"Dude!"

One more shift

Platonic chapter

Setting: few days after Tartaraus and Jason is on night watch. He goes to wake Percy but his plans of dreaming don't go as he hoped

He stood at the front of the boat, electricity crackling and popping off his fingertips like sparklers from the fourth of July celebrations at Camp Jupiter. Despite the light fizzling off him with vitality, his eyes remained heavy and his thoughts as cloudy as the watery expanse before him. The choppy sea gently sent salty mist to stick to his face. Though the air was humid, the hairs upon Jason's arms and neck stood tall, chilled. Like the waves against the golden ship, his thoughts kept slapping him one by one and sending waves of anxiety down his spine.

Worry, regret.

In all his years of being praetor and basically being just a vital part of Camp Jupiter, Jason had learned that the biggest regrets often were the ones that couldn't be helped.

Made sense why this one hurt so bad.

His biggest regret so far? Not being there for Percy and Annabeth when they fell into that wretched place.

Maybe if he told Piper to go on without him, to make it to the boat so she would be okay and he could come after, then maybe he would've noticed the string connected to Annabeth's ankle. He would've known Percy would go after her. After months of knowing Percy, it should have been plainly obvious. He wouldn't have been surprised if Percy would jump down there for him. In fact, he was sure of it.

But, Nico had said that any attempt to fly into the cavernous black would have resulted in not only two demigods down the drain, but three. And the chances of surviving with that level of demigod-ness stench- slim to none.

But that didn't stop him from feeling this way.

He would've done anything to stop the random screams from the two cabins. The breaths too quick for comfort for anyone in earshot. The breathing stuck in their throats. The flex of their hands against the railing. The painful expression at the stars.

It was heartbreaking. It was terrifying.

The "greatest Greek warrior" and The Annabeth Chase reduced to their animalistic instincts in the face of a predator, not the trained soldiers they were-are.

Finally Jason shook his head from the darkening thoughts and rubbed his eyes. A roman motto he had learned early on was "no use dwelling in the past because you'll probably get stabbed"

Gruesome, yes. But effective in a sick way. Just don't care when you're a soldier. Just- don't care.

His heavy footfalls felt foreign in the bleak surroundings. They were alien sounds in a hushed watery night. He would soften his footsteps, but the kindness in him decided to give whoever was next a warning before waking them out of the blue. Percy was next.

Percy was always awake. And if he wasn't, he was tangled in his sheets curled or crouched in the bed. Jason expected as much when he opened the door. But that's not what he opened to.

He wasn't in his usual position of tangled limbs and messy hair, not even hugged knees and blank staring, he was head on the wall one knee to his chest and a sword in his hand, eyes closed. His throat swallowed convulsively and his breathing was too irregular to be just panic induced.

Was Percy... Crying?

Jason paused and stared, unsure of how to approach the distressed demigod. One with a sword in hand and a ready fight at any given second. He closed his vision on the shining metal in hand, the shining on the boy's face, and the tight grip wrapped around a clothed knee.

"Percy?," Jason tried asking aloud, but it came out as more of a cough. He tried again.

..."Percy?"

Percy definitely noticed him then. The covers whipped off and somehow the sword was at his throat faster than he could have ever imagined. He noted the amber glow in the dark green eyes, casting a glare; calculating, predatory. They squinted in confusion and the hostility vanished.

"Jason?" His voice was hoarse and questioning.

"It-It's." He broke off. "Well... Just, are you okay?"

Percy sighed and his shoulders slumped; defeated. "I just, I just had a bad dream. I was about to go back to sleep." Liar. "I'm sorry, if i y'know, woke you." He shrugged. Percy capped the pen/sword and sat heavily on the small bed. He let out a hiss of air and used the heels of his hands to wipe away any liquid inconspicuously.

Jason tried for a light laugh, hushed in the dim room. "That's a good one, Percy." Then softer. "But really, are you alright?" He began again; newfound confidence bubbling into his thoughts.

Percy acted as if he didn't hear him. He twirled riptide in his fingers. When Jason was about to lay a hand on Percy's shoulder the teen sighed, his shoulders drooping as if held by the weight of the world.

"You know, it's really hard to feel like you're an actual person when you walk in the realm of monsters. Makes you wonder where you belong. Do you get it?" He glanced up to Jason, holding eye contact for the first time since the first encounter.

"I. I think so. What does that have to do with-"

Percy shook his head, sitting up. "No. No no. I just mean. Nevermind. It's hard to explain."

"No really, i think i get it."

Percy nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah. And then I guess when you fall survive, kill, and face these things in their birthplace, the land where they just pop out of the ground all powerful and suddenly you're still known around there-its unsettling. And then to have humans, my friends look at me like im one of..them. It's...terrifying. The only ones down there that saw the human in me were the two giants. The monsters." Percy shrugged a shoulder and shook his head in a hopeless shake. "And.. I'm just another one of them too."

"Well," Jason began. "If you're one of those monsters, then we all are. And we are on the same side. You're no monster to us, Percy. You're one of us."

Percy's eyes shone with a little more intensity and Jason suddenly wished he never spoke at all.

It wasn't until Jason saw the slightest lilt of the downcast boy's lips that he allowed a breath to escape. Unconsciously, the air cleared of all stagnant sea air and both took a deep clear breath.

"Thank you, Jason."

Jason supposed he knew how to comfort people. He'd been told it was because he was a nice person, which he knew he was, but he knew because he had practice. Reyna never knew who stroked her matted, sweaty hair at night when she had the dreams about her father. She never knew who cooed soft words to calm her down. She. Never. Knew. (Jason was partly glad because he figured if she ever found out during one of those times, he would no longer have a head)

Jason summoned whatever it took for him to help Reyna, Piper, to lightly touch Percy's shoulder and sit beside him. The latter looked up in a mix of uncomfort and confusion before relaxing into the touch. The sheets ruffled with Jason's knee knocking the other's. They sat in close silence, staring out the circular window, misted with salt water and skewing their vision with stars from above.

Jason was aware that monsters could be flying above deck at the moment, but he would stay just a second longer, for Percy. For comfort. For friendship.

How long would he stay? Jason's inner monolouge urged him to check the deck for monsters prowling around, but this moment was far nicer than forced aggression and repetitive swings.

Jason sighed and stood up quietly. Percy nodded to Jason, a show of gratitude in the most pure way without words. Jason gave an easy smile back.

Could he take one more shift for Percy? Yeah.