"the very first night" - [p.jackson one-shots]

'i wish you would'

pairing: percy jackson x reader

wordcount: 0.9K

warnings: nightmare mention

requested: no

I hesitate for a second before I knock on his door. I don't want to wake him, but I've come this far already, and I know deep down he won't mind.

I knock, and there's a clattering sound inside the Poseidon cabin, like Percy has tripped over a chair or something on his way to the door.

The door swings open, and there he stands, in flannel pyjama pants and a navy blue hoodie. His dark hair is messed up, and he looks both alert and half asleep.

"Y/n, hey," he says. "It's the middle of the night. What happened?"

I shrug one shoulder, suddenly nervous. Which is ridiculous. Percy is my best friend. Why am I nervous to talk to him?

"I'm sorry," I apologise. "I had a really bad nightmare and—"

I don't get the time to finish. Percy immediately pulls me inside and closes his door, and then envelopes me in a hug. I melt instantly into his familiar embrace, burying my face in his hoodie. He smells like sea salt and oreos.

"Hey, trouble?" he asks softly.

I pull my head away from the hug, leaning back just enough to look into his eyes. "Yeah?" I kind of whisper in response.

"What was your nightmare about?"

I take a second to answer. "You. Being in pain. I don't really know why or what was happening to you but I knew you weren't okay at all and it was somehow my fault. And..." My voice doesn't have the strength to continue.

Percy's sea green eyes are so full of differing emotions I can't even tell them all apart. "Y/n," he says quietly, and the sadness in his voice makes my heart break. "You don't need to worry about me, you know."

"I know," I try to protest weakly, "but—"

"No buts," he shushes me, his index finger on my mouth. "Just hush, trouble." He unravels his arms from the hug, takes my hand by the fingers, and leads me to his bunk. "Sleep in here tonight, okay?"

"With you?" I mean to think it, but I'm sleepy enough that my brain sends the words through my mouth instead.

Percy kind of coughs and kind of laughs at the same time. "Yeah, with me. If that's, like, okay with you and everything. I just figured it would help."

"Yes. Yes yes, it would help," I say quickly, smiling finally.

"Okay." Percy grins.

Once I'm comfortably in his arms and under his navy blue sheets, my head on his chest and my fingers intertwined with the strings on his hoodie, I finally relax. I'm warm all through, and I don't know if it's because of Percy... or because of Percy.

"Hey, Perce?" I whisper into the darkness.

"Yeah?" he whispers back, just as quiet.

"You know how sometimes people fall in love, and they don't even know it at all?"

"Like Silena and Beckendorf?"

"Yeah," I laugh. "Like them. And like—"

"If you're gonna say Katie and Travis, I've already bet twenty bucks on them getting together by the end of this summer."

"Percy, shush, I'm trying to say something important," I whack him gently on the chest. "But yeah, they're totally and a hundred percent in love. Like, the rivals-to-lovers thing they've got going on is so cute."

"Personally I like best-friends-to-lovers a lot more," Percy admits softly, and I go quiet.

"Me too."

Even though it's pitch dark in his cabin right now, I can feel his smile.

"Hey, trouble?"

"Why do you call me that?" I ask, instead of answering.

"Because."

"That's not an answer," I protest.

"That is totally an answer. You asked a question and I answered it. That makes it an answer."

I roll my eyes, then remember he can't see me. "Well, I want an actual answer."

"Okay." He reaches up and ruffles my hair, and instead of shoving his hand away like I usually would, I let him. "I call you trouble because no matter how much you try to be good and perfect and sweet all the time, trouble always finds you, and that's adorably funny."

I roll my eyes again. "Oh really," I say flatly.

"Yep."

"Okay."

There's silence for long enough for me to wonder if Percy has fallen asleep, and then he speaks again.

"So, trouble," he says.

"Mhm?"

"You know I'm like, in love with you."

I take a moment to even process that. "Huh?"

"I'm in love with you, trouble." The arm that's around me is suddenly a little tense. "Have been for a while. Uh, hopefully you don't find that weird. Sorry."

"Percy," I half laugh. "I'm in love with you too, idiot."

"Oh. Wait. Really? You are?"

"Of course." Even though it's dark, I know his face better than anyone's, and I sit up just enough to kiss him. If it's even possible, I get even more warm. "And just for the record, I like best-friends-to-lovers best too."