Thalia POV
Taking a deep breath, I knocked lightly on the ornate door, waiting with a mix of impatience and hesitation. Luckily I didn't need to wait too long. Very soon the door creaked open and I was finally face to face with the person I both loved and hated.
Aphrodite's hair was a cascade of glossy, golden waves, framing her face like a halo of sunlight. Her deep, azure eyes seemed to hold the secrets of every lover in the world. Her gown clung to her every curve, a sensuous shade of crimson that accentuated her enchanting figure. The gown revealed a daring neckline, and her graceful shoulders seemed to bear the weight of a thousand whispered promises.
Her lips curved into a languid smile as she noticed my stunned reaction.
"Thalia Grace," she mused. "What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the honour?" Her voice was a lilting, melodic harmony, like a siren's call. Suppressing my unease, I entered the chamber, taking a seat on a plush velvet sofa. The room was drenched in the scent of roses, making my skin prickle uncomfortably. It felt like Aphrodite's realm had collided with the material world, and it was disorienting. Aphrodite settled opposite me, her presence oozing an aura of confidence. She leaned forward, resting her delicate chin on her hand, and with a hint of exasperation, she inquired, "So, Thalia, what brings you here today? I'm still waiting for your answer."
I glanced around the chamber, feeling out of place amidst its lavish décor.
"If you're the goddess of love, Aphrodite, you should already know what my problem is," I muttered. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't important."
"I really ought to start charging for these love advice sessions," she muttered under her breath, releasing a dramatic sigh, her eyes fluttering as if she were the victim of my distress.
"You should?" I frowned. "But why? I thought you love this stuff?"
"Oh, but a goddess has so much on her plate," she cooed. "Love advice, one after another. Now that I think about it, I really should start charging for these consultations."
Despite her melodramatic act, I knew better than to underestimate Aphrodite. She was more perceptive than she let on. I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees, fixing her with a determined gaze.
"This is serious, Aphrodite. It's about me, Percy and someone else." Aphrodite's eyes glinted with intrigue.
"A love triangle, is it? Juicy. But what do you want from me? And why bring Percy into it? You should know he's happy with Artemis right now, and I plan on keeping it that way." I leaned closer and lowered my voice.
"I don't wanna get with him," I explained, "but I want to end this hatred he has for me." The words tumbled out.
Aphrodite raised an eyebrow, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"Does he still hate you?" she asked. I sighed, feeling the weight of my choices pressing down on me.
"We haven't spoken since our... incident."
"Ah, of course," Aphrodite mused, leaning back and crossing her legs. "How could anyone ever forget what you and Artemis did to him." Just her mentioning it made me wince and feel bad all over again.
"To add to that, I kinda accused him of being the reason Artemis got attacked by Gone." Aphrodite frowned.
"Kind of, or did accuse him?" I rolled my eyes.
"It was in the heat of the moment," I whined. "But nevertheless, it didn't make things any better between us and he doesn't even acknowledge my presence these days, let alone talk to me."
Aphrodite contemplated her response carefully.
"Well," she slowly began, "you know, this could be an opportunity for you to make amends. Percy is in a relationship with Artemis now, and if you genuinely want to put things right, you should start by apologising to him." I frowned.
"I've tried. I've tried to make things right, but I always make them worse." Aphrodite leaned forward, her eyes softening.
"Thalia, brotherly love isn't about perfection; it's about effort and understanding. It's okay to make mistakes as long as you're willing to learn from them. If you want to make amends, start by trying to see things from Percy's perspective. Understand what led him to make those choices. A heartfelt apology can sometimes mend even the deepest wounds. I nodded, absorbing her advice.
"Thank you, Aphrodite. You've given me some perspective."
As I prepared to leave, Aphrodite stopped me with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Before you go, Thalia, tell me, who's the lucky boy?" I blinked, momentarily thrown off balance.
"What do you mean?" Aphrodite smirked, her eyes dancing with amusement.
"Oh, don't play coy with me. Did you think I don't know where your heart lies?" The colour rose to my cheeks as I realised what she was referring to.
"Aphrodite, that… I don't even know if it's gonna work out." Aphrodite leaned in closer, her voice a sultry whisper.
"Thalia, in matters of love, sometimes, the most unrealistic of realism works. Now, tell me, who is it that Percy's blocking you from? I hesitated but decided to confide in her.
"It's Nico."
Aphrodite's eyes widened in surprise.
"Nico? Now, that's unexpected. Why Nico, Thalia?"
"Nic- Nico's different, Aphrodite," I began hesitantly. "We've been through so much together. We've saved each other countless times, and even though we've had our differences, there's always been an underlying connection." Aphrodite nodded, her eyes still gleaming with interest.
"Go on." I continued, feeling my heart heavy with unspoken emotions.
"I feel like I was scared of it all. Even though there was that bond, I was a hunter, and a hunter of Artemis. I pushed him away, afraid to take that risk. But that all changed after the war. He was hurt and I helped heal him up. At that same point, Percy admitted to the world his love for Artemis, and I realised I didn't wanna live without loving someone else and being loved back. We've talked, held hands, but every time Percy sees us together, I can't even explain how angry he looks…" Aphrodite's voice was soothing as she responded.
"Love often requires courage, Thalia. But it's not too late. If you still feel strongly about Nico, perhaps it's time to confront those fears. Sometimes, the greatest rewards come from the greatest risks." I sighed, feeling a mixture of regret and hope
"I've been pushing down my feelings for so long, I'm not sure if he still feels the same way." The goddess rolled her eyes.
"People don't hold each other's hands as friends," she snickered. "Trust me he wants you, and from the looks of it, the reverse is true as well." Aphrodite offered a reassuring smile.
"My final advice? Seek him out, have an honest conversation, and let your hearts guide you." Her words resonated with me, and I felt a newfound determination.
"Thank you, Aphrodite. I appreciate your advice." She waved me off with a warm smile.
"Good luck, Thalia. May the gods of love be with you."
With renewed determination, I left Aphrodite's chamber, ready to face my past, make amends with Percy, and perhaps even find a way to confess my deep feelings of love for Nico…
Percy POV
I stirred awake, the early morning light filtering through the fabric of the tent. Blinking away sleep, I glanced down to find auburn hair sprawled across my chest. Panic surged through me as I tried to remember the events of the previous night. Had I gotten drunk and ended up with someone? But then it all came rushing back—Artemis, our date, the shared laughter, and that moment when she kissed me beneath the starlight. And then the night of course.
A slow grin spread across my face as I realised the reality of the situation. It had been one of the most amazing nights of my life. I gently ran my fingers through her hair, marvelling at the softness. It was the kind of intimacy I'd never imagined sharing with Artemis, but it felt natural, right.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at me, a soft smile playing on her lips.
"Morning," she greeted, her voice still husky with sleep. I couldn't help but admire how pretty she looked with messy bed hair.
"Morning," I replied, my heart swelling with affection. "Did you sleep well?" She chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Barely slept at all, actually." Her words sent a jolt of electricity through me, and before I knew it, our lips met in a passionate kiss. She tasted like morning dew and adventure. When she pulled away, she met my eyes, her gaze filled with a warmth that made my heart race.
"I love you, Percy," she confessed, her voice sincere and tender.
The three simple words hung in the air, filling the tent with a sweetness that was almost tangible. I felt the weight of her admission, the depth of her feelings, and it was reciprocated fully. I loved her too.
She straddled me, her fingers tracing patterns on my skin as she began to pepper kisses along my jawline and down my neck. I couldn't help but chuckle at the eagerness of her movements. She was a bit of an amateur, but her enthusiasm more than made up for it.
As much as I was enjoying the moment, a growl from my stomach reminded me of more pressing matters. I gently pulled her away, meeting her eyes with a playful grin.
"As much as I'm enjoying this, I think we should grab some breakfast," I suggested. She nodded in agreement, and together, we made our way out of the tent, only to be met with an unexpected sight.
"Thalia?" Artemis frowned. As we walked outside the tent, there stood Thalia, an uncertain expression on her face
"Oh, uh hello Artemis. I was wondering… Well there's no real good way to say this, but I want to speak to Percy alone if I could please?"
"No," I said flatly. No way I was gonna stay in a tent with her.
Artemis interjected politely, "Percy, if it's something important to her, you might want to hear her out." I shook my head.
"No! After what she did, I don't even want to speak to her again! And if you care for me at all, you'd respect that."
"I do care for you," she said coolly. "And if you can't see that after last night, we're gonna have some issues. All I'm asking is to just hear her out."
I wasn't thrilled about the idea, but I grudgingly agreed, muttering, "Fine." With Thalia trailing behind, I returned to Artemis's tent.
"The answers no, by the way," I told her as soon as we were alone. She frowned.
"You… you don't even know what I was gonna ask."
"I don't need to," he retorted. "Whatever it is, aside from some reverse psychology level stuff, it's a no from me.
"Percy, I understand if you're still mad at me for everything that happened," she began. "But please, accept my apology." I sighed, rubbing my temples.
"Thalia, do we have to talk about this now?"
She continued, "I know I messed up, Percy, and I just want you to know that I regret it. I never intended for it to go that far. I was upset, and I did something stupid, but I didn't mean to betray you." I shook my head, disbelief in my eyes.
"So, what? You're sorry, and suddenly everything's okay? You hurt me, Thalia. It's not something you can just apologise for."
"Artemis did it-"
"Don't you dare even mention her," he glared viciously. "She had a half-decent reason to do what she did, unlike you, the same person I treated as my cousin, my sister from another mother."
Thalia looked genuinely remorseful, saying, "I don't expect forgiveness overnight, Percy, but I hope we can work towards repairing our friendship." I couldn't help but scoff.
"Our friendship? Thalia, you've severely tested my trust. I don't think we can ever go back to how it was." She tried to reach out and touch my arm, but I stepped away.
"Percy, please. I know I messed up, but I want to make it right. We've been through so much together. You can't just cut me off like this."
I couldn't take it anymore. Frustration boiled within me, and finally, I snapped.
"Oh, so you think a few apologies and regrets can fix this?" I glared. "No, Thalia, they can't. You need to give me space to heal and get over what happened. I need to figure out if I can ever trust you again." Thalia backed away, tears welling in her eyes.
"Percy, I just want you to know I'm truly sorry for what I did, and I'm willing to make amends in any way I can."
I squeezed my hand into a fist, taking a deep breath. The last thing I needed right now was to lash out even more.
"Thalia, you've said your piece. It's time for you to go." She looked like she wanted to say more, but after a moment, she turned and left. I watched her leave, and when she was gone, I took a deep breath, attempting to calm the tempest of emotions within me. I couldn't forget what happened, and just the memories of it made me feel hurt again.
After calming down, I left the tent and found Artemis outside. I took her hand, and without saying a word, I simply gestured toward the dining pavilion.
"Breakfast?"
She nodded, understanding the need for some normalcy, and together we walked to the dining pavilion, where I knew that Calypso and Nico would be ready to endlessly tease me.
Figured it was time for me to get Thalia back for a bit. Hopefully I didn't exaggerate Percy's reaction to her, but yeah, here it is! Not much more left. I know I keep saying that XD, but seriously it's definitely less than 10 chapters. Perhaps I'll finish this on New Year's Day exactly...
Definitely do leave a review, do read some of my other work, and hope to update soon!