Chapter 3: "Small picnic time {pt.1}"
Percy woke up with the smell of cooked breakfast and hot coffee, he noticed a maid placing the tray on the table in his room and soon she moved to open the curtains to let light come in the room. He shifted his position into sitting as he rubbed his sore eyes; he must've crying too much last night from happiness.
"Good morning young master Perseus." The maid greeted him with a bow.
Percy being new and all with this respect concept that he's receiving shook his head "N…No! Percy is fine."
"Young master…Percy?" the maid tried curiously.
"No! no, just 'Percy' is fine." Percy said
"I can't young master!" the maid shook his head frantically scare that she might get punish for doing such thing.
"I-It's fine! Really!" Percy insisted on being called 'Percy'.
The maid hesitated but tried calling him Percy; both had a deal that when both of them are alone she'll call him Percy. Percy inhaled his breakfast and the maid chatted with him until he finished; they were having a good conversation when little Tyson entered with a huge grin in his face.
"Brother! Nico is here! And also Jason and Thalia and Ella and-"
"Wait! Wait!" Percy cutted Tyson halfway through the name of persons he was babbling earlier. "Who are they?"
"The Graces and the Di Angelos; our family." Tyson's smile grew wider. Percy turned to the maid with a puzzled look; he's really confused of whom these people are since all he knew is about Poseidon and he didn't bother knowing his relatives.
"Mr. Grace is Master Poseidon's cousin, the same with Mr. Di Angelo. Now we need to get you all set up, the butler bought new clothes earlier and we hope it fits you. We would like to help you look presentable to them; especially if your meeting Mr. Di Angelo and both Mr. and Mrs. Grace." The maid explained as he took out a set of clothes and placed it carefully on the foot of Percy's bed and told Tyson to not touch it.
Percy is not so confuse as earlier but this time he felt incredibly nervous; he took a short bath so he could smell nice and made sure he looks extremely clean and presentable; he had a bit trouble with his hair. When he got out of the room he saw Triton looking at his clothes; the older teen noticed Percy soon enough when the younger teen is close to him.
"Good morning Percy." He gave a small peck on the other's wet hair; he also combed it backward with his fingers.
"Good morning brother." Percy is a bit shy since he's new to this brotherly love that Triton is doing; but he did felt this before. Why does Gray always appear in my mind? He thought in his mind. Percy sighed as he rubbed Triton's back while keeping each other close with one arm each. "Don't be too nervous, they're all kind…just strict." Triton smiled as he pats Percy's head "I'll be waiting outside your room." Then off he went.
Percy watched his brother disappeared from his sight before going through his clothes and think of a way how he normally wears his own clothes; he left the dress shirt upper two buttons unbuttoned and he didn't even bother using the tie, though he did tuck the shirt in his dress pants which fits his lower body perfectly; lucky he was allowed to choose with the color of the leather shoes so he picked the black one, then over his black dress shirt is a white coat. Then he's finished; perfectly his style of wearing a tuxedo. He chortled on imagining the visitors reaction; he so loved to tease others.
He went out of his room surprised that Triton did wait there; he is leaning across the door of his room while texting someone on his phone. Triton soon noticed Percy's presence so he put his phone in his pocket and look at Percy's clothes.
"Stylish; you look like a model Percy." Triton smirked as he wrapped an arm over Percy's shoulder dragging him to the way where the garden is located.
"The garden? Why?" Percy asked as he noticed that they didn't go to the living area and went on a different route.
"Well, father arranges a welcome picnic for you as a celebration for you coming back to us safely." Triton moved Percy closer to him as they continued on their way down the long hallway which windows have the view over to the Jackson's majestic garden.
Not far from his sight, Percy saw the little picnic happening down at the wide space in the garden; he can see his father talking to two men in a cheerful manner, one was smiling –probably just out of required etiquette, since Percy knew that no one would automatically accept someone who just popped out of nowhere claiming to be Jackson sr.'s missing son –while the other looks annoyed.
"Who are those two?" Percy stopped on his tracks, might as well know and understand the relationships in the family.
Triton stopped too and looks at where Percy was looking "Ah, those are uncle Hades Di Angelo and uncle Zeus Grace. They are our father's cousins from their father's side like what I've said before; unfortunately they took their mothers' last names."
"Oh, I see" Percy narrowed his eyes, a complicated family he thought to himself.
"Want to know more?" Triton stood next to Percy; he chuckled when Percy look at him with sparkles in his eyes as he nodded in eager manner. "Very well, let's start with the Graces. Sitting next to father with an annoyed expression is the head of the Grace family, He's Zeus Grace, as you know he's a well-known businessman. Sitting to his left is his wife, Hera, you have to stay away from her as much as possible, and you see she's really mean to kids since she didn't have any more children with Zeus after Herakels, who is the one standing over there near the pond with Thanatos Di Angelo."
"But I thought Zeus has three spawns?" Percy raised a brow.
Triton smirks at how Percy is observant and the younger Jackson's curiosity also made it more interesting "Well you see, Hera wants more children so she gave Zeus her own best friend so she could have more children. Unfortunately, after the next two spawn of Zeus' birth, the mother of the two died."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." Triton swears he saw a dog's tail and ears and made Percy look cuter as he frowns.
Triton hugs Percy out of the adorable actions Percy made. "Don't worry, though Hera mentally abuses the two, Zeus makes sure they are loved by him in a way, and we, their cousins make sure that we will love them no matter what."
"That's so sweet, brother." Percy snuggled close to his brother's chest. The warmth it gives sure does resemble someone's. "Anyway, brother, where are those two?"
"Over there by the pool, Thalia Grace is the one sitting next to the long haired girl and Jason Grace is the one who just came out of the pool." Triton jabbed a finger to the pool, where a group of teens and kids enjoying themselves. Triton saw the twinkle in Percy's eyes upon seeing the massive pool. "You want to go swimming too?" he smiled at Percy.
Percy thought twice, he needs to be more reserved so the others would think he's not there to act as Perseus and is only after the money of the Jacksons. He shook his head and smiled sadly "Maybe some other time."
Though Triton wants to insist, but when he saw Percy's expression he understood quickly. "Very well, shall I proceed with the Di Angelos? They're sure quite the number you see." When he saw Percy nodded he continued "The one sitting to our father's right is Hades Di Angelo, He's the head of the Di Angelo family. He works as a well paid lawyer."
"The most well-known and highly paid lawyer" Percy added. Triton only nodded.
"Now, sitting next to him is his newest, young, wife Persephone. She's the mother of Ella, Tyson's best friend. Though Hades those have four more, first is Thanatos Di Angelo, his mother died on giving birth, then Bianca Di Angelo comes next the one next to Thalia and then her brother Nico, ehem, excuse me of the scene." Percy saw his two cousins Jason and the one called Nico being intimate like lovers, he finds himself giggling as he remembered Gray. "Both have the same mother, who died from a natural phenomenon."
"Natural?" Percy titled his head. Triton nodded grimly "She was struck with lightning or so what I have heard." Percy's eyes widen, it sure is surprising.
"Then there's Hazel, her mom is the worst person I ever met, she's kind to us then everything change after the honeymoon with Hades. She even tried taking Hazel away, but you know, Hades being a lawyer she didn't stand a chance." Triton shrugged as he pointed a girl with dark skin standing next to a Chinese/ Canadian guy.
"Then who are those two next to her?" Percy asked
"Oh, they are Frank Zhang la Rue and Leo Valdez-Beckendorf." Triton introduced "Of course you know about their family right?" Percy smiled sheepishly and Triton sighed with a smile. "OK, you see Frank's father is the high military man while Leo's father is an owner of a popular shop that makes all kinds of electronics and he's a very well-known for all things that is concerned with anything that includes mechanical thinking, also Leo's mom is well-known chef."
"That's so cool" Percy's eye twinkled, Triton was sure of that when he looks at how his younger brother looks outside the window. But he did see the longing mixed with in his emotions "Is there something that bothers you?" Percy nodded in a barely noticeable manner "Would you like to talk about it?" Percy looks at Triton, at first Triton taught Percy's going to go all out but unfortunately the younger teen only smiled.
"Thank you" Percy smiled "But I think it should only be between me and a certain someone."
"Do I know this 'certain someone'?" Triton tilted his head in curiosity.
Percy shrugged "Maybe…" but he was silent for a moment until he broke it as he continued "…you do know him well, I think"
"Well then baby brother" Triton sighed placing both hands on his hips "I won't push anything further, and we really need to go now, father's waving over here, you know." Triton waved through the window and Percy noticed everyone in the garden was looking up at their direction his eyes widen and his face was red as a tomato when he heard Tyson calling out his name. "My, how troublesome, isn't he Percy?" the older Jackson teen chuckled as he continued walking, Percy was far behind him but he's definitely following; unknown to Percy, two eyes from below watch over him with great interest unlike the others in the garden.
"How cool" A girl with red haired squealed beside little Tyson "Is that your brother?" Tyson bobbed his head in glee.
"He looks like you" Persephone giggled while Hades sighed.
"Heh" Zeus snorted "Another one, huh, why do your children always look like a carbon copy of you?"
"Well" Poseidon shrugged in a smug way earning a scowl from Zeus and Hades. "That's the way it goes, like always." Then Poseidon heard Tyson screaming Percy's name.
"Brother!" Tyson shouted "Over here, here!" he waved as he jumped up and down. "You need to meet Ella!"
Percy chuckled and picks Tyson up and cooed at the cuteness of his little brother "Oh, Tyson, I would like to meet her. Is she your friend?" earning a nod from the little boy in his arms, he replied with a soft chuckle as he placed the boy down.
He turned to the rest of his father's family and nodded as he introduced his self "Good morning to all of you, my name's Perseus Jackson, but everyone calls me Percy or Perce" and finished his introduction with a grin.
"He truly is your son, Poseidon" Hades said as he smirks at the head of the Jacksons "I could tell the same grin you gave when you introduced yourself back in the old days."
"Yeah, I remembered that smug grin of yours, too" Zeus grumbled as he turned away.
"Don't be like that, Zeus" Persephone giggled "He's such a sweetie, right honey?" giving a pinch on Hades's side making her husband yelp and comply.
Poseidon only grinned like how Perseus did earlier, as he watch how the other young ones gathered and started introducing theirselves to Percy, starting with little Ella Dare.