finished eating, Percy and Annabeth walked with Jason outside onto the busy sidewalk, filled with tourists looking for things to do and bikers passing by. Annabeth and Jason both quickly discovered they were interested in architecture. Annabeth was talking about the Parthenon and how she wanted to visit one day, when Percy stopped them.

“Hey, Annie,” Percy held her shoulder, causing Annabeth to stop mid sentence. She looked over at him. “Grover called, he said we need to cover his shift at Camp Half-Blood.” Jason raised an eyebrow.

“Camp Half-Blood is a summer camp for young teenagers, about 11-15, while us older folk are counselors. Our friend, Grover, has worked there for quite some time, whereas Percy and I have just started this year. We used to go a lot as kids.” Jason nodded, processing the information.

“Oh. Cool.”

“Yeah,” Percy cut in, looking at Annabeth. “And Grover has an emergency at home.” Percy looked over at Jason. “And I’m really sorry to go like this, but we do need to get there ASAP.” Jason nodded quickly.

“Yeah, of course! Um,” He hesitated. “How can I contact you guys in the future?” Percy thought for a second as Annabeth called Grover on Percy’s phone. He grabbed Jason’s hand, causing him to flush, and pulled a pen out of his pocket.

“Here’s my cell,” He mumbled, scribbling the number out on Jason’s hand. He finished and gave Jason his hand back.

“Oh.” Jason's brain was frozen from that interaction with Percy, but shook it off quickly. “Cool. I don’t have a phone, but I can call you from a phone booth, or from my dad’s.” Percy nodded, grinning.

“Cool beans. Okay, see you Jason!” He said, walking briskly backwards, Annabeth following and waving at him.

Jason stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do now. He didn’t have any actual plans, or even friends for that matter. He spotted a small bookstore across the street and decided to pick up a book. He enjoyed literature, even though his dyslexia made it a bit more difficult, and especially enjoyed bookstores.

Jason walked over to the bookstore, careful to avoid the kids running around in swimsuits and dripping ice cream down their hands. Once he’d arrived, he opened the door. Inside was a woman who’s auburn hair was tied up. She wore a flowy dark red dress, almost like blood. She looked up as if she had owl-like instincts and could sense him from behind her.

“Hi,” She smiled. Jason relaxed. Her smile was welcoming, so he wandered in.

“Hello, I was just wanting to check out the bookstore,” He said, his eyes tracing each and every shelf. She nodded, looking down at her papers.

“That's great. Seeing people happy about books is one of my favorite things,” Once Jason had gotten close enough, she reached out to shake his hand. “My name’s Minerva.” Jason smiled and shook it.

“I’m Jason,” She nodded.

“Well, pick out anything you’d like, hm? I’ll be here.” He nodded, immediately going to walk around the English Literature section. Jason had 2 main book genres he enjoyed. English Literature, or anything about Ancient Greek or Rome. He never knew why, but it really brought him in.

Jason plucked out a book, Romeo & Juliet, and decided to get started on reading it. He had read a bit of it for school, but he never got to take the time to analyze each passage.

Right then, someone came into the store. He didn’t look up, being too invested, but recognized the voice. The italian accent laced with the voice of a teenage boy.

“Hello Minerva,” the voice murmured. Jason shot his head up just in time to catch a glimpse of the person. The teen had olive tan skin, and his hair was jet black. It was wavy, just as Jason had remembered, and had on a dark colored shirt with cargo shorts. His converse were dusty, just like he’d walked through hell and back.

Jason noticed that Minerva had a smile on her face, one that was hard to read.

“Nico. What a pleasant surprise.” Jason could’ve sworn she’d hissed her words. Nico nodded in response, stepping further into the shop. Before he could even get another word out, his head turned and locked eyes with Jason.

“... Nico?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow as he got up and walked over to where his friend was standing. Nico looked surprised, but he immediately attempted to hide it.

“Jason? What are you doing here?” He responded, fidgeting with his shirt. Jason huffed.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Nico seemed a little… off. Different than the Nico that he’d gotten to know before this summer had swung by. Nico just shrugged.

“I’m here strictly on family business." He finally responded. It was bitter, so Jason decided not to ask further questions. He instead thought about his response to Nico's initial question.

“My father… he invited me to stay with him for the summer. I thought it’d be a good experience, and it has, but he’s…” He searched for the words. Nico squinted.

“Jason,” He reached out, putting a comforting hand on his arm. “You’ve spoken to me about your father many times. Did you expect this time to really be any different?” Jason grimaced. As harshly as Nico had put it, he was right. As much as he despised his father, he wished his dad at least made an effort to be in his life.

Jason shook the thought off. He didn’t want to give in to the satisfaction of Nico being right about his messed up home life.

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways,” He motioned around the store. “So… what’s the bookstore gotta do with your family?” He asked. Nico seemed to freeze up at that comment, but he tried to ignore it.

“My family has a summer home here, I thought I’d just go book shopping.” He supplied, walking further into the store and abandoning Jason at the front.