Luke Castellan did not typically break into flower shops. They normally didn't have anything that he cared about but today was not a normal day. Today he needed something very special. And, well, mom always liked getting flowers from Hermes on the rare occasions they fought.
Outside it poured rain and lightning lit up the sky every few seconds but inside the shop it was quiet. Luke dripped water onto the floor of the flower shop as he moved between the coolers. There were dozens of flowers here in dozens of different shapes and colors. The only time Luke ever gave anyone flowers was the few times he picked roses from gardens and presented them to Thalia with a flourish of dramatics. In other words, Luke was out of his depth.
The flowers Luke was looking for now weren't for Thalia. That ship had sailed long ago and even though Luke suspected she'd be back one day…he wasn't intending to wait for her. The decision wasn't an easy one to come to but there was someone new in Luke's life and, well, he developed some pretty strong feelings for them. Luke's heart ached bittersweetly at the thought of his new love.
Luke walked among the flowers, considering what would be best. He wanted something that Percy would appreciate. Something unique and not too overpowering. In the blue section, Luke chose a pretty little flower labeled forget-me-nots. The name felt fitting, as he hoped that Percy wouldn't forget how much they meant to each other. He took the entire bucket of flowers and set it on the counter, then went to look for more.
Luke chose a couple more flower options but he knew that Percy loved things that were blue and tried to find flowers he thought matched. He stood at the counter for the next hour, arranging and rearranging flowers in a bouquet, then transferring them to a vase, and then back to a bouquet. Luke wasn't very practiced with floral arrangements. It wasn't something they taught at Camp Half-Blood. He fiddled and fussed and swapped flowers.
Until finally…Luke had a bouquet of blue forget-me-nots and white baby's breath. It was wrapped up in beige plastic around the stems. The overall effect was of seafoam crashing into the shore. Luke thought that Percy would like that.
Before he left, Luke cleaned out the safe. There wasn't much but it was a flower shop, not a bank. He stuffed the money in plastic bags so that it wouldn't get wet and hid them under his clothes. Then he went back to the counter for his bouquet. Luke gave it one last long look, decided that he was overthinking it, and went back out into the rain.
Percy's demigod scent was so strong that even when it was storming, Luke could track him down. He followed the scent of the ocean, could taste the salt of it on his tongue. There was something about it that made Luke feel his pulse in his entire body like the waves crashing against sand.
When Thalia was still alive, Luke had felt something like this when she was close. Her demigod scent was pure ozone and made Luke's chest feel like thunder rumbled deep in his body. When they touched Luke always felt a tingle of electricity in his skin. Thalia's tree did the same thing when he touched it. The forest could grow unchecked for the next thousand years and Luke would always be able to find her.
Now the same thing was happening with Percy, just manifesting in a different way.
Luke took a gamble and climbed the fire escape. He didn't know which floor Percy was on or if his apartment had fire escape access but Luke knew Percy wouldn't feel safe without a backdoor, so to speak. The higher Luke climbed the more he was confident in this decision. He stopped outside the apartment he guessed Percy was in and peered into the windows.
The overhead lights were off but there were candles flickering on the dresser across from the bed. Being the son of Poseidon, Percy probably wasn't afraid of fire. Percy himself was lying in bed, wide awake, flipping a drachma into the air and catching it again. Up went the drachma and as Percy's eyes followed it, he caught sight of Luke. The drachma fell onto the bed, forgotten, as Percy leapt out of bed.
He was only wearing black underwear and a blue flannel. The flannel was open all the way down, the sleeves rolled over his fingers.
Luke's mouth filled with saliva. He swallowed. For a brief moment he went hot and forgot how cold the rain was. Luke raised his hand and waved. He held up the flowers.
Percy opened his window but he didn't look happy to see Luke. “What are you doing here?”
“I brought you flowers,” Luke said, holding out the bouquet.
Percy took it but he didn't look pleased. He held it loosely, flowers tipped down. “Flowers are the best you can do?” Percy asked in a flat, unimpressed voice.
“What do you want?” Luke asked.
“From you? Nothing.” Percy tapped the bouquet against his leg.
This was not going according to plan.
“Do we have to fight?” Luke asked, exasperated.
“You betrayed us!” Percy snapped.
Luke grit his teeth. “Who is us?”
“Annabeth, the Camp, every -”
“After a year of being lied to and treated like crap, they're who you want to throw your lot behind?” Luke snapped. He made a what the hell gesture to Percy. “They want you, personally, dead and you decide to give them your loyalty? I don't understand what they could have possibly done to earn that.”
Percy looked like a deer in the headlights for a brief moment. Then he shook it off and said, pointing the bouquet at Luke, “My dad saved me. Zeus was going to kill me.”
Luke spoke very slowly and clearly, “Yes, because you're Poseidon’s property and you succeeded at your quest to restore his honor and bring his lover back from the dead.”
Percy’s face twitched with disgust and anger. He lifted a lip in a snarl. “My mom is not his lover.”
Luke didn't reply immediately, silently debating if he wanted to go down that rabbit hole with Percy. The sad fact of the matter was that if Poseidon decided he wanted Sally Jackson again, he was going to take her whether she consented or not. She existed and so she belonged to him. Percy did not look like this was something he wanted to hear and so Luke wisely kept it to himself. He held up both hands, palms facing Percy. “I'm sorry. Poseidon's ex-lover.”
Percy's face still screwed up at the reminder of how he came to be, but he didn't protest it this time.
“Please come with me, Percy,” Luke said. “The Golden Age was the best time for everyone. It's when humans were made. There was no sickness, no pain, no death. We can go back to the beginning, start over, and do better. Don't you want that?” He held out a hand to Percy.
Please.
Percy rightened the flowers, holding them under his nose. He looked coy. After a long time, Percy asked, “Are you homeless?”
Luke blinked, confused. He pulled his hand back. “Um…why?”
Percy stepped forward, leaned on his hands on the windowsill. He stopped just short of getting wet. “From where I'm standing, you're not doing so hot.”
“Well, it's raining so…” Luke mumbled. He stayed perfectly still, scared of spooking Percy like a rabbit. So far Percy has been willing to come closer and closer to Luke. Percy must have missed Luke but Luke had to proceed with caution.
“Why would I run away with you? You don't even have a roof over your head,” Percy said. He shifted his weight, used his hip to roll up his sleeve, and stuck his arm out into the rain. Rainwater pooled in his palm.
Luke swallowed hard. He began to shake, adrenaline and cold hitting Luke in unison. “I like you, Percy. I like you a lot,” Luke said. “We're…we're friends. I want to be with you.”
Percy pulled his arm back into the apartment. The water instantly evaporated from his palm. “You said you were always on Annabeth's side. Why aren't you asking her to run away with you?”
Luke clenched his hands into fists and shoved them under his armpits. He couldn't stop shaking and it was becoming more violent. “Annabeth is going home to try and work things out with her dad. Camp Half-Blood isn't mandatory, Percy. As long as the gods don't summon her for some quest, there's no reason for her to go back. She can stay out of this war. She can stay safe while I try to fix things.”
Percy bit his lip. “And what about me? I'm living with my mom again. What if I never go back?”
“You are Poseidon's son. You're the strongest weapon that the Olympians have. You have the power to go anywhere, to steal anything, to challenge anyone. They won't let you stay out of it. You need to pick a side.” Luke hated to kill the hope in Percy's eyes but he needed to. Percy had to understand.
Percy covered his eyes with his hand. “Why did you have to get involved with Grandpa, Luke?” He lowered his hand and his expression was one of grief.
Luke sank his nails into the meat of his palms. “I'm sorry that you were dragged into this, Percy, but I'm not sorry I did it. I'm going to make them treat us like we matter even if I have to die to do it.” And Luke suspected that he would die. No one ever successfully went against Zeus. But he did his best not to think about that. “Please don't make me do it alone.”
Percy looked close to crying. “What happens if you lose?”
“But what if we win?” Luke countered.
“There is no we.”
“There could be. Please, Percy. I'll get down on my knees and beg if that's what it takes,” Luke said. He sank down to his knees to show Percy that he was serious, that he would kneel before Percy willingly.
A complicated expression flashed across Percy's face. He stepped up to the windowsill again. “Luke, get up.”
“I am begging you to join me, Percy. Fight beside me, fight for change.”
“Luke -”
“Please.”
Percy swayed where he stood. He looked indecisive. He still held the bouquet that Luke had given him. Percy closed his eyes and tipped his head back, face to the sky. “Luke, you had better be right.” His voice was so soft that Luke could barely hear it over the pounding rain.
But Luke heard it all the same. He felt the hope bloom on his face, and felt it wrap tightly around his heart.
“Get up. Luke, get up,” Percy begged. He finally leaned his whole body into the rain, tugging at the sleeves of Luke's shirt. “Gods, don't you even have a jacket?”
“I haven't had time to steal one yet,” Luke admitted. He rose to his feet. Was Percy going to come with him? But he hadn't yet made any attempt to join Luke on the fire escape. Luke caught Percy's wrist in his hand. He felt a pulsing heartbeat in his fingertips. “I need to know if you're on my side, Percy.”
Percy looked into Luke's eyes. “I'm on your side, Luke.” He pulled his arm closer to his body and Luke released him. “But I'm not going anywhere with you. Come inside out of the rain and I'll dry you off. You…you can stay here. At least for tonight.”
Luke climbed through the window into Percy's bedroom. The moment he was under cover Luke felt a strange, warm sensation over his whole body and then he was dry. He smiled. “Neat trick.”
Percy wasn't smiling. He looked up at Luke with very, very tired eyes. “Don't make me regret this, Luke. Please.” Percy even sounded tired, like his first day of Camp when he asked to be left alone. He was so young and yet so wary of potential cruelty.
Luke took Percy's hand in his, gentle, fingers just barely touching Percy’s. He lifted Percy a knuckles to his lips and kissed them. Luke locked eyes with Percy and promised, “You won't regret this, Percy.”
