the great wave | percy jackson

𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖 - perseus

While Leo, Frank, and Hedge were loading and priming the ballistae, Ash drew Percy and Jason over to the starboard rail. The former hadn't really left her side since they'd been reunited but the latter looked very much like he had somewhere else to be. Jason kept craning his head around Ash's shoulder to check up on Piper, who was introducing herself to Nico as Hazel grabbed him some water.

"I'll make this quick," Ash said, glancing between the two of them. She interlaced her fingers with Percy's, and although she looked somewhat nervous, set her jaw sternly.

"What happened in that arena can't happen again." The boys exchanged a confused look but she forged ahead. "You don't stop fighting. And you certainly don't stop fighting because of me." Percy began to open his mouth before she cut him off. "You both could have died if Bacchus hadn't distracted him."

Jason scoffed, crossing his arms. "You can't seriously think that dickless coward had anything to do with–"

"Look, it's not like I'm not grateful," she interrupted, gaze darting between them both. Percy's grip had started to get tighter and she gave his hand two short squeezes before continuing. "But Ephialtes was right. It's not worth risking the loss." This time Percy was determined to get his word in edgewise but she just kept on going, hugging his arm close to her chest.

"Would you have done it for Nico? Would you have done it for each other?" The line of questioning took both of them aback. Percy and Jason made eye contact, the answer not needing to be verbalized as it passed silently from blue to blue. A bitter sort of expression Percy had never seen on Ash before crossed her naturally serene features.

"You guys have two of the biggest hearts I know," she said, shaking her head. "But you're going to have to learn to think with your heads at some point too. You're the sons of Jupiter and Poseidon. King of the skies, lord of the seas? When it comes down to your lives, this quest, and the others, I have to be lower on the priority list. So at the very least, if you're going to be stupid and risk your lives, make sure you're keeping the same energy for everyone. Especially your little cousins. Please?"

She jutted her head over to the children of Hades in question without meeting either of their eyes, squeezing Percy's hand once more before releasing him to return to Nico and Hazels' side. "Just think about it, okay?"

She left Percy and Jason with all the protests she'd steamrolled over dying on their lips and throats constricted with the size of the pill she'd left them to swallow. The son of Poseidon eyed his counterpart carefully, taking in his reaction; no matter how wrong Ash was about where she should stand on his priority list, he did have to admit she made a fair point. In the grand scheme of things, when it came down to one of their lives against four like it had in that arena, they should have kept fighting, should have taken the risk to go for the win no matter the cost. But something had stopped them, and despite how hard their hero-savior complexes wanted to deny it, that something had been specific to the person in front of them. If someone else had been in her place... Percy was sure things would have gone down differently. They wouldn't have just frozen up like that. And as leaders, that was a problem. For both of them.

At least Percy had an excuse though. To put it simply, Ash wasn't so much a weak spot (of which he admittedly had far too many) as she was his whole spot, the primary cause for which he fought, the fiefdom to which he'd pledged his life. But Jason... Percy wasn't sure whether he was grateful or resentful of the fact there was another man out there willing to risk it all for his girlfriend. His feelings towards the son of Jupiter were highly ambiguous in general. On one hand, he was an undeniably good guy, the sort of hero Percy might find himself begrudgingly looking up to, like Thalia, only a little younger. He was certainly a kick-ass fighter and valuable member of the team, a true leader. But there was just this one teensy weensy teeny tiny thing, and that was the fact he'd taken something that wasn't his to have: a kiss from Ash. Until she told him otherwise, those belonged to Percy, and even a single one stolen from August 18th of last year to the rest of their lives was something he didn't know if he wanted to let slide.