Song: Count on Me - Bruno Mars
Summary: three times that Percy was there for you and the one time you were there for him
Warnings: Platonic!Percy x reader, crying, lots of angst, protective Percy, shitty grad speech, it's a long one, mentions of blood, Percy and reader have a sibling bond, mentions of Luke x reader relationship, happyish endjng
i. siblings by any other name
You weren't directly related to Percy Jackson, each having been claimed by a different godly parent. Your features didn't match his own, and you were most definitely more clever than he was, being a child of Athena and all, but that didn't matter. To Percy, it wasn't blood or DNA that bound the two of you together; it was the way your presence was always warm and inviting. The way you always wore a smile that lit up a room in a way that would make any child of Apollo jealous. Or even the way you were always there for him, and he would always be there for you.
Percy remembers the first time he met you. It was only his second day at Camp Half-Blood, and he had been following the camp's golden boy, Luke Castellan, around as he showed him the ins and outs of the mythical camp for special children just like him. Luke had led him to the archery range, still in search of a skill he excelled at, though Percy wasn't sure they would ever find one. He watched as Luke's eyes seemed to search for something, or rather, someone. Percy knew he had found said someone when Luke's eyes softened, and he grinned so wide it made the scar on his cheek stretch further over the apples of his cheeks.
Luke led Percy over to a young girl who was roughly the same age as his new mentor. They waited patiently and observed as she repositioned her young student so that he was facing his target, with an arrow nocked and bowstring pulled back. She crouched down to his height, whispering instructions and encouragement until he let the arrow fly, hitting the target right in the bullseye.
"I told you you could do it," you said, smiling up at the young boy before he ran off to tell his friends about his first bullseye.
Luke cleared his throat, quickly gaining your attention as you stood up with a smile so bright it was nearly blinding. Percy was quick to understand that you must have been the girlfriend Chris was hassling Luke about earlier, simply by the way the two of you were looking at each other.
"Percy, this is Y/n, one of the best archers at camp." Luke looked at you adoringly as you rolled your eyes at the statement.
You held your hand out to shake Percy's hand, which was odd to the young boy since the only person's hand he'd ever had to shake was his school headmaster's, and he was ancient, so it was strange for someone as young as you to introduce yourself in that manner.
"I think he means to say the best archer at camp." You stated proudly.
Luke just shook his head with a smile. "You children of Athena are so prideful."
Percy's head whipped back to look at you. "Athena? So your Annabeth's sister?"
You nodded. "Yeah, sorry about Annie. She can be a little-"
"Intimidating?" Percy offered hesitantly, not wanting to offend you.
You laughed, and the sound instantly made Percy relax. There was just something about you that put almost all of his worries to rest.
"I think we're going to get along great, Percy."
From that day on, Percy was practically permanently attached to your hip. Wherever you went, Percy followed, but you never really minded. You had developed a fondness for the young boy who seemed to always look to you for guidance. The two of you formed a sibling bond over the next few months, following your first introduction to each other, that went far beyond a shared parentage. It continued from there, each of you being there for each other in the times you needed each other the most.
ii. glory isn't everything
It wasn't your failed quest that had put you into a state of depression. It was the way your mother so easily cast you aside, ashamed of her once-favorite daughter. That was what it meant to be a child of Athena, and you knew that, but never had you thought, after years of making your mother proud, that she could so easily ignore you. She ignored your prayers and pleas for help during your quest, which resulted in you barely making it out alive and being permanently scarred. Your mother was embarrassed of you, and you would never again be in her favor.
You staggered back into Camp Half-Blood, your head hung in shame as blood dripped from your wound onto the gravel beneath your feet. Your friends rushed to the barrier at the top of the hill to welcome you back, but you couldn't hear their cheers over the incessant ringing in your ears that only seemed to grow louder with each step you took. The cheers immediately cut off as your knees buckled beneath you, and you dropped to the ground before them, too tired to move any further.
Luke and Percy had immediately pushed through to the front of the crowd to see you, broken and defeated, lying on the ground and making no attempt to get up. That wasn't like you. You were a fighter if they ever saw one, and it scared them to see you so resigned.
Luke picked you up, one hand beneath your legs, the other behind your shoulders, cradling you against his chest as he ran to the infirmary. Percy ran ahead to alert the children of Apollo of your arrival, gathering as many of the healers as he could, knowing you were going to need all the help you could get.
It had been days since you had returned from your failed quest, and Percy hadn't slept a wink. He wasn't allowed inside the infirmary, the healers having kicked him out after he tried to fight one of them when he had made you scream when he pressed against your injured side with too much force. Refusing to leave you completely, he sat outside the cabin day and night, waiting for the day you opened your eyes again.
Luke and Annabeth had come by to try to get him to sleep in his own bed or even join them in the pavilion for dinner, but he wasn't budging. His sister was almost fatally injured, and he wasn't leaving until he knew you were okay. On the third day, his eyes closed despite his efforts to stay awake. When he woke up hours later, there was a pillow under his head and a blanket covering him. Percy sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes when he noticed Luke sitting beside him, a book in his hand to keep him company.
Percy sat up in a panic. "Is y/n-"
Luke gave him a weak smile, looking just as tired as Percy felt. "I just checked on her. She's still asleep, but Lee said she's going to be okay." He set his book down before reaching off to the side and procuring a plate of food, handing it to Percy. When Percy didn't immediately reach for it, he said, "Annabeth says if you don't eat, she's going to come back and drag you back to your cabin herself."
Percy grumbled but knew Annabeth would make good on her promise so he grabbed a roll and began to take small bites.
"They still not letting you in?" Percy shook his head. "I'll see what I can do, but in the meantime, you need to go back to your cabin and get some rest. There isn't anything you can do for her right now."
"She's my sister. I'm not leaving her," Percy spoke through gritted teeth. He was tired of people trying to tell him what to do. They didn't understand how terrified he was at the moment. The one person with whom he had found a home since coming to camp had almost been lost from this world, and he refused to leave until he saw her awake and smiling at him like she always had.
"Do you understand how pissed she's going to be if she wakes up and sees you like this, Perce? She may be hurt but she'll still kick your ass." Percy's shoulders deflated, he knew Luke was right. Luke patted him on the shoulder. "I promise to come get you the second she wakes up."
Percy nodded in resignation and stomped off to his cabin, knowing that Luke would keep his promise. The second he flopped down onto his mattress, still fully clothed, his eyes shut, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep when Annabeth shook him awake, her eyes wide. He sat bolt upright and didn't wait for her to speak before he was out the door and rushing across camp to the infirmary.
Percy burst through the doors, his chest heaving as he tried to regain his breath. He stopped short when he saw Luke sitting in the chair beside your bed, holding your hand and softly whispering to you. Luke's eyes looked sad as they looked up to meet his. If it hadn't been for the gentle rise and fall of your shoulders, Percy would have thought you were dead, a thought that he quickly pushed away.
"Percy's here," he heard Luke whisper. "I'm going to let you two talk. I'll be right outside." Luke placed a chaste kiss on your forehead before coming to stand in front of him. "She's doing all right physically, but mentallyâ" he trailed off, the words catching in his throat. "Maybe you can get her to talk. Let me know if you need anything." And with that, he threw one last glance back at you before walking out of the infirmary.
Percy walked to your bed, hesitantly taking the seat Luke had occupied before. He noted the new scar just below your hairline that ran down past your temple and the way your eyes were suddenly void of all the life and light they used to carry. You were staring at the wall blankly just past his shoulder, not making any effort to acknowledge his presence. It truly hurt Percy to see you like this.
"Hey." He spoke softly, feeling slightly relieved when your gaze met his.
Your reply was barely a whisper, but it gave Percy hope that you, the real you, were still in there somewhere. "Hey."
"How are you feeling?" It was a foolish question, but it was the best he could think of.
Your reply hit Percy square in the chest. He did his best to hide it, knowing you would only feel worse if you thought you had upset him.
"You're not a failure, y/n/n."
You huffed angrily and rolled onto your back to stare at the ceiling. "You don't get it, Percy. Everything you do makes your father proud. You could breathe and Poseidon would be bragging to the other gods about how amazing his son is. It's not like that with my moâwith Athena. I've had to work so hard to gain her attention, and it was all for nothing. Athena wants her children to bring themselves glory and, therefore, bring her glory." Tears spilled from your eyes and onto the white sheets beneath you.
Percy reached out and placed a soothing hand on your shoulder. "Glory isn't all it's cracked up to be, you know? You shouldn't need to bring your mother glory just for her to be proud of you. You've survived eighteen years as a demigod; I think that should be enough. And for what it's worth, I'm proud of you, no matter what you do."
You sniffled. "Thanks, Percy."
Percy continued with a small, teasing smile. "Is adoption a thing amongst gods and demigods?"
You shook your head. "I don't know."
"Well there should be. Then maybe my dad could adopt you and he could be proud of your breathing."
That made you laugh, an actual, genuine laugh that Percy had become familiar with and grown to love. It sounded so much like his own. Percy spent the next few hours in the infirmary, getting you to laugh and then finally eat before Luke came back to check on you and send Percy back to his cabin to get more sleep.
Before he left, Percy turned to you, nudging your shoulder with his fist. "Godly adoption or not, you're my sister, y/n. I love you."
iii. my mistake, not yours
It had been hours since Luke's dramatic departure from Camp Half-Bloodâhours since his betrayal and hours since he had begged you to come with him. Luke had pleaded with you to join him and aid him in his war against the gods, but you had refused. You couldn't bring yourself to leave the only home you had known since you were seven, and you knew that in the end, your refusal had broken his heart just as he had broken yours.
"Come with me, y/n. Don't you want revenge against your mom?"
"I want to prove my mother wrong, but not like this, Luke. This isn't right."
You sat at the edge of the barrier that protected the camp from the outside world, staring at the very spot Luke had used Backbiter to escape. The sun had risen a long time ago, but you still remained, your mind and heart trying to come to terms with everything that had happened. Luke had betrayed you, his friends, and had tried to kill your brother. It was unforgivable, but yet you wished he would return.
Footsteps alerted you to someone creeping up behind you, and you instantly stood, completely on guard with your sword raised until you spotted Percy, his hands raised to show he meant no harm. Not that you ever thought the young boy would ever hurt you.
"It's just me." He said as he stepped closer, taking the empty seat on the fallen log beside you. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
His words made the tears you had been holding back flow freely down your cheeks. You covered your mouth with your palm, trying to muffle the sobs that broke their way past your lips. Percy said nothing as he wrapped his arms around you and allowed you to cry on his shoulder. He knew what Luke meant to you and how much his betrayal was currently devastating you. As much as he hated to say it, he too missed Luke and wished he would return, if only for your sake.
"I'm so sorry, y/n. I should've known, I should've done something rather than-"
You sniffled and wiped away the tears that trailed paths down your red cheeks. "Stop. It wasn't your fault; none of this is your fault. I don't even know if it's really Luke's fault. Everything that happened with his mother over the last few years truly broke him, and Kronos found a way to use it against him. He can be very persuasive, especially if the person he's trying to exploit is already vulnerable."
"Still," Percy argued, "ifâ"
"If what, Percy?" you countered, refusing to let him blame himself for anything. "If I hadn't loved him and trusted him myself? This is my mistake, Percy, not yours. And now we're all paying for it."
Percy hesitated for a moment, trying to find any way to not let you bring the blame to yourself, but he decided to let it go. He knew that it was no one's fault but Kronos and the gods. Perhaps if the gods paid a bit more mind to their children this would've never happened. Still, the gods were determined to use their children like pawns in a twisted game of chess.
"I don't blame you," he finally said, offering you a small smile. "I blame the gods."
You smiled at that and bumped your shoulder against his. "Careful, you're beginning to sound like Luke."
"Well, I do agree with him. Don't you?"
You thought for a moment, not about whether you agreed with him or notâbecause you knew you didâbut rather whether he was going about it the right way.
You nodded. "I do. I just think there are better ways to go about it than waging a war against them."
"Like?" Percy asked with a raised brow.
"I'm not sure yet," you shrugged. "But I'm sure we'll come up with something, together."
Percy smiled. "Together," he agreed. "You know, I don't think Luke is a lost cause. I think we'll get him back, but I'll need you to do it."
"Because despite what you logical children of Athena may think," he stated with a smirk, mirth twinkling in his blue eyes, "love is a very powerful thing and despite everything that's happened, I know that Luke loves you more than anything."
More tears pricked in your eyes and you nodded in agreement rather than using your words, not trusting that words could break past the lump that had formed in your throat.
You swallowed hard, and when you could finally form words, you turned to your brotherâby any other nameâand said, "So I can count on you to save the day, then?"
"Save the day? I'm not so sure, but count on me? Always."
iv. i am the keeper of wisdom
Graduation was supposed to be a major milestone for you. It was to mark the end of your adolescent life as you went on to explore bigger and better things. It was going to be a celebration of all the years you had survived, and you would finally have something to show for it. After all, not many demigods made it to this stage in life, and you would have thought that it would make your father proud. You thought that maybe, for once in your life, he would show up, but he never did.
He wasn't there to clap along and cheer amongst the other proud parents as your eyes scanned the large crowd, finding his reserved seat empty. You knew better than to hope, but it wasn't all that surprising as you took your place amongst the sea of identical caps and gowns.
Part of you also hoped that Luke would show up, eyes searching for that familiar mop of dark curls and pink, scarred cheek. The two of you had always promised that if you lived this long, you would make it to each other's graduation. It was a nice thought, but you knew it was impossible with Kronos currently inhabiting his body.
"And now we'll hear a speech from this year's class Valedictorian, Y/n Y/L/N."
The round of applause from the crowd and the subtle nudge from your classmate broke you out of your reverie. You stood on shaky legs, sweaty hands gripping the note cards in your hands as if they were your only lifeline. You took your place behind the podium with a shaky breath after shaking your headmaster's hand.
"Good morning, fellow classmates and graduates of 2022. I would first like to express my gratitude for the honor of delivering this speech to the next generation of great minds before we embark on our journeys into the real world."
There was a round of applause before you continued. You smiled but couldn't bring yourself to look up from your notes. You were a child of Athena, which meant you were inherently clever but not necessarily brave. You cleared your throat, which suddenly felt dry, and continued.
"I would like to share something that my own motherâ" you choked a bit on the word and had to swallow it down quickly. "My mother used to say to my siblings and me, 'War is not won with strength, but with strategy and wisdom. Knowledge is power, and you are the keeper of wisdom. Through wisdom, victory is earned.' As a child I wasn't sure exactly what she meant, but now I think I know."
You drew in a shaky breath before allowing your eyes to finally rake over the crowd. In all honesty, you didn't think you would have had the courage to continue had it not been for the familiar ocean-blue eyes and sandy-blonde curls that immediately caught your attention. Percy was seated in the very front row with Annabeth and Grover on either side of him, each of them sitting in the seats reserved for your family. They looked up at you with proud smiles that gave you enough courage to finish your speech with your eyes on the crowd.
"Knowledge is the greatest power we have against any force that dares to overcome us, and that is what we have gained here today. Our amazing teachers have spent the last few years of our adolescent lives preparing us with all the knowledge we will need to set us forth on our journey as members of society. Of course, they could not have prepared us for everything, but that is the greatest thing about knowledge: it is never ending."
Applause was given, diplomas were handed out, and caps were thrown in the air as your fellow classmates hugged and waved their final goodbyes. You personally thought it was a bit dramatic, given that most of them would end up in the same college and eventually the same dead-end jobs. You were a bit jealous that that particular future was lost to you.
You shouldered your way through the crowd until you caught sight of your friends waiting for you on the outskirts of the dispersed crowd. When you were close enough, you flung your arms around each of them in turn, saving Percy for last. You wrapped your arms around him tightly, having to stretch a bit since he had grown quite a bit since the last time you saw him.
"Thank you for coming." You mumbled into his shoulder.
Percy pulled back with a smile. "Did you really think I would miss my own sister's graduation? Nice speech by the way."
You rolled your eyes, but before you could reply, you caught sight of someone who made your heart race and your breath catch in your throat.
Percy's gaze followed yours and he stiffened a bit before turning back to you. "I can make him leave if you want."
You shook your head. As angry as you were with Luke, you were secretly elated that he kept his promise that you had made as kids. "Just give me a minute to talk to him."
You hesitantly made your way over to Luke, stopping a short distance away. He looked different than you remembered. Gone were his boyish looks, his once soft demeanor now replaced by something colder and more sophisticatedâexcept for the eyes. Luke was still looking at you as if you personally hung the moon and the stars in the sky. It was impossible to hate him when he was looking at you like that.
"What are you doing here?" Your words came out softer than you had intended.
Luke shrugged. "Keeping my promise to my girl."
You scoffed at that. "You've broken far more important promises, Luke. Try again."
Luke ran a hand through his dark, messy curls that had grown longer over the last year. "I know. I'm so sorry, baby." He reached for your hand, but you were quick to pull away.
Tears stung your eyes, threatening to spill over and you could feel Percy's presence close behind you as you fought to swallow the lump in your throat.
"You don't get to call me that. Not anymore."
"Y/n, pleaseâ" Luke took another step forward, and you took another step back, right into Percy, who wrapped a protective arm around your shoulders.
"I think you should go, Luke," Percy said, fixing Luke with an icy glare.
The friendship he had once found with Luke was now gone. Percy didn't care about Luke's war with the gods or the fact that he had once tried to kill him. None of that mattered in Percy's mind. What mattered was that Luke had hurt his sister time and time again, and that was unforgivable.
Luke's eyes shifted to you, softly sniffling with your face buried in the young boy's shoulder, and his shoulders deflated. It had never been his intention to hurt you or put you in harm's way, but unfortunately, the Titan god didn't care who Luke had to hurt to get his way. With a sad nod, he unsheathed Backbiter before opening a portal and disappeared.
You only cried harder at Luke's departure, and Percy wrapped his arms around you tighter, silently vowing that no matter what he took, he would get back the Luke that you once knewâeven if it meant his own life.
You hadn't been sure about college, claiming to your friends that you didn't even know what you wanted to major in. In reality, you just didn't want to be that far from Percy. The war Luke had started was simmering just beneath the surface, and it was only a matter of time before chaos erupted. You knew that when that day came, Percy would need you.
So you argued with him back and forth about college until he eventually won, promising that he wouldn't hesitate to call if and when he needed you. That day came a bit sooner than Percy had hoped and when it came down to it, he hesitated. Of course he wanted his sister by his side, knowing that if it hadn't been for you he wouldn't have made it this far, but the Oracle had said 'the battle will not be won without loss'. What if you were the loss she was referring to? He couldn't risk it.
Of course, Percy should have known Clarisse would call you instead, the traitor. He wishes he could say he was surprised to find you stomping across the battlefield towards him but he really wasn't. Nor was he surprised when you smacked him over the head, yelling at him for breaking his promise.
"Ow!" he shouted, his hands held up to protect his face. "Ouch! Y/N, stop it! I'm sorry, alright?"
"You know," you smack his chest, "for the bravest hero of our age," smack, "or whatever bullshit they're calling you these days," smack, smack, "you truly are just a fucking coward." Smack. You eventually stop hitting him, much to Clarisse's disappointment, and take a step back.
"Why wouldn't you call me?" you asked in a much softer tone that had Percy finally lowering his hands. You took the opportunity to give him one last smack, for good measure.
Percy winced. "Yeah, I deserved that. Look, Y/N-" He sent a pleading look in Annabeth's direction, who just raised her brows and shook her head as if to say 'I told you so'. And she had. Annabeth had told him you would be angry, but he didn't listen.
You took a step forward, grabbing him by his armor and tugged so you were face-to-face. Percy had the good sense to look scared, and he should be. You were not a force to be reckoned with.
"No, listen, Percy Jackson. We're in this together. We've been there for each other since the day we met, and now, all of a sudden, when you need me the most, you don't call? What the hell is that about?"
You let go of his armor, and Percy deflated at the look of pure hurt swimming in your eyes. The last thing he would ever want to do is make you feel as if he didn't need you, but the stakes were too high with this one. If he lost you, his best friend, his sister, he had no idea what he would do.
Percy sighed and ran a hand through his curls. "The oracle said 'the battle will not be won without loss'." You raised your brows, arms crossed over your chest waiting for him to continue. "What if that loss is you? I can't lose you and you're the only one I know I can count on to keep things going in my absence."
Your angry demeanor faltered, and you reached out to pull the young boy into a bone-crushing hug. "You won't lose me, and I refuse to lose you. Either we both come out of this, or neither of us does. Got it?" You felt Percy nod against your shoulder. "Good. Now," you pulled away and ruffled his curls, much to his chagrin, "what's the plan?"
The Oracle had been correct in her prophecy, but it wasn't the loss that either you or Percy had anticipated. Together, you had defeated Kronos's army and even Kronos himself, but unfortunately, that meant you had lost Luke as well. Percy had fought to find another way, but in the end, you knew there wasn't one. Luke had fought through long enough to say his goodbyes before Kronos took over once more and Percy ended it once and for all.
You were sat on a pile of rubble, watching as the Apollo kids tended to the wounded, waving them off when they came to check on you. You promised to get checked when you returned to camp and they left you alone to sit with your sorrow. Of course you had been happy that everyone was safe, but your heart hurt for Luke.
"Hey," Percy said softly as he took a seat beside you, setting Riptide off to the side. Your eyes fixed on the weapon that had ended Luke's life. "Are you okay?" he asked as he transformed the sword back into a pen and shoved it into his pocket out of view.
You gave him a tight smile and nodded tiredly. "I will be. Until then, I've always got you to count on."
Percy smiled and wrapped his uninjured arm around you, allowing you to rest your head on his shoulder. "Always."
Kind of drifted off there at the end but I've been working on this for days and wasn't sure how to end it. Also sorry for the crappy graduation speech. I write fanfics not speeches.