𝒞𝒶𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒾𝒸 | ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ¹

I Can't Help But Fall For You

❈ Get good grades. Finish school. Apply for university. Study Forensic Anthropology. Work at the Smithsonian. Get rich doing a job she was genuinely interested in. Try not to die from a monster attack. That was the plan. Helena's plan, anyway. After all that, then maybe she would find a guy her dad thought was good enough for her and settle down, but her dad never thought anybody was good enough for her. Falling for her best friend and neighbour was not part of the plan. Falling for Sally Jackson's son was not part of the plan.

Falling in love with Perseus James Jackson was not part of the plan.

But how could Helena say no when he stood in front of her with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. Baby's breath symbolising sincerity, purity and love, white carnations symbolising pure and sweet love, and Hibiscus symbolising beauty, femininity, and young love. To top it all off there were Gladiolus' scattered throughout symbolising Strength and Victory - It also directly links to the greek word gladius which meant little sword (one of the nicknames her father gave her) - It was also the flower of her birth month August.

If Helena didn't have feelings for Percy before, she sure as hell did now. How could she not when he was standing at her door with those flowers knowing how much she loved studying the meaning behind them and thought that they were the most romantic gift you could give a person. 

How could she not have feelings for Percy when he gave her that lopsided grin, the one that caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach, and asked her to be his date to his school dance. How could she not have feelings for Percy when he listened, cared, and gave her everything she had ever wanted. How could she not have feelings for Percy Jackson when he makes her feel seen.

Helena had stood frozen and unblinking for several moments before, against her will, she blurted out. "Only if you take me to see a movie first."

She watched as Percy's eyes widened and his face slightly flushed red, matching her blushing face. He grinned, stepped forward, took her hand in his, and gave the back of it a kiss.

"We are going to a restaurant first. I'll pick you up later, at 6. It's a date."

Helena froze again when Percy kissed the back of her hand, her face turning three shades brighter. She watched him walk down the corridor back to his apartment. She looked down at the flowers in her hands, then at the hand he kissed and had to stop herself from physically swooning. Her eyes fell on the clock in her entry hallway, 4:48. Wait, It's nearly 5. What was she going to wear? There wasn't enough time.

She quickly found a vase and put her flowers in them, practically running to her closet, throwing it open in hopes of finding something nice to wear. Her room quickly turned messy. Why didn't she have anything nice to wear? She was halfway through pulling another dress off her hanger when it hit her. Her father's girlfriend, she was the prettiest person Helena had ever met and the best dressed one too. She ran into her living room furiously, scanning the room for her - her phone! Unlocking it, she quickly dialled her father's number. Pick up, pick up, pick up. The phone connected after 3 rings, and she heard her father's gruff voice on the other side.

"Hey spark, what's up?"

"Hi Dad, are you with Dite by any chance? Or do you have her number? I need to talk to her." Helena said, praying to gods that her dad was with her.

Helena heard shuffling on the other side of the phone and a light argument before Dite spoke.

"Hi Lena! What can I do for you?"

"Oh my gods, thank goodness!" Helena exhaled in relief. "I need your help. I have a date tonight. In less than an hour actually and I have no idea what to wear."