#barista percy

[forevfangirlwrites]

Hey!!! I just wanted to start out by saying how much I love your work!! I look forward to everything you put out!! I was rereading the original how to handle fame, and there was one part where Jason said that Annabeth said she didn’t hate it when she told him about her interaction with Percy. I’m just curious to know how that conversation went between Annabeth and Jason. I can only imagine how Jason responded 😂

“Annabeth, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Jason says as soon as he picks up the call. She shakes her head at his antics, leaning back into her couch.

“Are you busy?” she asks, ignoring his statement.

“I’ve got some time before the next scene and I’d prefer not to engage in a conversation with the producer walking this way, so please,” he replies, fervently.

Annabeth smiles. “I guess I’ll save you.”

“Appreciated,” Jason jokes back. “So what’s up?”

What is up…honestly, she’s not sure why she’s calling about it. It could have been a text and there’s not really too much to say other than the fact the barista from Cali’s Café has not left her mind all day. (And she isn’t going to say that because she’s aware it sounds a little insane.)

“I checked out the café you told me about,” she starts slowly.

“Oh, awesome! Did you like it? The coffee is good and the place is lowkey, right?”

“Yeah, the coffee was good.” She pauses, unsure of what to say next. Does she ask about Percy? What could Jason even tell her?

“Why am I sensing a but? Was the service not good? I always have the guy, Percy, and he’s super chill. Not sure how the other employees are.”

“I met Percy,” she says. The picture of his face and sea-green eyes comes clearly to her mind the moment his name is spoken.

“What happened?” Jason asks, clearly sensing that something had, in fact, happened.

But really, nothing had happened. Sure he’d been awkward, endearingly so, but very sweet and had made great coffee.

No, he hadn’t done anything wrong. She is the problem.

“Nothing,” she replies. “He was awkward but it was cute. He forgot to charge me and said my coffee was on the house when I brought it up.” A smile surfaces as she remembers his cheeks getting red.

“Really? My order has never been on the house.” She suspects Jason might be frowning.

Chuckling, she replies. “Guess he like me more.”

“Are we in competition over a barista?” Jason asks and she imagines him raising an eyebrow at her.

She pulls the blanket closer to her chest and re-settles herself.

“No,” she replies easily. “I’ve already won.”

“Rude,” he jokes, before his tone turns serious. “I’m sorry if you were uncomfortable though. Honestly, he handled Thalia very well so I thought it would be alright.”

“Not at all!” She rushes to explain. “I was not uncomfortable, it was good and I’ll be going back.”

No Percy had not made her feel uncomfortable, just…intrigued. In the way that she wants to go back and see him again.

“Okay good, I’m glad to hear that. I’ll be going tomorrow morning anyway—oh, they’re calling me, gotta go.”

“Yep, talk to you later,” she says, as she hangs up the phone. She stares at the black tv screen she has yet to turn on.

So Jason is going tomorrow? Maybe she should tag along…just to see how Percy is with Jason. It’s for science really, nothing more than that.

READ MORE ON how to handle fame and headcanons

A/N: Thank you so much for the prompt! I decided to add it to how to handle fame and headcanons as a little drabble, hope you enjoyed! I appreciate your support for the series! Thanks again!

[stxr-slut]

Hey, how’s it going?!! is it possible that you could write a dad!luke x fem! reader and please make it super duper fluffy. I kinda always imagined Luke as a girl dad!

Sorry it took me so long to get to this. I went through a massive slump, but I'm back, and hopefully, I'll keep it up this time. I realised about halfway through that you might be talking about single dad!luke and so I apologise if this wasn't what you had in mind!

It had been a long day, you'd been yelled st by countless entitled customers st the coffee shop where you worked, and you just wanted to get home.

When you did eventually finish your shift and make your way home, you were insntely net with the sound of giggles as you entered the small house you shared with your fiance, and the young daughter daughter you had together.

You crept up the stairs to your daughters room, not wanting to disturb whatever was happening, and the sight you were met with was nothing short of adorable.

Luke and your daughter were sat on the floor of her bedroom, dolls and teddies making up the rest of the circle, with the little plastic tea cups placed in front of each 'person'

The little girl was smiling and giggling, making up some fake gossip and talking in a posh voice, she was wearing one of her princess dresses, and like had on a tiara and some rather.. messy makeup smudged over his eyes and lips.

The sight melted your heart, making you forget all about your rough day at work.

[riordanness]

thinking about will calling nico ‘niccolo’, a mix of nico and piccolo (which is basically just a tiny baby latte) and nico acting like a little shit about it but secretly loving it

[juneberrie]

i love pulling out aus out of my ass and sending them to @waitingonher

anyways imagine barista!percy <3

has your order memorized

gives u sneaky lil discounts bc ur his lover, you dont deserve going broke over a drink

always writes cute notes on ur cup <3

constantly smells like baked goods and coffee

literally staring at u with heart eyesduring his entire shift if ur in the cafe

if ur not then hes thinking of u <3

[soulless-angel25]

Finally gone through and selected which characters and fandoms I'll be doing for Multiamory March! Some of these are just flat-out unhinged pairings that I chose at random.

Day 1, Kiss: Genshin Impact Lumine/Childe/Zhongli Day 2, Hope: Doctor Who Rose/Amy/Rory Day 3, Negotiation: The Arcana MC/Portia/Nadia Day 4, Misunderstanding: Percy Jackson (books) Percy/Annabeth/Rachel Day 5, Online: Twisted Wonderland Yuu/Lilia/Idia Day 6, Gifs: KOTLC Sophie/Fitz/Keefe Day 7, Allies: Miraculous Ladybug Ochako/Izuku/Toga Day 8, Hurt: Keeper of the Lost Cities Sophie/Tam/Fitz Day 9, Acting: Mystreet (Aphmau) Aphmau/Travis/Katelyn Day 10, Neighbors: Doctor Who (AU) Donna/Rose/Martha Day 11, Double: Doctor Who Ganger Eleventh Doctor/Rose/Eleven Day 12, Struggling: Obey Me MC/Mammon/Diavolo Day 13, Fantasy: Obey Me Asmo/MC/Beel/Belphie Day 14, Mentor: Alice in the Country of... Blood/Alice/Elliot Day 15, Caring: Miraculous Ladybug Marinette/Luka/Kagami Day 16, Fiction: Doctor Who Twelve/Rose/Jack/River Day 17, Comet: Twisted Wonderland Lilia/Yuu/Cater Day 18, Team-up: Fairy Tail Lucy/Loke/Gray Day 19, Break: Percy Jackson (books) Percy/Annabeth/Rachel Day 20, Journey: Doctor Who Thirteen/River/Rose Day 21, Wonder: Coffee Talk Barista/Gala/Hyde Day 22, Pirate: Mystreet (Aphmau) Aphmau/Katelyn/Kawaii-Chan Day 23, Begging: The Arcana, Nadia/Apprentice/Lucio Day 24, Night: Harry Potter Harry/Ginny/Luna Day 25, Commitment: My Hero Academia Ochako/Izuku/Toga Day 26, Matchmaker: Miraculous Ladybug Luka/Marinette/Kagami Day 27, Steal: Fablehaven Bracken/Kendra/Ronodin Day 28, Swap: Doctor Who Thirteen/River/Rose Day 29, Blade: Genshin Impact Lumine/Kaeya/Dainsleif Day 30, Touch: Shadow and Bone Alina/Darkling/Nikolai Day 31, Co-Living: Coffee Talk Barista/Gala/Hyde

[bookishjules]

i do in fact get a great amount of joy from being known as the guy who wears the niche fandom shirts. thank you for asking

[waitingonher]

EMMY 😇 barista!percy fic is being written 😊🤞

OMG!! im so sorry this is so late....ive been so busy with finishing up finalssdsdsklsd kfds anyways ...

IM LITERALLY SO EXCITED???? idk if i love skater!percy more or barista!percy more........

[demigods-posts]

i have this headcanon that percy and annabeth are raging accidental flirts. but not with each other. like. they'll go to the coffee shop on fifteenth street. and compliment the barista on his hair and clothes and tip really well. but only for him. and they have no idea this boy is absolutely swooning over them. or. each time they to go the bakery downtown. they take the time to converse with the waitress at the counter as they eat her homemade muffins. and are incredibly vocal about how she's their favorite server. and how much they enjoy seeing her. and suddenly they're the only two customers that can get her services for free. except, they just think she's like that with everyone.

[dreamyreveriie]

𐙚 DROWNING OUT THE NOISE — PERCY JACKSON .ᐟ ˚⋆. ˚ ₊ · ͟͟͞͞➳ ꒰ golden retriever!percy jackson x fem!black cat!reader — a riordanverse fic ꒱

— ordered﹔yes / no - here!! — ingredients﹔fluffy whipped cream, use of y/n, purpose use of lowercase alphabet soup, probably not well proofread, lmk if i missed anything! — wc﹔1.2k+ // 9.2 min average reading time — recipe﹔read the order above :) — cassie's tea time﹔YAYYAYAY FIRST REQUEST!! <3 ik campers can't usually use their phones since it sends out signals to monsters and all but i wrote it so the hephaestus cabin made electronics that don't attract monsters and all!! i also didn't know what to put for the photos above sooooo

﹙the cafe // dishes // menu // barista board﹚

y/n always wore her headphones. it was like her shield, a way to drown out the noise of the world around her. social anxiety was something she'd battled for as long as she could remember, and the headphones were her safe place — a place she would retreat into whenever she could.

going to camp half-blood was supposed to be different. it was like the perfect place for misfits and somewhere she could finally feel like she belonged, according to her satyr protector long ago. but on her first day, she found herself reaching for her headphones more than ever. she kept to the edges, avoiding eye contact and hoping to blend into the background. it was ironic; she felt like a misfit in a place full of misfits.

but percy jackson had a way of noticing things. and he noticed her.

percy had always been the kind of person who made friends easily, especially being the saviour of olympus and a son of one of the big three. he had a laid-back, golden retriever kind of personality. so when he spotted the girl, always with her headphones on and keeping to herself, he was naturally intrigued.

"hey," percy said one day, walking up to her after archery practice. y/n looked up, startled, and pulled one side of her headphones off.

"hi," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"sorry, i didn't mean to startle you. i'm percy," he said sheepishly, offering her a friendly smile. "i've seen you around."

"y/n," she introduced herself, fiddling with the cord of her headphones.

"cool headphones," percy remarked, hoping he could ease the tension. "whatcha listening to?"

y/n hesitated, not sure why the percy jackson would be talking to her. she took off her headphones, handing them to percy. percy accepted them with a smile, putting them on as the music flowed into his ear. "no way, you listen to them too?? i swear, i've never seen anyone listen to this artist. i like your taste."

she relaxed a little, a small smile appearing on her face. "i adore them, they're my favourite band ever."

percy couldn't help but grin as she smiled, happy that she relaxed even a little bit. "mine too. what's your favourite song by them?"

days turned into weeks, and percy made it his mission to break through y/n's walls. he started inviting her to join him by the lake, offering her training lessons or sometimes following her around like a lost puppy as she chuckled. slowly but surely, she began to come out of her shell.

one sunny afternoon, percy noticed y/n sitting alone under the shade of a tree by the lake. she gazed at the water as she listened to the music flowing from her headphones. percy approaches her with a wave.

"hey, y/n," percy greets.

"hey, percy." she looked up, giving him a smile and removing her headphones.

"mind if i join you?"

she shook her head, and he settled in beside her. "what're you listening to today?"

y/n handed him her headphones, and percy listened for a moment. "i love this album." he hums before handing the headphones back.

"why d'you always wear your headphones?" percy decides to ask, dipping his hands in the cool water. they always spent their free time there together, not that any of them complained. they enjoyed eachother's company. "you don't gotta answer." he added quickly, not wanting to intrude her privacy.

y/n took a deep breath. "they help me cope. with... pretty much everything. the noise, the people. it all gets too much sometimes." she admits softly, looking down at the headphones in her hands.

percy nodded understandingly. "i get it. everyone needs something to help them through tough times, y'know?"

"yeah," she said softly, meeting his gaze. "i appreciate, by the way. for being so nice to me. i know i'm not the easiest person to be friends with."

"are you kidding?" Percy snorted, shaking his head. "you're awesome. you just need someone to see it."

y/n blushed, looking away as a shy smile played on her lips.. "yeah, maybe."

from that day forward, their friendship only seemed to grow even further. percy was there for her every step of the way, helping y/n find her confidence that she never knew she had. in return, y/n's calm presence helped ground percy's impulsive nature. they balanced each other out perfectly.

y/n realised how much she'd changed. she wasn't the same girl who hid behind her headphones. she still wore them, but now they were like a part of her rather than a shield.

"thank you, percy," she said suddenly as they sat at the beach.

"for what?" he asked, glancing over at her.

"for helping me," she replied, meeting his eyes.

percy smiled, reaching out to take her hand. "always. we're in this together."

it wasn't long before percy realised his feelings for y/n. he wouldn't admit it to himself, though. all of their hangouts by the lake and beach, the times where they'd listen to their favourite artists together, or the times percy had held her hand as he taught her how to wield a sword.. no, it couldn't be.

as the sun dipped below the horizon, a golden glow casting over the camp, percy found himself standing at the edge of the lake, waiting for y/n at their spot. she arrived, headphones around her neck as usual, with a smile that warmed his heart. a smile that y/n knew percy liked, so she wore more often. they sat together, side by side, in comfortable silence.

"percy," y/n said quietly, her voice barely audible over the soft push and pull of the lake's water.

"yeah?" he replied, turning to look at her.

"why are you so nice to me?" she asked, her eyes searching his.

percy took a deep breath, his heart pounding. "because... i like you, y/n. i like spending time with you.uou make everything better. and, well, i.. i think you're pretty amazing."

y/n's eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink. "you do?"

percy nodded, staring down at the lake as he blushed. "yeah, i do. and i want to be there for you, always. if you'll let me."

she reached out and squeezed his hand. "i'd like that, percy. I'd like that a lot."

percy felt a wave of relief wash over him. he had been so nervous about confessing his feelings, but y/n’s response made it all worth it.

y/n turned to percy with a thoughtful expression. "you know, i never thought i’d find someone who understands me like you do."

percy smiled, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. "you’ve helped me too, you know."

"how?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"you’ve helped me slow down, appreciate the little things. you’ve shown me that it's okay to take a break and just be in the moment. otherwise i probably would've hurt myself." percy laughed.

y/n laughed along with him, smiling brightly "i'm glad."

percy found himself looking forward to their time together more than anything else. he appreciated every moment when he made her laugh, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about her favorite music, and the peaceful silence they shared by the lake.

as they sat by the lake, y/n turned to percy with a serious expression. "you’ve helped me so much, percy. i don’t think i can ever thank you enough."

"you don’t have to thank me," he replied, squeezing her hand gently. "i’m just glad i could be here for you."

"i want to do something for you," she insisted. "anything. name it."

percy thought for a moment, then smiled. "just stay by my side and be yourself. that’s all i need."

— thank you for placing your order, and i hoped you enjoyed your meal! kisses from jvpiterzs <3 — cafe guest list﹔n/a

[demigodsanswer]

Percabeth + coffee shop au + holiday au?

The holiday part of this is a bit squint and you miss it. I meant for there to be more, but alas.

Percy had wanted to open up a bakery, but a coffee shop that sold pastries seemed more lucrative. In hindsight, he was glad he made that choice. He wasn't sure Annabeth ever would have stepped inside if he only sold apple turnovers and cupcakes.

She came in every morning, dressed like a young professional, her hair back in a ponytail usually, high heels sticking out of her purse, flat shoes on her feet. When she got in line, Percy knew to start making her soy latte extra shot before she even made it to the register. Sometimes he slipped one of their vegan brownies in too, on the house.

(He never asked if she was vegan or if soy milk was just a taste thing, but his ex was lactose intolerant. Last thing he wanted to do was ruin her day.)

"Thanks Percy," she said, grabbing her drink seconds after paying for it. He handed her the brownie, in a clear sleeve with their "vegan" sticker on it. She smiled and accepted it graciously. "You're a hero," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he promised.

So, maybe he had a thing for one of his patrons. It didn't matter that much. She was about his age (probably), and never yelled at his staff. Her seven dollar daily latte was keeping his lights on. And she was maybe the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Do you think I should add more vegan options?" He asked Grover. Grover was the lead barista and his business partner. He some how sourced fair trade coffee they could actually afford.

"It's better for the environment," was Grover's response.

"So, yes?" Percy asked.

"Give it a shot. Everyone loves a little vegan treat."

"No, you love a little vegan treat. Most people think they taste like sand," Percy said.

"That's an exaggeration. Your brownie is delicious. And I'm sure whatever you make, Annabeth will love it."

Percy bright red face ended that conversation. "I'm going to to hang the Christmas lights," he said, heading out into the cold without a jacket in the hopes that his face went back to normal.

~

Percy kept the coffee shop opened later than was maybe wise, but he worked most of the late shift hours by himself or with Meg, a high school kid working after school. They always got a few late afternoon coffee drinkers, and a couple of high school kids sitting to do homework.

Percy had to be there anyway. He was working on a few new vegan options. The holiday season was a good time to find out what people liked; they were more likely to treat themselves to something sweet.

He'd worked out a good vegan pumpkin pie, which they sold by the slice. That was a hit, although he was still working to get the crust perfect. The oatmeal cookie had been easy enough. The Nutella banana bread was actually so good that Annabeth ordered it the next morning. Percy made a note to keep it on the menu.

The holiday brought festive drinks too. He needed to compete with Starbucks, so he offered peppermint ... everything, caramel everything, and pumpkin everything. He was hanging a sign in the window advertising their peppermint mocha when he spotted a familiar face on the other side of the glass.

Annabeth smiled at him. It was six at night. They were only open for another hour. And she never stopped by after work. She must have come right from the office, because she still had her heels on.

The bell rang as she opened the door. "Are you still open?" She asked.

"Sure am," Percy confirmed. He would have said yes even if that wasn't true. "Soy latte?"

She shook her head. "No, no. Um, what about that --" she pointed towards the sign, "peppermint mocha?"

"You got it," Percy said, heading back behind the counter. "Soy?"

"Sure."

"I don't have a dairy-free whip cream," he said. He made a note to try and find one. Frank would like it.

"Regular is fine," she said. "I'll treat myself. Decaf though," Annabeth added.

"Are you vegan?" Percy asked as he brewed the espresso.

"I try but fail a lot. I'm pretty good at avoiding meat, but real dairy is just too good," Annabeth said.

"Easier to bake with too," Percy said. "For here or to go?" He had a to-go cup in his hand out of habit, but Annabeth had settled down at one of the open tables.

"Here," she said. Percy made the drink in a large ceramic mug.

"What brings you in tonight?" He asked, as he dropped off the coffee.

He didn't have anything pressing in the back, and there were only two college students diligently working on the other side. He could chat for a while.

As if reading his mind, Annabeth used her foot to push a chair out for him. Percy said down as she took the first sip. She closed her eyes and sighed happily.

"That's so good," she said. Percy was pretty sure he was flushed again. He hoped it went away before she could open her eyes. "It was just one of those long end-of-the-year work days, you know? Everyone rushing to get things done. I wanted something to cheer me up, and I walked by and thought ..." she looked at him in a new, attentive way he'd never caught before. "... a warm drink sounds nice."

"I hope it helped," he said.

"It is," she promised.

"I've got a new vegan cinnamon roll I'm testing. Want to try it?" Percy offered.

"How is it?" She asked.

"Not sure, they're fresh, first round," he said.

"I guess I can help test it for you," Annabeth said with a smile.

Percy jumped up and came back a minute later with one round roll on a plate and two forks.

He tried not to be too creepy as he watched her take a bite, savor it, and then carefully make up her mind.

"It's a little dry," she determined. "The icing is great, and the taste is good, but ..."

Percy took his own bite and nodded. "Too much cinnamon. It dries it out."

"Still pretty delicious," Annabeth said, going for another bite, "especially for not having half the ingredients that make food taste good."

"Thanks!" Percy said with a wide smile. "You know, my co-owner Grover is vegan."

"Oh, is he the motivation for all the new treats?" Annabeth asked.

"Uh, sure," Percy said, barely playing off that she was the real reason, not his best friend of almost twenty years, "but he was telling me about this new vegan restaurant. He says it's pretty good."

Annabeth was smiling, and she had a mischievous look in her eyes that told him she was six steps ahead of him.

"Oh?" She said innocently, going for another bite of the cinnamon roll, but not actually putting the fork in her mouth yet. "Have you tried it?" She asked, finally taking a bite.

"No, I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go with me? If you're not too busy?" He hadn't planned to ask her out today. He was thinking of maybe doing something corny and easy to ignore, like writing his phone number on her to-go cup. But he was in it now.

"I'd love to," she promised. Annabeth reached into her bag and pulled out a business card, and then shook her head. "Is this horribly impersonal and --?"

"It's alright," Percy said, "as long as I don't have to fax you the date information." There was a fax number on the card.

"Please don't, it's a communal machine," she said, "and older than I am."

"Alright, I won't," Percy promised. He didn't have a business card of his own, just ones with the coffee shop's information. So instead he did what most modern people did: he texted the cell number on her business card with a simple hey it's percy and a coffee cup emoji.

Annabeth smiled and took a second to save the number.

"So," she said, picking up her still-full drink. "Why did you start making vegan pastries?"

She had that I'm way ahead of you look in her eyes again. Percy swallowed hard.

"Um ..."

[forevfangirlwrites]

another hthf idea: percy’s met luke, but has annabeth ever met one of percy’s exes? maybe they run into each other when percy and annabeth visit new york or her job randomly crosses paths with annabeths or something?

“I didn’t think anything could beat your mom’s cookies,” Annabeth says, her hand wrapped around his arm as they walk down the street towards his favorite bakery.

“They don’t beat them, but they come close,” he promises.

“I thought your cookies were the only ones that came close?” She squeezes his arm which makes him look down at her. Big mistake.

Annabeth’s head is tilted back so she can meet his eyes even with the hood of his hoodie pulled forward. It’s definitely her favorite attire, especially when they visit his parents, and the fabric practically engulfs her which all results in her looking painfully cute.

(He’s pretty sure he felt his chest tighten.)

“Oh, uh…” His train of thought has left the station, what were they talking about again? Right…cookies. “They’re good,” he ends lamely

Annabeth smiles in a way that makes him think his mental short circuit was not lost on her and though he should probably be a little upset that she clearly did that on purpose, he can’t really bring himself to care all that much. 

That said though, he does have some dignity left and should say something clever right about now—

“Percy?”

He whips around at the sound of his name in a voice he hasn’t heard in a very long time.

“Sarah?”

And sure enough, there she is, looking mostly the same. She’s wearing that hoodie she always loved but her once long brown hair is cut short, ending just above her shoulders.

“Hey,” she responds, lifting a hand up in a half-wave. “How are you?”

It is weird to see her, the most familiar stranger he’s run across in a long time. He didn’t think that he’d ever really see her in person again after their breakup and his move.

“Good,” he replies, moving to face her. A tug on his arm reminds him that Annabeth is going to be exposed too.

“How are you,” he asks. Sarah’s gaze is already locked on where Annabeth’s hood has now fallen off. Annabeth quickly puts it back up and Sarah seems to start at the action.

“Sorry,” she says, “I didn’t mean to stare. Melanie told me that you had started dating Annabeth Chase but I didn’t…anyway, it’s nice to meet you.” She directs the last comment at Annabeth.

Annabeth nods, once again squeezing his arm, reminding him that he hasn’t introduced them yet. 

“Right, sorry, Annabeth this is Sarah, my…” he trails off, suddenly embarrassed to say it.

“His ex-girlfriend.” Sarah completes the sentence for him. “And I’ll be the first to admit you’re a step up from me,” she adds as a joke.

KEEP READING ON AO3

A/N: Thank you for the prompt! It was an interesting one to write and I took the opportunity to add some backstory. I hope you like how it turned out! Thank you again!

[cabin9sblog]

Barista: What can I get you?

Percy, at 4 am after fighting a ton of monsters: Take a big cup, put six shots of espresso into it, nothing else.

[queenjunothegreat]

Hihihihi!!!!! Hello everyone!! I'm back, and I'm back with a Valgrace fic for @itspercyintime as a (late) entry for the @pjo-equinox-solstice-exchange! I'm super duper sorry about the delay! I've never actually done any traveling over holidays before and I had NO idea how much time it took up! (｡•́︿•̀｡) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic!

Leo set his creation down on the counter with pride, and pushed it over towards its owner. “One freakishly caffeinated vanilla latté for Blondie.” “Blondie?” the guy asked, taking his drink. Leo couldn’t help but notice how his eyes sparkled when he smiled, and it made his heart thump a bit faster in his chest. “I mean, what else was I supposed to do? You never told me your name.” “And you never asked,” he countered playfully. *** Leo works the late night shift at a 24 hour café, despite his own personal distaste for every type of coffee under the sun. Usually, he spends his nights working on his homework alone in the empty shop until he finds himself with a regular whose awkward charm and earnest smile steals his breath away. Now, if only Leo could learn his name

For all its ups and downs, Leo really liked his job. Coffee Heaven Brewers was a tiny local coffee shop that was close enough to his apartment for him to walk there and back with no issues; he liked his coworkers and the managers, Percy and Annabeth, were cool in their own different ways; the place was open 24 hours a day, which meant that they were more than happy to just let him have that late night shift no one else wanted; and, most importantly, the pay was good enough to keep him on top of his monthly student loan payments while also letting him have a little money left over for fun stuff. 

The one problem? He hated coffee.

He absolutely couldn't stand the stuff. The caffeine made him jittery in a way he didn't like, and the taste churned his stomach and made his face pucker up in disgust. Even just the smell made his eyes water when Annabeth was grinding it up fresh after roasting. He hated coffee, but everything else about his job was fantastic, so he figured he could put up with it. Besides, hardly anyone came in on his shift, so it wasn't even that huge of a problem anyway. 

Until, one day, it was. 

“Um, excuse me? Is anyone working here?”

Leo’s head whipped up from his laptop, eyes wide. He’d been working on his homework at one of the dining area tables, like he always did when the shop got dead in the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately, he’d gotten really focused and completely missed the little bell that signified the entrance of a customer, and now some blond dude was standing at the counter, trying to peer around to see if maybe there was a barista hiding behind the espresso machine.

“Shit! Sorry, man!” Leo yelped, hopping to his feet and scrambling over to the register. “I totally didn’t see you come in.”

The blond guy looked at him, puzzled, and cocked his head to the side. “Do you work here?”

Leo glanced down at the apron he was wearing, emblazoned with the café’s logo, and then around at the shop that was deserted, other than the two of them, and then finally back to the customer. “Uh, yeah?”

“Oh.” 

The guy continued to just stare at Leo, until Leo cleared his throat. “Do you, um, want to order something?”

The guy just kept on blinking like a very confused owl until his eyes went wide and his cheeks went pink. “Oh! Yes! Sorry. I’m, uh, tired I guess.”

“Considering it’s like three in the morning, I totally get that,” Leo grinned. “I’m guessing you need caffeine and a lot of it.”

The guy sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and gave Leo an eye-crinkling smile. “Yeah. Can I just get a large vanilla latté with, like, six shots of espresso?”

Leo’s eyes widened, but he dutifully typed in the order. “Sure, dude. Your funeral though. That will be $10.95.”

The guy fished out his wallet and swiped his card before stuffing a few bills in the empty tip jar next to the register. He gave Leo another brilliant smile. “Thanks.”

“No problem!” Leo beamed back at him. “I’ll have it out in just a sec, okay? Just wait over there.”

With that, he turned his back on the guy and got to work. As always, he couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose at the smell of the brewing espresso shots, and the milk steamer made its usual awful noise, and he had to double check the book for how many pumps of syrup went in a large latté, but eventually he had a piping hot cup of coffee in his hand. He’d even been kind enough to add a couple extra pumps of syrup to counteract all the bitter coffee, free of charge. At least, he hoped the syrup would help. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if there was anything that could save that particular drink.

He set his creation down on the counter with pride, and pushed it over towards its owner. “One freakishly caffeinated vanilla latté for Blondie.”

“Blondie?” the guy asked, taking his drink. 

Leo couldn’t help but notice how his eyes sparkled when he smiled, and it made his heart thump a bit faster in his chest. “I mean, what else was I supposed to do? You never told me your name.”

“And you never asked,” he countered playfully. Then he took a sip of his drink and his eyes widened. He pursed his lips and stared at the cup with something akin to confusion, and Leo felt his heart sink a bit. 

“Do you, uh, like it?” Leo asked hesitantly. “I can redo it if you don’t.”

“No!” the guys said instantly. He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “Sorry. Yeah, no, this is, uh, it’s fine. I’ve just, uh, never had one quite like it before.”

“That’s the Leo Special Touch,” Leo grinned, confidence bolstered. “That or the extra syrup I put in there.”

“The Leo Special Touch, huh?” the guy asked, arching his eyebrows. “And you’re Leo?”

“The one and only!” Leo bit his lower lip then, as casually as possible, asked, “And you? You got my name, do I get yours?”

“Maybe next time.” Half of the guy’s face twitched in what was probably the most endearing failure of a wink Leo had ever seen before he turned and started out the door. “See you around, Leo!”

“See you, Blondie!”

Once he was gone, Leo wiped down all of his equipment, then sat himself back down at his table. Unfortunately, not much homework got done that night, his thoughts too busy drifting back to fluffy blond hair and pretty blue eyes that crinkled up over a blinding smile. He didn’t think he minded all that much. 

*-*-*-*

Leo didn't see Blondie for almost two weeks, which was definitely a bummer in some ways. He'd spent the first few days after their fateful encounter furtively glancing at the door every few minutes during his shifts, and letting out deep, forlorn sighs every time he saw that the café was still empty, other than him. After that, he had a structural analysis test that he wasn’t even remotely ready for and pretty much forgot everyone who wasn't his professors or Esteban, the recurring character in his textbook's examples and word problems. 

But now, after countless hours of suffering, he was free. The exam was done, his grade was returned, and Leo was still passing all of his classes, so he was actually paying attention for once when the bell above the door chimed.

“Welcome to Coffee Heaven Brewers,” Leo drawled lazily. “This week's specials are— Oh, it's you!”

Blondie reared back and looked around like he actually thought that Leo was talking to someone else in the empty coffee shop. Then he gave Leo a sheepish smile and a wave as he walked up to the register. “Yeah, it’s me again. I’ll be honest, I’m surprised you even remember me.”

“I’ll be honest, me too,” Leo grinned. “So, you want that same caffeine abomination you got last time?”

Blondie looked almost sick for a split second before he blurted out a “No!” Then his actions seemed to catch up with him and he grimaced. “Sorry, no. Not, uh, not that again. I… like trying new drinks every time I get coffee.” Leo cocked an eyebrow up at him. Blondie had said his order with the practiced confidence of someone who drank the same thing every night, but he just shrugged and accepted the answer. “Alright then. What can I get for you?”

“How about, um…” Blondie trailed off as he studied the board, and Leo studied him. There was something different about him this time around, but Leo couldn’t quite place it. He still had his endearingly awkward wave, and his hair was still fluffy in that way that reminded Leo of freshly blow-dried Golden Retriever puppies, and his sparkling blue eyes still crinkled up at the corners when he smiled at Leo. 

Suddenly, Leo’s eyes widened as he realized what the difference was. There, sitting neatly on the bridge of Blondie’s nose was a pair of glasses. They were pretty, understated things, but the glass was perfectly polished and clean, and the thin gold wire bands glinted in the warm café lighting. He looked charming and put together and like the romantic lead in a Hallmark movie. Leo was pretty sure that if he put those exact same glasses on his face, they’d immediately become lopsided and smudged with grease, and he’d wind up looking like Dorkatron 9000 rather than a professor at a small college town who drank Earl Grey tea and had a laugh like velvet that had been lying in the sun. 

“Okay, so I’d like to order–”

“You’re wearing glasses!” Leo said. Well, it was more of an accusation, really, but that wasn’t important.

Blondie was visibly startled again. “Um, yes? Is that not allowed or something?”

“Are they new?” Leo asked. 

“No? Why?”

“You weren’t wearing them last time you came in.”

Blondie thought about that, then shrugged. “I’m pretty sure I had lacrosse practice that evening, and I almost always wear my contacts when I’m doing sports. Usually, I take them out right after, but I must have been distracted that night or something.”

“You play lacrosse?” Leo asked, perking up. “Where at? That’s super cool.”

“I’m varsity at NRU,” Blondie said, ducking his head like he was trying to avoid any further praise from Leo.

“NRU?” Leo echoed, bouncing on his toes. “No way! I go there, too!”

“I had kind of assumed, based on the fact that I walked in on you doing homework last time,” Blondie joked.

“Yeah, yeah. Yuck it up,” Leo said with a dramatic eye roll. “Now, do you want coffee or not?”

“Well, I was trying to order when you interrupted me,” Blondie teased. Leo just puffed out his cheeks, and Blondie laughed, proving Leo’s velvet metaphor entirely correct. “Okay, okay. Can I get a large caramel crème?”

“Do you want extra shots in it?”

Blondie narrowed his eyes in confusion. “It doesn’t have any espresso in it, right?”

“Uh.” Leo didn’t want to say outright that he had no idea what a caramel crème even was, but he figured it was pretty obvious when he had to fish out the recipe book from  beside the milk steamer and check. “Oh, yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s got the cold drip stuff.” He bounced right back over to the register and rang him up, grabbing a paper cup and scribbling a name on it. “$6.55, please.”

Once again, Blondie swiped his card and stuffed a few bills in the tip jar before wandering off to the other end of the counter to wait for Leo to do his job. It took more than a little bit of trial and error and a handful of failed attempts, but soon Leo was once again pushing his creation over the counter at his customer. “Ta-da!”

Blondie took the drink, then squinted at the name Leo had scribbled along the side before giving him an amused smirk. “Specs? Really?”

“Well, you still haven’t told me your name–”

“And you still haven’t asked.”

“Plus you didn’t tell me you wear glasses. So, you get to be Specs tonight.”

Specs rolled his eyes, but either he didn't try to mask his fondness, or he was really bad at it, because it was very obvious on his face. “Sorry for the oversight. I also had braces from the ages of twelve to sixteen. Does that make up for my accidental subterfuge, or would you like some more insight into my medical history?”

“Well, you can start with telling me if you like the drink or not.”

Specs looked suspiciously at the cup for a moment before taking a small sip. His face screwed up, and his nose wrinkled like a confused rabbit’s a few times, but then he swallowed heavily and gave Leo a blinding smile. “You really know how to make drinks your own way, don’t you?”

Leo didn’t really know what that was supposed to mean, considering he was pretty sure he followed the recipe exactly, but he still put on a show of casual arrogance. “I try my best.”

“I’m sure.”

“Soooo, do I get to know your name now?” Leo asked eagerly. “Or do you just wanna be called Specs forever?”

Specs seemed to consider that before he gave Leo a grin. “Not this time. Make me a drink that really wows me, and we’ll talk.”

Leo groaned and flopped over the counter. “Come onnn! You’re killing me!”

Specs just giggled quietly before he flicked Leo on the nose. “Maybe next time. See you around, Leo.”

“Yeah, yeah. Rub it in, why don’t you? See ya, Specs.”

And with that, Specs was gone, leaving Leo to replay every word and gentle chuckle he’d gotten out of the other man on repeat in his head. 

*-*-*-*

The next time Leo saw Specs, he was once again neck deep in homework, but this time, he actually heard the door open, so he was able to offer the full force of his smile as soon as the bell rang. Truth be told, Leo had been eagerly awaiting this moment for the last three days. He'd even snuck the recipe book home after his shift one night to do a bit of extra studying, though Annabeth had fussed about it when Will snitched on him.

“Hey, Specs!” Leo chirped, already headed for the register. 

“Hey, Leo,” Specs said, eyes crinkling at the corners. He glanced over at where Leo had commandeered one of the only two six-top tables in the dining area and spread out his entire education. “So, I meant to ask before, but what are you studying?”

“Hm? Oh! Engineering!” Leo said eagerly. “It’s really cool.”

“Yeah? You like it?”

“Mhm,” Leo nodded. “But even if I didn’t I’d still do it.”

Specs cocked his head to the side curiously. “What do you mean by that?”

“My mom was in the middle of getting her degree when she had me, so she had to drop out,” Leo shrugged. “I figure after everything she did for me, I could do this for her.”

Specs’s face went toffee soft, and the smile he gave Leo reminded him so much of fresh baked cookies that his teeth started to ache. “That’s amazing, Leo.”

Leo flushed to the roots of his hair, and ducked his head. He was used to people being impressed about him getting his degree to help fulfill his mom’s dreams, but no one had ever looked at Leo like he was the most important, special person on the planet when they said it. “Yeah, it’s, uh, it’s whatever, you know?” He cleared his throat and roughly shook his head. “Anyway, what about you? You said you were on the lacrosse team, but I’m pretty sure they don’t give out degrees for sports.”

“Sometimes I wish they did,” Specs groaned playfully. “Between lacrosse and tennis, I hardly have time for my degree.”

“Which is?”

“I’m a double major, actually,” Specs said. “I wanted to go to school for history, but my dad would only pay for it if I also studied law. So, I guess I’m doing that, and I’ll try to do something with my history degree, and if that doesn’t work out, I’ll just finish up at law school.”

“Well, the history thing sounds cool,” Leo said slowly. “But I gotta say, I’m not a huge fan of lawyers.”

Specs gave him a wry smile. “Considering my dad is one, me neither.”

Leo snorted, and Specs looked pleased with himself. “So, what, uh, flavor of history do you like?” Leo asked, tripping over his words.

“You mean what’s my focus?” Specs clarified, eyes sparkling with amusement. “I like ancient civilizations, specifically Ancient Rome.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Look.” He started rolling up his sleeve and Leo was greeted with the sight of a somewhat faded tattoo that had started to bleed around the edges, but still clearly read SPQR with a laurel wreath around it. “My friend, Reyna, gave me a stick and poke when we were in high school. It’s an abbreviation for Senatus Populusque Romanus, which is Latin for ‘the Senate and People of Rome.’” 

Leo gawked at it for a moment before he looked up again. “You’re, like, dedicated-dedicated.”

Specs flushed a bit and rolled down his shirt sleeve. “Ah, yeah. Um, sorry.”

“No, dude! Don’t be sorry!” Leo insisted. “I think it’s cool!”

Specs arched an eyebrow at him. “You think being obsessed with the Roman Empire is cool?”

“Well, no, not really,” Leo admitted. “I think it’s kinda dweeby as hell, but it’s also really charming. At least from you. Does that make sense?” 

Specs chuckled and shook his head. “Makes as much sense as everything else you say.”

“You're starting to understand,” Leo said, giving him a wink. Specs just chuckled softly, his cheeks dusting pink. “So, what can I get for you tonight?”

“How about a large cappuccino?” Specs suggested. “No syrups or flavors or anything.”

Leo wrinkled his nose. “You mean you want just espresso, milk, and foam?” Specs nodded and Leo's face screwed up even more. “Alright, man, if you insist. That will be $5.65.”

This time, instead of pulling out his card, Specs held out a crisp ten dollar bill. Leo grabbed it, and as he did their fingers brushed, which sent a jolt of electricity shooting up Leo’s arm. 

Unfortunately, that electricity was more literal than figurative.

“Ye-owch!” Leo yelped, yanking back his hand and shoving his injured fingers in his mouth. “That hurt!”

“Oh my gods, are you okay?” Specs asked, looking genuinely distressed. “I'm so sorry! This happens to me all the time.”

“Don't worry about it; I'll live,” Leo soothed, turning to the nearby sink to wash his hands. When he was done, he took the bill from Specs with over the top caution, then handed over his change in the same manner, making Specs flush even more.

“Sorry again,” Specs mumbled, stuffing all of his change in the tip jar.

“Dude, you don't have to, like, pay for my forgiveness,” Leo laughed. “I already said it's cool.”

Specs just shrugged. “It's whatever. I mean, it's not even mine, really. My dad just puts more money in my account whenever I’m getting low so he doesn’t have to talk to me.”

“Yeah, alright,” Leo agreed easily, not one to argue too hard about free money and also figuring that now wasn’t the time or place to unpack Specs’s daddy issues. He grabbed a cup and a marker and started scribbling on it. “Gimme a sec and I'll get this out to you.”

Specs nodded and went to his customary waiting spot while Leo got to work. Cappuccinos weren't exactly hard to make, in theory, but getting the foam right and making sure all the proportions were balanced wasn't easy. Still, he was pretty proud of what he'd accomplished when he set the cup down and slid it across the bar. “Order up!”

Specs eagerly grabbed the cup and twisted it around until he found where Leo had scribbled out the nickname for the day. When he did, he gave Leo an unimpressed look, his cheeks puffed out and pink. “Really?”

“What’s the matter, Sparky? You don't like it?” Leo grinned. “Maybe you should think next time before you electrocute poor, innocent baristas.”

“You're a jerk,” Sparky informed him, though he didn't really sound all that mad at all. He took a sip of his drink before grimacing slightly and forcing down another sip.

“Well, if you hate the nickname so much, you could tell me your real name,” Leo pointed out, arching his eyebrows. 

“No,” Sparky huffed. “Even if this was the best drink ever, you were mean to me.”

“Do you mean to say it's not the best drink ever?”

“No,” Sparky admitted easily. “But, in your defense, I don’t really like cappuccinos.”

Leo's jaw dropped. “That's not fair!”

“I never said I was playing fair,” Sparky grinned at him, before he turned back to the door. “Maybe next time, Leo.”

“Get out of here, you cheater!” Leo called out after him. As he said the last word, the door swung shut, leaving him alone in the coffee shop.

He was already looking forward to their next meeting. 

*-*-*-*

Leo was admittedly not feeling his best when Sparky came in next. He was… pretty sure he wasn’t sick, despite the throbbing headache he’d been dealing with since before he’d shown up at the shop, and he’d waved away Percy’s concern and insisted that he’d be fine. He was not fine. In fact, he’d been getting worse and worse, and now he was sitting in the darkest, quietest corner of the lobby with his arms folded on the table and his face hidden away from what light was filtering in.

Then he suddenly felt someone softly stroking his hair, and he blearily lifted his head.  There, in front of him was the blurry image of fluffy blond hair and sparkly blue eyes. He pulled out a lazy, half-hearted smile, and smushed his cheek back into his arms. “Well, hey there, Sparky.”

“Leo.” Oh, Leo did not like that tone. That was the tone people, usually Piper, used on him when he wasn’t taking care of himself and they were disappointed in him but didn’t want to say so out loud. Leo didn’t want Sparky to be disappointed in him. “Are you okay?”

“‘M fine,” Leo insisted, shoving himself to his feet. “You want coffee? I can make coffee.”

“What? No, Leo, I–”

Leo wasn’t listening, and he instead started shuffling towards the coffee bar. Unfortunately, he only made it a few steps before he stumbled and started falling face-first towards the floor. Fortunately, Sparky stepped forward and caught him, so he only fell face-first into the big red ‘S’ screen printed on the other man’s shirt. He looked up and gave him a loopy smile. “My own personal Superman.”

Superman just frowned even deeper and helped Leo straighten back up, brushing one of his curls off his face, though he never released Leo enough to let him even try to topple over. “Seriously, Leo. Do I need to call an ambulance or something? You don’t look so hot.”

“You don’t think I’m hot?” Leo whined, and some part of his brain was cognizant enough to be humiliated by the tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes but not enough to do anything about it.

“That’s not what I said and you know it,” Superman chided gently. He carefully ushered Leo over to one of the cushy couches nearby and laid him down. He also took off his own jacket and spread it over Leo like a blanket before he continued talking. “Seriously, do you want me to call an ambulance?”

“No, ‘m fine,” Leo argued, rolling over and pressing his face into the back of the couch. They were both quiet for a moment before Leo broke the silence, his voice a lot smaller than it should be. “Superman?”

“Yeah?”

“I wanna go home.”

“Okay,” Superman promised, his voice hushed. “Okay, Leo. We can make that happen. Do you have a manager you can call?”

“Mhm.” Leo wiggled around a bit before he fished his phone out of his pocket. He clicked the power button and almost immediately dropped it, thanks to the bright light that shone directly in his face. The thought that now he was going to have to get out of his carefully shielded little nook to get his phone and then call Percy and Annabeth made him want to start blubbering like a little baby.

Before he could do anything like that, Superman swooped in and scooped the phone up. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” he said softly. “Gimme your hand.”

“You wanna hold my hand?”

“No, you dork,” Superman laughed quietly. “I need your thumbprint to open your phone.”

“Oh.” Despite the claim, Leo couldn’t help but notice that Superman didn’t let go of his hand, and instead started soothingly rubbing his knuckle with his thumb. 

“Okay, I’ve got your contacts up. What is your manager’s name?”

Leo relayed the information, but he honestly wasn’t paying all that much attention. His head hurt so bad he thought he was going to cry and throw up, in that order. Or maybe in the opposite order. He wasn’t sure. Still, he distantly heard Superman whispering back and forth with someone on the phone, and when he was done, he sat down right next to Leo and started stroking his hair with care unlike anyone but Leo’s Mamá had offered him. Leo just squeezed his eyes shut and focused on breathing deeply, trying very hard not to start bawling.

Leo wasn’t really sure how long he laid there getting his hair petted, but Superman stayed right there with him the whole time. At one point or another, he’d taken his jacket off of Leo’s shoulders and draped it so that Leo’s head was left in a dimly lit mini tent that smelled a bit like the Fresh Breeze candle his mom liked so much. Leo was pretty sure he’d be content to spend the rest of his life right there in that cozy little world with Superman’s fingers combing gently through his curls.

Eventually though, all good things had to end, and Leo felt someone shake his shoulder until he emerged, squinting and whining pitifully at the light, only to see Annabeth’s stern, but deeply concerned frown only a few inches from his own. 

“You’re right, he does look really bad,” Annabeth said softly. “Do you think I should take him to the hospital?”

“I asked him that before, and he just keeps saying he wants to go home,” Superman reported.

“He is right here,” Leo grouched, resisting the urge to hide his face again. “You don’t have to talk over him.”

Annabeth didn’t dignify that with a response, but she did direct her next words at him. “Alright, Leo, here’s the plan: I’m gonna get you home, and I’ll text Piper so she can let your professors know you’re missing class tomorrow, and you’re gonna sleep. Sound good?”

“What about the shop?” Leo protested. “I’m in the middle of my shift.”

“Percy’s gonna cover the rest of your shift tonight, and I’ll see if Nico will take your shift tomorrow,” Annabeth said smoothly. “Do you think you’ll be able to walk, or should I get an Uber?”

Leo thought about that. His apartment was only two blocks from the shop. It would probably take longer to wait for the car to get here and then take him home than it would to stumble there on foot, and he really wanted his bed, now that he knew it was an option. “Can we just walk?”

“Sure thing,” Annabeth promised immediately. “Come on. Up on your feet for me, Valdez.”

Leo allowed Annabeth to push and pull and poke and prod and just bully him in general until he was swaying dangerously on his feet, Superman’s hands outstretched and hovering near his ribs in case he needed some emergency steadying. Then his arm was slung over Annabeth’s shoulders, and the two of them were shuffling towards the door. As the bell chimed, signaling their exit, Leo froze, horror dawning on his features. “Wait!”

In less than a second, Superman was right there, looking like he was ready to start anxiously dancing from foot to foot like a dog waiting for its favorite toy. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I didn't get to make your drink!” Leo blurted. “I can’t get your name if I don’t make your drink!”

Superman’s face went soft and sweet like the center of the cinnamon rolls Percy and Will made for Saturday mornings. “Don’t worry about it; I’ll live,” he promised. “I’ll tell you my name next time you make my drink. You just focus on getting better for me, yeah?”

Leo gave him a somewhat loopy smile and a salute. “Okay. See you next time, Superman.”

“See you next time, Leo.”

With that, Leo let Annabeth lead him home, already dreaming about his bed and all the sleep he was planning on getting over the next two days. Then, he’d come back to work and finally learn Superman’s real name. He just had to sleep off this dumb headache everyone was making a big deal out of first.

*-*-*-*

Leo soon learned that it wasn’t just a dumb headache, and in the most inconvenient way possible.

As it turned out, when Leo’s body decided it was time to get sick, it meant business. The next morning, Leo woke up with a fever so high that when Piper came over to check on him after getting Annabeth’s text, she’d ripped her palm away from his forehead with a yelp of shock. Then, she’d dragged him to the emergency room, refusing to listen to any of his protests by citing that she’d rather be broke and homeless with an alive best friend than rich with a dead one. They were seen pretty quickly, but Leo wasn’t sure if that was more based on how bad his condition was or if it was Piper waving her dad’s credit card at anyone she thought would even be remotely helpful. He could begrudgingly admit that it was sometimes handy to have a best friend with a bank account that held more zeros than Leo had ever seen in his life. 

He’d been diagnosed with the flu, which shouldn’t have been a big deal, considering Leo’s mostly clean bill of health, but the doctor had looked him straight in the eye and informed him that he’d probably be dead if Piper hadn’t thrown her tantrum. He was stuck in the hospital for three whole days, and then ordered to take another three at home to rest, no school or work allowed. He’d grimaced telling Percy the news when he swung by to visit Leo in the hospital, but the guy had only nodded solemnly and promised him the week off, ordering Leo to let him or Annabeth know if he’d need any more recovery time. 

Piper had gone sheet white when the doctor had told Leo how close to death’s door he’d been, and she’d all but superglued herself to Leo’s side. She’d skipped every class she thought she could get away with, and she’d slept in hospital room armchairs and on Leo’s lumpy couch, despite his protests that he’d be fine if she left him alone for a few hours. She, of course, didn’t listen to him, and he’d sniffled quietly to himself and cried about the whole thing to the sound of her snores from her plastic armchair perch.

Now, though, he really was fine. He’d recovered and felt, quite frankly, like a million bucks. A million bucks, cash, even. A million bucks in neat little bricks of bound, crispy bills in a fancy black suitcase. He was finally back at work, but Piper was apparently still a little traumatized, because she’d followed him to the café, still determined to not let him out of her sight. Now, she was sat at one of the tables, playing a solo game of makeshift tiddlywinks she’d fashioned out of some popsicle sticks Leo had fished out of storage for her while Leo leaned against the bar and waited for his shift to end.

“I’m bored,” she announced, for probably the third time in the past two hours.

“I told you this job was boring, especially this time of night,” Leo reminded her. He was stationed behind the counter, flipping through the recipe book in a half-hearted attempt to familiarize himself with the seasonal drinks the shop had rolled out while he was sick and dying. “I can make you a drink or something, if you want.”

Piper visibly gagged. “Ew, gross. No. I don’t even know if I’d trust you to pour me a cup of black coffee.”

Leo spluttered in outrage, feeling his cheeks go pink. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you suck at making coffee,” Piper said slowly. “Like, it’s a miracle you still have a job, you suck so bad.”

“I do not suck at making coffee!”

“Uh, yeah, you super do. Tell me, babe, when you’re actually working with any of the others, do you ever work at the coffee bar, or are you always doing pastries and stuff?”

Leo furrowed his brow and thought, but as he did, he felt horror crossing his features. He didn’t make drinks. Even when he was working during the day, everyone somehow managed to find a way to gently direct him towards anything other than drink making. He’d assumed it had been a gesture of kindness because of how much he hated the smell of coffee, but what if it wasn’t? What if they all hated his coffee as much as he hated theirs? But no, that couldn’t be true. He definitely made good coffee. He had a hot, blond regular to prove it. “Well, obviously someone likes it because I have a regular,” he said smugly. “This one dude keeps coming in specifically to get coffee from me. Percy texted me while I was out and said he came by during my usual shift twice and asked for me.”

“That doesn't mean you make good coffee,” Piper argued. “Which you don't, by the way.”

“Literally what else would he be coming to a coffee shop for?”

“You, duh,” Piper scoffed. “My ex-boyfriend was telling me the other day about this barista he has a crush on and he keeps showing up despite the shitty coffee. He actually asked me what the easiest drink to make is so he can maybe get something not awful for once.”

“Your ex-boyfriend is telling you about his crushes?” Leo scoffed, hiking up one eyebrow. “You two are freaks.”

“Ugh, I wish he’d tell me about them,” she groaned, flopping over the table and upending her tiddlywinks. “He won’t tell me hardly anything! All I know is that they’re a barista who sucks at their job. He thinks it’s awkward or whatever talking to me about it. Like, what’s that about?”

“Yeah, I mean, not wanting to talk to your ex about your current love life? That’s just silly,” Leo drawled. “Tell me, what was this guy’s name again?”

Piper gave him a withering look. “You don’t know my most recent ex-boyfriend’s name? Some best friend you are.”

“Piper, you dated the guy for, like, two weeks in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to convince yourself you’re not a lesbian – which I called, by the way – and then proceeded to be best buddies with him like the dating was some kind of shared fever dream,” Leo scoffed. “Like, I never even met the guy. Sorry if I don’t find that super memorable.”

“Boo, you whore,” Piper heckled, throwing little bits of popsicle at him. “By the way, what is the easiest drink to make? I never actually told him what to order next time, but I said I’d ask my barista friend. Though, considering that barista friend is you, maybe I’m setting him up for failure.”

Leo scowled at her. “Do you want my help or not?” Piper just shrugged casually, which Leo figured was the best he was gonna get. He considered her question. He thought back to when he was first learning the coffee bar, and more recently to when Annabeth had been walking Nico through his first days. “Well, the first drink anyone learns here is an iced chai latté,” he reasoned. “It’s pretty much impossible to screw up.”

“Yeah? How do you make it?”

“Chai concentrate, then milk, then ice,” Leo shrugged. “Like I said: You can’t really fuck it up.”

Piper hummed in thought, then narrowed her eyes at him. “Alright then. Make me one of those.”

Leo rolled his eyes, but shoved himself upright and got to work. As promised, iced chais were so easy, Leo could practically make them in his sleep, so soon he had a clear cup of cold, milky tea in his hand, which he sat down in front of Piper and spoke with the best Customer Service Voice he could muster. “One iced chai for the most annoying bitch in this café?”

“Ohmigosh, thank you!” Piper squealed, leaning hard into the Valley Girl kick in her voice. “You’re, like, the first barista to pronounce my name right!”

Leo snorted so hard it agitated the back of his still-tender throat, and Piper looked pleased to the point of smugness. She sipped her drink, and her eyebrows immediately flew into her hairline, and she looked at it with some weird mix of incredulous respect. “Well?” Leo demanded. “How is it?”

“It’s remarkably not-terrible,” Piper reported, taking another sip. “I’d go so far as to call it nice.”

“Careful, I’d hate for you to give me a big head with praise like that,” Leo said dryly. Piper just grinned at him from around her straw, so he rolled his eyes. “Well, there you go. You can tell your ex-boyfriend the secret key to ordering a drink that won’t make him completely sick to his stomach. Happy?”

“Very,” Piper chirped before taking another sip. “Now, help me set my game up again. I’m gonna teach you how to play tiddlywinks.”

*-*-*-*

When Leo finally saw Superman again, it was like getting hit upside the head with the baseball bat of déjà vu. He was, of course, sat at one of the tables, sequestered out of sight and completely focused on his homework, and didn’t hear the bell above the door. In fact, he didn’t even consider glancing up from his laptop until he heard that familiar voice call out, “Uh, is there anyone working here tonight?”

Leo was on his feet in an instant, a wide, beaming smile on his face as he bounded up to the counter. “Superman! I was wondering when you were gonna show up!”

Superman’s whole being perked up like a dog who just heard its owner say ‘walk’. “Leo! It's good to see you. You look like you’re feeling better.”

“Yeah. It was a sucky week, but I’m ready and raring to go,” Leo grinned at him. “How’ve you been? Percy told me you came by a few times while I was out. Did they make your drinks alright? Am I still your favorite barista?”

“He told you about that, huh?” Superman chuckled, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “And, yeah, the drinks he made were great. Nobody makes them… quite like you do, though.”

Leo puffed out his chest in pride. “Well, in that case, what can I get for you today?”

“Can I get a large iced chai latté?”

“Sure thing! You know, my friend and–” Leo froze in the middle of punching in the drink order and looked up at Superman, who was watching him with his usual look of easy affection. Suddenly everything made sense. “Oh, my gods, it’s you!”

Superman reared back in shock, and glanced around the store to see if Leo was maybe talking to someone else who had magically teleported inside. “Uh, yeah, it’s me?”

“You’re Piper’s Ex!”

Piper’s Ex looked even more baffled now. “I– Yes? I dated Piper McLean for, like, two weeks a few months ago. What does that have to do with anything, and more importantly, how did you know?”

“Dude, Piper’s, like, my best friend,” Leo huffed. “Why wouldn’t I know that?”

Piper’s Ex furrowed his brow for a moment before his eyes widened and he went pale in horror. “Wait, you’re that Leo?”

“Obviously! I know this city is big, but how many baristas named Leo do you think live here?”

“She never told me you were a barista!” Piper’s Ex defended. “I mean, at least not directly. Like, she mentioned that she had a friend who was a barista, and a friend named Leo, but she never said that they were the same friend.”

“I guess that’s fair,” Leo conceded with a pout. “Still can’t believe you never asked her about it though.”

Piper’s Ex rolled his eyes, then looked at Leo suspiciously. “Wait, so how did you know I dated Piper?”

“She and I were talking the other day about you, and she said you were looking for a really easy drink order because you have a crush on this barista who–” He cut himself off again and looked at Piper’s Ex with betrayal and offence. “Wait, you think my coffee’s shitty?”

Piper’s Ex’s face went pale again and then turned scarlet so fast Leo was actually a little concerned for the dude’s blood pressure. “I, uh. Never said that. To you.”

“Oh, well, then that means you’re having late night rendezvous with a different barista,” Leo accused, crossing his arms. “Do I look like a side piece to you?”

“No!”

“So, you do think my coffee’s shitty! It’s gotta be one or the other!”

Piper’s Ex put his hands together like he was praying, then pressed them to his lips for a moment as he thought over his options. “Okay, so, your coffee’s not exactly great–”

“This is the worst day of my life!” Leo declared loudly and dramatically. He had his elbows resting on the bar and his hands cupped around his eyes as he went through this mini identity crisis. “Dude! I do this for almost thirty hours a week! How do I still suck at it?”

“I mean, you’re not that bad,” Piper’s Ex said, desperately trying to salvage the situation. “Like, they haven’t fired you or anything.”

“That’s because they don’t let me make drinks when there’s actually customers in the store!” Leo let out another strangled noise and buried his face in his hands. “I’m gonna have to tell Piper she was right! I was using you as proof that I don’t suck, dude.”

“I’m sorry,” Piper’s Ex said, sounding genuinely sympathetic, likely because he knew first-hand how obnoxious Piper got when she was told that she’d been right all along.

Leo sighed, then cut his gaze back up to Piper’s Ex. He suddenly realized that no matter how embarrassed the other man had gotten – and it was very obvious he was very embarrassed – he hadn’t stopped giving Leo that same look of heart-stopping fondness that he always gave him, and Leo felt his ears start to go a little hot. “Um, why did– What made you come back all those times, then? Seeing as it apparently wasn’t my spectacular mixology skills.”

Piper’s  Ex dropped his chin just enough so that he was sheepishly looking at Leo through his eyelashes. “Well, it’s kind of embarrassing, but I sort of have a crush on the barista. I’m thinking I might have a shot, but I’ve been too shy to actually ask him on a date.”

“Wait.” Leo blinked at Piper’s Ex in complete shock. He was sure that his face was so flushed his skin tone was going to be permanently altered at this point. “You wanna go on a date? Like, an actual, real life date? With me?”

Piper’s Ex looked confused and even a little hurt at the question. “Um, yes? I kinda figured that’s where we’ve been going with this whole thing. Have I been super misreading this situation or something?”

“I, uh, no,” Leo squeaked. “I just– I figured you were just flirting with me for fun or something. I didn’t think you’d actually be interested in me.”

“Oh.” Piper’s Ex finally cut his gaze away, and Leo felt suddenly cold without the weight of those blue eyes on him. “I, uh, sorry, in that case.”

“Wait, no! You don’t have to be sorry!” Leo blurted, reaching out to grab Piper’s Ex’s hand. “Please, don’t be sorry. I didn’t want you to just be casually flirting with me or anything, I just assumed you were.”

Piper’s Ex squeezed Leo’s fingers and gave him an adorably shy smile. “Um, okay then. Would you, uh, maybe want to? Go on a date, I mean. With me.”

“Yes,” Leo said, nodding emphatically. “Uh-huh. Definitely. Sí. Yup. However you want me to say it. Just… yeah. I’d really like that.”

“Okay,” Piper’s Ex said, and he had the audacity to giggle like a schoolgirl, making Leo want to throw up over how cute this grown man was. “Uh, cool.”

Leo beamed at him, still flushed to the roots of his hair, but feeling like he might just float right on out of the café on his little cloud of bliss. “Alright, um, you go wait down there. I’ll make your drink.” Piper’s Ex started pulling out his wallet, but Leo held out a hand to stop him. “This one’s on me.”

Piper’s Ex gave him an eye-crinkling smile. “Alright, cool.”

He went to his usual spot to wait, and Leo went about making his drink, taking care to make sure that this was the single best iced chai latté anyone in the history of the world had ever made. He was sweating bullets when he pushed the drink across the counter. “Well, um. Here you go.”

Piper’s Ex took the drink, and furrowed his brows in slight disappointment. “You didn’t give me a nickname this time.”

Leo shook his head. “No, but I, um, I did  put my number on there. It’s just under the sleeve. If that’s okay.”

“Oh!” Piper’s Ex turned yet another shade of red, but he looked incredibly pleased. “That’s– Yeah, that’s okay. More than okay, actually.”

“Cool.” Leo glanced down at the drink in his hands and then up to blue eyes. “Well, tell me if you like the drink. And don’t just dance around the subject this time.”

Piper’s Ex nodded like he’d been given a solemn duty, and took a sip. When he did, his whole face brightened. “This is actually really good.”

“Yes!” Leo whooped, fist pumping to the sound of Piper’s Ex’s bright laughter. “I knew I could do it!”

Piper’s Ex smiled so fondly at him that Leo thought he was going to die. “I certainly know what I’m gonna get every time I come by from now on.”

Leo perked up. “So, you’re gonna keep coming by, then?”

“If you’re okay with it, I definitely plan to.”

“I’m definitely okay with it,” Leo grinned. “But also don’t forget to text me later, yeah?”

“Of course,” he promised. Then his blue eyes sparkled with amused mischief and Leo felt his heart fluttering in the back of his throat. “Oh, and, Leo?”

“Yeah?”

“My name’s Jason.”

[juneberrie]

CROISSANT KIND OF LOVE

☕️ barista!percy jackson

summary percy sees a super cute girl at the coffee shop he works at & decides to shoot his shot

author's note this has been sitting in my drafts for like over a month wtf

word count 0.6k

warnings fem!reader

percy glanced up as the door opened with a merry jingle and nearly dropped the steaming hot cup of coffee.

"percy, you're staring," his co-worker laughed and nudged the younger boy. he startled and put the coffee down.

"who is that? 's she a regular?" he asked, staring at the girl who'd just come in. she stood in line with two other girls. one of them pointed at the menu and said something while she nodded.

"no, don't think so," his co-worker replied. "i haven't seen her around before." they started to make their way over to the register, before turning to percy with a smug smirk on their face. "y'wanna take them?"

percy looked back at the girl and nodded quickly, handing off the order to his co-worker, who simply laughed.

"hi! welcome to jesse's coffee. i'm percy; what can i get for you?" percy said.

"hi, percy!" the girl smiled. "i'm y/n, this is maya and rio." her two friends waved. rio whispered something into y/n's ear, winked at percy, and pulled maya away to find a table. y/n turned and yelled to her friends, "real subtle, guys." she turned back to percy, shaking her head with a soft smile on her face. "ignore them, they're stupid."

percy laughed awkwardly and willed himself not to blush. "so, what're.. uh- what will y'all be having?" Y'ALL??? where did that come from? leo would have a field day when he found out...

fortunately, y/n didn't seem to know that y'all wasn't a part of his regular vocabulary. she rattled off her and her friends' orders, pointing at the chalkboard menu behind him. he nodded and smiled.

"alright, your total is $18.14," he said. she nodded and pulled out her wallet. she placed a couple of bills on the counter between them, eyes flitting across the numbers on the corner.

"shit. i'm a dollar short," she sighed. "uh, i guess i won't have the croissant..." she looked longingly at the buttery pastry in the display.

"hey, it's fine! you can have the croissant, i'll pay for it," percy offered. she snapped her head back at him.

"wait, for real?" her face split into a big grin, and percy's heart skipped a beat. "oh my gosh, thank you so much!"

"of course," percy smiled. "anything fo- anything else?" gods, why was he suddenly so awkward?

"i think that's it!"

"great, so uh. it'll be around like, uh." he looked around and back at the order. "fifteen-ish minutes?"

"cool," she smiled. she walked back over to her friends, who kept looking at percy, giggling and poking her.

fifteen minutes later, percy took a deep breath and scribbled the last number onto a napkin, slipping it into the brown paper bag that held her croissants.

"y/n?" he yelled out. she walked up the counter, friends in tow, and smiled that beautiful smile.

"thank you," she gushed, picking up her croissant and her drink. she turned to leave but quickly turned back to face percy. "have a nice day, percy!"

he smiled back and his eyes followed her as she left the cafe. when she was outside, the trio of girls stopped at the crosswalk. y/n reached into her paper bag and pulled out the croissant... and the napkin that percy has impulsively scribbled his number on.

she nudged her friends and one of them snatched the napkin out of her hands. the three seemed to have a discussion—though percy couldn't tell if it was giddy or heated. one of them grabbed y/n and shook her shoulder lightly. she threw her head back in a laugh and turned back to the cafe. the crosswalk light turned green and her friend started to tug her away. she grinned at percy and mouthed, thank you.

[hopelesslyromanticgay]

An Americano Please PT. 7

Word Count : about 2K

TW: Percy🤮, mental health, and descriptions of malnourishment (not ED related) and smoking(not done by anyone in first person)

Jenna's POV (finally)

Oh my god she kissed me. She actually kissed me!

I can't believe I've known her for two weeks and I'm already down this bad. 

The walk home from Y/N's apartment isn't a bad one, just a few blocks away, so when I get to my complex, Percy, my other costar is waiting for me in the lobby.

"So, how was your walk with that girl?" he asks, implying so much with his tone.

"Really nice," I smile, unable to hide my excitement.

"Cool, cool. Emma tells me you all went for pizza together?"

"Yeah, we would have invited you but you were filming."

"Maybe you can take me there some other time. Anyhow, tell me about the walk?"

"Well if you really want all the details..." I start.

"I do," he interjects.

"She and I kissed," I confess, a blush rising in my cheeks.

"Congratulations," he says, his tone coming off a little forced. It's been pretty clear from the beginning that he has some form of feelings for me, but I've made it clear I'm not interested in anything more than friendship.

"Well..." I say awkwardly, "I'm gonna go up to my apartment, get those few hours of sleep."

God that was so awkward.

...

My wake-up alarm blares, causing me to jolt awake. 4:30 already?

I rub the sleep from my eyes, slowly making my way out of bed and into the shower.

My driver comes to pick me up at 5:15, there's no time to visit Y/N for coffee today.

I'm in the makeup trailer by 5:30, getting my hair done as soon as I arrive.

"Morning Jenna," Joy smiles from across the trailer.

"Hello," I wave.

"Percy tells me you had a lot of fun last night," Georgie winks from a few chairs over, his gorgon headdress being carefully placed on his head.

"He told you that?" my jaw drops in disbelief. Georgie nods. Wow Percy, That's really none of your business to share.

And look who it is, Percy Hynes White walks into the trailer.

"What the fuck Percy!" I exclaim, "you told them I kissed Y/N?"

"Jenna, I need you to sit still so we can get your eyeliner right," the makeup artist tells me.

"Okay, give me one second."

"Yeah, I told him, so?" he rolls his eyes

"Percy, it's my right to say who I kiss. Not yours."

"Well last I checked I had the right to freedom of speech," he retorts.

"Look, I don't want to start a fight, Percy," I say, trying to be calm, "but you can't do that again."

"Okay, fine," he sighs exasperatedly, "I won't go around telling people about your stupid barista girlfriend." He dramatically exits, slamming the door behind him. What a diva.

"To be clear, guys, she's not my girlfriend," I clarify.

"Not yet anyway," Georgie winks.

"Don't get my hopes up."

Every day of the week my schedule piles up more and more.

I have cello in between shoots, fencing after work, and archery with Percy every few days. 

It's Saturday already and I haven't seen Y/N once! I hope she doesn't think I'm ghosting her.

I just got onto set and immediately I'm rushed into the costume trailer to get into my fencing gear. It's such an action heavy day and I already feel so light headed. I want to tell the director that I can't do it. I know it will just absolutely destroy me, but before I can get a word out, I'm practically pulled onto set.

My breakfast of a small fruit salad churns in my stomach. I can't so much as focus for twenty seconds as the stunt choreographer starts to debrief us on the scene.

I look over at Joy, the person I'm fighting in this scene, she seems to be taking everything in perfectly.

My head starts to ache with dizziness.

"Jenna, are you okay?" the AD asks.

Say it's fine. Like you always do. Be easy to work with.

"I- I think I n-need to sit down," I stutter quietly. My legs practically give away the second a chair is brought over to me.

The on set nurse is quick to bring me a glass of water which I drink gratefully.

"Are you feeling nauseated, Jenna?" she asks me.

"No, just a little lightheaded," I force a smile.

"You look a tad pale, did you have breakfast this morning?" she inquires.

"Yeah, I had a fruit salad."

"Is that what you have every day?" she asks.

"More or less," I answer truthfully.

"That's not nearly enough protein and nutrients for someone with a schedule like yours. Do you ever have eggs?"

"No, I'm a vegan," I explain.

"Oh right, well in that case you need to find a way to get more protein and iron or else it's only going to get worse," she tells me.

"O-okay," I say. God Jenna, you've really messed up this time.

"You should go home and get some rest, I'll get the producers to move your cello class to tomorrow."

"No!" I exclaim, "I need to do this!"

"Jenna, I can't let you do this today. You need to rest and recover."

"No, I need to be on set!" What kind of lead in a show DOESN'T show up to set when she needs to be there. What kind of person does this make me?

"Jenna, you need to rest. How about a compromise, you can do your cello lesson, but you need to go back to your apartment and get rest."

"Fine," I sigh, disappointed in myself.

"Do you have anyone who can take you home?" she asks, "all of our drivers are on break right now."

"No," I say half heartedly. I could ask Y/N, but I don't want to burden her. I don't want to burden anyone.

"Okay, let's get you to your trailer and you can lie down there for now." I nod cautiously. Standing up is worse than usual. Immediately, I can feel myself getting dizzy.

We walk back to my trailer, I find myself lying down on the couch. My head spins with worry What if production is delayed because of me?

I hear a knock on my trailer door, "Hey Jenna, it's me, Emma.

"Come in," I say happily. I love being around Emma. She's such a positive person.

"Joy says you're not feeling too good."

"Yeah, I guess," I say.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she sits down next to me, "you wanna talk?"

"It's just a lot," I confess, "all of these classes, and shoots, and work in general. It's just so much. And now I have to change what I'm eating because apparently I'm not getting enough nutrients!" Tears start to fall down my face.

"Hey, I've got you," she soothes me, stroking my hair, "it's gonna be okay."

It's about then that I slowly fall asleep.

Y/N's POV:

God, I hope I didn't fuck up with Jenna. The last time I was Tuesday night when we kissed. I haven't even gotten a text since.

I'm scared, what if she doesn't like me anymore?

"What's got you so upset? " Nessa asks between drags on her cigarette. I cough on the smoke coming from it.

"I just wish I could talk to Jenna," I admit.

"Man, just chill, it's normal to go a few days without talking to someone."

"Yeah, but normally if the last interaction was a kiss, it means that relationship is over," I point out.

"Just chill out, okay, acting's like, a hard job."

"Fine," I say, getting up, "I'm gonna drive home. See ya tomorrow."

The walk from the coffee shop to my car is less than two minutes. I only drove to work today because I was coming from Nessa's apartment and didn't want to leave my car there.

As soon as I get into the driver's seat, my phone starts to buzz with a call from a number I haven't seen before. Curious, I decide to pick up.

"Hello, is this Y/N?" the voice behind the phone asks.

"Yes, who is this?"

"Hi! This is Emma from Tuesday night, Jenna's not feeling well today, and I was wondering if you could drive her home from set?"

"Shit, is she okay?" I inquire. Fuck, I hope everything is alright!

"She'll be fine," Emma assures me, "can you drive her?"

"Sure, is she okay with that?"

"In all honesty, she's asleep right now and I found your number on a piece of paper on her counter."

"Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"

"Shut up, I was doing what I thought was right."

"Okay, fine, I'll come pick her up, but I don't want her to be surprised to see me."

"Deal." I hang up the phone. This day just got a lot more interesting.

I pull up to set about thirty minutes later to see Jenna and Emma waiting for me. I can see immediately what Emma meant by Jenna not feeling well.

There were heavy bags under her eyes, but the rest of her skin was so much paler than usual. I could see her twitching a bit, and it seemed like she was struggling to stay alert. Seeing her like this immediately replaces any resentment I may have had for her for avoiding me with pure concern.

"Hey there," I roll down the window to talk to them.

"Thank you so much for coming," Jenna says, smiling weakly.

"Here, let me help you into the car," I say gently, getting out to open the passenger seat door for her.

"I'll let you two be on your merry way then," Emma says cheerfully, "Feel better, Jenna." Leaving me and Jenna alone in the car together.

The silence between us is anything but comfortable. The radio went to static from low signal, and neither of us know what to say.

After a painfully awkward twenty five minutes, we pull up next to her apartment. 

"Can you help me up?" she asks, clearly a little embarrassed. I smile, and offer her a hand which she gratefully takes.

"Thank you so much, I don't know how I can repay you."

"Consider it a random act of kindness." She laughs a little.

The two of us walk to the elevator quietly, not really knowing what we could possibly say.

"So what's got you feeling so sick?" I ask curiously.

"Not getting enough protein, I guess."

"Oh that makes sense. Film sets probably don't have the best vegan options."

"On that, we can agree," she laughs weakly. The door flies open, revealing Jenna's apartment floor. I've never been in her place before.

"I'm right down the hall," she directs me.

I nod, and start walking with her.

She quickly disappears into her room to put on some more comfortable clothes, coming out in sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

"Here, let's get you some food," I say, bringing her a pb&j sandwich, "I know its not a gourmet meal or anything, but peanut butter's really good for you."

"Thank you so much," she smiles, "I don't deserve you."

"Hey, don't say that," I say. 

"But I don'ttt," she whines, "I don't talk to you for days after kissing you and yet you come to take care of me as soon as you hear I'm not doing too good!" 

"Jenna, please just eat your sandwich," I laugh, "we can talk about it when you're doing better."

She nods, "okay."

A few minutes later, she's done with the sandwich, and I can tell she's getting tired.

"Hey, do you wanna try to get some rest?" I suggest. She nods quietly.

I help her up from the couch, and guide her to her room.

She goes to the bed to lie down, pulling the covers over herself to stay warm

I turn to leave, my plan is to go home, but it's quickly thwarted.

"Can you stay?" she pleads, "I don't want to be alone."

"Sure," I smile, sitting down on the opposite side of the bed. She slowly repositions herself to be cuddled up to my side, laying her head in my lap.

"Good night, Y/N/N," she says softly.

"Good night," I smile, kissing her forehead. 

I can see her vibrantly blushing in the dim light of her room. She's just so insanely cute.

I run my fingers through her hair, trying to soothe her. It doesn't take long before she fully falls asleep.

The two of us are gonna have a lot to talk about when she wakes up.

[martydearest]

My live reading of Ch 2-3 of Wrath of the Triple Goddess

- I will be reading into why rick is emphasizing how the mist works

- i do appreciate the more subtle reminder about world building aspects instead of outright stating it

- GROVER BELOVED!!

- “AI generated” maybe the consistent timeline was the friends we made along the way (how many time can i make this joke??)

- Rick riordan has obviously actually spent time in a city the time

- YES SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS (and keep boycotting Starbucks!)

- Opening with an author writing in a café… i am calling it now Sally and Claymore know each other

- Oh my god it’s a cat cafe

- “Aside from the fact that I could never write a novel anywhere,” Percy Jackson you canonically wrote the og series and two mythology books

- Tutu barista guy live your truth (dont get set on fire)

- ESTELLE APPROCHES

- What are the ethics of grover consuming milk products??

- I feel like Rick also had a witchy themed aesthetic Pinterest board while he was writing this

- Omg Charles Mingus???

- “Not at all!” She patted the chair next to her. “Save me from this dialogue, please. I think it’s trying to kill me.” I genuinely think author-characters in these books are so so funny. Rick riordan and his seven different author insert sock puppets

- “I can’t help wondering if she’s writing a character based on me. Maybe that sounds self-centered, but the idea of anybody writing a book about me makes me super paranoid.” Im going to lose my fucking shit

- I actually am kind of hoping the meta stuff continues i think it fits a Hecate/mist themed story well

- I wouldn’t generally call og Grover hyperactive compared to the actual demigod characters and im not sure i like where this is going, relatable as hell though

- WTF happened to Sally in Gramercy Park

- Awww them 💙mother and son

- Blueberries

CHAPTER THREE

- I love demigod go bags, that’s such a good little character detail

- The no cell phones rule doesn’t work as well with the moved up timeline of the series

- Academic annabeth is a personal red flag idk how i feel ab it

- Sometimes I remember I actually really do like Percabeth

- I want to hear more about her mortal friends

- Rick dancing around her race better than that tutu guy from earlier

- I’ve never heard the word angst used like that and it’s giving me the evvie jevvies

- “Annabeth was a natural people person” the annie character assassination

- Obligatory TLT reference (i love when percy remembers the shit he did)

- I enjoy glass and marshmallows

- WHO THE FUCK IS PAUL (where did Dave go???)

- ANALYTICAL ANNABETH! There’s my girl!!

- SHE’S A DOG PERSON

- i take back what I said annabeth wtf

- Oh her childhood…

- I wonder what Rick thinks of cosplayers

- Weasel??????

- Rick Riordan needs to hire a better continuity editor