Percy Jackson One-Shots

Writing Prompt: Home

Percy stood by the bulletin board in the Big House, fingers tracing the edge of a photo of him, Annabeth and Grover. His sixteen-year-old face smiling widely at him with his arms thrown around Annabeth and Grover's shoulders.

Seven years later, Percy still remembered taking the photo. The day before he was set to go back to Goode, his first time going to the same school two years in a row. The happiness that was in their features hadn't lasted long. But it was nice that this moment was immortalised.

"Feeling nostalgic?"

Percy found a smile rising to his face as he saw Chiron duck his head to avoid hitting the doorframe, joining Percy to look at the other photos of campers that had accumulated over the years. Faces that Percy had grown up with, and new ones.

"Can't help it. Every time I come here...it's like travelling back in time."

Percy removed his hand from the photo and let it drop to his side. Chiron gave him a small smile and looked fondly at the collage of photos. In the corner there was even a faded photograph of Chiron smiling smugly while Mr D held a goblet disapprovingly.

"Does it feel different coming back?" Chiron asked. Percy stepped away from the photos and went to stand in front of the window glancing out to look at the fields outside.

"Yeah. In a good way, but..." Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to flatten it, "I feel bad I guess. That I left. This was home for so long." His fingers itched to move so he brought them to the necklace that still hung around his neck. All the years later he still tried to wear it every day, even sometimes underneath his work clothes. The beads had a permanent place around his place and sat perfectly in the hollow of his throat, a constant familiar presence.

"You didn't leave, Percy," he reassured. Percy thumbed his first camp bead, staring at the glowing trident.

"Didn't I?"

"No. You deserve a life outside of here. It's because of you that you have a world to go to, you deserve a chance to live in it. It'd be foolish of you not to."

"You make it sound like I did it alone," he gestured to the photo collage, "Each of those people played a part. Every person that steps foot into camp played a part in that. They deserve to be out there too."

"When they know what they're up against then they can. Until then I will train them."

"Don't you ever wish we could do more?"

"Every day."

"I feel like I ran away from the fight."

"Every hero yields in the end. And yielding is not always a bad thing."

"So why does it feel like it?"

"Why are you so full of doubt? You seemed so sure, so happy with your decision before." Percy thought back to when he had finally managed to graduate high school, and made the final decision to go to college and move away from New York. The sharp pain that had settled in his chest when he had watched Camp grow smaller and smaller the further they went. The pain hadn't eased till Annabeth had gripped his hand, reassuring him that they'd be back. That this wasn't forever.

Percy sighed deeply and reached into his pocket to press his fingers against Riptide for comfort.

"Things have changed. And I guess- I'm scared," Percy let out a choked laugh. Things had definitely changed if he was able to admit he was scared.

"Is everything okay?"

"Annabeth's pregnant."

Chiron's eyes widened before his face broke out into a smile.