Author's Note: It's been a long time since I did this. More than 5 years! Back then, I was barely 15, mindlessly writing and not having a lot of things to do. Now I am older, busier, and also unsure as to why am I doing this. But I got back to reading fanfics yesterday and the journey took me to a better place. I wanted to reconnect with this awesome and wholesome community. I am not popular at all, but I would love to see any one of you (if you do read this lol) leaving a review so that I can feel that I have, once again, joined the community of fanfic writers and readers. Hope you all enjoy this story. More to come.
Tap, tap, tap – the clattering continued for about 15 minutes till Percy waited for his mom to finally emerge from her apartment. His arms crossed, brows furrowed, and face morphed into a scowl – Percy looked like an angry baby seal, Sally noted amusedly. With a jolt, she realized that he wasn't moving all that much. Sure, his constant fidgeting and tapping was a telltale sign of his ADHD alarm bells, but at least he wasn't somersaulting across the street in protest.
Maybe, just maybe, the godly side of his life is diminishing, and he's ready to be a full-time son. A wistful thought, Sally noted; she'll have to put a stop to that. Raising a demigod son wasn't easy; and it wasn't about constantly being on the lookout for any sign of danger from the mythical world, or the constant phone calls from his various schools, it wasn't even about the many years of sleep she had missed because she couldn't get herself to look away from the little sea-green eyes, in fear that her baby would be snatched away from her. She had signed up for all that, and Percy made it worth it. But what made it difficult was thinking about the future – she didn't know if she were strong enough to make it if anything ever happened to Percy.
And a lot of things always happened to Percy. But she had learned not to dwell on those. Her son always survived; like Perseus from Ancient Greece.
"I made some new friends while you were ghosting me," Percy picked up a kitten that was previously hiding behind his legs. Sally's eyes twinkled.
"I did ask you to come in, I couldn't leave my novel midway just when I'd gotten a new idea,"
"Yeah, well," Percy grumbled, taking her bag and slinging it up to his shoulder, "Small Bob is apparently scared of tall New York Apartments,"
Sally raised an eyebrow, "Small Bob?"
The kitten meowed in question, her bright blue eyes blinking down at her. Sally laughed, "Are you going to keep this little ball of fur?" She scratched Small Bob's chin as he closed his eyes contentedly.
"As they say, mom," Percy said wisely while opening the car's door for him, "the cat chooses the human,"
Percy drove quietly, which Sally took as an indication of his nervousness. His fingers kept drumming against the leather-clad steering wheel as he weaved in and out of the evening New York traffic. Small Bob lounged on the backseat, grooming himself.
"Mom," Percy began, nervous, "do you think it's a good idea to buy a ring?"
Sally considered this for a moment.
"Percy, I know that the ring is important for an engagement proposal. But it's Annabeth you're talking about. Do you think she would care what kind of ring it is?"
"She might," Percy supplied, his green eyes almost glowing against the setting sun, "if I get her something too nice with a little… help from Hazel,"
Sally laughed, "Your relationship is beyond anything materialistic, Percy. If anything, you should do what feels right. And that's the end of the story,"
Percy contemplated his next words, his eyes trained on the road ahead.
"I want to buy her something with my money. I was considering taking a swim to Dad's palace and, uh, politely taking an underwater gemstone for the ring. But it feels too easy; I want to make an effort, I want to give her something that I've earned,"
He's earned the right to everything in the world, considering he's twice been the reason why it still exists today, Sally thought but kept quiet.
"Then let's go get a ring,"
Percy grinned, his shoulders relaxing.
"The gemstone is shaped like Frank's head," Percy observed, "definitely not this one,"
Sally sighed, continuing along the aisle, dejectedly eyeing the host of beautiful rings that Percy had rejected.
"I'll ask again," Sally interjected Percy's critical analysis of the ring placed in the next display case, "what exactly are you looking for?"
"A ring?" Percy scratched his head, "I think we'd established that,"
"No, dingus," Sally swatted his head gently, "do you have a specific design in mind?"
"No," Percy conceded, eying the floor nervously, "I – I don't really know what I'm looking for, but these aren't it," He pointed to the rings they'd already seen. In a secluded corner of the Gouverneur Street lay Sally's favorite shop for engagement rings. The biasness wasn't out of her fondness for the quality or the beauty of the rings that the place sold. Instead, Sally loved the little shop because this is where Paul had gotten their rings from. She twisted the gleaming marriage token on her finger absent-mindedly.
Percy eyed her ring and sighed, "I didn't mean that their rings are bad, mom. Honestly, they're beautiful. But I just have this gut feeling that…" He sighed in frustration.
"Don't worry, Percy," Sally comforted, "we'll get the right one. We should know better than to ignore your godly instincts,"
"As long as you have an unlimited amount of time," Percy smiled and moved along. He stopped, however, when a new voice interceded.
"May I help you fine folk?" A stout man dressed in a plush maroon suit greeted them amiably, "What are you looking for?"
Percy eyed the man warily. What exactly do people look for in a wedding ring shop, he wondered but didn't let his thoughts be known. Up close, the man had greasy, olive-colored skin. His bald head reflected the shining chandelier glinting down the ceiling. His eye bags were deep, dark, and prominent as if he hadn't slept for several nights. The most comical detail, however, was the nose – which protruded several inches ahead of his face.
Sally managed a polite smile, "We're just looking, thank you very much,"
Percy remembered her mother's advice – stay away from salesmen if you want to make a good investment decision. Percy didn't really have a lot of experience shopping. He was, more often than not, too busy trying to live to care about what he was buying. Either way, the ring was the most special thing he could ever possess, and so he wanted it to be perfect.
He set his jaw and snapped his fingers, "You have other customers to attend to,"
Immediately, the air thickened around them, encircling the stout man as his mind adapted to the new reality. His eyes glazed over.
"Customers," he muttered drowsily, "yes… yes, very important, indeed,"
Sally pursed her lips disapprovingly while Percy pleaded with his sea-green eyes.
"I was just taking your advice. No salesmen on my big day!"
"This isn't your big day, Percy. We're shopping for your big day,"
"Don't understand the difference, I am dyslexic,"
Sally groaned, "That does not apply to verbal concepts,"
Percy laughed and moved on. He scanned his surroundings. The store wasn't big, by any stretch of the imagination. It was only slightly bigger than his Cabin at Camp Half-Blood. The floor was stacked with rows and shelves of rings kept in display cases, making it difficult for the customers to walk around and browse without tripping. The ceiling was high enough to prevent a customer from banging their head against the chandeliers, but it was still way lower than Percy would have thought acceptable.
A few customers filtered in and out, looking bored and unimpressed. The stout, greasy man from before seemed to be the only working employee at the store. Percy overheard snippets of his conversation with one older gentleman.
"This is our premium silver ring," The salesman wheezed, "and that, well – that is of course, um, our premium golden ring,"
Percy frowned. The short man didn't have any tangible sales skills. In fact, Percy was sure that he didn't know the first thing about wedding rings.
Great, Percy thought angrily, not even the salesman as a last resort.
But, with his heart hammering against his chest, Percy realized that he might not need a salesman; he might not need anyone to help him pick a ring. He poked his mother's shoulder, shaking with a silent excitement. Sally followed her son's gaze until it landed on a silver ring. It looked beautiful in a minimalistic sort of way. The gemstone looked expensive, and it radiated a charming glow that reflected off the chandelier. Sally imagined Percy on one knee, holding that ring out for the love of his life and her eyes watered.
That's the one, she thought. In three inhumanely giant strides, Percy crossed over and reached out for the ring. Too late, she realized, another customer had already yanked it up. The older gentleman from before was studying the ring vivaciously.
Percy's eyes glowed, "Um, hello,"
The old man looked up, his eyebrow raised in question.
"I – I um, need that ring. I had decided to buy it for my girlfriend,"
"Then you should've already bought it, eh? Now don't cry over spilled blood, I got here first,"
"You don't understand," Percy's voice was tight, "I am going to propose to my girlfriend. I want… I need that ring,"
The old man looked sympathetic. Percy was breathing heavily, as if anxious and desperate enough to not handle things rationally. Sally stepped forward.
"We'll buy it from you," She said breathlessly.
The old man looked at her, surprised, "And why would I sell you some ring that I'd just bought… technically still haven't bought?"
"You don't look like you're here shopping for wedding rings. You already have one on your finger. You came to this shop so that you could get a good piece for cheap. You probably own a store somewhere upstate,"
The old man blinked.
"And so," Sally finished, "we'll buy it from you,"
Percy looked at his mom in awe. That made Sally feel a certain flush of satisfaction. Even though Percy was her son, she'd come to admire him for everything he'd done. Him looking at her in admiration was something that she always cherished. It reminded Sally that Percy would always remain her little baby, a fact that she would always be grateful for.
"Alright then, lady," The old man smiled, showing off his yellow teeth that didn't go with his minty breath, "we'll deal outside when I am done shopping,"
Percy grabbed her shoulder from behind, "Mom, I love you for this, but no. Let it be, we'll find another ring,"
"But Percy, this is what you want,"
"No, mom," Percy smiled, "All I want…"
But whatever Percy wanted, Sally would never come to know. All the lights inside the store died down. The room got colder and the fresh breath of winter nuzzled past Sally, reminding her of better days – Christmas Evenings with Paul and Percy, Thanksgiving Dinner gatherings with her college friends, Annabeth teaching her how to knit a sweater.
Percy uncapped Riptide, the gleaming blade shining serving as the only source of lighting apart from the barest trickles of moonlit rays filtering in through the windows.
"Aye, what's the matter," The old man yelled in a gruff voice, "I am an old man, I can't afford panicking!"
"Percy," Sally fumbled around in the darkness until she felt Percy close in, wrapping one arm around her and holding Riptride aloft with the other.
"I feel something coming," He warned, weary.
That much was true. The temperature had dropped to what was beyond acceptable on a normal New York evening. Percy felt a clawing sensation in his gut, as if the ocean waves all around him grew restless, churning with anticipation.
A cacophonic scream pierced the pitch-black interior of the store. The old man was on the ground, yelling incomprehensibly.
Before Percy could react, a new voice erupted from the shadows.
"Hello, Perseus Jackson,"
Percy turned, careful to keep Sally behind him. On the other end of the room stood the short, stout man. His face was barely illuminated by three glowing orbs that seemed to float around him. No, Percy squinted, the orbs were instead the glowing points of a trident. It would've been funnier for Percy to see a grown man holding a trident almost twice as long as him if he didn't feel his mom shaking behind him.
He had to keep her safe, he had to – Percy changed mentally.
The villainous salesman laughed.
"You made me sell wedding rings. And for that, you shall pay,"
