Sea Green Eyes

4

"I made pancakes." Percy offhandedly mentioned, setting down a tall stack of blue pancakes on the table. He didn't take a seat though, instead moving back into the kitchen to clean up.

Damien frowned, narrowing his eyes a bit, "come eat."

"I'm not hungry." Percy shrugged, turning on the water and doing the dishes he would've rather avoided letting set and dry.

Damien huffed, "just try, you need food and you didn't eat a whole lot yesterday."

Percy sighed, "let me finish these dishes, 'Pollo can keep 'em warm for me."

"I'm not your personal heater, be it for food or otherwise."

"But you're so warm, honestly. You're amazing a warming peoples days right up." Percy sent Apollo a smile that made the god straighten up.

"You're right," Apollo put a determined face on and stood by the pancakes, "I do brighten peoples days."

Damien watched the interaction in awe, amused at such a show of blatant manipulation. "You're evil."

Percy blushed that the hot breath on his ear from the whisper. "No, I just know how 'Pollo ticks."

Damien hummed, wrapping his arms around Percy's waist from behind. "You're so smart."

Percy froze up, not quite sure what to do in such a situation, and eventually settled back into cleaning. "When do you want to go to Gotham?"

"Whenever you're comfortable, but Father would like me back as soon as possible."

Percy nodded, "help me pack?"

"Of course."

After breakfast Apollo left, and Percy dragged Damien to his room. "Don't mind the mess, I can't think when it's too clean in here." Percy admitted, shuffling to move some of the clothes on his floor and the scrap papers that held poor plot ideas for the books he was working on.

"It's alright." Damien grinned, taking a seat on the bed and letting Percy do what he needed to in order to be more comfortable. "Gotham is a bit chilly, but on the days that it's warm it's extremely humid. So thinner long sleeves, a jacket or two, and a few t-shirts. Then some pants and shorts." Damien explained, watching Percy pull a suitcase from his closet and begin throwing mass amounts of clothes in.

Damien was just about certain Percy had no idea what would end up in the bag, but was relieved when Percy was packing underwear and socks as well. "How long am I staying?"

"As long as you want. You can choose to leave at any point and I'll bring you home." Damien reassured that Percy wouldn't be stuck in Gotham with him.

"What are we going to do while there?"

"There are a lot of parks and trails in the area, and there's a spot I found on the beach that hasn't been effected by pollution." Damien shrugged, "we can figure everything out when we're there."

Percy grinned, "I'm excited. I haven't traveled in almost a year now and before that it wasn't about enjoying my time."

Damien wanted to ask, but the haunted look in Percy's eyes stopped him. "I'll warn you now, that you may end up meeting my brothers sooner than you'd like. They like to pop up at the manor unannounced and with me coming home they'll likely be there in the following days."

Percy nodded but seemed a bit more shaken by the thought. His speed of packing slowed down as his thoughts became the forefront, "are they going to be pushy?"

"Grayson might, but Todd and Drake will give you as much space as you need. They might stick around the manor when they learn you're there, but only as a means to be there should you decide to interact."

Percy relaxed a bit at the admission, nodding and finishing his packing. Damien rose a brow as Percy prepared a rather thick laptop case with blank paper, lined paper, a laptop, numerous pens of a variety of colors, and of course a laptop.

"What is it you do for a living?"

Percy seemed surprised at the question, "I never told you? I'm an author at the moment, though none of my works are published yet. I learned pretty early on that letting others read my works before I was 100% satisfied only made it harder for me to continue."

Damien nodded, "can I ask what your current project is?"

"It's an urban fantasy about gods and demigods. You can be the first to read the first book once I'm satisfied with it and get it translated back into English."

Damien grinned, "Greek?"

Percy nodded, "it's based around a summer camp of demigods, who go on life or death quests. There are two completed drafts — the first two books — but I'm working on the rough draft for the third now. After I finish that, I'll go back and make my final touches to the fist book, then edit a bit more on the second, correct my grammar on the third, and begin my fourth book."

"You have an extensive system." Damien noted, watching Percy put together a toiletries bag and shove it in his suitcase before zipping the thing up.

"We can go to Gotham whenever. I have no ties here that I need to inform of my absence."

Damien only grinned.

Percy was most certainly not expecting for an uber to be called, more than ready to make the two hour drive from his apartment to the Wayne manor. Especially not for it to pull up a mere 15 minutes after Percy admitted they could leave whenever, but he wasn't complaining. The longer they waited to go, the more likely Percy would be to change his mind. Though that was also a negative because they were now an hour and a half into the drive and Percy had gone catatonic.

It wasn't that he didn't want to meet them, but he wasn't ready to meet them. Especially now that the remanence of his first full night of sleep in Gods knows how long had completely worn away. He was panicking. He knew Damien was talking to him, but he didn't hear it. He faintly felt a hand gripping his own, but he didn't register it. Not until arms wrapped around his body in what was likely supposed to be a hug — at least looking back in the near future — but it snapped Percy out of his daze and caused a very well placed punch to fly into Damien's face.

It only took a few seconds to realize what he'd done, and in those few seconds blood had begun dripping from Damien's nose.

"Oh Gods! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, it was an accident, I swear!" Percy became a blubbering mess, eyes filling with guilty tears as he pulled a tissue from the box in the pouch on the back of the passenger's seat to offer to Damien.

"It's okay! Percy! Breathe, calm down. A little blood isn't the end of the world. I'm fine. I need you to calm down." Damien continued the mantra, grasping Percy's hand in his blood free one firmly, rubbing his thumb back and forth over his knuckles. "I'm alright. I shouldn't have grabbed you when you were obviously upset. I'm not upset with you."

Percy could only nod, wanting desperately to reach out and check the others face, but he didn't want to put the hand that had just punched Damien so close to his face. "I-I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. We'll ice it soon. We're already in Gotham so its just a matter of time until we reach the manor."

"Your dad is gonna hate me." Percy muttered out, worried eyes tracing the puffy, red and already slightly purple eye.

"You'd be surprised." Damien laughed, wincing when the smile pulled the tender flesh around his eye tight.

Percy sagged in predetermined defeat, "Gods, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright Percy. I would rather your instinct be to swing a punch in Gotham then to roll over and give up."

Percy nodded then froze at the gates the Uber stopped in front of, "I think we're here."

Damien nodded, handing the driver a crisp $50 bill, and opening the door. He rushed around to the other side to open Percy's door, taking the suitcase from Percy's hands and pulling him towards a keypad just before the gate. Damien settled his duffle bag on top of the suitcase and punched in the code for the gate to swing open.

"Shall we?" Damien asked, a tissue shoved up his nose and the purple around his eye becoming more prominent as he held a hand out for Percy to take.

Percy only pouted more, but accepted the hand and began walking alongside Damien towards the manor.