Oh my gods, I didn't think this story would get so much attention! Thank you thank you thank you! So, I'm not planning on making it many more chapters. Maybe another 3 or 4 if you guys review enough…
Paul had gotten very accustomed to strange conversations and people. It seemed to him that Percy was a magnet for bizarre occurrences, and to be in their family, he was going to have to get used to it.
But he still wasn't expecting it when a teenage kid fell through the roof.
For a Blofis-Jackson conversation, that night's had been fairly normal. Or maybe Paul was just used to it; a thought that scared him to death. Mainly, it had just been about schoolwork ('Why does my brain have to be wired for Ancient Greek?) and friends ('Yeah, Grover is off trying to get more nature spirits to protect the wild'). However, all conversation, normal or otherwise, stopped when a figure fell through the roof and landed on the floor with an over exaggerated "Ouch!"
The figure picked itself up from the floor, dusting off its clothing. It looked up and Paul could tell it was a boy of maybe 13 with dark black hair and eyes and pale skin, almost as if he had never been in daylight. He was wearing all black (what were they calling it now, Goth?) and seemed to have a sword strapped on his waste. The boy grinned, the kind that made teachers cringe, and turned to Percy.
"Hey, long time no see," he said, giving Percy a quick hug. Percy smiled as well.
"So, what's up? Do you need a place to crash?" Percy asked, looking the boy up and down.
He grimaced, nodding. "If you don't mind. Dad's in one of his… moods. And Persephone isn't exactly peachy right now, either." Percy nodded sympathetically. Persephone, Paul thought, how do I know that name?
Sally, who had been moving around the table the whole time, took the boy in her arms. "You can stay as long as you want, you know that," she said, fussing with his aviator jacket.
He grinned again. "Thanks Mrs. B. It's nice to know." He grabbed a roll off of the table and bit in to it.
Percy seemed to realize Paul had no idea what was going on at that moment. "Oh, um, this is my stepdad, Paul," he told the boy. He looked over, noticing Paul for the first time.
"Hey," he said. "I'm Nico Di Angelo, King of Ghosts and son of Hades." Nico grimaced at the last part, and Paul could remember he had said something earlier about his father being in a 'mood'. And then- King of Ghosts? This kid was certainly more than what met the eye.
Percy and Sally were holding their breaths, trying to figure out how Paul would take this news. Paul sucked in a breath of his own and stuck his hand out. Nico grasped it slowly, smiling all of the while. "Nice to meet you, Nico."
Nico and Percy went off, probably to Percy's room and Paul and Sally resumed eating.
It wasn't the nice, family dinner Paul had expected, but the smile Sally had given him when he shook Nico's hand was well worth it.
Maybe Percy's friends weren't so bad after all.
That one was a bit short… Oh, and I have a poll on my profile about cheese… Anyway, would you rather see Poseidon, Annabeth or Thalia next?