My Boyfriend is a Dead Roman Hero | Jason Grace

Thrice

Day One

He's been Jason Grace for about a year now.

That's heavy sometimes. It tears him down sometimes.

He knows that he's Jason Grace. The name sounds like it's his, and it's what everyone calls him. It's what his mother named him and what Juno wanted. It's the name of a leader. A praetor. A soldier boy.

He is Jason Grace. And, even though he barely remembers who Jason Grace is, over the last year, he's done what he could to live up to that.

His hands are in his pockets, and the hood of his blue sweatshirt is up. At first, it was helpful in blocking out the rain, but it's long since become pretty waterlogged. So have his blue jeans. Jason hasn't done laundry in a few days, so he's stuck in the silly baggy ones Piper bought for him. The ones that are ripped at the knees. Leo had a matching pair. Jason's sure his are long since burnt to ash, though. Because Leo's a mess, not because of the explosion. The thought makes him smile a little.

"Aren't you cold?"

Jason startles. His hand goes straight for his sword as he whips around. He sighs in relief to find just a mortal girl standing behind him. Not a cyclops or a telekhine.

The girl is smiling at him, but in a bemused way like Jason is doing something particularly unhinged by sitting at this bus station bench early in the morning in the middle of a spring downpour. She has long, straight brown hair with bangs. She's probably a little younger than Jason is and wearing the uniform for the all-girls sister to his boarding school. In her right hand is a bright pink umbrella to block the rain.

He knows someone who would probably like that umbrella. Jason stares at it.

The girl giggles.

Jason startles again and feels his face start to burn. Oh shoot, she'd spoken to him, hadn't she? He hadn't been listening.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He asks sheepishly. "Do you need something?"

The girl looks amused. She shakes her head. "I just asked if you were cold. You have an umbrella - why not use it?"

She nods at Jason's sword at his belt. He forces an awkward laugh. He still hasn't gotten the hang of talking to mortals really. "I just like storms." Jason shrugs.

She tilts her head, painted on smile fading into something more soft and considering. Jason raises his eyebrows in surprise when she shrugs too and closes her umbrella to get rained on as well. She laughs at his expression and comes to sit down on the bench next to him. Jason shifts to make more room, and she holds out a hand.

"I'm Lucy."

Jason shakes hands. "I'm..."

Who is he?

Jason is a hero of old. He's a demigod of legend. He's Beryl Grace's son. He's Juno's champion. Is he Jason?

"Jason Grace, right?" Lucy asks. She looks amused again. Maybe she's wondering if his strange behavior is drug related. That's usually the explanation when the guys at school are acting so spacey.

"Yes, sorry," He laughs, pushing his hood back and looking up at the clouds. His hair is drenched. He never realizes how long it's gotten until it's wet. It's plastered to his forehead, hanging over his eyebrows. He had it buzzed for so long that he's always shocked when his hair grows quickly. It's a good thing Juliette has been around to help him learn to control it.

She makes everything easier. All these changes...They never felt so scary when they were together. Jason never felt so lost.

He needs her right now.