stress-baking | theyna

vi.

Jason sauntered into the room, bags of fast food gripped in both hands. Thalia was laying on the couch upside-down, legs on the wall above her, head hanging off the sofa. She was switching through the channels of the outdated TV that hung on the opposite wall. The moment her brother walked in, her mood brightened and she tumbled off the couch, feet first.

"I have been waiting for this all day. Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme," Thalia made little grabbing motions with her hands. Jason tossed her both bags.

"You're ruining your health."

"You're the one who got them for me," a carnal moan escaped Thalia's lips as she stuffed fries into her mouth, "God, I love you."

Jason was staring at her with bemusement. "You shouldn't love me only when I get you junk food."

"I wasn't talking to you." Thalia ripped her attention away from her burger. Her sibling gasped with fake-hurt, a hand covering his heart, sitting down on the couch.

"I'm not buying you any more McDonald's," He said, nose pointed in the air. The both of them knew it was an empty threat. There was no way Jason could deny his sister anything.

Thalia finished her food and set her trash on the coffee table next to her still-full frappucino. "Jason, do you want this?" She gestured towards her cup.

"Is that from the shop Reyna and Leo work at? What is it?"

"Yes, and it's a vanilla bean frappuccino."

Jason snickered. "You don't even like coffee." His eyes lit up and a grin melted across his face. "Oh my god, Thalia, you've got a crush!"

Thalia turned red, stuttering out, "N-no, I don't! I wa-was just there!"

"Oh, you were just in the neighborhood, and you decided to get a drink you know you wouldn't even like. Of course, sounds logical." Jason fixed Thalia with a quelling stare that showed his exasperation.

"Come on! Don't give me that. I do not deserve this ridicule." Thalia said soberingly.

Jason gave her a shit-eating grin, and Thalia had a feeling she knew what was going to happen next. "Thalia has a cru-ush!" He yelled, hands cupped around his mouth. "Thalia and Reyna, sitting in a tree! K-i-s-s-i-n-g! First comes lo-hrng!" Thalia shut him up with a pillow to the face. Jason pulled it away from his head, looking dejected and somewhat irked.

"Rude."

"Payback," Thalia shrugged nonchalantly.

Someone threw open the pitiful, abused door. "Thalia has a crush?!" Annabeth was panting, standing in the middle of the foyer, a crazed grin on her face. "Who is it?!"

Jason stood up and danced over to where Annabeth was, limbs flying, legs splayed everywhere. He shimmied around the blonde, gossiply winking at his sister. "Thalia likes Reyyynaaaaa!"

Annabeth buzzed with excitement. "Oh-ho-ho-ho-hooo, I knew it." Percy flew in after her, smiling just as bright as his girlfriend.

"Did I hear that right? The girl you woke up about a month ago?!" He put his hands on Annabeth's shoulders, chin on the top of her head.

"How can you guys hear from outside the door?" Thalia asked quizzically, still sitting on the floor.

"Jason was yelling it, after all." Percy said, cocking his head and pursing his lips. Thalia sighed.

She pointed up at her brother. "I swear to god if she heard, I will cut you, boy." She fixed her brother with a glare. All three of her friends only giggled at her, knowing it wasn't a very heated threat. Thalia's finger swept across the other people in the room. "Once more, I do not deserve this ridicule."