Eventually, their group had found their way back to shore. Diana hadn't expected the water to be as warm as it was, but it seemed that Percy was underselling how much he was actually doing. Interestingly, she noticed that he seemed to avoid keeping the water warm whenever wildlife was nearby as she'd noticed several small schools of fish swimming about. That only made it more impressive, but he didn't seem to think so.

Still, despite that, it made her proud to see the amount of respect he put into nature. Changing the temperature of water could very well kill off several species that inhabited the bay, and yet he was keeping tabs on it, all while going about their activities. Regardless of that though, the group had talked well into the night before making their way inside. There had been a few more games played before then, but they were small in comparison to the all-out brawl that had occurred prior.

Upon returning to the beach, they were happily greeted with warm food, drinks, and a cozy fire to saddle up next to. They'd all grabbed a few plates worth before sitting down around the open flame. Percy had dragged a few deck chairs over to them, but many preferred to lay on the warm sand. Their bonfire emitted quite the heat, keeping the ground warm and eliminating any feeling of coldness left from their drying clothes. Only Jason and Nico seemed to want to sit in the chairs. Their respective partners either leaned against their legs or were seated slightly to the side so that they could rest their heads on the armrests.

Leo and Calypso had found their own little spot nearby, sitting as close to the fire as they dared (at least in the tianness's case given Leo's natural immunity). That left Percy and Diana who were moderately close, choosing to pick bits of food off an assortment of plates that Percy had grabbed. Once again, he sacrificed a few items to his father and Hestia, and one to Diana and Artemis just for fun. The goddess appreciated the warmth that accompanied it regardless. Really, it was too bad that the child of prophecy couldn't make the air warmer too. Thankfully, the fire was enough to keep any chill away.

She summoned him one of the blue drinks that her counterpart was so fond of, offering it to him as he sat back down while sipping on her own. He took it happily as he flopped down into the warm sand. It seemed that everyone was taking a bit of time to relax. Personally, she didn't mind that, but she wouldn't have minded more time out in the ocean either. It was something that she sorely missed from her days in Delos. That wasn't to say she hadn't ever been in the ocean since, but she tried to avoid it whenever possible. Whenever she took the hunt to the coasts, her hunt often stopped by a secluded beach to relax. Typically though, they'd do whatever while she sat by the shore, firmly on the beach away from the water.

She saw Percy turn out of the corner of her eye as her gaze was naturally drawn to the movement. It seemed that he was done with his food and had taken to laying back on the sand, hands behind his head so that they acted like a pillow. He stretched a little before settling down. Every so often, he'd sit up to take a sip of his drink and engage in a bit of conversation before laying back again and relaxing. Each occurrence of this behavior varied. Sometimes, it'd be just the two of them talking, while others would have him addressing the entire group, often jumping in to crack a joke that was too good to pass up on.

Currently, they were in the first of the two situations. It had been prompted by Diana plucking his glass out of his hand only to replace it with a refilled one, "So are these blue intentionally, or is that just because they have blue stuff in them?"

The goddess smiled, "They are made with curacao, but Artemis felt that you might like it if they were blue."

"Blue makes everything better," Percy grinned at her as he let himself fall back into the sand once more, "Do you have a favorite color?"

Diana cocked her head, "Is it not obvious?"

Percy smiled as he closed his eyes, "I figured it'd be silver but you never know. Maybe you like green? Or pink? Who knows with gods?"

"I am fond of green, though I find that Venus is quite possessive of the color pink."

"It's a color," Percy opened one eye to look at the goddess.

"The Olympians are finicky about such matters. Our sacred items are very important to us, and sometimes they adopt unofficial items. In this case, the color pink."

"So if I became a full god, I'd have to choose all that stuff?"

"Yes, that would be the case," the goddess smirked, "it seems that you are warming up to the idea."

"Maybe. I'm still trying to justify it to myself. I'm already immortal right and I was just getting onto one of my friends about being unwilling to change. The only issue is that I don't want to be affected by the ancient laws."

"The ancient laws are sometimes more so ancient suggestions than hard laws. Gods break some as they please. Your birth is one such example. Oaths are not meant to be broken, but many of the gods do so rather casually."

Percy shifted so that he could be a bit more comfortable, "Guess that's a good point. How long do you think it'll be before the vote?"

"There is no set date for something of this magnitude, though part of it will depend on you."

"For what?"

"Whether you decide to go join, or if I have to force you to," Diana said casually, examining her nails as she leaned back on one arm.

"You might have to. I'm still not ready for it and I don't know how good I would be."

"You'll do well regardless of what you choose."

He grinned, craning his neck to look at her, "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I need it."

"I'm sure your friends would tell you the same," Diana smirked for a moment before glancing over towards Nico and Will, "We could always ask them."

Percy waved her off, "No need. Nico's been badgering me about it since he found out. Same with Reyna, Calypso, and Hazel."

"You have good friends."

"Except when they gang up on me," he pushed himself up. The young man picked at the plate a bit more before finishing off his drink and standing, "Can I get you anything while I'm up?"

"I'll just come with you."

Percy tilted his head and gave her a lopsided grin before offering her a hand up which she took readily. He didn't even really have to pull. Either she didn't weigh that much, or she was graceful enough to make it all one fluid motion. Probably both. Regardless, it did mean she definitely didn't need his help. He brushed that off though as he quickly made his rounds to each of his friends, asking them the same question. He made sure to relay a bit of it to the moon goddess just in case he forgot since a few of them (Leo and Jason) had asked for quite a few different items. Best that someone else help him out given his rather short attention span and poor attention to detail.

It was a quick trip in and out, but he'd struggled to balance everything on his arms. Finally, he elected to make two trips but Diana had quickly stepped in to help the poor man by taking a few of them herself. He complained a little, but she ignored him, instead focusing on directing him to hand out the food to their respective recipient. She'd grabbed a few of her own so that they could pick at them again. The goddess reminded herself to thank the titaness. She'd made quite the spread and everything had been great.

She ended up seated before her friend as he'd gotten sidetracked talking to Piper about something. Not for the first time, the goddess felt something warm course through her as she observed. Of course, that happened to be Percy tossing in a bit of food as a joking sacrifice, but she didn't mind that either. He'd shot her a teasing grin as he'd done so. The young man sort of danced around to various conversations, taking a bit of time to speak to everyone and hang out. This continued for a while before coming to a conclusion when he finally flopped back down in the sand next to her.

"You're having a good time, right?" He looked a little bit like a seal pup as he spoke.

The goddess pressed her hand to her cheek as she spoke, "Certainly. It is quite relaxing."

"Agreed. But, I wouldn't mind some music either."

"What are you envisioning? I'm sure that your friend could help you in that regard."

Percy blinked as if he hadn't considered that, "I'm going to steal that idea from you."

Diana smiled as the young man jumped up to get the aforementioned friend. Sure enough, he'd retrieved a beautiful guitar from his cabin moments later and had thrust it into the son of Apollo's hands. Nico had rolled his eyes but had also supported Percy in his endeavor, convincing the blonde to sing and play for them. It seemed that the cabin head had more of his father's traits than the goddess had previously thought. She could certainly appreciate his propensity for music as he led the group in song. Piper dragged Jason off a few feet and the two danced happily while Calypso tried to convince Leo to do the same.

The rest of them simply sat and enjoyed, gathered a bit closer around the fire as it got later. It'd started to run low but Diana had quickly rectified that, ensuring that it kept them all warm and comfortable. If anything, it ran a bit hotter after but nobody seemed to mind. Percy had joined Will, dragging Nico along with him and the three were messing around, singing whatever came to their mind. The song would change with the wind, but they still managed to make it sound good, even despite Nico's reluctance to sing.

Eventually, their night came to an end. A rather cold gust of wind had swept through their camp and had sent many scrambling into the cabin. From there, they'd all made their ways inside and most of them had passed out. Leo and Calypso had ended up leaving, courtesy of the Titaness's magic, but the rest had stayed. Jason and Piper found themselves in the guest room downstairs while Will and Nico had made their way up to the smaller attic space that Percy had converted into a small room. If he was honest, it was one of his favorite places in the entire house.

Regardless of that though, it did leave himself and the moon goddess alone in the living room. Percy once again brought the fireplace to life and the two continued their night. It wasn't all that late for the two of them, only a little after midnight. The others had retired due to their earlier activities, but it hadn't been nearly enough to tire out Percy. Diana, obviously, had no such issues regarding sleep and so the two found themselves nestled in a blanket on the couch with a movie. She hadn't had any preferences, so the son of the sea had quickly insisted on watching one of his favorites. The goddess had been none too surprised to see Finding Nemo on. She had to smile as the young man made his way back to the couch with a wide smile and a small bounce in his step.

When the goddess had asked him about his choice, he'd only laughed before explaining, saying, "It might be one of the best movies to ever grace mortals."

"That is high praise," Diana settled into the blanket a little more, "Any other favorites?"

Percy thought for a moment, "I really liked Lord of the Rings."

The huntress looked amused, "Do I have to ask why?"

"Nope." Percy let his head lean back against the couch, "There are lots of great things about it. Cool fights, cool characters, and the books were really good."

"I'm surprised that you have read them."

"I dyslexic, not blind," Percy quipped, "It's not like I can't read. It's just harder."

Diana rolled her eyes, but he could see that she was being playful, "I mean more that they are rather long."

"True. But, they were definitely worth reading. Apparently Tolkien was a demigod so I figured I might as well."

Diana nodded, "A son of Minerva if I recall correctly. That would make it easier for you to read I imagine."

Percy agreed before pausing, "But I think reading them was a one-time thing. I'll stick to the movies."

They were enveloped by a comfortable silence as the two sat and watched the movie. After a while though, the goddess yawned a bit, turning to observe the young man. He was almost completely enraptured by the movie, and she could see the way his eyes twinkled at certain parts. He didn't seem to notice, even after a few minutes, but eventually, her gaze began to bounce around the room. It quickly settled on the screen before dropping down to the table to see the decks of cards they'd been using. That reminded her of something.

"I do hate to draw you away from your beloved movie," Diana started, gently teasing him as she observed the way the movie held his rapt attention, "But I do have a question for you."

Percy turned to look at her curiously, "What about?"

"Nico was telling me about your house rules, and I was curious what that entailed."

Something in his mind clicked as he leaned back in his chair, "I completely forgot that you get something."

"He said something about that."

Percy nodded, "Everyone's asleep now, but normally we'd have a prize of some sort for the person who won the most. You kinda annihilated us towards the end, so you'd be the winner for the night."

"What do I get?" The goddess's eyes betrayed her curiosity

Percy thought for a moment, "What if I say you can get in the water as you please?"

Diana tilted her head in interest, "That is no small gift."

"If you say so," Percy shrugged, "It's really not a big deal."

"I do not think you understand."

"Maybe not, but you're my friend. It shouldn't be different just because you're a god."

"Not many share that sentiment."

"Maybe they will eventually. You're welcome to request whatever you'd like though if you want something else."

The goddess shook her head, "We can revisit it then. You have offered far too much."

Percy grinned, "Sucks because you're getting it regardless."

Diana looked exasperated, "I would have settled for a plate of your mother's cookies."

Percy perked up a little at that, "Done. We can go tomorrow if you're free. I was going anyway so it'll be the perfect time."

"There," Diana looked satisfied, "No need for your first gift."

Percy chuckled, "Too late. Already said it was happening. I'd be a terrible friend if I just revoked it."

"I cannot convince you otherwise, can I?"

"Nope."

She groaned, leaning over a little into the center of the couch, "It is rare that I find myself in such situations."

Percy turned to look at her with a smug grin, "Sucks."

She rolled her eyes, "Is that what it feels like when you lose to me?"

"Nope," Percy laughed, "It feels so much better. At least I have a chance."

"You are insufferable at times."

"I'm really not sure how you deal with me honestly."

"It would not be possible if not for a millennia of others trying my patience, I assure you."

He smiled, turning back to the movie. Once again, they found themselves in comfortable silence. At some point, Percy had nodded off, flopping over straight into the center of the couch. Thankfully, as he had said, it seemed that he'd lost the habit of drooling. Diana had initially been surprised to see him fall asleep so easily, but she'd brushed it off. There was no reason for him to not be comfortable enough to do so. What was more interesting was the way he had occasionally jerked in his sleep. She'd been surprised the first time he'd done so as he'd shaken the entire couch with how aggressive it'd been.

She could recall Apollo saying something about that being due to his body making sure he wasn't dead, but she couldn't recall exactly what he'd said. Regardless though, it had been funny to watch. What wasn't fun was that he'd ended up sprawled over the couch, preventing her from getting up. That left her alone with her thoughts and the TV. He'd managed to make it through Nemo but he'd passed out essentially as soon as something else came on. Truly, he did remind her of a fawn. Something about his actions struck her as being quite innocent and cute in the same way only baby animals could be.

Even after finishing another movie, the goddess found the young man to still be asleep. That was a feat in itself as he was often plagued by nightmares, especially in recent nights. Regardless though, she was thankful that he was resting, even if it did leave her without anyone to talk to. She had brushed that off quickly though. She was content with the fact that she didn't have to be alone. In fact, she found that she was still having a rather good time. There was something about sitting in front of the screen and doing something mundane with a friend that was strangely calming.

Sure, she'd had her fun with everyone, but this was where she felt truly relaxed. Of course, as soon as she thought that, Percy seemed to stir a bit. Slowly, his eyes cracked open. He didn't make any attempt to move himself, other than to snuggle a little closer. Diana had to stifle a noise of amusement in an attempt not to bother him, but it seemed he noticed anyway.

His voice was tired but relaxed. He looked like he could fall asleep again at any moment, but it seemed that he was awake for now, "What time is it?"

The goddess glanced out the window, "Roughly three."

He yawned and let his head lean off to one side, "You're not going to sleep?"

"I do not need to."

Percy hummed, shifting a little, "What are you watching?"

"I am unsure. Something just played."

"And you've been sitting here the entire time?"

The goddess nodded, "It is peaceful here. I quite enjoy the sound of the tide."

He smiled softly, "That makes two of us."

"I am surprised that you fell asleep so quickly. Normally, you are up quite late."

He yawned again, "I'm just really comfortable. I always fall asleep easier around others."

"That is strange."

"Not when you're being hunted by monsters. It's good knowing there's a night watch."

Diana did have to agree with that. Her own Hunt used such a system for the same reasons. "That is fair. Are you going to go back to sleep?"

He lazily scratched at his cheek, "Don't know yet. I might fall asleep, I might not. Who knows?"

"Then do you mind moving your head so that I may get up?"

He flushed a little and pushed himself up, "Sorry."

The goddess waved him off, "It is of no consequence."

"You sure?"

"I would not say so if I felt otherwise."

"Guess that's fair," Percy let out a quick breath. Diana only smiled in amusement. "Have you just been up the whole time?"

The goddess nodded, "I briefly considered getting something to eat but somebody decided to fall asleep on me."

"You could have moved me." The goddess shrugged before stretching a bit and standing. Percy noted that it was almost catlike but quickly got up to join her, "Couldn't you have just snapped your fingers and summoned food?"

"I prefer to avoid eating on the furniture."

Percy could agree with that much, "I was thinking we could go to my mom's around noon or one. Maybe we could make a day out of it or something. Do you want to bring Thalia with you? She'd kill me if she found out that I went to visit without her and I've been meaning to visit my mom and Paul anyway."

"Perhaps we could visit my Hunt afterward instead. I have not spent as much time around them as I'd like. I imagine that quite a few of them would be happy to see you and it gets my Lieutenant off your back."

He chuckled, "I'll ask my mom to make extra then. Wouldn't want anyone to feel left out."

"Assuming Thalia doesn't get to them first."

"Good point," Percy yawned as the two made their way over to the tables which still had decent amounts of food on them. Percy grabbed a plate and followed the goddess dutifully, letting her place whatever she wanted on it while occasionally throwing on items for himself as well. The food Piper had brought had gone quickly, as had his little pepper things. Calypso's would have too, but she tended to make far too much since her magic made it so easy, not that anyone minded.

"You want to watch something?" Percy asked as the two made their way out of the kitchen.

She thought for a moment before nodding, "What did you have in mind?"

"I got to choose Nemo so it's up to you."

"What do you have?" Diana asked, but she quickly took it back as Percy glanced at her curiously, "Right, Vulcan TV. Forgot."

"Happens to me and I live here," he grinned before turning to her, "Full disclosure, I might make fun of you if you ask to watch a nature documentary."

"But you wouldn't mind either."

His smile grew, "Not at all. Especially if it's about the ocean."

The goddess just shook her head in amusement.

Well who's ready for another bonus update? First off, business. I'm leaving for the next three-ish weeks to London, Monaco, and some other places so updating might be a bit strange. I've already gotten chapters written and loaded in the document manager, so hopefully I'll just be able to upload them directly from my phone. It might not work out that way though so you'll find out Wednesday. If it does, expect normal uploads every Wednesday. If it doesn't, I'll upload all three of the missed chapters at once when I get back. That's pretty much it.

So! On to the other stuff. This chapter is a bit shorter obviously but I enjoyed writing it and wanted to sort of wrap things up a little for this mini-arc. Did a bit more characterization for both Percy and Diana, and explored a more casual (non-romantic) relationship between the two. Fun to write, hopefully fun to read. Let me know what you guys think.

On to reviews: To Icefire99, PhantomFuryJP, Sawgrass, TheFiction101, and Ishimaru Taiki: Always happy to hear that you're enjoying. It was definitely a laid-back sort of feel-good chapter. Tons of fun to write and might do another like it soon. Not sure yet. To Prenicolado: Glad you liked it and that was definitely the intention. I want to explore that aspect a bit more in her next appearance after this introduction period. To BoyFromAngels: Thank you as always and big thanks for the typo thing. I went back and changed what I found and then went back to check my other chapters. Same issue in a few of them so massive thanks for pointing that out. And finally to HellRaiderS: Tons of thanks to you. I'm super happy to see that you're enjoying and that's some huge praise. Again, thank you.
Well! Enjoy