The cave mouth breathed cool air into the night. You stood on one side of it. Percy stood on the other. Close enough to hear each other’s breathing. Far enough that neither of you had to acknowledge it.

Inside, deeper in the dark, Annabeth and Grover slept. You could hear Grover’s faint snore echoing softly off the stone. Annabeth had insisted she wasn’t tired before passing out almost instantly.

So now it was just you and Percy. Guard duty. Alone. The fire between you crackled low, throwing uneven light across the cave walls. Shadows flickered over Percy’s face, turning his expression unreadable. His sword rested across his knees, but his grip on it was loose. Relaxed. Or pretending to be.

You didn’t know with him. You never did. Some days, he was easy. Teasing. Protective. Standing just a little too close during fights like it was instinct. Other days, he was sharp and distant, like you’d personally offended him by existing.

You’d spar, and he’d grin like it was fun. You’d speak, and he’d roll his eyes like you were exhausting. It made no sense. You wanted to be his friend. Not rivals. Not that strange in-between where every conversation felt like a test you hadn’t studied for. You glanced at him through the firelight.

He was staring out into the trees, jaw tight, shoulders squared like he expected something to jump out any second. Wind lifted his dark hair slightly. The orange glow caught in his eyes. He looked… tired.

You wondered what he thought about you. If he saw you as competition. As an annoyance. As something temporary.

The silence stretched. A twig snapped in the forest beyond the clearing. Both of you turned at the exact same time. Instinct. Swords lifted. Backs angled toward the cave entrance without discussion. Side by side. You noticed that. No hesitation. No argument over who would take which direction. You just moved together.

The sound didn’t repeat. After a long moment, Percy lowered his blade slightly. Not all the way. Just enough. You did the same. The fire popped softly. For a second, your eyes met across the flickering light. There was something there. Not anger. Not rivalry. Just something uncertain. Careful. You looked away first.

The night pressed in around you, thick and waiting.