Backpacking (Jercy Style)

Morning After

The morning sun shines bright, lighting up the inside of the tent and bringing reality into sharp focus.

Jason and Percy get dressed and break camp without speaking. The snow from the night before is almost all melted, leaving the grassy patch of forest wet and soggy with mud. As Jason rolls up the tent into a small bundle, he feels like he's doing the same thing with his heart - rolling it up into as small a space as possible and stuffing it into his pack, wrinkled and asking for mildew.

Percy shoulders his own pack and points at the trail they'd lost when the storm had hit. Jason nods and strides forward, leading the way. He reminds himself of the promise they made last night. We don't mention this ever, right? Just like it never happened, and wants to break something.

"Um, Grace?"

Jason keeps going. He needs to get out of the woods, find transportation and get the fuck away. He needs to run.

He hears Percy's footsteps growing faster, his face flushed with, well, humiliation if he had to label it. He doesn't want to. Percy grabs his elbow and that's it. Jason turns, swiping Percy's legs out from under him, but catches him by his shirt before he falls and pushes him against a tree trunk, holding him in place.

"What?" he spits.

Percy's eyes look different, more pupil than green, his mouth twitching into a smirk. "I think ... I think I take back what I said last night. About never speaking about what happened. I'd like ..." He falters, his eyes closing.

Jason looks down, making out the very obvious bulge in Percy's jeans. It looks extremely uncomfortable. He lets up on his hold and allows Percy to support himself on his feet again, but doesn't let go of his shirt.

Percy opens his eyes and meets Jason's. "I'd like to do it again, actually." He wets his lips. "A lot."

Jason would have demanded to know exactly what Percy meant, to hammer out a confession or set up and establish boundaries, but he can't right now. He's too busy making next time a reality.