In which Percy is very manipulative- and it's building towards what everyone wants to see.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Yep- and I mean, Percy's not snapped quite yet- but she is kind of enjoying manipulating Alabaster- even if there's some parts she really, really hates.
Jubby1905: I mean, perhaps not fully insane but I mean, we all know what's coming.
AkitoshTheBold: Hah, are you sure you want fluff- really sure- it usually ends with pain with me.

Percy was willing to admit that there was something deeply satisfying about her situation- oh she'd have much rather not had to deal with Alabaster at all- she hated him with a fiery passion but- well, if she had to be around him- it felt good, being the one with the upper hand.

Oh sure as far as he was aware he had the upper hand, had her helpless, weak and trapped, with the stupid bracelet blocking her powers, with her reliant on him for the Phlegethon water which was the only thing that let either of them survive the pit.

But she knew better.

No she was definitely the one with the power, she had him wrapped around her little finger far more thoroughly than he'd ever had her.

It actually made the whole experience almost bearable. Being in the pit sucked but- it felt so good, knowing just how much power she had now, and she brushed her hair out of her face as they walked, rolling her shoulders- which he noticed, of course.

"Are you okay Perce? Do you need-"

"Bas I'm fine." Percy rolled her eyes almost fondly and shook her head, "You can stop fussing. I'm not about to keel over dead y'know."

"You're only hurt because of me." Alabaster murmured the words, a guilty look on his face, "I should have been protecting you-"

"You did try." Percy pointed out, "It's not like you just stood and watched, you did try and protect me it's not your fault."

"All I want is you Percy. It's all I ever wanted-"

"You did try and other throw the gods-" Percy pointed out, unable to stop herself.

"Before I met you." Alabaster shot back, shaking his head, "I- sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I'd have met you sooner- if I'd have listen to him if I had one good thing- one truly perfect thing in my life-"

"Alabaster there's no good that can come from wondering what might have been." Percy shook her head, "You made your choices and I made mine. What's done is done and it can't be undone. You can't go back and change the things you did to me anymore than I can go back and change the things I did."

"I-" Alabaster swallowed hard- and he was staring straight ahead, "In the Fields of Punishment- that's what he showed me."

"Th- what?" Percy frowned, "I don't-"

"I didn't get judged. Hades saw to me personally." Alabaster's voice was bitter. "It changed day by day. My punishment. I'd rather have been tortured, had them slice me up-"

"I don't understand."

"One day I'd see images, visions of us- in some perfect world where I got you- where you- where you loved me back. And- and I couldn't reach you- I couldn't- I was watching it but I couldn't reach out and touch you, couldn't have you. It was fake, none of it was real. That hurt. A lot."

"I-" Percy was genuinely stunned by that- and- though she was hiding it well, kind of angry, oh she got what her uncle had been thinking, taunting him with what he'd always wanted and yet not letting him have it but- it made her skin crawl. "I didn't know."

"And the next day I'd see images of you with- with them-" his mouth twisted, expression turning into a grimace. "Of you and them- of them having you when I didn't- and sometimes I saw glimpses of you in Elysium too- laughing and dancing while those- those frauds fawned over you- and you didn't even notice- you've always been so beautiful- so perfect and so blind to it that you didn't even realise that those pathetic little bastards wanted you for theirs. None of them deserved you. None of them should have even been looking at you. I don't know what was worse. Which of the things I was taunted with. It was horrible, painful to watch any of it. More painful than any physical torture could ever be."

Percy swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. Because fuck but no wonder his obsession had just gotten worse. Then again- it probably wouldn't have gone away even if he was punished in some other way but, well, images of her had been used to torture him- and it had fed into his obsession with her.

"That was cruel." Percy whispered the words, "He shouldn't have done that." and she did truly mean it, though not for the reason that Alabaster would hopefully think she meant, "That was cruel."

"He's the Lord of the Underworld." Alabaster scoffed, "Of course he's cruel Percy. That's one of your problems, you try so hard to see the good in the gods. And what good has it done you Percy?"

"Can we not do this?" Percy's voice was quiet, "You and I are never going to agree about the gods. I can admit that most of them are massive assholes and they deserve to be taken down a peg but- but what you did- can you at least see now that Kronos wasn't the best option? That you were replacing an incompetent moron and his court of assholes with a psychopathic baby eater and his court of assholes."

Alabaster's expression twisted- there was a flash of anger before he forced it down and took a deep breath. "I admit that- that I may have been mistaken to trust him." he spoke the words slowly, his voice clearly unhappy, "But- you can't blame me. I was desperate."

"I-" Percy hesitated, "I get desperate. I do. Better than I used to."

"You're tired of being used by them?"

"I-" Percy closed her eyes, "I was happy- in Elysium. And then they have a new prophecy and I'm needed and- and I agree to come back even though I didn't really want to and- and then Hera-" she swallowed hard, her voice catching-and they both stopped walking.

"Percy-" Alabaster's voice was soft, "I'm sorry. For- for what she did to you. For taking away your memories. And I'm sorry that I tried to take advantage of it- I was just- just desperate but I didn't- I thought it was my best chance of getting close to you again."

And Percy opened her eyes, meeting his emerald green gaze, "What you did was unfair." her voice was small, "I was scared and lost and you disguised yourself with features that you knew would look familiar to me in the hopes that you could- you could manipulate me." and gods but the guilt in his gaze was almost hilarious- the whole Archie thing was not even close to the worst thing he'd done to her. And yet here he was looking like a kicked puppy because she was looking hurt and disappointed. It helped, using real feelings and twisting them to make him feel for her.

"I won't do it again." Alabaster said earnestly, his eyes shining, "Percy- I know it's hurting you- all of this. I know you're hurt by the things that happened I just- I was so desperate."

"Would you have-" Percy's breath caught and she swallowed hard, "Would you have r-" and fuck but she didn't even have to pretend that she couldn't force the words out.

And the look on his face? That told her everything she needed to know.

She stepped backwards. "If Frank hadn't interrupted you-" and when he reached out to grab at her arm she flinched away- and he pulled his hand back, his expression horrified.

"Percy- Percy please I know- I know it was wrong. I regret it- I just- I love you so much and I- you're my wife I wanted- I need you. I need you so much but- but I'm trying. I'm trying to do things better I'm trying to be better for you. Have I tried to do that while we've been stuck down here?"

"Y- you carved your symbol into my back." Percy pointed out. "You branded me like I was cattle."

"No! No that's not what that was I-"

"You keep going on about how much you care for me but things never seem to change with you Bas- I want to trust you I want- I- I can't lie- there is- there's always been something but one second you're- and the next you're hurting me and it scares me-"

"I-" Alabaster looked desperate, "You feel something for me- I knew it I- I won't hurt you like that again-"

"You still treat me like you own me now!" Percy waved her hand, flashing the bracelet- though she was careful not to make it obvious that was what she was doing. "Trust is supposed to go both ways! I am trying to trust you but you will never try and trust me like that in return. You-"

And Alabaster suddenly she was on her back on the ground, winded- and Percy let out a pained gasp at the agony that shot up from her back, and Alabaster's lips were on hers.

Percy closed her eyes tightly- stomach twisting uncomfortably when she forced herself to kiss back, forced herself to respond.

Gods but she hated him, but if she closed her eyes she could pretend it wasn't him- could pretend she wasn't kissing the boy who'd spent years abusing her, she tried to picture Hercules- mostly because Annabeth and Rachel would never be like that, because trying to picture them while kissing him it would feel like the worst kind of betrayal- and she reached up, tangling her fingers in his hair, tugging lightly before she flipped them so that she was on top of Alabaster, looking down at him- and he looked up at her, a startled look in his eyes- and she dove in.

It wasn't like he was unattractive- if she could forget about the things he'd done it might have been nice, as it was the kiss was rough, desperate and passionate, and when Percy pulled back, panting Alabaster was staring up at her as if she was his sun and moon, as if the world was revolving around her.

"You- you just kissed me."

"I just kissed you." Percy agreed, "You're kinda cute when you blush like that."

"Holy shit." Alabaster looked like all of his dreams had come true "That- did you kiss Hercules like that-"

"I-" Percy let out a shaky laugh, shaking her head, "Oh my gods you're so jealous. I just kissed you- a very hot kiss, just for the record and you're asking if I kissed Hercules like that? What would you do if I said ye-" and Alabaster was pulling her down into a kiss, and Percy kissed back, and when she ended the kiss she rested her forehead against Alabasters- and gods but she'd need to shower for a year to wash off the shame of this. Of actually letting him touch her, of kissing him.

It was all for a good cause of course but still, it made her feel dirty and wrong in so many ways.

"I would kill him for getting to taste you like this." Alabaster breathed the words, "That jumped up sorry excuse for a god isn't good enough for you. No one is."

"Not even you?" as she spoke Percy pushed herself up and rolled off Alabaster- and he sat up, his gaze focusing on her.

"Not even me." Alabaster hesitated before reaching out. "You're right though. Trust goes both ways." he grabbed her hand, and a moment later the bracelet was gone- and Percy forced down a rush of satisfaction as she saw him toss it down onto the ground.

Oh yes, yes it was working alright. She had him eating out of the palm of her hands. Who cared how dirty she had to play it?

Still, she needed him a little longer- so she rubbed her wrist- giving him a wide eyed look before she surged forward, pressing her lips against him- more gentle this time, soft and warm- and he reached out gently, brushing his fingers over her cheek.

"You're perfect." he whispered the words when she pulled back. "Gods Percy- I- I will do everything I can to deserve you. To make you happy with me if you just give me a chance."

"We'll just have to see how it goes." Percy whispered, "Won't we now?"