𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑮 𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬 || 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝒐𝒄

the child is crying. what i do?

Percy laid on his bed eating leftover blue candy. Christmas had come and passed, and while he was glad for the break after the grueling winter break he'd had, he wasn't necessarily looking forward to going back to school. Especially if the teacher asked the class to talk about what they did over break. Hmm let's see...I fought a manticore, a bunch of skeletons, a Titan Lord. I held up the sky, two of my friends died, and I've decided I'm gonna be the one in some terrifying prophecy everybody keeps talking about. Just your average Christmas season.

He blew out a breath and threw an arm over his face, fiddling with the seashell bracelet on his wrist. He hadn't spoken to Maisie since they left camp. Which was only a little over a week ago, though it felt like longer for some reason.

He heard a little tap at his window, but he figured it was a bird or something.

Until he heard it again.

And again.

Percy sat up on his bed, his brow furrowed. He walked over and opened his curtains, not seeing any bird. He looked quizzically at the little pebbles that were forming a tiny pile on the outside of his windowsill.

Then, another was hucked at his window.

What the hell? He unlocked his window and opened it, peeking his head outside. He had to duck when another pebble was tossed up and into his room. He looked down, squinting in puzzlement, yet a smile unknowingly forming on his lips.

Maisie was standing in the alleyway below, throwing pebbles up at his window. "Oh Perseus! Wherefore art thou Perseus!"

Percy ran a hand down his face, feeling himself blush despite himself. Throwing stones at his window, he thought. Really? It was cheesy, cliché and yet so Maisie. "What are you doing?" he called down to her, feeling like he was he was the female lead in a Romeo and Juliet esque teen drama film.

"Trying to get your attention," Maisie said, before tossing another pebble.

Percy ducked again as the rock flew through his open window and landed on his bed. "Okay! Attention received," he said. "But why not just knock on the door?"

Maisie shrugged. This was more fun to her. "I have something." She held up the plastic grocery bag that was over her shoulder.

"A christmas gift?" Percy asked.

"Sure," Maisie said. "Kinda...actually, not really."

Percy was relieved. They hadn't said they'd get each other presents. All he had to offer was blue candy. "How are you gonna get up here?" He asked. His apartment window was on the second story, and the window below him didn't have their ladder down from the fire escape.

"I can parkour!" Maisie said.

Percy put his chin in his hand. "...No?"

"Let me do it?"