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Percy fell back on his bed with a huff, spreading his limbs out in a way that would surely look uncomfortable to any onlookers. Boredom was hitting him like a truck. Getting stuck in a room would do that to anyone, much less a ADHD demigod.
Locked in a room ,his brain corrected, by your overprotective and totally dramatic dad
Percy scowled and shook the thought out of his head. It’s not like it was his fault! One little incident during training practice and his dad went insane. It wasn’t even that bad, thinking it over now.
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“Pleaseeee Percy” Charlotte begged, clasping her little hands together as her eyes went wide. Percy sighed hesitantly, already resigned to his fate. Curse his weakness to all things Charlotte.
“I dunno Char, it’s a pretty hard move and dangerous when not done correctly, and you got here. What? A week or two ago?”
“But you’re here!”
“Yeah!” Another camper chimed in. The others in the class all piped up, vocalizing how Percy’s here, so we’ll be okay! and C’mon Percy, show us the cool move!
The leather handle of riptide sunk beneath his tightened grip. Percy worried his lip between his teeth as he wrinkled his nose. Well…he got the maneuver on his first sword lesson, and he had never even touched a sword before that. Granted he was powered up with water, but eh. The kids were right. He was here and if anything went wrong, he’ll just call Will.
At the thought of the head healer he turned his head towards the benches. There sat Will, out of breath chugging his water bottle with vigor, before popping his lips off of it with a sigh of relief. Nico slouched next to him, playing with his skull ring while rubbing his boyfriend's back, a secret smirk making its way onto his face at the overdramatic suffering.
Well, Percy thought with a wince, at least Chiron made us take those medical courses.
He spun his attention back to the eagerly awaiting kids and gave a short nod with what he hoped was convincing confidence. They all jumped up with yelps of excitement, giving each other high fives, while Percy turned around to get to position. He swung riptide in a practice swing and gave a smile to all the adorable campers.
“Who’s up first?” He asked.
Not a second after he said that a chorus of voices raised along with the tiny hands waving wildly in the air, trying to get his attention. He let out a snort at the chaos and randomly chose one of the little hellions.
“Danny! Front and center!”
The kid gasped with enthusiasm at being chosen and quickly hopped to his position. He took a deep breath and got into his stance.
Could use some work, Percy observed.
He quickly walked forward and adjusted his grip and leg posture. Once it was to his satisfaction he gave himself a subtle nod and quickly returned to his previous position.
Meeting Danny's eye he raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Danny seemed to get what he was trying to convey and nodded with a fierce look on his face. Percy's eyes softened and he soundlessly laughed.
“Alright kiddo,” Percy started. “I’m going to demonstrate on you and then you can try it out for yourself, sound good?”
“Yeah.” Danny answered, already bouncing with impatience.
Percy smiled and got to work. His dance-like fighting style was met with keen eyes, watching like hawks at how Percy moved. They followed his graceful footsteps with such a childlike innocence that he got the sudden urge to pinch all of their cheeks. Just like his moms friend from that one diner they always went to when he was younger. He cheeks ached at the thought. He was broken out of his musings when the sword of the younger half-blood clattered on the dirt. His eyes gazed at the horde of children and grinned.
“Got that?”
A crowd of yes sir glided through the air.
“Now it’s your turn.” Percy glimpsed at Danny, waiting for the young son of Hephaestus to ready himself. He bent down to grab his sword and quickly shifted back into his previous posture. He nodded with more force than necessary and rushed at Percy, without waiting for the go. Unfortunately, at the same time he also tripped and astonishingly was falling at just the right angle to be impaled on his own sword.
Percy quickly rushed forward and pulled Danny up away from his sword, but instead of dropping it like Percy expected him to do, he pivoted the sword enroute to Percy's very unprotected, armorless chest.
Why did I give them real weapons? Percy lamented. He admitted it was a bad idea. In his defense, thinking wasn’t his strong suit, that was why he had Annabeth.
A burst of pain in his chest pulled him back to reality.
“Gah!” Percy cried. He dropped Anaklusmos and applied pressure to the wound on his chest, hunching in on himself.
“Percy!” He looked up to Will running over to him with a concerned look on his face, Nico following close behind. Danny made a weird horrified choking sound, drawing Percy’s attention back to him. The other kids looked like they were about to cry, if they weren’t already.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it! I swear!”
Percy tried for a comforting smile, but damn was it hard when he had a gash across his chest still bleeding, quite a lot actually. He pressed harder on the wound.
“I’m okay Danny, really I-” A booming crash on the waves interrupted him. A spray of seawater erupted in the middle of the training arena and-way to make a scene dad- there was Percy’s dad in all his glory. The bright pink blinding hawaiian shirt with little minnows on it and dark brown fisherman sandals. Were those minnows moving, or was he hallucinating from the blood loss?
Two large hands grabbed onto his shoulders to hold him up. He snapped out of his thoughts to see the alarmed look that made its way onto the sea gods face. Good Gods, this situation just got even worse didn’t it?
Poseidon’s hand squeezed his shoulders as if to remind himself that his son is here and alive alive alive. And wasn’t that a scary thought. A god caring that much about a mortal who was doomed to die one day.
Percy risked a glance to his left to see Will, Nico, and the rest of the campers with a mix of worried and hesitant looks on their faces. The arena had gone silent. The other groups all watched with varying levels of interest, their fights and weapons forgotten. Will reached out like he wanted to asses the wounds himself, but pulled back at the last second.
A hand on his shoulder moved and snapped Percy back to the very real god in front of him.
Those minnows are moving! Percy realized with delight, watching the picturesque fish languidly move their tails back and forth and- yeah, Percy thought he was losing a little too much blood now as he eyed the trail it was making down his leg to the dark red puddle it was making on the ground. Staining his new sneakers too! That was gonna be a bitch to get out.
The breath was knocked out of him as he felt his chest stitch itself together. He dipped his head down to see his skin look as if it had never been cut, if it weren’t for the blood and ripped shirt. He beamed and looked back up at Poseidon, mouth open ready to say thank you when he paused.
A worried look that border lined on anger was what he was greeted with. He didn’t have the time to question why his dad looked that way before they were whisked away in a flash of light. He hoped the campers all closed their eyes in time.
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When Percy opened his eyes he was in his room. His room in Atlantis more specifically. Which wasn't at all bad! He just had a shit ton of stuff to do at camp and he didn’t really have time to visit his godly side of the family at the moment. His eyes gazed at the gigantic room for a second longer before finding their place on Poseidon, who was beckoning Percy to sit beside him on the loveseat right in front of them. He contemplated arguing before taking in the stern look on his dads face. His very powerful dad who could smite him if he so much as breathed wrong.
Percy sat.
Poseidon took one look at his precious very fragile child's face before sighing with disappointment only one who lived as long as he could have, or anyone who had a trouble magnet as their child. His son winced.
“My son, why do you do this to me?” He asked with a pleading look. Percy reeled back, offended.
“Do what? It was a tiny training accident that could have been easily fixed with ambrosia-”
“An accident that could have cost you your life!” Poseidon roared with fury.
Wow, I see what the myths were talking about with the mood swings. I wonder how he was during puberty? I feel bad for Grandma Rhea, he must’ve been a nightmare. Wait, do gods even have puberty?
An image of a teenager Poseidon and Zeus throwing a fit over who got the last of the fruit loops filtered through his head. He held back a smile.
He donned an understanding look and attempted to calm his dad down before the west coast was wiped off the map.
“Dad, I understand where you’re coming from, but I’m really fine. You even healed the cut! Look,” Percy gestured to the very much fixed skin “I’m okay.”
The stormy sea green eyes got an ancient, far away, look in them. One that had seen too much suffering and heartache throughout the many years they had witnessed.
“Next time you may not be.” He muttered with a haunted tone. Percy got a knot in his throat. The dark look on his dads face was not giving him a good feeling in his gut. His gut that had kept him alive through the years he had been a demigod. As soon as it appeared, the look was gone. Poseidon closed his eyes with a quiet breath.
“Under the sea, you’ll be safe. I can keep an eye on you down here.”
Of course Percy was annoyed, he did have an essay to finish after all. However, he didn’t think it was too bad considering all the other ways this could have gone. A few days down here and his dad would have forgotten all about this little episode.
“Alright, I just need to be back in New Rome by the end of the week, college is really kicking my ass right now-”
“You misunderstand, you won’t be going back.” Poseidon clarifies with a frown.
Huh, Percy thought, that’s funny.
Percy was pretty sure he was going back. All mighty god or no he wasn’t gonna be kept down here against his will. The sea doesn’t like to be restrained and all that good stuff. He also had a date with Annabeth now that he thought about it, and he’ll be damned if he was gonna let a god throwing a tantrum for no reason get in the way of his Wise girl time.
“You can’t do that.” Percy scoffs incredulously.
Poseidon raises an eyebrow as if to say I’m a god I can do whatever I want and vanishes into thin air…water?
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Which brings him back to where he is right now. Bored out of his mind with nothing to do except plot his escape. Which is pretty damn hard to do when he sends your very annoying older brother to babysit you.
Triton sets down his polishing rag, readjusting his grip on his trident and rolls his eyes at his little brother's glare.
“Stop that, you look like a child.”
“Do not.” He retaliates glaring harder, crossing his arms, looking very much like the child he claims he's not.
“You know once father has his mind set on something there is no chance of changing it.”
Percy groans and rolls over on his bed, putting his face in his arms.
“I have a date tonight Tri! Annabeth is going to kill me if I’m late again!” He shuddered at the thought of his last date. A pack of hellhounds had attacked him and made him late to the showing of a documentary of architecture from Ancient Greece at the theater. When Annabeth came to bail him out, he actually felt sorry for the monsters. Their whimpers ringing through the air as Annabeth screamed profanities he dared not even think of at them. Hell hath no fury like a child of Athena scorned.
Triton shrugs, picking up the rag and starting his polishing once again. “Not like she’ll be seeing you anytime soon.”
Percy flopped back on his bed with a loud groan, letting the messenger god and the rest of the castle know what he thought of his captivity.
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A few hours later the door swung open, revealing a stunning mermaid with flowing black hair and beautiful brown eyes glowing with power. In her hands was a tray with an assortment of food ranging from Oceanic delicacies to mortal foods.
Her eyes landed on her step-son with a gaze full of fondness. His raven hair floated around him as he slumbered without a care in the world, in spite of being in the presence of two powerful deities. She glances over to her eldest son with a questioning gaze.
“Just a few hours, mother.” He replies with a hint of adoration in his voice, having finished with the polishing of his trident a while ago. Now choosing to read through a book he had been meaning to catch up on. Amphitrite caught the emotion though knew her son well enough to not point it out. She would be a hypocrite if she did, for her husband's child had them all wrapped around his finger.
She placed the tray down on the delicately carved nightstand and sat elegantly on the side of the bed. Her fingers brushing his hair away from his face and behind his ear. She sighed.
“Perhaps your father will get over this fit of his soon.” Amphitrite mused. However, who was she to say? Even with how long she had been living with her love, she still could rarely predict what he was going to do next, much less his next mood.
Triton nodded, as if reading her thoughts. “Perhaps.”
Percy sniffed, rolling over to his side, facing away from the two sea gods.
“Let us have some supper, child. It doesn’t seem like he will be waking soon. Mortals do need their rest.” Amphitrite got up from her spot and ushered Triton out the door to the dining room. The door silently clicked close behind them.
Percy's eyes shot open. He hastily looked around for any lingering immortals, and when he came up short, jumped up from bed. He opened his window looking out to the kelp gardens below, making sure to be aware of any guards, and fled his fathers palace. He had a hot date that he was not missing.
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Later, Poseidon would come into the room aiming to apologize to his son for being too impulsive in his worry. When he would see the empty bed paired with the window, his eye would twitch with untold fury.
“PERSEUSSSS!” He bellowed.
Needless to say, the city of Atlantis was shortly rushed around trying to find the wayward prince.
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“Sorry I’m late ‘beth.” Percy said with a dejected tone. Annabeth rolled her eyes at the nickname. The bustling of the waiters and the restaurant behind her faded into the background.
“It’s alright, at least you aren’t as late as last time.” She raised her eyebrow with the jab. Percy cringed and dodged a pair of children running around loose, a stressed out mother another screech away from tearing out her hair chasing after them.
“Yeah.” He chuckled and hung up his jacket on the back of his seat, the ocean view out the balcony a calming sight as he pursued the menu.
He spoke up, “Hey, the spaghetti and meatballs sound awesome right now.”
“Mmh” Annabeth hummed indecisively. Finally they decided on their entree and talked about their day. Percy, of course, leaving out a very important part of his. Soon the food arrived and they started to dig in.
“PERSEUS JACKSON!” yelled out a distressed voice from over the balcony, halting them from their dinner. The rest of the restaurant paused in wonder at what the disruption was, but soon their eyes glazed over and they went back to their conversations.
Percy and Annabeth were at the ready, hands on their weapons ready for a fight. Though contrary to what they thought, climbing over the deck was the heir of Poseidon looking a far cry from his usual princely aura with seaweed splattered all over his shirt and his shoulder length hair sticking every which way as if being run through for the past few hours. He stomped up to his little brother and grabbed his arm roughly, still careful not to hurt him.
“Do you have any idea how much trouble you have caused?!” He whispered with force. Percy looked up at him with wide eyes, slowly sliding his glaze over to his very disgruntled girlfriend, dropping her arm and loosening her grip on her dagger. Her face morphed into an expression that he was very used to by now.
“What did you do this time?” She asked with a deadpan expression.
All Percy did was chuckled with a sheepish grin and turn back to his disgruntled brother, who was still breathing heavily.
“Spaghetti and Meatballs?” He offered, grabbing the fork and holding it up to his brother's face. Triton's face pinched.
Guess he doesn’t like pasta. The Italians would be sad.