I couldnt stop thinking about how I ended this so, long title warning, and go!
Prompt turned ficlet part 2:
Why now?
Poseidon might, you know what, no. He will kill his brother at this rate. The moron stands before them all, clearly out of it, and proceeds to award the demigods. The part where Zeus thanked him for his help was nice but he also saw the slight stumble when his brother appeared.
He knows it's not just in his head. Apollo has been staring at the sky king just as intensely. His nephew keeps glancing from his father’s face to the leg. To which, if their resident healer is concerned- maybe the situation is serious.
Maybe it's because he’s been staring but he can see Zeus is favoring his right leg. He figures it must be his brother’s pride getting in the way.
He tries his best not to storm over when Zeus calls forth his son. Poseidon knows his brother won't do anything to Percy- at least not when he owes them both. Zeus was a very good actor, it appears, as he speaks of granting godhood.
No one else noticed him flinch as he moved his leg.
His brother would freak out if he made a scene here. Not that the younger wasn't nervous already. The sky god kept glimpsing at him. Good. Maybe if Zeus thinks he's angry he’ll wrap this up and stop aggravating the wound he just had stitched.
His attention gets switched when he hears Percy decline godhood. Worry and Grief flood his gut as his son chooses to give up the offer for others. His son will die; by his own choice.
He will have to make piece with it. Just as it was with Sally’s choice, he will not force Percy. Poseidon closes his eyes and breathes deeply.
As soon as the demigods have left, he’s going to drag Zeus off to rest whether the fool wants it or not.
——————
Typically, with celebrations, the party-goers are in a good mood. Both Poseidon and Zeus, however, have not. Hades may not have had the best relationship with them but even he can tell something isn't right.
The sea god has been glaring at their youngest brother since he appeared. From his understanding, they had defeated Typheous. Again, typically, he's known them to be ecstatic after winning.
Yet Zeus‘ eyes dart from Poseidon to the door. Perhaps he had said something out of line and now feels guilty? Even so, his brother would have fessed up about it and they'd both be angry.
Not whatever this was.
Once the demigods are gone, Hades watches as Zeus excuses himself and walks out as quickly as he can. Poseidon already following, he notices Zeus add weight onto the frame of the doorway.
Zeus was hurt.
He lets his wife know that he'll be back and trails after the duo. He stays back a bit and as Poseidon gets closer to their brother he gets louder.
“I told you to come to me!” The sea god hisses and moves closer to the younger’s right. Zeus keeps walking, ignoring the elder’s attempts to assist him. “What in Tartarus possessed you to do this?”
“Go away, Poseidon.”
“Go away? Go away?” Poseidon splutters, once again trying to help. He gets rejected again. “Gods damn it, Zeus if you don't let me help you; I will carry you.”
Zeus spins around and ends up bracing himself on one of the ruined pillars from the battle. Hades can make out red eyes and a range of emotions on his brother’s face. Anger, shame, sorrow, all on display.
“Why does it matter? Why now!?” Zeus cries. “It didn't matter then! It doesn't matter now!”
Poseidon is quiet.
“What do you mean by it doesn't matter?” The sea king is not loud but his voice carries. “Typheous ripped out your tendons- he basically told you that you couldn't trust us and ripped them out of you. Your son had to sew them back up.”
Typheous had what?
Hades can hear the rage boiling underneath the words Poseidon speaks. The winds around them gather and Zeus flinches. Shies away from… from the storm brewing. “The worst part of it, Zeus? The worst part is that you believed him. You could have died thinking that we… that I wouldn't fight to save you.”
There's a pit gnawing at Hades as he listens in. A part of him wishes to leave and let this moment slip from his mind. His brother's words, though, keep him frozen in place.
Zeus is shaking and he does not answer. Instead, the youngest of them goes to move- and Poseidon grabs him quickly before he can fall. Hades hears him curse and mutter something about a second time.
“I told you to let me help. I didn't leave you with Apollo that long ago and you've been putting pressure on that leg this entire time.”
“Why can't you just leave?” The pain in Zeus’ voice hurts. Poseidon hugs the younger close
“I made that mistake last time, Zeus. Remember, ‘I promise to go straight to you once I'm sewed up,’ and then having never done so?” Zeus makes an odd sound and the winds calm.
“Typheous wouldn't have killed me, by the way. He vowed to kill all of you in front of me before he’d do so.” Zeus decides to say when Poseidon starts to carefully pick him up. “He would have just chained me and consumed my flesh until then.”
“You… you do get how that’s worse, right?” Poseidon's voice breaks a bit but he sounds as horrified as Hades feels. Zeus says he does know.
Hades doesn't move even as Zeus starts directing Poseidon to his room. His brother have long since disappeared when Persephone arrives, worry apparent. He doesn't know if he should tell her what he heard or if he should wait.
“Dear, I think I'm ready to go home.” He says. He knows she notices somethings wrong. She merely nods and agrees, choosing instead to comment on how dreadful conversing with her half-siblings was.