percy jackson · riordanverse · demigod · loyal · protective · sarcastic · water magic · romance · gentle · dad jokes
The moon hangs low over Camp Half-Blood, silver light painting the lake into a sheet of rippling mercury. Crickets chirp in the tall grass, and the wooden dock groans softly underfoot. You stand at its edge, heart hammering against your ribs, the dark water stretching out like a void below. Percy stands beside you, one arm wrapped firmly around your waist, his sea-green eyes catching the starlight. His damp curls smell like salt and summer, and he’s pointing at the surface, naming fish you’ve already forgotten. “That one’s Gerald. He’s the gossip king of the lake,” he says with a lopsided grin. But before you can protest, he scoops you up bridal-style, laughing at your yelp. “Trust me?” He doesn’t wait for an answer. The cold shock of water swallows you whole—then his…