It was a quiet drive to Zoe's house. Well, house was a bit of a stretch. Like most people who lived up on the mountain, she lived in a cabin. It was nice, quaint. Out of the way and out of sight. She didn't particularly enjoy visitors so she lived somewhere they wouldn't visit.
They pulled up to her home and Percy parked his truck in her driveway. They hopped out and Percy took a look at the place.
"You painted?" He asked, taking note of the brown paint that now covered the lumber siding. The cabin had low roofs, with wide overhangs. The windows were foggy and dark, with simple light fixtures on either side of the front door. A mailbox sat on a post in front of the porch, a gift from one of the townsfolk Percy had always assumed. The words "Z. Nightshade" were painted on it in an elegant calligraphy.
"I did." She said, pulling her newspaper out of the mailbox. "I had a free day."
"You always have free days." Percy sighed. "It's not like you have a job."
She turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I hunt. Then I sell what I hunt."
"That's not a job." He replied, as he followed her up her patio, "That's a hobby."
"I prefer to call it a lifestyle, Perseus." She responded, as she unlocked her door and they stepped inside. She turned on the light and he took in the room.
He hadn't been here in a while, at least a month, and in that time not much had changed. The cabin was small, though not unbelievably so. It was one story and opened into a wide open floor plan area, with no walls, just structural columns, as if there had never been walls or someone at some point had taken them out. There was a living room, with a simple TV and couch on the left, while there was a wide and rather spacious kitchen on the right, with a massive bay window surrounding the counter top.
Zoe had a fridge and a big independent freezer off to the side of her kitchen. In the back there was a desk, up against a wall next to a simple bed. The desk had papers on it, dozens of maps and a corkboard up on the wall that was covered in notes and photos.
He walked up to the desk and let out a "hmm", trying not to notice the half-empty bottle of bourbon and the glass that sat on her desk.
"Want a beer?" She called across the room from the kitchen.
"Sure." He answered, as she tossed him a can from across the room. He opened it and brought it up to his lips as she moved over to him. He examined the maps, taking note that each of them had dozens, if not hundreds of x's drawn over various locations. He sighed as he watched her grab the bottle and glass and walk over to her kitchen.
"You almost froze to death." He called over his shoulder.
"I know." She replied.
"That's 40%." He added.
"I know." She said again, knocking back a glass and letting out a hiss through her teeth.
He sighed and walked over to her, tossing his hat and jacket onto her couch. He ran a hand over his head and put his hands on her kitchen table, watching as she poured herself another glass.
"How about I make you some dinner?" He asked, making his way over to her fridge. He cracked it open and was surprised to find it was only half filled with venison, and not completely filled.
"Go nuts." She dejectedly replied from her kitchen table. Her second glass was already half empty.
He let out a soft smile and grabbed a couple shanks of meat, pulling a cutting board out from her cupboard and dropping the meat on it. He opened another cupboard, pulling out a frying pan, before grabbing some spices from her spice rack. Garlic, salt, pepper...
"Got any thyme?" He asked over his shoulder.
She let out a soft chuckle, "Too much of it."
He shook his head, "No, Zoe, thyme. T-h-y-m-e." He said, spelling it out. She walked over to him as he put the pan on the stove, turning up the heat and dropping a couple slices of butter in the pan.
She put her glass on the table, full once again, and grabbed the spice off her rack. She walked over to him, stumbling a bit, and handed him the glass, letting her hand graze his for a moment longer than it needed to. He blushed.
"Thanks." He muttered, tossing some of the spice in the pan as he dropped in some freshly chopped garlic as well. His sleeves were rolled up, with his tattoo being very visible, although Zoe couldn't help but find herself staring at his forearms rather than the art on them.
"So." She began, leaning her back into the counter, "What was that all about."
"What was what all about?" He asked, as he dropped the steak in the pan.
"All that, in the car. The anger, the intensity, the you're all I've fucking got." She asked, a sly smile across her lips.
He let out a breath as she raised the glass to her lips. He reached out and caught it, pulling it out of her hands, before dumping the contents in the pan with a resounding hisss.
"That was you finally getting on my nerves." He replied, pushing the steaks around with a pair of tongs, trying his best to stare at them so he wouldn't stare at her.
"Oh really?" She asked, the smile growing a bit.
"Yes. Really. You almost dying will do that to me." He replied, giving the steaks a flip.
"Hmm." She said, turning around and placing her hands on the counter. She was restless, and probably at least a little drunk at this point (though he could never really tell how good she was with alcohol), lazily shifting her weight from leg to leg. She'd ditched her jacket at the front door and Percy couldn't help but notice how... tight her shirt was. He glared at the steaks a bit harder.
"You know what I think?" She asked him, "I think you like me."
Percy let his gaze roll over to her. "Oh, is that so?" He asked sarcastically.
"Mhm. I think you do. I think you like me and you don't want me to go because of it." She said, before her expression turned serious.
"If I get out, Percy, there's no reason you can't come." Her words were pretty slurred at this point.
"Yes there is." He said.
"What's that?" She asked, a pout across her face.
"The hunters." He replied, his face taking on a look of disappointment. "If you left, you'd join them again." He turned to her with a glum smile.
"Can't exactly follow you there, now can I?"
She was silent for a moment, her face tense with thought. "Maybe I wouldn't join them." She said after a while. "I've experienced aging again. Though it has it's downsides, the... unpredictability of life is enjoyable. Perhaps I wouldn't choose eternal maidenhood again." She drummed her fingers on the table, internally debating with herself on whether or not what she was saying was true.
"You mean eternal life." He said.
She looked up at him again. "What?"
"You said you wouldn't choose eternal maidenhood again, you mean you wouldn't choose eternal life again, right?"
She looked at him for a moment, her face an impossible mix of emotions. He shot a glance in her direction.
"This place, Percy. It's changed me." She said, slowly picking her words as she spoke. "Whether I like it or not, I'm not the girl I was all those years ago."
"Well... we've both changed." He replied, shutting off the stove and sliding the steaks over. "Maybe not both for the better, but..." He looked out the massive window, his face tense with thought.
"You still think about her, don't you." She said quietly. He let his gaze fall a bit, bringing his hand up and quickly rubbing his nose.
"All the time." He admitted, whispering it under his breath.
She took another step towards him. Her hands were clenched into tight fists. "From what you've told me, she isn't really worth your thought, or your time." Zoe said with a smile.
He smiled too, a sad one, but a smile nonetheless. He shook his head. "No. She really isn't."
"So... why does she still get to you?" Zoe asked.
Percy stayed silent for a moment. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath. "Because she hurt me." He turned to her. "...and the hurt never goes away."
She took another step, she was barely a foot away now. He could smell her from here, she smelled like flowers, albeit with a faint smell of the lake he'd pulled her out of.
You hadn't even thought of the consequences. He thought to himself, The second you knew she was in danger, you dived right in.
"Maybe you need someone." She began, "Someone to work through that hurt with."
He stared at her for a moment, his sea green eyes meeting her onyx ones. He felt his heartbeat raise, and his mouth open ever so slightly. She looked amazing right now, the evening light glowing off her skin. He felt his chest tighten, and his breath hitch as she took a step forward, placing her hand on his free one.
He could feel her breath on his face, and taste the alcohol on it. She didn't seem nearly as drunk as he'd seen her before, this just seemed like... her.
She moved in a bit closer, he did too. She closed her eyes as his hand moved up to her cheek. Her breath was shaky now, and her hand that was resting in his free palm was now clenching it tight.
They got closer. Closer. Closer.
Knock knock knock
They pulled away. Snapped from their moment by the stray noise coming from her front door. Percy took a shaky deep breath as he glanced at her door, silently cursing whoever was on the other side. He looked back at Zoe. She was back up against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest. She was looking away from him. He sighed and walked over to the door, opening it.
It was Freya.
She had a look of surprise on her face when he answered the door. "Percy?" She asked him.
He drummed his fingers on the door frame nervously. "In the flesh." He joked.
She glanced over his shoulder at Zoe, who was still turned away and leaning against the counter, her arms still crossed over her chest.
"I'm so sorry." Freya exclaimed, taking a nervous step back from the door. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"No no, it's alright." Percy replied, forcing a smile. "I was just getting her home safe, and making her some dinner." He opened the door a bit more. "What brings you here, though?"
Freya rubbed her hands over the sleeves of her sweater. "I was just coming to invite Zoe to the party." She replied, before putting her hands on her hips. "The one YOU were apparently too busy to come to."
"Yeah, about that..." He said, rubbing his hand along the door frame trying to come up with an excuse.
"We'll come." A voice came from behind him. He turned around to see Zoe there, right up behind him. She gave him a glance before smiling eagerly at Freya. "We've got some free time tonight, may as well spend it in town."
Freya smiled at her, before turning back to Percy, returning her hands to her hips. "Will you be joining us tonight, deputy?"
He turned back to Zoe. She didn't look at him. Her gaze was instead fixed on the girl standing in front of them both. She looked like she had a million things going through her mind.
"Yeah, yeah I'll come." Percy said, ignoring the steaks he'd just cooked. Freya smiled with glee, pulling out her phone. "I'll call Erik and let him know we'll need two more seats. I'm sure the we can scrounge some from the kids rooms."
Percy nodded and grabbed his coat as Zoe slipped on hers. He turned back as he was about to leave, glancing at the steaks on the stove, silently wishing he could just stay here and have dinner with Zoe.
He sighed to himself, maybe next time.
The car ride to Freya's proved to be one of the most awkward trips of Percy's life. He sat there, practically frozen as he white knuckled the steering wheel while Zoe seemed to be trying to burn holes into the dashboard with her gaze alone. They stayed silent as Percy followed Freya to her home.
She was one of the few who's family had been living there long enough for them to have one of the houses in town, and as Percy didn't really have to make house calls ever, he didn't actually know where his receptionist and her husband lived.
Her husband was a nice fellow, a charming man with blue eyes, long red hair and a thick red beard that he often braided to keep out of his way. He was a lumberjack, up on the mountain, which probably explained why his body looked like it was sculpted out of granite. He was almost impossibly gentle though, Percy couldn't even recall the last time he'd raised his voice. He was good to Freya, he made her happy. He was everything a husband should be.
Percy couldn't help but let these thoughts cross his mind ad he finally let himself look at Zoe, who had finally stopped glaring at his dashboard and was now peering out the window, watching the rain trickle down the windows.
"So." Percy said, drumming his fingers along the steering wheel.
"So?" Zoe repeated, still stating out the window.
"So, are we gonna... talk about that?" He asked. He was nervous, and was hoping it didn't show.
"What's there to talk about?" She answered nonchalantly.
He grit his teeth. "Well, a lot actually."
"No, no there isn't." She answered, nervously running her hand down her leg. "There's nothing here to discuss."
"Are you trying to convince me of that, or yourself." Percy asked, in a low voice.
"I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything." She replied, "Nothing happened."
"Oh really, because what I recall was you getting pretty close there." He said, not realizing a slight grin was spread across his face.
"Percy..." She started, frustration in her voice.
"Close enough that I wasn't really sure what you were going to do." He continued, his smile growing.
She turned to him, frustration in her eyes. "What happened in there was I was drunk." She said, though without the confident self assuredness she normally spoke with. "I was drunk and I acted on... emotions, that I had at that time."
He wanted to say something, to argue with her more, but at the same time he figured that she just wanted him to drop it.
"Alright then." He replied, a smile still across his lips, focusing back on the road.
They road in silence until they got to Freya's.
It was a beautiful house.
The house sat in the very small suburban section of the town, pretty close to the start of the mountain and right on the edge of the forest. It was a simple building, a two story farmhouse with a wrap around porch that supported a porch swing. The windows on the house all had hand cut lumber frames and the house itself was painted a dull magenta. Sitting at their patio was a mailbox that had "The Redds" painted on it, just like Zoe's. Off to the left side a bit farther down the property was a big red barn.
Percy pulled into the driveway and took a moment to look at the house. It was beautiful, serene, and quaint. It didn't command attention, nor did it demand respect, it seemed like the perfect place to settle down and raise a family. He looked at it for a moment, feeling oddly nostalgic as he took in the shape. It looked familiar, like it reminded him if something.
The big house, at camp half-blood. He felt his stomach drop.
A phone rang.
A phone rang.
A phone laid on the floor. It hung from it's cord on the cold floor of the big house. The boy who'd just been holding it had let it fall to the floor as he stood, frozen with shock, trying to process what he'd just heard.
An attack, from monsters no doubt. An explosion. An apartment ripped to shreds. No way there were any survivors, no possibility.
His apartment, his mother's apartment.
He didn't believe it, he couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it.
He felt a hand grasp his shoulder, he turned to see his old mentor, Chiron, standing there, looking at him. He had a concerned look on his face, expressing genuine worry.
"Percy? Who was that? Are you alright, my boy?"
Percy didn't speak. He didn't smile. He didn't do anything. He pulled Chiron's hand off his shoulder and walked out of the big house, out to the beach. Campers watched as he walked, some followed, trying to ask their old friend what was wrong. He ignored them. Even when Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder and asked him.
"Seaweed Brain? What's wrong?"
He didn't respond, he just walked to the beach, marching into the waves. He walked, farther and farther, deeper and deeper, until his head was under the water, until he was at the deepest point in the lake.
He stood there for a moment in silence, with not a sound around him. He didn't hear anything, nor see anything. He focused, focused on the water, focused on the sea, focused on his father. He poured all his focus on the realm of his father and crushed that focus into 6 concise words that he spoke out to him.
"Why did you let her die?"
Nothing. No response, no answer, no apology. Nothing.
Percy felt his eyes burn, his teeth grit, he felt his fists clench.
He pulled out riptide and pointed the pen at his chest, his thumb floating over the cap.
"Is this what you want?" He asked.
Nothing. Not even so much as a whisper.
He fell to his knees, letting his tears disappear into the lakes waves. He felt so alone, so useless, so ignored.
It wasn't even two days later that the gods wiped his memory and sent him on another quest to the Romans.
Two days. That's how long he got to mourn, before their prophecies and quests invaded his life again.
Two fucking days.
"Percy."
"Percy."
"Percy?"
He snapped his eyes open. He turned over to Zoe, who was looking at him with a tinge of fear in her eyes. Her hand was on his arm.
"Yeah?" He asked, "What's wrong?"
"You just... stood there for a minute. You didn't move, or hear me, or anything. Are you okay?" The concern was evident in her tone and painted on her face.
He gave her a halfhearted smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said, knowing he wasn't, "let's head inside."
He quickly walked up the steps of the patio, with an unconvinced Zoe following him, and walked inside.
The house was just as impressive on the inside as the out. It was beautiful, with dark hardwood floors and lumber finished walls. There was a staircase dead centre ahead of the foyer that had a staircase stretching up and down. Off to the right was Freya and Erik's kitchen, and to the left was their living room. Freya came into the foyer and gave Percy a big hug, before giving an equally big one to Zoe. Percy watched Zoe's eyes light up as Freya wrapped her arms around her. She wasn't really used to human contact, besides Percy.
"Come on into the kitchen." Freya said, a smile wide across her face. "Everyone's set up in there."
Percy followed her in and was pretty well immediately greeted by a pair of tiny arms wrapping around his legs and nearly dragging him to the ground.
"Uncle Percy!" They cried, and Percy felt a smile draw across his lips.
"Hey kiddos." He said, ruffling the little boy and girls hair. Jack and Ingrid, Freya's children. They were, to be blunt, adorable little Rugrats. Jack had his mother's blonde hair and Ingrid had her father's red locks. They both had, much like everyone else in town, inherited those classic Hammer falls blue eyes and they beamed with excitement wherever they went. They were probably some of the sweetest kids Percy had ever met and he always made sure to flash the sirens in his truck whenever he saw them walking around town with Freya, much to their excitement and her annoyance.
"Uncle Percy, did you see the fish that daddy caught?" Jack asked, practically bouncing with excitement.
Percy smiled at the child, "No, I can't say I did. Was it big?" He asked
"It was giant!" Jack exclaimed, holding his hand high above his head. "Twice as big as me!"
Percy raised his eyebrows at the boy, "Now that is one big fish." He said, putting his hands on his hips.
The boy grinned and turned, running off to probably go find his father. Percy turned to Ingrid, who was standing back a bit and staring at Zoe with her mouth open.
"Uncle Percy, is she your girlfriend?" The girl asked. Percy practically choked on his breath. Stammering out some incomprehensible response before Zoe laughed and walked forward next to him.
"I sure am." Zoe said, much to Percy's shock, which only grew as she held his hand and placed her head on his shoulder. "I'm with him to make sure none of your mom's friends try to steal him." She whispered, leaning towards the girl. "I'll need you to keep a look out, though. Let me know if any of them have any plans."
The little girl nodded profusely and ran off after her brother. Zoe smiled and looked at Percy. His jaw was open and his eyes were wide.
"What?" She asked. "I like kids, I can entertain their ideas for tonight. Plus I know how much you hate it when blondes hit on you, and from the looks of it..." She peered around the corner into the kitchen, "... They're all blondes."
Percy let out a groan. "Alright, in that case, do as you wish... honey." he added in a suggestive tone.
"I plan to... darling." She shot back.
In hindsight, Zoe was a genius for her plan.
The whole night he spent dodging various town girls flirtatious looks and gentle touches. It didn't really get better as the night went on and they all got various levels more drunk. But luckily Zoe was there to hold his hand or put her head on his shoulder or, a few times, even kiss him on the cheek.
He swore he was going to burst into flames right there in their kitchen.
They moved through the party together, striking up conversations with the townsfolk. Percy was kind of proud of Zoe. For someone who didn't exactly like this place sometimes (most times), she was making a genuine effort to be friendly with these people.
Percy, in his own time, put in a bit of effort to further his own relationship with Erik. The man was, frankly, even more impressive than Percy had remembered. He was a giant, for one thing, probably standing at least 6'6", with those freakishly massive muscles bulging under his red flannel shirt. Though you might not have noticed his height, considering he spent most of the night in his easy chair in the living room, either letting his kids crawl over his knees or taking the odd sip from his beer can. Percy sat across from him on the couch, drinking his own brew as they talked about things.
"So." Erik said, leaning back in his chair with a sly smile. "Zoe."
Percy nodded, with a smile all his own, "Zoe."
"Is this real, or just faking it so Frey's friends will give you some peace?" He asked.
Percy grimaced, and looked at his old friend. "That obvious, huh?"
"To me, maybe." Erik said, taking another swig. "But to the ladies? I think you've got em fooled."
"Thank god, she's a bit of a lifesaver at the moment." Percy said raising his can. He let out a slight chuckle and ran his eyes over the small crowd, noticing her by the fireplace.
Erik nodded, before he spoke again. "Do you want to date her for real?"
Percy nearly spat out his drink. He looked at Erik, who had a very serious look on his face. Percy looked over at Zoe, who was laughing at something Freya had said while showing her an album of her children's baby photos.
"Uh, well, I don't know..." Percy stammered out.
Erik shook his head, and leaned forward, a slight chuckle escaping his lips as he grinned at Percy.
"Yeah you do. Don't bullshit me Jackson."
"I'm not bullshitting you, Erik." Percy said, without looking him in the eye. "I'm still... getting over the last one."
Erik shook his head, pursing his lips. "I think that's a bit long to be getting over someone." He said.
Percy turned away, "You don't know the half of it."
His mind wandered. To old times. To darker times. To times in Tartarus.
"He made me feel ways you never could"
Percy shook the thoughts from his head and looked over at Zoe, who was almost red in the face from laughter as she and Freya spoke together. She looked so happy right now, and he wondered if that was at least partially because she was pretending to be his girlfriend.
"Do you think she actually likes me?" He asked Erik, not looking at him, his eyes still locked in Zoe.
Erik sighed and leaned forward more. "I think that there was a time when she didn't even speak to men, me included. But now the person she spends the most time in town with is you." He said.
Percy thought about this as Zoe caught his gaze. She stopped laughing and smiled at him with a soft, tender smile. She was across the room, and had been for a while. Percy didn't want to admit that he hated being away from her. He also didn't want to admit that he really didn't ever want to leave this party, because it meant she'd stop holding his hand and putting her head on his shoulder and kissing him on the cheek and pretending to be his girlfriend. He let out a soft sigh, and gave her a smile back.
"Alright, enough of this sappiness, come out with me to the barn, I need your help." Erik said, standing up from his chair as his bones cracked with movement. Percy got up and followed as Erik led him out to the barn. The sky had, at some point, opened up and rain had began to fall into the ground. It was pretty heavy, and Percy was glad he still had his hat on, but had ditched his work shirt for the simple white t-shirt he wore underneath. Erik opened the door and Percy found there was a man inside, tending to a boat on a trailer.
The man was pretty big, nearly as talk as Erik. He had great thick meaty hands, the rest of his body covered in a navy blue electricians jumpsuit. His name tag read "Mr. T" In a simple font. He had long blonde hair and a long m, thick blonde beard that, much like Erik's, was braided, although his was braided into a rather random assortment of dreads, some with beads and charms in them. His long hair was also braided rather sporadically. He turned to Percy with a smile, his bright blue eyes almost crackling as a flash of lightning from the doorway illuminated his face. He looked to be at least in his late fifties.
"Percy, this is my father in law, Mr. T." Erik said.
The man stepped forward, smiling at Percy as he held out his hand. His voice boomed like rolling thunder as he spoke, "Perseus Jackson? I've heard of you, my boy. It's an honor." The way the man spoke, it was as if what he said was meant to be interpreted as more than it was.
Percy grilled the man's hand, giving it a firm shake. It felt odd touching him, almost like he had grabbed a live wire. Percy knew the feeling the second he touched him. "Pleasure is all mine sir. I've heard about you from Freya a couple of times."
The man threw his head back with a laugh, a booming noise that drowned out the thunder outside. "Aye, my daughter is quite the lady isn't she? Luckily she found a proper man to marry." He said, shooting a glance at Erik.
If a man with a red beard as thick as Erik's could blush through it, he did. "I'm just happy you gave me your blessing, pops." Erik said turning to the boat. "Percy, this is what we were hoping to get your help with. We've heard you're good with boats."
"I know my way around them." Percy said with a an uncomfortable shift of his feet.
"Perfect!" Mr T boomed. "Because I must say, my strong suit is definitely not sea vessels. Now if your power goes out, or a circuit breaker bursts? That's where I'm needed."
Percy nodded, running his hands over the boat's hull. He knew what was wrong with it the instant he'd touched it. Rudder line was out of alignment. It practically screamed into his brain through the wood of the ship. He turned to Erik though, not intending to solve a problem with an insanely lucky guess.
"What's wrong with it?" He asked.
"Well, she doesn't turn properly. We've tried adjusting the wheel at the helm, or tuning the motor, but she just won't go where I want her to."
Percy ran his hand over his face, pretending to think of solutions. "Could be, I don't know, a rudder out if alignment?"
He walked around to the back of the boat. "Got a wrench?" He asked.
Mr. T grabbed one from his tool box and handed it to Percy, the latter feeling a slight electric shock ad he grabbed the tool. Percy undid a panel on the hull and reached up into the boat. He felt the rudder line and, to be honest, just snapped his fingers, the line immediately responding to his gesture and realigning itself.
"Try it now." Percy said to Erik as he closed the hull back up. Erik grinned and climbed up into the boat, turning the wheel from side to side making the rudder move along with it.
"We're back in business." Percy said with a smile. Erik leaned out the boat grinning ear to ear.
"Excellent. You're a magician Perce." He said, hopping out if the boat, the ground practically shaking as the giant of a man landed.
"I've gotta go tuck the kids in, it's right around their bedtime." Erik said, checking his watch. "I'll catch you inside once you're done in here." He said.
He left, and it was just Percy and Mr. T.
The second Erik was back in his house Percy's expression changed. His smile vanished and his knuckles clenched. He turned back to the blonde man, who was busy putting his tools away, his back turned to Percy.
"I know what you are." Percy said, his eyes drawn back in a glare. "And I'd rather you didn't try to convince me otherwise."
The man stopped collecting his tools and chuckled to himself, before he continued sorting his tools. "Oh? What could you mean by that, Perseus Jackson?"
"I know a god when I see one." Percy replied, thumbing Anaklusmos out if his pocket.
The man chuckled, turning around to face Percy.
"Very good, child. Now have you figured out which one?"
Percy slowly walked, circling the man. "Well, my information is somewhat limited. My expertise is in Greek gods, but I'm guessing that's not what you are, not in this state at least."
The man threw up his hands. "Getting warmer, Perseus. Let's go through the information together. I'm not Greek."
"I'm guessing you're Norse, from the names around town." Percy said, taking another step.
"Very observant, an Asgardian is what I am." He said, putting his hands on his hips.
"The storm outside, it didn't start until you showed up, and your name." He said, gesturing at the name tag. "Kinda narrows it down for me."
The man smiled, and put his hands up. "Say it then, boy."
"You're Thor. God of thunder." Percy concluded.
The man clapped his hands, giving Percy a beaming smile. "Well done my boy, well done. I must say, though you surely get this often, it's an honor to meet the hero of Olympus." He said, honesty in his voice.
Percy let his gaze fall, "Not anymore I'm not." He said, in a cold tone.
The man clicked his tongue. "I wouldn't imagine so. I've heard tales about your quests, your prophecies, your love" He said, taking a step forward as Percy flinched at the word. "A bit soulless, don't you think? Sending a boy to his potential doom every year for 6 years? At the very least us Nords have the decency to kill you on the first one, give you a rightful place in Valhalla." The man said.
Percy glared at the man. "Is that it then? Do you have a quest for me? A prophecy? Because you of all people should know I consider this town my unofficial retirement from the meddling of gods."
Thor chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't get to escape prophecies, son. They don't just go away. At the very least our prophecies are a bit less obnoxious. For one thing, they don't rhyme, and for another, they're less prophecized and more, I don't know, absolute? But indefinitely avoidable, given the right tools." He took a step forward. "You don't have to help us, I won't force you to, but if you truly love this town, Perseus, you'll help save it."
Percy gritted his teeth in frustration. "What do you intend for me to do?" He asked, his glare unwavering.
Thor chuckled again, grimacing slightly. "For the moment? Nothing. The prophecy does not knock on out gates, nor does it appear to be on the horizon, but it certainly does seem to be casting a shadow over this town." He glanced up at Percy. "What do you know of Ragnarok?"
Percy shrugged. "That it's the end of something. Not really sure. Again, I know Greek tales, not Norse ones."
The god nodded his head, before snapping his fingers. His took box tipped over, shaking, before a large hammer fell out of it and floated into his hands. The thing was massive, a gigantic slab of metal, ornately decorated with Nordic carvings and symbols. It sat on a wooden handle, a beautiful length of mahogany wrapped in leather with a strap at the end. It looked brutal, and powerful, and had hummed as it floated to his hand.
"You may wish to familiarize yourself with the prophecy, for it may concern you at some point." The god told him as he walked out of the barn, he turned back to Percy.
"By the way, which way is New York?"
Percy's eyes widened, and he stepped forward.
"If you're thinking if doing something with... them. Don't. I can handle this on my own, whatever it is."
The god smiled at him. "They told me you were brave, and selfless too. But never anything about foolish."
Percy shook his head. "You ain't seen nothing yet."
The god let out a laugh before pointing Southeast.
"That way?"
"Yeah." Percy said begrudgingly. "More or less."
The god grinned, spinning his hammer in his hand, before letting it fly, dragging himself into the sky in the direction Percy had pointed him.
Percy's head felt like it was going to explode as he walked back into the house. His mind was racing with thoughts, and ideas, and frustration. How could he have not noticed it before? The Nordic names? The notably godly presence he could always sense in the air? For fuck sakes, the town was named Hammer falls, as if that wasn't a big enough red flag on who'd plopped him here. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, realizing that he now had homework, Norse homework, and now had to learn a whole new mythology.
Or he could just leave.
That idea had, admittedly, popped into his head the second Thor had revealed himself to Percy. The idea of him flipping off the god of thunder, getting in his truck, and driving directly south, damned be the consequences, however Greek they may be.
He stepped back into the house and remembered why he couldn't. Zoe. She was standing there, arms crossed, leaning against the Redd's counter.
Erik Redd. Erik the red? He'd have to ask about that.
"Where have you been?" She asked him, giving him a look that he could've sworn was genuine worry.
Percy jerked his thumb at the barn. "Met Erik's father in law. We need to talk about things later."
"What kind of things?" She asked, uncrossing her arms.
"Just, things." He answered, looking around. "How many of Freya's friends are left?" He asked her, a nervous look in his eye.
She smiled, "Enough that I think our little performance may have to go on a little longer."
He shot her a squint, which drew into a smile. "If I weren't mistaken, I'd think you wanted to keep pretending to be my girlfriend."
She crossed over to him and weaved her hand into his. "Maybe I do. You make a very lovely fake boyfriend I must say."
"You think so?"
"I do. You just stand there so... politely." She said, gesturing at him.
"Politely?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes." She said, running a thumb over the back of his hand. "Politely."
He nodded slowly as she led him back into the party.
There weren't too many guests left now. Just some stragglers, a few girlfriends of Freya waiting for their dads or brothers to pick them up. All of whom seemed more than eager to talk to Percy, not so much with Zoe.
He tried to be polite, or at least cordial, but frankly it was getting in his nerves. They were just so... brazen about it. Saying things like "I love a man in uniform", or, "It takes a brave man to be a police officer." He scoffed internally, the last emergency this town had was when Jenny Hornfield got rear ended outside the general shop.
He knew it was just for his looks. He was in a town of blonde, blue eyed Nords, and he had black hair and sea green eyes. He stood out, he was dark, mysterious. He had just showed up on the beach one day. He was a mystery man who didn't talk about his past.
He nodded and smiled at all their words and compliments and smiles, and tried not to notice how tightly Zoe was holding his hand, with it getting tighter at every word the girls said. He was starting to get pissed off, and was frankly looking for an out. It came to him when his radio buzzed on his belt, a voice he recognized but the others probably wouldn't through the static.
It was Freya, who'd snuck out to "Check on the kids", evidently using that to get her personal radio. She mumbled some nonsense about a "possible 217 in progress." (that didn't mean anything). He made a mental note to offer her free babysitting on date nights with Erik next time he saw her.
"Sorry everyone, duty calls."
The numerous girls around him let out groans as he stood up, and started walking to the door. Zoe still held his hand, tightly as ever, as they strode over to leave. Before they could, however, she stopped them. He looked at her, confused, wondering why she wanted to stay in this place considering how she was pretty obviously not enjoying it. She turned back to the small group, clearing her throat to get their attention.
"Well, we'll see you all around hopefully." She said, her voice tinged with anger. "Isn't that right, honey?" She asked him.
Percy turned over and nodded. "Oh yeah, definitely." He replied.
"Yeah." she said. He didn't really notice what she was doing. He didn't notice her hands snaking up his chest. He didn't notice that she'd pulled her body up close to his. He didn't notice she'd turned his face toward hers.
He didn't really notice any of that until she'd pulled his face in and planted her lips on his. He froze for a second, not quite sure what to do. His hands just sort of floated in the air as she kissed him. Her lips were warm, and just as soft as he'd always thought they'd be. She tasted like alcohol, which he assumed had only been fueling her frustration. She ran her hands through his hair, under his hat. She pulled away, his body almost immediately drooping at the sudden lack of her touch. She pulled off his hat and plopped it on her own head, before turning back to the room.
"We'll see you around, folks."
There were a number of glares that met her before she dragged the still semi-frozen Percy out into the rain. The wide brim of his hat covering her from the downpour as it soaked Percy's shirt. He moved in stunned silence, opening the trucks door and dropping into the seat. He just sat there for a minute, mouth agape, not really sure how to react.
"Percy? Percy are you alright?"
Zoe's voice brought him back from his state.
He looked at her, a gormless expression across his face.
"Yeah." he said in a breath as he turned on his ignition.
They drove in silence for a about 10 minutes. It was a very agonizing 10 minutes. 10 minutes of deafening silence that he had to break.
"So." He said, pursing his lips into a tight o shape. "I think that'll stop them permanently."
"Mhm." She replied. Her lips were drawn into a tight line and her cheeks were flushed red. If he wasn't mistaken, he thought she was trying not to smile.
"Yeah." He said, drumming his hands on the wheel as they drove. "You're pretty good at that."
She let out a snort. "Sure I am."
"No I mean it." He said, "You're very, ah... intimate." He said, looking for the right word.
She looked at him. "Intimate? That's the first kiss I've ever had and you think I'm intimate?"
"I think so." He replied. "Maybe a bit lacking in activity, I think a bit of tongue might've sold it a bit better." He joked, poking her with his elbow.
She let out a hiss of laughter through her nose.
She turned back forward, crossing her arms. "Well how about next time, you give me some pointers?"
Percy cocked an eyebrow and looked at her. "Next time?"
"The night is still young, Perseus, and if you recall there's some cooked venison at my place. Play your cards right and maybe you might just get a "next time" tonight."
Percy felt his heart skip a beat in his chest as he pulled into her driveway. He hopped out if the car, jogging around to the other side of the truck do he could open the door for her. She gave him an incredulous look.
"Holding open doors now?" She asked.
He shrugged, "As far as I can tell, I'm still your fake boyfriend for the time being. Never know if one of Freya's friends are still watching." He said with mock sincerity, looking around her yard.
She laughed, holding his hand as she stepped out of the car. She led him up her steps and into her house. She flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. She frowned, flicking it on and off.
"Power's out." She sighed, "Guess we can't microwave them then."
Percy shrugged, "Got any candles?" He asked.
"Yeah, over in that dresser, bottom drawer." She answered, pointing at the furniture.
Percy walked over to it as she felt around her kitchen for some plates and cutlery. He found the dresser and opened it, rummaging through it and pulling out a couple of candles. He help them to his nose and took a sniff.
"Lavender scented?" He called across the room.
"I do like some girly things, Percy." She said.
He smiled and brought them to the dinner table, fishing his lighter out of his pocket and lighting them as he did. They both sat down at the table, and Percy couldn't help but notice her skooch their seats a bit closer together before he sat.
He was hungry, really hungry, a bit more hungry than he'd like to admit. He was practically salivating over the food as it sat in front of him. He didn't even really care that it had been sitting in the open in Zoe's house for hours at that point, those cold steaks looked incredible.
She caught his arm, stopping him before he could start, and he looked at her with what he could only describe as slight heartbreak.
"What?" He asked, "Don't tell me you say grace."
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "No you big idiot, you said you were gonna tell me something. Just things, was the quote I believe."
He swallowed slightly, turning around to face her.
"Right, well... I think I've finally found out why you can't leave."
Zoe was pacing, back and forth and back and forth across her kitchen. She'd been doing that for a while, stopping only momentarily to have another bite of venison, before she went back to pacing. Her eyes were firm and her brow furrowed. Even if she wasn't trying to wear a hole through the floor anyone could tell she was deep in thought.
Percy was kinda just watching her go, a bit transfixed my the little performance she was putting on. Honestly, she was handling it all a lot better than he'd thought she would.
"So this is Asgard, then." She said, finally coming to a stop and leaning against her counter. She had her arms crossed tightly across her chest and was drumming her fingers on her body.
Percy shrugged, forking another chunk of deer into his mouth. "Well, I don't know what that is. But I'm gonna guess... yes?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "Do you even know what I'm talking about?" She asked.
He furrowed his brow. "Truth be told, no. I said the same thing to Thor. I know Greek stuff, not really Norse stuff."
She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah well I do know Norse stuff. When I was in the hunt, Artemis led us on many journeys through the Nordic lands. We had to familiarize ourselves with them and their... customs" She said, the last word dripping out of her like poison.
"What kind of customs?" Percy asked.
"The kind that hunters don't respect." She answered simply. She pushed off the counter and sat back in her seat, her knees brushing up against his. He'd be lying if he said that didn't send a shiver up his spine.
"Percy, if what you're saying is true, then this very well could be huge. A whole other pantheon of gods, hiding here." She looked up at him, her eyes wild with thought.
He rubbed a hand over his stubble, trying to follow her and ignore the fact that she was now touching him and looking at him. He cleared his throat, trying to cover up the blush that was spreading across his cheeks.
"Thor mentioned something else. Something about rocks? A bag of them? I think it was a bag of rocks." He said.
Zoe sighed and rolled her eyes a bit harder this time. "Ragnarok, Percy. He was talking about Ragnarok, and if he's talking about that... then things are bad."
"He said it wasn't here yet, though. Something about it casting shadows, but not being on the horizon? I can't remember honestly."
Zoe shook her head. "He wouldn't know, no one could possibly know. It's not like a Greek prophecy, with a specific date. Norse ones only foretell events, they give you steps to put them off, but they will happen."
She nervously ran a hand over her thigh, glancing over at the map on her wall. "No wonder I can't leave. They must've snatched me from the stars, brought me here to live amongst the gods. They must think of me as a great hero."
Percy raised his eyebrows. "You almost sound happy about that."
She blushed. "Being brought to Asgard, to Valhalla after death is a great honour. Almost as great as being placed in the stars." She looked up at him. "I guess they thought you deserved it too."
He looked back at her, their eyes locking. He felt his breathing get tight again as he noticed that, at some point during all that, she'd started holding his hand again. She opened her mouth slightly and, from where he was, he could feel her breath on his face again. She wasn't drunk, he could tell from the smell. This was just her, looking at him, and holding his hands by a candlelit dinner in her romantic cabin and-
"Percy?" She asked, pulling him from his thoughts. He shook his head slightly, being brought back to the land of the living.
"Yeah?" He said, trying to get rid of the crimson from his cheeks.
"I had a really nice time tonight, with you." She said, still looking him in the eyes.
He let out a soft laugh, "Even when you had to pretend to be my girlfriend at Freya's?"
Her expression didn't change. "Yeah. I did. A lot then actually."
He took a shaky breath, realizing she had gotten even closer to his face, and was gripping his hands even tighter.
"Percy?" She asked, her gaze unwavering from his.
He looked back at her, feeling his heart hammer in his chest so hard it felt as if it would crack his ribs.
"Yes Zoe?" He creaked out.
"Remember what I told you as we were leaving Freya's?" She asked.
"A little." He said, as she let her hands run up his forearms.
"I said maybe, just maybe, I'd like some pointers next time we... kissed." She said, a blush forming across her own cheeks as the words left her mouth. She started to shift out if her seat.
"Oh, I...I s-see." Percy stammered out. Her eyes lingered on his, his expression shifting slightly with every uneasy breath he took. "When, uh, were you planning on getting those." He asked, trying to steel his nerves.
She stayed still for a moment, staring at him. Her hands were at his chest at this point, her shoulders were tense, her eyes were boring into his and her mouth was hanging open slightly.
She bit her lip. She never bit her lip.
"Right now." She told him.
He didn't really have time to react before she pressed her lips to his. He felt his body heat up all over again. His lungs tightened, his heart pounded, his brain felt like it was on fire, and his skin wasn't too different. She pressed her face into his, deepening the kiss as she took the chance to get off her chair and sit in his lap, straddling him.
He finally shook off whatever shock he'd been in, which he luckily had some experience with when she'd kissed him earlier in the night. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss, opening his mouth slightly as she playfully flicked her tongue across his. He let his arms come up her back, going up to her shoulders as he felt her shiver at his touch. She draped her arms lazily over his shoulders, letting her right arm stick out straight as the left one ran it's fingers through Percy's hair. She tasted like the steak she'd just eaten. Steak and berries. He didn't know how long they sat there, tongues playing, lips rolling, hands roaming each other's bodies. Eventually she pulled away, them both taking deep heaving breaths. Percy felt like he was going to explode. His hands were practically shaking and his mouth quivered a bit. Zoe had taken some deep breaths of her own and had put her hand on her chest, swallowing slightly.
"Well." She said, throwing her arm back over his shoulder. "Any pointers?"
He laughed, a strained gust of air flowing out of his lungs. "No, not really. My brain can't really think properly after that."
She giggled, looking him in the eyes as she did, before running her hand through his hair and bringing the other one to his cheek.
"Would you like... another one?" She asked, running her thumb over his cheekbone.
He nodded vigorously and she let out a laugh.
"You really are something else, Perseus Jackson."
"As are you, Zoe Nightshade." He replied, grinning ear to ear.
She giggled and pressed her lips back to his. Somehow, someway, this kiss was even better than the last one.
Eventually, after they had practically sucked all the air out of each other's lungs, Percy let out a deep, almost heart wrenching sigh and admitted he had to go. Zoe pouted (another thing she never did) and ran a gentle hand over his chest as he stood by the door, rain pelting her roof.
"Are you sure? Y'know, I've got a pretty big bed in here..." She said, gesturing at the mattress, before running both her hands up to his neck. "... big enough for two." She added, in a tone that made Percy's knees nearly buckle.
He let out a nervous laugh and let his hands settle on her hips. "You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" He asked her.
She shrugged, "Maybe I have." She answered playfully, before letting her hands grab hold in his, holding them in front if her in between the two of them.
"Percy..." She began, "Tonight was one of the best nights of my life." She said, looking up at him. "This might be the first time in these recent years I've felt really happy here."
Percy nodded, letting his brow furrow. "You know this is me we're talking about, right?" He asked her. "I don't think anyone should be this happy with me." He admitted, his eyes taking on a dark look.
She reached her hands up to his cheeks. "I'm not her Percy. I'm not going to do what she did, I know what I got here."
Percy felt his chest tighten at her words. If only you knew what she did, he thought to himself. "And what is it that you got here?" He asked with a cocked eyebrow.
She held his hands tightly in her own, staring at his chest for a moment, thinking if what to say, before she looked up at him and, man, if his heart hadn't melted already, what she said really did it for him.
"A reason to stay."
He felt himself freeze. His bones trembled, his jaw tightened, his eyes burned. He felt a really familiar feeling worm it's way into his heart, one that he used to hate being reminded if and that he would bury within himself any time he felt it claw it's way back into his mind.
Love.
He ran his hand up her back, pulling her close. She looked up at his as he pulled her in, his free hand cupping her cheek. "You're the only reason I've stayed here all these years, you know." He admitted.
She let out a sly smile. "I know. You're not very good at hiding your emotions, Deputy."
He grinned at her, his eyes glowing with happiness. He pulled her into another kiss, a soft one this time, not the aggressive 'pull out each others lungs' one they'd been doing. He softly pressed his lips to hers, letting her snake her arms back over his neck. He felt so... happy. Like the old him, the blissfully ignorant Percy just marching through life with a smile on his face. She brought that out of him and, damn it all to Hades, he couldn't help but be happy.
They pulled away and he ran a rand over the back of his head. "So." He said.
"So." She replied.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" He asked, nervously clenching and unclenching his hands.
She laughed, a sweet tender laugh. "Perseus Jackson are you asking me out on a date?"
"Maybe I am." He said, putting his hands on his hips with mock seriousness.
She smiled at him.
"Of course. How about you cook me dinner, again, and we can eat it when its fresh this time."
He smiled, beaming at her frim ear to ear. "Sounds like a plan."
She smiled back at him. "Well get on home then, hero. I'll be seeing you tomorrow."
He kept that smile on his face as he walked back to his car. "Does 6 work for you?" He asked.
"It does." She called, stepping back into her cabin.
Percy's smile grew. "Then I'll see you at 6..." He said, before tossing in "...Honey."
She turned back, an impossibly sly look across her face as she bit her lip again. "I'd hope so... darling."
Percy had a smile on his face the whole ride home. He had a smile on his face as he stepped into his house, a smile was he tossed his coat and hat onto his hat rack, a smile as he kicked off his pants and walked to his bathroom. He had a smile until he looked in the mirror.
There it was again. That stranger. That face he didn't recognize. That face he tried so hard to change, and yet, still stayed the same. He ran a palm over his face, stretching his neck as he did so. As he did, a thought crossed his mind.
Zoe doesn't mind my face.
He smiled to himself, his reaction to his reflection suddenly taking a positive turn. He ran his hand over his hair, feeling the locks pass under his palm. He started examining his face, taking in every detail, every miniscule thing he could. He was searching for something, though he didn't quite know what. He noticed a scar on his brow, probably from some monster years ago. He frowned at it and licked his thumb, trying to pull his eyebrow over it. He froze ad he realized what he was doing.
Flaws. He was looking for flaws.
Flaws that Zoe might notice. He realized what he was doing and ran a hand over his face with a groan.
"What am I doing."
He knew better than to assume she thought that way. She loved him for him.
Wait, love?
Did she love him, or did she like him? And how did he feel about all this? Did he love her? Did he like her? Was he good enough for her? He didn't seem to be good enough for the last one...
He was drawn from his thought by a small noise behind him. He shut his eyes and let out a groan. Probably rats.
Again.
Last time they got in he practically had to pull his walls apart getting them out. He begrudgingly marched into his kitchen as he flicked the lights on, half expecting there to be one of the big bastards standing in his counter, but that wasn't what was there.
It was a glass of water. It looked fresh, with condensation still on the glass. It looked like someone had just poured it.
He barely even had time to register that before he felt something fly into his neck. He grabbed it immediately, pulling it out of his neck.
It was a tranquilizer.
He felt his legs go numb, then his back. He collapsed to the ground, desperately trying to fall in the direction of his landline, but missed it by a hair.
He rolled over, trying to get a good look at the person who got him, hoping it wasn't who he thought it would be.
Unfortunately, he found himself staring at a group of girls, all dressed in silver track suits with black ponchos over their shoulders. They had bows clutched in their hands and quivers over their shoulders. Most looked at him in annoyance, some in fear, a few of the older girl had respect in their eyes. He looked at the leader, the one holding a blowdart tube with choppy black hair and lightning blue eyes. The one who for some reason looked a lot older than Percy knew she should've.
"Thalia?" Was all he could get out before the dart's contents dragged him into unconsciousness.