Author's Notes

I'm terrible at flirting. I knew I had a bad feeling about it. It will affect my writing! But ehhh, who knows. Also, I need to know if you guys want some smut or what cause' it's all up to the next chapter whether I put some or naahhh. Keep being awesome you guys.

The Heirs of Nithera and Ōkeanos

Chapter One

"Then my dad made this huge spaceship for the both of us and we barely escaped our planet infested with giant ice-breathing geckos." Leo grinned manically, moving his arms around animatedly as he spoke with enthusiasm.

"Sure, of course. That's definitely what happened." Percy rolled his eyes at his hyper friend. He was sitting on the bed in Leo's room, listening to the other boy with elfish features stretch the truth of how they escaped their planet a hundred times. The teen had grown a mop of dark brown hair and brilliant green eyes, lighting up his whole face. The boy he's talking to is Leo Valdez, the last kid from the red planet, known as Fyrian. The boy had messy and curly black hair and dark-toned skin. His hands often lit up in fire when he gets nervous or mad sometimes when he's overly excited.

His father, Hephaestus, took Percy and Annabeth in his care. The man became a father to them. He told them the truth as they matured. Percy cried at night whenever his mind drifts off into the stories Hephaestus told him, how his planet was torn down. He often thought about how his family looked like, how the palace they stayed in looked like, how it feels to hug his mom and dad, talk to them, how their environment looked like, and how the people of Ōkeanos act upon each other. It all broke his heart to never see anything from the planet he was born; more so to have never seen his own parents. Annabeth comes into his room at night to calm him down since Leo was busy snoring up a storm, lost at sleep.

Said father walked past the room and chuckled at his son's words. "Don't forget the terrible witch who trapped our people in huge ice cubes." He added. The Fyrianee grinned. Percy shook his head in disbelief and glanced up when the door to Leo's room opened. A girl, most likely sixteen the same age as he, entered carrying a notebook. She owned a set of curly blonde hair that fell past her shoulders. Her skin had the same hue as Percy's. Light blue. Instead of brilliant green, her eyes are storming grey orbs that pierce through you. She was Percy's friend, more like sister since they grew up together. "Is Leo engaging in story time mode again?" she asked in monotone as if bored. The brunette nodded and shifted to lie sprawled out on the bed.

"Hey! My stories are great." Leo huffed and turned his head to the side for effect. Annabeth closed the door and sat down on one side of the bed. "Which one was it this time?" She directed her question at Percy, ignoring the other's retort. "The one with the ice-breathing geckos." He snorted. She cracked a small smile and opened her notebook. Only then did Percy saw she was holding a pen. He didn't bother sitting up to look at what she drew. It was probably either of the two of them. "How do you just "make" fire?" Percy asked bluntly. The boy with curly hair blinked. "It sort of happens, I guess." Leo answered.

"No. I mean, does it come out from the pores of your skin? If so, does that mean there's fire inside your body? Does it even hurt?" He asked, eyebrows furrowing at the thought. He felt a hand pat him on the head and looked up. "Don't think too much. It'll hurt you." Annabeth smiled. Percy swatted her hand away and poked her on the side. The blonde wasn't a very ticklish person so he didn't get any satisfaction in seeing her jerk away. "Rude." He glared.

"I don't know man. Annabeth's right. Thinking hurts." Leo fell back and groaned. The two Ōkeanosians sighed. Silence ensued. The only sound that can be heard was the pen Annabeth was using running along the surface of paper. "Do you ever wonder how mom and dad looked like?" Percy asked suddenly. The scribbling stopped and Percy knew he hit the dead end. Even Leo's head turned up when he heard him. It was a topic neither spoke of but silently agreed to comfort each other whenever one tends to break down because of it. That was the reason they eschew talking about the wonders they've never seen.

"Percy, don't start." Annabeth frowned. The boy grimaced and propped his head on his hands. He ignored her. "I bet I got the green eyes from dad and the hair from mom." He said thoughtfully. No one said a word after him. "I bet dad was a great king." He said softly. After a few seconds of silence, he received a reply. "I must've got the eyes from mom." Annabeth whispered. Her hand unclasped the pen she held onto and let it fall to her side. Leo watched the exchange carefully. "Hephaestus said water came out of the escape pods when it opened. It must be cool living underwater." Percy looked up at the ceiling in thought. Annabeth nodded slowly beside him.

Unknown to them, the man who took care of them stood behind the door, listening to them. "Living with the fishes and just flying around sounds cool. Well, swimming around since we live in the water." He said. "Just imagine the scenery we would have seen. The endless wonders of that world." Annabeth said, her free hand trailing the surface of her notebook as if drawing one of the most beautiful sights ever seen. They were so lost in thought that they didn't hear the knock on the door outside. Hephaestus went and left to meet his visitor.

Leo coughed, breaking the awkward atmosphere beginning to surround them. He sat up straighter and leaned on both his hands. "So Annabeth, can we see what you drew?" The smaller boy asked. Percy was thankful for the change of subject. Dwelling in the past, or supposedly the life they never had, wasn't a good thing to come by. The blonde lifted her notebook up and turned it for the boys to see. It was one of the previous sketches she stopped doing months ago. The sketch contained the three of them, laughing like they had no care in the world. Smiling faces that broke any woe and happiness radiated from them.

Sadly, it was only a sketch. Percy smiled at his somewhat sister. "It's amazing, Annie."

Leo huffed and pointed at his drawing. "I do not have wrinkles when I smile!" Annabeth rolled her eyes and set the sketch down. "It's better to put life and happiness in what you draw. It all depends on the mood of the artist. It's what you depict in the drawing that makes it unique." She explained. Leo nodded dumbfounded. "Words of wisdom." Percy cracked a smile.

"Boys!" a voice called out from outside. The three teens looked at each other confused, neither moved. "And girl." The voice added later on. Annabeth sighed and went to stand up with her two closest friends. Leo and Annabeth went out the door first and Percy followed them. He almost crashed into Annabeth when the two teens stopped abruptly. Percy opened his mouth to tell them off when Hephaestus' voice boomed from somewhere in front of them. They shifted around and got a good look of the people in the same room.

"This is King Hades, as you've heard." Hephaestus gestured to the tall man with dark robes, a stainless golden crown set atop his dark unruly hair. Unlike his species, which owned light blue skin, the Nitherans had two colors. May it be pale or dark. Before Hephaestus continued, Hades lifted a hand to silence the man then turned to the other four Nitherans beside him. "These two are my children," he gestured to one girl with dark-toned skin and frizzy dark brown hair; her eyes playful but held responsibility altogether. Then the king gestured to one boy who looked older than Percy, somewhere around eighteen, perhaps. Percy stared at the boy with the same dark unruly hair and same dark eyes like the king. He was tall and lean. He wore dark clothes to compliment his complexion that seemed different from his sister's. He had pale skin like his father but somehow had a dark tint to it. The boy had a smirk plastered to his face as if he just found out the cure for cannibalistic infection. Brilliant green met calculating black as they stared each other down. Percy felt his heart beat hard against his chest. Why did the room suddenly feel heavy?

"And these two are their bodyguards." The dark king gestured to the two figures beside his children. One boy showcasing his abs through a muscle shirt and one girl with dark hair, an aura of strong power and will radiating from her did nothing but stare back at the eyes looking them through. King Hades turned back to face the unresponsive teens who seemed to have their attention at one of each creature in the room. "You must be Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, the… Oceanese?" Hades lifted an eyebrow at the two light blue creatures. "It's Ōkeanosian, sir." The blonde corrected.

Hades waved the response away. "I need to have a word with your father." He turned to Hephaestus. The man bowed and went to follow the higher being. The doors sounded as they shut close. The two Ōkeanosians and the Fyrianee fidgeted in their place as the four Nitherans looked them over. "Well!" The girl chirped. "I'm Hazel di Angelo. Call me Hazel or whatever you want. We can be friends. What're your names?" she cast her gaze towards Percy, Annabeth, then Leo but her gaze stayed on the latter. "L-Leo Valdez." The boy at the end of the line stuttered. Percy could see the boy mentally beating himself up about the slight mistake.

Taking the minimal silence as her cue, the girl beside him answered next. "Annabeth Chase." Percy raised an eyebrow at her demeanor. His friend had her head bowed down, steering clear of any eye contacts. But what piqued his interest the most is the fact that her cheeks had flared, giving off a vibrant red hue. Was she feeling the heaviness in the room too? "I'm Percy. Percy Jackson." He waved and grinned at the four teens awaiting his reply. Suddenly, the taller boy stepped forward. He ceased his steps when he was a foot away from the creature with green eyes.

"It's nice to meet you, Percy. I'm Nico. Nico di Angelo." Percy's eyes widened when the Nitheran grabbed his hand and bent down to peck it. He opened his mouth to ask what he was doing but nothing came out. Instead, he felt a tingling sensation up his spine and heat enveloped his face. He stared doe eyed at the smirking figure. "Charmed." He nodded at him.

"I'm Frank Zhang." The male Nitheran bodyguard greeted. Percy glanced back at the other to see his eyes trained on the boy with elfish features. The bodyguard nudged the other girl who has yet to introduce herself. She sighed in frustration before looking all of them over. "I'm Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano. Call me Reyna." She muttered. Nico still hasn't let go of Percy's hand and said boy was getting a nervous-like feeling spread through him. "Oh, I'll definitely call you." He turned his head to the right where her friend, Annabeth, murmured quietly but not quiet enough for the others to hear seeing that all sounds ceased.

Percy's mouth dropped open. He gaped at her for a second. Catching Leo's eyes, their open mouths became sly smirks. The blonde looked up and found the occupants in the room staring at her. "W-wait! I mean..." Her eyes widened as she waved her hand in a frantic manner. Reyna's reaction was quite the same like the others. But instead, her eyes lit up in amusement as she watched the girl deny what came out of her mouth moments ago. "Oh, we know what you mean Annie." Leo nudged her at the side. The blonde glared at him witheringly. She stomped off in a different direction and sat at a nearby couch. Frustrated and embarrassed, she hid her face into her hands.

Percy eyed her dejectedly. From his peripheral vision, he saw Hazel and Frank come up to Leo. They kept themselves busy by talking to one another. He withdrew his hand from the taller boy's grasp and went to approach his friend. Once seated, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You okay there?" He asked softy. He heard her sigh into the palms of her hands and finally removed them to reveal her flushed face. "Yeah. I'm sorry. Something's up with me today." She admitted, leaning close to the other boy to keep her words to themselves only.

"Is it the same reason why Leo acts differently too?" He guessed, eyeing the boy from afar who was being questioned by the princess of Nithera and her bodyguard. Annabeth chanced a glance at their friend. She turned back to Percy and shrugged. "Maybe." She frowned. The blonde swiveled her head again but this time, not directing the attention to Leo. Percy followed her line of sight and furrowed his eyebrows when the end of line pointed at Reyna. Realization dawned on him and he nudged her shoulder, getting the girl to face him. "Do you like her?" He asked quietly. The Ōkeanosian's eyes widened but haven't provided an answer. Prodding her again, she sighed and nodded. "She's just enticing. The way her eyes held all the hardships in the world and how..." Percy droned her out when his eyes landed on the handsome prince. He was watching him like a predator and the boy gulped.

Despite the hungry gaze, Percy found himself liking the way he looked at him. He stared back defiantly. Nitherans are known for getting what they want. They are determined to get what they wish to acquire all the while Ōkeanosians such as Percy and Annabeth were shy yet smart beings. From what they've seen, Fyrianees tend to display a childish character; hardworking and valiant but playful at times. Definitely the definition of Leo Valdez. He tore his eyes away from dark orbs to tune in to whatever Annabeth was saying. "I don't know what to do." She finished. The rest was all gibberish to the male Ōkeanosian but intended to help her. "Why don't you go over there and talk to her?" He suggested.

Annabeth looked at him horrified. "Did you even listen to anything what I said?" She whispered harshly. Truthfully, no but Percy shrugged his shoulders. She groaned and stood up. "I swear..." She muttered over her shoulders as she approached the lone bodyguard by the door. Percy watched, amused at her friend.

He turned to Leo and his company. They bantered on and on. Hazel had a challenging smirk on her face and Frank seemed amused with the smaller boy's antics. Unknown to him, the couch shifted slightly as the older boy sat beside him. Only when he spoke did Percy get startled by his presence. "What's a beautiful creature such as you sitting alone? I would guarantee company if that's what you wish." The prince of Nithera shrugged. His green eyes lightened upon seeing the handsome prince beside him. "Well, if you wouldn't mind." Percy experimentally relaxed and shifted closer. Nico smiled and uncharacteristically hooked his arm around the younger species' shoulder. "Tell me about you, Percy Jackson."

…

"My children wish to... acquaint themselves with your children." Hades explained.

"Acquaint how?" Hephaestus questioned. The king sighed and looked back at the house. "I assume it's better to make them fall in love with each other. Since their extinction, queen Persephone and I agreed to let our children interact with the other species. The outcome, we don't know. But it's better than letting the last of their species die away." Hades said, using other words for a specific way of putting it.

Hephaestus grumbled in thought. "Our Hazel may choose whoever she pleases. May it be Percy or Leo. Nico would have Annabeth." Hades added. The man crossed his huge arms against his chest and frowned. "But what if they're not who they choose?" He asked. King Hades furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Hephaestus shrugged. "We'll find out." He said.

"I've already told my children of this plan. They've come with me to meet them. It's up to them whether they tell them or not." Hades turned back towards the other man, his eyes far in thought. The Fyrianee seemed to consider the king's words.

…

"Living underwater, huh?" Nico smirked. Percy laughed and nodded. "I just assumed since Hephaestus told us we were submerged in water when those pods opened. If we weren't able to breathe underwater then we'd probably be dead before then." He said, unconsciously leaning on the prince's side. His eyes never left the older boy as they talked. He found his eyes deeply fascinating; dark and enticing indeed. Unknown to him, the latter enjoyed the same sight from the younger boy as well. "Point." The prince said.

"How are your eyes so dark?" Percy asked bluntly. After realizing what he said, he blushed embarrassingly. Nico regarded him amusingly. "It's not an insult or anything. I have never seen eyes so dark before. Leo's is more like dark brown." Percy explained hastily. He tilted his head and stared at the dark orbs before leaning forward, catching the prince off guard. Nico watched the other come close. His face was an inch away while he inspected his eyes. Their breaths mingled as they breathe. The close proximity made Nico blush for the first time he arrived at the household. Then, as fast as he leaned in, Percy repositioned back to his seat where he grinned. "Yeah, clearly different from Leo's." Nico smiled and shook his head.

"It's so dark you could just get lost in them." Percy admitted. If he was honest, he'd confess to saying that leaning closer to the older teen was an excuse to get right in his personal space. He was itching to touch the prince but feared he might have "no right to". Nico raised an eyebrow, entertained by the other species' words. He turned in his seat to fully face the boy. He raised his free hand that wasn't hooked around the latter's shoulders to place it on his cheek. "Yours is more likely mesmerizing, love. Like the ocean has given into temptation to get trapped inside those beautiful eyes." He enchanted the boy. To the prince's delight, Percy was speechless altogether blushing up to the tip of his supposedly light blue ears.

"Red blends quite well with light blue." Nico smiled down at him. The Ōkeanosian pursed his lips, afraid of saying something stupid. "I wonder if black will look good on you too." Nico whispered, tilting the other teen's head to connect their eyesight.

"I- uhhh... Mmmh.." Percy stammered, unable to keep quiet. "Perhaps white would look great on you as well." The Nitheran prince grinned, sending a jolt down Percy's spine. The light blue creature made a sound of approval as he relished in Nico's touch and voice. The other boy leaned down to put his lips against Percy's ear. "Would you like that, my love? I would gladly help you." The older boy teased. Before Percy intervened his courting, a voice startled him.

"You what?!" yelped a loud voice.

Percy turned his face away from the handsome teen to look at the Fyrianee. Hazel and Frank looked concerned and tried to calm the boy down. Percy raised an eyebrow at them. Even Annabeth and Reyna stopped talking to see what the commotion was about. "I guess they gave him the news." a voice next to him sighed. Percy twisted around to look at the older Nitheran who dropped his hand from the Ōkeanosian's face. "What are you talking about?" Green eyes blinked up at the dark prince.

It felt awkward at first to interact in the same level with higher priorities but as they talked, it seemed like an irrational thought. They were different species, yes. But that's no excuse to differentiate themselves from one another.

"You'll know soon." Grinned the Nitheran as he brought a hand up to brush a part of Percy's hair away from his eyes. The doors opened and in came Hephaestus and the king, Hades. Everyone stopped conversing as they watched the two older species walk in. Hades raised an eyebrow at Reyna who was holding Annabeth's hand. The latter immediately brought her hand back to her side and stared self-consciously at the ground. Dark eyes inspected the room and landed on the prince who still held his hand up, brushing the green-eyed species' hair away from his eyes. Hades' eyebrows shot up at the display but looked away afterwards.

"Children." The king addressed his two kids. Hazel frowned and said something to Leo. From the distance, Percy couldn't make out what she said but it sounded like a promise to come back. He heard Nico sigh and faced him again. The prince smiled at him.

"I'll come see you again. I promise." Percy smiled, holding back the adrenaline of seeing the handsome prince again. The light blue creature looked back to see Hazel hugging Leo. Frank clapped him on the shoulder. Even Annabeth was receiving a form of goodbye from the female bodyguard. They shook hands and exchanged smiles. The boy watched as Hazel, Frank, and Reyna make it out their home. Turning back, he furrowed his eyebrows at the prince who stared only at him.

"I think you're supposed to go with them." Percy snorted. Nico grinned as he stood. What Percy didn't expect was to get pulled up along with him. In a flash, the prince leaned in to kiss both his cheeks. Percy gaped dumbfounded. "I'll see you again." The Nitheran smiled. He pulled Percy against his chest and embraced him before letting go. He walked out the door to follow his family and bodyguards.

Hephaestus closed the doors and heaved a heavy sigh. "Wow." Leo said. He had his arms wrapped around him as if it reminded him of Hazel's arms around him; one hand also touching his shoulder at the memory of Frank touching him there. Annabeth grinned happily to herself, walking towards Percy and sitting down on the couch. The latter plopped down beside her and looked up at the ceiling, obtrusively smirking as he remembered his dark prince. He was no idiot. After what happened, he'd be lying if he said he felt nothing for the older teen. Regarding the other's actions, it seemed the other had intentions of courting him. Percy had no argument to that.

"I'd bend down to Hazel and Frank."

"I could imagine myself on Reyna's bed."

"I want a piece of my dark prince."

Altogether, the teens sighed dreamily. Hephaestus stared at each one before scooting away to give them some time to talk about it. Leo went and sat down on Percy's left side. "I bet Hazel is as dominating as Frank." The Fyrian smiled. Percy and Annabeth turned their heads toward the boy. "What?" Leo blinked. Percy shook his head and stared at his hands. "I'd lick Nico clean if he asked me to." He said. Leo chuckled and the blonde creased her eyebrows. "Perce, that's disgusting." She retorted. The boy shrugged. "I'd let Reyna guard my body, if you get what I mean." She grinned to herself. Both boys sat up and gawked at her. "That's the most lewd thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth." Leo supplied.

"Please. If she were with Reyna, she'd be spouting nonsense as she let her ravish her." Percy smirked coyly. The female Ōkeanosian hit him on the upper arm and narrowed her eyes at the two species. Shaking her head, she muttered, "boys." Leo and Percy laughed.