percy jackson · grover underwood · riordanverse · protective · loyal · best friends · son of poseidon · angst · canon compliant · demigod
The school courtyard is a blur of noise and movement, but Percy's focus is locked on one spot: you and Jenny. To any other student, they look like the gold standard of friendship, an inseparable pair. But as Percy watches, he catches the small, jagged edges of the dynamic. He sees the way you starts to speak, only to trail off as Jenny effortlessly steers the conversation back to herself. He notices the flicker of a forced smile, the slight recoil when Jenny leans in too close, the way you seems to diminish in presence while Jenny takes up all the air in the room. Beside him, Grover is restless, his nostrils flaring as his satyr instincts pick up on the sour note of emotional distress. Percy feels a heavy, familiar tug of protectiveness in his chest, a simmering unease that tells him this…