A/N: Hey guys! So basically, one of you suggested I keep writing on this. I thought about it and was like... huh. Why not. These oneshots will be a combination of Percabeth fluffiness, family sweet moments, and more fluff and that of the sort. Some of you may remember what happened to my old fic, called The Future. It's the next chapter. :) Please enjoy! *I don't own PJO*
P is for Parenting
She groaned and massaged her temples.
"Percy, there comes a time when discipline is necessary! You've been spoiling our kids and– are you even listening to me?"
Annabeth jabbed me in the arm, hard. But you know what, I was in the middle of playing tea party with Callie and Zoey. Annabeth could wait five minutes.
After finally tucking my girls in, I met a frazzled looking Annabeth glaring at me in the kitchen.
"Is there something you need to say, Wise Girl?" I asked.
She let out a deep breath from her nostrils, clearly annoyed. "Seaweed brain, I know that you love Calliope and Zoey. But there's also something called being spoiled, and that has to stop."
I was rather taken aback by this remark. "What?" I nearly gasped. "I have not spoiled our children! They need to be loved, so that's what I'm doing! I'm granting them attention! How does that count as spoiling?"
Her head fell into her hands as she groaned at me. She made a baby face at an invisible figure and began– Oh my gods, was Annabeth mocking me?
"Ahahaha ohhh you're such a cutie aren't you, nyu nyu nyu, would you like some more tea? Oh you want daddy to put on a nice pink hat? Okay okay darling, and a peek-a-boo!" she said with a baby-like voice, making weird faces all the while.
"I do NOT behave like that!" I defended, but the way my voice had carried out that statement made it obvious. "Okay, so maybe I do behave like that. So what?"
She rolled her eyes. "So what? So what? Percy this is exactly how children become spoiled! You can't keep this going! Callie is almost four years old, and she'll be starting school. Zoey is two now, and she needs to start growing up a little. You know when I was two I already had–"
"I know, I know," I sighed, wanting to spare myself from her lecture. "You already had demigod dreams that you had to handle all alone!"
She still glared at me, like I missed the point. Secretly, under my huge ego, I knew she was right.
"Look, Annabeth, I'm sorry," I said, moving toward her.
She turned her face away from me and I could have sworn I saw a tear roll out of her eye. Wait what? Why was she crying?
"Sh, Annabeth, look at me," I said, bending down slightly and taking her hands in mine. Still, she turned her face away. "Shhh," I repeated. "It's okay, it's okay, Annabeth look at me."
When she didn't, I took my hand and cupped her cheek, turning her now wet face to look at me. Salty tracks were stained onto her beautiful face. Her grey eyes, though always stormy, seemed sad and confused.
I wrapped my arms around her like any loving husband. She clung onto me as if we were in Tartarus again. I knew after that (cheesily enough) I'd never let her go again, even if we were on the Titanic. She was my Wise Girl, and I was her Seaweed Brain. And we'd always be there for eachother.
She cried and cried into my chest, and I just held her, not knowing why.
Annabeth sniffled and looked up at me. "Percy, look. I'm not crying because you're spoiling my kids–"
"Am not!" I butted in. She almost smiled.
"–And yes you are," she continued. "But I'm crying because we are strong demigods."
If someone had told me Annabeth was a four page long algebraic expression, I'd have believed them. How was being strong even a bad thing?
"Let me finish, Percy. And close your mouth, you do that when you get confused."
I clicked my jaw shut.
"Look, Percy, we still attract monsters. Every now and then we have to take some time to go back to camp with the kids just to keep all of us safe. But something can still happen. Just try and imagine something for me, okay?" she asked. "Close your eyes for a minute."
I obeyed, closing my eyes.
"Now think of Calliope as a seven year old and Zoey at six. Think of a monster chasing after them. Picture Callie stabbing it with Riptide and Zoey killing it with my dagger." She paused as her voice broke.
Gears of Hepheastus clicked in my head as I realized what she was getting at. I opened my eyes and held Annabeth at an arm-length away, my hands on her shoulders.
"Annabeth, honey, look at me. I'd never let Calliope or Zoey go through that. You went through it once, and I swear if I'd been there like I was on all of those quests, I would have helped you. But like you said, we are strong demigods. And we have the strength to protect our children." I smiled at her, trying to tell her that it was all okay.
She smiled back (thank the gods) and began to speak. "But Percy," she said, her voice wavering. "What if something happens to us and the girls are left alone?"
I grinned. "Well then, we teach them how! We'll start teaching them tomorrow, 8 AM sharp."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, as if you'd ever get up that early, Seaweed Brain."
"Don't smirk at me!" I said, a bit offended. "I'm really going to do it! You and me, coaching Callie and Zoey like Chiron did to us, bright and early."
Before Annabeth could shoot me another sassy rebuttal, we heard a loud groan coming from the girls' rooms. And then a sequence of high-pitched giggles.
"Oh no," Annabeth muttered.
I looked at her and we exchanged a knowing glance.
Quietly, we crept toward the girls' room and opened the door quietly. I walked over to Callie's bed and Annabeth to Zoey's.
We nodded our heads: one, two, THREE! We tacked our girls as they squealed with laughter. "We're sorry, we're sorry!" they chanted over and over again between laughs.
"Oh you girls…" I trailed off, simply shaking my head.
"Daddy," Zoey pleaded from the other side of the room. "Can we please stay up for a bit longer?" From where I was standing and even with the dim lighting, I could tell she was using her little grey puppy eyes.
I almost gave in. Almost. But I didn't, to Annabeth's surprise. "No no, Zoey," I began. "It's way past your bedtime! And we are all waking up tomorrow morning for training. Do you understand, girls?"
"Yes daddy," they chorused.
"Good girls," I said, smirking and ruffling up Callie's hair. "Now go to sleep, girls. You've got a long day ahead of you. Goodnight."
I walked out of the room and Annabeth followed.
Right before I went into our room to crash, Annabeth caught my arm and pulled me in for a quick kiss. She smiled in the kiss and pulled away.
"You know, Seaweed Brain, you seem to exceed my expectations," she told me, smirking.
"Oh," I began, a devious grin crawling onto my face. "You have no idea."
And with that I picked her up and put her on my shoulder like a fireman.
"Seaweed Brain, put me down this instant! Percy!" She laughed and kicked and hammered my back, but I just chuckled and kept walking.
"Perceus Jackson PUT ME DOWN!"
I smirked. "As you wish!" and I flung her down onto the bed.
She exploded with laughter and yanked my hand, causing me to get onto the bed too. She kissed me sweetly.
"I love you, Seaweed Brain," she said, quickly pecking me on the cheek again. "You're an amazing father."
I grinned and took her hands in mine, gently kissing each knuckle. "And I love you, a great mother, wife, and friend."
Soooooo what'd ya think? Unfortunately I don't know when I'll update, I can't promise anything but I will try. :) Thanks for reading!
~Pianopanda12