𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

178

The wood of the door to the apartment stared back at him as he tried to get his nerves under control. 

He had been standing there for over five minutes, just staring at it. Without meaning to, he rubbed the tattoo of the sun on his wrist, lightly. He didn't want it to fade too soon, but it provided him some comfort, some sort of assurance that Kira would always be a part of him, always be there for him. 

If they were here, she'd probably make fun of him for being so nervous. They'd knock on the door and drag him in, and laugh along with Sally Jackson about how nervous he looked. She'd pinch his cheek and he'd try to slap her hand away. And then they'd tell Percy and Sally some stupid childhood story of him. 

Thoughts of Kira just made his stomach turn. 

Percy didn't force him to knock or ring the bell. He just stood there next to him, waiting patiently with his arms around Hadrian. 

They hadn't been able to leave camp just after the battle, so now, nearly after a whole week, they were outside the Jackson and Blofis  apartment and Hadrian was scared shitless.

Get over yourself. He thought. 

He'd been through Tartarus, for fucks sake. He fought giants and the primordial Gaea herself.

Meeting his boyfriend's parents should be a walk in the park.

But Hadrian hesitated still. 

He had a knack for people liking him, but superficially. It never felt real, not until Percy. Like they liked a surface level version of him, just for his looks or because of his charmspeak, never because of who he was.

"Any day now" Percy whispered. 

"Sorry" He said shakily, "Just..."

"No it's cool" Percy shrugged, "We can wait here all day, or we can go get ice cream, whatever you want"

"No, I'm- I'm fine. Should I knock?"

"I have the key" 

"You've had the key the whole time?" Hadrian stared at him. 

Percy just grinned that annoyingly endearing Percy Jackson grin. His dark hair was windswept and his green eyes shone back at Hadrian. He reached out and before Hadrian could swat his arm away, he ruffled his hair, making him yell out in protest.

Hadrian had spent the whole ride trying to get his hair perfect. he tried about twenty different hair styles, slicking it back, making it neat and tidy, middle part, side part, everything. And now his hair probably looked like a bird's nest.

"You look fine, love" Percy grinned, "My mom would find you suspicious if you looked too perfect"

He fit the key into the door and turned it, pushing open the door and stepping through. The moment he stepped inside the apartment, Percy seemed the relax more. Hadrian had to remember he was returning home after nearly a year.

Percy had called his mom a few times to update her throughout the quest and assuring her he was alive and well, but this was something else, finally meeting her again. 

"Mom?" He called out, "I'm home"

There were thundering footsteps immediately as two people burst through into the living room. 

There was so much going on, Hadrian didn't know what he should focus on. 

The people who entered were both in their mid forties if he had to guess. Percy had described his mom well. Sally Jackson's dark hair was just like Percy's, if a little lighter. She had signs of age, wrinkles around her eyes and deep smile lines along with grey streaking her hair, but when she smiled, Hadrian had the breath knocked out of him.