The universe must had decided I had enough pleasant things happen to me in one day, because my slumber wasn't tranquil.

Gods forbid, right?

Back to our regularly scheduled dreams that give me panic attacks and/or questions that go unanswered for an uncomfortably long time.

At least this time the scenery was different. No more dank caves or empty caverns. Though, the new location might be even worse, if I'm honest.

I now found myself inside a McDonald's.

I wish I was joking.

I looked around, taking in the sights of a trashy, rundown junk food chain restaurant.

First thing I noticed was that one of the ceiling lights was out with a few more dimming. There were dirty tables that still hadn't been cleaned yet, some having ketchup stains while others had messes from spilled drinks and who knows what else. The booths and chairs associated with said tables were worn out, with some of the booths having scratches and tears. I could also sense something foul coming from the bathrooms, despite being a good thirty feet away and in a dream.

Yuck...

I guess if I was making minimum wage here I wouldn't want to clean or fix anything either. Even by McDonald's standards, this place was nasty. I think I now preferred the caves from before to this.

Now, don't get me wrong—I don't mind the food here, I still love their chicken nuggets—but, this particular location was as rank as a monster den.

The weirdest part of this place though was the one single table with occupants in it. Two women were sitting down at the booth, though as usual for my dreams lately, I couldn't tell who they were. The two women were whispering intensely between each other when suddenly, one of them roared in outrage.

"WHAT?!" The silhouette boomed, the building shaking from her wrath. "That... that insolent, impertinent, cantankerous little bastard! How dare—!"

The other woman sat in silence as the first fumed about... someone. I couldn't really discern what this guy did or his identity from her ranting, but I could tell he greatly offended this lady somehow.

"So then, do you accept my proposal?" The other asked in amusement.

Her companion entered a pregnant silence. The only sound that could be heard was her furious breathing.

Now that I had heard both of them, their voices sounded familiar but not at the same time, if that somehow makes any sense. They weren't all distorted and static-y like the figures in my other dreams recently, it sounded more like... hm... You know how when you suck the helium out of a balloon it makes your voice all high-pitched and squeaky? They sounded kinda like that.

"Yes, I do," The first shadow growled out finally. "However, I will be enforcing restrictions on them. I don't want those two hurting anyone else. Do you understand?"

"Fine by me, I just want a little mayhem! This will be so much fun, I can't wait!" The second shadow chirped in agreement, her voice bubbling with excitement. "I'm so glad you agreed to this, my dear. Now I can forgive you for picking such a horrible location to meet!"

The other woman scoffed. "I chose to come here specifically to annoy you, since I figured this would be a waste of my time. For once though, however, you actually had something of interest to tell me."

"Ha-ha, you're so charming," her companion laughed sarcastically, agitation clear as day in her tone. "I suppose it was worth it in the end. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go inhale the scent of roses for an hour to get this putrid smell out of my nostrils."

"Such a prima donna..." Came the curt response before everything faded away.

My eyes shot open, the content of my dream fresh on my mind. Just what was that about? I didn't really know how to feel about it, the whole thing was so vague. Was it even about me? I've had dreams that didn't directly involve me before, so maybe...? I had so many questions pop into my head.

Who the Hades were those two women in my first dream? Who were they talking about? Who are the two people they said were dangerous? What are they planning? Why were they at such a stinky, disgusting McDonald's?

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't take notice of another body being in my bunk until I felt an arm go over my chest. I froze for a second before slowly turning my head on my pillow to be greeted by the sight of Annabeth snuggling up against me under the covers, sleeping like a baby, her face absolutely placid.

The sight calmed me instantly, the memories of last night flooding back into my head. I smiled softly and pressed my lips against her forehead gently, which caused her eyes to slowly flutter open.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," I whispered. "Was I a comfortable pillow?"

"Mhm." Was her only response as she nuzzled her face into my neck.

"When did you crawl into my bunk?"

She mumbled something so quietly I had to strain my ears to make it out. It sounded like she said something about after I fell asleep. I guess she was still tired...

"Don't feel like talking yet, huh?" I mused.

"Mhm."

"You know, if the others see us like this, they'll grow suspicious."

"Mhm."

"They'll be jealous you're in my bed."

"Mhm."

I quietly chuckled and let her rest some more as she snuggled against me like I was a warm blanket. That was until I felt her arm brush against my morning wood. I let out a sharp gasp as I felt her lips form into a grin against my neck.

"Excited already?" She whispered, her breath hot.

Oh, so now she wants to talk!

"You know it's just a normal function for guys in the morning." I quickly whispered back, my face feeling warm.

"Why are you getting embarrassed, babe? There's nothing to hide that I haven't seen."

"We were alone on the beach!"

Annabeth made a tch sound. She then rolled to the side of the bed, facing the rest of the cabin and stuck her head out, looking around. A moment later she retreated and faced me again, a naughty smirk on her lips.

"Good news, Percy. Everyone else has already left," she whispered sultrily before pressing up against me, her mouth directly next to my ear. "Looks like we do have some time and privacy to play~."

Goosebumps appeared all over my body while my boxers became slightly too tight. I really wanted to give in, but I knew my body's limits.

"Tempting offer, but I'll have to decline. I'm not ready for another round just yet, I'm way too sore." I groaned, putting a hand to my pelvis.

"Going with that excuse, huh?" She murmured while planting kisses along my neck. "For the record, Percy, I am too—even worse than you considering I could barely walk after we were done. But, that's why nectar and ambrosia exist." Annabeth then nipped my ear gently.

I shivered and felt my morning wood grow even harder. "Another time, Wise Girl. I still have some things to take care of today, and I don't need to be limping around. Besides, what if we start doing it then one of the girls come back to the cabin to check on us, only to be greeted by the sight of us rutting like animals? I don't think they would take it well, especially Clarisse."

"Oh? Afraid she'll react poorly and become violent?"

"No, I'm afraid she'll try to join. Trust me, we can't let it slip we had sex until later, after today at least. Clarisse will literally drag me somewhere and screw my brains out otherwise." I nervously muttered.

That caused Annabeth to giggle so hard she had to cover her mouth. I glared at her, which only made her giggling worse.

I don't find the idea of being fucked to death funny...

"I'm sorry," She breathed between her muffled giggles. "It's just... you're actually in a 'death by snu snu' situation."

My anger gave way to confusion. "The heck is death by snu snu?"

"Don't worry about it, Percy," Annabeth whispered, stifling her last giggle. "I won't tell anyone, you can trust me on that. I don't want the others to take you into bed anytime soon."

"Won't hear any arguments from me. I'm not exactly keen on the idea of sleeping with a bunch of other girls. It just doesn't feel right, you know?" I muttered in agreement.

Annabeth made a pained face at that. "Percy, you understand you will have to do it eventually, right? There's no way the rest of them are going to remain celibate forever. I mean, you just said that Clarisse wants to jump you, and we've both seen how the rest look at you. While I really, really don't like it—we both know it's going to happen."

I buried my face into my pillow to muffle my groan of frustration. "But you're my girlfriend, Annabeth! It feels wrong to do anything like that with the others. Even just kissing them felt wrong—like I was betraying you."

It wasn't a total lie. Sure, there were moments where I did enjoy myself when I was with one of the girls, but it still felt strange to me afterwards. I do care for them—even more so now that I was essentially responsible for them forever—but I couldn't say I truly loved anyone besides Annabeth. Was that wrong of me? I didn't know yet.

"Hm, it seems for once your fatal flaw is being tested..." she murmured with an inquisitive expression. "Though, I can't say I'm upset. The thought of you engaging in intercourse with another girl... well, it doesn't make me happy, to put it lightly."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "I have no interest in having sex with the others!"

Annabeth then looked into my eyes troublingly. "That's great to hear, Percy. But, what can we do about it? Clarisse has made it very clear she isn't going to wait forever, and"—she then frowned in disdain—"while I hate to admit it, I think we both know a certain titaness is itching to get some alone time with you."

My eyes narrowed at her sudden change in tone after she mentioned Calypso.

Those two still haven't made up, have they?

"Have you and Calypso still not talked yet?" I asked almost accusingly. "Annabeth, you two can't hold grudges against each other forever either."

"Don't change the subject!" She snapped angrily. "I have no interest in making amends with her anyways! She tried to steal you, and once that failed, she cursed me like a petty, jealous bitch!"

I understood her anger all too well. I was also furious at Calypso for a time, but I'm pretty forgiving. Annabeth, on the other hand? Well, not so much. Must be a trait she inherited from her mother, who I am convinced is also the goddess of grudges considering what she does to anyone who slightly crosses her. I'm convinced that the only reason I've been spared from her wrath is because of my dad.

I sighed. "Annabeth, believe me—I get it. It's not easy to forgive something like that, but you can't hate her forever because of it. Neither of us were hurt in the end. For what it's worth, she was very remorseful about her actions when I spoke to her a few days ago."

"Good. May she languish in regret for eternity," Annabeth hissed. "You're mine, Percy—and I'll take every opportunity to rub it in her face along with the others."

I facepalmed in aggravation. I thought Annabeth's jealousy was supposed to go down after last night, instead it seems to have only risen. Awesome...

"Ugh, I don't feel like having this conversation with you again right now, Annabeth," I grumbled, looking at her in annoyance. "Let's just push that aside for the time being and go back to what we were talking about."

"What is there to talk about? I don't want you touching any of the other girls unless you absolutely have no choice." Wise Girl said aggressively, her whole demeanor changing.

I raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you just tell me that I'm going to have to screw them all eventually?"

Annabeth crossed her arms and huffed. "I changed my mind. Unless this next harem rule is literally going to make you, I don't want you even thinking about doing it with any of the others."

"Well, we can both agree on that," I said in quiet approval. "It does make me feel guilty, though."

"What does? Not fucking them like they're common whores?"

I gave her a disgusted look. "Did you really have to phrase it like that?"

"That's basically what they are, Percy. Your personal whores." She hissed venomously.

I glowered at her. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden? Some of these girls are your friends, Annabeth! Imagine how they'd react to hearing you talk about them like that!"

"My 'friends' who were all too happy to join this stupid harem so they could hop into your bed," Annabeth snarled like a wolf, her lips pulled back and nose flared. "They're all trying to take you from me, Percy. Even Piper, who was like a sister to me."

I silently gasped at her outburst. She just spoke about Piper with so much venom and betrayal in her voice! Things are even worse than I thought! How long has she been harboring these feelings? It's like she's reached a boiling point and is spilling over.

"Piper hasn't even joined, Annabeth. How could you say that about her?" I demanded, our eyes locking onto to each other to form the world's angriest staring contest. "It's not right for you to resent them. The gods are the only ones to blame for this mess, not them! If they didn't join, then they all would have been forced into it eventually anyways!"

"So what?! Is that supposed to make me feel better about my friends trying to sleep with my boyfriend?! That they've all made out with you and are actively plotting to win your heart?!" Annabeth screamed, her voice cracking. "Do you have any idea what that's like?! Having people you were close with try to ruin your relationship?! Imagine if things were reversed, and I was the one who had to get a harem of guys! Imagine me making out and having sex with Jason, Nico, Frank, and other boys! Does that not send you into a bloodlust?!"

My mind immediately pictured what she said. Her lips on another guy's as they made out, their hands roaming over each other as they began to strip...

I couldn't finish that thought. I didn't even notice just how much it enraged me until I felt the cabin shake, my hands gripping the bed like it owed me money. Only when Annabeth put a hand to my cheek did I snap out of it.

"That wasn't a pleasant thought, was it, Percy? Just think about how much worse it is when it's real. That's my life now, what I have to see every. Single. Day. It's a nightmare I just want to wake up from," she whispered, blinking some tears out of her eyes. "I'm sorry, Percy. I've really tried to control myself, to play nice and fair, but I can't do it anymore. Last night was the best night of my life, and I don't want it to be tainted with the image of you doing it with anyone else."

"Annabeth..."

I then enveloped her into my arms, putting a hand against the back of her head as she sniffled. No wonder she's been so volatile since all of this started, it all made so much sense. I thought I understood it before, but I wasn't even close. She really is living a nightmare, being forced to watch her boyfriend engage in intimate acts with other girls. If I didn't know that this wasn't my fault I'd punch myself. I had to do something to make this better.

"I'm going to make you a promise, Annabeth. I won't do anything inappropriate with any of the other girls unless I am forced to by the harem or if you give permission," I whispered resolutely. "I don't care how badly Clarisse wants to fuck me, I won't let her without your approval."

I felt her slightly relax. "That sounds good to me, but... they won't like that at all, Percy. As much as I want to just grab you and run off into the sunset, I know we can't. We're all stuck with each other now."

"I don't care. I don't love them, just you," I immediately replied. "They can get mad at me all they want. I'm not going to put you through hell any longer after today."

Annabeth let out an exhausted sigh. "I thought I was supposed to be the irrational one... Percy, you can't just ignore them, that won't end well," she then sat up to look me in the face. "Let's compromise instead. You can touch and kiss them, but no sex."

I breathed in, calming myself. "Are you sure?"

"It's either that or we all end up miserable. I'm willing to let them have this, at least." Annabeth murmured reluctantly.

"Alright, then. I'll try to keep them from getting too frisky—for your sake." I said, running my fingers through her honey colored hair.

She smiled and laid back down, snuggling against me. As silence enveloped us, my mind began to drift, contemplating the current situation.

In spite of my new vow, I knew that this wouldn't last forever, both of us knew that. Eventually, I will have to have sex with the other girls, if for no other reason than to keep them happy. Heck, I already promised Clarisse I would when the time was right. Buuuuut—that doesn't mean I can't put it off for as long as possible.

I won't lie though, there's a part of me that feels bad for doing this. The girls already sacrificed their freedom and their love lives for my sake. The least I could do was make them happy and feel good. However, I'm far more loyal to Annabeth than them.

It felt strange—my loyalty, my fatal flaw, actually becoming a problem. There was now a war inside me that was torn between staying completely faithful to Annabeth or making sure everyone else was happy. The situation seemed impossible—no matter what I chose to do, someone will be upset.

Ugh, why did the gods have to complicate my life so much? I thought grumpily.

It does make me beg the question, however. Why did all of these girls willingly choose to join my harem? Heck, all of them knew ahead of time that Annabeth was my one and only—I didn't even try to deny it either. Yet, despite that, they still decided that being with me in some capacity was better than not having me at all.

Was I really that worth it to them? What is it about me that compels them to fight for my love? I know all of them gave me their reasons, but it still just hasn't really clicked with me yet. Plenty of guys here are just as capable as I am, so what makes me so special? Hmm...

I guess I understand why Rachel and Calypso harbor such strong feelings for me, but the others? Piper and especially Clarisse shocked me to the core. I knew Reyna for like, a week or a month or something and apparently she fell so hard for me that I never left her head. Katie may also have a thing for me and we barely talk to each other. Outside of the war with Kronos and recent events, I've seldomly interacted with the daughter of Demeter.

How and when did I become so popular with the ladies? It's not like I ever tried to woo them. Hades, for years I was extremely disliked by girls. Most didn't want anything to do with me, especially at mortal schools. So what caused it to shift? Did I just suddenly become good looking or what? Now I'm starting to become paranoid, wondering just how many other girls here have a thing for me...

I sighed internally.

I'll come back to this later, I have important things to do. Today is the deadline and I need to have a chat with a certain daughter of Aphrodite and then pay a visit to a certain daughter of Demeter.

"I need to get dressed and head out," I announced. "I need to talk with Piper and Katie..."

Annabeth groaned against my side. "And I'm sure both of them will join, because that's just my luck lately..."

I cringed. "Sorry, but look at the bright side. After today, we shouldn't have to worry about any more girls. And who knows? Maybe Katie isn't interested, so only Piper joins."

"I'm not naive enough to believe that for a second, Percy," Annabeth grumbled. "I've had my suspicions about Katie liking you for a year now. The way she looked at you after Manhattan, how her face lit up when I asked her about the pies, then when she told me to tell you she wants to personally thank you..." Annabeth trailed off before screaming into her pillow. "Why can't you stop attracting girls, Percy?! Now I'm getting paranoid—who the Hades knows how many other girls in this fucking camp like you! Going by current trends, next thing we know Drew is going to be wanting to join! Because our group doesn't have a patented bitch yet!"

It's kinda scary how in sync our thoughts get sometimes... I was thinking the exact same thing a second ago. I sweat dropped.

"I don't know why girls are so drawn to me all of a sudden. I used to never get attention from them while growing up. Er, anyways—I would turn down Drew in a heartbeat. I've heard how she treats others from Piper. And unlike Clarisse, she hasn't shown any positive sides to her personality." I waved off the thought.

"What if she was the only option left? Would you then?" Annabeth inquired, her expression turning into one of slight amusement.

"Well yeah, obviously. I'm sure I could straighten her out over time, but... eh. I'm just glad I don't have to rely on Drew to save our butts." I chuckled.

"Drew actually does like you. Well—as much as she likes anyone, I guess. Knowing her, it's more likely to just be a superficial attraction because of your reputation," Annabeth told me with a growing smirk. "Who knows? Maybe you could thaw out that ice queen's heart."

I held back a gag. "No thanks. Last thing I need is a mean girl that intentionally antagonizes others. Clarisse is already a wild card, definitely don't need someone like Drew thrown into the mix."

Annabeth let out a hearty laugh. "I couldn't agree more, Seaweed Brain. Gods, could you imagine having to deal with her for eternity?"

Annabeth then continued her laughter, a smile growing on my lips. It was good to see her mood brighten.

"What time is it? Do you know?" I whispered into Annabeth's ear after her giggling ceased.

"Judging by the amount of light entering through the windows and at that angle... I'd say almost noon." She replied casually while looking at the window.

"Puh—what?! Noon?! How late did we stay up last night?!" I asked in shock.

"It was around 2am when we finally returned to the cabin." She remarked, placing a finger on her chin.

"Di Immortales! I need to get up then!" I panicked as I tore the blanket off me and climbed over Annabeth to get off the bunk.

"To think we slept in for ten hours..." Annabeth mused before sitting up and stretching. "I take it you're going to pay Piper and Katie a visit right away?"

"Of course, I don't have a choice. I've already wasted half the day, I don't have anymore time to lose," I replied while putting on a white shirt and a pair of brown shorts. "No idea how long this will take, so I'll see you at dinner at the latest, Wise Girl."

I heard her sigh.

"Guess I'll head back to my cabin to grab some new clothes and wash up, then. I'll see you later, Percy." She said before walking over and giving me a quick kiss.

"You could also use this time to talk to Calypso," I suggested. "It's been a week at this point."

"No." Came her immediate response.

I'm really trying here...

I sighed as Annabeth opened the cabin door and left without another word, leaving me alone. I was about to leave as well until I smelled something foul. I soon discovered it was my own armpits, my nose crunching up repulsively. I shamefully dashed into the bathroom and took a quick shower. How Annabeth didn't comment on my smell is a mystery to me, maybe her own BO was masking mine. After making sure I no longer smelled like a Cyclops's dirty underwear, I left the cabin to go look for Piper.

Sometimes I wish I had a camp GPS that could find anyone inside, because I was getting tired of trying to find people here.

First place I checked to see where Piper could be was the Aphrodite cabin.

She wasn't there.

I asked her cabin mates if they knew where she went.

They didn't, naturally.

Frankly, I had no idea where Piper could be. She wasn't like her siblings, so I crossed off the usual locations Aphrodite kids hang around.

I then realized that this was our first time being in Camp Half-Blood together, so I had no idea what her habits here were like. For all I know she could be up in a tree somewhere in the forest.

Ugh... maybe I should just go find Katie first. She's bound to be in her cabin or tending to the fields or something... Yeah, I think I'll do that. Katie probably just wants to say thanks and maybe give me a hug. Shouldn't take long to find her and get it over with.

A brief walk later and I was at the Demeter cabin, which was looking even better than I remembered.

The grassy roof was back and more lively than ever with colorful roses dotting it. The garden on the porch had expanded and was containing even more exquisite flowers in it alongside some small crops like turnips and carrots. The sides of the cabin had their tomato vines restored with pea vines added to them. At the base of the sides were small berry bushes, such as blueberries and blackberries. The cabin now really did look like it was overgrown with flora, which I guess was the point. I'm sure Demeter would be proud.

While the cabin certainly was beautiful, I couldn't wrap my head around how it changed so drastically overnight. I then recalled how nice the Aphrodite cabin was a minute ago and how I thought nothing of it like an airhead. I then did a three-sixty and glanced around at all of the other cabins, which were in far better shape than they were yesterday.

How did it take me so long to notice this? I really can be oblivious at times...

Seriously though, what happened? The cabins were still pretty banged up last night. The rest of the camp was in better condition too; it was like someone just waved a magic wand and fixed everything. Maybe Katie knows what happened?

I then knocked on the Demeter cabin's door and a moment later I was greeted by one Katie Gardner, a warm smile spreading across her face upon seeing me, despite having what appeared to be flour on her cheeks.

"Oh good, you're here," I said in relief. "Hey, Katie. It's good to see you doing better. Annabeth told me you wanted to thank me, is that right?"

"Hello, Percy," Katie greeted me with a twinkle in her eye. "I do want to thank you. This is perfect timing on your part actually, I was just starting to bake some cakes. Why don't you come on in? Maybe lend me a hand?"

"Uh, I don't have any experience with baking. Is that ok?" I asked.

"No problem at all, Percy. We all have to start somewhere, right? Come on, I'll show you the ropes." She then waved at me to come inside and follow her.

I entered the cabin and started to follow her back towards the kitchen, passing by the giant tree standing tall and proud like always in the middle of the room.

Inside the kitchen, I saw a few fluted cake pans, whisking bowls, measuring cups, and whisks sitting on the counter alongside a bunch of ingredients. There was flour, sugar, chocolate chips, sprinkles, cocoa powder, milk, and so on.

It looked overwhelming to me. I could barely make grilled cheese sandwiches on my own and that's just bread and cheese in a pan!

"Um, so... what kind of cakes are we making here? You've got a lot of stuff on the counter." I said, feeling out of my element.

Katie grinned at me. "What's your favorite kind of cake? We can start with that."

"Don't really have one, I'm a more of a cookie guy. I guess chocolate?"

"Chocolate, huh? Perfect, that's my favorite too." She beamed.

Katie then grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the counter, practically bubbling with excitement.

Does she really want to show me how to make a cake that badly?

"Ok, Percy. First thing you do is pre-heat the oven, but I already did that," Katie started. "So instead, I want you to whisk together some ingredients to get things going."

She then reached out onto the counter and picked up various things and brought them in front of me. The chosen ingredients were flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder. I was then handed some measuring cups and told the exact amount I needed of each ingredient for the recipe.

Lucky for me, there was a measurement for every size, so even someone as terrible at fractions as me couldn't screw that part up. That, and I had someone in the room with me who actually knew how much two-thirds was.

Once I had everything inside the bowl, as per Katie's instructions, I picked up a whisk and started to mix everything together. Or at least, that's what I tried to do. Unfortunately, all of it was sticking together more than being mixed up. How I managed to screw up something so simple is beyond me.

"You're doing ok, but your whisking skills need work, Percy. Let me help you out." Katie then moved uncomfortably close to me and put her hands on mine.

I suddenly felt hot but tried my best to play it off. She then started to move my hand that was holding the whisk in a specific, controlled motion.

"See? Like this. Once you get the hang of it, you can speed up to mix it even faster." She practically purred into my ear.

"O-Oh, I see now." I said, flustered.

With her help, I swiftly got the hang of it. I became one with the mixing bowl and soon everything was all mishmashed together.

I'm starting to think she doesn't just want to bake a cake...

"That looks much better, Percy. I believe we're now ready for the next step. Now, it's time to add in all of the liquids. You know how to crack an egg, right?" She asked with a coy smirk as she finally removed her hands.

"O-Of course I do! I'm not totally inept!" I blurted out.

Feeling a need to prove myself, I picked up an egg from the carton and cracked it against the side of the counter.

...Only for the yolk to come flying out and onto my shirt.

Gods fucking damnit! I angrily thought. I always make a fool of myself when I get flustered...

"Well, I guess you can crack an egg, but it's suppose to go into the bowl, not on your shirt." Katie quipped before grabbing a couple paper towels and bringing them to me.

"Thanks." I mumbled, red faced.

I reached out for the paper towels, but Katie pulled her hand away.

"Hm, not sure if I can trust you to clean yourself properly after that." She mused coyly.

I made a sound of incredulity. "I'm not a baby, I know how to clean myself!"

"Yes, and you also said you know how to crack an egg, something I could do at three years old." Katie reminded me with a raised eyebrow, which only made me blush harder.

"Yeah, well, you're... you're a daughter of Demeter! You're naturally gifted at all things culinary!" I stammered in my defense.

She just gave me a mocking grin. "Right, because something as basic as cracking an egg is only possible for Demeter's children. Or, are you saying children of Poseidon are naturally prone to making messes?"

I opened my mouth to say more, but thought better of it. She had completely outplayed me in this game of wits. At least, that's what I tell myself to not feel bad about being unable to do something a three year old could...

I hmph'd and turned towards her. "Fine, have it your way. Clean my stupid shirt if you don't trust me to do it myself."

Katie grinned triumphantly and placed the paper towels against my chest. Her eyes then bulged a second later before just as quickly returning to normal as she wiped the yolk from my shirt.

As it went on, I began to have a feeling that she didn't want to wipe the mess off me just to be nice. She kept going over the same area repeatedly, which was my abdomen.

I know, I know—it should have been incredibly obvious to me. But I'm clueless around girls, so I didn't take notice until she started tracing my abs through my shirt with her finger.

I cleared my throat. "I thought you were supposed to be cleaning the egg off me, not feeling me up?"

Katie went maroon, but she didn't stop. "I'm sorry, I just—I had no idea you were this ripped, Percy."

Am I really? Annabeth said the same last night, but... I mean, I'm no bodybuilder. Plenty of guys here have bigger muscles than me, especially some of the Hephaestus and Ares boys.

"Umm... thank you," I whispered bashfully. "But, we're here to make a cake, not ogle me."

"R-Right," She murmured before quickly wiping the rest of the yolk off and stepping away to throw the paper towels in the trash. Katie then straightened herself up before looking back at me. "So as I was saying, we're ready for the liquids..."

I was then instructed to pour in some milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, two egg yolks—which I didn't get on myself this time—and a cup of hot water. I then whisked it all together again, this time without help from Katie. Once she deemed it ready, I poured the batter into the cake pan and placed it into the oven, setting a timer for thirty minutes.

"So... what do you want to do for the next half hour?" I asked her as I leaned against the counter. "Oh—actually, I wanted to ask you something! Do you know what's going on with the camp? Everything is looking so much nicer all of a sudden. Last night it was still a wreck!"

Katie looked at me curiously. "You don't know? That's strange, thought you'd be first to..." she mused to herself.

"Know what?" I asked in confusion.

"A bunch of Cyclopes showed up this morning to help repair the camp," Katie revealed to me. "I figured you knew about it beforehand since they were sent by Poseidon. Oh, also that one Cyclops you came to camp with a few years ago was among them—I think his name was Tyson?"

A big, goofy grin was plastered on my face. "Tyson is here? Awesome! I'll make sure to find him and catch up."

"They've been an immense help. It's only been a few hours yet the entire camp is almost spotless. Heck, they're even making improvements to a lot of it. I'm sure you noticed how much nicer the Demeter cabin looks now when you arrived." Katie said.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's what made me take notice of all the changes around camp. That's my brother for you though, a real master of his craft."

I wondered why my dad sent him here with other Cyclopes though? Normally, he never lets them out of the forges unless it's for a very good reason. Somehow, I doubt the camp getting damaged is important enough to send away some of his best weapon smiths. I made a mental note to ask Tyson when I found him.

"Well, I guess I know what I'm doing after this," I said before glancing at the oven clock. "Looks like we have twenty-five minutes to go. Have any ideas about what we can do in the meantime?"

"Maybe a card game?" She suggested, a twinkle in her eye.

"Sounds good to me. What kind of card game? Go Fish?"

Katie smirked. "Go Fish? Are we twelve? There are so many more fun card games than that."

"I'm not hearing you give any suggestions!" I pouted. "What about... uh... poker?"

Her smirk widened. "Poker, huh? That's better, but a little vanilla," she said. "There's another version of poker that I have enjoyed in the past. It's called strip poker."

Strip poker? That sounded familiar to me somehow, but I just couldn't place it. I never really got into card games due to, you know, being a demigod constantly on life-threatening quests. Also, because they reminded me of Smelly Gabe and Mr. D.

My face turned apprehensive. "Strip poker? What's that like?"

She was now grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Why did I feel like I just walked into a trap?

"It's essentially the same as normal poker, but with one key difference: the loser of each hand has to remove a piece of clothing."

I didn't believe my ears. "It's... what? I think I misheard you."

Katie let out a mischievous laugh. "Oh no, you didn't mishear me at all, Percy. You know exactly what I said."

My face must have turned very red because her laughing became louder.

"N-No way! That's gross!" I yelled as my cheeks burned while Katie's giggling filled the cabin.

"Chicken?" She taunted through her laughter.

I scowled at her. "No! I'm just... I don't want to strip in front of you! I mean—do you want to strip in front of me?!"

Her response was immediate and nearly made me faint. "I certainly wouldn't mind, Percy."

It felt like my brain had a fatal error and blue screened. I just gawked at her, my jaw hanging open like a nutcracker.

"I... uh... why?" I got out, sounding like a total moron.

Katie's face fell and she rolled her eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh. I then heard Katie mumble something that sounded like 'boys' under her breath before looking up to meet my gaze.

"Are you always this clueless?" She asked abrasively. "Because if so, give Annabeth my regards."

I made a face at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She then threw her hands up in exasperation. "How have you not figured out that I like you yet?! I couldn't have made it more obvious! Do you really think I made sure the cabin was empty before you came and that I invited you in here just to show you how to make a damn cake?!"

My eyes turned into dinner plates. "Wait—so you actually—? But...! Holy shit, Annabeth was right!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

Maybe I am a womanizer! I haven't even done anything to garner her affection!

"I swear, Percy—you couldn't find your own ass without that girl's help," Katie deadpanned. "Of course I like you! You think it's surprising after you helped save me from getting lynched by the entire camp?!"

I stared at her dumbly. "B-But, I didn't even do anything! That was all Reyna, you should be thanking her! She's the one who found the evidence to prove you innocent and deduced that Chris was still in the camp! It was her robo dogs that exonerated you! All I did was come up with the idea for the trial!" I spouted rapidly.

"I know that, dummy! That doesn't change the fact you contributed to it, plus I've thought you were attractive for years! If it wasn't for Annabeth, I'd have been all over you after the battle in Manhattan!" Katie revealed to me as she got in my face.

By Zeus's beard, Annabeth's suspicions were totally right! Just how many girls here like me?!

I inhaled a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, it's just that... the thing is I promised Annabeth I would only ask Piper to join. I had a feeling you liked me when I came to find you today, I was just hoping things would be casual," I explained to her. "Does this mean you want to join?"

Katie bit her lip. "I really do like you, but I don't know if I'm ok with becoming a concubine. At least, not yet..."

I smiled softly. "That's completely fine, don't feel pressured into doing this. We can just talk and hang out instead, give you some time to sort your feelings."

A conflicted expression then appeared on her face.

"But, isn't the deadline for your harem thing today? If you still need a girl for it, then..." She trailed off, fidgeting in place.

I swallowed awkwardly. "Well, yes, technically I do. But, like I said—I was planning on asking Piper to join it since she promised to have an answer for me today," I then placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't guilt trip yourself into doing something you don't want."

"What if she says no?" She asked quietly, downcast.

"Umm..." I didn't have an answer for her.

I didn't even consider the possibility of Piper saying no. I've been assuming for a while now that she would join without question since she confessed to me.

If she does decline, then I'm fucked. There aren't any other girls that are willing besides her and maybe Katie.

"I... I'll just hope she doesn't say no." I said meekly.

Katie took hold of my hand on her shoulder. "Percy, that's not exactly a good plan. You have less than twelve hours to find one more girl to join before that punishment kicks in."

"I know it's not, but... I don't know what else to do. If she declines, then..." I had a lump form in my throat.

"...You don't have anyone else lined up for you to ask, do you? It's just Piper." Katie asked as her eyes locked with mine.

I silently nodded my head in defeat.

"Then... I'll join, Percy. I... don't want you to suffer and if the deadline isn't met I'll likely be dragged into the harem anyways." Katie uttered just barely above a whisper.

I shook my head vehemently. "No way, Katie. You said you don't want to become a concubine. I told you already not to guilt yourself into doing this. If Piper declines, then I'll—"

"You'll do what, Percy?!" Katie snapped angrily. "Why do you think I told you about how I felt despite my reservations about joining?! You don't have enough time to try and convince another girl! If Piper declines and if you don't let me join, we will all be paying the price then!"

"I know that!" I raised my voice as my fists balled. "But, it's not fair to you! You don't want to join! What if Piper says yes? Then you'll have sacrificed your freedom for nothing!" I put a hand on my head. "I can't have that on my conscience, not after everything that has happened and what I'm already feeling. I just can't, Katie! If you... if you ended up changing your mind later, I don't think there's anything we could do. You'd be stuck as my concubine forever. My mental health doesn't need that kind of guilt added on top of everything else."

"Percy..." She gently whispered as she moved next to me. "I already said I like you. It's just that, my main concern about joining the harem is that... I'm worried I'd be neglected, that I'd be a girl you'd visit to screw every once in a while and the rest of the time I'd be ignored. I want a mutual relationship, I don't want to just be a sex slave."

"Katie, how can you even think that I'd ever treat you like that? That I'd just use you for pleasure and nothing else?" I asked woefully.

Katie shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, it's just... I know how busy you'd be with so many girls in your life. You're a lot closer with some of the others too, especially Annabeth. Us, on the other hand? We're more like acquaintances. Sure, we get along and stuff, but we don't exactly hang out or really know one another on a personal level. Does that make sense?"

I nodded slowly. "I think I understand. You're worried I'd neglect you, because we're not as close."

Not a poor assessment on her part, I suppose...

She swallowed and hugged her chest. "I am. You're a great guy, Percy—but everyone has their favorites. I know that... I wouldn't be one of them. I want an actual romance—to feel loved and have a genuine connection, you know? I don't want to just be another girl you have to deal with. I want you to be happy to see me, to spend time with me," Katie breathed in. "I know you love Annabeth and would never put another girl before her, but that's just how I feel..."

I went silent for a spell, my conversation and promise to Annabeth from earlier coming back to haunt me. A massive tsunami of guilt hit me as I thought about it. Katie hasn't even joined and yet her main concern is that I'd ignore her. That's exactly what I talked with Annabeth about doing.

I was beginning to get cold feet, I didn't know if I could keep my promise to Annabeth after this. It's just not right, treating them like that. On the other hand though, it's also not right for me to spend more time with the rest of the girls than my own girlfriend. Neither of us asked for this harem; I was perfectly happy with just my Wise Girl. It would be wrong of me to just ignore our relationship and go around screwing other girls to satiate an unwanted harem rule or something. Even if in that scenario I wouldn't have a choice, I still wouldn't be happy about it, nor would Annabeth.

The whole crux of it is that I just don't love them like I do Annabeth. However, I can't treat them like burdens or make them feel unwanted. They literally sacrificed more than I would ever willingly ask someone to. They deserve to be happy—and being with me is what makes them the happiest. I literally owe them the lives of everyone I know, yet I had the audacity to think just spending some time with them was a bad thing?

'But, Annabeth!' That annoying voice in the back of my mind screamed.

I cursed mentally. Just what the Hades was I going to do? If I spent more time with the other girls, then Annabeth would become upset. If I spent more time with Annabeth and became distant with them, then they would be upset. Was there even a solution to this madness?

"Katie, despite what I'm about to tell you, I want you to know that I'd never mistreat you or anyone else intentionally," I started slow and steadily. "But... I can't deny that most of my time spent—at least for now—will be with Annabeth. We had a talk recently, and as you likely already know, Annabeth is not taking this harem well—and It's only gotten worse with every girl that has joined. During our talk, she made me vow to not get too involved with any of the others unless I am made to by the harem itself. So, that would mean nothing sexual. While I now think it's not right to treat you all that way, I also don't want Annabeth to suffer anymore. I'm sorry... I hope you can understand."

Katie remained motionless for a time before nodding her head soberly. "Yeah, I get it. This can't be easy for her, seeing you around so many other girls. I knew she didn't like it before this, but I wasn't aware it was this bad. Poor Annie..." She then met my eyes. "Do the others know yet?"

I shook my head. "No, we had that conversation just before I came here. Honestly, I don't know if it's even a good idea to tell the others yet. If this next harem rule ends up forcing us all to do the dirty, then it will be pointless anyways."

She hummed in agreement as I moved away from the counter and headed towards the edge of the kitchen. I then turned to face her presumably for the last time today.

"I take it you don't want to join for sure now, so I'm going to go hunt down Piper. Save me a slice of that cake, alright? It was good to talk with you, Katie." I said with a small smile.

I then left the kitchen and headed towards the cabin door. Right as I put my hand on the handle, I heard Katie yell out to me to wait. I let go of the handle and turned around as Katie walked up towards me, flustered.

To my surprise, she grabbed my face and gave me a quick kiss. Her lips tasted like... cereal. Not just any kind, but my favorite brand of cereal. I'm not sure if she'd be offended by that description or not, but it's true. I think it's fitting, considering who her mother is. She then pulled away with a timid smile of her own.

"If Piper refuses to join, then I want you to promise you'll tell me. I was serious about what I said—I won't let you fail this. Even if I will only be allowed to chat with you and occasionally hold your hand, it would be enough for me," she told me seriously as her eyes pierced mine. "Do I make myself clear, Percy? I don't want to hear anything about guilt tripping or whatever, this is too important."

Oh, I understood her perfectly. The only problem was that my mind was more preoccupied with the taste of her lips, so instead of saying something intelligent, I muttered out Frosted Flakes.

"What?" Katie said in confusion.

My entire face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Uh—um... I meant that... I understand! Thanks, Katie."

She just grinned wickedly at me. "Frosted Flakes... that's a type of cereal. Was there by any chance that my kiss reminded you of your favorite brand?"

I really wished I could teleport away. "Yes..."

She then giggled. "Good to know. Now I don't need to buy lip gloss. It seems I already taste good to you."

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you?" I managed.

Katie let out a heartfelt laugh. "Maybe a little. You should go before I change my mind, Percy. Otherwise, I'm going to show you what a daughter of the fertility goddess can do."

That sent a tingle all over my body.

"R-Right. See you later, Katie." I rushed out as I turned to leave, my face feeling like a volcano.

"Until next time, Percy." I heard her say as I left the cabin.

...

That happened.

At least I got a backup plan in case things don't go well with Piper. Though, I definitely feel like the next time I see Katie, she won't be as hesitant about joining. That, however, is a problem for future me.

For now, it's time to go find the daughter of Aphrodite.

SUPER LONG AN AHEAD!

Heya, I finally got some time to address questions/concerns.

Direction of the story - If you haven't figured it out yet, this is mainly a Percy/Annabeth story. They are the main couple and that won't change.

Annabeth's jealousy will be a constant throughout the entire thing, as will drama between the girls. It won't be something that is resolved within ten chapters or something. I think that's fair considering how hyper possessive Annabeth is of Percy in canon, even before they started dating. There's no way she'd be happy about having to share him, regardless of the circumstances. From this point forward, Annabeth will not be as neutral/friendly with the other girls as she has been so far. There will be some Annabitch moments. If you don't like that, I'm sorry.

Next chapter will be all about Piper.

OoC Percy - Been seeing this one a bit, and I get it. Maybe I'm having him act a little too mature, but that's kinda what I'm going for since this is supposed to be a more adult story. Also, imo—this was how I imagined Percy to act after TLO. His whole character arc throughout the original series was growing up and becoming mature. Then, HoO and ToA crapped all over that.

Tbh, I thought Rick reverted Percy's entire arc in HoO, to the point where it felt almost like character assassination. Like, having Percy still laugh at the stupid dam joke from TTC? He's not thirteen anymore. Then, there was the whole deal with Leo and Calypso where the story tried to paint Percy in a negative light for not checking to see if she was freed. How was it his fault that the gods didn't keep their promise? PJO Percy wouldn't have taken Leo's shit, just like how he didn't take shit from Nico when he got mad at him. Percy spontaneously losing his backbone in HoO and even in ToA was ridiculous to me. You can also just compare the speech Percy gave in Manhattan in TLO to the one he gave in BoO. First one was something a general would say, second was basically the equivalent of "let's go fight stuff, gang". Really, Rick? Cmon. I still think he did this so the other characters had room to shine, since if he had Percy be as serious and hyper competent as he was in TLO then he would have just solved everything by himself.

Another thing I want to briefly touch on is Percy's perceived IQ level. I'll just say it: Percy isn't stupid. This has been shown and even stated by other characters in the books numerous times, at least in the original series. Percy didn't lead the defense of NYC by being a moron, so him acting intelligent isn't ooc. I blame HoO and ToA for flanderizing his character and turning him back into a goofy manchild for causing people to think like that. Seriously, did everyone including Rick forget that the only reason Percy struggled in school was because of his dyslexia and ADHD? However, I will try to add in more silly/dumb Percy moments because I think I've been slacking on those.

Percy has too much rizz - First, I want to say that the word "rizz" is hilarious and I had to look up what it meant lmao. Secondly, I get your concerns. I'll address that in a moment, don't worry. However, I don't think that Percy being able to pull girls is ooc. I mean, how many girls in the books had a crush on him? Annabeth, Rachel, Calypso, Reyna, Kinzie, etc. and those are just the ones I remember and are named. There's a scene in TLO where all the Aphrodite girls kiss his cheeks. Hell, even some monsters like Medusa had a thing for him. Blame Rick for giving the guy godly levels of pull with women.

But don't worry, this won't turn into a "alpha sigma gigachad bull Percy fucks all the bitches with his foot long horse cock" story. There's a million stories like that already. I purposely chose the girls who had feelings for him/an actual relationship with him to be added first for a reason. The rest of the girls I'll be adding later won't fall for him as easily, other than maybe Thalia. I'm undecided yet on her.

Girls - Pretty much anyone is on the table—except for Sally and Juniper, those are hard no's. Sally I think is for obvious reasons, no wincest here unfortunately. Juniper is off limits because she's Grover's girl and she loves him too much for me to make it even slightly believable that she'd dump him for Percy without doing something sleazy like having Grover cheat on her, which he'd never do. I also like Grover too much to do him dirty like that. Another reason is that I'm not a fan of how so many other harem stories just have the guys become cheating assholes so the girls flock to Percy, so there will be none of that in this unless it's in character or at least feasible for said guy to cheat—like a god for example. So don't expect to see something like Hazel walking in on Frank banging Gwen in the barracks or anything like that.

As for who will be added later—the hunters will be at some point for sure—meaning Thalia, Bianca, and Zoë. Hazel... I don't really have any plans for her since I can't think of a scenario where she'd leave Frank, but if all of you want her in it bad enough, then I'll find a way to work her in. Silena/Drew—maybe, maybe. Personally, I find Drew too one dimensional since her only role in the entire story was to be a bitch to Piper, but maybe I could give her some more depth. Silena is dead so I'd have to revive her in some fashion. Monsters—actually yes, I already have plans for some monsters to join. Can't say anymore on that without spoiling it. I'm also considering some minor female campers like Lou Ellen.

As for goddesses, I'll leave that up to you guys. I only have one planned right now, but she won't be making an appearance until much, much later. Have fun guessing who it is. As for other ones, I'm only really considering minor goddesses like... I don't know, I guess Khione, Keto, Kymopoleia, etc. but those aren't guaranteed yet.

Why not any Olympian goddesses you ask? Mainly, because I think it would be too difficult to have them join in a convincing way. Artemis doesn't like Percy, Athena and Hera hate him, Demeter doesn't give a fuck. Hestia likes him but it's more like a mother or big sister kind, and Aphrodite is indifferent. I could just have Aphrodite lust after him because reasons, or have the others be forced into the harem, but that would be lazy and not really fitting for such important characters. If I were to add any, it would be over many, many chapters so it doesn't feel out of nowhere. I'm not saying I won't ever do it, but if I can't think of a good way to add them or if none of you show interest, then I'll leave them out.

Regardless, feel free to suggest any other girl you'd like to see.

Crossovers - This is a big one I've been getting asked a lot. My answer is that there won't be any crossovers with other IPs like Harry Potter or Shadow Hunters or anything like that. However, I am open to the idea of maybe adding girls from other Riordan books like Kane Chronicles, if that's something you'd like to see. I think it would be fun to write about everyone's reaction to Egyptian gods existing, could lead to some humorous moments.

Conclusion - Finally, I want to thank the reviewer who brought to my attention how cringe the dialogue was in chapters three and four. Thank you, I've been meaning to rewrite those parts for a while now but I kept forgetting about it because I've been so busy lately. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that crap originally, I must have been sleep deprived or something lmfao.

As of posting this, those parts have since been rewritten to hopefully not have eye roll worthy dialogue. I also added a little more drama to them, because I kinda just skipped over the whole Calypso cursing Annabeth thing.

That's all for now, see ya next time.