AN: I'm back! Woohoo!
For those who are wondering where I went, I was working on my new fanfic, A Darker Shade of Magic. It is a Harry Potter fanfiction, so go check it out!
Time: A Few Days Later
Percy stood before the full body mirror, trying not to fidget as Hestia adjusted his mess of a tie, managing to somehow make it look presentable.
Satisfied with the outcome, she stood on her tiptoes, gently kissing his lips as she patted him down, before stepping back to take a look for herself, a small smile brightening her features.
"You look like an absolute lady killer, Percy." She muttered softly, unable to help the soft gold dusting her cheeks as she let her warm brown eyes roam his body shamelessly, chewing on her soft lips in muted lust as she looked up to meet his gaze. "Try not to find your way into someone else's bed, alright? And try to keep the drinking to a minimum."
Percy smiled abashedly, unable to meet her gaze.
Hestia smiled softly, closing the distance between them to hug him gently. "I know this is the third anniversary of Annabeth's death, but this is also the day Olympus freed itself from the clutches of the Triumvirate, who also killed Artemis' Hunters and many Romans."
She leaned up, again kissing him gently. "I know you don't want to celebrate today, but just, don't make a scene, alright? We will be there, just in and out. Your presence is needed, everyone looks up to you as a leader. Don't disappoint them."
She gave him a little pep talk to get his spirits up, stealing a few soft kisses from him in the process. A soft orange glow covered her body as she called on her power, lending Percy a little hope and happiness on this gloomy day.
The Dark god winced in slight pain at feeling her power flow into him, which went completely against his nature and domains as a god, but appreciated her concern nonetheless.
"Thank you, Hestia. I love you." He repeated, looking down at the smiling goddess.
"I love you, too, Percy." She whispered, before pulling away from the hug. "I'll leave you now and go to prepare for the ball, alright? Don't do anything rash."
Percy nodded, smiling slightly as she disappeared through the door of the master bedroom.
Sighing as the smile dropped, he looked back at the mirror, tugging slightly at the collar of the suit he was wearing. It was too suffocating, too formal. He didn't want to attend the fucking ball, but had to.
It wasn't anyone's fault but his. He wanted to mop around and cry all day. It had been three fucking years, literally everyone but he had gotten over the losses of the war. Even Piper and Artemis were smiling and having fun.
He had fun as well, he loved the girls with all his heart, but he couldn't help shake the feeling of loss that continued to clutch his heart in a cold grip, leeching off him like a parasite that sucked at his positive emotions, and only left him with regret. It was a constant battle between the warmth of feeling loved and his innate coldness that waged war in his heart, and left him feeling confused, which led his actions and words to contradict himself at every step.
Gulping and mentally chanting a little death metal mantra to make himself feel more like a man, Percy stood up, flaring his nostrils and tensing his jaw as he looked at the mirror, refusing to cry, refusing to give in to the emotions raging like a tempest in his heart.
His heart would not be tossed around like a ship caught out at sea, no, he had already docked and anchored at a safe port, sheltered by the feeling of love.
He was Percy fucking Jackson, he refused to give in to anything. He was the Destroyer, he did not get destroyed.
Feeling a slight smirk tug at his lips, Percy allowed it to bloom, causing a devilish, if a bit arrogant, smirk to curl his lips upwards. If it was false and forged, none could tell.
His sea-green eyes roamed over his suit, making him smile slightly at all the efforts Aphrodite had taken to get him the perfect outfit for the occasion.
He was wearing a beautiful black three-piece suit that hugged his broad frame perfectly, highlighting his broad shoulders and chest, which led to his slim waist. Below the black velvet waistcoat, he was wearing a dark purple shirt that seemed to be made for his dark domains, making him look as sinfully delicious as he was. Gold buttons glinted against the smooth black velvet as he turned to the side in an attempt to get a three-sixty degree view of his sexy ass, laughing slightly.
He held up his shiny dog tags, recently polished, pressing his lips softly to the entire bunch before he allowed it to drop, completing the view with a golden glint against the purple shirt.
He moved away from the mirror, a slight smile still haunting his lips as he moved to the bedside table, pausing for a moment at the framed picture of Annabeth that stood there. His breath hitched for a moment, before he shook his head to clear himself of the cobwebs, smiling all the time as he snapped his fingers to refresh the day-old red roses in the vase that sat in front of her, and refill the vase.
He reached for the drawer in the bedside table, having to lean down to reach the low-lying table, before emerging with a little golden timepiece that would make him look fashionable. Well, it would make him look like a complete villain, but fashionable, nonetheless.
The ladies craved sexy villains, after all.
Laughing to himself as he fixed the timepiece to his pocket, adjusting the napkin in his breast pocket for one last time, he left the master bedroom, a confident swagger in his steps, his fancy black shoes clicking smartly against the cold marble floor.
"Hey, bud, you doing good?" Percy questioned Snowy, Rachel's little white labrador as he leaned down to pat him, enjoying the little mutt nuzzling into his hand affectionately as he panted and grunted in the way all excited dogs did, his tail wagging so hard it seemed on the verge of almost flying off. He had appeared out of nowhere, and was now rubbing up against Percy's pant legs, getting his white fur all over the black suit, but Percy didn't mind.
"Snowy, Snowy, where are you?" Rachel's voice soon followed, searching for her dog, but the Labrador made no attempt to move.
"Here, Rachel!" Percy called out, watching as Rachel appeared around the corner, her hair dishevelled.
She seemed relieved at seeing him, sighing. "Oh, thank you, Percy. I thought for a moment he had gone out to the sea again."
She was paranoid after Snowy had almost drowned one day in the sea, after he had managed to leave the house without anyone noticing. It was only the twins' control over water which had saved the dog, as Percy had not been home during that time.
"Eh, nah." Percy waved off her worries.
"Alright, come here, Snowy." She clapped her hands, leaning forward in an attempt to recall her dog, but Snowy did not leave Percy's side, making her look quite annoyed.
"Honestly, I feel sometimes that the dogs are more attached to you than they are to us. Are you some dog whisperer or something?"
"Haha!" Percy laughed, "Trade secrets."
He smiled, continuing to pet the dog as he continued on his way to the living room, with Snowy following him enthusiastically, bounding down the stairs beside him.
"Get ready, Rachel! You girls need a long time to get ready, so get going!" He waved lazily behind him towards the Oracle.
Percy had just met the Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins, when Artemis walked into the living room.
Almost as if they possessed the same mind, all the dogs and cats and few birds that were gathered around him, sprawled across the couches or across the floor with him, watching him play Batman on the massive TV screen, bobbed their heads up to look at the moon goddess, who just stood at the doorway awkwardly, suddenly feeling very embarrassed at all the eyes on her, even if they belonged to mostly animals and a single pair to a man.
Blushing slightly as Percy looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, having paused his game, she raised the two dresses she was holding.
"The black one or the silver one?"
Percy pondered the question for a few moments, his hand absentmindedly stroking Herder, Phoebe's German Shepherd, who was sprawled across his lap. His controller was held loosely in his hand, as he returned his gaze to the paused TV screen, wondering for a brief moment as to what he should say.
"Well, I think silver would suit better on you because of your eyes, but you know me, so I'm gonna say black." He bobbed his head knowingly, like an old wise saint. "Although, in my opinion, asking me for my opinion on fashion is equivalent to asking an orangutan what is the derivative of minus sine inverse tan theta I don't fucking know... Sooo, you might want to consult someone else on that one."
He perked up, looking at her. "Wanna play Batman?"
Artemis gave him a look, not just any look, that look when she wanted to strangle the shit out of him, before disappearing again.
Sometime later, when he was up against Bane, Piper turned up. "Percy, why are you sitting on the floor with all the animals? You're getting fur all over your suit."
She stood in front of him, occupying his view of the TV screen as she tried to pat him down, and dust off all the fur from his suit. Percy made an annoyed noise, trying to crane his neck beside her to look at the game he was playing, but to no avail. All he could hear were the sounds of him getting beaten.
"Damn, move, woman! I can't see!" He cursed, making Piper grip his shoulders tightly to stop him from moving as she continued her ministrations.
Groaning at her surprising strength, Percy finally paused the game, opting instead to stare into her annoyed but mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic eyes.
"Listen, Pipes." He whispered softly, as if discussing the weather as he grabbed her hands to stop the sexy Cherokee from fussing over him. "Both of us are gods, we can remove fur from a suit with a snap of our fingers. And besides that, I have been sitting here, ready, for the last five, or is it six, hours. And you aren't ready yet. The ball starts in two more hours, so if you don't scram right now, I'm gonna spank you right here."
She glared at him at his brash words, though the effect was ruined by the soft golden blush that dusted her cheeks in embarrassment.
When Piper finally left, but not before giving him a kiss, Percy eagerly returned to the game, only to groan as he saw that he was dead.
Fuck.
He scrolled to the saves menu, getting a heart attack when he saw that he had not saved any of the progress he had made, and the last save he had was during the Killer Croc boss battle.
Just great.
He then died.
Internally, of course. In real life, he just threw the controller with enough force to shatter it against the wall, before he started raging.
Fuccccccc.
He loved the girls, he really did, but there was something that only a few girls could understand.
"Stop making such a ruckus, Jackson. Anyone would think you were being murdered right now with how much you are screaming." Thalia was one such girl, who could understand the pains of a gamer who had forgotten to save hours of progress.
"I forgot to save more than four hours of progress, Thalia." Percy whimpered, his voice weak and eyes teary.
"Oof, I felt the hurt all the way over here." Thalia winced as she stared at the game over screen. "Why didn't you? Autosave?"
Percy shook his head. Autosave was a traitor. Whenever he remembered to save, it had thirty saves made per minute, now...
"Eee, I'm gonna leave you to your woes." She disappeared, only to pop her head back in a few moments later. "What do you think, Kelp Head? Girly girl or goth girl?"
"Goth girl." He muttered morosely, wallowing in self-pity.
"Great decision!" Thalia pumped her fist in the air, before she disappeared again.
It was half an hour later when Drew padded into the living room, holding up a pair of earrings.
Percy paused the game he was playing, Phasmophobia, this time, groaning internally as he looked at the daughter of Aphrodite.
"What now?"
She eyed him through narrowed eyes at the annoyed tone he took. "What's the matter with you, Jackson? Got beaten by a noob?"
"No, just forgot to save everything I played. Autosave stabbed me in the back!" He whined, making a small smile break out on Drew's usually cold features.
She fought it, though, and the next moment, it had gone, almost as if it hadn't been there in the first place.
"Here, Mother sent you the earrings for the ball." She carefully tiptoed forward, careful not to step over any of the numerous creatures that lay sprawled across the floor, lazily watching the game and enjoying Percy's frequent petting and the little treats he summoned for their benefit.
"Here." She handed him two little earrings, a small silver earring with a pretty modest diamond sitting on it, maybe half the size of a button on his controller. It was a far cry from the silver fangs he usually wore, but Percy had to admit that they would look good on his suit.
Another hour later, they finally left for the ball, all of them flashing to Olympus.
Percy stopped for a moment, watching as a hushed silence fell all over the crowded Square, every single god, nymph, demigod or whatever, turning to look at him and his goddesses.
Percy coughed uncomfortably, clearing his throat as he stared back at them.
Feeling Athena deliver a little kick to his foot in an attempt to encourage him to break the awkward staring contest he was having with the crowds of immortals, Percy finally smiled broadly, showing off his shining teeth.
"Ladies, gentlemen, demigods, residents of Olympus! Welcome!" He spread his arms grandly, forcing a cheerful smile on his face as he looked around the gathered crowds of people. "This is the third anniversary of Olympus' victory against the Triumvirate, and the first ball since all of us have attained freedom from Zeus' tyranny! So, let us savour the night, and not let anything get in the way of our merrymaking! We have fought and bled for Olympus, tonight, we shall have the time of our lives, all in the name of Olympus!"
He stopped, his smile turning genuine slowly as the moments passed.
There was a brief silence, which was soon broken by the deafening cheers and whistles from the crowd, all of them shouting joyously at his speech before they returned to whatever they were doing, making Percy give a sigh of relief. No matter how many inspiring speeches he gave, or rather, had to give, public speaking still gave him weak knees and a parched throat.
He was elbowed in the side.
Percy looked up, expecting to see one of the girls, but he was instead met by Nico's grinning face. "Someone's been keeping their speaking skills polished. You sure you haven't got a silver tongue, Percy?"
Percy smiled at his teasing, wrapping the shorter emo son of Hades in a signature bear hug. "Next time, I will remember to pass the speech on to your capable shoulders."
Nico glared at him, making him laugh.
Will sidled up to the two with a smile of his own, handing Percy a glass of wine which he accepted with a thanks. "Don't talk about speeches, Percy. He still has trouble speaking, even to the customers we have at our parlour."
Percy raised an eyebrow at that, returning his gaze to the golden cheeks of the son of Hades as he smiled, parting his lips to tease the shit out of him...
Before someone slapped hard on his back. Well, they did as hard as they could, though it did not matter much, seeing as Percy had tanked much harder hits.
Leo seemed on the verge of tears as he cradled his bruised hand. "Remind me not to do that ever again."
Before he settled for a regular old fistbump. Having done that, they clutched their forearms in a practised manner, in a show of brotherhood. "I serve the Soviet Union, Comrade."
The two repeated simultaneously, staring intensely into each other's eyes, holding still for a brief moment before they broke down into laughter at their own solemn voices.
Most of the night went in a similar vein, greeting people he knew, having a drink with his father while he had to explain to Tyson that alcohol was bad and getting the friendly Cyclops a glass of orange juice, there for the kids and those who did not touch alcohol. He shared inside jokes with Leo, reminisced with Nico and bonded further with Will over the gay little cinnamon roll he viewed as his little brother, spending little meaningful moments with his girls as well.
He shared soft, meaningful kisses with Hestia and Calypso, a comfortable silence as he stood hugging Piper, watching the rest as they sipped on their drinks. He had a singing competition with Asteria and Rachel, and an arm-wrestling match with Phoebe and Reyna while Atalanta and a few of the other Hunters cheered them on. He then watched the Hunters and Reyna beat the crap out of a few minor gods who had tried hitting on them while Athena and Nemesis kissed his neck in plain sight of everybody and tried their very best to make the watching males jealous of him. He chaperoned the Little Big Three, enjoying a few dances with them and having a little bonding time, during which they continuously tried to make advances and flirt with him, making him a bit uncomfortable before he left them to their own devices, confident that they wouldn't get into too much trouble.
Aphrodite was the first to drag him to the dance floor despite his protests, and what followed was an entire evening of dancing that had his ankles sore by the time he managed to slip out of the crowds, and the clutches of his girls, all of whom wanted a dance with him. Well, they had each had like two or three dances with him, but it was never enough for them, as they always came coming back for another, until Percy was barely holding up, thanks to the exhaustion from all the dancing and the alcohol in his system.
Who knew dancing could be such a strenuous activity? He would rather swim across the Atlantic every day than have another repeat of this evening.
It was not that he hated dancing with his girls, quite the contrary. He loved the feeling of twirling with them, feeling them press against him intimately, well, as intimate as they could be in public, enjoying the soft little kisses and their smiles. No, he still hated dancing, and wouldn't have done even a single one, the only thing that managed to get him through so many were the smiles on their faces and the happiness they radiated as he twirled them across the dance floor.
He let out a soft breath, relaxing for a moment as he sat on a bench in one of the numerous gardens around Olympus, looking out at the sprawling world beneath him, the little twinkling lights of New York, the Big Apple which looked little more than a toy from this height.
The six hundredth floor, Empire State.
The wind was chilly up there, biting and making Percy's skin flush golden, his nose numb and having lost all feeling a few minutes ago.
But Percy didn't mind, the cold never bothered him anyway.
The leaves of the wind rustled slightly, creating a beautiful sound that offered the perfect contrast to the distant sounds of partying and singing at the Olympian ball, a slight sweet smell of flowers wafting to his nose and making him sigh softly. He rubbed the ground with his feet, creating a small furrow with his boot in the soft earth, listening to the crunch of little leaves of and twigs. The tree overhead rustled its leafy branches which swayed slightly in the gentle breeze, an occasional leaf fluttering down to the bench Percy was sitting on, and offering him the best umbrella in the world.
Percy reclined back on the bench, spreading his arms and leaning his head back as he stared up at the dark night sky, studded with little silver stars not too different in terms of appearance from the little diamonds in his earrings. His messy hair fell softly to his shoulders as he chewed on the inside of his cheek, lost in thought.
Thoughts about all those who had died. Annabeth. Jason. So many Romans and Greeks alike. Hunters he had grown close to. All thanks to what? Greed?
Why?
Was he any different? All the atrocities he had committed, all the lives he had taken with his own two hands. His memories warped in the visions swimming in the darkness behind his closed eyelids, replacing the monsters, Titans, Giants, all the rogue demigods he had killed with his friends, lovers, Blackjack, Mrs. O' Leary...
He closed his eyes, feeling tears well up.
He opened his eyes once more when he felt confident that he wasn't going to cry, letting out a shaky breath as he blinked multiple times, staring back up at the sky. The Huntress twinkled beautifully, as graceful and glorious as the Huntress herself had been in her life. Zoë... Just another one to add to his endless list of failures.
His ears perked up, detecting the sounds of soft footsteps behind him.
Percy lolled his head back, so that he could watch Artemis and Thalia approach him, though upside down. Thalia in an off shoulders black dress that clung to her every curve and really brought out her long raven hair and dark eyes, and Artemis in a silver strapless dress that matched her hair and had been responsible for turning heads throughout the night.
"I'm not blaming myself over the deaths of others." He spoke blandly, fixing them with an expressionless face.
"I didn't even say anything." A small smile played across Artemis' lips as she circled around the bench to Percy's right side, sitting beside him as Thalia occupied his left.
Percy stayed quiet, not bothering to raise his head to meet their eyes.
"I didn't feel like partying. I told them... they didn't listen." He spoke in a small voice that betrayed the guilt he was feeling eating away at his very being.
Artemis laid her hand on his thigh, squeezing in a silent display of comfort. "All the others had hoped it would distract you from your guilt, Percy. It has been three years, everybody has moved on. Everybody except you. We should not forget our dead, but we should not cling to their memory either."
Percy closed his eyes again, feeling the gentle breeze ruffle his clothes, the warmth of the two girls pressed against his sides. "I'm immortal... I'm afraid I will forget Annabeth. I don't want to forget her."
His voice failed to raise its volume.
Artemis smiled at him, though it was not noticed. "That's because you're a good man, Percy, and all of us know that. Annabeth knew that. We should not forget our dead, but we should not cling to their memory either."
Percy raised his head finally, meeting her glistening silver eyes with his own sea green ones. "I... I'm sorry for spoiling your night."
Artemis smiled back at him, her pink lips curling up in a beautiful smile of their own accord. "You did not spoil our night, Percy. You only made it more special by showing that you are still human. That your heart is still in its rightful place."
Percy kept staring at her for some time, and she stared back with equal intensity. He finally broke away, struggling to meet the gaze of the lovely moon goddess, tilting his head back again.
"I'm sorry." He apologized genuinely, giving his two goddesses a gentle, comforting squeeze on the shoulders. "I was being selfish and looking at only what I wanted. All of us lost many loved ones in the war. You lost many Hunters as well, Artemis. Thalia, you lost not only your brother, but your sisters in the Hunt and Annabeth, as well."
Thalia, who had been quiet all this time, laid her head on his outstretched arm, joining him in stargazing, spying the occasional stars twinkling against the dark night sky, visible through the dark leaves of the tree. "Shut up, Kelp Head."
Her voice was soft and gentle, devoid of the playful bite that her words carried.
Watching the two of them stargaze, Artemis joined them as well. "The stars are beautiful tonight."
"Yeah... Seems like Zoë is celebrating as well." Percy observed quietly, a wistful smile playing on his lips at the thought of what might have been.
He tightened his hold on his two goddesses, smiling as they shuffled closer to him on the bench, resting their hands on his broad chest in an attempt to feel his warmth without being indecent.
Percy raised them effortlessly into his lap, watching them blush bright golden at his actions.
"Wh-What are you doing, Jackson?!" Thalia hissed, embarrassed, her cheeks bright golden as she met his gaze with shy, electric blue eyes.
Percy smiled at her. "It's cold out here, and you two are not wearing anything too warm. You will catch a cold."
Thalia stared at him for a few moments longer, trying to beat down the blush creeping up her neck, before giving in and joining Artemis in hiding her face in his broad chest.
Percy laughed at her actions, the normally stand-offish, punk daughter of Zeus was still a softie at heart.
He held Artemis and Thalia close to his chest, feeling their hot faces pressed up against his chest as he snapped his fingers, covering the three of them with his warm coat as they sat on the secluded bench.
Percy stared back at the Huntress, listening to Artemis and Thalia's breaths slowly even out as the two goddesses fell asleep in his lap, hugging each other tightly and snuggling into his chest, drawing his coat closer like a blanket to cover them.
He smiled. Maybe letting go of the past wasn't such a bad idea, when he had a bright future to look forward to, not to mention an equally happy present with two beautiful goddesses asleep in his lap.
The Huntress twinkled back, as if approving of his thoughts.
AN: Sorry for the late update.
Updates might be slow going nowadays, maybe one chapter per week. My college is back up, as you know, and classes are going at full force and projects and assignments are getting piled up. Besides, this is my last year of college, (unless I decide to chase after another degree) so I have to work hard.
Keep calm and headbang!