Percy’s POV

We where at the playground that just had opened next door to McDonalds. It was an indoor playground and the kids really wanted to go there. Sebastian had said that Mellie was going to be there and he would be picked on if he weren’t there too. So I took him and Annie there.

   Annie was playing by the building and painting section. The grown ups that were there to check up on their own kids had started to lean over to see what Annie was creating.

   She has always been quiet out in public and would rather sit and read or draw but now she was laughing and explaining away. I wondered if she was drawing that temple that she has been obsessed with.

   Nico had this brilliant idea to teach the kids about the Greek Gods and mythology just so he could play Mythomagic with them. The result was that Annabeth started drawing temples and wanted to watch Disney’s Hercules every other day, while Sebastian started frowning and only played the game when he saw Nico being upset.

   I started looking for Sebastian I haven’t been keeping my eye on him for the past couple of minutes because I wondered if I was going to “save” Annie from the social event that was occurring around her.

   The playground was huge! You had the drawing/building station, and then came a ball pit with color full balls in it and it looked almost like a swimming pool, I hoped that Sebastian wasn’t in that one. Then there was a jungle gym for the older kids, it was full of slides and climbing walls and tunnels and all that stuff that made kids go crazy for adventure. Sebastian wasn’t tall enough to come in there so I continued to look for him.

   After the jungle gym came a sandbox, I thought the ones who build this playground were idiots for building a sandbox indoors. Though the kids loved it and were building sandcastles or they just digged a hole and then covered it.

   After the sandbox came a little section for obstacle course. The kids ran around and jumped over tires and boxes and swinged around with ropes.

   I couldn’t find Sebastian anywhere and Nico was over by the McDonalds eating his happy meal. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Then I started walking around, maybe my little boy would come up to me if he saw me looking. He was really gentle and shy so I was sure he would come up.

★★★★★ 

“Nico please come over I can’t find Sebastian! I’m the worst father ever!” I panicked.

   “Perce chill, he is what? Five years old I think he’s smart enough to not wander around. How long have you been looking for him?”

   “half an hour.”

   “Fuck okay I’ll be over in five.”

   “Five? It takes like one minute to walk over here.”

   “Yeah well I still have fries.” Nico said sheepishly.

   “I hate you, just come quick.”

   “Hate you too.”

   I hung up and looked around for the hundredth time. Annie was still drawing with a smile played out on her lips. She was now all alone, all the grown ups had taken their kids and went home. After all it was late and the playground was soon closing. To be honest the one who was in charge of the door was looking at me like I was some idiot. He probably had suspected that I lost my kid in here. I suck!

   When Nico came over I was frantic, where the hell could that kid be?

   “Have you checked the ball pit?” Nico sounded bored. “Sebastian said that Mellie was going to be there.”

   “How can you know that and not me?”

   “Well I said that if he became bored he could join me for dinner but he just said that he was going to have a war with Mellie in the ball pit.”

   “But Mellie has gone home, I saw her and her mother leave fifteen minutes ago, wouldn’t Sebastian have found me by now?”

   “No, he’s a kid and that’s one big ball pit he aren’t just going to leave.” Nico chuckled and went to Annabeth.

   “Daddy do I have to stop now?” she asked sweetly and looked up at Nico.

   “Yeah, sorry sweetie but your dad have lost your brother in the ball pit, will you help us look for him?”

   “Sure.” Annabeth smiled and took Nico’s hand.

   “So, I guess we can’t go into the pit so I’m sending our spy for us. If that doesn’t work we will just explain the situation for the employee and maybe they will let us in to find Seb.”

   “You are a better grown up than me.” I pouted.

   “I know.” He stood on his tip toes to kiss my cheek and then he let go of Annie’s hand and told her the plan.

   She nodded and got out of her shoes and then went in. I was really nervous and the employee by the ball pit just smiled.

   “Lost your kid huh?” she asked.

   “Yeah.”

   “Don’t worry I lost my kid in the supermarket the other day and she freaked. I couldn’t find her for two hours because she had gone to the self check out and then some worker found her and took her to the staff room.”

   “Yeah I just hope that I will find him.”

   “You will, if your daughter doesn’t come out you can go in and look for both of them.”

   “What do you mean if my daughter doesn’t come out?”

   The woman laughed. “It’s a ball pit and they’re kids they aren’t just going to leave.”

   “That’s what I said too.” Nico beamed.

★★★★ 

Nico’s POV

Percy was fidgeting with his shirt as he watched Annabeth roam through the pit. Suddenly she disappeared too and I swear Percy almost ripped his hair of.

   “Remove your shoes and you’re free to enter.” Drew said.

   Percy smiled nervously, he took of his shoes and went in. I followed suit, there was no way in hell that he would find the twins in the ball pit.

   It was surprisingly deep I found out when I stepped in. The balls reached my chest almost… the color full pit was almost swallowing me but no panic.

   “Remember that if something weird touches your leg it’s probably just plastic or paper or something like that.” Drew smiled.

   “Isn’t that dangerous?”

   “Nah… it’s not like the kids can get stuck in it or choke on it.” she shrugged. “Good luck.”

   I wanted to go out of the pit and smack her but instead I went further in. It really was like a swimming pool. I crossed my fingers; I didn’t want to die in a colorful pit looking for two small children. I wanted something epic…

   “Perce? Darling?” I asked and looked up, wading in felt like getting sucked into hell.

   “I think I found someone!” he screamed and ducked under the balls. It sounded so wrong even in my head; I got a blush on my cheeks and shook away the thoughts.

   When Perce came up again he held Annie over his head like she was Simba or something. He gently threw her to me, and I waded back and put her down next to Drew scolding her not to get in again. She saluted me and sat down on the floor.

   I smiled and went back, great now it was just ¾ left to search after Sebastian on. Could he drown in here? Fucking ball pit from hell.

   “How are you even getting anywhere?” I screamed at Percy who moved swiftly between the balls and I struggled to even go one step.

    “You get a hang of it after a while.”

   “That’s what they all say honey.” Drew said from the opening. I considered flipping her of but then Annie would see it and probably use it.

   “Split up, you go left and I go right?” Percy asked but went to the right before listening to my response.

   I ducked under and tried to move forward, it was surprisingly easier to move forward that way. I could hear laughter from the girls by the opening and shouts from Percy who frantically tried to find his son. I kind of wanted to give up and just empty the pit but then Drew would have my head.

   “Sebastian?”

   “Yeah daddy?” he asked, plopping up beside me with a smile.

   “Got you.” I said and hugged him tight to me, tickling him on my way back to the opening.  He squirmed and tried to get back into the sea of blue, red, purple, pink and orange balls but I wouldn’t let him.

    The reunion was heartwarming; Percy scoped up Sebastian in his arms and traced kisses all over his son’s face while muttering about how worried he was. Annie stood and held on to my hand and Drew rolled her eyes trying to hurry it all on since it was closing time.

   “Ball pit from hell.” I muttered as I took Percy’s free hand and walked my family out of the playground.

   “I’m hungry dad.” Annie complained.

   “McDonalds?” Percy asked me and I nodded.

   Little did we know that there was another ball pit in there and after we all had ordered Sebastian snucked into it. Let’s just say that we had planed on being home by 7 p.m. and we got home around 10pm. I fucking hate ball pits.