An Assassin's Guide to Family

Chapter 11: Present

---------------Percy's POV: -----------------

It's been a month since Damien's and I'd first mission together. At this time it was easy to say we'd gotten closer.

I'd learned that Damien was a lot like sour candies. Sure, it's a bit rough to deal with at first, but once you got closer to him and learned about his nieces and stuff, he was a lot nicer and sweeter. It was crazy that the difference between the beginning and now was. He was an official partner now.

This is what was my current dilemma.

As the seasons grew ever colder, Christmas decorations littered the dingy streets of Gotham, and family love was practically shoved in my very lonely face, it only reminded me that I now have this much more to lose.

Damien's yet another person I'll have to grapple with the fates over, trying desperately to keep another unlucky person from being stuck in the depths of my unluckiness. Okay maybe that wasn't a great expression considering who I missed the most on seasons like this but it was hard not to miss someone who'd been such a big part of your life as she had. Like they had.

I groaned, running a hand through my hair as I leaned forwards. I stared lazily at the table that my elbows rested on, the dark wood not changing even under my never-ending gaze.

Talia had given us "holiday time off" for being so cooperative with each other, but without something to keep me distracted, I was only having nightmare after nightmare. Usually, this happened only on important days, meaning I can just schedule around it, but now? with Christmas being such a big event with so many memories tied to the days and weeks surrounding it, well it was almost like having someone smack you every time you tried to rest.

My vision swam and my head hurt and gods, my eyes felt like weights were practically holding me down. Sitting around was not helping, and this whole thing wouldn't be over until this dreadful time was over. I needed a distraction, something to keep me awake but also away from my thoughts.

But here I was, sitting and thinking about a distraction, and I'd been doing so for over thirty minutes, just endlessly dragging on through my thoughts in search of something- anything- that could be of use.

I sat back, the headache and tiredness making for an ugly combination.

At this point, I would take anything.

In a split-second decision, I grabbed my jacket and forced myself to leave quickly, practically jogging down the steps of my apartment building until I was on the ground floor, the rush of cold air much more noticeable then up near my place.

When I pushed through the doors to my building a fresh blow of air and snowflakes pushed past me, washing away the sleep and replacing it with freezing cold and shivers running over my skin like electricity.

Jason never liked leaving camp during the snowy times, now that I think about it, neither did Piper and Leo, but I knew it was part of their original mission, the one that led them to camp halfblood. Piper had briefly mentioned it one night in a late night confession session between the two of us. Of course she'd also expressed how when she'd first heard the kids at camp talking about me she'd thought I'd been a man for a while. The thought still made me smile.

I breathed in the cold air, feeling a few snowflakes get carried into my nostrils with the breeze and causing me to sneeze, the refreshing feeling warming me over. I was glad to be outside.

I shook my head, placing my hands in my pockets and began walking. I would eventually find something to do. Maybe a cool store had opened up, or some new dessert at my local cafe had been created, whatever it was I was going to find it and use it as a distraction.