Gods, that took way longer than I assumed it would. I can only apologize for the delay. The results of the poll are at the bottom, btw.
Also, this is one of the shorter chapters, but to counter that, we have some much-needed fluff in this chapter. So, Pertemis shippers, enjoy!
The title is a bit familiar, isn't it?
"WHAT?!"
I laughed nervously. "Hehe you see, Medusa is super-tired right now, so I'm just gonna head inside and..." I trailed off, as I turned to bolt.
I was able to take about two steps before a resounding command froze me. "Stop," Annabeth ordered.
I turned around and met her eyes nervously. "Yes?"
Her eyes narrowed as I gulped. "Explain," she demanded, her intimidating grey eyes boring into mine. I looked towards Grover who was glancing at me, then Annabeth, as if one of us was going to start bashing the other's head, and knowing her, it was probably going to be Annabeth.
I sighed in defeat and nodded. "Fine, just let me put her down."
Annabeth hesitated but nodded reluctantly. I glanced around the diner to find any resting area to place Medusa. My eyes caught a door marked 'For employees only' and I walked towards it, shifting Medusa slightly in my arms.
With a creak, the door opened to reveal a quaint room with a bed on one of its side and a door on the other, presumably leading to the bathroom. The place was small but surprisingly comfy.
With a soft grunt, I placed Medusa on the bed and draped a blanket over her. I glanced at her peaceful face and smiled softly. Now, don't get me wrong, I was not attracted to her in any case, but watching a soothed soul after millennia of grief brought a content smile to my face.
Rubbing my eyes tiredly from the whole day's ordeal, I made my way out of the room, already dreading the conversation that would follow with one insatiable daughter of Athena and one self-deprecating satyr.
/\
The entire ordeal ended up with Grover looking at me in fascination and Annabeth looking cross between sticking her dagger down my throat and smiling at me. In the end, she unsurprisingly decided upon a death glare.
I would have mistaken her for being extremely mad at me if not for the slight twinkle of approval in her eyes and Grover reading her emotions. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, with us huddled around warm embers in the middle of the dining area, summoned by yours truly. At one point, Grover decided it would be a good idea to practice his reed pipes. Needless to say, his practice didn't last long because Annabeth's glare put a stop to the wails of a dying cat soon.
Annabeth still seemed pretty pissed at me, so she mainly kept her distance, only offering input whenever I'd say something stupid regarding the quest. An hour later, Grover offered to stay awake and keep the first look-out. I didn't even have the energy to protest because I was hella tired from using my powers extensively that day.
The last I saw, was a similarly drowsy Annabeth faceplanting on her sleeping bag before the soft lull of Grover's reed pipes and the crackling of the fire sent me into the realm of Morpheus.
Percy opened his eyes to a pair of breathtaking silver eyes staring at him. He yelped at the closeness of the figure and jerked back, almost falling out from the... chariot?
Wait, what am I doing in a chariot?
Taking deep breaths to calm down his hammering heart, he frowned and looked out the chariot. Percy yelped and jumped back in alarm when he noticed how high he was from the ground. One could barely make out the clouds below the chariot, much less the earth.
A tinkling sound of pure joy and mirth brought him out of his reverie. Enchanted by the pleasant melody, his breath hitched as he turned his head towards the source of the sound. His eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened as he tried to tear away the traitorous orbs that set frozen in front of the entrancing scene before him.
He gazed upon the cascading wavy auburn hair that flowed down the crest in a silky waterfall, appearing softer than any existing fabric, the pale milky skin that seemed to glow with radiant bliss under the soft gleam of the moon, the delicate tinkling of bells that emanated from her vocal cords and the eyes. The breathtaking silver eyes that shone like the mediterranean sea under the night of the full moon and never failed to captivate him.
"Beautiful," He whispered as he gazed in ardor at the goddess before him.
Artemis' eyes widened at the pure and innocent compliment that Percy had uttered. Not an ounce of lust was visible in his eyes, just genuine adoration and love.
Artemis blushed unknowingly under his stare and cleared her throat. "Hello, Per-" She started to speak before she gasped loudly, bringing her hands to her mouth, crimson coating her cheeks.
Percy's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "What happened, Arty? Are you alright?" He asked and put his hand on her forehead, checking the temperature. Artemis flinched at the contact, her entire face flushed.
"Do you have a fever? You're looking all red." He said stupidly.
Artemis was breathing heavily at this point and gulped audibly. Her entire face felt hot and she was feeling dizzy from the sight before her. "I'm p-perfectly fine, Perseus. Y-you need not worry about me."
Percy frowned at her behavior. "Are you sure, Arty? You're all hot and tired. And you called me Perseus instead of Percy or Sea-sponge. You almost never do that," He said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "And you were staring at my face, acting all afraid and worried."
His face broke into a panicked gasp. "Oh gods! Is there something wrong with my face?! What happened?!" He exclaimed and started patting his face exaggeratedly.
Artemis finally shook out of her daze and stared at Percy, who was furiously touching his nose and forehead. She smiled softly. His goof never failed to uplift her spirits. She coughed loudly. "Right, there's nothing wrong with your face, kelp-head. I was just surprised to see your eyes, that's all."
Percy blinked and furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly. Artemis internally squealed at how adorable he looked. "What do you mean, Arty? You've seen my eyes thousands of times, what caused this reaction?" He questioned, looking into Artemis' eyes.
Artemis shivered slightly under Percy's intense stare. Under the glow of the night, with his wind-swept hair and sharp jaw, he had never looked so... alluring.
She shook her head to rid the blasphemous thoughts and spoke. "Your eyes, they are different than usual, Sea-sponge," she paused as she thought of how to describe them. "They aren't sea-green anymore. At least, not fully."
"What do you mean?" Percy frowned confusedly. "Last I checked, they were still sea-green, the same shade as my father's."
Percy was well aware of how closely he resembled his father. On many occasions, several minor gods and even Artemis and Apollo had mistaken him for the lord of the seas. If one were to look at both side-by-side from the corner of their eye, they would certainly confuse the two as the same person. He was under the impression that his eyes, too, mirrored those of his father. While he was correct to some degree, those close to him had noticed his orbs were much more complex than the god. While Poseidon's were a simple sea-green, Percy's resembled the gleaming stormy seas of the Mediterranean during the night-sky, swirling with power and sentiments.
Hearing Percy say his eyes were like Poseidon's, Artemis almost blurted out that his eyes were more radiant and vibrant than her uncle's.
They were enchanting before they changed, but now they looked ethereal.
Artemis mutely pointed to a reflective piece of silver on her chariot. Percy turned around and moved closer to the reflector. As his eyes focused on the reflection they were casting, Percy recoiled in shock and awe.
His eyes were breathtaking!
An unusually bright ocean of sea-green hue adorned the edges of the iris, gradually transitioning into the warm embers of the Hearth with patches of teal and turquoise splattered hear and there. The sclera around the iris stained a deep midnight purple with wisps of raven black. The most enchanting elements, however, were the flecks of a brilliant silver that drifted around the entirety of the iris. As if the orbs weren't mesmerizing enough, the colors seemed to swirl like maelstroms in the unforgiving sea.
"Wha-How-huh?" Percy stammered, his gaze adhered to the reflection. "They weren't like this!" He exclaimed.
Artemis frowned at his reaction. "What do you mean, Kelpy? You never noticed the difference? Not even once?"
Percy shook his head.
Artemis gained a contemplative look on her face and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It seems likely that your eyes transformed after you gained Chaos and Nyx's blessings. The purple and black must be from them whereas the orange must be from Aunt Hestia." She mused.
Percy pouted. "But why have you or I never noticed them?"
Artemis hummed and leaned into her seat. "The only reason I can postulate is that Lady Chaos utilized the mist to alter your appearance to its precedent state. Your eyes were, originally, sea-green and not...like this, therefore, I can imagine the mist hid them from view. Now, since you're dreaming, the mist has no power over you and I can perceive your true eye color or appearance."
"But why would she do that?"
Artemis almost smacked the oblivious demigod on the head. "Uh, no idea," Artemis lied.
Of course, she knew exactly why Chaos did this. She knew what effect his eyes would have on people. Artemis was a maiden goddess and she was entranced for a full minute, her brain losing total cerebral function. If it were a mortal or demigod, or even a goddess, like, Demeter or Aphrodite and probably many others, they would probably never gaze at anything other than her Sea-sponge's eyes.
Percy just dumbly believed her lie before he puckered his face. "Wait, if Chaos hid my eyes with mist then why couldn't you or I see them?"
Artemis smiled softly and sighed. "Percy, there are many kinds of Mist in this world. The veil that cloaks the divine from the mortal world is the natural kind. Then there is the magical type of mist that can deceive demigods and gods alike based on the strength of the caster. However, clear-sighted mortals would see through even the most potent kinds of mist, regardless of the caster. So if you were to meet a clear-sighted mortal, they would see your eyes as they are." Artemis explained.
Realization dawn on Percy's face as his eyes widened before he frowned. "But my mortal mother is a clear-sighted mortal. Why couldn't she see through the mist?"
Artemis raised her eyebrow as she centered the chariot to its path. "Age is an important factor in the mortal world, Percy. An aged person is less healthful than a person in their youth. Similarly, clear-sighted mortals, too, begin to have their gift deteriorate with age, to the point where they can still see through a relatively weak coat of mist but not a strong one."
Percy thought about it for a moment before nodding in understanding. His mother did have some problem in discerning weapons and monsters some years after her youth, unlike Rachel, who could spot them easily.
The two settled into a comfortable yet slightly awkward silence.
Percy fiddled with his fingers as he glanced towards the goddess. Artemis had her eyes closed as she reclined in her seat, holding the reins of the chariot loosely in her palms. Percy was once again struck by her beauty as her luscious auburn hair flitted around in the wind. The sight was mesmerizing to him.
"Quit staring, Lover boy," Artemis spoke up, her eyes still closed, snapping Percy out of his reverie. He spluttered and blushed as Artemis snickered at his eloquence.
He huffed and glared at the smug goddess who, too, had faint redness on her cheeks but he wisely refrained from commenting.
"So, I freed Medusa from her curse," Percy began slowly, after a moment of silence.
Immediately, Percy noticed Artemis's hand tighten around the reins, and her jaw clench.
Sensitive topic! Tread lightly!
"And?" Artemis asked tightly.
Percy gulped slightly. "Uh... are the gods okay with that?"
Artemis relaxed slightly. "Yes," She confirmed. "Several like Poseidon, Hestia, and Aphrodite already pitied the gorgon, so when you offered her to rid the curse, they were all satisfied. Apollo and Hermes were merely curious about the girl and you. Zeus was, obviously, paranoid about your powers to be able to destroy a millennia-old curse and wanted to smite you but threats from Poseidon and Hestia checked his paranoia before he could act on it."
"Obviously," I muttered. "What about... Athena?"
Artemis exhaled heavily. "She approves," she admitted. "My sister was already guilt-ridden from the whole incident and wanted to make amends, but as you verbalized, her pride came in the way. She did not admit she was grateful, obviously, but everyone could see it in her eyes that she was thankful for your interference."
Percy's eyes widened before sighed in relief. "Thank the gods. I do not need another olympian on my ass. So, I guess Athena is neutral for now?" He questioned.
Artemis bit her lip. "Yes, she is neutral, as of now." She lied.
In truth, Athena was intrigued by Percy. So much so, it could be said she was on his side, though it wasn't stable yet. Percy would've to do some major ass-kissing to sway Athena's full support over him.
"So," Artemis drawled with a smirk. "We noticed an intimate moment between you and Medusa. Care to explain?" She asked innocently, but there was an undertone of bitterness and something else in her voice.
Percy, fortunately, noticed this and picked his words carefully. "It didn't mean anything, Arty. She was just grateful and kissed me on the cheek as a sign of platonic affection. Nothing more. Yes, she is beautiful," Percy paused but hastily continued, noticing Artemis grit her teeth. "I mean she is factually, but I'm not attracted to her romantically. Besides, I have a type, and it's not her." He added under his breath.
"Uh-huh, and pray tell what this 'type' is, Percy?" Artemis asked curiously.
"I'd rather not say"
"Hmm"
"So, how's the hunt?" Percy asked awkwardly, trying to salvage the conversation somehow.
Artemis rolled her eyes in amusement. "Seriously, Sea-sponge? You're gonna go with that question to break the ice?"
"Hey!" Percy protested. "At least I'm trying to make conversation here. It seems like I'm the only one trying to do that. I could just pinch myself and wake up if you want." He grumbled the last part out, unable to keep the bitterness seep into his statement.
Artemis's eyes widened. "No!" She said hastily, not wishing for him to leave. "I was merely jesting, Percy. The hunt has been splendid." She said with a wistful smile as she scooted nearer to Percy.
Percy's cheeks reddened slightly at the closeness but fortunately went unnoticed by the joyous goddess of the hunt.
As Artemis rambled on about the various hunts she went on with her previously deceased sisters, Percy just stared at her with a soft smile playing on his lips.
She was just so... pure. While Percy had his fair share of castration threats from her when he was in the hunt, it baffled him when he realized the goddess was just so genuine. Her eyes, which shone with innocence whenever she would listen to him share an inside joke with Thalia, or when Percy would deck out a star-wars reference, were so appealing to him.
That was one of the many things that drew Percy to her. Even if Percy could never vocalize it, he could at least admit to himself that he was falling hard. He observed the goddess beside him.
Those silver eyes, that damned smirk, and that auburn hair. Oh, how I've fallen.
Percy, lost in his thought, did not notice the silver-eyed goddess snapping her fingers in front of his eyes. Artemis smirked at this, cocked her hand back, and slapped him in the face.
"OW!" Percy yelped, as her hand smashed into his delicate cheeks. "What the hell was that for?" He asked incredulously.
"You were staring at me," Artemis deadpanned. "It was freaking me out"
Percy blushed furiously. "Sorry," He mumbled. "It's not my fault you're beautiful." He added under his breath.
Artemis' eyes narrowed. "What was that, Jackson?" She demanded, the smallest of smirks pulling at her lips.
Percy flushed a bit but rolled his eyes. "Drop the act, Arty. I can see it in your eyes. I know you're flattered."
Artemis huffed. "It's not my fault that gods are vain creatures."
"Sure, it isn't"
"Besides," Artemis continued, not meeting Percy's eyes. "If it wasn't you, I would've castrated anyone who dared stare at me."
Percy blinked then grinned as Artemis paled a bit.
"You mean you're fine with me staring at you?" He asked coyly.
Artemis's eyes widened as she furiously tried to push down the blush that threatened to erupt from her cheeks. "N-no. S-shut up"
Percy smirked victoriously as he noticed her flushed cheeks. "Aww... is wittle Arty blushing?" He teased.
Artemis hid her face in her hand in embarrassment as she weakly punched Percy's chest. "Shut up!"
Percy laughed and poked her nose. "Oh, you're adorable." Artemis whipped her head towards Percy and growled. "What did you say, Perseus?"
"I said you're adorable, Artemis," Percy just stared at her unfazed. "And your glare doesn't work when you're flustered." He pointed out with a smug grin.
Artemis narrowed her eyes, all traces of her blush gone. "I am not adorable, Perseus," she snarled. "You take that back!"
Percy couldn't help it. He burst out laughing, clutching his sides as Artemis watched on with a dumbfounded look. "What is so funny?"
Percy deadpanned, barely holding in snickers. "You literally said 'Take that back!'. That's exactly what little kids do." He managed out, before bursting into a bout of giggles.
Artemis glared at him with flushed cheeks before smirking abruptly.
Percy instantly sobered up when he saw the smirk. "Oh gods. I know that damned smirk," He said nervously, as he backed away from Artemis. "What are you planning?"
"Oh, I'm not orchestrating anything, Perseus," Artemis said innocently as she started scooting towards Percy. "I'm merely trying to recline"
"Uh... Arty?" Percy chuckled nervously as he was pressed against the side of the chariot as if cornered by a wild stag. (See, what I did there?)
Artemis laid her head on Percy's chest and rested her palm on his abdomen, almost straddling him. Percy's eyes widened as his cheeks erupted in a crimson blush.
"Ar-Artemis?" Percy winced at his pathetic tone in front of the goddess of the hunt.
Artemis grinned coyly and leaned in towards him. Percy sat frozen, looking like a deer caught in headlights. His breathing was ragged and his hands were clenched and probably sweaty.
Artemis blew air softly at the lobe of his ears and whispered. "Who's blushing now, my dear Sea-sponge?"
In the moonlight, her gaze almost seemed predatory. Percy shivered heavily, as his face felt hot from the proximity of the goddess. He opened his mouth to say something coherent, but all his vocal cords could produce was, "uhh bah?"
Way to go, Percy. You handled that with the grace of a drowning rhino.
The goddess wasn't done yet. The wind shifted slightly, as something charged between them. Artemis nipped the lobe of his ears and smiled bashfully when she glanced at the still frozen Son of Poseidon.
Percy's brain had practically shut down at this point. He clenched the grip of the chariot tightly as Artemis gave his neck a last nip before returning to her previous position as if nothing happened.
Percy was still frozen in shock by the goddess' actions. "Why did you do that?" He asked quietly.
"Hmmm," Artemis asked innocently. "What do you mean, Percy?"
He huffed. "You know exactly what I mean, Artemis."
Artemis frowned and glanced at Percy, who was sitting quietly with his gaze on the floor. "It was just harmless teasing, Kelp-head."
Percy shook his head and tried for a smile. Though it looked kinda more like a painful grimace. Artemis immediately turned towards him. "Okay. What's wrong, Percy?" She asked in concern, slight panic building up in her gut, thinking she had crossed some boundaries.
"I don't know," Percy shrugged and looked down. "I mean, you did make me feel uncomfortable, but at the same time, I wish what you did wasn't because you wanted to tease me." He mumbled the last part almost inaudibly.
Almost.
Artemis felt cold dread build-up when she heard the first part of Percy's statement. However, a blush adorned her cheeks when she heard about how Percy wanted it to be real. She unknowingly smiled brighter and cautiously rested her head on Percy's shoulder lightly.
Percy tensed and stiffened at first, assuming this was the resumption of his torture, but relaxed when he realized Artemis wasn't going to go further.
"I'm so sorry," Artemis mumbled, her voice muffled by Percy's shirt. "I didn't think about how you'd feel. I merely wanted to make you flustered."
Percy smiled before softly stroking Artemis's hair. "It's fine, Arty. I'm sorry for teasing you, too"
Artemis smiled as her heart skipped a beat from the intimate gesture.
They talked about menial things after then, with Percy explaining about his new wolf form and his increase in powers. Artemis mainly talked about her hunt and her dysfunctional family. Both were entranced by the other and neither seemed to realize.
Soon after, the soft tinkle of the wind, the lull of the moon chariot, and the warmth of his companion found Percy dozing off. The last he felt was a pair of lips pressed tenderly on his forehead before he gave way to darkness.
"The little hero," an amused voice echoed far down in the darkness. "Too weak, too young, but perhaps you will do."
I rolled my eyes and smiled cheerily. "Hellooo dear ol' grandpa. How are you, this fair day?" I asked.
The evil-background-intimidation chanting faltered at my snarky response but resumed quickly.
"Hmmm," Kronos pondered. "So, the little hero knows who I am."
"Of course I do!" I spoke in mock-indignance. "So, tell me, gramps, how's Tartarus treating you these days? Is the room-service okay?"
Kronos growled a rumble that shook the entire cavern. "The boy mocks me?! The Titan Lord?!" He said incredulously, before laughing a cruel laugh. "You are either very brave or incredibly foolish, boy."
I gave out a sigh of defeat and wiped a fake tear. "Oh, how thou wound me." I chuckled. "But seriously, gramps, could you be any more cliche? 'Brave or incredibly stupid', that's like the cheesiest line for a super-villain, grandaddy. C'mon! Be more creative! You're embarrassing me." I whined.
Kronos snarled but did not give me a reply. Instead, he projected an image of my mother, with the meaty hands of the Minotaur curled around her neck. "Barter with me, young hero," He proposed. "Come to my side in exchange for your mother. What have the gods done for you?"
I rolled my eyes. "Gee, let me think. Hmm... claim me within a week, give me a badass weapon, priorly warn me about the quest and provide me with a really cute ring. Also, your eldest daughter adopted me in my most vulnerable state. So tell me, Kronos," I smirked. "Would you do all of that if I was your child, considering that you ate your own children?"
Kronos growled in frustration, unable to counter my argument, as the shadows around me became more and more erratic.
"But of course," I grinned smugly. "You know everything that happens in the camp, don't you? From your spies?"
Kronos faltered and paused completely as the shadows subsided. "I don't have spies in your wretched camp, demigod." He growled.
I face-palmed. "You dumb-dumb, that's the one thing you don't say when you want to deny something," I said, laughing.
The entire cavern rumbled before exploding into white light as Kronos snarled furiously and I was hurled out of the dream-scape.
I woke up with a start from Kronos's temper-tantrum, as the sun's rays were just starting to color the skies. As I looked around, I saw Annabeth's and Grover's empty sleeping bags laying on the ground. I stood up abruptly, my heart clenching in fear as I stalked towards the diner, riptide in hand.
On the way, my senses were wafted with the scent of breakfast. More curious than fearful now, I peeked inside the diner. My worries instantly vanished when I caught the glimpse of Annabeth, along with Grover, eating some bacon and pancakes, with Medusa serving them.
I grinned as I saw Annabeth laugh and chat with Medusa, with all of her previous hostility and apprehension gone. Grover too, though a bit nervous, talked with Medusa politely.
I cleared my throat to announce my presence when a blur crashed into my arms. The figured sobbed into my shirt as they clung to me as a life-line.
I glanced at the figure and recognized the raven-black hair and pale skin. I smiled softly and hugged Medusa tighter.
"Thank you so much!" She cried. "Thank you!"
"You deserve it, Medusa. After years of grief, you finally deserve some peace." I said, rubbing soothing circles into her back as she cried.
"When I woke up this morning, I thought it was all a cruel dream. I-I thought I was still cursed," She spoke quietly, her voice cracking. "But then I noticed my hair an-and..." She broke down again, tears of joy streaming down her face as she tried to gain lucidity.
I wiped away her tears and embraced her once more. "Shh, no one is going to hurt you anymore, Medusa. I swear it."
"Thank you, Perseus," She said tearfully, before chuckling. "Ironic isn't it? That, the one named Perseus, your namesake killed me the first time and now you saved me from my curse."
I chuckled and glanced towards my friends who both had smiles on their faces. I met Annabeth's smile with a grin, which caused her scowl and me to pout though I could see the playful glint in her eyes. Grover gave me an appreciative thumbs-up, which I returned.
Medusa finally let go of me and smiled hugely.
"Hey, M?" I called. "I want to tell you something."
I continued as Medusa nodded. "I did not remove your curse completely," I admitted. Before anyone could say anything, I held up my hand and continued. "The curse was too deep-seated for me to remove it completely, so there are still traces of the curse present." I sighed.
Medusa pursed her lips. "What will it entail?" She asked, almost scared of the answer.
"Your powers are still yours," I said. "Only now, you have control over them. You can still turn people into stone but only if you wish. I did this for mainly your protection and also because I couldn't." I admitted.
"Which means I can turn people into stone at will?"
I nodded as her face broke into a huge grin. "I can live with that."
/\
After breakfast, we started to prepare for our quest's resumption. Medusa provided us with rations as well as drachmas and some pancakes to go, which I happily accepted.
When the question of 'where to go next?' arose, Medusa advised taking the west-bound train from the Amtrak station to Los Angeles. Of course, I knew that but was extremely thankful I did not have to encounter some creepy little poodle named Gladiola.
"So, I guess this is good-bye, huh?" I asked once we were ready to leave.
Medusa nodded and smiled softly before pulling each of us into hugs. "I hope I can repay you someday, Percy. You've no idea how much this means to me." She said.
I shook my head. "You owe me nothing, Medusa. I was happy to help. Also-" I paused and smirked mischievously. "You know what, you can do something for me."
Medusa nodded eagerly as I took a piece of paper and wrote down something on it, handing it to Medusa.
"Go to this address, take care of everyone in the house and we'll call it even." I grinned.
Medusa smirked as she understood what I was implying. "Also, you're welcome to stay there, Medusa." I offered.
She shook her head. "No, you've already done enough for me. I don't want to be a burden, anymore."
I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I insist, M. You won't be a burden because there won't be anyone in the house after you're done with those pigs. Also, my mother will be returning in about three or four days and she'll appreciate the company. I'm not taking no for an answer, Medusa" I said sternly when she tried to protest.
She sighed and smiled, pulling me into a hug. "Thank you, Percy. For everything."
I waved my hand. "Don't mention it," I replied. "As I told you, just take care of the swines and I'll call it even."
Okay, I'm not gonna lie, this chapter is absolutely horrid. It is extremely rushed and is full of plot-holes. I can just hope you guys enjoyed the pertemis fluff enough to compensate for the poor writing everywhere else.
Also, here are the poll results!
No to the third partner - 65
Yes to the third partner - 36
I honestly can't say that surprised me. I did initially write this story to be Pertemis but I was ready to change it up a bit after some comments which suggested the addition of the third character. But, I guess I'll move ahead with the original plot! If it had come to adding another, I would've gone with Reyna or Aphrodite. (I know, weird, but honestly I feel for the both of them)
Also, I wanted this Percy to be a bit more rigid than often portrayed in pertemis stories where he is extremely whipped and submissive.
My uploading schedule is gonna turn a bit more sporadic because of classes and exams and school. I'll probably upload... twice in three weeks? Yeah, something like that. And the next chapters will definitely be a lot more well-written than his one.
Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the chapter (A bit unlikely)
I'll see you guys next time.
Byeeeeeee