"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Just- Just answer the question."

"I can only answer the question if I know what the question is." My hands curled into fists, nails digging crescents into my palms. Pain burned a hole in the fog hanging over me.

Dad's hands took mine. He pried my fingers open and made sure I couldn't dig my nails back in. He took away what I used to distract myself, but he couldn't take away the lingering ache in my fingers or the pain left within the indents. He didn't say anything. Surprising, but I wasn't going to complain. Less talking meant less noise, and I happened to be fine with that.

I flinched when the lock turned. Dad pulled me forward into a hug, one I tried to pull away from. He hushed me and mumbled, "Pretend." Nodding, I gave up fighting.

"Well, look at you guys," Mom said with a laugh in her voice. "I'm guessing last week was good for the two of you."

Dad rubbed my back in an attempt to make our situation slightly less awkward. Despite how upset I was with him, I found myself melting into the hug and welcoming the affection. He stopped, causing me to whine and shift so he'd resume. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah. I'll get some snacks and then we can talk about what you wanted." Mom walked away, but I kept my face pressed to Dad's shoulder. Whatever expression he wore, I didn't want to see it. It had to be bad.

"I am telling her, Percy. She deserves to know." He kept his voice low. Not so Mom wouldn't hear, but so it came across as the threat he meant it as.

"Please don't."

"No. You-"

"Please," I whimpered. I grasped at his shirt. "Please don't. Please, I'm begging you, Dad."

"She needs to know."

Tremors wracked my body, becoming more and more frequent with each passing second. If he told Mom, it would tear her apart. She's always tried her hardest to keep me safe, and for her to know what I do to myself would break her. She'd want to check me over completely. I'd have to explain why I lied to Dad about only cutting my arms. I'd have to say goodbye to any privacy in my life and hello to therapy and talking about emotions.

"Honey-" Mom rested her hand on my back. "-what's wrong?"

"I missed you."

"Percy."

"I thought I'd never see you again," I said, managing to get a handle on my trembling. I turned and looked at her while wiping the tears away from my eyes. They were quickly replaced. "Are those cookies?" In an attempt to distract her, and to eat my stress away, I grabbed as many cookies as I could.

"Save some for your father."

"Hey, I haven't been home for how long? I need to get caught up on my cookie intake."

A smile tugged at Mom's lips. It would've spread, if not for the worry no doubt racing through her mind. It's not normal for a god to make a house call. "Poseidon, what did you want to talk to me about?"

I grabbed another cookie and ate it, immediately regretting it. I ate too much too fast. Stumbling to the bathroom, I barely made it to the toilet before I threw up. Heavy footsteps alerted me to Dad walking in. He knelt down beside me and pulled my hair back.

"This is why you eat slower," he said, continuing to hold my hair back as I threw up a second time.

"Do you really think that's why I'm throwing up?" I raised an eyebrow. He offered a small cup of mouthwash and I accepted it. The alcohol burned my mouth; he had to have summoned it. We don't have any mouthwash that has alcohol in the apartment.

Or maybe we did, it's been a long time since I was home.

"I have to tell her. No matter how much you don't want me to, I have to. She deserves to know."

"And I don't deserve my privacy? I don't deserve a choice? After everything I've been through, why don't I get a choice in anything?" I flushed the toilet. I hoped Mom wouldn't be able to hear the brewing argument.

"I tried to give you a choice."

"Yeah and what choice was that? Tell Mom or you do it? News flash, Dad, that's not a choice. Either way I have to deal with the consequences of something you want."

Dad's hand closed around my arm, and I winced. "You are going to end up getting yourself killed, Perseus. Get that through your skull. If you keep doing this you're going to end up dead, and then we'll be the one dealing with the consequences of your actions. So stop being an idiot and think."

I pulled my arm from his grip and glared at him. "Good job, call your kid who has RSD an idiot."

"RSD?"

"Well, since you decide to go talk to Athena about everything how about you go ask her about that too? I'm sure she'd be glad to give you advice, even if it's the last thing I'd ever want you to do. I'm heading back to camp." I walked out of the bathroom and threw a smile at Mom.

"I'll message you later, Mom. I need to get back in time to teach my class. Love you."

Well, I honestly thought there'd be more of a split in that vote.

Anyway. Ideas?

I'm trying to update a lot of books this weekend.

See yah