"Oh gods. That looks cool." Percy said, as he reached the deck. The floor was made out of glass so he could see below him as well.
"You like it here?" he asked the person who was sitting on the deck. The person nodded without looking at Percy. Percy sighed and plopped across the figure.
"You know uncle, we should honestly have a civil conversation without you trying to kill me and me trying to provoke you." He said
"Really now?" Zeus asked his nephew dryly. Percy nodded.
"Yes." He said
"And what about?" Zeus asked, finally looking at Percy.
"Well I probably won't talk about what just happened." He said. Zeus nodded. "But I would like to talk about the relationship you have with your brothers." He said. Zeus' jaw clenched.
"And?" he asked a little crisply
"Why do you not like them or anything?" Percy asked, standing up and going towards the rail and the wind hit his face and his hair ruffled.
"I don't hate them." Zeus said
"I never said you do. I said 'don't like'." Percy said
"You know the net incident with your father." Zeus said.
"I also know about what all Hera has done and so do Thalia, Jason, Nico and Leo. I also know that you killed Nico's mom and so do the others but here I am. Trying to talk to you, to - I don't know – get to know you and to try and be nice to Hera." Percy stated, looking at Zeus with a raised eyebrow who went and stood next to him.
"Don't you think that if they wanted to talk to me then they would have?" he said.
"They are trying to. And I think that they're probably thinking the same thing that if you wanted to talk to them then you would have. Dad and Uncle Hades are actually getting closer." Percy said.
"But how do I know that your father won't do the same thing again?" Zeus asked. Percy could have sworn that he actually heard emotion in Zeus' voice.
"The first time around, well, they did it because you weren't exactly being nice to them but you're changing. Everybody knows that you are. Everybody else is changing as well. Trust is important. It can make things unbreakable and easier to deal with." Percy said, gazing into the distance.
"Me, Nico, Thalia, Jason and Hazel get along great. Why can't you all?" Percy asked Zeus who sighed.
"I'd trust them any day to watch my back and I'll have their back for everything, no matter how stupid or crazy. You guys have literally known each other since centuries. Millennia even. I mean you stopped Uncle from coming to Olympus but you've still known each other for a really really long time. I know that it'll probably be difficult but not all of the relations that everybody are trying to sort out are easy." Percy said, looking at Zeus.
"And yes I know that you want to." Percy added with a small smile. Zeus raised an eyebrow at Percy.
"So you're here talking to me because you want to bond?" he asked Percy who laughed.
"You could say. And also I wanted to talk about this whole thing. But yes, I do." Percy said with a smile. Zeus looked surprised. Percy just chuckled.
"Well look at us having a civil conversation. That's a shocker." He said. Zeus nodded.
"Where are the two of them?" Zeus asked
"Dad and uncle?" Percy asked. Zeus nodded. "They're by the amphitheater." Percy said.
"Thank you, Perseus." Zeus said with a sigh. Percy raised his eyebrow a little.
"Percy." He said. Zeus gave a small smile and the two of them went towards the elevator.
"What? I only came up to talk." Percy grinned at Zeus' look. His uncle gave a snicker.
"Hey Thals." Percy grinned as he walked up to his cousins.
"Dude, where were you?" Nico asked
"Um. Talking to somebody." Percy said.
"Who?" Thalia asked.
"Your dad." Percy said. His cousins' eyebrows shot up.
"That's kinda odd but okay sure." Nico shrugged.
"We're going to be reading well into the night." Jason shook his head.
"Chiron's given everybody a break for about half an hour more. It's already like 10 pm. We'll probably only start reading by 11. We're probably going to be reading till like 2 AM." Thalia said.
"Just 2?" Nico snorted. His cousins snickered.
"Coffee then?" Percy asked.
"Definitely." Thalia said
"You're paying." Percy said to Nico who groaned.
"Why me?" he said
"I paid last time. Thalia paid before that and Jason paid even before that." Percy smirked. Nico sighed.
"Lets go." He said
Zeus sighed as he walked to the amphitheater. Even five days ago, he would've found the idea of having a proper conversation with his nephew ridiculous much less taking advice from him. He hadn't even considered the thought of actually bonding with him.
He swallowed when he finally reached the amphitheater and saw Poseidon and Hades talk to each other. One of them saw him.
"Ah. Hello." Poseidon said to Zeus and he nodded.
"Hello." He said. His two brothers raised their eyebrows at each other.
"We don't start reading for about half an hour which would probably get extended to an hour." Hades said.
"Yeah, I heard." Zeus said "What were the two of you talking about?" he asked.
"Hera." Hades said.
"Did you see Percy?" Poseidon asked
"Uh yeah. I talked to him just a few minutes before." He said. Poseidon raised his eyebrows.
"He talked to you and you talked to him without getting angry? Like a civil conversation?" he asked
"Yes. He's gone to his cousins now." Zeus said
"That's kind of surprising but sure." Hades said.
"Come on now. You get along well with him." Poseidon said to his elder brother who shrugged.
"I do but it was surprising at first." Hades said
"How come you talked to him though?" Poseidon asked Zeus.
"I was on the deck and then he just came up as well." He said.
"Intentionally?" Hades asked.
"Yes." Zeus said.
"Well that's actually surprising. You haven't always been on the best terms." Poseidon said with a raised eyebrow. Zeus shrugged.
"Well he and I weren't on too great terms either." Hades pointed out. Poseidon shrugged.
"As we won't be reading for some time, do you two want to get a coffee? We'll be reading quite late." Zeus asked, scratching the back of his neck. Poseidon and Hades raised their eyebrows but nodded.
"So we're…hanging out?" Poseidon asked. Zeus and Hades shrugged. He chuckled.
Okay lets go." Poseidon said and got up. The other two got up as well.
"You're paying." Hades smirked at Zeus who sighed and shook his exasperatedly but it was fairly good natured. Poseidon grinned.
"Fine." Zeus said
"Yeah, I was practically saying that they song should come up." Nico laughed.
"Well some of your song choices are good." Thalia smirked.
"All of my song choices are good." Nico corrected with a grin.
"You listen to half the songs that he does." Percy pointed out with a grin.
"He has a fair point sis." Jason grinned. Thalia groaned playfully.
"I'm being teamed up against." She grumbled. Her cousins laughed.
"Hey Hugo!" Percy called. Hugo grinned at him.
"Could you play 'I like me better' by Lauv after this?" Percy grinned. Hugo nodded.
"Of course, Percy." Hugo grinned with a thumbs up.
His cousins cheered.
"That's literally one of my favorite songs." Jason said.
"I think that its one of everybody's favorite songs." Nico laughed
"You're stating facts there." Percy chuckled.
"Leave that. This iced coffee is so dam good." Thalia grinned. Percy roared with laughter. Thalia laughed as well. Nico and Jason just shook their heads fondly. At least now they knew what the joke meant.
"Nico, you should order a coffee too." Jason said
"I want one which is as dark and bitter as my soul." Nico stated. His cousins snickered.
"So a vanilla latte?" Percy grinned. Nico glared playfully.
"No, Jackson. A dark mocha." He said
"Nah. Your powers are darkness not your soul. I'm sure Will would agree." Thalia smirked.
"I'm sure we can call and ask." Percy laughed.
"Don't." Nico said.
"I'm just going to order a black coffee." He finally sighed.
In the middle of the song, the doors to the café opened.
"Hey is that dad?" Jason asked.
"Yeah that's him." Thalia nodded.
"With my dad and Percy's dad?" Nico asked in surprise. Percy just shrugged and gave a small smile.
"Surprising but nice." Jason said. The others nodded. Percy just grinned.
"Lets just go." Percy said. His cousins nodded.
"Wait, can we buy cookies?" Thalia asked. Everybody shrugged.
"Hey, Hugo. I'll have the choco chip cookies." Percy said, pointing to a pack. Hugo nodded.
"I'll have the chocolate ones." Nico said.
"I'll have the butter ones." Jason said
"Choco chip for me too." Thalia said.
"Thals, buy a different flavor so we can all share the flavors." Percy said. Thalia nodded.
"Okay then, I'll have the shortbreads." She said. Hugo smiled and passed the four packets of cookies. The demigods paid and turned around to come face to face with their fathers.
"Hey dad and uncles." The four of them said with goofy smiles. The three gods chuckled.
"Exact same thing huh?" Hades said amusedly.
"Its true." Nico shrugged.
"So you guys leaving?" Poseidon asked. The demigods nodded with their coffees and cookies in their hands.
"Yeah we just came for coffee because of reading late in the night." Thalia said.
"Well it looks like that you and your father had the same reasoning." Poseidon chuckled. Zeus smiled at Thalia who returned it a little awkwardly but glad nonetheless.
"Yeah we saw you guys from our seats and then we decided that-" Jason started but Percy clamped a hand over his mouth and chuckled awkwardly. Jason playfully glared at him and licked Percy's palm. Percy's eyes widened and he pulled his hand away.
"Disgusting." He shook his head.
"That's something that you would do." Nico said amusedly to his cousin who grinned at him. Percy wiped his hand on Jason's sleeve who yelped.
"You like licking things brother?" Percy said to Jason who raised an eyebrow. Percy smirked.
"Hey, Hugo. Can we have a lollipop for the little kid?" Percy asked, turning back to Hugo with a grin. Jason's mouth dropped open in surprise. His cousins burst out laughing. The three gods chuckled or snickered.
"Of course, Percy. A light blue one?" Hugo grinned. Percy nodded. Hugo gave Percy and light blue lollipop which Percy opened and popped it into Jason's mouth. The laughter increased.
"Here you go. Unless of course you prefer staplers?" Percy grinned with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh shut up and either way I tried to eat a stapler and not lick one." Jason said. Percy snickered.
"Enjoy the lollipop." Nico grinned. Jason rolled his eyes playfully and licked his lollipop. Thalia chuckled. Then the cousins seemed to remember that their parents were still there who were looking quite amused and were chuckling.
"So what coffees are you planning on drinking?" Thalia asked
"Hmm. I want something as dark as bitter as my soul." Hades said with a snicker. The cousins' gazes snapped to Nico and he just grinned and snickered.
"Vanilla latte?" Poseidon asked with a teasing tone. Hades glared at Nico playfully. Thalia and Jason stared at Nico and Percy in shock.
"Dude I-" Jason started, pulling the lollipop out of his mouth.
"I swear that this just happened ten minutes ago." Thalia said as she shook her head.
"Huh?" Zeus asked
"Nico said that he wanted a coffee as dark and bitter as his soul and Percy asked if he wanted a vanilla latte." Jason said.
Poseidon and Hades grinned and high fived their children and nephews.
"Weird." Zeus, Thalia and Jason said at the exact same time. The three of them then turned to stare at each other and chuckled.
"Well this is quite interesting." Nico chuckled.
"Most definitely. Though we were just going. You guys enjoy your hanging out session." Percy grinned.
"Thanks." Poseidon grinned.
"Have you seen Amphitrite, Tyson and Triton?" Percy asked
"Uh yeah, Amphitrite and Triton by the beach." Poseidon said "Persephone's there too." He said.
"And Tyson's with Hephaestus in the forges. I wouldn't suggest going there because the forges are too hot." He added.
"Ah great. So I'm going to the beach." Percy grinned.
"I'm going there too." Nico said
"Eh. We'll come too then." Jason and Thalia shrugged.
"Will and Annabeth and Piper?" Nico asked
"Will's with his dad who is teaching him some new medical stuff and Annabeth is with her mother." Hades said.
"Ah okay. So to the beach then." Nico said. His cousins nodded.
"I'm just going to get my book and meet you guys there." He said. The three cousins nodded.
"Okay sea ya dad." Percy said with a grin. Poseidon grinned and nodded.
"Later uncles." Percy said with a two finger salute and everybody laughed. The others said their goodbyes and went to the beach. Before going, they didn't forget to buy some more lollipops for themselves. Nico bought a yellow one, Thalia bought a light blue and Percy bought a blue one.
The three demigods walked to the beach and plopped down on the sand. Nico joined them two minutes later.
"The tide's good tonighr." Percy grinned. Amphitrite and Triton grinned and nodded.
"We just ran into Uncle actually." Nico said.
"Really?" Triton asked
"Yeah we were drinking coffee and the three of them came there as well." Thalia said.
"Wow." Amphitrite said.
"Which book are you reading?" Persephone asked Nico
"Shadow and Bone." Nico grinned.
"You mentioned a series about it?" she asked. Nico nodded.
"That's what got me into the books in the first place." He said.
"Where's Hazel?" Nico asked.
"On a date with Frank." Persephone said with a smile. Nico nodded.
Thalia and Jason saw Percy and Nico conversing casually with their step mothers and Triton. The two of them sighed and looked at each other. They joined into the conversation soon as well. Their talks were interrupted by a bear growl and a sheepish Percy. His cousins roared with laughter and the others chuckled.
"Well, Percy's hungry." Thalia said in a sing song voice. Percy grinned sheepishly. They all went to the dining hall for snacks and everybody soon began trickling in as well as they all had the same idea of eating something. Most of the demigods looked like they had just had coffee or were currently holding cups of coffee. They all sat down on their tables. Tyson sat down with the Hephaestus gang as they were discussing materials.
The beach gang sat together and Poseidon and Hades joined them as well. Zeus went and sat with Hera but the three of them looked rather happy. Percy grinned internally.
"Perce and Nico, man, how do you to do it?" Jason sighed.
"Do what?" Nico asked
"Bond with your immortal step mothers." Thalia said.
"Hey. Ask Percy. He was the one who gave me advice in the first place. This guy is as deep as an ocean." Nico said
"Understandable." Triton chuckled "The deep as ocean part." He added. Percy grinned. Thalia and Jason looked at Percy.
"Its so easy for the two of you right?" Jason sighed. Nico snorted.
"Bruh. I got turned into a dandelion. I don't think that that counts as 'easy.'" He said. Persephone looked sheepish.
"Okay then Percy?" Jason said. Percy sighed and shifted. The sea gang turned to look at him.
"Its not easy." Percy said finally, his voice breaking a little. A few people looked surprised. Poseidon just sighed.
"Really?" Thalia asked. Percy nodded and gave a dry chuckle.
"You guys read about my first meeting. The next one was even more awkward and tenser. Triton hated my guts and Amphitrite – I don't know – just kind of new that I was there and accepted it but didn't want anything to do with me. Dad was the peacemaker kind and I was just trying to get through the whole lunch. But then the next day, dad and I talked and I decided that I would try to talk. I went to bake something and ended up talking with Amphitrite and went to the training arena and Triton ended up watching me and teaching some new moves." Percy said.
"But you see the thing about relationships is that people often don't pay attention to the way they started but they care about the way they're going. That's what we did. Maybe if you can't find a center then just try to talk." Percy said with a small smile. Triton and Amphitrite sighed and Percy gave them a smile too which they returned.
"Well, I'm glad that they talked." Poseidon said with a chuckle.
"So are we." Percy, Triton and Amphitrite shrugged and grinned.
"Yeah but have you tried making conversation with Hera?" Jason said with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know man. It's going to be harder. But talk about anything. Something that you could three could relate to or something. Like it doesn't even have to be a positive topic." Percy said
"Though positive topics are good." Poseidon added.
"Yeah." Percy nodded.
"Thanks little cuz." Thalia smirked.
"Oh no. I'm elder now. And I'm going to be for all eternity. And so are Jason and Nico. I mean literally your younger bros are going to be elder." Percy said with a grin. Thalia groaned.
"Isn't Nico 16?" Poseidon asked
"His birthday's on 28th." Hades said. Nico grinned widely. Poseidon nodded.
"Will's on 22nd too." Percy said. Nico nodded with a grin.
"And Nico's already 16. Thalia turned into a huntress before the age of 16. Jason's just a few months younger than me." Percy explained.
"Well I can still appear elder." Thalia smirked.
"So can we." Nico grinned.
"Dam it." Thalia said. Percy snickered and even Grover snickered as he heard them from five tables away. The magic of the joke truly was a lot.
"Hello Perseus." Came a voice from behind Percy. Percy looked behind.
"Lady Athena." He said. Poseidon sighed. Hades snickered at his brothers' face.
"How may I help you?" Percy asked.
"Actually, I wanted to know more about your fatal flaw and your take on it." Athena said. Percy raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds like a feedback form." He said
"Something like that." Athena admitted.
"Okay um sure. Have a seat." Percy said, gesturing to the chair next to Jason. As Athena was going to the chair, Percy got up and pulled the seat.
"Sorry. I just always do that for Annabeth." He said sheepishly "Kind of a habit. She does it for me too." He said. Athena gave a small smile and the others chuckled.
"So you pull each others' chairs?" Thalia said. Percy nodded with a grin.
"Okay so, what about a game. I'll tell you some names and then you have to say if you will do something for them." Athena said
"Well by something, I'd just like to say that all flaws are dangerous. If lets say somebody hurts somebody really close to me then I would turn into like a lethal version of myself which I'm not sure that even I want to see." Percy said. Athena nodded.
"Okay so first person. Annabeth." Athena said
"Definitely." Percy said with a smile.
"Hestia." Athena said. Percy gave a chuckle.
"The person who does something to her is going to regret being born." He said. The other demigods and gods at the table nodded as well. Athena nodded.
"Thalia." Athena said
"If somebody kept her hostage at the bottom of the Burj Khalifa and I was at the top then I would literally go bungee jumping with a very secure rope and Jason on my side to get down." Percy said. Thalia grinned at Percy.
"Same here cuz." She said
"Well, that was an interesting situation but sure." Athena said with a small smile.
"Father." Athena said. Percy raised an eyebrow.
"Well I did talk to him today. Went way better than I expected. But maybe not the most lethal me but yes I'd do something." He said.
"Wait. Hold up. You had a civil conversation with him?" Triton said. Percy chuckled and nodded.
"Without provoking him?" he asked. Percy nodded.
"Miracles do happen." Triton said with a grin. Percy stuck his tongue out at his brother.
"Triton." Athena said.
"That's the next name?" Percy asked. Athena nodded.
"Without the blink of an eye." Percy said. Triton smiled at him.
"Ditto." He said.
"I know that now I'm just going to give your friends and I know that you will do a lot for them but now I just want to know some interesting answers and threats that you will give now." Athena said
"Fun." Percy said with a chuckle.
"Your mom." Athena said.
"I'd beat out the person from existence before they lay a finger on my mother. Not letting that happen ever again." Percy said as he sat a bit more comfortable on his chair. The demigods nodded in agreement.
"Facts." Nico said. Everybody looked angry at even the smallest of thought about Gabe.
"Your dad and Nico." Athena said
"Two people?" Thalia said. Athena nodded.
"Bruh. I'd bleed myself dry for them if I had to someday." Percy said with an unwavering stare. Athena's eyes widened.
"Wh-what?" she asked. Even Poseidon and Nico were frozen in their seats. The others except Thalia and Jason just stared at Percy. This was literally the first time that Athena looked and sounded that surprised.
"Whoa. What just happened?" Hermes asked as he and Apollo came over to their table and stared at Athena. Thalia explained the rules of what Athena and Percy were doing at the moment and the most recent names that she asked Percy.
"And what did you say that got all of them so surprised? Athena's just looking shocked – first time ever- and Nico and Uncle P just look frozen. I think that even if somebody waved a fish in front of them, they wouldn't notice and the others just look like time froze or something." Hermes said to Percy. Thalia chuckled.
"I said that I'd bleed myself dry for them if I had to." Percy said. Hermes and Apollo's eyes widened.
"Ah I get that now." Apollo said
"Why is it so weird and surprising?" Percy asked exasperatedly.
"It's not. It's just the amount of loyalty and love you have for everybody." Hermes said to him.
"Guys snap out of it!" Thalia shouted which made a few people look at her but then they just shrugged it off because it was quite normal. This broke it. Everybody blinked at looked at Percy.
"Did you just say that?" Nico asked.
"Yes!" Percy said. Nico gave Percy a bone crushing, younger brother hug. Percy chuckled and hugged him back. Once they pulled away, Poseidon got up and gave an even more bone crushing hug. Percy wheezed as the air was knocked out of him but he still managed to return the hug. Hermes and Apollo still stood behind Percy's chair, eager to see where the game went.
"That- was a good hug." He choked out. Everybody chuckled and Poseidon smiled at Percy.
"Should we continue?" Athena asked. Percy gestured her to ask on.
"Hades." She said.
"Before you could say Styx. Or before you could say Lethe. Or before you could say the first two letters of the other Underworld Rivers." Percy said. Hades looked surprised. So did Athena.
"Is this a little surprising to you?" Percy asked her.
"Just a bit." She said
"Well, don't be. He's as much family to me just as much as the others." Percy said. "Any questions?" he asked. Athena shook her head. Hades smiled at Percy and gave him a side hug. Persephone gave him a smile as well.
"Hermes and Apollo." Athena said. Hermes and Apollo raised their eyebrows.
"Faster than Hermes can fly." Percy grinned. Hermes and Apollo gave Percy a hug from the behind. Percy grinned and returned it.
"Are you going to take the name of any other demigod?" Amphitrite asked Athena curiously.
"No. I already know his relation with them." She said. Amphitrite nodded.
"Okay done. That was very interesting." Athena said.
"Glad you enjoyed, I guess?" Percy asked with his eyebrows furrowed.
"Not enjoyed. Just came to know." Athena said.
"That's clearer." Percy nodded. Hermes, Apollo and Athena went back to their seats.
"That was odd. Nice…but odd." Percy said. The ones on his table just smiled warmly at him.
"Anyways." Percy said and rubbed his hands. He got up, poured a bowl of milk and added in the cereal and went back to his table. Nico fell from his chair as he saw what he got. Percy smirked at him. Hades shook his head.
"Horrible choice of snacks." He said. Percy snickered.
Demeter went over to their table. It was as if she could sense that Percy took some cereal. She nodded approvingly at that but then gave a light frown as she saw the cereal that he took but she shrugged. It was cereal either way.
"Good job." She said. Percy jumped in his chair. So did the others. Hades groaned.
"Let the kid eat in peace." He said.
"He's eating cereal. You should learn." Demeter chided. Hades just groaned again.
"I'm not going to be eating this everyday though." Percy said. Demeter sighed.
"Pity." She said. Percy and the others tried not to laugh and tried keeping a straight face.
"Nico!" Demeter chided. Nico jumped again and glared at Demeter.
"Yes?" he asked. "I'm not going to eat cereal and not going to be convinced otherwise." He said. Hades snickered. Demeter huffed.
"Just like your father." She said.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Nico smirked. He and Hades high fived. Demeter sighed.
"Well then, Hades, you should eat cereal so that your son eats it." She said with a smirk. Hades shook his head.
"Not happening. I'm not eating it and nor am I going to ask my son to eat something like that. I don't know my nephew's managing." He said. Nico snickered and the two high fived again. Percy choked on his milk as he laughed. Triton slapped his back and Percy grinned at him.
"I don't even know why I bother." Demeter said
"Because you want me to eat cereal." Hades supplied. Demeter glared at him and Hades smirked. Persephone shook her head fondly at the two of them.
"Ah sibling banter." Thalia said with a grin. Jason snickered.
"And-" Percy and Poseidon started with smirks.
"Don't." Nico and Hades said at the same time. Everybody burst out laughing.
"How are you so similar?" Thalia chuckled.
"Mental bond." Percy grinned. Thalia snorted.
"Sure." She said.
"You're just similar that way." Jason chuckled. Poseidon and Hades grinned at their kids.