I don't own mr.d, ariadne, or pollux and castor, but i own grace gem. takes place the day after castor's funeral.
I rubbed my forehead thoroughly, muttering to myself as I walked to the cabin which had my name printed in large, greek, violet tinted letters on it's door way. This was very rare of me to do, and I hesitated to knock, despite my deep concern.
That's right. I'm worried about my boy. My only child in the last fifty years, not including his brother. Yes, the heartless, cold, sarcastic Dionysus is worrying himself so much over young Pollux's tears over Castor's death. That, and the fact that after Castor died, a mere 10 feet from his twin, then Pollux went "mediaeval"- as one of the demigod brats had put it- on the enemy demigods and monsters.
I was about to turn away, walk back to where I was, yell at a camper and carry on with my life. When I heard no noise from inside, but then the door burst open as I turned around.
"What do you want?" A voice, almost as sour and venomous as mine, growled behind me. I sighed and turned, frowning.
My son, Pollux, with my own curly black hair and dark violet eyes, glared at me. Furthering my concern, I noticed six empty vodka and brandy bottles scattered across the floor of my cabin, and the blood shot look in Pollux's eyes didn't look like it had only come from angry tears and depression. His black suit- identical to my own black and purple one- from his brother's funeral, only yesterday, was blotched with tear stains and stunk of alcohol.
I couldn't find my tongue fast enough, this grief-stricken boy was not my son. This young man was too much like me, trying to solve his issues with booze. Grace Gem- Pollux and Castor's mother- had luckily contributed to both our son's personalities, so far, making them sweet, understanding, funny and polite. But I'd never seen my sons- either of them- go through this much agony, maybe this is what they were like in pain.
As Pollux began to shut the door in my face, I stuck my foot out to stop it,
"I need to talk to you." Pollux grunted in acknowledgment, and kicked a few bottles out of the way as he dropped himself onto his bunk. I took in the state of the cabin, not only several bottles were lying on the floor, but it appeared several had been smashed against the walls. Luckily, no impressionable other demigods were in this cabin.
"Well," Pollux started, reaching to take another swig of brandy, "Talk, before I decide to hit you". I narrowed my eyes and snatched the bottle away from him,
"Hey!" He yelled, jumping up swinging a fist, then he staggered, holding his head. I put my hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling over onto the broken glass, he poorly attempted to swing his balled hand again at me, but I easily grabbed his wrist and forced it softly to his side.
"I forbid you to do this to yourself. Your brother wouldn't have wanted it, and I-" I was interrupted by Pollux's humorless laughter,
"Ha! You'd know wouldn't you, Mr. D. Since you always new Cass and me so well, eh?" I winced, a god or not, that hurt. I sat Pollux down on the bunk. And began to pace, pinching the bridge of my nose to keep calm, Pollux waited, with mock patience, until I barked at him,
"I might not have know you or your brother as well as I might've liked, but that doesn't mean I can't worry about you." I argued, glowering at him. Pollux avoided my eyes, staring out the window. I groaned inwardly, since when is parenting this fucking hard! I must've said it aloud because it looked like for a moment Pollux's lips had twitched in a small, amused smile. I tried to turn him to face me, but he just he stiffened and turned away. I nodded and stood, I wasn't what he needed right now. I was the last thing he needed. And I didn't want to be here, either. As I reached for the door handle, Pollux spoke,
"Let's play a game." I started, what? I figured it was the booze talking, but somethings better than nothing, right? Screw it,
"What do you have in mind," I asked, sitting on then bunk parallel to his, an unused one. I remembered one of my daughters, Janie, using it a little over sixty years ago. Pollux thought for a moment, hiccuping.
"The, uh…the question game!" He decided, I cocked an eyebrow, but nodded, hesitantly. Pollux began again, his voice cracking,
"You know, when Cass and I were kids, I always thought you hated us or were a dead-beat or somethin'," I flinched, this was harder than expected, "And Castor never believed that, he always thought you cared," A long pause, I tried to process his words, before I could he went on, "Did you care, Dad?" He'd begun to cry silently again. I inhaled deeply, and crouched down in front of him, placing both hands on his shoulders,
"Son," the word felt wrong and strange somehow to say, as if I didn't deserve it, or it was an unfamiliar word,"I care, okay? I love you and I loved your brother," I meant the words, but they came out as if I was trying to hush him, but he didn't seem to notice, and nodded.
"Your turn," He muttered, reaching for the brandy bottle, again. This time I didn't stop him, he took a swig, and tossed me the bottle. I hesitated to take one, looking up at the ceiling,
"Fuck Zeus, I don't care," I grumbled, Pollux let out a choke of laughter. I thought for a moment on my question, what didn't I know about my sons, or son, I suppose. Strange, I'd barely ever really spoken to Pollux or Castor in their seventeen years, and I still couldn't imagine one without the other.
"What's it like not to have your brother?" I asked, accidentally. I needed to control what I say, Zeus was right. And Hera. And Athena. Well, you get the idea. Pollux surprisingly, didn't look phased by the question and took only a moment to think on it,
"Like half of me is gone. Like a huge, gaping hole got punched through my body. And every time I try and convince myself it's all just one huge, sick, joke the hole gets bigger." I nodded, and he grabbed the bottle from my hand, taking a long drink of the bitter liquid. I nodded, the answer furthering my concern. And flicked my wrist to Pollux to indicate his turn,
"How'd you meet my mother?" Of course this kid picks the hard questions. I glowered at nothing in particular.
"I met her in a bar in Sacramento, she was twenty. It was a little while after I got banned from Olympus and your grandfather had just died. We got to talking, we went out on a few dates…and, well, you and your brother were born." Pollux took a deep breath, shuddering,
"Ew…I don't care if I am older, the thought of parents doing it is disgusting." I choked on a swig as I laughed,
"Trust me, I'm over two thousand and the thought of it doesn't get any easier, kiddo." Pollux smirked, and I chuckled.
"Okay…uh…." I thought for a second, something a little lighter, "You ever had a girlfriend?" Pollux hiccuped, slightly and nodded,
"Uh, yeah, when I was, like, sixteen. I'm shy with girls, apparently. Kyla Remi…she ended up dumping me on her birthday for my best friend Tyler, who she then slept with at a party at my house that I didn't invite either of them to," Pollux coughed, "Castor beat the hell outta' Tyler for me, and my best chick friend, Jamie, kicked Kyla's ass, which I didn't ask her to do!" Pollux stifled a laugh, and I grinned, the alcohol was going to my head now, too.
"That's nice." I murmured, scratching my head, "Aren't fathers supposed to encourage their kids to use their words? And not drink? Wow, I suck even more than I thought I did," Pollux shook his head.
"Nah…you don't suck, least I see ya'. I met this one Apollo kid, um…Austin! That only met his old man once at his mom's funeral. How sucky is that?" Thunder boomed over head.
"Careful, blondie-boy might not look like much but he can kick your ass. And he's acts like a brat when he gets insulted." I muttered, my words slightly slurred as I took another gulp. Pollux squinted his eyes in concentration,
"Also, I'm eighteen, legal drinking age in Canada!" I chuckled a little, only a child of mine would know that. Pollux bit his lower lip,
"How old were Cass and I when you left?" I had to think for a second, it wasn't an easy time in my immortal life, even if I was a God, having demigod kids wasn't the norm for me. Including leaving them.
"Seven weeks old, your mother had already been having problems with monsters since I was there, but they weren't much of an issue for a bit. But then I had to leave, I used up all my vacation time from this daycare for heroes."I spat out the last part, and asked my question.
"Hmm...how's your mom holding up, you know, I'm assuming you told her about everything." I was genuinely anxious, I did love Grace, and was very worried. Pollux sighed, rubbing his face with his palms,
"A wreck, I'm gonna go home this weekend to be with her, you know, if that's cool with you." He peeked through his fingers at me, I nodded, cautiously, I didn't want to loose my only living son. I could barely handle loosing Castor, and sending Pollux home away from Camp could end in disaster. But, I nodded curtly,
"Sure, as long as you check in with me, if your getting eaten by some monster, I'd like to get a memo." I said it like I didn't care, but I couldn't deny the anxiety that existed in me, caused by such an idea. Pollux nodded, and thought for a second on his question.
"Uh, what's… you…um…what's Ariadne like?" I did a spit take all over my son, though it didn't do much, he was already covered in beer, but I muttered an apology and coughed,
"Why do you want to know about her?" Pollux shrugged,
"You're always pouting over her and threatening minors...so, she must be pretty special, right?" I smiled, blissful, uncaring, for the first time in countless years.
"She is…she's sweet, and beautiful and funny….she really likes you, you know. I was worried when you were born that…" I trailed off, looking for a way of saying it,
"She'd be pissed?" Pollux guessed, I nodded,
"Yeah, but she likes you, thinks you're a sweetheart and all that." I took another swig, Great Gaea, I love my wife! Pollux smiled,
"That's nice of her to say…tell her…uh…" He squinted an eye closed, I chuckled, he was really drunk. Then a lightbulb seemed to turn on in Pollux's brain,
"Oh yeah! Tell her she's really nice and I said thanks!" He beamed with pride as he finished his thought. I quirked an eyebrow.
"Sure, kid, I'll tell her." I rolled my eyes, and Pollux's face got a thoughtful expression. I snapped my fingers,
"What?" Pollux looked me dead in the eye, and I noticed how much he looked like his mother in that moment. Though he obviously took after my looks more.
"When'd you first meet me an' Cass, ya' know, somethin' I might remember, like, not when I was a baby or anythin'." His words were slurred from the alcohol, but I didn't miss them, I frowned,
"Ask a different question." Pollux glared at me,
"No. You can't break the rules!" He insisted. I rolled my eyes,
"You're drunk." I stated, crossing my arms. Pollux glare deepened,
"So? Jus' means I won't 'member your answer." He hiccuped, I exhaled.
"You both were seven." Pollux raised his eyebrows,
"Uh-huh…" He waved his hand for me to continue. I rolled my eyes again, since when do Gods take orders from their children? Or any parents for that matter? I stared at him,
"Wait. I'll make a deal, I tell you, you don't drink 'till your twenty-one, and you don't drink like this ever again, it isn't healthy for mortals, even you." It was Pollux's turn to roll his eyes, and took a moment to think on it,
"Fine, yeah, whatever!" I nodded, pleased with my newfound paternal skills, I was officially better than Hermes...though, it's not saying much since his kids are destined for prison.
"Okay…you guys were seven-" I started again.
"You said that already." Pollux interrupted, I glared at him,
"Never interrupt a god, just be thankful I'm so nice!" Pollux quirked an eyebrow, but nodded for me to continue,
"You guys were seven, and I was looking in on you from time to time, and I saw something that caught my attention," I started, thinking back, "Keep in mind, gods almost never do this, but you two were the first kids I'd had in at least the last seventy years. So Zeus made the exception of letting me intervene. And I- being the amazing father I am- can be a bit, uh, touchy. Though I'm sure it's hard to imagine me as a touchy person," Pollux let out a choke of laughter, which I ignored,
"And you were getting bullied by this little brat twice your age, so I got pissed." Pollux grinned goofily,
"I 'member that, that douche bag Craig Waldron from the middle school," I nodded,
"Something like that, anyway, I got pissed. So, I went down to Sacramento and beat the shit out of the little brat's gay ass father. Then, I pulled the little bastard's underwear over his head, and took you and Castor home, and that's that." I crossed my arms. Pollux was smiling goofily at me,
"That was you! No way!" He sat up straight, intrigued like a little boy, I smirked with pride and amusement.
"Yup. Your welcome!" Pollux smiled again at me,
"Thanks, Dad." My turn to beam, and I stood up from my seat, striding shakily over to the door,
"Well, go to bed, stay in school, don't get any girls pregnant, and-" I turned around and saw my son passed out on his bed, I couldn't resist a grin,
"Good night, kiddo."
Dedicated to Fred Weasley. Who proved anythings possible if you've got enough nerve.
...Screw you, Rowling for killing off the person I shaped my personality and morals around.
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