Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. Although there's certainly some irony in that this is being posted today.

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. A short passage from The Battle of the Labyrinth appears in this chapter. All rights belong Rick Riordan and affiliated franchises.

oOo

si vi amara, ama

Artemis stared up at Percy for a moment, before she regained her senses, slapping him.

"Ow!" Percy complained, rubbing his head sheepishly.

Artemis simply glared at him, and he chuckled softly, not without a hint of regret mixed in.

"I suppose I deserved that one."

"Why did-" Artemis began, but Percy placed a finger on her lips.

"Later." He murmured, before greeting the security guard like old friends.

They chatted briefly while Artemis struggled to gather her thoughts, and before she knew it Percy had taken her arm and was gently leading her up the stairs. She fought the urge to shake him off, borne of centuries of habit, and maybe he caught on to her thoughts, because he let go not long after.

She said nothing as she watched Percy fumble around with his keys, before following him inside as he unlocked his apartment. It was sparsely decorated, with little personal effects. It certainly didn't feel like home, and Artemis couldn't help but think that somewhere, Hestia was disappointed.

"Coffee?" he asked, interrupting her train of thought.

Artemis accepted wordlessly, watching as he busied himself with the machine.

When he was done, and the machine was whirring away, and it was just the two of them, sitting across from each other at Percy's dining room table, staring at each other, did he begin to speak.

"I know that you have a lot of questions, and I- so do I, although perhaps to a lesser extent than you… and there's a whole lot we have to talk about- so why don't you go first, and then we'll kinda just… alternate?"

She took a deep breath. She'd been waiting for this moment, consciously or subconsciously, for a long time now.

"The solstice. Tell me everything," She said quietly.

Percy smiled sadly, remembering that damning conversation, the moment that forever altered his fate.

"The solstice. Of course. But in order for you to understand the solstice, you need to know something else, something that happened before."

Artemis gestured for him to continue.

"A few months ago, in fact, it was only a couple weeks after we first stopped talking, Jasmine got into a terrible accident. She'd been driving home late at night when there was a-an accident at a busy intersection. They called me, the hospital did, and I- I couldn't believe it. I dropped everything and rushed there. And when I got there, the doctors… they…- everyone told me that it was doubtful that she'd make it. They… they said they would give me some space; some time to say goodbye."

Percy paused, taking a deep breath to gather himself, and Artemis couldn't help but think back to her conversation with Percy's parents.

Was this what made him go off the radar? Was Jasmine who he'd wanted all along?

"But then, but then I realised, I realised that this world I lived in had the potential to save her. The world of the gods. I mean, look at Leo- he was literally dead, and he still came back. If there was a way to bring back the dead, surely someone could save her. Jasmine wasn't quite gone, so I prayed to your brother for help. I didn't really know what to expect, but he answered my prayers."

Artemis frowned. It wasn't typical of her brother to answer mortal prayers, and especially not with any sort of promptness. He wasn't the type to drop whatever he was doing to aid someone.

"Your brother told me that Jasmine's injuries were curable, and… well… that was everything I was hoping for at that point. But I should've known it was all too good to be true."

Artemis clenched her fist as the realization slowly came over her. Her brother, her meddlesome brother; oh she could see where this was going now.

"Your brother forced me to swear an oath to never see you again, except at solstices." Percy admitted, sounding almost ashamed, his voice now merely a whisper.

"He told me that I'd been hurting you, that our relationship, whatever it once was; whatever it is now, would never work. He gave examples of other mortal-immortal relations; of how toxic they were, and how nobody came out of it unscarred. He told me that he would save Jasmine's life, in exchange for our separation."

Percy bowed his head, unable to meet her eyes any longer.

"How could I refuse, Artemis? I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, but I swore the oath on the River Styx, and… I condemned myself, and you. And I'm sorry."

Artemis glowed with a harsh silver light.

"That-that bastard," she ground out, standing up angrily. "I'm going to-"

Percy quickly reached out to stop her.

"Wait! Don't go, please." He implored.

"Let me go, Percy, I'm going to show that piece of-"

"Artemis," Percy spoke firmly. "I'm still under the oath. If you leave- no, once you leave, the consequences will trigger. And I'm not done explaining. I still have so much to say."

Artemis sat down slowly.

"You… you are? B-but Percy, ten years…"

Percy smiled sadly, continuing, "That's why I want to explain everything, Artemis."

And so she listened, her heartache returning with every word that he uttered.

"You asked me about the summer solstice, no? I hadn't wanted to go at first. You see, everything was too fresh, too painful, and besides I still wasn't sure you even wanted to see me. I didn't want to impose… no that's a lie. I didn't want to see you because… because if you'd moved on; if you'd never wanted to talk to me ever again I don't know how I would be able to live with that. But I realized… I realized that I wouldn't get many opportunities to see you much at all. I don't have an eternity to look forward to, my time is limited as is already. With my life being so unpredictable, who knew how many more chances I'd have to see you? And so I went."

He paused, hearing the beep of the coffee machine, before getting up to pour the coffee into two separate mugs. Setting one down in front of her, he went back around to his own seat before continuing his story.

"And… when I saw you, I was struck, once again, by just how much I'd missed you; missed our little chats. I'd ignored your calls, and you were angry, rightfully so. And so I wanted to explain everything, without anyone listening in."

He carefully reached out, and she didn't flinch away.

His hand was warm and comforting, and for a moment she could forget that they would have to part, that he would be gone.

"I remembered that I wanted you to be happy, that I wanted you to remember me fondly, during the periods of our forced separation, and even after I'm long gone; a distant memory of a foolish son of Poseidon from ages past. Pathetic of me, I know, but-"

"I will." Artemis interrupted, staring at him.

"W-what?"

"Percy," she said, squeezing his hand gently. "In all the years… the millennia that I've been alive, nothing; not the Hunt, not my childhood on Delos, has made me feel quite as happy; as content as I've felt, as I'm feeling right now. Here. With you. You.. as cliche as it sounds.. you complete my identity. I never really realized it until you were gone, but..."

His mouth opened, but Artemis placed a single finger on his lips, freezing him in place and silencing him.

"That photograph… it's meant everything to me, Percy. After you left, I.. you… I'd never felt so defeated. Not even when defeat appeared certain against Typhon, against Gaea, had I felt so crushed."

"I'm so-"

"Don't be sorry. You made me realize that… that-"

It was in this moment, on the cusp of changing her very identity, that Artemis faltered.

But Percy didn't let it deter him, forging ahead as she hesitated.

"I was never very good at expressing my feelings. All my relationships; they've always started rocky, full of confusion and hurt and misunderstandings that could lead to screaming matches. But that night… what I was trying to say, what I had been building up to but was too scared to tell you at the very end of the song, was that I love you. I was too cowardly that night to tell you. I didn't want to know what your response was, whether you'd hate me or return my feelings, so I left before I could find out. But now, I've realized that it's too important not to tell you. And so yes, Artemis, I love you. As crazy as it might seem, as impossible as a relationship might be… I love you, and even if you don't… or can't… return my feelings, a part of me will always love you."

Percy paused, and in a moment of clarity understood that every word would last lifetimes, that here was the chance that he'd been waiting for, since that night in the garden. A split second of opportunity had presented itself that might never come again.

"I know that you're the virgin goddess. No one, not even Hestia or Athena, represent chastity and maidenhood quite like you. And there have probably been countless others before me and there will be countless others after me who, perhaps paradoxically, have fallen in love with you. But all that doesn't matter because you gave me the happiness that I so desperately needed. And even though after today… I won't be able to see you, at least I got the chance to tell you. At least you'll always know that I love you."

Artemis was crying; she could feel the droplets slowly rolling down her face.

He didn't look away, unembarrassed by his own admission, safe in the knowledge that, even if nothing came of it, even if she slapped him and turned him into a woodland animal for the rest of his life, at least he'd given his everything.

However ephemeral their relationship was, however doomed their future was, in the here and now he was… the happiest he'd ever been. And so he simply watched her carefully, preparing his heart for the pain of rejection, even as his soul dared to hope for another answer.

"I-..." Artemis choked up, the tears continuing to fall. Percy was…

"Oh Zeus be damned," she murmured, before reaching up, closing the gap between them and gently pressing her lips to his.

Lightning coursed through their bodies, as the world melted away around them, until it was just them and only them. Percy and Artemis. There were no oaths between them; no meddling siblings; no emotional baggage of the past or inevitable goodbyes of the future.

There was only love, pure and innocent and forever fated not to be. A love oh so painful, but so gods damned fulfilling, forever imprinted in their memories.

They slowly broke apart, feeling as though the kiss had lasted an aeon.

Percy's eyes opened to see Artemis smiling at him radiantly, and despite the tears still flowing down her cheeks, Percy found that he'd never seen anyone quite so beautiful. Aphrodite, Calypso, even Annabeth paled in comparison. Artemis he could just stare at; forever and ever, and forget everything else existed.

"And I love you, Perseus." she admitted quietly, trembling slightly.

Percy moved to the other side of the table, wrapping an arm around her, revelling in the closeness, in Artemis snuggling closer into the crook of his arm.

A moment of peace, of solitude… shattered.

"I should've known you would break your oath." A quiet voice sounded from the doorway, and both lovers whirled around to find Apollo standing there, bereft of his usual flashy attire, dressed in casual clothes: a white T-shirt and shorts, looking for all the world as if he'd stepped off the cover of some magazine.

There was a flash of movement too quick for Percy's eye to follow, but suddenly Apollo screamed in pain, his left hand embedded into the wall by a silver arrow, golden ichor dripping down the wall.

"Sis, what-"

"I have had enough of your meddling in my affairs, Apollo. You have no right to interfere with my life, to-"

"I have every right, sister." Apollo growled, cutting across Artemis's rant, suddenly losing his typical, nonchalant attitude. "You made an oath, all those years ago, or have you forgotten? Your position as an Olympian goddess, the entire Hunt, all those temples and all those sacrifices made in your honor are because of your titles, and they were bestowed upon you for what you represented. And you're willing to throw it all away? And for what? Don't tell me the great goddess Artemis found love."

"Fuck you." Artemis hissed, her silver eyes flashing with rage. "All those years, you couldn't give a fuck about my Hunt, flirting with and trying to lead my Hunters astray. What do you know about oaths, huh, brother? How many have you broken over the millennia?"

Apollo flinched. "Artemis, I-"

But she had too much momentum now. All of her anger, all of her rage and frustration, and the simple unfairness of having her chance at happiness snatched away because of her meddlesome brother boiled to the surface.

"What do you know about love, when all you really want is to bed the most attractive women you can find? Do not presume to lecture me, when you can't even practice what you preach."

Artemis moved forward.

"You've been nothing but a thorn in my side, always showing up to ruin the best things in my life. If you hadn't been my brother, I- I would've…"

Apollo paused in his attempts to remove the arrow and heal his wound, staring at her. "You would've…"

"I would've faded you." She spat out, breathing heavily.

She immediately regretted her words. She would never...

Apollo's mouth opened, his eyes flaring with rage and fear and hurt.

"Fine, then, if that's how you see me. I was only trying to help you; I didn't want to see you banished from Olympus for a decade. I didn't want you to face the consequences that Father will no doubt bring over your head. But since you wish to murder me, forever, I will ensure your suffering. You're no sister of mine. I'll watch you take those consequences and laugh. For the first time in millenia, perfect little Artemis will feel what Father's punishments are like. And as for Perseus, well he has broken his oath. He will be exiled, and the two of you? I swear that I shall not rest until you are forever separated."

Apollo began to glow, signifying his departure to fulfill his promise.

Artemis screamed, "Wait-,"

But it was too late, and Percy averted his eyes away from the golden flash that filled the room. Then he was gone, and all that was left were the quiet sounds of Artemis sobbing.

oOo

The light faded away as Artemis sat on the couch, leaning on Percy's shoulder as she listened to him break her heart.

"I don't- I don't want you to wait for me, Artemis. I- Hades will hunt me, during the ten years I'm in exile. I can't- I love you too much to ever hurt you. And I know that- that if something happens to me…"

"Stop it Percy. You're going to be okay. And ten years from now, I'll be there for you." She cried. "I'm going to be here ten years later, and so will you."

Percy gently enveloped her in a hug, holding her gently, but firmly.

"Do you think your brother will ever rest, knowing we are happy together? Hades, do you think your father would ever accept us? You are, perhaps, his favorite child. And I'm the son of his greatest rival. The Ancient Laws may forbid them from directly interfering with my affairs, but they offer you no such protection. And… I can't allow you to hurt yourself for me. I wouldn't be able to live with that."

Artemis pushed him back to stare at him. "So what do you expect me to do? Just forget about you?"

Percy's breath caught in his throat.

Was this what would happen? Would he be forgotten? Would these precious few months, forever imprinted in his memory, slowly but surely fade with time for her?

Would she go back to being the misandrist she was before, denying herself happiness for millennia?

"I- if that's what would make you the happiest." Percy whispered bitterly.

Artemis broke free of his grip, pointing a shaking finger at him.

"Don't you understand, Percy? Don't you understand that being here with you is what makes me happiest?"

"But we can't." Percy said softly, closing his eyes, not even bothering to hide the tear slipping down his cheek. "Trust me, Artemis, I would give everything to spend an eternity with you. But I wouldn't be able to live with you losing everything for me."

He opened his eyes, reaching out to gently lower Artemis's shaking hand, finger still pointed at him.

"The Hunt. Your family. All these values you've treasured for millennia. They'd be gone, and I'd be gone too. You'd be giving up everything for a few years, maybe a few decades if we're lucky. And then, while I'm long gone, you'll still be here. You'll be forced to accept the consequences of our relationship, all while I am long gone. Do you think I could live with myself, causing you so much pain and sorrow?"

Artemis closed her eyes in pain. It wasn't as if he didn't have a very valid point, but...

"Percy, this isn't about you. This is my choice; my decision. And if I want to give up everything for you, then that's what I want to do."

"This is about both of us. How can I enter a relationship with someone knowing that it is doomed to end in tragedy? I am and will always be mortal. I'll grow up and I'll change. I could become someone completely unrecognizable to you in a decade. I mean, ten years ago, I had no clue this world existed; only the faintest knowledge that somehow I was different from all the other kids, but with no idea how. Time changes you, Artemis. What if… what if ten years from now you-we just don't work anymore?"

"But… what if we do? You're going to give it all …- you're going to give us up because you're not sure about how things will change in the future?" She asked.

Percy was silent for a moment.

"What if I die?" He asked simply.

Artemis took a deep, trembling breath, struggling to control herself.

"I thought that… I thought that after Annabeth… you of all people would understand. That you would be willing to be together, even ten years later. That you would cherish this- us, more than anything. I…-"

Artemis stopped, swallowing painfully.

"It's precisely because I've lived through that tragedy that I want you to move on," Percy burst out. "You know how much it fucking hurt me when, suddenly, she was just gone. We'd planned a future together. We had dreams of honeymoons in Paris, fucking changing the world. We had our lives in front of us. And then she's gone- forever. I got so low that my mom had to send me the suicide hotline number, because she was so scared. I want to spare you that. I don't want you to stand here, on my doorstep, ten years from now, looking so much like you did today, waiting for me only to find out that I've been long gone for years. I don't want you to come to the realization ten years later, either I'm not here anymore, or I'm not the person you remember or want. Because ten years can change us all."

Percy took a deep breath, looking away. He didn't think he could continue if he kept looking at her, seeing the tears staining her cheeks.

"Annabeth, she'll always hold a special place in my heart. I still miss her, almost all the time. But, you're- you're different. She taught me love, but you taught me happiness. This past year, despite everything, has been filled with so many moments that I will cherish forever. I love you so much that it hurts. And knowing that I'll have to hurt you, whether it's in the next ten or one hundred years; knowing that you have to live through what I lived through, I just… I can't. Do you think it's easy for me to say this? Do you think it's easy for me to, as you say, 'give you up'?"

Here, he choked up, taking a long moment to compose himself.

Tears trickled down his face as he continued, "Don't you ever misunderstand me, Artemis... this... with you, it's everything I've been fucking dreaming about since… since Delos. All those nights I spent, on my apartment roof, at Central Park, or inside a coffee shop, staring up at the moon. All of that was for you. Sometimes, I want this relationship so much that it hurts; sometimes I just want to scream fuck the Fates and fuck my oath and just go up to Olympus and just try. But… my fatal flaw is personal loyalty. I've never been able to put myself above others. And tonight…. tonight I've realized that I'd rather hurt myself by giving you up than end up hurting you when I'm gone."

He paused, staring at his lap, his head bowed.

"I'd rather hurt myself than end up hurting you." he murmured.

"I… I don't care." Artemis whispered, after a long silence filled with contemplation.

Percy looked up at her, only to see her silver eyes light up fiercely as she grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"I don't care about what you think, about what you're afraid of, about what you'd rather do. Because I say fuck that, I do what I want. And I want this, with you." Artemis shouted, shaking him.

"I know that, even in ten years' time, I'm going to want to explore our relationship. I- I love you Perseus." She took a shuddering breath.

"You're the first man, perhaps ever, the centuries make it difficult to remember, that I've felt this way. And that won't change in ten years, or a century, or any amount of time. Know that I haven't felt like this in a long time, if ever. And so I'm holding on to you … for a chance with you, even if you won't do the same for me." She choked back the sob, glaring fiercely at him.

"You say that you'd rather hurt yourself than hurt me … but you can't hurt me any more than you would if you left me. If you gave this up. If, ten years later, you disappear without saying goodbye."

"I-" Percy's voice cracked.

Why was it so hard? Why couldn't things have been simple? Every choice a sacrifice. Every path a difficult one. Never easy, never simple and clear-cut. What had he'd done to piss off the Fates, so much so that his heart was shattering once more before it had ever mended?

The moment took him back in time once more; distant history that looked destined to repeat itself.

'I would never do anything to hurt you, but my friends need me. I know how to help them now. I have to get back.'

'Then come to the beach, my hero. And we will send you on your way.'

Calypso had been his biggest what-if. Annabeth had been his happily ever after, only to be taken away by a cruel twist of fate.

And here, Artemis was his dream, his redemption, and his everything all mixed into the desperate dreams of a future where he could finally just be. Where he could finally find the peace and happiness that had eluded him.

He didn't want to give it all up.

He couldn't.

And so he reached into his pocket, and pulled out his pen, pressing it into her fingers.

"Ten years, Artemis, you'll find me again. We'll find each other again. That," Percy gestured towards his trusty pen, "That's my promise to you."

Artemis stared at it, her fingers tightening around the sword.

"I-I'll hold you to it," she said, pocketing Percy's most prized possession.

It was time to say goodbye.

"Have you- have you thought of where to go for the next decade?" Artemis asked.

"I think…" Percy said, trailing off for a moment. "I think I'll stay with my Mom, and Paul. I… owe them a lot, and I hope they'll understand."

She smiled softly, reassuringly. "Of course they will."

Percy gently wrapped his arms around her, and she encircled her arms around his neck, reaching up to kiss him lightly.

"This, I've never experienced anything like this. Immortal I may be, but in all the millennia.. nothing like this. I love you, and I'll miss you terribly," she whispered.

Percy simply hugged her even more tightly to his chest, knowing, but unwilling to accept, that this could be the last time he'd ever see her. There were no words to describe it. Nothing came to mind. So he ghosted his lips across her forehead, and hoped it sufficed.

Because there wasn't anything quite so painful as saying goodbye.

oOo

si vi amara, ama- If you wish to be loved, love.

Thank you for reading. Please review.