obsidian black ● jason grace

our

Daria was in her room when Jason returned from Ithaca.

    He knocked, polite for someone who'd had a mountain crumble on top of him. When she opened the door, he was covered in soot. "There are leaves in your hair," she informed him.

    He stared at her, unblinking, so she started plucking pieces of debris out of his hair like a well-trained monkey. He made no move to push her away, but in all honesty, he was starting to frighten her a bit.

    Daria had been watching the trio's journey up until the collapse, so she knew why he was so spooked. They couldn't hear the conversations from so far away, but Jason's mother must have hurt him more than she thought, because he still wasn't saying anything.

    She brushed his cheek, trying to get rid of some of the grime. "Are you going to talk to me?"

    He grabbed her wrist roughly. "Did you kill Daniel Aurello?"

    Daria had shivered when she first saw the traitor. That familiar smirk, the stance, the sword. She had cared for him. She had never thought that she would see him again.

    "Why do you ask that?" She said, genuinely confused. His hold tightened, so much so that Daria had to shake him off. Not that it mattered, Jason looked like he was one step away from shoving her away completely.

    He had been unusually angry ever since they got back from Tartarus. She knew that part of this was her fault, that she had spent so many hours holed up in her room with Percy instead of her boyfriend. But Daria wasn't, couldn't be the comfort Jason was looking for. Though with her secret weighing on her, maybe that was for the best.

    "It's a yes or no question," he snapped. "Did you kill Daniel Aurello?"

    "What did A-he say?"

    "Just answer the question, Daria!"

    "No," she answered firmly. "And it hurts that you thought I did."

    Jason looked startled at his own temper. "I...I'm sorry. He just said, he said that Daniel died at your hands."

    Daria wasn't willing to remember what happened with her old mentor yet. She snorted, "it's funny that you believe him, because he's the backstabber. Literally, if you remember the arai."

    Jason's face darkened, "what?" He growled.

    Daria suddenly didn't like where this conversation was headed. She really didn't want to talk  about the past. "What happened with your mother, Jace?"

    If possible, Jason scowled even more. "Nothing. She was a drunkard and besides, she's dead."

Call Daria a worrier, but she didn't think that answer was too healthy. "Are you sure?" She asked uncertainly. "You don't want to talk to your sister or someone?"

    "Jason!" Leo's voice called from the hallway. "I really hope you're getting naked in there because we're meeting in five minutes."

    Jason rolled his eyes. Daria laughed softly. "Go," she pushed his chest. "Shower. We can talk later."

    "Yeah," Jason said, stumbling out the door. Though he didn't look like he believed the conversation would happen. "See you in a bit."

    "So," Daria's hands were clasped together. "I had a dream."

    "Big MLK Jr. vibes," Leo chirped up.

    "Sorry I'm late," Jason sat at Daria's right. Drops of water fell onto her shoulder. "What are we talking about?"

    "Nothing," Piper replied.