Disclaimer: Yeah, in my dreams

Percy hastened his step in order to keep pace with the goddess. Aphrodite was walking briskly through Poseidon's halls, a skip in her step as she steered them straight out of the underwater palace.

Percy adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, where a rope burn was forming, and glanced at Aphrodite wearily, a frown bubbling on his brow. She was blatantly jilting Ares and was departing with Percy and without adieu.

Abduction by the goddess of love was slightly disconcerting. He knew the consequences to come. Another vein in his father's forehead popped. Another fight from Ares along the highway. His love life erupting into utter pandemonium if it just so happened she was bored…

And yet he knew better than to question a god's actions.

Aphrodite paused and turned to survey Percy, as she had done numerous times throughout the distance between his room and the exit. She shot Percy a breathtaking smile and turned before he had the time to say anything.

How could one day at a time possibly suffice? Aphrodite scowled. That was like attempting to crowd eternity into an hour.

She could however, stretch an hour to eternity.

As much as she would have loved to simply steal Percy away from the world and keep him as a satiation, she knew she had to uphold a pretense. For now, surreptition would be her song. A smile danced around her lips as she mentally measured the time-limit of 'now'. Aphrodite closed her eyes and withstood the urge to turn around and grasp Percy's hand. She felt the music of love beat in her wild heart.

When they reached the gateway out of the palace, Aphrodite waved her hand and the gate transformed into a car door. The water surrounding it bubbled as if the car door was in an alternate dimension.

'After you' Aphrodite crooned opening the door. Her dress swirled around her, giving her the illusion of the waves dancing around her harmoniously. He remembered that Aphrodite had been born from the depths of the sea.

Percy stepped in awkwardly, falling into his seat. With a quick auditory of his surroundings he discerned the limousine from the desert, years prior. Aphrodite jumped in after him and sat cross-legged adjacent to him.

Percy almost jumped in shock at the feelings that roused inside him from being so close to Aphrodite. She shimmered as a thousand beautiful images next to him and he felt the warmth of her power and beauty. His heart began to beat erratically and though he wasn't speaking his tongue tied. Aphrodite possessed natures that no man could ever go above, ones that would tower over him forever.

He recognized the feelings he had when he had to sit sex-ed years ago, feelings he had hoped never to experience again in his life. Jittery and flummoxed and terrified at the thought that anything could be that tempting. Those feelings surged fear in his heart more than any monster ever had.

Aphrodite breathed a contented sigh and she shook her curls giddily, letting them fall across her face.

'So' she began, and Percy looked at her with an expression of pure terror hardening his face. She inwardly gave a small frown. Did being out of his father's safety range unnerve him that much? Or could it be being away from Annabeth. Aphrodite's delicate eyebrows furrowed at the thought. She didn't want to deal with her just yet.

'The first thing any god should be capable of, no matter what his status, is dealing with minor gods' as she spoke she leaned towards the rearview mirror of the self-driving limousine and began dabbing at her lipstick. The shade she had chosen for today gave her the exact offset she had hoped for.

'W…what's wrong with minor gods? Percy stuttered at first, his mind still not modified.

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes, preparing herself for a vent. Minor deities were not one of the better aspects of immortality.

'They're such whiners' she moaned and Percy blinked at the sudden transformation from elegance to teenage drama queen.

Aphrodite straightened her back and composed herself, noting Percy's nonplus.

'I was dragged into a meeting just yesterday about how they're shirking they're responsibilities. They're immature and irresponsible and if you admonish them you get an immediate earful' as she spoke she turned to block Percy's perpendicular view of anything other than herself. She batted her eyelashes at him as she simply curved her hips. Why would he want to look at anything else?

'Of course, you will be a minor god yourself, but you will be higher in rank than the others.' She added this hastily, there was nothing minor about him.

That's why you're in my apprenticeship Percy, so I can shape you to meet all the expectations the Olympians have of you, and the ones that I'm sure you have of yourself.' She beamed as she spoke; looking at Percy like the world was his mere shadow. She'd find Annabeth someone who was intellectual and uninteresting. That was more than what she was worth.

Percy twitched uncomfortably and mentally scowled at himself for being so gauche. For the sake of his own mental health, he kept his eyes glued to his lap. The atmosphere around him turned tense and awkward as he realized he had nothing to say. Like an idiot, he rubbed the soft leather seats.

'Percy' Aphrodite spoke in such a commanding tone that he felt obliged to meet her gaze.

'I can assure you, you're in good hands' she winked and waved her perfectly manicured nails at him playfully.

Percy caught his breath at the expression gracing her face. A promising smile, a giggle caught on her lips and eyes that withheld a million different images. He saw the highest degrees of passionate love and the lowest degree of good will. He saw the magic that had entranced Paris into abducting Helen and what had indulged Cupid to drop his arrows for Psyche. He felt his very soul turn aflame and he leaned towards Aphrodite succumbing to her entrancement.

He didn't feel what he felt for Annabeth, his heart yearned only to touch the emotions Aphrodite was offering. Was this how it felt when the soul began to communicate for you?

Suddenly the limousine skidded to a stop and Aphrodite turned to look out the window. Percy broke out of his trance, left dazed and wondering.

Aphrodite clasped her hands with a squeal that caused him to wince.

'We're here!' she exclaimed with a smile, her eyes were glistening with almost childish excitement.

'Time for you're first professional dealing with minor deities!'

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