A/N: Mature content with mention of zoophilia. For those who are sensitive to such topics, don't worry. There is no graphical detail… unless you're into that sort of thing.

.

.

Chapter 7

The Praetors' Downtime

.

.

The praetorian work that had piled up for weeks was finally decreasing until it was suddenly done. It was a relieving feeling but also weird not having anything else to take care of. With the night growing, they needed to go home. Normally, one of them took the night shift while the other slept and vice versa. And the possibility of something new that needs either of their attention coming was very high. But they had nothing, which was the only night off Frank and Hazel had had in a long time. Perhaps the only one they'll have for a long while. They had to take it. So they had deputized a couple of experienced senators they knew and trusted to cover for the evening.

"Let's go home, dear," Frank said to his wife, who agreed eagerly.

They entered their house and immediately ripped off their purple togas.

"I'm too tired to cook. Do you mind if we ordered out?" Hazel asked as she sauntered off to their bedroom to change.

"We still have that premade pasta from last night," Frank said.

"Oh right," she remembered. "That was a good idea."

Frank heated up their dinner while his girlfriend did her nightly rituals before meeting up back in the living room. Their living room was adorned with several lit candles and a plush blanket on the floor for them to lie on. Two wine glasses were set out for them. They don't drink often, but after constant pretorial work, they needed a night of romance. Frank had thought about going out for dinner. However, going out in public will probably attract some unwanted people with problems. So, the alternative was to stay inside for a quiet evening. Which was the best by far.

Their house was a classic Roman domus—like a townhouse but with an inner courtyard, a pool called an impluvium, and a garden in the back. It was modest for them compared to how it was back in the ancient days. A lot of the pictures were mostly art pieces done by Hazel. The rest were photographs of them, plus their friends and loved ones. The statue in the impluvium was of Vesta to bless their home. They did have smaller idols of their respective fathers elsewhere. Typical for these homes, the bedrooms were in the front of the house, but theirs was in the back for more privacy. The living rooms were called alae, and they were in the corners of the atrium. Frank set up their dinner in the west alae.

He nearly fell over when Hazel walked out. She decided to wear something for their private evening. As she grew up in the 1930s, she was raised to be chaste until marriage. She didn't wait that long, though. When they grew out of high school, she and Frank were having a make-out session until the subject was discussed. After that, things got clumsy but sweet. She did not regret it.

So tonight, she wore a long purple silk nightgown. It was lovely but still somewhat decent. Still, it showed plenty of her pert body. The lacy décolletage showed her was low enough for her small breasts, displaying her sternum. The hem of the skirt had the same lace that butterfly-kissed her bare toes. The Romano-imperialistic color complimented her chocolaty skin beautifully. She had fluffed out her frizzy cinnamon afro after being in a bun all day. It had grown quite a lot over the years. Her gold eyes brightened at the little setup Frank made.

"Wow," he said. He didn't know if he felt underdressed or overdressed in a t-shirt and shorts. Not that he had anything special to wear for this situation.

"Thanks, sweety," she said while walking up to kiss him.

They sat on the floor to eat their supper on the coffee table. They talked as they always had. They wanted no shop talk, but something pending was on their minds for a long time.

"Do you think we should retire?" asked Frank. "Let someone else be praetors? Most praetors haven't held the office for as long as we had."

Hazel placed her fork down. Her eyes traveled the floor before they returned to him. "But what would we do if we resign?" she inquired. "It's not like we can actually retire. I'm twenty-four and you're twenty-five. What could we do? I mean, I do have a degree in geology, and we're still legionnaires."

"Yeah," her beau agreed, "I could still lead the army or be a teacher for camp."

"You would totally be great at that," she vigorously said.

"What about the Senate?" That was a big question.

"I'm kind of done with politics," she said, and he felt the same. "So, who should take our place?"

They went over a list of candidates who could be praetors. Whoever it was, it was up to the Senate, the people of New Rome, and Camp Jupiter to decide. They ultimately set the topic aside for the night so that they could start the intimacy.

After they finished their dinner, Frank decided to shapeshift. It was perfect for when they lay down on the blanket.

"Hmmm, you are so cuddly," Hazel said, snuggling up against a grizzly bear.

Frank reached over and kissed—licked—her cheek. As she snuggled closer to Bear-Frank, he rolled onto his back for her to climb on top of him. She nuzzled her face into his thick fur. He wrapped his paws around her—trying to mind his claws with her delicate skin.

"Hey, Frank?" Hazel said.

Frank made a bear sound that sounded like a question. Since he can't talk when he's in an animal form.

She went on. "I just had a thought. If we retire, we might have the chance to discuss the future of our relationship." She suddenly felt self-conscious, with Frank silently staring at her. "I'm sorry," she corrected. "No, I'm not sorry. I know we're young, but we've been together for nearly ten years now. Percy and Annabeth are married, and now Piper is having a baby. I've just been thinking about her situation. And as much as I admire her for raising a baby alone, it's going to be just her and the baby alone. Back in my day, that would've been frowned upon."

Her shape-shifted boyfriend gave her a questioning look.

"We're all like family to each other, and that includes Piper. And we'll try to help her in any way we can."

Frank nodded at that.

She lifted her head to rest her chin on her knuckles. "What I'm trying to say is I would like to be a mama one day, but of course, it's too early. We live together, but we're not married yet." She almost wanted to manipulate the Mist to hide her embarrassed face.

"Rrawer?" Frank made a questioning roar.

After years together, she could read the subtle expressions from his animal forms well. From her perspective, she could read confusion, worry, shock, and love. She kissed his big black nose. "Sorry for going on like that. It's just—and I don't mean to pressure you—but I would like to get married. I want to have kids. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see other people. I love you."

Hazel dangled her feet in the air, her big toes locked together, as she waited for him to reply. Even if he was in his human form, she'd be pretty sure he'd still be speechless. She did drop a bombshell on him.

He hooked one of his bear claws under her shoulder strap to tug it off. A little startling to her until a suggestive smirk grew from her mouth. Frank nuzzled the crook of her neck. Without his real lips, he had to get creative in kissing her by breathing his hot breath on her, pressing his snout against her skin, and gently licking her. His attention moved to the hollow of her neck, making her sigh, and down to the neckline of her nightie. She will always prefer his real human form, but occasionally, some of his shapeshifting made things interesting.

An arousing chill swooped in on that spot. Opening her eyes, Hazel looked down at Frank. She knew what he was trying to say.

"Thank you for being cool about this. I'm happy you feel the same way. But yeah. We're too young for the next step."

She practically yelped when her cushion shifted from underneath her to the real Frank. To a naked Frank, that is. Where did that come from? When they met, he was a shy guy. Now, he was taking brash risks with her. He had discovered a way to remove his clothes while shapeshifting. Because normally, his clothes somehow morph with him.

With a sweet smile, he said, "How about we retire first, live our lives as a somewhat normal couple for a while, then I'll ask for your hand. How does that sound to you, my love?"

"That sounds great," she said, beaming.

His smile changed into a smirk. "But we're still not waiting for marriage, are we?"

"Oh, hades no!"

Even after shedding both their teddies, they couldn't make it to the bedroom. Frank laid her flat on her back on the fuzzy blanket. Its fibers tickled her with every movement. He took his time worshipping her dark, tangy skin. Using his hands to stroke her most deliciously sensitive areas. The heavenly gaze of ecstasy in her golden eyes made him feel at peace.

"Frank!" Hazel moaned as he sucked hard on a sensitive spot. "Please! Get on with it!" She rolled her hips, knocking into his throbbing erection, begging to reduce the tension.

He got on with it. In fact, he went down on it. And with the tongue of an anteater.

People have asked them, since Frank was a shapeshifter, if they have ever indulged in some harmless zoophilia. Hazel's face had never felt so hot when the girls asked her. Frank had immediately denied it when Leo asked it. Never had they felt so embarrassed. They had never tried it. He occasionally used his ability in their relationship innocently. Like earlier, how he turned into a bear. For cuddling as they like to do. Or something else like a dog. Sometimes, he changed into a horse for her to ride. Then the obnoxious fire spitter drawl, "Ooh, for her to ride."

How could they think they would want to do that? It's so unholy. Hazel figured it wouldn't be so bad for Frank as it would be for her. He wouldn't be the one being ravaged by a gorilla or a rhinoceros. One night, however, the two of them were talking about it and thought maybe it wouldn't be so awful. As long as he changed into a relatively decent-looking animal in a properly sized portion. Frank, being the considerate boyfriend he was, told her she could say no to it and that they could always make love the way the gods intended it. For that, she passionately kissed him, saying, "Come here, tiger." Then he did… as a tiger.

For the record: that tiger thing she said was not supposed to be Chinese stereotyping. That was the first animal she thought of.

Then as it turns out, sex with a tiger is kinda uncomfortable. Not because of the claws, though—he kept those under control. Frank and Hazel didn't want to explain why. It was too embarrassing. It all had to do with feline anatomy. Poor females.

Nevertheless, they tried it again but chose the species carefully. They will not say what they liked best. They thought that was between them and the bedroom door. They will say they chose several species that were of okay size for petite Hazel, attractive enough and didn't have a body part that could give her too much discomfort.

For the first thing tonight, he chose to be an anteater to please her orally, which made her moan and writhe in pleasure. Then he changed into a snake to slither around her. Hazel had never been fond of snakes, but it was Frank. She knew what he was doing.

With his head wrapping around her neck, his body between her breasts, and his tail inside her, she begged him, nearly cursing, with all her breath. "F—Please, Frank, I want you." She grasped the snake in both hands just as his tail hit a bundle of nerves, making her gasp again as she was sent over the edge. She kissed his little diamond-shaped head affectionately. "P-please change back so I can have you," she pleaded, breathing hard.

They can honestly say they prefer human-on-human. Frank's face was the face Hazel fell for.

Without further persuasion, the snake melted into her lover. His dark, narrow eyes peered down on her with pride and lust. He always had a fear of finishing before her. That was why he always tried very hard at the foreplay. So, it felt like an accomplishment for him to get her off before he got to it.

With her rolling off her first orgasm of the night, he flipped Hazel on her hands and knees, saying, "Let's be animals again." He got on behind her and slid himself into her.

A silent scream erupted from her from the friction. "Oh, gods…. Oh, gods! You animal! Yes! Yes!"

"Hazel…!"

The grip he had on her wide hips drove them both to move back and forth and back and forth. His hands roamed over her body from her butt, the dimples of her lower back, and her chest. Hazel gripped the blanket under her. She felt so dirty and loved every bit of it. She rocked her ass back to meet his thrusts. The animalistic thrusting grew more and more frantic. Her arms gave out from under her, and her mind turned to mush before the tsunami hit her again.

"AAAHHHHH!"

That must have been the reason why the symbol of Mars is the symbol of man. He was indeed the son of Mars, she thought.

That moan gave Frank the okay to let himself go. Only barely making it out in time, after realizing that they had no protection, before ejaculating into her. Spent, they collapsed on the floor in a tired, blissful heap.

After a minute of finally regaining his breath, Frank took a sip of water from his glass on the table and carried her bridal style to their bedroom. There, she held onto him for dear life. Hazel dug her nails into his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him closer. She even found the strength to take the initiative to flip them over so she could ride him from on top. Their practiced hands roamed and groped molten, sweaty flesh. The rhythmic friction drew closer and closer. Hazel could hardly contain her hoarse voice anymore. Her sensual cries drove Frank even more wildly until—

"Yes! Yes! YESSS!"

They both spasmed and rode out their release.

He rolled off her to pull her on him. Her frizzy cinnamon hair tickled his nose. And as usual, before they fall asleep, they mutter an "I love you" in Latin.

A/N: I was thinking that Hazel's hair has grown. Lookup pictures of Leah Sava Jefferies without the braids and change the color to Hazel's cinnamon color.