(Not) An Almost Normal Life (A Percy Jackson-Avengers Crossover)

I Should Not Have Said That

Percy's pov:

"Peter?" I knocked on his door. "You coming?"

Not too long after that, Peter opened the door and looked ready for our way to school. He quickly glanced at me with an insecure expression on his face, and then at Apollo, who apparently didn't feel comfortable in his own skin and stared at the floor with a thoughtful expression.

"Yep, I'm ready. Let's go." Peter closed his apartment door, fixed his bag and started to walk, Apollo and I following close behind.

My cousin gave me a quick, irritated look and then turned to the boy in front of us. "Peter?" he asked with a fake smile. "What's up with you?"

"What's supposed to be up with me?" He asked without meeting our eyes.

"This." I replied. "You're so taciturn... did I do something wrong?"

Peter sighed. "No, not at all but... The thought of you doesn't let me relax... I just can't wrap my head around it."

"Tell me about it," I grumbled so that Apollo couldn't hear.

"I really don't know how to act, now that I know about that," Peter admitted.

"Not any differently," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Everything is the same as always. Now you just know that my father isn't dead and... uhm, most likely won't ever die."

"Ouch," Apollo interrupted me. "Go on, twist the knife in my wound even more."

Oops. I'd forgotten that the whole immortality thing was a sore spot for him. "Sorry, man," I added and gave him a quick pat on the shoulder.

Peter looked back and forth between us, visibly irritated. He obviously bit his tongue to not ask any questions, which I really appreciated.

"I'm still the same person and don't need any special treatment or something. I'm still 'human'", I drew quotation marks in the air, "like everybody else," I continued to inform Peter.

He smiled at me and probably was about to nod, when Apollo started laughing. A real laugh, which, to be honest, didn't really sound right.

"What?" I asked him with furrowed eyebrows.

Apollo bit his lip and answered after another chuckle. "Sure, you're only a two times savior of Olympus, one of the most powerful demigods of all time and more respected than many gods themselves. Everybody can achieve that!!"

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks and wanted the ground to swallow me up (not literally though, okay Hades?)- I've never been good at coping with compliments; especially not in the presence of others. And I didn't want Peter to find out about my past this way.

I wanted to pretend he didn't say anything, but of course that didn't work. Thanks for that, Apollo.

"What?!" Peter asked. "Seriously?"

I ignored him, but of course Apollo couldn't shut up: "Yes, he- ow!"

He rubbed his shoulder and stared at me accusingly, whilst I returned the same expression.

"Peter will hear all of that in a gentler way and not all at once. Not from you. And not on the way to school, damnit-"
I realized my choice of words and immediately had to laugh.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Peter, who looked at me first and then at Apollo with a slightly concerned expression. "Is he alright??"

"I have no idea."

I forced myself to wipe the grin off my face and took a deep breath. "Sorry. Insider."

Both of them still looked at me weirdly, but chose to ignore my laughing fit.

I cleared my throat. "So, Peter, we can talk about this in more detail, but maybe once we're not in public."

He nodded.

"And Apollo-," I continued, but slapped my hand on my mouth once I saw Apollo's shocked face. Had I really just said that?

"Schist, man, I'm so sorry!" I got out through my fingers.

Apollo blinked, trying to ignore Peter staring at him. We all forgot about the way to school and stopped in our tracks.

When neither Apollo nor I said something, Peter spoke up.

"Apollo like... the god of the sun?"

I already questioned whether it was too late to claim that it was just a nickname or something, but Apollo beat me to it.

"Yes," he answered with a clenched jaw, very tense.

"Uhm," Peter responded, obviously overwhelmed. "How- you...You, Sir? You look like a sixteen year-old and-"

"It's okay, Pete," I interrupted him, feeling very guilty. "Just forget it for now, okay? I shouldn't have said that and it's Lester's... ehrm, yeah, his story to tell. The whole thing is a very long story and not made for the way to school. Later, okay?"

I looked at him with pleading eyes and he gulped. With a quick glance at the terribly pale god, he nodded. "Okay."

I started to walk again, in hopes of getting the others to move again, too- with success.

It was awkward and quiet. I could almost hear the gears turning in Peter's head, but was glad that he kept his questions to himself. I was afraid that I would let even more information slip

We'd walked a few steps when Apollo opened his mouth. "I know that it wasn't on purpose, but especially after our conversation yesterday, I guess I was thankful for no reason, Perseus."

I couldn't help but be offended. "Thankful for no reason!? Hello? Who saved the life of whom countless times? If it wasn't for me, you would've been destroyed for a thousand times already! 'Thankful for no reason'! This is so typical god. How often do we, the half-bloods, save your lives and die for you, just to get criticized because of one single mistake?! I have helped you so often, and you dice me because of a slip-up?"

I laughed without any trace of humor. "How often we could've let you rot in Tartarus. We- I should be the one to dice you!"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, and I saw Apollo looking slightly guilty. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"You didn't what? You didn't mean it like that?"

Suddenly, a familiar pain shot through my head and I gasped. "Aargh, schist!"

I pressed my fists against my temples and clenched my jaw, hoping that the pain would subside soon.

"Percy?" Apollo and Peter asked at the same time.

Why didn't I just shut up and didn't continue trying to calm down? So, technically it was my fault that it happened. I practically allowed myself to lose control.

"I'm...fine," I pressed out, in the exact same moment my stomach started to clench and sweat appeared on my forehead.

Schist. Schist. Schist.

I tried to blink away the black dots that appeared in my vision, trying to distract myself from the pain.

But then everything went blank.