Chapter Four

"Hot date?" Nico asked, smirking as he leant against the doorto the bathroom, arms forded over a bare chest. Peter grinned at him thorugh the mirror as the blond fixed his hair.

"Smoking."

Nico laughed, "Girl or guy?"

"Girl. Redhead; fiesty little thing. An older woman, too."

He looked impressed, "Nice. Go back to her place though, would you? I've got something planned here."

"Romantic meal?" He asked lightly, turning to face Nico and leaning back against the sink.

"Yeah," Nico grinned, "Percy's been at Camp all day talking to Chiron, so he'll want to relax when he gets home."

"Relax, eh?" Peter leered.

"Filthy-minded pervert." Nico muttered, but he was smiling as he took a gentle swipe at Peter's head.

"Hey! Don't mess up perfection!" Peter cried, fluttering his hands around his hair frantically.

The doorbell went.

"She's picking you up? Cheapskate, Gods, the things you can get people to do for you!" Peter gave Nico a lecherous look. "She paying for dinner too?" Nico mocked as he made his way to the door. "I'll let in the hot ginger granny while you finishing primping."

Peter grunted in response, his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth as he concentrated.

"Hey, Rach, long time no see; your dreams came true, by the way, thanks."

"It's fine! Everyone's soo happy for you both!" Peter could hear the smile in her voice.

"Erm, no offence, Rach, but Percy's kinda coming home soon, and our lodger's about to go out too, so I can't really talk right now – soon though, promise. Peter! Get your ass out here and meet the Oracle!"

Peter sauntered down the hallway, already smiling. It'd been a while since he'd been on a proper date, and he was surprised to find that he was looking forward to it.

"You look nice, Rach, going somewhere?"

"Uh, well, yeah..."

"Rachel, lovely to see you again." Peter said, putting a firm hand on her waist and bending down to kiss her cheek. "Right on time, too."

Nico's mouth had fallen open.

"Good, erm, yeah, right. Good." She murmured, though as to whether she was talking to herself, or him, or Nico, Peter couldn't tell.

Peter beamed at her indulgently. Nico seemed to still be a in some state of shock.

"Shall we go, then? I've booked us a table at a simply divine restaurant, and from I thought we could go, well, we'll see, won't we?" Nico abruptly burst into a peal of laughter. "Are you quite alright?"

"P, perfectly!" Another burst of giggles.

"Righto, let's get going then, Rachel."

She allowed Peter to push her gently in the direction of the door, shooting Nico worried looks as she went.

"Gods, Peter! The only teenage divinely-protected virgin! You! And Rachel!" Nico was doubled over, clutching at his stomach now.

"Wait, what?" Peter asked, confused.

"You do know that Rachel's virginity is protected by Apollo, right?" Nico asked, grinning broadly.

Peter gaped. This was... He'd never seriously fancied someone he'd not ended up sleeping with – and Rachel had been swiftly growing on him. Still. She'd probably want to renounce being an Oracle after tonight, anyway. Peter turned a charming smile upon Rachel, "Really? Oh, well I can't see how that'd affect my decision to take her to dinner, do you, Nico?"

Nico, however, appeared to be incapable of replying.

"Thought as much. Shall we?" Peter offered his arm to Rachel, who, had been nervously chewing on her bottom lip, released it, stared into his face for a couple of seconds, then took his arm and ducked her head.

"-and she was a Siren all along!" Rachel laughed at Peter's story. Peter was perturbed. That was the most amusing story he had in his arsenal, and she'd barely tittered!

He smiled at her softly, and lent over the table. "So, Rachel, tell me all about yourself. From the beginning – I want to know everything about you." That was usually a killer line with girls, since then they would talk and talk and talk, and all Peter had to do was laugh, nod, and look sympathetic in the right places, and they pegged him as a 'good listener' (and therefore a good guy).

"Erm, well, rich parents, I moved out a little while ago, studying art." She said matter-of-factly. Silence. This was going well.

"So, what was the whole eternal virgin thing about?" Yeah, great ice-breaker, Peter.

She paled, opened her mouth to answer, then looked sharply to her left. Her eyes went very wide, and she shouted, "Peter, get down!" Then the nice waiter, who'd given them free garlic bread, exploded.