Percabeth One Shots

Clinging Onto Memories

Clinging Onto Memories

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear-" Damon sang as he entered cabin 3 with some blue pancakes on a plate, but he was cut off by a very cranky father of his.

"Damon there was one thing that I asked you for my birthday, what was that?"

"Unwavering love and support. I love you dad." He said, though it was a complete lie that that was his gift.

"Damon," His father said sharply, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, "what was the only thing that I asked you for my birthday? And I love you too." He mumbled the last part.

"To act like it was any normal day." He muttered really soft, but his father still nodded content and was about to lay back down when Damon spoke up again, "But dad, I want to celebrate your birthday. You're only turning 44 once in your life. And come on, we thought about it and you deserve to celebrate your birthday and have a happy day in your life."

"We?" He asked, completely ignoring his speech.

"Well yeah, me and some other people."

"You've got to be kidding me." His father muttered, "You know you're really mean for sending you. They know I can't really refuse you. But it's my birthday and I don't want to celebrate it. We also aren't going to celebrate that your mother got hit by a car today, are we?"

Ouch.

The elephant in the room. They didn't really ever avoid the topic and even used it as leverage often. His father to make sure that he went to college and Damon to get a lift somewhere for example. One had nobler goals than the other, you could say.

But normally they tiptoed around the topic of his mother dying on his father's birthday. But apparently his father wasn't doing that this year.

"Dad, we're celebrating your birthday and nothing else. And I know that you don't like it for multiple reasons, but do it for me please." He now begged, wanting his father to have a good birthday too.

"Okay, this is what we're gonna do; you're going to give me the pancakes so that I don't have to have breakfast with anyone and then I'm going to sleep some more. Then sword fight training and then we can have dinner together at the pavilion. And then I'm going to sleep so that this day is over. And you need to fix for me that no one is going to sing for me or congratulate me. Take it or leave it."

"Okay," Damon nodded, knowing that this was by far the best he was gonna get, "Take it."

———————————

The day went by in a blur to be honest, he didn't see his father until lunch where he only ate an apple and avoided everyone.

But he was apparently intercepted by Grover, because they left the pavilion talking together.

After some lessons and talking with some friends he went to visit his father in the arena. He had always loved to watch his father teach sword fighting and especially when he showed something and did a move himself.

He was now teaching the younger campers who were all looking at his father with wide eyes full of adoration. His father crouched down next to a little girl and talked to her about something. He smiled at the memory of his father doing the same thing to him.

He always looked happy when he was teaching sword fighting, much happier than he was in the morning.

He only hoped that they wouldn't start talking about his birthday and ask questions, he had told the children firmly not to do so, but you never can be sure with small children.