Chapter 8 - Camp Half-Blood
With the door and windows to the basement now electrified and the kill switch on the ground floor, along with the omega's wrists loosely shackled together, Kronos wasn't going anywhere very soon.
And Percy hated it.
He knew after only three days that his initial assessment was correct. While caged, Kronos paced. He paced and he threw himself at the fortified walls. Whenever Percy would join him in his confinement he'd hiss and spit – sometimes literally – and take himself away to the place furthest away from the alpha.
It was like seeing a cornered animal, and like a cornered animal Kronos would lash out whenever Percy got too close for comfort.
So Percy had left and given him his space, listening to Chiron's advice about giving him time to settle down slightly. With only a week of Camp left, Percy wasn't entirely certain of what he could do – he already knew he'd be returning to Manhattan, but could he really take Kronos with him like he'd hoped he could? That week also marked a major milestone for Percy – it was when his first real conversation with the Titan took place. No masks, no barriers and no heat interfering with the omega's mind.
Percy carefully nudged the door open after flicking the kill switch, balancing two plates piled high with food that he'd taken from the pavilion. If there was one thing he'd learnt, it was that his omega could eat for an entire army. And Percy with his Achilles Curse inhaled a ridiculous amount of food.
The warm rush of air that blasted him in the face made Percy frown deeply.
Kronos lifted his head, eyes narrowing fiercely at the alpha as he stepped off the stairs and onto the floor. The Titan had settled beneath one of the electrified windows, the low humming of the current running along the glass – courtesy of Zeus – almost seemed to echo in the room. When Percy took a few steps towards him, he figured out why he'd chosen that spot – it was marginally cooler closer towards the windows.
"I brought you food," Percy quietly said to him. When Kronos didn't move to take the plate, he groaned. "Look, I know this sucks, alright? But at this rate Mr. D will never let you out," he said. "And, believe it or not, I don't want to see you locked away down here forever."
"It's because of you that I'm down here in the first place," Kronos growled at him.
"Yeah, I know. That sucks too," Percy agreed easily. "If you at least pretend to cooperate then I can get you outside, yeah? I mean… don't want you going crazy and killing anyone, so your wrists will have to stay shackled, but if you cooperate a little-"
"What?" Kronos quirked an eyebrow, the anger still there, but his amusement was prominent. "You'll take me for a little walk out in the sunshine? Just like any other pet, right? A dog to hold the leash of before you ask it to perform tricks and roll over for you like a good dog."
Percy exhaled sharply. "No," he growled firmly, "that's not-"
"Maybe before you visit you should take a shit somewhere," Kronos sneered at him, "get it out of your system first."
Well, that was a somewhat polite way of telling Percy that he was full of shit. Percy just shook his head. "Stop looking for problems where there aren't any," he said flatly, moving closer to him – ignoring him stiffening slightly – and nudging the plate towards him before sitting opposite him. Percy was done with giving him space. "That's not what I want, Kronos. I want to be able to trust you – really, I'm serious, don't give me that look – because you hate being stuck here." He tapped the side of his head, letting the omega know that he's getting feedback from his emotions.
Kronos' eyes narrowed, the Titan sullenly reaching for the food, but glaring at Percy the entire time. "I don't want it."
"I know," Percy said, " and I'm trying to convince the gods to let you have ambrosia too. But you don't. I asked Chiron – not that look – and he said that you'll start to lose energy if you don't eat something. So if you want me to leave anytime soon you'd better start eating, 'cus I'm not leaving until it's all gone."
The question is: did Kronos want Percy gone the most, or did he want to refuse the food more on principal?
The omega nudged his food to the side before turning a tired glare towards Percy.
Percy smiled and shrugged. "Sure. Suit yourself." He half-heartedly picked at his own dinner, fully aware of Kronos glaring at him from his spot under the window. While the Titan was still shackled, the length of chain between his wrists could stretch a foot and – as Chiron had made sure to point out to Percy – it could still be used to strangle people with the Titan's immense strength so Percy made sure to keep an eye on him.
"So," Percy finally said to break the silence, "I'm curious. You enjoy being outside so much," he said, "yet in all the older myths you're always at Othrys? Why did you spend so much time there?"
"Why do you care?" Kronos snapped back at him, defensive as ever.
Be patient, Percy reminded himself. "Aren't I supposed to care for you?" He questioned.
Kronos scoffed. "Why would you?"
Percy shrugged. "Because you're self-confident, independent, brave enough to stand up against others and not afraid to let others know what you think of them, and just generally amazing? Gee. I wonder why."
That seemed to unnerve Kronos slightly, Percy noted. When was the last time someone had said something like that to him? The omega avidly avoided Percy's curious gaze, suddenly finding something of interest on the floor near his feet.
Percy grinned, returning his attention to his food.
"Rhea."
The alpha looked up, squashing down that ugly little feeling that rose at the mention of the alpha that came before him. "Huh?"
Kronos sighed, looking put out because his alpha was an idiot. "You asked why I spent so much time at Othrys."
"Oh. Right. Yeah, I did." Percy mentally slapped himself. Wow, articulate – idiot.
"Rhea didn't want me leaving," Kronos said simply. "So I didn't."
"Just like that?" Percy asked in disbelief. "Just… she wanted to keep you locked away in an impregnable fortress on the tallest mountain that existed? And you just smiled and took it?"
Looking at the omega across from him, he really couldn't imagine him doing such a thing.
Kronos' expression hardened. "I took a lot of things back then."
Percy couldn't quite tell if that was supposed to be an innuendo or if his mind was jumping to wholly inappropriate thoughts about the omega before him for nothing. He shifted the plate on his lap. "Right," he quietly said, unable to not draw parallels between him and Rhea in this instance. Both of them had obviously been far too protective over the same omega, to the point where Rhea had kept him in a gilded cage. The King of the Titans, but unable to truly do was he wished. Really, how was Percy any different here? He too was keeping Kronos locked away. While for different reasons, it amounted to the same thing in the end.
Maybe, if the demigod wanted Kronos to trust him, he'd have to offer an olive branch first.
Percy grabbed his plate, then snatched up Kronos'. "Come on," he said, making his way to the stairs and slowly moving to the door at the top. "Hey, Chiron," he called even as Kronos suspiciously rose to his feet. "I'm going to bring him up. Think you can shut off the electricity for me?"
The door opened a few seconds later, Chiron's face frowning down at Percy. "Are you sure that's wise?"
Percy shrugged. "I'll just take him to the beach," he promised. "I… sort of realised something." He didn't tell Chiron what exactly, but hoped that the centaur knew what he meant.
Chiron's eyes flicked over Percy's shoulder, jaw tightening slightly. Percy had heard the creak from the step at the bottom of the staircase – the one that sort of needed replacing since it groaned whenever any weight was put onto it – and figured that the Titan was right behind him. He didn't turn and schooled his expression to stay calm, despite knowing that asphyxiation was one of the few ways he could still die.
Chiron sighed. "Fine. But straight there – no stopping to kill campers, is that understood?"
Percy almost couldn't believe that actually needed to be made clear, but then again, his omega was likely the deadliest whom existed. He wouldn't think twice about it. Percy nodded. "Yeah. Crystal."
The alpha pointedly didn't look back as he made his way onto the porch of the Big House, baring his undefended back – and subsequent Achilles Heel – to his omega. Of course, Kronos only knew it was somewhere on his back, not exactly where it was. Even so, he could feel his hard gaze on the back of his head.
"Thanks, Chiron," Percy called back to the old centaur before stepping backwards off the porch and grinning at Kronos.
Chiron didn't answer, more preoccupied with observing the Titan. It was warm, almost too warm, but with the slight breeze it was made a more pleasant temperate. Much nicer than the stifling warmth of the basement.
Kronos definitely agreed. He'd frozen on the lower step, eyes closing as he took in the sudden scents round him and the cool breeze against his face. Percy figured as the son of both Gaea and Ouranos his home was simply being outside. When he opened his eyes again, they immediately narrowed in Percy's direction.
The alpha wasn't fazed and gestured towards the beach. "This way," he said, heart hammering in his chest. "Come on."
Percy wasn't really sure why he was so nervous, but at the thought of showing Kronos the place he loved so much… he had a funny feeling in his stomach. Above everything, he wanted to share his home with his omega.
The route to the beach would take them through the entire camp, giving Percy a good opportunity to show Kronos everything.
"So this," Percy said, waving a hand to the right, "is the volleyball court."
There were a few demigods from the Apollo cabin shooting hoops. When Will spotted Kronos and Percy, his shot rebounded off against the ring of the hoop and bounced off, forgotten. The Apollo cabin's new counsellor shot a dark glare at the immortal, but Kronos merely tilted his head to the side and blinked at him – entirely callous.
Will Solace nodded stiffly to Percy. "Percy," he greeted curtly, before turning his head and retrieving the ball.
Percy sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry," he apologised to Kronos, "a lot of the others aren't happy with you being here."
A flicker of an amused smile crossed the Titan's lips.
"Over there," Percy nodded to the left, "near the forest, that's the combat arena, the range and the strawberry fields. And there, right on the edge of the forest, that's the stables. Blackjack – you remember Blackjack, right? He's the black Pegasus you wanted to make soup out of – he's in there now, probably eating his way through a box of donuts."
Kronos didn't seem particularly interested, but Percy kept talking anyway. "On our left is the armoury and forge – no, Kronos, get back here you're not allowed in there – and that's the amphitheatre and campfire on our right. Everyone will probably be there soon, but I don't know if you want to join them or-"
"No. Absolutely not."
"Alright," Percy shrugged. "So those are the cabins," he said, pointing slightly ahead and to their left. "That one there," he picked out the one that was the farthest from them, all the windows facing the sea, "that's mine. And on our right is the arts and crafts."
Still feigning disinterest, Kronos sighed heavily. "I thought we were going to the beach?"
"We are," Percy promised him. "It was just on the opposite side of camp." Percy guided Kronos around the east side of the canoe lake, putting the Euros Creek between them and the dining pavilion where mostly everyone would be having dinner. Percy was not tempting Kronos by going that close to everyone else. "Diving pavilion on the left," he said, wishing he could take Kronos over there. The braziers were lit and glowing in the fading light and he could hear their inviting laughter from where he was with the omega. "And that," he said, gesturing slightly towards the structure on their right which glowed in the fading light, "is the climbing wall."
Kronos lifted his head. "Is that lava?"
Percy grinned. "Yeah." His eyes flicked to the shackles around Kronos' wrists. "Maybe by the end of next week you can have a go? After the shackles come off."
And he was back to glaring at Percy. "I can manage fine."
"I'm not saying you can't," Percy said easily, trying to diffuse him before he'd get truly annoyed with him for daring to suggest that he was incapable. "But I don't want to tempt fate." When Kronos' glare didn't fade, and instead darkened, he sighed. "You're really gonna get angry with me for caring about your wellbeing?" Percy asked tiredly.
The Titan scowled, turning to glare at the sea as if it had personally offended him. Percy wanted to try to comfort him somehow, but really didn't know how to go about it. How did he prove to Kronos that he really did care about him? The omega wouldn't let Percy close enough to touch him – even now there was a good ten feet between the two – and he refused to believe that Percy really liked him and he despised the demigod for keeping him locked away, and for mating with him in the first place while he was in heat.
When they reached the beach the sun was setting, casting the sea a brilliant fiery gold. Percy walked out to the end of the jetty, putting his plate on his lap and Kronos' next to him. He dug into his, waiting for Kronos to take the plunge and settle next to him.
Percy offered him a small smile when he did so, one which made golden eyes flicker towards him, but Kronos didn't reciprocate.
The omega blinked curiously down at his dinner before starting to eat, leaving the two of them in silence. For only a few minutes. "Why?"
The question startled Percy, who'd been staring at Kronos and observing the way the setting sun made his eyes dance – for lack of a better word – and the sea breeze ruffled his already-messy black hair. "Why what?"
"Why bother," Kronos elaborated. "Why me."
Percy breathed out deeply. Why pick Kronos out of all omegas? He shrugged. "I could have asked any camper and they'd say yes for the sake of it. If… if it were one of them, I just don't think it would be right on their end." He smiled ruefully. "And then I met you. I'll admit that at first it was a challenge. I thought I could tame you or whatever," he said, quickly grabbing Kronos' arm – and ignoring his sharp flinch – as his expression hardened and he made to stand. "But then I fought you. I spent those six hours with you while we were under that skyscraper. I spent a Night with you. And then I stayed in your nest for a week while you were on your heat still."
Kronos was still, not pulling away, but not looking too pleased with Percy touching him either. Percy released his arm. "And then I realised that you're self-confident, independent, brave enough to stand up against others and not afraid to let others know what you think of them, and just generally amazing and I love that. Really. It's completely different to most of the omegas here. I just…" his lips twitched up at the surprised on Kronos' face, and really, Percy was definitely going to say more stuff like that about his omega if it got him that look. "So… that's why I want you. Not anyone else. You. I… you're brilliant, Kronos."
Kronos looked like he was trying to decide whether to say something back or just shove Percy into the sea and run. Eventually, he decided upon neither and simply returned to his dinner.
The alpha imagined that his mind was racing at about a bajillion miles an hour behind his golden eyes.
Percy smiled and returned to his dinner.
So, little something for you guys. I had the official map for camp half-blood up next to me in this, like I've got to be thorough and also there is only 1 week of camp left at this point. Then Percy goes home. Fun - oh no, you say, what about Kronos? ;). So this story is where I will be able to fit a scene in where Kronos meets Sally and Paul (I desperately wanted it in one of the CbT stories somewhere, but there wasn't really an opportunity since Percy already talked to her with Nico's help). But yeah. Kronos finally gets to meet the parents in this story (probs chapter after next, or in three. Depends on how long I make them).
That Weirdo Writer: Well, it was twice as long as the last two.
aRTsyisAwesome: Hah. Nope.
Maya21098: Yes. Kronos will be mad. This is definitely not the end of it, he's just co-dependent on nature in this fanfic. After this little walk-about he's gonna be a little shit, dw. Oh he definitely dug it himself xD
ShadowsClaw: You're welcome :). Kronos' manipulative shit days are only just beginning xD. I've not really read the comics, but I think I've heard that somewhere... so who was Thanos' parent if he's Kronos' grandson? Yes. It having Kronos alone is like a homing beacon for me :). Do not apologise! I love long reviews! Though regular ones are also nice too ;).
Jaylene Olebar: Yes. You should be very worried. Oh, he's furious.
