You asked for it. That's all I'm saying.
Not hilarious like the first, but integral to the story nonetheless. Here we can get rid of both Luke and Annabeth in one fell swoop!
Ch. II: Apollo Pulls A Few Strings
Percy looks for the numberless number of times at the postcard on his bedside table. No need to read it again. He knows the words like the face in the mirror.
Annabeth is leaving. Not as in "Mitch, I'm leaving you tomorrow", but going to study abroad. Germany. She'll be away for a year at least.
She said nothing about them. But Percy has a feeling she'll be leaving him behind in more ways than one.
Over the dresser, a face stares blankly back. It doesn't seem to know what to think either.
He picks up the phone.
Luke Castellan reaches for his phone, wishing he'd never left it alone with the Stoll twins. These days, whenever Percy's number rings, it does so to the tune of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", and while he always knows who was calling now it isn't exactly subtle. Besides, he thinks "Bad Romance" would probably be a better fit.
"You want me to do what?"
"It'll be easy," Apollo coaxes. "For a talented goddess like you."
"Of course it will." Aphrodite flips her hair with a calculated ease he envies. "I can make anyone fall in love with anything. But, sweetie, you haven't told me who you want him to fall in love with."
"That's because I don't care," Apollo murmurs, somewhere between a purr and a snarl. "Thalia. Some mortal girl. Some mortal guy. A rock. Whatever you think is best. I just want him away from Jackson."
Aphrodite purses her lips, making a moué. "Well, I'll see what comes up. But why break those two up? They have such a sweet little star-crossed forbidden-love-that-dares-not-speak-its-name thing going."
"Because," Apollo lies smoothly, "I've had a prophecy that says Percy will find someone even better than Luke soon, but only if he's single at the time. You want Percy to be happy, don't you?" He hasn't actually prophesied this. He's just determined it. Who could be better than a divine lover, namely he?
Aphrodite beams. "Of course! Well, in that case--"
She starts outlining a plan, pulling a blackboard from nowhere and sketching football-play-like diagrams. Apollo doesn't listen. His thoughts have turned sea-green.
"Godsdamn!"
Luke stares helplessly over the edge of the bridge, watching his BlackBerry twinkle tantalizingly on its way down, still trailing Marvin Gaye. He shouldn't have been holding it so close to the rail, but it's too late to do anything about it now, not with all these mortals around. Someone might notice somehow, and he can always pickpocket a new one.
"I'm so sorry!" cries a voice. He turns, sees a caramel-colored girl with coffee-colored hair and a bulging green backpack, recognizes her vaguely as someone from camp.
She recognizes him too. Her eyes widen. "Luke?"
He has it now. Demeter cabin. Katie Gardner. "Yeah. Katie. Hi."
"Wow, what a surprise," she gushes. "I'm sorry about this backpack, it just gets in the way of everything, they wouldn't even let me on the subway with it and it's so heavy, it's got fertilizer in it, but it's okay 'cause I really needed some for this moonlace Percy gave me, oh I almost forgot-- are you okay? I kinda wonked you pretty hard."
Luke fights his way toward the surface of chatter, gasping. "Yeah. Fine."
"Good, good. You look okay. I mean, you look good! I mean... uh..." She blushes tawny. Uncomfortable, he fidgets; unused to the admiring glances of girls that used to be so de rigeur. Percy gets funny about that kind of thing.
Katie's looking pretty good herself, he notices. She's changed a lot since the last time he saw her. No more gangly, awkward duckling with green braces.
Then, as Katie blushes again, he realizes he's noticed it out loud.
"Yeah, I guess we haven't seen each other for a while. Hey-- I know a nice café called Java Moose around here; wanna go have a joe and catch up?"
Suddenly Luke can think of nothing he'd rather do.
"Nice job, babe. You're beautiful."
"That's my job."
Annabeth watches the New York airport drop away below her, feeling as if her troubles are doing the same. How compassionate Apollo was to suggest she get away for a while. He was great at setting up that architectural scholarship in Berlin, too.
The phone fizzes in Percy's ear and he hangs up. Again. Luke's number is out of order.
That's okay. He isn't so sure he was in the mood to talk to Luke, anyway.
Glancing up at the mirror, he makes a face and is alarmed when it suddenly makes another completely different face back.
"What the--!"
Well-toned arms catch him as he tumbles off the corner of the dresser he'd been perched on and whirl him around. Apollo.
"Oh my god!"
"Music to my ears," Apollo sighs. "Percy, I'd like to talk to you about the other day."
Percy shifts uneasily. "Oh. Um, I'm really sorry. You're not mad, are you?"
"Mad? No, no, my dear boy. Delighted. I like a guy who can hold on to his principles." Percy's phone rings. "You'd better get that."
Hesitantly, Percy does, checking the caller ID. Actually, he (Apollo flicks a finger) accidentally turns on the speakerphone first, then answers. "Hello? Luke?"
"Hi. Listen, Percy, I know I said I'd come over later, but something came up."
Luke sounds furtive. Percy's eyebrow rises. "Again? What is it this time, hellhounds?"
"Not this time. I'm really sorry, but it's, um, camp business."
" 'Um'? What's 'um'? Nothing should be 'um'."
"Percy--"
"Luke?" can be clearly heard in the background. A girl's voice. "Are you off the phone yet? We still have a few more places to hit!"
The silence rings for a few seconds.
"Who's that?" Percy asks quietly.
"Camp business. Can I call you b--"
" 'Places to hit'?"
An irritated huff. "We're going shopping, okay?"
"Going shopping with girls is camp business?"
In the background, a laugh. "Come on, cutie!"
The silence booms.
"I'll call you back," Luke tries.
"You don't have to." Percy's voice sounds hollow, even to himself.
"No, really--"
"Don't bother." Percy hits the red button and stands there shaking.
"Should I go?" Apollo says innocently.
Percy turns, says nothing.
Apollo begins to think maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. He puts a comforting arm around the kid's shoulders and mutters, "There, there"-- or at least he starts to, but he doesn't finish because Percy turns again and grabs him, pulls his head down, not as far as Apollo would expect because Percy's taller than he thought, maybe not such a kid after all, and throws himself into a kiss with more possessiveness than passion, more passion than skill, and plenty of anger all around.
Whoa.
Didn't see that coming.
"That's what you wanted, isn't it?" Percy growls, lips still rasping the god's. "Me? So you pulled some strings? Made us dance?"
"I wouldn't say that," Apollo mumbles. He's thrown off. He's not used to the feeling. It's not particularly enjoyable.
"Did you make them fall in love with each other?"
"Nope. Swear on the River Styx." And it's true. Aphrodite did that part for him. Percy glares; Apollo gulps. He's used to being in charge, and right now he's feeling so wobbly and warm and confused that he begins to consider materializing into a puddle of jelly.
"Fine. But even if you did, you know what, Lord Apollo? I don't think I care. Because right now I'm disappointed, I'm pissed off, I'm frustrated, I'm gonna be really fucking lonely if I don't do something I'll probably regret later--"
Apollo raises a hand. "Would this something you'll probably regret later involve fucking me until my earwax melts?"
Percy stares. "Ew. That's gross, Lord Apollo."
"But would it?"
"Sure. Why not."
Later, much later, after the sheets are straightened and Mrs. Jackson is home from work, Percy is alone. He looks in the mirror and sees the lover of a god.
Or tries to, anyway. He has the feeling those beloved of the divine don't usually look so red and rumpled. Neither, he is willing to bet, do they wear White Stripes tees or striped boxers.
But the goofy dazed half-grin looks about right.
a/n
Funny will return in next chapter. Promise.
I couldn't think of anyone for Luke except Katie (physical description totally fabricated), but IRL my brother and I ship Nico/Katie. Don't ask :P
Also, paraphrased "Independence Day" quote. Find it and I'll slip you into the next chapter.