The Sea's Protector (Fem. Percy x Young Justice)

24

"Why didn't you tell me you were protecting the princess?!"

Kaldur put his hands up between us. "Aquaman did not think it would be wise to risk it."

I rolled my eyes. "You know I'm supposed to be there. You-"

"You are not part of the military right now Percy. Besides she is fine." He walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You are fine correct?"

"Of course I am!" I threw my hands up. "Do you seriously think it's better to have the actual princess in harm's way than to use me?"

Kaldur laughed and I glared at him.

"She is capable of defending herself, although I may have to worry if she will actually report me."

I frowned. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. Now I am going to go take a nap. I will be in your room if you need me."

"You have your own room!"

Kaldur simply kept walking and I sighed.

"So...how do you and the princess look so much alike?" Robin asked.

"No idea, but it's kinda sweet. I mean I hate doing it but I get to fill in for her if stuff might get too dangerous. She may be able to defend herself but..." I shook my head. "There are a lot of people who would use her against her father."

"Who's her father?"

"Can't say. Neither can Kaldur or Aquaman. Now if you excuse me, I have to kick a certain boy out of my room."

I left the room and headed towards the bedrooms, not paying any attention to the weird looks I felt on my back.

Entering my room, I saw Kaldur sitting on my bed and-

"Give that to me!" I lunged forward and tried to grab the book in his hands.

He simply lifted a hand and held me back as he stared at it.

"Kaldur! Give it!" Frantically, I tried to reach it.

His hand shook and the book dropped to the floor.

"Percy...what...what is this?"

I moved and snatched it up, shoving it into a random drawer.

"Perseus...what is that book?"

I swallowed and turned to look at him. "It's...it's a dream journal." My voice was barely a whisper as it left my lips, but the amount of pain concealed in those words...

Kaldur stared at me, his eyes wide with shock.

Then, almost faster than Wally, his arms were around me and he carried me to my bed.

I just laid there, allowing Kaldur to roll me up in a blanket, sushi roll style.

After that he laid down, pulling me close to his chest and wrapping himself around me protectively.

"Why...why didn't you tell me they are that bad?"

I bit my lip, saying nothing.

"I'm supposed to protect you. You need to tell me stuff like this."

"What good would it do? You can't protect me from my dreams."

He tightened his grip on me. "I know that Percy. But I have tried ever since we were little. Every time you had a nightmare about your stepfather, I would do my best to comfort you. Remember that time I hid under your bed to sleep, thinking that it would keep the nightmares away?"

The corners of my mouth twitched and I shifted in the blanket. "Remember the time Gabe sliced up my arms and I couldn't stand the sight of glass so you convinced Orin to put blankets over the windows? That's still one of the nicest things you've done for me."

Kaldur sighed and I knew I shouldn't have brought that up.

"Kaldur, you can't keep blaming yourself-"

"And you can Percy? How is me failing to keep you safe any different?"

I laughed softly, tears welling in my eyes.

"I'm alive Kaldur." I couldn't stop the smile on my face. "That's the difference. You don't have any reason to blame yourself, but I have every reason in the world to."

He rolled me over so he could look me in the eye.

"I have told you, put it on me. Blame me for their deaths. I am more than willing to shoulder that for you."

"I can't. It wasn't your fault."

His eyes hardened and he somehow pulled my arms out of the blanket.

"Percy, what do you see on your arms?"

"Scars." My eyes traced the faint lines from when I was eight.

"What do you see on my arms?"

"Tattoos."

"Aside from them."

I sighed. "Nothing."

"What do you see on your hands?"

"Blood."

"What do you see on mine?" His grip tightened.

I sighed. "Nothing. And why are you even doing this?"

Kaldur kissed the back of my hands. "Everywhere I see a scar on you, I see a failure on my part. I see your blood on my hands. I don't want you carrying a weight that is harming you, if I allow you that is a failure on my part."

I pulled my hands away. "Did you ever consider that I deserve this?"

I do. I deserve everything I've received and more. Why wouldn't I?

I...I let my friends die...

I...I'm the reason Mom and Paul are dead.

And...I'm going to be the reason Kaldur dies. I...I just know that's going to happen. Even if I'm not there, he's going to put me before himself.

"You do not deserve it Percy."

"And you do?! How do you think I would feel to blame you for something you had no part in?!"

"How do you think I feel knowing you are torturing yourself with this?"

I wiped my eyes. "Do you think I have a choice? My fatal flaw is loyalty. I would have died to save any single one of them. I would have died to save Luke! So tell me how am I supposed to not blame myself when my loyalty is destroying me?!"

Kaldur opened his mouth, but he couldn't get any words to come out.

I got up and stepped out of the cocoon before walking over to my dresser.

I pulled out my dream journal and tossed it at Kaldur before heading out.

"Go ahead, you won't understand anyway."

I was bored...

So you got this.

And I swear to the gods my cat is sitting on the porch instead of being in the cat house and he keeps meowing  and 

Why?!?!

Anyway...

See yah