"Hey, Percy, can you please take the kids today?" I hear my darling shout from our bedroom, while I'm in the kitchen, spreading butter on the breads of my two beautiful children. The older one, Nylah is currently running around chasing her little brother, who just stole her skirt. I just laugh at their silliness, that they definitely got from me, then shout back a 'yes' to my wife, Annabeth. We've been married now for six years, and everything is great, really. Nylah is one month away from being five and James is three years old. Sometimes it already feels like I'm really old, although in reality I'm just 25. Living in Manhattan, not far from my mother's place, so that my family is close, helps us a lot with the kids, and that's a huge relief, because Annabeth doesn't have much time anyway.

"Oh, I can't find my laptop." Annabeth runs in, quickly pressing our lips together, but as soon as I would deepen the kiss, she turns to go to the counter to grab one of the sandwiches that I made for the kids.

"Hey, c'mon that's for Jamie." I playfully push her, but all I get instead of an apology is a stare. "Okay, I understand. You have a reaaaally important meeting today. No joking."

"Yes, and if I'm late, then Hecate will kill me. You know how much I've worked on the renovation of her temple. I can't afford to be late now." She chants and darts out with the cup of coffee I made for her. I sigh, knowing that the laptop is on our bed, entangled in the sheets, since she fell asleep still working on some designs. Rolling my eyes, I don't say a word. Those plans she's been working on kept her away from me for a while. Almost since we arrived back from our honeymoon, but definitely since having kids. The gods always demanded more and more renovations and rebuilding, but I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. Why would they need to do it almost every year, constantly? It's been 9 years… I'm kind of frustrated by now. All my dreams of a close family have been ruined because of them.

I call the kids to breakfast, while their mother sets off to Mount Olympus. After we - left-behinds - get ready, I drive them to the kindergarten, thankfully without any monster attacks, and I have a nice normal banter with other parents for a bit.

It's already past five when I leave from work. I'm a swimming coach and I have very talented boys and girls in my group, I really enjoy my time teaching them. I'm feeling content and hum a little note, since today's practice went awesome. I sit in the car, then rush to collect my own kids. When we arrive home, they head to their shared room and start playing again. Sitting down in the kitchen I grab a coke from the fridge and start sipping it.

A few minutes pass by in peace, then I hear noises from the door. And suddenly Annabeth turns up, looking like she's just run a marathon in a hurricane.

"Oh, whoa, are you okay? You look like you could use some relaxing." I say sincerely in a kind and worried way, not wanting to hurt her, but she just gets angry at me and shouts back.

"Of course, I'm alright, it's not like Hecate didn't like my design..."she rants and throws her keys at me. I put my hands in front of my eyes and lucky me, it hits my fingers instead of blinding me.

"Ew, thanks. Wait, she didn't like it? But it was so amazing, and you worked so much on it..."

"No, she hated it. Despised it actually." She breaks down and starts crying, walking over to me and hugging me. I cuddle her in return and pet her back slowly while she sobs. Honestly, she has awful mood swings. "Now, I have to restart it. But I've worked so hard."

Eventually she stops sobbing and stands up regardless of how tired she is. She grabs her laptop and is about to leave, when I find the right words.

"But wait, I thought we could spend more time together with the kids after you're finished." We originally planned to go to the cinema this week, and I have no idea when she'll actually have time for that.

"Maybe if you didn't go out with your friends every weekend, then we'd have some family time together..." she snaps back and I'm too surprised to say anything right now, so she walks away grimacing. Guilt resurfaces in me, then a voice dripping with honey intrudes my thoughts, calming me down. We've talked about this. It's okay, to have my own time with friends to myself. It's okay to have just one evening to myself. It's okay to meet them. And it was never my fault that we became more than friends…

Just as I stand there my phone buzzes and I take it out from my pocket.

Sunflower: Hello, beautiful, what time would you like to meet?

Huh, how ironic, that he writes right now.

Sea prince: Today's not that good for me...
Sunflower: still waiting for an answer...
Sea prince: fine😒
Sea prince: let's meet at 9
Sunflower: cool😊😘
Sea prince: but not at the club
Sunflower: ?
Sunflower: what r u planning?😏😏
Sea prince: let's meet at the Tower café
Sunflower: didn't expect that
Sunflower: but kay for me
Sunflower: can't wait, babe😘
Sea prince: oh stp it

I thank the gods for having autocorrect, and Hephaestus to have designed a dyslexia-proof phone for demigods. I throw the device to the couch smiling like an idiot, although there's no reason, to be honest. I shake my head to get rid of the strange feeling in my chest and head over to the bedroom to find some decent looking clothes. I carefully curate my outfit, and after I put the kids to bed, I look back from the door to glance at Annabeth. She's so engrossed in her work she didn't even notice me getting ready to leave again. I sigh and turn around to leave.

I arrive at the café, that basically acts more like a bar, being open all night long. I go straight in to escape the awful weather. It's rather windy and there are a bunch of dark clouds approaching the island, a storm is brewing for sure. I look around after I step in, and my eyes catch glimpse of a golden-haired man facing the other direction at a table in the corner. I stand there smiling for a moment then make my way towards him.

"Sorry I'm late, I just couldn't find a place to park." I start, trying to look as apologetic as possible.

"No problem." He shrugs with a huge smile on his face looking me up and down, clearly checking me out. I can't help but blush. I hope he likes my outfit. For some fucked up reason I care what he thinks of my appearance. "Wait, you came with a car?"

"Yes," I say sitting down and I can't meet his eyes. I still can't get over how gorgeous he looks every time. "and that's why I suggested meeting somewhere else other than our club, of course."

Our club. I love how we refer to it like this, yet this whole thing is a mistake, started as a misery and we're still stuck in it. We just can't seem to get out, or maybe we just enjoy being down in the dirt.

"But baby, it makes no sense, I still won't let you drive home at dawn. No matter where you leave it." He looks at me with darkened eyes looking strict and serious now. He always had his opinion on drink-and-driving. His voice is commanding, and maybe I'd shiver if I wasn't so used to the tone by now.

"No. I - " I start, speaking up for myself has been something he always encouraged me on, but then a waitress shows up winking at my companion. How bold of her. I furrow my brows at that and I'm about to open my mouth in complaint, when Apollo winks and smiles back at her and orders two cappuccinos. What a flirt! I shake my head, because he's always been like that. She walks away and I can't stop looking after her kind of irritated. Am I wrong to feel this way?

"Soo, what did you want to talk about?" He starts looking all smiley again, that erases my distress slightly.

"I need to tell you something." I start off rather confident, but when the waitress comes back with our cups, and somehow, I get angry again. As she puts down Apollo's, their fingers meet and the girl rests it there for a few moments brushing his before turning around and walking away again. I stare in disbelief then snap back into it.

"So, I can't... I can't do this anymore." I say it out quickly, before I can change my mind, before ugly jealousy hits me in the chest again. "I can't go to the club with you guys anymore."

"What?" He almost spits back out his coffee when I finally finish what I wanted. He raises his eyebrows at me expectantly. "Now why would you say that?"

"Look, I have a fucking family." I try reasoning with him, but even I know how pathetic that argument is.

"I know" he looks at me strangely, but he's not smiling anymore." I've always known that. Heck, we've always known that and did the things we did anyway. What changed now?"

"Annabeth had a bad day." I start, but he interrupts me quickly.

"Who cares? She always has a bad day! And going to our club or a pub is just stress relieving, besides it's not like you haven't already cheated on her. You cannot undo all that." He tries to reason with me, but he just gets angrier and angrier.

"No, but I can stop it...I could do something." now it's my turn ro raise my voice in frustration, but then a few seconds of grappling silence follows.

"Shit, I didn't see this coming. Even though, I'm the god of prophecies." He laughs nervously then puts down the cup, he looks lost for a crazy moment, the loneliness of thousands of years pent up behind his pupils, somewhere rooted deeply in his skull, then the next moment he looks serious again. "Percy, look, I don't know what happened between you and Annabeth this time, but it's gonna be alright. I promise."

"I'm sorry, but I just... I can't do this to her. Not today. Plus, I can't go home drunk tonight. It would drive her crazy and she's already had a bad day. And that is also why I came by car." I finish and look in his eyes finally. He looks a bit heartbroken then he's cheerful in the next moment again. These mood swings are a reflection of my own nature, I realize, as if we've been spending so much time together, that now we mirror each other.

"I promise you won't go home like that. Is that okay? Just come with me. Pleaaase?" He looks at me with puppy eyes. I stare into those mesmerizing blue pools with shimmering golden dots that I always get lost in, and I think I must zoom out a little, because when I clear my thoughts, I notice that he's touching me, swiping his finger along my jaw, to the corner of my mouth.

I shiver as he sends sparks down my spine.

"So, what do you say, baby?" He winks at me, and sips from his cup. "By the way, I bet your coffee is cold by now. "

He was always good at this, turning the conversation at all times so quickly.

"Shit. Okay I'll go with you, but I won't drink any alcohol. And I'll leave early." I take a sip from my coffee, but it's indeed cold so I put it back pouting. I know I'm making a deal with the devil right now but how could I resist him?

"Cool." He grins and takes my drink into his hands. They glow up a bit, then I realize that he's just warmed it up. I nod thankfully and drink it up. "If you're done, we can go now."

"Yeah, cool, lemme just get some money, then..."

"Oh, no need baby. I'll pay for both of them." He offers generously, but I just shake my head. He's already bought me way too many things.

"You don't have to. Really." I insist, but he doesn't listen to me. I watch him stand up and walk over to the waitress. I can't look away as he stands close to her, maybe a bit too close, and whispers into her ear with a huge smile on his pretty face. I frown, but there's no time to think about that strange aching feeling creeping into my chest, 'cause Apollo looks back at me beaming and winks, then points his head towards the door.

We leave the familiar warmth behind, stepping into the now stormy evening. He grabs one of my hands and we walk like that to his Maserati parked a corner away. I try to pull my hand out of his, but he just won't let me go. I sigh, but give in and I glance at him, only to find him grinning like an idiot ever so proudly. We lace our fingers, and I can't help but chuckle a bit and let the corners of my lips curl up too in content.

He's soo childish.