(Fem.) Percy meets Spidey

12

"Which movie?" I looked at Peter.

"Whatever you want to watch."

"I don't think your aunt would appreciate me showing you anything I want to watch." I chuckled and put a random movie in. I sat next to Peter.

He sat stiff as a board and I rolled my eyes. "Come here kid." I pulled him so he was leaning against me.

"Uh, Mr Stark?"

"This is supposed to be relaxing, and you can't relax if you're sitting like that."

"Isn't this uncomfortable for you?"

I smiled, but didn't respond. I focused on the movie and only took my attention away when more of Peter's weight rested on me.

His eyes were half closed as he watched the movie, making it obvious that he was barely fighting off sleep.

"Tired?"

He shook his head.

"You need to stop lying about this. It's going to get you killed. Which those stitches in your side prove."

"I don't want to-"

I paused the movie and picked Peter up. I carried him into his room and sat him on his bed.

"You need to sleep."

"Well, that goes for you too Mr Stark. When was the last time you slept?"

"Don't turned this around on-"

Peter reached forward and tapped my watch. "Friday, when was the last time he slept?"

"My sensors and surveillance cameras show that Boss last slept two night ago."

Fuck.

I avoided looking at Peter, knowing that if I did I would see his kicked puppy expression.

"Mr Stark you need to sleep it's not healthy to keep going like this. It's important."

"I'll go to bed once I get back to the tower. Kay? And if you go to bed."

"I am in bed."

"You know what I mean. I'll text May and tell her I left." I turned and went to leave.

I heard Peter mumbled 'goodnight' along with something else. I would have asked him about it, but when I looked back it seemed like he was already asleep.

I'll ask him about it later.

Poseidon

Percy snuggled against my side, like a kitten blindly searching for its mother's warmth. It was an apt comparison, I was sure she'd start purring if she could. My baby, I brushed my thumb over her cheek and sighed.

"What's wrong?" she asked. She didn't open her eyes. 

"Did you talk to your mother?" Silence. "Percy, you need to."

"I- I know."

"And yet you still haven't done it."

The water around her trembled, vibrating and threatening to thrash with her emotions. I leaned to kiss her forehead; she flinched, her arm coming up between us. My mouth dried. Carefully, gently, I grabbed Percy's wrist, pulled her closer, and tucked her head under my chin. Her powers stilled, and then they prodded at me. Satisfied with her investigation--if the blind searching could be called that-- she relaxed.

"I just want to leave the bad stuff here," she said. "Hermes asked me to help his kids out, and some mortals came to the apartment. They were heroes but I-- I don't--- I can't put Mom in danger like that."

"Do you think we want you in danger like that?"

She snorted and tilted her head. "You were the ones who had me." And despite her words having no barb to them, they stung just the same. I brushed my fingers along her back, tracing the curve of her ribs and spine, before pressing my palm flat to feel her heartbeat.

"Be that as it may, she has as much of a right to know this as I do."

Percy turned then, instead of answering, burrowing into my side as if she could hide there.  A smile spread across my face. It shouldn't have, not given the conversation, but the way she tugged at my shirt, and the way she drew in on herself: she seemed far younger than she was.

Two different shows came on the television before she said, "I don't want her to get hurt." It was soft and mumbled, like she should be ashamed of saying that. Weight dropped in my stomach. Not ashamed of that. How often did she throw herself in front of others? Do something that could get her killed?

Cotton filled my mouth. I pulled her onto my lap.

"If you want to hurt yourself, or-- or kill yourself, you need to come to me." Wide green eyes and a hand grasping at mine. "Promise me."

"Why are you---"

"Promise," I pleaded. "Promise me." Now that I'd thought it, I couldn't chase it away. There were so many ways she could get hurt, could hurt herself, and she had so, so many reasons to want to do it. Monsters, Riptide, the myriad of ways mortals had available to them. Her bedroom had the fire escape. What if she... I couldn't finish the thought. I didn't dare finish the thought.

"I- I will. I promise." She nodded. As if thinking I wouldn't believe her, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her head against mine. Strands of her hair flowed in the water, in the gentle currents I guided to brush against her cheek. It was too easy to fall into a rhythm. A tempo that made it easy to think Percy never lived anywhere else. Because as I carried her to her room, she settled in my grip much like a babe. She stared at me with half-lidded eyes, before she tensed and glanced furtively around the room.

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?"

Percy nodded. I laid down. She curled next to me, a soft and silent call for protection. It was something that I'd freely offer her. Something that I could, no matter what Zeus or anyone else said, and so I wrapped her tight in the confines of my aura, letting the shimmering blue wash over her. Still...

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing."

"I'll accept that. Until tomorrow." I kissed her head and stroked the back of her neck. "Sleep well."

I'm tired and uh...

Here's the third chapter

I'll try to get Death's Apprentice updated tomorrow but...

*shrug*

Anything you want to see

Cause I'm...wait I already said I was tired

See yah