Fall (Percy Jackson x Reader)

twenty-two

we just hit 100k reads on Rise and i legitimately almost cried
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Rainbow quietly approaches the back of Luke's yacht, and (Y/N) clenches her jaw, looking around for anyone on board that might see them. She feels Percy's arms tense around her before he loosens his hold, his hands moving back to either side of her waist.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Tyson says as Rainbow continues to move around the side of the Princess Andromeda. "Back up, back up."

Percy dismounts, quietly jumping over to the yacht and mentally thanking the gods that its stern is low enough for him to get onto without much struggle. He offers his hand to (Y/N), who raises an eyebrow at him before denying his help and stepping over far more gracefully than he had.

She chuckles when Percy rolls his eyes, instead holding out his hand for Annabeth—who takes it without question as she stumbles while getting on the yacht. Tyson hops off last, jumping slightly in surprise as Rainbow nudges his lower back.

He turns around, smiling at the Hippocampus and nodding. "Thank you, friend."

"Tyson," Percy whispers, prompting his half-brother to look back at him. "Come on, buddy, we gotta go."

(Y/N) chuckles as Rainbow lets out a quiet sputter, and Tyson gasps quietly in realization. "Oh!" he breathes out, reaching into his pocket and holding out two of the sugar cubes he previously took from the café. "Want some sugar?"

Percy lets out a quiet sigh, pulling (Y/N)'s hand towards him and looking at her watch. The girl furrows her brow when he lets go of her arm. "You could've just asked me," she says, and Percy shrugs.

Satisfied with his reward for helping, Rainbow snorts a goodbye before turning away and diving back under the water's surface. Tyson faces the three half-bloods, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Let's go."

Percy glances at (Y/N), gesturing for her to lead the way. She holds up a hand for quiet, closing her eyes and focusing on her hearing. Her head tilts with intrigue as what sounds like hushed conversation reaches her ears, and she opens her eyes. She looks upwards, where the source of most of the chatter seems to be. By her guesses, there should be some sort of saloon-like entertainment area a level or two above the stern deck, where she and the others are right now, out of sight.

Going directly to the source would take away their cover and elements of surprise and stealth, meaning that they need another way around and up. Looking at the stairwell tucked away behind Percy, (Y/N) nods.

"Down there," she whispers, and Percy turns around, glancing at their group before quietly descending into the lower levels of the yacht.

Annabeth follows right behind, with Tyson after her and (Y/N) taking up the rear. Percy freezes when he sees movement ahead of them, hissing, "Get down!"

The demigods crouch to the ground behind a cluster of industrial utility cases, and Percy peeks his head above just slightly, his dark hair blending in with the low-lit, shadowed area. Across the room is a set of glass sliding doors, and he squints to make out the two darkened forms that approach from the other side. He ducks back down a bit more as the doors open, listening carefully.

"Have you seen it?" one of them asks, evidently a man by the voice.

"No," the other responds—another male. "Did he show it to you?"

"Oh, just wait 'til you see it."

"Took him long enough to find it, that's for sure."

Percy returns to his crouch as the men walk up a different staircase than the one his group came down from, looking back to his friends and Tyson.