Percy
The rest of the day had gone relatively smoothly, despite the fiasco that was the meeting.
I can't believe Reyna. I smouldered silently in my office as I watched the sun slowly make its way down the sky through the window in my office.. We've just fought a battle that has debilitated us, and we're just meant to suck it up with what we've got?
The idea frankly horrified me. I could see the resources around me when I walked through New Rome, ready to be moulded into the perfect fighting force to take down our enemies, and yet, politics were once again what were holding back the natural progression of the capabilities of our armed forces.
There has to be some way to circumvent Reyna. She'll run the legion into the ground if I let her continue this. I thought, going through a list of possible allies to find some law, or something to give me an edge. Then it came to me.
Of course, I am sure he would be willing to lend a hand with something like this. I thought triumphantly, pulling out a sheet of papyrus and starting to write up the beginnings of a letter.
My thoughts began to wander to the last night as I finished the formal greetings necessary to satiate Roman tradition, my hand and quill stilling as I felt unsure as to what exactly I should write.
I was still half in denial of what had happened, and if it wasn't for the fact that I was confident I hadn't been roofied I might have chalked it up to intoxication.
What was the meaning of all this?
Artemis. Artemis. She had, for all intents and purposes, made a move on me. I could practically feel her soft lips on mine as the memory of last night resurfaced in my mind.
Where would I go with this? Where was Artemis hoping to go with this? All of it made little sense, and the more I thought about it, the more potent the dull thud in my head became.
I resolved to at least finish the letter before going out for some fresh air to clear my mind.
XIXI
Percy
The moon had already begun its trip across the sky as I made my way up the narrow beaten path up through the forest to the cliff where my willow tree overlooked New Rome in the distance.
I had changed into a pair of light grey sweatpants and a purple SPQR t-shirt after a much-needed shower, hoping that wearing regular clothes might help me relax a bit more than my usual armour.
Perhaps a younger me would have been scared, or at least weary of the shadows of the forest around me, but the ring on my finger amplified my powers to the point that if I concentrated enough, I could even sense the heartbeat of the small sparrow in its nest with its young observing me from its spot on a branch above me.
I was surprised to find that the trunk of the willow tree was not vacant, a pair of long, lithe legs sticking out from the angle at which I was approaching the tree's trunk.
'I was hoping you'd show up soon.' The familiar voice of Artemis washed over me like a cool sea breeze as I approached her.
I supposed in retrospect I really shouldn't have been that shocked to find Artemis here, after all, this was about as new to her as it was to me.
'You make me blush.' I responded easily.
Artemis stood up from where she sat, serious as always. 'I mean it, though. I've missed you.'
I responded automatically without thinking. 'It's been less than a day.'
Artemis huffed.
'Does it look like this is easy for me?' She snapped irritably, taking a couple of steps forward, jamming her finger in my chest, although I could tell she wasn't particularly bothered.
I stared at her simply for a moment, taking her in. She always managed to look in control of the situation, even when she made it clear that she wasn't completely confident in her actions, and now was no different.
'You look perfect.' I whispered softly.
The proximity between us didn't register in my mind until it was already too late, Artemis leaning forward, our lips locking, and before I knew it her arms were around my neck, and I instinctively brought a hand to her hip, the other coming up to caress her cheek as the kiss deepened, and I found myself wondering what I had even had in mind to talk to her about.
However, I still felt an uncomfortable tightness in my chest, my doubts once again coming to mind.
Eventually we broke apart for air, both of us panting heavily.
She was a goddess, yes, but this truly was something more. It had to be, right? These feelings felt real, but I couldn't life off of just that.
Well, here goes for nothing, I would have to ask the question sooner or later.
'How does this work, Artemis?' I asked after a while, having regained cognitive function.
Artemis sighed. 'I don't know.' She sat down against the trunk of the willow tree once again, closing her eyes.
I took a seat beside her, letting out a deep breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding in.
'I've never done anything like this before.' She admitted softly from beside me.
'That makes two of us.' I replied. I had surmised as much from our previous conversations on the road.
An awkward, yet somehow calm silence befell us, and my mind wandered as I considered myself.
Clearly there was something between me and Artemis, not that there was really much I could do to deny it at this point even if I wanted to.
However, the conflict I felt only worsened as I considered it more and more.
I… Was a mortal. Artemis was a goddess. That already did not make this situation particularly hopeful. I was a Roman, she was a Greek. We both had our own respective responsibilities, which kept us busy, and which we really couldn't afford to have an extra distraction from.
And yet…
Even just being beside her, I felt exhilarated. And although I hadn't known her for very long, the month which we had travelled together felt like a lifetime.
My heart began to feel constricted as I considered these factors, the decision I wanted to take becoming more and more obvious.
Right then, despite our proximity, our comfort together, just communicating felt like a herculean feat.
'When Queen Hylla told me that you had been sent to deal with the Telkhine host, I remember quite vividly the panic I had felt, how scared I had been that you might be hurt, let alone dead.'
Artemis took a deep breath, and I felt myself move independently more than consciously chose to lay a hand over hers, and I felt relieved when she gave me a grateful smile in return, interlocking her hand with mine.
'Back then I simply thought that, you know, we were friends, and there was the quest and the war to consider, but really, I just still had some things that I needed to tell you, and Chaos be damned if I didn't get the chance.' I felt her grip tightening as she stared off into the distance with a sort of steely determination she always wore when she felt strongly about a subject.
She took in a deep breath, calming herself down. 'What I'm trying to say is, I have had a lot of regrets in my life, but I don't want this to be one of them.' She met my eyes, and I could practically feel the weight as well as the sincerity behind her words.
In that moment, as I lost myself in her eyes, I knew exactly what I needed to do.
This time initiating myself, I closed the small gap between us, my answer obvious as I kissed her once again, this kiss much more chaste as I tried to convey the emotions I couldn't express with my own words in that moment.
The kiss deepened further, although this time I noticed witn satisfaction that the anxious tightness I had felt previously was absent, and I lost myself in the embrace, content for the time being.
XIXI
Artemis
Perseus checked his watch.
'You need to leave.' I said. It was more of a statement than a question.
'Yeah.' Perseus confirmed with a sigh.
'By the way, before I forget, there has been some discourse between our pantheons, and in the end an alliance has been agreed between both sides. The Greeks are to send an envoy to the Roman camp to foster unity.' I rolled my eyes at their intentions, dimwitted as they were.
I bit my lip nervously as my mind went into overdrive thinking about how Perseus might react to my being sent as an envoy to the Roman camp.
'Who are they sending as an envoy?' Perseus asked apprehensively as he stood up slowly, stretching his arms. I would have laughed in another situation at his complete hyperfocus on only that portion of the information I had just told him.
'I am.' I replied, trying to pass it off as nonchalant as I also stood up, refusing to make eye-contact, sure that I would give myself away. 'My hunters too.'
'Oh.' Perseus blinked in surprise.
'What?' I asked sharply. I cringed internally as I realised I had been way too forceful.
'No it's just, I was expecting something bad.' He explained sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck
I sighed in relief before I could realise what I was doing.
Perseus seemed to pick up on it. 'Everything alright?' He asked softly.
I shook my head. 'It's fine.'
Perseus raised an eyebrow suspiciously. 'You sure about that?'
I cocked my head to the side momentarily, appraising Perseus.
You made this decision. He's proved himself to be trustworthy. You're being silly. I told myself.
'I guess I just didn't want to be too overbearing. Like I said, I've never done anything like this before, and I don't want to make all the mistakes I've seen my family make over and over again over the years.' I explained shyly.
Perseus nodded, taking in the information, before throwing his head back and laughing. Of course, I had heard him laugh a fair share of times during our travels, but I had just bared my soul to him, and he thought it was some sort of joke?
He calmed down a bit seeing my face, taking my hands in his, flashing me that disarming smile he always wore when he managed to irritate me.
'I'm not laughing at you or anything, but really, in my opinion, you're about the furthest thing from our family I've ever seen.' He explained, still chuckling slightly.
I huffed in annoyance, although a sliver of a smile still wormed its way onto my face, and I felt the ball of stress I had felt in my chest dissipate.
Perseus turned more serious once more. 'I need to go now. I have a lot of work to do, and even my coworkers are giving me shit.' I noticed his clenched fists and rigid posture, taking note that clearly his fellow Romans were a source of vexation for him.
I smiled softly
'Tomorrow?' I asked.
'Same time.' He confirmed.
I smiled fully for what felt like the first time in a while before slowly walking away.
The last thing I saw before I flashed away was Perseus's smile.
XIXI
Percy
A stupid grin was threatening to break my calm countenance as I took my usual route back through the city to my villa.
She did seem to want to be around me.
You're only mortal. She'll get tired of you. I thought depressedly.
Was it even worth it? I remembered my mother, my… Friends, and their stories about their parents, the heartache, the loneliness.
What could I possibly provide, apart from a distraction? I made a face. This was no way to go around.
Just enjoy it while it lasts. I reasoned as I finally arrived at my front door, fishing my keys out of my pocket and entering my villa.
After all, who else could I possibly be interested in, let alone relate to?
No.
I was being given a chance, brief as it may be, and I would make the most of it, even if it wasn't perfect.
After all, since when had life ever been fair to me?
AN:
Another long week of drama in my household. If only my parents had ever heard of not arguing, and dragging me into it to boot.
God can have a bit of a twisted sense of humour at times.
Anyways, this chapter is, sorta filler? I consider it to be half and half, because these chapters are important in setting up the future plot, but they're such a drag to get through. I enjoy writing Artemis and Percy though, so it evens out more or less.
7MOONS: Thanks for the praise! It was the exact type of mood that I was going for, being a post-battle chapter where the results were really starting to kick in. As for the dialogue, I feared as much, I'm going to have to go back and redo most of it, but thanks all the same, I'll take all the criticism I can get.
Sankarea396: Reyna is the Brutus of this story, as she herself so aptly put. Percy right now is not exactly what I would call a morally good person, and he is quite pragmatic. I honestly really dislike Annabeth, but for the most part I just really wanted to give Reyna some love she really did not get in the original series. Their relationship also has some pretty significant plot relevance. The Artemis coming to New Rome arc is definitely going to bring the problems Percy's been dealing with to a head, and you'll see more of that in the next few chapters.
PetrogradAN: Yeah, I plan on making it suspiciously un-awkward enough for most people around Percy and Artemis to be pretty confused, but there won't be any direct confrontation for the most part until the very end of the fic. (Someday I'll get there.) I also don't really consider myself an author. I started writing this when I was in a bad place and needed and outlet, and for the most part it's an exercise in organisation and writing, to prepare me for University. But I appreciate the vote of confidence either way!
.upg, Darth Kyuubi kurama and HellRaiderS: Thanks, hope this is up to scratch.
Slán, Murph