Alright. Here's a mountain for you guys. Just one thing before I begin, on itsy bitsy thing I ask of you all.
If you spot it? Please don't spoil it.
You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.
-Bronzeandsteel
Also, if you want an idea of what Hammer falls looks like look up Juneau, Alaska, specifically in the rainy season. That's what I based it off of.
Percy, at this moment in time, had never felt so uncomfortable in his life, and he certainly had a lot of references to compare to.
There was the time he almost got turned into a pseudo-sex slave by the amazons on his quest with hazel and Frank, that was certainly something. Or there was that time he tried the rock wall on "Billy goat" difficulty and a stream of lava burned the seat of his pants and underwear clean off. Man, Clarisse didn't let him hear the end of that for a week. Or hell, even the time he got caught going on some... questionable websites at his old apartment. That wasn't a fun bedroom conversation to have with mom andher boyfriend.
No, but this current situation, it was just a perfect storm of tension and uncomfortableness.
Artemis, for her part, was doing what Percy assumed to be her best not to calmly pull Zoe off of Percy before most likely skinning him alive. Leo could not even for a single second stop grinning as he laid his hands on his hips, chuckling slightly to himself. But that really wasn't what made Percy want to sink into his couch cushions, it was Annabeth.
She just... bored into him with those storm greyeyes. Sizing him up and breaking him down as she kept her mouth in a firm line across her face. Percy felt Zoe's body go stiff basically the second they'd shown up and she'd gotten a look at Annabeth, and considering the conversation they'd just had in his truck, and the current state of their relationship... let's just say Percy was glad she was unarmed.
He'd also be lying if he said his heart didn't skip a beat when the words Zoe and relationship crossed his mind in the same sentence.
Eventually, after sharing some glares across the room, Zoe eventually got off Percy, who took the opportunity to stand up straight, giving a polite bow to Artemis.
"Lady Artemis..." He mumbled, through a tightly clamped jaw. The goddess looked at him with a thoroughly unimpressed face as she slowly brought her arms up, crossing them across her chest.
"Perseus..." She replied, in a tone that made him bite his tongue before he corrected her, "May I ask what you're doing with Zoe?"
Percy felt his face go pale as he slowly brought his eyes to meet the goddess, "I uh, well..." he stammered out as Leo's grin grew across his face. He caught a glance at the son of Hephaestus and felt his face pull into a frown.
"Oh, what're you laughing at, hothead?" He asked, as Leo tried and failed to stifle a laugh.
"Nothing Percy, just... man if only Calypso could see this." He said, with a toothy grin. Annabeth had evidently had enough and stormed out of the room into Percy's kitchen. He watched her go with a twinge in his eye before Zoe squeezed his hand. He glanced at her and she gave him a warm smile. He cleared his throat.
"So." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm guessing this is the quest team?" He asked looking at Artemis. The goddess let out a slight nod.
"More or less, my hunters will also be arriving."
Percy couldn't help but let out a slight sigh, realizing that he and Zoe's private time was officially over. He let go of Zoe's hand and took a step towards Artemis. "I see." He said, putting his hands on his hips, "They won't be tranquilizing me and tying me to a chair again, right?" He asked her. Her face pulled into a glare that bored into him.
"Hell that all depends on whether or not you plan on sticking a gun in my face again." She replied, make him break the glare and look down in shame.
"Sorry about that..." He muttered, and she waved a hand in front of him.
"That doesn't matter. What does matter however, is properly preparing for the quest at hand. I assume you've had... some briefing by the thunder god?" She asked him, to which he cocked his chin up and let out a small whistle.
"You have no idea." He said, before turning back to her. "I've got a couple crates of weapons in my truck. Knives, arrows, swords, axes. Hell, I think I even grabbed that morning star..." He said, rubbing his chin. Artemis took a step forward, gently patting him on the arm.
"Yes well, I'm certain you have made many acquisitions in preparation, and I'll be sure to get my hunters situated with these weapons when they arrive."
Percy nodded, rubbing the back of his neck as he did. "So uh... what now? Is it time for planning? Or what exactly do we do here? Because I haven't really done a quest in a while."
Artemis sighed and took a side step, moving towards Zoe as she looked at Percy's outfit in disgust. "How about you... change into something more appropriate, Percy. Then we can talk about the quest."
Percy looked down, confused at her choice of words, before he noticed that, in his chaotic storm of cooking he'd splattered marinara all over his white shirt. He sighed and walked to his bedroom. As he did he passed his kitchen, and couldn't help but notice Annabeth. She was leaning against the counter, arms pulled tightly across her stomach.
She had tears in her eyes when her gaze met his. He turned away quickly and entered his room.
He closed the door behind him, hearing the door handle close with a quiet click, before a sigh passed over his lips and he sat down on his bed.
Fuck.
That's all he could really think, all he could really express in regards to his current situation. Everything had been so perfect, so absolutely stupendously perfect, for all of around 4 hours. Then his past, his turbulent, emotional, heart wrenching past had shown up in his living room in a pair of jeans and on orange t-shirt. He felt like his heart had stopped the moment she showed up in the room, dying in his chest that very second. He felt angry, and stupid, and frustrated, and confused all at once. He silently cursed the gods for being so cruel.
He sighed, standing up and peeling his shirt off him, tossing it in the hamper as he moved over to his closet, feeling around for another rone of his dozens of white t-shirts. He figured he may as well get ready for a bunch of other, Hammer falls specific conversations so he kicked off the pants he had on too and felt around for one of his uniforms. He was pulled from his search when he heard his bedroom door open. He silently paled, and froze in place. Who was that? Who had just walk into his room? He was silently praying it wasn't Annabeth. Not now, not when he was in nothing but a pair of boxers. He heard the door close and lock behind him and felt panic shoot up his spine. He turned around, only to be met with a steely pair of onyx eyes. Onyx eyes that looked, more than anything else, to be wrought with jealousy.
"Hi." He managed out as Zoe stood in his room, arms folded across her chest.
"Hi." She replied, staying still by the door.
"...I'm guessing you didn't just come in here to check me out, right?" He asked with a slight smile. She blushed and made her way over to him, placing her hand on his bare stomach, making him shiver slightly at her touch.
"Maybe I did." She offered, looking up as him with a certain look in her eye as she added in a bitter tone, "I'd rather I got to than she did."
Percy sighed, and placed his hands on her waist. "... I'm sorry she's here, Zoe." He said, his brow furrowing. "I didn't know she was planning to come."
"Yeah you did " She replied with a smile, "And I'm guessing you tried to stop her too."
"More or less..." He replied with a side to side motion of his head. He stopped, and pulled his lips back in a concerned frown. "Are you gonna be alright?" He asked her.
She sighed, drumming her fingers on his chest. "Y'know, I've hunted some of the most dangerous game on the planet. I've killed thousands of beasts, felled thousands of warriors, seen empires rise and fall, and there is nothing on this planet that I'm more afraid of right now than the blonde girl standing in your kitchen." She looked up at him as she finished.
He met her gaze, giving her a soft smile. "I'm not gonna do what You're worried I will." He said, running his hand over her cheek. "I'm here for you, Zoe. I meant every word I said in the truck."
She caught his hand, holding his palm against her cheek. She looked up at him, a mix of emotion running through her eyes.
"Do you promise?" She asked him, her voice a quiet whisper, a vocal tone he never thought he'd hear from her. He smiled, running his thumb over her cheek.
"I promise." He said.
She smiled as he said it, running her own thumb over the back of his hand before she laughed to herself and looked down.
"Y'know, when we started this I had no idea relationships could be so... complicated." She said, before looking up at him, "I kinda hoped it'd just be us kissing every day."
Percy let out a smile, "Who said we can't?"
She grinned devilishly at him as he pulled her into a kiss. He felt her press her body close, her hands roaming his bare chest as he ran his up her back under her sweater. He pulled away suddenly, leaving her with a confused look on her face.
"Artemis can probably hear us, right?" He asked her, looking at the door with a timid look in his face.
She paused, thinking about it, "Probably."
Percy groaned, putting his face in his hands. "Couldn't this quest have just waited a week? Gods above, give me a few days with my girlfriend before I need to save the world again."
Zoe would've been a liar if she said her heart didn't spin when he said girlfriend.
She pulled his hands off his face, putting them at his side as she poked him in the chest with her finger. "Get dressed." She told him, "The sooner you save the world, the sooner you get to have all the time in the world to spend with me."
He grinned at her words. "I like the sound of that."
She smiled at him, before she unlocked his door and left his room. He sighed as she left, missing her already, before he dropped his head into his hands again. I'm hopeless, he thought to himself. He pulled out a fresh uniform, slipping on the black pants and black shirt before grabbing his hat off his dresser, pulling his leather coat over his shoulders. He stepped back out into his house, making his way over to the kitchen where everyone had moved to.
Leo saw him first, and boy did he make a scene of it.
"Dios mio..." he said, shaking his head with a grin, "Sheriff Percy Jackson?"
"Deputy..." Percy corrected him as he slipped his boots on. Artemis, who'd been standing on the other side of the kitchen (as far from Leo as she could) gave him a look.
"That's not exactly what I meant by get changed..."
"I need to go do something before we talk." He said, moving to the door. Artemis stepped in front of him, her arms crossed as she did.
"What could be so important as to-"
"Look Artemis." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose as his frustration boiled over, "I got three things going on in my life right now. One is Zoe, the second is this quest, the third is my job. The job unfortunately cannot come with me on another march to my possible demise, so I am going into town to explain to my secretary that if I end up dying to prevent the compete destruction of her hometown that she may need to look for a new job." He brought his hand back down, pushing the hem of his jacket aside to rest his hand on his waist. "When I get back, we can talk about the quest. Alright?"
He looked her in the eye, as she glared back into his, her eyes flashing silver. He could feel her anger coming off her in waves, but she gritted her teeth and looked away.
"Be back in an hour." She grumbled, stepping aside.
"I'll be back in 30 minutes." He replied, grabbing his keys and heading gout the door.
He walked up to his truck, unlocking the door and climbing in before he turned over the engine, turning on the heat to bring some warmth into his vehicle. He laid his hands on his steering as he stared out the windshield, lightly drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, taking a deep breath in and letting out a heavy sigh, before he reached over to his passenger seat and snatched Annabeth's Yankees cap off her head.
She pulled back immediately, looking at him in a bit of shock and confusion at how he'd been able to tell she was there. She hadn't worn her perfume, or disturbed any of the stuff in his car, or touched any of his dials on his dashboard...
"I saw your breath." He said, handing her the cap as she slowly took it from his hand. "It's cold in here. Always is."
They stared at each other for a moment, Annabeth's feeling her cheeks heat up from his gaze as Percy continued to drum his left fingers on his wheel.
"You're not gonna get out, are you?" He asked her. She looked at him with a slightly upset twinge in her eye, before she shook her head. Percy sighed, and turned back to his wheel, shifting into drive.
"Put your seatbelt on." She didn't need to be asked twice.
They rode in silence. A minute of deafening, agonizing silence, a silence that screamed all the words into his mind that neither of them could say. Words that just hung in the sky, waiting for them to reach up and grab them. He flipped his wipers to a higher setting as rain poured onto the truck. He made a mental note of the rain, and how there'd been pouring rain just about every day lately.
"So." Annabeth finally spoke up, breaking the silence.
"So." Percy replied, keeping his eyes on the road as his heart beat firmly in his chest.
"So, Zoe..." Annabeth said, her tone tinged with bitterness as she said the name, "How long has she been here for? I thought she didn't make it at Othrys."
"Well I didn't make it either at Naples." He bluntly said, turning to her with a slight frown, "Yet here I am."
He turned back to the road as Annabeth ran her hand over her leg, the silence returning as the rain continued to pelt off the truck. He felt his jaw tighten as he thought about the tone she'd used when she'd said Zoe's name. She'd spat it out like it was poison in her mouth.
"How long has all that been going on?" She asked, breaking the silence yet again with a tone more bitter than the last.
He gritted his teeth, his nostrils flaring slightly as his gaze twitched away from her, "If you mean with Zoe, a week or so. Give or take." He said.
She shook her head, "Why'd you wait?" She asked, her fingers angrily clenching her arm rest. "You probably could've been with her years ago. It clear she's completely in love with you."
Percy felt his brow line pull itself down as he frowned at his windshield. He didn't want this fight, not now.
"Annabeth..." He tried to interject, his tone about as soft as he could make it, but she wasn't having it.
"So tell me, Percy. Did you decide to make out with her before, or after you'd seen me again." Her voice breaking ever so slightly as she spoke, subtly enough that most would miss it, but not Percy. "We're you expecting me to show up today? Hoping I'd see all that in person? I though I saw something there, Percy. Something inside you when we talked at camp, when we kissed." She said, turning to him with tears welling in her eyes, "Guess that's just what you're doing with all the girls, nowadays."
He kept his gaze locked on the road, white knuckling his steering wheel. "Annabeth..." He tried again, but she didn't let him, cutting him off by choking out a bitter laugh.
"Maybe I shouldn't have come then, hmm? Did I ruin what you had going on here? Ruin your date night? Do you really think I believe all that just started this week, Jackson? I saw how she was all over you. It tooks us months for you to ever kiss me like that." Her voice trembled as she spoke, threatening to break at any moment.
He felt his chest tighten at her words, "Annabeth..."
"Maybe I wouldn't have taken this quest Percy if you'd just told me about this, if you'd said something. But no, you didn't, did you? You couldn't look me in the eye and say it." She let out a bitter chuckle, sniffling after she did.
"I wouldn't have shown up, tried to fix things, tried to make things better if I'd known..." Her voice broke slightly as she turned her head back forward, slumping her shoulders as she stared at his dashboard, her voice turning to a low, bitter tone. "... if I'd known you were fucking some hunter this whole time."
Enough. Percy slammed on the brakes, his truck skidding to a stop on the wet asphalt. Annabeth lurched in her seat as he did. He turned the engine off, pulling the key out of the ignition and shifting it into park as he pulled off his seat belt and stepped out of the truck into the rain.
He walked up the road a bit, stopping about a dozen feet in front of the truck under a dim streetlight. He put his his hands on his belt, tucking the hem of his coat up the same way he'd done with Artemis in his kitchen. He took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. Over and over again, feeling the anger swell in his chest as the rain dripped off the brim of his hat.
He tightened his hand into a fist, feeling the water on the road respond to his actions. He swung it off to the side of the road and the water followed, whipping a tendril of water off the asphalt and slicing through the trunk of a pine tree off the side of the road. The water obliterated the trunk, blasting bits of bark over the grass. The tree groaned as it tilted, slowly falling into the forest as Percy watched, breathing deep breaths. He felt his heart beat slow down, his hands unclench, his breathing return to normal. He turned back to the truck and marched back to it, pulling himself back inside and shutting the door behind him.
He didn't look at Annabeth, didn't turn her way in the slightest. He could feel her eyes on him, her gaze still a mix of jealousy and anger, but tinged with a bit of fear now too. He took a deep breath before he spoke.
"I love her." He said, his voice as calm as he could make it, "And I will not apologize for it. She's been here for me through everything. Through all I've had to deal with, through all I've had to manage, through all the trauma, she was there for me." He felt his knuckles tighten on the steering wheel, cracking as they did, "I will not apologize for moving on. How I choose to live my life is not your business, and it has not been for years." He felt his gaze darken as his voice dropped in tone. "I will love who I want, I will date who I want, and hell, when the time comes that she's okay with it..." He said, turning to meet her gaze. Her gaze that had lost all it's fury, all it's strength, all it's anger as he spoke.
"...I'll even fuck who I want." He said, before his lips curled into a scowl. "Just like you did. Remember?" The words felt wrong coming out of his mouth, but he was too mad to care.
She turned away from him, hot tears pouring down her cheeks. He looked back at the windshield, letting his gaze soften. He didn't feel good after all that, he felt worse. He felt like he'd just gone and said all the things he shouldn't have. They'd felt so good to say when he did, but now they hung in the air like a foul stench, poisoning them both.
"I'm sorry Annabeth." He said, his tone softer now as his gaze floated back over to her, "I know why you came here, I know why you wanted to see me. But... it's over. You know that."
Annabeth was quiet, her mind searching for an answer, but she couldn't find one. She stayed silent as she stared out the window, her eyes fixated on the tree he'd obliterated. The tree he'd taken his anger out on instead of her. It made her heart hurt even more.
They arrived at the police station in silence, Percy mumbling out a simple stay in the car as he hopped out and made his way into the station. He found his lips pulling themselves into a frown when he realized Freya wasn't in her seat at the front desk as she usually was, before he cursed to himself realizing why she wasn't.
It was Sunday night. She always had service on Sunday nights.
He groaned as he checked his watch, taking note of the fact that he'd probably be late getting back to Artemis if he tried to give one last message to his loyal, incredible, sweetheart of a secretary. He decided a handwritten note would have to do. He grabbed a parchment of paper and a pen, and sat down at his desk, writing out the note.
Dear Freya,
It's me, Percy. Your "Boss" ( know you hate when I call you that)
Look, I'm gonna be doing something for your dad, and I'm guessing you know who your dad really is. It's gonna be dangerous, and I'm not sure I'm coming back. Honestly, knowing my history and my luck? I'd say my chances sit at around 50/50.
If I don't return then I want you to know I'm giving you my house. You can sell it, rent it out, whatever makes you the most money, honestly. Whatever can take some financial burden off of your and Erik's shoulders.
You've been a great friend these last years, Freya. Someone I can rely on, someone I can trust. I hope I come back, but if I don't, I want you to know that you were like family to me, and I mean that with every ounce of my heart.
Love, Percy.
He sat up, looking over the note. When he'd shown up here he'd planned on keeping it casual, maybe throw in some jokes like he always did. But sitting there, writing the letter... he couldn't help but pour his heart out. He read it over, thinking about how she's react when she read it, thinking about if it was the last thing from him she ever read. It hurt him to think about.
He scribbled another little thing on the bottom.
P.S. tell the kids they're rascals, and there's a bag of mars bars in one of my cupboards that's all theirs.
He held the note up, before another though made him write one last thing.
P.P.S. When Erik's boat breaks again, which it will, hell him the engine block is loose on the right side and it's leaking gas. If he asks how I knew, tell him it told me.
He folded the letter up, and walked out of his office, intending to leave it on her desk before another figure in the station caught his attention.
"Sheriff Sterr? What're you doing here?"
The sheriff turned to Percy and gave him a sly grin. The sheriff was an odd man, not too old but not too young, sitting in that indescribable area between 35 and 65. He was probably the only other person in town that didn't look straight out of the Scandinavian mountains. He had slick black hair, slightly receded at the temples, and a slim elvish face. His eyes were dark onyx, almost completely black, with a slight glint about them that always gave Percy the idea that he knew more than he let on. His featured were gaunt, and pulled into his face, and he had a wide, perfectly white smile, bright enough to blind you if the lighting was right.
"Just dropping off some paperwork from up on the mountain." The sheriff replied, dropping some papers on his desk. "And Percy, for the millionth time, you don't need to call me that. We've got to be on a first name basis by now, my boy."
"Of course, Theodore." Percy said, as the sheriff cringed at the name.
"No no, Theodore was my father's name. Remember..." He said, holding up his finger, "It's Richard, the middle name, which I guess makes this a second name basis, but I digress. Only thing I can hear without his face popping up in my brain."
"Of course, Richard." Percy said, emphasizing the name and drawing a laugh from the sheriff, who gestured at his hand, "What's that?" He asked, his face suddenly pulling into a serious look, "It's not a suicide note, right?"
Percy shook his head, despite the fact that it may as well be, "It's just something for Freya." He said, "I'm going on a... well a trip. I'm not sure if I'm coming back..." He said, his eyes glazing over slightly as his heart sank. He clenched the note and took a step forward up to the sheriff.
"Can you give it to her for me? Please... it's important that she gets it."
The sheriff cocked an eyebrow at him. His eyes drawing back into a calculating squint.
"You're not confessing your love for her, right? Because Erik is..." The sheriff waved his hand way above his head, "...gonna be a handful of that's the case."
Percy shook his head, blowing air out of his nose. "No. It's just... it's for both or them. Erik and Freya. Just... please sheriff..." He asked, getting a cocked eyebrow from the man. Percy took a breath.
"Please Richard." He corrected. The man smiled, gently taking the note from Percy.
"You're a good man, Perseus Jackson. I'll make sure she gets it, alright?"
Percy smiled, shaking the man's hand before he left the station, quite possibly for the last time.
They got back to Percy's place around 8, the sun having set by then but his driveway still illuminated by the floodlight over his garage. The drive home had been quiet. Not painfully so as Percy had remembered the trip to the station had started with, but just a calm quiet that Percy enjoyed. The kid of quiet that came in the aftermath of finally speaking your mind. It was a peaceful quiet.
They pulled into Percy's driveway and Annabeth pretty immediately got out of the truck, marching directly into his house, swinging open his door and slamming it behind her. Percy didn't bother trying to stop her. Frankly, he was still pissed at the little stunt she'd pulled, both sneaking into his car and using it as an opportunity to say... well, all that.
He leaned back in his seat for a minute, wondering if he could somehow get an iris message through to the camp and ask if they could send someone, anyone else instead of Annabeth. He grimaced at the thought, considering it seriously. She was here, here in Alaska, here in his home with Zoe and Astrid and Freya and Erik and everyone else who meant the world to him now. He thought about how good it had felt when they'd sat on that swing together at camp and just... talked. Just let out their feelings without screaming at each other. He realized something.
He was being selfish.
He'd moved on. She hadn't. Maybe that was fair, an eye for an eye as Nemesis would put it. She broke his heart so he would do the same, but no. That wasn't who he wanted to be. He needed to make things right with her, but just didn't know how...
He was pulled from his thoughts by a sharp knock on his window. He jumped at the noise, turning to see Leo standing there, grinning as he normally did. Percy sighed, opening his door and stepping out, sizing up his old friend.
He was dressed... well very inappropriately. He had on the same outfit he always did, albeit with a knit sweater on now too. He had on his toolbelt (No surprise there) and had ditched his regular work boots for winter ones. He looked like a regular, Nordic mountain man, save for the fact that he was without a doubt the most Hispanic man in town.
"So." Percy began, crossing his arms, "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked him.
Leo shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets. "It was either me or Clarisse." He said, "And trust me, you do not want to see the new mother-of-two Clarisse." He said.
Percy let out a breath and shook his head, he really had been gone too long. "I'd imagine not, but really. Why are you here, in Alaska, and not with your family, your wife."
Leo got a sad look in his eyes. "Calypso and I talked about this. We couldn't stop worrying about you." He said, before rubbing the back of his head, "Well... more I couldn't stop worrying about you. She thinks you're gonna be fine." He got a stern look in his eye, one that looked foreign on his face as he looked at Percy, "Then again, she never had to watch you go over a cliff with a sword in your gut."
Percy dropped his gaze in shame, to which Leo planted a comforting hand on his friends shoulder. "It's alright, man. I don't blame you for anything, especially not staying here." He held his hands out, "This place is be-you-tiful."
Percy chuckled as he looked towards the house, "Yeah, that's not the only reason I stayed though." He said, his voice trailing off. Leo turned back to the house before looking back to Percy with a drawn back grimace.
"Yeah, that girl, Zoe, right? She was pretty... heated, shall we say, once you left and she realized Annabeth and her magic hat had left too." Leo rubbed his hand along the back of his head, "I'm guessing she...?"
Percy closed his eyes, muttering out "I don't want to talk about it."
Leo nodded, patting his friend on the arms again. "Did Apollo give you the gusts of love speech?" He asked.
Percy nodded with a glum smile, "He do that to you too?"
Leo shook his head with a grin, "No, I was just eavesdropping when he said it to you. Wanted to see if I could freak you out with my Leo mind reading powers."
Percy groaned, "Leo you've got exactly 3 powers. Mechanics, bad jokes, and fire." Leo frowned at his remark.
"You're forgetting my irresistible sex appeal!" he said, holding his wedding ring up to Percy, "And you can't deny it any more either."
Percy let out a soft grin, "Alright, I'll admit it, you've also got your... your..." his voice would not say it.
Leo leaned in, pressing the wedding ring closer to Percy's face. "Say it." He said
"Your... irresistible sex appeal." Percy got out, nearly throwing up as he did.
Leo nodded, smiling a sly grin as he did. "That's what I thought." He said, before turning to Percy's truck.
"So Percy..." he said, cracking his knuckles, "Mind if uncle Leo pops open hood for a minute and-"
"No!" Percy exclaimed, standing between Leo and the truck with his arms outstretched, "Leo, I bloody well love this truck, and I am not having you or your fire powers get anywhere near it or it's gas tank."
Leo frowned at him, crossing his arms, "I could make the thing fly if you'd let me." He grumbled out, "I could turn it into a submarine, too. Like, both of them at once."
Percy leaned in close to his friend. "No."
Leo shook his head. "You're no fun."
Percy sighed, and reached into his pocket. "You can look at this if you'd like, instead." He said, as he handed him the lighter. Leo took it from his hands, running his thumb over the case.
"Percy. I'm me." He said, holding up his free hand letting it burst into flames, "Why would I need or care about a lighter?"
Percy smiled, "Just try it."
Leo sighed, extinguishing his hand as he flicked open the lighter and struck the flint, letting out a rather high pitched yelp as Maelstrom extended into it's full length. Leo caught his breath and grinned devilishly at the blade. "Oh Percy, why oh why do you always get all the fun toys?" He asked him.
Percy shrugged, "Guess its just in my nature."
Leo nodded, pursing his lips at his friend, "That's a pretty good nature."
"Not always." Percy replied, subconsciously running his hand over his scar on his stomach.
Leo sighed, running his hand along the blade and examining the hilt, before he held it up to Percy.
"Okay, take it and turn it back before I fall in love." He said. Percy grinned and folded the hilt over, collapsing Maelstrom back into a lighter.
"So fucking cool" Leo mumbled under his breath as Percy tucked it back into his pocket. Leo turned to the house with a grim look on his face. "Alright, you first." He said, drawing a look from Percy.
"What? There's nothing but girls in there. What happened to your irresistible sex appeal?" He asked him as they walked up together.
Leo frowned, "Okay, one, I'm married now, two I came here mostly for some bro time with you, and three, that room is currently occupied by your terrifying girlfriend, your terrifying ex, and a terrifying man hating goddess of the hunt." Leo shuddered as he closed his eyes. "I think she started... sharpening her knife when she saw my wedding ring, Perce..." He hissed to his friend,
Percy clasped his arm around Leo's shoulder as they walked. "Leo, don't worry man. Zoey's asweetheart once you get to know her, Annabeth is your friend, and Artemis is gonna be way more focused on the guy dating her best friend than you, buddy. The worst times are far behind you as far as who's in that room." He put his hand on the door handle.
"I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen?"
He swung open his door. The worst thing had happened.
The hunters were here. All of them.
Percy stood frozen for a moment, his hand still around Leo, who was frozen as well. They looked at each other and Leo shot a laugh to the room, before looking back at his friend.
"You have fun, buddy. I'm gonna go look at your truck." He pushed Percy in and closed the door behind him.
Percy gulped audibly. He stepped forward, putting his hat and jacket on his coat stand without looking and dropping his keys in the key bowl. The room was silent, not a soul spoke as he moved towards the crowd, awkwardly shifting through the hunters as he made his was to his kitchen. He got to his kitchen table and took a seat, the other members of the quest sitting there too. Zoe sat to his left, and immediately skooched her chair closer to him, holding his hand in hers as she did. He gave her a smile and turned to the table.
Artemis was sat to his right, observing Percy and Zoe as they sat together. She was leaning back slightly, with her arms crossed and a her boots kicked up on the table. Percy took note of her footwear on his dinner table, grumbling out an "I eat here..."
"Let's begin." Artemis said, kicking her boots down and leaning into the table, she turned to the other head of the table and spoke to the figure who sat there. "Are you ready to proceed?"
Annabeth nodded. She didn't look good, and she'd started looking worse the second Zoe had gotten closer to Percy. Her eyes were red from tears and her mouth was pulled into a firm line. She couldn't bring herself to look at Percy and, even though he knew he shouldn't have, he felt a pang of guilt about making her watch him like this with Zoe.
"Excellent." Artemis said, "I suspect the boy outdoors won't be joining us?" She asked.
Percy sighed, "No, he's busy tearing my truck apart at the moment." He looked over towards his front door, trying to see if he could see any flames through his front window.
Artemis nodded, "Well, I'm sure you'll fill him in. We've already been briefed on the subject of this quest, and I'm sure you have too."
"More or less." Percy said, "We get to the top of the mountain, stop... something, kill... someone. I don't know, Thor wasn't very clear on that."
Artemis sighed. "The great hound stirs..." she said.
Percy held up his hand, "That sounds familiar."
Artemis nodded, "It's Fenrir, the bringer of Ragnarok, the one foretold to, amongst other things, consume the moon..." She said, anger spreading across her face. "which is something I strongly wish to prevent."
Percy nodded, leaning into his seat. "I'm guessing you're planning on joining us, then?"
Artemis nodded, "More or less. We'll make our own way up the mountain, cut a path along the eastern face while you make your way up the west."
She spread a map out over his kitchen table, it was an ancient looking thing, with frayed edges and ornately drawn borders and little illustrations depicting various... fun things on their journey. Percy sighed as he looked a the map. "Where you get this?" He asked the goddess, who shrugged.
"I've had this map for centuries." She said, running her hands over the paper. "I got it during a hunt, in a visit to Canada. Truth be told I assumed it would sit in my storage forever..."
"Well, thank you for sharing..." Percy replied, running his fingers over a drawing that caught his eye. One of a sea serpent, consuming its own tail...
"Perseus." Artemis' voice roused him from his thought, "This mountain, you know what it is, right?" She asked him, he nodded.
"It's Asgard, home of the gods. I know Artemis, I did my research."
Artemis pinched the bridge of her nose, "No Percy it's not just that, it's... oh how do I explain this..."
"It's all of Norse mythology." Annabeth spoke up from the edge of the table. They all turned to her, Percy's eyes taking a tender gaze as he did and Zoe's hand squeezing his the second she'd spoken.
"Everything. Every last myth, every last monster, every last group of beings from Norse mythology..." Annabeth said, leaning over and poking the map with her finger. "All of it is on this mountain."
They all sat in silence for a moment, taking in what Annabeth had said, the massive bombshell she'd dropped in their laps.
"Well " Percy said, breaking the silence, "That sounds bad."
Annabeth let out an absent minded chuckle, "You don't know the half of it, Seaweed Brain."
They both froze on either end of the table when she said it. Their eyes rose, and met somewhere over the map, before they quickly looked away. Zoe had watched the interaction unfold on Percy's face and did not enjoy his reaction.
Zoe turned forward, looking at Artemis. "We have weapons, lady Artemis. Weapons for the hunt to use. Weapons that will kill just about anything we meet on the mountain."
Artemis smiled at her old friend. "Perfect. The majority of ours are celestial bronze and we've been made very aware by your lightning spewing friend that that doesn't fly here." She got up and stretched, cracking her shoulders, "I take it the weapons are in your vehicle?"
Percy nodded, gesturing out front. "They're in the the truck bed. Just please don't sneak up on Leo. He tends to get... explodey when he's surprised."
Artemis nodded, and called two hunters forward. "Phoebe, Lydia, please go outside and retrieve these weapons?" The girls nodded and went off, before Artemis stopped them, "And girls?" The two hunters looked at her, "...don't harm the boy, no matter how tempting he may make it."
They frowned slightly at that as they walked out the door.
Artemis turned back to Percy, giving him a nod. "Well Percy, if we're done here my hunters will be setting up camp in your yard. I'd hope that that is acceptable?" She asked and Percy nodded. Artemis was about to leave before Percy spoke up again.
"Artemis wait, is Thalia around? I haven't had a chance to properly chat without weapons being drawn." He chuckled to himself, trying to remember a moment that wasn't how they interacted.
Artemis was still for a moment, her back turned to Percy as she stewed over an answer. "Thalia is no longer with the hunt." Artemis finally said, her voice firm. "There was a... complication, and she chose to leave several years ago. She was only with us that day to aid in finding Zoe and you."
Percy's mouth fell open, hanging slightly as he glanced at Annabeth, who's head was down. He turned back to Artemis, who'd looked over her shoulder at him in this point. He looked for an answer as to why this had happened and she gave him the best she could.
"People change, Percy. Especially in 5 years..." She turned to Zoe, giving one last look at her friend before leaving to set up her tent. "...I think we both know that by now.
In hindsight, Percy was really glad he'd gone grocery shopping that weekend.
After Artemis had left to go outside and pitch camp Percy had, for the most part, been left inside his house, nervously bouncing his knee at the dinner table while a dozen or so hunters around him watched him do so.
He recognized some faces. Girls who'd been there when he's done his little... stunt, shall we say we the revolver. He got the feeling they really did not enjoy being in this house. He stood up, clapping his hands together and giving them a rub.
"So." He said, "Anyone hungry?"
The silence he was met with was deafening, but a couple of hunters did raise their hands.
"Perfect." Percy said with a smile, "I'll get started on dinner." He turned to his stove and pulled out some pots, shooting a glance over his shoulder, "I like a mostly empty kitchen while I cook."
The hunters who were left piled out.
He sighed to himself, running a hand over his face as he filled the pot with water, dropping it on the stove before grabbing some coriander pepper and his salt and pepper grinders. He felt a hand slip it's fingers through his and he smiled as he looked over at Zoe.
"Well." She said, pushing close to him, "I'm hoping your little announcement didn't include me."
He smiled, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand. "Not a chance. I need my sous chef to help me."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm your partner in the kitchen now?"
He moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he did. "Partner in the kitchen, partner in life, partner in deadly quests..." He rested his chin on her shoulder, "I like to keep you involved in everything."He planted a kiss on her cheek and she felt it get hot.
He stepped away and walked up to his fridge, opening it and pulling out all the deer meat he could carry. He dumped it on his counter, pulling open the packages before he grabbed his cutting board. He rolled his sleeves up, a move that really shouldn't have made Zoe's breathing get a little heavier, but it did, and pulled out a knife and sharpening rod, quickly running the blade over the tool.
"So." He said, as he started absent mindedly chopping up the venison faster than Zoe thought possible, "How badly do the hunters want my head?"
She let out a glum laugh as she watched him, "Pretty badly. I've known Phoebe for a thousand years and I don't think I've seen her as scared or pissed as when she saw me hold your hand."
Percy shook his head, sliding the meat he had cut onto a pan and putting it on one of his burners. "Can't really say I'm too surprised. Not every day you see... well you like this." He said, as he started chopping up potatoes and carrots.
She nodded, still amazed at how he could make cooking look hot. "I think they'll learn to understand my choices." She said in a reassured tone, before walking a bit closer to him, "Especially after they try your cooking."
Percy smiled as he dumbed the cutting board into the pot of water and turned it on, snapping his fingers so the water boiled immediately. He turned back to the board and got to work on some garlic and onions. "I can picture it now..." he said, lifting his chin slightly. "Every year, around this time, they show up, fresh from a hunt. They walk in, slap a dead dear on our table, and say 'Get to work boy'."
She laughed at his anecdote, before she took note of what he'd said. "Our table?"
His smile fell a bit as he looked at her, "I mean... if you're okay with it being our table," He mumbled, dumping the ingredients and his spices into the frying pan and turning it on, continuing in a quiet voice, "and this being our house, and this being out kitchen, and the truck outside being out truck..."
He stopped when she wrapped her hand around his again, pushing close to him.
"Depends..." She said, looking up at him,"Can that be our bed too?"
He blinked, before beaming a smile at her. "Absolutely." He said.
She returned the smile, before standing on her toes and planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Alright. I'm gonna go check on the hunt, I'll see you soon." She left the kitchen and headed outside.
Percy turned back to the stove, letting out a happy sigh as he gave the pan a flip and dumped the contents into the pot of water. It had been a while since he'd cooked a stew, and frankly, it was kinda making him sweat. Those girls out there, and Artemis, were about as close to family as Zoe had, and despite their and Percy's history (namely Percy holding up the sky for Artemis at one point, and very recently holding her at gunpoint in his boxers) he was treating this as a proper introduction to the new him.
So he really needed to not fuck up this stew.
He brought the pot down to a simmer, reaching up into his cupboard to grab a handful of bowls. He held them in his hand and looked at the pot and realized he was gonna need to make two trips. He groaned. He hated making two trips.
"Need a hand?" a voice gently said from behind him.
He turned around, bowls still in hand, and felt his breathing get tight when he saw who was standing there.
"Annabeth..." He breathed.
She smiled what was just about the weakest smile he'd ever seen from her and walked over to him. Her arms were crossed and her gaze was dim. She looked defeated, and he really didn't like how that made him feel.
"Percy... we need to talk." She said.
He put the bowls down on his counter and leaned against it, crossing his arms as he did. He caught her checking out his tattoo as he did, but didn't mention it. He didn't need a fight right now.
"Okay." He said, gesturing at her with his shoulders. "Talk."
She shifted uncomfortably, raising her gaze to meet his. Grey eyes met green, just like they had done so many years ago at the big house when he was twelve, just like they'd done at Nico and bianca's boarding school when they'd first danced, just like they'd done under Mt Saint Helens when they'd first kissed, just like they'd done under half blood lake after the titan war when they'd finally confessed how they felt.
Grey eyes met green.
"Percy... I'm sorry." She said, her voice faltering as she spoke, "I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for lying to you, for not agreeing with you to leave all this behind. I'm sorry for what I did in the pit with... Luke."
Her voice broke as she said his name and Percy looked down so she wouldn't see the flash of sadness in his eyes, "I'm sorry for it all. I know you don't want... this, anymore. I won't ask you to come back either. You've made up your mind, and I won't fight you over it." She took a shaky breath, holding her hands straight at her sides. "But I can't just stop feeling how I feel. I'm going to try, but it's gonna take time." She looked up at him, her eyes as frim as she could make them. "I just... I don't want to live the rest of my life never seeing you again."
Percy stood still when she finished, taking slow breaths as he stared at her, his eyes an unreadable blend of emotion. He clicked his tongue, and looked down.
"I never stopped caring about you, you know... not even for a second. Every time I ever thought about going back, it was always because I missed you." He took a deep breath as he continued. "There's a part of my heart that I know, deep down, will always belong to you, but you're right. What we had there for a time, it was good, and I loved it, and you made me happy, but..." He let out a deep breath, "That's not how it is anymore."
He took a step forward off the counter and moved towards her. He could see her tense as he did and watched her breathing quicken.
"I don't hate you, Annabeth. I don't think I ever could. But I can't love you again." He rested his hand on her shoulder and hers went up to meet it, tightly gripping his palm. "You'll always be welcome here, if you want to talk, or you need me to help you. I'm not going to hide from you, not anymore."
She looked up at him. Grey eyes met green. Just like they had a decade ago. He brought his hand up and wiped a stray tear off her cheek, and offered her a gentle smile, she returned it.
"You can say it if you want." He said, as she let out a soft laugh.
"Seaweed brain..." She said, her voice barely a whisper.
"Yes, Wise Girl?" He answered, feeling her cheek heat up in his palm as he did.
"I..." She felt her words sink into her chest, and found new ones instead. "Thank you."
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She returned it, squeezing her tightly as she breathed him in. He smelled like the sea. Just like he always had.
"You're welcome." He answered, before planting a kiss on her forehead. She looked up at him, a little glint of what looked like happiness in her eye.
"You missed." She said, he smirked and shook hi head.
"No I didn't." He replied.
She let out a laugh, a sad one, but a laugh nonetheless. "Worth a shot."
They pulled away, letting go of each other, letting go of the anger, of the hate. Letting go of all that they'd had finally, years after they should have.
Finally, they let go.
Percy cleared his throat. "So." he said, running his palms together, "I'll get the pot, and you'll grab the bowls?"
She let out a grin, "Yeah, ain't a chance I'm carrying your 20 pounds of stew."
"It's 22.3, actually." He said, giving the pot a stir, "Trust me, I know stew."
She let out a laugh, reaching for the bowls. "Got cutlery?"
He jammed a fistful of spoons into his pocket.
"Taken care of."
"Well then," she said, hefting her mountain of bowls, "Let's get to it... Seaweed Brain."
"Will do." He said, lifting the pot of stew, "...Wise girl."
She smiled as they walked to the yard. In at least some way, some little way that took the hurt out of her heart, she had her Seaweed Brain back.
Dinner was nice. That's really all Percy could describe it as, it was nice. Maybe even sweet, after a couple hours of awkward small talk with the hunters. It maybe even turned enjoyable after Leo started a bonfire in Percy's back yard by snapping his fingers at some old firewood he had. It maybe even turned lovely when everyone started sharing stories with each other around the fire. Hell, it even turned happy when Percy spotted Annabeth and Zoe talking together, smiling like they'd been friends for years.
Of course the mood turned at least a little bit more serious when Artemis sat down next to him. She had a bowl of his stew and though he knew better than to say anything he was damn sure it wasn't the first one she'd had tonight.
"Well Perseus..." She began, before Percy gave her a look.
"... Percy," She corrected, "I must say, you certainly know how to show people a good time." She told him. He nodded, taking in the groups around him. At some point they'd found his liquor cabinet and had started passing around bottles. The hunters were smiling, laughing even as they shared stories of great hunts to a rather uncomfortable looking Leo, who between forced smiles shot Percy a look that said save me you prick.
He caught a glimpse of Annabeth, watching as Zoe took some training shots with her new bow. She had her eyes focused on the girl, watching her notch and let fly arrows. For the first time in years she wasn't stealing glances at Percy when she thought he wasn't looking. He smiled as he watched her mouth fall open in shock as Zoe split one of her arrows in half with a new one, making all the hunters around her cheer.
Percy sighed a happy sigh, leaning back in the grass as he did. "Y'know," He said, "I think I could make a tradition out of this." He said, turning to Artemis who had a puzzled look on her face.
"I thought you were done with quests, Percy." She asked him.
He shook his head, "Not the quest. This. Think about it, Arty..." She shot him a glare and he corrected himself, "...Artemis, every year or so you can bring the hunt up. I'll make you all several gallons of stew. You can drink every bottle of booze I've got. We'll party into the night." He held up his bowl and took a sip of his stew with a smile.
She gave him a look, a puzzled, questioning look.
"It almost seems like you missed us, Percy."
He shook his head with a glum look, watching as Leo tried, and failed, to shoot a flaming arrow, before a rather buff looking hunter held his hands to lead him, much to his terror.
"Like you wouldn't believe." He said.
"Then why didn't you come back?" She asked, "Why did you hide all these years?"
He took a deep breath, letting it out through his nose, lightly drumming his fingers on the ground as he leaned into his yard. He looked up and stared at the stars, taking a moment to find her constellation, Zoe's constellation.
"Because sometimes a comforting lie is better than a painful truth." He said, still looking at the stars. She took in his words, a little stunned at the depth he portrayed with them.
"What is the truth, Percy?" She asked him.
He was silent for a moment, then another, before he turned to look at her.
"The truth is I care about you all more than I could ever hope to deny. The truth is I'd give my life for all of you, without a second thought. The truth is that, regardless of what happened, I was gonna help on your quest no matter what."
He turned back forward, feeling like, for a second time in his life, she'd helped him take the weight of the sky off his shoulders. She stared at him for a moment, thinking about what he'd just said. Thinking about all she thought she knew about Percy Jackson, and about how those three sentences had just told her the truth about him. She let out a soft smile.
"You just can't help being a hero, Percy. It's in your nature."
He gave her a squinting side eye, "Y'know, your brother said the exact same thing." She let out a groan.
"Yes well, I suppose he has something intelligent to say once in a millennia, doesn't he?" Percy chuckled at her words, taking a sip of his stew as she continued, "I'm guessing he spouted one of his ridiculous haiku's as well?"
"He opened with it." Percy replied, raising his hand and putting on his best Apollo impression, "love is in the air, a gust blows from either side, Percy is so fucked." He let out a laugh before his smile fell and he looked at Artemis, expecting a glare. What he got was a questioning look.
"Blows from both sides?" She asked him, he let a breath out of his nose.
"Not anymore." He said, glancing back over at Annabeth and Zoe, who were laughing with each other now. He smiled as he watched them.
Artemis let out a sigh, leaning back into the grass herself. "Only you..." She said in a huff, "Only you would somehow make me okay with this Zoe situation."
He let out a chuckle, "Thank you. I know that was painful to say."
She shook her head with a chuckle of her own. "No Percy, I mean it." She looked up at him, her silver eyes boring into his. "The world would be a lot better place if every man were as pure of heart as Percy Jackson."
Percy smiled at her words, feeling a tug at her heartstrings as he looked back over at Zoe, their eyes meeting for a second and his heart skipping a beat.
"I love her." He said, his voice tightening as he did, "I told her already, but... I want you to know too." He turned to her.
"As far as I'm concerned you're about as close as I can get to a parents blessing for this, because I am NOT going back to Othrys for the real deal."
Artemis let out a chuckle, turning back to the party. "I think you already know the answer to that, Percy."
Percy smiled to himself. "Thank you." He said.
"You're welcome." She said, before she stood up, ready to walk back to her camp, not before turning back to give him some final words.
"Thank you too, Percy." She said, he frowned.
"What for?" He asked.
She smiled, "For keeping her safe."
With that she started marching towards her camp, Percy stood up and called after her.
"I can spread out some blankets if you want! I don't mind you guys crashing on my couch!"
Artemis let out a grin he couldn't see, but heard in her voice. "It's alright Percy, we're hunters." She called over her shoulder, "We don't mind the outdoors."
Percy didn't have the heart to tell her that he could feel the rain in the sky that was gonna start pouring any minute. He just chose instead to leave his door unlocked.
Just in case.
It was around 11 when he finally decided it was bed time. The majority of the hunters had gotten into their tents, zipping them up to shelter themselves from the rain that poured down onto them.
Percy had taken some time to make sure his friends were comfortable too, easing his old lazy boy back for Leo and setting his couch up as well as he could for Annabeth.
He'd have been lying if he said it didn't feel good to call her his friend again.
He tossed blankets and pillows on either setup, maki g sure they had more than enough to be warm. Leo had hopped right into the chair, easing back as he shot a look at Annabeth.
"Wanna tell ghost stories? Or maybe watch a movie as we sleep?" He'd asked her, which just brought a groan from Annabeth.
"Leo, we're about to go on a deadly, dangerous quest tomorrow, and you're treating it like a sleep over." Leo let out a sarcastic frown.
"No, if it were a sleep over there'd be spin the bottle, but they're all hunters and I'm married, so that'd leave you, Zoe, and Percy." He let out a grin, "And I'm guessing that's not gonna fly."
Percy and Annabeth both blushed deeply, muttering out a "Shut up Leo" in perfect synchrony. He let out a laugh.
"I love you two, you make it so damn easy." He said, before easing into his chair.
Percy turned to Annabeth, handing her a sweater with a smile.
"Here, it's from a ship in town. Should keep you warm if the heat goes out."
She looked up at him with wide eyes. "If the heat goes out?"
He shrugged, "You get used to it, just tuck the blanket under your feet." She shook her head, and looked down with a sigh.
"You're unbelievable, Jackson..." She muttered.
"I know." He said with a sly smile, before turning toward his room, "That's why everyone loves me."
He got a few steps before she spoke up again.
"Percy, wait."
He stopped, turning around with a worried look. "What's wrong, need more blankets?"
She shook her head, "No it's just... I talked to her tonight, at the bonfire." She reached up and rubbed her bicep, "We talked about you. The way she talks about you, Percy..." She trailed off, before letting out a soft smile. "You're lucky. I think she's hooked."
He let out a soft smile of his own. "Well, lucky for her, I am too." He said, a soft smile dancing across his lips before he gave Annabeth a smile. "Sweet dreams." He said.
"You too, Percy." She replied.
He turned around to leave, before stopping and giving her a look as she tucked herself in. "Did you just call me... Percy." He asked, in a mock hurt tone.
She rolled her eyes, and pulled the blanket up.
"Goodnight... Seaweed Brain."
He smiled at her.
"Goodnight... Wise Girl."
"You two make me sick, you know that?" Leo mumbled from the chair.
They both groaned, muttering a "Shut up Leo" As he chuckled out a "good night" Of his own.
Percy flipped the light switch and walked over to his room, opening it, stepping in, and closing it behind him.
He found Zoe in his bed, under the covers, which was a nice surprise.
"So." She said.
"So." he replied.
"Me and Annabeth talked." She said, as he stepped into his ensuite, putting toothpaste on his toothbrush as he scrubbed his teeth. He spat out the paste and looked at her from the bathroom.
"I heard. I'm hoping it went well?"
"Very." She said from the bed, "We talked about... well you mostly. She seems a bit less angry and I think I'm starting to like her, to be honest..."
Percy gargled a glass of water, spitting it into the sink. "Y'know, most guys would kill to have a girlfriend so awesome even their ex likes her." He said as he walked back to the bed, kicking off his pants and peeling off his shirt as he did. He could feel her eyes hungrily watch him as he moved across his room.
"Well, I guess you'd better keep me around then, huh?" She asked.
He smiled at her from the foot of the bed. "I guess I should." He answered.
She gave him a look, a raised eyebrow that made him squint at her from his position and put his hands on his hips.
"What?" He asked.
"Percy." She said, cocking her head at him, "Go lock the door."
He felt his cheeks redden as he swallowed a lump in his throat. He went over to his door, trying to get his nervously shaking hand to twist the lock. He finally locked it with a resounding click and turned around, only to find her standing right in front of him, wearing an oversized flannel that she'd folded over her chest rather than buttoned up. He opened his mouth to speak and she pressed a finger to his lips, her eyes a pretty intimidating mix of emotion that he couldn't quite read.
"Percy." She said, her voice low.
"Zoe." He replied, his voice shaky.
"This might be out last night together, like this." She said, her eyes looking up into his. "We could die on this quest, I know that. But if we do..." She said, standing on her tippy toes to talk I to his ear, "I don't want any regrets."
She pulled the flannel loose and it fell to the floor.
She was naked.
Like, not wearing underwear naked, but fully naked. Completely naked. One hundred percent unclothed, unrestrained, unburdened naked. She was standing there with her perfect skin and her perfect body and her perfect face and her perfect hair and my gods the way she was looking at him-
"Percy." She said, pressing her body up to him. He felt his heart jack hammering in his chest, felt the blood pumping through his body, felt the heat burning in his cheeks. If there was ever a time she was going to make him pass out from just her sheer presence, it was now. He took a deep breath, trying his best to maintain eye contact with her.
"Yes?" He stammered out.
She smiled, "you've got 10 seconds to get your ass in that bed."
He was there in two.
She giggled as she leapt onto him, pressing her lips to his as they kissed, just about as passionately as they could. They rolled their lips together as his hands roamed over her back and hers dug their fingernails into his chest. She pulled away for a moment, looking into his eyes as she did, thinking just about a million thoughts at once before her mind, well really her body focused on one.
"Percy..." She said.
"Zoe..." He replied.
"Remember how I said no regrets?" She asked him.
He nodded, unable to get words out as he stared at her.
She smiled, leaning into his ear, "Boxers off. Now." She said, in a voice that just about set him on fire right then and there.
He didn't need to be told twice.
Man, I've been waiting around 70 thousand words to write that.
Anyways, next chapter quests starts, things get good, we start seeing some monsters n' shit. I've got a couple ideas bumping around in my brain for some encounters, and I've already got an ending in mind. All that I need now is to get it in words.
I also just want to thank you all for your kind reviews, and shout out a couple notable ones that stood out. Not that they aren't all notable, I read your reviews every day in my free time and they bring a sme to my face when I do, but I do have a few I want to shout out.
Voiceless entity, you're my un-ironic day one. Seriously, I think this story was up for around twenty minutes before you left a comment so sweet I thought my poor heart would melt. Every other review you've left makes me smile when I read it to the point my coworkers think I've got a second girlfriend or something.
And no, they don't know about this fanfiction thing.
Quenartist your comment really brought a smile to my face. I don't think anyone's ever said something that sweet before in regards to anything I've made. It really made my day reading that.
Mgc 26, I'm happy I inspired you and if you ever want an editor or any comments or anything I'm a pm away. Don't be scared to publish, if you write from the heart the heart will show, and your words will reflect what the heart cannot say.
xlonewolf001x you kept it short, sweet, and hit me right in the core. Thank you for what you said.
Boyfromangels what you said had weight, and I felt it. It made my day reading your comment and I think I looked at it a dozen times, just checking if someone could really be so kind.
Fanficaddict I'm not sure if you deleted your comment or if it just doesn't show up but I got the email notification and it made me laugh. It also made me make this chapter 12 thousand words instead of 9 thousand.
Hunter You've commented the most on my story, and I appreciate it every time. You keep em short, and concise, and there's something there about brevity being the soul of wit, but I'm too busy smiling at my phone to care.
Keep up the reviews, everyone, and keep reading. I've got a lot more in me and I haven't felt this passionate about something in a while. I'll see you guys with another update soon.
-Bronzeandsteel