Percy Jackson and Andromeda's Lament

by Andro-with-an-O

What's a guy to do when he's haunted by dreams of a mysterious, violet-eyed girl who he doesn't know? Then there's his sexy principal who seems to have the hots for him and the supreme being who has taken an interest. Of course there's also this really long quest involving mythylogical gods, demons, angels, aliens and other weird stuff. Eventually GamerPercy! Crossovers!

6. What Am I To You?

Percy Jackson and Andromeda's Lament

Chapter 5: What Am I To You?

"Astra?"

"Yes Percy?"

"Where are we?"

---

The two were still wrapped up in each other as Percy voiced his question. He had his guesses, but he wanted to be sure before assuming anything.

Astra hummed for a moment, reveling in the feeling of her skin in contact with his. "We're… at my place… It's a penthouse in the city…" She said, out of breath still because of her earlier show of emotions. "I took you here when you passed out last night…"

The boy nodded into her chest – their height difference taking effect – and wrapped his arms tighter around her. "I'm so relieved you're safe, Astra… When those men took you I just… I lost it. I was so afraid that I'd lose you…" Percy said softly before a bit of steel seeped into his voice and his arms started crushing her to him, desperate to feel her closer. "And so… angry that they were going to take you from me."

Astra didn't struggle, even though it started to hurt. She gently started to stroke Percy's hair, running her slender fingers over his raven locks. "Shhh… I'm here Percy… They didn't hurt me… and they didn't take me…"

"What happened?" He loosened his grip, just a bit, but not at all letting go. He was still wrapped up in Astra as she continued her movements on his hair. It was soothing and comforting.

"You don't remember?"

"I remember beating them up… then that one guy had you hostage… then…" Percy trailed off. His memories started getting fuzzy at this point. "Then I think he shot a blank?"

"Yeah…" Astra told him, not bothering to correct his memory. It wasn't a blank, she really was shot at but Percy protected her. "It doesn't matter now. They're gone. Called the cops on them before I drove off."

Percy hummed in agreement. It was over. He didn't have to think about it anymore. Astra was safe and she was right here, in his arms. Right where she should be.

Several moments passed, the two just holding onto each other. They weren't talking but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Rather, they were just basking in the presence of each other.

"Um… Astra?" He said a few minutes later, breaking the silence.

"Mhmmm?"

"We're still… naked… y'know…" Percy stammered out, now getting a bit flustered at the situation they were in. His face was buried in the valley of Astra's breasts since a while ago. Despite everything that he did earlier this morning, that was all because he got caught up in the moment and he was still a twelve-year old boy.

"I know Percy…" Astra replied, not a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "But we're not naked you know… I have on some panties and you're in boxers…"

Percy blushed at her bold statement. He felt the stickiness in his boxers, the result of Percy and Astra's fun on the bed and disentangled himself from Astra's embrace. He turned his back to her, rubbing the back of his head and his face bright red.

"A-about that… I don't remember ever owning a pair of silk boxers…" Percy stammered out, his eyes darting around the room, trying to avoid looking over his shoulder at the panty-clad Astra. "Where… where're my clothes?

The woman in question pouted at Percy's back. She was having fun playing with his soft hair. "They got wet in the rain, so I put them in the wash… and I bought some clothes for you!"

Percy nodded. He was grateful for the thought but still… "You do know that I had some clothes in the car, right? You know, the ones I wore to the museum…" He heard a nervous giggle behind him.

"Ooops?"

The boy's palm met his forehead with a resounding slap. "Astra?!"

The soft, nervous giggling turned to full blown laughter at Percy's actions. He tried to keep a stern face for a moment longer but the rambunctious sound of Astra's mirth was too infectious and he found himself turning to face her and laugh along.

It took a while longer for the laughter to subside. Once it did, it left Astra gazing at Percy shamelessly while the boy's eyes were looking everywhere but at her.

"We should probably get dressed." Percy said, still avoiding Astra's nearly nude form.

"Yeah…" Astra said, still looking at Percy. "The clothes I bought you are through there." She pointed at a large painting on the wall to the left of the bed.

"Where?" Percy asked. He didn't see where Astra was pointing at because he was still doing everything he could to avoid looking at her body.

"There Percy!" Astra said, now forcefully pointing at the painting. "The painting!"

Percy looked around the room, trying to guess what painting she meant but there were so many of them. He gave up and looked in Astra's direction. She was still wearing only her pink panties and the white button-up shirt that was hanging onto her frame was rumpled on the floor a few paces behind her. Because of her enthusiastic pointing, her breasts were jiggling enticingly and Percy could see all the bruises and teeth marks on them.

'I did that.' Percy blushed at the thought.

Following Astra's pointed finger, he finally saw the painting she was talking about. It was of a dragon standing on a tall, stone watchtower with its wings outstretched like it was about to take to the skies. The dragon had rough-looking black scales all over it's body. It had long, scale-covered horns and big wings. It was glowing red in some parts of the body, at the torso and neck, like it was gathering flames in its lungs. The dragon's mouth was wide open, in a roar or to breathe fire Percy guessed, and row upon row of long, dagger-like teeth was visible.

What Percy found out of place though were its eyes. For such a scary black dragon, he expected ruthless, serpentine, blood-red eyes. Instead it had warm, protective green eyes.

He liked the painting, sure, but Percy felt something stir within him as he gazed upon the dragon.

"Ummm, Astra?" Percy asked, still looking at the dragon in the painting. He swore the dragon was looking right back at him. "Where're the clothes?"

"The painting's a door, silly. Push it in a bit!"

Percy walked right up to the painting and as Astra told him to do, gently pressed down on the painting. He heard something click and the painting swung inwards by itself, revealing a walk-in closet.

"Woah!" Percy exclaimed as he entered the closet. It was huge, bigger than his room at his mom's apartment. Directly in front of the entrance was an ornate full-body mirror. Shelves and clothing racks lined the walls. There were so many clothes that only Astra's dresses, coats and business suits filled up the space on the racks. Her shirts, pants and other clothing had to be stacked on the shelves.

One side of the wall was dedicated to accessories and shoes. The shelves there were filled with designer bags, hats, scarves, shoes and other accessories.

There was some sort of island in the middle. It had numerous drawers set into its sides and it was made of a beautifully toned wood. Percy guessed that this was where Astra stored her underwear.

On top of the island was a glass case, filled with jewelry. The case was separated into several segments, with each segment holding a type of jewelry. There were necklaces, brooches, rings, earrings, bracelets, hair clips and all sorts of beautiful bejeweled ornaments. They were arranged neatly on a velvet pillow.

Somehow, Percy was drawn to something that was resting inside the case, right in the middle. He approached the island and lifted the top cover of the glass case. The feeling grew stronger and Percy found himself holding a pendant.

The pendant was a simple black-colored cord with a fang hanging at the end. The fang was long and it looked sharp. Carved on the fang was a curvy, circular, swirly design. Percy found the necklace familiar, the something inside him that had been roaring last night was back in full force. It was growling at the sight of the fang but soon turned into delightful purrs, and before he knew it, the pendant was around his neck.

"Percy?" Astra called out to him. She had just entered the closet when the fang had settled on Percy's chest. "Have you found your clothes?"

The boy snapped to face her and froze, like a deer in headlights. The shirt that was once rumpled on her bedroom floor was hanging on her body unbuttoned.

"A-Astra…" He stammered out. Percy felt like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I was just…"

"Oh!" Astra exclaimed, clapping her hands happily. "You like that, huh?" She stepped closer to him and examined the pendant. "It suits you…"

Percy was shuffling his feet nervously. "You're not mad?"

Astra looked at him questioningly. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Because I touched your stuff without permission. I even opened the case full of your jewelry!"

She looked at him with wide eyes, as if realizing that he did have a point. She studied his face, looking for any sign of malicious intent but instead found herself flushing red at his adorably nervous expression.

"It's fine, Percy." She said, waving her hand dismissively. "I know you're not a thief. I trust you didn't take anything. If you were Ms. Bobofit though…." She trailed off. A moment passed in silence and then Percy broke out in giggles as Astra's words sunk in, all nervousness fading.

"Hahaha… If Nancy was here… you shouldn't… talk about your students… behind their back like that Astra!" He scolded her though it wasn't very convincing because he kept on giggling as he did so.

The corners of her mouth curved upwards in the smile. She was trying to reassure Percy that she wasn't angry at him and being able to see him so happy and to hear him laugh so genuinely had already made her day.

When Percy's laughter had subsided, he grabbed the cord of the pendant and tried to take it off but Astra stopped him.

"Keep it." She said, laying a hand on his raised arm.

"What?" Percy asked, bewildered. "Astra… I can't just…"

"It's for males." Astra interrupted him. "I don't wear it, and nobody in my family wears it. Its just been sitting there for years."

"But…" He tried to refuse still. "If its been around for years, isn't it important?"

Astra pressed her lips together into a straight line. "That pendant has been in my family for a very long time, yes."

"Then I can't keep it." Percy removed the pendant and presented it to Astra in his outstretched hand.

Astra took hold of the boy's hand and closed it around the necklace. "Keep it, Percy. Take it as a gift for saving me last night." She shot him a dazzling smile. "Besides, it looks good on you."

Percy looked away from that smile, afraid for his eyes, and promptly took on the daunting task of being a tomato. "F-fine! I know you won't budge when you get like this!"

Astra took the necklace from his hands and put it on him. The fang rested on his chest and she took a step back, admiring him. "See! I knew it looks good on you!" She exclaimed happily, still looking at the pendant. Abruptly, her smile grew wistful and it looked like she spaced out for a moment as she gazed at Percy wearing the fang necklace.

"Astra?" Percy waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her funk.

"Oh… yeah…" She looked around the room. "Check those shelves over there! They should be your size."

Percy looked at Astra weirdly, like he was wondering whether he should bring up her spacing out. He shook his head, choosing to let it go, and closed the lid of the case filled with jewelry before walking to the shelf Astra was pointing at.

His jaw dropped open when he reached it.

"Wha!" He was expecting a single outfit, maybe a shirt and some jeans. He was wrong. He was miles off the mark. The clothes in the shelf was enough to be a small wardrobe.

There were dozens of shirts in all types like fine dress-shirts, casual t-shirts, button-ups, sweaters and jackets. Along with the shirts were a selection of pants ranging from jeans, slacks, dress pants, khakis, shorts and even a number of expensive, comfortable looking boxers. Different shoes like sneakers and leather boots were in a row in the bottom shelf.

"Astra…" He questioned the woman who was standing behind him who was looking at the boy with a smile. "Do you have… like… a younger brother I didn't know about?"

Confusion washed over Astra's face. "What are you talking about, Percy? Didn't I already tell you about my family yesterday." Her lips pouted in annoyance and she crossed her arms underneath her chest. "Weren't you listening!"

"No! No, I was listening… it's just…" Percy glanced at the shelf full of clothes in his size warily. "Why do you have so many clothes for boys?"

"Oh! Well…" She started to explain the existence of the shelfful of clothes. "I didn't buy them myself. I had Juliet get them for me, and I didn't know what she'd find so late at night so I just gave her some spending money and told her to buy loads of clothes for you!"

Percy nodded. He could see Astra doing something like that. Remembering their conversation last night as well as the size and décor in her room, he knew that she'd have the kind of money to do as she likes.

"Okay… so you had her buy clothes in bulk… Why didn't you just get her to buy one outfit instead of…" He glanced at the shelf full of neatly stacked clothes. "That."

"I wanted something that'd look good on you, okay!" Her face flushed red and she twiddled her fingers nervously. "You looked really handsome last night… and… I was so happy that you were wearing the clothes I got you so…" She looked at him for just a second before bowing her head cutely. "I want you to have these… and wear them every day…"

Percy gulped. Astra looked really cute when she was all shy and bashful. "Fine then. Thank you, Astra." He said, forcefully turning his gaze away lest his resolve crumble and he'd give into the temptation of being with this wonderful woman.

He examined the shelfful of clothes and started shuffling through them, looking for a suitable shirt and jeans combo for the day. He picked a thin, grey sweater and some dark jeans along with a pair of black and white Chuck Taylors.

"These are pretty nice." He saw that there were still sale tags on the jeans and pulled it off. Casually, he checked the price and his jaw went slack.

"No, no, no… Astra… these are too much." He said, returning the clothes to the shelves.

"What's the problem?" She said, taking Percy's chosen clothes back out of the shelves and into her arms.

"These are too expensive!"

"Percyyyyy!" Astra stretched out his name as she handed him the pile of clothes in her arms. "Take them… if you don't, then I'll just throw them away! I have no one to give these to, except for you!"

Percy was starting to feel bad about all this, but he just couldn't accept the clothes. Astra however, wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Astra!" Percy said sharply, making Astra pause in her attempts to change his mind and accept the wardrobe. "I'm grateful, really… but these clothes, the pendant… I don't want you to keep gifting me these things." He said, a bit of steel in his voice.

Astra stopped her convincing entirely. She was too focused on Percy. She loved it when he got mad or got a bit forceful and right now, the sound of his voice, all hard and stern made her already sticky underwear get a fresh new coat of juice.

"I don't want people to say that you're my sugar mama!" Percy said, raising his voice a bit. "I want us to be equals."

"Percy…" Astra whispered, her emotions once more on a roller coaster. "I want that too… but for now, please accept these… let me take care of you…" She said, her voice barely above a whisper, and Percy's expression softened. "I'm going to wait for you, right. You're gonna be a man that other girls will be desperate to be with, and to be honest, I can't blame them. But they're too late." Her voice firmed up at the end. "I've already got a head start. You can spoil me all you want in the future, but for now, let me spoil you."

"Astra…" He called out her name. She was his. She said it. She was his. "Okay…"

She wringed her hands nervously. "You'll take the clothes."

"Mhm."

"You'll let me buy you gifts. And cuddle with you. And… And…" She was running out of words, she was too caught up in the happiness she felt.

"Yeah, Astra. But don't spoil me too much, okay." Percy said, bailing her out of her stammering. "I want to be a man worthy of you. I want us to be equals before we…" He trailed off, turning red at the way his thoughts were heading. Clearing his throat, he continued. "And I'm gonna spoil you rotten. But I can't do that if you baby me too much."

"Okay!" Astra stepped towards him. "I won't baby you, but you can't blame me if I go to far…" She leaned forward and stole a quick peck on his lips. "You're just too handsome…"

"Astraaaaa!" He whined as his ears turned pink.

The woman giggled in response.

---

A bit later, Astra ushered Percy into the bathroom, saying that she was gonna do some work on her laptop while he took a shower. He was pushed into a door, but it wasn't a bathroom. It was a small room filled with counters, clothing racks, folded towels, and clothing hampers. There was another door opposite the one Percy just entered.

He assumed that this was a changing room. Locking the door, he laid down the pile of clothes he was carrying on a countertop. Then, he stripped out of his soiled boxers, threw them into a hamper, and stepped into the bathroom.

Percy stepped into the master bathroom of Astra's penthouse and he was shocked at the sheer size of it.

First thing he saw was the window. The bathroom had a huge, floor to ceiling window that revealed the majesty of New York City. The walls were made of smooth, dark marble with the floor being the same material, only a rougher variety. The countertops were also made of marble, though in a lighter shade.

There were two, white sinks on the countertop, with a large mirror over them. The faucets were made of a shiny, polished steel. There was a wall light over the mirror, illuminating the sinks and the mirror. Percy saw a lone toothbrush and some beauty products on the counter near the sinks and he wondered just how much work Astra put into how she looked.

Moving on a bit, Percy saw the toilet. It wasn't like the high-tech ones Percy saw sometimes on the internet, with all the buttons and switches. No, it was a simple, white toilet. Weirdly enough, Percy could see a bunch of books in arms reach.

Flipping through the books, he found that they were comics in black and white, and he couldn't understand a word. It wasn't in English but in… was that Japanese? Something Asian. The story was about some boy with a scar over his eye cooking food with the people tasting it somehow getting naked. Percy didn't know anything about this and he just found it weird.

He put the book back on the counter and continued his examination of the bathroom. He noticed a frosted glass door in one side of the room. He guessed that this was the shower stall. Percy walked over to the frosted glass when something else caught his attention. It was the bath.

The bath was huge and he wondered why he didn't notice it first. It had a great view of the windows and Percy imagined a grown-up version of himself with an arm draped over a still beautiful Astra soaking in it, looking over the beautiful lights of a New York evening. The thought made him blush.

Ignoring the huge bath, Percy headed to the shower stall, separated from the rest of the room by frosted glass. He found a handle on the glass at doorknob height and pulled the door open.

What greeted him was dark, marble walls, a large shower head above, six nozzles on the left and right wall – three on each side – and a number of knobs to turn the water on. There was also a selection of body-wash, bath soap, shampoo and conditioner on a long shelf in the far back wall of the stall. There was also a loofah on the shelf.

He fumbled with the knobs, his tongue sticking out slightly in his concentration.

"So… this knob is for the hot water… this is for the cold water…" The boy said to himself, trying to figure out how the shower worked. "This is for water pressure… and these?!" He screamed softly, pulling at his hair in frustration.

"Damn it!" Entering the shower, he started turning the knobs randomly. "Ow ow ow… god that's hot! HIeeee! Cold! Ooof… a bit too much pressure there…"

Eventually, Percy managed to get the temperature and the pressure just right and he felt the warm water flow down his body. The extra nozzles hit his body with a gentle pressure that was soothing his muscles, still a bit sore from the events of last night.

The water energized Percy, making him feel better. The aches and pains last night started to fade. Somehow, the boy thought that the water was clinging to him, like they didn't drip down to the floor immediately but actually tried to stick to his body.

He shook the thought away as he started browsing the selection of bath amenities. He spotted a bottle of orange scented bodywash and rose-petal shampoo and determinedly turned away from them. Percy loved Astra's scent, but he wouldn't want it clinging to him. The teasing he'd get from Grover alone would be unbearable.

Choosing a nice, solid bar of green Irish Spring soap, he started scrubbing with his hands, lathering up his body in bubbles and suds. He ignored the loofah, he didn't want to think about where that scrubber rubbed at Astra's body.

Proceeding to wash his hair, he picked a colorless, scentless shampoo and massaged his scalp. His eyes were closed as he washed his hair and the sound of falling water of the shower covered up the sound of the bathroom door opening.

He was humming a song when a voice startled him. It came from outside the shower stall.

"Hello!" It was a girl's voice. He kind of expected Astra to suddenly step inside and join him, but the voice wasn't familiar. "Miss Astra has asked me to tell you that breakfast is ready." The unknown girl said in a cheerful but respectful tone. "I'm Juliet Butler, her attendant."

"Ummmm… Okay?" He replied, hoping that whoever the girl was, this Juliet, that she'd go away so he could get out. Percy was starting to feel uncomfortable with only a pane of glass hiding his nude form.

"She has instructed me to lead you to the table. Today, breakfast is served on the balcony." The girl told him. It seemed that she planned to wait for him right outside the shower.

"Um… can you please… wait outside." Percy stammered out, embarrassed out of his mind. "I'm kinda naked here."

"Oh! Oh of course." The girl sounded a bit embarrassed herself, like she had just realized how weird it was to stand around outside a shower a boy was using. "I'll be waiting outside the changing room. And please, you do not have to rush."

"No… I'll be out in a minute." Percy said as he started washing off all the suds and soap off his hair and body.

"Very well. I will see you soon."

Percy heard the sound of footsteps slowly getting farther away. Then the sound of a door opening and closing. Soon, all that was left was the cascading of water on the marble floor.

"Hah…" The boy sighed. "That was weird. I can see how she's Astra's attendant."

The boy finished up his shower. He rinsed off the last of the suds, enjoyed the feel of the water rolling down his body for a moment, and turned off the water. He stepped out of the stall, still naked and dripping wet, and headed for the changing room.

He opened the door and his eyes widened. Immediately, his hands came down to cover his crotch.

The girl, Juliet she introduced herself, had the clothes he put on the counter in her arms and was hanging them on the clothing racks, one by one.

Percy was just grateful that the girl didn't touch his used boxers and had her back to him. He creeped inside the room, careful not to make any noise, grabbed a towel from the closest shelf and hurriedly wrapped it around his waist.

Once his privates had been adequately covered by the towel, he cleared his throat to get the girl's attention. "Um… miss? I thought you were going to wait outside?"

"Eeep!" Juliet jumped a little in surprise. "Sir! How did… when did…" She was stumped. How come she didn't notice him. She was a Butler, trained by her brother and Madame Ko herself! She was known as the Jade Princess of the ring! This boy shouldn't be able to sneak up on her.

"Miss… outside. Please." Percy said as he took in the girl who looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. Her figure was more of an athletic build rather than Astra's voluptuous curves. She had long blonde hair, braided over her shoulder and held up by a jade green pin. Her eyes were the same shade of green as her hairpiece. She was wearing a black vest over a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of short, black shorts. Covering her legs were black tights and she had on stiletto heels. A black bowtie was on her neck.

"Oh! Right!" The girl's eyes wandered downward from his eyes to his toned torso and she blushed.

'He's twelve, Juliet. Don't ogle the twelve-year-old.' She thought to herself, trying to tear her eyes away. She couldn't.

"I'll just be outside." Juliet said but stayed rooted to her spot.

Percy ran his hand through his still wet hair. "Yeah, I'll be out as soon as I get changed." He looked at the girl who was still standing by the clothing racks, looking at him weirdly and raised an eyebrow. "Umm… Miss?" No response. "Juliet?"

At the sound of her name being called, Juliet snapped out of her daze, pulling her gaze upwards back into his face. "Sorry. It's just… I haven't seen a body like that on a twelve-year old before. My last young master was all skin and bones like a vampire."

Percy gave the girl a confused look. "What are you talking about? I'm a normal twelve-year old."

The girl's eyes wandered downwards. "Are you sure?" She said as she looked away and started walking out the door.

The boy watched the girl leave, wondering what she was on about. Shrugging his shoulders, he took another towel from a nearby shelf and started wiping himself down. That was when he noticed the state of his body.

His stomach was starting to show signs of abs and his chest had gotten thicker somehow. His shoulders were a bit broader and there was definition on his biceps. He even felt a bit taller somehow, maybe an inch or so.

Percy's body had developed and got toned in a night. He wasn't bulging with muscles but there was definition, like the muscles had been achieved through long bouts of running and swimming as opposed to lifting weights.

"Whoa!" He poked his midriff and felt the firm muscle underneath. "What happened? Is this how puberty works?"

He ran his eyes down his body once more, admiring it for another moment before he smirked at his reflection in the nearby mirror. 'Not like a kid anymore, huh.' Quickly patting his wet body dry with the towel, he dressed and walked out the changing room.

Juliet was dutifully waiting for him outside. "Shall we go to breakfast, sir?"

The boy nodded. "Lead the way, Juliet. Can I call you Juliet?"

"Yes, sir. Please follow me." She started walking off, glancing at Percy before doing so. "I'll give you a tour on the way."

"Okay then. And please, call me Percy."

---

"This place is on one of the most luxurious apartment towers in New York." Juliet started to explain about the penthouse as he was being led to breakfast. "It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, a library/study, and a balcony."

They stopped just outside the bedrooms. It was an open space and aside from the doors leading into the various rooms, pieces of art like paintings and sculptures filled the space.

"You've seen the master bedroom and bathroom." Juliet said gesturing to the door they had just come out from. "But these are the other rooms upstairs. This is my room, that's a guest room, and that's the upstairs bathroom." She gestured to each of the rooms in turn.

Astra's door was black and had a glimmering star on it, he saw. For some reason, Juliet had a luchador mask on hers.

"And this here," She opened her arms wide. "This is Miss Astra's private collection."

Percy looked around the various art pieces on display.

"Does Astra have some sort of weapon fetish?" The pair of swords he saw on one of his office visits was hanging on the wall, along with other weapons like spears, lances, flails, morning stars and all sorts of swords like great swords and longswords.

Juliet chuckled. "No, she just likes collecting things."

"I can see that." The boy saw a full plate of knight armor that stood in one corner. It was polished and well-maintained, like it could be worn in a moment's notice. Right next to it was a human-sized wax figure of a dark-haired, brown-eyed lady wearing a fine dress.

Interspaced on the walls were all numerous framed paintings and pictures. One in particular caught Percy's attention. It was a painting of sunflowers. It was a wonderful piece, like something that should be in a museum. Percy knew that there was one artist who was known for sunflowers, he just couldn't remember who.

There was some writing on the painting. 'Sunflowers follow the sun, but these flowers are for the stars. To Astra, from Vincent.'

The girl urged them forward after letting him browse for a few minutes. "There are more pieces in the foyer." Juliet told him as they were walking down the steps. "Miss Astra has such a large collection. Every one of her residences has at least one gallery."

"How many residences does she have?" The boy asked the older girl who turned to him, finger to her lips in thought.

"She has a beach house in LA, a manor just outside London, one in France, Rio, Tokyo…" Percy's eyes widened as Juliet went on. And on. And on.

"Does she have a place in every country or something?" He asked incredulously. It seemed she wasn't exaggerating when she said she was as rich as Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark and Scrooge McDuck put together.

"Not really. Just in some places she likes." Juliet said as they reached the first floor of the penthouse.

The living room was huge. It took up most of the space on the floor. Wide open windows let in natural light, but Percy could imagine it being bright even in nighttime. Multiple light fixtures were on the walls and there was a nicely sized chandelier on the ceiling.

There was a large couch, a loveseat and several armchairs arranged in front of a large, widescreen TV that was hung on the wall, hooked up to tall speakers that stood on either side of it, like knights guarding their king.

Below the mounted Television was a white TV cabinet where numerous game consoles laid out. Percy saw an XBOX One, a PS4, a Nintendo and an Atari.

The coffee table in the middle of the sitting area was square-shaped, with two levels. The upper level was bare save for a large frog stuffed toy. The lower level was filled with junk.

Near the sitting area was a small fireplace. The fire was out for today but Percy could picture the flames crackling merrily.

A grand piano was in the room with a violin laid down on the seat. A drum set was next to it, along with guitars and a bass. There was also a jukebox in the room.

"Miss Astra really likes her video games. And music." Juliet said as she led Percy through the archway leading into the dining room. "She plays, you know."

Percy looked at the girl he was following. "Plays what?"

"Everything." Juliet replied. "Piano, guitar, bass, drums, violin, harp, saxophone. I think she can even play a lute. Sings too."

"Really? Wow. Astra really is a wonderful woman, isn't she?" A half-smile grew on his face. "I really need to step up if I want to be good enough for her." He mumbled softly to himself.

"She really is. That's the library/study." Juliet pointed out a door near the piano just before they entered the dining room. "This is the dining room. That's the kitchen there." She pointed at a closed door. "And this is the balcony!" She walked to the door next to the large windows and led Percy through it.

He stepped through the doorway and a light breeze hit his face.

"Wow!"

A wonderful view of a morning in New York greeted him from the spacious balcony.

A few minutes later, Percy found himself sitting on an intimate, circular table set for two. Astra was sitting opposite him, looking at he email on her laptop. Juliet had gone back inside the penthouse, presumably to bring them breakfast.

"Hey… check this out…" Astra turned her laptop so that it faced Percy. "Mr. Brunner just emailed me a draft for some consent forms."

"Consent forms? For what?" He asked as he tried to read what was on display. It was difficult though, his dyslexia acting up.

"The sword tournament dummy!" Astra said, a bright smile on her face taking off the sting of the slight. "We're having a sword tournament, remember? You have to participate because you were gone for half the field trip."

"Hey!" Percy defended. "It wasn't my fault. Someone…" He looked at Astra pointedly. "Dragged me around for most of the afternoon."

"Ehehehe." Astra looked at him rubbing the back of her head sheepishly and giving him an innocent look. "Well… how about I go and print one out. We'll swing by your mom's later and have it signed. That way, there won't be any more problems and you can participate without worries!"

"Really?" Percy asked, eyes wide. "You want to go meet my mom… today?" He was getting a bit nervous and he was a bit irritated at himself that he was. It wasn't like this was the first time he was introducing a girl to his mom. No… it totally wasn't.

Besides, it was just Astra. Yeah… it was just his principal.

He looked at the woman in question. She hadn't showered nor dressed yet and was still in just her white shirt and panties that she slept in. The top button of her shirt was unbuttoned and peeking out was a light purple bruise.

"Yeah… I don't think it's a good idea." Percy told her causing the grown woman to pout childishly.

"Whyyyyy?" She whined. "We're going on business Percy. Business!" Her hands slammed on the table at the last word, jostling the laptop and the table setting to emphasize her point. "It's not like you're introducing me as your girlfriend…" She muttered softly as she sat back with a pout, her arms crossed but it was loud enough that Percy just barely heard her.

"Ughh. Fine… we'll go meet my mom." He really couldn't resist this woman. Anything to make her happy, he'd want to do.

"Okay!" Her pout morphed into a smile, her white teeth glinting in the morning sun. "We'll stop by right after breakfast at your apartment!"

"No!" Percy shouted out of the blue, standing up from his seat. He put his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat as he sat back down, red-faced. "I mean… let's pick her up for lunch… around 11:30?" He didn't want Astra to meet Gabe. The thought of that pig looking perversely at his Astra made his skin crawl.

Astra looked at him, silently questioning his earlier outburst before reverting back into an Astra-like smile. "Ohhhh! That's a good idea! Your mom works in a sweets shop, right? We can go pick up some candy to replace the pastries those meanies ruined last night."

"Yeah… we can do that…" Percy agreed. At least she didn't insist on going to the apartment like he half-expected her to. "Then you can take me back to Yancy…"

"Awww…" Astra complained, hearing Percy's words. "Do you have to? It's the weekend… spend the night here again…"

Percy sighed. "Astra… I already spent the night here… I need to get back to the dorm and I can only imagine how unbearable Grover will be if I don't get back today." He was a bit worried about how Grover would take it, him spending the night with Astra. Grover would flip if he found out what he did this morning to her.

Astra pouted like a child who didn't get her way but eventually gave in. Percy made her promise him that they'd go back to Yancy, right after lunch.

Plans made, the two turned to more lighthearted conversation. Astra was explaining how the penthouse actually took up only half of the top two floors when Violet came back with two portable stoves. They were on a large cart with what looked to be like eggs, sugar, cream and milk in bowls.

"What are we having Juliet?" Astra asked as she saw her attendant approach. Her laptop had disappeared without him noticing. He guessed Astra handed it to Violet.

"I'm gonna put on a live cooking show! We're having mini souffle omelette!" The girl started to crack and separate the eggs as she spoke. "We have a guest to impress, after all." Juliet winked at Percy, making him look away.

Astra cheered. "Whaaaa! Just like Soma-kun!" She clapped her hands excitedly, which prompted Juliet to nod and confirm.

"Soma?" Percy asked, confused as to what the heck was going on.

"He's a wonderful cook! The best of the best!" Astra said to him excitedly as Juliet heat up two pans, one on each stove. "He goes to this really intense school, and they have these cook-offs and he makes all this amazing food…" Percy listened as Astra went on and on about how excited she was that she'd be having one of Soma's recipes.

To be honest, Percy was starting to get a little jealous. He wanted to see this Soma so he could tell him that Astra was his. 'MINE!' The thing inside him screamed, though it was somehow more subdued than before.

"Miss…" Juliet started to say as she began putting the eggs on the piping hot pan and covering them. "I think you should let Percy know what you're talking about…" She said, noticing the look in Percy's eyes. The girl was honestly surprised to see just how fiery the boy could get. But then again, this wasn't the first time he surprised her today.

Astra stopped her gushing mid-sentence as she heard Juliet speak. She looked away from Juliet's station and looked to Percy and promptly gulped down the saliva that suddenly built up. He was looking at her with such an intense, possessive look that it made her tingle inside.

"Ah… yeah…" She stammered, unable to look away from his currently stormy green eyes. "Soma's a manga character…"

The intensity in Percy's eyes died instantly at hearing her words. "So… Soma is…"

"A fictional cook." Juliet finished as she flipped the eggs onto two plates nigh simultaneously. She finished plating the dish, adding in some kind of red sauce and parsley. "Breakfast. Mini Souffle Omelettes with a special tomato sauce."

The two members of the audience clapped and cheered at her impressive display of skill. Juliet grinned at the two of them, happy that her efforts were appreciated.

She placed the two plates in front of Astra and Percy. "Enjoy. And don't be afraid to ask for more." She gestured to her station on wheels and the still plentiful amount of ingredients.

Astra quickly took her spoon and pushed down on the soft, fluffy omelette. "Very nice, Juliet. It looks exactly the same!" She excitedly ate a spoonful of egg and her eyes lit up. "Waaaai! So fluffy!"

Percy was watching Astra take her first bite and his mouth curved into a smile. Then he started snickering to himself. He was jealous of a manga character!

Astra noticed Percy softly laughing and frowned. With Juliet watching, she leaned forward and stuffed her spoon right into Percy's open mouth. "Eat, Percy! These are souffles! They'll collapse if you don't eat them while their warm."

"Oh my!" Juliet softly whispered to herself as she watched her current mistress spoon-feed the young man. "How daring of you Miss…" She chuckled to herself as she watched Percy's eyes go wide, Astra's spoon still in his mouth.

"Dish ish awshom" Juliet heard Percy talk around the spoon while Astra was smiling at him. Her mistress took the spoon back and resumed eating herself with Percy happily digging into his own plates.

Juliet felt like the two finished their food in the blink of an eye as she found herself cooking more and more omelettes. Right after she finished a batch, the souffle was inhaled into the two's extra-dimensional gullet, and she had to make another.

"Ahhh… that really hit the spot…" Percy said, patting his full belly. He didn't know how many he ate, he stopped counting at the sixth plate, but the food was really good so you couldn't really blame him. "Thanks for the food Juliet! It was really delicious!"

"No… problem…" The girl replied, out of breath from the exertion. Her hair was ruffled as some strands escaped from her braid and her once-pristine uniform was wrinkled and damp with sweat. "Glad… you like it…"

"It was wonderful Juliet." Astra complimented. There were four plates in front of her, even with Juliet constantly clearing the table. "I'm really jealous of Arty Jr. who grew up eating your food."

"It… wasn't much…" Juliet lied, but she knew that it was something her mistress wanted to hear. Besides, it was just a catchphrase.

She was right as Astra giggled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Who's Arty?" Percy asked the two. He had been rubbing his stomach when he heard the unfamiliar name and decided to ask.

"Arty Jr." Astra corrected him as she started to explain with Juliet giving her own input. "He manages most of my family's fortune. He's also Juliet's last master."

"Miss is correct. The Butlers have served the Fowls for many generations. My brother still works for the young master and until recently, so did I, but…" Juliet said but was interrupted by Astra.

"I needed some help of my own." Astra piped up. "And I asked Arty for a recommendation and he said that Juliet here…" She grasped Juliet's hand. "Wanted to go to America. So, I accepted, even though I wouldn't get her full time…"

"Why aren't you getting her full time?" Percy asked as he glanced between the two blondes.

"I go on tour with a wrestling group in the summer." Juliet said flexing her bicep. "They call me the Jade Princess!" She tapped her jade-colored hair ornament.

"Yeah… so I only get her during the school year…" Astra said smiling at Juliet's antics. "But that's fine since my workload isn't that much during vacation." She turned to Juliet. "How is your brother, by the way. I heard he got shot defending Arty from an assassin?"

Juliet's mood turned somber as she nodded. "He's recovering. One of our friends managed to save him."

Percy's eyes widened. Assassins? He wanted to ask more but noticed Juliet's mood and tried changing the subject.

"Wow… so this guy manages your money, Astra?" Percy said, genuinely impressed. If Astra had as much money as she said she had, and he believed her, then this Arty must be a genius at finance.

"Yeah… and get this, he's only thirteen!" Astra said making Percy's jaw drop.

As Astra started laughing at Percy's expression, a maelstrom of thoughts swirled in Percy's mind. 'This guy is just thirteen! I really need to shape up. I need to improve. Need to get better. Need to…'

Juliet started clearing the table while Percy and Astra continued their conversation. The subject had changed again and they were somehow talking about cooking and Soma again. When the final plate was cleared, Astra excused herself.

"It's already nine. I'm gonna go and get ready." She said as she stood up and re-entered the penthouse, whispering something to Juliet as she passed. The Butler girl nodded in understanding and went on to carry out her instructions.

Juliet approached Percy who was still sitting at the table, watching Astra walk away. He was mesmerized with her swinging hips and bare legs. She cleared her throat, getting the youth's attention.

"Miss Astra has told me to assist you in any way I can while she prepares for the day. The whole apartment is open to you." She said, thinking that Percy would want to play games on the various consoles like a normal boy would. "We can play on the PS4… we recently got the latest Assassin's Creed…" She suggested.

Percy thought to himself. He had maybe thirty minutes until… wait… Astra's a woman so he had maybe an hour. Honestly, he'd like to play on that massive TV but then he thought about Arty Jr. and how he's already managing a fortune at thirteen…

"Hey Juliet…" He began, looking nervously at the older girl. "Do you know how to play the guitar?"

---

When Astra had come downstairs wearing her outfit for the day; a white blouse underneath a dark blue cardigan, blue skinny jeans and some strappy sandals; and she was surprised with the sight that greeted her.

Percy and Juliet were sitting on the floor facing each other. An acoustic guitar was in Percy's hands while her Slash autographed Les Paul was being used by Juliet. The girl was teaching the boy something from a tab sheet.

"Shouldn't you teach him how to read that?" Astra called out, startling the two. She was happy that Percy was interested in guitar. Maybe she could teach him herself…

"He learned how to read them in the first five minutes…" Juliet replied after they settled once more. "And he learned all the open chords in the next fifteen…"

"Really?" Astra glowed with pride. "That's amazing Percy!"

The boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, giving Astra a sly grin. "Thanks… it's not much but…" He started playing a few chords and Astra, knowing how to play, soon discovered that he was playing Hotel California.

The sound was good, the high end acoustic guitar made sure of that, but from the skill the boy was showing, you would think that he'd had weeks of practice instead of just a measly forty minutes.

Then the solo began and Percy began plucking on the strings. He was doing well until he missed a note when his finger slipped.

"Ooops…" Percy said as he stopped, half-smiling at the two blondes. "Guess I need to practice more.

"No Percy! That was wonderful. You have talent!" Astra said as she walked towards the two and sitting down next to Juliet. "Doesn't he?" She asked the girl when she settled.

"Yeah!" Juliet agreed. The boy had talent. Learning how to play under an hour was nothing to scoff at. "Show her the other thing Percy."

"Other thing?" Astra wondered as Percy once more started playing.

This time, the song was more modern. The first few notes filled the spacious room and Astra realized what Percy was playing. The strings were plucked in a familiar tune and then he started singing.

Astra got lost in the sounds Percy was producing.

Hey there, Delilah

What's it like in New York city?

I'm a thousand miles away

But, girl, tonight you look so pretty

Yes, you do

Percy was looking right at Astra as he sang, his voice soft and melodious. This time, he didn't miss a single chord as he played for her. His voice hit every note with this wonderful tone that made Astra feel like she was melting.

When Percy finished the song, Astra was left breathless. She just wanted to carry him up to her room and have her way with him. Her darkened eyes locked onto his own and what she saw in them made her shiver.

A clapping sound beside her snapped Astra out of her fantasies.

"That was wonderful! Amazing!" Juliet was cheering for Percy. "I can totally see you selling out arenas in a few years!"

Astra took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Yeah…" She spoke in a husky voice before clearing her throat and spoke again in a more normal voice. "That was great Percy. It was beautiful."

He shot her a roguish grin and Astra flushed. "Thanks guys… I gotta say, playing guitar is really fun… singing's not too bad either…"

Juliet nodded sagely with her arms crossed. "Um! Um! You have a very nice voice. It complements the acoustics very well."

"I think he'd do well in more… heavier genres as well…" Astra added as she started fanning her burning face with her hands. "Maybe a more rock sound…"

"You guys really think so?" Percy asked as he basked in the praise the two were showering him. He looked at the guitar. "Guess I'll pick this up in earnest then."

"Totally! You totally should!" Juliet enthusiastically agreed. Guess he already had a fan.

Percy glanced at Astra and seeing her flushed red and breathless made him worried. "Astra? Are you feeling okay?"

"Wha? Oh… yes… I'm fine…" She confirmed, waving off his worries. "I gotta go to the bathroom for a sec…" She stood up from the floor and the other two followed suit.

"Anything I can get you, ma'am?" Juliet asked as she dusted off her uniform. She had gone back to professional mode.

"Yes actually." Astra said, checking her wristwatch. "Can you go get the Panamera from the garage. Have it ready, it's about time for us to leave. Oh, and take the clothes you bought last night and put it in the trunk."

Juliet saluted like a cadet. "Yes, ma'am!" The girl carefully set the Les Paul on its stand before leaving to her task.

"You can stay here Percy. Keep practicing and I'll be back soon." Astra said to him as Juliet left them. She was trying her best not to pounce on him.

"'kay." He replied as he sat on the couch and started browsing the tab sheets they had been using. Percy glanced at Astra as she went back upstairs to the master bathroom, worried still about her health. She looked really pretty in her outfit and he loved the way her jeans hugged her like a second skin but she seemed a bit under the weather with her being flushed and out of breath.

As promised, Astra returned a few minutes later. She was back to normal, making Percy sigh softly in relief.

"Is Juliet back yet?" She asked as she sat down next to him on the couch. He still had the acoustic guitar in his hands.

"She just left carrying a suitcase." Percy replied as he got stuck on a particularly difficult part in Sweet Child o' Mine. He tried once again this time a bit slower and he got it perfectly, making him smile at his achievement.

Astra watched him play, looking at the soft smile that sprouted on his face. "Keep the guitar." She said making Percy lose track of the plucking. He frowned, not at his mistake, but at her words.

"No." He said firmly.

"C'mon Percy. Keep it for practice." Astra insisted.

"No." Percy repeated.

"I thought you said that you'd accept gifts?" Astra said remembering his words earlier in the morning. Words that made her so happy.

"I will, but not this." Percy said, resolution oozing from his voice. "I'm grateful for the clothes, and the pendant, and anything else. But I want to do this on my own."

"But how will you pra…" She was cut off by Percy.

"I'll buy my own guitar. It'll only take a few months of my allowance to buy a second-hand one, and I can do some odd jobs for the guys for a bit of extra cash…" He said firmly making Astra frown. "I don't want your help with this, Astra."

"But Percy…" She tried to change his mind. Make him accept her help. She was willing to do anything for him.

"Astra!" His voice was sharp. "This is how I'm doing it. I want to do it this way."

She looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of weakness that she could use to sway him. There was none. His eyes were full of determination.

"Okay." She said, admitting defeat. She wanted to help but she could see that she had no way to change his mind. Sometimes, Percy could be as stubborn as she was. "If you're sure."

Percy nodded at her words. He wanted… no… needed to do this. Some form of independence from Astra so that he won't get too comfortable. He didn't want to rely on her money.

"But on one condition!" Astra said, to which Percy motioned for her to go on. "When you get your guitar, play for me, once a week…"

Percy smiled. That he could do.

---

When Astra received a text message on her phone saying that the car was parked just outside the building, the two exited the penthouse but not before making sure they had a copy of a consent form. Percy was stringed along as Astra clung to his arm as they walked.

"This way Percy!" Astra was leading pulling him towards a set of elevator doors. "Here, here!"

They reached the elevator and Percy pressed the call button. As they waited for the elevator to arrive, Percy was glancing around the corridor they were in. It was a narrow corridor with minimal décor. It was still classy to a point but compared to the places Percy had been in the past few hours, it was nothing special.

"Do you have neighbors?" He asked, looking at the only other door aside from the one leading to Astra's and the elevator doors.

"That one's vacant." Astra replied. "My penthouse takes up only half of the top two floors. That one takes up the other half." She explained pointing to the said door. "Some people had been showing interest in buying it but I've been blocking them."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want some strangers living next door." Astra replied with puffed up cheeks. "They could be weirdos."

"Says the lady clinging to a twelve-year old." Percy was teasing but there was a bitter undertone in his voice. Astra glared at him but he could see that there wasn't any hostility in them.

"Mou…Percyyyyy…" She whined, smacking him softly on the shoulder, making the boy laugh heartily.

A ding signaled the arrival of the elevator. The two stopped their back and forth teasing and entered the elevator. It took them more than a few minutes to reach the building lobby, a testament of just how high up Astra's penthouse was.

When they finally touched down, Percy and Astra were greeted by Juliet standing just outside the elevator doors.

"The car is just out front." She said. "I had Phil watch it."

"Thank you, Juliet." Astra told the girl. "I'll be back this evening. You can do what you want until then."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be in the fitness room then." Juliet said entering the elevator as the two exited. Percy guessed that she was going to change into exercise clothes. "Have a good day." She said as a form of farewell as the elevator doors closed.

"Let's go Percy. This way." Astra lead him to the lobby. It was very grand with numerous sitting areas and decorated with all sorts of potted plants in exquisite vases. Percy spotted numerous hallways and asked what they lead to.

"This one leads to the fitness room." Astra said pointing to one hallway. "It's a good place, almost like a full gym. There's also an indoor pool." She pointed to another hallway. "It's about the size of the pool in Yance, maybe a bit bigger."

She kept walking as they spoke and they soon reached the main doors.

"Good morning ma'am." A doorman greeted them as he opened the door.

"Morning Phil." Percy mumbled his own greeting. "How's Diane?"

"She's doing well ma'am." Phil replied, happy to talk about this Diane. "She just got released from the hospital. Stevie's being a handful. The little tyke's really hyper."

"Glad to hear it." Astra looked around the street for her car. "Did he like the dragon I got him?!"

The man chuckled. "Can't sleep without it."

Astra laughed in reply. "Tell them I said hi, 'kay?"

"Will do, ma'am?" Phil then noticed Percy to whom Astra was still attached to. "And who're you, young man?"

"My name's Percy." Percy held out his hand for a shake. "Nice to meet you sir."

"Please. Call me Phil." The man said, firmly taking his hand for a hearty shake. He turned to Astra. "Your car is over there, ma'am."

"Thank you, Phil. C'mon Percy." Astra dragged him in the direction Phil pointed at.

"Bye Phil!" Percy called out.

"Goodbye Percy." He heard Phil call back just as he was pulled out of ear shot.

In no time at all, Astra and Percy were back on the streets of New York, just as they did last night. This time, however, they weren't in the Bugatti. Astra was driving a shiny black Porsche Panamera.

Unlike the Bugatti, this one was a four-seater car. Guess she wanted to be a bit more low-profile, though the Porsche was still very impressive.

Astra was, of course, in the driving seat with Percy sitting shotgun.

"Did you call your mom?" Astra asked as they stopped at a red light.

"I don't have a phone, remember." Percy replied as he admired the high-tech systems the Porsche had. He really didn't have the opportunity to properly appreciate the Bugatti's interior since almost all his attention was directed at the goddess that was seated beside him.

"You could've called on the landline." Astra reminded him. She had one in the living room and in her study.

"I didn't see one." Percy answered. He was tempted to fiddle with the radio, just to see how it worked. "Let's just swing by and ask invite her personally."

"Right now?" Astra asked as she looked at the time displayed on the dash. "It's only 10 o'clock."

"She works near Central Park. We can stroll around while we wait for her break." Percy replied making Astra squeal in happiness.

"Really! Okay then." She fiddled with the GPS, taking the opportunity the red light made to set the destination. "What store does she work in?"

"Sweet on America." Percy answered while watching her manipulate the Navigation Systems. It looked so easy but he guessed that it was because of the car.

"We're all set." Astra announced as a map showed up on screen with a highlighted route for them to take. "Wow… you're right, it's only a block away from Central Park."

"Told ya." Percy said as he looked at the pedestrians walking along the sidewalk. "We can walk around the park for a bit… buy some pretzels…"

"I want to go on the lake." The car started moving as the light finally turned green. They were making good time, the infamous New York traffic not really affecting them that much. "Let's rent a boat!"

"Sounds fun." Percy said with a smile directed towards his companion. Her excitement was really infectious and he found himself really looking forward to being on the water.

Time seemed to fly by as the two kept on talking and joking with each other. They'd also tried to decide on where to eat lunch. Keyword: tried. Percy wanted pizza while Astra felt like having some Chinese. They were getting close to their destination so they agreed that Percy's mom could pick.

It wasn't long before they were walking through the red and blue doors of Sweet on America. The tinkling of bells just above the door greeted their arrival.

"Good morning! Welcome to Sweet…" The woman who was welcoming them in trailed off as her eyes landed on Percy. "Percy! What are you doing here?" She asked as she walked forward and enveloped the boy in a warm hug.

Percy felt like he'd come home. "Hey, mom."

"Oh… my little boy…" Sally Jackson tightened her grip on her son and felt the newly developed toned muscle underneath his thin, grey sweater. "Who's… not so little anymore, huh?" She let go and gripped him by the shoulders, examining him with a raised eyebrow. "You've grown since I last saw you. You're a young man now." She said as she wrapped him once more in a motherly embrace.

"And you're still beautiful, mom." Percy complimented truthfully. Her dark brown hair was shiny and her eyes, glistening with joy at seeing her son, was a nice blue color that sparkled and changed in the light. She also smelled like chocolate, licorice and everything else one would find in a candy shop.

She was almost forty now, but she didn't look a day above thirty.

"That's sweet of you to say…" Sally said, finally letting go of her son. "Now what are you doing here?" She was really happy that he'd surprised her with this visit but she was a bit worried too. Was he in trouble somehow?

Astra took her question as her cue and cleared her throat, drawing Sally's attention.

"Hello ma'am." She spoke in an impressively professional tone of voice. Astra had gone from the girly, childish Astra to the principal of a school for rich misfits Miss Black. "My name is Astra Black and I'm the principal of Yancy Academy. Please, call me Astra."

Sally looked at the blonde bombshell his son came with. She glanced between the two, noticing the distance kept between them and the way their bodies were turned slightly to the other. Her motherly instincts were telling her that there was something up.

"Hello Astra. Please, call me Sally." She said politely. "Is something wrong? Percy isn't in trouble, is he? I can assure you, he's a very good boy…"

"Of course not, ma'am. And I know how he is." Astra assured the woman that there was no trouble whatsoever. "Actually, we just stopped by to invite you to lunch. We can talk further then."

"Yeah, mom. There's just something…" Percy trailed off. "But we can talk about it later. When's your break?"

Sally looked at her son with a questioning look, wondering what was going on but gave them the time of her break nonetheless.

"Do you want to get Chinese? Or Pizza?" Percy asked her, pouting when his mom answered the former. Astra laughed at his disappointed look earning her a glare from the boy.

"Okay then… we'll come by again later…" Miss Black said after regaining her composure. She started looking around the store. "Hey, Percy..."

"Go ahead. I'll keep my mom company." Percy said, already knowing what Astra wanted. She was just itching to go and eat some sweets so the sooner they bought some the better.

Sally watched as the prim and professional Miss Black turned into a kid in a candy store as she skipped around, quickly filling a basket with confectionary. She looked on incredulously as she took five bags of Hershey's kisses and dumped them into an already full basket while Percy just laughed at both her expression and at Astra's antics.

The sugar addict walked back to the mother-son duo and plopped her haul at Percy's feet.

"Do you want me to ring this up?" Sally asked the woman who in turn looked to her son.

"Later, mom. I think she's gonna take a while." Percy said which made Astra smile brightly. She pat Percy's head affectionately before skipping back to the rack of baskets and started filling it up once more.

"What's going on?" Sally asked her son while watching his school principal with wide eyes. She was on her third basketful now. "I know you said that you weren't in trouble, but…"

"I'm not, mom." Percy explained a bit of the situation. "I have to do something to make up the field trip 'cause I missed half but it's fine…" He said, squeezing his mom's hand reassuringly and shooting her a confident smile. "We can talk about it in more detail later."

"Fine then. You can also catch me up on what you've been up to." Sally stroked Percy's cheek. "You're growing up so fast… pretty soon, you'll be off to high school and bringing home girls…"

"M-mom!" Percy sputtered, his face as red as a tomato, making Sally laugh. She noticed Percy glance at Astra, making her narrow her eyes in suspicion. Her son always had been special, especially considering who his father was, but he's just twelve! And with his school principal?!

The boy in question had noticed Astra with an armful of marshmallows which made him think of his dream and the events of this morning. Involuntarily licking his lips, he remembered where he was and snapped his head to the side to look away, which his mom saw making her even more suspicious.

"She's really pretty, isn't she?" Sally asked, fishing for some more information. She wanted to get to the bottom of this. "And she looks so young too…"

"C'mon mom… she's my principal. Don't put those kinds of thoughts in my head." Percy said trying for nonchalance. He really didn't want his mom to start asking questions concerning his relationship with the older Astra.

Sally wasn't being fooled though. She was about to ask another question when Astra waved them over and she let it go. For now.

"Help me with these Percy." Sally told her son who nodded as he began carrying the baskets full of sweets to the counter where Astra was. There were already two baskets with her just waiting to be devoured.

Percy tried lifting a basket and found that it wasn't too heavy. He managed to carry all five of the baskets at once by hanging the handles off his arms, surprising his mother who was making her way to help him.

"I got it, mom. Just start on the cash register."

Looking dubiously at her son and his display of strength – she tried lifting a basket and she barely lifted one (they were big, okay!) – she headed behind the counter and began ringing up the purchase on the register.

Astra was giddily bouncing in place, anticipating all the sweets that she'd eat. They were waiting for the transaction to finish processing so she could pay. Then she'd be drowning in the sweetness of candy!

It took a while for everything to be processed simply because of the sheer amount being purchased. Percy and Astra ended up with nine large plastic bags almost overflowing with candy.

"Do you need help with that?" Sally offered her assistance. Astra gratefully accepted and Sally carried two bags. That left Astra carrying three and Percy with four bags to carry. "Did you park nearby?"

"It's just outside mom." Percy answered as he opened the door with his foot. Sally followed the pair as they crossed the road and whistled appreciatively at the car they stopped at. She wasn't one of those car maniacs but she had eyes. It was fairly obvious that the vehicle was both impressive and expensive.

"Thanks Sally. We got it from here." Astra said as she opened the trunk. Percy started to load all the bags next to the suitcase filled with the clothes Astra bought for him. "We'll see you later."

Sally handed what she was carrying to Percy. "It was nice meeting you Astra." She turned to her son and hugged him goodbye. "Love you Percy."

"Love you too mom!" Percy whispered, a bit embarrassed since Astra was right there. A smile was on her face though as she witnessed the warm, familial scene.

The mother and son separated from their embrace and said their goodbyes, at least for a little bit. As Sally re-entered the store, Percy and Astra started walking towards Central Park. Since it was so close, they opted to go on foot instead of having to find another place to park the car.

They were walking side-by-side but unlike last night, there was no hand holding or arm locking. Percy was still a bit nervous since his mom looked like she was getting pretty interested in Astra and Percy's opinion on her.

The lack of contact, however, had no detrimental effects on the two. They were still talking, joking and teasing like they normally were.

Astra had pocketed a bag of M&M's and the two were passing around the candy as they walked.

"Why are you only eating the blue ones?" Astra asked Percy after noticing him rummage in the bag for another blue-colored chocolate treat.

"Haven't I told you that story yet?" He answered her with a question of her own. She shook her head in the negative. He loved telling that story and it was a wonder she hadn't heard it yet.

"When I was younger, Gabe told my mom that there was no such thing as blue food…" Percy told her the story. How his mother went out of her way to prove Gabe wrong and that Percy grew up eating and loving blue food.

Astra was nodding and smiling as the story went on, utterly amused at the rebelliousness Sally had shown and the quirk Percy developed because of it. She could really see how Sally managed to raise someone like Percy.

"Your mom's nice." Astra said and she meant it too. From what she saw earlier, Sally Jackson was an undeniably warm and kind woman.

"Yeah! She's the best in the world!" Percy grinned. He was really proud of his mom. "You know, I think she knows… or at least suspicious."

"'bout what?"

"She was asking all these questions earlier… like commenting about how pretty you were and waiting for my response." Percy said to her. "It was like she was fishing for answers. Like she had her suspicions about what I think of you."

"And what would you have answered?" Astra asked him.

"Well…" Percy scratched his cheek. "Its pretty obvious isn't it?" He said avoiding her gaze. "You're gorgeous. Totally out of my league…"

Astra suddenly jerked to a halt and went silent. It took Percy a few more steps before noticing that she stopped.

"Astra?" He turned to her, a questioning look on his face.

"Not that." Astra said softly, her whispered words carried to him by a sudden gust. "I'll be waiting for you, but for what exactly?" Her hair was billowing, the soft blonde locks flowing with the wind. "What am I to you?"

Percy opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out. What was she to him? He knew he cared for her deeply and she cared for him too. He was also pretty sure he liked her. But it was hard to put into words what she was to him.

Friend? No, they were already past that stage. Even from the beginning when they first met Percy felt something with her, like he somehow knew they'd click. And now, calling Astra just a friend seemed… lacking.

Best friend? Grover would be pissed. Or jealous, more likely. He couldn't really see Grover being pissed. Maybe passive-aggressive.

Girlfriend? He was too young. Maybe once he'd grown up a bit; she did promise to wait after all. But to be honest, that was what he wanted her to be, and hopefully what she wanted as well. He just wasn't sure if he was ready.

Why did labels make everything harder?

Percy looked at her breathtakingly beautiful form, as if all the answers were in her possession. Maybe it was.

She was nervously awaiting his answer, shifting her feet and twiddling her thumbs. The wind had stopped blowing and her hair had gotten messy but it still looked absolutely perfect on her. If anything, the messy hair gave her a wilder look that Percy found unbelievably hot. The only downside was that her eyes were hidden behind that hot mess of blonde and he wanted to look at them again and drown in those blue pools that promised so much.

It felt like something inside him was roaring the answer. It was the same as last night, when the overwhelming rage he felt towards the scum appeared. Unlike last night, however, it felt subdued, weakened, like something else was dampening its intensity and he couldn't make out what it was saying.

A few more seconds passed in silence, with Percy's mouth opening and closing like he was about to say something but words kept catching in his throat.

"I-I don't… it's complicated." Percy finally managed to force out and he winced at how lame and cliché he sounded.

Her hair still hidden from his sight by her hair, she resumed moving towards Central Park Lake, silently passing his still form.

"Astra?" He was worried now. Did he somehow offend her? Disappoint her?

"Let's go. I can see it from here." Her voice was lacking any of the cheerfulness and warmth that it typically had.

"Um… okay…" He said as he jogged to catch up with her.

It did not take long for them to reach the boathouse near the lake. They managed to acquire a decently sized rowboat. It wasn't all that special but the space on the boat made for a very close and intimate atmosphere.

That is, if the romantic air wasn't being overshadowed by the heavy tension surrounding the two.

The boy rowed their rented boat out onto the lake, but neither of them were really enjoying the experience.

It was a shame because it was such a beautiful day and the lake was exceptionally beautiful. The pair that was usually comfortable with each other, whether joking around or in silence, was currently experiencing an awkwardness between them.

Astra was uncharacteristically quiet throughout the time they spent in Central Park Lake. She was really excited about the boat ride in the car but her exuberance was visibly diminished. All she was doing was staring out into the water at the various ducks and fowls and munching on some chocolate.

Percy, on the other hand, was thinking about her earlier question. What was Astra to him? He couldn't put it out of mind and he spent the hour or so brooding over it. His eyes were glued to the woman sitting on the boat with him as he searched deep inside himself for an answer.

What was Astra Black to Percy Jackson?

---

It did not take long before the time they were supposed to meet up with Sally arrived, though to Percy it seemed like he had been waiting forever. The tension was so thick that the seconds felt like hours.

By the time they had walked back to the car, Astra was mostly back to her usual self. She was currently chattering about excitedly about the restaurant she had in mind. The only signs that pointed out to her earlier mood was the fact that she wouldn't meet Percy's eyes, even when talking to him.

Percy wasn't any better. He still seemed to be lost in thought. Although he was nodding along and responding to Astra's words, they were mostly one-word answers. You could really tell he was distracted especially since he kept bumping into strangers and light posts.

Waiting for them by the car was Sally. She was still wearing her red and blue Sweet on America uniform, though she was wearing a coat over her blouse. Her break had begun five minutes ago and she about an hour to spend on lunch.

"Hello Sally!" Astra greeted as they approached, energetically shaking the older woman's hand. "Let's go! There's this really good place fifteen minutes away…" She gushed she unlocked the car and gestured for them to get in.

"Hey mom." Percy said absently. He shot her a lazy wave. "We better hurry or we'll drown in Astra's drool."

"You call her by her first name?" Sally asked, going back to her previous line of questioning. She was really curious about her son and this woman she met today and was determined to get some answers.

"Yeah."

Sally waited for Percy to elaborate but he only seemed to stare out into space. He got in the car, sitting in the passenger seat and Sally was left alone on the sidewalk. Astra had already gone in a while ago.

"That was odd." She said to herself as she started to get in the backseat. Percy was usually more… talkative than that.

The duo turned trio drove onto the streets of New York, joining the throngs of traffic bound cars and pedestrians. Civilians and taxi drivers alike impatiently honked their horns, contributing to the overall clamor the hustle and bustle of the city produced.

Inside the car though was a different story. The windows were up so the racket outside was reduced to a cacophony of muted sounds. What filled the enclosed space of the vehicle was the persistent chattering of a woman, Astra, and the calm and gentle responses of the other, Sally.

Deciding that they could leave the true purpose of this visit for later, they were currently engaged in a conversation regarding the restaurant they'd be eating in. Astra already had a place in mind and was telling Sally a bit about the menu.

"They have this really good kung pao chicken…" Astra looked at the rear-view mirror, making eye contact with the older woman. "But they also have this wonderful Sesame Chicken…" A bit of drool escaped from her mouth.

Sally was nodding along indulgently at the exaggerated dilemma Astra found herself in. Honestly, she was a little amused at just how serious she was taking the whole thing. "Why don't we order both?"

Astra's eyes lit up. "Yeah! What a great idea." She gave the woman through the mirror a dazzling smile.

Sally was once again reminded of the sheer beauty and charm this one woman exhibited and wondered if Percy was taken in because of it. She glanced at her son and noticed again his lack of focus. Usually this could be explained by his ADHD but it was apparent that it wasn't this time because he actually looked subdued as he looked out the window into the streets. More like he was deep in thought.

As the only male amongst the three, Percy was noticeably distracted as evidenced by his lack of participation in the conversation. He was still thinking about his earlier conversation with Astra and the question she posed. Only this time, there were also thoughts about the violet-eyed girl swirling around in his head.

Somehow, thinking about what Astra was to him also made him think about what that girl was to him. Why was he dreaming of her?

He almost couldn't believe that it had only been a day since he started to remember her because it felt like he should have known the girl for years. He didn't even know her name but if he were to ever cross paths with her, he would recognize her immediately. That waist-long raven hair was too impactful and her porcelain skin too striking. The clincher, however, were her eyes. When he closed his eyes, he could still see those striking violet orbs although they were frequently alternating with Astra's green-flecked blues.

And then there was that guy in the suit that –

"Percy!"

His name being called interrupted his train of thought and got his attention which was understandable since it was practically yelled in his ear.

"What?" Percy asked a tad annoyed.

"I've been calling you for a while now!" It was Astra. "I asked you what you wanted to order?"

"Order?" He was confused. Weren't they still talking about him and her?

"For lunch…" Astra clarified for him now looking a bit worried. What had him so distracted that he even forgot they were going to the restaurant. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ask her earlier question. She got ahead of herself a bit there and now Percy was overthinking things. "We're having Chinese…"

"Are you okay honey?" Sally asked from the backseat and Percy remembered where he was. His mom reached out and lightly stroked his hair.

"I'm fine… sorry, just thinking…" He assured them as he felt his mother's fingers run through his scalp. It felt nice and he loved it but somehow it didn't feel as good as last night with Astra. "So… lunch." He said averting the subject from himself to their order.

"Right. We've already decided on spring rolls, wonton soup, some spicy tofu…" Astra began as she started enumerating what they'd thought up with Sally occasionally adding an item.

"Why are we ordering two types of chicken?" Percy asked once the two women finished listing everything.

"Because they're both reaaaallly delicious!" Astra said, taking her hands off the wheel to stretch her arms out sideways to show just how good they were. Fortunately, they were currently stuck in traffic and they weren't moving an inch.

"Do you have anything to add, Percy?" Sally asked glancing worriedly at the steering wheel. The car had power steering though so she needn't be distressed.

"Maybe another pork dish… char siu or something…" He looked pensive. "Or maybe beef. We don't have one of those yet."

"Oh! They do this really good beef. It's braised in soy sauce and…" Astra started gushing about the beef. Guess they were ordering that.

"Do we really need that much though?" Sally pointed out. "There're only three of us. You ordered enough for eight…"

"It's fine. Percy and I can probably eat that much even if it's just the two of us…" Astra boasted proudly. "Remember the roast pig…" She said nudging Percy in the side.

The boy laughed, remembering how much they pigged out that day. "How could I forget? I was almost bursting, I ate so much…" He patted his belly, as if it was still full of roast pork. "My stomach was huge… while you had even more than me but yours didn't even bulge!" Percy poked her in the side and Astra squealed. A grin sprouted on the boy's face.

"Percyyyy..." Astra whined as the boy kept poking her sides. The sounds of her squeals and giggles filled the car. She was really ticklish there. "Don't do that. I'm driving!"

"We're not moving…" He shot back as he wiggled and started tickling her in earnest. "So that means… your fair game!" Leaning over the center console, he used both hands in his task, making her laughter louder and continuous.

"Stop! Heeahaa STOP!" Astra started screaming hysterically but Percy wouldn't let up. He was having too much fun watching the way Astra reacted to his hands. Loved how he was making her scream. Now only if she'd scream his name. "Percyyyy!" Ah! There it was.

"Make me…" His earlier brooding all but forgotten. Astra was already flushed and out of breath. Her face was a beautiful pink and the way she looked stroked something within Percy.

'MINE!' It roared. That was what it had been roaring all this time behind that barrier that dampened its intensity. Somehow, the sight of Astra all bothered and screaming returned its force and it was now roaring the answer.

What was Astra Black to him?

'MINE!'

"Ahem!" Someone cleared their throat behind them. "The traffic's moving." It was Sally. Percy had forgotten all about his mom sitting in the backseat. She'd just witness him do those things to Astra.

Slowly, robotically, Percy turned his head to look at her.

"Hi Percy!" She shot him a wave, a knowing smirk on her face.

Oh shit.

---

A.N.

Done! And it only took me two weeks. Granted, it was a bit shorter than the previous chapter and I wrote that in a week. This chapter was a bit hard. I have a clear direction of where I want this story to go but it's just a bit hard to put it into words especially since English isn't my first language.

For anyone who is wondering, I'd likely update maybe every one or two weeks. Sometimes maybe three. Sometimes not even a week.

You guys seemed to really enjoy Astra and Percy but this won't be the sole pairing. There will, of course, be Artemis involved, but maybe others too. Don't worry though, he won't get too many girls and some of them will only be temporary. Anyway, Astra and Percy aren't together, he's still too young (though you could kinda say that they are... meh, labels) but she'll wait for him until he's old enough. And she's his. He'll mature quickly though, he's already started growing as was displayed in this chapter.

By the way, next chapter we're going back to Yancy and the sword tournament. Warning: there'll be a bit less Astra coming. (She's been having a bit too much screen time lately)

So, that's it. I just wanted to give some kind of idea about what's going on since I don't think I'm being clear in the writing.

Read and Review, guys!

See you next chapter!