𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 - jason grace

INTERLUDE: I USED TO THINK I COULD FLY

IF YOU ASKED JASON to pinpoint the exact moment he knew he'd fallen in love with Maia, he wouldn't know what to tell you.

Jason Grace was a hopeless romantic at heart. Sure, he tried to be this strong leader his friends could count on, and, yeah, sometimes his tenacity and likeliness to stick to the rules, though admirable, made people think he was a little boring, but, in reality, Jason Grace was nothing more than a softie playing pretend.

He didn't think of taking moonlit strolls around the grounds of Camp Jupiter. He didn't think of picking pretty pink flowers along the meadows. He didn't think about coffee dates, or picnics, or dancing in the rain.

He didn't think about love until he met her.

Maia Ramírez was a ray of sunshine in Jason Grace's life. He couldn't be mad at her, at least, not for long, because whenever her name would even enter his mind (or echo in it, because she never truly left his thoughts), a smile would make its way on his face, almost like it was a natural response to her presence.

When Jason was younger, all he'd ever dreamed of was to study the stars. Sure, it seemed a little silly, the son of Jupiter, the champion of his camp, fierce leader by birth, wanted to be an astronomer. Maybe it was the way people thought it was ridiculous. Maybe it was because he loved a challenge, and he wanted to prove them all wrong.

But suddenly, as if he'd let their words get to him, his focus changed. He no longer wanted to look at the stars, and learn their names. He no longer wished to study the universe and what made it. No, Jason wanted to be with the stars. He wanted to be with his star.

Jason's new dream was Maia.

It was ridiculous. She was the complete opposite of him—clumsy, distracted, and she had a nasty temper, but those are the things that immediately captivated Jason. The girl the camp had learned to grow wary of was the same girl Jason couldn't stop thinking about. The one person who had ever said no to him without even stopping to think who she was talking to.

Now, Jason wasn't egotistical. He knew that, regardless of who his father was, he definitely didn't deserve all the attention he got. It was kind of a sore spot for him—and Maia challenged that directly.

Maia didn't bat an eye at his presence, and Jason was desperate to change that. Even at twelve years old, Jason knew he had to get Maia to like him. And for a while, she refused to, which drove him to try harder. Jason was about to give up, really, thinking that maybe he was bothering the girl, but suddenly, as if the world had flipped on its axis, Maia had said yes to him sitting with her. Well, not exactly yes, but, she didn't let him leave.

From then on, Jason couldn't help but smile whenever he'd see her. He was always the first to rush to her defense when someone insulted her, and he would rather die than miss their morning walks around Camp Jupiter.

Jason and Maia were probably the closest pair of friends Camp Jupiter had had in a long time. They were practically inseparable, and told each other everything without a question.

One day, though, that all changed.

And, it wasn't like they stopped being friends. No, Jason and Maia were still close. It was just... different. The energy around them changed when they were alone, and, it wasn't a bad thing at all, it just made Jason nervous.

Their friendly hugs started lasting longer. Sometimes, Jason didn't even want to let go. He'd started thinking about how pretty her laugh was, and how soft her hair looked. His palms got sweaty in her presence, and his heart would start doing summersaults in his chest. He found a warmth with Maia he knew he wouldn't find anywhere else, and that scared him a little.