AN: The beginning may be a little bit confusing, but bear with me. It'll all make sense. Experimenting with dialogue in this chapter. Enjoy!

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

Percy immediately stood up, fists clenched at his sides as he glared at Poseidon. "Why are you here? I came here to get away from all of this!" His voice echoed across the beach, mixing with the sound of the crashing waves that were starting to increase in strength. The sky, originally a brilliant expanse of azure amidst the mid-day sun, began to darken as ominous clouds gathered on the horizon. Poseidon, still in Willy's form, looked out at the sea, his expression unreadable.

"I'm here because I had no choice, Percy. There's a danger approaching this town. I had to come here for your safety," Poseidon stated, unfazed by Percy's sudden outburst.

Percy's jaw tightened. "I don't care! I wanted a normal life for once, away from you selfish gods and your stupid problems! Haven't I already done enough for you guys?! Haven't I suffered enough?! Why can't you understand that?"

Poseidon sighed, the weight of centuries of responsibility and paternal concern evident in his eyes. "I understand more than you think. Rightfully so, you feel anger towards me and the gods for setting you and your friends up for failure, but you have to understand it wasn't my choice, nor was it any of the gods. Khaos had us bound by the ancient laws, we couldn't help even if we wanted to. Otherwise, we'd suffer a fate worse than death; being faded away from existence."

Percy sneered, his eyes narrowing with disdain. "Those laws are just a convenient excuse that have saved your asses multiple times and in return endangered our lives," he spat. "If you gods truly had any heart, any care for us, your children, you'd have told the laws to fuck off and helped us."

This caused a reaction from Poseidon, who for once did not look impressed.

"Now listen-"

"NO! I don't want to hear it. Just-Just stay away from me," Percy shouted, tears starting to form in his eyes. He shook his head, stepping back, and without another word he turned and stormed off, leaving Poseidon alone on the beach.

-Line Break-

"Gus, another beer!"

Later that evening, Percy found himself at the bar, nursing his fourth drink. One that managed to numb him down, but not to make him drunk enough. The memories of his confrontation with Poseidon swirled in his mind, fueling his frustration. He took another swig, hoping the alcohol would dull the anger and confusion. He still couldn't believe it. After all he's done for the gods, all the battles and wars he's been a part of, and yet they couldn't even fulfill his one wish?

"Rough day?" a familiar voice said beside him. Percy looked up to see Leah, her red hair catching the dim light of the bar. She took a seat next to him, her eyes filled with concern.

"You could say that," Percy muttered, swirling the drink in his hand.

Leah smiled softly. "You know, sometimes… sometimes talking about it helps."

Percy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's... complicated. Family stuff."

Leah nodded, taking a sip of her own drink. "Families can be tough. But you don't have to deal with it alone. Believe me, I don't exactly have the perfect family either."

For a moment, they sat in companionable silence, the noise of the bar fading into the background. Leah's presence was a calming influence, a reminder that there were still good people in the world.

Percy sighed. "It's my dad. My family has had "problems", and I've already solved so many of them. But when I finally want some alone time, to build something on my own, he doesn't respect my wishes." He takes a pause for another swig, before he continues on.

"I've sacrificed so much to get to where I am right now. Too much. But sometimes I don't feel appreciated, that anyone actually acknowledges it. I know it's stupid, my dad probably just wants what's best for me, but I'm not a kid anymore; I can take care of myself."

Leah nods in response. Percy appreciates that; she's a good listener. They sit in silence once more, before Leah rests her chin on her hand, elbow propped on the table.

"I get it. As an older sister, I was in charge of, well, my siblings. They're a little crazy. All they do is complain and argue with each other, and I'm left cleaning up their messes. But at the end of the day, they love each other, we love each other, and their true intentions are pure." She sits up, focusing her gaze on Percy.

"Your dad, or your family, whoever it is, just know that your efforts aren't in vain. You may lack recognition, but you don't need that. Knowing that you yourself, has actually done good in this world is all the recognition you need. Recognition from yourself. Your dad not respecting your wishes of leaving you alone can be seen as a good thing. It shows he cares about you."

Percy put his drink down, before exhaling. She was right in a way; his dad may have been violating his privacy, but he had his true intentions. His outburst earlier in the day had been immature and he probably should've just talked it out, father to son.

"Thanks, Leah," Percy said finally. "I needed that."

Leah gave him a warm smile. "Anytime, Percy. I kind of owed you one anyway." She took a quick glance at her watch, before her eyes widened.

"Listen, Percy, I'd love to continue this, but I have to head out now. Got some work to finish up." Leah said, to which Percy nodded in reply. As Leah stood and left, Percy was feeling a lot lighter. The next day, he would go and apologise to his dad for his outburst.

As Percy himself was about to leave the saloon, disgusted that he nearly got himself drunk two days in a row, he noticed Haley sitting in a corner, her usual confident demeanour replaced by a forlorn expression. Multiple shot glasses surrounded her booth, and for the first time since Percy had entered Stardew Valley, she looked far from flawless. Percy was conflicted internally; while he and Haley didn't exactly have the best relationship, and he didn't exactly want to be involved with an associate of Alex's, it just seemed wrong not to do anything when she looked this... sad. However, recalling his conversation with Leah, and how she approached him, he decided to do the same.

Hesitantly, Percy approached Haley. Once he was right in front of her booth, he looked at her dishevelled state and nervously asked if he could sit here. Haley didn't reply, nor did she shake her head, so he took that as a yes. Sliding into the seat across her, he took a second to absorb her appearance. Her usually pristine blonde hair was tangled and matted, falling messily around her flushed, tear-streaked face. Mascara smudged her cheeks, evidence of her crying, and her eyes were red and puffy. Her clothes, a once neatly pressed blouse and jeans, were now wrinkled and slightly askew, as if she had hastily thrown them on without much care. The faint scent of alcohol lingered around her, mixing with the salty residue of her tears.

Deciding to make the first move, Percy leaned forward a little. "So, uh, are you okay?" He said, before mentally face-palming himself.

Haley looked up, her eyes red from crying. "Yes, Percy, I am just dandy!" she snapped, though her words lacked its usual sharpness. Nonetheless, Percy winced, clearly unprepared for this sort of situation despite just going through it.

"Well, what's making you not okay?" Percy tried softly, trying to defuse the anger that she was feeling. He assumed it would be something trivial, like her clothes getting dirty or something along those lines.

Haley sniffed, wiping her bloodshot eyes. "It's Alex. I-I love him, I really do, but he keeps seeing other girls! Like, right after you left, a notification popped up from his phone, and it was from this random girl called 'Chee'? When I asked him who that was, he confessed straight up that he's been seeing her! Like, who the fuck just does that? Why can't he just love me?!" She ranted, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Percy's heart ached at her words. He may have misjudged her simply because he was with Alex.

"Well, why are you with that dick anyways? You're too good for him. He's like, dumb as shit," Percy said, to which Haley let out a snort between her sobs.

"You don't get it, he and his parents, they hold a lot of power. I can't just leave him. It's not that simple." Haley retaliated, sobering herself up.

"Look, Haley, I've gone through some shit today too, and what I've learnt is to not let other people fuck up your life. If your pursuit of finding an actually decent human is stronger than that of the power of him and his family, just break up with him once and for all."

Haley looked at him, her eyes searching his for a moment. She let out a shaky breath, the anger and sadness in her gaze softening. "Maybe you're right," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the din of the bar. "Maybe it's time to end things."

Haley glanced around the bar, then back at Percy. "I should probably go home," she said, starting to slide out of the booth. But as she stood up, Percy noticed her swaying, her steps unsteady.

"Hey, wait," he said, quickly standing up and reaching out to steady her. "You're in no shape to walk home alone. Let me help you."

Haley looked up at him, her expression a mix of gratitude and stubborn pride. "I can manage," she insisted, though her wobbly stance betrayed her words.

"Come on, Haley," Percy said gently. "I don't mind, I was going to go home too anyways."

After a moment of hesitation, Haley nodded, allowing Percy to guide her out of the bar. They walked slowly, Percy keeping a supportive arm around her to ensure she didn't stumble. The night air was cool, and the streets were quiet, the earlier storm having given way to a calm, starry sky.

As they approached her house, Haley fumbled for the key in her purse. She opened the door, before they both entered her house.

"Don't you live here with anyone else?" Percy asked, his words laced with concern.

"Yeah, but my sister is still working at the saloon." Haley replied, her eyes barely staying open.

Percy raised his eyebrows. "The girl with the blue hair? I like her hair."

Haley muttered something under her breath along the lines of "of course you do", although Percy wasn't sure if that was what she said.

They entered her room as Haley leaned into Percy a bit more, her exhaustion and inebriation catching up with her. "Thank you, Percy," she murmured, her voice soft and sincere. "For listening. And for this."

Percy smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest that he hadn't felt in a long time. "No problem, Haley. Anytime."

Haley looked at him, her eyes shining with gratitude and something deeper. Without warning, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his cheek. Percy's breath hitched, his heart pounding in his chest.

Before he could respond, she turned and made her way to her bed, collapsing onto it with a contented sigh. Within moments, she was fast asleep, her breathing even and peaceful.

Percy stood there for a moment, his hand unconsciously touching the spot on his cheek where her lips had been. His cheeks burned, and he felt a flutter in his stomach.

He took one last look at Haley, her face serene in sleep, and quietly exited her house, closing the door softly behind him.