𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙈𝙀𝘿; heroes of olympus

hercules is a violent ass

ERITH JAY
WHEN THE BUBBLES ejected the four of them, Erith was so relieved to feel the sun on her face that she tilted her head up and closed her eyes.

Her moment of peace was interrupted by Piper crying out, and then a quick splashing sound. Erith's eyes snapped open and she looked around frantically, ready for an attack, but nothing seemed to be wrong. Just Piper paddling over to them, kissing Leo on the cheek, and then embracing Erith so hard she thought for sure her ribs were going to crack.

Jason looked pretty thrilled too. He was leaning over the rail, eyes bloodshot with exhaustion.

"Miss me?" Leo laughed as Piper finally pulled away from Erith.

She glared at him then. "Where were you? How are you guys alive?"

"Long story," he said. The picnic basket of brownies bobbed to the surface next to him. "Want a brownie?"

So the crew extended a ladder and one by one, they climbed up. Jason offered to personally escort Erith up, but judging by how he looked dead on his feet, Erith declined on the basis that he'd probably just drop her back into the water.

Not that she doubted Jason, but the dude definitely needed a nap.

Still, as soon as she boarded the ship he linked his arm with hers and clung onto her like a little kid until she had to physically push him out of her cabin. "Go away, Grace. I'm going to change."

He frowned a little. "But..."

Erith sighed exasperatedly and took off her shirt. She had a bra on, and she figured Jason had seen her in worse moments. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you were dead." His voice cracked, but Erith couldn't tell if it was from despair or exhaustion.

Erith sighed and walked over to him, embracing him. "I'm not planning on going anywhere that quick, Jase."

He sighed. "I know. I just... I worry."

Erith felt warmth all the way up to her throat. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he mumbled, then pulled away. "Okay, go change. I probably have to rent Frank out some clothes."

Erith gave him a wry smile. "Have fun."

"Thanks." He finally smiled, but he looked ready to drop. Erith could tell he'd been really worried, and she felt sorry for stressing him so bad.

But, in a way, it was nice to know he cared so much. For all his flaws, he really was her best friend.

After Erith changed into a cream colored sweater and a black skirt, along with dumping the water out of her black combat boots and stubbornly wearing them even though they soaked her fresh socks, she went out and gathered on the quarterdeck with the rest of the crew. Sure enough, Frank had borrowed a pair of too-small pants from Jason. Coach Hedge was missing, but Leo quickly explained that the satyr had "gone to repair some dents in the hull, because the atmosphere was getting too cuddly for his tastes."

Yeah, typical Hedge.

Now everyone had gathered round while Hazel and Frank told the story and Leo fussed over the helm controls. Percy, arms crossed, stared at Frank and Hazel and seemed to zone out half the time. His eyes looked just as bloodshot as Jason's.