Quiet Waters (Fem. Percy x Young Justice) (EDITING IN PROGRESS)

11

There was a knock on my door. I got off of my bed and opened it,  finding myself staring at Kaldur.

"Good, you are awake. I was told to inform you that the Team is going to be going after some villains. Wonder Woman has left a bag of things that you can work on while we are gone." He sat the bag inside my room. "We should be back before morning, and Red Tornado is here if you are in need of assistance."

I nodded and shut the the door on him. I knelt down and looked through the bag.

Puzzles, books, paper and pencils. She does not know me very well does she?

I chewed my lip before walking to my closet. I changed into a new set of clothes and waited fifteen minutes to walk out.

If I'm going to be left alone, I might as well go to Manhattan for a little bit. You know, get back into the city, see the sights...remember things.

It honestly wasn't that hard to sneak out of the Cave. One of the doors is hydraulic.

I smiled as the crisp night air hit my face, and that smile only widened as I walked into the ocean. Water swirled around me, messing with my hair.

I gently swatted the water away, and then darted through the water.

---------------

The streets of Manhattan were the same as they always were at night. Light pollution blocked out the stars, leaving the sky in a haze. Cars slipped down roads, exhaust billowing in the air. Even at this time, I could blend into the sea of people, tourists mainly, ooing and ahing at the skyscrapers and some blocking their eyes from the billboards of Times Square. 

My walk took me past the Empire State Building, which I didn't spare a glance for. My skin crawled just passing near it. Last time---Last time--- An iron grip snagged my wrist. I drove my elbow back.

"Easy, kiddo," said Dad, and he tugged me towards him. The sweet smell of nectar surrounded him. Despite the glare fixed on my face, his grip only loosened, not falling away entirely. "Can't I say hi?"

I tilted my head towards the door he'd come out of. Based on how he and Hades acted, they weren't on Olympus very often. Hades stayed away except for the winter solstice, and Dad from everything but council meetings and things involving me. As far as I knew, Zeus wasn't having another vote over me being more risk than I was worth. He liked having me there for those.

"Apollo" ---he hicupped---"had a party. Couldn't get out of going to it." He tucked me under his arm. Almost immediately, I had to help support his weight. Each step he took was a stumble, and he almost hit a fire hydrant then a lady walking her dog. We walked without purpose, but even as he veered us off onto other streets, the general direction was still towards Central Park.

It took too long to find a bench away from the well lit paths and not occupied by a homeless person. I pushed Dad onto it. Glowing eyes stared up at me. He reached out---ignoring I had my hands on my hips the way I'd see Mom do--and guided me beside him. 

"Baby," he mumbled. The word rumbled in his chest, a deep heavy thing. It seemed like he was tasting it, feeling how it felt. "My pretty little baby girl."

I swallowed, trying to ignore the warmth bubbling in my chest. He was drunk, I knew that, and it shouldn't make me feel like this. I shouldn't enjoy him cooing over me when he wouldn't do it sober. But he had, hadn't he? When he'd held me close and argued with Zeus.

Then Dad wrapped me in his arms. My breath caught in my throat; my hand curled in the fabric of his shirt. I couldn't smell the nectar anymore, only the sea. Was there safety in this? I was content, and I almost wanted to close my eyes. I didn't. Feelings. They didn't mean a thing. A monster could leap out of the trees. Though, when I snuck a glance, none of the branches would probably be able to hold a monster. And if one appeared, Dad could probably intervene. Hermes had.