𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 [Jason Grace]

85

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 by a three legged table.

When he visited Piper's cabin that evening, he made sure to keep the door open behind him because Buford the Wonder Table took his duties as acting chaperone very seriously. If he had the slightest suspicion a girl and a boy were in the same cabin without supervision, he would steam and clatter down the hall, his holographic projection of Coach Hedge yelling, "CUT THAT OUT! GIVE ME TWENTY PUSH-UPS! NO JUMPING BONES! NO CLIMBING BOYS! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"

Jason sat at the foot of her bunk. "I was about to go on duty. Just wanted to check on you first."

Piper nudged his leg with her foot. "The guy who got run through with a sword wants to check on me? How are you feeling?"

Jason shrugged and gave her a lopsided smile.

"I've been worse," Jason assured her. "Once, in Oregon, this dracaena cut off my arms." He almost gave it away when his lips twitched, but Piper seemed to buy it.

She blinked. Then she slapped his arm gently. "Shut up."

"I had you for a second."

For a moment, they just sat there, basking in the normality of the situation. Even though they battled monsters and Jason had trudged through Tartarus, they were still plagued by normal awkwardness of being exes.

"I—" Piper began at the same time Jason said "I never thanked you."

They both stopped.

"Go ahead," Jason told her.

"No, it's okay, you go on."

They shared small smiles and then Jason's expression turned serious. "Back on Ithaca, after I saw my mom's... remnant, her mania... When I was wounded, you kept me from slipping away, Pipes. Part of me..." His voice faltered.

"Wish I could take credit," She shrugged, "You know as well I do, it was all Dante. His voice worked to snap you out of it."

She gave him a knowing look that made Jason want to run away and puke.

"Well, I wanted to thank you anyway. Dante and I..." Jason bit the inside of his cheek, "We've been through so much together, it just feels... natural."

Piper blinked. "I see," She looked like she was struggling not to laugh.

"Pipes—"

"No, okay, go on..."

"With my mom... at Ithaca," Jason looked away from her. Meeting her eyes was difficult. "Part of me wanted to close my eyes and stop fighting."

Piper's smile dropped. "Jason... you're a fighter. You'd never give up. When you faced your mother's spirit— that was you being strong. Not even Dante, actually."

"Maybe." His voice was dry. "I didn't mean to lay something so heavy on you, Pipes. It's just... I have my mom's DNA. The human part of me is all her. What if I make the wrong choices? What if I make a mistake I can't take back when we're fighting Gaea? I don't want to end up like my mom— reduced to a mania, chewing on my regrets forever."

Piper frowned and shifted closer to him until she punched his shoulder which Jason thought was uncalled for.

"You'll make the right choices," she said. "I don't know what will happen to any of us, but you could never end up like your mom."

"How can you be so sure?"

Piper studied the tattoo on his forearm— SPQR, the eagle of Jupiter, twelve lines for his years in the legion. "My dad used to tell me this story about making choices..." She shook her head. "No, never mind. I'll sound like Grandpa Tom."