Rise (Percy Jackson x Reader)

twenty-two

edited: april 4, 2021; may 31, 2024
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(Y/N) laughs as Percy runs out of the water, his expression frazzled and body soaking wet. "Cold, cold, cold!" he exclaims, making his way to his friends and tripping over his feet in the sand. He grabs his towel, wrapping it around his body as he bounces on his toes, making (Y/N) laugh even more.

"Stop!" He pouts, and she folds her lips inward. "It's not my fault the water's freezing," Percy complains. "It's six in the evening, why isn't it at least a bit warmer?"

"Maybe because it's six in the evening," Annabeth quips.

"Also, you should be genetically incapable of feeling cold in the water," Grover muses.

"Well, genetics aren't kicking in right now, buddy." Percy scowls. "All the more a testament to how cold the water is."

(Y/N) chuckles, unfolding one of the extra towels she borrowed from the visitor shed and laying it flat on the sand. Annabeth and Grover do the same, creating a large square of sand-free space for the group to sit on. Percy plops down onto one corner of the towels, wrapping his own around him tighter in an attempt to warm himself up.

"Is it really that bad?" (Y/N) asks, still standing, and Percy looks up at her, nodding with wide eyes. Not saying a word, she jogs over to the water's edge, standing on the slightly damp sand as she looks out across the expanse of clear blue. The tide brings the warm water to rush over her feet, and she wiggles her toes to free them from the sand. Chuckling at Percy's cold-sensitivity, she walks back to her friends, raising an eyebrow at the son of Poseidon.

"The water's fine."

"Not when you're completely submerged in it."

"Wanna test that theory?"

"You can if you want to."

She shrugs. "Okay."

"Don't die," Annabeth says, stretching her legs out as she picks up the book she brought with her.

"I'll try not to." (Y/N) grins, looking down at her best friend before Percy speaks, diverting her attention.

"If you get hypothermia, I'm saying, 'I told you so'."

"I won't get hypothermia, Blue."

"How do you know?"

"Just because your genetics 'aren't kicking in' doesn't mean mine won't. I can literally increase my body temperature if I feel like it. I'll be fine."

"You'd better save that 'I told you so' for something else, Perce. Again," Grover quips, and Percy scoffs, flicking a small clump of sand at him and earning a frustrated, "Hey!" in response.

"I wonder if there are any corals farther out," (Y/N) muses, pulling off her loose t-shirt to leave her in her sports bra and athletic shorts.

"It'll get colder the deeper you go," Percy states, trying not to admire her muscles as she stretches.

"And that means that I'm probably gonna go even farther now."

Annabeth chuckles at Percy's groan, and Grover tosses a tiny seashell at his head. (Y/N) looks at them in slight concern as they start flicking sand at each other, shaking her head and making her way back to the sea. She keeps walking, going waist-deep into the water before taking a long breath.

She jumps up slightly, diving forward and feeling the brisk air hit her legs as they break the water's surface. When she can feel herself stop kicking up sand, she blinks, looking around in admiration of the water's clarity. Rays of sunlight break through the surface of the ocean, creating a peaceful energy that (Y/N) wishes she could take with her everywhere. She exhales, smiling as the light catches onto the bubbles and fractures into colored beams that disappear when they reach the surface.