A/N: Another update whoot whoot! Sorry it took so long! School is kicking my butt but it's only one more week! YAY!
Thanks for all the wonderful follows and reviews. You guys have no idea how inspiring you are!
I wanted to share the quote that inspired this story as well: "Love is powerful. It can bring the gods to their knees."
― Rick Riordan
-Addie-
I had stayed in the Poseidon Cabin all summer, and to be honest, it was a little lonely. Sometimes I stayed on Olympus, but Apollo had been usually busy this summer. Heck, I had been too. Even Percy and Annabeth had been gone. Percy spent all summer at an internship with Sea World. He was going to school to be a marine veterinarian. It was something he was surprisingly good at, even without all of his inherited godly gifts. He had been here for the past week, along with Annabeth. She had taken summer classes so she could graduate ahead of schedule.
No one was in the cabin, so I grabbed my clothes and headed to the showers. I tried to use it at odd times in the day, so I wouldn't run into anyone. This was just something weird about getting ready around kids who despite looking your age, looked at you as an authority figure. Plus, there would always be hot water. I had my choice of showers, so I picked the biggest one on the end, the one normally reserved for head counselors. It felt wonderful to wash off all that sweat and dirt. I closed my eyes, relishing in the heat and steam, even if it was a hot summer day. It soothed my aching muscles, which seemed constant these days.
It didn't take long to get clean, and I threw on the clothes I had brought with me: a pair of white linen shorts and a mint green tank top. I closed my eyes, concentrating on removing the water from my hair. It pulled out of my strands, condensing into a tiny ball floating over my palm. I still couldn't move water like Percy or my brother could, but I could do more than I use to. It left my hair in its usual beach waves. I headed off to the Big House, the laughter from the dining hall echoing over the grounds.
"ADDIE!" I turned towards the familiar voice. Percy hadn't changed much over the summer. He still had that bad boy look, his hair hanging down into mischievous green eyes. He filled out a little more while he was gone, his muscles almost rivaling Jason's. "Why weren't you at dinner?"
"Got a shower," I admitted.
"Well you need to eat something-
"Okay, Dad," I said with a playful shove. "I am going to eat something, just not here."
"What!? You can't leave camp! I need your help tonight!"
"With what, Percy? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"No! Annabeth and Jason are going against me, Piper, and Will in capture the flag tonight. All the other cabins besides Hephaestus have sided with them. I need your help if we have any chance of beating them."
"Percy, I can't get involved," I cautioned. "You know I'm not allowed to play. I create a- oh what did Chiron say? An unfair advantage." The first summer I had come here, because I looked their age, they automatically assumed I was playing in the game. Dionysus and Chiron let it happen, and our side easily won. I'm good, what can I say? But after that, I wasn't allowed to play anymore. I will say that it was an amazing way to earn respect around camp. I didn't even use my earth powers to win either.
"But I'm your brother!" he pouted. Annabeth was right when she told me Percy could pout. He literally looked like a baby seal. And baby seals are freaking adorable. She also taught me how to ignore it.
"Don't you know your girlfriend well enough to know what she's going to do?" I complained. His bottom lip was stuck out slightly, but I wasn't giving up yet. I could withstand the Percy Jackson pout.
"She is a daughter of Athena, the goddess of battle strategy. She never does what I expect. Ever."
We had made it to the big house, and I turned to face him at the top of the steps.
"Not my fault. Ask Piper and Will."
"We are your family!" he admonished me with a look of mock disgust. "The Apollo cabin is on our side. You won't even help your godly stepchildren? Now that's a tragedy!"
"Oh my gods, no! If you want my help, that's certainly wasn't how to get it," I scoffed as I turned to go inside. Percy grabbed my arm, and he moved to stand in front of me.
"I'll clean your apartment for a month."
"Percy."
"And you can kick me and Annabeth out for date nights. I'll get her out of there if you want to be alone," Percy promised. I could see the desperation on his face, and it all clicked in my head.
"What did you get into a fight about?" I guessed. Percy winced just a little and bit his bottom lip.
"We didn't get into a fight exactly, she just told me I had no hope of winning, and I said if she was so confident, then let's make a bet."
"Oh holy Hephaestus, Percy! What did you bet?"
"Um… you don't want to know. I will say it involves water and a rubber duck if I lose, and I CANNOT lose. I will literally crumple into a heap of nothing if I lose. My reputation as a man, as a hero, will be forever ruined. Please? I'll do anything."
I narrowed my eyes at him. He had the pout back on, and I put my finger in his face. "You owe me so much, and if anyone finds out I helped you, I swear on the Styx….. Is the fist in play? Because you know that's what she'll use as a base if she has the chance."
We talked strategy for just a minute, and Percy's eyes brightened up after I gave him a few suggestions. Chiron walked out of the house, so our conversation ended abruptly. Percy pulled me into a hug, whispering quietly in my ear. "I'll owe you forever. Thank you."
"Don't blame me if you lose," I responded. Percy waved to Chiron, and then bounded off to get ready for the game. Chiron eyed me, but I just smiled innocently at him before heading inside. They must have been in the back room, but I could hear their voices trailing towards me.
"Do you think it will be enough?"
"That's the only solution I can think of," Dionysus replied. "Friends close, enemies closer."
"Or you could turn them into a dolphin, drive them mad," I suggested as a leaned against the door frame. "That's what you usually do isn't it?"
"Were you helping the Johnson kid?" he questioned in a scolding tone. Dionysus was changing the subject, his usual go to ploy when I walked in on things I wasn't meant to hear. He was sitting in a chair, a wine glass full of diet coke in his hand. Apollo lounged across a sofa, but he made room for me as I walked across the room.
"Are you ever going to get Percy's name right?"
"Are you going to stop interfering?"
"Oh, bite me, Di," I sneered as I sat down beside Apollo. His arm went behind me, draped casually over my shoulders. "It's capture the flag, not a quest to save the world. You are just upset your cabin lost last time. Maybe they should join the winning side."
"Hmph. I'm telling you that Athena's daughter is going to put them to shame tonight. Pollux is with the winning side."
"Wanna bet?"
"You're on. If I win, next party on Olympus you can't stop drinking until I say. And if you manage to defy the fates and your side wins…?"
"Then you give me your best stash of wine. And I mean it, on the Styx and everything. No giving me the second best." Dionysus's mouth popped open slightly. He was coming close to his one hundred year sentence being over, and he was saving the wine I had in mind to celebrate with. I knew it would make him hesitate. He might have been confident, but I knew he wasn't confident enough to risk that.
"I'm not doing that!" he sputtered. I felt Apollo chuckle beside me. I shot him a quick glance, but he didn't say anything. His hand just continued to draw circles on my shoulder.
"Scared you'll lose?"
Dionysus ground his teeth and finally, stuck out his hand. We repeated the stipulations, both of us swearing on the Styx to our conditions.
"Can't believe I got sucked into this," he hissed. "Not that I'm worried. But no more helping!"
"Oh, quit your whining," I retorted. Apollo snorted loudly, falling against me laughing. It made me laugh, and even Dionysus lips turned up in a smile.
"How long have you waited to use that one?"
"All summer," I stated proudly.
"She's got plans tonight, so there will be no more interfering from her. That goes for you too, Dionysus, or you'll have me to deal with," Apollo reminded him.
"She'll cheat before I will," Di grumbled. Apollo stood up, offering me his hand with a smile. I took it, and he all but pulled me out the front door. I gave Di a wave, and he rolled his eyes. "You better be back in the morning, Euadne! I'm not teaching your class for you!"
I started to laugh, but Apollo and I disappeared before Dionysus heard it.
"You are going to make me fat."
"Addie, it's just one funnel cake. And it's delicious," Apollo added as he popped a large piece in his mouth. "I mean, mortals have the best food. Nectar is good, but it doesn't cut it sometimes."
"Yes, but we've had corn dogs, popcorn, and a caramel apple. I'm stuffed."
He broke off a piece, shaking it in front of my face. I laughed, obligingly opening my mouth. He fed it to me, and after I closed my mouth, I let it sit on my tongue, the sugar melting with it. It really was good. I glance up, and I noticed Apollo had some powdered sugar on his lip. I stood on my tip-toes and brushed my lips against his. I sucked where the sugar was for just a second and pulled away with a huge grin.
"Now that was way better than funnel cake."
His gaze darkened slightly before he pulled me close to him. His fingers brushed my cheek, and I could feel the blush rise.
"You need to stop that," he ordered as he placed a quick kiss on the top of my head. He was taller than me by a few inches, so it was easy for him.
"Why?"
"You know why. We are in public, and I don't share," he uttered seriously. It sent chills up my spine, along with this delicious flutter in my stomach.
"You can't restrain yourself?"
"I'm a god. I don't have to," he pointed out. "Even if I could make them forget, no one gets to see you in the throes of passion except me."
"That so? No PDA for the sun god?"
"Oh plenty of PDA, just not right now. I haven't seen you in a week, and it won't take much to send me over the edge," he admitted. "Plus, there's something I want to show you, and you can't distract me."
"Yes, sir," I snorted. Apollo narrowed his eyes, giving me a playful pinch on my side.
He took my hand, walking back towards the front of the pier. Apollo brought me to the Jersey shore. It was one of my favorite nearby places. I loved the smell of the food mixed with the ocean. The sound of music filled the air, along with the roar of the waves rolling against the shore. I looked out, memories flooding to the front of my mind. It was funny, because I remembered when carnivals first became a thing. I remember when they built this pier. The first rides were so different (made by a son of Hephaestus actually). The world discovered power and electricity and was finding new ways to use it.
I was lost in the past, and I wasn't really paying attention to where he was taking me until he stopped. He should've handed the guy some tickets. But this glazed look came on the operators face, and he let us go through. Apollo tugged on my hand, and my feet followed him blindly.
We were at the Ferris wheel.
He helped me into the gondola, while the operator closed the tiny door behind us. I was trying my best not to shake and stay calm. Ever since I had died, I didn't like being up high, especially when I was still. It wasn't exactly scary but more unsettling. I almost had a panic attack the first time I rode in his chariot after the whole ordeal. He had said it probably had to do that my soul was more attuned to the earth, to land. Most likely I was going to be an earth goddess of some sort when I was fully immortal. It would just take time to adjust, for that feeling to disappear.
It was a hell of a lot easier than it sounded.
Apollo brushed up against me as he sat down and took my hand in his own. The operator walked over to the controls, setting the wheel in motion. It was faster than I remembered, and the sudden movement had me squeezing Apollo's hand. I tried to make it seem casual, and I kept my eyes on the floor as my body adjusted to it. He gave mine a quick squeeze back, lifting it to press his lips to the back of it.
"You okay?" he murmured in a concerned tone.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I offered him a smile and leaned into him more. He wrapped his arm around me as I rested my head on his shoulder, the warmth making me feel better. His other hand took hold of mine. I closed my eyes, getting use to the spin of the wheel. It was getting easier every time. Apollo didn't laugh or acknowledge it. He knew better than to do that because depending on my mood, I was likely to either start yelling or sobbing. After we went around twice, I looked up at him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "What did you want to show me?"
He pointed out towards the ocean, and as we made it to the top, the most beautiful sight came before me. The sun was setting over the water, sending a glow over the area. We were bathed in the light of the setting sun, which turned the world into beautiful shades of orange and gold.
"It's beautiful," I murmured wonderingly. I'd seen plenty of sunsets with Apollo riding in his chariot. I didn't understand why this one was so important. He must have head the question in my tone, because he took a deep breath and starting rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand.
"Do you know what a green flash is?" he asked. I nodded my head. The green flash was a brief and rare flash of green light that happened as the sun set sometimes. There was a stint in the 1700s that I spent as a pirate. That's how the world got around, and so that's how I traveled on a lot of missions. I'd heard them talk about it. "You know that legend has it that the green flash is a portal, a brief glimpse into another world. Just like rainbows and portals of light lead to Valhalla in Asgard, the green flash leads to another world. Another legend, from Ancient Greek sailors actually, said that the flash was a sign of great change in the world."
"I don't remember that myth," I replied with a furrowed brow. "Is it?"
"Not that I can tell," he stated as we began out ascent once more. "I've never bothered to find out. I knew there would be one tonight. Have you ever seen one?" I shook my head. "This is the best spot to see it."
I couldn't help but smile as I leaned against Apollo. We went around a few times, watching the sun sink lower and lower in the sky. It had almost disappeared, and then, right before it sunk down below the skyline, I felt it.
It was a surge, a powerful pull that I had never felt before. As soon as I felt it, a quick flash of green filled the sky, and the sun disappeared. I couldn't describe what it was, but I knew it was connected to the green flash. As it disappeared, the surge, the anxiousness that filled my system, vanished along with it.
"How do mortals not notice something that bright?" I said in awe. Apollo just shrugged his shoulders. The wheel was slowing down now, letting the passengers off. We were next.
"Mist does wonders. To them, it just looks like a little green dot above the sun but to us, it's more. There's no explanation for it happening. It's just part of the chaos of the world."
"And what prompted this?" Apollo took my hand as we stepped out of the gondola. Apollo was always showing me things, took me to places I had never been before. I think he was trying to show me everything I could never see, and at the same time, getting me ready for my ascension into full immortality.
"Well, I need to tell you something," he stated. His voice was a little nervous, but there was something behind it that I couldn't quite discern. My heart dropped, and the ghost of an enormous amount of pain welled inside me.
Did he….had he….
I tried to keep my emotions in check. Two thousand years of listening to gods order you around had given me a good poker face. He studied me for a second, but he must have known me well enough to know that I was expecting bad news.
"Addie, it's nothing bad, I swear on the Styx. It was just something beautiful and powerful, and it reminded me of you. I was trying to be romantic," he added with a chuckle.
"Oh," I managed to say. I wasn't the jealous girlfriend type, believe me, but knowing that your godly boyfriend had to have demigod children kind of put a kink in the relationship. Add that to the fact that I couldn't have children, and you entered into a severely messed up situation. I could put two and two together.
As far as I knew, he'd been completely faithful to me the past three years, ever since we got together. I knew how the gods were, how difficult it was for them to not bend to their desires. They weren't human, even if they looked like it. Their feelings and urges were way stronger, and it over shadowed any reservations they may have. That's why in the legends they seemed so cruel. They often acted out of anger, lust, and jealousy. They couldn't undo what they did, and even if they could, they were immortal and pride got in their way. I had seen one too many times how a god or goddess' passions get the best of them: Artemis and Actaeon, Athena and Arachne, Apollo and Cassandra….and those were just the ones off the top of my head.
One time it had gotten close. It was about a year ago that he went out with Hermes. His mortal had dumped him, and he needed to get out. They went to a party, and things escalated from there. Hermes got his rebound girl, and Apollo…. when he came home that night, he told me everything. He said that it was a mortal that was friends with the girl Hermes had hooked up with. She had been flirting with him, and he with her. I asked him how far it had gone, the pain in my voice clearly evident. I had always known it would happen, and I had told myself that it would be okay, that he loved me. Everything would work out. I had chosen this, and I knew what I was getting myself into. I was floored to learn that it was nothing more than a quick kiss. He said that it was like night and day. When it wasn't me he was kissing, it snapped him back into him, not the lust-filled-I-can-do-anything-I-want-and-the-consequences-be damned side of him. He said it felt so wrong, that he couldn't stand hurting me. He realized he didn't want to sleep with her. He didn't even want to kiss her. He had pulled away and left, coming back to me. I didn't think I would be enough, and he had stopped himself despite all the warring emotions. I trusted him with all my heart, but what if it became too much, trying to stay true to me? I didn't want to ask him to change. I didn't want to cause him pain. He couldn't help who he was, and I loved Apollo, despite his flaws.
"Addie?"
I shook my head, clearing the wayward thoughts. I offered him a small smile as I glanced at him at my side. "Sorry. I'm listening."
"I was trying to butter you up," he whispered as he moved to face me. "You have school to get ready for and stuff, but I wanted to see if you would put that off. Because….I wanted to know if you would come stay with me for a while once Camp is over. I just want you close."
"Oh," I exhaled. This wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I missed him, and it felt good that he wanted me around. "I'd like that actually. Sure you won't get tired of me?"
Apollo chucked as he tucked my hair behind my ear. "I'd never tire of you, my liakáda. I don't need anything else, Addie. I love you." His tone was so simple and sincere, and I melted over it. I didn't doubt how he felt. We had a weird relationship, but those were the perks of dating an immortal when you were basically one yourself. "You ready to go?"
"Only if you are," I admitted. He smiled down at me, his fingers tracing along my jaw line.
"I've been waiting to have you to myself all night," he murmured huskily. "I'd rather not go back to Olympus. Mind if we go to your apartment tonight?"
"No," I squeaked. My breath caught in my chest. Apollo pulled me to him, gentle as anything, and wrapped his arms around me. I pressed my cheek against his chest, smelling his wonderful, masculine scent.
"Hold tight."
The world tilted, and Apollo and I vanished.
Another chapter down! In case you are wondering what liakada means, its Greek for sunshine :)
I should update again soon! Leave a review to tell me what you think! Things start to pick up next chapter ;)