Work Text:
Then
Thalia knew what day was approaching soon.
An idea lingered in her head on how to do it, but she found her execution of her idea lacking, hence why she found herself standing outside her grandmother’s home with Hadrian behind her.
The door opened, and Rhea appeared, smiling down at her granddaughter, who stood patiently before her.
“Hello, Thalia. Haven't I told you that you don't have to knock? My door is always open, no matter what.” Rhea stated as she bent down and greeted her granddaughter with a gentle hug, which Thalia returned.
Rhea’s eyes flickered to the centurion standing behind her granddaughter and nodded at him, the gesture returned.
Thalia squeezed her grandmother once, “Hi, Grandma.” she muttered into her shoulder and was promptly ushered just past the doorway. The demigod could spot Iapetus just in the backyard, sitting in a beach chair facing the sun, looking as if he were trying to tan. She laughed to herself, imagining the sunburn the Titan would have had if he had been wearing only a pair of overalls and a fedora.
“Will you be joining us, Hadrian? You are more than welcome to.” Rhea offered to the unmoving guardian.
Hadrian shook his head, “The offer is appreciated but is unnecessary, My Lady. I'll wait outside.” he responded in kind.
“Very well, but if your mind changes, feel free to let yourself in for refreshment.” Rhea made sure her open offer was heard, and after another nod of acknowledgement, the Titaness turned her attention to her granddaughter.
Thalia was led to the sitting room, and Rhea disappeared briefly into the kitchen before returning with a large plate of cookies for the young demigoddess to snack on and take back home.
Rhea was all grace and elegance as she took a seat across from Thalia, “So what can I do for my favorite granddaughter?” she asked.
Thalia wrung her hands anxiously, “Did uncle like anything growing up?” she questioned quietly, as if speaking any louder might be overheard.
Rhea looked inquisitive, “Perseus was a rather simple child. He preferred to spend time around his family more often than not. Why do you ask?”
Thalia bit her bottom lip. “I want to get him a present.”
Rhea looked confused. “Well, I’m sure he would love whatever you get him, but why are you nervous about it?” she questioned. The former Queen of the Titans could hardly recall a time when the demigod was as nervous or anxious as she was now since living here.
“B-Because I want to give it to him on Father’s Day.” Thalia mumbled nervously, and Rhea’s eyebrows shot up. She might not be the most versed in mortal culture, but she’s learned enough of the days that which mortals hold dear to them whenever she’s out with her son or brother.
“I-I me-mean-” she stuttered, her own words quickly shutting down. Rhea was about to step in to help, but Thalia composed herself with a deep breath before the Titaness could act. Rhea was silent as she could sense that Thalia was trying to formulate the proper words in her head, and she could tell that this had been on the demigod’s mind for a while now.
But she just couldn’t wait to see the look on her son’s face.
Anyone with eyes and a heart could instantly see how much her son valued having Thalia and Jason in his life, and the two children very evidently returned the affection.
“He's been there for me. For Jason.” Thalia began softly, and that was all Rhea needed to hear. She knew how important it was to Thalia.
Rhea reached across to lay a calming hand on her granddaughter, “My son would love nothing more than to be acknowledged as your father. He’ll probably cry if I’m being honest.” she imagined her son trying not to cry at the admittance and failing. “Do you wish for my help?” Rhea offered to her granddaughter, ready to do so, but Thalia shook her head.
“Thanks for the offer, Grandma, but I want to do it myself.” she insisted.
Rhea smiled proudly, “I expected as much. My son once told me that he didn't know if he could ever do right by you and your brother. If he could ever give you the love you both deserve.” Rhea told Thalia. “I would say he has.”
“I don't want him to regret it.” Thalia whispered, and Rhea shook her head.
“He never will. Just remember that my son will accept anything you give him because it comes from you.” she assuaged her fears quickly, never letting it grow. “Do you believe you’re giving yourself enough time?”
Thalia nodded, “It’s a week from now. I’ll think of something.” she stated confidently.
“It should prove to be a special day for him. Now, I do hate to lower the mood potentially, but I assume from the absence of your brother in your plan, he will not be involved himself?” Rhea was excited to hear how Thalia wanted to ensure that her gift aligned with Father's Day, but the absence of Jason in these conversations had her thinking differently.
Thalia shook her head, but her face revealed no anger or sadness at her little brother's lack of involvement, only a look of understanding.
“You know it's different with him being Roman and all that. He's probably still thinking about that talk he had with Virtus.” Thalia reasoned. “But I did mention that I wanted to do something and he said he wanted to help soooo.” she trailed off and shrugged noncommittally.
Rhea nodded in understanding, “Well I'm sure that my son will love whatever you gift him regardless.” the Titaness’ face turned a bit more teasingly, “Now are you going to eat these cookies or are you going to just let them sit there? I hope you don't, otherwise my oaf of a brother will take them all.” she joked.
Her granddaughter grinned.
Another plate of cookies was placed in front of Thalia when a knock sounded on the door.
“Mother?” Perseus' voice rang through the dual oak doors, and Thalia perked up at her uncle’s voice.
Rhea rolled her eyes good-heartedly “You do not have to knock, My Son. I see where Thalia gets it from now.” she spoke loudly, the invitation to enter clear as ever.
The backyard door slid open, and Iapetus stepped through, pleasantly rested and stretched as he stepped into the living room. His hat was askew and slightly covered his eyes as he waved at his sister.
Rhea set her hands on her hips and looked sternly at her brother, “Take that ridiculous hat off in my home.” she demanded, and Iapetus appeared affronted, his hands jumping to his hat like it would have protected his headwear from his sister’s ire.
“It looks dashing on me.” he defended the accusation like it was something scandalous.
“And you look stupid with those overalls of yours.” Rhea stated plainly, and Thalia giggled at their banter, and Iapetus then realized that it wasn’t just him and his sister in the house.
“My apologies, Little Thalia. I didn't see you there or know you were here.” the Titan said with remorse at not being able to greet his favorite demigod.
Thalia wasn’t offended and offered a smile, “It’s ok, Grandpa. You didn't know I was gonna be here.” Iapetus didn't let that deter him and gave Thalia an apology hug as she stood up on the couch.
The front door opened, and Perseus poked his head in before the rest of his body appeared. “This is your home, Mother, and I refuse just simply to walk or shadow in.” he replied, rolling his eyes in exasperation before they landed on Thalia, and he smiled widely at the sight of his beloved niece.
Thalia leaped off the couch and ran towards him, and practically crashed into him. He would've bowled over had he not braced himself for the impact and laughed at her eagerness.
His hands rubbed at her back, and she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head as he bent down slightly to hug her properly.
“Hi, Bug. How was your day today?” his voice was warm and gentle as he continued to rub at her back.
A giggle escaped her lips at hearing his nickname for her, “Good. I missed you a lot though. Jason was in his lessons for most of the day, so he wouldn't play with me.” she grumbled half-heartedly, too content with the embrace to complain after missing her uncle for most of the day.
“Aww, I'm sorry about that, Bug. You know if I didn't have boring stuff to do, I wouldn't have left today, right?” he acknowledged, not wanting Thalia to feel like he left because he wanted to. He was relieved when Thalia nodded into his shirt. “Well, you feel like heading back home, or do you want to stick around with Grandma for a bit longer?” he asked, his eyes shot up to his mother, wondering if Thalia was here for anything serious.
Rhea just smiled at him a bit too widely, and it only confused him as he shot his mother another look, wanting an explanation, but his mother only kept that smile on her face. He put it away for now as Thalia tugged at his sleeve and poked at his cheek.
“Are we going home?” She was about to poke his cheek again when he poked her in the stomach first, her laughter loud and angelic to his ears.
“Yep.” he chirped before he took note of the relatively large plate of cookies on the table. His eyebrows raised, and he shot his mother a judging look.
“I hope you weren’t planning on having Thalia eat all of that? Don't need her ruining her appetite.” he questioned, and his mother scoffed at the question and looked.
“Of course not. I have the health of my grandchildren in high regard.” she replied and bent to retrieve another plate of cookies from the smaller table behind her couch and held it out towards her son. “With that being said. This is for my grandson, and the bigger portion is for your Gauntlet.” she answered, and Perseus groaned but grabbed the plate from his mother with his left hand to give to his nephew.
“Hadrian.” Perseus called out behind him, and the Centurion appeared, ready to serve.
“My lord?” Hadrian responded.
Perseus pointed to the cookies with his free hand before he took his niece's hand in his. “Please take that back to your barracks to share with your brothers. It's from my mother.” he instructed, and Hadrian gave him a nod, even though Perseus wasn't looking at him.
“Thank you, Lady Rhea. My brothers will appreciate this.” Hadrian thanked, and Rhea waved off.
“Not necessary to thank me. I'm happy to do so.”
“Please tell your brothers that they can take it easy for the next couple of days. I won't have any business off the island so I'll be with the kids.” Perseus informed.
Hadrian nodded. “It will be properly relayed, Lord Perseus.” and turned on his heel to head back to the barracks.
Perseus turned his attention back to his niece, “What do you say to us picking up your brother from his lessons and then getting dinner?” he asked as it was approaching dinner time soon.
“Yeah!” Thalia exclaimed happily.
With a cookie in his hand, Jason recapped his day to his uncle, crumbs falling down his hand as he waved his hands in wide motions.
“And then, Marcus showed me what all the symbols on his shield meant and how to swing the hammer!” the young demigod pretended to swing an invisible hammer around his uncle, making him chuckle.
“Sounds like you had lots of fun, Little Man.” Perseus responded with a ruffle of Jason’s hair and bent down so he was at eye-level with his nephew. “So your sister wants pizza for dinner. What about you?” he asked, and Jason lit up.
“Pizza!”
Perseus laughed as he stood up, “Guess we’re doing pizza night. You want to tell your sister the good news, Little Man?”
“I’ll be right back!” Jason offered up before running out of the kitchen and down the hallway to Thalia’s bedroom.
“IT’S PIZZA NIGHT!” Jason’s voice shrieked throughout the kitchen, and Perseus laughed once he heard the rampant and maniacal knocks on Thalia’s door.
He heard the door open, followed by a brief moment of silence, before he heard the squeals of laughter, no doubt Thalia getting her revenge on Jason for him going crazy on her door.
Perseus was mildly impressed at how consistently Thalia and Jason tossed their pizza doughs right up at the ceiling, and it only took his nephew several tries before Perseus helped him along after one doleful look. At the same time, Thalia was very adamant about making her own.
Now, with their meal halfway devoured. Perseus would have opted to have several doughs tossed at the ceiling if it meant his niece and nephew could look this happy at themselves.
He looked across the table and resisted the urge to wipe the tomato sauce smeared across his nephew’s mouth, knowing that Jason would have argued he was going to get messy right afterward anyway.
A glance to his left, and he stifled a laugh at seeing Thalia fight with the cheese on her pizza, the bits of bacon and ham falling off her slice.
Hours after dinner and close to Thalia and Jason’s bedtime, all three of them were on the couch, and it was then that Perseus decided to finally play with an idea that’s been in his head for the past couple of months now.
“How do we feel about going on a trip tomorrow? To Disneyland?” he asked, and immediately, two sets of eyes were on him.
“Really? You’re serious?” Thalia asked in shock while Jason’s mouth dropped.
Perseus scratched the back of his head, his nerves heightened as he wondered if this was something they still wanted. “Yeah. I remembered you saying you wanted to go before, and I'm sorry I'm only asking you-”
Thalia and Jason both crashed him flat onto the couch, and he started laughing as he felt his niece and nephew shake in excitement.
“We can go?” Thalia's voice was filled with unrestrained joy and surprise, and it broke his heart only slightly as he cursed Beryl Grace for not giving the two kids under his protection the childhood they deserved.
Nonetheless, he would do whatever it took to ensure that Thalia and Jason grew up happy. If he could do it for them, he would.
“Of course, Bug. I promised and I haven’t broken any so far, have I?” and Thalia knew just how serious one of his promises was whenever one was made. “What about you, Buddy? Are you excited?” The god asked the blonde-haired demigod who was now crawling all over the couch.
“Yeah!” Jason gave him a big smile that prompted Perseus to offer one of his own.
Perseus ruffled Jason’s hair and smiled at him. “Well, if you want to have enough energy for tomorrow, then it’s probably bedtime, isn’t it?” he asked as he got up from the couch. “Bug, that means you, too.” he also moved his hand to ruffle her hair, making Thalia scramble away with a laugh.
“Aww, can’t we just stay up?” she whined as she flipped herself over the back of the couch.
Perseus shook his head with a slight grin, “It’s already past your bedtime.”
Jason sighed, “Fine.” he shuffled off the couch reluctantly, and Perseus placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry. You’ll fall asleep before you know it, and we’ll be in Disneyland in no time.” Perseus assured him with another smile and a kiss to the top of his head. “Sleep well, Buddy.” he wished.
Jason smiled back at his uncle and hugged him before dashing off to bed, eager to make the night go by faster.
Perseus turned his attention to his niece, “Alright, Bug, you too. It’s time for bed.” he urged and chuckled when she pouted.
“If you go to bed now, I'll let you be the first to choose what to do first tomorrow.” he offered as he placed a hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her in the direction of her bedroom, and stopped just in front of her.
The offer had some merit to Thalia as she visibly cheered up. She looked up at him and held her pinky out, her eyes lit with excitement.
He laughed and took a knee to do his duty, "It's good to swear in the most sacred way possible. Much better than the Styx.” he said as seriously as possible.
Thalia giggled as she spotted the corners of his mouth twitching as if he was stifling laughter. She vibrated with poorly contained excitement, “We're gonna do all the rides!” she shouted, and Perseus laughed with her, but held a finger to his lips.
“Shhh. We don't want to wake your brother up or else he'll never go back to sleep.” he whispered with a grin.
Pretending to zip her lips, she shook and lunged at him, her arms going around his neck in a hug. His arms went around her, and he kissed her temple. “I love you. Sweet dreams, Bug.” he gave her a light squeeze before standing up.
“I love you too.” she replied and went to her room.
Perseus smiled to himself before turning on his heel, making his way to his room.
Thalia didn't immediately fall asleep, as the fear of not meeting her own expectations and the disappointment of a gift to her father-figure kept her tossing and turning. She planted her head harder onto her pillow, hoping it would help, but only made her bed shake from the force.
The next day
Even from where he stood by the park entrance, he could see the castle sticking out from the middle.
“I don’t know what you’re doing right now, my nephew, but any hotter and I’ll have to dunk myself in ice.” Perseus muttered to himself.
The sun was in full force as the family of three walked past the theme park's ticket counter and stopped just a few feet away. Perseus slipped a pair of sunglasses on with one hand, while the other hand held Jason’s, so he wouldn't run off. Thalia stood on his other side and peered up at him with a big grin with a map of the park in her hands, ready to guide them.
“Now, before we go have fun, what's the big rule for when we're out?” Perseus reminded his niece and nephew, steering them off to the side so the three of them weren’t in the way of the mortals that roamed the park.
“If we're in trouble and not close to you, pray to you.” Thalia recited proudly.
Jason held up his free arm like in one of his lessons, “We can hit people if they’re being mean.” he said aloud, and Perseus laughed and snatched the hat from Jason’s head and ruffled his hair affectionately.
“That’s true, but hopefully not here, Buddy.” the god joked and slipped Jason’s baseball cap back onto his head. “Now I did promise your sister that she could pick the attraction we go to, is that okay?” he asked, and Thalia held her map at the ready.
Jason looked up at his sister. “Can I pick later?” he questioned, and his sister smiled, then softly hit the top of his head with her rolled-up map.
“Well, duh. I can’t be doing all the thinking now, can I? Who else can I call on?” she teased, and Jason immediately pointed at their uncle. He grinned and gave Jason a few pats on the back.
“Not for today. You two get to lead me around and do what you want.” he told the younger demigod before looking back at Thalia.
“Have you picked yet, Bug?” Perseus asked as Thalia unrolled the map and held it out before them. She looked at the map intently before looking back up with a grin.
Thalia and Jason both whooped with glee as the rollercoaster took them through another sharp turn. Perseus sat sandwiched between them, smiling at their joy. He could see that a sudden drop was ahead and knew Thalia noticed too, as she clutched at his open hand to her, but still with a big smile on her face. He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head and had his other arm wrapped around Jason as a precaution.
When the drop came and their screams and laughter met his ears, he laughed and screamed with them.
The three of them were in line for another ride when Thalia was already looking for their next destination on the map. Jason was bouncing on the spot, and Perseus had to set a hand on his shoulder to ensure that Jason didn't jostle into a mortal.
“Anything interesting, Bug?” Perseus inquired as he heard her make a few curious sounds.
“There’s one of those spinning boat rides that take you up.” she pointed out the attraction to him, but he could tell she was apprehensive about it due to the ride taking you a significant height off the ground.
“If I did it with you, would you still want to do it?” Perseus suggested, and Thalia looked up at her uncle.
“You’ll sit next to me?” and Perseus chuckled.
“Where else would I sit?” he asked with a slight smirk.
With the thrill of about a dozen rollercoasters and other attractions in their systems, and feet just starting to ache from standing in line and walking when Perseus wasn’t carrying them, the trio finally found themselves back on Main Street, USA.
Thalia’s eyes peered up at him behind his sunglasses, which he had given to her during their visit to Toontown at some point. “Can we get ice cream?” she asked just as they stopped in front of an ice cream parlor.
No longer tired, Jason did a little jump next to him, a smile on his face. “I want ice cream!” he said, and Thalia frowned at him.
“You’ll just drop it.” she grumbled and looked to her uncle for confirmation. “Right?” she asked.
Quite frankly, Perseus thought the day would have turned to ruin, and he would have had a sobbing mess on his hands when Jason had accidentally gotten too hyper and stumbled into his sister, causing her to drop the chocolate-covered churro that she was just about to bite into. What followed could only be described as a joyful, selective silence; the two demigods chose to communicate with each other only through him, yet still enjoyed the rest of the day for the most part.
Perseus directed them to a spot just underneath an awning and took a knee as he looked at Thalia. “If I buy you two scoops, will you forgive your brother?” he asked before looking at his nephew. “If you apologize to your sister and she deems it sincere, then I’ll also get you ice cream.” he offered, and Jason gave a little nod of his head. Despite that, Thalia crossed her arms and gave a loud huff of air.
Not letting her stop him, Jason stood directly in front of his sister, a remorseful look on his face. “I’m sorry, Big Sis. I was being dumb.” he muttered, looking down and kicking his feet.
Thalia rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses, “Yeah, you were.” she chided, and Jason’s head drooped lower at her tone. Thalia’s expression softened, “But you’re my little brother, so I’ll give you a pass.” she engulfed Jason in a hug, and his arms went around her. “But if that happens again, I’m stealing your sword and not giving it back.” she whispered in his ear, and Jason looked affronted as he pulled back.
“You can’t do that!” he yelled, and he instantly locked eyes with his uncle.
Perseus would have been concerned at what was whispered, and the severity of it had Thalia not snorted, and Jason shot her a look of suspicion.
“Do what, Buddy?” he inquired.
Jason pointed at Thalia and said, “Can she steal my sword?” Perseus shook his head in sudden amusement. He placed a hand on his nephew’s shoulder.
“I promise that she won’t.” Thalia pouted at his response.
“Aww, that’s no fun.” she complained.
The god snorted, “That’s what you get for stealing my sunglasses, Bug.” he ruffled her hair and stood up. “Alright, let's go get your ice cream.”
The sun was just starting to set over the park as the three of them wandered down the remainder of Main Street. “Gift shop first or ride first?” Perseus asked as he gestured to Jason to hand him his empty ice cream cup and threw it into the nearest bin.
Thalia took another bite of her cone and looked around them, trying to see if anything could catch her eye. “There’s a carousel over there.” she pointed to the ride with the still active line.
“What do you say, Buddy? You want to do the carousel with your sister?” Perseus asked his nephew.
Jason nodded wordlessly as he kept his eyes on the large gift shop. “I promise we’ll stop by the gift shop before we leave.” Perseus assured.
“Ride and then gift shop?” Jason repeated and Perseus nodded affirmatively.
“Yep, and you can even choose a couple of things to get.” Perseus guaranteed and Jason gave him a grin before grabbing his hand and his sister’s hand, running to the carousel.
“Let’s go then!” he shouted, making his sister laugh and Perseus shake his head fondly as he let himself be dragged to the ride.
They were close to stepping onto the carousel when the relatively young ride attendant looked at himself and Thalia and Jason.
“We got a few that can sit two or three people if your dad is going with you.” the attendant said, and Thalia looked up at him to confirm his answer.
“You’re coming with us, right?” she didn’t visibly react when the ride attendant called him dad, nor did Jason, but Perseus did, but he tried not to make his reaction too noticeable.
“Yeah, of course.” he replied, hoping his reply didn’t sound too choked up.
As Perseus stood just behind them and watched the two kids under his care laugh without a care in the world as they rode on porcelain horses, he wanted nothing more than to hear that for the rest of his life. The moment was as close to perfection as it could have been without having his Star by his side.
Later
The Island
Jason ran down the path towards Rhea’s house in excitement and waved his newly acquired toy sword in the air, eager to show her.
Rhea was already out on her patio with her brother beside her, eagerly picking up her grandchild and listening to him ramble about his day with a smile. Iapetus examined the sword and treated it as if it were real, putting on a show as Jason poked him with it at his grandmother’s insistence, and pretended to fall to the ground in pain, making both of them laugh.
Thalia laughed with her uncle as they walked more slowly towards the house.
Perseus carried the bag, mostly full of their newly acquired goods from the gift shop, while Thalia took her toy sword in her hands.
“Well, Bug. Think it was a good day?” Perseus asked with a small smile.
Thalia nodded happily, “It was awesome.” she said with a big grin.
Perseus ruffled her hair just a bit, “Good to hear.” he said quietly, just as the two reached the steps of the patio.
Thalia ran forward to show her grandpa her sword while Perseus hung back with his mother.
“Anything exciting?” Rhea asked with a smile as she watched her grandkids pretend to fight her brother. The smile on her son’s face caught her attention immensely and she looked at him curiously. “Something good then?” she asked further.
A picture appeared in his free hand, “Think I have my first family photo with them.” he said quietly and proudly, and handed the Polaroid over to his mother.
“Oh, son.” she whispered to him with adoration as she gazed upon the photo.
Perseus still had a smile when he looked away from his kids playing, “It’s pretty great.” he said as he saw himself on a knee with Thalia and Jason on either side of him, all three of them smiling widely.
A week later
It was late, and Thalia stared at the blank card like it’d personally offended her. The pencil hovered in her hand, tip grazing the edge of the paper, but her fingers refused to move. Her mind was a storm, a tumult of memories, half-formed sentences, and the echo of things she had tried to put on paper.
She leaned back in her chair, the wood creaking beneath her, and released a curse, hoping that her uncle didn’t just hear that.
Father’s Day was foreign. She’d never celebrated it and never made a card before this one.
Before she met her uncle, she never even said the word ‘dad’ without a layer of sarcasm or deflection. And now, here she was, trying to write something meaningful to Perseus, her uncle, her caretaker, the one who practically raised Jason and her, pretty much her father in all but name.
She glanced at the supplies Hadrian had brought her: a small stack of pre-folded cards, a tin of colored pencils, a glue stick, and a few stickers shaped like stars and shields. He’d even tucked in a tiny bottle of gold ink that looked overpriced if she went by the size of the bottle, but he probably thought that it would make the card feel regal.
Thalia snorted.
Regality wasn’t the problem. Trying to put down honest-to-god words was.
She wrote:
“Happy Father’s Day.”
Then stared at it. It looked wrong. Too cheerful. Too plain. Too much like something a stranger would write, and not from someone who’s been living under the same roof. She scratched it out, the graphite smearing across the card like a wound.
“To Uncle.”
Absolutely not, it felt too inappropriate, and that was the last thing she wanted on this but despite her reservations, she left it as a placeholder for now.
She added:
“I don’t know how to start this.” That was true and honest, but it also felt like a cop-out. Thalia sighed and pushed the card away, rubbing her temples. Her thoughts kept circling back to the same question: What did her uncle mean to her?
He was the man who saved her life and her brother’s, giving them an actual childhood despite being demigods. He was also the man who chose to spend ungodly hours staying up with her whenever she couldn’t sleep or just didn’t want to, someone who made her laugh like it was the easiest thing in the world, someone who insisted on not sleeping until he knew that she and her brother were asleep first, just in case they needed something from him before he himself went to bed but she still doubted that him going to bed before them would have changed much seeing as how he would waken at the first call of his name from Jason and her.
And that meant something to her.
The demigod stood up abruptly and paced the room. The moonlight spilled across the floor in pale ribbons, catching the edge of her slippers. She walked to the window and stared out at the quiet waves meeting the sands of the beach.
Thalia wondered if her uncle was awake, plagued with thoughts only he would know.
She imagined knocking on his door, handing him the card, watching his face as he read it. Would he smile? Would he cry? Thalia knew he would react at the minimum, but she didn’t know how he would respond, and her irrational fear surged through her.
Uncertainty gnawed at her.
She sat back down at the desk, and tried again.
“I’ve never written you a card before. I guess I never thought I needed to.” She paused. That sounded accusatory.
It was crossed out.
“I don’t know what kind of father you wanted to be. I don’t know what kind of daughter I’ve been but I hope I’ve been one you wanted so far.”
Better. Raw.
She kept writing.
“You taught me how to fight. How to survive as a demigod. To use my strengths to their fullest, never letting my doubts stop me, no matter what I thought at times. You’ve also shown me what a parent’s love is supposed to feel like. Like how there wasn’t a day I didn’t feel safe or cared for after you took us away. Spent years looking after us even before we came to live with you here.”
Her hand trembled slightly, and her vision blurred from the sudden tears forming.
“I’m not good at this. You would probably laugh if you knew how much I panicked over this, but I think about how you always look at me with pride and love, no matter what I did or learned. Telling Grandma and Grandpa about what we accomplished, even if they were there to watch us. Whenever you hug me, you make me feel safe and loved.”
She stopped.
“I don’t know if what I just wrote was extremely embarrassing, or if this can tell you how much I see you as my dad, and I’m sorry I never called you that yet when you deserved it. I probably should’ve told you earlier. ”
“I’m making this the night before Father’s Day, and it’s probably morning already, so this might not be my best work. I promise to make you a better card for next year if you still want one. Also, this was all mine, and Jason had no part in this, so it’s obvious I love you more.”
She let out a small laugh to herself.
“I love you, Dad.” she moved the pencil to just underneath the first word.
“Your daughter, Thalia.”
She dipped the brush into the gold ink again, tracing a small hourglass in the corner of the card—his symbol. As the gold shimmered softly in the moonlight, a gentle smile spread across her face. In that quiet moment, she felt something accurate and straightforward: he was her father. And more than that, she loved him for it.
Thalia looked at the finished card. It was simple, but she thought it was enough coming from her. The way her uncle had always been there when it counted, the rare moments when his gaze softened just for her. The fatherly love he showed them daily was steady and real, and it eased the weight on her heart. She hoped to have that love with her forever.
Folding the card carefully, Thalia set it on the desk with a lightness she hadn’t felt since before she took this project on. This card wasn’t just a piece of paper and that was more than enough.
Thalia blew out a long breath and debated with herself whether she should just slide the card underneath his door so he could read it when he woke up, or if she should wait to give it to him, and the latter won out. Her need to see his reaction to the card winning above all else.
With her heart still beating heavy as she now imagined his reaction, she pushed herself away from her desk, got up from her chair, and dropped onto her bed.
The next morning
The morning was quiet, the kind of stillness that made every sound feel louder. The three of them had just finished breakfast at home instead of going to their grandparents and Jason gave her a confident thumbs-up as he escaped to his room, understanding how important today was to her, and Thalia stood in the hallway to the living room alone, where her uncle stayed just as she had asked him to.
The card trembled slightly in her hands. She’d rehearsed what to say, then promptly forgot it all. Her heart thudded in her chest—not from fear, but from hope.
She stepped around the corner, card hidden behind her.
Her uncle’s expression instantly lit up when he saw her, and his gaze softened. “Hey, Bug. Everything alright?” he asked her, and she nodded.
Thalia sat down just next to him and held out the card, her voice barely above a whisper. “I made this for you.” holding it out. He took it without hesitation, but his eyes flicked to the card now in his hand, then back to her face.
Perseus’ brow furrowed, clearly trying to see if he missed out on a special day with his kids. The expression he caught on Thalia’s face had him silent, thinking that words were not appropriate at this time.
She played with her nails nervously while she watched the light spill across the floor as he unfolded the card. She knew it wouldn’t take him long to read through it, as she didn’t write much.
His eyes moved over the words, line by line, and Thalia could see the change in him—subtle, but unmistakable. His shoulders lowered. His breath caught. And when he reached the end, he didn’t look up right away. His jaw tightened, and he blinked once—twice—too quickly.
Thalia saw it. The way his shoulders shifted, the way he swallowed hard. He was trying not to cry. He paused. He blinked again. His hand trembled slightly as he set the card down on the coffee table, as if it was something sacred, and when he looked up at her, his eyes were wet.
And that, more than anything, made her heart ache; she’d never seen him cry, and she really didn’t want him to cry or she might cry with him.
“Like I said, it’s probably not my best work, but I still wanted to give it to you.” she said quietly.
“I meant every word.” she didn’t even need to convince him, but she still did.
Perseus' expression was plain as day, and his eyes—his eyes were glassy, full of something she’d seen daily. Pride. Gratitude. Love.
He reached out, gently taking her hand in his. Thalia’s breath hitched. She squeezed his hand, her heart full.
“You’re my daughter.” he said, voice rough. “You always have been.”
He pulled her into a hug, tighter and warmer than usual. She leaned into it, letting herself be held by her father. Thalia felt her tears form, and she smiled into the hug. “I know, Dad.”
Perseus let the tears fall, and he smiled, pulling his head back so he could look at his daughter. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, pouring all his love for his daughter into it, “I love you so much, Bug.” his hand went up to stroke her cheek with his thumb and she covered his hand with hers.
Thalia beamed through her tears, “I love you too, Dad.”
Perseus wouldn’t change the fact that the demigod in front of him was one-half of his legacy.
Neither of them wanted the hug to end and Thalia leaned into her father, his other hand now free from hers and his arm now around her.
Just as the silence settled into something tender and whole once more, footsteps padded into the open, and Jason stepped in, grinning as if he’d been waiting. “Can we celebrate now?” he said, his eyes twinkling. He paused when he saw them, the quiet closeness, the way his sister’s head was tucked under his uncle’s.
Jason’s smile faltered for a moment. “Was I too early on the timing?” he asked, softer now.
Thalia turned, her eyes still damp, but her smile was radiant. “Just perfect, Bro.” and laughed, wiping at her eyes, and Perseus gave a smile.
Jason, standing just a few feet away, blinked hard, “Can I have a hug as well?”
Her Dad opened an arm, “Of course, Little Man.” he smiled as Jason dove in with a grin.
“We can still celebrate, right?” Jason’s muffled voice asked.
“Of course. I need to brag to your grandparents about me having the best Fathers Day ever.” her Dad spoke with gleeful promise.
Jason snickered and Thalia laughed.
Now
Husband and wife stood quietly in front of the large bookshelf in their bedroom, the morning light casting soft shadows across the ornate wooden box Perseus kept on the top shelf.
Inside were years of memories—cards, notes, fragments of affection he often let himself dwell on.
He proudly added two brand new Fathers Day card to the collection with a reverence that felt almost sacred, placing it beside the cards he received in the years prior. His eyes flickered to the box next to his, similar in shape and design. On top of that one, was his wife’s most recent Mothers day cards from their kids.
Zoë stood beside him, her presence a constant to his heart as always. He held one of her cards gently, the edges already slightly worn from rereading. “I’m so incredibly proud of her. Of the both of them.” he murmured, voice thick with emotion as he turned to look at his wife.
She smiled softly, intertwining their hands together. “So am I.” she said with her eyes flickering back to her card. And as Perseus looked back at the newest card—he felt the joy of a life that, despite its battles, is deeply, fiercely loved.
Zoë nudged him gently, her hand squeezing his as he lingered on the newest card. Perseus blinked hard, clearing the mist from his eyes. She smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, “Now come on.” she said softly, her voice warm with affection, “Thalia has a cake waiting for you.” he let out a breath that was half a laugh.
He grinned at her, “Better not keep her waiting.”