[Mentions of not eating and blood. There is a slight instance of self harm in a different way, but it would still be considered self harm because it is pain to one's self]

BEDHEAD

"nothing short of perfect"

     HE WROTE STORIES OF HER WITH A SINGLE HAND HOLD. He could tell tales of her livelihood with a single laugh.

Percy had woken up from a dreamless sleep. He didn't know how long he'd been out, but he was comfortable in his bunk. The room was similar to everyone else, but it was personalized to his liking.

Ariadne had kept a porthole open to allow the salty smell inside, which made him feel at home. There were a few framed pictures of their friends, as well as the Minotaur horn on his wall, glistening like it always had in cabin three. His eyes were mostly fixated on the constellations spread across his ceiling. They connected by their dots, shining as if they were visible even through the woods, like he could reach and pluck one from the dark night.

A soft breath drew his attention toward his shoulder. There, Ariadne laid asleep, her eyes shut tightly while she frowned. She must've been having a distressing dream.

Percy brushed his hand along her arm, his fingers grazing her skin lightly. They connected the freckles like constellations. She was warm in his arms. He felt compelled to not move, to watch her sleep while whispering words he truly meant that she couldn't hear, to confess all his feelings before he set them straight. His lips pressed a form kiss to her forehead, a mouthful of strawberry shampoo.

This was where he wanted to be. His heart fluttered while she shuffled around. Her back faced the door, shielding him from whatever walked over the threshold. Ariadne looked beautiful in his arms—she always did. Percy wondered how he had gotten so lucky.

It was no secret how they despised one another in the beginning. Eventually, they found a mutual understanding, which a friendship blossomed from its roots, which consisted of danger and excitement. Confused on the way he felt for her was a stressful time for him. Without those quests and only seeing her a few times a day, he was left to debate what he was experiencing; either sickness, or something more. Percy couldn't except the fact that someone would even like him. Gabe always said he was worthless, that no one would bother with him, which he believed to be true.

Ariadne made him feel like the most important person in the world.

Percy could go back in time at the significant memories of them. Now, knowing where he ended up with her, he could scold his younger self for never realizing sooner that he liked the brunette. It would've made everything so much easier—but their life wasn't easy. He understood why she was hesitant, knowing that things can't last forever, people always leave in the end. That was why he promised to be her stepping stone, her rock, the object she could hold onto when the storm grew rough inside of her.

She was important to him. Her very opinion mattered more than the balance of the world did. With a smile, she could tilt his whole body into favoring what she wanted, his whole balance thrown off by her very being. But, then again, she could correct his wrong thoughts or determination by listening and speaking. She was perfect like that.

A memory struck him. As clear as day, remembering when he couldn't hold in his feelings over a certain abusive former-stepfather of his. His gut twisted, but when Ariadne had been there, she had calmed him down:

Percy's body shook. He couldn't cry. Not before the whole of Camp Half-Blood. He sat at table three—alone. The other campers talked amongst themselves while eating their dinner, but when the smell of burnt eggs filled his nostrils, he cringed and retreated inward.

He remembered Gabe yelling at Sally for burning his breakfast. The man would slap her as she pleaded not in front of her child, but he never listened. Percy would watch as Gabe dragged her to their room before smacking Percy to the ground because of his blind rage.

The man was pure evil—he didn't deserve his mother, no one did. Sally would always appear fine, but the second she was alone he would sneak in and see her sobbing in her bathroom, shaking her head while muttering all about how it was for her son and his well-being. He truly didn't understand what she meant at the time.

The boy gripped his fork tightly, almost cutting himself. He couldn't lose his cool. He needed to stay strong.

Percy gasped while his chest crunched together. He couldn't breathe. He kept his gasps quiet.

The son of Poseidon stood from his table encore making a beeline for his cabin. His legs turned to jelly, his balance thrown off while he clutched his chest and scratched at his throat. He couldn't see straight. His eyes wouldn't focus on anything, blurry as he ran in a daze.

A hand gripped his shoulder, while she spun around quickly. Amethyst eyes met his and he gasped even more.

Aidan, he thought to himself, it's okay. It's her.

Ariadne guided him over to his cabin, helping him inside before he crumpled to the floor. He continued to try reaching for air. Percy coughed and gagged while feeling faint, his head dizzy.

"Breathe," she said. Ariadne placed one of his hands on her chest while she took a deep breath in. "Breathe with me. Match my heart to yours."

It was steady. Her heartbeat thumped in her chest at a consistent pace, calm and collected while she continued inhaling and exhaling air for his sake. Percy began matching his breaths to hers'. Eventually, he found the same rhythm, and they flowed together for another few minutes.

His head rested in her lap, her legs stretched out while she leaned against a pillow she had taken from his bed. Her nails dragged through  his hair while he closed his eyes.

Ariadne smiled softly. "Are you okay?"

"No," Percy choked out, his voice raw.

"You will be," Ariadne muttered to him. "As long as you have me, I'll make sure you're okay."

Percy didn't give any sign he was listening. She could tell he was trying to forget it all. Ariadne decided it was best to talk about something else.

"So, today I ended up catching Grover and Juniper making out and I've never been so embarrassed," she told him. Her eyes lit up. "I walked through the first looking for him to help me with the strawberry fields, and what do I see? I see Grover overtop of Juniper on the grass while they're laughing and giggling. It was cute, but, I felt kind of bad I found them that way."

Percy opened his eyes. "Did they see you?"

"Nope. But, now I wonder, is that what we looked like when Annabeth found us that one time?"

"You got her back," he pointed out. "Remember, when you walked into the training arena to Annabeth and Andrea."

She laughed. It rippled through her chest, chasing him to smile. "Babe, I don't think Annabeth was caring when I kept making jokes."

Percy threaded his fingers with hers'. He clutched it to his body, kissing the back of her hand in a slight thank you.

Ariadne shrugged. "Tell me, why do you keep looking at me that way?"

"Oh, no reason," he said, avoiding her question. She began pestering him while he only shook his head in refusal. She groaned while he closed his eyes.

Percy and Ariadne continued to talk and laugh for hours, forgetting about curfew and the hunger in their bellies—for they had each other.

That was all that really mattered, of course.

Percy held Ariadne tighter to him. Her hand gripped his shirt, twisting it while mumbling something beneath her breath, too low for him to hear. He was worried while she shifted.

Ariadne began shaking. Her body fidgeted while she gasped, her fingers clawing at her throat, leaving red lines along her delicate skin. It left rough patches in her freckles while Percy tried to shake her awake.

Her eyes shot open. They were bloodshot, dark and disturbing while the purple swirled with mystery. She gasped loudly while coughing, her face pale while she shook in his arms.

"Aidan," he whispered, holding her face gently in his palms. His thumb stroked her scar-ridden cheek.

Ariadne focused on his face; his beautiful face. The boy's windswept hair fell in front of his eyes. His face was tanned from his days in the sun, freckles popping up along his neck and arms. Dimples protruded from the sides of his lips, even when he wasn't smiling. His hands warmed her body, calming her down while he clutched her to his chest.

Percy stared at her. "What happened?"

"I...I don't know," Ariadne panted. "The last thing I remember was drowning. And—and I saw—"

She caught herself. Her breath hitched in her throat. He concluded it was due to the terror in her nightmares, but he wasn't sure.

"Don't scare me like that again," Percy told her. "You were shaking and you weren't breathing. Gods, Aidan, it was terrifying."

Ariadne gave him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her legs swung over the side of his bed, feet touching the floor while she shivered at the cold touch. Her eyes were glued to the ring on her finger.

Percy sat next to her. It was often she did this. She would zone out after a bad dream, tell him to go back to bed while she sat and thought for hours on end. It was worrying, but he could handle it. He'd known her for almost five years. The boy was watching her ring, too. A thought crossed his mind.

"It's different," Percy said. Ariadne glanced over at him. His thumb ran over the gold ring across her finger while humming, feeling every engraving and knowing it was no longer the same. "Did Lunacy get an upgrade or something?"

Her face twisted into a painful one. "Uh, no." Ariadne twisted the ring. "When we went to save Piper's dad from the giant Enceladus, I had to break my sword to save us."

"Break it?"

"Lunacy was made of Imperial Gold, like Jason's lance and Hazel's own sword." Ariadne furrowed her brows. "It's closely found to Camp Jupiter, like how Celestial Bronze is for Camp Half-Blood. Although, we never see gold and they never see bronze. The gold isn't meant to snap, if it does, it creates an explosion that can leave a large crater anywhere."

Percy nodded. "So that means..."

"Yeah," Ariadne muttered, "Lunacy is gone."

"But your ring is gold," the boy pointed out.

She pursed her lips. Her calloused fingers found her ring and twisted it fully, a long sword glistened in the dim oil lamp lightening. The majority of the blade was a caramel color—Celestial bronze. It didn't have the vines like he would've expected. Instead, it was engraved with hundreds of Greek letters, swirling and forming sentences and words. He wondered what they meant.

The small sliver of broken Imperial gold was attached to the handle, adding in an odd amount of color and mixture. Along the hilt was an image of two pinkies intertwined. A few times, the fingers would drift apart, only to glow back together at the tug of a string that connected them.

Percy blushed. His cheeks and ears turned red while knowing it was meant for them. Really, he understood. There was some invisible string attaching them to one another.

Ariadne ran her thumb down the empty space along the very end of the hilt, where a name should've been. Most magical weapons blessed by godly powers were meant to be engraved immediately and magically when the perfect name was chosen. Lunacy had been written after she decided that she would use it to defeat her enemies, but now, it was empty.

"The first time I saw this on my bed, I thought I had it back," Ariadne said sadly. "Some part of me believed Lunacy had survived the blast and was still the same. But the second I picked it up, it was different—first the designs, second the bronze blade, and third; Lunacy was nowhere. It was gone. Just an empty space where I would have to discover a new name for it."

Percy knew she was hurting. Holding that sword, fighting with it, everything was different. He was reminded of a few hours on a day when they were flying to their next place.

Ariadne had offered to help Hazel and Frank in combat. The boy was a bit nervous to be holding a sword rather than a blade. The second he had held it and tried to swing at her, she easily dodged it and had him on the deck.

Frank had turned into a lizard in embarrassment. She only smiled.

Hazel, on the other hand, was stern and was determined to gain an advantage over the older girl. She had slashed in every Roman way possible, but Ariadne's moves were too unpredictable, too unorganized to understand what was going to happen next. It was the same way Percy fought—it was pure Greek.

Although, the girl had managed to snag a large tip on Ariadne's shirt.

The elder assured her it was fine. "Honestly, Hazel, I have enough of shirts." She smiled while taking the ripped cloth off of her body, tossing it to the side of the wooden deck. "If I need anymore I'll just take one of Annabeth's."

The blonde glared at her from where she was helping Leo set course. "Do that, and you will wake up with no fingers."

Frank was scared at her tone, giving Ariadne a fearful look while the brunette laughed and teased her friend. He was amazed at how she wasn't afraid of anything, how she took everything with stride, keeping a level head and a warrior's heart. He wanted that.

Jason, who had been watching from the railing, was confident in his steps. He stood behind the grip, listening as Ariadne adjusted their positions to make their own stances stronger than ever. It helped tremendously.

The son of Jupiter cleared his throat. "Uh, could I try?"

He had been analyzing all of her movements. He noticed a few tells of hers, but he wouldn't say that. Jason would have her on the deck and he would help her, too. Some part of him was jealous at the way the rest of the crew called her the best fighter, the most experienced. He was a trained legion member and former Praetor of Camp Jupiter, and he was up against a wild, easy-going girl from a summer camp.

It wasn't that challenging to figure out.

Ariadne gave him a nod. Hazel and Frank stepped back, watching as a Greek and Roman demigod stood across from each other.

Her sword twisted in her hand uneasily. Usually, when he had watched her with Lunacy, every hold and turn was muscle memory, knowing exactly where to place her fingers. With this one, she was hesitant, unsure of what to do.

Piper and Percy were carrying crates of supplies up the stairs from below deck. They were talking about everything, finding themselves enjoying the conversation.

Percy was mostly focused on how camp was since his missing days. Piper did her best to relay the countless people who were searching or had gone off into the mortal world. Mostly, her thoughts were descriptive about Ariadne's wellbeing.

Frankly, Percy didn't believe it would get that bad. Sure, she missed him and he missed her, but would she really be so torn up over someone like him?

Ariadne had cried herself to sleep most nights in his cabin. She never strayed too far from the lake or the tree that had It's place before the strawberry fields and the waters, in the perfect middle. The girl hadn't eaten well for a few weeks after Hera's rescue, learning that she couldn't get to him until the summer. Eventually, it had gotten better, but only after Nico di Angelo had found her in her cabin, stuffing ambrosia and nectar down her throat while trying to wrap her bloody knuckles up.

Nico had told the counselors and Chiron that he had caught Ariadne beating herself up for hours straight. She would drag herself back to cabin twelve with torn and ragged raw hands, smearing blood on her face while she cringed at the pain.

She was so caught up in ensuring she could save him again, Percy knew she didn't focus on herself.

Percy had thanked the girl for the information before his attention was drawn toward the commotion on deck. He watched as Jason and Ariadne stood, swords raised while they baited each other.

His jaw clenched as he watched Jason make a swing—Roman style—while she ducked. His gut twisted when he noticed the way your blades danced. He shouldn't jealous over a sparring session. But he couldn't help it, seeing you in a fluid motion with another boy hurt him, because he always believed you two were the only ones who could replicate that.

But, his thoughts left his mind immediately when he caught sight of your face.

That smirk.

Ariadne's lips were pulled taut. Her eyes were playing tricks on Jason. There was no way he was going to win, she was stringing him along, letting him take the bait while she had her fun. Her freckles became more apparent in the sun while the streak gleamed off of her hair, the grey chunk falling before her face while she blew it away out of instinct.

He couldn't help but let his eyes travel down your body. Percy gulped, feeling his breath caught while he watching her move. Her toned stomach with very noticeable abs flexed, her muscles rippling in her skin while she raised her arms, sweeping her legs out.

The boy was a sucker for watching her spar. The way Ariadne's hair laid in its ponytails, the curls bouncing, the expertise you had when holding any sword. Sweat dripped down her skin but she only kept smirking.

Jason was growing tired and frustrated. He was about to move his body from a hit from her speed, but he took the distraction and was knocked off his feet.

Ariadne kicked her foot out and struck the center of his chest. The Roman boy slammed against the side of the ship and the wind left his lungs. There was a wind next to his face, and when he glanced over, his sword was embedded through the corner of his shirt, perfectly avoiding his shoulder.

He tried to pull it out, but he was appalled by the strength Ariadne had to completely have the sword stuck into the wood up to its hilt.

"Next time," Ariadne said, hands on her hips, "try not to be so predictable. Your stance is fine, but it could be better. I know Roman ways are different, but, you guys have sucky form."

A laugh left her pretty lips. "I could probably take the whole legion on myself and win in two minutes. Monsters can spot your moves instantly, that's why you have to take risks and be unconventional."

She was directing the info to not just the Roman demigods, but also the newbie Greek campers. They needed to know what Ariadne, Percy, and Annabeth had learned over the years.

Piper raised an eyebrow at Annabeth who had stood next to her at the start of the battle. She gestured in Percy's direction, the boy still cluelessly holding the crate of supplies while watching Ariadne smile and wave at Hazel who was giddily talking in awe, and Frank who was asking questions. Leo was trying to get Jason unstuck from the wall but kept falling on his butt because he wasn't strong enough.

Annabeth sighed, a tired look rested in her eyes as if she had dealt with Percy's looks at Ariadne for far too long.

Percy remembered watching as Ariadne looked at him, her smirk turning into a genuine smile while she winked softly. He smiled back.

No words needed to be said. No actions needed to be communicated, because in that moment, it was universal between them both—they were happy.

Percy Jackson realized the feeling in his stomach. It sent a shockwave through him, and he almost felt like he wanted to cry.

Percy looked at his beautiful girlfriend while she placed her ring back on. At that moment, he began to piece together everything, every moment, every thought and words he said to her.

Percy Jackson loved Ariadne Phoenix.

authors note:

Filler chapter because I wanted  it!

The amount of x reader imagined I've read on tumblr made me keep writing 'you' instead of her. Like, shut.

Hope you all enjoyed this!

Important!

If you ever need to talk about anything, please feel free to message me. I know I mentioned before the chapter a warning. Although most would consider c**ting as the most clear form of self harm, I would like to remind everyone there are different types. Ariadne decided the best way to punish herself wasn't to make it obvious, but to relentlessly go through withering training as a result of her neglect toward her own emotions and care for herself.

Please note, that no matter what you do, wether it's over exercising or not eating or even biting your lip or cheek, if you are doing it to harm yourself or try to reprimand yourself for a decision or anything, it is self harm.

Guys, I won't say I'm perfect because I do this. Others have more severe cases, and these things can lead to serious topics I know are too sensitive to discuss.

But please, if you all are ever triggered by anything I write, please tell me and I will change it immediately

I want you all to be comfortable with yourselves and this book to relate to and find some peace in this shit world

Anyways!

Everyone, no question! But I want everyone to compliment someone in the comments. Wether it's something they said previously or even their works or reading lists, say something good!

HERE:

Now, I want you to give some advice for anyone. If it's school help or hacks or even social interaction hacks, leave them here for others to have a peace of mind! Positive vibes only

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I love you guys sooooooo much!