𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

180

"The pasta's great" Percy seemed to regret the words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

Hadrian couldn't help the way he snorted.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, sorry, so sorry"

"Percy" Sally looked at him in concern, "What's going on?"

"I'm bisexual" Percy admitted, far too quickly so it sounded like imbisexual. Neither Sally nor Paul seemed to catch it.

"What?"

"I said... imbi" Percy mumbled, "I-I'm bisexual. I like guys and girls"

Sally huffed and playfully smacked his hand, "That's all? I thought you had another one of those quests to leave on and come back a year later"

Percy's grip on Hadrian's hand loosened immediately and he looked instantly glad.

"I'm surprised Poseidon didn't have a word with that goddess that kidnapped you from camp"

"Mom, names have power"

"From what I hear, her plan almost went completely sideways" Sally went on, "You'd think a goddess would know better"

Hadrian let out an embarrassingly childish laugh, covering his mouth immediately. "Sorry, I just... you're my hero"

Sally just waved her hand, and turned back to Percy.

"So you're the boyfriend, I'm assuming?" Paul twirled the spaghetti onto his fork, looking at Hadrian who choked on air, glad that he didn't have food in his mouth.

"Paul"

"What? Remember the way Percy looked at Annabeth when he used to bring her over? This is worse, they keep staring at each other like we can't see it!"

"Wait so everyone knew I liked Annabeth except for me?" Percy balked.

"Oh honey" Hadrian imitated Sally, "You're kind of transparent"

"So you are" Paul began again. "The boyfriend, I mean? Or you will be? Hopefully?"

Hadrian had felt the warm feeling coursing through him right then, once before. That's how Kira used to make him feel, like they were a proper family, just the two of them against the world.

He thought they would have been proud of him now.

"He is" Percy said at the same time Hadrian said, "I'm only dating him because of this amazing pasta and these blue cookies I've heard so much about"

"You're so mean, mon cœur" Percy frowned.

Conversation sparked again. Sally was overjoyed, and Percy looked like he wondered why he had been worried at all. She started telling Hadrian about Percy's embarrassing childhood stories almost instantly, asking him why he was dating Percy at all, but she also talked about what a sweet kid he used to be and what a nice young man he grew up to be.

It was more than clear to everyone how proud she was of Percy, and how much she loved him. Hadrian wished he had grown up with a mother like that. Someone who loved him as much as Sally Jackson seemed to love a stranger she had just met.

Paul wasn't much of a different story. To say he was excited was an understatement. He offered Hadrian an interview for his senior year of high school at the school he was a teacher at. Percy, for some reason wouldn't be able to attend that school (something about vampire cheerleaders, which reminded Hadrian of Kelli the empousai from Tartarus).

Later, when Hadrian had eaten more than he ever had, when the two of them had excused themselves and Sally had practically made Hadrian promise he would stay as long as he liked, when the two of them had slipped into Percy's bedroom, they lay on the small bed.

Paul had brought in an extra mattress he left on the floor and while Percy offered Hadrian the bed, he refused.

The sounds of the city filled the silence between them.

Hadrian just looked around, trying to commit everything to memory.

"Told you they'd love you" Percy whispered, slipping an arm around Hadrian and pulling him close to his chest, his breath hot on Hadrian's skin.

"They're amazing" He admitted. "Your mom especially. She's awesome. You two are practically twins, that's how similar you are"

"She's the best"

"I'm glad things went well" Hadrian turned to face Percy. Their noses touched and Percy's hand on his waist sent a thrill through him as if they had never touched before.

"I was so scared" Percy admitted, sounding small.

"I know" Hadrian buried his face in his chest, mumbling the rest of his words, "It's scary. I wish I could say it gets easier the more you do it, but that's a lie. You can never anticipate how it'll go with everyone"

"It's different with our friends, you know"

Hadrian just nodded, humming when Percy's hand played with his hair.

"They're our age, more likely to accept it" Percy went on, "And well, you know the Greeks, so I wasn't worried about Poseidon or Eros. But my mom... she's one of the most important people in my life"

"And she loves you so much, she's overflowing with it"

Percy's room was the best place Hadrian had ever been in, hands down. It was so... him.

So unlike his room on the Argo II but so similar at the same time. He had glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, silly photos on the wall and clothes strewn everywhere even though he hadn't been home in a long, long time.

"What do you think of blue pancakes in the morning?" Percy asked after a while. Silences never felt very silent with him. Like the conversation was still continuing when they weren't talking.

They had been through so much together and now they were finally allowed to rest. Hadrian was so fucking happy he could die. Everything was going right in his life for once.

"I ate so much, Paul kept giving me more spaghetti" He groaned, "I don't think I'm going to eat any time soon"

Percy was one of the few people who knew about his issues with food, so Hadrian was glad he didn't press.

"Did you like them, though?" Percy wondered aloud. "I've been so worried about them liking you, but what about you?"

"I love them" Hadrian admitted, "I love everything. You're the best"

He was getting sleepy now, his eyelids growing heavier by the second. Percy was so warm, he was so full and the day had gone spectacularly.

"Okay, sleepyhead" Percy ruffled his hair again. "You're cute when you're sleepy"

"Fuck off" Hadrian mumbled, half asleep already.

"I love you too" Percy pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Je t'aime" Hadrian pressed a kiss at the base of Percy's neck. "Je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime" With every confession, he kissed up Percy's neck, fighting off exhaustion. The last kiss, he pressed to Percy's jaw, hovering over his lips. "Personne ne m'a aimé comme toi. Je t'aime tellement. Merci pour tout."

Percy's breath hitched as he stared at Hadrian's lips.

"English, please, love. Just once, say it in English"

"I love you" Hadrian kissed him like he was never going to let go. When they broke apart for air, he continued, "No one has ever loved me like you. I love you so fucking much. Thank you... for everything. Fuck"

"That was so cute" Percy grinned as Hadrian's cheeks heated up and his hair turned bright pink. "Merci beaucoup, mon amour"

He may have pronounced it wrong but Hadrian didn't care, he was so far gone he just giggled and tried to move closer, if that was even possible.