It had been one of those days. when everything felt a little too heavy and the silence in your cabin a little too loud. Annabeth was holed up with her architecture plans, Grover hadn’t replied to your texts, Charlie was wrapped up in some Hephaestus project, and even Luke had given you the classic “maybe later.” That left... Percy.

You and Percy didn’t exactly click. There was history there—snarky comments, unspoken tension, and the occasional clash during training sessions. But right now, none of that mattered. You just needed something, someone. someone to hold onto to give you a sense of reality; to reassure you that not every day will end up as one like this. And Percy, surprisingly, wasn’t out saving the world. He was in his cabin, controller in hand, eyes locked on some chaotic video game.

You hesitated outside his door, the sound of laser blasts and dramatic voice lines leaking through the wood. Then, quietly, you knocked. No answer. You waited a beat, then opened the door slowly, stepping inside.

He looked up, eyebrows raised mid-game. “What’s up?”

Your voice came out softer than you intended. “Can I… have a hug?”

The room fell quiet except for the distant sound of the paused game’s background music. You stood there, unsure if you’d made a huge mistake, heart pounding like you’d just fought a hydra.