Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or The Heroes of Olympus. I just love the entire 2 series' (More than Glee, which is a very hard thing to do.)

The Cry

Jason was getting changed when he heard it. The slow, rising cries of fear, eventually devolving into sobs from the room next to him. He sighed, wondering what had happened. Pulling off his shirt, he opened the door to his wardrobe and stuffed it into the washing basket there. The night was burning hot, the seas raging and thunder striking somewhere into the sea. He was about to lay down in bed when a small knock came from the door. He stood up again, listening for it again.

'Who would be awake at this time?' Jason wondered. 'Apart from me, apparently.'

"Jay? Can I talk to you, please?" Percy whispered behind the door.
"Gods, please be awake..." he muttered to himself through sniffles.

"Yeah, hold on." Jason sighed. He wandered over to his door and unlocked it, then pulled it open. He was almost thrown off his feet by Percy, who practically threw himself onto Jason, wrapping his arms around him and burying his head into Jason's chest, crying his eyes out. Jason was taken aback, so much that he just stood there, Percy hugging him so hard he was squeezing the life from Jason. Jason finally moved into action, his arms wrapping around Percy, saying

"Hey, hey, don't cry... It's ok. It's ok."

Percy whimpered and cried, grabbing onto Jason's back and pulled him impossibly closer. Jason untangled himself from Percy and sat him down on the bed, shutting the door quietly and then sitting down next to him.

"What's wrong, Percy?" Jason turned Percy to face him and then looked him in the eyes. Percy shook his head and began to cry again, his head falling into his hands.

"No no, nonono, don't cry, please..." Jason pulled Percy back into a hug and started to rub his back, trying to comfort him. The window flashed with more lightning and the thunder came soon after, the boat rocking back and forth.

"Make it stop, Jay, Gods, please, make it stop..." Percy whispered through tears and whimpers.

"Stop what, Perce?" Jason looked at him, confused. 'What was making him so upset?' Jason wondered.

He waved his hand in the general direction of the back wall and started to calm down slightly.

"Stop my alarm?" Jason asked, slowly getting up and switched off his alarm clock, the illuminating numbers flickering and then going away entirely. He sat back down next to Percy, who was still upset and asked him again,

"Percy, I can't do anything if you don't tell me what's wrong!"

Lightning stuck once more, this time the flash was a lot closer, the sound a lot louder and Percy clenched onto Jason even harder, his head flying straight back onto Jason's chest, his cries getting louder again.

"Stop it, please... Just make it go away. I don't like it, Jay, just make it stop..." Percy shook and Jason finally realised what he meant. He smiled and then pushed Percy off of him.

"You mean the lightning?" Jason stifled a laugh.

"Jay! Don't laugh... I'm- I just, I don't like lightning. Whatsoever." Percy frowned and pulled away from Jason.

"I can't stop it entirely, but I can make it quieter and less often. Just, hold on a minute." Jason grinned and sat down on the floor, closing his eyes. He moved his hands out in from of him and turned them to face upwards, grimacing in concentration. He tended for a second, and a flash of pain went through his face, then the lightning that was about to strike hovered just above the water. The thunder never came. He twisted his hands back around, so they were facing the floor, and then pushed them down. The lightning curved around, sparks still flying off of it, and then Jason simply let go, his shoulders slumping and his hands falling down to the ground. The lightning curved round again, so that it was facing directly upwards and then it resumed its strike, launching its massive shock of electricity at the sky. Still, the thunder never came.

Percy has stopped crying now, he just stared out of the window in fear of what was to come. Jason sighed and climbed up on his bed, laying Percy down and saying,

"Stay here tonight. My room is soundproofed, so the thunder will be less loud in here."

Jason was about to lay down on the floor, when he heard Percy whispering to him.

"Jay?"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Would you mind if you, erm, if you came up here- like, with me?" Percy sounded embarrassed

"..." Jason stayed silent.

"Jay?" Percy asked, now sounding scared.

"..." Jason didn't know what to say.

"Sorry, that was a stupid question... I'm just sorta cold and... Never mind." Percy sighed and Jason heard him turn over. He silently debated in his mind what to do. If he stayed, Percy would get annoyed and upset, but if he did go and sleep with him (if you thought about it in that way), Percy would be happy and stay not-scared, but Piper and Annabeth would be pissed if they found them like that. He decided, that on the basis of friends (or in this case, best friends) before girlfriends, he would go and sleep with Percy.

"Move over, then." Jason grinned and shoved Percy lightly.

"Wait, your actually going to come up here with me?" Percy sounded shocked.

"Yeah, seaweed brain. Now get on the other side, before I climb over you." Jason joked. Percy moved slowly to the other side, and curled up as a lightning bolt struck outside.

"Hey, it's ok, I'm here now." Jason patted Percy on the back as he lay down. Percy turned to face him and muttered a thank you, before uncurling himself and stretching out. Jason smiled and thought for a second. He really wanted to put his arms around Percy, but he didn't know why.

'What is going on with me?'' He sighed internally. He weighed up the pros and cons, like before. If he didn't, he wouldn't fill his desire and Percy would be colder, but Annabeth and Piper would be slightly happier if they did eventually catch them.

If he did, however, it would seem sorta gay, Percy would be warmer and he would be happier, but Piper and Annabeth would be mega pissed. And he knew what an annoyed Piper and Annabeth could do. But, yet again, in spite of them both having girlfriends, he followed the friends before girlfriends rule and Jason lifted Percy up and snaked his arm under Percy's body, then pulled him into a hug, his other arm wrapping around Percy's waist. He heard a sharp intake of breath, then a sigh as Percy relaxed into the sudden movement.

Eventually, Percy seemed to stop reacting to the lightning, and started to fall asleep. He started to release Jason's back and let his arms fall to Jason's side, wrapping themselves sleepily around his waist. Jason smiled, then frowned, shook his head and really thought about what was happening.

'Could I- Could I be- oh Gods, no... Could I be falling for Percy Jackson, my best friend?'

He moved his head back so he could get a better look at Percy. The limelight of the early (really early) morning illuminated Percy's face and lit up his room. Percy was sleeping soundly, his hair slowly unravelling and becoming curlier by the minute. Jason loved the way his face seemed to lose all emotion but peace as he slept, the creases of worry at the top of his head disappeared and his mouth hung slightly open, then it closed as he breathed out.

"Staring at my beautiful face?" Percy grinned sleepily and Jason snorted.

"In your dreams, fish kid."

"That's a new one." Percy noted. "It's not that bad actually."

"Shut up. Your the one who was reduced to a sniffling mess in a lightning storm." Jason replies, jokingly.

"What? I though we said that you wouldn't laugh about that!" Percy frowned and pulled away from Jason, complaining.

"Nooooooo, please... I'm so sorry." Jason groaned and tried to grab for Percy again.

"Nope, you've had your chance. I'm not coming back." Percy laughed.

"Oh, come on. Pleeeeeaaaaaase?" Jason begged Percy, using his infamous puppy eyes to try and convince Percy to come back.

"Why do you even want me to come back?" Percy asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, erm... I guess that, erm..." Jason pauses and thought about it. Why did he want Percy to lay in his arms again?

'I guess he's kinda comfortable. And warm. And cute. An- wait WHAT!? Did I just call Percy cute? Wha-'

"Jay? Jay? Jaaaaasooooon? Argo II to Jason? Are you there?" Percy asked, waving his hand in front of Jason's face.

"Wha- erm, hi yeah, sorry. Sorta zoned out there for a minute." Jason turned bright red and thought 'gods, what is wrong with me tonight.'

"So? Are you gonna answer my question? Why do you want me to sleep with you so badly?" Percy grinned cheekily.

"Oh, erm, well, I guess that. Well, erm- I just thought that- I think that I might-" Jason stumbled on his words and looked down, embarrassed.

"Honestly, your worse than me now." Percy smiled and lay down. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I think I would just come back here anyway because of the storm."

Jason grinned and resumed his old position, this time keeping Percy strongly in his arms, giving him no chance of getting out.

They lay there for about 10 minutes before Jason spoke up, barely a whisper, but he spoke.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. What the answer is, I mean. Right now I just want to go to sleep, and we're gonna need it."

"What about the storm?" Percy asked, worriedly.

"I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere, so if you do wake up, just shake me or something and I'll wake up." Jason smiled

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course." Jason relaxed and dragged Percy into a bigger hug. "Don't worry."

"Thanks, Jay." Percy sighed in relief and seemed to melt into Jason, his eyes fully shutting and he let sleep wash him away.

Jason smiled, his eyes shutting too and his face dropping into a blank expression. He knew the risks of doing this, but the reward was so, soooooo much better.