SHOUTOUTS!
Demigod-Wizard-Gatekeeper: What,seriously? Usually people just want me to make them kiss and like,get married and stuff,but oh well.
Pernos Forever: You're not the only one who's been bitten by the Penollo-bug...I guess I've started a disease...Oops :)
HermioneGrangerWeasely: You asked for it...;)
Craziness extreme: Lol yeah bruh I'm a witch...and yes,Apollo is indeed,a very hot God. I mean,seriously,have you seen Viria's art on him? If you haven't,go check it out and tell me what you think! HE IS SO SEXY IN THAT OMG-Okay,I need to calm down...
Anyways,review! (Seriously guys,review)
PennyLover: I do have one,but I totally forget about it and stuff...I was literally about to make episodes for Penollo lol...anyways, it'll take to much time...plus I'm about to start a youtube channel soon,so it'll take away all my time
Chapter 8:The temptation
She's an angel from the heavens. Or most probably,the angel from Tartarus sent to torture me. Under the moonlight,she looked so...unrealistic. It's impossible for someone to look this beautiful. It's just impossible. But yet there she was,standing in front of me,looking more beautiful than Aphrodite herself.
Up close,she looked even more heavenly. Her eyeliner fitted perfectly for her green eyes,making me stare everytime she blinked. The light rouge on her cheeks gave her the appearance that she was blushing. Her lips were lined with dark cherry red,making me want to kiss her more than ever. My insides we're twisted into knots as our faces grew closer. I could feel her heartbeat beating through her dress.
Even though she accepted my apology,I still felt guilty. But even this made me feel guilty. I can't get associated with a demigod,it's wrong. But she was like alcohol;she's making me addictive. Addicted to her.
"Aphrodite seriously worked on you well,huh?" I asked stupidly. She smirked.
"Well,it wasn't a picnic,but it's worth it. Besides,the next time there's a party,I'm running away until it's over."
I laughed softly "Then can I come with you?"
"We'll see." She gave me a mysterious smile before turning away from me,staring at the dark grounds of Olympus. I hesitated,then stood next to her in the silence.
"I can't believe it." She murmured. I turned towards her.
"What?"
"The wars...the mayhem...it's actually over. And I-" the rest of the sentence seemed stuck in her throat,but I understood. At least,I think I did.
"It feels unreal that you're actually safe huh?" I guessed. She nodded,her lip curling.
"It's not just that. It's just the fact that me and Percy-" she swallowed "I-I mean,we both always depended on each other,but well...we kind of grew distant and..we've lost our bond." She finished quietly. She turned away to avoid looking at me,but I could see her eyes shining.
"It doesn't matter." She said hastily. Her voice was a little thick,and I could tell that she wasn't used to opening up often. On instinct,I took her hand and squeezed it gently. She hesitated for a moment,then wrapped her fingers around my hand,biting her lip.
"He's not going to forget you Penny." I told her earnestly "he can't."
"Apollo.." she sighed,looking at me with a type of plead and a look of hopefully in her eyes "He already has."
And with that she turned around,walking back inside. Her heels hit the hard marble floor,and I closed my eyes. Was this my fault? If I hadn't mentioned her brother earlier,maybe she wouldn't be like this. I walked inside and grabbed her hand.
"How do you really know if the bond between you and Percy is gone?"
She turned around,her eyes twinkling with faint tears "I-well,after Hera put him in Camp Jupiter,he didn't remember anything except Annabeth. It's not that I wanted him to remember me-" she said hastily "but me and Percy have always leant on each other for support. But growing up,well,I'm not saying that I'm jealous of Annabeth,but he began to lean towards her. And then...we split. Ever since then,I'm used to acting independantly,but seeing them all leaning on others and sill staying strong..it makes me doubt myself."
"What do you mean?"
"How is it that Percy can be dependent on someone else and still stay strong,whereas I'm dependent on only myself and...weak?"
"Come here."
I wrapped an arm around her waist and put my other hand on the back of her head,pulling her closer. She wasn't crying,but was breathing slowly,her eyes closed. She had the faint smell of lavender and salt. I didn't know what to say.
"You're not weak Sunshine." I muttered in her ear. She looked at me with a sarcastic look.
"I'm telling the truth! For example,you've still managed to push me back despite all my attempts to get you. I mean,I usually win a girl within a minute!"
She laughed at me "I have to say,you can make a girl feel special."
"I don't have to make you feel special Penny. You already are."
It was hard to see under the darkness,but she blushed darkly,her smile soft and playful "Oh,shut up. But thanks."
I took her hand and kissed it gently "Anytime,Sunshine."
She smiled,looking in another direction. Adorable. Damn,it was impossible to stay in a bad mood with her. Everytime she smiled because of me I felt like the luckiest God alive.
"So now what?" She asked gently. I slid my hands down to her waist,pretending to be deep in thought.
"We could do this for a while." I grinned,putting my forehead on hers,staring into her eyes. She grinned shyly,her hands fingering my collar. I so badly wanted to kiss her,but I hesitated. It would leave her emotions in an even more jumbled up situation,but I wondered if I could untangle that. She was certainly a blessing from the Fates to me.
Our eyes met,and my eyes slowly kept darting towards her lips. Her grin slowly started fading away as she was realizing what was going to happen. I kept eye contact with her eyes and lips,for the fear that she wouldn't want it. I cupped her face in my palms and everything stopped when I felt her lips on mine.
My insides we're on fire. She tasted like strawberries,and there was a salty taste that I liked. It was slow but steady;I was carefully reading her body language. I wasn't sure if I could take the kiss even deeper. It had hardly lasted for five seconds,before she pulled away at once,looking shocked.
"I-I'm sorry" she said hastily,going crimson "I- shouldn't have done that. Um..I have to find Piper and Jason. Good night." She said hastily,before pulling her dress up and walking towards the doors.
"Penny-"
But her dress had already disappeared in a flash,and I could hear the faint echos of her shoes. I groaned.
"Women."
I didn't do that. I didn't kiss him. That didn't happen. It wasn't supposed to happen.
I leant against the wall,groaning. Why had I fallen in for it? I should've just pushed him away,or told him that I wasn't interested. But instead,I lost my first kiss to the Sun God. I can't give him what he wants. I can't give him sex,I can't give him pleasure. My first kiss,gone with a poof!
"You are so stupid Penny.." I said aloud,cursing myself "why did you kiss him?"
I sighed deeply and sunk to the floor,pulling off my heels and rubbing my ankles sorely. Now I was in a bigger dilemma. Kissing Apollo only meant that I had feelings for him. I couldn't have that. I'm not supposed to be leaning on someone else. I don't want to be in a relationship. Or do I?
Either way,it's not possible. I can't have romance with a Good. It's practically illegal. And if my dad found out..if Artemis found out...they would be so disappointed. Of all men,I went for Apollo,the heartbreaker of hundreds of girls. I rested my head against the wall,closing my eyes.
But I can't deny that it felt..magical.
It only lasted for five seconds,the worst five seconds of my life...and the best. I couldn't analyze the symptoms of what was going on inside of me as our lips met for a few moments..but I didn't want to stop. I wanted it to keep going...but it couldn't. It was impossible...
Without knowing what was happening,my head lolled and darkness descended over me.
.
My eyes shot open at once,the brightness blinding me. It took a few seconds for my sight to register,and to realize that I was not in my Chambers.
The bed was even softer than my own. I wanted to curl up and fall asleep again,but I was wide awake,which wasn't like me at all. My body felt weak but I did my best to sit upwards. It didn't look like my room at all;it was much brighter,and everything went even more bright as he entered. He was wearing jeans and a light blue hoodie,matching perfectly with his eyes.
"And she awakens." He announced,putting his coffee mug on the nightstand and sitting down next to me. I rubbed my eyes wearily,until I realized that my dress was gone,and I was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top.
"What the-how-did you-"
"There's a lot a Good can do with the snap of the fingers Sunshine." He said,snapping his fingers. I nodded slowly and looked away. It all came crashing down on me. The party. The kiss.
"Um..how did..I think I fell asleep in the halls.."
"You did. I carried you to my Chambers. Piper came looking for you,trying to wake you up to say good bye. But you were out cold. She told me to tell you to Iris message her soon."
I nodded again "Well..thanks. And about yesterday.."
It was a sticky moment,he reached out to take my hand,but then stopped and recoiled. I actually felt a little disappointed. But our relationship was forbidden. It was like a teacher-student love life. Impossible.
"I shouldn't have done that," he said at once "I-I just got tempted and-"
"I know." I said gently "I felt it too."
I felt a tiny bit of remorse. I felt like I had lost something huge. It's not like Apollo took my virginity of something,but still,a girl can never forget her first kiss. I never thought of the perfect guy for me,but if I ever met him I'd want my first kiss to go to him.
An uncomfortable silence stretched across us.
"We'll just pretend it never happened." I said. I actually wanted to keep talking about it,about how our relationship looked now. He hesitated then hung his head,nodding. I couldn't help but think that he felt disappointed too.
"Yeah..." His eyes met with mine,but he looked away at once. I felt something inside of me sink. Was he angry? Or upset? He got up sighing and turned away.
"Are-are you mad at me?"
He stopped and turned around,smiling at me faintly "I could never be mad at you Sunshine. I'll see you later. Olympus duty and all that."
"But...Apollo wait-"
But he already disappeared in a flash. I sighed and looked down,feeling lower than ever. What have I done? I've gotten myself smitten with a good. A freaking god. I hesitated,then got up and walked out. Luckily nobody was there,so I quickly raced to my Chambers and shut the door,breathing hard.
"And where were you?"
I screamed and turned around to see Piper,looking at me expectingly. I quickly turned my scream into a grin,trying to look innocent.
"Pipes,hey! So um..when did you wake up?"
"Where were you last night?" She asked,raising an eyebrow. I didn't know what to say.
"Um...I sort of..fell asleep in the hallway."
"And?"
"Um..I don't know. I woke up to see myself in..in Apollo's Chambers." I muttered,avoiding her gaze.
"Why do I think there's more to the story?" Piper sighed. I gulped. Should I tell her?
"Anyways,why in Tartarus did you fall asleep in the halls?" She asked. I ran my fingers through my hair.
"Well.."
"Okay Penny,what happened?"
"I-Me and Apollo kissed."
I shut my eyes tightly,waiting for her outburst,but it never came. I opened my eyes slowly. Piper's eyes were wide,and her jaw was wide open.
"Shut up." She muttered,the corner of her lips twitching.
"I-"
"SHUT UP!" She laughed,much to my surprise "I can't believe you both actually-"
"Yeah,I know. But-"
"Shut-"
"No,you shut up. I can't get smitten with him. I can't Pipes."
"Okay,now it's obvious you like him."
"I don't like him."
"Right. You love him."
"No." I walked past her and casually opened my closet.
"Oh shut up Jackson. So how was it?"
"What?"
"The kiss!"
I rolled my eyes and turned towards her "Piper,it only lasted for like,three seconds or something. It wasn't a make it session. So I don't really know,and I don't really care."
I'm lying. I seriously care. I couldn't get him out of my mind. Maybe I was falling for him. No,I won't. I can't. I'm not supposed to. Imagine me trying to introduce Apollo to my mom.
'Hey mom,meet my boyfriend. By the way,he's Apollo,the god of the sun.'
It sounded funny even in my head. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and turned to see Piper giving me a sarcastic look. "Yeah,you don't care. Which is why you've slunk back in your room like you're James Bond."
I sighed "Okay fine. I do care about it. I'm just...scared."
"Wow. Penny Jackson just admitted she's scared. That's something you don't hear everyday."
"Get used to it kid. I'll change and then we'll talk."
I walked past her,but she grabbed my arm "Actually Penny...I'm supposed to be leaving back to camp now. I stayed just to wait for you."
Guilt surged inside of me,and also a little bit of sadness. Don't blame me. Now I'd be alone again,just thinking about what would happen between Apollo. Despite all of that,I smiled "Okay...come visit,okay?"
She smiled at me and we both hugged. I wonder...when was the last time me and Percy hugged? A million years ago...I screwed my eyes and blinked hard.
"I'll see you soon Penny." she smiled. I nodded and watched as she walked out,the door shutting behind her. I was missing her already,and the only thing I have to look forward to is my little talk with Apollo next. I had to talk to him. Sighing,I muttered to myself "This is not gunna be good."
I regret it. I shouldn't have kissed her. It'll never be the same between us again.
I'll end up breaking her and moving away,leaving her in misery and anger,like how I do with most. But I actually wanted a relationship with her. I can't play with her emotions like this though. I already knew how I was feeling;I still wasn't completely in love with her. And I hated myself for that. I don't know why.
When she asked that simple question;
'Are you mad at me?'
I was so determined to say yes,but caught a glimpse of her,and the anger vanished. She had looked nervous, cautious and even scared. I didn't want her to be scared of me. I could never be mad at her,at least for not more than five minutes. Looking at her face,it was nearly impossible. She had this hidden adorableness inside of her that she never really showed,but I could see it. And I liked it.
I was sitting in this garden,clearly confused. I don't want her thinking that I'm mad. The only way is to confront her. I sighed and got up,making up my mind.
.
"Penny?" I asked,carefully opening the door. My eyes caught the familiar figure sitting on her bed criss crossed and hugging her pillow,apparently deep in thought. When she saw me,she sat up at once.
"Hey." She said,trying to smile but failing miserably. Up close,I could see the remains of last night's makeup wearing off,blending with her skin. However that just made her more pretty,seriously distracting me. "Um..Apollo?"
"Wha-oh,sorry." I said hastily,realizing that I was staring "I just..assumed that uh,you thought I was mad and I just wanted to tell you..I'm not."
Wow,that was incredibly lame.
She smiled "Well,like you said, It's impossible to stay mad at me."
I gave her a lopsided smile and we continued to look at each other. I knew she was thinking of exactly the same thing I was thinking about; The kiss.
"I-I don't want this to sound rude or anything,but that never should've happened Apollo." She said,looking worried "if word spread out..."
"I know Penny. I know."
I honestly don't know why we were making such a fuss about this. To me,a kiss was nothing. Don't blame me for that. But I guess the reason I was fussing about our one kiss was because I wanted another one with her,but I wasn't so sure if she wanted it too. Styx,this is confusing.
"So uh...Piper left huh?" I asked stupidly. She shrugged.
"Left some time ago." There was a sadness behind her voice. I could tell that she misses her friends badly. I couldn't blame her. After everything,the mayhem and war,she probably didn't expect to be isolated by her friends.
"Wanna go out somewhere?" I asked her. Her head shot up at once,eyes wide.
"What? Where?"
"Oh I don't know," I grinned "we didn't get that much time to talk yesterday."
She hesitated for a moment,until she broke into a playful smile "Alright then."
Was this wrong? We just apologised about our kiss,and now we hang out? Yeah,say it's wrong,but I couldn't deny that I was interested in her.
.
We reappeared in the gardens. She took one look around unblinkingly and stared "How big are the gardens up on Olympus?"
I put my hands in my pockets "Well let's just put it this way. Even I don't know."
She grinned at my lack of knowledge about the home I've lived in for a billion centuries,then turned around,staring at the lake.
"This place reminds me of Charlestown." She said,but then her smile slowly faded away "Where I met Aphrodite."
"What?"
She turned towards me,her eyes looking a billion years old,even though she was only about sixteen "Aphrodite came to us in Charlestown. She was busy addressing all our love lives. She well...doesn't matter." She said hastily,making me even more curious. What had Aphrodite said to Penny? But I decided not to ask.
"Forgot to ask you, how was the part? Didn't really see you that much.." She mused.
"A nightmare. I had to dodge so many women...gods why did I even date them all?"
She laughed "Don't ask me Sunboy."
"But really,it honestly was a nightmare,but to tell the truth.." I reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear "The ending was the best for me."
Her eyes darted down to her shoes,than back up to me,her lips stretching into a tiny,flustered smile,apparently at loss for words. For a few seconds,I my eyes went towards her lips,and I wondered if I should kiss her or not.
"Well,to tell the truth..it was for me too." She finished gently. I couldn't hold it anymore,so I strides forward,cupped her face into my hands and kissed her.
I shouldn't be doing this. But it...felt just perfect.
I put my hand on his chest,bout to push him away,but I stopped. I couldn't. I didn't want this moment to finish. I gently fingered the collar of his shirt,closing my eyes and sinking into the kiss. I could feel a hundred butterflies soar in my stomach and I felt as if my brain could be melted right into my shoes.
After a million years we slowly broke apart. For once,I didn't regret it. For a moment,we stared at each other,until he broke into a tiny smile of hope.
"So um...do I have to apologise for that one?"
I pressed my hand on the back of his head and kissed him. "Apologise for breaking it so quickly Sunboy."
