Three's A Crowd

Chapter Twenty-Four

Percy had a stupid idea. Maybe one of the most idiotic, outrageous, foolish ideas he's conjured in his nineteen years of existence. It came to him overnight, as he lay in his bed, sleep-deprived and stir crazy. Most of his stupid ideas came during this period. But these stupid ideas ended up not being stupid at all. They were genius. In fact, they've saved the world once or twice before. Percy hoped and prayed that this one wouldn't be an exception.

This idea ensured that he could get all that he wanted. Percy would be damned if he didn't at least try. No matter how impossible the idea happened to be. Percy had a thirty-percent success rate, which was better than nothing. He's gone out on a lot fewer odds. And so, the next day, it was time that Percy put this plan into action.

He searched for Jason tirelessly. He's been to ten different destinations in the span of five minutes. The training arena, mess hall, cabin one, cabin thirteen, Big House, armory, stables, cabin ten (in a desperate attempt), Long Island, and finally the volleyball courts. He zipped to and fro at lightning speed, scaring a few campers along the way. As he was walking glumly back to his cabin, he never expected to see Jason exiting the infirmary. Percy immediately bolted to him.

"Grace!"

Jason's body visibly tensed. He turned around to face Percy. His face was a mask of resentment. "What?"

Percy skidded to a halt in front of him. "We need to talk. It's important. Maybe the most important thing we'll ever have talked about."

Jason only stared at Percy, but he didn't walk away. Percy considered that progress.

"Listen, man." Percy was dead serious. His face showed no trace of humor, something that was rare for the son of Poseidon. Jason cocked a brow. "I wouldn't be bugging you if it weren't life or death. I know how you feel about me. But . . . I have a proposition that can fix everything. You just have to hear me out for a few minutes."

The son of Zeus studied Percy's face with hollow blue eyes. Completely ridden of any emotion. After what seemed like an eternity, he only nodded once. "Make it quick, Jackson."

They walked side by side to the vacant mess hall and sat at the Poseidon table. It was completely silent, minus the chatter of the campers looming in the distance.

Jason broke the silence. "What's this about?"

Cutting it to the chase, huh? "I told Nico how I felt about him a few days ago."

Jason's expression was a lot scarier than he imagined, even to Percy. Which was saying a lot, considering Percy has seen the horrors of Tartarus itself. Before Jason could go on flipping tables and casting the wrath of the seven winds onto Percy and all that fun stuff, Percy held up his hands, nonverbally telling him that he wasn't finished.

"Nico took it surprisingly well. He forgave me actually. Judging by your expression, I guess he never told you any of this."

"No," Jason gritted out, his knuckles turning white with how hard he was clenching his fists, "he didn't."

"When I told him," Percy continued cautiously, "I couldn't help but notice how Nico's eyes sort of lit up. I saw a small part of him that I haven't seen in so long, since we rescued him from a military school six years ago. He looked happy, Jason. It was like I had made all of his dreams come true with those few words."

"What are you trying to say, Jackson?" snarled Jason. "That I don't make him happy or what?"

"You make him happy, Grace. I'm not stupid enough to realize how much he's changed since you two started dating. It's just that . . . he could be so much more happier if me and him were an item."

Jason's next words were as sharp as steel. He spoke them slowly, as to beat the message into Percy's stubborn mind. "Not gonna happen. I'm not letting him go that easily. You'll have to kill me before I ever let you take him away from me."

"I don't plan to take him away from you. That would only break his heart even more. What I was thinking is giving Nico the best of both worlds."

Jason only blinked, utterly lost.

Percy sighed. "I want to share him, Grace. You get to be in a relationship with him . . . and so do I."

Jason stared off into the distance, eyes clouded. The cogs in his brain seemed to be turning. Percy was half expecting to see smoke waft from out of his ears. But he only awaited Jason's reaction with bated breath.

"What makes you think I would ever want to share him with you?"

Percy wasn't excepting that reaction whatsoever. Jason seemed calm. Like what Percy had just said was not as insane as it actually was. Percy wasn't complaining. He would take all the wins he could get.

"You want him to be happy, don't you? You can't deny it, man. Some part of you knows that I make him just as happy as you do."

Jason crossed his arms over his chest, staring at Percy. For once, Jason couldn't argue with that valid of a point. "Nico would never agree to something like this. It would make him feel dirty. He almost turned me down because Piper was crushed. He's too compassionate to steal another girl's boyfriend."

"I'll handle that."

"Are you and Annie just not working out anymore? What happened to you wanting to marry her?"

Percy didn't know how to answer his question. He's been wondering the same ever since he realized his feelings for the son of Hades. "I think I fell out of love with her for a while now. It's just all this denial is screwing with my head. I wanted to have a perfect picnic life; a happy wife, three pipsqueaks, and a Golden retriever named Flounder. I've beat that picturesque image into my head so hard that I lost sight of what I truly want. And what I want is completely taboo as to what I grew up with. But for once . . . I don't care anymore. I've found somebody that makes me want to throw all that crap away, and just live the life that I want to live. Not the life that's been drawn out for me since day one. Pretty cheesy, huh?"

Jason took a few moments to answer. And once he had, Percy was definitely not expecting to hear the words he had spoken.

"Alright, Jackson. I'm willing to give this a shot. But if it doesn't work, I keep Nico. It's only fair."

Percy snapped his eyes up to see Jason's somber face. He shot up from his seat and opened his arms for a hug. "Dude! No way!"

Jason didn't return the sentiment. He remained seated. "That doesn't mean that all's forgiven." He traced a finger down the side of his face. "This scar is a permanent reminder that I can't trust you anymore. Not as a friend, or a brother. Brothers would never hurt each other the way you did to me, physically and emotionally. I'm doing this because I care for you, even after everything you did to me. I would never shatter your heart. I'm not like you, Jackson."

Percy slowly lowered his arms and plopped back onto the bench. His heart stung like a bee had just pierced it. Percy reaped what he sewed. Of course Jason wasn't stupid enough to drop everything. Percy was terrible to him. He didn't blame Jason for anything. His luck was incredible that Jason was modest enough to look him in the eye, let alone allow Percy to be with Nico as well.

He would repay Jason if it was the last thing he did.

"No," agreed Percy, "you're not. You never have been. Which is why Nico chose you over me."

Jason stood from the table. "It's gonna take a lot more than flattery to fix this, dude. Now let's go see Neeks."

Percy remained seated and watched Jason with an aghast face. "R-Right now?"

Jason cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowed and teasing. "Scared?"

"Not at all. I'm pumped!" Percy stood up and started jogging in place. Of course it was all for show. Percy was terrified. So many things could happen. Nico could reject Percy irrefutably, he could push him out of his life for good this time, or, worst of all, he might even throw Jason to the curb for hyping up such a ridiculous scheme. He couldn't lose Nico a third time. He wouldn't. This was all or nothing.

It had to work.