"I think we did pretty well tonight," Dick said, leaning his elbows on his knees.

His feet dangled off the edge of the brick railing as he peered down to the street for any lingering criminals. Percy brought her legs in to sit crisscross, choosing to look up instead.

"We usually do," she hummed, a thread of confusion in her voice.

"At keeping it professional, I mean," Dick clarified, with a slight smile.

"Except for when you asked me if I had Friday night plans in front of that drug dealer."

"Except for that," he winced. When he glanced over, she was still gazing at the dusty gray sky. "Do you?"

Percy blinked, bringing her face back down. "No, why?"

"We haven't been on an actual date yet," Dick pointed out.

"This doesn't count?" she laughed.

"A proper one."

Percy brought her knees into her chest, an amused smile at her lips. "As in, get all dressed up, go to a fancy restaurant, and try to figure out which fork is for what food?"

"On the left, the outside one is for salad and the one closer to the plate is for the main course. The one on top is for dessert and if there's a fork on the right, it's for oysters," Dick dutifully recited from memory, with a false accent.

Percy burst into laughter, making all those years of galas and dinners worth it.

"Socialite mathlete," she snickered, and he shoved her lightly with his shoulder.

"Let's hear your ideas then," he shot back, "I'm vetoing anything that involves colored flags."

Percy closed her previously open mouth, pouting, but accepted the terms. She glanced briefly above her.

"Stargazing?" she suggested, "There's so much light pollution here, I haven't seen them in a while."

Dick thought about it for a second. Laying down on a soft blanket in the middle of nowhere, Percy curled up by his side, pointing out mythological constellations, telling each of their stories as if she had lived them. Knowing her, he wouldn't be surprised if she had.

"Yeah," he breathed, warmth spreading across his chest, "Let's do it."

Percy rested her head sideways, using her crossed arms as a pillow, and smiled at him. The wind whipped a thick strand of her hair to the opposite side, and Dick reached out to flip it back. He could have been content to sit there for the rest of the night, but he checked his watch for the time, knowing they had places to be.

"Come on," he said, reluctantly, "The others should be finishing patrol soon too."

LINEBREAK

Flashing straight into the cave, still in their uniforms, Percy followed Dick into the main area. She leaned against the wall, watching him restock his utility belt, endless extra supplies going in like it had the properties of Leo's magical toolbelt. After snatching a few miniature explosives, Dick pulled a sharp, bat-shaped projectile out of a drawer clearly labeled Do Not Touch and handed it over.

"Evidence," he grinned.

Percy heard the faint thrum of an engine in the distance, and plucked the batarang from his fingers, shoving it into her pocket just as a sleek black car pulled into the mouth of one of the larger tunnels.

The doors hissed open, raising upwards to the roof, and a gaggle of vigilantes spilled out, tumbling and yelling all over each other. They were still in their suits, though Percy now knew their names, having met nearly all of them separately, in and out of the masks.

"—your fat ass taking up the entire backseat," Tim hissed out, rubbing the outside of his elbow.

"It's all muscle, replacement," Jason rolled his eyes, "You could have just sat on top of the roof and held on, if you're that sensitive."

"And you could have not blown your motorcycle to pieces," the younger brother glared.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Steph said, mildly, smoothing out her cape, "I was fine."

Both Tim and Jason whirled on her instantly. "Because you got shotgun!"

Damian had been dusting off his cowl, seething silently, until he picked his head up and caught sight of her and Dick, being the first of the group to spot them.

"Perseus," he greeted, almost pleasantly, "Father told us about your induction to the league. Congratulations."

Tim pulled up beside him, the whites of his mask a strange mix of wide and narrow. "So you're actually a Greek demigod?"

Percy was about to nod, but then she saw several double-takes around the room. From Tim's question she thought Bruce must have told them about her heritage as well, but looking around, it seemed he had not. She glanced over to Dick, who also shook his head, indicating that he hadn't been the one to spill either.

Tim shrugged. "Hacked into the watchtower feed."

Bruce turned his face fractionally, cowl and all, toward his son with an unreadable stare, but Tim ignored it.

Jason pulled off his helmet roughly, revealing a gaping face. "Like Wonder Woman?" he demanded.

"So who's your..." Steph trailed off, unsure which side to ask about.

Before she or Tim could respond, Cass slunk closer, tilting her covered head eerily.

"Poseidon," she rasped, tracing the lines of her suit that made up the trident.

"Got it in one," Percy laughed, squeezing the girl's shoulder briefly over the cape.

Revealing her heritage to mortals always came with disbelief and a need for extensive explanations. The upside of coming out to a family of terrifying little geniuses was that she found herself having less and less talking to do. It was a different experience than she was used to, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it.

Damian walked closer until he was directly before her, eyes narrowed as he stared up.

"You are half god," he said, like he wanted her to challenge the statement, but Percy just nodded in confirmation, "Prove it."

Dick sighed, but didn't tell him off, mainly because they both knew his brother needed to see it for himself. Percy could have used her water powers, but then Damian might be able to dismiss it as a meta ability so instead, she reached into her pockets and took out her trusty weapon.

"My trainer, Chiron, gave this to me when I first found out about my heritage," said, ignoring Jason's hissed exclamation of the centaur? followed by Tim's scathing nerd, and continued, "It's kept me alive since I was twelve."

Damian peered closer at it, then glanced at her, unimpressed. "That is a pen."

Percy pressed her thumb against the cap, but Dick then leaned over to remind her of the mist and she stopped. She couldn't decide which resulting feeling was stronger: the embarrassment of forgetting or giddiness at the fact that he had remembered for her.

"Diana told you about the mist, right?" she took a second to ask Bruce, because messing with their heads without permission would definitely cause a riot. The man gave a short nod. "Can I remove it for you guys?"

"What does that entail?" he frowned.

"Me snapping my fingers," she shrugged, "I'm not going into your mind or anything, I'm just giving you guys the ability to see mythological stuff."

"She already did it for me," Dick added, "It doesn't feel like much."

Bruce tilted his head, then nodded for her to go ahead. Percy concentrated, breathing in and feeling the blanket of magic around them, and snapped her fingers. The mist warped, twisting invisibly around their bodies, before stretching thinner and thinner until it snapped.

"It is still a pen," Damian said shortly.

Percy smirked down at him and uncapped it, the celestial bronze blade unfurling to its full length, making him take a sharp step back.

"Holy shit, is that magic?" Steph asked, as all the vigilantes immediately crowded around the weapon like moths to a flame.

Dick snorted from beside her, like he hadn't done the same when Percy had shown it to him.

"Anaklusmos," she explained, "Or riptide, in English. It's made of a special material that can only hurt mythological creatures. It passes through anyone mortal."

Jason immediately swiped his arm horizontally across the blade, scowling when it came out unharmed. His siblings gave him a look for his enthusiasm, and he glared back.

"Sue me for having hope," he grumbled.

"As much as it would make sense," Tim fake sighed, then continued after testing it briefly himself, "You're not a cyclops, Hood."

Jason bared his teeth, pulling Tim into a chokehold at the insult. Steph took a second to try her luck at the sword, then turned her attention to cheer Jason on, flitting around the fight to give her two cents on their forms.

Damian and Cass took their turns testing it with cautious fingers that both went straight through to the other side.

"This is why you use Soteria, the steel allows you to fight humans," Damian realized, "I understand now."

Bruce approached, stopping behind Cass, and tilted his head down. Percy furrowed her brows, confused by his continued silence, but Dick grinned.

"Go on, B, try it," he snickered, "You know you want to."

"If it did not work on Robin, it will not work on me," Bruce pointed out, then paused. So fast Percy almost missed it, he swiped a gloved hand through riptide anyways.

"Sorry guys," she laughed, capping her sword once more, "Looks like you're all human."

"Don't be," Damian puffed out his chest, "It will be more meaningful once I earn Soteria from you."

Percy couldn't help it. She didn't want to laugh at him, but it broke free anyway, and she stifled it with her fist. He was just so adorable, all self-assured, not without reason of course, but still, it was cute.

"Wait, Percy," Dick spoke up, "Do they know about the other thing?"

Her eyes widened, genuinely excited to tell Damian she'd be training him officially.

"Oh, that. No, I—"

She paused suddenly, glancing at Dick with a furrowed brow.

LINEBREAK

Dick looked back at her, confused about why she had cut herself off. He backtracked his words, then realized what he had said.

"Did you just—"

"Whoops," he winced, a hand coming up to the back of his neck.

They had already decided to tell his family her identity and he had had a whole thing planned, a dramatic, over-the-top reveal complete with a drum roll. Dick wasn't supposed to drop it just like that and ruin the surprise.

"It's fine," Percy said, likely rolling her eyes under the mask.

He turned to see the rest of his family staring back with none of the shock he had hoped for. Cass was bouncing excitedly on her heels, while Jason and Tim had stopped their fight, realization slowly dawning on them. Steph looked unaffected, but unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, she hadn't been present for all his breakdowns so that made sense. Bruce's lips twitched, amused, but hardly surprised.

Dick glanced down at Damian, praying for one success out of the whole group, but his brother didn't deliver the stupor he wanted. Instead, Damian clenched his fists and glared up at him with a force Dick hadn't seen in a long time.

"Um, Dami, are you good—"

"How dare you," he seethed, "It is not fine. You said you made your decision."

Dick yelped, dodging out of the way as his brother lunged furiously at him.

"What the hell?" he grunted, as Damian landed a punch to his gut.

The rest of his siblings were no help. They just blinked, bewildered, as Damian rained hits down on his back.

"I didn't take you for a coward, Grayson," he snapped, trying to kick him in the shins, but Dick grabbed his leg and pushed him backward.

"I didn't do anything," Dick replied, incredulous, having to dance out of the way again.

He brought his hands up to his face to block the next few wild punches. Damian snarled, angrily, but everything in his posture screamed hurt and confused, and Dick had no idea what he had done so wrong.

"I know you were conflicted, but there's no excuse for—"

Finally, Percy slid behind Damian and wrapped her arms around his torso, picking up the flailing child and holding him in the air.

"Damian," she tried to soothe him, as he struggled to get out of her hold, "Chill out."

"I will do no such thing," he snarled, "He said he would choose you."

Dick threw his hands up, completely baffled. "I did," he said, making Damian's glare return tenfold.

"Then why did you call her by the wrong name?"

Percy's grip slackened, dropping Damian to the ground in surprise, as Dick blinked, limbs falling out of a fighting stance. His mouth opened uselessly as he stared at his still-glaring brother.

Damian tensed, legs getting ready to rush him again, but suddenly, Cass began to giggle, a hair-raising sound that echoed around the cave. Damian's anger evaporated into confusion as he took in the rest of his family, trying desperately to keep from laughing and Bruce, massaging his forehead through the cowl.

"Damian," Percy called out to him, amused. When he turned to look at her, she was already in the process of peeling off her mask. "I'm Percy."

Damian stiffened, realizing what he had done, and scrambled to stand up. He whipped his head between her and Dick, who walked over, rubbing his bruising arm.

"Oh. I'm—" he swallowed, "My apologies Grayson, I should not have jumped to conclusions."

Laughing despite the fight they just had, Dick leaned down to hug his brother. Of all the things for Damian to get angry about, this wasn't one he could be mad at him for.

"It's okay, Dami, you were just trying to defend her honor."

Damian tensed, but slowly unwound his muscles, letting the embrace last another few seconds before pulling away.

"And I appreciated it," Percy grinned, "But there's no need."

"Let me get this straight, demon," Jason drawled, removing his domino at the confirmation that there were no more secret identities left in the room, "You heard Dick call her Percy, and your first thought was that he got it wrong?"

Damian flushed. "It was not entirely unfounded," he snapped, making Dick pout.

"Oh, no, it totally was," Steph snickered, "Even I figured it out immediately."

Bruce removed the cowl and shook Percy's hand with a stoic expression. "It's nice to officially meet you, Percy," he said, "Dick trusts you with our identity, something I hope you do not take lightly."

"I'd never do anything that would put you guys in harm's way," Percy replied, expression uncharacteristically serious.

Bruce regarded her for a moment, then nodded.

"Except for all those torture drills she has planned," Dick laughed, pointing at his younger siblings, "You guys better prepare yourselves."

"The three-legged death race is fun," she argued, "And it wasn't even my idea, I'm just modifying it for them."

Bruce's expression pinched, like he was already regretting his decision but didn't verbally express it.

"Torture drills?" Steph repeated slowly, eyebrows raising.

Dick grinned, slinging an arm around Percy's shoulder proudly. "She's gonna be the new kiddie league trainer."

Damian gaped for exactly one second before he quickly schooled his expression. "What?" he said, looking almost hopefully at her, "You are?"

Percy nodded enthusiastically back.

"After a small transition period with Dinah, yes. She will supervise training at the mountain for the three of you," Bruce explained, pointing at him, Tim, and Steph, "And the others in your group, Wonder Girl, Blue Beetle, Beast Boy, Impulse, as well as any new recruits."

"What about me?" Cass signed, with a playful smirk.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Like you need the practice."

"Probably not," Percy admitted, "But team-building activities are still a part of training. And we need an even number of people for the race."

"Dibs on not Bart," Tim muttered.

"I know you've been having trouble with some of your peers," Bruce started, looking down at Damian. "And I thought," he paused, "This would be good for you."

Dick smiled, secretly proud at how far they'd all come. From Bruce's usually emotionally distant self to this, outright expressing the intentions behind his decision.

Damian looked a little overwhelmed at the idea Bruce had been thinking of him the whole time but nodded. "Thank you, Father."

Then Bruce glanced over to him and Percy, heading to a cabinet along the wall and returning with two stapled stacks of paper. "I wasn't kidding, I want these completed and handed in by the end of the week."

"B, are you serious," Dick groaned, "I never had to do this before."

Percy looked down at her copy with a frown. Arm still around her shoulder, Dick dipped his head to her ear before she got the chance to say anything. "Don't worry, I'll read out the scenarios and we can answer the questions together."

Percy smiled up at him gratefully. "Thanks."

Bruce cleared his throat, and they jumped apart. "This is not a group assignment," he said, dryly.

Tim snuck over, curious, and snatched the packet away from Dick. His eyes widened and he cackled, reading out the title. "Sexual harassment prevention training and dating etiquette in the workplace. No way," he said, letting Jason take it from him as he looked at Bruce. "They're that bad?"

Jason snorted, loudly. "The only other time you've pulled this out was when Ollie first joined the league and wouldn't stop following Dinah around."

"Are these, essay questions?" Percy muttered, scandalized, flipping through her copy and seeing several pages of blank, lined paper.

"You dictate, I write?" Dick grimaced.

"Again, these must be completed individually," Bruce said, then turned to Tim, "Did you not watch the meeting recording until the end?"

"Nah, I stopped after the water trick," Tim replied, then smirked, "Why? Did something happen?"

"No," both Dick and Percy said instantly, then glanced at each other nervously.

Tim stared at them for a moment, before launching himself at the bat computer. Dick reacted immediately, tackling his brother to the ground to intercept him and sitting on his torso.

"Quick," he grunted, "His—"

Percy pinned Tim's legs to the ground, rendering him unable to kick, and they both sighed in relief.

"Christ, get off of me," Tim wheezed, pushing in vain against Dick's body.

Dick grinned down at him smugly, about to retort, when he heard Jason make a retching noise in the corner. He turned, stomach dropping to see him playing the video on the large computer screen.

Had his face really been that red? Dick thought miserably. He watched him and Percy run out of the council room, before the video blinked to black, then restarted from the beginning.

"You better fill that shit out, dickhead," Jason said, mouth downturned in disgust, "I'm grading it myself."

"I have dyslexia," Percy piped up, letting go of Tim's legs, "If you can't read ancient Greek, can I be exempt?"

Dick shot her a betrayed look, and, damage already done, slid off of his brother, who crawled to the side to cough air back into his lungs.

"Answers can—also be—submitted in an—audio format," Tim answered, gasping for air.

"Can someone rewind the video?" Damian asked, making them all glance at him in alarm, "I would like to see Father yell at Jordan again."

Steph grinned, flying her fingers over the keyboard. "I'll loop the clip, and we can watch it on repeat."

"Please do not post it on the internet, Stephanie," Bruce sighed, "That is confidential."

Dick glanced over to Percy, who had also settled on the floor, and smiled tiredly at her. His family was a lot to handle, but she seemed to be having fun watching Steph mess with the sound effects, deepening Bruce's voice even further.

"Can you zoom in on Orin's face there?" she piped up.

Steph snickered, fulfilling Percy's request, then going further by increasing the volume on the splattering of water.

Cass padded softly up behind Dick, footsteps purposefully audible, and tapped his shoulder.

"You followed your gut," she signed, smiling, "I'm proud of you."

He remembered that conversation at the dinner table, hunched over into himself, guilt-stricken, as she squeezed his hand and told him he was going to be fine. Cass was right, she always was.

"I'm just lucky she felt the same, about both sides of me," Dick signed back, unable to properly convey his gratitude.

His sister's lips twitched up. "Loyal," she whispered, amused, before turning around.

Dick paused, watching her go. An itch scratched at his brain, and he followed the thread, trying to tug it loose, before he inhaled sharply. Months ago, meeting Percy in the café, that was the first thing Cass had said to her.

"Did you know?" he gaped, but his sister didn't answer, just continued towards the elevator to the manor as he scrambled after her, "This whole time—Cass, Cass?"

LINEBREAK

Dick stood on the unfamiliar doorstep, feet pressing against the cheerful welcome mat, and shifted his grip on the bouquet. With a slightly clammy hand, he tugged on the neck of his shirt. Percy had said casual was fine, but now he was wondering if he should have gone with something collared. And the flowers, were they okay? He had done his research to make sure none of the ones he picked were poisonous to animals, but maybe he should have double-checked.

"With your luck, they will be allergic."

Dick glared down at Damian beside him. His brother smirked back, then adjusted his grip on Alfred the cat so he didn't get whiny about being held for so long. Actually, the flowers were probably fine because Damian wouldn't have let him within a ten-foot radius if he was holding something that could harm Alfred.

The door opened a minute or two after his initial knock, and he was greeted by Percy's smiling face.

"You're late," she told him.

Dick instantly paled, glancing down at his watch before relaxing.

"Not funny," he said, as she leaned in to hug him.

"I laughed," Damian assured her, letting her ruffle his hair slightly.

"No you didn't," Dick muttered, as crossed over the threshold and resisted the urge to trip his brother.

Percy led them through the entrance hallway, passing several picture frames that Dick made a mental note to stop to look at later. However, he caught a glimpse of one that made his feet pause. It was of Percy as a young teen, splayed out on a picnic blanket with her mother, who was posing for the camera. Percy had her mouth around a sandwich, with dark sunglasses perched on her nose and the park behind them was lush and green and oh so familiar.

"Was that on the fourth of July?" he asked, awed.

"Where we met for the first time," she finished, nodding as if just now realizing the significance of that picture.

Dick took one last look, suddenly not feeling nervous at all, before following her into the living room.

His first impression of Sally Jackson-Blofis was that she somehow looked exactly like Percy and entirely different at the same time. She was shorter by several inches, with light blue eyes and much softer features compared to Percy's regal ones. Her hair was neater and lighter in color, and despite all the distinctions, Percy was a carbon copy of her.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Dick," she said, smiling, and embraced him warmly.

He hadn't been expecting it at all, feeling strangely comfortable around someone he didn't know, but there was another thing Percy and her mom had in common.

As soon as Sally let go of him and he handed over the flowers, Paul Blofis shook his hand in greeting, more formal, but just as welcoming. Percy's stepdad looked vaguely like a television actor, with a square jaw and kind eyes that crinkled when he smiled at him.

"Are you must be Damian," Sally continued, giving his brother the same smile. "Estelle's told us a lot about you."

Damian's eyes widened a fraction and glanced over to Dick for help navigating these waters.

Sally laughed at the exchange. "She said you liked animals and winning."

"I suppose that is accurate," Damian replied, grudgingly, then lifted his arms, "This is Alfred."

"The guest of honor," Paul nodded, entirely serious, then turned his face to angle it at the other open doorway, "Stella, they're here!"

"Here we go," Percy muttered from his side.

Dick heard the scramble of footsteps before Estelle ran in, Duckie the cat at her heels, and launched herself up at him. He caught her easily, laughing, before setting her back down on the ground.

She turned around to see Duckie stretching his arms up onto Damian's leg, trying to reach the newcomer. His brother held Alfred in the air, letting the animals sniff each other, before deeming it safe to let him down. Almost immediately, Duckie swiped a brown paw, smacking the other cat in the face. Alfred was normally quiet around others, keeping to himself unless Damian was nearby, but this time, he responded by pouncing and rolling their bodies onto the carpet.

"Duckie," Estelle scolded, no doubt trying to imitate her parents, "Don't be mean to our guest."

She crouched down to try and scoop him up, but Damian held out a hand to stop her.

"They are just playing."

"Really?" she asked, suddenly interested.

"Yes, that is how they show affection. They will not hurt each other."

Estelle's eyes widened. "You know a lot about cats."

"I do," Damian nodded, standing a little straighter. "What would you like to know?"

Percy's sister grinned, excitedly, and asked why Duckie's tail moved so weirdly sometimes, starting Damian on a small lecture on the different emotions behind the shape of cat tails. Estelle settled on the floor to be closer to her pet and listened with rapt attention.

"His first younger sibling," Percy leaned over to tell Dick, making him smile involuntarily.

"He's good at it," he muttered back, unwilling to disturb them.

Sally, who had been watching on fondly with her husband, broke her gaze to address them.

"Percy, honey, can you watch the kids while Dick helps set up dinner?"

The nerves came back in full force, and Dick now knew exactly how Percy had felt meeting Bruce and the Justice League for the first time. Granted, the latter weren't his parents, but she still felt like her impression would have impacted their time together.

Steeling himself, Dick nodded, and catching Percy's encouraging look, followed her mother into the kitchen.

Sally handed him a stack of plates and utensils, saying she needed to warm up the food on the stove, and Dick dutifully began to set everything out. Paul brought a few side dishes out of the fridge, uncovered the lids, and arranged them in the center.

Neither of them said anything to him besides a few simple instructions, or a please and thank you. There was almost no sign of an impending shovel talk, which only worsened the anticipation.

"I'm not going to yell at you," Sally laughed, stirring her pot with a spoon.

"Was I that obvious?" Dick asked, sheepishly.

Paul reached into a drawer, handing his wife the saltshaker she had previously asked for, and leaned against the counter to watch Dick near the table.

"It's all over your face," Sally said, shaking her head, "But that's not why I called you in here."

Dick blinked. The Jackson-Blofis household was just full of unexpected surprises, and again, he could see how Percy had grown up in this place.

"It's not?"

"I can already tell how much you care about our daughter," she said, "I don't think empty threats are going to do either of us any good."

"Though they wouldn't be empty if she made them," Paul added.

There was a strange resulting glint in Sally's eye that revealed he wasn't joking.

"And Percy can take care of herself," she continued, "So I'm not going to ask you to watch over her, even though I know you will probably do that anyway."

"So then why am I here?" Dick frowned.

He set the last fork down, and now that his hands were free, he didn't know what to do with them, except for letting them rest uncertainly on the table.

"Other than for the extra hand?" Paul raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, stop teasing him," Sally chided.

She fixed Dick with a stare full of such genuine kindness that it made him stop in place. Not many adults had looked at him like that.

"Be happy together," she smiled softly, "That's what I wanted to say. Percy's been through a lot, and I'm sure you've had your fair share of troubles too. I want her to be happy, and even though we don't know each other very well yet, I want the same for you too."

"Oh," Dick said, blinking, eyes feeling unnaturally heavy, "Yeah, I can do that."

"Good," Sally replied, turning off the stove, "Now do you mind telling the others we're ready?"

As he walked out, utterly reeling, because of all the things she could have said, he hadn't planned for that, Dick heard Paul mutter, "Are you sure you didn't want to threaten him, just a little?"

Sally laughed, and it sounded almost exactly like Percy. "That's not what he needed."

LINEBREAK

Percy hadn't been that worried about letting her parents pull Dick aside, because she knew them and knew they wouldn't say anything that would cause lasting damage. They had been over the moon when she set up the whole dinner, thankfully accepting her declaration that it would be Dick joining them without any real questions about why it wasn't Nightwing.

But when Dick returned to the living room, he looked visibly shaken up, eyes somewhat misty as he approached her.

"My mom's not that scary, is she?" Percy asked.

Sally could be terrifying actually, she knew that from secondhand experience, but also knew that it was reserved only for the worst of the worst.

"You have a lot of her traits," he replied, rubbing his face.

Percy wasn't really sure what traits he was talking about, but he was smiling when he said it so they must have been positive. Before she could ask about it, and what exactly her mom had said to put him in his current state, Estelle tugged on his pants, making them look down.

"Come see my action figures," she demanded.

"Of Kid Flash," Damian replied, sneering slightly, "They are unimpressive."

Estelle glanced back at him, pouting, and Percy caught the exact moment the boy's expression faltered.

"I would love to," Dick started, smiling because he had seen it as well, "But your mom sent me to get you guys for dinner."

"What about the cats?" Estelle asked.

Percy looked over to see Duckie and Alfred curled up on the windowsill, sleeping peacefully despite the time they spent slapping each other across the room.

"They will be fine," Damian assured.

LINEBREAK

Sitting around the table with all of them was a little awkward at first, a round of initial questions needed to break the ice, but after everyone had loosened up, the conversation flowed a lot better. Once she had broached the subject of her heritage, her mom had proceeded to tell Dick about all the things Percy had done as a child, every not-so-finest moment including the cannonball school bus incident. Dick had immediately choked on his water, and as revenge, she had refused to help clear it. On the other hand, Percy couldn't tell whether she had lost or earned some of Damian's respect, but she decided she wasn't going to ask.

Dick talked briefly about living with Bruce, and his siblings, and the fact that their father had an adoption problem, to which Paul had pointed out Sally was the same way, only she wasn't rich so they couldn't complete the process legally. Emotionally is what matters, Dick had pointed out, and Percy had watched her parents glance at each other, immensely pleased with the answer.

"Will you come back to visit?" Estelle asked, looking at Damian pleadingly.

The boy in question frowned, uncertain if her invitation had been approved by her parents. "Perhaps, if I am able to make the time."

"You could meet Mrs. O'Leary," Percy's sister tried, a glint in her eye.

"Who is—"

"Only the nicest hellhound ever! She's this big," Estelle gushed, utensils coming down so she could stretch her arms out wide. "Bigger than six of me," she corrected.

Percy hid a smile at Damian's utterly shocked face. "Think, the size of a garbage truck," she said, setting the record straight.

"I am free tomorrow," Damian replied promptly, "Grayson?"

"I have work," Dick frowned, "But maybe—"

Paul chuckled. "If he can be dropped off, we'd be more than happy to watch him."

Damian's expression twisted, excitement bleeding through before he covered it. "I will speak to my father," he said nodding.

Later, when Estelle had dragged him off to see her toys, Percy sat with Dick on the couch in the living room, her parents in the twin chairs across. Somewhere in a lull of conversation, Dick cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter.

"I wanted to share something with you," he said, looking at Sally and Paul, "It's a pretty big secret that could put my family in danger, so I'd appreciate it if it didn't get out to the public."

Percy hadn't invited him over for this express purpose. She knew it was a possibility, but she wasn't lying when she told Dick she didn't mind waiting a little. She squeezed his hand, asking if he was sure, and saw him nod, determined.

"You don't have to tell us," Paul started, thoughtfully, "But it seems as though you've made up your mind."

Dick took a slight breath in. "I'm Nightwing."

Both of her parents blinked, before their eyes widened with understanding. Sally's gaze flicked between the two of them.

"So you've been—"

"Pining over the same person?" Percy snorted, "Yeah, pretty much."

Dick relaxed at their reaction, the fact that they barely batted an eye at the actual identity, more focused on their relationship. "To be fair," he laughed, "We both were."

"That's wonderful," her mom smiled, "I'm very happy for the two of you."

Paul snorted, suddenly ruining the moment.

"Sorry, I'm glad it worked out for you both," he assured them, "But I'm having trouble believing you spent that much time around each other and had no idea."

"Come on, Paul, give them a break." Sally huffed, "All that taking sides nonsense must've been really tough."

"It's okay," Dick said, sheepish, "I don't know how we missed it either."

"Maybe the mist hid it?" Paul shrugged.

"That's not how that works, honey," Sally said gently.

Percy paused.

What was it that Calypso had told her, back when she visited for her suit? It's its own entity, it works in mysterious ways.

Percy knew demigods were also susceptible to it sometimes, but that couldn't have been what happened, right? The idea that it was the mist that kept Dick and Nightwing in entirely separate parts of her brain, so she didn't connect the dots between them was ridiculous. Even for the mythological world, that was insane, batshit crazy.

Percy shook it off, with a mental laugh. There was no way. Brushing that thought aside, she looked back up and rejoined the conversation.

Leaning against Dick's side as he tried to explain the logistics of balancing work with vigilantism, Percy laughed at Paul's increasing concern for Dick's sleep schedule. She blinked, then groaned, remembering that she might now be faced with a similar problem. Dick paused, glancing at her with a knowing look, and Percy realized with a start she had yet to inform her parents of her new employment status.

LINEBREAK

On Friday, the forecast was cloudy. Dick wouldn't tell her where exactly it was too cloudy to stargaze because he wanted to keep it a surprise, but apparently, the visibility index was so low they had to postpone it. Percy didn't mind. They would go eventually. And sitting in Dick's apartment, a blanket pulled over their legs as they watched a movie, pausing far too often to make fun of the characters, she couldn't really complain.

When the credits started rolling, Dick stretched out the kinks in his arm from where he had it wrapped around her shoulder and turned to her with a thoughtful frown.

"Was it really the mist?"

Percy blinked, then huffed, not even surprised he had picked up on her reaction to Paul's words.

"I don't know," she said, truthfully, "If it was, then that means I know a lot less about it than I thought. And if it wasn't, that just means we were really stupid."

Dick chuckled, shaking his head. "Mist or no mist, we were definitely idiots."

"You even told me at city hall that you knew Nightwing, and I just brushed it off thinking you had law enforcement connections," she groaned.

"You laughed every time I brought up the BHPD," he said, rolling his eyes, "And I figured you just thought we were a joke."

"I met your siblings at the park, and then the batkids on patrol the same night," Percy stressed, hands covering her eyes, "And didn't even think twice."

Dick tugged on one of her wrists, rubbing a thumb over her camp Jupiter brand.

"It's a family thing?" he repeated what she had said that day, "I should've known, at least after Montauk."

Percy snickered at her horrible cover-up. "To be fair, I didn't tell you about the Roman gods until later."

"If you had, we could've been here sooner."

She stared at him for a moment, lowering her hand to her lap. Dick didn't let go, just shifted his grip to accommodate.

"I dunno," she said, shrugging, "I'm not mad about how it turned out."

"Neither am I," he replied, smiling softly, "Even if I gave Jason enough insult material for the next decade."

"Speaking of," Percy snickered, "Where's our homework?"

"Shredded."

"You promise?"

Dick smirked. "I swear on the Styx."

Thunder boomed in the distance, sealing it, and Percy broke down in laughter at the thought of him using the most serious oath she knew to prove that he had really ripped up those horrific sheets of paper.

"What?" he grinned, "Did I do that wrong?"

"No, it was perfect," she wheezed, clutching her stomach.

Across from the couch, the credits finished and the TV auto-played the next title, starting a new movie Percy had no attention span left to watch after having been sitting for so long.

"It's still early," Dick said, noticing her shift on the cushions, "Do you wanna do something else?"

"Patrol?" she suggested.

"Already asked Cass to cover it today, might as well take advantage," he replied, shrugging.

Percy's eyes brightened with an idea. "You said you had exercise mats?"

LINEBREAK

"How much do you know about the human body?" Dick asked, as Percy shrugged off her hoodie to fight in a loose tank instead, "Vulnerable points, nerve centers, stuff like that?"

She scrunched her face, thinking. "Basic weak points like the eyes and throat, but I only aim for those when fighting monsters, sometimes demigods. With other people, I don't know much by name, but I've gotten the hang of how to make them drop their weapons. After that, I just..."

Percy made a vague gesture with her hands, and Dick snorted.

"Push them to the ground?"

She grinned. "More or less."

"Okay, come here," he directed, positioning her a foot or two away from him, "Dinah will probably go over some advanced techniques with you, but I'll show you a few things you can use during patrol."

Dick reached out and lightly tapped a spot of skin directly under her navel. Percy glanced down to look.

"If you punch here, aiming diagonally down, it'll put someone on their ass. Doesn't always work for skilled opponents because they know what to expect, but I've used it all the time on random thugs who don't," he explained, watching her soak all the information in, eyes sharper than usual. "Wanna try?"

Nodding eagerly, Percy took a small step back, clenching her fist. He gently guided her other hand to rest on top of it.

"Two hands?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Easier to control the angle at first," he said, "Okay, whenever you're—"

Percy's arms shot out without warning, and Dick accidentally clenched his torso, reacting instinctively to expect the blow. In the split second she made contact and garnered no reaction, he winced apologetically.

"Sorry, let me—"

The next thing Dick knew, there was another razor-sharp movement, and he was on the ground, hitting the mat backward with a short grunt of pain.

"Skilled opponents, huh?" Percy grinned, eyes shining with mirth as she peered down at him.

Dick took the hand she stuck out and let her pull him back upright.

"You expected the first," she continued, "So I hit again, right after—"

"My initial guard came down," he nodded, impressed, "Are you sure you need my advice?"

"Beginner's luck?" she shrugged.

"Not when you explained exactly why what you did worked," Dick laughed, "Okay, how about this instead? I show you a jujitsu takedown, and then we can spar, and you can try to use it."

"Finally," Percy grinned sharply, making his pulse stutter a beat before he got it under control again.

Dick widened his stance a few inches, bringing his arms loosely up to his face, and gestured for Percy to do the same.

"You see how there's an opening here?" he said, briefly pointing out her torso, and she nodded, "First, I'm going to close the distance, like this."

Ducking down slightly, Dick stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist and clasping them at her lower back, so that his head was positioned under her right arm. Percy's raised elbows brushed uncertainly over his back.

"I'm also bringing my hips in," he continued to explain, "If I don't, that leaves a space between my head and shoulder, and you'd be able to—"

Percy straightened her arm, then turned it in the opposite direction, and twisted it around his neck, putting him in a loose chokehold from above.

"Do this?" she asked, the smile audible in her tone.

Dick's lips twitched up at how easily she picked up on the opening.

"Exactly. So put your entire body into the movement and—" he huffed, "You have to let go, Seph, or I won't be able to show you."

Percy snickered, the pressure around his neck disappearing. Dick tightened his hold around her torso, one hand over his other closed fist.

"From here, I'm trying to pull you forward so you fold backward at the knees. And to do that, I'm gonna turn my first. You feel it?"

Dick twisted his wrist bone into her lower back, making Percy's knees buckle just slightly, but it was enough of a surprise to make her inhale sharply.

"Shit," she breathed, as he released the pressure so she could get her footing back, "I didn't think it would be that effective."

"All about balance," he smiled, unhooking his arms and pulling back completely, "If you step forward and follow through, you'll have someone on their back."

Dick demonstrated the wrist hold he used so she could see it this time. Percy mirrored it, miming the twisting movement before nodding.

"Okay, I think I got it," she said, stepping back to put some distance between them, "I'm ready to try."

The stance she slipped into was lazy, deceivingly casual, with her hands curled loosely at her sides. Dick's own feet shifted into a more stable position as he watched her analyze him, eyes flicking almost imperceptibly across his limbs.

"No powers, no weapons, no cheating," Dick reminded her.

Percy cracked a teasing smile, already breaking the third rule, and lunged forward.

Percy might not have had an extensive martial arts training background, but fighting her took all of his mental concentration, solely for the reason that Dick could not figure out what she was going to do next for the life of him.

Nearly everyone he had faced in the past telegraphed at least somewhat, tensed arms before moving them, glanced at openings before taking them, but that wasn't how Percy fought at all. Eyes fixated directly on his now, she lashed out with one arm, and when he dodged the punch, she was already bringing the other to his torso.

It was like she reacted on instinct alone, not knowing her next move until she was already making it. Years of experience under his belt let Dick keep up, though he could feel the sweat beading at his forehead. Percy feinted right, then ducked under his resulting hook to elbow the inside of his bicep, but, biting through the sharp pain, Dick turned his wrist out to catch her arm. Before he could twist the limb, she kneed him in the thigh and danced out of his grip.

Back to their starting stance, Dick narrowed his eyes as he circled her.

"Don't forget, your goal is to take me down," he reminded.

Percy was starting to flush as well, the fabric of her shirt catching her skin. "But you already know it's coming," she huffed out.

"Are you saying you can't do it?" he teased.

Her eyes glinted with the challenge, swirling shades of green that Dick had no idea even existed until now. There was no distinction to be made. The look she gave him was Percy and Perseus, Sef and Seph, all at once. Briefly stunned in a way that almost never happened to him in battle, Dick's concentration slipped.

She shot forward again, this time crouching to throw a punch at his stomach.

The ceilings in his apartment weren't high enough for his liking, and Dick had to remember at the last second to keep himself low, forgoing his usual backward evasive flip to haphazardly dive forward. He grabbed at Percy's shins, wrapping one hand around her ankle as he slid his legs around in an attempt to pull her off balance, but she turned and kicked him straight in the chest with her other foot.

Dick felt his breath leave him, along with his grip, as he rolled uselessly to the edge of the mat.

LINEBREAK

"Sorry, put too much strength in that one," Percy winced, dropping her arms, "Are you okay?"

She milled a few feet away as she watched Dick press his hands to the ground and peel himself off the floor.

"You weren't gonna help me up?" he rasped with a faint smirk, then inhaled, letting oxygen enter his lungs once more.

"So you could pull me down with you?" she retorted.

Dick grinned back, almost innocently.

Percy didn't often get tired while fighting, especially since they hadn't been at it for long, but sparring with Dick was starting to make her feel out of breath. He moved so damn much, twisting side to side, sliding out from whatever corner she thought she could box him in, true to his gymnast background.

She just needed one opening where his torso was unblocked, and to be close enough to take advantage of it. If beating him at his own game wasn't possible, she would have to resort to something else. Percy wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand, getting back into a fighting stance.

Dick attacked first this time, two quick jabs in succession, and she sidestepped them both, letting her legs guide her. Percy let loose a wild right hook, taking him by surprise as the blow swiped across his face. He recovered quickly, grabbing the arm and using the hold to spin her body around. She felt her legs begin to stumble as the move pulled roughly at her arm socket.

All of a sudden, Percy smirked, digging the heels of her feet sharply into the mat, and used the jolt to whip her wrist free. Dick's eyes widened, but it was too late. She launched forward with the new momentum and drove her shoulder into his chest.

Remembered what he had shown her earlier, Percy brought her hands around his torso, stepping one foot between his legs, and twisted her wrist into the small of his back. The second she felt his knees start to buckle, she leaned forward and yanked him closer, until his feet left the ground and he thudded backward to the mat. Following the movement through, Percy dropped down with him, caging his torso in with her knees and grabbing his wrists to keep him from lashing out.

Dick's eyes gleamed as he gazed up at her, chest heaving with exertion and hair all splayed out on the mat.

"The point of this was so you didn't body slam people," he huffed out, letting his arms relax, even though Percy could see a dozen ways he'd be able to get out of her hold.

"You're just mad because it worked," Percy shot back.

He started to laugh, but she didn't miss the way his lips pulled back in a slight wince.

"Too much again," she frowned, guilty, as she dropped his wrists, "How bad does it hurt?"

"Not even a little," he grinned, clearly lying through his teeth.

Percy raised her eyebrows and ran her fingers lightly over his collarbone, drawing out another tiny flinch. He rolled his eyes fondly.

"I'm serious, Percy, it's fine, I'll heal."

"But—"

Dick shifted his legs sharply, and she wasn't sure exactly how he had done it, but suddenly Percy was jerked forward, arms coming up to brace herself. Her hands thudded against the mat, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself inches from his smirking face.

His skin was still flushed from their spar, a thin sheen of sweat making his bangs stick to his forehead. Percy shifted her weight to one hand and brushed them to the side, revealing blown-out pupils.

"So you were being serious," she teased, not talking about his most recent statement and they both knew it.

"Lasso of truth," he breathed out, fingers curling around her waist, "But I doubt you'd need the reminder to believe me."

Percy couldn't help the giddy smile that crawled onto her face as she stared down at him, because he was entirely right. He gazed back, through half-lidded eyes, and suddenly Percy couldn't see anything else except Dick and Nightwing and every blend in between. He raised his chest off the ground, and she blinked out of her daze. Percy pushed him gently back down before he could get too far.

"Still injured," she reminded him, but his grin only widened.

"You're not gonna help me up?"

"You'll just pull me down," Percy muttered, dipping her head to kiss him instead.

Warmth shot up her spine like a rocket as she cupped her fingers under the back of his head, tangling them into his damp hair. Everything coherent escaped her, the only sentence to pass through being that she never wanted to be anywhere but here, before it was all replaced by the dizzying press of skin. Dick smiled against her lips like he had caught that last thought, tilting his chin to return the kiss better, hands squeezing at her skin.

From outside the room, the doorbell rang obnoxiously.

"Ignore it," he mumbled, pressing kisses along her jaw, "'S nobody."

It rang again.

Percy's head swam as she struggled to nod. "Girl scouts," she breathed out, hearing him chuckle against her throat.

The third time was also the fourth and fifth, each subsequent buzz angrier than the last, making Dick pause. Violently cursing every single god she knew in her head, Percy reluctantly pulled back and tried to snap herself back to reality.

LINEBREAK

"I have to get that, don't I?" Dick groaned loudly, letting the back of his head hit the mat with a dull thud.

He almost closed his eyes, but the sight of Percy above him, blinking blearily like she was waking up from a dream, was far too important to miss.

The sixth time the bell rang, whatever downright evil being was behind the door held the button down, and the sound blared continuously, making them both wince.

Percy shifted, unhooking her leg from around his hips, and stood. If their ears weren't currently being assaulted, he would've mourned the loss of the pleasant weight. Instead, Percy huffed disappointedly, and Dick gave her an apologetic look before getting up to answer it.

He crossed the living room in a few long strides, not even bothering to make himself look presentable.

Throwing it open irritably, Dick scowled. "What is your pro—"

The word instantly died in his throat.

The stranger before him stared back unreadably, eyes hard as they took in his current appearance. He had never seen this man in his life, and Dick didn't scare easily, but his grip on the doorknob slackened as he took an instinctive step back.

The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, like he could taste the humidity on his tongue. The bead of sweat that fell from the nape of his neck trickled down his back in an unnatural pattern, zig-zagging back and forth under his shirt.

Dick knew those eyes, the ones that were now narrowed into a hair-raising glare.

Behind him, he heard Percy's soft footsteps approach. She wrapped one arm around his waist and suddenly he could breathe normally again, the oxygen no longer taking effort to inhale.

"Who is it?" she asked, hooking her chin over his shoulder to look, "I bet—"

The man's gaze shifted to her, dipping a few inches down to where Dick knew her throat was slowly darkening. Violent fury flashed across his face.

Percy's fingers tightened into his skin, and Dick knew there would likely be bruises tomorrow but right now he was just utterly grateful for the pressure.

"Richard Grayson-Wayne," Lord Poseidon hissed, voice thrumming with poorly restrained power, "We need to talk."

Dick nodded faintly, and unable to do anything else, shifted aside to let him into the apartment. Before the god could step over the threshold, Percy moved, tugging Dick behind her to face her father.

"Sure," she shrugged, again with that deceivingly casual posture.

Dick saw the exact second her hand clenched around the doorknob and just knew.

"But he's busy right now," Percy snarked, "Try again another day."

With that, she slammed the door in her gaping father's face, rattling its hinges. When she turned back around, with a growingly sheepish expression, Dick already had his head in his hands, mentally going over his will.

"He's gonna be back here tomorrow and then he will definitely kill me."

"In that case," she said, lips twitching, as she peeled his fingers away from his face, "I'll just have to come back to help you reschedule."

Dick really should have been more concerned about the fuming Greek god that could very well have been standing outside his apartment, still glaring behind the closed door. Instead, he grinned and opened his mouth to say something that would have sealed his fate if Poseidon was indeed listening.

"Why even leave in the first place?"

Percy smiled impossibly wide, before pulling him into another kiss that made every single one of Dick's worries instantly melt away.

A.N.

That's a wrap !!!!

(At least for now, I can't promise anything, but I have left a bunch of little things open for future one shots if I get the time. I'm marking it as complete, but other oneshots I'd probably just add as extra chapters)

Anyways, thank you for everyone who read, gave kudos, commented, whatever, I'm super glad I was able to finally finish this story, your support was super motivating.

as always, I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter <3