A/N I believe I've found a balance that will work for me in regards to my writing on here, so you can expect an update once a month at most. If we continue to have as many snow and ice days as we have been recently, I'll try to update more frequently. Thanks for following!
All character rights belong to Rick Riordan, as always.
Percy
Immediately upon appearing in the throne room of Atlantis Percy retched and Annabeth collapsed. He never would have imagined flashing to be so… nauseating. Percy was glad that water helped heal him, as he was sure he'd be worse off than Annabeth anywhere above water –
Percy started as he realized he didn't think about the fact that Annabeth can't breathe underwater and lunged towards her, creating an air bubble as he went. She coughed up some water as Percy helped her to sit up and grimaced.
"Let's never do that again, ever," she got out between coughs. Percy rubbed her back apologetically and made sure she didn't have any water in her lungs before turning to his dad with a scowl.
"You couldn't have teleported us into an air pocket?" he growled angrily. Poseidon shrugged.
"It did not occur to me. We rarely have visitors who cannot breathe underwater." Percy squinted at the god suspiciously before turning back to Annabeth.
"You alright?" he whispered.
"I think so," she replied, "but let's never do that again." Percy nodded in agreement and helped her up.
"Be careful," he murmured. "I have a bad feeling that that wasn't an accident." Annabeth looked at him sharply but before she could respond Poseidon spoke.
"Ah, good, your guide is here," the god stated, waving towards a merman neither recognized. "Aqual, if you could start by showing the Athenian the common parts of the palace, I need to speak with my son for a moment in private." Percy caught Annabeth's eye and shrugged minutely. She shrugged and motioned to the bubble surrounding her. He nodded to affirm that it would follow her before she pulled out her sketchpad and left with the merman. Percy turned back to his father and raised an eyebrow expectantly. When the god didn't immediately start the conversation, he rolled his eyes.
"What's the matter?" Percy asked bluntly. Poseidon flinched minutely, a motion most demigods would have missed, before clasping his hands behind his back and starting down one of the hallways that encircled the throne room.
"Walk with me." Percy knew better than to think that was a request. He quickly caught up to his father and matched his pace as they meandered through the palace. After a few moments of expectant silence, Poseidon spoke again. "I am wondering what your intentions are with the Athenian." Percy gave him a strange look as the god continued to stare straight ahead. After a moment, Percy snorted derisively.
"No, you know what those are. You're doing this to try to convince me to 'move on' from the daughter of your rival because as much as you want me to be happy, you'd rather I be without her because your pride doesn't like the prospect of your only mortal son betraying whatever reasoning there is behind your fighting." Percy stopped, forcing Poseidon to grudgingly halt and turn to face him.
"You know how important you are to me but-"
"But I'm not important enough for you to let me be," Percy finished bitterly. "You think I couldn't figure out that us not appearing in an air bubble was more than an accident?" Sorrow flashed quickly in Poseidon's eyes and Percy clenched his jaw, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to keep calm. "I appreciate that you didn't stop me from saving her but you crossed a line. Do so again and you will regret it, my father or not." With that, Percy swam off, not waiting to see his dad's reaction.
While Percy wasn't surprised that his dad didn't approve of his relationship, he never would have expected him to actually try to hurt her. His head was spinning as he wandered somewhat aimlessly through the palace. As he reentered the throne room, his head cleared and his irritation peaked. No, he could believe it.
"No matter how much I tell myself my dad's different, he's still a god. He can be just as bad if not worse than the rest of Olympus when he wants to be. Just because I haven't seen him act like that before doesn't mean he never does." Percy muttered to himself. The water around him swirled, its churning matching the demigod's emotions. As Percy's eyes caught sight of his father's throne, he grit his teeth.
Raising his voice to a more normal speaking level, he spoke at the coral adorned seat of power. "Because I believe in second chances, I'll forgive you this time, father. You of all deities should understand where my loyalty comes from," he glared at the throne as his voice darkened, "and you of all deities should know what happens when that loyalty is betrayed. Prove me wrong. Be better than your fellow gods." With that parting statement, the demigod left the room, intent on completing the second reason for his requested visit to Atlantis.
After asking around the palace for a bit, Percy found himself getting crushed in a hug by Tyson outside the forges. "I missed you too big guy, but you're gonna break my ribs!" Percy grunted out. Tyson smiled sheepishly and let him go.
"Sorry brother. I missed you!" Percy smiled up at him genuinely.
"I missed you too, big guy." He follow Tyson as he led Percy through the forges to his work station, avoiding other cyclopes and boiling patches of water as he went. Even for a heat resistant son of the sea, it was very warm, but compared to drinking liquid fire and being blown out of a volcano, he supposed it wasn't that bad. "How's Ella doing?"
Tyson blushed bright red. "Ella is good. She is working with Rachel on the books now."
"I'm glad she's adjusting well." Percy mercifully dropped the subject. Normally he'd tease his brother, but given the favor he was about to ask for, he figured it'd be hypocritical of him.
"I am too," Tyson replied. He squinted at the sword currently on his anvil, the shrugged and tossed it onto the pile of similar swords next to his station. "You asked for help?"
"Yeah…" Percy started slowly. "I was wondering if you could make something for me?" Tyson's eye lit up.
"Another shield?" He asked excitedly. "Or some armor? Or more fish-ponies for the cabin? Or-" Percy cut Tyson off with loud laughter. Tyson looked at him quizzically. "What is funny?"
Percy shook his head fondly as he calmed down. "Nothing, big guy, I just missed you." He smiled up at his brother, who gave him a confused smile. "No, none of those things this time. It's for Annabeth." Tyson looked at him for a minute before understanding gleamed in his eye.
"You want me to make Annabeth a shield? You can match!" Percy shook his head.
"Not quite… I need a ring."
Tyson thought for a moment. "You are going to propose?" Percy nodded slowly at him. After a moment, Tyson broke out into a wide smile. "Hooray! She will be my sister and we can all have peanut butter together!"
Percy rolled his eyes fondly. "Yeah, sure Tyson."
"I will need lots of shiny metal! And jewels! And-"
"Annabeth tends to like things simpler, Tyson." Percy reminded him gently. Tyson merely waved him off.
"I know brother. It needs to be strong so bad cyclopes won't break it."
"That would be great, yeah," Percy agreed. "Also, I was wondering… can you forge it to be enchanted?" Tyson bit his lip in thought.
"What magic would the pretty ring need?" Percy rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"I, ah, was wondering if you could make it let her breathe underwater like me?" he asked. Tyson looked at him for a moment before nodding his head sharply.
"I will find out how to make the pretty ring let Annabeth visit." Percy let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Tyson, this means a lot to me. I owe you a lot of peanut butter." Tyson's face brightened at this and Percy smiled back just as broadly. "I'll come back when it's done and we can hang out a bit longer, okay?"
"Okay brother!" Tyson turned to his work station and cracked his knuckles. "I will call you when I am done!" Percy nodded and left the forge, heading back to the palace where he was sure Annabeth was pestering the poor merman guide with questions about structural supports and building material costs.
Gods, he loved her.
With a smile on his face, he zoomed through the water, intent on enjoying the rest of the impromptu visit with his Wise Girl.
