~ Hanging by the Moment ~

~ Jason Grace/Piper McLean ~

~ PJO/HOO ~

They have heard the story of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. They've heard it from other campers and they have heard it from the couple themselves. They know the constant battle they had gone through. They know the deep sentiment they have for each other. They specially know where they shared a few lovely scenes. The lake, underwater.

They know much of 'Percabeth'.

But the others don't know much of 'Jasper'.

It started with Piper. And sure it started by an illusion, a painful and deep illusion, caused by Hera/Juno. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Piper felt drawn to Jason since that night on the roof, if she hadn't been drawn before. And when she found out about the illusion, the trick, she was devastated. In denial even. But that didn't take away the feelings she had for Jason.

On the other hand, Jason couldn't have felt luckier when he let every single detail sink of his relationship. All along he had had a freaking beautiful girlfriend. Oh he felt smart, not appreciating her. Juno, as much as he hated her, had done him a great favor. She saved him from the great trek it was to find the perfect girlfriend. Sure at first, he was like 'why is a pretty girl holding my hand?' but he moved on. Oh he did.

When that freaky Dylan guy separated her away from him, he so wanted to beat Dylan to bloody pulp. He had has clammy hands all over her and even though she refrained from his touch, he felt a spark of negativity. She defended him by hitting Dylan with Hedge's baseball bat and prevented Dylan to harm Jason. That had consequences. She fell over the sky-walk.

But it all fell in to place when he jumped in after Piper at the Grand Canyon. He jumped after her and when he was sure they were falling right into their death beds, she was the safe haven. He caught her and held her; held her tight. The pure shock of the position they were in didn't make him think straight.

She had said, "Don't let me fall."

And he didn't because even though they were hanging at the mercy of the air, they were in perfect bliss. The way their bodies fit together and the way his arms wrapped around her waist was amazing. He knew she was special.

Oh had he wanted to kiss then and there. But it wouldn't be right. At the moment everything and every feeling was jumbled up, and kissing her would have mislead her to think other things.

Oh things he would have wanted her to think those things but again, it wouldn't have been fair.

Piper was asked by Annabeth pretty basic things about him. It hurt her that she didn't know those things. And she just had to, bitterly, realize that it was a false relationship. But she wasn't one to give up. Specially not when a pretty and artificial girl like Drew was after her guy. She wasn't going to let her guard down because Jason didn't know who she was or what they had 'shared'. And when they arrived in Quebec, Khione was after her guy as well; for evil purposes but still after him. During the ride on Festus, she spoke to him in French, saying what she feared a bit.

When Lit began to flirt with her, she knew Jason didn't 'approve'. She felt just the tiniest bits of hope from then on. At the end of the battle, when her father was ill, she had seen a different side on Jason. He helped her father and her to make the decision to give him the potion.

When the quest ended, she expressed that her feelings toward him have not changed through the course of time. She loves him but she feared that he did not. They even repeated the moment lived in Piper's Mist-manipulated memory on the roof.

What Piper didn't know was that Jason did feel it. Even during the battle with the maenads in the woods of Camp Half Blood, they shared a kiss, a kiss that he hoped would tell Piper what he felt and what he could muster the courage to say, even if it was goodbye kiss to say goodbye.

In the quest for the Mark of Athena, Jason seemed to be living in his missed memories. She feared she would never be able to break that barrier. He always changed his color, since he saw Reyna, from purple to orange to purple. Maybe they didn't share much history but they did have some. It didn't please Piper much.

To say the least, so far, 'Jasper' hasn't been hot on a 'good relationship'. Every relationship has up and downs but when a third party is present and painful history is on their tracks it's not easy to keep it happy.

However, despite the occasional uncomfortable moment, they enjoyed each other's company.

Jason always kept a memory of his birthday picnic with Piper, blowing the candle, telling her his fear during the quest, and kissing her. He had reassured her that he would never break up with her. Never.

They were talking about how Piper had taken the reins on the situation with Hercules and that without her he wouldn't have succeeded.

"We can take turns," she suggested.

"I don't deserve you."

"You're not allowed to say that."

"Why not?"

"It's a breakup line. Unless you're breaking up—"

Jason leaned over and kissed her. The colors of the Roman afternoon suddenly seemed sharper, as if the world had switched to high definition.

"No breakups," he promised. "I may have busted my head a few times, but I'm not that stupid."

"Good," she said. "Now about that cake—"

After that their moment was interrupted by the notorious Percy Jackson.

Then when they three were drowning in the nymphaum and it seemed like the end this happened:

"Just don't hold back," Piper said. "Give everything. Even if we go under—"

Her head hit the ceiling. The rainclouds dissipated and melted into the water. The horn of plenty kept blasting out a clean torrent.

Piper pulled Jason closer and kissed him.

"I love you," she said.

The words poured out of her, like the water from the cornucopia. She couldn't tell what his reaction was, because then they were underwater.

…

With a cry of alarm, Piper realized that Percy's and Jason's faces were still underwater. She hoisted them up. Instantly, Percy gulped and began to thrash, but Jason was as lifeless as a rag doll.

Piper clung to him. She yelled his name, shook him, and slapped his face. She barely noticed when all the water had drained away and left them on the damp floor.

"Jason!" She tried desperately to think. Should she turn him on his side? Slap his back?

"Piper," Percy said. "I can help."

And Percy helped alright. With a thunder bolt, Jason's eyes fluttered open.

"Sorry," he coughed. "Didn't mean to—"

She tackled him with a hug. She would have kissed him, but she didn't want to suffocate him.

They passed through so much that if Jason wouldn't have made the first move to rekindle their relationship once he recuperated his memories, she would have been forced to do it herself.

What they had is not a simple thing. They'd made sure to make that happen, unconsciously of course.

A/N: So this is a little one-shot of Jasper. I have officially become a Jasper shipper as well as I'll always be a Percabeth shipper. That strong…

So I hope you enjoyed this one-shot. Please leave a review and tell me hat you think.

~ BeautiWind –heart-

PS - The italicized parts were from the 'Mark of Athena'. Credit goes to Mr. Riordan. I own only my writing and my fangirling. :)