His red convertible flickered forms ever few seconds, the sun behind it glowing brightly for a couple moments before being doused by the image of crimson Lamborghini.

My mind was racing, and yet it felt so calm and clear. I could feel my mouth moving, but just barely. I couldn't hear what I was saying, or who was currently wrapping their arms around me. But I felt warm in their grip.

He flashed me his signature smile, as dazzling as the sun he carried in his chariot.

The green film that had covered my vision had cleared, and I could finally see the dark room around me. The warmth was gone as soon as I adjusted to the pitch black walls, and I missed it terribly for a handful of seconds before falling into an exhausted sleep.

His voice was a smooth as butter, just as I had remembered it from the previous summer spent with him. His blond hair was cow licked in the front, exactly like it was a year ago. His china blue eyes still pierced me like one of the arrows from his quiver, which was currently strewn across the back seat. His bow was resting beneath it.

I had shivered when I awoke. From being too cold, or not as warm as I could have been, I didn't know. Once again my thoughts dwelled on the limbs that I had lay into only a few hours ago…

"Well? Hop in."

I pulled on the skirt and vest, tying the tie around my neck that wore the dreaded Clarion insignia. I ran a brush through my wild curls, watching the wild red locks bounce right back into place as soon as I ripped the teeth out in the mirror. A flicker of light outside my window; a cloud passing over the sun. For once, I felt that even though I was on the top floor of my dorm and in my own room, I was being watched...

I glanced away as I was blinded by the orange yellow light, and noticed the stares of my peers around me. All of the girls either glaring at me in envy or goggling at him in lust.

I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat, hesitantly turning my gaze back at the now bloody red sports car.

He gave me a look, and I heard his voice in my mind.

"Get in."

Without another word, unspoken or spoken, I threw my messengers bag into the back of the car, the soft fabric brushing against the bow and quiver. A shiver ran up my spine as I touched the handle, pausing before pulling open the cherry red door. I sat onto the white leather upholstery, a strange tingle running up and down my spine like one of my master's deer.

He flashed another grin at the girls who were staring at us in disbelief. Wondering how a complete outcast like myself could get a guy like him.

I almost laughed. He wasn't just some amazingly hot guy. This was Apollo, God of light, truth, music, poetry, and amazingly hot guy.

But honestly, they were just being petty teenagers. I mean, seriously. They wouldn't just go up to Jesus and say, "Wow, you're very good looking," right?

"Well, first of all, Jesus wasn't that good looking. And thanks for callin' me hot, Rache."

I flushed. I forgot about the whole mind reading thing.

Finally, I seemed to remember where I was.

"Uh, My Lord? I think my dad wanted me back at the house. I mean, no offense, but he wouldn't want me speeding down the mid-town with a God, right?"

"You worry too much, babe. Seriously, just chillax. I talked to your dad."

"Wait. You talked to my dad?" I said in disbelief, staring at the god wide eyed.

He shrugged. "He was cool with it. I mean, with a bit of mist, he thinks it's perfectly fine for you to go on the summer trip to Italy. Anyways, I need you back at my place. It's important that I keep you close for now."

The tone of his voice as he said the last few sentences made my cheeks turn a few shades of red brighter. I wasn't too surprised, though. Girls acted like this around Apollo all the time. I spent a lot of time with him back at camp, but I hadn't seen him in about a year, so I guess I needed to adjust again.

My fists clenched involuntarily as he lifted the sun chariot into the air, flying across the Hudson River and into the Long Island Sound, the wind rushing past my face and the clouds engulfing our crimson craft.

After several minutes, my hands relaxed, and I loosened the muscles in my shoulders, reclining back into my chair. I gazed down the side of the convertible and onto the reflective waters below. I poked a hand into a cloud passing by, and when I pulled it back, it was covered in cool water.

"Hey, check this out,"

I looked over at my master, who was holding an empty water bottle in his left hand, his right steering the chariot expertly.

Smiling at me, he stuck the water bottle into the clouds beside him, nozzle forward, and it disappeared behind a wall off condensation.

After several seconds, he pulled it back, and the bottle was full to the brim with water. He took a quick swig, then handed the bottle to me. I smiled at him, and took a large sip.

It tasted cool and clean, as pure as light. Maybe Apollo had added some of his magical skills into the trick to make it seem cooler.

"Don't worry, babe. Hundred percent Apollo, right there." He grinned ahead, and I saw that up ahead there was a large storm brewing a few miles off the coast of New York City.

I felt the car speed faster through the sky, until the clouds zipped past like lightning.

My hands clenched again.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice slightly shaking with fear as I looked at the god. He had a certain look in his eyes. And I knew from experience that a look like that on Apollo meant trouble.

"I'm gonna show you one of nature's greatest unknown marvels; the rook of a storm."

I had heard of the eye of a storm, but never the roof of a storm. The dark clouds crackled dangerously with lightning, and I muttered a quick prayer to Zeus not to fry us with one of his bolts.

The chariot sped up even more, and the car suddenly took a vertical turn upward, directly below the cloud.

We barreled through the storm, thunder cracking and lightning flashing, all the while being soaked by the awaiting precipitation.

And then, silence.

All I heard was the gentle hum of the engine and my own heavy breathing and terrified heartbeat. I realized that I had shut my eyes during the horrifying journey.

As I opened them, my breath caught.

All around me, blue. Above, and on either side, an endless ocean of blue. Below, there was a sea of stormy grey, the winds stirring it like a thick stew.

A very wet stew, I thought, looking over my drenched attire.

I sighed. I would trade this amazing scenery over dry clothes any day.

I remembered Apollo. I looked around the car, and found that he had gotten up from his seat, walking into the back. He was sitting on the end of the cabin, his shirt draped across the side of the car, his hair matted down to his head. His eyes stared at me piercingly, poking holes into my soul with every twitch of the sky blue irises.

I sighed, and carefully removed my wool vest and untying my tie. I leaned up against the dashboard.

Several minutes passed of silence. His eyes never strayed from mine.

"My lord… can you tell me why you need me close to you?"

He sighed, reclining his head upwards, taking in the sun that lay behind his chariot. The water on his cheeks started to evaporate very slowly.

"I can't tell you exactly why. But I can tell you that it's because of a prophesy. A prophesy that you told."

I studied his face. The feeling of me in someone's arms, my subconscious running wild yet so very calm… it had been his arms, his calm.

A few more seconds of silence.

"Was it big?" I asked, glancing worriedly down at my shoes. I hated having prophesy's outside of camp. They were never that important, and I usually kept them pretty hidden, but going all glowly in front of mortals was less than optimal.

He shrugged. "It's not life threatening, and it won't require a quest. But I guess it's pretty big for us... that's all I'm going to tell you." He added the last part tiredly.

I nodded. If he didn't want to tell me, then there was nothing I could do about it.

But, curiosity got the best of me.

"Well, can you maybe give me a hint?" I offered him a small smile. He grinned back at me.

"I can give you a hint, but I don't think you'll like it…" he reclined his head again, the sun glinting off his Godly form.

"I might. You'll never know unless you try." He brought his head down, his grin melting into a warm smile.

He paused, studying me with cerulean eyes. I shivered under his powerful gaze.

"Alright. I'll give you a hint." I was aware of him moving from his perch on the edge of the open top, and he suddenly appeared before me.

His arms were wrapped around me, one on my shoulder and one on my waist. His chest was slightly pressed up against mine, while his china blue stare engulfed mine. Carefully, he bent his head down, lightly brushing his lips against my own. I felt my cheeks flare up, but I didn't struggle.

It was warm in his arms. Even though I tried to protest, I couldn't form the words, much less thoughts. It was over before I could even think.

I was vaguely aware of the fact that I had closed my eyes. When he was gone, I opened them slowly to find that he was sitting back up against his car. The widened slightly.

"There's your hint." He smiled a small, almost sad smile.

For once, the heat of the sun behind him wasn't the reason I melted.

oOo

I was surprised to learn that "Staying at his place" meant staying at his temple on Olympus.

Almost as surprised as I was about him kissing me a few thousand feet in the air. I was still in a state of shock after that one.

We both walked through the halls of the palace, him leading me by the hand, and I wondering what in Zeus' name was going on with him.

Finally, we reached the main throne room. Zeus sat in the center on his large, blue seat, his lightning bolt in hand, watching as we strode in.

Hera was nowhere to be seen, and the way everybody talked about her at camp, I think that was a good thing.

Apollo pulled me towards his father's giant form, stopping a few hundred feet from the huge god.

He started saying something in ancient Greek. I only understood a few things, like when he said my name and also the word prophesy.

Zeus seemed surprised at first, and started staring at me with enormous blue eyes. All I knew about what they were conversing was that it had to do with my prophesy.

A tinge of anger surged through me, and my grip tightened around Apollo's hand. Why was it that he couldn't tell his own Oracle what the hell was was going on?

He squeezed back, and I heard his voice in my mind. "Because you wouldn't like what you hear," he told me, sending feelings of calm through our attached limbs, trying to help me relax.

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.

Zeus paused, but nodded, and with a quick word of farewell, we both bowed and left.

Once outside the large golden doors of the palace, I spoke.

"My lord, what is going on?" I couldn't keep the anger out of my voice, and a few minor gods and goddesses watched us walk on as we got outside the palace.

He sighed. "I'm sorry Rachel, but we should wait until we get back to my place first before we have this discussion. And would you quit callin' me 'My Lord'? It makes me feel all old."

I snorted. He was old. He just didn't look it. We continued through Olympus, all the while our fingers interlocked, which made my cheeks slightly heat up.

Finally, we came up to the edge of a cliff. The overhand became narrower and narrower until we were standing on a three foot wide piece of rock. I looked down hesitantly, and came face to face with a bird's eye view of the city.

I drew in a sharp breath. I had never actually paid attention to how for up Olympus was. Apollo's grip tightened around my fingers, and with a surprised yelp on my part, he jumped, pulling me with him.

Wind rushed past me, the only other feeling besides the rush of air was the warmth of his hand in mine.

I shut my eyes, waiting for the sky scrapers below to end my life. It never came, and then I remembered who I was with exactly.

I opened my green eyes, and was shocked to see us standing on what seemed like a porch made of stone.

Below us sat the city, as ignorant to our presence as ever.

I let out the breath of air I had been holding, my heart beat slowing steadily. I looked over to my master.

"What. The. Hell." I breathed, glaring at him pointedly. He chuckled to himself, and I saw him reach his hand out to a door in the side of the rock wall behind us.

He walked through the dark door way, and I followed hesitantly.

For a house inside a rock, it didn't look like it. The walls were colored a deep burgundy, and the ceilings were tall and white with various lights hanging. A living room boasted a fairly large flat screen, and a black leather lounge that matched the ancient Greek pottery dotting the house perfectly. The kitchen was home to a huge slab of marble with cylindrical chairs of the same stone and color resting around it. There was a large silver fridge next to a small stove, most likely filled with ambrosia and nectar. A second floor revealed a giant master bedroom, one that took up most of the space.

A strange thought ran through my mind.

Where will I sleep…?

Apollo paused in his tour of the house, and I cursed myself for thinking so openly around him. Turning around, he offered me a sheepish grin.

I jerked my hand from his, and crossed my arms angrily. I gave him a look that said 'You had better tell me what's going on right now.'

The god sighed, running a tanned finger through his blond hair. "We've already been through this," He raised an eyebrow, his grin turning into a devilish smile. "Unless you want another hint."

I made a sound, and my face turned a crimson only matched by my hair. Quickly, I cast my gaze downwards.

Sometimes I hated his Oracle.

oOo

I sat down on the soft, leather couch, placing my recently removed shoes onto the ground. Apollo sat across from me on a chez, sprawling his legs on the two attached pieces of furniture.

He studied my face intently, trying to read my thoughts and, for the most part, succeeding. I shivered under his gaze.

"Alright. You wanted me to explain everything to you, but I can't do that just yet. But I can answer any questions you may have. So. Shoot." He finished his sentence with a small hand gesture.

I sighed through my nose, thinking about what I should ask first. I decided.

"Why did you kiss me?" I was short and blunt. He paused, tapping a finger on the leather.

"It was a hint to what the prophesy was about."

"Is this prophesy about us?" he nodded. My heart beat quickened slightly. I couldn't form anymore words to ask the questions I so desperately needed to be answered. I wasn't too sure I wanted them to be answered either.

I shut my eyes tightly. This was one of the reasons why I hated being the Oracle. Not only was it incredibly lonely, but most of the time you didn't know what the hell you were talking about.

I took a deep, shaky breath. "Don't be afraid." His voice was closer than it was before, and I felt his presence right next to me. He wrapped on arm around my shoulder, and I looked up at my master, surprised.

"M-my lord…" I breathed, but before I could react, he had captured my lips in his.

Pleasant fire danced all over my skin. My cheeks burned slightly. My mind filled with his calm, and I felt the spot on my shoulder where he was touching start to burn. I felt my entire body heat up rapidly.

When he pulled back, his china blue eyes still tangled in mine, I swallowed hard.

I bolted from the couch, standing a few feet away from the god, my arms across my chest protectively.

"Alright, how is this even possible!? I'm the Oracle! I took an oath! I can't expose myself to-to-to romance! It's impossible!"

I felt strange when he touched me. Like my nerves were all on fire. Strangely pleasant, even though it shouldn't be.

Hot tears pricked at my eyes, but I held them back. It was no time to be scared and confused, or at least cry about it.

"The oath can be contradicted by a prophecy such as the one you had." I tried to not be scared, but it was hard. I had no idea what I said, and an important decision in my life could have been made without me consciously being there.

I had only been Oracle for a year. It wasn't like I was the expert on these things. My knees started to tremble slightly, and my crossed arms tightened a bit. My gaze found its way to the floor, then closing to let a small tear fall from my eyes. I cursed myself for being so weak at a time like this.

My skin lit on fire, and I knew at once that he was touching me. I froze before I could let out a choked sob, and inclined my head upwards to face his.

In a split second, he felt what I was feeling, and felt what he was as well. The normal calm that flowed through his mind was dotted with uncertainty.

He smiled sadly at me.

"You know we can't fight the fates. And for that, I'm sorry." Once again, his mouth engulfed mine, this time much more passionately that the last.

And this time, I kissed back.

As he pulled my head deeper into the kiss, his fingers tangling into my red curls, only one thought crossed my mind. His thought.

Forgive me, Rachel…

And I felt the flames overwhelm my body.

oOo

Hope you like the idea… Review!!!! I'll give you a hug if you do. :)