This Naruto And Percy Jason Crossover Fanfiction Story Only.
Other Franchises And Materials Will Be Included.
Author's Note: This is heavily influenced by Dining with Divinity by SoulReaperCewe.
A bell went off when they walked through the door, a shroud of warmth blanketing them and making the sisters hum in contentment. It was well-lit and open and appeared bigger than either anticipated. Along the wall on the right were a couple of booths, while more than a dozen roundtables with comfy looking chairs scattered across the room and next to the windows. A counter stood at the side with a swinging door leading into another room behind it, with a glass cabinet sitting next to it. Inside, Artemis spied cakes and other delicacies of all shapes lined up neatly in multiple rows.
The smell of rich and freshly made pastries wafted through the room, accompanied by a mix of coffee and chocolate. The delightful aroma made both women shiver in delight, reminding them of Aunt Hestia's treats back on Olympus. Athena asked and tried not to laugh when she found her sister staring into the glass cabinet, her face pressing against the glass. Despite her reputation, Artemis was a child goddess at heart.
"It all looks amazing," Artemis whispered, admiring the delicate frosting that coated the carrot cake. Athena leaned down next to her and had to admit they all looked amazing. Sometimes, it amazed her at the handiwork of mortals. While she wasn't known for possessing as strong of a sweet tooth as Artemis, she liked to treat herself every now and again with something sweet.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Athena's eyes trailed away from the sweet treats and found an amused young man looking back at her from over the counter. His chin rested in his palm, and a big grin sat on his face. Most would never dare to lean so close to her, much less Artemis, but it wasn't like he knew who they were. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Artemis tense up, and her facial expression turned colder than before. Her silver eyes bore into the man's blue ones with quick intensity, as if silently telling him not to come any closer. Her silver eyes gently glowed in warning, though only enough for Athena to notice.
To the man's credit, he didn't look affected. He looked more amused if anything by Artemis and reached behind the counter and pulled out two menus. "Here, these are for you both. Take your pick where you would like to sit, and I'll be with you shortly." He straightened up, getting rid of the grin and giving the Goddesses a polite smile in return.
"Thank you," Athena politely replied, and led Artemis away by the wrist to a nearby table by the window, whispering, "Stop glaring."
Artemis shook her head, "Sorry. He surprised me, that's all. I didn't realize someone was behind the counter."
"Well, you were close to drooling over the carrot cake he had in there. I can't blame you," Athena teased, silently laughing as Artemis's cheeks had a tinge of gold wash over them in embarrassment.
"Not a word," Artemis replied, giving her sister a pointed look before both opened up their menus. The first thing that caught their attention was the variety. There was a lot to choose from, far more than other cafe diners they visited. Some of the choices were unique to witness for this type of establishment. Looking around, the room was half full, and Athena gazed across the tables to see what people were eating. Most were drinking coffee, which didn't surprise her, but she spied a couple of meals. In the corner, she saw a gentleman eating eggs benedict, and by the moans coming from his mouth, he was enjoying his food a great deal.
"It seems my daughter was right about this place if that is the case. We should have a meeting with him when this place at the end of today's business hours." Artemis then replies, "Do you really think he knows about the demigods, monsters, and that they are able to protect the children of our family?" Which Athena replies with that she does not know yet, and that is why they were there in the first place, for the moment she suggests pretending to be customers.
Looking over her menu, she failed to hide her smile when she looked at her sister. Artemis looked lost in the options, her silver eyes twinkling. If Athena was betting on a person, she bet her sister was devouring the options in the dessert and cake section.
When a few minutes passed, the man from the counter appeared by the table, a small notebook in his hand. No longer standing behind the counter, Athena and Artemis got a good look at him. If they had to guess, he looked the same age as Athena in her current form, somewhere in his mid-twenties. He was blonde with bright azure eyes. His skin was tanned and looked like he belonged on a beach somewhere in California. He was tall, around the same height as Apollo and Hermes in their mortal forms, and was built lean. He was dressed in smart casual wear, with dark jeans and a white shirt, and around his waist was a black apron with the logo of the diner on the orange front.
At first glance, they thought he was a son of Apollo since he had the typical traits of their brother's demigod children. However, getting a sense of the man, they couldn't sense any godly connection that a demigod typically had. "Good afternoon, and welcome to the Fox's Den. My name is Naruto, it's nice to meet you both," He introduced and glanced at Artemis, "I'm sorry if I startled you earlier."
Artemis narrowed her eyes up at the man but saw no ill will in his gaze. "It's fine, but you didn't startle me. I was just engrossed in your selections in the cabinet, that's all."
"I see. Thank you for the compliment, though. I'm glad you liked what you saw." His words sounded sincere, and Artemis couldn't sense him playing any game. He didn't appear bothered by their beauty, unlike others in the room who kept glancing at them from the corners of their eyes. It wasn't every day two beautiful women of their standard walked into a place like this. Perhaps he would be tolerable.
"Did the owner make them all?" She asked, nodding in the direction of the cabinet.
"Most of them, yes. Some came from the suppliers, but most of them are from my hands." He admitted.
"You're the owner?"
"I am."
Artemis didn't say much else. He felt her gaze linger on him before it slipped back to the menu. He took that as his cue to move on and turned to Athena.
"Naruto, you say?" Athena asked, leaning back on her chair and appearing amused by his name. Her grey eyes sparkled with curiosity, "It's rare to meet someone with a Japanese name, and yet doesn't appear to hold any ties to Japan."
He laughed, "I guess you could say my parents had a flair for exotic names."
"I see that. I must say, your menu is unique. It's not like other menus you see for a cafe diner like this one." Athena asked, "Any reason for that?"
She didn't know what she expected him to say, but she didn't expect him to shrug. "Not really. I'm fortunate enough that I've traveled the world and learned all types of different delicacies each country has to offer. I did think about creating a restaurant, but I've always preferred cafe diners. I find them to be more intimate and give you more of a chance to get to know the people that visit."
Athena nodded, "Did you ever get a chance to visit Greece? I happen to be Greek myself."
Μπορώ, και βρήκα τον χρόνο μου στην Ελλάδα πολύ ευχάριστο. (I can, and I found my time very enjoyable.)
Both Athena and Artemis looked surprised at his sudden language change. It wasn't often they met someone in New York who could speak Greek. It wasn't a language most people chose to learn, unlike French, or Spanish. Getting over her surprise, Athena gave him an appraising look, "I'm impressed. You speak well, and fluently."
"Thank you. It took a long time, but I finally managed to catch on." He replied, before clicking the top of his pen, "Are you both ready to order?"
"I think so," Artemis muttered, giving her sister a pointed look before looking back at the blonde, "I'll take a hot chocolate, with a slice of the carrot cake. Could I also have a dash of vanilla in my drink, please?"
"Absolutely." He replied, before adding, "Would you like whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on your hot chocolate?"
"I would, yes."
"I'll take a latte, please. Like my sister, I'll have a dash of vanilla in my drink, and may I ask, what is your special dessert of the day?" Athena asked. Her interest peaked when she saw that little nugget on the menu.
"Of course. The specialty today is a Lemon Curd Italiano Semifreddo." He told her and failed to hide his smile when he saw her eyes sparkle. She liked the sound of that.
"That sounds wonderful. I'll have that, please."
Naruto nodded, and wrote down the order, "Absolutely. You're in luck, we ran out an hour ago, but I've got the next batch almost ready. It will take about ten minutes if you don't mind waiting. It's proved to be very popular today."
"That would be fine." Athena nodded and watched him walk away. When he walked back behind the counter, she turned to her sister and noticed her silver eyes gazing straight at her. "What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"No, but you look like you want to say something."
"It's nothing. I'm just noticing how chummy you were with the man."
Athena rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I was merely caught off guard by the way he spoke Greek. It's not every day someone in New York can speak fluent Greek. If he can learn a second language, and open up his own business, it means he's got one of these." Athena poked the side of her head, "Plus he's the only one not leering in our direction which is nice."
"I swear, if that man in the corner licks his lips in my direction one more time, I will throw this knife straight into his eye." She picked up the knife and toyed with it between her fingers. "You know I would."
"Oh, I know you would sister." Athena laughed, plucking the knife out of her sister's hand and putting it back on the table. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to make a scene. Artemis huffed and tried to look annoyed at her sister, but started to laugh along with Athena as her sister gently kicked her under the table. "We should do this more often. It's nice to get away from everyone."
"I agree. It's not like my Hunters are incapable of looking after themselves once a week."
"I think once a week would be lovely."
It wasn't long before they were interrupted by the blonde barista, who placed their drinks on the table in front of them. Both goddesses looked impressed with their orders and recognized the signs of someone taking care and pride in their work. Artemis did her best to keep her face from drooping as the delightful smell of her hot chocolate wafted around her nose. It smelt just like the hot chocolate Hestia would prepare for her. Athena had a similar expression on her face, wrapping her hand around the warm mug. When he placed Artemis's carrot cake in front of her, the goddess licked her lips, her sweet tooth craving for the treat.
While Naruto prepared Athena's order, the two quietly drank their drinks, both relaxing into their seats as the taste touched their lips. Both let out a sigh of delight, impressed by their orders. It was easy to make a bad drink, but it was difficult to make a great one. So far, they would give the barista credit where credit was due. However, when Artemis had the first bite of her carrot cake, Athena couldn't help but giggle as her sister started demolishing the baked goods.
"I take it the cake is good?" She asked but didn't get an answer. Her sister was too engrossed with the cake to reply, her mouth too full to form words. A thumbs-up would suffice.
When he returned, he was surprised to find both Artemis's mug empty and her plate void of any cake. "Wow, I guess you liked it, huh?" He said, before motioning to her nose, "You have a little something on your nose." It was whipped cream from her drink.
Artemis's eyes widened and swiped at her nose with her palm. She stared at her sister with irritation, hissing, "I had whipped cream on my nose! Why didn't you tell me!"
Athena laughed to herself, "I thought you'd realize eventually." She teased, before noticing the plate in his hand, "For me?"
He nodded, "For you. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know If I can get you anything else." He told them, and started to leave before he saw Artemis looking his way, "Can I get you another drink?"
"Same again, please. Drink and cake." She said, making him smile and head back to the counter. She looked at her sister and noticed her looking down at the plate, her fork in hand. Artemis wasn't one to praise a mortal often, especially a male mortal. However, she had to admit the Lemon Curd Italiano Semifreddo he made looked divine. It looked like something you'd find in high-class mortal society. Hell, it was something she imagined Hera serving at her temple. "Well, aren't you going to try it?"
"I want to, but I feel like it would be a shame to ruin it," Athena whispered, admiring the delicate work that must have come with making it. She was no incredible chef like Hestia, Hera, or Grandmother Rhea, but Athena occasionally liked to dabble in the kitchen the mortal way. She found there was something therapeutic about cooking, and she understood why so many mortals took it upon themselves to learn. It must have taken him years of practice to achieve such quality of work.
It took a moment, but slowly Athena dug her fork into the Lemon Curd. The texture was light and fluffy, and she watched it jiggle around as she brought it up to her mouth. Taking a bite, Artemis watched as Athena fell back against her chair, her rhythmic breathing making her sister lean forward in anticipation. Judging by the expression on her sister's face, the dessert had gone over well. Her composed elder sister rarely let her cool visage slip, always retaining a mask of dignity that kept her true feelings behind closed doors.
Athena wasn't the kind of goddess who wore her feelings on her sleeve, but Artemis was one of the few who could see behind that visage. It was always a pleasant experience for the Goddess of the Moon to see her composed sister drop all pretenses and enjoy something for what it was.
Then, out of nowhere, Athena let out a loud moan of delight that caught everyone's attention.
Okay. That might have taken it a step too far.
The whole room fell quiet, and every mortal within the establishment, male and female gaped and blushed in Athena's direction. Artemis couldn't stop the flush of gold from lacing her cheeks. She gawked at her sister, looking between her and the plate. Even she wasn't that bad. It sounded so sexual!
"A-Athena! W-What in the name of H-Hades was that!"
Coming to her senses, Athena couldn't stop her eyes from widening, "I-It's not what you think!"
That was a lie and she knew it. The moment she realized what she had just done, Athena brought up her free hand to her mouth in shock and horror. She didn't dare look around the room at the gaping mortals, but the blonde owner was in her viewpoint, and she could see his surprise and disbelief. 'I can't believe I just did that!' She thought. Never in her more than four thousand years of existence, had she ever publically done something so candid. What made it worse was doing it in public.
'What the hell is wrong with me!'
She hid her face, the embarrassment worse than the time she tried to play the flute in front of the other gods.
When he walked back over, Athena didn't dare look him in the eye. After he provided Artemis with her second round of orders, he stopped and whispered to Athena, "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He smiled politely, and before she could reply, he walked away. Oh god, what must he have been thinking?
"Hey, blondie," He stopped and turned around, and everyone looked towards an older woman who was sitting a few tables over. She pointed at Athena, "I'll have what she's having."
Athena groaned and hid her face in her hands. She wished the earth would swallow her up for eternity.
'What a day.'
When the last customer left the Fox's Den, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as swapped the open sign to close. Seeking the comfort of the nearest chair, he finally had a moment to put his feet up and let the day wash over him. Whoever thought running a business would be stressful? Not him, that's for sure. Other people made it look so easy. Not to mention, the movies made it look like a piece of cake. He could with all confidence say that it was not easy. Catching Tora the cat on a D Rank mission was easier.
However, as stressful as the job was, this was the path he chose to acclimate into modern-day life. As it turned out, he was very good at it. Cooking and baking had always been a hobby of his, and something he found therapeutic. Feeding fulfilled a survival need for all living creatures, and the feeling of fulfillment came not only from the good of the act of giving but also from the fact that we have 'helped' in some form. Cooking for others helps bond human beings to loved ones and fellow humans. At least, that's how he saw it.
There was also the fact that people loved cake and coffee. Both played huge parts in humanity's daily life that seemed like a given. Rubbing his forehead with his forearm, he clapped his hands together.
"Alright guys, you know what to do."
The door that led to the kitchen and the backroom swung open, and three of his shadow clones marched out in a single file, giving the original Naruto a salute as they started the evening's cleanup.
Naruto thought to himself, humanity sure has changed, and has gotten a bigger sweet tooth along the way that even he remembers.
With that thought, his mind turned to a memory from earlier that day. The image of the two beautiful sisters that entered his establishment crossed his mind. Both women were equally as pleased with their orders, though one was certainly more vocal than the other. Naruto had almost dropped the other woman's order when the moan of pure delight reached his ears. He was no blushing virgin, but the fact remained it caught him by surprise.
He was aware food could be an aphrodisiac, but he didn't think it was to that high of a degree with one of his common dishes.
The sisters had stayed for an hour after that, with the one with grey eyes remaining silent for the remainder of their stay, too embarrassed to say another word, while the other demolished another two servings of hot chocolate and carrot cake. Where the auburn-haired sister put it all, he didn't know, but it was impressive to watch. Anything he put in put in front of her vanished within minutes. Not since Elagabalus of Rome had he seen someone devour his culinary wonders with such gusto. Heck, even Elvis in his later years had some form of restraint.
What a peculiar pair of women they were. He hoped they would come back again soon.
Watching his clones wipe down the tables, and take the empty plates and cups to the back, he stood up and stretched his back, humming in wonder as he felt those necessary pops in his back. Taking the broom out of the closet, he got to work on doing his part before heading home for the night and doing it all over again tomorrow.
Naruto decided to go back to his apartment and as he walked over to the door began to think about what the hell happened to him that day, he opened the door and saw that Sasuke, Sarada, and Naruko were getting ready to make dinner. As Naruto walked toward the dining room he began to wonder where Thalia was, so he looked at Sasuke and Sarada wondering where she was, Sarada told him that her mother was still doing that movie back in Los Angeles, and would not be back for another three weeks, and Thalia was doing her homework.
He sat down on a chair and Naruto sounded like he had quite a lot of trouble, making Sarada and the others worried asking him what was the matter? "I had some crazy stuff happen, I swear that I had two customers visit that could have been demi goddesses or goddesses, but nobody ate one of my common dishes and had that sort of reaction, let me tell you Sasuke it was freaky as hell. I swear she was practically orgasmic when she ate that single slice of that common item on my menu. I thought that the police were going to bust in and think we were doing something indecent with how that lady was."
Sasuke told him that he and Sarada had a pretty much ordinary day, nothing that bad or unexpected happened in the bar, and Naruko told him that the same thing for her place, other than a bunch of kids trying to be punks and asking their mothers for extra sweets or items from the dessert menu nothing that extraordinary happened at all. "Well I had one hell of a day, I swear one of them looked like she wanted to attack me and the other looked like I was a bug under a microscope being studied. To make matters worse I am flat-out tired and don't feel like cooking anything at all. Why don't we order something from a nearby restaurant, and help another business with us ordering something?"
Sarada mentioned to him that Dominos is doing a thirty minutes or it is free promotion so might as well take advantage of that. Naruto smiled and said why the hell not, he might get a couple of them since he was feeling also a bit hungry since he didn't have enough time to break for lunch either. Sasuke and Sarada got up from their seats and began to walk towards the front door, telling the others since the Pizza would take around an hour to get delivered they would be back by then, right now they were doing their usual monster patrol on the area.
Sarada grabbed her and her brother's kunai pouch and a pair of swords before handing the ones for her brother to Sasuke and they both walked out of the apartment hiding their weapons under their coats. The fact that Sasuke saw Thalia on a window nearby looking at him with a smile made him realize she probably knew that they were having pizza somehow.
The town was usually kept pretty much free of monsters or at least monsters that attack innocent people thanks to their long established patrols. In the beginning, all four used to do them together, but after a while they decided to take turns, Naruto jokingly called it some sibling bonding time. Most monsters were things that would give most ordinary people nightmares, as they went through the area around their apartment building and nearby neighborhoods killing off monsters that simply jumped them and tried to attack them thinking they were merely innocent people out for an evening walk.
The brutal way they killed these monsters and then burned their remains into ashes with fire techniques was something they considered quite normal, but they knew they had to keep this secret from everyday people, they would absolutely freak if they saw two people breathing fire on the dead body of something that was large enough to be considered a person. They did not need the extra attention or cause others to think they were murdering pyromaniacs.
In some other part of town, a poor delivery person was having one hell of a time trying to find the place to deliver the pizza they had ordered. This place was almost impossible to find when Naruto finally got sick and tired and decided to look for the guy when he was late delivering the pizza, he walked over to the guy who was wearing a Domino's pizza uniform, "Just hand over the pie." He handed him the ten-dollar bill until the poor delivery guy looked at him and glared at Naruto.
"Hey man the bill was for thirteen dollars." Naruto without even smiling said that he was three minutes late. The poor delivery guy asked what about his tip? Naruto smiled and said, "A wise man once said, forgiveness is divine, but never pay the full price for a late pizza." The deliveryman simply walked away complaining that he needed a new delivery route.