Dang you made me ship Jason and Octavion. Now I'm imagining them being secret " special friends" with mutual pining but then Hera takes Jason. And when Jason comes back he doesn't remember and is in love with Piper.
You’re breaking my heart mate.
Gay Jason, a little unsure how well New Rome would accept a gay praetor (or an aspiring one for that matter.)
He can’t even tell Reyna, he knows she likes him and he hates leading her on but he doesn’t know how to come out. He doesn’t think she’d react badly but he is too scared to risk it yet. (Surprise years later it turns out Reyna is the biggest lesbian herself. I could go on about internalised homophobia and her thinking she needs a guy, but let’s keep that for another post.)
Octavian is perceptive, he knows fairly early on. Maybe before Jason is even sure himself. Octavian also is manipulative, and he knows Jason is going to come far where he himself might not. The second best thing to being praetor yourself is being in the praetors bed and influencing his opinions.
That’s how it starts. Octavian makes sure Jason knows that he knows. Octavian teases, flirts when no one is around to hear, until Jason is bound to snap.
And he does, he corners Octavian and his anger turns into frustration as soon as Octavian kisses him.
And wow, that sure opens a whole new world for Jason.
I imagine Octavian is experienced. Some mixture of bad choices and low self-worth that lead to him knowing his way at a fairly young age. Jason on the other hand is “an innocent puppy” compared to him. (I apologize I couldn’ think of a better metaphor)
Octavian realises too late that Jason has gotten under his skin. It’s not like Jason actively tried to, it just kind of happened and he himself has realised long ago that he started to have feelings for Octavian.
Before there’s any kind of resolution, Jason disappears.
Octavian forces himself not to care, not to look, but he is grieving quietly.
When Percy comes months later, Octavian hates him for every way that he is similar to Jason.