Ugh. I am sorry. I should have been updating but honestly, I have been ridiculously busy and tired lately. I'm getting a little run down. Between a full time job and finishing the planning for my wedding, I don't have as much time as normal. Things will calm down soon but right now I'm stretched a little thin. Don't worry; I will never abandon any of my stories, even if I haven't updated one of them in like a month and a half.

Also, it took a little longer than it should have because I literally wrote an entire chapter before I decided that it didn't quite fit here and it would be better saved till later in the story.

Starts as Percabeth, will eventually be Percy x Apollo.

Important thing to note... This will be yaoi (boy-boy). Don't like? You do not have to read.

Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus series. (One can dream though) All rights go to the proper parties.

ΩΩΩ

December 10th

Apollo POV

I collapsed onto the ground next to the training area.

I heard someone chuckling at my actions but I didn't bother opening my eyes. I already knew who that laugh belonged too. I heard them take a seat beside me and I opened my eyes just enough to look up at the son of Poseidon.

Percy leaned back on his hands and tilted his head down to smile at me, "You know Fred, you shouldn't get discouraged so quickly. You're doing a lot better than you were before."

I sighed, "I'm not giving up. I'm exhausted. Just because you have been sword fighting every day since you were like twelve doesn't mean I have. This body gets tired too quickly."

To me, sword fighting was exhausting. After a few hours of it, my entire body felt like mush.

I knew that I was getting better at sword fighting. The difference in my abilities was easy to see. Before, Percy could disarm me in less than 30 seconds. Now it took him almost three minutes to beat me. I knew I was far from amazing at it but only an idiot couldn't see that I was improving. Besides, regardless of the fact that I was a few millennia old, Percy still had more experience at sword fighting than I did. It only made sense that he was better at it than me.

"We don't have to continue if you're that tired." I gave him a grateful smile and closed my eyes again. We lapsed into silence for a few minutes before he spoke. "So if you don't want to do anymore training, what do you want to do?"

I chuckled, "A nap sounds pretty good right now."

"Oh come on Fred, there got to be something to do that is more fun than a nap. Besides, do you really want to sleep outside?"

I shrugged, completely uncaring, right now sleeping outside sounded fine to me. I knew that I wouldn't actually fall asleep but it was nice to relax for a little while.

I heard the son of the sea god sigh. He sat with me for a few moments before he started tapping his hand on his leg. I tried to ignore it but after a couple minutes it started driving me crazy. I reached out and put my hand on his to stop the movement.

"That is very annoying Percy."

"Sorry, I'm just bored. You want to sleep and everyone else is busy."

"You could go visit Blackjack again."

"Ya I guess, but I just saw him this morning."

I reluctantly opened my eyes. "I'm tired Percy. I really don't feel up to doing much right now."

"Well why don't we just go back to your place and play a board game or something?"

I sighed, "Fine." At the very least, the couch in my apartment would be infinitely more comfortable than the ground.

ΩΩΩ

Percy POV

I was feeling restless.

I knew that I should have been grateful for how quiet everything was but honestly, it was strange. Ever since I was twelve, I had been busy non-stop. If I wasn't struggling to keep myself from getting suspended from school, then I was fighting some monster or saving the world. I didn't really know what to do with myself now that everything was peaceful.

Regardless of the fact that I was slowly losing my mind from boredom, I prayed to Zeus that it would stay quiet. I wasn't sure that I was up to saving the world again so soon. I was so lost in thought that I hadn't even realized that we had made it back to Apollo's apartment.

The god of the sun opened the door for us and I went to raid his fridge.

He was right, I hadn't discovered any benefit to eating normal food but I could see why the gods and goddesses did it. Somehow, all of my favorite foods tasted a thousand times better. I had always loved blue pancakes but now, they were a whole other level of amazing. I grabbed a bag of chips and two bottles of water and went to join Apollo in the living room.

The god of the sun was already sprawled out across one couch so I tossed him his water and sat down across from him.

"So now that we are here, what is it that you want to do?"

I shrugged, "Honestly, I don't know. I feel like I should be doing something constructive. I love hanging out with you, but I feel like I haven't done anything useful in over a month. It's making me feel... I don't know, restless or something."

The god of music frowned, "What are you talking about. We've been training like four days a week."

I sighed and leaned further back into the couch, "You have. I haven't really done very much training since my match with Jason."

Apollo looked sad, "I'm sorry. I know I'm not exactly the best opponent. Maybe you could join in with the cohorts when they train?"

I winced. "No Apollo, I didn't mean it like that. You're still learning but you are doing really well." I sighed, "I don't think the cohorts would let me train with them. They mostly train for group attacks. It would be easier if we were at Camp Half-Blood. There are always people training by themselves there."

The god of the sun frowned and spoke in a hesitant voice. "Well I suppose we could give archery another shot..."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. "Ya, I don't think that anyone would be happy with that. I'm pretty sure I'm one archery accident away from being banned from the range."

"They can't forbid you, you're a god now Percy."

I narrowed my eyes at the god of music, "I'm not going to force them to let me do something just because I'm technically a god. Besides, it's only temporary. I don't know if that would keep them from banning me or not."

"Of course it would; if they were Greek, maybe not, but they're Romans. They have too much respect for the gods. They will treat you the same they would treat me just in case you do decided to accept godhood."

I frowned. I didn't like the idea of people treating me different just because I was immortal. I had never really considered it before but I could kind of see that Apollo was right. I had noticed that the Romans had never said anything to me about going wherever I wanted but I had just assumed that was because I hadn't done anything I wasn't supposed to. Now I was curious if they were only treating me like that because of my godhood.

It wasn't a very nice thought. I didn't want to be the kind of god that demanded special treatment.

I shook my head to dispel my thoughts. "Either way, I don't think that archery is a good idea."

"Well then what is your grand idea?"

"I don't know..." I bit my lip in thought. I wasn't really sure. I just knew that I felt like I should be doing something. "Maybe I could work on some of my new abilities? I'm used to the enhanced senses now. Could you teach me something else?"

Apollo shrugged. "Sure, what would you like to learn first?"

I furrowed my eyebrows, thinking of all the things I had seen gods do over time. I felt my eyes widen in excitement, "Could you teach me to teleport?"

The god of music winced, "Maybe we should save that for last... Teleportation is not easy. In fact, I'd say it's the most difficult skill to master. There's just too much that could go wrong."

I felt my shoulders slump slightly in disappointment, "Okay."

"Why don't we start at the very basics? The most fundamental of all of your godly gifts is the foundation for all of your future skills."

"Alright, which one is that?"

The god of poetry flashed me a blinding smile, "Controlling the mist."

I immediately perked up at that. I had always wanted to learn to control the mist but it wasn't a skill I possessed. I was nearly as hopeless at mist manipulation as I was at archery.

The sun god chuckled at my reaction. "So I take it your okay with that idea."

I stuck my tongue out at him and blushed. "Ya it will be fine. So what do I do first?"

"Hum... We should start with something simple." The god of the sun stood up and went over to the counter. When he returned he handed me a piece of paper.

I looked at it in confusion. "Bread, eggs, tomatoes... this looks like your grocery list"

"That would be because it is my grocery list." Apollo smirked.

"Why do I need your grocery list?"

The god of the sun shook his head, "You don't."

I raised one eyebrow, "You've lost me."

"You haven't given me a chance to explain. It doesn't matter what it is. That's part of controlling the mist. It's not what you're holding but what you think you're holding." I gave him a blank look and he sighed. "The mist is about deceiving the senses. Right now you're seeing the grocery list as it actually is. By using the mist, you can make someone see it as a bus ticket, or a passport, or anything else you want it to be."

"And how do I do that?"

"You tell them what they are seeing. People see what they're expecting to see. If you tell them it's an invitation for dinner with the queen, they will believe it. In order for it to work though, you have to believe that they will see what you want them too."

"That sound's really confusing."

The god of the sun chuckled. "It's not as bad as it sounds. It's tricky to learn but after you've done it once, it's easy." I nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay Percy, give it a try."

I looked down at the list and tried to imagine it being a takeout menu. I stared at it but it refused to do anything.

"Sometimes it helps to close your eyes."

I closed my eyes and focused all of my thoughts on it being a menu. I tried too will myself to believe that was what it was.

I took a deep breath, "This is a takeout menu."

I opened my eyes with a hopeful expression on my face.

"Nope, still a grocery list."

I glared at the god of the sun, "Shut up Apollo."

He just laughed and gave me a wink, "Where would the fun in that be?" I sighed in disappointment. "Try again."

By the end of the night I still hadn't made any progress. I was beginning to feel rather disheartened.

"Don't worry about it Percy. We knew that it would take a while."

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Ya, but I was hoping to have made some discernible progress at least."

Apollo shrugged. "I told you, controlling the mist isn't like sword fighting. You don't learn each step individual of the next. Once you figure it out once, it's easy. You can go from altering a piece of paper to hiding a building in a day."

"Alright, I will take your word for it."

The god of the sun gave me a reassuring smile. "Good. Have a good night Percy."

"Good night Apollo."

ΩΩΩ

I lay in bed that night thinking of the day. I really wished that I could just figure it out. It was frustrating to be so terrible at something. Thalia could control the mist when she was fifteen. I was eighteen and a god and I still couldn't do it.

I sighed and rolled over onto my side. I tried to think about what I could be doing wrong. I followed every step that Apollo suggested. Maybe someone else had a different idea of how it worked. I tried to think about who else I could ask for help. Thalia was one of the only demigods I knew that could do it though, other then the daughter of Pluto of course. I felt my eyes widen in surprise. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought to ask her before.

Maybe Hazel could help me...

I smiled at the thought and tried to fall asleep. I would have to ask her next time I saw her.