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Language:
English
Series:
Part 2 of Atlantean Childrearing, Revised Edition
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Published:
2025-01-25
Words:
956
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
32
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915
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7,442

Little Brothers

Summary:

The young demigod that Poseidon shoved in his arms with a stern “Protect him, I must get a room ready,” before disappearing again seems thoroughly interested looking around Triton’s office, his little head slowly panning from sea-scroll shelves to his paperwork-piled desk to the bio-luminescent lamps hanging from the tall ceiling.

___

OR: Triton can't believe his father would throw away all of their hard work so easily and simply sire another demigod as if Percy was somehow replaceable

Notes:

First publish in over a decade!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Triton was, frankly, livid. 

 

He and his father have been working tirelessly, meticulously planning a denial-proof proposal to convince Perseus of his rightful ascension and eternal life in the sea. Countless correspondence with the other Olympians for plans to elevate some of Percy’s demigod friends to ensure that loneliness could never plague him, as well as an ongoing grassroots campaign amongst the nymphs to empower and elevate his satyr friend. Curated domains that mesh perfectly with what Percy is already doing as a demigod, protecting both demigods and ocean creatures, ones that Triton’s sure would feel as natural as breathing.

 

For Chaos sake, Triton has spent the last few weeks alone negotiating with Hades on Percy’s potential psychopomp promotion, providing the godling visiting rights to the Isle of Blest! (Hades, the stubborn king, wants to limit Percy’s visits to once a month. Triton, under Poseidon's instructions, shoots back with unlimited visits as long as there’s no disturbing peaceful souls without permission) Which would give Percy no excuse for fear of leaving his mother and mortal family behind!

 

The young demigod already spends weekends in Atlantis, and his affability means that Triton doesn’t even need to convince the citizens of the Youngest Prince’s good nature. Just last week a school of merchildren asked Triton when the young prince would be back again and ‘if he could show them the bubble trick again, please?’ Atlateans would welcome the newest prince with open fins given the opportunity!

 

And clearly any stagnant water from their first meeting during Oceanus’s attacks have faded, given Triton and his brother’s weekly sparring lessons and Queen Amphritrite’s monthly kidnappings/shopping trips. Even Triton’s sisters have started visiting the palace more, seeking the little prince out to talk marine animal migrations (Rhodes), or a storm crafting partner (Kym). Poseidon himself seems to be positively glowing at the way Percy slots in seamlessly into the sea family’s lives, often scooping the little godling in a hug or ruffling his white-streaked hair.  

 

Yet all that work, all that growing hope that the sea gods might not lose their youngest so soon, thrown away! 

 

The young demigod that Poseidon shoved in his arms with a stern “Protect him, I must get a room ready,” before disappearing again seems thoroughly interested looking around Triton’s office, his little head slowly panning from sea-scroll shelves to his paperwork-piled desk to the bio-luminescent lamps hanging from the tall ceiling. 

 

Triton’s not the best at deciphering human ages, but the boy could be no more than 3 years old with how tiny he is. What, had his father heard Perseus’s first denial of immortality and simply thought ‘Oh well, Try again?’ Had the Earthshaker decided that all the work that he and Triton were doing wasn’t worth the effort? That Percy was somehow replaceable? The very concept that the Loyal Twice-Hero of Olympus could just be skipped over for a new young mortal is completely baffling! And Frankly, not to quote Percy but is it really that hard for the Lord of the Sea to ‘keep it in his pants’? 

 

But if there’s one thing that Percy has humbled Triton with, it’s to not hate the demigod for the sins of their fathers. So, Triton takes a breath and settles the child more comfortably in his arms, finally taking a good look at the tiny thing. Much like Perseus, this boy could pass as a mini-Poseidon. The same dark hair, the same tanned complexion, the same sea-green eyes and hint of the same jawline underneath all of the baby-fat. In fact, if it weren’t for the white streak in the child’s hair – oh. 

 

Oh.

 

The boy, now looking at Triton, furrows his brows like he’s reaching for a word a memory he can’t quite grasp before brightening, “Hi Triton,”

 

“Percy,” Triton greets hesitantly, “You are looking smaller than usual, little brother.”

 

Again, Percy’s (his little, littler brother. With big seal-pup eyes, and chubby cheeks, and oh Chaos fragile little form, Triton subconsciously tightens his hold on the boy just a tick) brow’s scrunches, “Nuh-uh,”

 

Triton blinks, “I assure you, while your human form is dwarfed by most of the merfolk in Atlantis, usually you aren’t this short.”

 

“Mom just says I’m short for my age!” Percy shoots back, “She said she was short when she was seven too and that’ll grow into it!”

 

Seven? That… didn’t sound right when looking at the little boy barely longer than Triton’s godly forearms, but truthfully Percy’s short stature compared to his immortal family is nothing new. Even at his full height, Perseus barely reaches chest level to Triton's preferred ten foot form.  Perhaps the sea messenger should brush up on mortal anatomy.

 

“I see,” Triton continues, “Little brother, what is the last thing you remember?”

 

“I was at home– mom was working late again cause she picked up a double shift and Smelly Gabe said he had to ‘go pick up something’ so I figured I could just watch tv a bit since Gabe wasn’t hogging it watching his stupid football and I guess I fell asleep on the couch? Next thing I knew, I was in this big room with a bunch of older kids in orange shirts and they kept asking me questions? And then Mr. D came in and–” he cuts himself off before continuing, “Dad came and picked me up. But I remember you and dad and Amphy, I remember camp is good and the gods and stuff but the rest is fuzzy.”

 

“I see,” Triton repeats, and then pauses before “...would you like to look through the window to the courtyard until father returns?”

 

“Can I say Hi to the fish?”

 

“We can open the window to greet them, sure.”

 

“Okay!”

Notes:

I'm not one for writing longer fics, but I have some other ideas with this that I might write up and publish in a series.

Thank you for reading! <3