The Winds Against the Ocean (Percabeth)(Jiper)

-->Chapter 5

Piper found herself back in Jason's room and she felt better. Her shiver stopped and she wasn't cold. Her dress was draped over the chair and the only thing she had on were her underclothes.

She sat up and slipped the dress back on. She found a bucket of water and washed her face, smoothing her choppy hair out.

She opened the door. Should she go out? Should she wait for Jason? Should she try escaping? But he had been so kind and gentle that she had absolutely no desire in leaving. She did not expect a pirate to be so....unpirate-like.

The pirates she'd known were ruthless and crew. She watched them slice off a head of a prisoner. It was horrible and still gave her nightmares sometimes.

But Jason, this crew, were different. They were younger no doubt. But they were all more welcoming and she saw no prisoners forced to work.

Maybe they did tie her to a mast, but after that, they were welcoming. She remembered how Jason had his arms around her the whole night. It made her heart flutter.

She felt unrealistically safe in his arms. She felt right. She felt like she was actually wanted and needed in the world.

But was Jason just tricking her? Did he only keep her around just forhis sexual pleasures? But she didn't think people like that would nurse their toys back to health. She'd almost been sold as one before, but she escaped.

She decided to venture out. The breeze was warm and the sun was bright. It was a beautiful day. She walked up the stairs to find Jason and the helm, steering the ship. 

He spotted her and he called out to Reyna who took over. He jumped down from the helm and stood in front of Piper, soaking in her appearance.

Jason thought Piper looked absolutely stunning now that her blanket wasn't covering her. The dress defined her body well and she would have looked good in anything, but she was....words couldn't describe what Jason saw.

He touched the sleeve of her dress. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better. Thank you, for your help. I owe you."

"It's no problem. I've been meaning to ask you, your voice. You're able to...persuade someone to do things. I've heard of it before."

Piper shifted uncomfortably. "I'm just really good at convincing people. People like my voice and are drawn to it."

Jason studied her. He was pretty sure a pretty voice wasn't all. He couldn't remember what it was called. To be able to hook someone with just words. "Isn't that called hook commanding or something, or charm-"

"Maybe you guys were a bit tired from loading, so you didn't know what you were doing half the time."

"I don't think so."

"It is. It was luck."

"No-"

"Dakota is about to drop that giant vase, maybe we should go help him."

Jason turned to see that Dakota was struggling and he quickly ran over to help while Piper went to find Hazel.

Hazel was nice enough and Piper needed a friend. She found her standing over a pile of gold.

"Um," Piper said. "Hey."

"Hey, Piper," Hazel said with a smile. "I'm counting the gold."

"Maybe you should stack them up to make it easier," Piper suggested, confused in why she was just staring at the pile.

Hazel chuckled. "I can feel and control gold, so I don't really need to stack them up. How was your day?"

Piper shrugged. "It's better than Terralend's ship, I guess."

Piper looked around and saw some clay cups. She remembered one of her many masters that she used to have ordering her to make clay cups. She blocked the memory off.

"Look, I know you're doubting Jason," Hazel said, throwing gold into a sack. "But he's a good guy. Half the crew was saved by him multiple times. He's not Terralend. Why do you think he's being so nice to you?"

"I just...I can't be naive to think that he likes me."

"What if he does?"

Piper smiled. "He likes Reyna."

Hazel shook her head. "He doesn't. Why do you even think he keeps you around?"

"I don't know. For his pleasure?"

"Like....sexual pleasure?" Hazel looked very uncomfortable saying the word.

"I guess so. I don't know."

Hazel laughed and gave her a comforting smile. "Jason isn't like that. I promise you. He's a definitely not a bad guy."

"How can I trust someone I only met yesterday? How do I know he's not gonna kill me?"

"Jason tries not to kill unless he has to. If he were a killer, you would've been dead."

"How do you know that? How would I be comforted by that? How can I trust you?"

Hazel shrugged. "We trust you. If you were a prisoner, you would have been tied up and put in one of those cells down below. But we trust you not to try escaping."

It was the first time Piper realized that. They didn't lock her up or tie her to the mast. They let her roam around, socialize- they even gave her clothes! Her whole life she'd only trusted Annabeth. She was cautious.

"So, I should trust him? And you? The whole crew?"

"If you want to. I mean it's up to you."

Piper stared at the pile of gold. Should she? She never learned to trust Annabeth until a month later and she could trust this crew after knowing them for one day?

"Hey, if you didn't trust me, we wouldn't be talking right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean is that, you trusted me not to slice your head off when you walked over."

"Jason ordered you not to kill me."

Hazel shrugged as she tied the sack and threw it over he shoulder. "You should open up to him. Tell him your problems, he can help you."

Piper looked at the floor. "I'll think about it."

"See you around, Piper. And nice dress by the way, you can keep it. It looks better on you than me."

Piper smiled at the girl. "Thank you."

Hazel left her standing there. She didn't know what to do. Should she trust them? Should she try escaping? It did seem like they trusted her. Her gut told her that she could, but she couldn't be too careful.

And Jason didn't like her. He didn't! No, he did not and would not. Maybe he did- no. But what if he did?

Piper couldn't help but wonder.