trigger warning (Percy Jackson au)

Chapter 18: tomato

XVIII

Tomato

Warning: strong language.

"You look so cute."

Percy ignored the sounds of phone cameras snapping away as he pulled on his blue winter gloves and wiggled his fingers. Thalia's gift matched Annabeth's (a blue winter cap) and Reyna's (a blue winter coat), and the three had immediately forced him to put them all on. "I get the feeling you guys planned this."

"Wait. Put these on, too," Piper held up her own gift to the teen, Robin themed pajamas.

The speedy rejection that most of them expected never came. Shock, as Percy actually contemplated slipping into them. "...later," He finally decided with great difficulty.

"...what?" Reyna voiced the room's collective thoughts.

"Percy's been obsessed with Robin since he was four," Piper explained, folding the clothes back into a gift bag. "And princesses. His favorite Disney princess is-"

"I think that's enough facts about me for one night," Percy pulled the bag from her and placed it protectively at his side.

"Who's his favorite Disney princess?" Thalia asked anyway.

"Stop," Percy warned.

"Alright," Thalia conceded all too quickly. Percy rightly guessed that she was just going to ask his cousin later. "Well, Jason, where's your present for Percy?"

The blond stood. "It's, uh, back at Percy's apartment."

Percy frowned. "How did I not see it?"

"I hid it. Somewhere."

"I want to see it," Reyna stood, pulling her girlfriend up with her. The other pair stood as well, excited.

"We're supposed to be gone in half an hour, anyway," Thalia reasoned. "We can get back to Percy's apartment, see this mysterious gift, and then sleep."

Percy bit his lip. Jason held out a hand to pull the shorter boy up off the ground. "I'm too tired." Percy whined.

"Jason can carry you," Thalia pulled on her coat. "He had no problem doing it before."

Jason met Percy's eyes and quickly looked away. After a moment, "Okay." Jason looked back at Percy. Annabeth laughed. Percy gestured to Jason as if for him to bend down, so the blond did. Percy wrapped his arms around Jason's shoulders and climbed onto his back.

"Awesome. We'll be walking home beside these dweebs." Piper smiled. "Not that I have that much of a reputation in the city, anyway."

Jason stood a little too quickly, almost smacking Percy's head against the ceiling. "Hold your horses, Goliath," Percy muttered, ducking just in time.

"Sorry," Jason shifted his hands, desperately trying not to grope Percy's butt on accident.

"We'll just be your slaves then," Reyna scooped up Percy's, Jason's, and her own bag of gifts as the other three girls grabbed theirs.

Percy gave a thankful glance. "Alright, mighty steed. Onward."

"Right." They led the way out of the clubhouse (Jason bent extremely low in the doorway, almost falling over and killing the both of them) and out into the street. "It's a good thing we're so close to the Lodge."

"Why, am I heavy?"

A teensy bit too close to Jason's ear. Gods he was being so self conscious today. "Um, no."

Percy leaned in, resting his chin in Jason's hair. He looked like an oversized eight year old, dressed in so many blue winter over-clothes. "What did you get me?"