²𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐃𝐘. percy jackson - II. - Page 7 (2024)

 
What started off as an innocent crush developed in the last few years, she'd fallen for him deep and hard, with absolutely no safety net. They'd finally become a happy couple for four months after waiting years to admit their feelings for each other—and then he'd disappeared.
During their separation, something had happened to Lucia's feelings. They'd grown painfully intense—like she'd been forced to withdraw from an extremely hard drug. Now she wasn't sure which was more excruciating—living with that horrible absence or being with him again. 
The praetor Reyna straightened. With apparent reluctance, she turned toward Jason.
"Jason Grace, my former colleague..." She spoke the word colleague like it was a dangerous thing. "I welcome you home. And these, your friends—" "Luz!."
Lucia didn't mean to, she truly didn't. But once she heard him call for her, her body responded. And she surged forward. Sparks went off under her leather sandals. Percy rushed to her at the same time.
The crowd tensed. Some reached for swords that weren't there. They expected a battle. But they got something quite different.
Percy threw his arms around her. He pulled her up and off the ground into his embrace. She jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck. 
 Their lips then met, and at that moment nothing else mattered. The world could have ended then and there, and Lucia wouldn't have cared. 
They found each other. 
Percy smelled of clean ocean air. His lips were salty and addicting to the taste. He pressed her close to him. In his kiss, she felt it all, all the ways he missed her. 
He was desperate, so desperate to taste her again. His lips slit against hers roughly, taking her breath away at the intensity of his kiss. Lucia was the first to break apart, mostly because they needed to breathe, unfortunately, and partly because there was indeed an audience, despite both of them disregarding it. 
He however decided to steal one more kiss 
See Also
I'll See You Again When I Escape - Chapter 1 - Stardust_in_the_Sea - Percy Jackson and the OlympiansI'll See You Again When I Escape - Chapter 2 - Stardust_in_the_Sea - Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Once Percy pulled away, he studied her face... "Looks like you found me, Sunlight." 
She saw the sparkle in his eye as he looked down at her. A sweet smile formed on her lips. He mirrored it before he saw that it dropped to a scowl. 
She, being Lucia, grabbed him by the face to smush his face together. Percy looked down at her with fish lips. 
She pointed a finger at him in anger but her grip on him was overall light. She was even close to tearing up, "I'm going to put a tracker chip on you! Bobo! Como vas a desaparacer de la nada. I swear to all the gods! Even the Roman ones! that if you so much as think of going somewhere without me ever again—" idiot! how are you going disappear on me out of nowhere? 
"I missed you too Princess." he grinned, 
She rolled her eyes in defeat, she was too giddy to even think of any of the pain or anger she felt when he was gone. Right now she was too euphoric at the fact that he was standing in front of her. That he was safe. 
 "Seaweed brain!" Annabeth rushed forward. The boy smiled at his friend. He moved from Lucia to offer his arms out for a hug. The blonde grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder. He slammed into the stone pavement. 
Romans cried out. Some surged forward. Reyna shouted, "Hold! Stand down!" 
Lucia signaled to the duo nonchalantly. "They're just playing. give them a minute." 
Annabeth pressed her knees to Percy's chest, pressing her forearm slightly on his neck."If you ever leave again...," Annabeth said, her eyes stinging.
Percy had the nerve to laugh. Suddenly she smiled. "Consider me warned," Percy said. "Missed you, Wise girl."
Annabeth rose and helped him to his feet. She smiled. 
Jason cleared his throat. "So, yeah...It's good to be back."
He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little miffed that she hadn't gotten to say the lines she'd been practicing, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign.
"This is Annabeth Chase," Jason said. "Uh, normally Annabeth doesn't Judo-flip people. "
Reyna's eyes sparkled. "You sure you're not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?"
Annabeth held out her hand. "I only attack my best friend like that," she promised. "Pleased to meet you."
"And this," Jason moved to stand next to her, "Is Lucia." 
"Lucia." Reyna nodded, "Yes I know you." Lucia didn't know whether she meant that in a good way or not. Reyna clasped her hand firmly. "It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!"
A few of the Roman campers hustled forward—apparently the senior officers.
Two kids appeared at Percy's side, the same ones Lucia had seen him hanging around with earlier. The burly Asian guy with the buzz cut was about fifteen. The girl was younger, maybe thirteen, with amber eyes and chocolate skin and gorgeous long curly hair. Her cavalry helmet was tucked under her arm.
Lucia could tell from their body language that they felt close to Percy. They stood next to him protectively like they'd already shared many adventures. Lucia had spent the last few years of her life trying to learn to read people. As someone who's the analytical, it can be easy. But as someone who can be way too trusting sometimes....well. 
It was a survival skill she was learning to develop more. But if she had to guess, she'd say the big Asian guy was the girl's boyfriend, though she suspected they hadn't been together long.
There was one thing she didn't understand: what was the girl staring at? She kept frowning in Piper and Leo's direction, like she was looking back at a painful memory.
Meanwhile, Reyna was giving orders to her officers. "...tell the legion to stand down. Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. And, Octavian—"
"You're letting these intruders into the camp?" A tall guy with stringy blond hair elbowed his way forward. "Reyna, the security risks—"
"We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian." Reyna flashed him a stern look. "We'll eat here, in the forum."
"Oh, much better," Octavian grumbled. He seemed to be the only one who didn't defer to Reyna as his superior, although he was scrawny and pale and for some reason had three teddy bears hanging from his belt. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship."
"These are our guests." Reyna clipped off every word. "We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As Augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."
"Good idea," Percy put in. "Go burn your bears, Octavian."
Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile. "You have my orders. Go." The officers dispersed. 
Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing. Then he gave Lucia a suspicious once-over. 
"Who are you?" Lucia co*cked her head to the side. 
He didn't answer as he stalked away 
Percy slipped his hand into Lucia's. "Don't worry about Octavian," he said. "Most of the Romans are good people—like Frank and Hazel here, and Reyna. We'll be fine." 
"He looks famili-."Lucia questioned, but she was interrupted by a freezing shiver running across her neck. She heard that whispering laughter again, as if the presence had followed her from the ship.
She looked up at the Argo II. Its massive bronze hull glittered in the sunlight. Part of her wanted to kidnap Percy right now, climb on board, and get out of there while they still could.
She couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. And there was no way she would ever risk losing Percy again.
"We'll be fine," Lucia repeated, hoping if she said it aloud, she could believe it. 
"Excellent," Reyna said. She turned to Jason, and Annabeth thought there was a hungry sort of gleam in her eyes. "Let's talk, and we can have a proper reunion.