Porcelain Face | Percy Jackson

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A part of him is waiting for Annabeth to figure out the sudden change in the air.

He waits for her to visit the temple hill in New Rome, or pass by the hearth at Camp Half-Blood, walk by any shore, visit Olympus with her hands full of charts. She's nowhere.

He can see the inevitable. He will have to be the one to cave, or something will break. Her grief and misery is already taking a toll on her.

The first thing she says is, "Jason told me." She breathes and gives a resigned sigh, "Or more like I forced him to tell me anything, anything about you and-" your powers. Percy hears it clearly.

The room is dark, little light falls through the window to paint the wall a light orange. Annabeth gets up and starts pacing. He doesn't even get to say anything. "All this time I regret what I told you there." She's scanning his face for any kind of reaction and for sure she notices the recognition flash across his eyes. She know he understands what she's talking about.

"Gaia wouldn't have woken up if I hadn't been so scared of you, Percy." A sob breaks through her throat. "Gods, I cannot believe it. I was scared of you. You!" The tremble of fear in her voice almost knocked him back, a fatal choice of words, only he wasn't mortal anymore.

"You weren't-" He doesn't get to say it.

"No! I was scared of you, Percy. It took time to realize. I've been justifying my own feeling to myself, trying to fit them in a familiar way so I can avoid new emotions. Emotions like being scared of you for the first time instead of being scared for you." She grabs her hair in fists. He can see the tears she's trying to hide and failing. "I'm sorry, Percy. I'm so sorry!" Then, quieter, she repeats, "I'm so sorry."

Her eyes are frantic when something seems to settle, "What's- what's happening?"

And Percy caves.

They sit on the floor hugging each other. Annabeth clings to him, her nails dig into his impenetrable skin. "It's you." Her voice breaks. "I- I didn't want to be so honest." The admission is painful. "You're different." She slowly draws back.

"'Beth-" He tries.

"You're a god." It was inevitable. Even if he had died of old age, that would have ended with immortality too.

He caves. "You're right." Then, he laughs, it's a pathetic thing. "Of course, you're right."

"It's because of your domain, isn't it?" She asks.

"Grief and misery. Yes." The name of his own domains is bitter on his tongue. He never meant to steal a primordial's power afterall.

"You embody the best parts." This confuses him.

"I've never felt so... light. I imagined a thousand times to vent it all, tell you the truth but Percy it takes courage. More than even battels do, I think. So, thank you, because," She's being so honest, "it's your doing, unconscious at that."

Percy smiles. "Thank you." And he means it, for the good memories.

He can tell when she steps into his temple the next day. She leaves a book on politics and whatnot by the hearth Vesta lit. It's an Olympus published, eleventh edition book written by Athena and Apollo. Zeus. Right. He thinks. Gotta know his new laws. (And how to bend them.)

She didn't wait to see it, but the book had disappeared just as she turned away.

In Atlantis, after what felt like months, the invisible curtain of gloom was sweap away with a simple laugh. Poseidon anxiously waited for his son to speak, aging with every second of silence. "I'm here to forgive you."

Those words. The sea god would have made death seem like a mercy to anyone else who'd dare to think they are at a position to give him forgiveness. But, here, now, this, he was his favorite son. Poseidon smiled. "Thank you."

Nothing more was said, he approached his son slowly with his arms spread, still giving him a chance to hate him.

The little prince embraced him.

Laughter rumbled, "Now we must have a coronation!" Poseidon declared.

"No."

"Yes!" He laughed. What joy! His son forgave him!

"We should have a feast! In a week's time! I shall invite everyone! Oh Dear Mother Rhea, my son has forgiven me!" That day, the fearsome god knew what mortals meant by tears of joy.

"Dad-"

Triton looked down at the scroll he intended to give to the king. Then, smiling, he shook his head and quietly shut the door.

It had been so long since he heard his father laughing.

A knock on the door drew Sally out of her thoughts. She smiled. Before she could even say anything, Estelle came running, "Percyyyyy!"

Loyalty. Perseus could feel himself surrounded with it.

.

Short and sweet just like Hazel. And while I originally planned to keep it that way... I don't know now.

So, well, let me know if you'd like to read more of this AU.

I'd appreciate comments with ideas for a new chapter and/or anything you wished to see in the many fics but couldn't find.

(I may be saying this just to have an excuse to write more of this AU?)