Archive of Our Own ^beta

'No. Damn It.'
Luke thinks as he feels the weight of sleep slipping off his eyes. No matter how hard he tries, Luke always wakes up at two o'clock in the morning on the dot. It started when Kronos reached out and has only increased since stealing the lightning bolt. Luke let out a low and quiet groan as he slowly sat up on his bed. He looked around the dark room to see everyone still in their beds. Before he attempted to return to sleep, a loud vibration shook in his chest. He prevented his instinct to grab his sword from fully taking charge, knowing fully well that there was no danger. He leaned up the side of his bunk bed to the top bunk and smiled. His little brother Chris was out cold, with his curly brown hair tangled around his fingers. This was a self soothing technique that he picked up shortly after his arrival. Chris' mouth was wide open with earth shaking snore blasting out of him. He would have to show his little brother how to sleep a little lighter than that before he goes on his first quest. Luke felt a pain shoot through his chest at the idea of that. Chris, his little brother going on a quest. 'Nope. This is not the time. No use in crying over something that hasn't happened yet.' Luke took a deep breath and caught himself rubbing his eye which was a clearing indicator to him that he needed to lay back down before the start of the day. The day was going to be chaotic enough without him be sleep deprived.

"Can't sleep either?"
Luke's eyes widened at the unfamiliar voice. He bolted upright more awake than he was before.

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
Luke looked around the bunk beds around him but could not see the assailant. "D-Down here." The voice said, sounding more quiet and timid. Luke at the floor next to the bunks across from his own to see a boy laying on some form of material. The boy half-heartedly waved while still laying down. Luke's adrenaline wore off flooding his mind with memories and context. 'Percy.' Thought Luke. He had almost forgot his name. Well in his sleepy haze he almost forgot about Percy in general. The clumsy kid he had been charged with showing the ropes to for the last couple days. Luke attempted to gather himself.

"No. It's fine. Habit."
Luke cleared his throat, noticing how his voice came out as more of a low mumble than actual comprehensible words.

"What's up?"
Percy shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Why are you awake?"
Luke questioned.

"I just can't sleep. I barely slept last night either. It's a new place. It happens."
Percy said while he stared at the ceiling. Luke felt a tug to his chest at the sight of Percy's tired eyes. Luke took in and let out a deep sigh.

'Looks like I'm not getting any good sleep tonight.'
Luke thought to himself. He pushed off the covers and swung his feet to the floor, feeling a cold chill go up his back as his bare feet came in contact with the ground.

'A tank top and boxers probably wasn't the best way to go. But at least it'll me keep from being a total zombie.'
Luke thought. The cabins were very old school but the air conditioning units in them were not. The windows fogged with the breath of the Luke's younger siblings and other unclaimed family members. Luke stood up and made his way to Percy. He was laying on top of his sleeping bag with a plain blue T-shirt, green plaid pajama pants, and white long socks. He was definitely better dressed for the temperature, but he appeared to be even more cold than Luke was. Luke sat on the floor next to him. Which broke Percy out of whatever thought he had been lost in.

"You don't have to sit with me. I can't sleep. No use in both of us not getting any sleep."
Percy said confidently with the same brave mask Luke saw on most new campers during their first days to camp

"It's fine. I was having trouble sleeping too, and talking to you is way better than tossing and turning for the next four hours."
Percy breathed in like he was going to say something but he must have decided against it, the nodding of his head being his only response. A few beats of silence past before either of them spoke.

"So. why can't you sleep?" Percy asked, shifting to his elbows to face Luke more. Luke felt his heart pump a little faster. Something he rectified quickly. He had only known the kid for about two days. He's nice and his background definitely showed Luke that he had promise, but he felt it was too early to talk to Percy about his mission or his real thoughts of the gods.

"Just an old habit I picked up on quests.
If you sleep light, you have a higher chance of staying alive.
The only problem is that it makes for a crap sleep schedule."
Luke said. A small breath of a laugh coming from both the boys.

"Your turn. Why are you up?"
Luke noticed how the smile that was on Percy's face dropped. It sucked, but talking even a little bit about the not so literally baggage that one can bring to camp was the first step of creating bonds at camp. Luke was familiar with this process. Most campers opened up to him first, but after a couple days they founda new group of friends and that was it. A new camper. A child for the gods to take advantage of. Luke focused his thoughts back to the sleep deprived boy lying next to him.

"I just haven't been able to sleep well."

"I know how uncomfortable the floor can be. We'll get you a bed soon. Or was it a nightmare?" Luke didn't mean to poke his nose into stuff that was not his own but he could tell Percy wanted to talk. "It's fine to have them." Luke continued. "I wa- It's my- it's nothing." "Bud, it's fine. We all h-"

"I just can't turn my brain off!"
Luke looked Percy right in his eyes, causing his face to heat with embarrassment.

"I'm so-sorr-y. I j-just miss m-."
Percy cuts himself off turning slightly away from Luke and taking a deep breath.

"It's just hard."
Luke looked at Percy who had a numb look to his face. A look that Luke knew all to well. He reached out to comfort Percy. He went to rest it on his head but the moment it made contact with him, Luke could feel Percy's entire body jerk and his eyes scrunched shut like he was preparing for a less kind touch. It broke his heart to see a boy as young as Percy like this. It reminded Luke of himself when he was Percy's age. He thought back to his first days at camp. Scared. Angry. Sad. He just wanted to see his mom again, but he knew that empty husk at home wasn't his mom anymore. He had no one until a boy stayed up with him and talked. Reassured him that he had Luke's back. That he would take care of him. It wasn't even a week later that his older half brother died on a quest. After that Luke made a promise. A promise to himself. He would become the best. The strongest. The fastest. The smartest. Whatever it took to keep the others safe and alive. He was the first to privately volunteer in place of a camper on a quest and if this was denied Luke was the first to volunteer to go with them. He didn't have anybody, but everyone else would have him. Annabeth would have him. Chris would have him and if Percy wanted it, he would have Luke as well. Luke began to move his hand that had rested on Percy's head and ruffle his curls up. His curls were so dry at the ends. He would have to show him how to take care of his hair later on. It's the little things most campers don't learn while on the run from monsters. Thalia had helped him with his and Annabeth's hair, and he got to help Chris with his. Percy's turned to Luke, not quite meeting his eyes with a glaze of tears in his eyes threatening to fall and a guilty expression.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mea-"

"It's okay. I would never hur- I-I get it. More than you know."
Luke thought best to make that the end of his pushing into Percy'spersonal life for now. He slid down his hand down to the back of his neck rubbing a thumb across it. Percy blinked away the tears and swallowed thickly but didn't pull away.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now but it does get better.
Believe it or not, there are actually a few decent people around here."
Percy let out a giggled that appeared to have surprised himself causing Luke to smile.

"We got your back buddy."
Percy laid on his back and looked into the darkness surrounding the two boys and smiled warmly.
Luke sat there for a while with his hand on the front of Percy's shoulder. He assumed that Percy didn't mind and theorized that he might even enjoy the touch, due to the way he was feeling his Percy's body flex towards Luke, leaning in specifically towards his hand. Percy shivered. He had clearly tried to hide this due the stiffness in the reaction, but Luke noticed and proceeded.

"You okay buddy?"

"Ye-Yeah. It's just a little chilly in here."
Percy said, rubbing his arms. Luke's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Why aren't you in the sleeping bag they gave you?"

"It was cramped and it didn't hold in heat so I figured this was the better-."
Percy halted his explanation when Luke stood up and walked back to his bunk.
Luke didn't mean to appear as rude. He had simply heard all he needed to hear.
Luke grabbed his soft pillow and his thick warm blanket.
He walked back over to see Percy back on his elbows with his shoulders up to his ears as a shade of pink dusted the bridge of his nose.

"Oh. Luke. You don't. I-"
Percy's embarrassed stutters were a little louder than Luke was comfortable with so he them off with shush. Percy mouth dropped open like he was going to say something but before he did, Luke threw the blanket on him, Submerging Percy in a sea of thick cotton.
Percy pushed the blanket off his upper torso and sat up. Luke, who had already laying on his pillow that he placed right next to Percy's, smiled at the sight. Percy's small body looking even smaller than Luke thought possible due to the covers that were already big for Luke himself. The only part of his body that was sticking out was his wide blue eyes that giving their best "Deer in headlights" impression and his now even more fluffed up blonde curls that were in the form of a misshapen afro. Percy opened his mouth once more to attempt an argument but was immediately cut off.

"Bud. It's fine. I figured that if we were going to lay here until morning, we might as well be warm while we do it."
Percy went to speak but was prevented by Luke holding his hand up and shaking his heading. A small smile of defeat made it's way up Percy's face.
He pulled the covers up to his nose and let out a deep jittery sigh. Percy reminded him of Annabeth when she was younger. Just a kid feeling pure glee just to be in a warm blanket. Luke shifted closer to Percy and pulled the blanket on to himself.
He rested his arms above his head. One under Luke's own pillow and unbeknownst to Percy, the other behind his pillow. Percy fully laid back on his pillow as Luke began to speak.

"So what is your favorite part of camp?"
Percy was quiet for a while.
Luke glanced down to see that he was deep in thought.
Percy met Luke's eyes causing embarrassment to creep into his expression once more. "Well?"

"I-I d-on't know."

"I guess- I don't-I-"
Percy's voice shook out an indiscernible answer causing Luke's eyebrows to furrow in confusion.

"What? I didn't hear tha-"

"You and Chris."
Luke looked at Percy with his mouth slightly agape, but Percy did not meet his shocked gaze.

"Besides Grover, I never really had any-."
A shade of red now running up the sides of Percy's face.

"It's just-. You-you guys-. I-I've ne-"
Percy took a quiet deep breath in hopes to halt his rambling.

"You and Chris are nice."
A warm smile made it's way up Luke's face. Percy rolled over with his back Luke and after a moment of silence Percy cleared his throat.

"What's your favorite part of camp?"
Luke looked at the ceiling. He found himself actually thinking for a while about camp.
Aside from all the stuff with the gods there was actually a few good things.

"My favorite part. I don't know."
Luke hummed. 'What is my fav-' Luke's thought was temporarily halted by Percy shifting a little closer,
with Luke's arm that was behind Percy's pillow shifting more under the pillow. Luke smiled and took a deep breath as he continued with his thought.

"I don't know. I really like capture the flag.
There are a lot of tactics that go into it. I also like canoeing.
I'm not much of a climber so I tend go with swimming in the lake.
It can get pretty hot around here so anytime I have the option, I try to go for the lake. I like to help out with the Hephaestus cabin when I can."
Luke continued explaining all the different activities he enjoyed and all the ones he didn't enjoy too.
Luke's train thought derailed when he heard Percy's still body gasp.

"Bud?"
Luke whispered with no response returned.

"Percy?"
Luke said with concern growing in his whisper. He puts his hand on Percy's arm only to feel his body jerk with another gasp. Luke pulled his hand back.

"Buddy? Are you okay?"
After the third time of receiving no response, Luke sat up trying not to move the arm that was under Percy's pillow and head.

"Percy? Are you ok-"
Luke silenced his tense whisper when he saw a stained streak of drool that had ran down the chin of Percy's sleeping face. Luke was taken aback by the sight. His sleeping face appeared even more small and boyish. Percy breathed a small, quick puff of air. His nose scrunched and his mouth twitched up into a humor filled smile before returning back to his soft sleeping form.

'He looks like a puppy with curly hair.'
Though this thought was meant to be humorous, it caused familiar feelings of joy and protectiveness to swell inside Luke's chest. He was happy that Percy could get some sleep after all and right now he would kill anything that would change that.

"Goodnight, buddy."
Luke whispered as he laid back down, this time on his side with his chest facing Percy's back.
He carefully and slowly slid his free arm that had been under his own pillow over Percy's upper torso, resting his hand of Percy's chest.
Percy began to shift, moving his back closer to Luke. Before Luke could begin to relax, his heart performed the biggest somersault in his chest. Percy had grabbed Luke's hand with a loose grip and let out a sleep filled sigh. Luke returned the grip with a light comforting squeeze of his own as he ran his thumb across Percy's knuckles in a soothing motion. Luke snuggled into Percy, resting his chin on Percy's head causing Percy rub is sock covered feet on Luke's bare shins in his own self soothing motion.

'This is why.'
Luke thought to himself.

'This is why I'm doing this.
For kids like Percy. Like Chris. Like Annabeth. Like Thalia.
The gods take advantage of us and we die all the time because of it. It has to stop.
I promise Percy.
I promise.
I'll protect you from them.'
Luke's arm around Percy tightened protectively as the boys laid there till the morning.