Work Text:
Percy has never envisioned himself as a parent.
That's what he told Hazel a year after meeting him.
Percy grew up in a hell pit of a household. Trapped with an alcoholic for a stepfather and only being loved by a mother who worked early mornings and late nights to keep the lights on and food in the fridge.
‘I could never see myself having a child. I don’t think I’d know how to love it.’
Hazel wonders if Percy still feels the same way.
Percy has been dating her father for over six months. Six glorious months of Percy being weak in the knees, sweaty-palmed, anxiously in love with Pluto, God of the dead and wealth.
It was… strange at first. Hazel would be the first to admit it. She was angry, not at Percy- never at him, Percy who was kinder than any spirit, brighter than any bolt of lightning, and smarter than a crack of a whip, she was furious with her no good, manipulative father.
Percy was a good boy.
Hazel feared there was no other way to phrase it.
Percy was a good man.
Percy was a loving man.
Percy was folded over a tiny aerial font manual and elbows deep in hair dye.
“Percy you’re supposed to wash the bleach then add the color.”
“But it’s telling me to add the hair dye to the bowl. Do I mix it with the bleach or do I clean it out first?”
Nico rubbed his hands down his face like a defeated fly. They’ve been trying to dye her hair for the past three hours and have only reached the bleaching stage.
“We should have brought Frank, between the three of us he’d be the only one equipped to read the manual.”
“Not through his tears.” Hazel corrected. With all the yelling Nico was doing Frank wouldn't last an hour.
Nico snatched the instructions from Percy's hands flipping to the next page.
“If we add the dye to the bleach then we would just have to wash all the bleach out a second time.”
“But we need to wash the color out anyways, so what’s the point of getting a new bowl?”
Hazel watched as Percy and Nico passed the manual back and forth. They were over the correct way to handle Hazel’s hair.
Hazel felt a warmth blossom in her chest. These were her boys. Hazel could count on one hand how many people would be willing to put up with her lack of present-day knowledge. Picking up the handheld mirror she’d been using to watch Percy straighten and bleach her hair, she smiled at her reflection. She looked like a showgirl in the rain.
“Guys my head is starting to tingle.”
The arguing had quickly turned silent. Hazel watched through the mirror as Percy rushed to Hazel's side clutching the gallon bottle of water and Pantene shampoo they’d been using to wash her hair.
“Hazel why didn’t you say anything!”
“Look what you did, dingbat, now all her hair will fall out!”
“Wait? What!”
Hazel dropped the mirror and grabbed onto Percy’s shoulders. “You told me my hair wasn’t going to fall out!”
Percy threw the empty jug at Nico’s head, glaring at him over Hazel’s shoulders.
“Shut up Nico! Hazel, your hair is not going to fall out. Nico is just worried.”
“We need to get her to a shower, Percy, your dollar store water bottle isn’t going to do it.”
Nico put his hands under Hazel’s armpits and lifted her to her feet. Over the years Nico has gotten taller and stronger. He looked even more like their father now- long hair caught in a braid and silver jewelry that complimented his features.
His skin was a healthy olive sheen, no longer making him a pathetic white boy.
She supposes Nico wasn’t the only one to change over the years.
Percy began to gather their late-night mess as Nico began to carry Hazel to the shower.
The on-suite bathroom was cliche beached themed. Ocean wave shower curtains, ceramic turtles, sea-scented incense, the whole nine yards. And all of it screamed Percy.
Nico sat Hazel down on the toilet bowl seat while he twisted and poked at the shower nozzle.
“I told Percy that it would just be easier to use the shower, but no, ‘Mother knows best’, and who am I to argue.”
Hazel tugged her shirt off and tossed it at the door to close it more followed by her jean shorts.
“Percy is so challenging-”
“Are you upset that he’s dating dad?”
Hazel tapped her toes on the linoleum floors of the bathroom.
In front of her, Nico sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She knew it was a question that’s been plaguing him too.
Percy was good. Like she said, he was also…forgiving at the worst times.
Pluto and Hades weren’t the same people but were equally rough around the edges.
Hazel couldn’t stomach the thought of her father being the one to break Percy’s fragile heart to dust.
“I’m upset that Dad is openly cheating on his wife. And I’m upset because I know Percy feels he doesn’t have a choice.”
Nico anxiously tapped his foot and looked at the closed door as if he could see Percy through it.
“Get in the shower, Hazel. Now isn’t the time to talk about this.”
Hazel watched as her shower water turned cloudy from the leftover bleach and hummed an ‘old’ song under her breath. It was awful to think that all her favorite songs were now considered oldies and classics.
Once her scalp no longer felt hot Hazel turned the shower off and stretched. Her arms had gotten tired from keeping them elevated.
Folded on the sink counter was one of Percy's old ‘AHS’ swim shirts and a pair of Dory pajama pants. Hazel ignored the water rolling down her back, knowing that Percy would handle it for her.
Back in the bedroom Percy and Nico had changed into their pajamas, shifting through the bottles of hair dye Nico had brought from the beauty salon.
“I was thinking we could do pink or blue, those colors would compliment her well don’t you think?”
“Yeah, like a pastel pink or a dark blue. What do you think, sis?”
Hazel yawned and fell by Percy’s feet like an old dog.
“I think it’s time for a nap. I’m pooped.”
Percy scratched the back of Hazel’s nape. Drying her off better than any towel could.
“I agree. I’m getting tired too, all this tiny print has killed my neurons.”
Nico looked disappointed to not be given a chance to dye Hazel's hair an assortment of colors but didn’t argue.
“Fine. We can pick this up again tomorrow. Where’d you put your bonnet Haz?”
“I left it in my bag! Come on Percy, let's hog the bed before Nico gets back.”
Hazel jumped on the bed, bouncing the pillows off the sides. Percy hopped on with equal enthusiasm sending the remaining pillows and Hazel to the floor.
“What are you two doing?”
“Getting ready for bed, help pick those up.”
Hazel scooped an armful of pillows off the ground trading them for her leopard print bonnet. Pulling the blankets back Hazel curled into Percy’s arms sinking into his scent of ocean air and chocolate chips. On the other side of the bed, Nico curled up in a matching position, reaching over Percy’s torso to hold Hazel’s hands.
“Thank you for doing this with me you guys. I’m having so much fun.”
“Of course Hazel, you deserve a break after breaking your back all month.”
Percy squeezed Hazel's side and sank further into the sheets.
“Yeah, Hazel. You needed a break, I’m happy we were a part of it.”
Nico leaned over Percy to kiss Hazel’s silk-covered forehead.
“Goodnight, Haz. Night Percy.”
When Hazel looked up she was unsurprised to see that the Son of Poseidon had already been lost to Hypnos’ spell.
“Goodnight, Frère. Goodnight, Maman.”