Chapter Soundtrack: Technicolor Beat by Oh Wonder

-Ω-

It all started when Perseus woke up to find a single blue rose lying on his dresser. It was a beautiful day, much like every other day in paradise, and Percy woke up with the sun. Light filtered through the windows and cast arching shadows onto the floor, and Percy was very, very comfortable; for his birthday Nico and Will had gotten him an incredibly oversized comforter, which was perfect because he could then fit his huge wings under the covers without letting all the cold air in. He was as snug as a bug in a rug, which made him reluctant to get out of bed to say the least, but Archangel Michael's messages wouldn't be able to deliver themselves. He groaned and sluggishly slipped out of bed, scratching his stomach absently as he stretched and completely uncaring of the fact that he was only wearing his boxers. That's when the calm, soothing scent of the ocean reached his nose, and he turned to find the blue rose on his dresser, its cerulean petals unfurled and emitting a very, very pleasing scent.

At first Percy was confused, since he was pretty sure that he hadn't left such a flower next to his lamp the night before, but the pleased feeling that came with finding it trumped everything else. He ambled over to examine the rose curiously, very much resembling a perky dog exploring an unknown object, and the angel put the flower against his nose, nearly squashing it against his face as he inhaled the salty scent. After a few minutes of sniffing, and not in the dainty, attractive way, Percy finally noticed the small, folded note that had lain beside it. Finally leaving the poor flower alone, whose petals were slightly more rumpled than before, he set it down to examine the contents of card.

This reminded me of you

-Your dearest admirer

Percy smiled softly at this, and even though he was a bit…slow…at times, he wasn't a moron; he knew who this was from, judging by the lingering scent on the stem, on top of the fact this type of rose was grown in Michael's rose garden; the Archangel would slit the throats of anyone who would dare to pick the cherished and well-loved flowers, so Perseus could only assume that he was the culprit. He found an empty vase in the far reaches of his closet, one that he'd received as a gift from his mother the day he'd received a job as Michael's messenger. He didn't have the heart to throw it out or give it away, and therefore had stored the thing until he could find some form of use for it. He filled it with water from his personal bathroom and placed the rose inside of it so that it would at least look decorative; things didn't wilt in Heaven, and he didn't want a random rose lying around his rather messy quarters, slowly disintegrating as it was subjected to constant manhandling and was eventually buried under piles of dirty clothes.

After a few more moments of sniffing the flower, he threw on his clothes and left his room with a pep in his step.

There was a problem, though. No matter how much he tried to catch Annabeth's eye (It was her day today), he couldn't get her attention. She didn't even seem remotely interested in him whatsoever, and there weren't any secret messages imbedded into her movements as far as the messenger could tell. It was so frustrating, and the worst part was that today was an incredibly busy day, so he was out delivering messages more often than not. He had plenty of time to stew in his own juices during his flights this way and that, and he found himself growing irritated. Other than that kiss after Lucifer's downfall, which just so happened to be two months prior, Michael and Annabeth hadn't so much as touched Percy. It was all very confusing; was the Archangel interested or not? He was pretty sure Annabeth had the hots for him, but was unsure if Michael was the same, and in that case the human would most certainly sacrifice her desires in order to make sure that he was comfortable.

The messenger decided, whilst on the way to deliver a scroll to Raphael that Annabeth had all too solemnly proclaimed regarded her brother's birthday (seriously, what the fuck), Percy decided that all he could really do was hunker down and wait for the Signal. When he'd explained the woes of his love to Nico, who was his best angel(ish) friend and best confident, he and Will would always tell him to wait for the event that would very clearly spell out that the Archangel was into him, formally called the Signal with a capital S. The only problem was that Percy wasn't too keen on picking up hints, and he wasn't sure if the rose was the Signal and Annabeth and Michael were just waiting for him to make a move or if it was someone else who risked having their wings hung up on the wall. He highly doubted the latter, but he doubted the former even more. Maybe it was completely platonic? That couldn't be; people, or angels, for that matter, in a "just friends" relationship didn't give each other roses and call one another "admirers". The messenger couldn't stop the whorl of emotions in his head, and it was all very bewildering.

He came to the conclusion that the Archangel would confront him and ask him outright if he ignored the Signal, since Percy was always sure to discuss things rather than just pretend that they weren't there. There were several more messages back and forth about Raphael's birthday and the events itself, because the entirety of Heaven celebrated an Archangel's birthday. Even though it was weird to deliver messages about b-day plans over mileage that would make even the hardiest and healthiest long distance runners keel over and have a heart attack, Raphael's date of birth was no joke. Angels got very crazy drunk (as in consuming such copious amounts of beer that it was capable of killing ten people) in Raphael's honor, and the Archangel wanted the minimal amount of angels cast out of Heaven for intoxication. They were probably setting up patrols that would stop those who had one too many from having three hundred seventy-six too many (that was the record as of that moment). Throughout that time, however, Annabeth payed zero attention to Percy except to thank him and send him off with another message, her tone very businesslike. Was she mad? Did Percy somehow upset her or Michael? That would be a very Percy-like thing to do, but thinking back, the only thing that would've upset the Archangel to the point of being distant was the kiss, and even then it was they who initiated it.

Perseus had been dismissed for the day and was now wandering through the gardens aimlessly, trying to think of a way to approach the situation rather than just sit back. It truly was a beautiful morning. The light that came down and washed everything in a warm glow was not, indeed, sunlight, since Heaven existed beyond mortal space and time, but rather the glow that came from the Fifth Heaven, where the Creator resided. Cherry blossom petals fluttered lazily to the ground, their parent trees intermingling with the flowerbeds and eventually giving way to orchards with trees of all shapes and sizes. Flowers swayed in the breeze, all in full bloom, and some native to Earth and some not, but nevertheless they created a rainbow of colors that were dazzling to the eye. Sunflowers stretched into the sky next to the Sun Flowers, which were literally burning, pulsing suns with matching petals (they were a fire hazard and were therefore handled by special fire angel gardeners), and the aroma of a bunch of different scents mingling was odd but not unpleasant.

Marble columns surrounded the gigantic gardens and orchards, giving a villa-like feel to it, and ivy and wisteria was inching along them and the surrounding walls. The foot paths were narrow and flanked on either side by small masonry walls, which were about waist height, and held the soil in which the flowers and trees bloomed. Every so often there would be a small courtyard with a Greek pavilion, every one being different, whether they had a statue or fountain as a centerpiece or simply had benches to sit and talk. Percy found it all very relaxing, and he reveled in the sounds of the birds chirping and the petals and branches rustling. He was deep in thought when the delicate sound of nature were ruptured by the distant thrum of beating wings.

He paused in his walking as the other angel touched down and turned to find Hazel, her golden eyes glowing in welcome and her brown feathers rippling like an eagle's. Needless to say, he was surprised; considering her military status, it was odd to find her and Frank anywhere but the barracks. Percy expected her to be dropping in to say hello or something like that, but he certainly didn't expect her to hand him a scroll that was neatly tied with blue ribbon. He was pretty sure he heard giggling as he opened it, but when he looked up to thank her and question who it was from, she was already but a speck in the distance. That made him suspicious, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked over the neat, loopy cursive that was on the scroll:

Go back to your quarters for a surprise.

-Your dearest admirer

Never had Percy run so fast, and he could hear the giddy flutter of his heart in his chest as he propelled himself towards his room, sometimes even flying in short beats of his wings when the hallway was long enough. He overshot his room a bit, cursing Newton's First Law, and scrambled to get back to his door, twisting the knob with a bit too much violence and throwing it open so hard he nearly ripped it from its hinges. His room was just the same as before, and his hopes fell as his expectations of seeing Michael and Annabeth sitting on the bed dissipated. He had no time to mourn his losses, however, because what was on the bed just so happened to be a full-grown pegasus. No joke. There was a gigantic horse with an even more gigantic wingspan, and it snorted in greeting, though there was a scoff imbedded in it that seemed to tell him, "What took you so long?" He was rooted to the ground at first, staring at it slack-jawed, but he finally managed to make his feet move as he walked hesitantly over to the pegasus. He was well aware of the fact that these guys were vicious and willing to kill, and he didn't want to be this winged horse's next victim.

Its coat was a glossy black, with wings to match that reminded him a lot of his own, and his eyes glittered with an exceptional intelligence. It watched Percy as he studied all of the jagged scars that littered its coat, and he realized that this pegasus, like most, had fought in the two Wars. It was an experienced warrior, having seen more battle than Perseus hopefully ever will, and even though he was slightly worried that it would poop on his bed, which was holding up surprisingly well, he had great respect for this pegasus.

"Um…hi," he began, and the horse looked amused.

"Hello," it replied in a sleek masculine voice that sent Percy staggering back in astonishment. He shifted on the bed a bit, causing it to creak and groan, and situated himself in what the messenger angel could only assume was a comfier position. "I'm Blackjack." It took Percy a while to reply as he took this all in; pegasi could talk, apparently, and he's pretty sure that all of their trainers new this.

"Hey, Blackjack," he said slowly, and the horse laughed, which was creepy considering it was a human's voice coming from a pegasus' vocal cords. "Um...not that I'm not honored by your presence but...what are you doing in my bedroom?"

"I'd like to ask you the same thing," Blackjack scoffed. "The little game that they, your 'dearest admirer', is playing is quite an odd one. They told me not to reveal their identity until you figure it out for yourself, though it's not that hard to see that they're head over heels for you. I just wanted donuts. The stables keep you on a strict low-fat, no-carb, gluten free, and dairy free diet. I just wanted donuts and they said I could have donuts if I sat on your bed and served as your steed. I said 'ok' and I have to admit your bed is comfy." To prove a point the pegasus collapsed onto his side, snorting in content and causing Percy's bed to groan in opposition. "You angels and your courting. It's so silly." Blackjack completely ignores the way Percy jolts at the words. He was being courted? "But I," the messenger angel blinks and suddenly there's a huge, drooling black mastiff lying on the covers, "am going to do whatever it takes to stay on this bed. I am not going to be sleeping on hay again."

"W-w-what?!" Percy spluttered, trying to take it all in. "You…how- what…" The dog made a grunting noise that sounded a whole lot like a chuff of laughter.

"Yes, you are being courted. Yes, pegasi can change forms. How do you think we can hold our all against demons without claws or sharp…er…teeth? And in this form," his voice changed from teenage heartthrob to that of a sassy black woman's, "I'd like to be called Mrs. O'Leary."

"What. The. Fuck," Percy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know what? Fine. Just fine."

"You mean you don't know who's courting you?" Mrs. O'Leary tutted, "You sorry excuse for an angel."

"I know who it is I just don't know how to reciprocate," he made wild hand gestures as he searched for the word, which came out in a hiss of loathing, "feelings."

"Just strut your stuff, boy," the mastiff told him, "Be confident. Wave your fancy feathers. Though they're going to dominate your ass once you finally get to the good stuff, you can at least act like the alpha just this once."

"I can't believe I'm taking courting advice from a dog," Percy grouched, and Mrs. O' Leary laughed, jumping off the bed and trotting over to his side.

"I'll come with you for moral support, how 'bout that?"

"Fine," Percy grumbled, crossing his arms, "Do I have to get ready or anything?"

"Just be yourself," she replied smoothly. "Your 'dearest admirer' didn't fall in love with some handsome hotshot, they fell in love with you."

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" the messenger angel scoffed. "I," he threw his hands into the air and stormed out of the room and started down the hall, "am an angel of the Lord! I'm more handsome than you'll ever be!"

"You keep telling yourself that," Mrs. O'Leary muttered to herself and started off, her claws clicking on the luxurious marble floor as she trotted after him. "Ain't nobody more handsome than me."

-Ω-

Perseus heart was fluttering in his chest as he approached the throne room, his palms sweaty and his movements jittery. He was beyond nervousness at this point, but he still couldn't shake the doubt in his mind that it wasn't Michael and Annabeth that was courting him and giving him the Signal. If Mrs. O'Leary/Blackjack's advice and knowing look was anything to go by, then he was on the right track, but he was only 99.999% sure that the Archangel was the one, and that .001% was really, really freaking him out. On one side there was the "Annabeth really likes you and you're one hundred percent sure about that and both she and Michael kissed you and Michael was so upset when you fell" but on the other side there was the "No Archangels have ever had a mate why would you be the first it could really be anyone". They warred inside his head like two savage dogs.

"Confidence, son, confidence," Mrs. O'Leary assured, having caught up to him as he stood just outside the huge arch that led to the throne room. "Strut your stuff." There was a long pause as Percy's mind whirled, but eventually he came to a conclusion.

"You know what? They're an Archangel. They're probably busy with stuff and I don't think they'd want me to-" As he was saying this he'd started to walk away, accepting the fact that yes, he was chickening out, but Mrs. O'Leary planted herself in front of him, baring her teeth threateningly.

"Don't go walking away from true love on me, young man," she warned, "Stop being an idiot and go." There didn't seem to be any way out of this; Mrs. O'Leary was scary and if he made a break for it she could just turn into Blackjack again and catch him without breaking a sweat. Swallowing hard and taking deep breaths to calm himself, he stepped into the throne room, Mrs. O'Leary trailing behind him like a shadow. Annabeth looked up from her clipboard with clear intentions of returning her gaze to it once more, but when she saw Mrs. O'Leary a soft smile was brought to her face.

"Zoe, Chiron, you are dismissed," she told her advisor and her maid, and the two of them began to downright giggle as they passed by Perseus. A lot of people were giggling today, and his grit his teeth when he figured out why.

"Hello, Percy, what can I do for you?" she asked, lounging back on her throne. She looked beautiful. Her skin was tan and healthy, her eyes Michael's startling blue, and her honey blonde hair tumbled over one shoulder like a waterfall, matching the glimmering of her wings. She was wearing Michael's armor quite well, and it gave her a deadly grace and beauty, like that of a lioness. He realized he was gawking and quickly shook his head clear, putting what little plan he had into motion. He spread his wings up and out, and his face flushed red as he gave a clear sign of flirtation. Annabeth raised her eyebrows, her expression unreadable, which was all the more nerve-wracking.

Then she smiled.

"Finally," she breathed softly, and her wings spread too. She rose from her seat and allowed her wings, which were much larger, to envelop Percy and cage him in her feathers. "We didn't want to rush this in case you were a little…iffy about mates after Lucifer." Percy shivered but nodded in understanding, his green eyes locking with her blue ones. He was not at all surprised to see affection and maybe even love in those eyes, and he remembered the Archangel telling him offhandedly that it meant that the other person was looking through their eyes; if Annabeth had blue eyes, Michael was watching, and if Michael had grey eyes, Annabeth was watching. "But we wanted to court you first. Like normal couples do." Percy chuckled at this, because they were far from a normal couple, and that was a fact. "Don't treat us differently just because I…we're…an Archangel. We're capable of love and we choose you." Percy didn't reply, instead opting to kiss her. Her lips were soft and warm, and she buried her fingers into his hair, pulling and tugging and demanding. Blackjack hadn't been kidding about his thing on domination.

"Aww…"

"DIDN'T I DISMISS YOU TWO?!"