STRAWBERRIES
Pairings: Percy Jackson x fem! Demeter reader Percy Jackson x fem! Demeter reader
Warnings: small injuries and shy percy (??)
Summary: where the daughter of Demeter teaches Percy how to properly harvest strawberries
Word count: 864
A/n: requests are finally openn !!
WARM AND BRIGHT HUES fill the camp as the sun's golden rays emerge from behind the horizon at the crack of dawn. You rubbed your eyes as the sun’s light caressed your face with a gentle touch, illuminating your features. Checking the clock beside you, realizing that nothing was there, just a dull table lamp with decorated leaves. You groaned at the thought of missing your home. You continued to stare at the lamp as if it was mocking you. Pushing the blanket away from you, you saw that your half siblings were still asleep. You spent minutes getting ready as you changed into your orange shirt and jeans. With each step you take, the sunlight plays across your skin, casting delicate shadows that seem to dance in harmony with your movements. The windy morning breezed to your cheeks.
There were some Apollo kids playing around in the camp, some of them practicing archery. You made your way to the camp's vast garden carrying a basket; rows of colorful flowers and lush plants welcomed you with a chorus of hues and scents.
As you got closer to the patch, you were excited to see plump red berries poking out from behind the leaves, but there seemed to be another person there as well. The moment you saw Percy Jackson standing at the garden's edge, your heart skipped a beat. With a pleasant smile on his lips, his sea-green eyes glistened with curiosity as he examined the strawberries.
"Hey," you called out, your voice carrying across the garden. "Don't just stare at those berries, at least help me?”
Percy's eyes widened, was he really staring at those fruits for too long? He grabbed one of the baskets and approached you. You started explaining to Percy how to properly gather the delicate berries as they walked around the strawberry rows. You demonstrated how to carefully grab the base of each strawberry and twist it off the stem, being cautious not to harm the plant.
“Alright, Percy, so when you're harvesting strawberries and other fruits, it's important to be gentle,” Percy listened attentively, his brow furrowing in concentration as he mimicked your movements.
Percy smiled right at you. “Got it. Gentle. Like handling a Celestial Bronze Sword.”
You respond with a giggle as you order Percy to pick strawberries. He obeyed your orders with great enthusiasm. Their laughter blended with the gentle chirping of birds above as they carefully selected the ripest fruit.
Percy thought he was holding ripe fruit as his fingers brushed against a particularly juicy strawberry. He slashed the berry from its stem quickly, only to discover, startled, that it was a mock strawberry with jagged thorns all around it.
A faint trickle of blood welled up from a cut on Percy's finger where he had brushed against the thorns, and he took a sharp inhale.
When you noticed the injuries, your eyes widened with concern, and you felt your heart skip a beat seeing how hurt Percy looked. “Shit, you okay?”
He focused on the finger that was bleeding. “Yeah, it's just a little scratch,”
“Let me see it,” You reached out for his finger. He backed away and shook his head.
“It's really not that bad,” Percy hesitates, hiding his fingers that accidentally touched the fake strawberry thorns.
Sighing, you approached him slowly. “It's better for me to heal it than you going to the Infirmary,”
With a wince, Percy extended his palm, the bright red of the strawberries standing out starkly against the blood staining his flesh. Examining the wound, you took his hand softly in yours, your touch calming and gentle.
"It's not too deep," you comforted him in a gentle manner. "But we should clean it up and put a bandage on it just to be safe."
You guided Percy to a bench nearby and, using delicate hands, dug through your pockets to find a bandage. Their eyes locked for a moment as she carefully cleansed and dressed Percy's finger, their warmth connecting them beyond the act of wound care.
Awkward silence fills the atmosphere as Percy's eyes are looking down. “I didn't know strawberries had thorns,”
“It's fine, Percy. You're not burdening me,” you replied with a soft voice.
Percy's cheeks flushed with a warm hue, a rosy tint spreading across his face like the first blush of dawn. His eyes darted away, unable to meet your gaze as embarrassment tinged his expression. “How — how'd you know that?”
“I just know. And you shouldn't be sorry, one of my half siblings mistook the Potentilla Indica for a true strawberry.” You let go of his hands and gaze upon the strawberry patch. Then, you heard one of your friends whistling at you.
It was Silena Beauregard, child of Aphrodite. “[name], will you stop spending time with your boyfriend and help me out?”
Now it was your turn to be embarrassed, you shook your head and got up. Picking up the baskets you gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran towards your friend. You looked behind you as you saw him still sitting at the bench unable to move while smiling to himself.
©IUVMI :: please do not steal / translate / paraphrase my work. reblogging and liking my post helps <3
