Diverging Timelines
Rating: K+
Summary:Percy Jackson and Peter Parker are both residents of New York. When Peter goes on patrol in Manhattan during the battle, their lives begin to overlap. Superheroes and demigods both reside in the city, and it's only a matter of time until the two boys finally meet. They have more in common than they thought, and once they learn about each other, become fast friends. (Spider-Man HOCO, PJO, Avengers crossover)
Percy snorted as Peter recalled a story where one of his friends crawled around in the vents, scaring unsuspecting people.
Peter smiled as he recounted how Clint had freaked out almost everyone, save for Natasha, who was impossible to scare. He didn't name names, but it was nice to tell these stories.
"Sounds like your friend would get along with someone I know," Percy grinned. "Travis and Connor are two brothers who have no limit to what kind of pranks they'll pull."
They were sitting together in the same cafe as they had been going to, enjoying the welcoming atmosphere. Mrs. Cooper was always there when they arrived, their food and drinks ready.
That day, they were talking about their families. It was rough for Peter to talk about his parents and uncle, but he perked up talking about his aunt. He told his new friend how his aunt had taken in one of his friends who had lost both her parents in the Infinity War, and how it was nice to have MJ around. While it wasn't adoption by any means, MJ now had a legal guardian and a place to come home to.
Percy then told Peter about his first step-father, eyes full of sorrow, pain and anger when he did, but those were replaced by admiration when talking about his mother. He told Peter about his new stepfather, and how nice he was, and that his parents were expecting a baby girl soon, that he'd be a big brother.
As it neared seven, they parted, Peter waiting for Happy to pick him up, and Percy heading back home on his skateboard.
On his way home, Percy had to make a detour when a hellhound appeared in an alley. After killing it quickly, he continued on his way back home, keeping an eye out for anymore monsters that might appear. They were slowly coming back after being sent to Tartarus, and as a child of the Big Three, he knew he'd attract more monsters than a normal demigod.
He made it back home without any more trouble, smiling as he unlocked the door, hearing his mom and Paul chatting in the kitchen, Paul grading papers and his mom finishing up baking cookies.
"Excited to go to camp this weekend?" Sally smiled at her son after putting a tray of cookies in the oven.
"Yeah," Percy grinned back, taking his shoes off, leaving them by the door. "Frank, Reyna and Hazel will be visiting from Camp Jupiter. Frank and Reyna left Bobby in charge while they're gone for the weekend. It'll be nice to be with each other again. We've all been busy recently."
"Aren't you and Annabeth going on a date Sunday afternoon?" Paul asked, looking up from the paper he was reading.
"Yeah," Percy responded, grabbing a cookie that was cooling on a rack. "We're going to get lunch, then come back here and watch a movie. It'll be nice to have a relaxing weekend for once."
Sally pressed a kiss to Percy's forehead, before heading to the bathroom to take a shower.
Percy munched on some cookies as he watched his stepfather grade papers, before heading to his room. He still had some homework to do, and, knowing it would take him awhile to finish it, decided it would be best to start now. He was pushing himself more than usual, as he and Annabeth promised to attend New Rome University together the following fall.
He fell asleep three hours later, still in his clothes.
When Sally checked in on him, she smiled before gently pulling his shoes off, turning the lights off as she closed the door slightly behind her.
It was a relief to hear Peter talking a mile a minute again. While Tony pretended that it annoyed him, he actually enjoyed the teen's constant chatter. It had slowed after Infinity War, but now, after a few weeks of therapy, it was starting back up again. It seemed that Peter's weekly sessions with Dr. Stirling were helpful.
It was a late night in the lab for the two, MJ somewhere else in the compound, likely watching a documentary. She preferred to be on her own Friday nights, leaving Peter and Tony to work in the lab.
That night, they were building robots, each of them at their own station, AC/DC blasting through the room.
Tony paused on what he was doing, watching the teen. It was nice to see Peter happier than he had been, though the older man knew there was still a lot of healing to be done. Every little bit helped, though.
It was a peaceful night, the first night in weeks that Peter didn't have nightmares, though Tony knew that they hadn't stopped completely.
In the morning, MJ and Peter were already in the kitchen eating breakfast when Tony stumbled in, heading straight to the coffee maker.
However, he was surprised to have a cup shoved in his hands by MJ, the girl looking bored, but Tony knew better. This was her way of thanking him for allowing her to stay there, for helping to look for her brother.
He was still MIA, but Tony was holding out hope. The girl didn't deserve to loose all her family.
The three spent the day together, sifting through movies and spending time in the gym. MJ stayed in the corner, reading her book, while the other two trained. It was routine for them, and while it may seem odd to many, it was comfortable to them.
They were only interrupted once when Pepper checked in on them, asking what they wanted to do for dinner. After that, she left them to their own devices, knowing that MJ could keep the other two in line if needed.
Pepper joined them at dinner, the four of them piled on the couches, pizza boxes spread out on the table in front of them as FRIDAY started a movie for them.
Pepper smiled to herself as she watched the other three. This is how it should be.
Percy waved at Paul before disappearing into camp, running his fingers along the trunk of Thalia's tree as he went.
He dropped his stuff off in his cabin, before making his way towards the beach, where they had agreed to meet. Reyna, Frank, Hazel and Annabeth were already there, and he smiled as he watched them talk.
He joined them, sitting down next to Annabeth and across from Hazel, grabbing one of the camp grown strawberries that sat in a bowl on the table. As they greeted him, he smiled at them. It was nice to find a time that they could all get together without the threat of war looming over them.
The five friends chatted amounts themselves, catching up, as they waited for the rest of their group. Will and Nico arrived together five minutes later, Jason, Piper and Leo joining them two minutes after that.
Will watched the group curiously, watching how they all interacted with each other. He hadn't been part of the group who fought outside of camp, who nearly died everyday. He had been at camp, helping to heal people and fighting when he needed to. However, he had seen his fair share of of loss and violence, and being up close to the injuries his friends received was not a fun experience. Now that he and Nico were closer, the beginning of their relationship have blossomed not long ago, he was invited to hangout with the heroes more often. He found it fascinating to observe the group, to see how they hid things, or who they were most comfortable being open with.
He had spent many summers with Annabeth and Percy, so it was most interesting to see how their experiences shaped who they were. Will had watched the way grief affected them, how Luke and Silena and Beckendorf and everyone else's death had affected them. It was obvious all of it still weighed on their shoulders, because just when they were given the chance to heal, they were thrown into another prophecy. Now, though, they both seemed to be lighter, and based on the conversation, it was because they were finally able to open up.
They didn't talk about everything with each other too much, knowing that only trusting each other with what happened could lead to bad things. If they only talked to each other, they would constantly weigh each other down, remind each other of what had happened. So they talked to others for the majority of it: Annabeth with Piper and Rachel, and Percy with Grover and his new friend, Peter.
It seemed to be helping them, because as they talked to each other and their friends, there was no tension between the two, just looks of understanding.
The son of Apollo continued to watch his friends, noting how Reyna and Jason were meeting each other's eyes more often, recounting tales from their younger years at Camp Jupiter without them immediately closing up after. They had a rocky start to rebuilding their friendship after Jason returned with Piper and no thanks for Reyna after she led the camp on her own for eight months. Reyna held her head up high, and continued to lead the camp without looking back. However, Will could read people well, and knew that that was Reyna's way of coping with, in a way, losing her best friend.
But their friends had had enough of them ignoring each other after many years of such a profound friendship, and forced them to talk. They locked them up in Zeus' cabin, guarding the doors so neither could escape. There was screaming and throwing of things after Reyna finally broke down, Jason trying to defend himself even though he knew he could've done something better. Despite this, at the end of the day, Reyna acknowledged Jason, and Jason thanked Reyna for all she did for their camp, apologizing for not giving her the recognition she deserved. After all, she had to lead a camp meant for two to rule on her own, while trying to find her friend and dealing with Octavian.
Percy, Annabeth and Piper were the most relieved the two friends were rebuilding their friendship, knowing how important it was. Many people thought that Piper would be jealous of her boyfriend's friendship with the female praetor, but she wasn't. She knew nothing would happen between them, both Jason and Reyna too noble to let it. As well, she could tell how much they needed each other in their lives, because they lived through so much on their own before meeting anyone else. Reyna had had a tough childhood, and had a hard time opening up at camp, but Jason managed to get her to trust him. Also, Reyna helped keep Jason's head out of the clouds, helping to train him and keep him out of trouble.
Piper knew they needed each other's friendship, and had no doubts or worries about pushing them back into the bond they once shared.
Will could tell it was doing everyone good. There was no bad blood between any of the heroes, and it made times like this easier.
"Hey, you good?" Hazel nudged his shoulder, noticing he hadn't been talking much.
"Yeah, yeah, I am," Will smiled back at her. "Just enjoying watching everyone at ease with each other, after everything."
Hazel's eyes sparkled, taking in Jason and Reyna, and Percy and Annabeth. The Romans and the Greeks, the (former, in the case of Jason) leaders of the camps. "Everything seems okay for once, doesn't it? No threat looming over our heads, friendships being rebuilt and everyone is getting to heal."
"It's about time," Will agreed, watching Piper and Leo chasing each other around the table, a small smile on Reyna's face.
With a start, Percy cried out as Leo chucked a strawberry at him that was meant for Piper. Percy slowly turned around to stare down the son of Hephaestus, eyes gleaming as a smirk spread across his face.
"Uh oh," Leo muttered, before ducking behind Piper. "Save me!"
And then, there was chaos as all the demigods got dragged into a food fight, a free for all. They were all laughing as they hit their target, dodging behind each other to avoid being hit. Reyna and Annbeth were both caught a few times rolling their eyes, but the gleam in their eyes let everyone know they were having fun.
Frank was using his shapeshifting abilities to his advantage, shrinking down to avoid being hit by fruit. Jason called on the wind, Percy on the lake. Piper tried to charmspeak others, and Hazel used the Mist to confuse others.
After awhile, they all collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily as they piled on top of each other. They were all smiling, feeling lighter than usual.
Percy was resting his head on Piper's stomach, her legs thrown over Leo's. Jason's head was resting in Reyna's lap, Annabeth leaning against the daughter of Bellona. Will, Nico, Hazel and Frank were in a puppy pile next to them, Hazel's ankles tangled together with Percy's and Frank's arm pressed against Annabeth's.
They sat in silence, drinking in the moment. It had been too long since they could act like teenagers, like kids, because they had all grown up too fast.
It was only as the sun began to set, and the stars began to come out that they finally tired, gathering up their stuff before retreating to their cabins.
They bid each other goodnight, promising to meet up for breakfast in the morning, before heading into their cabins.
Peter yawned as he curled up tighter, the movie playing in the background long forgotten. He shifted his legs, bringing them closer to his body.
He could hear Tony and Pepper on the other couch, curled up together, breathing steady and calm, both of them asleep. MJ was asleep, too, bare feet dangling off the edge of the love seat.
Peter listened to their breathing, letting it soothe him. It was calming to be able to hear their breathing, knowing that they were safe and content.
He continued to lay there, half asleep, as he thought about all the people he had in his life. He may have lost his parents and his uncle, but he had May, Ned, MJ, Tony and Pepper, was getting to know some of the other heroes, Percy and a few others on the decathlon team. He was lucky, knowing that he had people at his side that could understand what he had gone through, at least to an extent.
Even though May was his aunt, and he referred to her as such, she was the closest thing he had to a mother. She had been there at his side through the loss of his parents and uncle, had worked to put food on the table, a roof over their head, and payed to have Peter attend Midtown Tech where everyone else had a mind like his.
Ned and MJ were his two friends at school, looking out for him both as Peter and as Spider-man. Ned had been his friend longer, but MJ was becoming as much as a good friend as Ned was, partly because they were now living together. Percy, though a new friend, was a good one, and Peter was excited to get to know him better.
Tony was becoming a father figure to Peter, which kind of freaked him out, if he was going to be honest. Peter didn't expect that coming out of the billionaire reaching out to him. At first, it was just a mentor/mentee relationship, which had been perfectly fine with the teen. Now, though, Tony had taken a more prevalent role in Peter's life. In most respects, the idea that he was allowed to go over to the lab and work, had a room in the compound, and got to have causal dinner and movie night with Iron-Man was amazing. But it also made Peter worried. First of all, he doubted Mr. Stark felt the same way, or would feel weirded out if Peter admitted how he felt. He had a feeling the billionaire never really wanted kids. Second of all, Peter had already lost both his father and Uncle Ben, and didn't want to add Tony to that list. The idea terrified him.
Pepper, though he didn't know her as well, was almost like an aunt to him. She was kind, and was a rational voice whenever there was a disagreement. She was logical, and sometimes she let Peter help out with the company, which he enjoyed more than he thought he would.
It felt like a family, albeit a patchwork one, when he was with his aunt, two friends, Tony and Pepper.
Percy and Annabeth were curled up together on the couch in the Blofis-Jackson apartment, watching Emperor's New Groove. Though they enjoyed the movie, they were both distracted by the new phones that Leo had given them that morning before they left camp.
Leo had designed the phones especially for demigods. They didn't send out a signal that let monsters know where they were, so they could communicated without worrying. It wasn't Annabeth's first phone, but it was Percy's, so he was having fun exploring all the apps.
He had programmed in the numbers of Annabeth, his mom, Paul, and the rest of his friends who were at camp that weekend. He and Rachel had already sent dozens of messages to each other, as now it was easier to catch up with each other.
Percy planned on getting Peter's number on Friday. They had come to an agreement with each other, talking about what they had gone through without admitting how they had came to be involved in it. Now, it would be easier, and they could help each other through nightmares.
Annabeth carded her fingers through her boyfriend's hair as she sent off a text to Piper, enjoying the easy communication, as well as the peaceful look on Percy's face. It had been too long since they had a weekend like this one, and hopefully there would be more in the future.
A/N: This was a fun chapter to write, especially the demigods' weekend. I may write more about Jason/Reyna's friendship in a later part of this series. (Jeyna is my otp, but for this story, Jason/Piper are together, and I'll focus on Jason/Reyna's friendship. Also, I never felt like Piper would be super insecure about the two Roman's friendship, so I wrote her being supportive instead.)
I have a few ideas I've been tossing around that I may or may not include. This includes: giving Peter a significant other, having a crossover couple (one person from HOCO and one from PJO), and, while/after healing from Civil War and coming to terms with that, having at least a hint (possibly more) of Tony/Steve. If you have opinions on these ideas, or ideas for couples, feel free to let me know!
The next chapter will have more Peter/Percy bonding, and Percy helping out Spider-man! (also, dogs)
Otherwise, look forward to the next chapter!
~NewtsSuitcase
