Chapter Text
Percy hadn’t been normal since the day he was born.
He knew that much.
He had always been slightly rowdier than the other kids, constantly fighting with the boys who picked on the girls or younger kids, and never stayed in the same school for more than a year.
Percy was eternally grateful that his mom was so patient and understanding. She really was amazing to constantly put up with him.
Really, the only thing he could criticize her for is her taste in men. A dad who never made her live like the queen she is, and Smelly Gabe.
Percy wouldn’t sugarcoat it, he despised Smelly Gabe from the moment he saw him. He didn’t know if it was from how he ruffled his hair a bit too rough during the first meeting, or how he seemed to ignore his mom in favor of calling his buddies, or just his general awful smell.
But Percy knows there is plenty more to hate him for now. From how he yelled at his mom like a servant in her home, or how he used up all their money for poker and beer of all things, how he let his equally gross friends walk around all willy nilly in the apartment..
And most importantly, how he’d hit Percy.
Those disgusting, sausage resembling, grimy hands always hit hard. He learned that at 7 and a half years old when he refused to sell the candy his mom got for him at her work for money for Smelly Gabe’s poker games. It had never been anything more than a beer bottle smashed in his direction before.
Percy would never tell his mom that, though. It would break her heart, and she said they needed Gabe for.. something.
Percy would disagree, but as long as she remained unharmed, he wouldn’t speak a word. No matter how much he wanted to.
Percy would also look out his window at the moon often, late at night when he couldn’t sleep (which was pretty often for some reason). He always got more energetic at night without him or his mom knowing exactly why. He thinks it’s from the excitement he gets when his mom tells him a new Greek tale.
His favorites are the one with the Goddess of the Hunt, Lady Artemis, in it. But his mom barely brought her takes up, often telling him more about monsters or the Lord of the Sea, Posideon.
…He’d never tell her this, since Poseidon seemed to be her favorite to talk about, but he honestly doesn't like him very much.
Especially not his son, Theseus. He couldn’t exactly explain why, but he had a certain distaste for him since his mom uttered his name. Especially after hearing of how he used and abandoned Ariadne. His mom laughed at his face after admitting she almost named him after the infamous cowardly hero.
Percy didn’t know why it bothered him so much more than it should, Sally hadn’t noticed it, though. Or maybe she did and chalked it to him not wanting to be named after a man who did.. that.
Greek mythos are probably a big part of why he passed history, he just seemed to understand it better than most of the other students. Which probably put a target on his back as a history nerd considering how much more often he raised his hand in that specific class than others.
Another thing he usually got teased for was his fear of horses.
Don’t get Percy wrong, horses are awesome. They just.. he just prefers not to be near them, like, at all. From a distance, they’re fine. On/near them? Hell no.
Not to mention how many schools he got expelled from for reasons he barely had control over. Like seriously, how was he supposed to know that an old cannon would activate again as soon as he touched it and send a cannonball to the school bus? Or which lever would send his class into that shark tank? Maybe they should’ve been better guarded or labeled properly!
The only bright side to his days was leaving school and seeing his mom, even if it was for a slightly short time due to her getting more late night shifts for more money due to Smelly Gabe’s poker problem.
At least that meant she wasn’t around at home enough for Gabe to do anything to her. And he wouldn’t be able to when she was because Percy would also be there. As long as Percy stayed with her, he could protect her.
That was until he got into Yancy.
“A boarding school?!”
He gaped in shock at his mom, who only looked back at him apologetically.
“I’m so sorry, baby, but it’s to help you.” She reasoned gently, cupping his cheek with a warm hand. His panic quelled slightly but was still somewhat there.
“Mom! You can’t just send me away. I—what if Gabe—“ His breathing started getting unsteady.
“Percy, breathe.” Sally worriedly patted his cheek, Percy tried to do some breathing exercises she taught him beforehand. It helped a lot. Especially with nightmares. Especially with that same weird recurring nightmare of being on a horse that was running off at Mach 6 speed.
“…’M sorry..” He mumbled when he finally calmed down enough. “Didn’t mean to overreact.”
“It’s alright, honey.” She soothed him gently. “It’s just.. this is for your own good. Yancy has support for your needs that most other schools don’t.” She gently explained to him, fixing some out of place curls on his hair. He frowned.
“We could do homeschooling, though. You said you were a good student before.” Sally’s smile dropped slightly, she nervously glanced to the living room where Gabe let out some hideous guffaw at the tv with his friends.
“I wish we could, baby. But we gotta send you to an actual school so you can learn properly.” Her voice was soft and kind, it did little to soothe his mood.
“But I can’t keep leaving you with Gabe!” He exclaimed, instantly quieting when she quickly shushed him to avoid Smelly Gabe drawing attention to them. “It’s not fair… You have to deal with him all alone…” His eyes drooped sadly. Sally’s own eyes were full of guilt for a second before being schooled into another kind look.
“It’s okay, Percy. I’ll be okay.” Her lips wobbled slightly as she spoke, Percy pretended not to notice it for her sake. “All that matters is that you’ll be—that.. you’re getting the best possible education possible so you won’t end up like me.”
Percy frowned extra hard at that, his mom was amazing. She was kind, possibly the most beautiful person in the world, she never raised her voice at anybody, even Percy or Smelly Gabe, and was so patient no matter how many schools Percy got expelled from. If anything, Percy looked up to her more than anybody in the whole wide world.
But he can’t be more difficult for her right now.
“Fine.” He looked down, eyebrows furrowed. Sally let out a sigh of relief and kissed his head, which made him smile a bit.
“I love you very much, just know that.” She rubbed his cheek with her thumb, he let out a small giggle at that.
“I love you, too, ma.” He told her back earnestly.
And so, he got to packing with help from his mom for Yancy. No matter how reluctant he was about it.
He just hoped he wouldn’t be expelled too quickly.
————————————————————————
“—lytus.”
It was so foggy.
“—ippo—“
So, so foggy.
“Hippoly—“
That voice… who.. who was that voice?
It was so familiar…
“Hippolytus!”
His eyes flashed open. But they weren’t sea green. No, they were light blue with hints of green and light red.
“Finally! You’re awake. You kept tossing and turning in your sleep.” A girl with warm deep blue eyes and auburn hair half up pouted at him.
She wasn’t speaking in English.. and.. and he understood it anyway, fluently. Like he’s been speaking this new language his whole life.
Where was he… Right, the forest right outside of Ephesos. They had been resting at their Lady’s temple for a bit as she had to attend a counsel meeting with the rest of the Olympians and gave them the go ahead to get some good rest.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of the situation. His black tinged, murky red hair fell over his shoulders. Wavy and messy. When had it fell out of the ponytail he put it in before bed?
“Sorry, Kallisto… Did I make you and the others wait too long for me?” He muttered with genuine sorryness. His sister in arms, Kallisto, softened her expression and shook her head.
“No, the others were mostly worried. Especially Arikia, she was practically convinced that you were dying.” She giggled slightly at the memory as he grew embarrassed.
“I gotta apologize, then. I shouldn’t have made them so worried. Especially to Ari.” He sat up properly and stretched. Fixing his hair back into a ponytail. He could brush it properly later. He grabbed his bow and took Kallisto’s offering hand to get up.
Kallisto went out the tent first, Hippolytus followed shortly after, he was then immediately approached by a fuming girl his age with short brown hair with a longer, braided strand on the side. Her stormy green eyes bore into his soul, but he knew better, she was more worried than anything.
“Good morning, Ari.” He greeted Arikia with a smile. Her eyes softened as she saw him no longer struggling in his sleep.
“What in Olympus were you dreaming about?” She shook her head and regained her previous expression. “You kept mumbling and tossing in your sleep.”
“Horses.” Hippolytus deadpanned. Kallisto muffled a laugh with her palm. Arikia’s lips unwillingly twitched into a smile as she desperately tried not to laugh.
“Not funny, seriously, are you okay?” She collected herself and placed a hand over his shoulder. He grinned and nodded.
“Yeah, I honestly can’t remember either. I guess it’s just stress about seeing my father again in a few moon cycles.” He admitted, fiddling with the tips of his unruly ponytail.
Her expression softened, and Kallisto seemed worried now aswell. Hippolytus and his father have always had a somewhat strained relationship. Especially after he chose to join the Hunters of Artemis instead of honoring Aphrodite and Queen Hera by marrying someone and participating in acts of Eros.
Figures that Storge and Philia aren't enough for that man.
“Hippolytus.. you know you don’t have to visit him.” Kallisto spoke softly, she was always the one caring. Hippolytus shook his head.
“No, no. It’s fine, really.” His eyes dropped to the ground. “I.. want to do this. I want to see him.” He straightened up. “I haven’t seen him in so long. I may not agree with his terms of perspective, but he is my father. I need to.. want to be on speaking terms at the very least.”
Kallisto’s worried gaze and Arikia’s no longer glaring but soft stormy eyes still rested on him like he would collapse any second. He hated moments like these. He did not need to be pitied. He didn’t want to be worried about, all the time. He isn’t fragile and seeing his father again isn’t gonna kill him. Because no matter how much they disagreed with one another, his father would never hurt him.
He was going to be fine.
(It felt like there was another pair of distasteful eyes glaring at him.. somewhere up above…)
————————————————————————
“Percy, honey..” He was suddenly shaken awake.
His eyes flashed opened.
His mom looked at him with kind eyes. He looked down at himself and found himself in an ironed school uniform that was without a doubt worth two of his mother’s paychecks.
Right, he was going to Yancy.
“Mm, yeah I got it..” He grabbed his backpack. All blue with several pins he got from skateparks.
What was he dreaming about again?
—————
After he exited Smelly Gabe’s camaro, he went to orientation and stood as the teachers and principal kept talking. Absolutely bored out of his mind.
He let out a quiet yawn.
Suddenly, someone else’s shoulder brushed against his and he instinctively moved away. Nobody except his mom was allowed to touch him freely, it always felt bad or weird when it was someone he didn’t know.
(It was always bad before, but only got worse as Gabe entered the picture.
He thinks.. he thinks it reminds him.. of something…)
He turns back and gives a slight glare to the student who bumped into him. He had curly brown hair with a Rasta cap, acne and some barely there facial hair, and big goat-like eyes. He looked like he was about to faint or freak out or all of the above.
Percy raised an eyebrow and he immediately shrunk, looking down at the ground with a meek “sorry”. Percy felt slightly bad, then worse as he noticed how the boy was standing weirdly with a walking cane by his side.
“It’s okay.” He responded and the goat eyed boy untensed slightly. “Uh, you clearly didn’t mean to.” He nodded at him, Rasta cap boy finally looked back up to meet his gaze. Percy gave a hopefully reassuring look.
It seemed to work as the guy burst into a relieved smile.
“Aah, yeah. I’m still getting used to these..” He looked at his shoes first before quickly turning towards the cane. Must be a new injury. Percy usually wasn’t one to pry, but…
Percy glanced towards a group of kids who were giggling and pointing towards the Rasta cap boy. Doesn’t seem friendly at all. And he understood what it’s like to be mocked for something out of his control.
Percy should really get his name.
“I’m Percy, you?” Percy saw the boy blink, almost shocked.
The boy then quickly straightened up. “I’m Grover!” The newly identified Grover then glanced towards the orientation, where they moved onto dorm rooms.
Percy looked back. “Geez, I just can't wait to share a room with a total stranger for a whole semester…” He rolled his eyes to emphasize his sarcasm. He then saw Grover who seemed to be in deep thought. He wondered why.
Oh well, as long as his new roommate isn’t a complete douche.