"Percy!" A voice yelled at him. "Wake up NOW!" Percy groaned, rubbing his eyes as he tried to adjust to the sudden brightness of the room.

"Just a minute," he sleepily mumbled, wriggling around in his bed to get more cozy. For a brief moment, he thought that whoever was bothering him had finally given up and stormed out of the room. Unfortunately, this was reality, and she wasn't budging.

"Perseus Jackson, you get up in this instance or I swear I'll dump a bucket of ice water on you!"

"Go ahead then," he smirked, burying his head deeper into his pillow. Yeah, as if he could get wet.
"That's it," the voice growled. The next thing Percy knew, his blanket was suddenly ripped off him and chucked to the floor. An icy feeling began flowing through him.

"HEY!" he yelled, bolting upright and shivering. "What was that for?" Aphrodite stood in the doorframe, her body leaning against one side. Arms crossed, she glared at Percy, before slowly smirking.

"You drool in your sleep," she snickered. Percy could feel his face growing hot.

"Do not!" he replied sleepily. Aphrodite raised an eyebrow, pointing to the small stain on her bed.

"Well there's a wet stain on your bed. Would you like to admit you were drooling, or do I need to parade around the streets and tell everyone the great saviour of Olympus, Percy Jackson, wet the bed like a five year old, because those are the two explanations." Lightly laughing at his furious expression, Aphrodite said, "Learn to take a joke," before walking away. "Breakfast is in ten minutes, and you better be downstairs!"

Percy was tempted to go back to sleep just to spite her, but in the end, decided against it. Today was supposedly the start of his training, and he didn't want to give Aphrodite a reason to spend the next five years of his life torturing him on why love is so important, or some other sappy topic. With a sigh, he lightly pinched himself, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. Stretching, he checked the time on his watch. Ever since he threw his old watch at Kampe to help Tyson escape, Percy had realised how useful a watch was, and how jarring it was not knowing the time. That's why when Percy first visited the Romans after Gaia, his epic half brother had prepared him another watch. This one was a beautiful pale blue, with dolphins for watch hands. Like the previous one, it also turned into a sleek, celestial bronze shield but this time Tyson had really gone the extra mile. He'd asked a child of Hecate to enchant it, so like his old pen, it always returned back to him. The only issue was Tyson being Tyson had managed to mess the spell up, so instead of returning to his wrist, the watch returned to his ankle whenever he loses it, something that had really spooked him out the first time.

Seven AM. Percy didn't know people got up at this ungodly hour, let alone a love goddess who spent her night doing gods know what. Dragging himself out of bed, Percy went to the grand toilet, which was more than marvellous. Thoughtfully, Aphrodite had placed a toothbrush and some other toiletries in there, and he wasted no time in freshening up. Once done, he quickly made his bed with military precision (yes he was still a polite man), grabbed his shoes and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind with a soft click. Now for the hard part, figuring out how to get to the kitchen.

Aphrodite's house was a maze of corridors, rooms and stairs. Navigating the Labyrinth had been easier. Percy silently cursed as he reached a dead end for the fourth time, knowing downstairs, Aphrodite must be smirking at him taking his time. He knew that she'd left him so that he could feel the pain and frustration she had when attempting to get him up. Percy had no idea where the kitchen was, but he assumed it was on the ground floor. He tried to recall the layout of her mansion, but it was a blur in his mind. Yesterday, part of him had still been in shock. Part of him was still in shock now that he thought about it. Percy took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to focus. He couldn't let Aphrodite get the best of him. He had to find his way to the kitchen and face her with confidence. He retraced his steps, trying to remember the path he had taken. He turned left, then right, then left again. He climbed down a spiral staircase and found himself in a hallway lined with paintings of beautiful women. Some of them, he recognised as Aphrodite's daughters, while for others he was clueless.

He continued down the hallway, his footsteps echoing on the marble floor. Aside from the odd bird chirping, and his breaths of frustration, the palace was silent. It was like the living soul had been sucked out of it. Taking a deep breath, he continued walking forward. Percy felt like a fish out of water in this lavish environment, his simple demigod clothes contrasting sharply with the opulence around him. He had a sinking feeling that before the week was over, Percy would know more about clothes than battle tactics. Aphrodite would see to that.

In his rush, Percy almost missed it. Sprinting down yet another hallway, he passed by a door that was slightly ajar, and he caught a whiff of something delicious. His stomach growled, reminding him that he had gone over a day without eating. Percy pushed the door open and found himself in a large, brightly-lit kitchen. The room was filled with the aromas of fresh baked bread, sizzling bacon, and brewing coffee. He felt his mouth water as he scanned the room, taking in the rows of stainless steel appliances and the gleaming marble countertops. As he walked towards the center island, he saw a figure in the corner of his eye. He turned to see Aphrodite humming a little tune while flipping a pancake. She was wearing a frilly pink apron and had her hair tied in a pony, looking more like a stereotypical housewife than the goddess of love. Despite their differences, he couldn't help but feel a little respect for her acting mortal rather than summoning food.

"About time you came," she snorted, keeping her eyes on the food.

"Yeah, well it'd be easier if I knew where the freaking kitchen was!" I snapped, taking a seat.

"Is that how you talk to a goddess, Percy?" she asked with a wry smile. "Besides, don't act like I didn't offer you a tour yesterday." He gave a huff.

"Well I'm an immortal as well, so no need for respect."

"Actually you're not." Percy nearly choked on the air.

"What!?" he yelled. "Well what was that whole ordeal about where the Fates were doing that thing, and the council were chanting in Greek?"

"Well yeah, you're partly immortal, and you do have your domains, but no, completely immortal you're not. In order to have the true divinity of the gods, you need your mortality washed away."

"And how do I do that?" he asked. Aphrodite placed a stack of pancakes on the table. To his surprise, she'd made them blue. He didn't know if that was a coincidence or whether she'd done some research on him. The goddess gave him a glass of apple juice, some toast, and a bit of bacon. Then, pulling up her own chair, she sat opposite him and began digging in. Percy cut a small piece. As he took his first bite, he couldn't help but sigh in pleasure. The flavours exploded in his mouth, and he felt like he had never tasted anything so rich. Gods, Aphrodite knew how to cook alright.

"I see you enjoy the taste of my cooking," she said, taking note of his reaction.

"I mean, it's okay." The goddess snorted, taking a bite.
"Trust me, I didn't learn cooking for millenia, only for a nineteen year old boy to call it 'okay'." Well at least she got his age right, unlike Ares.

"Back to what I was talking about though," Percy continued. "How do I achieve complete immortality then? You guys said I was immortal." The goddess raised an eyebrow.

"No one called you immortal. And to answer your question, you need to unlock your divine form."

"And how do I do that?" Percy asked impatiently. This goddess was unnerving him. Sensing his impatience, Aphrodite smirked, taking another, slow bite of bacon.

"Like I did with my son, Aeneas, I will sooner or later take you to the river god Numicus someday. He'll wash away your mortality, and then you basically need to overeat on ambrosia and nectar till you feel sick. It took me ages to convince that god to help Aeneas, but being the god of rivers, I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake."

"Athena said that the river gods and nymphs will probably not listen to me," he said nervously, taking another bite of this divine food.

"Bah," Aphrodite scoffed, waving a hand in dismissal. "Anyone could tell she was stopping Zeus from a panic attack. I think you have potential. All you need to do is rub your power in their face and show them who's the boss."

"I don't really want anymore power," Percy grumbled. "And a pegasus calling me boss is enough." Aphrodite shrugged.

"You may not want it now, but there will come a time when you'll need it, and it's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Besides, do you want the power to be in the wrong person's hands?" Percy couldn't help but feel skeptical as he looked at the woman in front of him. He had been burned before, trusting people who turned out to have ill intentions.

"I see," Percy said quietly, looking back at his food. Only a few minutes in and he was halfway done. As he took another sip of juice, another awkward silence began to settle.

"So are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Aphrodite asked him curiously.

"Wait, you have a zoo here as well?" The goddess face palmed, grinning before her expression suddenly changed to one of angst.

"Percy," she began quietly, pushing her food to the side. "I'm not the brightest goddess, but I don't need to be smart like Athena to tell that you strongly dislike me." Percy grimaced, knowing that he could no longer avoid the issue.

"What gave it away?" he joked, again trying to divert the conversation. She didn't even smile.

"Percy, whether you like it or not, we're stuck together for quite a while. I have a lot to teach you, and we can't do it if you keep looking at me with loath and hatred. You're not Styx for crying out loud." Percy had now stopped eating, and was absentmindedly playing with his fork, not daring to look up.

"I don't have any loath or hatred for you," he said slowly, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "It's just… complicated." She raised an eyebrow.

"Complicated how?" Percy hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. He didn't want to come across as ungrateful or resentful, but he also didn't want to pretend everything was okay when it clearly was.

"I guess, I just don't understand you," he said at last. "You're the goddess of love and beauty, but sometimes it feels like… like you don't care about anyone else. It's like mortals and demigods are just playthings for your own romantic story. Aphrodite seemed to be looking at him with an expression of interest.

"I assume you're referring to something specific?" she asked quietly, eyes boring into his soul.

"You hurt me with Annabeth," he said, his voice laced with bitterness. He'd promised himself to remain calm throughout the conversations, but the memories of his near perfect life prior to Aphrodite's involvement began to rise, and anger shimmered within him like a pot about to boil over.

"I know I did, Percy, and I'm sorry for that, but some stuff is out of my control," she said with a small sigh. For the first time, Percy looked up, staring at the goddess in her eyes. Her face looked void of emotions, but her hands gave it away. The goddess was nervously fidgeting with the hem of her apron, something she'd left on while eating.

"I saved Olympus twice," Percy began quietly, his voice heavy with emotion. "That means I saved you twice. The first time, I didn't ask for much. I asked you to pay more attention to your children, which you did, but I also asked you to free the peaceful titans, and for some reason that didn't happen. Okay, I'll let it slide for now, I'm sure Zeus has been busy. Then, the giant war came. To save you all again, not only did I lose my memories, I went so far as to jump into Tartarus. My sanity gone, I came back to the surface and guess what? Another battle, this one even more brutal than the last. We didn't get gifts or rewards this time. We didn't care. All of us only wanted one thing. To be able to live the rest of our lives in peace, without the gods interrupting us. One, small request, and you just couldn't keep your nose out of my love life, could you?" At least she had the decency to look ashamed.

"Two years later and you haven't moved on? I guess you really are as loyal as you say they are." He snorted.

"If I wasn't loyal, would I have broken up with Annabeth?" he asked, his voice hard. "She lost feelings for me, but no one said I lost feelings for her." Aphrodite let out a sigh and reached out to touch his arm, but he flinched away from her. She quickly withdrew her hand and looked down at her lap.

"Percy," she said softly. "It was never my intention to split you two up. Love is complicated, and it was a mistake. Listen, I'm not asking you to fall in love with me. All I'm requesting is that we can both put this beside us and move on." Percy took another sip of apple juice, thinking about her proposal. He wasn't sure if he was ready to forgive her yet, but he knew he couldn't keep holding onto his anger forever. Besides, Zeus had made it clear that they needed to work as a team, and that meant forgiving each other's mistakes.

"Unless you've spent so much time with Hades and Nico that you're holding grudges," the goddess teased, trying to lighten the mood.. He sighed, rolling his eyes at her attempt at humour.

"I'll tell you what," he began in a serious tone. "If you can promise you will never try to convince me to… engage in acts I would rather not say out loud with you, with you or with anyone else, then I am willing to forgive you, and potentially as time flows, forget about it." He may be irritated with the love goddess, they needed to find some sort of unity with each other. After all, it was his bitterness that got him in this mess. Besides, she's his mentor, and Percy knew that the two couldn't train properly with this awkward tension and refusal for him to talk with her. Plus, this way he could guarantee she won't ever mess his love life up again, and as a cherry on top, being acquaintances with the love goddess would surely come with some benefits.

"Deal Percy!" she said brightly. "I promise you I will never ever try to sleep with you, or get anyone else to!"
"Whoa! Aphrodite, do you think I'm stupid?" he said, his jaw clenched tightly. "You've already proven that you have no regard for my feelings. I won't be fooled again." She shrugged, a devilish look in her eyes

"Oh please Percy, don't be so dramatic. I accidentally slipped up once or twice, and maybe had something to do with your appearance on Ogygia, but I've been fixing stuff up! I already got Calypso that boy, Leo." To most, her actions would seem innocent, but Percy could tell she was trying to deflect from the real issue at hand.

"Nothing short of a promise on the Styx," he said firmly. Aphrodite let out an exasperated sigh.

"Do I have-"

"Yes!" he said emphatically, his eyes narrowing. "If you're serious about making amends, then you'll swear on the Styx to never seduce me, and that you'll never interfere in my love life again."
"Fine!" she muttered grumpily. "I, Aphrodite, goddess of love swear on the River Styx to never interrupt with his love life in ways he would not like me to, or to try and convince Percy to sleep with me, unless he is willing!" I smirked.

"That was easy, wasn't it?" She glared at me.

"For your information, I have better stuff to do in my time than convincing minor gods like you to have some fun time in my bedroom. I wouldn't even make a move on you unless I was pretty bored-"

"And now you can't do it then either!" It was his turn to smile brightly, before wolfing down what remained of his egg. As he watched her scowl, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. If anything good had arisen from his training program so far, it was that he had put his foot down. He had made it clear that he was no longer some pawn for her to manipulate.

With the tension now relieved, Aphrodite began collecting all their plates to wash, something Percy wouldn't let happen. The two were close to starting another argument, but eventually Aphrodite reasoned with him. They settled on sharing the chores. As she washed and he dried, Percy couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief that the tension between them was gone. He had been holding onto his grudge against Aphrodite for too long, especially since he had been around Hades and Persephone too much. However, he couldn't deny that he was still hesitant to fully forgive her. Even with her promise and oath on the Styx, he couldn't shake the feeling that she would try to interfere in his love life again. As if sensing his reluctance, the goddess spoke up again.

"I know it'll take some time for you to fully trust me again, and I understand that, but I want you to know that I truly am sorry for what I did. I never meant to hurt you or Annabeth, and I regret it every day. Us immortals are usually too proud to ever admit our faults, so believe me, it takes a lot from me to apologise, and I'm only doing it because I don't want any bad blood between us." Percy softened at her words. He knew that she was being sincere, but forgiveness didn't happen overnight.

"Today is the only time you will ever catch me manually washing plates," Aphrodite grumbled, quickly switching the conversation. She said the word 'manually' like it disgusted her.

"Yeah, why aren't you just using your godly powers to clean everything up?" he asked as the goddess handed him another plate and he began drying it.

"While you were sleeping in Apollo's horrific hotel, Athena paid me a little visit. She knew that with Zeus being Zeus, no matter what Poseidon or any of the gods said, you would end up as my protégé. She had the absolutely brilliant idea that for the first week, I should try and do some stuff manually to ease you into godhood and how we can just automate everything." She snorted. "Yeah, she was definitely just pranking me. As of tomorrow, back to magic baby!" he nodded, looking at the pile of plates they still had left to clean.

"How about you clean the rest up magically?" Percy asked a little too hopefully. Aphrodite smirked.

"Oh my, is the poor Hero of Olympus already traumatised from all the hard work he's been doing?" When Aphrodite caught him rolling his eyes, she laughed. "Seriously Percy, learn when someone is teasing or flirting with you."
"You're flirting with me?"

"Nah," she said in a deadpanned voice. "But one day, your girlfriend will, and if you think she's being serious, oh gods your romantic life will be even worse than I imagined." Sighing, Percy ignored her and went back to drying the cutlery.

"So what's the plan for today?" he asked as he placed the last fork away. "Am I visiting Hecate? Learning how to flash? Growing sixty feet tall? Oooh please tell me we're building my palace!" Aphrodite lightly chucked at the new god's enthusiasm.

"Well firstly, you can't flash or grow your height until you unlock your full divinity. You can go to Hecate on a day when I'm busy, which will be very soon, trust me. As for your palace, Athena will come to you when she's ready, not the other way round." Percy grumbled.

"Well what are we doing today then?"
"Oh don't worry, I have something very special planned for you! Now I was thinking about teaching you how to harness godly energy to move faster, hit harder, and heal quicker, because as long as you have your domains, you have godly energy, but where's the fun or practicality in that?"
"Gee, I wonder why healing fast would be practical?" he said sarcastically.

"Thank you! Anyway, that's why today, we're going on a tour of Olympus." Percy was taken aback.

"That's… Actually not as bad as I was thinking," he mused. "I suppose I need to find my way around here eventually. Alright, when are we going!" Aphrodite looked shocked.

"Wait, you're ready to tour Olympus in that!?" she shrieked, pointing at his clothes. He looked down at them, confused.

"I mean yeah, what's wrong with that?". The goddess sighed.

"Percy, you are a fine, young lad. You should be presenting your handsomeness to the world, not covering it up.

"I honestly think I'm fine-"
"Nonsense! My protégé must look almost as amazing as me. This will not do!" She was talking so fast and erratically. "Go back to your room, look in the wardrobes and pick a better outfit." Percy hesitated, still not understanding what was wrong with his clothes. Annabeth had never complained, well aside from that time… and that time… ah yes and that time… When he stayed in his seat, frozen, the goddess angrily stood up and practically dragged him out of the kitchen, before heading to her own room, no doubtedley to put more makeup on.

"Wait, but I don't remember how to get back to my-" He heard Aphrodite close her door.

"-Room," he mumbled, letting out a depressing sigh. Turning around, Percy trudged up the stairs in misery, praying to whoever was the god of finding bedrooms that he could find his again.

"When you said taking a tour of Olympus, I didn't think you meant this," Percy grumbled as he obediently followed her. Unlike him, the goddess seemed to be enjoying herself, flitting from rack to rack, examining dresses and skirts with a critical eye.

"Well what did you think I meant?" she snorted, amused by his discomfort. "Taking you to all those boring temples and palaces?"

"I mean, yeah," he admitted. "After Demeter bullied Apollo about his hotel, I was looking forward to seeing your five star one." Ignoring him, Aphrodite bounded over to examine another dress, this one white and extremely short. Skipping over the price tag, she grabbed it from the rack and flung it onto Percy, humming a little tune. He grumbled as he tried to prevent it from slipping down the pile of new, flashy clothes he was already holding.

"I am your protégé, not your slave!" he growled.

"Relax Percy, this is training," she giggled.

"Training for what?"
"Muscles! You need to be able to lift heavy weights in order to become stronger, I read that in Athena's book on muscle building!"
"Aphrodite, holding the clothes you want to buy hardly counts as weight lifting," he snapped. "Continue with this and I will tell Poseidon. This has got to be some sort of abuse."
"Poseidon won't say anything. As long as you're not physically hurt at the end of the day, all is well!"

"Yeah but what about mentally hurt and broken?" he muttered under his breath.

"Nonsense," she giggled. "Now come on, there's a really nice skirt I've been wanting to buy for ages!" Percy sighed, resigning to his fate.

According to Aphrodite, there were only three things 'worth visiting' in Olympus. The Olympian market, The Olympian Plaza and The Olympic Oasis. First was the market. This was nothing short of a chaotic and overwhelming place. Picture a long road, with stalls along the sides and people yelling at each other for various items.

"By one get one free!"
"Olympian ashes, get yours now!"
"Lucky necklace charms, bring you good fortune!" There was more garbage there than there was plastic in the seas, and coming from the son of Poseidon, that was saying something. Somewhere along the frenzy of voices, Percy had seen Apollo cursing a poor nymph, and Hestia getting bombarded by different vendors, each promising that their ambrosia was of better quality. It was no different than a crowded marketplace on Earth, only wilder and the merchandise was godly in nature.

They were currently in The Olympic Plaza, which actually lived up to his name. The Olympic Plaza was a grand sight to behold. The enormous golden building was bustling with activity, filled with gods, nymphs, satyrs, and creatures of all kinds. Percy had never seen so much life in one place before, and he found himself awestruck by the sheer scale of it all. It looked like a mall you'd find below on Earth, only bustling with gods, nymphs, satyrs on holiday, and everything in between… including a goddess of beauty with her grumpy protege.

This must've been their seventh clothes shop, and Aphrodite was going through every single item, picking it up, and either wrinkling her nose and placing it back, or giving it to Percy to hold. His hands felt numb and tired.

"Please, Aphrodite," he begged. "We don't need to get anymore clothes, you can just magic them up!" She shrugged.

"Yeah I can, but I need to own the item to wear it. Zeus's orders to keep Olympus bustling. Plus it gives me new clothing ideas for my own brand. And, as a bonus, it… what's the phrase? Yes, it supports the local economy!" Had his hands been free, he would've facepalmed.

"Let's see something more interesting," he pleaded. "C'mon, you said you were a changed person and didn't want any bad blood between us?"

"I'm teaching you that sometimes, when you're under Zeus's command, you need to follow orders, no matter how dumb and stupid and irritating they are," she smiled smugly. "And I am trying to change Percy. After all, I did swear to never mess with your love life again, and I won't, but that doesn't mean I'm suddenly a new person ten seconds later, so unless the world is about to end, we're checking out the next shop!" Cursing under his breath, Percy trudged behind her to the counter, where she sweetly smiled.

"I don't suppose you have another discount for me this time, Fidelus?" she asked in a seductive tone, batting her eyelashes.

Fidelus, the shopkeeper, chuckled.

"Sorry, my lady. I've already given you my best offer." Aphrodite pouted, but quickly regained her composure.

"Well, it was worth a shot," she said with a wink. Fiedlus blushed slightly, before clearing his throat and counting the total cost up in his head.

"And the total is seventy drachmas for the lady- Oh my, who's this?" Fidelus was looking right past the goddess of beauty. When Aphrodite nudged him, Percy realised that Fidelus was talking about him.

"Percy Jackson, sir," he said with a nod.

"My my, the saviour of Olympus himself in my beauty shop!" Fidelus looked ready to pass out. "I can tell they didn't over exaggerate your manners." Turning back to Aphrodite who was beaming, he said, "This cannot do. For the twice saviour of Olympus, and therefore twice saviour of my business, I give you twenty percent off, plus direct access to me whenever needed!"

"Its honestly fine-"

"Percy," Aphrodite whispered into his ear. "For god's sake, stop being so noble and just take the damn discount!" Gleefully, the goddess handed Fidelus a bag of drachmas, letting him take however much he needed and returning the rest to her. The shopkeeper dutifully packed everything into bags which Percy was forced to hold. The weight of the bags seemed to grow with each passing moment, and Percy found himself struggling to keep up with Aphrodite's lightning fast pace. As they left the shop, he breathed a loud sigh of relief. They had been shopping for what felt like days now, and he was ready for a change of pace.

"Aphrodite, can we do something else now please?" he asked hopefully, trying to hide his weariness. The goddess raised her eyebrow

"Like what?" Aphrodite replied with a hint of amusement.

"I don't know, maybe go to that Olympic Oasis you were talking about?" Percy suggested. Aphrodite considered this for a moment, before pouting.

"But we have so many more shops to visit!" she whined with a sly smile. "And I need to find a new outfit for you." Percy felt taken aback. It was rare for Aphrodite to even acknowledge others, let alone wanting to buy clothes for them.

"There's no need," he tried to explain that he was happy with his demigod clothes.

"Percy!" she began sternly. "This is my first shopping spree in a few months. Now that I have a protégé, I'm not only shopping for myself, but I'm also looking out for you! As a hero of Olympus, you need to look presentable and stylish." Knowing it was futile to argue with her, Percy meekly followed along. This was the first and last time he would ever go shopping with her. Come to think of it, when they got back, he needed to set some ground rules with her. Percy was almost certain that being bossed around and forced to carry shopping didn't fall under the job of a protégé.

"Ah Percy!" A gruff voice said from behind. As Percy and Aphrodite turned around, they came face to face with a smirking, sooty, blacksmith.

"Husband," Aphrodite greeted coldly. It was so odd how fast her mood could change. Literally a minute ago she had been smiling and giggling with Percy, but as soon as Hephaestus came, she'd grown harsh.

"Wife," he nodded curtly, before turning back to the new god. "I see it didn't take Aphrodite long before she began trying to use you," he said, smirking at the goddess. "I've been there Percy, and let me tell you, life is brighter without her." Aphrodite's eyes flashed with anger at her husband's words.

"I would argue that I am the ray of sunshine for most," she retorted. Hephaestus chuckled.

"There is a reason I prefer to keep away from her," he said pointedly, ignoring her jibe.

"Yeah, it's because I don't want to see your ugly face," Aphrodite snapped. Hephaestus didn't give her any attention, and instead continued talking to Percy.

"She has a tendency to use people to get what she wants." He wanted to deny it, but deep down, Percy recalled the amount of times Aphrodite had just seen him as a character for her latest love book. Yes, he had promised her to never mess around in his love life, but how could he know she wouldn't try to mess his life in a different way? From the look on Percy's face, the forger's grin grew.

"See, you already know what I'm talking about." Not being able to stand her husband's bad mouthing any longer, she narrowed her eyes.

"Did you really come all the way here to tell Percy about how cunning and manipulative I am?" Aphrodite hissed, her voice dripping with venom. The blacksmith shrugged nonchalantly.

"Not exactly," he said, his smirk still in place. "I actually came to talk to Percy about his ascension to godhood, but I thought it would be fun to mess with you a bit first. Besides, don't act like nothing I said wasn't true."

Hephaestus turned to Percy, a twinkle in his dark eyes.

"Well first of all, congratulations are in order!" he said. "Metamorphosis and Illusions, man did you bribe the Fates or something?" He gave a light chuckle.

"Honestly, I prefer my domain of Rivers over illusions," Percy replied, fondly thinking of the many waterways he had traversed in his time. Hephaestus snorted, clearly not convinced..

"In a few months time, you'll forget all about rivers. Illusions are too cool." He shrugged.

"Anyway," the blacksmith continued, changing the subject. "As you know, every god needs a symbol of power, generally a weapon. Poseidon has his trident, and Zeus has his master bolt. Now, normally, we'd send you to Atlantis and get the cyclops to craft you another weapon, but I had a feeling that's not what you want, is it?" Percy shook his head, his hand unconsciously wrapping around the hilt of his most trusted weapon.

"I don't think I need another weapon," he said, feeling a sense of loyalty to the sword that had carried him across the world. "Riptide has served me well."

"Ah, but what if we made Riptide even better?" Hephaestus asked, his eyes glinting. "With your permission, I'd like to take Riptide to my forge, and give it some modifications, before making it your godly symbol of power." Percy hesitated. The idea of improving Riptide was tempting, but was it necessary, and what more could even be packed inside this pen?

"Don't look at me," Aphrodite grumbled. "It's your sword and your decision." Percy sighed.

"Alright then, I trust you" he said, handing over Riptide to Hephaestus, who eagerly took it.

"Brilliant!" Hephaestus exclaimed, examining the sword. "This is a work of art, Percy. With these upgrades, you'll become the strongest sword fighter on Olympus, that is if you already aren't." The forger placed the sword in a black-leather bag, tying the knot tightly.

"Magic," he explained, catching Percy's look of curiosity. "I asked Hecate to make it so that your sword won't teleport back to you. It only works if you've given me permission to take it, so don't worry about any of your enemies finding a way to steal your sword." Percy nodded.

"This is my personal repayment to you for saving us twice, Percy," he said gruffly. "Don't expect me to make a habit of it, but yes, you deserve the best weapon, from the best blacksmith." Aphrodite rolled her eyes at her husband's arrogance, but didn't say anything.

"And Percy," Hephaestus added. "I know I seem grumpy and isolated, but I want you to know that I appreciate your kindness, loyalty to Olympus, and good heart. My wife has caused you too much trouble, and I hope finally, you can settle down with someone you truly care about." Percy was taken aback by the unexpected sentiment. "Thank you, Hephaestus, it means a lot," he said, feeling a warm sense of camaraderie with the god. Aphrodite only scowled, but neither of them were paying her much attention. Hephaestus nodded, his grin returning. "Well, I better be off. I have some tinkering to do," he said, stowing the leather bag in his pocket and giving Percy a parting nod before walking away.

"Always so overdramatic," Aphrodite muttered, her arms crossed. "So ungrateful. He always forgets I never wanted to be married to him. Like I ever would've under my free will." Percy tried to drown out Aphrodite's comments on Hephaestus, but the tension between them was glaringly obvious. He knew the goddess and her husband had a rocky relationship, and he didn't want to get caught in the middle of their drama.

"Here, try this one," she said, snapping him from his thoughts. Percy looked up as she thrust a shirt into his hands. The fabric was a deep, rich blue, like the ocean at night. It was definitely not something he'd normally wear, but he had to admit, it was pretty stylish. He could picture Annabeth rolling her eyes at him if she saw him wearing it.

"I don't know, it's not really my style," he said hesitantly.

"Nonsense," the goddess said with a wave of her hand. "You need to try new things every once in a while. How else will you truly know what you like?" Percy rolled his eyes. He knew there was no arguing with her, but he couldn't help feeling a little annoyed at how forceful she could be sometimes. Reluctantly, he made his way towards the dressing room, only to be stopped again.

"Why are you going there?" Aphrodite asked with a frown.

"Umm, to change?" Percy replied, turning around to face her.

"Just change here."
"What! In front of you!" he protested, his face turning red.

"Oh please," she scoffed. "We're living in the same house. Do you really think I'll never see you shirtless?"

"I don't care!" he yelled hotly, his face flushing even harder with embarrassment. "I'm changing without you looking me up and down like a piece of meat!" With that, he strode purposefully towards the changing room, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew she was probably trying to be helpful, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was secretly judging him. Plus, with Aphrodite, nothing is as it seems. Taking a deep breath, Percy unbuttoned his shirt as fast as he could. As he slipped the new shirt on, he noticed how different it felt from his usual attire. The fabric was soft and silky, feeling smooth against his skin. Percy hesitated before stepping out of the dressing room. He was a little nervous to see what Aphrodite's reaction would be. The shirt was definitely not his usual style, but he had to admit, it looked pretty good on him. The dark blue colour made his eyes stand out even more, and the way the fabric hugged his muscles made him look more toned than he actually was. He took a deep breath and pulled back the curtain.

Immediately, she squealed in delight.

"Oh yes, that looks gorgeous on you, hun!" she exclaimed, eyeing him up and down. "What do you think?" Percy shrugged.

"It's not bad, I guess."

"Not bad?" Aphrodite scoffed. "You look amazing! I knew this colour would compliment your eyes perfectly!" Percy felt a blush creep up his neck. He wasn't used to being complimented like this, especially not by a goddess, but he had to admit, the shirt did suit him well.

"Now," she continued. "We need to do something about those pants. They're way too baggy." Percy looked down, suddenly feeling aware of how loose they were. He had never been one to care much about fashion, but maybe Aphrodite had a point.

"I don't know," Percy finally said, feeling overwhelmed. "I've never been a fashionista." The goddess let out a little sigh.

"That's okay, it's why you go shopping with the goddess of beauty. Just trust me okay? I promise you'll look amazing." He grumbled, but nodded, giving her permission to essentially turn him into her own mannequin. As they continued to browse through the store, Aphrodite pulled out a few more items for Percy to try on. There was a fitted leather jacket that made him feel like a total badass, and a pair of slim-fitting jeans that hugged his legs in all the right places. It was strange how different he felt in these clothes. He had never really thought about how much of an impact clothing could have on his confidence.

"Okay, I think we're done here," Aphrodite said, looking pleased with herself. "You look like a whole new man." Percy grinned. Normally he was a modest man, but in this outfit, he felt like… a god. They quickly paid the shopping assistant and headed out of the store, Percy holding even more bags than before. He grumbled under the weight, struggling to keep up with her.

As they strolled through the crowded halls of The Olympian Plaza, Percy couldn't help but feel a little out of place. He was used to living a more low-key life, and the grandeur of the gods and goddesses was a little overwhelming. Aphrodite, on the other hand, seemed to fit right in. She glided through the crowds with grace and confidence, her every move drawing the attention of those around her. When they passed by a group of gods and goddesses, Aphrodite suddenly let go of Percy's arm and sauntered over to them with a grin on her face.

"No way, it's been so long!" she said ecstatically as she wrapped her arm around a god Percy had never seen. He watched as she hugged and greeted each of them with an infectious joy, flirting and twirling her hair shamelessly. Observing her interactions with the other gods, Percy began to realise that Aphrodite was more than just the goddess of beauty. She was a social butterfly, flitting from one conversation to the next with ease, drawing people in with her charisma and charm. Percy felt a pang of annoyance at how quickly she'd left him, but then again what else could he expect from Aphrodite.

Alone, Percy decided to wander around the market on his own and try to find something interesting to do. He was sure it would be a while before Aphrodite realised she had a protégé to take care of as well. He couldn't stop wondering why she had left him so quickly for the other gods. Didn't she have some sort of responsibility towards him? His thoughts were a jumbled mess as he tried sorting out his views on her. It had only been a day, and he was already so conflicted about his mentor. One second she's giggling and laughing about him drooling. The next she's suddenly apologising for interfering with his love too much. Then, she's back to using him for discounts and holding bags. Suddenly, she remembers him and starts trying to buy him clothes and other luxuries, and then she forgets all about him for some minor gods he had never seen in his life.

As Percy rounded the corner, he was lost in his thoughts, pondering over his conflicting feelings towards Aphrodite. His mind was so preoccupied, he didn't notice the figure approaching him until it was too late. In an instant, he collided with someone, and his arms flailed frantically in a desperate attempt to steady himself. The unexpected impact almost sent him sprawling to the ground, but he managed to steady himself and look up to see who he had bumped into. To his surprise, he found himself staring into a pair of silver eyes that bored into his soul. He recognised the owner of those eyes immediately.

"Lady- Uh I mean Artemis," Percy stammered, feeling his face flush with embarrassment.

"Perseus," the goddess replied in her usual judgemental tone. She swept her gaze over him, and a smirk slowly formed on her lips.

"I see Aphrodite couldn't go a few hours before turning you into her pack mule," she said, amusement lacing her words. Apollo won't be happy to know he's lost his fourth bet in a row to me."
"What is it with you gods and making bets on me," he grumbled, lightly rubbing his head. It was like everyone in Olympus was interested in his every move. The goddess didn't laugh, but Percy could swear he saw a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Thalia says congratulations on your ascension to godhood, and she hopes to see you soon," the goddess said, cutting straight to the point.

"Soon?" Percy repeated quizzically. "You mean she's coming up to Olympus?" The goddess gave a small shake of her head.

"No, she has duties to attend to in the mortal worlds, but she wanted me to pass on the message." Percy nodded, feeling a sense of disappointment wash over him. His brief meeting with his cousin after the prank hadn't been long enough to catch up. He had hoped to see his old friend again soon, but it seemed like that wouldn't be possible for a while.

"Have I somehow been given permission from you to visit the hunt?" he ventured, taking a chance. Artemis studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable as always.

"You're good for a man," she finally said. "Perhaps so much as to have earned some respect from me. The true question is, have you gained the respect of my sisters?"

Percy opened his mouth to respond, but of course, Aphrodite saw this as the perfect opportunity to come bounding towards them, interrupting their conversation.

"I was wondering where you were- Oh."

"Aphrodite," Artemis said in a low, emotionless tone, but her eyes showed her true expression, flashing with anger. "I see it didn't take you long to start manipulating the boy." Percy felt a knot form in his stomach. He didn't want to be caught in the middle of a goddess feud.

"For your information, I've sworn on Styx to never interfere with his love life again in ways he would be irritated by," his mentor said defensively. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Oh my, it's almost like you should've never needed to say that in the first place!?" Turning to the newest god, she said, "I take my leave now, Perseus." Giving Aphrodite one last glare, and Percy something between a look of amusement, curiosity and mirth, she turned on her heels and walked away, her auburn hair bouncing with every step..

"What?" Percy asked irritated, glaring at his mentor. "Why do you have that massive smirk on your face like you know something I don't." Aphrodite didn't immediately answer, instead remaining silent for a few moments as she continued to stare at Artemis's retreating figure. Finally, she spoke, her tone light and calculating.
"I'm thinking," she said, "I'll ask Hestia to get us some blue, homemade, chocolate chip cookies when we get home." Percy raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of Aphrodite's sudden shift in mood. He knew there was something she seemed to be hiding, but for now, the idea of fresh-baked cookies sounded appealing, and he found himself nodding in agreement.

"Sure," he said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Why not?"

Another chapter done, this one almost 8K words! I hope it's all going well so far, and the drama is enjoyable. As I've said a few times, all the drama and love is going to build up slowly and realistically. Other than that, hope everyone enjoyed it! It would really mean a lot if you all could just leave a small quick review when you finish reading! It's good motivation for the next chapter, and in general is really nice to read!