Mortals Meet Percabeth + one shots and headcannons

I Found My Home In You

So, this is going to be a two-part series. This is set pre- TLO and post-BoTL. This is from Percy's POV and the next is going to be from Annabeth's, titled "And I In Your Arms"

Enjoy!

Percy felt the breeze bite through his jacket. His teeth chattered as he drew the thick material around him, rolling a stone in one hand.

He looked across to the horizon, where the gray clouds hovered over the ocean, blocking the sun, and casting shadows over the water. He thought of his father deep below, locked in combat with Zeus knows how many creatures, perhaps even with Oceanus himself.

He chucked the rock, watching it fly a great length and sinking instantly.

He clenched his fists. 'Fuck you, you lumpy piece of shit!'

His fingernails dug into his skin but he simply stood there, trying to put the lid on his temper.

'What did that rock ever do to you, Percy?'

He whirled on the spot, his pen in his hands, and found himself staring into the brown eyes of his to-be stepfather, the wind ruffling his short salt-and-pepper hair.

'Umm.. er... Mr. Blofis?'

The older man waved it aside. 'Oh, enough of that crap. Just call me Paul, at least when we're out of school.'

Paul picked up a rock and threw it into the sea, where it skittered on top of the water many times before sinking.

'Tell me, what's bothering you?'

'It's nothing.'

'It's not nothing, Percy. You're not the most levelheaded person I know- we can agree on that- but you aren't one to blow the lid when you fail at skipping a stone.'

Percy sighed. 'Paul, you wouldn't-'

'I wouldn't what? I wouldn't understand? I understand a lot, Percy, even if you don't realize it.'

'No, you wouldn't understand! How could you, you don't know anything about me. You don't know anything about our world!'

Paul sighed and sat on the rocky shore, patting the ground beside him. 'Sit.'

Percy took deep breaths, the surge of anger dissipating as soon as it had come. He squatted next to Paul. The rocks dug into his bum, which was already sore after the past few days' missions.

'Percy, I know I can never understand everything about your world. I am not one of you, nor am I like your mother or Rachel.' He ran his fingers over the top of the water. 'But I have lived a lot of life. It is remarkably similar to yours, although lacking the everyday dangers. On top of that, I'm a teacher. I know kids. So just going off the vibes you're giving off right now, I'm going to take a gander and say that you're having girl trouble. On top of a few other issues, perhaps?'

He looked at Paul as if seeing him for the first time. Something warm rose from deep within him and flowed through every part of his body, diffusing the tension in his joints and bones. He found himself unable to speak because there was no need to when Paul already knew everything.

Then he found himself frustrated, because here was someone perfectly willing to lend an ear and listen, and he couldn't speak.

Paul smiled. 'See? You know, life is a lot like skipping stones. It has nuances and techniques; brute-forcing through it doesn't work.'

'I don't brute force-'

'Yes you do,' he said. 'You do because, unfortunately, it is what your world has made you into. It does you a lot of good there because you need that mindset. Here in the mortal world, though, which you must face after a few years at best, it will fail you.'