Is this kinda OOC? Yes. But this is the sickfic chapter so….mmmmm sickfic is a valid ooc excuse.

Also, I tried to make this fluff and I think it might be more H/C so… oops?

Anyhow so sorry for this being later than the rest, I legitimately just had surgery and am recovering, but it ended up being perfect fuel for this preplanned sickfic chapter. I hope that the fact that this one is a little longer than the last will help out a bit!

The next chapter will mark just about a quarter of the way through what I have planned out, so that's exciting.

I wanted to thank everyone for their comments, kudos, and continued support thus far!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Amphitrite and Triton made their way the short distance from the throne room to Percy's bedroom in silence. Triton could not hide his shock at his mother not only agreeing to be civil but as well offering that she, herself would put in the full efforts to get along with the boy.

When they entered the chambers, Poseidon was sitting perched on the side of Percy's bed rather than in the armchair to the side of it. He had his eyes glued to the demigod, with one hand on his back as if he would disappear any moment, Percy sat leaning up against his pillow mountain looking more and more as if he wished that he could.

Poseidon turned to the door in surprise, not having expected Triton to return so quickly. The god's surprise only grew when he saw his wife at the doorstep as well. "Ah, my dear, you've returned. I assure you, I am not-" Amphitrite cut off whatever explanation he had been about to make with a look that Poseidon was far too used to and a wave of her hand. "Worry not, husband, Triton has already done you the favour of explaining this… extended visit to me."

At that Poseidon's eyes drifted over to his eldest son who just stared straight back at him with a look that seemed to express 'And what about it?'

Percy on the other hand impossibly seemed to shrink more into the pillows than before, desperate to avoid his stepmother's eyes landing on him. He had already vastly outstayed his welcome in his opinion, and he was lucky that the queen seemingly had not been present until now. But now that she had returned, he figured that it was only a matter of time before he was asked to leave.

"Hello, Perseus,"

Ah shit.

"My lady," came his barely audible and raspy reply, which for some reason made the goddess's eyes widen slightly. She looked him over, dissecting him with her deep, dark eyes before turning them to her husband. "It seems as though the two of you combined have spent a vast amount of time in here over the past short while." Ah, great here it comes, just as he had been expecting, he was about to be asked to leave, he had clearly taken up more important time than Triton or Poseidon had led onto.

Amphitrite moved over to his bedside and to everyone's utter shock, she gently carded a hand through his hair. "I think it best if the two of you are to return to your duties and that I am to watch over the boy."

Poseidon stared at his wife with great joy, Triton, on the other hand, stared at his mother, eyes bugged out, jaw dropped. Turning to her son, she tutted, "Now, now. Have you forgotten your manners in the time that I have been gone?" in response, Triton immediately put on a neutral expression and straightened his posture from where he had been half leaning over in his surprise.

Yes, he knew that his mother was to attempt to get along with Percy, but he had not expected a move of this size, and in such a short time frame at that.

Amphitrite was not sure what had happened herself, she certainly was not planning on spending her free time watching over one of her husband's bastards, especially considering the fact that she had just returned from a many-week-long journey filled with meeting after meeting.

So why had she offered? She certainly was not one to babysit these random demigod children that her husband insisted on getting so attached to. She knew very little about this one, besides what the tales circulating about him said, but she knew better than to take those at face value. She had just hoped that she had not made a mistake in sending her husband and son away. She finalized her decision by sending an encouraging nod to her husband.

Poseidon rose from the bedside before he joined Triton near the door, sharing a look amongst themselves, before leaving the bedroom together.

After watching them leave, Amphitrite turned her gaze back to the too-thin child whose black hair was sticking out of the pillows where he had attempted to conceal himself. With a look of near amusement, she momentarily moved into a different section of the room. Curious eyes followed her path there and back before hiding themselves again under the pillows and blankets.

"Now, I know you aren't exactly feeling up to par, and I know that we don't exactly… know each other very well, but it seems to me that for all of their fussing, both your father and brother seemed to neglect something quite important."

At her words, Percy slowly crept from his pillow pile to get a better look at what Amphitrite had gotten from the other room.

In her hand, she held a bone-white disc that had rounded edges. " Kinda like a hamburger", Percy's addled mind supplied. On the other side of the disc were tons of tiny, black, well, the only word to describe them would be bristles.

"Those boys," she continued her earlier statement with a shake of her head, "seemed to have allowed your entire head of hair to get matted through." She sat on the edge of the bed and raised the brush, "Now, it is not going to be very pleasant, but we cannot have you running around with your head full of knots."

Oh. for a second Percy had thought she maybe cared a bit more, but this was just an image thing. No, no, why would he expect anything more. "More than anything, I cannot imagine that must be very comfortable."

Percy blushed deeply, never mind then.

Slowly and keeping his still-healing wound in mind, Percy climbed fully out of his nest and shifted over to where Amphitrite was perched. He sat facing mostly away from her, at about a three-quarter angle. With a once again too quiet "Uh, thank you.", She began to slowly and carefully work at the knots.

It certainly wasn't very pleasant at first, but once she had gotten rid of the knots, she continued to brush his hair. Whatever the bristles were made of, they felt divine. The pair stay like that for a while, Percy facing slightly away from her, and Amphitrite leaning forward to brush his hair until smooth.

"Now," she said, "I want to be very clear about the fact that I am not like the wives of your uncles, while I do not approve of the… habits of your father, I certainly am not going to hold you accountable for that, in fact, I cannot say that I dislike you, Perseus. No, not in the slightest." Percy nodded in response, careful to be mindful of her continuing to brush through his hair.

Her declaration surprised him. She had not been overtly rude to him, and she certainly had not made any active efforts to hurt him, unlike what he had heard from Nico and Thalia in the past, especially considering how nice she was actively being to him he supposed that he shouldn't be all too surprised about it, but still. He had just kind of thought that any niceness so far was considering the circumstances, or maybe due to the fact that his father had been there.

"My son had never quite been fond of any of your father's demigods, and seeing as he has seemed to become quite fond of you as well, that speaks worlds to me." Huh. Well, Percy had certainly thought that Triton had seemed concerned but it hadn't really and truly hit him before that moment as Percy had been super out of it when he had first woken up.

While part of Percy's mind felt honoured to have this many people looking out for and after him, one part of his mind; the much larger and louder part, insisted that it was all a ruse and that even if they did somehow care about him, that he was taking up so much time and effort that it would not take long before they would notice and stop even bothering.

Honestly, as they should, he thought. He had entered this kingdom bringing with him a whole slew of issues and had been a major imposition upon the royal family and by extension the whole kingdom. Amphitrite said so herself when she entered the room; Poseidon and Triton had been shirking their duties in order to look after him. He was human, after all, and he would only get hurt again, and again and they couldn't possibly be expected to drop everything each and every time he got injured or needed help. It was only a matter of time before they realized that he was too much work.

A silent tear ran down his face, followed by another and another. He blamed it on his hurt body and exhausted state, but he knew that was a lie. He sat there, silently crying for a few minutes before a breath hitched slightly from behind him, "You're trembling." Amphitrite said. Shit, he had somehow nearly forgotten that she was there. His hand whipped up to his face to wipe away his tears and the goddess stilled in her brushing behind him.

She shifted them both to get a better look at him, and in noticing his tear-stained cheeks and red-tinged eyes. "What is wrong, child? Are you in pain?" She placed her hand on his torso and he shook his head. "Have I said something to upset you?" he hesitated for a moment before shaking his head again and the queen raised her hand from his torso to tuck a hair that had fallen behind his ear.

"Then what is it that upsets you?" she asked again in a light and soothing voice. Maybe he missed his mother, oh gods had anyone told her that he was hurt or where he was? Or maybe he was just tired and in pain, but for whatever the reason, and that Percy was unsure, he opened his mouth and told her the truth,

"You're just being so nice and looking after me, and so has Triton and I know for a fact he hated me, and maybe still does but I don't know anymore " the goddess frowned slightly but nodded for him to continue, "And the two of them kept switching out and taking so much time away from their days and their work, and now I'm taking time away from your day and your work and family time, and that's not fair , and you certainly didn't sign up for this, for me and-" she cut him off with a shushing sound and a comforting hand rubbing his shoulder and he broke his gaze away from her and let out a shaky breath.

"This just isn't fair to any of you, and I am so, so sorry, I didn't mean to become an imposition, I'll leave as soon as I can." he waited, eyes aimed down at his hands that were folded in his lap for her to agree and to send him away.

"Oh your poor thing"

His eyes snapped back up to meet hers. "W-what?" he stumbled out, and she gave him a small sad smile in return.

"You are more than welcome here, at any time, at any time. You are not, and will never be an imposition. You have been gravely injured and your father and Triton have not been looking after you because they have felt imposed to, but rather because they care for you and because they want to do so. Though of course, I am sure they would both rather that you were not in a position to need help, but that is simply because they would rather you not be injured."

Percy's eyes welled with tears and he was once again unsure what had come over him. In response, she simply placed her other hand on his other shoulder and pulled him closer to herself. "I of course care as well, I hadn't been quite sure, though I cannot deny the fact that you have quickly found your way into my affections as well."

No longer waiting or holding back, Percy leaned fully into her hold and buried his head into her shoulder, letting his tears freely fall. Amphitrite, in response gently rubbed a hand on his back in a soothing motion, allowing him to express his emotion without even shushing him to pacify him.

Eventually, the already weak and tired demigod could not keep his eyes open any longer. At feeling a soothing, motherly, presence, he allowed himself to relax into her touch.

Amphitrite was not surprised when the young child not only relaxed under her hands but fell asleep. She accepted the slumbering demigod into her arms, and for the first time in a long time, the queen felt like a mother again, and that's when it hit her.

So many of her husband's children had those signature sea-green eyes, but paired with the rich black hair, the anxious and generally stressed demeanour, and the attitude that bubbled right under the surface; the demigod in her arms reminded her of Triton in his youth. Oh, how the prince would vehemently deny it, but that did not make it untrue. A small smile ghosted onto her lips as she stroked the boy's hair.

She had barely exchanged words with him before this, now she would just have to see if he was just as charming on a day-to-day basis, or if the confused state where he rested was an entirely different persona from who he normally was.

She was hoping for the former, after all, she was not lying when she had said that she had come to care for him.

She had the opportunity to be a mother and fuss over a child again, and she would be damned to spur it.

Her son and husband returned several hours later, hesitantly poking their heads through the doorway. With a sound of impatience, Amphirtite turned to them, "Will the two of you either enter or leave us be?"

One of the two of them cleared their throat before the two gods straightened up and entered the room, now more composed than they had been when they had been attempting to spy into the room like children.

This composure, however, lasted for no time at all, for when the pair entering laid their eyes upon the other pair who were currently resting in the bed. Amphitrite let out a light laugh when her husband and son made both identical faces and sounds of disbelief upon seeing the demigod who had moved to be fully curled up in her arms.

"Is there anything that the two of you were looking for, or did you just come to be an annoyance?" she asked in amusement, momentarily catching her husband off guard, leaving him to scramble to explain their quick return.

"We have just come to check in on Perseus," Poseidon replied in a rush "Though it seems that our worries were misplaced." He amended with an apologetic look at his wife's offended expression.

Amphitrite scoffed, "You seem to think so little of me to think that I would somehow allow harm to befall him. I would never, despite all that he has been a part of, he is but a child. As well, your choices are not his fault, and I just so happen to like him." The goddess brushed some hair away from Percy's face, tucking it behind his ear.

"Well, I am glad that you have come to like him in such a short period of time, my love," Poseidon said before turning to face Triton, "and you as well, my son. Both of you have defied my expectations and made me quite happy in the process, and I am quite sure that he too, will be pleased" he finished with a nod towards Percy.

Triton, who had given up on denying his newfound affection for his brother, only smiled warmly in reply. He had hoped that they would be able to get along now despite the amount of time that he had pushed the demigod away.

Percy, either on his own or due to the small commotion in the room, began to wake up.

Amphitrite shifted and put a guiding hand on his shoulder, helping him to sit on his own. However, the boy quickly shot a hand to his chest and let out a hiss of pain. The three deities quickly crowded the demigod in concern before he waved them off.

"M' alright it was just a bit of a pull or something." From there, Poseidon and Triton moved back in order to give him some space. Amphitrite rose from the bed so as to help to readjust him to lay elevated against the mound of pillows, reducing the strain that would be caused from sitting straight up or lying straight flat.

Triton momentarily drifted to a nearby room and returned with an intricately blown, blue-tinted glass. He willed the glass to fill with fresh water and made to hand it to Percy. Despite the fact that his brother seemed to be doing much better, the god did not like the sound of his voice which continued to be cracked and raspy.

Percy reached out to take the glass with shaky hands but immediately upon taking it, his arms gave out under the very minimal weight of the glass, leaving it to slip through his fingers. Triton luckily had stayed by his side and was able to catch the glass.

Percy aimed his embarrassed gaze into his lap and Triton put one hand on his shoulder, the other lifted the glass to Percy's mouth. Now self-conscious, Percy just shook his head and moved his mouth away from the lip of the cup.

Triton sighed exasperatedly, "Come on, Perseus, stop acting like an infant." a sharp glare from Percy followed that, only for Triton to ignore it and continue, "You need to drink it. You sound like you are dead, I cannot imagine that your throat feels any better."

" I'm fine" Percy quite literally growled, only to clutch his throat in pain. Triton rolled his eyes and once again moved closer to the boy, this time planting one hand on his occipital holding him in place before tilting the water into his mouth. Percy let out a sound of alarm, glare never leaving his face and with weak arms, he attempted to push his brother away, but to no effect.

Once Percy had finished the glass of water, the increasingly annoyed Triton turned to face his parents who had watched the exchange with a mix of concern and amusement. "Yes?" he asked impatiently with a raised brow, but Poseidon only laughed lightly in reply. "No, no, nothing at all." was the only verbal response that he gave, much to Trition's growing irritation.

"If you are awake then, my son, maybe it is best that we are get some food in you, what do you think?" Poseidon said, meeting his wife's hand on her shoulder, linking the fingers. The three gods looked at him encouragingly. Not used to the rapt attention or concern specifically aimed at his wellbeing, especially for the little things, Percy shrunk under their gaze, a deep blush covering his face.

"I'm fine actually, I'm not quite hungry yet," he said in a small voice. At this, the calm encouraging looks aimed at him shifted into concerned ones and turned to face one another.

"Perseus, you have been here for quite some time, and while you have been under the support you needed for the time that you were unconscious, you have yet to eat a thing, I find it quite hard to believe that you could possibly not be hungry." his father said, turning his eyes back to the demigod in the bed who simply shrugged in response.

"You are allowed to require help, Perseus, you are allowed to have general requisitions, and requiring anything at all is not an imposition." All of the eyes in the room turned to the queen and Percy felt the blush rapidly return to his face.

"Above that, you are also quite allowed to want something and your desires are just as well not imposing on anyone, there is no pressure to have any wants, but you need not hide them away out of concern that you are overstepping or being troublesome in any way." Percy just nodded in response.

Poseidon and Triton moved to contribute to her reassurance, but she stopped them with a raised hand. "I know you don't feel well, but you have to eat — just something light." She smiled at him and nodded gently, to which he nodded in return, surprising the father and son duo who were watching the interaction in silence, eyes wide.

Releasing her husband's hand, she clapped lightly and moved to help the demigod from the bed. "Do you think that you can rise, or would you rather eat here?" she inquired.

"I think that I'm good to get up," he said, voice sounding much better. Simply nodding in response and going with the decision he had made, Amphitrite helped him off of the bed but kept on hand on his back to help support him just in case.

The group made their way to the dining hall ensuring to take the time needed to ensure that Percy did not overextend himself. Amphitrite kept her hand on his back the entire time.

Poseidon and Triton followed behind the pair, both looking slightly dejected at Percy's seeming willingness to promptly accept the queens help and advice over their own.

Once they had reached the grand room, she helped him into his seat, tucking him in before sitting in the chair to his right.

Her own son sent her a bewildered look at her antics before taking his own seat across from where Percy sat. Poseidon studied his wife with a similar look before he took his seat next to Triton.

Only a moment or two passed before servants came out of two doors, one on either side, carrying numerous dishes and placing them on the table. Percy's eyes widened at seeing the wide variety of foods and the delicious scents that soon filled the room.

Just as quickly as they had come, the servants left, leaving Percy turning to thank an empty space before turning back to the various dishes that lay on the table. His brow furrowed at not finding anything familiar, sensing his struggle, the others each gave him their own recommendations.

Triton recommended something that reminded Percy of a spring roll but looked like it was wrapped with seaweed. Inside it was filled with exclusively vegetables, none of which Percy recognized. He thought that they were pretty good, and when he asked what they were called, he hesitated before thinking for a second. "In English, probably 'Seaweed Rolls" Ah, pretty straightforward then.

His father recommended something that almost looked like some kind of noodles, but under closer inspection seemed to be thin tentacles of some sort. He took some of those onto his plate too.

Amphitrite recommended a bright pink, flaky fish dish, and he added some to his plate as well. She as well pointed out a dense-looking bread which he happily accepted.

He had immediately tried a seaweed roll and liked it, but had yet to try the tentacles and fish. He had only taken a small amount of food but did not want to waste anything so he had started poking at it, intermittently taking small bites of bread and seaweed roll.

"Perseus," His father began, and Percy looked up, "Please stop picking at your food and eat it, you need to finish what is there at least." ashamed, Percy returned his eyes to his plate. "I'm sorry, I'm trying, I'm just really not hungry."

"You still must finish what is there, ideally you should be having much mo-" The sound of Amphitrite clearing her throat cut off her husband's words. "Perseus, could you please try to at least finish your seaweed rolls and bread for me? After that, we can see how you feel and go from there, yes?"

Percy nodded, "I'll try." and Amphitrite smiled, "That's all that I ask." leaving Poseidon to look mildly offended in response before turning to Triton who looked half surprised at the turn of events and half-amused.

After he had finished his two remaining seaweed rolls and his bread, he had eaten half of his fish and another thick slice of bread. Poseidon was pleased, but still half pouting at Percy's continued streak of listening to his wife over himself.

The four rose from the table, and Percy seemed strong enough to guide himself back this time around, so Amphitrite gave him some personal space to go slightly ahead where he drifted forward speaking with Triton who watched him with warm eyes.

The king and queen drifted forward slightly behind the brothers, fingers linked together.

It was strange, but they had very quickly become a little family, just the four of them. Somehow it not only felt as though Percy had always been a part of their family but as well that his new presence had unified them in a way that they hadn't been in quite some time. After all, Amphirtite could not remember the last time that Triton had joined her and her husband for a meal, and lately her husband had been so busy that he, himself, was seldom in the dining hall.

Yes, she reaffirmed herself, having Percy here would be a good thing for them all.

Chapter End Notes

So I hope you liked it! I have been very much fuzzy-brained while I have been recovering (totally not because of the pain meds, no…) lol

Anyhow, let me know what you think and especially because I am very foggy rn, please let me know if anything doesn't make sense or if I missed anything.

Thanks!