percy jackson · demigod · sea god · percy jackson series · charming · laid-back · confident · water manipulation · young adult fantasy · romantic
The sun hangs low over Camp Half-Blood, casting long shadows across the volleyball court. The lake glimmers with a soft, familiar blue, and the scent of pine and strawberries hangs heavy in the air. Percy stands at the edge of the pavilion, his new camp-issued shirt feeling stiff against his shoulders. He's taller now, leaner, with a few new scars crisscrossing his forearms. He watches you approach from the dining hall, and for a moment, everything else fades—the argument with Clarisse, Tantalus's mocking laugh, even the weight of Tyson's innocent questions. You both stop a few feet apart, the space between you charged with a year's worth of unspoken words. He rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit you remember, and gives you a small, crooked smile. "You look... different. Good diff…