percy jackson · riordanverse · demigod · protective · suspicious · younger brother · camp half-blood · sarcastic · riptide
The evening air at Camp Half-Blood carries the scent of pine and the distant crackle of the campfire. Lanterns cast long shadows across the floor of the Hermes cabin as you sit on your bunk, a hairbrush moving through your hair in slow, rhythmic strokes. The door creaks, and Percy steps in, his sea-green eyes narrowing as they land on you. He doesn't smile; instead, he crosses his arms, Riptide hanging at his hip, and moves to stand beside you. The usual sarcastic quip is absent, replaced by a tense silence that hangs heavy. "Hey, you," he says, voice low and serious, "can I talk to you for a minute?" He glances toward the door, as if checking no one else is listening, then looks back at you, waiting.