Just Let Me Leave (Jercy AU)

Chapter Five: Stop

[MINOR TRIGGER WARNING: chapter contains some mentions of blood, injuries, and implied violence]

Breaking news: your shipping needs may or may not be fulfilled quicker in this book than in the percico one. We shall see.

But since Alone Again is at chapter twenty-something and nothing has happened, it won't be very hard to beat that😂

ANYWAYS, HERE WE GO.

What's another lie going to do anyways?
*****

Leo was beginning to get concerned about Jason's recent behavior. He was usually this lighthearted, optimistic guy who always managed to cause those around him to feel the same way. Recently, Leo noticed, he had seemed to be quite the opposite. He was a lot more quiet, and he was always scanning his surroundings. When Leo had tried to ask him what was wrong, he simply waved him off and left.

He also happened to notice a certain person that Jason seemed to be around with recently. Ever since the whole hallway incident, Jason had been spending more time around the boy, who he had, probably unintentionally, begun to call Percy. Jason just continuously talked about him. He'd wonder where he was, how he was feeling, he'd even ask Piper and Leo things about him that they obviously didn't know.

The only thing that may be important that Jason mentioned about him was that he didn't talk, which Leo found odd. He said that he wasn't mute, but he just didn't talk. However, if he can talk, Leo thought, why doesn't he just do that?

He didn't really understand people.

But then it stopped a week later.

And Leo was way more concerned about that.

Jason returned to his normal self. He walked Piper to her history class, which was on the way to his biology class, he laughed at Leo's stupid jokes and puns, he said stupid stuff to Thalia, he helped Hazel with her geometry class after school every Thursday, he visited Frank and ordered a pizza from him every week, he talked to Reyna about Roman mythology after his Latin classes, he happily listened to Annabeth go on and on about Greece, and most noticeable to Leo, the only time that his composure flickered was when he brought of the silent boy. He'd frown and pretend that Percy never existed.

To be honest, Leo kind of hated it.

Sure, he was a bit rattled at all of the mentions of Percy in their day-to-day conversations, but without him, Jason was simply wearing a mask. However, Leo knew exactly what Jason needed: a completely careless movie night where him, Jason, Piper, and Thalia sat around, ate food, and mostly just made fun of whatever movie they were watching. That night, Leo had picked an outrageously ridiculous shark movie to start them off.

At around midnight and halfway through their second movie, they paused their film so that Thalia could get up to make popcorn, which Piper had eaten excessive amounts of. After their microwave started malfunctioning, Jason had joined her in the kitchen to try and help. During this time, the doorbell rang throughout the house.

Thalia groaned from the kitchen, shouting to the younger teens, "Will one of you two get that?"

Leo and Piper exchanged looks before Piper spoke up. "It's fucking midnight, I'm not getting that."