Okay so pretty sure someone asked for this and I am too lazy to search for who but meh, you know who you are and this is dedicated to you.
I in no way own PJatO or HoO
"Don't." The words are spoken loud and clear and the god feels frozen by them.
Percy lays with the sheet wrapped around the bottom half of his body his head rests on his hand and he looks at the king of the gods, who is laying on his back staring at the ceiling. He turns to face his mortal lover with wide eyes, honestly he has no idea what is happening.
"Don't what?" he asks his voice just above a whisper a tone he only uses in the presence of his lover. His hand strokes the demigod's hair with a loving caress and he finds himself melting into it his eyes closed.
And Zeus wants those eyes open, he wants the boy to look at him so he can drown in those eyes, and he doesn't want to resurface he just wants to stay there in the beautiful emerald eyes.
Percy opens his mouth slightly, but words don't come out so he is silent, but he knows he has to talk, because otherwise he will do it and he will leave.
"Don't think about her." His voice is soft and he opens his eyes slowly and the sun hits them but he ignores it and looks at the god beside him.
The soft caresses stop momentarily and Percy has to fight the urge to whimper at the lost touch, but before he can complain they start again slower and more careful and the demi god knows he has stepped onto harsh and delicate ground.
"She is my wife." He says softly, so softly that Percy strains to hear it. The god looks at the ceiling his hand still tight on Percy's face, but the motion has stopped and he is simply holding his face. "And I fear what she will do when she finds out." He whispers, but he doesn't know if it is for the boy or himself.
Percy sits up and moves closer a frown is etched on his face and Zeus counts the lines across his forehead.
"Don't worry about me." he says, his voice is louder and more determined and Zeus chuckles a little though he knows he shouldn't. "I can take care of myself."
Zeus looks into his eyes and can see pride, pride the boy never had and he hopes his bad habits haven't rubbed off on him, because he doesn't want to tarnish his good heart with his own, though he would never admit that to anyone else.
He leans up and places a kiss on his lips and the boy melts into him and he can't stop the smile.
He doesn't know when the affair began, but he does know he has never been happier.
He looks at his brother in meetings and when he feels that cool gaze meet his he panics and looks to the floor, because what would he do if he told him he was bedding his favourite son.
And he fears that they would take him away, and he doesn't want that. He wants the boy to stay with him and he can't remember when he felt such a strong tug at his heart when he looked at someone like the tug he gets when he looks into those green eyes and he knows the tug also pulls at the corner of his mouth because the boy has mocked him about it before.
So he sits at the meetings thinking about the boy and trying to ignore the side looks he receives from the two deities that have the power to tear the two apart.
It is silent save for the few loud rasps of breath that seem to echo in the night, and at every sound the god doesn't know whether to be angry or concerned.
So he sits in darkness ignoring the sound, until he feels the bed move and the sheets get pulled back, the cough is loud and he winces at the sound it makes and he can almost feel the boys scratchy throat as it escapes his pale lips.
The god is up within moments on the other side of the bed his hand grasps the boys tightly and he looks him in the eyes, Percy frowns at the look and tries to ignore it but a hand on his cheek forces him to look at the god.
And Percy counts the lines on his wrinkled face and he wants to reach out and touch his face to let him know he is okay.
"You're burning up." The god states pulling his hand away.
Percy shits on the bed pulling his hand from the gods and looks at him with the most reassuring smile he can, but the effect is lost on the god.
"I'm fine." He says and before he can say anything more the god has pushed him onto the bed and his head has hit the pillow.
"I need to get up." He says trying to struggle but the god pushes him down again.
"No." He says and his hand is on the boy's forehead and before he can argue he is asleep.
Zeus kneels beside him for a while and he doesn't know how long he sits there looking at his lover with concern until he sees the sun's rays as they break through the curtains of the boy's apartment.
And he knows what he has to do.
Apollo gets out of his carriage slowly and carefully and he rubs his forehead and pulls out his iPod from his pocket, he is halfway putting the ear pieces in when he sees the tall shadow.
He doesn't jump or cry out in shock when it moves towards him, he merely puts his iPod back and lifts his sunglasses and watches the shadow move closer, he knows who it is and he knows the god only comes to him when something is wrong with his sister or someone is sick.
"Father?" he asks looking at the man in the suit, he looks older and there seem to be more lines on his face, Apollo is shocked and frowns at his dishevelled appearance. And he knows why he is here, because he can smell it on him, the smell of sickness and death.
"I need help." Is all he says, and Apollo doesn't know when he agreed to this or how he did, but soon he is standing above the demigod with a concerned frown on his face.
"How long has he been like this?" his words are soft and his hands travel along the boys face, he knows what is wrong, but he still needs a dead line. To know how long they have.
"Since yesterday." Is all the other god says, and Apollo can feel the sadness and he wonders if the other god knows.
He stands swiftly and he almost crashes to the ground, he is way too tired for this, but he looks at his father with a frown.
"Curse." It's all he has to say for the god to go from concerned to angry within a second.
His fists are clenched and Apollo can smell ozone in the air and it burns his nose, he knows his father's wrath isn't something to be messed with, and he also knows who would do this, they both do.
"Stay with him." the god orders before disappearing in a flash of bright light. And Apollo wanders if he should be payed for this and if he was this would definitely be counted as over time.
He storms into the room, his eyes dark with rage as he looks at her, but she simply smiles in response a dark sight that makes him even more angry.
"Hello, husband." She says softly, her voice echoes through the room and Zeus wants that to stop.
"What have you done." His tone is gentle and gritty and for a moment it reminds him of his lovers cough and he doesn't like that, he doesn't want to think of him as sick.
She walks past him placing something on the table carefully and looks at her husband with feigned innocence. "I don't know what you are talking about."
It sets him off. And before he knows it his hand is wrapped around her neck and his voice is a low growl as he looks at her, but she is still smirking. "Yes you do."
She laughs then and they argue until he puts her down, she is stalling him and he needs her to tell him so he can save the boy, because he doesn't want him to die, he doesn't even want him sick.
She sits on a chair and looks up at him with that same smirk that makes him grow weary and angry.
"You can't stop it." she pauses and watches the way his eyes darken even more with a smile. "But I can."
He sits down know his anger gone, know it is more like caution. He knows not to make a deal with a god, especially his wife.
"What?"
"I can stop it." she says her eyes trained on him. "For a price of course." And her smile widens, the goddess likes to wear the pants in the relationship and he knows this.
He is on his knees now, he doesn't know how he got there but he is grovelling, pushing his pride aside pushing it all away. He is surprised that he isn't crying he knows he could, but he holds it back he still has a little dignity.
He is pleading in loud shouts and soft whispers anything and each time he knows there is only a short amount of time left.
"I want you to stay away from him, to never look his way." She pulls his chin up towards her and he wants to hit her, to wipe the smile off her face. "And if you do, there will be no time for you to save him. He will die immediately."
He doesn't know when he agreed to it, but he had no choice.
The tugging at his heart stops.
And so does the tugging of his lips.
Now it is just a dull ache that infects his body and leaves him in a numb state.
And he stays true to his word and never sees the boy, even when he hears the begging and the prayers, or even when he receives the offerings, not once does he visit, because he can't.
So he ignores the boy.
Ignores his attempts at recognition from the god.
But the god feels a little happy because he knows the boy is alive.
And he can live with just that thought and with the memories they had together.
Okay so little different and sloppy at the end (Sorry about that)
I would like to point out that I will not do a pairing I have already done, because then I might use some of the same material.
Anyway please Review and tell me what you thought.