Word Count: 1,600

Third Person POV:

As Thalia, Artemis, and Percy trekked back to the hunts location, Percy lagged half a click behind the two women, head down shoulders slumped, and heavy feet crunching dried leaves under their weight. When Thalia noticed this, she motioned for Artemis to continue ahead while she stood to wait for her brother/cousin (confusing right?) to catch up with her. Once he did, they both continued walking together in silence. She didn't know what to take as a bad sign for her distraught brother; his slumped form, the alcohol in his breath, the way he didn't care about the way he was leaving sloppy, noisy tracks, or his silence, but either way, she didn't like it.

Not. One. Bit.

Why? Because she's seen that look on his face too many times for her to count. When he was blaming himself for his friends' death, when he kept on saying it was his fault that something bad happened, during all occasions, he had resulted to this; a man with clouded, dull eyes that seemed distant like his thoughts.

"Percy?"

"Yeah Thals?"

"What happened?"

He paused for a moment before continuing the journey. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her, but it turned into more of a grimace. Thalia observed how his fingers just itched to go somewhere, but he forced them to stay put in his pockets. She noticed how his breathing hitched, and how he started sweating from absolutely nowhere. Every little wrong move: she noticed.

The way his eyebrows scrunched together,

The way he practically had to hold down his own hands to his sides,

The way he started to walk with a little limp,

The way his heart even sped up,

The way he all the sudden looked uncomfortable, the way he always does when he is hiding something.

She noticed everything.

He has a secret, she thought, I'm going to figure out what it is.

Percy's POV:

No one can know. No one. It took me years to bury this secret, and I don't plan on letting it see daylight anytime soon.

Once I reached my wife and I's tent, I saw my wife in all her glory, and smiled at her. I walked up to her and gave her a very passionate kiss. This kiss wasn't like others though, it's like I had poured all my fury in this kiss, so it felt rough, needy. We both wanted more than a kiss, way more. My hands gripped her thighs and I pulled her up, she wrapping her legs around my waist. I set her on the nightstand, and kissed her with such fiery passion, and so roughly, our lips were bruised. With one hand behind her neck and the other on the side of her thigh, and both of hers roaming my chest, we kissed very sloppily, "kiss Percy kiss Husk," to let her talk I moved onto her jaw and neck, "Mm… Percy no. Pe-er-rcy. Come on, we're with the hu-hunt." I nibbled behind her ear and pulled her even closer, "Come on My Huntress, please?" I mumbled into her hair before going back to kissing the side of her neck, "No. I told you to wait for tonight, when we're alone." I groaned very loudly and pulled away. "Wh-y?" I whined like a child, she laughed and gave me a nice long kiss on the lips, "Because, how would you feel if you heard, er, noises when going to visit your father, or friends?" I deadpanned, "Exactly. Now come on honey, we've got a few monsters to hunt." She smiled at me, fixed herself, and together we walked out and went hunting…..

For food. :) (got ya!)

"Can we go home now?" I whined. Thalia and Artemis glared at me, both for different… reasons. We were in the mapping tent, where we always plan battle strategies and track our enemies. I'm not very fond of it.

Right now, it was keeping me from my sleep.

"No. If you don't want to be here at the moment, go get me a slice of cake. I'm hungry." I raised an eyebrow but obeyed. We just ate fifteen minutes ago. How can she be hungry? Doesn't matter, gives me a reason to take a quick nap. I sauntered to my tent, and into bed.

But I couldn't fall asleep.

Something told me not to. Something, something that I was told around a decade ago, was keeping me awake. I sighed, standing up and stripped my upper body free, and stood in front of the bathroom mirror, letting loose control over my body. I blankly stared at my torso; my scars of the past. I stared at my body, memories of how I got each one flooding through my brain. I raised my arm up high and looked at a small golden tattoo; Kronos's hand writing. I immediately put my arm back down when I felt two small arms slither around my body. I looked in the mirror to find Artemis resting her chin on my shoulder. "You never brought me that cake I asked for." She pouted. I smiled and turned around to face her, "Sorry?" she nuzzled her face into the crook of my neck. I heard her mumble a quick "You better be" before I kissed the top of her head. Her bare fingers traced the indents on my back, all 36,500 of my tallies, and 10 scratches from thin nails.

She let her arms slide down the side of my body, but they came to a halt when she felt small bumps on my right side, she pulled away from me and tried to lift my arm to see what it is, "What's this?" she mumbled under her breath. "What is it?" she started laughing, I guess this is the only way to distract her. I lifted her up, and carried her over to our bed.

Artemis's POV:

I woke up under a white thin sheet to find Percy's bare back to me, my arms around his waist and my right leg over his [leg]. I pulled my head away from its spot, between his shoulder blades, and sat up, holding the sheet to just below my neck.

He thinks he's so slick. Well, I'm lucky he sleeps on his left side, leaving his right side out on the open. I leaned over to check if he's still asleep, and slowly pulled my arm from under him. I slid my arm under the little space between his side and arm, and started tracing little bumps.

Wrong move.

He took in a long deep breath, making me freeze, and slowly let it go. I got back into the position I was in before, my leg stretched over his, and both my hand meeting on his very defined chest. His breathing became uneven before he turned around to face me, my eyes closed. "I know you're awake." He grumbled with his "morning voice." My eyes fluttered open to meet sea green ones, the very same eyes I fell in love with years ago. I smiled and pulled him closer, "And? Can't a woman marvel at the sight of her very handsome husband?" I teased him. I practically felt him turn red.

One month later: Artemis's POV:

"Who knew it could be so hard to find a darn monster nest?!" I slammed my fist on the map, frustrated. Father, one month ago, assigned for us to hunt and shut down a breeding ground for monsters, but it seems to be hiding from me. No one hides from me. No one. "Relax. Maybe… we're not looking close enough." Percy suggested as he stepped close behind me and started massaging my shoulders. I moaned with the relaxing gesture and leaned back into his chest, "But we've looked everywhere. Where in the name of the gods could a huge breeding ground not be found?" I asked him. He shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe, you need a break. Come on, let's go hunt tonight's dinner. That always calms you down." He suggested. What a thoughtful gentle man. I grudgingly nodded my head in agreement and grabbed my quiver and bow. We ran in the woods, and two hours later at full speed, I felt tired. I threw myself to the trunk of a random tree and wiped the sweat off my forehead. Thalia and Percy abruptly stopped in their tracks, "You guys (pant) can go (pant) ahead. I'll…. I'll catch. Up." I panted, out of breath. Thalia tilted her head to the side like a lost puppy- ooh a puppy! "Can we get a puppy?!" I asked in excitement. Thalia's eyes widened and Percy started to roll on the floor like an idiot, holding his sides with laughter, "Oh my gods! The great Artemis, asking for a puppy!" he laughed. What's so funny? "Lady Artemis, are you okay?" I looked up at her and raised an eyebrow, "Why wouldn't I be?" I asked seriously. The only thing I got for a response was a blush. What's up with her?

"N-nothing."

Did I say that out loud?

"Yes and yes."

Oh.

Hmm…. Gee, I wonder why Artemis is so…cranky, childish, an-

Artemis (surprise surprise) HEY!

Me: as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, childish and hungry. Well, we'll figure out soon enough, all ya have to do is join Percy on his adventure, and join me in my journey of writing this story :) and again, thanks for voting for a sequel! I was really hoping you guys would. Till next time!

-Hero of Olympus in disguise.