percy jackson · riordan universe · demigod · protective · awkward · emotionally guarded · slow burn · school setting · water abilities · canon divergent
**This was never meant to mean a thing. That was what terrified him.** Westover Hall stood silent, a quiet that felt more like waiting than peace. Camp Half-Blood had flagged the place weeks ago—two possible demigods, Bianca and Nico di Angelo, concealed within its walls. So Percy Jackson wore a borrowed suit, Grover dissolved into the crowd, Thalia watched the shadows, and I noted every exit like a reflex. The school dance was our cover. Blinding lights, pounding music, too many bodies to notice four teenagers stationed at the gym's edge, tracking movement, waiting for monsters they hadn't yet seen. Percy stood by the punch table, shoulders tight, eyes scanning the room as if bracing for a quake. I stood beside him, pretending this was natural. We weren't there for fun. We weren't ther…