Ok, so, I may be obsessed with writing [Percy x Artemis]. This story… has been in my thoughts for almost a year now, in the quiet moments when I am writing my other stories. It's a concept that is by no means unique (to be honest, I haven't even searched to see if this exact concept is out there). But the recent world events have driven me to at least begin this adventure. I love the Olympics and having them postponed one year is a real sadness for both the spectators and of course the athletes. Because of this, it felt was right to bring this idea to words.

I present to you: Nock, Draw, Waves.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Yancy University

So far, 2020 had been a quiet year, yet busy all the same. Artemis found herself walking out of class with certain plans for her future in the crisp early morning Spring air, but other out of the ordinary. She was in her final year of university, placed next to Washington D.C., with both time and resources on her side to secure a living somewhere in the country for the immediate future. Her classes were winding up, but nowhere near the unmanageable levels that had been her first semester of senior year. Her time at Yancy was coming to a close, and overall, she was satisfied that she had both survived and felt confident enough to leave her college days walking straight.

Yancy University had long been a crown jewel of universities in the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Not ivy league levels of recognition but competitive in all division one sports, owning state of the art laboratories, computer labs, and media editing studios; Gods, the lists just rolled on and on, to the point where Artemis couldn't even fathom how this school supported itself with only 10,000 students being in the entire student body- Graduate studies included. The campus had the notable gothic charm that dozens of universities loved to peacock to any rich upper-middle-class suburban parent who longed to tour the campus.

Having been at Yancy for your years, she was somewhat of a cynic in regards to any aspect of the University. Being one of the few who wasn't involved in her campus's illustrious state of the art facility departments, Artemis had always scoffed at the notions of the fraternity style ladder one climbed in their respective departments. She didn't think of herself as a righteous defender of the personal climb to adulthood through hard work, but it really irked her to see the familial cycle of success driven by heritage, not by ability.

Artemis paused, her daily walk back from her Friday morning classes slowing as she appreciated that for once on her ordinary March day, she was at peace with the calm blue skies and the brisk yet comforting chill surrounding her. Student milled around her on the main walkways that divided the campus lawns, still too muddy for recreation, stretched out like a game of chutes and ladders. Life was beginning to head towards the inevitable stage of the looming real world, beyond the freedoms and carefree chores that colligate life had been the mainstay of life for four years.

'Huh.'

She shook off the rather morose thoughts and decided that instead of reflecting, for once, she would contact her idiot of a brother and do one thing that would always cheer her up, especially when she was busy contemplating a real job, and the woes of the American education system: Hunting.

Walking back to her off-campus apartment was a scant ten minutes, and only a few intersections away from campus proper, nestled in a colligate fueled area of bars, restaurants, and amenities that only college kids could ever flock to (although she still respected the cardboard box store's business model all the same).

During the walk, she texted her brother.

"Hey, idiot, the day isn't actually shit. And the weekend actually has that crappy image of a sun on the weather app. Wanna go to the Shenandoah and get a deer?"

Her brother being… her brother, the response came before she was even done writing the message itself: "It's almost as if we were meant to go… definitely not because today is the day that the late-season opens. Smartass."

She laughed all the same though and replied: "Yeah, just making sure your memory is still intact after last night. I saved some of your snapchats. I'll send them to mom on next year's Christmas cards."

'Ugh. It's always the tequila that gets me. But don't forget sis, I still have that video of you shooting yourself.'

Artemis frowned. She had almost forgotten that unfortunate circumstance, "Is it bad that I am more pissed about missing a ten-point buck?"

'I'm just content to hear yourself saying the words 'I' and 'missed' in the same sentence.'

She scowled, "Shut up." She pocketed her phone after that, her frown twitching as she remembered the fond memories out in the woods with her brother and mother, just basking in the Wilderness. It was one thing that she resolved to never lose. Hunting was a facet of it and so was the venison that came with it, but really it was mostly about appreciating the outdoors. She had grown up in rural Pennsylvania after all, the woods were in her blood. Apollo had been the best sibling one could ask for growing up and she still missed him some days, while he was at NYU for a music degree.

Granted, her twin brother was still an idiot. Of the dozens of instances that came to mind, one of the more colorful was the time he brought a PETA enthusiast on a deer hunt. Artemis had never thought to defend herself from the waif of a girl with a tree branch, but she could proudly claim the scars of doing so all the same. That deer had also tasted wonderful.

She crossed the threshold of her apartment complex with that thought giving her a small smile. The lobby was currently empty, the modern art clad walls and empty fireplace always reminding her of a holiday inn lobby. Two dulled silver elevator door sat in the back of the room, next to two desks with ancient desktops for free internet browsing purposes. She swiped her keycard and jammed the 'floor 3' button without a second thought. Thankfully, her complex had never gone full hotel, and there was no music in the elevator.

She shifted her weight back and forth, mind abuzz with the prospect of spending the next few days in the deep woods and also thinking over the events of the week. In the department of Arts and Sciences, she was thrust together with the generic liberal arts as an Environmental Science major. The small, dozen-strong Environmental Science majors like her were basically a non-existent area of study at Yancy University, opposed to the literal thousands of others in the scientific fields at Olympia Hall, the central science building on campus.

Most students there had dreams of being doctors, or scientists in the fields of Chemistry and Biology. Artemis liked studying botany, forestry, and ecology. It was the one perk that she had found truly amazing about Yancy. The labs within Olympia hall sometimes belonged all to her on some given days, due to the scarcity of any others interested in using the facilities for faunal studies. One day soon, she hoped to apply her somewhat specialized skill sets at a national park, or an affiliated facility that could monitor the precious, protected lands that she had grown up in.

In her four years, she hadn't made too many friends in the wide circles of the university. She had her close circle, but she found that expanding that tight-knit group was both exhausting and unrewarding. Too many times she was scorned by some unassuming jock, or an air-headed girl who didn't understand the concept of sustainable hunting being acceptable (also her being a woman, but she didn't like to dwell on that part).

Artemis heard the elevator ding, and shift to a slow stop at her floor. The doors opened into the dull browns and golds of the hall, filled with plain green doors emblazed with copper numbers up and down the halls. She briskly walked to the left and down the hall in an automated motion, turning instinctively until she reached her door, 345. She spent a moment slipping an arm out of her backpack, her favorite silver jacket catching momentarily before she could fish out her keys after a second of fumbling awkwardly.

The key fob beeped green and she unlocked the door, pushing it open.

Her apartment, normally a quiet place, was full of bubbling laughter and an intoxicating spell of homecooked food. Almost in a trance, Artemis walked in and saw her roommates in a conversation over a mouth-watering preparation of mac and cheese.

Athena stood at the edge of the granite island in their small kitchen, dressed in a pressed button-down shirt while hearing her long dark brown hair in a low hanging ponytail. Her hands gripped the backs of their two scuffed up barstools, with her tall form hunched and relaxed while not working down at the Hill. Across the island, was Artemis's other roommate, Hestia. The shorter girl was always the resident mother of the three of them, with her warm face and mousy light brown hair. But Artemis and Athena both knew the girl to be a terrifying force when any one of them was threatened in any way shape or form. Hestia was currently wearing an apron, while she worked next to the granite island with many different spices, breadcrumbs, and cheese gratings scattered about.

Their conversation was in full swing when she walked in.

"Hestia, you are actually my favorite person ever, are you sure you don't want any help? I swear, I won't burn anything like the steaks last time." Athena said with her hands held up.

"Hestia smiled in reply, "No, I am good, but thank you for offering to do so. Besides, you being the only one who likes their steaks cooked well done, I still have a sneaking suspicion about that, as does… Artemis!"

She walked in at that moment, hearing her two roommates in conversation.

"Hello! Oh my god, Hestia, I am going to kiss you." Artemis darted forwards and gave Hestia the biggest hug she could muster from behind the smaller girl while dramatically giving the top of her head the biggest peck she could, with the preliminary smells of baked mac and cheese wafting through her senses.

"Artemis! Shoo!" Hestia laughed.

She had to step back from the deadly assault of Hestia's spatula before she turned to Athena.

"Hey, it's only," Artemis checked her phone, which included a new message from Apollo, "1:30, how did you get off so soon?"

Athena smiled, "Yes, hello to you too Artemis, it's great to see you in the daylight. You know congressman Grace. Sometimes he needs me until after dinnertime, sometimes he escapes without a trace, so I get to go home at a reasonable hour for once."

"Oh hush, I'm glad to see you too. Granted, the mac and cheese is more exciting…" Artemis cackled as she strolled back to her single den, and dropped her backpack off next to her mini desk while she kicked off her worn leather boots.

As she padded back to the kitchen and living area, Athena had settled back into their dependable IKEA couch that had outlived its warranty by three lifespans, reading a book as she was oft to do. Behind the couch, several reusable bags of groceries were arranged on their small four-person table. Their handy down flatscreen, arranged in front of the couch was silent as per usual, and Artemis felt at peace.

"How were your weeks' girls?" Artemis slipped past Hestia, the spatula ominously slipped into her back jeans pocket to grab a water bottle from their fridge, "Because I have some special news for you both."

"My week was pretty quiet," Hestia looked back at Artemis, her golden-brown eyes tired, but warm and ever calm. "I am still working on that architectural final project. But the final design isn't due for another 47 days, so right now, I am still getting sleep. I'm also still able to cook, which I guess benefits both of you."

"Mmmmm," Athena almost moaned from the couch, "you are the worst, ill have to go to the gym over the weekend because of you. The only exercise I got all week was by biking down to the metro and back on Monday and Tuesday." Athena spoke, setting her book down for the moment, "Other than working in the office, I finally finished my paperwork on accepting the law school paperwork for Yancy. So I am officially here to stay for three more years. I also have an announcement… but that can wait until after the mac and cheese."

"Congratulations!" Artemis smiled, looking at Hestia and Athena both. They had been her friends here at Yancy since Freshman orientation, and they were the only people that she could comfortably say she was true friends with. There were others, acquaintances and colleagues, but Athena and Hestia knew everything about her, "How about we have another home-cooked dinner on Sunday to celebrate. I'll cook?"

"Wait, you only cook when… Oh my god, you are going deer hunting! Oh noooo… I'm going to have to run a marathon tomorrow!" Athena sighed loudly, slumping back against the couch.

"…Shit," Hestia swore, a rare occurrence in of itself, "I should have waited to make venison mac and cheese."

Artemis snorted as Hestia, the 'pure' one, swore into the giant pan of mac and cheese that was all set to go into the oven. "As delicious as that sounds, I'm doing steaks. And who knows, I might even cook one as a medium."

"Honestly, I'd eat Bambi bloody to get some of your venison steaks."

Artemis snickered as Hestia scolded Athena for daring to joke about Bambi eating for the millionth time since they had known each other. She checked her phone as she settled in her favorite seat of the table. Apollo's message had come fifteen minutes ago, saying that he would be driving up with his car to D.C. and spend the night. He would be there in five hours, roughly.

She told him to drive safe and mentioned as such to Athena and Hestia, "Hey, Apollo is coming up for the night. Just letting you know in case one of you decides to get water at 3 A.M. again in your bra."

She could almost feel Athena flush from her casual resting position on the couch in front of the table.

"You bitch!" Athena swore, making a motion to throw the book at Artemis, before she paused, "Besides, I'm not the one who is thinking about pulling that stunt right now." Artemis knew she'd never throw a book, but what was Athena suggesting? Artemis turned a surprised gaze to Hestia, who looked as calm as ever.

"I have absolutely no idea what you both are talking about," Hestia said demurely as she picked up the ceramic dish of mac and cheese and slid it into the 400-degree oven.

"Hey! If you think the oven will hide your blush forming right now, it was a good attempt!" Artemis jeered lightly, "Besides, you are like my sister already. If you date my brother, ill get your cooking more often."

The three of them bantered back and forth for another half hour, only stopping to descend upon Hestia's mac and cheese with the voracity of piranhas, the tv still silent as they all sat around their table, Artemis relaxing into the weekend, unworried for now about assignments and projects due on Monday. She'd find the time… somehow on Sunday night. Probably.

"So here's an interesting tidbit," Athena spoke up, her bowl before her eerily empty of any trances of cheese sauce, "I actually spoke with Congressman Grace at the office on Tuesday night about my daily ongoings. We struck up a conversation about the upcoming Olympics…"

Artemis groaned, leaning back against her chair, "Please, not this again. I was hoping you wouldn't bring it up again. The event is in a week and a half! I can't go! It doesn't matter if I qualified or not!"

The cold lawyer grey eyes bored into her skull though, and Artemis helplessly looked towards Hestia.

"Let her finish Artemis," Hestia said smoothly, as she rolled her eyes, looking at the two of them.

"Artemis, I know you got lucky to even attend the last event in Texas, but seriously, let me talk here. I spoke with Congressman Grace about the Olympics. He mentioned that his son was in the trials for the 200-meter dash. And I thought I'd mention that my kickass red-haired roommate happened to be the real-life version of Katniss Everdeen and Aloy, though he didn't get that reference… But guess what! He's willing to sponsor you. For the rest of the trials!"

"Athena…" Artemis sighed, the memories of the past year flashing by as if she was watching it all go by in seconds, "I signed up to qualify because I literally had 8 old fashions. The money I used was because the jerks who flooded our apartment when we first moved in in June last year was just going to go into my savings. The next morning I didn't even know what happened."

"And?" Athena prompted, "did you not train the whole fucking summer for Ohio? Did we not have the most kickass road trip of all time? And what did you shoot at the trials?"

Artemis frowned, "I showed up with a wooden recurve bow with no sights, no releases, or any fancy gizmos, and shot a 632."

"Oh for heaven's sake," Hestia sighed, "Artemis, in your second round you shot a 684. You got ranked 11th! That's nothing to scoff at! A deer hunter, with a worn bow, freshly bought arrows that you didn't always practice with, and you shot the high score of the day."

"For the woman," Artemis muttered.

"Oh, right, like that has ever mattered to you before," Athena said with a roll of her grey eyes, "You are purposefully dodging the point that you then qualified at the second round in Texas as the 16th archer. 16th!"

"The literal bottom of the barrel? A slot that basically means you can show up, but just for the thrill of 'almost qualifying for the Olympic team?'" Artemis seethed, the old wound from last October boiling up again.

Being both beyond stressed with her Final Senior year Exit exam for her Environmental Science major and the archery Olympic trials, she had road tripped to Texas, studying for her presentation that had been due in a month's time. As a result, when she had arrived at the trials, they had gone by in a blur of nerves, tears, and unneeded stress. The only thing that saved her that day were her instincts, and no small amount of luck. At the end of it, she had gotten any bonus points for her seventy-two-arrow round at Texas and she had ended up placing 16th that day, which dropped her from 11th to 16th by a 0.25-point difference. The round Robin matches that followed the cuts had gone abysmally, with Artemis taking 3 points out of 15 as she shot against every woman there. She hadn't even spoken with any of them before and felt as though as she was the most certain to be knocked out, come the third trial.

And, to make matters even more humiliating, the Head coach for the U.S. Olympic Archery team, Diana Wolf, had reprimanded her personally for choosing to shoot with an 'unreliable, inadequate bow.' She had been told to show up at the 3rd trial with a better bow, and she might have a shot, otherwise, don't bother.

"We are going to talk about this because it's obviously a point of pride for you," Hestia glared across the table at Athena, "You completed the uphill hike for senior year and pulled off your Exit Exam with flying colors. You talk about the trials every time you get wasted, all while ranting about the problems of 'bipolar America.'"

"Look, I appreciate you guys talking me up here," Artemis fought back her more violent responses, after looking at Hestia's cool demure posture, "But I haven't been practicing for the trials since November. I have gone hunting, and for my normal weekly archery practice, but nothing in the realm of Olympic regulation shooting. Coach Wolf was right. Despite me being me, and shooting… ok at the trials, the Olympics are serious, and I am not the kind of archer to compete for my country." Artemis felt some internal part of herself crack at the rather pitiful description of her outlook, but wasn't it the truth? She had learned that she wasn't infallible and that most dreams always had to land somehow.

"Artemis, do you even hear yourself?" Athena raised her voice, "I met you and like you because you were a spitfire girl, with am ambitious outlook on the world, unwilling to conform to anything that society demanded. You better fucking take a look in the mirror because somewhere in the last couple of months, I haven't seen that girl around much anymore!"

"Yeah? Well, at least I don't have an infatuation for a young buck Congressman across the aisle!" Artemis spat, nerves overcoming her for a small moment where she lashed out in anger.

"Oh yeah!?" Athena clenched the edge of the table, her eyes narrowing dangerously at her.

"Oh dear," Hestia slowly palmed her forehead with both hands, her elbows resting lightly on the table.

"Oh. Yes," Artemis enunciated each word with boiling rage as she found herself rolling off the cliff, "You want me to buck up? How about you stop playing footsy with a man you want to fuck your brains out and actually ask him out for a drink next time you see him, coward!"

Her words echoed off the thankfully sturdy walls of their apartment and Artemis found herself standing, her chair pushed back several feet, as she puffed breaths life an angry dragon. Like a bucket of ice water being dumped over her, she realized what she'd said.

"I…uh… Athena…" Artemis slowly sat back down into her waylaid seat, "I didn't mean that…"

"Yes… yes, you did," Athena said with a closed-off expression, before she suddenly chuckled, her grey eyes glinting slightly under their kitchen lights, "It's why you are my best friend, you idiot."

"I- "Artemis was cut off as Hestia spoke up from across the table.

"Look, what Athena is trying to say is think about it. You have a week and a half to think it over. We already have a plane ticket booked for California the day before…"

"Wait, what?!" Artemis exploded, her guilt over dredging up Athena's work drama evaporating like a dew mist in the sun.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When Apollo was strolling down the hall towards Artemis's apartment, he was in high spirits. Hestia had called him the week before, explaining the situation to him, he found himself both admiring Hestia's ability for subterfuge and found himself equally enamored by her quiet yet humorous personality.

So when he knocked on their door, he was surprised that for one, the door was ajar, and two, that Hestia stood in the hallway that opened out to the kitchen and living room with hands on her hips, with a modest knee-length dress on and a practical orange-brown apron donned over top.

She stood before Artemis and Athena, both seated on the couch on opposite sides, resolutely ignoring each other.

Apollo's pep in his step faltered, "Ah…Shit."

End of Chapter

P.S. Ok, so I knew nothing about Olympic Archery before researching this story, so if a professional archer happens to read this, I apologize I advance. Also, this is going to be 99% of Artemis's perspective.

Character Spotlight: Artemis- Senior Year Environmental Science Major

-Likes to Hunt in manageable ways and wouldn't even dream of stuffing one of her kills.

-Volatile individual, very competitive.