To Swear On Styx

Chapter Twenty One: I Become a King

Playlist Part Twenty One:

The Depths - Mentrix

The Hills of Attika - The Flight, Assassin's Creed, Mike Georgiades

Out of Tartarus - Darren Korb

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Quick Note: The Periboia in this chapter isn't the one from HoO like my beta reader thought for a split second lmaoo, she's another obscure Oceanid with the same name.

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"What have I done?"

"He'll be fine, Kronos. This is what ambrosia and nectar are for, after all."

"You forget how little time has passed."

A pause. Footsteps trailed across the room, and somebody gave a heavy sigh. "I do," the man admitted. "It feels as if he's been with us forever. Centuries, at least."

"It's been six months, Iapetus."

"Almost seven," the man- Iapetus- replied absently.

"He'll burn up."

"He won't."

A loud bang. "HE VERY NEARLY DID!"

There was a long silence, and then the sound of a door opening and slamming shut.

~*~

Percy woke to arms wrapped around him- one hand rested on the small of his back, the other in his hair, cradling his head.

Groggily, Percy tried to sit up, but the arms tightened slightly. "Stay," a voice- Kronos'- murmured. "You're ill, Percy."

Blinking, Percy furrowed his brow. "I feel fine. Let me up."

Kronos didn't respond, and Percy took the moment of silence to survey the situation he was in. He and Kronos were in their bed, Kronos' bare chest pressed up against the front of the thin cotton chiton Percy was wearing. Their legs were tangled together, and one of Percy's arms was thrown over the slight dip of Kronos' waist.

Trying to ignore- ignore- everything- Percy twisted away from Kronos, sitting up and pushing the comforter back. To his left, Kronos gave an annoyed grunt. "That was an order, Perseus."

Percy glowered. "That's why I'm still in bed."

Grumbling, Kronos turned his gaze up to Percy, his golden eyes boring into the younger. One of his hands wandered to grasp Percy's, his palm warm and smooth. "Lay back down. You need rest."

"I'm really fine," Percy tried again, his face glowing gold as he stared down at his and Kronos' intertwined fingers. His gaze flicked over to the window, eyeing the early-morning sunlight streaming in from between the drapes. "Can we go get breakfast? I'm hungry."

Kronos was quiet for a moment, before rolling over all the way and staring thoughtfully up at Percy. "...Very well," he relented, letting his hand fall away from Percy's as he slowly sat up. He glanced tiredly toward the window, flicking his wrist lazily and materializing himself into a fresh chiton. "I have something else that requires my attention, but I suppose you're free to go, so long as you do eat."

Percy cocked his head, baffled. "Yeah, that was kinda the plan..." He watched warily as Kronos rose from the bed, arching his back into a wide stretch. "Did you think I was gonna walk all the way to the other side of Othrys just for the hell of it?"

"Oh, I wouldn't put it past you," Kronos hummed, glancing at Percy over his shoulder with a smirk. "Some of the things you do... Let us just say that they confuse me incessantly, and leave it at that, yes?"