A Life of Crime

by Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Percy Jackson thought he could start a fresh new life in Gotham, but trouble always had a way of finding him. Tragedy strikes, and with it, an opportunity is presented to him; to be the change the city needs by becoming a villain. Even in another world, he never could catch a break, could he? (Eventual Crime Lord!Percy)

5. Chapter 4

| Last Time - January 25, 2003

| Percy's Home

With that, Percy closed his phone, turning away from it and towards the moonlight forcing its way through his window and onto his bedsheets.

"No such thing as fate, huh?" He chuckled bittersweetly before promptly collapsing on his bed.

Despite the long day he had, Percy Jackson actually fell asleep with a faint smile on his face.

Perhaps. Perhaps there was hope for him yet.

---

Chapter 4

| August 18, 2003 - Present Time

| Gotham Academy, Faculty Room

Upon entering the room, Percy raised a brow at what he saw in front of him. He did not expect to be looking at that, this morning when he was on his way here. Everyone was on their respective desks, seeming like they were working, immersed in doing their job, but that wasn't the part that was most out of place. No, it was the silence.

It was too quiet. Considering what day it was made it even weirder.

He'd made no attempts at hiding his birthday so he had easily revealed it to everyone when he first met them and so it was no secret to anyone in the room that it actually was his day of birth. Hell, Ralph made it explicitly clear that they all had something big planned by how much he bragged about it to him, the person who they were trying to apparently surprise.

Knowing that, Percy expected some kind of big welcome not that he wanted one of course, but from how his co-worker had spoken about the whole thing, he supposed it was a fair thing to assume.

Only having frozen in his current spot for a few moments garnering a few glances from the others, Percy finally stopped his musings and went over to his workplace that was placed in between Lyla's and Ralph's.

On his way to his seat, Kate had winked at him, causing a look of confusion to cross his face as he made his way to his place.

Okay, something was definitely up and he was both excited and somewhat frightened for what was to come. Especially if this whole thing was arranged by Ralph of all people.

Taking his seat, Percy then went about his normal routine as he set up his things, got ready for everything he needed to do that day and anything else that needed his attention. A few minutes in, whilst working like everybody else, he felt a nudge on his right arm and immediately knew then who it was.

"Pssst," Lyla whispered with a smile. Percy spun around to her and leaned in closer.

"Yeah?" He whispered back, returning her smile with his own.

"Happy Birthday!" His smile widened, gladly receiving the gift that she handed to him.

"Thanks!" He said as he examined the small box that easily fit within his hand. Bringing it up to his ear, Percy shook it in an attempt to get an idea of what was inside, only to hear some sounds of an object which he could not distinguish.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"You'll have to find out."

Percy grinned, not hesitating to then start tearing the gift wrap, resulting in some parts of the contents being revealed such as the white surface of the box underneath. Before he could continue however, the demigod realised something and raised his head to look back into the eyes of who'd given him the gift.

"…sorry," He said sheepishly, seeing her stare at him, causing her to giggle. "Should I open it later?"

She shook her head. "No, go ahead. Open it now, I want to know what you think."

He nodded, going back to what he was doing earlier and finishing it. With all the gift wrapping ripped off and set aside, Percy could now clearly see what hid behind it, a small white box. It was self-explanatory of what he had to do next, but before that, he looked up at Lyla, who now wore a slightly anxious expression on her face, no doubt worrying herself about what he might think about the gift.

"Well? Open it," She said impatiently, having let her own concerns get the better of her as she intently eyed the box in his hands. Quick to realise her earlier tone, her cheeks blushed. "I'm sorry, I mean—"

He chuckled. "I know, I know," He said, shooting her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll like whatever's inside."

Without waiting for a reply, he lifted the top off fairly easily and set it aside. His breath hitched once his eyes returned to the box, now that the cover was gone, Percy could very well see what was sitting comfortably inside it.

Gently taking a hold of it and separating it from the box, he marvelled at it. It was a watch, a really good and quite expensive one from what he could observe. The material looked pricey, the shiny metal it was made out of was a little on the heavier side as he felt its weight on his hand. The interior of it was coloured in a strikingly electric shade of blue, meanwhile the case was a smooth, bright tint of steel.

Its leather strap had the same colour as its interior. Feeling it brush the surface of his skin, Percy noticed that the material it was made out of was just as high a quality as the other parts of the watch. The more his eyes examined the watch, the more he felt flattered of how much Lyla must have spent on the watch.

While a small part of him thought that she shouldn't have bought such a luxurious and costly gift, the rest of him was swelling with happiness and joy at the gift, a feeling he sorely missed. The watch itself was great, but the main source of the glee he was feeling was from the sheer love and thought he knew was behind the gift.

The last six months have been a hectic rollercoaster of emotions. In the span of a day, he had been broken down repeatedly by the fact that he'd never be able to return home and that he'd never see his family or friends. It was tough.

The first few months, he honestly didn't know what state he would've been in if he hadn't complied with Annabeth's last ever request from him which was to simply let people in. To trust again. To open himself up to the possibility of loving again, whether it be in a platonic way or a romantic one.

Before it all, yes, he admitted that he was very fond of and thankful for the friends he'd made in the school, but deep down, he knew that back then he was holding back a lot. While he interacted with them daily and had a lot of fun with the times he spent with his friends, he always kept a distance—though not in the literal sense—something he was more or less aware of as he knew that there would come a time when he had to leave them.

And when that day came, he didn't want to be too attached to them. Doing so would be beneficial to not only him but to them as well, since it would make his departure much easier and make his sudden exit from their lives less weighing on their hearts.

However, after having accepted his new reality and new home, Percy, with all the strength and courage he could muster, stood up and tried to honour the promise he made to his first love. And he was glad he did. Although he still hadn't told them all of everything that had been going on in his life, he did open up more and let himself become vulnerable in front of them.

He trusted them enough to share snippets of his past and traumas.

They did not disappoint and did indeed make efforts as well to show him that allowing himself to become closer to them was not a mistake. They pretty much did everything they could to be there for him anytime he needed it. It was a rare occurrence for the whole gang to be together due to their own lives, so they took turns.

Some days, it'd be him and Kate out on the streets, wandering from place to place to have fun and let loose. On others, he'd be partying with Ralph in some club or drinking with him in a bar. He could also be with Lyla in some instances, whether it'd be strolling around the park to enjoy the scenery of mother nature at its purest form or reading books quietly in a library.

The more time he spent with all of them, the more he was slowly being convinced that he truly could live a new life here. That he could truly find a new family to call home. And as he laid his eyes on the watch in his hands, he was starting to 100% fully believe that he could.

"Percy?"

His head raised back up at her in attention as he was shook back into reality by Lyla.

"Are you okay?" She looked concerned when she said it, prompting him to finally see what got her all worried. His eyes were red, making him understand why she was looking at him like that.

Before replying, Percy wiped his eyes of the small tears that had already formed and smiled at her. "Yeah," He said warmly. "Never better." He smiled genuinely.

A pause. "Do you like it?"

"No," A beat. "I love it." He said and her previously crestfallen and disheartened expression was immediately washed away, now replaced by a wide, beaming one as she smiled back at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's amazing," He slowly inched closer towards her, placing the watch aside and then quickly engulfed her body in an embrace, his arms wrapping tightly around her body. "Thank you…you have no idea how much this means to me." He whispered against her ear, causing Lyla to shiver as she felt his warm breath tickle her skin.

Despite being incredibly flustered and blushing furiously, Lyla whispered back. "Your welcome, Percy." She enjoyed the gesture a lot more than she cared to mention, revelling greatly in the hug, but that feeling of euphoria was cut short when she caught Ralph's gaze, which was directed towards them both.

He was nodding slowly at her, a knowing smirk stuck to his face as he gave her a thumbs up.

Clearing her throat, Lyla then quickly pulled away from the hug and looked back into Percy's mesmerising, sea-green eyes.

"So…" She paused, not knowing what to say next until her eyes landed on the watch. "Have you checked the back yet?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

She gestured towards the watch and smiled. "There's something on the back."

"Oh," He grabbed the object and flipped it. His lips curved upwards into a smile as he read the words engraved onto the back of the watch.

Time is like an ocean, you can only hold a little in your hands

"I know you liked the sea and everything, so I thought I could add something like that on the back…" She trailed off, chuckling nervously. "What do you think?"

Before answering her, Percy paused to wear the watch, placing it on his left wrist before tightening it. "What do you think?" He returned the question to her as he showed off both the watch and his pearly-white teeth.

She smiled. "It looks great on you."

Seeing her gorgeous smile, Percy felt butterflies in his stomach while his heart pounded loudly in his chest. Ignoring the strange feeling, he placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled gratefully at her.

"I really meant it, Lyla," He said, unknowingly inching closer to her face. "Thank you."

Noticing his breath brushing past her face as he leaned in, Lyla could feel warmth rushing to her face. "I-It's…It's no problem," She stammered nervously whilst also pushing forward.

Neither of them spoke as their faces got nearer and nearer towards each other, their eyes stuck staring into each other as well. Just before their lips could touch, the bell rang, echoing all around the campus.

It was only then did they both realise how close they were and promptly pulled away, both sporting flustered faces. There were only a few moments of silence between them.

"I have to get to my class now, Percy," She said softly, sounding breathless as she panted. "I'll see you later." Lyla then rushed out of the room with everything she needed—eager to get as far away as possible lest she risk embarrassing herself any further—leaving an equally confused Percy behind.

Percy sat there on his seat for a few seconds in absolute stillness as his mind processed the moment he may or may not have shared with Lyla. Slowly, he placed a finger on his lips, remembering how her breath felt like when their faces had been so close to touching.

"Hey Rookie!" Percy shrieked in surprise. Thankfully, he was able to register what was happening before he could fall off his chair, and sat up straight. Turning towards the man responsible, he glared daggers at Ralph who was laughing at him.

"What was that for?"

"Whatever do you mean? I think I should be the one asking questions here. Why were you spacing out?"

"Nothing," Percy replied quickly, uneasiness starting to grow within him as heat rushed to his cheeks.

"Are you sure?" Ralph asked, smirking. "Or perhaps there's something on your mind? More accurately…someone?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Percy remained stoic, not wanting to give him the satisfaction to see him flustered.

Ralph chuckled mischievously. "Oh really? So there's nothing going on between you and our resident cinnamon roll?" Without waiting for any retort to leave his co-worker's mouth, he shot up from his seat and pointed dramatically at him. "Fess up! I know you and Lyla have been dating behind our backs. Everyone knows."

"We've even been betting on it actually," He added innocently, sitting back down.

"What?" Percy stared at him incredulously, looking absolutely befuddled. His perplexed expression only got worse when he heard agreements coming from all around him. His eyes roamed the room, seeing as everyone was apparently under the impression that he and Lyla were romantically involved.

Even Kate was a part of it.

"They're not dating yet, you idiot," She argued from her side of the room. He would've been thankful for her support were it not for the word 'yet' in that sentence. "I told you she'd ask him out on his birthday. It's definitely happening later."

Ignoring the multitude of conversations that were now going on, Percy turned his attention back to Ralph, who looked very pleased with himself.

"Wow," He said in a deadpan tone, sighing exasperatedly before continuing. "I hate you guys."

"No you don't," He said in a singsong voice. "You love us, especially Ly—"

"Look," He snapped harshly, raising his voice so everyone could hear him. "There is nothing between Lyla and I. We are good friends and that's all there is to it. Now, why don't we all get back to work?"

Silence followed, no one daring to disagree as they complied and went back to work just like he was. He avoided Ralph and the others' gazes, missing the look of concern that spread across his friends' faces.

Trying to get his mind off it, Percy sighed. He did not mean to sound so harsh. He rarely snapped at anything these past months as he made it clear to his friends—back when he had started opening up to them—what topics to avoid talking about. The prospect of love was one of them.

Yes, he did and will always remember the promise he made to her. He was going to move on and honestly, Percy believed he was doing very well. He was opening up a lot more than ever before, but the one thing he was not yet ready to face was the potential of falling in love with someone other than his Wisegirl.

He knew he would have to…at some point, but…

He sighed. He didn't really know anymore. He loved Annabeth so much and he just wasn't prepared to love or even remotely like anyone romantically for the time being. He thought he'd be with her until the end of his days and that they'd one day get married, settle down and have kids, but that was all impossible now.

He sort of had a guess for why Ralph and Kate said what they said. When he'd opened up to them, he told them about Annabeth and that he lost her, a woman who he had been together with for years and the woman who he loved with all his heart. Percy assumed that this was their first attempt at trying to get him to move on.

So he couldn't really blame them nor snap at them for what they were trying to do. They meant well, but they just didn't know.

They didn't know what he'd been through with her. They didn't know just how much he loved her. They didn't know about his personal loyalty, which was another reason out of many he had thought of for why he couldn't move on with another woman, and was probably why he snapped.

He was not by any means ready to pursue a new relationship with someone else. Not just because he still loved her with all his heart, but because he felt that it was too soon for him to move on. That if he did try right now, it would be like going against what he was. He was loyal, very loyal to those he loved, most especially her. Even now, he still loved her.

He was afraid that he'd be betraying her if he attempted to start a relationship with someone new only six months after he had lost her. He wouldn't do that to her. Their relationship was something really special and to move on after six months…the thought itself was off the table.

So no, he was determined to stay loyal to her until he could fully learn to move on with someone new.

Deep down though, beneath all of the walls he had built around his heart, Percy somehow knew why he'd snapped. It was not because his friends were pushing for him to move on with someone new when he had lost Annabeth only six months prior.

But because…a small part of him…a very small part of him knew that his friends were right on the money with their assumptions. That a certain woman had recently begun to steal his heart, he just didn't want to see nor accept it yet.

---

| Sometime Later

| Gotham Academy

Exiting the classroom to get to his next class, Percy didn't expect to be stopped by Helena who had grabbed his arm.

"Helena, I'm sorry but I don't have much time, can you make this quick?" He asked as he saw the urgent expression on her face. She nodded, hastily pulling out something from her pocket; a thin rectangular object that was gift wrapped.

"Happy Birthday, Percy!" She smiled widely at him, extending both her hands towards him as the gift sat on them. "I didn't really know what to get you at first…..but-…uhm…anyway here it is. I hope you like it!" She said, stuttering on some of her words as she was both nervous and excited.

"Oh," Percy murmured happily, eyeing the gift on her hands momentarily before taking it into his hands and swiftly embracing Helena after. "Thank you, Helena." He said before pulling away.

Without waiting for a reply, he then ruffled her hair playfully as he looked into her electric blue eyes. "You're so sweet, I'm sure I'll love it."

"…but, right now, I have to go. I'll see you later!" He swiftly placed the gift in his pocket, before running off to his next class while waving at her from a distance. Helena smiled, waving back before going her own way as well.

Percy was making haste. While he didn't regret staying back for an extra minute or two to accept his student's gift, he did want to make sure he wouldn't be running late any more than he already was.

"Rookie! ROOKIEEE! PERCE! HEY!"

Damn.

The voice kept repeating itself to get his attention. Halting in his tracks, Percy sighed.

He turned around to face him. "What is it, Ralph? And please let this be important," He asked, staring at his fellow teacher who had chased after him.

"Okay, okay, I won't take up too much of your time, just gotta tell you something," Ralph said, not wanting to delay Percy any further either, but that thought was quickly extinguished. "But first…about that thing back there. I've been meaning to ask about that for a while now. I noticed that you and the boss' kid have been getting pretty close lately. What's that about? How'd that happen?"

The smirk on his face told him that Ralph indeed knew how he had worded that sentence and didn't plan on correcting himself anytime soon.

Percy shot him an unamused and disgusted look. "Dude…do you know how wrong that sounds?" Before waiting for a reply, he continued impatiently. "You know what, I don't care. Just get to the point already. Please."

"Stay behind after classes and head to the faculty room at 5 P.M."

Not hearing anything after, Percy spoke. "Is that it?"

"Yep!"

Percy didn't wait for any more words to come out of his mouth, dashing away from him as he quickly sprinted towards his next class.

If he hadn't been earlier, he would definitely be late now.

---

| A Few Hours Later

| Outside the Faculty Room

'5 P.M,' Percy thought, staring at his new watch as he stood right outside the Faculty Room's entrance. Taking a deep breath, he then placed his hand on the door knob, turned it and walked into the room.

Opening it, he could already hear and sense that there were a handful of people inside. The whole room was engulfed by darkness, so he couldn't see anything.

…for one second.

"SURPRISE!"

The room instantly came to life as the lights turned on, followed by the sound of footsteps. Before he could register what was happening, Percy found himself pulled to the middle of the room where he could finally examine his surroundings.

All the desks and tables were pushed aside to make more room. There were now new tables situated around the place, some on the side with food on them, some with gifts stacked up on them and a singular one right in front of him where a tall, blue cake stood; numbers two and six were on the top with a lone candle in front.

And of course, he couldn't miss the crowd of people that now stood around him. Looking around with a smile tugging on his lips, Percy saw Kate, Lyla, Ralph, Frank and even Lyla among them.

He also recognised the rest. Some he'd spoken with on some occasions, some he'd only met recently, either way everyone who he had met in this school was here and it made the smile on his face grow wider. As his gaze went through every single person present, so did his mind as it recounted every moment he spent with them and every memory he made.

"Well, birthday boy?" Ralph said, breaking the silence as he stepped out of the formation and towards him. "What do you think? Getting emotional yet?"

Percy sniffled momentarily before scoffing. "Close," He grinned. "You'll have to do better than that."

"Oh, I will," He promised. "But first! You're going to make a wish and blow that candle like your life depends on it."

Ralph pulled out a lighter and lit the candle up, then turned to face everyone else with his hands raised in the air. "Everybody! IN 3."

"2!"

"1!"

"Happy Birthday to you~"

Percy chuckled softly as he stared at the candle in front of him. Gods, has it already been a year?

"Happy Birthday to you~"

"Happy Birthday, Dear Percyyyyy~"

"HAPPY!"

"BIRTHDAY!"

"TOOOOOO"

"YOUUUUUUUUUU!"

A moment of silence. "MAKE A WISH!"

'I wish…' He had been thinking about it for a while and now, he may actually believe it. He was now convinced that this was all real, that he had truly found his second chance and that they were all here to stay. Faced with having to make a wish and with the new realisation, Percy already knew what it would be.

Closing his eyes, it almost seemed like time had stopped as he made his wish.

.

.

.

Opening his eyes, everything resumed as if time really had stopped. Glancing to the corner of his eye, he could see everyone quietly staring at him with bated breath. He paused for a second before leaning in and blew out the flame, not noticing that the candle glowed yellow for a moment.

"YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ralph's voice echoed across the room. "PARTY TIME!"

Percy laughed heartily as everything turned into chaos. After the song had ended, everyone scattered around and formed their own little groups around the room, and he was no exception. The whole place shook as loud laughter went around, people were talking, people were dancing. Everyone was having fun.

Percy roamed around the room, talking to as many people as he could, receiving many gifts in the process. He spoke with his friends, laughed with them, and danced with them too amidst all the madness going on. The whole time that he was there, not once did his smile waver or disappear.

Hours passed and soon enough, everyone was beginning to be affected by all the tiring activities they've done. Luckily, that was what the food was for.

When everyone came to agree that it was time to eat, Percy joined everybody else as they sat down around the large and long table positioned in the middle of the room. Everyone ate together, but that didn't mean anyone was going to quiet down anytime soon. If anything, everyone only got louder as they spoke to each other whilst eating.

People laughed, they banged their fists on the table, some almost choked to death due to laughter. All while this was happening, Percy took part and laughed with them as well. Everyone shared stories and made jokes.

And at one point, Percy took a moment to look at everyone. His eyes traveled around the table as his gaze rested on everybody who was there to celebrate his birthday.

Six months ago, he would have never thought he'd actually find a new family and a new place to call home, but here he was, having the time of his life with friends. He may not have completely moved on yet from everything—which was fair considering the life he lived prior to all this and people he's known before them—but he was damn sure that he was in a much better place than before.

He was happy. Really happy. He was feeling hopeful that this would all work out in the end. And he only had one person to thank for all this. The person who had slapped sense into his dense skull and made him open up. The person who proved to not only be the one that motivated him to find a new home and family, but also the one who inspired him, the one who pushed him to keep moving forward, to keep enduring despite everything that had been taken from him.

Annabeth Chase. His Wise Girl. His first love.

'Thank you…' He thought, letting a lone tear streak fall down his face while still maintaining his joyous smile. No one noticed anyway.

---

| Hours Later

| Gotham Academy, Faculty Room

A few hours later, the party eventually died down and the room was less abundant with people. As time had progressed, the attendants began leaving one by one, the most recent ones being the Bertinellis, Frank and Helena, which meant that all who remained in the room were him, Ralph, Kate and Lyla.

Percy thought of leaving next, standing up from his seat only to get his arm grabbed by Ralph.

"Oh no no no, where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"Home," Percy yawned. "I think I'm done for the day man." He chuckled, satisfied for how the whole day went and was quite ready to call it a night.

"But the party's not over yet! I've got something planned for all four of us!" He said.

Percy pursed his lips, mulling it over before looking to the others for their opinions. He turned to Kate first.

"Sure," She shrugged. "Why the hell not?"

Then to Lyla.

"If you're all up for it, then I am too," She said enthusiastically.

Now everyone's eyes were on him as it was his turn. After giving it some thought, Percy grinned. His spirits were still high and since they were offering…to gladly quote his close friend, why the hell not?

"Alright alright, I'll stay," He turned to Ralph. "So what're you thinking?"

"A bar," He smirked.

"A bar?" Percy raised a brow. "So that's your plan? Getting wasted?"

"Oh no no no, my friend. It's not just any bar, you'll see. And no, drinking will not be the main event."

"Where?" Kate popped the question before Percy could.

"Theatre district, I'll take you guys there," Ralph said

"Okay then, let's go."

"That's what I like to hear," Ralph chuckled, following after Percy who was already heading towards the door.

"You ladies coming?" He said, turning around.

"Right behind ya, boys."

---

| Sometime Later

| Theatre District, MacLaren's Pub

For a place that Ralph seemed to greatly look forward to going, the bar was not as filled as he'd thought. That was the first thing that came through his mind when he and his friends entered. He wasn't about to complain though, the less people, the easier it would be to find a spot.

Looking around, Percy began to have an idea for why Ralph liked the establishment. The place itself looked great. The walls and its design looked brand new. The various posters, portraits and paintings hung all around the green walls gave it this distinction that made it differ from the other pubs and bars he's been to.

In front of him, he could get a clear view of the many tables and chairs placed all around. He noticed they were also conveniently positioned in a way that the space between them was sufficient enough to allow anyone to travel around the pub freely, without having to feel cramped.

With his eyes roaming around, Percy found the bar to his right. What caught his eye was the same thing that would probably catch anyone's eye were they too gaze upon the bar itself for the first time themselves; the drinks. All kinds of alcohol and beverages were open on display for everyone to see. As his eye dropped down, he also found the bartender who was in the process of quietly cleaning the bar top.

Having seen almost every nook and cranny of the pub, his eyes were eventually led to the leftmost-part of the pub where he found a slightly elevated stage. A karaoke machine sat on by the wall while a microphone held by a stand was placed on the edge.

"Why don't you girls find us a table, we'll be right with you," Ralph said. Though he barely heard it during all his sightseeing, it was enough to get him back on track as he then listened properly this time.

"Percy," He continued softly once the girls were a far enough distance away. Percy stared at his friend's face, confused. He had this expression on his face that looked sorry and regretful. Rarely did Ralph ever look anything like this so he wondered what was the matter.

"We need to talk," Percy nodded and followed Ralph over to the side where there weren't that many customers nearby who could potentially walk in on the conversation they were about to have.

Before he could ask what this was all about, Ralph beat him to it.

"I'm sorry," He blurted out, his face looking sheepish and bashful for once as he attempted to avoid Percy's gaze.

Percy was even more confused. "For what?"

"Earlier this morning," He sighed before staring back into Percy's eyes apologetically. "I took things too far earlier. I know you're still hung up about your last girlfriend and I shouldn't have pressured you into moving on so soon. Maybe someday, but not now."

Percy silently nodded in agreement.

A pause. "You really loved her, didn't you?" Earning another nod, he continued with a sigh. "Sorry again, Perce. I won't rush anything from now on, scout's honour."

"Thanks."

"No problemo, Rookie," Ralph replied, starting to revert to his old self once more. "Must say though, because I don't think I have yet, but that girl of yours, she must have been one special lady."

"You have no idea," Percy muttered with a sad smile.

"Okayyy!" Ralph said, his face lighting up with a wide grin. "I think that's enough sentimentality for one day. We don't want to keep our women waiting, do we?"

After a moment, Percy's expression mirrored Ralph's. "Nope," He chuckled as he watched him run towards Lyla and Kate who had been waving at them from their table. Smiling to himself, Percy then followed shortly after as well.

Yeah. Everything was gonna be just fine.

---

| Sometime later

| MacLaren's Pub

"Ahhh," Ralph moaned in satisfaction as he set another emptied glass of alcohol onto the table. "That's the stuff."

Chuckles chorused around their table as Percy, who was sitting beside him, spoke. "You sure you didn't just bring us here so we could carry your ass back home after you get completely wasted?"

"Oh I'm sure," He replied, glancing towards the karaoke machine. "But let's be real here, none of us are drunk enough to go over to that stage and sing, so in the meantime, we're gonna drink."

Percy looked amused at his explanation, before shrugging. "Sounds good," He said, not really finding any reason in trying to argue with his logic. He may sing by himself from time to time in the shower, but that didn't mean he would willingly stand in front of a crowd and sing unless he had a lot of alcohol in his system.

Taking another sip from his glass, Percy looked at both Kate and Lyla to see how they were handling their drinks. He found himself being slightly surprised at how well the latter was faring, not that he assumed she was a lightweight but damn, she sure did better than he'd imagined. It was a fair guess though as he realised that he had never really gone out to drink with Lyla before. Perhaps after today, he could change that.

Meanwhile, he wasn't that surprised to see how the former was doing. Having gone to many bars with Kate in the past, Percy knew that she was very good at handling her alcohol.

He grinned to himself as he watched the duo laugh with each other after Kate had whispered something to Lyla. It was always a great sight to see the usually reserved and shy woman getting out of her shell and becoming more social.

"I don't know about you guys, but just drinking quietly could either be the most boring or the most depressing thing in the world, and neither are good options so what say we all play a game while we wait to get shit-faced," Receiving agreement from all around, Ralph grinned as he continued to elaborate. "We're gonna play truth or dare. If you don't answer a question or do your dare, you have to drink. Fun, right?" He looked quite proud of himself until he saw Kate's deadpan expression.

"What are you, twelve?" She snickered, causing Lyla to giggle, before she then shrugged. "Okay sure."

"And what about two lovebirds, you guys in?" Ralph turned to Percy and Lyla, who both had varying reactions

"U-uh y-yeah!" Lyla said, clearly flustered as she avoided looking over at Percy.

Speaking of the demigod, he was glaring at Ralph, who had this innocent grin plastered on his face. He wasn't mad in the slightest, he could tell the moment he said it that he was just teasing, but it was embarrassing and he was mostly just trying to hide the fact that he was maybe blushing as well.

"Yeah," Percy muttered.

"Alright!" Ralph cheered, raising his hand to point at Percy. "Birthday boy! You're going first. I'll ask you, then you ask Kate, then she'll ask Lyla, who will then ask me blah blah blah, okay let's get this started!"

"Perce, Perce, Perce," He chuckled deviously, looking like he had something planned for him. "Seeing as it's your day, I'll go easy on you for now. Tell us, are you a virgin?"

Percy and Kate didn't seem all that fazed by the question, but they were both equally amused at Lyla, whose eyes had widened as heat quickly rushed to her face. She looked so red it was adorable, both of them thought.

"W-what kind of question is that?!" Lyla stammered on her words.

"What?" Ralph once again smiled oh so innocently. "It's a fair question. Nothing to be ashamed about, unless of course, Perce here wants to drink."

"Nope," Percy answered. "No, I'm not a virgin. Happy?"

It was an easy question and one he was quite comfortable with answering, which made him wonder what else Ralph had in mind for him later on.

Lyla looked completely taken aback by his nonchalant attitude when it came to his answer, her face impossibly blushing even more.

"Very," Ralph nodded. "Okay, your turn to ask Rosey."

Percy grinned. "Truth or dare?" He asked her, silently hoping she'd choose…

"Dare." YES!

Grin widening, he told her. "I dare you to get the bartender's number and make him blush as hard as Lyla was a few seconds ago." Said woman was reduced to a stuttering, blushing mess at the mention of her earlier state.

Kate giggled at her best friend's expense before standing up from her chair and winking at both Percy and Ralph.

"Watch and you might just learn something, boys," She purred before striding across the room and walked seductively towards the bartender with a sway in her hips.

They all watched eagerly as Kate spoke with the bartender. Percy wasn't surprised that it took less than a minute for him to see the guy start to write something down on a piece of paper. He wasn't exactly looking to give his friend a hard dare just yet. He saw a triumphant smile on her face, but he knew that she wasn't done.

Kate, after placing the bartender's number into her pocket, leaned in closer to the man's face. Again, none of them could hear anything she said but they could clearly see she was whispering something to him. A few moments pass and the man's cheeks, which were slightly tinted pink already, blushed much harder, mirroring Lyla's face from before.

Knowing that she already completed the dare, Kate smirked, pulling away from the man's face and walked back to the table where Percy and Ralph were grinning, having expected that outcome while Lyla was smiling, happy for her friend though she hadn't seen what she did as she had been busy getting a hold of herself.

"And that's how it's done," Kate said, taking her seat beside Lyla and took a swig of her drink. "Who's next?"

"Lyla," Ralph answered with an excited smile. Hearing that it was her turn caused some of the colour on her face to drain as Lyla saw the looks she was getting from both her best friend and Ralph. Percy was giving her some sort of reassuring smile, but it wasn't working in the slightest.

"Truth or dare, bestie," Kate asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes, which momentarily glanced at Percy.

"Uhhm…" Lyla muttered. She was really tempted to say truth, and damn it, that was probably the smartest choice but the alcohol was really doing a number on her. She wanted to be bold, she wanted to be daring, she wanted to say… "Dare." Shit.

Inhaling sharply, Lyla resigned herself to her own fate and waited.

…

…

"I dare you to kiss Percy."

Said demigod was caught off guard as he was drinking, and as a result, spat out what was in his mouth onto the surface of the table.

Remnants of liquid that was in his mouth dripped from his lips. "What?" He asked

"You heard me," Kate shrugged. She obviously hadn't been a part of the conversation between him and Ralph, so he couldn't blame her, but this was just unexpected.

Glancing towards his friend, Percy could tell that Ralph didn't expect it either. Ralph looked like he was ready to argue with Kate, but he didn't want to make the air between them all awkward and tense. As he was shot a desperate look from the brunette, Percy nodded and decided to be the one to rectify the situation.

"Lyla," He started softly, turning towards the blonde who was staring down at her hands. "If you don't want—"

"NO!" She spoke a little too loudly, prompting her to pause as she looked up and into Percy's eyes. "I mean…I'm fine with it…if you want to of course…I'm…I want to," She stammered.

Shit. Shit. Shit. What was this? His heart, it was beating too loud, he felt like it'd explode and all because he was staring at Lyla. She looked a bit different now. Her face was flushed, but she looked calm and more composed than she usually would if she was flustered. Her eyes were dilated and he noticed there was something there…something in her eyes that screamed desire.

And her lips…Gods, he thought as his eyes drifted down. He felt himself being pulled towards it and her. What was he thinking? He wasn't ready for this, he wasn't ready to kiss another woman. He wasn't ready for whatever feelings he could catch in the aftermath. He wasn't ready for any of this. He…didn't want this.

So why was he inching closer and closer to her face? And why was Lyla doing the same?!

He swallowed. What was happening? This shouldn't be…this couldn't be—

All thoughts in his mind vanished instantly as he felt it. His lips touching hers, the taste of it, the feeling of warmth that suddenly engulfed his entire being as he kissed her. His eyes were glued to hers, staring into her soul. All sense of rationality was thrown out the window, his only thought in that moment, his only desire was that it wouldn't end so soon.

.

.

.

Lyla was the one to pull away first, causing him to pull away shortly after as well. When their faces separated, their eyes still never left each other. They were both panting, feeling breathless. Their faces were equally flushed. Neither spoke, still reeling from the kiss as they attempted to register what the fuck happened.

When he could finally avoid her gaze, Percy mentally cursed. Guilt seeped into his mind.

What the Hades did he just do?

He kissed another woman and admittedly liked it. There was no way to refute that and it only made him feel even more guilty. Earlier today, he was thinking all about how he'd not pursue a relationship with anyone until the right time, that he'd wait, and now he had just kissed his best friend.

He was scum. If Athena could see him now, she'd probably castrate him and he'd let her.

…

Okay, calm down. Calm down. Percy reprimanded himself, getting a grip.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale.

After a few moments, Percy sighed, his mind becoming less chaotic and more composed-ish.

He kissed Lyla. He enjoyed it. He couldn't do anything about that. The deed was done. He enjoyed it and that wasn't wrong was it? She was very beautiful and it wasn't out of the ordinary to have liked the kiss. It didn't have to have a meaning.

It was just a dare. Just a dare. Not like there were any feelings behind it. Just a dare, so they were still best friends. It was simply a kiss between two completely platonic friends. Yep. That was it.

The kiss didn't have to mean anything and it really didn't. He wasn't falling for her so there was no need to panic. She was dared to kiss him, they kissed, done. Nothing more, nothing less. Moving on and continuing with the game was the wise choice, as there was no use dwelling in the past.

Yeah. All was good. Everything would be back to normal in no time.

Forcing a smile, Percy watched Lyla talk to Ralph, no doubt asking him whether he was gonna pick truth or dare.

Yepppp. Everything was perfect. He was here. He was with his closest friends, celebrating his birthday which was turning out to be a blast. He was NOT falling in love with his best friend. Everyone was well and so was he, no use in thinking of otherwise.

---

| August 18, 2003 - Later

| MacLaren's Pub

"When the night…has come~" Percy started. A goofy grin on his face.

"And the land is dark~" Ralph continued, his expression much similar to Percy's as they both sang each line of the song playing on the karaoke machine for all to hear. Their arms were wrapped around their shoulders as they drunkenly swayed to the music.

"And the moon is…the only light we'll see~"

"No I won't! Be afraid!" Percy sang loudly, pulling away from Ralph's hand but staying close to him as they both trusted one another enough to catch each other were they to stumble or fall due to the alcohol in their bodies. Their eyes were locked to each other, their respective microphones held near to their lips. "Ohhh I won't…be afraid~"

"Just as long…" Ralph continued. "As you stand…stand by me~"

"So darlin, darlin!" They both sang the chorus together, their singing turning into screaming as they raised their voices. "STAND! BY ME! OHHHHH STAND! BY ME!"

"OHH STAND! Stand by me~!"

"Stand by me~"

"If the sky! That we look upon, should tumble and fall…"

Kate's chuckles were what brought Lyla out of her staring as she turned to her best friend, who had a knowing smirk on her face.

"You know, if you don't snatch him up soon, Ralph might just steal him away from you," Kate giggled, scooching closer to Lyla and whispering in her ear. "Or maybe I will."

"W-what!?" Lyla slapped hand to her mouth, realising how loud her voice was, but then let out a sigh of relief when she saw no one noticed over the voices of Ralph and Percy singing.

"Yeah," Kate shrugged. "He's definitely my type. He's a lot of fun. He has this bad boy look to him. And…oh my god…did you see his abs. Mm~"

Lyla stammered out multiple incoherent words as her brain short-circuited, her face heating up profusely. Kate couldn't help but laugh hysterically.

"I'm…" She tried to say but couldn't as she kept laughing, slamming her fist onto the table. "I'm sorry, it's just…you're so fun to tease, I got carried away."

…

Kate paused as her face turned humorless in an instant. "Seriously though…Lyla," She said, shocking the blonde as Kate hadn't addressed her in such a way in a while. "What do you think of Percy?"

"What?"

"Let me rephrase," She said. "What do you like about him?"

"Oh…" Lyla murmured, thinking about it before answering. "He's a hard worker, he doesn't give up, he's—"

"I'm not talking about how good he is at his job," Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about you."

"Me?"

"Yes," Kate nodded. "What is he to you? What do you like about him?"

A pause. "He's kind…he's really funny…he teases me a lot but not as much as you," Kate snorted, causing a ghost of a smile to appear on her face as she continued. "He's a great listener, he always knows what to say, he's a good guy and an even better friend…"

"I think…" She had thought about it for a while. "He's had a hard life…not just because he lost his girlfriend or that he lost his mother…I think there's a lot he's not telling us, not that I expect him to open up about everything right now, but the point is he's had a hard time recently…and yet…and yet look at him!" She pointed at Percy who was openly dancing on stage as he and Ralph sang.

"That's one of the things I like most about him…that he still manages to look so unaffected and happy regardless of whatever's weighing him down," She said, her smile widening ever so slightly. "That he could still smile so brightly after what he's been through, that he has the strength to keep going after what life has thrown at him."

"Whether it'd be something related to work or not, Percy always finds a way to inspire me, to make me admire him. He's everything I one day hope to be…" She muttered the last part silently. "He's also who I hope to be with."

Her cheeks turned red once more as she avoided Kate's gaze and stared down at her hands which she began twiddling with. "A-and m-maybe…I-…I like that he's pretty handsome too." She uttered softly, closing her eyes as she awaited whatever was to come.

She had no doubt Kate was gonna tease her about at least one of the things she mentioned, but instead she got silence. Opening her eyes, Lyla was surprised to see that Kate's eyes were widened, shock evident in her eyes.

"Wow," Kate let out breathlessly. "You've got it bad for him, huh?"

"I-" She knew she couldn't deny it now. "Yes…I do."

"I like him…" She finally admitted. "But I can tell…I've seen his eyes whenever he's alone. It's been months since he lost her, but he still misses her so much. I'd never be able to fill the hole his last girlfriend left behind…from what Percy's said, I'm nothing like her and she was perfect…just like him. He deserves someone better."

"Hey," Kate grabbed both sides of her face to make her stare into her eyes. Her voice was firm. "Don't ever think like that. Sure, his girlfriend was amazing, no doubt about that, but you're just as amazing as her, you hear me? Who cares if you aren't like this Annabeth…you're not her…you're YOU."

"And look at you," She said with awe. "You're amazing in every way, Lyla. Not just your boobs or your ass, though they are pretty great." She wiggled her brows, causing Lyla to giggle.

"You're the smartest girl I know, you're kind just like him, compassionate," Kate chuckled. "You're so naïve but that's what I love about you…and I'm sure Percy feels the same way."

"You are perfect and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, got it?" Kate asked as she let go of Lyla.

"Yes…" She said, tears coming from her eyes. "Thank you."

"No problem," Kate said. "Now as I said, you're perfect. Any man to have you as a girlfriend would be the luckiest person in the world. And Percy knows that, he's just as dense as a rock…reason why we haven't fucked yet." She muttered the last part.

"What?"

"Nothing," Kate cleared her throat. "So, to make him yours, you've got to make the first move. After this, when you're both alone, there's your chance, you have to ask him out. He'll probably be stubborn about it, so make sure to be persistent, okay?"

"Uhh," Lyla murmured, all of this was overwhelming her brain. Sure, she could admit that she liked Percy and sure, she could be more confident now after Kate had helped boost it, but to muster up the courage to ask him out? She'd need time to prepare, she couldn't do it tonight! "I don't know if I could…"

"Trust me," Kate smiled, trying to reassure her. "He feels the same way."

"He does?"

"Mhm, he's just either too dense to notice it or he's too shy to admit it, either way you have to be the one to take the reins here," Kate explained. "Knowing him, when he realises his feelings for you, he'd probably seek out Ralph for advice which would be catastrophic…and this is all for when he does accept it, and that could take years. So it's gotta be you."

"Are you sure?" Lyla asked. "I don't know if I can do it…w-what if I mess up?"

"You won't," Kate replied evenly. "Wanna know why? Because I've seen the way you look at each other. And when I see that look in your eyes, when I see you two laughing together, I could sense it. I could feel it. I could see it, clear as day, that it was as unambiguous a sign of true love as these eyes have ever seen."

"So this is what's gonna happen," Kate said. "After this whole thing is over, you're gonna ask Percy out and he's gonna say yes because he is many things, but he is not an idiot."

"You ready?"

"No…" Lyla admitted softly, before staring back into Kate's eyes with determination clearly written all over her face. "But I'll do it."

"Atta girl!" Kate said, wrapping her arm around Lyla to bring her friend closer. "That's the spirit."

Once she was let go from Kate's grasp, Lyla smiled gratefully towards her best friend. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Kate said. "Just so we're even though, could you go and get me another bottle of this, we've run out." She grinned sheepishly, showing Lyla the empty bottle of cognac.

Lyla nodded, standing up from her seat to do just that.

While waiting, Kate went back to watching the boys sing on stage. Taking one last swig from her glass to gulp down all that was left inside, Kate got an entertaining thought as she watched Percy sing at the top of his lungs.

'I wonder if she'd be open to sharing him.'

---

| Sometimer Later

| MacLaren's Pub

"It doesn't hurt me~" Kate sang, her voice sounding slurred.

"Do you wanna feel how it feels?" Lyla continued, sounding a lot like her best friend as they both sang on the stage.

"Do you wanna know!" Kate belted out. "Know that it doesn't hurt me!?"

"Do you wanna hear about the deal I'm making?~"

"You~!" Kate screamed at the top of her lungs. "It's you and me!~"

With the chorus arriving, both of their grins widened in excitement and anticipation as they brought the mic closer to their lips.

"And if I only could!" They were both now singing in unison. "I'd make a deal with God!"

"And I'd get him to swap our places!"

"Be running up that road!"

"Be running up that hill~"

"Be running up that building!"

Percy chuckled as he watched the two best friends perform on stage. Their bodies danced and swayed drunkenly to the music much like he and Ralph had. The difference between the two women and him and Ralph was that they were more intoxicated than they were when they sang.

Not that he meant any offense by it, but Kate and Lyla sounded much worse than he and Ralph when they sang, and that had to say something about how much alcohol both women had in their systems. To be fair though, it seemed that they both had garnered a larger crowd and audience than he and Ralph did.

If they were merely paying more attention due to the fact that Kate's outfit was sort of revealing and that they were both very attractive, young women or not, he couldn't say. But it wouldn't be too far from the truth.

Percy turned to Ralph, having heard something, to see that he was pouring himself some more to drink.

"Want me to pour you a glass too?" He asked him with a grin.

Percy groaned. "You know what, fuck it, yeah," He said, pushing his glass towards Ralph. Once it was filled, he grabbed it and took a swig.

Both friends then sat in silence, drinking together as they watched Lyla and Kate sing on stage. Minutes later, Ralph broke the stillness between them.

"I think we need to talk about it," Ralph said, looking down at the empty glass in his hand.

"About what?" Percy asked, turning to him.

"You and Lyla."

He sighed. "Ralph, you promised…"

"I know, I know," Ralph cut him off, raising his hand. "But hear me out, okay?"

Setting his own glass down onto the table, Percy sighed before reluctantly nodding. "Alright."

"Okay, so I've been thinking," He started. "Been thinking about it ever since this morning after you'd gone all grumpy over it. I was thinking, maybe it was just a crush for her and maybe it was the same for you. Since you were still hung up about her, I knew I couldn't push it and that you two would probably get over your thing for each other someday, one way or the other."

"But when I saw you two kissing earlier…Jesus man, how couldn't you see it? How could I have not seen it?" He chuckled.

"Wait," Percy stopped him. "See what?"

"You're one dense fucker, aren't ya?"

"What?"

"That thing between you two? That ain't no crush," Ralph shook his head. "Nah, that's something else. I wouldn't say love…that'd be stretching it a bit too far, but I'd say it was pretty goddamn close."

"What are you saying," Percy narrowed his eyes.

"That you like the girl, rookie," He replied. "More than you might care to admit. Honestly, and I mean this all in respect to your last girl, I think you should stop being a pussy and ask her out already."

"Ralph…" Percy sighed, trying to be patient with his friend, but utterly failing. "You know I can't…not yet…it's too—"

"What? Too soon?" Ralph interrupted him, scoffing at him. "I don't know about you, but I never heard of anything about rules for when you could start seeing other people again. Who said you couldn't move on? It's not like it's too soon, I think it's actually about damn time."

"I'd be—"

"What? Betraying her? Cheating on her?" Ralph interjected once again, not letting this go. "Perce…she's dead."

"You think I don't know that?!" Percy snapped, though no one noticed his sudden outburst over the voices of Kate and Lyla in the distance along with the music.

"I know you do, but I don't think you've fully accepted it, not just yet," Ralph said, pausing for a moment. "She was a nice girl…wish I could've met her. I don't know much about her though, never seen her, never knew her, nothing. But, I do know you. And I could figure what kind of a person she was, if she'd been able to make you fall head over heels for her."

"Tell me, did she ever ask you for anything before she died?" Ralph asked.

"What?"

"Just, tell me."

Percy inhaled sharply. A pause. "Yes, she did…she made me promise her I'd move on."

Ralph chuckled. "Figured she'd say something like that," He explained further, seeing Percy's confusion. "You're stubborn, Perce and you're loyal. Those two together don't really mix well, especially in this case. Knowing you, I don't think you would've even opened your mouth about anything that was bothering you to us were it not for her."

Percy didn't argue with that.

"Now I know she's like that, I can ask this," Ralph said. "What's holding you back? Because it sure as hell ain't her, from the sound of it this Annabeth would come down here to kick your ass just to tell you to move on."

Percy couldn't help but smile at that. "I don't know." He said, honestly.

What really did hold him back from pursuing a relationship with Lyla?

Before Ralph could speak, Percy beat him to it. "…I'm afraid," He sighed. "I'm afraid of letting go…I'm afraid of loving again…I'm afraid of the possibility of getting hurt again…I'm afraid of losing again. I'm afraid of not knowing anything about what could happen, because I've got no idea and fate has a way of fucking up my life everytime."

"Well that's life for you, Perce, and I'm afraid that you can't do anything about it," He said. "But what you can do is this. You can pick your sorry ass up and keep moving forward."

"Everyone is afraid of the future, it's frightening no matter how you see it…"

"Especially if you've already been through some shit, it can be hard to keep going, to find the reason to keep fighting…and honestly there probably isn't. You could fall head over heels for someone, only to get your heart broken. You could make new friends, only to lose them. You could become rich as hell, only to wind up homeless on the streets, giving blowjobs just to make ends meet," He chuckled then quickly composed himself before he could steer off topic.

"Point is…you never really know what'll happen."

"It's hard…to move on, to let go of the past, but you have to do it," Ralph said. "You might think letting it go would mean forgetting, but it isn't. Letting go is embracing everything, your traumas, your pain. Letting go is freeing yourself from it. Letting go means freedom."

"Perce…you've loved her, you've kissed her, you've showered her with love and affection, you've fought for her, you've stayed loyal to her the whole time before she died. And when she did, you cried for her, you mourned for her, you grieved her."

"You're not perfect, no one is. Everybody has made mistakes, even you, but when it comes to her? You did everything right by her."

"You've done nothing but love her with all your heart since the day you got together, you told me that didn't you?"

"…and you never stopped, not once. You were the best fucking boyfriend she's ever had, the best friend she's ever had, you were the love of her life. You've done everything you could for her before she died, and I'm sure she was happy for that. But you didn't do everything for her, did you?"

"You missed one," He shook his head. "Her last request."

"You need to let go. You need to move on…if you really did love her, then prove it. Do this for her because you can't keep clinging to the past like this, especially when you're holding out hope for something that isn't even there. She's gone, Perce. She's gone and there's nothing you can do about it," Ralph said, pausing momentarily. "If you don't want to date Lyla yet, then…fine." He sighed.

"You don't have to date anyone to move on, but you do have to let go. If you really aren't interested in pursuing anything romantic yet, then alright, but you have to tell her that."

"Lyla likes you too, you know?" What he said surprised Percy. "It's true, believe it or not, she does. So, if you really aren't going to ask her out, then at least make it clear to her that you don't feel the same. Better to do it sooner rather than later."

Ralph panted after, feeling breathless as he finished everything he needed to say. Without saying anything, he stared at his friend, watching Percy as he was thinking a lot about what he had said.

After a few seconds, Percy broke the silence. "When'd you become so wise," He chuckled.

Ralph laughed. "Might be the alcohol," He said, then stood up. "Speaking of which, I gotta take a shit."

"Alright," Percy nodded, pausing before grabbing Ralph's hand just before he was about to walk away. "Hey…thanks…for everything."

A small smile found its way up his face and without turning around, Ralph replied. "Don't mention it, rookie." And with that, he walked away, leaving Percy to his own thoughts.

---

| Sometime Later

| MacLaren's Pub

Percy awoke with a gasp, his head shooting upwards from the surface of the table he had fallen asleep on. Groaning, he rubbed his forehead, having immediately felt a headache upon opening his eyes.

Despite the pain in his head, Percy looked around to see that he was indeed still in the same pub he had entered with his friends. Only difference this time was that Ralph wasn't by his side nor was Kate by Lyla's. He then remembered why that was, recalling that they had both left not that long ago, meanwhile he and his blonde friend decided to stay for a few more drinks.

'I'm not doing that again…' Percy grimaced, before looking down at his watch, and his grimace worsened as a result.

It was a little past midnight. Thankfully though, he didn't have to go to work tomorrow, so it was fine if he and Lyla had stayed up a bit late. But they did have to leave now, staying any later would be out of the question.

Yawning, Percy turned to look for the waitress, finding her by the bartop. Once his eyes locked with hers across the room, he raised his hand to gesture for her to come to their table. The woman nodded and went to their table after a few seconds.

"What can I do for you, sir?" She said with a suggestive smirk and tone that he didn't notice.

"Can I have the check now, please?" Percy smiled.

"Sure," She said, grabbing the empty glasses sitting atop their table before she departed.

With the waitress off to get their check, he then directed his attention towards Lyla. Leaning forward, Percy extended his arm to her, using his hand to nudge the sleeping beauty.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey," He repeated over and over like a broken record until he got some reaction.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey—"

"Hngh," She moaned, surely but slowly awaking from her slumber as her body began moving about. For a moment she looked like she went back to sleep, but that thought was abandoned once he saw her eyes start to open up.

She yawned. "Hey…" She said softly, her eyes gazing into his.

"Hey," He said back, smiling. "Time to go, sleepyhead, come on."

Groaning, Lyla sat up properly this time, stretching her arms. "Alright, alright," She said.

Percy watched her with an amused expression as she began getting a headache as well. "I'm never drinking again," She whined, rubbing her forehead while having her head hung low, her eyes staring down at the surface of the table.

Percy laughed. "I wouldn't go that far," He said, grinning. "Maybe just don't drink that much next time."

She frowned. "There's gonna be a next time?"

"Sure, though maybe next time, it could be…I don't know, just us," He said, immediately regretting it afterwards as the words just flowed out of his mouth. "We could invite Ralph and Kate too from time to time, if you'd like…I just thought it'd be nice, since uh, Ralph and I have drank out together, and so did Kate and I as well—"

Lyla giggled at his slightly flustered face and the way he stumbled on his words. Despite the pain in her head and in the other parts of her body, she smiled. "I'd like that…"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

The two lovebirds were brought off their stares when the waitress walked up to their table and cleared her throat, causing both to realise what they were doing and swiftly turn away. Percy tried to look composed when he turned to her.

"Here's your check, sir," She said, handing it to him before glancing between both him and Lyla. He noticed this and blushed. Attempting to hide it, he avoided both women's eyes as he paid up, adding a huge tip on top as well.

"Thank you," She smiled.

"No problem," He smiled sheepishly.

Just before leaving, she smirked at them both. "I hope you and your girlfriend had a good time here."

Before he or Lyla could argue, the woman walked away. Obviously flustered, neither spoke for a few seconds until Percy was finally able to break the silence, wanting to also get rid of the awkward air between them.

"So uhh," He started, standing up. "Let's go then." He reached his hand out to her. She happily took it, standing up as they both left the pub together.

---

| August 18, 2003 - Later

| On the Streets

Percy heard Lyla groan softly beside him, prompting him to look at her as they walked quietly on the street. Ralph and Kate—most likely due to their drunken states—had forgotten about the fact that they all came to MacLaren's in his car, so he and Lyla had no vehicle to use to get home. They tried looking for a cab, but to no avail, so as a result they resorted to walking. Though he wasn't fortunate enough, his blonde friend luckily lived nearby.

"Need some help," Percy asked Lyla, as she slightly stumbled to walk properly whilst rubbing the side of her head to try and alleviate the headache; she had drunk the most out of all of them.

"Mm mm," She shook her head, raising her hand to stop him as she walked on her own. Percy nodded, though he remained close just in case anything happened.

Sometime later, he noticed that she had gotten somewhat better. She looked less drowsy than she was before. Her movements and posture have also improved, looking like she could walk to her place on her own. She still had that headache though, much to her irritation.

"Did you have fun?" She said, finally breaking the silence between them, her head tilting and raising slightly to face him.

Humming, Percy recalled the experience that had been his 26th birthday. The gifts he'd received from his friends. The celebration he had in the Faculty Room with all his colleagues, laughing and smiling like an idiot with all of them. The after party in MacLaren's—which was personally his favourite part of the whole day—where he and his friends had even more fun.

Recounting the countless times he'd died of laughter, the times he'd smiled so wide his face hurt, the times he almost shed tears due to happiness and the times he actually did, Percy smiled absentmindedly. The most recent memories of his being the moments when he had sang with his friends, made it even wider.

He'd never even dreamed that he could be this happy considering the circumstances but life always had a way of surprising him. This day was definitely one he badly needed, showing him that, while he lost his old family, he had found a new one right here, in Gotham City of all places.

Some part of him wondered though, what would it have been like if his families and friends from both worlds had come together? That would've been a sight to behold.

His smile turned into a sad one at the thought of them. He wished he could've seen them, at least once before his stay in this new world was declared permanent.

"Percy?" Lyla repeated, breaking him away from his reminiscing.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Yes, I'm…" Percy paused, his smile turning back into its old self, feeling as if a weight left his chest. He didn't want or need to dwell on that anymore, this was his life now and honestly, it was pretty great. "I'm good."

Lyla looked reassured at that, but his earlier expression still bugged her. "So, what were you thinking about earlier? You looked kinda distant…"

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, of course," She blurted out, causing Percy to chuckle.

"No no, it's fine, I was just thinking about my old friends and family back home," He added swiftly. "My old home, I mean."

"Oh," She said. "New York?"

"Uhm, yep."

"How are they? Do you still keep in touch with them?" She asked curiously. He had spoken to her and the others about Annabeth and to an extent, his mother, but they never really knew much about his old life in New York before coming to Gotham.

"No, they're gone."

"Gone?" She felt like she shouldn't have asked, but it just left her mouth.

"Yeah, gone," Percy confirmed with a nod, the look in his eyes telling her what he had meant.

"Oh my- I'm sor—"

"Don't be," He tried to reassure her with a smile, but it didn't really help.

Lyla mentally berated herself, thinking she was an idiot for having dug up some more bad memories for him. It was bad enough that he had lost his mother and girlfriend in recent months, but she just had to remind him of the fact that his friends and family were also dead.

Thinking that she had now ruined the mood, Lyla expected that the walk back home would be awkward.

"Do you want to know more about them?" Percy asked suddenly, surprising her.

What? "What?"

"Do you want to know more about them?" He reiterated.

"A-are you sure?" He nodded. "Why? It's fine if you don't want to talk about it you know, I understand if you're still not in the best of places, considering…"

"Actually, I think it's about damn time I told you about them, and my life back home," Percy grinned, though mostly to himself as he repeated Ralph's same words. "So want to hear about it?"

It took Lyla a few seconds to process before she replied with a smile on her face. "I'd be happy to."

"Great," He said. "…now where should I start?"

"Maybe tell me about your friends first?" She suggested and his eyes lit up.

"Sure!" He said. "Hmm, let's see…ah! First, there's Nico."

"Nico?"

"Yeah, he's my cousin," He said, his mind scrambling to remember everything he knew about the son of Hades. With so many things he could talk about, he began with…"Oh! Did you know he had a crush on me?"

…

"Your cousin?"

"Yep!" Percy nodded.

Lyla giggled. "Wow…already, I can see you had a pretty interesting life back there, and apparently a weird family."

"You have no idea," He grinned. "So anyway, where was I…"

---

It may have been late for most people, but for Percy and Lyla it was still very much early. They made sure to walk slowly while they made their way to Lyla's place, both wanting to prolong their time together as much as possible.

They talked about all sorts of things during their little journey on foot, from Percy's family to his old friends and the memories he'd shared with them. He also spoke to her about some of the things he experienced back home, although most of his stories were modified; he may be opening up to her but that didn't mean he was ready to talk to her about the fact that the Greek Gods were real.

Lyla laughed as he'd told her about one of his particularly funnier memories. "And?" She asked once she was able to form some coherent words, eager to know how it ended. "Then what?"

Percy, barely restraining his laughter as well, spoke. "Okay, so then—"

"Hello?"

He stopped walking similar to Lyla as they heard the voice. They both turned to their right to look at who'd called their attention, which was a pair of young women. He hadn't noticed them walking by until now due to how much fun he'd been having.

"Uh yes?" Percy asked.

"Sorry, but we're kinda lost. Do you know where this building is?" The shorter of the two said, pulling out a picture of it. Percy didn't recognise the place, but Lyla surely did.

"Oh! Yes I know where it is…just keep going straight until you find the intersection then turn right. If you keep walking, you'll be able to find it quickly by the orphanage there," She said while simultaneously pointing and making gestures with her hands to better assist the strangers.

It took a few moments for the pair to memorise the directions, but once they did, their faces lit up as they smiled gratefully towards him and Lyla.

"Thank you!" They both said in unison.

"You're welcome!" Lyla replied.

Percy smiled at the exchange as the two girls then went on their way, waving at Lyla. Shortly after they left, he and the blonde resumed their trek. This time though, Percy's mind was busy thinking about the earlier conversation that transpired instead of the story. Meanwhile, his eyes didn't sit still either, darting around, analysing everything around him and staring intently at whatever alleyways they managed to pass by.

Lyla quickly noticed the silence. "Uh, are you okay, Percy?"

"Huh?" He asked, broken out of his thoughts. "Yeah, just…thinking."

"About what?"

"Your neighbourhood's pretty empty…" He noted. "Is it always like this?"

He'd only realised it recently, but it was. He hadn't seen or encountered that many people as he and Lyla walked to her place. Gotham was a very lively city, especially at night, something Percy figured out after having lived in it for about a year now, so he was used to seeing all kinds of people roaming the streets at night; the majority of them were either homeless or petty thieves and criminals seeking to prey on anyone wandering the city all by their lonesome.

Though he couldn't really complain about the lack of thugs or criminal activity in her neighbourhood. After all, it only made their travelling less bothersome. Still, he was curious. Was her neighbourhood special? Or was he just unlucky enough to have been living in a specifically rough one all this time?

"Yes, actually," Lyla answered. "Ralph and Lyla are actually jealous about it every time I mention the fact that I live around here. Though it's only mainly empty at night. During the day, it's as busy as any other place in Gotham."

"Huh, nice," He said. Maybe he should move here someday? He thought to himself with a humorous grin.

"What're you grinning about?" Lyla asked with a raised brow.

"Oh nothing…" He hummed. "Just…enjoying this."

"Are you having a good time too?"

"The best," She smiled. "So, what about that story?"

"Oh right! So…"

---

On their way to her apartment, Percy and Lyla actually passed by a fair number of people.

Whenever they did, it was usually just one person or a couple, but this time it was more than that. The people who were about to walk past them were a group of four young men. Their choice of clothing was what got his eye first, their fashion sense suddenly becoming very recognisable and similar to the small-time gangsters he often saw on the streets, though this time these boys dressed a bit differently. Their attire looked more expensive, luxurious.

Initially, Percy thought they were just more people he and Lyla would pass by and probably not even notice through the conversation they were having. But, he had a feeling.

Having spent enough time in Gotham to know a troublemaker when he saw one, Percy already knew by how they looked that they seemed suspicious. His muscles tensed instantaneously at the thought as they got closer and closer. Knowing that he only had their appearances to go off of, it wasn't fair to assume the worst of them.

He didn't even know if they were gonna cause a scene or not, but it was better to be prepared just in case.

When the group of youngsters locked eyes with him and Lyla, they put a halt to their movements, causing them to stop too as they were blocking the way.

Percy narrowed his eyes at them, his body ready to react and defend at a moment's notice, this was Gotham after all. "Is there a problem?"

They ignored him, their eyes all still lingering on Lyla, travelling downwards as they made no attempt to hide that they were checking her out. The way they ogled her body made Lyla both uneasy and uncomfortable. Seeing this, Percy stepped forward, one foot closer to the young boy in front.

"I said, is there a problem?" He repeated with a louder tone this time grabbing their attention. He tried to sound calm, but some anger made its way into his voice. "Because if not, could you boys please step aside."

They heard him. He knew that they heard him. But they still ignored him.

The one up front, nearest to both him and Lyla, wolf whistled. "Damn, well hello there, beautiful," He said, taking a step forward towards Lyla, but before he could even lift his foot, he was stopped by an arm. Percy's to be exact.

"Hey," He said with warning on his lips, looking down menacingly at the boy about to hit on Lyla. "Let's not do that, yeah? We're just trying to—"

"Percy, it's fine," He looked at Lyla with a confused expression. Her eyes were practically telling him to stand down and he did, though it required a lot of self-control on his part.

With Percy taking a step back, Lyla was then given the space to talk with the boy. Putting on a warm smile, she spoke. "Hello to you too, but could you kindly let us pass. My friend and I were just on our way home."

"The night is still young though?" The boy said, walking closer to her while admiring her body better with the distance between them being shortened, something that went very much noticed by Percy, whose temper was increasingly rising by the second. "Why don't you ditch your friend over there and join us, I promise you'll have a great time."

"Thanks…but no thanks," Lyla answered, while grabbing onto Percy's hand to calm the demigod down, knowing full well just how much he has been seething behind her. "If that is all, I will have to ask you again to let us through so we may be on our way."

"Woah, woah, slow down there, lady," The boy said, not giving up as he went even closer to Lyla, his eyes closing momentarily as he sniffed her scent. Percy would've gone and sucker punched him in the gut were it not for Lyla holding him back. "What's the rush? Why don't you think about it for a second? We'll be much better company than that little dog of yours."

Ohh how Percy would've loved to see that little kid's face react to his would-be snappy retort, but alas he was once again stopped by Lyla. He could see reason in her decision to not escalate the situation, but that didn't make it any easier to keep his temper in check.

"Actually, I beg to differ, I rather prefer his company over yours. And also, he's not a dog. He's my friend," She stated evenly, but at the same time with an edge to her voice. "Now I must insist that you move aside, my friend and I have had a long day and we would like to go home."

"Come on now," He said, placing a hand on her shoulder with a smirk. "It's fine with me if you're tired. I actually know a thing or two to help keep you up—"

"Then you'd also know a thing or two about taking a hint," Percy blurted out, scoffing. "But apparently you don't, because you don't seem to know that no means no. You're coming on so strongly, I do hope you're not actually bluffing about anything, because if your dick isn't as big or as thick as your head, then we're gonna have a problem."

The boy looked downright offended and enraged, his face mirroring Percy's expression earlier, and it didn't help that his friends behind him snickered at his words.

Lyla sighed with a blush creeping up her cheeks at Percy's crudeness, feeling the air between them worsen with each passing moment. She tried to stop Percy from escalating it any further but he simply laid a hand on her shoulder—the same one where the boy's hand was currently on—shoved it off and shot her a reassuring smile that seemed to calm her down a bit, but she was still nervous as she watched him come closer to the boy.

"What?" He turned to the red-faced boy with a smirk. "I'm simply looking out for my friend. If she's going to get laid tonight, it has to be good, unless of course…you're hiding a micro-penis down there, big guy?"

"I'm curious," He said, relentless with his efforts to enrage the boy, not holding back at all with his words.

"Are you one of those two-pump chumps?"

And that was the story behind how Percy and Lyla now found themselves in a dark alley, the former standing defensively in front of the latter as he stared down the group of low-life thugs in front of them.

Lyla looked downright terrified, unable to speak as she knew the situation had already gone out of hand and that neither Percy or these guys would stop. But she had to try.

She placed a visibly shaken hand on her friend's shoulder. "Percy—"

Percy spun around and held her hand suddenly. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," She replied with no hesitation, feeling settled down as she felt the warmth from his hand spread through her own.

He smiled. "Everything's gonna be fine…I promise."

She paused, seeming to think it over as she glanced between him and the small posse behind. Begrudgingly, she nodded slowly. "Okay…okay, I trust you."

A yawn reached both of their ears all of a sudden. "Hey hoss! Stop hiding behind your woman over there and c'mere or are you too busy pissing yourself?" The supposed leader of the group chuckled. Percy didn't look affected as he turned around and focused his glare towards all four of the boys standing in front of him.

The boy wouldn't admit it out loud nor would his friends, but Percy's glare was pretty damn intimidating and scary. In truth, that'd be an understatement as his friends already looked uneasy and frightened. He was too, and that thought angered him.

They outnumbered him, dammit!

"Come on then!" He yelled at Percy who was standing still. "You were acting as if you were the shit earlier! Where'd that confidence of yours go, huh? Pussy!"

Percy still looked unfazed by the young man's taunts and insults. Losing his glare, he instead opted to smirk.

The boy's irritation was off the charts. He grit his teeth, chuckling. "Keep on fucking grinning, you smug son of a bitch. I'll enjoy wiping that stupid smile off your face, but that'll pale in comparison to how much fun I'll have with your lovely lady later." Any kind of filter he had was now gone, speaking his mind openly.

Lyla looked utterly disgusted and surprised at the young boy's words, having thought his behaviour was simply because he was under the influence of alcohol. Percy thought along the same lines, and it just angered him further that this kid would even think to do those things to her. He knew he'd win this battle, it wasn't a matter of arrogance or ego, he just knew he would. But the thought of him even laying his hands on her made his anger skyrocket.

He had now lost his smirk. His glare had returned as he clenched his fists.

The boy laughed at his sudden change in demeanor, loving that his words easily affected him. "Hell! I might just let my boys here have a go at her when I'm done." His friends behind him chuckled, their faces lighting up at the idea.

"Okay, that's enough," Percy said and in the blink of an eye, the boy in front found himself thrusted backwards involuntarily, falling on his back as a searing pain appeared in his gut. He had been kicked. The demigod held back for obvious reasons, but it still held enough power to have sent the boy flying.

Whether it was because he had a low pain tolerance or Percy was just that strong remained to be seen, but the attack left him kneeling on the ground pitifully as he gripped his fists in both pain and anger. "Agh!" He grit his teeth. His friends looking at him in concern enraged him further. "What are you looking at me for? FUCK HIM UP!" He demanded.

The three of them were nervous as they watched Percy's body not move an inch from his current position. Seeing their leader get taken down so easily was enough to plant seeds of doubt in their minds, and the son of Poseidon used that to his advantage. He went for the one nearest to him, incapacitating the young boy before he could even notice he had moved as he dealt a swift uppercut to his chin.

Seeing another one of their own get taken out spurred the others to action, but it made no difference to the outcome. They both attempted to attack him together, but it was easy for him to block their blows simultaneously as he then wasted no moment to attack the one on his right. He sent a flurry of punches to his chest and raised a brow at its effect on his opponent, he didn't hit that hard did he?

He shrugged it off, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth and finished him off with a headbutt.

Meanwhile, the only one remaining, having seen all this unfold in a matter of seconds, ultimately decided to flea, thinking that having a good fuck was in no way worth getting beat up in such a humiliating way. He didn't get that far though, or more exactly he didn't go anywhere at all. Stopped in his tracks before his legs could even move, the last thing the boy saw was a fist headed straight into his face just before he lost consciousness.

The battle was ended hastily by Percy as he watched the last one fall onto the ground. He could've prolonged the fight and even played with them a bit, but they weren't his target, so he went through them all quickly. While they seemed to have had similar intentions as their leader, they didn't anger him like he did. Without missing a beat, he immediately forgot about the others as he redirected his gaze to the still conscious leader.

The one he'd saved for last was kneeling right in front of him, the one who undoubtedly started this whole thing in the first place was at his mercy. The boy looked afraid, his attempts at hiding it were useless as Percy stared him down.

The boy chuckled. "What are you gonna do now, fucker?" He spat. "Kill me?"

Percy was up close in his face in a flash, causing him to try to instinctively move away in surprise but he was held in place by him, his hand clutching the back of his head. "No," Slowly, he crouched down in front of the boy, forcing him to stare back into his own eyes, making him see the barely restrained anger in them. "No, but you'll wish I had."

"D-do you know who my uncle is?" The boy stammered, making his desperation known as he felt his fear become greater when Percy's grip became tighter. "Do you know who I am? If you do this, I'll—"

"You'll what?" Percy whispered softly against his ear, before pulling away to stare back into the boy's eyes. "I don't care. You wanted to hurt my friend, so I'll be returning the favour, you can handle that much, right?"

He ignored the absolute look of horror spread across the young man's face as his glare bore deep into his soul. This boy thought that he could defeat him? This boy thought that he could lay his hands on Lyla and have his way with her? Yet he was defeated in but one move. Pathetic, he thought as ideas to make the youth pay made its way into his head.

He was going to bend him. He was going to break him for even trying to do the deed. The thoughts that flooded his mind about the outcome were he not here with Lyla was all the motivation and incentive needed to push Percy further. Thinking about the sounds of anguish the boy would produce while he tormented him made him more eager to punish him.

He ruined what was supposed to be a perfect day for him, made Lyla uncomfortable and even attempted to beat him up just to have his way with her. Yeah, this was definitely going to hurt. And he was going to enjoy it.

As all these thoughts ran through his mind, he was also unknowingly laughing sadistically, further terrifying the boy inches away from him.

About to lose himself to his anger once again, Percy didn't think about anything else other than making the boy in front of him feel unimaginable pain. Before he was completely lost though, someone pulled him back.

"Percy!" His hand that had been reaching out to grab the boy's face stopped, the fire in his eyes dimmed and his breath hitched. His eyes dilated as it took in the sight in front of him. He didn't know if it was just an act, but the boy didn't look like a rapist or a criminal right now. Right now, the boy looked like a child, frightened for his life as he stared at his would-be killer; him.

He inhaled sharply, his arms falling limpy to his sides. Was he about to kill a child? He thought, as his eyes travelled down to look at his hands, hands which could've been painted with blood if he was not stopped.

What was wrong with him?

"Percy…" That same, comforting voice rang in his ears again, this time softer. A hand was placed on his shoulder, causing his head to turn. He was now staring into her eyes, the eyes of the woman who'd pulled him back from the darkness just before it could overtake him once more.

"Lyla…" Was all he could muster out as he gazed into her eyes. In an instant he could see the plethora of emotions that was raging inside of her. The most prominent of them being worry and concern for him, and that might've been true, but there was something else.

She may have looked like she wasn't scared, but she was. He could see it. The way her hands shaked ever so slightly, the way her face had subtly lost some of its colour, most likely caused by him. She wanted to appear unfazed at his alarming behaviour, but she wasn't. She was afraid, even if it wasn't that much, it was there, he could see it in her eyes.

That hint of fear in her eyes made his heart break more than anything else could've at that moment. What had he done?

"I…" He couldn't say anything. What could he say anyway? And what would it do? She'd seen it firsthand, his violent tendencies that always awakened whenever he's overcome with rage, tendencies that he had shamefully enjoyed in the past. "I'm sorry." Was all he could settle for as he hung his head low in guilt.

For as long as he's lived in Gotham, Percy had never lost his temper, not once. Sure, he'd been in fights with the occasional petty thief or intoxicated brutes, but those all ended with him either letting them go or just avoiding them the whole time. He has never really hurt anyone badly, much less thought of killing them, ever since his battle with the Amazons.

But this time, he'd lost it, all because of a few words, which he could've chosen to ignore. Actually, he could've just knocked them all unconscious and left with Lyla, but the rage made him want more, made him want so much more. And now, because of his inability to control his temper, an issue which he has miraculously still not addressed, he's going to lose his friend.

Percy was broken out of his self-loathing when he felt arms warmly wrap around his head as he's softly pulled into a hug, his head pressed against Lyla's abdomen. Shock apparent on his face, Percy looked up at Lyla, and was surprised to see that she no longer had any trace of fear in her eyes.

"It's okay," She said to him softly with a smile. "It's okay."

He really wanted to believe her. He did, but how? How was it okay? She heard him talk about wanting to torture a kid right in front of her, and he even meant it. She should've been scared to see him act so differently from the man she knew, repulsed by his words and actions, angry that he went so far because he obviously had issues with controlling his temper.

Any of those would've made him feel even worse than he already was, and he should. He was just about to kill a kid, dammit! She could've said anything else, lashed out or even ran away, but instead she said that. How? Why?

"I'm sorry," She said, throwing him off even more as surprise and confusion showed in his expression. Caressing his cheek with one of her hands, Lyla smiled. At first, her reaction to Percy's drastic change in demeanour and behaviour was fear and confusion.

She had known Percy for a while now and she never once saw him lose his temper. He had always been kind to everyone, especially to his friends, he never got into fights with anyone, so it came as a surprise to see him act so violently. She was also afraid because of the murderous intent she felt coming off him, it was overwhelming and truly intimidating to feel.

Honestly, it was as if he was actually going to kill the boy, and that's what made her even more afraid, realising that he had not been bluffing or joking. But now, as she stared into the guilt-ridden and confused eyes of her best friend, Lyla felt shame that she even felt afraid in the first place.

Of course, how could she have forgotten one of Percy's most defining qualities?

His dedication and loyalty to his friends and family, it's one of the things she loved most about him. He was simply looking out for her, and while she thought he was a bit overprotective in how he went about it, seeing as he was about to kill a young man just for thinking about wanting to rape her.

Then again, if he was not with her, the group of boys probably would've actually done it, causing her to somewhat understand Percy's point of view and his reason for being so enraged with the boys. Even if he wanted to kill him, it was fine now because she had stopped him.

She shouldn't have been afraid of him. This was still her best friend. This man in front of her was still Percy Jackson, the man she had fallen in love with. And that's all she needed to know.

"What?" Percy finally asked, completely lost as he tried to think of why she would apologise.

"I'm sorry for seeming afraid," Lyla said, her hand still soothingly drawing circles on his cheek as she continued, wanting to reassure him that she really was fine. "I'm not scared of you, I'm really not. Yes, I was shocked at first, but now I know you were just trying to protect me. Though I don't fully agree with how you handled the situation, I know you meant well, so it's okay."

"Why?" Was his reply to her explanation. He knew he was probably starting to sound annoying at his constant request for validation, but he couldn't help himself. Just like that, she forgave him? "You're not scared of me?"

"Why would I be?" She tilted her head. "They probably deserved the beating, besides it's not like you did anything too bad to them, right?"

"I guess not," He murmured. "But still, if you hadn't stopped me, I would've—!"

"I don't care," She interrupted him firmly, wanting to get her point through his dense skull. "All that matters is that I was here, and that's it. I don't want you to get hung up about what could've been. Yes, you could've hurt him a lot or worse, but you didn't in the end, so let's move on. No matter what, you're still you, Percy Jackson, and I know you're a good man, so please don't beat yourself up over this?"

"But—"

"No," She cut him off once again, a little irritation evident in her voice. "You did nothing wrong here, so there's nothing for you to feel sorry or bad about. These guys were being creepy and tried to take me by force, AND they started it so you were only defending yourself against them. Stop feeling guilty over nothing, let's call the cops, then you can finish telling me about that story where your school bus exploded on the way to my apartment. Okay?"

A pause. With a smile tugging on his lips, he spoke. "Okay."

She beamed. "Let's get out of here?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

"Hey Lyla?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

---

| August 18, 2003 - Past Midnight

"So anyway we—" Percy stopped with his story when he saw Lyla stop walking. "What?"

"This is my place," She said, glancing to her left. He followed her gaze and then it all clicked in his head as he'd been so engrossed in their conversation he had just been walking without any sense of direction, the only thoughts in his mind being about the stories he was telling her.

"Oh, this is you?"

"Yep. This is me."

Silence. Neither spoke for a few moments after that as they awkwardly avoided each other's gaze.

"This is where I leave you then," Percy said, finally mustering the courage to look into his friend's eyes.

"Yes, yes," She replied, looking into his eyes as well. A pause. "I had a lot of fun tonight, Percy, despite…you know."

"Yeah, me too," He smiled, before quickly losing it as he's reminded of what had happened. "Hey I'm sorry again…for earlier."

Lyla sighed, shaking her head. "You know, you have to stop blaming yourself so much," She chuckled.

A small grin made its way up his face at that. "I'll try, but just in case I know you'll always be there to set me straight."

"Don't make it a habit," She rolled her eyes, a smirk appearing on her face. "I can only do it so many times until I get tired of you."

"Nah, you'll never get sick of me, I'm too lovable," He said smugly. "What's not to like?"

Laughter broke out between the two at that. Once it died down though, the air between them became still once more.

Lyla suddenly reverted to her usual shy and reserved demeanor, confusing Percy in the process. "Please don't blame yourself for what happened. I know you got a little out of hand, but I already forgot about it…I knew you were just trying to protect me, so let it go, okay?" He slowly nodded.

"I have some questions about earlier," She admitted. "But, they can wait. I know you'll tell me when you're ready." She beamed at him, before surprising him with a warm embrace which he gladly reciprocated.

After they pulled away, Percy was forced into silence again as he stared into her eyes. He wanted to say something, his lips parting at the thought, but he didn't know what to say or even how to get it out as he kept feeling his throat dry up.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Percy."

Despite himself, he smiled. "See you," Was the only thing he could force out before he turned around and began walking away. However, a huge weight kept dropping on his shoulders with every step he took, feeling like he was being crushed the farther he got away from her.

It was as if every single cell that made up his body was screaming at him to do something, to go back and—

"Percy?" His breath hitched as he immediately stopped in his tracks.

One second of hesitation, that was it and then Percy found his legs turning, leading him back to Lyla. Only he didn't stop this time until both their bodies were pressed against each other. Taking the woman by surprise, he captured her lips into a slow, passionate kiss. His arms coiled around her waist, bringing her warmth closer.

Lyla was shocked and didn't know how to respond, but only for a second as she then closed her eyes and kissed him back with the same intensity. Her arms wrapped around his neck to bring him even closer.

Percy had no idea what was happening. His mind was too chaotic and his heart wasn't faring any better. But, this felt right. It just did and he was going to savour every moment.

When they finally separated, they both found themselves staring deeply into each other's eyes. Sea-green met fiery brown and sparks flew. Their foreheads were leaning on each other. Both their faces were flushed as they could each feel the other's breath panting against their skin, both breathless after the intimate exchange.

Tonight was a cold night for Gotham, but neither felt it. Warmth spread all throughout their bodies as they stayed in their current state of embrace. Even after a minute passed, their arms didn't let go and instead their grips got even tighter, both not wanting the other to go.

"Percy?" Lyla said, breathing just as heavily as Percy was.

"Yeah?"

"About that offer to get a drink together sometime…you know, just us?"

"Yeah," Percy said, sounding uncertain.

"How about tomorrow, since Frankie gave us the free day?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. What do you think?" She asked with a hopeful tone. "And maybe we could also grab a bite after or watch a movie or something…" She quickly added.

Hearing only silence in return, Lyla stuttered. "O-or we could—"

"I'd like that," Percy smiled.

"Wait, what?" She said, not expecting the quick reply. "Really?"

"Really," He nodded. "So where are we gonna go?"

"Anywhere but MacLaren's…" She groaned, eliciting a chuckle from him. "You have any ideas?"

"I've got a few," He grinned.

"Well, we could go over them tomorrow at 2, if you'd like?"

"Sounds good," He said. "Where'll we meet?"

"You could pick me up at my place?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

Silence.

A beat. "Are you going to go now?" She asked, realising just how long they'd been stuck in their current position.

"Yes."

"…can we stay like this for a little longer?"

"Sure."

"Percy?"

"Hm?"

"Happy Birthday."

---

| Percy's Home

"What are you saying?"

"That you like the girl, rookie!"

Did he actually like her though? Did he truly harbour romantic feelings for his friend? Percy thought to himself as he laid on his bed, quietly staring into the bright, moonlit sky.

After leaving Lyla at her place and returning home, Percy couldn't sleep. He'd felt wide awake as he had so many things to think about, his mind was in literal pandemonium and he had Lyla to thank for that. Honestly, he didn't want to face it now of all times when he just wanted a good night's sleep, but it didn't seem like his mind would be put at rest till he dealt with it.

He then went back to his earlier question. Did he like her?

Sure, he did. Lyla's an amazing person, and an even better friend. She never did anything to make him uncomfortable. She was always there for him. And for times when she didn't know what to say or how to help, she was always a great listener and shoulder to lean on when he needed it. She's so compassionate and kind, her warm and bubbly nature reminded him a lot of his mother.

There were also times when she could be fierce, determined, focused. During these instances, he always loved seeing that bright flame lighting up in her eyes, it was so inspiring. She inspired him a lot and she didn't even know it. How her determination instilled hope and drive in him. How her infectious smiles made him want to smile again. How her persistence in wanting to become his friend helped in causing him to open up.

Lyla Brown was one of his best friends. He greatly respected and admired her…but did he like her in that way?

A beat.

He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply as he let all the memories he'd made with her flow through his mind.

'Yes.' He thought to himself as he opened his eyes. 'Yes, I do.'

Letting out the breath he'd been holding in, Percy looked calm on the outside but his mind and heart were being thrown into even more chaos. If anything, the realisation that he had feelings for Lyla only made it worse.

What if she didn't like him in the same way? What if she did, but if he pursued a relationship with her it would end badly because this was the Fates meddling with his life all over again and that him gaining new friends was only their way to make him hold out hope; hope that they'd cru—

'No!' Percy slapped himself.

'No.' He shook his head as he mentally scolded himself.

He rubbed the temples of his head, attempting to clear his head so that he could at least think about everything in a more organised and orderly manner. It took a good minute, but he was able to do it. He let out a sigh of relief once he finally did, feeling a lot better and was ready to go back and tackle his newfound feelings for a certain blonde.

He liked her more than a friend would. But, should he pursue a relationship with her? And what if she didn't like him?

It was at that moment did Ralph's wise words come to the rescue once more.

"You need to let go. You need to move on…if you really did love her, then prove it. Do this for her."

"What? Too soon?"

"…actually, I think it's about damn time."

Well. There was the answer to his first question. He thought with a small grin, but he was still a little unsure of fully going through it. What if she didn't reciprocate his feelings?

Then everything came crashing down on him as the many moments he shared with her flashed through his mind. Every time she'd stutter in his presence. Every time she'd blush when he complimented or hugged her. The way she looked at him when they'd take walks together. The intensity and emotions he'd felt behind the kiss they shared not that long ago.

The kiss. The part where she took him up on his offer to grab a drink, which now that he thought about it, it could be seen as a date.

"Jesus, man, how couldn't you see it? How could I have not seen it?"

How couldn't he see it, indeed? Everything was beginning to make sense now like a puzzle finally piecing itself together. He liked Lyla, and she liked him back, and it took this long for him to see it.

"You're one dense fucker, aren't ya."

Percy groaned, burying his face into his hands, feeling embarrassed. "Looks like it," He snickered.

Then suddenly, he yawned, feeling drowsiness surge throughout his body. His eyelids fluttered, struggling to stay awake as he felt his mind settle peacefully. Before he fully let the weariness and fatigue take over, Percy looked to the stars one last time.

One in particular twinkled so quickly he almost missed it, but he didn't and it was at that moment did he finally shut his eyes.

---

| August 19, 2003

| Percy's Home

He was wearing a simple, light blue dress shirt with jeans. He looked plain, dressed in casual attire. Although as basic as it was, his thought process was much more convoluted and the time it took for him to pick what to wear was also considerably long.

Percy looked down at the watch on his wrist with a slightly anxious expression. There was approximately an hour before 2 P.M giving him more than enough time to get to Lyla's apartment.

He was all ready. He had everything he needed, he knew where to go, he'd prepared properly for what was to come.

He was about to leave his room.

In fact, his right foot was already out the door. All he needed to do was to get the rest of his body through and he'd be out, but there was something else that he needed to do before leaving.

Something that was long overdue.

.

.

.

Wordlessly, he turned around and stared at his room. His eyes glazed over every part of it from the furniture to the pictures to…a capped riptide which was conveniently placed on his desk, still where he'd last left it to gather dust. It had no more purpose other than to serve as a reminder of the previous life he had lived.

His gaze rested on it for a good second longer than the others before finally landing on the window. The doorway to a plane beyond the skies where his mind often wandered to during the nights he'd stare at the moon and stars.

Various emotions crossed through his face at that moment.

Pain.

Sorrow.

Anger.

Sadness.

Then…acceptance.

.

.

.

Closing his eyes, Percy took deep breaths. The air in the room was incredibly quiet, no other sound was being made to rival his own. His body stood impossibly still, one would think he was a statue were it not for the rising and falling of his chest.

His face didn't show any emotion. He was neither happy nor sad. He was overcome with neither rage nor grief.

He just looked…at peace.

.

.

.

A few more long, silent seconds passed and his eyes finally snapped open slowly. A smile creeped its way up his face at the same time. With his sight back, his eyes lingered at the empty room for one more moment.

Then Percy turned back around and let his other foot pass through the door with the rest of his body.

A barely audible "Goodbye." Left his lips before the door shut closed behind him.

His footsteps still echoed through the walls even after he was already gone.

---

| Outside of Lyla's Apartment

Honestly, Percy held quite a lot of courage within himself ever since he'd left his place to go to hers. There were no concerning thoughts that had ever formed in his mind on his way there, so he was calm, for the most part. Excited? Yes. Scared? No.

That was until he'd actually reached her door of course. It was at that particular moment did all of his doubts begin to flood his mind. His excitement and tranquility were now drowned out by anxiety and fear.

What if he messes this up and ruins his friendship with her in the process?

He'd never dated anyone other than Annabeth and while he may have had some experience when he was with her, he hadn't been on a date since before his arrival in Tartarus which was years ago. Speaking of Tartarus and the man he was before, would she even like him if she knew of the things he'd done in the Pit? The people he had harmed like the Amazons?

Hell, he didn't even know the first thing on what to do or even how to move forward. It was always easy to do in the Pit because all he had to do was literally keep walking forward until he found the gates, but this was different.

'No.' He snapped out of it as resolve burned through his doubts and fears. This time the more sensible part of him took control.

Admittedly, he was still very much scared even if he was thinking more or less clearly. Scared of not doing this right. Scared of failure. Scared of losing her. Scared of the future and what it could bring, but then he remembered Ralph's words and he wasn't that afraid anymore.

He wasn't going to let fear shackle him down like his past did. He wasn't going to let it hold him back from truly moving on like his past did. Not this time.

The future was uncertain, just as it always had been, but he had Lyla. He had Ralph. He had Kate. And knowing that they had his back made traveling into the unknown less worrisome.

So with bated breath, Percy knocked.

.

.

.

With no reply heard, he knocked again.

.

.

.

Nothing. Again. Perhaps she was just getting ready, he thought to himself. This time he knocked louder and more times.

.

.

.

Still nothing. No response or sound. All he got in return was dead silence. With his eyebrows scrunched ever so slightly, Percy then used a different method. He pulled out his phone and called her.

Instead of having his call answered, he heard the barely audible ringtone, which most likely came from Lyla's phone, through the door.

"Lyla?" He called out, raising his voice as he did so he could hopefully grab her attention from outside. Unfortunately he only received silence in return…again.

Before he could try and wonder what was the matter, he felt a cold breeze tickle his hand. He looked down to search for the source and found that it came from within the room.

The door wasn't fully closed.

His confusion was slowly beginning to be replaced by worry as he hesitantly decided to enter the room. It wasn't breaking and entering.

Once inside, he closed the door, properly this time, behind him.

His eyes widened when they finally took in the sight before him. Objects and furniture were all tossed and strewn around the floor messily. Tables were destroyed and cracked. The interior of the apartment looked downright awful as it looked as if there had been an intense fight inside.

Seeing the state of her place coupled with a few (read : many) negative thoughts swirling around in his head, Percy's concern for his friend only grew as he quickly went and explored the place.

He went through every room in the apartment, calling her name as he looked for her. Every room's state varied. Most of them were actually normal, as if nothing had happened while some were in the same state as the living room.

He couldn't find Lyla in any of them, causing him to get even more concerned. Still, he held out hope as he reached the last one, her bedroom.

His feet stopped right at the door of it and color began draining from his face. His hand hastily gripped the knob, turned it and pushed. His whole body was screaming at him to get inside.

The reason for such behavior was simple. Upon nearing the door, his nostrils had been attacked by a familiar smell. It was a scent he knew all too well and that's what spurred on his urgency to get inside.

Immediately after entering…

He froze.